Curly Girl Challenge: Be a Part of Curly Girl 2!

Lorraine Massey is looking for more curly folk to put in her follow-up to the wonderful book Curly Girl.  She is asking for story submissions and the information is now up at naturallycurly.com.  You could be in her book!  Click the link below for details!

http://www.naturallycurly.com/CurlyGirlChallenge/

Another read: "Naturally Curly"

A short piece by Anita Garner on the curly women in her family:

http://theagingofaquarius.com/ag_blog/?tag=politics-of-hair

Article: "Hair Raising"

Thought-provoking short piece by Michon Boston on the subject of hair, texture, culture and politics...

Mini-exerpt:

I’m listening to NPR this morning. There’s a story about hair…actually shampoo. Breaking news - “We” don’t have to shampoo our hair every day.” Who is the “we”? Who is the “us”? Who are the “Americans” all of us - the ones who shampoo daily?


http://www.eclectique916.com/2009/03/19/hair-raising/

The DeVaD: Promo Video

When one buys a starter kit of DevaCurl they get a copy of their "DeVaD," a short, very tongue-in-cheek how-to of the product line.  Luckily, it is also available on YouTube, and it worth watching for the humor alone.  You also might pick up some tips along the way. ;)

Experiment: Air Dry Vs. Diffuser

Nine times out of ten, when I do my hair, I use a diffuser.  Two reasons...mainly because it saves time and my curls can go flat very quickly when air dried.   My clients are generally split between those that diffuse and those that air dry, and most of them will switch back and forth depending on the circumstances.  However, several people have asked me exactly what the benefits of air drying are over diffusing--appearance-wise--and vice-versa.  

So, I thought I'd do a side-by-side comparison of how this works with my own hair. :)

A few words of caution...my curls are NOT your curls. :)  My curls are looser, pretty fine-textured, and being a mohawk, they are going to lay differently than most.  A woman with crazy-tight spiral curls will have very different results than someone with big, loopy rope-like curls.  But this will give you some idea of what various elements such as water, heat, and time will do to your set.

The Experiment!

I began both sets with hair that had been cleansed with DevaCare No-Poo and conditioned with DevaCare One Condition.  

Water was scrunched out with a microfiber towel, and about a tablespoon of half DevaCurl Angell and half DevaCare Arc Angell was scrunched back in.  95% of the time, I use this 50/50 mix, as I've found it works VERY well for my hair...just enough hold, just enough moisture. :)

So at that point, my hair looks like this: 

I waited two hours, went about my day, hands never touching my hair. 

Two hours later, it was about 90% dry, which is when I will typically re-scrunch to break the cast of the gel and finish the set.

The result:

My hair felt very soft and the curls felt elongated and more "set" in one placement or another. The 2-hour dry time definitely ensured that wherever the curl dried, that's where it stayed.  

I then re-washed and conditioned my hair, scrunched with a microfiber and worked in my 50/50 gel mix, and set to diffusing.

A lovely shot of what it looks like flipped upside-down with the diffuser cup to my head ;) :

Drying time: 10 minutes.  And the result:

The biggest differences were curl placement and tightness of the curl.  The curls moved around a lot more and felt more random and "funky," if you will.  The curls had a springy, energetic formation that I tend to prefer on my own hair.  I generally tell clients that if you are going for a looser, closer-to-the-head set, air drying is the way to go.  But if volume and springiness are your goals, diffusing can do a lot for you.

Those who have seen my hair at the salon know I don't wear it down.  It is usually pinned-up into a twisty-thing of some sort.  Diffusing my hair allows for this shape-shifting to happen much easier as the curls aren't as set into a particular pattern.  

So these are my results.  I plan to do another experiment soon with a few different clipping techniques to see how they affect the set.  

Happy styling!

Product Review: DevaCurl No-Poo and Low-Poo

Type: Cleanser

For: All curly hair types

No-Poo

DevaCurl No-Poo is a very gentle, creamy cleanser with zero sudsing.  It relies on a nifty mix of peppermint and rose oils for a natural cleanse, while leaving the hair and scalp in a good moisture balance.  It rinses well considering the creaminess, and the scent is light and clean (a mix of peppermint and rose).  Gentle enough for every day use, if you are so inclined...of course I caution against over-washing, but your hair will ultimately tell you when it needs to be cleansed.  

My only caution is with the fine curlies out there whose hair weighs down at the drop of a hat.  There have been clients of mine who have found it too heavy.  No-Poo can take a bit of getting used to due to its consistency, so remember to rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.  Also remember that a little goes a long way (I've never used more than a tablespoon).

Low-Poo

DevaCurl Low-Poo is also a very gentle cleanser, but a bit more "oomfed" up.  It has a slight suds factor that comes from a non-sulfate surfactant, but is nowhere near as stripping as a conventional shampoo.  The scent is best described as a bit like green apple.  A typical user of Low-Poo meets one or more of these criteria:

1.  Very fine hair

2.  Multiple product user (gel with hairspray or mousse)

3.  Oilier scalp

My own bathroom is stocked with both cleansers, and I will use one or the other depending on how my hair feels.  Do I have a LOT of spray in my hair 'cause I just spent the night out on the town?  Low-Poo.  Am I just doing my normal twice-a-week wash?  No-Poo  Am I going to be deep conditioning, and want my hair to be a bit more "prepped?"  Low-Poo.

Both are very high quality and refined cleansers that really do what they say they will.  Remember to read the directions carefully, and to always be gentle in applying the cleanser.  

As always, both products are available for purchase at East 42nd Street Salon.  :)  

Welcome to The C-Curve!

Welcome to the launch of The C-Curve, a blog created for all things curly!

This blog is all about curl education and resources, with new information posted at least once a week.

Here you will find product reviews, book reviews, article links, how-to info, style ideas, and more as the blog grows to meet the needs and wants of its readers.

I encourage all of your to give me constant feedback.  If there is a particular product you want me to review, let me know.  Have a link to a fantastic article or web clip, share it!  

You can also at any time ask me hair care questions, share your concerns, or talk amongst each other.

Enjoy the blog!