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Posts tagged as “African-American hair”

BEAUTY: LUX HAIR Wigs by Sherri Shepherd Offers Stylish, Fun and Affordable Wigs

For many reasons (health-related hair loss, vanity, convenience) wigs have found their place into the mainstream allowing versatile options with a relatively easy and sometimes fun way to protect your natural hair from those daily doses of heat and style damage. Wigs are so on-trend currently that they are popping up on more heads than ever before. And there is something a little refreshing nowadays about being able to freely admit “It’s a wig.” No taboo… no judgments, no strange feelings.

Lesa Lakin in the Lite Touch

LUX HAIR wigs by Sherri Shepherd offers a great variety of style choices. I know first hand because I wore this one and loved it. I’m sort of new to the wig game and really loving the simplicity and versatility that comes with just putting one on and going.

The great thing about Lux Hair wigs by Sherri Shepherd is that each wig is made of soft keralon fibers so that they look and feel like real hair. Every wig is ready-to wear and pre-styled. They can be cut curled to create custom looks and styled with heat tools up to 325 degrees.
Check out the styles here:
https://www.luxhair.com
also available on QVC

Desiree Verdejo Opens Vivrant Beauty in Harlem to Offer Black Women Quality and Options They Deserve

Desiree Verdejo, Owner of Vivrant Beauty. (ISLAND BOI PHOTOGRAPHY)

It was only a year ago that Desiree Verdejo resolved to quit her job as a corporate lawyer and pursue her lifelong dream of opening a beauty retail store. That’s quite a leap –but she took it, and today Verdejo is the owner of one of New York City’s hottest new shops, Vivrant Beauty.
The bright and airy space, which is helping to pioneer Harlem’s big beauty boom, is just a few blocks away from Harlem’s bustling 125th Street and right off the main drag of Fredrick Douglas Boulevard. And while all are welcome, the thoughtfully curated hair, skincare and makeup products have women of color in mind.
Verdejo, who was born and raised in Harlem, was frustrated by the lack of selection and the quality of products offered to black women at the average drug stores and beauty supply stores in the area.
To that end, there are no less than 40 different beauty brands lining the shelves and Vivrant Beauty’s e-commerce website, including the usual suspects like Mario Badescu Skin CareDavines, and Butter London, as well as lesser-known lines likeYouth To The PeopleBriogeo, and Stiks Cosmetiks.
“That was the goal,” Verdejo told The Huffington Post. “To have a mix of products that really matched the neighborhood that we’re in — which is super diverse.”
But the 33-year-old says she’s particularly proud of the fact that half of the companies sold at the shop are black owned.
“I don’t think black women are always thought of when it comes to luxury goods — and I think we’re also making products beautifully,” Verdejo said. “So anytime I come across [black beauty brands] I definitely want to consider them and try them. And if they’re done as well as others, then they’re a great fit for the shop.”
Verdejo isn’t alone in her mission to provide black women with a more elevated outlook on beauty. The e-commerce website DooBop.com, which was launched in 2014, has led the way in the movement and more brands are following.
While Vivrant Beauty’s e-commerce business is important to its bottom line, Verdejo wanted to open a brick and mortar location to give customers from near and far a true experience (many women frequently travel from New York’s outer boroughs and New Jersey), where they can touch, feel and learn about the unique products offered.
And if Verdejo’s sage advice, halo of natural curls and glowing brown skin are any indication of that experience and quality of goods she’s pushing, then we’re definitely on board.
We asked the beauty maven to give us a rundown of her favorite products from black-owned brands and why she loves them so much. Here’s the scoop…
1.  Briogeo “Don’t Despair, Repair!’ deep conditioning mask
Vivrant Beauty
“This is a holy-grail deep conditioner when it comes to kinky curls. It’s got rosehip oil and avocado oil and makes hair soft, detangled and shiny. Briogeo makes amazing conditioners for curly hair but this is hands-down the best.”
To buy: Briogeo “Don’t Despair, Repair!’ deep conditioning mask, $26.

2. Cleanse by Lauren Napier facial wipes

Vivrant Beauty
“These face cleansing wipes are must haves for my gym-loving customers and those with busy travel schedules. They’re individually-wrapped and made with premium hydrating ingredients like aloe and cucumber extracts — unlike your drug store wipes — that your skin will love.”
To buy: Cleanse by Lauren Napier facial wipes (box of 12), $18.

3.  Girl + Hair “Under Hair Care” Protective Restoring Balm

Vivrant Beauty
“A black doctor that wanted healthy hair under her hair weaves created this line- and it shows! It’s my go-to when rocking protective styles and my braids and weave loving customers have come back and thanked me for  introducing them to this line.”
To buy: Girl + Hair “Under Hair Care” Protective Restoring Balm, $20.

4.  Perfect Face dual foundation stick by Ashunta Sheriff

Vivrant Beauty
“This dual-ended foundation stick is the perfect item to throw in your purse. Created by celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff, it comes with a lighter and darker shade that makes concealing and contouring quick and easy.”
To buy: Perfect Face dual foundation stick by Ashunta Sheriff, $40.

5.  Ginger + Liz- “Zip Dry” drops

Vivrant Beauty
“Yes, G+ L has the trendiest, vegan nail polish colors but they also have quick dry formula that is absolutely the truth when it comes to a quick and shiny mani.”
To buy: Ginger + Liz- “Zip Dry” drops, $9.50.

6.  Earth’s Nectar “Honey Curls” gel

Vivrant Beauty
“Every curly and kinky girl wants curl definition or a bomb twist-out. No one wants hard hair or flakes. This product is the answer – I promise.”
To buy: Earth’s Nectar “Honey Curls” gel, $23.50.

7.  Oui Shave “Charlotte” set with razor and Neroli shave oil

Vivrant Beauty
“You’ll buy this luxe gilded shave kit that replaces your shave cream with an organic shave oil. And then you’ll buy one for a friend because a purple plastic razor just won’t make sense to you anymore.”
To buy: Oui Shave “Charlotte” set with razor and Neroli shave oil, $48.
article by Julee Wilson via huffingtonpost.com

Dove Embraces Diversity With "Love Your Curls" Campaign and New Curly-Haired Emojis

Dove has been receiving all the praise lately after the launch of its “Love Your Curls” campaign that was released earlier this year in an effort to get women to love their curly hair textures.
Now, the beauty brand is expanding on that campaign and bringing its love for diversity to your fingertips. As of Nov. 4, in the App Store and on Google Play, emoji lovers can download the 27 new curly-haired emojis that come in various skin tones and hair lengths. According to Dove’s commercial, only four out of 10 curly-hair girls feel they are beautiful. Recognizing the power in representation, Dove’s VP of Marketing Rob Candelino knew it was up to the company to fill the void.
“Knowing how prevalent and widely used emojis have become, it was saddening to us [that] there remained no reflection of curly hair in the official keyboard, even after recent updates,” Candelino tells MashableThe best part about using emojis is being able to express a feeling, thought or sentiment with an icon that is representative of you.”
In addition to the new emojis, Dove has partnered with Twitter to ensure that every time someone tweets #LoveYourCurls, a curly-haired emoji will appear.
Dove’s digital communication updates are among many new additions added to the campaign, as the brand has also launched empowering videos and a children’s book full of poems and stories that encourage women to celebrate their natural curls.
article via Courtney Connley via blackenterprise.com

"You Are So Beautiful!": Adoptive Mom Lauren Casper Bonds with Daughter Arsema, 3, Over Hair Care

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Three-year-old Arsema watches a movie during the weekly mother-daughter hairstyle sessions. (Photo: Lauren Casper)

For mom and blogger Lauren Casper, doing her daughter’s hair is something she thought about even before she brought her baby home. Arsema, now 3, was four months old when Casper and her husband adopted her from Ethiopia. “Prior to her coming home, I had researched as much as I could about black culture and raising black children,” Casper, who is white, tells Yahoo Parenting. “For raising a girl specifically, I was learning how important black hair is in the culture. And while I was well-versed in my own hair, that is obviously very different.”

In an essay posted on Today’s community blog this week, Casper writes about watching YouTube videos and scoping out Pinterest boards to learn to style her daughter’s hair, and the mother-daughter bonding time that has resulted. “As the white mother of a beautiful black daughter, hair care has been a steep learning curve for me,” she writes.

“I want my daughter to love her hair and be proud of the springy black curls that cover her head. I want to be able to care for and style her hair in a way shows I understand that her hair is different and I celebrate her unique beauty.”

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Lauren Casper lets her daughter Arsema, 3, pick out a new hairstyle each week. (Photo: Lauren Casper)

Every Saturday evening, Casper and Arsema have their weekly styling sessions. “We do the big shampoo and condition and she picks a style from my Pinterest board,” Casper says. Arsema settles in with a movie on the laptop, while Casper gets to styling. “The shortest amount of time it takes me is 30-45 minutes with the detangling and the parting, even just for braids or puffs,” she says. “The longest we have ever done is two hours – that one stayed in for two weeks.”

Casper says she loves this special mother-daughter time, especially because she’s always loved doing her own hair. “I like doing hair. And when Arsema came home, I recognized I was in over my head for a little while. But it’s fun for me and I wanted to do this with her,” she says. “It’s like when I’m getting ready in the morning and doing my makeup, she pulls up a chair in the bathroom and does lipstick, too. They are fun moments.”

But for this pair, the hairstyling is about more than just getting primped. “I’ve learned from talking to my friends and doing research into black culture that hair is really important. And so I want to do everything I can to celebrate and enter into the culture that my daughter is a part of,” she says. “I realize that I’m still on the outside looking in and will never fully understand, but I want to do everything I can to keep Arsema connected to that as much as possible. I want her to love everything about herself. I want her to love her hair, her skin, and part of helping her love her hair and have that positive body image is caring for it and making sure it’s healthy and that styling it is a fun and a positive experience.”

Tracee Ellis Ross Launches 'Hair Love' Campaign In Response To Funny Hair Envy Meme (VIDEO)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mf0eOhNCjg&w=560&h=315]
Hair envy is a serious matter. The intense emotion has made droves of women fry, dye and cut their hair to replicate fabulously coifed notables (see: FLOTUS and Kate Middleton) or that woman (or man) in your office who looks like they just stepped off the set of a hair commercial. We’ve even contemplated going green (and we’re not talking about recycling).
tracee ellis rossAnd with the natural hair movement well underway, many ladies are coveting curl patterns that aren’t their own. Isn’t that the opposite of embracing your natural hair? Actress and curly girl, Tracee Ellis Ross, is addressing this unfortunate trend by launching the “Hair Love” Campaign–a call to action for women to start loving their hair, as-is.
Prompted by an Instagram meme from AroundTheWayCurls showing a little girl crying with a caption reading, “That moment you realize you don’t have Tracee Ellis Ross’s hair,” the 40-year-old star created a video response to express her gratitude–but to also explain her views on the matter.
“I don’t want you to want my hair. The reason I don’t want you to want my hair is I’m of the school of love what you got. For me, the reason my hair was such a battle was because I was trying to make it something it wasn’t. I wanted the hair that somebody else had,” Tracee says in the video.
She goes on to say: “I love that you love my hair but I only love that you love my hair if it’s an inspiration for you to love your hair.”
What a fabulous sentiment. We love that Tracee’s speaking out about this and hope it encourages others to really start embracing their own hair.
article by Julee Wilson via huffingtonpost.com