Hair of the day: Nicole Sherzinger

Nicole Scherzinger with elegant braids at the Industry Music Trust's Awards.

More braid styles in our Braidzillas hair gallery on Facebook.

Hair gallery: 90s styles are back

90's hair styles are back and you can now wear them with absolutely no shame. From left to right:

Ombre Hair, Aaliyah; 

Box Braids, Patra

The Loose Curls, Mariah Carey

Henna Straw Set, Janet Jackson

Braidout, Denise Huxtable

Curly Locks, Vanessa Williams

Celebrity style: Janelle Monae

Have you ever wondered why Janelle Monae is always dressed in black and white like a waitress or a maid? You may even have thought that her style is annoying, been there, done that, why don't you try something new for a change?

The American singer explained the reasons behind her fashion statement at the  in her acceptance speech for the“Young, Black and Gifted” award at the Black Girls Rock, Inc. awards ceremony on Sunday 4 November. Her style is a statement, a way for her to always remember her background and honor her family's: 

"When I started my music career, I was a maid. I used to clean houses. My mother was a proud janitor. My stepfather, who raised me like his very own, worked at the post office and my father was a trashman.  They all wore uniforms and that’s why I stand here today, in my black and white, and I wear my uniform to honor them.

This is a reminder that I have work to do. I have people to uplift. I have people to inspire. And today, I wear my uniform proudly as a Cover Girl. I want to be clear, young girls, I didn’t have to change who I was to become a Cover Girl. I didn’t have to become perfect because I’ve learned throughout my journey that perfection is the enemy of greatness.”

The Black Girls Rock, Inc. awards took place on in the Bronx, New York. The ceremony, hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King, is to honor the achievements of women of color who are rising stars and veteran trendsetters in entertainment, culture and more.

As I Am launch a new TV commercial

As I Am, the hair care brand dedicated to natural hair, is launching a new television advertising campaign in the United States. The ads will be streamed on BET & Centric. View the advert here.

As I Am was founded by Dr Ali N.Syed, chemist, creator of Avlon industries (1984). Before that, Avlon industries mainly focused on chemically treated hair care with brands such as Affirm and KeraCare.

We haven't tested the products ourselves but they have received good reviews on Youtube (see below). Have you tried As I Am products? What are your thoughts?

If you live in the UK, As I Am products are available on gidore.com. 

Style of the week: The Apple Tree

A very original creation by hair stylist Adeola Sbd

Model: Nana Afua Antwi

Hair gallery: Afros

 A fewcouple of ideas to help you wear your afro in style, whether it's short, medium or long.

Trend: The turban

We saw them at the Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring fashion show this week, Eva Mendes was wearing one at the Toronto film festival and they are all over the place in streets of London. The vintage turbans... this is an old school revival trend not to be missed.

Turbans can be very handy when you need to hide your hair while deep conditioning with a under a plastic cap. You can also use it in the winter for protective styles. 

How will you wear yours? Will you go for the vintage model in one colour or the current designs with fluorescent prints?

Street Hair: Kemi

Name: Kemi
City: London, UK
Hair type: Natural hair, never relaxed
Styling: Braids, buns, straighten with blow dryer/flat iron on very rare occasions, threading.

Hairstyle of the week: Alicia Keys' big cut

Singer Alicia Keys debuted her career with the hairstyle that made her famous: cornrows. She then moved on to a more traditional look with long, silky locks. 

Her hair stylist, Tippi Shorter told Essence magazine that she's been considering a new and shorter look for five years. She apparently decided to make the big cut to coincide with the launch of her latest opus: "This seemed like the perfect time [for a cut] with the release of a new song appropriately titled ‘New Day."

Summer 2012

 Alicia in the early days of her career with her trademark cornrows

Straight styles 

Cornrows styles

 

 
 

Afromag meets... Julie Oli from Healthy Afro Hair

Julie Oli, UK-based hair specialist, author and speaker is the Founder of Healthy Afro Hair. She teaches her knowledge and expertise to women in search of solutions to their hair growth problems.

When we first bumped into her Youtube channel a few months ago, we loved the fact that it was clear and exhaustive. It contains videos detailing the key steps of a healthy hair regime (ie: “How I wash my hair”, “How I condition my hair”, “How I detangle my hair” etc).

We were delighted to hear that she would be holding a seminar at the Afro Hair & Beauty Live Show in London this weekend (stand 25) and wanted to catch with her before the event to let you know her hair secrets. 

First of all thank you for accepting our interview. At Afromag, we support every initiative promoting the beauty of afro women and inspiring them to love themselves more. Healthy Afro Hair is definitely one of those. Our first question is the following: how long is you hair now?
Well, I decided to cut my hair back in December 2011, due to the ends becoming thin and I wanted to bring it back to a nice manageable length with more thickness. So I am currently between Armpit length (APL) and back bra-strap length (BSL).

You started your healthy hair journey in September 2007. What happened? Who inspired you?

The turning point was that I was sick and tired of my hair always breaking. I was determined to find a solution so I went on hair care forums, blogs. I researched for about a month and Ultra Black Hair Growth by Cathy Howse made me decide to implement my own hair care journey.

Who is you hair inspiration?

Cathy Howse because Ultra Black Hair Growth is the first book I read on black hair care. When I saw her pictures online and how she grew her hair I thought: wow! Let’s read her book and see what she has to offer.

In your opinion, what’s the biggest mistake black women make with their hair?
I would say heat appliances, because constant usage causes damage to our hair. Another point is moisturising the hair. Our hair texture is naturally dry, so we need to be moisturising twice a day to prevent breakage and this is not done often enough.

How do you wear your hair on a daily basis?
Before I began my hair journey, I imagined I would wear my hair out on a daily basis. However, due to the hard work and effort I put into growing it over the years, I realised that it needed to be handled with care, so now I wear many protective hair styles to prevent my hair from rubbing against my clothes and causing breakage (which is a common problem).

What protective styles do you recommend for people with short hair?
I would recommend them trying half wigs to help assist in growing and maintaining their hair on a daily basis. This way, they do not have a weave directly sewn into the hair and can therefore continue their hair care regime daily.

Doesn’t it create a lot of product build-up to moisturise so often?
Not really, because I wash and condition my hair on a weekly basis to help remove the product build up on my hair and scalp, so that helps.

You said on your website that the secret to hair growth is learning to understand what your hair wants and being patient. Can you be more specific?
Yes, I recommend doing thorough research and listening to proven, tried and tested methods that actually work; using myself as an example. It's also about trial and error, in terms of trying various hair products on your hair. For example, if a moisturiser makes your hair feel dry, then you know it’s not for you. Everyone’s hair is different. But it's important to read the ingredients on the packaging and avoiding ingredients such as Petroleum/Mineral oils (which prevent moisture from penetrating the hair) and Short chain Alcohols (which dry out the hair).

You provide one to one consultations and a 12 week coaching programme. What does it entail?

It’s basically checking on the clients every week (by Skype or over the phone). On Week  1, we sit down and identify the problem, examine their diet, the  products they’re using and create a regimen. Then on Week 2, they give feedback and we try to find solutions. The programme lasts 12 weeks because that’s the time it took me to start noticing some results. I believe people are more successful when they’re watched.

Do you have natural clients?

Yes. It’s not about having natural or relaxed hair but more about finding the regime we need.

Wash day can be quite challenging for naturals, especially when it comes to drying the hair out without heat (air drying). What do you recommend?

If you have natural hair, you need to be moisturing while you’re air drying otherwise it will tangle. You can tie it down or twist it to keep it flat while it dries. Then take it down and moisturize again every couple of hours until it’s fully dry. 

I believe that spray moisturisers are better than lotions because they allow to get between the strands. They are water based, quicker and more convenient.

Tell us a bit more about your seminar at the London Afro Hair & Beauty Live Show.
Well, it's only for 45mins, so I’ll be going back to the basics and sharing my hair growth story and how it all started, as well as the MYTHS that have prevented us from growing longer, stronger, healthier hair.

Just to add that I have set up a Facebook group specifically for women (both relaxed and natural) to come together to discuss their hair problems, solutions and work together to successfully grow their hair. It's a private group for anyone to join. Details are below.

Website:  www.julieoli.com/

Facebook : www.facebook.com/HealthyAfroHair

Youtube: www.youtube.com/HealthyAfroHair

Twitter @healthyafrohair

Fro of the day: Inna Modja

Name: Inna Modja (real name: Inna Bocoum)
Job: Singer
From: Mali
Date of birth: 19 May 1984
Favourite hair products: Mizani, shea butter, natural oils

Celebrity hairstyle: Leela James

Leela James is a singer born in 1983 in California. She is also known as a natural hair inspiration. She's never relaxed her hair thanks to her mother's influence and hasn't felt any pressure from the music industry to do so. However, she's not an afro activist and believes that one shouldn't give too much importance to somoene's hair style:


"Hair politics are so stupid. I wish somebody would say that if I straighten my hair, I'm not as "Black" as someone with a natural. A hairstyle doesn't have anything to do with how conscious you are. India Arie said it best with her song "I'm Not My Hair." And listen, some people wear afros and loc their hair, but they're just as Uncle Tom as they can be. Everybody knows somebody that's like, "I burn my incense, I'm so righteous, I'm so spiritual..." Give me a break!" (source: essence magazine)

She maintains her hair with a very simple hair regimen including shampoo and braids as a protective style: "I usually wash and condition in the shower, but I've been known to flip my hair over into the kitchen sink too... old school style, LOL! It all depends on my mood. I deep condition and apply hot oil treatments regularly. I recommend everyone do this, at least once a month."

Here's how she creates the mega afro above: "On wash day, I apply a leave-in conditioner and create 5 or 6 braids or plaits. I braid on damp hair and allow it to air-dry. Once it's fully dry, I take the braids down, comb them, and then tease it out using a pick or a wide tooth comb. Sometimes I'll lightly blow it out with a dryer, but that's really it! In between styling sessions, I dampen the hair, re-braid and repeat." (source: curlinikki.com)

Read her interview in Essence magazine

First posted on 28 July 2010.

Celebrity Hairstyle: Cassie vs Jada Pinkett-Smith

 The shaved head is still in. When Cassie did it first in 2009, we thought it would be a craze but she hasn't gone back since then. Jada Pinkett-Smith also adopted that extreme style on a regular basis and her daughter Willow is following the path.

The challenge with shaved hair is maintenance and options. Having long straight hair makes it easier for Cassie and Jada to hide the shaved part and switch back to a conventional look for work or formal events.


Cassie, the young hipster, and Jada, the mature woman, have two very different approaches. So who wears the shaved head better? Cast your vote below:

Jada tends to leave more hair and often hides the shaved side for a classic look. She revealed her shaved side last night at Sean Penn's fundraising for Haïti in Cannes with bare make-up, a sparkling dress and elegant earrings (see above).

Cassie's hair is shaved very low which gives her a more drastic look. She is not afraid to look edgy and goes all the way with large hipster glasses, high ponytails and gigantic accessories.

Hair of the day: Halle Berry or Tia Mowry?

Today's battle is between two curly actresses. It looks like Halle Berry is going natural and letting her light brown curls out. Meanwhile, Tia Mowry is doing the dramatic look with long, straight, dark locks and a bang.

10 ways to wear natural hair

A selection of natural hairstyles for your inspiration.

Top 10 straight hairstyles of the week

1. Sanaa Lathan with a middle part and curled ends
2. Ashanti with 'rainbow' ends
3. Michelle Obama and her classic cut


More pictures in the picture gallery below. And go to Afromag's straight hairstyles board on Pinterest for more inspiration.

Hair gallery: Short Hair Styles

Don't know what to do with your short hair? Are you convinced that it's not feminine enough? Are about to give up leaving your hair out and resort to braids, extensions or wigs instead?

Here are a few ideas to help you look feminine with short natural hair.

1. Use make up - if you like wearing make up, use a kohl pencil and mascara to accentuate and deepen your look.

2. Look after your eyebrows - shaping your eyebrows will also contribute to a more feminine look. If you want to darken them, black is not necessarily the smartest option as it can look artificial. Prefer greys and light browns.

3. Don't forget the accessories - large colourful earrings will help frame your face and make you stand out.

BRIT Awards top 3 hairstyles

Celebs chose simple but classy hairstyles last night at the BRIT Awards in London. Take a look at Alexandra Burke's high ponytail extension, Rihanna's french bun, Jessie J's curly fro.

Hot or not? Blonde hair

Many celebs are now dying their hair blonde. There is an infinite number shades, textures and lengths to choose from. What style do you prefer? Rihanna's wavy locks with dark roots; Emeli Sandé's sharp side cut and a long fringe or Brianna's peroxyde blonde fishtail?