Check out how Dove and Kelly Rowland are teaming up to inspire hair confidence through music!

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Hair Braiders in Tennessee are getting fined heavy dollars for not being licensed and administering service to customers. Should braiders be licensed in all 50 states? Take our poll and let us know what you think?

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If ever you doubted black people's ability to create and cultivate---go to Afro Punk!

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Summer is full of barbecues, beach days, and bikini pics. It’s also full of direct exposure to sunlight which can be harmful to even the healthiest of hair. Luckily the entrance of a new season provides us with the perfect excuse to not only freshen up our wardrobes but also change our hairstyles and beauty routines. As our founder proves daily on social media for many creatives and entrepreneurs no two days are alike, so we asked a few of our favorite busy creatives what their favorite protective styles to rock were when giving their hair a break from the routine.

Actress and founder of Leaders in Lipstick Nate’ Jones said “braids and buns” are her got-to. She described buns as “classy and quick” and said “braids can take long but they last longer.”

Recreate her bold box braids with our new colorful selections.

Lit Brooklyn founder Denequa Williams' go to protective style of choice is a well constructed wig “because of the idea that they aren’t permanent.” She describes them as “literally a temporary decision with zero attachment.”  She’s also fond of “braids and faux locks”. She appreciates “the freedom of them and the ability to imitate any hairstyle with them.”

Looking for a way to embrace the freedom of your protective style? Check out the Latched and Hooked Youtube channel for tips and tricks on how.

Beauty vlogger "Delightful" Ace Watson shared why she prefers “crochet styles” above all others. “They look realistic and they they last for a long time. Wigs are fun but I love the freedom of getting up and going, instead of deciding what wig I should wear next.”

Founder of The Editorial Nail and one of the most celebrated masterminds behind the elaborate nail designs on the TNT break out hit “Claws” likes “cornrows”. With the amount of cover shoots and runway prep the in-demand creative is booked for the low maintenance option is a great pick but she says “I can pretty much rock with any protective styling as long as my hair is protected.”

Trainer Kenisha Brockington is rarely spotted without signature her faux locks. As someone who exercises so frequently she relies on them to help her navigate her “active lifestyle as a health and wellness coach.” She says “the older they get the better they look” and claims that they afford her “twenty minutes of extra sleep because I don't have to twist, comb, or separate my hair in the morning!”

We want to know how your routine is switching up with the seasons! Tag us in your new look!

 

 

 

Photo Credits: Nate' Jones, Gracie Jean, Ace Watson Spiked Spin, Ebony.com  

 

The 2017 Emmys was celebration of the benefits of what many are calling “the golden age of television”. Showrunners, actresses, and writers were praised for their accomplishments on and off screen. But before they got to clutching their golden statues and slipping into their exclusive after parties the stars shut down the red carpet with some serious black girl magic. Here are some of our favorite looks.

While she was breaking the internet with her signature sense of humor, Issa Rae was sported an immaculate halo braid to the back of her hair. Stylist to the stars Felicia Leatherwood really showed why she is not to be played with here! There was not one hair out of place on Issa’s head! Talk about snatching edges!

Looking to recreate the look? Don’t forget to make sure your edges are moisturized so that they don’t go missing!

The “Insecure” creator wasn’t the only beauty she styled that night. She also styled Susan Kelechi Watson aka the best fictional wife ever, Lena Waithe, and Ryan Michelle Bathe who showed up on the arm of her husband and co-star Sterling K. Brown.

Gabrielle Union, who recently launched her own line of hair products for textured and curly hair, showed up to the ceremony for the very first time in her career with a voluminous ponytail pulled to the back. The pony was created by Larry Sims, who was also responsible for Jourdan Dunn’s brushed out mane at the MTV Awards. That he can execute such seemingly similar looks so differently is what separates Sims from the pack.

Tracee Ellis Ross let her accessories do the talking and decided to go for elegantly simple cornrows created by stylist Marcia Hamilton that complimented the drama of her earrings. The stylist has worked with Ross’s on screen daughter Yara Shahidi as well.

The “Power” star that fans loved to hate Anika Noni Rose seperated herself from her game changing role with a new short cut featuring a shaved cut and a small tuft of flaming curls created by celebrity hairstylist Cynthia Alvarez. Not looking to take quite such a drastic step for your next special occasion? Fake the funk with a faux tapered cut featuring our small crochet curls in ginger.

As people of color keep being integrated into “mainstream” media in meaningful ways there will be more to celebrate and more style to soak up! Keep checking back here for more red carpet coverage!

New York Fashion Week is in full effect! That's right black clad PR girls, their giant sunglasses, and the bottle service girls and baristas that keep them going strong have been joined by models, celebrities, influencers, and street style photographers in the city that never sleeps. But while the designer clothes on the runway are intended to be center stage we can’t shift our focus from the fabulous hairstyles presented at this year’s “Texture on the Runway”. A celebration of the curls, kinks, and coils that have long been absent from New York Fashion Week designer presentations this year’s annual show was presented by Texture Media and Sally Beauty Supply. Here are three ways you can incorporate the looks from this year’s show into your personal beauty routine.

1. Don’t Be Afraid To Mix Textures

One of the best things about having crotchet twists is that you don't have to commit to just one look. Usually that refers to being able to swap styles quickly but in this case it means being open to mixing textures in one style. Stylists added large fluffy curls to the back of braided hair to create looks that were fun and flexible. Achieve this by braiding the front of your hair and added our large Mckenzie curls to the back or adding a long loose braid. 

2. Switch It Up With A Little Shimmer

My absolute favorite theme of the night was the gold toned “style and grace” created by stylist Key Glover! He took a literal approach to the term black girl magic by adorning models in glitter specked gold paint.

Depending on your profession that level of sparkle might not be appropriate on a consistent basis but there are many ways to ease this style inspiration into your everyday routine. Consider weaving some golden hair accessories into your braids or twists or covering them with some hair jewelry to add a little shine!

3. Embrace The Trends Through Accessories

The 90s are back! And if ill fitting overalls and oversized athletic jerseys aren't really your thing you can still get in on the fun! Accessories like backwards baseball caps and big earrings can take any hairstyle to the next level. Don’t forget modernized beads are your friends!

Check out more from the show below! 

 

Photo Credits: Allure, NaturallyCurly.com 

Fetes honoring the faces of “young hollywood” used to be just a sea of blonde starlets with stick straight strands and their cookie cutter boy band counterparts. But slowly but surely the red carpets in tinseltown have been making room for the melanin and textured manes that teens everywhere are starting to embrace. Enter stunning child star Skai Jackson.

After spending a fair amount of time consistently sporting her now iconic and meme-inspiring high ponytail the Disney Channel star has stepped out of her comfort zone towards another age appropriate slay. The young actress arrives at Variety's "Power of Young Hollywood" party this year wearing a charming and simple style that was perfect for the occasion.

She finished the look off by lining her bright eyes with an electric blue liner and adding a pure pink lip. 

We’ve got the details on how to recreate her look for the next red carpet moment in your life in just a few easy steps.

1. Part front of hair horizontally
2. Braid the back of hair so it can easily attach to our kinky bulk hair
3. Separate the front of hair into three sections using our tortoise shell rat tail comb,  make sure that the middle section is significantly larger than the two side sections and don’t worry about parts being super straight a little curve looks great here 
4. Pull each of the three separate sections into an individual ponytail using rubber braid binders that match your hair color
5. Twist each of the ponytails loosely
6. Manipulate the twists into loose individual buns
7. Add our kinky bulk hair to the back of your hair using crochet or diy clip-ins  

8. Add gold or silver charms to the front of each of your buns

9. Using a toothbrush or another thin soft bristled tool emphasize your baby hairs with your favorite edge control

10.Complete the look with your favorite finishing spray!

Jackson and her classic self-satisfied expression might have already taken over social media but her modest yet modern dress selections and smart beauty choices are bound to land her on more than a few best dressed lists.  We can’t wait to see what this rising star does next!

Racism, ableism, fatphobia and all other forms of hate had to take a back seat to the resistance on the final weekend in August. Afropunk brought together the marginalized, the eccentric, and the hopeful this year and in an effort to escape the day-to-day negativity of our current climate many of them chose to make a statement with their style.  

Signaling the end of festival season Afropunk has traditionally offered a chance for attendees to experiment with bold fashion and beauty looks. 

Here are some of our favorite trends from one of Brooklyn’s most fearless weekend.

Colorful Braids

Misty might be a little too lit but “Luke Cage” star Simone Missick’s personal style is right on the money. She sported an oversized ombre purple braid while posing with Deray Mckesson that was perfect for a music festival. The best things about oversized braids is they can easily be converted into buns to combat the heat of a large crowd like the one at Afropunk. Get her look using our purple rain hair.

This festival goer killed it in multi-colored bantu knots and canary colored heart shaped glasses.

Another festival goer paired hers with fluffed out curls. Get the look by adding our medium curls in ginger.

This beauty rocked a blue halo braid that matched her printed jumpsuit!

This attendee paired her sexy schoolgirl look with three funky pastel braided buns.

Beads

Beads might make you think about jelly sandals and now and laters but Afropunk brought some updated versions of the hair accessories.

Quality materials, structured styles, and unexpected combinations make beads a viable styling option that is much more current. Check out how this queen created a chic pattern to stand out below.

This attendee chose to create an adorned bang using golden hair charms and cowry shells.

Flowers

Flower crowns may be passe but people are finding different ways to incorporate flowers into their looks, embedding them into pigtails is just one of them.

We can’t decide what we love more the sunflowers in this girl’s glam braid or her luscious lashes.

We can't wait to see the style that gets served up at Afropunk Atlanta.

Photo Credits: Dee Williams for The Blonde Misfit, Cosmopolitan, BET

Alicia Keys rocking neon box braids like it was no big deal might have momentarily broken the internet but the trend has been around a lot longer than social media.

For years black women with colorful braids have represented stereotypes and judgements. Whether you saw one on the silver screen or the pages of your favorite magazine the message their image was meant to convey was clear. They were dubbed “ghetto” and “classless” only appearing to be worthy of attention when an editor or creative director was looking to infuse a little “edge” into their creation.

While young white girls have always had options like hair chalk, and glitter sprays to express themselves young black girls have had to maneuver around the implications of respectability politics when choosing a style.  

Today a (slightly) more culturally sensitive society has sought out new language to describe the many facets of black womanhood and girlhood. While sites like Quirktastic, Refinery 29, and others are presenting more inclusive images showing that black girls can have fun with their looks too.

When covering what they're dubbing the “Unicorn Hair” trend publications haven’t left out women of color. Condé Nast's "Allure" prominently featured Amina Muccio as a “real life mermaid” allowing the young woman to display her love of mixing things up with “colorful braids, backgrounds and personality.”

This shift has been reflected in the attitudes of parents as well. In an article for SocaMom Eva Wilson explained why she chose to indulge her daughter’s request to look like “Rainbow Dash of My Little Pony.”  Wilson pointed out  “There's been a lot of chatter on social media about how black girls with colorful hair are 'ghetto', but when white girls do it, it is considered 'trendy' or 'creative' and made it clear that with all of the expectations on society places on black children to assume adult responsibilities she’s determined “to let them hold onto their youth as long as possible.”

Mainstream beauty companies seem to be understanding that need as well. This year beauty powerhouse L’Oréal Paris teamed up with the minds behind Curlfest  and it seems everyday products are popping up on the shelves to temporarily tint braids, twists, curls, and coils. There’s still a lot of "image activism" to be done before no one bats an eyelash at a receptionist with bright purple kinky twists.

Hopefully the normalization of women with colorful braids will lead to women of color rocking every and any trend being seen as only themselves.

 

Photo Credits: Joybird.com, Allure.com, Socamom.com 

Wigs are a busy girl’s best friend. Whether you’re a carpool driving and couples game night hosting wife and mother or a single college student trying to cram four years of study groups and coffee runs into three one thing is for certain-a wig can save you valuable time. But while this low maintenance styling option can relieve some serious styling pressure it still requires a little TLC. We tapped celebrity hair stylist and Lucid Bliss founder Tiffany Lamb to give some tips on how she prepares her clients including “Power” actress Naturi Naughton, “Refill” songstress Elle Varner, and "Girls Trip" star Tiffany Haddish for getting the hollywood treatment on their (often removable) hair.

1. Keep it Clean

Tiffany doesn’t allow her clients to neglect undercare. She stated “the first thing is definitely keeping your hair clean. You need to be washing your hair. You want to make sure that your hair is clean before putting the wig on. A lot of time people put wigs on and think because it’s an easy go-to style they can do whatever but keeping your hair healthy up under the wig is the most important thing. What I have my clients do is come in and get their hair washed at least once a week.”

2. Lay Then Play

She believes that a strong start will ensure a flawless style saying “Braiding the hair under the wig is important as well. The foundation is important. You want it to be natural and look as flat as possible. So having your hair braided in the proper size braids is very important. And if you’re wearing lace wigs parting it right is important as well. If you’re wearing a middle part it’s important to part your hair down the middle when braiding it down, because you want that part to match up with your natural part to make your hair look as realistic as possible. That goes for side parts as well and hair length doesn’t matter. I have clients whose hair is short and they still part it where the wig’s part is perfectly.”

3. Don’t Forget The Details

While some stylists advocate for physically sewing together the braids in preparation for wig application Lamb says paying attention to hair texture prevents those extra measures from being necessary saying “No matter what I pay attention to hair texture. For someone who has fine hair it’s okay to for them to get a regular cornrow. But for someone who has thick hair they should be getting their hair under braided. It makes your hair very flat so you don’t need all that. I don’t braid all of the braids together. I don’t want the hair to be so tight. That’s the whole point of wearing a wig. You want to feel free and loose.”

4. Choose Custom

One size fits all wigs may be more affordable but they’re certainly not the most comfortable Lamb says  “You shouldn’t be getting a headache. We all know if our hair is too tight. If you have to keep popping an Advil or something like that, the wig is too tight. What makes a custom wig special is it fits your exact head shape. If fits perfectly.  If I was to give you my wig it wouldn’t fit. A Lot of time people aren’t properly measuring. If you measure properly you don’t need anything else. Also the number one mistake I see with lace front wigs is the lace color and the hair line! They drive me crazy! With any style weave or wig it’s supposed to look as natural as possible. Some people they I don’t know what they be doing! Anything custom is going to fit you nice. It’s going to fit you to a tee! It’s just like buying a custom suit. It fits you better than a suit out of the store! That's what makes it so special. It fits you and it fits you properly.”

Check out some of our custom creations in our crown collection and considering keep them fresh with some of Lamb’s Lucid Bliss OOOH and AAAH refreshers!

 

Photo Credits: Hype Hair, SashaNycole.com