Vogue- Get the Look Day 5

Last shot of the day!  We go to visit Simone’s favorite record shop where she rocks out a Bohemian downtown look that is my favorite of the day.  I did have to go to my bag of tricks for this look and use some extensions that matched her natural texture.  I simply folded in half of my kinky/curly extensions so they were the size of my fist, and attached them to the front of her hairline with pins. Simone showed me a head wrap she had and I got inspired (thank you Taren Guy) to tie a scarf around her pinned up pompadour for a gorgeous 40s era downtown look.

Vogue – Get the Look Day 4

For the next look of the day (which thanks to the magic of location logistics and photo editing is Day 4) we stopped at one of Simone’s favorite city spots, Café Gitane at the Jane Hotel.  It’s a great intimate place with an old world French vibe mixed with Moroccan flair.  They picked an elegant, floor length, lime green dress that was so classically beautiful (and stunning) that it called for a classic pulled back hair style.  I pinned more of Simone’s hair up, keeping out the front to shape her lovely face.  Ricky’s NYC has a great choice of hair clips, for this style I used flat matte black clips that blend in to the hair to keep the look simple.

Vogue – Get the Look Day 3

Our third location of the day was the Luhring Augustine Gallery. Of course with it being New York City in the summer, we wound up hitting a few downpours of rain along the way! Despite the humidity, we decided to opt for a straight smooth style to compliment her awesome jumper. I had 20 minutes to get Simone’s head wet (in the gallery bathroom sink) where I rinsed it and conditioned with Hair Rules Quench Conditioner to get it super soft. Squeezing out the excess water, I then sprayed her hair with Hair Rules Blow It All Out and used a blow dryer with a comb attachment to pre-smooth her hair with ease. I seriously can’t live without this stuff, it makes blow-drying so effortless, without leaving a heavy residue, and most importantly it will prevent the wet humid weather from wrecking havoc on her hair. After blowing her hair out, I then applied Hair Rules Volumizing Hair Spray to her hair before flat ironing. This helps to set her silky strands and really keep her style smooth and polished.
Get the products to complete this look here.

Vogue – Get the Look Day 2

It is still storming out as we head to our next location, which of course is an outside shot!  I love this shot of Simone and her skate board, I decided to opt for a sporty Bavarian style braid to compliment the look (and beat the weather). Working with her straightened hair, I simply started a French braid on a side part, keeping the braid close to the hair line, and continued the braid around the perimeter of her head, pinning the ends for a seamless finish.

The Texture Guru – The Texture Paradigm

Hair texture can easily be broken down into these simple categories: kinky, curly, wavy or straight. Although many people have more than one of these textures growing on their head, there is usually one that is more dominant than others. Generally, women with kinky or curly textures have been the most overlooked, not having a standard of hair care as their reference beyond relaxers and hair grease or products (that have been produced from the standpoint of someone with straight hair) that dry out their texture. Women have been left with heavy gels and waxes that build up and do nothing but lament your texture, preventing your hair from achieving its true potential. Because of the previous lack of information or knowledge on working with these textures, women often end up chemically altering and thermally manipulating their hair (out of despair rather than by choice), some from the earliest age of 7. I see a lot of women who now, thirty years later, are ready to rediscover their natural texture. The many faces of the beauty industry have confused the consumer. Hairdressers start out in beauty school learning how to process hair (and not deal with it in its natural state), mass market manufacturers sell products based on ethnicity rather than the specific texture. A common assumption is because people share the same ethnicity, they have the same hair texture. This is completely false. Although kinkier textures can be found on women of African descent, you can also find curly or wavy texture on a woman of the same ethnicity. Texture is not ethnic specific. I feel it is my responsibility to help all women understand and embrace their natural texture. The Hair Rules approach to beauty is based on truth, and was designed to offer the healthiest approach to hair care and styling as a means toward evolving mindset, changing perceptions and influencing practice.

This post originally appeared on essence.com

Vogue Get the Look – Day 1

Vogue Gallery.

It isn’t often you get the call to work with a Vogue bookings editor, let alone one that happens to be a gorgeous black woman with natural hair! 

I’ve had the pleasure of having Simone as a client in the Hair Rules Salon, getting out with her into the fashion world of Vogue was a great opportunity to bring our discussions to life.  Creating these looks helped her to truly see just how versatile her natural texture is.

Trying to keep to a tight shooting schedule of 5 looks in one day, I met with Simone at the salon the night before.  I gave her a quick trim (which she does every 3 months, as I suggest), and then I prepped her hair with a twist out for the first look of the day.  I started by applying Hair Rules Nourishment Leave In Conditioner to her hair before blowing it out.  I then applied a cocktail of oils from our salon Ting Treatment (you can use palm nut, coconut and olive oils at home) and then flat twisted her hair with Hair Rules Curly Whip (I like to use a hair color application brush and bowl for twists).  I sent her home for her beauty rest on a silky pillow to keep the twists from fraying and frizzing.  In the morning we met at Vogue for our first shot.  I took out her twists, had her shake and fluff her hair.  I then pinned up the sides, leaving the back and the front out for a stylish look to compliment her first outfit.

Get the products used to complete this look here.

Stop Fearing the Gym

It seems as if every time the summer Olympics ends, everyone wants to hit the gym and get in shape. Unfortunately too many women of texture fear working out because they don’t want to deal with shampooing their hair. Your workout doesn’t need to dictate your hair regimen and your hair regimen shouldn’t limit how and when you work out!

Most women think that their hair gets dirty, but that is a common myth. Shampoo is actually for the scalp, not the hair. Your scalp doesn’t need to be cleansed everyday because the oils it produces actually give luster to your hair. You can actually clean the scalp simply by rinsing the hair thoroughly with warm water and using the fingertips to massage the scalp to loosen any debris. We call this the “Co-Wash” and embracing it will open you up to many more workout options. After you rinse, follow with a Leave In Conditioner to hydrate hair and leave it soft, then style as usual.

Your workout can also be a great time for a deep conditioning treatment. Try applying a dime-sized amount of Quench Ultra Rich Conditioner into your palms and rub them together. Smooth the conditioner over your hair as you pull it back into a ponytail, paying extra attention to the ends, where hair is driest. Now you can head to the gym for your workout.

Another great tip is to put a little planning into your hairstyle and try coordinating it around your workout. On days you’re doing cardio, plan to wear your hair natural. Apply your favorite styling product after your shower and then let your hair air-dry.

On days you want to wear your hair straight, just do light weight training where you’re not sweating out your style. To help retain a blow-out, pull your hair up into a high ponytail and twirl into a bun on top of the head. This will help preserve your straight style and keep body at the crown area. Wearing a headband helps absorb moisture from the hairline, which gives you minimum frizz. To refresh curly styles after your workout, take a spray bottle and mix water with a bit of Hydrating Finishing Cream, spritz throughout your hair to bring back bounce and shine.

Do you modify your gym schedule to accommodate your hair style?