Hair shenanigans

I am done, I tell you. Done.

HairCrush Friday

Who says natural hair isn't corporate?

Like this. Banana clip?

Very simple, classic and carefree look

Simple yet stunning

She Killin' it!

Is Natural Hair A Back in the Day Thing?

Source

I see so many natural girls embracing their natural curls, kinks and coils these days, that I sometimes wonder if I'm going to pinch myself and wake up. Everywhere I turn, I see curls and fluffy hair -- on blogs, on YouTube vids, on commericals and especially in real life.

It's a welcome change, from the 90s, when we wore our hair wrapped, fried, died and laid to the side. Straight was the order of the day -- whether it was a wrapped bone straight like Aaliyah or the pump waved, french rolled and gelled up styles that ushered in the 90s.

Natural Hair Icons in the 90s
Not everyone wore their straight, though.

My hair crushes were actresses Cree Summer from Different World and Lisa Nicole Carson from Ally McBeal. They both rocked gorgeous curls, but I didn't think that my hair was anything like theirs.

I would have laughed at you if you told me that I'd have any kind of curl in my thick hair, which stood out in the stick-straight hair of the 1990s. I thought the only way I would get a curl would be to wear a wig or a weave. How wrong I was! Who knew I had curls that I could coax with just water, oil and gel?

Straight Hair Ruled
Maybe straight hair was a natural hair phase back then; after all, we had just lived through big hair of the 80s. Bigger hair was better then -- but those Dallas-like hairstyles were usually reserved for white girls. Black women wore Jherri curls, flips, shags and layered cuts,big curls, and a few afros sprinkled in.

The straight hair of the 90s was about as far away from the huge fros and afro picks of the 70s as you could get. To appreciate the styles we have today,  it's important to remember the styles of the past.


How have styles from the past influenced you?

Supa Dupa FLY

Thought my hair looked supa dupa fly! Lasted 3 wks w/dry twist and curl on damp hair w/dax and castor oil. Hair got bigger each week - loved it!

Last week, I added glycerine

But glycerine + rain + humidity = shrunken fro, not the look i was after. About to start the process all over again with a deep con and light blow dry this wknd, but in desperate need of a trim. Will post pics soon!

Hair Theatrics at Bronner Bros. Show

The Bronner Bros. International Hair Show is legendary for its over-the-top hair theatrics.

The hair extraordinaire show draws stylists from around the world, who produce extraordinary hairstyles and compete in hair contests. The contests are more than just about money, though, but hair cred. The competitions are known for on-stage hair antics  -- stylists clipping, cutting and managing intricate hair styles while suspended on ladders, swimming in fish tanks and in all kinds of back bending awkward, gymnast -- all captured in front of a live audience.

Celebrating 65 years, kicked off this weekend in Atlanta.

Talk about hair skills!

If it's unusual, daring and creative, chances are, you'll see it at Bronner Bros.
Wigs and weaves usually reign; the focus usually isn't on natural hair, but the Bronner Bros. has reached cult status. Stylists flock to the show, held twice a year, and it's often a good barometer of the coifs that Black hair stylists around the country create.

I've never been, but I want to attend, just to say I've seen it live and in person; I don't think pictures or even reality shows do the show justice.  If you're looking for tame, you won't find it at Bronner Bros. It features plenty of eccentric runway hair styles.

Have you ever been to Bronner Bros.? What did you think of the show?


Here are a few pics, courtesy Raymond Hagans for the AJC.

A Mardis Gras hair style

An eyelash inspired style

What could make this hair cutting scene better than two buffed dudes?

A cobra inspired style

A Shake-N-Glo hair contest