What Are Your Easter Hair Plans?

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It's almost Easter and, if you're like some, you've gotten your Easter outfit ready.

Now, what about your hair?

Easter is one of those ... interesting holidays, especially when it comes to hair (Didn't you know, everything has a hair connection, LOL!).

Patent Leather Shoes and Frilly Easter Dresses
For many of us, Easter holidays growing up meant getting your new Easter dress, shiny shoes and your hair was probably done in a special hair style -- straightened or at least in Shirley Temple Curls. Maybe you headed to church. No matter, Easter was the time you got sugar sharp -- and usually that meant a special hairstyle that day.

I'll be heading to church tomorrow for services, joining the CMEs (Christmas, Mother's Day and Easter crowd who normally only attend on those holidays). I'm not an every Sunday, I'm in church kind of person, but I go far more Sundays than I don't attend -- and no, I'm not counting Bedside Baptist services, LOL).

The church I go to now is more like blue jean churches -- wear your denims or dress up; your choice. Along with all the fanfare of Easter, is a lot of tradition, especially when it comes to hair. It's such a big deal in some of our churches that some folks won't even go to church if they don't have the "right" outfit or the "right" hair style. Whatevs. Don't matter if you are a CME or if you aren't suga sharp. I believe there are more blessings waiting for you in church than outside of it.

As far as hair goes, I probably won't be doing anything really different to my hair for church tomorrow. The girls will do their hair in their normal styles (I didn't get their blow-outs this week, maybe next week). I definitely did not go out and buy Easter dresses.

What about you? Are you planning a special hair style for Easter?

5 Tips for Transitioners

Natural hair is catching the world by storm.

Everywhere you turn, there's a kink, curl, coil or wave.

Though many of us have long been on our respective hair journeys, there are transitioners who are new to the game. Here are a few hair tips for those who want to embrace their natural hair, but don't quite know how.

Change your hair perceptions. For many HairNistas, permed hair is all we know or all that we remember. Because we had relaxers beginning at a very young age, many of us many not know or remember how to take care of our natural tresses. Just as learning how to care for your natural hair is a process, so, too, is our perceptions of the hair growing from our scalps. This is a total change from the days when the first sign of a crinkle, curl or wave sent us running to the hair salon for a touchup or to the drugstore for a fresh box of relaxer. 

Your hair isn't the same, so it's going to look a lot different than what it used to. It's going to take a certain amount of "embracing" your hair -- all parts of it -- to avoid you from going transition crazy or running back to get that box of relaxer. If you are struggling with blending your straight and natural hair, styles like flat ironing, flexirods/curlformers and even wigging it are your friends.

Find motivation. Keep natural hair sites like HairNista.blogspot.com, CurlyNikki.com and BGLHOnline.com --- all great resources. Accept that some days, your hair game may not be on point. When you are having bad hair days, go to sites like BlkGirlsRock.com and YouTube.com for inspiration and motivation to continue your journey.

Avoid the urge to go product crazy. The temptation is so there for you to try every product under the sun, especially when you're new to this. Develop your staple regimen, but don't go broke doing it. What works at the TWA stage may not work when your hair is shoulder length. Find a few good products and stick to them. I like to stick with basics and go from there. If you know your hair hates shea butter, products with shea butter probably aren't going to work for you. And, if you do experiment, make sure you give your product enough time to work (at least a month without mixing too many other new products) and capture the results in a journal or by picture.

Avoid hair comparison. When you're new to natural hair, it's easy to obsess over things like hair type or have illusions about what our hair will do based on that YouTubers hair or maybe our friends' hair. You think: Her hair grew eight inches that first year, mine will, too. Maybe it will; maybe it won't. But don't set yourself up for disappointment. Your hair is your hair; no amount of YouTube vids will make your hair like HER hair.

Get the basics down. It's easy to go hair crazy when you first go natural. But no matter the length, the basics are the same -- detangling, washing, conditioning, deep conditioning, and sealing and moisturizing. Get these routines down -- ESPECIALLY moisturizing and sealing -- and the products and and your hair will thank you for it.


What was your experience during your transition? What helped and what didn't help?

Inna Modja For Cosmo

Inna Modja for Cosmo

I don't have to tell HairNistas how fly, sexy and sophisticated natural hair is --- you already know!

But in case you need a little reminder, these natural hair images via BlkGirlsRock.com speak for themselves.



Inna Modja for Cosmopolitan Magazine

Natural Plus-Size Model Philomena Kwao Wins National Modeling Contest in U.K.

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I don't usually get too hyped on model news, and no, this isn't an America's Next Top Model rehash.

But I'm glad that Brit Philomena Kwao, 22, won a UK national search for the new face of the high street fashion chain Evans. Kwao, of Ghanian descent, has also been in clothing ads and in spreads in Cosmo.  She also has a top modeling contract with Models 1, which has represented Naomi Campbell and other top models like Linda Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer.

And, did I mention she's natural? Naturals, represent!

The Bristol University economics grad, international health management grad student and self-described "geek" is stunning, whether sporting  her trademark faded hairstyle or rocking a weave. Though some have dubbed her the UK's first "Black plus-size pin up," I like that Kwao doesn't emphasize beauty over brains.


“I hope to use this as a platform by which I can hopefully empower girls and young women like myself.," said Kwao, quoted in the Daily Mail via Coco and Creme. I also want to be a figurehead for young girls today who sometimes may become disillusioned by ‘the glamorous lifestyle. I want to show them that you can really do it all if you try; that is to pursue your dreams, whatever they maybe and get an education. Your education doesn’t have to suffer! I also want to help spread the message that there is beauty in everything: every shape, colour, size, and height … whatever. We are all beautiful.”

Curvy Models To The Rescue?
Kwao,who is a size 16, is among a wave of "curvier" models who  have recently begun to grace magazine spreads and runways. Though designers have for years of focused on size 0 and 2 models, they have begun to rethink their so-called "heroin chic" look  and we've begun to see models with slightly more realistic bodies.

Though what the modeling industry calls "plus-size" a lot of times really isn't; it's just average.

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What do you think? Do you think that more designers are embracing "curvier" models? Are more natural models next?

Daddy, Daughter Hair Moments

President Obama and a young Malia Obama with her hair in a puff. How cute!

Seems that our favorite president, President Obama, himself, has hair styling skills -- or maybe not!

During a dinner with six guests at a private dinner with the President and FLOTUS as part of the President's dinner contest, Obama told a story of when he styled Malia's hair. This is what he said, according to BGLHOnline.com :

"My favorite story out of this is Malia, when she was 4, she had a little dance thing. Well, Michelle was gone that weekend so I’m taking her to ballet. And I get her in her little leotard and her little stuff. I did her hair, put it in a little bun.

We get to the dance studio and one of the mothers there right away comes up to Malia – she thinks she’s out of earshot of me and she says, ‘Sweetie, do you want me to redo your hair?’ And Malia who she’s 4 says, ‘Yes please, this is a disaster’ you know, she didn’t want to hurt daddy’s feelings."

Too funny!

No Daddy Memories, but Hubby Memories

I don't have any daddy/daughter hair stories (my father didn't raise me) but I would always "help" my grandfather, who did raise me, comb his hair.  He never combed mine, LOL! Grandaddy was mostly bald, but had a wee bit of hair on the sides.

He'd come home from work, tired from working as a supervisor on the assembly line at Chrysler, and sit in a chair at the kitchen table. I'd grab his pocket comb from his shirt pocket and begin combing his hair as he nodded off to sleep. I had to have been a very  young child. My grandfather has been gone for almost 14 years now, but it's one of the memories that I cherish.

Now, my husband on the other hand,  has done the girls' hair a few times -- once when my oldest was 1 1/2 and I was having my youngest -- and brushed it down a few other times when the girls' ponytails were a mess and I was out of pocket. All of those times, my girls looked a HAM!

I had just had my youngest, who was born premature, and I took one look at my then toddler's hair and was like, WTH? Yup, he's been "banned" from doing their hair ever since!

What daddy, daughter hair stories can you share? Or,  does your  husband do your daughter's hair? Is he better at styling than you?

You Know You Are Obsessed When ...

Three naturals in a crowded TJ Maxx. One natural says to another natural (they both worked for TJ Maxx),

"I have that shampoo for you from Miss XXX."

I'm standing in the check out line and thinking, "What shampoo?" I wanted to ask so bad!

Later in the parking lot, hubby asked me why didn't I ask about the shampoo? He knows me and knew was just dying to ask. I told him that I started to ask, but didn't want to butt in the convo.

Have you ever overheard another natural talking about a product or regimen and you wanted to butt in?

Was it Just Me?

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Over the weekend, me and the hubby were enjoying our usual Saturday spring routine -- cruising for garage sales. Hey, when you find Betsey Johnson belts for $1 and $10 bottles of genuine Cartier perfume, you'd garage sale shop, too!
We rode up on a garage sale and the sellers were still putting merchandise in their driveway. No sooner than we walked up to the driveway, the seller, an Asian man, told me, "I have specials for you."

Now, in my mind, I'm thinking, good! It's not everyday that you stumble upon a garage sale mid-morning and merchandise is just being put out. We like garage sales, but we don't stalk them -- as in, get up at the crack of dawn and pull up to the house BEFORE the sale begins. So, I thought we were lucky to get the first crack at the merchandise.
Turns out those "specials" weren't so special. The man holds out a package of Deja Vu weave.

The "Special" that Wasn't
"$5," he said.
Wait just a damn minute.

Weave? I was so confused for about a half second.

I looked at the package and then back at him and said with a confused look on my face, "No, thank you, I don't wear fake hair."

Bow! No shade at all for those of who you do rock weaves. It's a protective style and you know my motto: Do you, boo! But everything ain't for everybody. Besides, I had my share of weave back in 1992, with my french roll and glued-in track for a long bang. It was the first -- and last -- that I ever wore weave.

Didn't know nothing about fake hair and I wet my hair without making sure the track was loose enough. As I attempted to take it out, a bit of my hair was ripped out in the front and that area has been thin ever since.

Back to the Garage Sale ...

Now, I thought to myself, why would this man just assume that I'd want to buy his weave? Is it because I'm Black? Maybe the guy was a beauty supply owner, IDK. And maybe all of the other Black women he deals with are all over weave. But one look at my natural hair -- I wore a large, wild twist out -- should have told him that maybe I might not be the weave customer he was looking for.

What do you think? Do you think the garage sale owner assumed I'd want weave?  Do you think I overreacted? Has anyone ever made assumptions about your hair?














as stilhat wWe found one sOne partroutineme and the hubs were doing our normal saturday garage sale shopping. as i walm up to a sale an asian man runs out and says
i have specisls. 5. shows me jair. i
said i dont wear fakr hair