A Madewell Experience

I went into Madewell the other day with a friend because we had heard great things (there was a BIG sale) and the logo is interesting (that's what usually attracts me to a store, shop, or restaurant). 

While my friend was trying on different outfits I took a minute to browse through Madewell's catalog and sit on their comfy leather couch. Immediately I was drawn to the catalog because their cover girl had the curliest hair. I'm seeing more and more curly girls in magazines. Woohoo! She was even so daring to wear a hat with curly hair. Gutsy. I didn't end up buying anything from the store but grabbed one of their catalogs to go so I could share the pictures.  

Sandra-dee-va-curl

Hurricane Sandy has got me thinking that Sandy from Grease was one of the only characters who turned her look and attitude around by going curly. Suddenly she was super sassy with her curly hair and leather pants. Love that and love her.

things were a little different with Anne Hathaway as "Mia" in Princess Diaries: 

She was so spazzy as a curly girl, but once she went straight she became quite refined. Why do they have to always make curly characters SO crazy?Hmm...the character's name was Mia but don't know how much I can relate as she ditched her curly hair. 

Go Blue, Go Curls

I met Christine at the alumni tailgate party for The University of Michigan this past weekend. Had to chat with her because she was a spirited Michigan fan with curly hair- perfect.

To Christine curly hair distinguishes her from other people, in a crowd her family and friends think she's easy to spot. Gel is her hair product of choice, "doesn't matter the brand- just lots of it. I look so different without curly hair, it's part of my identity so I always keep it natural."

When I asked if she had any curly hair horror stories she shared, "In high school I had a really good friend who used to sit behind me and he played a little game where he would see how many things he could put in my hair without me noticing...sometimes it would be multiple pens, pencils, etc. I wouldn't always know until I put my hands though it." 

Thanks Christine and Go Blue!

Mall Curls

Cute curly girl photograph in the storefront of Fleece (Brooks Brothers for Kids) at the Natick Mall in Natick, MA. There is a kids version for every store these days, American Eagle, Gap, Abercrombie, Brooks Brothers- kids are super stylish and apparently have extremely defined curls too. Wish I had known what to do with my hair in middle school...

"I like my hair BIG"

My sister Jackie met these beauties while teaching at The Paint Bar. Each time another woman came to join their group, there were more and more curls. It was a curl blogger's dream. All different textures and routines too. While it's been quite the journey for these curly girls to go all natural- they are now and super proud! I edited their interviews into a short video because I love what they said so much- take a minute and check it out.

Cones, Cups, Ice Cream, and Curls

Spotted Alana's curls at JP Licks ice cream shop in Jamaica Plain. Amazing! She gave me a few good recommendations...and admitted that she, "straightened until I was 18, it's been a long liberatory process." I'm sure it has been, been there. 

If there are any New York City readers or if you have curly hair friends in New York, or if you are going to New York any time soon, Alana shared the name of her go to Salon: 

Fox & Jane
154 Orchard Street, Store B
New York, NY 10002

*ask for Maria

seems like they know what to do with curly hair- Alana's hair looks super springy. 

When I checked out the website- I also saw that they serve drinks too! Yum. How fun is that?

Here is their drink menu:

Also, take a second to check out Sephora's Anti-Frizz section. Alana said she uses their products too but only for very special occasions. 

Sephora Frizzy Hair Treatments

Northeastern Curls

Loved meeting Angela on the Northeastern campus while walking around with my friend Molly who just started there as a grad student a few days ago. 

Angela's curls are super funky. She shampoos once a month to keep her hair from getting dry and uses a leave in conditioner called cream of nature but she warns that it's sort of tricky to find. I checked out the website for cream of nature and it looks like they also have Moroccan Oil which I've been hearing all sorts of good things about. Angela also shared that she uses protective measures for her curls by putting it in braids at night- good advice. 

When I asked if she had any horror stories she explained that "just growing up with it, I would break combs and brushes."

She followed that up with, 

"Been curly ever since I was born- came out with a fro. It's just been this way!"

Amen. 

myproduct

Thought I would take a second and share what I've been using in my curls for the past 5ish years. Anyone who I've lived with knows that my bathroom is always fully stocked with LA LOOKS nutra curl (not sold everywhere- and my friend Emily loves to call this stuff "so 90s") and göt2b glued spiking glue. I will pay the extra $25 on an airplane to put my bag under with liquids just to guarantee access to these products. They are not sold in Texas- I found out the hard way...

I am aware that it's a whack combination- but it works for me. Stick with whatever works for you. I discovered göt2be glued completely by accident. It used to be sold in an orange tube and when I was in high school (yes I've been using it since high school!) my Mom bought it for me thinking it was a temporary orange hair dye to take part in our tiger team spirit so I could make my hair orange for the day. It wasn't a hair dye but I found a perfect curl definer. I am always careful to only use about the size of a grape of this stuff. If I put too much of it in my hair it can have a negative crunch effect. 

I have to say I am very faithful to these products. Nothin' too fancy. I put them in my hair when it's completely wet (not dried with a towel- use a tshirt or something that won't suck up all the moisture out of your hair) and scrunch. Then I blow dry after that.

However to be honest lately I've been tempted by Deva products and have started using some coconut oil (thank you Marissa for the recommendation). Will keep you all posted. Please feel free to share your products too!

The Dilbert Chick

I usually know when it's time to get my hair cut when I start to look like the lady in Dilbert. I think her name is Alice. Anyway, I use her as an example with any hairdresser I visit of what I do not want my curls to look like. Heavy on the bottom with no layers. This is an excellent visual to throw out there and every hairdresser will understand what you mean. Feel free to use her as en example whenever necessary.

Actually when I think about it, I am happy that Alice is reppin' for the curly girls in the work place but she could use some product or something so could the curlymale sitting next to her...

Rap Geniuses on Curls

This is only audio not a movie- still just as entertaining to listen to it!

Meet these curlymales, Tom and Ilan. These guys were sitting in the Kendall Square Starbucks today in town from New York for work. First I noticed Tom's hair in line for coffee but it was a double bonus when he was sitting with Ilan- who has curly hair too. Needless to say, you all needed to hear from them immediately. Pro-curl men with great hair and personalities. 

Instead of transcribing their interview I thought I would just include the audio because it was such a passion filled conversation on curly hair and the day to day upkeep. Thanks guys. 

So press play on the movie above to hear from Ilan and Tom. Enjoy!

Also check out their website: www.rapgenius.com 
I spent a little while on it earlier today and it was really cool. Their website serves "as a guide to the meaning of rap lyrics." A mix of rap lyrics, wikipedia, and urban dictionary. Definitely something to see. I'm hooked. 

Curls on Newbury

I met Rachel when checking out some funky mugs at the Jonathan Adler store on Newbury St- she works there as a Store Leader. I almost left without asking her to be on mycurlture but then I turned around because she had such unique curls. Her color and layers are so cool!

When I asked Rachel for a tip she shared that after you put product in your hair try not to touch it. Once it's dry, give it a good scrunch. I know, I know It's hard to leave your curls alone but the less you touch them, the better they will turn out. It's true. 

Her horror story was she once felt that her hair wasn't curly enough so she got a perm. Curly hair with a perm on top of it, I can only imagine how intensely curly that would be. 

Hoping to get back to Jonathan Adler soon- love that store. Thanks for your sharing your curlture Rachel.

Real men have curls

The time has come to write a little about men and their curls. So far, I have only been examining the curlture of women. But, man curls are everywhere! I'm going to try to make that my focus for the next few days. Look out for them (man curls) today when you walk down the street and see if you can spot any. Feel free to send pictures my way. 

Doesn't Alan have sweet curls? They are amazing and so boingy. I know Alan or Pendo (his nickname) from a summer camp we all have worked at throughout the years. Saw him out last night and we got into talking about his hair routine, etc. I asked him how it feels to be a man with curly hair and he said, "I like it because everyone else likes it." He expressed his loyalty to Herbal Essences "It's a Curl Thing" shampoo and conditioner- sounds like he won't stray from it, ever. Also it wasn't until recently that he embraced his curls. Alan confessed that he used to shave his head every two weeks. Nooooooo. Glad he is embracing his curly hair now. Gotta love a man with curls. 

You never really hear about men straightening their curls or getting Keratin treatment, relaxers, or perms. You also don't hear about them struggling to keep their frizz under control either. I wonder if they ever really consider hair product or if it's just something they don't really think about. They take a shower and let it dry- and it always looks good. Hmmm something to think about. 

Thanks Pendo for being my first curlymale. More to come.

COPRAH (Curly Oprah)

Anyone see Oprah's magazine cover this month? Yep I still follow Oprah, and forever will especially if she continues to wear her hair this way. She is letting her hair go "au natural" how about that? I bet Stedman likes it like that. It's a nice change to read about Oprah's hair instead of her weight. Personally, I think this is her best look.

In her own personal statement in Oprah Magazine she writes, "I've found that a little change can make a world of a difference, and I'm always amazed by how easy it is to brighten things up with a single tweak. (Like, say, wearing your hair au natural, as I did on this month's cover.)" 

For all you curls in the closet- you hear what Oprah says? Wear it curly, see what happens!

Marissa Explains It All

Marissa works at The Paint Bar with us and is all about the curls, had to feature her and her amazing locks. Love the pose with the flowers (we made her hold those!) Did a little interview on Marissa's curlture and she's got some goodies to share. I'm really glad she commented on not using shampoo too regularly, it can definitely dry your hair out- I use it very rarely. Take a look at her interview we did below. 

Also, Marissa is a very talented artist studying at RISD. Curly haired artists always have paint, graphite or somethin' stuck in their hair. Check out her beautiful artwork online at http://marissagoldman.com or marissagoldman.tumblr.com.

How do you feel about your curls?

I really like my curls. I used to hate them way back when because I didn't know how to take care of them and my Mom had straight hair and she would brush my curls out...and I would cry. But then once I figured out how to take care of them, I loved them. 

What products do you use?

I use DevaCurl and I don't wash my hair everyday and only use shampoo if it is really dirty. I usually use leave in conditioner and gel, then let my hair air dry. Sometimes I twist the curls a little, too. 

Who cuts your hair?

I usually do it myself! Last time I got a trim it was on Newbury street in Boston. 

What is your best curly tip?

Once a week or every so often I put coconut oil in my hair and leave it in their for a bit to moisturize my curls. 

Do you have any good horror stories to share?

I was in a drawing class and usually it gets really quiet and peaceful during drawing classes. My teacher was very naturey and we had a still life with branches and we were all observing it and drawing for a few hours. Of course I walked through the middle of the still life and my hair got stuck in the branches. 

Pantene Curls

I saw Britney's amazing curly hair and practically ran after her to get her on this blog. I was shocked when she told me that she only uses Pantene Pro-V shampoo and conditioner. She is such a minimalist. No gels, mousse, sprays, hydration lotions. I've always thought about going product free, but get too nervous. Should there be a national product free day for curls? Maybe someday. When I asked Britney if she had any curlture advice she said that she used to swim a lot and the chlorine (and bleach) in the pool changed her curls, watch out for that chlorine. 

Britney, the no product routine is working for ya. You are an inspiration to us all!

Miranda Update

Jackie just sent me an update on her niece- our college curly girl, Miranda. Looks like she's got all her "DevaCurl" products with her in the dorm bathroom and her hair is looking defined as ever despite the negative effects moving into a dorm on a hot day can have on curly hair (potential frizz). Good job staying Frizz Free Miranda. Stay tuned for more Miranda college curl updates.

College Curls for Miranda

My friend Jackie (also a curly girl) sent me these pictures of her niece, Miranda. She is the cutest. Recently when Miranda was visiting Boston Jackie took her to Shan Hair, in the South End to get a DevaCurl Haircut- a haircut specifically for curly haired clients. Don't her curls look great? I actually love both the before and after pictures. Miranda leaves for college today and is moving into her dorm room as I am writing this- good luck fitting all your curly hair products into that shower tote!

Curls at Berry Line

Spotted these cute curly girls at Berry Line yesterday on Newbury Street. Had to feature them- look at those smiles. They say "curly hair is better than straight hair 100%" Nice to see they are confident in their curls. At that age I was still trying to fight it, straightening for prom, and all high school special events. You go curls. 

Jackie is my oldest sister and a red head curly girl at that! I'm happy to report she has come to terms with her curly locks and has recently gone au naturel. I have memories of Jackie taking hours and hours to blow dry her hair straight when we were teenagers (the bathroom was always occupied)- none of us really knew about her natural curls, she hid them well. A fun fact about Jackie  is she is a naturally gifted hair stylist. She used to cut my hair when we were teens and Barbie's hair too. Take a minute to check out her curlture in her interview.

How do you feel about your curls?

I embraced my curls last summer. I thought about getting keratin and I didn't get the keratin- and I could have but I didn't. Now I have learned to love them. Why fight them? I actually exercise more with curly hair because I don't have to worry about not showering to preserve my straight hair. No shower caps, no dodging the shower head. 

What products do you use?

DevaCare line 

DevaCare Arc AnGEL

DevaCurl Set it Free spray

Who cuts your hair?

Shan and Nicole at Shan Hair in Boston, MA- both of them are fabulous!

What is your best curly tip?

Let your curls dry in air conditioning if you can and give them time. When you are diffusing flip your head upside down and dry from the roots so you get more volume.