My friend Keisha loves Aveda's Be Curly.

Keisha had been growing out her relaxer for about a year. Recently she took the plunge and had her hair cut into a chic, short-cropped natural style that when blown out reminds me of the Nola Darling character from Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It.”

Be Curly ($18) is supposed to define curls, reduce frizz, and boost shine. Keisha’s review? She used the product on both her damp and dry hair to shape and define her curls, and loved the results. Her curls were even bigger when she washed, dried, flat-ironed, and then sprayed her hair with water and generously applied Be Curly.

The product includes tamanu oil—sustainably sourced from the island of Vanuatu –which moisturizes hair and helps reduce frizz.

Keisha shows off her curly coiff.

Keisha said she prefers Be Curly to other curl-enhancing products, including Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding or Miss Jessie’s Curly Meringue.

Now it’s time for the rest of you Hot Mamas to hip me to your fave curly hair product. Respond to this post and tell me all about it.

(Image credit: Tracy E. Hopkins, Aveda.com)

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Yes to Carrots Hair & Scalp Mud Mask

Yes to Carrots Hair and Scalp Mud Mask:  It takes me hours to comb through and re-twist my hair when I take it out. This super moisturizing hair and scalp mask contains carrot seed oil, carrot juice, pumpkin, sweet potato, and dead sea mud.  The product made it much easier to de-tangle my hair and left it feeling soft and looking shiny. I even used it as a leave-in conditioner.

My verdict: I say yes to Yes to Carrots and will use it often!

WEN Cleansing Conditioner:  The conditioner claims to do the work of a shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, detangler and leave-in conditioner, with “a perfect balance of herbs and natural ingredients that cleanse your scalp and hair  while moisturizing, soothing, strengthening and adding shine.” WEN is a favorite with women of color including Nicole Murphy (Eddie Murphy’s ex-wife) and actress Della Reese.

My verdict: My hair was easier to comb through while it was wet.  But it didn’t solve my “shrinkage problem” once I rinsed and dried my hair.

Jane Carter Solution:  These hair products were developed by veteran hair stylist Jane Carter and infused with natural butters and essential oils to combat dry hair. This is great news because my hair’s biggest hinderance is that it becomes dry and brittle without a good moisturizing regimen.  

My verdict: I tried the Revitalizing Leave-In Conditioner. I used it along with the Yes to Carrots mask,  so I can’t really tell how effective it was. Next time I will try the full Jane Carter Solution system for the best results. 

Image credit: Target

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Fanci-full Temporary Hair Color (image from Walgreen's)

The instructions seem easy enough:  Fanci-full rinses in, shampoos out, and contains no ammonia or peroxide.  The enriched color formula has a citrus fragrance and claims to be safe for every day use (each cost efficient bottle lasts up to two weeks of 14 applications). Plus, it comes in a pretty pink bottle.

Have any of you Hot Mamas tried Fanci-full?  I’ll use it and let you know if it makes my gray go away.

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Earlier this week, I told you about some of the great swag I picked up (freebies alone make Fashion Week worthwhile).  And here’s the low-down on a couple more high-end beauty products I was treated to:

Moroccanoil oil treatment for all hair types

Morrocanoil Oil Treatment for All Hair Types, $41: I’ve wanted to try this hair treatment since I read about it Lucky Magazine (Hayden Panettiere swears by it). Now I’ve had the chance!  The alcohol-free oil is light and non-greasy.  It has the unique quality of instantly absorbing into your hair, creating an instant shine and long term conditioning without leaving residue.

IceCream Double Scoop Intensive Anti-Aging Moisturizer

IceCream Double Scoop Intensive Anti-Aging Moisturizer by Freeze 24-7, $105:  I needed a new moisturizer, so this gift was right on time.  And the anti-aging benefit doesn’t hurt either.  I tried one scoop of DoubleScoop and was impressed with how smooth and hydrating it feels. 

The intensive moisturizer promises to reduce expression lines and fight free radical damage and oxidative stress with L-Carnosine & Green Tea Extract.

Image credit: Drugstore.com, Freeze 24-7

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I want this curly style achieved by shingling.

My friend Denise used to frequent Miss Jessie’s Salon in Brooklyn when it was called Curve Salon, and her hair always looked fab.  And when I look on the salon website’s before-and-after photos, I see the curly style I want; a style that Miss Jessie proprietors Titi and Miko magically achieve through a non-chemical process called “shingling” or a chemical process called “silkening.”

Back to the products. Another friend recently used Miss Jessie’s Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo ($14) – touted “the best darn de-tangling shampoo, period” — when she took her hair out of cornrows.  Instead of de-tangling her hair, however, it had the opposite effect.

Image credit: MissJessies.com

Keisha says her hair was so badly knotted after using the shampoo, she had to cut off several inches.

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Tyra Banks will say goodbye to her weave on September 8th.

Tyra has declared September 8th “Natural Real Hair Day” and invites all women of color (and all women really) to wear their own hair (no wigs or weaves please) on that day and beyond. The TV and fashion personality is getting a jump on “International Curly Day” on September 22, sponsored by the natural hair care web resource, NaturallyCurly.com.

Hot Mama Daily readers already know I’m an advocate for natural hair, so I challenge you to make every day “Natural Real Hair Day” or “International Curly Day.”

Image credit: Bauer-Griffin

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• Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Spritz 
• Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Hair Gloss
• Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Sculpting Gel
• Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Nighttime Dry Wrap Mousse 

For a chance to win, I asked Hot Mama Daily readers to tell me the woman of color they think has the healthiest, most stylish, and overall best hair?  Drum roll please. And the winner is: Tracey Byram, 49, of  Birmingham, AL.

Halle Berry's short hair has inspired many Hot Mama copy cats.

Tracey, along with most of the women who entered the contest, voted Halle Berry as the woman of color with the overall best hair.  The flawlessly beautiful and well-coifed actress gets my vote too.

Honorable mention goes to superstar Beyonce; actresses Jada Pinkett Smith, Rachel True, and Gabrielle Union; singers Keyshia Cole and Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas from TLC; and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Image credit: Newscom

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Which style do you think is Hot?  Or do you think both wigs are Not?

Ciara

Wig #1:  This pixie cut that’s long on one side gives the singer an edgier look. But doesn’t this copy cat cut remind you an awful lot like Rihanna’s old hair style?  

Ciara

Wig #2:  This style has short, side swept bangs, is evenly cut on the sides, and gives the singer a more glamourous, sophisticated look. But it also makes the  singer older than twenty-something.

Image credit: Bauer-Griffin

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Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect

The brand’s new StyleProtect series is specially formulated with a triple hydration oil formula comprised of shea butter, olive oil and safflower to deliver moisture to hair while providing protection against split ends and damaged strands. 

From overnight care to everyday styling products, Soft & Beautiful has you covered.  One lucky Hot Mama Daily reader will win these StyleProtect products:

Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Spritz ($4.99) – Formula containing vitamin E and triple hydration oil, provides 10 times the protection against split ends.  Works well before and after the use of heat appliances to set hair in place and leave a strong hold.

Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Nighttime Dry Wrap Mousse ($4.99) – Enriched with triple hydration oil to provide more than 5 times the protection against split ends.  Recommended for daily (day or night) use for soft, silky and healthy-looking hair.

Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Sculpting Gel ($4.99) – Tames flyaways and keeps frizz under control.  This gel sculpts for many desired looks, from spiked styles to ponytails, while providing 10 times the protection against split ends.

Soft & Beautiful StyleProtect Hair Gloss ($4.99) – Gentle enough for everyday use, this spray protects and detangles hair before you use a blow dryer, flat iron or curling iron.  Spray onto dry hair for 10 times the protection against split ends and a flawless finish.

To win:  Tell me which celebrity woman of color you think has the most stylish, healthiest, or overall best hair, and why?

Please email your full name, age, and city/state.  The contest ends 11:59 pm on Sunday, August  16.  

Good luck!

Image credit: Soft & Beautiful

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From a purely aesthetic perspective, there’s nothing wrong with permed hair. Relaxers offer Black women more hairstyle options. And I totally rocked my short, Halle Berry-inspired bob!  However, I’ve heard too many negative comments from Black women about not wanting “nappy” or “kinky” hair, and from a sociological standpoint — which is what Rock’s film addresses with humor — I wonder what rejecting one’s natural hair texture really means? 

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, there was an Afrocentric movement at Howard University, where I did my undergraduate study in journalism. “Happy to be nappy” was a popular phrase printed on t-shirts.  Yet, at that time I wasn’t ready to “go natural.”  Instead, I moved on to wearing box braids.  But whenever I’d take my hair out of the braids, I was unsure what to do with my “new growth” and continued to get a perm.

Photo courtesy of Tracy Hopkins

Around 1999, however, I decided enough was enough. I was tired of thinning edges and burned scalp caused by chemical –even no lye –relaxers. So I took the plunge and went natural, and have been wearing my hair in twists — with and without extensions — ever since.  

Natural hair certainly takes some getting used to.  It requires a lot of quality products to tame it, but my hair is healthier than its been in years and I’ve grown to love my hair in its chemical-free state. And if I want a more versatile look, I can always opt for a blow-dry or flat-ironed style. 

The Sundance-award-winning “Good Hair” opens in theaters October 9.  I pose the question to Hot Mama Daily readers — what do you consider good hair? 

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