My Throwback “Fly Cuts,” Day 3

Posted by twilliams on Jul 12, 2012 in Hair, Salons | 2 comments

So as you now know, my sisters are forcing me to reveal mortifying “fly cuts” from my hair history — every single day until The Fly Cut launches next Tuesday! It’s only Day 3, and I’m pretty sure that whatever swag I had has totally evaporated. So embarrassing. Today, I give you this genius hair moment. Pre-flatiron, pre-anti-frizz. If you still love me after this, I’ll buy you a pony.

12 was a super-awkward year. But you love my new wave red pleather tie.

It was 1987, and there were no anti-frizz products at the time. We were living in Germany, and by September it’s already rainy and foggy and fuzzy-hair-inducing. When I left my house, I had a sweetly swooped bang and a waterfall of curls tumbling from my banana clip (jauntily swept to the side). When it was time for pictures, my hair was cotton candy. Ah well. Character-building experience.

My Mani is Everythang

Posted by twilliams on Jun 29, 2012 in Beauty, Salons | 5 comments

Crazy. Three months ago I was a proud nail art virgin (#eww #tacky #hood), now I’m Minx’ing like a motha. Do you love my new mani? I got it at Polish Bar of Brooklyn…it’s Minx’s new “Barcode Maze” strips. When I first saw the decals in the packaging, I thought it was a Kinte cloth print, hahahaaa. But for real, it kinda looks like that, right? Whatever the hell design it is, it’s cute — and nothing says “cool girl” this summer like a loud, gauche-in-a-fun-way, super-creative mani.

Exhibit A: Supermodel Jeneil Williams backstage at Jen Kao. See what I mean? Cool girl.

Obvi, everyone’s broke so the salon option might not always be realistic. Nail brands know this, and a slew of sexy little DIY nail art kits are cropping up, like, everywhere. Voila, my favorite drugstore and high-end moments for your pleasure, darling:

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips ($5 each) are adorable, guys. They come in every print imaginable — leopard, tie dye, fishnet, floral-ness — and they can last up to 10 days if you’re not working on an oil rig or something. You just slap the little sticker on your nail bed and then peel ‘em off when you’re over it. Fun!

I think this one is my favorite, being a writer and all. The New Black ‘Typography Collection – Weekly Journal’ Nail Polish Set ($16) comes with a nude nail polish, glossy topcoat, transfer solution and 10 printed newspaper sheets. Here’s how it works: you paint nails with two coats of nude polish, then cut a piece of the newspaper print close to the shape/size of your nail. Brush on the transfer solution, and while it’s wet, press the print facedown. Apply the transfer solution again and hold firmly for 30 seconds. Finish with a topcoat and voila! A gorgeous, type-set nail. I’m sooo into this look.

Fierce nails for everyone! Have a flawless weekend, muchachitas. Love ya, mean it.

Topknot Tutorial!

Posted by twilliams on Jun 7, 2012 in Hair, Salons | 7 comments

Hey lovahs! So, like most of us, I’ve been obsessed with the topknot thing for a minute now. But mine never seems to look as dazzling as, say, Kourtney Kardashian’s (aka the Grande Dame of Bodacious Buns). My hair is pretty thin, so the bun always looks a bit anemic. I gave up. Until last week! I heard that Manhattan’s Butterfly Salon was offering The Knot Collection, where you select one of four summery-breezy topknot styles ($40), and get a fab tutorial, too! So I run-walked to the sleek salon and a gorgeous blonde named Harmonie (real name) gave me the sexiest little topknot…in only four steps. Using ONE bobby pin. Get into it:

Me, before the magic happened. Please remind me to figure out what to do re: my brand new eye wrinkles.

STEP 1: THE PONY

First, Harmonie brushed my hair into a high pony. She has a genius trick for making your ponytail stand up higher — hence a taller, bigger bun (great for thin-haired girls like moi). Grab an old pair of tights, cut into a 2 1/2 inch circle, and use this is as your elastic. The thickness adds mad height to your bun!

STEP 2: TEASE

Next, the lovely Harmonie held my ponytail straight up and back-combed it, using a fine toothed comb. If you have long hair, a braid is cool, too.

STEP 3: ELASTIC ON THE ENDS

Then, she gathered my hair at the ends and secured with a small ponytail holder. She twisted/wrapped the hair around the base of the pony till she get a fab bun. It’s okay if pieces stick out — the messier, the better!

STEP 4: SECURE WITH 1 BOBBY PIN!

Harmonie secured the bun by sliding in ONE large bobby pin (from the back to the front)! I couldn’t believe that’s all it took. For a cute extra flourish, she stuck in two chopsticks. Kill Bill style! Love, love, love. I’m going to a fancy benefit for a congressman next week, and this is definitely the ‘do. What do you think?

Thanks Harmonie!

The Fly Cut! The Fly Cut!

Posted by twilliams on Mar 22, 2012 in Hair, Salons | 9 comments

Ladies! Massive news. To quote Lauren via Annie Lennox, sistaaaas are doing it for themselves! On April 24th, me, Devon/Brownie and Lauren are launching TheFlyCut.com, the first and only daily deal website (a’la Groupon or Living Social) catering exclusively to black/ethnic hair salons.  Yeah, you heard me.  Members can buy 50% to 80% off services at the sexiest black salons on the planet — we’re talking Hair Rules Salon, Miss Jessie’s Salon, Amoy Couture Hair – 5-star hair hotness, ladies.  And we’ve got every kind of salon covered, from weave meccas to the dopest natural spots.  We’re launching in NYC first, but then we’re branching out to maj cities like DC, Houston, the ATL (perhaps we can partner with Phaedra’s Phantasy Phunerals?).

When we were little, we spent our time rehearsing Mary Jane Girls songs and Flashdance choreo. Today, the goals are loftier -- but we'd be happy to perform "My House" at your next function.

Here’s how it happened.  At home in Virginia for some holiday, the three of us were sitting around, no doubt watching Dance Mom reruns or somesuch (why does Abby say “coshtumes?’), and we realized we’d spent forty-five minutes deconstructing our hair’s various stages of bustedness.  Lina Bobina and Baby Elle, Brownie’s 11-month-old bambina, had torn the family room to shreds and we hadn’t even noticed.  Hair.  It’s that distracting and urgent!  The conversation:

Brownie:  My hair is falling out in the front.  See it?  No right here. That post-pregnancy thing no one tells you about. I look like an insane person.

Laur:  No, I look like an insane person.  Actually, I look like Frederick Douglass.  Whyyy did I cut my hair into a bob, myself?

Our mom, two-cents’ing it from the kitchen: Frederick Douglass was quite handsome.

He was.

Brownie:  You cut your own hair ’cause everybody’s broke and it’s a DIY world.

Me, not reading the room:  I just went to a fancy salon for a story, and they comped my haircut.  Don’t you love it?  Couldn’t you die?

Glares.  Then lightbulbs!!  I have all this hair salon access as a beauty editor…why not bring it to the masses?  No one has money these days, let’s be honest.  But everyone needs dope hair.  And whether you’re rocking a natural, a weave, a blowout, braids, a wig, locs, or something in-between — every black and brown chick we know is constantly on a quest to find their new favorite stylist/salon.  So we decided that, as hair matchmakers, we’d offer up affordable services to you to make your lives easier (and more glam).  With Brownie’s skills as a genius entertainment/corporate attorney, and Lauren’s veteran online editor swag (deputy editor at The Root #getintoit), we could really make it awesome.  And lo, The Fly Cut was born!

Who's allowing these girls to go into business together?

The Fly Cut is membership-based, so you must, must, must sign up to have access to the deals!  Click here to join — and feel free to tweet, FB and email the link to every woman you’ve ever met in your life.  See you in a month, when we launch with our first featured salon, Miss Jessie’s Soho.  Happy hair salon hunting!