10 Crucial Summer Hair Tips

Posted by twilliams on Jul 2, 2012 in Hair | 3 comments

"Evening with EDEN" panelists Julia Coney, Shirley Gordon, Ylorie Anderson, Kitiya Mischo King and moi. Ugh, why am I so tall? I knew I shouldn't have worn those platform wedges, I look like a mighty redwood next to these girls.

Hola muchachitas! A couple of weekends ago, I had the pleasure of being a panelist at the “Evening with EDEN, A Summer Hair Affair” soiree at DC’s B. Smith Restaurant. The cocktail party was sponsored by EDEN BodyWorks, and if you haven’t heard of this delicious, all-natural black hair brand, you must get into it (my faves are the wildly hydrating Jojoba Monoi Shampoo and the oh-so-necessary Peppermint Tea Tree Oil Temple Balm, which helps prevent weakened edges along the hairline from breaking and shedding).

EDEN BodyWorks. The products smell ridiculously delicious...and we know that's half of it, right?

Anyway, the shindig was full of gorgeous DC area It-girls and epic bloggers like The Makeup Girl’s Lianne Farbes and Ty from Gorgeous in Grey — I love speaking on panels when the audience is so cute. Inspiration!

The crowd, including Yummy411's Kia in a bangin' statement lip

My co-panelists were kinda major, too. It was me; All About the Pretty’s Julia Coney; Strands Hair Studio’s award-winning owner/stylist, Shirley Gorden; and EDEN BodyWorks VP Ylorie Anderson — mediated by Mischo Beauty Blog’sKitiya Mischo King. Fab night. The best part was when the panelists had a “come to Jesus” about the most crucial summer hair tips. Here, ten of the most memorable ones:

1.) Try conditioning BEFORE shampooing (try Eden BodyWorks’ Jojoba Monoi Revitalizing Conditioner, silky hair awaits), and then follow with a deep conditioner.

2.) Protect your summertime strands with a good hair sunscreen (like Redken’s Color Extend Sun line) and deep condition weekly.

3.) City hair is not beach hair. Before hitting the beach, moisturize and seal your hair with oil.

4.) Mineral oil is evil, evil, evil. Avoid it at all costs.

5.) Naturalistas — moisturize with a hair milk, seal it in with an oil.

6.) Try a hair product regimen for at least 3 weeks before you decide it doesn’t work.

7.) Whether you’re relaxed, natural or transitioning — invest in a steamer. Nourishes and hydrates hair like nobody’s business. 

8.) No cotton pillows! They can cause breakage and weaken hair. Use satin or silk ones…or commit to sleeping in a satin bonnet.

9.) Inner beauty determines outer beauty, so be mindful of your diet. Try vitamins like Biotin and Folic Acid, for strong, healthy strands.

10.) Good Hair = Healthy Hair

The EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi and Peppermint Tea Tree collections are available at Wal-Mart, edenbodyworks.net and CurlMart.com. For additional information visit: www.facebook.com/EDENBlog 

Frizzy Day Savior: Mark Shape & Gloss Kit

Posted by twilliams on Jun 13, 2012 in Hair | 1 comment

Hi ladies! Ugh, this unseasonal torrential downpour is coming for Gloria (my new clavicle-length ‘do). I am displeased. Thank god the keratin keeps my transitioning tresses relatively sleek, or else I’d be moving into frizzed-up, fluffed-up, cotton candy territory. Betty White swag.

Me? Or Rose Nyland?

Even still, there’s the annoying frizz factor — so on these rainy days, I’ve been rocking a topknot or a little pony (still getting used to the shortness…waaail, where is my hair?!). It’s been a particularly overscheduled couple of weeks — in NYC, this means tons o’walking from subway to destination to subway, no car, exposing one’s hair to the elements, always — and no matter how laid out Gloria was when I left the house, she gets fuzzier and fuzzier throughout the day.

Ladies. Moment of silence. I found the CUTEST, drop-everything-and-get-it, double-duty, bad hair day miracle worker:

Allow me to deliver a hair hallelujah for Mark’s Double Do Shape and Gloss Kit ($18). Tiny enough to fit in your eensiest clutch, the double-duty kit comes with two fantastic hair helpers: A Shaping Wax and a Solid Hair Gloss. Hark! Blended with babasu oil, the Wax adds definition to frizzed-out natural hair (simply rub a bit between your thumb and index finger and sweep down the length of individual curls) and on straight styles, it smooths out fuzzy edges along the hairline. The Solid Gloss is spiked with Muru Muru butter to add shine and fight frizz! Together, the two products are invincible — your hair will be so happy.

I Chopped Off a Foot of Hair, Eeek!

Posted by twilliams on May 18, 2012 in Hair | 13 comments

There’s nothing more odious than long hair for no reason. You know what I mean. It’s thin, dry, fried and over…and why? Long hair for long hair’s sake does not a sexy look make. And girls, I finally realized I needed to cut my shit. For three reasons: I needed a change, my ends were decimated by relaxing and coloring, and — the most important reason — it would help my transition to natural hair. I just cannot Big Chop, but a significant cut would help me get closer to my new growth, right?

Getting fabulous color at the Beth Minardi Salon at Mark Garrison. My hair was longer than the end of the towel. And friiieeed.

So last week, I headed over to Manhattan’s famed Beth Minardi at Mark Garrison salon, and threw myself into the hands of Steven, master stylist; and Mark, master colorist (because my greys are taking over). First Mark gave me a really subtle golden chestnut hue with a few barely-there honey highlights for dimension…and then Steven happily chopped off OVER A FOOT of my hair. Et voila, my “lob” (“long bob” in affected beauty industry speak) a’la Gwyneth! What do you think?

Sassy new cut!

I cannot tell you how much healthier my hair is! So swingy and glossy and new, I can’t get over it. Mostly because of the cut, but also because I just discovered the world’s best deep conditioning treatment: Phyto Phytonectar Ultra Nourishing Hair Treatment ($30, worth it, just get it). Transitioning hair can be weak, easily breakable and impossible to detangle — and this twice-monthly treatment strengthens and moisturizes with egg yolk nectar, keratin and corn oil. Basically it replenishes your hair of much-needed moisture and proteins. To use, just massage a quarter-size amount allover your hair, rock a plastic cap, sleep on it and rinse in the morning. Or just leave it on for twenty minutes in the shower (that’s what I did). The difference in your texture will be staggering. I’m sold.

Miracle oil. Love.

On a totally different note — Shake Your Beauty is nominated for a Style Blogger of Color Award! If you think I’m at all lovable or entertaining, please vote for me…and tell your girls! Thanks ladies. Vote here: http://bit.ly/JhplKn

Princess Tia Wimyums & Carol’s Daughter

Posted by twilliams on May 9, 2012 in Beauty, Hair | 12 comments

Hi ladies! I’m back from my parents-sponsored Disney World trip (thank you Mommy and Daddy) and Lina Lina Bobina had the TIME OF HER LIFE. My 3-year old daughter is obsessed with princesses (her alias, bee tee dub, is Princess Tia Wimyums. She can’t pronounce “Williams”). Jasmine, Cinderella and Tiana are her rock stars. She actually bit off a fingernail while chatting with the real live Sleeping Beauty, and handed me the nibbled-off nail afterwards. I’m the grossest because I kept it to put her in her memory book.

I’m that mother.

But the most fun was had at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Salon, where little girls are treated to their own princess makeovers. Rocking their favorite princess dress, the girls get sparkly eyeshadow and identical, slicked-to-the-gods buns. I’d spotted post-makeover tots with their ultra-sleek little ‘dos all over Magic Kingdom, and was concerned about how the Bibbidi Bobbidi stylists would deal with Bobina’s curls. I had reason to worry, because when the visibly stricken stylist saw her hair, she drawled “I don’t know how to do curls!” and asked me for help.

Why are you grinning, Inept Stylist?

Come on, Disney. Such a fail. Does the Bibbidi Bobbidi Salon think that white girls with straight hair are the only ones that want those slicked up little buns? The stylist actually attempted to tease my baby’s ringlets to create the topknot. Who backcombs curly hair? What are they teaching in Orlando beauty schools? You know me and my mom were through. But with my gentle direction (through clenched teeth), Princess Tia Wimyums’ makeover was a success!

Et voila! A bit Toddlers & Tiaras, but oh who cares, we're just playing dress up. Princesses rule!

Aaand speaking of hard to manage hair…let’s discuss mine. It was like 90 degrees, girls — hotel pool time! Heaven. But alas, I was worried about getting my crazy transitioning hair wet. I’d gotten a blowout before we left NYC, and didn’t want to deal with washing and styling my two warring hair textures. So, I spent the first hour with my my head waayyy above the water line, instructing Bobina and my extra-splashy parents (first time grandparents get extra delirious in the pool) not to get Mommy’s hair wet. But my hair was soon soaked, of course. The great news? I’d gotten an early sample of Carol’s Daughter’s new Transitioning 1-2-3 Hair Kit (available May 16th), and I’d had the good sense to pack it!

Carol's Daughter 1-2-3 Transitioning Kit

The set comes with a Purifying Low-Poo Cleanser, which is loaded with coconut oil detanglers; Renewing Scalp Spray, which exfoliates and invigorates the scalp, promoting cellular turnover and hair growth; and the Restoring Anti-Breakage Treatment, a creamy deep conditioner that targets the broken, weak hair at the line of demarcation (where the new growth meets the relaxed hair).  First of all, let me just say that Carol’s Daughter is GENIUS for debuting a line for transitioning hair, which has it’s own set of needs and issues, totally separate from fully relaxed or fully natural hair. Second of all, these products made my shedding, fragile hair feel softer and stronger than it has in ages. It’s like the CD scientists whipped up these products specifically for my hair! If you’re transitioning, you must try it — and check out Carol’s Daughter’s new site TransitioningMovement.com, for everything you ever wanted to know about growing out your relaxer.

I shampooed, sprayed and conditioned with the Transitioning products...and then slicked it all back in a topknot and called it a day. Healthy hair via Carol's Daughter!

P.S. Here’s My Fab Blowdryer

Posted by twilliams on May 2, 2012 in Hair | 2 comments

A bunch of you emailed asking me about the blowdryer with the brush attachment I mentioned in my Look At My New Growth, Woot! post (must work on my headlines, yeesh), and I totally forgot to tell you. It’s the Hot Tools Brush Hair Dryer ($29.95), and it comes with a tiny snap-on brush or comb. Listen, I never learned how to handle the whole round-brush-and-blowdryer thing, it’s just too complicated and I have weak Gumby arms. So, this kills two birds…and cuts my drying time in half. You can really get in and get those roots too, its genius.

Plus, my mommy used one just like it on me and my sisters when we were growing up, so it makes me feel all smushy inside.

Also…ladies, I know it’s not the best option to blowdry transitioning hair, but I’m a weak, weak woman and, well, it’s working for me so far (plus I wait till my hair’s three-fourths air-dried, so I don’t need crazy heat). There are a million ways to the au naturale motherland, and huzzah to them all!