Carol's Daughter + Target

Guess what's coming to you live and direct from Target. (That's pronounced tar-jay for those who don't know.) It's Carol's Daughter! I knew Mama Lisa Price had something cooking in her kitchen, but I had no idea it would be this. Starting this month you can get some of your favorite CD products at your local Target store. You know how I found out? A friend of mine posted this pic of the ad from the April edition of Essence Magazine. I was floored. I also saw a similar one for the March subscripition of Curlbox and I knew something was brewing. After the jump, check out Lisa's message about the launch.

I went to my closest Target to grab some Hair Milk, and lo and behold it was already sold out! Curly girls must must have flocked to the store as soon as they heard the news. Make sure you check online to see if your Target has Carol's Daughter in stock before you make the trip. I'm so happy for my CD family. We're really moving on up!

#PERFECTPERFECTED

P.S. I still have some behind the scenes photos from my Carol's Daughter shoot that I'll share with you very soon.

Gimme That Glimmer

Hair isn't meant to be boring. It's too pretty and fabulous to blend in with the background. Really great hair can define you. Short and funky or long and luxurious. Let your hair make a statement. I appreciate hair in different textures and lengths and colors. It's so much fun to play with. So why not get creative with some of the products you use. Your usual styling creams and hairsprays can be such a snore. You need some excitement. Well I found something that can add dimension and shine to your already cute cut. Free Your Mane's conditioning Glimmer Pomade. Boom!

If you're already familiar with FYM's normal Conditioning Pomade, then you know it packs some punch. It's not sticky or greasy. You can use on long or short hair and works great on any texture. I'll often use it whether I'm rocking a curly or straight look. Let's say I need my curls to really pop. The pomade will make sure they spring into action and it fights frizz. Or I've blown out my hair and I need those untamable edges to act right. Conditioning Pomade to the rescue. The glittery stuff works just the same if not better. It won't dry your hair out because it's made with Baobab Oil that holds in your hair's moisture. Don't forget it also contains Argan oil and antioxidant kicking sweet almond oil and pomegranate oil. Those sparkles you see come from golden mica. Isn't that cool! The glitter adds extra shine and works well with any hair color. I gotta tell you... I'm hooked on the Glimmer Pomade! Just call me Goldilocks without the extensions.

Get it!

KISFORKINKY TWA Holiday GIVEAWAY

If you got short hair, put your hands up. If you got curly hair, make noise! I rock my short hair proudly. While I do love big & curly and long & sleek looks, this little TWA fits me so well. People are constantly asking what products I use in my hair and how to style it. You know me, I'm low maintenance when it comes to this stuff. If it takes more than five minutes, then I'm not having it. But my girl Kurly Bella at KISFORKINKY came up with a great idea. Make an adorable video about hair accessories for the chick with short textured hair. Uh yeah!

As a woman with cropped curls, you may often feel like you don't have many options. You can't do as many styles as the girls with longer hair so you feel left out. I totally understand. I mean seriously, how many hair tutorials are there for short hair styles? Well, now you've got a really good one. TWAs need as much love as big hair, so that's what KISFORKINKY's giving you. The team really pulled out some tricks to make this happen. There are so many different looks for the lady who likes to toss it up and look fly. You'll see. We're going H.A.M.

Whew! Now comes the fun part. Because it's the holiday season and we're in the spirit of giving. We've got a GIVEAWAY for you. One lucky person will win all the hair accessories in the video, except for the Brooklyn hat which belongs to my girl Faith. I tried to borrow it, but that wasn't happening. Anyway, you'll get everything else including the cute Tough Kitten beanie. Oh, wait there's more. That banging orange OCC lip tar that I'm rocking at the beginning... you can win that too. Click here for details and subscribe to the new KISFORKINKY YouTube channel for more hair, fashion, and makeup videos. You know how we do!

Hot Chocolät Hair

The cooler temperatures are totally messing with my hair routine. I'm normally a "co-wash and go" kind of girl allowing my curls to air-dry. But for the past week it's been so cold in the morning that I barely want to shower. You can't forgo that. Wetting my hair just wasn't happening. Did I mention that I'm fighting a cold? To get through the hump, I've been hiding my short hair under a big curly wig for some days. It was super cute, but then I got a call for an audition that required me to go back to my usual do. What a predicament. I needed a great shampoo and conditioner that could fight frizz, work with my texture, and protect my hair from blow- drying damage. Thank goodness for Carol's Daughter Chocolät.

Lather it! The oil and dirt was really starting to weigh down my curls. But one wash with Chocolät sulfate-free Shampoo knocked all that out. My curls just sprung right back. My hair is super thick and coarse, so I'm really surprised the shampoo was able to clean without stripping my coils. After my wash in the sink, I applied the creamy Smoothing Conditioner, put on a shower cap, and then wrapped my hair in a towel. I needed to do a few things before actually showering. Wrapping your hair in a towel allows for deep conditioning just like if you were sitting under the dryer. Your own body heat can work wonders. After 10 minutes, ready to rinse. Chocolät includes ingredients that clean, nourish and train your hair to be more manageable. Keravis and sunflower seed extract latch on to every strand of your hair and tame it for you. No misbehaving.
Blow it out! This is the part that makes me nervous. My hair responds so differently after heat styling. It always ends up feeling fried and crunchy. But I needed it to be soft, touchable, and not all over the place. You know what I mean. Blow dry cream to the rescue. Carol's Daughter Chocolät actually contains cacao extract which helps to smoothes the frizz. This line is designed for curly girls who want to wear straight styles, but I figured it would work on my kinky cut too. I applied a small amount to my damp hair and used the "scrunch and lift" method while blow drying.

Style it up! My hair is still short enough that I can finger comb and style without using extra tools. That Chocolät really worked some magic, because I barely needed to style it after blow drying. A little Macadamia Finishing Shine Mist and I'm done. Now my hair looks fantastic without air-drying. And the process was actually more painless than I thought. No heat damage, no fried hair just pretty, springy healthy curls. Sweetness.

Get the three-piece Chocolät starter kit here. Enjoy!

Tender Lovin' Curls

Vogue Japan June 2013

Every woman would love to wake up with perfect hair. It's the stuff that dreams are made of. Bouncy curls or luscious waves without having to fuss over your mane. I'd say that only 5% of ladies actually have hair like this, the rest of us have to wash, condition, use tons of product and still use a curling iron to get the style we desire. Especially during the summer, nobody has time for all that work.

On Sunday my girlfriends and I were sitting around eating chips and salsa and talking hair. Los Angeles had recently experienced some of that hot, humid weather that the rest of the country gets every summer. The city of Angeles and the ladies that live here looked like we'd been hit by an electrical storm. Around town all you saw was big, frizzy and fuzzy hair. Though I'd done a little chop-chop to my natural hair some weeks ago, even I got a case of the frizz. Geez! The ladies and I came to the conclusion that although we are product junkies, we are ill-prepared for summer weather.
The two most important words for hair this season are moisture and texture. The hot air and bright sun are doing their best to dry out your locks, so you've got to fight back. Ladies, I know you've heard me say it before, but deep conditioning is a must. My new favorite for this is Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask. It can restore your dry, damaged hair to the healthy coif you love. Don't think you're done there. Next it's time for a great leave-in condition to fight the frizz and fuzz. Go for John Frieda Frizz Ease leave-in spray or if you've got thicker hair try Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Hair and Scalp Serum. Moving on to the texture part of this equation. Forget straight styles for the summer and play with curls, twists, and waves. If you have fine hair, work in a bit of mousse to damp hair using the scrunching method. For you super curly mamas, go for a lightweight styling creme like Quidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel which was specifically designed for crazy summer temperatures.

Just because it's hot outside doesn't mean you have to look like a hot mess. Skip the flat irons and curling rods and work your magic with your hands. Play up your curls and waves with those simple tips. Healthy happy hair can be so romantic.

Headband Hair Fix

Mondays are always tough for me. No matter what, I wake up in a frenzy. I go through my usual beautification process, but somehow I still feel frumpy. My hair just isn't cooperating. I desperately reach for some miracle products or maybe even try styling my curls. Nothing's working. Raarrrr! But there's no time to fidget, I'm in a rush. What do I do? Manic panic starts to take over until...

I discover an headband I used to wear years ago. The only time I would wear this before was when I was exercising or hanging out around the house. I slip it on and I'm instantly relieved. This old thing actually looks pretty good. Who woulda thought?
Headbands are an easy solution if you're in a hair funk. The trick is finding the one that works not just for your face and hair, but also your outfit. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Print vs. Solid- Florals and other patterns are normally not my thing, but they can be super fun. Wear them to jazz up a simple look. You can always opt for a solid if you're already wearing a bold print outfit or you're into color blocking from head to toe.
  
  
• Thin vs. Wide- This one really comes down to how much hair you're trying to cover up. Let's say you're a curly girl, but the hair that frames your face isn't the same texture as the longer coils. Use a wider headband to conceal the difference. Let's say you're pulling your hair up into a messy bun, but you want to add a little flair without drawing too much attention. A thin headband is the perfect accent.
  
  
• Hard vs. Soft- It's totally a personal preference. As a kid, I wore those skinny plastic headbands. They looked cute, but my head would start to ache after a few hours. I've even had issues with soft headbands losing elasticity. It can be frustrating either way. It's all about the slip factor... What's going to stay on without annoying you.

Embellished and ornate. Simple and stylish. You've got tons of options and the choice is yours. Headbands can keep you from having a bad hair just like that. Wink-wink!

Where's My Hairline?

Oh my gracious! Let me start by saying that I think Zoe Saldana is so pretty. When I heard that she would be gracing the cover of InStyle Hair, I was beyond ecstatic. Her tresses are always superbly perfect. But when I actually got a glimpse of the magazine, I was speechless. What in the world happened to Zoe's hairline?! Seriously, we need to discuss.

Just like a head full of gorgeous locks, a woman's hairline is so important. For black women especially, we are hairline experts. We often judge other women by those precious baby hairs alone. You wonder if some celebrity is wearing a wig, check her edges. Want to know if Ms. So-and-So is wearing extensions. Check the texture of her hairline compared to the rest of her mane. I would say that 80 percent of the time, black women, hair stylists, and anybody's mother notice hair before we notice anything else. Want proof that Zoe has a great hairline? Check out the behind-the-scenes video of her InStyle Hair shoot.

Whoever edited and then approved this cover should have taken a second look. The retouching makes it look like Zoe has a receeding hairline and that is not ok. If you're going to make a special hair edition for a popular magazine, you'd better make sure that every hairstyle on those pages is the business. Zoe's hair looks great, but this cover with those missing edges just isn't cutting it.

Chime in: What do you think of Zoe Saldana's Instyle Hair cover? Hit or Miss?

Dead of Winter Hair

From Numero Tokyo #62 shot by Nino Munoz

Dry and brittle with split ends for days. Let me guess. The frigid weather is wreaking havoc on your normally healthy hair. Join the club. Even though the temperature in LA is fairly mild, my hair still knows we're in the dead of winter. My curls have definitely seen better days, and my usual routine just isn't working. It's gotten so bad that I'm trying to hide my hair under hats and head wraps everyday. Something's got to give. Wearing a big, furry Chewbacca thing on my head to castings or to run errands isn't normal.

A number of factors may be causing your pretty locks to shrivel up during these months. Different eating habits, the winter blues, and the change in climate are all to blame. It's a no-brainer that the cold air strips your hair of its usual moisture. But another surprising thing that's drying your coif out is indoor heating. Think about it. Warm air blowing on your goldilocks for hours. Doesn't that sound like a hair dryer? The force may not be as intense, but your hair is still feeling the damage.

Here are my quick tips to keeping your hair soft and beautiful this season: Start by not shampooing everyday. Your locks want to hold onto every bit of moisture they can get and too much cleansing will do just the opposite. Even on days that I'm not shampooing, I use a moisture-rich conditioner in the shower. As a general rule, deep condition your hair once a week or as needed. I love to overdose on conditioners rich in natural, fatty oils. If you can't find one that works for your hair type, make your own. Avocados, coconut oil, and mayonnaise are some great ingredients to start with. Put the conditioner on your hair, cover with a shower cap, and leave on for about an hour or even overnight if your typically have dry or thick hair. Once you've rinsed and towel-dried your hair, make sure the first thing you do is seal in any moisture with a serum or leave-in conditioner. This will also help protect your locks from heat styling and help tame frizz. Now you're ready to primp and go! Remember if your hair starts to look a bit limp, you can always refresh and lightly moisturize throughout the day.

Your crowning glory requires a little extra TLC in the winter, so give it what it needs. Make sure you don't use products containing too much alcohol or sulfates that will make your hair brittle. Say yes to natural, moisturizing ingredients. Eat foods that will help nourish your coif from the inside. And stop hiding underneath oversized hats and allow your hair to breathe. Let that gorgeous hair shine!

Boy Cuts

Fussing over their hair is not something men typically do. Sure they mess with it and say they need a cut, but you'll rarely meet a man as obsessed with his perfect coif as John Travolta's character in Saturday Night Fever. "Ma, watch the hair!" But don't think guys aren't concerned with their hair at all. The right hairstyle can make a man while the wrong one can wreck him. Girls can pick up a thing or two about good cuts from a dude's style book. Don't you just love a woman with a short, sexy haircut? So, grab a seat in the barber's chair and let's getting chopping.

When you're considering cutting your hair like a guy, take a few things into consideration. Can you really rock short hair? Does the style you want fit your features? It really sucks when a girl with fantastic long hair chops it off and loses her appeal. So how do men find the right cut? A guys goes for something that works with the angles of his face. Our features are a little softer, so we need hairstyles that frame our cheeks and bring out our eyes. I'm super partial to cuts that are really cropped on the sides and the back, but a little longer on top. This way you still have length to play with if you want to do something fun with your hair for special occasions.

Getting a guy cut can be tricky. You don't want people to say "Oh, what a cute little boy," so make sure your hair still looks a little feminine. You don't want to look like you just stepped out of a barber shop, so make sure your hairline isn't edged up and precise. Let your hair be a little messy, it will make you appear more easy-going and carefree. Also, scale back on the styling products. Don't you hate it when you go to play with a man's hair and he's got tons of gel in it? Well they feel the same way about ours. Your coif should look awesome, but still be touchable. Instead of overdosing on hair serums and pomade, just use a dab. Remember, a little goes a long way.


The good thing about a short cut is the idea of not fighting with your hair to get it to do what you want. I always pick styles that are easy to handle everyday and won't look weird when when my hair is growing out. My routine is so simple, even a kid can do it. I wash my hair when it feels dirty. While I'm in the shower, I condition everyday with a tea tree conditioner. Once I towel dry my hair, I apply a leave-in conditioner to seal in the moisture. My tiny curls hold perfectly without any extra product, and my hair is still touchable.

And that's it! There's no detailed perfect hair formula when you've got a boy cut. Come on, do you think dudes put a lot of thought into their hair routine? Of course not. So why should you? Snip-snip.