Here is a great example of what a Dry Curly Cut can do. She came in with her hair in its natural state, so I was able to perform her dry curl cut first thing. After her cut, we did a retouch on her highlights, and then we No-Pooed it out. One Condition was used to hydrate, of which I left in about 20%. Next I used B'Leavin' as a Filler; and finally, I blended Curl Cream with Ultra Define Gel for added moisture, given the drier weather we have been having here in Olympia. I am thrilled with the results. 

Unless you just woke up from a deep slumber, you probably don't need to be told that Curly Girls are very special and have very special needs. There is so much info to be found on the interwebs, it's hard to find out the very basics, so I have compiled a list of 7 things you absolutely must have.

1. Proper Products 
It all begins with the proper products. Curly Girls know that their hair desperately needs moisture, so finding a product line that is sulfate and silicone free is a must. Jessicurl, Innersense, and DevaCurl are just a few OlyCurl-approved lines, and available at your local Curly Hair Salon.

7. A Curly Hair Specialist has had specialized training in the cutting, care and maintenance of curly hair. Members of Curly Hair Artistry all have the passion for helping men and women reach their curly goals. A website for the CHA will be launched soon so you can find one close to your area! We will keep you posted on our website for that, so make sure and follow us here and also on Facebook!

When was the last time you met a celebrity/role model/famous person? Well, I met one in October at CHA Symposium.  If you are a curly girl, this will mean a lot to you so listen up.  I was able to meet and learn under Lorraine Massey, author of Curly Girl: the Handbook and creator of the DevaCurl product line. A true revolutionary, she worked hard to help curlies world-wide after years of experimenting and learning what worked on her own hair. 

I was able to hear her speak, share her love and passion for curly hair (which after years of working with has not waned one bit!), and watch as she worked her magic on several types of curls! It was an honor to be present at this very rare appearance, so excuse me as I geek out over my snapshot with her! Aaaaaah!

I learned so much during that weekend in October, that it may need a blog post all its own. Suffice it to say, it was life changing; and just the opportunity to hobnob with the cream of the curly crop (fellow CHA members!) was beyond my wildest dreams. I look forward to years and years of collaborating with them to bring Olympia the best the curly world has to offer.

SIDE BAR:  Story behind the picture: I was getting a shot of myself with one of the models and Lorraine was walking past and jumped in the picture. I am not one to bug people (or celebs) to take a picture with me, so this was a huge surprise! That's why I look so dorky in the picture...

And just to be fair to the gorgeous model, I will post the complete picture as well. Have you ever met a celebrity, or someone famous?  Who was it?

Thank you, Nancy for trusting me with your curls! 

A year ago Nancy got a haircut in town with a stylist not trained in Curly Hair. She used a razor on her hair, and it has taken a full year for it to recover from that. Her ends had been thinned out and needed to be trimmed in order to get more even results toward the bottom. She wanted to preserve as much length as possible, so we took off as much as we could without compromising the length. I told her that in about six months she should have enough growth that we can trim the rest of the thinned-out ends.

During the cleansing process, it was apparent that there was silicone buildup from frequent use of "smoothing" products. We had to spend some time detoxing the hair and stripping it of its plastic coating. This will allow her hair to receive the hydration that we then applied.

Products were applied with the MAP and a heavier handed approach was used due to the very wet weather we are experiencing in the Pacific Northwest. Notice how the color looks richer than before?

Today I tried out the Raw Hair Organics that I received at the CHA Symposium in October and thought I would share my experience. (I haven't really tried anything else except DevaCurl since being introduced to it this year, so this was good for me.)

The Shampoo and Conditioner both had a nice fragrance, Orange & Tangerine. Both samples were quite small and seemed to be one-use only. The Shampoo, having an iridescent and somewhat runny quality, had a lather to it, so I wonder what the lather agent is? However, after the shampoo my hair definitely felt squeaky, not a feeling I am used to. I put on the conditioner, which was fairly thick, and rinsed it out. After rinsing, my hair felt similar to how it felt after the shampoo; it still had some squeak to it. At this point I would normally put some B'Leavin' as a filler, but I wanted to give the gel a fair shake, so I applied the whole little bottle of gel (as it says to use liberally), which was maybe a 1 oz bottle. The gel is runny in comparison to UDG, but no problem, as BL is runny as well. It felt weird putting it in though, as my hair still felt squeaky from the cleanse.

After diffusing I think it had some great hold, and I usually do hit it with some Deva Spray, and I did today as well. I don't usually shake or scrunch out as my curl is super fragile and my hair tends to separate and lose definition, so I stayed with the same MO today. An hour later the naturopath wanted me to run my fingers through my hair to see if some would shed and I cringed, not wanting to ruin my hair! However, it didn't do too much damage to the definition. I think this gel has great holding power.

I wish the sample packaging had more than a day's worth of product so that I can get a better idea of the hydrating properties of this line. I am not sure that I felt my hair was hydrated as well as with Deva. It is a very different feeling. I still have one more 1 oz bottle of the gel and will use it another day. I will try and get second-day hair tomorrow.

I am adding some pics for your reference. Please 'scuse the cheesy grin; I hate selfies.

Have you tried any new products lately? What were they?

Have you ever had the hankering for some toast on a busy morning, only to get sidetracked and come back to it all cold? And then when you go to put your butter (or peanut butter!) on it and it doesn't melt, nor does it spread well? It's also difficult to reheat your toast in order to spread your butter! (Thanks to Scott Musgrave for the analogy!)

Well, hair and conditioner are a lot like that. You hair best receives the moisture when it is pliable and warm. It allows the conditioner to slide into the cuticle layer of the hairshaft, much like the nooks and crannies of a piece of bread, or my favorite, an english muffin. This is why if you ever had a conditioning treatment in a salon, you sit under a warm dryer for some personal nap time.

There are lots of methods to achieve perfectly conditioned hair, but this explains the best method. My colleague, Melissa Stites wrote this fantastic blog post, and I wanted to share it today. Just keep squishing, just keep squishing... 

This is a two-hour appointment and is the process used in the salon for optimal curls. It begins at the shampoo bowl where we cleanse the scalp with a sulfate and silicone free shampoo, better known as No Poo.  During the cleansing process I will be able to ascertain if there are damaging and hydration-preventing silicones on the hair. If so, we will proceed with a Detox treatment. 

After that, the hair will be hydrated and detangled with the properly chosen conditioner. Then we will proceed with the application of products, which will be explained to you during your appointment and you will have the opportunity for hands-on learning so that you can go home and duplicate the results. 

Nothing is worse than leaving the salon not knowing how to get the same fabulous results, or even if you can! I understand, so I will show you how and explain things clearly, and have you do it as well.