Any hair care expert will tell you that in order to prevent hair from becoming damaged and broken, it is crucial to apply some sort of heat protectant, like a heat protection spray, serum or cream. You've missed a step if you subject your strands to high temperatures from irons and dryers without one.
Blowouts and fancy intricate braids are nice but sometimes they just don't suffice when it comes to spicing up your hair. When you're in a rut or feeling bold enough to try something new, hair color is most often the first thing that comes to mind. While coloring your strands is fun and exciting, most women don't realize the commitment it takes to care for colored hair. It's more than rocking a vibrant hue, it takes commitment, maintenance and upkeep to keep your color fresh and your locks healthy.
There really is nothing truly better than a fresh and voluminous blowout. Unfortunately, summer isn't too kind to our sleek salon look, with all the heat, humidity, sweat and UV rays conspiring to ruin our once-gorgeous blowout. To ensure better hair days ahead, we spoke to a handful of experts to get their insider tips (plus product picks) on how to make your summer blowout last for days. Trust us, with hacks these good, you may rethink how you shower and style altogether.
Hair is a serious matter for black women. No matter how fussy or laid-back some of us are about our appearance, as soon the temperature rises, like clockwork, we start looking for easy protective hairstyles to limit the amount of time we spend on our hair — and more time having fun. As the name implies, protective hairstyles are a convenient way to protect your natural hair from constant manipulation, as it's safely tucked away and left alone for days or weeks at a time. Plus, when done properly in a way that's not pulling at one's edges, they can even aid in hair growth since you're not yanking or tugging at your hair constantly, leaving it to flourish freely.
Gorgeous hair is forever the goal, right? We think so. And with all the time and money spent perfecting our hair color, it only makes sense to want to make the most of it. While we could go to the salon every four weeks for a touch-up, we prefer to focus on making our hair color last as long as possible and one of our favorite tricks is using a color-depositing product.
You know the drill: you get a blowout, fall in love with the salon-made volume, wish to the hair gods that it would look equally as magical on a daily basis, then wash it all out just one or two days later thanks to greasy roots. Sigh.
Fresh hair color and a sharp cut can help start summer on the right foot, but it's not easy determining what length bob suits your face shape or which shade of caramel looks best with your skin tone. To find out which haircuts and colors will help make your summer hair goals a reality, we spoke to some master colorists and expert stylists about some rules of thumb to keep in mind while you're moodboarding your perfect summer hair look. Here are some of the helpful tips they recommend.
Forever on the quest for a good hair day, we've tried our fair share of hair care and styling products. As much as we love our favorite texture sprays and hairsprays, there's something special to be said about spray waxes. Designed to deliver strands with light hold and serious texture, these sprays are perfect for summer — especially when you're trying to travel light and don't want to have to pack a million hair styling products into your carry-on. You can spray them into damp hair and scrunch it for laidback waves, comb it into wet hair for a slicked-back look, on ends for a quick restyle between washes, or from a distance for a lightweight hold that will keep frizz at bay. In other words, what're you waiting for? You need to stock up on a spray wax stat.
There are four things you should look for in a curling iron: One, does it get hot enough to adequately curl your hair? Two, is it the right size barrel for the curls you want to create (smaller barrels mean tighter curls, looser barrels mean bigger curls)? Three, is it easy to hold and use? And four, is it a high enough quality iron to last you a long time?
Let's be real: Who wants to ruin a good blowout? In an effort to make our blowouts last, we resort to dry shampoos, dry conditioners and whatever else it takes to keep hair looking (and smelling) fresh. But a girl's gotta shower and all that heat and humidity can make a silky blowout look frizzy in no time flat. Which is why having a good shower cap is a must. Yes, your grandma's favorite shower accessory is back. And with brands like Kitsch and Drybar joining the movement, shower caps are not only functional but pretty darned cute too. (So cute, in fact, many double as a beach turban or protection from the rain.) Most importantly, they deliver on their promise to maintain our beautifully blown-out hair.
I've never been one to shy away from a potential beauty hack, especially when doing so entails digging around in the garden or my kitchen for a hero ingredient. I've extracted the gorgeous red dye from home-grown beets to make a gently staining lip scrub, have swapped avocado toast for a gooey green hair mask, and have smothered my face in thick honey in the name of glowing skin.
It's happened to the best of us: a botched at-home bang trim that looked like it was hacked with kitchen scissors. Well, the look that launched a million hair horror stories has now become a look. That's right, messy, uneven bangs are officially trending.
Growing out a bad haircut is the worst — but growing out a good haircut is no walk in the park, either. We have to deal with awkward layers, pieces that have a mind of their own and random cowlicks. It's enough to want to hide under a hat for 3 months. If you fell for the #shorthairdontcare message and cropped your locks into a pixie or bob and are now attempting to grow your hair longer, know that it doesn't have to be painful and awkward. (No, we're not suggesting you get extensions.)
Whether you're taking a break from damaging heat styling, tired of fighting your natural hair texture or are just too busy taking over the world for a 20-minute blowout, knowing how to air dry hair is an essential beauty skill. And with summer's humid weather nearly upon us, there's even more reason to ditch the blow-dryer.
You may have noticed that watermelon beauty products are popping up everywhere. It's not only a seasonal thing, watermelon is also extremely healthy for you. Watermelon, or Citrullus lanatus, comes from a family of desert-dwelling vines and is made up of 90 percent water. Much like its cousin the cucumber, watermelon is ultra-hydrating due to the high water content.
Perms are so 30 years ago, right? Not so fast. After years of pin-straight hair and laid-back beachy waves, 80s-style bouncy curls are making a comeback. Recently, everyone from Emma Stone and Olivia Munn to Lola Kirke and Jennifer Lopez has been heading to their stylists for some chemical curls. Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist Chad Wood puts it simply: "Perms are making a comeback because the 90s are so in right now and people want volume and texture in their locks."
If you're a self-proclaimed mermaid lover like me, you'll do just about anything to rock a healthy head of hair. But did you know that the secret to your most nourished mane may actually be in the same place as your favorite mythical creature? That's right, when it comes to achieving a mermaid-worthy mane, it's all about embracing the antioxidant-rich properties of everyone's favorite under-the-sea green: seaweed.
Why have a good hair day, when you can have a great hair day? That was our philosophy when testing these hair products for the 2018 TotalBeauty Awards. When it comes to your hair, you should never have to settle. From hair products that simplify your life to devices that make it look like you just walked out of the salon, these are the hair innovations you need to make room for in your bathroom.
If you have fine, thin hair and volume is what you're looking for, it may be time to lighten up the products in your hair repertoire. Do you pile on the volumizing products or use cleansers and conditioners that are less-than-gentle to get the squeaky-clean strands needed for big, beautiful hair?
