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Mega beauty brand Carol’s Daughter is launching a “healthy hair” tour of HBCUs will kick off at Lincoln University on Monday, April 8. Hosted by Myleik Teele, the founder of CurlBOX, there will be a panel discussion and a “pledge” where attendees can swap their relaxer for Carol’s Daughter Transitioning 1-2-3 Kit. The tour will also visit the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hampton University, Florida A&M University, and, ending on Friday, April 12, at Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University. Hair stylist Nikk Nelson and Ngozi from Heat Free Hair will be among the panelists.

According to the press release, the tour is focused on natural hair because black women have been increasingly focused on natural hair. “Despite the rapid decline of relaxer kit sales there is still no solution for women going through this incredibly stressful, frustrating and emotional time,” reads the press release. “Transitioning isn’t just a process of changing your hair, it’s a transformation that affects the way you see yourself and the way others see you.”

Details about the tour are available in the brochure below and on the Carol’s Daughter Facebook page. (Note, SixOne7Creative are the organizers for the event if you’d like to attend.)

March is women’s month, and because it follows on the heels of Black History Month, there’s no better time to talk about a topic that is very important to Black Women — hair care. Here are our top eleven moments in Black Hair care History.

Biography.com

Self-Styled Entrepreneur Madam CJ Walker Makes Her Mark With Black Hair Care Products (1905)

Combining both beauty sensibility and business savvy, Madam CJ Walker (née Sarah Breedlove) built a wildly successful hair empire, around, among other things, the innovation of the pressing comb, which made it more user-friendly for Afro-textured hair (she had the teeth widened for her target market). Ambitious, driven, and dedicated to her company, Madam CJ Walker became the first female self-made millionaire in the United States.

Earlier this year, we learned that Carol’s Daughter was hopping on the natural hair care trend and launching a Transition Movement website filled with suggested products and tips to help women grow their hair out from it’s relaxed stage, and now the popular product line has combined that focus with yet another trend — web series — to launch, “The Curl.”

The purpose of the new series, which launched last week, is to address some of the common hair questions women who are deciding to go natural have, and to share everyday tales about our hair. The series is also supposed to dispel the seemingly popular myth that one “must” be natural to be true to themselves, and also celebrate the range of beauty present in our various hair textures. Popular hair bloggers, like Urban Bush Babes, Hey Fran Hey, Fran Ramsey, and Around the Way the Curls, participate in the series, and the best thing about the videos, in my opinion, is in between the dialogue about the ladies’ hair journeys are tips on how to create popular styles like the pompadour.

Check out episode one of the series below. What do you think?

Each year, African American women spend millions of dollars on hair extensions and hair care products, contributing to the multi-billion dollar bottom line of a market that is 90 percent owned and operated by Korean businesses.

In recent years, there’s been an outcry by the African American community calling for an investigation on the Korean domination of the market and many media outlets including Madame Noire have tackled this issue in the past.

Michelle Morant (background) and Kendra Austin

In spite of higher-than-normal barriers of entry to entrepreneurship in the black hair care and weaving industries, veteran companies like Carol’s Daughter, Dudley’s Q and newcomers like Huetiful and curlBOX are working feverishly to reclaim ownership of the brown beauty conversation.

Joining those ownership ranks is Amizade Hair, a new hair extension company founded by friends Michelle Morant and Kendra Austin that launched this past August.

According to Austin, the company provides “quality, affordable, and luxurious virgin hair extensions from around the world, in a range of textures, styles, and lengths,” and hopes to become a go-to brand among extension loyalists who may have traditionally purchased products from a non-black owned company.

We recently caught up with Morant and Austin to learn more about how they launched Amizade Hair, discuss industry obstacles and where they see themselves in the marketplace.

I was pleasantly surprised last week when a link to Solange Knowles’s new song and video, “Losing You” shimmied down my Twitter timeline. I’ve been a fan of hers since Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams so I eagerly clicked the link and waited for some musical magic.

With vibrant mixed ’70s patterns and colors against a South African backdrop, the video gave me everything I wanted and then some. Solange sings in a retro tone to a retro beat about losing the love of her life, all the while partying out with friends, having the time of her life in Cape Town.

Though I was already a Solange supporter, I started to lean into her work even more after watching this video because I was intrigued by the concept. I learned something pretty awesome. According to an interview with The Fader, Solange explained her fascination with and use of the unique subculture of the Sapeurs in her video:

“They’ve been able to just sort of create this movement and have the foundation of it be about, you know, having style and grace and edict and portraying that in every way. It’s not just about the fashion, a Sapeur must know how to speak French, a Sapeur must know how to tie his tie the right way, he must have perfect posture, just that classic edict.”

In the same interview Solange went into more detail explaining how she was able to make the video possible through hard work and the generosity of friends and family, giving she and her friends their frequent flyer miles to make the trip to South Africa possible. She is signed with indie label Terrible Records and seems to have a very clear idea of who she is and what she wants: A creative young woman who simply wants to make honest music.

Solange also recently took off her spokeswoman hat for natural bath and beauty products line, Carol’s Daughter citing differences of opinion when it came to what message was being sent out to the masses.

“I was constantly fighting for the right message to be heard. The message that the way we wear our hair is a personal choice, there’s no right or wrong way; one way doesn’t make us more intelligent, or more superficial, and everyone makes that choice for very different reasons,” Solange told Lurve magazine in their latest issue.

At 26-years-old, she seems to be more self-reflective and sure of what she wants more than most 26-year-olds I know, including myself. Whether it’s her hair or her music, Solange obviously blazes her own trail, never allowing the media, big business or misplaced hateration to deter her from her goal: To simply be and create REAL. Her journey to finding herself from dropping her freshman album in her teen, which was clearly heavily (if not totally) influenced by the label to now putting together a third album with an independent label where creative freedom is all hers is refreshing to say the least. Not many artists have the guts to go against the grain and stay inspired. Most look for the easiest way to cop a Billboard hit whether it is a musical masterpiece or not. Solange seems to have a deep passion for being original, inspired and diverse. And why should she be anything else? With a sister who has solidified herself as one of the world’s biggest musical icons, Solange could easily have crumbled under the pressure of living up to that image. Instead she paved her own way as a prime example of how one doesn’t have to do what the majority does in order to be a hit, or to be beautiful, beloved or respected. She went natural, dresses in mixed prints and far out ’70s style, signed with an indie label and shot an amazing video in South Africa with a whole subculture of fly South Africans! She could have stuck with a weave and overly-sexualized lyrics to make her mark, but she took the path less traveled, carving out her own space. I think that deserves a more finely tuned listen and a closer look.

La Truly is a late-blooming Aries whose writing is powered by a lifetime of anecdotal proof that awkward can transform to awesome and fear can cast its crown before courage. La seeks to encourage thought, discussion and change. Her blog: www.hersoulinc.com and Twitter: @AshleyLaTruly.  

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Cover Image from O! Magazine’s September 2012 Issue

When the cover of the September issue of O! magazine arrived in my inbox, my initial reaction to the ‘makeover’ issue was that Oprah looked like her usual gorgeous self. However, social media and the natural hair blogging community were buzzing with mixed emotions about whether Oprah’s hair was actually in its au naturale state.

So I set out to get the final word from Lady O’s longtime hairstylist Andre Walker. After seeing the topic covered extensively by Madame Noire and the rest of the blogosphere, I decided to talk to him about more pressing (no pun intended) issues than Oprah’s braid-out.

Oprah’s longtime hairstylist Andre Walker

Like the current state of my at-home beauty closet and the fact that I (like many of you) am probably buying all of the wrong products to take care of my hair. After talking with Andre about the must-have hair care products women should have at home, I discovered I was right because I only own 3 out of the 10 things he mentioned. Check out Walker’s recommendations and see if your at-home beauty product game is up to par?

MEET Lisa Price:  Some women cook up mouth watering soul food dishes in the kitchen. Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter, used her kitchen to create some of the country’s top selling beauty products. Encouraged by her mother to leave her writing assistant job and start her own business, she took $100 from money she earned selling her beauty products at flea markets, rolled up her sleeves and went to work.

Lisa opened her first Carol’s Daughter store in 1999. Today her beauty products are sold worldwide in stores like Macy’s and on the Home Shopping Network. Carol’s Daughter products are also used and supported by celebrities like Jay-Z, Solange, Halle Berry, Jada Pinkett Smith and Mary J. Blige.

MN:  Was it your initial plan to spend your entire career in television, since you used to work as a member of a television production team? If not, what did you want to spend your life doing before you launched Carol’s Daughter? 

LP:     When I landed in television production I did think it was going to be my career forever. I LOVED it. However, I did have a concern. There are very long hours in that field and all of the people I met who had children were either men whose wives stayed home or women who made four times my salary who had devoted nannies. I wasn’t sure what I would do when the time came for me to have a child. As things turned out, I did not need to worry about that. I quit just before my first child was born and haven’t worked for someone else since.

MN:  When did you launch Carol’s Daughter and what specific types of beauty products does the company provide clients?

LP:     In the early 1990’s, I started selling hair and body care products at local flea markets and craft fairs. I opened the first Carol’s Daughter store in 1999. Carol’s Daughter is a complete line of hair, skin and body products made with love and natural ingredients. 

MN:  Businesses cannot succeed without capital. What resources did you use to finance your business and how much did you initially invest in Carol’s Daughter?

LP:     My initial investment, back in 1993 was $100 for my first flea market. From 1993 to 2001, I grew my business organically, investing back into my business as I made money. I also used credit cards to finance different projects. In 2001, I took out my first bank loan to finance renovation on a production facility.

MN:  Describe the early years you spent creating your own beauty products out of your home, selling them at church flea markets before you started to yield a sizable profit? What were those early years like and what did you learn during those years that you continue to benefit from today?

LP:     It would take a lot for me to describe the early years in full detail, but in a nutshell, it was glorious. I did not feel that way back then because there was so much work to be done and so many mistakes made and lessons learned. But, now, I appreciate the beauty of that process. That wonderful discovery of learning your business and watching it grow and being able to make mistakes that don’t have overly huge consequences . . .  I tell people to enjoy the youth of your business. It is a lot like being a parent. You love that your children grow up and become independent and smart, but you miss when they were babies and toddlers. You miss the magic and the innocence.

MN:  What was the biggest challenge you faced as a business owner? How did you overcome this challenge?

LP:     My biggest challenge has always been myself and my own insecurities.  I learned about four years ago, that I have to turn the mirror on myself first and make sure that I am doing everything in my power to attract the right energy to myself and that I am doing everything to keep myself strong and thinking clearly.  I am my own biggest ally, but I can also be my own worst enemy.

MN:  When did you realize that you had a viable business and what did you do to celebrate this milestone?

LP:     There have been several little moments of realization for me.  One was when a guest traveled to my home in Bedford-Stuyvesant to purchase products to deliver to his daughter in South Africa. Another was the first time a half-page article was written about me and my business. Then there was the opening day of my first store that had 75 people waiting in line an hour before opening.  Honestly, to celebrate I thanked God for my blessings and I went back to work.  I celebrated in having the work to do.

MN:  You appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2002. In what specific ways did that one television appearance change your life and the future of your business?

LP:    Most people think that when you go on Oprah, your business changes overnight because you get tens of thousands of orders. Other people think money transfers into your bank account just because she shakes your hand.  The latter is definitely not true and the first is only true for some. For me, my business experienced a lift, but it was one that we could handle and it was one that built throughout the year. My biggest blessing from appearing on Oprah was the glory of fulfilling a dream and the freedom to dream bigger.

I first went natural back in 2009 when there were more product lines for kinky-haired ladies than ever before, but definitely not as many as there are now. The first company I tried on my freshly done big chop was Carol’s Daughter. I loved the Mimosa Hair Honey, but you know how that ole PJism can creep up on you. As many products and lines emerged, I tried everything I could get my hands on whether something worked for me or not. Since that time I’ve grown my BC out, returned to the relaxer and gone completely natural all over again picking up numerous butters, conditioners and cleansers along the way.

My kinks, coils and curls have been giving me an attitude lately. Due to the sun and my lack of deep conditioning as of late (my fault), my strands are a bit weaker and dryer than I’d like to see them, so I thought I’d find a new product to throw into the mix. For some reason, I was drawn to Carol’s Daughter once again, but instead of the Mimosa Hair Honey, I wound up purchasing the Marguerite’s Magic Restorative Cream Hairdress for $17. I hadn’t tried it before, but it contains wheat germ, soybean oil plus cocoa and shea butters – exactly what my thirsty strands were looking for.

I deep conditioned my hair then applied Marguerite’s Magic. Although I normally would add oils and a leave in conditioner, I wanted to see how this product alone would cooperate with my hair. Ladies, I think that I have fallen in love a second time around with Carol’s Daughter. The Marguerite’s Magic claims to undo the most intense damage, restore natural strength, improve manageability and soften. Rarely do you come across a product that actually does what it says, but my hair says it all. Upon application, I could feel that my hair was smoother and softer, but the next morning I could see that it was also shiny and had a nice hold – an added bonus that I didn’t expect. It truly looks healthier and I’ve received loads of compliments on my bouncy, shiny curls. This is definitely a new staple. The ingredients are beneficial to any hair type and the smell is absolutely heavenly. I highly recommend it to anyone whether relaxed or natural. I’d love to hear if you’ve tried it and what you think!

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• Party of One Please: Things I’ve Learned To Enjoy By Myself
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Source: Styleblazer.com

From StyleBlazer.com

So you want to go natural, but you’re not exactly thrilled about doing a big chop of your relaxed hair.  A long transition isn’t a walk in the park either, especially dealing with two totally different hair textures.  Thankfully, Carol’s Daughter came to the curl-rescue with the new Transitioning 1-2-3 Kit.

Check out the three steps to using the kit on StyleBlazer.com.

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Father’s Day is Sunday and if you’re in search for a last minute Father’s Day gift,we have some splendiferous (no, that’s not a real word) options for you, and they’re all in the beauty category. Who says dad doesn’t need to take care of himself and try some pampering? Without much frill, here are four awesome gifts that will show the great man in your life some appreciation.

Shea Moisture Shave Collection for Men

1. Shave Kits

This may seem passé, but shaving for men isn’t as simple as it looks, even if they do it every day. This is especially true for men of color who deal with coarser, curlier hair textures that are prone to ingrown hairs and razor bumps (and those little bumps are not cute). Gifting dad a quality shaving kit will go a long way with keeping his skin smooth and moisturized. You can keep it all natural with Shea Moisture’s Men’s Shave Collection, which is easy to find at any Target or Walmart. Or go luxurious with the Art of Shaving’s Professional Shave Bundle, available at Macy’s and Sephora.

Source: polyvore

2. Skincare

Yes, skincare is different from the shaving kits. In between shaves dad still needs to take care of his face, even the low-maintenance Dial soap man. Carol’s Daughter Acai Hydrating Face Butter is a quality addition to a gift bundle for dad. It’s a great moisturizer (I’m a big fan) that doesn’t leave the face shiny. Dad can simply apply it to any dry patches on his face and keep his face manly and moisturized without the shine.

Source: cumidanciki.com

3. Body Care

Never underestimate the care your father puts into his personal hygiene. We may think our father’s are simple men, but if you place something in their life they may use it and add it to their daily regimen. Men tend to be hard on their feet and every man doesn’t feel comfortable going to get that regular pedicure. So slide dad some foot powder or lotion, such as the soothing Carol’s Daughter Peppermint Foot Lotion. Sending that his way with a fresh pack of socks (and even some nail clippers) is a cute gift that will help the simple man take a step into better foot care. Kiehl’s Cross Terrain collection is another fab option that includes a dry foot cream along with a face cream and body wash, available at Nordstrom.

Source: netikka.net

4. Hair Care

Dad’s hair line and hair health is just as important as our hair. Long before natural hair was the trend, our fathers were the natural trendsetters. So if you are super stuck for a gift just look at your own inventory of hair products, especially if you and your father have a similar simple hair texture. Dad still needs to keep his hair and scalp moisturized so customize a gift bundle including your favorite moisturizing product along with personal sentimental items (a book he use to read to you, music he likes, etc.,). The best gifts are ones that require some thought, and we’re sure he’ll appreciate it.

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• Can We Stop the Black Male Bashing…At Least on Father’s Day?
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