Madame Noire | Black Women's Lifestyle Guide | Black Hair | Black Love

It’s a rarity you see black female celebrities come into the Hollywood limelight with their own locks. Some people proudly do so and own it, showing off hair that’s as thick and kinky as it wants to be, and we love it! You know, the Janelle Monáe’s, the Leela James’ and the Esperanza Spaldings of the world. But others keep their natural locks on the low and go on to successfully change the lace front game, re-invent wigs, and have some women flocking to the beauty supply store for similar look with bubbly and stripper-esque names like, “Candi.” They look just as fab.

But trying to catch a glimpse of a natural strand of their hair or some new growth is like ogling through an advanced version of  “Where’s Waldo?” for the bespectacled little man. You’re not going to find what you’re looking for. They keep their heads on lock. If they have a bad hair day you’ll never see it, and if that new growth is a-coming, you’ll never know it. And that’s all good and dandy. But it would be nice if we could see the following celebrities de-wigged and de-weaved for once. And not because we’re on some natural revolutionary initiative. The complete opposite. But just as it’s intriguing to see them without their makeup it’s just the same with hair–to see them in their everyday woman, natural form. That is, not always so done up. Why is it important you ask? Well, for no other reason than to ease our own curiosity…and yours!

As individuals that are seen on the covers of magazines, in movies, in music videos and more, a celebrity’s hair has ALWAYS got to be on point. Hence the stylists you see that pop up at every drop of a camera and at award shows to primp their strands between breaks. So with that knowledge in mind, it only makes sense that black figures in entertainment would extend their influence into the hair care industry, a definite moneymaker. So we’re highlighting “Dark & Lovely” ladies who have used their influence and tresses to make their mark in the haircare industry as a side hustle. We’re just waiting for Wendy Williams, aka the “the wigged one,” to go ahead and step on in…

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Beverly Johnson Human Hair Wet & Wavy 16” in 1B was the brand that took my weave virginity.  It was my eight grade graduation and a 13 yr. old me longed for a glamorous look to compliment my newfound maturity and sophistication.  What better to do that in than some fresh micro-braids? Gone were the days of sitting in a sweltering kitchen for hours while my mother tried to convince me that it was only the “heat” biting at the back of my neck, not the actual hot comb itself.  The tears that I felt building behind my eyes and the knot full of nerves in my stomach said otherwise.

Don’t get me wrong, no one could tell me I wasn’t cute on 6^th grade picture day in my Mary Janes whipping my homegrown hair back and forth brushing my shoulder blades.  But was getting fussed at for fidgeting and the occasional harry Potter forehead burn worth it all?

Almost 5 years later after breaking up with Beverly Johnson, I became a literal hair Slore.  Outre’, Sensationnel, Milky Way and a slew of lesser known names whom I can’t even remember all laid on my scalp.  As my money improved, so did the quality of hair I purchased.  We did all kinds of positions as well: braided, curled, crimped, and straight.  I had blue and black, red and auburn and let’s not forget the two that had me sprung for the longest: #27 and #33 (and my weave connoisseurs know what I mean).

All I need in this life of sin, is me and my sew-in.  And all you India Arie “I am not my hair” purists can ride that self-righteous high horse if you want to, but I’ll be glad to take it’s silky mane and braid it into my own.  It has absolutely nothing to do with self hate, but it may have a lot to do with boredom and laziness.  I work 3 jobs and the last thing I want to do at the end of my day is wrap or roll anything.  While weave has its share of maintenance, for the most part I can get up and go without having to fuss with a flat-iron.  Weave allows me to be a bohemian curly goddess one month, and have romantic waves flowing to the small of my back the next.  Nothing can compare to what I can only describe as sheer delight when the silken strands of Virgin Remy Model Model Ego II  flows between my fingers.  Some women plan parties, I plan hairstyles.  I conduct my research surrounded by the  latest issues of Sophisticates Black Hair, several on-line hair websites, and sampling the goods of my local beauty supply stores. As long as I’m maintaining the health of my natural hair and being financially responsible, what does it matter to anyone else how I achieve my “fly”.

Both men and women have their assumptions about hair extensions and while I can respect those opinions, you can’t knock this side of the tracks until you try them.  I’ve seen a whole lot of bad weaves: track showing, poor color choices and sub par installation.  But with all of the innovations in technique and quality hair, you might learn to love weave as much as your own hair.  Here’s a few reasons why I love my weave as well as some tips on maintaining your own.

Being a beautiful black woman can be hard work, but many of us ladies are working harder and not smarter by using accessories that detract  from our beauty instead of making our job of being fierce and fabulous a little easier.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing that lifts my heart more than the smell that fills my nostrils after opening a fresh pack of Indian Remy hair.  And if it wasn’t for my acrylic tips my fingernails would be bitten down to the bone marrow.  But when it comes to enhancements, the same rule applies as to anything else in life: Balance.  Many of us think that all we have to do is throw on the ponytail and glue on the false eyelashes and walk down the runway of life, but your enhancements shouldn’t be your beauty, they should enhance the beauty you already have.  Take a look at the following list and ask yourself, are these things helping or making the job harder than it has to be?

To weave or not to weave? There is a lot of back and forth discussion over Black women and their love/hate relationships with hair extensions. While they can be a fab styling option for the girl who wants to change her style, color or even texture from week to week, simply put….they aren’t for everyone. Considering hair extensions for your African American hair? Here are some things you may wish to consider.

The Good:

-Hair extensions provide flexibility in styling that would be impossible to mimic with real hair. Attempt to change your own hair from red to blonde to black in the course of two weeks and you’ll be wearing weave sooner than you planned, trust me.

-Much of the taboo surrounding Black women and weaves has gone away. They are so commonplace now that you’ll even see the occasional man walking around with a ‘hair bag’ after picking up his girlfriend’s new extensions.

The Bad:

-Can you change your extensions often? Sure. But it’s gonna be costly. And if you aren’t a skilled weave-master, the last thing you want to do is put your own tracks or pieces in. The streets will notice, honey. The streets will notice.

-Like braids, hair extensions can cause stress to your own hair. Which is the worst thing you can do if you plan to wear your real tresses out in the future.

The Ugly:

-Not everyone can keep up $300 trips to the salon every few weeks, but some will get those fancy extensions knowing full well they can’t replace them in an adequate amount of time. The result? The unfortunate sister sitting in front of you on the bus with a head full of matted Remi and a faint mildew smell.

If you choose to try a weave, make sure you are prepared to deal with the costs and upkeep associated with it! Hair extensions can be uber fab…but you have to do your part!

While walking down Madison Avenue in Manhattan we noticed a sad trend. There are a lot of women with lethal looking weaves! There’s nothing wrong with adding a little length to your head, but when not blended or the wrong shade or the wrong texture it’s liable to hurt a lot of feelings and possibly combs.

We dedicate this list to all the Madames attempting to fool the masses with a fabulous sew-in. The following women are the best examples of seamless weaves:

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Looking for long hair in a minute? Toni Love’s 2001 book, The World of Wigs, Weaves & Extensions is getting a re-release. While the book originally addressed African-American women seeking Lady Godiva locks overnight, these days, Sisters certainly aren’t the only ones getting in on the action. In honor of the book’s re-release, here’s a look at some of the celeb queens of manufactured manes.

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