Trendy {Curly} Hair

Time for a challenge! Ready… Steady… Gooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-01-28T16:59:00.001+01:00

Do you remember my friend Shack's and her post about vitamins? She is a long term transitioner and a specialist es protective styles! Last month, as we were sharing tips about our hair, we figured out that it would be fun to create our own challenge for the new year!

Here is the deal:

objectives: retain length / have healthier hair

what we gonna do: work on the outside AND the inside!

Inside

vitamins & complements : I chose brewers yeast (described as type 3, B-complex in Shack’s’ article)

vegetables : I eat lettuce at least once a day (any vegetable would fit)

fruits : at least 2 kiwis a day and tomatoes (any fruit would fit)

water : a liter and a half (around half a gallon) each day

Outside

-daytime:

Massage your scalp at least once a week

Deep condition once a week

hydrate twice a day

Seal twice a day

protective style at least 4 times a week. It can be buns, updos (the hair should not touch your shoulders or clothes) or it could be a more permanent protective style.

-nighttime:

protective style : satin bonnet/ scarf / pillowcase at least four times a week

Follow-up

-A report once a week on this blog

-A length check each month (next one the 17th of February)

-Our challenge begun on the 17th of January and it ends on the 17 of April.

The good news is that Anybody can join!!! (Any type of hair, any length… All you have to do is send an email to kyara.natural@gmail.com , post a message to my Facebook wall (Kyara Emienthe - add me putting challenge in the message) or add a comment below before the 17th of February. The message must contain a length check at the beginning of the challenge, a pic would be nice but it’s not mandatory and a short line concerning the state of our hair).

If you decide to join the challenge, I’d appreciate a comment on each of my weekly updates to tell us what’s going good and what’s going wrong for you, so that we can share tips!

Let’s do this challenge together!!!

Smootches!!!

<3 I’M ALIVE! <3 & HNY 2K11!!

2011-01-05T19:31:00.001+01:00

I know, it’s been A VERY LONG TIME since my last post!

I’m sorry about that, I had many things to deal with in my personal life, but I want to THANK ALL THE NEW FOLLOWERS, VIA Facebook, Google friends connect, Networkedblogs and bloglovin’… You guys are wonderful!!!

Happy New Year to everyone!!!!

I ‘ll be back soon for:

-A length check

-My resolutions

-New product reviews and ideas

And the journey continues!!!!

H&K!

DIOR makeup session

2010-03-10T20:14:00.001+01:00

Hi Guys,

I wanted to share with you my first experience at a DIOR makeup session.

I was invited to this eye makeup session last week-end. I had an appointment at 6 PM at the Galeries Lafayette in Paris.

Here are the pictures of the place:

My makeup artist was late and we begun 20 minutes after the appointment time :/

At this time I was pretty upset but he took his time to explain the process and to understand what I wanted.

I wanted a “bling-bling” smoky eye but not too exaggerated…

He used the 5 colors palette:

The makeup artist in action (he explained all the steps while doing the makeup):

Then he used both mascaras : DIORSHOW EXTASE and DIORSHOW ICONIC to elongate and volumize the eyelashes.

Here are the results:

I used my phone to take these pics so you can’t really see the different colors but it was amazing! You could think I had fake eyelashes!

To finish he gave me a trial of DIORSHOW ESTASE and I was perfumed with DIOR MADEMOISELLE.

I must say that I LOVED the experience and I had so many stares after the session that I’ll try it at home really soon!

Natural Hair in the spotlights

2010-03-05T12:07:00.001+01:00

Hi Guys!

Many of you ask me how is the natural hair scene in France.

There is not much natural hair representation here in the media so I wanted to show you this ad promoting 2016 European soccer cup.

Look at this huge afro!!

This one is for a huge supermarket brand:

We are on good tracks!!!!

And the journey continues…

Are you length obsessed?

2010-03-05T11:42:00.001+01:00

I don’t think I’m length OBSESSED but I’d really like my hair to grow longer!

Now it’s not shoulder length (I Big Chopped almost a year ago) but I ‘d like to see where it can go…

Here is a chart with the different lengths:

I’m not sure that I’d like to have fairy tale hair (too much maintenance!!), but I want to know if I can go at least to mid-back :)

If I follow the math I posted here, it’s 30 months to go ( If I manage to retain all the length)…

Let’s meet in two years and a half to see the progress :D

The journey continues…

Featured on Curlynikki.com

2010-03-04T11:46:00.001+01:00

Yayyy!! I’m featured on curlynikki!

Nikki was really kind to publish my interview on her blog

This blog was (and is still) one of my first inspirations when I went natural!!!

Please take a look at it if not done already!

http://www.curlynikki.com/2010/03/kyara-story-of-transition.html

And the journey continues…

Building your routine (Part one)

2010-03-01T14:33:00.001+01:00

Hi guys,

We all are busy women and I think it’s important to be able to organize our hair routine in order to focus on other things…

When I first went natural, I had a difficult time building my routine! I kept seeing everyone’s video with different routines, different products, different periodicities and I didn’t know what could apply to my hair…

That’s the reason why today I didn’t want to share my routine – because what works for me, might not work for you - but I wanted to share a methodology, for you to build your own personalized routine.

Here is a table I created to know what I do, and when I should do it:

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY	COMMENTS
MOISTURIZE								every morning
SEAL								every morning
WASH								once a week
CO-WASH								once a week
DUST								on Saturdays every three months
BLOW DRY								not planned
STRAIGHTEN								not planned
PROTECT								protective style 3 days a week + every night with a satin bonnet
DETANGLE								twice a week (after shampoo and co-wash)
PRE-POO								twice a week (before shampoo and co-wash)
TRIM								on Saturdays every six months
DC*								*Deep Conditioning

Now that you see all the activities on one single table, you can better organize. For example, you know that you only detangle on your co-wash days, if you apply direct heat, you can plan to to deeper treatments on these days, and so on…

This table is an example but it allows you to put all the treatments you do to your hair and their periodicity, no matter which product you’re using. I put this table on my coiffeuse and now I never forget anything!!!

What do you think? Did it help you??

Stay tuned for the other parts:

Choosing the products, when do you need to change your routine, achieving your goals…

Reader’s request: the Carmel Treatment

2010-02-27T16:44:00.001+01:00

Hi Guys,

I received a request for more information about the Carmel treatment.

I first talked about it in the Natural Hair Glossary and I had this request from Linda:

“Just read your blog and really enjoy it! Wanted to ask you some information about Carmel treatment.
I live in Paris and was wondering if the brand is selling to Europe.”

Thanks Linda, I’m so glad that you’re loving my blog!! I’m always happy to get feedback from you guys!! <3

The Carmel treatment is very famous in the natural world because it is considered as a “natural, completely chemical free, relaxer”. I’m a little bit confused when I hear about a natural relaxer but you can have a look at their website for a demo.

Here’s how the website describes this treatment:

"The CARMEL [is] a Deep Penetrating Treatment made with real bananas and honey will restore life back into all types of hair. Its high concentration of vitamins, minerals and potassium has the ability to provide the nourishment needed for both the hair and scalp. Its strengthening and moisturizing qualities will deeply soften the hair while improving the texture and manageability to create body and a natural shine.” (they sell it for 20$)

It seems to ship only in the united State, here is the message I got from the website:

“We only ship orders to the continental United States. Please call 1.800.768.ETAE (3823) to place orders to be shipped internationally or to Alaska or Hawaii.”

I coulnd’t find the complete list of ingredients on the website but the myth said that it is so natural that it could be eaten (please don’t try it!!!). Some naturals tried to reproduce it at home and here is one of the recipes posted on the naturallycurly.com forum:

Wheat germ butter
Olive butter
raw honey
molasses
banana baby food
coconut oil
ACV
cornstarch
orange essential oil

I’m not sure about the results, I didn’t try the recipe.

However, last week I tried a deep conditioning treatment with banana and coconut milk. It was really good for hydrating my hair, but I had banana pieces in my hair for almost a week no matter how many shampoos I did!! ;)

Hope this helped you!!!

TCH on Bloglovin'

2010-01-04T14:01:00.002+01:00

Hi guys!

TCH is now on bloglovin'

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Please show some love ;)

++

K.

Happy New Year!!!

2009-12-31T16:43:00.001+01:00

I’m about to go spend New Year’s eve with my friends on a boat on the Seine river, in Paris :)

I just wanted to write a little note to let you know that I hope you’ll enjoy the last night of 2009 and that I wish you all a happy New year 2010!

I’ll try to post about my resolutions for 2010 tomorrow, so stay tuned!!!!

PS: I still don’t know what I’ll do with my hair but I’ll keep you posted! ;)

She rocked it both ways: Judith Hill

2009-12-30T22:37:00.001+01:00

Hello Guys! I had to share this with you…

I first discovered Judith Hill at the Jackson memorial. She came at the very end of the memorial to give a last tribute to MJ.

When she began to sing “heal the world”, it was such a moving moment!!! I was wondering who was this beautiful natural girl! Seeing this article, I wasn’t the only one!

Judith was one of Michael’s vocalists. Here she is with Michael Jackson, preparing the THIS IS IT Tour. Here are pics with the crew:

I absolutely loooooooove her style! And the hair is GORGEOUS!!!

[Pics are from getty images]

And guess what?!!! Judith Hill rocked it both ways: straight and curly.

Check it out:

Sorry to be so predictable but I definitely prefer the curly version of Judith!!

Here is the wonderful tribute…

Were you as moved as I was????!

Update & Christmas hair

2009-12-29T23:55:00.001+01:00

Hi Guys!!

I’ve been away for a little while because of personal reasons but I’m ready to share my new hair adventures in 2010!

For the come back of Trendy Curly Hair, I wanted to give a little update about my hair. Here is what it looks like now (speaking of the length):

For Christmas, I wanted a style a little bit different from what I usually do so I chose to curl my hair.

I used these perm rods:

I washed my hair with the aphogee shampoo and then I conditioned with HE Hello Hydration.

And I must say that I found THE setting lotion that works for my hair:

Let me introduce you to Paul Mitchell Round Trip Curl Definer! I applied it to each section before rolling and this thing was not only good at setting my hair but it also made my curls soft and bouncy!!

My hair was so happy!!

Let me show you the curl definition:

Here is a closer look:

And look at this shine!!!

For the final look, I did a line on the left side. I secured the side with a flower bobby pin (bought at Claire’s for 3 euros) and I added a little bit of coconut oil for extra shine.

Hope you like it!

Let me know what was your style for Christmas and what you plan to rock for the New Year!

Hope you had wonderful moments with your family and friends!

REPOST – Another transition style : bantu knots

2009-12-29T16:16:00.001+01:00

I recently got some issues with formatting so I’m reposting older entries…

I just wanted to show you the results of my bantu knots-out. It wasn't very easy to sleep on it but I'm glad I tried! I liked the results because the curls looked natural and bouncy.
I slept on the bantu knots with a satin headwrap. The next morning, I took them down beginning with the back, separated each of them, put a little bit of coconut oil and finger combed.

This pic was taken right after I took them down:

The next pic shows the back of my head. Some of the knots weren't completely dry... as you can see there are looser curls in the back.

This is a closer pic:

This is the finished product... There was a lot of humidity here so the curls were looser after a while.

If you have questions about the way I achieved this style, you can ask your questions in the comments section below or send me an email. I'll do my best to answer.
I also tried the curly fro, so stay tuned for the technique and results!!!

UPDATE – NATURAL HAIR GLOSSARY

2009-12-15T17:03:00.000+01:00

Hi Girls I wanted to share what I've learned during my researches on natural hair. I might have forgotten lots of information, I will keep updating this glossary. Hope this will help some of you.

A

ACV: Apple Cider Vinegar (In french: Vinaigre de Pomme). It can be used to clarify hair (to get rid of buil-up)

AMLA Powder: AMLA is an Indian Gooseberry. It is known to be antibacterial and rich in vitamin C. It can be used to deep condition the hair

BAA: Big Ass Afro

Banding technique: Technique consisting in putting bands on your hair to elongate the strands. It is used to fight against shrinkage.

Bantu Knots: Hair style consisting in twisting the hair on itself.

BC: Big Chop. The big cut you do to get rid of relaxed and damaged ends.

Bentonite clay: It's a clay used to deep condition. It has detoxifying properties.

BKT: Brazilian Keratin Treatment. A treatment used to loosen your natural curls for between 4 and 6 months. It contains chemicals and is quite expensive.

Carmel treatment: Natural Treatment said to make your hair more manageable

CG: Curly Girl. Book and technique from Lorraine Massey. Describes how to take care of naturally curly hair.

DC: deep condition. Apply a nourishing cream on your hair for enough time to enjoy the benefits.

E
EVOO: Extra virgin olive oil

J
JKT: Japanese Keratin treatment

LFW: Lace Front Wigs.

LHCF: long hair care forum (forum talking about long and natural curly hair).

Lisa Akbari's Curly Fro technique: technique to have curls and volume for natural hair.

Low-poo: use of a less aggressive shampoo and less often.

NC: naturallycurly. Website with information about curly hair

No-poo: stop the use of shampoo

Pre-poo: apply product to the hair in order to prepare it for the shampoo

S&D: Search and destroy method. Search the damaged ends and trim them one after the other.

Saran wrap treatment: technique to straighten your hair without heat

Shake&Go: pretty self-explanatory...

Shingling: Styling technique

T
TWA: Teeny Weeny Afro

W
Wash&Go: pretty self-explanatory...

REPOST : Sleeping beauty

2009-12-01T16:16:00.001+01:00

I got something to tell you ... We are told lies from our childhood! It is impossible to sleep for 150 years and look like this:

A rosy complexion, a rested face and mostly ... A PERFECT HAIRSTYLE! That’s a lie…

OK ... Now we know that we won’t look like this ...

... We can try to limit the damages not to scare ~~Prince Charming~~ the man with smelly feet (if it is not the case, it will be one day ...) who shares or will share your life. :p

Anyways ... back to the main topic: Stay beautiful even during the night:)
You can find some nice satin scarvesto protect her hair from dehydration and breakage (can not say it enough, the cotton pillowcases dries hair!)

Here are beautiful scarves for every wallet :

Image: http://www.frey-wille.com (price on request)

Topshop.com (price: £ 22)

Image: luxuo.fr (Hermes Carré)

Image: The Clutch Magazine

If your significant other still does not bear to see you wear a scarf at night, there is a solution! The satin pillowcases!

Now that this is solved, there are other problems which can come from over-night treatments:
-The smell of eggs and mayonnaise ...
-Olive oil spreading on the sheets ...
-Carapate oil acting as a repellent even for your boo...
These methods are known to be very effective, but every once in a while, replace carapate oil or olive oil with oils that have a good smell ...
[the air oil tui from carol's daughter, or the Monoi oil prodigious Nuxe may be the case]

... And put a smaller amount can not hurt (Honey won’t say the contrary ...): p

And you? Have you already had problems with your loved one because of that? Other tips to stay beautiful at night??

+ +

Hair Check

2009-10-01T21:05:00.001+02:00

This post is just meant to show you how my hair looks now:

Headband: Next (£4-£5)

Products used:

Conditioning: Redken Fresh curls conditioner

Styling: Bumble and Bumble calming cream

Technique: finger styling

I can’t wait for it to grow longer!!!!

Shack's’ rendez-vous: “Vitamins, vitamins, vitamins...”

2009-09-01T20:03:00.001+02:00

This is our new rendez-vous. We will have shack’s coming from time to time to talk about her natural journey!

If you are in serious turmoil about your hair growth, you might have heard about what vitamins can do to fasten it.
To sum up, your hair should be supplied with various things among which : moisture, protein, vitamins, etc.

There are 3 types of vitamins:

- Natural product extracts, supposed to bring your hair some specific attributes
- Pure vitamins
- Vitamins complexes

Here are the different ones that I have experienced so far:

Type 1: garlic (supposed to prevent hair breakage due to its high sulfur content),

horse tail (a grass supposed to provide with silica)

Type 2: B8 (also known as biotin)
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane)

Type 3: B complex
           Various vitamins mix
           Women vitamins
           Hair, nails and skin complexes
           Yeast

Pros:
- Vitamins are, generally speaking, good for your health. Doing a cure from time to time prevents shortage, and is good for your overall metabolism
- When you take the appropriate amount for you, chances are you are going to end up feeling good and looking freesh!

- Prices in pharmacy or local supply store usually are reasonable. No need for it to be expensive, what matters is the dosage. You can also get it from online stores

Cons:
-It might take a while for you to figure out what amount is really appropriate for you. General advise is: increase slowly. If you really do not want to stick to the label, start slow, and take it up from there
-Missing your dosage and taking too much might lead to breakage (especially with biotin, beware, take it at your own expense)
-Your body only uses what it needs for 12h. Consequently, to maximize effects, do not take it all at once, try and take it at breakfast and dinner for example or throughout the day
-Taking multiple pills can get quite tiresome

So, what kind of results have I seen on myself:
- My new growth feels stronger
- It grew quite fast I think (I got approximately 4 cm in less than a couple of months)
- I'm currently on a break since I experienced breakage because of biotin. I'll resume with my routine in a few days I think

Vitamins can only be an addition to an external routine as well as eating well and exercising. If you don't take care of your hair externally (keeping it clean) or eat well, it might lessen the effectiveness of the vitamins.
HHG!

If I could turn back the hands of time

2009-07-02T19:05:00.001+02:00

Hi guys,

I’m in holidays in South America, where I come from.
Since I’m back to my roots, I wanted to tell you a little bit more about my story…

So, I was born in Bordeaux (French city) and right after, my parents decided to go back to South America, where they were raised.

Here are some pictures I found :

For this one, I think I was around 4 years old :

These two pics were taken during my sixth birthday, if I remember well…

If I could turn back the hands of time, I would never have relaxed/texturized my hair!

Length check: 7 centimeters. I hope it grows that long again!!!

See ya!

She rocked it both ways; Macy Gray

2009-06-23T01:21:00.000+02:00

Afficher l'album en entier

I think Macy Gray tried everything as far as hair is concerned! That the reason why she’s the spotlight of the month in “She rocked it both ways”

As a reminder, Macy is one of the most talented soul and R&B singer. The sound of her voice can be recognized among thousands!

Check out my favorite song of her… I try:

And yes, Macy rocked it both ways:

I must admit that I like her highlights in the straight look, but I prefer the curly look and you? Which one do you prefer??

TOP 10 reasons why you should BC now!

2009-06-19T06:18:00.001+02:00

Hi guys, if you are transitioning and hesitating to go back to your natural texture, this post is for you!

Summer is almost there (yayyyyyyyyyy) and the first style you will try is wash and go! (especially if your natural hair is really short) … And a wash and go in winter … hum you can wash but you’ll have to wait a little while before you can go…
It will be easier to take care of … No different textures… No line of demarcation…No need to figure out how you can blend the two textures anymore!!
Your hair will look better! yes… it looks really weird when the two textures are not blended! ;)
You’ll actually see your hair grow! You can be tempted to put a relaxer in your head if you don’t see the results.
You’ll learn how to take care of your natural hair. I figured out that I had to change my regimen after I BC’ed. The sooner you figure out what works for your naturak hair, the better…
You can enjoy it… Play with it… And I can assure you, it will be a lot of fun :)
You don’t want to begin your natural hair journey with split ends… and it may happen if you don’t pay attention enough to the demarcation line.
You can get used to your new cut during the holidays and when you get back, you know how to style it and to take care of it.
The weather is hot so less hair is better :)
Finally, there’s a time when you got to jump into it !! after all, it’s just hair!! :)

I hope this list helped you!!!

But the first reason why you should BC now is if you FEEL READY!

Chronicles of a Product Junkie

2009-06-17T22:53:00.002+02:00

Welcome to my world! lot’s of products everywhere… Moisturizers, mousse, shea butter, styling products, oils, conditioners, masks, and many more!!

Hello everybody, my name is Kyara and I’m a product Junkie…. (Say “Hi Kyara” lool)

It was difficult to admit it but now that I have accepted it, I’m trying to find a cure…I like the smell, the texture and most of all, I like to see what each product does to my hair!

I know that it’s bad because when you find a product that works for you, you should stick to it… but I can’t help it! When I hear about a new product, need to try it (I have my staples though)!

The pic shows you some of the products that I use.

But I think that even if you’re not loyal to ONE product, you should always follow some rules:

Do not use too much styling products (Gel, mousse,… they can dry your hair out)
Do not mix them (If you want to see the effects of one product, it’s very important)
Read the ingredients (you should be careful about the fact that the product contains protein or not for example)
Try to curb your cravings (Do what I say, don’t do what I do :p)

Am I the only one with this addiction?? :) What do you do? do you curb it or do you listen to it??

I got some requests about product reviews (as you can see there are many to come) so stay tuned!

Let’s do some math!

2009-06-16T21:59:00.001+02:00

Hi guys, it’s time to see if the math class was a waste of time! :)

Don’t worry, we are still going to talk about hair!

Ok… so hair growth is very predictable in fact… If you wanna know how your hair will look like in a year, keep reading ;) If you don’t like mathematics, bear with me!

Here is the equation:

DISCLAIMER: these numbers vary from person to person so if your hair grow faster or slower don’t sue me! lol!

Let x be the length that you want to reach, y the growth speed and z the time you’ll have to wait.

Given that 0.8cm < y <1.5cm (your hair grows approximatively at a rate between 0.8 and 1.5cm/month)

So: x= y*z

To be more practical, let’s that I want my hair to grow of 12cm. I will have to wait at least for 15 months (z=12/0.8).

My hair is now about six centimeters so in September 2010, my hair will be about 18cm (If no breakage).

I will keep you updated with my length progress. I would also be really happy to hear about your goals too!!

Leave a comment or drop me an email at kyara.natural@gmail.com to tell me..

Oh! and I almost forgot… These are just numbers!!! Don’t be too obsessed about that, no need to measure your hair every week…

If it’s healthy, the length will automatically follow!

See you soon!!!

Kyara's style of the day (summer is coming!!)

2009-06-04T17:13:00.001+02:00

summer is coming by Kyara Natural featuring Juicy Couture bags

She rocked it both ways : Wakeema Hollis

2009-06-04T16:05:00.005+02:00

"She rocked it both ways" is back!!!
This month, the gorgeous model I wanted to feature is Hollis.
This 25 year old girl was born in Tennessee and she's now the face of Paul Smith Women.

Look at her rocking her Fro in this Baby Phat "Defilé"

Now, as many models, she's asked to wear her hair straight for some campains but otherwise, it's natural. Check out her two looks and tell me what you think!

In the second pic, the curly fro can be reached with a twist-out on short hair.
Do you prefer Wakeema Straight or Curly???

My TWA routine

2009-05-19T02:14:00.003+02:00

Little update to tell you about my new routine since my Big Chop...

-I will Deep Condition (over night) at least once a week (this week I tried AMLA powder - pics are coming),
-I'll try to comb only once a week (other than that, I'll finger comb),
-Pre-poo with honey,
-I will co-wash once or twice a week (since my hair is super short) and shampoo once a month,
-Moisturize with Kinky Curly Knot Today or Carol's daughter Black Vanilla leave-in conditioner,
-Seal with Shea butter or Monoï oil,
-Flat twist every night,
-Massage my scalp once a week.

WISH ME LUCK & TELL ME WHAT'S YOUR ROUTINE!

K.

Officially BC'd

2009-05-10T13:55:00.006+02:00

Yesss! It's done!!!
I'm so happy. Almost like when I graduated!!! lol!

So here's the story: I got my last relaxer at the end of december or begining of january 2009. Not long after that, I decided that it would be my last relaxer and I began the transition. It lasted 4 months of protective styles, braids and impatience...
But let me tell you that it wasn't so easy to get that cut done...
The story begins last week. I wanted to schedule an appointement at NIWEL (it's Franck PROVOST for "ethnic" hair). I called them but they were full until the next saturday. I decided to wait until this date.

The week seemed to last for ages!!!
The day before the fateful date, I decided to go out with some friends and have fun. We went to a party and danced till dawn :)
The next day, I woke up at noon... I had missed my rendez-vous...
I was so determined to cut those relaxed ends that I tried to call my usual hairdresser to ask if they had a spot available for me. SURPRISE! They had one at 3!!!

I jumped under the shower and ran to the salon.
When I arrived, they asked me to wear their robe (you know, the sexy robe that never is your size!) and to wait until my hairdresser was free.
In the meantime, they offered me a lemon tea (it was welcome because I had to wait more than an hour before they took care of me!)

Then my usual hairdresser came and I told her that I wanted to cut it all off.
First reaction: she calls all the other haidressers to share opinions...
Second reaction: her eyes went out of their sockets "Whyyyy????? your hair was so beautiful!!"
Me: I just want to get rid of the damaged relaxed ends
Third reaction: "You sure??? Did you have time to think 'bout it?"
Fourth reaction: "I know lots of girls who decided to go natural and then went back to the relaxer because they couldn't manage their natural hair. I'm sure you'll change your mind too"
Me: "you bet??" ;)

The assistant came and told me "you're so right! when you have beautiful hair, you shouldn't relax it, it damages it!" then she added: "I'm natural too but I flat iron every morning".
Yessss another natural girl!! :)

A third hairdresser took care of my hair. When she was giving my afro a nice round shape, she told me that she used to be natural but her daugthers were like "you're not pretty with your afro, mummy" and she decided to go back to the creamy crack...

I guess every single black woman has a story about the relaxer and natural hair... But MY story has just begun and for the moment I couldn't be happier!!!

Stay tuned for other pics!!!

K.

She rocked it both ways : Gelila Bekele

2009-05-03T21:28:00.015+02:00

I want to add a new feature to "Trendy Curly Hair": She rocked it both ways... The idea came to me when I saw the the pic of Oprah with her natural hair so I wanted to show people who rock straight and curly hair.

I'm sure that like Oprah, there are lots of natural chicks that keep straightening their hair and I woulld like to spotlight them!

The beautiful model I chose for the first "She rocked it both ways", as you can guess from the pic, is Gelila Bekele.

This picture shows her with a stunning natural hairstyle!!

This haristyle can be achieved by braiding the crown of your hair and twisting the strends in the back of the head.

To obtain the finished producted of the first picture, you just have to pin the twists up with bobby pins in an artistic way.

This wonderful ethiopian girl is 25 and has been working with ford models for several years now. She is said to be dating Tyler Perry (actor and movie maker).

Here is a picture of them having fun in the Opening Gala of Tyler Perry's new Motion Picture & Television Studio on October 4, 2008 in Atlanta (Getty images)

Gelila has beautiful curly hair but she sometimes straightens it for fashion shows

I must say that I prefer the curly style. She looks more natural and stands out of the crowd.

Which style do you like most?

COMMENT, SHARE OPINIONS AND ANSWER TO THE POLL :)

Here is a video where Gelila is explaining her haircare routine (She uses Pantene daily renewal shampoo and conditioner):

Next one will be Oprah. If you have suggestions about other curlies who rock it both ways, please send them to me!

Stay tuned for the next "She rocked it both ways"!!!

REPOST : Another transition style: Bantu knots-out

2009-04-30T23:19:00.013+02:00

I recently got some issues with formatting so I’m reposting older entries…

This is a closer pic:

This is the finished product... There was a lot of humidity here so the curls were looser after a while.

If you have questions about the way I achieved this style, you can ask you question in the comments below or send me an email. I'll do my best to answer.
I also tried the curly fro, so stay tuned for the technique and results!!!

My bantu knots

2009-04-26T22:27:00.002+02:00

I tried bantu knots today and I just wanted to show you how it looks :
I like it! It's very cute, but I am not sure that I will rock it outside of the house...
To do this style, I used Kinky Curly Knot Today (to detangle) and I seal with coconut oil.
it is very easy, you just have to twist the hair on itself and then tuck it under...

I will soon show you the bantu knots-out, so stay tuned! :)

K.

Kyara's transition update

2009-04-16T20:48:00.003+02:00

Yay!! 3 months transitioning!!!

Hi girls,

I just wanted to give you a little update on my transtition. It's becoming more and more difficult to style my hair...
This days I just try to slick it with a brush and gel (IC Fantasia) on wet hair (I know that's bad...) but I have no choice! ':(

These photos were taken this week-end:

(click on the pic to enlarge)

Please let me know how it went during your transition (if you did one...)!!
I'll be trying new transition styles during the next week.

Have a good day!

K.

Kyara tries flexi rods

2009-04-11T12:43:00.001+02:00

As I recently told you, I'm transitioning right now.
One of the transition styles I tried is roller setting with flexi rods.

Here is how I proceeded:

Shampooed with Carol's daughter black vanilla herbal shampoo
Conditioned with Carol's daughter Khoret Amen Hair Smoothie
Put my leave-in conditioner healthy sexy hair Soy-Tri-Wheat
Detangled on wet hair
Set with flexi rods
Let it dry over night

I thought my hair would be more voluminous but I liked the style. My hair was very curly and bouncy. I was able to keep this style for 1 week.

Have you tried it? Let me know how it worked for you!!

I will soon post the detailed "How to" with pics, so stay tuned!

K.

Kyara's style of the day: Marroon Style

2009-04-10T16:34:00.000+02:00

Marroon style by Kyara Natural featuring Fendi tops

Kyara's style of the day: Sweet Sport

2009-04-05T11:39:00.001+02:00

Sweet Sport by Kyara Natural featuring Roxy t-shirts

Kyara's nightmare!

2009-04-03T05:40:00.000+02:00

This video featured on wkyc.com is stating that a huge number of african american women are losing their hair because of chemicals, braids (too tight), heat...
Check it out and tell me what you think!

K.

UPDATE -- Natural hair glossary

2009-04-03T04:25:00.014+02:00

Hi Girls I wanted to share what I've learned during my researches on natural hair. I might have forgotten lots of information, I will keep updating this glossary. Hope this will help some of you.

A

BKT: Brazilian Keratin Treatment. A treatment used to loosen your natural curls for between 4 and 6 months. It contains chemicals and is quite expensive.

Carmel treatment: Natural Treatment said to make your hair more manageable

CG: Curly Girl. Book and technique from Lorraine Massey. Describes how to take care of naturally curly hair.

DC: deep condition. Apply a nourishing cream on your hair for enough time to enjoy the benefits.

E
EVOO: Extra virgin olive oil

J
JKT: Japanese Keratin treatment

LFW: Lace Front Wigs.

NC: naturallycurly. Website with information about curly hair

No-poo: stop the use of shampoo

Pre-poo: apply product to the hair in order to prepare it for the shampoo

S&D: Search and destroy method. Search the damaged ends and trim them one after the other.

Saran wrap treatment: technique to straighten your hair without heat

Shingling: Styling technique

T
TWA: Teeny Weeny Afro

W
Wash&Go: pretty self-explanatory...

Kyara's haircare tips

2009-04-03T02:28:00.000+02:00

Use a wide tooth comb. It is very important! Any other comb will pull your hair out if you have kinky hair. Finger combing is a technique which is also very effective
Seal your hair to keep it hydrated. What I do is that I apply a creamy moisturizer and then I seal it with coconut or almond oil.
Avoid heat. Styling irons will fragilize your strends and prevent you from acquiring lenght
Know your hair type and texture: dry or oily, kinky, curly or coily, fine or thick. Your routine should really be adapted to your hair type.
Let it breathe!! for your hair to grow, your scalp should be clean so adapt your routine (shampoo, co-wash, sealing... to your hair type in order for your scalp to be always clean.
Deep condition on a weekly basis. With DC, the strends stay moisturized and healthy.
Avoid chemicals. Relaxers, colors, texturizers, curlies... all these techniques fragilize your hair so at least ask advice from a professional before considering putting one of these chemicals on your hair.

Hope this helped!
Please comment and tell us what are YOUR tips!

K.

Kyara's style of the day (Orange passion)

2009-03-31T17:19:00.000+02:00

Orange passion - par Kyara Natural on Polyvore.com

Kyara doesn't care about Good Hair

2009-03-30T22:02:00.000+02:00

I remember when I was a little girl, my grand mother used to dress my hair. It was so painful that I was trying to escape her grasp. She would hit my head with the comb and ask "Why don't you have good hair?". That scenario would repeat itself every weekend of my childhood. But what exactly is good hair?

I don't know if you've heard, but Chris Rock has filmed a docu-comedy about hair. The idea came to him when his little girl came home crying one day asking why she did not have good hair.

That question motivated him to go across America and India in order to learn more about why black women spend so much time and money for their hair to look different (white).
I'm definetly going to see this Prize winning Documentary (Sundance Film Festival '09) as soon as it gets released!

Have a look at these two short clips:

Kyara's style of the day (sustainable development week)

2009-03-30T21:16:00.000+02:00

Sustainable development - par Kyara Natural on Polyvore.com

Kyara tries conditioner as a leave-in

2009-03-27T23:40:00.000+01:00

Since I've decided to go natural, I've been looking for tips and advice on how to deal with my transitioning 4a/4b texture.
One of the techniques that's been mentioned was to use traditional conditioner as a leave-in.
It is said to:

help style your hair,
protect your ends,
keep it moisturized all day.

I gave it a shot yesterday morning and here's what how I did it:

Co-washed with elseve anti-casse but didn't rinse all the product off
Detangled on soaking wet hair with my shower comb
Re-applied Elseve anti-casse to style my hair. I rocked a low bun (didn't think about taking a pic but it was very silky)

To sum-up:

I expected silky and moisturized hair but what I got is sitcky hair and red eyes!!! I must explain that I have the finger in the hair syndrom but if you combine it with the finger in the eye habit, it can lead to big problems!!! lol!
The thing I must admit is that my hair was very easy to style...
Maybe I've done something wrong... too much conditioner, bad choice of conditioner... Tell me what you think and if you use this technique!

Other alternatives are conditioners that CAN be used as leave-ins (usually indicated on the box). They are formulated especially not to give you stingy eyes and to let your hair light. Kanellia is a really good french brand that provides this kind of conditioner (I tried it and it kept my hair moisturized and healthy), farida b. is another one but I haven't tried it yet.

Hope to hear from you!

Kyara's style of the day : classic chic

2009-03-26T00:32:00.002+01:00

classic chic - par Kyara Natural on Polyvore.com

Kyara's transition

2009-03-25T23:10:00.000+01:00

Yes! My decision is made... I will be totally natural in less than a year!
Let's start from the beginning:

1 had my last relaxer in december 2008 (see picture).
Then I began to search for tips to take care of my hair and I found a lot of blogs and forums talking about being natural and showing people enjoying their coily, curly, kinky or wavy hair!

Here is a list of my favorites:

I decided to transition in february (2 months after my last relaxer) but I don't know yet how long the transition will last...

Now I am fighting to find transition styles and products that work well with my hair (reviews are coming soon)

I can't wait to get rid of all this damaged hair!!!

If anyone has tips, products to try, styles to wear I will be more than happy to give it a try :)

Stay tuned for more updates!

K.

Kyara's style of the day: Working Girl

2009-03-24T21:56:00.001+01:00

Working girl - par Kyara Natural on Polyvore.com

Kyara is not her hair

2009-03-19T11:57:00.000+01:00

I have heard of a song from India Arie (extraordinary singer but unfortunately not very famous in France). The song is called "I am not my hair" and as I am transitionning the lyrics really talked to me...

It seems to be about my life:
Little girl with the press and curl
Age eight I got a Jheri curl
Thirteen I got a relaxer
I was a source of so much laughter
At fifteen when it all broke off
Eighteen and went all natural
Lots of us changed the way they looked because of the pressure from the environment. It's important to be who you wanna be.
At first, my decision to go natural had nothing to do with philiosophy. I just wanted to be able to manage my hair in an easier way but when you decide to do such things, you have to struggle everyday for people to accept you as you are so now I embrace this combat...

we all need to get over stereotypes... I am sure everyone has already heard someone talk about good and bad hair
Good hair means curls and waves Bad hair means you look like a slave
Now I love my hair as it is and it's never been healthier!!!

Check it out & be natural!!! :)

K.

J'ai récemment entendu une chanson d'India Arie (chanteuse extraordinaire mais malheureusement peu connue en France). La chanson s'intitule "I am not my hair" et étant donné que je suis en pleine transition pour revenir à ma texture de cheveux naturelle, les paroles m'ont semblé avoir été écrites pour moi...

J'ai l'impression qu'elle parle de ma vie:
Little girl with the press and curl
Petite fille avec un "press and curl"
Age eight I got a Jheri curl
A huit ans, on m'a fait un "Jheri curl"
Thirteen I got a relaxer
A treize ans je me suis défrisé les cheveux
I was a source of so much laughter
On a tellement ri de moi
At fifteen when it all broke off
A 15 quinze ans mes cheveux se sont tous cassés
Eighteen and went all natural
A 18 ans je suis revenue au naturel

Beaucoup d'entre nous ont changé leur apparence à cause des pressions exercées par leur environnement. J'ai compris qu'il est important d'être qui on veut être
Ma décision de revenir au naturel n'avait a priori rien à voir avec des considérations philisophiques ou politiques. Je souhaitais juste me simplifier la vie, mais en prenant une telle décision, j'ai pris conscience que c'est un combat quotidien pour lutter contre les préjugés et j'ai embrassé ce combat!

Nous devons tous dépasser ces stéréotypes... Lequel d'entre nous n'a jamais entendu parler de "bons" et de "mauvais" cheveux
Good hair means curls and waves Bad hair means you look like a slave
Les bons cheveux sont bouclés ou ondulés, les mauvais signifient que tu as les attributs d'un esclave

En ce qui me concerne j'aime mes cheveux au naturel et ils n'ont jamais été aussi beaux!!!

Jetez un oeil au clip d'india & soyez naturels!!! :)

2009-03-02T20:09:00.000+01:00

Kyara needs to go back to her roots...

The reason why I decided to begin this blog is because I feel that it's an occasion to go back to the real me... You know, sometimes when you are in the day to day life, you forget a little bit that it's good to dream, to love and most of all to live!

That's why I wanna talk and share opinions with you about things as serious as politics, environment and education but also as frivolous as hair, fashion and make up.

This year I'm turning 25 and that scares me!! (ok I'm over reacting)

To tell you the whole story, the other day, I was wondering:

what have I done, what will I do, what do I want to do?

And I think it's time to take some new resolutions.

So this is what I decided:
1st: TRANSITIONING I wanna go from relaxed to natural hair because I love my nappy hair! ;)
2nd: WORKOUT go to the gym at least twice a week (maybe the hardest)
3rd: CHOOSE THE GOOD GUY I always tend to choose the bad guy, the one who will lie to you, the one who will make you forget all his mistakes with a smile...

These are my 3 first resolutions but there are more to come (I still have 2 month to think about it 'til my birthday). I'll update you about the new Kyara, so stay tuned!!

K.

**************************************************************

Kyara veut faire un retour aux sources...

La raison pour laquelle j'ai décidé de commencer ce blog résidait dans le sentiment que c'était l'occasion de revenir aux sources... Vous savez, parfois, dans la vie de tous les jours, on oublie un peu qu'il est important de rêver, d'aimer et, par dessus tout, de vivre!!!

C'est pour cela que je veux parler et partager des opinions avec vous sur des choses aussi sérieuses que la politique, l'environnement et l'éducation mais aussi futiles que la coiffure, la mode et le maquillage.

Cette année, j'aurai 25 ans et je dois avouer que ça me fait un peu peur!! (ok, j'exagère un peu)
Pour tout vous dire, il y a quelques jours, je me demandais:

Qu'est que j'AI réalisé, qu'est que je VAIS réaliser, qu'est que j'AI ENVIE de faire?

Et je pense qu'il est temps de prendre quelques résolutions...

Alors voici ce que j'ai décidé:
1: TRANSITIONING Couper tous ces cheveux défrisés et revenir à ma texture naturelle, tout simplement parce que j'ai mes cheveux crépus! ;)
2: FAIRE DU SPORT aller à la salle au moins deux fois par semaine (peut-être la plus difficile à tenir)
3: CHOISIR LA BONNE PERSONNE J'ai toujours tendance à choisir le mauvais garçon, celui qui vous mentira, celui qui vous fera oublier toutes ses erreurs rien qu'avec un sourire...

Ce sont mes trois premières résolutions mais d'autres suivront (j'ai encore deux mois pour y penser avant mon anniversaire). Je vous donnerai régulièrement des news sur la nouvelle Kyara alors restez en ligne!! ;)

K.