Sunny's TV: Episode 2 Styling Lord & Cliff Seven Pieces Extensions with Metowi

Ladies, Change Up Your Look For the Holidays

Rolling out Magazine just profiled Sunny's Hair and Wigs on their article on how to switch up your look for the Holidays with a wig. We have some wonderful lace wigs in stock just in time for the holidays!


To read the article in it's entirety click below
Ladies, Change Up Your Look For the Holidays


Some Tips from our resident Hairnista Africa Miranda:

1. Longer wigs should be pinned up before driving a car to avoid tangles and that worn look in the back..

2. To take some of the shine out of new synthetic wigs, dust with a small amount of cornstarch.

3. After being around cigarette smoke or other strong odors, spray wig with Febreeze and allow to air dry.

Beauty Breakthrough! Pop a Pill to Change your Hair Texture?

Sick of straightening your curly tresses? Imagine popping a pill for straight hair!

Dream on you say!

Well the London Daily Mail is reporting that researchers in Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia have discovered a curly hair gene that could eventually lead to a pill that would change the texture of your hair over time.

Lo and behold... instead of flat ironing and curling your hair to change the texture you would focus on manipulating the follicle.

Hmmm... this begs the question:

Trend Alert: Ombre Hair

Hmmm...thoughts on this? This is a trend we ignored a while ago when our resident Hairnista posted about it. But then this morning.... on our fave fashion blog: WhoWhatWear.com we saw their beauty report on Ombre hair and thus have declared it a trend alert.

You might ask...what exactly is Ombre hair? The best description I've read is "hella long roots." Aptly put only as someone from the Bay Area could.

We're unsure if if Ombre hair is a look you can achieve overnight. Rather it is a gradual embrace of selecting a bold color and letting your roots grow in.

But...a simple solution! Hair Extensions of course. Sunny's sells a wide range of hair extensions that are already ombre aka, tri tones of hair. Our fave brands are Zury and Sensationnel for their range of ombre tones.

Stop into your local Sunny's for help on how to achieve this latest beauty trend.

Introducing.... our new Color Ring Loan Program!!!

Simple as 1,2,3

1. Purchase a color ring for the product line you want to buy.

2. Match the color ring to your desired hair color in the comfort of your own home

3. Place the color ring in the pre-paid return envelope within 10 days and receive a refund.

Looks we Love: Sister Edition

We love the Simmons Sisters Double Cover for this month issue Of Honey Magazine.

In the interview they discuss their love of extensions while still embracing their own hair:

Vanessa: I just took out all my extensions and [certain sites] are like, “Oh, we don’t believe it” but it’s all my hair.

Angela: At the end of the day, we got hair under these weaves.

Sunny's TV: Premiere Episode Interview with Derek J at our Fall Into a New You event

In our first episode our resident Hairnista: Africa interviews Derek J at the Sunny's Hair & Wigs Fall into a New You Fall Shopping Event.

OMG!!! Nine

We absolutely can't wait for this movie to come out. Tousled hair and Sophia Lauren need we say more. Nothing says holiday like visual maximalism courtesy of Rob Marshall.

The movie about an Italian Film Director features Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Fergie, Judi Dench and the beautiful Marion Cotillard.

But to me the real star of the film is the music and the hair. The big tousled, Italian movie star hair prominently featured throughout the film.

We can't wait to see it!

Holiday Party Ready Hair

Holiday Party season is in full swing!

Take a cue from your favorite celebrities. Elle.com features a great photo gallery this month on celebrity inspired Holiday hair styles.

To recreate these looks here some tips:

Ciara: Go bold with a long ponytail piece. With the help of 7 pcs extensions in 18" clip in all the small pieces towards the center of your head and slick into a sleek ponytail. Use Tancho Stick or any pomade to secure your hair along the perimeter. Tip: Clip in some pieces towards the nape of your neck upside down so that they slick into a ponytail easier.

Sienna: Channel your inner 40's screen goddess by clipping in 14" Hair Extensions or the Lord & Cliff One Piece. Create gentle waves with a 2" curling iron. To achieve Sienna's gorgeous color opt for colors such as 16/22 or 140/22

Beyonce: Opt for ease and experiment with a Full Lace Wig with Natural Curls. Color such as 6/16/24 will deliver Beyonce's trademark golden locks without damaging your own tresses.

Kate: Nothing grabs attention at a holiday party then giving off the illusion you cut your tresses into a graduated tousled bob. Recreate the look by loosely pinning waves at the nape of your neck and allowing some waves to naturally fall forward.

Images courtesy of Elle.com

Sunny's Hair & Wigs in India: Going Direct to the Source for the best Indian Hair

This past October, Dafina Memberr of Sunny's Hair & Wigs traveled to India. On a beauty mission we interviewed her on her experience sourcing Indian hair for Sunny's Hair & Wigs

Q. What prompted you to travel to India?

A. Sunny's has been purchasing Indian hair for over 8 years and we have a great relationship with our vendors in India and we felt that it was time to solidify our understanding of the process of collecting and wefting the hair. India's also an amazing country with a dense and rich history so it was good to be able to travel for business and for fun.

Q. What part of India did you travel to?

A. I traveled throughout India. We started in Mumbai and then I traveled bymyself to a very very remote part of India to visit the factory. It required two additional plane trips once I was in Mumbai and then a two hour car drive.

Q. What were your most lasting impressions of India?

A. India was just a very calming place to visit. Although I expected to be overwhelmed by the amount of people and the density in which they live it wasn't. What was more incredible to me is how deep the roots of the religion and culture are. We visited caves that had carvings from the year 400 A.D. depicting various gods in Hindu culture that are still relevant now. That was incredible especially coming from a country that is so new relatively.

Q. With all the recent attention focused on Good Hair do you think the film accurately depicts the hair industry?

A. It's weird because Good Hair hits so close to home as a film because I grew up working in the family business and it does show how much of our lives our hair can consume, especially as black women. But, as always when there is a comedic angle to films certain things can be embellished or exaggerated for effect. I didn't love the part about the girl getting her hair cut off in the movie theater. Most Indians I spoke to don't know anything about a black market trade




Q. What surprised you the most about your trip?

A. The factory employs over 1500 women. It was intriguing to see how in such a remote part of India a demand for a rather obscure product has created an employment opportunity for women of all ages. It was so nice to see the groups of women working together of all ages. I remember learning about globalization in school. It's often presented as this awful process but it was nice to see a positive side of globalization. I was pleased to see that manufacturing jobs that are typically male jobs were benefiting women.

Q. How is the hair collected?
There is a temple in Tiraputi, and in fear of completely misrepresenting the history I will say that it's a beautiful story and practice in which people donate their hair to show thanks to the gods of the temple and it's their way of helping the god of that particular temple repay his debts that he took on to have a dowry to give for his wife. But as I said... a lot is lost in my understanding of the story.



Any tips that you learned about beauty from India?

I was astonished at how much effort women put into having beautiful hair. I always assumed it was genetic but women use a lot of Aruyvedic products such as oils with Amla, Shikakai, and Bhringraj oil on their scalp and hair to moisturize and condition their hair before washing. Overall, there isn't a lot of chemical processing and heat styling so women have healthy hair.


Q. So what regimen's would you suggest to women who use Indian hair to continue the maintenance regime?

That's a great question. I recommend to stop using such harsh shampoos. Many women in India do not use shampoos but rather use Neem and Shikakai,powders diluted in a water bottle or fruit vinegars to shampoo their hair. This protects the strands from stripping it of its natural oils. I'd also recommend to not go overboard with heat once you purchase the hair. Hair is hair and it is fragile. So if you use heat make sure you deep condition the hair and especially use a thermal protectant.



Any other general beauty tips?

Oh no...you are opening a Pandora's box. I went to a natural spa called Nirmal Herbal. And by natural everything was fresh and edible. The cucumbers and potatoes they put on my eyes had to be cut within two hours in order to used. The almond scrub was freshly ground almonds. I have never had such a "natural" glow from a spa experience ever.
My tip is to look around you for natural solutions to skin and beauty. I think we tend to discount natural solutions in the US.

Stay tuned to Sunny's Blog for more about Natural Hair Solutions!

Looks we Love: Notes on a Ponytail

Claudia Gerini thank you!

With winter approaching in most of the U.S. we're grappling here at Sunny's with how to protect our tresses from the stress of winter wool, cashmere and harsh heating units on our ends.

Any healthy hair freak knows that exposing your ends during the Winter is a sure-fire way to have to chop off atleast two inches of hair by Spring. So... the ponytail is the go-to style.

But... after a few days of uninspired ponytails...it left us wondering...there has to be more than slicking your hair into a ponytail like an 11 year old.

Well thank Claudia Gerini for your tousled poufy pony that adds a understated elegant twist to our winter ponytail regime.

Images courtesy of Glamour.com

Clip in Bangs! We finally found the perfect product

Yay! Just in time for the holidays!

We have been on the quest for the perfect clip in bangs. We just hadn't found it.

There were some that just weren't realistic looking enough or they were way too expensive.

Well we've found something that meets us in the middle. Jessica Simpson's clip in bangs. The construction is perfect. There's soft layers that blend the bang with you hair and the inverted pyramid style of the clip is truly the missing link all these years.

They come in a gorgeous ranges of colors and tones. And the best part... an amazing price $29.00!

Looks we Love: Kim Kardashian

We know, we know.

We always love Kim K.

But we can't help it. She has fabulous hair.

To recreate her look we use the Lord & Cliff One Piece Extension in color 2 and put in soft waves with a 1 1/2" Curling Iron. We would then use a bump it to secure volume near the crown. BTW... bump it's are randomly so so great! Why didn't someone invent them much sooner?

So...there you have it...Kim K. We can't wait to see Keeping up with the Kardashians this Sunday!!!

Sunny's Hair 2009: A Reflective Poll: Best New Product

Looks we Love: Sade

Get out the 26" of Natural Wave Indian Hair! Who else inspired long wavy hair other than the one... the only... Sade!


We are waiting with baited breath for her latest studio album which is set for release on February 8, 2010. Just in time for a sultry Valentine's Day Evening.


Images courtesy of sadeusa.com

Working with Textured Ponytails

With the holidays approaching a great way to mix it up is to use a textured ponytail piece.

We have to great and affordable lines that feature natural looking textured ponytails: Forever Young and Sensational.


Forever Young has two products that we love: Kookie Curls and Cozy

Sensationnel has the Instant Pony 006.

We love that these three ponytails mimic natural African American Hair. To work with these pieces it's best to mess them up A LOT! Don't be afraid to take your brush and work through them to release the uniform curl pattern.

Styling Tips:

1. Don't just plop the ponytail onto you slicked down hair suddenly. It always gives away that you are wearing a ponytail.

2. Consider embracing your natural texture and creating volume in the front with a pump ponytail or pin curling your two strand twists in to a bang at front.

3. Recreate a faux hawk with the help of a textured ponytail. Slick your hair down only on the sides and then add volume in the center of your hair with a strategically placed textured ponytail in the middle.


These products can be found at Sunny's Hair & Wigs Retail locations in Mesa, Goodyear, Scottsdale, Minneapolis and Atlanta. The Forever Young Ponytails retail at $14.99 and the Sensationnel Ponytail retails for $11.99

Who had the best hair in their AMA Performance?

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In Stock Lacefront and Full Lace Wigs: Atlanta

People are always calling asking us to describe the instock lace wigs that we have in stock. We thought...why not post our stock wigs on our blog and you can see for yourself.

This slideshow was put together by Nikia and Cierra our Sales Specialist who are available Monday - Saturday to discuss lace wigs and help you select the best lacefront wig for your needs.

We carry Legends Full Lace Wigs that are all hand-tied and made with Swiss Lace with 100% Remy Indian Hair.

We also carry Bohyme and Estetica Lacefront Wigs that are hand tied and adjustable at the back.

We also have a great selection of lace closure and frontals made with 100% Virgin Indian Hair Natural Wave that retail at $125 and up.


This slide show is current as of November 21, 2009

Please Don't: A little wig ettiquette is in order

Really...really? We're a little disappointed at breaking the cardinal rule! You don't snatch a women's wig off ever!

Ever! Especially when she beat you fair and square in a pageant.

Sunny's Hair 2009: A Reflective Poll: Best Breakout Style of 2009

Sunny's Hair 2009: A Reflective Poll: Best Video Look of 2009

Sunny's Hair 2009: A Reflective Poll: Best Red Carpet Look of 2009

As we prepare our reflective of 2009, we wanted our Sunny's Girl feedback about categories.

Trend Alert: Toussled Wave on Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

We love the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. While the outfits are not neccessarily something to recreate off the runway the hair certainly is.

We noticed a great trend on the runways loose deconstructed waves. It is a soft touchable look that can be recreated with Clip In Extensions. A little known secret is that Lord & Cliff Clip In Extensions have a soft natural wave to them when you wash them.

If you want more defined waves then use a 1" barrel curling iron to create accidental loose curls and then run your fingers through them to create that I just rose from the pages of a Victoria's Secret Catalog.

Images courtesy of Instyle.com

Dating & Hair Extensions: When do you reveal

An recent post on Hairnistachronicles.com brought up a great point...dating and hair.

We at Sunny's are specifically curious about dating and hair extensions.

We are just curious... when is the best time to bring up that you wear hair extensions or is it something that isn't even necessary to discuss.

Bad Rep Barbie

We just got a new wig line in by Forever Young that feature some wigs that totally remind us of the new limited release "Ladies of the 80's" Barbie. This is the Joan Jett Barbie, who we love!


The wigs are in stores now just in time to purchase them to go see the new Joan Jett Biopic played by Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame.


Images courtesy of Latimes.com

Sunny's Girls in the Media

In case you missed it... Sunny's Girls filmed a segment on the latest in wigs & hair extensions on Fox Atlanta news this morning.

Rumor Has It... Serena is in High Demand

The New York Times has "time capsule" piece on the increased requests for "Gossip Girl" hair specifically Blake Lively.

With over 713,000 results for the search for Blake Lively hair... her toussled and effortless hair is making a cultural impact a la "The Rachel" of the 90's.

The NY Times reports:

For those who haven’t won the genetic lottery, Mr. John Barrett adds removable extensions of human hair similar to a fall ($1,200 to $1,500 per piece) and recommends a litany of treatments to maintain Ms. Lively’s look. Not including the extensions, just the cut, which costs around $500 at his salon, conditioning treatments and heat styling tally up to around $1,200 a month.

A small price to pay, some would say, to look like a star.


At Sunny's we have a much more affordable and realistic suggestions. 18" Lord & Cliff Clip In Extensions in 7 pcs. We the hair and spray with David Babaii Bohemian Beach Mist and scrunch the natural wave pattern in the clip in extensions and diffuse with a blow dryer on a low setting.

For more defined waves you could set the hair with the Beach Mist and braid in large sections and allow to air dry. Once the hair is completely dry while still in the braid wrap the bottom three inches along a 1" curling iron barrel.

To achieve Blake's stunning golden blonde tones try colors such as 6/16/12/613, 10/16/24, and 18/24

Click to read article in its entirety

Images courtesy of Nyt.com

Looks we Love: Carrie Underwood

Carrie's Album debuts today!

This country music diva always manages to achieve just the perfect tone of blonde.

To recreate Carrie's effortless style:

• Use the Lord & Cliff 7 pcs Extensions in 14" in Color 16/22
• Place 5 of the 7 Pieces in beginning at the nape of the neck and working about two inches from the crown
  
• Use a light thermal protectant to protect the hair such as Chi Hot Sauce
• Use a 3/4 inch flat iron to create a soft wave by wrapping the hair the outside of the iron
• Allow the hair to cool and brush out the waves

We can't wait to hear Carrie's new album.

Looks we Love: Toni Braxton ... So Yesterday

OMG!!!!

We love it Toni! We love it!

Radiant at our Atlanta location just made a custom wig for a celebrity Sunny's Girl... so we were thrilled to see Toni Braxton rocking a similar style on her latest video for So Yesterday.

If you are looking for your own custom wig come to Sunny's to discuss your options!

Plus we love how her set is an ode to Hollywood Regency style that inspired our Sunny's Cash Wrap.

Images courtesy of Bossip.com

Looks we Love: Naomi Campbell by Michael Kors

Francois Nars the legendary makeup artist and founder of NARS Cosmetics, releases his book of celebrity portraits to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of his cosmetics company.

While Naomi is such an a amazing palatte if you wanted to recreate her look this is the Sunny's Girl recommendations:

1. Purchase Bohyme Egyptian Wave in 14" and 18" in Color # 2

2. Have your stylist sew in a full head of extensions and razor in blunt bangs and soft face framing layers. The 14" package of Bohyme Egyptian Wave should be used on top to create natural layers and the 18" should be used at the nape of the neck to create the length.

3. Wash hair with Ever Pure by Loreal and then allow the hair to dry with a diffuser to control the soft natural wave of the hair.

4. Line your eyes with a soft kohl eyeliner in a dark brown shade and add plum and neutral eye shadows in the crease of lid. Finish off the eye with black mascara:  a personal staff fave is Dior Show Blackout in Black 099

5. Dust the cheeks with Taj Mahal by NARS to deliver a soft accent to your cheekbones.

6. Channel your innermost diva!


Images courtesy of Elle.com

Looks we Love: Melanie Fiona

The song It Kills Me by Melanie Fiona was playing in our store the other day and we liked what we heard so much that we decided to look her up online. She is a look we love!!!

We're sure we've stumbled upon someone to look out for.

To recreate Melanie's long feminine locks we recommend Natural Wave Indian Hair in 22". We'd blow dry the hair until is 90% dry and then spray a lightweight hairspray on 1" sections of the hair and wrap it on the outside of the barrel of a 1 1/2" curling iron. Allow the curls to cool and then brush out with a wide paddle brush to diffuse movement into the hair style.

Runway to Realway? Blade Runner Inspired Bangs

We're definitely a fan of the heavy bang but Louise Goldin debuted her entire Fall 2009 line featuring models with Blade Runner inspired heavy bangs.

We're not cosigning this as a look we love. But maybe it's runway to reality interpretation will be a look we love.

Your Thoughts?

Looks we Love: The Obama Family

Looks we Love: Kim Kardashian, LaLa and Ciara

The ultimate Sunny's Girl celebrated her birthday this past weekend in Las Vegas. What a stylish set of friend's she has.

To achieve LaLa and Ciara's look we'd recommend 10 ounces of Indian Hair Natural Wave in 22". To recreate their long big-barreled curls we'd blow out the Indian Hair and then using a lightweight hairspray such as AirControl by Aveda we'd use a 1" curling iron to create spiral curls and then set with pins to cool into the curls.

To recreate Kim Kardashian's ode to Sasha Fierce we'd use the ever so easy Lord & Cliff One Piece Clip In Extensions and clip it in towards the nape of the neck and crown area and secure that into a high ponytail. We'd tease the crown area to recreate the voluminous pump ponytail look.

Images courtesy of kimkardashian.com

Clip in Extensions with Derek J

We love our Derek J. He's the Ultimate. So we were thrilled to showcase one of our favorite products. The Lord & Cliff One Piece. Lord & Cliff is by far the best brand of clip in extensions sold on the market. The price does not convey the quality and ease of use.

Derek J is also a huge fan of the versatility that clip in extensions offer.

What's your Halloween look this year?

How is it already Halloween? There's nothing like Halloween to put your finger on the pulse of pop culture. This year we can't quite predict what type of Halloween costumes people will be gravitating towards. While Amy Winehouse and Posh Spice are so two years ago, is everyone really going to be Kate Gosselin or Lady Gaga?

Looks we Love: Penelope Cruz

We couldn't help but having our breath taken away by the November issue of Vanity Fair layout of Penelope Cruz.

We love her confidence. To achieve her look we'd recommend a great wig such as Star by Henry Margu or Cleo by Bobbi Boss to recreate the blunt bang and long bob look that allows her to channel her inner Sophia Lauren.

Images courtesy of Vanityfair.com

what's your bedtime reggie?

Question for J from Chandra:Hello Jenteel,Thank you thank you thank you for your blog I must say first and foremost. I really can't thank you enough for all of the great information and inspiration. I am a singer songwriter currently living in Germany but from Florida. I have struggled with my hair and decisions as regards what to do with it nearly my entire life. After relaxing as an early

Now and Then: Shontae

Shontae was one of 5 winners in our recent "Now and Then" giveaway."Becoming natural has been the catalyst to my appreciating more features and aspects unique to me and the black community." ~ShontaeI am originally from New Orleans, but I currently live in Richmond, VA...by way of Hurricane Katrina. I'm a single mom to my 8-year-old son and an engineer, who designs plumbing systems for a local A

How do you do black girl bangs?

I love bangs. Back in my straight-hair days, bangs were my trademark. I was all about the sheeny (though ever-thinning) side-swoop. It was deep to me. Deep enough that I co-signed on this black and white, looking-off-into-the-distance shot taken of me in college, featuring my sheeny bangs.But these days, making "bangs" mainly consists of me laying my hand down flat at the front of my head and

Monday Style Icon: Nia from Baltimore

Where are you from and what do you do?N: I'm from Baltimore...and I'm in transition. I'll be a college student (somewhere, God willing) in the spring. But right now I work in a high school as a Project Intern for the Youth Development Unit.When did you go natural? Why?N: I'm natural by default. =) I had a relaxer once when I was like seven. And it took my hair out....never again.My mom is natural

Rachel's Review: Ahuacatl = Aguacate = Avocado

Also known as the “Butter Pear” or “Alligator Pear”, beloved readers, this rather homely fruit yields a rather attractive surprise: an oil that can enrich, health and nourish your scalp. It’s also one of three oils that actually penetrate the hair strand!A healthy scalp is ultimately responsible for healthy hair (and a healthy body before that, but that, is another post, beloved readers). This is

Help me pick a winner for the 'Now and Then' giveaway! UPDATE: We have 5 winners!

More than 25 ladies entered, and now I have to pick 5 to receive a copy of Chris-Tia's book, "Thank God I'm Natural." As you remember, the giveaway was in honor of the book's author, who went from wigged up to natural. In choosing a winner, I'm looking for a. how dramatic the change was and b. and how well the ladies are working the new look.The winners will also receive a style icon

Now and Then giveaway photos, part 2

Part 1 hereKasey Then and NowJennifer Then and NowBusayo Then and NowMonique Then and NowBrenda Then and NowYolanda Then and Now

Now and Then giveaway photos coming in!!! Check it out!!!

We've already gotten some AMAZING photos.In case you're out of the loop, this is from the post below..."Chris-Tia, the recently profiled Harvard lawyer and author just let me know that she is giving away 5 copies of her book "Thank God I'm Natural." So let's turn it into a giveaway!In honor of Chris-Tia, who went from wigged up to natural, I want you to submit photos of your hair BEFORE and AFTER

We interrupt our regularly scheduled program for the "Now and Then" giveaway compliments of Chris-Tia

Chris-Tia, the recently profiled Harvard lawyer and author just let me know that she is giving away 5 copies of her book "Thank God I'm Natural." So let's turn it into a giveaway! In honor of Chris-Tia, who went from wigged up to natural, I want you to submit photos of your hair BEFORE and AFTER you went natural. Submit photos to contro_versial@hotmail.com (put 'Now and Then' in the header.) I

the moisturizing masterbook (courtesy of j!), pt 1

This series was originally posted in February (2/5/09) but as winter approaches, I think we all need to have MOISTURE on our minds. This is me trying to get my moisture on with a pineapple wrap...***2/5/2009so, a few weeks ago, jenteel (our resident hair expert for some months now...) put together a bomb package on our favorite topic; moisturizing!in a prophetic twist, i realized that i needed a

Harvard Law School graduate and author Chris-Tia: I nearly lost my job because of my wig obsession

After accepting a position at one of the top law firms in the nation straight out of Harvard Law School, I felt major pressure to blend in with my white colleagues. I was working long hours and felt like I needed to be a younger version of the ultra beautiful, super smart, and sophisticated Claire Huxtable (from “The Cosby Show”) in order to truly be accepted by my white co-workers. Had I been

Style Icon: GG from Maryland

"The process of transitioning taught me that anything is possible and helped me see many other ideas and misconceptions that had been programmed into my thinking without me realizing it. My hair reminds me of how much I've grown and all the changes I've gone through over the last few years and I love it." ~ GGWhere are you from and what do you do?GG: I currently live in Maryland. By day, I

Looks we Love: Zahara Jolie Pitt

After reading a ridiculous article in the otherwise reputable Newsweek criticizing Angelina Jolie for not keeping her daughter's hair pulled back or in cornrows. Sunny's would like to declare that the look we love most of all is a young girl wearing her natural hair as it is. Free of chemicals and tight styles that cause small traction Alopecia bumps along the hairline. Any look that empowers girls to realize that while hair is the ultimate accessory....it doesn't define you!



Images courtesy of Newsweek.com

Natural hair in the media: Louis Vuitton Spring 2010 show features white models with oversized afros UPDATED

Louis Vuitton models at Paris Fashion WeekMarc Jacobs, the creative director for LV is quoted as saying that the collection was "about travelers—the movement that came after punk. Then we were thinking about hiking, trekking, and then denim and parkas—city utilitarianism." A full story is here. I'll let you guys add your own caption to this one. What do you think?***Excerpt from Newsweek article

I stand corrected: Drugstore conditioners can work on ANY texture

So, on a recent post I made the following very unscientific observation:"I find that the looser the texture, the easier it is to use products that were originally made for white/hispanic/asian/loose or straight textured women. While those of us with coarser textures (including myself) have to be more careful." JC, a chemist who blogs over at The Natural Haven had a different take. Peep it:What

Monday Style Icon: Andrea of Fly (with tutorial)

Andrea maintains Fly, one of the most popular graphic design blogs on the Web which features a daily mashup of fashion, art and design. I'm happy to have her here on BGLH!Where are you from and what do you do?A: I'm originally from Maryland but now call Philadelphia my home. I am a graphic designer, illustrator, and blogger.Some of Andrea's designsYour blog is amazing. Where did you get the idea

Malon: 17 years old and a style icon

Where are you from and what do you do?M: I'm from Los Angeles California. I'm a student. This year I'm a Senior WOOP WOOP! I love writing, photography, art, and fashion. I'm a slam poet. In the future I want to own and distribute my own magazine!You're only 17. Do you realize that you're further along with this 'natural hair thing' than women twice your age?M: Yes I feel like being younger is

Chris Rock's "Good Hair": Your Reactions

So I saw Good Hair on Friday... Unfortunately I was late to the meetup. It was raining in Chicago Friday and you KNOW what that means for traffic!!! I slipped into the theater as the beginning credits were rolling and asked a few women if they were "from BGLH". They looked at my like I was crazy, so at the end of the movie I just stood conspicuously in the theater lobby, hoping that someone would

Sunny's Fall Shopping Event Recap: Atlanta

We want to thank everyone who came out for our Fall Shopping Event.
All of our favorite Sunny's Stylist came out to support our event including Metowi Willingham, Michael Campbell and Wanda Barrett of Lotus Salon and the infamous Derek J.

Our favorite customers came out in droves to take advantage our rare sale on Indian hair and receive our fabulous swag bags!

Thanks to Lavish by C. Davis, Nikia Yancey and Metowi Willingham for participating in our beauty event.

Preview of monday style icon: Andrea from Philly

Andrea maintains Fly, one of the most popular graphic design blogs on the web. Check our her full profile Monday.

Wednesday Style Icon? Yes!

Our style icon series has really taken off! More and more women from all around the country and world are emailing in with their photos and thoughts on natural hair.I have been really honored to profile some AMAZING women on this site, and because of the increased influx I will add Wednesday as I day that I profile icons. Not all Wednesdays, but many.Our upcoming Wednesday icon is G.G.In the very

Rachel's Review: Oils that penetrate hair

Beloved readers, if you’ve followed me for a bit, you know I am very for adding oils to deep conditioners. Oils, by themselves (on clean hair) can be used as a deep conditioner (the infamous “hot oil treatment” comes to mind, but one doesn’t have to heat up the oils from the start if your fear scalp burns). It is best to use coconut, avocado or olive oils for this. Why? They actually penetrate

BGLH Meetups to watch "Good Hair" on Friday

ChicagoICE Theatres Chatham 14, 210 West 87th Street, Chicago, IL 60620, (773)783-8711, 6:20 p.m. showingSt. LouisAMC West Olive Theater 12657 Olive StCreve Coeur, MO 63141Time to be announcedcontact: caramelpisces@sbcglobal.netLos AngelesNational Amusements The Bridge: cinema de lux6081 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 900457:45 p.m. Friday showing. It will cost $2 to park.contact: angelina.ucla@

Interview: New York designer Nilea Alexander

Nilea Alexander is a designer getting major buzz in New York. A graduate of the Parsons School for Design she created her first collection in 2004, runs a vintage booth at the Brooklyn Flea Market called NileA P FleA, and has done freelance design work for Urban Outfitters.She was recently featured as "Girl of the Month" on Urban Outfitters' blog and just finished her newest collection,

Huffington Post writer Lola Jaye explains why she thinks relaxing isn't that big a deal... Weigh in!

I was notified about this Huffington Post article by a BGLH reader who wished to remain anonymous. She was bothered by the author's conclusions, which downplayed any negative psychology behind black women's decisions to relax and denied any significance to Michelle Obama's choice of hairstyle. I was able to get in contact with the article's author, UK based novelist Lola Jaye. She was willing to

When you email I DO listen... New York designer Nilea Alexander and Huffington Post write Lola Jaye will be on BGLH.

A few weeks ago, BGLH reader Jemitra suggested that we contact Nilea Alexander, a young black designer who is making a big impression on the New York fashion scene... Nilea's work has been carried by Urban Outfitters and featured in the NY Daily News.Well I contacted Nilea, who is natural, and she liked the idea of being profiled. So she'll be here on BGLH Wednesday (in advance of a flea market

Workout Hair: How to Manage your Hair During Exercise

Many of us avoid working out because we don't want to deal with our hair or we just don't know how to. It's sometimes a lot of work but with everything there's always a solution.
The obvious options to managing hair are: wearing hair in a ponytail, wearing headbands to control flyaways or bangs, putting hair in a braid and/or wearing a hat or visor.

While these options are great lets really look into them as well as ways we can manage our hair after we've worked out.
1.Block excess sweat. Although perspiration is a good thing while working out, the natural salt from perspiration can dry out delicate roots near the scalp. If sweat is a problem, consider wearing a wide cotton headband that will absorb the sweat from your forehead before it makes contact with your scalp or bangs.

2.Avoid wearing a baseball hat or similar type of headgear. Caps may actually block the sweat glands, which can leave hair drying sweat spots along your hairline. Even worse, many caps will provide you with an instant smashed look that might be challenging to erase after your workout is over.

3.If swimming is part of your regime, apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair before you dive in. Wear a cap when possible. Wetting your hair with water completely before, and right after, will help prevent excessive chlorine damage.

4.When pulling hair hair in a ponytail or a braid, make sure you're doing it loose enough so that your hair can breathe. This will also prevent your hair from breaking.

5.Although steamy showers seem tempting after a grueling workout, avoid hot water shampoos that can dehydrate your stands.Lukewarm water is always best for shampooing your hair under any circumstances. Indulging in steam baths, saunas or Jacuzzis can also dry out your strands. Always apply a dab of leave-in conditioner to your stands or wrap a towel around your strands to further block hair damaging heat.

Bed Head:How to Protect your Hair while you Sleep

Have you been waking up to rough, knotty hair or finding your hair on your pillow? When we toss and turn, dragging or rubbing our heads and hair across the fabric of our pillows we can snag the cuticle layer of the hair against the fibers on the pillow. This rubbing results in roughing up the surface of the hair shaft and leads to the tangles and knots.

Here are some tips to keep your hair healthy even while you sleep:
-Sleep with hair in a braid especially if you have long hair or wrap your hair
-Use a silk or satin pillowcase to sleep on
-Use a satin or silk night cap or scarf to tie down hair
-For curly hair, roll your curls and use bobby pins to secure then, this will avoid marking and will cut out the discomfort if you were using rollers

Monday Style Icon (with tutorial): Kim

BGLH: Where are you from and what do you do?K: I'm from Chicago. I'm a self-employed graphics consultant. I do everything from web design, book illustrations, real-time mindmapping, and conceptual design work like developing board games as learning tools for my corporate clients.BGLH: When did you go natural? Why?K: I first went natural 12 years ago. There are too many reasons to list! But

Sunday retrospective... Is New York reppin harder for natural hair??

So BGLH reader Kelly left this comment on the profile of our most recent style icon, Sharri from Harlem: "Great style icon ! and also I notice that a lot of the featured naturals on this blog are from New York... or just NOT west coast at that. I'm in Riverside, California and I'm thinkin are we too caught up in the LA, Hollywood look over here? I know I chickened out and postponed my plan to

Video: Chris Rock talks "Good Hair" on Oprah

Chris Rock was on Oprah talking about his upcoming film. I know this video is only a snippet, did anybody watch the whole show? What did you think.

Why do we get emotional when we talk about hair products?

So Rachel, our amazing guest product reviewer, just wrapped up a series on her top 15 drugstore conditioners. Afterwards I asked BGLH readers to weigh in on what they felt about the products that made it to Rachel's top 15. Yeh, we all have different textures and our hair responds to different things but it's always helpful, in my opinion, to discuss and compare notes. Sooo for some reason

Tutorial: One banana clip, two styles...

Kimmay is an amazing YouTuber with really inventive styles. She stopped by BGLH to share her looks using a banana clip. Check back Monday for her full style icon profile.FroHawk- I came up with this style after seeing countless of videos on Youtube about creating a frohawk with hairpins or bobby pins. I thought using 7" banana clip would be an easier way to achieve the same look!High Puff - I

Rachel: Why I don't avoid mineral oil, sulfates or silicones

Rachel, our guest reviewer, waxes poetic on products every Friday.For more from her check out her blog http://littlegoldenlamb. wordpress.com/_ _ _Beloved readers, if you read my blog for any long period of time or glance at the brands I've reviewed it will quickly become clear that I do not shy away from parabens, mineral oil, sodium laurel sulfate (SLS), ammonium laurel sulfate (ALS) or

BGLH remix: accessories!

We've profiled some great accessories on BGLH...What are your must-have, go-to accessories? How do they work for your hair?And if you have accessory photos you want to share, email them to contro_versial@hotmail.com!

shedding: how much is too much?

Question for J from Jae:Hi J,I've noticed that a lot of hair has been coming out when I detangle my hair. I'm just not sure if I should be losing that much, maybe I'm a little paranoid. But if it is breaking, I really want to handle it before it goes haywire. Sometimes even when I slightly manipulate it, I'll see some falling out.Some hair background: I wash my hair twice a week, deep

Monday Style Icon: Sharri (one of our most phenomenal to date!)

"I love rocking my 'fro. The bigger, the better." ~SharriWhere are you from and what do you do?S: I'm from New York, currently living in Harlem. I work in retail for the Jean Shop.When did you go natural? Why? S: The first time I went natural was back in 2005. The Big Chop had become my only option after months of having my hair sauteed in fire cream and permanent hair color. One day I was

BGLH Chicago meetup to watch Chris Rock's "Good Hair"

We will be gathering on October 9 to watch "Good Hair", a documentary film by Chris Rock examining black women's relationship with their hair.If you would like to join us here in Chicago, please email contro_versial@hotmail.comIf you are interested in hosting a screening in your own city, please email contro_versial@hotmail.com and we will post your name and contact information on BGLH.

Sunday retrospective: Natural hair and social change

"I really believe that natural hair acceptance can be the catalyst to propel our people to new heights. Sounds far fetched, but I believe that if we can learn to love ourselves in our natural state and see the beauty within us, we can start to see the beauty in each other. I believe that once this is accomplished we will have more pride in ourselves, our culture and our communities. Perhaps then

Did YOUR favorite product make it on the top 15 list?

Rachel has just finished her list of the top 15 drugstore conditioners:15. Dove Frizz Control Therapy Conditioner with Repairing Serum14. Dove Intense Damage Therapy Conditioner for Accumulated Damage13. L'Oreal Smooth Intense Conditioner for Thick Hair12. L’Oreal Vive Pro Hydra Gloss Moisturizing Conditioner11. Herbal Essences Break’s Over Strengthening Conditioner10. Herbal Essences Long Term

Rachel's Review: Top 15 Drugstore Conditioners Continued: THE TOP THREE!!

Beloved readers, we've come to the end of the list! I hope you're as excited as I am! If you didn't see your favorite line in my list, don't worry. Knowing me and my wandering ways, I'll try it at some point. ^_~Without further ado, here they are:3. JASON SEA KELP MOISTURIZING CONDITIONEREgads! All caps in the title? I definitely <3 this. I also really, really, really like scones. In keeping with

Natural bride: Tafakari

"The style is a bantu knot-out that kept very well throughout the intense Florida humidity. The bantu knots themselves were done earlier in the week (Tuesday) for my Saturday wedding, so it was incredibly easy for my bridal party to help take them down. Instantly styled hair! My wedding day was on August 29, 2009 and the day was a blast; the weather cooperated and provided us with postcard

Sunny's Girls are the Ultimate Go-Getters: Go Getters Book Lauch Event Atlanta

Debra Shingley, author and ultimate Sunny's Girl hosted the launch of her new book, The Go Getters Girl's Guide.

From left to right Nikia in Natural Wave Indian Hair 18", Dafina in Natural Wave Indian Hair 20", Author Debra Shigley, Africa in Bohyme Brazilian Wave 14" 1

Amazon describes Debra's book as the manual for every girl who desires to be the girl who knows how to get the job and lifestyle she's always dreamed of but who always looks good doing it.

Filled with insightful interviews with hundreds of successful, stylish young women--including award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien, Spanx founder Sara Blakely, and bestselling novelist Emily Giffin--The Go-Getter Girl’s Guide provides a no-excuses, big-picture way of thinking about your life and career.

So please support one of our talented Sunny's Girl and pick up a copy of her fabulous book.