I never understood how loyal a man was to his barber until my boyfriend and I moved to Seattle. One of the first things on his list of priorities was to find a barbershop to keep him looking clean. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack, but we managed to find a cool place and I wanted to share with everyone... help make the transition a bit easier and keep those hair lines in tact. Consider this a stepping stone towards finding a barbershop, and not necessarily the end all be all of Seattle barbershops.
Details
- Haircuts are $25
- Johnny (the owner) and the Samoan dude (can't recall his name) are his go-to barbers
- Call ahead of time and schedule an appointment
- They don't cut fast, so be sure to set aside about 90 mins for your cut.
- Johnny (the owner) is from New York
I was getting ready to write an eloquent post about period panties lol.. but then low and behold, Beyonce... Ms Queen Bey herself took out her signature weave and flood the internet streets with the debut of her new, short 'do.
It's funny because I feel like so many celebs are known for their constant hair changes, so in theory it shouldn't be that big of a deal... but I haven't been living under a rock, so I get it - - Beyonce is a big deal and we care about what she does to her hair.
So, my thoughts? I think it's cool to see her experimenting with her look. I'm VERY interested in seeing all of the blog posts that will appear tomorrow morning. I'm sure anyone that cares about hair is in the midst of prepping a post on this topic lol. I wonder if Beyonce's new hair will break Twitter tomorrow? lol..
Inside every woman is a little girl yearning to wear a bow. It transports you back in time to your childhood when you didn't have bills and were only responsible for keeping your shoes tied and having fun. Oh, those were the days...
"Red Red Wine"
I'd been trying to get my hands on some of the amazing bows "Around The Way Curls" create, but they're almost always sold out - - great for them, not so much for us! When they recently restocked their online store I used my go-go gadget online shopping speed to load up my cart and buy the ones I wanted.
Today I'm rocking the "Red Red Wine" design which has to be my favorite! It's a pretty hot accessory and great way to breathe some life into my twist-out.
Sidenote: The bows come with a clip (think Gabby Douglas gymnastics style clip... not the old school bow clip). I was surprised at this, but actually prefer it as my hair hasn't gotten tangled. You can also easily take the clip out and incorporate the bows into your other fashion choices.
The bows cost $10 and are available here. The price point isn't TOO bad considering you're probably not going to buy every design, but if these weren't handmade I'd imagine paying $5 or so. I bought 3 designs in total: Red Red Wine, Flashing Lights, and Vodoo and think it was a solid investment. I wanted to find a unique way to highlight my curls, and their bows are so colorful... they truly make me happy and stand out. It's also pretty cool to support a small business... not to mention a black owned female business!! The BFF designers Shanti & Antoinette are also bloggers, so be sure to check out their site: Around the Way Curls. I have a soft spot for bloggers lol.
A few months back I was at my local hangout (The Scout) and saw a lady with gorgeous Senegalese Twists. I didn't want to seem like a stalker, but I had to pick her brain to find out who had done her hair. After a short conversation she gave me the name of her braider/twister... fast forward 24 hours later and I had an appointment booked for that weekend.
I initially wanted the twists in preparation for my 8-day vacation to Playa del Carmen. Fun in the sun seemed even sweeter without the hassle of doing my hair. However, I ended up getting my scuba certification before the trip and after weeks of training and multiple pool and quarry dives, my hair had been ravaged. So, I only had my Senegalese Twists for a handful of weeks, but while I had them it was pretty cool.
For anyone in Chicago looking to find a super professional braider/twister, I'm more than excited to refer you to Nana! She does hair out of her home in South Shore, has wifi, and is super friendly. I'm often wary of going to someone's home to get my hair done, but her house was very clean, and she has a room solely for braiding. It took about 8 hours to do my long Senegalese Twists, costs $250 (she provided the hair), and was all-in-all a nice experience.
I didn't have a sore scalp and thought the quality of the Senegalese Twists was on point. Nana did cut each twist one-by-one to clean up the stray edges, and followed up with the use of the lighter on the top to finish it off. You could always choose to have her ditch the lighter if this could be a problem for you. When I took my twist out I didn't notice any damage that could've come from this process.Oh, and I might opt for the medium length twists ($200) the next time around. I liked having long ones, but the summer was hot/humid and I didn't like having the long hair after a while.
If you'd like to get your hair braided/twisted and live in the Chicago area, please give Nana a call @ 773-363-0711. Tell her that Ishea sent you!
Who: Nana - 773.363.0711 Where: South Shore (Chicago) What: Braids & Twists Costs: Varies - $250 Long Senegalese Twists, $200 Medium Senegalese Twists
Last year I wrote numerous posts raving about my experience getting the Brazilian Blowout on my natural, African American hair. It had been well over a year since my last treatment, mainly due to military life and all the moving, but I finally received my third treatment over the weekend.
The search to find a salon carrying the official Brazilian Blowout line was rather difficult, so when a girlfriend referred me to stylist Danyel Nicole I was in heaven. Danyel works at Lakshmi Hair Salon, a neighborhood spot nestled in East Pilsen.
My main motivation for seeking out Danyel Nicole was 1) She used the official Brazilian Blowout product line and 2) She's familiar with black hair care, as a number of her clients are natural and 3) I was referred to her by a friend whose hair judgment I trust.
The actual Brazilian Blowout? I loved my results - - as I expected. Again, this was my third time getting the treatment done, and all three times have been using the original Brazilian Blowout formula - - NOT the "Zero" line they just released.. but the Original with the "trace amounts of formaldehyde". I wanted to stick with what I knew had already worked well for me. The only difference I noticed this time around were a few fumes, which I NEVER experienced with the lovely Kim @ Apricot Lounge Salon in Scottsdale, AZ. I had read some reviews where people complained about fumes, but my prior two times that never happened to me. This time I did sense a few, but didn't realize what it was until after the fact. It took a while to make the connection lol... Now, the fumes weren't something that overpowered me or really alarmed me, but in the sake of being honest with my readers I DID experience them for the first time, this third time. I believe this was due to Danyel Nicole's technique, or lack thereof if you will.
In comparison to the previous treatments I received, Kim took her time and worked her way through my hair. She wasn't overbooked or working under the gun, and therefore was able to really be neat with her application. On the other hand, I think Danyel Nicole provided me with the same overall amazeballs results, but her technique seemed a bit rushed and not as neat. I want to really phrase that carefully because she didn't have stuff all over the place or things dripping in my eye lol... not at all. She just worked really fast and I think slightly rushing through may have caused some of the fumes. With that said, I would still recommend Danyel as a stylist.
Once the treatment was done she blew my hair out using a technique with all of these round brushes. I had seen it on TV before, but thought it would tangle my hair. Well, it probably would if I was doing it lol... but Danyel worked her way through my hair with those brushes and the body I had was AMAZEBALLS!!! I would seriously go back to her for a regular wash/blowout ANY time. My hair was doing thangs. Yes, THANGS!! I had what Tyra Banks calls wind in the hair... when you walk and create your own wind. It was next level amazing.
If you talk to me in person about the Brazilian Blowout I may border on sounding like an infomercial lol, but the treatment really is that good. Example: Saturday night I ended up going out with friends to dinner, a bar, and then passing out on my girlfriend's couch. Any other time I would have woken up to a shrunken ball of yarn (aka my fro lol) but with the Brazilian Blowout I woke up with smooth, frizz free strands and was once again reminded of how much I love the treatment. Another reason why I love it? I can get my idea of blown out perfection using a round brush, no flat iron! Even my "after" pic below was using round brushes. Salon Fresh!
If you're interested in booking a consultation with Danyel you can reach her via phone (312-404-0853) or email. She's having a $199 Brazilian Blowout special until the end of the year. Tell her I sent you :) No, seriously... tell her I sent you lol... I'm all about that referral life.
Arizona Folks: I still live for Kim Allison and the Apricot Lounge Salon. If you're in the valley, please book an appointment with Kim ASAP as her hands were dipped in the fountains of the Gods at Mt. Olympus lol... she's really that good! Salon #: 480-947-3833
Getting the treatment applied. You can see my hair in its natural state.
Blown out and getting treatment sealed in via flat iron
Finished product!!! Blow out with round brushes...
Any questions? Feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email!
Lately it looks like Kanye West has boycotted hair cuts. He's been looking, well...."rough" would be putting it nicely. My friend wrote a hilarious open letter to Mr. West's hair. The original can be found here (He also has a funny open letter to Sarah Palin and Facebook)
Dear Kanye West’s Hair:
Would you please tell the person with whom you share DNA to taper you down? No samples will be necessary … yet. But we, his fans, want to help in any way possible. We all understand that he’s been through a lot in the last year or so. The album 808s & Heartbreak aside, nothing has said that better than you, his hair.
For the last six months, I’m pretty sure you’ve been screaming at him for the shears the way a dusty car would be yelping at its owner for a wash. To no avail. The problem is that Kanyeezy thinks he can do no wrong. He earnestly believes he “could stand there in a Speedo, and be looked at like a (bleeping) hero.” Those are his words, not mine. And that’s some serious false hope.
I wish that Icould tell him that you, his hair, look as bad as a baby with diarrhea smells. If he literally wants to be “the (poop) and the urine,” so be it. But I don’t think it’s a sound idea, and I think we, his fans, have the man’s best (public) interests at heart. He’s my favorite rapper. I want him to succeed.
But it’s tough when all I can do is shake my head when I see him on television. Seriously, you were at the Grammy Awards with him. You know what you two looked like on stage with Wayne, Jay, T.I. and M.I.A. (Lord, I don’t have the brain capacity to comprehend why that woman was on that stage looking like a pregnant ladybug ready for her water to break). Can you make sense of the debauchery that is Kanye’s head? Did you even try to stop him or try to talk him into putting on a hat or a comb through you before he hit the stage?
It’s hard to support a man known for being clean cut when he openly decides that wants to be the Black Shaggy from Scooby Doo. It would be different if he was Anthony Hamilton, and if you were a part of that soulful image. That would be acceptable. Kanye is supposed to be the preppy, smart aleck rapper who keeps that fresh taper consistent. But you, Kanye’s hair, are just a danger to the black man who potentially thinks you are a good non-haircut.
I know you have little control, and I don’t know what to tell you to do. I guess I’d suggest that you just keep screaming as loud as possible in the morning so that when Kanye looks at the man in the mirror you startle him so much that he sees glimpses of Michael Jackson about 30 years ago. That should scare him into the barber’s chair. I hope.
This is the flat iron that changed my life. The Pro-Select Ionic Ceramic Pink Flat Iron is officially my new best friend. After a visit to my stylist on Saturday I was determined to pay close attention to everything she did, products she used... hell, even the flick of her wrist, all in my attempt to recreate that fresh out of the salon bounce, shine and style. She advised me to go to a discount store like Marshalls or TJ Maxx because they've been known to have top of the line products for amazing deals. Yesterday during my lunch I was on the hunt and Marshalls at 600 N. Michigan Ave. was my hunting ground. After an hour of rummaging thru cheapy flat irons and blow dryers I finally found it! There were 3 left and they had all been strategically placed behind dozens of other products. I wasn't about to play any games so I was definitely digging thru anything and everything in sight! This hair gem was only $29.99 and easily compares to a CHI (and other top of the line flat irons that cost $100+). I was so eager to wash my hair this morning ( I like either Protene for curly hair or Neutrogena Triple Moisture Cream Lather) and try out my new purchases. I started by blow drying my hair with my new Revlon Tourmaline Ionic Ceramic blow dryer! This thing is no joke...it literally cut my drying time from 20 mins to 5 mins! Simply amazing. I also got this at Marshalls for $18.99. Anyways, I followed up with the flat iron and keep in mind, I've used a ceramic flat iron before but didn't think that the "ionic" part would really do that much... boy was I wrong! This flat iron is amazing! My hair has never felt silkier, looked smoother and felt so light and airy without going to the salon. I've always been able to style my hair, it was just an uphill battle trying to get it as smooth as the salon! I'm so excited to have this product and share with everyone. For any ladies that are slaves to their flat irons, please scour your local Marshalls or TJ Maxx and see if you can find this flat iron... you won't be disappointed!
Winter must be coming to a close end because Beyonce has gone back blonde!!! Most people go dark in the winter and light in the summer... and I'm a fan of darker hair but it's nice to see our girl Beyonce getting out of her hair rut (rocking the basic, boring bump she's been doing lately... I liked it at first but was over it pretty quickly). Spotted at the LAX airport, Beyonce was rocking a cute pair of jeans, heels, a tee and jacket. I like this look. It's casual and laid back but still hot. I hope B keeps her hair like this for a while (or at the very least decides to keep switching things up with any of her gorgeous lace fronts).
Toss the Hair Salon and Spa 60 E. 13th St. Chicago, IL 60605 312-986-8677
I just relocated back to Chicago (South loop) from Arizona and I was dreading the task of finding a salon that specialized in African-American hair...especially a salon that was in the South Loop and within walking distance --that was until I stumbled upon Toss The Hair salon and spa. The staff is really warm and professional. They accepted me as a walk-in and made sure to stress that it was no problem trying out a few stylists to see who I liked. Well, they hit it out of the ball park by matching me with Phaedra! While all the stylists are good, Phaedra is definitely my favorite! Her personality is so upbeat and her energy is contagious! I walked in there with damaged ends and in need of a magic wand...and I left with shiny, bouncy vivacious hair! In addition to a wonderful team of people, the salon and spa has a great layout and even a boutique section! It was great to browse the racks of trendy clothes/bags while waiting for my hair to dry. If you're looking for a salon that has a great atmosphere, wonderful stylists and is worth every penny...please go here! Request Phaedra and I promise you'll leave tossing your hair!
