C
O N T E N T S Hair Stories 5 naturals tell us why
Beauty ditched the beast!
4 naturals show us how attractive each stage of the natural journey is.
Where the bloggers at?!
We asked you voted...this issue’s guest blogger is....
Mane men!
What men really think.
Natural light
Natural Denise Lewis talks to us about the positiveimageproject
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Editor ’s Note
elcome to the pilot issue of Curl Talk. We hope you find the content entertaining and educational.
Feel free to drop us a line at
curlstalknaturalhairmag@live.co.uk, where your submissions, opinions and suggestions are very welcome. © Hunii M Gray and Hunii's Genesis, 2011 – forever. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any material found in Curl Talk natural hair magazine without express and written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited.
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Name: Lisa Age: 27 Occupation: Mother, HR Assistant, Ebay Seller Current hair style: Braidout in a bun Usual hair style: Twist Out Coilday: July 2010 Wh y N a tu r a l ?
My hair was relaxed from the age of 7 and my natural hair b4 then was full of bad memories. i forgot what my natural texture was like so i was curious. i transitioned and failed 3 times and then… i had my daughter and i realised that i was her number 1 example and female role model- if i couldn’t love my hair… how could i teach her to love hers? Go i n g n a tu r a l i s?
a healthy lifestyle change and spiritual, when you transition it is such an emotional journey whereby by the end of it, you kind of think that you’re hot stuff! Wh a t w a s th e r e a c ti o n to y o u r n e w l y n a tu ra l tr e ss e s ?
erm…. are you sure? Why would you wanna do that? and my mothers great one ‘your going to look like a fetish witch!’ Lol ea rl i e s t h a i r
m e mo ry
running away from my mum for like a month- (we both hated doing my hair) and then when my mum finally got me down she discovered a bid massive dreadlock. she was like “no way am i combing that” and cut it. H a i r fe e l n g s to d a y
i love my hair now, sometimes i am in awe of is and feel really grateful that God made me like this. ad vi c e fo r th o s e th i n k i n g o f g o i n g n a tu r a l
research research researCH!!!!! You Tube is your curl friend! Homemade recipe
Mix ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup honey and 2 tbs castor oil for a treatment before you wash or co wash ur curl.
Nature's Parlour brings you salon quality organic products for mixed race/natural afro hair and the purest oils and butter blends for hair and skin care. The products in Nature’s Parlour have been carefully sourced ensuring that only the best ingredients are used to produce premium products for you and your family. All ingredients are listed so that you can make an informed decision before purchasing.
Name: Rae onedayinherlife.tumblr.com Age: 32 Occupation: Sudent Support Manager Current hair style: Blonde TWA Usual hair style: Erm...I kinda just grew out my High-Top! Coilday: February 2011 Wh y N a tu r a l ?
i was broke. simple as. i’d taken my hair out of micro braids and when i worked it out, it would have cost me a bag of money to buy hair and then pay someone to do it for me...not to mention having to sit there for 12 hours getting it done! i’m glad those days are over - i paid £8 for a shape up the last time i went to my local salon, and i was in and out in 45 mins! When did your journey begin?
i was Natural until the age of 5, when my Mom sent me to the Hairdresser’s for a Jheri Curl, i rocked that until i was about 17. in between i had singles or canerow extensions. Through all this i was styling my hair with and regularly using store-brought, mineral oil and paraben laden products, and it wasn’t until February 2011 that i bagged them all up, gave them away, threw them away and started over with my crop and all natural products. Go i n g n a tu ra l i s?
Wearing my hair Natural has made things simpler; with it being short styling takes seconds. i don’t define my colour as a statement...i see it as me being me. Using Natural products is definitely healthy, and i can see the benefits not only in the condition and growth of my hair, but in my pockets too. Wh a t w a s th e r e a c ti o n to y o u r n e w l y n a tu ra l tr e ss e s ?
i haven’t had any negative comments at all. My Family weren’t that surprised to be honest. i’m always doing something different with my hair anyway,
My Grandma cussed me; “Yuh cut off de good head ah hair God gi’ Yuh?!” My current students didn’t know me prior to going Natural, and a few have christened me ‘Tyrone’ from anuvahood! a r l i e st h a i r
memory
Washing my Dolly’s hair and being vex when i couldn’t get it to revert to long and silky again! Does hair texture, length, impact black love and acceptance?
i guess its personal preference. My ex (The Canadian runaway) liked whatever i did with my hair. He impressed me when he offered to twist my hair for me once too! i recall my cousin telling me that her soon to be husband had never seen her natural hair. My hair is mine and i shall wear and do with it as i damn well please. if a potential partner doesn’t like it then He can kindly jog on! ad vi ce fo r th o se th i n ki n g o f g o i n g n a tu r a l
Do it. it’s not the easiest or the simplest thing to do at first, but once you get there, you’ll wonder why it took you so long. We all have days where we look in the mirror, the hair won’t do what we want it to and we feel busted...fixing the Brows, slicking on some Mascara and rocking a Headscarf has never failed me yet! H o m e m a d e r e ci p e
100ml bottle half filled with De-ionized Water, a squidge of Vegetable Glycerine, half a teaspoon of Castor oil and a few drops of Peppermint oil, topped up with rose Water makes a nice spritz. 100ml bottle filled (almost to the top) with aloe Vera Juice, a teaspoon of Castor oil and two teaspoons of MsM Powder shaken well and used every night really helped thicken and define my curls. Your hair in the photo…What products did you use? Would you recommend them?
Generally i just spritz using the recipe i shared earlier, and seal with shea Butter.
Grade A pure unrefined shea butter prices start at £2.80 Stockist www.akuawood.co.uk
Name: Zoe Age: 30 Occupation: Detal nurse Current hair style:Frohawk Usual hair syle: braid out, frohawk, twists Coilday: January 2011 Why natural?
i was unhappy with the health of my relaxed hair and watched many YouTube journeys for a few months whilst my hair was in a weave. i was going to transition for a few months before i took the plunge. Going natural is?
For me it was the beginning of rebuilding my life and changing my attitude to how i took care of myself. What was the reaction?
i am always changing my hair. i tried to go natural in the past but i wasn't equipped with the knowledge on how to take care of my natural hair and soon got tired and relaxed. People i know liked it because my confidence seemed to increase. i also started wearing more adventurous make-up, jewellery and clothes. earliest hair memory…
i always remember my mum’s first 'hot comb' attempt and the smell of burning towels and melting hair..... What advice would you give our readers?
Do some research; facebook, YouTube and blogs still help me greatly on my continuing journey. Don’t ever do it for someone else, know that it's something you want to do for you, and enjoy it! Homemade recipe…
one egg, some olive oil and honey for a moisturising, strengthening conditioner. Nice and simple. i’ve tried the banana and avocado thing and though they sound good, you're washing bits out of your hair for days!
Your hair in the photo, what products did you use? Would you recommend them?
a spritz by i Love afro or MMM Hair, r&B conditioning cream by Lush and my homemade sheabutter, olive oil mix. i deffo recommend the products i use as they are (mainly) natural and from UK based producers. Why do you/what do you think women discard heir true physical selves in favour of someone elses?
i think confidence and self love is key. if you accept yourself whole heartedly then no opinion or fashion fad will persuade you to change who you are.however the media can and does play a big role in this from a young age.
Name: Ekua Age: 28 Occupation: Payroll Manager Current hair style:Transitioning Wh y N a tu r a l ?
i had been considering it for a while. Years in fact. i had also wanted to try a short style because i had never experimented with my hair. after chatting to Melissa and Lisa a while back, i considered it further. i then thought i might as well try this short hair style then progress onto natural hair. The lady cutting my hair at that point kept asking if i was sure i wanted to cut my hair and if i didn’t want to think it over. Go i n g n a tu r a l i s?
it’s Healthy lifestyle change - i hope! embracing the curls that i have. i am also hoping to achieve more length than what i had with relaxed hair. Wh a t w a s th e r e a c ti o n to y o u r n e w l y n a tu ra l tre ss e s?
Those around me ask if i was sure – “You have such beautiful hair, such lovely hair, why do you want to cut it?” some of my cousins even threatened never to speak to me if i cut my hair. ea rl i e st h a i r
m e m o ry
LoL – That bristly, electric sound of the afro comb running through your hair. and my mum having to buy a new comb at least twice a month because my thick bush kept breaking the teeth of the comb. ad vi ce fo r o th e rs co n si d e ri n g g o i n g n a tu ra l ?
C o co n u t o i l i s g o o d fo r th e r o o ts. Wa sh yo u r h a i r o fte n , ste a m a n d tri m.
Model: Lola Hairstyle: Fun flirty Ceasar
Model: Rumby Hairstyle: Elegant Updo
Model: Emuobo Nuvie Hairstyle: Protective Styling
Model: Sonia of TreasuredTresses Hairstyle: Two strand twists
WHere Ma BLoGGers aT? This issues guest blogger is none other than well known UK blogger Pelumi rae, creator of CareForYourHair. Pelumi is a young lady who aims to impact the lives of other women by making them realise how beautiful their tresses are. one way she does this is through encouraging other ladies who are natural or thinking to go natural to embrace their natural hair, to make them confident in ‘rockin’ their hair and to remind them that those curls, koils and kinks are beautiful no matter what others may think. she also offers hair care tips, advice, product reviews and giveaways.
Hey Ladies!!!
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Growth in 2012…Let’s get REAL about it!
in the year 2012 i guarantee many of you will want to ensure you look after your hair, keep it healthy, retain length and also allow it to grow to its maximum potential. How exactly can we achieve these things?! The only way for change & progression to be made is for you to be…
…Honest with yourself and evaluate how you’ve treated your hair this year. …real with your expectations for your hair next year it may sound harsh, but you cannot be mad if you haven’t put any work into looking after your hair and it hasn’t grown much… Things to evaluate:
Most importantly your diet & food intake… health on the inside = health on the outside Your use of heat Trimming – have you trimmed too often or not often enough this year? Listening to your hair needs Deep conditioning & protein treatments – have you done them enough? or not often enough? The products you’re using & your understanding of how they work, what they
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have in them and whether it’s actually working for you Whether YoU research YoUrseLF on things that concern your hair Whether you know/don’t know what products work on your hair Whether you put enough time in looking after your hair The tools you use on your hair – e.g. the state of your bobby pins, have they split, if so throw them away Products you no longer need The forms of protective styling you do – are you pulling on your hair too much? Do you leave your hair out enough for you to care for it? Dispel any myths! e.g. Black hair doesn’t grow The love yes, love you give your hair – are you positive about it? Have you sought sound advice? Whether length or health is more important to you Have you kept a record of your growth i.e. through pictures or measurements? That way you can monitor your growth and changes that may occur in your hair after you’ve gone over these things, and realise the pro’s & con’s of how you’ve treated your hair, you can then start setting goals & challenges for the new year……For instance, this year i have blow dried my hair more than i wanted to e.g. once or twice a month…so next year i challenge myself to limit my use of heat to every 2-3 months. i want to see everyone’s hair doing well throughout the new year, but in order for that to happen we need to be honest with ourselves about the things we do & don’t do for our hair so we can change them and move forward!
Contact: cfyh@hotmail.co.uk @CareForYourHair Facebook: Care for Your Hair
eDiTor reVieWs
in 2011, Paige ellean of Care 4 Curls blog site launched a natural hair care range aimed at women of colour. she is a firm believer that black hair should be treated like fine silk and that all it requires to flourish is some “Tender Loving Care”. over the Christmas period i was lucky enough to be given the range to try out. Below are my findings. Twas a cold and dreary winter’s morning when at my door i heard a rat-ta-tat-tat ¬_¬ it was the post man delivering my now slightly squished package from TLC Naturals yaaaay! Like any self respecting recipricant of a package, i ran to my room, jumped into bed and ripped the package apart to be greeted with the most beautiful scent of, i kid you not, apples and spices…i’m thinking star anise... anyway, inside the package were four items, a Grapefruit Hibiscus Hydrating spritz, a Hibiscus rose Leave-in Conditioner, a shea Baobab Nourishing Hair oil and a Choco shea Decadent Hair Butter. Before using the products i washed my hair with my usual shampoo and conditioner. Then i applied in this order the TLC Naturals range: -
1- The rose leave in had a delightfully pink colour and smelt like a fresh rose. The scent was delicate and the texture slightly oily but easily absorbed. i raked this through my jus washed hair with my fingers. 2- i found the Grapefruit Hibiscus spritz to be very hydrating and i spritzed it into my hair after the leave in to replace any moisture that i squeezed out during the application of step one. i found the smell a bit acrid (i got a sense of apple cider vinegar) but this quickly faded. 3- My favourite product in the line is the shea oil…i used that stuff on everything! Hair ends, hair line, eyebrows you name it, it got it…even the elbows lol. My mum who is relaxed also enjoyed this one…it left her hair soft and shiny with a wonderfully light scent. 4- My least favourite was the hair butter…simply because it was more of a hair putty than what i would term butter. i found it hard to manipulate… even after trying (and failing) to melt it on the radiator. i feel the name is a tad misleading…i hoped it would be more of a whipped concoction or easily melted in the palm of the hand. so saying it did add a nice sheen to my hair and worked well as an edge slicker, when coupled with a little shea oil.
Packaging: - 5 scent: - 4.5 Texture: - 4.5 Visuals: - 5 Customer service: - above and beyond Would i purchase: - Definitely the shea oil
NaTUraL LiGHT
Phenomenal women Denise Lewis and Flo Awolaja have generously taken time out of their busy schedules to talk to us about their business positiveimageproject...thank you ladies it was a pleasure interviewing you both.
1. What is positiveimageproject? positiveimageproject is the brainchild of Denise Lewis and Flo awolaja, two forwardthinking, fun and entrepreneurial women who have a wealth of experience in the creative, educational, local government and public sector arenas. We are passionate, committed and excited about our projects. as a social enterprise and Community interest Company [CiC], positiveimageproject is a child centred creative consultancy, focussing on the promotion of Black culture, through education, Publishing and social awareness.
2. What inspired you to start positiveimageproject? Being individuals who are both child centred, as we are mothers and very family orientated, as well as (DB) being a qualified social worker, working with children and family services. observations from my job as a social worker, [Denise Lewis] allowed me to have first hand experience of children who are placed in care. The feeling of loss and rejection are issues that many of the children found challenging. i began to note that there are more and more cross cultural placements in relation to african Caribbean/Mixed Heritage children being placed with white carers. This is because social services were finding it difficult to recruit Black foster carers. During my social work experience, i have had White foster carers asking me, “was it ok to use cooking oil on a Black child’s skin?. after frequent similar questions such as this, we decided the book would be an excellent resource for all professionals, foster carers and adopters of african Caribbean/Mixed heritage children, especially in relation to cross cultural placements.
3. What is the most difficult aspect of running positiveimageproject? The most difficult aspect of running positiveimageproject is working to raise funds for all our projects and finding the time to make them happen. positiveimageproject is an organisation set up to promote the welfare of african Caribbean/Mixed Heritage children who are fostered and adopted in relation to hair and skin care. We have many ideas and because they were all to do with culture, heritage, and children, we thought why not set up a company where we can focus on all these aspects of Black culture. We also considered becoming events organisers, there are many ideas we want to try, so we thought why not? The name positiveimageproject seemed to sum us up completely. We are very motivated to get things done, 5. Tell us about the products you sell? a) BLaCK CHiLDreN iN Care: HeaLTH, Hair & sKiN We have designed a 70-page book entitled ‘Black Children in Care: Health, Hair and skin Care’ which looks at a broad range of issues including: ● The washing, grooming and care of african Caribbean hair. ● How to plait, cornrow and style african Caribbean hair. ● skincare. For example the use of moisturising creams and natural remedies for eczema and sickle cell anaemia/disease in african Caribbean children. ● Promoting self-esteem. The booklet is aimed at foster carers, carers, adopters and guardians responsible for the parenting of african Caribbean/Mixed heritage children.that continue to persist with the care of african Caribbean/mixed heritage children in crossb) PosiTiVe iMaGeProJeCT T-sHirTs: Cultural Tshirts with a twist.
We have designed a series of fantastic T shirts, featuring positive images of our heroes and sheroes, for men and Women. positiveimageproject T shirts, designed to Celebrate, inspire and educate.
c) ProVerB CarDs: “THiNGs MaMa UseD To saY” We also sell the popular proverb cards, on behalf of “one Hand can’t clap” owned by Lorlett Hudson. a 52 colourful, and inspiring set of cards based on traditional proverbs from the Caribbean.
d) aFriCaN JoUrNaL For those who love writing, positiveimageproject sells a range of a fantastic african journals and Diaries. These special bound journals are a great way to store thoughts and memories.
6. Where do you see yourself in the future? We see ourselves running all our projects full time, we are excited and passionate about our work and look forward to the ‘Black Children in Care’ book being printed and published worldwide. Never ones to let the grass grow under our feet positiveimageproject are continually thinking up new ideas and projects for the future, which we know will be successful. We are working towards our t shirts being sold in the Us and around europe, each one bearing our trade mark poems and positive statement, supporting Black culture.
7. Anything else to say to the ladies and discerning men reading this? as Black people we are blessed with an abundance of talent and great skill, to do fantastic things, each of us must listen to our inner voice and act. We at positiveimageproject say; Follow your dreams, don’t let anyone say you cannot do it, have an entrepreneurial spirit, Creativity is the key.
MaNe MeN...
Do hair styling and texture define your relationship choices? at first one might be attracted to the way a female/male wears his/her hair but at the end of the day it's the person itself that really matters M.Harris
errm i prefer natural but if she has straight hair it will suffice. Whenever i see a straight haired girl i always imagine her natural and think of how pretty she’d look. To be honest if i were to go out with a straight haired girl i’d convert her soon lol. i prefer natural haired girls because i feel it looks nicer and i like being able to tell a black girl from any other race if i were to seem them from behind, that’s really difficult nowadays. Curly, Coily, wavey, afro puffs, braids, sHaVeD (very steamy on the right girl) anything natural basically. i didn’t care much before (a couple years ago) until i actually saw a natural girl n i was like WoW it was visually refreshing, new, like cold orange juice in summer!! also my girlfriend is natural (yay lol) so it was prior to the media jumping on the trends. N.Chima Yh it does matter. Natural hair is always preferred. i understand girls sometimes wear weave, but all the time, is a problem and. . .when you realise there is a few of girls who don't wear weave, etc, it makes you even more picky.This was before media, Dreadlocks are beautiful.lool i.Bliss
Yes natural hair is better than fake however if the ladies hair can not grow then she should do what she must to develop the look that she desires B.Poso The desires created by the media....alot of women who wear fake hair are suffering from a disease called, i hate myself, lol...i'm kidding, well maybe i'm not but there is alot of truth in what i just said unfortunately. But people will never admit it sadly, or they wont even notice it as the media has clouded our own judgement on who we truly are. Get rid of the fakeness & be real, keep it 100 all the time. The Black Goddess can only rise when she wakes up from this illusion of western thought etc.....This is a very deep topic, i can break it down scientifically & spiritually one day. Love ya my si-star Balance & Wholeness N. Perrin Yes it does matter. Preferable ur own real hair. Don't mind its texture really. The reason is simple "u kno wat ur getting". some can overdo wit da fake hair (braids, weave, wigs)and mite actually b bald. also those thing tend to have a smell and as a tall person its usually rite under my nose. Can't say i prefer afro cus i find curly and straight sexy too. Facial hair definitely a No No K.Francis Yes i prefer natural hair i think that black beauty is different and seperate to the standards of beauty set by european culture and to go against it is as much a spirtual thing as it is physical. But i think that its the weave verses everything else, its like a pandemic of epic proportions. i will concede that its easier to manage etc etc but i can't help but think its in our post slavery mentality to be a step closer to the white man if we can look like him then maybe we can get a bly, some say slavery mentality that sends echos down generation to generation. i aint immune (right here on this soap box) i dabble in the creamy crack from time to time. Lol . But to mess with black hair is to mess with out identity. G.Phillips
sPoTTeD oN CaMPUs
DMU Naturals burning the midnight oil in the campus library.
Model:Heather Hairstyle: cute and funky teenie weenie