Curly Hair Savior
Hi girls,
This is my friend Pamela Edwards, Essence's beyond-gorgeous and elegant beauty editor, at the Root Ball during Inauguration weekend in DC. She's getting married in April, yay! So excited for her. Alas, that's not why I bring her up. I bring her up because she just introduced me to some haircare gems that I had to share with you.
Hair Rules is a new line of haircare products designed by curly hair expert, Anthony Dickey. The genius? The products are separated into three categories: kinky, curly, and wavy. But why don't I let Miss Pamela tell you all about them, in her own words? Here's what she says:
"All curls are NOT created equal and Dickey gets that. His specific style products are formulated to compliment your curl type––wavy, curly or kinky––and they actually work! My hair will be blown-out and in an updo for the big day, but I need the curl control for working out, when I sport a wash-and-go. Love!"
I can't wait to try them, myself. Sigh. Why does this stuff continue to make me so happy?
xxoo,
Tia
PS...
Have you ladies checked out the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly? My dear friend Margeaux Watson just wrote a BRILLIANT piece on Tyler Perry, called "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Madea?" It's about damn time, right! My girlfriends, sisters and I have been having this "Tyler Perry...um, really?" convo for years, so I'm thrilled it's made it's way to print. Thoughts?
posted by Tia Williams at 1:05 AM
15 Comments:
Thanks so much for posting the link to the Margeaux Watson article in EW. My husband was telling me about it, but I had already tossed my EW!
I hear good things about this line, and Real Simple was lauding Davines this month, too. I'm always reluctant to try new things-especially after the $22 Bumble and Bumble disaster.
I applaud Tyler Perry’s mission to bring the African-American experience into theaters and am grateful to him for employing many highly talented, under-employed and under-recognized actors, but take issue with his method. Glorifying stereotypical black characters such as Madea remains just as problematic today as it was in the 1920s, when Buckwheat (of Little Rascals fame) became popular. When audiences are laughing AT a character (given utterly ridiculous antics), instead of WITH a character (because of intelligent, witty comment), progress is stifled.
Tyler Perry is truly gifted and some of his projects are commendable (e.g., Why Did I Get Married, The Family That Pray’s Together). My hope is that Tyler Perry will cease ascribing to the BET-model, which assumes a base level of audience intelligence -- pandering to low brow humor and raking in the cash. And instead, will ascribe to the Bill Cosby-model, which assumes audiences are bright and aspire to greatness – playing to the educated, playful and progressive crowd…still raking in the cash.
Abandoning projects that are a few grades above BET-quality (Debra Lee and her predecessor, Bob Johnson, must lack a conscience) leaves room for Perry to branch out and tell truly universal stories. The Best Man, Love Jones, Waiting To Exhale and Boomerang are proof that we WANT, CRAVE, NEED and WILL see films that speak to the wonderful nuances of the smart, sophisticated set.
Why write about Madea when Clair Huxtable presents just as solid, witty and complex a story line? I implore Mr. Perry to focus on inspiring generations to reach for Michelle Obama-, Barack Obama-, Eric Holder- or Mellody Hobson-status…not Madea-status.
I have been using Hair Rules products for wavy hair for about 6 months and LOVE them!!! The daily cleansing cream has changed my life!!!
I used to turn my nose up @ Tyler Perry and his hellacious plays. Heck, I don't think I could sit through one of his plays now. I still don't like that Madea character. I think I would like her more if she was really a woman. But I did like "Why did I Get Married and ran out to see it and The Family that Preys. Everyone doesn't like everything and all black people won't like the same movies. Whether I like his movies or not, I love the fact that Tyler pretty much came from nothing and made a whole lot of something. We have our Spike Lees, our black romantic comedies, and our slapstick Madea movies. It's different strokes for different folks. I'm surprised by some of the actress who've appeared in his movies, maybe they want to work and support him but don't always like the material.
"Tyler Perry is truly gifted and some of his projects are commendable (e.g., Why Did I Get Married, The Family That Pray’s Together). My hope is that Tyler Perry will cease ascribing to the BET-model, which assumes a base level of audience intelligence -- pandering to low brow humor and raking in the cash. And instead, will ascribe to the Bill Cosby-model, which assumes audiences are bright and aspire to greatness – playing to the educated, playful and progressive crowd…still raking in the cash.
Abandoning projects that are a few grades above BET-quality (Debra Lee and her predecessor, Bob Johnson, must lack a conscience) leaves room for Perry to branch out and tell truly universal stories. The Best Man, Love Jones, Waiting To Exhale and Boomerang are proof that we WANT, CRAVE, NEED and WILL see films that speak to the wonderful nuances of the smart, sophisticated set.
Why write about Madea when Clair Huxtable presents just as solid, witty and complex a story line? I implore Mr. Perry to focus on inspiring generations to reach for Michelle Obama-, Barack Obama-, Eric Holder- or Mellody Hobson-status…not Madea-status."
I thought that I, too, had issues with Tyler Perry until I read the above comment. While well written, it struck a chord with me. As a black women with an advanced degree, I realize that not all people of color have had the same advantages that I have had. While most of - and all of us should - aspire to 'greatness' as you put it, I think we must remember that there are so many people in our communities who don't relate to the smart, sophisticated set. If you can't relate to it, you can't see yourself as a part of it and, therefore, can't aspire to that.
While I do think the Madea stereotype is stereotypical, I think black folk across the country have related to her in a very big way. At the very least, Mr. Perry slips messages into his Madea films/stage plays that speak to the need to respect family and oneself, own up to responsibilities and honor God. I applaud Mr. Perry's efforts to diversify his media offerings but I think that he also has to remain true to his 'base'.
Wow...I cannot believe I just defended Tyler Perry. It's amazing how the mind changes when you read another's viewpoints on something.
As a curly head, I can truely appreciate this post. Finally someone who get's the diverse nature of curls. I seen this stuff featured in Essence a while back. Added to my "to try" list.
I know a way that may help rid your little one of cradle cap especially if she has it bad like mine did. Rub some Johnson's Baby Lotion, the original, into your baby's scalp and really work it in. Let it sit for a short while and then gently lift the flakes with a comb. The flakes will come up really easy, and it will not hurt her at all. It may sound a bit strange, but she'll smell extra good and the flakes will not return. My godmother taught me this, and it worked really well for all three of my daughters. :)
oooh! those products look amazing! Looks like I have a new curls system to try! thanks for posting about this!
I'm going to try this line. I tried the Kinky Curly line and my hair looked more like a jheri curl than I could handle. :)
Re: Tyler Perry. Personally, he's not my cup of tea. I did enjoy Why Did I Get Married, but the Madea movies are too much. For me. I do understand that he reaches a wide variety of people, and I can't be mad at him for the appeal that he does have. I won't get into the educated v uneducated argument, because from what I can tell, his fan base is very broad and cannot be easily categorized.
There are plenty of "black" movies that I don't see the appeal of: the Fridays series, the group where Martin Lawrence is dressed as a large black women, Eddie Murphy's similar films, etc. etc. I just don't spend my money patronizing them.
We have the Obamas in our community, we have the Huxtables, we have sassy talking big black women and we have crackheads. I don't have a problem with movies portraying any of the above. To pretend like we're all Huxtable-ish is just as dishonest as portraying us all as pimps/crackheads/hos. I've long since given up worrying about what other groups and cultures think about black folks as a whole. If they're crazy enough to think that movies are reality and that's how we all are, that is their problem, not mine.
Whew! I'm blogging in the comments. My bad!
Hair Rules is on my to-try list too, Ebony. This really cool natural hair blog, maneandchic.com, uses it and loves it. I'm especially on the lookout for a good, creamy conditioner that softens my hair kinky-curly hair (I'm growing out my relaxer--5 months natural!). Any suggestions?
Has anyone else been on the Hair Rules website? I just checked it out under the product recommendations section (http://www.hairrules.com/FindYourTexture.aspx) and NONE of those describes my hair. Anyone have any tips?
THANKS!!! I am a Miss Jessie's Curly Girl but nice to have options... I LOVE the video and the bathroom in there is to die :-)
http://www.hairrules.com/Video411.aspx?vid_id=2
2) I used Olive Oil on my little Jackson's cradle cap... this too shall pass is all you can say and it will be a distant memory and it hurts you to see the flakes more than him
3) I concur on what most of you say about Tyler. Someone said it best "I applaud Tyler Perry’s mission to bring the African-American experience into theaters and am grateful to him for employing many highly talented, under-employed and under-recognized actors, but take issue with his method." I so like his evolution starting with Why Did I get Married. Seeing greats like Alfred Woodard, Jill Scott, Cicely Tyson, Dianne Carol, Angela Bassett, Lynne Whitfield and even Maya Angelou on screen is exciting. BUT to be taken seriously in Hollywood as a Black man you need to put on a dress? Really?
I loved that article! I posted it on my facebook last week after I read it. Tyler Perry's work is so overrated but I wish him well.
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