Meet the ladies that chat about all things curly with you each day!

First Name: Giselle

How long have you been a Curl Consultant?: I’ve been a Curl Consultant for 3 years.

My favorite product is: The Deep Treatment Intensive Conditioner is a great product and has made a big difference in my curls.

What part of your daily beauty routine can you not live without?: I can’t live without Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel as it controls my frizz and I have lots of it.

My advice to all curly girls is: It’s very important to feed your curls to help maintain its health. Embrace your curls they rock!

First Name: Clarisa

How long have you been a Curl Consultant?: I’ve been a curl consultant for Ouidad products for 1+ years.

My favorite Ouidad Product is: The Tress Effects Styling Gel; as it gives me fabulous definition with just the right amount of hold!

What part of your daily beauty routine can you not live without?: I cannot live without Lip Gloss or Mascara; I think they are the perfect match for glossy springy curls!

My advice to all curly girls is: Always t-shirt/micro fiber towel dry! It is the perfect way to quickly remove access water and product with ZERO frizz.  This equals one happy curly girl ♥

First Name: Luanne

How long have you been a Curl Consultant for Ouidad?: 12 years

My favorite Ouidad Product is: Balancing Rinse because it detangles so well and is light enough to use as a leave-in without weighing my hair down.

What part of your daily beauty routine can you not live without?: Washing and moisturizing my face!

My advice to all curly girls is: Keep your curls hydrated to help prevent frizz.

First Name - Susan

How long have you been a Curl Consultant for Ouidad Products? 7 years

Favorite Ouidad Product and Why? Deep Treatment because it helps to control frizz and has improved the overall health of my hair.

What part of your daily beauty routine can you not live without?: The Play Curl Volumizing Foam

My advice to all curly girls is: To treat your hair twice a month by deep conditioning with Ouidad’s Deep Treatment.

Image via gorilla.hr

Cooking is an endeavor full of creativity and exuberance, so maybe that’s why there are so many vivacious, curly chefs out there! Now comes curly-clad Kristina Kuzmic, joining the ranks of cooks with curls like Nigella Lawson, Bobby Flay and legend Julia Child. This talented and beautiful woman recently competed for—and won—a television show on Oprah’s new OWN network.

Naturally Curly spoke to Kristina to find out more about her and her hair, and reported that she loves the fact that she doesn’t have to wash it every day. She also mentions that she’s on the lookout for a great styling line … and Ouidad certainly hopes she’ll give some of our styling products, like Tress Effects styling gel and PlayCurl volumizing foam a try!

It’s wonderful to see a beautiful head of curls bouncing around a television kitchen. We couldn’t agree more with Naturally Curly, which said “It’s so refreshing to see someone in the media who embraces her curls instead of pressing, relaxing or hiding them to appeal to the public.”

Ouidad’s Facebook friend flaunts her beach curls!

With all the sun and fun still to be had this summer, relaxing days at the beach would do us all some good.  But there’s an added bonus to taking a trip to the shore when you’re a curly-haired guy or girl.  This is one of the many places that we really get to flaunt our amazing waves, curls and kinks.  It’s the sea salt—with its curl intensifying action—that brings out the natural curl pattern and texture of our hair and makes us the envy of all the straight-haired beach bunnies!

However, the beach is not the only place to find this natural curl enhancer.  These days, many products list sea salt as an active ingredient with the promise of creating that casual, “beachy” texture that comes so naturally to us.  But when the day in the sun is done, all that salt can be very drying to curls, and only a thorough wash and rinse will get them back in great condition.  That’s where we can call on Ouidad to help.

To return to manageability and shine after soaking your curls in the sun and salt of the seashore, try Ouidad Water Works Clarifying Shampoo.  It is made to deep clean curly hair and wash away that drying sea salt residue.  And it won’t strip your hair even if it’s color-treated.  This way, your curls won’t only look great at the beach—they’ll look great for days after too, and so will you!

Whether you live in a large coastal city like San Francisco or at a mountainous retreat like Lake Arrowhead, curls are always in style. It’s important to treat those voluptuous locks with love and respect. After all, your curls speak volumes about who you are as a person!

To give your hair a loving lift, Ouidad’s PlayCurl Volumizing Foam creates volume while moisturizing and creating long-lasting volume, shine, and manageability. Don’t forget to use our Duckbill Clips to help style and shape your curls at the roots as they dry.  Let Ouidad Show you!

Click here to view the embedded video.

You know, when your hair has a gorgeous sheen, it looks vibrant and healthy. That’s why mountain and city girls alike love Ouidad’s Shine Serum because it fights frizz while allowing your curls to play their own starring role.

Take care of those fashionable California curls and they’ll love you right back!

Image  via picasaweb.com

Waking up to a head full of perfectly pretty curls after a good night sleep sounds like a dream.  Especially when you just don’t have time to redo your ringlets every morning.  Here’s how a little preparation before bedtime —and a little Ouidad—can help you get gorgeous curls by morning.

Well-moisturized hair will keep its curl better while you sleep through the night. So try applying a moisturizing conditioner, like Ouidad’s Curl Quencher, to your hair before going to bed.

Then arrange your curls so that you do not accidentally flatten them as you sleep; try securing your hair into a loose ponytail high on the top or your head, also called a pineapple.  And remember that satin and silk can be a curls best friend! These hair-friendly fabrics allow your curls to stay smooth while they slide on your pillow, rather than catch to the fabric and cause your curls to frizz.  Perfect for keeping your ponytail in place while you sleep.

In the morning, you might be able to revive your curls with little more than a simple shake, style and finish.  So you can finally put an end to messy bed-head forever and maintain your curls while you rest.  Imagine that!

May2011 Cosmo!

In Cosmo, even the straight-haired girls are trying to get some curly action.  When a reader asks if shampoo made for curly hair will help create some waves for her naturally straight look, Ouidad mentions the importance of using products that are formulated especially for your hair type.  “Most shampoos made for curly hair are packed with extra moisturizers to hydrate curly hair,” Ouidad explains.

May 2011 Glamour!

According to Glamour, even celebrity curls rely on Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner.  It’s the secret ingredient in the curly-hair cocktail that ringlets crave, like those on Rihanna. Try pairing Moisture Lock with a styling product that will give your curls a lot of hold.  This way, your ringlets always look and feel naturally in control.

Women’s Health, May 2011

Women’s Health says Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner is an after-shower must have; since curly hair is naturally dry, Ouidad is formulated to create the perfect moisture foundation for any type of curl. And it combats frizz so curls stay soft and polished!

With all this curl talk on the newsstands, ringlets, spirals, curlicues and every pattern in between are sure to stand out this season.  And you know exactly who to go to for help—straight to Ouidad, of course!

Image via bglhonline.com

“Hair is like religion and we each have our own rituals.”

~Michaela Angela Davis.

Glorious African-American curls – Ouidad celebrates your wonderful patterns, from loose and wavy to tight and kinky and every curlicue in-between. We’re also smitten with your many possible textures….every fine, medium and coarse strand is unique and beautiful! We also love how lustrous and manageable those twists are, as they respond to all our important hair rituals—those precise procedures we follow when doing our do’s. It’s the way we keep them looking fabulous!

Our rituals are a part of our hair routine; it might be the quirky idea that we must rinse our hair three times after we shampoo—no more, no less. After all, we are convinced there is no better way to get the perfect S shape!

Or, perhaps it’s the way we dare not deviate from holding our diffuser in the exact same way when blowing our hair dry, just to make that corkscrew pattern more defined.

Or the way we swear that Ouidad’s Deep Treatment formula turns a simple intensive conditioning into bona fide “me’ time. (It does have a way of getting our curls to make the zigzag pattern we love so much!)

No matter what ritual you follow yourself, Ouidad can always help you bring out the beauty in your African-American hair. We would love to find out more about how you care for your hair.  What’s your kinky-curly hair care rituals?

Image via nydailynews.com

Check it out – Ouidad stylists Ayanna and Mirsada were just featured in the New York Daily News, in an editorial titled “Dancing Queen!” These Ouidad stylists jumped at the chance to do the hair for this group of five amazing teenage girls and their write-up in the Daily News that featured various prom looks and hairstyles. But the story also featured the efforts of these five New York City high school girls, who take pride in helping others by volunteering their time for various charitable organizations.

Among the featured high schoolers was Janus Chan, who is co-vice president of her school’s China AIDS Fund chapter and who went to China to work with children affected by AIDS. Other girls participated in activities that ranged from the Girl Scouts to supporting leukemia patients at local hospitals. An impressive group of young ladies.

For the article they were photographed in full prom attire and styled both beautifully, and age-appropriately. Ouidad styling products helped our curl experts of course, in creating the various prom hairstyles, including up-dos, bows and long, loose curls. Once the styles were in place, finishing products including Ouidad’s Styling Mist were applied, to help hold and look of the hair while still allowing freedom of movement. Well done all around!

It was a wonderful day for all involved, and Ouidad stylists Ayanna and Mirsada were thrilled to be a part of this inspirational photo shoot.  These prom girls and their curls rock!

Ouidad’s Clear Control Styling Glaze Pomade is featured in May’s Essence Magazine’s, recognized for creating perfect curls. But are Ouidad fans too surprised?  After all, we’re very familiar with Ouidad products that excel at creating soft, perfectly defined curls with lots of body.  In fact, Ouidad products are even great those who prefer the help of a curling iron or roller to set and style their curls.

So when you want to go from straight to spiral in just a matter of minutes, remember these important curling tips from the May article, everything from rollers to gel:

Start Clean

If you’re styling with heat (for example, from hot rollers or a curling iron), your curls will look better look if your stands are freshly shampooed.  Otherwise, your hair is at risk of splitting.

Finish Clear and In Control

To tame frizzes and fly-a-ways, apply Ouidad Clear Control to set your curly style in place.  It seals in much-needed moisture.  Even Essence Magazine agrees it’s the perfect finish!

Curl it up with Ouidad!

Photograph: Hannibal Hanschke/EPA via The Guardian

If you’re a dedicated triathlete, chances are your training is picking up as the competition season gets into full swing. You work hard, and as you’re doing your training it’s important to remember that running, biking, and swimming can be as hard on your hair as it is on your legs and arms!

So in order to keep your curls in tip-top shape this season, here are a few winning product suggestions to get you through your tough triathlon training:

Swim

Swimming can be tough on your hair, whether in the ocean or the pool. Be sure to keep Ouidad’s Water Works Clarifying Shampoo in your gym bag because it will help rid your hair of salt water, chlorine, and mineral residue.

Bike

Forget putting up with the dreaded “hat hair!” Bikers know all about annoying helmet hair that flattens otherwise bouncy curls. Ouidad recommends our Botanical Boost to revive curls post-bike ride. No re-washing necessary!

Run

Are you spending a lot of time running in the sun as you train for your next triathlon? Remember that Ouidad’s Sun Shield & Sport Leave-In Conditioner will protect against damaging environmental factors such as sun and wind while creating softer, shinier curls!

Work hard and good luck with your training and with your curls!