For my final Ouidad Blog I wanted to highlight my birthday with a celebration of self  and my hair. But this is a BIG birthday year for me and I’ve been very angsty and tense over its arrival. Check it out…Even my hair looked a little stressed out the night before The DAY!

But after some soul searching and meditation, I realized I needed to honor the years and welcome this new decade with open loving arms.

Haha I’m pumping up the good energy!!

Okay so this might be taking it a bit far considering the insane look on my face, but it worked and I ended up in a festive mood when my alarm starting singing at 6:45am on MY DAY. I spent the morning humming Nina Simone  “and I’m feeling gooooodddd!!” Yes!! I’m off to a good start despite my super buoyant bed hair.

Considering I still get carded, which gives me everlasting  joy every single time, age is truly nothing but a number. Ha!!

FYI it was an amazing birthday that I share with the effervescent Alicia Keys, the hilarious Jenifer Lewis and the late great Etta James! I’m in great company.

Cheers to another Beautiful, Adventurous & Wish Fulfilling Year!!

Matt

Spotted in SoHo, New York City!

Neighborhood: Park Slope, Brooklyn

Occupation: Senior Editor at Buzzfeed.com

How would you describe your personal style? City Casual

What’s one word you would use to describe your curls? Fun and carefree!

What’s your go-to curl style? Just wash and wear, and Ouidad’s Botanical Boost! The botanical boost really helps with my helmet hair when I get to work.

Who’s your hair icon? Adrian Grenier

What’s your favorite thing to do in NYC? Riding my bike over the Manhattan bridge because of the view.

What’s your advice for fellow curls? Have fun with your curls! Let them be!

However, I had a great time and my hair came out super curly and did not frizz at all! Woohoo!! I also learned so much from Sondriel, my stylist, about taking care of my curls. My curls were pampered and restored with a Deep Treatment and Carve and Slice cut!

Me and Sondriel at the Ouidad NYC Salon!

Before my treatment and cut!

1. The way you cut your hair affects your curls.
I had no idea that the way my hair was being cut was causing my curls to look and fall terribly around my face! Sondriel cut out some of the bulk in my hair using Ouidad’s Carve and Slice technique and I instantly saw a difference. Curly hair cannot be cut the same way as straight hair.

2. Not all hair gels are created equal.
Sondriel used Tress Effects over Curl Quencher Gel on my hair because of its memory interlock to help my hair remember the shape of its curls. It also has a stronger hold. I needed this product because my hair has been so used to being straight it forgot how to be curly!

3. Your curls need to be conditioned.
The more you condition your hair, the less styling product you will need to use. It’s recommended that you condition your hair at least twice a month. Ouidad’s 12 Minute Deep Treatment will do the job!

Every person who left the salon had a head full of gorgeous curls including myself! I rocked my curls to the Kanye West & Jay-Z Concert that night at Madison Square Garden!

Kanye and Jay-Z rocking on stage!

I will definitely be returning to the salon. Thank you so much, Ouidad!

Ouidad will receive her award at the 2011 Achiever Awards Luncheon on October 14, 2011, in New York City. We are all very excited for this wonderful honor and congratulations to The Queen of Curl!

The annual award ceremony recognizes the achievements of some of the cosmetics industry’s most talented women. The “Great Idea” Award is the first of its kind and is given to innovators and pioneers in the Beauty industry. CEW’s highest profile event, the Achiever Awards serve as an inspiration for future women leaders and for companies to support women’s advancement.

*About CEW- Cosmetic Executive Women, Inc. (CEW) is a nonprofit professional organization that develops the leadership potential of our members through access, connections, networking and the sharing of knowledge.

Well, I wish I was showing you what’s in my Louis Vuitton or my Chanel bag…..but it’s just my trusty Target purse!  I have a nice camel colored cross bodied bag that I bought from Target when I was out of town and the purse I had brought broke. Well the good thing is, I got a purse that I love and have been wearing it for about the past 3 months.

So what’s in my bag?

A Kiss of Milk & Honey from Nivea (photo via Niveausa.com)

I HATE having dry lips, so anytime they feel a little dry, I put some of this on which happens to have natural Milk Protein and Honey in it.

2.5 oz. Botanical Boost Moisture Infusing and Refreshing Spray

I keep a sample sized Ouidad Botanical Boost on me for days when I need to spruce up my curls. This is definitely a must have for me to keep a refreshing spray on me.

bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation in Tan (photo via bareescentuals.com)

bareMinerals is the EASIEST makeup to use. I love the fact that it is quick and easy. I keep a travel kabuki brush me and I am good to go.

MAC “Queen Bee” lipglass from the Naked Honey line from 2009. (photo via maccosmetics.com)

I just recently was at a CCO where they sell several discontinued makeup from several major brands such as MAC, Bobbi Brown, etc.. I found this perfect peachy shade called “Queen Bee” which is described as a mid-tone apricot with multidimensional pearl. I feel in love and I just found it in 2011…Where was I in 2009 when this came out?

Palladio Beauty Eye Ink in Black (photo via palladiobeauty.com)

I received this from a beauty blog giveaway and I have been in love ever since.  It has a felt tip pen and is super convenient so someone who isn’t that great at eye liner.  The Eye Ink glides on so smoothly AND it stays put throughout the day. Best thing is, it’s only $5.49!

Essential Earring Set from Forever 21 (photo via forever21.com)

My mother always gets on me about not wearing any earrings. A lot of times I rush out the house and forget earrings…and if my mother and I are together….she will pull into the mall or somewhere and stop and buy me earrings. I get the packs of 3 or 4 earrings from Forever 21 that has various colors like black, gold, pearl and silver so that way one of them will match with my outfit. The perfect solution…

Hair Elastics (photo via sallybeautysupply.com)

I always, always keep hair elastics (only the ones with the protective covering) at all times. I never want to be caught out in the rain, or maybe just a good hair day gone bad without them. It makes it easy and simple and I just throw my hair in a ponytail or bun.

Catch Morgan, Ouidad Creative Director, live on HSN this week!

With years of training and hands on experience working alongside Ouidad in her NYC salon, Morgan exemplifies the Ouidad way and is the Creative Director for Ouidad and the lead stylist at the Ouidad Salon Santa Monica. Morgan, has worked with the famed Queen of Curl for over a decade.

Growing up with a head of curls herself has made her determined in her career to educate her clients to love and appreciate their gift of curls. Morgan’s work has appeared on television, the pages of many magazines and on the heads of numerous celebrities.

When Morgan isn’t busy making curls look their best, she can be found speaking on behalf of Ouidad’s training team. Her years of knowledge have brought her to California to share her passion of curl’s with the west coast. She is a cut, color, and softening specialist.

Let me explain to you how big of a deal it was for me to find something to tame these tangles. Can you imagine spending an hour in the shower—just detangling your hair? Well, I can, because I used to live it. My hair used to be so tangled that I would literally spend a full hour in the shower separating my hair into not just 4, but 6 sections. I would put tons of conditioner on my hair and get to work…section by section…10 minutes by 10 minutes.  :sigh: I never want to experience that again.. This leads me to my favorite tool of choice…the Ouidad Double Detangler. At one point, I was scouring the internet to look for a way to help get through these curls and through my search I made the awesome discovery. I had been watching the Double Detangler for a while and pondered buying it. I watched YouTube reviews and read several blog reviews and decided to go ahead and buy it so I can do my own review.

I got in the shower. I didn’t put my hair in 100 sections like usual. I put conditioner in my hair and pulled out the Double Detangler and went to work.  It was a breeze! I had never been able to get through my curls so easily. The comb didn’t snag my hair, it didn’t hurt ( I am sooo tender headed), it just took out all of those tangles in less than half the time it usually takes me. I no longer have to spend an hour standing up in the shower going section by section. I now can just do 2 sections- the top and the bottom. That just helps me create order to battling the tangles. I now have my sanity back with the Ouidad Double Detangler…Oh!! …and a cheaper water bill

-Lexi

Come celebrate New York Fashion Week with Ouidad’s Curl Experts!

Join us tomorrow evening at Fashion’s Night Out with Sephora at their Times Square, NYC location.  Get your own high fashion curl style, curl tips, and how-tos from the Ouidad Stylists. We can’t wait to see you there!

Stay tuned for more coverage of Ouidad at New York Fashion Week. Ouidad Stylists will be creating the looks on the Timo Weiland runway!

Follow Ouidad on Twitter, Facebook, Ouidad Snippets, and Ouidad-The Curl Experts YouTube Channels for behind the scenes coverage of Ouidad and her Stylists at Fashion Week.

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.

Preferably, on a  beach.

Assuming you aren’t one of “those people” whose been hiding from the surgeon general warnings for the past decade, you understand the importance of skin safety. Although I relish the particularly delicious feeling of a bronzed glow, I value the health of my skin, as well as that of my hair.

Shocking, I know, to think that a curl who blogs for a name as prestigious as Ouidad has something to say about sun+hair safety.

Lucky for you (but not for my family) I ALWAYS have something to say. And right now, as I sit here blogging inside a quaint coffee shop in the center of East Hampton, NY, I’ve got something to say about keeping your hair healthy and happy while basking at the beach.

Your hair is like an Elephant-“It remembers everything.” It remembers the perm you may have had, the tacky highlights, the flat irons, the alcohol based products, you get the point.

So, give your hair the opportunity to revel in a happy memory (or two, hey, even three!) and keep it healthy with Ouidad’s Sun Shield & Sport Leave-In spray. All the cool kids/tweens/teens/soccer moms/cougars are doing it too!

Me and my beach must have!

After swallowing enough salt water to bring home for an in ground pool, I like to come up for some air and sometimes even smile for a quick photo with my product of choice.

As you can see above, I’m having a really wonderful time with my Sun Shield Sun & Sport Leave-In Conditioner. Rather than spray sunscreen into my hair post ocean adventures, I sprayed this little gal onto my long/medium length hair.

In addition to providing the utmost protection, it took away that unruly “straw” feeling my hair sometimes gets after a dip in the sea.

Better yet is when I come home for nice long shower (and obviously douse my hair with Ouidad’s Curl Quencher Conditioner) my hair actually says “Thank you for protecting me from the runs UVA+UVB rays and demons of sorts!”

So, my friends, I leave you with this: enjoy the remainder of your summer the smart and healthy way with Ouidad’s Sun Shield & Sport Leave-In Spray.

Summer Lovin’

J