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Gretchen Heber


  • Exclusive: Giacomo Forbes Talks About “Shear Genius” With NaturallyCurly

  • Giacomo Forbes

    Giacomo Forbes has departed “Shear Genius.”

    Fans of Bravo’s hit reality series “Shear Genius” were probably surprised when celebrity stylist Giacomo Forbes announced last week, with the season barely underway, that he was leaving the show.

    The A-list stylist did well in the first episode, earning compliments and respect from the judges. But just minutes into episode 2, Forbes interrupted the proceedings to announce to host Camila Alves and the other contestants that the series was over for him.

    “I really love the competition but the living together part made me miss my kids,” he said today in an exclusive interview with NaturallyCurly. “I mean, the showers … there was no privacy. It was crazy!”

    Part of the show’s drama is the ups and downs of the contestants—all strangers—living together in tight quarters. “It was like a dorm,” Forbes says, “and I’m not into that.” In fact, the curly-haired stylist said he wouldn’t be surprised if, going forward, the show’s producers focused less on the drama of the living arrangement—given the dysfunctional atmosphere— and more on the competition.

    He said the whole thing made him think about what was more important, the chance to win $5,000 (as well as some seed money from Nexxus), or being with his kids. The choice was an easy one, he said.

    Forbes also hinted that as a well-established industry stylist, with plenty of published work to his name already, being on the show to gain recognition or money wasn’t really necessary for him.

    Read more about “Shear Genius”

    Forbes, who grew up in Rome, is well-known in the industry and has an impressive celebrity clientele, including model Claudia Schiffer and actress Marissa Tomei. After opening successful salons and manufacturing companies in both New York and Los Angeles, he made the move to Austin, Texas. There, Giacomo and his team developed a new line of innovative hair and body care products, meant to heal “hair, body and soul.” Both his talent and products have been featured in national print magazines including “Allure,” “Vogue” and “Harpers Bazaar.” His home base is Bella Salon in Austin.

    With his stint on “Shear Genius” over, Forbes will concentrate on releasing an extension to his hair care line in the coming months, as well as a new skin care line that will “blow your mind,” he says. “People who love my Miracle Hair Oil Treatment will love the new products—both hair and skin.”

    Also look for a new show from Forbes and Bravo within the next year or so—it’s still in the planning stages. “It will focus on beauty, food, fashion and health,” he says. “It will be called ‘Giacomo Forbes’ Favorites’ or something like that,” he says. “We’re still working it out.”

    The show will highlight Forbes’ favorite small boutiques and shops from around the country.


  • Curly Zebra Makes Wildly Beautiful Hats

  • When Vicki Ude got her economics degree from the University of Minnesota in 2000, she had no idea she would one day be putting that knowledge to work at a company that makes and sells hats designed specifically to not crush curls.

    But 9 years, a Nigeria-native husband, pregnancy-induced curls and two beautiful, biracial, super-curly daughters later, Ude and her sister, Lisa Machado, find themselves running Curly Zebra and selling their gorgeous, handmade hats to curlies all over the world.

    “We live in Minnesota. My daughters’ hair would get so dried out in the winter. I struggled with always putting on the fleece or acrylic hat, which would damage the hair. But I couldn’t find anything else,” says Ude.

    Ude says the idea for something better started churning in her head last winter. Unable to find anything that would protect her daughters’ heads from the cold but not mess up their curls, she asked her mom, an accomplished seamstress, to sew a satin lining into a regular hat.

    Vicki Ude and Lisa Machado

    Ude was thrilled with the results. Her daughters’ hair looked beautiful even after wearing the hats. “I noticed such a big difference. I noticed their hair was in much better condition,” she says.

    Winter gave way to spring and summer, yet Ude kept thinking about the cold-weather hats. She and her sister created more prototypes, and a business began taking shape.

    In late summer 2009, Curly Zebra was officially launched, with the hats for sale at Twin Cities-area craft shows. The company went online in early September.

    Ude handles the business side of things while her sister is the company’s creative force.

    Curly Zebra hats come in three distinct styles

    The hats—for children and adults—are offered in three styles: pillbox, chullo, and stocking. The pillbox is the company’s best seller, and the chullo and stocking hats are popular for boys. Because there are many styles, designs and sizes, the stain-lined fleece hats are made to order. And even custom-creating each hat, Curly Zebra manages to get orders out the door in a week or less, Ude says.

    Sales have grown steadily this fall, Ude says.

    Eventually, Ude says, Curly Zebra would love to have economically disadvantaged women from Nigeria and Angola — the birthplaces of the sisters’ husbands—make some of the hats. “A lot of women and mothers in these poor countries may not have the resources to support themselves,” she says. “We’d like to help.”


  • Curly Innovation: Hand Dry Hair Glove

  • Hand dry hair glove

    Hand Dry Hair Glove

    One of the more interesting, not to mention fun-to-use, innovations for the curly world has to be the Hand Dry Hair Glove.

    Invented by Patti Coyne, a stylist-entrepreneur from Toronto, the gloves offer a great way to dry curly hair and scrunch shape and volume into it at the same time.

    Having heard about all the various drying methods from different curl experts, and having a couple curl experts on her own staff at Delineation salon, Coyne said she knew “there had to be a better way” than paper towels or t-shirts.

    “I was in the right place at the right time, and saw the perfect fabric,” Coyne said. She bought the fabric and sewed the first prototype herself.

    She had stylists in her salon try the gloves. They loved using them and customers loved the results. Coyne’s mother-in-law helped her sew additional test units, using them in the salon for close to a year before manufacturing and selling the gloves at her boutique, website and other select locations, including CurlMart.

    patti coyne

    Patti Coyne

    Coyne recommends clients apply their styling products first, then use the glove to gently wick out excess moisture.

    How do the gloves absorb the water but not the freshly applied styling product? “Water is a larger molecular structure so it absorbs out faster,” Coyne asserts. And what about the deep-pile fabric? It doesn’t rough up the cuticle, causing frizz? “It’s fluffy and doesn’t disturb the cuticle; it smooths it down,” says Coyne.

    Customers love it: “I have been using the hand dry hair gloves for 2 weeks now, and my hair feels more amazing then ever, and I am not the only one noticing it. My curls feel so healthy, now that I have stopped using a blow dyer and switched to the gloves, which take the same amount of time!” writes Jenna Lebert.

    Industry leaders, too, are adopting the glove. Says Jonathan Torch of the Curly Hair Institute, “The Hand Dry Hair Glove is perfect, especially on those cold winter days. The Hand Dry Hair Glove made such a difference; it reduced drying time by half. As you know that drying speed is a great issue for curly hair styling. It was quick and easy to use.”

    Coyne recommends using the gloves to dry the hair about 75% through, then air drying or diffusing the rest. “Low heat and low air flow” on the dryer, she reminds us.

    “I have a lazy curl, so I was good candidate. My hair would get so matted.” The gloves seal the cuticle and prevents the matting,” she says. “Second day, you can comb out your hair with a wide-toothed comb, rehydrate with your favorite hydrating product. Then re-scrunch with the gloves and your curls are re-perked!”

    One of the beauties of the glove is that it allows you to style your hair while you’re drying it, Coyne says. Cleaning the glove is a cinch, too: just throw it in the washer and then let it air dry.

    See the Hand Dry Hair Glove in Action!





  • Skincare Kits Are Packed with Botanicals

  • With the change in seasons sometimes comes the need for a new skin care regimen. What worked for summertime temps and humidity levels may not work come fall.

    If you and your skin are feeling the need for something new, something to protect your skin from the winter wind, you might want to check out the Gentle Cleanse Kit from Clinical Care, available at BeautyShoppe.Biz.

    Clinical Care Skin Solutions is a skin treatment program formulated by Charlotte Bates, a pioneer in the medical aesthetic field. For more than 25 years, her products have successfully treated thousands of clients for acne, wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems.

    Clinical Care

    The Clinical Care Gentle Cleanse Kit

    The Gentle Cleanse Kit includes The Green Stuff Facial Cleansing Gel, for cleansing and removing makeup; Clinical Care Splash Ginseng and Chamomile Toner, which protects and calms normal and over-sensitive skin; Clinical Care Destroyzit Zinc, a product whose high concentrations of Sulfur and Camphor clear blemished skin; Later Alligator Vitamin C Day/Night Moisturizer, a cream containing grape seed oil and Vitamin C, which provide the ultimate protection from devastating and aging effects of free radicals.

    One customer who recently purchased the kit said she could feel a difference in her skin. “It definitely feels much more moisturized. The night cream smells awesome — it has a citrus smell and my skin feels so great when I wake up,” she writes.

    clinical care acne kit

    Clinical Care Acne Care Kit

    If you’re battling acne, Clinical Care has another great designed just kit for you. The Clinical Care Acne Care Kit is a mild, anti-bacterial gel designed with amino acids and anti-inflammatory properties, gently and effectively removes excess oil, environmental impurities and make-up. Its cleansing action revitalizes and restores a healthy appearance to oily, acne or combination.

    The kit contains Clinical Care Cleanzit Foaming Acne Cleansing Gel, amild, anti-bacterial gel designed with amino acids and anti-inflammatory properties that gently and effectively removes excess oil, environmental impurities and make-up; Clinical Care Destroyzit Zinc, a product whose high concentrations of sulfur and camphor clear blemished skin; Clinical Care Tonezit Oil/Acne Toner, a reviving formula that offers antiseptic properties, which help soften the epidermis, clear clogged follicles and regulate the activity of sebaceous glands; and Controlzone Oil Control Moisturizer, a creme that has astringent, anti-bacterial, anti-septic, anti-inflammatory and healing properties.

    Clinical care products are packed with natural ingredients with a variety of extraordinary benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, softening and invigorating properties.


  • Industry Giants Offer Appreciation to the Military

  • Soldiers and military spouses at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, were treated to an inspirational day of beauty and motivation yesterday, featuring two of the hair industry’s biggest names.

    John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems, and Geno Stampora, salon owner, trainer, author and industry icon, thrilled the crowd with motivational stories and much gratitude for the audience members’ sacrifice for their country.

    Geno Stampora

    Geno Stampora wowed the crowd with his humor and his positive message.

    “We have here spouses and those in arms. It is a privilege to go in front of you to thank you for your service,” said DeJoria. “You all help preserve the American dream.”

    Stampora, who had the audience doubled over in laughter much of the time, told the crowd, “You make the moment matter. You make the day matter.” Heads nodded along as he said, “This base is not a place for ego; it’s a place for heart.”

    DeJoria, who revealed he is an admiral in the Texas Navy (who knew Texas had a Navy?), echoed Stampora’s positive message, “We feel that success unshared is failure.” He added to the military spouses, “You’re already doing it. You’re already giving back.”

    John Paul DeJoria

    John Paul DeJoria blesses and thanked audience members for their service to country.

    DeJoria mentioned the Paul Mitchell brand will have “more unique products coming out” in the coming year, but didn’t provide details. He said that Paul Mitchell hasn’t raised its prices in a couple years — “America doesn’t need that right now.”

    In addition to the speeches, the approximately 300 audience members were invited to fill their NaturallyCurly-donated tote bags with oodles of products provided by a variety of hair care companies, including Aquage, Paul Mitchell, Conair, Circle of Friends, Paul Brown, Sorme and Spornette.

    Students from the Paul Mitchell School in Austin were available to offer product consultations.

    killeen

    A Paul Mitchell School student, right, offers product advice to a military wife.


  • It’s International Curly Day

  • International Curly Day

    It’s time to celebrate International Curly Day!

    It’s a day to celebrate! In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the first day of fall, a day that — symbolically, at least — ushers in cooler temperatures and lower humidity.

    It’s the day we here at NaturallyCurly have decreed International Curly Day, a day to celebrate waves, kinks and curls — textured hair of all types.

    In honor of this day, we’re announcing the winners of our Bathroom Cabinet Contest — the contest where we asked you to throw open wide the doors to your previously secret stash of curl products.

    The entries were so fun — curlies are very creative as to where they store their product! Who knew there were so many possibilities?

    Without further ado, we are pleased announce ~mixedchick~ as the winner in the Most Organized category, and empressri — with her empressive series of no less than 7 images — wins in the Most Chaotic category.

    We offer our deepest thanks to all the Bathroom Cabinet Contest participants.

    Each curlygirl receives a $50 gift certificate to CurlMart and a $50 gift certificate to The Container Store. Have fun shopping, ladies!

    So while ~mixedchick~ and empressri definitely have something to celebrate, so do all curlies, everywhere! Take pride in your gorgeous textured hair. Treat yourself to an ice cream sundae or to a new styler — just treat yourself. You rock, your curls rock — shout it from the rooftops, proud curlygirl!

    Watch our fun International Curly Day video!





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