Forget the fancy veils and tiaras. Put roses in your ringlets; tuck a calla lily into your curls.

To show off some of the fresh flower bridal possibilities, NaturallyCurly.com gathered six curly models — along with a generous selection of calla lilies, ranunculus, hydrangeas, roses, peonies and proteas — at Austin’s Ann Kelso Salon and CitySpa. The stylists used the wedding dresses and each model’s curl type and personal style to inspire them.

Blooming Brides

of

Hot Accessories

Fresh flowers are one of the hottest hair accessories for brides, bridesmaids and flower girls, according to wedding planners.

MORE: How to Select A Wedding Day Hairstylist: My Story

Ideal for Texture

Flowers work especially well with curls and kinks, which have the texture to hold them.

MORE: Best Bridal Beauty Tips 

Subtle or Statement

Flowers can be used as a subtle accent or a dramatic fashion statement, depending on what varieties you select and how you arrange them.

WATCH: Curly Hair Bride Video

Formal & Informal

Fresh flowers are suitable for all ages and appropriate for both formal and informal events. The type of flower you choose can vary from casual with daisies, for example, to more formal buds like roses.

Bridal Party

Flowers can easily be coordinated with the rest of your bridal party. Smaller buds can be incorporated into the hairstyles of bridesmaids and flower girls.

MORE: How to Get Kate Middleton’s Royal Wedding Hairstyle

Fresh All Day

There are specially preserved flowers that you can use, that have been dried in a way to keep them looking good throughout your special day.

Expert Tip

To prevent wilting, dip your flowers in a anti-transrespirant, which seals in the moisture.

 

Cost-Friendly

Flowers are an easy, yet noticeable way to add a unique touch to a wedding without spending a lot of money.

MORE: Wedding Hairstyle With Curlformers

Any Hairstyle

Flowers can be incorporated into almost any wedding hairstyle, whether one’s hair is pulled half-way up, completely up or simply styled.

Finishing Touch

Flowers need not be the focal point of your look. If your dress or neckline is already intricate, you can use a simple bud or two for a subtle finishing touch.

MORE: DIY Wavy Wedding Hairstyles 

A Finished Look

“It’s a way to have a more finished look,” says Kathi Thomas, an Austin floral artist with Kathi Thomas Designs, who created a headband of stephanotis and gardenias for her own wedding.

MORE: Wedding Hair Trends to Love 

The Full Look

MORE: The Wedding Dress and the ‘Do 

Timing

“The flowers shouldn’t go in more than an hour or two before the wedding,” Thomas says.

MORE: 3 Biggest Wedding Hair Crises and How to Solve Them

Outdoor Wedding

“For an outdoor wedding, put them in right before you go out.”

 MORE: Mother-of-the-Bride Hair Tips

Curly Bride

Have Them Wired

The bride can have flowers from her bouquet individually wired to make them easier for the hairstylist to position.

Accessories

Another option is to have flowers attached to a hair comb or clip.

An Alternative

Silk flowers are another good option for brides who want the look of fresh flowers but want more longevity. 

Variety of Silks

They are available in a variety of colors and styles and can be reused for other occasions.

Stay In Tact

They are guaranteed not to wilt or wither throughout the course of the event, regardless of the temperature or humidity level.

MORE: 7 Worst Curly Haircut Mistakes

Light & Easy

Silk hair flowers require less maintenance, and tend to be lighter than their “real” counterparts.

Range of Options

Your floral piece can range from a single full blossom to several small buds to an elaborate combination of several varieties.

MORE: DIY Coily Wedding Hairstyles

 

Consultation

Be sure to let your hairstylist know beforehand that you would like to use your wedding flowers in your look, so that they can incorporate them into your hairstyle.

MORE: Adventures in Wedding Hair 

Embellishments

Flowers also can be combined with other decorative items such as beads or jeweled bobby pins to add an interesting touch. 

Special thanks to:

Ann Kelso Salon + CitySpa

Stylists: Brooke Michie, Jason
Kirkpatrick, Meredith Herndon
and Maya Nusbaum
Makeup Artist: Heather Belanger
Gowns: Alexia Gavela Bridal, Austin, Texas
Jewelry: Lisa Harrison, available at Aviary, 512-916-4445
Photographer: Rudolfo Gonzalez

Softsheen-Carson Dark & Lovely recently launched the Au Naturale line specifically for natural styles. The Au Naturale Anti-Shrinkage maintenance and styling line is infused with mango oil and bamboo milk to provide all-day hydration, elongation, definition and nourishment for all curl types. The Au Naturale line includes a Hydrating Soak Shampoo, Knot-Out Conditioner, Curl Defining Crème Glaze, Coil Moisturizing Soufflé, Sheen Sealing Nectar and 10-IN-1 Styles Gelee, which contain no drying alcohols, mineral oil petrolatum or parabens.

NaturallyCurly sat down with Softsheen-Carson educator and natural hair afficionado Mezei Jefferson to talk texture.

We wanted to know

NC: When did you begin to see more women transitioning to natural hair?

Jefferson: I began to see more women go natural about six years ago in Chicago. More women — including my own sisters — were becoming more concerned about chemicals damaging their hair, and started to wait longer and longer between relaxers. At the time no one knew they were transitioning. It just happened.

NC: What are your biggest tips for women thinking of making the transition?

Jefferson: Make sure to keep your ends trimmed at least every 6-8 weeks. Deep condition often. Also, after about three to four months of transitioning, start to use less heat and stop straightening your hair. Straightening and excessive heat can cause protein loss and can cause your natural curl pattern to lose definition.

NC: What are some of the hottest natural hair styles?

Jefferson: The current hottest natural trends are twist outs. They are easy to do at home and look amazing. I’m also seeing a lot of braid outs and flat twist outs to create nice waves and corkscrew effects.

NC: Tell me about the new Au Naturale line and what makes it unique?

Jefferson: The Au Naturale line is amazing and has a full line of products for natural hair. All of the products contain mango oil and bamboo milk for an anti-shrinkage recipe to give your curls and coils all day elongation. We have a curl product for all curls and coils.

NC: What is your favorite product in the Au Naturale line?

Jefferson: My favorite product in the line is the Coil Moisturizing Soufflé. It is for tightly curled to coiled hair, and provides moisture to hair without stickiness or weighing hair down.

Paul Mitchell educator LaDonna Dryer knows a little about working with coilier hair textures. She’s a 4c herself, and her Savannah, Ga. salon, he Said…she Said Salon in Savannah, Ga., has a large clientele of women who have transitioned from relaxers to natural hair. So she brought a unique perspective to “The Truth About Curls” campaign to launch the Paul Mitchell Curls line.

LaDonna believes it’s an exciting time for natural women.

“I see a lot of people making the transition,” says Dryer, who transitioned herself. “I didn’t think I would be natural. I cut it really short and wondered what would happen if I never put a relaxer in again.”

These days, Dryer fully embraces her natural hair, wearing it in a 2-strand twist one day or an afro puff the next.

NaturallyCurly’s own Michelle Breyer asked Dryer to provide her top tips for natural women.

Michelle Breyer: What are some of your top tips to help women who are transitioning?

LaDonna Dryer: One of the biggest challenges when you go natural is to retain the moisture in your hair. Using sulfate-free shampoos is key. They help a lot in terms of keeping the cuticle calm and retaining that moisture. I really like the new Paul Mitchell Curls Spring Loaded Shampoo, which is ultra moisturizing and sulfate free.

The second most important thing is to condition. There are different kinds of moisturizing conditioners, and one size doesn’t fit all. Even baby fine hair may need some type of moisture, but maybe not something as heavy as you’d use on tight coils. I like that Paul Mitchell offers several moisturizing conditioners to choose from. There’s The Rinse, a light conditioner designed to deposit moisture where it’s needed; the Tea Trea Lavender Mint Conditioner, a heavier conditioner; and the Super-Charged Moisturizer, an intense hydrating treatment. You have to find the right moisturizing plan for your hair.

MORE: Paul Mitchell Launches “The Truth About Curls”

MB: What are some tips for natural hair styles?

LD: Obviously you let it be free. We do something in the salon called the Mo ‘Fro (Modern ‘Fro). Other options are 2-strand twists and coils. When people come into the salon and want something more intricate, I may do a 2-strand twist or coils in the salon, but I show them how they can do it themselves at home.

I like to use Paul Mitchell Full Circle Leave-In Treatment to soften up the hair, and sometimes I’ll use it as a styling product. For coarser textures with a tighter curl, I may use the Paul Mitchell Curl Ultimate Wave to get some stretch. If I don’t want to manipulate the curl and just want to enhance what’s there, I use the Twirl Around Crunch-Free Curl Definer.

Another one of my secrets is to use the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Styling Treatment Oil to prep the hair. It gives a good sheen to the hair without making it to heavy.

Other good options for added definition are Paul Mitchell Foaming Pommade and Paul Mitchell Super Sculpt. I find that I can use a lot of Foaming Pommade — about an ounce all over the head. Let it air dry, and you get a nice defined curl.

MORE: Paul Mitchell The Gathering Opens with Dazzling Style Showcase

MB: What other options do you offer for clients transitioning to natural hair?

LD: Blowouts are still big. The client may like the look of relaxers but they don’t want to use chemicals. But I do warn them if you use a flat iron or blowdryer all the time, you will lose your curl pattern. It doesn’t always take a chemical to straighten the hair. If you are natural and like your natural curl, you need to take a break from heat styling so your hair doesn’t lose the curly texture it has.

MB: What are your favorite product cocktails?

LD: There’s a difference between cocktailing and layering products. I may prep the hair with the Awapuhi Styling Treatment Oil and then layer the Ultimate Wave and/or Twirl Around on top of it. It depends on the texture, the style and the degree of dryness.

One guest could come in with extremely dry hair and it’s necessary to cocktail with more shine-inducing and moisture-inducing products. I’ll put her on a treatment program, with regular deep conditioning. The more I do that, the less I need to cocktail styling products.

MORE: Paul Mitchell Launches New Curly Line!

MB: There are some people with coilier hair textures who wonder whether the new Paul Mitchell products are made for their hair?

LD: I think there are a lot of misconceptions that it’s not for type 4s. I have to admit that before I came to the company, I wondered whether they had products that would work for my type 4c hair. Education opened up my eyes to what Paul Mitchell products can do for hair like mine. Paul Mitchell has had products for a long time that work well for my hair. I think the new Paul Mitchell Curl product made it easier for people with all textures to identify with the products.

MB: Any tips on how best to use the new Paul Mitchell Curl products for type 4 hair textures?

LD: You have to properly emulsify the styling products in your hands and work them through the hair. You’ve got to work it through.

For my natural looks, I’ll use Full Circle first. I also use Ultimate Wave and occasionally. Then, I’ll add the Awapuhi Styling Treatment Oil because I like the way it feels.

MORE: Trying Out the New Paul Mitchell Curl Line

For years, John Paul Mitchell Systems Sculpting Foam and Foaming Pomade have been Holy Grail products for curlies. But the company wasn’t willing to sit on its laurels. They wanted to create a line of products that spoke to the curlies of the world — women who “describe their curls with sounds,” according to Robert Cromeans, the company’s flamboyant Global Artistic Director.

“During our conversations with curly-haired people, we were struck by the highly emotional relationship they have with their hair,” says Nikola Cline, Senior Director of Marketing for JPMS. “We heard some really honest, cathartic and touching stories about life with curls. It was time for us to create a collection of products that would help people embrace their natural curl rather than fight it.”

Read More: Paul Mitchell Launches New Curly Line!

If Fox’s popular dancing show “So You Think You Can Dance” is a microcosm of what’s happening in popular culture, then texture has arrived in full force. Rather than the tightly controlled buns once associated with dancers, curls, waves and coils were on display every week as the dancers twirled, plied and leaped their way through the routines.

The four finalists, Eliana Girard, Chehon Wespi-Tschopp, Cyrus Spencer and Tiffany Maher, spanned the texture spectrum, from 2b to 4b, long and flowing waves to a ‘fro hawk. The female winner, Girard, wore her 3b bob curly nearly every week, smashing the stereotype of how a ballet dancer should look and, I’m sure, prompting many of the curlies to run to their stylists with photos of the charismatic dancer.

These dancers proved once again that the old rules no longer apply. Individuality can be celebrated rather than hidden, whether on stage or in the office.

So You Think You Can Dance

Eliana Girard and Chehon Wespi-Tschopp chat with curly DancePlug host Brittany Perry-Russell!

by Walter Baker

As I attended my last show at NYC Fashion Week Sunday, I had a full appreciation of the power of fashion. I loved watching the gorgeous gowns go down the runway — gowns that had power to take your breath away and cause an entire audience to gasp in amazement. But something was bothering me.

The streets of New York are a broad spectrum of fashion and beauty. You see it in so many forms, on the subways and sidewalks of the city every day. Whenever I’m in New York, I’m constantly snapping photos of people I see around the city. The audiences reflected this diversity — from the fashion editors to the bloggers to the celebrities. Although there were exceptions, the shows were dominated by models with one look: tall, lithe, perfect creatures with long straight hair. Yes, the talented stylists created amazing looks with that hair – beautiful waves and elaborate buns that complimented the designers’ collections. But there was a disconnect.

I thought back to Texture on The Runway, the show that TextureMedia produced during February Fashion Week. The vision was to create a show that enabled brands and their stylists to showcase texture. The models on the catwalk that night spanned a range of ethnicities, showing that there is no one standard of beauty. I thought, a  show like Texture on the Runway would eventually be obsolete because every runway would eventually reflect that diversity.

Unfortunately, that time hasn’t come yet. But I’m hopeful it will soon.

Here are some of my favorite looks from Fashion Week.

In July, Beautiful Textures Hair Care set out to find a fashionista to cover New York Fashion Week for NaturallyCurly.com. Kala Garner took New York by storm.

Kala was chosen from more than 500 amazing entries, all unique and creative. It was difficult to narrow it down to 10, who provided vlogs of why they should be selected. All of them were incredible. Garner, who has her own YouTube Channel and web site, stood out with her sense of humor and charisma that jumped off the screen.

Read More: 2012 Fall Fashion Week Trends

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is always an inspiring experience. This year’s Spring 2013 show was no different. I felt like I had severe ADD as I ran between shows and venues, surrounded by the most amazing, eclectic styles. Those in the audience provided as much inspiration as the the models strutting down the runway.

Although I loved the feminine, lacy, pastel gowns on the runways at such shows as Charlotte Ronson, Christian Siriano and Jill Stuart, my eye was drawn to the hairstyles. By the end of the weekend, some definite trends became evident. Here are a few of my favorites.

Top 5 Fall 2012 Fashion Week Trends

1. Buns

Whether it was the delicate ballet-inspired hairstyles created by Aveda’s Antoinette Beenders at Christian Siriano or the messy curly bun of a beauty editor watching, the bun was a definite fashion statement. These weren’t chignons – pulled back tight and controlled at the nape. They were buns. Some were carefully pinned up and some were more haphazard. They were worn by old and young alike, those with curls and those with straight locks, men and women.

Read More: How to Make a Perfect Curly Bun

This weekend is the opening weekend for “Brave,” Pixar’s latest effort and first feature film led by a female protagonist.

The movie has gotten a lot of buzz from the curlies of the world because of curly-haired Merida, a princess who does everything possible to resist her fate in a male-driven medieval society.

On a blog post about the film by Jessica McGuinty of Jessicurl, one of the comments reads: ”I heard this thing on NPR news this morning and they had to create special software just to do her hair. Too funny. Even animated curls require special treatment…”

For Jessica McGuinty, the movie took on a greater meaning due to the uncanny resemblance between her and Merida. So she decided to play it up to celebrate the opening.

How she got the look:

Jessica says, “I did everything I normally wouldn’t do. It worked!”

1. She put in more Jessicurl Too Shea than usual to make her haircurls softer and bigger, following it with Jessicurl Rockin’ Ringlets.
2. She followed that with Jessicurl Confident Coils, raking it in more than usual to make it looser and bigger instead of tighter and more defined.
3. She took the diffuser off for the last 2 minutes of blow drying to fluff it up.
4. She drove to the photo shoot as fast as she could with the top down on her Miata to make it as big as possible.
5. Right before the photo was taken, she bent over and “fluffed it like crazy from the roots.”

Jessica’s musings on “Brave” from her blog:

By now you must know of the (seemingly) awesome movie coming out tomorrow called “Brave”. It stars Merida, the heroine who, by all accounts, goes against the norms of her traditions and society as much as her large, big, red curls would suggest. The curly hair world has been all abuzz about this movie for months now, clearly. The general consensus seems to be, FINALLY! One of us! The heroine, not the geek in the background getting called mushroom head or chia pet! (These are all presumptions of course, as the movie doesn’t debut until tomorrow.) I think it’s safe to say though, that Merida prevails as the hero at the end of this movie AND that she’s able to do it without straightening her lovely curls as might be done in other movies.

Ever since the trailer began airing for this film, many, many, MANY of you wrote to me by Facebook, Twitter and email saying you see a pretty strong resemblance between me and Merida. Nah…REALLY? SO, since that just kept coming up again and again, I thought it’d be fun to grab my awesome photographer Terrence, borrow a bow and arrow and head out in to the woods to take a Brave-esque photo of our own. And I was right — it WAS fun. We got a few strange looks, but I’m used to that by now.

But this whole “Brave” thing is so much more than a cool picture or a charming movie, at least to me. I talk to a lot of curlies all over the country with all different hair types and it sounds like a common theme is that to do what we’re doing — to embrace our curls, to LOVE our curls — is something that initially feels quite brave. For me, it felt brave to stop wearing my hair in a bun every single day for 4 years and finally let it loose and curly. For MANY of you the bravest thing you’ve done, hair-wise, was to stop relaxing, do the Big Chop, and allow your natural hair to grow out in all its curly glory. This is NOT just about hair and you and I know it.

It’s about choosing to step out into the world and make a statement for which earlier in your life you may have been ridiculed. Maybe you’ll STILL be ridiculed by someone close to you. That’s scary. But you’re doing it. And THAT is brave. You’re telling the world that your hair is just fine the way you were born, thank you very much!

What does it mean to you to finally have a curly heroine in a movie like “Brave”? 

Almost 25 years ago, my curls and I moved from California to Texas — low humidity California to off-the-charts muggy Texas. Up to this point, I had fought my curls with a vengeance through every method imaginable — chemicals, appliances, products and otherwise. I endured horrible nicknames like Bozo. But the heat and humidity of Texas were going to change my hair and my life forever.

Bitching to Beginning

In the mid-1990s, I was working at the Austin newspaper when I bonded with a few other curlies. We would have daily bitch sessions about our hair, the frizz, the lack of products, the latest nightmare hair cut (No, “the Rachel” from Friends does not work on 3b curls). We were at a party having another of our bitch fests when a friend overheard us.

“Do you always talk about your hair this much?” he asked

“Pretty much. Do you have a problem with that?” we said, after one too many mimosas.

“Have you ever thought of starting a magazine or web site for people like you?” he asked.

We proceeded to get on the computer, do a search and discover that no web site existed for curly hair. Of course, our whole lives we had known there were no resources for people like us, having scoured through the annual hair issues of beauty magazines to discover, yet again, that curly hair didn’t seem to exist for beauty editors. If there was curly hair on a model, the goal was to fix or straighten it.

Over the next few months, we created our vision of what a curly web site could be. My neighbor’s 13-year-old son created our first website, complete with the Frieda logo and her animated curls. NaturallyCurly.com was born.

That was 14 years ago this September. The world today is a much different place than it was when we started the site. Today, there are thousands of products designed especially for curls, coils and waves. There is a growing legion of stylists who have made texture their specialty, with special techniques that help accentuate rather than fight natural texture. Women around the globe are now trading their relaxers for natural styles.

Read More: My Renewed Love Affair with Mousse