Black Owned Curly Haircare Brands

I was having an interesting conversation with a friend and they mentioned a few of the haircare brands they use and specified that they were black owned and so I headed to my stash to see what my roundup was. It also sparked a thought, most of these brand owners created their products out of necessity because something was missing in the existing market. Why wouldn’t I use haircare products designed by someone who has hair like me? Make sense right? Today I’m going to give you a starting list of black created and owned haircare brands. Some I have used and some I will be getting into!

1. Miss Jessie’s

Miss Jessie’s is one of the first haircare products I found that worked for my hair! I have used just about every product from Miss Jessie’s and I won’t stop. This brand has never done me wrong. My all time favorite is Pillow Soft Curls. There’s something for everyone from gels, lotions, and leave-ins to cleansers, conditioners, and treatments. Miss Jessie’s was created and founded by stylists and sisters Miko and the late Titi Branch to address the haircare needs of their curly clientele.

2. Mixed Chicks

Me and Mixed Chicks go waaaaayyyy back. I came along in a time where there were very few if any products on the market that addressed the needs of my hair. Shoutout to my mom who found and bought me my first set of curly girl products. She bought me Mixed Chicks shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in. I haven’t used Mixed Chick products in a very long time and back then I definitely didn’t know what I was doing, but I want to get my hands on them again so I can see how they would work for me today. Created and founded by Wendi Levy and Kim Etheredge, they created Mixed Chicks to address the hair issues of the multicultural woman.

3. CURLS

CURLS was created by Mahisha Dellinger to cater to all curls. The CURLS brand includes a few different lines to address different curl needs. Each line is amazing if I do say so myself but I am partial to the Poppin’ Pineapple line see my review here: https://thestylishlife.wordpress.com/2020/05/04/review-curls-poppin-pineapple-collection/ 

4. Camille Rose Naturals

Camille Rose Naturals by Janell Stephens is haircare plus. Camille Rose Naturals has quite the product range from haircare, skincare, and body to a kids line and a home line that includes candles! I recommend the Moroccan Pear Conditioning Custard and the kid’s Sundae Glaze Mandarin Leave-in (my absolute fav!!).

5. Briogeo

I was actually shocked to find out Briogeo was black owned and excited too! I have used several products from Briogeo from a few of their lines. I first found Briogeo at Sephora and now you can buy them at Ulta. Briogeo was created by Nancy Twine from her grandmother’s beauty recipes. Briogeo stands out because all of their products rely on the NOVA complex which includes a blend of natural oils, vitamins, and antioxidants with none of the bad stuff i.e. sulfates, parabens, and silicones. I recommend anything from the Don’t Despair, Repair! strengthening line or the Be Gentle, Be Kind Superfood line (the green one).

6. Pattern

Pattern Beauty is Tracee Ellis Ross’ hair care line formulated specifically for type 3 and 4 curly hair. I have sort of a love hate relationship with Pattern. As I’m writing to you I have Pattern products in my hair lol. See more  info on Pattern here: https://thestylishlife.wordpress.com/2019/10/14/review-pattern-beauty/ and here: https://thestylishlife.wordpress.com/2020/08/03/review-pattern-beauty-new-products/

7. Mielle Organics

Mielle Organics’ CEO and founder Monique Rodriguez created the brand trying to remedy heat and color damage to her own hair. Mielle is a fan favorite in the natural textured hair category. My favorite includes the Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil.

Here are a few notables that may work for you:

• Hair Rules by Mr. Anthony Dickey
• True By Made Beautiful: Owner Dana Pointer
• Kinky-Curly: Founder and creator Shelley Davis

What I’m most looking forward to trying:

• Design Essentials (been meaning to get into this brand for a WHILE): President and CEO Cornell McBride Jr.
• The Doux: Maya Smith, CEO and professional stylist
• Melanin Haircare: Whitney White
• TGIN: Founder and Harvard grad, Chris-Tia Donaldson
• Uncle Funky’s Daughter: Renee Morris

Best part about most of the products above they are inexpensive and can be found at Target/Walmart and most drugstores. I’m thankful for the evolution I am seeing in haircare brands and products for natural, curly, textured, type 3 and 4 hair! The range is steadily growing, the products are quality but not expensive, and accessible! All I can say is keep up the good work and I will continue to support!

#SupportBlackOwnedBusinesses

Live it. Love it. Style it.

Review: Pattern Beauty New Products

Hey hey! Pattern Beauty has new products! If you haven’t already, check out my original review of Pattern Beauty when it first debuted: https://thestylishlife.wordpress.com/2019/10/14/review-pattern-beauty/.

I have already review the shampoo, conditioner, and leave in. Plus general thoughts on the brand.

Today I have two of the new products: the styling cream and the curl gel. Pattern Beauty released several new products but these two were the ones I would actually use out of everything that was released. I bought the travel sizes to start.

I used these products together in a normal wash and go routine. I shampooed and conditioned and then after I detangled I applied the styling cream and then scrunched in the curl gel.

The styling cream:

It is very thick so I did not need much. I felt as though I received enough hydration from this product but it is not a product I would use alone (this product is great for girls with really thick hair (coilies) and perfect for braid/twist outs). I applied the cream to wet hair not slopping wet and not damp but just enough water to hear the squish (if you know you know). I applied it first with my hands and combed through with my fingers then used a Denman brush to “clump” my curls. The only thing I don’t like is the smell- refer to my original post on Pattern Beauty (all the products have the same smell and I don’t like it).

The curl gel:

I was weary of this product because I don’t like most gel products but I know the benefits of a gel product in my routine. Again I hate the smell but I digress, the product consistency was reminiscent of a cream gel (which I love) it was not thick- still I did not use much (fear the crunchy hair). I scrunched it in my hair and then let my hair air dry over night.

First impressions:

These two are products that are worthy of any curly girl. I’m glad I bought travel sizes however I wouldn’t have been mad if I bought full sizes. I will continue to use them. I will repurchase the gel in a full size. The cream was decent but I have others that are better suited for my curls. Overall two thumbs up.

For my glowing thoughts on the brand and owner/creator Tracee Ellis Ross see my previous post but I will say I just love her and there couldn’t have been a better person to design a line of hair care products for curly girls.

My results:

Wet and Dry:

Live it. Love it. Style it.

Curly Girl Must Haves

Curly girls are presented with a very unique set of obstacles with their hair but we also learn and hone a very unique skill set. We know exactly what tools we need! Now this comes from a lot of trial and error but never the less I will share what I have learned as a light to new curlies so their struggle won’t be as real as mine was!

I have type 3B curls, I’m right in the middle not super tight but not wavy. My curls crave moisture and so does my scalp.

I look for products that don’t have ingredients that harm my hair or add to problems I’m trying to eliminate. For me not a lot of alcohols they can be drying, no parabens or phylates which are chemicals used for preservative properties but are harmful to the makeup of curly hair, and no sulfates.

Also for me, I’m heat free. I haven’t applied heat to my hair in about four years now. There are ways to use heat on your hair in a healthy way but I choose to wear my curls no matter what.

Once you get a few basics down for what you want and what your hair needs the rest is pretty easy these days. There are so many products and methods out there now for how to take proper care of your curly hair. At this point it really is just trial and error. Somethings work better than others, some products work better than others.

Products/Brands in my current rotation:

I say rotation because your hair can become accustom to the products you use which is why it’s not bad to switch it up now and then. Curly girls almost have to become product junkies.

1. Bounce Curl: leave in, cream gel, clump and define cream
2. Curls: pineapple shampoo/conditioner, leave in
3. Cantu: leave in cream
4. Miss Jessie’s: pillow soft curls

Must have tools for curly girls:

1. wide tooth comb
2. brush (only when your hair is wet!)
3. shower cap
4. scrunchies
5. scarves/bonnets/caps (maybe a satin/silk pillow case)
6. spray bottle/mister

Products/brands I can’t wait to get my hands on:

1. Verb!!!!!
2. more Bounce Curl
3. Raw Sugar

Please share your tips and tricks and questions with me!

Live it. Love it. Style it.

 

 

Review: Pattern Beauty

Happy Monday! I have a review for you guys today! We’re talking hair! Recently Tracee Ellis Ross debuted her hair care line, Pattern Beauty. This line is formulated specifically for hair types 3 and 4 and includes: shampoo, conditioner, a leave in, two serums, and hair care accessories.

I was extremely excited for this line for two reasons I LOVE Tracee Ellis Ross and the fact that the line was formulated specifically for hair types 3 and 4. If you don’t know the hair types here is a crash course:

Hair types are from 1 to 4 and they are further broken down within each type. For example type 3 hair is broken down into 3a, 3b, and 3c.

Type 1 is straight or little to no curl hair.

Type 2 is wavy hair.

Type 3 is curly hair.

Type 4 is coily hair.

Then the a, b, and c tell you the degree of tightness within each type. I’m a 3b. I have curly hair but my curls are in the middle they aren’t loose but they aren’t super tight. Once you’ve figured out your hair type then you’ll know which products to choose from the line.

The hydrating shampoo is for everybody and it’s name says it all. I absolutely love the shampoo and will repurchase. It does not strip my hair, it cleanses and leaves my hair feeling manageable.

I use the medium conditioner for curlies. The conditioner comes in medium, heavy, and intensive depending on your hair type. I feel like it does it’s job but there is nothing to set it apart from other conditioners on the market. I also HATE the smell. The big pro is that the conditioners come in larger sizes, not the exact same size as the shampoo, because all curlies know that the shampoo to conditioner ratio is never the same. We use waaaaay more conditioner than shampoo and the bottle sizes reflect that! Great job there!

I picked up the leave in conditioner as well. Again this one is the same as the in shower conditioner nothing special here. I’ve got other leave ins that do the job for me and again the smell here is not great. I will finish what I have but there are better leave ins out there for me.

The line also includes: two hair serums, an in shower brush,  a microfiber towel, and a hair clip. The best thing about the line is the minis! If you just want to try it out or you want travel sizes Pattern has you covered.

Overall I’m highly pleased with the product line because of the direction behind it and the message. Tracee Ellis Ross definitely knew what she was doing with this development. I feel like this is definitely a FUBU moment (for us by us). Tracee created this product line out of necessity. She grew up and has gone through trials and tribulations with her hair as most of us have and she decided to do something about it and I commend her!

I think Pattern Beauty is a step in the right direction for hair care for textured hair. It is definitely worthy of product shelves everywhere. Although every product didn’t work for me I cannot say enough great things about this line, the message behind the line, and the creation of this line. #RockYourPattern

If you are curious definitely give Pattern Beauty a try! Purchases of Pattern Beauty support programs for women and people of color.

Live it. Love it. Style it.