Kurlee Belle Kurlee Textures Guide Book

A few months ago, #TeamKurleeBelle sat down for a brainstorming session on finding ways to help Kurlee Hair women care for their hair. We understand that naturally curly hair requires lots of TLC and sometimes the process can be frustrating. We decided to create a guidebook that would make the Kurlee Girl’s life a little easier— a guidebook that would take away the guessing when it came to natural hair products and hair care regimens. A guidebook that was straight forward in addressing her (the Kurlee Girl’s) hair issues. Kurlee Textures Guide offers guidance for Wavy Hair, Curly Hair, Kinky Curly Hair and Kinky Coily Hair types and addresses “What the Hair Looks Like”, “What It Needs”, “Suggested Products” and “Style Options”. In the process, we had the opportunity to work with some AMAZING Kurlee Hair beauties (like our cover model @simplybiancaalexa ) and the talented @thatArtista on the lovely illustrations and design of the guidebook. The guidebook was made to make the Kurlee Girl’s life a little easier! Enjoy! 

Love, KurleeBelle

Cover Model: @simplybiancaalexa

Founder & CEO: @terrinique

Wavy Hair Inspired by: @style_dose

Curly Hair Inspired by: @sensualsierra

Kinky Curly Hair Inspired by: @heygorjess

Kinky Coily Hair Inspired by: @askProy

Illustration and design by: @thatArtista

For More about Kurlee Belle visit www.kurleebelle.com 

Rihanna or Beyonce?

I am really loving this new natural look on Rihanna. These photos taken this weekend of Rihanna in Barbados reminds me so much of Beyonce.....you be the judge.

Natural Hair and The Gym!

I remember my relaxer days like it was yesterday. With a relaxer, I was limited in the amount of activities I could partake in. 

#1- Swimming in the ocean or the pool had to be planned in advance. I'm talking hair appointment booked the day after my water extravaganza. 

#2- Umbrella always on deck. A mini umbrella in my purse, one in the car and one in the house just in case. Switched purses and forgot umbrella meant a day of anxiety attacks if the sky showed any signs of gray. 

#3- Club smoke a no no…I was so happy when the state of North Carolina passed the law banning smoking in public places. 

# 4- The Gym-------

My biggest excuses for not going to the gym: 

#1-Did not want to sweat my perm out. 

#2- Did not want to wear a headscarf in the gym because everyone would look at me like I was from the cast of "The Color Purple". 

#3- The maintenance of fixing my hair after the sweat fest was too much. 

I remember looking at other races working out hard in the gym. ---I mean running for miles and dripping sweat. ---I would think to myself " I wish I could do that." Finally, I realized that the only thing stopping me was my laziness. I had made excuses about my hair and it's maintenance and in the process my overall health was suffering. So I decided to hit the gym hard (head scarf and all) and as a result I lost twenty pounds (in 2008) which I have kept off to this day. 

2008 was a good year for me and my overall health. I started working out regularly and stopped chemically relaxing my hair (July 2008- Nappy Anniversary). If you are a transitioner or all natural here are a few tips that I learned to keep my hair in place while burning calories: 

#1- If you usually wear an afro or curly style, no slip headbands are a must. Sliding the headband around your hair helps to keep the hair away from your face. 

#2 Bobby pins- Are a no brainer of course. Secure hair in a stylish undo so you can still look cute at the gym. Works for naturals and transitioners. 

#3- For easy to go styles- Twist/braid hair in sections and tuck back in a ponytail or undo with bobby pins. If you sweat on your scalp, you can rinse the twists/braids in the shower and let dry for a fresh twist/braid out. 

#4- If you don't sweat on your scalp a head scarf tied neatly around your head with hair out in the middle is always an option. 

Feel free to add to this list. 

Who said guys couldn't be curly?

They must not have seen Troy Polamalu. His hair is fierce and his face isn't bad either. If I had Troy's hair.......you finish the sentence.

Do you have hair envy? #naturalhair

Hair Envy- is a disease that lasts for about 2 minutes and is contracted when you see someone with fabulous hair and think to yourself "darn" I wish I had hair like that. 

The good news about this disease is that it is not life threatening. It can be cured by simply taking better care of your hair. 

Remember Rudy from the Cosby show or Ashley from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? I am sure you do. As a child, I had always envied their hair. Now that I am grown and so are they, I have noticed that they still have beautiful hair. Watching both ladies grow has allowed me to  see their hair journey. Rudy would always have cute little braided puffs and Ashley would have a ponytail with curls in the back. Today, both ladies transition between wearing their hair straight or curly and they look fabulous doing it. 

The one common denominator of both child actresses is that their hair were relaxer free. Maybe genetics played a vital role in their beautiful tresses but I am sure that not having a relaxer was just as important to maintaining their beautiful hair. 

Whose hair do you envy?

Ever looked in the mirror and thought "ugh my hair looks dry and brittle"? #naturalhair

Other than your beautiful face, your hair is usually the second thing that people see when they look at you. Hair allows you to express yourself and change up your look. Whether your feeling classy or eclectic, it can all be accomplished through hair. A new hairstyle can make you look older, sexy, or younger. So it is very important to take extra special care of one of your most important assets. Here are some helpful tips for beautiful hair. 

H20 (WATER)

We are all guilty of not drinking enough H20...well I know I am. When your body is deprived of essential nutrients it tends to pull those nutrients from parts of the body that don't need as much and unfortunately the hair is one of them. Dry, brittle hair is a sign that your body is lacking water or moisture. Brittle hair appears dull and is easily broken with the least amount of stress. The sun, harsh chemicals and heat are also culprits of dry brittle hair. Natural oils (sebum) produced by the scalp have a harder time reaching the ends of curly because of its shape. Drinking lots of water can aid in sebum production. 

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I DRINK?

About 8 8oz. glasses a day. Thats about 4 1/2 Deer Park individual size bottles. The summer is coming up which means your probably going to sweat more. You should always "up" your water consumption during times of excessive perspiration. 

PROTECT YOUR HAIR

Protective styles are not just for when you feel like being lazy. They actually serve a greater purpose and that is to protect your hair. Frequent blow drying, teasing, tucking and pulling can do a number on your strands. Try and protect your hair as much as possible from stressful styles, the sun and harsh chemicals. The key to length retention is to protect those ends. 

MOISTURIZE YOUR HAIR

Nature has provided us with a ton of moisturizers that can leave our hair smooth and strong. Using oils and butters like argan oil (Moroccan oil), macadamia oil, coconut oil, and cupuacua butter are great ways to treat your hair. They can help protect it from the sun and strengthen strands. Well nourished and moisturized hair will not only look healthy but be healthy. 

What to look for in cleansers, conditioners and curl cremes.

Do you care what you put on your hair? Well you should. Here is a simple guide that will help you when searching for products. 

Cleanser (Shampoo)- Sulfate-free products only please. Ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate should be avoided. These ingredients are harsh chemicals found in detergents that strip the hair. Would you wash your hair with Tide or Gain? I hope not.  

Conditioner/ Curl cremes-  Look for conditioners that contain emollients, humectants and moisturizers. Products that contain high concentrations of plant based ingredients are a keeper.  

• Emollients soften the hair and reduce frizz. Look for words like shea butter, vegetable oils, olive oil, walnut oil, jojoba oil, cetyl ester and wheat germ. 
• Humectants absorb water and are critical for conditioned hair. Look for words like panthenol, vegetable glycerin and sorbitol. 
• Moisturizers add softness and controls curls. Look for words like amino acids, aloe vera, olive oil, balm mint extracts and propylene glycol. 
• Avoid Silicones: this is a synthetic material that repels water and is not biodegradable. Essentially preventing the hair from absorbing moisture. 
• Avoid Petroleum/Mineral Oil: this accumulates on the scalp, clogs the hair follicles and encourages dirt and build up. Petroleum is a temporary solution to making the hair look healthy and shiny. It's like spanx. They make you look slimmer but when you take them off your back to square one. :) 

Please note: Ingredients are listed in order of concentration. The product contains more of the first ingredient listed on the label than the last listed ingredient. 

THIS IS ONLY A GUIDE.