(Updated) Jill Scott - Back to an Afro?

NAACP Image Awards - February 2012

Jill Scott in concert

A few weeks ago I posted some pictures of celebrities as the NAACP Image Awards. Jill Scott was there  and looked lovely with an asymmetrical bob. At the time I wondered if she pressed it, or relaxed her hair.  



Now there are some new Jill Scott photos floating around, and she's got a head full of what looks like natural hair. Do you think it's a wig? I love it, love her, and I love that she is always changing her look and isn't afraid to try new things. Whatever she's done, I always think of her as a natural hair ambassador.

Concert - close up...

 Images via mediatakeout.com

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UPDATED

The answer is YES! Jill seems to have BC'd as evidenced by
July 6th concert! I love the look!!!

In February it looked like a pressed out or relaxed bob, in March it was a full and fluffy 'fro. Now it's Summertime and Ms. Scott has changed it up once again! How do you like the TWA? 

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Recent Celebrity Sightings....

October 2012 - GORGEOUS TWA
Ms. Scott looks lovely

Jill Scott has made the cover of the October 2012 issue of Essence Magazine....here is a retrospective of her  past covers (and various hairstyles....)

May 2010

September 2007

August 2004

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On the sad occasion of Chris Lighty's memorial service in NYC yesterday celebrities including LL Cool J, Sean Combs, Lloyd Banks, Nick Cannon, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, and Macy Gray came out to mourn. Lighty was a talent manager and owner of Violator, a multi-media management and marketing company. He has also been credited with bringing hip hop to the mainstream.  

(Photo credit: Christopher Peterson/Splash News). Source 1, 2. 

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(Updated Again) Naturals on a New Season of TV...



The full cast....

The modern re-make of Steel Magnolias is debuting on Lifetime on Sunday, October 7th at 9:00 p.m. Tune in to see Phylicia Rashad (Clarice), Alfre Woodard (Oiser), Condola Rashad (Shelby), Jill Scott (Truvy), and Adeporo Oduye (Annelle).  The ladies also did some promotional shots for the movie, so I added a few below:

Glamour shot, Adeporo Oduye as Annelle.
I think her hair was styled with a small roller set.

Fab, as usual, Jill Scott as Truvy.
Pressed, weaved?

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Here are some photos from the premier:

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The networks have been holding their upfronts  - or previews for the upcoming television season over the past few weeks. There are many new and interesting shows coming, and guess what?! Naturals have made it to prime time...I guess that's happened before, but it is nice to see that black women are being shown in more than one light, and all over network television.

Tempestt Bledsoe of the Cosby Show (a childhood favorite), is back on NBC with the show, Guys With Kids, where she co-stars as Anthony Anderson's (Gary) wife, Marny. The show premiers Wednesday, September 26th at 8:30 p.m. 



They have twins on the show!

Also, we saw some pictures of Kimberly Elise last week, when her new show, Bounce, was picked up by VH1 as its second scripted television show. It will also star Dean Cain (remember Lois & Clark?) and Charlotte Ross. It's about a professional dance team for the most popular basketball team in the league. Kimberly Elise plays a former "Devil Girl", whose daughter is now a current member of the squad. No date or time has been announced for the premier episode.

'Fro in full effect....



Straight - how do you like it?
Looks healthy.... Do you think
it will be straight on the show?





I also came across a photo for a new comedy, Emily Owens, M.D., about an intern's first year at a hospital and all of the cliques and politics and pressures, and saw that the cast included a natural. Her name is Kelly McCreary while her character, Tyra Granger, seems like she will play the best friend/sidekick role. And apparently, the young lady on the far right, Aja Naomi King (Cassandra Kopelson), plays her popular high school nemesis and fellow intern. The show will premier Tuesday, October 16th at 9:00 p.m.

Kelly McCreary, far left & Aja Naomi King, far right

   

Images via Gett Images, Essence.com, NBC.com, Lifetimetv.com, huffingtonpost.com and the CW.com

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Top 10 Most Popular Natural Hair Styles for Little Girls

Braids, twists, cornrows, twist outs, beads, oh my! I know how overwhelming it is looking for natural hair styles for little girls on our blog with hundreds of styles to choose from. I'm here to share with you the top 10 most viewed (on Beads, Braids & Beyond) natural hair styles for our curly and kinky haired gals!

Number 1 - Natural Hair Styles for Little Girls: Cornrows & Twist Out - Flat Twists & Twist Out
I guess it's no surprise that a simple but pretty hair style like this one is number one at 44k+ views. This style is very easy as long as you know how to cornrow. Basic cornrows with a twist out topped off with some cute bows from Gymboree and your little lady is good to go! Read more...

Number 2 - Little Girls Natural Hairstyles: Twist Out's + Puff with Twisted Bang

With 28k+ views and counting this post showcasing three completely different little girls hair types comes in a strong second. Cornrows, twist outs, puffs, what's not to love here? Read more...

Number 3 - Half Cornrows & Twist Out

Over 21k+ views! As you can see, cornrows and twist outs are very popular for African American and biracial little girls. I'll echo what I said for number 1, this style is very simple as long as you know how to cornrow. The cornrow pattern is slightly different here but nothing too intricate. Read more...

Number 4 - Side Cornrows into Sister (Rope) Twists

One of my personal favorite hair styles for my little girl! Coming in fourth at 20k+ views. Inspired by singer and actress  Jill Scott and the beautiful Tiashauntee of Her Best Hair. Not only is this style cute, but it stays put for up to two weeks if cared for properly. We love protective styles for little girls as long as they are not done too tightly. Read more...

Number 5 - Natural Box Braids

Ah, yes. Back to the basics. Over 18k+ views, natural box braids comes in at number 5! What little girl doesn't love to swing her braids? Not a care in the world. Dress the braids up with beads or barrettes or keep it simple with bows or a headband. Curl the braids. Put the braids in ponytails. The possibilities are endless! The best part? They can last 4+ weeks with proper care! Happy mommy and child! Read more...

Stop by later this week to see the remaining styles in our Top 10 Most Popular Natural Hair Styles for Little Girls series and see if your favorite style made the cut!

Of course these are just the top 10 most viewed styles on our blog so these may not be your top 10 hair styles for natural little girls. 

I'm curious to know; did your favorite hair style make the list? If so, which one? If not, what is your favorite natural hair style for your little girl? Better yet, feel free to share pictures of your favorite style on our new Facebook page, Beads, Braids & Beyond. I look forward to seeing you all there!

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"Curly" Weave is a New Trend for Summer? - Updated

The topic of looking like a natural versus being natural has has popped up several times over the past few weeks...I've done a number of stories on the "natural look" lately (Halle, Real Hair Don't Care?, Celebrities and the Natural Look, Jill Scott), with celebrities being prominently featured. Well, I just ran across another story about the curly look....as in hair that is supposed to have a similar texture to the hair growing out of your head, but is actually a wig or weave. The writer, a fashion blogger and loc wearer, spoke to some naturals and shop owners about the topic, and overall had some interesting things to say in the article. I wouldn't classify Indian hair as being similar to my natural hair (MAYBE my pressed natural hair, or the Indian hair was processed to make it super coily) but maybe that's just me. I added a photo from the post below. Check out the story here.

I've said this before, I am going to treat the "natural look" wearers as ambassadors...I think it looks pretty and it may bring more acceptance for those wearing their natural hair. The only problem with these ambassadors is that a lot of people are going to be VERY sad if their own hair doesn't end up as long and as "curly" as those weaves and wigs they've admired. I'm not going to stop and question anyone that I think is wearing "natural look" wigs, weaves, or extensions because: a) its none of my business; b) it might be their own hair; and c) that person may just be taking a break from styling their own hair (whatever the reason).  But I just hope that we get to the point where people are just doing it to have a quick change, or a new style option, or to rest their hair, and NOT because they don't like the stuff that grows out of their own scalps.

Are there a lot of "natural look" wearers out there? Have you seen an increase lately? Do you care if a natural is weaved up? All the time? Do you consider a "natural look" weave to be the same as city twist/twist extensions? Do your feelings differ when the person wearing the "natural look" has a relaxer (as opposed to being natural)?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Image from article....

  

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55th Grammy Awards

Esperanza Spalding - she won Best Jazz Vocal Album for her album Radio Music Society 
and Best Instrumental Arrangement/Accompanying Vocalist for her song
 “City of Roses.” Her dress is by Eden Diodati (Source)

Elle Varner & her new look performed at the pre-telecast
55th Grammy Awards along with Tyrese. She didn't win the Grammy
for Best R&B song, but I'm sure that she was happy to be nominated. (Photo via Source) 

Janelle Monae' wearing a new version of
her signature look. The song We are Young by FUN and featuring
Ms. Monae' won as Song of the Year!

Solange - looking AMAZING in emerald green Ralph &
Russo couture and coral heels. 

Images via instyle.com unless otherwise noted. 


And honorable mention for:

Jill Scott and all of her Grammy looks:

via her stylist Felicia Leatherwood -  instagram.com/lovingyourhair.

Brittany Howard (of the group Alabama Shakes):

I couldn't find photos of her Grammy arrival, but I did hear Brittany perform with Elton John and members of the Zac Brown Band, Mumford & Sons, Mavis Sstaples, and others. I only heard of the Alabama Shakes a few days ago, and I was blown away by the grittiness of her voice. The group was nominated for Best Rock Performance this year, but lost out to The Black Keys.

If you would like to hear more of their work, here is a link to Alabama Shake's video for their single Hold On...

(via YouTube)

And Kelly Rowland: Her dress was so amazing that I added a photo:

The gown is by Georges Chakra - and here is a
comparison with the Spring runway look. 

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Side Cornrows into Sister Twists

Inspired by: Jill Scott and Tia of Her Best Hair

Get the look:

• Using the end of a metail rat tail comb, part about half of the hair, tie the other half off and start cornrowing that side. You can do whatever design you would like. I used Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer and Curly Butter on each cornrow. I made the cornrows very loose for the protective styling challenge. If you do not know how to cornrow, please visit this website: Cornrows.co.uk This is the website that taught me how to cornrow.
• Once you get to the end of your cornrow, add a little more product to the remaining hair, add the hair together so instead of 3 sections you will have two. Start twisting one section clockwise, and the other counter clockwise. This is the two strand sister twist method. Keep twisting the pieces in different directions while twisting around each other.
• Once that side is all complete with cornrows going into sister twists, start parting medium sized boxes, add product, and do the sister twist method. You want your thumbs and pointer fingers holding on to each section close to the scalp. Your twist is going to unravel some, so you want to twist it close to the scalp, however, you don't want to tug on the scalp. Once you get to the end of each twist, you can start doing a regular two strand twist, then roll the ends with your fingers.
• You will do this to the entire head of hair until you are finished.

Tip:This took me about 3 hours so make sure you take a break and have toys, snacks, and books on hand for your little one. Talk to your child during this time, have fun, be silly! Sprout and Noggin are great channels for the little ones.


She insisted I take pictures of her wearing her sunglasses.


Maintaining this style

• Moisturize each night with your product of choice
• Cover hair each night with a satin bonnet, or have your child sleep on a satin pillowcase

View more pictures of this style here.

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Versatility of a TWA

In June I mentioned my sister's twa in a post referencing Jill Scott's haircut and discussing the versatility of a twa/short haircut. My sister achieved a similar look by keeping her sides and back very short, but having enough hair on top to press and curl into what looked like a short, relaxed cut. The really nice thing about the style was that when it wasn't pressed she could also twist and coil her hair into a short twist out.

Now that she is growing out her hair, she can and does still press it out as a weekend style, but she generally keeps it twisted in order to exercise then in a twist out for several days in a row.

Pressed Hair

Twisted and Coiled

Twist out - side view

Twist out



How do you wear your twa? Do you regularly switch back and forth between straightened and unstraightened hair? How do you avoid heat damage?

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Venus Williams and Her Natural Hair - updated

Jill Scott, Jada Pinkett Smith, Solange Knowles, and Corinne Bailey Ray have represented the beauty of natural hair for years. It seems that recently, however, that more and more celebrities are revealing themselves to be au naturel. Gabrielle Union and Angela Simmons have shared pics of themselves with their natural hair flowing and/or froing, and over the past year Raven Symone has done photo shoots and attended red carpet events with her own curly locks as her style of choice.

Just the other day I ran across a picture of Venus Williams' hair. She was shopping, and instead of her usual straight strands, her natural hair was in a fluffy 'fro. I thought it was a nice change, so I decided to to post the picture on my blog. I think natural hair suits her, and I hope that she starts experimenting with wearing her hair in more natural styles. I vote for two-strand twists worn in styles from One Hairstyle, Thirty-one Ways found on Amazon or Smashwords.

I hope that more celebrities will go out into the world with their naturals showing. They can continue to demonstrate the diversity of natural hair, and hopefully even expand the definition of beautiful hair.



Venus' Natural - via MediaTakeout.com

UPDATE - Additional Picture (thank you Aritul):


Venus sings karaoke (with her natural hair)



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Versatility of the TWA/short natural.....

I know a lot of woman with amazing natural hair! I am able to admire different styles, textures, patterns, twists, twist outs, tucks, braids, and pressed natural hair - everyday. Right now, I am in love with the TWA/Jill Scott/short to shaved sides/back/ some inches of natural hair on top look......

My sister has been rocking that style for about 9 months now, and I still think that it is an amazing TWA/short haircut! It is very short on the sides and back, and the top is about 3 inches when stretched. She does a lot of innovative natural styles, but she can also make her hair look like a short cut by smoothing her edges down with gel and flat ironing the top.  I LOVE it!

I appreciate the versatility of being able to rock your hair as is, or in twists, twist outs, coils, coil outs, and braid outs plus enjoying a style that can go from a Halle Berry to a slicked down Caesar. We went on a trip recently, and I spent a lot of time wondering what she was going to do to it next! While I love my two-strand twists, and all of the options they provide, I have to admit that seeing her hair makes me wonder if I should have spent more time experimenting in my TWA phase.

Do you feel the same way? Have you seen innovative TWA styles recently?

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Hair Envy? Teyonah Parris

I remember Teyonah Parris from one of my favorite shows, Mad Men. I saw her and thought that she was pretty, I also thought that it was a shame that she was wearing that wig (as in that particular wig that someone chose for her) on the show. But I figured it is a period show, and that is likely how black women were wearing their hair in the mid-1960's. Anyway - I had no idea about the majesty of  Ms. Parris' hair until this now iconic moment at the SAG Awards:

Image via blackgirllonghair.com

Ms. Felicia Leatherwood, @lovingyourhair on Twitter, is the amazing stylist that created this style. I believe that there are tutorials on this style on Essence.com and Weareonyx.com. She is also the woman behind Jill Scott's hair transformations. So you know that she is creative, and versatile, and imaginative, but I say all of this to say that I am always impressed with her work...But this post is supposed to be about Teyonah Parris, so let me get back to raving about her hair!

I saw this image this morning:

 Image via @tobnatural on Instagram

And I loved her slightly stretched 'fro with the pinned across bang. She looked great. Then I did a little more research. She did a really cute flat twist style that she found on YouTube. It looked liked this:

Image via Teyonah Parris on Instagram

I really like her hair, and the way she changes it up! My motto is "New day, New 'do" (you can find a month's worth of  styles in my e-book, One Hairstyle, Thirty-one Ways available on Amazon) add it looks like she believes in it too! I hope that as we see more and more of her on TV and hopefully in movies and plays, that she brings her big hair, don't care attitude with her! And if you know her hair routine, let me know. I'm going to ask via Twitter, and see what happens....

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Naturals at the NAACP Image Awards

 I watched part of the NAACP Image Awards over the weekend. Unfortunately, I missed the red carpet arrivals. Since I wanted to see if any of my favorite naturals were out and about, I tried to find some photos of some favorites (current and former?) naturals. Either way, they still look great. 

India Arie - long time no see!

Lenny Kravitz - I always like to check
out his 'fro.





   

     

 



Miss Jill Scott - I like the asymetrical bob....

flat ironed or relaxed?

Holly Robinson Peeete - I haven't seen
her natural curls in a while...



 

Images via Getty imagess

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