Tag: weave

  • Black Models and “Professional” Hair

    Black Models and “Professional” Hair

    Black models hair is so unique and versatile. One of my most Frequently Asked Questions is, How should I wear my hair to a Casting?

    More specifically, I get that question from Black aspiring models the most.

    So how should you wear it to a casting…Its a simple answer really.

    Wear it HOWEVER you want, just make sure it is out of your face.
    In essence:

    via GIPHY

    If you have a huge afro…wear it (as long as its out of your face)
    If you have a lace front…wear it (As long as its out of your face AND looks natural)
    If you have a weave…wear it (As long as its out of your face)
    If you have a relaxer…wear it (as long as its out of your face)

    via GIPHY

    …see where I’m going with this?

    You can wear your hair out, up, down, and swirled around town. Just make sure it is out of your face.

    BUT

    Be prepared to possibly be told that they will want to style your hair differently to fit the look for the booking. If its something your aren’t comfortable with, be professional and say “thank you for your time” and politely decline.

    Then move on to the next gig.

    Want to know if you should wear braids to a casting?
    Check out my post about braids.

    Alean Elston, Model, various hair styles and focused on black models hair
  • FAQ: I have braids/weave, should I wear it to a casting? #modeladvice

    FAQ: I have braids/weave, should I wear it to a casting? #modeladvice

    I get asked this question all the time from young models of color who want to break into the biz. In my experience, you should not wear your braids or a weave to a casting. Personally, have never worn braids to a casting but I can tell you that when I have been considered for bookings (after being submitted via a photo casting) and we start discussing the look for the show/event/shoot and I tell them that I currently have braids or faux locs… I can almost guarantee that I won’t get booked unless I am willing to take them out and have my hair styled according to their guidelines/desired look. Have I ever taken them out for a booking, YES and I only did it if the pay/project was worth the time and energy to take them out. It sucks sometimes but that is, unfortunately, the nature of the business.

    When you go to an in-person casting, more than likely the job they are booking you for is not going to be styling your hair in braids and even if they are, they need to see what the current state of your hair looks like. Most models of color are not wearing their real hair in the first place and if they are it is in an afro (kinky or curly) or it is a low cropped cut.

    My Advice:

    Wear your hair how you like it. Be sure it is out of your face and make sure it shows off your face in the best light. With that said, I advise against wearing braids to a casting. Braids don’t show off your hair in its current state and if you wear a weave make sure it looks realistic, don’t wear bangs, and be easy on the baby hairs. Also, Stay away from the lime green and other unnatural hair colors.

    The key to hairstyles for a casting: make it look as natural as possible even if it is a weave.

  • All I want for Christmas is… [Beauty wish list]

    Ok, Ok, Ok, I know it has been over a month since I blogged but it has been for good reason. I have been EXTREMELY busy with life, business, and the pursuit of happiness lol. There are so many things that I have wanted to buy for myself lately, but this is the season of giving and if you happen to be in the giving mood, here is my Christmas list…which I may update up until 12/25/11!

    Full Cuticle Mongolian Kinky Curl Machine Weft from ONYC Hair

    I know this hair is expensive, but I WANT THIS HAIR!!! Its the only weave that I have found so far, that matches my texture and it is human hair so that I can straighten it and wear it natural to make my natural hair appear longer and to keep it protected in the winter months. I would like to get 2 packs of the 18in 3C-4A curl which according to the website will cost $379.98

     

    Hair Steamer from Huetiful

    One of my friends has this and when I used it to deep condition my hair….MAAAAAAAN it was like my conditioner worked a million times better. My hair was so full of moisture, it was just so hydrated and shiny and my hair felt and looked so healthy. Bottom line, priced at $114 I want this!

     

    Nail Polish in “Sugar Daddy” from Essie

    This polish, this color in particular is one of my all time favorites and I happen to be running low on this and I need a repleishment. lol This color makes the perfect base for american and french manicures and it also looks great alone. At $8 a bottle, its okay if you want to buy me more than one! 😀

     

    Paris Amour from Bath and Body Works

    This particular scent for Bath and body works smells soooo pretty. I only have the shower gel pictured here but I would like the whole set, puhweeze!

     

    Flower Hair Clips

    For those of you that know me, know that one of my signatures is a flower in my ‘fro. I’ve been searching for some really unique flowers and I have found a lot of good ones online, especially on Etsy. there are some really creative people on there! I’d prefer the flowers not be from the hair store as I have already raided their supply lol but if you have something truly unique let me know. I’d love to have it in my collection!

     

    The Pink Glitterati from Violent Lips

    I’ve wanted to try this out for the longest but for some reason, I haven’t gone through with it… I think its because I know I couldn’t get away with wearing it on an everyday basis or even a special occasion, unless it was for a photoshoot or an event where I knew I would have to show up and show out! If there are any photographers who would be interested in doing a beauty shoot with me wearing the any pattern from the Violent Lips, let me know, I know of a great MUA who can bring together a gorgeous extreme look to work with this. Just comment this post or shoot me an email and lets get to work!

     

    Thats about all I can think of. The fashion wish list should be up next. What beauty items would you like to get for Christmas, I might add them to my next list, let me know!

    Stay tuned!

  • My 1st NO WEAVE Anniversary and Why I Stopped Wearing Them

    Wild Thang

    Yes it has been a while since I have written a post, but I assure you, Its not because I didn’t want to its because I’ve been too busy to sit down here and do it. But now I’m back and I’m ready to get back to bloggin!!! YAAAY!

    And yes you are reading the post title correctly, I have not had a weave in my hair for slightly over a year. Let me tell you the story…

    You see, a few years ago, back in 2003, I was in a car accident that injured my thumbs. (This guy ran a stop sign and crossed in front of me and I couldn’t stop in time, which totaled my first car 🙁 and turned me in to the “cautious” driver I am now…) I loved to do my own hair prior to that and being that my hands were injured and it hurt to do simple things like write and type, you can imagine how much pain I was in trying to do my hair. So my solution to that? I went to the african shop and got Kinky Twists in my hair, something simple and easy for me to maintain. I got them touched up every so many months until my hands got better to the point where I could handle things without pain, then I went back to doing my own hair. That’s when I believe that the laziness set in lol. I figured that I don’t really feel like doing my hair EVERYDAY but I want it to look good EVERYDAY, and I didn’t want braids or twists anymore so what can I get? I didn’t want to get a relaxer anymore because I was scared that my scalp would be too sensitive and it wouldn’t take being that I hadn’t had a perm in about 6 months at that time. Thus began the journey of the WEAVE QUEEN!

    I had worn weaves before in the past, but this started an era with me where I REFUSED to be seen without one! My real hair was in that natural at the root and permed at the ends state and I didn’t feel like dealing with the jungle at the root on a regular lol and it seemed that the weaves had saved my life! All I had to do was wake up every morning and make sure the little section that showed to cover up my tracks was straight, who could ask for anything easier?! Not to mention, when I was in college, I didn’t really have a lot of time to dedicate to my hair with studying, internships, running a club on campus and working and I just wanted it to look good. PERIOD

    It wasn’t until after I graduated from college that I realized the damage that was being done to my hair from the constant wearing of the weaves. Sure my hair was growing underneath, but that section that I kept out in the front to cover my weaves was breaking horribly! I don’t know if it was because it was permanately straight due to excessive heat straightening or what, but all I know is when I attempted to try wearing my hair different ways without weave, my hair felt like doing a hard core “break” dance and those permed ends quickly fell off. What ever was left of that, that continued to remain straight after I washed my hair and didn’t revert to a thick cotton ball state, I cut it off and thus began to wear MY hair.

    I did it for the first time, like really out and about and proud back in 2009 and I did a photoshoot to commemorate it and to join Tyra Banks in her “Real Hair” Day and this is what it looked like in 2009:

    After that photoshoot, from time to time, I would still wear my weaves but then something MAJOR happened…

    Can you guess what it is?

    BILLS!!! That trick Sallie Mae started beatin down my door for me to start paying back my student loans! I had to take a chill pill on my spending and cut back on a few things. Weaves were the first thing on the list!

    I started recycling my weaves, washing and wearing again of course (good for the environment right?! lol), figuring out ways to stretch out my weaves and make them last longer, until I just couldn’t anymore and I stopped wearing them completely and challenged myself to wearing my hair for 3 months straight, in which case I would reward myself with a weave! Crazy, I know. But that was my thinking at the time. When it came time for me to reward myself, I didn’t really feel like wearing a weave, but, because I was going to visit my bestie in Cali, I thought I don’t wanna worry about my hair while im out there so I wore a nice, cool, bob weave, pictured here:

    I still have this romper somewhere…the question is where…(raised eyebrow)

    When I got back, from that trip, I kept the weave for a a few weeks and when I took it out, I haven’t put a weave back in my hair since.

     

    I say all of this because recently I had to think back to the last time I had a weave, and May of 2010 was that time. Now its June of 2011 and I still love wearing my hair.

     

    Now I’m not saying that I will never wear a weave again, or that wearing weaves is the wrong thing to do, in fact the next weave I intend on getting will be a big curly fro, or a long Naomi Campbell style weave with a center part. I love the versatility that my hair is able to give me in my look, I’ll even go as far to say, that because I’ve been wearing my hair it has been a sole reason of why I am booking more modeling jobs. But none the less, I love the fact that I have options with my hair, its deciding what to do with it next that’s driving me crazy! lol

     

    Hope you enjoyed my hair story! 🙂