Everything She Wants

(Tracy E. Hopkins) If watching Netflix and chillin' is your thing, check out the documentary, Presenting Princess Shaw , about aspiring singer turned YouTube sensation Samantha “Princess Shaw” Montgomery. The New Orleans native is a bundle of positive energy, whose speech is peppered with infectious catch phrases like “You guys rock ass sauce," often in an affected British accent. Beneath her sunny persona, however, lurks a painful past and lingering depression as a result of the sexual abuse she suffered as a child. Everything She Wants caught up with the fiery red head, a self-proclaimed “skateboard chick without a skateboard,” via telephone. Samantha says the mash-up music she created with Israeli viral video music producer Kutiman is on the way.  “I have never been a person to follow the masses. I am the masses,” she says. “ Yes, Ma’am .” Everything She Wants : How has your life changed since Presenting Princess Shaw was released? Sam...

Actress  Taraji P. Henson  dazzled in designer Reem Acra and made a powerful plea for unity as her film  Hidden Figures  took home the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also slayed with a “chic but edgy undercut style” created by celebrity h airstylist Tym Wallace . "When thinking about Taraji's look- wanted to focus on her inner beauty and personality. Her versatility and command of any screen translates -- from  Empire’s ‘ Cookie Lyons’  to  Hidden Figures’ "Katherine Johnson’ ,” explains the stylist. Photos by  Tym Wallace Exclusively for Everything She Wants readers, h ere is a step – by – step guide to help you recreate Taraji’s flawless hairstyle: 1) Cleanse natural hair  with  L'Oréal Paris Sulfate-Free shampoo and c onditioner , followed by  It’s a 10 Leave-in Miracle Product . 2) Next, section the hair and blowdry ...

We love fall and the crisper, cooler temps. But the change in the season also means a change in your hair care routine--particularly if you are a woman of color who wears her hair naturally (that means no relaxer).  To help us navigate the do's and don'ts of natural hair maintenance, veteran stylist Cyd Charisse of Atti2des 2 Hair & Nail Salon in Temple Hills, Maryland offered  Everything She Wants  some sage advice. The stylist is a professional artistic beauty consultant and she exclusively uses the  Design Essentials  professional product line. Here are Cyd's tips for fab fall tresses: Stylist Cyd Charisse crafts signature hair looks using Design Essentials® hair care products at Ubiquitous Hair & Health Trade Show.   Photo Credit: Dwayne Roberts A healthy lifestyle, nutritious diet, exercise and drinking water are excellent ways of producing healthy hair and a balanced lifestyle year-round. Healthy gorgeous hair, w...

Winter can be harsh on your hair.  But African-American women with natural hair have an added challenge to keep our hair moisturized and protected from the elements. To find out what we can do to keep our hair healthy this holiday season and beyond, Everything She Wants stopped by SheaMoisture 's pop-up store at The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park (open through January 6, 2013). SheMoisture's pop-up shop at Bryant Park. We picked up a few fab and fragrant bath and body products like the new Olive and Green Tea line (on sale 3 for $25 or 3 soaps for $10), and chatted with natural hair guru Diane Bailey. Here are Bailey's tips for "winterizing" your natural tresses: Moisture is key. "Curly kinky hair thrives on moisture," says the Brooklyn hair stylist.  To keep your hair pliable and spongy, she says SheaMoisture has wonderful, interchangeable systems.  So you can layer different products. Bailey's picks : Use the  Raw Shea Butter Resto...

Everything She Wants  is on a mission to find the best natural hair care products that promote hair growth and thickening.  On this quest, we’ve tried effective moisturizing shampoos, conditioners and oils from  SheaMoisture ,  Nubian Heritage  and  Kinky Curly .  But one popular product we can’t recommend is  Virgin Hair Fertilizer . Although some women swear by the petroleum-based cream with herbal extracts and a strong minty smell, from our experience, the product’s tingling sensation didn’t signal hair growth.  Instead, it produced further scalp irritation.  One product we firmly endorse, however, is  Badger’s Argan Botanical Hair Oil For Dry & Damaged Hair ,  which   Everything She Wants  was gifted at a  Whole Body|Whole Foods Market  press event. We’ve used it for a couple weeks and have already noticed fuller hair forming in thinning spots around the temples and in the crown....

I'm so proud of my hair.  It's finally grown to a length where I feel comfortable wearing it out in double strand twists and a twist-out without the assistance of added hair.  Thanks to my new natural hair stylist who put in a luscious dark brown color by Clairol, trimmed and twists my hair every four to six weeks, my hair is glowing and growing. Me and my double-strand twists. But Everything She Wants also has to give major credit to the tried-and-true and new Kinky-Curly products I was gifted, which help me condition and re-twist my own hair in between appointments with newfound ease.  The products are made with all-natural, organic ingredients and formulated to add moisture and hold without drying out your hair. Here's the Kinky-Curly regimen that's worked wonders for me this summer: Wash with the sulfate-free shampoo, Come Clean , made with a blend of Mandarin Orange extract and Sea Kelp. Add Knot Today to wet hair as a leave-in conditioner.  Thi...