Everything She Wants

Michelle Breyer, co-founder of NaturallyCurly.com, has been on the frontlines of the curly hair revolution since 1998. The former business journalist was inspired to start the website after “a lifetime of fighting my curly hair and feeling like I didn't fit the accepted standard of beauty.” Now curly hair sisters of all races and ethnic backgrounds can learn Breyer’s tips of the trade in her first book, The Curl Revolution: Inspiring Stories andPractical Advice from the NaturallyCurly Community .   We caught up with the busy entrepreneur, via email. Photo courtesy of NaturallyCurly Everything She Wants : How did the idea for NaturallyCurly.com come about? Michelle Breyer : [After] a few mimosas at a party. I was working as a reporter at a newspaper with some fellow curly friends and we were complaining about our hair on a humid Austin day. Someone overheard us and thought it was crazy that people could spend so much time talking about their hair. He suggested...

(Tracy E. Hopkins) You may recognize her from the '90s sketch comedy show In Living Color,  as Bill Cosby's daughter on Cosby , or Raven-Symone's Mom on That's So Raven . But T'Keyah Crystal Keymah is just as recognizable for her trademark twists. Everything She Wants chatted* with the natural hair pioneer via email about how her hairstyle choices affected her career, her product picks and her book, Natural Woman/Natural Hair: A Hair Journey . Everything She Wants: Back in the ‘90s not many black actresses wore their hair natural. Were you overlooked for roles because of your hairstyle? T'Keyah: Sure. I missed out on things because of my hair (which no one knew how to style at first, so I did it myself). I even had casting directors suggest that I "do something with it." Gratefully, I worked steadily enough that I was never tempted to trade my twists for more opportunities. [But] I've always been fine playing characters that don'...

We know, each year you promise to spend less on holiday and Christmas gifts. And each year you end up with a closet or guest room piled high with random stuff. So to help you pair down your shopping list, Everything She Wants has a   few choice fashion, beauty, tech and home gift ideas. For the fashionista AVON recently launched its Signature Collection , which debuts with the Mailyn Tote and Wallet ($30 and $15).  The collection is part of the brand's new, premium quality fashion accessories line featuring Avon’s iconic 4A monogram. The four A’s in the logo symbolize the tireless Avon representative motto, “ Anytime, Anywhere, Always, Ask. ” The Mailyn line comes in a rich chocolate brown color with warm gold tone hardware detailing the 4A motif. For the beauty maven Just in time for hat weather, the curly hair experts at Ouidad offers five kits  ($30-46) that will nourish your hair and leave it bouncin' and behavin'. The gift kits include Joy ...

Recently, Everything She Wants shared my hair makeover at dana's loft HAIR .  During my visit, personable celebrity hair stylist Dana Gibbs also gave me a few winter hair care tips I'd like to share: Hair stylist Dana Gibbs. Use a moisturizing shampoo.  It's important to cleanse your scalp, but you don't have to get your hair squeaky clean anymore.  So you don't strip your hair of its essential oils, use a moisturizing shampoo. Keep it simple.  With so many products on the market, people get confused.  We use so much product, it starts to work against you.  Try Dana's Kera Plus line or stick with a regimen that works for you. Condition, condition, and condition.   Cowash (washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo) in between washes to keep your hair moisturized and sit under the dryer with a deep conditioner.  After styling, put in a leave-in conditioner. A silk scarf is your friend.  Sleep in a silk scarf and wea...