The 2017 Emmys was celebration of the benefits of what many are calling “the golden age of television”. Showrunners, actresses, and writers were praised for their accomplishments on and off screen. But before they got to clutching their golden statues and slipping into their exclusive after parties the stars shut down the red carpet with some serious black girl magic. Here are some of our favorite looks.

While she was breaking the internet with her signature sense of humor, Issa Rae was sported an immaculate halo braid to the back of her hair. Stylist to the stars Felicia Leatherwood really showed why she is not to be played with here! There was not one hair out of place on Issa’s head! Talk about snatching edges!

Looking to recreate the look? Don’t forget to make sure your edges are moisturized so that they don’t go missing!

The “Insecure” creator wasn’t the only beauty she styled that night. She also styled Susan Kelechi Watson aka the best fictional wife ever, Lena Waithe, and Ryan Michelle Bathe who showed up on the arm of her husband and co-star Sterling K. Brown.

Gabrielle Union, who recently launched her own line of hair products for textured and curly hair, showed up to the ceremony for the very first time in her career with a voluminous ponytail pulled to the back. The pony was created by Larry Sims, who was also responsible for Jourdan Dunn’s brushed out mane at the MTV Awards. That he can execute such seemingly similar looks so differently is what separates Sims from the pack.

Tracee Ellis Ross let her accessories do the talking and decided to go for elegantly simple cornrows created by stylist Marcia Hamilton that complimented the drama of her earrings. The stylist has worked with Ross’s on screen daughter Yara Shahidi as well.

The “Power” star that fans loved to hate Anika Noni Rose seperated herself from her game changing role with a new short cut featuring a shaved cut and a small tuft of flaming curls created by celebrity hairstylist Cynthia Alvarez. Not looking to take quite such a drastic step for your next special occasion? Fake the funk with a faux tapered cut featuring our small crochet curls in ginger.

As people of color keep being integrated into “mainstream” media in meaningful ways there will be more to celebrate and more style to soak up! Keep checking back here for more red carpet coverage!

New York Fashion Week is in full effect! That's right black clad PR girls, their giant sunglasses, and the bottle service girls and baristas that keep them going strong have been joined by models, celebrities, influencers, and street style photographers in the city that never sleeps. But while the designer clothes on the runway are intended to be center stage we can’t shift our focus from the fabulous hairstyles presented at this year’s “Texture on the Runway”. A celebration of the curls, kinks, and coils that have long been absent from New York Fashion Week designer presentations this year’s annual show was presented by Texture Media and Sally Beauty Supply. Here are three ways you can incorporate the looks from this year’s show into your personal beauty routine.

1. Don’t Be Afraid To Mix Textures

One of the best things about having crotchet twists is that you don't have to commit to just one look. Usually that refers to being able to swap styles quickly but in this case it means being open to mixing textures in one style. Stylists added large fluffy curls to the back of braided hair to create looks that were fun and flexible. Achieve this by braiding the front of your hair and added our large Mckenzie curls to the back or adding a long loose braid. 

2. Switch It Up With A Little Shimmer

My absolute favorite theme of the night was the gold toned “style and grace” created by stylist Key Glover! He took a literal approach to the term black girl magic by adorning models in glitter specked gold paint.

Depending on your profession that level of sparkle might not be appropriate on a consistent basis but there are many ways to ease this style inspiration into your everyday routine. Consider weaving some golden hair accessories into your braids or twists or covering them with some hair jewelry to add a little shine!

3. Embrace The Trends Through Accessories

The 90s are back! And if ill fitting overalls and oversized athletic jerseys aren't really your thing you can still get in on the fun! Accessories like backwards baseball caps and big earrings can take any hairstyle to the next level. Don’t forget modernized beads are your friends!

Check out more from the show below! 

Photo Credits: Allure, NaturallyCurly.com 

Fetes honoring the faces of “young hollywood” used to be just a sea of blonde starlets with stick straight strands and their cookie cutter boy band counterparts. But slowly but surely the red carpets in tinseltown have been making room for the melanin and textured manes that teens everywhere are starting to embrace. Enter stunning child star Skai Jackson.

After spending a fair amount of time consistently sporting her now iconic and meme-inspiring high ponytail the Disney Channel star has stepped out of her comfort zone towards another age appropriate slay. The young actress arrives at Variety's "Power of Young Hollywood" party this year wearing a charming and simple style that was perfect for the occasion.

She finished the look off by lining her bright eyes with an electric blue liner and adding a pure pink lip. 

We’ve got the details on how to recreate her look for the next red carpet moment in your life in just a few easy steps.

1. Part front of hair horizontally
2. Braid the back of hair so it can easily attach to our kinky bulk hair
3. Separate the front of hair into three sections using our tortoise shell rat tail comb,  make sure that the middle section is significantly larger than the two side sections and don’t worry about parts being super straight a little curve looks great here 
4. Pull each of the three separate sections into an individual ponytail using rubber braid binders that match your hair color
5. Twist each of the ponytails loosely
6. Manipulate the twists into loose individual buns
7. Add our kinky bulk hair to the back of your hair using crochet or diy clip-ins  

8. Add gold or silver charms to the front of each of your buns

9. Using a toothbrush or another thin soft bristled tool emphasize your baby hairs with your favorite edge control

10.Complete the look with your favorite finishing spray!

Jackson and her classic self-satisfied expression might have already taken over social media but her modest yet modern dress selections and smart beauty choices are bound to land her on more than a few best dressed lists.  We can’t wait to see what this rising star does next!

Racism, ableism, fatphobia and all other forms of hate had to take a back seat to the resistance on the final weekend in August. Afropunk brought together the marginalized, the eccentric, and the hopeful this year and in an effort to escape the day-to-day negativity of our current climate many of them chose to make a statement with their style.  

Signaling the end of festival season Afropunk has traditionally offered a chance for attendees to experiment with bold fashion and beauty looks. 

Here are some of our favorite trends from one of Brooklyn’s most fearless weekend.

Colorful Braids

Misty might be a little too lit but “Luke Cage” star Simone Missick’s personal style is right on the money. She sported an oversized ombre purple braid while posing with Deray Mckesson that was perfect for a music festival. The best things about oversized braids is they can easily be converted into buns to combat the heat of a large crowd like the one at Afropunk. Get her look using our purple rain hair.

This festival goer killed it in multi-colored bantu knots and canary colored heart shaped glasses.

Another festival goer paired hers with fluffed out curls. Get the look by adding our medium curls in ginger.

This beauty rocked a blue halo braid that matched her printed jumpsuit!

This attendee paired her sexy schoolgirl look with three funky pastel braided buns.

Beads

Beads might make you think about jelly sandals and now and laters but Afropunk brought some updated versions of the hair accessories.

Quality materials, structured styles, and unexpected combinations make beads a viable styling option that is much more current. Check out how this queen created a chic pattern to stand out below.

This attendee chose to create an adorned bang using golden hair charms and cowry shells.

Flowers

Flower crowns may be passe but people are finding different ways to incorporate flowers into their looks, embedding them into pigtails is just one of them.

We can’t decide what we love more the sunflowers in this girl’s glam braid or her luscious lashes.

We can't wait to see the style that gets served up at Afropunk Atlanta.

Photo Credits: Dee Williams for The Blonde Misfit, Cosmopolitan, BET

Alicia Keys rocking neon box braids like it was no big deal might have momentarily broken the internet but the trend has been around a lot longer than social media.

For years black women with colorful braids have represented stereotypes and judgements. Whether you saw one on the silver screen or the pages of your favorite magazine the message their image was meant to convey was clear. They were dubbed “ghetto” and “classless” only appearing to be worthy of attention when an editor or creative director was looking to infuse a little “edge” into their creation.

While young white girls have always had options like hair chalk, and glitter sprays to express themselves young black girls have had to maneuver around the implications of respectability politics when choosing a style.  

Today a (slightly) more culturally sensitive society has sought out new language to describe the many facets of black womanhood and girlhood. While sites like Quirktastic, Refinery 29, and others are presenting more inclusive images showing that black girls can have fun with their looks too.

When covering what they're dubbing the “Unicorn Hair” trend publications haven’t left out women of color. Condé Nast's "Allure" prominently featured Amina Muccio as a “real life mermaid” allowing the young woman to display her love of mixing things up with “colorful braids, backgrounds and personality.”

This shift has been reflected in the attitudes of parents as well. In an article for SocaMom Eva Wilson explained why she chose to indulge her daughter’s request to look like “Rainbow Dash of My Little Pony.”  Wilson pointed out  “There's been a lot of chatter on social media about how black girls with colorful hair are 'ghetto', but when white girls do it, it is considered 'trendy' or 'creative' and made it clear that with all of the expectations on society places on black children to assume adult responsibilities she’s determined “to let them hold onto their youth as long as possible.”

Mainstream beauty companies seem to be understanding that need as well. This year beauty powerhouse L’Oréal Paris teamed up with the minds behind Curlfest  and it seems everyday products are popping up on the shelves to temporarily tint braids, twists, curls, and coils. There’s still a lot of "image activism" to be done before no one bats an eyelash at a receptionist with bright purple kinky twists.

Hopefully the normalization of women with colorful braids will lead to women of color rocking every and any trend being seen as only themselves.

Photo Credits: Joybird.com, Allure.com, Socamom.com 

Wigs are a busy girl’s best friend. Whether you’re a carpool driving and couples game night hosting wife and mother or a single college student trying to cram four years of study groups and coffee runs into three one thing is for certain-a wig can save you valuable time. But while this low maintenance styling option can relieve some serious styling pressure it still requires a little TLC. We tapped celebrity hair stylist and Lucid Bliss founder Tiffany Lamb to give some tips on how she prepares her clients including “Power” actress Naturi Naughton, “Refill” songstress Elle Varner, and "Girls Trip" star Tiffany Haddish for getting the hollywood treatment on their (often removable) hair.

1. Keep it Clean

Tiffany doesn’t allow her clients to neglect undercare. She stated “the first thing is definitely keeping your hair clean. You need to be washing your hair. You want to make sure that your hair is clean before putting the wig on. A lot of time people put wigs on and think because it’s an easy go-to style they can do whatever but keeping your hair healthy up under the wig is the most important thing. What I have my clients do is come in and get their hair washed at least once a week.”

2. Lay Then Play

She believes that a strong start will ensure a flawless style saying “Braiding the hair under the wig is important as well. The foundation is important. You want it to be natural and look as flat as possible. So having your hair braided in the proper size braids is very important. And if you’re wearing lace wigs parting it right is important as well. If you’re wearing a middle part it’s important to part your hair down the middle when braiding it down, because you want that part to match up with your natural part to make your hair look as realistic as possible. That goes for side parts as well and hair length doesn’t matter. I have clients whose hair is short and they still part it where the wig’s part is perfectly.”

3. Don’t Forget The Details

While some stylists advocate for physically sewing together the braids in preparation for wig application Lamb says paying attention to hair texture prevents those extra measures from being necessary saying “No matter what I pay attention to hair texture. For someone who has fine hair it’s okay to for them to get a regular cornrow. But for someone who has thick hair they should be getting their hair under braided. It makes your hair very flat so you don’t need all that. I don’t braid all of the braids together. I don’t want the hair to be so tight. That’s the whole point of wearing a wig. You want to feel free and loose.”

4. Choose Custom

One size fits all wigs may be more affordable but they’re certainly not the most comfortable Lamb says  “You shouldn’t be getting a headache. We all know if our hair is too tight. If you have to keep popping an Advil or something like that, the wig is too tight. What makes a custom wig special is it fits your exact head shape. If fits perfectly.  If I was to give you my wig it wouldn’t fit. A Lot of time people aren’t properly measuring. If you measure properly you don’t need anything else. Also the number one mistake I see with lace front wigs is the lace color and the hair line! They drive me crazy! With any style weave or wig it’s supposed to look as natural as possible. Some people they I don’t know what they be doing! Anything custom is going to fit you nice. It’s going to fit you to a tee! It’s just like buying a custom suit. It fits you better than a suit out of the store! That's what makes it so special. It fits you and it fits you properly.”

Check out some of our custom creations in our crown collection and considering keep them fresh with some of Lamb’s Lucid Bliss OOOH and AAAH refreshers!

Natural hair isn't just a hair style. It's a lifestyle. Women severing their relationships with relaxers and returning to their god-given hair textures has given birth to a community that celebrates kinks, curls, and coils. It's also resulted in the penning of some seriously special works. Women of all backgrounds have sought to contribute their takes and tips on the natural hair movement in the form of finely drawn books. We’ve rounded up five of our favorites for you below.

Part memoir, part manifesto this smart and funny book speaks both to the history of natural hair and it's modern day realities. Robinson breaks down how while her white classmates got to enjoy their Saturdays she was stuck sitting under the dryer. Also not only is this book hilarious it's author’s pop culture knowledge is really impressive.

For the Business Minded Natural: Miko Branch’s  “Miss Jessie's: Creating a Successful Business from Scratch-Naturally”

There are few things more painful than committing an entire Saturday or Sunday to sitting in a chair and getting your hair braided. Not only are you losing half of your precious weekend, you’re voluntarily choosing to be shifted around like a rag doll while your hair is parted and pulled on by someone who would rather be doing anything else and isn't afraid to show it. Here are some thoughts we’ve all had while spending our eight-hour sentence in the braiding salon chair.

1. It’s a Shame I Had to Bring My Own Shampoo!

Like basic doobie shops and blow-out bars, most braiding salons are known for one thing and extensive hair care isn’t it. You’re not alone if you’ve felt like you needed to bring your own supplies to make sure your hair was properly prepped for protective styling.

2. What The Heck Is This Movie?

Haven’t we all wanted to ask why Beyonce’ vs. Rihanna part seventeen doesn’t feature either Beyonce OR Rihanna and where exactly Rihanna got that blinged out machete?

3. How Do They Not Take Cards?

People who have never ran to the ATM with their hair in a bonnet will never understand this struggle.

4. Whose Kids Are These?

You showed up at 7am to avoid it but somehow you’re still surrounded by sticky fingers and loud screams. At some point we’ve all just had to accept that no matter what there will be multiple minors running around with reckless abandon. Just make sure not to say yes when they ask if there’s games on your iPhone 7- it’s a setup.

5. Ow! That Was My Neck!

Sit still or suffer the consequences.

6. I Wish I Brought My Headphones!

The rowdy children and searing neck pain wouldn’t be so bad if you had thought to stash some earbuds in your clutch but now you’re stuck listening to faux Rihanna strangle phony Queen Bey as somebody’s baby cries in the corner. You knew better but we’ve all been there.

7. Do I Smell Chicken?

 There is nothing more gross than the smell of Crisco coated fingers sliding through your hair. Did this lady fry chicken before doing my hair? Bringing your lunch from home is cool, but sis so are wet wipes. 

8. You On The Phone Again 

 Ugh! If you pick up that phone or text one more time---I'm out. Not really, but girl.

9. How Is She Not Done Yet?

Somehow that last patch of hair in the front of your head always seems to last way longer than the twenty minutes you told your best friend you were going to be. Good thing you didn’t confirm your uber because you’re clearly not going anywhere anytime soon.

10. I Can’t Feel My Brain

The second you’re done you realize you no longer seem to have a scalp. Bright side? You probably won’t need to re-up on edge control.

If you can relate to these moments and would like to avoid reliving them consider installing some of our Zoë twists or slipping on one of our crown wigs! It’s the same style without the same struggle.

Photo Credits: Essence, Giphy

In 2014 our CEO Tiffini Gatlin, created a revolutionary way for women of color to create styles that were quick, affordable and safe. Thousands of women around the world have benefited from our products and we are so excited that the media is taking notice of what Tiffini is creating for women that experience challenges with their hair routine. 

You probably don’t know Tiffini Gatlin by name, and unless you’ve lived in Atlanta, you wouldn’t recognize her. But one thing is for sure: you know her wigs when you see them.

Years before Tiffini launched Latched and Hooked, a lifestyle and beauty brand that offers textured synthetic hair extensions and hair care products, Tiffini left her corporate banking job to make major moves in the hair industry.

 Check out the entire article on ESSENCE.com

If you’ve been blessed with a praying grandmother there's a chance you’ve heard the phrase “growing hands.” The belief that some hair stylists are just simply blessed with a God given gift has persisted for generations.  In recent years that gift has been joined by education, passion, and experience as the must have keys to success in a stylist’s arsenal. One of the most respected educators to ever dispense these valued tools is Dr. Kari Williams. The renowned celebrity stylist, Board Certified Trichologist , licensed barber, and entrepreneur has brought her belief in abundance to her life’s work sharing her knowledge, compassion, and commitment with other stylists. We chatted with her about professional ethics, personal discretion, and the importance of checking your sources.

In addition to being a stylist you are a licensed barber why was it important to you to diversify your skill set?

I didn’t want to limit myself to just styling women and most importantly at that time being a creative I wanted to be able to offer women hair cutting options as well. When I chose to get my license in barbering it was because I was in college and the majority of my clients at that time were male athletes. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to serve a male clientele and be an all-in-one service option for men. At that time they could get their locs or their hair done and I could also line and shape them. Knowing that my focus would be on natural hair when I became a professional, I wanted to be able to offer additional services outside of chemical and hair straightening services and really work to refine those skills.

You’ve studied the connection between self-esteem and hair health, what kind of effect do you think the natural hair movement has had on women of color?

Oh I think it's had a profound effect on women of color collectively.  I think it's become a movement in which black women are beginning to accept and choose natural hair styles as an option. I think that because of a lot of the stereotypes around natural hair, for black women specifically, throughout history we didn’t always see it as an option-- an option in professional settings, an option in formal settings, an option when we want to feel sexy and beautiful. And now, it’s an option and it’s a wonderful option because it’s who we are naturally. It makes a lot of women feel good it gives them a lot of freedom and allows them to embrace who they are without judgement.

Eve was spotted on the red carpet with her husband wearing braids that waterfalled over the side of her face. More and more we’re seeing celebrities decide to wear natural styles instead of getting their hair straightened for formal events. Is that something that you’re noticing a lot of?

Oh yes, definitely! And I can definitely say that I’m proud to be one of those stylists that have been able to serve women in the entertainment industry and provide beautiful natural looks for them that they can wear to those type of formal red carpet events. And talking to some of my celebrity clientele they’re enjoying the freedom and the lack of pressure. You know again because of the negative stereotypes around natural hair there was a lot of pressure, especially during the summer months. They would have to straighten their hair. That was their go-to. They would have to come out of their braids, come out of their natural styles to prepare for these red carpet events. Now that we’re embracing it, we’re accepting ourselves, we’re embracing it in a way where we don’t really care what the masses say. Because we’re accepting ourselves we’re forcing other people and other ethnic groups to embrace and accept us as well.

We recently published a post about what clients should consider when seeking a new salon. What do you think they should be looking for?

I definitely promote professionalism and consistency. I tell that to my clients because often times I work with clients who maybe aren’t native to LA. They'll come in for a consultation and then travel back home. I think that communication and genuine care from your stylist is a key factor especially for women who are wearing their hair natural. You want a stylist who is willing to listen to you, who is going to go on a journey with you, and who can also take into consideration what your hair goals are, what your concerns are, and be willing to work with you by inserting their professional opinion and being able to guide you in the direction that will help you meet those goals. I would say also {seek} stylists that are open and transparent. That’s really big. I think in this particular day and age clients have access to information in a way that they didn't in the past and so consulting with a stylist who is knowledgeable and who is open to your needs is really important. I would advise any reader of your blog to look for stylists who are passionate, who are skilled, who are patient and who will listen to them.

Do you think clients need to be careful of misinformation?

There's definitely a lot of misinformation out there. Being a licensed professional I encourage other consumers to seek out licensed professionals, the licensed professionals who are really passionate about their crafts. Although in most schools and in most states natural hair doesn’t require a license those stylists that are passionate about being able to offer services to their clientele will seek out those professional classes. They’ll want to gain the knowledge, if they don't already have it, to assist women who want to wear their hair naturally. I would definitely caution consumers and readers to check the source because there's so many platforms where women who are not professionals can just share their experiences. I think those type of platforms are helpful. But you just have to be careful to know that the individual who's sharing the information does not have a professional’s level of knowledge or expertise about hair care. They’re sharing their own personal journey and adopting certain hair care regimes and practices can actually be detrimental to your hair health.

You’ve been sharing information about the Goddess Loc Method we’ve being seeing everywhere! What made you want to a) perfect that method and b) share it with other stylists?

Well I’ll say that in creating the look itself, the reason why Meagan good is integral as part of the Goddess Locs journey is because as faux locs began to gain more popularity when i spoke with megan she wanted to have faux locs but she wanted her locs to look like Lisa Bonet’s. At the time I couldn’t find any information or tutorial on how to recreate that particular look. Once I was able to create the look, we, I should say she--Megan, got such great feedback from the public on the look. I feel that as a professional and as an artist, most importantly as an educator, sharing with other stylists is important. I believe in sharing. I believe in abundance. I believe that there's enough for everyone. I’m only one person and the more inquiries I got from people literally around the world I realized the more important it was to share this gift, the gift that was given to me by God. I wanted to help many other women create the look and celebrate the loc lifestyle even if it's temporarily. I felt it was honestly apart of my duty to share that information. I’m all about uplifting the community. I’m all about progression and I’m all about building a platform that can help other women in this industry be successful and/or create lives for themselves.

You're uplifting a lot of children and parents with the Mahogany Babies program. What inspired you to create it?

I have a passion for children. I serve a lot of kids in the salon and so I wanted to be able to teach parents. Because parents would express how difficult it was to find salons that would help them style their children's hair all the time. Most parents honestly want to style their own children's hair at home but I run into a lot of parents who do not know how to maintain their children's hair because they either wore relaxers their whole lives or are adoptive parents. I work with a lot of adoptive parents who are adopting black children or children who have curlier hair types. So I felt that it was important knowing that most of the trauma to women’s hair, especially black women, starts at such an early age. I felt if i could educate the parents of these children we could prevent the amount of hair loss that we see in hair lines and the amount of thinning that we see in young women because of unhealthy haircare practices. I wanted to be an instrument in that way as well.

Lavender isn’t something you see in many natural hair products what prompted you to incorporate it into the Ann Carol line?

For one lavender just smells heavenly.

It sure does!

So that and knowing that a lot of people are just stressed. I’m a Trichologist and I consult with a lot of women. More times than not on the consultation form women mark how stressed they are.  The level of stress varies from person to person but with lavender having the aromatic properties of relieving stress, and calming the nerves I thought it was important to include it.  Another characteristic of lavender that people don’t know is that it also helps to support hair growth. Again a lot of the women I consult with through my trichology clinic often complain about hair loss or hair thinning so I just really wanted to make sure that I infused ingredients into my products that would address the concerns of the majority of the women that I’ve consulted with over the years. I knew that lavender would not only provide a great natural scent, it would be helpful.

You’ve worked with many notable people over the years including Meagan Good and Nia long. What advice would you offer to aspiring celebrity stylists?  

The thing that I always tell aspiring stylists who want to work with celebrity clientele is you have to be consistent and you have to be professional. When I came into the industry I wasn’t focused on getting celebrity clients but it happened because of my consistency and the level of service and value that I provided to my clients. The hair industry is one of those few industries where how often you work is based on who you are and word of mouth. We’re still a very big word of mouth type business. So I caution stylists to be mindful that what people say about you and who knows you will determine what type of clients you serve. A lot of celebrity clients are very private because they’re public figures and as a hairstylist you’re typically with those clients for an extended period of time in their private space. If you’re able to demonstrate a high level of professionalism and consistency then your reputation will take you further than you could imagine.  

Dr. Kari Williams is currently in the process of building an online educational platform for professional stylists who are interested in receiving official training and guidance on the Goddess Loc method and online certification program for trichology.  She will also be launching a tour next year featuring hands-on workshops.