Blaq Vixen Beauty

Editor's note: V. Woods from My Salon Scoop was so kind to provide this guest blog on transitioning!

I hate to bust the liberation bubble for those of you who are ready to dazzle the world with your natural curls, but I must share the scoop. Transitioning does not mean that you have received a “no more hair salon” pass. Many women find that they need new support in terms of product recommendations and styling techniques. Often the woman who proudly boasts “I got this” after four months may feel frustration after six months because she can no longer keep up with her old at-home regimen.

Here are a few beauty matchmaker tips for those of you that are contemplating or in the midst of a hair transition:[...]

You have Monica's makeup look by Mylah Morales, now get her hair by Ursula Stephen! “Monica was wearing an origami inspired dress (by Stephane Rolland, which Monica loved wearing), so I wanted the hair to have some contrast and shape. Her hairstyle is one that can be reworked on a daily basis and is easy to have fun with.” This half pixie, half mohawk cut is sexy and feminine.

• Start by premoisturizing the hair. Motions Oil Moisturizer Lotion makes wrapping and molding the hair easy.
• Comb the hair out and apply Motions Light Hold Working Spritz all over.
• Separate the hair into small sections and curl with a small set iron. By curling each section in different directions, it creates drama and life. “Right away the hair stands up on edge," reveals Stephen.
• Take a dime-size of Motions Shine Enhancing Pomade, mix in a serum, and run hands together. Push the product all the way through the hair, shaping it as you like by using the pomade.
• For added lift and dramatic effect, tease the roots at the crown of the head with a comb. Keep hair in place by finishing with Motions Hold & Shine Styling Spray.

Photo courtesy of WireImage

Editor's Note: The products mentioned in this article have been provided by Pantene, The Zoe Line and L'Oreal.

“Here’s a quick, festive style for a night out. Play around with the look and see what works best for you. You can always try a deep side part, or pull hair straight back for more lift on top. You can also leave strands flowing in front for a more feminine, romantic touch. Have fun with this look, and happy holidays!”

We're actually feeling this braided bun that Ashanti sported earlier this year at the BET Inauguration Ball. A dramatic high bun crowned with a sleek braid automatically takes you to "it" girl status!

Start your style with clean hair, blow dry with a paddle brush. Believe it or not, but we actually prefer Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Moisture Balance Shampoo and Conditioner over the Relaxed and Natural line.

Another Pantene product that you might want to try (we do!) is Pantene Beautiful Lengths Conditioner. Marie Claire voted it as one of the best beauty buys of all time.

Once hair is dry, separate into two sections front and back from ear to ear. We've gotten into the habit of using a wide tooth comb for all of our styling needs. Our favorite wide tooth comb is the Goody Ouchless Detangling Comb.

Clip the front out of the way and secure the back into a low ponytail. Unclip, and use a 1-inch curling iron to curl the top section of hair. This would a be a perfect time to try a hair fastener from Goody's Luminatica like the Briana Ponytailer. However, we have our favorite: the Camellia Ponytailer. Not only have we constructed effortless, elegant updos with it but it has served as a stylish alternative to safety pins for our toga!

Add a little serum like Pantene Pro-V Style Always Smooth Anti-Frizz Serum to your hands and run fingers through hair to separate the curls and add shine definition. Another serum you have to try?  Zoe Fortifying Shine Serum from The Zoe Line. Described as "truly unique," this serum has three essential oils: shea oil, macadamia nut oil, and natural tamanu oil. It protects and conditions hair and skin from the harmful effects of the environment while producing an incredible, oil-free shine.

Gently pull the hair back toward the ponytail and secure with hairpins. Again, we turn to Goody: Ouchless Bobby Pins in Black or Brown. Wrap the hair under the ponytail to create a bun full of voluminous curls.

Finish with a light hold hairspray to hold the style and seal frizz. We recommend that you turn to a L'Oreal classic - the L'Oreal Professionnel Texture Expert Infinium 3 Hairspray. If you haven't used this hairspray before, get ready to have some fun! It holds your style until you decide to rework it without flakes or leaving the hair rigid.

More Pantene...

Ursula Stephen, Motions Celebrity Stylist, created Paula Patton’s gorgeous hairstyle, proving that you can look red-carpet ready without breaking the bank. With only five steps, this style is as simple as it looks:

>>Apply Motions Light Styling Foam all over hair, and blow dry in an upward direction for volume.

>>Using a 1 1/4” curling iron, create waves throughout hair.

>>Tease the entire head with a fine-toothed comb, emphasizing on the crown.

>>Using fingers, gently pull hair into a twist while keeping sides smooth, without losing volume at the crown, and secure with small hair pins.

>>Finish with Motions Light Hold Working Spritz for flexible hold.

According to celebrity hairstylist Johnny Wright, First Lady Michelle Obama never cut her hair...rather, he didn't cut her hair. All he did was a simple switch-up called the tuck-up!

"There are two things I do. The up-tuck, like you are tucking something in. Then I do a tuck-up. The up-tuck is when I position a small ponytail somehere on the head, and then I tuck the rest of the hair up under that ponytail. Then a tuck-up is when I take the hair and gather it all in the back. I then twist it and I pull up and tuck. And that's what she got at the White House. A tuck-up! Not a cut," Wright told the Urban Beauty Collective.

He then added that he has given "different celebrities" the tuck-up and that "it looks different every time depending on the length of the hair. It's a really easy updo. It looks really classy and appropriate for any occasion."

Apparently, there have been talks about cutting Obama's hair because he said that "this would be a nice length for her whenever we decide to cut it." Wright reported that she said, "Yeah." Based on people's reactions to Obama's faux coif, Wright confirmed that "whenever we do cut it, I'll probably go shorter now because everyone thinks that's the cut!"