Michelle's HAIR IS NOT A WEAVE, NOT RELAXED, SHE IS ALL NATURAL.

[Heather MC]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/27590034.html


A silky mane draws raves and questions
By Elizabeth Wellington

Fashion Columnist

From the moment Michelle Obama took the podium Monday night at the Pepsi Center in Denver, her tresses brushing her shoulders in a soft flip with silky edges, black women across the country wanted to know: Who did her hair?
Was she fresh from the chair? What kind of relaxer does she use? Did Oprah lend her Andre?

Sure, she moved us with her patriotic speech. And we teared when she recounted her first child's ride home from the hospital, with a nervous Barack driving.

But we couldn't help but notice the hair - in all its perfection.

So here you have it. The big news is that Michelle is a no-lye lady.

It may not seem like a big deal, but black women for centuries have been trying to get that hair nirvana - without chemicals.

After the much-talked-about purple Maria Pinto sheath Obama wore when Barack clinched and the White House/Black Market sundress that sold out in hours after her appearance on The View, we have more reason to pay attention to our potential first lady's style choices.

Her heavenly mane is blown out by Johnny Wright, a California-based stylist at Frédéric Fekkai on Melrose Place.

Wright, a consultant for Soft Sheen Carson, works his magic on Anita Baker, Vivica A. Fox and Vanessa Williams. He met Obama after he styled her hair for the cover of Ebony magazine.

The news first broke that Wright was Obama's stylist on BellaSugar.com in late July. New York magazine picked up the story as well, insinuating Obama was snooty for requesting her stylist travel with her to the convention. (Isn't that the right of a potential first lady?)

While Fekkai has been reluctant recently to talk about Obama's hair, citing privacy issues, company spokeswoman Denise Davila did say that her hair was blown out by Wright and that he did not use chemicals in her hair. And yesterday morning, the Today show did a segment touting Frédéric Fekkai products.

The bigger question is: How is this mane magic possible? Can black women have such a silky look without chemicals at all?

"It is totally possible to have hair that straight without having a relaxer," explained Brandy Davila (no relation to Denise), hairstylist and color specialist at Bubbles Salon on Walnut Street. Davila styles the 10! Show's Lori Wilson, an African American anchorwoman with a sleek style similar to Obama's.

"The key is in the products and the tools that are being used," Davila said.

Davila said that in the last five years, more black women who wear their hair straight are moving away from relaxers because they desire more movement. Women with color-treated hair also are moving away from chemical straighteners because of breakage issues.

To get the look, Davila said, she shampoos and conditions hair, then applies a dime-size amount of Phytodefrisant and Phytolisse cocktail. These two products, she said, protect the hair from the heat of the blow dryer and help with shine.

After that, Davila said, the hair is blown out under low heat with a paddle brush. To get the maximum body, straightness and curl, Davila uses a flat iron, which gets as hot as 400 degrees. Right now the most popular flat irons in the black haircare market are Chi and Fhi irons.

"These irons let you control the heat," Davila said.

Davila said the style could last from three to six days, depending on the humidity.

A blow-out at her salon ranges from $45 to $65.

[valerief]

1. But the real question is: Are Cindy McCain's boobs real? nt

[XemaSab]

2. Shoot, this white girl was jealous

My hair is frizzy. :(

[Heather MC]

3. Only brush your hair when it's wet and use a creamy leave-in conditioner

and embrace your curls!!!
:hi:

[XemaSab]

4. I do, and it's still frizzy

:(

[KittyWampus]

5. I always wanted your hair. That's how it is when you're a girl.

:hug:

Now mine has a touch of gray and I'm not putting in any dye. You only notice up close so far.

[Heather MC]

13. Send me an email telling me exactly what you have done and the type

hair you have
I will get my Hair experts on it
OK!
Now please know our Analysis maybe that you chop it all off and start over
are you prepared for that?

ha ha ha
kidding
let me know what you do what you have done
ok

[blogslut]

14. Get some Sebastian Molding Mud

After your hair is dry. Take a quarter-to-half dollar dollop and work it between your palms until it is transparent. Then squish the stuff into the ends of your curls.

:)

[ampad]

6. If you have not already

You should check out naturallycurly.com

[Barack_America]

8. Yep. That's exactly what I was going to recommend. nt

[Barack_America]

10. Is it really curly or do you just have that wavy/curly "McFro" thing going on...

like I do? :P

It does make a difference in what products you should use. But, like I said below, I second the suggestion to visit naturallycurly.com

[XemaSab]

12. If I spend an hour on it I can get it to be PERFECT ringlets

Otherwise it just looks messy.

Thanks for the suggestion!

[Barack_America]

16. For ringlets...

And a semi-tight curl, you might look into that "No Shampoo" plan they have on that site. It didn't do much for me, but I've seen some BEAUTIFUL ringlets on that site.

On thing I do (that they recommend) is scrunch the hair when wet and pile it on my head under a microfiber towel. That really makes a huge difference.

Well, that's certainly all I know about hair, so... ;)

[TahitiNut]

17. Hell ... this white boy grew up envying Art Garfunkel's 'fro.

I have the straightest, finest hair my Nordic ancestors could bequeath me. My late father was a barber and he complained that my hair was so damnedably fine it clogged up his clippers.
:rofl:

[Lucky 13]

7. Black women are in a Catch 22.

I posted something similar in response to an earlier OP.

If you are a black woman, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't.

If she doesn't relax her hair, straighten it, "blow out" or use "pieces" - pundits will start tossing the word "nappy" around (cough.. Don Imus!)

If she does relax her hair, straighten it, "blow out" or use "pieces" - pundits will accuse her of being fake, snobby, or trying to look "Caucasian". (cough.. Toby Keith!)

It's a classic Catch 22. It's a trick. It's a trap. It's racist. She knows all about it. And she's way too smart to play that game.

[blondeatlast]

18. Indeed it is--and the m$m know it. Most people with some degree of fashion

know it. The fact that they brought it up at all shows that they know it is.

She's gorgeous, no matter how you look at it. How she chooses to get there is her own business.

FWIW, I'm a dyed blonde (go figure) with a bent for fashion. I appreciate unstudied beauty and style. Michelle Obama and Jill Biden carry off their looks with ease.

Compare that to the overly studied, obsessive style of Cindy McCain. Yuck.

[Hamlette]

9. That was NOT a soft "flip". What idiots write this stuff. It was a soft "page boy"

sorry to nit pick but really, if you're going to write like you are an expert on women's hair styles, get it right. A fip goes up on the ends.

[jillan]

11. She was (is) gorgeous!

We're gonna have two beautiful, intelligent women in the WH.

Eat your hearts out repugs!

[truthisfreedom]

15. But Cindy's face and boobs are so doctored up that nobody can figure out what they used to look like

[DeadEyeDyck]

19. I sorry bit I can't go for this...

It is as if they are saying that "normal" back women's hair is inferior and that you only look good if you have hair similar to a white woman. How is this different that the back musicians in the 50's that straightened their hair to look like Pat Boone.

He hair should not be a discussion. He mind should be.

Just my two cents.

[AlCzervik]

20. the fact that the media is trying to make even her hair a point of discussion is ridiculous.

My hair is dyed and back in the day i used to get a spiral perm.

[totodeinhere]

21. To hell with the economy, the environment and energy policy and the war in Iraq.

The most important thing to talk about is Michelle Obama's hair.

Where oh where are our priorities?

[Mudoria]

22. Really...

:shrug:

[katty]

23. discussing hair?!! Michelle is smart &she looks great-OK -

end of story