Under The Dryer – NCB Glam
We’re Under The Dryer today with the gorgeous ladies of NCB who were only too happy to dish their haircare tips to us. Stylish hair that is still conservative enough for the office. Here’s what they have to say.
(Photos: Garfield Robinson)
Natural Beauty
Darcy Parkins – Managing Director, Remittance Services
Change is good and a hot new ‘do is always a welcome change for many. After 26 years of relaxing her tresses, Darcy decided that a new look was definitely in the cards. She became concerned about the effects of relaxers on her hair and scalp after watching Chris Rock’s Good Hair documentary, so she made a bold move and cut it all off. For her, it is one of the best decisions she has ever made, and she is absolutely thrilled with the ease of styling.
Her routine:
Daily shampoo and conditioner followed by a dollop of TREsemmé Curl Care or Noodlehead Curl Crème to enhance its curly texture. Her daughter recently dyed her hair with Clairol Textures&Tones in Cherrywood “to give it a little kick”. The occasional trim at Upper Cut Barber Salon in Liguanea Post Mall keeps her hair in perfect shape.
Her take:
“I love it! And I certainly enjoy not going to the salon religiously for two hours every week,” she tells our team. She also explains that if she does get bored with her new look, she will simply “colour it, twist it, grow it some more or shape it differently… there are lots of options… if someone wants to try this look I say go for it! It’ll always grow back.”
Short ‘n’ chic
Shashanna Bernard – Insurance Advisor, Duke Street
Shashanna really loves her chic cut, but admits that it is high maintenance. Thankfully she’s able to do it herself. Indeed she relaxes, deep-conditions and styles it in the comfort of her home, only visiting her stylist Charmaine Chambers of Visions Beauty Salon once monthly for a trim-and-style job when she “needs to be pampered”. Tresses are wrapped nightly and flat-ironed daily, with a relaxer every two months and shampoo and conditioning twice weekly to keep her hair “looking fresh and fine” as she is an avid jogger.
Her must-haves:
“My favourite products are Garnier Fructis and Pantene ProV, but I also use TREsemmé or Textures&Tones at times. I definitely always have my mousse, and Fantasia IC Hair Polisher in the blue bottle.”
Her Take:
“I love the short cut, it’s very chic… but it definitely takes a lot of work.”
Armed & fabulous
Audrey Stennett – Financial Advisor, Financial Advisor
Audrey’s hair is naturally thin, so she prefers shorter hairstyles as it creates the illusion of fuller volume. Her capable stylist Janet Coombs at Angels Plaza, Spanish Town, plays a large part in keeping her tresses healthy and stylish. Monthly visits are made to the salon to relax, deep-condition and trim with weekly shampoos done at home. For special occasions appointments are made with her stylist Janet.
About her stylist:
“I love Janet, she is great at haircare and she’s also the boss when it comes to styling. I always watch what she does so I can go home and try to imitate the styles myself,” she says laughing.
Her must-haves:
“Dark & Lovely relaxer, all Motions products and my curling iron. In fact, even though I wrap my hair at nights and sometimes curl it in the mornings, I am always armed with it. I take it to work with me every day, because you never know when you might need it.”
About her ‘do:
“I like my haircut because it’s very chic. It defines my cheekbones, brightens up my face and makes me look younger… but it grows out very fast, so I have to relax and treat it regularly.”
Honey-blonde ‘Bob-shell’
Lavern Francis – Branch Manager, UWI
After years of sporting long, curly hair, Lavern decided to go for something a little different, so she opted for a blunt bob just over three months ago. She now finds her trendy new ‘do “much easier to handle, because long hair is a lot harder to style”, and she enjoys not having to do much with it. She simply wraps her hair nightly and ties it with a silk scarf to seal in the moisture. If necessary, she might just “throw in a few curls” with her curling iron in the mornings, but otherwise she can just brush and go. For special events, her expert stylist Josie of Josie’s Beauty Salon will create a nice, conservative look for her, but otherwise she relaxes it every three months, deep-conditions once monthly and shampoos bi-weekly.
Her haircare secret:
“I’m taking fish oil and Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil supplements for my hair, nails and skin… so I hope they’re working,” she says jokingly.
Her must-haves:
“Pantene ProV products, John Frieda Shine Shock Nourishing Spray and Soft Sheen hair polisher for a nice sheen when I curl my hair. I also use anti-dandruff shampoos at times.”
Two-way Glam
Elizabeth James – Wealth Advisor, Capital Markets
As a wealth advisor and a mother of two young children, Elizabeth wants a hairstyle that not only works for her hectic lifestyle, but is also smart enough for the office and the occasional business function. Her hair is natural, and she usually wears it curly or in a bun, but when she wants to give it a break, she visits her stylist Marva at Mzuri Beauty Salon to have it straightened. “This lasts for about a week in good weather,” she tells our team. Just last week, however, she decided to take her usual change a step further, and off she went to try a new stylist — Charmaine Chambers of Visions Beauty Salon — to swap her curly, waist-length locks for sleek, shoulder-grazing tresses.
About her new ‘do:
“I love it! It feels much lighter and I can still put it in a bun. I like keeping my hair natural because it gives me the option of wearing it straight or curly, and I prefer the curly look. I only do straight when I need a break, so I will continue to do both.”
Her haircare secrets:
“I drink a lot of water, I shampoo my hair every three days with Biosilk to maintain the curly look and I always rub olive oil into my hair to keep it healthy. I have been using it since I was a child.”
Radiant Highlights
Tracy-Ann Spence – Portfolio Manager, Capital Markets
Tracy-Ann loves her sleek tresses with face-framing highlights because “it is convenient, low-maintenance, easy to manage and the length works well with different styles”. She is very serious about her hair, so she does her best to take good care of it and she even takes Biotin vitamins for hair, skin and nails, “not religiously, though,” she says. It is for this reason that she needs a stylist who understands its texture and maintains it accordingly. So for her, Angela Fuller, who is located at the Pulse complex is definitely an asset. She visits the salon once weekly for a shampoo and roller-set job. She also treats it once per month and relaxes bi-monthly. She wraps it at nights and flat-irons it in the mornings for that sleek look she loves, too, but for everything else… there’s Biosilk, she tells our Under The Dryer team.
Her must-haves:
“I love Biosilk Silk Therapy! I even have a travel-sized bottle that I take with me all the time, and when I’m travelling, I also carry my silk scarf, flat-iron, Pantene Daily Moisturiser For Coloured Women and of course my brush and comb.”
About her stylist:
“I’ve been going to Angela’s for at least five years now. She knows my hair, her prices are affordable and she doesn’t compromise quality for cost. I also love the fact that she understands totally that no two persons have the same hair type. I trust her implicity. She suggested I try highlights in the front and it turned out great.”
Short & Spicy
Audrey McIntosh – Branch Manager, Matilda’s Corner
If anyone is sold on the virtues of sporting a cropped ‘do, it is definitely Audrey, who was quick to tell our Under The Dryer team that she has been wearing her hair short for as long as she can remember. She finds shorter hairstyles much more edgy and versatile, and she usually sports many varieties of cropped ‘dos. Naturally, a good cut and a knowledgeable stylist are crucial, so it is hardly surprising that she has been with Carolene Dennis of Cutting Edge beauty salon for the past 10 years. And she loves the fact that “she is very creative, she doesn’t do boring looks and always gives that little extra,” she explains to our team.
Her haircare routine:
“I go to the salon for a root-touch-up and trim every three weeks, I treat when necessary and I shampoo, blow-dry and curl up to three times weekly at home because I walk in the mornings and I tie it with a silk scarf at nights to keep the curls. I find my hairstyle very easy to manage because when I take the wrap off, all I do is finger-style and go. If you have a good cut, styling will not be an issue. It definitely suits me… and I’m never growing it back,” she asserts.
Her must-haves:
“My curling iron, of course… I even have a gas curler for when there is no electricity, and it is great for travel. I also use Motions Foam Wrap and moisturising lotion so I always have those with me too.”
No-fuss hair
Shekeenah Mitchell – Senior Marketing Promotions Specialist
For someone who “hates being in a salon and is not at all fussy about haircare”, Shekeenah surprisingly has not one, not two, but three hairstylists. Sandra Cunningham in Mandeville, Tonisha of Super Touch beauty salon and “pretty much anyone from CT Styles,” she tells our team. She then explains that “CT Styles was recommended by a friend, Super Touch is open every day for long hours and Sandra is creative, affordable, and allows me to do everything in one sitting without tearing my hair out.” Of course our Under The Dryer team wanted to know more. Here’s what she shared.
Her haircare routine:
“I don’t really have a routine, I visit the salon anywhere between once every two weeks and once every three months, depending on whether or not I can be bothered. I hate being in a salon, I just want to get it over with and get out. I usually wear my hair in a bun or wash it and wear it curly, and for very special occasions I will go to the salon. I treat it once in a blue moon and let my stylists decide on anything that is needed.”
Her take and must-haves:
“I love my hair because of its strength, as it really stands up to the wear and tear that I put it through. The only things I would say I need are Dove shampoo and conditioner — which I love because my hair drinks it, Luster’s Pink Lotion and my Conair gas curling iron for when I’m travelling.”
‘Kurly’ Coif
T’ka Vaz – Financial Analyst, Retail Banking
Some women love to experiment with their hairstyles as they get bored easily and T’ka is one such individual. She recently had her hair cut, she tells our team, but shortly after, she decided that her hair needed a break, so she opted for extensions. Luckily for her, she has a stylist — Monique White of Kuts and Kurls in Clocktower Plaza — who is just as adventurous as she is.
About her stylist:
“Monique is a very good stylist, I’ve been going to her since about 2005. I visit her every two months to relax, and I shampoo and treat every two weeks. She listens to me, gives me good suggestions and she is very accommodating. I like to get my hair done on Sundays when no one else is there, and she comes out just for me.”
Her take and must-haves:
“This is a really cute way to give my own hair a break, and it’s also very versatile — sometimes I wet-set it with small rollers and finger-style to get it curly as it is now, and at other times I flat-iron it and wear it straight. There is also less styling time in the mornings, as I wrap my hair nightly because I like the ends smooth. I also love Ginseng Oil and Olive Oil moisturiser because they keep my hair healthy.”
Hair’s a welcome change
Misha Haye – Corporate Communications Officer
Misha’s trusty hairstylist migrated recently, so she had to find a new one, and Carolene Dennis of Cutting Edge was her stylist of choice. She has been quite impressed with her prowess since she made the transition, and plans to stick with her, as “it’s been good so far,” she says. Her hair has always been at least three inches long, but she recently had to get a trim to rid herself of split ends. She is still getting accustomed to the shorter ‘do, though she has plans to “go even shorter sometime soon”, she tells Under The Dryer. For now, she continues to stick with her regular haircare routine while she nurses her hair back to good health.
Her haircare routine:
“I get my hair relaxed once per month at the salon, and shampoo and treat weekly at home with Crème of Nature shampoo and Conditioner and Olive Oil deep-conditioning treatment. I flat-iron or sponge-set my hair every weekend and work in my Neutrogena Triple Moisturiser leave-in conditioner before I style it, which lasts throughout the week. On special occasions, I usually style it myself; depending on how much time I have on my hands. And I’m now ensuring that I trim the ends regularly too and keep my hair moist without weighing it down.”
Her must-haves:
“Moroccan Oil has excellent restorative and moisturising qualities. I also drink lots of water and use olive oil products along with my Neutrogena moisturiser.
I also need my flat-iron and sponge rollers if I want a bouncy, wavy look.”
Her take:
“I love my hair because of its strength, and there is not much required in terms of maintenance. I also like the fact that it looks good straight as well as curly, but if I have a hot date… definitely curly,” she says while laughing.