Soraya Mathias Blog

The world of hair care is held close to the hearts of women of all colors. But it is most definitely familiar territory for those of African American descent. And it continues to be a source of income for many sisters out here in the working world. The creativity and style that we bring can make a simple bob look like a masterpiece. Perfecting cuts and trying to please an array of customers are jobs in themselves. Owning and managing your own salon though takes hard work and dedication, not to mention an incredible amount of talent. Combine that with a passion for helping the community and taking part in the development of aspiring beauticians, and you have Rochelle Mosley. In an interview with our magazine, Mrs. Mosley talks about her journey from the runway to the salon and the many business ventures that she has taken on.



Urban Belle: Initially, you were pursuing a modeling career which took you from your hometown of Richmond, Virginia to New York City. What led you to the world of hair design?



Rochelle Mosley: Well when I graduated from high school I got my license in cosmetology as well. Hair is my first love, so it was inevitable that I would go back to making people feel and look beautiful.



Urban Belle: Salon 804 has truly made a name for itself, judging from the elite clientele that you have. What makes your salon stand out amongst the rest?



Rochelle Mosley: Salon 804's motto is serving just your style. Making everyone feel special is our passion.



Urban Belle: Seeing the success that Salon 804 has had thus far, are you thinking about opening more locations in other states in the U.S. or other cities in New York? How about international locations?



Rochelle Mosley: I would love to open more locations internationally. I know Salon 804 has a lot of knowledge and style to offer women internationally.



Urban Belle: In addition to running your salon, you also work diligently with the organization StyleWorks. Tell us more about StyleWorks. When did it start and how did the concept come about? Do you feel like the organization is making continuous progress?



Rochelle Mosley: StyleWorks started 10 years ago by Malaak Rock. This program helps women go from welfare to work. The program provides women with clothes, shoes, hair and up-keep products. They are always so appreciative! And they often bring tears to my eyes.



Urban Belle: Receiving the Golden Scissors Award and being featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show was I’m sure one of the proudest moments of your career. Are there any other moments throughout your career that you would deem as priceless, things that you could never have imagined happening?



Rochelle Mosley: Being on the Oprah show is everyone's dream. I don't know what could beat that, however I wrote a book and who knew, I did that too. I guess the sky has no limits.



Urban Belle: Hair design and modeling seem to be two things that you are most passionate about. Are there any other areas of interest that you have?



Rochelle Mosley: Well I never thought that I could be a good mother; however they say that I am! Who would have thought that! Not me at all! So never say never (Justin Bieber) and now I'm an author, I love it!



Urban Belle: Running a successful business requires a lot of time and effort on behalf of the owner(s). As a wife and mother of two children, is it ever difficult for you to balance work time with family time?



Rochelle Mosley: It is very hard! I have to be very careful in managing my time. My family is always my priority.



Urban Belle: There are so many young women out here who have the desire to start their own businesses but don’t have the knowledge about the steps to do so. What advice would you give them from your personal experience?



Rochelle Mosley: I'm happy you asked this question! I am writing a new book called Life After Beauty School, Preparing for Your Exit! This book will help answer all the questions you have about the business and life in general.



Urban Belle: If there was one quote that you would live by, something that has inspired you throughout your journey as a stylist, model or simply an African American woman striving to reach her goals, what would it be?



Rochelle Mosley: “Have a plan, have a tomorrow. If you have a tomorrow, you have a future!”



To learn more about Rochelle and her books, click here.

Natural hair newbies will be the first to tell anybody that one of the main reasons they recently ditched the relaxer is due to how fabulous natural hair tends to look on everyone else. While finding the beauty in someone else's texture, many have not been able to find the same kind of splendor in their own hair. Is this simply because only a certain type of natural hair is deemed fabulous? No, it's just that many have just not mastered how to style their own natural hair.

And this is when the question of rather a stylist is essential or not comes into the conversation.

I'm quite candid when the debate comes into a conversation in my own social circle, and my opinion of it does strike a chord in some. But it's not because I'm insensitive to the new journey of the natural hair newbie, it's just that after ruining my relaxed hair and having several hair stylists in the process, I finally get it:

It's better to learn how to care for and maintain your own hair.

Trust me when I say your hair will love you for it.

Truth is you don't need to pay someone else to care for your hair. Natural hair isn't the kind of lifestyle change that warrants the dependency on anyone else's knowledge of our own tresses. You, yes you, must learn to style your own hair. If you refuse, you won't stay natural for very long, considering that natural hair styles on average just don't last as long as relaxed ones.

Is that a reason to shudder? Hell no, just a reason to get on Youtube and embark on a little independence.

When we were relaxed, we needed a stylist. And that's because most of us didn't have the knowledge of how to properly administer all those terrible chemicals without ripping our scalps off. And despite that, our hair still suffered in the long run. So if that's the case, just maybe we should be a whole lot more tender with our natural hair, and make the commitment to learning how to finally learn the tactics needed to make our own hair look good.

I'm not knocking hair stylists, I do understand that they must make a living. And it doesn't hurt to get a professional trim or a little break from time to time, but the era of hair salon dependency ends (well should end) when you become natural.

I was never a hair genius, but I figured I'd better learn some things if I planned to make this lifestyle change long term. It hasn't been easy, but definitely not difficult enough for me to have given up. I'm proud to say I've learned to do my own stylin' and yeah, I feel pretty fabulous about it.

The good news is that I'm not a special case, and it's belles like myself that have encouraged some newbie somewhere to forsake the creamy crack, and work with what she has.

You too can be someone else's inspiration. You just a need a little Youtube, a good bit of patience, and a whole lot of fearlessness.

You're new to the natural sisterhood, and I'll admit, while it's a fabulous thing to be a newly natural, it can also be quite scary if you are one of the many uninformed. I was lucky to have an older sister experience the natural journey before I myself decided to take the plunge, but we all aren't so lucky to have a close sibling to make mistakes on our newly natural behalves. While there is a wealth of information on the internet for newly naturals, transitioning divas, and natural tressed geniuses; we all can't deny that it is still a process that we must endure to get adjusted to our natural tresses, especially when all we've ever really known was the creamy crack.

Since more and more sisters are forsaking the relaxers for the beautiful side of au naturale, here are the essentials you'll need to make things a lot smoother.

Your Lifeline

1. The Denman Brush



This little baby will come in use when you need to detangle your wet hair. Remember, never detangle natural hair while it's dry! And as always, start from the ends when detangling your hair.

You can usually find theses brushes in beauty supply shops and some major drug stores. Goody is a well known manufactorer of these brushes.

2. The Spray Bottle



When you're doing most of your hairstyles, you'll need a little water to add moisture to your hair. A great spray bottle will give you the light mist you need to keep your hair hydrated during styling.

3. Satin Bonnet or Scarf

You'll need a satin bonnet or scarf to lock moisture in your hair at night, and to prevent matting while sleeping. Satin pillow cases are great too for retaining moisture.

4. A Great Moisturizer



Shea butter is amazing for keeping natural hair moisturized. But if you're looking for a product, I use Miss Jessie's Buttercreme. I use a healthy dab of it in the morning, and my hair stays moisturized throughout the day.


The Best Hairstyles for Newly Naturals


1. The Braid Out



By far, this is one of the easiest hairstyles for natural belles. Since I didn't do the big chop and opted to transition instead, when I finally decided to chop off my relaxed ends after one year of no relaxer, I had some length to tackle as a newly natural. I wanted a hairstyle that would allow me to wear my big hair and demonstrate that I had some length, so twist outs weren't the best option for me. And I say that because although I had some length, I still needed to stretch my hair out a little. Twist outs shrink the hair, while braid outs stretch the hair.

My sister recommended braid outs, and I must say, it's one of the two hairstyles that I have come to rely on while i get used to this natural thing.

To achieve the braid out, you'll need some patience and the ability to braid. I usually take a spray bottle of water, with a dab of Miss Jessies, and braid my hair into about 10 plaits. While there is no right or wrong number of braids, I just found this amount to work well for me.

I usually wear my braids overnight, and take them out gently the following morning. I can wear this hairstyle for a week, and wear a scarf around the edges to protect it at night.

This video goes in more detail.



I don't use a roller at the end of my hair, but instead braid it to the end. You can do either with natural hair.


2. The Afro Puff



This style is even better after you've worn a braid out for a couple days, but it looks great even if you haven't. All you need is your trusty spray bottle to wet the edges of your hair. Gently pull back your hair, and secure your puff with a stretchy headband. Now it is a little difficult to explain how to use the headband, but this video explains it perfectly and helped me achieve the perfect afro puff.



The puff is also a great hair style for rainy days.


3. The Twist Out



Similar to the braid out (but a lot easier), the twist out achieves the curly and defined big hair look you'll love. It's relatively easy to do two strand twists, and a lot easier on your hands than braids. As usual, you'll need your spray bottle, moisturizer, and the ability to twist.

To twist your hair, you will simply need to take two strands of hair, and twist one on top of the other, until you have completely twisted the strand of hair. Wear the twists overnight (or longer for more curl definition) and take them out.

This video explains the process in detail.





While these are my favorite hairstyles for newly naturals (and the easiest in my opinion), there are many more hairstyles that are pretty great for those getting adjusted to natural curls. Those who have a skill in braiding should find many beautiful styles that they can make use of.



Natural Hair Maintenance

Natural hair is not relaxed hair, so it requires a different level of maintenance.

1. Detangling: You do not and should not comb natural hair every day. Twice a month is reasonable, with some naturals who detangle weekly. I find that my hair can go two weeks without detangling.

Remember that you only detangle natural hair when it is wet! This prevents severe breakage.

2. Moisturizer: You will need to moisturize your hair at least once a day. Some can go every two days, but I think newly naturals should start off with once a day as they get adjusted and learn their hair type.

3. Washing: It's a little tricky to wash natural hair, as natural hair tends to get tangled a lot easier. To prevent my hair from tangling up as I wash it, I braid my hair into big braids before I wash my hair. I then wash my hair in the braids, and pay close attention to my scalp by massaging it thoroughly. After I wash my hair, I take the braids out and detangle. This can be achieved by using your fingers, or a comb like you would with the regular detangling process.

I also only wash my hair with shampoo once a month. I use co-washes the other times.

What is a co-wash you ask? A cowash is when you wash your hair with conditioner instead of using shampoo. It's the same process, and you rinse the conditioner just like you would the shampoo. This will keep your hair nice and soft.

4. The Deep Conditioner

To deep condition your natural hair, wash your hair, and apply a condtioner on your hair. Sit under the dryer (set it on cool), and let the conditioner sit for 15 minutes. While we all use different coditioners, I prefer to use Garnier, as others prefer Suave.





While this is great information for those new to natural hair, there is so much more information that you need to know about caring for natural hair. Just know that you will keep learning about your hair as you experiment with hair styles and various products. There are great blogs and videos out here to make your journey a much easier one.

How to use the avocado hair conditioner treatment to get the most out of your natural hair.

By: Tiffany M. Jones


Most natural belles understand that the key to having healthy unprocessed hair is having good conditioners and moisturizers. Knowing how to manage and maintain dry and brittle tresses can be a tough feat, especially with the array of products available that can be a hit or miss in terms of success and very costly as well. However, there is one possible solution available — one that can deeply treat and moisturize damaged hair and do so with hardly any out-of-pocket expenses and with all natural ingredients. Can you ask for anything more?

This avocado-based hair treatment and conditioner can be used and introduced as part of a regimen to restore even the most unmanageable coils; increasing strength and moisture as well as help to define a curl pattern. The ingredients are few and the steps are simple. If used and followed on a monthly to bi-weekly basis, you will see some great results in a short period of time. Enjoy and pass it along to other natural belles.

Ingredients:

* 1 small avocado
* Olive Oil
* Coconut Oil
* Blender

Directions:

1. First pit and remove the skin of the avocado. Add it to the blender.
2. Melt approximately 2 tablespoons to ½ a cup of coconut oil and add to the blender.
3. Add some olive oil to the mix. The total amount of oils used should just be enough to coat the avocado. (Note: you may have to vary the amounts depending on its size).
4. Blend well until the mixture is smooth and even. You want the consistency of a creamy conditioner.
5. Wet your hair and then smooth on the conditioner mixture to your hair. Make sure all of your hair, from root to tip, is covered completely.
6. Cover your hair in a shower cap and leave the mixture in overnight. (Note: you may have to cover your head or pillow with an additional towel, as the oils may separate and run through the cap.
7. In the morning, rinse with warm water and wash as usual. Make sure you wash the hair complete, removing any remains of the mixture. Do not skip your usual conditioning and detangling process.

From the moment of rinsing, your strands should feel softer and more moisturized than ever before. With this regimen, you will notice that the detangling process will be much easier to handle and you should endure less breakage over time. Also, if you are like many natural girls who suffer from extreme shrinkage, this conditioner treatment can also help define more length as well. No matter what you are looking to accomplish, hopefully this can be your solution to healthy natural hair. Enjoy and pass it along!