The New Feminine Ideal
by guest blogger @lindsayleboyer, Lindsay LeBoyer
Currently modern women favor hair as sleek and straight and possible. However, that modern ideal has not always been in fashion and curls are starting to make a comeback. Since many salon straightening treatments contain formaldehyde, women everywhere are embracing their natural textures. Curls and waves are on the rise, and celebrities like Rihanna and Taylor Swift are getting in on it too.
The Birth of Venus
Painters such as Botticelli and Titian depicted their ideal of feminine beauty with luscious, curly hair. Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus,” depicts the Greek goddess Venus emerging from the sea, sporting a mane of flowing, golden curls. She is a vision of natural beauty with hair floating in the wind. Had Botticelli painted Venus with straight hair, the pictures would lose it’s pure, magical quality.
Taylor Swift
The name Taylor Swift is pretty much synonymous with gorgeous, banana curls. The Grammy winning country singer credits Bumble and Bumble curling balm for her frizz free hair, and Babyliss conical curling wand for touch ups. On tour she rocks her curls loose and wild, but sweeps them into a soft bun for award shows.
Rihanna
Hip-hop singer Rihanna has made quite a few headlines with her hair. At the beginning of her career she sported long brown waves, then a short pixie cut, curly blonde mohawk, and now a full head of red curls. Rihanna’s curls are tight and bouncy, forming perfect spirals. The key to her haircut is layers, which tone down the volume just a little bit and create a nice round shape to frame her angular face.
Get the Look
Young Woman Combing Her Hair by Titian DevaChan recommends not combing curly hair |
If you have naturally curly or wavy hair, it’s important to use a line of products that will enhance them. DevaChan promises soft, frizz-free curls or waves, and its system is customizable to match many different hair types. You can find DevaChan at most hair salons, or visit their website http://mydevacurl.com
Now that you have the tips to keep your curls looking beautiful, one question still remains… Are you confident enough to officially go curly? When you’re feeling tempted to pick up the flat iron, remember this: Centuries ago, painters depicted the ideal feminine beauties with curly hair. Today, fashion forward celebrities are embracing their curls, and the media praises them for it. Beauty brands like DevaChan and Bumble & Bumble encourage girls to be natural. Magazines devote beauty columns to getting the perfect curl. Don’t give in to to the next new straightening treatments when traditional femininity embraces a mane of natural curls.
Are you confident enough to go curly?
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/fashion/in-defense-of-curly-hair-the-mirror.html?pagewanted=all
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femininity
http://www.teenvogue.com/beauty/blogs/beauty/2011/06/curl-power-get-wavy-hair-for-summer.html
I love hearing about everyone's curly hair stories!
my hair was very big and curly in the eighties and I am having trouble getting the sleek and curly hair without a lot of effort — everything now that I am older takes more effort!
Wonderful blog post. I happen to have hair that never knows what it wants to do. Some days it curls (on its own) but it's usually straight, with a bit of a wave. I'd love to be able to consistently wear my hair curly though.
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When I was younger, I had pin straight hair and so I got it permed and it came out a mess! Now that I am older, I have "in-between" hair – too straight to achieve the curls I crave, but too curly to try to straighten in the humid South, where I live. I'm definitely going to check out the products you mention because so far I have been unable to get my curls to look like anything other than a big tangle-y birdsnest!
Sara (https://graggamuffin.etsy.com)
Oh no! Not curly hair! I say that laughingly as I have the curliest hair ever…if there was a curliest hair contest I would win hands down. Not to mention frizz in humid weather! There is no taming it! But wait–maybe there is hope in those products you mentioned. Excuse me while I go back and see what they are! Thanks for telling me…
A couple years ago my New Year's resolution to wear make up – at least on weekdays – didn't get kept very long. Nevermind hair styling.
Here's my idea of a great (fast) style secret…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/prettycheap/6155779092/in/photostream
Even just a one-of-a-kind pair of earrings fits the bill…
http://www.etsy.com/listing/34077115/red-earrings-wire-hourglass-infinity
Great Post! As a mixed race woman, I was born with ver straight hair that became more and more curly as I have grown older. I now own a full crop of curls! I decided years ago not to use chemicals to straighten my hair, it is what it is and I embrace it. I can blow dry it straight or flat iorn it but usually I embrace my curly mop. There are wonderful new products now…creams and light oils that tame the lion without making my hair stiff, or oily. Just beautiful.