Big Blonde Hair

I started big blonde hair about 8 years ago in hopes that I could fund my pricey hair extension habit— hence the blog name— after seeing an article on a girl who was making a living blogging. I eventually gravitated towards Real Housewives and Reality TV Fashion after seeing that no one was doing extensive coverage of a topic that was high in demand! Before blogging, my career background is women’s contemporary apparel wholesale—I was the girl who sold the clothes to the buyers at boutiques and department stores—which was a great experience to build on in terms of creating a successful fashion blog.

On a more personal level, I’m a mom to a funny, smart, sports-loving 9-year-old boy named Mark, a fashionable 2-year-old named Valentino and have been married to my Mark husband for 10+ years. Mark is also an entrepreneur who does everything from running a small hedge fund to appearing on major financial networks and is the person who inspired me to start BBH after he started his blog about Stock Options. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit by my two wonderful parents and grandma and have lived in Chicago, and the Chicago area, for the past 10 years. I love the city and to me, Chicago is one of the best! It inspires everything from my style to my everyday life. To me, there is no better place than a big city.

Big Chop Hair

Don’t call it a comeback. Going natural is hardly a new phenomenon, but over the past year, we’ve been seeing more women undergo the big chop (aka cutting off most if not all of their length) in an attempt to embrace their natural texture. Just ask Keke Palmer or Tamar Braxton, who both cut their hair to grow it back much healthier. But beyond kissing chemical treatments goodbye, part of the challenge of the drastic change is navigating your new texture while feeling confident about your style choices.

To help, we rounded up the best natural hair experts, women who Kerry Washington and Yara Shahidi have on speed dial. Keep scrolling to learn more about choosing the right cut, finding the right products, and everything else you need to know before you make the big chop.

How to Do The Big Chop Yourself

Step 1. Using the comb, section off your freshly washed hair into four large sections using the diagram below as a guide.

• Part or section your hair from ear to ear. Use the blue line starting with 1 and ending with 2 in the diagram below as a guide.
• Next, using the orange line starting with 3 and ending with 4 in the diagram, part your hair down the center from forehead to nape.
• Use the butterfly clips or duckbill clips to keep each section separated.

Step 2. After the hair has been separated into four sections, working from the right front section just above your ear, make two parts so that you will have three equal sections. Use the diagrams below as a guide.

Step 3. Working within the three sections, starting on row one, section your hair into square parts and place a rubber band right above the new growth. The new growth represents your natural hair.

The size of each square is determined by the amount of new growth you have. If there is very little new growth the squares may be smaller. If there is a lot of new growth, the squares may be larger.

Step 4. Continue to rubber band the entire right front section. Keep in mind two things: (1) If you want uniform hair, align each rubber band with the one beside it. This will make all the rubber bands even.

When banding a new section, be sure to use a previously banded section as a guide. (2) If you are not concerned about having even hair, then rubber band the hair just below the line of demarcation.

Step 5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for the remaining sections of your hair. Remember to use the mirror so you’re able to see the back of your head as you create sections.

Once your entire head has been sectioned off into banded squares, cut off your relaxed hair, including the rubber band.

Big Curly Hair

Do you want a big, bouncy mane? Do you have curly hair and want to define your curls? Do you have wavy or straight hair and want to try something different? The diffuser is your best friend.

I have curly hair, and usually, when I put mousse in it, I scrunch it a little then let it air dry. I don’t know about some of you curly-haired gals, but sometimes when my hair air dries I end up looking like a poodle! Not cute.

I know there have been times when I’ve wanted straight hair because I never knew how to manage my curly hair. Don’t fret, and don’t be ashamed of your natural tresses. Own them with this super-easy way to manage your mane. Good luck!

3 Minutes: Quick Curls With a Weave

For a hassle-free routine that works well for those with weaves, YouTuber Seun Okimi shows us how she uses a flat iron to get loose curls in less than three minutes. Think of how many more times you can hit the snooze button with this low-maintenance routine.

4 Minutes: Sock Bun

For those wary of the damage heat tools can do to your hair, this tutorial is exactly what you need. Follow along as YouTuber Emily Liu shows you exactly how to create a sock bun, wrap your hair around it, and create gorgeous curls. While this technique requires you to sleep on your hair for the magic to happen, the prep and styling take just a few minutes before bed — so simple!

5 Minutes: The Ponytail Trick

Ready for the curling trick that will change your life? If you have barely any time to get ready and want to curl your hair as quickly as possible, pop it into a ponytail, separate it into a few sections, curl each section, then let down your hair. It is that easy.

Big Sexy Hair Shampoo

Here at the Strategist, we like to think of ourselves as crazy (in a good way) about the stuff we buy, but as much as we’d like to, we can’t try everything. Which is why we have People’s Choice in which we find the best-reviewed products and single out the most convincing ones. (You can learn more about our rating system and how we pick each item here.)

Verb Ghost Shampoo

At only $16 for a 12-ounce bottle, this lightweight and color-safe shampoo from Verb is one of the best hair-care bargains you’ll find on Sephora. Reviewer consensus is that it’s a good choice for an everyday shampoo that’ll get hair clean without being overly drying, even if it’s not going to exfoliate your scalp like the Briogeo. One raves, “it feels almost magical when it lathers,” another says “this shampoo basically gave me shampoo commercial hair,” and a third adds, “The first thing I noticed was how incredibly shiny my hair was: I’m talking blinding.”

Living Proof Restore Shampoo

Last year, Strategist beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton polled her followers asking for the best products for dry hair, and this shampoo came out on top, with one fan telling her, “It’s the best I’ve ever tried … to combat the inevitable dryness of dyeing.” Reviewers do note that it might take several washes to see results, and that it works best when paired with the Restore Conditioner, but it’s worth the wait.

Bumble & Bumble Seaweed Shampoo

If, like one reviewer, you have “the type of hair that you need to wash every day or else it is greasy at the root,” this lightweight yet moisturizing shampoo might be for you. A reviewer writes, “I really like the fact that it cleans my hair and it doesn’t look greasy at the end of the day,” and one who struggles with “super greasy roots” raves “my hair looks salon-fresh for 24 hours … Where has this miracle product been my whole life?”