by Solange Lopes | Dec 31, 2013 | Career |
In response to our reader Udeme’s comment about natural hairstyles for corporate sisters out there, we wanted to show a few of our favorite natural hairstyles for work (please also check out our post on the CURLS line). So here is a roundup of our best natural hairstyles for work (and sometimes even play) for 2013:
Wash-and-go
The Wash-and-Go: This is the easiest natural hairstyle by far, and if done well, can result in a beautiful, frizz-free style that can last for up to a week! Actually, to ensure that the style lasts, we like to add gel to the hair individual section by section. Our favorite gel is the Goddess Curls from the Curls line (available at Target for $7.99).
The Twist Out: This is the more sophisticated version of the wash-and-go, which involves braiding your hair in individual twists. While this may require a little more work than the wash-and-go, it also may look more “put-together” and less voluminous than its counterpart. Although I admit that I am too lazy to twist my hair out most of the time, I also have to say that when I actually take the time to do it, the result is pretty, practical and also can last me up to a a week! For some, it may require some practice to get the perfect twist-out, but in the end, it’s well worth it!
Loose curly ponytail – Photo: Hairstylesweekly.com
The Curly Ponytail: We love this version of the elegant ponytail! It’s classy and sassy all at once, and still allows for a great natural hairstyle. It’s also a great protective style, when the weather gets rainy or snowy outside, or when we just run out of styling options. For a sleek look, we recommend slicking your edges down with Curls’ passion fruit control paste (available at Target for $7.99).
The TWA – Photo: madamenoire.com
The TWA (or teeny weeny afro): For those who are transitioning to natural hair, have just had their “big chop”, or just decide to sport this short do because they can, it’s a great option for the most confident among corporate sisters. It’s definitely a distinctive look that will set you apart in a positive way, and will make your features and personality stand out. For an elegant and sophisticated look at work, keep your cut well maintained, accessorize with delicate yet pretty earrings, and statement necklaces. This cut will also allow you to showcase your face, so if you enjoy beautiful, yet tasteful, make-up, now is the time to get your brushes out! CEO of Xerox Ursula Burns (whom we featured on an earlier post) sports this natural style with such grace and authority that we just may give it a try this year…
Natural hairstyle – Photo: mahoganycurls.com
The Elegant Low Bun: Last but not least, the low bun is the ultimate, most protective and somewhat easy styling option for natural sisters. In the boardroom, meeting room, or at the work holiday party, the low bun stands out with its simplicity and classic elegance. It can be accessorized with nice clips or barrettes for an evening out, or just left alone for a serious yet sophisticated appearance. And needless to say, when you have about 5 minutes and a half to dedicate to your hair before that big Monday morning staff meeting, all you need is a couple of pins and elastics, and voila!
Do you have any suggestions of natural hairstyles for corporate sisters? Please post a comment, or email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 31, 2013 | Career |
Curly Hair Custom Cocktail it – Photo: curls.biz.com
We’ve been getting a lot of questions around natural hairstyles in the workplace in response to our article on why your natural hair may actually give your career a boost. In addition to our recommendation of the Carol’s Daughter haircare line for natural corporate sisters, we also are big fans of the Curls natural haircare line,! So much so that we use it for all our professional and casual hairstyles alike.
We particularly recommend the combo Curls Custom Cocktail Kit. It’s is not only great for your curly hair, but also allows for well-shaped, professional-looking curls without the messy frizz and “poofiness”. The great and fun thing about this custom it is that you can actually make it up yourself on the Curls website based on your curl type and hair needs. You can have your pick between the mimosa, martini, or colada selections for your unique curl type, and voila! Priced at $61.20, it’s a reasonable alternative to your weekly blowout, and a great investment in your natural hair. Plus you can save on all the products included in this kit, without having to pay for each product separately and individually. Pair this kit with the Curls Passion Fruit Control Paste for impeccable edges (available at Target for $7.99) and flawless hair styles year round!
Examples of hairstyles that come out great with this kit include easy wash-and-go’s, twist-outs, classy ponytails and elegant low buns. All these styles are great for work, and if like us, you don’t exactly have very much time to devote to your hair, these are purr-fect!
Check it out and let us know your thoughts…
Seen a great hair product for professional-looking, great hair? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 31, 2013 | Career |
Photo: www.theheartlinknetwork.com
Happy New Year! As we get ready to enter 2014, we would like to thank each and everyone of you for giving us a chance, and taking the time to stop by The Corporate Sister and read us. So we’ve rounded up our best career articles of 2013 for your reading pleasure:
Which were your favorite articles of 2013? Please share your thoughts with us….
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Dec 30, 2013 | Career |
Athleta Spring Gym Tote – Photo: www.athleta.com
‘Tis the season for fitness resolutions, and just in time for us to start our brand-spankin’ new gym memberships, we can also get the bag that goes with the membership…the gym bag, that is…This Athleta spring tote is great for the corporate sisters heading to the gym before work, exercising at lunch, or hitting the elliptical after hours…Priced at $79, it has a compartment for clean clothes, and another section for…humm, the sweatier version of our sporty wardrobes…And even more important, it has a shoe compartment (yes, you read right) for those brand new Manolos you got over the break…And worried about carrying yet another bag to and from work, worry no more, this tote has a cross-body strap that makes it all easy…and of course, so stylish!
Photo: www.athleta.com
Seen a great product you’d like to share? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
by Solange Lopes | Dec 30, 2013 | Career
Photo: dreamstime.com
For us corporate sisters and minority women in a sometimes hostile and challenging corporate environment, and despite our most valiant efforts at keeping positive and unbiased, it is hard to get away from the race factor in the workplace. From noticing how very few of us there are out there in the corporate jungle, to struggling to decipher or simply face signs of sexism, racism, or both, there is no denying that, in the corporate game, the “race card” is hard to avoid. “Playing the race card” is commonly described as the exploitation of racist or anti-racist attitudes by accusing others of racism. And we’re not talking about this popular, common, negatively connoted “race card”….What we’re talking about is the other Race card, the somber, dark reality of negative bias faced by minority women in addition to the traditional gender inequality.
While some of us wonder if it’s all in our heads, or why we keep hitting a dark glass wall despite our best efforts, others tend to internalize the resulting professional struggles, failures and setbacks as a sign of our own inadequacy. As Dr. Cornell West put it so well, race matters, in the corporate landscape as in everywhere else. And despite not believing in New Year’s resolutions (check out our article on why you should not make New Year’s resolutions), one decision we have made this year in our small group of corporate sisters here is to dig out the “race card”, the other one…And it’s not what you may think it is…
While the intent is not to play an ineffective and demeaning game for all parties involved, it is necessary, as we look at our careers and professional paths, to have the courage to dig out all the racial realities, connotations and implications associated with these. As we devise career strategies, plan for opportunities, and prepare for professional success, we also need to consider the invariable variable, the “elephant in the room” that is seldom talked about: the Race factor!
In the era of “leaning in” and women empowerment, as Sheryl Sandberg confidently ushers all women to sit at the corporate table so that “there are more women in leadership roles giving a strong and powerful voice to [women’s] needs and concerns”, minority women (fortunately and unfortunately) get lumped into an ideal that negates reality. The reality that at Corporate America’s table, the gender equality game is still missing a card: the “Race card.” Without confronting the meaning and implications of race in the corporate space, and without a real, hard look at how we can challenge this “race card”, gender equality has only meaning for a select few. And if equality is not equal, it’s not really equality, is it now?
The “Race card” (the other one) is a tricky one, a difficult reality to confront and even more challenging to address. Yet without it, the corporate game is but deceptive and misleading, especially for us. Good or bad, the realities that this “Race card” reminds us of are the same realities we need to understand, confront and make others face, for a better tomorrow. And while it’s not a card that should be played maliciously, it is one that should be openly laid on the table for all to see, challenge and ultimately correct…
Will you be digging out the other race card this year?
The Corporate Sister.
The Twist Out: This is the more sophisticated version of the wash-and-go, which involves braiding your hair in individual twists. While this may require a little more work than the wash-and-go, it also may look more “put-together” and less voluminous than its counterpart. Although I admit that I am too lazy to twist my hair out most of the time, I also have to say that when I actually take the time to do it, the result is pretty, practical and also can last me up to a a week! For some, it may require some practice to get the perfect twist-out, but in the end, it’s well worth it!
