When Dove Hair asked curly-haired gals like myself to try out their new (and first ever) Dove #LoveYourCurls Emoji Keyboard, it wasn’t just about a cute new set of emoticons to add to our smartphone. In Dove Hair fashion, they were really looking deeper for women to get talking (in person and online) about their curly hair. You see for many of us, those beautiful tresses we normally throw around aren’t really naturally soft, smooth and straight. I don’t remember a time I didn’t straighten my naturally curly hair, sometimes working 2 hours or more to try to first blow dry it straight, then take a flat iron to make it smooth and then take a curling iron to put the curl back in my hair. However, it’s just what I’ve always done.
We’ll until now.
One trip to the salon, the lady asked if she could just style my hair. She had noticed a little corkscrew action coming up in my curly hair and she wanted to see how curly it was. Since I didn’t have anywhere to go, I let her do it her way – until she wheeled my chair around and I saw that the curly mane I smoothed down daily from fear someone would think I was Tina Turner…looked beautiful. I was still kinda shocked so I went home to show my then-boyfriend-now-husband what he thought…
To my surprise he loved it. Like loved it so much he asked me to wear it like that more often. So I continued to style it the “real way” from time to time…even our engagement pictures, I used my diffuser and a little gel to style my hair. To this day, those are some of my favorite photos.
Funny it took less time to style the curly way than the way I typically did my hair, but for some reason, I suppose out of routine (and thinking the grass is always greener), I still yearned for straight hair.
Fast forward about 10 years, I was back to an arduous routine of wash, blowdry, straighten and curl to style my hair.
Then my 4 year-old daughter, who also inherited the dark, curly mane came into my bathroom and picked up some of my defrizzing product.
“Mama, can you please make my hair look like that,” pointing to the lady on the front of the bottle that had long STRAIGHT as a nail hair.
“Baby,” I said. “You don’t want your hair to look like THAT! Your hair is beautiful just the way it is with your perfect curls.”
“Then why do you use it on your curls, mama?”
Yep – that’ll get you every time. Hearing your own words work against you in a “do as I say, not as I do” kinda moment.
That’s when I realized I wasn’t being real. I wasn’t being real to her or to me and I wasn’t setting a good example of how I wanted her to view her own beauty. The way I wanted her to see herself everyday in a way that made her proud of the way she looks and feels on the inside and the out.
And while getting all of us to change our perception of beauty must be on a personal level, Twitter is helping to make a change on a social one. Every time you share a #LoveYourCurls moment on Twitter, a custom Dove Curly Hair Emoji will appear in the tweet.
So for all of us curly-headed women who feel the need to kill all those healthy hair cells with tons of heating tools to look like that “other” girl, consider just looking like you for a change. That means curly hair and all. And while you practice a little authenticity, consider it online as well as offline. There’s no need to just find anything to represent you on the standard Emoji keyboard. There’s one of your very own curly-headed emoticon just a free click away.
Download the Dove Love Your Curls Emojis in the App Store and Google Play Store to show you #LoveYourCurls!
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This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Dove Hair, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #LoveYourCurls #pmgdove http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
I wish I had curly hair. I have ultra straight hair, and I’ve been trying to force it to be curly for years.
I love your curly hair! It is absolutely stunning!
I admit I am jealous of people with curly hair mine is so straight. I love that they make products for curly hair as well.
I have natural curls and I pay good money for keratin treatments to get rid of them 🙂
I think curly hair is beautiful! You both look amazing!
this is so funny because I used to have stick straight hair and after each kids it got curlier and curlier
It seems that we are never happy with what we have. Curly haired people want straight hair and vice versa.
I have pin straight hair (until humidity comes then I have a wave), buy my friend has naturally curly hair and I think she is the only one that loves her hair the way it is.
Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a full head of curls like yours! lol I guess it goes to show you’re never really happy with what you have…until you learn to really work it! lol
Interesting article!
I will have to share this with my sister-in-law!
It seems like it’s always greener on the other side..I have hair that is straight as a stick, but I long for beautiful curly hair!
My daughter actually has curly hair and I absolutely love it! I love styling her beautiful curls each day. And wish I had them.
Your curly hair is gorgeous. Mine is puffy, frizzy and very hard to manage. I would kill for hair like yours!
I love this! I have curly hair but my hair was so long that the weight would pull all my curl out! I just chopped it all off and I am loving having that natural spring back!
I love those new emojis! Isn’t it amazing that no one is every happy with their own hair?
The emojis are AWESOME. I was born with curls but now they’re waves. My daughter is the same. I am always excited to make my hair curly whenever I can for special occasions.
I have natural curls and must confess I don’t like them! I spend a lot of money to make it look straight! I know I shouldn’t, but we’re never happy with what we have!
Your hair is gorgeous! My son has curly hair and it’s not something I’m used to taming because I have stick straight hair. It’s definitely been a learning experience with him, and I know I’ll really have to get more experience when I start styling my daughter’s hair.
Aww curly hair is awesome! We should all love our curls! I love those cute new emojis.
I have always wanted to have curly hair. I love these Emojis. Dove makes fantastic products. The shampoo and conditioner leave my hair so soft.
I used to straighten my hair all the time. I was not sure what to do with my curls. Once i learned how to style my hair i never went back.
I love your hair in the pictures. I have always loved the look of curly hair.
I have hair where I can wear it curly of straight. Its not a great kind of curly though.
I don’t have curly hair but my hair is VERY wavy if not straightened or if it is air dryed. I think these emojis are cute and it’s nice to see Dove celebrating diversity in hair.
How fun are the emojis! Way to set a good example 🙂
I have naturally thick and wavy hair, so I always get them straightened up. Your hair is beautiful. Curly hair suits you.
Having curly or wavy hair is great! My little daughter has a mop of curls. I have wavy hair and my husband has straight hair so it is funny.
My hair is as straight as you can get naturally. Still I love this Dove campaign and what they’re trying to do for curly hair gals.
I know the grass is always greener, but I would love to have curly hair like yours! Mine is straight as aboard.
Those emojis are kind of adorable. I have wavy hair that is kinda curly! It’s a hot mess that needs a lot of love.
Thanks so much for sharing! Your hair looks stunning!