Tendrils and Curls – Houston

Tendrils and Curls - Houston 2501 1/2 S. Shepherd Drive, #1 Shepherd @ Westheimer in the Artigiani Center Houston, TX 77019 info@tendrilsandcurls.com www.tendrilsandcurls.com Women with wavy, curly or kinky hair desire high quality products that have been carefully crafted with the unique structure and needs of their hair in mind. Products formulated for naturally textured hair should be gentle, softening, nourishing, protective, hydrating and encourage one’s hair to be in its healthiest condition, look, and feel. Shampoos should enable one’s natural moisture to remain intact while conditioners should add extra moisture. Styling products should hold up against humidity, eliminate frizz, enhance and prolong curl form, and all products should provide protection against the wind, cold, and heat. At Tendrils and Curls, we are dedicated to providing a one stop shopping experience where customers have access to products which highlight and nourish the texture and splendor of their naturally wavy, curly and kinky hair from the inside out. We provide consumers with opportunities to compare and contrast brands in order to make educated decisions about what products will work best for their unique hair textures. Our selection of brands have been carefully chosen based upon the quality of ingredients and the commitment to the development of products which strengthen, nourish and moisturize to keep hair healthy and beautiful. Houston’s Naturally Curly Retailer is Here! Hello World! We are finally here … Houston’s sole retailer for a wide range of products and accoutrements for wavy, curly and kinky hair! We are so excited and looking forward to meeting you all and to long lasting relationships! It has been a long time coming and we couldn’t be happier. From 1999 to 2001, I wore a loose natural … yep, I remember walking down Georgia Avenue during my days in graduate school at Howard University in Washington DC and thinking to myself, “Today’s the day.” I promptly found the nearest salon, walked in, and announced, “I need someone to cut my hair off.” Traumatized by my announcement, particularly given the length of my relaxed hair, a gentleman decided that he would take on the task. Yep … it was the day of my big chop! Liberation is what I felt … I fell completely in love with my hair … every beautiful and sometimes challenging strand. I continued on to earn my Ph.D. from Michigan State University. It was in 2002 when I moved to New York City to be closer to my now husband, Kris, while he was at Columbia University, that I decided to loc my hair. I loved it! WooHoo! I wore locs from 2001 to 2010. At that point, I decided that the time had come for me to cut off my locs and resume my “loose natural status.” My mother, Sharon, helped me to strategically cut each loc … we had decided to take them down instead of cutting them all off. After days and days of unraveling what was left of my locs, again, I felt liberated. This time, it was a strange feeling … I had no idea of how to take care of my hair. My husband and I had decided that I would take a couple of years off to stay home with our new daughter. Zaila (Zay-la). Like many, I took to the internet and quickly realized that there is this big, beautiful, magnificent, glorious community of naturally textured women throughout the world who I could actually develop relationships with and learn from. Amazing. I also discovered that yes … YouTube is your friend (shout out to all of the YouTubers!) and seriously, to all of the bloggers … thank you and keep doing what you do. I began thinking about what it is that I want my hair to “do” … if anything. Was I concerned about the health of my hair or was it more about obtaining a particular look? Was I concerned about curl definition, growth, length retention, etc? Throughout the process, my answer certainly changed from time to time. At one point, I stretched my hair with a blow dryer at the roots every morning to get a little more length while at another time, I wore my hair neatly tucked away with bob pins for four months to prevent split ends, etc. Yes, my mission has certainly changed from time to time but that’s part of the process of getting to know, forming a relationship with, and loving your naturally textured hair. I also discovered … pretty quickly, actually, that no wave, curl or kink is created equal … from afar, my hair may look like yours but no … no, there’s more to it than that. How much hair do you literally have on your head per square inch? How healthy is your diet? Do you drink enough water … are you hydrated? What part of the country do you live in … dry, cold and windy or hot, sunny and dry or hot and humid? Genetically, do you have a tendency to shed more hair than others? We could go on and on from here. That was the challenge for me. I HEAVILY invested in products that were recommended by others. I purchased online because the majority of products were not readily available to me locally. After the wait and the eagerly anticipated arrival of my goodies, I was disappointed from time to time as I was not able to achieve the level of moisture or curl definition, etc. that others had achieved with specific products. It’s true. I had not had the opportunity (there were no local stores or boutiques similar to Tendrils and Curls in the area) to look a little closer at the products that I was investing in to make educated decisions about what might work best for me and my hair. Honestly, ALL OF THE PRODUCTS ARE REALLY GOOD … it’s all about what works best for you and your unique hair. From there, Tendrils and Curls was conceived. I was staying home with Zaila and I had the time to do my homework. After chatting with other naturals about tried and true regimens, struggles with breakage and split ends and identifying what products seem to “do the job,” I came to realize that there was a gap to be filled. It was the perfect opportunity to start thinking about a new career. My mother owned a beauty supply store when I was between the ages of 7 – 10. As a result, I had always had somewhat of an interested despite my years of education in another field. My mother and I had numerous conversations about revisiting her initial career path … but this time, it would be a little different. We wanted to open a boutique that would cater specifically to those with naturally textured hair … a space that is warm and inviting … a space where you can see other fabulous curly heads and be seen, sit down and chat, compare and contrast products by touching and smelling and trying them out, and of course … shop! Essentially, a boutique that would celebrate the splendor and glory that is … naturally textured hair. We wanted to make sure that we not only carried products and accoutrements necessary for the health, maintenance and styling of naturally textured hair but of course, given our love of jewelry, bags and other accessories … we carefully chose the work of a group of both local and national artists and designers to make themselves at home in our boutique. We are officially open for business on July 9th and our grand opening is July 14th! Can’t wait to see you all at Tendrils and Curls! Stay wavy, curly, and kinky, Paula