Celebrity Hair

My Favorite Housewives and Their Hair

Okay, so Lisa Wu Hartwell and Shereé Whitfield aren't really my favorite members of the Real Housewives of Atlanta cast (Nene is), but they are my favorite ladies to watch when it comes to their hair. Lisa, who is Chinese and African American, has very curly hair, which she straightens from time to time. Shereé, who I recently featured as my Celebrity Hair pick of the week, is a natural who gets her hair pressed by her stylist. Below is each lady's hair care story as told by them in the September/October issue of Sophisticate's Black Hair Styles and Care Guide (Page 26). I haven't included their entire interview, just enough to get a gist of the products they use and how they choose to care for their hair.

Lisa Wu Hartwell

"My hairstyle… I've played with my hair a lot this season. There are a lot of different layers and I'm allowing my hairstylist Elijah Cohen to experiment! Long hair to me is more manageable. I can just throw it in a ponytail, as opposed to if I wore a short cut. I guess a lot of people wrap their hair or they 'sleep pretty,' but I am all over the place! I also wear ponytails when I work out. I need a look that's easy for my lifestyle.

My best hair tip… For long, healthy hair keep the heat off it. During filming, we used a lot of heat on my hair and I can tell the difference in my hair and the curl pattern. I'm giving it a rest now and letting it air-dry as much as possible instead or blow-drying and using a ceramic iron on it. I've been really paying attention to my hair.

My hair philosophy… My hair is naturally curly so it takes me a little bit to get the wave pattern out of my hair so I have to have someone else straighten it.

My must-haves… I fluctuate a lot with hair products between when I wear my hair sleek I use a lot of straightening agents so I won't frizz up. When I wear my natural curls, I'll use Herbal Essences Totally Twisted products."

I think a lot of us natural haired ladies who use heat frequently can unfortunately attest to the heat damage Lisa has suffered from. I've noticed that she's been wearing her hair straight a lot this season as opposed to the previous one. I find the fact that she uses Herbal Essences Totally Twisted products on her naturally curly hair exciting because I love the Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curls and Waves Conditioner for co-washes. As for styling aids, I visited the Herbal Essences website and discovered that they carry a Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse and Curl Scrunching Gel. Which one Lisa uses, I'm not sure, but I would be interested in trying both to see how well they style my natural curls.

Now, let's move on to Shereé and her hair care story:

Shereé Whitfield

"My hairstyle… I just recently got bangs so I've been wearing it bone straight with bangs. They're lower than my eyebrows, and I'm really happy with them. I work out a lot so my hair is back in a ponytail a lot. If it's not in a ponytail, I'll go to my hairstylist, Lawrence Washington, who will press out my hair.

My best hair tip… I'm so old school! In my purse I've got a little comb and a little toothbrush for my edges. Or sometimes I'll put Aveda Control paste on my edges to help them lay down since my hair is very fine around the edges.

My must-haves… I personally like Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner. I've tried a lot of different shampoos and that line really works for me. Aveda's Brilliant Humectant Pomade lays down my fly-aways, gives my hair sheen and puts moisture back in. I can only use a little, because oily hair is not cute!"

That's it for my two hair favs from the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Which cast member's hair do you admire?