Within two hours after her birth, the nurse was showing me how to give her a bath as I quietly watched from my seat on the hospital bed. I was exhausted and overwhelmed and wondering if I’d ever be able to give my daughter a bath as flawlessly and comfortably as the nurse was doing so, when she suddenly exclaimed, “Your daughter has curly hair – look!” And indeed, the moisture in Scarlet’s hair revealed what I hadn’t noticed instantly at birth – my kid had curls! Again, just like I had.
I was so excited that I sleepily called my mom, who was due to visit me at the hospital later that night, to tell her I had given birth to someone just like myself! As time went on, it was clear that Scarlet’s curls were here to stay, in some form or another. I admit that I was slightly upset at first because I remember the ferocity with which I once tamed my curls.
My hair grew out into the long, wavy kind of curls that are somewhat easy to manage but still a ton of fun in the summertime! That’s what happened with Scarlet when she was about four-years-old too. I love my hair and I hope she loves hers too.
Did you know that one in three women in the US have curly hair? Dove Hair sent a complete haircare set to our home, as well as the wonderful “Love Your Curls” book – a poetic tribute to curly hair. It was inspired by thousands of stories from women with curly hair and is intended to represent and inspire curly girls of all ages. Scarlet and I read the book together.
With summer’s humidity upon us, the book and the haircare set are helping us to love our curls and waves. You can download the book to inspire the curly girls in YOUR life! Visit Dove.com/LoveYourCurls (http://clvr.li/cgdovelyc), download the free e-book, create a personalized e-book with a custom dedication and illustration for a curly girl in your life, and share your personalized e-book on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
Scarlet and I also received a set of Dove Hair Quench Absolute products. We got the shampoo and conditioner, and we’ve had to fight over them since we use different bathrooms. I’ve also been using the Intensive Restoration Mask and the Absolute Supreme Crème Serum, which has been great with the recent heat and humidity. I use it on both wet and dry hair.
Here are the stats and facts from Dove Hair:
– Women and girls with curly hair tend to feel less confident.
– Only 4 in 10 little girls with curly hair think their hair is beautiful.
– Only 10% of women in the U.S. with curly hair feel proud of their hair.
– Dove Hair wants all women and girls to love their curls.
– Dove Hair launched the “Love Your Curls” campaign to encourage women to celebrate their curls and inspire future generations to do the same.
– Girls are more likely to feel beautiful and proud of their hair if people around them do.
I’ve always loved my thick curls and waves, and I hope Scarlet will continue to love hers as well. We’ve both been using the Dove hair products for several weeks and her hair has been easier to comb out after bath, and has been drying well too.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
i absolutely love curly hair! an ex-boyfriend had curly hair and my mom used to gush, “I love his curly hair!”
I had an ex with curly hair too! And his was even longer than mine, if you can believe that.
We should have shared hair products more..
I wish I had curly hair, but alas I have wavy hair that frizzes, so I sadly straighten it during the cold weather and wear it pulled back as much as possible in the warm, humid weather, but you and Scarlet definitely have gorgeous hair. Can totally see why you love it!! 🙂
I think humidity is tough on nearly all hair types! Although Des has straight hair that waves just a bit in the summer. What a stud.
Thanks about my hair! It can be a HUGE mess, though!
You are so right about humidity and god help me when it is as it’s worst as I look like Monica from friends when she was in the Caribbean LOL!!!
HA! I had to go Google that and I can’t stop laughing now.
It is a classic and still thank you for making me smile in return after a pretty crazy day here!!
I hope today is easier! I had a little bit of poison ivy yesterday and today it’s allergies. Can I move to a beach island yet?
So far better day, but the day is still young LOL! But seriously, poison ivy? Omg, that is the worst and I will move with you to a beach island, too!!
It’s such a mild case of it but it happened in New Jersey. I went all the way to Jersey and all I got was a minor car accident and poison ivy. Thanks, Jersey!
Wow to Jersey and you need to come to NY, because I guarantee that we would treat you better!!! 😉
Actually the car thing happened in NY but it was people with Jersey plates. So.. I rest my case!
And we timed out WP comments finally!! But seriously Jersey plates 😉
Her curls are gorgeous and you tell her I said so! I used to have super thick hair, full of curls and I lost it over time, due to many factors. Man, do I miss that hair!
I will tell her! They’ve grown out a lot over time but summer usually changes that.
Strange that your hair changed but I hear of it happening more and more!
I’ll have to try it. My daughter has beautiful curls and I want to keep it that way. I don’t want her to ever have to perm (relax) her hair.
It’s such a battle sometimes. I remember getting a perm one year and wanting the exact opposite the next. Having wavy hair is like straddling two worlds for sure.
Yes, yes, yes!! I am not sure my curly head is not really just a possessed mess masquerading as hair, but I need this! I had no idea Dove had such a great product. Thanks for sharing Tamara 🙂
It’s really good! Great smell too. You know, because we last washed Scarlet’s hair three days ago (don’t tell the authorities!) and I can still smell it.
I love curly hair! I have attempted so many times to have my hair permed but if you know me, I’m always scared of the salon. Or anything that has to do with my hair! Hehehe. I curl my hair sometimes when there’s an occasion just to try something new. I do agree that it may take more effort to maintain a curly hair though but still, it’s beautiful!
I hear ya – I won’t even dye my hair. And mine is more wavy than curly but Scarlet and I can definitely rock the humidity together! Even Des gets a slight wave!!
I grew up jealous of the curly haired girls. My hair was always limp stringy and lifeless. I (mostly) love it now…but I so get not wanting your daughter to feel the same way…well done.
Thank you! That means a real lot.
I absolutely adore Eve’s curls! Now that it’s hot and she sweats a lot her hair seems to be extra curly. I try to avoid curling them out but since her hair sometimes gets all tangled in matted in the back I sometimes must. I hope she always knows how beautiful she is. If my hair was curly like Eve’s I would wear it like that all the time! (I just have a frizzy wave when I let it go natural.)
She has great curls! A lot like Scarlet, I think.
Is there anyone who doesn’t get frizzy hair during this time of year? And all I can think is that people who live in dry climates get by unscathed!
I can’t believe this! Well, you know…I can actually. Perhaps it’s why one of the very first things I did when I learned to love me as I am was to let my hair go natural..no perms to make it straight…no straightening. Then I started to straighten with a blow dryer and then that even ceased after a while. Now I have dread locks that I love very very much! I love my curls though and you can still see them with my locks. 🙂 You and Scarlet have such lovely hair. I know she will love her hair because I’m sure she looks up to you. I’ve missed being here! It was so nice to be able to stop by and read your wonderful words again! xoxoxo
I’ve definitely admired your talk about your hair!! It’s big. Not your hair! But your real talk about it. I love that you’re here again and that you now have a space I can visit. Ahhhh!!!
xoxoxo!!
If I had curls, I would definitely love them. I’m an 80s girl, and I have spent my life trying to have full, wavy hair. But alas, not to be. Thin, straight hair over here. But I can tell Dove that I actually am at peace with my hair. At least I have hair, and that is something to be thankful for:)
Dove would love to hear that, I’m sure!
And yes, just having hair… that’s a big deal.
I love curly hair. I don’t have it though. I end up fighting with mine with a blow dryer to get my hair to do anything! My daughter has waves. She’s never complained though. 🙂
Waves are pretty excellent! I’ve always loved the versatility. I remember that your daughter has gorgeous hair!
Scarlet has the most gorgeous hair (which she obviously got from her mama). I used to hate my curly hair, but I’ve learned to embrace it as I’ve gotten older. Will definitely check out these products!
Aww.. thank you! I was surprised that her curls calmed down the way mine had. I shouldn’t have been surprised but we also have family members with the crazy awesome curls – the ones that cannot and should not be tamed.
I was kinda wondering if she’d get them! She certainly has the personality for them.
Hurray for curly girls! I was born with black curls also. Then they grew our and I had only slightly wavy hair till I hit puberty, then the curls came back! I’ll have to check out the Dove products this summer!
It’s interesting how it change!
The Dove products have been great for us!
I love her little curls!
Melanie @ meandmr.com
Thank you! It was always fun to photograph her hair through the years.
Both your curls are pretty rockin, Tam. My girls get curls as some others, only during humid times. The greater picture here is that I wish for all girls to feel beautiful.
Thanks! My curls are really waves at this point, but may they all live long and prosper! Or something.
Basically, yes. We should all feel beautiful.
I find that girls with straight hair want curly hair and those with curly hair want straight hair haha! But wow I didn’t know all those stats especially the one about girls with curly less likely to like their hair. I think curly hair is awesome. And honestly no one wakes up with amazing blow-dried curly hair or Brazilian straight sleek hair. We all gotta do something to it, right? I hope Scarlet will love her curls—they suit her very much!
Isn’t it funny that we all want what we don’t have sometimes? I always thought I had an advantage with wavy hair. My one sister has super curly hair and wants straight hair. My younger sister has super straight hair and would like if it could take a curl! Mine seems to do both.
^^^ Nina’s first sentence all the way! My hair always looks straight (though, there’s a bit of wave in there sometimes), and my oldest friend had hair that rivaled Annie’s back in the day. I always envied her gorgeous curls and thick hair. But you get what you get. You and Scarlet have beautiful hair…so princessy!
Thank you!! Disney princess hair is probably Scarlet’s goal in life. I confess it has been mine…
I’m in love with those curls, but I’m bias, because I have curls and I’ve passed them on to one of two girls.
I have been wanting to try Dove’s Hair Quench, because I haven’t found anything to tame this mane. The South Carolina humidity is unforgiving to a curly hair gal. A few weeks ago, at one of my daughter’s softball games, I could feel my hair growing in size. 😀 My daughter has said the same for herself and the humidity. Her hair is so pretty, I hope she will always love her curls; she has flat ironed her though. 🙁
XOXO
The Hair Quench is good stuff! I’ll be using it on Scarlet tonight.
I think flat-ironing is ok! I have done it. I just wouldn’t want to only feel attractive when I do it, which pretty much describes 10 years of my life. Sigh.
I’ve always had stick straight hair. Even with a curling iron!! I wish mine had a bit of curl to it, but it seems that the grass is always greener…
That’s how my sister’s hair is! Won’t take a single curl!
I love my curls, although I didn’t get them until late adolescence. Weird, huh? James’ hair was always super straight, but since he hit puberty he has some waves going on. And Gwen embraces her sometimes. I’m always on the lookout for good curly hair products…I’ll check these out!
My mom had stick-straight hair until pregnancy, so I believe it!
Cool about James’ waves!!
Curls rock. I have barely waves, not quite as exciting as curls. Your daughter is ADORABLE, and who knows, the trends my be curly her whole lifetime, and she will wonder what was wrong with us, straightening our hair. Just please, God, may 80s Perm-fro never come back in style! 😉
haha! I can’t imagine it will. However, I never thought anything from the 80’s would come back and things did!
Her curls are adorable! The Dove products sound amazing, too. My hair is wavy, and humidity makes my hair look crazy.
Me too!! Mine is very long too, which can calm it down but also make it so tangled.
I’m sitting here LOVING those curls! My hair is quite indecisive: when I want it straight, it’ll curl; if I desire it curly, it’s straight as a board.
Mine will listen to me.. mostly.. but it definitely varies between straight, wavy and curly! When I lived in San Francisco it was mostly straight because of dry air.
my eldest and my youngest have blonde curls. but you only notice on my mini-me ZooZoo because the eldest is a boy and he shears those curls off with setting blade #2 thank you very much. LOL I miss his baby curls. In fact, I am sure I saved one …. somewhere. But ZooZoo’s can get a real tangled mess, so I guess I’d better try some Dove. Honestly, the poor child looks like a street urchin some days. My own goes curly when I keep it about shoulder length, and then is just wavy when I have it long. I always loved it!! 🙂
I just found out about blade #2 and the like! Des doesn’t really have any curls (maybe a slight humidity wave) but I was joking that he uses blade #2,000 – if that means long hair forever!!
I love your kids’ hair!
Our whole family has curly hair. I got chemically straighten my hair for years, but I have really learned to love my curly hair. It’s great that Dove I’d encouraging women to embrace their curls.
That’s great that you’ve learned to love it! I feel the same way about mine.
awesome shoots!!!
i’m missing my lil nieces now….
Awww.. do they have curls too?
I wish that I had curls!! Mine is pin straight! I begged my mom to give me a perm one year and she did. It turned out horrendous. I looked like a wet poodle.
Same here. I got two perms, I believe, to turn my waves into wet poodle curls! It worked.. sob.
I have natural curls and pay a small fortune to make them go away 🙂
ha! Well it seems to work, right?
I love Scarlet’s curly hair! My hair is curly too and when humidity hits – it can get a little wild! I love Dove products and have used them for years. I checked out the Dove site – very cool!
I hear that! Although when I lived in California, I had no problems with humidity at all! I miss it.
Tommy had curls when he was little, and I loved them. I never had curls. My hair is just frizzy.
Aw! Blonde curls! How adorable. Des never really did, but he gets a nice wave in the summer.
Scarlet is absolutely adorable and has the cutest curly hair! I wish my kiddos (and I) had curly abundance. We all have completely stick straight hair. lol…we are never completely happy with what we have, huh? lol
It’s true! My son has stick-straight hair, in my opinion. It’s so alien to me. I love it, though. No tangles!
All I ever wanted when I was little was curly hair. Oh the home perms I suffered through, to no avail. My hair is straight, straight, straight. Same my little girl, who is now experiencing the same frustration.
That’s like my little sister! And my older sister has curly curly hair and always wanted straight.
And here I am in the middle, like Goldilocks’ three bears!
Love dove! Dislike my curls though. My girls have crazy curly hair I’ll have to see about this for them!
Yeah, it’s been great for my daughter’s hair and I like it too!
What beautiful Curls! ‘m find that nowadays .. people are becoming more aware and accepted of the natural state of their hair. Great Post
I’ve noticed that too! I have a lot of blogger friends who talk about their natural hair. I dig it.
I LOVE curly hair, especially on little girls. It’s just so darn adorable. I like my own curls as long as they don’t get too frizzy. 😉
I definitely get that. I wish frizz didn’t have to be a part of summer around here!
Girls should learn to accept all the wonderful things about themselves when they are young to avoid esteem issues.
I totally agree! My daughter is so young and I’d hate for her to think anything about her curls.. ever.
She is adorable. Love her curls.
Thanks! They can get very tangled but once they’re washed and brushed, they’re just so darling.
OMg how adorable. She is so precious and those curls are just to wonderful.
Thank you so much! I’ve always loved them so much.
You both have beautiful gorgeous happy making curls. What a great campaign by Dove – here’s to girls loving their curls as much as you do!
Happy making curls! I kinda wish Athena had curls too.
Those are the most adorable curls. We don’t have those in our house.
We are a mixed bag here! Mostly just wavy hair although my son’s hair seems very straight and my daughter’s hair more curly.
My youngest daughter HAD the most amazing curls when she was younger. As her hair grew, the curls grew less and and less pronounced. Now, nada! We are so sad the curls are gone.
I can definitely see that happening with my daughter! They relaxed so much since birth.
I love those curls! My daughter has super curly hair too. Those Dove products will make a huge difference!
We definitely love the shampoo and conditioner! And they smell GREAT!
Adorable story. I wished for a curly haired red headed baby and although I am elated that my kids are both healthy those curls make me just a little jealous. 🙂
I really thought I was going to have blonde curly babies because that’s how my husband was! So I was so surprised that they had dark hair like me!
Oh my gosh she’s adorable! I always wanted curls.
Thank you! And I miss my curls the way they used to be. They really got straighter!
What cute photo’s of your little one! I have naturally curly hair while both of my girls have thin straight hair!
I’m loving this campaign from Dove. My daughters have curly hair too
I have to check this line. My daughter has curly hair
Your hair is beautiful, and so is your daughter’s! I hope she always appreciates her curls!
I wished my whole life for curls…perms, curling irons, aqua net in the 80s! Lol Great company that Dove, obviously great product for you and Scarlet, you both have gorgeous hair!
I love all the curls, Tamara. So gorgeous. Last month, I attended the Mom 2.0 conference and was lucky enough to listen to the author speak on this subject, as well as embracing differences. Her talk definitely made an impression.
I don’t know if I have ever mentioned this before in my many comments but, I LOVE your hair!! More so I love Scarlets hair. I am such a fan of curly hair — all types of hair really and I am a HUGE fan of Dove. They get it.
I need to have something to tame my curls. I live in Florida but have a ton of frizzy curls! I will need to try this Dove.