Editor's Picks: Beauty Products for African-American Women

Triple Hydration Oil...ever heard of it? Well, if you haven't, you should know that it's one of the main ingredients in the Soft & Beautiful Ultimate Protection Creme Relaxer System. With it, you can have the best of both worlds—straight hair and healthier hair.

This relaxer system substantial protection against hair breakage. Brittle, dull hair can come from the overuse of heat and styling products, so using a chemical treatment from a company that really cares about the health of your hair is an absolute must!

It's simple: you open the box, mix the blend of oil extracts into the relaxer, and follow the rest of the application instructions. Formulated with safflower oil, olive oil and shea butter, this dynamic product will leave your hair looking, smelling and feeling great.

Relaxer Dos

• A couple days prior to relaxing, minimize your use of heat appliances and styling products that contain stiffening agents.

• If you decide to relax your hair at home, ask a friend to help. Another pair of hands and eyes comes in handy for proper sectioning and application.

• Use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.

• Be gentle when combing and styling your hair. When blow-drying, keep the setting on warm and hold the dryer at least 12 inches away from your hair.

• Generally, it's best if you relax the hair every 6 to 8 weeks, or when your new growth reaches one-quarter to one-half inch in length.

The one thing that women of every hair texture can agree on is that a "bad hair day" can ruin the entire day. Now there is something else on which they can agree – the EdgeStick can take control of a bad hair day and turn it around in minutes.

With the EdgeStick, women of every hair texture (fine, curly, frizzy, and/or coarse) are able to achieve the look of smooth and straight hair without the use of chemicals and scalp or facial burns.

The EdgeStick, with its revolutionary features, earns its place next to the hair dryer and curling/flat iron as a must-have item in every woman’s styling arsenal.

The standout feature of the EdgeStick is its double comb design with ceramic-coated barrel. The comb separates the individual hair strands at the hairline and roots, allowing the hair to glide untangled across the heated ceramic-coated barrel and achieving an instantly straightened appearance. Unlike any other tool on the market, the EdgeStick lets the user get closest to the hair root – even touching the scalp – without experiencing burns.

Safety isn't overlooked when it comes to the EdgeStick's heating element. With the touch of a button, the TruTemp TM digital temperature control rapidly heats and automatically sets the barrel to maintain the desired setting. There’s no need to guess if the EdgeStick has reached the optimal setting thanks to an LED light that brightly illuminates at the top of the styling wand. Because the EdgeStick is designed to work with a broad range of hair-types and textures, the temperature setting is adjustable in 5-degree increments, from 100 degrees C to 200 degrees C, to achieve the ideal degree of heat for the user.

The EdgeStick's features don’t stop there.The product is designed for easy, comfortable gripping, light-weight so the user doesn’t tire half-way through the application, and features a tangle-free swivel cord that extends the life of the styling tool by preventing cord breakage or splintering. For that woman on the go, its slim and compact design allows it to be easily slipped into a purse or gym bag and used for a quick touch-up at a moment’s notice.

The EdgeStick is not limited by use to women whose hair has a curl pattern. While the EdgeStick's benefits are obvious for women with curly, frizzy or coarse hair who desire smooth and elegant hair appearance from the root upward, the benefits for women with fine and/or straight hair may not be as apparent. Women with already straight or fine hair can use the EdgeStick to add volume. By lifting the hair at the root, the same volume can be achieved as when using a flat iron – only eliminating the risk of searing the skin.

With its hair-type flexibility and safety features, the EdgeStick is the styling tool essential for every woman.

Have you ever admired the many hot, new short styles sisters are sporting today? Have you also liked so many of them that you were hesitant to commit to wearing just one? After all, once you cut your natural hair into one of those trendy styles, you're committed to it for a while, or at least until it grows out. Most of these great, short styles involve cutting the hair in layers, and that could require some professional expertise. Well, relax — the makers of Sensationnel's Premium Now weaving hair have the answer. The Bump Collection offers the hottest weave, style and go options we've seen. The name "Bump" was derived from the commonly used term "bumped," which describes hair that's beveled, contoured or curled with a curling iron. The wefted hair has a one-directional pre-styled curve. The Bump Collection has one type of 100% human yaki weaving hair with wefts that are double tracked, available in a wide range of colors, and range from short to medium lengths.

Black Opal’s True Color Liquid Foundation is an oil-free, clean-look makeup with a matte finish that provides lightweight, natural-looking coverage. Some of its unique advantages include stay-true colors, a formulation with advanced oil-control ingredients, and the addition of pure silk powder, which enables the foundation to provide a finish that refines pores; it leaves the skin looking flawlessly smooth. Black Opal True Color Liquid Foundation is also enriched with vitamins A and E to protect the skin from environmental damage, and allantoin to comfort and smooth the skin.

Looking for a cosmetic product that allows the natural you to shine through while controlling oily shine for hours? Black Opal Invisible Oil Blocking Powder may be the perfect choice. This no-color, truly invisible powder absorbs oil and leaves the skin looking fresh. The lightweight, powder-like formula with oil blotters provides a matte finish without any powdery residue. This product is color-free and blends easily with every skin tone. Black Opal Invisible Oil Blocking Powder can be worn alone or with foundation, and won't dry out the skin or alter the shade of your foundation. Black Opal Cosmetics are available at retail chains nationwide.