Introducing Hair By Tippi Shorter!

As one of the most sought after hair-care specialists in the entertainment industry, she has maintained the beautiful coifs of Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Rhianna, Beyonce, Kelly Rowland & many more! Now, she’s introducing the next wave of hair nourishment products, using super ingredients that breathe new life into damaged tresses, protects thick, course or chemically treated hair from environmental stress & restores elasticity. And on top of all that, she’s a huge fan of Curly Nikki! She’s Tippi Shorter, & she’s prepared to bring the salon experience to our homes!

CN.Com: Tell us about your own hair journey growing up. TS: Well, I’ve always used my own hair as an accessory! Back in the day, I wanted to try every trend out there. You know, the era of “Yo MTV Raps”; I wanted styles like Mary J. Blige, Salt N Pepa…I even wanted the Kim Fields “Tootie” ‘do. Mom would take me for a rollerset once a month, BUT I wasn’t allowed to get a haircut. So there was a lot of pinning & tucking going on. Ultimately, my hair was an expression of how I was feeling. CN.com: You’ve been noted as a “beauty genius” by Elle Magazine for two years! Was it always your goal to help women enhance their beauty? TS: I am a HUGE fan of Elle, & I was truly honored by that! In school, I was always the one who made sure everyone was together: the clothes, hair & makeup. I’ve always wanted to help women with how they feel about themselves on the outside. Personally, no matter what’s going on around me, looking good & knowing how I appear to other people makes me feel better. CN.com: Please dish on what it was like being the first African-American spokesperson for both Pantene & Avon! TS: AWESOME! 10 people were interviewed back when Pantene was launching their Relaxed & Natural line; I received a call saying that Pantene loved me & that was it. I’d already been a fan of their products since beauty school; it was what I could afford. I STILL go back to it when I’m in a crunch because I know it works. I really love the products. As for Avon, I was invited to come to the Avon store & lost my mind, ha ha! I love their products as well, especially the Lotus Shield – it prevents hair from swelling in high humidity. I work with them during Fashion Week; I am a part of their Global Ambassador Styling Team. CN.com: Who was your first celebrity client? TS: Foxy Brown. I met her at a photo shoot for Essence…but she brought her own stylist to the shoot. I came highly recommended, though and she used me. Eventually she became a client of mine. CN.com: You stand on a platform supporting health before style. What is your beauty philosophy? TS: Healthy scalp, healthy hair = amazing style. I never sacrifice style for health. The health of your hair should always come first. CN.com: What’s one of the strangest requests you’ve had from a client & how did you respond? TS: I had a client who kept getting compared to another client of mine, so she wanted a change. But every picture she showed up with was of the other person that she didn’t want to look like! So, not really strange but contradictory to what she said she did and did not want. CN.com: You must be ecstatic about your new product line, “Hair By Tippi Shorter.” Please tell us about it. TS: I am super excited about it! I launched it in August; there’s been a huge explosion of curly hair products on the market, but where are the products for girls who like to wear their hair straight? I texturize my hair twice a year after getting sucked into a Brazillian Blowout. It looked great for about a month, but then started shedding in globs & clogged my drain in the shower every time I washed it! With “HBTS” I wanted to give options for women who wanted to wear their hair either straight or curly. It’s dedicated to SMOOTH hair & keep it smooth for the longest it can be. CN.com: What’s the best way ladies can utilize the product line? TS: There are eight products in the line; the shampoo, leave in & serum are evenly yoked. The curly cream completes the system. There are two leave ins, one for fine hair & one for thick hair. The sleek serum can be used for curly or straight hair. And the pomade to control those edges. I’d say get it all, try it all….but that’s not for everyone’s pocketbook. “Hair By Tippi Shorter” is not a style driven line; it’s health & performance driven. It also helps reduce frizz. It’s all about the needs of your hair. CN.com: The product line is very affordable, putting it in the reach of general consumers. What do you say about the pricing? TS: I wanted to create something that would be competitive with other products on the market with great ingredients & without sacrificing quality. In 2012, I am also introducing an enhanced product line. I can’t give too much away, but it will be a different price point & would be available at Ulta & Sephora. CN.com: What are some of the favorite “HBTS” products of both relaxed & curly heads? TS: The Glaze Leave In – it preps tresses for straight or curly styles without being heavy. The Serum, Pomade & Flex Styling Cream are favorites for curlies. CN.com: What’s one of the worst things a woman can do to her tresses? TS: Abusing heat appliances. Applying deep treatments and restorative treatments will help restore the hair back to health. CN.com: What’s one of your best kept hair secrets? TS: If I told….it wouldn’t be a secret, ha ha! CN.com: You’re wildly successful in an industry where success does not come easy. What advice can you offer to readers following their own dreams? TS: Find a mentor. Then actively be around them; l I truly do believe that great minds think alike. You can learn a lot from being around people with great minds. CN.com: What’s next for Tippi Shorter? TS: Rolling out the next phase of hair styling products and tools. And being the best wife & mom I can be! CN.com: Where can our readers find you on the web? TS: I’m starting a healthy hair revolution! You can follow me on Facebook & Twitter (Tippi Shorter); I do lots of giveaways & contests….follow me!