Every weekend as I’m scrolling through my feed and Insta-stalking the celebrities and influencers that I fangirl for, I come across something interesting and inspiring in the beauty space. From jaw-dropping transformations to drool-inducing hair, there’s always something that I can’t stop staring at or watching, and it instantly garners a double-tap.
This past weekend I discovered the Twist it Up Comb through the Instagram page of New Jersey-based beauty content creator Janai Kristen Briggs (@janaikirsten). The influencer is known for posting outstanding hair transformations and tutorials on her social media, including her experimentation with different colors for her hair and brows.
“I usually keep my hair about the same year round (short and curly), what I change about my hair is the color. I’ve literally done any color you can think of,” she told ESSENCE. “As we transition from summer to fall, my hair is currently different shades of oranges and browns to complement fall colors.”
Earlier this month the 21-year-old posted a video where she’s styling her short fall inspired copper coils with the Twist it Up Comb. Though the curl-friendly patented apparatus launched years ago, it was the first time I’d seen anyone using it. Even backstage during the recent fashion week shows, stylist were still using curl sponges to define short coils. She also uses the sweet smelling Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave In Conditioner and Curls Blueberry Bliss CURL Control Jelly for styling.
Briggs gave us the scoop on why she likes the Twist it Up, why she likes it better than the curl sponge, and what hairstyles she thinks should be trending for fall.
When and how did you discover the Twist it Up Comb?
Twist it Up actually appeared on one of my favorite TV shows, Shark Tank. But it was brought to my attention personally by my former barber, Zane, who used to cut my hair when I attended Rutgers University. I’ve wanted to test out the product for so long and recently my brother came home with one, which I found was the perfect opportunity for me to test it out!
Why do you think it might be better than a curl sponge?
Twist it Up combs in my opinion are better than curl sponges for a few reasons: 1. I find that the comb provides better results for my curls and in a shorter period of time. The comb leaves my hair less frizzy and the results last for days longer than the sponge. 2. I feel like sponges absorb a lot of product and moisture while styling my hair, but since the Twist it Up comb is made out of plastic and metal I don’t have that issue. 3. The Twist it Up comb is designed to be a more sanitary alternative to the sponge being that it is easy to wash with soap and water and does not run the risk of absorbing and containing different products and bacteria between clients [for barbers and stylists]. The same way you wouldn’t share your Beautyblender [sponge] for makeup is the same concept.
What hair trend do you think will be or should be big this red carpet season?
More women embracing their natural short hair and big chops. Yesterday at the salon I saw a woman who wore wigs on the daily get her short natural hair dyed and styled, and we all thought it looked gorgeous on her. However, she did not feel confident in her appearance and felt like she looked “crazy” and even considered putting the wig back on. I feel like if there was more representation of women embracing their big chops, they could be role models to people who may want to feel confident in their natural hair.
