Odessa A'zion's mane of ringlets is warm and rich, all of the hallmarks of a mocha moment. The look is refreshingly lived-in, which Thompson notes is sort of the point—and has an additional effect.

Every curly-haired woman has a curly-hair horror story. It might involve going to a salon that doesn't know how to properly cut and shape. It might have to do with a stylist's getting a little ...