Does My Hair Fall Like Waterfalls?

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So I want to know why Usher is singing a song that says:

"Like waterfalls your hair falls down to your waist...." and he know damn well black people hair don't be falling down to their waist like no damn waterfall!

He is obviously talking about some other race of women or some weaved-up heads or something. And why oh why did Rick Ross have to bring us to the depths of ghetto-ness with a phrase like, "pretty face, thin waist, with the thick weave." Is it supposed to be the ideal now, that black women have some "sick weave?"

I'm not even really noticing Rick Ross since he's not on my he-can-get-it list any day but Usher? I was totally feelin' that song, imagining myself as the love interest in the video, who he's "checkin' out when [I] be puttin' [my] heels on." And then he came to that verse and it just killed it for me. Just killed my Usher video-girl daydream.

So this is how it's gonna be then Usher?

This is how you let me know my natural is beautiful after being a fan since you (and I) were like 13 years old? *sob*

After we've come all this way together.

After I spent many a friday and saturday night breaking a sweat dancing to your latest songs in the club?

I guess you can make it up to me in your next vid by letting a natural-hair beauty represent for those of us who have decided to be true to the hair we were born with.

Or whatever.

Baking Soda In My Hair?

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I have shared my belief that 'natural' is not always better in numerous posts. Meaning just because something claims to be natural or is out of your pantry does not make it good to put in your hair.

I have also emphasized the importance of being informed, the effect of pH on the hair, primarily how it affects your hair's moisture balance.
 In line with my insistence on being informed and understanding, at least to some degree, the chemistry of hair (it's important to understanding its needs), here is an interesting article from naturallycurly.com that speak to all of the above. It's about baking soda. Check it out HERE.

And for a recap of the posts I have shared that addressed the above, check these out:
Soaps, Gentle Cleansers and the Claim That Natural is Always Better
Hair And Moisture - How Much Do We Really Understand?

Jamaica My Love

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I am missing Jamaica like crazy.

 I don't know why. It could be hormonal, as I'm preggers. But I just am. I am missing my grandmother too. I was thinking that my number one dream in the entire world is to be able to buy a home in Jamaica and possibly retire there. The older I get, the more I feel an affinity for my place of birth.
I love the US. I am more an American now than of any other nationality. Patois doesn't come as easily to me anymore and although I thought about working in Jamaica, I realize I don't know the business culture of anywhere in the world except the US. But I think after I have accomplished all I can in the working world. Perhaps after I've raised my children (or child), I want to go rest my tired, old bones in the land where I spent the first ten years of my life.
When I go there, there is just something about it, something in the air, something in the faces of the people I see, that lets me know I'm home. And I hope that won't change when I finally realize my dream of buying a home there. Maybe I'm missing my grandmother because I'm embarking on a new journey and I'm kind of scared. I promised my grandmother when I was about to leave her at 10 years old, a list of things I would bring back or buy for her. I'm pretty sure one of them was a new home.
Sadly, I don't think she'll be around when I finally manage to make it happen. Maybe I'll name it 'The Rose' in honor of her. I plan on giving my first child the middle name 'Rose' in honor of her as well. The more I think about her the more I miss her. I should call her more. But its hard because she can barely hear me now and sometimes she seems off in her own world. She used to tell the craziest, funniest stories. She used to play hide and seek with me. When it was storming outside, she, my sister and I would curl up in bed and talk.
I can't tell you how many memories I have.

Your Skin Is Gorgeous!

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"Thanks, it's actually makeup"

I'm generally a minimalist when it comes to both makeup and fashion but this summer it seems minimal makeup is the new 'hot' thing.

I went out to have lunch with a girlfriend yesterday and decided to try the, 'I rolled out of bed this way' makeup look.

Here are the rules:
No foundation, only concealer. To pull this off, you have to keep your skin looking smooth and summer fresh - I'll post some tips for this later.
No eyeshadow
No makeup smudging
No 'powder-look'

What you will need:
A small concealer applicator brush
Mascara
Eyebrow shaper
Semi-sheer lip color

My concealer is very thick, like a paste, and if yours is too, apply with a damp brush (dipped in water). The result is a creamy application that leave skin looking dewy. 
Some people use primer before applying makeup. I don't think you need it for this one as the makeup is very light. The idea is to look as though you didn't even need makeup.
If your concealer is creamy then your might not need a damp brush...UNLESS you are daring enough to go for even sheer-er coverage and if you've got the skin for it, go ahead. Just dampen your brush, dab into your creamy concealer and apply over blemishes, to fill in creases and over dark areas only. Think: under eyes, around mouth, over spots.
Because you are not using foundation, you must make sure your concealer blends well into your skin (which a semi-sheer finish should help with).
Do your eyebrows next. Apply wax to smooth them and powder filler to make them look cleaner.
If you have small eyes, you may want to add a thin black line at your lashline to bring out your eyes more. Use a liquid liner or a paste/gel liner to make a thin, sweeping line that gets a slightly thicker as you approach the outer edges of your lash line.
For a throwback look, apply mascara to lower lids as well (I often do this look for late evening or night).
Apply semi-sheer lipcolor (whatever is your fav but keep it close to your natural lipcolor for that natural look: Think, pinks, peaches, corals, even red.
Make sure you apply semi-sheer color to clean lips. White gunks of dead cells on your lips show up  more on nude or semi-sheer colors - not cute.
 To clean lips I use either warm milk and a cotton pad, or plain old warm water. Warm milk has lactic acid which helps to exfoliate (great for skin too).
And your look is complete.

Oh yes, tips for dewy summer skin:
Avocados, spinach, carrots or anything with lots of vitamins A and E and lots of good fats (notice I said good)
Lots of water (and not the sugar or high-fructose corn syrup kind). I've been making lemonade with light sugar and cucumbers. It's delish and will keep you hydrated.
Nuts
Multi-vitamins (like supplements)
You can cheat and fake a dewy look this way too: Spray skin with a mix of honey and water or, if you dare, water and glycerin (just a small drop of glycerin to a cup of water).

My skin is volatile right now but I know it's hormonal and not dietary. You can never escape the hormonal effects on your skin so if you get a pimple, don't fret, just spot-treat and cover it up while you wait for it to go away.

Banana Protein Treatment with Slip

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I know I have been MIA for a minute. There has been alot going on in my life and I will share all the details later on when I'm in a more settled place mentally.
Anyway, I wanted to share my banana protein treatment, which I did today. I'll give you a little insight into what my hair and I have been up to. It's no longer a TWA. I'd call it a small 'fro. Shrinkage is serious and very annoying. And because of all the other craziness going on in my life, I have kept it tucked away in 'protective styles', cornrows and braids, as not to mess with it. There is one advice from youtuber natural, Sera, that I found to be invaluable and that is to not mess with your hair when you are frustrated/angry or stressed, because you are likely to take it out on your hair with rough-handling, and not even realize it. So 'protective styles' have saved my hair. 
By the way, I use bananas in this treatment because bananas contain natural protein (so does the Braggs) and the point is to restore protein to my hair (in case any hair strands have become weakened due to protein loss).
Some of you may want to know how I decide what type of treatment my hair needs. The answer is that my hair tells me. I pay attention to my hair. I pay attention to every knot, every split end I can see with the naked eye, every broken strand. And after noticing one to two broken strands while doing my last protective style, I realized a protein treatment is probably a good idea about now.

Here is the recipe for the treatment I applied after shampooing my hair with Dudu-Osun natural shampoo (I still use my homemade shikakai tea as a 'poo but I like to do one homemade treatment at a time).

Banana Protein Recipe
2 overripe bananas
3-4 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/2 tspn brahmi powder
1 tablespoon shea butter (melted)
1 tspn olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup finely ground marshmallow root powder 

Blend bananas in blender, then strain (using mesh strainer) into a bowl to remove seeds (the tiny black spots you see after blending).
If you do not remove seeds, they will end up in your hair.
Add all other ingredients except marshmallow root powder and mix until smooth. Fold in marshmallow root powder and let mixture sit for a few minutes (2-4).
The longer you let it sit, the more slippery the mixture will become. Don't let it sit too long or it will be difficult to massage into your hair due to the slip.
Apply mixture to clean, damp but not soaking wet, hair. Cover with a shower cap. I have disposable shower caps as these things do get messy and don't smell great. Let sit for at least 20 minutes or as long as you like. Rinse out and style as usual.

Ayurveda - Strengthening Hair

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I made a big batch of my brahmi conditioning tea late last week and used some to deep condition. The recipe is here minus the bentonite/marshmallow part. 
Last time I used it, I mixed it with bentonite and marshmallow root powder to form a paste for clarifying purposes. This time I didn't want clarifying, just the basic strengthening benefits of brahmi. I didn't add anything to it to make it a paste. I did add olive oil to the recipe and otherwise I applied it in its watery form, directly to my hair. Here is how I did it:
I made sure to have a thick towel around my shoulders to help prevent drippage.
As soon as I applied the tea, (from a bottle with a tube-like tip), I rubbed it into my hair and scalp for quick absorption. It was still a bit messy but the rubbing helps.
I try to apply just enough to saturate the hair but not so much to make a mess or to waste it.

I mixed honey into the batch I was going to apply to my hair. You can also just apply the honey (melted in the palm of your hand) immediately after applying the brahmi tea. Lately I've been applying honey to all my deep conditioners for both its humectant and antimicrobial properties.

I massage my scalp gently after application and then immediately put on a shower/heat cap. Be careful not to let this stuff get in your eyes and if it does, wash it out with water right away. I keep my head back when I apply to prevent running into my face. For those who are not patient with runny conditioners, I suggest making a paste with a mild clay like white clay or kaolin clay (just make sure they won't leave a film after you wash them out). Bentonite and rhassoul clays are pretty potent in terms of the minerals they provide so unless you want clarifying as well, I don't recommend using them to make a paste if your goal is just to prevent drippage.
I am trying to fix my page to allow links and once I do I will post a link to my fotki album where I keep a journey-in-pictures and I sometimes post hair shots after my hair treatments.

My New Frenemy

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Neem Oil!

Oh that unassuming bottle of neem oil is a monster in ways both good and bad.

Neem is a natural estringent, antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal. Neem works very well for resolving a variety of skin conditions, including scalp problems such as dry, flaky scalp and other skin ailments including eczema. I have been using it as a part of my homemade shampoo because of its antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties.
My theory has been that, with the use of a few drops of this oil in my products, I will need to shampoo less for reasons of keeping bacteria and other harmful microbes off my scalp. Neem has lived up to its reputation in my experience. Since using neem in my applications, I have not experienced a single flake on my scalp - no signs of dryness.

So why is it a frenemy?

The smell!

If you do not know the smell of cold-pressed neem oil, I cannot begin to explain it to you. Just know that once you smell it, it will take hold of your olfactory nerves and hold on for dear life, for days to come. If you think I'm exaggerating, smell it for yourself.
I add only a few drops to my homemade conditioners or shampoos or scalp mixes and somehow it manages to overpower the scent of every other ingredient in the product, and outlast them too.
I have to figure some way to cut the smell.
If you want to try neem oil, for the benefit of your scalp I highly recommend it. If you are sensitive to smells, you may have issue with it until you can figure out how to mask its smell in products. And for the love of everyone around you, please do not apply it to your hair or scalp undiluted! You will have no friends or other loved ones left if you do as they will either have run for the life of their noses or will have passed out from the scent.
The good news is my hair is super-strong and my scalp is the healthiest it has ever been.
With my luck, the neem oil is behind all this. Meaning I will have to continue using it and suffer the olfactory consequences until I figure something out.

Hair Pretties and Makeup

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My hair accessories display.

I wore the feathered headband to the right, to a party last weekend. Here is the pic:



You probably can't see it very much because of the poor lighting (and probably the crazy lady behind me is distracting you - isn't she cute?) but it looked really cute.

I am in love with the blue butterflies hair comb but I have not yet found an occasion to wear it. Maybe an evening event this summer. And I never wear bows but I fell in love with the rhinestone-studded bow headband to the left. It has a rock-n-roll but still cutesy feel to it. I haven't yet worn it though. I will definitely bring it with me on my vacation. I'm already picturing me, walking down the streets of Paris, with it on my head. How cute will that be?
By the way, you can't see it much because of the lighting and because this pic was taken with my phone....I really do need a camera. What kind of blogger can I be without one?.....the quality sucks.
Anyway, here is how I achieved this makeup look:
Orange/coral base eyeshadow with electric blue shadow used as a liner.
The lower lids were lined sharply with black eyeliner and then electric blue used as a liner over it.
There is also yellow-green used on the interior of my lids and where the lids meet at the inner part of the eye.
Lots of mascara on both upper and lower lids.
Eyebrows shaped and thickened with brown shadow and a shimmery off-white powder, I think its MAC Fawntastic, on the brow bone.
There was no foundation because fluorescent lights can be unforgiving to faces made up with foundation, at night. Just concealer. Dab brush in water first for a creamy application if your concealer is thick. Finally, coral lip color. For more on the colors I used, see this post.

Hair Flower Accessories - How-To Video

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I accidentally deleted this post with the video on how I made my hair flower accessories so here it is:




After I uploaded the video I saw that the quality is kind of pathetic so I apologize if some sections are hard to read. Just comment if you have questions or if anything was unclear. In the video I give credit to some naturals who turned me on the idea and have tutorials of their own. To them, thanks again.

My Summer Makeup Palette

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I'm all about electric hues this summer. I generally don't shy away from bright colors and this summer will be no different. Usually in the fall and winter, I stick to deep or silvery colors, but summers are for golds, iridescents, and my favorite - corals.
Corals look amazing on my skin, probably because of its yellow undertones. My all-time favorite colors are in the blue range so electric blue seemed like a perfect start (and it happens to look equally amazing on my skin):


This one is MAC Freshwater veluxe pearl eye shadow. It works well on both yellow and blue undertones so if you have a super- dark chocolate-y complexion, this color will pop just as well.



I looove this color. Why? Its the perfect combo of yellow and green. I was really looking for yellow when I found this. It's very pretty on darker skin tones but I'm sure will look good on lighter skin tones as well. It doesn't pop very much if you have lighter skin tone and yellow undertones so to spice it up, put it against a highly contrasting color (like against a black liner).



I notice that some dark-skin beauties shy away from bright colors. They tend to gravitate toward the safe deep, dark colors (like purples and dark browns).  But bright colors look amazing on chocolate tones! These tones make the colors pop, in a good way. So this summer, whether your skin tone is dark, medium like me, or light, don't shy away from bright hues.
The only thing I've noticed with bright makeup on dark tones is that if the color is not iridescent (is matte), it may come out looking  chalky. To prevent the chalky look, apply your powder eyeshadows over a light oil base (think jojoba oil). You can either do the mixing on a part of your hand or apply the jojoba oil to your lids and shadow over it. If you tend to have oily skin, skip the oil and use water instead.  Be very, very light on the oil (like literally just a q-tip dab).  Remember your makeup will clump into the creases of your lids over time  if you apply too much oil (not cute).
The color above shows up coral/iridescent orange-y on my medium-brown complexion. It's MAC Coppering veluxe pearl.



And last but certainly not least - who can forget the lips!  A pretty glossy pout is a must-have on those hot summer nights out on the town.  And this one is of course my fav color - coral. I really like it because it's actually a conditioning balm with sunscreen (spf 15) so it won't dry out my lips like some lip stains. It's also a subtle coral.  You can apply a bit for just a hint of color, or layer it on for a full-blown orange-y pretty  pout.  It's MAC Gently Coral Tinted Lip Conditioner if you like.

So there is no reason not to look cute this summer, whether its with your little twa, your full-blown 'fro or whereever you are in-between.  I did a series awhile back about playing up your best face features to complement your cute natural.  If you missed it, here are the links:  EyesEyebrowsLips and NailsSkin and Cheeks.

And, yes, I will show you the outcome of my makeup application.  I have a party tomorrow night. If I'm not in too much of a rush, I will try to remember to take some good shots to put up.






Tip of the Month: Reducing Breakage While Detangling

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So all signs point to combing as the number one cause of hair breakage.  And for our natural hair this carries a heavier weight because our hair is inherently more fragile, and thus more susceptible to breakage.  The comb is our enemy in this regard but it is also our defense against hair knotting, which our hair is more susceptible to as well, due to its tightly curly structure.  It seems sometimes we can't win when its either having to cut out single-strand and multi-strand knots (sacrificing length retention) or detangling more frequently and risking breakage (again, sacrificing length retention).

I don't have a magic solution.  The one thing I know is that how gently we comb our hair directly affects how much breakage we experience and, believe it or not, how much knots we get (especially multi-strand knots).
So I'm sharing my length retention (and overall hair health) tip of the month:
Gentle combing.
I know.  I know.  It sounds insanely intuitive.  Why am I wasting y'all's time?
I am telling you about this (or think of it as me reminding you) because, although its intuitive - we forget.  It's like shaving.  We know shaving fast leaves more knicks but usually we're in such a hurry.   We're shaving five minutes before our girls' arrive to pick us up for that party, or while our hubby's and bf's are nagging us to hurry up and we don't have time to go slow.

This post is about challenging the way you comb your hair. Tip? -  Go slow, like super-slow.  It even sounds tedious but, trust me when I say, it works. I have noticed a huge reduction in the number of knots I encounter when I detangle - when I comb slowly.  Here is my process:
  •  I pick a time to take a detangle when I am not going to be hurried, feeling cranky or feeling too tired.  I detangle in the shower and, honestly, if I am too tired or I am cranky, I skip detangling (of course I still shower!).  Don't detangle while you have food cooking on the stove, or children are screaming/disrupting you or any other thing that'll make you need to rush out of the shower.  I find that if I shower while food is cooking on the stove, I don't relax during detangling because I'm in a hurry to go check on the food.  If I am feeling hurried, tired or cranky, I let the steam get to my hair but I resolve to detangle the next time I shower.  Why?  I don't want my fatigue or irritation to get taken out on my hair during the most important step in handling it - detangling. For this reason, I have reduced my co-washes to several times per week.  I know those of you with longer hair don't co-wash that much anyway but the tip still works.  Do not detangle when you are hurried, tired or in a bad mood!  Re-schedule it if one of these moods reflect how you feel.

  • I apply conditioner before I do anything else in the shower and I leave it on while I bathe.  I wet hair with lukewarm water (not too hot because I don't want the water to strip my hair of moisture), apply my conditioner and then allow the steam and conditioner to work its magic soaking into my hair.  The result is that when I'm ready to detangle, there's optimal slip.

  • I do not agitate my hair before detangling.  I don't scrub my scalp (or I try not to) before detangling because I don't want to create more knots to comb through.

  • I detangle last!  This allows time for the conditioner to soak and allows me to relax when I am detangling because I've done everything else already.

  • I get comfortable while detangling.  I literally sit in my bath, lean back on my bath pillow and relax. This way I don't feel any need to hurry my detangling process because of discomfort or anxiousness to get out of the shower.

  • I detangle in sections and work comb through hair slowly!  And yes, (in case you missed the bold,  italic font and exclamation mark) I do mean slowly.  I know it sounds super-tedious but if you are relaxed, comfortable and enjoying the steam (and even music and candles if you like to indulge with your baths), it really isn't as tedious as it sounds.  And believe it or not, I have noticed much fewer knotting.  It made me realize that some of the knots I encountered while combing through were actually being formed as I was combing through because I was combing fast.

  • I keep a fine-toothed comb and my hair scissors at hand (close to the tub).  This way, if I encounter a knot during detangling, I can use the fine-toothed comb to try and loosen it.  Since the teeth are smaller, sometimes its actually better able to loosen the knot so I don't have to cut it out. And when all else fails, I snip.

  • I only work comb through each section once.  I don't see any reason why you need to re-comb the same section if you were able to work through, knots and all. The more you comb, the more you risk more knotting, and pulling - causes for breakage.

  • When my scalp itches, I gently rub the spot with my detangling comb, after detangling and while conditioner is still in hair. Doing this while conditioner is still in my hair minimizes risk of me breaking hair while scratching. The conditioner provides slip and I'm not using my nails (which is always tempting).