Naturally Beautiful!

GET IT CURL to my style icon Ms. Solange Knowles!

Get It Curl! Jill Scott's Fierce TWA

For all my TWA wearing Curly Girls & Naturalistas! Check out the Beautiful Jill Scott gracing the cover of Essence! 

Kids Haircare by Mixed Chicks & Your Curly Cutie!

Join Curly Girls Around The World For:

Meet  other Minnesota Mommy's and their Curly Cuties for an hour of  fun! 

And your chance to try the fabulous Kids Haircare line by Mixed Chicks!

 

Sparkle With the Get It Curl! Crew

Save The Date!

Sunday, August 26, 2012
Keep it loc'd for event updates! 

Caring for your little Curlies

Earlier this month I wrote a guest post for MinnesotaCurls on my little Curly Niyah. I wanted to share it with the Curly Girl Curl-munity in efforts to continue to provide information and education to help women like me care for their Curly Cuties tender tresses! 

Keelii & Niyah 

As the mother of a natural beauty, I am dedicated to educating my little princess on the importance of embracing her natural kinks and coils. As nature plays a major role in shaping ones ideology, I strive to create a nurturing environment for my daughter that uplifts and empowers her to love and adore her whole self.  From the top of her head to the tips of her tiny toes, I want her to embrace the “skin” she’s in and the coils that crown her head.  Leading by example and celebrating my own natural beauty has begun to cultivate a strong foundation for my daughter to embrace her natural hair.

From day one I cared for her delicate tresses with tender loving care to ensure healthy strong growth.  From puffs, to ponnies, twists to braids, creating protective styles that require low manipulation and minimal styling time have been extremely important. 

 As a busy 2 year old, my daughter has amazing patience during the styling process. We spend quiet time together every morning and evening to ensure her hair is moisturized, protected and thriving. After styling her hair for the day, she smiles as she looks in the mirror at her chocolate brown coils. Looking up at me she states “Mommy, my hair is pretty.” And I reply, “Yes baby it is, indeed! 

Niyah’s Hair Regimen

Pre-poo: Organic Coconut Oil and Mixed Chicks Conditioner for Kids

Wash (2x a month more if needed): Mixed Chicks Shampoo for Kids or DevaCurl No Poo

Co Wash: Mixed Chicks Conditioner for Kids or DevaCurl One Conditioner

Seal:  Organic Coconut Oil and  DevaCurl One Conditioner (mixed in spray bottle) or Juicy Mist Leave-in Moisturizer

Styler: Oiyn Handmade Burnt Sugar

Refresh: 100% H2O (WATER!)  and Juicy Mist Leave-in Moisturizer

Save the Date! 
Curly Girls Around the World Meetup
Celebrating Natural Beauty and Style!

Date:  Sunday, July 29th
Time: 2PM - 4PM

Location:

755 Bielenberg Drive, Suite 108
Woodbury, MN  55125
http://www.cravingswinebar.com/

Advanced Tickets: $10.00
 price includes complementary cocktail and dessert bar

Save Money by Purchasing Your Tickets in Advance! 

Glam Fairy Glamor: Natural Hair Doesn't Make the Cut!

 

 BEFORE

On a recent episode of Style's Glam Fairy, Alexa Prisco and her glam squad transformed a group of rough and tough football femme fatales into glamorous goddess to help promote the team and empower the ladies to change their image on and off the field to gain sponsorship. Overall my hat goes off to Alexa for the amazing transformations. However, I jump off the glamor bandwagon with the loss of the team owners lovely locked tresses.

According to Alexa, the only way to truly make heads turn and become a force for all things "pretty" the locs had to kick rocks. As an ever transitioning Naturalista, my awareness to negativity surrounding natural hair is definitely heightened. The image of this woman cutting her locks stirred my soul and flamed my spirit. As she emerged onto the field after her makeover in a flowing shoulder length weave, I couldn't help but turn the channel in disgust.


After constant education, awareness and empowerment of Naturalistas, why are we stagnant in society's true definition of what is glamorous?

MTV Goes Natural!

MTV's True Life is calling all Naturalistas to show the world your style! If you appear to be between the ages of 15 -28 and would like  to document your transition to natural. For more information and to to check out the full article check out  Clutch Magazine's article on MTV Casting Call: Are You Ready For The Big Chop

Naturally Made! All Natural Homemade Haircare

Looking to create natural homemade products for your kinks? Check out Natural Hair Care Recipes on NB...Natural Beauty 

Hairfinity's 5 Rules for Longer, Healthier Hair

Use these tricks of the trade to grow long luscious locs!

1. Treat your hair like it is fragile. Once your hair is broken, it cannot be repaired. Therefore, you should make an effort to avoid anything that can cause your hair to break. Using a wide tooth comb, sleeping with a satin scarf, and wearing protective hairstyles can help keep your hair from breaking.


2. Use products that rebuild your hair and keep it healthy. Developing a hair care regimen that includes a gentle shampoo, protein treatments, moisture treatments, and moisturizer can help keep your hair strong and healthy.


3. Give your hair what it needs to grow properly. Nutrition and overall health plays a vital role in the health of your hair. Vitamins, sufficient water intake, and exercise can help your hair to grow faster and healthier.


4. Keep it Simple. Do not use too many different products on your hair. If you have a bad reaction to one of your products, you will not be able to determine what caused it. It is best to find products that really work for your hair then use them consistently.


5. Trust your instinct. No one can take better care of your hair than you. Your hair is a part of you, so no one cares about it more than you do. Learn the proper way to care for your hair and you will see a big difference in it. This does not mean that you can't still go to your stylist, but you should also know what your hair needs and when it needs it.

Revealing Your Truth

When making the decision to make any type of change in your life I believe we go through a review process. We review, why we are contemplating this change, the pros and cons, tragedy's and triumphs and the here and the now and the why not later. Focusing on the inner transformation that unfolds as you transition from relaxed to natural and this new sense of self is amazing! The evolution of your physical appearance nurtures a rebirth of self. While nature and the natural state of your tresses begin to rebuild years of Lye, you realize the full potential of the beauty within.

As a visual person, I started to think what iconic image embodies the idea of revealing your truth. Immediately, I thought of the scene Brand New Day from The Wiz . The bondage of "OZ" represents the miss-education of our environments that teach us that relaxer and chemical alterations equal the only destination to beauty. This bondage becomes stripped away revealing the beauty and newness of the path that extends before them which represents the revelation process of "going natural".

Lyrically the song says :

It's such a change
For us to live so independently
Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully
Just look about
You owe it to yourself to check it out!

So I ask, is today going to be your Brand New Day?

Essence - Ask the Experts

Today's Essence Ask the Expert Edition provides the top tips, tools and tricks of the trade to straighten your natural tresses!  For your one stop shop for the baddest blow out make sure to take a break for beauty and log on to Essence.com!

Speical Thanks

A special thank you to BnNappy of ChocolateHairAffair for her fabulous words of wisdom regarding confidence and your TWA! Be sure to visit BnNappy on youtube and follow her on twitter

My Three "E's" of Transitioning

As transitioning Naturalistas, we all go through various phases during this journey to becoming 100% Natural. During my current transition, I believe that I have experienced 3 phases (i.e. my 3 "E's" of Transitioning;


Enlightenment: During the Enlightenment phase I came  to the realization that relaxing or chemically altering my hair's natural state is not what I thought it was all "cracked" up to be (all puns intended!). As a dependent of the "creamy crack" from age 4 to 28, I thought that there was NO WAY I could live without a relaxer. But when I finally took the step to experimenting with stretching my relaxer and wearing sew-in extensions my blossoming relaxer free hair was strong, beautiful and ready to flourish! I realized that not only did the chemical make my hair weak and stringy it was something that I was extremely addicted to. I did not want to be consumed or dependent on any substance to make me feel beautiful. I made the decision to make a change. That's when I knew I was now ready to move to embracing this new me!

Embracing : During the Embracing phase I had to become fully committed to take action! If I was going to  make the decision to take this "transitioning" thing on for the long hall, I realized that I needed to not only embrace my hair but this new me that this change had created. I admit, I didn't want nor did I think that my hair's connection was a spiritual one but it has proven to be just that. As I began to learn and educate myself about my new "do" a new sense of me was unfolding before my eyes!

Empowerment: Now I'm ready to be empowered and empowered other ladies in this journey. Not only have I been more vocal in my day to day with talking about the beauty of natural hair but the benefits of being comfortable with me holistically.   This blog has come out of  relishing in the empowerment phase. My goal is to connect as many Naturalistas to one another while building a platform that empowers women to love themselves unconditionally from head to toe and everything in between.

A Good "Mane" is Hard to Find

As a transitioning Natuarlista, finding the right hair style to make this process as painless as possible has been a little on the difficult side. Now I know there are the go to staples, the braid out and twist out. But what happens if those styles have given all they have to give and there is no spark, no luster, no excitement left in your go to guru???

This idea of a  "Good Mane is Hard to Find" was literally born out of my frustration on one of my bad hair days! Like the journey to find the perfect "mate" finding the perfect style whether you are transitioning, newly natural or have been natural for a lifetime is something we all  struggle with at some point.

It's just like the courtship process in dating. At first, you and this new hairstyle are ALL about each other. You revel in its beauty and compliment it's flare for making you feel fierce. Then after the nostalgia of the honeymoon period wears off those little quirks, the curl that didn't bend the way you wanted, the piece that didn't quite twist in your twist out, the braid that flopped in your updo, you know the things that at one time gave you character are  now on your hit list for making a good hair day turn into a straight nightmare!

Are you on good or bad terms with your Mane?  Have you had the chance to truly connect with your Mane? Feel free to share your stories and pics about your love affair with your hair!

Just wanted to share some advice!

So I LOVE CurlyNikki Forums and I peruse to find inspiration, inspire others or just to keep me motivated on this transitioning journey. I was feeling extra philosophical  today and shared this bit of advice;


I've been transitioning for about 14 months and I still have a LONG way to go. My relaxed ends really bog me down but I see those little curls peaking out and I remember why I'm doing this. I swear you have to have the strength of 10 men to go through the transitioning process. It's hard for those of us who are use to our hair being a certain length and aren't really feeling fully committed to the bc. We are in limbo and it's a hard place to be in. At least we can motivate each other and lend support when we are struggling through this long journey.

What is your advice to transitioning Naturalistas struggling with the journey to Natural? 

Manic Monday! Epic Style Fail!

Happy Monday Naturalistas!
So I did a 3 strand twist out that was pretty cute on Sunday but today, I look a mess! Instead of just letting my hair "relax" I decided to retwist in hopes of gaining more definition. Ladies I was DEAD wrong. I'm still walking with confidence, but feeling a little like I look like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket! I guess it's true that you live and learn with your natural hair!

Does Natural Hair Alter the Inner "You"

Is "natural" a state of being? I pose this question as a lot of women seem to transition more than just their hair when coming back to their natural texture. As a Naturalista do you feel that who you are has become anew due to the changes in your hairstyle?

I know when I rocked a weave, I felt like this inner diva emerged as soon as the final sew-in stich was made. Now that I've come back to my natural hair, I almost feel like a rebirth of self. I feel more aware not only the self within but with the world around me. I feel more creative, more sure of myself, more comfortable with who I am and who I want to become.