I've Gone Natural... Well... Almost

So I made the change guys. I've taken the long awaited step. After being on my relaxed hair journey for 1 year, I decided it was time to go the natural root. I've been transitioning since January meaning that's when I did my last relaxer.

What made you make the change?

I decided to go natural when I was looking through YouTube trying to find some videos on relaxed hair journeys when I came across some videos with the topic: The Big Chop. I was not about to do that but I was interested in what these girls went through. I went further and learned why these girls decided to go natural and what it really meant to them. I learned that going natural is only a big step because women put way too much meaning into it. Hair does not define any women. It also came to my attention that many of us black women think that straight hair is more attractive than kinky curly hair. Society has engraved this into our head for so many years we don't even realized that our hair in its natural state is the most beautiful. Our hair was not meant to be straight... The unique texture of our hair is one that can not be duplicated by any other ethnicity. We can, of course, straighten our hair with heat anytime we'd like but all we have to do to get back to our curly natural state is wet it ;)

What products do YOU use?

I use many different products: ORS, Herbal Essence, Elasta QP, Cantu Shea Butter, Shea Moisture and the list goes on. I also use a variety of oils: coconut, olive, jojoba, grapeseed, avocado, Moroccan argan, and shea butter. I will elaborate in a future post when I create an actual regimen.

How long will you transition for?

I plan on transitioning until I can put my natural hair into a ponytail. I must say I still have a little bit of the "my hair is very important to me" mentality but I have drastically improved. Hopefully by my one year of transitioning, I can remove all of my relaxed ends and finally be able to say "I'm natural".

What do you do to make the transitioning process easier?

Transitioning is very hard. Dealing with two different textures has been a struggle but I think I've found a way to make it easier on myself.

1. Detangling when your hair is wet/ damp. Trust me, it makes life much easier. Add a moisturizer or conditioner. This will create slip and help your fingers or wide-tooth comb to glide through your hair.
2. After you wash your hair, MOISTURIZE! It is very important that your hair is moisturized.
3. Use protective/ low manipulation styles. Box braids have been my best friend during my transitioning period. Buns, twists, braids all help with transitioning.
4. Use a silk or satin scarf before bed. Wrapping your hair with a scarf keeps the moisture in your hair and off your cotton pillow.
5. Wash your hair often. Washing your hair once or twice a week will make your hair more manageable.
6. Less heat! Try air drying. Maybe cut back to straightening your hair once a month.

Any cool and interesting tips for those who are transitioning or natural?

I learned this trick that saved my life. I know this is a problem that many girls face: getting them edges to lay! Here's my tip: gel down your edges with your favourite gel, use a toothbrush to really get those baby hairs together. Then, tie your edges down with a satin or silk scarf while you finish your style, get ready, put on your makeup, whatever! When you are ready, remove the scarf and voila! Laid edges!

Going natural is a choice I made for myself, no one else. Don't let anyone tell you what you should do. Your health and happiness is priority. Have fun with it. You only have one life. Live it to its full potential. Try new things. You'll never know if you'll like something unless you try it!

Love, love, love and peace

Passion for Fashion- Solange Edition

Solange is ultimately one of my top hair and fashion inspirations. Her look is unique and elegant. These are the styles I love most on Solange. 

#1. Everyday Chic

#2. Comfy Cozy

#3. Lounge Attire

#4. Downtown Living

#5. Classy Sassy

#6. Sexy Sleek

#7. Uptown Girl

#8. Cocktail Party Gorgeous

#9. Party Girl

#10. Red Carpet Ready

#11. Poetic Justice

#12. Elegant Nudes

Abstract Nails

What do I do in my spare time? Nails! I have a nail polish obsession. My dad yelled at me the other day saying I should invest my money into something else... but its a hobby I just can't shake. And quite honestly, I don't want to. I love love LOVE nail polish.

 

Colours used: Avon Nailwear Pro in Aqua Fantasy

Kiss Brush-On Nailart in Pearl Black, Soft Purple, and White

Healthy Skin

Hey everyone! I know it's been a long time since I posted anything on my blog and I apologize but I have been so busy with school, work, and family. I will try to post more often going forward.

So I been trying to figure out what I should post about since I can't necessarily take any pics because I am creating this at school and people will think I'm a weird taking pics of my hair. So.... I've decided to make this post about ways to make ones skin smooth and hydrated.

This is how I try to keep my skin looking healthy (emphasis on the "I"). Everyone is different and may find other products and/or routines to work better for their skin.

FACE

First thing you need to determine is what type of skin you have and what your problem areas are. I, for one, have combination skin depending on the time of the year. (I like to call it "season-dependant" skin). Most people have dry skin in the winter due to the dry weather and wind. I also have dry skin in the winter but occasionally I get oily spots. I started to use Neutragena's face wash and lotion. Take a look at the different products they have and decide on what may work best for you!

It is very important to wash your face twice a day; first thing in the morning and before bed. (Ladies... remove ALL makeup!) Washing your face first thing when you wake up creates a clean surface to apply your makeup or moisturizer and it helps prevent break outs.

Moisturize your skin! Those of you who have oily skin, I believe there are moisturizers that cater to oily skin.

I just started to apply a face mask weekly to infuse a large quantity of moisture. I personally don't think its a good idea to apply a face mask daily. I recommend once a week.

Face scrubs are also a good idea to remove dirt and to prevent the occurrence of breakouts. Do not scrub your face too much. I would also recommend face scrubs be used once or twice a week.

LIPS

I HATE chapped lips but it seems to come hand and hand with the winter. But guess what? I have discovered the BEST remedy, lip scrubs! It buffs out all the dry and dead skin. Now instead of going out to buy a lip scrub, I have a recipe for you! I actually got this from a girl on YouTube. I'm not sure what her channel was called but I'm sure you can find someone on YouTube who has a similar recipe.

Homemade Lip Scrub:
Honey
Sugar
Olive Oil

Mix these ingredients to create a lip scrub at a thickness you like. I prefer a thick consistency.

After your scrub, top it off with a lip balm. My favourite is Baby Lips.

BODY

Every girl needs a good body scrub. It removes dead skin and clears pores. The body scrub I use is called The Scrub of Your Life Soap and Glory. It smells amazing and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth.

I don' t think I need to mention this, but a body wash or soap bar is a very important item to have in your beauty routine. No one wants to be around someone who's smelly... trust me. Make sure you wash the dirt, sweat, and funk off your body before you lotion up. You're welcome.

Speaking of lotion, everyone needs lotion, cream, or body butter to keep their skin smelling good and looking hydrated. There's nothing worse than having dry skin. Don't forget them elbows and knees!

Last but not least, DRINK WATER! Need I say more?

So that's my advice to you as to how to keep your skin moisturized and soft. Feel soft and smell eatable!

Love, love, love, and peace

Mariah

Moist Hair For All!

Hey beautiful people it's been a long time. I decided to post MY wash day routine for some of you to get a feel of what my hair journey consists of. It's not alot. Pretty simple actually! It goes as follows:

1. I wash my hair with a moisturizing shampoo. (you can use what ever shampoo you like. I just started using ApHogee). When I wash my hair I focus on the roots. This is the area of my hair that needs the most cleaning. Washing your ends is pointless because the shampoo will eventually get to them as you rinse your hair and shampoo is used to strip the hair of dirt and oils. Your ends need as much moisture and hydration as possible to stay healthy and strong. I shampoo my hair only ONCE a week!

2. After I have rinsed out the moisturizing shampoo out of my hair, I then apply a conditioner. The conditioner I usually use is Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. But I just recently recieved EQ Elasta Soy Oyl Protein & Vitamins Ultra Hydration and I really like it. My hair is soft upon rinsing it out. I only leave this in for as long as it takes to put in. With conditioners, the focus should be on the ends. This is done TWICE a week. Once with a shampoo wash and once as a co-wash.

3. Third I use a deep conditioner also from the EQ Elasta Soy Oyl Ultra Hydration line. This I leave in for no less than 30 mins. I often leave it in over night if it's very late and I don't have plans the next morning. The longer you keep deep conditioner in your hair, the softer and more manageable your hair will become. Remember, this is the dc I use. If you perfer another brand or type use that. Everyones hair is different and reacts differently to different products. (wow I said different alot in that sentence :P)

4. The forth thing I do after I have rinsed and towel dried my hair is use a leave-in conditioner. I use Herbal Essences Long-term Relationship. It does say that this product is aimed for those with long hair but I use it because it helps my ends keep strong. Leave-in conditioners should be applied throughout the hair and especially on the ends. I then detangle with a wide rake comb. When I have completed that, I use a moisturizer and I highly recommend Organic Roots Stimulator Olive Oil Incredibly Rich Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion for those looking for a daily moisturizer. Trust me, it is the bomb.com. Juts becareful not to use too much product because it can weigh your hair down. After that I seal with a natural oil or argon oil. Focusing once again on the ends and edges for both moisturizing and sealing.

5. If I don't have time to air dry I will either blow dry or sit under the hair dryer depending on the amount of time I have. I, of course, use a heat protector and that's it. For air drying before bed, I tie a silk scarf around my hair line, put my hair in a bun, and then put on my silk bonnet.

It seems like alot but it's actually not that bad when you are actually going through the process. This is what I have come to realize works for ME. I hope this was helpful.

Happy Hair Journey

love love love,

mariah

Dope Nails

I know I know its been a long time since I posted anything on here and it took a very good friend of mine to ask me if there was anything new up on my blog. so I decided to post my dopest nail art diy's .

 

This in my tribal inspired nail design. I kinda have a thing for tribal patterns.

Theses are the colours I used. (from left) nailwear pro by Avon in Sunshine, nailwear pro by Avon in Aqua Fantasy, nailwear pro+ by Avon in Coral Beat, Sally Hansen Hard as Nails [for the base and top coat], and Kiss Nail Art in white and black [skinny tips]. I actually sell Avon which is why I such a large collection of their nail polishes. they are pretty good too. The nail polish glides on smoothly and has a nice shiney finish but of couse I alway put on a top coat so my art last longer.

Here's my tip for you newbies, find a cute design online and use it as a templete, keep some nail polish remover nearby and make SURE (this is a must) you have Q-tips avaliable. Toothpicks can also come in handy if you don't have thin brush nail polish. But all in all, just have fun with it. Nail art doesn not have to be perfect

 Big Time Sh♥ppa!

Okay yes this is random buuuuuut, I haven't really gone on a true shopping spree in so long. Here are some things that are on my future shopping spree agenda. I hope to own all these things by the end of August  :)

This is the Samsung Galaxy S III. I want this phone sooo bad. I shall be purchasing it before the end of this month :D

Nioxin Volumizing Reflectives Bliss Thermal Protector is said to be an amazing product. It's used to protect your hair from heat when using a flat iron, curling iron, or blow dryer. It's even good for when you are outside in the sun for long periods of time. I NEED this product. I went to my local hair care store and they were sold out, but I plan to get this soon. Btw, I do currently use a heat protector it's just I've heard good  reviews on this particular product.

Ahhh...Curlformers. My mom offered to buy these for me the other day we were at the hair supply store and I told her no. Why? I do not know.. But I will be purchasing a pack of these the next time I go to the hair store. I usually go at least once a month. They seem to do a very good job of curling hair without heat. I suggest you go on youtube and look up some tutorial videos. I was convinced.

The Sedona Lace Midnight Lace Brush Collection is a must have for me as I am trying to build a knowledge for makeup. I did receive a small blending brush from them in the mail, and I really liked the feel of it. It's soft and does not shed like many of the brushes I have used before. I WILL get my hands on this collection :D. Oh and visit sedonalace.com to view and maybe order your own makeup supplies.

Stick it to 'em is also from Sedona Lace. I have not used this product yet either but I would love to. I've been very satisfied with their service when I last purchased from them and their eyeshadow palettes are amazing. Again, this product can be ordered on sedonalace.com

 

Sweet Almond Oil: I don't really care what brand as long as its organic and 100%. This oil is good for hair and skin and it is natural. 

Shea Butter is also great for all hair types. It adds moisture and softness and has a great smell. I believe the last photo is of unrefined shea butter. That would be ideal for a body butter while the first and second photo would be great for hair and skin. I personally have a lot of products, for both hair and skin, that contain shea. I would love to have the pure form since I am going the organic and natural route.

love love l♥ve,

mariah ♥