Rihanna--Nappy Hair Don't Care!?!?

I love Rihanna and I love her single Man Down (it's generally playing on repeat in my living room), however I actually was not a fan of the cover art for the single. I realized I was not alone when a "fan" tweeted today that Rihanna's hair looked nappy in the picture. What did Rihanna have to say about this? Click here and find out! How do you feel about Rihanna's reaction?

Raven Symone Au Naturale

I might have been the only natural who missed this BUT....

Raven Symone at the Disney Dreamers Academy this past March rocking a TWA! I'm a fan.

Happy Mothers Day!

My sis, my mom, and myself... 

I just wanted to say Happy Mothers Day to every mommy, auntie, grandma, and godmommie out there!! I know it isn't easy but you all are doing one of the most difficult jobs in the world! Take this day to rest, relax, and reflect. ; o )

Source

Natural, relaxed, kinky, curly, or straight we ALL have to deal with split ends. My personal relationship with split ends ebbs and flows, sometimes I obsess over them and at other times they don't even cross my mind. Where do I stand now? I'm obsessed with them (-_-)!!! While in the midst of this obsessive period I have come across the most comprehensive guide to split ends on thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com. The highlights: the post uses scientific research to back all the claims that are made and it is styled like an online magazine. Check it out here and tell me what you think.
: o )



Damaged hair strands...They come in all shapes and sizes! (-_-)



Walgreens Shea Moisture BOGO #overdidit

You all remember it...the Walgreens Buy One Get One sale on Shea Moisture Products that Naturalista's all over blogged, vlogged and tweeted about. When I first heard about it I was completely devastated because there are no Walgreens stores near my house (when I say near I mean next to the train station  -_-)  and I thought I was going to miss out. However on the Friday before the sale ended my coworker mentioned to me the  BOGO sale is also available on walgreens.com (why didn't I think of that). Needless to say I made a bee line towards my computer and began adding every Shea Moisture product my heart desired into my shopping cart. Unfortunately Walgreens website did not allow me to mix and match any of the products and as a result I had to not only succumb to the fact that I would own two of everything, but also cut down on the number of products. Here's what I ended up with:

Organic Yucca & Aloe Thickening Growth Milk-- I thought this would be a great product to add to my moisturizing arsenal.

Organic Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner-- I wrote about the Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque in an earlier post and had no complaints so I decided to give the conditioner a chance.

Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie -- This product has been part of my styling arsenal on and off since this summer. As a result I decided to give it a whirl again!

Organic African Black Soap Purification Masque-- I will be in Barbados and Grenada this summer for two weeks and have been considering styling options for the trip since I purchased my tickets. I doubt I'll be washing my hair often during that time so I figured I would try this masque for scalp cleansing.

Organic Yucca & Aloe Anti-Breakage Masque--I 've never saw this product at Target and since I am constantly looking for a new deep conditioner I added this to my shopping cart. Notice one of these are missing, I was hi-jacked by my sister for it!


Hindsight is 20/20 and I realize that I do not need two of everything. I'm thinking it's time for a product giveaway.   ; o )  

Giveaway rules and reviews of these products to follow. Ciao!

Rockie's Big Chop--Part Two

All in all Rockies big chop experience was a good one. She left Khamit Kinks with her curls popping and a list of the products they used in her hair, she was all set.

Unfortunately she  did notice a couple of straight strands present in her hair days after her big chop which left her a little dissapointed because she thought that they would have ALL been removed. She actually plans on visiting a barberer this weekend to "even" up her fro. (Ladies please tell me if this is a common post big chop experience...I'm curious).

Rockie, her cuz, and I ...Post BC

How's that for a texture shot? ; 0 )

I have to confess I never thought Rockie would actually become a natural. Why? Simply because she has transisitoned a few times before and gave up and reverted back to her relaxer. She was about six months in when I finally realized she was in this for the long run. Here are a few of her transitioning hair styles:




Blown Out Roots



Sleek Ponytail



Rockie (rod set) and I (flat twist) last summer ...



Braidout...Rockie decided to cut her permed ends little by little as she transitioned...

Curly Fro

Bantu Knot-Out

Kinky Twist

Kinky Twist

Kinky Twist

After Rockie took this pic she decided it was time for her big chop

It's official Rockie is a Natural Beauty....

Rockie's Big Chop--Part One

 

I honestly think I was more excited about this day than  one of my closest friends Rockie was. As I took pictures in the train station, tweeted our every step via my blackberry, and rambled on about how great the day was Rockie smiled nervously while we made our way  to Khamit Kinks. Don't get me wrong, she was ready. Rockie had transitioned for over a year and was completely over her dual textured hair she was just nervous about what that would actually look like.

Why Khamit Kinks? I thought this location would be perfect because it was a natural hair salon in Brooklyn that came highly recommended by a young woman I met at a natural hair meet up. I myself have never had a big chop (I transitioned via braids ) and I thought why not get pampered on such an occasion.

When we arrived inside the receptionist was very pleasant. She advised us to hang up our coats and offered us tea as we waited for Rockie's stylist to prepare himself. YES, HIMSELF. Her stylist was a guy I wrote about in my post about  the Curls In The City Meet-Up at Khamit Kinks. The women who received  product demonstrations from him sang his praises all night, needless to say I was excited about him being Rockie's stylist. As we waited I grew hungry and Rockie's cousin and I decided to go to the store around the corner, unfortunately her stylist was ready at the same time. I informed that I would be back shortly and not to start chopping before I returned because I needed to document it. He agreed (at least I thought he did) and moments later Rockie called and said the deed was done! I was outraged!

When I returned I asked her stylist why he didn't wait and he stated something about the salon not condoning  picture taking and I could take before and after photos. Huh? This is a NATURAL HAIR SALON one of my closest friends was getting her BIG CHOP done. Shouldn't they understand the magnitude of the moment? More importantly didn't Khamit Kinks recently host their own Big Chop event. I didn't argue with him in order to not spoil the day and simply took the flash off the camera and took some more pictures.


This is what Rockie looked like when I ran back to the salon. Chop complete!

 

Rockie opted for a wash and go this time around and before I knew it her transformation was complete.

Before...

After...

Isn't she adorable! Stay tuned for Part 2, complete with pictures of Rockies transition styles (and #stylefails) and more photos from her big chop day!