I'm REALLY Diggin': Taliah Waajid's Enhancing Herbal Conditioner

I took my kinky twists out a few days ago, and as I always do after removing extensions, I deep conditioned my hair for 24 hours. I unfortunately realized after shampooing my hair, that I was completely out of my deep conditioner. I decided to use my Taliah Waajid's Enhancing Herbal Conditioner, and I am SOOO glad I did!

While I had my hair in the kinky twists, I was using this conditioner to co-wash my hair, and I must say the problems I usually have with my hair and scalp while wearing extensions (dry, itchy scalp especially) cease to exist.

When I washed the conditioner out, my hair was so soft and smooth! And detangling was a breeze. I am going to finish up the 8 oz. bottle I purchased and if I am 100% satisfied with the results, I am going to branch out and try some of her other products.

For more information on Taliah Waajid and Black Earth Products, click here.

DIY Nappturaliciously: The Fro Hawk

I am happy and sad to say that my journey with the kinky twists has come to the final stretch. It's been almost two months and I am missing my curls like mad, so I will be taking them out this weekend.

One style I am very much looking forward to perfecting for the fall is the Fro Hawk. I just love the combination of fro hawk, funky earrings and gorgeous eye makeup: it is a surefire recipe for a seriously sexy look.

Out of the many many videos about Fro Hawks on YouTube, I must admit that this one is my favorite, primarily because she made it appear so effortless and the results are BAM! POW!



I plan on trying this look out, and will be sure to post pictures of my results as an update to this post. In the meantime, enjoy!

:::drools::: Afro-licious Designs for the Home

Napptural Beauties love representation. Tee shirts, handbags, even jewelry featuring lovely, big-haired women, we spends muchas muchas moola on such items every year. Why should our homes be left out of the equation?

As always, I've scanned the web to find items I find (and hope you will find) drool-worthy!

Bare Walls? Why not adorn your home with this Extra Large Beautiful Afro Chic Women Vinyl Wall Decal from ten23designs (on Etsy)? Priced at $50, this stick is approximately 30" tall x 22" wide, which is sure to make a dramatic statement in your home.

Fabulous and Functional, this Afrolicious Holder from ericaburnsdesigns (on Etsy) is perfect for hanging id cards, keys, etc. At $18, this organizer made from walnut comes ready to hang!

Alter Ego Pop Pillow "AFRO" from the Alter Ego Pop Shop (on Cafe Press) is the perfect addition to a bedroom or living room design. It measures a sprawling 18" X 18" with an 11” X 11” image area so you can lounge in comfort, and is a steal at $20.

Even your little-bitties can join the afro party with this Polk a Dotz Rooftop Pillow from princeileeoz (on Etsy). For $15, I am tempted to get one now for my future kids! LOL

Happy Shopping!!!

When did cutting your hair short become a symptom of mania?

Okay, I know the answer to that question. Britney Spears. But for African-Americans, cutting their hair, or doing a "big chop", is not a cry for help, or a demand for attention. It can mean a lot of things.

Solange Knowles didn't really go into why she decided to cut her hair short, and you know what? That's her right to do so, and it's her right to cut her hair whenever and however she decides to.

When I saw the pictures, my first thought was "FANTASTIC!!!!!". Solange has amazingly big, beautiful eyes, so the short cut would accentuate and make them POP. I imagined her rocking some dangling earrings and a fantastic outfit and just looking gorgeous.

I must say that I was astonished at the public response to her cut. Bossip calls her "Boy George" (ha ha hell!), Bow Wow chastising her for being unoriginal (!?!?!?!? GTFOH, Bow Wow) and "tryin to look like boyz" (whatever!) and Lativia (Who got the boot from Solange's daddy out of Destiny's Child) saying she looks like a "Tranny".

It really amazes me in this day in age, black people still have that "if it ain't long, it's wrong" attitude about black women's hair. We look at images daily of sistahs with barbie doll hair on their heads all day and we stop and pause because one women (temporarily?) decided she had enough.

I am not making judgments about weaves, wigs and extensions... I think that if you wear it well and it makes you feel beautiful, then right on! But allow people who chose NOT to go that route should feel beautiful without being told they're crazy or that they "look like a fool"...

I applaud Solange's simply put response to her critics:

I my opinion, I think that Solange should make this a personal statement. I think it would be great if she decided that she's going to no longer relax her hair or wear extensions and be natural. I think it would be kick ass if she decided to no longer be a spokesmodel for Loreal (in solidarity to the people hurt by Loreal's racism) and instead model for Karen's Body Beautiful, or Oyin Handmade, or other products designed with the natural black woman in mind....But I'm prejudiced. I want to see more celebrity nappturals out there!

All in all, I say... Go, Solange, Go!! Be bald, bold and beautiful. And whenever you feel the pressure to conform, take a look at these beauties for inspiration:

:::drools::: (Part Deux) Mo' Afro Lady Handbags...

So, I am a huge believer of the LOA (That's Law of Attraction for anyone who's never watched/read "The Secret"). One of the main lessons I've learned from The Secret is "What you think about, you bring about".

I was thinking of an old friend and hours later(!) I spot her leaving a comment for another friend on FaceBook, and I am so super-giddy-dorky happy to get back in touch with her. It was this particular friend (Shout out to you, Soul Sister!) that gave me the inspiration to look up a particular fabric I had seen of hers, which lead me down the rabbit hole to finding the Adelaide Soul Sisters handbag I was drooling about a few days go!

Today my hubby-to-be and I were walking about Nostrand running errands ( I had to pick up some Marley Hair, as I am finally going to start my kinky twists tomorrow) and I spot this beautiful woman walking down Fulton Street with... a handbag with an Afro lady on it that was GORGEOUS! I almost got hit by a car to ask her where she purchased her bag. She told be she bought it at a store in Harlem that is no longer in business (bummer!)... but I took it as a sign. A sign that we needed more drooling in this blog. LOL

So I combed the internet and found an awesome array of Afro Sistah inspired handbags! I told y'all... I get downright fanatical about these things.. especially when I get confirmation from The Divine that I am thinking about something positive for me.



First up, is an alternative to the regular ole "green" shopping bags... How about showing off your napptural pride with this Fab Flower Tote from Boutique Mix. It's reasonable priced at $25, and they have loads of other Afro Lady styles to choose from.



This bag is one specifically close to my heart... not only do I love rocking my natural hair, but I have since childhood been obsessed with mermaids, especially black ones. This Afro Chick Clutch, by Diana Corvelle are one of a kind, and can be requested. There are no prices on the site (which to me translates as $$$$$$), but I am going to bookmark her site anyway.. because this bag would be the perfect 32nd birthday pressie to myself this year!



This one is SOOOOO ADORABLE and uber inexpensive (two of my favorite qualities in a handbag!). Priced at $39.99, this tote from Miguel Ruis (which is eerily enough.. the name of a boy I had a serious crush on in 5th grade.. how cuckoo would it be if it was the same dude! LOL) is available to purchase from eBags.com. It also has a matching cosmetic bag, which is (sadly) sold separately.

Last, but certainly not least is this GORGEOUS Lil Afro Line Purse from Junkprint (Who's a Nappturality friend from Brooklyn, so YA KNOW I had to shout her out!!)... Found the bag during my search and realized after recording the info that Hey.. I know this Sistah!!! You GOTTA love synchronicity...




Priced at $70, this is TOTALLY not your Mama'a Afro Lady bag... This is going on my "to get" list, just because I know that it would be an attention grabber!

So, I'm finally watching THAT Tyra Banks episode....

... my Nappturality fam will know exactly what I mean when I say THAT episode... the episode entitled "What is Good Hair"?

I've been purposefully avoiding that episode because I knew it would raise my blood pressure, but I was inspired to watch it when I read Coily World!, a blog about natural hair that I am really enjoying (the authoress has become my new hair idol.. I am trying to reach her level, man!. I really wanted to gain an understanding of the show and I suppose a morbid curiosity got the better of me, so I sauntered off my high horse (ha!) and decided to watch the episode on You Tube. I am up to Part 3, and I had to pause that bad boy to write this blog!!!



I worked last year for several months for Carol's Daughter as a Customer Service Representative (so if you called or emailed in that time, maybe you got me!) and that was 99.5% of all the calls... women saying they want "good hair" for themselves or for their children. I cringe every time I hear that expression: "good hair"

As long as your hair is not leaving your head and committing random acts of violence on the community... it's good. And (much to my supervisor's chagrin) I didn't hesitate to tell my customers so. I would always stress to them to first embrace the natural texture of your hair and to love yourself exactly as God made you. If you decide to put a relaxer in your hair, so be it.. but be safe and take care of your hair. And if you mention relaxing a child's hair to me.. don't be surprise if you get a lecture. LOL

Believe me, I wasn't always so evolved. I transitioned from getting my hair pressed by my Mum in the "pressing chair" to enduring a relaxer at the beauty salon when I was eight years old. I put my last relaxer in my hair at age 17, and my hair has been natural ever since. I wore it in braids for years out of sheer laziness, so much so... that people who have known me for YEARS had never seen my real hair.

When I was approaching 30, I decided to do my version of the "big chop": I took my braids out, having no idea what I would find in there and with no idea on how to take care of it.

Blessed with internet access, I armed myself with oodles of info on products, techniques and advice. It's been almost two years and a lot (!!!) of mistakes later, I feel like I am starting to understand what my hair needs, and it's growing like a weed, so I must be doing something right!

I think what really started this process was not looking at my hair like a burden, but as something natural and wild that I can have fun with!!