TONI DALEY

MAKE YOUR BARBIE AFRO-LICIOUS!

2012-03-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

This is a great weekend project for you and your little ones....or if your like me and are just a big kid at heart who happens to be obsessed with barbies, lol. If your little girl is quite young you may have to do the hair wrapping for her but I'm sure she will enjoy passing you the pipe cleaners and picking out the colours. :)

You'll need a barbie, if you have little girls you likely have a ton around the house...if not you can pick one up from Wal-mart for about $7 You'll also need pipecleaners and boiling water....that's it!

Begin by cutting your pipe cleaners in half; into about 2-3 inch strips. Then bend those strips in half to form little "v" shapes. Section small pieces from Barbie's hair starting from the back and place your v shape at the base of the strand. Then begin to wrap the hair around the pipe cleaner in a zig zag motion. You can simply twist and fold the ends to keep it in place. For all of my hair stylists/junkies you will find this similar to a flexirod set :)

After the whole head is complete, dunk into a bowl of boiling water for about 10-15 seconds and allow to dry completely, preferably overnight.

Once completely dry, untwist the pipe cleaners and unravel the hair. You should be left with what looks something like a twist out.

Continue to fluff or "pick" Barbie's hair and use scissors to trim the fro into shape.

I surprised my 4 year old great-neice, Jaela with two new barbies. Of course she loved them both equally but when I asked her what she especially loved about each one she said she loved the dress on "straight hair" barbie and loved the hair on her new "afro barbie"

Good luck! (in my best Michelle Phan voice)

Evolution of a Puff

2012-02-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

I've been wearing my hair in a puff for over a week....I love the look, it's super cute and super easy but all good things must come to an end. My hair was starting to get pretty tangled and dry but if you know me..i seem to always be rushing out somewhere. Today was no exception. I wanted a different look...something a bit more trendy looking so I decided to put off washing my hair and moisturized and detangled instead.

After moisturizing with an oil and water spritz, I twisted my hair up using Design Essentials curl stretching cream to give it some weight and hold. I let the twists set for 5 hours. After unraveling the twists my hair felt soft and easy to manage so I pinned it up and added a hair accessory inspired by two youtubers: ashiek1118 and Brownsuga24.

The outcome was a hit! I will definitely be revisiting this style.

*earrings from tonidaley.com*

Where are all the meet ups?? Toronto Ladies!!

2012-01-30T18:02:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to write a quick blurb on a group I recently came across. I'm always soooo jealous of all the fabulous meet ups I read and hear about on blogs and youtube across the US.

Well I recently found out about www.meetup.com/Toronto-Naturals
It's a small group of lovely ladies who plan meet ups around the city and I hope to see it grow. If you are in or around the Toronto area please check it out.

I think it'd be great to come together...make some new friends; share some tips, encouragement and fabulous styles! I hope to make it out to a few meet ups this year and I'd love to see you around sometime :)

-T

JERRY JUICE

2012-01-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

This winter weather has been wreaking havoc on my hair. Over the last month it has never felt this dry. I decided to take a trip to my local beauty supply store to stock up on some deep conditioner and as I was browsing through the aisles I came to an old school product.

Carefree Curl by Softsheen Carson. I may be aging myself here but am I the only one who remembers their jerry curl in the 80's being ultra moisturized all the time! Yes, I had a jerry curl and I am not ashamed of it! It was fierce....at the time.

Anyways as I started having flashbacks to my juicy curls I decided to pick up a few products from the line.

When I got home I washed and conditioned my hair and then applied the Curl Activator moisturizing lotion as my leave in. It's a thick lotion consistency with a pleasant scent. My hair immediately felt softened. I like this stuff, and only $4.99! I applied an oil mix to seal it in.

After my hair was moisturized I applied the gel activator to large sections and two strand twisted my hair. This gel is quite light and as it promises on the packaging....non-greasy and onlhy $3.99

The last product I picked up for $3.99 was the instant moisturizer with glycerine which is a liquid spray moisturizer. I used this product every day on my twists...I saturated them each day with this product which I wore for 5 days. The twists stayed juicy and springy.

And finally the take down. The twists glided loose easily with no snags. My hair was so moisturized that it immediately shrunk up. It was uber soft.

I got pretty definition from the twist out but it was so soft that it didn't hold the pattern very long.

With these results....I think i'll stay on the juice for the remainder of the harsh winter months.

Can't we all just get along? Seriously....

2012-01-24T19:54:00.000-08:00

I'm getting tired of all the division that black women seem to insist on spreading within our community. Light vs dark, relaxed vs texlaxed, natural vs chemically treated, the list goes on. Why not just black women vs black women? Don't we all go through the same struggles and obstacles on a day to day basis? Wouldn't it be nice to have a support system instead of being faced with adversity from your own brethren?

For those of you who are new followers of my blog/channel, let me share a bit of the background that led to my publicly sharing my journey. I experienced a lot of damage over the years from relaxers but I continued to relax until I physically couldn't because I didn't know I had another option. When I finally experienced enough damage that prevented me from relaxing anymore I turned to braids....again because I didn't know that the act of simply NOT relaxing was an option. I wore braids for 2 years straight and when I finally stopped braiding....I was shocked, in love and obsessed with my new full head of natural kinks. THAT and that reason alone is what led me to share. I wanted to let other black women know that there was another option! If I didn't know....than I knew there must be others like me. I don't think that being natural is necessarily for everyone but I want to do my part to let women know that at least they have an option.

The goal I want for my channel is to show options. The manageability and versatility of natural hair, natural hair styling, braids, weaves and wigs.

On my most recent wig review I received the following comment:

i hate 2 see black women who go natural, then go out n sport a bone straight wig, it would be much more empowering 2 sport ur natural hair straightened then to wear a hair hat lol. i will definitely do me by not ever wearing a wig, because im too proud and would be too shame to do so. I thought we as naturals were suppose to be tryn to break that sterotyping cycle.
Yakiniful

I don't think my choices are appropriate for everyone. But why do my choices make me any less of a natural? or any less of a black woman than someone else? I'm not one to pass judgment but this comment is coming from someone who has music videos featuring "ass shaking video vixens" in her favourites list, lol. I mean....do we really want to talk about breaking stereotypes?

I've never claimed to be someone trying to change the world....I'm simply here to share what I've learned and let other women know they have choices. But I did want to take this opportunity to respond to this comment and let other black women know that they also have choices. You have choices in how you choose to wear your hair, your choice of music and clothing. You also have the choice to RESPECT other's choices. You have the choice to spread love and not hate. You have the choice to play a supportive role in our community or attempt to tear it apart. What choices will you make?

NATURAL HAIR

WIG

BRAIDS WITH EXTENSIONS

Naturalli Beautiful

2012-01-12T18:42:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of meeting up with a lot of subscribers from this year's Toronto Natural Hair show. One of which was Duffcola, new to video making on YouTube. I remember she was rocking the cutest twist out...it just looked really fluffy and soft and defined so I had to ask her about what she used. I was surprised to hear that she had her own product line. I decided to check it out! (I paid for the products with my own money.)

http://www.naturallibeautiful.com

First up was the miracle moisturizer and hair growth oil. My hair really enjoyed the mix of oils in this product. It does however have a very strong herbal scent...reminiscent of the ayurvedic oils on the market. I decided to use it as a pre-poo treatment as I didn't want the scent lingering with me all day. I saturated my hair with it, slapped on a plastic baggy and then a towel to lock in the heat for about a half hour. My hair felt super smooth after rinsing it out and it felt great on my scalp too. I finished washing, conditioning and detangling with no problem.

Once my hair was clean, I applied a light leave in and moved on to the main event. The Miracle Hair Moisturizing butter. This was the product she had mentioned using in her hair for her amazing twist out. I grabbed medium sections of hair, applied the butter and two strand twisted my hair with it. This product thankfully does not have that intense herbal scent the oil does so it was pleasant to leave in my hair. It was however on the greasy side. I left "halos" on every couch I got up from...kind of like a scene out of Coming to America, lol. Since I had nothing on the agenda I ended up keeping my hair twisted up for 2 days.

I must say however, that I ended up with a pretty badass twist out. The exact things I thought about hers were true for mine...fluffy, soft, defined and full. Although I do wish the product was a little more creamy than greasy, I do absolutely love the results it gave me.

earrings from: http://www.tonidaley.com

SHEA MOISTURE - Likes & Dislikes

2012-01-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

SheaMoisture is a brand that took the natural hair community by storm. Even though they've been around for quite some time in the last year they have been all over YouTube. I wanted to give you my experience with the few products i've tried so far. I purchased these products with my own money. They are easily found across the US for $10 a product. In Canada they are just over $20 a product so I wait to purchase them when I am in the US or find an amazing American youtube buddy who is willing to help me replenish my stash when it is low. (Shout out to my girl ALIEMARIE76)

The most popular just happens to be my least favourite. The curl enhancing smoothie just didn't make the cut. On wet hair this product did not give me a lot of slip, it was not easy for me to distribute and after I was done moisturizing I felt like I needed to moisturize more. On dry hair it wasn't easy to distribute either, it seemed to clump in spots, did not mix well and left my hair with an almost "linty" look. I will not be re-purchasing this product.

The deep treatment masque gets a bad wrap on most product reviews. I on the other hand have been having an affair with it. I LOVE this stuff. It is so sexy. (can a product be sexy? Damn right!) This stuff smells amazing and I love using it. I do not use it as a masque, my hair loves it too much to rinse out so I use it as it's second suggested use which is a leave in. It leaves my hair feeling drenched in moisture, and on twists they are plump and soft. I will definitely re-purchase this product.

The yucca & boobab line I've tried more recently. The masque is a great consistency, very creamy and easy to apply. I wish I had more great things to say about it but it just didn't leave my hair feeling soft at all. Maybe I can try it as a leave-in instead.

From the same line I also picked up the thickening growth milk from the same line. It's a medium consistency, not a cream more like a lotion. Although I haven't found any difference in thickness or volume my hair likes this product. It's not too heavy and not too light so I like it best as a moisturizer throughout the week.

OMG, I love this stuff!

2011-12-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

I've had this product sitting in my cupboard for months but have so much other products I was working on using up. I finally got around to using it tonight and OH-EM-GEE.

I actually have been wearing my hair in a puff for about 4-5 days so it was super tangled and shrunken. I was way too tired to wash it but I knew I had to moisturize and detangle to keep it pliable and avoid breakage. I spritzed my hair with a spray bottle of plain water and then applied the Hawaiin Silky 14-in-one moisturizer.

I purchased this product for $6.99 from my local beauty supply store

I used my wide tooth comb and was able to detangle and glide through my hair easily! Once detangled I twisted my hair up in large sections. The twists are plump, smooth and soft.

This will definitely be going into the staples product pile.

You can find me in da club...

2011-10-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

I had a full make up tutorial and ootn (outfit of the night) video recorded and then accidentally deleted all the footage! Argh...hate when that happens. I did manage to salvage a couple of pictures, so here is the look I ended up with for Saturday night out with the girls....

Denim shorts - Forever21 $7.99
Shoes - Gojane.com $19.96
Clutch - Stitches $3

Hair, Lajay half wig by Vanessa collection - Beauty Supply Store $39.99
Earrings - Gift (part of winnings from Borderhammer talent contest)

Blazer - Target Apparel $10
Graphic tank - Target Apparel $10

Sexy 60's housewife/diner waitress/stepford wife

2011-10-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

I decided to create a fun look for the Supasweet's 60's inspired contest but with Halloween being just around the corner,I thought this would also be a great costume idea. So if you plan on being a sexy 60's housewife or diner waitress this may just work for you too!

Hair - Model Model lace front "Beatrice"
Dress - JACOB

hairnet - beauty supply store

apron - cut up bedsheet

Please visit me at http://www.youtube.com/misstonidaley for a fun video tutorial

I could never wear an afro to work.......

2011-10-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

I hear a lot of women complain that they would go natural if it weren't for their jobs. I've over heard a lot of comments and even had a few directed towards me such as:

"I love your hair! My field is too professional to wear that, but it looks great on you!"
"Your so artsy and afrocentric...I could never wear an afro to work"

The thing I don't understand is...whoever said you have to wear an afro to work? Afro texture does not equal afro. An afro is a hair style...afro textured hair, can be styled any way you like. That's the beauty of it. So when I met a subscriber at the Toronto Natural hair show who asked me to do a professional style series I jumped right on it! .

I truly believe that Natural hair is exactly what you make it. Whether you want to make it professional, funky, sexy, carefree or a hot mess. The choice is really yours.

Please tune into my youtube channel to see a full tutorial for ideas on professional natural hair styling for each day this week. http://www.youtube.com/tonidaley80

Happy Hairstyling!

Dirty Shrunken Hair MAKES THE BEST PUFFS!!

2011-10-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

You ever notice that you get the most compliments on your hair when it needs to be done? I always get the most compliments on my puff and even questions about how I accomplish it. Typically after washing my hair I keep it stretched by twisting or braiding it up in big sections with a thick butter overnight. This makes it easy to manipulate and style throughout the week.

That's an ideal situation. If i'm lazy which is most of the time, I go to bed as is and my hair gets a chance to shrink and become compacted. Instead of trying to manipulate it as it shrinks I typically just smooth the edges and throw it in a puff. After a couple days of doing that my hair is tight and full of product and it just seems to make my puff just get better and better with age.

Day 3 twist out puff

Day 4 wash and go puff

7th Annual Toronto Natural Hair Show

2011-09-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

Last year was my first experience at the Toronto Natural Hair show and I had a blast. It was such a great experience to be in a room full of beautiful naturals with such a great vibe among everyone. This year I decided I wanted to experience the entire thing from start to finish and be a vendor.

My booth was brightly coloured and filled with art, earrings and crocheted goods from my sister LovnLocks who also attended the event. My niece was my designated customer service rep and did a great job keeping things organized while I mixed and mingled with subscribers!

It was an all day event so I wanted to be comfortable but cute! I went with skinny jeans and layered tanks with a blazer that I was able to slip in and out of if I got too hot. I wore black wedges and my signature afro pick earrings to complete the look.

The highlight of the day was meeting the fabulous Kim Coles!

AND SHE BOUGHT MY EARRINGS!!! :)

My new favourite Top Coat

2011-09-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe i'm late on this because it's nothing new but I wanted to share it anyways. I became addicted to bright nail polish because of youtube...actually because of one youtuber in particular; Tanialoving hair; who posted an amazing haul last year of nail polish that she purchased from a local Canadian drug store at an amazing deal. I immediately made my way to the drug store after watching that video and have been hooked ever since.

I've also become very frustrated at painting my nails a beautiful colour only to have it chip the next day. Over the past year I have tried a lot of top coats but none as good as this.

I decided to put it to the test after hearing about it from other vloggers. I painted one hand with it and one hand without...the difference in wear after 1 week was apparent. I'll let you guess which hand had the top coat.....

Sally Hansen Xtreme wear - Blue Me Away

This stuff goes for about 11.99 at Sally's. I was able to snag mine on Ebay for about $6. It was worth it....shop around for it if you can.

If you'd like to see the full review see the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3HtQCfhfpY

DIY ZIPPER EARRINGS

2011-09-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, these earrings are super cute and super easy....you will get a lot of compliments on them and anyone can make a pair! All you need are two zipper pulls.

You can get these zipper pulls from Wal-Mart or your local fabric store for about $1.50 each. Just attach a jump ring and an earring hook which you can also get from Wal-Mart. You can also deconstruct a pair of earrings that have broken or you may not wear anymore.

There are so many different styles! You can pick up an assorted pack of 10 for about $6 on Ebay if you'd like to make some extras for friends, family, or me ;)

Good luck!

WINNER! One of a kind neck piece

2011-09-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

I had 18 entries for my afro girl medallion necklace...one entry was anonymous so i could not confirm that you were a follower of my blog. Out of the 17 valid entries Random.org selected the lucky winner...

KOTNKANDY1!!!!

Congratulations! Please send me a message here on blogspot or email me at tonidaley@live.ca with your name and mailing address and I will have your prize sent out to you!!

Stay tuned for the next post :)

It's a GIVEAWAY!!!!

2011-08-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

Yay! My first blog giveaway :) Maybe i'm a little addicted to giveaways but I can't help it...I just love giving stuff away! As you may know, I love earrings so much that I now create my own as well. I carry a lot of different types of earrings...anything from fabric to chain and recently i've been dabbling in laser cutting.

This is one of my latest design "Afro girl" earrings that I carry in various colors.

http://www.afrodisiacs.etsy.com/ $12.50

I was working on making some more tonight and must have miscounted because I ended up with an odd number, so I turned my left over girl into a pendant instead! She's attached to a beaded stretchy necklace. All you have to do is be a follower of my blog and leave a comment below this blog post if interested! I'll use Random.org to select the winner in 1 week.

Good luck!

BOHEMIAN CHIC

2011-08-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty relaxed day. One of those days where you have a lot to do but nothing is time sensitive, so you can take some time to smell the roses as they say. On the agenda today? Errands, shopping at Ikea and lunch with the boy and a couple of appointments. Since I'd be out all day I wanted to be comfortable, and lunch with the boy means I also wanted to be cute. The weather was really hot during the day but it cools off quite considerably at night....so here's what I came up with!

I love the colors and fit of this dress and it was a great buy I found while perusing Ebay late one night. I thought the overall look was cool and casual but put together. The boy kept calling me a hippie all day, lol.

Maxi Dress by Windsor clothing - Ebay $4.99
Buckle flip flops - CONWAY $3.99

Cropped denim jacket - Costa Blanca $34.99
Coconut shell earrings - peruvianearring.com $3.00

Natural stone ring - Forever21 $4.80
Wooden bangles - New York street vendor

And if your wondering.....yes, Ikea blue makes a great backdrop for pictures, lol.

ACCESSORIZE!!

2011-08-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last week while I was out enjoying my favourite passtime (shopping) I came across a great deal on some super cute hair accessories! I was in a store called Ardene's which is an accessory store...very similar to Claire's. They had an entire wall of stuff that was 5 items for $10.

Accessories are great for days when you are bored with your hair, want a different look or even to disguise bad hair days.

I wanted to share a few of my favourite pieces here but stay tuned to my second channel, MissToniDaley for the complete haul and giveaway!

LOC ENVY

2011-08-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in my sister's apartment watching her work on a client. She's a loctician in Toronto. She has a full thick head of sister locs loosely tousled on top of her head looking intricately styled even though unintentional....her client has waist length thick locs that move so effortlessly with every turn of his head. Her daughter is here too, just out the shower with freshly washed bra strap length locs, dark black and glistening....patiently awaiting her turn in the loc chair.

My niece

My hair? It looks cute today...freshly washed and moisturized...feeling extra soft and bouncy. I love what is on my head....so why do I feel that tinge of jealousy each time one of them leans over to show me something and their locs fall slowly elegantly over one eye as if for that moment everything is in slow motion! Maybe it's equivalent to my penis envy? I mean I'm completely happy with the genetalia that God blessed me with don't get me wrong, but am I the only one that has ever wanted to be able to write my name in the snow? Ok, I digress.

My sister: http://www.fotki.com/lionness

The longer I am on this natural journey of mine, the more I fall in love with my hair but it would be nice to wake up pretty. Loose natural hair looks absolutely fierce when it's done....I don't think there is much competition there in my opinion but let's face it..bed hair is just not that cute. If you prepare it the night before your stuck with Celie braids and if you don't prepare it the night before you wake up looking like a weird cross between Marge Simpson and Cosmo Kramer.

Let's not forget the cat calls from potential suitors. I've become accustomed to the inevitable "What's up shorty, let me holla at you for a minute" Seriously...has that ever worked for you? *sigh* Just once an 'empress' or 'queen' would be nice.

Will my journey eventually lead to loc-dom? maybe...who knows. But for now, I'll get my fill with kinky twists.

But this is not the final style!

2011-08-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

It's one of those days where you pin up or randomly wrap up your hair because you need to get out the house in a rush. Why is that the day you happen to get the most compliments??

I've been ignoring my hair for the last couple of days and it felt extremely dry. So last night I spritzed it with water and twisted it up using my SheaMoisture Deep Treatment Masque.
This morning I was too lazy to untwist so I loosely pinned up either side, rolled up the
back and Voila!

I'm hoping the twist out I envisioned will be fabulous but for now it seems like this is working just fine!

Happy Hairstyling!

What ever happened with Miami??

2011-08-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

So...What ever happened with that AmillionQueens Conference??

I've received so many questions about this. I think people are dying to hear that some sort of drama went down but truth be told...it didn't. I simply changed my mind. A lot of people keep saying they thought something was up because they had never heard of the company but I don't see that as being relevant because everyone has to start somewhere....

When AMillionQueens initially contacted me regarding the event, I was excited. I think that the concept
of men supporting women who choose to live a natural lifestyle is an incredible thing. The idea of an upscale
event promoting it sounded even better! Who wouldn't want to be involved. Initially I was asked if i wanted to be a part of it by presenting the information about the event to my subscribers, and attending the event to interact/mix/mingle etc.....I was all on board.

After about a month and a half of agreeing to work with them and uploading 2 videos presenting the information about the event on my Youtube channel, I was contacted by AMQ with some concerns that they had. It seemed that although their tickets were selling....none of the sales were a result of the YouTube videos that had been uploaded. It turned out that Youtubers was not leading
to the exposure they had hoped for. So they hoped to turn things around a bit and asked if instead of simply presenting the information I would take a more proactive approach and sell tickets. I was not interested.

I don't blame AMQ at all for wanting to reach out to the Youtube natural hair community or wanting more of us involved because let's face it, we have a great supportive community. However if you've been subscribed to me for a while...you know that I only present information on my channel. I never ask you to purchase, subscribe,rate, or comment. I believe my job is just to put the word out and whatever you are moved to do from there is up to you.

So....I respectfully declined. I still believe the event itself is going to be great with or without me and wish them much success in realizing their mission statement.

Since declining their offer of working with them further, I have sent a couple of friendly emails and inquiries to which i've received no response, no further communication on youtube or facebook, It's as if AMQ is simply ignoring me now, so I guess that was not the answer they were looking for.

"Careful not to burn bridges, you just might need to cross back. "

Trendy + Classic = Fashion Forward

2011-08-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

Whether it's harem pants, bodycon dresses or gladiator sandals...pairing a trendy item with classic pieces always works! It's a fail proof equation for looking polished and fashion forward. Today i'm pairing a mild version of the trendy harem pants with a classic blazer and peep toe pumps.

Blazer - Dynamite $34.99
Pants - Urban Planet $15

Layered cross necklace - Forever 21 $5.80
Tank top - Stitches $1.50

Bangles - various stores
Peep toe pumps - Aldo $99.99

link to make up tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxJjWT4Py7g
link to style vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWwOME5hWA8

COLOR BLOCKING FOR A HOT DAY

2011-08-02T23:44:00.000-07:00

Today was a very hot and sunny day, so I decided to go with light brightly colored layers while out to lunch with the boy.

Hair - pinned up twist out
Earrings - Silver hoops, dollar store $1
White tank - Stitches $1.50
Cobalt Blue crop top - Urban Planet $10
Denim shorts - Forever21 $7.99
Purple Wedges - Urban Planet $29.99
Pink wooden bangles - New York city street vendor $1

It was too hot for a full face so I did some MAC mineralize skin finish with a bit of highlight, mascara and gloss. Mustard colored toes courtesy of OPI's 'The IT Color'

Summer is a great time to experiment with color and it's almost over, so what are you waiting for??
Happy Styling!

LIQUID GOLD EYES

2011-08-01T00:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a long week...the last two weeks actually. So today, I just felt like getting a little glam'd up. I've worn this look before, it's nothing new but I always get SOOO many compliments on it, i decided to finally make a video for it. That's right...I created a second channel - 'MissToniDaley' !

If you remember I put a video out a few months back asking my subscribers to vote on whether they wanted to see make up videos on my channel or not. Well after the votes were in, it was split 50/50! That means half of you are just like me...girly girls, who love make up and clothes and shoes and accessories and just so happen to be natural :) For you, i've created a second channel that will be geared towards
make up, fashion and vlogs with the boy.

click here to watch the make up tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxJjWT4Py7g

Covergirl Quad - Coffee Shop
Black Gel liner
NYC lip color - Blue rose

Not the best of occasions....

2011-07-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today I will be attending the funeral of my 19 year old foster brother. As heartbreaking as it is death is a part of life.....It's the only thing that's guaranteed. That is why even though I was in no mood to record a youtube video I decided I would still post about it because one day, we will all inevitably have to get dressed and do our hair for a not so happy occasion....this was one of those days.

I was in no mood to deal with my hair so I decided to style my half wig 'Lajay' by the Vanessa Collection. I purchased her from my local beauty supply store for 39.99, one of the best purchases I've ever made. She's bailed me out of a lot of lazy and bad hair days. I did trim her a bit and I left the front of my hair out, parted it down the center and used Eco styler olive oil gel to lay it down. It ended up taking on the look of a lace front with a realistic part...reminiscent of the popular wig 'Drew' by Beshe.

My outfit was dark and understated as funeral attire should be. I added a bit of colour with my accessories. I filled in my eyebrows but opted to skip any eye make up for obvious reasons.

short cap sleeve sweater - Urban Planet $5
Pencil skirt - Sirens 19.99
Flower belt - Forever21 $4.80
Red Clutch - Conway $3.99

Floral peep toe shoes - Gojane.com $20

Depression is real. It exists.......even in the black community. If you or someone you know is suffering and feeling hopeless please call the National Suicide Hotline 1-800-784-2433. Let someone know your pain.

R.I.P Arthurhugh Austin September 21, 1991 - July 23, 2011

Chances are....your just a slut

2011-07-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Junkie - a person with an insatiable craving for something.

Does this sound like you? I mean...does it REALLY sound like you? Maybe it does...but maybe it doesn't.

Let's really think about a junkie. Do you get the shakes if you don't get to the drugstore in time to pick up a new product? Or ....do you just go about your day as normal? Would you rather spend your last dollar on the latest gel for your hair or dinner for your child? When you put it in perspective I don't think this really describes any of us!

Although a lot of us are self-proclaimed product junkies....I think that's only because the term itself is passed around so much. But if it doesn't actually describe us, why is there such a negative stigma that comes with it from some naturals? I mean, if you can use Shea butter to wash, condition and style your hair then more power to you! but if I need 17 products to accomplish the same look, does that make you
any more natural than me? Does it make you more of a natural hair 'veteran' for lack of a better term? I don't think so. I think that if you are more of a 'girly girl' you are more likely to be a product junkie because you already like to shop....being natural just gives another avenue of things to shop for! lol.

Let's visit a few other terms....

Connoisseur - a discerning judge of the best in any field

Do you know which product ingredients work the best together? Do you know how your hair reacts to
different products in different seasons or times of the day? Do you enjoy the smell and texture of a product before you apply it to your hair? Maybe your actually a product connoisseur....

Slut - careless or obsessive sexual desire for stimulation or gratification.

Do you spend all day fantasizing about doing your hair? Have you ever thought of doing a heat session without "protection". Do you sneak in a quickie 'cowash' in the morning knowing fully well that
you WILL be late for work? (come on, i can't be the only one!) ...... Did you just wash your hair?.......already thinking of washing it again? lol well maybe your just a product slut.

Now, i'm not saying we should eliminate the term product junkie all together after all it does sound a little less harsh than slut. However, I do think that the negativity that comes with it or assumption that it is a habit that needs to be 'fixed' does need to be eliminated.

At the end of the day if your hair is healthy, you are not going broke, and your children are fed then
chances are......your just a slut. :)

a glimpse into my own product stash

Happy Hair Styling!