It's Black History Month Baaaby!!

Ofcourse we all know how special '09 Black History Month is! With the election of our first African American President I thought it necessary to start off February with a preview of 11.4.08: The day of Change, a documentary airing on Starz February 1st at 7.30 PM and will play repeatedly throughout the month. I posted a preview for us that can't subscribe to the channel. I Love me some Barack!

Mastex Thermal Spa Conditioning Heat Cap

I tried out my new conditioning cap and I wasn't that impressed. The Mastex Thermal Spa Conditioning Heat Cap is suppose to provide deep conditioning to the hair when used with your regular conditioners/treatments.

Performance: The cap has a main cord that enters at the back and runs upward to heat the cap but the cord is so high up in the cap that the back of my head barely was warmed from the heat. 1/2

Price: 40.00 Bucks CAD, a little pricey, this is worth 20 bucks, more like it and I wouldn't feel taken advantage of. .5/1

Materials: I still take issue with how high the cord is up in the cap. It is pretty good quality and simplistically made, nothing complicated. I like the control switch to set the level of heat. 1.5/2

Overall it is okay but I wouldn't recommend it as the 'best' but as available at your local beauty shop and will (mostly) get the job done.

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Mastex Thermal Spa Conditioning Heat Cap 3/5

Gareth Pugh: Fall 2008 and Spring 2009

Fall 2008

Spring 2009

Gareth Pugh designs have been embraced by Solange Knowles and his creations were featured in Beyonce's video Diva. I personally, am not embracing his artistic view of clothing and am convinced that Viktor & Rolf's interpretation of futuristic designs are superior. What do you think?

The Purging Stage

Transitioning can be difficult at times especially for some if they experience extremely dry, coarse and brittle hair when they first cut off all relaxed hair. This is an experience I went through for about 6 months or more. My ends were extremely dry and broke all the time, I experienced excessive knotting and my ends were constantly splitting. I used deep conditioners weekly and found Qhemet Biologics which helped me through this transition tremendously.

This stage of new growth is referred to as "scab hair" but I prefer to call it the purging stage. In the purging stage the follicles may still have remnants of chemicals due to relaxing the hair for years. The follicles have been damaged from constant chemical processing that they need time to heal at which point your true hair texture will begin to grow. The new hair growth should be trimmed frequently (every two months or more) to avoid further damage to your hair.
Dermatologists have advised that hair follicles can take years to recuperate and sometimes the follicles are so damaged that the hair may grow thinner, brittle and the texture may be rough and dull permanently. Everyone reacts differently to chemicals, I know that for me the less chemicals the better I am and my hair flourishes. This stage can be a test to many, some may think their hair is too difficult to manage and revert back to relaxers and many hold on and commit to making it through this stage with the reward of beautiful natural hair.

We Have Over Come: The Road Is Still Long

This is a historic day, the first African-American President will be inaugurated today. This is a time of pride and many who went through the civil rights movement never thought this day would come so soon. To think that the inslaved built the White House and now a black man will occupy that house means that we have over come many barriers with this one achievement. No more will ignorance reign and view us as unable to to be articulate and unable to achieve. We have dreamed for many years for this day and I am so excited to take this journey with Barack Obama. He repeats again and again that we must achieve our personal best and stop placing barriers in our own way. We can be our worst critics, when you let go and focus on your strengths great things can happen.

Adebanji Alade's Afro Series

I am in love with his art work, it is familiar yet original with the contemporary nature he presents his subjects. It is fresh with shape, he is a true talent that presents a complexity of emotions in his portraits. His art is delivered unprocessed by popular culture, organic in its appearance, I do look forward to his future work. This is one of his current series of art and he currently resides in London, England with his family, to see more of his work please visit him here.

UK BlackHair Magazine

BlackHair magazine is a UK based publication which covers a variety of hair styles including natural hair care and mixes modern and classic styles to produce fresh ideas. I will be subscribing to see what they have on the other side of the Atlantic, to visit them click here.

Balenciaga Purses

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I love these purses, I don't know about you but I'm salivating...

Model Moment: Alek Wek

She is fierce and her features are magnetic and unforgettable with her signature TWA. Alek Wek was discovered in London in 1995 after fleeing her birthplace of Sudan in 1991 as civil war erupted. She has been modeling since the age of eighteen and is still as fierce as when she first started. She has modeled and has done campaigns with Issay Miyake, Moschino, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Ann Taylor, Ermanno Scervino, Saks Fifth Avenue, Victoria Secret, Nars and Clinique to name a few.

She is a humanitarian, fashion designer in her own right with her collection of luxury bags and an inspiration to all people. You can check out her designers bags, Wek1933 here.

I Love My Hair

This journey has been so rewarding, I love my hair. It amazes me all the time of the shrinkage, the deceiving way it looks when braided and the volume I get when I set it free! The growth, the way it knots in on its self (yes I take the rewards with challenges), its natural sheen and the stares I get when I wear my crown and glory in public. At work most of my sister-colleagues have natural hair! I started noticing this a few months ago, I see locs and lose hair all over the place. Even if they wear weaves, wigs and braids, or flat iron their hair it is natural or partially natural which is a step in the right direction.

After my incident with the Curls Ecstasy Tea Conditioner I am even more committed to using the right products in my hair and caring for it the right way and not deviating from that. I feel great and am so proud to see women embracing their hair as God created it.

Nu Kynk Island Naturals Leave In Conditioner

This was birthed through my frizzy hair that the Curls Ecstacy Tea Conditioner gave me! Thank God for inginuity! Last night while going through my stash I remembered that I had the Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing Conditioner. This conditioner is good as a deep conditioner but not as good as the Honeysuckle Rose, it is not as moisturizing but has amazing slip so I took an empty 4 oz bottle with a flip applicator and got to work. The results were great, my mixture smoothed, moisturized and defined.

Nu Kynk Island Naturals Leave In Conditioner

(the measurements are approximate)

2 oz Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing Conditioner

1 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 oz Water (boiled or distilled at room temperature)

*Shake conditioner and oil together until reasonably mixed, than add water and shake once more until water mixed into solution, voila!*

I added the conditioner throughout my hair concentrating on my ends and my hair line to smooth my hair since its in a bun, it added shine and softness. This is also so economical because this will last a while with each batch I make, I love it!

Product Review: Curls Ecstacy Hair Tea Conditioner

I found a half empty bottle of the conditioner in one of my closets and set out to use it up so that I can get rid of any extra products laying around.

First let me say that I stopped using the conditioner because I wasn't getting the results I wanted, this time around I was willing to give it another try. I shampooed with Fantasia IC 100% Pure Tea Shampoo to remove any build up and added the conditioner and placed a conditioning cap on for about 45 minutes. When I rinsed in the shower it felt soft at first but when I went to style my hair it was another story... my hair was knotted and I noticed as I styled my curls were not as defined as when I use my staples and my hair was frizzy. Today my hair is in a bun and the frizz is ridiculous! I will not repurchase.

Performance: When I first purchased it was okay, nothing spectacular but as my hair has grown it is not delivering the defined coils and curls with moisture, instead I get frizz and knots. .5/2

Pricing: Way over priced for the performance of this conditioner which is 16 oz for 25.00 bucks CAD. 0/2

Ingredients: Purified Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Octyl Palmitrate, Behentrimonum Methosulfate, Certified Organic Aloe Leaf Juice, Certified Organic Sunflower Oil, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearth-20, Ho Shu Wu Extract, Green Tea Extract, Chamomile Extract, Calendula Extract, Mango Butter, Shea Butter, Panthenol, Soy Protein, Citric Acid, Quaternium-15.

* Not the greatest or worst ingredients .5/1

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Curls Ecstacy Hair Tea Conditioner 1/5

Beauty and Bounce

An essential way to maintain the strength and beauty of our hair is protein. It is present in numerous conditioners, and classic home made recipes.

My home made treatment has been passed down from my grandmother, my mother and now to my self is a great 'kitchen fix' for weak, lack luster, breaking hair, I love it and I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.

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Blackstrap Molasses and Egg Treatment

1 medium sized egg whipped (room temperature)

2 full TBSPS of Blackstrap Molasses

2 full TBSPS of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 full TBSP of Honey

Distribute mixture throughout hair and message into scalp until saturated, cover with a plastic conditioning cap up to 45 minutes, may be used with heat for extra conditioning. Rinse and style.

Other conditioning treatments that can be store bought and have worked for me are:

Aphogee Two Step Protein Treatment for Damaged Hair

Aphogee Keratin Two Minute Reconstructor

Joico K-PAK Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor

Aubrey Organics GPB Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner

Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner (Pak)

Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise

Protein and keratin are one in the same concerning hair fibers. When the hair is weak it is because the hair fibers are weak which causing hair to break and split. Protein treatments mend the weak areas of hair by 'filling' those sections of the hair strand with keratin which promotes elasticity, shine and helps you to retain growth. Kynky, curly and coily hair textures are more fragile than naturally straight hair so committing to a protein treatment once a month to once every three months for optimal results is an easy way to retain growth and avoid unnecessary damage to your hair fibers.