Model Moment: Caroline Bwomono

Caroline Bwomono is a Ugandan model born July 22, 1975 and is based out of Sweden. She is signed to MIKAs Stockholm Modeling Agency and has walked the runway for Duro Olowu and Kenneth Cole. She has also worked with BCBG Max Azria, Kenzo, Tuleh and YSL Rive Gauche to name a few. I look forward to seeing more of this African beauty.

Why Does Carol's Daughter Have So Many Haters?

Carol's Daughter is arguably the most recognized African American company that uses natural ingredients and markets heavily toward women who wear their naturally kinky, coily and curly hair. They have been endorsed by celebrities like Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Jada Pinkett-Smith and the list goes on. Most of their products contain relatively good ingredients when compared to many product lines sold in black beauty supply stores and the owner and founder, Lisa Price has given back heavily to the community through her philanthropic work. So why the hate? Now, I must admit that I am one of those that was weary of using Carol's Daughter products. When I first went natural I didn't even consider them as a go to to tame my tresses. Instead, I went online and found a company most naturals at that time rarely heard of and started telling people how great it was and that the company I discovered was 'it'. At that time Carol's Daughter was being sold online through their website and had just been introduced to Sephora and since than their products have popped up at salons and retail stores targeted to people with curly hair types.

I first tried Carol's Daughter when I went to New York and saw a kiosk in a mall in downtown Brooklyn. Myself and my cousins couldn't pass up the opportunity to get some Carol's Daughter. One, because we knew of no where in Toronto that sold it and ordering online was out of the question, and two, we wanted to see what all the hype was about. We picked up the Mimosa Hair Honey, Tui Hair Oil, Groove Body Spray, a body butter and a few more odds and ends. I really liked the Mimosa Hair Honey and since than Carol's Daughter has been introduced to a few salons and retail stores in Toronto I have repurchased it a few times. Their products for the most part get the job done but in my humble opinion I don't see what all the hype was about. Although, I do have a few ideas why I see all the hate:

• Carol's Daughter is mainstream. You can find them at Sephora both online and in store or at one of Carol's Daughter stores in the United States. At HoneyFig in Toronto and other various salons in the city. Also, you can just order from their website. So no one has any excuse not to buy their products, they are here , there, everywhere!

• People like the 'new' thing. Exclusivity reigns supreme when it comes to setting trends with natural hair. We see our selves as leaders, rebellious and non conformist. We go against society and challenge the establishment. That means also being ahead of the game and not taking what is given to us. Many naturals love finding that new product and telling their friends about it and slowly that company gains loyal consumers and the previous company becomes stale, passe.

• Some brands are just better. I love all natural and organic brands. The more the better, I am sensitive to scents and certain ingredients. The more straight forward and simplistic the ingredients are the more likely I am to try it out. Many naturals can attest to this. The harder it is for us to pronounce the ingredients or the more we have to reference the encyclopedia to know what is in the product the easier it is to back away from trying it and use another product that is simple, straight forward and gives great results. Thankfully, today their is no shortage of brands that deliver in all these categories.

• Many naturals think they sold out. Let's face it, if you have investors than money becomes the main game and cost cutting becomes the means. One of the first things to change when a hair company becomes ginormously successful is the quality of ingredients. In order for Carol's Daughter to be in so many retail stores in North America and Europe the shelf life of the product must be extended some how, some way and you know they figured out a way. I have heard of naturals speak of when Carol's Daughter first came out and you had to buy online and wait a good while for delivery, than some of the products had to be refrigerated to keep it fresh, not anymore.

• Too much hype. Myself and my cousin heard so much hype about Carol's Daughter that we thought wow this must be 'it'. After trying it we both agreed it was good but nothing to call home about. I have yet to read on a Fotki page, forum, You Tube, or blog of someone telling anyone that will listen to run and buy a Carol's Daughter Product. They either say it was okay, indifferent, or they hated it. Nothing life changing.

In a sense I do feel I was taken. Like a virus that spreads I was got too. But I didn't let the bug consume me. It was okay and that is it, nothing special. My hair looked the same, I didn't get amazing growth, and it didn't make me look at life differently. With all that said you must give respect where it is due. Lisa Price was the first within the natural hair movement to take an idea to use natural hair products on naturally kinky, coily and curly hair mainstream. She has been very successful at it and I will not hate on a sister who has her hustle right.

A New Writer at The Coil Review

I am happy to announce that I will be a regular contributing writer to The Coil Review. I have been a dedicated reader of the wealth of information The Coil Review presents and invite all of you to check out this amazing online magazine. Their will be articles exclusive to The Coil Review and some articles already posted to Nu Kynk will also be featured. To view my first featured article click here!

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Thank you for all of your support, their is more to come!

Amber Rose and Turquoise Play

Say what you want about Amber Rose, she is fierce! I love her play with turquoise, it fits her well and is refreshing.

Naturally Loved: Part Nine

Amazingly, I still get questions like "so what are you going to do with it" concerning my natural hair which I find quite funny because no one goes around asking people who have relatively straight hair this question. Inner strength is a must when embracing your kinks, coils and curls. You have to know exactly why you are doing it and having a plan will also help you through the stages you will encounter. When I first did my big chop I had a TWA (teeny weeny afro) and it was great for about 2 or 3 months. Than it started to grow and I had no clue what to do. I was cute with my TWA but as soon as that growth came I felt REAL lonely. I did twist which helped for awhile, I did braid extensions for a month at a time and than I would let my hair rest for a month and than put the extensions back in. I bought scarves, hats and that was basically all the styles I rocked. I never rocked fro-hawks, I wish I did back than and I didn't have any intricate styles. I tried to keep it as simple as possible.

Women who thirst for information concerning natural hair have a wealth of information, products and everyday inspirations like co-workers, friends, family and celebrities to reference when thinking about embracing their natural hair. It is to the point where sometimes it just smacks you in the face like an ad or article in a magazine discussing natural hair or television shows that are placing our hair at the forefront of national discussions.

When I first embraced my natural hair I had to seek the information and the Internet was my best friend for that. I found a wealth of information about products, techniques and individuals willing to give advise as to the different stages we encounter on this journey. I want to thank everyone that has assisted me in this journey, I am so grateful! My 3 year anniversary is coming up in September and I am so happy I made it this far, I am excited about the next three years of my natural journey.

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Happy Growing,

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Natalie

Bantu Knots VS Flat Twists (Bantu Knots Won)

I have been trying out flat twists for a few weeks as appose to my regular bantu knots and I've noticed a few differences. Flat twists are a little more cumbersome to set in the hair. It may be my technique, I two strand twist to the scalp like cornrows and use bobby pins or Goody Latex Bands to hold in place. I found I got breakage from this technique when undoing it after my hair had dried. Also, the back section of my hair always got too straight which didn't allow me to blend my hair into a cute curly 'fro as I usually do with my bantu knots.

My bantu knots work better for my hair texture. The hair at the back of my head has a looser curl pattern which may be why the bantu knots work better because it allows my roots to stay smooth but at the same time I can fluff my curls for extra body, and my hair still maintains texture. The bantu knots set better in my hair, I am able to catch just about every hair in my knots. Bantu knots give me more consistent results, sorry flat twist, you're just not giving me the results I want.

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To Set My Hair

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Step 1: Co-wash or shampoo and condition ( I use Nature's Gate Henna or Hemp conditioners or the Kiss My Face Big Body Shampoo & Conditioner)

**I like leaving about 25% of the conditioner in my hair when I rinse.

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Step 2: Apply a quarter sized amount of a conditioner to each 6-8 large sections of soaking wet hair like Kiss My Face Big Body Conditioner (these large sections should be your guide when setting your hair)

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Step 3: Apply a quarter sized amount of shea butter to each individual bantu knot, smooth on the roots and than apply a smaller amount to length of hair , than set.

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Step 4: Repeat step 3 until complete, let dry.

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Step 5: Remove bobby pins or elastic bands and allow the bantu knots to fall. Apply a small amount of pomade or oil like Qhemet Biologics Amla Oil Nourishing Pomade to each twist, starting at the roots and working your way down to the ends. At this point you undo the twists gently and style as desired trying not to disturb the curl pattern.

**The pomade or oil that you use acts as a sealant and helps to keep the hair smooth when styling.

thatgirrl5: Coconut Cream Natural Relaxer

I came across this video by thatgirrl5 on You Tube. She was demonstrating on her daughter's hair a concoction she referred to as "coconut cream natural relaxer." I don't view this treatment as a "natural relaxer" but as a treatment that make the hair more manageable, I posted part 1 of 2 so you can see the application. Supposedly, with regular use (once every 1 to 3 months) it makes the hair retain length, avoid less tangles and adds a high moisture level. I really want to try this concoction but as you know my scalp is tricky when it comes to coconut oil, but I am willing to give it a try, it looks too yummy to pass up!

* You can purchase the Coconut Cream Concentrate from tropicaltraditions.com

RIP Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson

August 29th 1958 - June 25th 2009

Anthropologie: Necklaces

Fireworks Necklace

Cliffhanger Necklace

Raffia Bauble Necklace

Bonheur Necklace

Curiosities Necklace

Years-Of-Rings Necklace

Unbloomed Bulb Necklace
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Anthropologie has a wide variety of unique and interesting accesories to personalize any outfit and give it that fierce edge that we are all looking for. Visit your local Anthropologie or online at Anthropologie.com for more info.

Ebony Magazine July/August Fabness

Ebony Magazine is featuring four different covers fo their July/August 2009 edition. Which one will you pick?

Beyonce's 'Nappy' Roots

This morning while going to my usual sites to see what is hot, I came across a post on a very popular gossip site "Bey's Nappy Roots Go on Strike" and the writer went on to say "Someone should be fired for not conditioning her up; Bey’s roots look as thirsty as cracked lips." The comment section had a mixture of negative and positive comments:

"Cellie roots and Barbie ends...",


"she looks a hot mess"


"Who cares of her statistics, because to a lot of black people who hate their own natural hair texture – she’ll always need a relaxer."


"what’s wrong with her hair texture, people? you all are brainwashed. we should encourage OUR people to embrace and see beauty in their natural features; and to stop covering them up like they SHOULD be ashamed of them.get over the generally accepted beauty ideals."


"I just would like to know that y the more natural one becomes the more critical and insulting we r to that person? One minute she is Ms. Lacefront and the other minute she has dry nappy roots. FAIL!! nothing wrong with our spiralled nappy hair- at least its HAIR and not limp dead FUR!!"


I personally thought that she looked gorgeous. The pressure to fit a beauty ideal is on display here. Beyonce obviously has kinky hair and has made a concerted effort to cover it up with lace fronts and weave. I have heard that she is natural but I am sure many photos of her with afros are hair pieces. When she released her first album she boasted to Honey Magazine that she was natural and was even photographed in her glory. After the success of her first solo album she started to wear more lace fronts and weave and almost has stopped wearing braids as she did when she was younger.

Their is nothing wrong with having 'nappy' roots and their is definitely nothing wrong with showing them. This hate for our hair is so destructive. The negative comments were more directed to straightening the hair moreso than moisturizing it which is what our hair loves. Beyonce, if you read this or if any one tells you to cover up that 'nappy' hair know that black is beautiful and that includes kinks, coils and curls, don't deny it embrace it!

Thank You!!!!!

Thank you to everyone that supports Nu Kynk, I truly appreciate it! Nu Kynk has reached the milestone of having 50 dedicated readers! Their is a lot more to come so stay tuned.

Kehinde Wiley: DOWN at Deitch Projects

The Lamentation over the Dead Christ

A Dead Soldier

Femme Piquee Par Un Serpent

The Veiled Christ

The Virgin Martyr St. Cecilia

Morpheus

I first discovered Kehinde Wiley late last year and was dumb struck as to why I haven't heard about his amazing work before, he is a true artist. His renditions of classical artwork into a modern day language are seamless. The title of the collection DOWN at Deitch Projects speaks volumes as to the state of Black men in America and is easily related to all black men around the world, it's a struggle. He is able to take the masculinity of the Black man and transform it into a form able to tell a story of life and death, despair and vulnerability, a rare depiction of what the Black man is usually portrayed as in mass media. The colours are vibrant and most of his paintings have flowers included with nature used to connect the subject to the environment that it is in. I deeply appreciate his work and the direction he has chosen to take as an artist. To see more of his paintings visit his online studio here.

Kehinde Wiley has also recently announced that he will be launching a clothing line (Thank GOD!) and has been approached by Puma to design clothing and accessories for the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa. I will keep you posted as the updates flow in. Below are a few pictures of some of his first clothing designs.

BTW: LOVE HER HAIR!!!!

Product Review: Nature's Gate Hemp Conditioner

I am very please with the Nature's Gate Hemp Conditioner For Dry or Frizzy Hair. Nature's Gate claims that it will naturally promote silky smooth hair and I must say it really does smooth the hair and clumps my curls beautifully. The conditioner appears to be really thick in the bottle but I would say when I first used it the consistency was almost like a whipped custard cream, if that makes sense. I use this conditioner to do co-washes and as a leave-in. It makes my hair soft and fluffy and defines my curls, this is a great product like all the other Nature's Gate conditioners I've tried before.

Performance: Consistent, I love the texture of the conditioner and the versatility of it. Whether I'm co-washing, detangling, or using it as a leave-in it works! 2/2

Price: 532 mL (18 oz) usually ranges in price from $7.99 to $9.99 depending on where you go. Right now The Big Carrot is having a sale on the full line of Nature's Gate shampoos and conditioners for $4.99 each, I stocked up! The sale ends the beginning of July. 2/2

Ingredients: Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Stearalkonium Chloride, Ruscus Aculeatus (Butcher's Broom) Root Extract, Sambucus Nigra (Elder) Flower Extract, Silybum Marianum (Milk Thistle) Extract, Chrysanthemum Coccineum Flower Extract, Bertholletia Excelsa (Brazil Nut) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil, Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Seed Oil, Panthenol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Caramel. 1/1

Nature's Gate Hemp Conditioner For Dry or Frizzy Hair 5/5

Going Vegetarian and Vegan

Over the past weeks I've stopped eating meat and sea food, and I have to say I feel great. I have always wanted to go vegetarian or vegan but I guess I didn't know how to go about it. To get my daily protein intake I eat almonds, sunflower seeds, lentils, beans, peas and soya. The soya is mostly if I get a meatless burger from Lick's or if I get a Subway sandwich, they have meatless patties and they are good, but I know I can get better.

My skin appears more clear to me, I have more energy and I stay focused longer. I also don't get tired as easily as I once did. The benefits are fantabulous! Would I eat meat or sea food again? I don't know but right now this feels good. Over the next few weeks I'm going to buy some raw food and vegetarian cook books to keep me busy. Today I'll be cooking a cup of parboiled rice, three cups of spinach mixed with carbanzos (chick peas). I usually cook down the spinach and garbanzos with green onions, garlic and tomatoes sauteed in extra virgin olive oil with sea salt and pepper added for taste, YUM!

Qhemet Biologics Abbreviated Summer Sales Event

Qhemet Biologics will have an abbreviated sale on July 3rd between 3 PM to 8 PM EST. All orders of $34.00 or more receive 20% off with the discount code nature. This code will only be active between 3 PM to 8 PM EST.

Giuseppe Zanotti Design Strappy Gladiators

Giuseppe Zanotti Design Strappy Gladiators are dark brown and made with 100% Italian leather. These beauties boast a flat sole, zipper at the ankle and of course are very trendy for this season. Visit Browns Fashion for more info.

Model Moment: Tennille Stoute

Tennille Stoute hails from Barbados and has modeled for various designers. she has done campaigns for Payless and modeled for Caribbean Fashion Week 2008. I look forward to seeing more of her.

Help!!! What Do I Do With All These Products?

Embracing our naturally kinky, coily and curly hair means that we may experiment with different products to find the perfect mix to deliver the desired look and feel to our hair. Of course this search for products may result in the dreaded product junkism syndrome that most of us have experienced. So what do we do with products that failed to deliver for our own tresses? Well here are a few options to help in ridding our closets and bathroom and unwanted junk:

Swap/Giveaway: This is a great place to start, call up friends/family and ask if they have already tried the product(s) and if so if they want it or are interested in trying it out if they haven't already. While doing this you may also want to ask them if they have any products that they also want to unload.

Bring It Back: I learned this the hard way. Don't buy products you have never used and let it sit around your home for weeks or months before trying it out. Keep your receipt and use the product within a few weeks of purchasing it. Usually it takes me one to two tries to know if the product is a keeper. If you don't like it bring it back for a refund or exchange, in these economic times every penny counts.

Sell It: Their are many resources available to sell products. If you have a Fotki journal you may want to post in your profile or in your product folder that you are selling a product. Also, you can post this information on natural hair forums and on Hairlista in their Buy/Sell/Swap section. Keep in mind that it is easier to meet up with someone who lives in the same city or surrounding area as yourself, preferrably in a public place, than to ship a product out of province or country. This will save on shipping charges.

Mix It Up: If the product you bought is not affecting the health of your hair, texture and look of it but you just dont like it for whatever reason you may want to mix it with other products. For example you can mix an oil you no longer like with your conditioner when you do deep treatments or you may mix it with other oils to do scalp messages or hot oil treatments.

Throw It Out: This should be the last option. Sometimes product junkism gets out of hand and you may feel overwhelmed with what you accumulated looking for that perfect conditioner, moisturizer, oil, etc. but when you throw out a product it should be because the product is damaging your hair/scalp and most if not all the above options are not available. I have thrown out a few products because of damage and I was afraid that giving it away to someone else would result in them having the same experience I had. It is better to loose some money than to continue using a product that causes damage to your hair/scalp. Think about all the products you can avoid purchasing to 'fix' your hair by simply not using it any longer.

Knot Therapy

Having a kinky,coily and/or curly hair texture means our hair is prone to knotting and that can cause damage if those hairs are not clipped as soon as they appear. Knots on the hair can cause split ends and can weaken the hair shaft which causes it to break more easily. Their are a few causes of knots:

Wrong Products: Study your hair and how it reacts when you put certain products in your hair. Does your hair seem to knot more, become more brittle? I noticed excessive knotting, it was so bad that I was dusting my hair every few days. The culprit was a conditioner and since I stopped using it my hair has fewer knots.

Loose Hairstyles: We all love to rock our loose hair styles like the curly 'fro but constantly wearing our hair in these styles may be contributing to knots.

Lack of Moisture/Conditioning: Our hair needs to be moisturized and well conditioned to maintain healthy hair. Lack of these two components in our routine can cause brittle ends to knot onto themselves which means less retention of growth and damaged hair. Moisturizing our hair a few times a week and conditioning on a weekly basis are great steps to take. Also, you may want to think about a leave-in conditioner as an option. I simply use my co-washing conditioners as my leave-ins (Herbal Essences and Nature's Gate) and my hair loves it.

Lack of Protection When Sleeping: It is so important to prep you hair for bed. Whether you do big twist, braids, bantu knots or skip this you need to cover your hair with satin scarf to protect your ends. I sometimes use shea butter or a light oil as a sealant when twisting my hair before bed. It allows my hair to be conditioned while I sleep and I wake up to smooth hydrated ends.

Constantly Touching Our Hair: I know, I know it's so soft!!! We do need to keep our hands out of our hair. constantly touching our hair can lead to knotting especially if we like to play with our ends. I am guilty of this one but I'm getting better.

Adapting good practices will be beneficial in retaining growth and allowing our hair to reach its full potential.

Qhemet Biologics Summer Sales Event

Qhemet Biologics is holding their 24 hour - 20% off Summer Sales Event that begins at midnight Friday June 5th and applies to all orders of $34 and up. Just enter the coupon code nature at checkout.

Karen's Body Beautiful Sexy Summer Savings

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Sexy Summer Savings by Karen's Body Beautiful is offereing 25% off the entire store and 50% off of Body Splashes, Message Oils, and Shower Gels (with a $50 purchase) and free shipping on orders over $75. Just enter the coupon code sexysummer at checkout.

Offer expires Monday June 8th, 2009.

Naturally Loved: Part Eight

My hair has really been coming along these past few weeks and I have started really experimenting with hair styles since I've noticed the additional length I've gained from Tender Loving Care. The wealth of information I have accumulated from my own research and other naturals sharing their own routines and "secrets" has been priceless, I am so grateful. The most powerful message I've gained from this evolving experience is "Do for self!" It is our journey and no one else's. No one has the exact same kink, coil or curl. That's what makes this experience so gratifying. We cannot rely on others to do it for us.
I have been approached by several people asking about my hair and I am always open to share information about products I use and styling routines. I do become hesitate to continue this exchange of information when a person may become reliant on me almost to the point where they want me to physically "do their hair." If a person wants to embrace their natural beauty than it is their journey, a sacred one at that. It should be enjoyed and cherished. This is a life changing experience that many of us were denied for various reasons, we have this opportunity and we need to make the most of it. A person denying themselves from this experience because someone they know who is already natural refuses to become an on-call hair stylist is an excuse. Personally, I love doing my own hair. It was forced upon me at twelve years of age because my mother literally hated doing hair even her own, she just doesn't like the routine of taking care of hair, the easier the better for her. She has worn variations of two hair styles for most of her life: roller sets combed out to give her that "flow" and the bun, that's it. This experience allowed me to get to know my hair and from a young age I have relied on myself, I bought tools and products and went to work.
This is a wider message that we can use in every aspect of our life "Do for self", it has served me well and by tuning into this message you will naturally be seen as the leader you are.

Happy Growing,

Natalie

The Coil Review Re Launch

Our friends at The Coil Review will be re launching their site July 1st and I couldn't resist posting their promotional video announcing this wonderful infomation! Please visit The Coil Review here.