From the category archives:

Hair Blog Highlight

I was contacted by a Chicago based group called Brown Audio about their new song and video. And as you can guess by the title,”Ms. Natural”, it is allll about us ladies! The beat is catchy and the video features some Gorgeous-with-a-capitol-G natural hair! Plus, it’s two brothers celebrating the beauty of natural hair!

The video is below or you can click here. Check out more of Brown Audio on Facebook,their YouTube channel, or Twitter. I’ve included a little more info below.

[project:natural]
[project:natural], a movement created by Chicago hip-hop band Brown Audio, promotes a healthier, alternative lifestyle. [project:natural] is anchored by Brown Audio’s uplifting single”Ms. Natural” ; which celebrates women who make the choice to be free of chemically treated hair; a major issue among women in the black community. After various interviews and conversations with African-American women, the consensus is that most are afraid to embrace an Afro centric hairstyle. In response, Brown Audio created [project:natural] not to condemn others, but to promote and encourage a natural lifestyle.

The [project:natural] blog posts everything from organic food recipes, work out regimes and natural hair style tutorials to all things Brown Audio. The plan is to plant new life into the hip-hop community as well as the middle class with [project:natural] thru intelligently crafted songs and amazing visuals, all while encouraging healthy individuality.

What is Brown Audio??? By name, sounds like a chocolate radio. But that’s what it sounds like until you hear the sound and receive the true meaning. Brown Audio is SOUL MUSIC. And no, they’re not here to profess how different they are, or how they stand out amongst a crowd. You’ll notice that via sight or sound (which ever sense they hit you with first). They also don’t need to convey how “in-tune” they are to the streets either. Although they aren’t urban outfitted like the typical soldier, they’re STILL from one of the world’s toughest battlefields, Chicago; and their lyrics hold true to the life here. Sean Ace and Cya(sigh-uh) are Brown Audio.

But why listen to them??? They don’t fit the mode of today’s rap. That’s the exact reason why! Brown Audio isn’t manufactured. It isn’t your typical “assembly line” music; designed to fit a time sensitive sound. With a very vocal teacher as a mother, and a sharp tongue, Cadillac-driving hustler as a father, it’s only right that these two brothas do have a few things to talk about. Stay tuned!

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You may have seen Damone Roberts on TLC’s “10 Years Younger” in the past or read his beauty advice on Oprah.com. He has a new project called the TheLookBag that I am excited to share with ya’ll. Plus, I was just super excited to interview him! Read on to find out more!

 

 

Your new project THELOOKBAG seems like a great idea. What type of people would this site benefit and can you tell us more about it?

 I’m very excited to be affiliated with The Look Bag. The cosmetic industry is changing constantly & sometimes it is a bit overwhelming to walk into a beauty department & decide which new products to try. This is a $10.00 monthly membership website that will send you 5 deluxe beauty samples, that I will customize to fit your profile, within the first two weeks of every month. You then have the option of purchasing the item of your choice for a discounted price.

 I have loved your eyebrows since I first saw you on “10 Years Younger”.  Are there any basic brow tips you can share with us?

Thank you for the compliment! I believe eyebrows are the single most important feature on the face. They add balance & structure. In 2012 we are going for fuller brows & a softer arch. The brow is still groomed, but not as severe. Lastly…no brow should ever be without brow gel! This hold the hair in place, while opening the eye. We will definitely be adding The Damone Roberts Brow Gel in the near future to The Look bag.

 

Your hair is also always on point! What’s your hair routine? Please include your favorite products. 

I love big, healthy hair. I recently got it cut & have been rocking a shoulder length messy shag. I find the most important thing is to keep the hair healthy, with minimum shine. Obliphica is a great product that will be in next month’s shipment of the look bag. I also talked to Beyonce’s hairdresser Kimberly Kimble today about adding samples of her hair product in the near future and she was very excited.

 

Do you have any other beauty/makeup/hair tips you’d like to share?

I feel that it is important to not be afraid to experiment with beauty. Something that looks horrible on your best friend, can absolutely be the perfect color for you. I also want to tell women that there is no certain rule that will apply to everyone. A example is we have all heard that you should not wear blue eyeshadow. The truth is there are many different shades of blue on the market now that can work for many. That is another reason why I am proud to be a part of The Look Bag. You can try the color first, before making your decision.

 

More information about TheLookBag and Damone:

THELOOKBAG isthe newest high-end, luxury beauty sample kit customized by beauty expertDamone Roberts, the undisputed “Eyebrow King” to the hottest A-list Hollywood starlets. For only $10 a month, Damone tailors each LOOKBAG for THELOOKBAG.COM subscribers in an attractive, hand-packaged box of five deluxe, re-sealable beauty samples from established brands to prestigious foreign products such as O.N.E Skincare, Rain Cosmetics, Kim Vo and Yarok hair care delivered to your doorstep.

This makes it easy for the beauty obsessed to test drive the latest and greatest beauty samples on the market: if the subscriber likes what they try and wishes to purchase the full-size product, they can do so at a 20% discount at THELOOKBAG.COM.

 THELOOKBAG aims to take beauty to another level by letting members choose between a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription plan. Subscribers will fill out a brief beauty Q&A so each product in their bag is specifically customized to fit their needs. THELOOKBAG is then shipped out free to members within the first two weeks of every month.

 Damone has revolutionized the beauty industry with his own artistry and personally crafted eyebrow products. Known for sculpting the perfect arches for a plethora of A-listers that includes Madonna, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Megan Fox, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, and Britney Spears; Damone can now add expert spokesperson to his resume, as the new face of THELOOKBAG.COM, (www.thelookbag.com) a fabulous, affordable and convenientnew luxury sample club.

He has been featured on many television shows including OprahMSNBC, The ViewBETAccess HollywoodGood Morning AmericaCNN and TLC’s national hit television show “10 Years Younger”. Damone has also been a regular contributing beauty editor forOprah.com.

 Oprah - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af5f9UHl614

The View - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUbGoBrUy_E

TLC ’10 Years Younger’ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkaZog69ZhA

Access Hollywood - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_fvhObEjhw

 Founded by E! Entertainment creator Alan Mruvka, THELOOKBAG.COM is a celebrity driven online store, which allows consumers to view products through video content, read reviews and expert opinion and shop through celebrity partnered unique online stores with exclusive celebrity product lines.

 

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Loretta, you won “Your Natural Hair Journal”! Congrats and happy journaling! Send me you information at kcurly@newlynatural.com and I’ll get it out to you soon.

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  • Newly Natural has a Facebook page. Yes, I have fully crossed over to the dark side. Please “Like” me if you do, in fact, like me :) I will be posting hairstyles, articles, and other tidbits. Maybe even a few giveaways!
  • Some of you noticed that the Search feature was not working and I apologize. It’s working now so search away!
  • It’s almost a New Year and it’s a great time to evaluate your goals for the coming year. Here are my goals:
  1. Reach full waist length. I haven’t really retained any length in the last few months. I need to work on that.
  2. I’ve flat ironed last night but no more heat until June of this year. Six months heat free!
  3.  Protective styles as always
  4. Perfect cornrowing and rollersets (or at least not such as much at them)

What are your goals for the coming year? Any BC’ers? Anybody weaving it up for a few months? Share, ladies!

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I know I’m  on a hat binge right now but I can’t help but share these unique accessories. The site is called Virtuous Creations. Check these out:

This hat is so sassy, and versatile as well. It is reversible and unisex (obviously without the earrings). This style is available in many different colors/prints.

This hat combined with the scarf is giving me a classy, vintage feel. Also, I'm certain that hat would fit over my huge puff!

I'm loving these headband/tubes. They're available in a lot of colors and sizes.

I like these because they'd be nice with a TWA or longer hair

Lovin' this fleece TurbanBand and Scarf

Not only do they have a lot of beautiful pieces but they also have a Layaway plan and currently there’s a special for free shipping on orders of $50 or more (use the code 50off). Check out the website tons more hats and accessories if you’re interested.

 

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The last consistent paper diary I kept was around the age of 7. In it, I described the spanking I’d gotten for hitting my brother and how much I loved the square pizza they had in the school cafeteria.

I’ve tried several times since then to keep a journal about what was going on in my life but it always falls to wayside.

I was once asked if I kept a journal about the process of going natural. My answer was a resounding “No” but then I thought about it. This blog, for me, has been my journal.

In it, I’ve recorded my ups and downs, my experiences related to both products and the reactions of people in my daily life.

Here are some good reasons to keep a hair journal:

  • If you’re a product junkie and go through a substantial amount of products, it can be hard to remember what worked and what didn’t. This is a good way to record your favorite products…and the ones that didn’t make the cut!
  • You can keep up with resources including books, magazines, and websites. There’s so much information out there that it can be hard to keep it all together. Record your favorites.
  • Lend it to a friend. A lot of people feel overwhelmed when starting out and would probably appreciate reading about your journey.
  • Record your highs and lows. When you’re feeling down, turn back to that day when you were totally in love with your hair. When you’re feeling that new style, look back on the days when you were struggling…and feel proud!
  • Record your growth. Whether it’s with pictures or actual measurements, it’s helpful to have some sort of evidence that your hair is, in fact, growing. We all know that natural hair shrinks and growth sometimes does not immediately translate everyday in the mirror… Watch that hair grow!

 

I personally love blogging for continuing to record my journey, but I realize that a lot of people are not big into online sharing. If that’s the case for you, drop by a bookstore and find a decorated journal to record your thoughts.

It’s even a good idea, if you have other friends going natural or who are newly natural, to meet up every month and share entries from your journals.

If you have no idea where to start, there is a natural hair journal called, well, “Your Natural Hair Journal” haha. It’s available on Amazon:

The author, Cheryl Simms, was kind enough to send me one awhile back to check out. It guides you through your journaling with headings like “Your Decision to Transition to Natural Hair” to examine your thought process during that time.

There are helpful tidbits about transitioning, hair typing (if you’re into that), online and literary resources, as well as a month by month guide to journaling your first year of being natural.

I think it’s a great idea and I’m sure a lot of people will enjoy it. There are illustrations, product recommendations, and, at the beginning of the book, the author’s own hair story.

So, since I won’t be using this journal, I am offering it to a reader who’d like to start journaling.

To enter, comment below and I will choose someone randomly. All entries must be in by December 28, 11pm CST. Only current subscribers (either through Google Friends or Feedburner) may enter. 

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The folks at HatSoMe sent me a couple of loaner hats to try out (you can see my other posts about HatSoMe here and here). I just finished drying my tears as I repackaged them to be sent back. But, I did get to try them out and they are fantastic.

The first thing I worry about with items made of fabric is the quality. I’ve had an off and on relationship with sewing, quilting, and crocheting so, as a result, I have certain standards. I can’t stand shoddy workmanship. Fortunately, this was not something I had to worry about with HatSoMe.

The hats I was sent are very well made, from what I can see. The knitting looks great and the lining is well done. I was really worried about the lining because I’ve seen linings just half-arsed thrown into too many items. Next thing you know, your lining is literally hanging on by a thread.

Now, of course, I am no expert and can’t vouch for the life of the hats long term, but they look to be pretty sturdy.

I loved, loved, loved this first hat. It was probably my favorite. (You can see the hat here).  I liked it because the knit felt so soft, it fit my head really well, and it was super cute. The stones and gems also give it a unique flair. In the day that I wore it, I got a ton of compliments.

Mostly, it felt great wearing a hat like that (ie something warm!)  and not worrying about my hair underneath or having to apply my satin bonnet beforehand.

The sizing on this one is medium-large, according the site. I have a big head and even bigger hair, so I need a nice sized hat.

(Side note: My daughter went for her one year check up and they said her head circumference is in the 95th percentile. That’s a big ole head! I said to the doctor “Yeah, that’s all me right there”)

The cost is $39.95, it’s an acrylic blend and comes in pink, grey, and taupe.

The next hat I tried was a pink cable knit with speckles (I friggin’ love cable knit!). I loved the hat…from afar. It did not fit well on my head. The website says the size is medium. It was a tight squeeze when my hair was in twists and it was uncomfortable once my hair was in a big twist out. I think the model wearing the hat in the picture has a TWA or fade, so it fits her nicely.

My best friend has a normal sized head (she sports locs) and it fit her pretty well too. It costs about 30 bucks and is available in other colors that include black and white.

Close up of lining and rim of hat

Hat turned inside out. Close up of lining.

Next was the hooded scarf.

I aint gonna lie.

This thing was gorgeous on me.

I loved it! Not only is it very unique but is toasty warm. I wore it on a trip to an outside shopping mall. When I’d go in the shops, I’d take the hood off and still have on a fashionable looking scarf. Very well suited for my bigger hair styles and also my bun.

Here are my only negatives. First,  I noticed that it did “ride up” a few times, making the point of the hood stick up in the air. A quick readjust and it was all good. I’m sure I could’ve tucked it some kind of way that would’ve permanently helped the situation but my laziness coupled with trying to keep my 1 year old from ripping her hat off stopped me from putting in any serious effort ;)

Close up of hooded scarf-satin lining

Entire hooded scarf

The other issue was that the satin will not protect all of your hair if comes to/past your shoulders. As you can see from the pictures above, there’s only a certain amount of satin so you have to still watch your ends if your hair is a certain length.

It’s made of a nice and  sturdy , but soft, wool/acrylic blend. The cost is about 50 bucks and it comes in other colors. There are also some other styles of knit if you don’t like the one featured.

Anyhoo, thanks to HatSoMe for letting me try these out. I will no doubt be making a purchase soon, once I can figure out which one I want.

HatSoMe was also kind enough to provide Newly Natural readers with a holiday discount! Use the code HsNN10 and receive 10 percent off your entire purchase (this is really awesome because I think they have a sale going on too!) The code expires December 31, 2011. 

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Houston area women accuse TSA of hair discrimination

September 30, 2011

So I’ve been torn about the whole TSA searching hair thing. On one hand, you  need to ensure the safety of your passengers. There are many ploys and disguises that have been used to hide dangerous weapons. I understand that, I really do. Therefore, I can almost understand why the TSA agents would search a [...]

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Celestial Crown Shower Cap Review

Thumbnail image for Celestial Crown Shower Cap Review September 6, 2011

Yes, these were as awesome as I thought they’d be. I mentioned in my interview post with the owner of Celestial Comforter that she was kind enough to send me a few Celestial Crown shower caps to try out. I was sent three: A solid color mini size and a large and extra large in [...]

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Hair You Might Know: DeWanda Wise!

Thumbnail image for Hair You Might Know: DeWanda Wise! September 1, 2011

I am so honored to have interviewed the lovely, talented, and witty DeWanda Wise. The up and coming star has recently appeared on The Good Wife and Law & Order SVU. She also has a number of film credits and theatre productions.   Want more DeWanda? Check out her website.   You can also see her [...]

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Curls on the Go Phone App

Thumbnail image for Curls on the Go Phone App August 5, 2011

I thought some of you might be interested in this new phone app. Check it out! Austin, TX – July 7, 2011 –Want to win the battle against frizz? Need a new product to make your curly hair look perfect? Need a curl specialist to cut and style your hair? Curls on the Go™ a [...]

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Online Survey of Top Ingredients for Natural Hair

July 3, 2011

I received this press release a few days ago and thought I would share it here. Naturalists Tell Design Essentials Their Top Ingredients for Natural Hair Online survey reveals secrets and attitudes behind natural hair trend ATLANTA, GA June 28, 2011 –Naturalistas recently told Design Essentials Salon System that ingredients are the key to natural hair [...]

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Afro Sheen…and the Dirty Bird??

June 29, 2011

You think you have it bad as a natural today with your single strand knots and unsupportive relaxed friends and family? Well, this commercial shows the true struggles of naturals a few decades ago. First, please view this video.   Apparently in the 70s, not only did one have to contend with the effects of [...]

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NC.com Frizz Free Search!

June 11, 2011

Want a chance to win all of these? Or to become a curly celebrity? Check out Naturallycurly.com ‘s contest to find the new frizz free face Naturally Curly. Good luck to those who enter!

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Natural hair issue of Sister2Sister

June 3, 2011

Thanks to sistah1 for letting me know about this! Apparently, Sister2Sister magazine is going to have some natural hair care tips in the  July 2011 issue. Though I’m a little leery of the hair care advice I might find in this issue, I’m going to pick it up since it focuses on something I hold [...]

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YouTube Natural HEART Awards

May 9, 2011

So there is something pretty exciting happening on YouTube in the natural hair community. Here’s a video with more information, but I’ll sum it up. -These awards are based awarded based on 5 categories: Hair (best twist out, wash n go, etc), Education, Achievement (they’ve met hair goals), Reviews, and Tutorials. -The nominees can only [...]

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