Natural Style

  I am really enjoying the search for natural beauties. I am beginning to see the diversity of the styles in each of these lovely women. I was strolling my college campus and found this natural queen.
              She is a lovely woman in the early phases of her natural journey.                                        
                       Freedom




 She styles her hair with a natural hot oil treatment.

She is rocking her natural little afro. The thing that really makes her stand out is her lovely hair color. It's a bright color, a blend of blonde and red. The color is beautiful against her skin tone.

 She loves bright colors and she snagged her top at Macy's. She was wearing a cute pair of skinny jeans with ballet flats.

 Here is a close up of her shirt. I just loved the design.

Natural is beautiful and I wanted to take a moment to celebrate it. 

 

How to do a braid out....

My go to hairstyle is the braid out. I wear my hair in a braid out style most days. Here is a step by step guide to how I rock my braid out.

Step #1: Get all of your supplies together. I like to use hair cream (I make my own), Ecostyler Gel, a pick, a brush and a comb. I like to get out all of my supplies so that I know if I am able and ready to style my hair.

 

                  

 

Step#2: Comb your hair out. I personally like to style my hair when its mostly dry. I also like to comb my hair out. I have found that this method allows for my hair to straighten it out a little. This is kind of like my version of blow-dried hair without the damaging that comes from using excessive heat on your hair. I did not include a picture of a pick, but you can get a wide-toothed comb or pick depending on your preference. Be sure to comb your hair from bottom to top to keep from ripping out your hair. The comb out, should almost look like a deflated afro.       

 

Step #3: Section out your hair prior to braiding it. I like to section out my hair in a super simple fashion. There are some people that part it into four different sections, but I am not really into doing it that way. I actually put my hair into a loose bun on the top of my head and have a little hair in the back of my head almost like a fuzzy tail.

Step#4: Comb a small strand of hair with a parting comb. Put cream and gel onto the strand that you planning on braiding and then braid your hair.

Continue this process until you have braided all of your hair.

Step #5: (not pictured) Wrap your hair in a stocking cap, wave cap or silk scarf.

 

Step #6: Now you can unbraid your hair and rock your stylish braid out look.

 

 

          

 

I find this style simple and easy because I love to exercise and  I am still in my marathon training. I can braid it at night and leave it braided when I go to the gym and let it air dry. It's a fun and easy look. I think that it gives me a kind of wavy hair, beachy look. Since I love going to the beach, it's right up my alley. Plus this is a perfect style for when your afro is growing out and your not sure how to style your hair.

Natural Style...

Joy

The newest feature is Natural style and I am going anywhere and everywhere to find naturalistas looking cute. My first natural woman is Joy. She is in her 20's, family is from Ghana and loves to rock her curly afro.

 

 She rocked a side braid and allowed the back of her hair to flow free. The top was purchased at a store called, "Freestyle", it's a local consignment shop. This naturalista is not only concerned about wearing her hair naturally, but is also concerned about the earth as well. If we all were to buy clothes at consignment shops or thrift stores, then we could help the environment.

The flower earrings were actually made by Joy. She is full of creativity and I hope that she puts the earrings on sale. I would love to thank her for allowing me to snap some photos of her.
The next Natural Style will appear on September 17.

Managing your little naturalista...

As a mother of a little curly girl and a curly girl myself, I have decided to drop some of my personal tips to my fellow natural divas. One of the main problems that many mothers of natural girls face is, "how do I tame the mane?" You can tame the main in five simple steps. This is not some guaranteed, fool proof system but it has worked for me over the past 9 years so try it and I think it can work for you.

1. Moisture!!! If the girl has curls and you try to comb her overly dry hair, then you will have lots of tears and a huge headache (the headache comes from trying to deafen the cries of pain and agony). You have first style it with damp hair following washing it. I comb her hair after I wash it and once it's braided, it's going to be a lot easier to comb.

2. Braid it at night (or twist it). If you have a little active curly girl (as most little girls are) then her hair can get frizzy and tangled overnight. When she wakes up in the morning, her unbraided hair will turn into a bird's nest. You have to make sure that you section off the hair at night and braid it, especially if she has rocked the afro during the day. If she had her hair braided during the day, then just leave it overnight.

3. Comb it. It's so quick and easy to want to comb the little one's hair once a week and I do it too, but if the hair goes too long without being comb it can develop knots and make combing it more difficult. Be sure to keep up with the maintenance of your child's hair. It may seem like it takes more time, but in the long run you will actually be saving time.

4. Have fun with it. I have never had my daughter's hair professionally braided, but I have personally put her hair in beads, braided it, put it in pig tails and many more. Watch youtube and check out new styles.

5. Teach her to love and embrace her curls. The television and media had bombarded our girls with images that tell them that they are not enough. The images they see, tell them that they need to look a certain way to be accepted. We need to teach our daughters to love themselves for who God created them to be.