Natural Hair Rant

Ok, so here is where I am on this natural hair situation. I was watching a vlogger on YT and as I was watching I just happen to scroll some of the comments. She (the vlogger) had responded to a comment about how she no longer refers to herself as “natural” because there are all these so-called rules you must follow in order to be considered a natural. So some hating ass female decided to take it personal go in on how the vlogger was mad cause people were commenting on her heat damaged hair. Mind you these vlogger has some beautiful hair.

What pisses me off is the fact that this natural hair community is full of haters. Not saying all naturals, but a great deal of them. Going natural is a personal decision. How can you make up rules for the next female’s hair. Just cause she can use product a, b and c and still have healthy hair and you can only use product “a” doesn’t mean hate.

I know FOR A FACT that you do NOT have to follow these natural hair rules in order to have healthy hair. Not only do I know from my personal experience, I have the photos to prove it. My hair has never had a growing problem. I’ve always had strong hair. Do I consider myself natural, according to the natural hair bylaws, no. I am relaxer free. Besides, I don’t associate myself with haters and people who want to do nothing but make people feel bad, and a lot of females within the natural hair community do just that.

Yes ma’am I use color (not henna), I flat iron my hair more then twice a year, I use sulfate shamps, I use cones. And what…? Because all your products are organic and mine aren’t your somehow better then me? When in for real life my hair is probably healthier then yours.

The purpose of this rant was to get off my chest the fact that life, for real life, is simply to damn short to be worried about the next chicks hair. Yes you can grow healthy hair with a relaxer, Ive done it. Yes you can have healthy hair without using 100% organic products, I have it. Get out somebody else’s life and get your own.

…and end rant.

B.

In Memory...

I recently just lost my Aunt, she was the last of my family to pass on. What you are about to watch are a couple of videos I put together in memory of the ones that made my childhood and my adulthood such an awesome experience.

This is dedicated to:

George

Ellen Bernice

Thelma Marie

Elsie Marie

Mary Ellen

Duke the Dog

And the rest of my family who looks over me now.

They maybe some tear jerkers. I hope you enjoy. 

Always,

B

Love Your Body

Whether you related more to the Victoria's Secret "Love My Body" campaign or the Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, love yourself.

Hair: Coconut Cream "Relaxer" (Deep Conditioner)

As I was on Youtube I came across this "natural hair relaxer". After numerous vids, I decided to give it a try. Some say it's just a DC, others say it softens or loosens their curl pattern. Either way was cool with me.

Here is what I used:

 Coconut oil, plain nonfat yogurt and regular coconut milk

8oz of yogurt (16 TBSP)

1 1/2 TBSP coconut milk

2 TBSP coconut oil

This is what it looks like

I sectioned my hair off into four sections and applied it just like a relaxer. It was lumpy and Im not sure if it was the coconut milk or the fact that my coconut oil had almost solidify.

This is what it looked like in my hair. You can see the lumps in my hair. I didnt notice any elongating at this point.

Rinsing was easy, even with the lumps, the "relaxer" came out with hair water. Once it was out I noticed my hair felt almost stripped. It wasnt hard or crunchy or anything like that. Im sure it was the coconut milk. My hair felt like this once before.

I did condition with my Tresemme Naturals and my hair felt normal again. Still didnt notice any elongating of my curls, however it does look like it maybe softened my roots, now it doesn't look like I have two different hair textures. It feels stronger.

Will I do it again?

Yes I will. I might try it with a lighter coconut milk and see maybe it that changes the way my hair feels afterwards, or maybe trying it on dirty hair.

Hair: BMarie's Favorite Inexpensive Haircare Products

If going natural has taught me anything it is that my hair is not as snobby as I thought it was. My naturally kinky curly hair does not need high end products to look and feel amazing, which is great cause we aint baller status over here. I used to use nothing but salon quality products which was fine when I was relaxed, but these same products didnt transition as well as my hair did.

H&M: The Hiring Process

Ok, I have been waiting to do this until I knew if I got the job or not. So obviously if I'm posting this it means I got the job. YAY!!!!! I am so excited.

During this whole process, I would look online to see if there was any information about the whole hiring process and while there was some, it wasnt detailed enough for me. So in an effort to help the next person who is inquiring about the process, I am explaining it in this post.

There were a total of three (maybe four) interviews. Confused? Let me explain:

The initial contact I had was over the phone. This is pretty much a phone screening that will either qualify you for the next step or not. The questions were basic, kind of vague. He wanted to know a little bit about my work history, nothing in detail at this point. After I answered his questions he set me up with the first face to face interview.

The first interview (or second) took place at a local bagel shop because our store has yet to open. I interviewed with a store manager and a recruiter. These questions were a bit more detailed. He (manager) went over my resume, he wanted to know why I wanted to work at H&M. I was asked to give examples of a time when I had to make a difficult decision. I had to give an example of when I gave great customer service. It was also at this interview where availability was talked about, wages were talked about. I read online that H&M likes open availability, which maybe be true, however I am not available all day Sunday and they were fine with that. I also had to feel out a background check form. I will assume (and I could be wrong) that this is a sign of the next step. I was then set up for yet another interview.

The second (or third) interview was with just a store manager (different from above). This interview was pretty much the same questions. She went a little more into detail about H&M. She informed me of the dress code, which is very relaxed, she interviewed me in jeans. She expressed how strongly H&M feels about personal style. After answering like I said, pretty much the same questions, going over availability and wage, she informed me that there would either be a email telling me that they've decided to go another way or I would get a call for the third interview/job offer. That would take like 2 weeks.

So after waiting two weeks, hoping and praying I don't get an email, I got the call on Monday that they wanted me to come in for the third interview/job offer.

The third (or fourth) interview wasnt really or at all a interview. We went over paper work and there was a lot. I signed my job offer paper. I got my Growth Guide which has everything you need to know about H&M in it. We went over training and since our store here will not be open until my birthday, my store training will be down in St. Louis.

Granted every store's process may vary, everybody's experience will be different. Thats why I didnt go over questions in depth. I can not tell you how excited I am to be a part of H&M. I might do a "day in the life of.." type series. I dont know just yet. I will however try to post sales, new items and such.

Again, this is just my experience and my views. 
  
*THIS POST IS THE PERSONAL OPINION OF B.MARIE AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWPOINTS OF H&M*
 
Official Start Date: 10/16/2012
New Store Opening: 11/15/2012

Next: H&M: Training

Hair: Motions Naturally You Hydrate My Curls Pudding

Ok, so you guys remember when I originally posted about the new product line from Motions for natural hair (click HERE).  That was back in March and I am just now trying a product from the line. The product that I am using is the Naturally You Hydrate My Curls Pudding. 

Before I get into my thoughts about the product, let me tell you a little about it and it's claims. Per the label on the product.

Significantly increases moisturization, curl definition, shine and strength of your natural hair.*

Hydrate My Curls Pudding This salon-tested light and fluffy styling pudding with shea butter, coconut and avocado oils, hydrates, elongates and lightly defines curls, while reducing frizz, leaving it feeling soft and looking vibrantly shiny and healthy.

Videos: Top 5 Natural Hair Youtube Vloggers

I love Youtube it was the first place I looked when I went natural two years ago. These vloggers have gotten me through a very tough time. I have so many subscriptions to different vloggers it is crazy and in no way am I saying this is a list of who I enjoy more then the next.

So, without further ado...

Taren916

photo credit: Taren916's Facebook

Naptural85

photo credit: Naptural85 Facebook

prettydimples01

photo credit: naturalshren

LexiWithTheCurls

photo credit: coilsandkinks

KIMMAYTUBE

photo credit: black girl with long hair

Like I said, this is in no way in order of my liking of these vloggers. To me they are all great in their own way.  Be sure to click the links and check out these vloggers videos.

Welcome Tayvian Austin

Today my godson decided to hurry up and make his grand entrance today! Weighing in at 6 lbs 14 oz 21 inches long is my beautiful godson, Tayvian Austin aka diddley doo. ***Kind of pic heavy***

Isnt he beautiful!!!! He has captured our hearts already and he is only a few hours old. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYVIAN!!!

Hair: Protective Style, Box Braids

Remember this? This is a look from my favorite movie Poetic Justice. I rocked the long box braids in the 8th grade, they were purple and black (yes I was all about colors then) and I loved them. Well it looks like the long box braids are back, Solange has made them popular again.

You may have seen the YT vids about the "Solange inspired" box braids. Ladies have been revisiting this look since Bey's "Party" video where Solange can be seen rocking her box braids out.

Whether you call them Poetic Justice, Patra or Solange inspired, they make a great protective style and I have been wanting to put some in my hair for a while. I have been going back and fourth and I've gotten mixed feelings in regards, but Im not a trend follower I just need to give my hair a break and this is such an easy way to do it. My deciding factor was a beautiful Tumblr page called I LOVE Box Braids. It is a tumblr page featuring some of the best photos of this style, be sure to check it out.

I will keep you posted on my box braids installment and such on my actual natural hair blog Love 4 Natural. So be looking out.

Hair: Pony Puff w/ Bangs

This is how I wore my hair today. A pony puff with bangs. I guess I shouldnt call this a "how to" because I am more then sure that you all know how to create a pony puff.

The thing with pony puffs is you want them to look full and big, well at least I do, and if your hair is fine like mine, it maybe a problem. But I have a solution.

Here is the quick and easy way to give the illusion of a big n full pony puff with fine hair.

I started with a day old dry twist out. I applied a mixture of Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothing & Curl & Style Milk to the bangs and did five twists and rodded the ends. I did this kind of early in the morning.

Next, I applied a little water around my edges, just so the gel would smooth better and not flake. I used Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel and went over my edges.

After that, I used bobby pins, not hair pins, to hold up the back and the sides ONLY. Do all your smoothing of your edges now.

I than used a regular stretchy head band w/o the metal and put it over the hair pins. This will also hold in place the front part of the puff.

Lastly, take the twist out the front. Play with your bangs until you get them to your liking. I pinned mine down and over.

 As thin/fine as my hair is, doing it this way gives me the full looking puff that I wanted. I wore it all day, I got a ton of compliments and the head band never slipped up. Here is a angled view of my puff. 

Here is a sideview.

Hope you like it! I think I have a new "go to" hairstyle.

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

Today is my mommy's birthday!!!! Happy Birthday mom. I know she is in Heaven looking down on me. I love her and  I miss her everyday. Even though she is gone, I know that she is NEVER far away. She was my strength while she was here, and now she is my guardian angel in Heaven.  I was so lucky to have been placed in her life, and I am so grateful that the Lord saw fit to answer her prayer and allowed her to see me grown. She was my world, and when she passed, my world was gone. But I know that as long as I keep my faith, that one day my world and I will be together again.

         I love you mommy, and I hope you enjoy your day up in Heaven.

Hair: New Products!!!

So last night I went into Walgreens looking to see if they had the new Motions for natural hair. But I cam across something that caught my eye.

This is Nubian Heritiage. I have never heard of it before and there isnt to much online aka YT about it, so I am assuming it is a fairly new product. It is packaged like the Shea Moisture brand, so I thought it was a part of that collection.

They have three different collections to choice from depending on what your hair needs, the collections are: EVOO & Moringa for repair and extend; Indian Hemp & Tamanu for grow & strengthen and Honey & Black Seed for heat protection. I smell tested them all and the Honey & Black Seed was the worst. As far as what my hair needs, I will probably end up buying it since I wear my hair straight alot. I ended up buying the Indian Hemp & Tamanu Treatment Masque, because I do apply heat to my hair and because I do color my hair as well.

I havent tried this product yet, I will either be doing that tonight or tomorrow, I will come back with a review afterwards. I am very excited about it, I am even more excited about Walgreens carrying so many products for natural hair! Actually them and Target. I also picked up a new product from the Cantu Shea Butter line, which I dont have a pic of. It is the Cantu Shea Butter Natural Hair Coconut Curling Cream. You may have seen it on YT, although there is not any info on this product at all except for the two or three vids on YT. Any who, I am excited about trying that with my twists out, although I am not to sure as to why they call it coconut, given that coconut is about the fifth or sixth ingredient. Actually the second ingredient is canola oil. I mean It does have a coconut scent so we shall see.
Ok, so that was what I purchased, other then some oils, I have decided to start mixing some oils for my hair, so once I figure out a receipe I will get back at you. Look for the reviews on these new products as well as others. Until then, HOLLA!!!!!

Hair: Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave In Conditioner

This product review is on Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner.

This is my very first time using Carol's Daughter. I have heard great things about it and once I seen that ULTA was going to start carrying it I jumped on it. I actually purchased this and another product from the line.

This product has a lot of natural ingredients, including hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed wheat starch and hydrolyzed corn starch. It plays the duo role of a leave in and a detangler. It contains aloe vera which as you all know is wonderful on the hair.

I found the best way to use this product is while the hair is wet, although it works well on dry hair as well. Even though my hair is fine, it is a pain to detangle, but this product is a hair god sent. I spray this on and use my wide tooth comb and its like butter. I have also used it to detangle 2-3 day old twist outs and it worked as promise. It is by far the best leave in/detangler I have used. It is definitely a staple product and I will not detangle wet or dry without it. It leaves a wonderful scent in your hair and leaves it feeling very moisturized. I highly recommend this product to anyone with natural or hard to detangle hair. Once you use it you wont look back. I am excited about adding other Carol's Daughter products to my collection of hair products.

Check out the Carol's Daughter the website to learn more about this product and more. Also be sure to visit your local ULTA salon to see which Carol's Daughter products they have waiting on you!

Carol's Daughter

Hair: Kimmaytube's Leave In Conditioner

So I have been trying different things in my hair and after searching on YT I came across Kimmaytube's leave in recipe. So I decided to give it a try. Here is the recipe using the products I bought:

2 tablespoons of a silicone free leave in (KC Knot Today)

2 tablespoons of aloe vera juice (Aubrey Organic 98% Aloe Vera Juice)

2 teaspoons of castor oil (Home Health)

2 teaspoons of jojoba oil (Desert Essence 100% Jojoba Oil)

Now, of course you can use any brand of products. The point from what I gather is to maintan pH balance in the hair. I occasionally use this mix, not too often. I probably should to see if it is actually doing something, I do notice that my hair feels moisturized, but thats not surprising since there are two oils in the recipe. 

So you can try it if you havent and let me know what you think. There are a million vids on YT of people using this recipe. You can check out Kimmaytube on the YT by viewing her channel, she offers some very helpful tips on how to grow your hair.

Books: Gangsta Twist 1 & 2

The reviews are in!!! I have not only just finished up reading Clifford Johnson's Gangsta Twist 1 BUT I just finished reading his Gangsta Twist 2. So, lets get started with GT1.

If you recall I started this book on the 7th of this month and I finished it the day before yesterday which was the 9th. Not because it was short, but because I couldnt put it down. This book is the perfect example of how you should never stop at the cover or the back of the book.

Taz and his crew Keno, Bob, Wild Bill, Bo-Pete and Red go on missions to shake down drug dealers for their "work" and their money. The missions are set up by Won, an O.G who enjoys getting over on his competitors. He knows that the only way for him to stay on top is to get rid of the ones in his way.

 Taz hooks up with Sacha Carbajal, a successful attorney who puts everything she is into her man and their relationship. Every event in this book comes back full circle. Taz finds himself caught between trying to keep his promise to his crew by not telling the love of his life how he really gets down and not fully lying to her. He also finds himself caught between being a father and living by the streets.

This book is a true page turner. You will definitely find yourself gasping out loud as the story goes on. You will fall in love with the love between Sacha and Taz. The only thing I didnt like about this book is to me, it wasnt written well. Meaning, there was somethings that were worded funny to me. Somethings were too detailed while others where detailed wrong. But easily overlooked because the story as a whole is off the chain.

Once I found out that there was a Gangsta Twist 2, I was all over it. I couldnt wait to have it delivered so I ordered it to my Kindle. Gangsta Twist 1 left a lot of unanswered questions that were finally being answered in the sequel. Although GT2 has its own set of questions that need to be answered.

This is where it really gets deep. This is where Taz's closest relationships are tested. He is in a battle for his daughter's heart with the man who he believes to be responsible for the death of one of his closet friends. The streets are hot and they are about to get even hotter as the body count continues to grow. Taz doesnt know how much more he can take as he is watching his crew fall apart.

As the story continues, you have to pay attention, because by the end there will be somethings that are totally unexpected. Something I sure as hell didnt see coming at all.

This book I had read in a day! It was that good. The only thing that pissed me off is that, even though GT1 question were answered, GT2 leaves you asking questions as well. Which means there needs to be a Gansta Twist 3. I would love to see how Sacha and Taz are doing along with the rest of the characters in the book. Also, I do believe he changed Sacha's last name in this one. In GT1 it was Carbajal and then in GT2 it was Epps that was weird. Cliff did not disappoint at all with GT2. It definitely will draw you in and keep you there.

Overall, I will HIGHLY recommend both books for a great read. Gangsta Twist 1 can be found at Walmart or Walmart.com, I paid $11.96 in the store, as well as Amazon.com. Gangsta Twist 2 can be found as well at Walmart.com or Amazon.com.

Hair: Curls Unleashed

This is a first impressions product review on the product Curls Unleashed from Organic Root Stimulator. This is my first time trying anything from this line (Organic Root) so I was super excited about it. The product must be fairly new, I seen it advertise in the Sally flyer I get in the mail and had to jump on it.  They hadnt even put the product out on the shelf yet.

After seeing the product, I jumped on YT to see if someone had used and reviewed the product and there were only a couple of reviews on this product. So I had to jump on it and see what this product was all about. I didnt buy all the products in the line, I only got three.  So let me tell you about the products I got.

The first is the Sulfate Free Shampoo.
Lavish in the ultimate shampoo experience as your hair is gently cleansed, moisturized and detangles with lemon balm, rosemary and hops.
• Non-stripping
• Moisturizing
• Great Lather
This product does not strip the hair of its natural oils and is gentle enough to use daily. Packaging is BPA free and recyclable. 

MOISTURIZING CONDITIONER
Curls Unleashed™ No Restrictions™ Moisturizing Conditioner is great to use for added moisture. This product is also great for transitioning, “co-washing,” detangling and conditioning.
• Moisturizes
• Detangles
• Can be used as a daily conditioner
• Prepares curls for styling
This product provides the conditioning your hair needs and deserves to maintain healthy looking hair. Packaging is BPA free and recyclable.

 CURL DEFINING CREME
Curls Unleashed™ Take Command™ Curl Crème helps shine, define and moisturize your curls without shrinkage. This product is great for twists, twist outs, coiling, freestyles and updos.
• Moisturizes
• Defines Curls
• Anti-Shrinkage
• No Flaking
This product does not flake and stretches your curls. The Take Command Curl Crème also does not contain petrolatum, mineral oil, SD alcohol, or parabens. Packaging is BPA free and recyclable.








MY REVIEW: Let's start with the shampoo. For this to be a sulfate free it lathers very well. It had a pleasant smell and my hair felt very clean. The moisturizing conditioner, I didnt mind that it was in a jar as oppose to being in a bottle, the only thing is, it is very goopy. I think the shower floor got more on it then I did in my hair. It's not thick, but it is not watery either. Other than that, it gave me a nice slip and made detangling very easy. It was very easy to get my fingers through my hair as I was rinsing the product out. The curl defining creme was by far my favorite. I wasnt so sure about it upon first glance, because it didnt feel like a creme it felt more like a jelly. I applied it and added twist to my hair for a twistout. When I took the twist out, OMG, the curls are crazy! They are well defined and I didnt have much shrinkage at all. My hair feels incredibly soft and you can feel the moisture in my hair. I was afraid that it would leave a residue because it has a different sort of texture to it and my hair was drying, but to my surprise when I took down my twist there was no residue at all.

Overall, I am happy with the products I have from this line. I really cant keep my hands out of my hair. I really like the way it feels. There are a couple of other products from the line that I want to try, so I will be getting back to you about that.  You can find the products at sallybeauty.com. The products, price wise, range between $10.99-$14.99 without you beauty club card. also check out their site which looks to be fairly new, but you can see all the products from the line and what they do for your hair, the site is curlsunleashed.com. Oh, dont forget to "like" their facebook page as well.

Hair: New Product Alert: Motions Naturally You

Looks as though every black hair care line is jumping on the natural train. Motions now has a natural hair line. I dont know how excited I am about trying this, only because I have not been impressed with Motions in the past. I havent seen the products in the store just yet, but believe you me I will be looking. The line comes with a moisturizing cleanser, a smoothing conditioner, a radiating gloss, a curl defining creme, a hydrating curl pudding and a deep conditioning mask. Now, it doesnt say on the Motions website whether or not the products are all natural or if the shampoo is sulfate free. It just says it is for all natural hair types. As excited as I am about all these new natural hair care lines, it makes me wonder "what took so long?" However, click on the photo to go and check out each individual product for yourself. If you have tried any products from this line, please let me know, post a comment. And I will be looking for this line and if/when I purchase it I will def do a product review. Holla!

Hair: Aphogee Two Step Protein Treatment

The other day I got up the nerve to buy and use the Aphogee Two Step Protein Treatment. I had heard mixed reviews about it and figured since my hair has never has a protein treatment, it was time I had one.

My hair is not badly damaged. I use heat...a lot, and have suffered from some heat damage because of it. Doing some research, I discovered that heat breaks down the proteins in your hair, so I figured if I am going to be breaking down the proteins, then I need to replace them and so I bought this and the Aphogee Keratin and Tea Tree Spray.

The first thing that got me was the fact that the small bottle cost me like almost $7. Ok pass that, I pour the contents into a spray bottle because it is liquid. Your hair must be wet and freshly washed. I sectioned my hair into sections and began to apply the treatment.

I had always heard regardless of the review, that the smell is horrible. Well I didnt notice it in the bottle, but my goodness. As I was spraying it the smell was horrendous. It was like nothing I have smelled in my life. It began to harden almost immediately. The spray is messy and it gets everywhere.

Ok, the word in the streets is that you could notice results after the first use. Well, needless to I didnt notice any "first time" results. The only thing I notice is that my hair wasnt as frizzy after I washed it as it usually is. BUT, that alone is NOT enough for me to pay $7 per use and dealing with the nasty that is this product. This is the third Aphogee product that I have been disappointed in. I am down to the the spray, if I dont see anything with this, I am just gonna chuck it up to this line is not for me.

So in the end, I will not be purchasing this product again. Big up's to the peeps who hair it works in. I think I am just going to do a lighter protein treatment.

Hair: Curl Care by Dr. Miracle's

I got an email about 2 or 3 weeks ago to try the new natural hair products from Dr. Miracle's. Despite my past issues with this brand, I was excited to try this line. I got it the night before last, so this is really an "first impressions" review.

Before I get to the review, let me tell you a little about the brand. The line is free of sodium, sulfates, parabens and phthalates. The line contains natural ingredients and oils. It has jojoba, coconut and safflower oils, aloe and panthenol. They use the word "guarantee" a couple of times in the press release so their promising great results. It is "guaranteed" to hold curls for up to 12 hours.

The line consists of six products a shampoo, wash out conditioner, a leave in, two cremes and a frizz control. I got all six products. I have put together a vid of my hair at different points using the products. It shows my before all the way until today! So lets review.

Video: Shit Natural Hair Girls Say

Ok, the series "Shit Girls Say"  on YT is so funny. I love how it makes fun of real life situations. Being natural is, to me, not as serious as maybe I should allow it to be. And as I was watching some of the videos from this series, I came across "Shit Natural Hair Girls Say" and I bout fell to the floor, because a lot of this is not only true, but has came out of my mouth at one point in time. It really shouldnt be a battle of relaxed vs natural, but I guess there is, so to lighten up the mood here is a very funny vid.

I will probably upload vids from this serious on a regular, because they are so fn funny.