Natural Beauty spotlight - Kara from LA!

Kara is my natural beauty inspiration of the week. I love her retro style, vibrant colors and gorgeous hair. Kara keep being you.... cause it works!

My "Hair Bible"

When I started my loc journey, I was on the hunt for any and all the information I could find on hair maintenance, loc styles, the loc'd and deadlock community and more! I was happy that I was able to find wealth of information on the Internet. But shocked and saddened that mainstream publications pretty much ignored or didn't acknowledge women or men with dreadlocks / loc’s.



Once in a while, I would see an article in Essence Magazine featuring a loc style. Or there might be a featured article in an African American hair magazine. But that’s it. In a world where straight hair is the ultimate goal - all I saw when I opened magazines where tips, tricks, products and every idea imaginable on how to get, keep and maintain long straight hair. For quite a while I felt as if society did not value the beauty of loc'd hair. So I decided that I had to move passed that desire, for everyone to see the beauty in natural hair, which I saw. For some, that day may never come. But one of the challenges of having loc'd hair is being able to love your crown of hair, no matter what any one else has to say. From that point on - I decided to make my own "hair bible" as I like to call them. Over the years I have collected photo, articles, how-to guides, recipes, maintenance idea's, inspirational stories and lots of information on dreadlock / loc accessories and styles.



I treated these binders as my own source of information, guidance and inspiration. If I ever felt lost about my choice to be natural or if I feel like I am own my own... all I have to do is open up one of my binders and look at all of the information I have put together. It took time, love and patience. I hope that in the future, we can pick up a mainstream publication like Elle, Vogue or W Magazine, and see someone that looks like us throughout the magazine. Until then, I will continue to add to my own collection of amazing pictures, articles and stores sharing knowledge, and more.

Tight & Curly by Teri

I found this great site called Tightly Curly Hair by a woman named Teri. Why would I be looking at a website for woman with curly hair?... you ask. Well it's simple, I have two daughters that are mulit-cultural, and they have big curly hair. We have tons of products at home, but still have not found that perfect combination of shampoo and conditioner for them.

So often, instead of them having these big beautiful curls, they walk around with curly puff balls for hair (here is a picture if my little ones with their hair down).

It's cute, but I know it can be better. I am still learning. So for me, websites like Teri's are godsends. I look forward to learning more about what products to look for what will work best for my girls. Something that will keep the curls formed and keep their hair moisturized.

I am so looking forward to checking out a website called Mixed Chicks: http://www.mixedchicks.net , a website by Wendi Levy and Kim Etheredge.

Feel free to offer suggestions or share you experience with curly hair.

Five stages of Dreads / Loc's

Five stages of loc'ing your hair from the book "Nice Dreads" by author Lonnice Brittenum Bonner.

Here are the 5 stages of a loc's/dreads:

1. Coils — Coils resemble tightly coiled springs that look like baby spirals and can be as small as a watch spring or fluid and loose as fusilli. Hair can be as short or as long as one likes. The key factor here is that your hair is able to form and hold a coil, but the hair within the coil has not yet begun to intertwine or mesh.

2. Sprouts and Buds — Known as Sprouting or Budding in that miraculous moment when the magic has begun. First, you shampoo your hair and notice that all of a sudden, the coils don't all wash out like they used to. You may notice that some of your coils have little knots of hair in them, about the size of a small pea. This knot is more or less the nucleus of each lock; the hairs in your coils have begun to intertwine and interlace. Individual coils may seem puffy and lose their tightly coiled shape; this is part of the process and shouldn't be disturbed. What is important here is to keep the original scalp partings, to allow the spinning process to become established for each individual lock. Don't redivide your budding locks, twist them to death, or get to patting them down, trying to make your hair look "nice," because you'll just end up with a badly packed, busted-out do.

3. Teen or Locking Stage — This is when the buds and sprouts truly begin to look like locks and few, if any, locks shampoo out or come out during sleep. The peas you saw and felt in the budding stage have expanded, and the hair has spun into a network of intertwining strands that extend throughout the length of individual locks. The locks may be soft and pliable or feel loosely meshed, according to your hair's texture. This is the growing stage of lock development, and it extends into the lock's mature stage. Shampooing doesn't loosen these locks. They have dropped, which means they have developed enough to hang down versus defying gravity. This is when you start to relax and feel more confident about locking.

4. Mature Stage — Each individual lock is firmly meshed or tightly interwoven. Some loosely coiled hair textures may retain a small curl or coil at the end of the locks, but most will probably be closed at the ends. You will begin to see consistent growth because each lock has intertwined and contracted into a cylindrical shape. Think of each individual lock as a hair strand in itself. The new growth is contained in the loose hair at the base or root of each individual lock, and regular grooming encourages it to spin into an intertwined coil that will be integrated with the lock.

5. Beyond Maturity — Think of this stage as akin to the shedding stage of hair growth. After many years, depending on the care you have lavished on your locks, some locks may begin to thin and break off at the ends. For the most part, this deterioration can be minimized and controlled by monitoring the ends of your locks for signs of age and getting regular trims.

Joshua Humphries

Joshua Humphries is one of my favorite artist. His use of pencil, shading and color are fabulous. He is a very talanted artist. Check him out at http://www.myspace.com/bigdreadnauts

Natural hair perks!

I really believe that woman are beautiful no matter what. If you want to rock an amazing weave and it makes you feel good - then do it. If you want to be natural because that's what makes you feel good - then more power to you! Women come in all sizes, shapes and forms. Loc's, braids, curls, straight hair and extension's... 

But, I really want to be a source of encouragement for those of us that have chosen a more natural route. So I want to list a few of the perks of being natural and or having Loc's / Dreads: 

• No more expensive, time consuming, bi-weekly hair appointments.
• No more painful chemical burns, flat iron burns or damaging chemicals on my hair.
• No more freaking out when it rains, when I sweat or every time the wind blows.
• No more obsessing about how straight my hair is and hating it when my edges are not perfectly straight.
• No more trying to fit into the ideal image of beauty.
• No more bad weaves... lol 
• And no more comparing my hair to the next person.

It's very free'ing to not have to do any of this stuff, or worry about any of these things any more. It was a daily battle that I no longer have. I feel more liberated than I have ever felt in a long time. 

How about you?!?  If you have natural hair, what are some of the perks that you have because of it?

Amazing photo...

One of my Facebook friends had this amazing photo and I wanted to share it. I think this is supermodel Liya Kebede. Just beautiful...

My Favorite Products

1. Dark & Lovely Peppermint Shampoo: I love the way that my hair smells after I shampoo it. With Dark and Lovely peppermint shampoo, it has a great scent and my hair feels refresh after a good wash.
2. IC Leave In Hair & Scalp Treatment: IC leave in conditioner is great because it's not a heavy product. I try to stay away from all heavy, creamy white products. It weighs you hair down and leaves a white build up appearance. When choosing a conditioner it should always be a clear liquid or something that will wash out without leaving behind a lot of product.
   
3. African Pride Oil: African pride oil is great because it really saturates your scalp and hair. It also smells good.
4. Lock & Twist Gel: I love this product because it feels very soft to the touch and not at all greasy. When it dries, there is not flaking (unless you use to much), and if used properly will not cause build up.
   
5. Silk Scarf: I always wear a silk scarf when I am cleaning, laying down or sleeping. It helps to keep out dirt and lint, and keeps my loc's neat and clean.
   

Recipes & Mixes

Recipes & Mixes from Organic Beauty Experts:

Cleanser and Spritzer

2 8 oz spray bottles
Witch Hazel 86% (buy from any drugstore)
Sandalwood or Neroli Hydrosol (Distillate)
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Rosemary Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Plastic pipette (dropper)

In one spray bottle, use equal amounts of witch hazel combined with a hyrdosol (50/50 mix). Close bottle tightly and shake to blend.

Section hair into equal parts. Wet a cotton washcloth with mixture (a small amount) and methodically clean scalp until whole head is done.

For the spritzer, combine above mixture and add two drops of Tea Tree, 4 drops of Rosemary and 12 drops off Ylang Ylang. Avoid getting into eyes.

______________________________________________

As your locs grow, keeping them moisturized and healthy is important to their continued growth. You can use this oil to touch up and add shine and keep them supple and soft.

Loc Oil

4oz bottle
2 oz shea oil
1 oz hemp seed oil
1/2 oz olive oil
1/2 oz carrot seed oil
Lemongrass (rosemary, sandalwood or cedarwood) essential oil

Combine all oils and add 8 drops of lemongrass oil. Pour into bottle and use daily to hydrate scalp and add moisture to locs. If you make an essential oil blend, use no more than 10 drops per 4 oz. of Loc Oil

From The Organic Beauty Expert

Check out this great article from http://theorganicbeautyexpert.typepad.com

Five Steps to Lovely Locs

No matter whether your locs are small or big, fine or nappy, they are beautiful. The last year has been so wonderful, watching the different textures of my hair transform and emerge. When I see a person with locs walking down the street, or at a cafe, or anywhere, I almost always go up to them and comment how beautiful their hair is. One white girl last year told me she was so shocked that I said it as her experience with black loc'd folks wasn't always so warm. I told her that anyone who had anything negative to say probably didn't know their dreadlock history. Most people assume it's exclusively black, but locs have been around for centuries. The Celts, the Arabs and the Chinese were wearing dreads back in the day. They weren't a fashion or lifestyle statement, it was simply a natural occurrence of the day. Hair, no matter the texture, will start to dread if not tended to. Marley locs are created that way and many people with super curly hair do the same: they wash it, but don't comb it and after a few months, it's matted.

But if you have locs that are still fairly new, like a year or so, you may still be in that "what do I do with them?" mode. So I've compiled five tips that I've learned over this year (I'm not a loctician) that may help you relax on your way to lovely, lovely locs.

1. Don't overtwist. This is a piece of advice that I can't seem to follow, but I know that I should. Once your hair has loc'd, you should twist the new growth only once a month. Preferably after washing, your hair has dried and you're using some type of oil or cream.

2. Wrap your hair at night. Now, don't think the do-rag is just a black thing! If you've got locs, you want to wrap it up at night. One, you lessen your chances of getting lint and debris stuck in your locs. Second, your give your hair a chance to relax and maintain uniformity. Lastly, you keep your hair off your face and cut down the risks of oily skin. I would recommend using a silk scarf versus a cotton scarf. You can buy at your local drug store or use that scarf you've been waiting to use for that perfect outfit.

3. Wash your hair and condition [twice] a month. Somewhere somebody gave out some bad advice that if you got locs, you can't wash your hair. That's nasty! And unfortunately, many people still think loc'd lovelies don't wash their hair. Maybe some of you don't, but you should. In general, I only wash my hair around four times a month. When I take a shower it may get wet, but normally, the shampoo and water mix is pretty seldom. Of course, if you work out and sweat, your shampoo regime may be different. But you must wash your hair. Use whatever shampoo works best for you. Products with sea salt water work great to tighten your new locs, like LUSH Big Shampoo. You could also check out Bumble and Bumble's line of shampoos, like Sunday or Seaweed or Dr. Bronner's Baby Shampoo works just fine as well.

Conditioning [twice] a month helps to keep your locs soft and healthy. I've only recently started doing, it but I've noticed that my hair feels softer to the touch, looks great and of course, they smell lovely. I use Curls Coconut Dream Conditioner but use what fits your budget and your needs.

4. Moisturize when you can. I initially thought that my locs needed daily care. They don't. Which is probably why I love them so! But every once in a while, it's a good idea to moisturize. You won't need a whole handful of product, just a few drops will do you. Here's a nice recipe that won't break the bank:

Olive Oil Locs

4 oz extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs of fresh, clean rosemary
10 drops of ylang ylang OR
4 drops of peppermint and 2 drops of tea tree oil

In a glass or plastic bottle, add four ounces of olive oil
Add the sprigs of rosemary and let sit for a month.
Remove the sprigs (optional) and add the essential oil blends.

5. Just relax and let your locs grow. If nothing else, growing my locs has taught me patience. Once your hair is loc'd there's really nothing you can do. You can't make it grow faster, you can't beat that awkward stage. You just have to relax and let it grow.

Article source: http://theorganicbeautyexpert.typepad.com/the_organic_beauty_expert/2007/03/five_steps_to_l.html

Rasta Beauty Queen

Miss Jamaica's a Rasta role model

(Article from From the Sidney Morning Herald, www.smh.com.au, written on May 21, 2007)

With dreadlocks down to below her buttocks, the first Rastafarian to compete for the Miss Universe title is out to smash the stereotype that Rastas are only interested in reggae and marijuana.

Zahra Redwood, 25 and the first Miss Jamaica to be crowned from the country's minority Rastafarian faith, is also shaking up a years-old view among many Rastas that beauty pageants should be shunned as degrading to women.

"Not all Rastafarians smoke" marijuana, Redwood, a classically beautiful Jamaican with a degree in biotechnology and zoology, told Reuters.

"People criticize what they don't know or understand and develop preconceptions, and so given that, I have gone against what they've developed as a stereotype," said Redwood, who is in Mexico for the Miss Universe final on May 28 in Mexico City.

Rastafarians -- who worship the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie as a God they call "Jah" -- stress peace, love, spiritual goals and natural living, Redwood said, denying a clash between Rasta culture and being a beauty queen.

"The Rastafarian culture and beauty pageants have a great deal in common because they both promote decorum in the attitude of the female and the female as a role model in society. You're looking at beauty of the mind, body and soul," she said.

"Got Locs...?"

I love this picture from Crystal. It's like a cool version of the 'Got Milk?' ad, but for Loc's. And her loc's look amazing. Thumbs up for the creativity.

Brushing Loc's..?!

I recently learned that brushing your locs/dreads can be a good thing. I always avoided using a brush because I was nervous about causing breakage or making my hair look messy. But if you doing it right before a wash, it actually helps with getting ride of any lint and dirt that may be hanging on. It also feels really good to brush your scalp. I would recommend using a brush with soft bristles.

Cute Short Cut!

I love this hair cut. If I ever decided to cut my loc's - this would be the it style that I would want to try. Very cute bob!

What's your Maintenace Routine?

I always like to learn new ways of taking care of my Loc's. If you have tips, use an amazing product, or want to share your maintenance routine - contact me, and I will display it on this blog. I look forward to learning something new!

Hair Maintenance

Every once in a while, someone will ask me about my hair care routine. So here it is in a nutshell:

I always wear a satin scarf when I am sleeping, lying down or cleaning. It keeps a lot of dirt and lint out of my locks. I keep my scalp and hair moisturized by using African Pride Oil. I wash my hair with Dark and Lovely Peppermint Shampoo, and use IC liquid conditioner. For twisting new growth, I use ‘Organic Loc and Twist gel’. I make sure to stay away from any products that are heavy or sticky to the touch. It helps to do some research to find out what products to avoid and what will work best for you. I keep my scalp moisturized by oiling it once or twice a week. I only wash it every two weeks to keep it from drying out. And I try not to twist my hair at the scalp to much because that can cause breakage. I use the palm roll method when I twist my new growth. I have gotten wiser with time and try not to obsess about my hair-line looking perfect. At first I would twist my loc’s (at my hair line) almost every day. And they were starting to get really thin, so I am trying to control the urge to make them look perfect every day. It causes too much damage.

When I do re-twist my loc’s in between washing my hair (to keep them looking neat), I try to always spray my scalp with an oil & water mix first. It helps to cut down on breakage if I style or twist my hair when it’s a little bit moist. I have read that it’s good to switch the brands of products you use every 6 months also to cut down on product buildup. I have not done that yet, but plan to in the near future. Overall, I am very happy with my routine. But I am always looking for new information on how to improve what I am doing. If you have tips or suggestions, please leave a comment.

Thanks!

All I want for Christmas is...

A dreadlock Barbie! Yes, they exist. And why the toy markers haven't jumped on this market, I do not know. But out there, are a few folks, that are making these beautiful dolls through a repaint method. Which means to take a doll and change its appearance by changing the color, makeup, clothing and or hair. So with the Dreadlock dolls, the original dolls hair was removed and replaced with Mohair. It is a complicated process, but the results are beautiful. Since the dolls are rare, they can be a bit pricey.

Cute Styles!

Brooklyn, New York artist - named "This Is What I Do" on Myspace, has an amazing style when it comes to creating looks for Loc's. His clients always look as if they're hair is very soft and their Loc's are always styled to a 'T'. When I go back to Brooklyn, this is the stylist I have to see!

http://www.myspace.com/thisiswhatido

Scunci Magic-Grip Hair Pins

One of my favorite hair accessories is the Scunci Magic-Grip hairpin’s. With these pins, putting your loc's in updo's is so much easier. They slide in easy, but do take some getting use to. If not put in carefully, it can be uncomfortable. But once you get use to adjusting the pins, they will be a great tool for styling your hair.

Wahida Fowler

20 year old Wahida Fowler of Brooklyn, New York is one of the hottest models out today. And her beauty shines through in every picture she takes. She is also a great artist and community activist. Here is a shot out to an amazing natural hair model.

http://www.wahidahfowler.com

http://www.myspace.com/blackdiamondsinc

http://www.myspace.com/loctransformer

Star Loctician - Thierry Baptiste

Loctician artist Thierry Baptist caught my eyes a few years ago with his amazing skills and talent for creating beautiful loc styles. This artist has travels all over, for various hair shows and modeling events. He is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and has several sites where he displays his latest work. Besides being very talented, he is also a very cool down to earth person. He has not let his success stop him from helping everyday people, like myself, with great advice or words of encouragement. Check him out at:

http://www.thierrybaptiste.com/

http://www.myspace.com/thierrybaptiste

http://www.myspace.com/loctransformer

My Inspiration

Drawing by Eric Battle - www.ericbattle.com

Beautifully Locked!!!

I am blessed! Every day is a new day to me. You ask why? It is because I have found my true self. I've spent years of being untrue to myself, after suppressing my need for more out of life. I wanted to feel like I was whole but did not know how or what to do to make it happen. I wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin, but thought that materialistic things could fill that void. That if I wore the right thing, had the cutest weave and hair style, or fit in the with the cool crowd - that I would finally be complete.

But none of that made a difference or helped. Deep inside, I knew what I needed to do to be complete and to finally love myself. I needed to let go. I needed to let go of this need to fit into this ideal image of what the world accepted as beautiful. Let go of the brainwashed way of thinking that if I do not look like some standard of beauty or someone with long straight hair that I will never be loved or succeed in life. That if I even thought of wearing clothes or jewelry that expressed my African American culture that I would be rejected by others. It took me years to realize that by not being true to myself, I was only causing myself more harm than good.

For almost a decade before locking my hair, I admired how beautiful and at peace some our brothers and sisters looked with their Crown of dreads. And part of me knew that I needed and wanted that freeness. But I denied myself from locking my hair because of my fear of losing my job or never being able to get ahead in my career because of it. Or just the idea of constantly being judge or being rejected scared me.

But one day, I just said enough is enough. I have all these people in my life that love me, and I don't even love or except myself because I didn't feel like I was being true to who I was. I finally decided that I was going to lock my hair. If I get fired, then that job was not right for me. If I get rejected by the outside world, then they were not meant to be a part of my life.

And then I did it. I locked my hair, and I literally felt like I was reborn. Or as if I had shut myself into some dark closet for years and all of the sudden the door opened and in came this amazing sunlight. I had the most amazing sense of joy come over me and I said this is what I have been waiting for. I could feel myself glowing with pride. It was Not about some hair style or the latest trend! It was about Acceptance. It was about about my knowledge of myself and my instinct to do what was right for me - all coming together. About letting myself be a beautiful black woman, and not letting any ones stereotypes or issues stand in my way.

Since the day I locked, I have felt so Empowered, Strong, Sexy, Confident and Creative, that it has blown me away. I fell more beautiful than I have ever felt in my whole life. I never knew that being so true to my self could unlock all these amazing things. It has been an epiphany. And I am blessed to have allowed myself to be real and who I am meant to be.