Afro Chic’s Pick: Beautiful Textures (Review)

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Greetings! Yes, I know I haven’t posted on here in awhile but when life happens you can’t run from it.  With that being said, I’d like to share with you guys a quick product review that has my hair feeling so GREAT!

I recently attending my second natural hair meetup in San Fran with “Beautiful Textures” which was a conversation on natural hair, maintenance, and more.  I was able to meet more people with natural hair and also picked up on this awesome freebie.  Beautiful Textures is a natural hair care line claiming to provide amazing manageability and styling versatility.  Whether your hair is curly, kinky, coily, or straight their product line works for everyone.  I had a chance to try two products on the line; Tangle Taming Moisturizing Shampoo and Moisture Whipped Curl Creme.  Below you will find their claim and my results:

Tangle Taming Moisturizing Shampoo

Beautiful Textures Claim- Benefits:

  • Detangle ~ Restore Shine and Body
  • Improve Manageability
  • Soften and stretch natural curl pattern
Let’s face it. Residue and build-up on scalp and hair looks unhealthy and stunts the natural growth of your hair. To help ensure your hair reaches its full growth potential, cleanse, detangle and hydrate daily. Tangle Taming Shampoo can be the first step to achieving softer, more defined curls, healthier looking elongated coils, or simply silky hydrated hair with unforgettable body!
MY RESULT:  I will have to admit that after wear Senegalese twist after two months this did it’s job.  If you have the type of hair that is hard to detangle and breaks off easily I’d recommend this shampoo. I applied a generous amount to my hair and with two lathers I was able to comb through my hair from roots to tips without and breakage or hard pulling. The smell is lightly whipped so it doesn’t seem like you’re putting yogurt or ice cream on your hair.
Moisture Butter Whipped Curl CremeBeautiful Texures Claim- Benefits:

  • Soften and Nourish Curls ~ Silken Waves
  • Elongate Kinky Coils ~ Tame Frizzies

Dry, brittle, thirsty hair stunts natural growth. To help ensure locks reach their full growth potential, refresh and hydrate your mixed textured hair every day with Moisture Butter. Moisture Butter helps maximize the styling options of mixed textured hair by helping achieve softer, more defined curls, healthier looking elongated coils, or simply silky-smooth hydrated hair.

MY RESULT: Okay, hands down! My twist-outs have been A-MAZING! I was a little iffy with the title being “curl creme” that my hair will shrivel up but the best result is to to this twist out when wet.  It’s been almost a week and my curl definition keeps getting better over time.  My styling options are usually limited when I used my usual product but the silky smooth texture really makes my hair manageable and versatile.

So the question is where can you get a hold of your own Beautiful Texture?  Sally Beauty Supply of course!  All of their products are under $7 ….can you believe it?  For more info and to view their whole line visit www.beautifultextures.com

Kony 2012 – Jason Russel Video Goes Viral

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If you own social media accounts and have checked your timeline recently, you might have seen the buzz about “Kony 2012” and if you’re wondering what is that? The name Jason Russel has your answer.

Last night the “Kony 2012” produced by Invisible Children went viral and I watched as the power of social media unfolded about an idea.  Filmmaker Jason Russel has been has been working for serveral years in central Africa to stop the rebel army and their leader Joseph Kony.  In this 27 minute video he explains more in-depth his misson; speaking to lawmakers, congress, community members, and people like yourself all over the world.

Watch here:

Russel’s new idea to stop Kony and give these innocent children their freedom was to take to SOCIAL MEDIA.  In my opinion, this media tool is the most powerful form to bring an idea together and make people aware.  Immediately after watching the video I was inspired to help out in any way that I can.  Just by tweeting #StopKony and #MakeKonyFamous we are showing awareness of this issue.  I’ll be honest to say I never heard of Joseph Kony, however I am very familiar and saddened by the rebel army and war that uses innocent children to kill and fight in Africa. So whether you have no idea what’s going on in Africa or can’t figure out a way to take action, Jason Russel has made that possible for you.

 

Here’s how you can do your part to help:

Donate to Invisible Children: https://www.stayclassy.org/checkout/donation?eid=14711
Purchase KONY 2012 products: http://invisiblechildrenstore.myshopify.com/
Sign the Pledge: http://www.causes.com/causes/227-invisible-children

Afro Chick’s Digest: Mahogany Roots Product Review

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I’ve been rocking my senegalese twists for weeks now so my hair regimen has been low maintenance and I am loving it.  My mother let me try her new shampoo and conditioner from Mahogany Roots so I decided to do a review on it.  My scalp has been pretty itchy so when I saw the label “peppermint and tea tree” all I could think of was a cooling sensation that I desperately needed.

Mahogany Roots is an all natural hair and skin care line that using plant extracts and organic materials to produce products for all skin and hair types.  What’s special about them is their vegan line. They have products for vegans who don’t use any animal based ingredients, pretty cool.  What puts the icing on the cake is that the Mahogany Roots idea was created to support the Youth in Oakland, Ca. The founder is La Tronda Lumpkin, who is also  Director of Pivotal Point Youth Services, Inc. Pivotal Point provides employment training, vocational skills development and entrepreneurship to at-risk youth in Oakland and Alameda county.  By supporting Mahogany roots you are not only treating your hair but rather supporting the community and showing your social responsibility.

Here’s my results:

Peppermint & Tea Tree Shampoo

Product description: Designed to treat try scalp and dandruff while nourishing the hair. 

Ingredients:  Aloe Vera Juice, Organic Lavender Water, Chamomile Water, Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Hydrolyzed Wheat, Vitamin B5, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Rosehip Seed Oil,  Olive Oil, Black Willow Bark Extract, Sorbitol,  Witch Hazel, Phenoxyethanol, Soy Protein, Rosemary Oleoresin Extract, Jojoba Seed Oil, Vitamin E, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Pectin, Kelp Powder, Peru Balsam, Essential Oils.

It did exactly what I need to do; soothe my SCALP!!! I like that it doesn’t have an extreme peppermint smell so you can really get a whiff of the lavender and chamomile.

Peppermint & Tea Tree Conditioner

Ingredients: Aloe Vera Juice, Organic Lavender Water, Chamomile Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Wheat, Castor Seed Oil, Vitamin B5, Rosehip Seed Oil, Black Willow Bark Extract, Kosher glycerin, Sorbitol,  Witch Hazel, Soy Protein, Rosemary Oleoresin Extract, Pectin, Kelp Powder, Peru Balsam, Phenoxyethanol, Peppermint & Tea Tree Essential Oils

It says to lather, rinse, and repeat on the bottle so I did just that. However, I am the type who likes to put lots of conditioner on my hair I was was very generous with my squeezes.  I let it set on my hair for about 5 minutes before I rinsed it out. Once again, the tea tree and peppermint really did soothe my scalp.

Overall, I’d recommend these two products. You guys give it try and tell me about your results! Look on for more product reviews once I take these braids down cause I miss my afro!

Natural or Knot Hair Mixer at J. Posh Design Studio

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This past Friday I went to my first natural hair mixer EVER! I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that I wanted to be surrounded by women that looked like me, with hair like me, similarities, and simplistic beauty that I possess even if were just for a few hours. The natural hair mixer was put on by Sheree Murphy of Natural Habitat Beauty Boutique. Two meetup groups “Naturally Beautiful” and “SF Naturals” from meetup.com were in attendance at a Oakland location at J. Posh Design Studio.  There were drinks appetizers, vendors, and warm spirits.

I walked into live music, spoken word, and visual artists who shared their love for black beauty. Not only did I mix and mingle with the guests I was able to check out the cool vendors. Natural Girls United had a display of beautiful hand crafted ethnic Barbie dolls.  Willie D’s & Mrs. Louise Boutique displayed their plus size lingerie and there were also Nique Cosmetics and M.Williams Accessories.  I enjoyed the variety of the vendors and was given a lot of information in the goodie bag given to me at the door.

The icing on the cake for me was when I won one of the door prizes; A gift basket full of goodies by Naptural Roots . Check it out!

I wish had more pictures however I’ll update once I get a hold of the photographers at the event.  I can really say that for my first time attending a meet up event with a bunch of people with your similar interest is AWESOME!  I recommend anyone looking to find fun things or to build your network in your area to check out www.meetup.com … It’s really THAT simple to do what you love =)

Can I get a refill of Elle Varner please?

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I seem to be catching the major late bus when it comes to new artists and music lately, however I couldn’t pass up this California girl, that not only my friend’s have been tweeting her sultry lyrics but also has been a radio sensation with her hit single, “Only Wanna Give it to You” featuring J. Cole.

Elle Varner is a 23-year old West African, Black, and Swedish bred songstress has released her first album, Perfectly Imperfect. and Although I haven’t reviewed it yet, I  have been stuck on her latest mixtape, Conversational Lush. The tracks remind me of an old school meets new school sound, with a very sultry voice to compliment. Elle also switches it us with her rhymes. Rapping over a jay-z inspired beat. I instantly downloaded her tape into my iTunes and have been jammin’ all week.  My favorite songs are 32 flavors, Feel like a Woman, Refill, and So Fly. Maybe it’s the fact that I can personally relate the lyrics or the songs just went a long with this gorgeous weather the Bay Area has been receiving.

In the march issue of Ebony Magazine, Elle Varner is featured in the “Watch the Space” where she discussed one of her songs, “So Fly”.  It’s a true story of a girl battling self-esteem issues at the time when she was batting a low point in life.  She says, “At the time I work “So Fly”, I was heavier. I was in college and was really struggling with body image and being accepted.  I thought losing weight would make me better in some way… I started to make better health choices, better food choice, however you look and whatever size you are, you still have these issues.”

I agree that regardless of your weight or body image you can still struggle with self esteem issues.  This song teaches her listeners that you can be fly at any shape. Don’t compare yourself and your worth to anyone else just because society has conditioned us to do so. By using the “What if” sequence in her lyrics kind of sends a reminder to love your own body and soul.

So basically all I need
Is to be everything but me
Colored contacts
Liposuction
And some implants
Somehow that don’t make much sense
I must be out of my head
If I think, that I am governed by material things.

download Conversational Lush here.

New Web Series: The Couple “Exes and Texts” (Premiere)

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Hope everyone had an enjoyable Valentine’s Day or just a happy Tuesday (For the lonely and bitter lol)

Shout out to Clutch Magazine for keeping me up to date with this new one!

Check out this new web series “The Couple” while on your coffee break and share your thoughts! I definitely yawned a lil bit when they got to the texting argument, however this is really today’s relationship drama.

Whitney Houston Dies at 48, Glee pays Tribute

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We’ve all been mourning the loss of the greatest vocalist of all time, Whitney Houston who passed away Saturday February 12th shortly before the grammy’s.  There are still speculations on the cause of her death and although substance abuse was very prevalent in her latest years I just don’t want to believe that she’s gone because of it.  Although I was thankful, I was slightly fed up with the grammy’s and their lack of tribute to Whitney Houston so I’m so glad Glee came through with a performance from Amber singing “I Will Always Love You” … check it out!

R.I.P Whitney Houston 😦

Event: Love Shouldn’t Hurt – Valentine’s Day Luncheon for Domestic Abuse Victims

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If you are or know someone who has ever been a victim of Domestic Violence come out to this Valentine’s Day Luncheon.  It’s a great way to show your support, give and receive love, and enjoy yummy food and warm spirits! check out the deets!

Date: Tuesday 02.14.12

Where:Mt. Zion Baptist Church 1302 Willow St. Oakland, CA 

Includes: Guests Speakers, Testimonies, Building Session Musical Selections, Give Aways for the women that are affected and more

Even if you aren’t able to attend you can donate to the cause! Register for the “Band with us: Take a Stand” Ticket ($5 Donation) to get YOUR #LoveShouldntHurt Bracelet!

For more event details please click HERE.

Afro Chick’s Pick: Music Videos on my Radar

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Hello all! I’ve been quite a stranger this month, however don’t get me wrong I’m still keep up with the latest and newest.  Just haven’t had the time or strength to post every moment. Check out the videos I’ve spotted this week that I’ve been playing on repeat. Enjoy =)

Esperanza Spalding – Black Gold

Miguel – Adorn

M.I.A – Bad Girls

Kelly Rowland – Keep it Between Us

Jay-Z & Kanye West – Ni**as in Paris

 

Serena Williams Nike Collection Celebrates Black History

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Since I pretty much live in athletic wear now, I’m always looking for the cutest outfits to wear to the gym or some fly sneakers I can show off in during classes.  Check out the Serena Williams 2012 Nike collection that celebrates Black History month this year.  Nike designers used their signature apparel and added patterns and vibrant colors that reflect the culture.  I thought it was pretty hot seeing Serena debut her collection in Australia a few days ago!

Getty Images

The collection consists of the Nike Sportswear Destroyer Jacket, Seasonal Knit jacket, the Nike C72 Bag, and the Nike Air Max Mirabella 3.