Black Girls Do Hike: Muir Woods

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I can’t believe I waited until the end of summer 2013 to hike Muir Woods.  Even as a Bay Area native, I have  heard about this national monument, seen it on TV, but have never made the drive to visit. People come from all over the world to see the beautiful redwood trees and so I’m glad I had a chance to experience it right in my own backyard.

Muir Woods is located on the Pacific coast about 12 miles north of San Francisco in Marin County.  I went with a friend and we drove from the east bay for about an hour to get to the park. Parking was kind of bad and there were a lot of tourist buses and hella people from all walks of life. We decided to bypass the tourist stroll and do the Dipsea trail which is about a 7 mile loop around the park, moderate to strenuous uphill, and took  us about two hours. I won’t babble on about my experience because my pictures can explain it all, however just know that this was definitely one of my best hiking experiences in the bay!

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Afro Chic’s Pick: Beautiful Textures (Review)

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

The Occupy Wall Street Movement Comes to Oakland (Photos)

If you haven’t been following, heard of, or participating in, shame on you.  Occupy Wall Street demonstrations have been happening all over the country and in my hometown I go to work seeing protestors diligently fighting against corporate greed for over a week now.  Occupy Oakland is right outside of City Hall and for the past week there have been demonstrations, rallies, marches, and even celebrity appearances from different spectrums; Danny Glover and Lupe Fiasco.  Yes, I’ve been reading the concerns about public safety and people taking advantage of this opportunity but let me show you the positives visually that’s happening in my neck of the woods!

Photo by Fred Shavies

Photo by Ben Margot

Photo by Reuters Pictures

If you have stories, photos, reflections, or other protest demonstrations in you area share them in the comment box below.  You may also email your photos to reesaspeaks@gmail.com and I’ll post/retweet them =)

 



Lo Down Loretta Brown x The DJ Set

Lo Down Loretta Brown also known as Erykah Badu will have a DJ set April 20th at Ruby Skye in SF.  All you die hard fans might want to claim your spot now because she will be taking us all on this funkiest hip hop roller coaster any DJ will take you on.  Check out this video below and Get Your Tickets Here.  I will definitely be in the house. Will you?

LO DOWN LORETTA BROWN from Creative Control on Vimeo.

 

CONTEST: BET Music Matters Tour w/ Melanie Fiona, Marsha Ambrosius & London

If you are in the Bay Area, be sure to check out the BET Music Matter Tour this TUESDAY (3/22) featuring live performances from Melanie Fiona, Marsha Ambriosus, and Bay Area’s own London.  Sponsored by Remy Martin and hosted by JE Media Group, BET, and 1015.com, this is an evening of extraordinary 21+ event that you wouldn’t want to miss. Tickets are on sale for $31 and VIP access $36. For more details and to purchase tickets click here .

So here’s the catch. . . .

I’m giving away a pair of two tickets for the show to my lucky readers and all you have to do is follow Reesa Speaks on twitter, Retweet My Contest Link, and Become a fan on Reesa Speak’s Facebook page.  You have until Sunday night at 11:45 p.m. to participate. Ready?….Set?….Go!

(More details will be disclosed to the winner)

I.V.A.N x Never Marry A Musician

A lot of artists dropped new music on Valentine’s Day and I thought it was only right to give this Bay Area bred emecee some spotlight. I.V.A.N released Never Marry A Musician and the buzz has been well received.  In this album you will find artistry that goes above the typical hip hop trend.  I.V.A.N has selections on here that display his creativity and his ability to naturally stand out.  One of the tracks that I liked was “Monterey” where he tells a story about the day in his life, his goals, feelings, and aspirations. If you never been to Monterey it really is a beautiful city to visit along the California coastline and I could totally visualize his reflection behind it.  Never Marry A Musician is a great compilation if you want to stimulate your creative senses.  Take a listen, download, and support good music!

Download Never Marry A Musician here