Narcissitic Afrodite Moment

Every afrodite should have a self-glorifying moment, or her self-esteem will suffer. It doesn't matter if you're a career woman, home-maker, housewife, or student.Take a moment to appreciate yourself every now and then. Buy a new tube of lipstick , new perfume,bangin' outfit, a new handbag ,get a pedicure; whatever you need to make you feel like you're all that and a bag of chips. Hello! Can I get three snaps up and three snaps down?



This was my moment , some me-time.

5 a,b,and c : the new hair type classification

By now, I know some of yall are thinking, "Whoa Nelly! New hair type classification? I thought that 4c was as kinky and nappy as it gets!"

Apparently, trichologist or dermatologist, have discovered a new hair type classification. People who fit into this hair classification need ample moisture and protection. Hair can be very curly and similar to the matted fleece of a goat, if left dry and uncared for.


It appears that this hair type is the best for twisting, sister locs, dred locs, and braids. You never have to worry about the hair unraveling. I would have uploaded more images of this hair type , but its discovery it so new , there aren't many images of it available.

Tips :

1. use very heavy oils,butter,hair creams, and lotions.


2. Deep condition as least once a week.


3. keep a bottle of spritz available, and give hair a few pumps throughout the day.


4. Oil or "grease" scalp at least two to three times a week.


5. Keep hair in protective, low-maintence styles : such as two-strand twist, braids,etc.

I thought some of my fellow naturals were just being difficult, when they complained about extreme hair problems : dry hair no matter what they applied , numerous broken combs,________,_______, feel free to fill in the blanks. The realization that they may have been serious has now hit me.

All I can say is Lord ha'mercy on 'em. Water,vegetable glycerine, shea butter,and mango butter; will be their best friends.

Product Showcase: Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner

Yall know I have a hard time detangling my hair sometimes. I need as much slippage as I can get. So if it works for me , it will definetly work for yall.

Price:

Wal-Mart: Regular size: $1.00

Family size: $1.25

AFRODITE SPOTLIGHT

Jill Scott A Real "Super Natural" Star
Birthday: April 4, 1972
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Hailing from the City of Brotherly Love, Jill Scott is the epitome of passion and power with her skillful songwriting and spectacular live performances. Scott initially attended Temple University in hopes of becoming a teacher; then things took a turn and she decided to pursue a career in entertainment as a spoken word artist, performing at live poetry readings.
Jill eventually got her big break when Amir "QuestLove" Thompson of The Roots invited her to join the band in the studio. They collaborated on the song "You Got Me," which went on to win a Grammy in 2000. That year she released her debut album, "Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1" and followed up with "Experience: Jill Scott 826+" the next summer. In 2003 she earned a Grammy for her hit song "A Long Walk."
Scott expanded her résumé, putting her acting skills to use by appearing in several episodes of UPN's "Girlfriends." The artist saw the release of her second studio album, "Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds, Vol. 2," in 2004.

At the 2006 ESSENCE Music Festival, Scott caught the attention of many as she spoke out against degrading images of women in hip-hop. A year later, Scott made her big-screen debut in "Hounddog" and Tyler Perry's feature film "Why Did I Get Married?" Coming through her divorce stronger, she released her latest album, "The Real Thing: Words and Sounds, Vol. 3," in 2007. Scott's magic on-screen keeps her in front of the camera as will star in HBO's new series "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency".

Fab Fro
This “Why Did I Get Married?” costar can get away with anything, including this textured fro.

Golden
Soulful songstress Jill Scott hits the right chord with this funky pompadour.

Colorful Twist
Jilly from Philly isn’t afraid to take risks. She mixes up her red carpet-style with these colorful layered twists.

Courtesy of Essence.com

What this Natural Beauty says about haters!

Product Showcase: Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol

My mother and I fight over this everytime one of us buys it. ( I'm so serious!)First off, this smells soooo great! It provides much slippage, is great as an overnight treatment,and when washed out leaves hair soft.

How to use: Apply ample amount to freshly washed hair. Place plastic cap on hair. Sit under the dryer for at least 20 minutes or go to sleep with cap on. Or it can be used as a pre-poo treatment.

However you choose to use it , the results will be great.

Total Cost: $2.79; low price, high quality

Journey before the Journey

Experienced naturals always say, " You have to make the mental journey, before you make the physical journey."

The mental journey is when you come to terms with loving the highly textured nature of your hair. It's when you build your self-esteem up like a fortress, to block out those "haters". You know, the haters who hate you, because they hate themselves...as in self-hatred. Hate the skin they're in. Whether it be golden honey, brown caramel, smooth chocolate or soft indigo; if you ain't hip to it yet...it's all melanin. Those who hate what grows out of their head, naturally, like corn grows out of the earth. I mean corn without the pesticides , insecticides,and genetic engineering. By now you should know that I'm saying, one has to be strong in who they are before becoming natural.

It doesn't matter if you have dreadlocks or an Angela Davis afro, no matter how fly you look or how bad you get down with it; "haters" are always looking for something to pass judgement on.

Don't become discouraged, because you will be celebrated and appreciated; oh! please believe you will! But the point in me writing this, is for you to be prepared for the negativity that may come your way.

Those closest to you may not understand your choice and need time to adjust. They will come to terms with and even envy your decision, because being natural is so liberating and fun.

Rock your natural or your twa ( teeny weeny afro) like no one is looking! Because whether you know it or not, all eyes are on you and your natural glowing beauty. Rest assured you give others the inspiration to make this wonderful journey.

Your "Bottom Line".

American society perpetuates the idea that our appearance is a defining statement about who we are and what we want people to think of us. African-American women have been trying to manipulate, control or find solutions to their "hair problem" since pre-reconstruction times. Our demand for beautiful hair in whatever form is what fuels the machine called "the Black Hair Care Industry". Product manufacturer's are sizing us up, assessing our needs, crafting and passing out the products. We turn around and giddily dole out our dollars on the next new "hair stuff".

Even though you may not be a conformist anymore because you've gone or are going natural; now you're free from chemicals, limitations on what activities you can participate in for fear you will mess up your hair and monthly salon visits. But has a price tag been put on this "freedom" already. Ethnic hair care products are a very lucrative market. The black hair-care industry collects billions of your dollars every year. Statistics show that black Americans spend more on hair than any other ethnic group. Blacks are one in every ten Americans in the U.S., but spend seven of every ten dollars spent on hair care and hair products in this nation. In 2000, studies showed that the median net worth of a household headed by a non-Hispanic white adult was $79,400. The median net worth of a household run by a black adult was $7,500. How can we be seventy percent of the hair care market with only ten percent net worth in the country, hmmm.

As the population of natural hair wearers increase a whole new avenue has opened up to demand its share of the black dollar. In my opinion we should definitely re-examine our spending and carefully consider every promo, sales pitch and new product that comes our way. "Money is Power", but not if you spend all of it on your head. Even though there is a little of a product junkie in all of us, maybe you may think twice before your next purchase. The bottom line? Try creating some strategies to keep that new look red hot and your wallet in the black.

Also, here are some very informative videos about the Black Hair Industry. Although they aren't directly targeted to natural hair, they are very informative. Enjoy the videos and thanks for visiting Symone's "Monee" blog-spot!

Mom's Journey to Natural

Here are some pictures of my mom's journey to natural. She began letting her relaxer grow our in June of 2008 and BC'd in October of 2008. It will be a year in June and her hair is exactly 6 inches long. Her only complaints are occassional crunchiness and not really having found her personal style yet. I hope you find her journey inspirational.

90-Day Ayurvedic Haircare Trial

I recently bought some ayurvedic powders from http://www.buy1free1.com/ . I've watched a lot of videos,read many articles, and browsed a myriad of recipes. When the package finally came ( after 3 weeks), I decided to make an ayurvedic oil, dividing it into a pre-poo oil, scalp oil, and leave-in/moisturizer.

The ayurvedic trial will be me using only this oil blends for 3 months to see if I notice a difference. Keep in mind that the summer time is approaching. This means I will be swimming. The chlorine might affect the outcome of my results. But I will try not to swim as much, so that the results are not tampered.

How I did it: First,I put 7 fl.oz. 100% natural , organic virgin coconut oil, 1/8 cup amla powder, and 1/14 cup shikakai powder; in a small crockpot for 15 minutes on low. After the coconut oil was melted , I added 1 oz . of 100% cocoa butter to the crockpot, until melted. Then, I let left it on low for 12 hours. Finally, when blend was cool enough to handle, I strained it through a double-folded cheese cloth. Dividing it into a pre-poo bottle, scalp oil, and leave-in/moisturizer.

Properties of Amla:
"Adds volume, enhances curl and texture to hair
Will not dye hair or skin
Is a facial scrub and Exfoliant, tones skin, is a natural astringent
Use as often as you like for healthy hair, scalp, skin
Non drying
is considered safe for those with chemical sensitivities, doctor should be consulted if you have any concerns" - HennaCaravan.com

Properties of Shikakai:

"- Provides new life to hair strands

- Strengthens hair roots

- Increases bounciness and silkiness of hair

- Clears dandruff

- Keeps the scalp clean and cool"-

www.mehndiskinart.com/Shikakai_Powder.htm

1.Scalp Oil / 2. Pre-poo Oil / 3. Leave-in

Great Natural Hair books and some others

Hey yall. I've been reading some great books and I just wanted to share. These books are directly related to people of African(American) descent. They are mostly books about hair, but some are self-help books. I give them all thumbs up.
1. Hair Story: Untangling the roots of black hair in America
2. Act a Lady , think like a Man
3. No Lye
4. God Made me Beauty-full
5. Kinki Kreations

and so many other books. To purchase these books, go all the way to the bottom of my blog and there is an Amazon widget labeled "My Favorites."

Cotton,Satin , or Silk?

Whether you have natural or relaxed hair, you should be aware that certain types of material can have negative or possitive effects on your hair.

Cotton: Should never come in to contact with the hair. It dries the hair out and causes much friction, breaking and thinning the hair (shaft).That means don't wear cotton headbands, scarves,headwraps,bandanas,or pillows(cases).

Silk: Silk is a very soft material. You can use it on your head as much as you want without worrying about breakage or thinning of the hair. There are silk scarves,pillows,and sheets.

If you have a lot of product or oil in your hair and are worried about dirtying the pillow, then just use the same pillow as your "protective pillow." To clean a silk pillow, soak it in cold water with a gentle detergent and place in the dryer on low or medium heat until fully dry. Or hang on a clothes-line.

Satin: Satin is just like silk ,but cheaper and easier to find. It is in all the beauty supply stores as, head wraps;in Bed,Bath,&Beyond as pillows or sheets.

My personal favorite:

I use this every night. And the band does not irritate me at all , which says a lot; because I'm easily irritated. I sleep wildly too, and when I wake up ...IT'S STILL ON MY HEAD! You can get on at Walgreen's, Wal-Mart, or any beauty supply store.

My curly set: a chunky twist-out

Another hair-torial. Take from it what helps you.It comes out curly, but if you finger-comb it enough , you can shape it into a curly afro puff.

What I used:

What I did:
I took medium-sized sections of hair, sprayed it with the spiral spritz until damp, then applied desired amount of olive oil creme, then twist. Make sure to twist hair the way you want hair to rest , as in do you want a chunky afro, curly bunny tail ( afro puff), or a chunky twist out. Excuse the white residue from the olive oil creme, it will turn clear after it dries.