Beautiful Smooth Skin? Try This!!!

Good morning Saints!!! (It's Sunday so most folks try to be Saints today....jk!) This month is flying by! I can't believe Christmas is in 2 weeks! Don't even ask me if I've gone shopping...


Anyhoo, this is going to be a quick product review! Being the bargaining Diva I am, I stumbled across a giveaway last month and I entered because the blogger (Thanks @NaturallYEJHalo!!!) was giving away Shea Moisture Products. I use some of their hair products so I really wanted to win. Well, I did! I didn't win a hair product though. I won the Shea Moisture Olive and Green Tea Body Scrub with Green Tea and Avocado.

I used it this morning in the shower and folks, it is wonderful! Some body scrubs are too rough for me, but this product was just right. Rough enough to do its job, but not so rough that I felt like a file was being used on my skin. Of course, it smells great and it left my skin feeling so smooth and somewhat radiant. This could definitely become one of my must-haves!

My challenge for today is a repeat one-find yourself in church this morning, ok! Be blessed! : -)

Some Inexpensive Must-Have Products

Good morning!!!

I started this post yesterday, but I decided to spend some quality time with my boys so I didn't get to finish. You understand, right? I knew you would!

Anyhoo, I said I would be posting about my hair regime so today, I will be focusing on some of my staple products that are effective, but inexpensive. Let me tell you all that I'm no longer a product junkie. However, these are not the only products I use; these are some of the ones I use frequently. I will tell you the name of the product, where I purchase it, the approximate cost, and how I use the product.

FYI: All of the products mentioned are things I bought with my own hard-earned money. I am not being compensated in any way to do these reviews. My opinions are my honest experience with these products. Use them at your own discretion.
1. Humco Castor Oil: I bought this from Wal-Mart. (It was in the medicinal section.) It was around $3. Let me just tell you that I really like Castor Oil. It is great way to help thicken hair. I use it on my eyebrows, eyelashes, on my edges, and to send the ends of my hair to lock in moisture. I also use it on my husband's beard because he's trying to grow it in more evenly. I'm going to post an in-dept passage on Castor Oil in a few months after I have enough pictorial evidence to show what Castor Oil can really do for hair. If you decide to use Castor Oil, don't use too much. A little goes a long way.

2. Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner: I have bought this from Dollar General and from Wal-Mart. It normally runs for around $1.25. I started using this conditioner when I first went natural to co-wash (washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo). I still use this product to co-wash, but I do not wash my hair as much as I did when I first went natural. My hair is longer now and it's much more work. I like this product because it has great "slip". By slip, I mean it really makes it easy for me to "slip" my fingers through my hair and work out tangles. Also, it helps make my hair soft and it has a nice smell, which is always good. When I first went natural, I also would use a small amount of this as a leave-in conditioner if I was out of my leave-in. (When I do shampoo my hair, which is no more than 2 times in a month, I sometimes use the Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Shampoo. I can get if from the same places for around the same price.)  

3. Smooth and Shime Polishing Curl Activator Gel (For Extra Dry Hair): I have bought this from Dollar General and from Wal-Mart. It it normally no more than $3.75. This is my go to product if I want to do a WnG (wash and go) or if I want my puff styles to be less fluffy/frizzy and look my defined. This product will not make curls appear. You have to have some type of curl/coil/wave pattern. If you do, this can help your curls/curls/wave be less fluffy/frizzy and be more smooth looking. I'm not one of those people who has to have curls, but when I want my curls to act right, I whip out this product. I really like this because it doesn't make my hair crunchy or hard. I normally apply this to wet/very damp hair and then let it air dry. Also, when I use this product, I normally apply a moisturizer or light oil after applying the gel to help my hair remain soft for several days. People always ask do I use Ecostyler. I tried that when I was transitioning (the Olive Oil kind) and it made my hair hard. I might revisit it again when Sally's has a sell on it because now I know how to use products better.

Here are a few styles I did this year and used the Smooth and Shine Polishing Curl Activator. (From left to right) The first picture was my first attempt at a WnG from Spring 2011. The second picture is a WnG I did about 3 months later in the summer of 2011. The last picture is a side puff I did a couple days ago. This is currently how I'm wearing my hair. I am going to do a protective style again soon (probably some two-strand twists put into an updo or bun), but the weather has been warm so I decided to take advantage of it!

My challenge for today is go to church! If you don't have a church home, go visit a church. Don't just sit at home and watch a tv evangelist. The Bible says would should not forsaken to assemble together. That means that you need to get out and fellowship with other believers. Churching at home doesn't take the place of worshipping with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Y'all have a blessed Sunday!

Reppin' #TeamNaturalHair

Happy Veterans' Day Everyone!!! Even though I've picked up a stomach virus, I'm still grateful for this day!

Ok, on to my post...since going natural, I've realized the sisterhood I was unofficially inducted into. As with any other sisterhood, of course, I wanted to rep it! Unsuccessfully, I searched in my city for Afrocentric wear that expressed my love for #teamnaturalhair. I turned to Google and I hit the jackpot!

I was in a natural hair forum and ladies posted links to their favorite Natural Hair t-shirt line. From those suggestions, I found B. Natural Apparel. I ordered a couple of shirts last Sunday and I received them in the mail VIA USPS on yesterday.

My experience with B. Natural Apparel was awesome! I had to pay via PayPal, which was my first time using that service. When I received my order confirmation, there was a small issue with the shipping address. I contacted B. Natural Apparel and the owner, Joy Diggs, replied the same day and fixed the issue. She was very prompt and professional! I was so excited to get my shirts on yesterday. She included instructions on how to care for the shirts. I will be repping' #teamnaturalhair to the fullest this weekend and I will definitely be ordering more from B. Natural Apparel! (I will post about how the shirts hold up and how others react to them in an upcoming post.)

Note: This is my honest opinion of my purchase from B. Natural Apparel. I used my own money to purchase the items. I am not being paid or compensated for this review.

Now, my challenge for today should probably be expected....thank a veteran! I'll be calling my dad and thanking him for his service in Desert Storm! Veterans have done so much for us. Let's show our appreciate on today and every day!!! God bless America!