BK magic

Have we all made it through this week unscathed & still feeling merry? I’ll be the first to admit, the holiday season usually throws me into a cynical tailspin due to a growing lists of things to do/buy and hardly ever enough time to complete. But…years of practice and sheer financial willpower are allowing me to breathe easier this year, clamp down on the evil eye usually directed at over eager tourists here in NYC….and realize, the spirit of the holiday…at least for me, is in the memories. I have such fond memories of Christmas here in NYC, that I think I’ve been a fool to forget them even for a second. This year I’m vowing to make a conscious effort to reconnect with family, catch up with long lost friends over 2hr long phone conversations…and bake. Baking just feels RIGHT during this time of year.

• A friend e-mailed me this link several weeks back, & I think now’s the perfect time to share. Etsy Artists of Color is an amazing directory filled with creative artists & designers sharing their work. Just this week they’ve put out a special  Holiday Gift guide leaving no room for excuses if you’re in need of something thoughtful and accessible for that special person during the holiday season.

• Natural Hair Blog LITK recently announced the “I Love Your Hair” campaign & everyone’s invited to participate! I am beyond ecstatic about this idea simply because I’ve been on the receiving end of such compliments on days when allergies were biting me in the ars….or some other lifely episode was in mid-stream, and a kind word from a stranger flipped my spirit back on track. Don’t believe me? Try it! Before this year is up, voice your love, and positive energy with another natural…offer them some encouragement. And if you’re feeling shy, a smile is always a great incentive. LITK is also handing out these clever “I Love Your Hair” postcards to kick this campaign into gear.

• If you need help in pursuing your dreams & would love to bottle up some inspiration for some hidden endeavors, head over to the newly revamped In Her Shoes site. Renae Bluitt and a whole team of inspiring women, including Karen Tappin-Saunderson of Karen’s Body Beautiful fame, are in the midst of setting this entrepreneurial movement in full force!  Renae recently set things off by hosting a Facing Your Fears panel, encouraging women to not only face our fears, but conquer them!  Finding a way to “enlighten, uplift & inspire” a roomful of powerful woman seeking to overcome life’s challenges is such an amazing gift

• I’m not typically one to complain about the cold weather that envelopes this side of the East each year…BUT the sudden down-chill I’ve experienced this past week has reminded me how it’s often best to seek preparedness…no matter the season! Nary a hat…nor scarf or glove were found as I headed to and from work this week. Why? Denial. I think we all go through it…no? Convincing ourselves this temporary chill will only last for the better part of the morning…or afternoon. Yeah…no. It’s been a full week and I’m currently seeking the warmth of any and all cotton knits found in my closet. Found a great post from Sociology of Sheena, Loving Your Body In Zero Degree Wind Chill, that’s propelling me into serious action. Helpful and sage advice for those experiencing the sudden Winter chill…including a homemade Coffee Brown Sugar Scrub I’m aiming to try this weekend.

*Update: I received a pretty substantial response for the Qhemet Burdock Hair Cream this past week, and in all fairness I didn’t stipulate how I was going to give it away, so first dibs goes to the quickest hands…Monique! Will ship to you asap.

Have a Great Weekend, and please feel free to share any inspirational bits you may have found this week;-)

Inspired by ridiculously cold weather sweeping through the east coast and a night filled with watching Youtube vids & baking cookies…a decision was made to return to the up-do phase of operation alternate hairstyle…thing. Over the past two weeks my ego was lifted and serenaded by a handful of compliments and smiles from those taking notice of my bouffant..and all seemed right with the world. Hair still felt healthy and knot free, even after being whipped around for the better part of two weeks. Yet rather than continue to test the limits of  what’s become almost inevitable with my hair… precautionary measures are in order to help maintain the moisture of my strands as well as my scalp. Lately I’ve also been thinking ….what if. What if for the first time since crossing over into this natural hair journey… thing I intentionally decide to retain a bit of length for the better part of this winter. Granted, I’ve never had issues with hair growth, but I’ve also never had much of an attachment to length either. I’m not one to do length checks, or have serious hair goals other than overall good hair health…but, I think I’m game. Finally.

Products Used:

• Pre-Condition: Frutopia Curls & Waves Conditioner
• Cleanse: Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Shampoo
• Style: KBB’s Hair Nectar + Qhemet Biolgics Burdock Root Butter Cream

To save on time, pre-conditioned the hair in sections then proceeded to cleanse the scalp thoroughly with what’s become a mainstay poo, Carol’s Daughter Curl Perfecting Shampoo. Thankfully, the ‘scalp situation’ has been low key which means I’ll continue to keep on with the regular routine. I’m on schedule for another bentonite treatment either this week or next, but certainly before the holiday hits. Hair was set into twists using a light butter cream and kept them  in for 1 day before unraveling and creating another protective up-do style, inspired by one of my favorite YouTube naturals, Naptural85.

A great & easy way to pin the hair up during the winter while looking extra chic. To save even more time, attempting this style the night before and sleeping with a satin scarf/bonnet keeps a few stray hairs in place.

What would REALLY protect my strands is a lovely hat lined with some satin…but seems as if the world isn’t ready for this?! I was not born with any sewing potential & Grandma  lives on the other side of BK….otherwise. Anyways…a few hair clips here and more bobby pins than were actually necessary kept this do in place for the better part of another work day.

On another note, my short lived hair affair with Qhemet’s Burdock Cream has indefintely come to an end after my skin broke out in a few random breakouts. I’m talking…allergic reaction…type spots cascading down my hairline and a few positioned on my forehead. I love the use & moisture the cream provides my hair…but painful sudden breakouts are a no-go no matter the product adoration. If anyone’s in need of a half-full jar of Qhemet’s Burdock Root Butter Cream ping me! I’ll ship it to your attention, free of charge….one natural’s loss is another parched hair’s gain…? chai@backtocurly.com.

Kagem from natural hair blog Charcoal Ink recently asked my perspective on this topic & you can read my thoughts over on her site. Thanks to Kagem for reaching out, but I’d also love to hear your thoughts.

If there is in fact a growing monopoly on the natural hair blog scene, is it something we’re intentionally contributing to & if so is this something that needs to be addressed.  No doubt, the growing majority of natural hair blogs do exist here within the United States, though if there is a direct a harm being caused to the natural hair community as a whole I admittedly failed to see it.

I mentioned on Twitter yesterday that the greater inspiration should be to want to share in our growing experiences no matter the continent, state or region. I’ve been a long time reader of Charcoal Ink, & other popular sites such as Natural Belle & Naturally Sexy, and continue to find  a wealth of information as well as inspiration.

Often times it’s simply a matter of perspective, yes? I was born here in the US and am sharing my experiences as that of a person who grew up with parents from the Caribbean, raised in New York & have a cultural history that greatly influences many of the decisions in life, including my decision to go natural. More often than not, I enjoy hearing about the experiences of others, where they were born, what inspired them to go natural, what obstacles they had to tear down in order to feel comfortable rockin a natural hair style…these stories I believe are what inherently drive this ‘movement’ & it is what will hopefully sustain it. I’ll always be open to hearing about a fellow natural’s hair journey…no matter the miles or distance that separates us…, but how to make this happen.

This week has spontaneously whizzed on by & the only thing I have left to show for it is a growing list of ‘things to do’ before the holidays are truly upon us. I’m not much into shopping for the holidays, yet I enjoy fully the art of gift giving and creating a lasting memory for another person. My approach is typically…’what will make them happy & smile for weeks….’ and then I proceed to rack my brain, scavenging the entire city looking for the not so perfect gift. With no head starts this year amidst school & work, I’m often running low on time to do the former simple things…like attending to the regular routine of le Hair. It was also a Birthday weekend filled with extended brunches and much needed quality time with friends…so plenty of factors forcing me to also whiz through hair shenanigans this week…

Products Used:

• Cleanse: Carol’s Daughter Curl Perfecting Shampoo
• Style/Condition: EO Moisture Rich Conditioner + KBB’s Hair Nectar

Et…Voila! That’s all she wrote because a small part of my brain still envied the epic status of last week’s bouffant success! There was rain in the forecast earlier on in the week, therefore twists were undone and pinned securely up and away to avoid frizz. This morning all was taken down and I enjoyed a day of biggish hair.

I think it was a success! Above pic is before I took a stroll through the cold winds of NYC and below is after returning home several hours later.

I’m all out of the EO conditioner for this coming week’s wash cycle, so it’s a toss up between trying another conditioner as styler or buttering up the hair with a few of my favorites already in the stash. I’m easily leaning towards the conditioner method due to a few holiday party entanglements in the coming days. That…and frankly, I’m enjoying the BIG Hair Status. This often comes with a smidge more confidence, better calculations with le wardrobe, smiles…both given and received…#win#win. Everything just goes so much better with bigger hair! I could be wrong…but…