Amina's Top 5 Beauty Buys from Etsy

I asked Amina from the awesome beauty blog, Coup de Coeur, to do a guest post on some great products you'll want to take a look at in 2010 and she gladly obliged. Thanks Amina! Without furthur a do......

When I went natural in 2006, I felt renewed, in peace and able to appreciate my beauty. Freeforming last winter was the best experience of my natural hair journey as I saw my two strand twists evolve into thick babies locs. Over the years, I have come to appreciate how natural hair has helped me to define my own standards of beauty. Going natural has also affected my spending purchases. I have always loved products: shopping, making them and looking for the next IT product. This love was passed down from my mother who used to even hide products from my dad.


From left to right: Amina's big chop, Amina now

However now, I am pickier by reading ingredients and also making sure that the products I purchase benefit others, are fair-traded, handmade and natural. Hence, I love supporting small businesses especially led by Black women. As Black women, we tend to take care of everyone else and in the midst of it all, we forget ourselves. It is very important for me to support my sisters’dreams which is why I mostly shop at Etsy and also participate actively at Kiva.


Amina's free forming fro shots

Etsy can be quite overwhelming as there are so many vendors and products. This is why I wanted to present 5 top products that you might love!



1) Njoi Creations Herbal Pudding: This is the first product that I tried from Njoi Creations. Angie, the CEO has great customer service! She ships the items on time and really wants to make sure that her customers are happy. The herbal pudding reminds me of ole Indian Hemp grease that I used back in the days except that this pudding is so much better. I use it as a scalp butter and love how the peppermint and rosemary essential oils blend.



2) Darcy’s Botanicals Coconut Cupuacu Pomade: Her pomades came out last April precisely April 15th. Yes, I stalked her and was among the first ones to place an order. I have always wanted to try Brazilian butters especially tucuma, ucuuba , cupuacu and murumumu as I heard that they are amazing on our hair. Well this product did not disappoint me. It is very thick so a little bit goes a long way. I’ve used it to twist my hair, as a moisturizer, for afro puffs, I simply love it!



3) Zaja Naturals Solid Perfumes: I love perfumes!!However recently with my eczema, I had to take a break from designer perfumes and I’ve adopted a gentler formula. Well, I had no idea that I will love them so much that I will start collecting them. One of my favorite scents is Et une rose



4) Sweet Harlem Oil by Nunulovehandmades: It is light oil that reminds me of summer days with its sweet scent of mango. It is perfect for hot oil treatments, sealing your ends and even as a body oil



5) Herbal Rich Butter by Christine Gant. I love the fact it is has so many herbs that promote hair growth and a healthy scalp. A little bit goes a long way. I love using it to moisturize my hair and also to twist my hair.


Links:

www.NjoiCreations.etsy.com

www.DarcysBotanicals.com

www.NUNULOVEHANDMADE.COM

www.ChristineGrant.com

Great piece, miss! I'm going to check out those solid perfumes. I can't use commercial perfumes/colognes anymore either (were breaking my skin out something terrible). Make sure you thank Amina for waking up your dormant, inner PJ or keeping your already raging PJ fired up. Hahaha.

My Hair: Twists Challenge Update: Tiny Twists

My two weeks in my last set was up this past Sunday, but I decided to take them down early b/c I was tired of that set. So, that Thursday night: I took them down, conditioned and washed them, and let air dry overnight in twisted sections. Then I got up early Friday morning and further stretched my hair by blow drying each section on low then got to twisting.


From left to right: Resulting twist out from first set of twists, New set of tiny twists, Back view of tiny twists

I decided to actually make them tiny, a la Kinky Kurly Queen, this time so it took me longer to complete them. They took me roughly 5.5 hrs. Yes, I'm a good one and yes, I have a lot of patience. I used my shea pudding again with fabulous results. I plan to leave this set in for 4-6 weeks. These took a minute to put in and they need to stay in for a minute too. Lol.

I really like them and was pleasantly surprised to see how long my hair has gotten. (This is all my hair, not one extension in there, bay-beeee.) Shrinkage is a mutha, right? Gotta luv it all though.

My fellow challengers, are you still hangin in there with me?

Giveway Winner for: Japonesque Artisan Slant Tip Tweezers

Via Random.org, the winner of the Japoneque Artisan Slant Tip Tweezers (pictured) Giveaway is...............

#19 Lady Cook!

Congrats! Email me at milan@agrlcanmac.com with your shipping info. If I don't hear from you by Wednesday, you forfeit the prize and I'll throw the names back in for a new winner.

Thanks to all the ladies who entered. There will be more giveaways to come so stay tuned. If you missed this giveaway or are just checking out the site, come back and follow if you haven't already.

What's everyone doing for Super Bowl? I'm kickin it with my fam. They're having a par-tay. I'm not a football person in the likeliest, I just like a party and spending time with my fam. :D

Twists Challenge updates today (before the party of course) or tomorrow.

Why I Love The Denman Brush Again

If you follow me on twitter or subscribe to my YouTube channel, then you already know why. If you don't do either of those then

Watch and See......

Mixtress Chronicles: Hair Conditioner Recipes

If you've followed the site for a while, then you know that I don't use traditional conditioner anymore. I make my own conditioning mixes. Here are some easy recipes that I make with ingredients from my kitchen and always deliver results nothing short of fabulous. They can be used a pre-poos if that's your thing or your main conditioning treatments, which is how I use them.

My Ghee Conditioner Recipe: This mix leaves my hair with incredible softness, shine/sheen, smooth strands, and great slip.

- 3 Tbsp Ghee
- Enough Oil of choice (I like EVOO or castor oil) to the the Ghee till it's creamy
- 1 Tsp Honey (alternatives: agave nectar or molasses)
- a few drops of your favorite essential oil (I like tangerine or lavendar): ghee
can have your hair smelling like buttered, movie theater popcorn. Lol.

Directions: Lightly mist hair/sections with water first then apply mixture to hair in sections. Leave on for 15 minutes to how ever much longer you like, rinse and continue on with your washing routine.

My Moisturizing Light Protein Recipe: Leaves my hair feeling so luscious, intensely moisturized and fortified.

- 4 Tbsp Mayonnaise or Yogurt
- 1 Tbsp Oil of choice (I like EVOO or castor oil)
- 1 Tsp Honey (alternatives: agave nectar or molasses)

Directions: Lightly mist hair/sections with water first then apply mixture to hair in sections. Leave on for 15 minutes to how ever much longer you like, rinse and continue on with your washing routine.

My Favorite Conditioner Recipe: Great shine/sheen and smooth strands!

- Coconut oil
- Honey (alternative: agave nectar or molasses)

Directions: Lightly mist hair/sections with water first then apply mixture to hair in sections. Leave on for 15 minutes to how ever much longer you like, rinse and continue on with your washing routine.

My Aloe Vera Conditioner Recipe: Leaves my hair with good moisture and smooth strands.
- 1-2 cups Aloe vera gel
- 1 Tbsp Oil of choice (for this mix I like coconut or castor oil)
- 1 Tsp Honey (alternative: agave nectar or molasses)

Directions: Lightly mist hair/sections with water first then apply mixture to hair in sections. Leave on for 15 minutes to how ever much longer you like, rinse and continue on with your washing routine.


Optional and additional ingredients you can add to any of these mixes:
- Aloe vera gel
- Coconut cream

NOTE:Depending on the length of your hair, you will want to adjust these measurements accordingly.

Happy Mixing!

Black History Month and Good Hair Mart Opening

Say it loud! I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD!

James Brown couldn't have said it better. Outside of the late spring months, this is one of my favorite months of the year.

I enjoy and appreciate the diversity other cultures bring to the world but I have so much pride in being Black (a Black American as well!), all our ancestors who sacraficed a lot to see to it that we had better than they did, and where we will go so that our future have better than we have now. We ARE American history and have contributed so much to advancement of this country and WORLD.

I love the vibrancy and sometimes even ugliness of our culture, our creativity, our talent and skill, our cuisine, and most importantly our RESILIENCE. We can make a way out of nothing and still carry ourselves with the esteem of kings and queens. I LOVE that about us. Let's continue to propel our beautiful community and heritage to even higher heights and support each other more. Let's enhance the Black experience. I know I go out of my way to highlight black owned businesses and be involved in our community's celebration/s, preservation and enrichment. I encourage you all to as well. This is our community so let's take pride in us!

One of my favorite YouTubers, CoilsKinksCurls, just recently opened up an on-line BSS! Yes, ladies! A BLACK owned beauty supply store called the Good Hair Mart. Let's get our money back (from the Koreans)and flowing back into our communities.

This hair care thang is a multi-BILLION dollar industry. Can you imagine the impact that would have on our community if that money was coming back to us?! Shoot, the government would be asking us for loans. #Realtalk

Please support this enterprising and beautifully talented Black woman (of God as well) and do some business with her. She's going to be carrying some awesome natural hair care lines including but are not limited to: Afroveda, Donna Marie and Darcy's Botanicals. www.GoodHairMart.com"

Please support what she's trying to do b/c when you support her, you are US! I hope more Black owned beauty supply stores will start popping up. Let's make our own hair care lines b/c we (need to) know our hair better than anyone else! Let's get our money back and as always, keep it Naturally Fly! Let the church say Amen! :D

Reader Question

"Tamara" wrote in and asked for some pointers on keeping her newly natural tresses moisturized:

"I am 1 month natural and i love being natural, I am so proud to embrace my natural self. I have one problem my hair is sooo dry, i have tried the curly girl method just did not work for me. I can not wash and go every day dries out my hair really bad. I do not want to be a product junkie such as I was when I was relaxed. Can you please spare some advice. It seems water dries my hair out I have tried different conncotions nothing is working. I am going to list the products i currently have and see if you can come up with a plan for my dry hair.products i currently have extra virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, castor oil, honey, vegetable glycerin, jojoba oil,and vegetable glycerin with rose water. i will not go back to a relaxer so please, HELP A SISTA OUT!!!!"

Here are some things that I have come up with:

• How exactly are you moisturizing your hair? Do you moisturize with a water based product first and then seal with an oil? Castor oil is a great oil to seal with. It's nice and thick and really helps keep moisture in.
• Maybe you need something heavier to seal with right now like a hair cream or butter if oils aren't cutting it.

• How often are you conditioning your hair? In this cold weather (well depends on where you live I suppose), it's good to try to do intense moisturizing treatments/conditions once a week or at least every 2 weeks if you can.

• Be careful with that vegetable glycerin. I did a post on that and why it can dry your hair out. Read it when you can. After you read it, try caring for your hair without it and observe how your hair acts and feels. It may be better off without it.

• How are you wearing your hair? Depending on what region of the country you are in, the dry and cold winter air can be drying your hair out if you're wearing it out too much. Protective styles work! A great protective style for serious aka very short TWA's are finger coils and once your hair starts to grow longer, you can do 2 strand twists or braids. Protective styles like them really help your hair retain more moisture and keep it from drying out.

Hope these suggestions help in your quest for moisturized hair, "Tamara". You all read last month how I've been battling with dry hair this season myself. It's a journey; a learning process. So roll up your sleeves and continue trying things and taking notes of what's working and what isn't. It will all come together in time. Our hair takes patience but the rewards are mind blowing. Natural hair is, as Rihanna says in her latest single, "so hard". I luv it!

So I know some of my AGCM ladies on here may have some other gems of knowledge to share to help her out. Weigh in!

Hairstyles: Funky Up-Dos

I've decided once my twists challenge is over, to have fun with up-dos (till the summer when the fro will be out in full effect but that's another post....) the duration of the spring season. I'm particularly interested in retro up-do styles from the 1940s.

After surfin the net for inspiration on some styles to craft my kinky koils into, I found some I'm excited to try. My top inspiration was Shingai Shoniwa (from The Noisettes). She is so my style sister. I found some others that I'd love to recreate or put my own spin on. Enjoy the list of pics I've compiled so far. I can't wait till this spring!



Thinking of getting a book to learn how to create these styles. To give me better insight on creating them. But more on that come April. :D

My Hair: Personal Twists Challenge is ON

Ok, a personal twists challenge is ON like DONKEY KONG. I've OFFICIALLY challenged myself to rock the mess outta twists the rest of this winter.

So far, they are doing right by me. I don't have to do anything to my hair in the morning except mist, fluff and go and no dry and greasy hair has been in this house since I added them back to my (winter) regimen. Right now, I'm all about leavin my hair alone for the rest of the winter.

My Twists Challenge Guidelines Are as Follows:

1. I will wear my twists for and re-do them every 2 weeks
2. I will condition and wash my hair every 2 weeks
3. I will continue to henna once a month
4. Challenge will officially end April 1st

Sounds like I'm back on the Crown & Glory Method tip, right? Betcha bottom dollar, I am. My hair has spoken and I've listened. I'll be twisting with my shea pudding and moisturizing daily with a different mist recipe: water, aloe vera gel/juice, and castor oil. I've chosen castor oil over my usual jojoba oil b/c it's thicker and I feel that will help me retain even more moisture since the air right now is so cold and dry.

Here are starting pics of what my twists are looking like in January:


Blogger shrink the pics so much! Click on the pic to see a larger view.

So who's with me? I hope some of you will join me (lemme know!). I think we'll be pleasantly surprised come April with what our hair is lookin like. I will provide updates monthly.

Giveaway: Japonesque Artisan Slant Tip Tweezers

Ok, we've reached 300 followers and the product up for grabs this time is gonna keep those brows lookin "so krispy" (remember that song? Lol. You know you do!). This giveaway is sponsored by LaForce + Stevens to win a pair of Japonesque Artisan Slant Tip Tweezers.

Enter to win this pair pictured. What a cute design, right? Check out my review on them to read my thoughts about it.

Here's How to Enter:

* Simply leave a comment saying "Enter Me"
* Follow the blog if you aren't already :D

Last day to enter is by Midnight Friday, February 5th

A winner will be randomly selected using www.random.org and announced that Saturday. Make sure you check back on Saturday to see who the winner is b/c if you don't (email me to) claim your prize by Monday, I'll randomly select another winner. Good luck!


Photo Credits: Japonesque.com