Just Shana: Reunited and it feels so good

When you realize after there is black dye everywhere, your neck is sore and all you can manage to do is pull your locs in a bun or some haphazard ponytail...you crawl back and beg your loctician to work his magic no matter the cost or the time...

And he says "you cute but your hair looks crazy" LOL but then all is right again with the world.  

Just Shana: An Evening with Eden

One of my favorite beauty bloggers that I have been following for years Kitiya of Mischo Beauty invited a group of us DC area based bloggers to get to know a bit more about Eden Body Works, a company that creates all natural products that really work!  Here is there mission statement:

EDEN BodyWorks™ provides natural products that integrate wellness and beauty inspired by nature to restore and maintain the body’s original design.

The event was held at B. Smith's restaurant in Union Station and of course the food and beverages were delicious.  It is always great to catch up with my beauty buds from the area (we definitely need to do this more often) and in addition to the mini reunion we got to learn more about the brand and how to care for our tresses in the midst of the heat that has arrived in the area via our panelists for the evening, Shirley Gordon, owner of Stands Hair Studio, Julia Coney of AllAboutThePretty.net, Tia Williams of ShakeYourBeauty.com and theflycut.com, Ylorie Anderson of Eden Body Works.  The panel was moderated my Kitiya. I was able to snap a few pics while there.  Enjoy!

Shirley Gordon answering Nikkia's question

I have always wanted to take a pic with one of those signs...I am corny like that

Lianne and Julia 

Julia, Kia & Nikkia

our panel

Ylorie

Kitiya - we have talked online for years and this was the first time we got to meet in person!  love her, she is gorgeous!

Tia Williams!!  Also gorgeous and shoe game proper!

Lianne, always the life of the party!

random pic placement but I used the products on Sam and it did transform her hair.  Moisturized and more manageable instantly.  She likes it because she says it "smells like gum" LOL it is peppermint scented

Kia - gorgeous right?  Kia also did Kitiya's makeup for the event!

Kia chatting with Julia

Kia, Nikkia and I

awful pic but I had to snap Tia's shoes.  I love a good wedge heel

I did get to tweet a bit using the #eveningwitheden tag-good tips were given so check out my tweets!

Kia & Shirley

Tia Williams

Shirley on panel duty

the gift bag - the box with a bow contained a candle that smells amazing!

Kia, Nikkia, Julia and I

In Shana's Hair Kit f. Karmin Titanium (Part 1)

I was sent the Karmin Titatanium Professional Hair Straightener Iron to review by www.hairproductspro.com.  Of course I could not use it on myself so thanks Mom for being my human mannequin.  :)  Check the video for my thoughts on the performance of the tool and see the before and after pics of my mom's hair below.

Give back, Gorgeous!: Show Volunteers Needed this Sunday for Taliah Waajid Natural Hair Show

For all of my Georgia peaches out there looking to attend the Taliah Waajid World Natural Hair Show, here is your chance.  I wish I lived a bit closer because I would be all over this opportunity.  See below:

SHOW VOLUNTEERS NEEDED REGISTER THIS SUNDAY!

We are looking for fun, energetic, and smiling people. If you possess these characteristics and you are 18 years or older then come to our Volunteer Meeting this Sunday to register!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2011
2:00pm - 3:30pm

 

Courtyard Marriott Atlanta Airport South
2050 Sullivan Road
College Park, GA 30337

SHOW DATE SEPTEMBER 10-11, 2011

www.naturalhairshow.org

Local Lovelies: Natural Hollywood Model Mannequinn Red Carpet Event

You are invited to attend the Natural Hollywood Model Mannequinn Red Carpet Event! 

Where: Dress Barn Womens Fashions - Arundel Mills Mall Md.

Saturday August 6, 2011 

Time 2pm- 4pm

Featuring Natural Hairstylist and Magazine Editor-in-Chief Ms. Jennifer Lord

Subscribe today to get your free web-based issue of Natural Hollywood Magazine by visiting:

 www.naturalhollywood.com
 
www.facebook.com/naturalhollywoodmagazine
http://www.naturallymesalon.com/

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 19

Day 19 – Another picture of yourself

celebrating my 18th birthday in Mexico at the Fridays of all places...I was really happy huh?  LOL

yesterday, July 24th, still enjoying my freeforming! (read about it here and here)

30 Day YouTube Challenge-Day 1-Freeform Challenge Check In

Here is the vid I tried to upload to YouTube. I am still optimistic it will load, eventually but for now, here it must stay.

*EDIT* The video finally uploaded to YouTube...sideways (~_~.)  I have now fixed it so you can view without injuring your neck in the process.  My apologies for the constant movement in the vid.  It is certainly NOT glamourous trying to film a vid using your phone and an extended arm.  Sheesh

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Loc Rocker Freeform Summer Challenge Update

So the last time I received loc maintenance was June 10th at the hands of my loctician. Since then Ive washed my hair a few times but I haven't re-twisted my hair at all. I set it, pinned it up and tried pipe cleaner curls, that's it.

I am happy to say that so far Ive had no issues. What works best for me is to introduce even more texture to my already highly textured hair. By that I mean using styles that add additional texture by way of curls, bends or crinkles lets me ignore the fact that I have new growth.

The images show the results of how I set my hair last night using perm rods and aloe vera gel. My hair wasn't wet when I set it but I did apply a generous amount of the aloe vera so my locs still needed to dry. This morning when I took the rods out some of my hair was still wet so some of the curls fell but other than that I love how it turned out and I think I'm doing pretty well with the free-forming challenge.

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Happy Loc Appreciation Day!

Apparently there are some collaborations going on in cyber space via youtube to celebrate but I am not aware of them, so I shall celebrate right here! Here are some more recent pics of my hair that I forgot to include in the other post.

Enjoy! #teamlocs

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Loc'd and Loaded! *pic heavy*

Well everyone I made it!  I went a whole year with one, thats right just ONE hairstyle (altered here and there of course)!  My locs are now 1 years old and it has been quite a journey.  Let's revisit that trip in images shall we?

2nd, 3rd...whatever number big chop

getting some growth...that I could only see when I stretched it like that

finally enough length to pin it up some kinda way

fro' action with major shrinkage...wonder where those glasses are now...

how the locs started

trying to make them fancy off the break

getting some length

needing maintenance so experiment with accessories...

realizing that I don't mind the way they look in between maintenance...money saved!

gave in and retwisted, and notice more length!

pinned up by me

shows how they looked in the early stages after I separated the two strand twists

finally not as much space in between!

found a loctician that I adore!

again spacey boooooo-earlier image

spaces closed up

attempting color-FAIL! It lasted all of a week if that but it wasn't permanent so wasn't too mad

I think I love it most when its wild

but getting it retwisted isnt too bad, and look color again...minus trying to wash out all of the dye and the dry hair that results...

1st rod set!

curls loosening, loved it here!

tried color again, this time black...I want it black again but I refuse to do it myself

I like the way black looks on my skin tone...

attempted pipe cleaner curls but got crinkly instead...guess they need to grow more, but I loved it this way

the beginning...

and now...but with a bit more length than this image shows

I love my hair.  I don't know what took me so long to take this journey into locs but I do not regret it at all.  I have learned to be patient and not worry about my hair so much.  For a while there I didnt see any progress and as soon as I gave up trying to inspect them all the time is when the growth spurt began. 

As you know from this blog alone I love to change my hair and whereas I thought locs didnt offer versatility, I now know that to be a complete misconception.  I do a little bit of everything to my hair and keep it right on moving. 

As far as maintenance, I go to my loctician maybe once every 3-4 months.  I reserve him for special occasions.  In between that I was just re-twisting the front, sometimes the back too if I wanted to pin the back up. Lately I havent even been retwisting that much.  In fact I joined Brittany and her Free Form Summer Challenge!  I signed up for Track 2 - 2 months without re-twisting.  I think  know I can do it.  Wish me luck!

As for the future of the locs - color and creativity.  I was able to reach the milestones of my 1st color, 1st updo, 1st rodset.  I now want to reach my 1st ponytail and 1st bun.  I do not think I will let them grow past my shoulders, they already get pretty heavy when wet.  Its crazy because veteran loc'ers compliment my length all the time and say they wish they were at this length again whereas I am waiting for them to get a little bit longer.  I am enjoying the wait though.

I don't really use anything fancy or exciting on my hair.  My loctician gives me product when I go mostly oil and a light gel for my edges that I dont use that often.  My hair LOVES olive oil.  For a while I was hooked on the Macadamia Oil Treatment but it can be pricey so I had to take a break from it.  I also love the  Organix Coconut Milk line, mainly for the smell.  And I use whatever shampoo happens to be in the shower at the time I choose to wash my hair, which isnt often either.  I am pretty care-free with my hair now and its paying off.  All the fussing I used to do took its toll causing breakage, but now the less I do, the better it acts.

So happy birthday to my locs and cheers to many more!  I will be sure to post pics of how the Free Form Summer Challenge is going.  :)