Life doesn't always go the way we plan.......

Hello My Beautiful People, I just wanted to stop by to first say thank you for all of your love and support. It truly is a blessing knowing that I am able to help so many people learn how to work towards having healthy hair and a healthy scalp. I also wanted to apologize for not blogging regularly as I had planned to, but life doesn't always go the way we plan. Just to catch you up, I am working everyday except Sundays, I have also expanded my business to be able to offer top quality pure Indian Remi Weave with a warranty against excessive matting and shedding, to my clients as well as the general public. If you are interested in buying hair or starting your own hair business please visit my website www.hairbymariab.com for more information. My husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan so I've been working, taking care of the kids and holding the house down until my husband gets back. So my life has been very very busy. I also started attending school to get my degree in business management but with a growing business and my husband gone, school is just too much for my plate right now, so after this term I will be taking a break from school. But I do plan to start posting at least once a week. I figure once a week shouldn't been too much for me to handle. But again I thank you, and I just want to send some encouragement your way and tell you to wait on God. Isaiah 40:27-31 "Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, “God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind." But we wait on God in His presence! The presence of God provides us with a peace and a comfort that we need to continue to stand.

5 Skin and Make-up Tips.........

Hello Family, I just wanted to come by and give some really quick skin and makeup tips.... 1. Cleanse, Tone and Moisturize your skin before applying any type of makeup. Find Cleansers, Toners and moisturizers for you specific skin type. This will be the foundation for flawless looking makeup. 2. We all know that our skin is lighter in the winter than it is in the summer, sooooo why am i still seeing women wearing their winter makeup????? When its hot out make sure you find a makeup professional to help you match your foundation for the summer. Hint: Instead of using liquid foundation for your everyday wear during the summer months try a tinted moisturizer. And seal it with a powder. My skin is still able to breath and it looks very natural. 3. Always, always, always keep some time of lip moisturizer on you at all times. In the summer months or lips tend to be a little more chapped considering that we don't drink as much water as we should. 4. Drink water, water and more water. Water hydrates us from our heads all the way down to our toes. If we drink a good amount of water everyday, it will result in vibrant healthy looking skin and hair. 5. Blend Your Eyeshadows! Youtube vids are excellent for learning different blending techniques. Find what works best for you. Ok there you have it some quick, off the top of my head skin and makeup tips. I plan to post more in depth material about skin and makeup so please stay tuned. As always Thanks for reading. Love ya and God bless! (some of my work below)

Im Back! (Sorry)

Hello world, Yes I know it has been a very very long time since I posted a blog. Life has a way of making you choose your priorities for a season. Well I just want to catch you up on whats been going on with me. Well as you know last June I started cosmetology school, I am now a licensed cosmetologist working out of my home for now. I don't really want to get a job at a salon because I dont know how much longer we are gonna be in El Paso. Getting through school was very tough for me. Every time I turned around something was coming up. My husband and I was have major communication issues in our marriage. We would let the little things slip by and then when a major issue arose we did not know how to come to some type of common ground. So we went to counseling. Then my husbands 2kids came to live with us and instead of my being responsible for 2 kids i was now responsible for 4. And boy boy boy there were days that I just wanted to run away. But I know that God had already prepared me for such a season. So I allowed God to continue to use my family to make me stronger, wiser and overall a better person. I was so proud of myself the day I graduated from school, this was the first thing that i have ever committed to, stuck with and finished. The days leading up to my last was so emotional for me because i remembered where i came from and what i been through. My days at Regency Beauty Institute were great. I had some of the best instructors in the world. Im glad I didn't go in with a closed mind because I completely fell in love with the beauty industry. I allowed myself to acknowledge the love i had for the industry and I nurtured it and let it grow. My passion for this industry consumes me so much til i see beauty in everything and everywhere. I always said that God made no mistake when He created me and that is so true, But He also made no mistake we He made you, bob, Jane, the trees, birds and oceans. The beauty of Gods creation is in everything we see and every person we meet. My heart is so full of the fact that when God created us He gave us each our own unique beauty! The say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, well God is the Beholder! And when we look at the world through the Beholder's eyes we can see it as He see's it. Well as for my hair, when I started school my hair was so long, healthy and gorgeous. But I would have to wake up at about 4:30am -5:00am every morning just so i can co-wash, De-tangle and style in hair. So i let a friend of mine straighten it, and oh boy was that a mistake. After i washed it just about all of my hair returned to its normal state except for the front of my hair. It was still straight and my original curl never cam back. So i had to sin against my hair. (lol) I relaxed it! I know i shouldn't have did that but i didn't think i had a choice. so i relaxed it, then i colored it, then, i cut it shoulder length, then i added highlights, then i got tired! I was so upset with myself because I felt like i had let my true identity slip away. Even though I am not my hair, I took pride in being a natural woman! So on 2/14/2012 I did my 3rd Big Chop! I was so proud of myself because I would usually grown my hair out and when i felt like it was long enough i would cut it off where the new growth starts. But not this time. I let my husband cut it all off! And he loved it. It took me a few days to get used to it because I have never been completely bald but now I love it. I have been keeping it short every since that day. I feel so free and confident! I have never felt this beautiful! Well hopefully I will be able to post more often. I would like to post about my current work as a hair and makeup artist. But we will see. Please help me pray for my success in the beauty industry and that i continue to listen for those leading and promptings of the Holy Ghost. I can only get where I need to be by listening for direction from the Creator of beauty. Thank you all for reading and i pray you have a prosperous week. Love ya!

Back to School.......

Hello Ladies,

I know I have been M.I.A for a while, but I have been getting ready to head back to school. I finally enrolled in a Cosmetology program. I am so excited about returning to school to do something that I love to do. I have been doing hair since I was 15yrs old, so instead of continuing to bootleg, I am just gonna go get licensed. Getting licensed as a Cosmetologist is extremely beneficial to me. As some of you may know, I am a military wife, and we travel a lot. Being a licensed cosmetologist will enable me to make money everywhere that we may go.

So during the next 10 months I will try my best to keep you guys posted on how school is going and I will also share with you any information that I feel could be help to you. Thank you so much for your patience, love and support. Enjoy your weekend. God Bless!

Who knew?????

Happy Resurrection Sunday people,

I have really been having a great time in the Lord this week. His grace is truly AMAZING!
Well ladies I just wanted to stop by and share a quick testimony. As some of you may know I am an Army wife. I am also a stay-at-home mom. I love being able to take care of my husband, children and home. I truly brings me joy. Well because I am a stay-at-home mom we only live off the income of my hubby! And sometimes our budget gets really tight considering that we have bills and we all know things come up. We talked about me going back to work, but my hubby just do not want me to work. And if I go back to work, daycare will be another bill added to our list. Well for the past few months I have had some ladies who have been consistently wanting me to do their natural hair. At first I was not charging anyone. And then a thought came over me to charge people when i do their hair. And every since I started charging, it seems like I have been getting more and more customers. This is so exciting to me because God knows that my family can use this extra income. Deut 8:18 "But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." So I will continue to do hair out of my home, for profit! Thank You Lord for being so faithful!
So ladies I wanted to share that with you, and encourage you all to continue to trust and wait God. He really does makes way out of no way. Thanks for your support God bless!

Current Product Staples!

Happy Thursday Ladies,

I pray you all are enjoying every precious god-given day so far. Well I am ever so excited because tonight i will be going to see one of my all time favoite female ministers....... Mrs.Joyce Meyers! Yaaaaaaay! I so love her! I have seen everyone from Creflo Dollar to Jesse Duplantis and have not seen her yet. It will be such and honor to sit under her teachings for a night.
Well ladies I wanted to come by and share with you what my current hair products are. I would share with you my current regimen,but guess what, I don't have one. I have been doing my best to keep my hair in protective styles. So it really does depend on what kind of style it is and how long i want it to last.
So I am currently using every day My Homemade daily moisturizing spritz. The ingredients are.........
*Purified water
*Aloe Juice
*Coconut oil
*Carol's Daughter Khoret Amen Hair Oil (olive oil infused with essential oils of ylang-ylang, cedarwood, patchouli, and bay leaf)
*Lime Juice
*Vitamin E
*Glycerin
*Essential oils- peppermint, tea tree, lemon, and thyme

My hair as well as my daughter's hair love this stuff!

And as I mentioned earlier I have been keeping my hair in protective styles. And most of the time its some kind of twists style or updo. So when i twist my hair i do so by using my Homemade hair butter which consists of.........
*Mango Butter
*Shea Butter
*Avocado Butter
*Glycerin
*Vitamin E

This stuff is great! It keeps my hair soft, supple and moisturized. And it also has great holding abilities.

Other products I may use occasionally are.......
*IC Fantasia Aloe vera gel for puffs
*Hawiaan Silky All Natural Moisturizer for tiwst outs
*Herbal Essences Hello Hydrations Shampoo and Conditioner

You know sometimes I tend to feel like I'm not using enough products, but then i think hey, this is what works for my hair. As long as my hair is moisturized and growing i dont need to use a whole lot of different products. And guess what I dont spend a whole lot of money either. I buy all of my all natural products in bulk, so that i only have to purchase them once, maybe twice a year. The only thing i have to buy monthly is Conditioner.

So there you have it. This is everything that i am currently using in my hair. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Thank you for your support and God bless!

OMG! Feature: Mrs. Eliza

Happy Monday everyone,

I am sooooo happy because I just did my friends' BC! I now present to you a newly natural beauty Mrs. Eliza!

1.How long have you been natural? 20mins

2.What or who inspired you to go natural? My friend Maria Bess and also my daughter's natural hair. I love her fro.

3.What are your favorite natural hair styles? Twists updo

4.What are your favorite natural hair products? Water and olive oil

5.Why do you love being a natural? I love the freedom of not having to worry about what to do with my hair. It's short and manageable.

6.What words would you use to inspire other naturals or women who are thinking about becoming a natural? Its a great thing to do. If you like having your own hair and like being able to say that it is your you should definitely go natural. I love it!



Isn't she beautiful! Liberated and goregeous! I've know Eliza for about a year now and she not only beautiful on the outside she is also beautiful on the inside. A growing woman of God! I'm so proud of her!



Thanks ladies for your support! God bless you and yours!

Feature: Natural Beauty, Mrs Jenohn!

Happy Saturday,

I pray you all had a glorious week! I know I have! I have been basking in the presence of the Lord all week and I am feeling great! Well ladies its time for another feature!

Meet Mrs. Jenohn!


1.How long have you been natural?
I have been natural on and off since, I got married in 1997. I did a BC in Dec 09’ and made my 1 yr in Dec 10’ and 3 months now.

2.What or who inspired you to go natural?
It really wasn’t a person. It was just the barber who was doing my hair would give me a texturizer and then cut and shape me up. I loved the way my hair looked and it was low maintenance. I then wanted to see what my own hair looked like without texturizer, if I had a curl to it, then I stopped texturizing.

3.What are your favorite natural hair styles?
Right now, I definitely love kinky twist braids, Senegalese braids, and I also like having my hair braided into different styles. My hair is also long enough to plait and two-strand twist, probably could roller-set, haven’t tried that one. I recently had my first experience with a weave. I wore it for 5 weeks. I just took out today and my hair has really grown. It was a sew-in and a great experience.

4.What are your favorite natural hair products?
This is definitely tuff but, my staples have always been Carols Daughter. I use it on my hair and my kids. I like making my own Shea butter with Castor, Avocado, Grape seed oil. I enjoy using Crème of Nature Argan Oil Intensive Conditioning Packets. They are great; I just add my own oil. I have practically tried mostly everything. That probably sounds bad, but you have to find what works for you.
5.What do I love about being natural?
For me, I love being different that what is considered the norm. I love the versatility; it’s kinky, coiled and glorious. It’s pretty, thick, and beautiful. I have so many options to try. Plus, I have two kids with naturally curly hair and I am teaching them to love theirs as well.

6.What words would you use to inspire other naturals or women who are thinking about becoming natural?
It’s a process. This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not a fad. You have to be secure and honest with yourself. If you are doing it for the wrong reasons, you could be biting off more than you can chew. We all have our reasons, just be happy and take pride that you have made the best decision of your life and no matter what anyone says “You love it”.


Simply Lovely and so beautiful! Thanks Jenohn for allowing me to share your Natural Hair Experience! May God continue to bless and enrich your life with His goodness!

Thanks for your support Ladies! God bless you and yours!

Feature: Miss Chantea

Hello everyone,

I pray you all had a marvelous week! Well once again it is my pleasure to introduce to another beautiful natural!

Meet Miss Chantea!!!!!!!


1.How long have you been natural?
My last relaxer was April 2009- 1 month before my college graduation. I transitioned for 15 months (the whole time from perm to natural)
I will be natural for 2 years in May of this year 2011

2.What or who inspired you to go natural?
I was tired of relaxers. I remembered how long my hair was before I started using relaxers, and how healthy it was. I missed it and felt that my hair was boring, weak, and falling out with (chemically altered) straight hair. It was "too normal" "too comfortable" "too safe." I didn't feel like it was me AT ALL. I needed liberation, and I got it.
I always admired the hairstyles of naturals such as Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott, and other natural women.

3.What are your favorite natural hair styles?

I love bantu-knot-outs, fro-hawks (curly), braids, braid-outs, and twist-outs. Also the straw curl. I love it all!

4.What are your favorite natural hair products?
Aloe-Vera Juice and Aloe Vera Gel
Olive Oil
Organics "Olive Oil - products
Twist & Locks Honey Wax (Super) I love this product!
honey
Shea Butter
lime/lemon juice
and water.

5.Why do you love being a natural?
Everything! My hair is healthy and soft and MINE! I can actually style my hair without damaging my scalp or my hair.
It's so liberating...I'm in Love!




6.What words would you use to inspire other naturals or women who are thinking about becoming a natural?

Develop a closeness with your hair. Research all you can about styles and products! If you transition all the way (like I did) treat your hair as if it is already fully natural.
Sometimes the best thing to do for your hair is to leave it alone - *Protective Styles* (I chose to transition all the way to try different styles, and to test products - It was my personal time-table for educating myself ).

Oh and give your hair a name! My hair's name is Lega*C - meaning - returning to the essence of the roots that God gave me. Inspiring other women of color to embrace their nationality and the gift that God placed upon their crown.

Also when it comes down to it all - it's YOUR hair. You have to remember that. Make sure you are happy and Please do NOT base your decision making on what other people (friends/family) think - It will drive you CRAZY! It will be emotional at first but Be CERTAIN of YOURSELF.
You will probably receive negative comments from people you love but stay with it. If the people you love isn't used to natural hair - you will get criticized and probably receive remarks that questions your decision making and way of thinking such as "You must be going through a phase?" "You should really think it over", "Is everything ok? Are you stressed out?" and my favorite one is when they assume peer pressure or relationship pressure, as if I don't have a mind of my own. I actually had to prove to MYSELF (assuring myself) and to friends that I was born a natural and I will embrace it. And now I'm receiving more compliments about my hair and more support from the previous criticizers. In fact, people (family and friends who are not natural) are asking me (a natural) how to take care of their hair, and what products to use! (I immediately tell them to stop using relaxers, but that's not the answer they want to hear) My support system has increased tremendously and now even though there is still a little residue from the previous negative remarks, the outcome is so worth it.
Walk proud in your naturalness. I am truly a proud and confident black woman and hopefully I have encouraged you to be bold and beautiful and NATURAL!

God Bless!

Chantea

I Just love her! I think I met Chantea a lil over a year ago on naturalsunshine.ning.com. And she is such a beautiful sweet person. Natural Diva! I love it!

Thanks for you support! God Bless!

Feature: Miss Feleicia!

Hello everyone,

I do apologize for my absence, I was under the weather for a while fighting off a really bad cold. But thank God that I am whole, healed, and well in Jesus' name! Well ladies I am happy to introduce a new feature to you! I am honored and priviledged to feature her because she has been one of my good friends for years. She is truly an amazing woman and I love her sooooo much! I present to you Royalty in the flesh............. Miss Feleicia!





FELEICIA: I have been natural for 4 yrs. I have always had a desire to be natural for years, but never did because of family opinion. They thought i was going through a mid-life crisis. But when i did, it was a wrap. I received so many compliments from family when i did go natural. My favorite style is a new style that last more then a week, lol. My favorite hair products are organix shampoo and condition and mrs. Jessies buttercreme. I love natural hair because i look great like a original nubian queen. Plus, i love the idea of no chemicals. I would inspire any women to go natural to see a true beauty, its amazing.



Absolutely Goregeous! Feleicia I love you girl! Thanks for everything!

Well ladies until next time! Thanks for you support! God bless you and yours!