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!

Need Transitioning Styles

Hello everyone,

I pray everyone's week is going great thus far. If you are in an area where those blizzards are please be safe. I am praying for you all!
Well ladies I have a friend who is intrested in going natural. I have been educating her on ways to care for natural hair and giving her reasons why relaxers are not good. Well I told her that I would help her transition. And I have been styling her hair in ways that will make her transition an easy and simple one. But since I didnt go through the transition process I'm in need of some transitioning hair styles. I know braids are a good way to transition but her hair is so damages from chemicals that the last set of braids she got while in Jersey broke a lot of her hair off. Especially in the back. So do any of you ladies know of any styles that is good for transitioning?

Thanks! And thanks for your support! God bless!

My Power and Authority!!!!

Happy Sunday everyone,

I know my blog are mostly about natural hair care, and my blog was created solely for that purpose, but I feel like this really needs to be said. I just had another baby. She is 3months old. And the devil has been trying to cause tension in my marriage every since she has been here. My husband and I have somewhat similar styles of raising children. I believe that when a baby cries, something is wrong, and there is something that can be done to soothe a crying baby. Well some people believes differently. And because my husband and I have different opinions about this subject it always result in some sort of conflict when my daughter is crying and I want to console her. And there are times when she just wants mommy. Us women know that babies love thier mommies. Simply because we can nurture them, and touch them like no one else can. Well when my daughter is screaming to the top of her lungs (which she rarely does) I want to know whats wrong. And if my husband has her and I ask him whats wrong, he snaps and then I snap and then the rest is history. But I just want to say "SATAN!!!!!!! You have no place in my marriage and you got to go! Luke 10:19 says " Behold I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions and [physical and mental stregnth and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you"(amp)........
My God has given me the power and the authority to make sure my marriage stays solid! If He said it he meant it! Numbers 23:19 says "God is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man the He should repent!" And He said i win in the end! I was born to win! So guess what I'm gonna keep communicating with my husband, I'm gonna keep encouraging him, and we are gonna continue to compromise even in this situation. Because guess what??? WE WIN! HALLELUJAH! You know sometimes we gotta encourage ourselves in the Lord! Life can get you down! But when you know Who He is and Who's you are, you dont have anything to stress about! OOOHHHHHHHH yall I just can from church and I done got myself happy all over again! Our praise is the weapon we use to fight of the devil and his evil plans. So I'm finna praise God some mo, and and stomp all over the devils ugly head. I bet he wont stick his face in this marriage again!!!!!!!

Well I gotta go! Thanks for you support! I love you and God bless!

Up~Do with Twists

TGIF Everyone,

I wanted to quickly come by and show you all the style i did last night!

Quick easy and cute!

Thanks for your support, God Bless!

Feature: DatFunkyFro

Happy Thursday Everyone,

I am so excited to present to you our very first Curly~n~Natural feature of the month. DatFunkyFro! Isn't she beautiful!

1.How long have you been natural?
This is my second natural hair journey.I did the Bc on March 2010 and before that I transitioned for 6 months. The first one only lasted about one year.


2.What or who inspired you to go natural?
The love of my kinky, curly hair made me go natural. At the time, I didnt know so many women were also natural.




3.What is your favorite natural hair style?
I have two. A bun and a frowhawk. Though I dont really rock these, I love them and can't wait to reach the length that will easily permit me to wear them.



4.What is your favorite natural hair product?
Three things my hair loves are : coconut oil, shea butter and black soap



5.Why do you love being natural?
I love being natural because I am being myself 100 percent. I love being natural because I feel so at ease rocking my God given hair. Most of all, I love being natural because I can wear an afro today, or a twist out tomorrow etc. The versatility of natural hair is just simply amazing!


6. What words would you use to inspire and encourage other naturals or someone who is thinking about going natural?
I would say : "Be confident! I cannot stress this enough. When going natural, do not expect encouragement from others to build your confidence because that encouragement might just not be there. Confidence is the first key to wearing natural hair. The second key is knowledge! Arm yourself with knowledge to know how to maintain your hair! Stand tall and wear your ‘fro with total self-assurance."

*My sis DatFunkyFro also has an awesome blog, datfunkyfro.blogspot.com

And again ladies thanks for your support! If you would like to be featured, answer the above questions in your own words and email them to me @ marianbess@gmail.com. Dont forget to attach some pictures of your beautiful selves! God bless you!

My Husband Loves my Natural Hair!!!!

Hello beautiful naturals,

I pray everyone's week is going great so far! If not I pray it gets better for you!

Yall my husband loves my natural hair. He always compliments me and tell me how nice my hair looks. Even though I was already natural when we met, he completely stands behind the decision that I made. He loves to touch it and then tell me how soft it is. And yes he is the only person that can run his fingers through or play in my hair. I never put heat to my hair, but everytime i mention flat ironing my hair just to see how it looks straight, he always say "dont straighten it", "i like it just like that". God knows I love that man! How I appreciate him!

It feels good when the people that you love stand behind the decisions you make. And every natural sistah knows the feelings you get when you are deciding to go natural. An emotional rollercoaster. Deciding wether or not to go natural can cause a headache and all other kinda ailments. (HAHAHAHAHA I said ailments like i'm 92yrs old) And it is such a beautiful thing when your peeps can still look you in the face and say "you're beautiful", baldheaded and all.
So ladies rock your fades, locs, TWA"s, Afros and all your naturalness, because you are beautiful. And if your fam is supporting you, please let them know that you appreciate them and how much their support means to you!

And if you feel like know one is supporting you, guess what, I AM! Stay inspired, confident and encouraged!

Thanks for your support, God bless!

Why is being "Nappy" such a problem for some women????

Happy Monday ladies,

I pray you all have a blessed and safe week. Ok I live in El Paso, Tx, I've been here for almost a year and I have not seen or met not 1 natural yet. And to make thing worse even though El Paso is predominantly mexican, I live on an army base where I come in contact with many many beautiful women of color, and i have yet to meet a natural. Many people compliment me on my hair everyday, and I always say "Thank You" and then proceed to ask them have they ever considered going natural. And the first thing that comes out of their mouth is "my hair is too nappy to go natural"! I am so tired of hearing that foolishness! So I always respond with I'm happy to be nappy! Nappy is beautiful! And then they get this expression on their face that says "Whateva"! I know it takes a strong and confident woman to go natural and stay natural, and many women just dont have the guts, but when will the time come when being "Nappy" wont be a problem???

I absolutely love all of my sistahs and i just want the wool to be pulled from over thier eyes. I understand the phrase "to eash his own" but chemically relaxing your hair is toxic, and if you want to achieve a straight hair look there are other alternatives such as flat ironing and hot combing. And even too much of that will start to cause damage.

I love being natural! It is one of the best decisions i ever made in my life. Being natural allows my inner disposition to shine far more brighter than my outer appearance could ever be. It allows me to express my individuality and be the unique person that i am. It allows me to be creative and have fun with my hair, while maintaining it's health and growth.
So to all the women out there who has a problem with accepting every kink, coil, and curl that God gave you, i dare you to stand up and have have faith in the fact that God made NO mistakes when he created you! Even the fibers on your head!

Well ladies thank for your support! Enjoy your week and God bless you and yours!

The Huetiful Hair Steamer!

Happy Sunday ladies,

I pray all is well with you and yours! Well i've been hearing a lot about The Huetiful Hair steamer and I really want to try it out.

The Huetiful Hair Steamer is specifically designed for the unique needs of wavy, curly and kink-curly hair. Hair with natural curl patterns require more moisture and hydration than hair without a curl pattern. But products never seem to provide the nourishment; especially when curly hair is weathered by heat styling, the environment (humidity, cold weather, extreme heat, dry air), and chemical or color treatments.

The Huetiful Hair Steamer helps overcome the variables that lead to dry hair. It does this by restoring moisture 5x better than deep conditioners alone. The Huetiful Hair Steamer achieves these great results by opening up the cuticles of your hair to allow the conditioner or hair treatment to be pulled deeply inside the hair shaft. While the hair cuticles are open, the Huetiful Hair Steamer bathes your hair with warm mist to replenish lost moisture.

So I am going to order the hair steamer within the next week or so. Once I recieve it and actually take the time to use it. I will post before and after pics so you can see the results. Thanks for your support, God bless!

Looking for Naturals!!!!!

Happy Saturday Lovelies,

I pray everyone had a blessed and inspiring week. Well i wanted to quickly come by to ask you ladies if any one of your would like to be featured on my blog this year. I'm looking to do some things different this year and the first is featuring other beautiful naturals like yourselves. I would only ask you some questions and post your answers and a pic of all your goregeousness!

Questions..........

1.How long have you been natural?
2.What or who inspired you to go natural?
3.What are your favorite natural hair styles?
4.What are your favorite natural hair products?
5.Why do you love being a natural?
6.What words would you use to inspire other naturals or women who are thinking about becoming a natural?


So if you are interested please email your answers to me at marianbess@gmail.com and please don't forget to attach some pictures. I love you natural ladies! Thanks for your support, God bless!

New style w/ twists

Happy Humpday people,

I pray everyone is enjoying their week. Well i wanted to share with you all a new style that I did with twists.

Here are the steps........

1. divide hair in 4 parts
2. using the 2 parts in the front create a "V" style bang and seperate it
3. Now using the 2 parts thats left over in the front (which should be the sides) pull up into a pony tail.
4. now start your twists. I started with my bang first, then the ponytail, then the back.
5.Once all of your twists are complete loosely pull your bang back to where your ponytail starts and secure it with a couple bobby pins. (please make sure your bobby pins have rubber tips on the end)


There you have it. The 5 steps to this beautiful style. Thanks for your support. God bless!

Conditioner Confusion!!!!!!

Hello beautiful people,

I have a question????? I am having conditioner issues and I really could use your help! Ok before moving to el paso, I was using Elasta QP moisturing creme conditioner, great stuff by the way, and now since we live this city i have a hard time finding it. The one one place that i did find it, rarely has it. So now I've been using Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. It's an ok product but I'm not in love with it like i was in love with my Elasta conditioner. So this is where I need your help. Could you please tell my what condioner you use, and what is does for your hair????? There are some conditioners that i am most def gonna try in the near future, like Taliah Wajiid's Protective mist condish, and probably a Carol's Daughter condish. But ladies i would like to hear from you!!!

Thanks for your support! God bless!

PrincessIsm Inc. Fundraising Campaign!

Hello Lovely Naturals,

I wanted to come by really quick and let you know that If you were interested in donating to the cause of my Program PrincessIsm Inc. you can do so by visiting giveplanet.com/princessism. Thank you so much for your support! God bless!

Hair length update!

Hello lovely naturals,

I checked the length of my hair, and no i did not reach the goal that i set for myself! I blame it on pregnancy! I can honestly say that i did not take care of my hair the way that i planned too in the beginning of 2010. But I am gonna try again! Since I will not be having anymore babies, taking good care of my hair will not be a problem.

Well i measured the length of my hair and it's a little over 11 1/2inches long. I'm proud of the progress that my hair has made. I really neglected it this past year and it still is long and healthy.

Thanks for your support! God bless!

PrincessIsm Inc.

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to quickly come by and share with you a project that I have been working on and I would really like your support. For a couple years now I have been putting together a business proposal for an all girls club and after school program. Finally it is completed! This year is the launching of PrincessIsm Inc.

Definition: PrincessIsm- The Act of being a Princess

PrincessIsm Inc. is a non-profit, Christian-based girls club and after school program, designed to empower and educate young ladies to live whole, balanced, healthy, virtuous lives. PI endeavors to motivate the ladies to embrace their God-given beauty, talents, and abilities, while assisting them in overcoming the difficult circumstances of life. We provide academic tutoring, life skills and character building training and also the support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement, and constructive examples needed to encourage healthy lifestyles. With love, in a safe and nurturing environment we will help each and every young lady reach their highest potential, as they live as the princess they were created to be.

I will be starting a new fundraising Campaign in a few days and I would love your support. You can also find us on Facebook. Thank you so much for your support, God bless you and yours!

Holiday Hair-do!

Hello Everyone,

I pray you all had a blessed and safe Christmas and New year! I really enjoyed being able to go back home to Florida for the holidays, but I must admit I was ready to get back to my house in El Paso! Well I wanna share a few pics of my Holiday Hair-do. I knew I did not want to be doing my hair everyday so I put in some twist and styled them differently just about everyday. I absolutely love twists. They have very low maintenance, and they are just too cute! They are also a very good protective hairstyle.