Bronner Bros. International Hairshow! Part 2

As you ladies know, I had the honor of working for Taliah Waajid last weekend for the Bronner Bros. International hair show here in Atlanta, GA. The show was amazing and was packed! There were vendors for every kind of beauty item you can imagine. There was cutting, coloring, weaving, relaxing, makeup, eyebrow threading, and even ear candling going on all around the show. It just goes to show that even during a recession, the beauty industry is still thriving and innovating. Here are a few pics of all the "happenings"

For the show, I styled my own hair and did my own make-up. I actually applied lashes for the first time ever. Two of my really good friends went with me (well kind-of) so we had a good ole GLAM session before hand. I love these ladies and I am so glad they are both on natural journeys with me! Ebabs-J, Tdavis, and me on the way to the show...

This was my look for day one...I did a neutral eye and a simple twist-out..

Here's my look for day two... I tried to step it up a notch with a dramatic eye...hmmmm..yeah...LOL! My hair is the same twist set, refreshed with some raw shea butter.

I can't wait for the World Natural Hair Health & Beauty Show coming up this April 30- May 1st. It's sponsored by Taliah Waajid and Black Earth Products and will held at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, GA. Hope to see some of you ladies there. Please make sure to stop me if you do come out!

Throwback Product: Mizani "Rose H2O"

In efforts to stick to my "moving target" of a budget, I have been digging through my old supply of haircare items to see if any of them will work well on my hair at its current length. Being cheap has really paid off, as I have been able to use up some product that I have had since 2005 or earlier...lol..don't judge me!

"Rose H2O" Intense Overnight treatment has turned out to be a wonderful product for my twist. I loved this product when I was relaxed and ponytailing frequently. Its a heavier version of the regular "Rose H2O", which I also have in my old stock pile from way back when. The overnight treatment was was a bit too greasy for my relaxed hair, but my natural hair is loving it!

I got the idea to use it from Robyn of Robyn's Nest, who happens to be in love with Mizani "Butter Rich" and uses it for her braid outs. (<-- Thank ya, kindly!) I've used the "Butter Rich" samples I got and thought the products would work similarly. I apply the "Rose H2O" from root to ends of a damp section, apply raw shea butter, smooth with the "Fenman" and twist. It's left my hair really soft, shiny, and smells great!

Type 4 Twist n' Style with Bobby Pins

The pic above is the reason I'm willing to give twist-outs another go. The difference is *so* tiny, you can hardly see it, but boy it works wonders...

**Bobby pins saved my twist-outs.**

For a really long time I struggled with twist sets. I tried everything from making them larger, smaller, flat twists, twisting all the way down, coiling ends, multiple layers....and everything yielded similar results. I always ended up with defined roots and frizzy ends. But that has all changed, and I owe it all to the Bobby Pins (BPs).

One night, after a particularly dreadful detangling session, I got serious about twisting my hair to keep it from getting matted. Keep in mind that I have been attempting to train my hair to "hang" down, so I thought pins on the ends would weigh the twists down and stretch the length a little. At the end of each twist, I stopped short of the ends, smoothed them through, secured with a BP and let my natural pattern/ends do the work.


The results were impressive.....


...but it wasn't until I tried the same method with smaller twists that I was sold! I also lucked up...well, more like "lazied up"...onto a work appropriate hairstyle. At the end of the twisting session (and partially air drying), I worked from back to front, tucking the bobby pins back to tie my hair underneath a silk scarf. The next morning I simply removed the scarf and did my makeup. My coworkers loved it! It would have been even better if the parts were neater, but I didn't really plan this as a style. So, whatevs...






That night I released the twists and fluffed. I rocked the biggest, stretched fro that I have ever accomplished. The set lasted me about 4 days by pineappling and sleeping on a silk pillowcase. The pic below is me and my Valentine, rocking day 4 hair...

Bronner Bros. International Hairshow!

This weekend I will be attending the Bronner Bros. International Hairshow here in Atlanta, GA! If you ladies have never attended the show, trust me, it is a sight to be seen! The show is this weekend, Feb. 18-21 at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta.

I had the honor of being a relaxed hair model for Patric Antonio Bradley and sitting in on some of his classes. As a stylist, there is always much to learn on new techniques and ways to stay on the cutting edge in haircare and design. Patric is the best of the best, and I miss modeling for him something terrible! I always had the best cut and color...he even made me a red-head once :)

And then a deep violet that looked jet black...well, indoors it did....lol!

This year I will be attending the show and fully rocking my natural. I think I've played with my twist-out enough so that I can rock it confidently and have really BIG HAIR! Whoo-hoo! CurlyNikki is having a meet-up on Friday and I will be there as well. Hope to see some of you ladies at the show!

World Natural Hair Next Top Model Crowning Ceremony

As you ladies know, I had the pleasure of being a natural hair model for the World Natural Hair Next Top Model Crowning Ceremony held here in Atlanta, GA. This event was sponsored by Taliah Waajid's Black Earth Products and was absolutely fabulous!

There was spoken word, tap performances, and the lovely winner's were crowned. I wish you all could have been there to see of of the amazing heads of hair in the room; there were all types of textures and tones. It felt great to be a part of the event and feel like just another person in the room..not "The Girl with the Fro"....ya'll know what I mean!


For the event, I styled my own hair with my Eco Gel and EVOO mix as a wash-n-go, with one front side pinned up. It was simple and elegant. The makeup artist did a dramatic eye on me and everyone loved it. I will post her contact info today, b/c I highly recommend her for special occasion makeup!

This model rocked a mean fro! Almost makes me want to put a flower in my hair...almost... :)

Close-up shot of my make-up. Never worn falsies before, but they were fab! I will have to practice with these...

Later that night and I am over-done for the bar...but whatevs!

Target Clearance Find: Suave Naturals Pomegranate Splash

Today I went to Target on a mission to find the best, cheapest conditioner I could find. I lucked up and came out with a bottle of Suave Naturals Pomegranate Splash that was on clearance for $1.24. The Next Top Natural Model crowning ceremony is tomorrow, and I needed a serious co-wash and detangle session to prep for styling in the morning.

I love the smell and slip of this conditioner. I just hope it plays nice with my facial skin...we shall see. Be on the lookout for this one. The scent alone is well worth it...smells good enough to eat! The price allows you to slather it on without feeling guilty...detangling was a breeze using my fingers and my "Fenman" brush. I twisted each section and pinned it all back. I will sleep with the conditioner tonight and rinse and style in the morning. More pics to come!

(The pics below are of the nape of my hairline. Somehow, it always seems to escape the detangling sections..)