Gone too soon..But never forgotten Group duo member Natina Reed Blaque

If you were an 80's-90's baby like me and remember the girl group discovered by Lisa "left-eye" lopes from TLC who found the young group known as BLAQUE:

Member Natina Reed (member on the far left with blue on) was pronounced dead after what is being called a hit and run. She was crossing a street in Atlanta when she was struck by a car and the car then sped off. Ms. Reed was 32 years old, and would have turned 33 year old tomorrow.  

This is such sad news God's love and\ my prayers to her\ family and 10 year old son

+

Have you ever...Lost a relationship/friendship over your hair?? Plus exclusive new music from Solange Knowles

Ok so I ADMIT...I committed to going natural, but lately I have been contemplating the growth of my hair and myself in the last 8 months....

As I get closer to my 1 year hair-anniversary I have thought a lot about past friendships/relationships and those I have now...I have realized that in my decision to claim POWER over my tresses and give them the love and care they deserve, I have realized some of those around me were not as embracing of my  "HAIR IN PROGRESS" 

But I cannot let that stop me, ok it does sting a little that a few friends deleted me from their facebook friend's list.... I had a few past lovers/acquaintances whom I ran  into  ask me before they had a chance to say hello or  ask how am I doing? but  "why did I cut my hair?" 

Overall the decision I made was made consciously  not for others but for myself...so all you naturals who may have big-chopped recently and are looking at yourself and saying..What have I done, Know that hair isn't meant to be your source of confidence but an extension to enhance the inner beauty and self-confidence  you already posses, so continue to to rock your hair HOWEVER you want to!


Keep on growing, watering, and loving your tresses...The shortest stage is the TWA...seriously

*** Exclusive****

 Solange Knowles is busy working her Fro' doing all types of projects, but it seems like she is also working on new music for upcoming LP....here is a peek at what she has been up to...I cannot wait for her album to drop!!

Its always encouraging to see the Natural hair confidence shine...Shout out to Solange Knowles! visit her here @ Solange Knowles My damn blog

The New Alternative to No Lye perm...Egg & Soy?!

What a plant-based hair relaxer????

While chit-chatting with a friend of mine we were talking about hair, when I asked if she still permed her hair....she expressed that she doesn't perm with lye anymore but with a less harsh perm that has a soy & egg base.

Known as a Phytospecific hair relaxer (phytorelaxer) is a hair care product designed to loosen the wave/curl pattern out of hair. A phytospecific relaxer is supposed to be free of harsh chemicals that are often found in lye/no lye hair relaxers. Phytospecific relaxers contain egg & soy; having soy qualifies this relaxer as a "phyto" (plant based) relaxer. The product is advertised by manufacturers to relax hair temporarily with he egg and soy extracts the active ingredient in relaxing the hair. 

The issue with this product is it is misleading as it also contains Guanidine carbonate or carbonic acid with guanidine, known as an organic salt. It is this organic salt that activates the relaxer's straightening properties as the guanidine carbonate has a pH level between 11.5-12.5, very similar to the pH levels in lye relaxers.

Advertised on Sephora.com costs $60.00 for one kit :

Ingredients listed below

-Egg Extract: Relaxes.
-Shiitake Mushroom Salt: Boosts the action of the egg extract.
-Soybean Extract: Restructures the hair shaft.
-Wheat Proteins: Strengthen and repair. 

PS641 Pre Calm Balm:
Zea Mays (Corn) Germ Oil (Maïs), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Isopropyl Myristate, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil (Huile De Ricin), Hydrogenated Castor Oil (Dérivé D'huile De Ricin), Copernica Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Bha, Bht.
PS642 Straightening Balm:
Water / Aqua, Mineral Oil / Paraffinum Liquidum, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Propylene Glycol, Egg Extract / Ovum (Extrait D'?uf), Steareth-100, Peg-75 Lanolin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Oleth -20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Peg-10 Rapeseed Sterol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (Soja), Fragrance / Parfum, Egg Oil / Ovum (Huile D'?uf).
PS653 Inductor Index 2:
Water / Aqua, Guanidine Carbonate, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Yellow 5 / Ci 19140, Red 4 / Ci 14700.
PS645 Milky Restructurer:
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol (Dérivé D'huile De Coco), Propylene Glycol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Distearyldimonium Chloride (Dérivé De Colza), Mineral Oil / Paraffinum Liquidum, Water / Aqua, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride (Dérivé De Gomme Guar), Stearic Acid, Ceteareth-33 (Dérivé D'huile De Coco), Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein (Dérivé De Protéines De Blé) Amodimethicone, Acetamidoethyl Pg-Trimonium Chloride, Canola Oil, Fragrance / Parfum, Lanolin Alcohol, Oleyl Alcohol, Isolaureth-6, Octoxynol-40, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Yellow 5 / Ci 19140.
PS644 Neutralizing and Cleansing Emulsion:
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract (Guimauve), Water / Aqua, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (Dérivé D'huile De Coco), Propylene Glycol, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate (Dérivé D'huile De Coco), Vinegar / Acetum (Vinaigre De Cidre), Peg-15 Cocopolyamine (Dérivé D'huile De Coco), Peg-4 Rapeseedamide (Dérivé D'huile De Colza), Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride (Dérivé De Gomme Guar), Sodium Laureth-11 Carboxylate, Laureth-10 (Dérivés D'huile De Coco), Fragrance / Parfum, Cinchona Succirubra Bark Extract (Quinquina), Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Benzoic Acid, Tetrasodium Edta, Phenolsulfonphthaleine, Sodium Benzoate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Bisulfite.

 Knowledge is key!

So ladies any thoughts on this product?
 Would you use it?
 Already use this product? 
How does it work?
 Is it worth the price? 

Soundoff!!!!

Patience is KEY!! Have you had a dose of Patience today?

As we all know there is a lot of twist and turns on this road of Natural Hair...But I found this and thought it was worth re-posting. After all your hair depends on it....Heck everything we do in life or don't do in life boils down to the one thing that matters most.... PATIENCE!!!

Patience- bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint (as per Webster's dictionary)

So whenever you feel like that TWA just wont work or that twist out you spent hours on has left behind a frizzy mess, just remember that despite all that we go through the healthy hair on your head even when its temperamental is still worth all the fuss and fight...but when the going gets tough...break out that spray bottle of PATIENCE to smooth away the fly-a-ways...Oh yeah and by the way...this is the only hair care regimen that will never break the bank...ITS ABSOLUTELY FREE!!

Did you drink ANY water today?? Are YOU up for the challenge?

Did you know:

• Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.
• Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn't have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.
• Eight glasses of water per day is absolutely needed for healthy hair. You should drink water to clean out your system. This way, your body will be hydrated and your hair will also get more moisture. When washing/co-washing hair, cold water helps to close the cuticle layers on the hair strand and helps conditioner work better, leaving the hair more lustrous.

All these important things I always knew about water, but yet I find I have been lately neglecting how much water I drink. In the summer heat all I can think about is water because its hot, but now that the weather is changing, I am back to hot lattes and cups of Joe to keep me going.

Sooo to help with the moisture retention I have signed myself up for my own Triple H challenge: Healthy, Hydrated, Hair. The least amount of water I can drink is 3 glasses of water daily, with no maximum number daily (found out the 8 glasses of water per day is not a conclusive scientific fact but more so a general rule of thumb)

Day one will commence tomorrow, since I always say start off the day the right way...Bright and Early...besides I forgot about it and had a large coffee tomorrow and I actually want to start and end my day with water. 

So ladies how much water do you drink? Should you be drinking more than you do now?

Happy Drinking

LUCKY LUCY BODY DESSERT WINNERS...

MELLY BELLE & NICOLE K.

THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING...MORE GIVEAWAYS TO COME...STAY TUNED!!!

LADIES BE SURE TO RESPOND WITH YOUR MAILING ADDRESS TO HAVE YOUR PRIZE SHIPPED TO YOU

ALSO BE SURE TO LIKE LUCKY LUCY ON FACEBOOKLucky Lucy Body Dessert BE SURE TO MENTION PRINCESS NATURELLA SENT YOU TO BE ENTERED INTO THEIR GIVEAWAY OF A GET-AWAY GOING TILL THE END OF OCTOBER 2012!!

September is Ovarian/Prostate/Leukemia/Lymphoma & Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

In support of September's Cancer Awareness month, and gearing up for the Breast Cancer Walk (NYC) in late October I came across a post from a friend of mine and it made me feel like this year I want to do more in the fight against Cancer as it continues to affect people near and dear to me...

The other day I had a friend post this via FB (name omitted for privacy reasons): 

 i would like to make it quite clear as to why i am cutting my hair. i have a friend going through chemo. when i thought chemo, i thought... bed-ridden, person coughing up a lung with a bandana on and not the guy who is kicking my butt in sticks! i asked why he cut off all of his facial hair... he then reminded me of the chemo and stated that everyone should have to experience the eventual loss of all of their hair! i don't like to wait on experiences so i jumped at the chance to make a point by choosing to cut my hair. it's to honor my longtime friend as well as show the odd meaning we place on hair!

I couldn't agree more with the point my friend made....I think often in the Natural hair world when we have an opportunity to go natural or have a Big chop done often times we are fortunate to make a C.H.O.I.C.E where other's are not able to be as fortunate.  


I know that when I went and Big Chopped my hair I had a lot of mixed feelings about how other's would accept me or think about me. How my appearance affected my confidence in my physical looks. So I think  it's important to definitely acknowledge the extraordinary men, women, and children who survive this terribly life altering disease. It takes courage in our society to confidently fight cancer and to confidently lose/cut off all your hair and still walk with your head held high!  So next time you feel a bit self-conscious about your newly cropped hair think about those who do it not by choice but as a symbol of their courage to continue to fight for a chance to continue to live life to the fullest!






September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month.  In the U.S., over 12,000 children under the age of 21 are diagnosed with cancer every year, approximately 3,000 of them will not survive the disease. A diagnosis can turn the lives of a family upside down – days suddenly filled with alternating moments of courage, frustration, boredom, anxiety and pain. The objective of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is to put a spotlight on the types of cancer that largely affect children, survivorship issues, and – importantly – to help raise funds for research groups working towards cures*.

If you want to make a difference or learn more about Childhood/Ovarian /Leukemia/Prostate cancer  you can click here Choose Hope




If you would like to send love and encouragement to cancer Survivor Taylor Love you can visit her Facebook page here:

Taylor Love 

                                                       















In women age 35-74, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. An estimated one woman in 71 will develop ovarian cancer during her lifetime. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be over 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed this year and that more than 15,000 women will die from ovarian cancer this year*.

If you too would like to get involved, be sure to check out the Susan Komen Foundation (Susan G Komen Foundation) where you can donate; The Walk for Breast Cancer  is next month you still have time to pledge or even grab a few ladies to partipate in the walk registration can also be found on the site...

"We are only as strong as our brothen, continue to be each other's keeper" -Unknown

Be sure Ladies and Gentlemen to receive regularly scheduled doctor check-ups and be sure to do self breast exams (men & women). Cancer is now one of the top leading causes of death, it is important that we do all that we can to prevent, detect, and treat cancer as early as possible. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

 HairsACure promotes healthy hair growth and hair health for women who are survivors and those battling  cancer or are cancer survivors. The event is scheduled to be held in CHICAGO however it is an event that is happening in OCT 20, 2012. But since it is in Chicago  you may have to plan to make a trip to CHICAGO. Those who live in the Chicago area  in going please review the attached flyer, be sure if you attend to take lots of pictures! The event will talk about and promote natural/healthy hair and will have giveaways and prizes as well.

Even if you cannot attend I plan on making a donation as a percentage of the proceeds go to creating the HAIR'S A CURE FOUNDATION







*All information provided regarding the background and statistics of Cancer comes from the following source and can be accessed here Ovarian Cancer & here Kids Health