Blacstrap Molasses and Why You Might Need This in Your Life

I had never really heard about blackstrap molassess until I had to buy a big old jar for my cherry lola treatment (refer back to my post on Max Hydration Method). Once I was done with the treatment, I was stuck with this big jar that I didn't know what to do with it. I decided to check the worldwide internet to see what to do with this stuff and boy oh boy am I excited about incorporating this black, luscious gem into my diet and beauty regimen. Blackstrap molasses is a byproduct of the sugar cane refining process but unlike sugar it 's chocked full of minerals and vitamins. This baby has magnesium and calcium which makes it great for your bones. Blackstrap molasses is a good source of iron making it a great addition for those who suffer from anemia, is a diabetic friendly sweetener, and filled with potassium. Now on to its hair benefits, it has been shown to help with grey hair, frizz and softer hair. There haven't been any scientific studies done but the anecdotal testimonies definitely got me curious enough to add this to some of my hair mixes.
I've been adding blacstrap molasses as a sweetener to my herbal teas, or sometimes just to boiling water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (strange, but tastes surprisingly good) or when I have hot cereal. I add it to my henna mix and bentonite clay mix.  This stuff is super sticky and viscose so I would always advise to use it with warm water or liquid for any hair or skin purposes. Oh, and did I mention that this stuff is cheap, winning!


Cheers!

Your Best Beauty Supply Store Just Might Be Your Local Ethnic Store

Hello Lovelies,

This goes out to all my DIYers, ladies and gents on a budget and those who love to explore. One truly awesome thing about living in Los Angeles is that it is such a multicultural city and with that comes a lot of small shops that cater to their particular ethnicity's needs whether it be a west African store selling palm oil, African black soap, Shea butter, the Armenian and middle eastern stores with Rose water, walnut oil, avocado oil or the Indian store with coconut oil, henna and boatloads of Aryuvedic beauty treatments. I love going to these stores and get lost in the aisles whether I'm buying food or looking for ingredients to  make my own beauty concoctions. I find that not only am I getting quality products the prices are SOOOO much cheaper than if I were to go online or to a mainstream health food boutique store.  A lot of times these shops are family run. In my experience when I've asked questions on the use of certain products and their benefits, I get a wealth of information and sometimes a mini history and cultural lesson. After shopping I always feel I've discovered some great treasures at  fantastic prices and nine times out of ten I have. I now make my toner from orange blossom water, color my hair with henna, cleanse my face with African black soap and it goes on and on. While one does have to be discerning, I find that shopping at my local ethnic stores ensures I'm getting the genuine article of the product I'm searching for. So don't be shy go on a shopping adventure and see what treasures you discover, it'll expand your mind, promise;)

A.J. Crimson BB Cream Review

Hello My Dears,

So I needed to share the news of one of my new favorite makeup items, it's been a while since I've been this happy with a makeup product. While the whole BB cream craze was/is going on,  women of color were left out (surprise, surprise). A few tried (I use that word loosely) to address us: Smashbox, Maybelline, Iman (this year), Sleek and Gosh (the latter two are only available in the UK). The only one I tried was Gosh and that broke me out. Thanks to YouTube I was introduced to the A. J. Crimson BB cream. A. J. is a makeup artist to the stars and has his own line of foundations and powders specifically for women of color (hoorah!). I was intrigued and had to order this product. I ordered shade no.3 and I'm in love. The product has a consistency between a cream and a mousse. A little goes a long way and it gives a wonderful even, light natural looking coverage. It doesn't feel like I have any makeup on my skin at all. The product does oxidize so don't be alarmed at the light color that comes out of the tube. I've been reaching for this over my tinted moisturizers because it is a perfect match, I need to write that again , it is a PERFECT color match for my skin. I love the fact that he has various shades with different undertones starting from shade 2-8. I wear it after I've put on my spf face moisturizer as the product has no spf protection. If you have oily skin (like me) you might want to set with a powder. I'm so happy with this product I went ahead and ordered a second tube and right now he's selling his BB creams for only $10!!!!!  and you get 2oz. I could go on and on, but pictures speak louder than words....
P.S. His site http://ajcrimson.myshopify.com/collections/skin-flawless-stick-foundations

shade no.3, right out of the tube

me wearing the bb cream

P.P. S. There are some great reviews on YouTube (including mine, shameless plug)

Moringa and Why You Need It In Your Life

Moringa leaves

About six months ago I get a call from my mother asking, "if I've ever heard of the plant Moringa?", to which I replied no. She told me research it and on her visit to LA she would bring me some.  After much research I was itching to get my hands on this plant. Moringa or sometimes called the tree of life grows in tropical and sub tropical areas and in my opinion is a wonder plant. The plant takes care of a lot of your nutritional needs, has medicinal qualities, can purify water and is a fast growing tree!!! The leaves have 10x more vitamin A than carrots, 25x more iron than spinach, 17x more calcium than milk, 4x more protein than eggs, 15x more potassium than bananas and 0.75 more vitamin C than oranges.  To get an even better idea of this plant dubbed "the miracle tree" , "It can rebuild weak bones, enrich anemic blood and enable a malnourished mother to nurse her starving baby. It's cheap, and full of nutrients. A dash of Moringa can make dirty water drinkable. Doctors use Moringa to treat diabetes in West Africa and high blood pressure in India. Not only can Moringa staunch a skin infection, it makes an efficient fuel, fertilizer and livestock feed." - http://www.miracletrees.org. Can you understand my excitement now?!?!!! I've been using the powder in my smoothies, sometimes brewing it and drinking it like tea or sprinkling it on my food. The method I prefer most is in my smoothies. While I find the smell strong (reminds me of  henna), it doesn't alter the taste of anything but seems to act more like a flavor enhancer. I have some seeds I've crushed up and put it in my facial cleanser to see how that works. I've been using the plant for about 3 weeks now and one thing I've started to notice is that my hair and nails seem very strong and the growth rate seems to have increased. I haven't measured or scientifically documented this to make any factual claims but since I started taking it I have to clip my nails more often and shave and pluck far more rapidly than normal and I haven't introduced a new supplement to my regimen other than the Moringa. In order to really give a thorough review though I'll have to get back to you guys in about 3 months, but I will update if I notice further improvements. I'm excited!!! To learn more about Moringa check out http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa and of course google! Have a wonderful Sunday lovlies:)
Ciao

Moringa Powder

Bio Oil Update

1 month and 17 days ( I have no makeup on)

Hello, Hello Lovelies!

Yes I know I'm late with my monthly bio oil update and for that I apologize, that thing called life sometimes gets in the way.  Apologies aside, I am still using the bio oil morning and night, exclusively on my face. I have kept to my same routine of one drop for my face and one drop for my neck morning and night. I'm not sure if I've seen any difference in my  skin, I was hoping it would help even out my skin but they do say you have to use the product for three months to see results and to date I've been using it for one month and seventeen day.  As long as I don't break out, I'll continue to use the product for the full three months and keep you guys posted. Enjoy the rest of your week-end.

Ciao!
P.S. the white stuff in my hair is conditioner.

Water Is Your Friend!!!!!

 I guess I take the knowledge that one of the best things for natural hair whether loose or locked is water for granted. I write this because in the past two weeks I have been approached by newly naturals who ask me what shampoo should they use and in the middle of the conversation reveal to me that they haven't cleansed their hair in over weeks and for some months!!! I remember the first time I locked my hair I went 3 weeks without washing my hair (gross I know) but my loctician at the time said I had to go without washing my hair in order for my hair to lock. I now know this for the misinformation that it is and made sure not to repeat that mistake again on my second set of locs, I washed those babies after one week. Will you experience unraveling? Yes, but not a lot and the key is to wash your hair gently and focus on your scalp. I found wearing a hair net (not stocking cap) over my baby locs greatly diminished any unraveling. The fear of your baby locs coming undone shouldn't keep you from a clean, healthy scalp! And guess what, if  your locs unravel you can just simply twist them back up again. Loose naturals who stretch out washing their hair either because they hate shrinkage (we'll address that in another post) or are still holding on to their relaxer days when water was the enemy, here is my PSA to you, WASH YOUR HAIR!!! When I was locked I shampooed once a week and rinsed my hair about 2 to 3 times a week, now with my loose hair I co-wash  at the very least once a week. Water is the best moisturizer for our hair, all the oils and butters we slap on simply help to seal in that moisture. Yes conditioners and leave-in conditioners aid in adding moisture to our hair, but most conditioners (including leave-ins) need to be applied to wet/damp hair, Clean hair.  So repeat after me, "I do not fear the water, the water is my hair's best friend".
Ciao Lovelies!

Soho London New York Makeup Cases Love!!!

Hello, Hello, Hello!

I warned you I had a lip gloss addiction & that's not all of it (don't judge me)

Sealed with a Kiss 

Well I'm in a much cheerier mood so I decided to do a review on an item that I'm really enjoying as of late.  This past December I was invited to an event, The Snowball Event to be exact, in the heart of West Hollywood. There was wine, snacks and Goody Bags!!!!! Now I love getting stuff for free and I'm sure I'm not alone in that but I have to admit out of all my little treasures I got to take home there is one that I'm partial to and that would have to be my Soho Makeup Case. Thanks to being a bit of a YouTube zombie, I have started quite the makeup collection. I haven't gone too overboard yet but developed a slight lip gloss addiction, so much so that I've had to do a personal intervention and promise myself no more new lip products until I have gone through what I currently own. Sorry off on a tangent. Anyways the reason I mention this is because I needed storage for this stuff. The vanity table was overrun, the storage containers filled and let's be honest they are not that cute.  So I was in the marketplace for a cute makeup case. I turned to Sephora and had a slight heart attack at the price tags and was about to just give in and get another storage container when (cue the music) I got the professional makeup case  by Soho! It was everything I was looking for great storage space, mobile, sturdy and cute! But lovelies this was the best part, finding out that they are Affordable!!!!  You can get them at Target, Walmart and Walgreens and the price range is from $19 - $35!! They easily compete with the more expensive cases you would find and if you don't believe me simply check out the photos of mine. So during these times when we are all tightening our budgets but still want to be cute while we do it and get quality stuff it's nice to see brands that are listening.  So if you're in the market for a makeup case....

Ciao Bellas!