So the "preview" wasn't long but it was interesting to see the ladies talking about their weaves. Raven-Symone shifted hers from side to side which made me chuckle. Then they got into the issues of touching a Black woman's hair, putting the hands in the hair, and sex with weaves. Eh. I still want to see it though so October 9th it is. Did anybody else catch the clip? What did you think?
Here's the trailor for Good Hair, which interestingly enough is being called a comedy. I guess I thought it was going to be a more serious, thought provoking documentary. But, with Chris Rock, I suppose it would be hard not to inject his classic humor. I hope it brings more than just laughs though considering how many women really suffer from low self esteem and self hate due to struggles with beauty. Take a peek:
*****UPDATE******
If you tune in quickly, for the next 30 mins, you can catch a first glimpse at Chris Rock's Good Hair film. I'm gonna watch and let you know what I think later!
In this recession there are many indulgences we natural ladies have had to skimp on. But, lucky for us, there is one simple indulgence we can hold on to that can be done daily in the privacy of our own homes. I am talking about a soothing, stimulating scalp massage!
Many naturals swear by it for relaxation and hair growth so I am thinking about adding it to my normal routine. If nothing else, it will be a soothing way to unwind before bed after a long day at work.
So here's what you need to know about scalp massages:
A properly done scalp massage can increase blood circulation to the hair follicles, increase relaxation, decrease stress, condition the scalp, and boost the strength of the hair roots. The kneading pressure applied by massage warms the skin and opens up blood vessels to increase flow and boost circulation. Increased circulation means that the cells of the hair follicle will receive more of the nutrients necessary to optimal hair growth function. The rubbing motion promotes relaxation and feels good, thus increasing the production of "feel good" chemicals that work to lower levels of stress hormone in the body. Lower stress levels allow your organs to function more efficiently, thus boosting your hair follicle's ability to grow hair.
If you use nourishing oil (like grapeseed, coconut, or jojoba) during scalp massage the oils will condition the scalp, reducing the occurrence of dandruff and dry skin that can interfere with the hair growth process. Oils also condition the hair shaft and root lessening the chances of brittleness, hair strand breakage, and split ends. (Info taken from HERE)
Follow these tips for great scalp massaging technique:
*1. Start from the forehead hairline along the arteries in the front, side, and back of the head, making small circles with your fingertips.
2. Work your way toward the top of the head as if drawing a circle.
3. Massage your hair/scalp for just ten minutes a day: once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Do not give up after a few days. Make it a habit! You can also massage your scalp when shampooing your hair.
Hey guys and gals! I just took some pics of a hairstyle I have been rocking for the past few days and thought I'd share. They are small two-strand twists that started off as 6 large twists. I did them on wet hair and went to bed. They were NOT dry the next day (I know better than this but I still thought they might be, IDK why) so I took them down then pinned the hair up in an updo. That evening, I two-strand twisted my whole head, re-wetting the roots and applying unrefined shea. I wore that pinned up the next day. Then (I know I know, this is getting rediculous) I took each twist down and separated it two or three times to make even smaller twists. And that is how it has been ever since. So the hair was slightly stretched from all that twist-up/take down action but not really. These pics are from after work today and they have shrunken a little. Yesterday, I wore them in a low side bun that was really cute (sorry no pics). Today I wore it down, then pulled it back as it got in my way.
Total products I used: Water Conditioner (left in hair) Shea Butter (unrefined)/Coconut oil mix (which I made by mixing a tub of shea with a few tablespoons of coconut oil)
(Back View)
I'm thinking to keep them this weekend, wash, deep condition, maybe re-twist a few with Fantasia IC Aloe gel, then rod set them for curly twists. If it turns out ok I will try to post more pics.
Ok, so I know I just did two posts at one time but...eh who cares! This is so freakin cute I had to share. How sweet! Great coordination! Beautiful energy! And that dude at 1:14 was gettin it won't he?! I almost cried. Seriously.
Solange Knowles takes it ALL off! So what do you think? Cute TWA I think! A bold move for a female in the weave-dominated R&B music business! More interesting than the pic, however, are the comments below them if you scroll down on Essence's page. I usually don't read those but this topic sparked a buzz, no pun intended, about natural hair vs weaves, facial beauty, the natural hair movement, etc.
The HBO Films documentary "Good Hair," co-written and produced by Chris Rock, will finally arrive in US theaters this year after world rights were picked up by Roadside Attractions and Liddell Entertainment. In case you missed the hoopla about the film earlier this year, here is what you need to know:
This film will be released on October 9, 2009 and runs approximately 95 minutes in length. I am excited to actually go and see how the issues are covered in the film, especially considering most of the celebs mentioned above tend to be weaved or otherwise straight-haired people who work in the media spotlight. It will be interesting I'm sure. What are your thoughts?
Everybody should celebrate their birthday and today is my turn!!!!!!!! I am the big 2-7 and so far so good. So happy birthday to all the other Cancer babies out there and have a wonderful day. I plan to eat cake and lots of it ;-)
Hey guys and gals! Muaaah! So...I added a You Tube video roll at the bottom of the blog. You all know how much I love You Tube and make reference to it in my posts. I think it is one of the best resources for styles, products, tutorials, etc for natural hair. So scroll down...
... ... .. .
and check out the vids that are there. I just clicked on a few and found some new natural people that I have never watched before that were awesome! For your viewing pleasure! Luv you guys ;-)
So this is should probably be called Late Sunday Afternoon Cuteness considering it is 3:06pm but I felt like posting it nonetheless. I saw these pics last week of Ms Berry and Nahla at the beach in Miami. How cute are these two??? I love the coral cover-up, the curly-coily locked Nahla, and of course the beach! Two pretty ladies enjoying nature's beauty and each other. What could be better?....which reminds me, I have not made it to the beach this year. Hmmm...gotta do something about that. Peace ya'll!
...Sharing why she went natural. If you don't remember, she also lost like...87 pounds! So she talks a little about why being heavier and wanting to wear nappy hair were like two "strikes" against her at the time. I love the way she expresses herself and describes her nappy hair journey. My favorite part is at the end where she shares some of her pics (9:13). I especially like the fat twists with the white flowers. Enjoy!
Check out her channel here. BTW, she is doing a contest where you can make a video about either keeping the confidence while going natural or losing weight. If you want to enter click here to get more info.
Wow guys! When I started this blog I had no idea what would happen and I never imagined having 200 followers. I just wanted to say that I am so appreciative of your readership, support, and comments. Please keep your questions and suggestions coming, I'm all ears! I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a fantastic weekend and thanks again for just being here ;-)
Oh how I wish You Tube had been around when I was transitioning! I could have done it so much more gracefully and without heat. But no regrets, right!
Here are two vids that relaxed girls in the midst of transitioning can use as style inspiration. The young lady two-strand twisted her damp, relaxed hair and then formed bantu knots. She let them dry over night then undid each section the next day. All you have to do after that is fluff, pin, and go!
I'm really excited about this entry in the Fresh-Squeezed Fotki Juice series! The name AfrikanHairGod really says it all. When I came across his fotki page, I knew he had to be a part of this series and I am so glad he obliged. This young man's mane is glorious and his attitude perfectly compliments his regal style. Here is his interview and don't forget to go over and check out his albums!
NL: Your hair is so cool. Tell us about your natural hair journey.
AHG: Personally, I really don’t think I had much of a journey. I have read and heard about many women who went through years of damaging and burning their hair with relaxers only to realize that they were running away from the natural curls that we were born with. I was lucky enough to start off from a clean slate, without having to BC or transition. Like many people I started out growing my hair without any knowledge to properly caring for it. In my early stages of growth, I was ripping and burning my hair out my hair with thin-toothed combs and scorching flat irons. I am proud to say that I am not nearly as ignorant as I was a year ago. I have learned so much about hair and even now I continue to learn everyday about my own hair.I had my last haircut in April of 2008. When my hair finally grew to 3-4 inches, I found someone to cornrow it for me, since I had no idea what to do with it. But after a while I got tired of having to have someone do my hair for me so I decided to learn how to do it myself. I knew learning how to cornrow would be way too difficult for me to learn on my own so I learned how to flat twist. It’s a learning process and I am still learning about and experimenting with my hair. For it to only be one year and a couple of months I think that I have come a very long way.
NL: What inspires you to create your styles?
AHG: Personally, I use my hair as a way to express myself. I am not one to follow trends or go along with mainstream society. I have a mind and I think for myself and allow no one to think for me. I have learned to embrace the fact that I am different and have used that as my prime source of inspiration. I am a unique person and I want people to see that when they meet me. I love walking into a room and knowing that there is no one with the exact hairstyle as me. It makes me feel even better when people complement my hair and find out that I did it myself. A painter uses paint to express his inner feelings and emotions, a poet uses words, but I use my hair.
NL: Do you have a specific hair/product regimen you follow?
AHG: I don’t have a very strict regimen when it comes to my hair. The important thing that I try to keep in mind is that in order for hair to grow healthy, you have to make sure it stays moisturized. On a daily basis, I moisturize my hair with water, followed by applying my leave-in conditioner (along with other conditioning products), and finish by sealing in all the moisture with my oil moisturizer. I do this twice a day, once when I wake up in the morning and again before I go to bed. I shampoo my hair no more than once a week always following with a rinse-out conditioner. Throughout the week, I co-wash as often as needed, sometimes for styling purposes or to cleanse my hair and scalp. Every month, I do a deep-condition at least once, but never more than twice a month. I have also started to trim my ends every 3-4 months to prevent damage from split ends.
NL: You mentioned in your fotki that you always used to wear your hair cut close. What has it been like to experiment with longer hair and what have been the reactions from other people (friends/family)?
AHG: When I first started growing out my hair, I had no idea how to care for it or even how to style it. I struggled in the beginning stages because I had no idea what to do with it. I would spend 30 minutes to an hour trying to make it look decent enough for me to walk out in public with it. I didn’t know how to use a hair pick properly so I could figure out how to do the afro or the puff. However, after I began to research how to care for and style natural hair (Thank you for everyone with the youtube tutorials, who knows where I would be right now without them) I began learning and practicing every chance I got and now I am the flat twisting maniac you see today.In my beginning flat twist stages, I got mixed reactions from my friends and family. They were impressed that I had done it myself but my friends would often tell me that I looked like someone off of a science fiction movie. As I began to get better, my friends and family began to take more notice in my hair. Many of them have suggested that I go to cosmetology school so that I could make a living from doing hair. I have even inspired one of my cousins to go natural and throw away the relaxer. Though my mother sees that I have a talent doing hair, she would much rather I cut it all off and be conservative so as to be discreet and not draw attention to myself, i.e. my sexuality.
NL: As a male, have you ever experienced any negativity through work or school with having longer/natural hair?
AHG: I have never received any negative criticism about my hair at school. I am always receiving complements about my hair from both men and women. Last year I worked as a teacher assistant at an elementary school. Whenever I walked in that school with a different hairstyle, I would get bombarded by the faculty and staff admiring my hair. They just couldn’t believe that I, being a young male, could do my own hair and execute it so perfectly. The only negative criticism that I have received is that my hair looks to feminine or “gay”. Though I will admit that I tend to lean more on the feminine side, that has nothing to do with my sexuality. Typically black males with long hair style their hair in cornrows, but I prefer my flat twists.
NL: Is there anything else you want Naturally Leslie readers to know about your natural hair journey?
AHG: My natural hair journey has completely changed me as a person. All of my life I have been ridiculed and teased by many people. As a result, it had caused me to have extremely low self-esteem and self-confidence. I have lived my entire life trying to fit into the society that I was born into. But my hair journey has taught me to accept and embrace my hair the way God intended, all while teaching me the same valuable lesson about myself. That I should love and embrace myself as a whole in every aspect and not look for other peoples validation or reassurance of me as a person.
Wow! Thanks AfrikanHairGod for your candid and honest responses. As you all can see, embracing natural styles can be just as complex for men as for women, especially if your look goes against the grain of what a black male is "supposed to look like" in our hetero-dominant society. This story was a great inspiration to me and I hope it is to you as well. Here's a peek at what you'll find in his albums. I had such a hard time choosing which ones to post because they're all so cool! And he does his styles himself!
Great twist out!
Ya'll know how I love cornrows!
My flat twists never come out this neat. I'm ~jealous~.
Nice moist-looking puff, shiny twists, and a fly edge-up. What could be better?
Flat twist/two-strand combo...a good protective style for summer.
...and Tuesday! I love this song. For about 3 years dance music was an obsession. It has since simmered into slowly burning flame that gets stoked every so often when I hear a cool track like this one.
I have not heard this here in NC but I caught my first listen on the way to ATL this weekend. It reminds me of Mexico and Italy (two places you gotta go if you want to dance in really cool clubs) and I can't resist the urge to move when I hear it. I really hope Kelly makes a whole album like this. Her voice fits well with this type of music and she could finally truly set her self apart from Beyonce's pop and RnB songs.
So that's what I'll be humming on this lovely day...and this might just be my summer anthem. What's yours?
Somebody requested a looooooong time ago to see my big chop pics. Well, the second time around (back in April of 2007) I went solo and there is no photo to speak of. I woke up, hopped in my car, drove from salon to salon looking for someone who was available, and finally ended up getting the deed done in a shop filled with little girls getting their hair done for some kind of formal event. Their jaws were on the floor as the stylist took off about 10 inches ave. from my head.
The first real chop, though, happened in 2000, the day after my high school graduation. As I've mentioned previously, I grew my hair out beginning around the time of prom my junior year. When I went to get my hair done, instead of getting a relaxer I just got an updo with my new growth. It was cute. That summer, I went to Mexico for a month and I wore my hair pulled back in a low bun. So that last year of school I pressed once a week, eagerly anticipating the day after graduation so I could finally stop! **side note...as mentioned in another post, this method for transitioning turned out to be very damaging to the front part of my hair, leaving me with permanently straight hair :(***
I say all this to say, last week I spent the night with my best friend and she gave me her HS scrapbook to look at. When I got to the last page, imagine my delight, there was my 2000 BIG CHOP PIC! I knew she had it somewhere but it has been ages since I last laid eyes on it. So I asked her to scan it and here it is!!!
Clearly this was at the beginning and not the end of the BC process. But it is the moment itself that I'm glad got documented. The lady cutting my hair could not understand what I wanted so she did not successfully get all the permed ends off. Once she was finished cutting she asked me, "So what do you want me to do with it now?" I was like, "I don't know, you're the professional!" I now know that many beauticians didn't work much with natural hair in its curly state so she really had no clue. I told her to throw some gel on it and call it a day.
***I walked around looking a hot mess for a few weeks but eventually got it together.***
So for those of you who are still transitioning, when do you plan to chop? Have you thought about where you would go and if you want it documented at all? If I had it to do again, I would take a camera and get some really good shots. Think about who you would like to cut it and what style you plan to do immediately after. I did not think about this the first time around so I was unprepared for the styling challenges I faced afterward. There is so much info now for newly natural ladies that you can really be armed and ready going into your chop.
I found this cute vid which shows a big chop in real time! It reminded me of when I helped to cut a friend's hair for one of her chops so I totally got sentimental. I think it is just a good inspiration for those who are still nervous about taking that final step towards being totally natural.
For those who have just recently chopped (or within the last year or so), stop by and tell me what that experience was like for you. Did you plan it or was it a spur of the moment decision like my 2nd chop? Did you document it? What words of encouragement do you have for those on the fence about chopping?
This is our first Fresh-Squeezed Fotki Juice post and I am so delighted. When you read about this lovely lady and you see her amazing hair your jaw will drop! I had to find out how she does all her great styles and I wanted to share them with you.
Her fotki moniker is EbonyPrincessH and her albums are the bomb! Read her interview and then go on over to be blown away even further :-D
1. How long have you been natural and what led to that decision?
My BC was November 6, 2006, which makes me about 2 years and 8 months natural. I decided to go natural because I had dandruff issues that did not clear no matter what I used. A very good friend of mine, who was locing, suggested that I go natural. I thought about it for some time and then the thought slipped my mind. After one last session of relaxing, which left my scalp extremely sore, I said enough was enough. I called my friend to tell her of my decision and she pointed me in the direction of Motown Girl and Nappturality. I read as much information as I could on transitioning and natural hair. I transitioned for three months and chopped down to about three inches of hair and I haven't looked back.
2. You do amazing styles! What inspires you to be so creative?
My inspiration comes from other naturals whether it be Fotki browsing or ladies I see in passing. I absolutely love the Nappturality.com thread, "How are you wearing your hair today?". So many creative ladies there and I'm constantly floored by their amazing poise and fierceness. My personal favorite style are updos. LOVE LOVE LOVVEEE THEM! For me, up dos add extra spice and deliciousness to my braids/twists.
3. Do you have a specific routine or product regimen you follow?
Hmmmm specific routine.. I do everything on an as needed basis. I find that it's important to listen to your hair. I find myself moisturizing every 2-3 days and washing my hair three times a week. For the past month I've been using Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner or Tresemme's Moisture Rich Contionder for detangling. Diluted Dr. Bronner's Peppermint and Lavender Castile soap for cleansing. Extra Virgin Coconut oil and Castor oil for moisturizing and sealing.I wear braids for 3-4 weeks and twists generally last 1-2 weeks. I detangle each time I take down braids or twists or when I go from an out style to braids or twists.
4. Do you have any specific hair goals or do you just let it flow?
My goal is to have 12 inches of hair all around. The front, which is the longest, is about 10 inches. The back and sides are between 7 and 9 inches. I don't have a specific date where I want to reach my goal, so in that sense I'm going with the flow.
5. Anything else you'd like to share with Naturally Leslie readers?
Be patient and fully enjoy your current length. I don't be in such a rush to grow astronomical lengths. Your hair WILL GROW, just give it some breathing room and listen then the length will come in due time. My final tidbit would be to do what works best for you, your hair and you budget.
I saw Mommie8, a beautiful 40 yo natural, on Fotki and wanted to share her story of going natural with all of you. Here's what she had to say:
1. When did you decide to go natural and what went into that decision?
I decided to go natural a year ago
2. Did you transition over time or do a big chop?
I did the Big Chop
3. What are some of your favorite products and styles?
My favorite products are coconut oil, shea butter, basically all natural products. I like puffs, twistouts, and mini afros are my favorite styles.
4. Describe your expectations and feelings before you made the leap to natural. How did you feel post-transition?
I was ready I could not wait to just grab my clippers & just chop off all that damaged hair.
5. What have been the reactions of family, friends, etc to the newly natural you?
I have gotten some positive reactions from friends and family to my surprise!
6. Describe what it was like to return to work after going natural.
It was fine, everyone loved the new look. I felt like people would not get it but I was mistaken.
7. Overall, what has been your greatest discovery about being natural?
That it's not that hard to care for natural hair & how much it loves coconut oil.
8. What advice would you give to another 40+ woman who is considering going natural?
Make sure you know why you're going natural & to do it for yourself not to make others happy. And to give your Natural hair a chance, just love your natural hair and it will love you back, Real Talk! :)
I hope this helps you and other women 40+ who are going natural or they may be thinking about going natural.
Ahhh..nothing's better than a little fotkinspiration to whet the appetite! I know ya'll troll around on Fotki, drooling over natural hair and styles that really wow you (or maybe it's just me...but I think not). Well, I have found some that I really really love. These ladies have great heads of healthy natural hair and their styles are to die for.
When looking at the pics, however, I noticed I had questions about products they used or how they achieved a certain style. So I decided to create a new series called Fresh-Squeezed Fotki Juice (lol) where I will feature a short interview and pics from one of my fave Fotki gals. I will post them as I find ones that interest me so I will not say I am going to feature them on specific days. Just be on the lookout as they come and be prepared to be refreshed!
Hey guys, remember I told you about my new venture with The Coil Review? Well, it has been relaunched and my first article is featured (click here to go straight to the article). The new site looks lovely and I can't wait to spend some time checking it out!
Hey guys and gals, a Naturally Leslie reader needs your help! I received a question about this style and the reader would like to know where she can get it done in NY:
You may be familiar with this Atlanta salon, it is where I got the pic previewing the afro twists I wore a few months ago. The style looked pretty natural and it was a nice break from doing my hair.
*So if you know where this lovely reader can get the style pictured above in NY or what kind of hair is used, please shoot me an email or post the info in the comments section.Thanks!*
I want to thank Jc of The Natural Haven for passing on the Interesting Blog Award to me! I am so flattered to receive this award from Jc, especially considering how amazingly thorough her blog is. Equally so, I am excited to pass this on to two blogs that I love! The blogs I would like to pass this award on to are:
The Pangaea's Garden Project "Pangaea’s Garden is the sanctuary for striking images that pay homage to the exotic beauty of that Earth Sista that was always close to home." & Black Girls Run "The goal of our blog is to provide a community and inspiration for black women who run and encourage more black women to run.
Thanks again to Jc and check out these two interesting blogs!
I never really thought about this issue before I started blogging. But since joining the natural hair bloggosphere, I realize there is a lot out there about growing and obtaining length. There are all kinds of challenges going on from using castor oil on the scalp to months-long protective styling efforts.
On the one hand, I get it. Most of us probably heard at least once in our lives that Black hair doesn't grow or the only way we can have length is to loc. On the other hand, the longer I am natural the more I realize that my hair likes to grow up, right, and left. But down...not so much. The only way I ever see my length is if I blow my hair out or flat iron. Both are terribly damaging and time consuming. When my hair is in its curliest state, the back can shrink from my bra strap to the middle of my neck! Ahhh shrinkage...
Anyway, because length is so connected to female beauty in this society, I wonder if sometimes we need to reach those length goals in order to feel feminine, beautiful, or sexy. Being natural in a world where very few others share similar hair textures can feel isolating sometimes. As much as we want to always be nappy and proud, I will be the first to admit that it is not always easy when people constantly stare, frown, giggle, or ask insipid questions like, "So...you're gonna go out like that?" when clearly I am ready to walk out the door. Redefining beauty standards takes a long time, especially considering that the long straight hair thing has been around for centuries and the natural hair scene is less widespread (although growing steadily...whoo hoo!).
Sometimes I want to grow my hair really long so that even shrunken up it will appear long. Something like this:
I know we have different textures but like if I did a braid-out or something.
Then other times I am completely overwhelmed by what hair I already have. It can be hard to detangle, my arms start hurting, and it can take up to an hour to style depending on the look I'm going for. Sometimes I wanna cut it short again like it was about a year and a half ago:
However, I realize that I probably won't be cutting my hair like that any time soon so I might as well learn to work with the length I've got now and if it grows really long, then great!
So in terms of my routine, some things will have to change. As it stands now, I wash or co-wash, detangle, rinse, then style. This is no longer working. So while I was carousing Fotki, I came across a great album showcasing a nice set of twists. The beautiful owner of those twists mentioned she does them on mostly dried hair. I did not know what she meant by that (blown out, air-dried?) so I asked her. She was gracious enough to share her routine with me. And I have to admit, it sounds good and simple and I am going to try it next time I wash. So with her inspiration mixed with my current routine, this is what I hope to try:
1. Wash, condition and detangle hair in the shower with a wide tooth comb (still with condish in) 2. Outside of the shower divide hair into 6 sections and use denman brush to comb more conditioner through hair to remove shed hairs (carefully cause that thing can be deadly if misused) 3. Braid each conditioned section of hair (this is a new step but will be better than twists at my length in terms of keeping hair stretched, hopefully reducing some fairy knots) 4. Rinse hair with luke warm water, seal ends with butter/castor oil, and let hair air dry to about 80-90% dry 5. Style and seal ends each night
She explained what this means: To the touch it feels dry until I unravel a braid, my hair then feels moist and conditioned and ready for twists
I hope this routine will do the following: *Reduce breakage *Shorten styling time *Reduce fairy knots
We'll see. I won't call this an official length challenge but it will be interesting to see if I can retain more of the ends and suffer less breakage.
So....what do you all think about natural hair and length? Is is important to you or do you consider it to be irrelavent? Do you think it reflects a desire to adhere to a Eurocentric standard of beauty? Do you currently follow any routine or challenge dedicated specifically to retaining length? I know...so many questions. But I find this so interesting considering that for 9.5 years of being natural I never really gave it a thought.
I said it once and I'll say it again. I love Jordin! It's not her virginal image or striking good looks. I'm simply a sucker for a good pop hook and she delivers that. Her new album Battlefield drops the day before my birthday.
'Jordin Sparks has said she recorded 30 songs for the Battlefield album. She says that she contributed in the songwriting on 12 of them. No duets for the album have been confirmed, but Jordin Sparks has said in interviews she hopes to collaborate with Leona Lewis on a power ballad. Among the producers who are working on the project are Stargate, Max Martin, T-Pain, Ryan Tedder, and Dr. Luke.' ~Top 40
I am liking the cover art for the new disc and dare I say she might go back to rocking her natural curls?! The long, straight, blown-out look was nice on her but I began to feel like she had been made over into typical black pop tart by her people to sell more records. Who knows. All I can say is I like what I see so far and I hope there is more curl where those came from on the inside artwork. The track listing for Battlefield (deluxe edition) includes 14 cuts and there is a DVD portion as well.
1. Walking On Snow 2. Battlefield 3. Don’t Let It Go To Your Head 4. S.O.S. (Let The Music Play) 5. It Takes More 6. Watch You Go 7. No Parade 8. Let It Rain 9. Emergency (911) 10. Was I The Only One 11. Faith 12. The Cure 13. Postcard (deluxe edition bonus track) 14. Papercut (deluxe edition bonus track)
DVD
1. Hangin’ With Jordin Sparks 2. Battlefield Behind The Scenes 3. Battlefield Photo Shoot 4. Battlefield (music video)
From listening to the preview below, Walking on Snow, Let It Rain, The Cure & S.O.S. are some of my faves. There are also some great new promo pics! Battlefield Preview:
I felt like one of the brides on Say Yes To The Dress when she walks out all excited about her bridal gown choice, eagerly anticipating approval from her family and friends. Everybody on the couch squeals with delight..but then...nothing. A dead pan face from mom. She did not like the new look of the blog and alas..my "this is the one" excitement deflated like a three day old helium balloon. So that's why we're back to black, with some changes. I did miss the darkness so that's good. I already fixed the widgets but if anybody has trouble posting a comment please email me.
I am quite frustrated with my skin lately. It all started a few months ago when I started using shea butter on my face. I would only use a small amount but apparently even that was more than enough for my skin to get annoyed with me and promptly reject my new efforts at natural skin care by displaying multiple breakouts. I usually only broke out once a month around my cycle so imagine my disdain at my cheeks sprouting a new zit every few days.
Well, since then, I discontinued use of the shea but I still have battle scars of the breakouts left on my cheeks. Two things I've noticed:
1) EVERY pimple now is leaving a scar whereas I used to only occasionally get a dark mark. 2) It is taking FOREVER for them to lighten! They used to disappear within weeks.
Why is this? Maybe it's hormones. Maybe it was stress from school. Who knows. I still eat well (most of the time) and work out regularly.
So I say all this to say, I am on the lookout for some kind of natural remedy to the scarring. Breakouts are under control but I want to get rid of the dark spots the old ones left behind. I have always heard that lemon juice is good for lightening up old acne scars so I decided to search the net. Here's what I found:
Lemon juice is, of course, a citric acid and very rich in vitamin C, which has no end of benefits for all skin types. The citric acid acts to exfoliate the skin, an important step in treating acne. It’s also an astringent, thus drying the zit itself. Lemon juice is also a natural skin whitener, so it can act to reduce a pimple’s redness. A bit of lemon is also good for applying to fresh acne scars, both for the exfoliation that speeds up the healing and for temporary bleaching to improve the look of the skin.
Ok, sounds nice. But what about those of us who have sensitive skin?
For people with sensitive skin, however, this can be too harsh. The acid can sting and even burn slightly. Mixing the lemon juice with a bit of honey, yogurt, or egg white, however, can help cure the acne while protecting your skin. If you go this route, mix the lemon juice – about half a lemon should do – with a spoonful of egg white or honey and apply as a mask for 20 minutes. Some people sleep with lemon juice mixed with honey on their face, but the mess on the pillow may not be worth the possibility of clear skin in the morning. If you want to use lemon juice at night, dab a tiny bit on with your finger or a Q-tip. Be sure you only touch the pimple itself, or you may wake up with a white spot where the rest of the lemon juice ended up.(Excerpts taken from HERE)
I'm really tempted to try this because it is starting to get on my nerves. So here is where YOU come in! I know I am not alone in this and I want to know what you all do to rid your gorgeous faces of scars. And I am sending out a specific shout out toJcof The Natural Haven for help on this one. *PLEASE*
If you tune in quickly, for the next 30 mins, you can catch a first glimpse at Chris Rock's Good Hair film. I'm gonna watch and let you know what I think later!
