Curly Cuteness!

I am loving these wild and free ringlets on Heidi and Seal's little one. Had to share ;-)~ How precious!

Pic from people.com

Look Who's Tweeting!

Tweet Me @NaturallyLes

I never thought I would join the ranks of the twitterheads but alas...here I am, lol!

You can follow me @NaturallyLes on twitter if you'd like, I would love to see you there.

Making (Curly) Memories!

This is a great idea for anybody out there in need of some inspiration. So often in the media we see images that only validate one or a few types of beauty. Although the industry is changing, it is easy to get caught up in the allure of a beauty unlike your own. Is this to say that straight hair or a certain other body type is bad? No! Of course not. It is ALL good.

So, I found this idea on plantfolk.wordpress.com/ and wanted to share with all of you. I especially like it for moms and dads to do with their kids as a fun project. Imagine sitting down with your little ones finding beautiful images of people who look like you! Or, if you are a newly natural woman or man out there needing some positive images of natural beauty, this could be an idea book where you store inspirational pics of varying hair styles.

If you're in to scrap-booking, you could even add words or your own texts, backgrounds, etc. Of course, the images above are just one example of how your could do this and the images could be of anything, not just hair.

It looks like all you need are:

~ A 3-ring binder

~ Scissors

~Colorful background paper

~Glossy magazine pics or images from the web

~Glue

So there you have it! A simple, fun way to embrace natural beauty. Have fun!

Kinky on Racialicious

I love to read about the experiences of other kinky-nappy-curly haired people regardless of their ethnicity and background. So I was delighted to read this article entitled Kinkosis (an essay) by guest author Safa Samiezade’-Yazd, on Racialicious.com. It is a wonderful read about an American woman of Iranian and Irish descent who comes to embrace her whole self, coils and all!

The entire piece was inspiring but here are a few excerpts that I found to be especially cool...

"My hair went curly in early adolescence, right around the time I hit middle school. I was a small, petite tweenster, and instead of fretting about breasts, which were hardly there, or periods, which were nonexistent, I poured my angst and energy into my newfound mop of kinky hair that sprung itself on me almost overnight. My father hated my curly hair. He said it made me look black."

"This ideology is pervasive, to the point that many times, we don’t even realize we’re buying into it. Beauty requires an acknowledged ugliness in something else, so in order to look damn good, someone else has to look like a train wreck. I remember being told as a child that curly hair is really a genetic mutation. I remember thinking I was a freak."

"Just look at our cosmetics industry. How many different types of foundation does a woman need to put on before she looks like a piece of dry, flaking cake? So when we’re confronted with opposing images of a woman with straight hair that’s styled with a curling iron, and a woman with free-styled kinky curls, the one with straight hair is going to come off as more mature, because her beauty routine takes more discipline."

"Perfection, or ideal beauty is really a distraction, especially amongst minorities, because instead of guiding us to look inward, it manipulates us to focus on outside projections that tell us how we should look and feel, and we become white-washed, so to speak; formulaic, sterile. The more Euro-centric you look, the easier it is to get taken seriously."

Funny how so many of us (curly kinky coily folks) experience similar things across racial and ethnic lines. At the end of the day, a curly journey is one of self-acceptance and we all have our own path to take to get there.

So what do you think of when you hear the word kinky? Does it always conjure up images of Black people or has your view expanded? Do you believe on African Americans can have Afros? I used to have strict views on race and ethnicity and hair, but slowly that is changing. What do you think?

Click HERE to read this article in its entirety.

A New Natural Hair Store In Town!

Hey ladies and gents! I have the distinct honor to tell you about a new store in town called Hairizon. This is a brand place that caters to those of us who want all natural products for our hair. The lovely ladies who co-own this store were kind enough to give Naturally Leslie an exclusive interview. If you are ever in the area, please stop by and show these ladies some support. If not, make sure to visit them online at www.ourharizon.com!

1. Tell Naturally Leslie readers who you are and a little about your new business venture,Hairizon.

Hairizon is a premiere natural hair care superstore founded by myself and co-owner Charia, and is located in Fuquay-Varina, NC. We sell on-line and at 601 E Broad Street in Fuquay-Varina. We are open Tuesday –Saturday from 10 am – 5pm.

Joi Stepney, co-owner of Hairizon, showing off the goods!

2. What was the driving force behind this idea?

When Charia and I decided to refrain from chemically straightening our hair, we surveyed our options of hair care products in mainstream beauty supply stores. Many products were chemically laden and catered more to people with relaxed hair. We then realized there was an urgent need for a beauty supply store that catered to natural hair care.

3. What types of products do you sell at your store?

We sell natural hair care products for all ethnicities and hair textures that are specifically formulated for those with natural hair and/or for those who are seeking natural-ingredients when purchasing hair care products. Our products have been specifically selected to avoid any unnecessary chemical additives and instead incorporate nature’s best essential oils, herbs, flowers and minerals to protect, strengthen, and promote healthy hair.Some of the brands we carry include Jason, Jane Carter, Mixed Chicks and Burt’s Bees.

4. How easy/hard was it to get started considering so many Black hair care supply stores are Asian-owned and operated?

Hairizon offers a specific service within a broad industry, a service that, Asian-owned operated stores are only beginning to tap into. For that reason, we have not been hit hard as many other black owned and operated beauty supply stores. However, there are also many Asian owned distribution companies. One distribution company in particular asked that we submit a picture with our vendor credentials! We believe this was done to ensure our ethnicity. Nevertheless, we did so at their request. We have yet to hear from them to date. There is definitely a monopoly in the beauty supply industry. With the help of loyal customers, we will continue to strive and thrive through the dominating stronghold.

5. What have been the greatest challenges/ greatest achievements in this journey?

The greatest challenge is that most well-known natural hair care producers require the retailer to have a physical, brick & mortar location. Being a startup, this can be quite a large expense. Leases in most urban areas run between $1500 - $2000 per month. Then, you have to take into consideration utilities, shelving and product.

6. Will you be doing any promotions in the near future?

The following promotions are going right now:

-Every month one lucky facebook fan receives free products. Become a fan at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=131483580200163#!/pages/Fuquay-Varina-NC/Hairizon/131483580200163

-Free shipping for $50 orders

-10% off all orders for a limited time (coupon code: CW9826CB1B)

-We are also in the process of creating the “Product Junkie” club. For $20, you get special discounts and secret sales for a year. You heard it here first! We are in the process of putting the best package together as possible for our customers.

7. For folks who do not live in the NC area, how can they support your business?

Our products can also be purchased online at www.ourhairizon.com.

8. Is there anything else you would like Naturally Leslie readers to know?

Customers and supporters can also sign up to receive our free monthly newsletter on our website www.ourhairizon.com and are encourage to become a member of our online forum at http://hairizon.onediscussion.net,and be a part of our online natural hair care community, where one may commune with fellow naturals, learn hair care tips, and much more!

Good luck ladies and thanks for sharing with all of us here at Naturally Leslie!

Natural Hair Tutorial: Mohawk

I think this is a super cute summer look by iamkamilah. I have never done a fro-hawk with braided sides. I think it is really cute, especially with all the two-strand twists all pinned up. Check it out!

Product Review: Pretty Curls White Orchid Shea Butter

One of my favorite parts of being a natural hair blogger is that I have the opportunity to try new products. I was contacted by Jarrai, the owner of Pretty Curls, to see if I would like to try a sample of their shea butters. Of course I agreed and within days I received a package containing a jar of White Orchid scented shea. The ingredients include unrefined shea butter, coconut oil, vegetable glycerine, jojoba oil, orchid and musk fragrance. Also in the package was a tiny sample of their Vanilla Cream whipped shea butter.

Jarrai told me that they are still working on the packaging to improve the appearance of their products. I really like the jar and top and I think whatever they do to the labels will only enhance the current look.

The texture of the shea is much like other whipped sheas I have used before. It melts easily into both my skin and hair.

The scent of the Vanilla Cream is not what I expected but is still nice. It is kind of sweet and a tad strong. The White Orchid, on the other hand, is not as pleasant. Again, I like the texture and I think it would make a great sealant or moisturizer for twists, but I don't like the smell much at all. They have a bunch of other scents that sound more appealing like Lavender Spice and Tropical Twist.

So, overall I think this is a nice shea mix that is worth another try. If I were to order, I would probably try one of the other scents.

Thanks to Jarrai of Pretty Curls for the chance to check them out!

You Tube Inspiration: Natural Brides!

I am so excited about my impending nuptials and have yet to decide on a style. Since we don't have a date I am unsure about the what type of weather to plan for. More than likely, it will be warm and humid. I would love your ideas and thoughts about a natural style for this bride to be!

Aside from that, I received a wonderful email with a link to this You Tube vid featuring Khamit Kinks brides 2010. As I have mentioned time and again, I LOVE pictures of natural brides. They are so few and far between in comparison to straight-haired brides. The only problem with videos like this one is that there never seem to be enough pics to satisfy me! So I hope you enjoy and feel inspired!

Natural Pressure...Keeping it in Perspective

If you are new to natural hair, you might feel pressure to conform and learn everything you read or hear. That is too bad because for so many, going natural is about being free from conforming. With the growing natural hair blog and vlog presence, a whole new world has emerged with product lists, terminology, length issues, texture issues, etc. I recognize that I am a part of that world and that's ok. I hope I do not contribute to any folks out there who are just starting out and beginning to feel overwhelmed by what seems to be another heap of expectations. I have been natural for so long now that sometimes I forget what it was like to just chop off all my hair or struggle to find products that worked for me. I forget what it was like to fear rejection by co-workers and peers. I forget that feeling of walking out into society with huge hair for the first time, and what it was like to feel what seemed like a million disapproving eyeballs burning a hole through the fro. I enjoy writing here and giving tips, ideas and thoughts about hair. If I have written or said one thing that helps another person out then I am satisfied. In the end though, it really is a personal journey that does not have to live up to anyone else's expectations or goals. You really have to have your own goals and know that at the end of the day it is YOUR hair. So you don't want to follow a 6 month protective style challenge? Fine. Don't want to spend hours memorizing good vs bad ingredient lists? Don't! Cause why trade in one set of rules and pressures for another? That sucks.

If I had to give my readers any advice about how to deal with pressures in the natural hair kingdom, it would be these. (And in the vein of this post, you can take them, leave them, not even read them. Nobody's word should be your master.)

1. Read all you want (blogs, you tube, sites, etc) but at the end of the day take from it only what seems good and reasonable to you.

2. Try products that are suggested if you want to but don't feel pressure to do so if you're happy with what you like or if your routine works just fine.

3. Bandwagons can be fun but once they are no longer so, jump off!

4. Length, texture, etc are fun to explore if you are doing it without putting undue pressure on yourself. Once you feel stressed about it, let it go.

I guess I could think of more but you all are intelligent, free-thinking, beautiful people who don't need someone else giving you a long list of do's and do-not's.

I truly appreciate all of you who read, comment, and support this blog. It started out as something fun, as a way to share my journey with you. It has become such an inspiration to me to hear about all of you. Please don't stop reading, posting, commenting and sharing your stories. I love you all!

NC Natural Hair Care Expo

If you are going to be in the Raleigh, NC area on June 19th, you might want to stop by the NC Natural Hair Care Expo. It is from 12-8pm and the cost is $10. Check it out...