Beads, Braids and Beyond

We're Back - In Style! Small Cornrows into Large Cornrows

2012-01-04T22:06:00.000-05:00

WE'RE BACK!!!!!! I am so very sorry for being MIA lately. To make it up to you all, we brought cupcakes! ♥ Okay, not really. But there is a cupcake on her bow and shirt. Close enough, right? :) I'll be making an update post later on this week. For now, let's get to the style.

Miss A has been wearing her hair out a lot lately (check out our Facebook page for pictures)so one of my new year's resolutions is to get back to our regular styling routine. I decided to do a somewhat quick style today. I can't take credit for this gorgeous style, I totally got the idea from my Babycenter friends, Valerie and Kim. They originally posted this style a couple of years back and I'm just now getting around to trying it. The only thing I changed was the braids straight down the middle instead of adding beads (which I will probably do later this week). Read below for instructions.

Instructions:

Start with properly detangled and preferably well moisturized, stretched hair.
Part the hair starting from behind one ear to behind the other ear. Tie the remaining hair back to get it out of your way.
With the front section you just parted, part it straight down the middle and tie a section off.
Begin at the middle part, use your pintail comb to part at an angle. Cornrow that section of hair but leave the hair loose once you get to the end of the cornrow. Do not continue braiding because you will need the loose hair to go into the large cornrow behind the small cornrowed sections. Continue parting at an angle and cornrowing for the entire top section, leaving the end of the cornrows loose. We ended up having 6 cornrowed sections on each side.
Untie the remaining hair and begin parting in the middle of the head, right behind one of your small cornrowed sections. You want this section of hair to also be at an angle, but don't part too much on this particular section because you should have a lot of loose hair from the 6 cornrows you did before.
Cornrow that section down the side. This should be a large cornrow. Braid all the way down to the ends.
Continue parting large sections at an angle all through the back. We had 7 large cornrows all together.
I decided to braid the braids together to make a large one going down her back. I tied it off with an ouchless ponytail holder an added a bow.
That's it! I hope this makes sense. If you try this style I would love to see a picture on our Facebook page. Please go "like" the page and get to posting! :)

I'll add more pictures in a few. :)

Bee Mine Products Black Friday Sale!!!!

2011-11-24T14:49:00.000-05:00

Bee Mine Products Black Friday presale starts TODAY. You can get 25% off your purchase using our reader discount code: BBB25 www.beemineproducts.com Happy Shopping!!

Darcy's Botanicals Giveaway!

2011-11-11T15:48:00.000-05:00

I know you are all going to LOVE this awesome giveaway! I am so excited to be giving 2 winners 3 full size products of their choice! Huge thanks to Darcysbotanicals.com for sponsoring this! I purchased (and reviewed) several of their products a few months ago and love what I bought!

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Sidewinder Hair Holder Giveaway!

2011-11-11T15:41:00.000-05:00

We're back with another giveaway! This time we're giving away 1 complete set of sidewinder hair holders (includes SET of 10 pcs - 2" and 20 pcs - 1"). Big thanks to Hairholders.com!

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Little Penguins Online Giveaway!

2011-11-04T14:43:00.000-04:00

We're continuing our 2 year blogging anniversary into November! Little Penguins Online (love their products!) have generously offered 1 of our readers a full set of their products including:

1- 8 oz. Organic Honey Vanilla Bean Smoothie
(cleanser/softener/ conditioner)
1- 4oz. Fresh Cream leave in conditioner and detangler
1- 4oz. Ella Jelly
(mix of butters and natural gel for twists, braids, ends etc. soft hold)
1- 2 oz. pom of their choice
(unscented coconut cupuacu , organic mango-illipe, or mocha bean)

Please follow the Rafflecopter instructions below to enter. Please note, you only have to "Like" our Facebook pages to enter, all other entries are COMPLETELY optional! Do not feel obligated to do them all however, doing them all will give you a higher chance of winning. You can come back daily to enter! Hope to see you here. :) Good luck!

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1 Month Protective Styling Challenge Sponsored by Blended Beauty

2011-11-02T16:12:00.001-04:00

There has been a lot of interest in another protective styling challenge so I thought Fall would be a great time to start one! This challenge will be sponsored by BlendedBeauty.com. More details on the prize(s) to come. I will be using Blended Beauty products during the entire challenge. If you would like to join me with using Blended Beauty products or if you just want to try them out you can use discount code 'codeBBB' to receive 15% off your purchase at BlendedBeauty.com They now also carry awesome sleep caps for children in beautiful prints.

If you are interested in your child participating please email me with 1 photo of your child (any photo will do) by November 8th with their name (or nickname) and age. This will be used in our introduction post. beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com

Your child's protective style will need to be in by November 10th. November 10th is the official start date of the challenge and it will run through December 10th. Once I receive your entry I will email you a list of questions to answer regarding your child's protective style (products used, how long you plan on keeping it in, etc). You will need to provide at least 1 picture each week with the questions answered.

Cornrows, two strand twists, sister twists, flat twists, braids, bantu knots, etc. all count as a protective style. You cannot use rubberbands during this challenge. You may use ouchless ponytail holders to band the hair prior to styling. You cannot use beads or barrettes on the ends during this challenge. You may use a barrette or two somewhere at the top, you may also use headbands and bows. You may use ouchless ponytail holders to change up a style (example, putting box braids into a ponytail).

More details to come.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Happy Halloween + Twist Out

2011-10-31T16:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you all have a great night. Be safe out there!

Miss A is going to be a fairy/butterfly. I got her costume at the last minute yesterday and it was totally meant to be because it was the last of everything (costume, wings, tights, headband). Lil Man is going to be Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba. Hopefully I will get pictures of him later on tonight.

I didn't do anything new with A's hair. I simply removed her two strand twist style from a few days ago. I didn't add any other product. As you can see, her hair still looks fab thanks to Bee Mine Products (BBBFALL will get you 10% off your purchase!). As you can see, her twist out shows a lot of length, this is because I twisted on dry, stretched hair (with product) and left it in for a few days.

I'd love to see pictures of your little ones in their costumes! Feel free to post them over on our Facebook Page!

Banded Two Strand Twist Ponytails

2011-10-29T18:48:00.000-04:00

I know I was supposed to style A's hair last weekend but she ended up wearing her hair in two twisted ponytails for the week. I decided to do a quick style today since her hair was still stretched out. I moisturized with Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer and styled with Bee Mine Curly Butter (BBBFALL will get you 10% off your purchase). I began near her left ear, parting at an angle, I banded the ponytail with an ouchless ponytail holder, twisted and wrapped a rubberband around the end 3-4 times. I didn't wrap it too tight, just enough to help the twist stay put. I continued to part at an angle the entire time until I was finished. She loves it!

Click pictures to enlarge.

Beija-Flor Naturals Giveaway!

2011-10-24T20:15:00.000-04:00

We're back with yet another giveaway! This time we're giving away (2) $25 Gift Certificates redeemable at http://beijaflornaturals.com/ I've been using Beija-Flor Naturals Creme Brulee for a little while now and it's awesome! Big thanks to Beija-Flor Naturals for this giveaway!

Please follow the Rafflecopter instructions below to enter. Please note, you only have to "Like" our Facebook pages to enter, all other entries are COMPLETELY optional! Do not feel obligated to do them all however, doing them all will give you a higher chance of winning. You can come back daily to enter! Hope to see you here. :) Good luck!

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Loosely Banded Ponytails

2011-10-22T19:37:00.000-04:00

Click to enlarge

A's hair was banded overnight in 6 sections using Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer (use our reader discount code: BBBFALL for 10% off your purchase) and unrefined coconut oil. I removed the bands in the morning, parted her hair straight down the middle and placed her hair in two low ponytails. I then loosely banded each ponytail and braided the ends. I will hopefully be styling her hair tomorrow so make sure you stop by! :)

Outfit: Gap during their 50% off sale items in-store only sale.

For more deals & steals and regular updates make sure you stop by and "like" our Facebook page!

Elongating Natural Curls With Banding

2011-10-21T16:53:00.000-04:00

Last night I washed, detangled and banded A's hair. I parted her hair in three sections, 1 ponytail in the back and two in the front, added a generous amount of my favorite moisturizer, Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer (use our reader discount code: BBBFALL for 10% off!) and loosely banded her hair. I spaced the ponytail holders 1-2 inches apart, I only wrapped each ponytail holder around 2-3 times. The next day I removed the ponytail holders and she still had curls, but much looser than her own. This was completely by accident but I thought her hair looked nice so instead of rebanding I pulled half of it back and viola!

To get this to work on your child's hair, they need to have a definite curl pattern. Band in large sections (2-4) and make sure you space the bands out and don't make them too tight. Also note, when doing this, don't expect for the curls to be perfect and frizz free. Each curl will look different and that's okay. :)

If you don't know what banding is please check out our banding frequently asked questions post.

Being silly.

Black Girl Wants White Doll: What Would You Do?

2011-10-20T13:18:00.001-04:00

I saw this posted by the SistahChick on Facebook and thought it was interesting.

Watch video HERE (short video) and HERE (full video, also shows a white girl wanting a black doll). Read full story HERE.

Thoughts?

via ABC News:

A landmark study from the 1940s, conducted by psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark, showed that 63 percent of African-American children surveyed preferred playing with white dolls over black dolls. They displayed a poignant disconnect from dolls of their own skin color and assigned negative connotations to the darker-skinned dolls. It was a stark reflection of the times, and was later used to support desegregation inBrown v. Board of Education, helping spur the changes of the last fifty years.

Fast forward to 2011, when forced segregation is but a distant memory and our biracial president challenges old notions of racial identity. What happens when an African-American child chooses a white doll and her caretaker admonishes her, refusing to allow her to play with it and insisting she play with one that is African-American? What if the situation is reversed and a Caucasian child is forbidden from playing with an African-American doll? Will anyone intervene?

Mini Twists Tutorial by KinkyKurlyQueen + A Look Back At A's Mini Twists

2011-10-19T14:49:00.000-04:00

Awesome mini twists tutorial by KinkyKurlyQueen! She was the inspiration behind A's mini twists earlier this year and this video definitely makes me want to do them again! Watch until the end of the video to see her with her ADORABLE daughter!

KinkyKurlyQueen writes:

The key to not ending up with a "scalpy" twist set is to part on an angle. It also helps to know where you hair is thicker and where it is thinner. In the thick spots you can cheat and twists a little bigger, because it's more hair in that area. In the thin spots twists smaller to fill the gaps.
Quick Answers...
• I do NOT wash my twists...at all.
• Yes, its all mine :)
• The less product you use the less build up you'll have.
• I'll be keeping these in for at least 4 weeks.
• No matter what anyone says, your twists will shrink. Maybe a little maybe a lot, but they will shrink.
• Watch how I take my twists down here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3YtHrdI3UU&feature=youtu.be

A look back at Miss A's mini twists (loved them)...

Mini twists more info

Curled with curlformers post + video

Fishtail on mini twists

Mini twist update

Half up, half down mini twists

Mini twists twisted back/ 21 day update

Day 26 update

and finally, mini twist take down (video).

Make sure you stop by KinkyKurlyQueen's youtube and subscribe! :)

Hair Pretties by Kristi Giveaway!

2011-10-18T22:30:00.000-04:00

We're back with another fabulous giveaway! This giveaway is sponsored by Hair Pretties By Kristi. She makes gorgeous bows and matching accessories. Kristi has offered 2 of our readers a $10 gift certificate each. Redeemable at Hairprettiesbykristi.com Big thanks to Kristi for this giveaway!

Below are a couple of examples of her work. Make sure you stop by her website to see more bows!

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Mixing the Old with the New - Intricate Cornrows into Side Puff

2011-10-18T12:42:00.000-04:00

Guest post from Aisha of Braid With Me

We're back!!! I'm sure all of you can understand how easy it is to get busy with everyday life. The above pic shows one of the things that we've been working on. Check it out!!! Anisa is wearing her very own Braid with Me shirt!! The shirt was completely created by my baby! She was so excited to see her picture printed on a shirt!! So what do you think??

Now let's talk about the style! Anisa has been wearing simple styles such as ponytails since her The Heart of Breast Cancer style. I've also been working on her new routine which I will touch on in this post.

The night before starting this style, I massaged her scalp with coconut oil and detangled her hair with my fingers. The detangling session took awhile but it was worth it the next day when I washed her hair. I put her hair in 4 twisted ponytails for bedtime and covered them with her satin bonnet. The next day, I cleansed her hair using Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra-Smoothing Conditioner. Once all of the conditioner was rinsed from her hair, I followed up by using Aubrey Organics 100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel on her soaking wet hair. I got these tips from the wonderful Fran of HeyFranHey.com. If you've never visited her blog, you definitely need to check it out! She offers lots of tips about healthy living from hair to nutrition. I will also incorporate her conditioner routine into our new routine. While using this method, we will use a different conditioner each week for 4 weeks to cleanse her hair. We will rotate among the following conditioners every week for 4 weeks:

(1) Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra-Smoothing Conditioner
(2) Shea Moisture Organic Yucca and Baobab Volumizing Conditioner
(3) Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner
(4) Curl Junkie Beauticurls Argan and Olive Daily Hair Condtioner

Obviously I am on week 1 of this routine. Please check back for updates about the other conditioners.

I place her hair in 4 twisted ponytails once again after it was washed to prevent tangles. Once I was ready to band her hair, I used a little bit of grapeseed oil and Oyin Handmade Hair Dew. Her hair was banded over night and styled the next day.

The next day, her hair was not completely dry when I removed the bands, and as a result, it was not completely stretched. This was not a problem, but if it is for you, you can always reband the hair and style it later.

Products used while braiding:
Oyin Handmade Sugar Berry Pomade
Oyin Handmade Shine and Define
100% Pure Grapeseed Oil
I began braiding the nape area first and worked my way to the front. This is how I began braiding:

I continued braiding in this manner until I was completely done. I secured the braids with three ouchless bands and formed her puff. If this style looks familiar, it's because it is very similar to the style showcased in our Then and Now: Braids to the Side with a Puff post.

I sprayed her puff with water that night and applied a little bit of the Oyin Handmade Hair Dew and created 5 twists. I rolled the twists with foam rollers in order to give her puff a new look for the following day.

What do you think? Anisa loves this look and I do as well! Before we go, we wanted to shine the spotlight on the little member of our family, our little King! Check him out with his new braids!!! Cutie Pie!!!

As always, if you like what you see here, please join the site and "Like" our Facebook page!!!
**Edited to add the foam rollers I used are flexi-rods.

Sesame Street: Change The World (I Love My Hair Muppet is BACK!)

2011-10-18T12:26:00.000-04:00

Big thanks to Cheryl for sharing this on Facebook. Remember the adorable I Love My Hair video from Sesame Street? Well look who's back with another great message!

Happy 6th Birthday Miss A! (Picture Heavy)

2011-10-16T19:13:00.001-04:00

Today is Miss A's 6th birthday! I seriously cannot believe it. They grow up so fast. I posted a few pictures on our Facebook page of what she looked like when we first started the blog in 2009 and she has changed so much!

I couldn't have asked God for a better blessing. She has completely changed my life. She's sweet, loving and caring. A great big sister. She is going to grow into a beautiful, and smart young woman. She will forever and always be mommy's phat phat. I love you A! :)

Here's her birthday weekend recap...

I took the picture above yesterday before taking her to Toys R Us with a $30.00 budget to pick whatever she wanted and before taking her out to eat. She declared it the best day ever.

She had a small sleepover with 2 of her cousins. They are playing tea party with one of the gifts she bought from Toys R Us.

She insists on listening to Michael Jackson nonstop every birthday. Long live the King.

Something she has been asking for....a LeapPad Explorer! By the way, I can do a review if anyone is interested for the holidays! :)

Playing with her new LeapPad!

Hair: Kinky Curly Curling Custard - Outfit: Gymboree Cake: Walmart :)

Thanks for reading. :) Don't forget to enter our 2 year blogging anniversary celebration giveaways! There will be a lot more posted.

[CLOSED] Kinky-Curly & Tiny Twirls Giveaway! Win 1 of 4 Sets!

2011-10-13T21:24:00.002-04:00

Spritz and pomade not included

Updated 10/24- The winners have been announced!

Katrina Pickering wins the full set of Kinky-Curly Products.
Adrienne Wells wins the full set of Kinky-Curly Products.
Rieta Williams wins the full set of Tiny Twirls Products.
Whitney Springfield wins the full set of Tiny Twirls Products.

Congrats ladies! Please email me your mailing address. beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com

Huge thanks to Kinky-Curly for this giveaway!

We're back with another amazing giveaway! We are going to continue our 2 year blogging anniversary celebration with Kinky-Curly! The wonderful owner of Kinky-Curly has kindly offered to give (2) of our readers a set of Kinky-Curly products including: (1) 8oz Come Clean Shampoo, (1) 8oz Knot Today Leave-in and (1) 16oz Curling Custard. She has also offered to give (2) of our readers a set of their fabulous children's line, Tiny Twirls! Including: (1) 4.5oz Shampoo, (1) 8oz Conditioner and (1) 8oz Styler. How awesome is that? Big thanks to Kinky-Curly!

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[CLOSED] Oils from Jamaica Giveaway! Jamaican Black Castor Oil

2011-10-09T11:04:00.004-04:00

Updated 10/18- The winner is Andrea Watkins! Congrats! :) Please email me your mailing address. beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com

We're back with our 4th giveaway this month! The wonderful people at OilsfromJamaica.com have kindly offered one Beads, Braids & Beyond readers (1) 4oz Lavender Jamaican

Black Castor Oil and (1) Black Castor Oil Shampoo. I have heard so many good things about Jamaican Black Castor Oil through Facebook and in the forums so I am excited about this giveaway!

via OilsfromJamaica.com:

"Jamaican Black Castor Oil is derived from the oil from the bean like seeds of the castor oil plant that grows naturally in Jamaica. Jamaican Black Castor Oil works well for hair growth and to keep moisture in your hair. Jamaican Black Castor Oil can also be used for body care."

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Picture of the Day: Big Hair x3!!!

2011-10-08T10:58:00.000-04:00

Check out this picture Jami shared on our Facebook page of her adorable girls! Bless those hands...

[CLOSED] Curly Princess Hair Boutique Gift Certificate Giveaway!

2011-10-05T21:41:00.002-04:00

Winner announced 10/14. Congrats!!! :)

We're back with our 3rd giveaway this month! This time we have teamed up with Curly Princess Hair Boutique to give 1 Beads, Braids & Beyond reader a $30 Gift Certificate to Curly Princess Hair Boutique's online shop. If you're unfamiliar with their shop, please visit it here. Curly Princess Hair Boutique carries hair accessories such as beads, barrettes and hair snaps.

Please follow the Rafflecopter instructions below to enter. Please note, you only have to "Like" our Facebook pages to enter, all other entries are COMPLETELY optional! Do not feel obligated to do them all however, doing them all will give you a higher chance of winning. You can come back daily to enter! Hope to see you here. :) Good luck!

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Crazy Hair Day: Enchanted Garden

2011-10-05T08:44:00.002-04:00

It's that time again! Crazy hair day, that is. If you don't remember last years crazy hair day style, check it out here, it was a bird's nest.

I didn't know about crazy hair day until the day before so this was completely last minute. I stole the idea from this post. I think it turned out pretty good to be a last minute kind of thing. I had to just start throwing flowers in her hair at the end because we were running out of time. I won't be going into detailed instructions but I'll add a few notes.

I bought the miniature fence at the craft store in the doll house section. I spray painted the fence white.
I hot glued the butterflies and bees to the craft wire
I used a strong clear tape to take the back of the fence together. I used tape rather than glue so the fence could bend completely around her bun.
I used lots of bobbypins

She loved it and couldn't wait to show her friends!

Here's our starting point. I used one of those stretchy elastic headbands for her ponytail then began twisting small to medium sections of wet hair, rolling the twists and pinning in place.

Picture of the Day: Sick Cornrowed Spider Design for Halloween!

2011-10-04T16:21:00.000-04:00

...and by sick I mean amazing! Toni of Keyative styles shared this on our Facebook page. Great style for Halloween!

[CLOSED] ErinGoPaint (Princess Art) Giveaway!

2011-10-03T12:07:00.002-04:00

Update 10/14- We have WINNERS!!! :)

Drum roll please...

Congrats Tara M. and Kelly Bowman! Please send me your princess print choice. beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com

Huge thanks to ErinGoPaint for this giveaway! :)

__________________________________________

I told you all we would be having a giveaway every other day for the month of October for our 2 year blogging anniversary so here we are with our next awesome giveaway! ErinGoPaint has been kind enough to offer (1) 5x7 princess print to (2) winners! YOU get to choose which print you would like. Erin creates some of the most gorgeous prints I have seen. How can you not love the afro Rapunzel?! Please note: this giveaway is currently only open to U.S. residents.

To enter this giveaway: (required)

Visit ErinGoPaint on Etsy and tell us which princess print you would choose!

That is the only requirement. Please include your name at the end of your entry.

Example: I visited ErinGoPaint's etsy and I would love the Rapunzel print! -Nikki G.

For additional entries: (optional)

Like ErinGoPaint on Facebook and tell her Beads, Braids & Beyond sent you. Leave a separate comment in the comment box telling me you have done so. Example: I liked ErinGoPaint and told her you sent me! -Nikki G.

Like Beads, Braids & Beyond on Facebook. Leave a separate comment in the comment box telling me you have done so. Example: I like BBB on Facebook! -Nikki G.

Share this giveaway on Facebook or twitter. For Facebook, please use the @ tags and say: @Beads, Braids & Beyond is giving away 2 gorgeous princess prints from @ErinGoPaint, check it out! (please link to this post). Leave a separate comment in the comment box telling me you have done so. Example: I shared on Facebook/Twitter -Nikki G.

Come back to this post and enter once a day. Simply leave a comment telling me this is your once a day entry. Example: Once a day entry, I'd love a princess print for my daughters room! -Nikki G.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry to increase your chances of winning. Make sure you leave your name at the end of each comment. Don't worry if your comment does not immediately show up, I have to approve all comments first.

This giveaway will run from October 3rd - October 10th. All entries must be submitted 11:59pm EST on October 10th. I will choose 2 winners using Random.org on October 11th. Good luck and big thanks to ErinGoPaint for this giveaway!

[CLOSED] 2 Year Blogging Anniversary Celebration: Bee Mine Products Giveaway!

2011-10-01T00:00:00.002-04:00

Updated 10/15- And the winners are...

Shamerie $75 GC
Lakeesha $50 GC
Jordan $40 GC
Janine $40 GC
Lisa $40 GC
Brittany $40 GC
Ciana $25 GC

Congrats ladies! You will all be sent an email with your gift certificate! Big thanks to Bee Mine Products for this amazing giveaway!
_______________________________________________

It's October! Can you believe we have been blogging for 2 years now? I sure can't! October is Beads Braids & Beyond's 2 year blogging anniversary and A's 6th birthday month so we are celebrating by hosting a giveaway every other day for the entire month of October! Yippee! We really want to show our appreciation to our fabulous readers. :)

We're starting October out with a bang! October is not only our blogging anniversary, but it just so happens to be Kandy Land Kurls 1 year blogging anniversary so we thought what better way to celebrate than together? We have teamed up with Bee Mine Products (do I even have to tell you how much I love their products anymore?) to bring you almost $300 worth of gift certificates. There will be 7 winners. Yes! 7 winners! We are giving away (4) $40 gift certificates and Kandy Land Kurls is giving away (1) $75 gift certificate, (1) $50 gift certificate and (1) $25 gift certificate, all redeemable at Beemineproducts.com

New Sponsor: Blended Beauty

2011-09-30T12:01:00.000-04:00

I wanted to introduce you all to our new sponsor, Blended Beauty! I'm sure most of you are familiar with this company, they make fabulous natural products for adults and children. I have been using their products for a while now (specifically down and out styles) and have loved all of them. Blended Beauty will be launching a line of luxury sleep caps soon so make sure you look out for that! I'm pretty excited about that myself. :) I hope you will join us in welcoming Blended Beauty and check out their website! Use coupon code 'curly' at checkout for a discount. You can sign up for their newsletter on their websites to be up to date on all their discounts and promotions.

via BlendedBeauty.com

Blended Beauty hair care products were designed specifically for the needs of those with dry, wavy, curly, kinky, and relaxed or heat-straightened hair.

Our main goal is to provide superior quality products that beautify the look of the hair but also nourish the hair from the inside out, promoting healthy growth and diminishing breakage. All our products are formulated with naturally derived ingredients and are between 98%-99% natural.

Our mission is to encourage those with curly hair, to realize its beauty and embrace it. Whatever your hair type is, you can wear it natural and love it. Chemicals, petroleum, mineral oil, and relaxing can be a thing of the past, on a Blended Beauty regimen. Our suggestions for promoting great hair have been laid out on the hair tips page for the benefit of our customers.

Cornrows & Sister/Rope Twists Braided to the Side

2011-09-29T13:29:00.000-04:00

This is the style I did on A's banded hair. I did this over the course of 3 days because I started during the school week and we didn't want to sit for long periods of time. I absolutely love the look of sister/rope twists! I actually tried to make a video tutorial but for some reason the tripod would not stay straight up, it kept falling down so I gave up after 3 tries. I will have to figure it out because I really want to post more tutorials.

Instructions:

Again, I started on stretched hair from banding. If you are not familiar with banding, please check out our banding frequently asked questions post.
I began by parting a section near her left ear for the first cornrow. If you do not know how to cornrow, please check out our cornrowing for beginners post.
I continued cornrowing three sections near her left ear, then I moved on to the other side at her hairline. I cornrowed three sections on that side then went back to the other side. No reason in particular, this is just how I like to do it. You can certainly stay on one side until you reach the other side.
At the end of each cornrow I took the three sections and made them into just two sections by borrowing hair from the middle section and adding it into the right and left section.
After I had two sections of hair I began doing a sister twist, otherwise known as rope twist. This is not a regular two strand twist. You simply begin twisting one section clockwise and the other section counter clockwise as you twist all the way down. Continue this twisting motion (twist one section to the right and one to the left) until you reach the ends. Please check out this sister twist video tutorial. Once you get to the end of the twist, roll the ends between your index and thumb several times to make sure the twist stays.
After I cornrowed and twisted the top, I parted the hair horizontally at the nape of the neck and tied the rest of the hair off to get it out of my way. I parted small squares using the end of our metal rat tail comb and began doing the sister/rope twist. I did this to all of the remaining hair until I was finished.
To make this style look less basic and a little more creative, I gathered the twists coming from the cornrows and started cornrowing the twists all the way to the left side near her ear and tied the cornrow off with a black ouchless band.
I used Bee Mine Curly Butter (BBBHOT will get you 10% off your purchase) and unrefined coconut oil for this style.
Please note, I prefer doing the sister/rope twists on dry, stretched hair because it shows length a lot more. I find that when I do this style on wet or damp hair the twists curl up a lot more, don't hold as well and tend to be more frizzy.

Big Natural Hair From Banding

2011-09-29T13:09:00.000-04:00

Details:

A's hair was washed with Kinky Curly Come Clean Shampoo
After rinsing the shampoo I detangled with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner mixed with unrefined coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil (amazing detangling session!).
I rinse the conditioner and applied a very generous amount of Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer (love that stuff! BBBHOT will get you 10% off your purchase)
I applied unrefined coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil over the moisturize
I banded A's hair in 5 sections
The next day I removed the bands, detangled with the Denman D3 and here are the results!

A great way to show off her big, long, natural hair without all the tangles.

Her outfit is from Gap during their 50% off previously reduced items sale. Check out our Facebook page and look in the album named "Deals & Steals" for more information. Don't forget to "Like" it while you're there! :)

Shampooing and Detangling A Young Child's Natural Hair

2011-09-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

LV of natural-ness.com shares an alternative hair washing method for washing and detangling a young child's hair.

A's Hair Updates

2011-09-26T10:56:00.000-04:00

A has been wearing lots of two strand twists, twist outs and just out styles lately. Nothing too special but I wanted to give a quick update. She will be going back to protective styles very soon! :)

Basic two strand twists in the picture above. She had been playing in the water so they are wet. I used Lil Better Butter (review soon).

She wore a high bun (no filler) so the Hispanic Festival. I wrapped the braid with ribbon (came with her outfit) around her bun and pinned it. I used Kinky Curly Curling Custard to slick the bun down.

We met some readers of our blog, aren't they fab?!

I tried a new product in the picture above. I gave her some quick cornrows going half back and she wore a braid out from 4 large braids.

Wearing her hair all out.

This is a twist out using Curls Whipped Cream. I think she had close to 30 twists in overnight for this look,

This is what her twist out looked like when I picked her up (I had to change her for gym). Not too bad but definitely not as defined as it was. I think it had a lot to do with her playing outside and going to gym. I will try this again before our full review.

So there you have it! How has your child been wearing their hair lately?

Criss Cross Cornrowed Headband & Box Braids

2011-09-24T22:33:00.000-04:00

Guest post by Aisha of Braid With Me

Let me start by saying that I apologize for our absence. Education is very important to us and that has been our main focus. I hope that you can understand.

Now back to this style!!! For the September Hair Carnival, I was paired with the very talented onceuponacurl.blogspot.com. According to her blog, "Once Upon a Curl strives to provide affordable and Quality hair care products to children and parents of all colors. Our main goal is to reach those who otherwise have no access to products they like and need to take care of and maintain curly types of hair." In addition to offering products, she loves to style natural hair! Please visit her blog and Facebook fan page for more info on this wonderful blogger.

For this style, I decided to combine her love for freestyle cornrows and my love for protective styles such as box braids. I also decided to copy fellow blogger charlottesavenue.blogspot.com love for braided headbands. If you haven't checked out her blog, you are missing out!! She covers natural hair, parenting and everything in between!

I started with clean, detangled, moisturized hair that had been banded for a couple of days.

Next, I began adding medium box braids starting at the nape area and working my way up. I was unable to finish the style on this particular day, so I added two twisted ponytails in the front section and secured them with ouchless bands.

The following day, I began adding freestyle cornrows in the front section in preparation for the braided headband. Although it is not visible in this photo due to the bow, the two overlapping cornrows lead into three cornrows.

The Results!!!

Do you find inspiration from others? Please share your thoughts!!

Stayed tuned for the update!!

Diva Spotlight: Alexis

2011-09-15T22:32:00.000-04:00

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:
My name is Johnique and my little princess name is Alexis. Her nickname is Lexi. She's has two brothers Brandon (10 years old) and Jalen, who is 10 months. Alexis' is a daddy girls who loves to wear dresses.

Alexis and family

Alexis and mom

What is your daughter's hair care routine?
I wash and style Alexis' hair every Sunday. It's our little Sunday afternoon tradition. It's a fun activity for me because it reminds me of my mom doing my hair on Sundays for the school week. But I must admit, it can sometimes be frustrating because lately I've been experimenting with "fancy" hairstyles. They turn out nice in the end but Alexis does get fussy sometimes while I'm braiding her hair. One of our fancy hairstyles was the "Cornrows & Hearts - Valentine's Day Style" from this awesome site.

What kind of products do you use on her hair?
I use Miss Jessie's Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo. I really like the smell and how the shampoo lathers. After I shampoo, I usually spray Alexis hair with Carol Daughters' Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner. I keep Alexis' hair moisturized with Jane Carter's Nourish & Shine or Carol Daughters' Tui Hair Oil. My goal is to keep the whole process simple by just using just a few basic products; shampoo, conditioner and moisturizer.

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
I don't plan to use any chemical treatments on her hair. I will allow her to make that decision when she's older and on her own. I just want her to know that her hair is beautiful the way it is.

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?
Yes.

How did you learn to do all of this?
I learned by practicing different styles (and I must admit I'm still learning). We usually check out Beads, Braids & Beyond for inspiration. I try to put my own spin on many of the hairstyles that we find online.

How does your daughter feel about her hair?
Alexis loves her hair, she loves to get a new hairstyle each week. She looks forward to the time we spend together as I wash and style her hair, while she does the same for her doll.

Can we see her favorite style?
Her favorite hairstyle is ponytails, two big ponies. [pictured above]

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
I would say find that the products and routine that works for you and stick with it. Oftentimes, we spend a lot of time and money trying all these things only to be disappointed. Do try many fun hairstyles but keep your routine simple.

Guinness World Records Largest Afro

2011-09-15T10:11:00.000-04:00

Amazing

Congrats Aevin Dugas!

Check out BGLH for more info!

Diva Spotlight: Ladybug

2011-09-12T23:19:00.000-04:00

Click to enlarge

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:
Hi my name is Tonda and I am the mother of this 4yr old (future DIVA) Ladybug! We are both natrual I did the BC last October.....I currently don't do all that I should for mines bc I'm more focused on hers. I have not quite figured out her "hair type" yet...I wpould probably say some whee arond the 4b & 4c area...she had really tight curls and really thick!

Mommy Tonda and Ladybug
Click to enlarge

What is your daughter's hair care routine?
I wash her hair every other week and do a co-wash in between. We do a pre-poo before every wash with conditioner and unrefined coconut oil, and we detangle and section the hair off in about 6-7 sections in fat 2 strand twist. Because her hair tangles really bad we wash the hair while its still in the twist. We try to deep condition 2-3 times a month because she has really dry hair, but we most definitley do twice a month. She sleeps witha satin scarf/cap and sleeps on a satin pillow case.

Click to enlarge

What kind of products do you use on her hair?
We have yet to find a "staple" product. We are currently using Bee Mine products.......we are loving the luscious moisturizer, Bee Lovely Daily conditioner, Bee Loved Hair & Scalp moisturizer, and curly butter. We also use a spray mix with conditioner, water, and oils in spray bottle and spray as a detangler and refresher. For oils we normally use extra virgin olive oil,jojoba oil, castor oil, and the coconut oil by itself. We also use a few of Taliah Waajid products her mist bodifier and curl cream.

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
Holding head in shame....YES.....I let my mom and cousins talk me into letting her do a texturizer bc they convinced me that it would make her hair more "manageble".....OMG what a BIG mistake!! Her hair completely changed and became really thin and felt very rough. And although I have not always known much about hair I've always known the basics of taking care of hair and her hair was well maintained and we still had a lot of breakage and her texture completely changed. So from then on I never put the chemicals back in. I started paying more attention to her hair and we cut her hair like every two weeks until the texturizer was gone.

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?
SURE

Click to enlarge

How did you learn to do all of this?
I would say from growing up with a mom that did hair, trial and error, and from wonderl blogs/sites like BBB. So glad I found you!!

How does your daughter feel about her hair?
She loves her "big hair" and beads and braids because she loves to shake them...We recently tried box braids and she is so in love with them!!!

Can we see her favorite style?
Yes

Click to enlarge

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
Never let any one tell you whats best for your little one because it works for them....research research research!!! Be patient and except that you will have trial and error before you find the perfect product or routine thant works for your little one... if you ever do.

Product Review: Beija-Flor Naturals Creme Brulee

2011-09-08T22:24:00.000-04:00

First day of school. Three strand twist out right when I dropped her off.

First day of school.

Beija Flor Naturals Creme Brulee

The claim: "This product is for the happy and nappy, cute and coily, wild and wavy, kinky, curly...well you get the picture! No matter what your ethnic background, if the hair that sits on top of your head can be described as such you know that highly textured hair in all its glory tends to be dry, brittle and prone to breakage."

Price: $12.95 8oz or $24.50 16oz

Ingredients: Herbal Complex (Nettle, Burdock, Rosemary, Mashmellow Root). Organic Shea Butter, Aloe Butter, Murumuru Butter, Organic Aloe Vera Extract, Grapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil, Vegetable Emulsifier, Stearic Acid, Xanthum, Vitamin E Paraben Free Preservative, Fragrance

Review: I bought this product in late July and received it in early August. I'm happy I went ahead and bought the 16oz because I have used it on A's hair several times since then. First of all, this product smells amazing! It kind of reminds me of carrot cake. I'm not very good at describing scents though. Let me just say, it smells good enough to eat! It's nice and creamy, kind of thick, but not too thick. This creme easily absorbs in the hair. Perfect for braid outs and twist outs. It provides a really nice hold. The picture above was the first time I used the creme brulee. I set her wet hair in some three strand twists using this product overnight. Her hair was soft and beautifully defined in the morning. Even better, when I picked her up from school (almost 7 hours later), her hair practically looked and felt the same! See below for more pictures.

First day of school. Three strand twist out when I picked her up about 7 hours later.

Large/medium single braids done on wet hair with creme brulee. Click to enlarge. See the shine?

Boho braid with braid out (from above braids) with creme brulee.

Each time I have used this product her hair has remained well moisturized and her braid outs and twist outs have stayed defined, even after a long day at school. I look forward to experimenting some more with this product. I'm very pleased with this purchase and definitely plan on buying some more. By the way, I did use a discount code when I purchased this product. I think it was for 10% off. Unfortunately it is no longer valid but I will keep you all posted when they have another sale/discount code.

Visit Beija Flor Naturals online!

Picture of the Day: Long Natural Hair

2011-09-07T21:43:00.001-04:00

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A rocking her natural hair all out!

Updates on A's Hair / Braided Ponytail

2011-09-07T17:55:00.000-04:00

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Go "like" our Faceook Page for the latest updates on A's hair!

5 Back to School Hairstyles in 5 Minutes! Cute Simple Hairstyles + Natural Hair Tutorial - Beach Waves with No Heat, How to Grow Hair Longer

2011-09-07T11:27:00.000-04:00

Check out these great videos by Urbanogcom on Youtube.

5 Back to School Hairstyles in 5 Minutes!

Beach Waves with No Heat on Natural Hair

Little Girl Detangles her Long Natural, Curly Hair

2011-09-06T22:40:00.000-04:00

I was showing my daughter (Miss A!) how to detangle her hair tonight during wash time and she was so excited! She felt like such a big girl. She kept saying "look mama, I'm doing it! I'm doing my own hair!". It was the cutest thing ever so I decided to record a quick video of what she learned. She was a little shy in this video, not sure why but we hope you like it! :)

Her hair was wet with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner (old ingredients). I detangled the section for her before she began.

Product Review: Darcy's Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Conditioner

2011-09-06T06:03:00.001-04:00

Darcy's Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Curl Moisturizing Conditioner

The claim: It doesn't get anymore moisturizing than pure Pumpkin Seed Oil! This one is for all of our lovely regulars who have been requesting it for a while:) Our moisturizing conditioner will help to soften, moisturize and condition your coils. We scented this one with a sweet smell of pumpkin.

Price: $12.00 8oz

Ingredients: Distilled Water, BTMS (a mild conditioning emulsifier), Pumpkin Seed Oil, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Japanese Camellia Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Botanical Oil Complex, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol and Fragrance.

Review: A had worn her hair out/in a ponytail for about a week so her curls were very tangled. I decided to take a chance instead of using some of our good old faithfuls. I bought Darcy's Botanicals a few weeks before and posted a review on a couple of their other products here. I applied a generous amount of this conditioner to A's freshly washed hair. I have to say, this stuff smells amazing. It reminds me of one of my favorite Thanksgiving treats, pumpkin pie! I was surprised at how easily I was getting her tangles out with my fingers. The pumpkin seed conditioner is nice and creamy, with a medium to thick consistency, easy to work into the hair. I wanted to try this as a leave-in so instead of rinsing out, I left all of the conditioner in and went ahead and banded her hair (see picture above). A's hair was still not dry by morning so if I try it as a leave-in again, I will definitely do a quick rinse or squeeze excess conditioner out of her hair. I can't say I loved it or hated it as a leave-in. I love it for detangling though so I think I may just go ahead and keep this as a rinse out conditioner. Overall, it was yummy and I can't wait to try it again!

www.darcysbotanicals.com

Picture of the Day: Very, Very Hairy. Not So Very Scary.

2011-09-05T15:33:00.000-04:00

I took this picture of A today. It reminded me of that episode on the Upside Down Show where they start singing the very hair song, hence the name.

For more random hair pictures, be sure to stop by and "like" our Facebook page. :)

Diva Spotlight: Rylin

2011-09-04T22:38:00.000-04:00

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:
My name is Brandy, I am the Mother to one Bubbly Bumble~Bee. My Daughter's name is Rylin and we lovingly call her "Moody" or "Bitty", she is 1 year old (14 months to be exact) and I'm not exactly sure of her hair type because the web gives vague descriptions. I plan on taking her to a friend of mine that works at a salon to get it 'typed'.

What is your daughter's hair care routine?
Rylin's hair care routine is pretty simple: We wash every Monday, and co-wash on Wednesdays. She gets her hair styled everyday because I like the idea of her getting used to the process even if it's just brushing and adding a Bow Clippie. Her hair is still not even all the way around because at 6 months the back and sides fell out. So the top is much longer than the back and sides so styles like ponies don't last longer than a day. For bed, Rylin sleeps in a pink satin bonnet and has a satin pillowcase because she is a wild sleeper and the bonnet tends to slip off sometimes.

What kind of products do you use on her hair?
Her hair loves Mixed Chicks, Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner, Organix Coconut Milk Serum, all of Curly Q's Organic Kid's line, and California Baby. For an all-day hold we use Mixed Chicks and Coconut Milk Serum, and for bed we use the Shea Butter and Coconut Milk Serum because it leaves her hair feeling softer.

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
No, I have never used chemicals and never plan to because I believe it is harmful to the hair and skin.

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?
Sure...for now I do natural styles where the back is left in loose curls and I will brush a swooped bang in the front that will hold slick and smoothe all day and add a headband (or pretty is what we call them). At home, I will make two pigtails in the front and now that her hair has grown in the back I will add two in the back.

How did you learn to do all of this?
I am fully self taught, have been doing hair since I was very young. Once her hair gets more length I will venture off into more elaborate styles. But for now, while she is young and her hair is still growing, I like to stay simple, practical, and comfortable for her.

How does your daughter feel about her hair? Can we see her favorite style?
She is still too young to express what she thinks of her hair, but I have taught her to go check herself out in the mirror or to go "Show Daddy your prettiness" and she will do just that with a huge smile across her face. My favorite style is her natural curls in the back and a swooped bang in the front with a headband. Friends and Family have dubbed it the "Rylin Swoop".

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
My one tip would be to NEVER over wash the hair. It strips it of its natural oils. Once a week is preferred as per haircare professionals.

Bee Mine Products Labor Day SALE!

2011-09-04T14:35:00.000-04:00

Starting tomorrow, September 5th at 12am EST you can receive 15% off your Bee Mine Products purchase with our reader discount code: BBB9511 this sale is one day only and will end at 11:59pm EST tomorrow.

If you have read A's routine then you know I am a huge Bee Mine Products fan. I have loved everything I have tried from the line (use our search bar for reviews and pictures) but I usually get asked what my favorite products from the line are, I highly recommend the Luscious Moisturizer and their Curly Butter. Remember, the code is BBB9511 when you spend $15 or more.

www.beemineproducts.com

Happy Shopping!

Do You Let Your Kids Use The 'N' Word?

2011-09-02T16:30:00.000-04:00

Terez Howard pictured with her daughter

Do You Let Your Kids Use The ‘N’ Word?

By Terez Howard

The ‘N’ word has oppressed black people for decades. Other races offensively use it to describe us. We ourselves have taken it and attempted to transform it into something positive, a source of affection. Some might argue we have achieved a victory with it, while others, like myself, still refuse to use it.

Oh, not that ‘N’ word. I’m talking about nappy.

During the late 18th century and the early 19th century, black slaves were called “nappy heads,” comparing their hair to the nap, or fuzzy surface layer, found on cloth or yarn. This was no compliment to their curly, coily, kinky hair textures.

Excuse No. 1: But that was then.

True. The past has passed. This is now. And now, especially among the natural hair community, nappy is used with fondness to describe the unique twists and turns in our hair. It’s no longer what white slave owners called out to demean our ancestors.

But let’s say a white person did dub our hair nappy. Don Imus did in 2007. This radio show host referred to one American girls’ college basketball team, 8 blacks and 2 whites, as “nappy-headed ho’s.” He was fired from CBS, only to later hit the radio waves with ABC. He claimed to be making an attempt at being amusing, but made a public apology for being offensive.

Think about this: Do you want someone white talking about your nappy hair? Further, when this white person talks about your nappy hair, is he/she using this word as a synonym to beautiful, like you would be?

Excuse No. 2: Blacks only.

My mother can call my hair nappy because she understands it and loves me. My black friends know about nappy hair. Those of us who understand that nappy is not negative use it merely to describe a hair texture.

Excuse me, but what hair texture? Is my daughter’s 3b to 3c hair nappy, or is nappy only designated to 4a, b and c hair?

I was raised to call nappy hair the kinkiest of textures, the most difficult to manage, like my own. I grew up believing that my nappy hair had to have something done to it to fix the way it was naturally. My mother said I had nappy hair. Even though she loves me, she still uses nappy to describe a problem with hair.

Once when my daughter was visiting my mom, she picked up on the word nappy. She was 3. She said her hair was nappy when she woke up in the morning, and it was all over the place. She said that I needed to fix it.

That’s when I knew my 3-year-old could discern how other black people in her life used the word nappy. It meant, to her, a mess. With my eye toward the future, I knew that I didn’t want my little girl (who never minces words and has yet to have learned about this thing called tact) to call someone’s messy hair nappy. I know her, and I know that my biracial daughter would use nappy to describe black and white hair alike, as long as it was a mess.

How are you using it?

Friends among the natural hair community happily embrace their nappy hair and openly discuss their successes and woes with nappy hair. Even natural hair care products affectionately include the word nappy in their titles.

I don’t have a problem with that. I’m not going to boycott those products or services. However, I am not going to use nappy or brand myself with such a controversial word.

I don’t use that other ‘N’ word, that swear word to describe females or any other word that’s intended use is to hurt feelings. Certain groups might be reserved to use it nicely, but how am I supposed to teach my preschooler that? How can I tell her that she can call some of her black relatives’ hair nappy, but not to use it to offend certain blacks and to not confuse her white relatives by using it to describe their hair?

It has the potential to offend many. We are not going to use the word nappy at all. There is so much more to natural hair than that.

About the author
Terez Howard, who has been researching natural hair for 5 years, endeavors to help ladies learn more about their precious tresses. At her blog, she shares her Sisterlocks journey.

Organizing Hair Products & Accessories

2011-09-01T12:48:00.000-04:00

Kelli, one of our readers, was kind enough to share how she organizes her hair products and accessories. I get this question a lot and to be quite honest, the only thing that is really organized in our house these days are headbands thanks to the Original Headband Holder. I love Kelli's system and having it in the living room stored away seems to be very convenient. Read below for more info.

It took me a good year to come up with a method to the madness that can come with all things hair related. I had stuff everywhere because I had no good place to keep everything together. I also never do hair in the bathroom or bedroom but always in the living room. I finally came to grips with the fact that the living room would be the best place to keep everything. But where? A couple of months later we found this lovely room divider at Costco. It was perfect! Three of the 4 bins hold hair stuff with the fourth on reserve for when we need more space! I now have everything I need in the room where 95% of the time I do hair. Voila!

Last year at the beginning of the school year I found these colorful clear plastic school boxes at Walmart. They work perfect for storing accessories. There are two additional craft containers with compartments. I use these for any of the little items. I have one more basket in her bedroom closet that holds her more delicate hair accessories.

I use one fabric bin to hold the accessories. The containers with the more popular accessories are at the top and the less used are on the bottom. Little J loves being able to get the bin for me and help pick out her "pretties."

Another fabric bin holds my go to styling products and styling tools. I have one additional fabric bin with additional hair product. Any conditioners that I only use while in the bathtub stay in the bathroom. Any duplicate products are kept in the basement where it is cool until I need them.

This is my hair tool caddy that used to be the diaper caddy. I use it to keep anything I am going to use while doing Little J's hair. I just pull it out and set it next to me while I work on her hair.

All of our styling products and tools hidden in a fabric bin in our living room

Hair accessories hidden in a fabric bin in our living room.

Thank you so much for sharing Kelli!

So, how do you store all of your products and accessories? Better yet, if you have pictures of your system, please share them on our Facebook page!

Healthy Hair Becomes Long Hair - Retaining Length with Natural Hair

2011-08-31T16:26:00.000-04:00

Guest post from Tweeny Hair. You can also find Tweeny Hair on Facebook!

The question I get asked most often is some variation of:
"How can I get my (or my daughter's) hair as long as Syd's?"

Unfortunatley, there is no magic formula, cream, or pill. The best advice I can give is to make sure your hair is moisturized and stop being so rough with it.

Dried out hair is more fragile and more likely to break off. Make sure you are keeping those strands nice and moisturized. At this point, I'm sure several of you are thinking, "What products should I use?"

That's actually the second most frequently asked question I receive. I could tell you what products we use most often on Syd's hair, but that might not help. Every head of hair is different. It's a process of trial and error until you find the products you like best for your own hair. Does something make your hair feel dry by the end of the day? If so, I'd suggest moving on and trying something new. If your hair seems too weighed down, go for something a little lighter. It can be frustrating as you search for the "perfect" product or combination of products, but once you discover what works for you, it's smooth sailing and happy hair. (For the record, we use Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer and Aussie Moist conditioner more often than any others for moisture.)

The number one reason that hair seems to stop getting any longer is because it is breaking off just as fast (and sometimes faster!) as it is growing. Ripping a brush or comb through your hair is a great way to ensure that it breaks off and negates the length retention you're striving for.

Be gentle. Take your time. Use your fingers to separate your tangled hair as much as possible. Be mindful of how often you are putting beads, barrettes, and rubber bands on the ends of the hair. You don't have to completely eliminate those things, but consistently using them on a daily basis will contribute to breakage (read: lack of length).

And of course, genetics also play a part in the length of your hair. Some heads of hair grow much faster than others. There is also something called terminal length. This is the length that is reached when each strand ends the growing stage in the growth cycle (called the anagen phase). When a strand reaches the end of that stage, it remains dormant for a while before shedding on its own. Someone whose hair grows slower than average and has a fairly short-lived anagen stage won't be able to grow their hair as long as someone who has a faster growth rate and longer growth cycle.

I think the most important part of growing your hair is to make sure your hair remains healthy by staying moisturized and as undamaged as possible. Learn to embrace your healthy strands, no matter what their length. And in time, healthy hair will become longer hair.

Diva Spotlight: LeeLee

2011-08-31T12:37:00.000-04:00

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:
One of my daughter's many nicknames is LeeLee and she is 2 1/2 years old. She has a younger sister named Babydoll that is 6m and will be a feature Diva Spotlight as well. LeeLee loves when her hair is done and always says its beautiful. She loves anything and everything to do with princesses, yet she is still a wild and crazy one! I'm not sure of her hair type but I believe its a 3c.

Tell us about your blog (allthingscuteandgirly) and what inspired you to create it:
My blog allthingscuteandgirly focuses mainly on my daughter's journey to healthy, beautiful hair without the use of heat or chemicals. I am also broadening it up by adding a few things I like such as fashion, nails, make up etc. Pretty much all things cute and girly! Hence, the blog name. I first started the blog as a way to record my daughter's growth and my growth at learning as well but then it developed into something more. I love sharing what I've learned and want to show everyone that it is possible to take care of your little one's hair. All it takes is some learning and trial and error and you will get there in no time (:

What is your daughter's hair care routine?
We don't have a set routine where every day has a task. I shampoo and condition her hair once-2x a week depending on her style. Lately, since the protective style challenge I've been braiding her hair and leaving it in anywhere from 3-4 maybe 5 days and then taking it out and washing her hair. Then I repeat. This has been our routine for a few months.

What kind of products do you use on her hair?
For shampoo and conditioner I use Garnier Fructis Olive, Avocado and Shea which I LOVE! Shea Moisture curl enhancing smoothie and their curl and style milk. Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Moisturizer and Curly butter. Ecostyler gel, our shea mixture and glycerin mix. Sometimes kinky curly curling custard.

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
No, I have not and do not plan to. I love her hair the way it is and wouldn't want to damage it in any way.

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?
Of course..

How did you learn to do all of this?
It will actually be a year next month when I decided to learn to properly care for her hair. I first found Happy Girl Hair through google. From her, I found Beads, Braids and Beyond and Princess hairstyles. I read a bunch of blogs and even watched YouTube videos. I also practiced and played in her hair A LOT!

How does your daughter feel about her hair?
My daughter LOVES her hair! She randomly at times says how beautiful and pretty it is. Just the other day she said, " mommy my hair is CURLY!!" She compliments me on my straight hair, too but I always remind her that her hair is as beautiful.

Can we see her favorite style?
I just asked her how she likes her hair so I could put up a pic and she replied, "no, I whip my hair back and forth! I whip my hair back and forth!" So I'm assuming when its worn out like this:

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
Don't get frustrated if you do not see results right away. Healthy hair is more important than length. When you find out what your hair likes and you stick with it and properly care for it, THEN you will see the growth. Also, STOP COMPARING YOUR HAIR (OR YOUR CHILD'S) WITH SOMEONE ELSES. All hair is different and need different care.

Please make sure you stop by and check out their blog, All Things Cute & Girly!

Curly Cutie Spotted - Natural Hair Model

2011-08-31T12:17:00.001-04:00

Check out this curly cutie. :) I spotted her on Crazy8's website!

Love her natural hair!

Quick Veil Style

2011-08-30T17:29:00.000-04:00

A has been wearing her hair out in a ponytail quite a lot lately. I needed to do a quick style this weekend because she had a soccer game and I did not want her to be uncomfortable with her hair all out so I decided to do the style we all did in 2009 for our very first style challenge! Anyone remember?

Instructions:

I started with dry, stretched hair (from banding). I have also done this style on wet hair.
Part the hair from ear to ear. Make 4 large sections in the front and tie them all off with a ponytail holder. As you can see, I chose colors that matched her soccer uniform.
You are going to split the two middle sections into two and braid them half way down. Braid one braid with the side sections, again, only half way down.
Create two sections behind your middle sections. Take your one braid from the far left (near the left ear) and take your right braid from the right middle section, cross them over into the left back middle section and tie them all into the same ponytail holder.
Continue the process of crossing the braids over and tying them off. You should have a total of 8 sections.
You will now braid each of your 4 back sections into large single braids about half way down.
Cross your middle braided sections and pull them into a ponytail holder. You now have a few options. You can braid both sections down. Twist them. Or just create a couple of cute puffs!

Note: I used Darcy's Botanicals products.

Diva Spotlight: "Diva"

2011-08-29T13:37:00.000-04:00

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:
My name is Tiffany wife and mother of two, and the diva is a 7 year old dancing machine who competes in Jazz dance competitions. I believe her hair type is a mix between 3c/4a

Tell us about your blog (www.divalocks10.com) and what inspired you to create it:
I created my blog because when I first became interested in hair care I couldn't find any blogs that catered to african american children's hairstyles. I found a lot of biracial blogs and caucasion blogs which I love and still find info and styles on but nothing that catered to my daughter's hair type. So I decided to create my own and share our successes and failures and then the blog branched off to include my other interest such as fashion, beauty, and DIY crafts.

What is your daughter's hair care routine?
Daily:

I moisturize the diva's hair with my homemade Leave-In Conditioner Mix (distilled water, VO5 conditioner, EVOO) or with Komaza Care Califia Moisturizing Spray and I seal with Darcy's Botanical Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Natural Hair Conditioning Oil or African Royale Hot Six Oil
She sleeps with a satin bonnet

Weekly:

I wash the diva's hair once a week using Proclaim Olive Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner
I detangle her hair while the conditioner is in using a wide tooth comb
I band her hair after every wash in four sections

Monthly:

I clarify her hair once a month using Elucence Volume Clarifying Shampoo
Deep Condition using Komaza Care Olive Moisture Mask with a plastic cap for an hour
Hot Oil Treatment using African Royale Hot Six Oil
I dust her ends very 8 weeks

What kind of products do you use on her hair?
I use Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter, Eco Style Olive Oil Gel, Giovanni Direct Leave In Conditioner, Carol's Daughter Hair Milk, Homemade Leave in Conditioner Mix

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
No I have never used chemical's on the diva's hair and I never plan too. When she gets to older I will teach her how to properly care for her natural hair and the pro's and con's of everything so she can make an informed decision on her own.

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?
But of course :)

How did you learn to do all of this?
I learned all that I know from various blogs and my mom, I learned about banding from you!

How does your daughter feel about her hair? Can we see her favorite style?
She loves her hair, she did go through a phase when she wanted straight hair like the other girls at school but I have been teaching her that her hair is beautiful and this is how God wanted you to be. I also show her various pics of curly haired cuties and now she said she wants curly hair like them, I call it a success :)

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
My hair care tip would be to use a T-Shirt to remove excess water from your curls don't use a regular towel as it will cause frizzing.

Please make sure you stop by and check out their blog, Diva Locks!

Facebook Spotlight: Laced Cornrows with Beads!

2011-08-25T23:22:00.000-04:00

Check out this amazing back to school style Erica shared on our Facebook page. I mean really?! TOO CUTE! Thank you for allowing me to share this Erica!

Picture of the Day: Like Mother, Like Daughter

2011-08-25T15:13:00.001-04:00

Check out this adorable picture of Amber and her daughter. Thank you for allowing me to share this Amber! :)

Original Headband Holder Review!

2011-08-24T21:52:00.001-04:00

I received a couple of headband holders to review a few weeks ago and I have been holding my excitement in since! I absolutely love the "original headband holder" and I'll tell you why!

First, let me tell you a little about the company via their website:

"On a trip to Colorado in 2009, our whole family was discussing different ideas that would make life a little simpler. With three young daughters (all who wear headbands) we discussed the challenges of storing and more importantly, FINDING headbands. My daughters often would wear the exact same few headbands even though we have over 50 to choose from! All of our headbands were stuck under the bathroom sink in a big bin, making a huge mess than nobody ever wanted to go through. My husband came up with this design, and had a prototype made. Immediately we knew we were onto something! That little journey has lead us to creating the Original Headband Hanger, which we also branded the Ultimate Headband Holder! In 2011 "Heidi's House" was born, and our company has slowly started to grow!"

The headband holders we received came in great packaging. Installation was a SNAP! I must admit, I was a little cautious of these because I seem to have a hard time following even the most basic instructions. I couldn't wait to try them out so I chose a spot for one of the headband holders (back of door), cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol (as instructed) and waited an hour or so. After an hour I removed the tabs on the command tape and placed the headband holder on the back of the door, I firmly held it down for a couple of minutes and that was it! Um, what was I worried about again? Easy peasy! We waited another hour before placing the headbands. See picture below.

She loved putting her headbands on!

We both LOVE it!! A could not wait to install the pink headband holder so we installed it the same way that same night. I kind of wanted to try something different so I chose to place this headband holder vertically on the window frame. Here's where I really switched it up, since all of A's headbands were hung on the other headband holder, why not try to hang her sunglasses? I have been looking for sunglasses storage for the longest. See picture below.

It worked out beautifully! I will be taking them down though because her headband collection just keeps growing so I will fill this one with headbands and order some more for sunglasses and headbands. I know you are probably wondering if the headbands will hang vertically or will they fall off? See picture below.

Yep, it works that way too!

The pros:

This headband holder does not stretch out headbands and ruin them.
It's very affordable. Prices start at $10.
They offer different sizes. I believe they start from 12 inches and go up to 24 inches.
EASY INSTALLATION! Need I say more?
They offer different colors and designs. I love the zebra print!
Fast shipping and great packaging.
Use it for headbands or you can be like us and use it for headbands and sunglasses! :) Gotta love options!
Easy to use! My daughter actually hangs the headbands up when she takes them off and doesn't just throw them down!

The cons:

What cons?!

Take a look at some of their new designs:

You have so many options with this headband holder. I like accessories to be visible but if you're the type who likes them to be hidden away, no worries! Check out their website to see how these fit perfectly inside cabinets, on the side of dressers, etc. You can also decorate a plain headband holder with fun stickers for your own design. I will definitely be purchasing more of these in the near future.

If you would like to purchase the headband holder or learn more, please click here for their website!

Disclosure: The product(s) were sent to me free of charge from the company or PR agency for the purpose of this review. My opinions are my own and are not influenced by any other part.

Kinky-Curly Back To School Promo

2011-08-23T23:44:00.001-04:00

I just received this email:

BACK TO SCHOOL PROMO

FOR THE COLLEGE BOUND CURLY!!!!

KINKY-CURLY SHOWER CADDY!

$44*

Keep all your Kinky-Curly Products & shower gear organized.
A necessity for any dorm dweller
Also great for the gym locker room or spa.

Our Back to School Promo includes:
Come Clean Shampoo
Knot Today Conditioner
16oz Curling Custard
Shower Detangling Comb
Styling Brush
all in the Kinky-Curly Shower Caddy.
$44
(free shipping too)
*only available online while supplies last

www.Kinky-Curly.com

Product Review: Darcy's Botanicals Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme & Organic Coconut Butter Styling Pomade

2011-08-23T11:28:00.000-04:00

I have been reading about Darcy's Botanicals products for the longest. I have especially read good reviews from Happy Girl Hair so I finally decided to give them a try. I bought 6 of their products a few weeks ago (I found a discount code through Google!). Shipping time wasn't bad, I ordered August 3rd and the items shipped August 8th, I received them on August 12th. I mentioned I would do a full review in our Flat Twists to the Side post so here it is. :) Enjoy!

Darcy's Botanicals Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme

The claim: "Our Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme is an all natural hair butter for moisturizing, styling and conditioning your natural coils. It absorbs instantly into hair to replenish much needed moisture, provides softness, sheen & promotes healthy hair growth. This highly moisturizing butter is very thick & concentrated so a little goes a long way. It is perfect for type 3-4 naturals:) It has a very thick concentrated butter-like consistency with the sweet smell of gently African Madagascar Vanilla! Once you try it, you'll be hooked!"

Price: $12.00 8oz jar

Ingredients: Organic Palm Oil, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Madagascar Vanilla, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, Candelilla Wax, Organic Castor Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil and Potassium Sorbate.

Review: I expected this product to be more creamy, as pictured above, but it does not look like the picture. It's creamy but thick, sort of like a paste (see photos below). I can hold the jar upside down and shake it and it will not move. I wouldn't say it easily absorbs in the hair alone but mixed with the Organic Coconut Butter Styling Pomade it goes in nicely. So far, I really like this product. It did a good job holding down the frizz on A's flat twists and her twist out was amazing! Nice and soft but a lot of hold. That same day A got wet in the water they had at the park but her twist out still held up nicely. Even after being wet her twists were not separating as they normally would. Eventually we went to another water park and they were done for but I was surprised they lasted so long. It smells pretty good, like vanilla. The price is very reasonable, especially when you compare it to other natural products. I will definitely be using this again.

I apologize in advance for the blurry pictures. I am borrowing a camera because mine is broken.

Her twist out had been wet for a while here but you can see the twist out is still very defined, holding up really well.

Organic Coconut Butter Styling Pomade

The claim: "If you have been looking for a light styling aid to help you soften and condition your luscious curls, then look no further. Our Organic Coconut Butter Styling Pomade will provide you with the much needed healthy nourishment your curls require along with lovely sheen, softness. Light enough to use as a hairdressing "grease" too. Excellent for all natural styles like locs, twists, braids, afro, and waves. Our pomade is also great for relaxed hair. It is naturally scented with the aroma of fresh organic coconuts."

Price: $12.00 8oz jar

Ingredients: Organic virgin coconut oil, peach kernel oil, beeswax, vitamin e, & vegetable glycerin.

Review: I applied this pomade on top of the Madagascar Creme. I think the two products together are a winning combination. This pomade seemed to make her hair easier for me to work with. It provided a ton of shine, which I loved. I wasn't too fond of the smell, it smells kind of like wax. It's a good product however, I doubt I will repurchase this only because it's so similar to regular virgin coconut oil.

Picture of the Day: Big Hair, Don't Care

2011-08-21T19:25:00.000-04:00

Natasha shared this picture of her daughter on our Facebook page with the caption: "after taking out braids". Look at this big hair! Such a beautiful girl. Thank you for allowing me to share Natasha! :)

Diva Spotlight: Jaylah aka Teeny

2011-08-17T12:14:00.000-04:00

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:
My name is Tyree, and my daughter is Jaylah shes 1(17 months old) her nickname is Teeny her hair type 3c/4a

What is your daughter's hair care routine?
I wash or co wash her hair once a week and the style depends on her if she coropertive i try to at least leave it in for a week and if not we just go pony tails. for bed i put her moisturiser in it and she sleeps with her silk bonnet on.

What kind of products do you use on her hair?
I love love the curls Curly Q's line and we use kids organics shea moisture detangling lotion

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
NOOO!!! And i never will i want her to appreciate her thick curls its extra work but its well worth it people ask me all the time if her hair is naturally curly and i proudly say yes!!

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?

How did you learn to do all of this?
alot of trial and error and your blog has taught me soooo much and im learning everyday

How does your daughter feel about her hair? Can we see her favorite style?
she loves it especially when i leave it free and curly or a pony tail and a bow but that usually depends on our weather

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
Its a learning experince that requires love and patience, and a routine is a MUST!!! Day and night. Teeny used to hate getting her hair combed and detangled but once we found your blog life became easier Thanks much..

Parents Argue About Their Daughter's Natural Hair

2011-08-15T12:02:00.000-04:00

via Black Girl Long Hair

A mixed couple on NBC's "The Marriage Ref" argues about whether or not their daughter should wear free hair. Thoughts?

Flat Twists to the Side

2011-08-14T15:42:00.000-04:00

This is a fairly simple style incorporating flat twists and regular two strand twists. I was inspired by this style by AfrikanHairGod. This is perfect for back to school. Your daughter can wear her hair like this one week and a twist out the next week.

The style is pretty basic as long as you know how to do flat twists. I began parting on damp hair near her left ear all the way back. I applied a little Darcy's Botanicals Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme to each section then applied a little Darcy's Botanicals Organic Coconut Butter Styling Pomade on top of that. Her hair was already detangled so I just brushed through each section with our Denman D4 brush to distribute the product evenly. For flat twists, after you part the section you want to flat twist, grab a little bit of hair in the front, split the section in two then twist the two around once or twice, then hold your right section down towards the scalp, grab a little bit of hair, add it to that section, then cross the section over to your left, your left section now becomes your right section, hold it down towards the scalp, grab a tiny bit of hair, add it to that section, then cross over. Continue this process until you get to the ends. Right now I'm using a rubberband at the end of each flat twist to make sure it stays put. I only wrap it around 3-4 times, not tight but just enough to make sure the flat twist doesn't become too loose. I flat twisted three sections straight back then moved to the top where I began flat twisting at an angle going to the right. I'm still working on my flat twists to they are not perfect by any means. After I had all the flat twists in I grabbed large sections of the remaining hair, added the Darcy's Botanicals products and twisted until I was done. The entire style took about an hour and a half.

Miss A doesn't start school for another week so unfortunately this will not be her back to school style. I'm still not sure what we're doing for the first day of school. How will your child wear their hair on the first day of school?

5 Flat Twists with Braid out

2011-08-13T12:03:00.000-04:00

Miss A had her soccer pictures today so I wanted to do a quick but cute down style. I decided to incorporate a few flat twists going to the side in the front with a braid out. First, I parted a square on the top and sections that off. I grabbed large sections with my fingers, wet the hair then applied some Oyin Whipped Pudding, brushed through with a Denman D4 brush and braided. I did this until she had 5 braided sections. When I got to the top section I parted off in the beginning, I used a pintail comb to make straight parts going to the left, I added a little Oyin Whipped Pudding and flat twisted 5 sections until I was done. Flat twists are pretty basic, just part a small section of hair in the front, split it in two and begin twisting each section around once or twice, you will then start picking up a little bit of hair and adding it into each section, twisting around one another the entire time. I tied each flat twist off with a rubberband to make sure it stayed put overnight. Her braid out was a lot more defined when I first took the braids out but after running around outside it got a little poofy. Still very cute. Perfect picture hair, back to school style, etc.

Product Review: Belle Butters Unyevu Butter + Three Strand Twist Out

2011-08-12T14:05:00.000-04:00

Tasha from Belle Butters sent me a couple of samples last week and I couldn't wait to try them! Yesterday I washed and detangled A's hair (Tiny Twirls shampoo, Little Penguins Smoothie) so we started off with completely clean hair. I decided to try the Unyevu Butter first because it smelled so yummy! By the time I started twisting A's hair, most of it was dry but there were some damp areas. I grabbed large sections with my fingers and applied a nice amount of the Unyevu Butter to her hair. I distributed the product evenly with a Denman brush, sectioned the hair into 3 parts and began doing a three strand twist. I did this until she had about 10 three strand twists in. This butter is thick but creamy and was easy to work into A's hair. The next morning I removed the twists and A's hair had lots of shine and felt moisturized but not greasy or weighed down. Her hair feels super soft. I really like this butter and I think it will also work fabulous on sister twists, mini braids, sealing ends, etc. I only had a 2oz jar so I was a little worried that I wouldn't have enough but I didn't even use half of the jar! A little definitely goes a long way.

Price: $12.00 4oz at Belle Butters

Ingredients: unrefined shea butter, raw pressed mango butter, refined avocado butter, apricot kernel oil, neem oil, sunflower oil, fragrance

Unyevu Butter

Here's our old three strand twist video tutorial:

Three strand twists the next morning

Aftre removing three strand twists

After separating the twists for a fuller look

After separating the twists for a fuller look.

Disclosure: The product(s) were sent to me free of charge from the company or PR agency for the purpose of this review. My opinions are my own and are not influenced by any other part.

Mother Appreciation Giveaway Winner from The Queen's Jewels & Fatemeh's Jewelry & Accessories

2011-08-09T20:38:00.000-04:00

Thank you all so much for entering this wonderful giveaway sponsored by The Queen's Jewels and Fatemeh's Jewelry & Accessories!

QueenBre and Fatemeh have chosen Erika as the winner of this giveaway. Congrats Erika! You will receive a $20 gift certificate to The Queen's Jewels and a $20 gift certificate to Fatemeh's Jewelry & Accessories. Please email me at beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com Thank you!

Picture of the Day: Cornrows Are Out!

2011-08-09T12:58:00.000-04:00

I took A's 3 cornrowed ponytail style out. Here are the results.

3 Cornrowed Ponytails Update

2011-08-08T16:31:00.000-04:00

A's three cornrowed ponytails style has been in for a week now and between soccer practice and swimming the cornrows have gotten quite fuzzy. I switched the style up a little bit on Saturday (below) by grabbing the top section and braiding it down then placing all of the braids in to one ponytail. Today I decided to go ahead and start taking some of the braids out so I removed all the braids from the 2 ponytails in the back but left the cornrows in. Once again, I braided the top section straight down the middle but this time I split it in two and tied them off with a cute ponytail holder. I wanted the two strand twists to have texture so I didn't brush the hair out, I left the braid-out pattern there, added a little Bee Mine Curly Butter, twisted and I was all done! I may go ahead and take the rest of the style down tonight after soccer practice. Stay tuned...

Diva Spotlight: Nevaeh

2011-08-07T15:40:00.000-04:00

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:
Ok, my name is Sophia and my little diva name is Nevaeh which is heaven spelled backwards and she's 5 years old :-). I always wanted to name my daughter Nevaeh ever since I was little, I have always loved that name. Her nickname is Vayvay of course to others, but I call her my stinkin honey cakes :-) . She was born 3lbs 11ozs with a head full of bone straight hair, but if you look at her now you will find that a little unbelievable lol.

What is your daughter's hair care routine?
With her hair I use more conditioner then shampoo. I condition it every week using mixed chicks deep and leave-in conditioner,or miss jessies super sweetback treatment. They all work great on her curls. Once I condition her her I usually twist it wet or dry using Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding or Baby Buttercreme so the following day I can do her twist out. I usually do twist outs when she has a casting call or a fashion show. I shampoo her hair once a month or every two weeks with Miss Jessie's Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo which is a great detangling shampoo.Once washed I usually twist it wet or dry to have it curly for the following day.

How long do you leave her styles in?
Her hair is so curly when i do styles such as cornrolls with beads it usually only last a week because its starts to look as if she had it in forever lol. But her twist styles last a while because after the twist look gets old i take it out and now she has the twist out style which last for about another week or so. She wears the twistout out curly or I put it in two curly ponytails,a mohawk or half ponytail which is a new fave of mines :-) . I try to do her hair as often as possible because I know stimulating the scalp helps it to grow and stay healthy because your caring for it.

Do you do anything special for bed?
The only thing I do before bed is take her bows out that she had in for the day and tie her loose ends down. Nothing special but i am starting to change that maybe putting on a scarf or cap, I hear its good for her hair. Also buying her a silk pillow case.

What kind of products do you use on her hair?
The products I use in her hair are Mixed Chicks leave-in and deep conditioner, Miss Jessie's Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo and Miss Jessie's curly pudding. I use a few other Miss Jessie's cremes but curly pudding is what i use everyday. It's light on her hair ,makes it shine, smells good and brings out her curls.

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
I have never used any chemicals in her hair I love her natural curls! I don't think she will want to use any chemicals either but as she gets older it will be her choice. As for now we are both in love with the curls :-) .

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?
ok heres a few the mohawk, twistout, fro,and two puffs :-)

How did you learn to do all of this?
My mom went to cosmetology school when she was younger so she basically taught me everything I know ,and I also went to to cosmetology school after high school so I apply things I learned as well.

How does your daughter feel about her hair?
She loves her hair she always wants to wear it out or in "two puffs" as she calls it. She loves the attention she gets when we're out and about. People just love her hair especially when its all out and big!

Can we see her favorite style?
sure,I asked her whats her favorite hairstyle and she said she likes it straight because it looks like mine :-) she's so sweet. Although her hair has only been straightened once for a photo shoot with Labella Photos I guess she loved it.

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
It will be to try not to shampoo so much because your stripping the hair of its oils. A co-wash once a week and maybe a shampoo once a month should be good, and keep the hair moisturized at all times!

Lil Man's Two Strand Twists

2011-08-05T18:16:00.001-04:00

I twisted Lil Man's hair for the first time last night and I love the way they look on him! He's showing some major scalp because his hair isn't nearly as thick as his big sisters (yet) but I think this might be our new go-to style for him. His hair tangles really easily, especially from him rubbing the back of his head on everything so this should be a perfect solution. The best part was he sat still the entire time and watched Ni Hao Kai Lan. It only took about 10 minutes which is perfect for a 2 year old toddler.

I started on wet hair. I applied a nice amount of Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer and detangled with this Denman D4 brush. I added a little Bee Mine Bee Loved Hair & Scalp Moisturizer on top of the luscious moisturizer then I began parting medium sections of hair with my fingers and twisting. Each time I twisted a section I dipped my fingers in some Bee Mine Curly Butter for hold. I was surprised to see his twists actually stay in and not unravel because his hair is finer than A's. I think I owe that to the Bee Mine Curly Butter. Speaking of Bee Mine, I wanted to let you all know that I added their products (along with some of my other favorites) to our Amazon store. Check it out!

Miss A has soccer practice tomorrow so I will update you on her 3 Cornrowed Ponytail style soon.

Edited to add: You can still purchase Bee Mine from their website, Bee Mine Products Our current reader discount code is BBBHOT, good until the end of August for 10% off your $15 minimum purchase.

Diva Spotlight: Be'

2011-08-05T03:45:00.001-04:00

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:
1.) Hello, my name is KeeKee writer of the Blog Chi Chi Sophistication. This beautiful little girl is my 3 year old daughter Be'. I am unaware of Be's hair type (the system is complicated lol) but she is 100% Natural.

What is your daughter's hair care routine?
2.) Be's haircare routine is pretty simple. I wash her hair every 2 weeks on Sunday evenings. I usually style her hair in protective styles. Protective Styles last longer than most styles & she doesn't experience breakage. I would keep the same style in her hair for 2 weeks. During bedtime, I tie a scarf on her head. It normally stay's on her head all night.

What kind of products do you use on her hair?
3.) Our favorite products are Bobeam Natural Hair Products Shampoo Bars, Hair Tea & Honey Shea Moisture Cream. Bobeam's Hair Tea cracks down on itching & the Honey Shea Moisture Cream Seals in the Moisture for 4 whole days. We love Imani Joi Naturals Pamade & Soy Butter (great for hair dressings). We also love Queen Helen Colesterol Conditioner as well as V05 Shampoo.

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
4.) I have never used chemicals in Be's hair. She is ALL-NATUREL! lol

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?
5.)Half Mohawk & Bantu Knots

How did you learn to do all of this?
6.) I learned how to style Bantu Knots while I was a student at Madam Walkers Braidery & Schools. I normally just style as I go....which always turn out to be master peices.

How does your daughter feel about her hair? Can we see her favorite style?
7.) At age 3, Be' is a confident child. She knows she is beautiful & she loves her hair. After I style her hair, she goes running to the mirror to check her hair out for herself. Her favorite hairstyle is ponytails & twist.

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
8.) While braiding or applying ponytails to a child's head, don't braid the hair to tight! When hair is braided to tight, small bumps will began to form around the headline. These bumps often turn into open sores, which can also become an opening for infections. Don't be heavy handed.

Please check out KeeKee's blog:
Chi Chi Sophistication: Hairstyling, Laughs, & Good Conversation.

Mini Facebook Giveaway: 4 Curl Junkie Samples

2011-08-04T16:43:00.000-04:00

I cannot tell you all how much I love our new Facebook page. The people there are so helpful. The tips, the styles, Q&A's, all amazing! Check out the page and see for yourself. We reached 3000 "Likes" not long ago and today hit 3500, crazy right? So we're doing a little giveaway, our way of saying thanks. :)

"GIVEAWAY: In celebration of reaching 3500 "Likes" we are giving away 4 Curl Junkie samples, including: Curl Rehab, Beauti-curls, Aloe Fix and Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix. To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us why you "Like" Beads, Braids & Beyond, that's all! For 1 additional entry share the page on your Facebook wall. Please leave separate comments for each entry. I will choose a winner using Random.org on August 9th. Please leave your comments on this photo." GO ENTER!

White Toddler Wants to be "Brown like Beyonce" via BGLH - Thoughts?

2011-08-04T02:18:00.001-04:00

via Black Girl Long Hair

Sigh. Thoughts?

How NOT to Do A Ponytail

2011-08-03T20:46:00.001-04:00

Tee writes:

"Felt so sorry for this little boys head. So much to say about the whole process but once you see it you will know what I'm taking about."

Sigh. It was a little difficult to watch but I cringed when I saw one of those large rubberbands being tightly wrapped around the hair.

Thoughts?

31 Days of Natural Beauty - Over $6000 in Prizes! + 10 Tips from Curly Nikki

2011-08-02T13:06:00.001-04:00

I 100% support Curly Nikki so I had to let you all know about these amazing giveaways. Read below for more info.

"CurlyNikki is launching 31 Days of Natural Beauty in August. Each day, readers can enter to win products from some of the top natural brands, including Kinky-Curly, Jane Carter, Karen’s Body Beautiful, Carol’s Daughter, Hair Rules and Ojon. One grand-prize winner will receive a Mizani Ultimate NYC Getaway and be flown to New York City to meet Nikki and be a VIP guest at the CurlyNikki meet-up. The grand-prize winner will also receive celebrity treatment while in New York that includes having their hair styled by Mizani’s celebrity stylist, dinner with Nikki and a featured story on CurlyNikki.com and NaturallyCurly.com"

10 Tips from Curly Nikki:

1. Binding wet hair into a tight pony is a curly hair care no-no, and can cause damage in the middle of the hair shaft. Instead, slick wet hair back with conditioner and a little oil or gel. Let it dry loose or use a headband to keep hair off the face.

2. Avocado butter is quite effective in stretching curly hair. When hair is twisted or braided with the butter, it will generally have much less shrinkage than without it. Shea butter is another good example.

3. Twist on wet hair and allow ample time for hair to completely dry. This is the cardinal rule for twist outs! Don't take 'em out before they have time to dry all the way. Untwisting when your hair is damp will inevitably give you the frizzies.

4. Deep condition regularly as hair behaves best when it's nice and moisturized. Hair looks great when you deep condition every week: it's softer, more manageable, and less prone to knots and tangles.

5. Co-wash or shampoo with sulfate, silicone and alcohol FREE products. When it comes to all your product try to keep it all natural.

6. Don't EVER skip your hair conditioner. Opt for all natural conditioners and not just the ones that say all natural but read the ingredients. Your conditioner is usually the initial source of moisture added besides water that you add to your hair so choose wisely.

7. NEVER towel dry your hair. This only causes frizzness especially if you’re using a terry cloth towel. Drip dry, t-shirt dry or use a microfiber towel.

8. It is imperative that you cover your hair while you sleep with a satin scarf or bonnet. If you don't like to cover your hair, invest in a satin pillowcase. The satin is smooth and will not pull at the hair or absorb the moisture in the hair.

9. Grab a spray bottle, fill it half way with water and add three tablespoons of olive oil. Shake well and use daily to add moisture to the hair. Spray liberally. You can always make more!

10. The human head sheds on average 50-100 hairs each day. If you have curly coils, these little buggers are probably getting stuck in your coils rather than slipping out on their own. Detangling will help you get these hairs out and prevent tangles from reforming.

Good luck!

3 Cornrowed Ponytails / Soccer Hair

2011-08-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

A starts soccer practice today so I knew I needed to do something that would not only hold up well in this hot weather but also hold up well in the water. I have been letting her swim with her hair out a little too much lately which resulted in tangle city. I began working on this style on Saturday with the three layers of cornrows style in mind. I switched it up at the last minute and did 3 cornrowed ponytails. Read below for instructions.

Instructions:

As usual, I started with dry, stretched, moisturized hair & properly detangling hair.
If you do not know how to cornrow, please check out our Cornrowing for Beginners post.
I began by parting a large circle on the top of her head. After I had the circle parted, I tied off the rest of her hair to get it out of my way.
I started in the middle of the circle with the comb and parted out towards her forehead for the first part. I like the think of this as parting little slices of pizza. Try to make them a triangular shape. I used Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer & Curly Butter on her cornrows.
I continued the same parting all the way around the circle until I was done.
I then moved on to the rest of her hair. I started by making a straight part in the back for two pigtails. I tied off the right section and began working on the left. For the first three cornrows in the front, I parted straight parts to the middle of the section. After that I started parting pizza slices again, all the way around until I was done. Same for the right side.
I used Goody Ouchless ponytail holders to put each cornrowed section into a ponytail and I was all done!

I did the top of this style on Saturday and the other 2 ponytails on Sunday. I believe the total time spent was around 3 hours. You may notice something pretty cool in the background of these pictures, look out for a review in a week or so (I love it!).

Diva Spotlight: Taylor Dior

2011-07-29T19:11:00.000-04:00

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:

Hey I’m Chavon and my daughter is 4 y/o Taylor Dior. I don’t know her exact hair type but it’s versatile and seems to take on different textures depending on the product. Since she was a little baby, her hair caused a lot of healthy debate amongst many people. Taylor has had featured stories and topics of discussion on popular blogs such as SandraRose, MediaTakeout, many other hair care forums, and even Hip Hop Weekly magazine. We have been accused of putting chemicals and hair pieces in her hair as early as 5 mths old!! All of the accusations have taught us to have thick skin and that you can never please or convince everyone.

　
Taylor is quite the diva! How does she feel about having the spotlight on her?
Thank you! She is confident and knows she’s smart, beautiful, and strong. She likes seeing herself on tv, movies, internet, and in ads in stores/magazines. It puts the biggest smile on her face and sparkle in her eye. She is very competitive and always strives to be the best whether in sports, in front of the camera, or in school. She likes attention and is quite the comedian always doing silly things to make people laugh.
　
Aside from her beauty and charm, do you think advertisers are drawn to Taylor because of her gorgeous curls?

Yes, I think big healthy hair is a plus when it comes to her booking advertisements. Advertisers and agents love big hair on children…afros, curls, wild hair, etc. It definitely sets her apart because her hair is fuller and longer than many of her peers. It gives a slight advantage and allows her to book varied roles from a mixed child to African American to just ethnically ambiguous. Thus, bringing diverse and added opportunities.

　
How did Taylor get started in the industry?

Taylor’s dad and I submitted her photos to modeling agents/managers in the NY area when she was 5 mths old and waited to see which agents were interested. We thought Taylor was cute (like every parent thinks about their child), and she always took personality plus photos at home with me. She was also very alert and her eyes were huge and bright. Going to strangers was never a problem for her; she just wasn’t a crybaby lol. So we figured she could do some baby modeling since she had the looks and temperament. Better off getting paid to smile than taking pics at home with me for free. A little over a year after signing with a manager, Taylor booked the role of Notorious BIG’s daughter in feature film "Notorious". If anyone’s child is interested in getting into the industry, you can go to http://www.taylordior.com/ and click on become a model/actress.

　
What is your daughter's hair care routine?

I wash and condition Taylor’s hair every week or bi-weekly, depending on our schedules. I only leave her hair out and curly when she has auditions or jobs. It gets too tangled and she hates getting it detangled. The night before Taylor has a casting or audition, I twist her hair and put it into Bantu knots. Then she puts a stocking cap on it to go to bed. Right before her audition, I take the Bantu knots and twists out and run my fingers through it to make sure it looks big and full…the Bantu knots and twists are mainly so that her hair looks curly and wavy without having to use a ton of the curling pudding/lotions to achieve the look. It’s great because then I wont have to wet her hair just to get it curly…I twist and knot it while dry. On nights where she has no audition the next day, I put it in a simple ponytail and twist or braid that, and then she’s off to school the next day. Yea…boring hairstyle I know LOL…

　
What kind of products do you use on her hair?

I have used quite a few different products since she was little. Our current products are Mixed Chicks Products: shampoo, deep conditioner, and leave in conditioner. On days where her hair isn’t wet (non-wash days), I use Curly Q’s "Curly Q Custard". I use it when putting the twists and Bantu knots in Taylor’s hair. It enhances and holds curls while hair is dry. The mixed chicks leave in is great with doing that but on wet hair! Any product I have ever used has been a recommendation from friends. I am no expert on hair and have no secrets to haircare…I just try different products and if I like it, I buy more. I’m definitely open to trying something new on her hair.

　
Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
No, never and I don’t plan on it. That would be a decision she can make when she’s an adult. If she ever wants a straight look, we can easily achieve that at the hair salon with a wash and set. She gets wash and sets every time she needs a trim. She loves seeing and feeling her hair so soft and straight for the few days it lasts :D
　
Can we see a few of your favorite styles?

Yes here are some photos:

　
How did you learn to do all of this?
Some of the pics were hairstyled by a stylist named Amy Theard…the other hairstyles I learned by practicing as a child. I can braid really well even though Taylor never wears cornrows. I can do a lot of styles but only really do them on occasions where Taylor needs a special style. Otherwise she wears a ponytail.
　
How does your daughter feel about her hair? Can we see her favorite style?

I asked her how she feels about her hair and she said "happy because it looks pretty". I just asked her about her fave style and she said "straight" is her favorite style. Too bad she only gets that about twice a year. Here are photos of her straight hair.

　
If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
Kind of difficult because I am learning myself. My advice is to try not to use too much too soon on your baby’s hair and keep the hair protected at night if possible even as a baby. Also, I don’t use "bubbles/balls" in her hair…I only use metal free elastic bands in her hair…headbands and cute clips are fine.
　
Does Taylor have any upcoming projects?

Yes thanks for asking. Her episode of "Unfaithful, Stories of Betrayal" on Oprah Winfrey Network has been re-airing since June. She portrayed the daughter, Morgan. She will also be in an episode of "I Married a Mobster" on Investigation Discovery Channel around September. She has the role of the daughter, Dion. For NJ residents, you can see Taylor in commercials for Health First insurance. She is the girl riding her bike, flying a kite, sitting with family, etc. If you go to your local Target store you will find Taylor’s national ad in the toothpaste aisle. All other projects, videos, updates, and air dates are listed on her official website.

Where can we find Taylor?

Here is her facebook page (run by her mom). This is her only page on facebook, all others that you may find are imposters: www.facebook.com/taylordiorofficial ...Her latest projects are on her official website: http://taylordior.com/

Braided, Twisted & Rolled: Day 2, 4 and 5 Updates

2011-07-29T00:40:00.000-04:00

Guest post from our guest blogger Aisha of Braid with Me

I decided to share a few pictures to let everyone know how Anisa's Braided, Twisted, and Rolled style is holding up. I am pleased to say that it is holding up very well! I've been moisturizing her hair with Bee Mine Deja's Hair Milk and Bee Mine Juicy Moisturizing Daily Spritz. I must say that it has been doing a great job! She also wears a satin bonnet at night in addition to her satin pillowcase.

Here are pictures from Day 2.

We were really busy on Day 3 so I didn't get a chance to take pictures. On Day 4 I decided to leave her twists down instead of rolling them. This gave the style a whole new look!

On Day 5 her twists were rolled and pinned once again. Frizz is visible but I am still pleased with how it looks.

The final variation will be a braid/twist out so stay tuned!!

Remake: Curvy French Braided Cascading Veil

2011-07-28T20:08:00.000-04:00

I saw this gorgeous style on Princess Hairstyles a few days ago but didn't even bother watching her video tutorial because it looked like it would give me a headache. I saw the style again yesterday on Goldilocks*n*Me's Facebook page and it looked just as gorgeous so I decided to go ahead and give it a try since A's hair was already stretched out from banding. After watching the great video tutorial on Princess Hairstyles I realized how easy this style was and got to work.

So here's where the "problem" comes in. The styles only took about 20 minutes or so (this includes detangling and adding product) but A's hair is so dark that you cannot see the cascading veil. Both Princess Hairstyles and Goldilocks have blonde hair so it's easier to see the style on their hair. Another problem we had was A's hair does not lay flat like theirs so I had to use a bobbypin and pin the cascading veil down under the braid. You can see the results below.

I tried to get the style to look a little better so I did a large twisted ponytail. It looked better but it still seemed to be missing something.

That's when I grabbed a few accessories. Some flower spin pins and a cute side hair comb. The cascading veil is still not very visible but I like the end results.

A great style for special occasions! Make sure you stop by and Check out Princess Hairstyles and Goldilocks*n*Me!

How to Make Your Love of Natural Hair LOUD and CLEAR

2011-07-28T16:25:00.000-04:00

Guest post from Kristl of How to Play With Barbies

Does your daughter have good hair?

OMG – you did NOT just consider answering that question!!

The only proper response is: There is no such thing as “good hair.” There is no such thing as "bad hair." Hair is just hair. What we do with our hair may be less or more healthy. It may be more or less convenient. It may be more or less expensive. It may be more or less practical.

But hair is not inherently good. Hair is not inherently bad.

So if you are still saying things like, “I wish my daughter had that good hair,” or you are allowing others to say that someone does or does not have “Good Hair” in front of your daughter, then by virtue of reading this post, and reading these words, a spell has now been cast on you. If you let it continue, your tongue will now begin to rot in your mouth.

When I was growing up my father challenged us mercilessly on semantics. If I said something was “Big” he said, “Compared to what?” A dog might be big compared to other dogs, but is it big compared to an elephant?"

The notion of good hair was borne out of Western Civilization that held women of European descent up as paragons of beauty. “Good Hair” became short hand for “Looks like the hair of movie stars and beauty queens.”

But you know all this, right? Because we all know about Euro-centric (and now Hollywood) beauty standards and how they can make the most beautiful girl feel undervalued. This blog is really about removing our own brainwashing from our speech patterns so that we don’t pass them on to our daughters.

So for starters…no more saying “Good Hair.” It is officially an illegal phrase.

So what do you do when someone says it to you - in front of you precious, impressionable princess? My stock response is a disappointment-laced, “Oh? I really wish it was curlier. I struggled with my limp, stringy hair my whole life so I always wanted hers to be those powerful, tight curls that don’t take 'no' for an answer. But thanks.”

So that’s where you start – don’t say it and don’t let others get away with saying it around your daughter. Because if there is such a thing as "Good Hair" there might be "Better Hair" out there somewhere.

What pains me even more is that so often, when women say this to me, they are almost always accompanied by other little girls who are getting the message that their curl pattern is somehow not good enough. If I can, I take it a step further and point to the little girl beside them (unless she has a relaxer) and say, “When I was pregnant I prayed she’d have THIS kind of hair.” And that little girl always smiles and blushes a little with the compliment.

And this leads me to one of the best ways to let our daughter’s know we value their hair. Compliment and point out other people with the same hair or even curlier hair. I often go up to other people and tell them how much I love their hair or their children’s hair. Leah, at age five, can now spot the people I am likely to compliment, before even I spot them. Now, going up to strangers to compliment them would not be something everyone would feel comfortable doing. I just do it because I enjoy doing it. Then I have to cut and run to keep from seeming all creepy, but I get it said.

If you are not the type to go up to someone and compliment them, then just point them out. But be specific. Say, “Look at that beautiful girl. Her hair is just so beautiful. Look how curly it is!!”

For some reason Leah believes my compliments more when she hears me compliment others. And just think if we were all out there complimenting each other on each other’s daughters’ hair and explicitly saying that what made it beautiful was its curliness. How cool would that be?

You can also make your values known through identification with fictional characters.

My daughter is five so she is in a phase where she wants to identify with cartoon characters. We have one book about My Little Ponies and every single page she interrupts me saying, “That’s me.” And “I’m that one.” And “No wait, I’m THAT one.” So I say, “I don’t want to be any of them because they all have that stringy hair.” Then Leah will try to prove to me that one of them has somewhat curly hair and then we fight over which of us get to be her.

Look for other ways in which your daughter might be absorbing messages from media images. Have you ever heard your daughter wish her hair was blonde? Because that one is easy to counter : “Duh. It’s boring. Blonde hair is boring.” I call Cinderella and Aurora “the boring princesses” because that is exactly what they are. A dime a dozen.

When we watch Bubble Guppies we both fight over which of us gets to be Molly. She’s the brown girl with the pink wavy hair. I always lament that Molly would be perfect if only she had pink CURLY hair. Another of the Bubble Guppies has peach skin and curly blonde hair (alas, Leah finds her boring) – besides we both know that if Molly were living on dry land her hair would be reaching for the sky!! My point in making this example is that claiming to be a particular character is yet another way of showing her what you value about her. I always want to be the brown girl and my daughter grabs my hand and holds it up in front of my face and says, “Mom, look at you! You’re white!” and I do a theatrical scream just to make her laugh. My daughter knows I love brown skin more than any other skin in the universe, just as I love curly hair more than any other hair in the universe.

Be careful of saying that your daughter’s hair is out-of-control or unmanageable. Replace it with “awesome,” “powerful,” and “independent.”

Lately though, I’d been hearing Leah ask for me to make her hair straight. I didn’t know what to do about her request because I don’t want to make such a big deal out of it that it ends up being MORE important to her. So, I tried a different tack. I built a collage using pics of beautiful curly-haired women and pointed out that “everyone knows these women are the most beautiful and talented women in the world and not ONLY are they beautiful and talented but they were also blessed with gorgeous, curly, powerful hair. And sometimes they straighten it because they don’t want to make all the stringy girls feel bad. It is much easier for a curly-haired girl to fake straight than vice versa. But they don’t wear their hair straight all the time because A) it’s boring and B)if you don’t take good care of the curls you were blessed with then it will get all damaged and you won’t get to have it anymore. “

As a blonde, stringy-haired child I got spiral perms every six months. It never looked natural, but it was better than straight in my mind. Both my sisters had them and even my brother. If you see a girl with a straight-to-curly perm whisper to your daughter, “Look, she’s trying to fake like she was born with great hair!! But you shouldn’t be mean to her. You should feel sorry for her. It’s not her fault she was born with boring hair.”

So after I put together my collage of powerful women with powerful hair I put together another collage of girls trying to have curls. Sometimes it works okay, sometimes not so well. I showed both collages to Leah. And whaddya know, it seems to be working. It’s only been two weeks but she hasn’t asked for a straight style again.

So, am I contradicting myself by saying "all hair is created equal" and then raving about curly hair constantly? Not really, because I always careful to say that I love curly hair and that lots of other people also love curly hair. Just as I call my daughter "Pretty Girl" as a nickname and tell her that she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen - but then occaisionally remind her that every other mom I know thinks their daughter is the prettiest girl in the world. Being the most beautiful girl in the world is overrated. But having your mom and dad, your grandparents and eventually your signifcant others tell you that your face is among their favorite faces in the whole world - that is essential!

One more note – kind of off the subject but – “Nice Eyes?” My daughter has Ebony Eyes. My husband has Ebony eyes. Ebony Eyes are my favorite color eyes in the universe! There have been five chart-topping songs written about Ebony Eyes!!

Start examining your messages today and let us know how it goes. What works for you? The more we exchange our ideas on this topic the more we can help each other keep our girls heads straight (oh wait, curly!)

Kristl Smith Tyler writes a blog called, "How to Play with Barbies" her blog gives step-by-step instructions and tips for using 11.5 inch "fashion dolls" to create a world full of possibilities for her young daughter. Her daughter's barbie world is a world where girls with beautiful Ebony eyes and dark hair are much more common than "that skinny blonde chick who always wears miniskirts". Her daughter's dolls include brown-skinned dolls with a range of body types, natural as well as straightened hair. She also has Asians, Muslims, Indians and many other diverse dolls. Her latest post is about creating dolls with locs or dreadlocks. Check out her blog at: http://playbarbies.wordpress.com/

2 Large Two Strand Twisted Pigtails

2011-07-28T00:24:00.000-04:00

Last night I washed A's hair with Kinky Curly Come Clean shampoo and conditioned/detangled with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner (old ingredients). After washing and detangling, I applied a little Blended Cutie Butter Me Up to a medium size section of her hair and banded it. I did this for a total of 6 sections. The next morning, I removed the bands and detangled her hair again. I twisted each section after removing the bands and detangling. I planned on doing some kind of braid style but we had to go to the store so I parted her hair down the middle for pigtails. I used Blended Beauty Happy Nappy Styles and a Denman boar bristle brush to smooth the hair down. I used ouchless ponytail holders to secure the twists at the base and ends. Nothing special, just a very simple yet cute style.

To see random hair pictures, questions & answers, etc, stop by and "like" our Facebook Fan Page. :)

Braided, Twisted & Rolled + Introducing New Blog: Braid with Me

2011-07-27T01:33:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to bring you this post from our guest blogger, Aisha. The style is amazing, of course! No surprise there but you all have been asking and asking if Aisha and Anisa have their own blog, well, I am here to tell you today that they DO!!! :) It is brand spanking new so head on over and show them lots of love! Make sure you follow their blog for more amazing styles like this one. Blog: Braid with Me and be sure to stop by and "like" their Facebook page! Aisha & Anisa have been around Beads, Braids & Beyond for a year or so now so I am very excited to watch their blog grow. :)

Before heading out on a family vacation earlier this month, I picked up the July issue of Essence magazine. Once everyone was situated on the plane, I began to thumb through the pages when I saw it! It was the Super Naturals gallery on page 60. Out of the 21 pictures that were featured, my eyes were focused on one in particular. It was a cornrowed, rolled and possibly twisted creation and it was beautiful! I knew that I had to try it!!

I started with clean, detangled, moisturized and stretched hair. Anisa's hair was moisturized and styled using Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturizer, Bee Mine Bee Hold Curly Butter and Bee Mine Deja's Hair Milk.

Braid with Me

I began by parting her hair into 3 sections - one large section on each side and one thinner section in the middle of her head.

I secured two of the sections with an ouchless band and began braiding one of the larger sections. I made my first cornrow at the nape of her neck. I made a somewhat curved part and began braiding. I continued the cornrow all the way down, but only on the cornrows at the nape of her neck on each side. I continued cornrowing her hair my making parts of varying widths and curves. The remaining cornrows were formed into two strand twists.

I continued the same steps on the other larger side until that side was complete. Once it was complete I secured the twists with an ouchless band so I could add two strand twists to the middle section.

This is how her hair looked once I was done cornrowing/braiding and twisting.

The next step was to form the rolls or "humps." I began by grabbing a small section in the back and rolling it under. Due to her length, I had to roll her hair around itself several times. I secured the roll with a hair pin. I continued by grabbing sections, rolling them, and pinning them into place. One thing that I found useful was to secrue the rolls to each other. So lets say that the first roll is Roll A and the next roll I made is that I made is Roll B. Once Roll B was formed, I pinned it to Roll A, Roll C was pinned to Roll B and so forth. Once I was done, I'd formed a total of 6 rolled sections. Keep in mind that each "section" contained more than one roll due to her length.

The results!!

I really love this style!! We had to go the grocery store shortly after I finished this style and she received several compliments.

Night Routine:

At night I will remove her pins and moisturize her hair using Bee Mine Deja's Hair Milk. My alternative moisturizer will be the Bee Mine Juicy Moisturizing Daily Spritz. She will wear a satin bonnet that ties around her head. She also uses a satin pillowcase.

Outfit:

I found the Barbie shirt on the Hot Topic website. It is actually a junior's size XS. I added the belt to change up the look. The leggings are from The Children's Place and the sandals are from Gap.

Mother Appreciation Giveaway from The Queen's Jewels & Fatemeh's Jewelry & Accessories

2011-07-25T20:00:00.000-04:00

The Queen's Jewels and Fatemeh's Jewlery & Accessories are sponsoring a Mother Appreciation Giveaway for Beads, Braids & Beyond readers! How exciting is that? I would like to thank them both for reaching out to me and understanding the work will all put into our children's hair. This is so sweet of them to give back. :)

To enter:

You must follow Beads, Braids & Beyond. Look in the right side bar under Join Us and click Join This Site.
Like The Queen's Jewels FB page - Tell them BBB sent you
Like Fatemah's Jewelry and Accessories - Tell them BBB sent you
Visit The Queen's Jewels and Fatemeh's Jewelry & Accessories on Etsy. After visiting their Etsy shops, leave a comment telling me you have "liked" both pages on Facebook then on this post tell me what you would like and why.

The comment with the best response will be chosen by QueenBre and Fatemeh. One winner will receive a $20 gift certificate to The Queen's Jewels & a $20 gift certificate to Fatemeh's Jewelry & Accessories.

This giveaway will run from Monday, July 25th - August 7th. All comments must be received no later than 12pm EST on August 7th. The winner will be announced on August 8th. Good luck!

Queen Helene Royal Curl Creme Day 3 Update

2011-07-25T14:08:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Here's a quick Queen Helene Royal Curl Creme 3 day update...

On night 2 A's hair was feeling a little dry so after I sprayed it with water I spritzed some Bee Mine Juicy Spritz over her hair then braided it in 5 loose braids, as shown here. The next morning I took her braids down, her hair felt nice and soft, almost all the crunchiness was gone. The pictures shown here are at the end of day 3. After a day out, including 3 hours of skating. She went swimming right after these pictures so there will be no more updates but she got a good 3 days out of the Queen Helene Royal Curl Creme. I wouldn't use it too often because of the dryness on night 2 but A doesn't wear her curls out that often anyway so no worries here.

It's Never Too Early to Get Your Daughter Involved in Caring for Her Hair

2011-07-24T18:42:00.000-04:00

Check out this great video. from NappyChronicles. In this video she shows us how she washes and detangles her daughters hair and shows us how her daughter helps during this process.

In part 2 she shows us a cute protective style.

Make sure you stop by their youtube channel and subscribe!

Mini Facebook Giveaway

2011-07-24T14:11:00.000-04:00

We're having a mini Facebook giveaway on our fan page. CHECK IT OUT! The winner will receive a new 8oz bottle of Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk.

Diva Spotlight: Bunny / Natural-Hair-Care.info.com

2011-07-23T12:47:00.000-04:00

Tell us a little about yourself & your sister:
My name’s Dominique-Alexis and Bunny’s my younger sister. I just turned 16 and she’s 9. I started doing her hair a little while back to help my mom out, then I realized that I really liked it and wanted my own salon someday just for people with thick, natural and biracial hair. We – Bunny and I - fought all the time when we were youngsters, but since I’ve started taking care of her hair, we don’t fight anymore (for the most part) and it’s definitely brought us closer.

What inspired you to create your website (natural-hair-care-info.com)? I love it!

Thank you. I started my website because I have a passion for natural hair. I love to inspire people to try new things. My mom owned a website long before I did (http://www.allabouthomeschoolcurriculum.com/) so she was the one who helped me start mine and really pushed me to not only have goals in life but to share them with those who wanted to learn about it too :)

What is your sister's hair care routine?

I wash her about once a week, depending on the style and what’s she’s been doing. She’s learned how to co-wash her own hair (in twists or braids) so she’s pretty excited about that. I do a new style every week usually. Sometimes I’ll just do a twist out or a wash and go.

What kind of products do you use on her hair?
I love Carols Daughter (for Bunny’s moisturizer) and Naked Hair Products (for shampooing and conditioning). I do use peanut oil, too, sometimes. And lots and lots of conditioner and water for detangling.

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
No, never any chemicals in Bunny’s hair. My mom used to relax my hair until it started breaking, then she helped me cut it all out and transition about three years ago. It’s kind of confusing because I have a very light hair color (yes, that is my real hair color), almost the color of my skin tone in some places, so people often think I’m lying about my no-chemical commandment or when they see Bunny’s hair stretched straight-ish.

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?
Of course!

How did you learn to do all of this?
I taught myself how to braid, cornrow, and twist hair, then I discovered youtube and I FINALLY learned how to do sister twists/rope twists.

How does your sister feel about her hair? Can we see her favorite style?
She says that she loves her hair because it’s so big and happy.

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
I’d tell all curlies and naturals to stop trying to conform to this world. It’s your hair and do what you want with it, not what other’s think is pretty.

And thank you Mrs. Nikki for featuring my sister and I! We really love your blog and your daughter’s hair!

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Thank you so much Dominique-Alexis! Please make sure you all check out their website for more tips and styles. Natural-hair-care.info.com