Another Vision Board In Progress!

I'm thinking of getting started today on another vision board since I've had so much success with the last one I created for this year. I think this time around I won't focus so much on putting a time frame (like 2010 or 2011) but more so on things just happening positively at the time its supposed to happen!!

The picture I used isn't my personal one...I found that one online to give those out there that haven't heard of this an idea of what I'm talking about. I'm thinking I may post mines this year and update throughout the year.

Anyone else out there make vision boards?

I'm back..for real!

I'm in a mood today. A damn good mood at that! I'm ready to get back into my blogging and I have to admit that I've been missing doing this everyday. I've had a lot of personal crap going on and I'm happy to say that I found myself again and I'm ready to get back into things that make me happy--->> being here is one of them!

I'm currently natural still but I'm growing my hair out underneath my weave as we speak. I'll touch on my experience as being natural in days to come but this is just a brief update for those that still visit (I see ya!!) to let you know what's been going on with my hair progress.

I'm definitely looking forward to doing better things on here!

My Life, My Blog, My Decisions

Wow, can't believe I've been gone on here for so long again. I sincerely apologize for that lovelies. I've had to take some time off for myself as I've been in and out of depressing moods for days. A lot of times in life, we forget to take care of ourselves when we're so focused on taking care of everybody and everything else.

I've been doing this for years and with personal problems arising a few weeks ago...everything came to a boiling point and I felt like I was hit with a ton of bricks. This is not how I envisioned my life to be after I graduated from High School to say the least. Don't get me wrong, I love my life but I don't love the decisions that I make that obviously keep taking me down the wrong paths.

I've decided (with the help of a great buddy)to start making goals for myself and keeping track of what I'm trying to do. Like she said, how can you ever achieve anything if you never write it down. Well, I'm writing and it feels good. So, where does this fit in here you say....

I know I've been back and forth about where I wanted my blog to go...but I've decided that I have to do what's best for me for once. I will continue to blog for those that read it for hair. I will be adding more personal things on here such as my journey to living happier and living my life to its full potential. I hope that maybe someone out there feeling the same way that I do will get some kind of inspiration from what I have to say.

I will continue to do hair updates but my hair doesn't change every week so I just don't feel I should continue to blog about nothing. There are so many hair blogs out there and I feel like I'm just adding repeat info and that's not what I'm happy doing. I want to blog about life, hair, and everything else! I hope to keep my readers entertained with this but I understand if that's not what you're interested in. But at least I can say...I'm happy with this decision!

Plus, I think I feel more free to blog then having to do everything by the books ;O) This is a way for me to reach others who feel like their never going to graduate from school, never find a great style for their hair type, never going to find great friends, etc... Life is a lot easier knowing you're not alone in the situation. Browne & Lovely is my place to do that.

Love you guys

Weave Update Coming 5/8/2010

Big update tomorrow with lots of pics people!!!

I've also decided to wait until June..maybe even July to get the next sew-in. I feel I may have a setback from having to straighten my section of hair that was left out!! NOT GOOD.

I'll be working on taking my sew in out tonight and will show the detangling process and all in some good pics :OP

This is the Ciara I'm used too...get it girl~

For all you Janell Monae fans!!!

I'm a JM fan so here's her video for "Tightrope"...which is also the song she performed on BET's Rip the Runway. Might I add she ripped that performance and I loved the footwork in this video as well :OP

Janelle Monae - New Music - More Music Videos

Eyebrow Threading Updated!!

Well, I finally found a small booth in Savannah Mall that does Eyebrow Threading...YEAH!!! I had to take care of the disaster that was looming over my eyes for the past couple of weeks (yes I deserve a side eye for that, LMAO!)

Youtube Tutorial: Removing Teeth from your Denman Brush

Although I like my Denman-I always felt like I was tearing through my hair even when I had loads of conditioner on it. I happened to find this tutorial on YT from Vivacious1083 that shows you how to remove some of the teeth from your Denman.

Let me say that I'm in love with it now! It's so much simpler and not as "full" as it was before. I really feel like I was using it with way to many teeth and it was grabbing my non-shed hair as well SMH, I can't have that!!

Check out the tutorial below! You can also check out Vivacious1083 over at A Grl Can Mac

Fab Celebrity Style: Kim Kardashian

Honestly, I don't know what her job is either (Tommy from "Martin" comes to mind, LOL) but this chica stays looking fab and I love it! Either way, I can't deny her hustle is a good one might I add so I say stack those chips while the getting is good girl!

As inspiration for my next weave install, I'm thinking of taking on a Kim K. inspired style and getting glammed up for the summer! Here are some of my favorite looks for the style diva!

Images from Kim Kardashian's Offical Site and Celebrity-Gossip.net

Lemon Sugar Facial Scrub

I've been looking for a gentle exfoliating scrub I could use on my face that wouldn't run me over $20. These days all these "natural" products are pretty much hitting my pockets hard so I gotta cut corners with somethings as long as I can find a healthy substitute.

I decided to begin using a lemon sugar facial scrub to help exfoliate my skin while providing some of that wonderful vitamin C lemons have to help smooth and soothe as well. Lemon juice is a natural astringent so it can help tighten and clear pores, as well as help kill harmful surface bacteria. This is exactly what I need!

Some people love to add honey, olive oil, yogurt, etc... but I love to keep it simple and use just fresh lemon juice & sugar. A little goes a long way so have at it! I use 2 teaspoons of sugar and add lemon juice until it's consistency I like.

SIMPLE.AS.THAT.

Apple Cider Vinegar

(ACV) Apple Cider Vinegar  has been a popular product used in natural hair care for years. This a great product used for both hair and body that produces healthy benefits for women and men. A lot of people love to use this product for their hair as a cleanser in place of shampoo or as a rinse at the end of washing their hair. I prefer to use raw, unpasteurized/unfiltered apple cider vinegar as it is has plenty of beneficial nutrients, enzymes, and amino acids. I personally believe that it's better to use the natural form. Here are some benefits and precautions below.

Benefits for Hair

• Removes scaly build-up and residue from hair shafts and closes the cuticles
• Promotes blood circulation in the small capillaries that irrigate the skin
• Vinegar helps restore natural pH  and aides in preventing an itchy scalp
• Rinses have results that leave your hair shinier, smoother and easier to manage
• Can be used to treat dandruff, lice, and hair loss

Precautions:

• Apple cider vinegar has a high acid content and should be diluted properly
• Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar products may contain harmful bacteria or toxins** Read Below
• It is not known if apple cider vinegar is safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding

**I use the brand in the picture above with no problem, however, everyone has different reactions to different products therefore please proceed with caution when trying ANY product. Please make sure that the manufacturer of your apple cider vinegar is trusted and reputable.

As with any product, please research and find out what will work best for you. There are many more precautions out there so take the time to find out if they may apply to you. No advice on any hair board or blog can substitute for advice from a professional health care provider should you have any in depth questions. Although ACV has many benefits, if used incorrectly (like any product), there could be negative consequences.

So, you can get great deals...

if you go to that back corner of the stores and check out the clearance sections.

I found this beauty over in TJ Maxx for $12! I thought the pattern was gorgeous and I'm hoping to incorporate once we get settled in our new place.    

 Isn't this pattern gorgeous?!!!?

FYI: I purchased this item last month way before I started the challenge. I've decided to start posting different topics as we continue on this journey!

My Wish List

Some products I'm hoping to try in the future:

• Trader Joe's Tea Tree Shampoo & Conditioner
• Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner
• Bolthouse Carrot Juice
• Ouidad Detangling Comb
• Steamer

Short and Sweet, huh? :O) I'm still on my no-buy challenge for the rest of March so I haven't given up on myself completely. I believe in order to be successful I've got to stick with it!

If you have a review on any of these products, post it below in the comments!

**The comment form is listed in each individual post for those that don't see it. Just click above link and the comment form will be at end of post!**

So....some changes have been made

I hope you guys love what I've done to the blog! I love to change it up every so often and try something new. I've added my blog to Networked Blogs so be sure to follow along in the box at the bottom of the site.

I'm still working on adding some things on here so please bear with me while I figure things out.

Let me know your thoughts if you have any!

Current Sales at Jasmine's and Shescentit

Just a brief announcement for any of you that don't know about the sale going on over at Jasmine's Bath & Beauty Products and also SheScentIt....they are both having 20% off sales so get over there while the getting is good!

3 Tips to finding a great stylist

How many times do you go on hair boards and blogs and read about a salon visit gone wrong? I mean, be honest, how many times have we read horror stories about a scissor happy stylist that has detangled your natural hair with a rat tail comb without deep conditioning your hair? Okay, I might have stretched out the deep conditioning BUT I have been reading these kinds of stories lately and I want to make sure I put some tips that I used to find my wonderful stylist.

I’ve noticed that a majority of the time [we] clients don’t take the opportunity to research and find a stylist that will help us reach the healthy hair goals we are trying to accomplish. Bad stylists don’t become bad overnight…they usually are already at or way past that stage! So take the time out to find a great stylist that will give you the healthy hair and look that you’re going for…trust me-IT’S WORTH YOUR TIME :O)


Tip # 1
Let Google Be Your Friend

I found my current stylist on Myspace. Yes, on Myspace! This goes to show that by doing a little bit of searching and twitter stalking…err ummm “following” you can get to the info you need! I will say two of the easiest places to start are Twitter and Facebook.

Oh, and if a stylist you’ve heard of can’t be found ANYWHERE online…don’t even bother. It’s 2010 and internet marketing is a business owner’s best friend. An up-to-date stylist should have a webpage somewhere with updated pictures of their work and current contact info. I don’t know about you all but I’m big on easy access to pictures and if I’ve only got your email or a phone number…I’m not going to waste my time.

Remember, negative reviews can also be found online and that’s definitely a red alert so take heed and proceed with caution! Personal reviews can be a client out for revenge or a true horror story. You be the judge!

Upcoming Projects

I have been slaving away ya'll!!! Really, I have been doing sooooo much research and articles for the blog. I'm trying to gather up more valuable info and organize it in a way that will allow people to come here and find what they are looking for without having to go through millions of tags and posts! (We all know how that is *rolls eyes*) LOL!

Okay, so I've been working on different topics such as oils, homemade products, reviews, scalp problems, etc.... so much stuff to finish up. I'm wrapping up a few of the posts tonight and will be resuming a more "regular" schedule. (I know, I know...I'm trying!!!!) I'm going to be doing 2 posts a day- a morning post and a late afternoon post. Will that work? :OP

I'm going to be adding a few things to the blog as well as taking some things away. I want to make this more user-friendly and share my thoughts on hair care with the world (or all my fellow hair sistas :O)

I'm really excited to get back into blogging and although it's hard work...I love to do it and hopefully you guys will love the changes!

Stay Lovely!

Financial Fitness: No Buy Challenge for March

So, I've been buying up stuff left and right...and guess what. I'm officially putting myself on a no-buy challenge.

That's right....the only things I can buy will be necessities...I repeat, NECESSITIES!! I've got so many products right now that I'll be doing product reviews for the next couple of weeks. I really shouldn't be proud to say that. I'm actually resisting the urge to purchase some unrefined shea butter right now...LOL.

Anyhow, the purpose of this challenge is to curve my spending habits. I'll keep an update on here....probably every week to update whether I was successful or not for the week. Since this is my first time doing this I'm going to start slow and ease my way into stopping impulse purchases. I must say that I've honest done a great job so far!

Product Review: Karen's Body Beautiful

So, I happen to be cruising through one of my favorite hair boards and came across a heated discussion involving Karen's Body Beautiful. I immediately remembered how much I wanted to try this company in the past but as I was reading the complaint against the company...I wondered if I would be satisfied with their customer service. (Let Google Be Your Friend)

So, against all odds...I went ahead and ordered about $80 worth of products. I purchased the following (I'll add links for ease :O)

SITE LINK: Karen's Body Beautiful



Cold Winter Regimen Set (Lavender Vanilla)

Shower Gel (Egyptian Musk)

Olive Oil Body Lotion (Egyptian Musk)

Bar Soap (Chamomile Sage)

Hair Nectar (Lavender Vanilla)


The winter regimen set actually includes 8 oz bottles of the moisturizing shampoo & conditioner, hair milk, and jar of hair butter. If you purchase each separately, the benefit is that you can pick individual scents for each product...however, each will run you about $16 with the exception of the shampoo which is $12. I opted to purchase the set in one scent because it was the cheaper option, $52, and I didn't want a whole bunch of scents going on.


PROS:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the hair milk and the hair butter. The hair milk is very moisturizing and it works wonders on my daughters hair. I like the body wash and the soap so far!

CONS:

I've only used the shampoo, conditioner, and hair milk once. That was right after I chopped off my hair!!! Personally, the shampoo made my scalp itchy. My hair was indeed dirty so I will be bias and say that I will still try it again. The conditioner I didn't care for as far as consistency goes. My hair is super thick and all I have left now is half a bottle (I had to stop before I used it all!) :O( so I wished that it would have been a little thicker. The body lotion was a little thin but okay for my hands when dry.

OVERALL:

My package arrived safe and sound with all my products. It came with that posh little black bag from the store and two bite-size samples of two other lotion scents. I might add that one of the samples was Egyptian Musk and I'd already ordered it so that really didn't make sense to me but whatever. I forgot to mention that the company also have wonderful specials every week called Freebie Fridays! Sign up on the site and receive the emails :O)

RATING:

4 out of 5

The products are really great (with the exception of a few consistency problems) if you love natural products. I got my order quickly and received all my products. I'd definitely order the hair milk and hair butter again.

Weave Update # 1

Here's the look!!

BC Update w/ Pics!

 I did it...mostly ;OP

I decided to go ahead and cut all the relaxed ends so that I could go into my sew-in with ease. I let some of the ends on since at one point I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open..LOL. My stylist trimmed the rest off but I didn't get that picture before I got my hair done...but it wasn't that big of a difference than what you see below.

Before BC, this is my hair blown dry taken earlier last month!



After I BC'd!!!



I decided to leave the weave update pictures separate and just provide links under the challenge details post! I was 90-something percent natural in this pic as I had relaxed ends left over but my head felt so FREE without those scraggly ends holding on for dear life :O)

More to come!!!

Weave Update Tomorrow!

So I officially got my install on last Saturday!!! I've been in and out of town for the past week so posting has been on my TO DO list forever...but I'm making it happen tomorrow! I have a before and after picture...which includes part of the BC I did!

I'm working on how I want to do these updates so bear with me people :O)

Product Review: Carol's Daughter Sea Salt Body Scrub

So, I found a great find for all you Carol's Daughters fans out there....her products are now in TJ Maxx! The best part about this is...LOWER PRICES!!!! Now the products may vary from store to store as far as what's available or offered so definitely ask one of the employees if you can't locate.

REVIEW:



This product will change your bath/shower experience.

I'm.not.kidding.

I purchased the Groove scent (smells so yummy :O) and my skin was soooooooo soft afterwards it was ridiculous. I went back and purchased another scrub in the Almond Cookie scent and although I don't care for the scent-I do LOVE the results from the product. This would definitely be a great product to use if you do your own pedicures as well. This scrub really softens the skins and leaves you very very moisturized! I paid $7.99 at TJ Maxx but it usually retails for $28 dollars a jar.

I know...a deal right! ENJOY!!

Honeyfig Products Purchase

I actually received the products about a week or two (??) ago and decided to try them out before giving a review over them. I purchased these products from Honeyfig.com

Here's a recap of what I ordered (pictured above):

Miss Jessie's Baby Butter Creme (BOGO)

Dudu Osun Black Soap (got two of those)

Emu Dundee Emu/Sheep Milk Soap Bar (1)

Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding (Sample Size)

Free Sample of Mixed Chicks Condish

Free Sample of Conditioner (sorry I forgot the name...I know..I'm so messy)


So far, I've used the BBC on my daughter's hair and I'm still learning how to incorporate this into her regimen. It's a great consistency and smells nice.

The DO Black Soap is okay. It's very fragrant and black (and I mean messy type black). It really gets all over your counter and towels. It's pretty cliche' for it to be that dark considering that black soap is usually a dark brownish color. I usually order from Nasabb's and I think I'll be ordering some again since I usually use black soap in my skin regimen. I like this one for my hair and as a pedicure treat!

The Emu Dundee Sheep Milk Bar was not very good to my skin. I used it to wash and immediately when I rinsed it off....my skin felt dry as sand while I was still under the shower water!!! I had to really slather on some lotion afterwards so I think I will finish this bar and try a different one.

The Curly Pudding is still unopened! I don't have a reason to use it yet so I will be cracking it open once I officially do my BC. That's coming soon BUT I am doing the weave challenge so my hair will be pretty much hidden for most of the year except during updates.

I haven't used the free samples yet but I plan on using them soon. I'm so happy I got the opportunity to try out products that I normally wouldn't have tried. Hope you all enjoyed the LITTLE I could dish about these products. TTYL!

Countdown to Weave Challenge

Okay, so my tax refund is coming later than expected....I'm not thrilled about that. I plan on changing my site up a bit as my needs for blogging have really changed. I received my package from Honeyfig on Saturday and will be doing a haul post for tomorrow!!!

I've tried several different things over the past few days that I'd like to share as well so I'm back to doing my busy posting for the next few days. Since I don't have access to a computer at home...I'm thinking I may be scheduling posts from here on.

The Weave Challenge Details Link will be active on January 31 once I get my hair done. I'm not sure what I'm going to do exactly since I don't have the products and such so I think it's better to wait until I actually get the sew in. I mean, what if something goes wrong and I don't get it installed? I can't take that chance...LOL.

Prayers to the CItizens of Haiti

Please keep Haiti in your prayers as they continue to go through the devastation of the earthquake. It's hard to look at the pictures as they come but let them serve as a reminder that not everyone is out there doing okay in the world. Wyclef Jean's organization is accepting donations by texting Yele to 501501 will automatically donate $5 to the organization through your cell phone bill. Trust me, you'll feel better after doing so.

I pray the President Obama is able to provide some relief to this country. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and with the devastation it has incurred from natural disasters...we can only pray things will get better with time and donations.

Weave Challenge 2010

So, about a week ago I watched Reniece showcasing her progress video. When I say progress it's truly an understatement!

Her hair is gorgeous to say the least and to be totally natural...I'm speechless! I'm still amazed at how straight, shiny, and healthy her hair is. So, as I continue on my journey to natural hair I've decided to begin a weave challenge to grow my hair out successfully.

The guidelines will be listed under the picture icon on the side bar! The rules will be posted later today (around 4 pm). I opted not to post on Friday since I found some additional ones I wanted to incorporate!

My Product Wish List

The main thing I have decided to change about my regimen is being consistent. I'm horrible at this and my hair is showing the effects. As I mentioned before, my hair is dry and hard (very hard) to detangle unless I'm in the shower washing it. I've decided that I'm going to begin using a line of products vs. trying out a poo here, a condish there, another leave-in over here... ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHH.

I'm literally tired of doing that so I'm buckling down and recording my progress in a notebook and keeping a picture log of every month. The only way to be successful is to stop being lazy and take charge of the health of my hair. So, here's my Wish List for 2010! I'll keep updating as I get each product. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hydratherma Naturals Products

I've wanted to try these products for the longest! I opted not to last year but this time I'm jumping on it. Click here for a list of the ingredients & benefits used in the products.

Clairol Vitapointe

This is a product that Reniece uses in her regimen and I definitely wanted to try this out as one of my moisturizers. I have a tendency to just go to bed without moisturizing & sealing (not to mention without a scarf..eeek!) which also sets me back as well.

Unrefined Shea Butter

Unrefined shea butter has become a staple in many regimens. Savanna Trading fairly trades with small scale producers and Women's Cooperatives across several rural communities to bring customers quality, 100% natural and authentic products.It's hard making this stuff! I think that I will be using this more on my skin than hair though. It depends.

Jane Carter Solution

This will definitely be incorporated into my daughter's regimen. I'll also be including some pics of her hair and progress on here as well! This is a great way to keep your hair moisturized and I definitely want to increase the moisture in her hair.


So, this concludes my list. I told you all that I was keeping it simple!!! I'm not spending a bunch of money on products that I'm not using or have the potential not to use or like. I'm taking it slow.