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What I KNOW is that my perception of me is not only influenced by my outer appearance but the combination of my emotions, health and of course how I present myself. Every day, I must go to the mirror and rediscover my greatest self inside and out. Here in our beauty section I hope to inspire and share all that I'm learning... 'Cause fo'sho, there is a ton I don't know.
I’ve got some seriously brittle and dry hair, and this is before lightning my “doo” a few degrees. Laura my hairdresser has been telling me about this new treatment that will smooth it all out and cut back on my blow drys and flat ironing time. Finally I made it happen and set the time aside; as it can take between an hour and a half and 3 hours depending on how much hair you have and who is doing the process. (My hair was done in less than 2 hours and I’ve got a TON)
Here is what it is, a protein is added to the hair by being painted on, much like the process of coloring ones hair. It’s important that the hairdresser doing this takes her time and works in tiny sections, once the Keratin is applied I sat for probably a half hour. Then Laura dried my hair all the way through, once she finished she took a flat iron and a skinny comb as to once again break the hair into fine sections and run the flat iron through, the heat sets the protein.
The process is actually good for the hair as you are depositing and not lifting. There are different types of this process so make sure that you are getting a good on and without formaldehyde.
So here is what you wanna know did it work? YEP – it’s been two weeks and I’ve not blow dried my hair once, I have used a flat iron once to smooth the ends a bit and that’s it!!!! Now when I let my hair air dry it’s smooth with body. This treatment is way different than the Japanese straightening process, it’s way less hard core and it doesn’t leave your hair straight to the point of sharp looking – of course if you want that then grab your flat iron and top it off.
The process lasts for 3 to 6 months depending on how well you take care of your hair, meaning no chlorine, salt water or harsh shampoo’s – no shampoos with sulfates as they strip the hair of the protein. When I swim I tie it up and if it get wet I just rinse it off immediately with clean water.
My favorite salon here in Nasvhille is EYE CANDY – see Tony for haircuts – seriously best layer cutter I’ve EVER had and he cuts the mess out of Lee’s wild doo – NO ONE has ever done such a great job. See Laura for KERATIN treatment and color, also Laura owns her own salon in Hendersonville, TN.
Eyecandy Salon 1201 Villa Pl Nashville. (615)321-1363. Salon LuXe 112 B Saundersville Rd Hendersonville TN (615)264-9114. Laura Roark
I’ve become that gal in the market that can’t seem to keep my mouth shut! I see folks stumbling around wondering what is healthy and what is not and I just kinda jump in with PKIA info. Most people want to KNOW how they can change their food intake to a healthier process w/out spending the big dough..For starters I spend about 125.00 per week and I feed a family of 4 with friends over at least twice a week. I buy almost NOTHING in boxes – spare a FEW snacks for my kids, small amounts of animal protein (we are not meant to eat a full chicken breast per person in one sitting – chop one up and make soup, mix it into a stir fry etc.) and tons of beans, grains & veggies – the key is to actually cook them!
Dairy is the next question, again be mindful of how much dairy you are adding in – the same goes for Soy milk or Rice, Almond milk – moderation – it is a processed item and not to be the basis of your diet – Quinoa – a grain has more calcium than milk!
How about this OLD SCHOOL tip from an ancestral diet – GHEE – clarified butter, it’s been used for centuries in Africa, India and Asia – what is it? Butter that is cooked down until it’s clarified – this process removes the unhealthy fats and the allergies associated with dairy – it’s true ’cause I use it and I’m WAY dairy allergic. The benefits are through the “ruff” one being that it helps the healing of digestive ulcerations – meaning it’s great for folks with IBS. Crohn’s & Colitis; the flavor it brings to my food is bangin’. This I buy organic.
As for buying organic here is the rule: The one item you use the most – for me it’s a half cup of coffee every morning coffee beans are one of the most highly pesticide items in the market – it must be organic – because every morning I am putting that into my body and it is now a consistent part of my body – Lola loves apple juice – so once a day she has a cup of apple juice it is always organic. There are certain veggies and fruits that are loaded with pesticides – strawberry’s, peaches & raspberries – we ONLY eat them if they are organic. Again we are not meant to sit down and eat a HUGE bowl of fruit everyday – it’s full of sugar and sugar in the l bood is sugar – moderation. Frozen organic veggies are way cheaper and last so you can cook them at your leisure – they still pack nutrition so buy ‘em.
There is a new study out that has shown that A.D.D & ADHD kids have HIGH levels of pesticides in their systems – theses chemicals are fo’sho effecting our brains and brain chemistry – spend the cash you were gonna spend on a new t shirt on the difference for certain organic items.
The times are calling out for us to decide “WHAT DO WE VALUE AND WHAT IS OUR VALUE?”
Sometimes a girl’s just gotta get herself a pedicure!
One thing that is really important when you go to get your nails did, is bring YOUR OWN KIT!!! I always keep a ready-kit in my car, you can find these at your local drug store for a good price…it doesn’t need to be fancy, just make sure you have pumice scrub, a nail file and a sponge and brush of your own. These items are just as important as the metal items ’cause bacteria gets embedded in the fibers of it all – just waiting to hop into your healthy skin!
Click below to listen to I’ve got you under my skin by Frank Sinatra
Now that we’ve exfoliated, moisturized and concealed our discrepancies our skin is ready for a foundation. On a day to day basis I use a tinted moisturizer blended with a foundation brush, this gives me the color I need and allows my skin to shine through, how every once in a while a go hog wild and paint up my whole face…dang that sounds country..Anyhow here are some tips fo’ya!
Picking the right color is tricky, to pick the right foundation color you must first determine your skins undertones. Breaking our skin down to fit into a category is tough, so here is my go at dividing it all up….Luckily cosmetic companies are serving up way more flavors to fit our diversity!
Caucasian skin normally has either a yellow (cool) or a pink undertone (warm).
Asians generally have more of a yellow tone which would be a cool.
Hispanic ladies should look for more of a yellow-orange undertone.
African American skin has a tendency to go muddy or ashy ( I love this term), so make sure if you are lighter skin to choose a yellow base, darker would select a color that has more of a red base.
Choose 3 different colors that you think match your skin and spot test on the side of your face, and choose the one that blends in the most to your natural skin color. A little foundation goes a long way, you should only apply it to the areas where the skin needs, including under the eyes to blend out the concealer.
It’s best to use a brush because it will help to spread and blend the foundation than your fingers. This also prevents the bacteria from your fingers from getting on your face, which can cause breakouts. I prefer a brush over a sponge because you use less product. A sponge absorbs about half of what you put on it, causing you to use more foundation than needed. To blend my neck with my face I use a large brush and blend in circular motion the foundation mixed with a touch of moisturizer. This is really only when I’m going for full coverage.
Click below to listen to Clean by Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson:
Lots of folks want to know how to clean their cosmetic brushes, here are my easy tips:
1.) Run the bristles of the make-up brushes under luke warm running water.
2.) Apply a small amount of gentle shampoo to the brushes, moving the shampoo through them, forming a lather. You can use special brush cleaners too, but if you don’t have it – no worries, this tip works wonders.
3.) Rinse well, once again under the luke warm water, and take notice of all the old make up moving down the drain, this is key to reminding you to clean your brushes and prevent skin irritations.
4.) Once the water runs clear, set the brushes in a cup – bristles up to air dry!
A note to add if you use a sponge be sure to change it out, or wash them with your laundry in a small protective laundry sack using a delicate detergent. If you’ve had the same sponge for the same amount of time as the compact -take note, that thing is NASTY!
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