Merry Christmas from The Trendy Socialite

Here is my Christmas message to you...

The makeup I used is in the video description box on YouTube

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Haute & Hair: Coastal Scents 26 Palette Eyeshadow Tutorial

I purchased this palette for my mom, my cousins and myself for Christmas from Coastal Scents!

Here is a good tutorial by Omega7373 using this palette:



Enjoy!!!!

I'm back in You Tube World

Sooooo after purchasing a new Flip Cam, I'm finally back in You Tube land recording videos. Whoo hoo! This is my first one regarding my Natural Hair Story. Hope you enjoy! Please rate, subscribe and comment!

Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/TrendySocialite

Kreativ Blogger Award

My Twitter Addiction is gonna get me in some trouble...but it's the one place online where I can have quality conversation with people, celeb or not. My bff (on Twitter and off), Stylish Living (@Stylish_Living), nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger Award. Now I know I'm no Perez (thank God for BIG favors lol) But I do humbly accept this award. Thank you BFF....I heart you!

7 Things You Don't Know About Me...

• I eat ALOT of pork, swine, hog...whatever you choose to call it. I am a country gal...my grandfather was a farmer who raised hogs. I get it honestly LOL
• I eat Mount Olive Dill Pickles. A habit I picked up from my grandmother...
• I only have two pair of jeans...and I don't mind it.
• I watch all the Law & Orders...repeats and new episodes..ALL THE TIME!
• I'm an only child and my family spoils me...ALOT
• I'm a NOTORIOUS procrastinator!!!
• I collect shoes

7 Blogs I Recommend

The Style Aficionado: http://thestyleaficionado.com/ (@The_Aficionado)

Target Queen Jewelry: http://targetqueenjewelry.blogspot.com/ (@auset1)

The Broke Socialite: http://thebrokesocialite.com/ (@brokesocialite)

The Cubicle Chick: http://www.thecubiclechick.com/ (@TheCubicleChick)

Afrobella: http://www.afrobella.com/ (@Afrobella)

Curly Nikki: http://www.curlynikki.com/ (@curlynikki)

Love Child: http://loveangel8773.livejournal.com/ (@NikkiFabulous)

Enjoy!

Haute & Hair:

Here is another video from a brown beauty, Beauty Chameleon, using Coastal Scents. In this tutorial, she is using the shimmer version of the 42 Double Stack.

Visit her blog, Beauty Chameleon, and subscribe to her YouTube Channel.

Haute & Hair: Dezi1016 Review of Coastal Scents 42 Double Stack Matte Palette

Here is a video review of the actual palette I purchased from Coastal Scents. I like this particular video because it demonstrates that even darker brown beauties (which I am proud to be part of) can wear this palette. I think this video is featured on the Coastal Scents site.

Now I'm uber excited to try it out when I get home this evening! Please subscribe to her YouTube channel and check out her blog, Beauty Made Easy with Dezi.

Enjoy!

I'm BAAACCCKKK!!!!

I'm back!!!!!

I tell ya, this semester has been a beast (I work at a university)! But classes ended Tuesday and the kiddies are on their way outta here for a few weeks! Thank God!

Anyhoo, I have loads to share with you in the coming weeks. Many are curious about my natural hair journey. I will probably vlog about that in the next day or so...cuz I have this cool new Flip camera that I'm dying to try out...So I will probably do some vlogging for a while and upload it here.

I also plan to do a review and some tutorials on the 42 Double Stack Matte Shadow & Blush Palette that I just purchased from Coastal Scents. I'm very excited!!!!! Here it is...


I look forward to reconnecting with you! In the meantime, if there is a topic or a question you would like for me to answer, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below or email me directly at arr1216@gmail.com.

Tutorial: Faux Updo on a TWA

Here is the tutorial on how to do a faux updo on a TWA...ENJOY! Feel free to contact me with questions...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Faux Updo on a TWA

My friend got married yesterday (yes, on a Tuesday). This was my first "formal" event since going natural (unless you count going to church). I wasn't sure how I wanted to style my hair, but I felt "BIG HAIR" would be appropriate for such a grande occassion. :)

I thought my TWA had styling limitations since I cannot put it in a ponytail to attach a phony puff. But where there's a will, there's a way. So after experimenting a little...here's my faux updo on my TWA...

I'll post a vid tutorial on it later...

RIP to An Icon of Style

Naomi Sims passed away last week...

For those of you that aren't familiar with her, chances are you saw her work on any stylish wig-wearing family member. You were officially considered "balling status" if you rocked a Naomi Sims wig. For people of color, Naomi Sims was the cadillac of hair. Don't believe me, ask your grandmother or older aunt.

But before her infamous line of wigs and certainly before Naomi Campbell, Tyra, Alek Wek, Iman and Beverly Johnson, there was Naomi. There are numerous tributes around the net that can certainly give more justice to Sims than I can...but just know that a true icon of style is no longer with us...but her style lives on.

My own tribute is a look at my versatility of style thanks to women like Naomi Sims...

My fellow twitter friend Afrobella has done a smashing tribute to Sims...check it out here.

Two-Strand Twistout August 2009

I'm on Day 3 of a Two Strand Twistout I did Saturday night. The definition is bananas! It's as curly as Day 1 but getting fuller...

In order to maintain, all I do is throw on my satin bonnet at night and re-moisturize with my mixed buttercreme in the AM. A shot of shine and I'm done in about 5 minutes...and curl definition that lasts all day, actually multiple days!

Check it out....

One Month Natural

I've been natural for a little over a month now. I have to say I LOVE it! I've only had one near breakdown and that's regarding moisture balance. But I think I'm on the other side of that. Here are comparison shots...

Big Chop June 26, 2009 One Month Natural

Along the way, I've learned a few things...

• My hair doesn't like Raw Shea Butter (unless it's melted and mixed in with something else)
• EVOO is still the best overal moisturizer for my hair (and it has multiple uses)
• I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the smell of freshly washed hair
• Men LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the smell of freshly washed hair LOL
• I won't straighten my hair nearly as often as I thought I might. I adore my texture
• People at work were a lot more complimentary (at least to my face) than I thought
• I don't have to justify my hair to others (not like I was going to anyway)
• Every texture of hair has it's advantages and disadvantages
• I shouldn't have cut dow the back when I first BC'd as much as I did...
• I have to be much more intentional about moisturizing than I did when I was relaxed
• I love my coils, I love the softness, I just LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!
  

My Hair Journey 7/28/09

Check out my hair journey for the past two years...I admit I am a bit nostalgic about my relaxed hair, but do not regret my BC!

My current DC mix

Here's what I mix together to deep condition...

• Nexxus Humectress


• Giovanni 50:50


• Olive Oil

It is applied with a color applicator brush

Apply a plastic cap and sit under dryer or electric heating cap

I sit under heating cap for 45 minutes to an hour. I usually DC on dry hair, so I co-wash after. If I clarify, then I DC on wet hair after clarifying.

In the next day or so I'll post a Curly Girl tutorial...

Happy Hair Growth!

Love it or Hate it?

When I first made the decision to go natural, I was a little leery because I didn't know what my natural texture would look like. I was also leery because I didn't know if I had the face or the style to carry it off. Let's face it, not every style is for everyone.

Which brings me to this little gem that I found on Bossip.com. This is the Solange (Bey's li'l sis) that we remember...

Solange apparently has taken a sharp right turn into the world of Naturality and rock her own hair...

Um....don't really care for it on her (maybe it's the shades) but I'm glad to see she's not ashamed to rock her natural do...

I don't love it, but I don't hate it either...what about you?

The Curly Girl (CG) Method Works for Me!!!!

I posted last week about hair feeling dry and got some great feed back. But I still wasn't really satisfied with the curliness (or lack thereof) of my hair if I didn't twist it. I wanted something that if pressed for time I could wash and go and still look good. So I started researching the Curly Girl CG method and decided to try it. Here's what I did...

• DC'd on dry hair with EVOO and Giovanni SAS for 1 hour under electric heating cap
• Co-washed with Giovanni SAS and Nature's Gate Jojoba Condish
• On the first co-wash I put Nature's Gate in a color applicator bottle (pointy tip) to apply directly to scalp to cleanse
• 2nd co-wash I use Giovanni SAS and apply to hair
• Rinse with cold water
• Lightly pat hair with T-shirt (towel can cause frizz)
• Apply Giovanni Direct Leave In
• Cover with plastic cap for 10 minutes
• Apply Black Earth Crinkles & Curls Foam
• Apply Coconut Oil
• Apply Raw Shea Butter
• Cover with plastic cap for one hour (allow moisture to set)--OPTIONAL depending on my time
• Uncover
• Define curls and pre-style (finger coils and smoothing edges--SEE PICS)
• Air Dry (for me I co-wash at night and dry overnight)
• Finish styling (for me that is defining curls and pulling pieces, moisturize and seal with oil)

Here are wet pics after I've defined and pics of what it looked like this morning.

Styled....

I like unkept, wild, messy hair...so I really like this. It's an easy do and I can spritz it with moisturizer during the day and it not come undone. Takes about 10 minutes to get the pieces like I want, but I'm set for the day. My hair is soft, fluffy and has some sheen to it without it being jheri-curl looking. LOL

This will probably be my go-to do til the back grows enough for my next style (shhhhhh)...LOL

The Big Reveal...The Natural Me!!!!!

I had planned to transition for a long time...at least a year and mini-chop along the way. Well plans changed and I changed my mind. Making my hair decisions seem snap to other people, but they are pretty methodical for me. I've been researching natural hair for a while (about a year)and examining my own texture and stalking (I mean looking) at other people's fotki's and reading about their experiences.

Now mind you, I haven't seen my natural texture EVER in life. I got a relaxer when I was 5 years old. So relaxed hair is all I've every known. So while I was confident that this was what I wanted to do, I was still a bit hesitant about what my natural hair would look like.

One Friday I decided on a "whim" I wanted to BC. I hadn't rollerset my hair the night before and it was literally standing on top of my head...

I flat ironed and did the ol skool patting it down as best I could. I talked to my mom's friend (hairstylist) and asked her to cut my relaxed ends off. She's always rocked short hair, brush cuts, etc. so she wasn't at all shocked about what I wanted to do.

Soooooooooo on June 26, 2009 I BC'd and here are the results...

Luckily it didn't feel like steel wool...the "good" genes of my parents came out...LOL

I love it and I'm getting lots of compliments. I wore short hair in my 20s so it isn't too drastic for me.

Stay tuned as I chronicle my natural hair journey...

You Are My Sunshine....

I love First Lady Obama in yellow....

I think I will do an Ode to First Lady this weekend by allow my light to shine...stay tuned!

TRANSITION UPDATE: Hair Setback or Transition Blessing in Disguise

Sooooo I got braids on May 29, 2009. They were for my vacay and I thought I would wear them through July 4th holiday. Well that didn't work out as planned. The quality of hair wasn't the best, my BSS SUCKS!!!!!! So I decided to take them out...that's when the problems happened. I had the darndest time taking them out and was getting so frustrated that I started cutting them out haphazardly so I could go to bed. As a result, I cut my own hair TREMENDOUSLY...

It's my own fault, so I take the L for this. I've never really tripped about my hair being "too" short, I wore short hair for most of my 20s. But since I've been on the hair growth thing, this would be seen as a MAJOR setback. But as a transitioner, I wonder if this could be a blessing in disguise.

So essentially, I went from this...

to this...(Looks alot like the plant huh? LOL)

The pic really doesn't do it proper justice, it's kinda wild and cute...

Here are some other pics to give you an idea of the length...

So I began to think whether or not I should go ahead and BC and get it over with. For the past two days I've been looking on the forum and at YT trying to psyche myself up for possibly doing a BC. So I wet a section of hair (the section I chose was probably not the best indicator of how much I would have to cut, but I had to go back to work) to see how much NG I had, here's what I saw...

After consulting the women on LHCF I decided to try another style before I BC'd. So last night I rollerset my hair. Here's what I did...

• DC'd with no heat with Mane and Tail and Cantu Oil
• Co-washed with Aussie Moist and Mane & Tail
• ACV rinse
• Rollerset with small rollers (1/2" I think--they are green) using rollerset mix
• Dryer for 45 min (only upside to shorter hair--shorter drying time LOL)
• Slept in rollers

Here are some shots of my wet texture before I rollerset...

This morning I unrolled and styled...here are the results...

I really like this style. For me, it's somewhat of an indication of what life as a natural will look like. I pinned the front slightly off center because that was all I could think to do at the time. I'm going to look online today for some other styling inspirations.

I think this is going to be my transition style for the next month or until I am ready to BC. I think next week I will go ahead and BC below my ear, some of that is already natural from what I can tell. I will keep the height and fullness at the top and keep this style for a while.

I must say that while co-washing my hair, I LOVED the texture. It was soft and curly...I can't wait until it's all natural.

Last relaxer: December 16, 2008

Last texlaxer: March 13, 2009