The Beauty Killer: Dehydration

That's a scary picture to the left, isn't it?!?!?! Well that could be the effects of dehydration. And quite frankly, that's how I've felt I've looked for the past few weeks.

Out of sheer laziness (too lazy to go get water from Wally world and bring them to my office), I have not had my usual daily intake of water (at least 60 oz.) in over 2 months.

Oh I've been drinking it up...soda, Shirley Temples (my fave), flavored lemonades, tea, coffee...everything BUT water.

I noticed two days ago how dark my under eye area looked. It looked like I hadn't slept in days or that someone was going 3 rounds with me in a boxing ring--and I was losing. My skin was looking flat, dull, lifeless...that's because I was literally killing it! All the new regimens I was using were of little to no effect because I was depriving my body and skin of the one thing it's almost 70% comprised of...water.

Yesterday, was my lowest point! I am not sure how I made it through the work day. My lower back was hurting, I was bloated, fatigued, eyes burning, etc. So on my way to church, I stopped by Starbucks and purchased my coffee and a bottle of water (hey, change doesn't always happen instantly LOL). That first bottle of water felt good down in my sanctified soul! Whoo hoo, I tell ya. You know how that wilted plant revives after getting some much needed water? That's how I felt.

So on my way to work this morning, I stopped by Wally world and purchased two cases of water (plus some other staples for my office). I'm on my 2nd bottle of water and plan to drink at least 2 more before the end of the day.

I am quite sure most of my readers are regular water drinkers...so this message is probably not needed. But I am now a believer in what water can do and the havoc the lack of water can have on your body.

How do you drink your water? Bottle? Tap? Flavored? Let me hear from you!

The Be-Attitudes of the Summer Style Series

In order to gain the most out of the Summer Style Series, there are some "Be-Attitudes" you should consider....

BE Open: Use this time to explore new ways of doing things and new ideas. It is important for your personal development and growth to have new experiences and to learn new things. While this series may seem to focus on outward beauty, the ultimate goal is to celebrate your inner beauty and enhance your outer beauty.

BE Yourself: This is definitely a time to become more comfortable in your own skin (and hopefully you will have a natural glow when we’re done). Determine your personal style and your signature self. Allow this time of growth & rejuvenation to put you closer with your authentic self. You will be glad you did…and so will those around you!

BE Reasonable: You may not see instant results as you institute the techniques and habits we discuss. But remember, “slow and steady wins the race.” Generally you can see visible result in 2-4 weeks (sometimes longer). So don’t give up!

BE Daring: Try new things! It’s as simple as that… :)

BE Safe: I’m NOT a medical or beauty professional. The techniques & products I discuss are ones that are part of my personal beauty & health regimen. When appropriate you should consult your doctor before starting exercise, vitamin or other health related regimens.

If you adopt these, you will have an INCREDIBLE, beautiful summer!

Stay beautiful!

S3: Summer Style Series!

I've been remiss in keeping my blog readers informed about the Summer Style Series, S3. Not because I don't love you, because I do! But mostly because I didn't want to be cheesy or lazy and just embed the videos here. I wanted to give you a bit more commentary at least about the videos. But that takes quite a bit of time...time I'm struggling to find right now. But I promise you, as I can post things, I definitely will. In the meantime, please feel free to check out the series here. It's some good stuff actually! And I would love to hear how some of the tips and products work for you!

Also, if there is something you would like to see discussed or featured in the series, let me know. If you are doing something similar on your blog, let me know. I'm especially interested in makeup looks (not my forte :)) Let's build a summer style series community!

Stay beautiful!

Haute and Hair: Protective Styling Until My One-Year Nappiversary

I'm still trucking along on my natural hair care journey. I've had some good days, bad days and some hills to climb...but as the song says, I won't complain :).

Well, my only complaint is that my hair isn't growing at the rate I feel it should or as it has grown in the past. So in preparation for my one-year "nappiversary" I plan to wear my hair in protective styles and basically "hide my hair" until June (hopefully). I will say, I already miss my curls, but hopefully they will be longer and poppin' when I reveal my hair for my nappiversary!

So to the left <--- is what I'm rocking right now...Kinky Twists. They are a little over a week old. The first week was a challenge because they itched so badly! But after consulting my trusty LHCF and YouTube, I decided to wash them. And my scalp is grateful! Before washing, I was not sure if I was going to make it even a month, especially not the two months I was hoping to keep them in. But now a month is going to be doable (I like to change styles so often, I can't commit to anything past a month right now :).

I'm working on a style tutorial on the style I'm rocking. It's so simple! Ten minutes and you're done!

Let me know if you are on a protective style challenge (personally or part of a group) or if you're hiding your hair and how you're rocking your hair while hiding.

Stay beautiful!