Is Anything I'm Doing Brand New?

Who remembers that Drake joint? Loved it!

Anyways this post isn't about Drake or music. It's about dum dum dum.... HAIR!
I've been browsing blogs all up and down the place today and I've noticed an insurgence of blogs that cater to natural hair. I find it cool because I never saw this much when I started my transition and it seems as if everyone has gotten the 'natural hair" memo.
Now I'm not going off on a tangent about how everyone is doing it & blah (that's another post.. one I probably won't do) I'm just wondering what's new in the natural hair community?

Maybe because I'm not at the start of my natural hair walk, I feel as if a lot of the information I see out there is repetitive. If I was currently transitioning or just did the BC, all of the stuff I come across would be very helpful but now most of the things I see I skip over because it's things I've read before.
The blogs are still helpful in the styling aspect (which I'm still having a hard time grasping.. I'm no good at doing styles :| ) & product reviews (I've got a thing for product reviews)

Am I the only one out there feeling so?

Daily Fix of Hair

Brandon Jordan Photography

Artiste Spotlight

Protoje - Jamaican reggae artiste who brings positive music to the people has just released a music video for his song "Our Time Come" featuring hit producer Don Corleon  (who is also his cousin).

I first heard the song on his second mixtape This Is Protoje and fell in love. The beat  + the lyrics just had me and I would constantly have it on repeat. The fact that a music video was made for it completely made my day.

Initially the first couple seconds of it had me thinking "greeaaattt, they copied that whole "Look at me on tour bit mixed in with some personal stuff about me" kinda vibe" (think Nicki Minaj "Did It On Em" & Rihanna's "Cheers") but as the vid went on that thought flew out of my mind. It really embodies the song about how his time has come and it shows in a documentary type style of how he has gone about to promote his music & others' music as well.
In parts, you see him toting around a backpack handing out copies of his mixtape and best believe that's no show. I had the privilege of seeing Protoje live at his keyboardist's final year show at Edna Manley School of Arts AND I met him :) Homeboy surely had his backpack and proceeded to hand my friends & I copies of his first mixtape. Already had a copy though *shrug*

Protoje has carved a deep niche in the reggae world and he isn't stopping there. This video also showcases how far Jamaican artistes have come with their music videos. Protoje & his team have done it again with another great vid. 

This single will be on his upcoming sophomore album '8 Year Affair' and the video is an awesome insight into Protoje's hard work & come up + what to expect from the record.

If you haven't copped This Is Protoje, you can do so by visiting protoje.com 

Check out the Our Time Come vid below

Enjoy =)

Artiste Spotlight

Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley is back on the streets giving us new music with which to rock to. He came out with a single "Set Up Shop" late last year which was met with great review and now his latest track "Affairs of The Heart" is blazing up the airwaves. 

I fell in love when I first heard the song. I've always thought Rastamen produce some of the greatest love songs out there. I was originally going to post the song on here on Valentines Day but that day wasn't the best days.. good thing I waited because Mr. Marley dropped visuals for this track a day or so after. 

Check out the video for the song below & if you love the song so much, go look for it on iTunes.

Enjoy =)

Monochrome

Amazing photography by Kwesi Abbensetts from a series entitled Young New Yorkers.

His photography is always amazing and these photos live up to that. Even though all the photos are in black and white, there is still a colorful vibrancy happening throughout them. 

Cipriana & Nikisha of UrbanBushBabes are in it along with other fashionable Young New Yorkers.

Here are some of pics from the series

Enjoy =)

TWA Tales - Colo(u)r Change

This is so late.. like pre NYE late but better late than never right?

My lovely sis who I posted about couple months ago. Sum it up, she had done the BC and chopped off her locs. While I was in FL over the winter break, she decided she wanted to spice up her TWA & she colored it.
By herself.
Box set. If I recall correctly it was Silk Elements MegaSilk Permanent Hair Color in Jazzy Red.

Brave don't it? She did already with her locs once upon a time so it wasn't anything new to her.
Here is a before pic of her hair -BTW all these pics are from December-
Check out the rest after the jump

Winter Blues

I'm getting a lil blue y'all. I've been enjoying my first actual winter season but my hair has been like "Errrrrrr say what now?!"

It takes a minute for my hair to dry, I don't have a hooded dryer & I rather not use my blow dryer. I want to refrain from using heat for as long as I can. I did a good job at not using heat on my hair but this weather seems to call for it. To combat this, I am thinking of putting in a protective style in the form of extensions.

Yarn Twists.

Now I did say I would never do the style again because it took me ages to put in ( a week.. only cuz I did really small sections at a time during the summer when I had nothing else to do) but it was the take down that had me like "Forget this style".
It's the only style I know how to do though and I love the look of it. I figured to make it easier on myself I would twist the yarn this time versus braiding it. Less time on the takedown.

I came across this lovely pic on Tumblr and it really solidify my decision to do the style.
Now the only thing is.. when will I actually do it?? Hmmm....

Daily Fix of Hair

What better way to start of the week than with pics of Moi..

How Do You Deep??

Hey lovelies! :)

I had a question to pose to the natural ladies out there.
I know everybody's regimen is different due to each person's schedule and hair but do you deep condition before you shampoo or after? Whatever your response, what is your reason for doing it that way?

Random but whenever I read people's regimens, I see some people say that they deep condition before they shampoo.  I was reading Nikisha of UrbanBushBabes regimen

I personally do it after I shampoo. I don't think there's a right or wrong way, I just find it interesting and I'm curious to see how many people deep condition prior to poo-ing versus after.

BTW look what's back... The MANE!

Product Review - Carol's Daughter Chocolat Smoothing Collection

This review has been overdue. I was skeptical about even doing it only because I've only used the products once. I figured though I'd still give a review on my first time use of them.
I wanted to use only these products when I was going to straighten my hair to see if they did what they claimed. I caved a bit by pre pooing with Shea Moisture Purification Masque only because my scalp & eczema were out of control due to FL's weather.
Check the review after the jump

Pressed Pics

Thought I'd share some pics of my hair straight. I haven't been keeping up with the blog & that's due to a myriad of reasons. One of which is I didn't feel connected due to the straight hair. Crazy right? I'll go into more of that later but I wanted to dive back in the blog.  I love doing that with pics of myself and not because I'm all into myself (I am a lil) but because I love happening upon blogs where people share themselves whether its outfit posts, their hair or just their thoughts.

I love to see the people behind the blog!
To the pics----

These were taken a couple of days ago..

MANE-ly Speaking

Introduce yourself.

My name is Jessica Ray. I am 19 and an aspiring salon owner. Currently I am a cosmetology student in Miami, FL hoping to turn my salon into a franchise.

3 words you would use to describe yourself.
I would have to say carefree, adventurous, and spontaneous.

Why did you go natural?

I decided to go natural because I could not stand the way relaxers would make my hair feel all stringy and the texture was awful. Oh and I hated having to constantly blow dry and flat iron my hair, it’s just so damaging, causing all sorts of split ends and breakage.

Was it difficult or easy to go natural?

For me it was fairly easy to go natural because I believe that hair is hair and it will always grow back. Before I went natural I had my share of Mohawks and asymmetrical bobs, all kinds of crazy colors and highlights. One day I just took some clippers and shaved it off, and I had to do it myself because for some reason any barber shop I would go to begged me not to cut my hair, oh well…

4 words to describe your mane.
diverse, bountiful, voluminous, and manageable. 

Tell us a little about your regimen.
Well I wash my hair weekly, and change my shampoo brand after I finish each bottle. I religiously do a monthly deep conditioning treatment to keep the texture soft. I try to minimize gels and hairsprays, but I do use mousse and leave in conditioners for work and special occasions when a wild mane should be kept to a minimum. 

What have you learned on your natural hair journey?

On my natural hair journey I have learned that it is best to just go with the flow. However my hair dries is how it’ll stay. When I wash my hair I comb it out while conditioner is still in it and then I don’t touch it anymore. My wild and crazy hair reflects my personality and my carefree attitude, although sometimes I am in my spontaneous moods and want to do something crazy, I realize that my hair is me and it suits me perfectly.