I hope you’re getting glammed up for a fabulous soiree, or getting settled for a cozy night at home with your nearest and dearest. (I chose the latter!) Whatever the weather, I hope you’re celebrating in a way that truly brings you joy and bodes only positive vibrations for this bright new decade we’re about to enter.

Either way, you should probably expect a smooch or two at the stroke of midnight. And in the event that happens, you want to be ready. Few things are more unfortunate than a truly beautiful woman who’s dressed to the nines, but has awful smelling breath. I’ve tried out quite a few breath fresheners — allow me to share my tried and tested favorites!

For years I had issues with keeping my tongue clean. I’d tried it all – plastic scrapers, Waterpik attachments, crazy toothbrushes that promised to make tongue brushing easier. Nothing worked comfortably until Tung came into my life. The round brush and breath freshening gel work wonders to remove the layer of gunk that can make your tongue look less than pink and smell less than awesome. The only flaw with Tung is, it’s not available in retail stores. So click here to get it from Drugstore.com.

For something that works well that you can totally find at your local drug or grocery store, there’s Rembrandt. I’m not a fan of mouth guard-type teeth whitener trays, and their Peroxide Whitening Mouthwash leaves my mouth feeling fresh and kissable, while promising to gently whiten teeth over time. My mama bella is a big believer in the power of peroxide, so I know she’d love this mouthwash as much as I do!

In the fancy-imported tooth product department, there’s Elgydium. This whitening sodium-bicarbonate toothpaste is super popular in France. Here it retails for $7 a tube on Drugstore.com. If you like gel-based super minty toothpastes, you may not love this. Elgydium paste is opaque, white, and not hyper sweet like many stateside tooth products. But does it work to keep your mouth minty fresh and beautiful? Yes! It reminded me of yet another one of my mom’s island remedies – brushing your teeth with baking soda. It truly works. Elgydium has a similar effect.

For kisses on the go, you need to bring one or two Colgate Wisp brushes with you. They’re available in any retail oral care aisle, and work great for when you’re out somewhere and need to be at your most fabulous. Mini brushes with a freshening bead. Excuse yourself right before the stroke of midnight, and you’ll be ready for a kiss to remember!

However and wherever you celebrate, here’s to a 2010 filled with promise! Here’s to sweet kisses for New Year’s Eve. Xoxoxo, bellas!

Related posts:

1. My Monday Manicure — Hard Candy Sweet P
2. Sweet Deals!
3. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Let me tell you, bellas!

Last night I attended a special event, courtesy of Dove Visibly Smooth deodorant. At a gorgeous place called Spa Soak in the trendy Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, I recieved a “piticure.” On my way back home, I tweeted the following:

“Just had a Dove deodorant “PitiCure” – just so you know, I have baby smooth Beyonce armpits now.”

The response was overwhelming! Everyone wanted to know — what on earth is a piticure, and where can I get one?

It’s super easy and you can totally DIY.

It’s as simple as that! Click here to learn all about it

My piticure began with a very necessary neck and shoulder massage — I seem to store all my tension there and the muscles are always insanely tight. Sarah, my masseuse worked it OUT for me, and today I am so grateful. I love a good, theraputic massage and clearly I needed one!

After that she cleansed my armpits with Dove’s Cool Moisture Cleansing Cloths — they’re refreshing and durable, and gently exfoliate your skin. Love em!

Then she moisturized my armpits with a little lotion — I believe it was Nourishing Moisture Beauty Body Lotion. Then to end the piticure, I applied some Dove Visibly Smooth deodorant in Nature Fresh.

I’ve been using Visibly Smooth in Wild Rose for maybe the past month or so, and I really have noticed a difference. My underarm hair grows in softer and finer, less prickly and thick. It hasn’t reduced the growth of it at all, but it makes for easier shaving and depilatory use.

After my piticure, I got my nails done by Rachel, a super cute manicurist. We were cracking each other up — and together we came up with a killer color combination!

That’s OPI’s brand new skates, and Essie nail polish in Classical, a really interesting sheer, shimmery pale green for my accent nail. Apparently Classical is a rare enough shade that it’s going for $16 on Ebay. Who knew?

And I gotta tell y’all – I LOVE the layout of Spa Soak! This place is awesome for bridal showers or girls’ afternoons out, or just to go with your BFF. Pedicure stations are set up right next to each other so you can gab the whole time. I love spas set up for socializing!

So even though it may sound weird to have a stranger pamper your armpits, I thoroughly enjoyed my piticure and I’m definitely going to continue the trend at home. I’ll have Beyonce armpits someday!

Related posts:

1. Latest, Greatest Drugstore Buys
2. My Week Without Deodorant
3. My Monday Manicure – Birthday Edition!

Afrobella’s got your back! Here are some of the latest, greatest products I have been lucky enough to review, all available on the cheap at your neighborhood drugstore.

First stop — Palmer’s. The company known best for making delicious cocoa butter-based body creams has expanded their product line. So if you don’t know, now you know — Palmer’s is making coconut oil hair products! And olive oil hair products too!

The coconut oil formula products smell INCREDIBLE. Just recently I was getting off a bus two steps ahead of my Twitter-buddy Luvvie, and she was raving over how great my hair smelled! It’s sweet coconut deliciousness. For my ingredient-conscious bellas, this may not be the best product ever…but if you’re watching your wallet and need a product with great slip for your twice-or-thrice weekly detangling, the repairing conditioner is wonderful.

If you’re more comfortable and accustomed to Palmer’s body care products, then add their lip butter to your list of gotta-have-it products. $1.99 and it’ll leave your lips tasting and smelling like York Peppermint Patties. (double score if your significant other loves that candy!)

Next up, Sally Hansen! I love their nail polishes (HELLO, HD!) but long before I even used Hard As Nails, I was on the Sally Hansen hair remover train. Woo woo, bare legs here we come! Even as we slip from fall towards winter, I’m staving off Chewbacca legs with their personal care items. Want easy breezy depilatory action? Skip the spray on, shower off. It’s slippery in the tub, sprays places you don’t want it to, runs out quickly, and only stays on your legs. Don’t even TRY to use this on your armpits, unless you want lots of stragglers. If you want a Sally Hansen product that WORKS, I recommend the Naturally Bare Creme Hair Remover for fine to medium hair.

In 3 minutes, your armpits will be silky smooth (the way nature never intended them to be, alas). Equipped with mini “moisture-lift” jojoba beads, this product might feel oddly textured, but it’s effective and that’s all that matters to me. I’ve even used it on other embarrassing-hair-removal areas (hello, sideburns) and it’s worked well.

Speaking of silky soft armpits, what’s your deodorant situation these days? I’m on team Dove! The Visibly Smooth line really has helped to soften the feel of my underarms over time. I’m not yet entirely convinced about it “lessening the look” of my underarm hair, but for sure my pits feel softer than they did when I used more harsh deodorant solids. And the Wild Rose scent is fresh, floral, pretty, and soft enough not to clash with my perfume du jour.

It’s getting cold here in the Chi, so I’m having to learn some tough lessons about my skin. Lesson #1 – ashiness is REAL! And it’s EVERYWHERE! Seriously, I am not accustomed to seeing every last scritch-scratch on my skin appear like chalk on a blackboard. To up the moisture ante to my personal hygiene routine, I’ve been using Softsoap NutriSerums. AKA, the only body wash my husband’s actually admitted that he LIKES. Is it the little gold-and-pink “softening serum pearls”? Is it the moisture-retaining Omegas 3 and 6? Is it the clean, subtly-floral scent? I don’t know, but both of us are loving this stuff (and battling to see who can finish the bottle first, apparently).

I’ve been slathering on the Softsoap with my new favorite bath accessory, the Essence of Beauty faux sea sponge, only available at CVS (and $2.79 at the moment, on sale!). I don’t know what it is about this sponge, but it absorbs and lathers like no other. Plus, it’s super soft! I might be totally spoiled for life (and not going back to the net-body wash sponges again)!

To complete my tour-de-drugstore, I’ve gotta mention my latest favorite decorative item for the dresser. Q-Tips Vanity Packs. So chic! So essential! Finally the beauty must-have that I use every day is packaged so prettily I can display it alongside my jewelry boxes. In fact…stay tuned, bellas. I got a giveaway to kick off your Monday!

Even MORE drugstore beauty finds are in store. Keep reading! And tell me – what’s your latest drugstore beauty buy? You know I always need to know!

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1. Brilliant Bargain Beauty Buys – Hair Edition
2. Brilliant Bargain Beauty Buys
3. Ask Afrobella – Holla! Great Beauty Buys for Under Five Dollars!

Summertime is in full swing and it’s all about wearing your cutest sandals and letting your fingers and toes do the talking! I love the season, and it’s the perfect time to take risks with your safe, typical mani/pedi. Of course being a bella on a budget, you might be giving yourself a lot of at-home touch-ups. Here’s the hottest trends I’ve seen, and the polishes you need to pull them off!

#1 — Multicolored Nails.

So fun, so cute, so perfect for summer! The multicolored nail trend is very youthful and perfect for those who love to be trendsetters.

Super fly ATL blogger Necole Bitchie’s making it a phenomenon in hot, bright pink and black. How does my Twitter homegirl do it? — with a different color on the ring left hand, and on the pointer finger of the right hand. I had to ask what colors she’s rocking and Necole admitted that she gets her nails done at the salon, but she believes the color is called “Electrick Pink.” The closest match I could find for that name was by my beloved and super-cheap Milani. Check out the reviews on Makeup Alley! Bright neon pink is guaranteed to turn heads. Get yours at CVS.

Necole’s been rocking the pink and black, but recently she switched it up and went zebra on one nail.

I’ve been seeing some great variations of the multicolored nail trend — Erika at Makeup Bag did some lovely red and blue “patriotic nails” over the holiday weekend. So cute! You can alternate two different colors, or you could go all the way with “Skittles nails” as my homegirl Brittany from Clumps of Mascara calls it. You can stay in the same color family or go for the jewel toned brights like Brittany did. Fun, fun, fun!

#2 — Pale and classy

As a little one, I always wondered why my Aunty Gemma always wore the same shimmery white nailpolish all the time. Now that I’m older, I totally get it! Pale nails can be tame enough to wear to work, but they look oh so beautiful on brown skin. Pale toenails with a pair of gold or silver sandals = so sexy.

OPI Bubble Bath is just such a shade — pale, pale pink that brushes on so perfectly the first application around, you’ll swear you had a professional manicure done. Subtle, classy, clean, sexy. Love it! And if you purchase OPI’s Bubble Bath in July or August, you’ll be supporting Look Good…Feel Better, a national public service program that helps women cope with appearance-related changes from cancer treatment. During July and August, OPI will contribute a portion of the proceeds of every bottle of Bubble Bath Nail Lacquer sold, with a minimum contribution of $25,000, to Look Good…Feel Better. Sweet deal, right?

#3 — Glitz and Glamour

I know most of my bellas on a budget hit the drugstore for their nailpolish fix…but every now and then it can be worth it, splurging on a fancy polish that makes you feel like a superstar from the minute you slick it on. I’m talking about putting some essie Limted Edition Love, Beverly Hills xx Nail Colour with 24K Pure Gold in the mix. $16.99 is nothing to sneeze at when it comes to nailpolish. Achoo!

Lancome Le Vernis in Exotique Kiss is a limited edition coral pink with an iridescent gold shimmer that looks so stunningly gorgeous in the sun. $18 a bottle, but you’ll want to wear it again and again to get your money’s worth.

And the bangin’ bronzy gold I’m sporting in this pic is MAC’s Style Warrior in Mercenary. They describe the $11 polish as “frosted blackened bronze,” but I describe it as PURE FIRE. Stunning in the light. Photo doesn’t do it justice.

and trend #4 — DIY Nail Art

I am so not skilled with nailpolish — when I do my nails I do them sloppy and wait till the next shower to peel away the spillage around my fingernails. But more and more of my amigas are trying sweet DIY nail art, and I’m almost inspired to try it myself! The PBG at 52 Flavors frequently wears fabulously bright nail colors with cool diagonals and funky patterns. Homegirl’s got skills! And thanks to nail art pens like those by Sally Hansen, it’s easier than ever to jazz up your hands with some unexpected patterns. Love it!

However you rock your mani/pedi, work it to the fullest! How are you wearing your nails this season, bellas?

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2. Nails of the Season
3. Pro Nails

Where ARE you?

Holla at a blogger!

It seems that whenever a cast member of Gossip Girls sneezes, I get a press release. If Paris Hilton strolls through a boutique, I get a press release. If Speidi or Lauren Conrad, or some other former cast member of the Hills goes shopping at freakin’ Target, I get a press release. But when it comes to readily getting info about celebrities of color… *crickets*

I wish my inbox had filled up with press releases gushing about the makeup artistry and fashion choices of celebs like Taraji, Monica, or Estelle. That was NOT the case and I would sincerely like to see that change. If celeb makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff hadn’t reached out to me to detail the looks of her clients Alicia Keys and Tatyana Ali, I would have been stuck where I always am — guessing what products these fabulous women used in an effort to share the info with you, my fellow beauty loving bellas.

Here’s hoping some celeb PRs see this and get a dose of act-right when it comes to promoting their clients of color.

Off soapbox. On to the award-attending beauties!

Bellasugar did a fab job of highlighting the trends of the evening, so I’ll just shout out my faves along with some product recommendations I can vouch for. Photos are from Oh No They Didn’t.

First up, Janet. I can’t express enough admiration for her strength under such incredibly painful, difficult circumstances. She maintained her composure with grace and she looked like an angel. Cascading curls and beautiful bronze makeup gave her a restrained beauty. To recreate such a gorgeous bronze eye, I recommend Bobbi Brown. I said it already and I’ll say it again – those shimmer bricks are the business! For a more subdued glow, it’s possible Janet’s artist used the new nude collection — which includes an eye palette and a shimmer brick that includes gorgeous pearl pigments. My beauty blogging homegirl KarlaSugar swatched the whole shebang, so check her out for color details.

Let’s talk about Tocarra! The former Top Model contestant turned BET hostess with the mostess made a bold fashion choice with a black jumpsuit, but she inspired me! I might have to cop one myself! Tocarra worked the look to the fullest with a classic
smokey eye, and the look can be a bit tricky to pull off yourself but there are some DIY kits that put everything you need in one chic package. I heart the Benefit Cosmetics Smokin’ Eyes kit. Bellas on a budget should check out the Sonia Kashuk How To Create a Smokey Eye kit at Target for $20 – comes with eyeshadows, blush, lipstick, and an applicator brush. More to come from me on this line, but rest assured – it’s good stuff for less bucks.

Monica was fierce as always — can someone explain to me WHY she’s so underrated? Monica is gorgeous beyond belief and homegirl can SING. I’ve been a fan forever, and she looked fabulous at the BET Awards! Copped this photo over at Concrete Loop. Silver shadow FTW! And her lips even have a tinge of silvery-iridescent goodness. The
DuWop Mini Venom Trio has that flash and sparkle, and Urban Decay’s Julio Pocket Rocket gloss can also give you that look – sheer white with iridescent sparkle will get you noticed at the club, guaranteed.

Uhuras by two, Zoe Saldana and Nichelle Nichols showed that beauty can truly defy age. I hate to repeat the adage, but black don’t crack and Nichelle Nichols is proof — her skin looks glowing and gorgeous!

Her blush stood out to me the most, and I’m wondering if that subtle peachy-bronze shimmer is made by my beloved Prescriptives. Their blushes are shimmery gorgeousness made for every complexion. If I had to guess at a color, Brown Sugar shimmer would fit the bill.

And finally, Zoe Saldana rocked the white dress and red lip par excellence! And thanks to the good people at Black Radiance, I can confirm that Zoe’s red lip will cost you $1.99. I hear that Zoe rocked Black Radiance Perfect Tone Lip Color. Not sure which shade. Uptown Red? Reggae Red? Cherry Pie? Who cares! It’s $1.99 so you can cop a few to add to your makeup collection!

Whew. What a makeup roundup! Hope that helps some of you bellas recreate the looks of the stars, and I SINCERELY hope to hear from more celebrity makeup artists, who help our favorite famous people of color shine on the red carpet!

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1. Get The Look – BET Awards Makeup
2. Last Minute Gifts, By Bellas For Bellas
3. Oscar’s Bellas

One of my favorite beauty brands, Make Up For Ever is having a real person casting call, and I hear they’re specifically looking for women with deeper skin tones!

They’re looking for “very stylish NYC women.” Oooh, I know there’s a LOT of those!
Here’s the deetz:

“Looking for very stylish NYC women between the ages of 20-30 to be a part of our next advertising campaign. We are searching for 25 attractive women with a cool attitude and fantastic skin.

To reserve a time slot at the casting call, please email your first and last name and preferred time slot to rsvp@makeupforeverusa.com. Choice of 11am-1pm; 1pm-3pm; 3pm-5pm; or 5pm-7pm. Or just show up! If selected, you will be asked to sign a standard talent release. No one under the age of 18 will be considered.”

Whatcha waiting for, gorgeous? Get up, get dressed, and go get this opportunity!

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1. Black Woman, Know That You Are Beautiful
2. The Men (and women) in Black
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I have yet to find the ideal deodorant. It’s always two out of three – most often they glide smoothly and smell great, but leave tell-tale signs of residue. That’s just how it is. And having read a few articles about deodorant being bad for me, I decided to give the alternative antiperspirant thing a try. Again. This time around I tried Lavilin, a “unique herbal deodorant free of aluminum and other harsh chemicals.” Lavilin promises that just one application can leave you odor free for up to seven days.

I decided to take the Lavilin challenge and chart my 7-day experience. All in the name of being a braver beauty blogger.

Before you begin using Lavilin, you’re supposed to refrain from using other deodorants for two days. So my advice to you if you plan to try it yourself — if you don’t want to wind up stinky and sweaty-pitted, try to start on a cool day when you don’t have to do any strenuous activities and be around lots of people.

Day 1 — I can’t lie. My first thought as I opened the package was, this is weird. And kinda old school. Lavilin comes in this little funky jar with three pointy little legs, like a spaceship in a 1950’s film. It’s a thick white cream that smells like… well, nothing really. Lavilin has a very mild scent that I can only compare to Pond’s cold cream or Nivea in the big blue jar. Very clean and cream-like, if that makes any sense. And did I mention it’s thick? You only need a fingertip-size dab to cover your whole armpit. Upon initial application it made my armpit looks really gray. Lavilin definitely took quite a while to fully absorb into my skin. But I’m skeptical. I apply this stuff on day 1 and it’s supposed to last a week? Through showering and sweating? Yeah, right.

Day 2 – Woke up smelling great! So I decided to challenge Lavilin with a workout. 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer got me sweaty, but not smelly. And after showering… still scentless. And my armpits felt particularly soft and touchable. That never happens with regular deodorant.

Day 3 - Experiencing some um… hormonal challenges? I don’t exactly smell… but I feel like I could at any time. Better compensate with extra perfume. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Perfecto!

Day 4 - OK I can definitely smell myself. This might be because I gave myself a brown sugar body scrub and exfoliated my armpits. Or it could be because I live in Miami, which is guaranteed to mean a case of swamp pits for anyone under any circumstance. Hmm. Tempted to reapply. I’ll try to stick it out to day 5. Maybe it’s in my head.

Day 5 - Yeah, it’s definitely not in my head. Now comes the big question — do I reapply more Lavilin, or go back to my regular favorites?

I went back to Dove on day 6.

Maybe you’ve got a reason to switch from the typical well known brands, maybe most deodorants give you a rash, maybe you’re looking for an alternative that feels healthier. If you’re looking for a aluminum-free deodorant replacement that really works, Lavilin is awesome. But if you’ve got no complaints with the popular brands, and prefer having the option to have armpits that smell like Vanilla Chai, then Lavilin may not be for you.

Click here to get Lavilin.

What’s your de-scenter of choice?

Related posts:

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2. What’s a Piticure?
3. 5 Things… I’m Loving This Week

Ever since The Makeup Girl shared her New York Fashion Week trends, I’ve been on the hunt for green nail polish. But here’s the rub — I can’t yet find the “British racing green” she described! Not Stateside, not yet. So in the meantime, I’ve been discovering some other gorgeous greens in shades that range from acid apple to scintillating seaglass.

I’m absolutely head over heels for Essie’s latest limited-edition collection, titled The North Fork Collection, available beginning April 2009 at Essie’s website and fine spas and salons worldwide. $9 per bottle. The colors are “named for the quaint vacation villages perched around the waters of Long Island’s East End,” but they’re evocative of seaglass and clear Caribbean waters, too.

Greenport is described as “dreamy aquamarine paradise,” but on my brown skin it’s more like a subtle teal that really pops, but would look funky and chic for the office. Sag Harbour is a “cool silver blue” that looked both whimsical and futuristic, and I haven’t yet tried the “sky blue radiance” of Shelter Island, but I look forward to it. Soon.

Essie polishes are of the best quality, so after warming up the polishes a bit between my hands, my at-home manicure has been just as smooth and pretty as the last one I got at the shady strip-mall joint with the hand-shaped chairs. Viva frugality!

When I shared my pretty aqua fingernails with my friends on Twitter, a fellow beauty blogger, For the Love of Beauty, pointed out that my color was similar to the jade green polish worn by models on the Chanel catwalk this past season. All Lacquered Up describes the shade as wintergreen, and I gotta say, it makes for a fun feminine twist on pale fingernails. This will probably be available at Chanel counters soon enough, but if you need it now now now, check out Gargantuan Green Grape or Hey! Get In Lime!, part of the Brights line by OPI.

Zoya Nail Polish has a bright, fun metallic green as part of their summer line, and their Get Something for Nothing deal goes on through April, so click there to donate an old bottle of polish and get a new one in return!

Barielle has a great range of bright shades for summer, and from what I saw on Vampy Varnish, Sweet Addiction is a fab creamy teal, and Decadence is a teal green that’s just up my alley.

Green nails already make a statement, but bright neon green nails REALLY make a statement. If those are the kind of nails you want, peep Nocti’s NanoBrite Swag, a green that’ll get you noticed. I personally prefer NanoBrite Nip Tuck, an iridescent aqua that looks like it would be super shimmery on my nails. $7 a bottle. Not bad for a fancy formaldehyde free brand. And then there’s Orly Green Apple, which All Lacquered Up describes as a “vivid lime creme” with great pigmentation.

Fun! Are you down with the green scene? Or are you more of a classic French kind of bella? What are your favorite nail colors?

Related posts:

1. Pro Nails
2. My Monday Manicure — Hard Candy Sweet P
3. Fresh Fly Nailpolish Trends

The Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Natural post was one of my favorites this month — so many of you have great reasons to love wearing your hair as free as you want to be! You got me thinking about some more quirky, superficial reasons, and here’s a good one.

Not just everyone can wear a fabulous headband. It can be too much look for straight haired-bellas, depending on the style. But a big, bold headband always looks striking with natural hair. Try it and see — pull back your fro, your kinks, your curls, your twists, or your locs with a wide headband and know you’re working an accessory not everyone can. Here are some of my favorites, as recently seen on my favorite source for handcrafted everything. Etsy!

When I move to a colder clime — which will be soon — I’ll need headwear to keep my hair protected and my ears warm. Angel’s Purple Pantry is full of chunky, knitted headband/ear warmers with adorable flowers on them. I love the fact that the flower is detachable — so you can be extra girly or just pulled back, elegant, and toasty.

For head wraps and scarves with true afrocentric flair, check out the beautiful hair accessories of Wasijuru. I would rock the hell out of this wide iridescent jade hair scarf, and I know I’m not the only bella who’s digging her style!

I love how she rocks the reversible poison ivy hair scarf, with a bang of pretty twists. Gorgeous and distinctive. And six dollars!

Weezawear also makes lovely wide headbands that won’t get lost in a massive fro, for eight dollars a piece. I’m especially partial to this red cherry blossom number.

It would take a bold bella to work the peacock plumage headband made by Bethany Lorelle, but it’s the kind of accessory that can make you instantly memorable. AND it’s the kind of headband that would look great on a short haircut or a TWA. Something like that with a simple dress at a wedding? Remarkable.

Do you wear headbands often? Are you a fan? Have you seen any cute ones lately, or do you have any tips for making your own headbands? Tell me!

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2. Jimi Thing
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– I wish I’d known that the mysterious hairstyle I’d been looking for all my chemically-relaxed life, the style that effortlessly captured the essence of “me” that I tried to express with a rainbow of semi-permanent hair dye was right there, just waiting to reveal itself if only I’d be patient and let it.

– that I could learn to love the process of taking care of my hair. I always hated the burn and stink of relaxer, the excruciating boredom of having rollers put in, and of having to sit under a dryer to give my hair the perfect acceptable curl. Now I can go swimming, get rained on, or exercise without fear of ruining my hair. I can even air dry it in the car on the way to work, and still look and feel beautiful and get tons of compliments on my style.

– that I would want to play with my hair all day. Seriously, I never was a hair twirler until I went natural. Now my fingers never stop reaching for these spirals. They’re just so fun to play with!

What about you, bellas? What did you wish you knew before you went natural?

And one more shout out to YMIB. Do you read You Make It Beautiful? You should! Ericka Taylor’s site is always such an inspiring online experience. And now she’s started new blogs, Inspiring Mama, Jubella, and Style Gypsy! Go, Ericka!

I found the illustration above by doing a Google image search for Afro woman. But I’ve misplaced the link! So if you recognize this piece of art and know who the artist is, or are the artist – please contact me so I can give you credit!

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1. Natural Hair Is Everywhere!
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3. Ask Afrobella — Seeking Natural Hair Salons