A few weeks back I attended a lovely brunch at the W Hotel on Lakeshore Drive. Hosted by Eden BodyWorks to launch the new Jojoba Monoi line (which I LOVE), a truly incredible and inspiring group of Chicago women came together for the occasion!

Many of my favorite people were there, my amigas Luvvie, Aramide of The Sassy Peach, Renisha of Renewed Fitness, Mitzi Miller of Jet Magazine, Raijean of SwaRai Blog, Bree of The Mane Source and Nikki of Nikki and the City, PR superstars Renae of Crush Media and In Her Shoes blog, and Ylorie, the VP of Marketing for Eden BodyWorks.

Love Ylorie! The homie Chuck Olu-Alabi was there to take amazing photos, which he does so well (check out his Etsy shop)! I made new friends, like Autumn of chic Chicago boutique Sir and Madame, the lovely Trizonna McClendon, the ladies of Mhe Magazine and @LoveYourNaps on Twitter, who’s a sweetheart. AND fellow natural hair blogger CharyJay who I’ve been DYING to meet! And so many other beautiful, professional ladies at the table.

With mimosas flowing, we gathered to hear the wise words of Los Angeles based trichologist, cosmetologist, and owner of the Mahogany Hair Salon, Dr. Kari Williams. I’d been wanting to meet Dr. Kari FOREVER, as she is an amazing, knowledgeable woman and we have many mutual friends in common!  Here I am sitting next to her right before the took center stage!

Dr. Kari has been touring the country to promote Eden Body Works’ new Jojoba Monoi product line, and to impart very necessary information about scalp health. I learned QUITE a bit, just sitting there and drinking in her wisdom (along with fabu mimosas). Here are some of the things I learned from Dr. Kari at the Eden Body Works brunch!

– You know how sometimes you ask someone what products they use in their hair and they’re like “oh whatever a little of this and a little of that?” Yeah, that’s not the best method. Dr. Kari believes it is best to have a product regimen, including shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, a lubricant and a styling product. She says staying within a specific product line is best because the product line has been made specifically to work together.

– Dr. Kari believes in washing hair at least once a week, for those with active lifestyles, more than once. She recommends deep conditioning with heat or a steamer on a regular basis, especially for natural hair.

– Lubrication and oil are important to our hair care. After conditioning, many oil the scalp or use grease, but grease just plasters the flakes from your scalp back down. Dr. Kari recommends using a light oil on the scalp but a heavier oil on the ends.

– When you think of moisturizing hair, think WATER. Ingredients in your hair products should include water in the top five ingredients, and then oil.

– Jojoba oil is also antibacterial, and contains Vitamin E.

– For caring for locs, Dr. Kari recommends hot oil treatments, no heavy creams, and you should rinse lightly. Locs hold on to energy. Love them gently, treat them with care.

– Too much protein treatment or in the products used can lead to dryness and breakage.

– You know how some people like to leave conditioner in super long, like overnight sometimes? And not follow the instructions on the bottle? Dr. Kari has seen some disasters because of that folly. “There is no need to sleep with conditioner, it can lead to dermatitis. Same with hot oil. It can lead to inflammation and burning of the scalp.”

– Shampoo is your friend. “A lot of women with curlier hair avoid shampoo because they think it will dry the hair, however it removes dirt and buildup on the hair and scalp. Dr. Kari is a fan of co-washing but says you should use shampoo once a week.

During the Eden Body Works event Dr. Kari presented an alternate way to use the Jojoba Monoi product line that has been a complete revelation to me. She suggested using the whole product line but switching the order of things around to use the Jojoba Monoi Revitalizing Conditioner as a pre-poo, and then use shampoo, deep conditioner, hair milk, and oil in that order. My hair absolutely LOVES this order of things. It makes a difference for me in terms of moisture and reducing frizz. LOVE. I need to take a pic to show y’all!

Meeting Dr. Kari and hearing her words of wisdom was a great experience – she regularly contributes to Natural Chica’s blog so you can check her out there. Thanks to Eden for an amazing time and such great products!

What are your biggest scalp issues? Would you visit a trichologist? I think I need to make an appointment!

First Natural Hair Diary was over at Essence.com and then I brought the series over to Afrobella.com to save it. And then…I did what I always do, which is get overwhelmed and drop the ball. Which is a shame because I love the feedback I get from featuring your Natural Hair Diaries. These posts may not draw a ton of comments, but I know you bellas reading out there are inspired, and I get lovely e mails from you!

In the interest of continuing the series and giving it fresh life, I’ve brought on a contributor to help me every month. Chuck Olu-Alabi is one of my favorite photographers in Chicago, and he’ll be capturing women around their city who rock their natural hair with style!

Chuck Olu-Alabi’s first Natural Hair Photo Diary — Kenya McGuire Johnson.

Kenya McGuire Johnson is a musician originally from Denver, CO who now lives in the Chicagoland area. She is a licensed physical therapist and educator; however, only practices clinically on an as needed basis in order to further develop her artistry as a musician. She is married with two sons ages 9 and 5. Her interests include songwriting, traveling, exercising, spending time with her family and friends, body/spirit/mind balance activities, and simply enjoying the treasures of life’s journey.

I’ve been natural for 12 years. I LOVE my natural hair! It’s the best decision I made for my hair. While I love my natural hair, I am not radical in my thinking and I believe every woman should consider what works best for their lifestyle and what allows them to feel authentic. My natural hair truly allows me to feel comfortable in my skin. My best advice is that you must fully understand that transitioning to being natural is a process and a sort of rebirth of self. It’s 99% psychological and you have to grow into who you will become as a woman with natural hair. If you are merely seeking a trend, you will become quite frustrated and disappointed. Similarly, if you do it only for superficial reasons, you will struggle immensely. Take time to make the decision and take each day one day at a time as you learn to embrace an unfamiliar beauty…but one you will ultimately fall completely in love with!

Kenya’s favorite products are Organic Root Stimulator’s Olive Oil Moisturizer, Moroccan Oil shampoo & conditioner, and Hair Rules products.

Chuck Olu-Alabi is a freelance photographer based in Chicago. He was born and raised in Nigeria till he was nine years old. Photography has been his passion for most of his life — inspired by his dad’s love of photography, Chuck started shooting with his dad’s film camera at a young age and the rest was history. Chuck believes that there’s beauty in everything and being able to capture that beauty makes him feel honored. For more of his work check out his website, or follow him on Twitter @Chuckstr.

When I look back in the annals of my own internet history and remember the blogs that first inspired me to dip my toe into the online waters, there’s a few that come most immediately to mind. Motown Girl. Concrete Loop. Crunk and Disorderly. Beauty Addict. FourFour. And Tia Williams’ Shake Your Beauty.

In case you didn’t know, Tia Williams is the Osirus of this brown girl beauty blog thang (to borrow a phrase from Wu Tang and ODB). Shake Your Beauty was everything when there really was very minimal sustenance for women of color who loved makeup and wanted to read about it on the internet, instead of once a month in a magazine. Shake Your Beauty was amongst the OG’s. Tia made her name at publications like Elle, Glamour and Teen People. She co-authored Iman’s best selling beauty book The Beauty of Color. She was the face of Olay cosmetics. And then Tia went to Essence.com and made their beauty department what it is today.

Now Tia’s got a brand new project and it involves her amazing sisters Lauren and Devon – the Williams sisters are all so accomplished! Devon is an entertainment lawyer, and Lauren has been an online editor for years – now she’s deputy editor at The Root. These three sisters are holding down their day jobs, joining forces like Voltron, and going into business for themselves. And it’s all about HAIR.

Bellas, behold The Fly Cut, a daily deal site that offers 50% to 80% off services at the top salons. Doesn’t matter what your hair needs are – whether it’s weaves, blowouts, wash-and-go, locs, relaxers – they’re offering something for everyone. It’s like Daily Candy or Groupon, but entirely focused on hair salons and services for women of color! BRILLIANT. AND…Shake Your Beauty is BACK!

I had to ask Tia about the genesis of this genius idea. “We thought of The Fly Cut after realizing we’d spent an hour bitching about our hair and the economy, and dying to get some fab service but not being able to afford it.  Then the lightbulbs went off, and we were like, this Groupon model thing has kind of ignored black women and their hair salon obsesh!  We’d seen some black salon deals show up on the Groupons and Living Socials, but there weren’t any niche sites offering discounted black salon services exclusively.  Like, by black women, for black women.  We think of ourselves as ‘hair matchmakers.’”

The inspiration for the concept sprang from economic necessity. No matter how rough the times are, so many of us still feel the need to find those dollars to go to the salon.

“The economy is the worst, but black and brown women still need fabulous hair. It’s a must. We all know that even if we’re down to the last dime, we’ll stretch it as far as it goes to give dazzling hair,” says Tia. She’s so right.

The Fly Cut is beginning out by offering fabulous deals around New York City, starting with the glamorous Miss Jessie’s Soho salon. Members of The Fly Cut can buy half-off vouchers to the Miss Jessie’s salon’s new CurlBar for both curly and straight services. TFC will also offer a discounted gift certificate, valued at $100 that can be applied to any service at the salon. Sidenote – LOVE that it’s the Williams sisters, meeting the Branch sisters, and ALL doing it for themselves!

For now The Fly Cut is NYC based (including Harlem, Brooklyn and Queens) but there are plans for expansion to other cities. The plan is to expand to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area by the end of summer 2012 followed by other major cities such as Houston, Atlanta and Chicago by Fall 2012. For right now you can like The Fly Cut on Facebook and follow on Twitter, and visit www.theflycut.com to sign up.

What do you think of the concept, bellas? Will this get you to try a new salon? I haven’t been to a salon in a while!

I already started gushing about Beautiful Textures in my Who’s Got Next post about up and coming natural hair brands. Allow me to gush a little bit more. Spoiler alert – there’s a giveaway for 10 lucky bellas at the end of this post!

In Atlanta during Fro Fashion Week, Felicia Leatherwood was on hand in the Beautiful Textures lounge to give hair advice and do product demos. When Luvvie, Kim Coles and I stopped by to say hi and we noticed the OMG Booth in the corner, things got a little silly!

Fun! Those are my GIRLS!

Felicia was the one who recommended I try the Tangle Taming Shampoo. “I like the way Beautiful Textures brings out your natural curl pattern!” she told me. And I agree completely. Let me tell you all about my favorite products from the Beautiful Textures line!

Normally when I write a product review, I like to get the half-used bottles of product from the shower stall so I can read the ingredients and smell the product again as I blog about them. Unfortunately, I can’t do that with Beautiful Textures. Because I ran through the Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner and the Tangle Taming Shampoo so quickly, I don’t even have the bottles anymore!

When I first laid eyes on the bottles I thought mass market. Splashy packaging.  And I expected to see all kinds of crazy impossible to pronounce items in the ingredient list. But surprise! Don’t judge a product on it’s bright label. The ingredients in the Beautiful Textures product line are pretty good – the first ingredients of their Tangle Taming Leave In Conditioner (which I also love) are water, olive oil, argan oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, shea butter, mango butter, rosemary, aloe vera extract. And that’s in order of ingredients right on the bottle, which should indicate the predominance of those ingredients in the formula.

The Tangle Taming Shampoo has become one of my go-to favorites, it delivers so effectively. This shampoo left my hair feeling clean but moisturized, and made detangling easier afterwards. The Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner is decadent, rich, and partnered with the Tangle Taming Shampoo, made for effortless detangling. The leave in makes my curls fluffy and leaves my hair smelling kind of like a tropical coconut mango smoothie. Delicious.

And now the folks at Beautiful Textures are generously allowing me to give away their products to ten lucky Afrobella readers. What do you have to do to win?

Check out the entire Beautiful Textures product line over at BeautifulTextures.com. Then leave a comment here telling me which of their products you’re really looking forward to trying, and why! Comments will be closed next Monday, and ten lucky winners will be chosen.

Oh! And you can like Beautiful Textures on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter @LovinMyTextures.

Edited: comments are now closed, thanks for entering!!

Good luck, bellas!

This contest is open to entries from the USA. Post sponsored by Beautiful Textures, but opinions are entirely my own.

Bellas! Have you seen the March cover of Uptown Magazine? Tracee Ellis Ross looks GORGEOUS. Regal. Self possessed in her beauty.

I got my first glimpse at the Uptown Magazine 20th Anniversary of Boomerang party – the room was festooned with Tracee’s blown up cover shots. And Tracee was there herself, kickin it and looking most fly in the VIP!

I was lucky enough to briefly meet Tracee at the Essence luncheon – she is so beautiful in person! Her dress was stunning.

The Uptown magazine cover story is an in depth look at what it’s like to be Tracee Ellis Ross – actress, style and hair icon, Twitter darling, and her mother’s daughter. You can click here to read more about it.  My friends at Uptown were kind enough to share some special photos and quotes with me, so that I in turn could share them with you!

Tracee on experiencing fashion:

“I have loved magazines since I was a child … And let me explain something, I do not read magazines, I look at the pictures … When I was in high school I would make wish boards. They were feelings and images, not words. It was all fashion.”

On coming out of her shell:

“I was shy, but it came out in a big personality. My turning point was when I let my hair go naturally and I got contact lenses. I am really blind, by the way. I have these big eyes that don’t work!”

On Diana Ross paving her way:

“My mom’s career gave me the benefit of a great life and influenced my style and who I am as a person. I felt afraid about that early on in my career, [but] I am comfortable enough in my own skin now. And Hollywood does not work like that. They will unlock the door, but they sit back and wait to see how you are going to walk through the door.”

On the difference between Carla Reed and Joan Clayton:

“I enjoyed playing a different role. Carla is so different from Joan. And I am at a different point in my life. Joan and Carla are pieces of me. But I am much more than both of them. Joan was a very specific piece of me. She was neurotic, faithless, and afraid, which lends itself to some really good humor. Carla is the evolved version of Joan. She has the love that Joan was looking for, so it creates humor from a different place.”

On taking risks:
“As a younger person, my philosophy was jump off a cliff. I realize now that there are stairs and elevators. I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me. I can even ask for help! Not feeling that I have to know everything, and that’s where the growth comes in, in the not knowing.”

On her “lily pad moment”:

“It’s the time when you come above water and you are aware of your surroundings. I was thinking: Oh my! This is my life? How did I get here? And better yet, what am I going to do with it?”

On her friendship with Kanye West:

“Kanye and I are neighbors [in L.A.], so we would see each other. Then we were introduced by a mutual friend, and he asked me to be in the video for his song ‘The New Workout Plan’. We can talk for hours about fashion. His closet is ridiculous. I will see him, and he will look down and ask, ‘Azzedine Alaia?’ and I am like, ‘Yeah.’ When I showed him the clip of me in the Thierry Mugler show, he was like, ‘Shut the f*** up! I am obsessed with those two seasons of Mugler.’ We are good friends.”

On her romantic relationship:

“I am not going to hide my relationship, but I am not talking about it. When you do that, you invite other people and their opinions and issues in. You can’t discover the person on your own.”

And this photo here? That’s celebrity stylist and hair artist Marcia Hamilton braiding Tracee’s hair. For tme Uptown shoot, Tracee’s makeup was by Marco Souza for The Magnet Agency. 

The March issue of Uptown magazine should be on newsstands now! Are you a Tracee Ellis Ross fan? Which quote resonates most with you? Some of these images are PERFECT for Pinterest, don’t you agree?

Another up and down, topsy turvy weather week in Chicago! This weekend, literally, it was snowing sideways. And today the sun is shining and the sky is blue. Go figure!

Finally I’m settled down enough to go through all of your amazing entries for the Creme of Nature Argan oil giveaway. You guys are the BEST, can I just start off by saying that? Your answers were so thoughtful and so thorough, it was hard to choose just ten of you! But choose I must. So without further ado, here are the ten lucky winners of Creme of Nature goodies, and their BEST tips for winter hair care!

1. LaNeshe says:

My winter hair care tip would be realize that your hair reacts differently and needs different things in the winter. At first, I couldn’t understand why people switched up their regimens with the seasons, but I’ve come to learn that between the heat on in buildings, the freezing air outside,and wearing our hair under drying hats, hair needs more moisture and more care in the winter. Acknowledging that you have to update your regimen for the winter is imperative.

2. Imani says:

3. Laionda Green says:

My best hair care tip during the long cold winter months is to add plenty of moisture to your hair. Moisture Moisture Moisture!!! This is the best way to ensure that hair does not become so dry; the cold winds can dry it out so quickly. I make sure that I do not use any type of heat on my hair. Heat would definitely be an additional stress on your hair, making it dry (something that we are trying to avoid). I moisturize my hair and then I seal in the moisture with oil (usually olive oil). During these months I would stress that you should leave your hair in protective styles. I’m currently sporting long Senegalese twists. I sleep with a satin bonnet to avoid cottons and wool because they can dry out your hair. I’ve been natural ever since I was younger and these steps have never failed me : ).

4. Ayana says:

5. Angela says:

The best thing to keep your hair looking healthy and full of life is to eat as healthy as you can: plenty of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and B vitamins. Along with that, drink all the water you can. If you are going to wear a hat, remember to put a silk lining inside or wear a silk scarf underneath so it won’t dry your hair out. Another hair killer is stress. Just relax and try not to worry so much!

6. Kishia says:

A few other styles,-flat strand twists, buns, and two strand twists. Of course, feel free to create your own. But the best thing by far that works for me is protective styling. You hair will thank you for it later

7. Keesha “Kay” says:

Using an oil based product (e.g. hot oil treatment) during your shampoo and conditioning routine will help you seal in additional moisture for the cold winter months. Because the wind can be very harsh on our natural kinks, curls, locks and coils, we MUST protect our hair with silk/satin coverings when outdoors. Also, it is important to recognize that excessive use of product is not the same as moisturizing the hair. In fact, too much product can adversely affect the hair. Use products like those on the CoN Argan Oil line that are moisture based and be consistent with your regimen. Finally, try to go with protective up-do’s if you have length and sassy pin-ups or side-do’s for short to medium length.

8. Unika Howell-Molden says:

I have found that during the winter months. My skin is dry, scalp is dry and my hair is even more dry. I know now that I must take care of my inside and stay hydrated so that my hair will continue to be soft,silky and shiny. I add ground flax seeds to my meals, olive oil to my bath water and a mix of oils to all of my products. Most of all, I make sure that I’m taking my supplements like 4 Vitamin E pills a day and Multi Vitamins. To make a long story short,a healthy inside will reflect a healthy outside….

9. Queen Eye Cee says:

In order to add and maintain maximum moisture to kinky/curly/coily tresses, I’d suggest utilizing the L.O.C Method (Liquid-Oil-Cream) made famous by BlackOnyx77. You first spritz your hair with a H2O/Aloe-Vera based product (water = moisture), then lock in the moisture from the water with an all natural oil/all natural oil blend, finally to insure that all that moisturization is thoroughly locked in, one should apply a cream based product which is usually a butter/butter blend of some sort… Hope this tip helps someone!!!

10. Nep says:

The best tips during winter are:
-to use protective styles a lot more in order to protect your ends( nothing fancy is needed it could be as simple as putting your hair in a ponytail, a bun, twists or braids)…even wearing a hat with a satin or silk scarf under would also do the trick
-to not manipulate your hair too much
-make sure to deep condition regularly
-shampoo less often. When I do shampoo, I like to dilute my shampoo then add a few drops of peppermint oil & massage my scalp because it helps with circulation
- moisturize, moisturize, & moisturize some more!!…i achieve this by spraying my hair with a mixing of water and aloe vera juice or gel & sealing the moisture with a home made shea butter mixture or store bought heavy cream. I also make sure to oil my edges, nape as well as my scalp (only if needed)with a heavier oil, such as castor oil, preferably.
i think it’s also important to give the hair time to dry on your wash day, i always picture going outside with wet hair & coming back home with frozen hair lol
& don’t forget your satin bonnet/scarf/pillow case when you go to bed

And THOSE are some of the BEST hair care tips! So many of you offered great tips, it was hard to choose just ten. If you didn’t win this giveaway, worry not — there’s another fabulous giveaway right around the corner, so keep reading and keep entering!

Last week there were piles of filthy snow all over the place. This week the skies are bleak and the streets are shiny and wet because of the rain. Chicago’s weather doesn’t quite know what to do with itself, and neither does my hair.

Look at that cold Chicago wind just whipping it back and forth! And that is the “OMG I’m freezing can we please go inside” smile, just so you know!

When the winter weather is dry, cold and crisp, my hair gets poofy and needs more deep conditioning and regular, gentle detangling before the tangles become too impenetrable. When it’s wet and miserable like it is today, my hair goes floppy and limp and won’t hold a consistent curl pattern. It’s quite frustrating, trust and believe!

During wavering winters like this, I go back to the tried, tested and true winter hair care routine – click here to read that classic post. I switch to heavier hair care products – now’s the time to bust out your funnel or take out your mixing bowl to add moisturizing agents to your existing products. I’ve found that my hair responds best to shea butter products, and oil based products at this time of year. If you’re the kind of bella who is open to mass market natural hair products – an Informed but Flexible or Anything Goes natural, if you will – you might find yourself falling for Crème of Nature’s Argan Oil line of products. If you love the fragrance and feel of argan oil from Morocco, you will most likely love this stuff.

My favorite product from the line is the Intensive Conditioning Treatment, it makes for a great cowash with lots of slip for detangling, and leaves my hair visibly and tangibly moisturized after use.

The kind folks at Crème of Nature are offering 10 lucky Afrobella readers a chance to try out their Argan Oil product line!

Your prize pack will include:  Moisture and Shine Shampoo, Intensive Conditioning Treatment, Strength and Shine Conditioner, Oil Moisturizer and Oil Treatment.

How do you enter, how do you win? All you need to do is leave a comment here telling me the following — what is your best winter hair care tip? The ten best answers will win a gift set of Crème of Nature’s argan oil infused hair products.

This giveaway will be open until next Thursday, so comment away!

Best of luck, bellas!

As your friendly round the way beauty and natural hair blogger, I get sent ALL KINDS of products to review. Some of them are totally the kind of stuff I’d buy myself, made with ingredients I know my hair will respond to favorably. Others…not so much. But I do my best to at least try most of the products I’m sent, because I think that’s the role of the beauty blogger — to sift through the submissions and share the best products with our readers, thereby offering an informed perspective. But sometimes when I open a package of product I seriously find myself wondering…will my readers be interested? When it comes to products, what kind of natural are you?

That’s right — I’m defining naturals by type! But not in a divisive way (I hope), this is all in fun and love! I’ve been more than one of these naturals throughout my hair journey. Maybe you have too!

– The All-Natural-Everything Natural. This particular bella won’t touch anything including those bad hair ingredients. Don’t get her started on mineral oil, sulfates or silicones because she will educate you with a quickness on why she doesn’t use products made with those ingredients, and why you shouldn’t either!

– The Informed But Flexible Natural. She’s got an arsenal of go-to products and has pretty much figured out what her hair wants and needs. She is well aware of the effects of mineral oil on natural hair and in general she steers clear of many mass market hair products… but she’s down to try new things and may use some products including those controversial ingredients from time to time to achieve a particular style, or just because it was on sale, or she feels like it!

– The Anything Goes Natural. This bella has a very carefree approach to hair product purchases. If it looks like it’ll work, she’ll try it! If she sees a decent review on a blog, she’ll try it! Whatever she feels like styling, shampooing, or conditioning with, she’ll try it — from the most pure hair products to the stuff made with 200 ingredients you can’t pronounce.

– The Anything Goes, Frugal Edition Natural. This is the bella on a budget. She may be a college student who can’t afford to buy the more pricey and buzzed about hair products. She may be just dealing with this economy and trying to figure out what works best for her hair on a limited budget. Either way, she knows when all the BOGO sales are, she’s totally down to buy dupe products at Sally Beauty, and you’re most likely to find her loading up on hair products at Walmart or at the drugstore.

– The Cocktailer. Do you have a funnel? A collection of natural oils at the ready? A big ol’ bottle of honey that’s intended for beautifying purposes only? Then you too can be a cocktailer — the kind of bella who loves to add her own ingredients to already existing products in the hopes of improving their effectiveness.

– The Mixtress. The Mixtress takes cocktailing up a notch — instead of just putting a little ingredient remix on a product, she is down to DIY! She’ll use a electric mixer or hand mixer to crank out products of her own. She’s inspired by people like Lisa Price, Anita Grant, and Tasha Burton of BelleButters. Next stop, opening an Etsy shop!

– The “What Are You Using” Natural. These are usually new naturals, people who have transitioned repeatedly, or keep believing there’s an elusive product out there that will give them a look they haven’t so far been able to achieve. This bella is most likely to corner you while shopping, at a social event, or even in the ladies room just to ask about your product regimen.

– The Stay In Her Lane Natural. This bella has a product that she uses, and that is ALL. You can most often find her swearing that “**insert product here** is the only thing that works for my hair,” even though she hasn’t tried many (or sometimes any) other products. Often this particular bella has been natural for a long time and has figured out a regimen that works for them — or finds the new natural hair world a bit overwhelming and doesn’t want to roll the dice on new products that may disappoint her and be a waste of money.

In my experience those are the top types of natural haired women, according to how they respond to the products on the market. What kinds of naturals did I miss? What kind of natural are you??

My visit back to Trinidad was everything and then some. I got to see old friends and spend time with family and revisit my past. I also got to experience new places and things, and appreciate my country and culture in a whole new way. It was a whirlwind visit and just let me know that I need to go home more often, and for longer periods of time.

While I was at home, I made sure to visit Trinidad’s beauty meccas. I went back in time to my earliest beauty experiences, and then visited some boutiques and tried out some products that represent the future of beauty in Trinidad. Allow me to share my experiences!

– Fabi Cosmetique

The lovely gentleman you see in the above photograph is Mr. Frank Blake, better known to me as Uncle Frank (we call family AND friends Uncle and Aunty as a sign of respect where I come from)! When I was seven or eight, I won a question and answer contest at a fashion event. Uncle Frank gifted me with my first fancy beauty item, a bottle of Fendi body wash. That Christmas, I helped out at Uncle Frank’s store — then located in what was known as Westmall, which is now The Falls at Westmall. Fabi Salon was the origin of my beauty story, and helping out there at such a young age shaped who I am today. It was SUCH a pleasure to take a drive down hustling bustling Ariapita Avenue, and find Fabi in a brand new location! And Uncle Frank looking well as ever!

Fabi Salon is now Fabi Cosmetique and it’s located at 62 Ariapita Avenue, Port of Spain which is an utterly brilliant location, especially around Carnival! Besides popular mainstream fragrances and cosmetics, they also offer bottles of liquor for sale, and there’s a large refrigerator with a variety of beers and beverages. It’s a store both men and women wouldn’t mind shopping in!

– Body Beautiful on d’Avenue

One or two stores down from Fabi, and right across the street from excellent, popular Trinidadian restaurant Veni Mange, is Trinidad’s new natural hair mecca. I was SO impressed by Body Beautiful on D’Avenue — click to check out their Facebook page! Fully stocked with all the popular natural hair lines including Kinky Curly, Curls, Shea Moisture and Naturalista Cosmetics, and natural body products like Tree Hut and Afrikan Republic! I stopped by and met Allison Goddard, one of the owners.

She is lovely and so helpful!! And while I was there she hooked me up with some Sunny Isle Jamaican Pimento castor oil and my scalp is LOVING it. Thank you!!

– Hair It Is

I have always loved Woodbrook and the neighborhood has changed so much! Now old timey Trinidadian residences share the street with cool local boutiques, mas camps, and restaurants. At 21 DeVerteuil Street, an old school friend of mine — the stunning and super sweet Danielle Jones — has opened a hair emporium! Hair It Is sells products for locks, weaves & everything in between. If you’re looking for high quality clip in hair, or products like Moroccan Oil and Mixed Chicks, this is where you go! Click here to follow them on Facebook!

– Cher-Mere

If you know anything about Caribbean made hair products then I am sure you are familiar with Cher-Mere, the original natural hair spa and product line of the islands! Most of Cher-Mere’s products are made with extracts of aloe vera, tea tree, and rachette — NOT “ratchet” like how it’s used in American slang today. Rachette is also known as Opuntia Vulgaris, a species of cactus related to the prickly pear, that is popular in West Indian hair care (especially amongst rastas. This Black Hair Media thread breaks it down). Cher-Mere’s creator biochemist Cheryl Bowles is a family friend — I am so in love with her Aunty Joyce, she’s like a godmother to me! And I love stopping by their store in Long Circular Mall to pick up products — another beloved relative, Elsie, runs things there and is quite the expert on what products you should try. Love what they do!

– Immortelle Beauty

Immortelle Beauty is a new product line out of Trinidad, dedicated to giving Caribbean feet the pampering and love they deserve! Formulated by cosmetic chemist Kathryn Nurse, she launched the beauty line in 2008, and last year my sister and mom attended a lovely product launch she had in Trinidad. Immortelle’s foot spa products are made with Himalayan sea salt, and essential oils of Jamaican allspice, African bitter orange, and French lavender, and they smell decadent and delightful. Loving it so far!

– Sacha Cosmetics

Sacha Cosmetics is THE O.G of Caribbean cosmetics. Founded 30 years ago in Trinidad, it is makeup dedicated to the range of skintones that Caribbean skin comes in. I grew up using Sacha — my very first lipstick was Copper Rosa, and when I went home my wonderful Aunty Gemma gave me a special gift — a brand new tube of Copper Rosa! It’s just as beautiful as I remembered. Travelers to Trinidad, keep your eyes peeled for a big, beautiful Sacha Cosmetics booth just past the security checkpoint, where the departure gates are at Piarco!

Those were my greatest finds and experiences at home, regarding beauty products and places to buy them. I didn’t get out of the Port of Spain area so I hope next time to share some finds from the South and the East of Trinidad!

Trini bellas, where did I miss and where should I visit next time?

Sanaa Lathan is no ingenue.

As the star of such films as Love and Basketball, The Wood, The Best Man, Brown Sugar, Out of Time and most recently, Stephen Soderbergh’s Contagion — she began her acting career at Yale, performing in Shakespearean plays while attending the Yale School of Drama. Sanaa has been in top level productions on every level of acting. She’s done stellar work on television — in the early 90′s she cut her teeth on episodes of Moesha, Family Matters, and NYPD Blue, and now she’s the voice of Donna on The Cleveland Show. Her film career made her a household name for young black women like myself, who were looking for beauty icons to admire and be inspired by. On stage Sanaa has won major accolades for her performance in The Vagina Monologues and she won a Tony nomination for her work on Broadway in A Raisin In the Sun alongside Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad — and yes, Sean Combs.

Sanaa Lathan is a grown woman, an accomplished actress, and an established force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

Sanaa Lathan is talented, beautiful, and inspiring. And now she is the new spokesperson for Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion!

I interviewed the lovely actress about this new role that she describes as “a dream.” Listen in to hear Sanaa’s tips on keeping her natural hair safe despite Hollywood’s expectations, and her favorite products, tips, and recommendations when it comes to Pantene’s hair products!

In part 1, we discuss her favorite Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion products, and her feelings on relaxed versus natural versus what I prefer to call “assisted hair” in her industry.

In part 2, we discuss her makeup and fragrance FAVES. Who knew Sanaa Lathan loved MAC’s Ruby Woo and Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume as much as I did??

You can follow Sanaa Lathan on Twitter @JustSanaa or join her Facebook fanpage right here.

Thanks to Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion and to Sanaa for the opportunity! And THANKS to my new video editor Krystle of Kriss Did It for the AMAZING work!