You wake up in the morning feeling great, and then you look in the mirror. Whoomp, there is is – a big ol’ zit staring you in the face. “Nooooooooo!” you yell. “Why am I breaking out???” If you ask me, there are five possible reasons. So excuse me while I offer some skin care… read all

I heart Chicago. The universe keeps giving me these wonderful signs that yes, this was the right move. And this Saturday, I got to experience one of those signs and that feeling of affirmation yet again. I went to a natural hair meetup hosted by Leila of Black Girl with Long Hair, and it. was…. read all

Most families have at least one person like her — the warm one, the one with all the culinary skills, the one who is most likely to watch cartoons with the kids, or play games. The one who’s motherly without necessarily being your mom. In my family, her name is Opal. And she’s always been… read all

My mother’s first beauty memory was one of observation. She remembers watching my grandfather’s sister, Auntie Ruby, as she sat at her dresser getting ready. “She would always have a huge flacon of 4711, and she would dab it behind her ears and on her neck. Being a six-year-old, sitting there and watching her was… read all

Every year we talk about Black History Month, what it means, should we still celebrate it, how do we celebrate it…the debate goes on. This year, instead of just talking about it — I got the chance to BE about it. For Black History Month I was invited to speak at the University of Notre… read all

In the midst of achievement and success, sometimes you’ll also encounter jealousy, anger, and competitive energy from unlikely sources. That’s what I’m dealing with now, bellas. That kind of negativity can be disquieting to the spirit. On days when it gets to me, I tend to do as my mom suggests and shroud myself in… read all

I can be astoundingly picky when it comes to photographs of myself. I. Love. This. Photo. It was taken by amazing photographer Dan Chen, for an upcoming project that I am SUPER excited about (but can’t share with y’all just yet, but I can’t wait to tell you about!) BTW, I mentioned this fabulous top… read all

Wow. It’s kind of crazy to sit back and reflect on how much my life has changed since August 2006. Back when I started Afrobella, there weren’t nearly as many other natural hair blogs or websites on the scene, and there weren’t that many sites that specifically sought to celebrate the natural beauty of women… read all

This August, I’ll celebrate my third bloggerversary, and believe me when I say it’s gonna be a special month. When I started Afrobella in 2006, I wouldn’t have even dreamed it would find the kind of reception and regard it’s managed to find. I am truly so blessed, and so grateful to all of you… read all

Consider this your daily reminder, courtesy of an old school Sesame Street clip! I grew up a Sesame Street junkie, and this song was always one of my favorites. The empowering message resonated with me at an early age — “just look around you, it’s easy to see. There’s NOTHING we women can’t be!” This… read all