1Blessed Natural Mag

Gospel artists, Charles Jenkins and Michelle Williams (photo credit: Tiffany Douglas) On Saturday March 29, 2014, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Praise 103.9 Inspiration and Music Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The conference featured 6 workshops including "All You Need To Know About the Music Business", "Marriage Beyond The Vows and Blended Families", "Single & Saved", "Best Inspirational Singer In America", "Faith, Finances & Insurance", and "How I Wrote That Song". I attended the "Single & Saved" workshop which was hosted by by AV (Anthony Valary) and Dezzie. The workshop panel featured Michelle Williams, Jessica Reedy, Dr. Laverne, Pastor Keon Gerow, The Church Lady, and State Farm Rep (Dennis Jackson). After the workshops, there was a gospel concert in the evening held at the Liacouras  Center. The concert featured several gospel artists including Israel Houg...

Backlash  from Other Naturals (photo courtesy of Microsoft Office )  Lakeisha Gardner Nowadays, there is a great deal of love in the natural hair community. Whether you're a newbie in search of tips and product suggestions or a natural vet simply needing encouragement , there are a number of forums and blogs available at your fingertips. However, there are times when that same love can seem to turn to pure hate.       I have been natural for about 5 years and I have grown to absolutely ADORE my natural hair. In fact, it was not until I embarked upon this natural journey that I actually embraced the idea of liking the hair that was growing out of my own head. I am in a much better place today in terms of the health of my hair and my self-image, compared to where I was as a teenager. However, I have encountered a period where I've simply become bored with my hair. The same old twist out styles and high  puffs just haven't been doing it...

Love (photo courtesy of Flickr- Grabriela Pinto ) Happy Monday, my blessed naturals! I have been getting the nudge to talk about college relationships and finding "Mr. Right." This article is for any young lady who is expecting to find "Mr. Right" in college. College can be a very exciting time of your life. It may be a good feeling to study subjects in which you have a real interest. Also, you may be moving on campus and excited about your new found independence. You may also be looking for "Mr. Right" a.k.a "the one." My advice is to avoid setting that expectation for yourself. Although it is not impossible, it is very unlikely that you will find "the one" in college. In addition, when you keep the expectation in your mind of needing to find "Mr. Right" in college, you set yourself up for disappointment. This may cause you to open up physically, emotionally, and/or mentally to a guy who may have never been de...

Recently, singer and actress Countess Vaughn appeared on the CBS show "The Doctors" and revealed that she'd been battling a scalp infection caused by wearing lace front wigs. "The Parkers" star gave a teary-eyed confession stating that the infection was caused by the glue which is used to bond the wig to the scalp. The 35-year-old stated that she was never warned by her doctor that the infection could cause long lasting affects like the discoloration along her hairline, nape, and under-eye area. She wore the wig up until 6 months after her first symptoms because she was in denial. The actress said that she is now teaching her daughter the lesson that she learned after her experience: Love yourself! Click here to view the full interview of " The Doctors ."1BlessedNatural Contributor, +TeMagee5   weighed in on the issue. Here is her response: I think that women who wear lace wigs have to understand that there are some risks involved. When you ...

Happy Thursday my blessed naturals! I hope you all are having a great week. Since spring is finally here, I decided to experiment with my hair by doing another style. I did another Eritrean inspired hairstyle that consisted of layered cornrows in the front of my head and a puff in the back. The middle to end of my braids were two-strand twisted, linked, and folded upwards towards the top of my head. The twists were secured with hair pins. I think this style is a relatively quick one. It took me about 20 minutes to complete. Also, the cornrows may look tight, but they're not (thank God). Since I've been keeping the front and lower back of my hair twisted and braided, I have been retaining more length in those areas. It was a little more than a month ago when I told you all that I was wearing a horizontal flat twist across the back of my hair because the hair had broke off. I'm glad to report that my hair has grown about 1/2 inch or more. Now, when I wear puffs, al...

Ms. Gardner's puff hairstyle (photo courtesy of Lakeisha Gardner)   Lakeisha Gardner You just woke up. You're running late for work, and your hair is the last thing you want to be bothered with at the moment. Should you stand in the mirror perfecting your 'fro for half an hour, or rush out the door and worry about it on the drive there? Having natural 4c hair can sometimes be a true hassle but with the right tips, you can transform those tresses into a professional look any day in a matter of minutes.                All textures deserve proper care and maintenance, but those of us with 4C hair know that having healthy hair begins with a regular nightly routine. Implementing a nightly routine for your hair becomes a major help on days when you are running late and just don't have the extra styling time. Protection of your ends is essential and is oftentimes the source of frustration during those early mornings when you...

Do you love to write about natural hair and products? If so, I would love to have you contribute to " Natural Hair Tales of 1BlessedNatural ". There is no monetary compensation for articles submitted, but you will receive full credit for the articles you write. Your name, photo (optional), and website (optional) will be posted along with your article. It will also be listed under the "Contributor" category.  Proposed Topics 1. Product Reviews- Please check the product reviews at the bottom of the page to see which products    have already been reviewed.  2. Natural Hairstyles  3. Tutorials  4. Celebrity Natural Hairstyles 5. Hair Advice 6. Hair Regimens 7. Natural Hair in the News  8. Natural Hair Experiences 9. Personal Natural Hair Essays 10. Protective Styles 11. Natural Hair Inspiration If you'd like to be a candidate for consideration as a contributor, please send an email to 1BlessedNatural[at]gmail[...

Product: Hair Journal App Price: 0.99 Place: Google Play. It is also available on Itunes Format: Droid. It is also available for iPhone My Review I ran across the Hair Journal App by Howsun Jow on Instagram and decided to give it a try. It's a great tool to use if you would like to record and track any growth or changes to your hair. I think it's also an effective tool in assisting you to create a hair regimen that works for you. There are several things that I like about this app. They include the following: 1. Hairstyle Options: You can create different profiles that fit your style of choice. The options include natural, relaxed, transitioning, locks, texlaxed, and texurized. 2. Hair Types: The options include categories for all hair types including: Type 1: Straight, Type 2: Wavy, Type 3a: Curly, Type 3b: Curly, Type 3c: Curly, Type 4a Kinky, Type 4b: Kinky, Type 4b/c: Kinky, Type 4c: Kinky. 3. Hair Goals: You can record and track the growt...

Happy Sunday everyone! Thank you to all of you who entered the 1BlessedNatural Hair and Beauty Giveway ! The winner of the giveaway is .... Krystel Thashera Congratulations!!! "Blessed" winner, you have 24 hours to contact me at 1BlessedNatural [at] gmail [dot] com with your mailing address. If you do not contact me, a new winner will be chosen.  Thanks again to everyone who entered. I will be having another giveaway soon! If you would like to sponsor a giveaway, please email me at the address above. Please write "Sponsor Giveaway" in the subject line of your email. Related Articles:  Ruthie's Greetings Natural Hair Card and Product Giveaway Winner                              1BlessedNatural Christmas Giveaway Winner                              "End of the Summer" Giveaway Winner   ...

Hi my blessed naturals! I have been wearing one of my puff with flat twist  hairstyles for the last month. It's easy to maintain and it's convenient. After washing my hair this weekend, I realized that I needed to use a generous amount of moisturizer after my hair dries from the first wash. If I do not, it takes a few days of me moisturizing my hair before it starts to feel moisturized and silky. This will probably change a bit when spring time arrives. I hope it arrives soon, lol. What natural hairstyle are you wearing this week? Don't forget to ENTER for YOUR CHANCE TO WIN in the 1BlessedNatural Hair and Beauty Giveaway ! Get your 1BlessedNatural t-shirt in time for spring!

The "Get Ready" inspirational,  natural hair  greeting card by Ruthie's Greetings Hi my blessed naturals, I hope you are well! I just wanted to post the new natural hair cards that are available for purchase in the Ruthie's Greetings Etsy shop. The two cards are poem cards. The "Get Ready" card (pictured above) features a poem I wrote for anyone who is trying to achieve a goal or waiting for a blessing from God. The message is that you should get ready to receive the blessings God has for you. The card features a faceless African-American girl who has a gigantic afro (smile). The "Keep Praying" card (pictured below) is similar in appearance to the "Get Ready" card. Of course, the girl on the front has a big afro (smile). I wrote the poem when my grandmother was in the hospital. At that time, I was in my senior year of college, and I was nervous and scared about my grandmother and future. It is only by the grace of God that I was ...

Sonequa Martin-Green on "Talking Dead" on AMC Sunday, 'Walking Dead' star Sonequa-Martin Green appeared on the talk show Talking Dead on AMC . Green sat alongside co-star, Lauren Cohan who plays "Maggie" on 'Walking Dead'. Many of you sent me questions about the actress and her hairstyle in which I wanted to address. On the show, Green wore her hair long and flowing with a part on the side. The hair that framed her face was feathery and flipped outward.One question some of you asked was whether Green's hair this week was real or not. It looked as though she may have added hair. Although, I thought the style looked really cute on her, it would have been nice to see her rock a textured style. Green previously appeared on a taped interview segment on the show with her hair in a flat twist and bun style . One of the questions some of you asked was why do I think she did not wear her natural hair. My answer is that it's all about p...