1Blessed Natural Mag

1BlessedNatural: Natural Hair and More at Oprah's The Life You Want Tour in NJ! This past Friday, September 26th, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend Oprah's The Life You Want Tour, P&G Power Meet-up Breakfast at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The event was hosted by Charmin and featured HGTV host, entrepreneur, and real estate expert Egypt Sherrod. The panel also included 3 other entrepreneurs including  Jodi Allen, Sylvia High, and Karen Meleta who shared tips on how to maintain balance in a busy life. One of the first things I noticed when I first arrived to the breakfast was there were a lot of women rocking their natural hair! The breakfast was part of the O Town Experience which featured many activity tents centered around Oprah's The Life You Want Tour. Some activities included scalp massages, custom journal making, dancing, photo opportunities and more! Check out some pictures of my experience below! 1BlessedNatural...

1BlessedNatural: Kerry Washington's Purple Purse Campaign Raises Awareness of Little Discussed Subject  (photo courtesy of Allstate Foundation ) Actress Kerry Washington is now Allstate's Purple Purse Ambassador to encourage others to openly discuss domestic violence and financial abuse. In a 30-second Public Service Announcement, Washington explains that financial abuse is often a "weapon of choice" for domestic violence.  She continues by defining financial abuse as "taking away access to cash, destroying credit, and jeopardizing jobs." I'm happy to see Washington's Purple Purse campaign because it raises awareness, money, and discussion for an issue that is often swept under a rug. Financial abuse is alive and well in today's society. The Holy Bible also highlights this point in 1 Timothy 6:10 that says "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from faith, and pierc...

"Are You Throwing Your Own Tip in the Jar?" article on www.theprayingwoman.com Happy Monday, my blessed naturals! My article "Are You Throwing Your Own Tip in the Jar?" is featured on theprayingwoman.com ! Check it out here ! The Praying Woman is a Christian lifestyle guide. Related Articles: Check Out My Post on The Motley News: Modern Gladiator Games                             New Year's Resolutions, Anyone?

    Taraji P. Henson's curly hairstyle in No Good Deed ( trailer ) Actress Taraji P. Henson rocks a thick, cute, and curly hairdo in the new thriller, No Good Deed also starring Idris Alba. The film is about a woman who finds a deranged man on her doorstep. In the movie, Henson's below-the-shoulder curls frame her face really well. The actress wears her curls parted on the side and hanging loose. In another style, Henson wears the top portion of her hair pulled back and leaves the bottom portion to hang loose. You may be wondering if the style Henson wore in the No Good Deed movie consists of her own hair. I believe it is either a wig or sewn-in weave. Nonetheless, she rocks it well!  I think Taraji P. Henson is one actress who can get away with rocking almost any hairstyle she desires. Taraji P. Henson's curly hairstyle for the movie No Good Deed ( trailer) In 2013, Henson revealed that she was natural by posting a photo on t...

Lupita Nyong'o' and Elmo on Sesame Street This week on Sesame Street, actress Lupita Nyong'o gave Elmo a lesson about "loving the skin you're in." In a less than 2 minute segment, Nyong'o appeared on camera wearing a  pretty multicolored, sleeveless dress. She began by explaining the functions of the skin to Elmo. He then realizes Nyong'o has "beautiful brown skin." Lupita Nyong'o then explains that skin comes in all types of beautiful shades and colors. I love Lupita Nyong'o's way of explaining beauty because it's the perfect message to send to young children. Elmo realizes that he has beautiful red skin. Nyong'o and Elmo ended the segment by stating they both love their own skin. This lesson teaches children their beauty and also shows them the beauty of other races and tones that are different from their own. I think the conversation between Nyong'o and Elmo is the perfect way for a parent to ex...

1BlessedNatural: Pompadour and Flat Twist with Puff Style Happy Thursday, my blessed naturals! This morning I took out one of my flat twists to redo it, but I decided to flip it up to create a pompadour hairstyle. After removing the flat twist, I softly rolled the hair backwards and pinned it using 2 bobby pins to create a pompadour, I like this style because it's quick and easy. Twist out section for pompdour side of pompadour and flat twist with puff style What natural hairstyle are you wearing today? Related Articles: Flat Twists and Twist Out                             New YouTube Tutorial Video: Side Flat Twists and Swoop Bang with Puff Style                             Beaded Fla...

Dear White People movie poster designed by Nikkolas Smith Last week, the movie poster for the movie Dear White People was released, and I was excited! It shows a drawing of a brown person with a huge Afro and a white person reaching and touching it. The poster reminded me of  the " You Can Touch My Hai r " art exhibit. I think it accurately depicts the experience that many Black naturals face when a stranger reaches out and touches their hair without asking. Although you can only see the brown person's eyes and nose, they have a look of horror on their face. The movie Dear White People is a satirical film about 4 Black college students attending a predominately white college. The film explores racial stereotypes and politics. Dear White People is the winner of the Sundance Film Festival 's 2014 Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent. Click here to read the synopsis. Some of the film's stars include Tyler James Williams ( "Everybody Hates Chri...

1BlessedNatural: Dealing with Thoughts of Perming Your Hair - twist-out Hey, my blessed naturals! I hope you all are having a great weekend. As naturals, we are blessed with the opportunity to be able to style our hair in various ways, but what do you do if you suddenly have thoughts to perm your hair? Gasp! Yes, many of us may think about perming our natural hair. I've seen a few naturals go back to perming their hair. I've also had those thoughts before. However, they were just thoughts. Here's why I will not be running back to the perm boxes: 1. The challenge : I love the challenge of coming up with new hairstyles and techniques to handle my natural hair. I see boredom with my natural hair as just a challenge to come up with another style. Keep it fun! 2. The sores: I don't have time for scalp burns. 3. Healthy hair: I love the idea of my hair not being damaged when I style it. I view my hair as a canvas of creativity. When you perm your hair, yo...

Sherie, owner of the Beauty Is Me Beauty Supply in Bloomfield, NJ Finding a Black owned beauty supply store in the United States is like finding a needle in a haystack. Manager and owner, Sherie is one of those needles. She is the owner of the Beauty Is Me Beauty Supply store in Bloomfield, NJ. Sherie opened the store in April of this year. The Beauty Is Me Beauty Supply store carries a wide variety of hair care products including shampoos, conditioners, electrical supplies, hair, and so much more! My favorite section is the natural hair product section (of course). It contains some of my favorite products including Aunt Jackie's Curl La La, Hollywood Beauty Oils, and Cantu Creamy Hair Lotion at reasonable prices. The store also provides great customer service! If you are in the Bloomfield, NJ area, stop by the Beauty Is Me Beauty Supply store and tell Sherie I sent you! (smile). The front of the Beauty Is Me Beauty Supply store in Bloomfield, NJ The Beauty I...

1BlessedNatural: Wash Day Twist-Out Happy Monday, everyone! Today, I plan to wash my hair. So, I decided to take a few pictures of my twist-out beforehand. Flat twists were in the front and 4 two-strand pin curls in the back. Also, my eyebrows aren't done, so please ignore those lol. What natural hairstyle are you wearing today? Related Articles: Chunky Twist-Out Bang                             After Heat Damage: Two-Strand Twists Pin Curl Out Style

1BlessedNatural: End of  the Summer Natural Hair Update Happy Saturday, my blessed naturals! I hope you all are having a great evening. I wanted to share with you all a couple of pictures of my puff and flat twist style decorated with one of my December flower accessories. If you look at my collar, you can see dots of oil on it smh #naturalgirlproblems, lol. I'm not sure how the oil got on my collar. But, I'll be using Dawn dish detergent to treat the spots before washing. My hair has been loving the humid weather. I've been able to moisturize my hair at night with water and coconut oil. I'm looking forward to the cooler weather, because I plan to do some mini twist protective styling.  Front: puff with flat twists What have you been doing with your natural hair? Related Articles: New Hair Accessories                         ...