1Blessed Natural Mag

Jennifer Hudson sporting her new haircut (photo courtesy of Instagram- ( iamjhud ) This past weekend, singer/actress Jennifer Hudson (Jhud) posted a picture of herself dressed in a snug black dress and rocking a new pixie haircut on Instagram. Hudson debuted her new cut at the "Black Girls Rock" event at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ on Saturday. Because Hudson is known to wear weaves and wigs,  it's  refreshing to see her rock own hair. Hudson is also the spokesperson for Weight Watchers. According to the Huffington Post , the singer lost 80 pounds. She has done a great job in keeping the weight off. Hudson is an inspiration for all who are trying to lose weight and achieve a goal. On Instagram, she posted the caption : "Yep , catch it! You've been jenniferized...catch it!!   What do you think of Jhud's new hairstyle? Related Articles:  1BlessedNatural Spotlight: Yolanda Adams' Fishtail Braid           ...

"Little Pink, Winter Girl" handmade African-American, natural hair greeting card by Ruthie's Greetings Hi everyone! I have designed and added new, natural hair cards to my  Etsy shop for purchase. I have added 4 new kid cards and 1 Christmas card. I will be posting new Christmas cards, in my shop on Monday. Since I love natural hair, you know I had to create some of the characters with natural hair (smile). Here is a sneak peek of the cards! "Winter Blue Boy" handmade African-American card by Ruthie's Greetings   "So Special, Orange Little Girl" handmade African-American, natural hair card by Ruthie's Greetings "Little Me" handmade African-American, natural hair card by Ruthie's Greetings "Merry Christmas From Us" handmade African-American, Christmas card by Ruthie's Greetings I will be adding more Christmas cards to my shop, next week! Please subscribe to my greeting card blo...

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! My hair is still in mini twists. They still look neat compared to the times when I have not used Aloe Vera gel. I've been applying Aloe Vera gel and Coconut Oil to the ends of my twists every morning and night.  I will be taking these twists out this week. What is your favorite protective style? Related Articles: Product Review: Aloe Vera Gel by Fruit of the Earth                          Fall Protective Styling Choice: Finger Coils  

a closer look at my mini twists Happy Friday everyone, I just want to leave you all with a simple message... Be sure to LOVE YOUR hair! God gave it to YOU for a reason. (smile) - 1BlessedNatural What do you love most about your hair? Related Articles:  Love Your Hair                           1BlessedNatural Spotlight: 1940s Photo...                           1BlessedNatural Spotlight: Breast Cancer Awareness Haircut                            1BlessedNatural Fridays: 1980s Photo...                            1BlessedNatural Fridays: Natural Brothers                ...

Product: Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera 100% Gel Place: local beauty supply store, Pathmark  Price: $1.99 Size: 2 OZ  Ingredients:  Aloe Vera Gel, Triethanolamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Diazolidinyl Urea Consistency: clear gel Fragrance: It has a light Aloe Vera smell I've heard so many things about Aloe Vera gel being great for natural hair. I finally decided to try it on my mini twist, pin curl out . The Aloe Vera gel  made my hair very  soft and moisturized. The gel has a moisturizing feel to it. If you put a drop on your hand and rub it in, you can feel a bit of the moisture even after the product has dried. One of the best things about this product is that it does not contain any alcohol, which can dry out your hair. The pictures below were taken after I applied the Aloe Vera gel to my hair. After I applied the Aloe Vera gel to my hair, I two strand twisted and pin curled my hair. In the mo...

This week, I received the blessing of interviewing my Aunt T, who is an 83-year old Breast Cancer survivor. In 2005, she was hit with the shocking news that she had the terrible disease. T. could not believe that it happened to her. The older woman was faced with limited options, and she chose to have a double mastectomy. After surgery, T. underwent several rounds of chemotherapy treatments. Shortly after the treatments commenced, the older woman's hair began to fall out in patches. "My hair just started falling out... I couldn't believe it," she said. The frantic woman grabbed a plastic bag and began putting the plugs of hair into it. It's been 8 years since her surgery, and Aunt T. is still cancer free (Thank God). Her hair has also grown back. I asked her if she did anything special to promote hair growth; she said she did not.  It grew back on its own. Before losing her hair, T's hair was chin length. Now, she keeps it at a length that is less than...

Happy Tuesday everyone, This week, I realized my hair was damaged and breaking off. I couldn't tell if it was just my ends or the middle of my strands. Don't panic, 1BlessedNatural! LOL. When I looked at my ends, I noticed I had a lot of straight hairs. I remembered the the recent changes in my hair regimen. My straight ends came from my hair being pulled too much, during the washing and detangling process. I have been shampooing my hair every 1-2 weeks to prevent my scalp from being scaly. If you've been following my blog, then you know that I usually cleanse my hair with my  Castile soap mixture , instead of shampoo. Because of the increase in the number of times I shampoo my hair, I have been styling and detangling my hair more than usual= too much manipulation. Plus, I've been using a dandruff shampoo , and they can really dry your hair out. Sunday, I washed my hair with my Castile mixture and then, I deep conditioned it. I two strand twisted my hair and put i...

Ruthie's Greetings comic scene using the app, Bitstrips Hi everyone! If you're on Facebook, then you may have seen funny comic scenes on your News Feed this week, from your friends. You may have also created your own funny scenes. Well, I couldn't resist (smile)! I used the app, Bitstrips to create a comic scene for my greeting card business, Ruthie's Greetings . The picture above is almost an exact representation of me when I am creating cards. Have you created your own comic scenes? Related Articles: (NEW) Natural Hair Cards for Breast Cancer Awareness/ Survivor                         Ruthie's Greetings Etsy Shop: (NEW) Natural Hair Cards                        NEW Afro Style Greeting Cards Coming Soon!        ...

Happy Sunday everyone! Thank you to everyone who entered the 1BlessedNatural Fall Giveaway ! The winner of the giveaway is ....   K. Roberts   You have 24 hours to contact me at 1BlessedNatural [at] gmail [dot] com . 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.

Circa 1943 photo of little girl with puffy braids, natural hair (photo courtesy of Flickr- John Atherton ( gbaku ) under CC BY-SA 2.0 Happy Friday everyone! Yes! We've made it through the week, lol! Thank God! Today, I want to show you all another photo I saw on Flickr which features a little African girl with puffy braids. The photo was said to be taken around 1943 and I absolutely love it. In the photo, the little girl's hair appears to be braided softly, and then banded on the ends.  The photo reminds me a lot of my grandmother. When I was a child, my grandmother used to press (hot comb) my natural hair. Because my strands were fine, my braids and twists would appear to be thin when my hair was straightened. I remember my grandmother wondering how other parents got their child's hair to puff up into thick twists and braids like the little girl's hair in the photo above. It's funny to now know that the answer was simple, but not at the time. She could ha...

Eritrean inspired hairstyle adorned with shell Happy Thursday everyone! I am still rocking my Erritrean inspired hairstyle. I am just getting over being sick, so I have to catch up! This weekend, I did a hot oil treatment. Then, I washed, deep conditioned, banded, and styled my hair. I will be doing a style tutorial soon! Also, don't forget to check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel: 1BlessedNatural , if you haven't already. Just a reminder.... the 1BlessedNatural Fall Giveaway has ended. The winner will be announced this Sunday, October 20, 2013 ! Thank you to everyone who entered the contest! What hairstyle are you rocking today? Related Articles: Eritrean Inspired Hairstyle                           1BlessedNatural's Fall Gveaway: Loc Jewelry                           1Bless...

Ruthie's Greetings "Light Chocolate Afro" Breast Cancer Awareness/Survivor card Hi everyone!  I hope you enjoyed my article, " 1BlessedNatural Spotlight: Breast Cancer Awareness Haircut ." The young lady with the haircut did a great thing. It just goes to show how one person can make a difference. In greeting card- related news, lol I have been working on a line of Breast Cancer Awareness/ Survivor cards that feature a faceless woman with an afro. Her face is wrapped in the pink ribbon for Breast Cancer. The Ruthie's Greetings "Survivor" cards are also available for purchase in my Etsy shop, Ruthie's Greetings . Ruthie's Greetings "Chocolate Afro" Breast Cancer Awareness/Survivor card Ruthie's Greetings "Vanilla Afro" Breast Cancer Awareness/Survivor card Which "Survivor" card do you like the best?   Related Articles: (NEW) Afro Style Greeting Cards Coming Soon              ...

My length check in May 2013 vs. October 2013 Happy Monday everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend. First, if you're a "Walking Dead" fan then last night might have been a real treat for you with the season premier. I know that it was for me! Check out my article "Natural Hair on 'The Walking Dead' , if you haven't already done so. In hair-related news... Last Friday, I did a length check on the back of my hair. My results are in the photo above. I've retained another 1 1/2- 2 inches of growth. Thank God for that! When did you do your last length check? How long was your hair? Related Articles: Back of Hair, Length Check and Quick Twists                           21 Months Natural, Length Check                       ...

Ladi Butler's  Breast Cancer Awareness haircut (photo courtesy of Malik Versatility Cooper's Facebook page) You all may know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Men and women are raising awareness and supporting the cause by sporting pink attire. You may even catch members of the National Football League (NFL) running up and down the field with pink helmets, sneakers, and gloves. Unique and fun fashionista, Ladi Butler decided to raise Breast Cancer awareness in her own way by sporting a pink ribbon haircut. The haircut is bold, fun, and very meaningful.  When I asked Butler what motivated her to get the cut, she said that she wanted the haircut to raise the awareness about Breast Cancer. The young lady felt that many African American women, like herself were not educated about Breast Cancer. They don't know how it develops, or is treated. Butler said that although she stepped outside of her comfort zone a bit with the Breast Cancer haircut, she is happy...

natural beauty, Briana T. with her fro 1. What made you decide to go natural? I have been natural on and off all my life. Over time, I realized the chemicals were destroying my hair. 2. What were your friends and loved ones' reactions to your decision? There were really no reactions to my hair when I was natural, more so when I cut my hair. My peers felt I looked older. 3. What is your current hair regimen? I wash my hair every other day and condition it every night. Briana with her TWA     4. What is your favorite hair style? My favorite has to be my afro! 5. What are your 3 favorite hair products? I use Taliah Waajid Curly curl cream and Essential Blessing hair pomade. 6. What is the most important thing that you have learned about going natural? Going natural has definitely taught me patience. 7. What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about going natural? My advice for someone who is thinking of going natural...

Front of 1BlessedNatural's Eritrean Inspired Hairstyle Happy Wednesday everyone! Some of you may remember an article I did a couple of weeks ago called, " 1BlessedNatural Spotlight: Traditional Eritrean Hairstyles ." In the article, I explained how many African-American hairstyles were influenced by the Eritreans. I decided to try doing curvy cornrows and twists in the front of my head as a partial protective style . I will probably keep the cornrows  ( in for the rest of the week, and then do another design. Right side view of 1BlessedNatural's Eritrean inspired hairstyle. Left side view of 1BlessedNatural's Eritrean inspired hairstyle Back of 1BlessedNatural's Eritrean inspired hairstyle  Have you tried any Eritrean hairstyles? Related Articles: Partial Protective Styling                        1BlessedNatural Spotlight: Traditional Eritre...

Example of partial protective styling: cornrows in the front (hair prepped for puff in back) Hi everyone, As many of you know, protective styling is a great way to protect your strands and give yourself a break from every day styling. However, many of us may get antsy and still want to style our hair after a short period of time. This is where partial protective styling comes in. Partial protective styling is when you put part of your hair into a protective style. I have been using this method often during the last 2+ years of me being natural. Many of you may know that I have been cornrowing the front of my hair and putting the back in a puff. Because my hair is fine, my edges are really fragile. Partial protective styling allows me to leave the front of my hair alone to grow. At night, I two-strand twist, pin curl the back or put it in a bun to be taken out the next morning for a puff. Do you use partial protective styling? Don't forget to enter the 1BlessedNa...