1Blessed Natural Mag

1BlessedNatural: Protective Style Trial & Error: Twist and Tuck with Kinky/Straight Hair Extensions Hey, my blessed naturals! I hope you are having a great week. Yesterday, I tried doing a twist and tuck protective style using the Kinky (Marley) Twist (100% Kanekalon) braiding hair by Femi. I usually use straight Kanekalon hair by the Sassy or Janet Collection, but I like the textured hair better because it matches mine. Here are my style details: Hair: Kinky Twist Braiding Hair from the Femi Collection Price: $4.99 (straight extensions were like $1.00-2.00 per pack) Place: local beauty supply store, online Packs:  a little over 1 1/2   First Things First #EpicFail 1BlessedNatural This pic was taken at the beginning of the year when I first tried the style with the straight hair. Plus, the color was not matching lol. I chose 1B instead of #1, which is the darkest color. It didn't stand out as much as it did in the pic. So, I still wore ...

1BlessedNatural Spotlight: Keisha Epp' Senegalese Twists (photo cred: Instagram) Keisha Epps, who is a former member of the 90's hit groupTotal and wife of actor Omar Epps knows how to rock some cute protective styles! Today, she posted a pretty pic of herself on Instagram wearing black Sengalese twists with the top part of her hair pulled up. Last week, the Total star posted another pic of her hair in two neat french braids. Other protective styles she's posted include individual braids, twists, updos, and others! Back in her Total days, Keisha kept her hair in short hairstyles. It's nice to see her in different ones now. I have to also have to add that she is natural! Check out the pics below!   1BlessedNatural: Keisha Epps wearing french braids (photo cred: Instagram) 1BlessedNatural: Keisha Epps with her natural hair in a ponytail in 2015 (photo cred: Instagram) 1BlessedNatural: Keisha rocking an Afro back in January (photo cred: Ins...

1BlessedNatural - New Video: Rubber Band Cornrow & Twist Updo Tutorial Happy Tuesday, my blessed naturals, I've just added the Rubber Band Cornrow & Twist video tutorial to my YouTube channel. This style has become one of my favorite protective styles this year. The items used in the video were Cantu Creamy Hair Lotion, 100% coconut oil, rubber bands, sectioning clips, and bobby pins/hair pins. The video is below! You can comment, rate, and/or subscribe if you like! Are you going to try the rubber band cornrow & twist updo? Related Article: Rubber Band Twist and Cornrow Updo                           Protective Style: Cornrows and Pin Curl Twist Updo                           Cornrow & Flat Twist (Tuck...

Happy Wednesday, my blessed naturals! It can be a chore to take down natural hairstyles, especially protective styles. Today, I wanted to give you 3 tips that help me when it comes to taking down natural hairstyles:   1. Take your time. Be sure to set aside enough time to take down your hair. If you try taking out braids or twists quickly, you run the risk of experiencing knots and breakage. 2. Apply products.  If you're removing braids and twists, try applying an oil or cheap conditioner to them  to make them easier to remove. The conditioner can also improve the condition of your hair if it's dry. 3. Use tools.  Using hair tools to take down your style can make the process easier and faster. You can always just use your fingers (of course) if that is easier for you. Here are some tools for common natural hairstyles: 1. Two-strand twists- fingers, comb - Hold the end of your twist with one hand. Slide your index fing...

1BlessedNatural: India.Arie Goes Back to Her Afro (photo courtesy of Instagram ) One of my favorite singers, India.Arie is back to rocking her 'fro! Today, she posted a picture of her big and beautiful hair on Instagram. In her caption, she wrote, " Hair! #songsinthekeyoflife television special ..." The singer is currently on the Songs in the Key of Life tour with Stevie Wonder. Over the years, India.Arie has cut off all of her hair and let it grow back several times. B ack in 2013, we saw her rocking twist extensions with the sides and back of her head shaved off, and she eventually cut off all of her hair. Last summer, she posted pictures on her Instagram page of her kinky twist extensions with the following caption: g ot my hair braided! My natural hair is SO short! Only a creative genius like my mom could figure this out WITH out pulling my hair too tight. Took 20 hrs. And she stopped everything and did it -- for free ... The singer has been we...

1BlessedNatural: Ways to Retain Length When we talk about natural hair, we often talk about long hair and length retention. Many of us naturals struggle with length retention. We may feel like our hair is growing very slow or not growing at all. You may ask, "What products can I use to make my hair grow?" The truth is unless you have an underlying health issue, your hair is growing. Hair grows 1/2 inch or more per month. That number may increase due to genes, diet, and lifestyle. You may just be having problems retaining length. Here are the ways to retain length: 1. Moisturize and seal. Our strands tend to be dry. Because our ends are the oldest part of our hair, they are more prone to dryness. When you moisturize and seal your hair, focus on the ends. The most inexpensive moisturizer is water.  My favorite moisturizer to use is Cantu Creamy Hair Lotion. My favorite oil to seal in the moisture is coconut oil. Oils help to lock in he moisture in your h...

1BlessedNatural: Little Girls' Long Rubber Band Twists Happy Sunday, my blessed naturals, I hope you all are enjoying your day! This weekend, I got a chance to snap some photos of 2 of my nieces' long twists. You may remember an article I did back in April which included photos of their hair. This time, Big Sister and Little Sister were rocking medium-size rubber band (two-strand) twists. Their mom said it took 4 hours to complete both of the girls' hair. Although the twists look tight, they're really not. Mom used a product called Nature's Natural Carrot Hair Oil with Shea Butter and Vitamin E on their hair while twisting it. She says the key is that she kept her hands oily while twisting. Keeping the girls' hair in protective styles have greatly helped retain their length. Here are some more pictures of their hair: 1BlessedNatural: Big Sister Natural's Rubber Band (two-strand) Twists 1BlessedNatural: Little Sister Natural's...

I have been hearing many people say they do not want to go natural because of the summer months. Supernanny, Deborah Tillman also expressed the same concern in my interview with her. As a result, I started researching and thinking about the specific concerns of being natural in the summertime. Hopefully, this post will help some of you who are thinking about letting your roots show :-) Moisture Madness - During the summer months, we know the air can be hot, humid, and/ or dry at times. As a result, you may need to moisturize (with a moisturizer) and seal (using an oil) your hair a little more than normal, especially if you stay in direct sunlight. If it is humid you may need to moisturize your hair a little less. You also have the option of applying gels and other hair products that contain glycerin, because they will obtain moisture from the air. Your hair will stay moisturized for a longer period of time. No Sweat- With the increasing temperatures in the summer months,...