Natural Nirvana

Check out this fantastic site entitled Natural .  I have joined as a fan because it is so inspirational! I believe that truly there is a natural hair movement going on with wonderful sites to visit and talk about our natural hair, share hairstyles, see "hairspirations" and more!  Lovin' hair nirvana!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natural-Nirvana/169831037938?ref=mf

Question of the day... What does Natural Hair mean for Black Women?

Short Natural Hairstyle Ideas!

Saturday, I went to the UniverSoul Circus which was fabulous!  The majority of the performers are of African descent and many are from around the world.  What I noticed, which was very exciting, is that all of the Black women (with the exception of one) performing in this circus, had their hair in a natural style...locks, braids, short styles, etc. Many of the Black performers are from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and the United States.  It was so beautiful to see these beautiful African, male and female, performers, from all over the world, doing high wire acts, amazing gymnastic activities, a black man in the ring doing tricks with 7 tigers and beyond.  This brings me to the point of trying to maintain strenghth in belief in ourselves when trying to proceed with natural hair.  Some of you may be struggling because you are concerned that after doing the big chop, or deciding to transition to natural hair, that your hair is short.  That is ok. Short styles are fabulous and leaving your hair natural will ensure that it will grow.  It takes patience.  Although the women in the circus were  performing and it was not a hair show, per se, seeing them in natural styles was inspiring, especially for the little Black children (and adults) who were looking at each of the performers with wonderment.  Each time we walk out into the world we our natural hair, confidently, we inspire and that is N.I.C.E.  So I have attached a link for a video of how you can rock a short style with confidence knowing that Natural Is Cool Enough!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI3gwmpmrQA&feature=related

Loc Styles: Two-Fers!

Check out this wonderful video with two elegant styles for those of you who have locs.  You can also wear these styles if you have braids.  And remember the Global Change Jewelry contest is still on!  We have one winner so far.  Also, there are two N.I.C.E. t-shirts left for those of you who are willing to share your hair styles!  New t-shirts will be introduced soon and this time in black and white and white and black. Good luck with the contests and enjoy the video! I would love to hear your comments.  Also,welcome to all new Followers.  We are growing Naturally and that is N.I.C.E.!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSTFsEnKPEI

Global "Change" Jewelry Contest

Today I announce a new and exciting contest!  Along with with wearing our beautiful natural hair, often comes the notion of adornment.  Sometimes it's an elegant wrap to adorn our locs, or braids or fro's or whatever our natural style.  Right now, my locs are cornrowed and I'm wearing a beautiful kente cloth wrap around my head with my long locks dangling in the back as braids and I feel N.I.C.E.!  Another way is to adorn ourselves with jewelry and beads (such as cowry or other colorful beads).

So to help you adorn, I announce the gift of Global "Ghange" jewelery.  I have traveled throughout many places in the world.  Global Change jewelry are pieces form my travels crafted from coins throughout the world.  Hence, global "change" jewelry.  Each piece is authentic and one of a kind!  If you comment on this  Post, and tell us how you adorn yourself with jewelry or wraps, etc. to accentuate your natural hair, you will win either a global change necklace, a pair of earrings or a bracelet which will have a coin from Africa or some other wonderful place in the world.  Tell us how you accentuate!  In order to receive your gift, sign up as  follower and comment.  The first 3 entries will WIN  a piece of elegant global change jewerly.  Samples depicted below...

 

Nubian Twist Outs

For those of you who are looking for Natural Hairstyles and are not sure what to do with your hair, let me suggest the Twist Out Style.  Although I wear locks and love them, there was a time when I too, was not sure about what to do with my natural hair.  This style requires only your hair and some moisturizing and detangling products.  There are products suggested in this video which look fantastic.  You can also use your favorite conditioner and shea butter or another moisturizer that you are happy with.  So, enjoy this video and Twist Out.  Now that is N.I.C.E.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y53p7zoJPY0

Taking Care of the Hair of Our Little Girls....Naturally

My "little girl"  is now 24 years old but when she was little, taking care of her thick, long, natural hair was a wonderful challenge. It was beautiful and I cherished it but I had to learn along the way without a lot of insight on how to manage it.  So, I have found a video that I think will be helpful as we continue our exploration of how to manage, style and continue to love and embrace our natural hair.  The link for the video is below. Hopefully, info. like this will help little Black girls from being subjected to the kiddie perm. The process shown can also be used on grown women's hair too.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT9OgWB1TcU&feature=related

Is There a Natioinal Hair Revolution Going On?

Essence has shared a wonderful piece on the History of Revolutionary Hair.  Is there a hair revolution in progress right now? It seems so because many sisters are wearing their hair naturally.  For me, I had a personal hair revolution over 20 years ago.  I started with chopping it all off and then I never looked back.  I have worn my hair naturally as a Vice President and President of Health organizations, as a Consultant, as a Professor and Author.  It is my perspective that my hair is as professional as anyone else's and I believe deeply that Natural Is Cool Enough.  Check out the Essence piece below. 

http://photos.essence.com/galleries/revolutionary_hair#344201

Congratulations to the T-shirt and Shea Butter Winners!

Congratulations to ChangingWoman, Gennatay and LillyPuddin!  You are the winners of the shea butter and T-Shirt Contest!  Welcome to N.I.C.E. and look forward to future contests, updates and information on natural hair because Natural is Cool Enough....

The Gift of Shea Butter!

There is a beautiful tree in Africa, which goes by the name shea.  It is possible to acquire a natural product from the seed of this tree which is dull yellow in color or off-white, ivoryish.  The great thing about shea butter is that it is a fantastic moisturizer for both the body and hair.   The website Treasuredlocks provided a comprehensive story on shea butter (see the link below).  For the first three people who comment on this post, you will receive a free gift of shea butter from Natural is Cool Enough as well as a N.I.C.E. t-shirt.  Looking forward to your comments!  Tell us what you think about shea butter or ask questions if you've never used it.  Looking forward to hearing from you and then enjoy, the gift of Shea Butter from Senegal or the Ivory Coast. I use Shea butter on my hair everyday and I love it!

http://www.treasuredlocks.com/shebutben.html#what

SHEA BUTTER TREE

Whoopie and others on the View..Thoughts?

Whoopie discusses Why Black Women Don't Wear Their Natural Hair.  Do you agree or disagree?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQFvtd61ew8&feature=related

Excerpt from My New Book!

Below is an excerpt from my new book from the chapter entitled:  Cultural Competence and Women of Color (Chapter 11):

http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/9780763761646/

"The natural hairstyles worn by African ancestors and some Black women today enabled/enable them to avoid scalp burns, hair breakage,and hair loss that often result from using harsh products to straightentheir hair. As a result, some Black women of every generation have chosento wear their hair naturally, regardless of trends, and natural hairstyles,such as locks, repeatedly resurface in the mainstream and are worn with extreme pride. Thus, health care providers should consider this history and the importance of hair for women of African descent as an example of an important cultural concept. Specifically, disregard for the importance of understanding the significance of an African American woman’s hair and how to to discuss it can lead to a serious cultural insult." pg. 134

How to Maintain locs when there is New Growth! Great Video!

Check out this video on how to maintain locks without using clips! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XvczjqXemI

Enjoy! By the way...I never use clips.  My goal is to always be comfortable so lovin' this video!  N.I.C.E.

Winner # 1 of "What to Do With My Natural Hair" N.I.C.E. T-shirt Contest. Congratulations Wanda!

Written by N.I.C.E. member Wanda:
When I first went natural, I wore wigs most times because I didn't know how to style my hair along with the fact that it took me three hours to comb out the naps. Once my hair became too long for the wigs, I started wearing, what I call fake twists using Bob Marley hair braided in. Then when my hair was shoulder length, I went for the Dreadlocks that I always wanted, I especially love when my dreadlocks are cornrowed. I only use three products on my hair. I started out using any type hair (grease) product that had tar in it. It was the only thing that healed my scalp from the damamge that was caused by perms and manifested itself in the form of psoriosis. I also used SoftSheen-Carson Wave Nouveau, Moisturizing Finishing Lotion. My main product that I use and has help my hair look like the indian that I thought I had in me is a product called Taliah Waajid from Black Earth Products, Protective Mist Bodifier.
http://www.naturalhair.org/protectivemistbodifier8oz.aspx

Share Your Natural Hairstyles Contest!

Would you like to win a Natural Is Cool Enough (N.I.C.E.) t-shirt?  The first three people to share their Natural Hairstyles will be winners!  Just comment on this post with your style. Please tell us the name of your style (locs, cornrows, twists, afro,etc.), what you use to keep it groomed (product that you buy or make) and how you maintain this style.  This will be an opportunity for "Each one to Teach One."  Since I started this blog, many people are now asking me this question "How do I wear my hair in a natural style if I just don't know how?  So, here is our opportunity to share and a chance to win a fabulous FREE t-shirt too...Looking forward to your style! If you would like to share your picture just e-mail it to me and I will post it.  Below Please find my style as a start!
Lovely Locs

My hair is now in what I call lovely locs.  After washing my locs, I take a about a "quarter size" of shea butter and put it in the palm of my hand.  I rub it together and then rub the shea butter over all of my locs.  Then I use a natural product called Twist in locs which contains (pure honey wax, aloe vera extract, lanolin rosemary and fragrance) to twist, beginning at the root, to twist new growth, and twist all the way down to the end of the loc. Sometimes I braid my locs for a few days and get the crinkly look which I love. Then I just let it go free with a part on the side or a part in the middle, or put it up or wear a head band...basically whatever I feel that day...knowing that Natural is Cool Enough...loose and crinkly like my photo at the top of this blog site. Looking forward to your styles...and t-shirt winners!

What To Do With My Natural Hair

Several people have said to me that they want to go natural but  have no idea what to do with their hair.  So, what will follow in the coming days is a series of posts on "What To Do With My Natural Hair" including an upcoming contest which will invite N.I.C.E. members to share how they style their natural hair from locks, twists, cornrows afros and beyond.  The first in the series is the link below entitled:  "How to Braid Cornrows":
http://blackhair.about.com/od/hairstyles/ss/howtomakecornrows.htm.  The hyperlink for you to click on and learn is posted on the link list to the right.  Enjoy!

Commentary on the Celebrate Black History Ad Showing Hair Relaxer Products

In the image to the right, we find an advertisement for Black History Month, that says Celebrate Black History Month and the depiction is of Black Hair relaxer products.  The question is Really?  What does this really mean?   We can analyze this in a number of ways.  Perhaps this store advertisement is paying homage to Madame C.J. Walker and continuing the trend of moving Black Women toward the aim of relaxing their hair of which many do.  However, how is this part of a celebration of a celebration?  As Black women, perhaps a celebration during Black History month, in terms of hair, would be natural hair products that move us in the direction of embracing ourselves in our true natural form.  Perhaps adds for shea butter for healthy moisturizing and other products that include natural herbs, jojoba and other natural oils that nurture our hair and scalp rather than cause breakage and damage would be a better celebration.  Perhaps everyone may not agree but isn't this more logical?  Interested in your thoughts.  Please feel free to comment.  At the end of the day, I still continue to believe that Natural is Cool Enough (N.I.C.E.).

CNN Black in America Hair Segment

CNN, on their Black in America Series did a piece on Black Hair.  Quite an interesting segment to share with N.I.C.E. members.   Click on the link to the right entitled CNN BLACK IN AMERICA HAIR SEGMENT, in the list of links, for the first in this series.  All will be posted so look out for more....

 

Essence Calls for Natural Hair Divas to Send Their Pictures In!

Natural Hair Divas: Send Essence YourPicture! 

contact info: streetstyle@essence.com today!

Read more: http://www.essence.com/hair/hot_topics_2/natural_hair_divas.php#ixzz0hX21J5tl

Congratulations to the Winners!

Congratulations Wanda, Butterfly and Udee!  You are the three winners of the N.I.C.E. t-shirts!  Thank you so much for sharing your stories. They were wonderful and an inspiration to us all.  N.I.C.E. members, please look out for additional contests in the future...As we press forward with our day to day experiences, let's continue to be confident and strong with our natural "crowning glory" knowing that Natural Is Cool Enough.

Check out Oprah's Hair story!

When Chris Rock released his movie, Good Hair, he appeared on Oprah. Oprah then shared her hair story including pictures which is wonderful.  Our sister really went through a lot with her hair.   Check out her link in the link list to the right.  Thank you Oprah for helping us to take our journey as we understand yours.  What do you think of Oprah's story?

Black Hair Dos and Dont's - ABC News

In 2007 a statement was made by:

"The idea was to offer the "dos and don'ts" of corporate fashion, so far so good. But, when Baker got to a slide showing a black woman sporting an Afro, it read "Just say no to the 'fro." Outrage ensued!"

Read the article at the link below... (You can click directly on the link to the right of this post...the link is "Do's and Don'ts of Black Hair).  Do you think there should have been outrage? Is Natural Cool Enough for the work place? My opinion is absolutely, 100% Yes. What is your opinion N.I.C.E  members?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3710971&page=1

The History of Black Hair

The History of Black Hair is long, compelling and illustrious. Check out the link entitled "The History of Black Hair." Surely, if Natural was cool enough for the ancestors of Black people, it is N.I.C.E. now....

Second Hairstory and T-Shirt Winner!

Our second N.I.C.E. hairstory from a member was shared by Butterfly. Thank you Butterfly for sharing your fabulously inspirational story! May you continue on with your bright light of authencity...Please contact by e-mail to let me know where to send your T-shirt...

First Hairstory and T-Shirt Winner!

Our first N.I.C.E. Hairstory from a member was shared by Udee. Thank you for sharing your wonderful and inspirational story! Please contact me via e-mail to let me know where to send your t-shirt. Continue on with your fabulous journey...

Hello N.I.C.E. Sisters!

This is a space for us....for you to tell your hair story so that others can be inspired. What made you decide to go natural? Are you thinking about going natural and haven't made a decision yet? Why/why not? Tell us what inspires you about your natural hair...In short, your hair story. The first tree N.I.C.E. members who share their hair story will receive a free t-shirt, including shipping and handling...Looking forward to your stories...remember...Natural Is Cool Enough....