Well I'll be DAMNED! Its Holiday Time!

Happy Holidays Everyone!    I have the pleasure of beginning a series this month featuring some of my favorite bloggers,  their Holiday styles and their  "Must Haves" for the season.  This series will be every Thursday in December until the end of the year and will be combined with my Holiday Giveaway! So excited...How about you?

First up is a sooooo fabulously chic blogger, Tikisha, of Kandidkoilz.onsugar.com who will always leaves us with a few smooches. I continue to read her blog because she keeps me up with the latest make-up and style trends. I love her boldness, sense of humor and her no excuses attitude....

This holiday season she has decided to get "Damned" by the ladies of the Damn Salon with City Twists and I'll be damned if I'm not a little jealous.  @kandidkoilz ,on twitter, has decided to style her hair in an updo for the season's events. Styling these twists couldn't be easier, no pins required..just grab a few pieces, tie them to hold the hair in place then tuck and roll...Voila (she tells me)....

I couldn't let her leave without getting a few of her "Must Haves" of 2011 and she was kind enough to share!

Hair Oils are a must because she likes to oil her scalp....Hairveda Cocasta or Afroveda Shikakai make the list. Also  mixed oils with water spritzed all over & Oyin's Burnt Sugar round out her natural hair needs.

When it comes to enhancing her beauty  her perfect holiday looks must include: a gorgeous Metallic eye like Bobbi Brown Forest and a RED lip...of course don't forget dramatic lashes!

Check out her blog for great pics and info on other holiday looks.

***GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY ***

Here's your chance to win one of my "must haves" Belle Butters Mango face butter or Shea Mango fluffy butter for hair & body.  2 winners!!

Here's how to enter:

1. You must follow my blog by using the Google subscribe on the right

2. Either follow me on twitter or fan me on facebook

3. Check out kandidkoilz.onsugar.com & tell me here how she inspires you! 

4. Leave your email address so I can contact you unless you follow me on twitter

That's it! 

This giveaway ends 12/7/11at midnight Central time...

Thanks for Reading! Leave your inspiration below to win! Tell your friends!

So Knotty So Nice!

I had the pleasure of choosing a beautiful handmade accessory from  Sasha, the owner and creator of So Knotty. Her online store is full of beautiful designs that is sure to fit every personality and style.  The unique  pieces are a  must have for  trendy ladies looking for one of a kind addition to add to  their  winter wardrobe.  I love the softness, the way I was able to manipulate the strands individually to create fullness or to elongate and the color.

 The company is an eCommerce that is based in Atlanta, Georgia but this is definitely not just  a "southern thing".

I find myself excited about the cooler temperatures just so I can rock this So Knotty creation more & more.

Have you tried So Knotty? What about other hand-made creations? Tell me what you think! Make sure you check out the site and let her know I sent ya...You never know, you may receive VIP treatment.....  http://soknotty.storenvy.com

Please leave a comment, I love reading them!

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Specials

There are two major reasons I love to shop...A great deal and supporting small businesses!

I've reached out to some of my favorite businesses to get the 411 on the great bargins they will have on their products! I plan to use my free FedEx American Express gift card to pick me up some goodies, and I want you to get some too! Small business is the core of America and especially the Natural Hair Community so we need to support each other as much as possible!

Save your shopping until Black Friday, Small Business Saturday & Cyber Monday...November 25- 27...Continue to support these companies & tell your friends to do so as well.....I will also include some businesses that are larger but place a lot of support to the concerns of the natural hair community.

*Check each description  for the discount dates, rules & restrictions.*

Rachel Stewart Jewlery....Bold, Empowering & just plain FLY! Her jewlery can help you go from "seen" to "remembered". With celebrities like Kim Coles rocking her earrings there is no question you want some of her jewlery in your collection. Rachel shows that hip, retro and afrocentric can go hand and hand without skipping a beat! Check out her collection and follow her on twitter.



 So Knotty...Stand apart from the rest with hand-made knit accessories...If you dont want  attention for your unique pieces then dont click here..but if trendy yet timeless accessories make you tingle "So Knotty" is for you (us)...They have two specials please read the restrictions!

BOGO Half off on 11/25 & 11/26 but hurry and check out their Facebook page for a Cyber Monday Special that requires action to begin by 11/23

    What is Spring without FroFashionWeek in Atlanta,GA? Well don't miss your last opportunity to get an All Access Pass for $75 (regular $99) on Black Friday... Check out the site and facebook page for info on how you can make sure you are a part of a fashion show, workshops and shopping that everyone will be talking about February 3-5 2012..I will be there so I hope you will too!

 I recently reviewed two of the faboulous butters from the one & only Belle Butters and I fell in love.  You can now make them a stable to your routine at a discount! Black Friday enjoy free shipping & Cyber Monday receive 10% off your puchase of $35 or more with the coupon code ZE24CS..Check out her site for more information.

A few companies will be posting their specials on Monday or later during the week so check out the facebook page or websites of your Favs and give them support while saving.

Check out these companies for more great deals!

Jessicurl

Shea Moisture

Heutiful Steamers

Afrodelik

Jane Carter

Let me know what deals you have discovered! Are you camping out for a special purchase?  I love to read your comments! 

Shea Moisure Kit

 I decided to try the Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter & Argan Oil w/Sea Kelp & Avocado Oil Repair & Transition Kit on my daughter Tia.  The results were positive! Check out the video below and tell me what you think! Thanks for watching!



**Kit was purchased 11/9/11..the sale has ended**

Note: Tia has been wearing braids with extensions and the results were after I removed them the previous day.  It was a great treatment, the braids were going back in within 2 days .

Love Love Belle Butters!

I had the pleasure of corresponding with Tasha, the owner and operator of Belle Butters LLC, and decided to review  her organic butters. I selected the Mango Moisture Butter for face & the Shea-Mango Fluffy Butter for hair/body to try. 

Lets begin with the Mango face butter...My first impression was doubt..I wasn't fond of the smell and didn't think it would really make a difference for me....WELL...I was wrong! The smell wasn't my favorite but it didn't linger.  I washed my face and used the butter as a night moisturizer first. I loved the way it felt, creamy and thick but not too thick.  My face instantly glowed and looked hydrated but I tried to not fall into the placebo effect.  I continued to use the butter in the morning the next day and nightly/daily for three more days.  I loved it.  I didn't have any allergic reactions, my face was soft and hydrated and i truly felt the butter enhanced my skin.  When i used the mango butter under make-up it seemed to replace my primer very well, i don't wear much make-up (just concealer & powder), so I cant recommend you skip it but it worked great for me.

 I give this product 9 out of 10! 

The Mango Fluffy Butter is labeled for hair/body but i chose to review this product on my hair.  I decided to wash, condition, use a leave in and do two strand twists on wet hair with the butter.  I was very happy with the results. My curls were well defined and for the first two days my hair didn't need any reapplication.  I did add some extra butter on day three but overall it was a positive experience.  I try a lot of products for twists and this was a good one.

  I give this product 8 out of 10!



after applying butter to a section of wet hair



two-strand twists on wet hair w/butter



after removing twists after hair air-dried

 Ingredients on labels

 Mango Moisture Butter for hair

• raw pressed mango butter
• sweet almond oil
• grapeseed oil
• lavender essential oil

Shea Mango Fluffy Butter Hair/Body

• unrefined shea butter
• raw pressed mango butter
• jojoba oil
• vegetable glycerin
• indian castor oil
• vanilla fragrance oil

Have you tried Belle Butters? How would you like a chance to try Belle Butters for yourself? Stay tuned for an upcoming GIVEAWAY!  Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!

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Let's win the Biggest Loser

Hey ladies & gents..I was checking out one of my fellow bloggers and read a post titled "The Biggest Loser" Challenge.  I read further and Bree of The Mane Source was on a mission to lose some unwanted baby weight and she wanted to bring her readers on the journey with her.  I was inspired but not really (eating Arbys as I read) until I say a PRIZE! No it wasn't the desire to have a healthy body, live longer or fit my clothes it was the chance to win $200 in cash and prizes!  So sad but Don't Judge Me LOL!

I decided that I would share this challenge with you guys! Now don't get me wrong, I hope to be the winner but I will also feel like a winner if its one of you guys...So here's the details (taken from her blog):

Here’s what what you need to do:

• Weight/measure yourself and take before pics
• Monday’s will be our official weigh-in days. Try to weigh yourself when you first wake, in the buff, AFTER you’ve gone to the potty for the most accurate weight.
• Exercise 3-5 days per week
• Include more fresh fruits and veggies into your meals
• As much as possible, stay away from processed (boxed) foods
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day
• Use a calorie counter program to determine how many calories you should consume per day
• Try your best to stick to the number of calories to consume each day
• Keep a journal of your progress, pitfalls, etc.
• Comment on this blog (and yours if you have one) so that we all can encourage each other

Now I'm going to be brave and put out my before shots so I'm going to need you guys for support! Feel free to talk about my hair cause I don't know what that problem is!

The contest began today but I will begin tomorrow it will conclude on January 7, 2012.  Please join me & The Mane Source and get some weight off.  Leave a comment if you plan to participate & email Bree so that you can be eligible for the prize.  Check out her blog too for more info on this challenge & other great advise. 

Send an email to thebiggestloser@themanesource.com!  This will be your official entry! Tell her Mslawanda of As The Wind Blows sent ya!

Huntsville Naturals Strut Our Stuff

The natural ladies stepped out this weekend in Huntsville, Alabama for two events that allowed sisters to network, discuss hair and have tons of fun.  Candice & Jana of  Knotty and Nice (@kissmycurls) along with Ken Burkeen of Huetiful Steamers set out to paint the town Kinky!

The first event was an evening affair at one of the new additions to the beautiful and trendy Bridgestreet Town Center called Watercress.  The restaurant was the setting for great food and drinks that the hosts provided free of charge to all the attendees.  Unfortunately I couldn't attend this event personally (I'm severely allergic to seafood) but my good friend Precious filled in perfectly for me. The kinky, curly & wavy chicas dined on shrimps, crab cakes, fried oysters, kobe beef sliders & fabulous drinks.  The advice was abundant and the atmosphere was welcoming.

Day two brought me out of the house and in with the fun! This event added another participate in the mix, the ladies of  Love and Sugar company.  The "Make me Somethin Nice" party was the place to be today.  My road partner Annie & I met up with my new partner in crime Precious at the location on Andrew Jackson Way...(it was an adventure to get there trust me).  We were greeted by a gentleman that verified we were on the guest list, $22 cost to attend, given a raffle ticket for our chance to win a Huetiful steamer and a beautiful martini glass with colorful ice cubes and ...Sprite lol..it was great.  The ladies of Love & Sugar Company allowed the ladies of Knotty & Ken to relax and mingle as they put on a show.

We made flower pins from scratch, organic gel using flax seeds and  sugar body scrubs! Ken Burkeen gave a great presentation of the benefits of the steamer and a nice lady (i guess) won the giveaway steamer...3 people & we still didn't come home with one...That's OK, I had a great time and met some beautiful natural hair women.
I normally have to travel to Birmingham, Nashville or Atlanta to attend events with marque players so I am very excited to have a star event in my own backyard.

Enjoy the slide show of the gorgeous Huntsville area ladies showcasing their natural hair!



Please leave a comment! I love to hear what you think!

And the Winners of the Jessicurl Giveaways are....

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Fro Fashion Week 2012 Press Supporter

On behalf of Naturally Me! Media, LLC the parent company of 'Fro Fashion Week I would like to say congratulations on becoming a Lead Press Supporter of 'Fro Fashion Week!

Wow, I am excited! Attending Fro Fashion Week was a blast this year and I'm honor to have the opportunity to bring exclusive interviews and information to all my great readers.  If you haven't attended the event, held twice a year in Atlanta,GA, you should.  Workshops, shopping, celebrities, fashion and more to make this week long event a "must add" to your 2012 agenda.

I will share more info with you as I can but please check out the site for the event, watch the YouTube coverage and see why you need to join me at Fro Fashion Week 2012!