Friday, June 24, 2011

Be Right Back

Blogfam,
I must apologize for the hiatus.  I have been busy, very busy with other projects that is taking me away from posting regularly.  I haven't given up on my passion or drive.  I simply cannot be everywhere I'd like to be at once.  With that being said, I will be back momentarily.  Please do check back in about a week. . .or 2.  There are new and exciting ventures I am currently working on and just CANNOT wait til everything unfolds.  So stay tuned my lovelies!

 Remain blessed  

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Special Feature: Tenin Baba Ndanani

I got a pleasant surprise on Thursday morning.  Singer/songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and producer Tenin Baba Ndanani responded to my email I had sent back a few months ago. I stared at her name for about 10 seconds and then it hit me!

Tenin comes from a Nigerian background but born and raised in the United States.  She's creating a musical experience unique to her taste, she got a soulful gospel flair and says "the upcoming EP is R&B-soul with an acoustic hip-hop flair".

NAME: Tenin Babe Ndanani

LOCATION:  New Jersey

WHAT IS YOUR HAIR REGIMEN? I wash my hair twice a month (once a week during the summer).  I trim my ends every 4 months.  After I wash my hair, I moisture and cornrow my hair to soften and keep it neat in between styles.

DESCRIPTION OF YOUR NATURAL HAIR:  My hair is 100% natural! I happily stopped getting relaxers when I was a sophomore in high school.

WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU USE ON YOUR HAIR? I am fairly low maintenance and really try to keep my hair products to a minimum.  I wash with Pantene shampoo and conditioner, moisturize my scalp with my own olive oil/tea tree oil blend.  I use Luster's Pink lotion to hydrate my ends, during the winter months I use regular ol' grease on my scalp.

DO YOU WEAR EXTENSIONS? Yeesss! I love weave LoL My "go-to" weave style is a fluffy afro, usually a half wig.  I prefer half wigs because I like to let my scalp breathe at night.  There isn't a particular brand I use because I have had success with everything from synthetic to human hair, Indian remy to yarn.  My lengths vary but they are usually longer than 14".  I have to have "big" or statement hair.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET YOUR HAIR DONE?  I don't, I do my hair myself.  I am a control freak LoL All my pictures are styles I have done myself; braids, sew-ins and all.  Sometimes I get my mother to trim my ends or braid my hair when I am not motivated to do it.

WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU USE IN YOUR HAIR, IF ANY:  I have a philosophy:  weaves do not need all of the products your real hair needs.  I found that putting products on my weave just weighed it down.  I will spray a bit of oil sheen to keep it from looking dull.
 
Tenin speaks!  THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPERLY GROOMED HAIR:  Properly groomed hair is everything!  Whether you hair is natural or relaxed keeping your scalp moisturized, hair hydrated and ends trimmed are imperative.  Understand that healthy hair comes from the inside out.  Eating nutrient rich foods that have Omega 3 fatty acids will really help improve your hair (nails and skin).

Our hair is precious and fragile.  Sometimes we (Black/African women) man handle our hair because it is coarse but this really the type of hair that requires the most TLC.  BE gentle with your hair and commit to learning what feeds it.  Value your edges! (your hair line) Once your edges go, it takes a long time for them to grow back.  Protect it!

MORE ABOUT TENIN
Last year, Tenin landed the lead role for the movie, T U C H T: A Damn-Near-True Story. I found a clip on her performance.  2 words:  gifted + fabulous!  Watch this clip.  Although Tenin has a very busy schedule with her performances and acting, she makes time speak to students about self respect, purpose, personal empowerment and respond to bloggers like myself *blush*  Tenin is the founder of ENCORE Kids.  She saw the need to help her youngest family members prepare for acting and modeling auditions and started it in 2009.   Encore Kids is an innovative "edu-tainment" (education & entertainment) arts enrichment company that hosts programs and classes for schools, organizations, churches and summer camps throughout New Jersey & New York.

Tenin is a sweet and well rounded individual.  Despite her busy schedule she manages to squeeze in time for little things that take her away from the mic, lights and camera.  Check out Tenin's website here, join the mailing list, read her blog and buy her music on iTunes and AmazonMP3. For more information on ENCORE kids, visit the site here.

Thank you Tenin!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

We Love Her Style: Shingai Shoniwa

Shingai Shoniwa grew up in a musical environment as her Zimbabwean roots and their Shona culture ensured that music was part of everyday life. She initially wanted to be an actress and studied drama at the Brit School in Croydon, South London. It was there that she met the guitarist Dan Smith and they formed the band Noisettes soon afterwards. The band first achieved commercial success and nationwide recognition with the second single of their second album, “Don’t Upset the Rhythm (Go Baby Go)” which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in spring 2009.

Shoniwa is known for her energetic barefoot performances on stage. She has been described as “the most natural, charismatic frontwoman in British music today, an acrobatic showgirl-cum-disco diva’’ by Times Online.

A Black Woman's Smile

Poem and narration by Ty Gray-El
Video by Director Q

Lauryn Hill

The media is buzzing hot and heavy at the moment about Lauryn Hill who announced over the weekend that she was expecting her 6th child.  We first met this natural beauty when she dropped her album "Killing Me Softly" in 1996.  Let's take a look at Lauryn over the years.

1996:  Pretty plaits

1997:  Cute coils

1998 - 2000:  Lovely Locs

2005:  Retro chic

2005 - 2006:  Natural woman

2010:  Curly Cues

2011:  Versatile

Man with the million dollar hair!

It's not a joke! You read the title correctly. 
MAN WITH THE MILLION DOLLAR HAIR!  
This isn't exactly news that just came fresh off the press but I came across it and had to post it.

Meet Pittsburgh Steelers' Troy Polamalu -
This picture is a bit exaggerated
Tony has insured his long locks of hair foe $1 million. It's on the list of the strangest things covered by insurance.  Head and shoulders, the shampoo giants, have paid for the claim as Polamalu is one of their advertisers and gets their name into the sports world.

Polamalu has not cut his locks for 10 years, since his coach told him to, but now he is choosing to let them grow in tribute to his Samoan heritage.  Having this much hair in a contact sport is a slight disdvantage to him. With flowing hair at a length of almost one metre, opponents have targeted him.  In 2006, Larry Johnson of the Kansas Chiefs grabbed onto his hair and tackled him - legally.

The insurance company, Lloyd's of London, has not revealed what has to happen to Polamalu's hair for anyone to collect on the policy.
Polamalu on a "normal" day

Friday, June 3, 2011

Relaxers Versus Natural

LENGTH
Natural, untreated hair tends to be thicker and curlier, which means that you are going to have big hair, but not necessarily long locks. Because of its thickness, natural hair tends to grow out more than it does down.

Relaxed hair, on the other hand, is all about length. In fact, most women are shocked by how long their hair is when they stretch it out a bit. So, when choosing between the two, decide whether you want to shake it out or shake it down.

MANAGEABILITY
Natural hair might be healthy, but it sure can be hard to pull a comb through. When all of those curls twist and tie together, your comb becomes your worst enemy. The job has to be done though, so most likely, you are going to tough it out while you detangle your locks.

Relaxed hair, by comparison, is almost made for a comb and you will be mesmerized by how easily it glides through your manageable tresses.

HAIRSTYLE OPTIONS
You have tons of options with both hair types. Natural hair looks fantastic with funky headbands, pulled-up puff ponytail styles and all-out, as-big-as-possible tight curls.

Relaxed hair is fabulous in a slick ponytail, sexy in spiral curls and simple in a middle-parted bob. Experiment regardless of which you choose, so you don't get stuck in the same old boring hairstyle.

HAIR CARE
OK, there's no getting around the fact that relaxed hair just takes a lot more care. Natural girls can just wash and go...literally step out of the shower, shake the water off of their hair and step on out the door.

Relaxed ladies? Not so much. Their hair must be blown dry straight or wrapped and then flat-ironed to retain that straight and sassy style. Moreover, because of the chemicals in relaxer, hair must also be deep conditioned more often to guard against breakage.
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Vintage Ad: Dax

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