Wednesday, August 31, 2011

You could be next!

Do you want to be featured on Crown Chronicles?

- Got hair tutorials/videos you'd like to share?
- Product reviews (Pictorials and text)
- Did you just do the big chop?
- Are you transitioning? (Relaxed to natural, starting dreads e.t.c)
- Got skills in styling? We will post your pictures!
- New tips & techniques?

Take a look at the lovely ladies we have featured to date here.

If you or someone you know would like to be featured on Crown Chronicles, send a request to info@passionbyshardupri.com and we will send you the detailed guidelines.  Serious entrants only.

YOU COULD BE NEXT!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Taliah Waajid: World Natural Hair

The World's Largest NATURAL Hair & Fashion Show...Ever!

The 2011 Fall World Natural Hair, Health and Beauty show will be held in Atlanta on September 10-11, 2011 at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, GA.  

The Fall Show will include new FREE consumer and professional workshops, the best Natural Hair Competition, The Big Chop or Not, Da Poetz Corner the new Wellness Way Pavilion providing FREE Health Screenings, the Children's Corner, the latest in healthy hair and beauty products and services and so much more. Of course, the Natural Hair, Health and Beauty Show is always filled with excitement, beautiful people, beautiful fragrances, music and a sea of information on natural hair, health and beauty. Come and see why Natural Hair is the official other choice for hair care and why it should be the "natural" choice for you!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Refinery29 Month of Hair

August is Refinery29 month of hair.  Everyday this month they feature a different lady with a story to inspire you. Check it out here.





Monday, August 22, 2011

Buns are cool, just keep it loose

Tight and stiff bun drenched in “pump it up” use to be the hottest trend in the 1990s. Now loose messy buns are the center of attention in the fashion world. Chignon buns are one of the top styles of today. A Chignon is a knot or coil of hair arranged on the back of a woman’s head . This style is most commonly incorporated with loose open in back blouse. Without a use of comb, at times your fingertips will give it a volume effect. Messy is Trendy!

PSA: The winner

Please accept our apologies, the winner of the contest has not been announced yet. I was at a conference this weekend. I will be announcing the winner in 24 hours. Hang tight!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

3 days left

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
WIN! WIN! WIN! 
2 packs of virgin Brazilian hair, any length and style of your choice! 


RULES
  • Reblog this on Tumblr [click here] or
  • Like the Facebook page or
  • Follow on @PassionHairSD on Twitter 
  • Entrants can enter through all of the above listed for a greater chance of winning ;-) 
TERMS & CONDITIONS
»»  Contest ends AUGUST 20, 2011
»»  Facebook, Twitter and the email address must be valid
»»  One entry entry per person
»»  Contest is open to anyone worldwide
»»  Must be over 18 years of age
»»  The winner will be announced within 48 hours of the deadline and contacted by email

For more information on Passion by Shar & Dupri, visit the website [click here]

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Hair Tip

Daily shampooing is not recommended, ethnic hair is dryer than other types of hair, shampooing strips away the oils from your hair so try shampooing once every 3 to 7 days instead.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

New Feature: Louisa of Afroblush

Meet Louisa, a lady after my own heart!  Louisa is the creator of Afroblush, the unique vision behind the blog was what attracted me to it.  Louisa just did the big chop 2 months ago!  Read her glory story here.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Swimming in chlorinated water

Here are some steps to take to before and after swimming:

  • Adding coconut oil to the hair will help the hair absorb less water. Use it the night before swimming to give the coconut oil time to penetrate the hair. 
  • Soak the hair with tap water before getting in the pool. If the hair is saturated with tap water, it will absorb less pool water. Remember that a light rinse won't do it, have your child stand under the shower for a few minutes. If the hair is in delicate style that cannot handle direct shower spray, consider putting a lycra cap on your child before she steps into her pre-swim shower and make sure that cap gets soaked. 
  • Use a latex or silicone swim cap to further limit how much chlorinated water the hair takes on. Since they won't keep the hair totally dry,  put them on after soaking the hair with tap water. These caps can be used over lycra caps if desired.
  • After swimming, rinse the hair thoroughly. You can wash the hair with shampoo at this point to remove even more chlorine. If you choose to wash the hair, don't forget to condition too!
  • After the post-swim rinse or wash, add a moisturizing leave-in

Pat your weave. Fight the itch.

Yes. We’re all victims of it. We’ve been spotted in places where we thought no one was looking, combing through our tresses, patting furiously at the top of our heads, receiving sideway glances and mixed looks of confusion.

The plight of the itchy scalp.  The itch is experienced in a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s a tight weave that feels good for two days that sends our fingers on a wild and crazy roaming spree. Or it’s a harsh winter day that saps the living water right up out our roots.

But what really triggers that fiery feeling on the top of our heads?
One of the most common reasons for an itchy scalp is dandruff. It is a condition that is caused by the overgrowth of yeast on our scalp, which triggers inflammation at our roots and itching. The most noticeable downside of dandruff is flaking, or the peeling away of dry layers of the scalp.

Another reason, which is most attributed to weaves and braids, is the tight contraction of the skin and lack of moisture and fresh air. If your hair is pulled too tight during the braiding or weaving process, inflammation of hair follicles can develop. When hair is trapped under a net or mass of hair for days without moisture, the scalp gets ridiculously dry, creating a spread of that fiery itching feeling. Sweating or getting the hair wet without properly drying the scalp can cause mold or mildew to develop and create an itching sensation as well.

How can you make that burning sensation go away?
Washing hair too frequently can dry out hair, leading to an itchy scalp. One way to lessen the pain is to reduce the amount of times you wash your hair. Oils for African-American hair is a treasure—a recommended once a week, or once every two weeks, shampoo is plenty.

Consistently moisturizing the scalp is a must, especially for braid or weave wearers. Find a good nozzle that can be used to get a moisturizing hair cream down to the root of your scalp. An oil sheen spray with a stick nozzle helps you reach into those tiny cracks and corners of your scalp that need the most juice.

Let your tresses hang free. Capping it down, wrapping it up, tying it up with a scarf—you name it, there are several moments throughout the day that we seek to protect our hair. Protection is a great thing, but sometimes all your scalp might need is some breathing room. If you find yourself in a raging itch battle in the middle of the night, try sleeping with your hair bonnet off – the air will help smoothe the scalp and reduce the pain.

If you do suffer from dandruff, continue to use your anti-dandruff shampoo. If you have a severe case of an itch, one that results in pus forming bumps on the head, please take your scalp to a health professional to have the problem addressed.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Shea Butter + Black Soap

A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling very insecure about the black spots on my face.  I decided to pay close attention to it by monitoring when I got flareups of pimples.  I noticed coffee and stress made me break out.  Not only would I have a few bumps on my face, my ecezma would also start irritating.  I was at Toronto's Annual Afrofest and checked out a few vendors selling natural products.  They suggested black soap and shea butter ranging between $25 - $50.  That was definitely NOT an option because the African shop by my house sold black soap and shea butter in its natural raw form for just $2.99 and $3.99.  I wish I took pictures of my before and after because it was drastic! I got results, noticeable results in just 2 weeks! I kid you not.

Here's my regimen -
FACE:  I wash my face with black soap twice a day.  

  • Wash your face as you normally would.  When you wash your face, you might feel a slight burning, tingling sensation, don't worry 
  • Dry it with a clean towel. Black soap really dries out your skin
    so. . .
  • Use the shea butter to add the moisture back
I use the shea butter once a day, at night. Due to the fact that it is very greasy and I wear foundation to work, I use a tiny, tiny bit in the morning.  Use an old pillow case or a towel at night to prevent the shea butter from staining your pillows and bed sheets.  Please make sure you buy the Black Soap in its natural form. I know there are few scented ones with lavender or aloe vera or even the processed ones that look and are shaped like a regular bar of soap.

ECZEMA:  Please buy another black soap for your body seperate from the one you use on your face.  

  • Shower with the Black Soap
  • Dry your skin with a clean towel
  • Moisturize your skin with shea butter or apply to affected areas

PLEASE READ IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH BLACK SOAP AND/OR SHEA BUTTER
Black soap is also known as African Black Soap and is simply referred as ABS. It is an excellent cleanser that is composed of numerous soothing and beneficial ingredients that are abundantly found in nature. Although these ingredients are found all through the world, ABS is traditionally made by hand in Africa. Research has revealed that black soaps might contain many different ingredients, but majority of black soaps contain various oils, like the coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, shea butter and cocoa butter. They also contain ashes from different plants, like shea tree bark, banana trees, cocoa pods, and plantain leaves.

Shea butter also known as karite butter is a cream-colored fatty substance made from the nuts of karite nut trees (also called Mangifolia trees) that grow in the savannah regions of West and Central Africa. Karite trees are not cultivated. They grow only in the wild and can take up to 50 years to mature (they live up to 300 years!). In most parts of West Africa, destruction of the shea tree is prohibited because this little nut provides a valuable source of food, medicine, and income for the population. Shea butter is sometimes referred to as “women’s gold” in Africa, because so many women are employed in the production of shea butter. 

I will be posting pictures in my followup post in about two weeks to show you the before (as of today) and after.  Try it out.  You will see amazing results in a short span of 2 weeks, provided you use it regularly.