Natural Ladies In the House

Model - Noel
Hello Natural Ladies!!My name is Noel Simone Wippler. I am 20 years old and I am born and raised in New York City. My goal is to be a Natural Hair Model. I would like to be a model and advocate natural hair and hair styles for stylists, photographers, for magazines, for hair shows, & websites. I am open to all natural hair styles and opportunities and advocating natural hair care.I would like to promote healthy hair styles for ladies aspiring to be natural. People admire my hair everywhere I go! My hair has been on a spiritual journey with me. When I had my hair relaxed since I was 6 years old with Super Relaxers, my hair would be lifeless and easily damaged. No matter how much I cared for my hair, and protected it, it would still be weak, and dry! It seemed as if I were wasting all of my money and time on my hair, and I wouldn't be content with it. So in 2009, I decided I was going to grow my relaxer out. Two years later, and I am happier than ever! I will grow my hair as long as it can go. I want to show ladies that it is possible!Would you like me to be your hair model? I would love to work for you! Contact Information: Noel S. Wippler, Email: n_wippler@yahoo.com. Thank You For Your Time. Peace.


Curtnita

I love sites that appreciate being natural and how natural is beautiful..so with that being said "I'M HAPPY TO BE NAPPY...AND FADED TIGHT"

CURTNITA

Model - Nekesha

I am 36 years old and I have a career in social work, in addition, to being a full time mother. I work with individuals who have had their children taken away for abuse, threatened harm or neglect, in addition to, working with parents that have substance abuse issues that have also resulted in their children being removed. I have worked in this profession for over 10 years. I have been growing my locks for 11 years and I remember when I started them, there were not many encouraging sites such as your to help me with my journey. My locks are so much a part of me and who I have become. Contact: tobesmother@comcast.net.

Jacqueline

I was all about relaxed super straight hair. The straighter the better. I loved wigs and weaves. I mainly did quick weave bobs, or long curls. I decided to go natural because my hair looked life less and unhealthy. It wasn't growing the way I wanted it to. I had recently dyed it myself (bad idea) and it broke off really bad. I just wanted my hair to look healthy and grow which is why I decided to go natural

I didn't know what my hair would look like without being relaxed and was afraid I would go back and relax it if I couldn't take care of it. I also was worried about how my then boyfriend would react to it. He surprisingly loved it and I was really shocked by this. I decided in July 2011 that I was not going to relax my hair anymore. By August I was ready to get that Dark and Lovely in my head, but I remained strong. I was just doing wigs and extensions. Then in October of this year, I got off work one day and just decided to cut my hair! I cut off all my relaxed hair and had tight curls left. I couldn't believe it and took a picture and sent it to my boyfriend. I washed it and just wore it in a fro the next day at work. I received a lot of compliments on it. I was alittle leery because I didn't feel like a girl. But after watching youtube videos( love love love iknowlee, HUGE help to me) I started buying cute headbands and flowers(my favorite). I haven't quite mastered the two strand twist but I'm working on it. So its either in a TWA or a puff most of the time. This also gave me a chance to play up my eye makeup and wear different earrings( feathers, feathers, feathers!). When I look at myself now, I feel absolutely beautiful and I love how fast my hair is growing and how healthy it looks. Being newly natural, I enjoy the blogs and youtube videos because it gives me confidence to remain natural and be true to myself. Truely glad to have found the new me!

My favorite products: Shea Moisture Curling Smoothie..makes my hair feel really soft and healthy looking. Knot Today Leave In from Kinky Curly. Use this to detangle my hair in the shower. If though it doesn't get that tangled surprisingly. ORS Edge Control. I use this when I do my puffs. I don't like my edges looking bad and this really smoothes them down. ** Bonus- Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner...so thick and leaves my hair feeling really soft and smelling even better.  My advice for others: I would say just to go for it! I have gain so much confidence in myself and the woman that I have become just by the few months of me being natural. I see my mom who passed away in 2006 when I look in the mirror and I love that! If you want healthy hair that grows extremely fast(like mine has) I think going natural is the way to go. Wish I would've have cut my hair sooner!

Natural Hair Couple Doll for Dinah!!

One of my favorite projects that I have done since startingthe Natural Girls United! Natural Hair Doll's project - is creating a couple doll set, for Dinah and herFiance. Dinah wanted to find a ethnic doll that matched her hair, skin tone andfeatures. She also wanted to find a African American Ken doll that closelyresembled her Husband-to-be. Working together, we choose a beautiful ethnicbarbie doll with a curly Afro puff ponytail from my collection and a handsomeKen doll.  Both dolls will make a great addition to her wedding decor. Iam so excited for the couple and very honored to be able to help with makingher big day even more special!

"I have just brought one for these beautiful dolls formyself as representative of me on my wedding day- multicolored Afro.Keep up the good work!" -  Dinah 

Link Of The Day!

Source: Enza

Can I Touch Your Hair? by Drea Camille

"So I decided to write animpromptu blog article about my encounters of being a natural beauty in aEuro-centric society. I have not always been a natural beauty, but being anAfrican-American woman” other non-ethnic cultures are “intrigued by the textureand hairstyles of African-Americans. At first, I use to be offended becausesome people wanted to ask a million questions about my hair and even go to theextent of wanting to touch my hair.

I remember asking one of mycohort members in graduate school about their fascination about thekinky/tightly coiled texture of people of color hair. She gave me the most realestand sincere answers ever; she wasn’t taught about the various texture of hairand thought it was best to ask. “Close mouths don’t get fed!” Amen to thatquote. So back to the topic - I educated my cohort member, but ended up gettingsome valuable knowledge from her as well. I remember her telling me that shehas “bad hair” because it was coarse, curly and tangled. I’m thinking tomyself, wow here I am complaining about my hair and she was having similarissues like me. When she told me that it took her 4-6 hours to straighten herhair, I gained a deeper appreciation for my hair at the moment. During thistime, I was in a relaxed state of mind and complaining about bringing mybreakfast, lunch, and dinner at the hair salon and hearing the “hoodratchronicles”. LOL! So, ladies and gentlemen, not all non-ethnic people’s hair isstraight and easily manageable. They too have various hair issues as well. Idon’t think I could handle washing my hair daily, de-tangling it for hours andpossible straightening my hair for another 4 hours. That’s not what’s up!

Since moving back to the New England, many people admire my natural state, especiallynon-ethnic people. I receive many compliments from them about my natural hair.I don’t take offense to this because honestly, I am a beautiful woman whoembraces my natural state to the fullest and appreciate those who recognizetrue and natural beauty. I don’t feel compelled to straighten my hair just toplease society and to assimilate. If you can’t accept me for who I am, than youare missing out on an amazing, loving, and gifted person.  This blog article goes out to all my naturalBeauties, Princesses, and Queens out there.Another shout out to those who want to become more educated to our naturalstate and are open to asking genuine questions." - written by Guest Writer, Drea Camille

To see more of Drea, go to  - Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr

Loving Facebook... 100 "Likes" by Noon!

I just peeked into our Naturally Beautiful Hair Blogs Facebook page during my lunch break. It is only 12:30 pm, and we have 100 new "Likes" (Readers) on our Facebook page,  just from this morning alone!

Thank you soo much to all the Facebook Natural Beauties, for your support. Let's  continue to rock our natural beauty and to be an amazing support systems, for each other. If you have not already, please visit the Naturally Beautiful Hair page on Facebook.

Afro Glitz Magazine Project

Check out the Afro Glitz Magazine Project.

"For "afro" women like me, there's a lack of representation of both appearance and interests in magazines that are marketed towards us. I do not close these magazines feeling empowered, inspired or more knowledgeable than before. Rather than doing absolutely nothing to solve this issue, I vowed to be the change that I wanted to see.  I now present to you: The Afro Glitz Magazine Project. We're women of many dreams and talents.  We love to create.  We love to build.  We love to learn. We love to inspire. Afro Glitz will be a magazine for the creatives, beauty lovers, fashionistas, writers, health enthusiasts, science lovers and techie geeks.  In addition, this magazine will be a true reflection of its audience, allowing one to submit content to the magazine.  Each article will be presented in an artsy, high quality fashion. Here are a couple of examples of how articles would be presented in the magazine:"  - Afro Glitz

To learn more about the Afro Glitz, the project and how you can help, go to Afro Glitz Magazine Project and the Website.

Great Humor - Natural Hair Problems

I am absolutely loving this new tumblr blog that I found online last week called Natural Hair Problems. There are so many statements that are dead on and just plan funny.  Loving the wit and the blogs author to allow us to all relate to some of the funny and not so funny issues that we may run into while being Natural!  :-)

 

    

See more at:
Natural Hair Problems

Ethnic Dress Up Games for Kids

 

Game sites:  Warrior Maker/Adventure Girl, Female Pirate,  Pin Up, Cute Locks, World Cup Soccer

More games at Fun Games for kids.

N.B.H. Art Work - Artist Harvey Cahn

 
I want to give a big Thank You to a Artist Harvey C. Cahn, Jr.  He created this great piece above for the Naturally Beautiful Hair Blog & Website.  Harvey is from Louisiana and is a talented artist. See more of his work below.

 To learn more about Harvey - check him out on Facebook or Myspace.

Thank you Natural Girls Rock!

To subscribe or learn more about their site, go to Natural Girls Rock.

I AM....

~ Contribution from a handsome loc'd king from our natural hair community.

Interview with Yarminiah

Q:  It is wonderful to see young successful business woman. How did you get your start in creating your jewelry line?
A: Thank you. I have dedicated seven years of my life to the fine arts. In that time I have studied/collaborated with artists of all mediums, but did not delve into jewelry making until a year and a half ago. P U R P O S E began at the end of last summer, a time in my life when I was eager to keep my work moving in new directions.  It all began one morning when I felt particularly unmotivated, staring at a gigantic pack of matchsticks sitting in my room. I don't recall how the vision came to me but I found myself some glue and began creating earrings out of matchsticks. After a week I'd perfected the design and couldn't stop making them. I showed my sister, Yaminah, and she was incredibly inspired. The concept of making jewelry out of ordinary materials was born and we couldn't be more excited. We had begun a new chapter of creativity. Yaminah and I spent weeks hunting for new materials and began creating different unique designs. Then we began a blog. Deciding a name for our jewelry line was a no brainer- we had found a sense of purpose and hoped to share it. We sold our pieces at a local festivals and area selling in Spain and soon the Canary Islands! We are deeply invested in keeping P U R P O S E growing as a company and as a source of artistic inspiration. It has taken on a life of its own and created a new space for enriching collaborations! 

Q: You are currently studying in Barcelona Spain. How is your experience there?   What was your motivation for studying abroad?  And what is the culture like in Spain?
A: I am in college studying fine art in Spain.  My experience in Barcelona cannot be described in one word. The architecture is breathtaking, and the open markets make your mouth water with their vibrant colors and fresh fruit. All the apartments have balconies with flowerpots and laundry drying on a string; its very picturesque. This city has granted me my first taste of flamenco dance. lI have been able to learn & converse with locals and others studying abroad. In addition to taking all my classes in Spanish, I have also learned a bit of Catalan, a dialect specific to Barcelona. I have been able to experience who I am as an artist outside of the United States while collaborating with other artist here as well. As for my decision and motivation to study abroad, my family is from Honduras and Puerto Rico and after having visited both countries several times, I developed an appetite to explore. I've learned that Spaniard way of life is much more relaxed than in the United States. The Spaniards rely on a basic schedule that allows time for

relaxation and work. Many work in the morning, have coffee break at around 11, siesta/lunch from 2-4pm,resume work at 5pm, and a late dinner at around 10-11pm. This took some time to get used to but it is such an efficient way to spread your time out-something I am not used to living in New York. Also many here are family oriented. Almost every Catalan I know goes back home every weekend to spend time and have dinner at home with their families. One interesting fact is that there are numerous  Spanish youth who wear their hair locked here. I have seen youth with hairstyles that are a mixture of a shaved head, curly bangs and long locs all on one head!

Q: What is your hair story?  Have you always had natural hair? Or did you experience a need to change at some point in your life?

A:   I have pretty much been natural my whole life. I've only had one perm and one texturizer in the 20 years I've been alive. My older sister has been a mother to my hair. I have adapted practically everything she has learned throughout her hair journey, except she now has loc's. When I was younger, she administered avocado, mayonnaise, and egg yolk treatments every weekend. All of that formed my hair journey. It was after I moved to Miami during high school that I began wearing my hair out in an afro. It was my high school friends that encouraged me to take a risk and let my hair be what it wanted. After Miami I moved to New York for college and saw so many other naturals which helped me further develop  confidence and I began trying new styles. I even dyed my hair a rusty blonde! Up until my move to Barcelona, I took New York's palette of style for granted. In Spain, it is a different type of stare that I get on the streets, one that shocked and made me uncomfortable at first. I have only recently begun wearing my hair out as I had to ease into being comfortable with the stares. Natural hair and personal style shouldn't be so shocking.

Q: Have you experience in any negativity or had any experiences because of your natural hair?
A:  Of course there are always strangers on the street who have something to say under their breath as soon as I pass by, even in the US. Some of my extended family members simply don't understand why I won't just get a relaxer, but with the negativity also comes admiration. Many appreciate the confidence required to rock such a bold hairstyle.

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A:  Honestly, I don't style my hair much. But when I do - olive oil for moisture, spearmint essential oil to tame dandruff. I find that Alaffia’s Every Day Shea Moisturizing Shampoo (its free of synthetic fragrances, parabens and sodium lauryl sulfate) and  a big toothed comb are an absolute must.

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: At the end of the day, it is you and your hair. You have to face your fears to not only challenge your character but also to develop a sense of who you are! People cannot make those decisions for you. If you  are ready to embrace your natural self, then you must surround yourself with people who can accept you and encourage you.

Q: How can we keep up with you and your journey i.e. blog, twitter, facebook, fotki, tumblr, personal or professional website? (Optional)
A:  P U R P O S E jewelry blog  

P U R P O S E online store      

P U R P O S E mood board    

Dolls of Today

The progress of how dolls are actually starting to look like the diverse women of today is amazing.  We no longer have to go to the store and buy dolls that have features and hair that look nothing like us. We can now buy dolls for our young girls that actually represent us in our hair, features and cultural flavor.  I love that this is happening during our life time, and I hope to see more growth and progress.

See see more ethnically rich dolls, check Naturally Beautiful Hair album on Facebook.

Stylish Blogger Award!

Thank you Roots Of Blackness, Chasing Metamorphosis  and Nappy Headed Black Girl - for naming our Blog one of the top Stylish Blogger!!!

To Spread the love, I would like to share this award with some fabulous blogs that I follow daily:

Franchesca.net
I Love My Loc's
Le Coil
Beads, Braids & Beyond
Chasing Metamorphosis
Baby Makin(g) Machine
Goapele
Runway Wonderland
Wahidah Fowler
i Rock Loc's

& sooo many more!

Fixed the Image!

I have been talking about this since last year. The original image that I had on the bottom of the Naturally Beautiful Hair Website welcome page, only featured women with loc's. For some odd reason, it did not click with me, for awhile - that this image did not reflect our large community of natural hair styles. I just recently updated the image on the website (see new and old image below). But it is still not feeling very diverse to me. I would like to add some images of our men, as well as coils and braid photos. It is a work in progress.

Cassidy's Naturals Night Out - Saturday April 9th!!

Cassidy at Natural Selection blog has been putting together great  events for us in the Bay Area.  The next event will be next Saturday, April 9th at 7pm.  Here is more about the event from Cassidy's blog: 

"We’ll be taking over Head Designs Salon in Oakland for the evening where you’ll get to enjoy music, champagne, and meeting new and old Bay Area Naturals friends!  There will be FOUR styling demonstrations by the expert stylists at Head Designs Salon.  Styles will feature transitioners, loc’ers, and loose naturals — so we’re covering a huge part of the natural hair spectrum! The stylists will be using Komaza Care products!  Even more exciting is that the Komaza Care Family will BE at the event so you can get to know the amazing women (and men) behind the company.  Attendees will also have the chance to win giveaways sponsored by Komaza Care and NaturallyCurly.com.  But not to worry, if you don’t win big,  all attendees will receive goodie bags with product samples and CurlMart coupons sponsored by NaturallyCurly.com."

Link of the Day - Kids Style

- Source: I Love My Locs

Top African American Hair Blogs

Out blog has been listed on the Masters in Teaching website as one of the Top African American Hair Blogs.  Thank you Lori for the blog highlight!

Thank you N.B.H. Blog Subscribers!

We have reached another great milestone! We now have 800 plus subscriber/followers. Thank you to everyone that has stayed with me and this great community. Your support and encouragement has made it all worth while. As always... this blog is for you and about you. Let's continue to have a another great year of celebrating our natural beauty...

Natural Beauty - Kwarana Adrea

This weeks Natural Beauty is model, Kwarana Adrea. A good friend of  Kwarana emailed me and recommend that I feature Kawarana. So I am very happy to introduce you to this lovely young lady, that has been natural all of her life.
What inspired your to have natural hair? Well growing up I've always notice family, friends, random people in the street - all following a trend of weaves,extensions... straighten hair, basically.  And I didn't want to be part of that group. Even still to this day, I'm the only person in my whole family who has locs. Never in my life, did I ever put chemicals in my hair. The quality and texture of my hair has never changed since day one. I remember being such an outcast in my school years, because all of little girls my age were already perming their hair.  It honestly never bothered me . My younger sister always begged my parents to have her hair permed, but I never did. As a child I grew up with every possible natural hair style you could imagine....I had the braids, corn rows, William sister beads, Afro puffs, mickey mouse puffs and Afros.  I carried those hairstyles up through elementary and middle school then eventually high school. Finally in my second year of high school, I started to grow loc's.When I first started the loc my hair, I got so much negative feedback from a lot of females, but that didn't stop me. And look at me now  ..... Its been six years now and I love my locs!!!!! I was meant to have natural hair all my life; and I wish alot of women could follow...  The same young ladies back in high school, who told me to not loc my hair, are in love with my hair  now and actually are on a path for having natural hair. So I'm very thrilled about that!!!

Maintenance Tips: I use two very good product line for my hair and I would recommend it for everyone....I use the "Loc  A Fella twist gel" & the " Jamaican Mango & Lime Island Oil".  These two products work well with my hair. I used the "Jamaican Mango Wax" for a couple of months at one point, but then I stopped because the wax created build up. So I wouldn't suggest using the wax. But a great alternative is honey. But I have always been curious to know if other people with loc's use wax and if it also created the same build up..."

- Kwarana Adrea,  facebook.com/KwaranaAdrea