Style Obsession // Put It In Neutral

Summer is an interesting time.  Sometimes the heat is so unbearable that we often sacrifice style for comfort.  The hotter it is outside, the more I dress down.  Dressing down is great but sometimes you still want to look a bit more polished.  I'm putting together ideas on simple, easy to execute looks that seem completely effortless but look well put together.

While looking for inspiration, I found a simple outfit combination that looks great on pretty much everyone.  It's perfect for casual lunches or errand days. All you have to do is follow one simple fashion rule.

And that simple rule is this:

Pair your nude sandals (or pumps) with a nude top.

Nude shoes had a big moment a few years ago.  At the time, they basically became the new "black."  Since then, I've noticed that nude shoes aren't as popular as they used to be.  This is good news because they aren't seen as trendy, which means that you'll stand out from the crowd in your flesh-toned pumps.   This look has more impact when paired with black distressed jeans.  This allows the neutral top to take on more of a central role.  What would otherwise be a basic clothing item suddenly becomes the staple of a simple, yet stylish look.

Notice how all three women forgo the addition of too much jewelry and other accessories.   That's because a neutral-hued blouse is reminiscent of skin.  Summer is all about fresh glowing skin which is why I adore this look.   Feel free to play around with various tones of beige and brown until you find the shade that best suits you.  The key to this look is to try to match the shoes with the top you're wearing.

Pair a neutral toned blouse, tank, bodysuit, or tee with your favorite jeans, and voila! You have an easy, understated look that took little effort to pull together.  Heck, you probably already have all the pieces in your closet right now.

from BELLEMOCHA.com https://ift.tt/2tIyFrT

The Caramel Treatment Reloaded – A Natural Conditioner For Softness And Shine

There’s something about sequels, you either love ’em or you hate ’em. I’ve always preferred The Lord Of The Rings: Two Towers and I am a huge fan of The Bourne Supremacy and don’t get me started on the Twilight saga films, like Bella I was dying to be bitten by Edward 10 minutes into the […]

The post The Caramel Treatment Reloaded – A Natural Conditioner For Softness And Shine appeared first on Black Hair Information.

from Black Hair Information https://ift.tt/2KwPTCd

Using Baking Soda As A Natural Texturizer

Ah baking soda. To begin with we loved you then Kimmaytube told us you were evil after which many of us disagreed and threw caution to the wind because it's 'all natural' so couldn't possibly be that bad. What's a girl to do when a baking soda texturizer comes 'a calling? In spite of the warnings, baking […]

The post Using Baking Soda As A Natural Texturizer appeared first on Black Hair Information.

from Black Hair Information https://ift.tt/2KvN4Bm

Eat Normally, Do This, and Lose Weight

If you've struggled to alter your diet to lose a little bit of weight, I may have some good news for you.  Perhaps you've eaten properly for a short time, then fall into bad habits again.  Maybe your diet consists of sensible meals but you're still not able to drop stubborn pounds.  In either case, maybe your best bet to fat burning is by changing your strategy entirely. 
Over the years, I've come to the understanding that when it comes to dropping pounds, eating is the most effective way to get there.  The phrase "abs are formed in the kitchen" is absolutely right.  Don't get me wrong, there were times that I managed my weight through exercise but it required a lot of time and I had to be careful not to overeat because of the additional physical exertion. 

The times in my life where I noticed the most effective weight loss was when there was a change in my diet.  Examples include when I went gluten-free or when I meal prepped a bunch of healthy green salads.  One time, I was really diligent in using the MyFitnessPal app and kept a detailed log in how many calories I consumed for the day.  That method was effective but I didn't want to be a calorie counter for the rest of my life.

I'm here to share another option that might be just as effective and actually requires little effort. 

A study was done featuring overweight subjects to determine the impact of "time-restricted eating." Time restricted eating is basically when one only eats within certain time window.  Usually 8-10 hours. So let's say that you eat breakfast at 9:00 am.  That would mean that you consume your last meal around 5:00pm.  In this study, the subjects were given a time window of 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. 

Here's the kicker...

During the 8 hour time window, the subjects were asked to eat as normal.  The only change to their diet was when they ate, not what they ate.  The study also included a control group who did not partake in the restricted eating regimen.  They consumed their meals from 9:30 am to 8:30 pm.  That's an 11-hour eating window. 

The results?

The non-control group lost an average of nearly 5lbs over the course of the study.  They essentially ate the same over the course of the study so what was the root cause of the weight loss?  It turns out that the time restricted eating group as a whole consumed fewer calories than their counterparts.  By simply managing the time around when they ate, these individuals naturally ate less. We all know that shaving off a few calories off here and there adds up over time.

Another thing that takes place when we eat within an 8 hour window is that we go 16 hours without eating.  During those 16 hours is when the magic happens.  Technically, 16 hours without eating is called a fast.  I know that 16 hours sounds like a lot but technically, you're asleep for most of it.  A person who wakes up at 8:00 am can eat just 2 hours after waking.   

Last summer, I was a bridesmaid at my cousin's wedding.  My younger cousin was also a fellow bridesmaid.  While growing up, she maintained a slender, lean figure.  Over the years, she had 3 beautiful children and was never able to lose the weight.  Her kids are older now so I know the residual weight is eating related.  Plus, she had her children in her teens and 20's when her metabolism was at its peak. 

We purchased our dresses way before the event at the request of the bride.  Months after purchasing the dresses, the bride asked us all to come over to try them on again in case we needed to do last minute alterations.  Everyone, including me,  was fearful that the dresses would no longer fit.  I was relieved to find out that my dress still fit.  Others, including my baby cousin, weren't so lucky.  As soon as the topic of losing weight before the wedding came up, I asked her if she ate late in the evenings.  She admitted that eating late at night was a routine.  I told her to try giving up that habit to see what happens. Weeks later, she happily proclaimed that some of the extra weight was now gone. 

When we're in a fasted state, we allow the body to turn on certain metabolic processes that don't normally occur when during the eating window.  We experience a spike in growth hormone and allow the body to tap into our fat stores for energy.  If the thought of restricting your eating to 8 hours during the day is unreasonable, start with a 10-hour window.  You might notice a difference if you're one of those people who grazes all day or consumes a lot of calories at night.  At the very least, I recommend everyone to stop eating hours before your bedtime. We know that the overnight hours are dedicated to internal cleansing and rejuvenation.  By going to bed with a full stomach, we're asking our body to focus on digestion instead of building and repair.  Also, keep in mind that humans are designed to be active during the day and sleep at night.  There are certain digestive enzymes and mechanisms that "turn off" after a certain time. For instance, our blood sugar regulars aren't as active after a certain number of hours. Which means that eating food late at night could lead to easier, faster weight gain versus eating the same meal during the day. 

Maybe test this out as an experiment for the week to see if you see any positive benefits. 





from BELLEMOCHA.com https://ift.tt/2KsjAkA

The Art of Taking Rapid Action to Multiply Your Manifestation.

Every Monday I like to identify a pattern of behavior that no longer serves me.  These are the behaviors that hold me back from reaching my greatest potential.  One negative habit that I've identified is where I take forever to complete tasks on my list.

Part of the reason why I've allowed this habit to exist is because of the lack of consequences attached to my behavior.   I've been told in the past that I'm motivated by the fear of negative consequences and, with no repercussions in place, I've allowed my inaction to flourish.

Actually, the negative consequences exist.  They just haven't reached critical levels yet. Now I have to make a choice.  I can choose to continue as I have in hopes of delaying the inevitable or I can take a proactive approach and alter the outcome of my future starting now.
The lesson I learned from the compound effect is that making great decisions each and every day will ultimately transform my future.  The same is true for the opposite.  What I desire is to take quick, immediate action if I don't receive an immediate reward for doing so.

Implementing a new habit isn't easy but I really want this so I'm willing to do what is necessary to build this as a long-term behavior.

 Shrink the Deadline
When I craft out my list of actions that need to be done for the week, I rarely assign deadlines.  Next thing I know, the week has flown by and many of the tasks remain untouched.  I just assumed that I had an infinite amount of time to complete which only fueled my inaction.  That's one of the worst mistakes in productivity because the more time we allow ourselves to complete a project, the more we procrastinate.

 In school, I was a master of completing work last minute and still getting a decent grade.  Now that hard deadlines don't exist, I just take my precious time.  A while back, I did this experiment where I assigned very short, immediate deadlines to my tasks.  Instead of saying that I have until Thursday to do such and such, I'd give myself a timeline of an hour or less to complete it. This generates a bunch of energy and excitement about accomplishing the task as quickly as possible.  Even if it wasn't complete within the time limit, I'd at least get a chunk of it done in a timely manner. What I realized from conducting that experiment is that setting ultra-short deadlines really lessens the amount of resistance that's typically associated with completing tasks.  There isn't enough time to get bogged down with negative thoughts.  The longer I put something off, the harder it is to start.

 Layering In Rewards
On TV shows when the kid would ask their mom for dessert, she would respond "not before you eat your vegetables."  Lately, I've been that kid who's eating dessert for dinner.  Anytime I'm doing something that's unrelated to the objectives on my list, I'm misallocating my time.  An alternate approach is to do what needs to be done first and saving extracurricular activities for later as a reward.  This way I can fully enjoy any time that I spend doing non-work related activities can be true enjoyment.  Otherwise, it becomes an act of escapism.  When I first launched my business, I came across an online guru suggested that we set rewards for each sales milestone reached.

This technique was so motivating for me that I decided to apply it to my to-do list.  Next to every action on the list, I'd write a mini-reward.  The reward didn't have to be anything major, just something to commemorate the fact that I was accomplishing my goals. So, for example, I'd burn a scented candle as a reward for completing task 1.  If I complete a certain number of tasks for the day, I'd treat myself to a pedicure and so on.  This technique really helped me to burn through my to-do list. It also worked to refine my motivations. Instead of being motivated solely to avoid consequences, I longed for the next reward.

Cultivating the Art of the Instant Manifestation
Conquering your list of priorities isn't just a productivity task, it's also a means of exercising our manifestation muscle.  Manifestation comes in many forms.  Most people only talk about attracting our desired outcomes.  Another powerful manifestation method is to establish a desire and work to quickly bring it into existence.  If we do this multiple times a day, on a daily basis, we greatly increase our belief in what we're able to accomplish.  Belief is a powerful tool in the manifestation process.  If we can't accomplish simple tasks on our to-do list, how are we going to manifest greater outcomes?

Lastly, I need to spend more time focusing on the rewards that exists on the other side of that to do list.  Ultimately that list comprises of steps I need to take to get to my ultimate goals.  Why would I want to slow that down?  Every day of procrastination is one extra day that I have to wait for my vision to become real.  That's not something that I want to put off for another day. 

from BELLEMOCHA.com https://ift.tt/2KndWmX

Fake Flawlessly Dewy Skin with this Simple Trick

Every summer, I make it a priority to do whatever it takes to produce the healthiest looking skin possible.  Unfortunately, the last few months have been a little hectic and I've slipped a little with my established skin habits. So my skin isn't as healthy and dewy looking as I would like.

Summer waits for no one. We still have to attend events, meet friends at outdoor cafes, go on dinner dates, etc.  We need to employ a quick and easy technique that transforms the skin almost instantly.

...and I think I have just the trick.
Best of all, it doesn't require taking on any additional expenses or trips to Sephora.  You may have heard of this technique before but perhaps you might have forgotten it exists.  Heck, even I forgot about this gamechanger until recently.

As soon as I was reminded of this glowing skin tip, I rushed to test it out.  All that was required of me were two products.

• My favorite foundation
• A light oil

Within seconds, I completely transformed my foundation into something spectacular.  I have a bunch of foundations that I'm committed to.  In my humble opinion, a superior foundation has the ability to  

1. Cover flawlessly
2. Improve the look of the skin.

Most foundations are designed to provide even coverage.  But how many actually make the skin look healthier?  A lot of the formulas on the market aren't about that life.  It's like...the moment you apply it, your skin kinda stops looking like skin.  

But something magical happens when you combine a drop of oil with your favorite foundation. Suddenly, you add a new dimension to your plain, boring foundation.  The moment it applies, your skin appears healthier, more dewy.  As a person who suffers from oily skin in the summer, I was hesitant.  But, I'm happy to report that this method didn't make my skin appear more oily than normal.  I've seen people apply oil directly to the skin prior to applying foundation. But that may be too much for people with oily skin.  This oil+ foundation blending method is probably more appropriate.  I also made sure to use a non-greasy oil that my skin absolutely loves (squalane).   Even though I was tempted, I made sure to be light-handed and only use one drop.  A little goes a long way. 

For those of you who are on team #nomakeupmakeup, you will adore this technique. 

from BELLEMOCHA.com https://ift.tt/2Ioklcq

FOTD // The Sheer Red Lip

I'm very proud to proclaim that I over half a dozen various variations of red lipstick in my collection.  It took forever to find the shades that most complimented my skin but now I'm good.  Since my skin has improved, I love to rock the unexpected red lip with a toned down makeup look.

For summer, I want to adapt the red lip into something that's a bit more wearable on the daily basis.  Summer is all about effortless beauty.  That's why I'm such a huge fan of the sheer red lip.
Years ago, I received a makeup gift bag that had a bright red lip gloss.  It remained unopened for a while because the shade of red didn't look like it would suit me.  One day, I decided to finally test the lipgloss before chucking it in the trash.  Much to my surprise, the gloss actually pretty sheer leaving behind a hint of red on my lips.  What I love most about the sheer red lip is that so wearable.  I'm still wearing a red lip but it's a bit more casual and subtle.  Instead of wearing heavy, opaque lipstick, it's like I'm enhancing the natural lip color.  Like blush, but for your lips.

If you don't have a sheer red lipgloss on hand, this look can easily be recreated by using a red creamy lip liner (like NARS Cruella) paired with your favorite gloss.  I prefer Glossier's Balm Dot Com because it perfectly nourishes and hydrates without adding too much shine. Or, you can reach for Fenty's Gloss Bomb to take the shine levels up a notch.  Nude lips are cool and all but it's been done a thousand times.  Let's try something new this summer.  There are a plethora of tutorials on YouTube that feature the traditional red or nude lip on women of color.  The sheer red lip is a combination of the best of both worlds.  It's like a nude lip, but better.

The tutorial below, she creates the quintessential summer nude lip.  It's sheer, fresh and flawless.  You can use her technique but with reddish (or pinkish) hues to create the perfect glossy lip.

from BELLEMOCHA.com https://ift.tt/2tf5VXs

Skip Your Morning Motivation Routine & Do This Instead

When I first began my personal development journey, one mantra that I kept hearing about over and over was mastering the morning routine.  I've even written about morning rituals a few times on in the past.  Although you can customize a morning routine, most gurus suggest that we include a combination of gratitude, exercise, prayer/meditation and focusing on your daily goals.

I used to execute a rock solid morning routine.  And doing so made such a difference in the direction of my day (and life).  But over time, I wasn't as diligent about enforcing the morning ritual.  And, once you allow the morning ritual to slip through your fingers, a sense of guilt starts to set in. To combat this, I've developed an alternative that may be just as beneficial.

The role of a morning routine is to essentially set yourself up to enjoy an amazing day.  It helps us set our energy and intention so we aren't living our days on autopilot.  I used to execute a daily morning routine without fail.  I'm a morning person so getting up early to read, meditate and connect with my goals was a breeze.  But then I decided to use those precious morning hours to actually work on my goals, not just journal about them.  Before I knew it, the morning routine had fallen by the wayside.

Instead of reinstalling this morning ritual, I decided that I needed to find an alternative.  Little did I know that the solution was to revamp my evening routine.  The hours before I head to bed was severely underutilized.  Basically, all I do at night is spend a few hours surfing the web or catching up on missed episodes.  Other than that, I don't really do anything substantial. What if I created an evening routine that could change the course of my life?

What would it look like?

Unlike mornings when time is limited, our evenings allow for a bit more time to explore different activities that can end your day powerfully and set you up for a better tomorrow.  Here are some options that I'm considering adding to my nightly routine.

• Journaling a recap of all the good things that happened today.  This can include a recap of lessons learned, small manifestations, and things that I'm grateful for.
• A review of my activities and if they aligned with my goals.  A question I can ask myself on a daily basis is to identify which actions brought me closer to reaching my desired outcomes.
• Planning for the day ahead. I find it easier and much more effective to execute an already determined plan.  When I wake up the following morning, I can jump immediately into action. 
• Evening wind down activities like yoga stretches, enjoying a cup of tea, or drinking water before bed.
• Visualizing my ideal day.  I tried this experiment once of visually planning my next day in my head and found that this helped me to have a more productive day than when I just went to sleep.  
• An enhanced beauty routine. Sometimes I don't have time in the morning to do the extra stuff like facial massages, use my LED, microcurrent or masking before bed.  Evenings are the perfect time for a pamper session. 
• Once upon a time, I used to invest fifteen to twenty minutes each night cleaning the house before bed. Sometimes I'd spruce up my office as my last task of the day.  The next morning, I'd enter the room having forgotten what I did the night before. It was a nice little surprise to wake up to. It also motivated me to get a bunch of stuff done at the start of the day. 
• Another activity that I currently do now is to fill my mind with motivational material right before bed.  Sometimes I listen to YouTube videos on manifesting or meditation as I drift off to sleep.  
• I can execute an ultra-intense beauty session before bed complete with a sauna session, full body exfoliation and slathering my body with nourishing oils.  This doesn't have to happen every night of the week, but it helps create baby soft skin that lasts several days.  
• A 15-20 minute light workout session at home.  
• Maybe a little reading before bed to help my brain disconnect from all of the challenges of the day.

The possibilities for the evening routine are endless.  I'm only limited by my imagination. This doesn't mean that you have to give your morning routine, but some folks don't have much time in the mornings. Perhaps you want to use that precious time to knock out a few critical items on your to-do lists or spend time with the family before they head out for the day.

I probably won't do everything on the list every single night.  But I do have some options available if I want to bring a powerful close to my day.  Basically, what I want to avoid is ending my day by going to bed without doing anything to make sure that my day is absolutely phenomenal.

from BELLEMOCHA.com https://ift.tt/2lkhl82

Embody What You Desire to Attract at a Higher Level.

Every so often, I like to go for a long walk in nature while doing some reflection on my life.  From time to time, I receive a burst of inspiration on what I can do to impact my future.  Since I've recently entered a new decade, I wanted create a theme for the next 10 or so years.  Ultimately, I decided that my current focus for the years to come would be to manifest like crazy.

I've known about the law of attraction for quite some time and I've had plenty of opportunities to practice it.  Now is the time to really expand my ability and level of manifestation.  So far this year, I've come to realize how much impact my level of vibration has on my ability to attract.  I still set a daily intention of trying to feel good as much as possible and it has served me well.

This weekend I decided to take things to the next level by embodying what I wish to attract.

Here's what I mean by that.....

For the most part, I've been working on feeling good from the inside.  The inner work is where I think everyone should focus on if they wish to alter their current situation.  Basically, I do whatever it takes to generate a feeling of elation & happiness.  Sometimes all I have to do is listen to my favorite playlist.  Other times, I rattle off a list of everything that is going right while expressing deep gratitude.  Another technique I use is to reflect on past desires that I've been able to manifest or future goals that I hope to reach.  Whatever I need to do to alter my mood, I do it.

So far, that method has been working well for me....and I'll continue to implement it.  But now I want to explore the idea of embodying what I wish to attract.

em·bod·y

əmˈbädē/

1. 1.

   be an expression of or give a tangible or visible form to (an idea, quality, or feeling).

   
   

   "a team that embodies competitive spirit and skill"

   
   

   synonyms:

   personify, realize, manifest, symbolize, represent, express, concretize, incarnate, epitomize, stand for, typify, exemplify

If I look at my physical self, there's a gap between what I desire to be and where I currently am.  If I were to narrow or close that gap, it would have an IMMENSE effect on raising my level of vibration.

If I were to physically embody what I desire, I would feel absolutely amazing.  The better we feel, the more we attract.  I'd like to play around with the concept of embodiment as another of my wacky experiments.  To start things off, I asked myself, "what are some physical traits that I desire?"  I used my Pinterest activity for inspiration and identified the following traits.

• A fit, toned, strong body
• Gorgeous, healthy hair
• Simple classic style
• Glowing, flawless skin
• A woman with confidence who enjoys amazing life experiences.

There's more but I'll keep the list short for now.  Although I dabble in every one of those qualities listed, I wouldn't say that I embody any of them.  Currently, a gap exists that I wish to narrow. The motivation for me to narrow the gap is knowing that doing so will raise my vibration by leaps and bounds.  Combining the embodiment method with my current feel-good routine should really have a positive impact on my ability to attract desired outcomes.  

Near the start of every week, I like to draw a rough plan of the week ahead.  One thing that I'm doing this week (and each week forward) is inserting activities that bring me a step closer towards embodying the qualities that I'm attracted to.  For example, if I visit the gym a few times this week, followed by a couple sauna sessions, I'll be more in alignment with what I want to be.  I hold a belief that if you're drawn to something, that your heart secretly desires it.  Once upon a time, I came across a girl who seemed to embody some of the qualities that I admire.  After seeing her a couple of times, I decided that admiring her qualities weren't enough, I wanted to take on some of those qualities myself.  Once I did, things started to fall into place and I manifested several intentions on my vision board.  

Sometimes, we only focus on manifesting physical things that are outside of our control but completely ignore the areas that we can directly affect.  

I was slightly surprised to see manifest as a synonym for embody.  I take this to mean that if we take on the personal qualities that we desire, we are engaging in the act of manifestation.  This will instantly raise our vibration allowing us to manifest even more.  It's a theory that I've put to the test before that produced wonderful results.  I'm ready to try this again and see what other outcomes are possible.  

from BELLEMOCHA.com https://ift.tt/2JTYETk

Here's How I'm Transforming My Lemon Water into the Ultimate Beauty Tonic

During the winter time, I make sure to drink multiple cups of tea a day.  When summer rolls around, I like to transition to lemon water.  Not only is it totally refreshing, there are a multitude of health benefits associated with drinking lemon infused water.

This year, I asked myself "is there anything I can add to my lemon water to make even more nutritious?"  It wasn't long before a bunch of ideas started running through my mind.  He's what I've come up with so far.


Mineral Drops
The first lemon water booster that came to mind was the addition of trace mineral drops.  For those who aren't familiar, you can purchase essential minerals in liquid form. Just add a drop or two to your water and suddenly you're raised the nutritional level of your beverage.  Best of all, it doesn't alter the taste of your drink at all.  Some of the wonderful benefits you can experience from consuming adequate minerals is improved bone and joint health. Minerals also help our bodies to assimilate other vitamins we consume.  Most people don't talk about it but trace minerals are also essential for healthy hair, skin and nails.  Prior to purchasing trace minerals on Amazon, I checked out some of the reviews and several of the happy customers spoke of improvement of hair health thanks to the addition of absorbable minerals.

Chlorophyll
A few years ago I stumbled an amazing summer tonic in the form of liquid chlorophyll.  These forest green drops have the power to detoxify internally in a major way. During the warmer months, I like to aid my body in it's detoxing process.  After learning that chlorophyll drops had the power to reduce/eliminate body odor from the inside out, I decided to drink some every day during the summer.  I've since run out and replaced the bottle because I love the stuff!  Chlorophyll helps improve my digestion while it oxygenates my blood from the inside. This summer, I'm experimenting with adequate chlorophyll intake combined with using skin acids on the underarms to help manage odor.  The other day, I added a few drops to my lemon water to enhance the detoxing and alkalizing qualities.  This is going to be my new thing going forward as part of a daily detox initiative.

Cucumbers
Lemon water and cucumber are a perfect combination.  Not only does it taste yummy but adding organic cucumber also raises the nutrition level of your water.  They contain vitamin A, C, K, beta-carotene, sulfur, and B6.  They also contain a flavonoid called fisetin which has been shown to help improve brain function.  Adding cucumbers to your lemon water only enhances the diuretic effect making it a great tonic that fights against bloat.  If drinking plain lemon water isn't your thing, try adding cucumber to increase your desire to drink it.  A couple of years ago, I frequented a place that offered free lemon cucumber water.  I consumed so much of it because I absolutely loved the taste.  It wasn't long that I experienced some added benefits of my daily habit like weight loss.  Also, my husband noticed that I had a mild citrus scent after working out.  To me, that's a much better benefit than just drinking plain water.

Collagen
If I really want to amp up the beauty benefits of my lemon water, I need to lace it with collagen. Hydrolyzed collagen is tasteless, odorless and dissolves easily in water.  Best of all, collagen pairs wonderfully with the vitamin C content in both the lemons and the cucumber to help our bodies synthesize its own collagen formation.  Imagine drinking a tasty lemon water drink that also has the ability to keep your skin firm and plump. Let's not forget that collagen is also necessary for thick hair and strong nails.  By adding this beauty powder to your lemon water, you're taking everything to the next level.

Liposomal C
This year, I want to experiment with adding liposomal vitamin C to my lemon water just to really push the boundaries of how to create the ultimate beauty tonic.  As you might recall, liposomal C is the ultra-powerful, ultra absorbable version of your typical vitamin C vitamin.  Some people marvel at its ability to give you glowing skin from the inside out.  I've read countless testimonies on how adequate vitamin C intake can really transform the glow factor of your skin.  Since writing my original post on the vitamin C and skin connection, I happened to be on an Instagram live video where a beauty influencer was asked about her skin tips.  Quickly she mentioned one product that say claimed was the sole reason for her glow.  After looking it up, I realized that her holy grail contained a high vitamin C content.  That explained why she noticed such a huge difference.  Typically, most of us are thinking about vitamin C during the winter months to stave off colds.  I'm here to remind you that it's a perfect summer glow vitamin as well.

from BELLEMOCHA.com https://ift.tt/2LMnkh5

The Sweet Potato Hair Mask – For Strength, Moisture And Shedding

Its almost November and that means, turkey, candied yams, giving thanks and a weird out of the box hair conditioner recipe. One of the coolest hair masks that really captures the season involves sweet potatoes, honey and yogurt. Sweet potatoes are known for containing Omega 3, fatty acids and vitamins A, C, K and E, […]

The post The Sweet Potato Hair Mask – For Strength, Moisture And Shedding appeared first on Black Hair Information.

from Black Hair Information https://ift.tt/2t7NtiA

Persistence Is Better Than Perfection In Your Hair Regimen

Everyone's heard the story that Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times when trying to create a working light bulb before finally succeeding. When asked about it, Edison allegedly said, 'I did not fail 10,000 times. I have successfully discovered 10,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb'. Now that figure changes from 10,000 to 5000 or even 1000 depending […]

The post Persistence Is Better Than Perfection In Your Hair Regimen appeared first on Black Hair Information.

from Black Hair Information https://ift.tt/2y52DuN

Fabulous Natural Hair Dolls – Time To Recapture Your Childhood!

I grew up playing with standard caucasian dolls. From baby dolls in prams to Barbies in princess dresses. I remember the hours of fun my sisters and I spent brushing our dolls’ hair, having them fight over Ken and wishing that mum would finally agree to buy us our dream dolls house (she never did). […]

The post Fabulous Natural Hair Dolls – Time To Recapture Your Childhood! appeared first on Black Hair Information.

from Black Hair Information https://ift.tt/2HGSvIj

Is Nappy The New N Word? Response . . .

I call this a response because the idea was originally presented by the lovely ECP on her blog Longing4length. I’ve had racism on the brain the last few days with the former England football captain being found guilty of racism so I thought this argument was worthy of further debate. ECP was talking about rapper Rasheeda’s use of the word […]

The post Is Nappy The New N Word? Response . . . appeared first on Black Hair Information.

from Black Hair Information https://ift.tt/2JDGODM

Monday Mood.

I love Mondays. 

This wasn't always the case.  Once upon a time, Mondays were the bane of my existence.  Fridays & Saturdays were always so amazing but by Sunday afternoon, a feeling of dread started to creep in.  I remember staying up late on Sunday nights in over to avoid the inevitable.  Eventually, the amount of anxiety that invaded my body on Sundays became unbearable. So I decided to implement a plan of action to turn the entire situation around.

Mondays used to symbolize the start of another highly stressful week.  It meant another 7 days of responding to other people's requests and demands.  That was probably the root cause of my anxiety.  Essentially, I focused on the demands and stresses of the week.  Repeating this process over and over again is detrimental and it will eventually take a toll. 

Nowadays, I take on a completely different approach to Mondays and it's life-changing. 

Like I said before, the bulk of the stress that I experienced came from the fact that my time would be dedicated to fulfilling the demands of others.  In order to bring balance to the new week, I realized that it was critical that I was driving the direction of my week, not just participating in it. 

Now, for the most part, I'm in control of my week.  This is where my love of Mondays stems from.  But it all began when I made the decision to insert elements of my desired intentions into my week.  If you aren't happy with your current situation, you have the power to change it.  Even if it feels completely out of reach.  All it takes is a systematic, consistent approach to how you execute your week.

I worked an incredible amount of hours for my employer.  It seemed almost impossible to try to build an income generative business at the same time.  But I did it.  And, looking back, I credit the lack of discretionary time as one of my greatest assets.  If I held a traditional 9-5, I think I would have continued to inch my way towards freedom for many more years.  But, because time was scarce, I had to take a different approach.

I knew that I couldn't dedicate endless hours towards nurturing my business so I had to really focus on identifying 1-3 specific objectives that moved my business forward week after week.  That was all I needed.  Each week, I'd look at everything that needed to be done and then selected 1-3 tasks that I'd accomplish before next Monday arrived.  Even if I was only to accomplish a single item because of a hectic week, I was still excited because I was one step closer. 

Suddenly, Mondays weren't so dreadful.  Instead, they offered yet another opportunity to get at least one step closer to my desired reality. That's all it took to build momentum.  Eventually, all of these small efforts paid off and everything changed for the better. 

If you're battling a case of the Monday blues this morning, I invite you to determine if this feeling stems from being unsatisfied with your present situation. If so, please know that you have the ability to alter your current circumstance and Monday is the perfect opportunity to put a plan into motion. The situation won't change overnight, but that's ok.  As long as things are moving forward from week to week. That's what really matters. 

from BELLEMOCHA.com https://ift.tt/2HCtEFf

Whipped Shea Aloe Moisturizing Sealant Recipe

Although there is already a recipe for a shea butter sealant here, it was definitely due a face lift. Being the kitchen alchemist that I am, I wanted to find a lighter less greasy way to both lighten the shea butter and make it easier to apply while keeping the ingredients as natural as possible. When you first receive pure […]

The post Whipped Shea Aloe Moisturizing Sealant Recipe appeared first on Black Hair Information.

from Black Hair Information https://ift.tt/2sWFfd1

6 Fotki Hair Albums Natural And Relaxed Hair Inspiration!

Anyone remember Fotki albums and are people still using them these days? It seems that so many of us have decided to become either bloggers or vloggers, fotki has definitely started to look a bit dated of late. The major failing of Fotki as I see it is that there is no reasonable way of […]

The post 6 Fotki Hair Albums Natural And Relaxed Hair Inspiration! appeared first on Black Hair Information.

from Black Hair Information https://ift.tt/2Hz4UxK