SparkleArts Welcomes JJ

It's with great glee and pleasure to announce that my sister JJ has joined the SparkleArts team. 

Together we hope to expand SparkleArts and its clientele. 

In the mean time here is a sample of some of her work.

Thanks dad for modeling :D

Hair Regimen

Many of you have seen my post on Facebook on the people I stalk. As much as I love these women and children, what I have come to learn is that my hair is my own. Yes... I would like it to have defined curls, shoulder length hair, and have my hair behave all the time, but it is the hair that I was born and blessed with. So please take this into consideration as you read my regimen and those of others out there. What works for my hair may not necessarily work for yours. Take your time in learning about your hair, what works, and what doesn't work.

My regimen changes depending on what is going on in my schedule and also on the weather. 

Things I do not change:
1. Use pH balanced products (my hair loves pH of 5.0)
2. Use organic products (see why in Natural/Organic Fever post)
3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize

Summer/Spring

• Every day - moisturize by spritzing water and sealing with oil mix
• Every week or every 2 weeks - wash, deep condition, use kimmaytube's leave in conditioner recipe (see below)
• Monthly - henna (see how to below)
• Styles - bantu knots, twist/braid out, wash & go (most of the time)

Fall/Winter

• Every day - moisturize by spritzing water & aloe vera juice mix and sealing with oil mix
• Every week or every 2 weeks - wash, deep condition, use kimmaytube's leave in conditioner recipe 
• Monthly - henna
• Styles - protective styles (twists, plaits, braids, flat twists)

Kimmaytube's leave in conditioner
2 TB Aloe Vera Juice
2 TB your favorite leave-in conditioner
2 TSP Jojoba Oil
2 TSP Castor Oil

Henna

• I mix Jamila henna powder with conditioner, honey, and green tea.
• Using gloves, I place the henna into sections of hair and massage it into the section to make sure each strand is coated.
• Pile all the hair on top of my head then cover with plastic cap or bag for at least 4 hours. Most of the time I sleep with it on.
• In the shower, I rinse most of it out with water then use a cheap shampoo to wash out whatever is left. The conditioner that is already in the henna mix makes this rinsing process easy.
• Deep condition (very important) for at least an hour
• Use kimmaytube's leave in conditioner and style.

Labor of Love

As I was perusing Curly Nikki, I came across her NBC segment on MHP on how society views natural curly hair and how we curly head hair owners often perpetuate negative views of curly natural hair. The stigmas of natural hair being ugly, nappy, annoying, something to get rid of, inconvenient are planted in our heads at a very young age. Think about it. Do you have fond memories of your hair getting styled, braided, hot combed, relaxed?

During the moments I imagine and dream what my children will look like, I pray and hope my husband (another dream) and I will be good parents. I pray that our children will grow up being self-confident, believe they are beautifully and wonderfully made, and are strong enough to combat the harshness society deals at times. I would love them to believe they are the best in the world and that our love is unconditional. I would love my children to grow up loving their hair and body the way God made and intended them to be. I would love them to embrace the uniqueness and versatility their hair will bring and that caring for it is a labor of love.


Here is a homage to my future children and other parents out there who promote labor of love.


Clink on the links below for inspiring stories

Daddy's Little Girl/Mirror On America

GirlsLoveYourCurls

Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care

Beads Braids and Beyond

Natural/Organic Fever

 Source

Parabens! BPA! Cancer! Estrogen! Sulfates! Cetearyl alcohol! Infertility! Phthalates!! OH MY!!!!!

Natural Hair Dyes - Henna and Indigo

Can I just say that I am so jealous of Shelli of Hairscapades length of hair!!!! Gorgeous!!! Anyway enough of my green facial expressions. Here are her wonderful tips on dying natural hair using henna and indigo.

 

It’s finally here!! The highly anticipated (by, like, two people) tutorial for my two-step henna/indigo process!! LOL! I did a treatment this Sunday and photo-documented it for this post. I explained most of my process in my Henna and Me “interview.” So, a lot of this will be a repeat of that information. However, it’ll be bulleted and accompanied with pretty pictures and a little more detail . First though, here are a couple of notes about modifications I’ve made to my henna treatments due to my preferences and my hair’s needs: