The Beauty Thesis : african american women

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So, my cameras are en route as I went away and left them. I miss writing here, it seems to alleviate the need to speak to a physical person. I decided to create my photo for this post.

Whilst visiting my friend in California, we got into the natural v. fake topic. She's been relaxed, her sister natural. Fortunately for her, she's not obsessed with beauty, fashion, makeup all of my downfalls. She posed a question and I never realized some people don't know the difference between "transitioning" and "stretching."

Transitioning, simply put, is the process one takes before their "big chop" which begins the journey to going natural. The term natural should be used with caution as there are few who agree on what defines natural (i.e. colouring, products, protective styles) so let's stick with the topic at hand.
Most people transition to avoid the shock of shaving all their hair off. By allowing the hair to grow awhile, it's easier to accept the tiny Afro, than the shaved head. To be honest, any drastic change is an initial shock, and I think there is a period after of mourning, fear, anxiety and regret. For others, they are so happy to have healthy hair, it feels liberating.

Stretching is the process of extending a relaxer for a prolonged period of time with the intent to decrease overlapping between touch ups. By "stretching" the time between relaxers it also allows the length of the hair to be a bit more pronounced. If you wait five months between relaxer touch ups, versus 4-6 weeks, the difference is impressive.

The downfall to the two is that the line of demarcation will literally make or break the results. The line of demarcation is the point where the hair's natural texture and the chemically treated area meet. Because of the difference in texture, the hair can easily snap and break. During the process of transitioning or stretching, many opt to wear their hair in protective styles. It's also important to ensure hair is not manipulated without plenty of patience, care and gentleness. The hair is very, VERY vulnerable so make sure if you are washing and conditioning you allow plenty of time to complete your regimen. I also recommend researching hair forums, books, and any information pertaining to your hair's texture. What works for some, will not work for others. Make sure the hair has PLENTY of slip. That coating will alleviate tangling and prevent that dreaded "snap" breaking the hair.

xoxo

Transitioning v. Stretching

by The Beauty Thesis on 4:44 PM

So, my cameras are en route as I went away and left them. I miss writing here, it seems to alleviate the need to speak to a physical person...

I have been in lust with the 12 color flash palette from MUFE's line of products. I love all of their products; but, we are in a recession and I'm working on focusing on what I have. It's a struggle everyday, but I am not a professional blogger so my goal is not to sell products since I buy everything I have and this is not my living. I'm also trying to reduce the amount of products I have which are near hoarding amounts. So, when I found this little number for $6.00 at Urban Outfitters, I was happy and curious. I've read that the MUFE one doesn't dry and creases a lot so it's best to not expect it to remain in place for long periods. So, the price was brilliant, I've just swatched the colors and they are not as emollient. That can be good or bad, but for my use, that's a plus. This is going to be a base, not primer for colors which I wish to make pop with my less than stellar eyeshadows which lack pigmentation. There is a bright yellow, fuschia/berry, white, robin egg blue, gold, granny smith green, silver, blue, coral and black. Great diversity for mixing and creating different colors. In addition, it dries to a powder. It's not as smooth as the MUFE but it's probably due to the lack of mineral oil. I can't give it a complete review in terms of endurance since it's been an hour; however, you cannot go wrong by trying since it's a fraction of the cost of the other and wears a lot longer. If I don't post I'll forget since I'm prone to being scattered in terms of product reviews. Not that I don't care, but my swatches look like graffiti compared to some of the blogs
I enjoy!

xoxo

Make Up For Ever Flash Palette Dupe?

by The Beauty Thesis on 1:22 PM

I have been in lust with the 12 color flash palette from MUFE's line of products. I love all of their products; but, we are in a rece...

Cheap? Maybe. Frugal? Abso*bl**dy*lutely! have a habit of not just tossing out bottles of hair products. If a conditioner doesn't suit my own hair, if it won't work for my dog (certain chemicals not compatible) then I will donate, swap, or use it on a weave, wig, whatever fake nest I choose to rock. So this morning when I was slamming the bottle to get the last bits out, I decided to use my brain. I took a pearing knife, and sliced the bottle in half and surprise! No more banging, but enough product for two more uses. Believe me when I say, I bang the bottles hard, in fact, I used to be so bad, I would add water and shake to ensure I got every penny out. It's terrible that packaging for most cosmetics is so that we can't squeeze it out like toothpaste, but as you can see at the left, tons of product is still in tact even though I had shook what I could get out. I can usually stick my finger and swirl it out, but this works better. I suggest you use a knife you don't mind getting dull in time. You can get one at the dollar stores or even a thrift store may have some nicer ones which won't go dull. Good luck!

xoxo

Before You Toss It!

by The Beauty Thesis on 9:55 PM

Cheap? Maybe. Frugal? Abso*bl**dy*lutely! have a habit of not just tossing out bottles of hair products. If a conditioner doesn't sui...

Gah! It was so freaking cold but how does one track their progress without a picture? Ugh! I guess my hair is ... waist length almost??? When it's dry it's to the lower part of the small of my back. My hair is 4c, and it doesn't accept relaxers well. I'd declare my hair as texlaxed because it's chemically altered but not straight. For example, if I went to the hair dresser, she would not declare my hair relaxed because it isn't "bone" straight, but it's not natural. *Note* This is not about the relaxed v. natural stuff that's going on in the black hair community. Do and where your hair, but don't let it be who or what identifies you! So, my goal for myself is to take care of my mind, body, and soul by eating better, getting some form of exercise, reducing stress, cutting back on sweets, adding more fun into my life and keeping a journal of my hair, weight, skin and overall well being. Time to let of of toxic people, places and things. If you would like to join me, I'm a great motivator and I've never had long hair in my life, my mother didn't know how to care for it, and neither did I. If I'm honest, sometimes, I want to shave my head. So, how did I grow it? It wasn't easy, and protective styles will save you a lot of pain, frustration and get you through the tough times.
xoxo

Long Healthy Relaxed Hair Challenge 2010!

by The Beauty Thesis on 12:09 AM

Gah! It was so freaking cold but how does one track their progress without a picture? Ugh! I guess my hair is ... waist length almost???...

Well...Revlon and most drug stores are really stepping up their game in order to remain competitive against high end cosmetics. I must admit Revlon has been quite impressive. I like that Colorstay kicked MAC's Studio Fix Fluid butt, but (no pun intended) now it's gone after Make Up Forever's HD. Unfortunately it doesn't quite make the full cut. The only reason is, Revlon doesn't offer the same level of color schemes for most women. Revlon display's its available in nine shades - 002 Vanilla, 003 Shell, 004 Nude, 005 Natural Beige, 006 Medium Beige, 007 Cool Beige, 008 Golden Beige, 009 Rich Ginger, and 010 Cappucino. I wish they had caramel, but since it really isn't schedule for launch until March 2010, I can't fault Revlon. I purchased it at CVS for $13.99 and it was buy one get one free so that's about $7.00 and change. I had to mix Rich Ginger and Cappucino to get caramel (top/middle). It has a pump which I love, and goes on sheer but is buildable. Some have reported a sheen, however, I didn't find that to be the case with me. I haven't worn it enough to compare it to Color Stay and I love Color Stay a lot. It didn't make my pores look huge, nor was it oily. I have concern over the SPF in that this is sold as "Photo Ready" and the SPF is what gives the gray cast. I'll take more pics tomorrow. Here are the ingredients:

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: titanium dioxide 1.1%, zinc oxide 2.0%

INGREDIENTS: water, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, cyclohexasiloxane, butylene glycol, boron nitride, cetyl peg/ppg-10/1 dimethicone, phenyl trimethicone, sodium chloride, nylon-12, hdi trimethylol hexyllactone crosspolymer, calcium aluminum borosilicate, alumina, trimethylsiloxysilicate, glycerin, bis-peg/ppg-14/14 dimethicone, isodecyl neopentanoate, dimethicone/bis-isobutyl ppg-20 crosspolymer, trisiloxane, methicone, triethoxycaprylylsilane, tribe henn, methyl methacrylate crosspolymer, cycloheptasiloxane, silica, sorbitan sesquioleate, tetrasodium edta, phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, 1,2-hexanediola MAY CONTAIN Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Zinc Oxide (CI 77947) 21897 (Date: December 2009)