"No Reply Necessary"

It's been awhile since my last post. Life has been great but super busy. But I HAD to share this with you all today. Every M - F I have Joel Osteen's devotionals sent to my email, and I share them with people who have asked to be added to my daily list. Today, I really needed this one. I hope that it empowers you the way it has me :)

via Joel Osteen:
I’ve learned that you can’t waste your time engaging in conflicts that don’t matter. There will always be critics. There will always be naysayers, but we have to follow the example of Jesus. When He was falsely accused, He didn’t try to defend Himself. He gave no reply to the charges against Him.

Remember, the critics cannot keep you from your destiny. They don’t define who you are. They don’t determine your worth and value. You are a child of the Most High God. The Creator of the universe breathed life into you. As a believer in Jesus, you are crowned with favor. Turn away from accusing voices so you can focus on the destiny God has prepared for you! (Refer to Matthew 27:12–14, NIV)

Forgiveness

I read a quote about forgiveness online and it really resonated with me. People I thought I had forgiven for things that they had done to me... I really hadn't. And they were taking up space in my mind, making me angry, sad, resentful... among other things. This morning I realized what the unforgiveness was doing to me. And I prayed. And I'm officially and consciously working on it. I'm focusing on being the change I want to see and being a loving person, and praying for those who have hurt me.
Here is the quote:
"Funny how when you don't forgive someone who has wronged you, they seem to occupy your mind and your emotions the most. Until you forgive, you will be chained to their memory and experience. Forgive them by bringing love, kindness, and gentleness back to YOUR spirit and letting go of the anger, hate, and resentment. It's not always easy but with God all things are possible. Do it for you and for the return of love in your life." ~William White

If you struggle in this area, I hope this helped you today :)

Twisted Pin-Up

I was watching a video on YouTube from HealthyHairJourney (look her up, her hair is GORGEOUS), and she did a style where she pin-curled her mini-twists for a cute updo. Well... I don't feel like doing my hair this week so I took an hour and a half out of my schedule to make this happen. In turn, I won't be doing my hair again until the weekend. Lmao

I washed and conditioned my hair, then used my Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In. I twisted (while damp) with Bee Mine's Curly Butter and used coconut oil on my ends. After all my twists were in, I grabbed 2 twists at a time, pincurling every two and holding with bobby pins. I focused on keeping the pins more in my hair than close to the scalp for comfort. Here are pics. I just sleep with a satin bonnet and spray with my mix of water and tea tree oil the next day. When I take them out, I'll wear the twist out. Pics to follow.

My Nails This Week...

I purchased quite a few new nail colors over the weekend (didn't I say I was on "strike" from buying anymore? How soon I forget... but I got a good hook-up. Lol). I did my nails yesterday and this is the final look.

Nail colors used: OPI "Stranger Tides" from Pirates of the Caribbean line, and OPI "White Shatter" on my ring finger. On my index finger I just used a white nail polish I had lying around.

DMV Meetup with Glamswagger & CurlyNuGrowth

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending a Natural Hair Meetup in DC with none other than Glamswagger and CurlyNuGrowth! If you are on Twitter and have natural hair, chances are you follow them and know who these 2 lovely ladies are :) It's nice to meet people you talk to online, finally. And I met many other naturals, too!! We had a great time at Vapiano's (where the meet up was held) -- eating, laughing, sharing stories, trading haircare secrets and swapping products, and some people won some things, too!
Click the link for pics!

Back 2 MAC Program

Although I've known about MAC Cosmetics' "Back 2 MAC" program, I never have done it. I don't know why, maybe I just kept forgetting to get all my empty containers together. But for those who are unaware, MAC's Back 2 MAC allows you to give 6 (six) empty primary packaging containers (for recycling) to a MAC store/counter, and in turn you get a free lipstick color of your choice. By primary packaging they mean only the actual container that the product came in (like the lipglass tube, lipstick tube, the compact a powder was in, etc.) - That does not include things like the bubble wrap, the boxes, etc. (hey, some people need it spelled out. Lol) You can also send the empty packages in and they will ship the lipstick to you free of charge. Check out MAC's "Back 2 MAC" web link for more details :)

This week I'll be getting my free lipstick. I'll let you know what I chose!

My First Time (Curlformers) - Natural Hair

Last year when I first heard of Curlformers, I didn't see what all the hype was about. I often wondered what was the big deal. Then, I saw some vids of women who used them and thought their curls were pretty, but felt my hair wouldn't react that way. A few days ago I caught a vid on YouTube of NaturalChica (I'm sure many of you are familiar with her fabulous blog and YT channel) using Curlformers. Her hair turned out gorgeous. And although her hair is thicker than mine, the textures are similar so I decided to give it a try since I was so bored w/my hair as of late.
I purchased mine from Sally's Beauty Supply. You can also purchase them directly on Curlformer's website. First, let me tell you these are so fascinating and fun to use! (Small things excite me). I started on freshly washed and conditioned hair. Use your product of choice. To use Curlformers you will need: the Curlformers, of course; a spray bottle with your fave water/conditioner/oil or some type of leave-in spray; a setting lotion or foam (I used Motions); and a wide tooth comb. I also used a fine tooth comb after detangling to smooth my hair out more before putting the curlformers in.

Follow the directions on Curlformers website and you will get  great results. My results are after the jump.

Sephora by OPI

I painted my nails with a new color I got last week. Sephora by OPI in "Caught with My Khakis Down". Lovin' it.

MAC Lips :)

As much as I blog about hair, I love makeup 100xs more! I need to blog about it more often, I could literally talk about it ALL DAY and I do with friends who share the same love.
Anywho... today I am wearing MAC Matte lipstick in Please Me with Chestnut liner, and Plushglass in Ample Pink on top. Click link for pics...

Day Two: Braid-out

It's the 2nd day and my hair held up well. I re-braided it last night in larger braids (about 7-10). What I like is that my hair is bigger than yesterday but still has good definition. I didn't re-wet my hair last night when I braided it, nor did I use a comb. I just sat on the bed while watching TV and randomly grabbed sections, braided it, and put my bonnet on. This morning I didn't add anything to my hair (no spray/oil), it felt well-moisturized already. Results after the jump...