3 Fun Hairstyles For Transitioning Hair

In July of this year I made the decision to stop relaxing my hair so it can grow back into its natural texture.  My main reason for doing this is because I enjoy the way my hair feels and looks more when it is natural compared to it being relaxed.  When my hair is natural, it is thicker and healthier.  Relaxers tend to make my hair look thinner and shorter after several years of usage.  I am also gradually incorporating healthier beauty products into my life, so I figured this would be another awesome decision.

Working with transitioning hair can be difficult and frustrating because you have to style two different textures.  I didn’t want to do the “big chop,” so I know I have to come up with creative hairstyles that will blend both my natural and relaxed hair.  Going natural has become really popular within the past few years amongst women of color.  I hope sharing some of my favorite hairstyles will help someone else going through a natural hair journey.

#1 The Twisted Faux Hawk

This hair style is a combination of kinky twists and cornrows.  My hair was cornrowed on the sides to the middle of my head and twisted with synthetic hair at the ends.  A few bobby pins were added to the front to keep the hair in place.  This hairstyle lasts about three weeks before it starts to look frizzy.

#2 The Flat Twist Updo

This style is similar to the twisted faux hawk.  The main difference is that I have flat twists all around my head. The flat twists meet at the crown of my head and synthetic hair is added to create kinky twists.  Bobby pins are used to create a bun at the top.  When I had this style it lasted about two and a half weeks.

#3 Little Curls

To achieve this look, you will need to use perm rods.  You will need different sizes depending on the length of your hair.  After adding the rods to your wet hair, you will have to sit underneath the dryer until it is completely dry.  I really enjoy this hairstyle, but the downfall for me is that it only lasts about one week before becoming uncontrollably frizzy.  I like to use the Curls™ Passion Fruit Curl Control Paste to help separate and moisturize the curls throughout the week.

I am still new with my natural hair journey, so I am just picking out styles that I enjoy as I go.   Are you in the process of growing out a relaxer?  If so, what other transitional hairstyles do you like?

My Natural Skincare Regimen

In my last post I mentioned how I wanted to start using organic skincare products. After a lot of trial and error, I think I finally found a brand that I really like! Most importantly, I can tell that the products are slowly improving the appearance of my skin.

My skin has changed drastically over the years. During my pre-teen and teenage years, my skin was pretty normal. Every now and then it would get oily or may have a random pimple, but it was nothing too serious. My skin remained this way all the way through college.

Then, my skin changed  at the age of 23. I started to get acne on my cheeks. At first, I thought I was having an allergic reaction to a new make-up brand I was using. But I realized the breakouts were becoming more intense. This led me to spend a lot of money on various products, medicines and dermatology appointments that never solved the issue.  Then I assumed that it was due to stress, but the acne is still visible three years later.

Recently, I have become interested in learning and buying products that have natural and organic ingredients. I was thrilled when I got the chance to try OSEA Malibu after writing a review for Examiner.com. This brand has a lot of environmentally friendly traits such as being paraben free, using glass instead of plastic bottles and no animal testing.

The products feel light and absorbs easily into my skin. Also, they have a nice refreshing smell without the extra fragrances which I appreciate. I have only been using OSEA for one month and here are my before and after pictures:

My skin before I started my natural skincare regimen.

My skin after one month of using my skincare regimen.

The right side of my face before the regimen.

My skin after one month of using the regimen.

Me before…

Me afterwards…

I think there is a slight difference in the texture of my skin. The acne appears to be less inflamed as it was before. Next month I will start using something to lighten up the dark marks. And I am going to try my best to drink more water. So far, I am pleased with my skincare regimen which includes:

• OSEA Malibu Ocean Cleaning Mudd
• OSEA Sea Minerals
• OSEA Essential Corrective Complex
• OSEA Eye Gel Serum
• OSEA Atmosphere Protection Cream

Once a week I treat my skin to the OSEA Red Algae Mask which has been great with the reducing the size of pimples. I am excited with how the OSEA Malibu brand has been working so far. I will definitely have another update with pictures in a few weeks!

Do you have a natural skincare regimen? If so, what products do you use?

Natural Skincare…What is really “real?”

Over the past year, I’ve noticed beauty companies are plastering the words “natural” “organic” and “made with real ingredients” all over the packaging of their products. As for me, I never really cared about the ingredients of my beauty products until I had a random conversation with a lady at Target. The lady was looking at beauty products and mentioned how she only used paraben-free products because she is a cancer survivor.

When I got home, I decided to look up and learn more about parabens. Parabens are preservatives beauty companies use to extend the shelf life of their products. A recent study linked parabens to breast cancer, but it has not been determined if it causes it. Since then, cosmetics companies have exploded with various new products that are supposed to be more natural and healthier for the growing number of health conscious customers.

These are a few of the organic beauty products that I have used in the past….

I will admit, I am a new health conscious customer even though the paraben study is still up in the air. According to the FDA, parabens are safe to use even though they do not approve the ingredients cosmetic companies use.  This made me realize that I didn’t have a clue to what other potentially harmful chemicals maybe inside of my beauty products. And since I am a self-proclaimed beauty junkie (I’ve been using at least 10 different beauty and skincare products everyday since high-school), it is important to be more aware about the ingredients that I expose myself to.

So this month, I have decided to start a new, natural and healthy skincare routine. I am still researching what brand of products I want to use; however, I want the products to have as few unnatural ingredients as possible and to be environmental friendly. Stay tuned to find out about my new beauty regimen!

What natural and organic skincare and beauty products do you enjoy?

My Favorite Consignment and Thrift Shops

My love for resale, thrift and vintage started last year during a random shopping trip at a Goodwill in North Carolina. I was with my sister who showed me how you can take vintage pieces and mix them with modern clothing to make a unique outfit. I ended up buying a few silk blouses, an evening bag and a high-waisted skirt for under $30. Once I returned home, I made it a mission to find and visit  random thrift and consignment shops to look for more hidden treasures.

As any seasoned thrift shopper knows, your experience can be a hit or miss depending on the place you go. Out of all of the places I have been in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, these secondhand shops are the ones that I always have the best luck at:

#1 The Arc Thrift Store (Prince George’s County): (11000 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705)

Clutch, Blazer & Belt (Vintage); Blue jeans and Camisole from The Arc of Prince George’s County

The Arc of Prince George’s County is my favorite thrift store in Maryland so far! Whenever I go here, I never leave empty handed. I have bought all kinds of fashionable pieces from here such as handbags, vintage jewelry, casual clothing and work outfits.  On Thursdays, a random item is on sale for 50% off.  And this is the only thrift shop that I know of which has a $1 rack. Also, I love the fact that this organization provides employment for people with disabilities.

#2 Current Boutique (Logan Circle Location): (1849 14th Street, Washington, DC, 20029)

Sheer Blouse, Silk Summer Dress, Nine West sandals from Current Boutique

This is the place to go to if you want to resale that trendy outfit you only wanted to be seen in it once! This consignment shop is great because you can sell your clothes to make money as well as buy designer clothing for one-third of the original price. They also have a great selection of designer handbags and shoes.

#3 Laurel Thirft Store Center: (9880 Washington Boulevard,  N Laurel, MD 20723)

This thrift store is the perfect definition as to why you should not judge a book by it’s cover. I used to pass this thrift store all of the time and thought it wouldn’t have much of a selection because the outside looks really outdated. It can be easily overlooked since it is located by itself in an area that does not have much traffic. However, I have made a lot of purchases from here. This is the place I go to when I am searching for accessories or staple work pieces like blazers or slacks. Also, they have a large selection of used home goods.

Vintage Blazer, Wool Skirt, Leather Skirt and Belt from Laurel Thrift Store Center

I have visited plenty of other secondhand shops, but these are my personal favorites based on prices and the variety in their selection. I am definitely looking few new places to go to soon.

Where are your favorite thrift and consignment shops?

CapFABB teams up with Rent the Runway

Yesterday I went to the “Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness Fashion Party” hosted by CapFABB and Rent the Runway in Washington, DC. It was a blast to see so many DC fashion insiders in trendy outfits and vibrant colors!

The party was held at American Ice Co. It was my first time coming to this bar which has an outdoor patio with several picnic tables. And they serve their drinks in these little jars which I thought was unique.

My buddies Kamaliah and Demario joined me yesterday and they had the coolest accessories. One thing about me is that I LOVE accessories! They can take any outfit to the next level if you get the right ones!

I met Blogger Jamie of Forever 81 and she had on a lovely necklace as well:

Also I met the nice ladies of Snob Swap which is an online consignment shop. How cool is that!

Let me know if you were at the meetup last night! I can’t wait until the next one so I can meet more DC Fashionistas!

Fringed Out

One summer trend I am loving right now are fringed t-shirts! I first noticed them while browsing through Forever 21 earlier last month. When I got home, I decided to take an old plain t-shirt of mine and spice it up with some fringe!

This is an easy project to do and a great way to re-use old t-shirts. Follow the steps below to make your own summer fringed shirt:

1) Lay the shirt out onto a flat surface

2) Grab a ruler and determine how high you want your fringe cut to be

3) Make a dot  and use a ruler to draw a straight line across the front of the shirt

4) On the line make dots straight across that are approximately 1/2 inch apart

5) Use fabric scissors to cut off the seam at the bottom of the shirt

6) Start at the bottom of the shirt and cut up to each dot on the line and continue until you reach the end

7) Enjoy your new shirt!

If you try this let me know how your shirts turn out!

Orange Crush

Yesterday while grocery shopping, I strolled through the beauty section and came across a few new lipsticks by Wet N’ Wild cosmetics. Earlier this year they released new colors for their Mega Last Lip Color collection. The color that I picked out was “970 Purty Persimmon.” This color has red undertones plus I lined it with a cherry-red lip pencil which made it more prominent. This was the sixth lip color that I purchase from this collection. I really like the Mega Last Lip Colors because they are bold and long lasting. To top it off they are really affordable. (I paid $2.99 for my new lipstick!) One time a MAC makeup artist thought I was wearing one of  their colors, but it was Mega Last! I suggest using a primer before applying these lipsticks to prevent dryness.

A New Horizon

After a year of hesitating and delaying, I am finally sharing my vision of SunRae to the world! I wanted to create a lifestyle blog for the longest time, but kept stopping in between the drafting stages because it was not perfect.  Then I started to think to myself, what would happen if this opportunity passes? I feel that everyone should share their talents when they have the chance because tomorrow is never promised.  You will never know how your art could change the lives of others.

After talking to a dear friend of mine, I learned that sometimes you just have to let go of all of your inhibitions and just go for it. Sometimes it’s better to deal with the consequences later instead of wasting so much time trying to make everything perfect. So today I decided to just share my art with the world.

SunRae will be about  fashion,  new life experiences, beauty and music that inspires me. So on that note, I present to you: SunRae!