Atlanta Natural Hair Events ~ Summer/Fall 2011

Atlanta is always a buzz with the BEST of Hair Shows & Natural Hair events and this Summer/Fall will be no different!!  Which one will you attend??

Bronner Bros Intl Hair Show 

August 20 - 23, 2011 

Georgia World Congress Center

http://www.bronnerbros.com/

Black August Weekend/Happily Natural Day 

August 26 - 28 2011 

Omenala Griot Museum

http://happilynaturalday.com/

World Natural Hair & Beauty Show 

 September 10 - 11, 2011 

Georgia Int'l Convention Center

http://www.naturalhair.org/

Fro Fashion Week 

September 17 - 25, 2011 

Hotel Melia

http://frofashionweek.com/

International Shea Butter Convention 

October 13 - 15

Georgia Int'l Convention Center

http://www.sheainstitute.com/

Money Saving Tips for Product Junkies

Hey all of you product junkies out there!!  Admitting that you have the problem is the 1st step.  right?  lol  Well welcome to the family we're here for you.  Whether you are trying organic OR non organic products it can get pricey trying to find what products work for you.  If you are like me and just love trying new things it can become even more of an expense... but it doesn't have to be.  One thing is for sure, if i try a product and I end up liking it, I WILL buy more!!  That being said...

Here are some tried & true tips to help you SAVE MONEY!! 

"Over The Counter" ~ These are products that you can get in any stores beauty section.  When I first went natural, Garnier Fructis & Infusium, Motions were my favs.  I don't use them anymore but I am just saying don't knock what you can get at Walmart or the grocery store. Some of those OTC products are great!  I have heard people swear by the Herbal Essence line.  Be careful though if you want to stick to organic products. Just because it looks and sounds organic, doesn't mean that it is.  (Read your ingredients)

Product Swaps ~ This is where you meet with fellow natural sistahs to swap products. generally the way it works is you get to swap product for product, so ex:  if you bring 8 items you leave with 8 items It is assumed that the persons swapping will only bring new or gently used items. if you have some kind of phobia this wont be for you :-)  But this is a GOOD way to mingle, try new things and also to see what else is out there and what others are using.  And its free!!

Mostly New & Some Gently used products obtained at a Product Swap

TJ Maxx ~ I really should include Ross & Marshall as well.  These stores often get shipments on several costly product lines.  I have gotten these product lines there:  GioVanni & EO. I heard that the Say Yes To.. line & some Carols Daughter has been seen there as well.  They are DEEPLY discounted! (1 Liter of Giovanni Deep Moisture Shampoo $12.99!!) They get different items every week, so what you find there will vary and they also wont have the exact same thing at a different store.  I love the hunt!

Buy in Bulk ~ Sometimes buying in larger quantities means paying less per oz.  Do the math.  You could end up saving lots of money this way. If you know you like it, buy the larger quantity.

Lola's Green Hair ~ I met this really cool chick via Twitter (@LolasGreenHair)  she has a very cool website by the same name.  Here you can post & sell your new & gently used items and you can also BUY new or gently used items.  The membership is my favorite price... FREE! The product prices are awesome!  Check it out for yourself!

Hair Shows ~ If you are fortunate enough to live in an area where there are Hair Shows do yourself a favor and check it out.  There are always LOTS of vendors selling some of your favorite products for the low low.  For instance I got a $20+ jar of Jane Carter Nourish & Shine for $5.00 at last years World Natural Hair Show ~ Atlanta.  There will also hopefully be  vendors from smaller & little known product lines to sell you GREAT products for a good price.  Word of warning, SOME hair shows are costly to get into.  If you are going in for product be aware of the cost and your bottomline.

Some of the items obtained from the World Natural Hair Show 2010

Some items obtained from the World Natural Hair Show 2011

"Meet Ups" ~ These are gatherings where people are merely meeting at various locations to talk Natural Hair.  Again, if you are in an area where these meetings occur, go to them.  There is most always a freebie or two involved.  Most of the time the freebies are sample size, but i have been to some where they gave full size! The double benefit of attending meet ups is that you are gonna be hanging out with like minded people, meeting new people and its just fun! aaand usually they're FREE!!

Start a blog or YT ~ When i started my channel & blog my intent was not to get free products, i didn't even know that was a possibility.  But as my memberships grow I am finding that more companies are willing to send us products to try.  So i wouldn't say this should be a reason to get into it cause its a lot of work.  but if you are already doing it... Its free products.

Please share how you save!!  Hope this helps

Thanks for Reading,
Peace :-)

Sistah SpotLight! ~ Tomoka's Twists

I have come into contact with so many interesting and wonderful people through Twitter.  Last year I met the lovely MiMi, of Tomoka's Twists (@TomokasTwists).  Tomoka's Twists has the most wonderful hair accessories and more!  If you check their website you will find earrings, bracelets, ties, twists, bows, clips etc.  What I love most about what I find is that each item is unique.  Yes, I am that Natural Hair Chick that adores some big hoops, earthy wooden bangles and earrings.  I love beads, stones & shells.  I also enjoy quality.  Its a must.  I was happy and excited to find that all of my needs could be met at Tomoka's Twists.  I recently ordered a lovely Twist and pair of earrings that I just adore already. 

This set is called "DNatural".  It consists of a beautiful Twist made with wooden beads and a gorgeous pair of large hoops to match.

Tomoka's Twists are made of flexible wire with protective outer casing.  These unique hair accessories are made to last...

I love the size of these earrings, they are stylish, sturdy and well made.  I think they absolutely make a statement about who I am.  Strong. Beautiful. Bold.

"Tomoka's Twists was established for the desires of the growing number of women embracing their natural hair to creatively and functionally to adorn their crowns. Tomoka's Twists are flexible, comfortable, and unique. Uncoil a Tomoka's Twists and let the creativity begin."

http://www.tomokastwists.com/ 

I ran into MiMi while attending the North Carolina Natural Hair expo last summer.  Check Out the vid for a demonstration on how to use the Twist!! (Dont forget to disable to Music Player below, by clicking on the Pause button)You can also go straight to her demonstration w/o watching the whole vid by clicking here 5:59

                                 

Thanks for reading!!
Peace :-)

12 Days of Natural Hair!

I took a popular Holiday song and changed the words around a little!!...to the tune of 12 Days of Christmas!!

Sing it with me!!

On the 1st day of my journey my true love gave to me

a big bottle of Jo-jo-ba Oil!

On the 2nd day of my journey my true love gave to me

2 Afro Picks & a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

On the 3rd day of my journey my true love gave to me

3 satin bonnets, 2 Afro Picks & a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

On the 4th day of my journey my true love gave to me

4 Rat Tail Combs, 3 satin bonnets, 2 Afro Picks & a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

On the 5th day of my journey my true love gave to me

5 lbs of Raw Shea Butter!! 4 Rat Tail Combs, 3 satin bonnets, 2 Afro Picks & a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

On the 6th day of my journey my true love gave to me

6 Ouchless head bands, 5 lbs of Raw Shea Butter!! 4 Rat Tail Combs, 3 satin bonnets, 2 Afro Picks & a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

On the 7th day of my journey my true love gave to me

7 Natural Hair Shows, 6 Ouchless head bands, 5 lbs of Raw Shea Butter!! 4 Rat Tail Combs, 3 satin bonnets, 2 Afro Picks & a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

On the 8th day of my journey my true love gave to me

8 different conditioners, 7 Natural Hair Shows, 6 Ouchless head bands, 5 lbs of Raw Shea Butter!! 4 Rat Tail Combs, 3 satin bonnets, 2 Afro Picks & a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

On the 9th day of my journey my true love gave to me

9 Protective Styles, 8 different conditioners, 7 Natural Hair Shows, 6 Ouchless head bands, 5 lbs of Raw Shea Butter!! 4 Rat Tail Combs, 3 satin bonnets, 2 Afro Picks & a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

On the 10th day of my journey my true love gave to me

10 Bantu Knots, 9 Protective Styles, 8 different conditioners, 7 Natural Hair Shows, 6 Ouchless head bands, 5 lbs of Raw Shea Butter!! 4 Rat Tail Combs, 3 satin bonnets, 2 Afro Picks & a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

On the 11th day of my journey my true love gave to me

11 YouTube Videos, 10 Bantu Knots, 9 Protective Styles, 8 different conditioners, 7 Natural Hair Shows, 6 Ouchless head bands, 5 lbs of Raw Shea Butter!! 4 Rat Tail Combs, 3 satin bonnets, 2 Afro Picks & a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

On the 12th day of my journey my true love gave to me...

12 com-pli-ments

11 YouTube Videos

10 Bantu Knots

9 Protective Styles

8 different conditioners

7 Natural Hair Shows

6 Ouchless head bands

5lbs of Raw Shea Butter!!

4 Rat Tail Combs

3 satin bonnets

2 Afro Picks

& a big bottle of Jojoba Oil!

Wishing you & yours a Safe, Blessed & Prosperous Holiday Season!!!

The Bronner Bros 2010 Mid Winter International Hair & Beauty Show - Atlanta

I had a GREAT time at this event!! This is the 1st hairshow that I have ever attended and I couldnt have picked a better place to lose my hairshow virginity than the The Bronner Bros 2010 Mid Winter International Hair & Beauty Show. It was very crowded so it's good that everything was super organized. This show runs from February 20th - February 23rd. If you are into hair and in ATL this weekend you might want to check it out. I chose the $40 1 day Exhibit Hall Pass. (There are many other pricing options available, including 3 day VIP passes. See the website for details http://bit.ly/dfigm4 ) The Exhibit Hall Pass gives you access to over 300 displays of the best (or worst) that Black Hair Care has to offer. Being a Natural Chick, a lot of it did not pertain to me, but it was still fun to look & listen. I loved the many mini productions that took place from aisle to aisle. The lights, the action, the drama... it was good fun.

Even though this show did not cater to Naturals, I was able to bump into a few well known Natural Hair Product Vendors such as:

Wendy & Kim, the creators of Mixed Chicks. These 2 Chicks were super cool. It was a pleasure to meet them. It was even more cool that Kim knew who I was when I got there! (These girls really do watch our YouTube videos regarding their products!) It blew me away that she was just as excited to meet me as I was to meet her!

I spent some time @ The Taliah Waajid booth, and got a fantastic deal on some 32 oz bulk size products that I use already and some that I have yet to try. These sizes were being sold 2 for $30. I have been a fan of the TW Products for awhile, so this made me very happy and I stocked up. I got 2 of the 32 oz Herbal Condish, 1 - 32 oz Protective Mist Bodifier and 1 - 32 oz Total Body Shampoo. I have never tried the Protective Mist Bodifier before so looking forward to that. I also learned about TW's New Kinky, Wavy, Natural Kids line. (info regarding this line coming soon to Our Natural Kids - join today so you wont miss it! http://ournaturalkids.ning.com/ ) The folks running this booth were very informative and gave so many compliments regarding my natural hair, that i wanted to stay with them and never leave. Check out my review of TW Products http://bit.ly/6bEzKG

I got the deal of the century @ The Jane Carter Solution Booth. I have been wanting to try these products for awhile, so being able to get the full size 8 oz bottles for $5 bucks a piece motivates me :-) Stay tuned to my YouTube Channel for a review ( http://bit.ly/5NZLg1 ) Here is what I got:

4 oz Nourish & Shine
8 oz Revitalizing Leave In Condish
8 oz Hydrating Invigorating Shampoo - (SLS FREE) **New
8 oz Nutrient Replenishing Conditioner

I really liked the fact that Clairol used this beautiful Natural haired model during the exhibition for their Beautiful Collection.

Unfortunately I could not find any White Shea butter, every vendor that I saw only had the yellow kind.

These really cool earrings caught my eye... Thank you Earring Lady http://www.myspace.com/robynsearrings

It was a great way to spend a few hours, and I'd say it was worth it. Shouts out to my hubby for going with me and carrying all of my stuff :-) If you went tell me what you thought of it.

Can't wait to attend the Natural Hair Show in April 2010!!

Thanks for reading!!

Peace,
The SistahChick