Author Archives: thenaturalistachronicles

My Top 3 Natural Oils For Natural Hair

Posted in Natural Hair Chronicles by

Natural oils are a great addition to your hair care regimen and are essential for softer, stronger, luxurious shiny hair.  There are so many awesome natural oils out there such as avocado oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, sweet almond oil…and the list goes on.

What is a “natural oil” or what makes an oil “natural”? Natural oils are derived from plants and trees, and can be used in their pure form.  Lots of natural oils are also unrefined. Manufacturers will use several different methods to extract natural oils from plants and trees, and an oil will be either refined or unrefined based on how the oil is extracted.  Oils that are unrefined are left in their virgin state, a lot more robust, and much richer in their nutrient content.  Many natural oils are edible and can be used for cooking, skin care and hair care.  So, what are my favorite natural oils?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil

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Holiday Season Style Files

Posted in Fashion & Style Chronicles by

‘Tis the season…for Christmas parties, New Year’s celebrations and inaugural events!  This is definitely one of my favorite times of the year – family, friends, holiday cheer, food, and my Daddy’s spiked egg nog!  It’s also that time of the year when you’ll find me digging in the back of my closet for that perfect dress for the upcoming holiday celebrations.  Check out my style files for the upcoming holiday events that I’ll be attending. My motto when it comes to fashion:  “CLASSY, SASSY, BUT NEVER TRASHY!”

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Multnomah Falls: A Hidden Treasure

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OREGON!? REALLY THOUGH!? Those were my exact thoughts when I found out I’d be traveling to Condon, Oregon (Where the hell is that?!) for a few of days for work. I’m an auditor, so my occupation entails a considerable amount of traveling.  I’ve traveled to some pretty cool places in and outside of the States, as well as some not so cool places.  Oregon most definitely wasn’t on my list of “Must Visit” locations, but, I must say, it’s a beautiful and scenic state that harbors its own uniqueness.

So, I had to cut my relax, recoup, revamp Sunday short to travel to one of the most rural  towns in the state of Oregon where there are no stop lights in sight, the closest Target or Wal-Mart is 80+ miles away, and the highlight of the town is the local residents’ excitement about the demolishing of an old barn-like structure in the center of town. :-/

After driving hours to several different rural towns my team made a quick stop to grab some lunch before heading back to the DMV.  We stumbled upon a very cozy tourist center and restaurant alongside a breathtaking waterfall.  Although it was raining and gloomy, it didn’t take away from the beautiful falls.  After lunch we ventured out to Multnomah Falls.  This place is BEAUTIFUL and very picturesque!  Although I wasn’t able to make the 7 mile hike to the top of the falls due to the weather, I was able to make it up to a bridge and capture some amazing photos that I just had to share. 🙂

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Cooking Chronicles: Savory Salmon Croquettes

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For all of my salmon lovers out there, here’s an amazing salmon croquettes recipe.  They’re sooooo damn good!  There’s really no other way to describe them.  I make these at least once a week.  Yep, they’re that good.  I’m not a fan of using canned or processed foods a lot, so I made a point to use fresh salmon, homemade breadcrumbs, fresh veggies and herbs.  This makes a big difference in the taste as well as the nutritional value.  I don’t play when it comes to my health and my figure! 🙂

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Product Review: Shea Moisture Organic Yucca & Baobob Line

Posted in Natural Hair Chronicles, Product Reviews by

Let’s talk hair products!  If you haven’t heard of or used Shea Moisture products you are missing out. Shea Moisture is one of my favorite product lines.  Not only are their products loaded with all natural ingredients, they are also reasonably priced. I tried the Thickening Shampoo (12 0z.), Volumizing Conditioner (12 oz.), Thickening Moisture Mist (8 oz.) and the Anti-Breakage Masque (12 oz.) from Shea Moisture’s Organic Yucca and Baobob line.  I purchased all products from Target for $9.99 per bottle.

Shea Moisture’s Organic Yucca & Baobob Line for Fine, Thin Hair

  • Baobab oil-Contains vitamins A,C,D,E and F to fortify and strengthen hair
  • Yucca-Thickens hair and helps to prevent hair loss
  • Biotin-A powerful B vitamin that strengthens the hair follicle
  • No parabens, phthalates, paraffin, gluten, propylene glycol, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance, animal testing, PABA, synthetic color, DEA, or animal ingredients

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Flat Twist-Out On Natural Hair

Posted in Natural Hair Chronicles by

Hola, Ladies!  So, I am not a big fan of twist-outs.  I LOVE them on other naturals but they just don’t seem to work out to well on my hair.  I always opt for my wash n’ go turned curly, kinky fro.  My co-worker rocked a gorgeous flat twist-out last week and suggested that I try one. If you aren’t familiar with twists, there are two different types of twists: two strand twists and flat twists.  Two strand twists are your simple individual twists.  Flat twists are similar to cornrows except they are done with two pieces of hair rather than three.  If you aren’t familiar with flat twists or how to do them, check out the link below. Blakizbeautyful is on of my favorite Youtube vloggers and this is one of many videos she has on flat twists.

http://youtu.be/gZb4khIij84

I’m still working on my flat twisting skills, but I am managed to flat twist my entire head.  I flat twisted on dry hair and applied a light mist of water (moisturizer), a little whipped shea butter (sealer) and Miss Jessie’s Curly Meringue (styler).  Well, I must say, I was very pleased with the results and I think I can get use to rocking this style more often!  I had great definition and I didn’t have to pick out or manipulate my hair too much because it just fell into place.  I’m loving the corkscrew curls!

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Cooking Chronicles: Scrumptious Stuffed Peppers

I GETS DOWN IN THE KITCHEN!  No, seriously – I do.  I come from a family of cooks and was always in the kitchen with Mom helping her whip up family dinners, Thanksgiving dinners, etc. Okay, honestly, she delegated tasks to my sisters and me since she was preparing lots of food for such a big family.  (I LOVE my Bailey Crew!) Helping hands were a must when it came to feeding our big family.  Cooking comes natural to me and it is something that I thoroughly enjoy and love.  Check out my recipe for quick, easy and scrumptious stuffed peppers that are extremely tasty, as well as healthy and easy on the waistline.  Ladies, we have to keep that figure in check! 🙂

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Tips To Achieve Healthy Hair

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We all want long healthy hair, right?  Well, before you consider length and reaching your goal of shoulder length, bra strap length or even waist length hair (yes…there are girls who’ve grown their hair down to their waists), you should first focus on the overall health of your hair.  My personal thoughts – it doesn’t matter how long your hair is; if it’s dry, brittle, thin and damaged it’s not healthy and it’s not cute!  (Just sayin’!!)  If you first focus on the health of your hair, the length and growth will come.  Here are several vital hair care tips that I learned and use faithfully to maintain my healthy hair.  I am not a licensed hair expert whatsoever; however, I am an expert at maintaining the health of and styling MY HAIR.  What has worked, and is currently working for me may not necessarily work for you.  I encourage all ladies and (and fellas…can’t forget about you :-)) to learn what works for your hair.

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