What is Beauty?

7 YEARS!

I still can't believe it's officially been 7 years since I made the decision to no longer relax my hair. I say it often but in case there is any doubt...

I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now!!!

Click Here>>> See The Rest of My Journey (To Date)!

How about you? Are you still on the natural hair journey? If so, how is your journey going? If not, what changed your path? 

Recently I've seen numerous videos, blog posts, and personal accounts of women who have decided to go back to relaxers. Why? Was natural hair just a fad? More importantly, what does the overwhelming unwillingness to accept our natural hair say about our perception of beauty? As black people, why is it that we overwhelmingly pursue any and everything that is 'other' than what is natural to us? Are wigs and weaves an occasional convenience/novelty or are there deeper psychological issues at root (forgive the pun)?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic. Hear mine in this latest video. Be sure to stick around to the end. My super sweet niece is featured (the youngest of the two). She makes my point in a way words never could. Please be sure to subscribe, like, comment, and reshare. Your support is most appreciated!

Be well my friends!

Perm Rods on Natural Hair

Hello fellow Journeyers!

If you've followed my journey you know I'm what I call a 'lazy natural'. I don't like to spend a lot of time doing hair. 

This is precisely why I LOVE perm rods. Perm rods come in a variety of sizes making them perfect no matter how short or long your hair. Even better, these little gems are a great option for natural, loc'd, and relaxed hair! The curls can be pinned into an updo; pulled into a high pony-tail, or simply worn loose and lovely!!!

Check out my new video tutorial on the topic! In this video I show you how I use perm rods to achieve a super cute, super simple, super easy-to-maintain style.

You can find these inexpensive rods at your local beauty supply store. The rods are colored according to their size. The wider the  circumference of the rod, the bigger the curl. The smaller, the smaller/tighter the curl. Here's a great picture from Google Images that displays this point.

Source: Google Images

So you're all set. Try a perm rod style. Be sure to come back and drop a comment and picture showing how it works out for you.

Thanks everyone! 

If you haven't already, I'd be honored for you to subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please like and comment on the video. Reshare as well (post to FB, Twitter, Instagram, or embed on your blog). 

We're all here to help each other along the journey; be it hair, health, or life in general. 

Also, don't forget to stock up on your Quench Moisturizer by Journey to My Roots. Quench is a hand-made souffle of everything your hair needs for optimal health, strength, and growth. 

Until next time...

BE WELL MY FRIENDS!

AWAKE!

Source: Google Images

AWAKE proud King! AWAKE proud Queen! 

The time for sleeping has passed.

The sun has risen. The dawn of a new day has come. 

AWAKE!

Wakefulness casts out the shadows of the sleeping mind.

Truth has exhausted patience.

It demands this moment.

AWAKE!

Step into your rightful place hue-man!

Finite physicality must bear witness to infinite spirituality.

AWAKE!

See the consciously ascended master.

You’ll know them by their crown. 

Each kink, coil, and curl speaks a truth unheard by sound but seen by the third eye.   

They answer to I AM.

Source: Google Images

Unlike diamonds, silver, or gold; these crowns carry a value unfathomable to the mind indoctrinated to a temporal 3-D existence.

These crowns fly in the face of the universe. 

Defying gravity, these kinks, coils, and curls laughingly toss the laws of physics to the side.

Source: Google Images

Contrary to the weary body, lazy intent, or detained mind, these crowns perpetually reach upward paying homage to the Sun of God. 

Source: Google Images

Each strand is a divine antenna; transmitting and receiving sacred knowledge that the universe tunes to my personal frequency. 

My hair is a living testament. 

My hair challenges 'his-story'. It tells the true story of that from which I came. 

My hair helps create my environment. 

It releases pheromones- primordial potions- that draw and drive experiences into my reality.

More than cosmetic, my hair is cosmic.

My hair is divine. 

I am divine. 

I AM THAT I AM!

Big Chop or Transition?.....Deciding to Go Natural

CONGRATULATIONS! 
You've decided to go/return to natural! Now you have to make what may be one of the hardest decisions of the journey. 
Should I big chop or transition?
 Not familiar with either? No worries!

My friend O'Mareen was sweet (and brave) enough to allow me to do her big chop. I'm thrilled to share it with you. In this video I also share information on transitioning. Check it out!

It's been nearly two years since O'Mareen's big chop. 

Look at her now!

I'm so proud of her! Her progress has been amazing! 
(And yes, she's a Quench gal! Order your's today!)

Like O'Mareen, I transitioned a few months and then I did the big chop. 

Was it easy? HECK NO! You guys know that I keep it real. Going natural can be hard. In addition to (re)learning to style your own hair, you truly find the journey is about learning your hair and loving yourself!

It wasn't until I chopped all of my hair off that I realized how many lies I'd internalized regarding society's definition of beauty. 
Now I know better!

NO! My beauty is not determined by my hair. Hair is simply an ornament dressing up what is (or is not) beautiful and that is YOU- the person you are on the inside. Are you kind, considerate, compassionate, honest, generous, humble? If so, you are beautiful! But again, these are lessons you'll learn at your own time in your own way along your natural hair journey. 

I put together a video that explains the various stages I and many other naturals go through when deciding to go/return to natural hair. 

So big chop or transition, if you can do it, you're a survivor! 
Until next time my friends, namaste!!!!

Crochet Braiding 101

They're all the rave and now I understand why. Besides being super cute, crochet braids are super simple! I did a loved one's hair this past weekend and it was so easy, I decided to do my own hair as well! I've gotta admit, I'm pretty excited about the results.

What do you think?

All you need to crochet braid is a crochet needle and the hair of your choosing. 

Pick up a crochet needle at your local beauty supply store for ~$1

Next choose your hair!
While I chose a coiled more 'natural' texture, you can achieve whatever look you want. Simply pick the hair color(s), texture, and length that suits your fancy. I used the following:

Once you've picked your hair and purchased your crochet needle, you're all set. 
Learn the technique in this SUPER SIMPLE tutorial! It can't be any easier to learn than what you'll see in this tutorial. Hope you agree.

Try it! I'm sure you'll love it as well!

*** Please SUBSCRIBE, like, comment, and reshare. Tks!***

Be sure to share your feedback in the comments and be sure to head over to Facebook and join us in the conversation. While we talk hair, we talk so much more. Join us!

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Stretching Elastic Headbands #quicktip #naturalhair #relaxedhair

If you follow me, you know I like to keep it simple. Many of my hair styles involve elastic headbands. 

One of the questions I often get is:

Q: How are you able to wear those headbands without them being so tight? Mine leave me with terrible headaches!

Learn my tip to stretching elastic headbands in this tutorial video. 

Hope this helps! 'Til Next Time Journeyers!

The ABC's of Hair Speak

Sometimes it feels like a fad. Sometimes it feels like a club. For me it's just another life choice. No matter the reason you started the natural or healthy hair journey, you've likely run into a lot of terms that make you go, 'Hmmmmm?'

Do you know the difference between cowashing and nopooing? Do you know about ayurvedics? What does TWA stand for? What's the difference between a carrier and and essential oil? What is the neutral pH of hair? Don't know? Find out this and more in my latest video, The ABC's of Hair Speak!

Admission: The video is a bit long. HOWEVER, it's much quicker to watch this single ~45 minute video than it is to search countless blogs, videos, and Google to find and piece together information that may or may not be accurate. 

So all things considered, it's actually a time, sanity, and strand saver! 

At the end of the day, the mission of 'Journey to My Roots' is to give you the education/information needed to make your journey easier and more successful! Hopefully, this video proves my commitment to this goal! Please SUBSCRIBE, like, comment, and reshare. THANKS!

And please leave your comments below!

Til next time Journeyers! See you on Facebook! Be sure to join the Journey to My Roots Group! 

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Pinned Back Braidout....Another Simple Style!

If you've followed my journey long enough, you know I readily admit to being a lazy natural. While I always want to look nice, I never want to spend a ton of time doing it. That said, I've found that at every length, I've had a go-to, two minute hair do. Right now it's the pinned back braidout!

* When I was still in the TWA (teenie weenie afro) stage, I found that the pony-puff was my best friend.
* When I grew a bit length, the banded updo became a savior to my strands.

While nowadays I'm into the pinned back braidout, I truly hope to help you no matter where you are in your journey!

I have video tutorials for each of the styles above. Just click the blue live links!

For my latest lazy girl style, the pinned back braidout, check out my NEWEST video style tutorial . It's super simple, super sassy, and great on natural or relaxed hair! I call that a WIN/WIN!

Also, please head over to Facebook and join us in the Journey to My Roots Group. Not only will you get all the hair advice/caveats/ laughs you want, you'll get much more. And why not? 
Life is about so much more than hair. 
God Bless My Friends!

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Scarf-a-palooza!

They say the first step to recovery is admission. 

So (GULP) here goes.....

My name is 'Journey' and I'm addicted to scarves. 

Why scarves? 

Why not? Much like jewelry, shoes, and handbags, a scarf can take an outfit from 'not' to 'hot' in the flick of the wrist. They dress an outfit up or down. They keep you warm. And while it sounds bad, we all have those antisocial moments when we just don't want to talk. Pulling a scarf just above your mouth is a passive aggressive way of saying 'please keep it moving'. 

If you travel on business, you have probably seen someone use a scarf to shield themselves from the unwanted invasion of talkative busy-bodies and germs. Not familiar? This image is a great guide:

Try it!

In addition to being stylish, scarves are simply fun! One of my FAVORITE videos is a YouTube tutorial that shows you 25 different ways to wear a scarf in 4.5 minutes! Check it out!

Getting started!

Nowadays you can find scarves everywhere from Target to specialty arts and crafts shops such as Michael's, AC Moore, and JoAnn Fabrics to online boutiques across Etsy. One of my favorite places to purchase scarves is White House Black Market 

I have scarves for every occasion- warm weather, cold weather, or simply because!

Most recently, I'm in LOVE with the scarf my friend and his new bride or 'Pellam' brought me from Andrha Pradesh, India!

Fancy, huh?

Want to step your scarf game up? Add a broach or try wearing your scarf as a headwrap or waist piece! 

So there, I've admitted my 'problem'. 

Funny thing...after writing up all the pros of scarves, I've decided I'm not an addict at all. I'm an aficionado! 

The real pros!

While I like my 'beginner' level attempts to use my scarf as a headwrap, I have nothing on the real pros. Check out these beauties from the lucy44 blogsite! With any luck, I'll graduate to this level of the game any day now!

Source: https://lucy44blog.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/ghka.png

Your turn to share..

Are you a scarf aficionado? Share in the comments section below or head over to Facebook and share your pictures! Be sure to join the Journey2MyRoots group while you're there. 

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Til next time, be blessed my friends! 

Natural Hair Options for Covering Gray Hair

Regal, Distinguished, and Elegant!

Those are just a few words that comes to mind when I see women proudly rocking their naturally graying tresses. 

Since the days of Clark Gable, gray hair suggests a certain gravitas among men. The same is not said of women. When women go gray, society starts apologizing to her and explaining that she's entering a new 'season' in life. HUH????

Well call it 'season of life' or plain ole sassiness; whether 100% natural or helped along with color, these women prove that black is beautiful and gray can slay!

Source: Google Images

Gray hair runs in my family. It typically starts in our crown but by early 20s' genetics of gray hair strikes us all. However unlike the we women, when I see my gray hair, the words that come to mind are much less possible. Rather than regal, distinguished and elegant, my gray hair is wiry, untamed, and unattractive in my eyes.

Perhaps its' the fact that it grows in single strands/small patches here and there that I can't find it attractive. Heck, I'd love to have a single area/patch that grew and could be styled as the natural beauty in the picture below.

Source: Google Images

But such is not the case. Over the years, I've been able to manage my gray hairs with simply hair dyeing. While my own hair is a natural dark chestnut, I LOVE the reddish lift I get through dying. 

See me dye my hair using my ole reliable, L'Oreal Feria in this video tutorial. I've been using it for more years than I want to admit. 

While I thank God for the years, I'm tired of fighting these gray strands in my crown. Having lost my last bit of patience, I tried something new. 

I saw a product called Kiss, brush in gray color touch up in the beauty supply store recently. Since nothing else is working, I figured why not give it a whirl. 

See the results and learn the science of hair; specifically gray hair in this video tutorial. 

Please like, comment, and 

SUBSCRIBE, SUBSCRIBE, SUBSCRIBE!

Have you tried Kiss? Have you tried another brand? Leave  your comments in the comment section. I look forward to hearing your experiences.

Until we meet again. May God bless you and keep you my friends!

JounreytomyRoots