Love 'Em or Leave 'Em: Top Trends for 2013

Okay, we are well in to 2014 and after reading this article over at Naturally Curly, I'd figured I'd share with you all the top natural hair trends in 2013. Although I like to stay away from trends and fads just because I like doing my own thing, but some of these trends are just so beautiful that I had to share. Now of course the following list doesn't include everything, so feel free to comment any trends that you think were missed or ones that you think need to be amplified. Shall we begin?

 Top Knot Bun

The perfect lazy hair day, my twistout isn't working style. This could be achieved with your own tresses or extensions. I know I attempted a few top knot buns over the past year. Here are a few images I've found via the interwebs, all photos are taken from Google.









Hair Chalk

Quite an interesting trend. For those ladies who are looking to add a little color to their strands and have commitment issues like myself, then hair chalking is perfect for you. This is one trend I will definitely be attempting during summer of 2014. Interested in more information about hair chalk...check out this article. http://hollistics.com/2013/05/01/hair-chalk-on-natural-hair/






Shaved Sides

Now this is one trend that I hope gets left in 2013. It seems like everyone and their grandma, yes their grandma was shaving their sides. At first it was an intriguing trend, that caught my eye. But after the one millionth girl did it two weeks later, I was over it. I will say this, I was throwing around the possibility of an undercut just because I wanted to do something different with my hurr, but that quickly faded. Who am I to judge though? To each its own I guess.






Ombre Hair

So I'm not sure if ombre was in during 2012 and just rolled over in to 2013 or if it began in 2013. I can't really remember. However, this also needs left in 2013 well more so the technique needs to be perfected. I'm over seeing 1B hurr clashing with a poorly dyed blonde half. LADIES!! Please do your research, if you can not do it then reach out to a stylist. But again, I'm not GOD and shall not judge other ladies hair choices.






Havana/Marley/Yarn Twists

Probably one of my favorite from 2013, TWISTS. I absolutely love twists. They are just so easy to manage and great for length retention. I've executed all of the listed twist styles and even am a fan of two strand twists and mini twist on my own hurr. I'm gearing up to install some Havana twists in the next few weeks, be sure to look out for that post.









What were some of your favorites from 2013? What didn't you enjoy?
Peace and Love <3

Clean Eating & Green Smoothies

Hello all,

So I'm back on my clean eating journey and I must say boy have I missed it. I'm back to eating 4 or 5 small meals a day and drinking 3 liters of water. Tonight's dinner consisted of shell less taco salad.
I replaced ground beef with ground turkey, opted for no shell and lastly swapped out sour cream with greek yogurt. I also included sauteed green pepper, onions and salsa.


By the way excuse the sloppiness of the bowl lmao. But this was amazing, I have to thank my mother for this lovely recipe.

Secondly, I've become slightly obsessed with green smoothies.I'm tempted to do a favorite green smoothie of the month page just so I can share some of my favorites with you all. But tonight I made a Vanilla Mango Spinach green smoothie.

Can I just say that this is delicious? It is so light and refreshing. I also even got my son and my grandparents to drink some and they are hooked. If you're interested in this recipe it can be found Here

My lunch is packed and my gym bag is ready for tomorrow.
Have a great evening everyone and to my east coast folks, stay warm.
Peace and Love <3
Erricka

Sweater Weather Tag

Hey all!
So the following tag comes from one of my favorite blogger/vloggers Ambrosia. She challenged all her readers/viewers to complete this tag so here are my answers.

Q U E S T I O N S
 1. Favorite candle scent?  Red Velvet Cupcake

 2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Pumpkin Chai Tea
3. What's the best fall memory you have? My best fall memory to date is my son going to Kindergarten this past fall. It was a huge accomplishment and I did not shed one single tear.
 4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner? Definitely Dark Lips


 5. Best fragrance for fall?Banana Republic Rosewood One of my favorite scents from my job. I absolutely love this scent


 6. Favorite Thanksgiving food? Definitely YAMS. 
 7. What is autumn weather like where you live? I'm from Pittsburgh, the City of Champions and autumn weather here is a joke lol. It is very bipolar. One minute its a warm 65 degree day then the next its 30 degrees and rainy. It's very hard to plan for, I'm not sure how the weather man gets paid because it is hard to predict weather here.

8. Most worn sweater? A tribal sweater from Forever21
9. Must-have nail polish this fall? I love mauve colors and deep reds/burgundy's in the fall.
Normani
 10. Football games or jumping in leaf piles? Definitely football (Go Steelers!)
 11. Skinny jeans or leggings? Leggings ---> these are my favorite leggings at the moment.



 12. Combat boots or Uggs? Uggs.
 13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype? Yes of course.

 14. Favorite fall TV show? Currently The Blacklist, Scandal and Sleepy Hollow.
15. What song really gets you into the fall spirit?  Hmm I don't have one, if I think of one I will come back to update.

So I challenge you all to complete this tag! It was fun.
Peace and love <3

PSC: Jumbo Braids

Alright so I've had this style for about a week so and I absolutely love it. It was a style derived from this photo:



I had stumbled upon this photo on one of my many Instagram sprees after taking out my faux locs, I was really feeling short braids at that moment and decided to share this photo with my stylist. Now normally I do my own hair but I didn't want to mess these up so I hit up my stylist. She was reluctant at first but decided to do them anyway, because I'm stubborn lol.

We used about 10 bags of braiding hair and it took about 2.5 hours to complete. She also made them shoulder length because my own hair is longer than the style in the picture. Here is the final result:



Now that the braids have loosened up I'm free to do more styles and I love these. The only problem I face is that since we cut the braiding hair, odd little pieces stick out and when I cut them they are causing the braids to loosen up. I'm hoping to keep these until MLK Day or the 18th or 19th then I will either install some yarn braids or mini twists. I haven't fully decided just yet or I might even get some straight back braids lol. My mind is constantly racing so I normally decide the DAY OF.


Peace and Love <3

In Review: Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve

Time for another product review!

So lately, I've been on this natural product kick. I've only been using natural handmade body soaps for pretty much everything from my body to face and boy has it been great. I used to LOATHE soap, like just seeing it in the shower caused me to see RED.

I don't know if it is the product junkie in me but I had read countless reviews about Chagrin Valley soaps on CurlyNikki forums and was instantly intrigued. So last BF I had picked up a few of their body soaps, shampoo bars and face soaps and have been HOOKED ever since. Not only does this company offer decent prices, great customer and quick shipping times, they also have a variety of soaps and the owner is very knowledgeable and always willing to help you pick products that will work for you.

Below are a few of my favorites:

Shampoo Bars:

Olive and Babassu

A rich, mild, moisturizing organic shampoo! Olive oil promotes full-bodied hair and a healthy scalp. Emollient rich, deeply nourishing babassu, great for coarse, kinky hair, moisturizes and restores hair strength. Enriched with 25% virgin shea butter, to provide deep nourishment for the hair shaft, as it moisturizes and softens dry, dull, or damaged hair, resulting in improved luster, shine and manageability. 

Ingredients: Organic Olive Oil; Organic Babassu Oil; Water; Organic Virgin Shea Butter; Sodium Hydroxide*; Organic Castor Oil - See more at: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/details/for-the-hair/shampoo-bars/olive-babassu-shampoo-bar#sthash.rco41cg6.dpuf

Price: $2.70 for a 1 oz sample. $7.85 for a 5.6 oz bar

*HG STATUS* I absolutely love this poo bar. It truly does provide nourishment and I'm easily able to detangle my hair. Not to mention the price of this bar is beyond reasonable. I'm also eager to try the Babassu marshmallow bar, it will definitely be one of my next purchases.

Coconut Milk

A natural shampoo bar enriched with deep conditioning, moisturizing coconut milk that imparts silkiness, softness and shine to your hair. Used in India to soothe dry skin and scalps, coconut milk has anti-frizz properties that help with manageablilty. Woman in India often use coconut milk to prevent hair loss. 

Ingredients: Coconut Oil; Sunflower Oil; Sweet Almond Oil; Rice Bran Oil; Organic Coconut Milk; Water; Castor Oil; Sodium Hydroxide*; Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Canola Oil (Non-GMO) - See more at: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/details/for-the-hair/shampoo-bars/coconut-milk-shampoo#sthash.Teynaib1.dpuf

Price: $2.70 for a 1.5 oz bar. $7.85 for a 7 oz bar.

Another moisturizing favorite, not to mention this bar also doubles as a face bar. Provide great moisture and didn't leave my face feeling tight.

Butter Bar

A buttery lotion bar hair conditioner and natural shampoo combined into one super moisturizing bar. Cocoa, shea, and mango butters are protective emollients that penetrate deep to provide  nourishment for the hair shaft and protection against dryness and brittleness. A great natural shampoo for dry, processed and heat-treated hair. 

Ingredients: Coconut Oil; Unrefined Cocoa Butter; Virgin Shea Butter; Sunflower Oil; Babassu Oil; Water; Organic Coconut Milk; Mango Butter; Sodium Hydroxide*; Castor Oil; Rosemary Oil Extract (a natural antioxidant) - See more at: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/details/for-the-hair/shampoo-bars/butter-bar-conditioner-shampoo-bar#sthash.Epx6ga50.dpuf

Price: $2.70 for a 1.5 oz bar. $8.25 for a 7 oz bar. 

LOVE LOVE LOVE this bar for my face &amp; body, this is also is a very moisturizing bar for coarse textured hair.

Bars for the Face:

Bananas and Cream Natural Complexion Soap

A great natural complexion soap made with real bananas, heavy cream and dark brown sugar. Bananas are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and natural sugars. Alpha-hydroxy acids found naturally in fruit and milk soften and gently wash away dead skin cells while organic oat flour helps soothe sensitive skin. An excellent choice for smoothing and moisturizing dry skin. 

Ingredients: Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Sunflower Oil; Coconut Oil; Grapeseed Oil; Cocoa Butter; Water; Organic Cream; Sodium Hydroxide*; Olive Oil; Canola Oil (Non-GMO); Castor Oil; Organic Bananas; Organic Oat Flour; Organic Dark Brown Sugar; Organic Cornstarch; Rosemary Oil Extract  - See more at: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/details/for-the-face/complexion-soap-bars/bananas-and-cream-complexion-soap#sthash.gqgpsJb9.dpuf

Price: since this item is currently sold out on the website, I can't provide the current price for the sample and full bar.

*HG STATUS* well I haven't really created a face HG list but if I were to then this would definitely be listed. I have combination skin that only breaks out when my least favorite aunt visits me or if something touches my face. Not to mention my lovely skin is very sensitive and the B &amp; C doesn't bother it in the very least. I haven't thought about using this on my body or hair but I will be picking this one up again in my next haul.

Dead Sea Spa

Mineral rich Dead Sea Mud stimulates blood circulation, rejuvenates skin, and deep cleans to remove impurities. The fine, natural grain of the mud softly, yet effectively, sloughs off dead skin cells and leaves the skin looking fresh and radiant. Use our natural Dead Sea Spa soap to experience a mini-spa treatment for dull, tired skin, with every bath or shower. 

Ingredients: Coconut Oil; Sunflower Oil; Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Olive Oil; Water; Virgin Shea Butter; Dead Sea Mineral Mud; Sodium Hydroxide*; Canola Oil (Non-GMO); Castor Oil; Dead Sea Clay; Sea Kelp; Essential Oils of Lime, Litsea Cubeba, Lavender, Rosemary, Orange, Eucalyptus; Organic Cornstarch; Rosemary Oil Extract - See more at: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/details/for-the-face/complexion-soap-bars/dead-sea-spa-soap#sthash.2SxaA7iF.dpuf

Price: $2.70 for a 1.5 oz bar. $7.95 for a 7 oz bar.

*HG STATUS* yep another favorite. I'm thinking I will make a HG list for my face but in the mean time I LOVE this bar. Very moisturizing and doesn't leave my skin taunt.

Body Bars:

Winter Survival Soap

Oh, the Winter doldrums! Your head is stuffy and skin itchy from the dry heat and lack of fresh air. Enjoy the cooling, clearing, revitalizing scent of this super moisturizing natural soap enriched skin nourishing shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut milk and agave nectar. The natural antibacterial and antiviral properties of tea tree and rosemary essential oils are great for cold season. 

Ingredients: Olive and Sunflower Oils infused with Organic Botanicals (St. John’s Wort, Green Tea, Mullein, Thyme); Coconut Oil; Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Shea Butter; Organic Green Tea; Cocoa Butter; Organic Coconut Milk; Sodium Hydroxide*; Castor Oil; Canola Oil (Non-GMO); Organic Marsh Mallow Root; Essential Oils of Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Tea Tree; Organic Cornstarch; Rosemary Oil Extract (a natural antioxidant) - See more at: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/details/for-the-body/seasonal-soap/winter-itchy-skin-and-stuffiness/winter-survival-november#sthash.MVOPtmDw.dpuf

Price: $2.70 for a 1.5 oz bar. $8.25 for a 7 oz bar.

YES LORD. This bar is thee TRUTH. Not only does it smell great but it soothes my itchy winter skin. I absolutely love this bar and use it all throughout the year. A definite body staple.

Peppermint Twist Natural Soap

The super refreshing and minty aroma is perfect for those early mornings when you need an invigorating shower or as a great boost to your fatigued body after a long hard day. Enriched with unrefined cocoa butter to create a soothing, moisturizing and rich lathering natural soap. 

Ingredients:Sunflower Oil; Coconut Oil; Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Olive Oil; Water; Unrefined Cocoa Butter; Sodium Hydroxide*; Canola Oil (Non-GMO); Castor Oil; Essential Oils Of Peppermint, Rosemary, Lavender; Organic Peppermint Leaves; Moroccan Red Clay; Organic Tomato Paste; Organic Cornstarch; Rosemary Oil Extract (a natural antioxidant) - See more at: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/details/for-the-body/seasonal-soap/winter-itchy-skin-and-stuffiness/peppermint-twist-soap#sthash.dWJejaEU.dpuf

Price: $2.70 for a 1.5 oz bar. $7.85 for a 7 oz bar.

A new favorite of mine. The minty smell is wonderful and wakes me up on those cold Pittsburgh winter mornings. Not to mention this is very soothing and very moisturizing. 

Pumpkin Spice Soap

Our autumn seasonal favorite with the natural aroma of fresh baked pumpkin pie. Made with real pumpkin, used to soothe rough skin, and marbled with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, this naturally orange soap is loaded with beta-carotene, an antioxidant believed to be beneficial to skin. Natural pumpkin enzymes help exfoliate dead skin to brighten complexions. 

Ingredients: Sunflower Oil; Coconut Oil; Organic Sustainable Palm Oil; Olive Oil; Cocoa Butter; Water; Virgin Pumpkin Seed Oil; Sodium Hydroxide*; Canola (Non-Gmo); Organic Pumpkin; Organic Virgin Palm Oil; Castor Oil; Essential Oils of Nutmeg, Clove, Caraway, Cassia, Allspice, Ginger, Sweet Orange; Fair Trade Organic Cocoa; Organic Spices (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cloves); Turmeric; Organic Cornstarch; Rosemary Oil Extract (a natural antioxidant)

- See more at: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/products/details/for-the-body/seasonal-soap/seasonal-soaps/pumpkin-spice-october#sthash.E1Y95Onx.dpuf

Price: $2.70 for a 1.5 oz sample. The full bars are currently sold out but I'm pretty sure the price would be around 7-8 dollars.

The smell of this soap is divine. Yet another aroma based smell that has quickly became one of my favorites. 

Be sure to check out Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve for all of their other products including candles, natural deodorants and facial oils.

What are your favorite body soaps?

Peace and Love

Erricka

 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you all had a safe and exciting New Year, shoot I know I did.
I started my evening off volunteering with Dhani. It was FREEZING here in Pittsburgh. But we had a great time. I love that little guy.
I ended my night with friends at a house party. Had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed bringing in the New Year.







How was your New Year?
Peace and Love <3
Erricka