CRYSTAL'S CURLS

How I save money on the BEST hair and beauty products

2014-09-23T22:16:00.003-05:00

Hey Bellas,
My blog started as Crystal's Curls & Q's; a hodgepodge, if you will, of hair and coupons and how I combine both to have the best for less. I have changed the name of the blog, but my mission has not changed.

This post is all about how I just saved quite a bit on my recent purchase from skinstore.com and how you can save, too, when purchasing high dollar items at more expensive online shops.

As you can see below, I was trying to obtain some clarisonic brush heads in the 4 pack. Those are no longer available and I had to purchase (2) of the 2pack. The highlight of this picture, however, is the pink banner below showing that there is a 20% off coupon STOREWIDE!!!!

The green bar at the top of this pictures shows that if you shop online at skinstore.com using EBATES you earn a WHOPPING 12% back.

(This is a toolbar that I installed on my computer. Any website I visit that offers cash back through EBATES automatically populates the green banner to alert me to my savings. All I do is click the activate cash back button.) You can install the toolbar here: http://www.ebates.com/button.htm

Here is the screenshot of my final purchase showing what I paid and what I will save (remember the 4pack of brush heads were no longer available and I had to get (2) of the 2 packs.)

The 4 pack sold for $75 which was $13 cheaper. But you can't win them all. LOL!!

You can see I saved $17 with the 20% coupon and I earned $8.44 cash back that will be deposited into my Paypal account at the end of the quarter. It's that easy.

If you don't have ebates you can sign up here:

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=zuOItLmBEEBvtduAqE7UQg%3D%3D&eeid=26471

I even got FREE SHIPPING!!!!!

Check out all the different places you can earn money through Ebates.

If you have any tips you use to save, please leave a comment below or post on our Facebook Page

As Always,

My newest obsession

2014-08-20T16:25:00.002-05:00

Prior to July 2014, I had NEVER tried Shea Moisture Body products. I am familiar with the awesome hair products and had fell in love most recently with the Noni & Monoi line. However, while at the New Orleans Natural Hair Expo, I stopped at the Shea Moisture pop up shop. While there, the superfruit line was launched and there was special promotional pricing on the items in the store. I believe it was 3/$25. I picked 3 items including the Superfruit masque and the body wash. (review of the masque later) I received the body lotion in a swag bag at the Brunch the following day.

Well, ever since I have been home I have been in heaven in the shower. First, let me share with you the background. The new Superfruit line is available exclusively in Ulta and SheaMoisture.com for approximately $10 each

The main ingredients are :

Superfruit Complex - A blend of Red Raspberry, Goji, Acai and Guava Extracts. Highly effective in promoting smooth, youthful skin.
Mango Butter - A rich emollient that intensely moisturizes and rejuvenates for soft, supple skin.
Green Coffee Bean Extract - Helps nourish, contour and smooth dimpled, uneven skin

(Info courtesy Shea Moisture)

My impressions:

1. The product is insanely moisturizing. I run everyday and the salt from the sweat leave me dry and itchy. After showering with the body wash and using the lotion my skin is uber hydrated.

2. The smell is FANTASTIC. I LOVE the smell. I feel like I smell intoxicating and sexy. I love to use this at night before bedtime and laying up under my husband. He always notices and mentions how good it smells.

3. The price is not bad. Ulta is one of the stores that uses coupons and always has promotions so I know I won't go broke if I continue to purchase this line. In addition, there are other Shea Moisture Body lines available at Walgreens and CVS which I frequent alot in my couponing endeavors, so I plan to stock up.

In closing, I think that you won't go wrong trying this line. This is the only one I have tried and I was beating myself up for not trying any of the other ones sooner. My final thought is that you should #getyousome.

Blogalicious 2014

2014-08-03T22:02:00.002-05:00

I am so excited to announce:

Are you?

This will be my first time in attendance and I so super happy that the conference is here in my home town of San Antonio this year. I am so excited to learn all that I can. I hope to see meet some wonderful influential bloggers there. Can't wait!!!

Shepherd's Pie… It's what's for dinner!!

2014-07-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

This evening (7/29) I made shepherd's pie using the Velveeta kit. (I know I should not be eating processed foods so don't come for me)

I have been cray busy lately and I needed to cook something because we have been eating out a lot lately and it is starting to take a toll on me.

Here are my impressions:

The potatoes were creamy (I didn't have milk, so I used the half and half that I had in my fridge)
I didn't like the dehydrated veggies.
The Velveeta cheese was hard to spread over the meat mixture, so I had to add shredded cheese to the areas where the cheese spread didn't make it.

All in all it tasted good. I used group turkey instead of ground beef. Next time I will just make shepherd's pie the regular way I've made it before, using real cheese, and frozen veggies instead of dehydrated ones in a box. I am sure it will be even more tasty and healthy. My household drinks 1% milk which would definitely have less calories than half and half.

I'm Steaming, Are You?

2014-07-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

I started my steaming journey around Thanksgiving 2012 when I purchased my Huetiful steamer on a Black Friday sale. I wanted to share with you some of the benefits of steaming.
(You see that large steamer in the pic below? I will be switching to one of those really soon).

Steaming is a part of my routine and my girls routine and it will remain so. If you steam, I hope you love it just as much as me and if you haven't steamed, give it a try. You will DEFINITELY notice a difference.

Image Courtesy Of BlackHairInformation.com

My Favorite Conditioners

2014-07-29T15:13:00.003-05:00

As any natural woman (or man or child for that matter) knows, the main ingredient in our vast array of routines is conditioner. There are so many available on the market and it can be hard to choose. Well, this post will give you some info of some of my favorites. Many are cult favorites that you may have heard of or even used before. Others are new to the market and I fell in love with them instantly.

Deep Conditioners:

Camille Rose Algae Renew Deep Conditioner

This conditioner is FABULOUS!!!! I order it online because I can't find it near me (which is a con) but this conditioner is worth the wait. This is my go to when I have it around. It is very aromatic. It smells like chocolate to me. It is all natural and very moisturizing to the hair. My hair feels like silk when I use it. Available at select Target.

Yes to Blueberries Healthy Hair Repair

OMG!!!!! I love this stuff. I discovered this on Essence.com when essence.com listed this as one of the top 10 conditioners. I even wrote a post about it here highlighting how superb my hair felt after using. I buy this in multiples. It is available at Walgreen's which I love. It is about $8 per bottle which is also great. It has TONS AND TONS of slip. It smells great as well, too!!

Shea Moisture Tahitian Noni and Monoi Smooth & Repair Nourishing Hair Masque

This is a new classic (for me). This line was just launched recently by Shea Moisture and is supposed to be exclusively available at Target. Supposedly this line is for straightening your hair, but I only straighten once a year and I used this masque several times on my curly hair. It is $9.99 and available at Target and Target.com which is awesome. I loved the way it felt when applying. It was more slippery than the Restorative Masque. My hair was super soft after using this, too. I have to hide it because my husband has fallen in love with Shea Moisture products.

Leave In Conditioners:

Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Leave In

This conditioner is fairly new but I love it nonetheless. I pretty much love all the products in the Design Essentials Naturals line. The line works great for all the curly hair in my home, from my hubby to our girls. The conditioner has slip, it smells great and I can detangle with it. I picked mine up at Sally's and I love to use it in conjunction with other DS Natural Products, but it can be used with other lines as well.

Karen's Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia Leave In

This conditioner makes me want to slap my momma. LOL. That SMELL!!!! HEAVENLY!!! The consistency is great. My hair is super moisturized when I used this. I use this with all sorts of other products and it plays well with others. It can be purchased at Target, target.com and at http://www.karensbodybeautiful.com

Kinky-Curly Knot Today

Kinky-Curly Knot Today leave-in can use it for conditioning and detangling. This condition does not contain parabens, added preservatives sodium lauryl sulfate, silicones or alcohol. It comes in an 8oz botlle and it approximately $12. This product has crazy slip and it has been in my top 3 since I went natural in 2009. Because of the cost I save this and use it when I am doing a wash and go and using the Kinky-Curly Custard. When I use these two in conjunction I know I will have a CRAZY wash and go

Detangling Conditioners:

DevaCurl One Condition

This one is obviously the most expensive, but let me tell you I am in love with this one. (with the exception of the price). The smell is great. It is readily available at Ulta stores nationwide. It is slippery and detangling is a breeze when I use this. I use this in conjunction with DevaCurl No Poo which is my FAVORITE co-wash. As I write this I have this conditioner in my hair and it has been sitting in here all day. I am using as a deep conditioner right now and plan to sit under the steamer.

How Instagram is secretly ruining my life.

2014-07-29T14:56:00.000-05:00

A little backstory
As a girl, I marched to my own drum. I didn't care about the fancy clothes that the other kids wore. I wasn't into name brand shoes. In college, I became more aware of brands, but I still hadn't become consumed by a need to have brand named labels inside of my clothes.

Here and Now
Even now as a 34 year old woman I don't pay that much attention to brand named labels; however, I have been pulled into the lure of having a Louis Vuitton bag and a MAC computer (that I am composing this post on right this minute).

I even asked my husband recently to buy me a pair of Jordans. He looked at me like I was crazy and said, "You don't even wear sneakers!!!"

I realized that the reason I started paying attention to these things was because of social media. Once you log into Facebook or Instagram all you see is a barrage of photos of people and their belongings; whether it is the newest makeup item, vehicle or Louboutin shoes.

I joined Instagram in 2013, albeit, reluctantly. I had heard of the social platform and I didn't want any parts of it. My friend Michelle told me that I needed to be on the site so that I could promote my business. I am grateful for her encouragement to join the site because it has, in fact, helped my business. The downside is all the money that I have spent in the aftermath.

The makings of a product junkie
I have been natural since 2009. I knew what products I liked. I really didn't even know that there was a natural hair community. I just didn't want to relax my hair anymore for reasons I wrote about before. Being a frugal shopper, I was content with my Aussie Moist shampoo and conditioner. Then I somehow ran across the Curly Girl method and have lost my mind. I have so many products in my home. I don't have the expectation that the products will make my hair look like anyone else's like many people do. I just wanted to try things that other people said were good products.

My plan now is to declutter and do a host of giveaways on my channel to trim the fat from my product stash.

Makeup and more
I have spent so much money on items that are so NOT ME. I never wore makeup in high school and very sporadically in college. Makeup was reserved for prom, interviews and an occasional Sunday service.
Once I joined IG I was inundated with numerous beauties whose immaculate face paint made me think, "I should start wearing makeup." So now I have a collection of makeup that I don't use and a Hayworth vanity from Pier 1 that I know I didn't need. (But it is really pretty)

There are so many people on IG who post their OOTD (outfit of the day) and EVERYTHING in the outfit is an expensive name brand. If you can afford it, then do you. I'm not mad at you. But my concern is as a people aren't there more important things we could be promoting. I think the allure of having nice things is partly the cause for violence and crime for those that can't afford it and won't take the steps to legally obtain these items.

On the flip side, there are so many lovely ladies on IG who dress so lovely and promote a cost conscious way to shop such as Mimi Irvin. I love her approach to budget friendly looks.

I know that ultimately it is my responsibility to be wise in my spending. However, marketers know that even the best of us will succumb to our desire to keep up with the Joneses. I thank God that I am conscious of how I spend and that I use coupons and bargain shop.

I guess I need to be more diligent and prayerful and make sure that I am buying what I NEED and not what I want. I am happy with what I have and striving to be happy with even less. Less is more. Definitely.

Product Review: Bigen Semi-Permanent Hair Color

2014-06-15T18:31:00.002-05:00

NaturallyCurly.com sent me Bigen's Jet Black color to review. Here are some thoughts on my experience.

1. This was not my first time using Bigen. However, this is my first time using the premixed version in the bottle you see above. I used to use the powder color in Oriental Black. Oriental Black is NOT available in this new formula.

2. This formula, just like the predecessor, is peroxide and ammonia free.

Ammonia is carcinogenic, corrosive, and damages the cuticle. Ammonia fumes can exacerbate allergies.
Peroxide breaks down the melanin, weakens hair shaft, can kill hair follicles, can cause bald patches.

3. This formula comes in the following beautiful colors:

4. This formula contains beeswax, sunflower and honey. (Watch my video to learn the benefits of those ingredients)

5. This product is available at numerous locations including SallyBeauty.com, Amazon.com, and a myriad of beauty supply stores nationwide.

6. The product was easy to use and easy to clean, which I loved because I made a MESS all over myself and my bathroom. My regular Formula 409 cleaned everything right up and all the color all over my forehead, neck and ears wiped right on off with a wet towel.

If you are looking for an inexpensive, reliable, safe color, Bigen is a fantastic choice.

Tina's Braid Out

2014-04-28T17:21:00.004-05:00

I gave Tina a braid out. I did 6 plaits. I co-washed and detangled with Pantene Truly Natural Co Wash. Later in the day when her hair was about 75% dry, I parted her hair down the middle; and starting on the right side, applied Camille Rose Curl Love Moisture Milk liberally. After applying the milk I then wet her hair with the setting lotion and combed out any remaining tangles with a wide tooth comb. Then I applied gel to each section (3 sections on each side) and plaited the hair.

(note: I was going to use water and NOT setting lotion. However, when I asked them to bring me the water bottle it had setting lotion in it and I DID not feel like waiting on them to go get the other water bottle. But the setting lotion will add more hold.

After plaiting her hair I tied it up and then put her bonnet on. She slept and it dried over night.

Products used:

Pantene Truly Naturals Co Wash

Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk

Soft Sheen Setting Lotion

Eco Styler Gel Krystal

Facelift

2014-04-28T15:33:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!!!!

I wanted to share with you the new look of the blog. I love how streamlined it is. I am totes in love with the redesigned logo.

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I was expanding my blog beyond hair. There are so many hair bloggers and I feel like I have so much more to offer than hair. So in keeping with the new direction of the blog, I felt that the blog needed a new look. Well here it is. I hope you like it.

Thanks for stopping by.

My Favorite Conditioners

2014-04-17T19:50:00.003-05:00

Deep Conditioners:

Camille Rose Algae Renew Deep Conditioner

This conditioner is FABULOUS!!!! I order it online because I can't find it near me (which is a con) but this conditioner is worth the wait. This is my go to when I have it around. It is very aromatic. It smells like chocolate to me. It is all natural and very moisturizing to the hair. My hair feels like silk when I use it. Available at select Target.

Yes to Blueberries Healthy Hair Repair

OMG!!!!! I love this stuff. I discovered this on Essence.com when essence.com listed this as one of the top 10 conditioners. I even wrote a post about it here highlighting how superb my hair felt after using. I buy this in multiples. It is available at Walgreen's which I love. It is about $8 per bottle which is also great. It has TONS AND TONS of slip. It smells great as well, too!!

Shea Moisture Tahitian Noni and Monoi Smooth & Repair Nourishing Hair Masque

This is a new classic (for me). This line was just launched recently by Shea Moisture and is supposed to be exclusively available at Target. Supposedly this line is for straightening your hair, but I only straighten once a year and I used this masque several times on my curly hair. It is $9.99 and available at Target and Target.com which is awesome. I loved the way it felt when applying. It was more slippery than the Restorative Masque. My hair was super soft after using this, too. I have to hide it because my husband has fallen in love with Shea Moisture products.

Leave In Conditioners:

Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Leave In

This conditioner is fairly new but I love it nonetheless. I pretty much love all the products in the Design Essentials Naturals line. The line works great for all the curly hair in my home, from my hubby to our girls. The conditioner has slip, it smells great and I can detangle with it. I picked mine up at Sally's and I love to use it in conjunction with other DS Natural Products, but it can be used with other lines as well.

Karen's Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia Leave In

This conditioner makes me want to slap my momma. LOL. That SMELL!!!! HEAVENLY!!! The consistency is great. My hair is super moisturized when I used this. I use this with all sorts of other products and it plays well with others. It can be purchased at Target, target.com and at http://www.karensbodybeautiful.com

Kinky-Curly Knot Today

Kinky-Curly Knot Today leave-in can use it for conditioning and detangling. This condition does not contain parabens, added preservatives sodium lauryl sulfate, silicones or alcohol. It comes in an 8oz botlle and it approximately $12. This product has crazy slip and it has been in my top 3 since I went natural in 2009. Because of the cost I save this and use it when I am doing a wash and go and using the Kinky-Curly Custard. When I use these two in conjunction I know I will have a CRAZY wash and go

Detangling Conditioners:

DevaCurl One Condition

This one is obviously the most expensive, but let me tell you I am in love with this one. (with the exception of the price). The smell is great. It is readily available at Ulta stores nationwide. It is slippery and detangling is a breeze when I use this. I use this in conjunction with DevaCurl No Poo which is my FAVORITE co-wash. As I write this I have this conditioner in my hair and it has been sitting in here all day. I am using as a deep conditioner right now and plan to sit under the steamer.

Saturday Savings

2014-03-22T15:41:00.001-05:00

Today I did a little shopping at CVS. I haven't been couponing in a while and I wanted to get back to it.

Here are the items I purchased:

(11) Dawn dish liquid $1.57 each, on sale $.99 each
(3) Dial body wash $5.99 each on sale 2/$8 with $2ECB when you buy two
(2) Cetaphil Facial Cleanser $12.99 each on sale buy one get one 50%off
Charmin Tissue $15.79 on sale $9.99
Bounty $14.99 on sale $9.99
(1) Gallon of Milk (not shown) $3.79 on sale $3.49 get $1ECB
Summers Eve Spray $4.99
Summers Eve Wash $4.79

*Summers Eve products buy one get one free.

Total Retail $106.57

Total sales $81.11

I broke everything in 5 transactions and I used the following coupons:
$10 ECB
$1.50 off two summers eve products
-$4.79 Free summers eve
-$4 (Buy 2 get one free dial coupon)
-$3 facial cleanser coupon from CVS red machine
$1ECB
$2ECB

I paid
$48.21
Remember, I didn't have any ECB to start because I hadn't couponed in a while. I am happy with my total because the Cetaphil alone would have cost me $26 for both of them.

I am in the process of accumulating more coupons because the ones I had expired and I tossed them. I am getting my coupon life back in order. My goal for the year is to save money and I had let my couponing fall by the wayside.

The Bella Blog

2014-02-01T16:48:00.003-06:00

Hi guys!!! You may have noticed the new logo on the blog along with a new name. I hope you like it.

Welcome to The Bella Blog.

'Bella' means beautiful in Spanish. I wanted to change the name because I wanted to write about life not just hair. There are so many things I enjoy and hair is just one of those things. I think as women there are so many facets to us and there are so many other things that can help to bring about change in our communities and even within our individual selves.

I felt like focusing on my hair was a bit vain. I am a mom, wife, entrepreneur, chauffeur, etc., and I want to talk about how all those things make me who I am and how they make my life beautiful. Hence "Living La Vida Bella." (Cue the Ricky Martin music)

Living the beautiful life!!!!

It has taken me a long time to see the beauty in my life. I am not talking about me being beautiful. I am talking about becoming a rose among thorns. The thorns in my life clouded how I viewed myself and life in general. I was a pessimist and I always expected bad things to happen to me. It took a while but I expect miracles everyday. I expect peace, love, joy and happiness. Now, I know all these things won't happen all the time but I know that bad won't happen all the time either. I want to share my journey on how I arrived at the place I am at now.

Don't worry; hair posts, couponing posts, and the usual things I post about will still be here. I just want to branch out and focus on more things than just hair. I hope we can help each other grow and live life beautifully!!!

Bed Bath & Beyond Craziness

2013-12-23T11:33:00.000-06:00

Before this month, I hadn't been in a BBW in YEARS. Then I saw a pic in my IG feed about a sale AND an additional 30% coupon. Well I went into BBW and got some hand soap (shown below). I also made additional trips and picked up 11 candles. (Purchased in 2 trips). I also picked up some wall flowers for all 3 of my bathrooms and my girls rooms. (Forgot to take pics).

Anyway, check out what I purchased. I can't wait until 12/26 for the semi annual sale. More candles and wallflowers on my list. Do you like BBW? What are your faves? I would love to hear.

Happy Holidays.

My Updated Skin Care Routine

2013-12-05T23:08:00.001-06:00

I paid my dermatologist a visit last week for a scar on my chest. While there, I asked him to recommend a good facial cleanser. I am extremely oily and I hadn't found anything that I felt was cleansing my skin without totally stripping it. Also, I needed to find a moisturizer suited for oily skin AND contained SPF. Recently, I have been using Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture with SPF 35 and I like it, but I wanted to use whatever the doctor told me to use and I wanted to use a cleanser and moisturizer that were formulated to work together.

He recommended Cetaphil. I immediately told him I didn't like Cetaphil because I'd tried it and it didn't lather and I didn't feel like it cleaned my skin. (lather is so soothing isn't it?). He told me there was a foaming cleanser specific for oily skin. He told me about Cetaphil DERMACONTROL Oil Control Foam Wash. He gave me 2 sample bottles of the cleanser and they were nice size samples which I will be putting in my travel bag. He also gave me a sample of the DERMACONTROL Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30, which is the corresponding moisturizer for that DERMACONTROL line.

Let me just say I am HOOKED. The cleanser is a foam that is not too lathery, but it is a clean I can feel. No denying that my skin is clean after using it. It does just what it says. The cleanser partnered with the Mia is SOO what my skin was asking for.

So here are my steps:

Morning:

Use Clarisonic Mia with the Cetaphil Cleanser
Apply Moisturizer
Apply primer and makeup (if I wear makeup that day)

Night:

(IF I HAVE ON MAKEUP)
Remove Makeup with Simple Skincare Cleansing Facial Wipes (or any of the Simple facial wipes. I love them all)
Cleanse skin with Mia and Cetaphil Cleanser
Apply Witch Hazel to cotton and wipe face (for an extra thorough clean)
*If I don't have on makeup, I do all the above steps except use the Simple Wipes.

I don't use the witch hazel in the morning because I don't want my skin to be too dried out from the washing and cleansing and end up overproducing oil during the day and making me look like an oil slick.

Please click links to learn more about the products.

I've had my Mia since early 2011 before it became the IT thing to have!! I have always used it twice a day (when I wasn't being lazy about washing my face) and I have loved it since first use.

What are some of your tried and true products? Let me know!!!

My Father's Daughter

2013-12-03T15:58:00.001-06:00

On Dec 1, I posted a pic to Facebook literally announcing to the world that my father died of AIDS. I received a lot of support for doing so, including this great post

But not everyone was so supportive or thinks that my father is resting in peace.
Today, I received some backlash and of course it had to come from a member of my 'family.'

One of my father's sisters called me today to tell me to "let my brother rest in peace" and that I shouldn't have him on Facebook talking about how he died. Mind you, this phone call woke me up out of my sleep. I didn't even respond. I hung up while she was still talking.

Why wouldn't he be resting in peace because I shared his disease to people?

My life and the events thereof are mine to share as I see fit. Today, I want to share WHY I decided to share my father's death to the world.

First, it is a matter of public record. Anyone could locate his death certificate if they really wanted to do so. Secondly, he has been dead for 21 years. Thirdly, I was reading so much about world AIDS day which prompted me to think about him more than usual. (I already think about him everyday. I tell my kids about him. I have pictures of him in my home. My kids act as if they know him.) But that day my mind was stayed on him.

Lastly, and most importantly, ever since I was a girl I have wanted to do something to help and be involved with the AIDS community. My cousin Mylon and I have talked for years about how we can help. We both plan to collaborate on some things in the future to help people affected by this disease. This cause is special to him as well as he is a member of the LGBT community and he knows all to well how AIDS has affected that community. He has lost friends to the disease.

It is not enough to know someone who has or has had AIDS and to simply be silent. Silence does NOTHING. Speaking out can help someone. I confronted my shame by telling the world essentially (my own little Facebook world) that my father had AIDS. That was a shameful thing to me for a long time. I want people to know that it is NOTHING to be ashamed of. It is a disease just like cancer, Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis or any other disease with no cure. It affect lots of people, but most importantly it affects BLACK people more than anyone else. How dare I act as if this disease didn't impact my life? Trust me, I wish I never had to say that my father was dead, let alone that he died from AIDS.

I wish I would have been there with my dad when he was sick. I wasn't with him as I was with my mom in Chicago. One day in December in 1991 I got a phone call saying he was sick with cancer and a month later I got a phone call that he was dead. My life was forever changed!!! His death literally ruined my life. Not just my life but the lives of my step mother, who became a widow, but also my sister and brother who no longer had a daddy.

I feel it ruined my life because among other things it left me with only a mother who was not able to care for me and resulted in me having to be raised by other people who stepped in (which I certainly appreciate) and won't let an opportunity pass without reminding me that they did!!! (I really hate when people rub in your face what they did for you. Please don't do something for someone unless it is from your heart and you have no desire to say 'I told you so' or 'look at all I have done for you.')

But I digress!!!

AIDS is real. It is not silent. It is a LOUD, BOISTEROUS epidemic on MY community, MY race, MY people. If me sharing my father's death causes someone to go get tested, causes someone to encourage someone else to get tested and to act responsibly, I WILL SCREAM IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS. And I don't care who has a problem with it.

I'm living my life like it's golden and on MY OWN TERMS and I couldn't care less who takes issue with it.

I will end by saying that the person who called me today hadn't spoken to me in months and could not even pick up a phone to call and say 'Happy Thanksgiving' but could call to tell me that I should "let her brother rest in peace." He may have been her brother but he was MY FATHER and I think that trumps that!!! I guess there is still some shame left about his death in my 'family' after all.

One thing I remember about my Daddy was that he said what was on his mind. He didn't pull punches. I am my father's daughter, after all!!!!

If you have been impacted by AIDS in one way or another I encourage you to SPEAK OUT. You may save a life. Donate your time or finance to AIDS related charities in your area. Visit the hospitals. Anything to let someone know that instead of dying from AIDS they can LIVE!!!

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me and supported my choice to share that part of my life. I appreciate the support so much.
The fact that strangers offer me support that my 'family' can't/won't/refuse to speaks volumes to me and means more to me that words can ever express.

Back to Basics

2013-12-02T22:13:00.001-06:00

Since this is my birth month I said I didn't want to wait till January to get my behind back to business. Just a short post to share what my plans are for the next month and beyond. I want to give myself the birthday gift of 10 pounds off my frame by the end of the month. I started cross-fit last month. My plan is to go MWF no matter what. I have been blaming FLOR BELLA BOUTIQUE enormous sales as reason for not going because I have been busy.

My breakfast will be my green smoothie like the one here

(which is purple because I added lots of berries)

I started my 10 day cleanse with Advocare today.

I am taking my Manetabolism to get my body and MY HAIR right!!!

Thanks to Jenell from Kinky Curly Coily Me, I add Vega to my smoothie (I add a half scoop)

I add 2TBSP of flax seed to my smoothie.

I use the Ninja Pro System blender (not for long!!! Vitamix here I come!!!)

I will post back with details throughout the month. I am also adding the following items to my daily routine for this month:

Are any of your waiting until 1.1.14 or are you starting now. Are you already in the gym and eating right? Let me know. Share your routines.

In Review: LeKair Cholesterol Plus

2013-12-01T11:23:00.000-06:00

Hey Bellas! I know it has been a long while since I have posted. I am on a mission to post daily for this month. My birthday is this month and it is a birthday goal of mine to do this for a month in addition to everything else I need to do.

So let's get right to it shall we?

Before I returned natural, cholesterol was a STAPLE of mine. I also used cholesterol in my early days of naturalness. However, when I started the Curl Girl method in July 2012, I made a point of avoiding sulfates and silicones. During my journey I have tried to find a fantastic deep conditioner for me that gave me the results I love. Somewhere along the way I decided I wanted to give cholesterol another shot. I kept seeing different brands and as I checked product labels, sure enough, there was a 'cone' in the list somewhere.

Rewind to a few weeks ago. I was in Walmart in the 'ethnic' section and I found the above cholesterol by LeKair. I checked the label and there were NO cones!! I about fainted. (bringing the country jargon to you this fine Sunday morn). It has been repackaged and is quite cute!!!

Here is the old packaging

photo courtesy Amazon

I used it and it brought back memories. I won't make this post too long. Needless to say this is back in my regimen along with my steamer. (about the steamer, I am looking for a larger one like the ones in the salon. I will update you when I get it)

According to the website the product is "A unique blend of natural ingredients, including cholesterol, jojoba oil, aloe and collagen, this smooth and silky hair cream strengthens, deep conditions and moisturizes damaged hair, split ends, and dry, brittle and chemically processed hair."

Ingredients:
Deionized water, cetearyl alcohol & PEG-40 Castor Oil & Steralkonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Mineral Oil, Fragrance, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Cholesterol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, (Vitamin E), Jojoba Oil, Citric Acid, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Red #4, Aloe Barbadensis, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) & Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D)

Note:

Cetearyl & Cetyl alcohol smooths, softens, moisturizes, adds texture and aids in managibility. Read More here and here.

If you are not a fan of parabens and mineral oil this product is NOT for you.

I don't mind them. I like the fact that this product contains aloe, jojoba oil, castor oil and vitamins A & E. (hey focus on the good, right?)

Where to buy:
The 20 oz. jars are available at select Walmarts (I had to travel into San Antonio in the 'Black' section of town as there are limited products in the Walmart where I live) and of course at Amazon. Also check your local BSS. (beauty supply store for those that aren't familiar with the natural acronyms)

If you use this let me know. If you've tried it let me know how you like it. Take care lovelies.

The Twist & Curl

2013-11-05T20:43:00.002-06:00

Saturday night was date night and I decided to do a new style. I've never done a twist and curl and wanted to give it a try. Needless to say. I love the results of this style. Papi loved it as well and told me I should do it more often

I washed with Mixed Chicks Sulfate Free Shampoo
I detangled with Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Conditioner
I styled with Design Essentials Naturals Defining Creme Gel

I was under the dryer for about an hour. I used my Carel Soft Bonnet Dryer

I used the 10mm diameter perm rods you can get them from Sally Beauty.

I oiled my hair with DailyCurlz Oil Mix

My hair came out GREAT and me and my Papi had a great time. Have you tried a twist & curl? Do you like the style?

Thanks for watching the video.

The loss of a family member

2013-10-01T08:01:00.002-05:00

I know this is a 'natural hair blog'. But this is a post about finding peace which is more important to me right now than my hair. I hope I help someone with this post.

Recently,
I lost someone that was once very close to me. But she didn't die. We had to say goodbye to one another. Well, actually she said goodbye to me. Let me tell you why.

Friday, September 19, I went home to Chicago to attend a natural hair event. I did some vending there and I worked really hard in 2.5 weeks to complete 100 bonnets to take with me for this event.

A couple of weeks before I went home, I emailed my cousin that I was coming home and that I HOPED to see her when I arrived in Chicago.

She asked me for details of the event. She then emailed me back and told me that the event was $25 and too expensive. I told her that she could come to support me since this would be my first time doing something like this. She said, "We'll see." Needless to say, she didn't make it to the event.

Now let me back up just a little bit.

You know what they say..."If you want to make God Laugh, tell him your plans." Now we all make plans with the best of intentions. So I will be the first to say that I wanted to see my cousin really bad. It simply didn't happen. Not of ill will. Time went by too fast.

Friday and Sunday were travel days. Saturday was my only full day in Chicago.

While there I had a hair appointment. I got some gorgeous highlights and a great style.
Needless to say I was in the salon for a long time on Friday (which I am not upset about). I got some gorgeous highlights and a beautiful style.
(If you are ever in Chicago you need to visit Crystal at Crys'Styles Unique Salon in Summit, Illinois on Harlem ave)

Anyway, I could go on and on, needless to say, the loss I experienced happened upon my return to San Antonio. First thing Monday 9/23, I logged into my work email and saw an email from my cousin (that she had sent to me on Friday 9/20) asking if I was coming to see her. I replied that I was just getting the message and that I was sorry that I didn't make it to see her. She was quite upset that I didn't get to see her and responded with a nasty email and told me to have a nice life. She stated that since I have a smartphone I could have accessed any email I wanted to.

Now, for those that don't know, I work for the IRS. The nature of my work involves people's social security numbers, financial information, and other personal information of the most serious nature. We ARE NOT EVER allowed to conduct work business or access work emails using personal telephones. We aren't even allowed to use our work emails to contact our taxpayers because email is not considered secure.

But, I digress. (again)
During my trip I didn't see my mother (who I think is more important than a cousin) or my grandmother (who has dementia) or several dozen other cousins, one of my best friends since childhood or any of my aunts and uncles for that matter. I was on a business trip. It wasn't a pleasure trip.

The funny thing about this was that she knew I was coming and didn't care enough to spend $25 to come support me at the event I was at, but she was mad that I didn't come see her. People place these expectations on you that they themselves are not willing to meet. I tried my hardest to explain to her that I had certain commitments that were made in advance of my coming to Chicago (attending both of my nephews' football games) that I had to keep. That was not enough for her.

In the end, I was so hurt and I cried about it. My husband (who lets NOTHING bother him) told me I shouldn't care if she didn't want to be in my life anymore. (I swear I love this guy for being so simple when I need him to be)

I have spent my life letting my family get under my skin. It hurts when you love people so much and they don't love you the same way. Even funnier, my cousin (before I got to Chicago) told me, "Don't forget my free bonnet." Now, I don't mind giving anything to anyone, but she emailed me several times and mentioned the FREE bonnet. (she kept putting the word 'free' in there.) She wanted her bonnet for free and the $25 for the event was too expensive to come support me. But I was supposed to SPEND gas money to drive where she was so that I could come see her to give her her FREE bonnet. But she is upset with me that I didn't come see her.

Yeah, I wonder why!!!

The silver lining in all of this is that my friend Trenell flew all the way from New Orleans to come to Chicago to help me at my vending table. My cousin who is blood tied to me couldn't support me but a friend who has know me less time spent way more than $25 to come support me. She certainly didn't have to.

The moral of this LOOONG (sorry) story is that I choose to focus on the good in my life and although I no longer have a relationship with my cousin, God had placed people in my life who do care about me and support me and that is what I am focusing on.

If you have people in your life who don't support your goals, your dreams, simply YOU, LET THEM GO!!!!! It may hurt for a while, but when you focus on the positive and surround yourself with positive people you WILL see change. Don't think that because it may be family that you can't say goodbye to them. Child, family will be the FIRST to cut you down.

I have said goodbye. It no longer hurts. I am free and I have peace. I just wanted to share this with you and I hope that when it is your time to say goodbye to whomever you need to say goodbye to, that you find peace, too.

Now Featuring Debrina

2013-09-18T22:19:00.003-05:00

I am soooooo excited to share this post with you guys.

This woman right here!!!!!

This woman is my FRIEND!!

A REAL FRIEND Y'ALL!!!!!!

We met in college and she has been in my heart ever since!!!

This woman was with me when I cut the remaining relaxer out of my hair.

So she is important in my journey. This woman is a FASHION ICON.

She is beautiful, smart, sassy, and classy. She is a mother of 3 (including a newborn) and a wife. This is one of the women I have been waiting to feature and I am so happy to introduce you to my friend.

Without further ado...
Introducing Debrina!!!!!

Name and where are you from?
Hello! My name is Debrina and I am from Louisiana; however, I live in the DC area.

When did you go natural?
I went natural on April 20, 2012

What prompted you to go natural?
From the first moment I got a relaxer I hated the process. I loved the results (I thought) but I dreaded the process. My scalp would be on fire EVERY time my hair and the perm reunited. Regardless of how much I avoided irritating my scalp the days leading up to I would burn!!!
My mother use to tell me that she would never pay for me to get a relaxer in a salon because I couldn't endure the pain long enough to get it "worked in".
I was inspired by so many people and things... from my daughters, my mother, friends, associates, people I met on the streets and even the movie "Good Hair"!
I had many failed attempts that begin in 2005. It was not until 2011 that I took an assignment to work in DC that concluded my final attempt. I stepped foot in a hair salon hoping for a fried, dyed and laid to the side style only to be faced with "healthy" hair options, the salon encouraged going natural.

Did you big chop? Why or why not?
I did the big chop because of so many failed attempts transitioning. During my journey of transitioning I put so much heat in my hair until it begin breaking off where the kinks met the relaxed ends.It was not what I initially hoped for when I walked in but that visit changed my life forever. After my experience (from last question) I flew to my home state, Louisiana, and immediately asked my stylist to cut all of my freshly relaxed hair! Shocked, but she followed through and I headed back to DC with an inch of hair!

What is your regimen?
I'm lazy and busy so I love the easiness of a wash and go BUT everyone who knows of me knows I love change! I try a new style every two to three weeks. As far as product, I have tried a little of everything but my favorite products are Direct Leave In conditioner by Giovanni, Mixed Chicks leave in conditioner and Argan or Coconut Oil! For my twists and braid outs, I use ORS pudding! It works wonders on my hair. I shampoo once every three weeks and co-wash every week. I co-wash with Trader Joe's conditioner and shampoo with Jason's natural lavender shampoo or Miss Jessie's Crème de la Curl cleanser.

What is your favorite thing about being natural?
I love the versatility of my hair in its natural state. I am in love with my naturally curly 'fro that's achieved with a wash and go but I enjoy the vast amount of styles I can achieve with plaits/twists/bantu knots and a day or two of allowing my hair to air dry.

Who is your celebrity hair crush? Why?
My celebrity hair crush is Melinda Williams. Yes, Bird from Soul Food! Although, she is no longer natural her TWA was gorgeous! I also adore Tracy Ellis Ross' luxurious locs! I am a true fan of BIG hair!

Who is your regular hair crush?
I crush on all healthy natural hair! My head literally turns every time I see a confident and stylish queen rocking her beautiful kinky coily hair. In DC, I am amazed at the creativity and the beauty of our hair (from all types and textures). As a result of what I witness daily, I am puzzled when I am told, "your hair is beautiful but NATURAL HAIR is not for everyone".

Social networks
Instagram @lagniappelabeaute

Tina's Twist Out

2013-09-17T17:39:00.001-05:00

I have posted pics of her already but I wanted to elaborate on what I did since people have been asking.

On Sunday I pre-pooed Tina's hair using Tresemme Naturals and some Daily Curlz oil. I detangled the hair with the conditoner and oil mix and then put her under my Huetiful steamer. Learn more about the steamer here.

After Steaming, I washed her hair with Shea Moisture's Restorative Shampoo. I used the Curl & Style Milk and the Curl Souffle to twist. I used Eco Styler for the edges.

Here is the pics of her hair right after twisting on Sunday and when I took the twists down this morning. (I didn't get a pic on Monday morning as we were running late. I re-twisted her hair last night because it rained here yesterday.)

Isn't she beautiful?!!!

In Review: Shea Moisture Restorative Line & the Kids Detangler

2013-09-02T13:52:00.002-05:00

About a month ago, Shea Moisture was kind enough to send me the following products to review.

Last week I decided to twist my hair using the full Restorative Line

I washed with the Restorative Shampoo and used the Restorative Conditioner as a leave in. I used the Deep Treatment Masque as my styler for my twists. Look how shiny and plump the twists are.
I decided to showcase some purple makeup that day as well. Anyway, there is nothing to say other than I LOVE how they turned out. My twists lasted a week. I will be doing more twists this weekend using the same products again. More pics to come.

I have mainly used the Restorative Conditioner as a detangler on the girls' hair and I LOVE it for that.
I have posted previously about it and posted pics to my IG. I fill a water bottle with water and then add some oil and a few pumps of the conditioner. I then spray the hair and get is soaking and then apply the conditioner directly to the hair as well. Combing the hair is a breeze using this method.

I also use the Conditioner when styling the hair. If I am doing ponytails or some other style I apply to wet hair and then plait the hair such as below

I will be using the line on the girls' hair this coming weekend when I wash their hair. I will be letting them steam as well so BOLO for those pics this weekend.

A few weeks ago I used the Kids Coconut & Hibiscus Detangler on my daughter Carrington and look at my results

Her curls are detangled, shiny and beautiful. I love the detangler on her hair. I plan to purchase this item just for her!!!

*The Restorative Shampoo, Conditioner and the Deep Treatment Masque was sent to me by Shea Moisture. The review is my own honest opinion and was not in any way influenced by Shea Moisture or Sundial Brands (The maker of Shea Moisture).

If you havne't tried Shea Moisture (or just this particular line) try it out. You won't be disappointed

Until Next Time....

My Trip to Office Max

2013-09-02T13:07:00.000-05:00

I visited Office Max on 8/27/13

I purchased 2 packs of printer paper at $6.99 each
(buy paper get $6.98 back in Max Perks Rewards)

Brother Label Printer Reg $39.99 on sale for $29.99

Total $43.97
I used $27.98 of my Max Point Rewards
I paid $19.62 out of pocket
I earned $13.96 back

*Paper was $13.98 and I earned $13.96 back in rewards so the paper was literally $.02

I love sharing my deals with you all.

Happy Labor Day. Be safe &

Super Saver Sunday: Today's Trip to CVS & Wags

2013-08-18T16:05:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone. Here is the info on today's shopping trip at CVS & Wags. Let's go!!!

Wags:
These items were purchased in 1 Transaction:
(2) Dial Hand Soap, Reg $2.99, Sale, BOGO Free
(2) Dove deodorant, Reg $3.99 on sale 2/$5, get 1,000 Rewards Points when you buy 2
Colgate Optic White Mouthwash, Reg $5.79
Colgate Optic White Toothpaste, Reg. $4.99
*Colgate items buy one get one 50% off, get 2,000 points when you buy 2
I used the following coupons:
$1.00 off Colgate Mouthwash
$.75 Colgate Toothpaste
$3 off Two Dove Deodorants
$1 off Dial Hand Soap
Total Retail $24.74, I paid $10.52 out of pocket and earned 3,000 point ($3)
Making my total $7.52
(I forgot I had $2 RR in my pouch)

CVS:
I went into CVS with $4 ECB
These items were purchased in 4 Transaction
Transaction1:
Revlon Lipstick, Reg $8.79, Sale $6.99
Revlon Eyeshadow, Reg $9.99, Sale $6.99
(Get $4 back in ECB when you buy Revlon Products, Limit 6)
Total $13.98
I used the following coupons:
$1 off Revlon Lip
$1 off Revlon Cosmetic
$3 off Revlon (from CVS coupon machine)
$4 ECB
I paid $4.98 and got $8 back in ECB

Transaction2:
(4) Lysol Wipes 80 count, Reg $6.99 each, On sale 2/$10
(Buy $20 in select items get $5 gift card)
Total $20
I used $8 from Transaction 1
I paid $12 out of pocket and got back $5 gift card

Transaction3:
(2) Glade Candles Reg $4.29 each
Glade Scented Oil Double Pack, $6.99
(Buy $15 of Glade get $5 back)
Total $15.57
I used the following coupons:
$1 Glade Scented Oil
$1 off two Glad Candles
$1.50 off Glade from CVS coupon machine
$5 gift card from Transaction 2
I paid $7.07 out pf pocket and I got back $5

Transaction4:
(2)Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent Reg, $6.99, BOGO FREE
Total $6.99
I used the following coupons:
(2) $1 off Arm and Hammer Detergent
$5 ECB from Transaction 3
I paid $0.00

Total Retail for the day: $89.24
Total Spent out of Pocket: $34.57
I saved $54.67

CRYSTAL'S CURLS

How I save money on the BEST hair and beauty products

My newest obsession

Blogalicious 2014

Shepherd's Pie… It's what's for dinner!!

I'm Steaming, Are You?

My Favorite Conditioners

Deep Conditioners:

Leave In Conditioners:

Detangling Conditioners:

How Instagram is secretly ruining my life.

Product Review: Bigen Semi-Permanent Hair Color

Tina's Braid Out

After plaiting her hair I tied it up and then put her bonnet on. She slept and it dried over night.

Products used:

Facelift

My Favorite Conditioners

Deep Conditioners:

Leave In Conditioners:

Detangling Conditioners:

Saturday Savings

Total Retail $106.57 Total sales $81.11

The Bella Blog

Bed Bath & Beyond Craziness

My Updated Skin Care Routine

Morning:

Night:

My Father's Daughter

Back to Basics

In Review: LeKair Cholesterol Plus

The Twist & Curl

The loss of a family member

Now Featuring Debrina

Tina's Twist Out

In Review: Shea Moisture Restorative Line & the Kids Detangler

My Trip to Office Max

Super Saver Sunday: Today's Trip to CVS & Wags

Total Retail $106.57

Total sales $81.11