Happy Shopping! Tell me below, which products from Hydratherma Naturals’ line that you love!!

~Hope you enjoyed! Till next time stay lovely and afroniquely you!

Check-In

Complete the following in the Comments Section below:

1. My Natural Hair is _____________
2. Describe your wash days during winter, and what makes it easier or harder to handle
3. Are you ready for the BIG Month 1 check in Next Friday?? (Feb 1, 2013).

Have a great and lovely weekend ahead. Stay warm and stay loving!

~Hope you enjoyed! Till next time stay lovely and afroniquely you!

CHECK-IN QUESTIONS

1. What hairstyle have you dreamed of doing, but never tried?
2. What’s one thing you look forward to trying during this Winter TBCH segment? (share what goal/style/technique etc you look forward to utilizing this segment of the challlenge)
3. Do you take growth aids?

That’s it! Leave your feedback below in the comments section. Happy Weekend, and let’s grow!

~Hope you enjoyed! Till next time stay lovely and afroniquely you!

Let’s face it, we love to treat ourselves right! I’ve been eyeing Be Spoiled for a good while now and must admit everytime I saw one of their yummy scrubs posted, I just knew this was something good! Well guess what? Syreeta, owner of Be Spoiled contacted me and offered up to do a giveaway for you all! YAYYYY!! Thank you Syreeta! But before we get to the giveaway, let’s meet Syreeta and learn more about Be Spoiled and their goodies.

Who: Syreeta M

What: Be Spoiled Natural Body Products where “every body deserves to be spoiled!”

Are you natural: What’s the experience been? Yes I am natural, and I love it! With perms (and pressing) my hair was thin and damaged, now my hair is healthy, versatile and flyy!!

What’s your favorite product/item from your company? My favorite item is the Be Forgiven Coffee line, the scrub and butter duo has done wonders for my feet. Originally created due to its ability to minimize cellulite, i later realized it is also good for repairing damaged skin, thus it works wonders as a foot treatment for dry cracked heels! On top of being excellent for the skin, with naturally infused vanilla and cinnamon, it’s like walking into your favorite coffee house!

A few reasons to love your company and products: We are a 100%Natural and Chemical free Company. Due to our products being fragrance free they are safe enough for even the most fragile of skin types (we service a day care which uses the Mago-Coconut butter on children with eczema). The yummy scents of our products come from naturally derived sources, such as essential oils, fresh fruit enzymes, herbs, and botanicals. We rely on nature to provide cosmetic benefits, not a chemical additive. As we prepare to launch new product lines we are conscious to maintain the same integrity in our products. If it can’t be created naturally we will not produce it!

Where can we catch up with you?

You can find us online at

• Website: www.ComeGetSpoiled.com
• Like us on facebok at www.Facebook.com/BeSpoiled
• Follow us on twitter  www.twitter.com/Bspoiled
• Instagram www.instagram.com/BeSpoiled

GIVEAWAY

So Syreeta has offered up one of their limited edition (seasonal) body scrubs and a tee shirt!!

What’s Up For Grabs!!

Guidelines:

• You must be 18 years or older to enter to win in this giveaway!
• Must be in the USA to participate.
• You MUST follow all the rules below to be considered for entry.
• GIVEAWAY OPEN UNTIL FRIDAY JANUARY 11TH, 2013 at 12noon!!

The Rules:

1. Must be a fan of Afroniquely You on Facebook
2. Must be a fan of Be Spoiled Natural Body Products on Facebook
3. Tweet the following “I want to be spoiled by @afroniquely & @BSpoiled #naturalhair #comegetspoiled #afroniquelyU” CLICK TO TWEET
4. Follow @afroniquely AND @BSpoiled on twitter
5. Below in the comments section enter your twitter handle that you tweeted with, and your fb name that you’ve like both pages with!
6. Comment on the following: tell us what ways do you love to treat yourself? It can be as simple as “I love my body and love getting massages”, etc. Please DO NOT comment any profanity or otherwise obscene language or notions on this blog. Any violators of that, comment will be deleted!

BONUS: Feeling creative?? Make a short 1-3 mins video creatively depicting your perfect way to be spoiled! Again keep it kosher and no profanity etc. In the video be sure to mention “Afroniquely You and Be Spoiled are having a giveaway, go get spoiled now”. Also include our links in the description box of your video: http://afroniquelyyou.com and http://comegetspoiled.com and a link to this giveaway post http://www.afroniquelyyou.com/?p=8332

Make sure you are subscribed to my youtube channel as well! Afroqueenshae on Youtube

That’s It!! Go have fun. GIVEAWAY OPEN UNTIL FRIDAY JANUARY 11TH, 2013 at 12noon!!

Thank you Syreeta for sponsoring the giveaway of the two awesome products!!!

P.s. go catch up with Be Spoiled across the web:

• Website: www.ComeGetSpoiled.com
• Like us on facebok at www.Facebook.com/BeSpoiled
• Follow us on twitter  www.twitter.com/Bspoiled
• Instagram www.instagram.com/BeSpoiled

~Hope you enjoyed! Till next time stay lovely and afroniquely you!

Curlkit offers women and men with natural hair (curly/kinky/coily/textured hair) to try out products on a budget, without going overboard. Here’s your chance to win your very own PINK box! Chock full of products and even the curlLIFE magazine with tons of information, tutorials and more.

OPEN TO TBCH CHALLENGERS OF OCT-DEC 2012 CHALLENGE ONLY!!

What’s in the box:

1. Ampro Satin Bonnet
2. Ampro Silk Edges
3. African Pride Shea Butter Miracle Silky Hair Moisturizer
4. Salon Exotic Deep Repair Masque
5. Eco Styler Curl & Wave Gel
6. Jane Carter Solution Shampoo
7. Jane Carter Solution Leave In
8. Jane Carter Solution “Love Your Hair” Pin
9. Aubrey GPB Balancing Conditioner
10. Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner
11. Pink Wristband that says “Strength”
12. Mini curlLIFE mag, plus an article written by me in the magazine!!

ENTER TO WIN

Guidelines:

• You must be 18 years or older to enter to win in this giveaway!
• Must be in the USA to participate.
• You MUST follow all the rules below to be considered for entry.
• GIVEAWAY OPEN UNTIL THURSDAY JANUARY 7th, 2013

The Rules:

1. Must be a fan of Afroniquely You on Facebook
2. Must be a fan of CurlKit on Facebook
3. Tweet the following “I’m a #TBCHchallenger with @afroniquely & I want the @curlkit pink kit! #naturalhair #bdaybash #tbch2012OCTDEC” CLICK TO TWEET
4. Follow @afroniquely AND @curlkit on twitter
5. Below in the comments section enter your twitter handle that you tweeted with, and your fb name that you’ve like both pages with!
6. Share in the comment section below your response to the following:
   1. What goal for your hair did you accomplish this year?
   2. Tell me a favorite product of yours, and why? Why should others be interested in it?
   3. Got the curlkit? If yes, tell us about it, if no, tell us why you’d want it.
   4. MUST INCLUDE A PHOTO of your progress from being on this challenge (Oct-Dec 2012)

GIVEAWAY WILL CLOSE ON THURSDAY JANUARY 7, 2013 AT 11:59PM

thanks to Heather and the team for contributing an awesome Pink Box!

~Hope you enjoyed! Till next time stay lovely and afroniquely you!

Ever wondered what you’d look like with a big chop? Short hair? something different? Well, the Big Chop App is for you! I am loving the idea behind this genius application. Get an insight into diving into the world of natural hair without the fuss and the mess. Don’t want drawbacks and withdrawal syndromes? Yeh, get the Big Chop App!! Let’s learn more:

Who: 
Arsha Jones

Where: 
I live in Maryland now, but I was born and raised in Washington, DC, so really the entire DC area.

What
I’m a web designer by trade with a Bachelors in Fine Arts. I enjoy anything creative which allows me to use my imagination and make my own rules.

What is the Big Chop App?

My project is called The Big Chop App and it’s a hair makeover mobile app for women of color who like curly, kinky and natural hair styles. No matter if you’re contemplating doing “the big chop” or have been natural for years this is app is for you.  Use your own photos to try on over 250+ natural hairstyles which include twa’s (teeny weeny afro’s), twists, twist outs, dreadlocks, braids and every hair type in between. It will be available in the app store in just  a few weeks as we approach our final stage of testing.

Divulge with us what your company is all about.

CapCityApps (Capital City, LLC) was formed in 2011 and decided to jump into mobile development. Essentially our company is focused on building mobile applications from the African American perspective. We have an entire list of applications slated for production in 2013 – from educational to a bit ratchet!

Business Philosophy
The path to success is easy. Do what the average person won’t do. If that means, I have to learn a new skill, spend hours on social media for networking, make real connections, going to tech related events and market my product – I’ll do it.

Target Audiences

The target audience for The Big Chop App are women of color who desire to become or are already natural. Although I will be adding men’s styles with future versions. On the other hand, the target audience for CapCityApps is everyone. While the apps we build are targeted to a largely African American culture, the apps will be fun for anyone!

Products and Services Offered:
We have been contacted several times to build apps for other small businesses, but at this time we are unable to take on any additional projects. So at the moment we are finishing up completion of The Big Chop App, then moving on to offering The Big Chop on Android and iPad.

How is your company different from the rest, what is it geared to do? Why was it created?
CapCityApps is not trying to create the next Angry Birds or Words with Friends. Those apps are targeting to everyone in the entire universe of mobile device users. We specialize in creating niche mobile apps which focus on one group of people. This allows us to offer products which offer a unique educational, historical or entertaining experience.

Highlight your top product/service
The Big Chop App will be our flagship project and will help set the foundation and standard for additional applications to follow.

Anything Upcoming?
Yes, in addition to The Big Chop App being offered on Android and iPad, we are working to launch our home site at http://www.capcityapps.com. We are also hoping to launch one additional hairstyle app which will be geared more toward straight/relaxed hair styles for women of color.

Please stay tuned! We are planning tons of giveaways. With each new app release we are planning giveaways of either an iPod touch or iPad! Some will be hosted on our site and others will be partnerships with other bloggers. So be sure to sign up for our newsletter or follow us online!

GIVEAWAY

Speaking about GIVEAWAYS!?! Guess what ya’ll. Arsha and I have teamed up to giveaway (1) ONE iPod Touch to one of you awesome readers!! Yay! Details below.

Guidelines:

• You must be 18 years or older to enter to win in this giveaway!
• Must be in the USA to participate.
• You MUST follow all the rules below to be considered for entry.
• GIVEAWAY OPEN UNTIL FRIDAY JANUARY 4TH, 2013 at 12noon!!

The Rules:

1. Must be a fan of Afroniquely You on Facebook
2. Must be a fan of CapCityApps on Facebook
3. Tweet the following “I want an ipod touch from @afroniquely & @capcityapps #naturalhair #bdaybash” CLICK TO TWEET
4. Follow @afroniquely AND @capcityapps on twitter
5. Below in the comments section enter your twitter handle that you tweeted with, and your fb name that you’ve like both pages with!

BIG BONUS: Feeling creative?? Make a short 1-3 mins video creatively depicting your own big chop story, OR your going

natural story. If neither of those applies (been natural all your life), simply tell me what kept you sticking to natural hair. In the video be sure to mention “Afroniquely You and Cap City Apps are having a giveaway, go enter now”. Also include our links in the description box of your video: http://afroniquelyyou.com  http://capcityapps.com and a link to this giveaway post http://www.afroniquelyyou.com/?p=8321

Make sure you are subscribed to my youtube channel as well! Afroqueenshae on Youtube

That’s It!! Go have fun. GIVEAWAY OPEN UNTIL FRIDAY JANUARY 4TH, 2013 at 12noon!!

 Thank you Arsha for sponsoring the giveaway of the iPod Touch!!

Find Arsha and more info about The Big Chop App On the web

• Website: http://thebigchopapp.com/
• Website: http://www.capcityapps.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapCityApps
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CapCityApps
• Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/o9s7b
• Email: info@capcityapps.com

~Hope you enjoyed! Till next time stay lovely and afroniquely you!

With that comes a lot of celebration. But today isn’t all about me, it’ll be about you all. Stay tuned and see as I dish out a ton of giveaways.

But first, I have to do a reveal of my hair growth since last year. For those who may not know, I cut it all off again in an effort to grow it back healthier, and also because I just wasn’t pleased with my hair. It was breaking slightly, and also it just felt different to me. I had a run in case with heat damage, and though I had cut it off earlier that year, I still just felt like my hair was different, weird even. So I cut it all off, and the happiness was back again.

From Nov 2011 to September 2012 I didn’t really do much to my hair, who by the way is named Sassy-Belle. Sassy had a way of just being her own thing, and sometimes not complying to the rules. But she got her act together.

From Oct 2012 to Dec 2012, I really got serious about my very own TBCH Challenge and I can say I truly saw the benefits, which has now propelled me to jump into wanting to do an even greater 2013 TBCH Challenge! I did exercising, I really tried to eat right, and stay stress free, and it did pay off!

Here’s a recap of my year in hair!

Sassy took a scissor to it! Nov 2011 

Sassy grew a little, April 2012:

Born to be free! Sassy in August 2012!

Progressing nicely, Sassy shows her potential in September 2012

She’s on the grow! Grow Sassy Grow! Oct 2012

Sassy keeps thriving! EARLY December 2012 (Dec 17)

A Quick Comparison of Sassy-Belle in Oct & Dec:

THE GRAND FINALE 2012: SASSY-BELLE ON DECEMBER 31ST.

Excitement abounds! This picture will also count as my starting photo for the Winter 2013 challenge! Woot woot!

a comparision from Nov 2011 (technically I took that pic on Dec 1st 2011, but I count it as my Big Chop photo), and today Dec 31, 2012!!! Our hair does grow, just love it and treat it right.

P.s. I am excited to say, today Dec 31st is my bday!! :)

I’ll share some photo’s of my hairdo for the day.

Alright challengers and lovelies! Share with me your progress thus far, post your photos challengers, let’s see how much we’ve grown.

If you haven’t signed up for the TBCH Challenge yet, do it now!! I am pulling the registration down after today!!!

~Hope you enjoyed! Till next time stay lovely and afroniquely you!

CHECK IN

Today’s check in is pretty easy! Just comment below your responses to the following:

1. This season I am most looking forward to:
2. My hair in December has been:
3. I’m most excited about _______ for next year!

That’s it, looking forward to reading your replies.

Also, Winner (finally) of the Oct 2012, Check in Book giveaway is Feron Floyd!

Please be sure to email me by Monday with your name and preferred email-contact, or another winner will be chosen.

Ok lovelies, check in!

~Hope you enjoyed! Till next time stay lovely and afroniquely you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoK6abHsEGw

Don’t you just love this?! Be sure to go to her blog now and view the original posting complete with a transcipt of the instructions she mentioned.

~Hope you enjoyed! Till next time stay lovely and afroniquely you!

Why Moisturize? We put moisture in our hair in an effort to keep it from breaking, keep it with enough elasticity (which makes for springy coils and curls). We moisturize because our hair without it just feels dry and brittle. Moisture is essential to anyone wanting to retain length and grow their hair out. The ends are going to naturally be the dryest parts of our hair since it is the oldest, and if you aren’t locking in moisture on those ends, well, say goodbye to them!

How To Moisturize?

So just how do we moisturize? Grab your favorite products! Ideally you should have a leave in conditioner, an oil you love, a butter or creamy product you love and a bottle of mist/water/light water or aloe vera juice based-spray.

1. To begin, section your hair into manageable sections. If your hair is TWA length, I’d say about 10 sections are good since the hair is shorter. If your hair is longer, you can go anywhere from 8 and down to even 2 sections.

2. On each section, you will begin to take action. First mist your hair with your water (or if you have a product you like that is light, liquid and water or aloe vera based) till the section is dampened. Please remove ALL shed hairs!! I can’t stress this enough. Leaving shed hairs in, will leave you bald..because eventually all that hair wrapped around will cause breakage, more tangles and damage than needed. So remove them!

3. After misting the section till damp, apply your leave in of choice. Some prefer a thick leave in, others a creamy or more runny leave in. Whatever you prefer, use it! Apply it (a small amount at a time) to the section, and make sure your ends got some

4. Next, apply your favorite oil. I like a mix of castor oil, coconut oil and grapeseed oil. Those three have phenominal benefits and are great for use. Take the oil you choose, and apply it over the section. Again, ensure that the ends are covered too.

5. Lastly apply your favorite thick butter or creamy hair product. Some people love whipped shea butter, others mango butters. Others prefer brands such as the Shea Moisture smoothie or the Cantu Shea Butter cream. Whatever the case may be, use what works for you!! Slather a small amount over the section, smooth it in completely. And make sure not to neglect the ends.

6. Repeat these steps above for each section. Be sure to work ONE section at a time, then proceed to the next section.

Also key point: Ends are the oldest! They will need more attention and care! Shed hairs are detrimental to your hair’s health. Remove them, every last shed hair! as soon as you encounter it during this process.

How Often? This is one only you can answer. You might need to moisturize once per day, twice per week, every other day or even every 7 days. Best way to tell is to see how soon after you’ve completed the moisturizing process your hair begins to feel extra dry and brittle again. Once it feels this way, it’s time to go at it again.

More Aura Cacia…

Protecting the Hair A lot of naturals tend to neglect this step. They want to wear fancy styles, they want to wear their hair lose at night. No bueno friends! In order to keep what you grow, you have to protect it. Yes, wear a fancy style, but make sure at the end of the day you are still protecting the hair. Did a great twist out? Great! Now, before you head to sleep, twist it up in chunky twists and put a satin/silk scarf or bonnet over it and get some rest. Protecting the hair helps you keep it for longer. The more rubbing the ends do across your clothes, or the cotton sheets, the more damage you’ll see. When you wear a protective style, you keep the ends up and away. When you sleep at night with satin (opt for real, natural satin fibers and not the polyester types) or silk (au natural!), your hair gets a chance to breathe and the ends are not rubbing against the pillow.

Hairstyles for winter Two strand twists, Rolled Updos, anything that keeps hair up and off the shoulders are good. I will be posting some great hairstyles for winter wear. But here are a few you can try in the mean time.

1. Havana Twists
2. Marley Braid Updo
3. Buns Galore
4. Flexi Rod Sets and  No Heat Flexi-Set
5. Twist and Curl

Bonus: p.s. check out this video I found via BlakIzBeautyful/Jenell on moisturizing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRLsb-RF2pw

Ok lovely! Hope you enjoyed this post, and looking forward to see how you winterize your curls.

WHAT DO YOU USE TO MOISTURIZE AND PROTECT YOUR HAIR DURING THE WINTER??

~Hope you enjoyed! Till next time stay lovely and afroniquely you!