Lovely Lady Luxe

In My Dreams...

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:30:00 +0000

... my sexy sassy banging a** braidouts would look JUST like this... all day, er'ryday!

MySexySassyBanginAssBraidout

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 14:46:00 +0000

OK. Here goes braidout attempt numero dos! LOVED it. I've been searching for the perfect natural style that makes me feel just as fly as when I rock a fresh press and by golly I think this one's a keeper! Turned out exactly how I wanted it to from day 1. Big. Full. Fluffy. Shiny. Great definition. Lots of compliments!

By day 3 tho, I made the mistake of going into the loo to take off my head scarf too quickly after a steamy shower. All hell broke loose atop my head! I still tried to make it last but my ends became so dry! That's mos def a deal breaker for me so... Tonight I guess I'll give it another wash to get ready for anotha sexy sassy bangin-ass braidout! ;o) YAY!!!!

My Dry-Arse, Tangled Up, To'Back Twistout... TRAGIC!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:26:00 +0000

OMG guys! I just came to the unfortunate realization that my last twistout was a TRAGIC MESS! After 3 days of wearing my twistout, I decided to declare a state of emergency and wash that *ish out immediately. It was sooo dry, frizzy with no definition, messy, dry, and oh, did I mention DRY!?? Ooooooo Oooooo oooo!!! That is my #1 hair pet peeve... Dry arse hair! ARRGH!!! A good deep conditioning and oiling quickly resuscitated my lifeless hair and then it was back to the drawing board!

The good news tho? Since at 1st I didn't succeed, I tried and tried again and am now proudly rockin a soft, fluffy, well-moisturized, sexy, sassy, bangin-*ss braidout. I'm in lub! Lots of pics to come so stay tuned!

And the winner of LLL's 2010 Wig Challenge Is...!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:36:00 +0000

Please don't hate! There's always next year, ladies!

But yeah... So... Ummm... Just wondering... Does this qualify as fashion or animal cruelty? Just saying! LOL! Claude H.A.M.mercy! The blue joint IS kinda making me wanna step my protective styling game up tho!

Anyway, if you want to cop a fierce wig for your fab feline, kittywigs.com has got the hookup!

Something New

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 04:43:00 +0000

Been kinda stuck in a rut lately so I thought it'd be nice to shake things up a bit. Need something NEW... Life. Love. Something. Everything. First up? Hair. Now, I never Ever EVA change my protective styling routine so for me this is BIG stuff. Last week I did the twists. Made me feel like a twelve year old with plaits so ... yeah, ummm keepin it movin... this week, it's on to the twistOUT. I must say, I kinda likey. Maybe if I tweak a few things... Hmmm. This style just might be a keeper. Just a few technical difficulties though. Too much oil, Hair not completely dry, rollers falling off the ends while sleeping... That may be why my twistout resembles more of a 1982 jherri curl but hey... Still not too shabby for my 1st try.

Chrisette Michelle Gets GANGSTA... And Goes Completely BALD!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:29:00 +0000

If you haven't already heard, there's a big ta-do about singer Chrisette Michelle shaving her head completely bald. In a recent interview, the singer explains her reasons for the big-chop-a-roo:

"I was tired of black sista’s feeling subject to having their hair pressed and straightened, and damaged, with relaxers, and heat. So I wanted to make short and nappy hair fashionable, and let the industry know that there is nothing wrong with the texture that we have been born with. So I plan to grow it out to the big beautiful nappy hair that I have.”

I personally don't see why there is such "shock and awe." She looks absolutely beautiful. All of this makes me think about the different reasons sistas go natural. Me? Well, I did the big chop-a-roo twice. Each time, different reasons. The first was the same as Chrisette. I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired. The second was after a bad breakup. I thought I needed a change. Before I cut it, I was miserable. After I cut, I was just BALD and MISERABLE. LOL. Nothing changed. Here's the thing though... It may not be life-changing but I do think going natural teaches you an important lesson about yourself regardless of why you do it.

LLL readers, why did YOU go natural? And are you diggin Chrisette's new 'do?

Get It Twisted!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:11:00 +0000

As of late, I've been rockin the straight look (pics coming soon). I tried my best to make it last as long as possible, but with the 80 degree weather & humidity, pressed hair becomes a crispity, crackely, crunchity, stir fried, frizzy, bushy MESS. I finally decided that it was really gonna have to be a wrap on that for now.

This weekend I tried something new. A lil' mix of water, conditioner, oil, and shea and... VIOLA! The result was some soft, shiny, well moisturized twists! I'm usually very anal about leaving my ends exposed (esp. in summer) or leaving real conditioner in my hair but so far so good. I don' know but leaving in the not-so-leave-in-conditioner is kinda changing the game for my hair. Jury's still out. Oh and shrinkage is a biotch but hey, life is still good! Happy Easter ladybugs!

Erykah Badu: Hot Tress or Hot Mess?

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:53:00 +0000

See this picture? This is exactly what my ass looked like for atleast a month after I found out my ex-boyfriend was cheating on me. Just plain crazy and deranged. Heartbreak. That was my excuse. Now Erykah, what's yours boo boo? Who did it, girl? Who did it?! Please talk to mama!

First she's running around "buckit naked" in her new video and now this? I'm trying to focus on the hair... trying to make sense of it all... and... ummmm...quite frankly, I'm confused. Are those braids, locs, or twists? A combo of all three? Is that a weave? God forbid, a lacefront?!! Damn. Damn. I'm just at a lost. (**blank stares**)... On the other hand tho, a part of me kinda likes it just b/c I like her. You can always count on Ms. Badu to keep you on your toes creatively/artistically! So, what do you think?

Upgraded!: Singer/Songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:29:00 +0000

Ya know who's been looking especially fly lately? Singer Corinne Baily Rae! She's finally back after a long hiatus (following the unfortunate and sudden passing of her husband) and she looks like a completely new woman. I'm absolutely LOVING the fullness of her new mid-length textured bob. WANT THIS LOOK?: Do a twist out on dry hair! Fluff ! And GO!

And We're Back in Business!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:08:00 +0000

Hey ladybugs! Just wanted to announce that I finally got a new mini laptop so I'm officially back in business... ummm... again... for like... umm...the trillionth time! No, but, for real for real this time! Cross my heart... Promise on my beloved silk hair scarf... and anyone who knows me KNOWS I go hard for that scarf!!! LOL! Smiley face. (More on that later.)

Anyway, thought it'd be nice to kick things off with a progress pic! (*** taken a couple months ago***).

See, What Had Happend Was...!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:01:00 +0000

I know! I know! I have some es'plaining to do! :0( So sorry ladybugs! I had wanted to make a grand return... complete with fabulous update pics and all. Unfortunately, my janky arse computer has other plans. (I had to snag my sister's laptop just to make this post!) Ughhhh! So annoying. Please bare with me. I"ll be back with updates as soon as I can get it right and get it tight...

I'm Back!!!!!!!!!! (More to Come)

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:55:00 +0000

I know I done fell off something awful with my regular postings. Sorry, ladybugs. What can I say other than, sometimes life gets in the way. After receiving several salty emails, threats, and tongue-lashings from my faithful LLL readers, I'm glad to announce that I'm finally back! Boy do we have some catching up to do! You won't believe how much my hair has grown! The BIG REVEAL is coming soon, so stay tuned!

Love Yourself...

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:57:00 +0000

...this is what happens when we don't. This is what it looks like when we fight ourselves... and lose. So sad.

Sneak-A-Peek: My Kinky Curly Update!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:01:00 +0000

Ok, I'll admit... The last couple months I've been gettin' a wee bit antsy about waiting for my hair to grow back. So I decided to boycott my own Progress Reports for a bit... hope you don't mind... it's for the sake of my own sanity really. Whenever I start to get me knickers in a bunch over what-seems-to-be-but-probably-isn't painfully slow hair growth, it's always best to just chill and let things "marinate" for a while. Hopefully the next time I check in, I'll be pleasantly surprised. A small change in my routine- You know my normal 2-month wait between my "comb and wash"? Well, that's a wrap, FOR REAL! My hair seems to be getting too long for that. My last wash was ALL. OUT. WAR! Tangles and knots galore! Now, 1 good scrub per month seems to be the charm. :) Even though I'm boycotting my Progress Reports, a little sneak peek never hurt nobody! tee hee hee! I took this pic just this past weekend. See how my curls are more defined and hang a little bit better (less shrinkage)? That's whassup!

Month 18 Progress Report!!!! Woooooo HOOOOO!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:31:00 +0000

About a month ago I celebrated a very important event in my natural hair journey.... That's right! Month 18 biotches (since the big chop-a-roo)! Yeah! I am hella hyped! In the above pic, my hair is a little longer than what you see... my hand is holding the end of my hair but I couldn't get a good shot of the entire length and hold the camera at the same time. Sorry. :( But I must say, I'm pleased as punch. I can see real progress and I'm FINALLY beginning to see some light at the end of this raggedy arse tunnel. When I say raggedy, I'm referring to the fact that I've been wearing this stankish, raggedy arse wig as my protective style. I can't stand it but ya know... sometimes a kinky curly chick's gotta do what a kinky curly chick's gotta do (to achieve growth, that is)! I'm just ready for my hair to grow back so I can ditch the hair hat, ditch the cornrows, my hair can finally breathe, and I can be alittle more relaxed with my styling routine. Happy to say that by the looks of it, I'm well on my way :)

Dry Arse Hair!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:40:00 +0000

After my last post Protect Your Neck, an LLL reader asked:
____________________________________________________
What does it mean if [the conditioner is] just sitting there [on top of your hair
instead of coating and penetrating it]? I moisturize my hair every day but it
still seems dry.
____________________________________________________

When conditioner just sits there "chillin" on the top of your hair, it's an indication that you have dry arse hair. What is dry arse hair, you might ask? Well, just take a good look at this throwback pic of MJ. This, my friends, is the perfect example of some dry, thirsty arse hair! See how the hair is wet but still looks dry...how the beads of water just kinda roll off the top of the hair instead of saturating it... how the hair is so rigid that it barely flattens at all (even though it's probably soaked)... What I mean is, if you put conditioner on your hair and it even slightly resembles this, then it's time to step your moisture game up... pronto!

Protect Ya Neck...

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 01:43:00 +0000

... and those precious, fragile ends! The ends of your hair are the oldest, weakest part of your hair so it's important to keep them oiled, well-moisturized, and TRIMMED. Yes, I said TRIMMED. Don't be SCURRED! I know some people are scurred of the scissors but you MUST MUST MUST keep your hair free of dead ends! Peep the ends of my hair in the above pic. There is no fuzz, fraying, frizzing, or foolishness... Just nice clean ends. Moisture! Moisture! Moisture! IS KEY! Please don't get caught slippin! I don't care what anyone says... I stays greasy... all day, E'RYDAY! Just the mere THOUGHT of dry hair gets my blood pressure up! This is how you know your hair is parched. Give your hair a good wash. If the water and conditioner just sits there chillin on TOP of the hair(instead of coating and penetrating it), then Houston we have a problem!

Love Your Hair... (Just A Thought)

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 01:31:00 +0000

The next time you feel like complaining about your hair...maybe you're salty about your hair texture or fed up with not achieving as much growth as you had hoped for... Please remember this pic. Just think, your hair COULD be growing out of your ears...literally! Then, and only then, would you really have something to complain about. Now THAT right thurrr...would be some *ish* to be salty about! LOL! Love your hair. Love yourself! Happy Growing, Ladies! ;)

So, You Wanna Be A Dreadlock Rasta?

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:20:00 +0000

I started this blog because I love talking hair and thought it would be cool to share my hair journey and all the products/techniques that have worked for me in my quest to grow long strong healthy hair. Not long ago I mentioned that I wash my hair every 2 months. I DO NOT, however recommend this to the average person. It works for me because I wet my hair and oil RELIGIOUSLY (to ensure maximum moisture (and if I do end up getting tangles (tangles... that's putting it lightly), I have the patience and the know-how to detangle and still have hair left on my head when I'm done. Be forewarned... you might not be so lucky. I'm just gonna keep it FUNKY with you. If you're not careful, you'll mess around and look like a dreadlock rasta by the end of month 2. And that's no joke, playa! Now ofcourse there's absolutely nothing wrong with rockin the "Rasta". But if that's not the look you're going for, here's my suggestion...just go as long as your hair can go (safely) WITHOUT matting or locking. It's different for everybody. For most, that will most likely be 2 weeks. 2 is a good number. The basis of this technique is to manipulate your hair as LITTLE as possible for as LONG as possible. I realize that I'm a little extreme with mine and wanted to clarify.

Shawty What YO Name Is?!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:46:00 +0000

I'm sorry, ma'ne... I know this is a hair blog and all but sometimes a woman's gotta take time out to focus on what's really important in life... things like, ummm...say... this fine-arse piece of man candy I done spotted right chere! (Besides, all hair and no play makes LLL a very grumpy girl!) Anyhoo...I first noticed him when I went to see the movie N.O.T.O.R.I.O.U.S. The movie is not OSCAR material but this man's lips deserve some kind of award because DAMN... His soup coolers were lookin RIGHT! And then last night, I was watching the making of Ciara's video "Never Ever" and there he was... MY new "for-pretend" BOO (atleast for now till I find someone hotter! LOL! I'm such a naughty girl!) I was like, mmmm mmm mmmm...Shawty, what YO name is? Well, it's actor Kevin Phillips (former flame of Nia Long). He's mad sexy, talented, has adorable freckles, and seems like a positive brother from what I've read (Check out his interview with Essence mag!) And um, ladies, if you're still not sold, please peep his swag at exactly 2:40 into the Ciara video (Click here to see my boo in action!)... Need I say more?! Ok, now that I got my little man-candy fix for the day, I can get back to talking hair! tee hee hee

Step Your Moisture Game Up

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:39:00 +0000

Here's a friendly reminder to keep your beautiful, natural kinks and curls MOISTURIZED AT ALL TIMES. In order to achieve considerable growth, you are really gonna have to step your "moisture game" up, for real! Peep how shiny and supple this strand of hair is. That's the result of non-stop, daily "moisturization" :). Don't get caught slippin either or else it'll cost ya those extra inches of dead ends you'll be forced to chop off when it comes time for your next trim!

Long-Haired Woman Does The Big Chop-a-rooni... Straight Gangsta!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:24:00 +0000

Here's a little inspiration for those of you who are afraid to do the big-chop-a-roo. This lady has some of the longest, thickest, strongest, healthiest, substitute-your-own-word-iest hair I've seen and she is just choppin that *ish off...BALD... like it ain't nothing but a chicken wang! I mean, she just got real GANGSTA wit it and cut it off like "WHAT, batches!!!? LOL! I'm impressed! You can check her out on www.mf08.com along with a couple other super duper long-haired chicks (with pics) doing the big shave-a-roo. Just curious though... Why is she doing this? I suppose that's the same question my fam and friends asked me when I last did the big chop-a-rooni but hey... I guess we all have our own reasons. It's just weird seeing someone else do it, I guess. I kinda like it though. Fearless. That's how we all should be! Why did you do the big chop-a-rooni? What gave you the moxie to do it?

Growth Galore

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:38:00 +0000

This pic was taken during my Month 14 wash and trim. I ♥ my natural hair. I'm even more in l♥ve with its health, growth, and thickness. Achieving long, strong, healthy natural hair is hard work at times, but for me it's a labor of love! Can you believe that just a little over a year ago, I was practically bald!? What do you love about your kinks and curls?

Shea Butter is the Business!

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:19:00 +0000

I absolutely ♥ shea! If there is one product I can't do without (besides kemi oyl), I would have to choose my beloved shea! I put it in my hair, I butter up my skin with it and ...sshhhhh, don't tell... (whispering) I even have a secret urge to eat it. I know, I'm doing a little bit too much. LOL! But it's true. My ♥ belongs to shea!

Now I have recently heard many complaints about the obnoxiously strong, nutty smell of shea butter. I, however, have no complaints because I use refined shea (which eliminates the scent and the thickness associated with unrefined, unprocessed shea butter). My shea goes on odorless, creamy, and smooth. To experience some of this shea nutter butter goodness, visit From Nature With Love.

Rock This: Knit Caps

noreply@blogger.com (Lovely Lady Luxe) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:50:00 +0000

Between the 20-degree weather and the occasional need to give our curly-kinks a rest, I thought that rockin one of these cute little knit caps would be a very chic way to get through the winter stretch. Stars like Alicia Keys and YaYa DaCosta were spotted sporting similar looks. Now ladies, the key word is "knit cap"... NOT hair net! I know we're in a recession and all but DAMMMNN! Just save up your little coins till you can rock the real thing! Hair net (in public).... not a good look! LOL!