Hair Tuitorial: Bantu Knot on Dry Hair

 

 

So I decided to post a video for how I achieve my vintage inspired fluffy hair.  This video covers my Bantu Knot on dry hair from start to finish.  I have also posted a few pictures below.  I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

On to the video....

 

 

 

A few more pictures...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Things to look out for.....

Hey guys just thought I'd take the time to share beauty collections that are out and available for purchase!  The first of course is a OPI Nail polish collection.

The OPI Skyfall collection also known as the 007 Bond... James Bond Collection.

 

 

 

If you are looking for a polish collection to bring your fall into bloom and get you through the upcoming winter months this is it!  The colors are rich, deep, and what I call popping!  As usual I encourage everyone to purchase OPI polish from JcPenny as they usually sell them buy one get one half off and if you are like me then you are always looking for ways to save.

 

 

Next on the beauty roster is the MAC Marilyn Monroe Collection!

 

Credit

 

 

Oh Miss Monroe....if your looking for some spicy seductive reds to round out your holiday makeup then this is definitely the collection for you!  Now the collection has been on the scene for about a month so you make have to do a little searching to find certain things but if your truly dedicated to makeup then this is definitely worth your search!

 

Good Luck!

Little Project #1: Saving the Date

Okay I could babble on and on about what has been keeping me away from posting but I'd rather share with you all a little piece of the project that has really taken over my life....my wedding.  From this project I think it would be great to share a DIY project I took on....our Save the Dates!

Yes I am pretty excited about how things turned out and I will be dropping these in the mail tomorrow yay!  We have got about 7 months before the "Big Day" and I plan to share more of our "Big Day"


The finished product (disregard the black-outs, I have to respect the privacy of the recipients):

 

 

 

A detailed look into the creation process:

 

 

Postmarked and ready to ship!!! (Different people will receive different packaging, chosen at random)

 



Card Options 1-3

Mini Magnets Options 1&2



As you can see my indecisiveness lead to a bunch of options! But hey the way I see it is that makes for a surprise in everyone's package. Overall, I had a great time putting together our Save the Dates....now about the Wedding Invitations...I guess you will just have to stay tuned.  If you have any questions on this process or the supplies I used feel free to ask below!

Until next time...

~A

Oh how we love those changes....

Hello everyone!  I know this post is long overdue! But I just wanted to take the time to let you all know about some of the changes that would be occurring here on the All Relevant Things site. 

First, I am moving from a general fashion and beauty blog to more of a personal style/haircare/lifestyle blog. 

What that means:  Basically you will be only seeing "fashion" posts as it relates to my personal style and whats trending in my life as opposed to what is happening in the rest of the world.

Next, I am going to be featuring more lifestyle pieces.

What that means:  As you may or may not know I am in the process of planning the biggest party of my life (my wedding).  So I will be doing some posts surrounding my journey as I plan and recaps of those events as they come.  This also means you will start to see more posts on DIY projects I have taken on as well as new recipes I have been trying.

Lastly,  the "Look" of the blog. As you can tell the blog is looking different these days...this was mostly for me...I needed to see something new...I wanted something that felt more "personal"...the changes are happening slowly but eventually you will see a completely new look for "All Relevant Things".

Overall, I just want to continue providing relevant information and I honestly believe these changes are going to be for the better. 

I want to thank everyone for their support and I hope you all enjoy the new changes.....

Someone did a recap video of Curls and Conversations!

I was so excited and thankful that someone took the time to do a recap video of their Curls and Conversations experience!  So check out the video recap below!  Special thanks to MsTommieG for creating the video!!!!

Curls and Conversations Recap! (Mini look of the day)

I want to start by apologizing for my absence from the blog...things have been beyond hectic but I promise to be better about my posting!

So this past Friday I held my second natural hair event Curls and Conversations. Curls and Conversations is a casual happy hour event that I plan on throwing once a month on a Friday with alternating venues.

The event had a great turnout which I was beyond excited about. I won't go on any more but I will post some pictures of the event as well as a picture of my "Look of the Day" below....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On to my Look of the Day....

 

 

What I'm wearing:

 

Top: Forever 21

 

Pants: Urban Outfitters

 

Shoes: Strawberry

 

Purse: Steve Madden - purchased from Ross

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Boots Were Made for Walking...Fall Boot Trends!!

 

 

 

 

With the Fall season approaching rapidly I just thought it would be great if I did a post on some of the biggest boot trends for the upcoming season.  I think that everyone should make their way to getting at least on of the styles that are in this season....

 



The Lace Up
This style of boot is perfect for rocking with a pair of skinny pants or jeans.  You can spice it up by choosing a boot with a print by far one of the sexiest boots styles out.

Riding Boots
While riding boots aren't new to the game they are coming in full swing this season.  Try looking for a two toned riding boot to bring some variety to your collection.  Hunter makes some great leather riding boots. Riding boots are classic and would be a long term addition to your boot collection,

Hiking Boots
These are not your dad's hiking boots!  Spice up this style by choosing a hiking boot with a heel.  These boots can give any casual look a vibrant feel.







Chelsea Boots
These boots are coming back in from it's highest peak the 60's.  So for a really trendy casual look a pair of Chelsea boots will give you just that look.

Wedge Boots
By far one of my favorite style of boots the wedge can take any look to the next level while still providing a ton of comfort and absolute must have!






So there you have it! Equipped with the tools to get your started shopping this fall season!

August Birchbox Review....

So my next Birchbox arrived and guess who was beyond excited about it's contents.  I must say I was very impressed with the contents this month.  I will be honest and say after my first month's box I was not sure if I was going to continue my subscription any longer.  So enough of me babbling see what came in my August Birchbox below...

 

 

 

 

What was included in the box:

 

* A Beauty School Manual

* Juicy Couture Perfume

*Schick Hydro Silk

*Miss Jessies Stretch Silkening Creme

*Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream

* Pixi Lipstick and Liner

 

What I loved about this month's box:

The theme!  Once again I feel if Birchbox hits the nail on the head with the theme surrounding each month's box.  With August being the month for most people starting school the "Beauty School Supply Box" was the perfect match.  I also loved getting the Miss Jessie's products I feel like each month they really do focus their boxes on my needs.  For $10 a month I feel like it more than pays for itself.

 



 

 

4 Reasons I Went Natural

So I have been getting a lot of questions about my natural hair journey and why I decided to go natural so I decided to a a quick little post on why I decided to go natural...

One
I just thought that having textured hair was so versatile. If anyone knows me they know that I change my hair just as often as people change shoes. I just think that textured hair allows me to have the best of both worlds...one day I wake up and want it big and curly and the next week I may want to wear it straight the styling possibilities are pretty endless.

Two
I have been known to wear a weave or two (who am I kidding I spent most of my adult life in a weave). I had gotten so many back to back sew ins by the time I looked up I was "due" for a relaxer.  At that point I was all in.

Three
I am just as random as the weather and for the most part when I decide to do something it's usually in the moment.  So while sitting at work one day I decided after work I was going to do the big chop and that day I did it!

Four
Unlike some people I have no problem saying that I has some influence from those around me.  At the time I was surrounded by five friends who had all just recently went natural or were transitioning so I had my own little support group and that made my decision that much easier.

and that pretty much sums it up!  I haven't looked back since.

Please share your natural hair reasons/stories below!

Looks of the Day

 

Okay so I just wanted to share a couple of looks of the day from last week.  See pictures below....

So here is what I am wearing in the above pic

* Floral Shirt  and Black Pants - Forever 21

* Pearl Necklace

*Plum colored wedges

What I wore in the above photo...

Red Blazer- Forever 21

Blue "Jean like" shirt - Forever 21

Black Stretch Pants - H&M

Leopard Wedges - Strawberry

Leopard Scarf - H&M

Giveaway: Ultimate Haircare

Yes how excited am I to announce my next giveaway!  So recently I've had the great pleasure of trying the entire line of NuNAAT's Karite Special Line see post here.

So since I really liked the Karite Special Line I just thought what better way to share the love than to give one lucky winner their own set of the entire Karite Special Line! Yep I said it ...one lucky person will win all five full sized products!

Sooo down to the nitty gritty ...

How to enter: Its so simple just send me an e mail or leave a comment that gives me one word you would use to describe your hair and that's it!  If you do decide to post a comment be sure I have a way of contacting you if your selected as the winner. Send e-mails to admin@allrelevantthings.com

When to enter: This contest is going from now (August 12, 2012) until Sunday August 26, 2012 you you have an entire two weeks to let me know a word you would use to describe your hair.

What you will win:  The full sized collection of the NuNAAT Karite Special line which includes the nourishing shampoo, reconstructive conditioner, leave-in detangler, hair mask, and the anti-frizz thermo active! Whew that's a lot right ..how excited am I to be doing this giveaway.

One thing I just have to say ....this contest is NOT just for women with natural hair It's for anyone who wants to have healthy hair.  I just wanted say that creating a healthy regimen should be vital for every woman whether she is relaxed or natural so I encourage everyone to enter!

Until next time....

-A

Next on the CurlBox...

Soo as some of you know I subsribed to CurlBox ....a natural hair box subscription service (check out my initial write up here).

So this is my second month getting a CurlBox and I just wanted to share with you all what I got in my box and my opinions and thoughts about CurlBox so far....

See pictures of what I received below...

What was included in this month's box:

Sample packet of Twista Sista (which I had been dying to try)
Full sized jar of Carol's Daughter Hair Milk
Fill sized jar of Shea Butter's Coconut Curling Cream
Packet of Palmer's Olive Oil Deep Conditioner
3 packets of SofnFree (cleansing conditioner, curly pudding, curl sealer)
Monthly newsletter


My take on CurlBox so far and this months box:

Overall I am beyond satisfied with the Curlbox I received.  I think they do a great job of sharing products that fall at both ends of the price spectrum. I will say this month I was beyond surprised to see I had received a full sized Carol's Daughter products...looks like my $20 a month subscription fee was well worth it.  I was also excited to receive some products I had been itching to try (Twisted Sista) as well as some products I did not know about (Sofnfree). 

Overall if your in the market to find new products or you are a product junkie like myself I think having a CurlBox subscription is well worth the $20 fee heck I think of a lot of worst ways to spend $20.....

Product Review NuNAAT Karite Special Line

It's been a while since I took the time to review a line of hair products so I am pretty excited about this review. Over the past week I have been using the brand NuNAAT Karite Special line.

So down to the nitty gritty....

I tried just about the entire Karite Special line which included a Nourishing Shampoo, Reconstructive Conditioner, Leave in Detangler, Hair Mask, and the Anti-Frizz Thermo Active.


Nourishing Shampoo
So with all of my hair regimen I always start with the shampoo.  The Karite Special shampoo was great, my hair usually feels slightly dried out after a good cleansing shampoo (which is why I deep condition a lot).  However, with the Karite shampoo my hair was left feeling very soft and my ringlets (curls) were pretty defined. The actually product felt pretty light and I look for that in a cleansing shampoo.  Let me tell you I was feeling so good about my hair I actually did my first wash and go lol.  In addition to the softness of my hair it also smelled great!

Reconstructive Conditioner
Okay so for me this conditioner proved to be very light.  With water as the conditioners primary ingredient (meaning it's listed first on the bottle).  I have used the conditioner in two ways as an immediate wash out and as a deep conditioner.  I will say I prefer this conditioner as an immediate rinse out.  It left my hair feeling very soft which is usually only something I get after about 15 mins of letting the conditioner sit in my hair.  So overall I did really like it, if your looking for an immediate rinse out conditioner then this would definitely be one to try.

Leave in Detangler
Let me just start with the word GREAT!  First of all I have say that I have been trough my share of leave in detangler/conditioners and it's been a love hate journey. Normally I steer clear of leave in's because my hair is left feeling a little crunchy and like it has way to much product in it.  However I am infatuated with this detangler, my hair was left feeling very soft and was super easy to do my detangling process and I loved it.  This detangler will be one to stick around in my regimen.

Hair Mask
So I ended up using the Hair Mask two different ways.  First I used it as a co-wash conditioner and second I used it as a deep conditioner (I placed a cap over my head and sat under the dryer for about 20 minutes).  Needless to say my hair felt so refreshed after applying the hair mask.  I am really big on my hair not feeling like it is overloaded with product and this is one of those masks that fits right in to my preference for products.  My curls were very defined upon rinsing the mask out and I loved it.

Anti-Frizz Thermo Active
So I really didn't get a chance to use this because I haven't put any heat on my hair (it works as a heat protector in some sense).  However I do plan on blowing my hair out in the next few days so I promise I will do a follow up post and discuss this.


And that pretty much sums it up....Overall I think if you are looking for a line of great products, that will leave your hair feeling soft to touch and moisturized  the Karite Special line would be a great choice.  I know for sure they have earned a new fan (me).  If you have any questions about the products or want to know about my experience further feel free to contact me or leave a comment below.


Now for the really good stuff.....
Just as a heads up I will be posting my next giveaway in a few days and the winner will receive their own collection of the entire Karite Special line so stay tuned!!!!

Sephora Master Class Recap

So this past Sunday I had the pleasure of taking a Master Class at the Sephora in Jacksonville, FL.  I had such a great time.  We focused on creating the perfect Smokey Eye.  Although the main focus of the class was for creating that perfect smokey eye, we did a full application of makeup including all of the facial moisturizing prep.

Be sure to ask your local Sephora if/when they will be hosting a master class in your area.  There was not a fee for the actual class but they did require you purchase a $50 gift card which you can use at anytime.  In addition to that they give you a gift bag with some free samples included.

The above picture is everything that I purchased with my gift card as well as what was included in the gift bag.

See some additional pictures below....

Another Boxed Addiction....

Soooo my first Birchbox arrived and I was pretty excited about it.  For those of you who are probably wondering what a Birchbox is, it's a monthly subscription service where each month you get a boxed filled with sample (of full) sized beauty/health products.  The subscription service is $10 a month.

What I love about Birchbox and my first month's box....
I love that with Birchbox you fill out a profile and I think they use that to help determine which products they send to you each month.

For this month I really love the whole five senses idea...its so cute.

Of course I love that it only costs $10 a month.


My thoughts on the August Birchbox....

This month I received six products....an arLarabar (Cherry Clobbler flavored), a set of ear phones (there is a playlist on Glamour magazine's website), Eyeko London black liquid eyeliner, mini Color Club nail polish, Bamboo color care UV+, min bottle of Harvey Prince perfume.

So for this to be my first Birchbox I honestly have mixed reviews/feelings. I really think the theme beyond this month's box is amazing however I just think it could have been executed a little better.

 I am going to continue my subscription to see what future month's brings. Oh and I love the packaging!  I would suggest any beauty lovers sign up.