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seadeepywrites · 5 years ago

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Prologue

Character: Rosavyre “Rosie” d’Ghallanda Words: 2622 tw: alcohol, heavy drinking, organized crime reference, war/refugees reference

Mielle only stopped at the Guzzling Goose for a quick pint. Work kept her late tonight, and she doesn’t fancy making her way home through the winding streets of Sharn with anything more intoxicating than a beer in her system. But now her mug sits in front of her, barely touched, because she’s occupied watching the halfling at the other end of the bar.

Mielle has made the Goose her nightly stop for half a decade now, and she’s only noticed the halfling in the last few weeks. It was actually an awkward mistake on her part that first brought the halfling to her attention, when she’d leaned back in a chair and asked for another drink only for the halfling to reply with a blush that she didn’t work here. Mielle was pretty sure it established her in the halfling’s mind as a racist, when in truth it hadn’t even been the low-cut dress and the sensible shoes that had made Mielle assume she was one of the serving staff. It was the shimmering dragonmark on the halfling’s freckled shoulder — Mielle knows the mark of House Ghallanda when she sees it — and the way the halfling navigated the crowd, dodging shoulders and elbows like she’d lived in a tavern her entire life.

Nobody would mistake the halfling for a server now. Her red-brown hair is free of its hair-tie, hiding her face under a pile of voluminous curls, and she is slumped over with her head nearly resting on the top of the bar. Mielle knows that posture, knows the signs, and she is shocked by how it makes her heart thump in her chest to see the halfling like that. Since their first embarrassing meeting, she’s spotted the halfling a dozen times in the Goose, and she has always, always been bouncing to and fro with a shiny smile on her face. Mielle’s noticed, and yes, she does mean that in a gay way. The halfling is cute, with her scattering of freckles over warm brown skin and bright floral dresses. She seems to greet everyone with that smile, making conversation with strangers as easily as if they were bosom friends. Mielle’s wondered what it would be like to be on the receiving end of that smile, whether she’d be able to keep her knees from giving way entirely. There’s no trace of it now, from what she can see of the halfling’s face. Just glazed eyes and a thousand-mile stare.

Before Mielle really knows what she’s doing, she’s scooped up her mug and navigated her way down the bar to the other end, sliding onto the stool next to the halfling with a clumsy hop. The halfling doesn’t even look up, and Mielle hesitates, hand hovering halfway to that bared shoulder. The dragonmark on it glows faintly, in twisting purples and blues, but even its light seems dulled.

Mielle clears her throat, tries to form words. “Um, hi there. Are you okay?”

She winces, because the collection of empty glasses in front of the halfling is answer enough. But the halfling does lift her head, slightly, one emerald-green eye peering at Mielle through the mop of curls.

“Nnno.”

Even that simple word is slurred, and Mielle sits up a little straighter as the thought hits her: she has never, not once, seen this halfling even a little tipsy. So what the fuck is happening here, exactly?

“Oh,” she says awkwardly. “I’m... I’m sorry to hear that.”

“‘S not safe here,” the halfling mumbles.

Mielle’s pulse quickens, and she settles a hand firmly on the halfling’s back, glancing around the bar. “Is it someone here? Do you need me to call the guard?” Mielle’s not big, but she’s human-size at least and wiry from hours of moving boxes at work. The ridiculous urge rises up in her to put herself between the halfling and whatever threat she’s talking about, to shield her with her body.

The halfling jerks upright, curls falling back from her face. As Mielle expected, her face is flushed all the way down to her low neckline. She stares fuzzily at Mielle, trying to bring her into focus.

“No,” the halfling says, more clearly now. “Not me. You.”

Mielle frowns. “I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”

The halfling tries to push her away, tiny hands waving through the air. “I’m not safe,” she clarifies. “You sh... shouldn’t be here. Near.”

Mielle kind of wants to laugh, but she thinks it might upset the halfling, who cannot weigh more than fifty pounds. “Honey,” she says, then hesitates. “Actually, I’m sorry. What is your name?”

It seems to trigger some kind of reflex in the halfling, who flashes a smile and offers a hand, fully automated. “Hi, I’m Rosie d’Ghallanda.”

“Mielle,” Mielle says, bemused. And shakes the hand. Rosie’s palm is warm and sweaty. It’s a little stupid how much Mielle likes the feeling. “Anyway, Rosie. I’m a big girl. I’m going to be fine.”

Rosie looks at her with those big green eyes, smile falling away. For the first time since Mielle met her, her face is completely stripped of good humor. “You think that. Now.”

“Okay,” Mielle says, humoring her. Mielle reaches out and tucks an errant strand of Rosie’s hair back behind her ear, then places both hands lightly on the halfling’s shoulders. The left shoulder is a few degrees warmer than her right, dragonmark pulsing with light under Mielle’s fingertips. She doesn’t miss the way the corners of Rosie’s mouth tighten at the touch.

“Are you staying here? At the Goose?” Mielle asks. She speaks slowly and softly, not tightening her grip but maintaining that pressure on Rosie’s shoulders, keeping her upright and making eye contact.

“Goose. Yeah.” Rosie looks around, squinting. “They have Clan ties, you know.” Mielle raises an eyebrow. She knows that, but she’s surprised someone as wholesome-looking as Rosie does. Then again, she’s a dragonmarked House member, and if there’s one thing Mielle knows, it’s never to underestimate House Ghallanda.

Rosie leans forward on the stool, putting a hand out for balance. It lands on Mielle’s thigh, a little higher up than would be polite if Rosie was sober. Mielle’s not sure how intentional it was, so she does her best not to react. Even as her whole body warms of its own accord.

“My parents lived here,” Rosie confides in Mielle, voice lowered dramatically. “In Sharn. Before we moved.”

“Okay,” Mielle says, struggling to keep up. “And what you’re worried about, is it because of your parents?”

Rosie laughs. It is not a happy sound. “Isn’t everything?”

“Were they involved with the Clan?” Mielle’s skin prickles, and now it’s not just proximity to Rosie. Mielle’s involved in small stuff — stuff she has to do to live around here, nothing more — but for the most part she keeps her head down. If Rosie’s part of something bigger, maybe it really is as dangerous to be around her as she keeps insisting.

“No.” Rosie frowns, curls falling into her face. “Yes. Sorta.”

“Which is it?” Mielle tries to keep her voice even and calm. Soothing.

Rosie looks at her for a moment, and Mielle thinks for the first time the halfling might actually register who she’s talking to. Rosie’s eyes travel from Mielle’s face down the length of her torso to her legs, crossed on the stool. It is less of a lecherous stare and more of an evaluating one. Even with Rosie this sloppy drunk, Mielle cannot for the life of her figure out what Rosie’s intent is.

“My parents,” Rosie says, lifting a finger. “Were so happy when I got my dragonmark. Just like my mom. I could be my mom.”

“Your mom’s marked too, huh?”

“Not like I am,” Rosie says with sudden vehemence, and almost tips off the stool.

Mielle catches her, thinking fast. “Is she from House Jorasco?”

“Nope. Ghallanda. Born and bred.”

“Rosie,” Mielle says. She shakes Rosie’s arm a little, resisting the urge to gather the halfling into an embrace. “What’s wrong? What’s different about you?” That strange clarity settles over Rosie’s face again. Not like a layer being added. More like something being stripped away. Like Rosie’s good cheer is a mask, and it’s cracking. Like there’s something underneath.

“I think it went too deep.” Rosie lifts both her hands, tucking her curls behind her ears in one practiced, symmetrical motion. Her dragonmark brightens for a moment, and teal wisps of something twine up her arms, weaving through her fingers. When she lowers her hands, her hair is noticeably tamer. Neater. More in control. And it seems like Rosie might be too, though there is still a curious vulnerability to her that makes Mielle’s chest squeeze.

“I think it went too deep,” Rosie repeats, “My mark. And I got....” She holds out her hands, palms up, considering them. “I got too much.”

“Too much what?”

“Magic,” Rosie says, very quietly. “Mielle, do you... do you know the things I can do?”

Ah. Well, it wasn’t quite what Mielle was expecting. In her experience, anyone with more than the low-level House magic that runs the Five Nations ends up in a position of power, or goes off adventuring. That kind of person certainly doesn’t frequent taverns, dressed like a barmaid, all pretty and wholesome and friendly.

“You don’t believe me,” Rosie mutters.

“No, I do,” Mielle reassures her. “It’s not that.” She hesitates.

“Then what?” Rosie reaches for a glass that still has a sip or two of drink left in the bottom of it, and Mielle isn’t quite fast enough to slide it out of reach. Rosie seems to notice Mielle’s reflexive movement, and when she tips her head back to drain the glass, it is with a fierce challenge resting firmly on her freckled face.

Mielle swallows when Rosie does, trying not to watch the soft lines of Rosie’s throat for too long. Rosie has already seen more than Mielle really wants her to, Mielle suspects. Mielle would rather die than have Rosie think she was taking any kind of advantage of her, in a state like this. What Mielle wants most is to bundle Rosie up in several thick quilts and take her upstairs to sleep off the booze, but she’s guessing the idea would meet with some resistance.

“I think.... I think,” Mielle says cautiously, “that even if you do have, um, more powerful magic.... it all depends on how you use it, right? You would never—” She backtracks a little bit, trying to sound less certain. She trusts her instincts, but still. “I mean, I don’t think you’d ever hurt anyone with it. Right?”

Rosie lifts the glass a few inches, tilting it towards Mielle, and laughs without humor again. “And that,” she says, “is the problem.”

Mielle leans backward, just by half an inch, just a tiny reflexive motion. But Rosie sees it — Rosie is too damn perceptive for her own good — and the hurt that flickers across her face for one tiny moment makes Mielle want to fling herself into the Dagger River. Even worse: it is followed instantly by exhausted resignation. Acceptance.

“I never meant to. I never mean to. Hurt anyone,” Rosie says, tears sparkling unshed in her eyes. “Please. I never...”

“I believe you,” Mielle says. And she does.

“It’s my magic. I can’t. Can’t control it. Sometimes it... does things. Bad things. And I can’t... I can’t stop it.”

Mielle can only imagine. Like everyone in Sharn, she’s lived most of her life under the shadow of the Last War, hearing tales of undead soldiers and House Cannith war machines. And then all of those were eclipsed overnight, all hundred years of war suddenly seeming like children’s squabbles compared to the horrifying magical destruction eating up an entire country from the inside out. Obliterating it from the map. Mielle can only imagine what Rosie’s magic could do, but that’s enough to be frightened.

“That sounds awful,” Mielle says softly, touching Rosie gently on the arm. “I’m so sorry.”

Rosie’s face darkens. She grabs her drink in both hands and tightens her grip until Mielle worries about the integrity of the glass.

“But it’s my fault,” Rosie insists, vehement and miserable. “My magic. What I’ve done.”

Mielle frowns. “But it’s not you. It’s your magic.”

“My magic is me,” Rosie says. “It’s all from me. I can. Feel it.” She sits up straight and looks around the tavern, which is still humming pleasantly with the evening rush, smoke and booze and sweat thick in the air. She says, “I can’t stay.”

“At the Goose?”

“No. Here.” And a tear slips down Rosie’s face, trickling over her plump cheeks to fall without a sound. She gestures. “City.” “You’re leaving Sharn?” It’s so stupid for Mielle to feel disappointed, and yet.

Rosie nods, sniffling. “Don’t know where, but.... somewhere else. There’s too many people here. I don’t wanna.... do something.”

Mielle opens her mouth to reassure Rosie that Sharn could survive. And then she thinks of the refugees that have filled this city to bursting, fleeing a fate worse than death. Leaving behind their homes that will become a twisted, barren wasteland. Knowing they will never set foot on their country’s soil again.

“You’re a good person, Rosie d’Ghallanda,” Mielle says, and means it.

Rosie covers her face in her hands and begins to cry.

Setting caution and awkward acquaintance aside, Mielle gives in to her instincts and gathers the halfling in her arms. Rosie lets it happen, sliding half off the barstool and curling into herself, shaking with the force of her sobs. She is warm and solid in Mielle’s embrace, and Mielle’s own eyes sting, her throat burning.

“Shh,” Mielle says, holding Rosie close, running a protective hand over her messy hair. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

They stay like that for a long time, patrons laughing and drinking around them, two people clinging to each other in a city full of nameless faces. At some point, Rosie’s crying peters out, and she tries to detangle herself, embarrassed. But Mielle clings to her, reassures her over and over, prompting a fresh burst of tears.

In the end, Mielle does bring Rosie upstairs as she’d hoped to do, resisting the urge to carry her like a child, knowing enough about halflings to let Rosie stumble her own way across the floor, tripping up the stairs with clumsy feet. Rosie’s room is more spartan than Mielle expected, with only one small suitcase and a well-worn traveling pack. Mielle loosens Rosie’s corset for her, knowing Rosie might regret sleeping in her day clothes but unwilling to risk crossing any kind of boundary. Covers her gently with the inn’s scratchy blankets, and sits on the edge of the bed for a while, until Rosie’s tear-stained breaths even out and her eyes drift shut.

Mielle leaves the room, shutting the door as quietly as she can, and returns downstairs to have a brief, murmured conversation with the bartender. She never does end up finishing that beer, and when she wends her way home through the crooked Sharn streets, it is with heavy limbs and an aching chest. She resolves to check in on Rosie soon, to re-introduce herself under less heartbreaking circumstances. Maybe they can get to know each other — as friends, or Mielle can be a steady shoulder to cry on.

But the next time Mielle visits the Guzzling Goose, Rosie is gone. Packed up her things and left, with no forwarding address, says the bartender. Mentioned something about a ship, and maybe a mine?

Mielle sits at the same bar stool she did the other night, and drinks her beer, alone.

#more girls being gay for Rosie 2k20 #it's what she deserves #also yes that was a Witcher reference with the inn name #see if you can find the vague john mulaney reference #Rosie #Rosie backstory

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requiem-wra · 5 years ago

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Unstuck in Time - Part 2

This is an event summary write up for RP partners and guildies to look back on if needed. Short Summary: Basteala, Mielle and Irothel are swept up in a time-traveling adventure to capture or kill an alternate reality version of their good friend Raelenin. Many paradoxical shenanigans and moral deliberations ensued

(Part 1) - (Part 2)

The Precipice of Disaster

For their own reasons, all three were hit hard by the sight of the fallen city, renewed and bustling. The temple grounds buzzed with all the trappings of a festival, only slowly winding down at the end of the night. Night elven children ran hither and yon, delivering messages for candy payments or small amounts of coin. Priestesses chattered outside, braiding bracelets to give away for protection and gossiping about the war.

Iro told Mielle and Bast to sort this out on their own, desperate to meet with someone lost to the fire. She bolted for the market stalls despite Bast's carful warnings. She rushed through the diminishing crowd and spotted her father, back at his stall selling his hand-made wares.

Iro's conversation with her father gutted her emotions and seemed to make time itself uneasy. Still, she managed to still her heart's urges and obey the whims of fate. She was able to have a conversation with him and purchase one of his moonkin carvings without raising his suspicious or saying too much for time to allow. However, the interaction took much of her energy and left her wilted.

Meanwhile, Bast and Mielle began to understand that this version of Darnassus was just on the eve of its end, before the fall of the whisp wall. Basteala decided to focus on her amulet and try to use her newly awakened awareness of time to search for any strange signals. She found three where she expected only two. Bewildered, she convinced Mielle to split up and help search for them.

Bast's wandering search took her to the North, toward the bank at the center of the city. She followed the signal and just managed to catch sight of a Raelenin escorting two unknown women into a portal. Bast watched, mind racing as this version of Rael stepped through alongside the unknown ladies and left a horrible wound in time behind. She considered chasing after him, but correctly concluded any Rael stepping out of the timeline must not be the alternate.

Mielle found a version of Rael, exhausted and drifting off to sleep where he stood, tucked into a an alcove formed by the temple's exterior wall. She decided this must be the past Raelenin and decided to leave him be. Unable to watch the tragedy of Iro's interaction with her father or Rael's clear exhaustion any longer, she began to wander away, only to realize that one of the messenger children was headed straight for the younger Rael…

Suspicious, Mielle tripped the child and intercepted the message. The message read only, ominously, "Fix the first mistake. Give me the name of the branch." Mielle correctly assumed that the alternate Rael must be attempting to find his double and set out to hunt him down.

She turned toward the Illidari team camping by the lake on the eve of battle. Through a series of deceptions and her innate understanding of the Illidari organization, she convinced Vitaria and her squad to help her hunt down a "dangerous arcane fugitive." Wary of a sudden burst of arcane magic, Vitaria split her team and sent Mielle ahead with fellhunter and observer-bound teammates to sniff out the arcane scent.

While moving to intercept the final anomaly, Bast found a completely new timewalker. She introduced herself to the dragon Cherinormi, quickly learning that the bronze dragon in Dwarf form had a serious bone to pick with Raelenin. Cheri explained that the timeline had suddenly sprouted a new branch here, an event that shouldn't have been possible without a chronomage there to stabilize it. Bast mentioned Rael's name, and Cheri leapt at the sound, automatically assuming the new branch must somehow be his fault. She conscripted Bast to help her arrest him.

Irothel fled the emotional upheaval of interacting with her father, only to run right into the Rael of the past. She caught Zan's eye, hidden in Raelenin's bag. Recognizing that she hadn't caused any paradoxes yet, she called out to him in draconic. "It's Cake-Bearer!" she hissed, and time clicked into place as Iro accidentally created her own draconic nickname.

She shook off the discomfort of time threatening to reset or loop into paradox and did her best to distract Rael with small talk and rest. Irothel managed to keep him ignorant of the situation and halt the delivery of yet another note, much to the alternate Rael's chagrin.

Though Bast couldn't conscience Cheri's constant insults and the level of mistrust aimed at her friend, she begrudgingly recognized the dragon's use as an ally. She and Cheri both caught sight of the final, alternate Rael mid-argument, both dropping the subject to rush to his side. Bast used her necklace's power to blink to his side, Cheri rushing on foot behind her. She caught him by the throat, flooding him with enough Light to paralyze him.

Mielle fell into an easy comradery with the Illidari squad, arising zero suspicion as they guided her to the suspicious arcane source. They found it quickly, and Mielle stepped through time to reach the very place where some version of Rael broke reality and created a new branch. From there, she was finally able to see the alternate Raelenin she had meant to target all along. Instead of rushing to him immediately she trusted in her teammates and took the moment to try to heal the temporal damage her friend had wrought, successfully easing it with her deputized abilities.

Bast and Mielle converged on the trapped Raelenin as he began to chafe under the sealing. A sense of impending doom gripped them all, and Iro had to double down to keep the Rael of the past from interfering. Stymied at every turn and swiftly losing his mind and his patience both, the alternate Rael decided to abandon this timeline utterly. He threw himself into the infinite, corrosive temporal magic eating at Bast's light. Only Bast's anchor and a last minute effort from Cherinormi kept alternate Rael from stepping sideways into a new timeline. Still, his attempt to leave tore a portal in the center of the lake, and the trio's necklaces warmed with enough magic for one more jump to follow.

The Caverns of the End

The deputy time-walkers stepped through time in a way that had started to become familiar. They blinked, and opened their eyes to a sand-strewn cavern littered with debris reminiscent of Darnassus.

"You're his friends, aren't you?" The alternate Rael spat, his form twisted through with infinite energy. Darkness poured off him, eyes lit with a blazing electric blue that seemed to crack through his very skin. "Why are you stopping me? I've been looking for a timeline stable enough to make this work for So. Long. and you've made it utterly pointless!"

Iro reached out for Mielle, already crying. She'd put the pieces together. She understood what he wanted to do. Eyes puffy, she called, "She's gone, Raelenin! Let her rest!"

In the Caverns of Time, as the alternate Rael slowly unravels in mind and body, the truth of what the alternate tried to do slowly makes itself clear. That first mistake, the death of his twin, had haunted the alternate and driven him to madness. He'd wanted to reach Rael's original timeline and change it--exchange Rael for his twin sister, fix the mistake. "What does it matter if just one version of Raelenin has to disappear?" He begged them, eyes wild, but to no avail. The Dawn trio tried to understand--tried to find a peaceful way forward, but the path was closed. Blinded by his tainted magic, the alternate Rael became an Infinite beast and attacked those who should have been his friends.

The approach of the bronze flight from elsewhere in the cavern wore at the Dawn's newfound sense for all things temporal as they sought to restrain their alternate reality friend. Bast threw herself into combat with the beast, bringing the full fury of her light to bear. Mielle matched the metamorphosis with her own half-state, leaping into battle. While the alternate was able to score a few heavy blows, the tag-teaming duo kept him too distracted and pinned down to truly deal damage. Irothel's light protected her teammates from the harshest of blows, lessening the scorch of unstable magic and shadowed claws.

Even as they battled, the team tried to remind Raelenin of his better senses. However, their battle prowess won out before their logical arguments. Rael was knocked unconscious and bound by vines sent by Elune, helpless on the ground as the wave of bronze flight members slowly grew ever closer.

Sensing that these flight members would see the alternate Rael meet a fate they didn't intend, the trio takes their captive and activates their necklaces for the final burst of magic they need to return to their proper, linear time. As they slid into the all-too familiar embrace of infinite time, they saw Cheri's angry visage whip into the corridor in their wake. The last thing they saw before blinking back to their own present was her transformation to an enraged, enormous adult dragon…

On the other side of time, the trio found themselves once again upon the sands of Uldum, sun setting, glinting wounded red on the horizon. As they corporealized, they glimpsed their own backs disappearing into the first portal, those versions of them beginning the journey in Theramore. The bronze mask turned away from where he'd seen them off and met them arriving with a knowing smile.

"Okay, I have terms," Mielle called, and the Bronze Mask encouraged the trio to start their negotiations for the fate of their selves and both versions of Rael. Immediately they made demands for Rael's sentence the Mask couldn’t conscience, but he assured them that they'd done well enough to merit an appearance at the next council meeting.

Agreeing that the Dawn should keep their memories, the Mask suggested they would have to remain as deputies in his command if they wished to keep the amulets. He asked the trio to consider staying on as timewalkers, in whatever limited capacity that might require of them. Bast refused, citing her duty to the Dawn over her duty to time. Mielle and Irothel had a harder time finding an answer, and asked for more time to decide.

The alternate Rael was restored to his usual form, and the Bronze Mask asked the Dawnsmen what they thought should be done with him. Unanimously, the trio decided he should be magically bound and sent to another timeline--one where the original didn't survive, that he might have some solace and a chance at finding his own way apart from grief. Perhaps he might even find some version of his companion Zan there.

With little fanfare, the Mask agreed to this plan, explaining that he was happy to hear the Dawnsmen come to such a merciful decision. He sent the alternate away, and his immense temporal magic lit up the timestream like a beacon… He moved to release the original Rael from his frozen state, only to pause himself. His magic had done what he thought it might, and Cheridormi had found them.

The Mask laughed, and quickly explained how the Dawnsmen might free their friend and flee the dragon's wrath. They sprung into motion, uniting their amulets in purpose to un-pause Rael in time as if they had always known how. Mielle took flight toward Ratchet with a very confused but un-frozen Rael in tow as Bast and Iro raced behind on foot.

Event success!

Major NPCs to remember:

Bronze Mask (Barros)

Recruited the Dawnsmen for help, seems to be in a semi-antagonistic relationship with other Bronze flight members

Cherinormi

Bronze Flight member in charge of monitoring timeline branching activity. Has a serious vendetta against Rael.

Commander Vitaria and squad

Illidari squad stationed on Darnassus at the eve of its burning. Are they still alive?

Outstanding Issues:

The wrath of Cherinormi

The Council Meeting

"One week Later" Recruitment drive

#roleplay #rp summary #timeboi

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itsyourbizme · 2 years ago

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bougieone · 4 years ago

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MY RELAXED HAIR

This blog post has been a long time coming. I initially did not want to discuss hair in this space because I feel there is already a lot of content surrounding hair care out there, and it just wasn’t my intention to talk about something that has been discussed exhaustively. But, since I began regularly posting content on Instagram, I've gotten a surprising amount of questions about my hair and hair care routine.

Below I'll discuss my hair history, routine and tips that have helped me keep my relaxed hair relatively healthy. I want to preface this with stating that I am not at all a licensed professional and the products I use may not work for you. I’m simply sharing what I have learned on the internet and what has worked for me, personally. A Little History

I got my very first relaxer at the age of 7 and continued to do so throughout my entire life. I would get regular relaxers about every 6-8 weeks, sometimes at home and sometimes in the salon. Around the age of 11, I began going to a Dominican salon, where they would do a typical shampoo, conditioner, rollerset, blow out and wrap. During this time, my hair was approximately chin to shoulder length. My hair would grow, but never really went past my shoulders and I would often need my ends trimmed because they just looked scraggly.

I continued going to the Dominicans up until about 2009, which is when I started wearing weaves. I would keep my weave in for about 8-10 weeks, and my stylist would take down my weave and braids, detangle, relax and condition my hair. I allowed my stylist to care for my hair up until I had one bad experience with another person working in the salon. The woman pitched in to help my stylist take down my weave, but she did a terrible job detangling; there was pulling, tugging and a lot of breakage. I had my stylist cut the majority of my hair off and there was about 4-5 inches of hair left on my head.

After that bad experience, I started taking down my weave and doing my own hair at home, before going into the salon to reinstall my weave. I researched everything; proper detangling methods, conditioning, moisture/protein balance, EVERYTHING. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos; mainly the GlamTwinz, and later on, UloveMegz. It took me roughly 2 years after implementing this new routine to reach mid back length.

About 6 years ago is when I decided to stop regularly wearing weaves. At this point my hair was slightly longer than mid-back length and I felt I knew enough to take care of it myself. I’ve had some setbacks since then; breakage, too much protein, dryness, but I just cut it off and start over because I knew I could grow it back. I’ve also learned a lot about what my hair likes, but most importantly, what it doesn’t like.

The point of all this is for you to understand that this is a journey and you will not see results overnight. Patience and consistency are your best friends in any journey.

I’ve spent thousands of dollars and have tried hundreds of products but the below are my tried and true.

Relaxer Day Routine

Preparation - I thoroughly oil my hair from my roots to my ends and I carefully detangle my hair with a wide tooth comb. You can use any type of oil to do this; right now I’m using Oil Tycoon NCT Heavy Blend Hair Oil. I also sometimes apply heat via a conditioning cap to deeply infuse the oil into my hair.

Relaxer - Phyto Specific: Phytorelaxer Index 1 for Delicate and Fine Hair. This is a “non-chemical” sodium hydroxide free relaxer, made with egg, soy and shitake mushrooms. I’ve been using this relaxer for about 5 years (every 8-10 weeks) and I absolutely love it; I have not had any bad experiences with it thus far. I part my hair into 4 sections and apply the relaxer to my new growth as per the instructions; after fully applied, I go back and smooth down the new growth with my fingers. I wash my hair with the included neutralizing shampoo 3 times.

Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor. I apply this protein conditioner to my entire head paying special attention to my edges, nape, crown and ends. It leaves my hair feeling very moisturized but strong.

Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Treatment Masque. I apply this deep conditioner to my entire head, sit under a conditioning cap for about an hour and leave the conditioner in my hair overnight.

Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In Conditioner, Mielle Organics White Peony Leave-In Conditioner & Kenra Platinum Blow-Dry Spray. I apply all three of these leave-in conditioners to my hair in the following order: 1st - Jane Carter (all over my head), 2nd - Mielle Organics (to my ends and edges only) and 3rd - Kenra (all over my head). I then detangle my hair from the ends to the top, using a wide tooth comb and let my hair air dry. When air drying, I just let my hair hang.

IC Hair Polisher Heat Protector Straightening Spray, BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium 1" Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron & a Beard/Wave Brush. After my hair is completely dry, I part it into 4 sections and spray the IC heat protectant all over, but more focused on my ends. I then flat iron my hair, starting in the rear of my head, with the Babyliss flat iron (heat setting 35) and beard brush using the “chase” method.

Wash Day Routine

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Deep-Conditioning Treatment. I pre-poo my hair using the Philip Kinglsey Elasticizer Treatment. I simply wet and saturate my hair with this conditioner and leave it in for a few hours. If my hair feels really dry, I’ll leave it in a bit longer and apply heat via a conditioning cap.

Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo. I wash my hair one time using this shampoo and a scalp massager/shampoo brush, then I follow steps 3 through 6 above.

Tips-n-Tricks

I wrap my hair each night with a wide tooth comb after moisturizing and sealing my ends (as needed) with the Jane Carter Revitalizing Leave-in Conditioner and the OUAI Hair Oil. I smooth my wrap with my beard/wave brush and tie on a silk scarf.

When I comb my hair, I comb through my ends first and work my way up to the top of my head.

I do not use a hard brush when styling my hair, soft bristles work just fine.

I do not blow dry my hair; I used to when I first started doing my hair, but I quickly learned that my hair did not like it (breakage) and I really did not need it as air drying was sufficient.

I use silk scrunchies when putting my hair in a low bun or ponytail. If I’m doing a super sleek style and want a more secure hold, I use Goody Ouchless Hair ties and I saturate them with my Oil Tycoon Hair Oil before using them.

Typically when doing a ponytail or bun I use the Jane Carter leave-in conditioner, water and a silk scarf to lay my hair down. This is usually more than enough for me, but sometimes I’ll use Creme of Nature Perfect Edges if I want extra sleekness and hold.

I cut my own hair using styling shears and learned how to do so on YouTube. I like a blunt cut (no layers) so this is pretty easy for me to do. I do not trim my ends on any kind of schedule, just when I feel I need it.

I leave my hair alone outside of typical styling. I do not touch or manipulate my hair a great deal; I just style it once in the morning and leave it alone. If it starts getting wild, running my fingers through it is sufficient.

I wash my hair every 2 weeks. My flat iron will last me about a week, but if I want it to last longer I use Morrocan Oil Dry Shampoo (dark) to refresh the style.

Patience is important. I never rush through styling and always try to leave myself enough time to properly care for my hair.

Consistency is also important. I never skip any of the above steps and I make sure to always use the above tips and tricks.

That's pretty much it. If you have any questions or would just like to chat, please feel free to DM me via Instagram; I love receiving messages from you all. Below is a link to my Amazon shop where you can purchase many of the products mentioned above.*

www.amazon.com/shop/bougieone

*This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to purchase something, I may earn a commission. Thank you.

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exileseverafter · 7 years ago

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Chapter 10

The Science of Diplomacy

“My ancestors could create feathers out of spun sugar and reproduce paintings with glaze on canvases of cake. We made pastries filled with gryphon’s milk cream and candies shaped like jewels made from the juice of pomegranates.”

“Cats, really. Why do humans keep them around? There has to be a less monstrous thing they can use to keep rats from getting to the grain stores.” Philomene had discovered to her relief that the cats had at least done at most minor damage to her laboratory dollhouse. One of the windows had been knocked in and the water the bean had been soaking in was now dripping onto the floor, a casualty of the impact of cat on house. But everything else was largely unchanged. Apparently the cats had just used the house as a thing to sit on rather than a toy to be explored and knocked over. If she was being honest with herself, she might not have been able to tell if anything knew had been tossed around. She recognized most of the little boxes, trinkets and cast-off aprons on the floor. All things she made a mental note to organize properly when she wasn’t quite so busy. Unfortunately, the entire place smelled unmistakably of cat. Opening the windows helped to air it out a little, but not enough to make it very bearable. By the time Marjorie was awake to take her to Ezra, she had taken to sitting on the surface of the table and hanging a few dresses out there for good measure. The last thing she wanted was to go about with the fragrance of mangy feline. “You’ll be alright, then?” Marjorie held Philomene cupped in her hands as she carried the princess into the kitchen. “I mean, I understand it’s a one-on-one talk. Which is perfectly fine! Diplomacy and all that. Oh, and the prince went home, so don’t worry about him being nosy.” “He went home? But it was so late last night…” “You sound like Ezra.” Marjorie shrugged. “His bear came to get him and took him home. I’d worry about going through the forest at that hour of night if one doesn’t have one’s own private bear.” Secretly Philomene was a little more relieved that the bear wasn’t present. She didn’t mind Basil, though she did want to have a private talk with Ezra for a reason. “And I will be perfectly fine. You said Ezra is gentle! We’re indoors, and the Toad isn’t going to try anything while I’m in the same room as a giant cook who probably knows how to make fried frogs’ legs.” After a few more minutes of reassurances, Marjorie set Philomene back on the table and retreated to the bedroom. Ezra hadn’t noticed; he was poring over an enormous old book with yellowed, tattered pages, and looked to be half asleep himself. Philomene realized a bit too late that she should have had Marjorie alert him. A few taps of her cane did nothing, and poking him seemed rude and possibly dangerous. She sat down, cleared her throat and shouted. “Excuse me, Mr. Kettle!” There was no reaction from the giant. He was still absorbed in his book. She had to stand a considerable distance just to see him as a humanoid shape; any closer and he’d be a looming tower of flesh and blood in need of a haircut. Already she could make out every wrinkle and stitch on the patches in his clothing and see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. Flower Folk had to be observant of everything around them. The world was full of snakes, large insects, birds and cats. The humans of Thumbelina were allowed to reside there by an ancient pact that required them to be careful underfoot and not abuse their size advantage, but even the most well-meaning ones could be very dangerous. A Sky giant was on a completely different level. Should Ezra so much as sneeze he could grievously harm Philomene. No wonder her people’s interactions with the Sky Islands were usually the duty of human diplomats writing letters to be delivered by bird, and incredibly rare at that. ‘Such is the duty of a princess,’ she reminded herself as she walked over to the edge of the book. She waited until he was about to turn the page and then stuck her cane on top of it, clearing her throat. That seemed to startle him as his gold eyes finally settled on her, widening. “OH, PRIN-cess.” He was courteous enough to adjust the volume of his voice right away so it merely rumbled instead of boomed, sitting up and lowering his head in a sort of bow. “Forgive any rudeness. I didn’t see you there…” “Please forgive any rudeness on my part as well!” She hoped she’d be able to keep up this shouting. Marjorie had been kind enough to tell the story of Thumbelina Kingdom the previous night in part because her voice carried better. “Is now a good time for a talk? I realize you are likely a little busy…” “With work, yes.” Ezra’s hand rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, no! Now is a perfect time. Give me a chance to take a break from this.” She could tell from how quickly he spoke that it wasn’t completely true and he didn’t want to be rude. Just let me set this book aside.” He opened a calloused hand that could have comfortably held half the Flower Folk in the Royal Court and she eased herself carefully into I as he held her up to eye level. He was squinting at her, his other hand supporting his chin. “Is this quite alright? I just prefer to be able to make eye contact when speaking, so I imagine…” Of course he wouldn’t be able to make eye contact with her. The size difference was too great. That must have meant he was doing this for her benefit, so she could look directly at him while she addressed him. She would have to reward such thoughtfulness, and made a note to do so. “Thank you, Ezra! Please don’t mind if I sit.” There was a moment in which he was clearly waiting for her to start, and she had to rehearse her words to remember just how she was going to bring it up. ‘I should have paid better attention during diplomacy lessons.’ As it was up to her, she cleared her throat. “First of all, thank you again for your continued hospitality. My servant tells me that you’re not here on the land of your own free will, and right now this is the only shelter afforded you. It’s very generous of you to let us stay here, especially as you’ve let Marjorie have that oddly well-furnished room.” “Really, it’s nothing! I’m used to sleeping sitting up,” Ezra said. “And this is where I work, at least until I can return to the sky. That bedroom looked like it had been set aside for a lover or something anyway.” Realizing he might have blurted something untoward, he turned red in the cheeks. “I mean G. Chulainn’s lover! Maybe. No offense to Marjorie, but I don’t see her that way at all. And honestly, there’s no reason it should have been in the condition you found it in. It might have been enchanted, and I’d rather stay away from enchantments.” Philomene figured she’d best continue before Ezra made more excuses for his own kindness lest someone notice it was there. “Actually, I need to ask for a little more help. Do you mind if I ask you about your family?” His eyes widened and he sat up a bit straighter. “The Kettles? You’ve heard of us down there? By which I mean down in the mountain cities, not down as in height. You know what I mean.” She chuckled. “You’re the one nervous around me? It’s alright, Ezra. You can relax. And yes, here and there are records of human gentry ordering cakes and desserts fashioned by a member of the Kettle family. I doubt any of your line were able to bake for Flower Folk, of course, just by virtue of scale.” Ezra glanced aside. “Well, we can try,” he said quietly. “Would you like to request something, Princess? I was able to buy a magnifying glass at the market last night. It’s a bit small itself but I can manage. Really!” She shook her head. “That won’t be necessary, though if I’m ever in need I will be sure to commission you.” The image of great Ezra leaning over a table, carefully decorating a cake for Flower Folk, amused Philomene so that she found herself grateful the distance likely kept him from noticing her covering her mouth and stifling a laugh. “No, I just need to know more about your line. I know it sounds abrupt, but I do have my reasons. Just before I can tell you, I have to know if I’m thinking of the right Kettles.” “You want to know about us? Well.” Ezra held his head a little bit higher, oddly imitating the poise and pride of a highborn noble. Then again, why wouldn’t an artisan family hold themselves in esteem? “For generations we developed new cooking and baking techniques, working our very heart and soul into our craft until we were known not only throughout Mielle but across Vox itself and the other Sky Islands. My ancestors could create feathers out of spun sugar and reproduce paintings with glaze on canvases of cake. We made pastries filled with gryphon’s milk cream and candies shaped like jewels made from the juice of pomegranates.” “Those ingredients sound expensive…” “Oh, they were! Terribly so. But our work merited a high price, and we were able to afford luxuries like that even with the high price of goods in the Sky. Which is ridiculous, might I add! Having seen what that Market charged by comparison, I-am getting off topic, sorry. And I hope this doesn’t sound too arrogant. But it’s all true, at least as far as I’ve known.” He played with the pages of the book with his free hand. “And we still have most of our recipes. At least the very old ones. Or, well, what’s in these books…” “I see.” This didn’t sound like the work Ketyl had written about, but it couldn’t have been a mere coincidence. Philomene decided to probe a little further. “And you have always created luxuries?” “Not always. We’ve always baked and cooked, with at least one member of every generation taking up the mantle. Often two. But we used to do more modest work to get by, according to stories my mother told me. That would have been a long time ago, grandparents of grandparents at least and probably moreso.” Ezra frowned. “Of course, I’ve only ever done modest work. I hope it doesn’t disappoint you, Princess, but Kettle is a fallen name by now. The cost of goods went up too high, our craft fell out of favor. We went into debt just to keep ourselves afloat. Then there were family splits and other disgraces.” From the distant look on his face, he apparently didn’t want to go into detail. “In recent generations especially. As far as I know now I’m the last one.” “And you can bake with Kettle techniques?” That was key. “I…” Ezra bit his lip, eyes shifting like a scolded dog. “I know the pastry crust recipe. Pancakes. Not much else. By the time I was old enough to learn my mother was in no condition to teach me, and Father was already gone. After she passed I was sent out of ‘charity’ to work my family debts off under someone who had a distinct interest in keeping me from learning Kettle baking, and I never had time to study the old recipe books I inherited. Like this one.” He took a deep breath. “But it’s quite alright! I have more time now, and an audience! Someone wants me to learn how to bake like the old times, so I’m teaching myself. Someone very important, someone…whose name keeps eluding me. I must have been tired by that point.” That Ezra could not remember someone who had planted such a strong idea in his head worried Philomene, but she couldn’t let herself be sidetracked. That he was not trained in Kettle techniques at all was less than ideal, but he was willing to learn. She stood up for a moment. “Do you mind letting me see that book? From a safe perch, of course.” Ezra seemed to hesitate, glancing between the book and Philomene. “I won’t spill any secrets,” she added. “Promise. And you needn’t worry about me being competition. I cannot cook at all.” At that he relented, holding his hand over the book and letting her look over. She peered down at the sea of old paper, making out swirls of ink that flowed like thin clouds. “Ah!” she cried out. “Skyscript! Old Skyscript, in fact.” She looked over her shoulder back at Ezra. “Is that the problem, translating it into the modern way of writing?” “Not exactly. We all had to learn a little Old Skyscript for Sun festival services. Do you mind if I set you down? My hand is falling asleep…” “Oh! Of course, of course.” Philomene let him lower her down and climbed carefully back onto the book, making sure not to wrinkle or tear pages with her shoes. She could already start to read and translate the words in her head, though they were so big she couldn’t decipher full sentences. “I had to learn a number of languages in my studies, Old Skyscript among them. I can help you.” “Can you?” Ezra blinked. “You would? Forgive me for asking, but why? I imagine saving Thumbelina’s a higher priority than my attempts to bring back Kettle cuisine. Especially since this book wouldn’t even have the instructions to make our masterpieces, just various techniques I’ll have to navigate to make my own.” “That’s just it. These are the very old recipes, right? Ezra, did you know baking is a kind of science?” “It…” He stared down at her. “It really isn’t. I mean there are books involved, but no needles or gears…” “Medicine and mechanics are not the only kinds of science. You use yeast to make dough rise, right? And you measure just the right ingredients. It’s all chemistry, and chemistry is absolutely a science.” “So…” Ezra tilted his head. “This is all for the pursuit of ‘science?’” “No. I do have an ulterior motive. You see, I know it sounds ridiculous but I think these books might hold the secret to understanding how Green Magic was turned into a weapon against my people and possibly yours.” She looked up at him with utmost seriousness, in hopes it would make it sound a little less silly. Her response was another incredulous stare. “With baking.” “How to explain…” Philomene tapped her cane. “You see, science and magic aren’t that different, despite what some practitioners of both will claim. One’s more about studying the nature of reality and the other is for tweaking it. And I think that what you inherited is not merely a recipe collection but a book of spells, one of the last records of culinary Hearth Magic as developed by the Sky wizard Ketyl. If that is…!” She hoped she wasn’t letting her excitement get the best of her. “If it is, we might be able to undercover the secret to countering the rampant Green Magic. Using Hearth Magic, you could make soups that bring visions of the future or almond cookies which change hair color. It’s all in the ancient records! Even if most of it is theoretical and hasn’t been proved in practice in a long time. And even if I suspect the techniques were lost when your family started pursuing more higher-class and lucrative interests…” She stopped to catch her breath. “I can help you learn the techniques and observe how it works, and even if we don’t find a counter-spell I can use the data I get from observing magic in action to-to…” It was as if a wall had shut in front of Ezra, all his warmth gone from his face. She worried at first she had angered him and he would retaliate when she was at her most vulnerable, but instead he just stood up, turning away from her. “I’m sorry. There’s no magic involved.” He didn’t sound offended so much as hurt. “…But, there is. I mean, there was.” Philomene couldn’t let a subject drop when it came to her kingdom, even if it was clear to her she likely should. “I didn’t mean to insult your family, Ezra, honestly.” “It’s not that. But we don’t do magic and we never have. Period!” As he shouted the last bit, the table shook under Philomene’s feet. He turned around again, gently easing her off the book before he closed it and lifted it up in both arms, all the while refusing to make eye contact with her. “I’m sorry, Princess, but I have to get back to work. I have a client to impress and only a week to do so, and you’ve seen how much work I have ahead of me. No offense, but I’d rather do it myself.” He almost seemed to be hiding behind his bangs. “I’ll keep an eye out at the market for anything that might help you, but I’m just a baker. I’ll go get Marjorie for you…” As he disappeared from the room, Philomene slumped back down onto the table. Her back was sore from standing that long and guilt prodded at her stomach. How had she managed to step on a nerve so easily? Wouldn’t anyone be thrilled to know they could have that kind of power at their fingertips? And here she had worried he would be too reckless with it. “I’ll have to try again,” she whispered to herself. She could ask Marjorie’s advice, as Marjorie had that way of getting people to do things they wouldn’t have otherwise while believing it was their own idea. But that was trickery, and hadn’t she said promised herself she would avoid deceit? “Client, is it…” Had someone else recognized the name of Kettle and what it really meant, or had Ezra just found a glutton with high class tastes? When had Ketyl’s descendants gone from practicing her magic techniques to more mundane culinary arts? And more importantly, was she barking up the wrong tree? She couldn’t force him to help her. Unless someone was trying to twist Hearth Magic in the same ways Green Magic had been warped. Marjorie came into the room wincing. “Ezra’s in a bad mood, the poor dear. He said he’s off to go fishing, and I’m sure that boy has no idea how to fish.” She bit her thumbnail and held Philomene in her free hand, which felt comparatively snug after the vast plane of Ezra’s hand. “Did it not go well? At least we know he doesn’t have a violent temper, thank goodness.” “It could have gone better.” Philomene sighed. “I’m afraid I might have let my enthusiasm for magic get the best of my diplomacy skills. But I’ve made a decision. When Ezra goes with you to the market next week, I’m coming too.”

#The Exiles Ever After #Chapter Posting #fairy tale #web serial #giants

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chaneajoyyy · 2 years ago

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Mielle organics sold their company to P&G

It’s about to be gentrified now

I hope not but that's what usually ends up happening...😔

#let's chat #sip tea #talk businesses #talk mielle organics #mielle organics #black hair care #hair care #anonny asks

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stylishleeds · 7 years ago

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Hey NaturalLeeders!

I’ve finally recovered from my weekend at the World Natural Hair Show in Atlanta. As always the show was a hit! I went with my Tropic Isle Living family for a meet & greet on both days and also to shed light on my favorite products from their line, while answering any questions people may have.

♦ Rue 107 Dress ♦ Mac Ruby Red Lipstick ♦

Despite the off-putting weather in Atlanta last weekend, the hair show was still packed. Thankfully Saturday greeted us with sunny skies and though Sunday was chilly and rainy the turnout was just as incredible. This is my third time attending The World Natural Hair Show and I am still overwhelmed by the amount of energy, positivity, freedom and encouragement that fills the hallways of the show. To be able to stand within a space so welcoming left me with feelings of empowerment and confidence, and I have a feeling that the thousands of women who attend the show each year feel the same way too.

We are able to embrace our truest selves, to celebrate our wins, to network and learn from one another and to have a good damn time! Everywhere I looked there were beautiful men, women and children proudly wearing their crowns while enjoying themselves, shopping, and sampling products.

♦ Shop Akira Top & Skirt ♦ LolaShoetique Heels ♦

Our Tropic Isle Living Booth was LIT! How lit??? From dance-offs, to tic-tac toe competitions, insane discounts [Three 8oz bottles for $10!] and amazing giveaways! The TIL team shut down the WNHS. As you know, Tropic Isle Living released their hair growth duo last year, so we spent loads of time chatting up about it with consumers and I shared just how much of a game changer that specific line was to my hair growth. Obviously these were the first two porudtcs that were sold out.

Not only were we able to sell everything off the shelves that day, but they were giving away tickets to the Beyonce On The Run Tour in Atlanta! Crazy right?! When I heard the prize was to go see Queen Bey herself I silently shed a tear on the inside because I wasn’t allowed to enter. But congrats to the winners on both days!!! If you haven’t yet decided on a plus one, just know I’m open to coming with ya, wink wink!

The World Natural Hair Show is also a place where the product junkies show up and show out. By product junkie I mean ME! This is the time of year I spend all my coins on entire collections just because of the amazing deals. Typically I purchase new brands to try out but this year I purchased only products I consider HOLY GRAIL within my hair stash. So I picked up the entire Mielle Organics Pomegranate & Honey Collection [all four products for $30], EVERY SINGLE THING from Honey Baby Naturals, my fave deep conditioners from Alikay Naturals and products from Curls.

Finally, I obviously also got to catch up with my favorite blogger boos! I’m sure you’ve already seen my posts with, Dayna, Chime, Romance, Ciara, Bria and Janae [I’m sure I missed a few]. All in all I had an amazing time with my Tropic Isle Living Family and at the World Natural Hair Show. Between fun times at the booth, checking out and buying products and meeting YOU, time sure did fly. Until next year…Talk Soon. Nuff Love, Natasha ♥

If you were at the show, please tell me your favorite part and also the products you purchased while there. Okay, enough of my chatting. Please keep scrolling for photos from the day.

World Natural Hair Show 2018 Recap Hey NaturalLeeders! I've finally recovered from my weekend at the World Natural Hair Show in Atlanta. As always the show was a hit!

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euniycemari · 7 years ago

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MSM. . . What Is It ? What Are The Benefits ?

On this hair growth journey to longer hair there are a few ingredients that I have encountered that are helpful with the hair growth process. Currently I am taking Mielle Organics Healthy Hair Vitamins with Biotin. This vitamin has MSM. MSM (Methyslufonylmethane) is something that I have heard alot about next to biotin when it comes to encouraging hair growth. So lets talk about MSM, what it is…

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#4a hair #4b hair #4c hair #biotin #growth #Hair #hair growth #long hair #methyslufonylmethane #msm #msm and hair growth #natural hair #the benefit of msm #what is msm #YOUTUBE

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yesitali · 8 years ago

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hey! saw your post about the natural hair products and when you said you were looking for an edge control and a gel that doesn't flake, mielle organics came to mind. now, full disclosure i haven't used their gel but i have seen it talked about a lot re: flakage and a lot of the girls i follow say it's good in that regard and they had no flaking. i like their edge control and deep conditioner. so, maybe give them a look. :)

Thank you!!!

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fabulizemag · 8 years ago

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Now on http://fabulizemag.com/2017/04/shea-moistures-bad-marketing-and-a-list-of-beauty-brands-that-center-black-women/

Shea Moisture's Bad Marketing and a List Of Beauty Brands That Center Black Women

Interesting enough, I interviewed Richelieu Dennis, CEO of Sundial brands which produces Nubian Heritage and Shea Moisture, and in our interview, he didn’t seem tone-deaf to the importance of why black women and other women of color need brands that understand the importance of black hair care and textures.

Shea Moisture is having a tough week and it’s only Tuesday. Their latest ad which appeared to erase their loyal fanbase, has been the talk of the week. Even with a very lazy ( and non-PoC centered) apology, customers are looking for beauty and hair care brands that prefer to keep black women a priority in their visual marketing. They since have deleted the ad, but here is a previous ad that raised a few eyebrows as well.

The new Shea Moisture

“Over the last 25 years, I’ve received questions and judgments about our products and our business that I’m pretty sure few, if any, white-owned businesses have ever had to answer – like “Since you’re Black, your products are just for Black people, right?” Here’s the reality: Black beauty is at the forefront of the beauty revolution – from the mass shift to demanding natural ingredients to the natural, textured hair that we now see on runways, in advertisements and on the covers of international magazines and beyond. So, we have to be positioned to serve all consumers as other groups evolve into embracing new, more inclusive beauty standards. It is critical that we capture the market we have created and that we don’t leave it for someone else to capitalize on – which has historically been the case. The landscape is changing so quickly with more companies now trying to compete in the market, and part of what’s been missing in our community has been businesses that had access to capital, resources and market opportunities to compete at another level, grow and scale – so they end up stagnant and struggling,” Richelieu Dennis confirmed with me. Of course this was late last summer, but what a difference a day makes, right?

*stares Dinah Washingtonly*

“Black-owned beauty brands are often pigeon-holed – not because their products aren’t effective, but because of the assumption that they will only work for a single group of people. So, their community gets arbitrarily limited from the beginning. In addition, they often do not have the resources that allow them to compete against the large conglomerates that come in, lift their ideas & then scale them out of reach. For more than two decades, we have had the full spectrum of experiences that many minority entrepreneurs encounter, including being repeatedly denied by numerous landlords to rent office and manufacturing space, to being typecast as having products with singular market appeal, to considering how to access the necessary capital to grow and sustain our business. I have witnessed Black-owned companies – some of which stood beside me on the streets of Harlem, selling their goods and igniting global trends – who are no longer around today because larger companies, with infinitely more resources, capitalized on the trend, captured the market and put them out of business. We must continue to have these conversations and work towards the solutions that make these occurrences the exception and not the norm,” Dennis also stated. Now, after reading this again and seeing what has transpired with the brand makes me feel a bit confused. Is Shea Moisture only Black-Owned in name only?

This @SheaMoisture debacle goes directly to the issue of the dearth of Black Women in leadership. EVEN in "Black" organizations. #DoBetter pic.twitter.com/BnyawUrKes

— Dr. Avis (@SistahScholar) April 25, 2017

There are so many questions I have. I knew from the tweet replies from Shea Moisture’s account that it was from a marketing agency and it was confirmed that it was indeed Vayner Media campaign. My experience in media is an on-going love/hate relationship. I don’t understand why a black brand with a demographic of black women would not have black women on their social media team. Vayner Media not only handled their social media wrong, but they replied and complimented one of the Ashy Supremes in their standard customer service-like tweets.

@tariqnasheed We can't thank you enough for your loyalty and support. It's wonderful people like you that keep us going strong, Tariq! 😊

— SheaMoisture (@SheaMoisture) April 24, 2017

If you are looking for a black-owned beauty brand that caters to black women, here is a list I recommend. The comment section is open, so please add more to this list. People are missing the point in this conversation; Black women don’t have the luxury of going to a local or mainstream drugstore and having several options of hair care products to choose from. In fact, I’m willing to bet black hair care is still in a special section in the beauty aisle at the bottom ( I’m sure some of this has changed, but not much). I think the real anger stems from black women trying to consciously support brands that cater to their individual needs. Moisture is a big concern for a lot of naturals and I don’t think naturals, no matter what spectrum they are on the grade scale, have the same concerns that non-WoC with fair, red hair or oily, blonde hair have.

I don’t understand the #HairHate campaign either. I’ve never heard about loose curled women or women who “suffer” from straight hair being forced to assimilate. But it’s clear that Shea Moisture wants to be the next Suave. Also, men weighing in on this; shut the fuck up. Shut all the way the fuck up and let the door hit you where the good Lord split you. Shut up and have a seat at the table and listen to Solange. Men, especially black men don’t need to continue to dissect black women’s hair conversations. Unless you are asking for advice, tips and brand related questions, please, shut the fuck up.

Sometimes it’s OK to be silent.

Ok, we cool? We don’t need you guys doing ashy mental gymnastics on what products black women should or shouldn’t be buying. Thanks!

Black Hair Care Brands That Cater To Black Women

Mielle Organics

Oyin Handmade

Luster’s Pink

Alikay Naturals

Cantu

Phoenix Deep Rooted

Taliah Waajid

Uncle Funky’s Daughter

Ixorabb.com

Camille Rose Naturals

Design Naturals

Karen’s Body Beautiful

Bronner Brothers including 4 Naturals, Tropical Roots, Royal Roots

Princess Kayla’s Natty Locks

Afroveda

Cream & Coco

Jamaican Mango and Lime

Urban Hydration

Love My Mane

By Made Beautiful

I didn’t forget you gentlemen! Check out Uncle Jimmy.

I’d like to give a shout-out to all the ladies and gents in My Superheroes Are Black! for helping with this list.

#beauty brands #black businesses #exclusive #hair care #Natural Hair #shea moisture #social media #Beauty Brand 411 #FAB BEAUTY #Fabulize Beauty Looks #Fabulize Exclusive #FEATURES

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acurlsnightout-blog · 8 years ago

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Moisturize

Hello naturalistas! It’s been a long time. I shouldntna left you without a dope beat to step to...

Life gets a little cray and it’s hard to keep up with everything. For that reason, I’ve cancelled a meeting, missed several posts, etc. Craziness in life manifests itself in many ways. For me, the biggest indicator, other than my attitude, is the tidiness (or lack thereof) of my home. For some, it’s how they dress, how they manage their hair or other things - we tend to start cutting corners to create space in a crazy, busy time. What I tend to do with my hair when I feel I don’t have time to breathe is a protective style - some updo or mini twists to keep it out of the way but able to stay moisturized and loved.

Now that I’m here, I want to address some of the topics we missed. Here goes:

Soft or Hard Water - Does it matter?

Some of you have asked me if the softness (or hardness) of water impacts hair growth. I argued that my hair has grown in the years I’ve been in the area but the question stood to be considered. Here is what I’ve found overall:

Hard water contains more calcium and magnesium

Soft water contains sodium

Both have different benefits on hair types

Here are a few articles that I read that I found helpful in understanding hard or soft water as well as it’s impact on hair:

https://www.esalon.com/blog/hard-vs-soft-water/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927171/

http://www.hairbuddha.net/save-your-hair-from-hard-water/

Moisturizers, Product Ingredients

It is always important to think about moisture regardless of how you style your hair. I think we always think about moisture as the devil as we are trying to eliminate frizz or make a style last. You can do both while maintaining moisture.

The #1 moisturizer is water. Of course, once you have moisture on your hair, you will want to seal that moisture into the hair shaft. Most often people talk about using oils to moisturize and seaI. All oils are not created equal. Here is a brief article that is intended to help yous tart to think about the effectiveness of specific oils for specific things.

http://www.carolsdaughter.com/Why-You-Should-Forget-Everything-You-Learned-About-hair-oils.html

It is important to understand what product ingredients are as the internet will tell you silicones and parabens and sulfates are bad, dangerous and should be avoided. Additionally, they will say only natural, organic ingredients will do the best for your hair - watch out for all of those chemicals. There is truth to some of the claims out there and there are many curlies with #goals type hair and they use whatever regardless of silicones, etc. Even more, some of the “natural” products have ingredients that wouldn’t come up in normal conversation unless you may work in a lab.

A product I tried recently, Mielle’s Organics Babassu Oil & Mint Deep Conditioner (which I LOVE), has an ingredient called Behentrimonium methosulfate as the second ingredient. In case you didn’t know, ingredients are listed in order as the most prominent in a product to the least. This followed water. So, curious as I was, and because I really wanted to try to product, I stood in the store aisle, whipped out my phone and let Google lead me to understanding. I leaned Behentrimonium methosulfate is a compound used in conditioners, shampoos and lotions for it’s slippery elements and great detangling abilities. It’s mild though anyone can be allergic to anything.

I go to this site often to get a general overview of product ingredients which help me understand toxicity and dangers. https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/700658/BEHENTRIMONIUM_METHOSULFATE/

At the end of the day, no (should) know your hair better than you. Take the time to understand product ingredients so you know why you hair likes a particular product and things to look for in other products you’re interested in trying. Pay attention to what your hair is telling you - frizzy, dry, moisturized, poppin’ - know the why.

Stay Curly

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