DIY- HAIR COMBS

Here is a little something I found on Pinterest.  Believe or not these combs are DIY.  So pretty.  I tried finding the link that shows in detail how to make these but didn't have any luck in doing so.  My personal fave is the long gold leaf hair comb.  I would take some old jewelry or embellishments from a shirt/purse/etc and create one.  All you need are the pieces, a glue gun w/sticks, and a few hair combos.  Let your imagination run wild.  Enjoy!

Much Love & Fashion Fun,

Tea Todd

(photo from Pinterest)

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT

I've always loved natural looking hair, real or fake, especially if its big.  Right now I'm rocking a wash & go look in brown and blonde hues.  I LOVE IT!  But enough about my hair.  The natural hair craze has boomed this past year with thanks to celebrities like Brandy and Kelly rocking big natural hair styles on the red carpet.  Bloggers and vloggers have taken noticed too and have given their expertise to styling, caring for, and managing natural hair. 

We've all heard of the the big chop (cutting off any relaxed/permed hair and letting your true texture grown in).  But what if you simply can not function in your daily life with your hair looking the way it does?  Well I found something awesome.  I came across this site called Finger Comber that sales natural looking hair.  I'm talking hair that looks like natural 4b/4c hair, beautiful kinky hair.  I've used the Rastafarian dreadlock hair to create kinky locks but that hair only comes in bundles.  Finger Comber hair comes in bundles and in wefts.  I've never seen kinky hair you can weave.

Finger Comber's hair comes in several shades.  The site even provide tutorials on how to use the wefts or bundles and how to style the hair.  This is great for naturals who can't fully transition into the natural style.  It's also great for those naturals who want their hair to look fuller.  I say fake it till you make it.  I'm so happy to come across this site.  I look forward to trying out this hair.  I'll give a review once I purchase one of the styles and let you know how it turns out.  Have any of you tried this brand or a similar brand of kinky hair bundles/wefts?  Let me know.

Much Love & Fashion Fun,
Tea Todd

 Actual customer

 Actual customer

HAIR HOTTIE (NATURAL STYLE)

This is my first ever interview for The Sugar Honey Ice Tea.  So excited! 
I met Grace at a church play last month.  Her twist are beautiful and the color really looked lovely on her.  She's of Nigerian/African-American descent with three sisters and two older brothers. Grace is currently pursuing a degree in biochemistry with aspirations of becoming an ob/gyn.  Here is her interview to better understand her style.

Much Love & Fashion Fun,

Tea Todd


1. Why did you choose your current style & the color?
I chose to do kinky twists because I absolutely love to style them. They last a pretty long time, I can style them differently nearly every week if I wanted and they tend to look their best when they’re old. I love twists so much that I’ve had nearly every color in my head. I tend to like highlights, so looking at the selection available in the shop I buy my hair from, I chose a 1B and a burgundy color.

2. What brand of hair do you use?
I typically use Bobby Boss Synthetic Afro Kinky twisting hair. I’ve also used Booby Boss Synthetic Jamaica Braid hair as well. It just all depends on the color I’m looking to put in and what’s available in the Beauty Shop I purchase my hair at.

3. What products do you use to keep your hair looking hot?
I don’t like to use too many products on my hair, since it will typically cause my hair to get oily. I just simply spray a little oil sheen and maybe use some Edge Control to maintain my front edges.

4. How long have you had this style?
I had this particular style for about 3 months. I love getting kinky twists because the style, if properly maintained, can last and still look good for a good amount of time.

5. Who is your (hair) style icon?
I actually don’t have a hair icon in particular. My sister who’s a hairstylist tends to suggest and inspire styles she feels would suit me best. I also love to draw some of my hair ideas from Sophisticate’s Black Hair Magazine, while adding in my own personal twists and spins, from time to time.

SETTING NEW STANDARDS

My wonderful husband LOVES kinky hair.  He even encourages me to rock my natural kinks.  I love the look of afros but I feel it's not the time in my life to go au natural.  I'm still young and want to continue to rock big, long hair while I can.  If you know me you know what I'm talking about (Chaka Chan/Diana Ross/Beyonce hair).  We are planning on starting a family soon.  I keep cringing at the though of having a little girl.  What am I going to do with her hair?  How will I be a good role model to her about the beauty of her hair when I have issues with my own hair?  These are some of the questions I ask myself.  I grew up in the 80's where mama's loved to perm their daughters hair and put them in weaves and braids at a very young age, now realizing that wasn't the best idea.  My husband came across this wonderful site (naturalgirlsunited.com) that sales barbies with ethnic hairstyles.   I wish I had this barbie growing up.  So when we start our family and if it's a little girl I will have to set new patterns and learning new ones along the way.  Did you have issues with your hair growing up?  Are you setting new patterns for yourself and your family?
Much Love & Fashion Fun.

HOT OR NOT

I felt compelled to look at some of Rihanna's past styles after viewing the recent pics of her on Shadders.  I love the blond against her skin tone,  it looks great on her.  However I'm not a fan of the style.  The length plus the long bangs, and feathered edges makes her look older.  She looks like a pretty 30 something instead of a 20 something.  That's just my opinion.  What is your favorite Rihanna hairstyle and/or color?  Do you like her long & sleek, short & fierce, red & bold, or blond and tamed?  My favorite style on her is short & fierce in black.  She has the face to pull off short hair.  The black hair made her eyes look amazing.  She looked great in the other styles too but that is my fav.

Much Love & Fashion Fun.

TRYING TO GET THROUGH STEREOTYPES

Growing up I heard an 'ol saying "A (black) woman's pride is in her hair."  Is it acceptable to tell our young sisters & daughters (and to let our boys hear) that 'ol saying?  Is that what women based their pride and self worth on back then and even now, by the texture, length, and beauty of their hair?  I would like to think not but with the growth of wig shops in predominately black neighborhoods it tells a different story (many non black women are wearing wigs and extensions like crazy too.  It's more acceptable now to do so with the help from Hollywood and celebrities). 

There is another 'ol saying I'm not too fond of, "She has good hair."  Yes I must admit in my young age of adolescence I used this term to describe someone with not so kinky hair.  Now I refuse to let this sentence come out my mouth.  Like so many young black women I thought my hair wasn't beautiful enough because it resembled hair that looked like Macy Grey's instead of Tatyana Ali's.  But after having countless discussions, digging through research, and deciding to define what was beautiful hair to me, I decided to ban the term "good hair" from my dialect. 

Solange Knowles is a good example of a woman who doesn't let her hair define her.  Everyone was in shock when she cut off her hair.  And once it started to grow back it did not look like how it did before, straight and processed.  This time it was a kinky fro.  Her natural hairstyles and weave/lace front hairstyles are all beautiful because she is beautiful on the inside and it radiates to her exterior.  So her hair isn't her pride, just an extension of who she is and is becoming.   Do you feel ethnic hair still holds a stereotype in 2012?  Do you find yourself conforming to others ideas of what your hair should look like?
Much Love & Fashion fun.

I LOVE YOUR HAIR

I, myself rock big hair, very big hair. Just when I think it's starting to look bad I get more compliments than when I first get it done.  There is something so natural yet glamorous about big hair. It takes a lot of confidence, pride, and (hair) skills to rock it.  Because I can't get enough of big hair I've added more images on the topic. I found this site called Happy to be Nappy. LOVE IT! They always have the most beautiful photos of (big) hair. If I ever see any of these women passing by I would immediately say, "I love your hair."  Enjoy.