Hello my curlies!

I want to share with you ladies one of my best kept hairstyling secrets. It lasts for up to a week at a time (for me, longer for some), quick and easy, has tons of style potential..and its low maintenance.

It’s the Braidout!!!

My Braid Out Routine...

1. I usually co-wash first, I apply my conditioner, wait 10 minutes, then comb through with wide tooth comb only after finger combing out all tangles or kinks.
2. Then I apply a deep conditioner and let it sit 30 minutes to an hour with a shower cap on so my body heat assists in the conditioning. ( I don’t always deep condition before a braid outn  but I do recommend doing this at least twice a month).
3. Find your most reliable leave in and holding agent. I usually opt for the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie. Before applying this, I ALWAYS add pure Coconut oil to my damp hair. Then I separate my hair into 4 big sections.
4. Before braiding each sections I re-comb out the section applying Eco Styler gel in either the Argan oil or Olive oil kind.
5. Then BRAID away!! You can part out different patterns or braid in different styles.
6. I usually do this at night so that It can dry over night, I then unbraid in the morning and apply coconut oil while unbraiding,
7. To refresh weekly, I use the Shea Moisture coconut and hibiscus hold & shine moisture mist.

Those are my seven easy steps. I know it seems like a lot but as you get a routine going, it gets easier. The style options are limitless. I can do a faux hawk, toss it all to one side, a quick updo or wear a nice curly fro with this style. It usually lasts me 4 to 5 days as long as I sleep with a protective bonnet nightly. I prefer the pattern of a braid out over the normal twist out because I find the curls to be more defined. They have a nicer pop to them.

RESULTS......

Products Used... (click the image to purchase directly from blog)

Shea Moisture Organic Curl Enhancing Smoothie Coconut & Hibiscus

$9.99

Nutrient rich vegetable butters condition hair, restoring moisture, body and shine. Enhances curls, minimizes frizz and provides curl control. For thick, curly hair. Sulfate-free and color-safe.

• Coconut oil: Hydrates and protects hair from heat and chemical damage
• Silk protein: Reduces breakage, strengthens hair, adds smoothness and silkiness
• Neem oil: An age-old ayurvedic oil that strengthens hair and provides brilliant shine
• No parabens, phthalates, paraffin, gluten, propylene glycol, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance, animal testing, PABA, synthetic color, DEA, or animal ingredients

Natural product, color and aroma may vary. Made in USA Apply to damp or styled hair..

eco styler Olive Oil Styling Gel

$2.99

Made with 100% pure olive oil. Olive oil helps your scalp naturally regulate its own moisturizing system. Olive oil helps attract moisture to the scalp, and holds it in. Like all our styling gels, it is weightless and will leave your hair with a healthy shine and superior hold.

Nature's Way EfaGold Coconut Oil

$14.99 by Nature's Way

The products I listed are just my personal preference but you don’t have to live by the products I have provided. All you need is: your favorite leave-in, a good holding agent, and also a refresher for the styling later in the week. One product I do recommend to everyone is pure coconut oil. You can find in it your local grocery store or order online (by clicking the product images in this post). I say this because it is such a univeral moisturizer year round (and is also one of the only oils that actually penetrated the hair shaft.) There will be a post done just on the benefits of coconut oil at some point.

Thanks so much for taking the time out to read (this is my first post as a writer for Luxe Glam..YAY!!). I hope this is helpful to you all. Post your results/comments below. You can reach me via Facebook : Cindy Eleasha Hill Newbern or Twitter: @cocoloveaquari . I can’t  wait to see your results my curlies as well as get your feedback about what you want posts on next!

Toodles!!

~Cindy N.

As you all know, I am a busy lady so I don't always have the time or patience to finish a long video or edit posts. This blog is very much a big piece of my heart and I want to make sure that Luxe Glam is providing you with great, fun and consistent information on a regular basis so I brought Cindy N. aboard as an additional official writer and contributor.You will still get the same colorful posts from yours truly but Ms. Cindy will be posting great stuff as well. Some of you all may remember her. She was previously featured for our Naturally Glam Spotlight and shared her hair story and regimen with us as well as in the gallery of pictures from the Nashville African Street Festival.

She is known for being daring in her hair styles and hues and I just love it!

Below are some pics and her personal introduction to you all...

"Hello pretty ladies and gorgeous guys!!! My name is Cindy, and I am so excited to become a part of the Luxe Glam family. Its going to be such a fun journey sharing my experiences, natural hair life, and lot other things with you all. Let me give you a little background info: I’m 25 years old and I currently reside in Nashville, TN. I love all things to do with culture, fashion, music, and art.  I have been a part of the natural hair community officially for 2 years and 2 months.  I definitely try not to let my hair consume me, although at times it does. I'd like to think that I am pretty low maintenance. Lots of wash and go styles, occasional twist outs, and tons of braid outs. I experiment with color ALOT and I only straighten 3-4 times a year. I am looking forward to sharing the rest of my natural journey with all of you beautiful people!" ~Cindy N.  :)

Keep an eye out for her upcoming posts!

Hello Dolls!! :)

I have put together a list of my favorite blog posts from the past as well as posts that readers really seemed to enjoy or find useful.

The articles are broken up in to categories to make for easy exploring.

ENJOY!! And be sure to comment, subscribe and spread the word by liking or sharing via Twitter or FB!

***J'adore's Faves***

**Are Your Beauty and Hair Products Killing You??! - A very informative, important post on the hazards and dangers of some ingredients commonly used on hair and beauty products. many of them are simply not good for your hair...others ar detrimental to your health. A definite must read and must pass along. 

**Skin Care No No's- a fun, informative post that dispels many of the myths and misconceptions about black skin and how to care for it. Full of great tips to replace the bad habits with.

**Tips to Transform Your Hair  -  Tips that helped me during my journey. Many useful and simple tidbits that will help aid in growth as well as a more pleasant relationship with your tresses.

Natural Hair Tips 

  (great starting point for newbies, transitioners or those considering going natural)

Ask J'adore: Newly Natural Q & A - A great post that addresses many common issues with newbies like finding the right conditioners, co-washing, greasing scalp, dryness issues, heat damage and caring for color treated hair.

Tips to Transform Your Hair  -  Tips that helped me during my journey. Many useful and simple tidbits that will help aid in growth as well as a more pleasant relationship with your tresses.

Soothing Sundays - Pamper your hair, skin and body...tips on how to spoil yourself with decadent skin and hair treatments that promote glowing skin and beautiful growth.

 Natural/Ayurvedic Ingredients and Treatments

Henna: My New Hair Boo - my enthusiastic account of the beginning of my henna experience. It was love at first try!

Soothing Sundays: Bentonite Clay for Natural Hair and Skin - introduction to Bentonight Clay, a naturl clay that is great for cleansing hair, skin and creating spa like treatments (ie bodywraps) at home. Includes recipes to get you started.

Ingredient Spotlight : Mother Nature's Glam - Natural ingredients to add to your arsenal.

 Skin/Nail Care

Skin Care No No's- a fun, informative post that dispels many of the myths and misconceptions about black skin and how to care for it. Full of great tips to replace the bad habits with.

Our Skin: Going below the surface of Black Skin with Dr. Mona Gohara- A very, very indepth article about that addresses common issues with darker skin, the "black dont crack" myth, and ingredients to avoid from Dr. Mona Gohara, assistant clinical professor at the Yale University School of Medicine Department of Dermatology.

Red Carpet Fail: Simple Remedies for Puffy Eyes aka Bag Lady Syndrome 

Minx Up Your Nails - a look into the oh-so-popular Minx nail craze that took over entertainment and nail fashion in 2010.

Thanks so much to all of my loyal readers that constantly remind me why I started this blog in the first place. And BIIGGG welcome to all of my new readers! Be sure to comment, subscribe and SHARE!

*BLOG SALE*BLOG SALE*BLOG SALE*BLOG SALE*BLOG SALE*BLOG SALE*BLOG SALE*BLOG SALE*BLOG SALE*

As you all know, I am a self-proclaimed product junkie. I hear products calling my name everytime I enter a store with a beauty or hair aisle. Recently, I moved into a new condo and realized that my closets had way too many products in them. So, I decided to do a little spring cleaning so I can make room for my future splurges. Most of the products are unopened or barely used. Products range from ayurvedic powders to styling products.

Items for sale are:

**BAQ Jamila Henna

 **Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding

 **Organic Root Stimulator Lock & Twist Gel

**Amla Powder

**Tulsi Powder

**Kinky Curly Knot Today

**CHI Volume Booster

**Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Oil

Since I love my Luxe Glam divas so much, I decided to give you all the opportunity to snatch up these great products. Though I already sell many of these things via the Glam Shop, I am selling them at a discount since they are from my personal stash.

TO PURCHASE, PLEASE COMMENT AND CLAIM THE PRODUCT(S) YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY AND A NUMBER BETWEEN 1-100 FOR A CHANCE TO WIN FREE SWAG!

HAVE FUN WITH IT!

 (: One lucky shopper will recieve a free gift :)

FOR SALE:

Body Art Quality Jamila Henna Super Sift (Summer Crop 2010) -  $5 a piece

- ayurvedic powder made from the Henna (Lawsonia Inermis) plant that naturally contains a red-orange dye. When made into a paste and applied to hair, it  leaves an auburn or red rinse-like glossy cast and has amazing conditioning qualities. Benefits include less shrinkage, added strength,  blinging shine, faster drying time, heavier/thicker strands and stretched, defined, popping curls. Some also experience curl loss but another ayurvedic powder, Amla can be mixed in to combat that.

Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding 16 oz (opened but only used once)- $27

Organic Root Stimulator Lock & Twist Gel (unopened) - $2

- a premixed gel that adds both moisture and hold without build-up or flaking. Perfect for locks and twists.

Amla Powder (100g) - $3

 - is a natural astringent and skin toner that works on both hair and skin. It controls hair fall, cures scalp infection, and controls premature graying of hair. The paste of this powder helps promote luxuriant hair.
- Soak Amla powder with adequate amount of hot water preferably in an iron vessel. Leave it overnight, and wash your hair in the morning with this extract. Leave the paste on for hour allowing the nutrients to absorb and rinse the hair properly afterwards. Repeat every 3rd or 4th day for best results.
- Regular usage of Amla powder gives nourishment to the hair. It may also remove mild dandruff from hair scalp while giving body to the hair.

Hesh Tulsi Leaves powder (100g) - $3

- Antibacterial

-Cures Dandruff, protects your skin

Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in Co./Detangler - $7

 *One of my personal favorites*

-creamy herbal conditioner and detangler designed to smooth the cuticle and remove knots, snarls and tangles from thick curly textured hair.

 **Late (But Still GREAT) News**

In March 2010, Luxe Glam was included in an article by Angela Smith of the Natural Hair section of the Columbus Examiner about the top 50 Natural hair blogs. I didn't find out about it until a long time later. But nevertheless, I was very excited to see that my little labor of love was ranked #18 out of a list of 50 blogs. YAYY!!! Blogs were chosen and ranked based on popularity and reader subscription.

Thanks sooo much to my loyal readers and subscribers!! I never expected my blog to be anything special to anyone but ME. I probably would have stopped blogging altogether if I didn't have such a wonderful community of fellow bloggers and avid readers.

You all keep me going! Thanks again and again loves!!

 *Kisses Kisses Kisses*

~J'adore~

**Sarah B. (a friend and mother of the beautiful, curly little girl, pictured left), a Mortician that resides on Detroit, MI  has been exploring styles for her daughter's natural hair. I have heard from many mothers of little curly glammettes that it is difficult finding natural styles that are easy and age appropriate so I just had to share this effortless style with you all. I can't stand to see a little girl already suffering from the creamy crack so I have to keep you natural mammas encouraged.- J'adore **

How To Style: Baby Glam Twists

Cleansing- I started this process by washing my daughter’s hair with Aussie Moist shampoo (I don’t think the type of shampoo used will affect the results) . After a few washes I conditioned with a generous mixture of Herbal Essence Hello Hydration and Aussie Moist Conditioner.

Prep- Once the conditioner was evenly disturbed throughout the hair I used a wide tooth comb to comb through the hair. Since the combing process is somewhat lengthy on an impatient 3 year-old I promptly followed with a rinse. Next, I dried the hair and added a small amount of the two conditioner mixture. I also liberally worked in Kinky - Curly Knot Today leave in detangler.

Styling- After washing, conditioning, and detangling the hair I began making two strand-twists in small sections of the back of the hair. As I moved to the front of the hair with the twists I began twisting a bit of Ecostyler Olive Oil styling gel at the root of the strands while twisting to get a neater and more defined twist. I found the gel to help quite a bit since I slightly increased the size of the twists as I moved closer to the front of the head. This was done to give a fuller look at the top of the head once the twists dried and set. It took approximately 40+ minutes to twist her entire head and the results are below. : )

Isn't she just the cutest??!! Thanks Sarah B.

Try this on your curly babies and post the results or comment with your favorite Baby Glam styles for you little ones.

Sooo if you haven't noticed (which I know my loyal readers have..Sorry *sad face*) I haven't been posting lately. Well..What had happened wassss...LOL..Just kidding. But my laptop was stolen with all of my blog info and graphics and then some. I was traumatized because I took that pink
sexy little piece of technology EVERYWHERE. R.I.P. Pinkie!

But the good news is that I finally got to my out of town storage unit and snatched up my handy dandy black and sassy desktop computer. So...J'adore is back..AGAIN :)

My hair has been mostly worn in a messy semi fro/wash-n-go to avoid putting heat on my curls (and because my pretty pinkFHI flat irons are alsodeceased). I recently broke down and let someone else (a stylist) straighten my hair. The fabulous little guy did a decent job except for the mounds and MOUNDS of products he weighed my usually-flowy strands down with. Check the pic to the right and tell me if you like the heavy, product-y look on me.

By the way, there are some new giveaways and a blog sale still immenent in the near glam future so keep those mascara-ful eyes open for whats in store...speaking of store, be sure to hit up the Hair and Beauty Glam Shops for all off your product addict needs.

For now, Ciao Bellas!! Smooches!!

Got my Bentonite Clay in the mail the other day! Yay!! I'm excited. I've been hearing about it for a long time from curly friends, blog sites and hair forums but always overlooked it (just as I did Henna which is now the love of my hair life). I recently decided to try it and see if I'll fall in love with it as well. I typically pamper my hair and body on Sunday so its perfect that I try it out today.

In case you are like, "What is she talking about?" Bentonite Clay is packed with over 70 naturally occurring trace minerals that when mixed with water, swells and draws out dirt, oils, toxins and any other impurities like a sponge.

Mineral Content:
Silica- 61.4% - (required for strong healthy hair growth and skin tissue regeneration)
Aluminum- 18.1%
Iron- 3.5%
Sodium- 2.3%
Magnesium- 1.7%
Calcium- 0.04%
Titanium- 0.02%
Potassium- 0.01%
Moisture- 7.8%
pH - 8.3 - 9.1

• Bentonite can be applied topically to skin and wounds or taken orally to draw toxins and impurities out of the body quickly. Bentonite Clay removes poisons (bacterial poisoning, salmonella, etc.) and intestinal parasites out of the intestinal tract while alkalizing the body.
• Bentonite Clay is excellent to rejuvenate and cleanse the skin. Topical applications are helpful for acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, wound healing, and help draw poison from ant, bee, wasp, and similar bug stings and bites. It draws excess oils and debris to the surface, boosts circulation to tighten the skin and stimulate blood flow, and whisks away dead skin cells that can clog pores.
• Bentonite is a swelling clay. When it is mixed with water, it rapidly swells open like a highly porous sponge. From here the toxins are drawn into the sponge through electrical attraction and once there, they are bound.
• Bentonite Clay may also be used like a shampoo trapping and removing dirt, debris, build up and other particles from your hair and scalp.

I'm sure now you can see how this stuff may just end up being a glam girl's dream. I plan on using it for my skin as well as as a shampoo/treatment for my hair. I'll be making the mixture and applying as a hair mask tonight but won't do a full review until I have tried it a few times and so I can be sure that it really works or doesn't work consistently. I purchased a 1 lb container of the Now Foods brand clay from SwansonVitamins.com for $8.81.

Here are a few recipes for beauty treatments using BC <via Anita Grant>

" If you feel like pampering yourself here's a recipe for an Organic Watermelon & Bentonite Clay Body Wrap:

Prep time: 20 mins
Total time required for treatment: 45 min to an hour

What you'll need:
Strips of clean thin towels or sheets
Big Mixing bowl
2 Spoons

Tips:
Body wraps are messy so the best place to take the wrap is in the bath tub.

Drink at least 2 litres of water to get rid of all the toxins in your body.

Suggestion:
Have a warm shower before applying the body wrap as this will open your pores.

Instructions:
1. Take 473ml (2 cups) of hot Spring or Distilled water or an infusion of Apple Cider Vinegar and Organic Chamomile Flowers.
2. Add 59ml (1/4 cup) of Dead Sea Salt (Skin  tonic, detoxifying, nutrient enriched) and stir until the salt is dissolved.  
3. Add 236 grams (1 cup) of Bentonite clay
4. To this add 29ml (2 tbsp) of Organic Watermelon
(absorbed into the skin, rich in Vitamin C and Omega 6 & 9 essential fatty acids (EFAs))
5. Stir to form a warm, wet paste.

Application:
Dip your strips of clean thin towels or sheets into the mix one by one making sure your mixture stays warm.
You may need to re-heat it if it cools down too quickly. Soak each strip in the mix then wrap it around your body start at your ankles and work your way up. It's important to keep warm, if your bathroom is a little chilly wrap yourself in a washable blanket lay in an empty bath and relax for at least 60 minutes.
After 60 minutes - rinse off in a warm shower. Your who body will tingle with delightful softness.

Treat yourself once a month to help keep your skin detoxified and smooth.

Bentonite Clay - Naturally Curly and Afro Curly Popping Hair Care Treatment:
This recipe depends on the length and thickness of your naturally curly hair.

Prep time: 10 mins

Instructions:
Mix 1 to 2 parts Bentonite clay 
Slowly add *water to the clay until you achieve a pancake mix texture.
Apply to your hair (dry or wet)
Allow to set for between 15 - 20 minutes
Rinse thoroughly until it's all out of your curls, kinks and coils.

*water can be replaced with your choice of liquid for example:
Organic Coconut Milk
Herbal infusion
or anything you like...

Hair Care Benefits:
After you Shampoo
One single treatment of Bentonite Clay will remove build-up from your scalp leaving naturally curly and Afro hair clean and clear.

As a shampoo replacement
Bentonite Clay may also be used like a shampoo trapping and removing dirt, debris, build up and other particles from your hair and scalp.

Shaving tip:
Lightly dusting with Bentonite clay after shaving does soothe the area(s) & helps prevent the itchy after-rash some women (and blokes) have to contend with."

If you ladies try or already include these into your regimen, please gush about your results and experiences in the comments below. Thanks! Smooches :)