Toia B.closeAuthor: Toia B.Name: Toia Barry Email: tobnatural@gmail.com Site: About:
Toia B. is a wife, mom and natural hair enthusiast. This online platform has become a resource for positive images of women with textured hair and useful hair care advice. Since going back to natural in the Fall of 2009, Toia’s aim has been to inspire and share what she has learned to help others embrace their natural beauty.
While attending the Halo Beauty Lounge {hosted by Ylorie Anderson of Brown Girl Marketing} back in September, I was able to meet and chat with the creators of various beauty brands. From hair care to skin care to jewelry, there was a bit of it all… but one brand stood out to me- COCOTIQUE. I was so impressed by the concept of this lifestyle subscription box as well as the woman behind it that I just had to share! Creator Dana Hill gives us a look inside her budding brand… What is COCOTIQUE and what was the inspiration behind it? COCOTIQUE is a beauty box subscription service for women of color. We find the best beauty and lifestyle products targeting their unique needs and desires and ship them to their door each month. After subscribing to other subscription services and not receiving products targeted to my skin tone and hair texture I…
Toia B.closeAuthor: Toia B.Name: Toia Barry Email: tobnatural@gmail.com Site: About:
Toia B. is a wife, mom and natural hair enthusiast. This online platform has become a resource for positive images of women with textured hair and useful hair care advice. Since going back to natural in the Fall of 2009, Toia’s aim has been to inspire and share what she has learned to help others embrace their natural beauty.
Last month, I showed a little love for the TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro). This one’s for team #bighairdontcare. From big, blown-out coifs to naturally colossal coils, full, fluffy fros make us gasp, swoon and most times just stare in awe! Ebony Clark, like many of us, “started from the bottom” with a Big Chop and worked her way to the lovely long mane you see here after years of care. Results WILL vary (as far as terminal length and rate of growth) but she is truly the poster child for what can be achieved through healthy hair care practices. I leave you with her own encouraging words to her Instagram followers a couple months ago upon posting this photo… “I can PROMISE you that if you stick with it and take care of your hair, with time you’ll reach your goals… Be/Stay encouraged! ♥” xoxo Toia B.
Toia B.closeAuthor: Toia B.Name: Toia Barry Email: tobnatural@gmail.com Site: About:
Toia B. is a wife, mom and natural hair enthusiast. This online platform has become a resource for positive images of women with textured hair and useful hair care advice. Since going back to natural in the Fall of 2009, Toia’s aim has been to inspire and share what she has learned to help others embrace their natural beauty.
Now, you may be thinking, “Hey! This is baby stuff… basic hair care 101. Who doesn’t know this already?!” Welp, you’d be surprised how many don’t! What’s Wrong With Cotton? Many of us probably own cotton bedding which, obviously, include cotton pillowcases. There are two important reasons why you do NOT want to (a) sleep on that cotton case without anything on your head OR (b) use a cotton scarf to keep your style intact, thinking you’re in the clear. (1) cotton absorbs moisture… which is why we wear so much of it in the summertime. With our kinky/coily/curly hair already prone to dryness, I’m sure you don’t want to lose whatever bit of moisture you’ve worked so hard to maintain. (2) due to the nature of cotton, your hair can sometimes snag on the material thus causing breakage. Add the absorption of moisture to the mix and that’s a…
Happy Friday y’all. *le sigh* The dress that I ordered for my cousin’s wedding arrived on Tuesday. Welp, I tried it on… I was hopeful but as I kinda expected, it just didn’t work. My body is… special. While I have a very small top area, the bottom half is a completely different story. That being the case, I need to buy a size big enough to compensate for the thighs and “junk in the trunk”. (LOL!) Well, you may not be able to tell much from my pic (it was the best I could do at the time) but it was too tight, a lot shorter than I expected and honestly, the overall cut of the dress was just all wrong for me! Even if I exchanged it for a size up, I’d have a large chunk to take in at the top (nothing my mom couldn’t handle) and…
Our resident natural hair care professional Simeko Watkins-Hartley answers… What do you recommend for dry and itchy scalp? Dry and itchy scalp is usually a sign of your body’s way of letting you know that something is off balance. It can be caused by a number of things; environment, poor diet, stress, internal issues, etc. So the first step in finding a solution is finding the cause. Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself: ● Do I have any medical conditions or taking any medication that may cause dry, itchy scalp? ● Am I getting the proper nutrition (vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids) through my diet daily? Am I drinking enough water daily? ● Am I using the right products/ingredients for my skin type? Am I properly moisturizing and oiling my scalp? ● Can my external environment be causing my dry scalp? Here are some practical suggestions…