Natural Hair: No Heat in January Challenge

That's my "nooo my hair is breaking off" face

Usually people turn up the heat for Winter but for me, I'm turning it down off.

So for the New Year I decided to challenge myself with using absolutely NO HEAT on my hair for the entire month of January. I have been researching on YouTube numerous styles that I believe that will benefit my hair by adding moisture, shine, and retaining its length. The last time I wore my hair without heat was during the summer because it was so hot my hair wouldn’t stay straight to save my life (actually I was still using my hooded dryer for some styles.)

As many of you know, the back of my hair is completely natural and my front is still in the process of transitioning (about half way natural.) I did not decided to go natural to wear my hair mainly in its natural state but because relaxers burn the HELL out of my scalp! Even as a little kid, I would cry because it would burn extremely bad. So before 2012, I was only getting relaxers maybe once or twice a year until I decided to stop it all together.

While it is a wonderful idea to stop relaxing your hair, the continuous use of blow dryers and flat irons still lead to damaging your hair && that bad boy is called HEAT DAMAGE. Something I’ve been experiencing all too well these past couple of months.

So I decided to give myself a month of no heat, just plan “ol” washing, co-washing, deep conditioning, Bantu knots, flat twist, buns, and flexi rods, anything that can get my mind off of not grabbing my flat iron.

With that being said, on the first day of January I washed and conditioned my hair, let it air dryer maybe about 75% and ATTEMPTED to do Bantu knots! What an absolute fail! Maybe I twisted my hair the wrong way but my ends were sticking out every which way. It was so embarrassing because I had to go to work with my hair looking wild. I work with kids and you know kids tell the truth and nothing but the truth! One boy said, “Ms. Ashley … is that you? Your hair looks crazy!” If I could turn red, I probably would have but I told him my hair got wet and that was that.

Now it’s January 2^nd and I found that 2 flat twist look pretty nice on me and that’s what I will be doing for a while!

Please, can some of you ladies give me some advice? I want to try a curly style but my relaxed ends seems to not want to cooperate with the rest of the style. I do actually hope to continue on with this no heat regime, perhaps get some braids next month or a very protective sew in!

Any who, this was pretty much a hair journey 2014 update. I love my straight hair but I cannot lie, the damage is pretty noticeable, at least to me anyway.

The products I will be using include: Elasta EQ Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer, Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Black Castor Oil, Palmers Coconut oil moisturizer and Biotin. 

Thanks Ladies! 

** Don't forget to enter my giveaway that ends February 1st, 2014! Its super easy and its a token of my appreciation to all of my readers!

So Much To Share: New Name, New Layout, New Lipstick + A GIVEAWAY

Bye Bye Isaiwasamazing.blogspot.com and Hello HerBossyAsh.com!

IT’S FINALLY HERE, THE NEW WEBSITE! I am so excited because this is my baby and I want it to be perfect! I can’t believe I’m starting off 2014 so amazing, this is definitely a dream come true! After being advised from one of my colleagues who does graphic designing, he motivated me to do everything myself, the logo, name, webpage, layout so with me loving a challenge and being pretty tech-advanced, I opted in using his advice and did the whole thing solo dolo! I honestly did not believe I would have met my deadline of having this up by the New Year’s but I did it and I’m so in love with it!

So the first post on the new blog and for the New Year’s is about this awesome beauty supply store lipstick I recently purchased. I went to my local beauty supply store over the weekend to pick up some eyelashes and noticed the $1.99 lipsticks nearby, there were a gazillion “OK” choices but one color stood out to me!  Violet by Nicka K (NK) lipsticks.

I did not have high expectations, due to it being only 2 dollars, but when I got home and started doing swatches, it really did hold its own! It came out very pigmented and glossy! When I applied it on my lips, I still received the same high pigment as the swatches on my hand, but there was a downfall! This lipstick lasted for a whole 45 minutes before beginning to fade away! But what can you expect from a 2 dollar lipstick?

I found a solution to this problem! Just buy 2 from your BSS. If you plan on going out in your “never-lasting” lipstick, tuck one in your clutch so you can apply it whenever you go outside, sip a drink, talk, smile, dance lol! Just kidding, but it really does not have a long-staying power!

I still would give this lipstick a thumbs up and I’d refer it to anyone looking for a dupe for KA’OIR RACQUEL lipstick that is $17 on her website!

I don’t know why, but I’m feeling pretty generous right now, so generous that I’m thinking about holding a small giveaway! That’s right, From January 1^st to February 1^st , 2014, I am giving away 1 KA’OIR lipstick of your choice! This is open to U.S residents only!

You guys have been with me for so long and I’d like to show my appreciation to old readers as well as new readers with this giveaway! It’s really, really, really simple all you have to do is visit the KA’IOR website, find some lippies that you would love to wear, comment with your 3 favorite lipsticks and BOOM that’s 1 entry! You can also follow me on IG @herbossyash for an extra entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck to all of you and if I could, I would give all of you all lipsticks but the way my funds are set up …

I will email the winner with my AshleyWalton2010@gmail.com email to confirm winnings and address! Thanks ladies & tell me what you think of the new website!

Beauty Product Review: M.A.C. Volcano Ash Exfoliator

All over Instagram and other beauty blogs, woman are raving about MAC’s volcano ash exfoliator and how it’s the greatest gift on earth for your face. Me, hating to be out of the loop, decided to see if the hype was real!  I don’t have the best skin in the entire world, so I thought I’d give it a shot!

This use to be a limited-edition product but because of all you raving fans, they bought it back as a permanent addition to the collection a couple years ago. At $28 dollars, it’s kind of pricey, but I truly believe it’s a great investment for your skin.

I love exfoliators but I hate the dry tight feelings afterwards, however with the volcano ash, my skin felt super smooth yet still moisturized which is what I continued to love about this produce use after use!

A little bit goes a long way and it’s kind of fascinating that the product is super black with mini beads giving you the interpretation of true volcano ashes.

My skin has literally not felt this smooth since I was a teenager and I’ve tried a million products on the market! I use it about 3x a week and it’s been about 2  month and I just feel like my face overall looks better and brighter and I’ve noticed my make-up application goes on much smoother then before.

I recommend that you all purchase this or put it on your wish list for Christmas, definitely a must have product!

&& if you don’t believe me, check out this video below of 1 out of a million youtubers reviewing this product as well!

Have any of you used this product, tell me what you think?

Love ya!

P.S. I FINISHED UNDERGRAD THIS WEEK YOU GUYS! THAT WILL BE ANOTHER POST HOWEVER!

Crown it or Clown it **Teaser**

Did I tell you guys the great news? My blog will be getting a revamp next month with a new name! I will be adding a lot of exciting and exhilarating features that you don’t want to miss out on!

Starting the first week of January I will be incorporating a new segment to my blog called “CROWN IT OR CLOWN IT.” Each post, I will find the best beauty and fashion look of the week. Not only will they be from celebrities but from people I encounter with daily.  

I come across great looks every day that I wish I could share with other people. So because of that, I decided it was about time that I dedicated a portion of my blog to these AMAZING women.

I have had this blog for almost 2 years now and I have truly found my niche, BEAUTY! Every one’s beauty is different and it a captivating experience to see how someone captures what’s in their mind and displays it in the outfits that they wear or the make-up they use on their face. Your body is a canvas and the choice to put anything on it is yours.

I know that I said I was going to start in January, but here is a little teaser for you wonderful ladies that follow my blog.

So, let’s get things started!

To kick off the December month, many celebrities opted for the red lip! Red lips turns every outfit into a super sexy and sleek ensemble! Red lips are also awesome because their women of color friendly and you can absolutely find the right shade for your complexion.  Two colors that look great on every complexion is Ruby Woo, which is a vibrant red matte lipstick, and Media, a darker oxblood lipstick, both available at your M.A.C counter.

Are you loving these look and will you be incorporating a red lip to your outfits this winter?

Who did the red lip better?

Angela Simmons

Lindsey Lohan

Leonna Lewis

Rihanna

Rita Ora

Poll Maker

Top 3 Holiday Party Looks

Its officially holiday season and you know what that means? Holiday parties are now just around the corner! If you haven’t already, its very likely you will be invited to a couple Christmas parties, whether it’s for your job or from your friends, its essential to find the perfect dress for each occasion.

So to make things easier on you, and myself, I've decided to create a list of my top 3 favorite holiday dresses, all coming from ww.boohoo.com, for any holiday setting.

Office

Holiday parties from your job are always fun! It’s a chance to show your one of a kind style while also keeping it professional to your coworkers. I know we’ve all seen the movies where there’s a woman dressed sleazy and getting belligerently drunk in front of all co-workers and we know we don’t want that be us this Christmas! My opinion you should only sip 1 glass of wine at a office holiday party because these people are not strangers and you do have to come back to work Monday morning.

I love this lace midi dress that is sexy but still very professional! You will turn heads especially if you usually are the white button down black slacks type of girl Monday-Friday.  This dress is 40 bucks!

Family

Its tradition in my family to hold our Christmas party at a family member’s house each year.  I remember being a young girl and always wearing one of my newly opened Christmas fits to the party. Now that I’m older imp opting to wear a new cute dress with some tights just in case I have to sit on the floor (It’s that many people there.) Tip: Opt for something loose-fitting because Christmas is almost like Thanksgiving with tons of food.

I recently purchased this dress and the picture really does not do it any justice! Something about the swinging and the turtleneck screams the 90’s to me. Pair it with a dark lip like MAC’s Media or Talk That Talk and look fabulous while also comfortable.  This dress is only $30 dollars, what a steal!

Friends

When you go to a Christmas party thrown by one of your friends, I believe this is when you really strut your stuff! My friends and I always try to dress to impress so I believe you can go the extra mile with whatever kind of dress style you are going for! If you always wear black, wear red,i f you only wear flats, its time to break out your heels (unless you serious can’t walk in heels, then flats are fine!

I picked this dress because I LOVE sequin but I don’t like to wear it very often due to it snagging everything in site! This is definitely an eye catcher and when wearing the right pieces of jewelry, it can have you looking the best at the party. This dress is $70 dollars but I believe it’s worth every penny.

Which one is your favorite?