Getting Kinky: Summer Natural Hair Products

Hi everyone! So a couple weeks ago I brought you 5 ways to jazz up your hair for the summer. Today I want to talk about products you should use during these hot humid/dry days ahead of us. The key, as in winter, is to keep your hair hydrated, but it's especially crucial in the summer as our hair is usually exposed to the elements more from going to the beach/pool, street festivals, road trips, etc.

There's a lot more your hair has to handle during the summer months and though you want your hair to be moisturized, don't over-weigh it with products, that's no fun for you or your hair in 80+ degree heat. So continue on below and check out so summer products and tips for you to use these next few months!

1. AG Hair Cosmetics Fast Food 2. Kinky Curly Knot Today 3. Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper 4. Oyin Handmade Hair Dew 5. Mixed Chicks Leave-in Conditioner

Leave-in conditioners are important as they give that extra boost of moisture after you cleanse your hair. Some summer tips, put leave-in conditioner in your hair before taking a dip into the ocean or a pool, it'll help keep your hair from absorbing too much salt or chlorine. After your fun in the sun, rinse your hair out and put more leave-in condish back on it to keep it from getting dried out.

1. Curl Junkie Curls in a Bottle 2. Mop Top Light-Hold Anti-Frizz Gel 3. As I Am Curling Jelly 4. DevaCare Arc AnGEL 5. Darcy's Botanicals Avocado & Honey Twisting Cream

When styling your hair, switch to lighter products like gels and jellies, they're a perfect addition over leave-in's as they're not heavy and will still help seal the moisture in your hair. Try to avoid using hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons, and other heat styling as much as possible as you'll already have the heat from the endless sunshine on your hair.

1. JessiCurl Hair Cleansing Cream 2. Blended Beauty Curl Cleansing Conditioner 3. Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner 4. Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Conditioner

Shampooing should be kept to a minimum as over cleansing can quickly dry your hair out and make it brittle. Try using a cleansing conditioner instead to keep your hair clean, moisturized, and healthy!

1. MYHoneyChild Olive You Deep Conditioner 2. Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix 3. Aubrey Organics Blue Green Algae Conditioning Mask 4. DevaCurl Heaven in Hair 5. Spiral Solutions Deeply Decadent Moisturizing Treatment

More exposure to the elements means more deep conditioning! You should try and do a treatment once a week depending on how dry your hair gets.

And there you have it! All these products can be found on NaturallyCurly's Curl Mart. Hope everyone has a great day!

'Till Next Time...

Outfitted: Chevron

Hi everyone! Yesterday was surprisingly cool, the wind was blowing, and it was actually quite chilly in more shaded areas. As usual, with days like this I was deceived by the intense amounts of sunshine pouring through my window and thought it was gloriously warm outside. Oh Chicago, you would decide to drop into the 60's right after it officially became summer.

So this shirt is actually a dress, a very short dress that I've decided works better as a loose fitting top. If you stop and stare and the chevron print for too long you may go a little cross-eyed as it creates a weird optical illusion, but it is a nice break from all the stripes I have in my closet. I seriously have way too many articles of clothing (and shoes! Exhibit A - the ones on my feet) with stripes on them, it's becoming a problem.

My hair is super fluffy today as I'm rocking a 3-day old twist out. This past Friday night I wound up sitting on my couch watching Bridesmaids and twisting my hair. I don't know why I always feel like doing something to my hair on random nights at 11p knowing it's going to take me a couple of hours to finish (I have so much hair, ya'll it's not even funny.) But I haven't done anything past wash-n-go's in so long it's nice to have something different to wake up to in the morning (though it looks nothing like this when I first wake up, haha!) 

Lots of random thoughts today, thanks for sticking with me and reading them! Haha! Hope everyone has a great day!

'Till Next Time...

::Outfit::

Shirt/Dress: Pitaya (very similar and I love the cut & color of this)

Shorts: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: Target

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Bag: Old

Ring: Crossroads

Watch: Michael Michael Kors

Rock This!: Summer Shorts

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend and if you participated in Pride festivities I am extremely jealous as I was stuck at work all weekend. There's always next year I suppose, haha :)

So as it is now officially Summer, I thought what better way to kick it off than bringing you six shorts you should rock this year. From your classic denim to florals and ikat prints, shorts are making a major come back this summer, there's so many different styles, cuts, and prints that you're bound to find at least one that works for you!

Shop the Shorts!: 1. Paige Jimmy Jimmy Short 2. Isabel Marant Tie Dye Short 3. ICHI Hysa Shorts 4. Stella McCartney Aude Striped Shorts 5. Warehouse Floral Printed Shorts 6. 10 Crosby Ikat Short (on sale!)

And as always, for your styling pleasure, I created an outfit using the ikat shorts (as they're my favorite) and you can also check out how I styled my own pair of neon shorts here. Honestly, you really could switch in any one of these shorts to create the perfect summer-chic look :)

Shop the Look!: Prana Rita Top / 10 Crosby Ikat Short / Zara Wooden Wedge / Silvian Heach Bag / Stella McCartney Oversized Teardrop Sunnies / Madewell Feather Pendant / J.Crew Track Link Bracelet

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day!

'Till Next Time...

Outfitted: Who Wears Short Shorts?

Hi friends! Today's post will be short and sweet as there's not much going on right now. The past couple days have been crazy hot here in Chicago, even the wind is hot, which makes me thank God for air conditioning and little short shorts :)

I was immediately drawn to the neon yellow/green color of these shorts but was a little unsure about their length. Typically it's hard for me to wear really short shorts as they're usually really tight on my thighs and make me feel as if I'm wearing hot pants and really accentuate my bum, which isn't always a bad thing, but it's something I'm not entirely comfortable with wearing on your average day. So, with that, I was pleasantly surprised at how well these shorts fit, I think the fact they're high-waisted definitely helps them from being too, dare I say, bootylicious ;)

It's supposed to be a very warm weekend, so where ever you are, stay cool out there! Happy Friday!

Till' Next Time...

::Outfit::

Short Shorts: F21

Top: Thrifted

Shoes: Urban Outfitters (on sale in stores!)

Bag: Random

Sunnies: Crossroads

Accessories: Random ring & bracelet, Michael Michael Kors watch

Rock This!: Mixing Prints

Hi everyone! So mixing prints is still a major trend in the fashion world and I know there have been many a 'how-to' to come out since the trend first emerged, but I have yet to really put my two cents out there so in honor of my last outfit post today I'll show you how to mix prints for almost any occasion!

Two of my favorite prints to mix, stripes and florals! Dress this look up with neutral accessories and a strappy wedge in a summery color, and you're ready for a classy brunch with the girls or a casual lunch meeting.

Like most fashionistas I have a not-so-secret love for leopard prints, it can instantly upgrade any outfit. Polka dots are actually a print I don't wear too often, but I love how they're so classic & ladylike. Put the two together and you have the perfect casual Friday or 'running-around-doing-errands-all-day' Sunday outfit.

This look is probably my favorite, it is also similar to the one I wore last week. Not only do I love the two prints, but the colors are so vibrant I can't help but be happy whenever I look at it, think if you were actually wearing it how awesome you would feel, haha! :) Wear this to a dinner date or an afternoon wedding.

And there you have it! How do you all like to mix your prints? Before I go I want to mention that I noticed I had a bit of an increase in my subscribers from various sources (Google, Blog Lovin, Facebook) and I just wanted to say Hi!! *waving at my computer screen* Welcome! Thanks for subscribing, don't be shy, leave a comment and I hope you keep enjoying what you see here :) Happy Wednesday!

'Till Next Time...

A Look In Between: Resort 2013

Hi everyone! So I was doing my usual perusing of blogs the other day and came upon this post by Jena over at ChiCityFashion. She talks about how the Resort and Pre-Fall collections are typically the "forgotten collections" as no one makes a big deal over them, especially compared to the Spring/Fall collections (which I completely agree with). In order to take a closer look at Resort 2013 collections Jena created her own superlatives, and she did such an awesome job that it inspired me to actually take a look at the Resort '13 collections! So now here I am, with hopes in giving you a little inspiration with some of my favorite looks from my favorite collections for Resort '13! Enjoy the photos!

Chloe - minimal, airy, carefree

Tibi - bold coloring, surrealist prints

Rachel Roy - color blocking, playful prints, brights

Prabal Gurung - bold graphics, neon, prints

Michael Kors - ikat motifs, shimmer, casual elegance

'Till Next Time...

Erica Smith is Naturally Fabulous!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! Back in February, Motions Haircare went on a search for fabulous & fierce girls with natural style to help them introduce their newest line of natural hair care products, Motions Naturally You! 3 girls were chosen as Naturally Fabulous and one just so happens to be Chicago's own, Erica Smith!

As one of the selected Motions Nautrally Fabulous girls, Erica was flown to New York and participated in a photo shoot for an advertorial that you can find in the July issue of Essence magazine!

I had the opportunity to chat with Erica about her experience winning the contest, the trip to NYC, shooting the photo spread, and becoming a big part of the natural hair movement.

Enjoy the interview below and be sure to grab a copy of the July issue of Essence to see the full advertorial. Also, you can check out more of Erica and her experience via her YouTube channel, HonestlyErica and her Facebook page.

First off, Congratulations on winning and way to represent Chicago! How does it feel to say you're one of Motions Naturally Fabulous girls?

Wonderful! Honestly, this is so amazing and I still can’t believe it. Being one of the Motions Naturally Fabulous girls has been a great experience and opportunity.

What went through your mind when you first found out you'd won?

Well I was at work when I heard the news, so it took all my will power to not act ridiculous in my cubicle. But I do remember going into my boss’ office and dancing like a crazy person. After I closed the door that is.

Did you ever think you'd get to work with and represent such a well-known brand like Motions?

No and it is a dream come true. Just to have a company like Motions that’s available every where I shop for hair like mine is awesome. But to also be able to help introduce the Motions Naturally You product line to the world is an incredible experience and such an honor.  

What's your favorite product from their new natural hair line?

The Motions Hydrate My Curls Pudding is definitely my favorite product from the line. I like to wear my hair in two strand twists and it really keeps my twists shiny and moisturized.

So let's talk about this photo shoot! That must've been so exciting, what did you think when you realized you'd be in an advertorial spread in Essence Magazine?

Being able to participate in a real professional photo shoot with Motions and Essence was unreal. It was like a dream. The other Naturally Fabulous girls and I were just so amazed that all of it was happening. Then on top of that to be in a magazine like Essence for the world to see is just incredible.

Via

How was your experience on set? Were you nervous? Excited? Totally cool & confident?

To be honest I was extremely nervous. This was my very first real photo shoot and I of course was a bit anxious. But it was also one of the coolest things I have ever experienced.  There were so many people and I think we took hundreds of pictures. I would definitely do it again!

What did you think when you first saw the final photos?

The photos are just beautiful. All 3 of us look amazing. Our hair and makeup came out wonderful. I am such a simple girl so it is a shock to see myself all made up.  But they really are just beautiful pictures.

How long have you been natural? Did you have a relaxer before? If so, what made you want to change to natural hair?

I have been natural for 4 years. The main reason I wanted to give up my years of relaxing was because I have always wanted big beautiful hair. The bonuses that came with being natural is that my hair is the longest and healthiest it has ever been. But I have worked really hard to be gentle and take excellent care of my hair. I don't see myself ever relaxing again.

You've essentially become a spokesperson and role model for all women with natural hair, how does that make you feel?

I feel like one of my goals has been accomplished. I have a natural hair YouTube channel and that was my intention when I started making videos. That is exactly what I am setting out to do. I want to help people especially women feel good about their true selves. This includes hair, career and just their lives in general. It feels great and I hope to continue.

What has been your favorite part of this experience?

I have gotten so much support and love from my family, friends and followers. It just feels so good for people to support me and be proud of what I am doing.

Any advice you can give to those thinking of going natural, transitioning, or newly natural?

My advice for anyone with or wanting natural hair is be patient and enjoy the experience. Its easy to get swept up in someone else's hair and journey and you miss enjoying your own hair at its different stages and lengths.  Learn what your hair likes and experiment with different styles and products.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Thank you so much for featuring me on your blog. I can be found on YouTube my channel is called HonestlyErica. Thank you again!

 A big Thank you to Erica for chatting with me! Be sure to pick up an copy of this month's Essence and check out Motions Naturally You and let me know what you think of the new product line! Happy Monday!

'Till Next Time...

Outfitted: Prints & Dots

Hi everyone! I was a mixing prints fanatic for this outfit! Florals and polka dots and African-inspired prints, they're all quite different, but somehow manage to work together. I'm so happy that the warmer weather seems to be here to stay, summertime Chi is the best! I have so many little adventures planned, I can't wait to share them with you all! 

Also, in case you missed it, KATNP was featured a couple of times this past week! I had a chat with Nika from Black Fashion Bloggers as well as had this post featured in IFB's Links a la Mode! If you haven't yet, go check them out ;)

Cheers to the weekend!

'Till Next Time...

::Outfit::

Dress: Rachel Rachel Roy (love this or splurge on this!)

Blazer: H&M

Clutch: Etsy

Boots: Rampage (old)

Accessories: Random

Watch: Michael Michael Kors