Happy Summer!

Have a great Fourth of July weekend!

D Magazine Hair

see the hair Shampoo styled for DWeddings here... a special wedding issue released 4x a year by D magazine.

here are the behind the scenes photos


and if you REAlly care... behind the scenes video here.

go back to www.shampoosalon.com

Britlocs. Natural Fabulosity

http://www.britlocs.blogspot.com/

Hi I'm Britlocs, born and bred and living life large in Birmingham, England. I am a social entrepreneur and have identified that my life's passion is to educate and empower individuals - especially women. One small step towards my own empowerment was falling in love with my natural hair. I hadn't worn it au natural since I was a child and had clearly deemed it unmanageable and unattractive hence the years of weaves, perms and braids. On the 30th June 2009 I had my microlocs installed.

My blog is a chronicle of my personal journey of hair discovery and growth. It's plain and simple and hopefully my journey will inspire and inform those who are contemplating or comparing. You can walk with me anytime either as a silent partner or an active participant. Either way - welcome. www.britlocs.blogspot.com

Jordin Sparks Ready for Combat on Battlefield

I said it once and I'll say it again. I love Jordin! It's not her virginal image or striking good looks. I'm simply a sucker for a good pop hook and she delivers that. Her new album Battlefield drops the day before my birthday.

'Jordin Sparks has said she recorded 30 songs for the Battlefield album. She says that she contributed in the songwriting on 12 of them. No duets for the album have been confirmed, but Jordin Sparks has said in interviews she hopes to collaborate with Leona Lewis on a power ballad. Among the producers who are working on the project are Stargate, Max Martin, T-Pain, Ryan Tedder, and Dr. Luke.' ~Top 40

I am liking the cover art for the new disc and dare I say she might go back to rocking her natural curls?! The long, straight, blown-out look was nice on her but I began to feel like she had been made over into typical black pop tart by her people to sell more records. Who knows. All I can say is I like what I see so far and I hope there is more curl where those came from on the inside artwork.

The track listing for Battlefield (deluxe edition) includes 14 cuts and there is a DVD portion as well.

1. Walking On Snow
2. Battlefield
3. Don’t Let It Go To Your Head
4. S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)
5. It Takes More
6. Watch You Go
7. No Parade
8. Let It Rain
9. Emergency (911)
10. Was I The Only One
11. Faith
12. The Cure
13. Postcard (deluxe edition bonus track)
14. Papercut (deluxe edition bonus track)

DVD

1. Hangin’ With Jordin Sparks
2. Battlefield Behind The Scenes
3. Battlefield Photo Shoot
4. Battlefield (music video)

From listening to the preview below, Walking on Snow, Let It Rain, The Cure & S.O.S. are some of my faves. There are also some great new promo pics!

Battlefield Preview:

Back in Black

I felt like one of the brides on Say Yes To The Dress when she walks out all excited about her bridal gown choice, eagerly anticipating approval from her family and friends. Everybody on the couch squeals with delight..but then...nothing. A dead pan face from mom. She did not like the new look of the blog and alas..my "this is the one" excitement deflated like a three day old helium balloon. So that's why we're back to black, with some changes. I did miss the darkness so that's good. I already fixed the widgets but if anybody has trouble posting a comment please email me.

~NL

Mermaid FOTD & New Hairrr

I still haven't showed you guys my new hairr! My friend did it for me the day before I left Hawaii! I wanted to get highlights originally but I was like nevermine and then I ended up doing it last minute! haha I got peek-a-boo highlights cause my hair grows SUUUPER fast but my friend suggested doing my bangs to so I just did! I normally don't dye my hair because my hair grows out super fast. I colored it 2 weeks ago and already more than 1/2 inch already! ughh But the hubby loves my hair hilighted lol.

Ta-daaa

[that's my FOTD too haha]


hair from the back

Anywayyy on with the FOTD. I didn't know what else to call it and my sister said my eyeshadow reminded her of a mermaid lol



all products MAC unless otherwise stated

FACE
+ Prep + Prime Skin
+ Studio Finish Concealer in NW35 [undereye]
+ Studio Fix Fluid in NC44
+ Coastal Scents Contour Palette
+ MSF Natural Duo in MEDIUM DARK/SHIMMER [finish/highlight]
+ Blush in TIPPY
+ MSF in REFINED


EYES
+ Eyeko Touch & Glow Concealer
+ UDPP
+ PAINTERLY Paint Pot
+ GESSO E/S [all over lid]
+ KELLY E/S (PRO) [over Gesso]
+ HUMID E/S [crease]
+ CARBON E/S [over Humid]
+ NANOGOLD E/S [highlight]
+ BLACKTRACK Fluidline
+ Plushlash Mascara
+ Technakohl Liner in GRAPHBLACK
+ Brow Shader in CHARCOAL
+ CLEAR Brow Gel

LIPS
+ VIVA GLAM V L/G

The Lemon Cure?

I am quite frustrated with my skin lately. It all started a few months ago when I started using shea butter on my face. I would only use a small amount but apparently even that was more than enough for my skin to get annoyed with me and promptly reject my new efforts at natural skin care by displaying multiple breakouts. I usually only broke out once a month around my cycle so imagine my disdain at my cheeks sprouting a new zit every few days.

Well, since then, I discontinued use of the shea but I still have battle scars of the breakouts left on my cheeks. Two things I've noticed:

1) EVERY pimple now is leaving a scar whereas I used to only occasionally get a dark mark.
2) It is taking FOREVER for them to lighten! They used to disappear within weeks.

Why is this? Maybe it's hormones. Maybe it was stress from school. Who knows. I still eat well (most of the time) and work out regularly.

So I say all this to say, I am on the lookout for some kind of natural remedy to the scarring. Breakouts are under control but I want to get rid of the dark spots the old ones left behind. I have always heard that lemon juice is good for lightening up old acne scars so I decided to search the net. Here's what I found:

Lemon juice is, of course, a citric acid and very rich in vitamin C, which has no end of benefits for all skin types. The citric acid acts to exfoliate the skin, an important step in treating acne. It’s also an astringent, thus drying the zit itself. Lemon juice is also a natural skin whitener, so it can act to reduce a pimple’s redness. A bit of lemon is also good for applying to fresh acne scars, both for the exfoliation that speeds up the healing and for temporary bleaching to improve the look of the skin.

Ok, sounds nice. But what about those of us who have sensitive skin?

For people with sensitive skin, however, this can be too harsh. The acid can sting and even burn slightly. Mixing the lemon juice with a bit of honey, yogurt, or egg white, however, can help cure the acne while protecting your skin. If you go this route, mix the lemon juice – about half a lemon should do – with a spoonful of egg white or honey and apply as a mask for 20 minutes. Some people sleep with lemon juice mixed with honey on their face, but the mess on the pillow may not be worth the possibility of clear skin in the morning. If you want to use lemon juice at night, dab a tiny bit on with your finger or a Q-tip. Be sure you only touch the pimple itself, or you may wake up with a white spot where the rest of the lemon juice ended up. (Excerpts taken from HERE)

I'm really tempted to try this because it is starting to get on my nerves. So here is where YOU come in! I know I am not alone in this and I want to know what you all do to rid your gorgeous faces of scars. And I am sending out a specific shout out to Jc of The Natural Haven for help on this one. *PLEASE*