Just A little Something..."Full Lip Beauty"

Drawing: via hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.tumblr.com

I am absolutely just in love with this drawing...the illustration is so lifelike yet playful. Leaving everything black and white, the pop of red in her full lips drew me in and makes everything from her bright eyes to her moles to every strand of natural hair just stand out. I'm not sure who the illustrator is, but I would love to give credit to whoever created this.

A Few Of My Favorite Things...

A Few Of My Favorite Things... by kinkycurlynyc featuring a white dress

Style Profile..."Isabel Marant for H&M"

So excited for the Isabel Marant for H&M collection to arrive! Inspired by pieces from her past collections, French designer Isabel Marant is giving her usually high priced items a chance to be worn by a wider audience. This...of course...I absolutely love! I always wanted to buy a pair of her infamous sneakers, but they were way beyond my budget, so for this to be an option, is a great way to own one of her creations. In muted colors of black, white, and gray, with hints of beautifully bold red, the pieces in this collection are perfect for the Fall/Winter seasons. And with items for women, men and children, who could possibly say no, lol. Ranging from $25 to $400, Isabel Marant for H&M, hits stores on November 14th. Here is a preview of the line below:

all photos: H&M.com

What do you think of the collection?

Some Hairspiration..."Freestyling Naturally"

There are so many looks to achieve with natural hair. I absolutley love the versitility and expression that can come with playing around with it. The different textures and curls patterns are for me what makes natural hair so beautiful. Every woman will get a different result from twist outs, braid outs, bantu knots, curl formers or even from simply teasing our hair with a comb. The excitement comes from just letting our hair be!

Big, long and loud...

Short and sassy curls...

Tight and powerful kinks

Ringlets galore...

Love this fluffed out fro...I need to get my hair to do this without frizzing

Curls, curls, curls...

A rod set is a great way to change up the wild n' free style

Color can give a fro a new outlook on life

All photos: via hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.com

Teasing out a fro can take it to new heights...

My Hair Stories..."Pomps and Buns"

Over the weekend I finally took out my beloved long twists and opted for a style that was a little less...cumbersome, lol. I found a photo on one of my favorite sites and wanted to style my hair in the same fashion. It was too beautiful not to try:

photo via hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.com

I didn't want my hair to be that high....work appropriate it would not be, so I had my hairdresser Nellie use it as a canvas to have her girls style my hair in a similar fashion. Here are pics of the results:

Using only my hair, it may not be as high as the original beautiful pompador that I laid my eyes on, but as always I loved the style created in the end!

Product Junkie..."As I Am Coconut Cowash"

As the true product junkie that I am, I always have to try a new product every now and again to see if I should change up my hair routine. I realize that the longer my hair gets, some of my tried and true products don't quite work the same. Dabbling in new products helps me figure out what works still, from what doesn't, to what I may need to use now. Walking in the hair product aisle, I stumbled upon the brand "As I Am".
Created by Dr. Ali N. Syed,"As I Am", was made specifically for women of color with naturally curly and coily hair. Offering a wide array of new cleansing and styling products, I got overly excited! I finally removed my long twists over the weekend and realized that my hair was in need of some TLC. I decided to try out a new co-wash, since its a great way of removing all of the residue that was sure to have been hiding in hair once I removed my twists.  I picked up "As I Am" Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner to treat my strands after my usual routine of Henna.

Advertised on the website, "As I Am" Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner is said to be: "different from any other because it contains a special blend of natural ingredients that work to promote healthy hair growth from the follicular level." That alone had me curious as to how well my hair would respond to the product, plus anything with coconut oil usually has me grabbing it off the shelves!

The website also lists the benefits and ingredients found in the product:

• Spreads easily throughout hair
• Gently cleanses hair and scalp
• Maintains moisture, adds more moisture and helps hair retain moisture until your next cleanse.
• Makes detangling a breeze
• Rinses easily from hair.
• Helps promote a healthy environment for hair growth 
• Gentle enough for daily use. Safe for color-treated hair

Key Ingredients: Tangerine, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Saw Palmetto and Phytosterols  

Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificada, Purified) Extracts: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) and Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine)¹, Cetyl Alcohol², Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol², PEG-40 Castor Oil, Stearlkonium chloride, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil², Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil¹, Phytosterols¹, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract¹, Quaternium-18, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance/Parfum, Limonene, Methylisothiazolinone. Source: 1-Natural, 2-Coconut

Taking all this into account, I kindly parted my hair into my usual four sections to start my cowashing process. The consistency of the product was not as thick as I would have liked and at times it seemed a bit watery for my taste. Once the cowash was in my hair, it did spread through my strands very easily and combing it in was a breeze, tangles were not really a huge issue with the product especially since my hair has grown. Once I washed it out of my hair, it felt soft and moisturized, something that always makes my hair day, lol. My scalp felt clean and fresh and when I added in my deep conditioner, this cowash actually helped the process of combing it through my hair a little easier...another plus in my book. My overall thoughts after applying "As I Am" Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner to my hair: although the consistency is not my favorite, it's final results makes it definite keeper in my hair arsenal.

Some Hairspiration..."Head Wrapping it Up"

On a bad hair day, head wraps are a girls best friend. It can take a blah hair moment and turn it into an "AHHH-mazing" one. In the beginning of growing out my hair, I often did not know what to do and I knew I couldn't walk out of my house with a big ol' mess, so I often opted for head wraps. Now, don't get me wrong, although they are super helpful for when your hair wants to do everything but what you want, it's also just a beautiful hair statement within itself. So much life is found with wearing colorful designs and patterns on head wraps. They also can make a great statement accessory piece for an entire outfit or completely inspire an outfit as well. If you're thinking about rocking a head wrap, here a few pics to get inspired by:

When in doubt just wear black...works every time 

The head wrap clearly takes center stage in this outfit

Patterns galore!

Love the simple style of the red head wrap

The camouflage head wrap flows beautifully with the black and green

ensemble

Choices, choices...wrap just  a little bit of hair or wrap up the entire head....hmmmm

all photos via: hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.com

Love how adding just the headwrap can change the entire feel of this look

Well Looky Here..."Autumn's Calling"

It's finally time!! Bring on the cute boots, long sleeve shirts and jackets because Fall is here! I know most people usually become excited about Summer, but for me...it's all about Fall. The rich hues of orange and gold, the layering of clothing and the smell of pumpkin coffee is all I need to get in the mood, lol. It's also inching towards the holidays which is also a plus in my book! Check out some of my favorite outfits on Lookbook to help get yourself step into Fall:

I need to get an outfit like this for work. White pants and blazer paired with a chambray shirt... it's an amazing blend of structured and laid-back! Who says you can't wear white after Labor Day!

I absolutely adore this jacket. It adds a bit of classiness to an otherwise rocker chick look

Not much to do with Fall....but I am in love with the eyelet cutouts and back of this leather top. Coupled with a pair of leopard print boots, it's just badass!

A striped tee, cute flats and overcoat all in black and white!? Yes please!!

An orange boxy jacket over a plain white tee and cuffed blue jean pants = casual cool. Penny loafers and a snakeskin clutch adds a touch of cool.

Say yes to a lightweight Fall trench coat. The burgundy wide brimmed hat and matching bag brings warmth to this look.

The warm hues on this southwestern inspired mix material jacket if everything!! Paired with black booties, skinny jeans and berry red lips...Doesn't this look just scream Fall!?

    

 The length of this skirt and shirt is perfect for a nice walk on a cool Autumn afternoon

Pants and heels in oxblood are great for Fall. The patterned white and oxblood blouse helps separate the look so it's not completely monotone.

all photos: lookbook.nu

This whole outfit seems perfect for a relaxed Saturday afternoon of shopping and hanging with friends. The leather jacket, cute panda tee and bright orange kicks, it's completely chill, but the matchup of red lips and clipped back hair adds just a little bit of sexy, cool.

Just A Little Something..."Brown Princess"

BROWN PRINCESS by Keturahariel

photo: via hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.tumblr.com

Another cute find on Tumblr! There is so much art celebrating the beauty of natural hair that I can't seem to get enough. With her caramel skin, curly fro and huge colorful earrings that match her nails, against a simple grey background, this painting was just too cute to not re-post!
P.S. - I know I've been MIA, but I'll be back with more posts....promise!!

Style Profile..."Michelle Williams for Louis Vuitton Fall 2013"

Have you seen the new Fall 2013 campaign for Louis Vuitton yet?! Starring Michelle Williams, looking flawless with her pixie cut and red lips, the collection offers the classic Capucines bag as well as the new W. Ready in colors appropriate for Fall, the ads, photos taken by the talented Peter Lindbergh, are running in September and October issues of fashion magazines everywhere. The bag collector in me wants them all!! If you haven't seen them, here's a peek below:

all photos: courtesy of Louis Vuitton