Natural Hair High Bun

Heyyyy Loves,


I know that I have not updated you with a style in a while, so this is the style that I have been wearing this week. Keep in mind that these are pictures of the style after 5 days.

To achieve this style I washed my hair, blow dried it and put it in a ponytail. I used the Olive Oil Eco Styler Gel to smooth down my hair (I used a lot of gel!...lol) and I tied a satin scarf on my head over night to smooth it even more.


In the morning I used a half of the pack of Afro Kinky Hair extensions in 1B to create the bun. Click here to see a tutorial on how the bun was made.


This is my second attempt at this and I LOVE this style! To preserve it I tie my hair with a scarf and night and then put on a satin bonnet. Since I work out about 5-6 mornings a week, I usually put gel on my hair after I work out and tie a satin scarf on my head while I shower and get ready. 


Hope you enjoyed this style and if you try it let me know :)

3 Day Semi- Cleanse and Meatless January

Heyyy Readers,


    I know that I have not actually written a post in a while,  work has me sooooo busy but I have not forgotten about the blog :). For 2012, I am thinking about starting it off with something different.


    For those of you who have been reading my blog know that I have recently lost 50 pounds. I want to loose at least 15 more pounds so I have decided to change things up a bit. Starting on Friday, I will be on a mini cleanse to prepare me for my Meatless Month (January).


    I will keep you updated with some of my recipes and challenges that I face while doing the cleanse and the Meatless Month.

Aver M's Beauty Favorites

Heyyy Readers,


    Here are just a few of my beauty favorites!!.... Hope you like! Please share your favorites with me, I would love to hear!

Aver M's Beauty Favorites by llereva on polyvore.com

The Boyfriend and a White Tank

Here is another outfit idea that I came up with the included a staple of a boyfriend jean and a white tank. 


Please let me know what you think :)

The Boyfriend and a White Tank by llereva featuring a genuine leather jacket

Blu Royalty

Blu Royalty by llereva featuring kate spade jewelry

Fun with colors

Fun with colors by llereva featuring suede high heels

Date Night/Dinner Outfit

Heyyyy Readers


I know that I have been gone for quite a bit so I decided to try something a little different. I have always been interested in fashion and styling so I decided to try to design outfits. Here are my first two.......and don't forget to let me know what you think!....The other outfit is entitled Errand Day

This is a possible Date Night/ Dinner Outfit

Date Night/Dinner Outfit by llereva featuring pearl jewelry

Errand Day

Errand Day by llereva featuring vintage pearl earrings

Aver M's Top 10 Hair Products

Here is a list of my top 10 natural hair products. However, these products can be used on ALL HAIR TYPES – RELAXED OR NATURAL. By no means is this ALL the products that I have used on my hair or even like, but this is just products that I cannot go without no matter how far I try to stray away

 Water

Water is the best product that you can use to moisturize your hair (the only problem is sealing the moisture). Whether it is to refresh my styles, set my hair at night, or detangle before I wash (sometimes) I cannot go without my spray bottle with water. I know some naturals prefer to use distilled water but I just use plain old tap water.

Shea Butter

This is like the “holy grail” when it comes to my natural hair products and I don’t only use it on my hair.  I use it to seal the moisture in my hair, I use it as a moisturizer for my face (only at night time) and I also use this instead of lotion. Shea butter is really good at removing scars, once used consistently. I have seen a difference in the marks on my face. I will be sharing my Whipped Shea Butter Recipe that I use on my hair on my blog soon.

      Eco Styler Gel

 I absolutely ADORE this product! As a matter of fact, I recently ordered a 5lb tub of this gel (Yes, I said it a 5lb tub!). I use it for wash-n-go’s ,to slick down my puff, with Shea Butter for my twists and the list goes on.  I use the Eco Styler Gel with Olive Oil

  My Oil Mix

In my moisturizing routine I usually use water, then my leave-in conditioner, then my oil mix, and then my shea butter mix. I used this oil mix to moisturize my scalp and also in hot oil treatments. My Oil Mix varies depending on what oils I have and how my hair is feeling but my current oil mix consists of extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and a little tea tree oil.

 Herbal Essences Hello Hydration

In my opinion, this is the best conditioner with 2^nd being Herbal Essences Totally Twisted. This really leaves my hair moisturized and soft after I condition. Remember to always rinse conditioner out with cold water.

 Organics by Africa’s Best – Olive Oil Deep Conditioner

Best Deep Conditioner Ever!!......THAT IS ALL

Denman Brush and Wide Tooth Comb

For detangling , I use a wide tooth (shower ) comb and my Denman brush. Sometimes I just use my Denman brush, but this brush is the bomb.com. It makes detangling really easy. I have the D9 but I am looking into getting more varieties of this brush because it really cuts my detangling time down.

 Satin Bonnet

I have experienced the horror of not sleeping with a satin bonnet on. This is why I had breakage, and as a result a section of my hair is 1.5 inches shorter than the rest. Learn from my experience, and ALWAYS sleep with a satin bonnet or a satin pillowcase

 Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap

The Best Shampoo!. I was introduced to this when I was about 6 months natural and I have not stopped using it yet. It leaves your hair feeling extra clean and you do not need to use a lot of product. This product also has many uses. Click here for a link to a "note" I made on my Facebook page for this product.

Giovanni’s direct leave in

I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!!!! I have tried other leave-in’s but in my mind nothing compares to this product!

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

I have been wanting to try a homemade scrub recipe for a while and tonight I FINALLY did it and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!

For storage, I used a container that had a seal (the orange thing on the jar) so the ants would not get to it. 

Here is the recipe for the scrub:

• 1 cup of brown sugar (I used the "sugar in the raw" demerara cane sugar)

• 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1/4 cup of Coconut Oil

• A squeeze of honey (I did not really measure this)

• 10 drops of 100% pure Lavender essential oil

Remember when using the scrub, do not rub your skin too aggressively and do not use if you have open cuts as it can be an irritant. 



Try the recipe out for yourself and let me know how it works for you.

I Drink it From a Glass

What do I drink from a glass you might wonder?

Yes it is what you think it is........WATER. 

Now, I have not bought my fancy glass bottle for me to tote around (I'm running a tight ship this week with my finances) so I used this glass bottle from a drink that I bought that was BPA free (the bottle)

I know that some of you may think that this is a bit anal, but hey.....it's my health and my research and I feel as though this was the best route for me to take.

Why drink water from a glass bottle instead of plastic you ask?

• Plastic bottles are made with plastics that contain a synthetic estrogen mimicking toxin called BPA (Bisphenol A)
• BPA (Bisphenol A) has been linked to breast and prostate cancer.

How does the BPA get into the water that you are drinking out of the bottle?

These chemicals actually leach into your water and enter your system every time you drink from the plastic bottle.

Here is an excerpt from some of my research:

 When it comes to Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure from polycarbonate plastic bottles, it's not whether the container is new or old but the liquid's temperature that has the most impact on how much BPA is released 

This shows that it is not a question of IF BPA enters your system, but just a question of how much BPA will enter your system. Now I understand why my mother ALWAYS tells me to never drink water out of a plastic bottle after it has been left in the car.


Even though you may say, I buy water out of coolers and never let it get hot. That is just on your end! Imagine how long that bottle has been in HOT warehouses and trailers, and if you live in the Bahamas like I do, HOT cargo areas in boats for shipping


Another excerpt that I will share with you:

"BPA is just one of many estrogen-like chemicals people are exposed to, and scientists are still trying to figure out how these endocrine disruptors--including natural phyto-estrogens from soy which are often considered healthy--collectively impact human health," he says. "But a growing body of scientific evidence suggests it might be at the cost of your health."

Now the decision lies with you, if you want to continue using plastic bottles or not  but I choose to stick with drinking water out of a glass.


N.B. I have done a lot more research than what is shown in this post, feel free to do your own research  


Take care of your body, life is too short to be sick :)

Styling

Hey lovely readers,
    
I know I have been seriously M.I.A but I recently got a new job (yay me!!!) so I have been a little busy. I absolutely LOVE my job and my boss is the absolute best!


This post is going to be about (as you would imagine) hair styling. I will post up 3 sets of pictures of how I have been wearing my hair recently. 


I am seriously contemplating starting locs in January/ February (let me know what you think by leaving a comment below)


Here are the styles: 

Two Strand Twist Pin-Up Style 1

Two - Strand Twist Pin - Up Style 2

Side puff with a Pompadour 

I have a lot more interesting topics to share with you and  I am really excited because I am in the process of preparing to start a little garden!!!! (It may not seem like a big deal, but the little things in life make me the happiest! lol) I will definitely keep you all posted on the progress of my garden. 


Hope you enjoyed the styles and pictures :)

365 calorie Breakfast Parfait

Breakfast Parfait

I got a bit tired of making smoothies or eating cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, so I decided to try something different.




 Here is a picture of what I came up with (I am in no way a food photographer so excuse the mess on the sides of the bowl :) )

Ingredients :
1/2 cup Light and Fit Vanilla Yogurt
4 digestive biscuits (light)
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup blueberries

1. I first placed the digestive biscuits in a ziploc bag and smashed it to make crumbs
2. I then layered the bottom of the dish with half the amount of crumbs
3. I then placed a layer of 1/4 cup yogurt
4. After that I placed a layer of 1/4 cup raspberries and 1/8 cup blueberries
5. I then repeated step 3, 1, and 4 in that order

Hope you enjoy,

New Smoothie Recipe (with Irish Moss Paste)

So........I decided to try a new smoothie recipe that included the Irish Moss Paste that I made.

Here is picture of the ingredients to my smoothie:

Can't forget the All Bran Cereal (40% of your daily fiber) 

The detailed list for my smooths is as follows:

8oz almond milk

1/4cup of All Bran Cereal

1/2 cup strawberries

1/4 cup of blueberries

1 banana

2 tablespoons of wheat germ

1 tablespoon of Agave Nectar

In the blender it goes!

I took the advice of one of my readers, and prepared this smoothie the night before and drank it in the morning. This technique works well for my busy mornings.

Irish Moss (Sea Moss) Goodness

After seeing a lot of raw food dieters use Irish Moss I was eager to find out "what the hype was all about". After doing a big of research, I found that Irish Moss has numerous health benefits and I HAD to try it.


Before I get into the details of how to prepare Irish Moss for consumption,I will share with you two brief paragraphs on the health benefits of Irish Moss.

Health Benefits

The healing benefits of Irish Moss appear abundant. As a soothing aid to all mucous membranes, Irish Moss is said to ease ailments such as gastritis, nausea, indigestion, constipation, as well as ulcers. Irish Moss also has antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral and anticoagulant activities. Used topically, it may help soothe skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and burns. However it is mostly known for its ability to abate the symptoms of colds and flu, dissolve catharrs and chesty coughs, as well as soothe bronchitis and pneumonia thanks to its anti-coughing properties.

To add to this long list of benefits, Irish Moss has a strongly alkaline nature which may relieve the symptoms associated with excessive alcohol consumption, by replacing much of the ion content that is leached from the body as a consequence of dehydration. Studies are even being conducted on the potential healing effect of this seaweed on conditions such as STD’s, mucus inflammation, various viruses and infections, as well as AIDS !

Source:  http://blog.simplyraw.ch/?p=1039


Here is a picture of the Irish Moss that I used:

I know that your next question is probably, "what do i do with this?" Click here for a link that will show you how to prepare the Irish Moss and also here for how to make the paste.


Here is a picture of the Irish Moss Paste that I made. I store this in the fridge.

Please look out for the new smoothie recipe that includes the Irish Moss Paste. 


Thanks for taking the time to read my blog,

Tips on Naturalness

I have FINALLY got the hang of this "natural" things, after A LOT of trial and error over the past 2 years. I WISH that I knew all of these things before but that is what I am here for, to share with you these tips so that you do not have to go through all of the breakage and trial and error that I went through.


First, i will share with you a picture of 11 months of hair growth (sorry the pic says 10). 1st pic was in November 2010 and second pic was taken in October 2011

Now, time for the tips. I will try to make it as few points as possible.

1. CONFIDENCE -  I wish that I could make this word as big as the screen to emphasize how important this is when embarking on a natural hair journey. When you do your BC (Big Chop) there will be LOADS of comments about your hair and MOST WILL NOT be nice and generally come from people you care about and whose opinions you highly value. Try to blame it to their head and not their heart, because society has conditioned us to accept "beauty" as long straight hair and generally people will be used to seeing you with this type of hair for your entire life and this would be a major change. However, love yourself for who you are and embrace your curls and kinks as they are YOURS!!
2. BE PATIENT - I know that it may seem like your hair is not growing, but it really is! Hair grows between 1/4 to 1/2 inch per month, the only thing that you really need  to do is retain the growth that you have experienced. This comes with proper hair care and remember THERE IS NO MAGIC POTION FOR RETAINING LENGTH AND HAVING HEALTHY HAIR!.  I don't know how many times I have been asked the question "What do you use on your hair to make it grow?" and I simply reply "nothing". Healthy hair and growth comes from a healthy body. Take me , for example, I work out 4-5 times per week for 35-50 minutes, I limit my calorie intake to 1300- 1400 calories per day and I limit my carbs and eat more organic, whole grain, and whole wheat foods. I also try to get 8 hours of sleep per night. IN short, take care of your body and your hair will essentially take care of itself.
3. DO NOT COMPARE YOUR HAIR TO OTHER NATURALS - I am guilty as charged! I found myself doing this a lot when I first became natural whether is was from curl pattern or length. It is important that you are comfortable with YOUR hair the way it is and the length that it is currently at. Every person's hair is different just as your complexion is different so be comfortable with YOU!
4. ALWAYS SLEEP WITH A SATIN BONNET OR SCARF ON- I had to learn this one the hard way. As a result of me not doing this, the middle of my hair became severely damaged and there is now about a 4 inch difference between the length of my hair in the middle and the perimeter. Also,  ALWAYS PREP YOUR HAIR BEFORE BED! This also aided to my hair breakage. Prep your hair by either putting it in 4 mini puffs depending on length, big twits, or loose braids depending on your hairstyle. I also sometimes spray a nighttime oil treatment or put my whipped Shea Butter mixture in my hair. 
5. ALWAYS MANIPULATE/COMB/DETANGLE WHEN WET - Please follow this tip if you want to retain length and avoid breakage! !!!!
6. SEAL THE MOISTURE IN YOUR HAIR - It is important to keep your hair moisturized. I normally use this method after washing but you can do it whenever your hair is dry. I first wet my hair using my spray bottle (if I am doing this in between washes), I then apply my leave in conditioner (which can be considered a cream), and then seal in my moisture by adding a little bit of my oil mixture and whipped Shea Butter. Remember that OIL DOES NOT MOISTURIZE YOUR HAIR IT ONLY SEALS. WATER MOISTURIZES YOUR HAIR!
7. FIND WHAT REGIMINE AND PRODUCTS WORK FOR YOUR HAIR - I used to be a product junkie and I used to buy every product that my "YouTube Guru's" reviewed or purchased. Remember that what works for someone may not necessarily work for you and unfortunately this is the most costly and hard part in your natural hair journey. It is all a matter of trial and error. Also, the method used in washing your hair will change as your hair grows as you would need to spend more time detangling and the washing process itself will be longer. Click here to see the method that I currently use to wash my hair.  Also, in regards to a hair care regimine it is important to know what your hair needs. Sometimes you may need to shampoo, deep condition, or co-wash more or less often than others. It is all a matter of finding out what works for you.

I hope that you have found these tips helpful and I wish you luck in this journey, because it really is an emotional, mental, physical and spiritual journey.


Happy Growing,

Another attempt at protective styling

I know that I have been away for a while and I apologize.

Here is another one of my protective Styles.

For this style, I simply braided my hair on the side at an angle and twisted the remaining sections of my hair. The product that I used for braiding and twisting was my whipped Shea Butter (recipe coming soon) and Eco Styler Gel with Olive Oil (  I LOVE that stuff).

This style was initially supposed to be a twisted Mo-hawk, but thanks to me and my "great ability to part my hair" (lol) I had to re-invent the style and this is what i came up with.

Hope you like it :) ,

Breakfast Smoothie

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I usually have a smoothie for breakfast and I usually switch up the recipe but I will share with you a recipe that I have been doing a lot lately


4oz vanilla almond milk
4oz water
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup All Bran Cereal
1/4 cup frozen strawberries
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon Flax-seed Meal


Here are some pictures:

Everything in the blender

Blending done..... Smoothie Ready

I usually switch it up, so here are a list of other items that I may use from time to time

• Oatmeal
• Any frozen fruit i like (raspberries, blueberries, pineapples, mango etc.)
• Banana

I want to try almond butter in my smoothie. When I try it I will let you know how I feel about the taste.

Enjoy,