Act Like A Ladi...Dress Like A Diva: Birthday!

Today is my 25th birthday!

I woke up to my sweetie baking me a birthday cake and then later went out for brunch with family where I literally stuffed myself at the Cheesecake Factory. 

Hair Randoms

 ponytail=growth!

• I've been using Tropic Isle Jamaican Black Caster Oil on my scalp and eyebrows to help with growth. After a month I had to stop because the itching was unbearable!  I read that the itch comes from the oil detoxifying your scalp, but I can't say I buy that explanation (and I am not willing to wait to find out if it stops when my scalp "detoxifies").  I do feel that my eyebrows have gotten a lot darker since I've been using it, and my hair has grown since I've taken out my weave--but I can't say for sure that the growth is due to the castor oil, or the fact that I had a low-manipulation style.

• As you can see from my wedge sneaker post, I straightened my hair for the first time this year! Instead of following my usual straightening routine, I used a sample of Dark and Lovely 6 Week Anti-Reversion Cream Serum. I had reservations about using this product because the advertisements and the packaging states that it was made specifically for relaxed hair (as if a heat styled natural wouldn't need an anti-reversion product) and I felt the claim about results lasting 6-weeks was a little confusing/misleading. In order to last 6-weeks, the product must be used weekly after every shampoo. Maybe I think too much, but I feel if it works as well as it claims to (and I'm using it weekly), then I should be able to use it for months and it would still keep new growth from reverting! Anyhoo, I used the product as instructed and didn't use any other products except a little Aveda Brilliant Anti-Humectant Pomade at the end.  By the time I finished my whole head, the hair on the side I started with already looked poofy so I doubt this product alone would keep my hair straight for an entire week. I did like that the cream/serum didn't feel heavy, and it made my hair feel really soft after blowdrying.  I am on Day 5 and with nightly rolling or wrapping and a little bit of the Aveda pomade in the AM, my hair is still straight!

• This Fall, I'm going to focus more on hair styles where my hair is stretched, such as banding or lightly blowdrying my hair before doing twist-outs and braid-outs. As the temperature gets cooler I want to limit my wet styling and maybe straighten my hair more often since I don't have to worry as much about reversion. 

Ladi Life: Uptown Charlotte

Happy Monday! 

Last week I got a much needed break from work and joined my fiance' on a business trip to Charlotte NC. He had training to attend, but I was free to spend my days exploring Uptown Charlotte. I got a chance to visit the Levine Museum of the New South which chronicled post-civil war southern history, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture, and roamed a huge CVS pharmacy where I picked up a few beauty goodies!  Here are a few snaps from my trip.

 

"shopping" for 1920's fashions!

Act Like A Ladi: Dress Like A Diva: Wedge Sneakers

As an (early) birthday present to myself, I bought two pair of shoes- a pair of black combat boots and a pair of wedge sneakers!  

I know in the blog world there are mixed feelings about wedge sneakers, but as a former teenage sneakerhead, I love them!  They are super comfortable and I love having a little extra height from the hidden wedge while the shoes just appear to be regular high top sneakers.  I stepped out of my comfort zone by getting the gray/blue colorway instead of the basic black, but my closet is full of neutral colors so I'm sure I will be wearing these quite a bit! 

Cardigan: Worthington (JC Penney's) / V-neck Tee: Target / Jeans: Elle (Kohl's) / Sneakers: Steve Madden "Hilight"

Would you rock a pair of wedge sneakers? 

Fall Prequel Look

As you may have noticed from my Fall wardrobe post, I'm excited for Fall. I'm ready for the cool breezes, jacket-wearing weather, and my Birthday :)  

The temperature has cooled down a little bit where I live, but it is still pretty warm, so I put together a transitional look that is inspired by Fall wardrobe but still comfortable for the warm weather.  This sheer top from Dorothy Perkins was the perfect choice, and I can't wait to layer it under a blazer or a nice leather jacket (*on my birthday wish list) in the Fall!

Top: Dorothy Perkins / Jeans: Elle ( Kohl's) /  Flats: SM New York (Sears) / Bag: Steve Madden 

Doing a little furniture shopping and found a fab animal print chair-I had to take a picture! Hopefully I can talk my fiance into buying it for the house! :)