Musings of the Socially Aware

soashulmedia:

If you liked my post last time about all of the great Lush hair products I’ve been trying, you’re in for a treat! I teamed up with Lush to try out a bunch of new products, and I think you’ll like them as much as I did.

Roots Hair Treatment, $19.95 I love a minty tingle on my scalp, and even if my hair is serpentine and thick, this stuff was still a great deep conditioner. I personally fail to deep condition most hair-wash days because I don’t plan for the extra half hour I have to sit around, but this product makes me want to remember.

Blousey Shampoo, $25.95 Imagine if Froot Loops cereal was actually made out of fruits and not starchy artificial flavors. In my warm, steamy shower, that’s totally what this shampoo smelled like!  It’s more of a hair smoothie than a shampoo (but I’m not that big on suds anyway) and it really felt like my hair was getting cleaned without all the dryness and disappointment like I get with most shampoos. Big bonus for the natural ladies: Obviously sulfate-free. Definitely a keeper.

Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioner, $12.95-$39.95 I’m usually iffy about floral scented products, mostly because they seem to be a poor- imitation of the real thing. This conditioner, however, was all natural, Vegan, and made of the real deal. I can’t tell you exactly which flowers they were, but they reminded me of my childhood, so possibly rose or daffodil. Anyway, my hair felt super soft and super moisturized afterwards, and smelled really fresh! My only minor complaint is that if you have a big, thick fro like me, you need to use quite a bit more than is suggested (but that’s with every conditioner. No one uses just a dime sized amount).

Stay tuned for a few more reviews of Lush products very soon!

soashulmedia:

If you saw my video yesterday, you know that I went to Lush Cosmetics in Manhattan for some all natural goodies for my body and hair. Lush is a pretty big chain, so you just might have one in your area. Anywho, this post is all about the natural hair booty* I came away with. *I know I could have used a plethora of words other than booty, but I try to use it where I can…

The Big Tease is this seriously amazing gel that works wonders on my wet, natural hair. All of the ingredients are from the earth and not some terrifying lab, so I didn’t have any problems with flaky crusties. Plus the hold lasted like 2 days, which, again, not something you see very often with natural hair products. 

Once the gel and my hair dried, I put on this hair moisturizer, R&B. I do this every day. It’s my new favorite moisturizer because it smells good, but it’s not overpowering like Miss Jessie’s products, and it stays moisturized longer than anything else I’ve used. Score!

So this is how my hair looked at the end of doing it. You can’t really tell much of a difference, but the curls are definitely more defined, and definition = cute hair. I’ll do a tutorial on these products soon—so you should probably subscribe to my channel on YouTube.

Until next time,

soashulmedia:

The way we see ourselves is largely based on how others see us. Even the reflection in the looking glass is interpreted by everything that has ever influenced our ideas of beauty and lack thereof—even before our speedy membranes and neurons and other science words of which I loosely remember the meaning— have had the chance to fire. Photographers of merit have an innate gift,  a supreme talent of not only being in the moment, but shooting an image that actually mirrors our true selves. No wonder people used to think that the snap of a shutter could literally steal their soul. Like everyone else, I have perceived flaws that I’d like to change. When I look at Nessa’s photos, I don’t see any of my flaws as flaws. She didn’t airbrush them away, she just made them seem like beautiful quirks. Her photos have this dreamy, whimsical feeling, and I’ve never felt better about photos of myself. I’ve honestly never thought I could look girly and darling and interesting, and these photos have changed my outlook on myself. If a skilled artist can capture this in myself, then it must be there, right? It’s also worth noting that her casual professionalism made me feel less awkward in front of the lens. She was encouraging and specific about where my focus should be, and I could feel her vision evolving (that sounds so airy-fairy, but come on, you know what I mean) as we shot frame after frame.

So I think every single person should have photographer friends. Not only that, but they should seek out the artsier humans that can interpret all that we are in completely captivating, creative, lovely ways. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s hilarious, witty, and loads of fun to spend a chill weekend with. Please her out on YouTube, Instagram, Her Blog, Twitter, and wherever else you can find her.

Big Kiss,