Natural Hair Diaries: The Curly Girl Method

Hey Everyone,

       February makes it my 17th month of being natural. I am excited and cannot believe I made it all this way. From having like no hair in Sept of 2011 and now to having a big ball of hair in Feb. 2013.

      Lately, I have been doing a lot of research about natural hair, regimens, and better products to use on my hair. Because the winter has been seriously killing my hair aka drying it out. For some reason my regimen is no longer working for my hair. This can make going natural or being natural so frustrating because your hair is not cooperating lol. And "she" isn't. I refer to my hair has "she."

My current regimen is:

1. washing my hair every sunday with a sulfate free shampoo by Jane Carter.
2. Conditioning my hair with Tressumme Naturals
3. Sectioning my hair in 4
4. Moisturizing and sealing with coconut oil and hair dew( curlbox) or shea moisture leave in
5. Comb each section with a shower comb
6. Eco Styler Gel Olive Oil or Organic Twist and Loc Gel

This regimen use to last me my whole entire week but NOW it does not even last for 2 days!!! So, I started educating myself about my hair. Then it came to me!!! The curly girl method! This method is so popular and is done by so many naturals. All I hear is good things about it.

If you may not know there is a book on the Curly Girl method which is by Lorraine Massey. She is the starter of this wonderful method. This method can be used by natural curly, wavy, kinky, and coily haired girls. This book gives you the whole run down on products to use, helpful tips, how to's, and so much more. The biggest thing about this book is it helps you to make your hair healthy!!! And I want it all!!!

Check out these links:

http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair

http://thecurlyhairproblems.tumblr.com/cgmethod

I will be ordering this book and I will be starting this new challenge "the curly girl method". Not because everyone is doing it but to better my hair. I'm tired of the horrible bad hair days, my hair looking good one day and the next it looks like who did it and why. This means that why regimen will change. I will post pictures of my hair before the challenge and take pictures after. The curly girl method takes about 2 to 6 weeks to register to your hair. I'm ready for the challenge.

Let me know if you have natural hair problems and if you found any solutions to your problem. Have you tried the curly girl method? Did you like it or not?

xoxo fullcircle4 Keyla

Katherine's Favorite Winter LipSticks

 Hey Guys

I wanted to share with all of you some of my favorite winter lip colors Ive been rocking a lot this season. Now some people think that dark colors should be worn during the Winter/Fall while lighter colors should be worn during the Spring/Summer, me personally I like to do a mixture of both, whats wrong with that? Anyways what is so great about all of these lipsticks its that there UNDER $10? How great is that!!!! You can also buy them at your local drug store or Target.

 PS I have like 50 shades of purple, you can never go wrong with purple ;-)

XOXO FullCircle, Katherine E.

Essence, 12 "Sparkling Miracle" $2.99

Wet N Wild, 903C "Just Peachy", $1.99

Maybelline, 410 "Blissful Berry" $4.99

NYX, LSS NARCISSUS 509, $4.99

L'OREAL Paris, 175 "Violet Chiffon", $7.99

Rmmel London, "12", Kate Moss Collection

Rimmel London, "04" Kate Moss Collection $4.99

Wet N Wild, "Red Velvet" $1.99

 
                                                                                 
                                                  

Rimmel London, "101", Kate Moss Collection $4.99

                                                                                                                          

New Years Rituals & Resolutions

As we say goodbye to 2012 and welcome in 2013, what do we do to ring in the new year besides watching the ball drop, partying and sipping on champagne ?. Some of us get ready for this day weeks and days before its arrival. Whether its getting your hair done, nails done, everything did or cleaning your house. Everyone has there own rituals to ring in the new year including us. Here are some rituals we do to start the new year with a positive attitude.

-Cleaning the entire house, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, everything.

- Making sure all of the laundry is done. New year, clean clothes equals no mess for the new year.

-Going through your phone and deleting useless contacts/numbers that you never use. There must be a reason you no longer dial or text that number anymore so what's the point of them taking up a space in your phone. Ring in the new year with people you know will always answer back and make room for some potential long life friends.

-Wearing a red or yellow undergarment on New Years eve.Kind of a silly ritual passed on from my mother but I still do it anyway. Red equals romance, while yellow stands for better year financially.

-Another fun and passed down ritual is the 12 grapes ritual. As the countdown begins for the ball to drop, take a cup and fill it with 12 fresh grapes. In the last 12 seconds, eat a grape for each second and make a wish for every grape you eat.

-Eating Black eyed peas on New Years day in order to recieve good luck throughout the whole year

-Wash your laundry either before News Years day or after never on New Years day because that is bad luck.



FullCircles Resolutions:

Katherine E: Now I don't want to sit here and say new year, new me but I do have some things that I want to personally change about myself. Most importantly I physically want to get in better shape not only for myself but for my health. I want to continue to keep myself active and get to a healthier goal. This will not only be good for my health but I know that will also make me feel better about myself and boost up my confidence. I know that It will not change the person who I am inside and that it will enhance who I am on the outside. Secondly I just want too keep being happy and living every day as m last. Feeling positive and thinking positive will only leave to positive things.

Keyla:  My resolutions are positiveness ,patience, and speaking up. I want to do positive things career wise,  do things that make me happy, and hang with people who are positive. Negativeness is NOT an option! I learned in 2012, I am not a patient person either. Lol!  I think I need to learn this year how to take things slow, give it a chance and not just admittedly get rid of it just because I don't have patience for it. Lastly, I went through a phase last year where I just stopped telling people who used to be important to me about I felt when times got rough. It is really important to speak up and say how you feel. If something happens between friends or family the person might not know whats wrong and you are assuming that they do know. So, those are my three goals to learn and hopefully maintain doing this year for 2013.

p.s Ill try to work out and eat my fruits/veggies Lol!!!

Katherine's Reflection on 2012

As the New Year approaches us, we have to reflect on what the past year has brought to us. The good and the bad. For some it could have been the start of a new relationship or the downfall of one, it could also have been the year you graduated college or the year you bought your new house. Overall 2012 was a year of changes.

For myself, 2012 had it's ups and downs but more ups than downs. This year I completed the ultimate goal and it was the year I graduated college and received my bachelors degree in Fashion Merchandising. I was the first of my siblings to graduate college and the antecipation was nerve wrecking, I thought that the day was never going to come. On May 13,2012 I experienced the most rewarding and fufilling feeling of my life as I walked across that stage and received my diploma. I held back the tears knowing that my parents were already crying for me. I will never forget that day.

I also learned who I could truly consider a friend. What people were the most important to me in my life and who feel the same way. I don't need to sit here and name them, they know who they are and I am so grateful for each and everyone one of them. Most importantly I also learned a lot of the person I am becoming. I learned what my strengths and weakness are. What frustrates me and what breaks me down. I also learned to appreciate myself more and to give myself more credit than usual. I learned that I am now worth more than I could ever imagine. Yes I know I am most my own worst critic but I need to learn to give myself a pat on the shoulder one in a while.

Finally 2012 was the beginning of this amazing blog! I am thankful to work with a group of talented young ladies and it's only up from here. Please keep supporting and spreading the word, we still have a lot in store.

xoxo
FullCircle

Super Savings at the Outlet Stores!

BEST HAUL EVER

Today, I went to the Wrentham Outlets in Massachusetts. And let me tell you, out of all the times I've ever been... Today was definitely the most successful. I've been to Wrentham countless times, and never have I gotten such great deals. Almost every store offered 50% off merchandise with an ADDITIONAL 30% off. Folks... Thats an ADDITIONAL 30% off.

Now, today, was also a sad day for me, because this is the first outlet trip where I came back footwear-less. Nike Outlet did have some good deals, also offering an additional 30% markdown. (found some sneaks for $20! Not my taste, so I didn't buy em. But great price nonetheless for some beaters). Here are a few things I got during my trip!.. ahh where do I start?

Both items were originally marked at the outlet store for $69.99. They were further marked down to $35, and with my additional 30% off I got these at a whopping $25 each! What a STEAL! Somebody get me a chair.

This Nike Sport Track Jacket has a Retail price of $60. They marked this bad boy down to about $42. Then with the extra 30% I got it for about $30 bucks. I'm not too big with sporty tops. But I think this will look fresh with a pair of kicks. I'm thinking Red & Black Air Max 2012's.

The deals continued on when I went into the Levi Store. Lord... Thank you! So these Bold Curve Levi Jeans retail at about $64 (Macy's, etc.) The outlet has them at $49, which for some reason they marked down to $25. I thought I was buying them at $36.99... So Imagine MY FACE when I got to the register and was told they were only $12.49 !! Even the cashier was surprised. Too bad that was the last size.

This wallet went from a retail price of $90 to about $62 bucks. Walking around the Michael Kors store I did notice that they had a lot of great deals on the handbags. Most of the handbags however seemed to be like the lower priced ones that you can get at Macy's anyways for the same deal. Next time I'll look into it more, and let you know if you're getting a deal or not. But not many savings in this store. I also forgot to ask about Warranty. I know the Kors stores at the mall offer warranty on their products, dont know about the outlet stores though.

 

Ran into a 2b Bebe outlet store! This Bebe Jacket retails at $179.99. The store had it marked down to $90. That's 50% off retail. Bebe must have been feeling VERY Generous, because their entire store was marked at an ADDITIONAL 50% REDUCED ITEMS. That's a $180 jacket, that I bought for $45. 

I didn't end up getting this one, but I did think it was worth noting that I did try this on in summer 2012 in the North Shore Mall. This piece was Originally $110 down to $30 bucks. I'm not gonna lie.... I would have been PISSED if I bought it and saw it here at the outlet store for this price, haha. I passed it up a second time though. (A girl's gotta have some limits).

I thought this top was really cute. Its silky and slightly see through, that came with a gold chain front embellishment. The back is strapped and slightly open. This one is a 2b Bebe top. Which I'm assuming is their lower cost Sub-brand. Normally $45. I got it for about $15.

Call me a biter. I don't care. The girl at the True Religion store was wearing this Varsity Jacket, and I told her I thought it was fresh. She tells me she got it there and that it's still in the back. Now I'm not one to let a good deal pass up (minus that bebe romper). Had to snatch it up. Only $40!

These are some steals from the Ralph Lauren for Kids store! Baby clothes are so cute! Little Jordan Jeremiah is going to look so cute in these. (Boyfriend's nephew).  Mind you, that hoody has an original retail of $50. STEAAAAAL!

Happy Shopping Everyone!

Sincerely,

The Full Circle Team

Christmas: Sneaker Edition

Christmas Edition: Feet Heat

On the court & off, NBA players are looked at at having serious shoe game. Let's take a look at what players wore on the court on this year 2012's Christmas NBA Special.

Here we have Carlos Boozer #5 on the Chicago Bulls and Chandler Parsons # 25 from the Houston Rockets both wearing the Nike Lunar Hydperdunk 2012. 

LA Lakers star player Kobe Bryant wearing his signature Christmas Kobe 8's.

Miami Heat's Lebron James wearing his signature Christmas Lebron X's.

Player Carmelo Anthony wearing his Jordan signature sneaker Melo M9.

Kevin Durant wearing his brand new signature Christmas KD V's.

Traitor (cough cough) Ray Allen in some Player Edition Air Jordan 18's.

Now some Heat from our favorite Boston Players. 

Team Captain Paul Pierce wearing a new colorway of the Nike Air Legacy 3.

Most people hunted for the Bred XI's while Celtic's player Jared Sullinger wore them Christmas Day. 

Jason Terry wore black and gold Reebok Questions while he rocked the court.

Team Favorite (and mmmmmm)  Rajon Rondo wearing a new colorway of the Nike Hyperposite's. God these are dope.

Happy Holidays from FullCircleFour 

How Much is too Much? $$

What's the deal with Spending $$$$$ on ONE pair of Shoes?

Its not just sneakers. Its a Lifestyle. Certainly the footwear industry has been on the rise for quite a number of years. Getting older I've realized that not only is it growing with my generation (90's baby). But also with the younger kids of today. What makes a shoe so desirable? Is it a foot fetish? No, Please don't ever let me hear you say that. Its a Footwear Obsession. It's what grinds people's gears.

             Kevin Wildes, creator and producer of the ESPN show,  It's the Shoes explained it well. "A big part of sneaker culture is [that] it's a way to tap back into your youth and that's why the retro market is so popular. Everyone talks about being a kid and really liking something and wanting something you couldn't have and now that you have the means, you can."

So let's look into one of the world's most infamous kicks. The Nike Air Mag.

The shoes were originally seen in the 1989 Film "Back to the Future". And after that. It was a wrap. Sneakerheads everywhere fell in love with this futuristic design. Kids who watched the film remember them from childhood. It was an iconic design that stayed with the generations to come. They finally released 1,500 pairs on Ebay in September 2011. The proceeds from these pairs went Charity. The shoes featured a rechargeable panel that lights up LED lights across the strap and the heel of the shoe. These shoes capture the essence of the "future". The essence seen in the '89 film that dubbed them the "Marty McFlys".

(Rapper Kid Cudi was one of the lucky few to be able to afford its whopping prices. He won 4 pairs.)
 What do they go for on Ebay Today? How about $6,000? Haha.

Why buy it? Nike pitched it perfectly. They generously released a limited amount to the sneakerhead community/80's retro culture/Rich People. They knew that enthusiasts everywhere would spend a significant amount of money. Nike donated their own materials in manufacturing this shoe, so that the proceeds of these biddings would go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation that supports Parkinsons' Research. Sneakers aren't just about something to wear. Its a Lifestyle that people Embrace. Going back to what Wilde's quoted, "..wanting something you couldn't have and now that you have the means, you can." It's the perfect quote that embraces this ideology. They saw it back then when they were younger, and they want it now. They'll do anything to get their hands on them. And by doing that.... they generously donated $5.6 Million dollars.

As a first post, I think it's respectful enough to pay homage to one of the coolest sneakers ever made, but never released (until '11 that is... and only 1,500 pairs at that).

Few Pictures on its Design process from Tinker Hatfield and Tiffany Beers

xoxoxo FullCircle4

(by the way, the above closet is, none other than, Chris Brown's Sneaker collection. wink wink )