Heidy Brown: Aquello

Una Vaina Rosada

This is Heidy Brown an up and coming artist from the Dominican Republic. Thought I start my friday with her tunes in mind. Una Vaina Rosada (Something Pink)

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Winners of Cowry Shell Giveaway

These are the winners of my cowry shell giveaway. There were 10 comments in which one was a spammer Jesson balaoing or something. So really there were 9. So here are the winners:

Tiffany

A Lady & her Laptop

ttlove218

You have 7 days to contact me @ Hellnotesforbeauty@yahoo.com with your shipping address.

Thanks to all who joined and welcome to all my new followers as well. Stay tuned for more gorgeous and fabulous giveaways!

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New Creations & Cowry shell Giveaway ends June 21st

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Don’t forget! My cowry shell giveaway ends June 21st!

simply join the giveaway Here… if you have not entered yet.

A few more creations I came up with this past weekend.

Blue sky

Double Turquoise

I wear these almost everyday. Love them!

Madera

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Cream of coconut deep conditioner and some hair ramblings

These past three weeks my hair and I it seems have started a whole new journey all over again. It’s been a year since I started bringing my hair back to life and focusing on the factors contributing to it’s health (water, diet, regimen).  Between May – Oct my regimen pretty much was deep condition every week, moisturize and seal, air dry and keep my hair in protective styles especially during the first few summer months.

Then fall came around and I got hooked on rollersetting and have been ever since. Not only did I practice rollersetting (still trying to perfect it) but my hair responded nicely all winter and it also helped me manage my hair much better.

After acv rinse

But now summer has come along and I’m not looking forward to sitting under a hot dungeon of a hair dryer  nor do I want to keep my hair in buns again all summer either. I want to now learn how to maintain my very curly hair (I can’t be rollersetting forever).

These past three weeks or so it got really hot, evidence of what is to come, so since my ACV rinse I let my curly fro out just to see how my natural hair has truly turned out. Maintaining curls however is not an easy task nor is it just a simple wash n go.

Throughout I noticed my hair air drys very dry so I need a thicker moisturizing leave in.

The first week I left my curls out I noticed a lot of frizz and it was very hard detangling on wash day. But I got through it with minimal damage (I used nacidt rinse).

During my curly fro week I came up with a moisturizing spritz. I used motown girls homemade spritz recipe and included Agadir’s daily conditioner, coconut oil, and castor oil. The scent was heavenly but it was not providng the moisture I needed. My hair was soft and shiny that I can’t complain, but  my ends were frizz madness.

By week 2 and next wash day I ended up trying a coconut cream deep conditioner with olive oil and it truly helped loosen up my curls and also provided each curl with definition, moisture and manageability. I sat under the dryer for about 15 mins and did a few chores for about another 15 and then rinsed. I followed with mane n tail conditioner to help balance my protein levels since I tend to over do it with moisture. I had shiny curls and was able to still run my fingers throughout most of the hair by day 3. The results were great my curly fro did not grow by the hour and it was a lot less frizzy. Compared to coconut milk, I truly prefer the cream. It left me with a lot of moisture and shine.

I’m trying to find a good daily leave in spritz but so far nothing catches my interest yet (glycerin, aloe juice??). My version of Motown girls leave in spritz was actually good to start and perk my curly fro in the mornings, but I need a thicker much more moisturizing concoction for my ends.

After cream of coconut DC

Since I need to tweak my curly girl regimen a bit I decided to rollerset this week to give my ends a break. I have to protect my ends since august is my first WLC check in.

 I used my usual Silicon mix, Nacidt olive oil deep conditioner and Nacidt olive oil rinse. I followed with chi keratin mist and lacio lacio. I decided to rollerset because it has not been too hot or humid lately and Monday wash day, was very mild. So I took advantage and as usual the Nacidt and Silicon mix combo left me satisfied. However I know it won’t be for long since the heat and beach days are right around the corner.

Right after rollerset and wrap Monday

 Tuesday morning

So I will try perhaps an aloe or glycerin mix for my summer spritz along with a good leave in. I also may try the baggy method once or twice a week for my ends sake. So far I’m loving the Cream of coconut treatment as well as ACV rinses. Hopefully this will be a great summer for my hair.

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Loofah & Dry brushing: A Review

Growing up my mother always had this weird thing in her shower. It was a loofah and a weird one at that. As a child you don’t really worry about exfoliating so knowing my mom would intentionally scratch her skin with that thing confused me. But little did I know what this thing actually was. The real original loofah is not that plastic mesh we are used to seeing. It’s actually natural and a vegetable in fact. The Loofah is a vegetable in the cucumber family and when it eventually dries out it becomes a sponge and exfoliant at the same time with a wide range of uses. The loofah vegetable is very popular throughout African and Asian cooking. As well as a very interesting vegetable to grow.

Not only is the loofah great for exfoliating, but can also make a great natural dish washing scrub as well. Many people grow and use their own loofahs which makes it the more interesting and useful. I wont be growing any, but I have been interested in dry brushing and what better way to put my mom’s weird bath tool to use.

 So last week I decided to buy one. It took me a couple of days to find it but I finally found it near my sister’s house at her local Indian shop. I got this big Ol’ loofah and started laughing when I saw it. The lady just looked at me but it was just a funny looking thing. It cost me $3 which was a great deal considering how many sponges and uses I could get out of it.

I was curious about using this loofah and had been contemplating on dry brushing for quite sometime as well. Which was the main reason why I purchased this type of loofah. Dry brushing is a technique used to not only help make the skin smoother and softer but also helps rid the body of toxins.

Here some of the great benefits to dry brushing:

– Helps with cellulite

-Helps boost immune system by stimulating lymphatic system

-Helps rid body of toxins

-Improves circulation

and many more important benefits

Dry brushing is just that, brushing your skin dry before you shower. To get the best results you must not wet your skin or the loofah. At first this was very weird but once I read the benefits to dry brushing I thought why not give it a try.

I of course cut the big piece of loofah with a knife and put the rest away in a bag where it would not gather dust. I cut a nice piece and there were seeds in them which you can see in the photo above. I left them in since they don’t interfere whatsoever. It is recommended you start right before a shower, start with your feet, exfoliating upwards towards your heart.

Below is the video I watched to give me an idea which is pretty simple:

I keep my loofah by a window to prevent mold. I have been dry brushing before my showers about every 2-3 days but you can dry brush everyday if you would like. When I first tried it I noticed my skin shining as if I had just polished my skin. And that was before the shower. Also my skin felt tingly which was very interesting. When dry, the loofah feels coarse but not that rough either and my skin felt very smooth afterwards. I either use shea butter to moisturize or coconut oil and so far my skin is feeling and looking great. Not only is this great for the immune system but also helps with cellulite as well as stimulates the body to naturally detox. You can also use this loofah wet which I love to use on my elbows and feet. So far I will be adding this to my skincare regimen especially with the added health benefits.

 For more information on growing your own loofah and dry brushing check these websites out:

How to make and grow a luffa

Benefits of dry brushing

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Malanga, yautia coco

Now that summer is just about here I’m slowly saying good bye to my winter comfort foods. This is perhaps one of my most favorite things to eat for breakfast. Malanga as I know it (many varieties of names, yautia coco being one, I like malanga however) is a very tasty tropical root in the taro/yam family I believe. I never really knew what malanga’s exact health benefits were other than I would be full for hours after eating malanga. However I was reading that it can be a great substitute for flour especially for those who are allergic to it and is high in riboflavin and thiamine.

Malanga is a very versatile vegetable pairing up greatly with almost anything. Malanga can be prepared just like you would regular potatoes. Peel the skin, cut them into pieces, boil, mash them up and add butter or whatever. I like to just add olive oil and light salt. Malanga has such a nice soft taste and aroma especially when it’s boiling. It’s like the more elegant exotic version of plain old potatoes.

Malanga on the outside looks rugged but when you cut one up you are left with what seems to be purple streaks which almost looks like strands. When it boils the white background turns into this light blue purple as well as the water its boiling in. I like to chop up pieces of malanga and add them to my soups to thicken it a bit. You can also bake them, I prefer them boiled, since I really like it’s creamy texture.

You can have malanga with anything. Hard boiled eggs, a piece of ham, vegetables, cheese, and my favorite bacalao (cod fish). Malanaga deliciously balances the salty tendency of the cod fish.  Malanga can be found year round at your local Latin American produce shops as well as most china towns. Try not to confuse malanga with the rest of the yams. Which I happen to not like much. Malanga tends to be round and oval, not long or skinny like the other yams.

Malanga is also great for toddlers who are starting to eat solid foods. Keeps them full and satisfied for hours.

What is malanga?

Practically Edible

Delicious Accras Recipe

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Deity of the day: Sheila Na Gig

Link 

From the looks of it Sheila Na Gig’s pose would seem to be something straight out of a men’s magazine baffling and intriguing many with her extravagant way of display. Sheila Na Gigs are stone carvings of women, with their legs wide open, exhibiting their vaginas. Sheila Na Gig to this day, can still be found in many conservative churches and even castles throughout Ireland and England having a variety of theories as to what was her ultimate meaning and use.

Link

You just can’t simply dismiss her as having her legs open, they are open for a reason which has many scholars and anthropologist alike trying to figure out the ultimate meaning to her poses. This is truly an amazing sight considering most of these stone carvings have been found in churches. Although most have been defaced, all throughout the British Isles, there are many Sheela Na Gigs and opinions as to her origins and uses still around. One of the theories as to why Sheela Na Gigs have been in churches is that they were perhaps a symbol and reminder to followers as to the dangers and sins associated with lust. However many associated the female form as an amulet for protection from evil forces as well as luck charms. Throughout many cultures the images of vaginas were used mostly to represent life, death and regeneration.

From The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, by Barbara G. Walker

“Sheila-Na-Gig figures appeared all over old Irish churches before the 16th century. Many were still in place during the 19th century, but Victorian prudery defaced or destroyed large numbers of them. Some have been found buried near the churches they once embellished.”

“Sheila-Na-gig figures closely resembled the yonic statues of Kali which still appear at the doorways of Hindu temples, where visitors lick a finger and touch the yoni “for luck.” Some of the older figures have deep holes worn in their yonis from much touching.”

 “Celts generally protected doorways with some female-genital fetish, which is why they settled on the horseshoe, classic Omega-sign of the Kalika. In India it stood for the feminine cosmos within which Shiva ever performed his creative sexual dance, although he was assimilated to the Kalika and given her title of Destroyer.”

“Derivation of the term sheila-na-gig is obscure. It meant something like “vulva-woman.” Gig or giggie meant female genitals and may have been related to the Irish “jig,” from French gigue, in pre-Christian times an orgiastic dance. In ancient Erech a gig seems to have been a holy yoni; the sacred harlots of the temple were known as nu-gig.”

This last quote on the origins of the word Gig is very interesting to me because on the show Family Guy Quagmire loves to say “giggidy” especially when he is is some sexual pursuit.

I’m sure it would be hard for many to believe that women are sacred and not just sexual objects. I believe that Sheila Na Gigs represents the fact that being a woman is part of truly knowing yourself. Not just the physical aspect of you, but rather the whole, which ultimately manifests itself on to the physical. Many neglect their sacred selves and lose themselves in the world of criticisms and so called established rules. Sheila Na Gig shows that a woman is not just a hole, but perhaps she is the embodiment of the planet, cosmos and reality we call life. Reminding her believers where they came from, where they can discover true divinity of one self and the world .

Kilpeck sheila

For more images and history concerning Sheila Na Gig check these links out:

Sheela Na Gig Project

Sheela Etton

Fethard

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Cowry Shell Giveaway! >>>CLOSED>>>>

In honor of my love for the sea and cowrie shells I decided to have my very first giveaway on blogger. I really would like for my readers to enjoy the true beauty of cowrie shells for themselves. And what better time to flaunt them then in the summer? These earrings were hand made by me this past memorial day weekend and was very pleased with the results.

So here goes, 3 lucky winners will win one pair either Turquoise, Smokey, or Ms. Blue which I will randomly select one for each winner.

Simply leave a comment telling me you would like to join.

Winners will be announced on the first day of summer June 21!

I have experimented with clusters before but recently decided to use cowries and clusters in my designs and they truly ended up complimenting each other. The cluster design gives the cowrie shell an instant elegance.

Smokey

Ms. Blue

Turquoise

This is my first time working with turquoise in my designs as well. I’m happy I finally did. Besides it being very beautiful, turquoise posses so many beneficial qualities. You can use turquoise for protection, health, serenity, depression and many more self cultivating qualities. more info here.

Good Luck!

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