Hello, my beautiful ones, I basically wanted to post and let you know that I have made a new video on my updated hair regimen.  As my hair gets longer, I have come to realization that I love trying new products.   Especially all natural products at that.

What I have discovered is that my hair type tends to love the same basic simple ingredients.Such as honey, aloe Vera,  natural oils, butters, cream and oil based shampoos.  When I use products that tend to have at least most or all of these ingredients my hair does really well.  So when I do decide to purchase products to try out on my hair, I always go for the ones that have these essentials right at the op of the list.

Part one of the video will explain in more detail for you.

Giovanni Direct Leave In – Absolute Fave for a leave in,  I have yet to find a better one.

Griffin Remedy Shampoo.

Curl Junkies Deep Fix

Terresentials Product Line

Honey and Sage Deep Conditioner – Alikay Naturals

Oyin Handmade Hemp and Honey Conditioner

Jane Carter Nourish and Shine.

Tell me, who is Alicia?

A wife, a mother, a sister, a singer, and a natural hair enthusiast.

What made you decide to go natural?

I decided to go natural, because my hair was badly damaged, and literally falling out of my head.

How long have you been natural?

I have been natural 3 years and four months, not including my 7 month transition.

What is your hair care Regime, and favorite Hair Care Products?

Cantu Shea Butter Leave In

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Herbal Essence Shampoo and Conditioner

Aphogee Protein Treatment

These are the only products I use on my hair

I co wash and do deep conditioning weekly when my hair is out. I shampoo at least 1-2 times a month.

I do my protein treatment once a month. Protective styling is a big part of my regimen. When I am wearing my two strands I moisturize every 2-3 days spraying the ends with water and sealing with oil or shea butter. I try to keep them in for 2-3 weeks.

What is your Hair Type?

4a/4b

Is there anything new you have discovered about yourself and your hair since going natural?

Well, I was definitely shocked to know that my hair could actually grow. Once I passed bra strap it was pretty crazy!

What are your goals for your hair in the future?

My goal is to reach waist length by December 2012

What would you say is your signature style when it comes to fashion?

I looove two strand twist!

When did you first come to love music?

I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember!

Tell us what is your sound?

My music sounds like life, love, hurt, inspiration…. if you could hear it…..

I sing about anything that I’ve heard, saw, experienced. I sing about things that make you feel something, empowered, happy, sad.

If you could sum it all up for new naturals what advice would you give them?

I would say learn your own hair. There are so many different women out there with so many different types of hair. You have to really figure out what your hair likes and doesn’t like to have a successful journey. Also, do what makes you feel good!…some may like it, some may love, it and some may absolutely hate it!

Where can we find you on the web?

http://www.naturalchickepi.com

http://www.msaliciajames.com

http://www.facebook.com/naturalchickepidemic

I decided to finally do a video of my growth progress for  my natural hair. Doing a whole bunch of length check videos is not something I am really into as you  can see from the date of the last time I did a length check. Your hair will grow, it’s best just to leave it alone and let it run its course. Something that I am learning more and more each day.

My hair loves to just be left alone, and I love to leave it alone.

We’ll check out the video below and let me know what you think.

Well Guys something awesome happened, I was featured on a naturallymemedia.com which is a site dedicated to natural hair, beauty and fashion. Now I read this site all the time and follow all the news and press that comes out about fro fashion week. So when I found out I was listed on her site as one the to five natural hair, natural living and fashion bloggers to follow in 2012.

I was ecstatic!

To know that someone who you have been following for quite some time is also following you and reading your material is awesome. I love the natural hair community, and to be recognized in the community for sharing my knowledge on natural health, natural living is something that touched my heart. I love to blog.

With four small boys and a family I may not be able to do it often………lol

But I do love to blog.

It is a way of sharing my soul, sharing my thoughts, sharing my goals and passions with you all. The natural community is like a family that supports each other come what may. So I truly do want to say thank you to all of you who read my blog and my new readers for even taking the time to comment or even share content.

Much Luv to Tarin Boone for the wonderful comments, and taking the time out to even support others in the blogosphere.

Muah!

Recently, I have been having a lot of fun experimenting with my hair. Having a 4b, 4c hair texture to some people can be a blessing or a curse. Although I see it as more of a blessing that has been given to me. The longer my hair has gotten the more I am really enjoying doing my hair. When my hair was in its relaxed state. I never did my hair, in fact I never liked hair period.

I was that one girl that went to the salon, but only for a wash and roller set. No real styles because I was clueless how to keep and maintain the look. So I just stuck to the usual pull my hair back in a bun mode. Don’t even ask me about trying to curl my hair because that is something that was not even in my vocabulary.

After, I had a childhood friend who tried to curl my bangs one day before middle school, however instead of curling she ended burning the whole top part of my forehead. Leaving behind a huge a black mark which took years to go away.

In the ended, leaving me scolded with a childhood memory of hating the smelly relaxers, burning pressing combs and hair crackling curling irons

Now that I am older, and loving my natural hair texture all the more. Being able to do styles that I never thought my hair would do is actually becoming quite fun!

I am really enjoying my hair!

Having a coily, not so curly hair texture is not the end all to your natural hair journey in fact it is only the beginning.

I ended up doing this Up do last night on my hair.

It is chunky twist out on dry hair of about 10 to 18 twist depending on how thick your hair is.

I don’t know why that bobby pin was sticking out, I had forgot to push it back up….

The products I put on my hair the day before was a my mixture of Shea butter, argon oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil.

All I did was pull the twists back in to sections and pinned them up with black bobby pins in the back.

There you go.

A classic look with a simple touch.

P.S. I would love to know what you think about it.

Bronzeqt  a fellow video vlogger is someone that I love to watch! She always seems to come up with some of the neatest hairstyles for natural hair care, and has a texture a little similar to mine. Which is one of the reasons I follow her faithfully, I never get bored with what she seems to come up with. Her channel is full of hair and beauty tips sure to inspire you.

Check out the this neat video she has on How to make a textured hair Bun for natural kinky hair, really quick.

As you guys know this site is not only about natural living, but about me growing my hair in its natural state. Here in this video I share how I take a 3 day old twist out and make it last a couple of more days.  Having natural hair is fun because you get to play with it and try to figure out new ways of doing things,  since all I have been used to doing is my hair in its relaxed state. I had fun making this video and many more are to come.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Going natural was never even a consideration in my mind. When my best friend was natural, I gave her the side-eye because I didn’t like the twa on her as opposed to her usual long straight hair. I was never drawn to afros, hadn’t even pondered the possibility!

Then, after college, I was broke and suffering some post-graduation “what the eff am I going to do with my life???” depression. Keeping up with a relaxer was the last thing on my mind, I barely wanted to get out of bed. So months started to go by and I hadn’t had a relaxer, transitioning without knowing that there was some name or process for it. I certainly could have moisturized my hair better at the time because it was breaking and shedding and I had no idea why and really didn’t care. One day a light bulb went off and I happened upon sites such as www.newlynatural.com and curlynikki.com and realized that by george, I was becoming a natural haired girl.

Going through the photos, reading the stories, it all sparked my interest and then my inner product junkie started ROARING that it wanted to try out the cool products that I was reading about. That’s one way to always get me hooked, show some products! Whether it’s handbags, nail polish, makeup, hair products, WHATEVER, if there’s a variety, I want to try them all lol. Just part of my nature apparently.

With resolve, I said what the hey, let’s do this! My hair looks like hot garbage right now, why not chop off these relaxed ends and see how I’d look? By then I’d been transitioning for 10 months so had lovely growth. My stepmom had locs and was a hairstylist, so I went to her and she gave me my big chop, did a bantu knot out, and sent me on my way! I felt so different, very cool. I stopped and bought some headbands and big earrings from the beauty supply store across the street and went on about my day.

I’d been neglecting my blog socialitedreams.wordpress.com forever in my lack of zest for life, so the bff whom I’d been so unsupportive of in her natural journey suggested that I get back on it and document my new natural life. Ashley is such a good support system and I wouldn’t have made it through all of that without her. She twists my hair, cornrows it, and helps with any styles that I want to try and may not know how to do. Unfortunately she went back to the creamy crack a while ago, but now as an enlightened lady I want to convince her to join the natural team again She is considering loc’ing her hair right now! Not only that, my mother just went natural after being inspired by my hair and two cousins did as well.

By being natural and resurrecting socialitedreams.wordpress.com with hair, beauty, and fashion posts, I have found an amazing community of bloggers and great girls on twitter. I’ve been able to feed my inner product junkie with the excuse that I simply MUST review it on the blog, have gone to some fun meetups, and overall enjoy life a lot more. Going natural gave me a CHANGE and I think that was what was most needed in my life at that moment. Sometimes you just need a reboot

Check Vonnie out at http://socialitedreams.wordpress.com for natural haircare, makeup tips, product reviews and fashion wants.

Day Dresses by Free People
Sandals by Pedro Garcia