Reasons Why You Should Be A Baldie

June 25, 2019June 25, 20192 Comments

So you’re considering being a baldie?

Hey I get it. After the last blog post, How To Be a Bald Chick, you were reading how to be one, now this is just another push to show why women (in particular) should take the plunge even if it is just a one time event. Yes it is daunting especially going into a barbershop where the environment is male dominant. Yes you will have people within your close circle convince you not to cut it (since it can be deemed as crazy). Yes you will probably be missing your tresses. But if you have been, and I know there are some of you who have considered shaving your hair off to a crop/bald style for years, why not just go ahead and go for it! You have one life to live and it’s too short to care what anyone thinks especially when it’s on you. If you’re not convinced yet. Here are a few reasons why you should be a baldie.

1. It’s Easy

Ah the joys of low maintenance: no comb, no brush, not a single single strand of hair. You won’t even need to spend much on hair products if any at all. Life is easy and so is being a bald lady!

2. You Will Stand Out From the Crowd

For all the right reasons… this is something you are doing for yourself so you’re not hurting anyone. You just may change a life too. Not many women sport this super cropped look, so when you are out in a crowd… trust me you stand out from the rest of the pack. You’re going against the grain and challenging what beauty if supposed to look like, pretty much a middle finger to beauty standards. And who wants to blend in anyway?

3. Keeps You Cool In The Summer

For all those three months of heat and humidity, you want to keep as cool as possible, and hair can be a hinderance. When you cut it all off, you just kept yourself cooler. Plus guys do it, so why can’t you do it?

4. It’s Edgy (You Will Look Badass)

There is something quite fearless and bold about a woman who for whatever reason dons a buzzcut or a bald look. Again, even in today’s culture where style can be fluid, the stigma against bald women still prevails. Also, whether it be in a movie or t.v. show, a bald woman is always the badass out of the crew. They are either a warrior, someone who has major powers or just that chick who can fight til kingdom come. Pretty badass if you tell me.

5. You Can Change It Up

Yes this is true: you can rock the bald look by using the zero guard on a clipper, you can dye your hair in numerous colours and bleach it without any worries of… it all falling out (yep remember you have no hair). Patterns come to thought as well, or even having the sides of your head more closely shaved while keeping the top of your head longer to create an elongation with your face. If you love tattoos and is considering to tattoo your head, I know that this would look pretty cool (yes I have tattoos but mom no I will not tattoo my head don’t worry). If you want to rock the wigs, then I say by all means all the power to you. Scarves are also another consideration to the styles. I told you, the possibilities are endless.

6. It Will Be a Liberating Moment

You know the hardest process of going bald will not be the shaving process, it will be after when you go out in the world. When you go to work, or head to the mall, you may need to visit your doctor, or even out on a date, your family will have those summer barbecues, or getting ready for a gala… you will get the stares. But those who judge you wrongfully are projecting their insecurities on you. Therefore it is none of your business what strangers, your family, friends or coworkers have to say about your no hair style.

When you go beyond all of this and you believe in yourself, this will be the liberating moment that I am talking about: all those invisible shackles that you have on yourself when coming to beauty will start to melt.

Oh how emancipating!

Beauty Products I’ve Been Using This Summer

July 27, 2018July 27, 2018Leave a comment

Ah summer time.

What’s not to love about it?

Aside from the sticky weather that occurs at times, at least we don’t have to hide inside the house like a hermit. Plus you can change into lighter clothing, maybe even lighter hair (like myself), and a nice dark golden brown tan to boot. Of course the beauty regiment has to change due to the warmer season. Here are a few beauty products that I am currently using this summer.

1. Clippers

Since I am not in any way planning to grow out my hair, I have to maintain that crop style. Wahl’s clippers are easy to use, making life for me 10 times easier without heading over to a barber. All that is needed is a hand mirror just in case of any hair that is missed from cutting it.

2. L’Oreal Blue Powder Bleach

Now this right here is the gold for hair lightening products! So easy to use in my hair, plus I can hardly smell the dreaded scent of bleach. Now I have weird hair in terms of the colour. Growing up, well into me being 19, I have dark brown hair with natural red highlights, however my hair has gotten much darker over the years, and if I need to dye my hair a unique colour like for example pink, bleaching my barely there hair is a must in order to even achieve the colour. With this powder you need to mix it with a cream developer in order for the bleach to be activated. These activators come in volumes, I think 40 is the highest (and most potent), so I have volume 30 which has more than done the job! I use these tools because I know that I will be using this for the whole summer and not just one occasion. The bleach is a big tube so you will be getting your money’s worth which is about $32.00, I got it 50 percent off!

3. Kiss Express Hair Color

Okay the colour displayed above is not the right one that I am using. What I have is K51 cherry cola, and the colour is like a pinkish red combination. Since it is semi permanent, it does fade into a pinkish blonde colour, and still looks amazing! Plus this product has no ammonia along with no peroxide. The price is very reasonable at just five dollars.

4. Black Soap

This soap can save lives… or just bless the skin, one day at a time as it has so many benefits. I use this to wash my scalp along with washing my face, as it is great for dry scalps, acne, premature aging and clearing discolouration. You don’t have to pay a hefty price for such a skin miracle worker. All of the ingredients are natural (which include plantains, shea butter etc.) if the soap bar is brown, the ‘black’ colour has more unnatural ingredients that don’t have the same benefits. On a side note, this soap has been around for centuries, originating from West Africa, more so Ghana, and has a huge part in the African diaspora as countries like Trinidad, Jamaica and the U.S. (more particularly African Americans) have created beauty products based all on black soap.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

This product is another blessing for the skin! Like black soap it has all of the needed benefits to combat acne, dark marks and wrinkles, but the smell is left to be desired. I can’t wear this during the day so I use it as a toner during the night. Again, in relation to black soap, I suggest buying the organic version as it has the benefits provided above.

6. Pro Filt’r Foundation by Fenty Beauty

I finally bought the foundation from this ever growing makeup line by Rihanna, after what seemed like a constant sellout. It’s a full coverage foundation that lasts the whole day and it’s cruelty free. Now I have oily skin, and I have read many articles stating that it oxidizes, for me I have not yet run into that problem. With oily skin, there’s always a tendency to for this to happen which is a pain in the ass. However Sephora sells the upper scale product that is a descent price for this makeup store ($42), plus I can’t go any cheaper since I had struggles with it either being the right match, or worst is oxidizes within three hours in the summer. Now I will also point out that when it comes to brown skin, in order to find the right foundation, you need to know your undertone. Some people have red undertones, while others may have a pink, or even blue undertone. For me I have a yellow undertone, so a foundation may match by medium brown skin, but it is is red, blue or pink in undertone… it does not match my skin. It looks off, and can either look pasty or too dark. With Fenty Beauty, I was able to match 370 as it is a warm undertone. I can’t stress enough the importance of makeup lines being more inclusive with all skin tones. It’s a must in 2018. Thank heavens for Fenty Beauty!

7. Makeup Forever

So since it is summertime, I do tan a bit from being outside (yes black people tan also). I had to point that out since I get so much comments on if I get darker, or not, and that I don’t need to (colourism being taken place). With that being said in order to match the rest of my skin, I still have this line of foundation that I mix with Fenty Beauty’s due to it being a little darker. Plus my products last longer, and I haven’t six months of buying this product (not recommended in using).

8. Stunna Lip Paint by Fenty Beauty

For me, this lip paint is a must for everyday use! It’s such a beautiful colour that compliments any skin tone. Even though it is over $30, the matte product does not dry out your lips, and it is long-lasting. No need to redo you lips after lunch or any time.

9. Gloss Bomb by Fenty Beauty

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This is becoming a Fenty Beauty affair! Maybe, in the near future Miss Fenty herself may hire me as a spokesperson for using her products; a girl can dream big. For me this lip gloss is a reminiscence of a throwback. As a teenager all I would wear is lip gloss, but it has been 10 years since I’ve donned the look due to my love of lipsticks. Gloss bomb creates the theme of makeup, no makeup look, equating into enhancing someone’s natural beauty. It’s pretty much for the days where you’re not in the mood for such a dramatic look that… say a red lipstick brings. This is simple and natural while still feeling beautiful.

10. Sun Screen

This is a must, I don’t care what skin tone you fall under, everyone needs to wear sunscreen during the summertime. Skin cancer is not a fun journey, plus I’ve seen people, including ones who have brown skin have skin cancer. That SPF blocks any of the harmful rays from the sun, plus you can still get darker, unless you want sun block. Please stop the nonsense of black people not needing sun screen. We can use less than light skin tones but that does not mean you don’t have to use it, plus if you have freckles, moles or any marks on your skin, this is all the more reason to wear sun screen or sun block.

11. Country Apple by Bath and Body Works

This fresh fruity scent is perfect for the summer! I’ll most likely use this all throughout the year since it’s not a strong scent. It’s evident that black people love our lotions so clearly this blog post would be nothing without talking about a good cream for the skin. Sorry I had to say it!

Enjoy the summer!

The Baddest Buzz Cut Chicks in TV/Movies Part 2

March 19, 2018March 19, 2018Leave a comment

One of the reasons why women wearing a buzz cut is so daunting is because the style is not for the faint of heart. There’s a certain sense of confidence along with fearlessness that comes along with rocking this crop style.

That’s why in movies, when a female character wears the super short/masculine hairstyle, they are portrayed as a strong woman… a force to be reckoned with. Here are seven badass women that have buzz cuts.

7. Violet Jones

Neflix

The film adaptation of the novel Nappily Ever After has yet to be released on Netflix. Sanaa Lathan will be acting as Violet Jones, a woman who is embarking on a natural hair journey by cutting off all of her hair. She then realizes that this one change can also drastically change how people perceive her along with her personal life being taken into account. The overall message is to take that chance and it’s a topic in which I can relate to on a lot of levels. If you have not yet read the novel, I would suggest you go ahead and order the book on kindle of have it physically.

6. Evey Hammond

Warner Bros.

I have have never seen V for Vendetta, but all I know is that this is the role where Natalie Portman had to shave off all of her hair. She not only looked amazing… she looked bad ass. It completely changed her look in terms of style… very edgy. After doing some more research with the movie and Portman’s character, it deals with topics like oppression and politics which is enough to peak my interest in terms of actually watching the movie.

5. Ellen Ripley

20th Century Fox

I’ve seen the first two films from the Alien franchise and there’s a reason as to why Sigourney Weaver’s character is considered one of the best female characters (if not character alone) in movie history. For one she is no damsel in distress, and Ripley saves the day without portraying the typical masculine strength… replacing it with the utmost girl power needed.

4. Bernadine

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Now I know Angela Bassett did not rock a full on buzz cut… more so a pixie, but her portrayal as Miss Bernadine was a character that I needed to discuss her. Oh that scene in Waiting to Exhale, where she takes her soon to be ex husband’s clothes and sets them on fire is one of the most memorable scenes in Hollywood. Plus it sums up as the best way to blow off some steam… pun intended.

3. Imperator Furiosa

Warner Bros. /Roadside Films

I’ve been meaning to watch Mad Max: Fury Road, but the timing seems to be off. Charlize Theron as the soldier in the film is the ultimate feminist role that has inspired other actresses like…

2. Eleven

Netflix

Millie Bobby Brown’s appearance as Eleven in Stranger Things is the unexpected hero we all need. The character has created a cult following in terms of the badass buzz cut, the signature 80’s pink dress and of course her love of Eggo waffles. Eleven manages to save the day with her super strength plus her psychic skills, and help her newfound friends …whom all manage to be boys in need of her help. In numerous media outlets like Instagram and Twitter, Brown’s inspiration to shave off all of her hair was because of Charlize Theron’s character as Furiosa.

1. Okoye

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Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Actress Danai Gurira has yet again proven to be one of the most prominent action figures in both television and movie culture. As a fan of her role as Michonne in The Walking Dead, I was ecstatic to see her shine in film as Okoye in the blockbuster smash Black Panther. The scenes in that movie with Okoye is astonishing: from her loyalty to the king of Wakanda and one of my favourite scenes.. a.k.a the wig scene proves why we need more positive role models for young black girls and women. Okoye proves to viewers that if they did not know that there were black feminists in the past ( in the civil rights movement, LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matter equal rights for women, etc) they would definitely know in 2018 in fiction.

Part 1: Ways To Rock Short Hair

March 6, 2018Leave a comment

I for one growing up never liked short hair.

The long, down to your ass length of hair was the sort of thing that was praised whether it being from relatives or especially commercials. Those shampoo ads where even the women rocking the lengthy hairstyles didn’t even have that naturally, but the message was all about the viewer wanting it. I had the opposite.

Yes my hair grew, but the longest I’ve had my hair was shoulder length and with it being fine, the chemicals in the relaxer (which changes the texture of your hair) did not help. The constant stress over the breakage within my hair was a constant battle and a vicious cycle for my self esteem. However I’ve always reverted back to shorter hairstyles, even all throughout high-school up until now and discovered that the only reason why I wanted (or fantasized) about the long hair is because that was the message within the media like commercials, t.v. shows, movies and magazines. They all without saying a word told a story where equating to the fact that long hair for women equaled the only form of beauty and femininity.

How many women do you know that’s scared to even cut an inch of their hair let alone buzz it off? With experience I can name almost all that have complimented my hair ( or lack thereof). At times it comes off as a backhanded compliment… but I understand where they are coming from. But if you are like me and loves to express your creativity through your hair by cutting it all off… I say go for it. Life’s too damn short to care what other people think. This long introduction was needed in explanation to my story and my truth. I have a few ways to show you how to rock a short hairstyle.

1. The Purple Bob (Box Braids)