Hair CRUSH!: Andre 3000

It's so funny to be writing this article because for me it's almost personal... well maybe it is personal. Funny thing is, in a way you can say that Curly Film Chic and I's relationship started because of Outkast (cutest, corniest memory ever), both of us expressing more feelings towards Andre 3000, even gifting each other handmade Outkast/Andre items like cards and notebooks back in high school...

I personally would say I have a crush on him, as I have always been attracted to individuality and I love his bold style and masculine, swaggerific charm. He may not be the "cookie cutter" of every girls version of a fyne man, but that gapped smile, skinny/muscular body, dimples, and Suave had me at Southernplayalisticcadillacfunkymusic.

When I was introduced to rap in junior high, I clung to Andre's slick and clever lyrics, keeping it real in a way that you could feel, laugh about; Ridiculing other rappers out there who were just talking nonsense. I fell in love with The Love Below and the versatility and newness of the sound, ranging from rap, to jazz, to classical, to R&B, to rock, I mean this guy is amazing! It's no wonder new artists like J.Cole and Drake have been sampling his songs and everybody wants "3 Stacks" on a collaboration these days! He has been acting in Major films such as their movie Idlewild, which further showcases his talents singing and playing the piano, Four Brothers, and as of lately, has his own spot in the new Gilette Masters of Style campaign..

 

I'm so proud of him = ) Go brotha!

 oh yeah.. his hair! lol Looks like he has grown it back now as he has hair in these Gilette ads and we all know he had cut off his beautiful coif at some point after the Hey Ya! video. Over the years his natural hair has reflected nothing but strength, health, fullness and versatility.. We've seen him braided up, fro'd out, blown out, flat ironed, rollerset...If it was cut it was perfectly coifed, or wavy, or side parted... I mean come on, who's doing this guy's hair?! It's like always perfect! (Yeah, I'm jealous, lol)

Andre with his adorable son Seven

I just had to throw in the Hey Ya! video because this has to be the most flowy, pressed natural hair ever! If you're not a fan of the music (which I couldn't understand) just enjoy the flow:)

Keep ya heart 3 stacks!

Bikini Lines: Shaving, Razor Bumps, and Ingrown Hairs... oh my!

I know i usually just talk about the hairs on your head, but there's hairs other wheres... lol

With my new journey to beautiful, clear, glowing skin, it reminded me of a different path I had embarked early last year, a journey to a perfect bikini line! I figured this would be a great time to write this post, since we are still toying with the novelty of 2011 and it's resolutions... meaning If you're anything like me, this is the time of year  you start to get your body together for the spring/summer.

As some of you may know i'm half Brazilian so you will always catch me in a tiny Bikini come summertime, but who feels confident in a Bikini knowing they have razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and scarring from such atrocities? I hated the way it looked and felt to have razor bumps and ingrown hairs, not to mention that it can be painful and leave terrible scars. I felt embarrassed at the beach and pool and realized it was time i do something about it.  Early last year, I took my time doing some research and trying different remedies and my bikini line is now as smooth as a baby's bottom and the scars have faded about 90% which is amazing! Not to mention taking the ACV shot is just making my skin all over 1000 times better!... Anyhooo.... lol. 

Here are the steps i took to clear up my bikini line and get rid of embarrassing scars, razor bumps and ingrown hairs: 

1. Let the hair in the pubic region grow in for about a month. You may be constantly experiencing ingrown hairs if the hair follicle is in shock from constant shaving, causing it to grow out of the skin improperly or to grow out and curl back into the skin. Letting the hair grow out gives the follicles in the region a time to rest, and allows for the hair to grow past the length at which the hair will become ingrown. No, you do not need to grow it for a month every time, but initially when wanting to get rid of the razor bumps, and if they start coming back full force again.
2.  Exfoliate the region regularly. Exfoliating will help to keep skin clean, smooth, and help to prevent hairs from becoming ingrown.
3. Make sure you use a mild shaving agent. I personally do not use use shaving creams because i have very sensitive skin and can not use products with a lot of chemicals and fragrances. I use a bar of Dove soap, and lather the area up very well, this creates a thick, creamy, sudsy residue that is smooth to shave with and does not irritate my skin. I have been doing this for years and i love it but another alternative is using conditioner (yes hair conditioner) to shave.
4. Tweeze and Treat! Whenever the skin is punctured, even if by something as small as a hair, you have to remember that it is a wound and should be treated as such, so be sure your hands and implements are clean. Take some time, a mirror if needed, and a good tweezer. Tweeze the ingrown hair and treat it with a disinfectant, this will also help to prevent scarring. It may be painful at first, but you will grow accustomed to the little pinch associated with tweezing if done properly and quickly, and the relief will be well worth it.
5. Shave in the same direction which the hair grows (i.e: This means you would shave your legs from thigh to ankle in a downward motion). Shaving against the grain will irritate the skin and hair follicle, causing it to go into shock and later produce razor bumps and/or ingrown hairs. For a closer, smoother shave, try shaving in the same direction the hair grows first, and then shaving against the grain once the hair has already been shaved down. This will give a smoother finish but do not shave over the area too many times to avoid irritation.
6. Apply an Anti-inflammatory if needed. So i had been using 1% Hydrocortizone as an anti-imflammatory but wanted something else since Hydrocortizone is a steriod. Curly Film Chick actually shared with me (sorry, don't kill me) that she uses Aloe Gel as an after shave so i will be trying the same thing with the next shave. Aloe is always soothing :)
7. Enjoy your bikini line! Summer is coming, going on vacation, getting married, or for whatever reason, enjoy the new bikini line you've been working on. Don't forget to keep it smooth you have to continue to care for it, so be sure to tweeze any ingrown hairs you may see, always disinfect and treat to prevent further inflammation and scarring, and if you need to start all over and grow the hair out for a few weeks, you'll be back to a perfect bikini line in no time!

Here's a video i found on YouTube that may be helpful, as it has more information on hair as well... Although it's mostly about men and shaving their faces, an ingrown hair is an ingrown hair, lol 

Enjoy!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj7aRGQ0DyI