My Natutal Hair Journey!

Hola Chicas y Chicos!!

In case you didn't get the memo, I am now 100% natural!! Natural hair that is!!! I no longer get my hair processed with relaxers anymore. My last relaxer was on October 27, 2010. In January, my husband had the "Good Hair" movie playing on the t.v, and I just happened to glimpse it. I'd heard of the movie before, but I never thought about going to see it. Anyways, as I watching the movie, I became very upset, shocked, appalled, disgusted, scared, angry all at the same time. The movie depicted an industry that I never really thought about before. It highlighted the chemical dangers of getting your chemically straightened. Now, I've been getting "perms" since I was about six or seven years old. I'm now 28 years old, and all this time, I never knew about the dangers or effects of putting that "creamy crack in my hair. All I thought about was getting my roots as bone straight as possible. There were many times I would let the relaxer penetrate my hair and scalp to the point of me getting really bad burns. Again, I never made the connection with the chemical burns and the detrimental effects that it was having on me. All I knew was that my hair was gonna be "straight" no matter what! When I saw the movie, it didn't take a whole lot to convince me to take a different route in caring for my hair. I knew at that point that I was never going to get a relaxer EVER AGAIN!

The hard part was getting my husband on board with the idea. This was not only going to be a transition for, but a transition for him as well because throughout our relationship, all he knew was my permed hair. At first, it was a difficult idea to sell to him. He was against the idea, he didn't know how I was going to look and he just really didn't think it was something I should be doing at this point and time in my life. I tried to convince him that it was a good idea because not only would I be doing my hair some justice, but I'd also be saving a whopping $3000 annually because my salon visits would no longer be a factor. That sorta made a dent into his rebellion to the idea, but he still wasn't on board. But me being who I am, I began my transition phase anyways. He saw me get enthralled with youtube videos, hair forums and more youtube videos, each with more and more excitement. He saw how excited I was and slowly but surely he came around to the idea of me being natural. So much so that he actually was the one who did my BC. One night I just decided it was time to get it over with and I asked him if he would the honors, and he obliged. Cutting off my permed ends was the best thing that I have done since I started my natural hair journey. I feel a lot more liberated and the maintainanc is awesome! I'm looking forward to continuing my natural journey and I'm very excited to share it with you all. Please stay tuned for more posts!

Last Relaxer: October 27, 2010
BC'ed: March 27, 2011
Transition Length: 5 months



Love,
~~Natural Curly Empress~~ NCE

Wine, wine and more wine!

So check it, I'm no wine connoisseur, but I know how I like my wine to taste. I'm not a fan of dry wine, I love a more sweet and tantalizing taste that will tickle my taste buds. I went to Olive Garden a few months ago and had the BEST tasting Moscato I have ever tasted. It is Castello del Poggio Moscato d'Asti 2007. I have since yet to find another Moscato that can live up to the expectations of my Castello del Poggio Moscato d'Asti 2007 that I tasted at Olive Garden. Fun facts about the Castello del Poggio Moscato d'Asti 2007:

Vinification and maturation:
Fermentation is allowed to progress until the wine has obtained 5% alcohol. Then the grape’s natural sugar content is preserved by refrigeration in order to give the wine its unique sweet and aromatic characteristics.

Color:
Straw-yellow with golden reflections and a delicate mousse.

Bouquet:
Intense and very inviting, with delicate scents of underbrush, musk and peaches.

Flavour:
Sweet but not at all cloying; well-balanced and with an extremely refined fruitiness.

Serving temperature:
6°-7°

Alcohol level:
5,5%


Trust me, if your looking for a new taste or a fan of Moscato, try Castello del Poggio Moscato d'Asti 2007. It's not at all expensive, prices can start from $16.99 a bottle. Check out this website to locate stores that sell this magnificent creation.
Trust me, you will not be disappointed, you will love it as much as I do ;-)

Daring Summer Nail Lacquers!!

Hey folks, I know its been a while, but I'm back with a little something for yall. I hope yall are keeping cool in this dramatic heat wave we are having this summer. Remember to stay hydrated and keep out of the sun if you can. Anyways, I'm here today to talk about my newest obsession: NAIL POLISH. Since a couple of months ago, I've found myself collecting fun, cool and seasonal nail polish. I'm trying out new colors like blues and greens which are both very bold and daring choices. I recently found myself in Ulta, the ULTIMATE beauty shop. I L O V E this store because they usually have super sales every month. I especially L O V E when they have nail polish specials like buy 2 get 1 free or buy 1 get 1 free. That's when I usually go in and stock up :-). Just this last week I purchased an Orly nail lacquer in "blue collar" and China Glaze nail lacquer in "turned up turquoise". These two colors are beautiful, I've gotten multiple compliments from men an women alike. They are definitely bold, stand-out colors. They will draw a lot of attention, so be prepared to be praised for having such HOT colours this season. Oh and another thing, if you're looking for great nail polish that wont chip or fade, try these two lines. They last F O R E V E R and they DO NOT chip away. Trust me when I say this, I'm a stickler for peeling away at my nail polish, usually because they start to chip so I get bored and peel the rest of the polish off. These don't chip, so therefore I do not get the urge to peel them away. I'm going on day five now, and my nails look like I just had them painted! Try them, you will L O V E them, I promise ;-)

Enjoy A Relaxaing Massage at Massage Envy!

So, have you just felt so stressed and tense all over your body? Yes, I'm sure you have. Many of us suffer from muscle tension and stress, and sometimes we just need a little pick me up. I recently became a member of Massage Envy,a place where I can unwind
and release some tension and stress from my sometimes crazy life. My mom bought me a gift certificate to get an hour massage, and let me tell you, I was sold because after the massage, I felt relaxed and rejuvenated. There are so many reasons one should think about getting massages and making apart of your life.

Massages can help relieve stress, encourages relaxation, improves posture, helps manage pain, relaxes muscles, improve flexibility and range of motion, relieves tension-related headaches, strengthens the immune system, enhances post-operative rehabilitation, as well as improve rehabilitation after injuries. They have a variety of massages to choose from. Trigger point, Swedish, deep tissue, sports, reflexology, cranial sacral, hot stone envy, chair massage, prenatal and geriatric. The rates may vary for each. Some locations also offer facials using Dr. Murad products.

Check out the website, put in your zip code and find the nearest location to you. They also offer military discount and family plan where you can add on a family member at a discounted rated.

Massage Envy is great place to go to and their staff is awesome!

The Perfect Boots!!!

Ok so I went to New York City this past weekend and I was on a mission. I needed some flat boots to wear to meet my fiance's mom for the first time. I looked all over the place trying to find the perfect ones. Now, let me tell you, I love a good quality find, but I also love a GREAT deal! Many times you will find me shopping at places like Loehmanns, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or www.bluefly.com for discounted designer merchandise. So anyways, my first attempt was at Loehmans down in Soho on 7th ave between 16th and 17th street. I was thoroughly disappointed when I got there because I couldn't find the "perfect boots". They had everything else EXCEPT boots. They had really cute pumps and awesome flats, BUT NO BOOTS!!! Are you kidding me ??! I don't ever recall being so disappointed with Loehmanns shoes selection before until this day. I sadly and slowly made my way through the doors of Loehmanns into the brick city streets of Manhattan, with my fiance in tow. We then walked over to Filene's Basement, but was even more disappointed to find that the specific location we went to was going out of business, so needless to say, there wasn't much of anything left in the barren store. I was so livid, I left my fiance at Filene's Basement using the bathroom. I texted him and told him I was heading upstairs to the TJ Maxx, to check out their selection. Once upstairs, I made a bee line straight to the shoe dept, but again to no avail, I was again disappointed with the lack of selection they had as well.

Later on that evening, after we checked into our hotel, I was at the point of giving up when I realized that I was only a few blocks from 34th Street Macys Herald Square. I quickly got bundled up in my coat, scarf, gloves and hat and hiked 22 city blocks to 34th street. Yes I know what you're thinking, it's brick city out there but yet I've decided to walk 22 city blocks, when I could've easily taken the subway. Call me crazy but I wanted to walk, it was invigorating to say the least. Anyways, I get to Macys and then it hit me as to why I hated coming to this zoo. Stuff is always strewn on the floor and just in a complete disarray. I head to the 6th floor to the Better Women Shoes Dept. Once I got off the escalator and made a left, I almost fell on my face because it looked like a zoo. Women were everywhere trying on shoes, looking and admiring shoes, and some where just yapping off at the mouth with their girlfriends. At the corner of my eye, I spotted a very sexxxy mid-heel Via Spiga black boots. It was originally $298, but it was discounted at 50% off. I was IN LOVE with them. They were so gorgeous, but in the pit of my stomach, I knew they weren't the style I was looking for. I walked up and down the the 6th floor, scavenging the entire place, trying to find "the one". I finally stumbled upon these Boutique 9 boots, originally priced @ $200, but was discounted at $99. I was in heaven, and I prayed to God that they would have my size, especially after 3 previous false alarms that weren't available in a size 8. The sales rep scanned the bar code and she told me that they didn't have my size. I WAS LIVID!!! Here I was sweating like a pig trying to find the perfect boots, and when I do, you tell me "it's not available". Are you KIDDING ME???!! My sixth sense told me to look at the display's size and I did. It was a size 8.5, not quite my size, but what the heck, it's close enough. I told the sales associate that if she can find the box for it I will take it. So, she went and found me the box and took me over to the register. She asked me if I was wearing red, I double checked my wardrobe, knowing damn well I didn't have on anything red, but I checked anyway just for the fun it. She said I could've saved an extra 20% off for the Susan G. Komen Cancer fund. Once she told me I got even more pissed, because your girl here LOVES a bargain!!! She then lifted my spirits and told me that I donated $2, I could get the 20% off. I said "SURE, what the heck". So she rang me up, and my grand total for my perfect pair of boots was $82!!! Can you believe it???!! I was super excited and filled with so much joy and happiness. After a crazy hectic day, I finally found what I consider the perfect boots at a GREAT price!! I was resolute in my mission in finding what I had envisioned in my head and I accomplished that goal. The moral of the story is never give up on what you want. If you really want something of after until you get it!! Here's a picture of my fabulous find!! Product Name: Kinna and you can find them @Zappos.com for $167.56.Here's the link www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/55676026/c/691.html. The fit is super comfortable, you can walk around all day and not have your feet hurt like no tomorrow, I guarantee you will love them as much as I love them!

What I love !!

OK....so lets kick this off !!! I'm a sucker for skinny jeans and sexy little dresses. I'm a shoe fanatic and I L-O-V-E makeup. From True Religion Jeans to Citizens of Humanity, I love them all!! Mariciano by Guess is one of my favorite go-to designer for sexxxy little dresses in all shapes and colors! My make-up senses can be very classy or very edgy, depending on what look I'm going for. I'm a huge fan of Estee Lauder lipgloss ( my fave is Jewel, high gloss) and mascara (in Sumptous), MAC eyeshadows, Bobbi Brown foundations. For fragrance, you will catch me wearing Juicy Couture, Chanel, or Estee Lauder.

My blogs will cover a variety of the brands listed above and/or others not listed that I absolutely love as well (or think may have potential, this will also include my lust factors-things I wish I could own).

I'm BACK!!

Hello loves, yes I know I've neglected my blogging responsibilities, but for a good half of last year I was in Basic Combat Training (BCT) for the United States Army. YES!!! Your girl upped and joined the armed forces and I must say it's definitely one of the better decisions I've made thus far in my life. The experience was definitely a learning experience for me because I was pushed on so many different levels and prevailed through them, even when I never thought that I would or could. I enjoyed every moment of my training even when it was not always fun, at the end of the day, it was all worth while because I gained a greater understanding of life and what it truly means to conquer your fears and keep on chugging.

So, with that being said, I've decided to pick up where I left off with my blogging. I've decided that my blogging will contain varying aspects of my life from products that I use and love, to things that I lust for (such as designer shoes and bags), to information about the army, my family life, and many other things that may come to mind. You will basically get a glimpse into my life and get to know me, the soldier girl.

~~~Your girl, Meiks!!!

STAY TUNED!!!!