The New Chary-Jay.com Launch Party!

After three and a half years on YouTube, I thought it was about time that I rebranded myself from head to toe. New logo, new website and a new vision. Since I started working a new full time job, I knew I would need help since time was not on my side. I hired a brand manager who helped my dream come to life.

To add to the excitement of rebranding myself, I also went forward with an idea I've been toying with for the past two years. I always wanted to make hair accessories. In fact, I used to create my own when I first started transitioning to natural hair. I would get cute rolls of ribbons from Jo-Ann Fabrics and style them into a design using safety pins. Once my hair grew longer, my obsession with hair accessories grew as well. I experimented with scarves to create bows, large and small. But when sporting loose styles where I wanted my hair to flow freely, I wanted an accessory I could just stick in my hair and keep it moving. And thus, Big Bold & Funky was born. I'm not showing any pieces until we grow closer to the launch (Dec. 1st), but if you have big hair, a bold personality, and or a funky sense of style, Big Bold and Funky is surely for you!

To celebrate all of these fabulous new things I've been working on behind the scenes, I'm celebrating with a launch party in my favorite city on a special day. December 8th will be 28th birthday and I'll be in New York City to celebrate with you guys at my launch party at Pranna in Manhattan. We'll enjoy a three course dinner followed by cupcakes and cake pops for dessert!

Since I have reviewed and loved so many products on YouTube since I started, I knew I wanted attendees at my event to receive lots of them upon arrival to the party! These swag bags are going to be bursting at the seems with lots of full size products and samples from my favorite brands. To see the entire list, click here. And not only are you guaranteed to leave with a full set of products, but we're also going to have a crazy amount of giveaways and four lucky ladies will be leaving home with a Huetiful Hair Steamer. Not just one, but four will be there at the event just waiting to get snatched up by you!

I'm known for my hair, but I know lots of you guys are always checking for my ear jewels I wear often, so we're also giving away some of my favorite pieces from a few designers as well. It's definitely going to be a party to remember so make sure you get your tickets now! Space is limited. 

To make your purchase, click here.

Heads up! Once Nov. 25th arrives, you won't be able to view this old dingy blog anymore and instead it will direct you to the countdown of the new Chary-Jay.com. 

So until then, get ready!

Drum Roll Please!

Hey Ladies! I am sorry it took so long to post the winners of the TGIN Shampoo and Conditioner Duo. You guys were coming for my head! Lol! I had a scare in my family that forced me to shut off all electronics and stay close to home for awhile. But I'm happy to report that things are slowly and (I'm praying) surely will return to normal. And with that being said, here are the winners:

Briana Riddick

October 29, 2013 at 11:13 PM
Hello, I've been a natural for about teo years and I finally have entered my first giveaway. I'm currently wearing a protective style which is my go to hairstyle because I'm a newly mother. Its very challenging thus far trying to balance everyday life and motherhood. I've been too a few natural forums so that I can become more knowledgeable on my hair tpe etc. I really appreciate you taking out ths time consider me to use this shampoo an conditioner. I feel like what you've describe in the video gives us all the opportunity to purchases



JaTerra Castine

October 30, 2013 at 2:50 PM
I've seen you use these products pretty often in your tutorials, and each time afterwards, I think to myself, "I would love to see how the deep conditioner and the moisturizer works for me." I have 4C textured hair, similar to yours, and its sometimes hard to find a product that leaves my hair feeling moisturized and also gives great definition. Your hair is ALWAYS fabulous, and I would love a chance to experience the fabulosity as well!!!


BrwnSugar8088

October 29, 2013 at 3:44 PM
I would love to try the whole line because my hair needs more moisture. It seems to be dry all the time, I need something that is going to work and I've heard about this product, so I would like to give it a try.


Dre Adams

October 30, 2013 at 4:37 PM
I would love to try it because I am new to natural hair and my hair is always dry and it says it a moisturizing. I watched your video about it and it seems like you really liked it. Maybe I'll like this shampoo too cause I've tried at least 10 different shampoo's and they all make my hair so dry! TBH since going natural I hate to wash my hair because it dry's my hair out. So yea maybe this could be the shampoo to change that experience

Shanita Clark

October 29, 2013 at 2:12 PM
I would love to try the Honey Miracle Mask! I heard it is one of the best deep conditioners!

Congrats to all the winners! Please email me your shipping information to info@chary-jay.com. 

TGIN Shampoo and Conditioner Duo Giveaway!

Time for another giveaway ladies! This time it's for five of the TGIN Shampoo and Conditioner Duos.  To enter, all you have to do is follow Thank God I'm Natural on Instagram (@tginatural) and leave a comment below saying what product you want to try the most in the Moist Collection and why.

The giveaway ends Saturday at 11:59 EST. I'll choose a winner on Monday. BTW, if you're going to enter please do check back to see if you win on Monday! I get so many entries for giveaways, but only 50% of the time does people actually come back to claim their prize. These are free, great products that I want you to try out for yourself, but you have to come back to see if you won in order to get them delivered to your door. With that being said, good luck everyone!

Winners Round Up

The winners of the Intense Color Lipstick Collection are:

Hey Gurl Hey_xo

June 9, 2013 at 11:38 AM
Hey Ms. Chary-Jay! I'm not afraid to rock these bold colored lippies because they would fit my already urban-bold style & personality. I've always loved fashion to express myself since I was younger now as 19 & a college student I still do along with make-up. I'm known on  my campus for my different style (I'm prepared for the double takes and "WTH" stares) but I would love to go that extra mile to build more confidence to rock these beautiful lippies. Thank You.

Ednar Jacques

June 9, 2013 at 2:26 PM
I would love to win these lipsticks...due to the fact that I'm not like everyone else. I don't follow the norm to see whats in or what's not in...I'm just me..I love thinking outside of the box... And I feel that these lipsticks will help me in the process of thinking outside of the box...When I saw your youtube channel review on the lipsticks I was like I got to have those...And I adore every color on you...I can understand Why you like the lilac lipsticks..It goes so well w/ your skin tone...And I love the opportunity to win the lipsticks...Please Please Please choose me.

The winner of the Qhemet Biologics Aethiopika Hydrate and Twist Butter is: 

Monique Sloan

June 15, 2013 at 1:53 PM
I love the protective style you just did with Qhemet Biologics. You twisted up-do is the truth!!!!

Please send an email with your shipping information to Losing2in160@gmail.com! 

Thanks to all who entered!

What Kind of Hair is That?

I'll never forget. It was the summer of my sophomore year of college and I was working as a cashier at Meijer. While I was ringing a customer up, she said "your hair is so gorgeous." I politely smiled and said thank you as I continued to scan and bag her items.

"What kind if hair is that," she asked.
I put the can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup in a bag, looked up and gave her a puzzled look.
"I'm just wondering because it looks so real," she said while she examined my strands.
"Ummm, this is my real hair," I said while trying to return my attention to the rest of her items on the conveyor belt.
"Really?"
"Yep, really?"
"Well let me touch it then."

I'm not exactly sure what look I gave her in response to that craziness, but eventually I let her grab a chunk of my hair to prove to this woman that my thick, shortly below shoulder length hair, was in fact all mine and not because I had some receipt.

As she grabbed her groceries, she smiled and said "Well, it definitely is pretty. You're so lucky to have hair like that."

While that wasn't the first time someone asked me if my hair was real, it was the first time someone asked to touch it (the scalp specifically to check for tracks).  Now that I'm natural, I get asked if people can touch my hair more than questions of the authenticity of my kinky curls.

It wasn't until yesterday's post on Instagram that I was reminded of the incident that happened in college. Now I wasn't offended that this woman thought I used weave to bulk up or elongate my twists for the protective style, but it was quite funny to read the reactions of some of my followers.

But that made me wonder: do some of you get upset when people assume that your natural hair is fake? Also, does it make you more or less upset if or when someone asks to touch your hair? Let me know in the comments below!

Qhemet Biologics Giveaway

To watch this tutorial, click here.

If you've been following me on the 'Tube for awhile, you know a few products from Qhemet Biologics stay in my rotation no matter what the weather is! Now that is warmer up outside, I've pulled the Aethiopika Hydrate and Twist Butter out of my arsenal and used it for a few twist outs I've rocked a few weeks back. Why you might ask? Because its probably one of the best butters out there. No5 only is it moisturizing, but the definition it gives my twists and braids is insane!

To watch this tutorial, click here.

To watch this tutorial, click here.

To watch this tutorial, click here.

I also love the Moringa Tree Conditioning Ghee. It definitely sits high on the list of my all time staple leave ins. It has more than one way to use it, but I prefer to use it as my leave-in conditioner.


If you still are slacking on copping you some products from Qhemet Biologics, then you are luck-ay because Qhemet blessed me with an opportunity to bless you with a full size bottle of the Moringa Tree Conditioning Ghee and the Aethiopika Hydrate and Twist Butter! This combo is perfect for summer. You'll never have to worry about dry thirsty hair, eva! TRUST!

To enter this giveaway simply let me know which hairstyling tutorial I created using Qhemet Biologics made you want to try their products.

This giveaway will end Friday, June 21st. Good luck!

Original Moxie Giveaway Winners!

Round of applause to the following winners of the Original Moxie Minis!

NaturalPhD 

May 30, 2013 at 9:54 PM
I have been wanting to try the Original Moxie products for sometime now, especially the Hair Bling. To date, I have not found a product that will give my hair shine (or sheen). I'm hoping the Bling does it for me! Please enter me int eh givewaway. I 've love to try this!

TiffanyNicole

 May 31, 2013 at 10:04 AM
I would love to be a winner because I have heard a lot of good things about this product and what better way to try it by winning it in a giveaway, and of course i would love for my hair to look like yours!!!!!!!!!!

Andrea

 May 31, 2013 at 2:05 PM
I love trying new products but these are expensive so I would love winning the minis to see if they work for me.

LaToya

 May 31, 2013 at 8:19 PM
I would like to try these products to help me get through this transition. I'm 18 weeks post and the new growth is thick!

Please send an email with your shipping information to Losing2in160@gmail.com!

Thanks to all who entered! Look out for another giveaway to be posted Wednesday!

Milan Rowe Cosmetics Intense Color Lipstick Collection Giveaway!

L-R: Noire, Viva La Lilac, Phenomenon, Caribbean Queen and Alter Ego

It's time for another giveaway, ladies! This time it's for some bold color lipsticks from Milan Rowe Cosmetics! Two winners will receive the Intense Color Lipstick Collection which includes five shades: Noire, Viva La Lilac, Phenomenon, Caribbean Queen and Alter Ego.

 

  Here I am rocking these lipsticks with lip liners.

Viva La Lilac is my personal favorite! I usually wear it with MAC's Currant or Magenta lip liner to tone it down a bit. It resembles MAC's Viva Glam Nicki 2 lipstick.

To watch the tutorial for this makeup look, click here.

If you're bold enough to sport these lippies, enter the giveaway below by telling me why you're not afraid to rock these bold colors on your lips!

Here I am rocking these lipsticks with no lip liners.

The giveaway ends next Sunday, June 16th. Good luck!

Friends=Fro Guards

No matter if you rock a TWA, or have curls flowing down your back, we share a common problem. It doesn't matter where you are; talking and joking with friends or in an important meeting, this always seems to happen. 

Yesterday I went to the Grand Prix with Derek. His job was sponsoring one of the drivers so we got in free and was able to enjoy the private lounge area with free food and drinks. There I was, meeting a lot of his co-workers and even a few big wigs at his job. I thought I was looking cute: light makeup, colorful and fun, yet appropriate attire, with a beautiful and defined twist-out. I was a fine example of what a young man's girlfriend should look like at a company's function. 

 

I excused myself to go to the restroom before we hit the grandstands to look at the actual race. Once I got in there and took a look in the mirror: I was horrified at my reflection. There was all kinds of mess stuck in my amazing, fluffy twist-out! A speckle of pollen to the left, some  mysterious green strands of something ungodly at the crown, and few spots of little cotton balls to the right. As my fingers immediately dug into my Fro to retract all of the foreign objects out of it, I wondered why no one, including my boyfriend, didn't try to pick this mess out of hair or at least notify me of the situation. I mean, what the hell! I was looking like a feather duster just dumped all of its contents onto my hair with my permission. No sir, that's not right!

I tried to understand why no one tried to get this mess out of all of my glory and I had a good theory: there's this unwritten rule that says if you touch a Black woman's hair you'll get dealt with (although I'm an exception to this rule), so maybe that's why people were reluctant to put their hands near my mane. But that still doesn't mean they couldn't speak to me about it. Even if they'd made a hand gesture to clue what was going on above me would've sufficed. Not saying anything is just cruel. 

That's why I feel as though if you are going to call yourself a friend of mine, it is your automatic duty to notify me at any given time (immediately would be best), if I have anything at all in my hair. After all, if I'm your true friend, you wouldn't allow me to look like a mess next to you because that would reflect negatively on yourself. Right? 

 

 

From now on I'm calling my friends my Fro guards. Just like a body guard protects you from harms way, your Fro guards must protect your hair from getting something entangled in its curls. Make sense right?

Tell me what you think! Have you notice you got crap stuck in your hair after hanging with your friends for awhile? Go off in the comments below!

Results: Chunky Twist-Out

Blush: Milani Baked Blush in Fantastico Mauve

Lippie: Currant Lip Liner by MAC & Viva La Lilac Lipstick by Milan Rowe Cosmetics

Peep the video to see the before and what I used:

Original Moxie Giveaway!

To watch the tutorial for this style click here.

I've been natural for three and a half years and I've been using Original Moxie's products for nearly two of those years. It's the only brand that I've been using that long and after seeing my results after using their products, there's no question as to why that is.

To watch the tutorial for this style click here.

In the spirit of today's Instagram's Throwback Thursday, I posted this pic of my ticket to 2011's "Natural is... Beautiful" event in NYC alongside a photo of me doing a demo of someone's hair using OM's products.

That was such a memorable experience for me. Original Moxie made my LIFE by flying me to NYC on my first brand ambassador duties. It was my first time in NYC and my first time doing someone else's hair in front of a huge crowd. Not only did I have a lot of fun at the event, but I also got the opportunity to meet and have dinner with Chescaleigh afterward. I say all of this to say it's been a pleasure to find out about a brand, love their products and then go on to work for them at different events. Rachel, the owner, has also become a good friend of mine. It's been a pleasurable experience all around!

One thing that I've always loved about Original Moxie was their focus on being environmentally friendly. They use all natural ingredients and encourage green practices. This is why I was so excited when they reached out to me expressing interest in becoming a sponsor for my 30 Day Beauty and Body Detox!

The Giveaway

Recipe: Guilt Free & Healthy Vanilla Latté

Gone are the days you stand in the long lines at Starbucks in 90 degree weather craving an ice cold latté. Well, maybe not really, but if you want to break your addiction this summer, I came up with a much healthier alternative. This is a nice and refreshing drink I made right before I started my detox. Besides the Silk Iced latté, all the ingredients are clean. If you are following a clean eating diet, I'd suggest substitute the Silk Iced latté with almond milk. It's delicious, healthy and refreshing at the same time!

I'm not just going to say this 8 oz.drink is healthy without giving you the skinny on each ingredient so lets dip into the facts first.

Cocoa Nibs

Cocoa nibs are a good source of potassium, chromium, copper, calcium and zinc. Cocoa nibs are also a rich dietary source of magnesium, a mineral that many Americans lack. Magnesium is essential for circulation, muscle function and bone health, but it can't be produced by the human body. Read more benefits here. I purchased these at Whole Foods for $13, but I suggest buying them at your local food co-op. I visited mine a few days later and they were $7.99. Never again, Whole Foods!

Almonds

Almonds naturally contain a very high amount of vitamin E, which blocks the formation of carcinogenic compounds formed in the body that can result in cancer. Almonds are also packed with essential fatty acids that promote good health and well-being. The essential fatty acids found in almonds are linoleic and linolenic acid, and they are responsible for proper functioning of the body. Read more benefits here. I love the "Just a Handful of Dry Roasted Unsalted Almonds" from Trader Joes because they come prepackaged so it cuts out the work for you. I always keep a pack in my car when I'm on the go and need a quick bite to hold me over until my next meal.

Flax Seeds

 

Flaxseed, which is high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, is often used to support digestive health and relieve constipation. However, consuming flaxseed has many other health benefits when eaten regularly.Read more benefits here. I usually buy the milled flax seeds with dried blueberries to sprinkle over my steel cut oatmeal for breakfast. It tastes really good paired with a dollop of honey.

 

Recipe

 

 

2 cups of Silk's Iced Latté
Approximately 12 Almonds
2 tablespoons of Flax Seeds
2 tablespoons of Cocoa Nibs
6 Ice Cubes

 

I'd recommend blending the ice first, then the nuts followed by everything else.

 

I loved this drink using both the Silk Vanilla Latté and almond milk. I even had Derek taste it and he also gave it his stamp of approval (which is rare. I'm still trying to get him to give chia seeds a try, smh!). So if you try this drink or have tried something similar, let me know how you liked it in the comments below!

And the Winner is...

Thanks so much to all those who entered! Stephanie, please email your shipping instructions to Losing2in160@gmail.com.


The next giveaway will be posted tomorrow and it will feature Original Moxie products. Stay tuned!!

Cleanse Me Naturally

Before I started this detox, I knew that I'd have to get rid of some of my favorite beauty products. I just didn't know I would have to get rid of so many! It seemed like everything would be all natural until you hit the last thing in the ingredient list and there you would see that God awful word: fragrance/parfum. UGH! I was so hurt that so many of these great brands just had to use a synthetic fragrance in their products. "Lawd, why!" Those were the two words I kept screaming to the heavens as I read each label in my cabinet full of products. It was disheartening.

Fast forward to the present day and I'm A-OK! I only use three products on a regular basis for my skin and body and it feels great. Not only is a cost efficient because I'm using less products, but it now doesn't take so much time to get ready because I'm not applying a gazillion products onto my face and body daily.

Face
If you've been following my channel for awhile, you know I've had my bout with adult acne. It seemed like it came out of nowhere last year and during last summer it reached its peak. I tried just about everything to get rid of it except going the all natural method route.

This was the first soap I used as a facial cleanser. I've since used two other scents.

In February I started using Shea Moisture's all natural soap on my face since I ran out of my Clarasonic's acne cleanser and needed something to hold me over until I could hit up Sephora to drop another $50 on the product. But in less than two weeks I realized my skin was starting to clear up with just the Shea Moisture soap alone. I was freaking out. A bar of soap that costs less than $6 was doing wonders to my skin that a bottle that costs 10 times that wasn't doing in three months!

That's when I decided to stay on the all natural soap train. I've stuck with Shea Moisture soaps since then, but decided to try my hand at Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. It's great and I love the tingly feeling it gives my skin. This soap claims you can use it seven ways. I stick to using it as a facial cleanser, a shower gel (as it lathers really well) and using it as a shaving cream.  This stuff is bomb!

My skin was so horrible last year! Thank God is has cleared up dramatically since then!

I use the V Bar to clean my lady parts (the green bar of soap in above picture). This is made by the woman who's session on the Curly Cruise influenced this whole ordeal. Her soap is all natural and fragrance free. Read more about it here.

I use the Shea Moisture's Body Scrub about once a week to exfoliate my skin. It's amazing! I've been using this stuff since last year and it always made its way into one of my favorites videos.  It's also all natural and fragrance free. It's affordable and can be found at most Target stores on the organic beauty aisle.

Moisturizer and Lotion
I've been a die hard Bath and Body works fan since forever so it was going to be a struggle to stop using my favorite scented lotions and body butters from their store...or so I thought. I knew I had racked up a number of all natural butters from various companies, however like I mentioned above, most of them had fragrances in them. I finally found one that didn't and that was the Koils by Nature Nourishing Hair and Body Butter.

This butter is so rich and moisturizing it makes no since. It also doesn't have the grit that some Shea butter mixes give you. My skin is always glowing and buttery. I always looked sun kissed when wearing this on my skin.

My skin was looking radiant at the Naturally FLYY Detroit Meet-Up. Look at  them legs. Owww!

Hair products
The most exciting thing about this detox is I don't have to stop doing what I love: reviewing products! I now can bring you reviews from brands that are conscious of what they're putting into their products and putting into YOUR bodies! That in itself makes me feel fabulous!

 

Have you tried any products that I've talked about above? Of so, let me know in the comment section below!

Earring Graveyard

Once I went natural in 2010, I became obsessed with earrings. The bigger, the better was my mantra. Fast forward to the present, I still have a love for earrings, but my size preference varies on my mood rather than the size itself. I still have a love for big earrings, but I've noticed the bigger, the more problems they seem to create. Since my earring selection has become as popular as some of my style creations, I thought I'd make a post about the earrings that I once loved, but unfortunately had to be laid to rest.



Rachel Stewart's Dwennimman earrings
I had my eyes on these Rachel Stewart earrings for the longest time. I loved how big they were and the shape of them. I just had one issue: the price! I'd never paid over $20 for earrings before, but after a long talk with myself about supporting another natural sister and small business owner, I took the credit card and did the damage.

They didn't take long to get to me and as soon as they arrived, I flaunted my latest purchase in photos for my then upcoming styling video.

Although it was a plus that they arrived quickly, it was a huge negative they broke soon after. I remember like it was yesterday. I was organizing all of my earrings in my Jewelmint boxes on my organizer. When I went to go pick up one of these earrings, it dropped out of my hand and onto the floor. "NOOOOOO!!!" I screamed as I saw the result of the six inch fall. It was cracked and one of the circle squiggly part was separated. I almost cried! I immediately went to the store and bought some Krazy glue and luckily it was repaired. Although a blast of excitement flushed over me, I was scared to wear them again, worried that it was going to break while I was out.

Fast forward three months later and I discovered they broke into multiple pieces while in the Jewelmint box. Im guessing the acrylic couldn't handle the sharp edges of the box when it shifted. While one was in perfect condition, the other is all fuxxed up lol. Oh well earring graveyard it goes.

Beads by Aree Zo Zo earrings

I'd been checking out Beads by Aree earrings every since I saw my blogger friend Melissa Chanel wear them while we were hanging out in NYC together. I finally mustered up the nerve to drop $40 on these pair of earrings. They were so unique; like nothing I'd ever seen before.

Melissa Chanel (middle) wearing her Beads by Aree earrings that influenced my purchase.

Although they are visually amazing, it's sort of a job to wear. They are very bulky and when I wear my hair down/out, my hair usually gets caught in them. They also make a lot of noise when you're moving your head from right to left a lot. It can get kind of annoying.

Storing these babies are also a problem. Forget about putting them together. They will automatically get caught together and intertwine with each other. It happened to me several times and it takes what seems like hours to get them unattached.

With all that being said, I continued to wear these earrings until they started to droop and become unmanageable. The wire began to lose its shape making them less appealing. I am reluctant to ship these off to the earring graveyard because of the price i paid, but I honestly don't have much of a choice.

Rosy Mickey Golden Jag Earrings
As some of you may now, I receive a lot of products for review, but when I head out to events, I receive a lot of other things too. I received these earrings during the World Natural Hair show last year and didn't get around to wearing them until a few months ago. I immediately fell in love with them and so did just about everybody else on Instagram.

I wore them about two more times before I realized how heavy the were. Weight of earrings are not a real problem for me. I just take them out while I'm driving or on the way to the destination and when I show up to show out, I conveniently put them back in. Ta da!

I realized these earrings demise when I got back from the Curly Cruise. They were chillin' at the bottom of purse with the jaguar was beheaded from the chain. I screamed of few expletives before I realized this could easily be fixed. I'm not sure how much these run since I got them as a gift, but I would still recommend these earrings. Although I have to repair these, it's a minor fix since some pliers should do the trick. I also like that they're heavy and durable. This one will be up and back in my arsenal in no time.

So which one of your fav pairs of earrings ended up in the earring graveyard and how? Let me know in the comment boxes below!