The Best of Kurly Ken, 2014 Edition

Well, it's the end of the 2014 year, and I am excited with anticipation for what 2015 will bring. But first, before I go into the new year, I thought I would do a bit of decluttering. For me, this involves decluttering my closets of clothing, makeup, jewelry, shoes, and accessories. I said good bye to old clothes, never worn clothes, and clothes that just simply don't fit. Makeup items, jewelry, shoes, and accessories that had not been worn this past year also said their farewells. It felt amazing to get rid of the unnecessary things! Highly therapeutic! Out with the old and in with the new, right!?!

But on with today's post... 

I thought I would dedicate today's post to the three of the best blog posts from Keeping Up with Kurly Ken. If you haven't had an opportunity to check them out, you definitely should. 

Cozy up with a warm blanket, hot chocolate (or whatever your warm drink of choice), and most definitely your favorite blog post of Keeping Up with Kurly Ken! 

Blog post 1: Do you prepoo?

This blog post provides helpful tips on how I personally pre-poo as well as benefits associated with the pre-poo process.

Blog post 2: Twist and Curl Pictorial 

Do you need a cute but simple holiday style? This blog post has it all for you with step by step instructions and a pictorial guide. 

Blog post 3: The LOC/LCO Method + My Homemade Moisturizing Cream

One of my most popular blog post to date, this post provides the foundational steps to follow the LOC/LCO method for moisturized healthy hair. Now, if you don't know what the LOC/LCO method is, you should definitely click the link above to find out. 

If you haven't guessed it by now, this will be the last blog post on Keeping Up with Kurly  Ken for 2014. I am excited about all the new changes that will take place on the blog, upcoming blog posts, and ventures on Keeping Up with Kurly Ken. 

Happy Holy-days and New Year to you and yours! See you in 2015!

Kurly Ken

Fall/ Winter Lips: A Lipstick for Every Occasion and Pocketbook

I have a sumptuous lipstick feast for you today. The colors includes berry, plum wine and chocolate colored hues! Doesn't that sound delicious! Lol! 

I wanted to bring three of my favorite fall lip colors. Also included will be a brief product review, links to the products, and lipcolor swatches! One other bonus is that they are all super affordable! You gotta love that! 

The first is a berry lip color by Nicka K Lipstick in Patriarch (506).

What a festive lip! I love this pinkish purple lip color for a night out on the town with friends, a holiday party, or some other festive occasion! This lip color goes on ultra smooth  and is extremely moisturizing. The retail price is $1.49 and can be found at Nicka K's main website.

Next up is a plum wine lip color from Ruby Kisses 

Color Design Custom Lip Styling in Plum (RLS 07).

This deep lip color has plum/wine hues, which is a great color for the workplace. This color provides the perfect amount of color for a more conservative setting. I found this particular lipstick to be moisturizing and has good color pay off. The only setback is that I have to wear lip liner since this lipstick has a tendency to bleed throughout the day. The retail price is $1.89 and can be purchased at beauty supply stores and websites.

The last lip color is a chocolate lip color by Nicka K Lipstick in Sable (914).

This has to be one of my favorite lip colors of the season.

Catch that beat, beat, beat!

If you love a vampy lip, this chocolate brown lipcolor is just for you! This lipcolor is super pigmented and wears well for extended periods of time. This lipstick is perfect for a date night with hubby. The retail price is $1.49 and can be found at Nicka K's main website as well.

Swatches

Top Swatch: Nicka K Lipstick in PatriarchMiddle Swatch: Ruby Kisses Color Design Custom Lip Styling in PlumBottom Swatch: Nicka K Lipstick in Sable

BONUS LIP COLOR:

NYX Lipstick in Bruised

Well, those are some of my top fall/winter lip colors, which include an array of deep, dark lip tones. Now, if you are looking for a red lip color, check out my previous post on red lipsticks here. 

What are some of your favorite fall/winter lip colors? 

I'm looking forward to hearing about them down below.

Until next time...

Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken 

Five Tips to Winterize Your Natural Hair Regimen

Winter is upon us. In Texas, winters can be extreme and brutal on the hair. In today's post, I wanted to provide five tips to help winterize your natural hair regimen. If you are anything like me, you want to maintain overall hair health as well as length retention throughout the winter months. These five tips will help you achieve just that.

Five Tips to Winterize Your Natural Hair Regimen

1. Increase your use of heavier oils. My oil of choice is Castor Oil. It can be regular distilled Castor Oil or Jamaican Black Castor Oil. Castor Oil is an excellent emollient and humectant for the hair. It is also great for hair loss and hair thinning. In addition, olive oil and avocado oil are heavier oils that are beneficial as well. So if Castor Oil isn't your cup of tea, try olive oil or avocado oil.

2. Butters are best. Butters are most definitely a staple, and they are part of the LOC/LCO method as well. Choose your butter from shea, mango, and cocoa to intensify your moisturizing treatment. I personally love shea butter. It's a great moisturizer for your hair and skin.

3. Moisturize your hair more often. Whether you moisturize your hair in the morning or at night, daily moisturizing is key. Even if you are protective styling, moisture is vital to ensuring your hair stays healthy while it is tucked away.

4. Deep condition more frequently. Indoor heating and extreme outdoor temperatures can leave hair feeling dry and brittle. Conditioning the hair more frequently will help to restore and maintain moisture levels in the hair. You may even use a steamer or some sort of method to promote steaming to intensify your conditioning treatment. Remember, healthy is hair is moisturized hair!

5. Protective styles. Protective styles, where your ends are tucked away, can be helpful in the winter months and can be essential for length retention. Braids, twists, top knots, halo braids, and the list goes on of common protective styles. Some of my past protective styles i have worn can be seen in the following posts:

My Marley Twist Installation + Top Five Reasons to Love Marley Twists

Oh chic! My mini-twists are back and more than just fabulous!

Creative Hairstyling Options for Box Braids

I hope you enjoyed this post, and you are inspired to incorporate additional protection against the harsh winter elements. If you have others ways of winterizing your natural hair regimen, feel free to share them below.

Until next time...
Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,
Kurly Ken