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

My Current Favorites// Style Trends of the Fall and Winter

Hey Kurlfriends,

I thought I would switch up today's post by discussing a few of my favorite things. These are things that I am feeling, and if the spirit moves you, you can purchase them for me. Just kidding or NOT!!!

Seriously, these style trends make me scream on the inside with excitement!?!?! Has that ever happened to you? Screaming on the outside isn't always appropriate, but screaming on the inside is! Anyways, these style trends are things I am loving in regards to hair, makeup, and style, and one day, I aspire to incorporate them into my daily style and wardrobe. 

My Current Favorites

Sequins Jacket 

Plaid

Faux Fur Vest

I told you I wanted to scream with excitement! Check this outfit 

and more in my Denim on Denim Post.

Military Inspired Jackets 

Oversized Sweaters and Cardigans 

Dark Lipcolor

My most recent dark lipcolor, as seen in My First Marley Twist Installation

Hair Color

Abbreviated Bangs

Spiral Curls

Rich Hues on Nails

Nude Colored Nails

Well, <singing> "these are a few of my current favorites", and all the pictures came from my Pinterest Page. Come and follow me at Keeping Up with Kurly Ken.  I hope this post left you feeling inspired to try some of these style trends as well as others.

What are some of your favorite style trends for the fall and upcoming winter season?

Until next time,

Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken

Style Post: How to Transition White Pants into the Cooler Months

Kurlies,

This post is for those that are fearless in their efforts to wear white in the fall and winter! I am dedicated to rocking my white around. Check out the outfits below:

Look 1:

White Pants: Marshall's

Graphic Tee: Information about this clothing item seen here

Cobalt Blue Blazer: H & M

Clutch: Aldo

Shoes: Charlotte Russe

Look 2:

White Pants: Marshall's 

White Long Sleeve Shirt: Forever 21

Denim Vest: Papaya

Fur Overlay: H & M

Brown Boots: Wet Seal

Gold Chain: Rue 21

Gold Hoops: B. Supply

Look 3: 

White Pants: Marshall's

Hot Pink Sweater: Forever 21

Gold Necklace: Thrifted

Gold Hoops: B. Supply

Other looks that may also work well with white pants in the cooler months: 

Look 4: Layered Look

White Pants: Marshall's 

Red Sweater: Forever 21

Denim Shirt: H & M

Leopard Heels: Shoe Dazzle

Pearls: Gifted

Look 5: Denim on Denim

White Pants: Marshall's 

Denim Shirt: H & M

Leopard Heels: Shoe Dazzle

Pearls: Gifted

That's all I have for today! I hope these looks inspire you to rock your white pants in the winter. And by the way, my hair is in Marley Twists (for those just tuning in to Kurly Ken). Check out My Marley Twist Installation Tips and Tricks. Share your ideas for how to rock white pants in the winter as well. 

Until next time...

Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken 

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

Hey Kurls hey,

I recently installed Marley twists for the first time, and I am LOVING THEM. This is a GREAT protective style. These twists are so easy to install, and I thought I would share my installation tips with you. 

On the night before I installed my Marley twist, I pre-parted my hair and placed twists all over my head. This made the hair washing process and installation process very easy for me. I highly suggest pre-parting/twisting the hair prior to the cleansing/conditioning and installation process. The next night, with my pre-parted twists, I started the hair cleansing and conditioning process.  To begin, I shampooed and conditioned my hair using the Naturally Athena Natural Hair Care Line. See how I shampoo and condition my hair with these fantastic products here. 

After, I cleansed and conditioned my hair, I commenced to blow my hair out. Blowing your hair out makes it easier to blend your natural hair with the Marley hair in my opinion. See the steps I use to blow my hair out in this recent post. The only difference in blowing my hair out was that I used Naturally Athena Goddess Curl Creme instead of the IC Fantasia Heat Protectant, which is what I normally use.

Now, for the good stuff. To install my Marley Twists, I used Blue Magic Organics Castor Oil. I used this as an additional cream to coat my hair (in addition to the Naturally Athena Goddess Curl Creme) since Marley hair tends to be on the rougher side (in regards to texture). I also used hair clips to hold the other sections back while I focused on the section I was twisting. And my comb was used to help me part my hair, which is totally optional. Some people just use their fingers to part. The choice is yours!!!

For my hair, I used the Janet Collection Afro Twist Braid Hair. It was $4.99 per pack, and I purchased four packs in the color 1B. Excitedly, I only used two packs and 6 strands of hair from the third pack. Needless to say, I have plenty left over and I will definitely re-install Marley Twist in the future.

At first, I wanted this post to be a pictorial on how I installed the Marley Twist, but I wasn't too successful at demonstrating that. However, I wanted to share my enthusiasm about Marley Twists, and I wanted to share my top five reasons Marley Twists are an awesome protective style. 

The Top Five Reason to Love Marley Twists

1. The installation process is very brief. It only took me two hours to install my whole head. At times, I missed up installing certain twists,  and I had to redo them. Regardless of my mistakes, I was still able to install my whole head in two hours! BOOM! 

2. The price for the hair was super inexpensive, and depending on the style of the twists, you don't need a lot of hair. For each twists, I only used two strands of hair. If you want thicker twists, use more. 

3. Marley Twists are fairly easy to install. I watched a few YouTube videos  that helped me learn. Here are two of the videos that helped me learn how to install Marley Twists:

Ebony Clark on YouTube

Natural Metra on YouTube

4. I can keep this style in for at least 2 weeks. That means "no hand in head" syndrome! My hair is moisturized and protected for this time period! I'm WINNING! 

5. I have tons of style options with my Marley Twists. 

It's official! I. AM. HOOKED. These will become a regular protective style for me. Let me know if you decide to try out Marley Twists. Also, let me know if you are an avid wearer of Marley Twists already. Please share your tips and products as well as any favorite YTubers, or bloggers in general, that have Marley Twist information or inspiration!

Happy Friday! 

Until next time,

Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken

Photo shoot with Naturally Athena + product review

Kurls,

I had the pleasure of participating in a photoshoot for Naturally Athena Natural Hair Care Product Line. Check out the photos below:

  

 

The photo shoot was absolutely awesome. Great photographer! Great group of people! Great atmosphere! Oh! And I received some goodies from the Naturally Athena's product line. Below are pictures of the Naturally Athena Goddess Clay Cleanse, Naturally Athena Goddess Conditioner, and Naturally Athena Goddess Curl Creme.

When I got these products, the first thing I looked at were the ingredients, which I was pretty excited about. Coconut milk, castor oil, sweet almond oil, aloe vera juice, and slippery elm are just some of the products' ingredients. With all these wonderful ingredients, I wondered about the scent. To my surprise, the scent of the products can be described as soft and calming. When I took a whiff, I naturally took another because it smells THAT good.

Now you know I had to try these products out. I followed the following steps to cleanse my hair:  

1. Pre-poo

Prior to beginning, I placed large twist in my hair and pre-pooed with honey and coconut oil. I rinsed this mixture out. 

2. Shampoo: Naturally Athena Goddess Clay Cleanse

When I opened Naturally Athena Goddess Clay Cleanse, the smell was so soothing. To shampoo, I decided I would pour 2 ounces of Naturally Athena Goddess Clay Cleanse and 4 ounces of water in an applicator bottle. I shook it several times to mix the contents.

I distributed this mixture to my scalp, and massaged it in. I also squeezed (not rubbed) the mixture through my twists. I rinsed it out. I had enough to apply one more round of the mixture. Once this was massaged in to my scalp, I rinsed thoroughly, ensuring that my scalp and hair were clean.

3. Condition: Naturally Athena Goddess Conditioner

Next, I applied the Naturally Athena Goddess Cream Conditioner to each twist. I applied the conditioner to each individual twist as well as finger detangled. This conditioner made it a breeze. It was soft and creamy. It provided my hair with a lot of slip, which is great for keeping knots at bay. Once the conditioner was distributed to each twist, I placed my infamous plastic bag on my head. 

I left the conditioner on for 45 minutes while I indulged in my guilty pleasure of watching reality television... #loveandhiphop. I rinsed the conditioner out with warm water and child... My hair was SO soft and manageable. No lie! My hair felt so good that I could have stopped at this step, but my curiosity was definitely interested in seeing how the Naturally Athena Goddess Curl Creme would work. 

4. Style: Naturally Athena Goddess Curl Creme

Then I applied the Naturally Athena Goddess Curl Creme to each twist. This creme styler has plenty of slip, and my hair felt moisturized as I applied it to each twist. The bonus with this styler is that my hair was easily detangled, and my curl pattern was defined. With ingredients like slippery elm, flaxseed extract, sweet almond oil, and castor oil, no wonder this product works well. 

I let my hair air dry after I applied the curl creme for about an hour. Then I covered it with my silk scarf of choice.

The Next Morning

The next morning I woke up to moisturized, shiny hair. I can't complain one bit! These products will be in my regimen rotation. 

Second day hair here. My hair was still moisturized even though no additional product had been applied! Winning! 

Overall, I really like the Naturally Athena Natural Hair Care Line. You can purchase your Naturally Athena hair products here.

Until next time....

Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken