Hair Crush Alert! Shelli of Hairscapades

They saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words.'

And The Curvealicious Chronicles agrees...

Not only is she stunning!

Not only is her hair gorgeous!

She is also a sweetheart!

Shelli and I had the opportunity to chat via phone this past weekend and her personality literally jumps through the phone. We bonded over what else...HAIR and could probably have spent the entire afternoon dishing on products, treatments, hair obsessions, etc.

Shelli has agreed to guest blog here on 'The Curvealicious Chronicles'...can we say SCORE?!

If you are not familiar with Shelli's blog check it out at www.hairscapades.com, great content with product info and styling tutorials to help naturalista's like me get out of our 'bun rut.'

PJ's be warned...Shelli's blog will send you on a 'Google' search and/or straight to the BSS perusing the aisles for the products she talks about...I know I trolled through one yesterday and picked up the Devacare No Poo and had to talk myself down from the ledge...Why? Because I need to use the 3 month supply of shampoo that I have in my house up before I buy another single thing!

Have a curlicious, curvealicious day!

Etoile,
Just a Curvy Girl Living in Her Self Professed Curvy World

Curvy Bella of The Day - Ursula Morris

The 1st Installment From Our 'Real Women Have Curves' Series

The Curvealicious Chronicles had the opportunity to sit down this weekend with the GORGEOUS Ursula Morris. Ursula is one of those women who absolutely glows from the inside out.
Etoile

What is your name and what do you do?
My name is Ursula Morris. I am a single mom and an aspiring entertainer.

What are you passionate about?

My passions are my family, writing music and performing.

What are your goals and dreams?

My goal and dream is to become a successful songwriter and actress.

What words of advice can you offer curvy bella's in pursuit of their dreams?
My advice would be to believe in yourself and to never allow people,
situations or disappointments to ever deter you from your dreams. Remind
yourself daily that you can do it, and put your dreams into everyday
situations. Your heart will lead the way... your determination will do the
driving. Also, it is important to always surround yourself with positive
people who share your dreams and visions. Having support and mentors will
benefit you, by keeping you motivated and provide you with the skills to
bring your dreams to reality. More importantly, DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Having
knowledge will let people know you mean business.

What sage words of advice can you give 'curvy's' about being comfortable
in their skin?
Being comfortable in your skin begins with loving who you
are, but this doesn't always come easy. Take a look at yourself in the
mirror, acknowledge your beauty. Embrace what makes you who you are. When
you are confident and secure on the inside, it will definitely shine on the outside.

As a curvy what are your fashion do's and what are your fashion 'oh no you didn't? My curvy Do's: are to always accentuate the positive. No curvealicious woman
is built the same. Don't be afraid to tastefully show what you got! Also,
you should always mix it up a bit. Try different patterns, colors, and
textures. Know the power of great accessories and shoes.

My Curvy 'oh no you didn't': Avoid what I call "Curvy Spillage"...LOL! Since we do have
curves, we need to be careful what we wear, or we might have an overload,
which results in spillage. Sometimes too much can be too much.

Where can everyday curvy's on a budget find fashions that flatter their
figures?
Well depending on just how curvy you are, there are stores that cater to curvy woman, such as Lane Bryant. But you can also find great styles for great prices at stores such as Burlington, Marshalls and TJMaxx. Don't rule out big department stores such as Macy's and Bloomingdales. There are bargains out there; it just might take a little searching.

What is 'next' for you?
Well, I am staring in an Independent film that is currently being packaged for shopping and distribution; I am also working on my song writing. I am researching different networking opportunities to get more notoriety and exposure. So look out for me at a theater near you!

Sugar, Spice, & Everything Nice!

The flower Girl!

Doesn't she look like a little princess?!

Design By: Sofistafunk

http://www.sofistafunk.com/

Dabur Vatika Hair Oil Winner(s)

Yes I said WINNERS!

I went into my trusty hideaway (every true PJ) has a secret hideaway spot and realized that I had an entirely unopened case of Dabur Vatika Oil.

Sooo....

The winner of two (2) bottles is:

Buckslim4

And the four (4) runners up who will each receive one (1) bottle are:

Hairscapades (hopefully you can do a tutorial & show the ladies the best uses for it)

Nomllih

Michaels (Ms. M)

Rece

Please shoot an email with your full name & complete mailing address to: curvesruntheworld@gmail.com and I will get your packages out by next week. They will ship via regular mail but I will track each package and send you your individual tracking number.

Enjoy!

And Happy Growing!

Etoile

Just a Curvy Girl Living In Her Self Professed Curvy World

In the Spotlight: Doris New York Hair Care Products!

We had the chance to sit down with the gorgeous and super savvy Marlene Duperley who is one half of the dynamic Mother & Daughter duo of Doris New York Hair Care Products.

We hope you enjoy reading the interview as much as we enjoyed spending time with her!

Etoile

How did this passionate 'love affair' with hair begin?
I can completely answer that for my mom!! Lol! Mom (Doris) is one of 14 brothers and sisters. There were 10 girls all together and out of the 10 half became hair dressers! So I would have to say the love affair began many, many years ago through her bloodline. You know when they say "oh, it's in the blood" that would be Doris and her affinity and love for hair and caring for hair.

What was your “aha” moment when you decided to start the company?
Well, it's so crazy for years my mom's clients in the salon and I have been asking her to sell her amazing scalp oil and deep treatments. When I was 4 years old I remember mom with these large iron pots on the kitchen floor and stove stirring hair oil. I would just stand there and watch in amazement as she poured them into jars and carried them over to the salon. Fast forward to approximately 5/6 years ago mom called me and said "I'm READY" I was like wooohooooo! Let's go...and we never looked back!

Tell us about Doris New York?
Doris Duperley is the force behind Doris New York Hair Care Products! She has over 40 years of experience dealing with our hair...meaning every single type of African American hair texture (which includes multi-ethnic hair types) In the salon over the past 38 years we have literally seen it all and done it all. So just imagine all the experience, knowledge and love going into every jar and bottle. It's absolutely history in the making!

How do you develop products?
Our core line, which consists of the first 6 products we introduced, were actually the products my mom would make at home. When we decided to become a consumer brand we needed to partner with a chemist and manufacturer. We still develop all of our products. We let our chemist know what we are looking for, what ingredients we would like to use and how we would like each product to feel, smell, and most of all WORK! We do all the testing ourselves on a core group of our clientele in the salon.

Where does healthy hair begin? And how is it maintained?
Healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp and healthy follicles. Take care of the inside...drink water, eat veggies and fruits and maintain a balanced healthy diet. This will provide some of the internal vitamins your follicles will need to stay healthy. Externally, keep your scalp clean, detoxed, well moisturized and conditioned. Your hair should be washed and deep treated every week. Depending on the damage use a product that is packed with moisture and damage repairing ingredients. Your hairline and scalp should be oiled daily if you have a dry/or extremely dry scalp. This will keep the shaft of the hair filled with body, replenished, amazingly shiny and easier to maintain. In some cases consistent deep treatments and care will change the texture of your hair, making it softer and easier to manage.

What are a few ingredients that you should avoid in hair care products?
Alcohol! Alcohol is drying! Now we have to be careful because the word "alcohol" is used in ingredients that are not the same as unnatural alcohols. Cetyl alcohol for example is derived from coconuts. This is perfectly acceptable and fine for your hair as an ingredient. It will not dry the hair!

What has been one of your company’s biggest high-lights to date?
Well we are embarking on one right now and that is our huge Billboard on Atlantic Avenue and Waverly Street in Brooklyn, NY. This billboard kicks off our new campaigns. The first being "Undefinable Undeniable Beauty" This refers to all of our beautiful textures, colors and types of hair but also includes the physical beauty of us in all shapes sizes and colors that so often gets overlooked in the media because it is not their definition of beauty! WRONG!!! We beg to differ and have lit up our own campaign trail to break those stereotypes. Our second campaign is "Let's Get Back To Our Roots" It's time to embrace our natural hair, our natural beauty and all that comes with it! As a play on words take care of your roots, remember them when caring for your hair remember your roots PERIOD!! That is where we are successful in life, when we remember our ROOTS!

What is the one thing you should never skip during your hair care routine?
Never skip 2 shampoos and a GREAT DEEP TREAMTENT! Those are the lifelines to your hair. One more thing never skip adding some moisture to your hair like a leave in conditioner for extra protection or a great moisturizing cream if you have any dryness/frizziness. These two steps can make all the difference.

What are some tips for keeping our hair looking fab in high heat and
humidity?
LEAVE IN CONDITIONER and a great moisturizing cream to seal in the moisture. Our hair screams for moisture in the humidity much like it does in the dead of cold winter months. Think of how you take care of your skin, your scalp and hair deserves the same treatment!

For More Info on Doris New York Hair Care Products Go To: http://www.dorisnewyork.com/

IMO - Sexy is...?

This morning I read a really good article entitled 'What is Sexy" by Lori Bryant Woolridge posted on The Huffington Post...#don'tjudge...and it made me think of how my own personal definition of sexy has changed over the years.

When I was younger I thought that 'my sexy' was showing off the physical attributes that were most appealing...my small waist, curvy hips, long thick hair but as I have gotten older I define 'my sexy' so much differently.

My sexy is being comfortable in the clothes I wear (which 6 days out of 7 is a pair of jeans and a cute pair of sneakers).

My sexy is wearing my hair in a ponytail or bun.

My sexy is throwing on a baseball cap and a pair of 'Jenny from the block' super sized silver hoop earrings.

My sexy is being a savvy business woman.

My sexy is being confident and secure.

My sexy is being comfortable in my own skin. You can like it or not..the only thing that matters is that I do.

Etoile,
Just a Curvy Girl Living in Her Self Professed Curvy World

Afrobella: All of My Purple Life

ALL OF MY PURPLE LIFE...WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL OF MY LIFE???

This past Saturday I had brunch with my 'curvefriend' author Thembisa S. Mshaka and as we left the restaurant I noticed that her lips were glistening a BEAUTIFUL purple hue...I mean BEAUTIFUL. I inquired as to what she was wearing and she whipped a tube of MAC Cosmetics lipglass from her purse and it was none other than the shade designed by the amazing Afrobella 'All of My Purple Life'. I just went on to order and see that it is sold out on-line...sigh...I HOPE MAC will be restocking!

And if you are not up on Afrobella please check her out at http://www.afrobella.com/ she is a curvy who ROCKS!!

Etoile,
Just a Curvy Girl Living in Her Self Professed Curvy World