Sofn’free GroHealthy recently launched Nothing But, a hair care line for curly, coily, wavy & kinky hair.

Have you heard about it?

This product line is free of petrolatum, mineral oil, sulfates, parabens, colorants, and phtalates.

Are you itching to get your hands on Nothing But? Would you like to try these products on your natural hair?

Now’s your chance!

Sofn’free GroHeatlhy is giving one lucky winner a set of seven Nothing But hair products!

Here’s how to win:
1. Follow Nothing But on Twitter – @NothingButHair
(click @NothingButHair to follow)

2. Copy, complete & tweet the statement below

When it comes to my hair, I’m Nothing But __________. #naturalhair CC: @nothingbuthair

example

Nothing But Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, February 28, 2012. To learn more about Nothing But natural hair care line click here.

We have all, at some time or another, encountered a bit of hair shedding trouble.

It seems, at least for me, that my natural hair shedding, with all the curls and coils, is much more noticeable.

To add to a little more mystery to the mix, at times, it is difficult to differentiate between excess shedding and breakage.

Faith, a Me, My Hair & the City reader, recently reached out to me via Twitter – follow me here).

Within 160 characters she shared her natural hair shedding woes and asked a few questions.

Faith said…

My response: Hi Faith! The first thing I would recommend you do is figure out if your hair is shedding or if it is breaking.

The best way to do this is to take one of your hairs that have come out and look at both ends of the strand.

If one of the ends has a white bulb then that is a shed hair. It has fallen from your scalp on it’s own. However, if neither end contains a bulb then it is a broken hair.

If you find that the hairs are mostly shed and it seems that there are more than usual (hair normally sheds between 100-150 strands a day) then you may have an internal issue.

Stress & other health factors can cause hair to shed abnormally. I suggest you contact a dermatologist if this is the case.

If you determine that the hairs are broken & not shed, I suggest you immediately press the pause button on straightening your hair.

Continued heat, without proper moisture, can damage hair & cause it to break. Give your hair a flat iron intermission, for at least a month, and see if the breakage stops.

Try deep conditioning with a moisturizing and protein rich conditioner. But, be careful, exposing your hair to too much protein can cause breakage as well.

Look for a product(s) that give you a 50/50 balance with moisture & protein. I suggest Sofn’free GroHealthly’s Milk Protein & Olive Oil Really Deep Conditioning Treatment.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed cosmetologist. I have educated myself on the subject of natural hair but, the advice I offer is not that of a professional hairstylist.

photo: naturalshren.blogspot.com

On Sunday I had the honor of making appearance number two on Nappturalite Radio.

I and Cassidy, of Natural Selection, participated in the show’s very first “Ask the Nappturalite Guru” segment.

We spoke on the purpose of an apple cider vinegar rinse, ways to combat itchy scalp, and how to create fullness when your natural hair is thin.

Soy Thwaites, of Salon Soy, also shared tips on how to achieve a healthy blow-out.

If you missed this informative episode you can check it out HERE.

Just in case you are pressed for time, the “Ask the Nappturalite Guru” segment begins at 59:04.

My weekend was spent at the famous Bronners Brothers Winter 2012 Hair Show.

When I say “show”, that is exactly what I mean!

Now, when I think “hair show” I envision a stage, models, a few companies, some hair for sale; you know, the basics.

On the contrary, Bronner Brothers is a hair show on complete steroids!

There were rows and rows of companies selling everything from cutting shears, to weave, and even knock-off designer bags.

Literally, anything you could think of buying was there. And, anything you would imagine seeing was too!

Eye catching models in unique outfits strutted around Georgia World Congress Center showing off their wild and creative hairstyles.

There were so many sights and people to see. Really, there was never a dull moment.

Check out the photos below for proof!

“Are you absolutely in love with your hair and obsessed about treating your tresses with natural and organic beauty products?

Organic Beauty Vixen recently teamed up with the hair care line Eden BodyWorks to search for the most enthusiastic, self-loving, eco-glam ladies across the country to represent the Eden brand.

If you think you have what it takes to strut your stuff and your fabulous hair you should apply to become an Eco Glam Ambassador.”

Eco Glam Ambassadors will have the opportunity to help Eden BodyWorks at local activities and events, be an ambassador for their new product line (launching Spring 2012) and share their personal experience with Eden BodyWorks products.

To apply and learn more about Organic Beauty Vixen and Eden BodyWorks Eco Glam Ambassador program click HERE.

I’ve always admired the look of a messy bun positioned on the top of a nicely dressed women’s head.

There is something about a “top knot” that I find wildly chic. To me it says, “I’m polished but, I don’t’ take myself too seriously.”

Ok, I may be reading a little too much into this hairstyle, but since my mane is currently straight I thought I would give the top knot a try.

To begin, I smoothed my hair into a ponytail on the top of my head. I left out a portion of hair in the front to (1) add some extra umph to my style and (2) attempt to camouflage my extra-large head!

I took my loose hair, that was placed in the ponytail, and folded it under, in the style of a bun, and secured it with a bobby pin. I then took the hair that was left out and made a semi-pin curl .

For my first top knot attempt I think I did an ok job. If nothing else, my make shift bun quasi shielded my hair from the Atlanta rain.

Ok, so Valentine’s Day has come and gone.

But, just in case you plan to share your love for the other 364 days of the year, you might want to make sure your lips are in top notch shape.

Here are a few tips from Pretty City on how to keep your lips “kissable.”

Treat
“You apply moisturizer for your face daily, you dab cream delicately under your eyes religiously, but the skin on and around your lips goes totally unattended. The first step on the road to oh-so-pretty puckers is to start treating lips daily with a product designed to soften vertical lip lines and prevent premature aging.”

Exfoliate
“Gently exfoliate daily with a DIY lip scrub or an over the counter treatment. You can make your own sugar scrub at home by combining a teaspoon of baker’s sugar and a few drops of water.”

Hydrate
Dry lips are not at all cute; or comfortable for that matter. So, “whatever your balm of choice is, moisturizing lips regularly is a must.”

What lip gloss, stick or balm do you use to keep your kissers moisturized?

Check out some of my lip favs below!

Read more of Pretty City’s Tips & Tricks for Kissable Lips click here.

SPF 15 & Above by Ulta

“Calling all naturals, transitioners, relaxed ladies and gents!”

Vision Beauty Distributors presents the Natural Hair and Health Expo 2012 on Sunday, March 11, 2012 in Birmingham, Alabama.

You don’t want to miss this great natural hair event. It will include “elements of natural hair, skin education and more throughout the day.”

In addition, there will also be Q&A sessions, gift bags, free hair consultations and great music.

To learn more about the Natural Hair & Health Expo click here.

I’m not sure if it’s because it’s February or that yesterday was Valentine’s Day but, I have discovered a new found love for the color red.

I think it started with Lush’s A Million Kisses Lip Tint; something about that ruby red hue screamed chic.

Naturally, given my new color infatuation, when I stumbled upon Milani’s Bet on Red in my Little Red Dress Beauty Bash gift bag I couldn’t help but share it with you.

This small bottle of nail lacquer contains a beautiful shade of shimmery red. And, in my opinion, would look great on any skin tone.

Does the thought of red on your fingers make you less than happy? Or, are you a fan or red nail polish?

Nail Polish at Target

On Sunday, February 12th I made my way to Too Groovy Salon in midtown Atlanta to have my hair colored by Too Groovy’s founder & owner Robin Groover!

Before Robin jumped into coloring my hair she and I sat down and discussed the current condition of my mane.

We chatted about some of my challenges (dryness) and overall hair goals. After doing so we then talked about what my vision was for my “new look.”

I was absolutely clueless but thanks to the “What Color Should I Dye My Hair” poll you all participated in I had a bit of guidance.

Being that it was my first time having my hair colored I wasn’t looking for a dramatic change. Robin completely understood and together we decided on a more natural “sunkissed” look.

Since I was going lighter I was slightly concerned about using bleach on my mane.

I wanted my hair to look nice but I was much more concerned with its health. After expressing these thoughts Robin reassured me that the process in which she uses to color is one that puts “health first.”

She did not use any bleach to lighten my hair. She used a permanent & demi-permanent color. To my surprise, she also colored my hair while it was wet and placed me under a hydrator (steamer) while the color set.

Initially, after the color was rinsed, I didn’t notice a change. But, after it was blown out and then straightened I fell in love. It looks natural and has just the right amount of color to add a nice little pop.

Robin did an awesome job and the entire process from color to straightening too less than 3 hours! Special thanks to her for such a wonderful experience!

To learn more about Too Groovy Salon and their services for natural & transitioning hair click HERE.