From the multi chocolaty tones existing on different parts of my body, to the various textures and curl patterns that exist in my hair, I’ve come to embrace it all! However, although I now embrace it all, the challenges I cannot ignore.

 

I share the thoughts I'm about to share, not because of self loathing because I love me some me, but to let other ladies out there know that you are not alone. 

 

There are times when I have questions. Questions like, how is it that my face is darker than any other part of my body? ..making for an obvious stark difference between my face and neck - hence color matching foundation, and other makeup at times, becomes a science. And how interesting is it that as chocolate as my skin is, I have freckles? I recall going through grave lengths to cover the few I have, aspiring to the ideal of an evenly toned complexion. 

 

Then there's the texture of my skin - I wonder, why are parts of my body dry and others oily? ..hence I'm usually applying 2-3 different lotions or oils to my body at a time. 

 

Lastly, I cannot not mention my hair. Becoming a natural over the last 6 to 7 years has been a journey of its own. Although my typical go tos as a form of protective styling are my natural textured wigs, clip ins and extensions, I have come to embrace and now love my coily curls. But and however, the road bumps along the way, before the embrace, are definitely worth noting.

 

I can vividly remember how exciting it was when the explosion of the natural hair movement started to exist within the black community. While I won’t go there with the misconceptions and misrepresentation of textures and curl patterns by mainstream media when it comes to the majority, I’ll just say that my idea of what my hair would look like in its natural state was totally different from what it actually is.

 

There was a period of time when I vacillated between embracing my natural hair journey vs. a more relaxed texture. As a result, I’ve done at least 5 big chops in the midst of deciding to permanently accept the uniqueness of my curls.

 

I know I'm not alone when it comes to some of the challenges that come with preserving and enhancing my beauty. It’s no wonder why the beauty and cosmetic industry is a multi-gazillionaire industry. From the makeup we use to all of the other beauty products we use, the journey to discovering ideal products is a continuous one. And even when stumbling across the perfect products, sometimes there’s still a need to change things up a bit from time to time and from season to season.

 

Now, I am extremely particular about the products I use and because I know I'm not alone when it comes to some of the challenges, I wanna be sure to share the good ones I stumble across from time to time with my melanin beauties. The journey continues..