Those Lovely Lady Humps

This in no way pertains to curly hair but once in awhile I DO straighten my hair. And when it starts to get dirty (usually the second week I wear a ponytail), I try to be creative with it. I have attempted to get that "hump" but by the time I get to work it's gone!

Total beauty has listed 17 hairstyles that take less than ten minutes, click here. The below ponytail was my favorite because I'm often trying to emulate it:

The High-Volume Pony

Time: 5 minutes

Works on:

-Medium or long hair

-Dirty hair

Stuff to have handy:

-Headband

-Comb

-Hair elastic

-Clip (to hold hair out of the way)

How to:

Step 1: Divide hair from ear to ear over the top of your head. Clip that front section out of the way.

Step 2: At the crown of your head, take a two-inch section of the remaining hair and tease the area near your scalp to create the bouffant behind the headband. Messy is fine; it's about to be covered up anyway.

Step 3: Un-clip the front section and smooth it back over the teased area, gathering all your hair into a low pony. Reserve a one-inch section of your longest hair and secure the rest with an elastic.

Step 4: Wrap the reserve hair around the hair elastic and secure underneath with a bobby pin. 

Step 5: Slip on a headband.

And the Winner Is.....

DE (Dominican Enigma) of Beauty Logic!!!!... Congrats girl and thanks so much for all of your love and support!!!

I really DO appreciate all of you guys on so many levels it just crazy!!! I must say this contest was a lot of fun for me. This was my first giveaway and it took me a while to think of a way the game should be played because I wanted to do something different and outside of the norm.

Thanks again and please stay tuned- there is much, much more to come!

"A Way of Saying Thanks Giveaway" IS HERE!!

HURRY!!! Post a comment NOW!!

The very first reader to post a comment will win a NARS lip gloss and nail polish set in Orgasm from Sephora!!

This is my way of saying thank you to all of my readers- You are very much appreciated and I hope you will continue with me on this journey. Please know that if you don't win this time around there WILL be plenty oppurtunities in the future- I promise!!

Old-Time Favorite

My mother would use Infusium 23 products on my hair when I was just a young honey. It was a part of her "wash & set" routine. I still use it from time to time, and I always make sure I have a bottle of the leave-in treatment on hand.
Recently, the weather in New York had been really crappy and I'd been wearing my hair in two low "Pocahontas" pig-tail braids. After washing and conditioning my hair, I remembered the bottle of Infusium 23 leave-in treatment for damaged hair (the "Repairologie" line) that I had stashed away. I grabbed the bottle and shook some of the cold liquid near my roots and also on my ends. I parted the hair down the middle, braided hair on each side, wrapped with a scarf and off to sleep I went. Two days later, I took out the braids and surprisingly I was left with shiny and bouncy waves that looked and smelled good.
I may have forgotten but I just remembered: Infusium 23 is a great addition to ANY wash & set, twist-out, etc.
PS- The "Volumologie" conditioner has a lovely subtle scent, sometimes in the summer I'll wash my hair and leave the conditioner in; it'll follow you like a perfume (but not overpowering).
What are some of your "old-time favorites"?

Circle of Friends

Who says eight females can't be the best of friends? Most say its impossible, but the above pic is living proof that eight (including myself- not shown, I was home sick!) beautiful, strong black women can be the epitome of what real friendship and sisterhood is all about. I must say it is truly a blessing because I've always kept minimal friends. While in undergrad, I encountered many different types of females, many of whom I couldn't (and didn't) trust enough to be true, real friends. Although, I do still hold a few near and dear to my heart.

The eight of us met while enrolled in fashion school during '03/'04 and have been tight ever since. Of course we fight, but at the end of the day its always love. We've come to know each others personalities; what makes us tick, what makes us laugh, and what makes us cry. I, myself, do not consider any ONE of these girls over the other. Each one has something to teach me, and each woman excels in something the next might not and when combined they all make up the perfect best friend a girl could ever have.

I thought this would be a great post because most do not believe that eight women, black women, can coexist in true sisterly fashion. I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe this isn't as farfetched as it seems.

If you have a close circle of friends, tell me about it- I'd love to know that there are other groups of strong women out there!!!

"A Way of Saying Thanks" Giveaway...

As a way of saying thanks to all of you gorgeous honeys for being great readers I've decided to do a little giveaway of my own. I personally went to Sephora on my lunch break and handpicked this cute little lip gloss & nail polish set in Orgasm from Nars. I really really want it for myself but have decided to give it away to one lucky reader!

The way this will work is that one day this week (I won't say which day ;) -that's the fun part!) I will publish a post with this very same title ("A Way of Saying Thanks" Giveaway) and will reiterate the rules of the game. The very first reader to post a comment will win the gift set. But you have to stay tuned because the post can go up at any time and on any day of this week!!

Once again honeys, I just want to say thank you so much for all of the love and support you've shown thus far. I'm excited about the future of HoneyBrownSugar and I hope you ladies are too!!
XOXO!!

Hate that Lip Gloss?

Return it! (or maybe not)... Over the weekend I found some very helpful information regarding what to do when beauty products suck. It's happened to me, so I know it's happened to you. It is THIS very reason that I'm afraid to purchase foundations, powders, even blush if I cannot test it out first. However, the good folks at Total Beauty have compiled a list of over 30 (from Bergdorf to Sally Beauty Supply!) drugstores and department stores, (including online retailers) along with their return/exchange policies.

For instance, I didn't know that CVS allows their customers to "test" the products they purchase- ALL products, whether sampled or not can be returned or exchanged with a receipt for a full refund within 60 days. Cool, right? Maybe this is where I'll purchase all of my drugstore brand makeup from going forward :) 

To view the complete list, click here.