2017 should be titled, The Year Of The Black Woman . From pageants to politics black women came,conquered , and slayed as the rest of us cheered on our fellow sisters for giving the rest of the world a taste of just why our melanin is magical. Here is my top 5 list of Black Women who made us toast, boast, and applaud just why Black Girls Rock!
5. Davina Bennett’- Black girls and Black women watched with pride as Miss Jamaica strutted in front of thousands in the Miss Universe Pageant. Although she was strikingly beautiful it wasn’t her beauty that caught our attention it was her natural hair that stole the show. Bold and confident, Miss Jamaica slayed wearing her naturally curly tresses. Although she was second runner up, it was her natural crown that stole the show. 4. CongresswomanMaxine Waters- also known as the grandmother to millennials everywhere is better known for not only,“Reclaiming Her Time”, but Congresswoman Waters went head on with the President Elect by boldly calling him out on some of his political decisions. She said exactly what a lot of voters where thinking with sass, class, and style. 3. Issa Rae- the protagonist in one of HBO’s top shows, Insecure. Issa gave us beauty, comedy, and a few witty freestyles. Thanks Issa for giving mainstream America a taste of what it’s like being a black woman and being unapologetic for it. 2. Cardi B- is definitely, “Making Money Moves” and is an epic example of a 2017 Glow Up. In a matter of months Cardi B went from an ex stripper turned reality star to dominating the Billboard Charts.This has been an amazing year for Cardi B as she closed the year by another win— getting engaged to her boyfriend, none other than Offset, who happens to be a member of Migos , one of the hottest rap groups out . Sisters everywhere dabbed for Cardi’s come up and for showing us you can be yourself , keep it 100, and still go from ratchet to royalty in 12 months. 1. Keisha Lance Bottoms- Atlanta Has A Mayot Named Keisha!!! Black Girl Magic dominated the polls in Atlanta’s 2017 Election. Keisha Bottoms was elected Mayor of Atlanta. Mayor Bottoms is only the second black woman in Atlanta’s history to be elected Mayor...and her name is Keisha! Every black woman in America knows a down ass Keisha who is ready to ride and uses Coconut oil. After taking a look at Mayor Bottoms political background and radiant skin I don’t think this Keisha will be any different. Atlanta is in good hands. This is is just a few of a list of black women who made us proud. As always my beautiful sisters: Keep your melanin popping and continue to show the world exactly why Black Girls Rock! xoxo, Krystale Jane’l I can admit there was a time when I defined myself through others. It may have been a toxic relationship or a dependent friend. I will also admit I suffered from low self esteem and poor judgement.
It took being in an abusive situation, marrying a washed up blues singer/ bigamist, and attempting suicide before I realized I was the victim of myself. I realized that the reason my relationships failed with friends and boyfriends was because I didn't know who I was. The one thing I had to do was realize I am a child of God. There is no other more powerful being than God...so what does that make me? An awesome and divine princess of the Most High King and a wonderfully created spiritual being that is more complex than the human body that houses it or anything on this Earth plain! The minute I changed my thinking and learned more about God is the day I learned to live. When you realize who you truly are you discover the greatest type of self love. You slowly learn how to guard your heart and your spirit by not allowing certain people and things into your life. TRASH CANNOT MIX WITH TREASURES. You are a precious jewel because you are God's most valuable possession. The little things started not to bother me as much because I knew my spiritual dad would take care of it. Prayer became a necessity and reading my bible or listening to different spiritual leaders became more of a routine. My mind set changed because my thoughts were more from the spirit than the flesh. When you learn how to change how you see the world and and how you see others life becomes easier because you learn that not everything is meant to be viewed using tunnel vision, but it's meant to be looked through Divine Vision. Not only that but the impression I had on people started to change. People start to see a reflection of you that is far more beautiful and powerful than what you see in a mirror. Certain people I thought I would have in my life kept their distance while other people I never expected to be apart of my life began to add even more value to it. Does this mean I don't still have doubts, I don't mess up, I don't struggle with things? I'm not some magical saint that doesn't do anything wrong. I still get angry, I still can be disobedient and not follow God's instruction, and I'm still human, but now I'm not totally driven by my human nature. Everyday I'm alive, and I look at my beautiful kids, my handsome husband, and look at myself and I lose another piece of who I used to be and who in my distorted reality; I thought that I was. I don't live in the fear of the unkown or the guilt from my past mistakes because I know my true self, my spiritual self, and I learn more about the spirit that my flesh was designed to protect each day. It's not easy but is necessary. Every day I am passionately driven for my calling which is to write, to serve God, my family, and my husband. When you realize that....you become unstoppable and mountains become moveable. Act In Love Walk In Faith Express Without Fear xoxo, Krystale Jane'l In the South men appreciate a nice healthy woman. Georgia is known for their women who are like "peaches" and in Texas, everybody knows, "Everything is Bigger In Texas". In some parts of Africa men associate skinny women with being poor because they don't look well fed so they are considered not as attractive as a healthier woman.
With Hollywood telling us you have to be a size 4 or less to be beautiful, video vixens flaunting unrealistic waist sizes with butts that are just not anatomically correct for their size, and designer clothing lines not making clothes sizes past a size 12 or 14, the pressure is on to be thin. Im not thin. In fact, I'm 5'2 and I'm size 12, but Im absolutely beautiful and absolutely healthy, and my husband LOVES every inch of my not so toned body. Here is 10 Reasons Why Every Man Should Date A Thick Woman: 10 Reasons Why You Should Date a Thick Woman: \n9. Its cold outside...we can keep you warm. \n8.Skinny people are usually colder so thick women can save you money on your electric bill. \n7.Thick women can usually throw down in the kitchen, and we appreciate food and fine dining. Finding a nice place to eat isn't a problem because we aren't too picky. \n6.Thick women are soft and firm...its like laying on a therapeutic matress. \n5.Thick women who are confident have a certain level of sexiness that you won't find anywhere else \n4.Most thicker women feel the pressure of not being super skinny so we tend to be more humble and more easy going than our skinnier sisters. \n3.Its been said thick women are like the choicest fruit...supple and sweet.😊 \n2.A thick woman usually has no problem with bringing or even cooking meals upon your request. Its like having a 24 hour chef/food courier. \n1. A thick woman who knows how to wear a nice pair of heels will make traffic stop when she walks...why? Because..."She A Brick Hoouussee!" \nAnd last: \nWe generally look more happy....I don't know if it's because we eat good, we have bigger cheeks, or what. Who wants to walk around with a woman whose face looks likes Munch's "The Scream"? \nWith that being said ladies, embrace whatever size you are. Confidence and being healthy is what matters. \nUntil next time... \nXoxo Krystale Jane'l Virgin hair extensions are considered a worthy beauty investment. The price for bundles can range from 200 to way over 500 dollars for enough bundles for a full head sew in or wig. Bundles can last for over year if properly maintained. Virgin hair bundles can be high maintenance and pricey. More and more women are resorting to buying synthetic/human hair extensions or wigs that mimic virgin hair but without the costly price tag and maintenance. Here is a list of tips that could save your bundles and synthetic wigs.
Human hair extensions- When human hair extensions become dry, tangle, and shed easily after extended wear I have done both of the following to rejuvenate my extensions and make them almost as good as new. Conditioner bath- Comb and detangle the hair. Wash your extensions and rinse the hair thoroughly. Mix a sink with hot water and a good moisturizing conditioner. Swish the extensions around in the hot water and let sit in the water for 10 or 15 minutes. Place water and extensions in a ziplock bag. Add a few drops of argan oil and place in the microwave for20-40 seconds. Rinse and let air dry. This process acts a s a deep conditioner and can bring extensions damaged from heat and excessive product use back to life. For a more intense treatment an ammonia and bleach wash is guaranteed to make your bundles bouncy, shiny, and soft again. Pour two ounces of Chlorox bleach into a gallon of hot water. Soak hair and gently comb hair from top to bottom using a wide tooth comb. Do not do this for longer than 2 or 3 minutes. Gently rinse the hair with a good clarifying shampoo with the weft facing you. Do the same with the ammonia. Use 2 ounces of ammonia to a gallon of hot water. Rinse thoroughly and if you would like use the clarifying shampoo again if you feel like there are traces of ammonia still in the hair. Let air dry. This should leave your hair just like new! There are also several youtube videos to show you how to do this as well To make your synthetic wigs last longer wash in lukewarm water with a good shampoo. Apply a good conditioner and apply a dab of coconut or argan oil to leave your wig soft and manageable. Comb with a wide tooth comb to remove tangles. If you have curly wigs follow the same process but, do not comb the hair and add a mixture of water, curl definer cream, olive oil or coconut oil, and holding cream. Spray the hair with the mixture and finger comb to detangle the curls. Cut out small sections that have become too matted. For frizzy pieces Wrap curls around your finger and release. Allow to air dry. You can also add rollers and dip the rollers in hot water for a bouncy big spiral curl look. xoxo, Krystale Jane'l The emasculation of the black male originated in slavery by a process called “buck breaking” Slave owners feared black male slaves because of their size, strength, and masculinity. They feared that the black males would start an uprising. In order to prevent this from happening, homosexual slave owners would take the more intimidating male slaves, bind their hands around a tree, put them on display in front of the other slaves, and brutally rape them. If the male slave had a wife and children they were placed in the front row and forced to watch the heinous sexual assault. This horrendous act forced the slaves into submission. Later, the raped male slave was often forced to walk around with the backside of his pants removed or his pants “sagging” as a symbol that he was broken and readily available to fulfill his masters sadistic needs. “Sagging” is still a popular fashion trend among black males today.
The emasculation of the black male started in slavery but continues today through film,television, and even fashion trends worn by black entertainers. While taking scriptwriting classes I learned about psychologist Carl Jung’s theory about character archetypes and how they can be applied to the human psyche. His theory is most commonly used in scriptwriting as the building blocks for successful script writing. In every script there are usually a Hero (Protagonist), Nemesis (Antagonist), and several other characters that are found on the Hero’s Journey throughout the film. In most film’s, “the jester” is known as the comical character. Since the origination of film and television African American’s have filled such roles, but at what expense? From minstrel shows that portrayed black people as singing and dancing “buffoons” to comedians from the early 1940’s such as Eddie Anderson, to the comedians of our time; the African American male’s role in film and television are often comedic, but now what used to be comedy has now turned into a comedic freak show in the entertainment industry. More and more black males are being portrayed as homosexual on film and televison. In times where black television represented strong, kung- fu and crime fighting black men during the Blaxploitation era, have now been replaced by homosexual reality tv stars rocking better weaves than some of the sistas. The flamboyant and quick-tongued gay man is an increasingly popular form of the “jester” archetype. Even more black actors are cross-dressing as women to get better paying roles. Flip Wilson became the first actor to portray the role of a woman. His character Geraldine Jones became a huge success. Complex.com reported, “In the show’s prime, it was the second most watched program in the United States, and Flip was presented as “TV’s First Black Superstar” on a Time magazine cover in 1972”. Tyler Perry’s most famous character Madea, the gun toting, fiery Christian grandma with an attitude grossed over 1 billion dollar in sales. Tyler Perry’s chitlin circuit play has turned into a billion dollar franchise making his estimated net worth over 40 million dollars for his portrayal of an elderly black woman. Dave Chappell was the first to bring this trend to light after his hiatus. One could argue that Hollywood’s limited roles for black men force them into these roles. While some can also say Caucasian men have played female characters for years, but the fact still remains the number of black comedians and actors who have reached a higher level of success have dressed in drag. It was reported in 2013 that blacks owned about 6 percent of television stations and has decreased to less than two percent today. Media consolidation and the fact that wealthy white families were the only ones in the position to own major media outlets are two of the reasons why blacks do not have ownership in the entertainment industry. The owners of such companies choose who and what goes to our movie theatres and television stations while our black entertainers are cashing in big time for starring in these roles. Although these characters are quite funny, is there some other way black men can entertain an audience and reach the same level of success without degrading themselves? The thought of buck breaking comes to mind as we look at history repeating itself, but this time instead of physically beating us into a submissive mindset; the entertainment industry is constantly showing our strong black men as weak or feminine males. Black male actors and entertainers are becoming more feminine as they fall prey to the all mighty dollar while the black audience is intrigued and entertained. It has become such a popular trend that even social media stars are breaking the internet by portraying themselves in the stereotypes often associated with black women. Black celebrities are now being seen rocking the latest so called high end fashion trends that consist of dresses, skirts, jeggings, and blouses-clothing worn by women(or maybe Prince). Buck breaking has now transformed from savage sexual torture to modern day mental castration for black males in our community. Could it be that white males are still intimidated by the presence of our strong black kings? Is the black community being brainwashed into mental slavery by the media? If this is so, unlike the times of our ancestors, we are no longer forced to be slaves…some make the choice to fall into the snares of something much worse… mental slavery. xoxo, Krystale Jane'l Buying a good foundation for women of color is always done by trial and error. I recently decided to opt for a cheaper foundation rather than spending 30 bucks on my Bare Minerals Face Powder. I love the Bare Minerals matte powder. It looks very natural, has great coverage, and lasts for about 3 months. What I don't like is it can be quite messy, and 30 dollars (although worth it) can put a dent in your pocket when you are trying to save for the holidays. It's quite difficult to find foundation that completely matches my skin tone. Although I have brown skin my undertones are yellow when a lot of African American women with darker complexions have red undertones. I tried Iman foundation, Black Radiance, Zuri, and a beauty store brand foundation and I always seemed to run into the foundation being too light or too dark. I would have to buy a lighter loose powder and apply that after the foundation in order for it to match my skin perfectly. Cover Girl's Queen Collection nailed my skin tone! For only 7 dollars at Walmart I have found an inexpensive foundation that looks natural, has great coverage, and stays on all day. The only downside is the compact is pretty small and won't last as long as the Bare Minerals foundation, but its a pretty good foundation for every day wear if you are looking for something inexpensive with natural hues that don't make you look all pastey. They have a wide selection for darker complexions. You don't get 40 shades like Rihanna's Fenty makeup line (which I also tried and loved...but I didn't love the $ 35 price tag) but you will get the bang for your bucks.. and save an extra twenty plus dollars that you would spend for the more expensive brands. |
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