Written Contributors Krystal Stallings Princella Talley Lori Angel
Natural Woman Magazine Š 2016
Contents
Words from the Editor..5 Ask Natural Woman...7 Natural Woman on the Scene...8 Natural Foods...12 Women in Afros...20 Natural Hair & Beauty...23 The Ultimate Facial ... 32
Loving yourself Naturally with Afolabi Ayinde Idowu Esuleke ...35 Exclusive with Damien Escobar..37 Natural Woman’s Women in Business...40 Natural Stories...44 Artist Spotlight...46 Designer Spotlight...47
Words from the Editor This issue is dedicated to Women’s Empowerment. As women we love to give and sometimes we can give so much that we forget to cater our inner spirit. In the midst of our journeys as mothers, wives, rulers, healers, creators we must remember to rest and take time for ourselves. We are special too and as much as we like to take care and cater to everything outside of us, we have to remember to nurture and love the very thing that gives us the power to be who we are. This Women’s Empowerment theme has shown me how important all of the women in my life are to me. From my mother, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, friends, each and every woman that has come into my life has shaped me into the being of light that I am. Whether the encounters were good or bad they all had a purpose in life and I am forever grateful for the experience. It is vital that you EMPOWER yourself with Love, we have a service to fulfill a purpose to understand. Our world needs our nurturing and healing energies right now. Lets be EMPOWERED to live our highest life,to live up to our Highest Truths lets make our lives so special and amazing that the world has no choice but to change. We have that POWER.
Q:
Ask Natural Woman
Natural Woman what can I do to increase my energy through out the day? I am a mother of 2 and I run a business. Please help!! - India P. California, USA
A:Balance and Awareness, are key to help you manage your busy schedule
as a mom and business owner. Maintain a proper diet filled with lots of fresh organic veggies and fruit. Plenty of spring or alkaline water. Finally make sure you get proper rest and take time to do things with yourself like massages, spa times, meditation & exercise.
Natural Woman on the Scene:
Beautiful Black Bride Expo Natural Woman was on the scene the Beautiful Black Bride Expo took place on Saturday February 27th at the Woodlawn recreation center in Cincinnati, Ohio. This event was filled with tons of brides looking for the latest trends in the wedding business along with checking our Natural Woman Magazine’s Natural Hair Bridal Show and competing in the Battle of the Bride for the chance to win the Ultimate Bridal Shower. This expo also featured several of the tristate area local businesses from catering, event planning, and even travel. Some of this events vendors included Fashion Model and Book The Beautiful Black Bride Expo was brought to you by Pinnacle Author Nichole J’s Fashionable Tie Marketing Plus http://www.pinnaclemarketingplus.com/expo. Line EYE4aTie.com where she raises html awareness for prostate cancer.
Natural Woman Bridal Hair Show at the
Beautiful Black Bride Expo Natural Woman Magazine had the opportunity to sponsor our very own Natural Woman Natural Hair Bridal Show at the 2016 Beautiful Black Bride Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio. Teamed with Glamorous Faces glam squad we pulled off an amazing fashion show that featured the Natural Woman Models in a variety of natural hair styles along with some inspiring make up idea’s to make every natural bride feel and look beautiful on her big day. Photography: AZ8 Media Make Up: Glamorous Faces Fashion Style Glamorous Faces Hair Styles: Azizah Nubia
Check out our Natural Bridal Hair Gallery
Natural Woman Fox 19 News Station Natural Hair Brides Take Over Natural Woman models Mimi Horton, Victoria Mullin and Patrice Pryor were the lucky Natural Bride Hair Models on Fox 19 in the Cincinnati, for the Beautiful Black Bride Expo. Makeup artist Toni Daugherty Owner of Simply Diving Makeup Artistry, and Hair Stylist Valaraie McGee created 3 bridal looks for casual, daytime, and evening bridal looks. Check out more here.
Battered Baked Avocado Fries With Sriracha Dipping Sauce
Ingredients Makes 20 fries Avocado Fries 2 ripe but firm avocados 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon sweet paprika ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ⅓ cup arrowroot powder* 1 large free-range organic egg, beaten 1 tablespoon water 1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut Sriracha Mayo 3 tablespoons mayo (make your own paleo mayo with this recipe) 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream) 1 tablespoon Sriracha (make your own Sriracha with this recipe) 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice Ground black pepper to taste *If you don’t have arrowroot powder you can either use cornstarch or whole wheat flour (just forget about the paleo stuff)
You will need to make a couple of modifications for this to be vegan. Instead of eggs you can use a vegan egg replacement or flax egg. And instead of making the Sriracha mayo sauce, just buy the Sriracha Mayo from Just Mayo. Directions Preheat oven to 425°F (210°C) and place a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside. Slice the avocados in half, and carefully remove the pit. Cut each half into 5 slices, and set aside. In a bowl combine arrowroot powder and half of the seasonings in a bowl. In another bowl combine egg and water. In a third bowl combine shredded coconut and the remaining half of the seasonings. Working quickly, dip the avocado slices in the arrowroot mixtures, then in the egg mixture, and then in the coconut mixture to coat well. Place coated avocado fries on the lined baking sheet. Bake in the hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes, then flip and bake on the other side for 2 to 4 minutes. To make Sriracha mayo, in a bowl combine, mayo, Greek yogurt, Sriracha, lime juice, and pepper and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with baked avocado fries.
Zucchini Facts
Did you know?
5 Amazing Benefits of Zucchini Great for the heart Helps in weight loss Improve Eye health Guards against Asthma Strengthens teeth And bones loss. Helps Lower Cholesterol
Zucchini with Chickpea and Mushroom Stuffing
Source: www.allrecipes.com
4 zucchini, halved 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1/2 (8 ounce) package button mushrooms, sliced 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1/2 lemon, juiced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley sea salt to taste ground black pepper to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking dish. Scoop out the flesh of the zucchini; chop the flesh and set aside. Place the shells in the prepared dish. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sautee onions for 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Stir in chopped zucchini and mushrooms; sautee 5 minutes. Stir in coriander, cumin, chickpeas, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into zucchini shells. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until zucchini are tender
Zucchini originates from the Americas, and has a variety of benefits. Botanically it is a fruit, but most of us recognize it as a vegetable. Both raw and cooked zucchini are great for the overall health of an individual.
Gardening Tips:
Thinking about growing zucchini this year in your home garden? One plant will produce 6 to 10 pounds of zucchini. Zucchini wants warm soil and air temperatures for growing—in the 70s°F is optimal. Zucchini seed won’t germinate in cold soil. Wait until the soil temperature has reached 60°F before direct seeding or setting out starts.
Easy Ways 2 Eat Natural
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Being mindful about what you eat is starting to become the norm now a days, more and more grocery stores are expanding their natural foods aisle’s, and home gardens are pretty much our summer projects. While there are many of us who are taking the natural way leap of faith, there are still some of us who still need direction on where to start when you take the leap. Below are some basic natural eating stater tips that will keep you intrigued while starting your natural journey.
Replace Unhealthy Grains
Not only are quiona and couscous ancient grains great for our health, they are also very easy to prepare. Replacing these grains with brown and white rice can cut your cook time in half, give you more fiber, and add a new twist to your meals.
Eat Fresh & Shop Often
Read Ingredient Labels
Natural eating has alot to do with eatings loads of fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Eating fresh will require you to change up your shopping trips. Unlike processed unhealthy foods that you can buy in bulk and store for weeks even months. Fresh foods must be purchased often and prepared soon.
Companies are good at slapping an “all natural label” to their products and when you go to read the ingredients it’s another story. Purchase foods that have natural ingredients that you can read. If you can’t pronounce it or it has a number in the name its probably best you put it back on the
Beauty Uses for Baking Soda Deodorant
Mix Baking Soda with water and a essential oil of your choice
Clean Your Hair
Add baking soda to your natural shampoo to remove heavy build up
Whiten Your Teeth
Baking soda, five drops of hydrogen peroxide and peppermint essential oils
Face Exfoliant
Baking soda with a tsp. of lemon juice is great at removing dead skin cells.
Did you know? That baking soda was used in Ancient Kemit? Egyptians were the first people known to use a rudimentary version
of baking soda called Natron. Over the last few hundred years, Natron has been purified and synthesized down to the familiar baking soda we know today. Since it’s discovery the name may have changed but it’s uses have not. It has been used for thousands of years as a cleaning product for both the home and body.
Living Alkalined
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An Alkaline balanced body is healthy, vibrant, and energetic, free of sickness and disease. An Acidic body is one that is degenerating, breaking down, showing a myriad of symptoms of ill health from the simplest form being a cold or a rash all the way to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. We all know 1-5 people or more that are ill or dying of these or many other terrible diseases that can be solved with a change in their lifestyle and diet. High levels of stress, negative thoughts, lack of exercise and poor shallow breathing (which most of us do all day long) all play a key role in this lifestyle and are acid forming. Changing your diet will improve your pH and reduce your symptoms to a certain degree, but you must also manage and balance these other pieces of the puzzle to reach optimal health. All living things exist because of a bal-
anced pH level. In nature some “plant varieties� thrive in an alkaline soil where as others prefer a slightly acidic soil. When these conditions are not ideal symptoms begin to occur. Remember that a food’s acidity or alkalizing ability in the body is not tied to the actual pH of the food itself. A food is considered to be acidic or alkalizing based on the effect on our system after it has been processed in our bodies. One common example is that highly acidic lemon juice actually has an alkalizing effect in the body.
200 Women Read the Full Issue Susbribe to Natural Woman Magazine www.asknaturalwoman.com
Women in Afros Natural Woman Magazine was on the scene in Cincinnati, Ohio for a spectacular event titled 200 Women in Afros. Created Kim Reese she shared with NWM the inspiration for this empowering event. What inspired you to do women in Afro shoots around the country? My inspiration behind “Women In Afros” Photo Shoots came out of something I saw recently. Now mind you, the reflection of African American Women in media has always been an issue, but in recent months, especially after the Beyonce’ Formation performance, it seems to be more negative. Why is it that America and specifically the Television media, find it hard to accept African American wom-
en in our natural state? How we were made? These questions are what I asked myself and it sparked a movement. This issue is personal for me. Before starting my business in 2000 (Reese Incorporated), I worked for two fortune 500 companies. During my tenure, I was told on several occasions that it was preferred that I wear my hair “different”. At the time, I wore braids. I assumed it was the braids, so I wore my natural and very tapered Fro the following day. I was told and I quote...”It’s better, but I prefer that you wear your hair straight”. My self esteem was broken and I eventually left that company. It took me years to accept myself as I am. For years after that I was somewhat “Ashamed” to wear my hair natural so I went the route that most women of color do, got a
relaxer. After starting my business, I no longer had to conform to the corporate mandate of what was considered “professional”. Hence, there began my journey. How many cities have you gone to? To date, we have done Cincinnati and Dayton, we are headed to Columbus, Cleveland, Flint, Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Houston, Orlando and New York. We are getting more calls for oher cities and will be more than happy to come. As a publicist, I am using my connections in the national media to bring exposure to this topic.
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Why is this movement important? This movement is about acceptance, encouragement, sisterhood, love, positive vibrations, networking and support. The love that I have felt with the women who have participated in my vision is overwhelming. There is a pride in seeing other women who look like you and are on the same journey. I encourage women to make sure they don’t leave without connecting with someone they don’t know. I challenge them to stay in touch.
How do you want this movement to inspire others? I want the next generation of young women to be proud of their heritage and love themselves. I want them to be inspired to challenge their peers to spread the message of acceptance and pride. Reach Kim Reese by visiting my website www.Reeseincorporated.com, IG ReeseInc, Twitter @Reeseinc, FB Reese Incorporated. I have also launched the brand Women In Afros Inc. FB Women In Afros, The Movement, Twitter @twoHudredAfros or by calling 513-456-1141
Photography by: AZ8 Media
Holistic Hair Care “Your skin is your largest organ! What you put on your hair, is absorbed into your blood through your scalp and face.”
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By: Azizah Nubia
We all my not want long hair down tot our back, but I am very sure that it is every womans wish to have a head of beautiful healthy hair. There are tons of products and remedies out in the market today that claim to have hair growing power, but the reality is no matter how many products you use the growth of your hair is determined by how healthy your body is. It’s not rocket science if you want plants to grow nice and strong you add nutrients to the soil not the leaves. The same holds true for the hair, on our heads as well. The foods and products that you consume on a daily basis can either contribute to healthy hair or unhealthy hair. I had the opportunity to listen in on a lecture presented by Malakia Tamu Cooper owner of Dredz N Headz Natural Hair Care Center and founder of the Natural Hair Care Expo or as I like to call her the Natural Hair guru. She shared with us that you can tell the health of a person by the condition of their hair and scalp. For example have you every saw a scalp that was covered in eczema patches? Not a pretty sight to
see, but did you know that the number 1 cause for eczema especially on the scalp is a over consumption of sugar? Process foods are the worst kinds of foods for our health and our hair. If you remember anything from high school biology you understand that the cell is the fundamental building block of all life and our hair has cells. Our cells function properly when it can absorb the required nutrients and can remove waste. When we have a diet of unhealthy processed foods our cells have a harder time absorbing nutrients and removing waste, when this happens the cells begin to act dysfunctional in the case of hair cells that can result in slower hair growth or no hair growth at all. Remember going natural should not be looked at as a trend or hair style, it should be looked at as a lifestyle change and if healthy hair is what you want, you are not going to get it by buying the newest hair product on the shelf. It comes when you decided to take care of your body then the hair will follow suite.
Natural Hair Instructions 1. Warm your oil mixture by heating plain water on the stove. Wait until the water is just about to boil and remove the pot from the stove.
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2. Put the oil in a separate container ( use an applicator bottle) and place it in the pot of warm water until the oil warms up. Caution: Don’t heat the oil in the microwave because it will lose the nutrients.
3. Test the oil on your wrist before using so you don’t burn yourself. 4. Section your hair into 4-6 sections to make distribution easier and less messy.
Why a hot oil treatment? If your hair is
breaking or feels super dry, you can show it some love by giving it a hot oil treatment. The heat opens the cuticle of the hair and allows moisture to penetrate the hair shaft.
Remember hot oil treatments are sealants and
not moisturizers. They lock in existing moisture. So if you put oil on your hair by itself, it will just sit there. It doesn’t penetrate. When your hair is properly moisturized, you actually don’t need a lot of oil. Just lightly coat your hands and gently rub it into your hair to seal the moisture in.
5. Use the applicator bottle to distribute the oil throughout each section. 6. Carefully massage the mixture into your scalp and be sure to coat your ends. 7. Cover your hair with a plastic cap and let the oil treatment sit on your hair for at least 30 minutes. 8. Shampoo and condition your hair as normal.
Cinnamon has been used for centuries in Ayurveda medicines. Cinnamon is available as an ingredient in many hair care products as it is said to help with hair growth. It is a natural and inexpensive way to treat hair loss, dandruff and also lighten hair naturally. You can also use cinnamon oil by adding a drop to your shampoo or conditioner and massage it into your scalp while in shower to make your shampoo. Use cinnamon regularly on your hair to lighten the hair color.
Twist Out
Check out the top 4 Natural Hair Products for the perfect twist out.
1. Twist and Seal in One Step A gentle hair tamer, Twist Out Hair Creme delivers the control you need when coiling your hair for different twist styles. 2. Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Hair Milk is ideal for defining natural curls and giving hair loads of shine and bounce. 3 Miss Jessie’s Coily Custard Coily Custard is excellent for transforming frizzy Fros to soft curls, fighting curl shrinkage and wash N Go Styling. 4. Olive Oil Hair Pudding Moisturizes, shines, and holds the hair. Alcohol-free formula won’t dry hair. Lightweight and non-sticky
Tips for an Easy Day Wash Easy wash day?!Yes! Read that right, it almost seems impossible for any naturalista to have a simple easy day wash, but with these helpful tips I know you will feel a bit more at ease when it comes to an easy wash and go. Plan Ahead
Know what products you’ll be using and have them on-hand. Keep your shampoo and conditioner in the shower as well as your deep conditioner if that’s something you know you’ll use regularly. Lay out your leavein conditioner, oils, butters or stylers so you can put your hand on them once your shampooing and conditioning is done. If you plan to use hair tools like a hair steamer or hair dryer, put them in a place where you can get to it quickly along with your styling products. The idea is to keep the flow going as you go straight from washing to styling.
my hair while standing in the shower was the best thing to happen to me and makes sense. As the shower water runs down the strands, you can follow the flow of the water and easily run your fingers through to detangle while rinsing. Basically, gravity is on your side!
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Wash Your Hair in the Shower
Sticking my head in the sink to get my hair washed as a little girl was the norm in my house every weekend. And I’m sure many of us still so this. But the idea of cleansing
Keep Hair Stretched
Keeping your hair in a stretched state as much as you can will help make cleansing so much easier than if you let your hair shrink prior to wash day. This will help keep the hair already somewhat detangled and will cut detangling time in half.
Wash in Sections
Washing your hair in as many sections as you feel you need to be effective will help keep it manageable and less likely to curl up on itself.
Post Wash N Go Tool Kit Wide Tooth Comb
Coconut Oil
Scrunchies
Shea Moisture Frizz- Free Curl Mousse
Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding
Make Up Tips & Tricks What’s primer? You want to contour what? These are probably some of the thoughts that run through your mind when you start to play around with make up. Well get ready for the confusion to come to an end. We sought out some of the best beauty blogs and make up artist for some hip new tricks and tips on how you can enhance your natural beauty with the tools of make up.
Your Perfect Match: Foundation
Read the Full Issue Susbribe to Natural Woman Magazine www.asknaturalwoman.com Achieving a beautifully natural look starts with the right foundation. Not makeup foundation, but the foundation of good skin. If you make skin care a priority and put forth the effort involved to maintain a clear complexion, minimal makeup will look fantastic on your flawless skin. When you don’t have to worry about covering blemishes or uneven complexions, you can wear no foundation or a very sheer foundation. This allows your gorgeous skin to show through.
Tips for Dark Circles: Dark circles can make you look tired. To get a wide-awake look, try this tip from makeup artist Bobbi Brown: “Prepare the under eye area with a hydrating, fast-absorbing eye cream, which will allow products to go on smoothly. Apply a corrector to cover the purple or green tones in the skin, then follow with a concealer that is one to two shades lighter than your foundation. Finally, set the under-eye area with a pale yellow powder to help it last longer and prevent creasing.”
Some women think that a natural look means no makeup, but this isn’t always the case. Instead, you should focus on enhancing your natural beauty. What is contouring? Contouring is the art of shading and highlighting to bring out or lessen features. It works best when you use the same colour family, in lighter and darker shades. For instance, for blusher you blush as normal and if you want to have killer cheekbones, add a touch of a blusher a couple shades darker just under where you have put your blush, where you have slight hollows. This
makes your cheekbones pop. Then you can add a lighter, shimmery colour on the top of your cheekbones. Blend as you don’t want stripes. The darker shades recede things ( make them look smaller) and the lighter makes them stand out. Learn how to even out your skin tone and highlight your cheeks and brows for a flawless complexion with this Highlighting and Contouring step by step.
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REAL SKIN SERIES: DARKER TONES
1. Foundation Frustration? No matter your skin tone, you may be searching for the perfect match – but this can be especially tricky for darker skin tones. Good news: pro brands like MAC are stocking wider ranges. Try their Matchmaster Foundation range. 2. Custom Color. If you’re still not finding a flawless match, do as the pros do – mix your own custom blend. Create a small jar of the new custom color and you’ll be free to lighten or darken as needed from season to season. Muji has a great selection of empty jars and bottles.
3. Blend to Perfection. The Expert Face Brush
expertly applies foundation (and cream blush and highlighter) to ensure product sinks into skin for a true-to-you finish. 4. Pigment Pop. This season’s hottest hues were made for you – bright colors and rich pigments look stunningly sophisticated on darker tones. Try this Nars Cream Shadow Duo in Burn it Blue. 5. Double Up. Add a tinted gloss on lips and dab the same gloss along your cheekbones to enhance your natural radiance. Try The Body Shop’s Honey Bronze Lip Nectar.
Source: realtechniques.com
Read the Full Issue 10 Tips to Facial Health Susbribe to Natural Woman Magazine www.asknaturalwoman.com
(Written by Licensed Esthetician Lori Angel, founder of Derm Appetit. Derm Appetit is an all Natural skincare product line that specializes in Cellular Health, Hydration and Resiliency producing Realistic results within days, Never tested on animals, 100% Natural & Exclusive) The skin is on a 28-45 day cycle depending on the chronological and physical ages. There are specific steps that can be utilized in your daily and weekly skincare regimen that can and will enhance the quality of your skin type and any skin conditions. So let’s get started.
Tip #1- Know your skin type and skin conditions. Skin types can be discovered via the size of the pores and the amount of oil production in the t-zone (forehead, nose & chin). There are five different types of skin: Oily, Dry, Normal, Combination and Sensitive. There are numerous skin conditions i.e. Premature aging, Acne, Eczema, Blackheads, Rosa cease and Dehydration. Knowing these will help determine the frequency of use for some of the following tips.
Tip#2- Cleanse the Face 1-2x daily for two minutes minimum to remove superficial impurities and nourish the skin. Depending on your skin type, cleanse the face up to two times a day. If only need one cleansing preferably perform it before bed. Tip#3- Exfoliate the face 1-2x weekly for two minutes minimum to remove expired skin cells, stimulate cellular renewal, create even skin tone, loosen compacted serum and dead skin lodged in follicles and prepare pores for detoxification. Tip#4- Masque the face 1-2x weekly after Exfoliating to remove compacted debris lodged in pores including black heads and acne and old sebum as well as tighten loos-
ened skin and prevent pre-mature aging. Tip#5- Tone the face with pH balancing toner 1-2x daily after cleansing or after Masque to reestablish an acidic pH (5.5) that has been slightly imbalanced by removing impurities in tip #1. The barrier of the skin is acidic in its original state and functions to protect the sub-layers of skin where they are formed from various micro bacteria that leach off of Sebum and Dead skin cells. Keeping the skin acidic preserves the skin from tissue damage and vulnerability to the external environment.
on, Plums, Grapes, Celery etc. Internal Hydration enhances Youth and blood pH, which has an astounding affect on the skin’s ability to be resilient. (Remember grapes vs. Raisins) Tip#10- Consult with Lori Angel, the founder of Derm Appetit to get a free facial consultation and Order Derm Appetits 6 step Facial system kit to perform each of the above listed skincare product tips on a regular basis to achieve healthy, glowing and resilient skin at: www.derm-appetit.com Youtube; Facebook; Instagram; Twitter Lori Angel- Licensed Esthetician, Founder of Derm Appetit.
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Tip#6- Hydrate/Protect the face 1-2x daily to keep the intracellular matrix of the skin cells Hydrated and Supple, creating an environment of health and resiliency. Dehydrated skin cells absorb nutrients and eliminate waste poorly and stagnantly. Also, the Moisturizer serves as another protective barrier that further shields the skin from the effects of the environment i.e uva rays, second hand cigarette smoke, heavy metals from chemical trails, radioactive isotopes etc. Tip#7- Roll face with Jade Stone Facial Roller 1-2x daily. Use of this amazing beauty tool has multiple functions including anti aging, anti acne and anti dehydration when used after the Cumin Facial Cocktail. Stimulates Lymphatic Drainage and blood circulation which enhances the cells ability to release toxins and absorb nutrients and oxygen.
Tip#8- Try to get REM Sleep Between the hours of 1-4am every night. This is the time of night that the skin cells are in reproduction and repair mode getting ready to protect the next day. Tip#9- Stay Hydrated. Drink ample Water, Spring water is best and fruits with very high water content such as Cucumber, Watermel-
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Read the Full Issue Loving yourSusbribe Natural Self to Words from the Royal Afolabi Ayinde Idowu Esuleke Natural Woman Magazine www.asknaturalwoman.com Written by Krystal Stallings
His royal Ifa Priest Afolabi Ayinde Idowu Esuleke is a man of many talents and skills. Not only is he a priest Esu in the African Ifa spiritual traditions he is also a skilled craftsman. I had the pleasure of speaking with Baba Afolabi, we discussed many things from love relationships between African men and African American women to what inspires him when he is creating a new art piece. What really moved me during our conversation was when we discussed the importance of loving yourself as a person of color. Unlike here in America Skin lightening is a booming business in the world of beauty in Africa, Asia, and India. A recent study by the University of Cape Town suggests that one woman in three in South Africa bleaches her skin. The reasons for this are as varied as the cultures in this country but most people say they use skin-lighteners because they want “white skin”. “We have been brainwashed to believe that black is bad and because of this we have many people especially women go to the extremes of bleaching their skin because the do not like their black skin.” “It is really sad because black
skin is the best.” The World Health Organization has reported that Nigerians are the highest users of such products: 77% of Nigerian women use the products on a regular basis. They are followed by Togo with 59%; South Africa with 35%; and Mali at 25%. South Africa banned products containing more than 2% of hydroquinone - the most common active ingredient in the 1980s. But it is easy to see creams and lotions containing the chemical on the stalls here. Some creams contain harmful steroids and others mercury. While skin-lightening creams have been used by some South Africans for many years, they have become more common recently with the influx of people from countries such as Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are even more widespread. Entrenched in the minds of many Africans from a young age is the adage “if it’s white, it’s all right”, a belief that has chipped away at the self-esteem of millions. Psychologists say the underlying reasons why people bleach their skin is because of low self-esteem and, to some degree self-hate. “ When I travel around the world to teach Ifa I am always well embraced by people about my skin. They love it. It is only when we feel bad about our skin that we feel we need to copy another race and damage our bodies with chemicals that make us lighter.” “The same God that created this earth is the same God that created you and I. He created us perfectly and it is our duty to be able to share what God has created, we don’t change it. Love your natural self, being natural does not require skin creams or so called beauty enhancement creams. Be happy in your beautiful skin whether its dark or light its yours to love.” Wise words from a wise man.
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A popular skin Lightening Cream ad marketed all over Africa
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Written by: Azizah Nubia
One of the coolest things about my job is that I get the opportunity to meet some amazing people. And this artist right here is no exception, Queen’s, New York native, Violinist, 2 time Emmy award winner, Damien Escobar brings a whole new sound to our musical ear buds. You may have heard of the group Nuttin’ But Strings on the hit show America’s got Talent. As part of the duo, Nuttin’ But Stringz, Damien along with his older brother Tourie made their presence thoroughly felt in the realm of music. After forming their groundbreaking group as young teens in 2003, the violin-wielding brothers unleashed an addictive concoction of energetic
Hip-Hop & Rock laced sounds that won them popularity and widespread acclaim. Damien has played for the Russell Simmons, Oprah, and even the President of the United States Barack Obama. Known as the Hip Hop Violinist Damien’s path to success took a dark turn in 2012 when Nuttin but Strings dismantled. Damien lost everything he worked so hard to build, “we thought the money would never end, but when it did things really got real. We went from thousand dollar pent houses to being back on my moms couch.” Filled with hard life lessons and a new humble beginning Damien went searching for something new. Damien decided to steer from music
and tapped into the Real estate market. Proudly dialing friends from his desk, he remembered a close friend storming into his office and demanding him to pick up the violin that helped title him one of the world’s best violinist. Reminding him that he was a musician trying to imitate something he clearly wasn’t, Damien’s friend put him back on track. A second chance at fame came as fast leading him to a new team and new vision. Rejuvenated, reinvigorated and more focused than ever, Damien Escobar is now ready to unleash a barrage of new material for music lovers everywhere to savor and enjoy. When I asked him what can his fans expect from his new upcoming tour Boundless he simply replied “Passion”. “I think I had an identity crisis since I was a kid from the hood attending Juilliard up until the point when my brother and I disbanded, but now I’m crystal clear about what I need to with my music and it’s a really liberating feeling.”
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I asked Damien what are his 3 tips of advice for other aspiring Dream Manifestors he said, “Tip number one is always believe in yourself. Number two stay consistent nothing happens over night. And number three never burn your bridges.”
Damien Escobar is truly a musical genius and I am on edge along with everyone else for the release of his newest “passion” packed album Boundless. Check Damien out at www.damienesco.com
Click here to watch Damien’s exclusive interview with Azizah Nubia
Cover Feature
Check out our pick of 10 amazing women for our Natural Woman Magazine’s Women in Business. Not only are these women up and coming power houses that have created companies that bring in lots of cash they are also environmentally safe. And did we mention they are all black owned.
Cover Feature
Marijuana Investment and Private Retreat (MIPR) Khadijah Adams MIPR is mobilizing Black investment on a national scale. Khadijah Adams is the founder and senior managing partner of Marijuana Investment & Private Retreat™ (MIPR), a limited liability corporation that bridges the gap between the marijuana industry and the public by sharing strategic ways of investing in the marijuana industry. She is a presidential board member of the National Cannabis Chamber of Commerce. Business member of MJBA, NCIA, Cannabis Consumers Coalition, Norml, MPP and has participated with Women Grow as a sponsor of local events. She is also an affiliate of Cashinbis and Marketfy.
Read the Full Issue Susbribe to Natural Woman Magazine www.asknaturalwoman.com Owner of Dredz N Headz & Founder of the Natural Hair Care Expo Malakia Tamu Cooper
Malaika has over 20 years of professional natural hair care expertise. Dedicated to learning and teaching innovative techniques for natural hair, she has developed several natural hair care techniques to help sistah’s and brotha’s nurture and restore their hair to its natural state. She has her own line of bath and body scrubs, non-itch hair formulas as well as natural hair pomades. Womb Sauna Thema Azize Serwa Reverend High Priestess Thema Azize Serwa, also known by many as Malinda Euell. Is a professional coach, educator, and ordained interfaith minister and the owner of the Womb Sauna. The Womb Sauna provides several services, including our unique vaginal steam experience, to support all aspects of your healing journey and desire to remain healthy. Thema has created an empowerment empire that not only teaches women the power of healing within, her company also trains and certifies other to become practitioners from all over the world.
CEO Lipmatic Destiny Jones Destiny launched Lipmatic in November of 2014. Lipmatic is an ode to old school hip-hop and New York, with a sketch of black skyscrapers on the bottom of each tube. The 12 organic lip glosses have cute names like Coney Island Cake, and Brooklyn Brownstone. The collection features four shades, each a play on track titles from Nas’s iconic album. Lipmatic is certified organic, opening it to a market of natural product junkies, though that wasn’t the intent. Delicious Indigenous Foods Chef Ahki
Read the Full Issue Susbribe to Natural Woman Magazine www.asknaturalwoman.com CEO of Delicious Indigenous Foods is a celebrity chef, natural foods activist and nutritional counselor. Ahki uses seasonal, organic, fresh (non-hybrid) fruits and vegetables to create living, healthy recipes designed to heal bodies and enhance lives. From vegans to health nuts and budget moms to foodies, her message of non-hybrid and electric foods is a way of life. Chef Ahki’s latest cook book, “Electric!, A Modern Guide to Non-Hybrid and Wild Foods” is why celebrities like Lenny Kravitz, Bradley Cooper, Curtis Martin, COMMON, Waka Flocka, and Lee Daniels fell in love with Ahki’s cooking.
curlBOX Founder: Myleik Teele Curlbox is a direct to consumers cosmetic service that delivers their product to your front door. If you have gone “natural”, you might have spent more money in the first few months on products for your hair than you’ve spent over the last few years combined. If you’ve only recently “gone natural,” you might be spending a lot of money trying to figure out what works for you. But you might also be getting frustrated with each purchase. Enter curlBOX, an exclusive, affordable and easy way to try various hair care products, which will be delivered to your door each month.
Ginger + Liz Founder: Ginger Johnson and Liz Pickett Ginger + Liz Colour Collection™ is a brand of vegan friendly, toxin-free nail lacquer with a loyal following of customers and celebrity fans alike. The brand was founded in 2010 by Ginger Johnson and Liz Pickett, two friends who bonded over their love for beauty products with a particular love for nail lacquer. The women also bonded because of their personal journeys to becoming vegan and vegetarian and the way it affected their overall health and beauty routine.
Read the Full Issue Susbribe to Natural Woman Magazine www.asknaturalwoman.com Magnolia Makeup Founder: Niala and Tia Howard
Niala and Tia Howard are the founders of Magnolia Makeup, based out of New Orleans, Louisiana and is a company devoted to color. The sisters are trying to fill a hole in the cosmetic industry and their tool is the color spectrum.
Magnolia Makeup is known for their highly pigmented product line. The company’s goal is to continuously give the customer high quality, fun makeup for any occasion.
LAMIK Founder: Kim Roxie Lamik Beauty is the first of its kind eco-chic makeup brand. It includes facial care products and eyelashes. Lamik’s goal is to give makeup a new purpose, women a renewed passion for wearing it, and a healthy platform for it to exist. The company believes that every woman is encouraged and emboldened by being included, no matter her race or age.
Natural Stories
Altering Perspective: How An Illness Can Change You For The Better Last year, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I had gone from maintaining a healthy weight and complexion and modeling as a hobby to gaining over 30 pounds as I suffered from cystic acne and thinning hair. As depressing as it seemed, there was a silver lining that presented itself among these dark clouds for me as it does for many others. What can start as a seemingly hopeless situation can offset a journey into natural health and awareness that can lift your spirits and improve your life. I would love to say that all medical conditions can be cured naturally, but this isn’t always the case. Everyone is navigating through their own maze of health issues and understanding of wellness. What I do believe we all have in common is the ability to take our power back and find a sense of balance even when our circumstances trigger us to believe otherwise.
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cates and women all over the world who were controlling their lives and not defining themselves based on their ailments. These stories made me even more curious and gave me the inner strength I needed to take action. The first thing I had to do was get my mind right. “Go with the flow� had always been my motto of choice. I had watched a few documentaries about natural health and the negative effects of hormones in our food, but I felt I was too young and too busy to be inconvenienced by such concerns. Only now was I realizing that poor health was the biggest inconvenience of all. I had to stop making excuses and reflect on what was really important in my life. Being mentally and physically strong to spend time with the people I love topped the list.
It causes you to reflect. Dealing with hormonal imbalance, ovarian cysts, insulin resistance, and the decline of my physical appearance, I found myself even more fatigued from depression. It felt like a never-ending cycle. Even so, somewhere between the pain, the embarrassment, - even the small annoyances of remembering to take my medication daily, I developed a curiosity to understand my body on a deeper level.
You become more determined to be your best self. Through extensive reading and research, I began to understand how much stress we put our bodies through and how what we put on the inside affects the outside much more than we realize. So, I decided to take a huge step and went on a mission to throw away all the bad foods from my kitchen and I swore off junk food. This attempt failed - and miserably at that.
I began to read stories of natural health advo-
With my next effort, I started small and was
more realistic about my goals. I practiced portion control and added side salads to my meals. I replaced sugary cereals with oatmeal sweetened with raisins and cinnamon and began drinking water with lemons instead of sodas. I read the ingredients before I bought things. I kept going to the same restaurants, but I was ordering smarter. It was by no means easy, but over time, the cravings for sugary sweets and junk foods lessened and became easier to brush off. I realized I wasn’t dieting; I was making lifestyle changes that allowed me to still have foods I loved without regret. Feeling healthier and empowered, I was led to make more conscious choices.
also comes more easily from naturally fueling the body and mind. I meditate often and try to spread positive vibes in the world around me as well. I now have an energy that I haven’t had in years, and my PCOS is much more manageable than before. Maybe you have an illness. Maybe you don’t. But when you change your perspective, you can change your life for the better. No matter what your situation may be, you ARE strong and nature will always be there to guide you.
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You accept yourself and develop a brighter outlook on life. My skin and my hair became more attractive after I started paying attention to the products I used. I swapped commercial brands for organic body butters and harnessed the benefits of honey to balance natural facial oils, leading to a smoother complexion and soft skin I hadn’t seen since childhood without makeup.
Also, I stopped flat-ironing my hair so often and using shampoos laced with chemicals. I found ways to enjoy my natural curls that are now more thick and defined thanks to essential oils and natural deep conditioners. I had stopped making excuses and started taking control of my life. Finally, I’ve become strong enough to say no to the things that don’t deserve my time and attention. I don’t mind speaking on my condition anymore because it allows me to share how much better I began to treat myself, and hopefully my journey can help someone else along the way. In my experience, creativity and inspiration
Follow me on Twitter @ p_talley101 princellatalley.contently.com
Artist Spotlight Who are you?: My name is Branden Charles I’m a comedian. What makes your art special?: I look at what I do as being a healer thats’ what makes my craft special. Laughter is the best medicine it can even heal cancer. What inspires you?: My personal pain. Some people get very depressed because of the things they go through, but for me I laugh through the pain. Who inspires you? My mothers first husband, he was really funny and never cared what anyone had to say about him. Then of course Dave Chapelle, I watched him alot when I was younger and I admired how he was able to address so many important topics in his comedy. They are my two biggest inspirations. What are your 3 tips of advice for success? Listen to your inner voice. Stay focused. Have fun and live life.
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Designer Spotlight
Wired Up & Stoned
What’s your name? My name is Tia Ma’at and I am the creative force behind Wired Up & Stoned Out the platform that I use to showcase the wearable art that I create. Where does your inspiration come from? I come from a line of creative woman the first being my mother the inspiration behind my vision.. My mother also made jewelry mainly earrings but as she gotten older she had to retire. I actually got started using her unused supplies. I also have an elder sister Ash I El Eruoa-Bey that played a huge role in my life and artistic career.. What was your most favorite item to design? I really don’t have one particular item that I like to make I enjoy the entire creative process of creating each piece. I really love working with copper and I truly enjoy working with the stones and crystals and I try to keep my pieces simple and let the crystals speak for themselves.... Less becomes more... How long have you been designing? I started out making jewelry in 2013 using some of my
mothers unused supplies! I picked up a roll of wire and began bending the wire into different shapes added ear wires and created my first pair of earrings and I haven’t looked back since. What are some of the challenges you face in building your business? Some the challenges I have faced would have to be the feeling of being overwhelmed like this is too much for one person and under selling my creations because I care and don’t want to over charge which sometimes means I’m giving somethings away that I’ve paid for. What are your 3 tips of advice for success? Three tips of advice I have for other up and coming designers will be 1) stay true to your vision 2) never doubt yourself 3) dare to be different