My Top 5 Favorite Leave In Conditioners

I hope everyone is having a joyful December! Winter solstice is fast approaching, which means temperatures are dropping low to da flo! If, like me, you have dry curly/wavy hair, then you understand both the importance and struggle of keeping your hair moisturized, especially in colder weather. Don't fret, my loves. I'm giving you a list of my top 5 favorite leave in conditioners!

1) Shea Moisture's Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner - This is the second Shea Moisture product I ever purchased, and I fell absolutely in love with it! Talk about delivering on its promise. My hair is super easy to detangle after running this through my hair. Plus, you don't need a lot to quench you hair's thirst. A little goes a long way! (Vegan)

2) As I Am Leave-In Conditioner - Love, love, love this leave-in, too! It hydrates and softens my hair in an instant and it spreads well. It's packed with ingredients such as, lemon extract, amla, sugar beet root, green tea, lemon, apple, sugar cane, phytosterols, and saw palmetto. (Vegan)

3) Marrakesh Leave-In Treatment and Detangler - This stuff is expensive, but worth every damn penny! It contains argan and hemp oil. It smells incredible! I mean, the fragrance is enticing in the best possible sense of that word. I love the way this leave-in made my hair feel. I even put my grandmother on to it, and she's a tough critic, but she loved it, too. (Vegan)

4) DermOrganic Leave-In Treatment with Argan Oil - Another expensive leave-in conditioner that I love. I haven't purchased it in a long time, but it is stellar! The oil melts into your hair and delivers hydration in an instant. It smells delicious, too. Invest in this leave-in because it's a great addition to your hair care arsenal! (Vegan)

5) Olive Miracle Anti-Breakage Formula Leave-In Conditioner from African Pride - I bought this a couple of days ago in a mad rush because it's inexpensive. I'm not afraid to buy cheap hair products because many of them are just as good if not better than some expensive hair products. So far. So good. It makes my hair very soft and has helpful ingredients such as olive oil, tea tree oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil to name a few. I love it!

Note: I suggest pairing leave-in conditioner with oil for an added dose of moisture and to seal it all in!

Happy hunting!

(Edited Version)

Growing Pains and Self-Love

There are no shortage of lessons to be learned in life. All lessons are hard lessons. It's important to remember that no one is too old to learn a life lesson or two. Everyone says that they hate learning things the hard way, but that's not true. We're a slave to pain and chaos, which is why learning is extremely difficult and exhausting. I think the hardest part of learning from an experience is trying to retain any self-love that is left after the dust settles. How do you learn from your mistakes and come out of a scenario with your dignity intact? Is it possible? Is the answer at the back of the book? It's almost impossible to avoid the embarrassment of falling on your face in front of other people. They don't call them growing pains for nothing! It's easy to feel foolish for getting your hopes up or believing in something so strongly only to discover that it isn't real, and it's hard to love yourself despite the fact. What's the remedy to breaking your own heart? I know that the remedy to making mistakes is to learn from them, but how do you repair your ego once it's in shambles? Is self-love like a house? Do you always have to build it from the ground up? Is there a twelve step program to rehabilitate the ego after a run-in with failure? I'm still trying to figure it out.

Stan Lee and the power of kindness as a legacy

On November 12th, 2018, Stan Lee departed this realm. He will always be remembered as an artist who broke barriers and paved the way for others to create iconic characters. Lee's work will live on in the hearts of billions around the globe. There has been no shortage of tributes since his passing, but my favorite tributes are those that highlight his kindness. Kindness is a powerful legacy to leave behind. Why? Because despite what some may believe, EVERYONE is talented, but not everyone is kind. The million dollar question is what do you bring to the table besides your abilities? There are individuals who are gifted painters, actors, writers, photographers, scientists, etc., but they are horrible people! There is something to be said about people who are kind and don't fear spreading their kindness. The world needs good and evil. The good balances out the bad and vice versa. It took me a long time to comprehend that, but as I grow older, I appreciate the notion, although its painful to accept most of the time. A legacy is not as fulfilling if kindness is not at the root of it. Look at Mr. Rogers, Princess Diana, Keanu Reeves, and Tom Hanks. People admire them for their work, but they applaud their generosity and compassion even more. No one is perfect, but it's important that we strive to be good to each other frequently. Stan Lee is larger than the universe he created because it stemmed from a place of kindness, understanding, and tolerance. He was humble, and he treated those around him with the utmost respect. The world is a better because he was in it. Are you wondering how you could ever repay him? Simple. Be a superhero. Choose kindness because kindness makes the world go around. Kindness.

Love,
Nyasia

The world is a mess, but...

When I was a teenager, I always told my father that the world was coming to an end. I told him that the world was getting worse and worse as the days went by. Here I am at twenty-five years of age, and the world is still turning. He told me that bad things have been happening since time began. I knew he was right, but I was still convinced that it was becoming more of a disaster than ever before. Of course, looking back I realize that I was wrong. Well, not entirely wrong. I mean, anyone who has taken a history course, watches the History channel and/or the news knows crazy shit has been happening forever. However, with the advancement of technology, it feels as though the world has reached an entirely new level of evil and absurdity. Call me cynical, but it's true. Have you read the comment section on social media?! Have you seen some of the pages that exist on social media?! Anyway, to make a long story short, I know it's extremely easy to have little or no faith in humanity (I'm speaking from a place of experience), but good still exists. I've witnessed kind gestures that remind me that the world isn't all bad. There's still a lot to smile and laugh about. I make it a point to laugh each day. You've got to keep a sense of humor in this crazy thing called life, so for your viewing pleasure, I'm posting a links to two YouTube videos that are sure to make your heart fill with laughter and tears of joy. Enjoy! 

Love,
Nyasia

 https://youtu.be/nlYlNF30bVg

https://youtu.be/JOKwuyF5hek

Willkommen

Well, well, well. I've finally joined the blogging world. It's official. Oddly enough, I'm pretty nervous about taking this step. I get nervous easily, so don't mind me. My goal is to connect with as many people as possible; therefore, I will cover an array of topics. Life is complicated and beautiful and scary and hilarious and painful and delightful. We're in this together! I hope that my posts will resonate with all who are willing to give it a chance. Hold on tight. You're in for a hell of a ride! 

Love,
Nyasia

xoxoxoxo