Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The Ultimate Epicurean Boutique Market

You may remember the post "Making a list? Check it twice!" where I announced that  Just Bee You! would be attending the Ultimate Epicurean Boutique Market at the Crowne Plaza in Port of Spain. I'm not even going to wait till the end to summarize or add suspense or anything - let me just come right out and say I had a tremendous time at this event! It was well organised and my interaction with Andrea of Eventuality Ltd was wonderful from the very beginning. She was professional yet friendly in her approach, prompt in responses to messages and kept us updated and informed  in the weeks leading up to the event.

I attended the event with my mom and cousin Kari, two of my "elves" as I like to call them =) We did not arrive as early as we would have liked, and then I forgot a piece of my table display at home, but we were able to modify the display and set up fairly quickly.

My two 'elves'  =)
This was my first show in Trinidad and I thoroughly enjoyed the day! The interaction among participants was great. I had some really friendly "neighbours", with the Soap Boutique on my right and STC & Company who were on my left - their lemongrass soap smelled DIVINE I need to pick up some of that, and the soap net! I tried to visit as many booths as I could when I got a little break. There were some wonderful products on display, I would encourage everyone to take the time to check out some of your local manufacturers and artisans when doing your shopping this holiday season.

The response to Just Bee You! beauty products was extremely positive. I am glad I participated in the Epicurean Market and look forward to attending more markets soon. I would encourage crafters, soapers, manufacturers to attend a few of these markets, not just for the exposure to customers and potential customers, but also for the opportunity to meet other persons in your industry or related industries who may provide a product or service that you may need. The interaction with knowledge gained from more experienced persons in the industry will prove invaluable.

The pictures I took were a bit dark (boo hoo!) but there are pictures on the Facebook page if you'd like to see more.


Monday, October 22, 2012

A vapour in the wind

Every now and then I'm reminded that life is so fragile! The passing of Dawnyele last weekend was another reminder for me, since I was just watching her last update a couple days before that. Dawnyele was a natural hair vlogger/blogger. (If you are not familiar with who she was you can go to her fotkiblog or youtube channel). Her large following is no surprise as she had a warm personality that seemed to reach you through the computer screen. I was introduced to Dawnyele through the fotki picture-sharing site. We interacted through picture comments and messages. I added her as a fotki friend and followed her album faithfully as our textures were similar. It's crazy how you feel like you know someone as they share their world with you online through blogs and vlogs. I have never met her in person but I felt so sad to hear of her passing. 

My heart goes out to her family and loved ones - judging by the out-pouring of emotion online by those of us who just knew her through the medium of the internet, I can only imagine how much she will be missed by those who knew her personally. Their hearts must be breaking! My prayers are with them.


I've met so many great people through being a part of the online hair community, many of them I have formed great friendships with, even though I have never even met them in person. A few I have been fortunate to meet (*waves @ Black Pearls*). Some of them I really wish lived right around the corner, that would be so awesome (I'm talking about you Natitwists! ) Others I only know by your fotki name/youtube name, but all of you have been such a wonderful source of support and encouragement. I take this opportunity to say thank you to all of my online hair inspirations! Life is a vapour, and we should truly take every opportunity to appreciate those who've played a positive role in our lives. I've mentioned a couple of names already, but I'd also like to mention Deidre of Keep it Kinky, Yekinae (Michelle), Chicoro, Loolah of Healthy Hair and Body, Lina40, Mooks-Hair, Corporate Naps, Gisele69, Melanizm and I CANNOT leave out Dee of nappturality.com her online forum is one of the main reasons I am still a natural todayI might have forgotten some people, I'm so sorry in advance! To everyone who's been an inspiration or source of support to me along my hair journey thank you, thank you, thank you!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Some Good News...

I was featured in a local newspaper the "Tobago News" as one of Tobago's up and coming entrepreneurs, yay!   =)
 

Laci Joseph – from diplomat to entrepreneur

By Victor Laptiste

"Laci Joseph epitomises the new spirit of entrepreneurship which we have been hearing about for a long time but seldom see manifested.
This elegant, charismatic, gifted young lady who is skilled in so many areas may have had some difficulty in settling on a career choice because she is so multi-talented. With absolute faith in whatever venture she has undertaken she has learnt that nothing ventured, nothing gained..."

Read the rest of it here : http://www.thetobagonews.com/news/Laci_Joseph__-172767331.html

 

Friday, October 5, 2012

Making a list? Check it twice!

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Get a head start at the Ultimate Epicurean & Boutique Market, at the Crowne Plaza in Port of Spain on Saturday 27th October 2012.


"Just Bee You!" Beauty Products will have a booth there! So If you live in Trinidad, it's the perfect opportunity to stock up on hair and body goodies =)  Contact me to place your order now and collect it at the event.



Enjoy local entertainment while you shop in air-conditioned comfort and, hello, admission is FREE to the public! =)  There’ll be random Door Prizes drawn ALL DAY which, by the way, includes a chance to win hampers from "Just Bee You!” Beauty Products. Be sure to visit their Facebook page to get more details and to RSVP if you're going to be there.

So why not shop handmade this Christmas? It's a great way to support local artisans/crafters/entrepreneurs, besides … everyone enjoys unique handmade gifts! 

See you there!



Monday, October 1, 2012

My Natural Hair Regimen

Now that you know how to build a hair regimen (in case you missed it, read Part 1 and Part 2 first), I thought I'd to share my regimen with you. I break it down into four main categories: Clarify, Moisturize, Pamper and Nourish. I also have Length Retention as a category, though sometimes I kind of stray away from that one, so I guess you could call it a sub-category. 

Once I cover these basics my hair is happy - My hair thrives as long as I keep my hair and scalp clean, moisturize religiously, deep condition regularly and nourish it with good stuff (my hair is spoilt now so it reacts to crappy ingredients!) and use protective styles.

Here are the simple basics of my hair care routine:

Clarify:

  • No-poo / conditioner wash – 1 time weekly with any 'el cheapo' conditioner, Suave Tropical Coconut is one of my faves.
  • About once a month, clarify with my homemade shampoo (available soon from "Just Bee You!" Beauty Products) OR diluted black soap OR bentonite clay

Pamper:
  • Deep Condition and /or Hot Oil Treatment: 1 time weekly (for 30 minutes with heat, 1 hour and more without heat) I make my own deep conditioner (which I will also sell in the near future); my hair also likes "Africa's Best Organics Hair Mayonnaise", hot oil treatments using Oils and Herbs and homemade kitchen concoctions such avocados blended with olive oil or plain yogurt with oils and honey.
  • At least one of my 4 deep condition sessions per month should involve protein. I use cassia obovata (AKA neutral henna)
  • Incorporate herbal rinses as a final rinse after my shampoo and conditioner/deep condish as regularly as possible. I use Herbal Sachets

Moisturize:
  • My hair loves water! I apply a light mist of water based moisturizer Herbal Hair Spritz to my hair daily or every other day. As a short cut to this step, I shower without a cap on so my hair gets sprinkled in the shower.
  • After weekly shampoo, condition session I apply a heavy cream/butter (Shea and Aloe Hair Souffle) to my hair while damp to seal in moisture. I generally only need to re-apply this (mainly to my ends) once during the week until next wash day.
  • Sleep with a plastic cap under my satin cap/scarf 2–3 days a week.

Nourish:
I try to only use products which are made from natural and safe ingredients and avoid harsh chemicals. Most of what I use on my hair and body is handmade. Now that my hair knows the difference between good stuff and crap I have no choice anyway, or it just REBELS! And most of all, it's much better for your health to avoid the amount of toxins and harmful substances to which you expose your body. If you're not into mixing your own things at home, that's what we're here for =) So be sure to check out the handmade hair and body goodies from "Just Bee You! Beauty Products.

Length Retention:
  • I clip my ends only when necessary. You don't need a 'schedule' for clipping your hair, clip your ends when they need clipping. Don't believe the myth that clipping ends every 4 weeks or full moon or whatever adds length or thickness.
  • I generally finger comb my hair. Whenever I do comb I use wide tooth combs (Usually for detangling when fingers aren't enough) and the tail of a rat-tail comb for parting. 
  • I wear protective styles the majority of the time. My go-to protective hairstyle is twists, though I also like braids, crochet braids, and wigs.
  • I put my hair away at night to prevent tangling, matting and breakage. For Twists, Flat twists, Box Braids, Cornrows - I simply cover them with a satin cap or scarf. For Loose Hair - I grab large sections of hair, mist lightly and finger detangle, then make large twists or large braids and cover with satin cap / scarf. This leaves my hair untangled and soft for the next day!
What works for my hair may not work for yours, but this is just what I have come up with through experimenting and getting to know what makes my hair happy.