So, it's been a while since I've updated you guys on my hair and all that good stuff, so, I've decided to leave you guys with a few tips that might help 'new naturals' based on my experiences. Seeing that it's already long overdue, let's get straight to it.

*Protective Styling 

 This may be essential when transitioning as it helps to shield the hair from the elements and goes a long way in helping to retain moisture. However, don't overdo it (as I have done this summer with my braids), as like everything else, too much is simply too much. Getting to know your hair is probably the most important part of the journey, and that's how you'll figure out how often what works and what doesn't, as well as the frequency at which your hair desires them.

Since going natural, I've been rockin' braids pretty frequently, and especially of late, so I hardly knew anything about my hair. It wasn't until recently that I discovered that I'm protein sensitive and my hair is barely porous, and as such, it constantly looks as if it lacks moisture. Now, my main focus is to keep it well moisturized and I achieve this by deep-conditioning at least twice per week. That brings us to my next point....

*Deep Conditioning

So, after stressing both my matte red and plum Revlon lipsticks, I've realized that these babies are gonna finish in no time, and since they're a a bit much for my budget (More than $1500 JMD at Fontana (abt. $12 USD)), I had to find another option. The price may sound quite inexpensive to some, but I'm a college student, and it's really just paint for the lips, no offense to my 'makeup connoisseurs'. Plus, it's okay to be cheap sometimes. 

Anyhow, lately, I've been OBSESSING over brown lipstick and I've discovered a much cheaper method to create a similar matte look, for a price of less than $90 JMD (less than $1 USD). I simply purchased a brown lip liner and used it to line as per usual, then used it to fill. Finally, I either use my fingers or a simple 'smack' to even things out. Of course, you won't get your all-day coverage as you would with your full priced, top-of-the-line matte lippy, but it surely does the trick for a few good hours and there's nothing wrong with retouching throughout the day. For the price of $90, there's really no better deal out there.