Why You Need Melanin Haircare's Multi-Use Softening Leave In Conditioner

One thing that thrived in 2020 was my hair.  I perfected my wash 'n go (nowhere), experimented with more blonde color, and tested new products. One product that blew me away and instantly became a holy grail was Melanin Haircare's Multi-Use Softening Leave In Conditioner. 

It retails for $18.99 on their site (and Ulta) and currently has a purchase limit of 3 bottles... which may seem like a lot, but I swear once you try this product you'll be obsessed and wanna stockpile more. Also note that there are times they're sold out, so it's not the worst idea to stock up. 

Recently Melanin Haircare featured me on their IG and while I would LOVE for this post to be sponsored lol, it's definitely not. I bought all products with my own money and genuinely love the way it works.

Have you tried Melanin Haircare yet? 

#MelaninBae @sixtwentyseven serving us DIMENSIONAL Coils this Monday morning! 😲😍🙌🏾 She writes 💬 "This style is a fluffed out, old wash 'n go (nowhere) that I did using @melaninhaircare's leave-in and almond oil." 🥳💃🏾🙌🏾 #MelaninHaircare⁠ pic.twitter.com/XYjqPtcnoN

— melaninhaircare (@melaninhaircare) January 4, 2021

Where to go for Knotless Box Braids in Seattle

Y'all... I'm so happy to have real knotless box braids that are professional and NOT DIY #QuarantineBraids 😭😭😭 I'd been looking for someone in Seattle who could do #KnotlessBoxBraids similar to the ones I got in Chicago last year by @mibelle_beauty. When @impekablenails referred me to Ange (@purity_k_beauty), I was thrilled! @purity_k_beauty braids in a private salon space in Lynnwood, wears a mask throughout the appt (it's still a pandemic), has beautiful and consistent work, clients who have edges (that matters lol), and is a sweetheart. These are the "Nelly Braids" and we used a custom blend of 1b/27, 1b/30, 27, 30, and 613. Her bookings open on the 25th of each month and she books for the next month. I love referring people to quality stylists, so if you've been on the hunt for a #SeattleBraider to give you 🔥 knotless box braids (or other braided, loc or twist styles) head to her page on 10/25 and send her a DM to book. A $25 deposit is required when you book. Tell her I sent you! We'll probably be in quarantine through 2021, but there's no need to look dusty lol... treat yourself to some real braids 😂 I'm recovering from emergency dental surgery and feel like a 💰 every time I look in the mirror. Tee by Gracie J (IG: @theeditorialnail)

 

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A post shared by Ishea Brown Couch (@sixtwentyseven)

Sephora Cream Lip Stain | Swatches on Dark Skin

I love a bold matte lip and I’m lowkey embarrassed to admit I was late to the party with these 🔥 Sephora cream lip stains. I first learned about them from Holly (IG: @itsholly) and started off with shades 01 and 94, before diving off the deep end and adding a bunch more. These retail for $15 and have a wonderful formula (I always exfoliate before wearing matte shades and my lips never feel dry), pigmentation (colors are ☀️af), and don’t transfer. 

Due to the pandemic I couldn’t see these irl at a store before buying, and had to look for online reviews, swatches, and pray they looked good in person. The shades are all amazing. Y’all know I love red... but I especially LOVED “Dark Forest” -- it’s like a vampy Mother Earth type of vibe.

Watch below to see swatches of my Sephora cream lip stains 💋 in colors: 

01 Always Red 

94 Cherry Moon 

95 Electric Ruby 

96 Red Velvet 

12 African Violet 

52 Dark Purple 

27 Black Cherry 

29 Dark Forest 

 

Tips for doing DIY Box Braids #QuarantineBraids (Beginner)

Back in May 2020 I, like many other Black girls going through the pandemic and quarantine, realized I finally needed to learn how to do my own box braids. This was my first time doing DIY box braids and after rocking them for 2 weeks, I wanted to share my beginner tips to help (and encourage) other newbies who were curious about doing their own #QuarantineBraids.

I'm still lowkey shook that I actually did my own jumbo box braids and that they didn't look like trash! Have you tried doing your own #QuarantineBraids? What tips have you learned?

Tower 28 Beauty | ShineOn Lip Jelly + Milky Lip Jelly Swatches on Dark Skin

When I originally searched for reviews and swatches of vegan beauty brand Tower 28 Beauty's products on darker skin, it was damn near non-existent. It was actually quite shocking because the brand's online presence seems to be rather inclusive (I particularly like the aesthetic of their IG), but it was *crickets* trying to find videos of melanated folks reviewing the products. 

Pre-pandemic Sephora was my therapy. I could wander around the store for hours... getting lost in the aisles of products, ample samples, and testers. Due to COVID-19 and the pandemic changing everything about life we knew it, I've been been quarantined at home for over 300 days (and counting), and doing a TON of online shopping. I was rarely one to buy beauty products online without sampling them first in-store, so I've found myself relying on reviews more than ever. 

Below is a quick video showing swatches of the Tower 28 Beauty ShineOn Lip Jelly and ShineOn Milky Lip Jelly. This video was originally made for Tik Tok, but I feel our shortened attention spans can appreciate gems dropped in under 60 seconds. 

 

Where to go for Knotless Box Braids in Chicago

Last month when I was in Chicago, I got knotless box braids for the first time... and after only having them for 12 hours, I fell in love. HARD! Although I live in Seattle now, Chicago is still my hometown and I wanted to spread the word about where everyone should go to get the best #KnotlessBoxBraids in the city!

I got my braids done by a woman on the North Side named Mimi (IG:@mibelle_beauty). I was referred to her by a girlfriend whose knotless box braids looked amazing (I was obsessed with them) and she told me she'd gotten referred to Mimi after asking a random girl in the bathroom who did her braids. Do you follow all of that? I know it's a bit extra. All of this is to say, referrals are powerful when your work speaks for itself... and so many amazing things can happen in the women's bathroom!

I've had braids a million times over the years, so I considered myself a bit of a pro going into this experience. Still, my mind was blown wide open when I finally experienced knotless box braids for the first time. I filmed this video to capture the true essence of my joy because I knew typing out a blog post alone wouldn't do them any justice.

Leave it to an amazing braiding experience to really make me blow the dust off my blog... even if statistics show that people only read on average for 17 mins a day, vs 2.5 hours/day spent watching their content (read: why I originally posted this video to Instagram weeks ago lol).

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A post shared by Ishea Brown (@sixtwentyseven) on Oct 5, 2019 at 9:19am PDT

I've already referred a few folks to Mimi via Instagram, but I love making hair content available online (plus for SEO) to make it more accessible to people outside of Instagram.

Chicago Braider: Mimi
IG: @Mibelle_Beauty

The best way to reach Mimi is via her IG account (you can DM her). Note that a deposit is required to book with her (deposit is applied towards your final cost). She's located on the North Side of Chicago and braids out of her home. I thought her service was super professional and I appreciated her patience working with me via IG to solidify details (size of braids, size of parts, hair color(s) to use). I also loved that her work was extremely consistent! If you end up booking with Mimi, tell her I sent you!


Tip: Whenever you're booking with a stylist, it's nice to show them inspo pics of work they've actually done when you're going to them for a particular style. It shows that you've done your research and are coming to this because they're strong in the area of your desired style. 

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A post shared by Ishea Brown (@sixtwentyseven) on Oct 5, 2019 at 10:25am PDT