Did you see it yet? The newest edition of HER Detroit Magazine.

So, for those of you who don't know, I am writer for one of the hottest local publications in "The D", called HER Detroit Magazine. I write a skin care column called The Redden Report, and this past issue, I did a story on the flyyest sisters of Naturally Flyy Detroit. I am literally floating because I got to write about two of  the things I absolutely love- skin and hair.

Please check it out and let me know what you think. Your girl is trying to do big things (praise God from whom all blessings flow) and so grateful for the opportunity (shout out to my editor, Natashua Sanders).

Click on the magazine cover to see full digital version of the mag, or to jump straight to The Redden Report, click here, for the Naturally Flyy Detroit article, click here.

Due to printing space, I had to edit my original article to fit for print. But, because I think it's share worthy, here it is.

Being Naturally Flyy in Detroit

By Rhonda Ware-Redden

I know you’ve seen them. From the Eastside to the Westside- Old Redford to Midtown, the city streets are filled with black girls rocking their natural hair. Take a look in a magazine or on television commercials nationwide and you will see women with their locs, twist outs or TWA’s (teeny weenie afros) proudly representing team natural.

There’s a natural hair movement taking the city by storm started by two native Detroit sisters, Jennifer and Espy “Ettafly” Thomas. Their group is called Naturally Flyy Detroit and it was created in 2010 as a way for natural haired women to come together and get advice on products, ingredients and natural hair styles. Jennifer, who has worn her hair natural for over 8 years, recalls looking to the Internet initially for help when looking for ways to style her natural textured hair. “I noticed that girls in other states were having little group times together where they could meet at a restaurant or coffee shop, or somebody’s house and I was like, I want to have that. I want to talk to people about natural hair …if I’m going to wear my hair like this I need to have all the information so that it can be cute and I can feel good.”

So after the date was set, they decided to make an events page on Facebook and hold the meeting at their family’s business, Sweet Potato Sensations. All of a sudden, a meeting they thought was going to be around 20 or 30 people, turned into one hundred guests as the RSVP list kept growing and growing. The first meet up was a success and over a year later they are still going strong as a welcomed event in the natural hair community.

The last event in October was moved from their family business to The Artist Village across the street. It was a bigger space to meet the demands of the hundreds of naturalistas that swarmed parking lots and stopped traffic with their head turning do’s. Espy, whose natural journey started 12 years ago, wants people to know that it’s not just a meet up, it’s a sister hood and it covers the untapped territory on being natural. “I think it was something people wanted, but it just wasn’t going on here,” says Espy, “and a lot of times, especially with black women, our hair is so important to us. People really want to have hands on experience and talk to somebody else…it’s like a safe space to do that. It’s no negative energy, it’s peace and people get ideas. And I think it’s something that people really want to connect on a level of sisterhood like that, they just haven’t had that chance before.”

Well, the chance will come once again in February for the next meet up. The official date has not yet been set, but they expect to have more vendors, the product and accessories swap, live demonstrations and a few other surprises that they have up their sleeves. One feature that a lot of women are looking forward to is the discussion panel, The Men’s Forum Part 2. This is where a panel of men, ranging in ages talk about their love, or dislike of women with natural hair. Espy believes that the panel is important and says it’s a very frank discussion with everyone respectfully saying what’s on their minds. “In order for us to cultivate good relationships and family, we need to keep this open dialogue with our black men,” she says, “women are the silent leaders anyway, so if your confident in your natural hair, he’ll be confident with it too.”

But, don’t think that they will be checking hair at the door, all hair textures are welcome. These meet ups are about empowerment and just to let women know that they have other options. “We always try to encourage people when they say ‘how do you do that’ or ‘I don’t have time for that’. This is the easiest thing in life, ever. But, you have to take the time, have patience,” adds Jennifer. “When we used to call the girls hair (good hair) back in the day in elementary school it was because her hair could be worn curly or straight. That’s what it was to me. That’s what this is.”

Both Espy and Jennifer take pride in not only bringing more people to the area, but also being able to dispel the myth that black women can’t work together. They are glad that Naturally Flyy Detroit has encouraged conversations and friendships. Although it starts with the hair, ultimately they want women to focus on their values “from the crown down”- how you think, how you speak, the clothes you wear down to how you present yourself to the world. They just launched Naturally Flyy Denver in August, but make it plain that they are more concerned about growing in ideas, than growing in numbers.

For more information about Naturally Flyy Detroit, go to their group and fan pages on Facebook, or their website www.naturallyflyydetroit.com.

Benefit They're Real Mascara Review

I love Mascara! If I leave home without a stitch of foundation on (concealer is a must), I'm going to at least have something on my lips (lip balm will do) and my eyes (mascara and/or eyeliner). Although I do wear false lashes more often these days, sometimes I don't feel like caring for them (sleeping pretty, cleaning eye area with q-tips, etc.). So the next best thing is mascara that makes you look like you have naturally long, luscious lashes.

I was watching one of the home shopping channels, as I often do, and they were showcasing Benefit's They're Real Mascara so I decided to give it a try. Here's the lowdown.

I've always said the success, or lack there of, of a mascara for me has very little to do with the formulation, but mostly in the make of the brush. So when I saw the way the brush was made, I knew that it would be interesting. The round tipped brush helps get those small lashes on the edge and bottom lashes that are hard to reach and it curls them.


The Pros:
Defined each lash and separated them
Round tip brush helps get corner lashes better
Curls lashes
Lengthens
Didn't smudge or run throughout the day

The Cons:
Didn't thicken the lashes like I like- they were more spikey
Had to use two coats
The price- $22 (and if I'm using two coats w/ each use, it's gonna go fast)

Final Thoughts:
The product details for this mascara don't say that they are waterproof, but it didn't budge using facial wipes. When I used my Dermalogica Pre-Cleanse, that I often use for makeup removal, it was not a problem. If it weren't for the price, I would definitely recommend this mascara, but for a diva on a budget, I don't know if a $22 mascara is budget wise.

For that, I give this mascara 3 out of 4 smooches.




Love, Peace and Soul Deep Beauty

Soul Deep Beauty TV

So, I know I've been in business for over a year and a "welcome video" sounds 12 months too late, but better late than never ;) It's just a brief overview of my business because I had to get my feet wet for what I hope is to come. (Fingers crossed on both hands)

Dare to be... a visionary.

At my company, Soul Deep Beauty Skin Therapy, I am not only focused on helping people take the lead in realizing the importance of skin care, but I also want to help encourage both men and women to take the lead in their own personal lives. Encouragement can help empower, and it's life's little experiences that help get us to our big goals.

I decided to start a "Dare To Be" campaign. This journey will be little baby steps towards living outside the box. Not all steps will be for both men and women (unless that's your thang), but it's just a way to experience things we never have before.

So in the spirit of the New Year, the latest challenge is something I actually did several months ago, and that is - I created a vision board. They became widely popular when The Secret came out, and I had mentioned before that that book made me change my mode of thinking after I read it. It basically talked about the law of attraction in that what we put out into the world comes back to us weather bad or good.

At the time I created my vision board, I was in a place of knowing what I wanted to do, but feeling like it was so far away and out of my grasp. So,I decided to stop telling myself "no" and put it out there that I can have the life I always dreamed. But, there was only one problem- how the heck do you make a vision board? I had no idea where to start other than clip pictures and images from magazines. I am an organized person so one big collage of a whole bunch of stuff wasn't going to work for me. I needed structure.

It wasn't until I read an article in Essence Magazine by motivational speaker and teacher of "The Secret", Lisa Nichols, that I figured out how to structure my vision board. ....I now was able to create order for my board which made me happy. I sectioned my board into four sections: Health & Wellness, Love & Relationships, Work & Finances and Spirit &Affirmations.

Here's what you need:
Poster board
Plenty of magazines
Scissors
Glue Sticks/ Tape
Markers
(Optional- glitter, sticker decals, etc. depending on how glamorous you want to make it.)

Here's what you do:
Basically cut and paste images and words that mean something to you and represent your goals. When researching vision boards, I came across a site for another motivational speaker named Christine Kane and she said it best: "Vision boards add clarity to your desires and feelings to your visions." And have fun with it. I felt like I was in grade school again as I was sprawled on the floor, with my legs kicking in the air.

The Results:

Whole thing

The Payoff:
So the thing I thought was the least likely to happen, did. In the Work & Finances section I pasted my pic in a magazine article and wouldn't you know that this month was the third time my name was in print in HER Detroit Magazine. Hallelujah! And as for the other goals that I haven't reached yet, I'm getting there with baby steps.

Whether you look at your board daily or weekly, you should ask yourself what you've done to make your visions happen.

What about you, what would you put on your vision board and if you already have one, how's it going?

Happy New Year!

Ok, so I know that it's three days in, but better late than never, right? I decided to take a "real" vaca away from all business related material (except my email) for ten days and I'm getting back in the stride of things starting today. One of my resolutions, if you can call it that is to take real time out for myself.

Another goal I want to reach, besides losing 30 pounds (I'll touch on that later) is to post more frequently. But, I want what I have to say to be received. So I'm asking fans of Soul Deep Beauty to weigh in: tell me what you want to see more of, what you want to see less of and send me your skin care and makeup questions. Who knows, maybe your question will be featured on the next Redden Report for HER Detroit Magazine.

I have high hopes for 2012 and know that the best is yet to come. For now, I'll keep you posted.

Peace, love and Soul Deep Beauty!