Weave VS Natural- Which Do You Prefer?

Weave

No Weave

Can you tell the difference between these two pictures? Maybe not if you're a guy, but probably so if you're a living, breathing, woman. That's right, the war of the weaves. 


I took to Facebook and Twitter recently to poll guys on which they prefer- weave or natural? Most guys responded that they prefer natural if possible, but won't argue with a weave wearing woman. I guess to each his own. 


My question is- Is it a deal breaker? I've heard some men bash weave, lacefronts, wigs etc. but then turn around and say how "Bad" Beyonce and Meagan Good are. Hmmm...I guess their hair just grows real fast. 


Please note that "bald head scalywags" are not the only people who wear fake hair. Black, white, red, purple, and women of all races, backgrounds, and hair types wear weave. I have friends with hair down their back that wear wigs, tracks, etc for fun and to switch things up. 


Take myself for example. I have a good amount of natural hair that can take me 3-4 hours to wash, condition, and flat iron. I love my hair and I wear it every chance I get, but can you imagine? Working out, running through the rain, and even dancing can become treacherous endeavors. I'll be unbeweaveable every now and then to keep my sanity.


So what is your take? Are weaves unnatural, unnecessary, and unattractive? Or can they be done with taste and tact? Would you date a woman who wore fake hair or is it a deal breaker? Women how do you feel? 

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my lovely viewers, subscribers, and followers. May God Bless you and yours!

My festive holiday manicure courtesy of OPI :)

How I Get My Natural Hair Super Straight

Prenup or No Prenup?

Hmmm didn't see this one coming huh? That's right Vanessa officially filed for divorced and is taking what is "rightfully hers" after a tumultuous and very publicly scandalous marriage. Not many people can argue with the fact that Nessa put up with more than most. But I guess that $4 million dollar apology ring kept her warm at night. No? Ok.


Twitter, Facebook, and the rest of our internet and scandal driven society are all a buzz about Vanessa's "shocking" decision. Some feel she  waited all too long to act on Kobe's triflin ways. When a woman's fed up....well...you know the rest. But then there are those who focus on Kobe's decision or lack there of to impose a pre-nup. 


At ciaraelaine.com we are always in quest of the bigger picture. So you know I have to ask. What effect does this have on people's opinions of marriage and pre-nups? I personally feel that Vanessa deserves every bit of what she will get. She helped build Kobe's empire and withstood worldwide humiliation. Give her all of it! 


Many people fail to understand just how much athletes' wives do and put up with behind the scenes. Sure its all glitz and glamour in the media's eye, but the wives are the ones who deal with last minute trades, nursing injuries, groupies, and hearing him complain after a loss. Can we give these women an award?


But there are those who also believe to whom much is given, much is required. There is a price to pay for living in the lap of luxury. Gold diggers beware! At the end of the day however, money couldn't mask the pain, hurt, and shame Vanessa dealt with as a result of her husband's cheating ways. Money can't buy you happiness. Cliche, but true!


But lest we forget about poor Kobe. He now has to cough up millions in spousal support. And let's not forget about child support, lawyers fees, and possible loss of endorsement deals. Hmm...maybe you should've kept it in your pants? But I guess we'll cut him some slack for now. He respected Vanessa enough not to force her into a meager pre-nup. 


What's worse is that now Kobe may lose custody of his children and has to see his ex frollicking around with a new boo piece on her arm. And she's laughing all the way to the bank. I guess one of these days men will learn. Or maybe not. 


So what is your take? Did Vanessa "earn" all that divorce money with the foolishness Kobe put her through? Or is he a dummy for not getting a pre-nup? It could go either way, but I hate to see how lightly people take marriage these days. If you're gonna sleep around why get married in the first place? 


And ladies, please don't be fooled into thinking that a man will never cheat because you got a cute face and a slim waist. This is proof that even the most gorgeous of them can fall short. Love hard but be smart. Protect yourself financially and emotionally. Divorce is certainly not a walk in the park. So let's all avoid it the best we can by focusing on using our heads and not our hearts to make life-changing decisions. My heart goes out to Vanessa and her kiddos. Kobe can kick rocks. 

★Career Planning 101★

December Hair Update

What I Eat To Get Camera-Ready

A big part of what I do is recruiting through PR and media relations. From time to time I do public appearances and TV interviews to talk about what I do. Tomorrow morning I will be appearing on a local morning show to do just that. We all know the camera adds 10 unforgiving pounds, so I do everything I can to look slimmer and "camera-ready" so to speak. Here are my tips on what to eat/drink:

                         

Today's lunch/dinner: Asparagus, mushrooms,
fish, and a sweet potato

1. Drink lots of water!

2. Flush with diuretic fruits and veggies like watermelon and asparagus

    3. Minimize carbohydrates and salt because these can make you look puffy

Here is an example of what I eat the day before an appearance or photoshoot. It consists of mostly fish and veggies along with a sweet potato for energy. Of course I will be washing this down with lots of water as well. Wish me luck!:) 

Reorganizing My Closet

Reorganizing My Shoe Shelf

Today I decided to reorganize my closet! I just moved into my new place in June and I'm still putting the finishing touches on it. My closet space is fairly small and I have a good amount of clothes and shoes, so I want to make it as efficient and functional as possible. I already added another row of clothes to one side of my closet for added space. I'm also going to install another shoe shelf on the other side. I'm still not sure exactly how I'm going to organize my bags and purses. Suggestions are welcomed!

                               

                                     My Dream Closet!

How I Maintain My Curly Hair

My Makeup Collection and Storage

My Tips For Surviving Finals

Ahhh. It's that time again. The hell before Christmas heaven. Yes. Finals. Although I'm now a seasoned boring adult and no longer take what I would consider legit finals, I've had my share. Here are my tips for surviving the struggle:

1. All nighters are inevitable. Maintain with caffeine. Am I a doctor (yet)? NO. Is this good health advice? NO. But let's face it; it works. You can sleep when you're dead, or at least on break. 

2. Break it up. Studying for hours on end is never fun. Take a break and watch your favorite TV show, call a friend, or go grab coffee with a cutie. It will re-energize you and keep you focused during designated study times.

3. Keep it honest. Don't cheat. Cheater's never win....or maybe they do sometimes. But I know too many people who have gotten caught. It goes on your academic record permanently and can jack up your chances of getting a decent job after graduation. Put in the work and do the time. You will feel more accomplished anyway.

4. Forget about it. After you take the test, forget it ever existed! What's done is done. You might as well wile out and enjoy break. If you bombed, learn from it and kill next semester. 

Happy Studying! :)

Take a Tour of My Vanity/Makeup Studio

Interracial Dating From a Black Woman's Perspective

According to the US census bureau, the number of interracially married couples has risen from 310,000 in 1970 to 2,340,000 a few years ago. Are you surprised? I'm not. America is becoming more of a melting pot everyday. 

Another more shocking statistic however states that 70% of black women are unmarried in the US. But why? Theorists give us two reasons: 1. 40% of black males are in jail or prison and 2. Black women outnumber black males 2 to 1 on college campuses. Thus the pool of successful black men in America is very scarce. Then take away those not in your age group, don't meet your preferences, and those married to women of other races. Hmmm....sounds like the sistas are #losing in the dating game.

As someone who has dated outside of my race, I can attest to the pros and cons of getting your "swirl" on. The social stigma of interracial dating can be likened to walking outside with no underwear on. When people see mixed race couples they can't help but to stop and stare. I'd be lying to say I haven't done so once or twice in my lifetime.

But the awkwardness exponentiates when you are a black woman dating a white. asian, arab, etc. man. Black men will tell you that you are "too pretty to be with a white guy" or girls of other races will give you the stare of death for taking a dip in their race pool. The constant stares, derogatory remarks, even hateration from family members, peers, and friends is an inevitable price to pay for being a "sellout".

As a black woman, however, dating outside your race has its advantages. In general, people of other cultures are much more accepting than the black culture. Living overseas I saw how  Europeans appreciate different cultures much more than we do and infuse this into their food, beliefs, and social interactions. So why do Americans, especially blacks, have a stick up their butt?

Dating outside my race gives me a chance to bond with someone who can appreciate other cultures and ways of life as I do myself. To the eye I am a typical black woman, but my life experiences have made me into everything but. I need someone by my side who understands, appreciates, and embraces this. And unfortunately, many black men don't.

Before I get the proverbial pro "black love" blacklash, let me clear something up. I know that I am a black woman and I love myself for it. Both my parents are black and the majority of my family. Additionally, I love me a fine black man. And I will take one any day that treats me with the love and affection I desire. Please stand corrected in noting that my dating preferences are not based on color, rather someone's ability to love and accept me for who I am. More often than not, he has not been black.

Dating is like real estate. What matters is a person's location, location, location. Environmental cues determine who a person becomes, not the color of their skin. So I refuse to negotiate who I am to squeeze myself into the mold of a typical black family. I will love whoever provides me with the qualities and traits I desire without regard to their skin color. And I will teach my children the same.

 Dating outside my race as a black woman is hard, but I reap the benefits when I am connecting and bonding with someone who truly understands and appreciates me for who I am. So don't become an unmarried statistic just because you wanna be down. The world is so much bigger than race and the opportunities that you are only willing to take. 

Groupies, Girlfriends, and Social Networking

  

Many of you may or may not know of the recent scandal involving a certain LSU football player and the backlash that followed his decision to very publicly acknowledge his long time girlfriend. In case you haven't, here is the run-down. Said very well-known football player after a major win took to Twitter to talk about how he couldn't wait to see his girlfriend after the game. Not only did he talk about her, but also mentioned her Twitter name. Various groupies and jump offs, angry at his public display of affection, then took to the internet to- how shall we say it? Put him on blast. Pictures of him and countless other females were then leaked and the rest is history.


In college, I dated a high profile athlete. There were always groupies lurking, but everyone knew that we were an item. It angered alot of females to say the least. I dealt with everything from evil stares to internet bashing. My senior year it took on a whole different level when a certain female tried to set me up and began spreading nasty rumors surrounding the situation. Fortunately, my relationship was rock solid. Although everyone and everything tried to tear us apart, we remained committed to each other. Every vile, nasty, and disheartening rumor was publicly disseminated about us both and it only got worse as his success rose.


The question it brought me to is why do we care? More importantly what does this mean for athletes or anyone dating a "high profile" individual? What are the implications of this incidence as it relates to social networking and relationships? Why is it so hard for successful atheltes (and other successful) men to maintain strong and very public relationships?


This situation is exactly why. I can't speak to the validity of the allegations against this gentleman; but what I do know is that this sends a loud and clear message to the rest of them. Keep your private life private. And for most this means keeping a monogomous relationship on the low.


But what does this mean for the girlfriends, wives, etc. of these athletes? Do they then have to take a quiet backseat to their man's world and give up the public love and affection that a normal relationship should/would have? Or do they face it and deal with the hell that will follow? In many ways its a lose-lose situation, but is it worth it?


My heart goes out to the girl put in this awful situation. But in some respects she was at least use to dealing with scandalous females. It requires someone with extremely tough skin to date a "star" athlete. My hat off to her. At the same time, had he not been galivanting with these foolish females, there would be nothing to expose right? Many of us sat back in wonderment and amazement at the dramatic expose' of Tiger Woods, his scheming ways, and bounty of females. It convinced us that men would become more "discreet" when it came to their side chicks. Steve McNair (RIP) for example, died at the hand of a schizophrenic side chick. When will men learn?


At the end of the day, not all athletes are bad news. There are some very faithful, loyal, and good hearted ones that get grouped in with the rest. But from my experience, I've realized that even the most innocent bystander can be a victim of internet lies. So what does it take to maintain a solid relationship under a public spotlight?

My November Beauty Favorites

Bayou Classic 2011

Free from 106 & Park

Me and Juvenile

In my family, a grand tradition is to attend the annual Bayou Classic. Southern University and Grambling University vie for the title and bragging rights every year. Along with the big game in New Orleans Superdome is the battle of the bands and countless parties. This was the first year I attended since I was 13 and I went all the way in! Check out the pics!

The view from my hotel

Winter Weather Outfit Idea

A Fun and Healthy Alternative to Oatmeal

Brown Rice Breakfast

I love having this for breakfast because it's creamy, sweet, and of course healthy! Here is what you'll need:

1 cup of brown rice

1 cup of water

1/2 cup your choice of milk

tsp. of cinnamon
tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbspn honey

Raisins and Nuts for garnish

Making this dish is extremely simple!

1. Bring water to a boil

2. Add rice, lower heat, and simmer until fluffy

3. Put rice in a skillet on medium heat

4. Add milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and honey

5. Cook until desired consistency

6. Garnish with raisins and nuts

7. Eat!:)

It's important to use brown rice for this recipe because the whole grains will keep you full and help you lose weight. Bon Apetito!