Tag Archives: tapered haircut

OOTD | Classic Color Blocking

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This is another OOTD like the perfect dress I posted a few weeks ago that is just everything I love. When I say “everything I love” I mean black, white, coloring blocking, horizontal stripes, comfort, airy and loose.With the Houston heat having an outfit that catches a faint breezes is important.

I wanted this look to be minimal so the v-split in the back is what adds interest to a plain black top. Although they’re all white, the culottes themselves are interesting because at first glance you may not be entirely sure what they are. Not pants, not capris, could it be a skirt? No, they’re culottes!

My shoes are black with a wide faux snake skin strap across the toes. My accessories are minimal as well. I’m wearing my gold collar necklace and my gold nail bracelet from Charm Envy. The star of this look is the custom box clutch from Milan Blocks. On one side it has black and white horizontal stripes and on the custom side the the Authentically+B logo lettering. The chain strap is detachable so it can be used as a clutch or a purse.

This OOTD is fuss free, simple, comfortable and more importantly cool! Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite minimalist look is, Enjoy!

Top- Forever 21 (similar)

Culottes- Forever 21 (similar)

Shoes- Aldo

Necklace & Bracelet– Charm Envy

Box Clutch- Milan Blocks

BKR Visit & Tote Challenge OOTD #2

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Day 2 in San Francisco was super busy! We did tons of sight seeing but not before we went to visit the BKR office. You may ask what is BKR? BKR is the luxe water bottle that will change the way you hydrate forever!

Founders Kate and Tal met and became friends in law school. They had successful careers as lawyers but decided to recreate their lives when they saw a need in the most basic element of the beauty industry, HYDRATION! Being hydrated is so important when it comes to beauty because it shows from the inside out. Here were two fabulous, healthy, beautiful, successful women who felt like every time they went to drink water, they were drinking from trash. They wanted to create something more healthy, sustainable and fashion forward for the woman that is cultured and wants it all. Everything in your life can be beautiful, even your water bottle.

My sister and I were greeted by BKR’s social media director Max. He welcomed us and made us feel at home right away. The BKR office is a very beautiful, bright space with tons of natural light coming through all of the large windows. From the lunch area to the conference room, every area is a dedicated space. I got to say hello to the team and I even met a BKR team member from Louisiana. It was so cool to get an inside look at all the awesome things going on behind the scenes and view some exclusive silicone sleeve colors. I honestly could have wandered around and hung out there forever.

Over the past year I’ve been adapting my shopping habits to say no to a “disposable” lifestyle when it comes to fashion trends. I don’t need to have a bunch of things and follow every trend. I just need quality items that I love. From the clothing I choose to purchase to my water bottle, having the essentials and only acquiring pieces that I adore has proved to be so rewarding. Now that I have added BKR to the equation I feel a sense of completion.

I can not thank Kate, Tal and Max enough for welcoming me into their beautiful work space! It was great to see the team behind the beauty essential BKR.

Let’s talk OOTD. On day 2 I chose my horizontal striped dress/tunic and paired it with black leggings. Of course white chucks and my green cargo jacket were there too! Oh yeah, lets talk a bout the orange scarf! It was windy in SF and I didn’t bring a scarf so I thrifted this Banana Republic scarf in the Mission District. Great find right?!

After we left the BKR office we stopped by Marlowe for some mouth watering lunch. Next up was Lombard to check out San Francisco’s “crookedest” street. It was beautiful to witness and we even made the trek up to the top to see the amazing view!

We attempted to ride a trolly but the line was so long that we didn’t want to wait. Instead we went back to Fisherman’s Wharf for the views, fresh seafood and more freshly baked donuts from Trish’s. Join me tomorrow for another OOTD and day 3 in San Francisco, Enjoy!

British Luxury | Age of Reason by Ali Mapletoft

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Age of Reason is a British luxury print label with a playful punk twist. AOR has been featured on Vouge.com, Stylist Magazine, Grazia, In Style, Red Magazine and many more publications. I mean when super model Alek Wek and Rita Ora are wearing your designs it’s a big deal! Needless to say, I’m so honored to have AOR be my first international collaboration!

When designer Ali Mapletoft and I discovered each other on Instagram it was love at first like! I adored the free spirit of her designs and she enjoyed my natural hair, attitude and confidence. We instantly wished we weren’t a 10 hour flight away from each other. We quickly put our minds together and she directed my Age of Reason shoot from abroad. As I learned more about Ali I found out that she doesn’t follow fashion trends, but instead, designs for the playfully rebellious souls that want to wear and celebrate something a bit unusual. You will see parodies of British royalty, bold colors, nautical themes and fun prints in many of Ali’s Age of Reason designs. Beyond that , she is committed to sustainability, producing her line locally and insists on knowing the individuals that she purchases her clothing and accessories from.

The pineapple print scarf is inspired by 18th century botanical prints. It’s 100% silk, amazingly soft and huge! This means you can repurpose and wear it in so many different ways. Just in this shoot alone, I styled it as a head wrap, scarf, shirt, and a funky “cardigan”. The pineapple print leggings are made from a stretchy scuba fabric which means it keeps its shape as you go about your day. The length of the leggings is great for short and tall girls alike and to top it off, they have a high waist.

The very best thing about collaborating with Ali is that she loved my personal aesthetic AS IS! She never asked me to change or tweak anything about myself. I am and was free to be Authentically+B, Enjoy!

Don’t for get to check out Age of Reason on line and on Instagram. Cheers!

Chic and Tapered

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It’s fun sharing my hair goals with all of you! This might sound crazy but as I’m making progress towards my tapered afro, I’m “craving” hair styles that I’m not even close to attaining like bangs and box braids. Ha ha! Every time I see a gorgeous girl with any type of bang or braids it sends me into a mini hair panic. (I know I’m so dramatic, Lol)

Over the last 3 months I’ve seen a tremendous amount of growth with my hair. I can also say that after having really long hair at one point and super short hair now, I am addicted to getting hair cuts. The hardest thing about growing my tapered afro out is staying out of the barbers chair. The top of my hair is about 3 to 3 1/2 inches long now. The sides and back are gradually shorter closer to my ears and the nape of my neck.

I love this tapered style because it’s a chic take on the twa (teeny weeny afro) and super low maintenance. Some view the twa only as a starting point. I’ve come across many naturals that have never considered keeping their natural hair short. To be honest, I did the same thing. When I big chopped, I immediately had visions of a gigantic afro in my mind. While I did achieve that, I didn’t consider all the fun styles I missed out on by growing my hair out right away.

Remember, much like life, having natural hair is a journey. You don’t have to stick to one thing. Feel free to change your hair as often as you change your mind. Don’t forget to leave comments about your current hair goals! Enjoy!

Tapered Progress

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Happy Friday all! I hope this week was amazing for everyone. On Fridays we all celebrate the progress that we’ve made by making it to the end of a work week. I thought I’d share some progress pictures of my current hair goal which is a tapered afro. The time span has been from November up until now. Check it out and leave comments about your current hair goals. Enjoy!