​Is there anything more empowering than a queen rocking her crown with pride and confidence? Is there a hairstyle that signifies Queendom more clearly than gloriously coiffed locs? Whether short or long, Sisterlocks or free form, there’s no denying that loc’d styles are versatile and, more importantly, these styles carry cultural significance.  In this second part of the HairStory series, we introduce you to seven loc’d and fierce beauties.  Read on!  

Meet Jessica!
​I am really a quiet-natured person who loves helping and caring for other people. I try to spend as much quality time with my family as possible. Though I have been on my regular 9 to 5 for many years, I still try to make sure my small jewelry business gets attention.

Her HairStory! 
My loc journey began in 2014. I dreaded going to the salon. I had to decide on a natural style that suited me best. Almost 5 years later, I'm still loving my locs.

Nurturing the Look 
From day to day I let my locs grow and fall as they please. I soak them in apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and water at least every two months. For my normal wash I use anything that smells good. I twist with beeswax or Jam and finish it up by spraying my scalp with pepper mint oil. My favorite products are good ole water and hair grease. I maintain my locs on my own. I've never been to a professional for a retwist or style.   

Meet Jessica! 
Hi! I am 40 years old, married, and the mother of three young men. I am also an aspiring makeup artist.  

Her HairStory!
​My loc journey started in 2012. I made the decision to get locs because I was on a self journey. At 33 years old I had yet to learn to love myself inside and out. I was tired of conforming to what society thought I should look like. Starting locs was more of a spiritual journey for me. 

Nurturing the Look
I maintain my locs by using Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo. I then deep condition my hair with cholesterol by Queen Helene. I moisturize by using a  coconut oil or olive oil. 

Shout Out to My Loctician! 
​Sonya Gray
Hairnette's Beauty Salon
Anderson, South Carolina

Meet Keshia!
​My name is Keshia Jenkins and I'm 41 years old. I'm happily married to my husband Jerode of four years and we have 5 children. 

Her HairStory
I was a loose natural, but it required so much time and attention.  My husband and I decided to start our loc journeys together in 2014. I am loving every minute of it. This, by far, has been my best hair decision ever. 

Nurturing the Look 
​My locs are maintained by my loctician, and my all time favorite product is Mane and Tale moisturizer. 

Shout Out to My Loctician! 
​Donna Jenkins (Facebook)

Meet Kim! 
I am a mother, wife, career woman and all out FABULOUS person!

Her HairStory!
My loc journey began February 2018. I was natural for a while but was tired of the weekly rituals that come along with maintaining natural hair. I knew I wanted Locs but not the traditional ones. Someone recommended Sisterlocks and that was it for me.

Nurturing the Look
With Sisterlocks, you get your hair retightened every 6-8 weeks. For daily maintenance, I use water-that's it. If my scalp is itchy, I use a mixture of almond oil, castor oil and tea tree oil.

Shout Out to My Loctician! 
LocsByLainey!!! Follow her on Facebook. She's located in Temple Hills, MD. Follow her on IG @me_myself37_i

Meet Shante'
I am a 45 year old mother of two young men, ages 22 and 16. I am a paramedic who includes plus-size modeling among my self-love activities. I am full of energy and I love to make others smile. 

Her HairStory
I started my current set of locs in Oct of 2013 as this is my second loc journey. I had my 1st set of locs for 7yrs from 2002 - 2009. During those seven years, I went through so many life challenges. So when I graduated paramedic school in 2008, I took them out with the thought process of letting go of all of the negativity and not so happy times that I experienced. Big mistake! As time went on I missed my locs so much. I missed my connection to me, my freedom of expression, my natural imperfect feeling of being beautiful, so I restarted my locs and here I am today.

Nurturing the Look 
I maintain my locs by not overly retwisting them (wash, deep condition and retwist monthly) unless I have a modeling function. For my modeling events, I retouch the edges as needed. My favorite products to use are daily morning and night spray with rose water, nightly alternating applications of Jamaican black castor oil & Wild Growth. I sleep with my locs in a bonnet. I have my low side trimmed biweekly. I am my own loctician. I started both sets of my locs with two strand twists and I retwist them with the palm roll method.

Meet Shariyka!
Shariyka Romero is an influencer who partners with businesses and digital agencies to give their brands a boost and exposure. She has spent nearly a decade as an art consultant working with avant-garde artist Romero. In addition to her extensive social media experience, she holds a BA in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management from East Carolina University.

Her HairStory!
I've had an on and off journey. My father ,avant-garde artist Romero, introduced locs to me in 2001. In 2005, I cut my locs and grew them back in 2008. Locs appealed to me because of the natural look, the beauty, and uniqueness of the style. I can rock my natural hair with confidence while being chemical-free.

Nurturing the Look
​I shampoo and moisturize my locs. Sometimes, I do an ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) rinse to keep my locs and scalp healthy. My favorite products to use on my locs are Africa's Best Ultimate Herbal Oil, Tropical Roots Growth Spray, Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, and Jamaican Mango and Lime Loc Gel.

Meet TishaRaye!
TishaRaye is known for being LOUD and PROUD with her BOOMs on the side every weekend at 102JAMZ in Greensboro, NC. Tisha is a mad cool individual who loves family, loves to laugh and loves LIFE. TishaRaye believes in SUPPORTING whoever needs the support, especially if you are out here in these streets working like crazyyyyy to get what is for YOU! One of Tisha's mottos is...do what you want cause it's your life BUT do it in a positive way and make it worth IT...oh and BOOM!

Her HairStory!
​My loc journey began when I was carrying my only son and when I decided to LIVE my LIFE for me. That was 17yrs ago. I was inspired to be a loc goddess/queen when I was younger and I saw how naturally beautiful other queens and kings were wearing their locs. I admired how they were living freely in an amazing calm, cool way. Also, I have always enjoyed natural, go-with-the-flow hairstyles. The overhead hairdryer is partly to blame lol.  

Nurturing the Look
​I maintain my locs by always wearing my silk scarf or bonnet at night.  I shampoo my hair once or twice a month. I make sure that I keep my oil around. I do not retwist every time I shampoo my locs because I love to massage my scalp and help it breathe. My favorite shampoo to use is OGX , and I only use the shampoo no conditioner. My favorite oil to use is Jamaican Mango & Lime Island Oil.

Aren't they beautifully loc'd + fierce? Thanks to each of the ladies featured in this HairStory segment! ​Are you a loc’d + fierce beauty? Take a moment-tell us a little about your HairStory in comments. Be sure to let our Loc’d+Fierce beauties know if you connected with their hair stories in any way.  

​Did you miss our first HairStory, Cropped + Fierce?  Read it now!   

​An artist’s talent and vivid imagination makes her capable of anything, including the ability to create great works of art beyond the typical canvas. I have great admiration for artists who express their gifts in unique ways. Body painting is a means of creative expression that requires lots of patience, attention to detail and, of course, skill. Chasia Taylor, professionally known as Chasia Da Body Painter, is a force when it comes to body painting.  I always look forward to seeing what she will release next. Her work ranges from fun face-painting gigs at family-oriented events to cutting-edge body art for editorial photoshoots. Chasia’s special effects work is amazing! Read on to get the deets on Chasia Da Body Painter.   

​About Chasia
I am Chasia Da Body painter, a body artist from Gresham, SC. My motto is “Your body is my canvas. Let me create.” My work is focused on art meeting the body. One of the things that I want to accomplish with my art is bringing confidence-encouraging people to live freely and without a care. Your body is a work of art.

How She Found Her Passion
I have always loved painting on canvas, and that branched out into me painting faces for kids’ birthday parties. In November 2017, I started body painting and I haven’t stopped since. I love what I do! My services include face painting for children and
adults at all types of events (birthday parties, festivals, school events, etc.). I provide body painting for photo shoots, modeling portfolios, fashion events, and more. 

Chasia the Brand
What makes my brand unique is that I believe that I can turn anything into art. I’m not just a painter. My vision is different and I try to be unique with the materials that I use in body painting.
My greatest accomplishment, so far, has been witnessing the confidence bounce back in women who I have worked with. You can’t worry about what others think. You have to focus on how you feel about yourself.

What’s Next for Chasia Da Body Painter?
Bigger events! Fashion shows! I look forward to branching out and providing my services in different states. It’s time to travel and let the world know that I am here! Contact me at chasiataylor1234@gmail.com or via my social media pages for pricing and booking details. 

Have you ever experience a body painting session? Tell us about your experience in comments.  

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Shop new, vintage, and thrifted fashion at Charmed Life Apparel by Truly Charmed!

​I never saw myself becoming a thrifter. I used to be among those who wondered why someone would willingly shop second hand fashion. I had this vision in my mind of hoards of ragged, outdated clothing.  And the germs?  Oh my, the germs!  You know what?  I was wrong…dead wrong! One weekend, a friend asked for my help with finding outfits for an upcoming trip. We went to a few stores and then she suggested that we go to Goodwill.  We perused the racks and I came upon this gorgeous African print dress.  It blew my mind that this beautiful, apparently handmade creation was sitting there with a tag on it for $5.99. I examined that dress inside-out, convinced that something had to be wrong with it. I put the dress back on the rack, still skeptical, but it kept calling my name lol.  I could not leave it there…a perfectly beautiful dress.  My friend could not fit the dress, but it ended up being exactly what a client was looking for as a birthday outfit.  I was hooked!  I knew that if this treasure was sitting at the thrift store, there had to be so much more to be found.  The treasure hunt was on for me.

​Along the way, I let go of my hang-ups with second-hand shopping.  The germs?  Here’s the reality.  I haven’t found this to be a problem.  In fact, when you consider the lax return policies of most retailers, we are probably wearing second hand clothing more than we even realize.  Furthermore, the vast majority of thrift/resale shops that I’ve visited have been just as clean and organized as any other retailer.  I recently visited Seeds Resale Store in Woodstock, GA.  The store is beautifully organized and offers a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. The store has a wonderful selection of fashionable items (home décor and nursery items, too) at very reasonable prices.  I can’t wait to visit again!  Needless to say, thrifting has become a new way of life for me. Read on to find out what I enjoy most about it! 

You will often find new items
How many dresses, blouses, or pairs of shoes do you have in your closet with tags still on them or that have only been worn once or twice? For many of us, the answer is “a lot”.  These unworn and gently used clothing are very likely to end up donated to a thrift store or sold in a garage sale.  During most of my shopping trips, I find clothing with tags still on them.  Like this Doncaster dress pictured below. MSRP $295

The Thrill of the Hunt
I’ve known people to decorate entire homes with items found while bargain-hunting.  You never know what you may find…from home décor to sporting equipment and so much more.  What I have found is that you have to have an open mind. If you go shopping for a very specific item, you can become frustrated and disappointed.   You’re likely to be more successful if you are shopping for a certain category of item (e.g. special occasion dresses versus looking for a purple mini dress, living room decorations versus shopping for a gold lamp).  My favorite finds are usually retro looks like these dainty pink dresses by Talbots.  

​Guilt-Free Shopping
Yes, you can save lots of money by shopping thrift/resale shops.  My expenses for wardrobe for photoshoots and fashion events have decreased substantially.  However, be careful.  Some shops brand themselves as resale shops, but their prices are more in line with standard retail stores.  Another fact that you should keep in mind is that consignment shops generally have higher prices (though usually still reasonable) than most thrift stores.  

Hot Tip!
When evaluating your thrifting haul, be aware of items designed by high end designers who have produced lower priced fashion lines in collaboration with mass market retailers.  Still great finds, but know that the value isn’t the same as high-end pieces by these designers. Here are a few examples:
Simply Vera by Vera Wang available at Kohl’s and Macy’s
Christian Siriano for Payless
Stella McCartney’s sustainable fashion lines with Gap and H&M
Karl Lagerfeld for H&M *In 2004, Lagerfeld became the first designer to collaborate with H&M
Alexander McQueen for Target 
If it’s what you like, pick it up!  But make sure that you’re knowledgeable of the actual value of various fashion lines.   

Fun Fact
I enjoy hunting for fashion treasures so much, that I have transformed my online boutique into a resale shop. If you’re not up to the bargain-hunting escapades, I have done the work for you! Shop Charmed Life Apparel for new, gently used, and always fashionable women’s clothing! 
I look forward to sharing my thrifting stories with you along the way, so stay tuned!

Do you enjoy thrifting?  Tell us about your favorite thrift story!