A few weeks ago, I learned that a top wholesaler of the most exquisite collection of perfumer grade essential oils and resins, White Lotus Aromatics, would be closing their business. The owners, a husband and wife two-person operation, had decided to retire. They shared that within hours of their announcement, they had sold out [...]
I can’t help but notice that clients will spend much more on conditioning and styling hair products than they will on shampoo. It is often thought that any shampoo will do. Some folks even use hand soap, dish detergent, or anything that produces suds, believing that all cleansing agents are equal. However, this is [...]
The difference between the east and west coasts as it relates to my business has not been lost on me. On the west coast, farmers till the land where flowers and herbs are grown and harvested to convert their botanical elements into essential oils, resins, and such. All but one of the companies from [...]
I have loved these temperate early days of autumn. They have been languid, and already caused me to have a shift in my perfume of choice for this season. Mocha has taken the lead with its warm vanilla and chocolaty essence. This is not a young girl’s sweet, syrupy chocolate. It is more like [...]
I am calling on you to pray in your own way, by sending healing energies to our planet and by also asking for guidance on what we can do to honor and truly love this earth. This week is the beginning of the Autumnal Equinox which, as some of you know, is four sequential [...]
A friend reached out to ask me if I could lengthen a strand of pearls she had inherited from her mom. I was delighted to oblige and asked her to send me a photo of the pearls. When I saw them, I was crestfallen that the pearls were very yellowed. I realized that I [...]
A few weekends ago, several Black teenage girls graduated from a two-year-long initiation into young womanhood. Known as rites of passage, this type of tutelage helps prepare young people for the challenges of adulthood. It is a regular feature of society in most African cultures and practiced by other indigenous people the world over. [...]
Back in January, I began locking my hair but also had twist extensions put in to avoid the early ‘not so cute’ stages of locking. Four months in, under pandemic lockdown, I noticed the extensions starting to slip along the hairline. I was afraid that their weight might begin pulling on my new growth [...]
As some of you may know, I am an advocate for earth justice and treating the earth with respect. My ears are always perked up for the latest news on our planet and none of it seems too encouraging, except for the few weeks that we humans were on full lockdown during the height of [...]
“Ramadan Kareem!” is a greeting you may hear Muslims exchanging this month. Meaning, “blessed Ramadan,” it is a wish that the holy month be a generous and rewarding experience. Along with other Muslims worldwide, I observe Ramadan by fasting from food and liquids during daylight hours for 30 days; we eat each night. [...]
