The Pristine Collective

The Supreme know-how, know-who, know-where, & go-to source for creating the most fabulous life.

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Thoughts = Words = Reality #Inspiration #MeditationMonday

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6 Weeks 7 Sacrifices: Grace. The End.

"Yo Lent… Imma let you finish but…" How much longer until Easter?

1 day 7 hours …minutes

But, who’s counting?

: -|

Lent is traditionally a time of reflection and reverence of the life, death & life of Jesus Christ through personal sacrifice. But, interestingly enough, this was my first official observation of this holy season in my entire Christian existence.

So, having experienced some profound interpersonal breakthroughs in this past year alone, I obliged my spirit’s nagging desire to express my gratitude with a higher level of sacrificial commitment. Some might argue that I turned up a bit too much.

My Lent list of sacrifices was as follows:

1. Printed Clothing 2. Makeup 3. Heat Straightened Hair 4. Anti- Clean Diet Indulgences 5. Texting 6. TV 7. Dating “So what?” I’m glad you asked. The point I hoped to make in sharing my journey was not to showcase my “holiness” but to share the exact opposite. Not one point of my 7 ambitions was perfectly executed. Even with my best intentions forward, I missed the mark.

Such is the case in life. But, I resolve that the purpose of living is not to do so spotlessly, but intentionally. See, there’s an ideal that is the very essence of the spirit of this season. It is so concise that our incessant need for complexity tries to complicate it.

To quote the source, it’s as simple as this:

"My grace is sufficient for you…" -2 Corinthians 12:9a

God’s grace is the ultimate expression of unconditional love. That means that no matter who you are and what you do you are covered by the love of God. At your best God loves you; at your worst God loves you and so much so that he makes provisions of unconditional understanding & forgiveness for everything in between.

It’s a gift. The only thing He asks in return is that you receive it.

That’s it. That’s all.

Such a divine love seems “too good to be true.” Unfortunately, we live in the type of world that conditions us to side-eye anything that doesn’t have a price attached to it. So, we measure ourselves by standards that, not even, the beholder of all perfection is consumed by, in an attempt to appraise our own worthiness or devalue that of others. But, the fact of the matter is none of us are worthy; yet, somehow, we all are. Finding identity in this one simple truth would alter the universal perception of God, our relation to Him, and our relationships with each other.

Forgive me for believing in a perfect world…

As this season comes to an end, I find myself being bipolar-ly grateful. In one breath I’m thankful that Resurrection Sunday is just around the corner.

Gloooraaay! 🙌

But, in another I give thanks for this time that I’ve had to get back to the basics of living - mentally, physically & spiritually. Abstaining from some of my lifestyle indulgences forged a fresh connection to divine understanding. I’ve become acquainted with the powerful love of God in ways that I have never experienced before. It affirms my greatness and empowers me for the relentless pursuit of excellence, even in light of my imperfections.

That’s flawless.

Happy Good Friday!

∞DK

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What you do is your choice. Who you are is your choice. When you choose not to choose even that is a choice. Why not choose to do great - to be great.

Inspired by Momentum Education #MeditationMonday

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6 Weeks 7 Sacrifices: No Dating

I gave up men for Lent.

*side eye*

I gave up dating for Lent.

;-)

It never ceases to amaze me how declarations, such as this one, seem to have the adverse affect of their intent. Many joked at the onset of this season that my abstention from makeup, flatirons and such would make this one easy for me. But, that has not been the case.

I mean, it’s not necessarily the chase scene from Love Potion No. 9 happening. Although, it’s also true that the number of advances do outnumber the ones that I would actually entertain. So, if I could take a moment to toot my own horn…

*insert a beep-beep right here*

But, I digress.

The point is that men can be a distraction. Not, just for me, but for all of us, ladies.

(Sorry, fellas, but number 7 on the list was a very generous ranking.)

If we’re honest, we spend an absorbent amount of time primping, prepping, positioning, and pressing for the relationships in our lives - and sometimes all at once. It’s hardly manageable to find yourself, let alone, love yourself in the process.

So, in the spirit of this holy season, I filtered this indulgence through my purest intentions to refocus my mind, body & soul. Through a fresh perspective of my own pure, unadulterated amazingness - devoid of any other being - I have reconnected with God in the most intimate way.

This is the love letter He’s written on my heart and on yours too, should you care to embrace it:

Dear Daughter,

First things first, you are beautiful. I know how easy it is to lose sight of that in a world that bombards you with messages of inadequacy. But, please know that my thoughts are much higher of you.

I chose you to bear my legacy - to give life. I equipped you to nurture its existence. I gifted you reason and emotion and the deduction of the two. You call it woman’s intuition; I call it wisdom.

I am affirming these things not to the discredit of the other species. I’ve blessed them in ways that are different, but no less superior. My purpose is also not to inflate your ego, since you well know the perils of pride.

I, simply, want you to see just how precious you are in my sight. See the beauty, passion, creativity, light & life that lives inside of you. Let your desire for perfection rest solely in the aspiration of truth.

See, before I formed you, I knew you. The plans that I had in mind for your life are good, therefore, so are you. Anything (or anyone) that doesn’t affirm that is a lie and should take no privilege in your company.

But, can the perjurer condemn the judge?

If you don’t know how great you are, no one else will.

Upgrade your thoughts, makeover your heart, and style your life to fit the purpose that I’ve ordained. If you make my eyes your mirror, you’ll become obsessed with the reflection. And, in that case, vanity is sanctuary.

Love,

God

∞DK

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The Lean Mean Clean Diet

Erica Roane, Wellness Consultant, can attest to the perks of a healthy lifestyle. She lost 80+ lbs. through dedication to fitness and, most importantly, clean eating.

Below she shares her 7 simple tips to help you shop clean, eat healthy, and lose weight.

#DK

  1. Eat for Digestion

The purpose behind eating for weight loss is for your food to “move!”

That’s right. Greens such as kale, spinach and arugula have diuretic

properties. The more you go the better!

  2. Use Fats Wisely

Keeping with the points above, the purpose of fats is to lubricate

your digestive system and get the foods out. Instead of putting your

butter and olive oil in the pan, add it to your food when it’s cooked

or right before you eat.

  3. Cook everything from the bottom up

Pre-cooked protein and vegetables may be more convenient however the

sodium content does more harm than good. Take out some time to cook

things from the source.

  4. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store

This is where all the healthy foods are located. Your meats, dairy,

vegetables, and fruit are all on the outside of the grocery store.

Condiments and kitchen items are all you need in the aisles.

  5. Eat Like A Science

The science behind weight loss is maintaining consistent blood sugar.

Foods such as sweets and other starches spike your blood sugar which,

in turn, drops your metabolism. If you eat something bad, chase it with

a vegetable in an attempt to even out blood sugar. Better yet, don’t

eat it.

  6. Make Peace with Time

Time is simply a man-made mechanism to assist us all in dealing with

eternity. Who cares how long it takes? Fitness and healthy eating is

forever. There is no “goal weight” only new goals such as increasing

strength, endurance and agility.

  7. What You Give is What You a Get

Real success with anything in life requires a certain amount of

sacrifice. Your favorite foods, alcohol and social events may all come

2nd to your fitness goals. Only you can determine how much sacrifice

your dreams are worth.

Good luck, be patient and more importantly love yourself because it’s

you that’s doing the work!

  Erica Roane

@MissRoane

  Check out Clean Eating Magazine online for Meals Plans & Delicious Recipes.

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Clean Eating Magazine

These easy-to-follow menu plans keep your clean-eating lifestyle on track and take the guesswork out of mealtime.

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If you only believe for what you can see, then what you see is what you’ll get. Dream. Believe. Be. Faith.

∞DK #MeditationMonday

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6 Weeks 7 Sacrifices: Eat Clean

What is a clean diet, exactly?

~No chemically processed foods

~Foods that are from a tree, bush, plant, or vine

~Whole grains

~Organic or humanely raised meats

~5-7 meals per day

Hmmm…

How about a reasonably tidy diet?

I’m pretty intentional about the way I nourish my temple, minus a few indulgences here and there. But, when I pledged to “eat clean” for Lent I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. There are a few things that I should’ve considered more carefully - namely time, practicality and budget.

The best way to maintain a clean diet is to plan and prepare your meals ahead of time. Otherwise, you end up at the mercy of the restaurant industry; sometimes the best choice is not always the most practical one when you’re on the go. And, of course, there’s budget - the big, fat elephant notorious for blocking the path to healthy living.

Let’s just call it what it is, shall we? A slice of pizza (especially in NYC) is fast, easy to come by, and easier on your wallet.

Needless to say, these conflicting elements intrusively curbed my ambitious sacrificial efforts. I’ve certainly been guilty of grabbing a granola bar, which is surprisingly not as natural as one would think, in a rush. When I’m forced to dine out, and there’s no Whole Foods Market in proximity, it’s impossible to stake full confidence in the purity of even my best meal choices. And let’s just say that my grains haven’t always been, well… wholey.

“Crucify her!”

Ok chill, my Pharisaical friend.

No, my diet during this Lent season has not been spotless, but it has been far from dirty. To put it plainly, I’ll tell you what I haven’t been eating:

~Unnatural sugars & sweeteners

~Sweets & Candy

~Fried foods

~Fast food

~*insert any remotely decadent foods here*

That pretty much leaves me with the best of the basic food groups, dairy just sparingly, and even healthy oils much less.

The past, say, 26 DAYS haven’t been a cakewalk.

Mmmmm caaake… *in my Homer Simpson voice*

But, the boost in my spiritual energy has even tipped the scale on my physical energy. In the moments when I just really want a doughnut, I binge on the desire to be greater than my indulgences. I purge my carnal palate to satisfy a more insatiable craving for divine understanding.

All and all, I am stuffed.

= )

Have a Healthy Happy Body!

#DK

WATCH this video, How to Eat Clean, for a practical healthy lifestyle boost.

Check out: The Lean Mean Clean Diet for Healthy Eating Tips that Promote Weight Loss from Wellness Consultant, Erica Roane!

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Practical Clean Eating Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle!

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Curls & Kinky Secrets

The figure of an Amazonian-like beauty emerges from a steamy haze. The shower’s condensation caressed her natural curves like the dew of an exotic rain forest. A grassy patch, the mat beneath her feet, was only the starting point of the day’s expedition.

There, in a sultry reflection, stood the object of her delay.

I have to leave this house in less than an hour, she thought.

Those big brown eyes, so seductively convincing, glared, “15 minutes is all I need.”

She knew that was a lie. But, moist kisses draped the back of her neck like strands of precious pearls, paralyzing her objection.

Maybe she could be a little late.

A soft touch preceded a gentle tease. Enticed to part straight down the middle, her sacred tresses seemed happy to oblige.

25 minutes later…

The tousle in time seemed but a menial sacrifice for the pinnacle of her pleasure. All day long, she wore the climactic radiance like the jewels of her crowning glory.

This is a story about hair, naturally.  ;-)

Get your mind out of The 50 Shades…

Plug into a threesome of Natural Hair Beauties, their Kinky Secrets, Techniques & Products. Also, follow the live tutorial links below!

Have a Good Hair Day! 

#DK

___________________________________________________________________

WASH & GO

Lex Scott Davis

Model | Actress | Artist

@ScottyEye

Www.LexScottTheArtist.com

NATURAL SINCE: Birth

STYLING TECHNIQUE:  Detangle conditioner-saturated hair with a wide-tooth comb; Rinse; Scrunch curls upward with styling & gloss products; Air-dry

PRODUCT SUGGESTIONS

Cleansing & Conditioning: Surface Hair Health Art Products (for bold budgets), Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo, Shea Moisture Curl & Shine Conditioner

Styling: Shea Moisture Curling Smoothie

Gloss & Finish: Moroccan Oil Light

KINKY SECRET: Get it all wet and moist-urized!

Rinse conditioner, thoroughly but not completely, with cool water. 

WATCH a Wash & Go Tutorial Here

___________________________________________________________________

FLAT TWISTS & BANTU KNOTS

Njeri Archer

Celebrity Hair Stylist | Formula N Hair Care, Founder

@NJSignature

 Www.NJSignatureHair.com

NATURAL SINCE: 2000

STYLING TECHNIQUE:  Flat twist (two-strand twist in corn row technique) damp hair in the direction of the desired finished style; Bantu-knot the twisted ends

PRODUCT SUGGESTIONS

Cleansing & Conditioning: Design Essentials Organic Cleanse & Moisture Retention Shampoo, Design Essentials Express Instant Moisturizing Conditioner, Formula N Drop Ns

Styling: Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel, Nourish & Shine by Jane Carter

Gloss & Finish: Fantasia IC Hair Polisher

KINKY SECRET: There’s nothing like a deep, Deep, DEEP… conditioning!

Saturate the hair follicles with a reconstructive formula at least once a week. 

WATCH a Twist & Bantu Knot Tutorial Here

___________________________________________________________________

TWO-STRAND TWISTS

Alexis Williams

Pro Makeup Artist | Beauty Consultant & Blogger

@AlexisLovesBlog

Www.AlexisWilliamsMakeup.com 

NATURAL SINCE: 2010

STYLING TECHNIQUE:  Twist two parts of sectioned, saturated hair together, rope-like; Gather twists in a low bun

PRODUCT SUGGESTIONS

Cleansing & Conditioning: Carols Daughter Black Vanilla Moisture Shampoo, Carols Daughter Chocolat Smoothing Conditioner, Giovanni Smooth Deep Moisture

Styling: Carols Daughter Loc Butter

Gloss & Finish: Original Formula (shea butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, argan oil, tea tree oil) 

KINKY SECRET: Keep your jump-off, a.k.a. Cleansing Shampoo, on the low!

Co-wash, conditioner-wash, hair as a primary cleansing method.

WATCH a Twist Out Tutorial Here

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The #Beauty of being a #Woman #WHM #MeditationMonday

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6 Weeks 7 Sacrifices: Heatless Hair

‘’Your hair is your best accessory.’’

This is a thought so commonly expressed in the fashion & beauty biz that I couldn’t even trace its credit.

Hair for me, however, has always been more than a mere accessory.

*Que Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3* 

It is a regal adornment - the crowning glory of a pristine look. And I have been an heir of such an air from pigtails to press & curls; from the throne of my mother’s bed to, ever so frequent, appointments with only the most noble of stylists in the TriState.

*in my best 18th century British accent*

(And, yes, I know that Johann was German. Just roll with it.)

Annnyway… To say that hair was and is of high-priority would be an understatement.

Yet, in light of my own dignified ideals about healthy care and styling - and they are quite dignified - enlisting in the heatless hair brigade has not been a personal charge. I’ve been blessed with a very manageable hair texture but cursed with the impatience for experimenting with curl-enhancing products and techniques. 

I am more of, what I like to call, a natural straight girl. By my own definition, that means that my hair is not (nor has it ever been) chemically relaxed and that my choice of styling is, well… heat-full.

It’s just easier to blow and go, in my opinion.

#pause

But, on this extended leg of my Lent journey, my sacrifice is consistent with the desire to reduce my lifestyle indulgences to their most modest forms. As such, I am abstaining from heat straightening tools and tactics. My flatiron and curling wand are on official holiday until Easter.

Now, next to my makeup restrictions during this season, this was the most daunting of the 7 pledges. So much so, that I just refrained from washing my hair at all, initially. But, after carrying that on a week longer than what was hygienically acceptable, I proceeded to forge a treaty with my natural roots.

I have gained quite a few allies in the process; flexi rods, for one, can produce a heatless spiral in a diversified range of sizes. And my fellow kinky/curly queens and I have harmoniously aligned in the art of bantu knots, two-strand twists, and other natural styling techniques.

All and all, I’m pleased to proclaim peace at Daneé-nae’s Sho Nuff Hair Salon headquarters.

Sure, I’ve wanted to send myself to the guillotine a time or two, over the past few weeks. In my heart I think I will always be a blowout queen. But, however temperamental, there is also this new love for my conscious cloud of coils rooting in a desire to live more naturally - sprouting from the confidence to be more me.

The latter is the legacy that I pray to pass forward.        

Have a Good Hair Day!

∞DK

Check out Curls & Kinky Secrets for natural hair styling tips, tutorials & product links from Beauties in The Biz.

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Whatever "it" is... Release your wildest #dreams into the atmosphere and watch them become #reality. #Hope #Faith #Inspiration #Spirituality #ThePC

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All men are created equal; all women are created fabulous. Phenomenal Woman Stand UP! Declare your divine right to be.

∞DK #MeditationMonday

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#Be #Phenomenal #WHM

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To be a woman is to be a living masterpiece - uniquely designed, impeccably crafted, priceless. ∞DK #MeditationMonday

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I can take it or leave it... #NoMakeup for #Lent

#DK