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Since being natural I have been able to love and appreciate myself more! I have learned to love my hair for what it is - kinky, coily and a little frizzy! It has been an awesome journey learning my hair and making the right choices to bring my hair to its healthiest. Though I have had some difficult moments with my hair, overall being natural is the best thing I could have done for my hair - it is healthier, thicker, longer and stronger and the last time I recall my hair like this, I was a young child. Then, I did not really appreciate my hair type but now I have embraced its uniqueness. I know to some, maybe many, it's "just hair" but being able to truly love and accept my hair has boosted my confidence and creativity and I'm excited to be able to encourage others to experience this journey as well! Morgan (Instagram: The4cProject)  We NOW have "Embrace Greatness" Lady Tees! Visit our online store to purchase.  I started my natural hair process in 2013, however, I didn't truly embrace the idea of being natural until 2015. When I started the process in 2013 it was simply because my hair was extremely damaged due to dying and relaxers. I decided I would give up the relaxers in an effort to maintain my color....I just wasn't ready to go gray. Well, let's fast forward to 2015. On July 1, 2015, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Prior to the start of chemotherapy I was told I would loose my hair in about 14 days. My oncologist was right. In two weeks I was bald. Five months after being completely bald, I embraced being natural. In January 2016 my new hair blossomed. Although, I love this brand new, chemical free, beautiful hair, I do understand, "I am NOT my hair." Benet   We NOW have "Embrace Greatness" Lady Tees! Visit our online store to purchase.  Even though the process of washing and styling my hair has increased in time, I feel my hair is much healthier. I also feel like my skin looks better without the relaxer chemicals being applied to my scalp. I get complimented much more on my hair now then I did when it was relaxed. Mealika  We NOW have "Embrace Greatness" Lady Tees! Visit our online store to purchase.  The impact of choosing to wear my natural hair has sparked my imagination, boosted my confidence and eased my mind. I say it eased my mind because after a decade and a half relaxed, I wondered if I could ever make peace with my kinks and accept them as beautiful. Well, I have. I style creatively, I have no shame in my ethnicity but embrace it fully. I'm not Black but bea]utiful. I'm beautiful because I'm Black. Lorna   The reason I went natural was because my hair was shedding a lot. I wanted to try something, not knowing all the maintenance that comes with being natural. I must admit I didn't first love my natural hair. It was something out of the box for me, so I had to learn to love and embrace my natural tresses. I am going into my 5th year with my natural tresses and I am truly loving every minute of it. Being natural is so free and versatile. You have to love your tresses and have fun with your hair. My husband is my biggest supporter; he will wash and grease my scalp as needed, yes I grease my scalp...LOL. I am enjoying my journey and will continue to embrace my natural tresses. I love seeing natural sisters embracing their beautiful hair whether its locs, twists, flat ironed, FROs or just wash and go's. We sisters are starting a movement that's here to stay, love your tresses. Tammie   Growing up I always wanted a relaxer. It was not until high school that I got my very first perm! Boy was I happy about the outcome but not the process at all. After years of relaxing my hair...it was not until 2005 that I had a reality check. Taking medications and being diagnosed with lupus, I knew I had to make some changes. Getting rid of chemicals in my hair was the first one on the list.  I have not regretted it one bit and I have embraced my natural hair with pride. In fact, I have received more compliments being natural than when I was relaxed. My hair is fuller, longer and healthier than ever before. I even have more styling options and able to save money even though I still get my hair washed and conditioned biweekly. The natural hair journey has been an awesome one for me and if I had a daughter she would be on the journey as well. I will continue to embrace what God has given me naturally. Leslie   We NOW have "Embrace Greatness" Lady Tees! Visit our online store to purchase.  I think over the years wearing my naturally nappy & happy to be nappy - headed self, that people inside and out of my circle of friends, colleagues and family have accepted and loved me for being who I am; that woman of color loving the skin and hair she's strutting in. You see, I was inspired over 5 decades ago, as a teenager by the sight of a sister, representing the beauty of the skin I'm in~ Angela Davis spoke before those who looked liked her, as in the color of their skin, to be their own authentic self- their crowing glory worn naturally nappy standing proud and bold as the voice for their sisters and brothers in the fight for a people rights. My hair is my pride & joy, my crowning glory and my heritage from a proud people of color. My hair is part of being my authentic self and I bask in the beautiful glory of it. Clara  We NOW have "Embrace Greatness" Lady Tees! Visit our online store to purchase.  Regaining and maintaining hairline edges is all the “buzz” in the natural hair community. As Naturals, we must be mindful when choosing hair accessories to protect our hairline. We don’t want to choose accessories that can damage our hair. Accented Glory’s blog series of best hair accessory features for Naturals will assist in choosing proper accents. We all desire those “fleek” edges with the baby hair and lying flat. Often time we use too tight ties, bands, or scrunchies to achieve this look, all along causing damage to our hairline. Unfortunately, hair accessories get a bad rap because we choose to wear too tight styles. How do you know if your hair accessory is a proper fit? It doesn’t hurt. Your hair accessory should not cause pain or headaches; it should be a comfortable fit. Our adjustable headbands at our online store allows you to control the tension. You avoid headband headaches and protect your edges with our hair accessory design. With Accented Glory’s designs you can be stylish without pain and keep your edges.  Our Satin and Rhinestone Adjustable Headbands Accented Glory has added hair jewelry to their hair accessory line! I love Accented Glory's Hair Cuff design and the different styles that are available. My favorite is the pearl hair cuff design. I like the fact that I don't have to have locs, braids, or twists to wear the Hair Cuff in my hair. I've worn one with a braid and bantu knot out. Its a very versatile hair accessory. Visit Accented Glory's online store to purchase! Cierra The reviews are coming in! Check out what others are saying about Accented Glory's new Hair Cuff design!    It is hard to believe we're celebrating our 1st year in business. Time truly does fly when you're having fun! I feel blessed to be able to live my dream and do something I love. With that said, I’d like to share with our fans Accented Glory’s humble beginnings and our brand’s story. The Need My husband is a basketball coach and we attended a game at a local college. I noticed that many of the African American women at the game were natural and it did my heart good to see them embracing their true selves. However, all of them, including myself, had the same style that was simple and plain. I thought to myself, hair accessories would add some pop! I went home and did a Google search for hair accessories specifically for women with natural hair and the search brought up nothing. So, I decided to do something about it! What's In A Name The name Accented Glory stems from the expression "your hair is your crowning glory". Our mission is to accent your glory, hence the name "Accented Glory". Our specialty is hair accents for women with natural hair, however we have designs for relaxed and permed hair as well. The Challenge Women with natural hair use MANY products in their hair. Most of the products are oil based which helps maintain moisture. On the flip side, these oils over time breaks down materials like adhesives and rubbers which are commonly used in designing many hair accessories. It has been a trial and error process for us in finding materials that can withstand natural hair care! This is why we test wear all of our prototype designs and adjust the assembling to accommodate the natural Accentnista. Our Signature Item One of the most common styles among women with natural hair is the Afro Puff. Many use an elastic band, ribbon, and even pantyhose to create this style. One of our first designs was an accent that would add "flava" to this style. The Afro Puff Holder was born! This design is one of our top sellers because they're easy to use and you don't have to double up on hair accessories. They're versatile and provide an all-in-one option.  Afro Puff Holder It's A Family Affair The Accented Glory team is made up of my three beautiful daughters and mother who are also natural and my loving husband. Michael - My husband was my angel investor for Accented Glory. Trust me, he cut me no slack when I presented my idea to him. He made me do a formal business pitch much like "Shark Tank". He asked some tough questions, but my charm and great plan won him over! Desere' - My oldest daughter is our PR (Public Relations) guru. She makes sure all of our social media sites are informative and engaging. She also manages all our events and promotional campaigns. Cierra - My middle daughter blogs for "Accessory Diva"; our website blog. She keeps our fans in the know about hair accessories, natural hair, and styling tips. She also assists with events and promotional campaigns. Gabrielle - My baby girl assists with prototype design ideas and quality assurance. She also helps with the assembling of designs. Ms. Brenda – My mom is my #1 fan! She assist me with sewing and fine tuning designs. Me - Because I have such an awesome team, my primary job is designing prototypes and creating designs to keep our online store stocked. We also offer home and online parties and personal showing where I perform styling demonstrations using our designs. Our Sister Company The Vine Events organizes events that empower people with knowledge. Our specialty is informative events: community forums, screening dialogues, and workshops. We have incorporated our passion for learning and sharing knowledge into Accented Glory. Most of our designs have a description card attached to it. The card either explains the significance of the color or material used in making the hair accessory. Never Stop Growing Accented Glory started a natural hair group in May! Accented Glory Naturals is a community for naturals in Rowan County (NC) and surrounding areas. Whether you're considering, transitioning, or maintaining non-chemical altered hair, our community is for you! Our members start discussions, share information, and ask questions relating to natural hair in our Facebook Group. Desere' also has some social and informative meetups lined up for in-person interaction.  AGN Group I hope that you now have a better understanding of who we are and what we do. Visit our online store to view and purchase our designs. To help us expand our reach, you can host a party or book a personal showing. Also, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Twitter, and YouTube. Thanks in advance for helping us grow our brand! Tonya Cross - Owner/Accent Designer |
Cierra CrossCierra has been a part of Accented Glory since its launch in June 2013. Outside of being an "Accessory Diva", she's a millennial who's currently navigating adulthood. Click Not One Of Your Little Friends to check out her podcast! Archives
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