Congrats to Accented Glory's visionary and accessory designer Tonya Cross on the pre-launch of her NEW book Our Stories His Glory! Our Stories His Glory is a book anthology that contains stories of victory from very transparent contributing authors. This awesome project is led by Visionary Author Laticia Nicole Beatty and SHERO Publishing. 

The ladies and gentleman in this book compilation have powerful stories that will bless you!
The title of Tonya's chapter is Choose Life. She shares how her self-love and forgiveness journey led to a life of abundance. Her hopes is that readers glean from her story and learn that they too can live more abundantly.

To purchase Our Stories His Glory during the pre-sale, visit Compilation Authors and click on our visionary's name Tonya Miller Cross to order. Books purchased during pre-sale will be autographed by our visionary and include a special gift! The books will be available May 23rd. The cost is $24.95 and includes shipping.

Accented Glory’s “Love Duo” with Akwati Style is back just in time for Spring! We partnered with Angel Jordan; an amazing fellow black designer for the collab. In the duo, our Cowrie Tassel Hoop Earrings are paired with an off the shoulder white shirt. Matching Ankara fabric directly from Nigeria was used to create the set.

Accented Glory’s Cowrie Tassel Hoop Earrings are all that and then some! The African print center and cowrie shell tassel gives it an Afrocentric vibe that exemplifies our brand energy. They are light weight, so no worries of stretching your earlobes. The hoops are also lead and nickel free and are available in both gold and silver color.

​What makes this earring design even more fabulous is that we also have customized matching headbands. These sets are available in our Etsy Shop’s bundle section. The headband designs are satin lined to protect natural hair from drying out and breakage. In addition, all of our headband designs are adjustable. What does that mean for you? No more headband headaches; you control the tension. Our bundle pairings are great gift sets for some self love or to bestow upon someone else.

​So, what are you waiting for? Express your African heritage with Accented Glory’s Cowrie Tassel Hoop Earrings. No look is complete without great accessories!

Click Akwati Style to order Love Duo from their website.

Click Etsy Shop to purchase one of our Cowrie Tassel Hoop Earring and Headband Bundles.

Cierra - AKA Accessory Diva

This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here for Accented Glory's Affiliate's Disclosure.
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Accented Glory designs are created for Naturals by Naturals. My team consists of myself and three daughters; we all are Naturals! Our brand demonstrates our firsthand understanding of natural hair care needs through our quality designs and services. Below are 5 reasons why our customers LOVE Accented Glory's designs!
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Our customers love the Afrocentric Vibe of our hair accessory and jewelry designs! The majority of our designs are created with cowrie shells. Cowrie shells have African roots and portrays a message of respect, honor, and inspiration. The shell is the first symbol of money and wealth known to mankind. Cowrie shells are also believed to be a gift from the goddess of the water Mami Wata. She's the most celebrated mermaid like deity from Africa. You too can feel like an African Goddess by rockin' Accented Glory's designs!  ​
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Our hair accessory designs are created with fabrics and materials that minimize damage to kinky, coily, and curly hair. We try to avoid coarse fabrics that can cause friction with natural hair and lead to breakage. Many of our designs are created with satin fabric to evade hair breakage and drying out of natural hair. Because most natural hair care regimens includes oils, we also avoid using adhesives when possible and reinforce design with hand stitching. Oils can break down adhesives and affect durability. Durability is a top complaint from Naturals when it comes to hair accessories!
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Another concern we hear about from Naturals is headband headaches! These headaches are known as compression headaches caused by constant pressure on forehead, crown of head, behind the ears, and nap of neck. All of Accented Glory's headband designs are adjustable and provides a remedy for these headaches. Our adjustable headbands allow our customers to control the tension!  
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​Accented Glory is Team Save Edges! Often times hair accessories get a bad rap and are accused of causing damage. Yes, all hair accessories aren’t created equal, BUT most damage comes from simply wearing too tight accessories. We put the tension control back into the hands of our customers with our hair accessory designs. Pretty shouldn’t hurt!
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​We wear test all of our designs to ensure that they are not only stylish, but also comfortable. One of the most common styles worn by women with natural hair is the Afro Puff. Many use an elastic band, ribbon, and even pantyhose to create this style. Sometimes these methods can be painful and cause headaches. Our customers avoid the pain with Accented Glory's signature design Afro Puff Holder! It holds your Afro Puff in place and accent your hairstyle at the same time. It's also made with ouchless bands to protect natural hair from damage!​

​So, what are you waiting for? Join our Accented Glory Fam and experience first hand the LOVE our customers have for us. You can start by shopping with us on Amazon for some of our top sellers below. Click on photo to buy!

Tonya Cross - Accessory Designer of Accented Glory
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Accented Glory’s visionary Tonya Cross shares what make her hair accessory and Afrocentric jewelry designs unique! Shop with Accented Glory on Etsy and Amazon for your hair accessory and jewelry needs. We have an array of one of a kind designs. No look is complete without great accessories!

Cierra - AKA Accessory Diva

​Accented Glory’s hair accessory and jewelry designs can now be purchased at the Community Arts Gift Shop! The shop is located in the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts and is operated by the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County​. The shop address is 251 North Spruce St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. You can shop for pieces by local artist Monday - Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am - 4pm.


We customized a necklace and earring set for the shop. Currently this accessory set is exclusive to the center. And of course it has the signature Accented Glory Afrocentric Vibe. This design set features cowrie shells, wooden beads, and silver accents. Whether your look is dressy or casual this set would be a great accessory!


​Accented Glory has both headband and earring designs at the gift shop. All of our headband designs are adjustable. What does that mean for you? NO MORE headband headaches! We also have our NEW Cowrie Tassel Hoop and Cowrie Shell Tassel Earrings that were featured on Essence in the gift shop. If you’re in or visiting the Winston-Salem, NC area be sure to swing by and support us by making a purchase! Your support is truly appreciated. No look is complete without great accessories!

Cierra - AKA Accessory Diva

This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here for Accented Glory's Affiliate's Disclosure.

Often times hair accessories get a bad rap. They’re accused of causing pain and natural hair damage. Plus they’re labeled as inappropriate for women of a certain age. Today, I’m going to set the record straight and dispel all these myths!

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Hair Accessories Cause Headaches

Too tight hair accessories is what causes headaches! These headaches are known as compression headaches; caused by constant pressure on one’s forehead, crown of the head, behind the ears, and nap of the neck. A remedy for this issue is adjustable headband designs. Accented Glory’s headband designs are all adjustable and meets the needs of our customer base. They’re both comfortable and natural hair friendly. Accented Glory designs are created with fabrics and materials that minimize damage to kinky, coily, and curly hair. Click Amazon or Etsy to shop and get free U.S. shipping on our natural hair accessory designs!

Hair Accessories Cause Breakage

To keep things fair, hair accessories can cause damage, but the damage is often caused by a misuse of the accessory design or material used to create the design. The best way to solve these natural hair issues is education. At Accented Glory we educate our customers on what to look for when purchasing and styling with hair accessories. Check out our natural hair Styling Guide for hair accessories on Etsy for more advice and tips on styling natural hair.

Hair Accessories Are For Young Girls

You cannot put a age limit on expression of style! The misconception that hair accessories are only for young girls can possibly be attributed to retail stores catering to a much younger demographic. That’s why Accented Glory has mature designs for the grown and sexy...and STYLISH women!


What are somethings you’ve heard about hair accessories that may or may not be true? Feel free to share in comments below.


Cierra - AKA Accessory Diva

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Check out some of Accented Glory's adjustable headbands on Amazon! 
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This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here for Accented Glory's Affiliate's Disclosure.
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​Accented Glory listens to our fans, followers, and customers! Many complaints against hair accessories, especially headbands, is that the constant tension cause headaches. Headband tightness also place stress on hairline edges. Our goal to provide quality designs lead us to our design station. We asked how can we resolve these problems?

Accented Glory's solution is stylish adjustable headband designs that allow our customers to control the tension! Not only did we solve the problems of tension headache and hairline stress, but we took it to the next level and used materials that don't cause damage to kinky, coily, and curly hair. Our Double Cowrie Shell Headband is our latest design and is created with satin ribbon. Accented Glory's African Print Headband designs are also satin lined. Satin lined headband designs don't dry out or cause breakage to natural hair. 


​Our adjustable headband designs are also created with closed knit elastic. When the elastic is stretched you don't have to worry about your hair getting caught in the elastic. Having natural hair friendly designs are very important to us. Plus we're team Save The Edges!
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Is avoiding headband headaches and wearing natural hair friendly designs important to you too? We got you covered! Check out Accented Glory's handcrafted designs on Amazon. 

Click Styling With Hair Accessory Guide for more styling advice and tips on Etsy!

Cierra -  AKA Accessory Diva

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Accented Glory (AG) has built an amazing network within the natural hair community! We have many curlfriends that manage brands, businesses, and organizations. Sade of Sprinkled By Nature (SBN) and Safiya Lotus Holistic Care is a part of our natural hair brand network. Read below to learn more about her brand.
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​AG:  Please introduce yourself and tell us who you are.
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SBN: My name is Sade` J. Sprinkle. I am 23 years old and currently an undergraduate speech pathology student at SC State. I have struggled with eczema, dry skin, bruises, dark acne marks, painful menstrual cycles, ovarian cysts, frequent yeast infections—just like some of you. I love all things concerning self-love and self-care. I commonly state that there is medicine in every plant, herb, fruit, and vegetable for our healing. I love to take a holistic approach to things that commonly affect us all. Although I am studying pathology, I plan to further my education in the research and practice of holistic medicine. I’m particularly interested in teaching black women and youth about the importance of our womb and the power that it holds. It is important to me to promote womb awareness due to the constant attack on the black womb. I enjoy speaking to women about alternatives to the products we use daily, monthly, and occasionally as women. I enjoy speaking with queens who are new to the natural route as well as queens who practice more holistic lifestyles.


AG: We love your passion for learning and sharing your knowledge! Now tell us about your natural hair journey.

SBN: I don’t remember the first time I had my hair relaxed, but I do know that relaxers played a huge role in my childhood. I remember my hair being so “course” that my mom would use the Super strength perm for my “tender” head. I learned from the early on to dislike my hair in its natural state. I wanted so bad for my hair to be silky straight so it wouldn’t need to be blow dried and hot combed. Looking back now, I realize that my dislike for my hair was not just internal. It showed externally in my dried, heat-damaged, and unconditioned hair. I didn’t know then that my body is my temple and my hair is my crown. During my freshman year in college, I decided to do my “big chop.” I remember feeling like a burden was being lifted as my damaged hair I had loathed so long fell to the floor. In the days and weeks following my big chop, I saw myself in a way I had never seen before. I looked in the mirror at myself with short curly fro and fell in love. If you’ve never heard it: When a lady cuts her hair, a change is coming. In the midst of my journey, I ended up going through life’s tests as we all do. When I felt that I was ready to get to heal and get myself to a better place, I decided to get my locs
started; and this is when the real journey began. I always say that the term “natural hair journey” is so fitting. I love my locs and would not prefer my hair any other way because they have grown with me. My locs are all natural which means I had to go through what some people call the “ugly phase.” During the time when my locs were short, I poured love into them and nurtured them with plant based products (made by me of course). They show me each day how with time and dedication, we can grow through what we go through.

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AG: The Natural Hair Movement has created a more conscious consumer. Many desire to return to their African roots, support black owned businesses, and purchase natural products. Tell us more about your brand Sprinkled By Nature, LLC and how it came to be.

SBN: My brand developed during a tough time in my life. I went through a period where I was placing other people’s worth above my own. Prior to this experience, I had been such a pure person, and it was clear that this situation had caused me to lose myself. I felt myself slipping away, and I wanted to catch it—I wanted to heal myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. My brand was developed through much fasting, praying, and meditation. I’ve always loathed my “coarse” hair, so I
figured I would start there. The “natural” products on the shelves just didn’t work for me, so I decided to start mixing my own hair oils. I used my oils for months, and noticed my hair regenerating and growing softer and stronger each day. My eczema has always been a huge insecurity and aggravation for me. So, I concocted a mixture to tone my skin and tame my eczema. After weeks, people were complimenting my skin, and complimenting my hair texture. They were even asking me what I was using. And so, while I was healing and pouring into myself with meditation, self-love and plant medicine, the people around me were also healing and pouring into me with compliments. That’s when I knew it.. This had to be the light at the end of the tunnel. I bottled up my hair and skin oils and gave them away to people who had issues with eczema, dry skin/hair, dark spots, etc. Over the course of weeks, I watched their skin and hair regenerate. It was so beautiful to see their love for themselves begin to blossom. When I noticed that these products helped my people look and feel like royalty, I knew that this was my calling. There is no better feeling to me than seeing a queen or king glow and grow with my products. I know now that when I went through my dark place, I was
only being planted. And with self-love, the love of my people, and getting myself back to nature, in 2016 Sprinkled By Nature bloomed.

 
​AG: We are huge fans of holistic wellness and discovered on your website that you provide additional services! Tell us more about Safiya Lotus Holistic Care and the services you provide.

SBN: Safiya Lotus currently provides yoni steaming services. Yoni (vaginal) steaming is beneficial for women who have painful or irregular menstrual cycles, ovarian cysts, fibroids, PCOS, endometriosis, and more. It is the act of sitting over a
container of steaming herbs and allowing the herb’s medicinal steam to enter the vagina. We provide yoni steaming sessions as well as womb awareness talk. We provide yoga sessions, and book individual and group yoni steaming sessions.


AG: We love the fact that you use your brand and services to also educate! Why is this important to you?

SBN: There is a lot that I would have done differently had I known better. Most of our parents and grandparents only teach us what they know, and most of them have not learned about the healing benefits of plants. I have been blessed with the urge to seek knowledge, and to whom much is given much is expected. I learned and always say that the difference between ignorance and stupidity is that ignorance is when you’re unaware of something, and stupidity is when you know better, but you still choose to act as if you don’t. I realize that most our people aren’t really into doing research. I happen to like research. Therefore, I feel it is my responsibility to share the knowledge that I gain with my community, especially my African community.


AG: Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

SBN: Herbal teas and herbal bath soaks are coming soon to Safiya Lotus! We offer individual as well as group yoni steaming sessions. We also offer yoga sessions as well as womb wellness speaking events. Please contact us via website or social media for any questions and to book.
Website: www.getsprinkledbynature  IG: @sprinkledbynature @safiyalotus  FB: @sprinkledbynature
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Accented Glory (AG) has built an amazing network within the natural hair community! We have many curlfriends that manage brands, businesses, and organizations that are members of our Facebook Group Accented Glory Naturals. Liz Girolamo (LG) of Tee-Owels and Ethnic Hair Forum is a part of our natural hair brand support system. We collaborated with her on a recent Instagram Giveaway she hosted. Check out our Naturals In Business feature on Liz below. **This blog post contains affiliate links. Click here for Accented Glory's Affiliate's Disclosure.**

​AG: Please introduce yourself and tell Accented Glory readers who you are.

LG: Hi! My name is Liz Girolamo, I’m an entrepreneur, marketer, content creator, esthetician and natural hair care enthusiast from New York. I’m of afro-latina descent with type 4C hair, and the owner of Tee-Owels – The Ideal T-shirt Hair Towel for Curlies.


AG: For many naturals, their hair journey has been a catalyst for so many things! Tell us about your natural hair journey.ll
us about your natural hair journey.
LG: I began my healthy hair journey at 22 years old. It was 2011, I was in college, and I had just started exploring and applying my knowledge of SKIN care to my hair care routine. But first, a little background -- Growing up I was adopted, and I never knew a thing about how to take care of my hair. My parents had straight hair, and although they tried relentlessly to help me & take me to people who could help me, I really struggled with my hair and spent a lot of time crying over the damage. It didn’t help that back then ethnic hair options were extremely limited and the internet was virtually non-existent. Everything I did to my hair seemed to ruin it: Brushing it, washing it, drying it, dying it - and I just couldn’t figure out how to manage it! So, like many curly & afro women I turned to relaxers, extensions, wigs, hoods, anything to cover it up for years. Thankfully, in 2010, the early years of the natural hair movement, I started to explore and apply my schooling and knowledge of skin care (esthetics) to my hair care routine. Only then I realized the link between skin and hair health. One big thing about skin is that it needs moisture to stay JUICY. It sounds funny, but moisture is really a KEY component to having healthy and lively skin and hair, and this little piece of knowledge was a game-changer for me. So, I started experimenting with essential oils and water based moisturizing products. This coupled with taking protective measures were key for my natural hair journey and helped me grow my hair down my back. As a skin specialist, being able to characterize my hair as a dry hair type (like a dry skin type) made me realize the science of texture and find solutions to breakage and dryness. My hair wasn’t “bad” it was misunderstood! I wished someone had explained to me that my hair was breaking because the nature of its texture makes it difficult for natural oils to slide down the strand to the tips.

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AG: You have a unique natural hair product! Tell us more about your brand Tee-Owels and how it came to be.

LG: Tee-Owels, like so many products, came to be out of necessity and need for innovation. I was using t-shirts to dry my hair until I had a lightbulb moment and realized that I shouldn’t have to. There should be a nice hair towel product designed just for women of color’s unique hair needs. Now there is an awesome hair towel for them – the Tee-Owel. It falls under the category of protective hair care. The soft t-shirt material reduces breakage and frizz, and is 100% curl-conscious so we can achieve our hair goals with ease. I see future generations of curly and kinky haired women having this accommodation. To me, if everyone understood the need for a Tee-Owel than that means they understand their own hair type and what works and what doesn’t. I’d be thrilled knowing that less young women felt lost as I did growing up about their hair, so a huge part of our company and what we do is dedicated to education. Our logo is an adorable curly haired owl wearing her own hair t-shirt hair towel. I thought of this when I was combining the words t-shirt and towel into “Tee-Owel”. Each towel is called an “Owel” in our world. And each Owel helps protect your hair!

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AG:  We're a huge fan of sharing knowledge among the natural hair community. Tell me more about Ethnic Hair Forum. 

LG:  Ethnic Hair Forum (EHF) was my first social media experiment. I was in college studying women and gender studies, and I was full of relief to learn that others thought and felt the way I did & I was empowered and very passionate about building a community centered around information – again helping those who like myself felt lost with their hair. What really set us apart at first was how information, and education oriented it was – not another “hair inspo” page. There’s so much to share on the topic, and the response to it was great.

​​AG: We see a connection between Tee-Owels and Ethnic Hair Forum. Why is it important for you to provide a product that educates and resolve a natural hair concerns?

LG: There is absolutely a connection. EHF, at first, was to morph into EHCO (Ethnic Hair Care Options), where I wanted to have a full line of protective hair care products/ publications. Tee-Owels was created to be the first product in the line, but it had a such a great response from the start that I decided to keep my products under the name Tee-Owels for now. Since opening, we added Satin Hair Scrunchie Sets, and there are more really cool and unique protective accommodations to come! It’s so important to me to do this because it’s what I wish I had when I was younger. Options and information. They say be the person you wish you had growing up & I certainly aim for that.

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AG: Is there anything else you would like to share with Accented Glory's audience?

LG: Yes, I’d like to share that Tee-Owels at the core is about bringing people together through fun hair care products. It’s what the ethnic hair industry has always lacked in – fun, innovative, diverse hair care solutions. Thanks for tuning in today!


AG: Where can our audience find out more about your business and services?

LG: You can learn more about Tee-Owels at our website www.teeowels.com, on Instagram @teeowels, and Tee-Owels on Facebook. Our products are available on Amazon, Etsy and www.teeowels.com.

Cierra - AKA Accessory Diva

What have your natural hair journey been a catalyst for?

Click "Shop Now" below to purchase Tee-Owels on Amazon.
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