Modibodi has a really amazing sale going on right now. I love this brand for period management – not only do these underwear assist with ensuring that bodies are kept healthy despite all of the chemical pollutants in female hygiene, but they are also great for the environment (so much less waste).
This brand has the best supers of all the other brands I’ve tried.
Nelliel Approved.
Over the last few years, I have tried many new things, hoping to find new ways of living and taking care of myself as I age – ways that resonate with me at heart. I have been a part of a spa membership service, KSPAS really have been a great escape, and I have since ventured into the land of at home electronic beautification devices.
In my younger years, I was a bit averse to these devices as they seemed to be linked with increase risk of cancer, however, I do believe that the FDA has worked to ensure that the public is more aware and knowledgeable as to what is advised/approved for use and what is not.
Here is a pretty exhaustive list of the devices I use at home. My focus is primarily on maintaining my youthfulness, I do not have many signs of aging nor acne – this could also be due to using the direct acids (Glycolic & Lactic) by The Ordinary, and oil cleansing with hemp seed oil.
At a $455 price point, I would not recommend this for those that are just dipping their toes into this world, but I do believe that it is a worthwhile purchase. I used my HSA to purchase this – it falls under acne prevention. I used this everyday for a long while, however, I have since moved to using this device 2-3x a week. I generally use the Red Light and the Combo Acne and Red Light modes – I believe that this has greatly assisted with maintaining matte skin. I really used to be an oil slick – I have the Pewter Color of this model and I have not been disappointed with this color choice at all. This can also be used on the head to aid in the health hair growth.
I have also used this on my chest to keep the decolletage area (neck, chest, etc) skin youthful.
I am so happy with this device. I used to go into the spa every month for laser hair removal, however, device has made hair removal easy, less painful, and inexpensive. I have PCOS and the very coarse body hairs that come with this illness do not stand a chance anymore. My legs are hairless after all the spa visits, even my Type A sister has noticed. Again, I used my HSA to purchase this beautiful little device (with doctor’s approval) and it comes in with a discount at $350.
I found this at my local Marshalls for less than 30 dollars. What a steal – this also has red light therapy benefits and can often be found for a steal. The ones I own are by Luxe + Willow. The sticker on my box states that the price for it was $24.99.
I believe that this device has really assisted with manually cleaning my face. I do not use cleansers that frequently, however, I do think that this in addition to using oil has been a true benefit. My skin has been very clear with the aid of the products I use and my electronic devices.
When I was new to the KSPA life, I used to get body scrubs every month. They are not only beneficial to maintaining beautiful skin, but they are also very helpful for lymphatic drainage. I highly recommend them, but if you are on a budget, check out the wood therapy skin tools. Using these tools a few minutes a day will greatly assist in keeping your Lymph active and moving. Dry brushing is also a good idea. Prices on these tools vary, but I’ve gotten some as low as $5.00 and others as high as $30.00. I recommend getting a wood therapy set from Etsy as they are more encompassing. The sets are generally less than $100.00.
I made a wig by hand. Thanks for all the help, A.
For the curious, the black square is my radiant heating. I need to get it set up correctly so that the wiring is hidden. It kind of looks kind of like a TV but it isn’t – I should have just gotten a white one.
Just so you all know, I have no interest in doing this as a professional.
Bundles used: SexyLadyHair – Straight, 24 IN 13×6 closure, this hair is SO Beautiful and SO THICK. I got double drawn bundles.
Styling Tool: Dyson Co-anda 2x
Wig Caps: Small Ventilated Wig Cap – Size down as I need an XS.
Nylon Thread & Needle
Bleach for frontal was used
A more serious image – just imagine this one someone’s head.
In total, took about 5 hours to make but that is with lots of breaks. It is lovely, I’m proud and I’ve been perming hair but had to wait until the perm rods arrived for the curly hair to be upgraded. Now that I am in receipt of them, I’m happy I bought them on TEMU instead of the pack on AMAZON as I’m afraid that those are short and fat instead of “New Curl” like I need.
Anywho. I forgot rubber bands. 🙁
Back to my data science program.
A few years ago, feather crochet hair was alllllll the rage on my Instagram. As a visual person, I LOVE Instagram (and Pinterest), there is SO MUCH inspiration that can be found and studied on these two platforms. I have been trying new things with my hair and I found plenty of new ways of styling my curly hair via Instagram. As someone that does not go to the hairstylist anymore (they always want to cut someone’s hair off), I found that the crochet hair advertised was truly quite appealing. The price tag tho – 5 packs of crochet hair on QVR, or even Elfin, can run upwards of 300 dollars (check out Hotbraids, this hair is giving Curlsqueen quality in terms of fullness.) Plastic crochet hair can be purchased for less than 10! And the plastic crochet, when complete is pretty. I personally think that the straight hair crochet works much better than other styles of plastic hair. I’ve attached mostly straight plastic crochet below, however this YouTuber does have a lot of tutorials on curly crochet styles with plastic hair.
This one was done with human hair cut from their clip INS – I love that she upcycled. I do not like that plastic hair is polluting our land so badly, that is why using human hair is truly an advantage. And when it gets old, you can compost it.
India can some how keep her curly crochet braids nice for 6 weeks plus. Awesome.
The issue with the plastic hair is that it tangles sooo fast. I love curls and this type of plastic hair tangles the most. I had to stop purchasing plastic extension hair. Using it pushes strongly against my ethics. I prefer to recycle and reuse instead of tossing away. These two vendors, Sexy Lady Hair and HoomyHair have some of the most luscious curls available in human crochet.These vendors can make crochet out of any available hair type that they have for sale. All you have to do is ask – these two vendors are so friendly and responsive. I have more of an Indian curly texture naturally, so I bought these textures. DO NOT FORGET – the hair has been washed and set a certain way in the videos but when you style it at home, it will look different as they are set for sale.
Here is what the hair looks like. These pictures and videos convinced me to purchase – this tiktoker seems to sell similar hair.
Check em out if you like what you see. I LOVE these two vendors, I got the hair within two days of completion. NELLIEL APPROVED!
UPDATE – 5/12/26 The recipe has been removed but you can still read the blog post. If you’re interested, please place an order with me. ♥️
I’ve been on a “crunchy” beauty kick for most of my life. Face masks made from Avocados, lemons, and blueberries were an important part of my childhood. Honey and egg hair masks were always my thing.
As I’ve gotten older, I have purchased from many big name beauty brands but still have a heart for homemade products. The efficacy is questionable but I’m pretty sure that this combination works. Maybe not quite as well as I would like, but I think it is the start of something quite good. Nail health and skin health combine here: – instead of my nails being short and stubby, they now grow out to medium length without much breakage. Please note, eating healthy and being healthy is also very important when it comes to beauty maintenance. When I was younger, my nails were so thick and my playmates used to complain about me scratching them on the playground. How my nails transformed into such brittle little things, I don’t know. Give this recipe a try if you are having similar issues. This works well as a hair serum, too, with a few modifications.
Same thumb, after a week and a half/two weeks of growth – 11/25/25
I think of this brand as a lower budget alternative to La Mer. Not only do the products contain similar ingredients but they are much, much more cost effective. I tried this skincare a little over two years ago, and I’ve watched them as they have updated the line little by little. And let’s be honest, Pharrell has truly great skin. Who would not want skin like his? I do think that I have pretty nice skin, but his is amazing! I hope to see it in person one day.
As I am aging, I thought about getting La Mer, however, the prices for the products are so high that I shopped around for alternatives. I do, truly like the products, however, I truly think that the real secret of La Mer’s efficacy lies in moisture and fermentation.
I think that Pharrell’s products in the Humanrace skincare line are good alternatives to La Mer. (I have tried La Mer, I think that the products are wonderful – just a note, if you decided to spring for La Mer, try the mattifying cream, that is my personal favorite. I do really love the HumanRace moisturizer, it does not make me overly greasy. I was a terrible oil slick during puberty, Niacinamide has changed my life.)
I tried this part of the line when it first launched and I was really pleasantly surprised and quite happy with the results. In fact, I am pretty sure that the moisturizer is meant to be a dupe of the La Mer moisturizer. The cleanser is not drying and I feel as though the products pair very nicely with other products in my skincare regime. I like to use the Retrograde gel cleanser as a full body cleanser as well. Have any of you tried Pharrell’s products line or do you think that he’s just trying to profit from his lovely skin and crazy slow aging?
Here is a video he made during covid speaking about the product launch:
Another of him and Tyler speaking about the products and how they take care of their skin:
Love him – both he and the products are Nelliel Approved!
I have been on a YouTube kick for many years. 10 or so years ago, I found out about vlogging. I wanted to try my hand at it, however, my life just isn’t conducive to it. I have, however, found many, many YouTubers that have brought joy and laughter into my life in ways unexpected. I really appreciate YouTube, not only for existing, but for introducing me to these good people and giving them a platform to create in such ways.
During this time, the vloggers I watch have changed, however, I have been enjoying the ones listed below for almost 5 years now. Though they may not be in my life forever in this capacity, I do really like their work and growth. I’m sharing as I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I have.
This vlogger has a lot of travel and fashion content. I really enjoy her personality and sense of style. I would say that she fits into a more LUXE niche, however, she puts a nice mix on the types of topics that she explores via her content. There is a lot of shopping, nail, and hair talk. She is very up on the trends and fashion. I loved that she was Atlanta based, however, she is now in New York and abroad most of the time. Her aesthetic is similar to my own. She is in her early thirties and seems to be thriving. She is so fun to watch.
Instagram – TikTok – Youtube – Pinterest
Kirah makes similar content to the aforementioned vlogger, however, these two vloggers could not be more different. I love that Kirah’s honesty. She is so fun and unique. Kirah also makes a lot of travel and beauty content. I have not watched her as frequently, however, it is so dope to see the city of Atlanta feature in her vlogs so much. She is a laugh riot, insightful, always has some cool restaurants featured, and most recently worked with Beyonce (whoa!) on a Cecred campaign.
I think it is real. I say this from personal experience and use. There are a number of ways to do face sculpting – face yoga, gua sha, lymphatic drainage, which generally includes fingers and oil, and one of my favorites, just because of the ease, face wrapping. I think that this trend started in Korea, but I am not really sure. There is evidence that this is mostly related to post-op care, and Korea is VERY big into plastic surgery, but I’m all for anything that makes taking care of myself (both internally and externally, easy).
Reusable face wraps went so viral when SKIMS released their version earlier this year, but I found mine at Marshalls many years ago. I’m gonna be honest, doesn’t seem like many doctors are in favor of these. I like the one I have, however, the wrap has loosened over the years from hasty application prior to bed. I think that when combined with eating healthy, working out, and lymphatic drainage, it has great benefit.
What do you all think? Trendy accessory or beneficial? I got mine for about 4 dollars – I think it is time for a new one as it has stretched out over the years. I don’t want to spend 50+ dollars on this type of item, so I’ll do more research before a splurge like this one. One thing that I really like about the Kardashians is that they do their best to make parts of their lifestyles more accessible to the public when it comes to the beauty arena. There are similar ones on Alibaba and Shein. I’ll probably give this one a try soon.
I’m going to give this a thumbs up as a Nelliel Approved beauty tool.
Sharing one of my favorite music and fashion artist today. Pharrell Williams. The cutie. ? With such prolific amounts of work, it is hard to pick one. This man was in Atlanta this past week, however, I did not get an exclusive invite to his award ceremony. ?
His work has grown more and more unique as time has gone by.
Enjoy!

During the height of the Curlsqueen craze a year or two ago, I bought several curlsqueen products (just for your knowledge – 2c/3a curly half wigs, clipins and some straight halfwigs) When the products arrive, and you pull them out of the packaging, the hair is sooooo gorgeous! Stunning even. I thought to myself – trying to grow my hair back to waist length would be so easy!
Curlsqueen is my first true foray into hair extensions. If I can remodel my home, I can surely learn how to attach hair to my head, and make it seamless.
I was, however, very badly disappointed. After a few months of wear, the hair tangles, it no longer has body or flow, and just does not reflect the amount of money spent. Human hair lasts for forever. I know that there are not many people that feel this way online about Curlsqueen, but I do. What a waste of money. After attempting to coordinate returns or new products with the company, one gets fed up (they did attempt to rectify things a bit by sending me a free halfwig for the points status I possessed, but that one quickly tangled up as well). Is there a brand with curls just as beautiful that does not tangle? I have yet to find them. Most companies charge an arm and a leg for the length I need and the quality. I’m thinking that I’m going to have to go with a no name brand to get my new wigs made – and they will be to my specifications.
Curlsqueen is a big no for me.
Take a look at some of the others online experiencing similar issues with them. Why is this happening only to the looser textures? Very strange. As it is human hair, the hair should not tangle. Let’s be honest, if this is Cambodian/Indian hair, it would tangle on the heads of those selling the hair just as badly. Hair being attached to a weft does not mean that the hair should now tangle.
This user with a similar experience was found on TikTok
As Curlsqueen is China based, it is hard to get returns made without it costing as much as the product did! ah! I do think that the straight textures are nice – they do not tangle or shed. It is really important for products to be and perform at the level advertised and promised.
What did I do with the tangled weave? I’ve chosen to cut the hair off the weft and use the very expensive hair as bulk hair. It will be used in my twists and braids. It has been so costly.
Can you believe that those are the only negative reviews that I can find this AM?Wow. I do not think that the 2c is as popular as the coarser textures and that might be the reason that there are few updates on the loose textures online.