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ARTICLE TITLE | BY AUTHOR MAKING QUEEN SIZE MOVES
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FROM THE DESK OF Tawana Blassingame Founder & Editor in Chief
Welcome to the November 2020 issue of Queen Size Magazine. It’s my favorite time of year because layer up season is here! Boot season! Chilly NOT cold weather. I love it. I know y’all are not ready to hear this but I feel it is my duty to remind you..... Time to get ready for the holidays.... This year was tough, and it is not over yet. We have all experience (directly or indirectly) some tough times with this ongoing pandemic. A lot of us are still working from home so our wardrobes ae likely looking a tab bit different these days. Some of us are buying more tops than bottoms and some are buying more loungewear than business wear. Whatever it is you are buying, just remember we have a lot of options out there to keep up looking fabulous. A lot of businesses have been hit hard from this pandemic. We are seeing a lot of our favorite brands go out of business. Allow me to remind you that, now more than ever, it is imperative to support the brands that are here for you. Stay cute, but most importantly stay safe. Thank you all for continuing to support Queen Size Magazine. We would love to hear your feedback. Email us at queensizemagazine@gmail.com and let us know what you like, don’t like and/or want to see in future issues. We value your opinion. Be blessed and remember to be a blessing as well.
Photo by Philip Drew @pdrewphotography
WWW.QUEENSIZEMAGAZINE.COM| MAY NOVEMBER 2018 ISSUE 2020 ISSUE
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MAKING QUEEN SIZE MOVES
MASTHEAD TAWANA BLASSINGAME CEO/Editor In Chief PHILIP DREW Executive Director & Director of Photography MEESHA ANN Executive Director SHEENA POSTELL Social Media Correspondant LAWANDA SANYANG Beauty Editor ASHLEY WALKER Fashion Editor Sharonda Grandberry Overseas Ambassador EYANI COUTURE House Designer Nathaniel Jaye Beauty Janelle Simmons Fashion Nyemade Boiwu Lifestyle ValaRae Partee 2020 Face of QSM
Photographer | Silvana Denker IG @silvanadenker - FB @ SilvanaDenkerFoto Hair and Makeup | Silvana Denker @silvanadenker - FB @ SilvanaDenkerFoto and Valnesia Müllers IG @valnesiadieleonora_curvymodel FB @Valnesia Di Eleonora Curvymodel Assistant | Manuela Freymann Model | Silvana Denker IG @silvanadenker FB: @SilvanaDenkerofficial WWW.QUEENSIZEMAGAZINE.COM|NOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE
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NOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE
CONTENTS FEATURED STORY
24 SILVANA DENKER|
PROFESSIONAL/INTERNATIONAL MODEL AND PHOTOGRAPHER. LIVING THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.
HEALTH AND FITNESS
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HOW TO USE YOGA TO SLEEP BETTER DURING THE PANDEMIC
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SCHOOL-NIGHT MEALS THAT DELIVER TASTE AT A LOW COST
By BRANDPOINT
By FAMILY FEATURES
BEAUTY&FASHION
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NAB THIS SEASON’S ON-TREND FASHIONS By FAMILY FEATURES
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FASHION SPOTLIGHT | ALMOST THERE
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MAKEUP TRANSITION
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TIPS FOR THE BEST BACK-TO-SCHOOL SKIN-CARE ROUTINE
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By QSM
By LAWANDA SANYABG
By BRANDPOINT
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FALL FASHION FRENZY By ASHLEY WALKER
HAIRCARE Q&A By NATHANIEL JAYE
BUSINESS
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LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX
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THE PROS AND CONS OF BEAUTY COMPETITIONS
By NYEMADE BOUIWU
By JANELLE “THE CURVY DOC” SIMMONS
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HEALTH AND FITNESS
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HOW TO USE YOGA TO SLEEP BETTER DURING THE PANDEMIC Whether due to illness, altered work schedules, homeschooling or social distancing, COVID-19 has impacted us all personally. Stress levels are high, and the resulting anxiety makes it much harder to get a good night’s rest. Despite the efforts of the $70 billion sleep-aid industry, many exhausted people are still searching for ways to get the sleep they need to keep their immune systems strong. Unfortunately, sleeping pills are the dominant treatment strategy for insomnia. Sleeping pills don’t work for everyone, have side effects and do not address the underlying stress that is keeping you awake. That’s why medical experts are increasingly advising those struggling with poor sleep to first try
WWW.QUEENSIZEMAGAZINE.COM|NOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE
more natural solutions. Kundalini Yoga is one viable option. Through the practice of kriyas, specific breath control techniques and exercises, anyone can find the fulfilling rest they need. These Kundalini Yoga techniques can help if you have recently begun to suffer from poor sleep or you struggle with an ongoing sleep disorder. According to “Yoga Can Help With Insomnia” by Psychology Today, “Researchers at Harvard Medical School investigated how a daily yoga practice might affect sleep for people with insomnia and found broad improvements to measurements of sleep quality and quantity.”
HOW TO USE YOGA .... | BRANDPOINT
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THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP HYGIENE
nostril.
First, it’s critical to maintain good sleep hygiene. These are the habits that put you in the best position to have a full night of quality sleep. Signs your sleep could use improvement include taking too long to fall asleep, waking multiple times with difficulty falling back asleep, overall light and restless sleep, and drowsiness during the day.
Step 3: Once you feel drowsy, turn to your preferred sleeping position on your back or side. Continue long, deep breathing until asleep.
While each person must adopt consistent sleep hygiene practices that work for them, here are some guidelines that you can follow to sleep better.
Sleep is always an important component to health and wellness. During stressful times, quality sleep is difficult to achieve. These steps will help you refine your sleep routine and discover better rest. To learn more, visit kundaliniresearchinstitute.org.
* Avoid bright screens and stimulants like caffeine, alcohol or nicotine close to bedtime. * Exercise during the day so the body is ready to rest later. Be mindful of timing; exercising too late in the day can disrupt sleep. * A light snack is OK, but avoid heavy meals or spicy food before bed. * Drink a glass of water before sleep since dehydration can disturb the sleeping mind. Waking up to use the bathroom is less disruptive to a whole night’s sleep than dehydration. * Practice a restful activity before getting into bed. For example, do gentle yoga and slow breathing exercises, read a book, pray or meditate. * If your nighttime sleep is poor, avoid napping during the daytime. YOGIC RECOMMENDATIONS: STEPS TO DEEP, DREAMLESS SLEEP The 3HO Foundation recommends using these Kundalini Yoga techniques to quickly achieve deep sleep in just a few minutes: Step 1: A busy mind has difficulty sleeping. Quiet your thoughts by first visualizing all your worries, ideas and problems, wrapping them up in a package, then placing that package on a shelf in your mind. You’ll be amazed at how many are gone, solved or improved by the time you wake up. Step 2: Lie on your stomach, turn your head so your right cheek is on the pillow. This automatically opens your left nostril to bring in cooling, calming energy. Practice long, deep breathing in this position. Then block your right nostril completely with your hand and continue long, deep breathing through the left
Photo by Cliff Booth from Pexels
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BEAUTY AND FASHION
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FALL FASHION FRENZY by Ashley Stewart
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FALL FASHION FRENZY | ASHLEY WALKER
Photographer | ALfred Beverly @ charissolutionsphotography Model | Ashley Walker @Msbeyoudoyou Attire | MoonlightSerenadeApparel.com
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Fall is absolutely my favorite season of the year and I know I am not alone. From the crisp air that blows through the trees, to the perfectly placed feather on a fedora, to the pumpkin spice lattes in our cutest mugs, I am completely hooked. Besides the best weather 12 months can provide, we no longer have to worry and stress over the perfect bikini body. Fashion is one of the second reasons after the amazing weather, that steals my heart every trip around the sun. It is time to break out the best boots and fedoras, earth tones, our favorite jeans paired with just the right amount of layers to get us through our day. The changing colors of the leaves most generously brings out every hue in our favorite collections. Hello Fall, oh how we’ve missed you!!!
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BEAUTY AND FASHION
Haircare
with Nathaniel Jaye Hey hey hey!! Back like I never left; did you miss me? Of course, you did. So much has been going on but it’s so good to be slowly getting back to normal. I thought this would be a great time to do some Q &A. I get all these amazing questions in my DM that I often times don’t get an opportunity to respond to; no, I am not ignoring you , life just gets in the way. So, we thought it would be a great opportunity to do so now. So let’s jump right into it.
How often should I be washing my hair? Ideally in a normal world I would say weekly; however, life gets busy and every week is not always conducive. So, every two weeks Is just fine; especially if you are relaxed. Now as for my natural sisters and brothers shampooing your natural tresses every week can be a full day’s work. I suggest co-washing in between shampoos; at least with this you are able to rehydrate your curls and freshen your style up without stripping it of its oils. Moreover, I know a lot of you work out and sweat a lot in your hair; if you need to shampoo it more often that is totally fine. Just be sure to use the proper shampoo and conditioner that will keep your hair moisturized and not dry out.
For someone who wears braids a lot; how long is a safe duration to keep them in? In My professional opinion two months is max; but always give your scalp and hair a break in between. Wearing braids back to back may cause much damage to your scalp over time. Be sure you are deep conditioning once the braids have been removed. Even while you have the braids in you can some astringent and WWW.QUEENSIZEMAGAZINE.COM|NOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE
cotton balls to clean your scalp from the oils, dirt and sweat build up.
I have natural hair, but it is not curly. How can I get the natural hairstyles without my hair just looking nappy? I think it’s so important that when going natural you know your curl pattern and what your hair can and can not do. Its A LOT of trial and error. I always suggest going to a natural hairstylist; whom is proficient in natural hair so that they may give you some ideas about how to care for it at home. I have come to realize that many women are using products wrong. Either they are overusing it or under using it. Normally the denser the hair the more product you need. Another mistake is that some women are not allowing their hair to fully dry; which causes the style to not take and it leaves it looking very frizzy and dry. Be sure that the products you are using do not have alcohol in them; alcohol does tend to dry the hair out a lot. Take your time and know that sometimes it will take a couple products for your hair to really respond in a positive way, pay attention to the ingredients that are in said products. Some products have a lot of fillers in them and less of the essentials oils your seeking.
HAIRCARE Q&A | NATHANIEL JAYE
I am getting married and I want to hire a hairstylist for myself and my bridal party of six,. does everyone need their own hairstylist? How many should I hire? Typically, the bride hires one hairstylist and that hairstylist may bring an assistant to help. In Some cases, the bride may hire her personal hairstylist to do her hair only and maybe contract another hairstylist to do the wedding party. Hiring six hairstylists can be a bit essessive and costly. Another option is that you can have the bridesmaids get their hair done by their own hairstylist the day before. Ultimately Its your wedding and you make the choices on how you want things to flow.
So my question is more on safety. What should I be looking for when I book my appointments? Other than is everyone wearing a mask. You should be looking to see how many clients are being serviced at the same time, are they social distancing like they should. Look for signs that have the salons safety protocol. Watch to see if they are properly sanitizing and disinfecting not only their stations and chairs but their tools as well. All of these things are so important to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to keep the salon safe from any other harms viruses and/or bacteria. Another great thing to lookout for do they have hand sanitizer stations set up in multiple areas in the salon. Bathrooms are a huge breeding ground for viruses; pay attention to how clean the bathrooms are, and do they have the proper antibacterial handwashing soap.
As someone with natural hair, I have always wondered about Keratin treatments. What exactly is that and can I say my hair is natural after getting the treatment?
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I personally have never done one; and I have heard many good and bad stories about the process and the aftermath. According to “The Cut� A keratin treatment is a chemical process that smooths and shines frizzy hair. Results can last up to six months. There are many different versions of the treatment that go by different names (Brazilian Blowout, Cezanne, Goldwell Kerasilk) and your hairstylist can customize a blend of the formula to suit your needs. Some versions of the treat release formaldehyde when heated, but many newer versions are formaldehyde-free. No matter the formaldehyde content, on a basic level, keratin treatments dive into the hair follicle and inject porous areas with keratin, an essential hair protein. I strongly suggest doing your research and find a hairstylist whom is proficient in this process.
Do you recommend a glue in weave or sew in? I do both and I love having options; both glue and sew in weaves have been given a bad name. Most of the time its due to user error and ladies leaving them in way too long. I have also come to realize that glue has latex in it and if you have a latex allergy then glue in weaves are NOT for you. Sew ins can be very beneficial as a protective style; but one must be mindful that getting sew ins back to back can have a negative effect on your hairline and the health of your scalp. Know when to take a break and let your scalp breath.
GREAT questions; please Keep them coming ! as always following me on social media IG @Hairbynathaniel_jaye. Love connecting with my readers. Until then be BOLD, be unique and be Fabulous.
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2020 Face of Queen Size Magazine ValaRae Partee
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Founded in 2011, we are a magazine dedicated to Queen Size women. Queen Size is not only about Queen Size Magazine (QSM) is an award-winning monthly print and digital publication dedicated the physical the size,full-figured but also the mental.We Weare areadedicated to highlighting of simply all walks of life. the If to servicing industry. voice for today’s women women and men; sending you are a woman Queen Size thisSize is where you belong. Wearticles do notthat limitfocus ourselves message that we making exist, and we will bemoves, heard. then Queen Magazine publishes on lifestyle, fashion, and topics. Ourwe focus here the at QSM, is to bring thehighlight latest news to just women; this wasbeauty the basis of why created magazine. We our are readers looking to and and trends surrounding fashion industry. Fromboth eye-catching images to controversial articles;puts promote small businessesthe owners/entrepreneurs, men and women. Queen Size Magazine we acapture it allevery everymonth monthwith without missing a beat. Additionally, prideWe ourselves on providing out new issue realistic articles written by real life we people. have writers that a platform for both established and up & coming professionals in our industry. At Queen Size we cover health and fitness, true life situations and experiences, fashion, recipes and more. believe and promote that women and men of all shape, size, height, and color are equal.
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