This weekend I restocked my hair care collection and thought I'd share what's in my arsenal. As most curly girls know, finding good natural hair care products that are also affordable can be tough, but it's not impossible. Most of the products pictured are less than $10. The only exception is the Carol's Daughter Hair Balm, which is $14. And this doesn't break the bank because I use so little of it when I style my hair.

Inspired by Better Than Good Hair, I recently revamped my regimen. Here's what I've been doing lately:

• Shampoo once a week with Shea Moisture Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo
• Co-wash about every two days with Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner
• After getting out of the shower I comb through Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk.
• To lock in moisture I apply the Carol's Daughter Hair Balm as a sealant. 
• Finally I apply Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie to help define my curls. 
• If my hair line is dry I also apply some type of oil, such as tea tree or sweet almond oil (not pictured). 
• I then let my hair air dry and voila! 
• To preserve my curls for second and third day hair I simply pineapple my hair at night. (For those of you not hip to curly girl lingo, this just means I put my tresses in a very high ponytail so as to not crush my curls while I sleep.) 

Share your beauty-on-a-budget tips in the comments.

Before you start reading Better Than Good Hair by CurlyNikki.com founder Nikki Walton you might want to grab a higlighter or a notepad and pen. This book, published last month by HarperCollins imprint Amistad, is full of tips on cleansing, conditioning, cutting, and coiffing curly hair.

The book begins with a foreword by actress and comedian Kim Wayans and a prologue by Walton. Wayans and Walton share their own hair stories, which really resonated with me because they're similar to mine. Like me, they too didn't really have an addiction to the "creamy crack" but were obsessed with flat ironing their tresses straight for years until they finally decided to embrace their curls.

No two curly girls' hair journeys are the same and Walton recognizes this. She includes first-person stories from a number of other naturalistas throughout the book. And these stories move beyond basic hair care and also discuss how to handle negative reactions to your hair from family, friends, and significant others. One article also seeks to quell fears that sporting natural hair might hurt your career. Another gives tips on how to exercise and maintain your 'do.

Better Than Good Hair is perfect for new naturals and for those still considering the big chop, but even if you've been natural for years you'll still be jotting down notes while reading this book. I've been wearing my hair in its naturally curly state for 11 years but Better Than Good Hair inspired me to revisit and revamp my hair care regimen and routine.

Walton makes it clear that her book isn't meant to be a memoir or a political manifesto intent on shaming readers to give up their relaxers. Walton simply wants her readers to look and feel beautiful and she understands that for many women, especially women of color, that process starts at the top; it starts with our hair.

Today I'm launching a new weekly feature -- Tress Talk Tuesday!

You may be thinking, "Wait, I thought this was a blog about writing, blogging, and women's empowerment." Well, you're absolutely right. And for years natural hair has been one of the most popular topics and niches of the blogosphere. Furthermore, one of the most empowering things I did in my early 20s was decide to sport my hair in its naturally curly state.

So you should be thinking, "What took you so long?"

Here are some of the things you can expect from this new feature:

• reviews of natural hair products
• reviews of books on natural hair 
• Q&As with natural hair bloggers
• previews and recaps of natural hair events 
• marketing tips for natural hair bloggers 
• post ideas for natural hair bloggers
• blogging advice from successful natural hair bloggers that any writer could use, regardless of niche
• essays on the politics of natural hair

I hope you all are as excited about this new feature as I am.

What new features are you launching on your blog?