Showing posts with label healthy hair journey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy hair journey. Show all posts

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Happy New Year and 2017 Personal Goals


Hey, beautiful people.  Happy New Year!!!  Like many others, I am happy to see the end of 2016.  It just was not one of my favorite years.

For many, the new year brings a time for resolutions.  It may be a distinction without a different, but I have always disliked the term “resolutions” because it feels like a setup for failure.  I prefer goals, and I like to start the ball rolling before the new year.  Here are 5 goals that I low key started in December that I plan to continue:

1.   Drink at least 80 oz of water per day.  I have found that my whole body does better when I drink a good amount of water throughout the day.  From what I have read, studies have moved away from drinking 8 glasses of water to drinking half your body weight.  For me, I wanted to up that a little bit.  My plan is to drink 12-20 oz of water first thing in the morning, and then two 32 oz – 1 liter (33.81 oz) bottles of water during the day.  I have two plastic mason jars that are 32 oz. each.  I also have a bunch of old soda stream 1L bottles that I can no longer use because my soda stream broke (tear).  To help keep me motivated, I have joined a “Drink Your Water” challenge, with daily check-ins, and I am using the water tracker in my Fitbit app.

2.   Have 7 good, quick styles that work on my fine hair, and a regimen that incorporates more protein.  As you may remember from some of my other posts, my hair is low porosity, fine, high density, and a 4A/4B mix.  In the past, I have been very focused on taking care of my hair based on it being low porosity, and spent little time researching how to make my fine strands look best.  For example, individual mini twists tend to look very sad when I try to use them as a style, and tend to break my hair when I take them out.  My hair seems to do better with low manipulation, “big” styles, like 2 cornrows, buns and wash n’ gos, and I am a lazy natural, so I need quick styles.  I plan to play around with styles in 2017 to give myself some more versatile looks (more on this throughout the year).  I also haven’t been using as much protein as I should, and I have seen more breakage as a result. 

3.   Create mini makeup challenges every 1-2 months until I can do a full face.  Growing up and even now, I have not been very big on makeup or beauty upkeep in general.  Most days, you are lucky if you see me in lipstick.  I’ll also admit there have been some days that my eyebrows needed serious help.  At the end of last year, I put myself on an informal challenge, forcing myself to fill in my eyebrows every day for two weeks.  I was proud of myself because I stuck to it too.  One day, I even had to stop at the drugstore on the way to work because I forgot to do my brows before I left the house.  It worked out well because I saw marked improvement in my eyebrow shape, and I learned a few tricks through Youtube.  Youtube also inspired me to go a little crazy buying makeup products on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and I bought a few makeup organizers.  With all the new stuff I bought, I want to extend my informal challenge to other makeup areas over the course of 2017.  I may stay in the eye area for now, and work on eye shadow.  I have always wanted to learn smoky eye and cat eye.

4.   Exercise for 30 minutes at least 1 time a week.  This may sound like a bare minimum, but I like to set goals that are measurable and achievable.  Typically, I say that I am going to work out every day or 3 times per week, fail miserably and stop working out altogether.  This time, I am starting with 1 day and we will see how it goes.  I have no excuse for not getting in 1 day because I have 7 days and multiple options.  If I am traveling that week, the Sworkit app on my phone is awesome for squeezing in a workout.  If I am feeling ambitious, there is a gym less than 10 minutes from my house and I can text a friend to meet me.  If I want to do something fun, there is a community center that is about 20 minutes away that has drop in classes and, in the summer, there is outdoor Zumba.

5.   Read a book every two months, alternating between one self-improvement book and one “just for fun” book.  I love reading.  I just did not do much of it in 2016.  I have a Goodreads account and set a goal for myself of 6 books in 2016, but I only finished 5.  I also haven’t been to my one of my book clubs in about a year (I'm in two), and I miss it.  In 2017, I’m going to do better because it speaks to how many other things took priority over what I did for myself last year. 


What are your goals for 2017?  Make them measureable and achievable!

Friday, December 30, 2016

2016 Favorites

Hey, beautiful people!  Merry Christmas and a happy new year (in advance)!  The end of the year is here, so it is time for my annual list of favorites.  This year, there were a few surprises for me because the products were not on my radar till I tried them.  Of course there were also some reoccurring favorites:

Moisturizing, Light Protein Deep Conditioners:
- Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Moisture Dream
- Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing Conditioner (discontinued?)
- Silk Dreams Mocha Silk Infusion
- Silk Dreams Shea What Therapeutic Conditioning Masque

Cleansers
- Aubrey Organics Swimmer’s Shampoo (discontinued?)
- Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Shampoo
- Camille Rose Sweet Ginger Sulfate Free Cleansing Rinse
- Camille Rose Carmel Cowash

Rinse Out Conditioner
- Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner
- Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Conditioner (discontinued?)
- Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Conditioner

Leave-in Conditioners & Moisturizers
- Oyin Hair Dew
- Silk Dreams Wheat Germ Butter Conditioner
- ORI Essentials Leave-in
- Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion

Gels (for bunning and wash n’ go)
- Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic Curl Stimulator
- Camille Rose Curl Maker Gel
- Wetline Extreme Gel

Braid & Twist Creams
- Silk Dreams Almond Buttercream
- Camille Rose Aloe Whipped Butter Gel
- Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream
- Embrace The Natural You Twist Truffle Whip

Heat Stylers
- Carol’s Daughters Chocolat Blow Dry Cream
- It's A 10 Leave-in Conditioner

Oils & Mix-ins
- Glycerin
- Avocado Oil
- Grapeseed Oil
- Jamaican Black Castor Oil
- Camille Rose Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum
- Tea Tree & Lavender Essential Oil
- Silk Amino Acids


Saturday, October 29, 2016

Detangling Tools

Hey, beautiful people!  With Michigan winter coming soon, I am moving back into more protective
styling, which means more shed hairs get trapped close to my roots and I get more tangling. I have to be careful when detangling because, even though my hair is high density, it is also very fine in most areas.   Thus, typically, I just finger detangle 1-2 times per week.  Every few months, however, I do a more thorough detangling session.

For those more thorough sessions, here are my favorite tools:

  1. A good rinse out or leave-in conditioner with a lot of slip.  I like Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner; Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Conditioner; Silk Dreams Wheat Germ Butter Conditioner; and Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Conditioner.  I have also used Oyin Hair Dew with my oil mix to get the job done.

  2. A wide tooth comb.  After finger detangling and putting my hair in sections, I next use the wide tooth comb to get out the more easier tangles.  I have two Hercules Sagemann Magic Star Rake Combs that I really like because they are seamless.  However, sometimes I just use one of my $4 Diane or Annie Jumbo Rake Combs.  They are not seamless, but I have never had a problem with them.

  3. Paddle Brush.  After going through a section with a wide tooth comb, I go in with my Conair Paddle Brush to get out the remaining tangles and some of the loose shed hairs that I missed with finger detangling and my wide tooth comb.  I have the old school square wooden handle one.  I am not sure that they make still make it because I no longer see it in stores, but the plastic and "velvet touch" handle ones are pretty much the same.  The only downside about my Conair is that it is big, which makes it hard to get close to my roots.  I may try the Wet Brush as it appears a bit smaller.

  4. Tangle Teaser Or Similar Brush.  This is my final step before braiding up the detangled section.  I don't have a Tangle Teaser.  I have a Goody Tangle Fix, which looks the same to me; is cheaper; and works great.  This is good for getting any knots out of my ends, and for getting final shed hairs out of the length of my hair.  I am careful with this brush, however, because I have had heard of other ladies getting mid-shaft splits.

I have tried some other tools, based on their rave reviews from the natural hair community, but they just did not work for my hair:
  • Denman brush - I bought the original D3; the D41 with more widely spaced bristles; and a D4 (nine row).  All of them just ripped my hair out.  I could literally hear my hair ripping, as I tried to pull the brush through.

  • Felicia Leatherwood Detangler Brush - I bought this brush because one of my favorite YouTubers raved about it.  When it arrived, the edges of each bristle were jagged and uneven (see picture).  I looked at it and instantly knew I could not use it in my hair without causing some serious damage.  

  • Evolve Dual Sided Boar/Paddle Brush - The paddle brush side worked ok, but not as smoothly as my Conair Paddle Brush.  There was some definite ripping when I ran it through my hair.

What do you use to detangle?

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Power Product Line Review: Uncle Funky’s Daughter


Hey, beautiful people!  If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you already know that I love Uncle Funky’s Daughter’s Curly Magic gel for my wash n’gos.  I also love it for my buns.  As I mentioned in my pre-Black Friday post, I have been trying to find one line that I can rock for all or most of my products, and I have narrowed it down to about three lines:  Silk Dreams Hair Care, Camille Rose Naturals and Uncle Funky’s Daughter.  Thus, I recently bought some more products from the Uncle Funky’s Daughter Product Line.  Here is the break down of how I feel about this line:

Love It
  • Curly Magic Curl Stimulator gel ($25/18oz) – I think I have posted enough reviews of my wash n’ gos with this gel that you already know why I love it.  This gel is so slippery that I’m even able to detangle with it.  I can rake it through my hair, rather than shingling, which makes for a faster wash n’ go.  Also, for really neat buns, I will rake it through my hair before putting my hair up.  This gel rocks!  For those that are Camille Rose Curl Maker fans or fans of Sweet Soul Magic’s gel, this is very similar to me.

  • Rich & Funky Shampoo ($16.50/8oz) – This shampoo cleanses my hair without drying it out.  Also, a little goes a long way.

  • Extra Butter Brilliant Shine Creme ($22/8oz) – I previously reviewed this product here in a battle of the butters.  This is a very light butter, so be careful what leave-in you use underneath it.  It leaves my braids and braid outs shiny with a moisturizing leave-in conditioner.  It also gives my braid outs definition.  If you like the Qhemet Biologic’s Burdock Root Butter Cream or Camille Rose’s Almond Jai Twisting Butter or Aloe Whipped Butter Gel, you may like this.
Like It
  • Midnite Train Leave-in Conditioner ($11/8oz) – If I liked liquid leave-ins, I would probably re-purchase this again.  It gives my hair moisture and softness.

  • SuperCurl Miracle Moisturizing Creme ($22/8oz) – I previously reviewed this product here, and in my battle of the butters here.  This is a very, very light moisturizing cream.  It is so thin that it feels like water when I rub it between my fingers, but it has some good ingredients.  Like the Extra Butter,it leaves my braids and braid outs shiny with a moisturizing leave-in conditioner.  It also gives my braid outs definition.  It reminds me of a thing version of Jane Carter’s Curl Defining Cream.
Leave It
  • Thirsty Curls Leave-in Curl Revitalizer ($15/8oz) – I am not a big fan of liquid leave-ins or “curl revitalizers” because I make my own oil-water mix.  Also, while this works similar to Midnight Train, it is not as moisturizing, and does not smell as good. 

  • Good Hair Conditioning Styling Creme ($18/8oz) – I previously posted a review on this product here.  While I feel like I should have liked this product, I just could not and gave it away.  It is was like a liquid version of Supercurl, which is good, but it literally caused bees to chase me at the zoo and the gas station.



Sunday, April 3, 2016

Ingredient Investigation: The Coconuts (Coconut Oil vs Coconut Milk)



Hey, beautiful people.  It has been an awhile since I did an ingredient investigation, but I’ve had a burning question for a while now that I wanted to look into.  If you have read my blog for any period of time, you know that my hair does not really like coconut oil in stylers.  It leaves my hair feeling coated and hard.  That being said, my hair loves leave-ins with coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut fruit, like My Honey Child Coconut Hair Milk, Silk Dreams Mocha Silk Hair Milk and Aubrey Organics Island Replenishing Conditioner.  So, I decided to investigate the different types of coconut products, and how they are made.  Below is a summary of what I found.   

A green coconut (young coconut) starts off with coconut water and soft, gel-like meat.  As the coconut ages, the coconut has less water and the meat becomes more firm.  Coconut fruit is the “meat” inside the coconut.  Coconut milk is extracted from coconut fruit (frequently using water as part of the process), and coconut oil is extracted from coconut milk.  Thus, coconut oil has the least amount of water of the three.

 One way to make coconut milk/oil is through a process called "wet-milling fermentation".  Freshly grated coconut is blended with water to make coconut milk.  The milk then sits for hours (sometimes overnight) so that it separates into a liquid and coconut cream/butter.  The coconut cream is scooped out, and boiled until the coconut solids fall to the bottom and turn brown.  Then, the oil is filtered, and Voila!

In case you are curious (I was), from what I've read, heating the milk to create the oil is actually good.  This particular wet-milling fermentation process produces the highest level of antioxidants in the coconut oil.  Both the oil and the anti-oxidants are thermally stable, so heating doesn't break them down.  In fact, simmering the cream for a long time at a high temperature dissolves more anti-oxidants into the oil!  Who knew.

Based on my research, I think the difference for me is that coconut oil is a purer concentration from the coconut, as opposed to coconut milk and coconut fruit, which have water.  Also, this explains why my hair likes co-washes and conditioners with coconut oil -- because I'm using them in the shower.  In essence, my hair only seems to like coconut when it is with a lot of water, probably to counteract the protein-like properties and because my hair generally loves things that have high water content. 

 If you want to know more, I found a few great Youtube videos that show how coconut fruit is used to make coconut milk and coconut oil:



Sunday, December 27, 2015

Braiding Challenge

Hey, beautiful people!  With Michigan winter fully in gear, I put my wash n' go challenge on hold and put my hair into hiding, typically in braids.  I tried twists, and they just don't give my hair the same definition.  Also, I have to be careful because my is also fine, so it break easily with too much tension.


Right now, my regimen is to:
1.  Deep condition my hair overnight
2.  Shampoo as needed
3.  Detangle with rinse-out conditioner
4.  Add leave-in conditioner, light oil and styling cream
5.  Braid my hair



During the week, I typically keep my hair in two crown braids, with the last inch of hair at the nape of my neck cornrowed in a separate braid.  I intend to test out a number of the twist creams in my hair to determine which ones leave my hair with the most moisture, sheen and definition.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Favorites of 2015




Hey, beautiful people!  It's that time of year again for my favorites list.  I already did my favorite deep conditioners and wash n' go gels at the end of those challenges, but I'll re-post them again.  I'm listing my product categories in the order that I use them and in order of preference.  I am posting the regular prices for these products, but I typically buy my products on sale (20-40% off).

Deep Conditioners:
Shampoos:
Conditioners:
  1. Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship ($4 for 10 oz)
  2. Herbal Essence Totally Twisted ($4 for 10 oz)
  3. Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge ($4 for 13 oz)
Leave-in Conditioners / Daily Moisturizers:
  1. Silk Dreams Wheat Germ Butter Conditioner ($16 for 16 oz)
  2. Oyin Handmade Hair Dew ($23 for 16.9 oz)
  3. Koils by Nature Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-in Conditioner ($20 for 12 oz) 
  4. Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion (summer only) ($25 for 12 oz)
Oils/Daily Spritz Mix-ins:
  1. Now Foods Avocado Oil ($14 for 16 oz)
  2. Essential Depot Vegetable Glycerin (summer only) ($13 for 43 oz)
  3. Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil ($7 for 4 oz)
  4. Now Foods Peppermint Essential Oil ($7 for 1 oz)
Wash n Go Stylers:
  1. Camille Rose Curl Maker ($22 for 12 oz)
  2. Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic ($25 for 18 oz)
  3. As I Am Curling Jelly ($22 for 16 oz)
Braid and Twist Creams:

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Low Maintenance vs. Protective Styling


Hey, beautiful people.  With winter fully here, I thought now is good time to talk about protective styling vs. low manipulation styling.  A style can be both protective and low manipulation, which is why the two terms are frequently confused, but they are not the same thing.

  • Low manipulation refers to styles that require minimum styling, and require little maintenance during the week.  Low maintenance styles tend to be "set it and forget it" styles.  This would include wash n gos, certain updos, and bunning.  Braid outs/twist outs are only low manipulation if you don't have to frequently re-braid/twist.

  • Protective styling refers to styles that hide your hair, particularly your ends, to protect it from the elements.  This would include updos, bunning, braids, twists.  It would also include wigs.

 For some people, especially those with fine hair, like me, low manipulation styles may be better than protective styles because frequent manipulation of the hair can lead to breakage.  On the other hand, for some, protective styles are better because their ends are easily damaged.

Thus, far, I've found that my hair likes low manipulation styles.  However, in the winter time, it prefers styles that are both low manipulation and protective because my hair stays better moisturized that way.  I live in Michigan where the winters are very cold and dry.

As a word of caution, with both low manipulation and protective styles, you have to be careful about tangling.  If your hair is in a loose, low maintenance style, it may tangle.  For example, I typically get tangles with my wash n go if I am not careful in applying gel to the curlier sections.  Also, if my hair is left in a protective style for too long, like braids or twists, then it may tangle.  Obviously, with both types of styles, you have to continue to maintain moisture levels.

What types of styles does your hair prefer?

Saturday, November 28, 2015

The End of The Deep Conditioner Challenge (The Deep Conditioner Files)


Hey, beautiful people!  As you may remember from a post over a year and a half ago, I wanted to try out a ton of deep conditioners to find out which ones best worked for my hair.  Over that time, I tried a lot, and posted 16 reviews as part of my search.  I learned that my hair loves a moisturizing deep conditioner that also has a light protein.  This is probably because my hair is fine, which means it needs protein.  However, my hair is also low porosity, which means that it can't take a lot of protein.  I also prefer a little slip in case I want to detangle without a rinse out conditioner.  

Here are the top six conditioners that worked best for me, based on the way my hair felt and price:
I still plan to try a couple other deep conditioners because I'm a product junkie, but I think I'm pretty much set with these.  Next up on my list to try:
  • ORS Hair Mayo
  • Silk Dreams Destination Hydration
  • Silk Dreams Shea What Conditioner 
  • Silk Dreams Mocha Silk Infusion
  • Camille Rose Coconut Water Penetrating Hair Treatment 
  • Camille Rose Nourishing Cream Hair Bath
Which deep conditioners do you love?

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Product Review: Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment (The Deep Conditioner Files #13)


Price:  $29 for 12 oz.

Ingredients:   Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Hydrolyzed Keratin Protein, Sunflower Seed Oil, Panthenol, Keratin Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Glyceryl Stearate, Jojoba Seed Oil, Glycol Stearate, Apricot Kernel Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Tocopherol Acetate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Promise:  Excellent for chemically damaged, weak and brittle hair. Helps fill in cracks in the hair shaft to help give strength and prevent further breakage. Also great for general maintenance of the hair. Makes a great once a month treatment to help keep your hair in top shape!

Scent: Coconut

Consistency:  Creamy, medium thickness.  Not too light, and not too heavy

Results:   This is another favorite.  It has good slip, and leaves my hair feeling soft, yet moisturized, even though protein is high on the ingredient list.  I have used it both overnight and as a traditional deep conditioner under a heat cap.  My only hesitation on this one is the price.  Through my deep conditioner search, I’ve found other deep conditioners that work well and are cheaper.

Love it, Like it or Leave It:  Love It

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Product Review: Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing Conditioner (The Deep Conditioner Files #12)

Price:  $12 for 11 oz.

Ingredients:   Aloe leaf juice, water, cetyl alcohol (from coconut), brassicyl isoleucinate esylate, coconut fruit extract, glycerin, alcohol denat. (38b, lavender), brassica alcohol, glyceryl caprylate, persea avocado oil, shea butter, mango seed butter, caprylic/capric triglyceride, arginine, grapefruit extract, quinoa seed extract*, vitamin C, vitamin E, rosemary leaf oil, alcohol, sage oil*, alcohol, calendula  extract*, chamomile flower extract, balm mint flower/leaf/stem extract, hops flower extract, horsetail extract, fragrance, fennel seed extract, gluconolactone, coltsfoot leaf extract, sodium benzoate.

Promise:  Replenishing conditioner smoothes hair fiber and leaves hair silky and manageable with mango & organic shea butters. Perfect for natural and relaxed styles. Luscious Mango Coconut scent!  Contains 70% Organic Ingredients

Scent:  Like medicated menthol.  It is not the greatest smell, and the smell is strong.

Consistency:  Creamy, medium thickness.  Not too light, and not too heavy

Results:   In full disclosure, I have been using this deep conditioner for a couple years now, and I love it.  Even though I am near the end of my deep conditioner challenge, this is still my favorite.  It is amazing as both an overnight deep conditioner and in the traditional deep conditioning.  This is one of the few conditioners that actually says you can use it as a pre-poo.  It is light enough that it easily spreads through the hair, but it packs a powerful punch as both a moisturizing and strengthening deep conditioner.   For people who cannot use Aubrey Organics GPS (like me), try this one. 

Love it, Like it or Leave It:  Love It

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Updates 03-21-2015: The End of Maternity Leave and The Death of My Computer


Hey, beautiful people!  I know that it has been months since I've posted anything, and I'm sorry.  I went back to work 2 days after my last post, and life has been kind of a whirlwind ever since.  I had to adjust back to my workload while balancing two young kids.  Then, my old laptop decided it had very little life left to give.  I'm currently on the hunt for a new one.  In the meantime, my hubby loaned me his.  If you have any recommendations for laptops, please let me know.  Hopefully, I'll get a new one in the next couple weeks, so that I can start posting regularly again.

Since my last post, I haven't done anything exciting to my hair really.  I've kept it mainly in buns and braided styles.  My hair has loved it, but I've learned that my coily strands can't go from a wash n' go or wash n' go bun to a braided style.  Also, I've learned that I absolutely have to use a comb periodically.  My hair is simply too thick and coily to just do finger detangling.  I had a long stretch where I was just finger detangling, and it took me two hours to get all the matting and loose hair out.



Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2015 Personal Hair Goals


Hey, beautiful people!  Happy New Year!  As 2014 is coming to a close, I’ve started thinking about my hair goals for 2015.  Here is what I’ve come up with:
  1. Strive for a healthier body.  A healthy body leads to healthy hair, so I need to focus on both.  This doesn’t mean that I can’t have dessert and cheesy appetizers every once in a while, but I can’t have it every day.  Also, now that I’ve had my baby, I have a size goal (not a weight goal) in mind, so I’m going to start exercising again to get to that goal.  Don't worry, I don't want to be stick skinny.  I like my curves.  I just want them a little firmer.

  2. Drink at least 64 oz of water every day.  Proper water intake helps with moisture retention levels (more on this later), and it just helps the body function better.  While I was pregnant, I got dehydrated very easily, so I started different techniques to help me drink more water.  One of those was to buy 32 oz plastic mason jars.  I’ve found that if I fill up the jar morning when I get to work, and then fill it up again mid-afternoon, I easily get my 64 oz in without thinking about it.

  3. Maintain healthy hair practices.  I am less than 6 inches away from mid-back length (MBL) / bra strap length (BSL).  As I’ve said before, I am not setting length as a goal, because I want to focus more on healthy hair practices than length.  But, healthy hair practices, such as weekly deep conditioning and baggying when needed, should get me to this length in 2015.  One day I do want to be waist length and it would be great to get there in 4 years (2016).  The distinction, however, is that I won’t ever avoid a necessary cut to preserve length over healthy hair.

  4. Continue to narrow my staple products.  In a previous post, I listed my product favorites for 2014.  I will always be a product junkie on some level; but, in 2015, I want to continue to shrink my product stash and strengthen my list of staple products.  I also want to avoid another incident where I go completely overboard again on product purchases.

  5. Continue my hair styling exploration.  In this past year, I stopped wearing my wigs as often, attended a hair styling class, tried out a few new styles including twists, did a ton of buns/puffs, and discovered that I’m a lazy natural.  With my hair getting longer, I do want to have a few more go-to styles for work and become a little more adventurous for special occasions.  Also, I want to try to straighten my hair again since I did such a horrible job the last time, and I'm not big on failure.
What are your hair goals for 2015? 

Friday, November 28, 2014

2014 Black Friday Aftermath

Hey, beautiful people!  Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones.  I hung out with my close family, including my newest addition, and probably ate way too much.  I also stayed up a little later to finish off my Black Friday shopping online.  In addition to my prior Curlmart purchase and my Jane Carter purchase, here are the other things I bought to stock up for next year:

Curlmart - $74.46 ($69.46 + $5 shipping)
- Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter
- Oyin Handmade Hair Dew x 3
- Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment

Bonbons Cheveux Boutique - $36.70 ($32 + $4.70 shipping)
- Satin Scrunchies x 4
- Elastic Satin Bonnet

HairVeda - $60.15 ($53.20 + $6.95 shipping)
- Whipped Creme Hair Moisturizer
- Whipped Clouds
- Red Satin Tea Moisturizer
- Acai Phyto Berry Conditioner x 4
- Red Tea Hair Ends Serum (free gift with purchase)

Oyin Handmade - $43.48 (free shipping)
- Whipped Shea in Rich Almond Scent x 2
- Snack Pack for Body

The Obsessed Crocheter - $44.63 (free shipping)
- Satin Lined Chunky Basket Weave Beanie

Overall, I was more behaved than last year.  I spent less this Black Friday.  Also, my hair product purchases were all staples, except for the moisturizers I purchased from Hairveda.  The PJ in me wouldn't let me just buy staples.  With the new satin bonnet and beanie, I should be all set for the harsh Michigan winters for years to come, which should make next year's list even smaller.

 What did you buy?  Did you do better, worse or the same as last year?

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Finalizing The Black Friday Shopping List

Hey, beautiful people!  As I mentioned in a previous post, I started my black friday shopping early this year.  Thus far, I did a mini shopping spree at Curlmart and then picked up a couple jars of my favorite twist defining cream during the Jane Carter 40% off sale that I mentioned on Twitter.  I also just bought a satin lined beanie because winter came a little early this year, and I haven't been able to find my satin lined hooded scarf since the move.  I'll do a review of the beanie once it arrives and I've had a chance to wear it.


Now, I'm trying to narrow down on what is left for my list without going overboard.  The list has changed several times, so here is my current plan:
- Oyin Hair Dew (1 liter)
- Oyin Whipped Shea (rich almond scent)
- Oyin body snack pack
- Hairveda Acai Berry Phyto Conditioner
- Satin elastic bonnet
- Satin scrunchies

I took Purabody off my list only because I'm trying to shrink my list of staples, and I want to see if I can stick to just Oyin.  I'm really hoping that Oyin has a Black Friday sale, but I haven't heard anything so far.  If they don't have a sale, my list may change yet again...

For those of you still formulating your hair shopping lists, here are a few websites that have catalogued the sales:

Yes, I am an enabler.  

Happy Shopping!!!

Monday, November 24, 2014

Updates 11-24-2014: New Baby And New Styles


Hey beautiful people!  If you don't follow me on Instagram, you may not know that my baby is here!  The newest naturalista to the family.

Life has been kind of a whirlwind since she got here.  Each day, I look up at around 3 p.m. and wonder where the day went.   Needless to say, I haven't had much time for my hair.  In a previous post, I mentioned that I was going to try to do spring twists.  I bought Nafy Collection Nubian Twist hair for the style, but it was an epic fail.  The hair was too silky and kept sliding while I twisted.  Plus, the twists that I did get in did not have much "spring" to them.  They just sort of hung.  I tried twisting in both directions and got the same result.  About 3 twists in, I gave up.  Thankfully, my sister was here and she helped me put in two strand twists without synthetic hair.  

This style was a lifesaver!  I was able to put my hair up and not worry about it.  I just spritzed it with my oil/water mix and sealed with Oyin Hair Dew to keep it moisturized.  The style lasted about 3 weeks.  Now that the twists are out, I am back to bunning and, occasionally, my tried and true two crown braids.

(The top pics are the twists right before I took them out, 
the bottom is after I removed them.  Shrinkage is a trip.)

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

11 Essential Tools For Your Hair Toolbox Part 2

As promised, here is part 2 of my essential tools list:

  1. Spray Bottle - I have several of different sizes and misting capabilities, but you probably only need 1-2 spray bottles.  I use them mainly for my oil/water mix and just plain water.
  1. Trimming shears - You should have a pair of hair shears to get rid of split ends and single strand knots, even if you don’t trim your hair regularly.  I have a pair of Conair shears that I love.  Do not use these shears for anything but your hair, and replace them as soon as they start to become dull.
  1. Disposable Shower Caps or Plastic Shopping Bags - If you deep condition, which you should, or if you do the green house method, then plastic caps or shopping bags are essential.  Personally, shower caps are so cheap that I just buy them.  I do re-use each one a few times before throwing it away.

  1. Mircofiber Towel or T-shirts - If you haven’t heard by now, let me be the first to tell you that you should not be using regular towels to dry your hair.  Regular towels rough up your strands and create frizz.  Use a microfiber towel or old T-shirts.  I do both.  The microfiber towel does a better job of jump starting the drying process for my low porosity hair, but the T-shirt works well too.
  1. Satin Hair Coverings - I have satin straight scarves, a large satin hooded scarf, a satin wrap to keep my buns neat for days, satin pillowcases, and a satin bonnet.  You do not need all of these things, but you do need at least one method of protecting your strands while you sleep.  My large stain hooded scarf is my favorite, but it sometimes slides, so I always sleep with a satin pillowcase.  Do not go cheap on your hair covering or you might as well not bother.  Most of the generic beauty supply scarves are not enough to keep cotton from sucking the moisture out of your hair.  If you can see through it or your fingers catch on the fabric, it won’t cut it.  Wait for a good Black Friday sale, and get a double-lined satin/charmeuse scarf.  I haven’t purchased any of her products due to price, but Eboni of EboniCurls has a good Youtube video on this.  As I mentioned in my last Black Friday haul, I purchased my hair bonnet from BonBons Cheveux Boutique.  I purchased my roomy hooded scarf from Crystal's Coifs, but it appears that it is no longer in business.  Most of my pillowcases are the Betty Dain brand, which is reasonably priced.
What are some of your essential hair tools?  Let me know if you think I missed something!

Saturday, October 18, 2014

11 Essential Tools For Your Hair Toolbox Part 1

In January, I did a post on products for yourhair toolbox.  I just realized that I never did one on hair tools. Here are the ones on my list:

  1. Wide Tooth Comb - This is optional.  Some women use one, and some rely solely on their fingers.  I use my fingers to detangle regularly.  But, I find that, with my curl pattern, I have to do an intensive detangling periodically with a wide tooth comb.  I have two Hercules Sageman Magic Star Rake combs, but I've found that I actually prefer my cheap jumbo rake combs made by Annie and Diane these days.
  1. Soft Boar Bristle Brush - Again, this is an optional tool because not everyone uses one.  You also have to be careful if you have fine strands like me.  I only use my boar bristle brush if I want a sleek bun or puff.  Also, my boar bristle brush has hairs that are almost as soft as a baby brush.
  1. Headbands - I have a ton of these.  I use thick, decorative ones when I don’t want to brush my edges but I still want a neater look.  I use thin, stretched out ones to do my buns and puffs.  My hair is too thick to gather it all up with a ponytail holder (I’ve broken a lot of them trying and I get headaches from them).

  1. Ponytail Holders - I use these mainly for sectioning my hair to deep condition and wash it.  I also sometimes use a couple of these, once my hair is already in a bun, to catch any remaining strands or flyaways.  I buy these in bulk because my hair snaps them easily.  Some people use the stretchy lace kind, but I’m a bigger fan of the traditional Goody or Scunci ones, which are cheap and effective.  Plus, my hair is too big for the tiny lace ones.  Just don’t buy the ones with metal clamps because these can snag your hair.
  1. Hairpins - These should be self-explanatory.  I have not met a natural yet, who does not have a stash of hair pins.  This is another cheap tool that I usually buy in bulk, but I also have travel packs.
  1. Hair Clamps - Now that my hair is longer, I don’t use these as often as I used to, but alligator clips and roller clamps are still great for sectioning off the hair to flat twist or braid.  I also use duckbill clips to set my part for a wash n’ go.
I'll try to post part 2 soon. 

Saturday, October 4, 2014

My HHJ Reflection Two Years In (Part 2)

Hey, beautiful people!  After I posted my top 5 things that I learned last week, I thought of five more:
6.      A little protein is my friend.  A lot is not.  Low porosity hair usually doesn't need a lot of protein, but my hair is also fine.  Fine hair usually needs protein, so the result is that my hair really likes moisturizing deep conditioners with a little protein in them.  It gets really hard with any protein that is on the stronger side.
7.      What I thought was a lot of conditioner or gel is not.  While my hair is fine, it is also super thick, so I need a lot of product to get through my strands.  When I condition, I usually use gobs of conditioner.  If I split my hair into 4 sections, I usually use a 2 palm-fulls of conditioner per section.  It is the same with gel.  I used to wonder why I could not slick down my edges with gel, and then I realized that I simply wasn’t using enough.  I need about a palm-full for the front, and two palm-fulls for the back.  For me, a palm-full is about a half cup or a golf ball-sized amount.  As a result, I have opted for cheaper conditioners, like Herbal Essence, and gels, like Eco Styler.
8.       My low porosity hair doesn't need to be moisturized daily.  One of the benefits and drawbacks of low porosity hair is that it takes forever to dry.  As I’m typing this, my hair has been airdrying for about 10 hours, and it is still wet.  As a result, I also don’t need to moisturize everyday.  Sometimes, when I put my hair in a bun, the inside of the bun will stay wet all week and I just need to moisturize the outer edges every couple days.
9.      I am a “lazy natural”.  I liked wigs because it was easy to do my hair at the beginning of the week and just put a wig on it every day.  On the weekends, I would wash and go because that was also easy.  Once I could do a puff, I did that.  Now that my hair is longer, I put it in a bun and keep the same bun until it starts to look a little rough.  I am not the type of natural that loves to do intricate styles, though I am going to push myself to do more styling in this next year.  If you are a lazy natural like me, Tribe Called Curl has a great Youtube series for lazy naturals.

10.    Cowash is nice, but shampoo/soap is necessary.  Low porosity hair is prone to buildup.  Also, now that I’m using cheaper conditioners, it is good to do a good cleansing periodically.  I’ve found that I can’t just use conditioners to cleanse my hair.  I need to use something with actual cleansing agents on occasion.


Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )

Thank you

Animal graphic by Freepik from Flaticon is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Made with Logo Maker

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *