Length Check and straight week 2016

It has been a while and I was itching to see what my hair had been up to. The logical step then was a length check.



Couldn't seem to get a good picture

It has become my norm to use an anti-reversion kit when I straighten my hair. I had some left over from my last straightening several months ago. That means you can get several uses out of the product- considering my frugal nature that is a big deal. I wore my hair straight for a little over a week during a cloudy and rainy week. I did not work out but that was my plan (my body needed a break).

So my hair (the longest section of it) comes to about the middle of my shoulder blades. I ended up cutting about 4 or more inches from my hair over the course of the week due to split ends and single strand knots. I have decided to make a few changes to how I care for my hair based on this, but I will explore that later.

I could not stop touching my hair all week and loved to randomly take it down to show it off. There is something about how my hair shrinks that still surprises me. I know that my hair appears bigger rather than longer in its natural state but I had no idea how much so until I actually straighten it. I also found that the longer it gets the harder it gets for people, who don't understand my hair's nature, to believe that the straight version is all me.

I was happy to have a break from the normal care of my hair and enjoy it down. It was hard though to enjoy the extra heat on my neck especially since the temperature has climbed a bit here.

 

The picture below shows how far I have come and was taken at least a few years ago.

 

I will continue to work toward growth and health, since why not.

I don't know at what point I may want to start anew but for now.....

Growth and health is the goal

This Week's Hair ~April 25th 2016~

Typically,

I attempt to do small/mini twists to keep up all week. This has been my typical for a very long time. As many of us experience, I get tired of the typical from time to time. So this week I went for protected, professional, and low maintenance for the week. It has been a while since I did an updo so this was right on time.

I have the option of ponytail or bun. 

Maintenance is quite simple, I remove my hair tie and place a satin hair tie around my twists very loosely and wrap with my satin scarf. I may add more leave in and oil to the loose twists as my hair dictates.

Products used: Giovanni Smooth As Silk  Shampoo, Aussie Three Minute Miracle Moist, Giovanni Direct Leave-in, Shea Moisture Reconstructive Finishing Elixir, Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie

Oil Mixture

One of the biggest adjustments for me going natural was accepting oil into my hair care regimen.

I was accustomed to using grease for many years and had considered that oil because besides the petroleum there is oil in grease as well. So when I heard of people putting oil in their hair I was opposed for a while as many of the vloggers I was following warned of the hazards of petroleum in your hair. I soon educated myself more and now swear by using natural oils for many reasons.

One of my favorite ways to use oil is my oil rinse. I have a concoction of natural oils that I have in an applicator bottle that I apply in the shower after pre-pooing, washing, conditioning, and rinsing my hair. After the mixture is in I rinse it with water (since water won't rinse away all of the oil) then seal with aloe vera juice (as long as I am not out).

Below see the oils I use

Jamaican Black Castor oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Vitamin E, Almond Oil, Jojoba oil, and Lavender oil.

 

All of the oils, with the exception of the lavender oil, are carrier oils. The lavender is an essential oil which should always be diluted to avoid a negative reaction. I add the lavender to add scent and for aroma therapy. This lovely mixture is also great for your body and I will often apply it after a shower as well.

Maiden "braid" tutorial

As a natural there are times when the last thing I want to do is spend hours doing my hair. I like to take breaks during this time and do styles that will last all week but take minimal time to install.

Enter the flat twist, think Tracee Ellis Ross or if you love The Color Purple like I do Nettie from the movie.

While rocking a version of the style I saw on You Tube I was told by a very handsome man I know that I looked like a maiden. So I named the style described in the video the Maiden Braid, though it is in actuality a flat twist. Try it out on those "I want my hair protected but I don't want to spend money, or hours on getting it done" days.

Tell me what you think of the style.....

The softest hair I have every had!

This past weekend I finally took down my Havana twists with Marley Hair see the picture below.

I was of course appropriately worried that I would have dry, broken hair from not being able to moisturize with the twists in. I was very surprised though as I did my pre-poo, wash, deep condition and styling. My hair was and is (4 days later) the softest I ever remember it being.
I don't know what to attributie it to. The fact that the stylist coated my hair in coconut oil before twisting (the ultimate 4 week pre-poo), the fact that I did my own overnight pre-poo with coconut oil,  the fact that I used  Fekkai Advanced Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner (finally after receiving it in my January 2014 Birchbox),

 the fact that I did a deep conditioning treatment with Cholesterol, used my homemade products from Naptural85's recipe,

 or that I used a bit of my usual Shea Moisture. Many of these things were not new to me so I will be playing around with the combination to see if I can recreate the magic. Meanwhile I am enjoying the results.

More about the Fekkai products. I enjoyed the scent of both products and the fact that they both feature olive oil. I didn't notice a great deal of slip with the conditioner nor did the shampoo seem to strip my hair though it did feature sulfates (which is why I hadn't used it since I received it, but I figured with the pre-poo I would be okay). I was pleasantly surprised with the whole experience and have to try really hard to keep my hands out of my oh so soft hair!

Hacks for Straightening Natural Hair

Every few months I get tired of pretending to love the shrinking power of my natural hair. During these times I think of ways to switch up my look. Often I explore a straight style. 

Over the years I have learned a few tricks that result in straighter hair and love to share the wealth. 

To get from this :

To this: 

I use a blow dryer and a flat iron.

Tips:

1. Use a a heat protectant and make sure the hair is moisturized. 

2. Pull on the hair during blow drying rather than using a comb. 

3. Use a flat iron to follow a rat tail comb as you straighten the hair.

4. Limit passes with the flat iron. 

5. Part the hair in really small sections, this can be very difficult if you have thick dense hair and little patience. 

Dry hair breaks and that typically isn't the desired effect, hair also burns which would ruin my growth goals.  I find that pulling my hair while I dry it results in more stretching than using a comb. If you have ever attempted to straighten very curly hair without a comb I have just given you the best tool you'll ever use. Using the comb prevents the hair from remaining tangled and staying a flattened curly mess. Lastly to limit the potential damage I try to only go through the hair once or twice.   

Below are my most recent results. 

~Curls and love!

Braid and roll "bun" tutorial

Though it may seem silly to protect your hair when it is straight, I find it necessary. The first few days my hair was straight I wore it down and noticed that it pulled on everything it touched. So here is one of the first styles I created to keep it safe from the elements and coats.  

Protective style on straight natural hair

This past weekend I got my hair straightened, cut, and deep conditioned at Good Hair Day Salon in Duncanville,TX. My stylist Tekayla was a breath of fresh air compared to what I last experienced.  I told her to go ahead and cut all of the split ends that needed to be cut. She continuously asked me if I was sure while she was doing it, I now know why. My hair was at near bra strap length now it is near collar bone length. :''(.

But now my hair is 90% healthy. My plan is to be consistent with frequent trims as that is the only thing that has been missing in my hair care practices.  My thought was if I'm not damaging the ends why would they split. But considering every person that has touched my hair the last three years has been hesitant to cut all that needs it then I space out the trims 5 months apart....of course it would be damaged. So I have always booked my need trim with Tekayla.

So here are some pictures of what my hair looks like now and a cute style I played with tonight...see you soon. 

Don't forget to check out my Youtube videos as well. www.youtube.com/texygirl

Waterfall ponytail (with a twist) tutorial

I had a date a few weeks ago the best part of the date was my first visit to P.F. Changs and this hairstyle. I did the typical thing: played in my twist out too long and waited until the last minute to try to do something with it. This style was relatively simple and I'm proud of myself for creating an original style. It's simply a ponytail with a twist in the front and hair added from the back. My hair is too thick to pull it all back without too much strain on the edges and all of the hair disappearing in a fight to escape the ponytail holder.
The things I used to create the style were: ponytail holder, Bobbie pins, hair clips, Shea Moisture Curl enhancing smoothie, Giovanni direct leave in, oil mixture, water, gel, and a scarf.  I don't know how my date felt about my hair but he asked for another date so it must not have been too bad. ;)


Check out the video below for instructions.

 

And see the pictures of the style as well.

Hair of the week

#hotw

If you're natural and like me you do your hair each week thinking if your weekend plans. This weekend I'm going to a performance for the International Association of Blacks in Dance with my bestie. So I want something cute and versatile. I live my twist outs but the main problem with my twist outs for me is the front.  As my hair gets longer it doesn't seem to lay the way I want and easily frizzes due to me touching it more to get it to behave. 

I decided to attempt a middle part though it's really not my thing. I wanted my hair to frame my face and stay out if my eyes. So here's the style if the day.

 

A twist to the left

While shopping this weekend I saw another naturalista with a cute side swept twist look. I decided to emulate her this week.

I started by washing my hair with shampoo, wash out conditioner, then I added my oil mixture rinsed again, and finished it off with a cold aloe Vera juice rinse. 

While my hair was still damp I sectioned off the front quarter, the two sides, and a bit in the back. I then left the section in the middle for single  two strand twists. The outside sections were flat twisted with the exception of the left side to add to the volume. Bobby pins were used to keep the twists to the side.

See my results

 Tools used styling creme, rat tail comb, tangle fix, gel, scarf, and bobby pins. 

My two week blow out

I have recently been upset with the amount of shrinkage I experience. I am well aware of how long my stretched out hair is but often forget how much shrinkage changes that. I will search for a style video and attempt it and be upset and idea-less after it fails. Obviously as my hair grows so does that of the regular hair vloggers I watch so I can never catch up.

I have been really wanting to do a cute top knot and my attempts with stretched out hair failed. This was insult to injury after finding someone who's hair actually is my length. So I made the decision to blow out my hair and rocked this for two weeks. I really enjoyed this results.

See my pictures and video below. 

I welcome your comments and YouTube subscriptions!

Faux hawkish, updo

Below are some pictures of a style I thought up to go out dancing at a salsa club. 

I scale hair style success based on the following:

1. Do I feel pretty?
2. Does it hurt?
3. Did it change during the day?
4. Did I receive any compliments on it?
5. How long does it take me to do?

=This style rated very high and I will likely replicate it. 

It came to me because I had undefined, semi stretched hair. This would usually keep me in the house but instead I decided to take control of it. 

 

So how did I accomplish this style you ask? 

I started by two strand twisting a section in the front for the bang. *I added styling product and detangled first.* I did this part before getting in the shower and getting dressed.  

Once the hair had time to take shape I separated the hair in the back into 3 sections. I made the first pony tail and then twisted that section of hair, I then pulled that hair into the next section and twisted all of that hair as well, I repeated this one final time without twisting as the bottom section is the bun. I secured the hair with a hair band with the hair doubled over into and easy bun. To get hold with this style I used my lovely aloe Vera gel ( tons of it) and gently brushed. 

At this point I removed the twists in front, I then arranged the hair to the side and twisted the very ends tucking them under and securing with a Bobbie pin or two.  Voila, simply, easy, and classy. 

*If you like subscribe to my blog!*****

My trial with hair leaves

Have you ever heard of leaves?

For your hair I mean?

 

During a routine search of Youtube several months ago, I stumbled upon a style named a leaf. In this method you take a twist or loc fold it upon itself ( the hair length determines the amount of times this is done), you then secure it with a rubber band a repeat to your heart's desire.

I attempted this shortly after discovering it and decided to finally share my thoughts and the experience with others.

Basically I like the idea of the style, I found it rather easy to get the hang of, and I have decided that it would be a better option when my hair is longer. Check out my video covering the subject and random other musings regarding twists/ flat twists.

 

 

 

 

 

Product review: Davines- Love/Lovely shampoo and Lovely smoothing conditioner

In this month's (June) Birchbox I received a trial size Lovely smoothing shampoo and a sample of Lovely smoothing conditioner. I no longer use products with sulfates but I paid for these products through my monthly subscription. Though I believe in researching products before trying them, I have done this extensively and found that you have to try things to know how they work for you.

About the products

The Lovely Smoothing Shampoo contains Indian fig extract and states it is for dry frizzy hair, I have that on occasion. The Lovely Smoothing Conditioner contains Borage oil and indicates its use for harsh and frizzy hair. The instructions suggest that you apply evenly the right amount of product on towel dried hair, leave in hair for a few minutes, rinse well. 

I mixed the shampoo with my last Tresemme Luxurious moisture conditioner, I wanted to add as much conditioning potential to this shampoo as possible. I only had a little left, see below. 

My research on the ingredients:
I decided to look up the benefits of Borage oil for my own knowledge. I found it is found helpful for inflamed hair follicles, dry scalp, and thinning hair because of the fatty acids found in the oil. I could not find any other information on why Indian Fig extract is good for hair other than that Davines uses it as well as a few other hair product producers.

The verdict:
I found the products to be good smelling, reminding me of citrus and some of the better smelling relaxers I used a few years ago. ( I know that sounds odd most perms do not smell good, but I had a few that did). I found that after using the products my hair felt moisturized for a day or so after dry. In my eyes this is a success, I don't know that this will be a product I use regularly. Actually I know it is not simply because it contains sulfates. Overall though I will use the remainder of the product until it is gone.

HOTD, OOTD

I make no claims that I will do this daily or weekly, but I wanted to share my Hair of the Day and my Outfit of the Day. I also got this nail lacquer in my June Birchbox and thought I would share it with you. The light green/sea foam color is the color that came in the box.

My hair is twisted, I'm so predictable, and the front section is twisted back to the right side and pinned.

 

I felt really cute in this outfit since it was a weekend and I usually have two fashion speeds On or Off. So this was I feel a casual but put together look and I was proud. I almost felt like I had to dress up to go shopping at Express .

By the way if you want to purchase the Color Club shade seen above you can do so in by going to Folica.com. I only suggest products if they work well for me and receive no compensation from the makers.

Twists on dry hair| Natural hair

I am usually a proponent for doing twists on wet/damp hair. I just think that it looks more sleek and results in a better twist out. I have done twists on dry hair in the past and it just didn't look too great. Yesterday though I simply could not wait to wash my hair- enter eczema- so I did an ACV (Apple cider vinegar) wash and used conditioner I had put some tea tree oil in. My hair felt better but I was not about doing hours of work on a Saturday. So I tried a faux hawk style and rocked it for the weekend.
So this week I have two big professional moments, my final grad school presentation and a job interview (wish me luck). So I decided twists could be more easily converted to a professional style. So tell me what you think. I may post the cute professional styles later.

Pictures, pictures and more pictures

So over the past several weeks I have done several things with my hair. I did twists with a few leafs in the front, I curled my twists and I did a few twist outs and twisted styles. I plan to post videos but why deprive you of the pictures ? :)

 The curled twists

 tired of trying to get my face right

 After the Phi Alpha Honor Society ceremony

The twists with the leafs in front

 

 

So on to what has been bothering me of late, continued comments that my twists look like dreads/locks. Really folks is it the twisting pattern that looks like a lock or the curl at the end of my twists? Ugh lol

The second gripe I have is my stupid itchy/eczema, sebhorric dermatitis. I have tried so many methods, the prescription, the over the counter, the natural, and the result is that all of them work for a while. The really solution seems to simply be washing my hair much more often than I am comfortable with if I want any sort of cute, set style. Oh well que sera, sera. 

Semi permanent hair dye update| UPDATE!

 

So I tried semi-permanent hair dye with mixed results. See the video about my results as well as the styles I wore this week. Also subscribe to my page on YouTube. I want to know if I should keep making videos. :)

Faux hawk with twists

A friend requested that I post a tutorial for this hairstyle. So check it out below. I decided to add twists to make it a little more interesting. I used moisturizer, aloe Vera gel, Bobbie pins, hair clips, hair ties, and a brush for the style.