Tag: hair

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Hair Update

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Hey Loves!

So last we chatted about my hair, the protective style challenge did its job but my hair couldn’t handle the full year.

Recently I have noticed my curl patterned has loosened and doesn’t hold definition of my braid-outs like it used to.

This isn’t a bad thing. Yes, at first I thought it was horrid and then I realized it could be much worse. Much, much, much worse. Check YouTube if you doubt me.

So? I’m working with what I’ve got. I’ve been deep conditioning every week using one or both of the conditioners from Trader Joe’s. They are super cheap and super awesome. I’ve also been clarifying with ACV and finger detangling.

I’m still working on trying to figure out what styling products work for me.

Any suggestions?

Until next time…

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The state of my hair

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Hey Loves!

Note: This is what I did before the the two installs of my havana twist. A blog post is coming about the install, styling, maintenance and upkeep…I just want to make sure I am giving you my best 🙂 Enjoy!

 

I just wanted to give you an update on my hair. As you know, I did protective styling for a while, then stretched a press to last for 4 weeks without re-applying heat. My plan was to commit to 2 seasons of protective styling and see if I gained more growth. Well you know what they say about the best laid plans…

I must admit, I missed my hair. Like really missed it. I still had to keep up healthy practices so I have engaged in the following for the past few weeks and will keep it up for a few more. My mom is coming at the end of the month and I know she will want to see her baby’s hair.

  1. Braid/twist outs: I will always love these and any chance I get to perfect them is great. The best thing about natural hair is learning about it. As my hair has grown it has changed drastically and instead of going against it, I embrace it and see how I can make the best of it.
  2. Marley bun: on the crazy weather days this old faithful proves to be something of a miracle
  3. Head Wraps/Scarves: Constant shrinking and stretching and has not proved to work out for my hair so depending on the weather or if I want to keep my hair braided for a day longer, I will wear a head scarf. See Naptural85’s tutorials here
  4. Deep conditions: Duh?!?! No natural girl can live and thrive without these. Nuff said..

I am currently researching other protective styles to engage in the summer months. I am leaning toward the Beyonce’ plaits, another sew-in (or two…I have two different types of Remy/Virgin hair I want to try under my sink right now.) What do you think? Any suggestions?

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Pink, Purple and Polka Dots

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Hey Loves!

With the undertaking of re-branding myself, I have updated my wardrobe by purchasing new and current items while getting rid of dated items. I also had to learn how to utilize the old items to keep them current-does that make sense?

Anywho, today, with the weather being really nice, I was inspired to wear some bright colors but I immediately went back to my teaching days and asked myself “am I gonna look like a two-year-old?”  I mainly do one bright color or pastel with a solid base. For example, a white skirt and neon green blouse or blue checkered shorts and a white top.

Today, I wanted more so I selected a fuchsia button up blouse, bell-bottom denim jeans and a wedge sandal. I needed accessories so instead of basic silver I paired a lavender beaded necklace and matching earrings. Then, my hair decided not to cooperate (I am currently protective styling it with individual twist gathered in a  high bun, with Marley hair added for fullness)-my edges were doing what they wanted. To tame them, I added a purple scarf with white polka dots and tied it as a headband. Boy, was I scared to go to the mirror. However, when I went I was very pleased. The cut of the blouse and jeans defined my slim waist and accentuated my curves in just the right manner. The wedges add height and thus gives a slimming and elongating effect to my legs. The denim jean, although solid, has a retro look adding another flare to my look. The necklace adds a subtle contrast to the brightness of my shirts and ties my headband to the outfit.

bun with head band
bun with head band

Here is similar version of my outfit. Let me know what you think!

pink and purple

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How I kept my press…=HIT

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Hey Loves:

I just wanted to update you on my blow dry and flat iron; almost two weeks ago, I flat-ironed my hair for the first time. You can get all the details and process here. Because of where I live, the weather was CRAZY!! I also had to continue with my workouts. All of that definitely scared me and I just knew my press was going to be gone in a matter of minutes. However I came up with a few things that have helped me keep my hair stretched as well as healthy and protected without re-applying heat.

Marley Bun: I posted earlier about this protective style. Because my hair was already stretched, I simply put in a ponytail applying a small amount of Curlz butter cream (a sample I got from KayJay over at refinedandpolished.com) to my edges and massaging through my hair and aloe oil to my ends (they always get dry) and secured my hair in a pony tail and then attached the marley hair using a combo of youtube tutorials. I didn’t want to use a whole slew of product as I knew I didn’t want to wash my hair after.

Flat Twist/Braid Outs: When the weather was nice I wanted to shake my mane, literally. So I did flat rope twist (about 8) straight back on my hair and secured two-to-three of them with a perm rod. I used a sample of Miss Jessie’s curl cream and used a small amount to moisturize my hair. I used Entwine’s Argan oil to secure my ends before rolling. When all the twists were done I covered with a doo-rag and bonnet for the night. The next morning I gently untwisted my hair and wore as a twist out.

After a workout, I noticed my were roots were starting to kink so I then did corn rows using the exact same method above to stretch my roots. It worked! I also got a little more definition than I did with the twist out.

Big Flat twist: This crazy weather is ever changing so I tried another protective style that was super easy. I simply divided my hair into two uneven sections (one larger than the other) and did one flat rope twist on either side. I combined the two and the end and secured with a bobbi pin. To add a bit of flare, I wore cute headbands and bows that coordinated with my outfit.

Bantu Knots: I was supposed to do another sew-in this weekend but I was having so much fun with my hair! So I was scrolling through facebook and saw this tutorial! The Mr. LOOOOOVES bantu knots and I haven’t done them in so long! Now my hair is not NEARLY as long as hers so I just did them all over my head. I used these to weather the storm for a few days using Entwine’s butter crème hydrator, argan oil and manipulator. When the rain cleared up and it was sunny again, I took them down and enjoyed some gorgeous curls!

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How I kept my press…=HIT

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Hey Loves:

I just wanted to update you on my blow dry and flat iron; almost two weeks ago, I flat-ironed my hair for the first time. You can get all the details and process here. Because of where I live, the weather was CRAZY!! I also had to continue with my workouts. All of that definitely scared me and I just knew my press was going to be gone in a matter of minutes. However I came up with a few things that have helped me keep my hair stretched as well as healthy and protected without re-applying heat.

Marley Bun: I posted earlier about this protective style. Because my hair was already stretched, I simply put in a ponytail applying a small amount of Curlz butter cream (a sample I got from KayJay over at refinedandpolished.com) to my edges and massaging through my hair and aloe oil to my ends (they always get dry) and secured my hair in a pony tail and then attached the marley hair using a combo of youtube tutorials. I didn’t want to use a whole slew of product as I knew I didn’t want to wash my hair after.

Flat Twist/Braid Outs: When the weather was nice I wanted to shake my mane, literally. So I did flat rope twist (about 8) straight back on my hair and secured two-to-three of them with a perm rod. I used a sample of Miss Jessie’s curl cream and used a small amount to moisturize my hair. I used Entwine’s Argan oil to secure my ends before rolling. When all the twists were done I covered with a doo-rag and bonnet for the night. The next morning I gently untwisted my hair and wore as a twist out.

After a workout, I noticed my were roots were starting to kink so I then did corn rows using the exact same method above to stretch my roots. It worked! I also got a little more definition than I did with the twist out.

Big Flat twist: This crazy weather is ever changing so I tried another protective style that was super easy. I simply divided my hair into two uneven sections (one larger than the other) and did one flat rope twist on either side. I combined the two and the end and secured with a bobbi pin. To add a bit of flare, I wore cute headbands and bows that coordinated with my outfit.

Bantu Knots: I was supposed to do another sew-in this weekend but I was having so much fun with my hair! So I was scrolling through facebook and saw this tutorial! The Mr. LOOOOOVES bantu knots and I haven’t done them in so long! Now my hair is not NEARLY as long as hers so I just did them all over my head. I used these to weather the storm for a few days using Entwine’s butter crème hydrator, argan oil and manipulator. When the rain cleared up and it was sunny again, I took them down and enjoyed some gorgeous curls!

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Entwine Couture Duo Review

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Hey Loves:

Recently I tried Entwine Couture’s Duo- Shampoo and Conditioner. I have tried other styling products from Entwine including the Exotique Butter-Creme Hydrator, Creme Jelly Styler, Raw Vegan Argan Oil and Creme De La Mode and I am in love with all of them. They are all HITs! Seriously, all of the above are staples and I want to buried with them. Here are my thoughts on the duo:

Act One: Cleansing +Growth Lathering Bathe

I used this shampoo to cleanse after my pre-poo. I must admit, I thought this was either going to strip all the moisture I just put in, or not cleanse at all. Boy, was I wrong This shampoo was AWESOME! It had a great lather and it held all the of curl definition established in my pre-poo. I washed twice and my hair was not stripped at all. In addition, it felt clean and very light.

Act Two: Hydrating + Growth Crème Hair Rinse

Because I used a pre-poo, I didn’t use this product as a deep conditioner. I used it to restore moisture (leave-in) and detangle. It went on very smooth and worked really well as a detangler. I did have to use more product than I thought to gain more slip, but it worked well nonetheless. The product was heavy and didn’t leave any after residue.

I guess I will be adding these two products to my list of staples. They are HITS as well! They can be purchased Entwine Couture

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Trying New Things=Hit

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Hey Loves!

Just an update on the whole-head sew-in I blogged about some time ago. At that point, I was unsure if it was a hit or miss. It was my first time trying something of this magnitude on my own. Again, I followed several you tube tutorials and customized them into what I wanted. So far, it has been a HIT! It is super easy to maintain. I have been able to moisturize my own hair (braided underneath the weave) and protect it through crazy weather and lots of workouts. Recently, I have even even been able to style it differently as pictured below. The only qualm I have is this hair frizzes and sheds easily. To remedy this, I have ordered a more expensive Indian Remy hair for next sew-in. This type of hair will frizz and shed less and thus, last longer. I am going to keep this in for another week or so (totaling six weeks) lets my hair breathe with braids outs and marley buns for about two weeks and then attempt another sew-in. As always, I will keep you posted.

sew-in2
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