The Regimens...

I transitioned for nine months...

I Big CHOPPED on Dec. 13,2008

From 08-Feb. 09
My regimen from this time was pretty much not structured and because of that my hair stayed dry and I wasn't using the right products (even though I thought I was). I was in love with using products like Sunsilk Captivating Curls and Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship because of the way they smelled.


---I co-washed everyday...morning and right before bed.
---I was kinda against shampooing so I shampooed maybe once or twice a month....but I was constantly co-washing so that kinda cleaned my hair
---Whenever I did shampoo I made sure to deep condition and detangle
---I had a bald spot in the front of my head from transitioning so I made a mixture of rosemary oil, shea butter, castor oil, and jojoba oil and every night I massaged that oil mixture onto my scalp and mainly that bald spot. Within a couple of months I saw growth and now THERE'S NO BALD SPOT!!!

====Main products used====

 Sunsilk conditioner and leave in, my shea butter mixture, my hair growth mixture, and that's all I remember

From the end of Feb 09- May 09
By this point I started to see growth and with more growth came more tangles. I noticed that I needed to start detangling more and I needed to do something so that I didn't have to walk in the freeze'n cold in the morning with wet hair.So I started twistin.


---I co-washed no more than twice a week.
---Shampooed once or every other week.
---Deep conditioned everytime I shampooed
---I TWISTED MY HAIR UP EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT AND WORE A TWISTOUT UNTIL FRIDAY....Sat. and Sun. were my off days.
---I started back taking my vitamins and biotin supplements. 
====Main products used====
Cantu Shea butter used for twistouts, and my shea butter mixture

From May 09-Aug 09
During this time I was on summer vacation and didn't feel like twisting my hair up every Sunday night so I pretty much wore a puff or a wash and go.


---Co-washed a lot 
---Shampooed, DC, and detangled once a week or every other week
---Every now and then I wore a twist out.

====Main products used====

Cantu Shea Butter, shea butter mixture, Aussie Moist conditioner, Clean Eco styler Gel, and Giovanni Direct Leave in

From Aug 09-Dec 09

By the time I went back to school my hair grew a lot and I could finally say I had some type of regimen. Because of the amount of growth I had I was able to start doing way more styles. And in Oct I was finally able to get a PONYTAIL...YAY click here to watch the video. 

---Co-washing became more of a style so I didn't do it a lot only for certain styles 

---Shampooed, DC, and detangled once a week

---Every other night I would either castor oil or my Wild Growth oil from Sally's and massaged my scalp

---By Nov. I started wearing medium sized twist as a protective style

====Main products used====

Eco styler Gel, Organic Root Stimulator Lock and Twist gel, castor oil, Wild Growth oil, Giovanni Direct Leave in, and Bed Head Moisture Maniac

From Jan.10

I finally started to find my staple products and finished putting the final stages on my current regimen. There's nothing really major to talk about. 

My current regimen:

---Again I don't co-wash a lot only if my hair is dry, I am about to switch styles, or I just feel like it.

---Shampoo and detangle once a week

---I don't deep condition any more only if it is a protein deep conditioner

---I have trimmed my hair multiple times since I've been natural.... so I guess I trim maybe every 4-6 months

====Current products being used====

Sheamoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Moisture Retention Shampoo, Eco Styler Argan and Olive oil gel, Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding, Pantene Curly Conditioner, and Tresemme Conditioners

Hana Elite Flat Iron

I received the Hana Elite Flat Iron from Misikko.com the other day and used it to straighten my hair. Misikko.com is an online which sales top quality professional flat irons, blow dryers, and many other things. I have never tried to high quality flat iron before but I can see a difference between this flat iron and the other cheap ones that I have tried in the past. To start this flat iron has 100%  1 inch ceramic plates and goes all the way up to 450 degrees. It has an on and off switch, which lights up when it's fully heated (it only took about 15 secs to heat up) and it has a very long swivel cord.

I really LOVE this flat iron because I could get away with just one pass but I chose to do about 2 passes for an even straighter look and I used the comb chase method while I flat ironed. I set the temperature between 250-302 degrees which was hot enough to get my hair straighter than the other flat irons I have. 

Overall, I would recommended this flat iron to naturals or anyone else who wants to straighten or even curl their hair. Oh and by the way you can this flat iron on sale $118 now (normally $204) with free shipping.

Pros:

-heats up fast

-100% ceramic plates

-it's pink =)

-long cord

-definitely worth the price

Cons:

-none =)

Ceramic Flat Irons:

http://www.misikko.com/flat-irons.html

Professional Blow Dryer:

http://www.misikko.com/professional-hair-dryers.html

Best Flat Irons:

http://www.misikko.com/best-flat-iron.html

Mom's Hair w/Eco Styler Argan Oil Gel

Here is my mom's hair with the Eco Styler Argan Oil Gel just applied. 

She BIG Chopped June 10'.

This is what it looked like after I diffused majority of it.

Darcy's Botanicals Sweet Cream Review...

Darcy's Botanticals Daily Leave-In Conditioner in Sweet Cream-

Price: $12.00

Where to Purchase: Surprisingly you can find these products in small random stores and of course online.

Consistency: Smooth light cream. Similar to Giovanni Direct Leave in.

To start this review I have to say the scent is probably the best part about this product. It smells exactly like vanilla Tootsie Rolls...ooo yum =) I did have high expectations for this product (maybe because it was $12) but I wasn't to impressed with how it moisturized my hair. BUT I will say it works pretty well getting my curls to pop right away. For example, when I twist my hair I can detangle and then apply the product and BAM! curls appear. I also liked that this product added some shine to my hair. 

So overall I think this product is alright it's not AMAZING and I think there are plenty of cheaper and better products out there. I'm not going to give up on this company because their products seem to be promising. 

Will it Work?

Every time I have good hair days with twistouts or wash n gos (defined curls) I always tell myself that I'm gonna start wearing my hair like that more often...of course that usually doesn't last long. But in the last few months I have to say have been rockin' some successful twist n curls and wash n gos (defined curls) and I've wondered if I could really keep my hair healthy and in those styles. I have found that those styles are kinda like my protective style because I'll wear them for like a week. In addition there's less manipulation involved,it's versatile because I can always pull it back into a ponytail or something, and it's good for my edges because I don't have to brush them a lot.

Old Twist n Curl

Old Wash n Go

So what do you all think??? Will it work...I'm going to see and keep you all updated. 

Itty Bitty Twistssss

Finally after two and a half days my mini twists are done. It was hard in the beginning but I got through it (had a little accident with the wii...lol) 

Products used:


*Yes to Cucumbers Leave-In (revisting and it seems to be great for these twists)
*Sweet Almond oil


Done on dry stretched out hair. I also didn't wash my hair before I did these because I had just shampooed my hair like 4 days before but I co-wash the day before twisting)

Look I what I got!!!

As I type this post I am extremely excited and overjoyed. I bought the Ez Combs today...and they actually work. At least the little style that I did worked. I finally decided to get them because 1. they are really cheap at Ross and Marshall's and 2. they seem like you can do a lot of styles with them in a few minutes. Since it has only been like 30 minutes since I got in the house and popped one of them in my hair I can't do a full review (plus I didn't want to mess up my hair) but please believe once I get some time with these bad boys I will definitely let ya'll know how they work. Oh and the price was $ 2.99 at Ross and $ 3.99 at Marshall's.

 
Right now I can tell you all that it felt very comfortable and secure on my hair and removing it wasn't bad at all. Stay tuned =)

Review for Taliah Waajid Curly Curl Cream

Has Anyone Tried These???

Hey ladies have any of you tried any of Goodys Simple Styles collection. I have the Volume booster...thinking it was something else. But I'm curious to see how the others work on natural thick hair.

The Product Dislike List...

1. Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Scrunching Gel (ABSOLUTELY DESPISE THIS STUFF) 
2. Yes to Cucumbers Leave-in Conditioner
3. Jane Cater Revitalizing Spray Leave-In
4. Giovanni Smooth as Silk Shampoo
5. Elasta Qp Olive oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer 
6. Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Leave in
7. Beyond the Zone Noddle Head (NEVER EVER AGAIN)
8. Beyond on the Zone Leave-In
9. Avalon Clarifying Shampoo
10. Cantu Shea Butter ( I used to love this stuff)

What's on your dislike list???

This list is in no particular order.

Do the DO.

Here's another variation of one of my favorite hairstyles. 

How it's done:
----Either stretch your hair or wet it up so that you can flat twist. (NOTE: if you don't know how to flat twist you can do the tuck and roll)
-----Then part your hair down the middle.
-----Next start to flat twist your hair going down on one side your hair until you reach the nape of your neck and STOP. Don't twist all the hair. 
-----Repeat the same steps on the other side.
-----Next grab the two twists and the loose hair left out in the middle and put into a ponytail.
-----Then start to roll the the ponytail upwards into a bun. Hold the bun in place and pin that sucka down :)

And there you have a quick and super cute protective style.

Ravishing Red!!!

Thursday night I colored my hair a FIRE red color....not really :\ I put a rinse in my hair because I'm too chicken to put permanent color in my natural  hair...because of past experiences with coloring. 

EX #1: When I was in high school I decided to highlight own hair. The outcome=EPIC FAIL. Due to the embarrassment I felt after months of wearing the highlights, I decided to go to a professional and get my hair colored JET BLACK w/bangs. 

Of course since it's a rinse you're really not gonna be able to see much of the color in the pictures (you can see a little. But you can definitely see the color in certain light. I've used this brand before but with a dark brown color but this time I have to say I absolutely love the color and my next little color experiment will be henna. 

What Gravitates me to a Product....

Does this ever happen to you ladies....

Okay so the other day I was in the store looking for some shampoo, when all of a sudden I turned around and saw a Tresemme product that had something about "Curls" and "Cream" on it.....my two weakness when it comes to products. Whenever I see a product that says:

---Curls

---Gel

---Wavy

---Cream

---Define

I HAVE TO HAVE IT!!!!

I remember when I first did my BC, I rushed out to get the Sunsilk Captivating Curls Leave-In, the gel, and conditioner. None of which did anything GREAT for my hair. So what I do nowadays is basically talk my self out of getting the product. I say "you don't need that", "what reviews have you heard about this product", and sometimes I have to look at the ingredients, if there's to many ingredients then I won't buy it.




Oh the the life of a product junkie.....

Twistout with Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding

I decided to use my Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding for a twistout (which I haven't done in a million years it seems).


Products used: 
Giovanni Direct Leave-in
Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding


I used my Denman D41 brush for some curl definition 

I'm truly falling in love with my Curly Pudding. It's great for wash and gos, twistouts, and probably much more =)

Disclaimer: I hate how these pictures don't capture how AMAZING this twistout came out. I promise it looks better in person and it's not as frizzy as it looks on here  :(

How to get waves....

Hopefully I can make a video showing you guys how I get my waves in more detail.  It's pretty easy. 

I always start start with dripping wet hair.
Then I apply a leave-in/moisturizer followed by oil.
Then I brush my hair back a little before applying the gel with a soft bristle brush.
Next I apply a generous amount of gel (I love using the clear Eco Styler for a more wavier  look).
Then I brush the hair back.
Next I put my scarf on for a few minutes. 
And that's pretty much it !!




Be sure to look out for a quick tutorial on this =)

Miss Jesse's Curly Pudding

8/16/10-Today was the first day of classes for me and I decided to try something different (i never like to test out a product before a big event). I prepared and applied my hair as I normally do with other products like Eco Styler Olive Oil or Kinky Curly. And then it hit me. "I don't have a blow dryer here at school. Dang it." I started worrying because I didn't want to leave the room with noticeable globs of product in my hair. I ended up just leaving hoping no one would notice (thankfully it was hot hot hot outside). 

First day application

Second day

8/17/10- So far I really like this stuff. It is a little comparable to Eco Styler BUT when I use Eco Styler I don't get nearly as much volume the first day as I do with Miss Jesse's Curly Pudding. 

Givin my hair the best....

For those of you who are subscribe to my youtube channel, you probably know that I have buying a bunch natural hair products. So you can imagine how excited and anxious I was to try a couple of  them out. The other day I tried the Giovanni 50:50 conditioner, Giovanni hair reconstructor, and the Yes to Cucumbers leave-in, all of which I am EXTREMELY happy I bought. So here's a quick review of each:

Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hydrating Calming Conditioner (they always have the longest names for their products.lol):
       I have to say that I absolutely love this product!!! The consistency is thick and creamy. The scent is light and kinda fresh. The price is descent for a natural product. If I had to compare it to another conditioner it would have to be the Yes to Carrots conditioner that I RAVED about in this video. It's moisturizing and I love it!!!

Giovanni Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor:
       This was my first time using a protein treatment product, so I was very nervous and careful when I was applying the product to my hair (totally not necessary, it's just like applying conditioner).  The consistency is very thick and creamy. A quick tip for applying it to your hair, kinda warm it up in your hands a little, it spreads a lot better in your hair. The scent is light. The price is very good for a deep conditioner. Don't be scared of the amount in the container, I found that if you section you hair off properly you won't go through so much product.

Yes to Cucumbers Leave-In Conditioner:
        I've been dying to try this product out ever since I tried the Yes to Carrots conditioner months ago but the only problem was the availability. I never could find it in stores and I didn't want to pay for shipping online. Now that it's in my possession I can finally sleep.jk. The consistency is like your typical conditioner. The scent is light, not as fragrant as Yes to Carrots conditioner. The price is pricey. 12 whole bucks! I used this product  to braid my hair for a twistout, there was no hold what so ever.NONE (not there's supposed to be). This product would probably work great on mini twists or just moisturizing a protective style. 


Oh and by the way if you're wondering I used the regimen mentioned in the previous post with Bed Head Self Absorbed conditioner to detangle and Giovanni Smooth as Silk shampoo. I'll update ya'll if I see a change in these products.

New Wash Regimen

Since I've been natural I have gone through soooo many wash day regimens. So I come to y'all with a new and hopefully final wash day regimen. Okay so you guys who have seen my recent videos on Youtube, click here if you haven't, you know I've been in Myrtle Beach for the past week. And if there's one thing that I've learned this summer, is that my hair doesn't particularly like the ocean water if it's not twisted up (even though it gives amazing curl definition, out of this world). Halfway through the week, I had become sooo frustrated with my hair being tangled at the ends that I just decided to detangle my hair while I was there (which I NEVER do while vacationing ANYWHERE). So that helped a little but obviously not a lot, when I got back home I decided to try something different. Usually when I wash my hair it tangles up a lot more than when I first start but this time I decided to detangle FIRST with conditioner, then rinse that out a little, then I apply shampoo and rinse that out COMPLETELY, then co-wash. When I was done with everything my hair was not tangled AT ALL. It was amazing!!! So I'll give it another try and update y'all if it works out the same. 

The Regimen:

           1.  Start with dry hair

           2.  Section the hair off into medium sections and spray with water and apply conditioner

           3.  Smooth the conditioner into the and start to detangle
           4.  Braid the section up (every important: twist will slowly come out while washing)
           5.  Rinse 90% of the conditioner  out
           6.  Apply shampoo
           7.  Rinse out completely
           8.  Co-wash
           9.  Deep condition if you want!

By the end of all that my braided sections were still in.

Cruise Hair

 

I'm back from my cruise (okay I've actually been back for a week now) and I must say I had a wonderful time with the fam =) As you can see from the pictures I didn't wear my twists. I took them out before the trip but don't worry I put them right back in when I got back home. I'm going to try to keep these in for at least 3 weeks to a month. 

While vacationing I learned a lot about how I should maintain my hair while vacationing.

1. Moisturize. A LOT!!!
2. Wear some type of protective style.
3. Don't shampoo your hair too often. Of course.
4. Don't co-wash too often. (My hair was tangled up soo much when I got back)

What I took with me:

- Giovanni Shampoo

-Tresemme Flawless Curls Conditioner

-Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel

-Shea Butter Mixture

-A Comb

-Satin Scarf

But overall, my hair didn't get too dry. Because I was on chill mode, I didn't want to be in mirror too often doing my hair, so I wore wash n gos, puffs, and buns. I think applying a lot of shea butter and sometimes leaving the conditioner in helped to keep moisturized. 

Natural Hair Expo in the NC....what!?!?!

Have you guys heard about the natural hair expo that's gonna be coming to North Carolina??? If you haven't, well here's the link and some quick info. 


When: June 19, 2010 from 12-8pm
Where: 326 Tryon Rd. Raliegh-Durham, 27603
Admission: $10


I am soooo upset that I can't attend =( I'll be cruisin' the ocean waves. From what I've read this will be the first natural hair expo North Carolina has had...and it's in my county...sorta. But for all you lucky curlies going...please let me know how it went and what cha got...lol