Check out this YouTube on Transitioning Tips by LongHairDontCareLLC
9.30.2011
9.29.2011
Product Review: Sonia Kashuk Nail Polish
These nail polishes are wonderful! You only need ONE coat of it and NO top coat at all! Amazing, right?! I loved this nail polish, I have the second one pictured above called "Taunting Teal." I got so many random compliments on it it the NOT, BUT TWO weeks I had it on my real nails. And if you are like me two weeks of nail that still looks presentable is pretty much a blessing. My poor nails get treat so bad at times lol. But this polish I had very minimal chipping, when I say minimal I mean like a few chips here or there on like one or two of my nails--nothing major AT ALL! The main thing is is that I had this dark, very potent color on my nails and you couldnt tell they were chipped and old! Matter of fact, I got the majority of my compliments the second week while the polish was chipped.
I got this nail polish from Target, they are priced at $4.99. Expensive....but not two bad for what it's worth! My dime was definitely well spent lol. I'm going to purchase more colors when I find more that I really like. :)
MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass
 |
| Colour: "Full Speed Ahead" |
"A longwearing Lipglass that goes on smooth and lasts for up to six hours! Envelops lips with shine and colour and pro-longs the hours between re-application."
This lipglass definitely stays on longer than the other MAC lipsticks and other lipglass. As it claims the application is definitely smooth AND the consistency of the product feels great on your lips. And the shine of these product on your lips is SUPER sexy! A little bit goes a long way with this product too! The colour is extremely potent. I'm not sure about it lasting 6 hours, however! I didnt need to wear it that long lol. But my birthday was this week and I'm celebrating it this weekend, so I'll definitely be testing out the longevity of this lipglass compared to the others that I have.
The colour that I bought was Whoopsi and its absolutely stunning! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT !!!! <3
Click here for the link to the website.
9.25.2011
One more post lol
Ok ladies! It takes my hair FOREVER to dry so I ended up having to diffuse my hair. I will say that my hair didnt come out stiff like I expected it to! I'm happy about! My hair smells really good and I'm not having any trouble running my fingers through my hair--I'm happy about this as well! The pic isn't the best but I wanted you guys to see the results I get when I diffuse my hair.
Also I did more research on the Carol's Daughter website and found that the Olive Oil Infusion kit would probably work with my hair. Im still on the fence about whether or not I want to spend the money but we'll see! I'll definitely let you guys know!
Also I did more research on the Carol's Daughter website and found that the Olive Oil Infusion kit would probably work with my hair. Im still on the fence about whether or not I want to spend the money but we'll see! I'll definitely let you guys know!
Carol's Daughter Review #2
Hey ladies!
Ok...as I promised I used my Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Collection kit today. Out of all honesty, I wasnt that impressed by it. I understood what my mom said about how it made her hair stiff. We experienced stiffness at two different times though--I experienced it during my washing process and my mom experienced it on the second day after her wash day. Now there probably are some underlying factors that effected my mom's hair (as I mentioned in a previous post) but I'm not sure what happened with my hair.
Monoi Shampoo: I liked how it felt in my hair as I was massaging my scalp. As I mentioned, the product isnt as soapy as other shampoos because of the absence of sulfates. I allowed the suds to naturally run down my hair shaft and then proceeded to finger comb my hair. At this point finger combing became a littel difficult. I ran into some tangles but I was able to get this under control. I rinsed my hair as normal and of course the added water gave my hair more slip which helped with the detangling more.
Monoi Conditioner: I would have liked this product to give my hair more slip then what it did. I was not that thrilled with this conditioner really...I guess I expected it to blow me away a little more. I would say that it did create a little slip but not like my other conditioner (la bomba) and it didn't leave my hair feeling moisturized.
**at this point in the process I wasnt really feeling it so I decided to mix my la bomba conditioner with my normal oils and use this as my deep conditioner instead of the monoi repairing hair mask.
Monoi Repairing Hair mask: I did use this product but not as my deep conditioner. Once I rinsed out the la bomba mixture I let the repairing hair mask sit in my hair for about 5 to 10 mins. I really cant say if this works in my hair or not but I did feel better after I rinsed it out. My hair felt more manageable. Problem is, Im not sure if these better results were from this product alone or the combination of the deep conditioner and this product. Hard to tell :(
Once I began styling my hair, I quickly noticed that my overall result was stiff hair and I had hair that was breaking off (im more than positive the breakage was where my natural and perm hair meet). I was tempted to re-wash my hair and re-do my process with my normal products but unfortunately time just isnt on my side. I wanted to do a pin curl on my hair but I was afraid that the results were going to be horrible because of the state my hair was in. So I was forced to do a bantu-knot out (hopefully this comes out ok). Im really not a happy camper right now. I'm pretty disappointed these products didnt really work well in my hair. The only problem that I could think of is that these products are probably designed for 100% natural girls and as we all know Im still transitioning. I did a little research on the Carols Daughter website and found a hair set specifically for transitioning hair. Maybe this would have produced better results in my hair. Who knows....I think for now I'm going to stick with my normal routine and revisit these products when I'm mostly natural.
If your interested in checking out the Carol's Daughter Transitioning Hair Set, click here.
Toodles
Ok...as I promised I used my Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Collection kit today. Out of all honesty, I wasnt that impressed by it. I understood what my mom said about how it made her hair stiff. We experienced stiffness at two different times though--I experienced it during my washing process and my mom experienced it on the second day after her wash day. Now there probably are some underlying factors that effected my mom's hair (as I mentioned in a previous post) but I'm not sure what happened with my hair.
Monoi Shampoo: I liked how it felt in my hair as I was massaging my scalp. As I mentioned, the product isnt as soapy as other shampoos because of the absence of sulfates. I allowed the suds to naturally run down my hair shaft and then proceeded to finger comb my hair. At this point finger combing became a littel difficult. I ran into some tangles but I was able to get this under control. I rinsed my hair as normal and of course the added water gave my hair more slip which helped with the detangling more.
Monoi Conditioner: I would have liked this product to give my hair more slip then what it did. I was not that thrilled with this conditioner really...I guess I expected it to blow me away a little more. I would say that it did create a little slip but not like my other conditioner (la bomba) and it didn't leave my hair feeling moisturized.
**at this point in the process I wasnt really feeling it so I decided to mix my la bomba conditioner with my normal oils and use this as my deep conditioner instead of the monoi repairing hair mask.
Monoi Repairing Hair mask: I did use this product but not as my deep conditioner. Once I rinsed out the la bomba mixture I let the repairing hair mask sit in my hair for about 5 to 10 mins. I really cant say if this works in my hair or not but I did feel better after I rinsed it out. My hair felt more manageable. Problem is, Im not sure if these better results were from this product alone or the combination of the deep conditioner and this product. Hard to tell :(
Once I began styling my hair, I quickly noticed that my overall result was stiff hair and I had hair that was breaking off (im more than positive the breakage was where my natural and perm hair meet). I was tempted to re-wash my hair and re-do my process with my normal products but unfortunately time just isnt on my side. I wanted to do a pin curl on my hair but I was afraid that the results were going to be horrible because of the state my hair was in. So I was forced to do a bantu-knot out (hopefully this comes out ok). Im really not a happy camper right now. I'm pretty disappointed these products didnt really work well in my hair. The only problem that I could think of is that these products are probably designed for 100% natural girls and as we all know Im still transitioning. I did a little research on the Carols Daughter website and found a hair set specifically for transitioning hair. Maybe this would have produced better results in my hair. Who knows....I think for now I'm going to stick with my normal routine and revisit these products when I'm mostly natural.
If your interested in checking out the Carol's Daughter Transitioning Hair Set, click here.
Toodles
Detangling: WET or DRY?
Hey ladies!
Should you detangle your hair while wet or dry? Unfortunately this question is a lot more complicated then it seems. As we all know this journey takes us all in different directions because "no two heads are alike." This is something that you definitely have to experiment with throughout your hair journey. Finding the best method for your hair is crucial because you dont want to cause any unnecessary damage to your hair.
Throughout my transitioning period this is the one major thing that Ive noticed-- detangling my hair while dry has some damaging effects AT TIMES. The first two months of transitioning I found that detangling my hair while it was dry didn't damage my hair. But by the time I got to my third month and my roots became a lot thicker, detangling while dry wasnt the best option for me anymore. I say this to say that our hair is a ever-changing masterpiece and we need to make sure that we are adapting to its needs.
My natural roots are extremely thick so wetting my hair by adding my "concoction" of kinky curly knot today, ACV, water and jojoba oil gives my roots the added slip to make for easier detangling. On occasion, I detangle my hair while dry when I feel that my roots are not really tangled, but for the most part I go for the added slip.
Note: As I said before "no two heads are alike" so it's important to experiment with your hair to see what method works and which doesnt.
Click here for my information about detangling on curlynikki.com
Should you detangle your hair while wet or dry? Unfortunately this question is a lot more complicated then it seems. As we all know this journey takes us all in different directions because "no two heads are alike." This is something that you definitely have to experiment with throughout your hair journey. Finding the best method for your hair is crucial because you dont want to cause any unnecessary damage to your hair.
Throughout my transitioning period this is the one major thing that Ive noticed-- detangling my hair while dry has some damaging effects AT TIMES. The first two months of transitioning I found that detangling my hair while it was dry didn't damage my hair. But by the time I got to my third month and my roots became a lot thicker, detangling while dry wasnt the best option for me anymore. I say this to say that our hair is a ever-changing masterpiece and we need to make sure that we are adapting to its needs.
My natural roots are extremely thick so wetting my hair by adding my "concoction" of kinky curly knot today, ACV, water and jojoba oil gives my roots the added slip to make for easier detangling. On occasion, I detangle my hair while dry when I feel that my roots are not really tangled, but for the most part I go for the added slip.
Note: As I said before "no two heads are alike" so it's important to experiment with your hair to see what method works and which doesnt.
Click here for my information about detangling on curlynikki.com
9.24.2011
WOW! Its been awhile....
Hey ladies!
Sorry I havent been blogging in what seems like forever! I went to a training last week that took up all my time and left me exhausted! But I learned alot and I'm back now...so here are my updates.
Update#1: I'll be using Carol's Daughter products that I posted about on my own hair tomorrow (Sunday). My mom told me that her hair turned out great the day after using the products but by the third day her hair felt stiff and she didnt like it all. At night my mom does wrap her hair and for some reason the house does get a little warm and someone always ends up getting up to adjust the air. My guess is that she probably was sweating in her sleep without knowing it and the sweat made her hair stiff and dry. I will say this discouraged her a bit she mentioned the thought of perming her hair again and I had to talk her out of it. But I'll use the product on my hair and let you know how it worked in my hair. We have two different hair types, I would say that I am more of a thick 3c/4a hair type and my mom is a more thin 3b/3c hair type. So maybe that makes a difference. We'll see what happens this week :)
Update#2: My biotin pills are definitely working. I will say that I'm showing a huge improvement in my nails! I've never had such strong, growing nails! My skin is taking quite well to them as well! Ive had less pimples appear on my face and my complexion is very clear and healthy-looking! As for my hair, Ive noticed that my roots are getting thicker which is always great! I also noticed less breakage. Im skeptical to say that my hair has improved from the biotin alone because of my recent cut though. But I will, of course, continue to take the pills and let you guys know the deal!
Click here for more information about hair types!
I believe that all for now!
Toodles
Sorry I havent been blogging in what seems like forever! I went to a training last week that took up all my time and left me exhausted! But I learned alot and I'm back now...so here are my updates.
Update#1: I'll be using Carol's Daughter products that I posted about on my own hair tomorrow (Sunday). My mom told me that her hair turned out great the day after using the products but by the third day her hair felt stiff and she didnt like it all. At night my mom does wrap her hair and for some reason the house does get a little warm and someone always ends up getting up to adjust the air. My guess is that she probably was sweating in her sleep without knowing it and the sweat made her hair stiff and dry. I will say this discouraged her a bit she mentioned the thought of perming her hair again and I had to talk her out of it. But I'll use the product on my hair and let you know how it worked in my hair. We have two different hair types, I would say that I am more of a thick 3c/4a hair type and my mom is a more thin 3b/3c hair type. So maybe that makes a difference. We'll see what happens this week :)
Update#2: My biotin pills are definitely working. I will say that I'm showing a huge improvement in my nails! I've never had such strong, growing nails! My skin is taking quite well to them as well! Ive had less pimples appear on my face and my complexion is very clear and healthy-looking! As for my hair, Ive noticed that my roots are getting thicker which is always great! I also noticed less breakage. Im skeptical to say that my hair has improved from the biotin alone because of my recent cut though. But I will, of course, continue to take the pills and let you guys know the deal!
Click here for more information about hair types!
I believe that all for now!
Toodles
9.18.2011
Carol's Daughter Review
Hey ladies!
Ok so last night I used the Carol's Daughter Monoi Collection for the first time on my mom's hair. She loved it! First off, the smell of the products are PHENOMENAL! I've been trying to figure out what it smells like to me but I havent quite put my finger on it yet lol. It definitely leaves your hair smelling fresh and clean! So I'll talk about the products individually:
Carol's Daughter Monoi Shampoo:
This shampoo is sulfate free. It's best to use a sulfate-free shampoo because sulfate strips the hair of its natural oils which drys out the hair and eventually cause breakage. This shampoo produces a slight sud. So it feels really good in your hair. And another thing is that a little bit goes a really long ways. I literally put a quarter size in my hand and it was more then enough. So you really get a good bang for your buck!
Carol's Daughter Monoi Conditioner:
I liked this conditioner. I will say that I had trouble detangling my mom's hair after I rinsed out the conditioner (I did not add the leave-in conditioner at this point). I'm assuming that this was my fault though. Before I began washing my mom's hair I didnt detangle it, to be honest I completely forgot to. Usually my mom wears her hair in a wrap but this particular day she wore it in a pony and I just simply forget to make sure to detangle because she usually does it herself before I start her hair. But I will have to use this product again before I give a full review about it.
Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask:
I loved this stuff! It really felt good in the hair, it definitely moisturized my mom's hair! And she loved this stuff too! It realy helped to soften up her hair. And she mentioned that she had no shedding when she styled her hair this morning so it definitely does what its suppose to do...at least so far! :)
Carol's Daughter Tui Leave-in Conditioner:
I absolutely love this stuff Ive used it on my dry hair when I felt like my hair was a little dry and on my mom's wet hair! It moisturizers the hair--no doubt and it is extremely weightless! It gives the hair a natural sheen and helps to keep it manageable between styles! Definitely so far this is my favorite product; even though it isnt from the monoi collection! The price was $12--definitely worth the price!
Ok so last night I used the Carol's Daughter Monoi Collection for the first time on my mom's hair. She loved it! First off, the smell of the products are PHENOMENAL! I've been trying to figure out what it smells like to me but I havent quite put my finger on it yet lol. It definitely leaves your hair smelling fresh and clean! So I'll talk about the products individually:
Carol's Daughter Monoi Shampoo:
This shampoo is sulfate free. It's best to use a sulfate-free shampoo because sulfate strips the hair of its natural oils which drys out the hair and eventually cause breakage. This shampoo produces a slight sud. So it feels really good in your hair. And another thing is that a little bit goes a really long ways. I literally put a quarter size in my hand and it was more then enough. So you really get a good bang for your buck!
Carol's Daughter Monoi Conditioner:
I liked this conditioner. I will say that I had trouble detangling my mom's hair after I rinsed out the conditioner (I did not add the leave-in conditioner at this point). I'm assuming that this was my fault though. Before I began washing my mom's hair I didnt detangle it, to be honest I completely forgot to. Usually my mom wears her hair in a wrap but this particular day she wore it in a pony and I just simply forget to make sure to detangle because she usually does it herself before I start her hair. But I will have to use this product again before I give a full review about it.
Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask:
I loved this stuff! It really felt good in the hair, it definitely moisturized my mom's hair! And she loved this stuff too! It realy helped to soften up her hair. And she mentioned that she had no shedding when she styled her hair this morning so it definitely does what its suppose to do...at least so far! :)
Carol's Daughter Tui Leave-in Conditioner:
I absolutely love this stuff Ive used it on my dry hair when I felt like my hair was a little dry and on my mom's wet hair! It moisturizers the hair--no doubt and it is extremely weightless! It gives the hair a natural sheen and helps to keep it manageable between styles! Definitely so far this is my favorite product; even though it isnt from the monoi collection! The price was $12--definitely worth the price!
9.14.2011
YouTube Reviews of Carol's Daughter
Here is a youtube review about the Carol's Daughter Monoi Collection....it made me super excited about using the product so I thought I'd share some of my source of excitement with you :)
Click here for the Carol's Daughter website!
Click here for the Carol's Daughter website!
First Trim Pics
Ok ladies! Here are the before and after pics of my first trim since I made the decision to go natural. My ends were pretty bad so my hairdresser had to cut off about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of hair (before the trim I was about armpit length). I was disappointed that so much of my hair was damaged from split ends but I know I did it to myself because I kept putting off trimming my hair. Today I realized that I shouldnt be afraid of trimming my hair because (1) it helps the hair to grow faster and (2) its the only way to get rid of the permed ends without doing a big chop. I knew both of these facts but I guess I wasn't ready to start the trims until now. So my advice to you if your putting off getting trims like I did...just do it! It will pay off in the long run. My ends looked disgusting (you'll be able to see it in my before pics) before the trim and now they look amazing!
Before the trim:
After the trim:
Now that those nasty ends are gone I'm excited to see how fast my hair starts going. My hairdresser suggested that I trim my hair every 8 weeks or so which I think is a good idea. I'm get my next trim around the first or second week in November. Also I'm going to keep up with my monthly length and new growth checks for you guys so that you can see my progress :)
Before the trim:
After the trim:
Now that those nasty ends are gone I'm excited to see how fast my hair starts going. My hairdresser suggested that I trim my hair every 8 weeks or so which I think is a good idea. I'm get my next trim around the first or second week in November. Also I'm going to keep up with my monthly length and new growth checks for you guys so that you can see my progress :)
I broke down...
Hey ladies!
A few updates on my personal challenges:
I bought some products lol. I just couldn't resist. The first product that I bought was the Aphogee 2 Minute Keratin treatment. I honestly had no choice, I needed something that would restore the protein bonds in my hair. Yes the egg treatment that I previously posted about did work. But I'm extremely sensitive to smells and I did smell the egg in my hair days after I did the treatment which made me really self conscious. But I would recommend doing that treatment for anyone who isn't sensitive to smells like myself. I did use this apogee product and it worked amazing. I noticed a dramatic decrease in the amount of hair in my comb after I detangled it. So I'm actually glad I broke down and bought the product lol.
My second product purchase actually just happened less than 15 mins ago! I went to sephora to get a few things for my face and skin. As I browsed around the store I happened to spot the Coral's Daughter collection. First off, I had no idea Sephora even carried Coral's Daughter let alone her NEW product line. So when I found it I was super excited and just couldn't contain my impulse!! I bought the sulfate free shampoo, conditioner and hair mask from the NEW Monoi Repairing collection! The two ladies that helped me while I was in the store said that they absolutely LOVED the products in this line (one was caucasian and the other was Hispanic). I've heard nothing but great things about Coral's Daughter in general and I CANNOT wait to use these products in my hair!
My last update is that I must admit I have not kept up with my castor oil challenge. I've used my castor oil ONCE since I said I wanted to do the challenge. I've taken my biotin supplements everyday though which makes me extremely hungry and dehydrated at times but the side effects aren't unbearable. I researched whether biotin had damaging side effects and could not find one horrific side effect so I've decided just to continue taking them and just pack snacks and enough water to last me during the day. Research shows that snacking in between meals speeds up your metabolism anyway so I won't complain lol.
I believe that's all the updates for now! I plan to use the Coral's Daughter products on my mom's hair this weekend so I'll let you know the results.
Till then Toodles :)
A few updates on my personal challenges:
I bought some products lol. I just couldn't resist. The first product that I bought was the Aphogee 2 Minute Keratin treatment. I honestly had no choice, I needed something that would restore the protein bonds in my hair. Yes the egg treatment that I previously posted about did work. But I'm extremely sensitive to smells and I did smell the egg in my hair days after I did the treatment which made me really self conscious. But I would recommend doing that treatment for anyone who isn't sensitive to smells like myself. I did use this apogee product and it worked amazing. I noticed a dramatic decrease in the amount of hair in my comb after I detangled it. So I'm actually glad I broke down and bought the product lol.
My second product purchase actually just happened less than 15 mins ago! I went to sephora to get a few things for my face and skin. As I browsed around the store I happened to spot the Coral's Daughter collection. First off, I had no idea Sephora even carried Coral's Daughter let alone her NEW product line. So when I found it I was super excited and just couldn't contain my impulse!! I bought the sulfate free shampoo, conditioner and hair mask from the NEW Monoi Repairing collection! The two ladies that helped me while I was in the store said that they absolutely LOVED the products in this line (one was caucasian and the other was Hispanic). I've heard nothing but great things about Coral's Daughter in general and I CANNOT wait to use these products in my hair!
My last update is that I must admit I have not kept up with my castor oil challenge. I've used my castor oil ONCE since I said I wanted to do the challenge. I've taken my biotin supplements everyday though which makes me extremely hungry and dehydrated at times but the side effects aren't unbearable. I researched whether biotin had damaging side effects and could not find one horrific side effect so I've decided just to continue taking them and just pack snacks and enough water to last me during the day. Research shows that snacking in between meals speeds up your metabolism anyway so I won't complain lol.
I believe that's all the updates for now! I plan to use the Coral's Daughter products on my mom's hair this weekend so I'll let you know the results.
Till then Toodles :)
9.12.2011
A Few Updates
Hey ladies!
My last post I was super excited about my Blogger app lol...but I will admit that I haven't had time to blog. I'm working on my masters and unfortunately I'm playing the catch up game this week. But I decided to take a short break and give you guys some updates.
Update #1 :: I actually made a vlog (video blog) about my washing/co-washing process BUT it came out EXTREMELY shaky so I'm still deciding whether to post it or not (im leaning more to the not lol). I have to figure out a good place in my house to record the video and all of that first. I'm a perfectionist so this might take me awhile. But I promise I will be vlogging some time in the near future. As for now, I will just continue to do what I'm doing!
Update #2 :: I decided to actually make my own hair concoction. After I washed/co-washed my hair I would use my kinky curly knot today detangler/leave-in conditioner and then proceed to style my hair. But after watching the pH lesson from kimmaytube (click here) I realized that I'm not taking the extra step of making sure that my hair is brought back to a healthy pH after using my products. So this concoction basically does just that, preserve the pH levels of my hair as well as seal the hair so that it retains moisture.
My ingredients:
Here is a better explanation of the benefits of apple cidar vinegar
Vinegar Hair Rinse – Natural Hair Care Product
Hair is on the mildly acidic side of the pH scale and has an ideal pH of 4.5 to 5.5, which is close to that of an apple cider vinegar rinse (pH 2.9).
On the other hand, many of the hair care products we use, such as soap-based shampoos, bleaches, hair colors, and permanents are strongly alkaline.
Rinsing with apple cider vinegar will help balance the pH of your hair and remove the buildup that can result from the use of these styling products and inexpensive shampoos.
Rinsing will also close the numerous cuticle scales which cover and protect the surface of each hair shaft. This imparts a smoother surface which reflects more light and as a result leaves your hair shinier, smoother and easier to manage.
Rough hair shaft with open cuticles compared to smooth hair shaft with closed cuticles.
Update #3 :: I'm getting my first trim since my decision to go natural on wednesday. My breakage has gotten better but I want it to be nonexistent and I know that this will be the key. I'll post pictures of my hair once I get the trim.
Well that's it for now ladies! I hope you try my concoction! Let me know how it goes!
References:
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/natural-hair-care-product.html
My last post I was super excited about my Blogger app lol...but I will admit that I haven't had time to blog. I'm working on my masters and unfortunately I'm playing the catch up game this week. But I decided to take a short break and give you guys some updates.
Update #1 :: I actually made a vlog (video blog) about my washing/co-washing process BUT it came out EXTREMELY shaky so I'm still deciding whether to post it or not (im leaning more to the not lol). I have to figure out a good place in my house to record the video and all of that first. I'm a perfectionist so this might take me awhile. But I promise I will be vlogging some time in the near future. As for now, I will just continue to do what I'm doing!
Update #2 :: I decided to actually make my own hair concoction. After I washed/co-washed my hair I would use my kinky curly knot today detangler/leave-in conditioner and then proceed to style my hair. But after watching the pH lesson from kimmaytube (click here) I realized that I'm not taking the extra step of making sure that my hair is brought back to a healthy pH after using my products. So this concoction basically does just that, preserve the pH levels of my hair as well as seal the hair so that it retains moisture.
My ingredients:
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar --this helps to preserve the pH level of my hair
- 2 cups of water --this is to dilute the apple cider vinegar a bit
- about a 1/2 to 1 cup of my kinky curly knot today
- jojoba oil (i dont measure this, just put as much or as little as you feel)-- dissolves the sebum that clogs the pores of the hair follicles which promotes hair growth and healthier-looking hair
Here is a better explanation of the benefits of apple cidar vinegar
Hair is on the mildly acidic side of the pH scale and has an ideal pH of 4.5 to 5.5, which is close to that of an apple cider vinegar rinse (pH 2.9).
On the other hand, many of the hair care products we use, such as soap-based shampoos, bleaches, hair colors, and permanents are strongly alkaline.
Rinsing with apple cider vinegar will help balance the pH of your hair and remove the buildup that can result from the use of these styling products and inexpensive shampoos.
Rinsing will also close the numerous cuticle scales which cover and protect the surface of each hair shaft. This imparts a smoother surface which reflects more light and as a result leaves your hair shinier, smoother and easier to manage.
Rough hair shaft with open cuticles compared to smooth hair shaft with closed cuticles.
Update #3 :: I'm getting my first trim since my decision to go natural on wednesday. My breakage has gotten better but I want it to be nonexistent and I know that this will be the key. I'll post pictures of my hair once I get the trim.
Well that's it for now ladies! I hope you try my concoction! Let me know how it goes!
References:
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/natural-hair-care-product.html
9.10.2011
Blogger for IPhone
Hey ladies!
IPhone has an app for blogging! I could be late but when I first started to blog in august I looked for an app like this and didn't see this one! Maybe it's new, maybe not lol. But nonetheless, I'll be blogging alot more often now from my phone!!! Ooober exciting right?!
Well I'll talk to you soon! Just wanted to share that super exciting news!
Toodles
IPhone has an app for blogging! I could be late but when I first started to blog in august I looked for an app like this and didn't see this one! Maybe it's new, maybe not lol. But nonetheless, I'll be blogging alot more often now from my phone!!! Ooober exciting right?!
Well I'll talk to you soon! Just wanted to share that super exciting news!
Toodles
9.08.2011
My Personal Challenge and some good news!
Hey ladies!
I decided today to challenge myself to stop buying more products. My bathroom is starting to feel like a beauty supply store lol. I've found some products that I really like and some not so much. But the bottom line is that I have everything that I need to restore the health of my hair at this point. The one downside that I have dealt with in this process is the fact that I feel compelled to buy, buy, buy. Going natural does not necessarily mean that you buy tons of products, I think I fell victim to this because I'm a compulsive shopper lol. But you do have to experiment with different products to see what works in your hair and what doesn't. So I guess I cant place the blame totally on myself.
I'm interested to see exactly how long I can adhere to my challenge. Today I avoided my first temptation and it actually felt good lol. Ill keep you updated on this month to month!
On the other hand, the good news that I mentioned in the title of this post is that my mom decided to go natural with me as well. How exciting right?! She's experienced ALOT of damage to her hair from perms and constant dying (she absolutely hates to see a strand of gray hair so you can imagine how often she colors her hair). She has the most beautiful grade of hair. Even though she's had a perm for about 30 years and has wore her hair straight as long as I can remember, her hair isnt heat trained surprisingly. When wet, her hair has the prettiest natural curl to it (of course im jealous lol). But it should be interesting to see her progress. I'm still trying to convince her to let me put pics of her process up but she's not consenting to that yet. I'm not going to push the issue too much because I'm content with the fact that she's going natural with me lol. But I will post about her process and things she's found helpful for her hair!
I decided today to challenge myself to stop buying more products. My bathroom is starting to feel like a beauty supply store lol. I've found some products that I really like and some not so much. But the bottom line is that I have everything that I need to restore the health of my hair at this point. The one downside that I have dealt with in this process is the fact that I feel compelled to buy, buy, buy. Going natural does not necessarily mean that you buy tons of products, I think I fell victim to this because I'm a compulsive shopper lol. But you do have to experiment with different products to see what works in your hair and what doesn't. So I guess I cant place the blame totally on myself.
I'm interested to see exactly how long I can adhere to my challenge. Today I avoided my first temptation and it actually felt good lol. Ill keep you updated on this month to month!
On the other hand, the good news that I mentioned in the title of this post is that my mom decided to go natural with me as well. How exciting right?! She's experienced ALOT of damage to her hair from perms and constant dying (she absolutely hates to see a strand of gray hair so you can imagine how often she colors her hair). She has the most beautiful grade of hair. Even though she's had a perm for about 30 years and has wore her hair straight as long as I can remember, her hair isnt heat trained surprisingly. When wet, her hair has the prettiest natural curl to it (of course im jealous lol). But it should be interesting to see her progress. I'm still trying to convince her to let me put pics of her process up but she's not consenting to that yet. I'm not going to push the issue too much because I'm content with the fact that she's going natural with me lol. But I will post about her process and things she's found helpful for her hair!
9.07.2011
Balancing the pH of Your Hair
Hey ladies!
I was doing my routine YouTube search about hair care and all that jazz and came across Kimmaytube's channel. I just want to say this lady is AHH-MAZING! She is EXTREMELY knowledgeable about Hair in general. Awhile ago, a friend and I had a conversation about the pH of our hair. Honestly, this convo seemed pretty odd to me. It never occured to me that our hair has a pH level that needs to be maintained. Every now and then I've complained about feeling like my hair isnt maintaining moisture. And I knew perms/relaxers were awful for my hair but I wasnt sure what made them so bad. Kimmaytube definitely explained all of this to me! She broke down the structure of the hair and everything. I jumped on this going natural journey without any real knowledge about hair. Actually, I hated doing my hair. I'll be honest, I avoided washing my hair at all costs...if I had to wash and style it, I just wouldnt. I would literally wait till my next hair appointment to get it done. Then once I got to college and realized that mommy isnt going to pay for me to get my hair done anymore I started wearing weaves shortly after. But now, I LOVE doing my hair and I love learning about my hair. Originally my whole thing was to retain length I wanted my hair to be middle back length, then it switched to just not getting relaxers/perms anymore and now its just trying to get my hair healthy!
But ok enough with all my blabber! Seriously watch these videos they will definitely make you think twice about your regimens and the products/things that you use and do to your hair.
For some reason I cant post the videos here....but here is the link! DEFINITELY check them out! Also take a look around her channel she has over 100 videos about haircare and there super informative!
Copy and paste this link into your browser. Make sure that you watch all four of the videos about pH in order so that all of the info flows :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i3MC4d-HmY&feature=player_profilepage
I was doing my routine YouTube search about hair care and all that jazz and came across Kimmaytube's channel. I just want to say this lady is AHH-MAZING! She is EXTREMELY knowledgeable about Hair in general. Awhile ago, a friend and I had a conversation about the pH of our hair. Honestly, this convo seemed pretty odd to me. It never occured to me that our hair has a pH level that needs to be maintained. Every now and then I've complained about feeling like my hair isnt maintaining moisture. And I knew perms/relaxers were awful for my hair but I wasnt sure what made them so bad. Kimmaytube definitely explained all of this to me! She broke down the structure of the hair and everything. I jumped on this going natural journey without any real knowledge about hair. Actually, I hated doing my hair. I'll be honest, I avoided washing my hair at all costs...if I had to wash and style it, I just wouldnt. I would literally wait till my next hair appointment to get it done. Then once I got to college and realized that mommy isnt going to pay for me to get my hair done anymore I started wearing weaves shortly after. But now, I LOVE doing my hair and I love learning about my hair. Originally my whole thing was to retain length I wanted my hair to be middle back length, then it switched to just not getting relaxers/perms anymore and now its just trying to get my hair healthy!
But ok enough with all my blabber! Seriously watch these videos they will definitely make you think twice about your regimens and the products/things that you use and do to your hair.
For some reason I cant post the videos here....but here is the link! DEFINITELY check them out! Also take a look around her channel she has over 100 videos about haircare and there super informative!
Copy and paste this link into your browser. Make sure that you watch all four of the videos about pH in order so that all of the info flows :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i3MC4d-HmY&feature=player_profilepage
Changed it up a little.....
Hey ladies!
So yesterday I had this epiphany...I randomly have times when I feel like I need to change something up. I get bored easily and like to take risks, especially wit my hair. I posted pics of when I experimented with different colors which of course damaged. So for the last couple of months feather hair extensions has become a trend....so what did I decide to do? I got a feather hair extensison !!! Its sooo fun...expensive. But fun!!
Here it is....in this pic only a few of the feathers boldly show. Altogether I have 5 feathers in my hair. And the best thing about them is that I can stick to my reggie. You treat it like you would your own hair-wash it, curl it, cut it, whatever you want.
Sidenote: I got a new camera!! Yayy me, before I was using my phone's camera lol!
So yesterday I had this epiphany...I randomly have times when I feel like I need to change something up. I get bored easily and like to take risks, especially wit my hair. I posted pics of when I experimented with different colors which of course damaged. So for the last couple of months feather hair extensions has become a trend....so what did I decide to do? I got a feather hair extensison !!! Its sooo fun...expensive. But fun!!
Sidenote: I got a new camera!! Yayy me, before I was using my phone's camera lol!
9.05.2011
South Florida Meetup
Hey ladies again!
If you are in the South Florida area (Miami, Ft Lauderdale and all other surrounding areas) think about attending this meetup! I plan on attending myself....
It seems like it will be a great place to network with other naturals and transitioners to get a glance into their regimens as well as get some get advice and tips about your own personal hair reggie!
If you are in the South Florida area (Miami, Ft Lauderdale and all other surrounding areas) think about attending this meetup! I plan on attending myself....
It seems like it will be a great place to network with other naturals and transitioners to get a glance into their regimens as well as get some get advice and tips about your own personal hair reggie!
Failed Twist-N-Curl
Hey ladies!
Yesterday I posted about my apple cider vinegar rinse and told you guys that I would post of a picture of my hair. Well......it was a complete fail! It takes my hair FOREVER to dry because its so thick. I sat under the dryer for a little over an hour and even keep the twists and rollers in for another hr and a half after i got under from under dryer. Unfortunately, my hair didnt completely dry which meant it was a frizzled mess! I was able to tease it and style into something cute because I went out with family last night but I was not happy with the results of my hair to say the least.
Once I got back home, I decided to just do a dry bantu-knot out instead of trying to save my twist-n-curl. Originally, on the wet twist-n-curl I used my kinky curly products that i reviewed in a previous post. But for the dry bantu knot-out I decided to use the shea moisture curl enchancing smoothie. I did say in one of my previous post not to mix and match the kinky curly line with other products so I took a huge risk of having white flakes in my hair. Surprisingly, I dont have any white flakes; i think the key is if you want to mix the kinky curly line then its better if you use the other products at different times--meaning you can use the kinky curly products one day and the other product the other day, if you want to change up the style. Also, I did not add water to my hair when I did the bantu knot-out so that could have also eliminated the white flakes but of course I'm not completely sure if that had anything to do with it.
As a note, it isnt necessary to put more product on your hair when its styled, I only did it because I needed to change the style of my hair. I usually wear my styles for about 2 to 3 days with only putting coconut or jojoba oil, if needed.
Heres some pics of my twist-n-curl/bantu knot-out mix ::
Yesterday I posted about my apple cider vinegar rinse and told you guys that I would post of a picture of my hair. Well......it was a complete fail! It takes my hair FOREVER to dry because its so thick. I sat under the dryer for a little over an hour and even keep the twists and rollers in for another hr and a half after i got under from under dryer. Unfortunately, my hair didnt completely dry which meant it was a frizzled mess! I was able to tease it and style into something cute because I went out with family last night but I was not happy with the results of my hair to say the least.
Once I got back home, I decided to just do a dry bantu-knot out instead of trying to save my twist-n-curl. Originally, on the wet twist-n-curl I used my kinky curly products that i reviewed in a previous post. But for the dry bantu knot-out I decided to use the shea moisture curl enchancing smoothie. I did say in one of my previous post not to mix and match the kinky curly line with other products so I took a huge risk of having white flakes in my hair. Surprisingly, I dont have any white flakes; i think the key is if you want to mix the kinky curly line then its better if you use the other products at different times--meaning you can use the kinky curly products one day and the other product the other day, if you want to change up the style. Also, I did not add water to my hair when I did the bantu knot-out so that could have also eliminated the white flakes but of course I'm not completely sure if that had anything to do with it.
As a note, it isnt necessary to put more product on your hair when its styled, I only did it because I needed to change the style of my hair. I usually wear my styles for about 2 to 3 days with only putting coconut or jojoba oil, if needed.
Heres some pics of my twist-n-curl/bantu knot-out mix ::
9.04.2011
Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
Hey ladies!
Today I tried an apple cider vinegar rinse. I did my usually Sunday Wash Day routine which included:
Making the apple cider vinegar rinse is SUPER easy--all it is is 1 cup of vinegar and 2 cups of water that i make in a spray bottle to make the application of it easier. I personally dont measure, I pretty much eyeball everything (because im lazy lol) but you should have a good idea of the thickness of your hair to decide how much you need of the vinegar and water to get full coverage.
**Dont worry the smell of vinegar does not stay in your hair! Literally once I rinsed it out of my hair about 5 mins later I didnt smell it anymore!
I really liked the apple cider rinse, my hair felt really good after the rinse. Right now my hair is styled in a twist-n-curl with twists and rollers still in my hair, so I'm not sure if it restored the sheen of my hair yet but I'll post a pic of my twist-n-curl once it finishes drying. But I plan to incorporated this into my reggie about once a month--you dont want to strip the products out of your hair all time because that leads to strip the nutrients as well which is not something that we want to do!
Try this rinse and let me know how you feel about it
Toodles
Today I tried an apple cider vinegar rinse. I did my usually Sunday Wash Day routine which included:
- brahmi oil pre-poo treatment (putting the oil in my hair from scalp to ends, making sure to massage my scalp for about 5 mins and letting it sit in my hair for about 30 mins)
- shampoo with mixed chick shampoo
- condition with la bomba conditioner while i showered
- rinse that conditoner and applied my deep conditioner mix (una phytology protein treatment with my oils) and allowed it to stay in my hair for about 45 mins to an hour
- rinsed out the conditioner and applied my apple cider vinegar mix for about 2 mins and rinsed out thoroughly
Making the apple cider vinegar rinse is SUPER easy--all it is is 1 cup of vinegar and 2 cups of water that i make in a spray bottle to make the application of it easier. I personally dont measure, I pretty much eyeball everything (because im lazy lol) but you should have a good idea of the thickness of your hair to decide how much you need of the vinegar and water to get full coverage.
**Dont worry the smell of vinegar does not stay in your hair! Literally once I rinsed it out of my hair about 5 mins later I didnt smell it anymore!
I really liked the apple cider rinse, my hair felt really good after the rinse. Right now my hair is styled in a twist-n-curl with twists and rollers still in my hair, so I'm not sure if it restored the sheen of my hair yet but I'll post a pic of my twist-n-curl once it finishes drying. But I plan to incorporated this into my reggie about once a month--you dont want to strip the products out of your hair all time because that leads to strip the nutrients as well which is not something that we want to do!
Try this rinse and let me know how you feel about it
Toodles
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