Friday, December 27, 2013

Quick Style, 2 Week Hair Part 1: Hat Hair, Bump and Twists


I finally did my hair!  I've been wearing various headbands for most of the 5 months that I've been natural and avoiding doing my actual hair.  Since I noticed that I've been getting closer and closer to being able to wear a puff without adding 3 headbands and 10 tons of gel (to keep all short pieces held back), I've been wearing a bump in the front and having the rest pulled back via headband (see my Go To Quick and Easy Hair Style: Pouf Puff).

It's hat season!  And I have made myself a ton of hats (it relieves my stress) so I needed a style that would enable my hair to fit in a hat.  So I basically made cornrows of flat twists and left a front section out so that I can wear my bump.

This is an awesome protective style that will protect your hair from the cold weather, and will give you  2 weeks of cute hair.

Products Used:
  • Water
  • Smooth N Shine Therapy Silk Fusion Repair Oil
  • Smooth N Shine Polisher Keratin Power Duo Hold Taming Cream
  • Comb
  • Clips and Clamps
  • Elastic hair Bands (without metal preferred)

How To:
  • On damp (freshly washed) hair I parted my hair in 4 sections; front, back, left, right
    • The front should be the amount that you want to wear in a front bump
  • Ponytail (or clip) up the back, left, and right sections to keep them out of the way

  • Front Section; spray water (if it is dry), add repair oil and taming cream, comb through
    • Optional;  Use elastic hair bands to wrap front section in a ponytail that wraps along the full length of hair (from as close to the root as possible, to the ends of hair)
    • Use more than one band if necessary (I used 2)
    • This will stretch your hair, so that it will go into a bump easier (if your hair is short)
  • Left Section; take off elastic band (or clip) spray water (if it is dry), add repair oil and taming cream, comb through
    • Part the section in half, so that you can make two flat twists with the section
    • Hold the half you aren't working with out of the way with clips

    • Make your first flat twist back, be sure to twist the end of the flat twist (to avoid frizz)
    • Take clips off of second half of the section
    • Make a second flat twist
  • Repeat the steps of the left side, for the back and right sides (2 flat twists in each area)
  • You should have a total of 6 flat twists and a banded front section


Why is Duck Dynasty on my TV?
  • Next Day;  take bands off front section of hair (hair is stretched in place)
  • Make a bump (I made two bumps), bobby pin in place
  • Add a hat behind the bump, bobby pin in place
  • Done!



Part neatness and perfect twisting don't really matter because most of the twists are covered.  Use a moisturizing spray and satin scarf nightly (it helps slick back the hair).  Twists can last a week, bump needs redone every couple of days (unless you use a super hold gel).  Easy!

Part 2, Week 2 coming soon.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Go To Quick and Easy Hair Style: Pouf Puff


I probably said this before, but I don't like wearing my hair just out.  I didn't like it out when it was relaxed, and I don't like it out in an afro.  So I've been wearing headbands, which if thick and tight enough (because my hair is short), pulls my hair back out of my face enough to where it's not looking like a definite afro circling my face.


Now that my hair is a few months longer, I am able to do a little more (in terms of styling) in order to pull my hair back out of my face area.  My new go to style is a pouf puff.


I pick up some hair on top of my head, make a pouf, and bobby pin it in place.

Next, I brush back my left and right side, and pin them in place.

Then, I put on a headband or head wrap, to bring the afro puff down a notch or two.

Done!

If you use gel to do your hair and scarf your hair up at night, the front pouf will stay good for days.  Just add a headband and fluff the back puff daily.

Easy!
Look, I'm Psy with a pouf puff! Oppa Gangnam Style!!!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

August Hair Product (Junkie) Haul: 1 Month Natural

In becoming fully natural, I found new reasons to try some hair products.  So I bought a BUNCH throughout August.  I realized I need products for curly hair now that I'm natural and may actually be able to tell if they do anything to enhance my (teeny tiny kinky) curls.  I will give quick first impressions on the things that I've tried already.  Without further ado, here's my massive ridiculous hair product (I'm definitely a junkie) haul...

Collective photo of what I thought was going to be all of the hair products I would buy.  I was WRONG!

I got these headbands from Burlington Coat factory for $2.99 and $3.99 a piece.  There is one gold and one tarnished silver two layer studded headband, a tarnished silver chain headband and a silver two layer headband with a black plastic flower with a crystal in the middle.  I only like buying metal headbands because plastic ones break (my head's too big).  Since I don't like wearing my hair straight T.W.A. out, I am always wearing some type of headband, and I can never have enough.

Dark and Lovely Au Naturale Anti Shrinkage Knot Out Conditioner and Dr. Miracle's Daily Moisturizing Lotion:  I basically got these for free from CVS because I had CVS extracare card extrabucks that I needed to spend.  I am saving the conditioner for if I ever get knots or matts, and I just got the Dr. Miracle's because it was cheap and it will be useful for the heavy duty winter moisturizing routine that I will be starting in order to avoid any hair damage (like I got last winter).  Oh I will be P.O.P.ping and L.O.C.ing, spinning and flipping and whatever else is necessary to avoid the damage I got last winter (yes I am traumatized for life, see my transitioning length checks here and here for the horror that was my damaged hair).

Lustrasilk Curl Max Twisty Curly Spray and Curl Pudding:  I used these two products one time so far, together on freshly washed damp hair.  I didn't really notice  a difference in my curl but I didn't get super frizzy once my hair was dry.  A downfall is that the curl pudding leaves some white residue if you put too much on, but uh, just don't put too much on!  One good thing is that my curls definitely stay soft using these products, the argan oil in their recipe probably help with that.  When my hair is longer and the curls are more visible, then maybe I'll be able to tell more specifically what else this product does for my hair. 

Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream and Coconut Curling Cream:  I also used these two together on freshly washed damp hair.  They work similarly to the Lustrasilk Curl Max products as far as I can tell, but I like the texture of them better, they feel creamy as opposed to Curl Max's liquidy lotion feeling.  But I still got the same results as Curl Max, saw no drastic curl formations, hair was very moisturized, got white residue because I always end up putting too much on.  I should mention though that the white residue from both brand of products is not serious, no emergency hair wash is necessary, you can just dust any visible residue out of your hair easily. 

With Curl Max, I chose their curl spray and curl pudding, with Cantu I got two different curl creams.  Both creams seem similar in texture and smell.  They likely work the same way and therefore don't need to be used together (like I did).  Again, I'll try to get a better review on these products when I get more hair and can see more curls other that those on the front part of my head (darn this twa).

Tresemme Naturals Moisture (with aloe vera & avocado extracts) and Smooth (with coconut oil & jojoba extract) Conditioners, and Alberto VO5 Moisture Milks Conditioner in Passion Fruit Smoothie and Strawberries & Cream:  I got all these for cheap with Rite Aid rewards bucks, I just wanted them for cheap co-washes since I've heard many naturals rave about them.  So far I've only used the Strawberry VO5, it works fine.

Hawaiin Silky Miracle Worker 14 in 1 and Do Any Way You Want It:  I haven't used these together yet, but I had the 14 in 1 a few years ago and still remember how soft and moisturized it made my hair.

Palmer's Olive Oil Formula Moisturizing Hair Milk and Hair Pudding:  I used both of these products on my freshly washed damp hair.  I like this pair the best out of the 3  that I've tried.  Not because I noticed anything spectacular, but because of it's ingredients (no mineral oil or petroleum).  The hair milk is a lotion and the pudding is like a creamy green gel.  I feel like this had the most hold of all 3 but it was a soft hold, my hair was moisturized all week with just the one application of product!

Hollywood Beauty Tea Tree Creme:  I got this again with CVS extrabucks, so it was basically free.  I plan to use it as the creme for winter time L.O.C. method-ness.  It was only $3 and change, and is a bonus size with 40% more!  I love Hollywood Beauty products so I figured I'd try this creme.

Organix Hydrating Teatree Mint Shampoo and Conditioner:   I had this set a few years ago and liked it, so since it was on sale for buy one get one free at Rite Aid (keep a lookout in the ads because BOGO happens fairly often) and the store happened to have these 50% more free bottles, I got the set.

Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Stretch and Styling Foam:  This brand was also buy one get one free at Rite Aid and I saw this Stretch stuff that supposedly loosens tight curls and wanted to try it (eventually).  I got the Foam to try too since it's a different type of product to try.  I have other Marc Anthony products that I like (curl lotion, curl cream, split end sealer, straight lotion, straight blow dry serum) so I was interested in trying other products from the brand.

Organix Argan Oil & Shea Butter Curl Enhancing Yogurt:  I saw that Organix had this new product for curls during the BOGO free at Rite Aid, and had to get it.  I haven't tried this yet but I'm really hoping this product is good since I love Organix shampoos and conditioners (I've tried almost every flavor). 

Curls Coconut Curlada Conditioner and Curly Q's Red Velvet Moisturizing Curl Cream:  They were on sale at Target and I have 2 Curls products that I like already (Creme Brulee and the moisturizing spray) so I picked these.  The Red Velvet is likely the kids line's Creme Brulee, but is like $1 cheaper.  The conditioner has a free sample of Creme Brulee (yay, the more the merrier).  I haven't tried these yet.

  • EcoStyler Olive Oil Gel
  • Organics Olive Oil Twist & Loc 
  • Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Girls Hair Pudding
  • Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Curl Defining Pudding
I actually got these in July but thought I'd show you anyway.  These were the first batches of curls pudding type products I bought.  I later wanted to start getting more sets (multiple products from the same line) as you can see with all of the sets of two products in a brand that I purchased above.  The Elasta QP is a set as well because I already had the Leave In Conditioner (or Moisturizer whichever is the one in the same size package as the pudding), so I can use them together.

PHEW.  That's all the hair stuff I bought in August (and the last bit in July).  I'm officially retiring from buying hair products for a few years, unless I end up loving something I currently have and feel the need to keep using that same product (which is highly unlikely).  You may be thinking, Doris, that's not even enough stuff to last you a few years.  Ah contraire!  This August haul is only to be added on to all the hair products that I already have accumulated.  I'll do a post later exposing my ridiculous amounts of hair products and what possessed me to buy them all.

***1.5 month natural!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Wear Your Hair Curly Day!!

Since yesterday was wear your hair curly day, let's celebrate!  Actually I kind of forgot til today, but since I'm wearing the same hairstyle as yesterday, here is a (photo) reenactment of curly hair day!!!





It's my go to afro, held back by a scarf that I tyed around my head.  I normally try to use some type of gel in an effort to make some curls pop.  But since that don't really work (one day I will have visible curls, waaahhh) I just did the L.O.C. method for moisture.  I used Sta Sof Fro moisturizing spray, my homeade oil mixture, and Beautiful Curls Shea Butter leave in cream.  My hair may be more 'fro than curl, but at least it's soft!

Happy Wear Your Hair Curly Day @ :-P      (the at key is my afro on top of the smiley).

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Final Length Check (DAMAGE) and Big Chop...Bring on the 'Fro!

So I was sick to death of dealing with two textures of hair, especially with the relaxed ends being disgustingly DAMAGED.  I waited as long as I could, 7 months post-relaxer (transitioned) and Big Chopped on 7/27/2013.

These are the last photos of my relaxed ends.


This was my hair wet, looking super sad and stringy.  The relaxed ends are so thin, damaged (or gone) that you can clearly see through to my 'fro at the roots.  This is just so pathetic looking I hate to even show these pics (burn them all!) but hopefully it's helpful to someone.


This is my hair dry, luckily looks less sad and pathetic but still DAMAGED.  At least there seems to be a lot of new growth.


Then I parted my hair in the middle, clearly there's no hope in trying to see through to my scalp.



The view looking down onto the part.  Still can't find scalp (bring on the 'fro).


The back of my hair just looks like a rat's nest.  That was my attempt at parting all the way to separate hair in half.  Clearly didn't work.  Freaking RAT'S NEST!!!

I definitely can't take this hair any longer!!!

 



Looking like a troll doll (who remembers those?)

Before I went too crazy, I cut the crappy relaxed ends off!

The main event: DIY Big Chop


Half done with my big chop.  Took about an hour.

Oh yea, shoulda made this my new style.  Others would have totally copied the trend (yeah right!)

"Oh my, my hair is gone!" face.
You can do the math and figure that it took about 2 hours to big chop my full head (because half my head took 1 hour times 2 halves equals a whole...).

There's the hair, on the floor.


Hair from round two of the chop, hadn't cut down far enough and still had some stray straight bits.  (Currently on round 4 or 5, darn those straight bits [shaking fists]!)

Fro shots with conditioner in it.  After my big chop I co-washed my hair.


The day after the big chop:

I rinsed my hair and tried this ecostyler gel that every natural hair guru's always talking about (I used the Olive oil kind).

2 days post big chop:


I did basically the same thing as the day before except for 1 added step.  I rinsed my hair, added coconut oil, and then ecostyler gel (olive oil).  The gunk in my hair is the gel which had not yet dried.






From what I can tell so far, ecostyler gel doesn't necessarily define my curls (my hair mostly just looks afro'd, there's random curls in my hair [that I love] but not many, I'm hoping that this is scab hair and after a while all my hair will grow out like the curly bits) it just tames my 'fro.

I took these photos, then I totally put on a scarf (tied like a headband) and went to work.

So there it is, I now have natural hair!  I can't say that I like my twa (teeny weeny afro) on me (can't wait until it grows big enough for a proper puff), but it's definitely much more tolerable than transitioning, and hopefully I'll be able to keep my natural hair much healthier than I could my relaxed hair.  I'll keep you posted :-)

*Natural since August 2013 (rounded up)
**Relaxer free since January 2013