How I Achieve Not Cutting My Ends pt1

Naive?
   A few years back I was very ignorant when it came to taking care of my hair. I was a product junkie that brought anything hot and I barley read over the labels. I brought things without really thinking. Now I have 100s of dollars worth of... quite frankly useless products for my hair. I was getting so fed up with my hair I was slowly losing its good health. My ends were dry and raggedy. It was horrible. I started watching youtube videos and then I had my natural hair... BING! I am the type of person that wants to always grow and learn more. ;) 


Educating Myself...
    I soon started doing my own research. I mostly used Youtube and books. One day I came across this Kimmaytube Youtube channel. She was talking about the actual science of hair and because of that (and I am a biology major #teambio) that intrigued me. I also discovered books that were recommended by other youtubers. Cathy Howse's Ultra black Hair Growth 2 and Chicoro's Grow It were the first two books I read and may I just say wow. 


Figuring It Out... 
    Ok so I figured out the science behind natural hair. I figured out that it is a ph issue as well as a product issue. I started to learn what MY hair wanted and NOT what the media, other people, or my ignorance suggested. 


What Does All That Have to Do With Ends You Ask? 
   Well simple... these books taught me about hair health and taught me to pay attention to my hair routine and products. It all taught me how to grow and keep healthy hair.  ULTIMATELY however this is MY way of doing my hair and keeping MY hair healthy. You can do your own research and figure out what your hair wants and needs. But I am here to help! :)  


The Last Time I Clipped My Ends... 
    In a blog post on December 21, 2010 I posted about clipping my ends. You can view this post here: 

Horrible Ends & My Last Cut Ever

If I could go back in time I would have still had to clip those ends. They were so horrible. My hair was so tangled you could pull one side of it and feel it on the other!!! Funny now, sad then. I also did not know what products worked for me so I was having a battle to figure out what to do. Within a month I learned how I dont have to clip my ends at all! 

I Do Not Clip My Ends pt 1

Plus Size Fall/Winter Outfit

Yes, those are jeggings... AND?!

Shirt: Torrid $19-$40 (depends on when you get/got it)

Bottoms: Rainbow Jeggings $10-$15 (depends on where you get them, any hood store will do, lol) 

Shoes: Torrid $40

Necklace: My Mommy $Priceless (well that and I dont know the price but any chunky chocker necklace is great)

Braclet: Looped Necklace Forever 21 $5

Earrings: Asian Mall Stand $1

Glasses: Bonzo.com $10 

Curl Define Medium 4c Hair

Ain't It Cute? My Fro That Is! 

This style took me less than 20 minutes and it is gorgeous! I mean look at my hair glow and those curls pop! Wah-Lah! Man am I starting 2012 off right?! 

How To Achieve This Look

You Will Need:

   - Gel

   - Spray Bottle Of Water

   - Styling Brush or Comb 

   - Conditioner (only if your hair is not pre-moisturized) 

***NOTE: This style was done on DRY , MOISTURIZED , & PRE-STRETCHED HAIR***

Steps: 

1. Part your hair in small workable sections. 
2. Clip the sections up and work on your hair one section at a time. 
3. Take one section and spray it with lots of water. 
4. (optional if your hair has not been pre-moisturized---my hair was pre-moisturized with Shea Moisture Curl Enchanting Smoothie and a shea butter whip)                          Take the conditioner and rub it in your hair smoothing it down.
5. Take a copious amount of gel and smooth is down your hair. 
6. Take a styling brush or comb and comb the gel through your hair. 
7. Shake your hair when you are finished. 

These instructions were merely a crash course, but below is the HOW TO VIDEO! 

4c Style: Party Hair Updo

As you all know, I love a good updo... So...

To achieve this hair style:

1. I parted the front of my hair that I was going to leave out. 
2. I then put conditioner first and then gel on the hair in the back. The hair in the was wet.
3. I then french rolled my hair up and pinned as I went along. USE AS MANY PINS AS NECESSARY. 
4. After I finished the french roll I braided the top of my hair and sat under the dryer. 
5. After about 30 grueling hot minutes I said... Forget this hot dryer... I let the rest air dry...
6. I then plucked out the front right before I went out and WAH-LAH! 

Nappy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!!

With the New Year comes goals, resolutions and BIG HAIR DREAMS!!! This year I would like to see if I can retain all of the length I grow this year WHILE wearing my hair out in styles. For me protecting my hair and wearing it out did not go hand in hand. My hair was short before and coming up with styles for me was hard. I kept my hair in little plaits with my hair wrapped. BUT if the world is supposed to end on 12/12/12 well I'm going to wear my hair out as much as I can before the end!!! How will I achieve this you ask? Here's how:

1. DO NOT CLIP MY ENDS- Yeah that's right I said it, I DO NOT clip my ends! I have not clipped my ends in over a year. 
2. Keep hair up and off the back of my neck- Hair that rubs against scarves and clothing fabrics dry out and break.
3. KEEP HAIR STRETCHED- Stretched hair does not tangle up (like a fro) into itself thus causing less  single strand or fairy knots. 
4. NO UN-STRETCHED AFROS- AFROS are the ULTIMATE way to hair breakage the hair tangles in itself... And... Well you know the rest. (especially if your hair is very course and curly) 

Let me know what natural hair goals you have by leaving a comment below! 

How to Make Beaded Hair Pins

How to Series pt 1

i

How to make beautiful hair pins in 10 easy steps!!! 

This is a cheap beautiful hair accessory that you could customize yourself. it is so fun and easy to do you could get addicted! Enjoy!

What You Will Need:

1. Side Cutters

2. Long Nose Pliers

3. Flat Nose Pliers 

4. Bobby Pins

5. 26 gauge Beading Wire

6. Beads of Your Choice 

Step One:

Measure out a piece of wire. This piece of wire will be about 9cm or 4 inches. After you make a few you can use your judgement. 

Step Two:

Slide the wire through the top of the bobby pin. Only pull about 3/4 of an inch or 2cm through the bobby pin. 

Step Three:

Twist the short end of the wire up around the longer part of the wire. The bobby pin should be in the bottom of a small loop. The bottom picture is how it should look. 

Step Four:

Squeeze the exposed in closet to the wire that way the beads can slide over it and the rough end won't be exposed to your hair. 

Step Five:

PICK YOUR BEADS!!! ...any bead of your choice. I like smooth beads that way the bead can glide over my hair and not damage it. There are so many bead choices!!!

Step Six: 

String your beads onto the wire. Make sure they go over the end you twisted up. 

Step Seven:

Twist the exposed end over the end of your string of beads. 

Step Eight:

Twist the bottom around the bottom of the beads. 

Step Nine:

Cut the excess wire off of the bottom. 

Step Ten:

Use the Long Nose Pliers to twist the end of the wire close to the base and if you can twist the end up into the bead so it is not exposed. If the end is exposed make sure it is flush against the wire so that it does not snag your hair. 

ENJOY!!! You now have a beautiful boss hair accessory!!! 

Corn Rolled Updo

 Cool Huh?

This is a very simple style... If you know how to corn roll. If not you can always substitute cornrolls or flat twists with regular twists or braids. I got my cornrolls done with loc butter so they can last longer. You can so any design you want. You can also wear a turban or fedora with this style. 

SIDE NOTE FOR 4C+ OR VERY COARSE HAIR

This hair style will work better for you if:

• You get your hair cornrolled.
• If you want to "twist out" or "braid out" the front of your hair, cornroll or flat twist it FORWARD. When your hair sets and you take it out the next day it will fall forward in your face. You can also use hair pins to hold it down. 

More Pics!

 

In this picture I wore a turban. You can see how my cornrolls are braided to the front so when I take them out they will fall forward. 

How to Make a Wig Cap

What you will need: 

• Hair 
• Glue
• A Weaving Cap (I used 2) 
• Scissors

Steps:

1. Corn roll you hair very flat so your wig cap will not be lumpy.
2. Place your wig cap on, preferably 2. I suggest 2 so glue will not seep through the cap and get to your hair.
3. Measure out sections of your hair and cut them. 
4. Take weave glue and glue the strips of hair down starting from the back and working your way up to the closure. 
5. Make the closure by circling the hair at the top of your head until it closes. 

This was a crash course. 

Here is the entire video! 

Beautiful Curls Review

Cost:         Deep Conditioner $15 

                    Leave In $10

Smell:       ???

Texture:  Deep Conditioner Thick

                    Leave In Watery 

Rating:     Deep Conditioner 9/10

                    Leave In: 7/10 

On These Products

Deep Conditioner:

• Ingredients: Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) Extract (aqueous), Arnica (Arnica montana) Extract (aqueous), Aloe vera, Certified Fair Trade Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Behentrimonium Chloride, Emulsifying Wax, Panthenol, Coconut Oil (and) Raspberry Fruit Extract (and) Ylang Ylang Flower Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Magnesium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Citric™ Acid 

   This dc is a very thick and creamy one. When I first opened the packaging I was very happy to see that. The line has several products for different hair types and I liked that. This means that the company pays attention to our unique hair needs. I of course needed the products made for curly to kinky hair. The smell is very... odd to say the least. I can't tell of the smell. I have been using this products for the past 2-3 weeks and I have gotten a great analysis of it and I have built up some knowledge about it. Anyway lets get to the pros & cons.

Pros

• Very thick
• Great Ingredients
• Moisturizes hair very well
• Great slip for de-tangling
• Absorbs into the hair very well
• Mixes great with other ingredients (oil, other conditioners)
• Leaves hair feeling excellent

Cons

• Why aren't there bigger jars for sale
• $16 is a little expensive considering but I would pay that because I love this deep conditioner. 

Last Thoughts! 

I personally love this deep conditioner. I understand that Shea Moisture is cheaper but this conditioner offers something that shea moisture does not. There is something so divine and penetrating about this deep conditioner it is amazing. Sitting under the dryer with a shower cap, or sitting under the steamer makes this dc sooooo much better too. I love this stuff and I have willingly added it to my product line up.  

Leave In:

• Ingredients: Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) Extract (aqueous), Arnica (Arnica montana) Extract (aqueous), Certified Fair Trade Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Behentrimonium Chloride, Emulsifying Wax, Panthenol, Potassium Sorbate, Magnesium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Coconut Oil (and) Raspberry Fruit Extract (and) Ylang Ylang Flower Extract, Citric  Acid 

      This leave in simply makes me go hmmm. This leave in is not thick at all. it is thicker then Vo5 Moisture Milks if you know what that is but it is not as thick as Aussie Moist if you catch my drift. I feel as though this leave in is not thick enough! Thick hair or more tightly coiled hair needs thicker products. However I do really like this leave in. It is very light weight and if used on wet hair it does help form curls very well. I think that has to do with the ph of the products however. Anyways, pros & cons.

Pros

• Light weight 
• A little goes a long way
• Moisturizing
• Great for mixing or adding
• Simple perfect leave in

Cons

• Not thick enough
• Moisturizes however you need to apply it atleast once a day if you have thicker hair
• Missing something... Not quite sure

Last Thoughts!

Sigh... Though I think this is a great leave in, I am still on the hunt for something better. DON'T GET ME WRONG, this leave in is awesome for ladies with a 3a-3c hair type. Anything past that... AND this conditioner is better then ANYTHING Olive Oil has to offer because it is all natural and it doesn't dry out my hair which is great to me. This conditioner is great for layering and I use it under my shea butter or other things. And it is good for mixing. However... I will continue to use this leave in but I am still searching for my 9/10. Something thick, rich, creamy, and naturally divine. 

Shout Outs

My birthday was September 25th. 

I know I'm so late but here are some pics and my shout outs! 


Mommy- You always know how to make things grand! My mother hooked me up and made a way for me to go shopping and enjoy myself that weekend. I love everything about her.


Jessica- MULA! Wolf PAck! #teamtheonlyonewhoneededtheemt #teamyoureallydied #teamdelta #teamcranberryjuice #teamvelvet I love you!


Breeze- My sugar lump haha. That one eye the other day. Thank you for being there on my special day! 


Angeline- No No no no no... no. #teamhellateams My bff. I love all the time we spend together. Thanks for the time on my birthday! #teamzeta


Tiearra- #teamsims I thank you so much for sharing by birthday with me. We had so much fun! #teamtmblr #teamfoxy #teamdisdiiiiii


Kenneth- BESTIE!!! I miss you and thank you for making my xbox possible! 


Kappa Kappa & Cousin- Thank you for somming through. Neither one of yall could handle MULA but its all good. Btw, how is cousin's head? lol

                            

View Full Album

So Sorry for the Wait...

I'm Back!!!

 I would simply like to apologize for my absence or lack of post over the last 3+ months. Well I am back and making a conscious effort to make this up and to get the posting. :)

A Growth Comparison

July 2010 

September 2011

4c Mini Twists: Medium Length

I re-did my mini twists again with these two products: 

I put the curl enhancing smoothie on first, then I put the twist and loc butter on. 

These two products made my hair feel soft and wonderful. They also allowed for my twists to be smooth and shiny. When you have thick 4c hair you should use thick products to weigh your hair down ans whip it into shape. My twists came out great: 

Plus Size OOTD: Everyday Chic

I wore this outfit on the first day of school and it was very simple to put together. 

Head Scarf: <$10 H&M

Character Glasses: $4.95 Van Store

Earrings: $4 Forever 21

Necklaces: $6 Forever 21 Other Necklace: <$20 Cloud 9

Oversized Man Shirt: $5 Walmart

This style is very basic and diverse. You could use any color head scarf and accessories. It is a quick cute style that will have you looking cute and fashionable. 

Quick Natural Style

This is a very quick and simple style done on PRE-STRETCHED hair. 

1. I simply brushed up the back of my hair and I placed a hair comb in it. 

2. I then rolled or twisted the sides and pinned it to the hair that was pinned up in the back. 

3. I took a plastic afro pic and picked my hair out into a puffy fro in the front. After that I simply added an accessory!