Keeping it real

New style...naturally

2011-10-25T02:11:00.000-07:00

So Sunday night I was looking for a new way to put my hair up. Hoping for something that will last a while I decided to try twisting my hair a different way and then pinning it up in the round. Did I explain that well? What I did was part it in circles or spirals around my head the way my mother use to part my sister way to braid it around her head. From there I twisted as usual and then just pinned everything wrapping the twist either left or right.

I'm wrapped my head lightly and was able to sleep on it last night and it still looks good this morning so we'll see if it holds all week

Keep it real, keep it natural

Product Reviews

2011-09-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

Good morning bloggers!
It's probably about time for me to do another length check but I don't think my hair has retained much length pass bra strap so not in a big hurry. I've been battling with cutting a few inches just for manageability. I like wearing my hair loose and wild in the summer but the longer it gets the harder it is to manage/tame at the end of the day. If I'm tired and get lazy...trouble, trouble, trouble in the morning.
So anyway, my new product list:
-Taliah Waajid Curly Curl Cream
-Taliah Waajid Detangler
-Garnier Fructis Leave-In conditioning cream
-Organic Root Stimulator Tea Tree Oil
-Ultimate Organic Therapy Coconut Oil
-Cantu Shea Butter leave in conditioning repair cream

A couple of these move to my permanent list while others will never grace my shelves again.
Top of my list is ORS tea tree oil! Love this stuff!!!
Not to crazy about the smell but I think it's growing on me, sorta like Jamaican Black Castor Oil has to grow on some of us. I actually used the ORS as a hot oil treatment yesterday. I damped my hair, applied my usual conditioner (anything cheap but usually a Suave product), then instead of putting on a plastic cap I put heaps of the ORS on my hair. I put my hair in four big twists and put my cap on for probably four hours as I cleaned the house, did some knitting and even dozed in front of the tv. I used a black soap to shampoo because I knew there would be lots of oil build up to wash away. The oil made my very, very soft, I could still feel the oil clinging to my ends after a good soaping and rinsing. My hair looks great and smells 'sexy'...his words, not mine :) So two thumbs up to ORS, a new keeper on my stable shelf.

Another keeper is the Ultimate Organic Therapy Coconut Oil. One reason I love this is that I tried a coconut oil before, a solid one, and it irritated my scalp. The UOT oil does not irritate my scalp and is wonderful for my face after showering. I'm able to apply it directly to my scalp because of the application tip so that's a plus. I also add this to my shea aloe and to my homemade leave in conditioners.

The other keeper is Cantu Shea Butter leave in conditioning repair cream. This is a light weight cream that does a great job of helping me retain moisture. In the middle of the afternoon if my ends are starting to fly a bit around my crown I can mist my hair and apply some Cantu. It goes right to work helping those strays go back to sleep!

So those are my Do's, the other three are my Don't's

TW Detangler is a don't for me. It's not so much that it didn't work, it's more the fact that my hair requires a lot of product and it's just not economical for my hair length. TW's scent is very pleasant of course. I didn't notice any build up and it doubles as a leave in so you get a good bang for your buck.

TW Curly Curl Cream I didn't like at all. For my hair this product dulls my hair and leaves it feeling kinda 'tacky'. Of course because it's TW it has a wonderfully refreshing scent. I still have plenty left in the jar so I may try it again to see if my hair was maybe having a bad day. Then I'd happily retrack my review and maybe consider moving it to my stable list.

My ultimate never, ever again product is Garnier's leave in conditioning cream. Can you spell yuck, phew, nasty!!! All of this refers to the smell. I don't think there's anything else to say about it, just NO, NO, NO. It's not for me with hair being so close to the nose and all.

Keep it real, keep it natural

My perfect bun

2011-02-19T09:26:00.000-08:00

I found an awesome video on youtube called Bun Tutorial that shows how to make a bun. Believe me, my previous buns were quite dreadful, kinda flat and sloppy. But it still did the job of protecting my ends as it should.
After finding the tut I realized the problem with my buns was the lack of a donut at all. Nobody told me I needed a donut!!! So, since I don't any black tube/sweat socks I pulled out my yarn and crocheted one. I had to use a different color to start the tube to ensure that I didn't run out of black.

My donut came out great and my buns are perfections. One of my co-workers actually told me she thought it was a store bought piece!

Keep it real, keep it natural

I'm still here!

2011-01-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm still here. I am, after all, very faithful to the things and the people I love. I absolutely love being natural and don't see chems anywhere in my future. I've been keeping busy with my knit and crochet projects on my other blog.
Since today is my spa day I figured I pull out the cam and get a couple shots for a lenght check. I put a bra on over my shirt in order to get a good bra strap check. I'm still using the same products since they're not giving me any troubles. Since I've definitely reached bsl I guess I need to shot for mid back now!

As usual on spa day my hair is looking so great I wish I had somewhere to go. But, as usual, I have absoulutely nowhere to go. But since I love me I'll do my hair, my feet, fix a nice dinner, maybe dress my table real pretty and just enjoy being me.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Three Strand Twist Pin Up

2010-07-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

So lately I have been seeing some postings about a three strand twist. I wondered what could this be if its not a braid. So I did some investigating and found several youtube tutorials. After watching this particular one I sat and twisted my hair using this method and found it very easy. Honestly, it only took completing two twist for my brain to understand that I was plaiting this time. I did my whole head, dry this time since I was only experimenting. I did big fat three strand twist and didn't worry if they were all going in the same direction. I didn't even use a comb to part them nice and neat. They were not pretty y'all so don't be looking for pics. I just tied them down and went to bed. This morning I flattened the front and sides using my condish spritz and some shealoe, put a couple of bands around my head and starting pinning those fat twist up. I love the way it come out.

You can see I used good sized twist instead of the much smaller ones I usually do. I don't know what this is going to look like when I take them out. Hmm this may make a wonderful style for Happy Nappy Day tomorrow. If it hot my hair will be perfect, off my neck and out of my face!

Here is the youtube video I found that really helped me.

Wow!! this is my first time adding a youtube video!! It took a bit of work to get it play but now it up and running!!

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Good Hair, seriously?

2010-06-27T09:11:00.001-07:00

I'm a little slow catching up with this movie since I haven't been outside to see a movie in ages; I prefer the comfort of my quiet home with Netflix and Comcast. So, I finally saw Chris Rock's movie Good Hair...gimme a break. One of the first things to come to my attention is the that fact that in an hour and 35 minutes of filming there is really only one woman with natural hair that was interviewed. Does this mean that there will be a follow up movie about natural hair?

There's a scene with the girls that just finished Dudley's school and they are all sitting there saying how the one girl with the natural fro would be frowned upon if she came to their office looking for work. I was waiting for her to have her turn to speak her mind instead of just having her sit there taking it all in.

I learned things about weaves that completely scared me! Honestly, it made me so glad I don't wear a weave. Chris Rock showed a side of weaves that should have remained a secret! How about the hair from India having to be 'treated'. OMG, it has to be checked for lice!!!!! Call me crazy but...and that poor baby crying as they are shaving her little head. I understand there is a spiritual meaning behind cutting the hair off in India so good for them.

Can we talk about the prices!!! I feel so ignorant, the things I didn't know. When I used to be on the creamy crack, I didn't go anywhere near those isles in the stores so I had absolutely no idea about paying upwards of 1k for hair and that's just the purchase not the actual weaving. SERIOUSLY!!!! Lay-a-way plans for hair? Come on, be real. I guess that explains some of the terrible track, weave, whatever it's called jobs I've seen in the heads of ladies attempting to do their own.

Oh, what about the Asian man saying 'Women want the straight hair weaves, it's looks more natural'. What's wrong with that statement...is it just me?

Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against any woman who feels it necessary to go through all this just to feel beautiful. I remember getting my first relaxer, Vigorol, at 18. That's right, my mother would not let me put chemicals in my hair until then. I really don't recall feeling any prettier because my hair was straight. What I liked was that my hair was definitely more manageable seeing as how I loved to swim, dance and it was just plain hot running the streets of Baltimore. I've always been a down to earth, low key kinda girl and never been caught up in looks or fashion trends.

What this movie did for me is make me appreciate my natural hair so much more. I stand with my head held high on the choice that I made. My hair now makes me feel more beautiful than I have ever felt in my life. So Chris Rock, if you ever want to talk about 'Good Hair' you look me up. Talk to some of us girls who fight to manage what God endowed us with naturally. Those of us who know how to make a bad hair day a good hair day with a little conditioner and water...That's right I said water, good ole H2O! I have developed a great nappitude and love, love, love my hair. Big ups to all my natural sistas out there that made the choice to put down the creamy crack, the weave, the wigs and I don't know what else and live with what you have. So while we wait for Chris to contact us, we can gather and flaunt our nappitude at Happy Nappy Day 2010 next month.

ETA: 7/1/10

Just realized how 'bad' that dvd was to me. I actually called the movie Bad Hair when the actual name of the dvd is Good Hair, sorry everybody. I guess this is what they call a Freudian slip.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Product reviews

2010-05-31T07:37:00.000-07:00

I recently bought two of the three new Suave Professionals conditioners. I got the Almond Shea Butter and the Rosemary Mint. Suave didn't fail me, of course. Now I haven't gotten good at choosing things aren't filled with lots of stuff that's good for my hair so I not sure if this fits that bill or not. What I can say is that just like the Sleek and Humectant these two conditioners are very good. I actually dc'd overnight with the Rosemary Mint and the next morning was lovely. There was bit of evoo in my hair because I had to take down my puffy ponytail which require a bit of detangling. So I used my spiritz that has conditioner, water and evoo in it. After

doing my co-wash and detangling in the shower, I put my hair in two stranded twist and noticed that how nice my roots looked. Two thumbs up baby!!

So anyway, what I noticed right away about these two conditioners is the texture. Unlike Sleek and Humectant, these two fellows have a kinda 'clumpy' texture. Maybe I'll add a pic for comparison. Despite this clumpy look, they work just as well and of the two I like the Rosemary Mint best. I could feel a tingle in my scalp that was really nice and because I am familiar with rosemary I could easily smell it. There is no overpowering smell just the hint of refreshing clean. The mint tingling in my scalp made my hair feel extra clean. I have to say it's a keeper, unless someone tells me that it's a lousy product for napturals!

The Almond Shea...hmm, nothing to right home about. Yes it feels great but I've come to love the light fragrances in my conditioners and this pretty much has none. There is a slight hint of something from the almond but nothing that lingers. If I had an occasion where I didn't want anything to outplay the scent of my perfume, this would be a good choice.

What else have I tried? Well because I've decided to make a conscious effort to be more natural, both inside and out, I am getting away from the shower gels and looking for more natural products. I tried a new olive oil soap and an african black soap that I bought a the natural hair expo.

The olive oil soap, very lightly scent feels very good on my skin. I look forward to eventually make my own soap but it will do for now. This soap left my skin feeling squeaky clean. I've grown so accustomed to that slippery film on my skin from commercial soaps that it felt strange at first. Right after showering I put evoo on my face shealoe on my skin. Right now, since I'm single, this is better than sex! roflmbo.

The black soap is the bar I use when I shampoo my hair. I mostly co-wash but enjoy a good sud now and then. That clean, clean feeling that comes from this soap is amazing!

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

What I've been up to

2010-05-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

I've been a very bad girl when it comes to my blogs! With the pending arrival of my grandniece I've been busy making shower gifts for a shower that was cancelled for personal reasons and making gifts for the baby. Since my niece tends to read my blogs I had to hold off on my writing cause she's so nosy! And more so because I am so excited about her baby that I go home and knit or crochet, most days before I even eat anything so blogging has definitely taken a back seat. Have no fear my modest group of followers, I have been diligent with my hair! I am proud to say that my pjism is under control and I haven't really bought any new products to review lately; all my money has been feeding my other addiction, yarn.
What have I done new, I have been doing hair baggies. Waiting until it got warm to do this was a good idea. If, like me you don't use heat, you can't be running around in 30 degree weather with a wet head. So now that it's warm I have been bagging every night. I guess I'm doing it correctly, I just know I love the results. If someone else does it differently, it's about what works for you.

Make sure hair is wet, I usually spritz mine real good in the evening after work with my condish, evoo and water leave-in.
Appy shealoe and smooth into two ponytails with those seamless pony holders.
Separate each ponytail into 3-5 plaits.
Wrap saran wrap around each ponytail or put a baggy on and secure with another ponytail holder. I like the saran wrap because it will hold on it's own meaning less bulk on my head. I'm one of those ladies who hates to sleep in rollers or anything bulky.
Put on satin cap/scarf and secure for the night.
In the AM remove the plastic and fluff lightly to get rid of the part down the back. The front will remain flat and smooth, so you can put on a head band or whatever accessories you'd like. Now get ready for comps(compliments) all day long as you strut your naptitude!!

What else have I been doing with my hair? What's the problem with type 4 hair girls? SHRINKAGE!!!! I know, I know, I know.
I found an answer that works for me but it's not pretty. I'm working on a better way though remember I tend to march to the beat of my own drums so there probably is already a better answer. Anywho, after washing, moisture and double-strand twisting I pin/clip my hair up. I pull the left side to the right, the right side to the left, the front straight back and the back over that to the front pinning as I go. As I said it's really not pretty when I finish but it's comfortable enough to sleep in so that my hair can completely dry. This I only do when I am not planning on going out so it stays like this pretty much all weekend. I know, I do not have a life, just give me coffee, tv and yarn and I'm a very happy girl!! So, come Monday when you pull out all the clips your hair will fall on your shoulders instead of tinkling your earlobes all day. This is a process that can be repeated Monday night and you don't have to use much moisture. Just pin up again and drop it in the morning; otherwise, it will continue to shrink back up to the those lobes. Honestly, I do have pics but since, I'm writing this during my lunch break those will have to come in a later post.

As promised, below are pics of my hair bagged for the night and taken out the next day.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Happy to be nappy

2010-03-31T04:55:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't written anything in a while but I was inspired to come up with a few words after reading something on a website about how some people feel about naptural hair.

Hate me, hate my hair, I really don't care
It's in the mirror you should stare.
Snickering, laughing, pointing at me
knowing secretly you want to be free.
Watch me walk with my head held high
While you drool at my hair on the sly
I'm happy, nappy and proud of who I am
What you think of me, I really don't give a ...

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Trying out ACV

2010-02-25T17:42:00.000-08:00

I have never used ACV (apple cider vinegar) but I have read a lot about it so tonight I gave it a try. I did a pre poo mix of BB Growth Oil and a leave-in conditioner mix (Suave Sleek, evoo and water). I left this on for 2 hours, from 3pm to 5pm. I applied the oil at work and put on a shower cap, a satin cap and a crocheted hat over that. When I got home I did a clarifying rinse with VO5 clarifying conditioner. I was supposed to use baking soda put I didn’t feel like measuring it out. Next, I applied a mix of Roots of Nature shea butter green tea conditioner and Organics Hair Mayonnaise for 30 mins. Lastly, I did an ACV rinse. I used room temperature water, or rather the mix was at room temp by the time I'd finished washing. I know my cuticles and everything else are closed. Room temp felt like it had been in the fridge! I ended my regimen by applying JBCO (Jamaican Black castor oil) to my scalp, more leave-in conditioner and my shealoe to the ends. I then put my hair in braids, not for work tomorrow but just in case I want to go somewhere tomorrow night! If I go out I will be able to rock a really nice braid out. If I don’t go anywhere my hair will stay braided until Monday morning.
So step by step:
* Pre poo with oil
* Clarify with baking mix or Clarifying conditioner.
* Deep condition
* ACV rinse
* Oil scalp
* Moisturize ends
* Style
After all this my hair feels good and soft and it was a bit easier to comb, as long as it is wet. I kept my leave-in close to wet my hair as it started to dry. The real test is when I take the braids out and see what my hair looks like.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Happy Hairversary to me!

2010-02-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

Woohoo!! My hairiversary month and I am still finding more 'previously owned' hair bling. Honestly, I haven't worn any of these jewels since I went natural. They just kind of fell in the back of a drawer full of headbands, barrettes, pony holders and all kinds of stuff.

The last one I actually wore today with my up in a protective style. I not sure what this is suppoed to be, from this view it looks kinda like a butterfly. I turned it the other way and looks kinda like a ladybug. Well, even being a bit blurry the flowers are easy enough to get right without quinting and standing on one foot. So I definitely liked the look I got with the...BUTTERLADY!!! Yeah, that works, hahaha.

So my hair is in my usual easy double stranded twist and pinned up in a kinda roll thingy like my other styles with one hundred millions hair pins. It's a definite 'do again' style.

Keep it real, keep it natural

Hair Bling!!

2010-02-14T14:14:00.000-08:00

I have been looking into getting some hair bling to add to my napptitude without spending a lot of money. What would really make me happy is to make my own according to my own style of course. For this reason, even though I love Tomoka's hair accessories I try not visit her site to often. Soooooo, I going through my draw of hair stuff and found this beautiful barrette that I totally forgot I had in my possession. I love this piece, it's loaded with lots of color and sitting alone reminds me of a miniature crown (I watched three seasons of The Tudors this week). The colors are so bright and cheerful, lots of yellow, red, purple, white, pink and gold.

Then I had to decide what to do with my hair if I were to wear this lovely piece. What did I come up with...an updo of course. I still have to work out the details on exactly how to pin up my hair because I wont be able to put a whole lot inside the barrette. My hair is twisted right now and will probably stay this way for the week so it has to look sensible and still accent the my bling. I just so glad I went digging in that door. Who knows what other treasures are hiding in there.

What a great find this was for me and the timing couldn't be better. I just remembered...IT'S MY HAIR ANNIVERSARY!!!! Yeah me!!! So easy though this really isn't a new gift, I haven't seen it for a while and completely forgot about it so, it's a found treasure.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Two more protective styles

2010-02-03T16:09:00.000-08:00

After my deep conditioning and JBCO application, as part of my committment to the challenges I joined, I wanted to at least try to up with some new or revised protective styles.

I DC'd with Roots of Nature shea butter green tea for about 45 mins
Applied my leave in condish mix
Braided my hair in small braids to air dry

Monday morning I took the braids out and again put 10 million pins in my hair. This time I liked the look so much better than my first attempt at this. I had lots of texture/waves this time and everything same in place with ease. I like the look from every angle, front, back and side.

So then I decided to take it down and was too lazy to twist it so I had to come up with something else. So this time I came up with my protective pony braid. I think the picture speaks for itself and works for itself. This I'll wear the rest of the week. The braids kinda remind me of a french knot the way they are winded around each other.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Baltimore Natural Haircare Exp 2010 is coming

2010-01-18T05:56:00.000-08:00

I'm planning on attending, I hope I see some familar faces.
http://www.baltimorenaturalhaircareexpo.com/2010-About%20The%20Show.html

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Why didn't I think of that before?

2010-01-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

So I acquired this really really nice comb to use in the shower but there was a problem. I have had this comb for at least six months but never ever used it because of this ugly gnarl in the end that I already knew would snag my hair.

May not look like much but it's a very hard piece and it can do a whole lot of damage. It's at the front of the comb so there is no way to avoid it. Yesterday I made up my mind that I had to just let it go, throw it away when all of a sudden...Duh! it came to me. I took the comb out on my balcony and scratched it a few times on the cement and it was like magic. What problem? It was like filing a fingernail. The end is as smooth as the rest of comb and ready to be used now. Just think, I almost threw out what will be a great detangling comb for no reason at all. Now I have to check the rest of my combs and see if they could use a bit of filing down.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Protective style 3

2010-01-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I was hoping to get a couple of days out of my style but I only got one. I wasn't really pleased with it but I wore it anyway. I think my biggest mistake was how I tied it up, I actually flattened it completely. I don't have any pics since my digi battery needed to be charged.

Last night I came home and took my hair down, applied leave-in, oiled my ends and did about six chunky braids. This morning I took the braids out and without combing just started tucking and pinning. Again, I don't bother to really look in the mirror until I am done; otherwise I would be in the mirror too long fussing over my hair.

I also used a nylon stocking; I knew those legs would come in handy. The stocking was used to tie around my head like a headband to help to keep my ends smooth. I really like this one, it kinda reminds me of a french roll in the back but the top is not the same. The top sits high with just a couple of pins to keep it back from my face. Again I'll try to sleep on it; hopefully it wont look so bad in the morning. At least I know not to tie it down like I'm preparing for a hurricane. Hey, maybe I should use my satin pillowcase tonight since I still haven't tried it out yet.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Protective style 2

2010-01-05T16:20:00.000-08:00

Well, I started working on another protective style that will be more to my liking. After deep conditioning over the weekend my hair felt good but I really did like the way it looked after I took the braids out for work yesterday. It really wasn't a good hair day, but then my hair does have a mind of its own. When I came home from work yesterday I went straight to work on it. I spritzed it with my leave-in mix (suave professionals in the orange bottle, it really smells refreshing; evoo; water), and detangled with my wide tooth comb. Then all of a sudden I had a thought. Standing in the mirror with a section of damp hair in my hand I decided, 'Why not try a bantu knots.' So after combing I brushed the section with my rubber brush and started twisting until the section started turning on itself. I twisted it around and didn't even need pins to hold it in place. Oh yeah, added a bit of Taliah Waajid Tight Hold to the ends, something else I read is supposed to be good for twist. The TW kinda fooled me, it's so light I really didn't think it would anything for my hair. Anyway I finished knotting up my hair. I didn't put much thought into how it was parted or whether the sections were even or not, I just wanted to experiment. I was happy to see that my hair's sheen has returned. I attribute that to the deep conditioning and the Jamaican Black Castor challenges I just started. Look how glossy and smooth.

Honestly, judging by this look I expected to have to spend time trying to figure how to manage my hair this morning and still be on time for work.

This morning I spritzed my hair again before my shower and then it was time. I started knots apart and thought to myself, 'OK, what do I do now, they look like worms!'. Really wish I had thought to take a picture. Instead I grabbing small sections and pinning them up. I didn't look in the mirror. I continued to pin until everything was off my shoulders. When I stopped and took a look...WOW!!! I love you!!!

Of course I did wear my scarf to protect the back of my hair, I took it off for the picture. It's time for me to start looking into getting some hair bling for sure. This style will really rock with something shiny or dangling from it. I was checking out some of the hair bling made by tomoka, who is truely awesome. She makes all kinds of hair goodies and jewelry too. So back on track, I have tied my sides up, or rather down for the night. I am hoping that I will be able to sleep without mussing my hair too much and get a least one more day out of this style, if not two.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Hair goals for 2010 and beyond

2010-01-04T17:20:00.000-08:00

Up to this point, beyond healthy hair, I really didn't have a goal for my hair. I have read so many postings on so many websites that have truly provided me with an abundance of much needed help on this journey. At times it has been a bit confusing to me because I think I am reading about one type of natural and come to find out she is texturizing, whatever that is. I read another one and find out she stretching her relaxers, whatever that is. I read yet another one and realize she is flat ironing, blow drying, hood drying...heat, heat, heat.

I think I have finally found my reason for creating this site. I want to be the natural that I have chosen to be. I decided that I will not use heat, I will not relax, texturize or use any of the other options that are out there. I decided that to me, natural means walking away from all of these things. I am learning so much about chemicals to avoid in my hair, ingredients seek for my hair, how to make homemade yummies for my hair and all kinds of abbreviations and acronyms (the secret language of natural hair). Something that has become so important to me is being able to show how I was able to transition to a natural without chopping off all my hair. As you can see from the pic from high school, even then I had plenty of hair that was about shoulder length. The only time my hair hasn't touched my shoulders is when I cut it myself. How cute was this, my little boy...er freshman college boyfriend. Anyway thats all my own hair with beads attached.

Honestly, I think if I had to cut off all my hair to do this, it may not have ever happened. I do understand everyone can't do what I do nor can I do what everyone else does but I am enjoying learning what works for me. Even if my way only works for one other sista than I have helped someone along the way just as so many sistas out there are helping me.

So I should mention that one thing that helped with my transitioning is that my hair had been in braids most of '07, when it got raggedy I would just take it all out, wash it real good and braid it back up before Monday for work. Here, I am in Mexico Sept 19, 2007 with a friend I made during a tour of the city. LOL

After finally noticing that every time I took the braids out to wash my hair it got easier and easier to manage, I decided to go with it and see what would happen. Not always happy I decided to investigate taking care of natural hair and found out a lot of what I was doing was good. What I didn't know was about the chems that were hurting my hair, detangling, spritzing and so much more. Now finally, I have evolved and I don't see myself ever turing back. Good days, bad days, my hair is what it is. I have found my napptitude and I am falling more and more in with me!

I recently told someone that my hair tells me what it wants to do and I just let it have it's way. What does my hair do for me in return? My hair feeds my soul with things I never knew before: confidence, pride, power. It may be something that some women possess naturally but not me, so many others I'm sure. To be able to look at my self in the mirror or simply walk down the street with my head held high, enjoying knowing that 'Yep, they're looking at me'. Who knew I'd ever feel this way?

So ladies make your decisions: chop or not, heat or not, relax or not. But whatever you do, make this year the year to love yourself and remember...

Keep it real, keep it natural

Hair challenges for 2010 have begun.

2010-01-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

I have joined several hair challenges on blackhairplanet.com. Protective Styling, Deep conditioning, Castor oil, Natural hair maintenance, Moisturize you hair/baby your ends, and Scarves for winter. The castor oil and deep conditioner challenges began today, yeah. I assume the others will be later in the year.

Ok, so my routine:

I decided to use the dry method to start with this time. I loaded my hair, in sections, with ORS Mayo. Now I really get the ors, it feels so good on the scalp. I put on my plastic cap and to help keep the heat in I tied my hair up with my new cotton head wrap/towel that I just made. It looks kinda funny but it really did it's job. I left the wrap on for nearly two hours as I was busy with other things. Combing out in the shower was quite easy and as usual I plaited my hair for easy management. After squeezing out the excess water I tied my head up with my new wrap again (I have to find a name for this thing) for about 20 minutes. The wrap kept my head nice and warm, absolutely no dripping from the sides and a rather comfy fit too. I am so happy with this little thingy but the next one will be just a bit bigger. Anyway, after removing the wrap I applied one of my leave-in concoctions and oiled my scalp with the Jamaican Black Castor Oil. Now my hair is cornrowed for the weekend unless by some miracle I am asked out for an evening. I must admit, that frizziness that I had seen after my last few co-washes was not there. I guess some protein is what my hair has been needing.

Oh yeah, product updates. I decided to make something to wrap my hair in because the terry turban was a joke. On the cover, it's made to look like it's so soft and plush; like terry cloth...NOT. This thing is tissue thin and water leaked through from my hair. Not to mention how tight it was. I know what you're think, I do not have a big head. It was like giving birth trying to put it on my head but it definitely was not coming off that's for sure! So looks like I have new dusting rag since I wont be squeezing back into that again. I'm so used to sleeping in the satin caps I keep forgetting I bought the pillowcase so reviews on that will come later. The Annie's rubber brush, two thumbs up. It worked great just as I expected. So for now, I'll be sticking with Annie's brush which means more money to feed my pj moments.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Protective styles

2009-12-26T12:13:00.000-08:00

So, I've been reading about protective styles and wanted to try out a few for myselft. I decided that Christmas would be a good day to give it a try.

I kinda liked the way the back came out with the two layers of rolls, really cute. The front needs some work. I wasn't crazy about the part in the middle and I knew my hair would become more puffy along the sides so I took it down and did my two-stranded twist. I'll keep working on my protective syling, I already have some ideas in my head.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

Annie's Rubber Cushion Brush

2009-12-24T07:52:00.000-08:00

I have been reading a lot of information about the Denman brushes. I have not seen one at the beauty supply store that I frequent. However, there is a brush called the Rubber Cushion Brush by Annie.

I love this brush. I discovered this brush more than ten years ago when I was still relaxing. I wanted a brush that would give me a good massage as I brush my hair. When I felt this brush through the plastic I knew it was just what I was looking for and I have been hooked ever since.

I stopped using Annie's brush when I went natural because of the pulling. Then, because of all the great websites like blackhairplanet, the coil review and even youtube, I learned how to brush my hair to detangle it. I am so happy seeing that my $1.99 brush works as well as the Denman. I've never priced a Denman but I don't think I get it for $1.99. Maybe one day I'll make more of an effort to find and purchase a Denman for the purpose of comparison. But for now...if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Pros: price $1.99

7 rows of bristles

fantastic curl pattern

excellent for detangling

removable head for easy cleaning

rounded hard plastic/rubber bristles for great scalp massage

Cons: The rubber bed seems to wear away easily (this is pre natural hair. Now I'll get to see if it last a bit longer)

This is the only con I have for the brush but considering a price tag of $1.99, it's not that important to me.

While I was there I also bought a satin pillowcase $3.99 and terry turban $4.99. I haven't used either of them yet but I'm looking forward to it.

Keep it real, keep it natural YY

The Me I Am Becoming

2009-12-10T03:48:00.000-08:00

There is so much commercialism available to girls of all ages. What the TV and maggies don't drill into their heads, friends and family certainly will. Am I excluded, of course not, not one of us is untouched by this form of socialism literally thrown on us before we can define ourselves.

In 2008 I decided to do something for me, just to see what it would be like. I thought to myself, 'It's way past time for another relaxer. My hair is so thick you could lose a small child in it.' But I realized I missed my 6-8 week regimen of: pretreated/greasing my scalp, applying and combing (while crying) the relaxer, rinsing over and over, sitting under the dryer or blow drying (another long process) and then still not done because I have to curl and then roll up my hair. But wait, there's more...Don't let it rain. Oh crap! all that curling and now my hair has to go in a ponytail because of the humidity! So throw the hot curlers in my bag and curl it again when I get to work.

Enough of all that! I happen to be blessed with a length of hair that lays on my shoulders but I was so caught up in trying to make my look as sleek, shiny and bouncy as females who were wearing fake hair! No offense sistas It was so bad I couldn't tell if I was looking at real hair or not, even on the baby girls. Not only could I not tell but I once had a female curse me because she assumed my hair was fake.

So now my hair anniversary is coming. I was thinking, 2007 is probably my anniversary but since I can't remember the month of my last relaxer I'm fine using the month I decided to fore go the crack. That right Whitney! crack is whack, even in your hair. Oh in my hair. This posting is strictly about my hair and my journey, I would never be so lofty as to knock someone for their choices.

So, hmm, I do tend to ramble; anywho! THE ME I AM BECOMING, born out of mere freedom to choose, is finding herself and I think I like her. I love knowing that I am not defined by makeup, which I never wore anyway; nor my clothing, which have never been designer labels; nor my bank account, which is quite sparse. I am defined by who I want to be. I choose to never put that creamy crack in my again, I choose to never put heating elements in my hair again, I choose never to add manufactured hair to head again or anyone else's hair for that matter. I choose to not wear makeup, I choose gray naturally and hope it to be gracefully. I choose to continue to strive to a woman of character, grace and virtue. So as I travel my path to a positive napptitude, I am falling in love with YY THE ME I AM BECOMING. YY

I love Moeshealoe

2009-12-08T05:29:00.000-08:00

My shea butter recipe came out so good, thanks to moe moe's recipe. The grapefruit essential oil was great choice. I enjoyed it so much in my shea butter mix that I added to water for a refreshing spritz in the afternoon. It's an invigorating spritz when your eyes start to get a bit heavy. I have to find something for evenings now that will be relaxing but it wont be lavender, I really don't like that smell. Anyway, I think I had a pretty good combo of ingredients, not too oily, not at all sticky/tacky, not too dry and not too wet. Only thing, with no measurements it will never be actually the same. But hey, it's the results that matter.

What's next? Well, since I read you can also use shea butter on your skin, lotion is next. Since my hair is natural and I'm trying to stick to natural products, why not stop butting all that junk on my skin as well. I'm kinda working backwards but I figure if I can develop a discipline with my hair and skin (on the outside) then maybe I will be able to develop a discipline on the inside and eat better. Gotta start somewhere.

Shealoe with a splash of grapefruit

2009-12-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

So I bought my shea butter yesterday in preparation for making shealoe. Today I bought George Aloe Gel, Aura Cacia Grapefruit essential oil, EGem vitamin E and some Castor Oil that I may use for blackhairplanet castor oil challenge 2010. I was able to easily mash up the shea butter with a funky curved fork that I have had forever. It’s very strong and heavy and the curving allowed it to fit the shape of the bowl making stirring and mashing easy so absolutely no heating/melting was necessary. This added to the fact that I was chilly; I try to keep my heat set at 62-65 unless it’s really cold; so I was sitting near the space heater. Holding the glass bowl in my hand while I stirred allowed the natural body heat, as well as the heat from the space heater, to warm and soften the butter just a bit more.

Then it was time to pull out the hand mixer; so glad I already had one of these in the house. I remembered reading to only use one blade. Actually, I thought I would have to but once I started I realized that one blade was not a smart choice. I felt like I was in a rodeo trying to hold the bowl and hold the mixer! Butter started to fly around the room even though I truly know how to mix with a hand mixer. Once I added the second blade, which to my surprise did fit the bowl, it was much easier to hold on…I was able to stay on the horse!!! LOL.

Oh yes!!! After about 10-15 mins of adding ingredients (aloe gel and a bit of evoo) I finally got a good consistency. After this I added the grapefruit eo, it took more of this then I expected. But now, it definitely looks like whipped cake frosting and smells oh, so good! I really had to resist the urge to taste the frosting…uh butter a few times when I got some on my fingers. Instead I just rubbed in. By the time I finished not only did I have a great smelling, luxurious feeling, whipped butter, I also very soft hands. Oh, I was able to finally use just one blade of the mixer once I had a softer consistency of the butter.

I bought these cheapie containers with twist top, something you don’t see much of anymore, at the dollar to put the shea butter in. Is this a good idea or should I be using a glass container? I hope somebody reads this and responds. I guess this is a good use for these containers since it says not for microwave or dishwasher, wow!

Guess I could have made a bit more uh? I only used half of the shea butter because I was afraid of messing up. Maybe next week I’ll go ahead and make the rest and just put it all together.

So, wrapping up, next time:
*Mash the shea butter with my special fork, though I think any fork will do.
*Start off with both blades of mixer and add aloe vera gel a little at a time.
*Once the consistency is nice and creamy it’s ok to remove one blade, if you want.
*Add drops of vitamin E, I added about 10 drops and mixed a bit more.
*Add some evoo, or oil of choice to smooth out more. By now it should be looking good and whipped so stop or keep going until you find the consistency you want.
*Lastly, add essential oil of choice, though not necessary, for fragrant goodness. I used grapefruit oil, hmmm smells soooooo good!

I can’t wait to do my hair in the morning! I am so excited to see how my hair likes this mix.

The Nappy Language

2009-12-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

I am so in love with being natural even on the day when my hair doesn't do what I want it to do. I have become quite a pj if I say so myself.

One of the things I really love about being natural is the winks and nods. When I'm walking down the street, head held high, and see fellow nappy head. We don't even have to speak, we just kind of nod and smile at each other. . I love it when I talk with a complete stranger and speak the secret nappy langage using words like: ACV, TWA, condish, co wash, no poo, ORS, TW and cones.

As the new year approaches and people being to make resolutions, I don't make resolutions I make life changes, I look forward to moving further in this journey of nappiest. I hope to reach a point where I wont hate to co-wash because my hair is soooo coily. Instead I can just look forward to learning new styles that will aw my family and friends. Maybe I will be able to bring a few over to coily side!!

Oils for my hair - Yes!

2009-11-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

I really like this. I gave the Tropical Coconut condish another as a co-wash and used the VO5 Tea Therapy as my leave-in. This was followed by using the TW oyl and wow! My responded so well to this oil it is truly unbelievable. I still had tangles but after combing through I was able to pull my hair back into a afro puff instead of twisting as I usually do. Combing through that night to sleep was really bear but the next day, again I was able to easily put my hair in a fro. The fro was easier to comb down that second night.

I can see that my hair is getting thicker, which I really don't need.
It's also growing like crazy. I really don't have a goal for hair length I just want healthy hair and skin with minimal breakage. I hair has always been shoulder length, maybe an inch longer, so if it never grows any longer I'm ok it's more than enough to deal with. But here's a thought, if growing my longer so women that you can have natural hair with length and volume without using chemicals and without any heat than I am up to showing the world.

What did I learn this time?
Wash n go - Never. I think my hair is way to coily for that.
Taliah Waajid African Healing Oyl - Yes to oil even if it's not TW.
VO5 Tea Therapy - Yes, as co-wash or leave-in works great for me.
Suave Tropical Coconut - Yes, great for co-washing. Might work as a leave-in if I add oil.
What's next? I need hair bling! Now that I am able to wear my hair up occasionally I need pretty flowers, butterflies and all kinds of shiny, dangling, glittery stuff for my hair.

VO5 Tea Therapy Conditioner

2009-11-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

Well needing to try a different leave-in conditioner, on Friday I went back to my Family Dollar to see what else they had. Well new supplies were in and with them was VO5 Tea Therapy Conditioner. Wow, I think my hair really likes this one. I could immediately see and feel the difference in my hair. It became softer right away and was so easy to manage as I flat twisted for the evening. This morning when I took my twist out I definitely was able to smile! I give this products two thumbs up for sure!!!
I don't know, I actually got this conditioner as a leave-in but I'm thinking it will work very well as a co-wash for me. Oh and the smell, because it's tea it's very pleasant, not perfumey or overpowering at all. If you are familiar and love the smell of Roots of Nature Shea Butter Green Tea stimulating scalp oil (I know it's a mouthful) then you will love the smell of VO5 Tea Therapy.
Today I was able to get Taliah Waajid products for $4.99 each! Now this was not back at the dollar store. I was in town and found this little store called Mini Mart & Beauty Supply on Maryland Ave about one blk above North Ave. If you live in or near Baltimore and know the area pop in. There's a couple of really cool guys who were very eager to help me find what I was looking for and get anything for future visits. I was hoping to get some castor or olive oil when I saw the TW. I couldn't believe the price and they had the entire line. Not being able to find the olive or castor oil I bought the African Healing Oyl and Lock it Up for my twist. I can't wait to use the Lock it Up tomorrow when I twist my hair. Its smell is delicious, like sweet coconut. The oil, or rather oyl, really doesn't have much of a smell at all. Wait, if I take a reeeeally deep drag I get a faint whiff of fragrance but it doesn't matter because I'm about to pass out from working so hard to smell something. LMBO
So what now? Even though I have the oyl I still have to get castor oil because I plan on joining a castor oil challege on blackhairplanet.com and I don't think I can use a different oil.

Five days later

2009-11-19T05:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, comments about my spa day. I loved the clarifying treatment with baking soda. Immediately after pouring in I could feel the softness, the hair seemed to stretch as after a long slumber. I love the smell of the Suave Tropical conditioner though I can't say that I was very pleased with it in my hair. The Elastra for deep conditioning felt really good and was happy that it doesn't seem to have much of a smell so I was able to retain the light coconut smell. I'm not even a fan of coconut eaten or smelled but I like this. I think I followed the directions well but my hair seemed to have more tangles at the end and is frizzier than usually. I tried one of the homemade leave-in conditioners (Suave, water and oil). I spritzed to death and twisted my hair. I was able to see that my hair definitely looked different, I guess this is the sheen that I have read about because I certainly don't have much shine. When I took my twist out on Tuesday night I was not very happy, I didn’t see the look I usually get. So I think maybe I need to get a store bought leave-in and make sure I didn't miss a step in there somewhere. Oh, did I mention I think I'm allergic to the oil I bought. Yeah, thought I had picked up olive oil but I didn't. I looked at some many different things I ended buying the wrong one, Super Grow or something like that.
All in all since I am still in the tweaking phase I can chalk this up as growth.

Still hanging in there

2009-11-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

It's getting close to my anniversary, or should I say my hairiversary. Getting through the first year and beyond was very difficult. So many times I wanted to throw in the towel and go back to the chems. I am so happy I didn't do that.
So often my hair becomes a conversation piece. Total strangers have walked up to me and boldly asked questions about my hair. I have to admit, I haven't gotten any really stupid questions or comments other than when a sista told me my hair needed to be raked and it looked like grass that needed to be mowed. Funny, I'd forgotten these comments until I started this posting. Anyway, I wasn't offended at all, instead I looked her square in the eye and said, "Yeah but this is my real hair not store bought so whatever I do with it, it's all good. That ended the whole conversation becuase, eh she wears wigs. LMBO
I still have so much to learn about doing my own hair and it's so much fun. I have been noticing that my looks really dull and I was not pleased with this at all. On recent visits to hair care sites such as the coil review and motowngirl I discovered that I need to clarify my hair to remove chemical build up. There is great information about homemade, chem-free recipes for your hair, video links about hair styles, product reviews and all kinds of yummy information on these sites. I discovered that pretty much all the products I have been using on my hair are the wrong products for natural hair. I'll find some place to donate these product. There are places where people need help and the products are not really harmful, just not good for natural hair.
So for me, today is my spa day. I'll be at She' Bejai getting the works!!
*Baking soda and water to clarify my hair thus removing all the nasty chemical build up.
*Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner for co washing
*Elastra Conditioner for deep conditioning
*Olive Oil to moisturize my ends.
*Double strand twist for styling.
*Air dry
The fun doesn't stop there folks!! After all this I need a facial scrub and a foot soak & scrub. I should have some things around the house I can use for this as well. When I went shopping for my hair products I also bought eggs, apple cider vinegar, honey, and brown sugar. I know there's a home recipe in there somewhere. It seems the only thing missing is a massage to round out my day but seeing as how I can't do that myself...maybe a nice hot bubble bath will do. Of course this means I'll be home all day and probably night too but no one said beauty was easy. LOL. Anyway, when I go to work Monday there will definitely be a noticeable glow to my skin after so much self-pampering.

The natural way

2009-06-07T07:12:00.001-07:00

I am liking natural more and more as the days go by. Who knew I would be someone with chemical-free hair! If someone had told me three years ago that I would go natural I would have laughed myself silly.

Ok, here it goes. This first picture I'm not sure of the date, probably sometime in April 2009, is a braid out day. This was probably my third day so things had gone a bit crazy and you see that there is still quite a bit of relaxed hair on the ends.

This is a better picture of a fresh braid out, probably day one in August 2008. I always roll it up for a neater look. During this period I was still at the 'You must be crazy to go natural' stage. Combing my hair after washing was a beast!

But now!!! I hear music! The hair gods have smiled on me and transformed my hair. I read so much about the 'Big Chop' and decided to go for it. I put my hair in small braids and cut diagonally at the puff. Then I followed the advise on the Nappaturality site that says not to shampoo so much. Instead, I spritzed my hair with water and used organic hair mayonaise. I twisted in small sections and then rolled my hair that night.

I am loving this! I have gotten so many compliments, who can I think about chemical fires again.

NEVER

Ok, so today I took the twist out after 5 days and this is my result. I didn't roll last night so it's not curly but the twist out should last at least three to four days! The hair mayonaise helped give me nice tight twist so I am expecting a nice twist out. Chopping off about 3" of my hair wasn't such a bad idea after all but I still need to do another chop, at least one to two more inches. Then even if I don't roll my hair the twist out will look so much better.

Keeping it real

2009-06-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

In February 2008 I decided to go natural. My thick head of hair was out of control, I wish I had some pictures! I used to tell people that you could hide a small child in the back of my hair between touch-up. Combing my hair after a good shampoo took me back to age 6 when I would get brushes broken over my shoulder for not putting my head down. Hey, that kitchen was a mess! During this transition it easily took up to two hours just to comb through my hair and then another couple to braid it up to air dry. It's been about 15 months now and I couldn't be happier with the way my hair has turned out. I can comb my hair and braid it to air dry in about one hour, maybe two depending on the syle.
I was turned on to a site called nappturality and found out that a lot of the things I was doing to my hair was the right thing to do. I decided on my own that natural meant no hot combs, hot curling or flat ironing. I decided that I would go a step further and not blow dry either. It seems that these are the things this site promotes! Who knew?
Pictures will be added later