How Do You Respond to Random Compliments???

Me and my sister had a conversation on receiving weird compliments on our hair a week ago. Sometimes I really don't know how to respond. I usually just smile when I receive these random compliments because they have good intentions.

Example 1:
Co-worker: "I just love your hair!"
Me: "Thank you," I reply with a smile.
Co-worker: "I have been on the search for a perfect wig just like your hair."
Me: I smile.
Co-worker: "And I finally found it! I ordered it already online."
Me: I smile.

Example 2:
I am walking down the hallway and pass a group of 3 girls.
Girl 1: Whispers loudly, "Her hair is so pretty!"
Girl 2: Whispers back, "I know!"

The example number 2 happens a lot. I really don't know what to do for those compliments. I don't know if I should turn around and say thank you or just keep walking. I usually just keep walking since they weren't talking to me.

But, even when I receive the most random compliments I am still polite and thankful for the gesture. I mean, it may come out very random but, it is all with great intentions.

Great Linkage: My Sister and I

So, this past Thanksgiving break I put some two strand flat twists in my sister's hair. She posted the video on her blog along with some random facts about it. Check it out by clicking HERE.

Hair Today: Accessorized Twist Updo

So, my sister put some rather small twists in my hair this past Saturday. I plan on curling them for a curly twist updo. But, for the time being I just pinned them up and put a flower headband in it for a cute accesory.

Oil Rinse

So, this past Saturday my sister, Auset, suggested I do an oil rinse on my hair. I have read up on oil rinses on other blogs but, I never really tried one. Check out my sister's post on oil rinses HERE. Or check out Moptop Maven's post on oil rinses HERE.

Here's what I did:
1. I co-washed my hair with Suave Naturals in Coconut.
2. My sister then applied her 50:50 oil, which consists of olive oil and castor oil.
3. I kept the oil in my hair for about 2-3 minutes.
4. I then rinsed the oil out with warm water.
5. Of course, there was still some oil left on the hair after the rinse but, I didn't mind.
6. I then applied my Suave Naturals in Coconut conditioner to my head.
7. I then started the detangling process.
8. After deep conditioning, I styled my hair as usual.

I do adore oil rinses and here's why:
1. My hair felt so soft.
2. By applying the oil to the wet hair, I believe this helps to lock in more moisture.
3. The detangling process went by so much faster.
4. I had a decrease in the amount of shed hair.

I can't think of any cons of this process. I just need to invest in some castor oil (because I used my sister's). I do believe I will add this to my hair regimen.

Naturals in Advertisement: McDonald's

So, it is obvious that these advertisements are from the 1970s, however; I still like the imagery in them both. I like that the men have their medium sized afros and you can really see the texture of their hair.

In today's McDonald's ads I see a lot of natural in their commercials on TV. Maybe I will be able to find some current ads with naturals.

**Personally, I am not a big fan of McDonald's. Their menu items are not very vegan friendly. But, this is just a feature for them depicting naturals in their ads.

Doing a 2nd BC, or a 3rd, or a 4th...

As of now, I really do appreciate the length of my natural hair and don't have any plans to do another BC (big chop) anytime soon. Yet, there are many naturals that do BCs continuously. Some people can't fathom why anyone would cut their hair once they obtain length. (I was guilty of this thought before I went natural). However, I can now understand why.

I was on YouTube (as always) and Whoissugar was doing a vlog on FAQs. Somehow she got on the topic of how she has already did about 3 BCs. She did not want anyone to question why she continues to cut her hair and that she has a right to cut her hair if she wishes. Another example of someone who continues to do BCs is my sorority sister. She has been natural since 2004 and once her hair gets to a certain length she cuts it. She said it just gets to be too much. And I can understand...

The more hair you get, the more work it takes to upkeep it. My detangling sessions are starting to get longer and longer. I find myself getting more fairy knots in my hair. Also, washing it takes more patience in order to ensure I am getting my scalp clean--and I still miss some parts. At the end of the day, "mo hair, mo problems". Yes, there are perks of having more length but, I'll save this for a later post.

Here are my reasons for liking shorter hair:
1. Less time to wash
2. Shorter time to detangle
3. It is easier to moisturize the hair and ensure you get every strand
4. There is a chicness that comes with shorter natural hair. I've noticed that when people rock TWAs they always look so put together whether they are wearing jeans and a t-shirt or a cocktail dress.
5. Shorter hair (about TWA to length) allows for more focus to be on the features of the face.
6. Pretty much shorter hair gives you less maintenance yet, you still have a chic look.

So, I can definitely understand why some naturals choose to do a 2nd BC, or a 3rd, or a 4th, and so on.

Sidenote: The model in the above pic is a prime example of how you notice her beautiful and unique features because of her shorter hair. Aren't her freckles just gorgeous??

Hairstyle: French Braids

So, I finally can achieve French Braids without having to divide them into four sections (as I did previously).

Yesterday, after church I knew I had to do my hair. For some reason, I just wasn't in the mood to do it. However, I also knew that I could not neglect my hair. So, I figured I would co-wash my hair but, I had no idea what style I wanted to do for my hair.

I wore my hair out for about a week and a half so, I knew I needed a protective style. Yet, sometimes I get tired of protective styles that involve so many bobby pins. So, I kept thinking and finally figured that I would put in french braids. This hairstyle is so simple and so fast. I love it. It's great for those times you want to be low maintenance.

Here's what I did:
1. Co-washed my hair with V05 Moisture Milks in Strawberry.
2. Detangled my hair.
3. Deep conditioned with V05 Moisture Milks in Strawberry for about 30 minutes.
4. Divided my hair into 2 sections down the middle.
5. Applied Suave Naturals in Coconut as a leave-in to each section.
6. Braided each section.

I did do a YouTube video on this hairstyle but, it is still processing. So, I will provided a link later.

Update: Click HERE for the tutorial on this hairstyle.

Great Linkage: Unlock Your Growth Potential

So, my sister Auset talked quite a bit about how great and helpful Moptop Maven's blog for some reason I kept forgetting to check it out. So, recently I checked it out and I loved it! (She has a new follower in me.) She has some great advice and really helpful tips.

In a previous post, I discussed my hair goals. One of my goals was to obtain length. This is a very popular goal with a lot of naturals. As I was looking at Moptop Maven's blog, I noticed that she did a post on length retention. So, I checked it out and I am so grateful for it! She provided a lot of advice that was not complicated on how to obtain length.

She suggested wearing free flowing hairstyles, going heat free, and other suggestions.

So check out that article HERE. You won't be disappointed.

Natural Inspiration: Solange Knowles

Solange Knowles is very beautiful! Also, her natural hair is simply gorgeous and she rocks it with such confidence.

I must admit that I think Solange looks better with her natural hair than the weave she was wearing for years. The natural hair accentuated her features. I really began to notice her beautiful eyes, full lips, and great skin.

There are times that Solange will don a natural wig and though I am not a big fan of wigs I thought she looked great with hers. And I must admit that I would rather see a natural wig than a straight wig:-) But, that's just me.

Braid Out Results After the Rain

So, my sister asked for me to post pictures of my big hair that was achieved from the rain yesterday. I decided to include 3 pictures. The first picture is my hair on that Sunday, the second picture is my hair after I first went out into the light drizzle, and the last pic is my hair after I got off work and it was still raining.

This is my hair on the first day. Notice how flat it is and lacking in volume. This is my hair after I initially went out into the rain. Notice it has rose some and you can see more of my natural hair texture. This is my hair after I got off work. It was still raining so the hair got bigger. This mainly shows my texture and you can see that the waves from the braid-out are almost gone.

Personally, I just love big hair. When my hair was weighed down on the first day I felt that my head looked so big or something. And what's crazy is that I never thought that my head looked big when I used to wear my wraps on relaxed hair--and the hair was flatter then:-/

NOT a Staple Product: Cantu Shea Butter Leave In

Now, I know that there are many naturals who are big fans of this products and I am not knocking them at all. This is just a personal review of my experience with this product. But, we must remember we all have different heads of hair and what works for one may not work for another. Now on to the review...

I first bought this product when I began transitioning. I really did not know the results of it on my hair because I kept my hair cornrowed through most of my transition. Then, when I was fully natural I wasn't really feeling the results from the leave-in. I feel a leave-in should leave your hair feeling soft, moisturized, etc. But, this did none of those things. Then, this past weekend I decided to give Cantu another try for my braid-out. And I realized I hated this product! My hair was weighed down, felt so nasty because of build-up, and a white film was left on some parts of the hair that was hard to get off.

Ingredients: Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) (Shea Butter), Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean), Propylene Glycol, Polyquaternium 37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, PPG 1 Trideceth 6, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearalkonium Chloride, Trimethylsilylamodimethicone, Panthenol, PPG 1 PEG 9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, Lanolin Oil, Cinnamidopropyl Trimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride/Acrylamide Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Benzophenone 3, BHA, BHT, Zea Mays Oil (Corn), Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, DMDM Hydrantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum)

Cons:
1. Leaves the hair feeling weighed down.
2. Takes away the natural volume of natural hair.
3. Leave a nasty filmy build-up.
4. Contains one of the worst silicones, which means its hard to get off of your hair.
5. This product actually has warnings on the back of it. I just noticed this the past weekend.
6. One of warnings state: "Avoid applying directly to new growth." Uh, my whole head is new growth. Duh.
7. I feel this product is mainly targeted towards relaxed tresses.

Pros:
1. Very economical price (But, I can understand why.)
2. You get a lot of product (But, again, I can understand why.)

How I Adore the Rain...and the Mist

Since Thursday I have been wearing a braid-out that was achieved by putting 8 cornrows in my hair. (I'll post the YouTube video for this later). On that Thursday and Friday I adored how big my hair was. So, on that Friday night I re-braided my hair and kept the braids in the entire day Saturday.

On Sunday, I took the braids down and wasn't really feeling my hair. It just looked so flat. I feel this is due to using the Cantu Shea Leave-in conditioner. My hair just does not like this stuff (I will definitely be doing a review on this later). A lady at my church even said "What did you do to your hair, it's not as big as it usually is? Did you blow dry it? But, it still looks good though. I mean your hair always look good." So, on Sunday night I just slept with my satin bonnet and hoped my hair would be bigger in the morning. It was not.

But, the Lord was on my side. It was raining that morning and after the rain there was a light mist in the air. My hair just sucked in this moisture and drew right on up! I looked in the mirror and oh how I loved my hair! It just looked big, full, and you could really see the texture of my hair. Being natural sure does have its perks:-)

On top of that, I received two enthusiastic compliments on the resulting big hair!

Hair Today: Twist Out Updo

So, yesterday I got home around 6:00 pm but, I knew without a doubt that I was going to wash and detangle my hair. I had a feeling that it would not be dry by morning but, I knew I would come up with some sort of hairstyle.

I simply pinned up the back of the hair and left some of the hair out in the front. The same style I wore yesterday yet, it is fresher than yesterday's style. I actually did a video on this style but, YouTube is taking forever to process the video.

Here's what I did:
1. Co-washed hair with Suave Coconut Naturals
2. Detangled my hair
3. Deep conditioned with Suave Coconut Nauturals for about 30 minutes
4. Put hair into large twists
5. Slept with satin scarf and bonnet
6. The next morning I took the twists out while simultaneously oiling my hair/scalp and sealing my ends
7. I then pinned up the back of the hair and left the front out

Update: You can check out the tutorial on YouTube HERE.

Weekend Hair Plans = Fail

Why do I even try to plan out what I am going to do with my hair? It never works out. In the previous post I explained that I wanted to try the chunky twist out but, this did not happen. First off, I was running behind schedule on the time that I planned on doing my hair. I took the twists out and that was the only thing I achieved. Then I just thought to myself, I'm not going to even try this style because my hair is not going to be dry. I'll do it tomorrow.

However, tomorrow came and went and I still did absolutely nothing with my hair.

So, the style I have been rocking this entire weekend and today is a pin-up with some hair out. All I did was pinned the back of my hair up and left some of the front out. I mean I like the style but, I need to do my hair also. It is in dire need of co-washing and detangling. I want to say that I will do this tonight but, everytime I make plans then they just fall through. So, I will just say that I will get to it...eventually.

Weekend Hair Plans

It's Homecoming!!!

So, here's my plans for the weekend:
1. Take down this set of twists in my hair.
2. Co-wash my hair with Suave Coconut Naturals.
3. Detangle.
4. Deep condition.
5. Put in chunky twists.
6. Take twists out once fully dry for a twist out.

I plan on doing all of this tonight. Now, I won't be able to start until about 8:30 PM because that's around the time I will be out of church. I'm praying my hair will be fully dried by 9:00 AM Saturday for the parade:/

Hair Today: Retro Twist Updo

So, I decided to try something new with my twists before I take them out today. I saw this video by this newly discovered natural vlogger on YouTube named MsVaughn. She did a tutorial on this cute pin up. She had her hair out but, I begin thinking that I could try this hairstyle with my twists. So, last night I practiced and it came out too cute. Check out her video HERE.

I will be definitely trying this hair on my loose hair. But, usually when I try updos on my loose hair it is too thick to work with. My hands will begin to hurt from trying to tame it. However, I am going to try it anyway.

Embarassing Hair Story

So, CurlyNikki recently did a post asking us "What was our most embarassing hair moment?" I meant to respond to this post but, just as I was typing someone came and sidetracked me asking for assistance. I forgot to go back and post it. So, I thought that I would post my most embarassing post here.

Last week, I was rocking my curly twist updo. And yall know that I love this hairstyle. So, I went through the second half of my workday and thought everything was fine. Then, when I got home I noticed this random twist sticking STRAIGHT UP in the middle of my head. All I could do was groan...

Then, I started trying to backtrack and think. Who did I see? When did this happen? I hope no one laughed at me.

It was then that I decided to rock the twist updo to avoid any other mishaps with my curly twist updo. (I was also getting bored with that updo anyway).

Natural Blast from the Past: Pam Grier

Foxy Brown!

She was so beautiful with that afro! She showed the world that our natural tresses could be gorgeous, sexy, elegant, and so much more.

Of course, she now wears her hair straight or with wigs. However, it is nice to reminisce on her past style. Also, this is her most popular hairstyle--kinda what brought her to the map. To this day, people will still say to a pretty lady rocking an afro "I see you Foxy Brown".

So, today I feature Pam Grier as the Natural Blast from the Past. Beautiful.

Planning On Trying Something New...

So, Homecoming is this weekend for my alma mater. I have been wearing my protective styles but, for homecoming I want to show the full glory of my hair. I will be seeing old classmates, my sorority sisters, my fraternity brothers, etc. Since most of them remember me with relaxed tresses, I want to kinda showcase my natural hair--most have not seen my hair this way. I saw that Natural Chica did this jumbo twist style on her hair and the look was simply GAWGEOUS! So, I think I want to try that on my hair this weekend.

On either Thursday or Friday night I will be doing the following:
1. Take out the twists currently in my head.
2. Detangle somewhat with my fingers.
3. Co-wash with my Suave Coconut Naturals.
4. Deep condition
5. Put the jumbo twists in using my HE Totally Twisted.
6. Oil my scalp and my hair.
7. Air dry and wear my hair out for the parade and the step show.

Also, I think I will do a video for YouTube on this style.

Wish List: Oyin Handmade Juices

So, ever since being natural I have wanted to try Oyin Handmade's juices. They sound too good to pass up. However, for some reason, I have yet to purchase any. My sister, Auset, has two of their juices--the Juices & Berries and the Greg Juice.

I personally want the Juices & Berries first and then the Greg Juice. Or maybe I'll just get both at the same time. Now, Christmas is rolling around so maybe one of my lovely family members who read this blog may go out and purchase me some of their juices. *hint*

Here are the main reasons I want to have these products:
1. I heard the scent is really nice.
2. This product encourages hair growth.
3. It is great for detangling.
4. It is great for adding moisture.
5. Moisturize the hair without weighing it down.
6. Great ingredients.
**This is what I found out through their website http://oyinhandmade.com but, once I purchase this product I will be giving my personal review.

My sister, Auset, did a great review on the product, which finally pushed me into the idea of purchasing/having my own. Check out her experience HERE.