Back to the Blogging World

It's been awhile and even though I had planned to get back to blogging on April 5, 2012 I was delayed a bit. I'll first give you a few updates about my life and then, give you updates on my hair.

Life:
1. I have a new puppy a chihuahua mix named Raymond Sheldon (my fave sitcom characters) Pictures coming...
2. I am setting new career goals. Being a secretary is pleasing but, not a satisfying career.
3. I have started a blog for my crafting, knitting, and crocheting. It can be found HERE even though the updates aren't that often because it takes time to create

Hair:
My hair is growing and mo hair mo problems. LOL. Fairy knots are attacking me like crazy. I find myself dreading wash days. It takes about an hour just to put my hair in two cornrows. I find myself flocking to protective hairstyles. Every blue moon I will rock it out and then, the next day it'll be back in a protective style. I actually haven't changed any of my hair products and don't see myself doing so because I am pretty pleased with them :-)

On April 5, 2012 I celebrated my 2 year hair anniversary. Yay me! I am very pleased with the growth despite the time it takes to do my hair. I look forward to another exciting and rewarding natural year. As my hair grows, I get asked over and over and over again from naturals and non-naturals alike when I am going to straighten it. LISTEN UP. IT AIN'T HAPPENING. That is what I want to say but, I just smile politely and say nicely "I don't plan on ever doing it." I think what annoys me most is that people look at my hair as potential and don't accept it for what it is. I think I get the most irritated when the same people ask me over and over again like they think they can brainwash me. "It's not like a perm or anything." "Have you ever even had your hair straight." "I promise you it would be so long." I'm like whatev. You just do you and Ima do me. I don't question others hair practices so, please just let me be. I am officially off that soap box. LOL

My hair 2 years later. Still in love with it. This was a very chunky braid out. I had about 7-8 braids in and used EVOO and Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Pudding. I braided most of the hair and twisted the ends for the spiral look and easy take down.

Hair Today: Half Pinned Up Chunky Braid-Out

I have recently been trying something new for my night routine. I have started back braiding it each night. When I first went natural I used to cornrow my hair each night using Hollywood Beauty Olive Creme. For the past 2 weeks I have been re-braiding my hair in loose chunky individual braids using Oyin Handmade Juices and Berries (review coming) and Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk (review coming). This has really helped me decrease the amount of tangles and single strand knots I experience.

Usually, I will pin all the hair up in some type of protective style like a Roll and Tuck. But, today, I decided to pin up half of my hair and leave the rest down. It was a simple process and I like how it turned out.

Hair Shots: From this Past Weekend

This past weekend while in Florida, I rocked a braid-out done on dry hair. I simply took down my cornrows, finger detangled, and re-braided using Jamaican Mango Lime. I didn't keep my hair out for long and re-braided it on Sunday night.

Hair Today: Braid Out

Hello, world! I am back from my hiatus.

Yesterday, I was off work so I had plans to do some sort of time-consuming hairstyle but, just decided to do a regular braid out. I wanted to put some mini twists in my hair and then curl them with some sponge rollers. (This was a request from one of my followers on Youtube) However, I couldn't find my sponge rollers so, I put that hairstyle off until sometime later.

Here's what I did:

1. I shampooed my hair (Giovanni Deep Moisture), I co-washed my hair (Giovanni Deep Moisture conditioner), I oil rinsed my hair (50:50 mixture of castor oil and EVOO), I deep conditioned my hair for 30 minutes (Suave Shea/Almond conditioner), I then rinsed it out.

2. I allowed my hair to drip dry just a little.

3. I then applied HE Totally Twisted conditioner to the hair and proceeded to to braid it in medium size braids.

4. The next morning my hair was completely dry!! I then sealed my ends with my Shea Butter/Coconut Oil mixture, took the braids down, and seperated the braids for a fuller look.

So, notice I said my hair was completely dry after only one day. I think the reason for this is that I started at 8:00 AM that morning. I also let the hair drip dry just a little. And after putting in the braids I spent a lot of time outside in the sunny weather to let that water evaporate some. So, this was great!

SN: I pinned my bangs back. Lately, I don't like having them in my face:-/

Hair Today: Braid Out (Day 3)

As you can see, my hair is out. Last week, I had an insecure moment about my hair and had plans to do some french braids. But, I had a horrible finger injury on Thursday (I cut myself in two spots deeply with a razor. By mistake, of course). This prevented me from doing my hair on Friday (It must not have been meant). On Sunday, the cuts were healed somewhat but, still tender. So, I did a dry/damp braid out on my hair. I did not wash it because I just didn't feel up to doing that much to my hair. I just detangled and then braided using OH Shine and Define.

What is funny is that I was on Whoissugar's YouTube page and she had her afro out on Friday. She was so confident and unapologetic about her HUMONGOUS hair. I thought to myself, "And I thought my hair was too big." I loved her hair and her confidence. Then, I was looking at one of my favorite of all time male singers--Maxwell--video (Whenever, Whereever, Whatever) on Saturday and I loved his hair in that video and his unapologetic way of rocking it. So, I embrace the fullness of my hair. No apologies.

Now, that I am back to embracing my big hair I am thinking about rocking some mini twists. We shall see...

SN: Just received two great compliments on my hair. Back to back:-)

Oh yeah, I used a bobby pin today to pin back my bangs somewhat. I was getting irritated about having it in my face. Maybe, I'll rock them again tomorrow.

Hair Today: Braid Out with Center Part

Here are a few pics of my hair. This is a braid out I did with 16 individual braids in my hair. This is Day 3 of my hair. This past Sunday, I took the braids out but, can you believe the hair was still damp in the middle and back?!?! I put the braids in on Friday!

Whatev...

I just let my hair do what it do. Sometimes I feel like my hair is trying to tell me to stop trying to tame it so much. If it wants to take 48 hours or more to dry then, so what? So, I just let it do what it do;)

I do like how thick and full my hair looks when it doesn't fully dry. And I do like that it isn't so defined. There are perks in all things.

Hair Today: Chunky Braid Out (Day 6)

Hey, yall.

I thought I'd quickly show you a shot of my hair today. This is the sixth day of my Chunky Braid Out. I plan on washing and re-doing my hair on Wednesday (or Thursday b/c Wednesday is Bible Study night). I am sure you all are wondering why I am doing my hair in the middle of the week. Well, since I was off work last week--except for one day--I didn't take the braids out of my hair until Wednesday (I washed on Monday). So, that is why my hair schedule was thrown off a bit.

As you can see, the hair has gotten bigger. As I mentioned before, these are the days I really be feeling my hair!

I did a video on Youtube showing my Day 6 Chunky Braid Out in real time. You can check it out {HERE}. The second half of the video shows my Outfit of the Day so, you may disregard that part if you like:-)

Let's Talk About Day 1 (and 2) Hair

I've been natural for almost a year now (April 5, 2011 will be my anniversary). And I've learned many things in my natural journey. One thing I know without a doubt is that I am not a fan of Day 1--or even Day 2--hair.

You've heard me mention this before on this blog in passing but, I decided to have a post dedicated to this topic.

Day 1 hair is associated with:
1. Super defined look - I know some people love that super-defined look but, I am not a big fan of it. I find myself seperating my hair so much when I first take down my braids or twists in order to achieve my fuller, more natural look.
2. No emphasis on the true texture of the hair - This goes back to the hair being super defined. Because of this the true texture is not really shown. I don't fight frizz, I embrace frizz. Its simply beautiful to me.
3. Too much of a sheen:-/ Yeah, I said it. I mean I want my hair to have a nice sheen but, sometimes I think it just looks too relaxed-like. Its hard to explain but, I hope you get my drift.

Its not that I hate Day 1 hair, it just isn't my favorite day of my twist-outs or braid-outs. I don't like that super defined, not quite natural looking look of my hair. Now, as for Day 3 and on up...I LOVE it. That's when the true texture starts coming to the forefront and it just looks glorious!

Hair Today: Braid Out (Day 5)

My braid out has really held up this entire week. It seems I get the most compliments on Day 4 and 5 hair. I must admit that I like my hair the most on these days also. The hair just gets bigger and it loses some of that definition. Simply put, I like it.

You already saw a glimpse of my hair in the previous post. But, I decided to have a post specifically designated for my hair today.

To keep up my Braid Out I do the following each night:
1. I put my hair in 2 loose and low afro puffs.
2. I then tie a satin scarf over the hair.
3. I then put a bonnet over that scarf---for extra security.
4. Every other morning or night, I oil my hair and seal my ends.

Hairstyle: Braid Out?? or Textured Afro??

So, this past Sunday, I washed my hair and then braided it---intending to do a braid out. Well, despite starting on my hair at 3:00 pm my hair still did not fully air dry. So, the next day while taking it down my hair was really damp all over. You know me, I just let it do what it do. And I still like it!

I decided to show some pics of my hair over last 3 days that I have been wearing this braid out/textured afro.

Day 1 - You can see that the back of the hair really has little to no wave definition. The hair displays my texture. I like how full it looks.
Please excuse the puckered lips. I was feeling my new lipstick. lol. This shot really shows the full shape of my hair.
This is my hair today, I am still feeling it. I will definitely be rocking this style to the end of this week or longer. We'll see...

I achieved this hairstyle by:
1. Washing the hair.
2. Applying conditioner to my entire head
3. I then put my hair into 21 braids
4. I took it down the next morning using my shea butter/EVOO mixture to seal the ends.
5. I did not really seperate the hair for a fuller look because it was not dry. It eventually air dryed to this full look.

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:-/

Great Linkage: Battle of the Braid-Out and Twist-Out

This week I have been wearing my hair in a braid-out and I mentioned that its has its pros and cons. However, there must be other naturals out there who want to understand the difference between the braid-out and twist-out. They also want to know which is better.

A reader submitted the question to CurlyNikki and she provided insight to her experience with the Braid-Out versus the Twist-Out.

Check out the link HERE.

Hair Today: Braid Out, 3rd Day

Ever had one of those days where you are really feeling your hair?? Well, I'm having one today:-) I am loving how my hair is looking today. It feels so big and it has a nice shape. What I like about the braid-out is that it really shows off my hair texture. When I have the twist-outs the pattern is more of a wave.

Also, I think that I may revisit the braid-out in the future. I know that I made the braids too small. So, the next time I am going to make them much larger. Hopefully, they will turn out nice.

Hairstyle: Braid (&twist) Out

This is the result of the Braid (&twist) Out.



This is how my hair looked after I finished braiding it. I braided it after washing and if you look closely you can kinda see some of the conditioner that I used as a leave-in on my hair. I oiled my hair with EVOO to eliminate the residue. In the future, I may make the braids larger.


So, since this was a holiday weekend (Labor Day) I decided to try out something new with my hair. I finally tried the Braid (&twist) Out that was inspired by the YouTuber br0nzeqt. Check out the tutorial HERE.

Most people have suggested the Braid out because they say that it will stretch the hair more than a twist-out will. And with the Braid/Twist out you get the benefit of stretched hair but, curled ends.

So, what's my thoughts on this hairstyle?? I liked the way my hair turned out this morning. But, this style is TOO time-consuming. Yesterday, I shampooed and co-washed my hair. I applied my HE Totally Twisted for a leave-in and divided my hair in four sections to start putting the braids/twists in. I started at 12:20 pm and finished my entire head at 2:19 pm. That was over two hours! And I worked diligently. The next morning I awoke at 6:00 am and began taking my braids/twists out (I sealed my ends while taking them out). I finished at around 7:25 am. That is almost a hour and a half of take-down. Needless, to say this style is will NOT be a staple. I feel the small amount of stretch is not worth the time it takes to put this style in. One good thing about the Braid/Twist out is that I did not have to seperate the hair for fullness after taking it down. It was already full. I would rather stick to the twist-outs because it is a faster hairstyle. It usually takes me--at the most--30 minutes to put my twists in. Take down and styling is usually less than 30 minutes. If I do the braid/twist out in the future I will definitely make the parts much larger.

These are the steps:
1. Refer to the link of the video for more details.
2. Wash hair, apply leave-in.
3. Divide hair into four sections (make sure to part the hair in the way you want it to fall).
3. Take a section at a time and begin to braid/twist the hair.
4. Apply scalp oil.
5. Apply EVOO throughout the hair.
6. Leave the hair braided overnight--or until its completely dry.
7. Take down the hair.
8. There is no need to seperate the hair for fullness.
9. You're done!

Hair Today: the Braid-Out Pinup

It's back...

I have not worn the braid-out pinup for a long minute now. Its crazy because at one point I was wearing it religiously. I tried something new with the pinup this time and I'm sure you've noticed. I have a center part! I know its not the boldest move, but I always felt you had to be really confident to rock a center part--and now I have (crazy, I know).

With my hair like this, I feel like I'm one of the student's at a university from the 1800s. They would always rock the pinups with with the center part. My sister saw my hair this morning and was like "I see you with the center part looking like one of those old pics of students at HBCUs." This was the look I was going for:-)

Hairstyle: The CinnaBun

For church yesterday, I tried out a new hairstyle that was on CurlyNikki.com this week. It was the CinnaBun with a pompadour in the front. (I'm sorry that I don't have any pics.) I received some compliments on the hairstyle. So, for work, I decided to do the CinnaBun without the pompadour.

Click here for a tutorial.

The only difference between my CinnaBun and motorcitymoxie (the youtuber) is that I cornrowed my hair the night before. So mine was done on braid-out hair. Also, my hair is shorter than hers, but it still worked:-)

Hairstyle: Cornrows with a Low Pin-up

So, this week was supposed to be my "Afro Week". I was going to wear my hair in an afro for every day of the week. But...it didn't work out. I mentioned previously that when I wear my hair in the Afro I have many tangles/fairy knots in the hair. Also, when I wear the afro I spend so much time picking it out. However, I still wanted to rock the afro despite all of this. I made it three days and I gave in.





Therefore, today's hairstyle is a lazy/protective/low-manipulation hairstyle:-) I cornrowed my hair last night. Then, this morning I unbraided some of the hair in the back and pinned it up. I played with it by putting in a flower, then i put some of the hair over my ear. In the end, I took out the flower and pinned the hair behind my ear.

These are the steps:
1. Cornrow hair into desired direction.
2. Un-braid the hair to about the middle back section of the head.
3. Pin the hair up to achieve a low pin-up/bun style. (refer to the pics for an idea)

Pretty simple.