Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Racks on racks on racks of curls

I got some good shots the other day of what my hair was doing at work.  It "does things" on its own quite often lol. Sometimes defying me, sometimes just being itself and this was one of those days where I checked on it in the mirror later in the day and was like "OH! why hello there :-*  ♥ "

In it I had the In-Kind leave in, some Kiss My Face gel and some of Safi Haircare's Avacado shea butter that I got last year.  You can see in the picts the differing curl sizes, differing definition areas, and different types of curls.  The shape of my old hair cut looks ok here, mostly shrunken, but trust me, most of the time it looks crazy and I am desperately waiting to get a hair cut next month.



The shape of the grown-out cut from the side:
Back of my head
Close-up of the back of my head

Friday, May 20, 2011

The red rinse hangs on for dear life

Happy Friday!

I just wanted to share these pictures real quick.  I got some good sunny shots of the color that remains in my hair after the red rinse I put in it quite some time ago.  Because the hair I applied it to was so light where the highlights were it seems this rinse is not going to fade all the way out.  Which I am HAPPY about!  lol.  I did not want the demi-blond any more and I rather like the red tone.  I plan to hang onto it while I can and maybe even refresh it some kinda way as the warm weather progresses.

This is day 2 or 3 wash and go hair from using In-Kind leave in with KMF gel and grapeseed oil over it. 

You can see how much it has grown out and how noticeable it is on my previously highlighted ends.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Amel Live at Park with her HUGE hair :-)

I wasn't very close to the stage, but then all of a sudden she came into the audience right next to me! She sang a verse with a girl directly in front of me (who had fabulous style by the way) and I caught the snippet on my iPhone.  Check out Amel's hair!  I was waiting to see if it expanded any larger like mine would have, but it seemed to have reached maximum size, maybe on the brink of retracting actually lol.



Great Night in DC!

Catching Up and a very slick high bun

I have a serious backlog of posts, and some of them are getting old, and some missed their window of relevancy- like what I have to say about the darn Psychology Today Article.... SMH... Alas.  I'll publish it when I finish writing it anyway.

Meanwhile I have some picts to post to start catching up. yey!

First Update:

My hair is long enough again that I can get all of it into a high bun (low buns have been possible for months now) with only help from a brush.  I have been killllling this style.  So much so that the front and sides of my hairline need a break before they take one lol.  The bun itself is just a half-pulled-through pony. Nothing fancy at all, a nappy knot.  But for the edges and pulling it into the pony I used the KMF gel with some grapeseed oil... can I tell you how slicked up my hair was?  After 2 days it wasn't even wavy like usual.  It was straight.....  Like Straight.  Note following exhibits:




I had a headband on here and it helps a lot with the fuzzys that come by the end of the day without it.

I have a few picts of the fuzzies from another day.  I was just about to take off my makeup here and go to bed, and had even begun to take my hair down when I thought to take these. I snapped a few flicks in the poor lighting in my room but I think you can see the fuzz lol.  This was the very end of the night of the Amel Larrieux show at Park at 14th in DC.  I have a video of her FABULOUS fro-like hair that night I am posting next.
LOL see the halo of fuzz.


What has everyone else been up to?  I think I am loving the bun so much because I am planning on a styled hair cut in June and have kinda been putting my hair away while I hold off on that.  It keeps me from getting scissor happy myself lol. I trimmed almost 8 weeks ago though. I think I am going to try and stay on top of those 8 week trims.  I didn't think it used to matter, but in growing my hair long I think that will help eliminate knots and splits if I decide to grow it out after this cut.  It's a good habit for me to form.  Fairy knots are my hairs arch nemesis.

Monday, May 9, 2011

D.M.V. Shout out!

Hey DMV ladies! (DC, MD, VA)

I have met a few women in person who read my blog and I just want to say that it really makes my day to know you are on here and appreciate the blog enough to say hello.  And then I feel bad that I am not posting as often as I want to lol.

So a big Hello! to you all, anyone who has seen me out and about and said hi, and everyone reading and checking out the picts (and sometimes vids). I am glad I can help, and entertain and share.  I appreciate the love!
*hugs*

Sooo in the spirit of sharing for my DMV friends (sorry everyone else!)- I discovered a product seemingly exclusive to Safeway and its partners.  A brand called In-KIND.  It was $5 each on sale as I walked down the product aisle, which I habitually do even when I should not.  The only info I can find about the product on the internet is about the new bottle designs, which are quite fabulous!  So I was a sucker and grabbed the Curl Care Conditioner, Gel, and styling cream.  Two thumbs up for the conditioner and styling cream. One Thumb down for the gel.

The smell of all the products is kinda of citrus and clean.  I love it, particularly given my love for the KMF gel grapefruity smell lol.

But the conditioner- it's light and sudsy kinda.  It reminds me of the Yes to Cucumbers consistency.  It works well to detangle and it seemed very moisturizing.  Plus the ingredients are pretty good so I am in serious like.

Then the leave-in.  It has wax in it- *insert sound of doom* BUT my hair loves products with waxes- like Deva Curl Set it Free.  The issue with waxes is that they can build up, and if you are using direct heat( I don't) I hear it can burn and damage the hair.  I have not had any build up issues so I can't knock it for my own hair.  anywhoo... It spreads, is has slip, it's light, it smells good. seems to keep my hair plump-like.  My hair is shiny with it alone.  Again- I like it a lot.

Now the gel- womp womp.....It's liquidy, super light- again- reminds me of AnGEL from Deva.  It goes on kinda like a serum- but it doesn't stick any hair together- no clumping.  Then by the time you have applied enough to think it's helping- all you have done is guarantee some crunch on your undefined curls later lol. whack. no es bueno on wet hair.  But I will try it in a roller set before I turn my other thumb down.

So here is day two hair, with their gel fading fast, from last week. Sorry I only got a few hasty pictures.  It is just halfway pulled back with a plastic elastic into a loose and low puff.
Looks kinda like a large hawk. (heh heh)


TODAY, however, I did the same product combo but used my pink Ecostyler gel and a lil grapeseed oil over it = Defined, soft, fluffy curls all over!  Loving it! I have gotten several compliments out and about and even wrote down my blog and the Eco styler for a woman who sold me some cute shoes lol.  I'll take picts when I get home.

So if you have a safeway near you- here is their nod to natural haircare products.  I'd say it's definitely the best buy on their shelf if you happen to need something while you are out lol.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Name this style. Rihanna's version. What say you?

Hey! Remember this post and style?
http://www.itsjusthair.com/2011/03/braid-style-inspired-by-youtube.html

It pops up again today on Rihanna as spotted by Coco & Cream. I am actually loving the hair, makeup and the green earrings, and the ummm, concept(?) of the dress she has on but it really just looks like her lingereee went crazy and began devouring her like an evil lace plant.

But the braid style is still hott to me, though maybe I can't do it again cause it will reinforce the random Rihanna comparisons I get lately O_o.  What can we call this style?

Sunday, May 1, 2011

What a week! Good day 1 results with ultimate fail

I have been MIA I know.  I have a bunch of posts on deck so hopefully they will all trickle out this week.

I went out a lot the week before last and I was dog tired by the end of the weekend.  This week began on the bottom of that hill and it's taken this long to get back on top of it.  I'm also gardening this year and it is sooo much work.  I'm really excited by the prospect of eating foods I've grown myself though.  I am now growing Kale, Spinach, Collards, Peppers, Lettuce and some herbs.  I have tomatoes and beans and cucumbers waiting to go in the ground in early May.  I spent time after work getting some free pots donated by a woman in the area (yey FreeCyclers!), doing some planting, watering, weeding, cutting grass.  Spider webs and tree jizz in my hair. lol. AND I am at war with the darn squirrels lol.  These are not the ramblings of a fashionable urbanista, and I have been anything but.

Also I'm on a medicine now that requires me to change my diet :-\
I'm all low carb and no sugar now but so far I have not had any side effects.  I'm looking forward to seeing it kick in (PCOS related).

As for my hair and what I can say about it, I'm continuing to grow it out. I wore it out last weekend to a few concerts and I was happy for my curlies.  I can't wait for the warm weather to really take hold so that I can just get on with wash and go season in earnest.  I'm still waiting a month more to cut it though.  I don't see myself freeing up to really create the styles I like to try in the next few months.  So far I am still totally in love with the Kiss My Face gel and I have recently tried mixing it with grapeseed oil.  Pretty successful!

A fail I can mention actually yielded the following photos.  Let's get into that!
I went to Yes Organics at lunch one day and picked up some vegetable glycerin, some marshmallow root, a new bottle of castor oil, and the grapeseed oil.  I already have some flax seed and plan on doing some summer experiments bwahahahaaaa!  But I could not help myself, I broke into everything already except the Marshmallow root.  On Saturday I co-washed and then made a quick mix of castor oil, glycerine, KMF gel, burdock root extract, and pure aloe vera gel (food grade).  It was nice when it was wet and drying, but then it got sticky and a bit greasy.  I had to rinse it by Moday night after some time outside.  It had attracted tons of pollen and who knows what after a jaunt through an old shed digging through dirty planters.

But on Saturday night it was cute and that is when i took these picts.  I'll keep you posted if I come up with any cool mixes.  I know they abound on the web but none I've see offer the wash and go definition I seek.  I think the KMF gel will be the key!

I couldn't decide which I liked best so here's a rack of them! this was at the end of the night when I got home at 2am- Hair completely dry.






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