Naturally Merry Gifts

Merry Christmas, Happy HanaQuansika! A few of my relatives and friends have either recently gone natural or are still struggling to learn how to style their loose natural hair. For instance, they still don't wear her hair out loose- set, wash and go, or otherwise. Add to the struggle limited braiding and twisting skills, and an old school opinion on protective and big hair styles, and you get frustration and the dreaded direct heat. I decided that for Christmas I would do my own analysis of a few heads of hair, and buy products based on what "I would try". I came up with some cute packs, with mostly sample sized products, and several tools that I can't imagine them living without. I hope I'm not creating product junkies, after my own image lol.

Using the "typing systems" I've got a 3b-c/S, a 4a/O and a 4a-b/IS that I made packs for.

My 3b-c/S is in her late 50s (I hope she is not reading this!) and has APL-BSL hair. I got her Knot Today, a large comb, Mixed chicks, Thick and Slick Custard, Giovanni silk conditioner, and some Cream of nature rosemary and lemongrass leave in. I wanted to get her some curl keeper, but could not find the stuff!

My 4a/O is getting some natural oasis grease, some Ampro clear ice, some kinky curly knot today and custard, large comb, some castille soap, and some Cholesterol conditioner. She is a young 22 or so, and just transitioned this year (yay!) Her hair is probably about 6-8 inches long.

The 4a-b/IS is an avid presser. I think her texture may be different that what displays now due to heat damage, but what can you do. She is also about 60 yrs old, so set in her ways somewhat. I got her several items from the Chi line, Giovanni conditioner, mixed chicks shampoo and conditioner, natural oasis grease, and some kinky curly because she wanted to try it. She may like the knot today but the custard may be a bust. Her hair is just about shoulder length pressed.

There are other things in there like those fancy hair towels and a few shower caps, some of those double prong bobby pins, grape-seed oil, and some ouch-less hairbands. I hope they all love the packs and get much more wear out of their hair with a new product or two. I'll have to be on standby to coach for technique!

More texture. Big hair, Don't care.

On the streets of DC today. I used Elasta QP Olive Oil/ MANGO BUTTER Moisturizer, (got mine at a local beauty supply store) which I love! and some Deva curl Set it Free spreay mixed 50% with water to refresh my gel-less hair this morning. The Elasta gives it a bit of hold actually.

Texture shots!

I have been feeling my hair without the gel lately! the big bush! I know it is a lot to visually ingest for some poor passersby, but alas, I think it's so feminine and outspoken. Have to love it :-) I am getting a trim to adjust the shape on Dec 30th. Stay tuned for before and after shots.

Pressed hair, fleeting glimpse. Going... going....

I have been so busy lately! I never really recovered from the Thanksgiving break, and now the Christmas break is coming so fast. I am also in the process of entering the housing market game so I am obsessed with all things home buying and DIY. To make matters worse, my BF is in the midst of finals week, so I have relinquished the desktop station at home to him lately.

So for my hair... Very little love. Wash and goes, then a retired wash and go pony puff, then whatever I can get away with has been my cycle for a few weeks now, despite the cold weather. But this past week, I had a few bad days. I had visions of actually cutting my hair very soon, (and buying clothes, happy clothes and boots and shoes). I decided, instead, to show off my length for once before I loose it. Maybe. It never looks long, but it is long, which just makes many styles take longer and require more skill than they used to. I pressed it on Saturday in a flourish of blowdrying and swipes with a tired, years old, revlon "ceramic" hot iron. Said iron began peeling from one of the plates halfway through pressing to reaveal- shiny silver metal underneath. sigh. But my hair came out OK. for that day. I slept in flexible curlers that night to achieve the curly wrap look on Sunday. But when I took the curlers out, I had an old school halfway straight/halfway bushy mass of hair that did not retain the curl after wrapped it and took it down a few hours later. It's in a fluffy ponytail today. I don't feel like fighting it back straight. I'll see what I can come up with while I prolong the time before I let it fully revert.

The other funny thing- is that I have been hiding it. I don't want to give any curly haters any ammunition to ubercompliment the bushy but straighter/closer to "normal" hair. I breezed by our concierge with my hat on and wore my hat sporadically throughout the day. I feel no need to show off the length any more. Funny how that bright idea came and went. I didn't want to spend the money (or risk damage) for a harder press, and I'm glad I didn't.

I've Been Featured!

Check me out on Afro Glitz Magazine! >>

my curly twists- OUT!

I love it. Still wearing the twistout, Day 2. I can wait a bit longer to wash it I think :-)

STILL wearing my twists after the holiday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I did! I flew home to CT and saw my maternal family. On the hair front- My brother's girl has gone natural and is finding her way, and my mom has been natural for years. I owe her a twist and roller set. I twisted my hair up a few weeks ago, and today marks the 20th day twisted. They are getting matted now and I need another wash, so I'll be taking them apart for a brief twist out tomorrow. I've washed them once already by sudsing up my scalp with a sulphur based clarifying shampoo and re-twisted the fuzziest ones in increments. But all in all- I have loved these twists! They are small and swingy. I have been going to bed with them up in a pony on top of my head, so they've stayed elongated. I can do styles with them and/or wear them out. I'll be redoing them soon this winter. However, I am hankering to wear my hair out for a week or two first. The last picts below, are me today.

"I love my hair" -Picts of my Fab Natural Friend

FNF: I'm going to have to put it out there today
I love my hair
:-)
it's doing wonders today!
me: :-)
still twisted?
FNF: yes
me: I wanna see!
FNF: it's fun!!!
me: yey natural hair! thats YOURS
FNF: it is mine!!!!
I used your idea for "stretching"
and it worked
me: oo the high pony?
FNF: I'm sending a pic (or two)
me: tee hee. take a bunch. I can post em on my blog
lol- aww you look all happy. they look swingy!
your skin is flawless too!

Cute Curly Twists

I decided to twist it up after wearing my hair shrunken and slathered with conditioner for a few days. It was still feeling very nice and floofy, so I decided to twist it up as it was. I didn't part it nor fully detangle each section. Just kinda twisted it up with its floofy/kinkyness intact. It came out as these curly twists, reflecting the curl of the hair in the shapes of the twists. It looks pretty cute I think. I'm on day 5 now. I wear it in a high ponytail at night to keep it a little stretched and I use some .99 cent Mega Care "grape seed oil" on the twists daily and on my scalp every 2 days. I'm loving that I don't need rod curlers to achieve this.

Hair chat of the week, ecostyler vs KCCC

FNF (fabulous natural friend): best video
FNF: (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-SIrvkHtuM)
FNF: check it out
FNF: Kinky curly vs Eco styler
FNF: lol
FNF: girl does half and half
FNF: side beside comparison
ME: LOL
ME: I think I saw this
FNF: her hair is similar to ours too
FNF: well like yours
FNF: x-(
FNF: can't wait for the hair to grow
FNF: feels soooo short now
ME: it's NOT
FNF: except for the fact that it is
FNF: lol
FNF: it's shoulder length
FNF: I guess I shouldn't complain
FNF: just want more
FNF: do you use regular or Olive oil
FNF: eco styler
ME: no- the pink one
FNF: wow there are sooo many
FNF: lol
ME: her hair is kinda thin
FNF: same as mine
FNF: sort of
ME: her first side is the kinky curly?
ME: she shingling her whole head
FNF: other side is ecostyler
FNF: to me it was more
FNF: $26 vs $4
FNF: lol
ME: i do my head in 4s. thats it now adays
ME: yeah for real I'll take the ecostyler please
ME: i'm re-unconverted
FNF: lol
FNF: I want to try it now
FNF: but I have to do my twist first!!!!
ME: plus the stickiness of the KC is whack
FNF: or maybe I should do it tonight
FNF: and do my twist Sunday
ME: gotta wash ur wrists and neck after
FNF: man
FNF: u ain't never lie
FNF: I hate that crap
FNF: next expensive item is the curly custard
FNF: from Lovely
ME: yeah- and i don't feel bad using tons of eco cause it so cheap
ME: her hair is way thinner than urs and not as curly as either of us I think
FNF: I thought it was press damage
FNF: on top
FNF: the back look like ours a lil
ME: yeah it looks like it
ME: ours would raise up as it dry
FNF: right
FNF: completely rise
FNF: lol
FNF: I'm twisting the hair
FNF: came to the conclusion
ME: lol
FNF: just now
FNF: looking for a blowdryer next

Rocking the shrinkage

Just conditioner as leave in this week. Nice shrunken shape with a headband. I don't mind :-) sometimes you can sculpt it into a nice shape, and mimic the relaxed bob shapes of days past.



The real deal- lol (pic from July blow out)

Day 3 hair with Eco Styler and Jason Green Routine

I love this stuff and this stuff together. Check out my day 3 hair (very elusive!) from this weekend!

Hair Chat of the week

After my post yesterday I said to myself- you know, I have tons of conversations every week about hair- culture, styling, products etc. SO... I will post the best conversation from every week. Here is the best convo from last week :-) My post-chat additions are in RED.

Fabulous Natural Friend (FNF): did i already mention how the whole theater turned and stared at my hair when the lights came on after "Good Hair" the other day?

ME: lol- musta been great

ME: cause no one like you or me was in that whole film

FNF: and i was wearing my "I heart my hair" tshirt

FNF: lol

FNF: that was SO annoying

FNF: i need part 2 of the movie

FNF: with all natural chics

FNF: and the dudes who sweat us

ME: seriously

ME: even the girl in there had extensions

FNF: so wack

ME: our movie could have us swimming and working out, going out, dancing and looking diva, with our fine men like- weave? who has time for weave?

ME: my girl spent $70 to get her hair "pressed" it lasted 12 hrs and she washed it lol

FNF: yup!

FNF: oh geeeez

FNF: that part in the flic where homegirl was talking about not being taken seriously and not taking someone seriously in a professional environment if they had a big ole afro

FNF: i literally started yelling in the theater

ME: oh those girls

FNF: the next day i was having a convo with a sista who was showing me a natural hair website (she's on the creamy crack)

FNF: and she said the SAME thing

FNF: i'm trying to remember the website tho

FNF: cuz i was gonna send it to you

FNF: something about coil...

FNF: oh here it is

FNF: (Link: http://thecoilreview.com/)The image we were discussing is GONE :-(

ME: yes!

FNF: homegirl's layers are PERRRRRRRRRFECT

FNF: i need to print this out, go to the salon and be like DO THIS

ME: i drool over that main pic

ME: I decided I am going to the dude in NY (Hair Rules- Anthony Dickey)

ME: grow until then and then just let him go with it

FNF: when are you going?

ME: the first week in Feb most likely

FNF: oh wow

ME: i'm just going to save for it from now to make it not so bad

FNF: yeah, i gotta get it cut before that

FNF: been trimming here and there myself

FNF: but i haven't had it cut properly since May 08

FNF: lol

ME: yeah - I um... cut mine myself so if that counts. its been since March or April

FNF: wait, is this real?

FNF: (Link: http://thecoilreview.com/tcr-final/components/com_joomgallery/img_pictures/my_coilaroids_3/getattachment_20090821_1572666169.jpg)

FNF: yes

ME: her curls are loose though

ME: very pretty- color too

ME: she has a good hair shape too. i think i like mine shorter in front. for the shape of my head/face

ME: kinda why i wanna see this dude. i think he could look at a head/face and optimize it

FNF: yeah, i def need mine shorter in front

FNF: i hadn't trimmed the front for months. couldn't figure out why my hair was looking terrible

FNF: cut MAD inches off the front

FNF: brand new hair

ME: ari told me he likes my hair off my face. but that... i'm not sure i can do

ME: i do get compliments on the low puff a lot though

ME: all off the face

FNF: yup. looks good on you.

FNF: i don't like it on me tho.

ME: my hair doesn't like to do it

ME: it's really forward facing if at all spirited

Roller set = Fail. Recycled chat convo.

Here is me and one of my girls chatting yesterday. I know I'm lazy for posting this way- lol!

10:49 AM me: I have to post on Jason's Green silkener. my new BFF

friend: is it cheap?

me: I mentioned when I got it and have been digging it ever since

it was when I got it- was on clearence- $6 each

I got 3

10:50 AM I think it's usually like $20

friend: at the store

me: I'll be pissd when I run out

friend: or online?

me: store near work

Pure beauty. they are not carrying Jason line anymore

so blew out what they had left

I went back and got 2 more

10:52 AM friend: sounds like a true deal!!!

10:53 AM me: yeah! the ingredients are the bomb

and it layers perfectly under gel

smells minty and fresh

10:54 AM http://www.jonathanproduct.com/product.php?productid=16191&cat=284&page=1

10:55 AM damn $24

it was 75% off

10:58 AM I have to post a FAILED roller set too

wasted maaad time- came out like crap lol

10:59 AM friend: really

what happened?

me: I did single twists with twisty rods at the ends

took em out the next am- the ends were not curled and the moment I tried to take the twists apart- supreme frizz

11:00 AM friend: ooooo

me: fail. Ari was like I TOLD u to blow it out first lol

I was like nooooo blowdryer!

friend: lol

me: gotta try something else

11:01 AM I guess I don't have that kinda hair

copying a twist and curl set

11:02 AM friend: right

I do NOT have picts of the final result lol!

Flax seed gel results- from the summer.

Over the summer I made home-made flax seed gel. I had to try it twice. The first time I boiled the loose seeds directly in the water. I used some cotton cloth to strain them and it was a pain in the neck! So the second batch I made by putting the seeds into the cotton and boiling it like a huge tea bag. However, I still found that the seeds held their gooey output close to them and the majority of the good stuff had swelled into the "bag" and not out. So I squeezed and squeezed and got about 8 oz out of the whole process. It reminded me very much of Kinky Curly's consistency. However, in my hair it only provided shine and some slip. No hold. Here was my hair after it dried. In retrospect the results were very much like Curls, Gel-les'c.

A few new sample products and another mad-dash-to-work style

In my never-ending quest for the perfect product, I again stopped by a place near my job called Pure Beauty. They sell sample sizes of expensive products so that you can try them, and then hopefully fall in love and come back. Yesterday, I combed the web and found myself interested in Johnathan|product and Joico K-PAK Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor. I found both! The Johnathan products were actually being phased out so what was left was 75% off! I scored the Green Routine Silkening Cream for $6 and the Joico samples for $4.

I was still rocking a 3 day old twist out last night, so when I got home I simply applied some of the reconstructor to my dry ends, tied it up and went to bed. This morning, I washed my hair with a Neem shampoo ball I have (I'll have to look up that vendor-from Eastern Market) . I separated into 4 sections and used the rest of the bottle of reconstructor. As I used my fingers to work through each section and detagle, I IMMEDIATELY noticed a change in the way my hair felt. It was more substantial, coated almost, like fibers. It was dope. Not easy to detangle, but pretty resilient feeling. I applied some of the hydrator over the reconstructor and managed to get through all my hair and then let it set in the 4 braids while I showered.

When I rinsed my hair it was feeling totally divine! Alas I was out of time. I rinsed and re-braided each section and had no time to style my hair. I undid each braid after a towel blotting, ran the marvelous smelling Johnathan Silkening cream through (a creamy, rich, almost oily, minty balm), rebraided a bit more neatly and then ecostylered (verb- meaning to smooth frizzyness with ecostyler gel) the edges and slapped two bands on the front of my wet hair for this style below. But I can't wait to get home and play with my hair. Not sure what I will do with it yet. Maybe a roller set. I'll have verdicts on the products and their full price worthiness with my full results.

Twist out updo- Picts!

So here was the twist out! It was a bit tight and a bit fuzzy because it was twisted while wet/damp and not much gel was used. I still got a defined hold though (thanks J!).


I decided to stretch it a bit. Here you see how I do it. I grab clumps by the ends, pull it taught, then blast the root and middle with my little hand held dryer (pictured). It's about 10 sec of heat, going in an up-down motion, per section (I counted).


So here it is a bit looser.


I at first tried an asymmetrical up-do to go with my shirt.



But I decided on a full updo instead. I was headed to a friend's big 30 and engagement bash. Ta da!

Twists Updo. a bit late.

I know I am late! I didn't take the twists out until Saturday night instead of Friday morning. I wore this updo instead. And I will post the pictures of the twist out, and subsequent updo, next. I enjoyed these twists a lot!

Sneak Preview, New Twist Set

My friend did my hair last night in a twists set with rodded ends. She had her hair in this style last week and it looked fly. I'll be taking them out for the twist-out tomorrow. Picts soon to come!

Slicked back ponytail- When time = 0

This is me yesterday. I had no time to get my 3 day old wash and go in shape to wear out, so I pulled it back. Yesterday I had it rolled into 2 big flat twists in front so it was already straightened there. I let it get damp/wet in the shower, made a part in the shower, and later used a boar bristle brush to smooth back the first 4 inches in the front. The back is in a loose ponytail. The Ecostyler reconstituted in the shower and I didn't have to add more. I just added a little safflower/e/tea tree all over and ran out the door.