Thursday, December 22, 2011

Vacation Hair, Grand Bahama

After washing out that press, I faced another challenge. I was going on vacation in less than a week and needed to do something to my hair!!  I was going to Grand Bahama for a quick 3 day vacation with pools, beaches, and humidity.  I told myself I was going to twist it up into medium sized twists....

and then I didn't.  I ended up totally running out of time, and I re-cowashed my hair the very morning of the trip and decided to just shingle it pretty solidly and hope for the best.  I used the Argen oil Eco styler, with some Shea Moisture souffle, some hairsickle cream and some Hairveda almond glaze.  It was still damp as I was boarding the plane...  smh.

BUT it held up for the whole trip, and it was mostly too cold to go for full fledged swimming anyway.  I wrapped it up one day at the beach, because of the wind and sand and I did go in the ocean up to my face.

*side note* I was told salt water is really good for your skin and my acne would clear up in the sun and ocean water....  NOT.  OMG  it got soooo much worse.  Maybe there was too much fish pee in the water?  or my sunscreen was the devil.  I dunno... I came back with weeping blemishes all over my chin.  :-(  Clean and Clear Advantage acne spot treatment has cleared it up though, and I now love burts bees face clensing wipes.  My skin looks good now.

So anyway- here are a bunch of picts from the trip :-) I long to be back on that beach with the tide out.  They filmed parts of the Pirates of the Carribean there!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Resting in a field of Flowers...I love this stuff on my head.

Blog post interlude...

I washed my hair without shingling it the other day.  While still in the shower and soaking wet I liberally applied Shea moisture milk, then some Hairsickle by Safi Hair, and then my KMF gel.  I never raked it through- I just kinda smooshed it all in.  I wrapped it in a turbie towel for 15 min and I shook it down then left the house.  Later that night when it was all dry I put a layer of castor oil over it.  Today, two days later, I used the Hairveda almond glaze to re-moisturize.  I have been sleeping with it in a high ponytail.

Treating it this way has allowed the curls, and whatever the heck these shapes are, to clump and form on their own as big or as small as they desire. 

Just now I was in a meeting (a standing room only meeting where I was crammed against the back wall) and I leaned back into my hair.  It was like a pillow.  I felt like blissfully twisting my head back and forth like I was in a field of daises lol.  The sounds in the room got muffled and I was in my own little world for a few seconds.

Doesn't hurt that the almond glaze smells divine either. 

I love this stuff on my head!! 
Texture shots:




And, btw, this is just two weeks after successfully pressing my hair!!  Who gon hair type me??

Friday, December 16, 2011

Press final results and tips for fine hair

My press lasted a remarkable 8 days!! It was crazy dirty by then so I had to wash it, but it still looked great.

I am tempted to write "this never happens" or "this is a first for me" but I know my memory is just clouded by the many times it has NOT lasted. I have gotten such wear out of professionally done presses before. I think there are two variables that make a press last vrs languish.

One is care and maintenance. If I spend $60-80 to have my hair pressed (yes... ridiculous and unfair) I am NOT going to let it revert on my watch. I will bird bath, high-ponytail and wrap my hair till I become a very different person entirely.

So the second factor is going back to old tried and true "relaxed hair" products. Cones, and waxes and petroleum... (the devil is a liar!) I have to put away the shea butter, and natural oils and do everything I can to keep moisture OUT.

So this time around what did I do? I used Murrays Beeswax. I did. And it worked miracles on fuzzing hair on the next day wrap release. MIRACLES! If ever I press my hair again, I am going to use murrays wax again. I will sing its praises. I will. I have fine hair, which usually does not like heavy product, but I needed it to control the wispyness I had going on.  I have plenty of body, but blowing in the humid wind = no es bueno.

And the second thing I did was that I wrapped it while at home. I highponytailed it in lukewarm showers. I used flexi rods on the ends and wrapped it again every few days. I even bantu knotted it one night. I spent WAYYY more time caring for my hair than I ever do when it is coiled up. I hate that I had to do that, but I got 8 days. 8 days! so I acted as if I paid for the press and I got professional wear out of it.

Yeah ok I admit - it looks a lil waxy...  lol but It was sooo shiny and behaving. 
Below is a similar shot to the one above but a few days BEFORE I added the wax before wrapping my hair.  See the difference?  This press got better and better.

This below was the first day of wearing my pressed hair and it happened to coincide with getting my braces tightened :-(
I wore it in a ponytail to my appt because I didn't want anything to get in my hair, or in their way.
I got grey bands this time, even though I have ceramic brackets, because I wanted to be able to eat curry, and cranberry, and coffee etc for the holidays and on a vacation I took to the Bahamas (next post!!)

 This pic is also before the beeswax and petroleum pomade.  My hair was light and fluffy and just waiting to revert.  My hair is very fine, I think it's getting finer than I remember it being actually.  So it really, really, wants to coil back up.

But then. Murrays.  You saved me.
 

I went to an event a week after I'd pressed my hair and I was working the door.  I knew I'd see everyone I ever knew lol, and I was kinda repping for an old school soulfull vibe, tribal paint and west indian food included...  So I was like I can NOT wear my hair pressed.  I even debated washing it early. What will I say to all the people who have not seen me in months? "It's just a press... really!"  lol.  Nah- I wrapped that bad-boy up. lol I felt ashamed.

And the Reversion.  Got every single curl back.  I slathered my hair with Vatika oil an hour before washing and put it in a bun.  Then I used Giovannis 50/50 Shampoo with two lathers and then Herbal Essence Hello Hydration.  My hair felt good!

P.S.
I am working on a post about wax.  I have been "studying" its effects on my hair for 6 months now and I must say it's a winner for me.  The things people demonize it for seem not to apply to my fine hair. I have a list of products that I use that contain it, and I was actually put on this path by discovering the waxy commonality of a few products I already had and loved.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Length updates

It's still Growing!

Now that the summer is done I have had to trim the knots of the ends (yes I still get those suckers!!) and I plan to get back into protective and "dry" styles far more often.
I trimmed it last week- a good inch all around, but you can't really tell.  Here it is before I trimmed it.

This is after I took that weave pony tail out and it was all mostly straight from being gelled back so enthusiastically lol.   It looks almost like a blowout, maybe even straighter than that in the very front.

Here it is on a random work day. I had used the Shea moisture line here, including the Souffle(which must be new and I can't find a link for! but check The Good Hair Blog's review) and curl smoothie. The Souffle is VERY intersting and a review is forthcoming. I'm not sure how to use it yet, but I like it in theory (weird I know). It is greasy and not best suited for my wash and goes. I got it at Walgreens if you can find it.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Have I out-aged this style?

I hated my center part low bun. Hated it!I used to wear my hair like this all the time and now I think I have gotten (GHASP) "too old".



Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Are we gaining ground on the beauty chart?

From my Yahoo home page yesterday. Choice of model to represent the report...WORD


booo at "men earn even more" though... 3 steps forward, two steps back.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!

Hope you all had a spectacular Halloween weekend! I sure did :-D
I went to a notorious house party on Sat night, hung with my home girls Friday night and this morning at work we had a lil company party.

Also this weekend- we had snow. Here in the DMV it came down fast and furious for a little while, but it didn't stick to the driving surfaces and it melted off the trees and grass by evening. In the North however, this storm dropped over 6" of heavy wet snow and knocked out power to most everyone I know back home in CT, and snapped countless trees. The picts I saw of my childhood yard show destruction there unlike any storm I've seen in my life. I really hope power is restored quickly and no one faces any ill health effects from the lack of heat or power :-(

Picture is of my yard in CT. Very scary for real.

Well, I was "Jane" from Tarzan for the party on Sat night. And for work I was "Cleopatra." Both costume attempts were extremely half baked and not very convincing lol. I didn't spend any money nor go out of my way this year to "be anybody" but interesting for this blog is that I whipped out my phony-tail from a wedding I was in years ago to have a straight ponytail and look different today. Yes. WEAVE. lol. I posted it on FB and the reactions are typical - mostly everyone LOVES it. SMH. I can't wait for tomorrow. I plan to wear my fro out in all it's glory. Bwahahaaa. Change!

This is from Sunday when I got my hair ready for the ponytail.  Had to slick my hair the heck back! Then slept on it to get it set.


And me at work this morning.

Head piece I got from Nicey's a few months ago. 



I didn't take any pictures on Sat night- waaaay to much was going on.  But thus far I saw this one floating around on the net so I grabbed it. *EDITED* I also got a few more from my friend Jemima (pictured with me below) :-)



Be safe tonight everyone!!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Let's Talk About Hair on TV

I'm a big fan of Tracie Ellis Ross already (see here) My mom says her charachter from girlfreinds reminded her of me amongst my crew of women folk, and I have even had the shape of my hair compared to hers, though my curls are quite different (IMO! lol)

But I was thrilled last night when I was watching Read Between the Lines and they were covering natural curls VS pressing VS relaxing, and they underpinned it with acceptance by others vs yourself. 
Watch below.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Stretched wash and go

Nothing really to report on but I have a few picts of a stretched wash and go from this past weekend.

I was out and about Friday night and wanted to wear my hair out.  I stretched it with my hand held blow dryer manually that morning, and I wore it at work in a few buns whenever I was sitting at my desk.  That night I let it free on the town lol.

I did the wash and go the day before on Thursday morning with some Fructise cream I am trying out and the Eco style Argen oil (yellow) gel.  It was an average wash and go, with pretty good next day results.  I've added some shea butter daily to keep it soft and shiny, and as of today I have still not washed my hair lol.  I have it in a big flat twist in front and a side bun.  SO I guess it was successful as a styling session for longevity! 

here are picts from being out Friday night:



Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Product review: NEW! Royal Curl™ Curl Shaping Crème

You all know I give all these products a fair shot right?

So I got this about 1.5 months ago from a local store - Yes Organics I think it was.  And OH, it sounded so lovely! 

In a hive, there’s only one queen whose diet is only Royal Jelly, a nutrient packed super-food with 17 amino acids, vitamins A, C, D, K and multiple B-vitamins. We use the Queen Bee’s Royal Jelly in Curl Shaping Créme to naturally tame frizz, define curls and smooth waves with silky hold. Pure Aloe Vera Gel and Agave Nectar quench your hair’s thirst without the grease, while powerful Green Tea antioxidants and intense moisturizers defend against damaging heat and humidity.

All natural: No harsh, or drying chemicals like alcohol, sulfates, petrolatum, parabens or phthalates.

Transforms Kinks To Defined Curls and Soft Waves


I tried it right away on a wash and go- following the directions, forsaking all other products and using my fingers to distribute it.  That was not good.  It dried frizzy and a bit crunchy, lacked sheen, and was clearly not going to yield me day 2 hair.  I also felt there was a slight residue by the time it dried- making it look a bit dull all over.  FAIL.

But I was not ready to give up.  The ingredients seemed so good!  and maybe it just needed some oil?

Just this weekend I tried it again.  This time I took the cream and some oil in the tub with me and applied it liberally to wet hair with oil added to help with dryness and residue, I hoped.  It is very thin and does not have inherent slip.  So though it was not clumping I was still like- "well maybe I will get a more shrunken and piecy wash and go."  That's not always bad- my lil curlies are dope.  I finished applying it and it looked quite alright soaking wet.  I sat under a hair dryer for an hour, since I was just home chilling on a weekend evening, and let it just dry without touching it.  Even still- I had a shrunken shiny wash and go.  No ringlets and a bit frizzy but it seemed like the helixy shape of the "inner hair" was intact and I would have a few days of nice textured hair.  I did multiple bantu pineapple knots and went to bed.

The next morning.....  FLAKES.  Flakes galore!  they spawned over night and were everywhere!!  root to tip.  what sucked worse- it was like flakes on top of sheeny zig zaggy hair that would have otherwise been fabulous, if not a bit velcro like. I did some yard work but eventually knew I had to wash it out and start all over.  sigh.

So my conclusion is, you can't use much of this product before you get flakes, yet if you don't use a lot you will NOT get definition on anything crookeder than curly hair.  My hair is spongy and fluffy, but it will coil and curl with the right product.  THIS is not it.  This is totally false and misleading: "Transforms Kinks To Defined Curls and Soft Waves."

I am not amused.

I still have half a jug left- it comes in a large 15 oz jar, like kinky curly. Maybe I will try it on a twist or braid out this winter, but I have a stronger suspicion that this jar will collect dust unless someone wants it! Who has time for potential fails on cold weather hair?

I didn't take picts because I never even got to a styled head of hair with this mess. By the time I finished my yard work and really began pulling my hair apart I had already turned on the water in the shower lol.

(oh hell- I just noticed the pic of the girls' hair on their website! What kinks??? smh.) 
ZERO out of 5!






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