FAB FRIDAY FEATURE: Kalevia

I've been natural for almost 5 years now. It was a slow process as I stopped perming, cut my straight hair to shoulder length and kept cutting it to maintain that length as my natural hair grow in and the all straight ends were completely gone. During this time I flat ironed my natural hair so that it would "blend in" with what was left of my relaxed hair. Once, all straight ends were gone I wore my hair naturally from 2008-2009 but struggled to find products that would keep my hair moisturized and tangle free. I used mostly tea tree oil and Garnier Fructis curl scrunch gel which left my hair sticky. 

My journey to dreads began in August 19th 2009 and I've been extremely happy about the process. I had my brother as a mentor who suggested products that would keep my locs clean, neat, moisturized and those that would maintain strength.  A few products that captured my heart were the organic twist and loc gel, to tree oils, and tea tree mint shampoo and conditioner (sulfate free) by organix. I wash and palm roll my locs every three weeks. I love my locs and love trying new styles with them each time I get a retwist. They're easy to manage, maintain and are versatile!

*Ms Kalevia Hamilton

 

FAB FRIDAY FEATURE: Levenia

I’ve always been known to have a long, healthy, head full of permed hair. I was anti-natural (lol). I would tease and say that some girls head be looking like brillo (the thing that you use to scrub dishes). In fact… I would hear girls saying “I’m going natural” and I would think to myself, “that ain’t for everybody”.

And then it happened; I moved to Tampa Florida, where perms cost $65, washes cost $35 and I was a broke college student hustling my way through. Forgetting that I was no longer in the beautiful Turks and Caicos where water from the tap is soft and drinkable, I decided to take care of my hair at home. #Epic fail. My hair was not use to the hard water and my hair quickly disappeared from back length to neck length.

Ahhhh!!! What to do? What to do? Did I mention that I am IN LOVE with LONG HAIR! I decided to ignore it and the hair just kept on dropping. Finally; I put my foot down and said girl you got to do something. So I decided to do the unthinkable!!! Oh no, I’m gonna be a brillo head! L I transitioned for a total of 9 months and I was loving what I was seeing, my hair was BEAUTIFUL, not the straightest, not the curliest, but it was my OWN hair and it was beautiful.

But the two textures of natural and permed hair were whooping my butt! What to do? What to do? Someone suggested TEXTURIZING (Dunt, dunt, dunnnn). So I found myself at a Dominican salon sitting in the chair sweating like a hooker in church, asking ONE question over and over and getting different responses from everybody, “How long will it take to grow out?”  “Oh 5 month” another “No no, 1 month” another “No worry, ju’ll be fine”. Well I came out of that chair and my hair was BONE STRAIGHT! All of my 9 month new growth was history!!! I cried and ran to my hairapist, Ida’s child herself and mourned over my lost progress. She told me to be encouraged and to continue on.

Well I did, I let my hair grow out for a mere 4 months and decided to grow a pair! BIG CHOP DATE: September 9^th, 2012. OMG, I’m worst than a brillo chick! I’m bald headed!!! I’m a chicken head, Ahh!!!!!! Sent my hairapist (Ida’s child) a pic and she said “Girl you rocking that TWA”. I felt a little encouraged to continue on but I braided for a month out of insecurity.

 It has now been 6 months since I made the BEST decision in my life, my hair is already back at shoulder length when stretched (I have major shrinkage). I am not just the owner of natural hair, but I am NATURALLY pretty, NATURALLY beautiful and NATURALLY ME. <3

FAB FRIDAY FEATURE: Dwinessa

 

 

 

I've been on this natural journey since 2005. I did the big chop at 14 years old and I was so scared to come to school with my "lil fro" but,it was the best decision I've ever made! 

At first it was a challenge for me to find the right products for my hair and I had no clue about how much maintenance natural hair takes. I thought that once I went natural it would "naturally" take care of itself lol but of course I was wrong!!!! 

After years of testing products I eventually found some that was right for me which is a very important step in your "natural journey". Finding out what works for you makes this hairstyle choice more adventurous I think! After my initial 3 years into natural hair I found that it had started to grow at a really slow rate and now i believe it was because of the products I was using such as "beeswax and other thick greases and gels". So I got interested in dreadlocks and began to lock my hair in January of 2009 and I love it!

Natural Hair Rules!!!!

 

FAB FRIDAY FEATURE: Martine (aka Martini lol)

I’ve been natural almost all my life. In 2004-2005 I used a texturiser much to everyone’s advice that my hair would still remain “natural”. I know...***insert raised eyebrows and muffled chuckles here*** Much like a relaxer, my hair became thin and broke off, leaving me with the most pathetic ponytail. I BC’d in July 2005. I loved my hair, it was spirally, coily, kinky and best of all, there was no more thin damaged ends.  It was the best of times and worst of times (yes, I love a cliche); those early years were tough! I was used to natural hair, but having 1 inch of hair was beautifully terrifying – the looks, the stares, the questions were pretty overwhelming. A friend of mine insisted I wear lipstick to “not look like a boy”. It was one of those moments where you didn’t know how to react, except smile and take the L’oreal #329 and smear it on your lips with fierce obedience. Big chopping takes courage and assertiveness let no one tell you different.

From then on, I was the quintessential natural; I joined every bandwagon, trend, challenge and bought almost every product that was praised on the hair boards (well, except bull sperm and miconazole nitrate; I had some sort of decorum folks). I was unashamedly obsessed and desperate my hair to grow to pre-BC, pre-texturiser-disaster length. I tried a huge number of products and never focused on health, ergo, the Product Junkie. That is the top natural mistake: length over health. When desperation seeps, you lose focus, intuition and protective skepticism in a bid for 18 inches of natural hair. 

 

 I don’t know when it hit me (2007-2008?), but after a while, I was bored with the length hustle and wanted healthy, touchable hair (with no dripping wild growth hair oils doe). My regimen changed and I’ve been a happier natural since. So after that long winded prologue, I can tell you that my current regimen is pretty fluid and tailored to what my hair needs. I wash once a week with Crème of nature moisturising shampoo, deep condition with Aubrey organics or Shea moisture and every 8-10 weeks I’ll henna with indigo (I’ve got grey hairs to cover already). I moisturize my hair with Qhemet products, seal with shea butter and style with Nothing But…Curl pudding or As I am twist crème. When I’m in a bit of a dry-hair rut, I’ll do deep conditioning treatment with olive oil and heat. In the summer months I’ll conditioner-wash almost 2-3 times a week. My mom thinks it’s absurd to rinse my hair so often. I love to think of it as a clash between old-world hair care practices versus modern day hair care. She thinks I philosophize hair way too much.

I adore twist-outs, braid-outs and you’ll always find me with a massive afro puff on my head. It’s my signature style and I love it *snapz fingaz*.  Of course, when I have to be savvy and professional, a meek bun or banana clip ponytail usually suffices.  I’m still a bit of a product junkie (I support small businesses hehe), but now I like to think I’m more aware and find myself using my kitchen salon rather than pay $58 for a product. 

Looking back, I’m happy this entire journey happened. Unfortunately I didn’t have a massive spiritual epiphany, but I learned a lot about my hair and myself in the process.  I don’t think I could ever be the girl with long relaxed hair; I’m having too much fun watching my hair grow towards the sun.

Thank you for the feature and many blessings for Ida’s Child!

 

Mizani & Curly Nikki Meet-up - ATL Shawty!!!!

WE WERE IN THE HOUSEEEEE!!! ***fist pump, stanky leg, dolla wine***

Being a fan (borderline hair stalker >_<...don't judge me!) it was awesome having the chance to meet Nikki and the Mizani crew! Ya'll think I'm tiny with some big hair?!?!? She took my cake! lol... Gorgeous and definitely a sweetheart! The venue, Do At The View was cute, cozy and edgy!

Thanks to Karli for joining me! <3

Also see Nikki's post here...

Loved this lipstick!!! Revlon Super Lustrous Va Va Violet

These pants were waiting for me at H&M lol... don't you just love when the only size left in the store is all yours and better yet... ITS ON THE RESTOCKING RACK?!?!?

PHOTO CRASHER ALERT!!!!

"Girl that is not Mizani I smell... more like a #2 Pencil!" The nerve!!! MUAHAHAHA...don't hate!

Hair Twin!!!!

Destiny Metro Girls!!!! Yes Lawd!

FAB FRIDAY FEATURE: Monica Brown

Hello, my name is Monica and I have been natural since August 2008. At that time, I was OBSESSED with length. I wanted long hair and decided to stop relaxing my hair. Now, I am more concerned about the health of my hair. I think if you take care of your hair, length and thickness are sure to follow. I transitioned by wearing sew ins for a year. Sew ins were a life saver! After I would take each sew in down, I would trim the relaxer off little by little. I did not start taking care of my hair until March 2011. I started searching on the internet for natural hair products and found tons of information about natural hair. I felt like I had died and gone to hair heaven! I saw beautiful women with beautiful hair. I was so intrigued! I ran up on CurlyNikki's website and fell in love with her hair. I read as much as possible about hair on her website. I love that website along with Black Girl With Long Hair! I will admit, I am such a product junkie. I love trying new hair products. One of the first haircare lines I used was Shea Moisture. I love that line and it's not super expensive. I have almost every product from that line and I do not see myself ever departing from that line. It's just that good. I do experiment with other lines, such as Aubrey Organics--love their conditioners and the herbal scent. I LOVE Aussie Moist conditioner because it is very thick and has awesome slip! My fingers just glide through my hair when I use this conditioner. It makes me smile big! The list goes on but those are some of my favorite lines. 

 

For me, the most important thing about being natural is having a regimen. It helps me stay on track with my hair. Before I wash my hair, I love to pre-poo with conditioner and oils. I finger detangle which has really saved my strands. Sometimes I will use my Ouidad Double Detangler comb but not too often. I will then wash or co-wash my hair once a week or every two weeks. Co-washing has really helped because I am just washing my hair with conditioner instead of shampoo. Washing with conditioner gives me a moisture boost that my hair really needs. I try to shampoo once a month or so. I deep condition my hair after every wash, usually with one of Shea Moisture's deep treatment masques and I will add raw honey and olive oil. My hair gets a nice treat! I will wash it out and add a leave in like Kinky Curly Knot Today or a regular conditioner as long as it does not have harsh ingredients. After that, it's time to add a nice moisturizer like Donna Marie Super Buttercreme or Shea Moisture's hair milk/and or Curl Enhancing Smoothie. I will use one or two moisturizers, depending on what my hair needs. I rotate all of my hair products so I have a few products to choose from. I almost have my own little store. I always twist my hair after I've moisturized it. Twist outs are simple for me and do not take much time at all. When my hair is cutting up, I will simply put it in a puff and be on my way.

 

 I love being natural because of all of the versatility. You can braid it, twist, and do cute up-dos. There are endless possibilities when it comes natural hair. One thing that I hate about being natural would be getting fairy knots on the ends of my hair. They are so annoying but i will add more moisturizer on them. 

 

For transitioners, it will take time to figure out what your hair likes and dislikes. I know that it can get frustrating, but natural hair is so worth it! I love the natural texture of my hair that I never knew I had, crazy right? I did not know my hair was curly. Relaxers never did a thing for me. I had dry, thin hair but my hair thrived when I left the relaxers alone. I am so happy to be relaxer free. Embrace your natural curls, coils, and kinks! If you treat your hair well, your hair will definitely love you back.

 

Thank you for asking me to be featured on your blog! I'm tickled pink! -Monica

 

 

 

 

Wild, Stretched Curls with NO HEAT Tutorial by Naptural85!

Her hair and videos are always phenomenal!!! Check out this video of her showing how to achieve Wild, Stretched Curls with NO HEAT!!!

What?! No heat??? No wayyyy!!! YES-WAYYYY!

 

Definitely looking forward to giving this a shot! How about you? 

Let's go cocNUTS!!!

Whats shakin' Ladies?!?!

I'm 100% a fan of Coconut Oil... I use it daily on my hair and skin and it's usually the staple oil in my homemade scrubs! Nothing like a good (as my bf puts it) "grease down" after a steamy shower!


I just can't get enough of the sweet, soft smell and the way it leaves me with smooth, soft, glowing skin! Not to mention the way it thoroughly nourishes my porous hair...Shea Butter can become a bit too heavy sometimes, but Coconut Oil hits the spot for my curls!!!!!

Here's Curly Nikki's take on it:
                                                           -------------------------------

Hola Chicas,

We made it, y'all!  I'm back, safe and sound in Happy Valley *grabs tambourine*.

But after the second 13 hour drive in less than 4 days, I'm in no mental state to unpack, let alone do my hair... which is now fire-hazard dry and frizzy, as I'm on day 6.  You know when you're feeling extra lazy, but also incredibly guilty 'cause of the gross negligence... your hair is screaming for attention but you have none to give?  Well, when those days descend upon me, I rock my pre-wash day 'do-- a greasy ass bun.  It's the perfect option for wash day procrastinators like myself.

I heavy-handedly apply coconut oil... like 'oil slicks on the headrest, pillowcase and headboard' greasy... like, 'forehead, or in my case, fivehead shining' greasy. And pull it up using a Goody Ouchless Band (pulling the hair all the way through once and only halfway through the second time).  The oily bun makes me feel better about myself because I'm, (1) now somewhat presentable, (2) doing something good for my hair that didn't take much time or effort, and (3) can put off wash day for at least one more day. So why coconut oil, you ask?

Well, according to the BeautyBrains-

 "...it’s one of the relatively few oils that are able to penetrate deep into the hair. Coconut oil is special because it has the right combination of molecular size and shape (it’s small and has straight line structure that allows it to slip into hair) and the right chemical structure (it’s derived from lauric acid which has an affinity for protein.) So while most conditioning oils (like silicones and mineral oil) just sit on top of that hair, coconut oil is literally able to work from the inside.

What’s the best way to apply coconut oil?

One of the best studies we’ve seen on this subject was conducted in India is in 2002. Researchers found that coconut oil reduces damage both as a pre-wash and post grooming treatment. However, results showed it worked better as a prewash which makes sense since that’s when a lot of mechanical damage occurs during the washing and drying process.

Does this sound too good to be true? Well there is a slight catch, at least based on the methodology used in this particular test. The coconut oil was applied to hair and allowed to soak in for 14 hours (overnight). Despite the usage instructions for many regular conditioners you don’t have to let those sit on your hair for very long. However, if you want good penetration (and who doesn’t?) you have to allow coconut oil to soak into your hair for quite some time. Maybe 14 hours isn’t the magic number but that’s the timeframe that researchers used in this study.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

We wouldn’t want to over emphasize the results of any single study, however, based on the research we’ve seen you should apply coconut oil to your hair at night before going to sleep. In the morning wash it out and you should see significantly less damage."

And according to Hairlicious-

"Since coconut oil is able to bind to the natural protein structure of the hair, this helps the hair retain its natural moisture content and reinforces the hair fiber, making it stronger.

This form of protection helps preserve the cuticle layer and keep it in tact, thus allowing the cuticle to remain closed and hold on to moisture. In addition, it smooths raised cuticles reducing tangles, enhancing shine, and softness. Only use a finger tip amount, nothing more, or your hair may feel stiff.

Retaining moisture and lowering the pH level of your products (4.5 level) is key in eliminating porosity issues.

Coconut oil's ability to prevent protein loss and reduce hair porosity makes it valuable for those who relax, color, blow dry, brush hard, sun exposure, and regularly flat iron their hair."

Still want more? Check out THIS ARTICLE and THIS ONE.    

So yeah, I apply my coconut oil (Spectrum's Organic & Unrefined) the night before wash day and then the next morning, I apply full fat yogurt on top of that, don a plastic cap, let it marinate for 15-30 minutes and then wash and style as usual.  I find coconut oil a bit too heavy to use regularly between washes, but it works perfectly for my pre-wash day treatment.

Later Gators,
Nik

p.s. Coconut oil is the only thing I use on my face too... besides water and a little Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer.  That's it. Clear skin.  It's also the only hair and body oil I use on Boogie!

How do you prepare for wash day? 

FAB FRIDAY FEATURE: Ackelia Williams

I had so much fun, I decided to do it all again.

I’ve been natural almost 6 years now and even though I cut my lovely tresses a few weeks ago I can still say that I have enjoyed the ride. 

What I love most about being natural (when I had hair) and what many will agree with is the versatility. I’m the kind of person that would get bored with hairstyles very quickly but what I really enjoyed was being able to experiment with loads of different styles and somehow manipulate the many textures I had on my head, from over-sized fro to cute & curly up-do, then getting the ooh’s and aah’s from friends and family.

To make the magic happen you need tools, and when it comes to products I’m what one might call a minimalist, definitely not a “product junkie”, so choosing my fave product is relatively easy: Aubrey Organics GPB conditioner, hands down. It is a great deep conditioner, completely natural and makes my hair feel utterly amazing! Then for styling it’s either Shea butter or maybe the Eco-Styler Gel. Simple.

My hair flourished like a well-watered plant and grew and grew. But having super long hair wasn’t the goal; I was simply content in the knowledge that my hair was healthy and that it looked nice. 

So when I cut my hair it was because I wanted a change as I’ve never had really short hair. I absolutely love the style and the “carefree-ness” of it all.  People say I’m brave, but really there's nothing scary about it. I know better than anyone that it’ll grow back in no time and I’m so excited to do the whole hair journey thing all over again.

Why? ‘Cause it was so much fun the first time round!