Coco Swiss: A Reason Why Shaving My Head Wouldn't Be So Bad After All

She went from rocking a mighty afro to a close crop and here's her reason:

Cutting My Good Hair
The reason I decided to cut my big natural hair is because after I seen Chris Rocks movie Good Hair, I realized how far black women are really willing to go to get what society and main stream media has dubbed as Good Hair. Hair should be used as an accessory, to enhance who you are not to define who we are. I want to make a loud bold statement to my African American women and say its time we redefine what beauty is. If I have a big beautiful head of coily curls or a short bald head, I'm still a queen. We spend ridiculous amounts of money and time on something that's not going to help our kids, there future or our culture. Why are we doing this, so that others will be comfortable around us and to fit into what is considered normal? All of our hair is Good Hair. We have to most unique hair on the face or this earth. Learn it and embrace it and others will have to do the same. I AM NOT MY HAIR!
Please email comments and pictures of your Good Hair to:
Coco Swiss
Goodhairproject@gmail.com
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

The point: Whether you're rocking a fro or sporting a close crop, Natural hair is beautiful hair. Say It Loud and Wear It Proud!!!!

Esperanza Spalding: Natural Hair Inspiration

She drew me in with her divalicious afro and captured me with her voice. So I was just walking down the ailes of my local library a couple days ago, waiting to use a computer, when the cover CD of an afrolicious beauty caught my eye, the name - Esperanza.

Of course I immediately picked it up if only to look through the CD booklet to see more pictures of almighty afro, very impressive, but what was even more impressive was her music. It's basically a fusion of latin and jazz which I have never listened to before, at least not on purpose.

Esperanza is definitely an inspiration to me now and should be for the whole natural hair community and I'm pretty much in love with her music. It took me a second to fall for the music, but I did, hard.

My Recipe is Making Me Angry

I know I'm unto something. I just have to find the right balance. Haven't found it yet and its making me angry.
I woke up this morning and felt like shaving all my hair off my head. Ever felt like that? Maybe by lunch time I'll look into the mirror and that feeling will go away.
Just had to vent.

Coily Coils...Oh How I Have Missed Thee!

So, I've been rocking my hair in dry styles for a while now and I really missed seeing my coily coils at their best, when they're wet and coated in good ol' Kinky Curly Curling Custard. The coils pop like nothing else and remind me of my wash and go days when I first started my natural hair journey (December 2007). Can't believe it'll be two years this December! Time flies when you're forever experimenting, and experiencing different things.

They look so cute. I've missed them. Of course, they always look better up than down but I'll take what I can get.

Magnesium Chloride Oil.....Experimentation Still In Progress

I have found yet another all natural product that I will be singing its praises once I find out how to use it properly. My mother actually introduced me to this product because of its plethora of health benefits for the skin. It makes it glow, soft and supple. Also, if you have any aches you can rub some on the area and it relieves it.

Anyhoo, knowing me and my curious butt I decided to go online and do a little digging to see what Magnesium Chloride can do for my HAIR (who cares about the skin...lol). Lo and behold, a whole heckofalot. The biggest thing that I actually saw was that it reverses grey hair back to its natural color, after repeated use, of course.

And it's true, it does revert it back because at the tender age of 22, I had a couple of grey hairs on the sides of my hair. When I say a couple I literally mean a couple. I had 1 grey hair on each side of my hair. I know it weird but I'm not surprised because pre-mature grey hair runs in my family.
Plus I'm pretty much weird by nature so I just chalked it up to yet another one of my weirdness.

I noticed three really ginormous benefits from using Magnesium Chloride Oil. One is that it Enlongates, Holds, and Softens.


On enlongation, I usually hate styling my hair right after I wash it because it shrinks like no mans business. If you looked at my hair right when I get out the shower without combing or brushing it out all you'd see was a bunch of tiny coils that looked like an inch long at most. Which is a big lie because my hair is growing like a weed and is somewhere around chin length if I were to pull it out.

When I spray Magnesium Chloride Oil on it and brush it out the length of my hair is quickly restored and you can see the definition a lot more. I always mix conditioner with anything that has to do with my hair when I first step out of the shower so I am sure that this also helps a lot to elongate it.

The second biggest benefit I noticed while using Magnesium Chloride Oil in my hair is that any style I do has definition, holds and stays in place. I understand how this works to a certain extent because the mixture is nothing but salt and water. And I've experimented with sea salt (but dries out the hair like nothing else) enough in the past to know that it does give hair a lot of hold and definition, of course, water definitely gives my hair a lot of hold but no definition.

The third biggest thing I noticed is that it softens my hair a whole heckofalot. Like I already mentioned, I usually mix conditioner with the Magnesium Chloride Oil so I'm sure the combination of both help to make my hair uber soft. I mostly notice the softness when I first put it on my hair and when I'm washing my hair out.
My hair feels ridiculously silky and soft when I'm washing it out and that's before I do the co-wash. So, I don't have any problems with tangles or any of that mess.

Ok. I just named the top three benefits now here comes the down side. There's only one huge downside to Magnesium Chloride Oil for my hair and its the salt residue that it leaves behind once my hair is dry (I usually notice it the next day). Pure Craziness. Granted, I tend to be heavy handed when it comes to products and rightly so because my hair is too thick for just a couple of sprays.

Anyway, I tried to combat the residue with my trusty Butter Ghee but it doesn't get rid of it all. What I did stumble on yesterday was my left-over bottle of Khoret Amen Leave-in Conditioner from Carol's Daughter. I wanted to put in some rods for spiral curls so I noticed that I still had the Leave-in conditioner (just sitting there feeling lonely and abandoned from my neglect) and I sprayed it on my hair and rolled the rods on it. I took out the rods this morning and to my pleasant surprise the residue was gone. So, you can bet that I'm gona try this mixture again on my entire head and see if it was just a fluke or if it really works.

Another downside of Magnesium Chloride Oil is that if you use too much (like I tend to do with everything that has to do with my hair) your hair gets too oily especially if you mix it with another oil.

My experimentation with Magnesium Chloride Oil is definitely still in progress and won't be fully added unto my trusty list of products until I can get rid of the salt residue it leaves behind on my hair when its dried. Overall, I am a fan because Magnesium Chloride Oil makes my hair styles last longer than one day! I am a fan of any natural product that does this and more.

Ignore Your Hair, Let It Go, and Watch It Grow

Ignore your hair, let it go, and watch it grow. This should seriously be something of consideration for folks who want their hair to grow longer because it is true.

It seems like as soon as I stopped stressing about and with my hair it started to blossom and truly show me the beginnings of its potential.

Basically what I do now a days to my hear is a simple regimen of saturation my entire hair in a handful of Yes to Carrots Conditioner and adding two dollops of Butter Ghee. Brushing my hair with my trusty Denman brush, and then braiding (nice, neat braid)a chunck of my hair in front, the sides, and the back, in a chunky braid, almost like a french braid.

I rock this style for a week or two and then deep condition my hair with any of the Indian powders such as Neem, Brahmi,Indigo(whenever I can spare the change), or my concoction of Banana and Molasses (which is currently on my head as I type).

It's a hands off style and frames my face just the way I like it. It's a cute style that I can rock anywhere. I've actually gone to a couple of interviews with my hair in these braids. Very versatile, and neat, and most importantly, It's A Get Up and Go Hairstyle. Whenever I unravel the braids at the end of a week or two it always seems like my hair grew at least an inch or two!

This post was inspired by www.urbancurlz.com after I read her post on what women with long hair(natural or otherwise) do, and completely agreed with everyone of the points.

Lovin' My Hair Like It's Golden!

Where do I begin. Zen. Content. At Peace. At Rest. In Love. I could go on and on. sounds like a love affair, don't it? You betcha! A love affair with my hair.
Finally, we're in a good place! Love....

No-Go!

So the butter ghee with Kinky_curly gel is a definite No-Go! entirely too much residue. I will be sticking with just styling with the butter ghee and conditioner for a while.

Hooray for growth and a staple style!

Butter Ghee, My New Experiment

butter ghee - Google Images

Once again my curiousity got a hold of me as I was walking through the international isle at Kroger's in search of coconut oil. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a bottle containing a yellow buttery substance and the words "Butter Ghee" in big bold letters. "Well I wonder what that would be like on my hair" is my first initial thought. This either shows that I'm a tad bit crazy when it comes to my hair experimentations or that I have a perfectly inquiring mind, you be the judge.

Anyway, I bought the butter ghee for a whopping $10 and quickly ran home to slap it on my hair. It's thicker than regular butter for sure and has enough cholesterol to knock a grown man into a coma. It definitely makes my hair softer but has that very buttery smell and I feel like I just walked out of a bakery oven or something.

A little goes a long way because it is oil so too much of it makes my hair very oily. I first used it when my hair was dry with no products. I mixed the butter ghee with conditioner and raked it all through my hair and brushed with my trusty Denman Brush. Butter Ghee definitely weighs my hair down so it makes it easier to brush it all the way back and it lays down with relatively little to no poof.

What I've been experimenting with the past couple of days is adding it to my hair while my hair still has the kinky-curly gel on it. I'm not sure of the results yet, if I even notice a difference by adding it to kinky-curly gel or not, the verdict is still out on that.
But you can bet your buttom dollar that I'm still experimenting!

Hallelujah for Healthy Hair

A while ago I wrote about using a ying/yang method or approach on my hair. I said that my styling products didn't always have to be 100% natural but the treatments that I do to take care of my hair will be. Well my approach has served me and is still serving me well.

I have used Indigo on my hair as a conditioning agent for 3 weeks now and I absolutely love it. It leaves my hair feeling so soft and strengthened and my scalp feeling and looking so clean. I remember the first time I used it, 3 weeks ago, and parted my hair to style it and my scalp was just gleaming clean! No joke when they say healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp.

Another thing that I have been using on my hair is Alma powder. It's also another conditioning agent that leaves my hair soft and strengthened. I used to get it on Amazon but then discovered that there's an Indian store not too far from where I live that sells Alma and OH! Happy Day! when I found out. I bought the last two that was on the shelf and told the lady to order more! I also told her to stock Indigo.

The best part of these powders, both Indigo and Alma, is that all you have to do is add water to make it into a paste. I usually slap the paste on my hair, cover with a shower cap, go to sleep to garauntee at least 8 hours of deep conditioning, wake up, rinse the paste out, comb with my large tooth comb, slap in my new friend Yes to Carrots Conditioning Mud Mask, brush with my trusty Denman to strech out my coils, and style or just leave it or do whatever.

By the way, I find that both Indigo and Alma loosen coily/curly hair just a bit.

I am absolutely in love my hair its ridiculous. Its freaking healthy, growing like a weed, strong and soft all at the same time. I mean, what more could a girl with natural hair ask for!

Oil and Water

This is just a quick observation. Its so funny how they say oil and water don't mix but this definitely doesn't apply to natural hair at all! Most natural ingredients for naturally textured hair always have water and oil somewhere in their ingredient list.

Also, some naturals who don't fool around with products always seem to stick with water and some form of oil as their staple and primary ingredient. I actually envy naturally textured hair folk who keep it simple with oil and water because they save themselves a whole lotta time and money! But I'm way too curious by nature to keep it simple!

Thats just a brief on note on my observation of oil and water on natural here.

My new Love!

I swear my hair has grown some inches because of this product, and probably because I've stopped torturing it. I swear I had my "Haha" moment that day I wrote the blog about comparing my hair to e'rybody else n' their mama! Lol.

But seriously I love Yes To Carrots Hair and Scalp Mud Mask. It's a deep conditioner for not only the hair but the scalp itself. It penetrates and defines my coils without weighing it down. Which is a miracle as of itself.

The directions say to leave it on for 12 minutes but no siree bob, I use it as a styling agent, as I do with all other conditioners. Plus Yes To Carrots Hair and Scalp Mud Mask feels so weightless that I don't even notice it. Except for when I feel how soft and fluffy my hair is!

I Say "Yes To Carrots!" Do You?

Yes To Carrots Hair and Scalp Mud Mask

Where do I begin with my new found fave product? I can start by saying it is one of the best deep conditioners I have ever used in the history of my hair's lifetime on earth, and, of course, the best part for me is that it is all natural ingredients, plus a percentage of the proceeds goes to a country close to my heart - Israel.

I honestly don't know how to describe it and I could go on and on singing its praises but then I would write entirely too much and end up boring folk out their minds. Seriously you guys, my next acquisition is going to be a camera.

But, here's a link to the website. Another great thing about the product is that you can buy it anywhere. Walgreeens, CVS, target, e.t.c. and its relatively inexpensive, works wonders. Your hair will thank you and you will thank Goodness for a product that leaves your hair feeling so soft, fluffy, and amazingly clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Natural Beauty of the Month

Here's another one. I couldn't quite make it for the month of May so June will have to do.


When and Why did you decide to go natural?
October 14, 2008 is when I went natural. I decided to go natural because I was tired of paying upwards of $100 every 6 to 8 weeks to get more chemical in my hair so I can conform to society's views of beauty. I figured it was time for me to embrace all the wonderfulness I was given. :)

Who does your hair mostly, i.e. hairdresser, aunty, urself, e.t.c?
I do my hair mostly. I like playing around with it now that it's natural. So much that you can do with it!

What r ur "IT" Hair Products?
My "IT" hair products are:
- Deva Curls Shampoo & Conditioner (used every other week when I fully wash my hair)
- Le Coupe Perfect Curls conditoner (I co-wash with this every other day)
- Fructis Curl & Shine Leave-In
- all natural Aloe Vera Gel (for days I want extra hold)
- Extra Virgin Olive oil & honey for deep conditioning treatments
- My own concoctions I mix up in my kitchen! haha I tend to mix a lot especially with all natural unrefined Shea Butter.

Who is ur natural hair inspiration?
Honestly, every woman I have ever seen with natural hair has been my inspiration.

Words of Wisdom to natural hair folks or those considering it.
To those considering going natural, it is AMAZING! So freeing to see your natural hair in it's natural state the way it was intended. The freedom of waking up and just having to spritz a little water in your hair and go is soemthing to look forward too. No more tender scalp, no more hot combs, no more tryin to catch every last nap and without fail burning yourself. Just be sure that it is what you want to do and I promise you that you will not be disappointed.

To those who are already natural, WORK IT GIRL!

Contentment

I confess that I haven't been really actively searching for a natural beauty of the month for May and I think I know why.

I used to browse the pages of the "Natural Hair" group on facebook everyday like it was a religion. One day I went on a facebook fast and I pretty much never went back on it as much as I used to and I all but stopped looking at the "Natural Hair" group.

I think this is one of the best things I could have ever done for myself, my sanity, and my hair. What I discovered in retrospect was that I was comparing my hair to everyone else's hair that I saw on the group site, which led to discontentment.

I thought I was doing a good thing by looking at all these images of gorgeous black hair and all its various textures, but as the saying goes - "too much of a good thing."

I found myself saying "I wish my hair was like this...why can't my hair do that...I wish my hair could do that." I was not truly embracing and loving my hair for itself because I was too busy comparing the hair on my head to the hair on everybody and their mama, and looking back now, it was seriously one of the most frustrating times in my natural hair journey.

So, I guess the conclusion of this post would be a message and a reminder to all natural hair folk out there to remember the old adage..."Too much of a good thing." Its all well and great to look once in a while and admire other natural hair, but you don't have to do it every single day. Or even look at the pictures for longer than one hour in one day.

Too much of admiration will eventually lead to comparison, which will lead to discontentment, which leads to frustration. This is a lesson I have learned in my natural hair journey, hope it helps even one person out there.

But I think I'm strong enough now to go looking for a natural hair beauty of the month because we can admire in moderation, just not in excess....too much of a good thing.

Glorious Hair days....

I haven't posted in about a week or two. That means I have been having good hair days! Wake up and go days. I'm loving it and can't complain.
Can't wait to get my camera so that I can post hair pics on hair and tag it with the process and products that I used. Thats my plan, but until then, I need to scout for a natural hair of the month for May.
Any suggestions? Anybody can be featured? leave a comment if interested!

Rods and Straws = Good Combo.

I'm not really a fan of straight, this has been the case ever since I could remember, even in my relaxer days. I was one of those black girls with really long jet black hair that everybody used to ask "who does your hair?" my answer, "my mother" because she did.

But I don't think I saw what everybody else saw. Yea, it was nice but it was just there, sitting on my head, hanging straight down, not doing anything. It was boring. I remember one day, I sprayed it with water and spent and hour or more scrunching it with my hands so I could get some waves or curls or something. It looked nice when it was wet but when it got dry, "hunny chil'" it looked like "who dun it and why"...lol

That's actually the main reason I grew my hair out natural. To have some texture, shape, wave, curl, coil, something, anything but straight. Now, I'm reaping the rewards of my labor for sure.

I love the flexibility that my hair has. I rocked it straight for a week, thanks to the hairdresser that hooked it up for me. But of course, I got bored because of the reasons already stated above.

So, I took advantage of the flexibility it has because its still nice and straight and CONTROLABLE, and added some curls. I first curled it with my trusty curlformers and was dissapointed, it didn't turn out too nice.

Then I used some perm rods and straws, regular ol' straws that you'd get anywhere. Voila! a nice mixture of small spiral curls and large spiral curls. It looks so cute.
I won't lie though it took me about an hour to get the rods and straws in but it was so worth it.

I love, love, love it. I love the fact that its a variation of small and big spirals. Its a really good mix. I used a holding spray from DESIGN and then sprayed water all over my head. More like a mist, not enough to revert the hair back, but enough to make sure that the curls hold.

I'm really and truly enjoying the versatility of my hair. I feel like I am slowly but surely arriving in a good place with my hair. And I'm loving get up and go hair!
I promise that I will start adding pics of my hair in May! Now that i've said that, it means I really have to do it, so I will...so help me God!!

Here's Another One: Tassanee - Natural Hair Beauty of the Month

I couldn't let the whole month of April fly by without posting a natural beauty of the month.

When and Why did you decide to go natural?
I decided to stop relaxing my hair(last relaxer march '07) and focus on growing healthy natural hair when my fiance told me about a dream he had of our wedding with my hair down my own hair down my back. I knew I wasn't going to get my relaxed hair to grow to that length(I didn't know what I do now about caring for relaxed hair), so I began to consider growing my natural hair out. Long story short I transitioned for a year, big chopped on March 5th 2008, and haven't looked back since.

Who does your hair mostly, i.e. hairdresser, aunty, urself, e.t.c.?
I've only had three professionals in my hair on this journey, the stylist who was a co-worker of mine at Trade Secret who did my big chop, the stylist I went to get evened up (who didn't really even it up), and my old stylist who I went to for a trim after i blew my hair out for a length check. I love her to death, but she WON'T be doing my hair with a the tugging and tearing she was doin, had me bout to cry for my poor hair. I prefer to do my own hair because no one else will take care with it like I will, it's FREE, and experimenting and learning how to do new things=fun!

What r ur "IT" Hair Products?
The products I think are AMAZING and would recommend to anyone are: Unrefined Shea Butter, Castor Oil, EVOO, Mega Tek, Baking Soda, IC Fantasia Gel, Aloe Vera Gel, Aloe Vera Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Oil, my Goody Jojoba Infused Brush....let me stop b4 I get too carried away!

Who is ur natural hair inspiration?
ESPERANZA SPALDING!!! I love that chick she epitomizes a great sense a nappy confidence!!! I love her hair, her style, her great voice, and I love that she plays the cello!!!


Words of Wisdom to natural hair folks or those considering it.
My advice to any and every natural be she new or vet, considering, transitioning, bald, rocking a twa, or swanging hair down to there....ALWAYS DO YOU. There will be haters and lovers just as in anything else you do in life. Unfortunately some of those against you or trying to bring you down will be those closest to you. Don't let it get to you. Facing the adversity I have has only made me stronger and more confident. Always reach out for support when you need it(that's what these sites are for), and give support to those in need. As much as I love that we are unique for being ourselves, I love it even more when I see our numbers rising! Maybe one day it won't be so "different" to see sistahs walking down the street, on tv, or in the office with the audacity to have their hair the way God had the nerve to make it grow out their scalp. Always hold your nappy head high, cause NAPPY IS FLY!!

$60 Was Worth It!

I was at the hairdresser's chair at 9:00a.m. this morning just as promised. I think even she was surprised that I showed up because I asked her how she was going to charge for a natural hair blow-out and she said $45-50 (and why did I end up paying $60 in the end...thats how they trick you).

Anyway, at first she was intimidated because my hair is really thick and I still had some twist-outs left in there from the week, so she had me to comb it out. But I think she got a little bit more comfortable once she ran some water over it and it got softer (which is one of the favorite characteristics of my hair). Then she shampooed, and put in a deep conditioner and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Then she was back to the challenge again because once my hair gets dry, it gets hard to control like no man's business. But anyway she applied some mystery *leave-in-conditioner and some oils* was the response she gave me when I asked her what she put in it because my hair felt a lot lighter when she started blow-drying.

At first she started blow-drying it with a comb attachment but it kept on falling out becuase my hair's so thick and then she used a paddle brush to do the rest. Then she went over the hair with a hot comb, no specific way, just to get the rest of the kinks out.

Then, she flat ironed it, trimmed it (which she charged an extra $5 for) and then she styled it with the flat iron and used some gloss and some other mystery spray. Basically I couldn't pry out any information out of her to tell me the name of the products she used.

But she did a heck of a job because it came out crazy smooth and shiny like it used back in my relaxer days. Heck, even she was proud of herself at the end because while she was blow-drying she made the comment that my hair was going to be her challenge for the day, and I'm sure it was. But at the end, even she was admiring her handiwork.

So, the essence of the story is it came out very nice but do I want to pay $60 every month or every other month for my hair. Actually, it would only be $50 because I had her clean my eyebrows (which should've been free because all she did was go over it with a razor but she charged me $5 for it).

It sounds like a lot of heat, but actually it wasn't because she didn't let the heat get too hot on any of things, and she was quick with the heat too. Didn't let it just sit there and turn into toast. So, she knew her stuff but what really made the difference were the mystery products that she used which I will try to find out again the next time I go there. I do know that she used a glosser by Design.

Bantu-Knot Out with My New Trusty Friend

I've been rocking my bantu-knot twist out since monday and its still holding up on wednesday night thanks to Sally's Generic Paul Mitchell Straightening Gel. I know, I know, you would love to see the pics, and I would love to take the pics. but until that day comes take my word for it that it came out nice.

My hair is short and I when I un-raveled it it basically came out wavy, live finger waves...remember finger waves back in the day. press the link and you can see it.

Oh yea, two weeks ago I did make an appointment with this hairdresser who claims to be able to do a good blow-out on natural hair because I got bored and wanted to see my hair looking different. The appointment is on saturday morning and her price is kinda steep so we shall see if her claim holds up or not. Of course I'll be sure to document the outcome.

Oh another thing, before I did my bantu-knot twists I conditioned my hair with:
1 whole banana
a quater of a coconut milk can
3-5 spoons of molasses
Pureed all these ingredients in a blender and slapped it on my head
Let it sit on there for about two hours without a shower cap or anything
rinsed out with water and proceeded with the bantu-knot styling

I've concoted this in my head for a long time but never got around to doing it. I will definitely make it a priority to do this as often as I can. My ultimate goal is every week but I know that I get lazy especially if the hairstyle I'm rocking still looks good and all I have to do is get up and go, like with my current style.

But I definitely like this conditioner. It made my hair feel strong and silky at the same time, which I think is a weird combo but I liked it.

Generic Paul Mitchell Straightening Gel .....Again

This Generic Paul Mitchell Straightening Gel I found at Sally's has turned out to be a little treasure...who knew.

I used it for good ol' regular double strand twist. Not flat-twists, just regular twists hanging down and it turned out very nicely. It keeps my hair soft, defined, and of course the biggest part for me is, Less Shrinkage. This is a big deal for me because my hair is short right now and I want to use products that will combat shrinkage.

That is one of the main reasons that I've abandoned Kinky Curly Custard for a little while now. As much as I love its natural ingredients, the gel still makes my hair shrink. I really do love the product and will return to it once my hair gets to the length where shrinkage doesn't matter.

I am conteplating unraveling my twists and seeing what it looks like but I'm trying to think of a product that'll keep it nice once its un-twisted. I could use more of the gel but I don't want product overload. I'm thinking of glycerin and water. We shall see.

Spiral Rods vs. Curlformers

I used spiral rods on most of my hair and used a few curl-formers in the middle section of my hair. To give the curls some hold, I used the Salerm plis technico spray left over from my hair straightening trial.

The curls came out cute but kind of rough, not as defined as if I had used curlformers for my whole head. The beauty of curlformers if you have really coily hair that's prone to frizz is that, with the correct holding product, the curlformers gives you defined spiral curls with the most minimum frizz or virtually none, at least for the first day.

But spiral rods are good for getting the ends of hair to curl. I think I'm going to stick with curlformers though. I just have to break down and get some new ones because most of the ones I have are missing their rubber tips. Someone else needs to give curlformers some competition and make stronger and last longer - the only improvement that needs to be made is basically the rubber tips need to be a lot toughter. I still have to complain to the company

I think I'll get some next week at Sally's and also pick up another Generic Paul Mitchell product that I've been eye balling, I forgot the name of it but its supposed to give maximum hold which is exactly what I need, for these curls to last longer than 2 days!

Paul Mitchell's Straight Works Gel

A funny thing happened to me on my way to Sally's Beauty Supply Store a couple of days ago. I walked in there with the intention of purchasing some more curlformers because a lot of the ones I have are falling apart gradually. Side Note: I need to complain to the makers of this product because curlformers are entirely too expensive to be falling apart like that.

Anyway, I walked into Sally's and while I was browsing I ran across a curling/clumping product that was supposed to make my curls pop or whatever. I picked it up, figured I'd give it a try but while I was in line waiting to get checked out, I scanned over the Sale Items of the Week that was standing next to me.

And this product just seemed like it was screaming at me to pick it up. I did pick it up out of curiosity and debated if I should put it back or not becuase of the price $4.99. I got the cash register, when the lady behind the counter rang it up it came up as 0.99cents! and she let me keep the price!

I got home, used it liberally all over my hair and fell in love! I'm still trying to figure out how it works but I think the key is that unlike other gels, it actually doesn't clump my hair together. It basically un-clumps it and makes it more individually strandy. It basically tries to get the strands of my hair to seperate and be defined at the same time.

I've used it for flat-twists a couple of times now and in both cases it's turned out well. It make my hair super shiny and super uber soft. Which is actually a negative for me because it means my hairstyle won't hold for longer than a day.

But it's definitely one of those products I will keep in my arsenal and continue to tweak and mess with it. But so far, I am in love, so much so that I am returning the original product that I bought for $7.00 to get more bottles of Paul Mitchell's Straiht Works Gel.

I looked on google blogs to see if anyone's else has used and reviewed this product and didn't say one so, it's nice to be the first, at least to the best of my knowledge, to blog about it.

Still Going Strong

This is the longest time that my natural hair has kept twist-outs. I think it's been a week now and it still looks nice. My hair isn't matted or anything. The twists are still defined and nice.

I sleep with a scarf on my head at night and in the morning I spray some jojoba oil on the hair, fluff a little bit and go. I love having "get up and go hair" that's reliable!!!

Operation Twist-Out was a Success

The twist-out I did with half a bottle of Kerastase Oleo-relax was a definite success. So much so, that even my second day hair still looks nice. I could even venture to say that it looks better than my first day Hair!

Kerastase is definitely a keeper in my arsenal now, at least on dry straight hair. Only heaven knows how it'll react on coily wet hair. I'll find out in a month or so.
It definitely held the style in place. I sprayed some Jojoba oil on it to give the hair some shine/sheen.

An idea occured to me for a different kinda twist-out. I remember back in the day when I used to do twisties on my hair. The front of the hair would be flat-twisted and the back would just be straight hanging down (memories of my relaxer days).

Well, I think I'm going to try that on my hair the next time but instead of having the back of the hair straight and not doing anything, I'll flat twist the back sections also. I think this will give a more fuller look for my hair.

I think the ends of the twists will be more defined and fuller because the ends will be more curlier. What I do at the ends of my twist is wrap it around itself - kinda like a Bantu-knot. So, I'm imagining the result will be half the hair would be wavy and half curly. A good even mixture of this.

I really need to invest in a camera because I don't think anyone can picture what I just typed except for me, the person that typed it. One of these days, I'll re-arrange my priorities so that the purchase of a digital camera will be closer to the top of my list and I too will join the digital age!

Bantu-knot Result on Dry Straightened Hair

I did the Bantu-knot twist out on my currently straightened hair with a mixture of Jojoba and coconut oil.

It was cute, it did the whole coily fro thing it always does, but I was expecting the curls to be looser and more defined. Needless to say, it was still somewhat frizzy and the majority of it wasn't defined, especially for the second day hair.

But I got a pleasant surprise earlier today when I applied mega doses of my left over Kerastase Oleo-relax serum to my the dry, second day, bantu-knot twist outs. It made the curls very much looser and defined.

But I didn't leave it to see what it would look like in a few hours, instead, I proceeded to do some flat twists on my hair because I am taking full advantage of this straight manageable hair. I also sprayed some of the Salerm brushing spray on it, to give the twists some hold, and then sat under the dryer for about 15 minutes.

I think I should have set the temperature for the dryer to medium and not high because I lost a lot of the shine that the Kerastase serum gave my hair. But we'll see tomorrow morning when I un-twist the flat twists, what results I get.

Don't think I can experiment with Kerastase any more because I've pretty much run out of the whole bottle. It took me just two stylings to use it up. Some reviews I read said the serum lasts for 6mths. or longer. Not if you got the hair on my head it don't, LOL. It lasted a whole week, ha! I think I'm going to try the one for really dry hair next time. Maybe then I won't use so much of it. I highly doubt that.

Va Va Volume....a la Curlformers

Since my hair was already straightened and since I don't appreciate straight hair that just sits on my head and does nothing. I decided to add me some curls! with the help of my, sometimes trusty, curlformers.

Well, they got the job done, and they did it well.

First I doused my hair and scalp with Jojoba oil
Then I applied coconut oil onto every section I was going to curl
Then, when all the curlformers were in place, I sprayed my hair with some
Salerm Brushing Plis Technico, or whatever it's called.
Its the same spray I used to flat iron my hair
Then I dried the hair, even though it wasn't wet but, this is the only way to keep the curls in place. So, I dried it under my trusty hooded-dryer for about 45min.

Left the curlformers in, tied a scarf over the whole shabang
Woke up in the morning and Voila, nothing but volume, honey!
My hair came out wavy and voluminous, and I love it. But, of course, the real challenge is, how long will it last.

But I won't be too dissappointed if it doesn't last long because I want to try the same exact steps with Bantu-knots instead of curl-formers. I actually think the Bantu-knots will give more defined volume, as opposed to a loose volume, like curlformers. I also think the Bantu-knots will last longer than the curlformers.

I might as well enjoy and experiment with this straightened hair for as long as it lasts.

I Did It...But I'm Not Impressed

I flat-ironed my hair last night/this morning. It took me a total of 4 hours even with my new fangled flat iron. Why 4 hours? because my hair is really thick and it got even thicker with the products that I used.

First Step: I drenched my head in a mixture of Shikakai powder and coconut milk.
The box said to make it into a paste, well I didn't realize how much
milk was in the coconut milk can because all I saw was the fatty white
stuff. So I got a little carried away and the paste turned into runny
muddiness.
No worries, I still used it anyway. My goal was to keep it on my head
for at least 2hrs. I think I managed 45min. because it started running
down my face and neck.
Needless to say I liked it and it will be part of my regimine. It made
my hair thicker, (not sure if I need anymore thickness) somewhat softer
and overall stronger.
Thats precisely why I waited to use it before I flat-ironed my hair
because I wanted it to be strong enough to handle the heat and not have
as much split ends.

Second Step: I pumped a handful of Kerastase Oleo-relax on my hands and applied it
all over my damp hair before I blow-dried it. Lets just say this
anti-freeze serum was no match for my frizzy hair, not even close. It
just made my hair feel hard and weird.
The funny thing is the box says to use two small pumps and apply over
the hair. I ended up using two puumps of the serum for every strand of
hair on my head. I literally used half the bottle.

Third step: I used Salerm Brushing spray on each section of the hair and re-used
Kerastase on the same section, and then, another pump for the ends of my
hair, which is what I really want to protect.
Then I flat ironed with the brand new Solia flat iron I purchased from
Folica.com

Overall, I'm not impressed. Yes, my hair is flat. But that's all it is flat. It's straight but not silky or anything, actually, its very dull looking (gotta hit up that jojoba oil. I tried to put some "oomph," some bouce, body, whatever you want to call it but, it basically fell flat this morning.

I'm not impressed with the flat-iron so I'm returning it. I figure I can use my rollers and over-head drier and get a semi-straight result. I won't be as soft and the ends will still look kinda crinkly but the overall effect is pretty much the same. So, obviously I will not be flat-ironing my hair every 3 months like I thought.


Maybe I'll try again next year with a different flat iron and/or different products.
This experience just reminded me of one of the main reasons I went natural in the first place. I hate when hair just sits flat on my head and doesn't do anything!
At least give me some shine, something! something to work with!
I plan on returning the flat-iron on Saturday and getting my roughly $80 back into my account where it belongs. Thank God for return policies!

Its That Time Again...Coco Swiss...Natural Hair Star of the Month

When and Why did you decide to go natural
I decided to go natural as my way of letting go of the past and starting over.

Who does your hair mostly, i.e. hairdresser, aunty, urself, e.t.c.
I a beautician, so myself

What r ur "IT" Hair Products
Miss Jessies buttercreme, curling pudding, fantasia Ic leave in and Black earth shampoo-Taliah Waajid

Who is ur natural hair inspiration
Kelis, when she had big and curly hair

Words of Wisdom to natural hair folks or those considering it.
Be patient, enjoy the many hair stages you'll go through, Love and learn your hair and discover the natural beauty that's inside all of us. The end results are well worth it.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt...The Zit Buster.

Here's another tip for crystal clear skin because great skin complements great hair.
About two days ago, I saw some nasty little pimple forming on my forehead, two on both sides of my nose and another right on the tip of my nose - not fresh at all.

It most likely got there due to my recent consumption of mucho junk food but I had no fear at all - I have my trusty recipe for pimple be-gone! so I sprayed my faithful mixture of apple cider vinegar and sea salt on my palm and added extra sea salt to it for good measure.

I pressed the wet crystals on the pimples and left it there and went to sleep. Woke up the next morning, and my old faithful truly lived up to its name. The pimple all but dissappeared and I repeated the same steps yesterday for good measure.

No, I did not look this up on-line before I did it. (I've been doing it for like a year now) I discovered it out of curiosity, like I do, all the other concoctions I come up with. Sea Salt is flippin' amazing for the skin.

I mix it with raw honey for a scrub sometimes and other time with apple cider vinegar. I rub it all over my face for about 5 minutes and wipe it away with a damp cotton ball. Voila! Clear Skin Every time, hasn't failed me yet. Try It!

Its Spring....Well Not Officially

This post has a bit to do with hair but more with nature.
It's spring time...well actually its officially spring on sunday but this is the first time in a long time that the weather's been in the 5o's!

I definitely had to celebrate it today so I put on my short-sleeved, canary yellow, cotton shirt that I got from Old Navy like 2mths. ago, in anticipation for a day like this!

Even my hair is behaving springy-ish. It's doing this soft fluffy wavy but of course, true not its nature, mucho frizz, thing. I likes it a lot. I actually didn't do much to my hair last night 'cuz I didn't feel like it and I wanted to see what it would look like this morning, from yesterday's bantu-knot twist-out - which has been my staple night routine as of recently.

The only thing I did last night was re-bantu-knot the front and sides of my hair.
First: I sprayed it with my Apple Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt mix (there's something about this mix that makes my hair softer...must research further)
Then: I did the bantu-knots on the front and sides of my hair (because those regions are more prone to frizz on my head)

Woke up and unraveled the bantu-knot twists by dipping my fingers slightly into some white palm oil/palm oil shortening that I rarely use because I think other oils are better, but it got the job done. It gave me some shine and loosened the curls a bit.

A warm sunny day after 20 degrees and below weather, a cute little canary yellow cotton shirt, and hair that's actually looking kinda cute - in a Lazzaie Fairre, Que Cera Cera kinda way, What more can a girl ask for!

Great Skin Complements Great Hair

It doesn't always have to be about the hair, but it mostly has to be natural, thats one of my mottos. Anyway I've recently discovered, recently as in, the past couple of months that Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is not great for hair but its fantastic for the skin also.

When I first got my Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, one of the first things I realized was rich it was. It's one of those oils where you can really tell that its got a lotta fatty acids. I mean, its just rich and I noticed I smoothly it made my hands and sunk straight into my skin.

So, of course, I figured if it felt this great on my hands it must feel just as great on my face. Then I proceeded to smooth it on my face, not too much because I'm the last person that should be putting oil on her face. I already have oily skin but the Extra Virgin Coconut Oil did not make my face oilier, only smoother and clearer!

Its crazy weird, I thought I was gonna wake up with oil oozing out of my pores but that was not the case at all. My face was soft when I woke up in the morning and noticably clearer.

You know that glow they always talk about. I swear, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil gives my face the glow without the grease!

It's Been a Long Tme...Shouldn't Have Left U w/o a....inspiring note!

Ok. In my little hiautus I have realized several things. This is why its good to take a break from stuff sometimes. Anyway...yes, I've realized a few things.

The first thing is coily hair is not nappy ITS JUST EXTREMELY FRIZZY!!!
That is all it is, FRIZZ. Too many ions colliding and they don't know what to do with each other and that's why our hair loves moisture so much. It interferes with the ions and keeps them calm...for a while anyway.

No, I didn't read this anywhere...just had a little talk with God about the hair he put on my head and the best way possible to take care of it. When you talk, he listens, when you listen, he speaks and that is what I know for sure.

Anyway, I digress, back to hair matters. I had to become obsessed with getting as much information on my hair as possible. As obsessed as I was when I started my journey of transition. It consumed me then, and it consuming me again. It is now part of my mission.

I am now looking more into Indian products because they have a lot of knowledge when it comes to hair and they also have an abundance of natural plants and oils that they have been using for their hair since...who knows...creation began.

I have also ordered a flat iron like I said I was going to do along-side with some products to help with the heat and make it look good and what-not. I figure, I'll probably straighten my hair once every 3 months because I get bored, and then I start getting irritated with my hair, not realizing that it's partly from boredom.

Anyway, I figure I'll go with the Ying-Yang, East meets West, Synthetic and Natural approach when it comes to my hair because I think in the finally analysis this is what works best for me. I'll use natural products to strengthen it and synthetic to straighten.

Of course, I will be back with the latest update and more specifics concerning these glorious coily coils that God gave me to love, protect and cherish. This is kind of a general summary or over-all analysis of what I learned while I was away.I'll be back with more specifics on the names of the products both synthetic and natural, and even which flat iron I bought.

Frustration

Usually, I'm pretty happy-go-lucky about my hair and I like to think that I have patience when it come to my hair because the biggest ingredient you need to have concerning naturally textured hair is Patience.

My patience is actually wearing thin. When it comes to the puff, my hair is excellent. The puff is when you basically wear your hair up and tie a scarf or something around the crown. Don't get me wrong, it looks fantastically amazing and nice but I think I rocked this look for a good six months when I entered my natural hair journey, after this style I have still yet to find a style that frames my face well when my hair is down.

My twist do come out looking excellent when I use kinky curly curling custard but it doesn't totally combat shrinkage so my hair shrinks and looks shorter than it is and it doesn't frame my face the way I want it to when I leave it down.

My curly fro does come out looking cute but I don't necessarily wana rock that everyday either because I love variety. That's one of the main reasons why I went natural in the first place. I know it'll be cuter when it grows longer so the shrinkage won't be as drastic. I also that I seriously have to put the scissors away.

I am this close from investing in a really good flat iron, one of those expensive ones, and calling it a day. But I don't want to. (I just sounded like a big baby with that statement I just want my hair to grow by itself, without direct application of heat!

I am trying to keep hope alive but, I don't know. I have entirely too many people with straight hair around me so that doesn't really help. But I love my hair, I'm just very acutely aware of it's potential for greatness and I think that's why I'm frustrated because I know what it's capable of.

I hope this will be the only despressing post that I ever write, by the way.

Forgot about the Magic of the Shower-Cap

So, last night, I twisted my hair with safflower oil and used my ever trusty Kinky Curly Curling Custard to achieve a soft hold. Now, the issue with my hair is that when I put oil and goodies on it at night, it looks shiny and sleek and nice, when I wake up in the morning it's a different story. I have to re-apply the oil and a bit of the Kinky Curly Curling Custard (Only if I don't saturate my hair with Kinky Curly Curling Custard, if I want a soft hold).

Any way it looked so shiny, nice, defined,and soft last night that I didn't just want to put on a scarf and on the hair and call it a night. Then out of the corner of my eye I spied my seldom used shower cap, and a big ol' smile came on my face.

I woke up the next morning and Voila! still soft, shiny and mucho defined (soft hold)!!! Out of habit I still dipped my finger in the safflower oil and then (same finger) in the Kinky Curly Curling Custard and proceeded to unravel my twists - LUV.

Last night was basically the epitome of my coily/curly fro (fro because I keep cutting my hair, I need to stop it). It was loosely coily/curly and ultra adorable. I had to make a pact with myself last night and turn into a Nazarite - No Scissors Shall Touch This Hair From Henceforth.

I don't care how split the ends are, I'll just grin and bear it, as they say, and let grow out way longer before I even think of a little trim. Besides, I know where the split ends came from. Last year I straightened my hair with a cheap flat iron that needs to be thrown in the garbage (or recycled) and a spray that was composed mostly of alchol. Yea, that'll give you split ends in two seconds flat.

So, not only do I have to stay from the scissors, I also have to stay away from flat irons, especially cheap ones. Ok, to achieve the ultimate coily/curly fro if your hair is ultra coilly and prone to instant dryness like mine:

Wash hair
Leave in Conditioner mixed with safflower oil (see favorite things) or coconut oil
Add some Kinky Curly Curling Custard (not too much to achieve a soft hold)
Proceed to twist hair in sections
Slap on shower cap when finished
Tie on hair scarf over shower cap
Wake up, unravel twists
Enjoy ultra soft, shiny, defined coily/curly hair

Next time, if nothing else comes up, I'll talk about my most favoritest conditioner ever!

Deep Condish

I did it backwards...oops! I haven't deep condintioned my hair in a hot minute so its no wonder that I did it backwards. "You're supposed to wash the hair first," is what I said to myself after I realized that I just washed out the egg yolk & safflower combo. Its OK, I'm sure it was still effective.

My deep condition process was:
3 egg yolks
small tea cup full of safflower oil
Blended together
Slapped on my hair
Put on shower cap
Put on heat cap over shower cap
Turn on High
Leave in 30-45 minutes

It's simple enough to do every week or every other week, so I like and need to keep doing it to strengthen my hair because split ends are a no-no.

On another note, I ran out of coconut oil! I'm pretty much amazed at how quickly I used that big 'ol jar of coconut oil - Crazy! But no fear, I have just ordered another jar from this amazing company that sells countless oils and other natural products: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/
I definitely saw a whole bunch of other goodies that I would love to try, but, first thing first, coconut oil is essential for me.

The reason why I'm also raving about it so much is because it's making my hair softer, noticably softer, and it's cutting down the density. Now if you have extra coily hair you know a little about mass over volume. I swear my hair is really the true definition of DENSITY. I think it's the combination of coconut oil and heat, not direct heat, but the heat from the over-head dryer that I use mostly when I put curlformers in my hair.

I've noticed the softness a couple of times now, especially when I finish washing my hair, it's noticably Less dense. Usually when I wash my hair it comes out in all it's puffy glory, dries quickly, and dries hard. But it's been staying softer longer and just coming out less dense.

I will definitely keep a closer eye on my hair's behavior and write it here, especially, since I ordered Extra Virgin Coconut Oil this time! Never tried the extra virgin before, its supposed to be the purest of the pure, no additives, cold pressed and the maximum goodies you can get. I am very excited about it!

Ms. Natural Hair Herself - India Arie. Luv This Video!

Natural Hair Star of the Month!

It's february and yes, it is that time again, to introduce another "natural hair star of the month - Karen!

When and why did you decide to go natural?

For as long as I could remember, I always loved the way that loc’s / dreadlocks looked on men and women. I was fascinated by how beautiful they looked. I could actually sense the amazing freedom that came from them just being themselves. I would always stop what I was doing if someone walked by with beautiful loc’s. Something about loc’s just made me want to know more about the whole experienc. But unfortunately, for the longest time, I ignored what turned out to be my love of natural hair.

I was so caught up in trying to fit into the mainstream ideal of beauty – which was long straight hair. So for years I spent so much money, time and energy on getting extensions and weaves. Enduring the pain of chemicals and glue being put into my hair and on my scalp. All to achieve a look that had nothing to do with who I was. I felt like I spent years trying to please others with what I thought was beautiful.About 4 and half years ago, I finally realized that I was not being true to myself or who I was as a person. I did not like how the weaves looked. I did not enjoy putting chemicals in my hair. And I did not feel beautiful. So I said enough is enough! I am going to finally do something about it, and go natural. And from that point on, I felt so empowered and in tune with who I was from inside and out. I no longer needed the fake hair or the chemicals to feel beautiful. My hair was and is beautiful all on its own.

Who does your hair mostly, i.e. hairdresser, aunty, yourself, e.t.c.

I maintain my own hair. Once or twice a year – I might treat myself and go get my hair done by my loctician.

What are your "IT" Hair Products?

Dark and Lovely Peppermint ShampooIC Liquid ConditionerOrganic Loc and Twist gelAfrican Pride OilSilk Scarf

Who is your natural hair inspiration?

There are a lot of people that inspire me. But a few that really stick out are: Bay Area artist Goapele. She use to have really beautiful loc’s (she cut them off recently). When I first started the locking process, her natural beauty really inspired me to continue even when I doubted myself. Another person that inspires me is model Wahidah Fowler. She has beautiful thick loc’s and she owns them! And I think it is wonderful to see a natural hair model who is both successful, but an amazing artist and person. So she continues to be a hair inspiration for me.

Words of Wisdom to natural hair folks or those considering it.

Embrace it! If you want to do it - go for it. Don’t let someone else tell you who you should be or how you should live your life. And if it seems hard at first, you are not alone. In the beginning it is going to be hard, but there is so much information and knowledge out there to guide you. And if you don’t have that encouragement in your own life to be natural, join a local group or search for groups online where natural hair is cherished and celebrated.

Split Ends!... Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where did all this split ends come from!?! As I looked in the mirror, the one downstairs in my bathroom that magnifies every pore on your skin, to my horror all I saw was how much split ends my hair had, especially in front.

I mean really split ends; the kind where I could literally see the hair split and pull it apart! I am horrified, totally and completely disturbed, but I now know what I have to do and the importance of deep Conditioning! which I think I've done a total of 5 times since I've been natural - 1 year and a month!

I will endeavor to deep condition my hair every two weeks now with: egg yolks (3), safflower oil, and maybe 1 whole banana. But the egg yolk and safflower will be the staple deep conditioner ingredient. The banana will most likely be a variable.

So, of course, upon seeing these horrific split ends I immediately pulled out the scissors and took to choppin' I cut about 2-3 inches of my entire hair. These are the little details you find out for yourself when you go natural. You will still have to take care of your hair and deep condition it every 2 or 3 weeks just like you did when you had a relaxer!

As usual I will be back with an update of how my deep conditioning experience went. I plan on 15-30 minutes with a shower cap and a heated hood.

Well if Chris Rock is Talking About Natural Hair .......

Black people are getting sick n tired of all this hair issues, which should really be a non-issue, if and when we decide to Own Our Beauty!

Now you know this stuff is getting serioius and wide-spread if even men are talking about it seriously, this is probably as serious as Chris Rock will get.

Enough is enough. Own Your Beauty and get over it....It's seriously not even that serious anymore. You're either going to Own It or It (as in society's rules and depictions) will own you.

At the end of the day, somebody's going to own you because at the end of the day it is all about the almighty freakin' dollar. It ain't 'bout u or ur hair....iz all about the freakin' benjamins!

Wat! Chris Rock is coming out w/ a movie called "Good Hair"

Rock interviews women who undergo hair-relaxing treatments with chemicals
that burn their scalps and others who pay thousands of dollars for hair weaves.
Along the way, he trades witty, insightful observations with such figures as
Maya Angelou, the Rev. Al Sharpton, actresses Raven-Symone and Tracie Thoms, and
singers Eve and Ice-T.
Long talks candidly in the film about her own perms and weaves, but in the
interview with Rock, she also speaks hopefully about how Obama, his wife and
their two daughters can help blacks overcome the cultural inferiority complex
that prompts them to change their hair.

"I thought, wow, this would make a great movie, but that was like 15 years
ago, and no one was making funny documentaries 15 years ago," Rock said in an
interview Tuesday alongside Nia Long, one of many actresses and other
celebrities Rock interviews in the film.
"So you cut to now, and I have
daughters, and I'm really dealing with them and their hair a lot, and my friends
have daughters, and we talk about our daughters' hair issues. I kind of saw
where to go at it, and now people are making funny documentaries," he
said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gsTFCjFHwh1ruoePi9kaKT9faKlwD95RJKU02

Facebook Hair Inspiration & Natural Hair Star of the Month

Here She Is: The facebook inspiration and the first "Natural Hair Star of the Month!"

When and Why Did You Decide to Go Natural?

I decided 2 go natural 3 years ago...becuz my mom went this hair dresser and she lemme know how heat really damages ur hair. but b4 dat I had embraced my hair and loved its natural state, BUt I hadn't fully committed to going completely natural.

Who Does Your Hair Mostly, i.e. hairdresser, aunty, Yourself, e.t.c.?

my aunt does most of the braiding and cornrowing, anything else done by me (the rolling, twisting, etc)

What Are Your "IT" Hair Products?

as far as "it" hair products...i really don't know.... but one thing I try to do overtime I was my hair, is to condition it w/ and egg and conditoner(occasionally mayonaise) mixture...or if I have that hair mayonaisse , I use that...there's also this oil I ted to use, its like a 5 in 1 oil...

Who Is Your Natural Hair Inspiration?

well im inspired by many ppl. india arie, janelle monae....i just see a hairstyle I lyk, and try to reproduce it, in natural way

Words of Wisdom to Natural Hair Folks or Those Considering It.

words of wisdom: embrace ur natural hair...i say the coarser the better because it becomes far more versatile. and direct heat is not meant for hair, so do u hair a favor and treat it w/ love...(=D)

Yes We Can....be Versatile!!!

I just looked at the group, natural hair, on facebook, as I usually do before I write this blog because it always inspires me! and it did again tonite. There's this lady on there who posted like 20 pics. of her hair on there and everyone of it looked so gorgeous, pretty and Versatile!

I mean, her little gallery was basically a testament and an example to all the people in the world who use the excuse of non-versatility (if that's a word) for not wanting to deal with natural hair.

They say it's because it really doesn't style well, or because it's stubborn or whatever but she seriously just convinced me totally tonite that these reasons are nothing but lame excuses! And these excuses are used by both black and white people!

But this is no longer a valid excuse because there is a plethora of products out there in the market today; that are natural, synthetic, or a mixture of both! You Do Not Need To Burn Your Scalp With Something That Is More Caustic Than Battery Acid!

I really didn't mean to get on my little pedal stool there because I usually don't, but man! Wake Up People! I mean really! Shake Off The Conformity and Own Your Own Beauty!

I'm going to ask this young lady if I can have permission to post her pics on my blog because people have to see the reason why I'm ranting and raving like a lunatic. I mean, she totally inspired me tonite (yes, inspiration does come in the most unexpected places!)

This isn't really what I was initially planning to write about tonight, but I am so happy that I did.

Honey and Water...Not So Much

I tried using honey for my single two strand twist after I had washed my hair but it was still retatively wet when I applied the honey on the hair...so, yea....no, it didn't work as well and definitely didn't have as much hold.

Lets just say my hair experienced mucho shrinkage. I still added good ol' KCCC, so it does have a lot of hold, but it lacks that shiny shine sleeky look that honey gives on dry hair. But I've been rocking it for about 3 days now, and its mucho coily/curly. Which is what I Luv!

Honey I Luv...Again!

Once again I find myself singing the praises of this magic, silken, golden, sweeten substance called honey! This time we'll add some lemon, viola! Even more magic.

This is not the first time that I am going to find myself singing the praises of honey on my hair, this is also not the first time that I am going to find myself singing the praises of lemon on my hair; however, this will be the first time that I am finding myself singing the praises of both of them in concert. (insert heavenly choir singing hallelujah in ultra soprano...lol.)

About 4 days ago I did a braid out (single braids or boxed braids whatever you want to call it) on my hair mixing honey (raw), lemon (100% pure), and good ol' KCCC.

Here are the steps I took:

1.) I already had some coconut oil and most likely some KCCC in my hair that I did not wash out.

2.) Then I squirted some lemon on my hair,

3.) Brushed each section with my denman brush,

4.) Added a finger tip size of honey on each section,

5.) Brushed it again, and then added a finger tip size of KCCC on the very same section before I single braided it.

Viola! mucho, very mucho, shine !- mucho, very mucho, definition! and of course, less shrinkage (there's still shrinkage, just less of it).

LUv! nothing but LuV! There's another way that I would like to use this combination...I'll do it and write out how it turned out.

Something New

So I think I'm gonna leave the curlformers alone for a while, not because it doesn't work but because the curls aren't really lasting longer than a day.

I currently have my hair in a nice braid out right now. I put a pound (exaggerating) of coconut oil on my hair, wet it a lot and then put KCC on it, for hold, and then single braided it into several sections.

After that, I put the braids on rollers and sat under the hooded dryer for 30 min. It came out mucho cuto and shiny of course due to the coconut oil, but I don't think I like the second day result so much, which is usually the case with my hair; I hardly like the second day result.

I plan on re-braiding it tonight without any oil or water, just using kinky curly curling custard, hopefully this will give it more hold so it can last for more than a day.

The thing that most people don't know, or that people don't tell, when you're going natural is that, the work is constant; especially if you're wanting it to have some sort of curl pattern or wave pattern as oppossed to frizz. You usually have to do something: braid, twist, roll, something, in order for you to achieve a polished curl or wave pattern. Unless you usually wear a wash and go which I used to do for the longest time but it's too cold for that mess plus I wanna try something new.

So I'll braid it again tonight with KCCC and see how long it lasts.

If At First You Don't Succeed.....

Ok! I gave curlformers another try again last night and the results came out much better than the first time, for this, I am grateful 'cuz i'z 'bout ta send dem mugs bak ta sally's 'n git my money bak! LOL. But thankful it all worked it out mostly to a little miracle jar of goodness called "Alma and Olive Heavy Cream"

from a company called Qhemet Biologics.

Here's What I did:

1. I didn't wash it again because I already did yesterday

2. I sectioned my hair into smaller section this time around for better results

3. I put half a dime-size of alma and olive heavy cream on each section individually.

4. Then I brushed each little section out with my trusty denman brush (I think I like this brush a lot)

5. I sprayed a little water on each section for more hold

6.Then I put in the smaller curlformers on the shorter sections of my hair (the left side and the back) and the longer ones in the front and the right side.

7. Then I sprayed a lot more water over my entire head once all the rollers were on.

8. Finally I sat down for 30 minutes under the hooded-dryer.

This was all around 12:00 a.m. this morning. At first I didn't plan on doing my whole head but then I didn't some parts to look nice and the other parts looking rough so...... I did a couple of bantu knots type style in the middle and in the littlest part of my hair in the back that doesn't really take to rollers too well in the first place.

Anyway, the final analysis, It came out shiny and curly. My mom said it looked like a got a relaxer. So, that's basically enough evidence of how well it came out.

But of course my ever constant question of how long will it last always plagues me so, I'll make sure to do the whole pin curly thingy I did before.

Of course, results will be posted on this.

Verdict on Curlformers

Ok! so here goes the verdict on curlformers - guilty. lol. ok, here's my real reaction; I'm not sure if.....I don't even know what to say (type)....I guess, what I'm trying to say (type) is that it didn't really come out as nice as I expected, which might be due to a number of factors:

1. I chose a combination of the long and narrow and short and narrow. I think I was scared that I was going to run out of curlformers so, I might have made the hair sections too big for each curlformer.

2. I used a product called "Lotta Body" (from Sally's Beauty Supply Store) as a setting lotion, maybe I didn't use enough or used to much water in addition to it.

3. A combination of number 1 and 2.

Don't get me wrong, It's not like it came out horrendous or anything. The curls that curled were spirally and looked good, the one's that didn't curl too good weren't really spirally and didn't really look good. That's basically the bottom line.

The front of my hair came out really good. The curls were nice and spirally and looks like it'll keep for a week or two. Today's is actually my second day with the curls. Before I went to sleep last night, I did a sort of pin curl for each section that was already curled, and of course, slapped on a scarf before I went to bed.
And this afternoon, I rubbed some coconut oil on my hands and rubbed it through my hair which gave it mucho shino and I finger combed the curls out, and then lightly brushed it with a soft bristle boar brush (except the front).

It looks nice like this so I'm hoping it'll keep for a week or so - especially the front. I'll basically do the pin curl method thing for the front again, before I go to sleep tonight.