Top-Knot...Luv This!

The Holidays are a-coming. Learn to do this Top-Knot - Gorg!

http://www.essence.com/videos/

Have Y'all Seen This....I'ma Hafta Try This Here!!!!

Ummmm....have I been living under a rock for the past year or is this getting to be pretty common. Insanity, it looks soooooooo Reeeeaaaaaaalllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the Beat Goes On.....One Year Later.

"My journey into the world of fake hair continues and will probably stay that way for a long while because I want my length back. Volume, I have aplenty but I'm length starved." quote from me in 04-02-2011


One year later, the quote still holds true. Still wiggin' out, wiggin' it up or whatever you wana call it. Mostly half wigs. If its a full wig, it will have bangs. My hair is still braided up in its little pineapple shape underneath.


Haven't had a real good blow-out for a true length check but I don't need one to tell me my hair's grown - a lot.


The ultimate goal is hip length. Only time will tell how much patience I have to achieve this length. I think I want to spend the rest of my 20's and 30's with long hair (sans relaxer!) and then cut it "Halle Berry-pixie short" when I'm forty. Once again, only time will tell, I tend to get scissor happy....

The Similarity is Striking

http://www.facebook.com/rihanna

One Year Later: A Trip to the Hair Shop

So, last year I made a vow to never put scissors on my hair as a means of retaining length....Well fast forward a year later, lets just say the split-ends were nagging me and I had to make the trip.

Went to the Hair shop today, don't really have a usual stylist since I do my hair myself so...it was a new lady who did it, claimed to do natural hair as she was natural herself. Yes. she was natural but....never again.

Don't get me wrong, as sweet as sweet can be, but....she didn't know her products - at least when it came to heat + natural hair. The past 2 stylists I've been to in the past, have been able to cut through my thick hair with their blow-dryer like a warm knife through a cold stick of butter.

Yes. she used a heat protectant spray but nothing specially formulated for blow-drying. While both former stylist refused to disclose the name of the product that made blow-drying my hair such a breeze, I do know for sure that the product had some conditioning properties. I repeat, this was merely a heat protectant spray - my hair needs more than that. Heat protectant with softening agent = easy hair.

Needless to say, she had her work cut out for her. My hair neither bent nor broke to her wished. She pulled, she tugged, she yanked....and so on. She did the best she could and trimmed the edges per my request.

The ordeal was over after 30 minutes of hair and scalp abuse. My hair was standing straight-up in a blown-out afro with crinkly ends. Though, I did not expect my hair to fall down after blow-drying, I DID expect it not to have crinkly ends....a testament to her not knowing her products.

Once again, if she did the blow-dryer + right product its capable of straightening the thickest hair from root to tip. Obviously not bone straight like you'd get with a flat-iron. But, straight - as in no curly crinkles at the end.

Any she charged $30 and I gave her $40.....I guess you could think of it as a goodbye tip. Never again. The lesson learned is - I have enough resources at my finger-tips via Youtube and google that I CAN and Need to be my own hairdresser from now on. The goal of the salon trip was to get my ends trimmed. That could have been accomplished right here in this house.

All I'd have to do was watch a few videos to know what products to get....just like I do when my hair's in its coily state. Lesson Learned. .....@ least it was a decent way to gauge my length. The hair is right on track. Growing thick. strong and wonderful.

Baking Soda: Shampoo

So, why don't naturals use baking soda to wash their hair??And if they do...Im just Now getting in on it.

I've used it for 2 weeks now and lets just say....I Will Be Stocking Up On Baking Soda ASAP. PRONTO.

1. Clean- Sparkling Clean Scalp and Strands
2. Soft - Detangles while washing - SOFT!!!! I'm talking almost don't-need-no-conditioner-after-washing- SOFT!!! Heaven knows a product that achieves this feat on tightly-coiled curls....deserves some Spotlight.

Well, don't know if the reviews are out there already or not (I'm sure they are cuz us naturals be slapping e'rythin on our heads @ least ONCE) But here's another one!

Hair Growth Update: Wigs + Braids + Hair oils

@ Amasha - I used Gogo Curl hair by Freetress for my crochet braids.

Update: I took my crochet braids out about 3 wks ago now. Henna'd it and braided it by itself no fake hair added in an upward kinda pineapple shaped pattern for 2 wks.

I took out the braids yesterday - Crazy growth!!! Then I conditioned with banana + molasses + magnesium mixture. Slapped it on my head and went to sleep. Washed it out in the morning and it made my hair feel very strong, full and thick. Plus it looked darker and shinier...Lord knows I luvs me some dark hair.

So I have transitioned from crochet braids to wigs. Because I realized that I like easy access to my scalp for when I oil it every night and just even for fresh air and what not.

The secret to my success so far is not only the ultimate protective styling of braids + wigs but OILS. My current mixture is Castor oil + Brahmi/Alma oil + Hempseed oil + Flaxseed oil and a kitchen sinkful of essential oils including Peppermint & Eucalyptus oil.

Needless to say, I'll be sticking to this regime for a long while.