Incomplete night time routine

Ok, doing the baggy green house effect thing again tonite. My head is itching around the edges.. not sure if I.should take that as a sign. If I wake up bald around my entire hairline, we know it was a sign lol.

I will say that my hair seems to have grown. I used baking soda yesterday mixed with water and a teeny, tiny bit of conditioner before shampooing with my loreal. I also used fenugreek, sour cream, and squash (baby food) as part of my deep conditioner. Anyway, my "curls" certainly feel more defined. I dunno how they look. I suppose I should start taking pictures. Hehe. Feels softer too; possibly the fenugreek or moisturizing while my hair is still soaked... or a bit of both.

I've been finger measuring, since I can't work a tape measure up there. Its reaching up to the fist knuckle of my index finger, if that makes sense lol. I'll do an "official" length check in november, after a month has passed. Although, it won't really be official til december since I never took a before picture lol. Its the b12 deficiency. It makes me a little slower than the rest lol.

I'm gonna close with: I'm so glad I checked my sons diaper; there was poop..

Goodnite!

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Today, at walmart....

So, I went to walmart to purchase a recorder for my history class. I asked an associate "do y'all have tape recorders?". One pops out from behind some dvds and says "yes ma'am, they're right down that aisle." The other guy says "well, they aren't tape players... they're digital". I didn't quite hear him, but the other guy takes me to the aisle and says "yea, we don't carry the cassette players; they're digital now, but we knew what you meant.."

If I didn't feel like an uncool, mom before, I certainly did then.. I'm way too old for my age lol.

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Things women do...

Laying here with freakin 50 layers on my head for this baggying jazz... ok, I have 2 bags, a scarf, and a tshirt. That's still a lot.

My head feels heavy. I just know this better work. I feel sort of ridiculous at this point, sleeping with walmart bags on,my head... next month I'll add rosemary and peppermint oil. I may as well go all out lol.

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Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Natural Hair Care: Thandie Newton on Her Natural Hair

Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Natural Hair Care: Thandie Newton on Her Natural Hair: by Kay Montano of Kaymontano.com Bafta winning actress Thandie Newton and I first met on a Vogue shoot about 6 years ago. It didn’t take l...

Regimen update

I haven't updated in a while, so here we go.

I've been using the aloe vera and lemon juice mask about everyday. I'm not sure if its helping with the dark spots, but my acne is beginning to clear up. I tried using honey in it, but it made my skin oily. If you have dry skin, I would definitely recommend using it as part of your facial mask and regimen.

I haven't exercised, at all yet. Been so super lazy. I really need to do that today. If I can just get myself started, I'll be alright. Its just that initial push that's hard to get on.. this is also how I know that most fat and obese people are that way from sheer laziness. Trust me, I know how genes work cause I got em. I'm built like a football player; I gained 70lbs while pregnant although I was exercising and eating healthy. I'll never a double zero, but I don't have to weigh 200lbs either (which I don't, just sayin). Exercise helps with hair growth as well, so that alone should be enough to make me want to go run a couple miles lol.

As far as my hair is concerned, I was doing well in the beginning to do the things I said I would, but sort of fell off here in the past week. The only thing I have really kept up with is the watering my hair thing. Now, I do believe my hair has grown, but I can't tell how much or if its just normal growth. I read somewhere that sweat can cause hair loss, so I decided to slow down with the baggying.. in the process, I ended up stopping all together lol. I may try to pick it up again this week. I don't really think that it helped with my moisture problem because my hair feels the same without it and I don't really know if it helped with growth either. We'll see.

One thing I noticed that did help soften my hair is actually a trick I was using while transitioning but stopped after I big chopped. I read that with low porous hair you should apply products to damp hair because the hair can't absorb anything more.. well, my hair was still hard doing it this way, so instead I reverted back to putting pruduct on my hair while its still wet, then seal with coconut oil. This, to me, makes more sense. Water is the ultimate moisturizer, so I need to seal as much in my hair as possible. Plus, my cuticles will be the most open right out of a hot shower.

I've noticed my hair doesn't really care for the cocoa butter. In fact, I may not use any butter, except maybe on my skin. It just doesnt appear to help my hair, although, I was using it with the new method of piling product on damp hair. Feeling my hair right now, ut does feel a bit different using the.soaking wet method, but I also did a deep conditioning treatment yesterday too. I dunno... I probably will stop using butter though. May pick it back up once it gets colder, but with a different formula. 

I've been swishing hydrogen peroxide after brushing as a way to whiten my teeth. I also use listerine hehe. Just started that so not sure how long it'll,take to make a difference. I know everyone says my teeth are so white, but that makes me want to whuten them more cause I just don't think they are.

Well, that what I've been up to as far as my beauty regimen goes. I call it all the lazy girl method, hehe.

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I'm natural? well, that takes care of that.

So, what does it feel like to be natural? Its been about 2weeks since I chopped my hair and I must say, I don't feel any different. The only time I really notice is when I wash or try to tuck my hair behind my ear...

I keep reading about how people feel invigorated and relieved, like a whole new person. I didn't really feel any of that. I felt more regret than anything else.

I don't really feel natural. I just feel like I have short hair... really short hair. I guess I just thought my transformation would be more noticeable; more monumental; more, liberating. I'm actually disappointed. Had I known I wouldn't feel anything but remorse, I would have waited longer to cut my hair.

I was going to do a natural hair search the other day, which is what got me on this. I realized, the only thing that matters to me right now is growing my hair back out, and I know I can't do anything about that but wait. So, I'm officially bored with my hair.... that didn't take long lol.

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Green House

So, I mentioned about watering my hair everyday like a plant. While looking for more info on baggyibg, I came across this blog, care4curls (I'm sure you've seen it) and she's talking about the differences and benefits of the green house effect (GHE) and baggying. In short: baggying is for retention thru moisture; ghe for growth by heat.

You can look up how to do each. As simple as each sound, there are apparently 100 different ways to do each... *sigh. I like to keep it simple, so when I bag my hair, I just rub a little water on it or put the bag on damp hair after a shower. The biggest difference I've seen is with ghe you add on more layers.

I attempted the ghe method for bed, but my top layer was falling off and dragging everything else off my head. I rubbed a little coconut oil, then castor oil into my scalp, then topped with my garnier sleek cream leave in. Tied on two kroger bags and wrapped it with a tshirt. Basically, a glorified baggy haha. I plan to sleep with it because my hair is still incredibly dry. I don't see how or why some females sleep with 20layers on their heads. Four was hard to manage! Lol.

I'm going to do this version of the ghe every night along with my hair watering theory for atleast two weeks to see what happens. If no definite growth results, then I'll probably still do it for the moisturizing benefits just not as frequently. I don't see myself prepping a plastic cap for my hair every night. Hell, its a hassle to find a scarf to wear to bed lol.

On another note, I did my aloe vera lemon mask with honey. My face is so moisturized and soft. I will probably skip honey next time cause its expensive and I prefer it for my hair, whereas aloe and lemon seem more useful for my skin.


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Hairscovery

I didn't realize if I combed my hair, it would coil back up as it dries. I feel so dumb lol. I've been avoiding combing it to "hold on" to my curl definition. Glad I made this discovery early on. That would have been quite a mess to detangle later.

One thing I've noticed though, aside from that latest bit, is my hair may tangle, but they aren't particularly hard to get out. Even while I was transitioning, I never really had an issue detangling my hair. I suppose I should just count my lucky stars.

Yesterday, I was talking to my grandma about chopping my hair and she said "oh, in a few months you won't even be able to tell"... all I can say to that is, I certainly hope so! To gain an inch+ a month.. *sigh. I know, after some thinking, that my hair grows the average 1/2in per month. Won't stop me from trying to push it to the max! I want a bun, sooner than later lol

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Aloe vera gel -

Best facial mask, EVER!!! I used just the gel this morning after cleansing, so no stinging, but my face feels so smooth and soft.

I will definitely be using the lemon next time. My pimples were noticeably smaller and my skin felt so smooth. This will be a staple in my skin care, newly formed regimen. Still searching for a dark circle fader

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Ignorant insults

Last night, my neighbors, the horrible ones downstairs that I'm 100% sure had something to so with my money stolen from my wallet, came home and were angry about something.

I could hear them yelling outside about a no-haired bitch, white guys, and some mention of a gang bang. I'm certain they were speaking about me..

Really, the only thing I want to say about this is, there's a difference between being bald and being deliberate. I cut my hair because I wanted to. Considering both of their girlfriends wear weaves and relaxers, I don't imagine they understand, especially since my hair was both longer and thicker until about two weeks ago.

It hurts a little yea, but I smile because I know what my hair looks like, and I like it. One of my white (well, he's hawaiian) friends was over and before all of that, he said he liked it. In fact, all of my non black friends have told me how much they like my hair and my cut.. kinda sad, actually. Black men are about the only ones with nothing good to say, but all the naysayers only motivate me to keep going harder on this natural hair journey 

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Facial treatment

I have just found a more productive way to use my aloe vera gel - on my face!

I mixed together a little aloe vera gel and lemon juice, then spread it over my face after a shower. It stung a little, but not too bothersome. Left it on for so.e odd amount of time... 20min? It felt tight, but not do much that I couldn't move it. I rinsed with warm water and can I say, my face feels fantastic! Very smooth and soft, tighter.

Both the aloe vera and lemon have astringent properties and help with acne scarring. The aloe also aides in moisturizing, as we know from using in our hair. Aloe vera also helps with cell regeneration which helps our skin heal scars, perfect to compliment the natural skin lightening abilities of the lemon. Yay! Its recommended use is 2-3 times per week, but my skin is looking super pitiful lately.

I want to find a natural way to decrease dark under eyes. Once my cetaphil runs out, I'll start using cocoa butter to moisturize my skin. Using that in my hair also has a positive affect on my hands. I'm going to tamper with a few things and do an update.

Next, I'll try baking soda as a facial scrub!

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Baggying and other hair stuff

I've been trying that baggying method, not sure if I mentioned that already.

The jist: baggying is placing a plastic cap (or bag, or wrap) on the ends of the hair or whole head to create a steaming affect on the hair. From what I understand, its ok to do it the ends of the hair everyday, but not the whole head. Don't quote me on that.. just listen to your hair. Don't risk over moisturizing it by ignoring its signals.

Anyway, slowly, my low porous, thick, newly chopped hair is beginning to feel softer. I've also incorporated a couple of other things to help moisturize my hair, thus a semi regimen is being born.

I've been doing the baggying thing quite a bit. Mostly when it starts to feel dry. I'm still working on a schedule with that as I work on balancing my moisture levels. I'm doing a hot oil treatment once a week and deep conditioning once a week, but not on the same day.

Also, I'm wetting my hair everyday. It basically simulates watering a flower. I found a video on youtube suggesting drenching the hair everyday. We'll see how it does after a month. Ill post it if I see it again. I know I sent it to twitter.

I feel like my hair is getting longer. Not from the techniques, but just growing faster in general. It could just be me finally adapting to having short hair. I always felt like I had fast growing hair, but because my hair was relaxed and never got passed my shoulders, I dunno. My grandma says her hair grows fast and my other grandma is cherokee so I imagine her hair grows fast too. Not gonna lie, I'm hoping those genes have been passed to me lol. If I do notice some significant growth over the next month or two, I'll post a detailed blog of what I'm doing. 

Another update, I created my own hair butter using cocoa butter, coconut oil, aloe vera, olive oil, and cinnamon. I added water too to help soften it up. I've only used it twice but it seems ok. After the Shea moisture and cantu trials, I'm not sure if I'll go the shea butter route. Plus, a stick of cocoa butter is readily available and only a dollar.

Because of the cinnamon, I'm not going to use the mix in Micah's hair, its a little potent; too strong for children or the tender headed. Its supposed to help with hair growth, and apparently hair lightening. Hair coloring isn't my goal, but I guess I won't complain if it happens, that is, if it helps my hair grow faster haha.

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Mitt Romney style (parody)

 Here's a cool YouTube video 

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Getting desperate

I'm at Once Upon a Child trying to sell one of Micah's baby things - an activity bouncer center. While I'm waiting, my brain is racking trying to figure out how to make some cash.  Going to go clean someones apartment after this. I hate cleaning. I haven't even cleaned my own place. Money is money.

I just need to figure out what I have that people.want, or what people are dumb enough to buy.. oops, did I say that out loud lol. Side note: a group of 6 mexicans just walked by. Yummy..

I'm loving this economics class. Wishing I'd taken it years ago instead of wasting so much time on that medical path. I do plan to go back to that; I'm not stupid;I know medical is where the moneys at. People are getting older and sickly. Ca-ching..

Anyway, I have to figure something out. Its a desperate world when you can't even get a job at macdonalds.

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Hot oil treatment

My ears are burning... no, no one is talking about me. I'm sitting under this hooded dryer for a hot oil treatment. I basically grabbed every oil in the house and slathered it on my head..

Actually, the first thing I did was rub my hair lightly with a little baking soda and water mix. I didn't want to soak my hair, but I want to test the theory of this baking soda low porousity thing. I said I was only going to use baking soda twice a month, but I want softer hair NOW.

After I rubbed a bit of the water over my hair (mostly the tips cause that's where my hair is driest), I applied my every oil mix (olive, jojoba, coconut, canola, castor, aloe vera gel), then I took a few medium-large hunks of coconut oil and piled that on my head. I'm talkin soaked.. already my hair felt much softer.

I'm under the dryer now, hence my ears burning, wiping oil off the back of my neck.. atleast its not running down my face. *cringe* I'm going to attempt at minimum one hot oil treatment a week and a deep conditioning treatment once a week. Probably not on the same day, cause I'm lazy lol.

If I don't see any improvement soon, I'm gonna get a wig! Ok, maybe not.. I saw the prices of wigs before I did my big chop.. Uh, yea, no. I'll just rock a hard frizzy fro until my hair grows out enough for twists. A shame too cause I've got some super defined curls.

Actually, on that note, my hair is crazy. The front is wavy, the top is curly, the sides are loosely coiled, and the back and sides above my ears are a mix of frizx and tight, tight coils... this is going to be an interesting thing to see as it gets longer. Feeling like a ragdoll head lol. Bouquet of wildflowers sounds better though. My head though only further proves that hair typing is pointless

Well, I'm hot and greasy. I think its been 30minutes.. time to rinse and shine! Well, I'm hoping for some shine. This dull mix of brown and black is not working.

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New business plan

By trade, my background is medical, but in my heart I am an entrepenuer!

So, my online clothing store didn't go over very well, but I'm not giving up. Last night I got the bright idea for working for myself while I desperately search for a job. Running errands!

Sounds ridiculous, but there are so many elderly and disabled people around here, I'm sure there are atleast one or two out here just needing a little help with grocery shopping, laundry, housekeeping, etc.. then again, everyones broke but I put my add up on craigslist, so hoping for the best. I've already received responses, but not for what I'm offering.... spam

Time to get to class.

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Moisture mission

Last night, in an attempt to actually get moisture into my hair, I did a simple mask containing baking soda. The baking soda temporarily lifts the cuticle of the hair. With my hair open, logically it is more porous, meaning its ability to draw in water is increased.

So, for my mask, I included my usual yogurt, honey, coconut oil, molasses and baking soda. I've been wanting to try molasses for a while now. I didn't add egg mainly because I'm broke since someone decided to help themselves to the cash in my wallet... and right before the electric bill is due. Hmph.

Left the mask on for maybe an hour. When I was cowashing, my hair did feel super soft. I decided to leave my conditioner on for 30min under the hooded dryer..

I read that in order to close the cuticle, use an acidic solution like aloe vera. I used the aussie leave-in cause one of the top ingredients I believe in aloe vera juice and I figured,.my cuticle will close on its own anyway, let me leave it open long enough to absorb more stuff..

Well, I dunno if my hair necessarily feels softer like the girls from the youtube videos, perhaps because I didn't use the apple cider vinegar. I may try that next time. My hair does, however, feel more moisturized. I can't tell if my curls are more defined visually, but I can certainly feel a difference. I mean, they feel more evident on my hand..

Next time, I'll try using a little in my regular conditioner

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Recognition

So, I'm in the bookstore and a girl with a nice, full afro puff stops her conversation with a friend to tell me she liked my hair.. that was the most wonderful compliment.

It was somewhat empowering to receive that from another natural. Honestly, it wasn't until then that I would have considered myself natural. It wasn't until,then that I even felt natural. I've just been feeling like a girl with short hair.

Back in class, another girl stopped to compliment my shoes.. I'm feeling pretty good right now.

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Micah's home!

Micah's home! Micah's home!

Its been a bad day. Apparently, I dropped my wallet last night. Someone found it but all the money was gone.. the last bit of money to my name. Luckily everything else was there, but when you're broke money IS everything.

Micah came home and of course he smells bad.. not like smoke this time, but like an old attic or something. His hair is so dry and knotted up. He has some diarrhea and he's feeling warm.

Ok, why is my son sick and stinkin after every visit with his sperm donor?  That tells me my child isn't getting even a good quality of care when he's not with me. Just hoping he doesn't have a fever tomorrow. Its the first day of class!



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Hair typing.

I so badly want to make a youtube video about this... your hair type, curl type, curl pattern, whatever you want to call it is of little to no importance in regards to hair care. The purpose of categorizing hair is strictly cosmetic and a marketing ploy.

If youre trying to create a hair care regimen, look at your individual hair, not a type. Decide what your hair needs. Is it dry? Is it fine? Is it thinning? Frizzy? Thick? etc.. In my opinion, hair porousity should be placed way before curl patterns. Hair porousity, in my own terms, is the rate at which your hair can hold water.. I'll try to explain. I have low porousity hair. My hair does not easily absorb moisture, but it also does not readily let it go. Many products just seem to sit on top of my hair without moisturizing. Another girl has high porousity hair. Her hair absorbs much faster than mine, but has a much harder time retaining that moisture. Now, let's say she and I have the same hair type. Ideally, we should use the same products? Wrong. Our processes and products will be different simply because our porousity levels are much different. Then you have to take into account the differences of our strands. I have medium-thick high density hair. She has fine, low density hair. Our individual hairs are not going to respond the same way to the same things.

I actually experienced this with a girl that sat next to me in class who was also was transitioning. Coincidently, we both had similar hair patterns: super defined coils, which I think is between 3c and 4a. Irrelevant. She loved Shea Moisture products, but my hair hated it. Her hair felt soft and moisturized, while mine was dry and crunchy..  even for styling purposes, my hair is thicker and more coarse, so mine held styles longer than her fine hair

Curl typing is really only useful during those few months in transitioning when you want to know what your hair is going to look like. Or after you've big chopped and you want to know what your hair will look like lol. Other than cosmetic, it really isn't that important.. If you're like me, your hair seems to fit into all of the categories from 3b all the way to 4c.. so, how would I buy products or care for my hair when it can fit into all the hair types?

It can be fun to learn about curl patterns and finding people with similar hair structures, but don't stress too much if you can't figure it out. If you're transitioning, you really won't know what your hair is like until you cut off the relaxed ends; I can attest to that lol. Also, if you big chopped, your hair will change as it gets longer. I'm not saying don't try to figure out your curl type. Learn everything you can about your hair. Just.don't stress over it and base your product selection and care on the way your hair curls up.

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Task: combat dry hair

Ok, so my hair has been super dry and rough since my big chop Wednesday. Granted, my hair may naturally be rough, its still way too dry.

I found pure coconut oil (not extra virgin..) at kroger last night. A pretty good sized jar by lou ana for 6 bucks. They also had grapeseed oil and some others that I will be going back for later. Ok, so I took a hunk of coconut oil, some olive oil and canola oil then warmed it and spread it all throughout my hair and massaged my scalp for a few minutes. TIP: massaging the scalp will stimulate blood flow which in turn stimulates healthy hair growth. Don't get too rough or you may damage your hair in the process.

I left the oil on wrapped in a plastic bag overnight. When I woke up my hair felt really soft (and greasy lol). I immediately started working on my deep conditioning mask. I prefer using natural products so for my conditioner I used: 1 egg, a jar of squash baby food, lemon juice, olive, canola, coconut and a little sprinkle of sesame seed oil, then I mixed in 3 spoons of yogurt. I warmed it in the microwave because its very cold. If you're going to do that, be careful not to cook the egg! I applied the mix right on top of the oils in my hair, then wrapped it in another plastic bag and a towel to help hold in the heat. Its not a thick mask, like a like it, but I skipped the fenugreek to see if that would make a difference.

I used the squash, in case you're wondering, because it is filled with keratene (spelling? that stuff in carrots) and super infused with vitamin a, which is great for hair growth. I don't know if it'll make your hair grow faster, but atleast it will be healthy, at whatever rate your hair grows. If you are trying to grow your hair faster, I'm sure using this or similar recipes won't hurt as it is all edible lol.

I fell asleep so I left the yogurt mix on my hair for maybe an hour. O dunno cause I fell asleep lol. Anyway, after I rinsed and co-washed my hair felt really soft. I sprayed on the aussie hair insurance then massaged my oil mix onto my scalp and hair... ok, then the problem started. I called myself sealing my hair with the Beautiful Textures curl creme. My hair started feeling hard... maybe I'm not using it in the right order. I dunno.

I made a mix of my own that I'll use. I'm just going to take both products back to sallys. Someone stole all the money from my wallet, so I need that cash back anyway to get diapers for my Micah

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Beautiful Textures

I just tried the Beautiful Textures curl butter. I skipped using the aussie. I don't think its conditioning my hair, although it does work great for Micah's hair so its a keeper for him. However, I still massaged my castor many oil mix on my scalp.

I mixed the curl creme with the garnier. The line suggests mixing their products for different results, so I used the garnier to help with frizz and the butter to seal and moisturize. On top of everything I added a tiny bit Jam! hair gel with a red top. Its light which is good. I again used the soft brush to try to make my curls "pop", so to speak.

The fruity smoothie scent and the consistency of the curl creme blended well with garnier leave in. After putting everything on my head, it had a white build up or film, but that went away after a few minutes.

I don't know if my hair is hard since it has gel in it, but its not bad. I think its just highly textured because of my hair cut which, I think is also what makes my hair appear dull even though its moisturized.

The butter feels a little oily which could be good for the winter. My hair does appear darker and shiny. Its still wet though, so yea.

I'll keep it, but until I use it more I dunno about buying it again. My hair does feel moisturized. I'm not.sure if it.defined my curls but I'll probably have to wait until my hair longer to notice definition in the back of my head. I'd like to find something that has less unpronounceable words on its product list. I may or may not try the other products within the line since I want something less chemically compounded.

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Micah

I just love my Micah so much.. sucks he's with his sperm donor. I should be happy, but I miss him and the only reason he's with him is because his father doesn't want to pay more in child support.. sad really. Hopefully, soon, I'll find a real dad for my son. One that won't run off because things are hard..

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Wave nouveau

This is the result of using the Wave Nouveau..

I sprayed in the Aussie hair insurance to dampen my hair, then added Garnier sleek and shine leave-in. After layering on the nouveau, I used the soft bristle brush in circular motions to help define curls..

As I mentioned, my hair is extremely coily (more springy on top) so the brushing is more for clumping and trying to mask the uneven parts cause I'm not about to attempt twists in 3inches of hair lol.

My hair is softer than last time used it. Maybe the combination of the garnier vs the moisture butter. I don't care for the scent of the nouveau.. smells too much like a salon. I'm really hoping the moisture butter works better because it definitely smells better lol. Plus its thicker, so seems like it'll work better for these upcoming colder months.

Hopefully I can soon start making my own butter. I think I'm going to go for mango or cocoa butter rather than the Shea butter. Every Shea butter product I've tried hasn't smelled all that great.

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He-Man

I'm watching He-Man, and I can't help but wonder how no one can tell he is really Prince Adam.. I mean, they look exactly the same. He doesn't even wear a mask..  And how many big muscular men run around with gigantic green talking tigers?

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destination: definition - Beautiful Textures

A continuation of my last blog ....

Beautiful Textures is a new natural line.. it kinda reminds me of that Profectiv brand... you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, this brand is geared toward "mixed textures": curly, wavy, kinky-coily, and frizzy.

Anyway, I got the Moisture Butter Whipped Curl Creme. It has an extremely strong fruity smell.. kinda like a smoothie. Its got a thick consistency which is really what I was looking for as the final piece to my product group.

TIP: i suggest having three basic products - a water based, an oil based, and a creme/butter based to seal.. that's not something I read or saw on youtube, that's just my own intuition. Basic logic.

Anyway, it worked great for Micah's hair (for those with mixed, fine -haired kids). It super defined his curly fro. I basically used it to replace the soft and precious cause I didn't feel like getting more. First I spritz on the aussie, then add a layer of my castor many oil mix, then topped with the moisture butter. His hair wasn't super soft like with soft and precious, but meh, it'll do if I dont have to get two different products lol.

My hair, meh. I can't tell right now cause I used the Wave Nouveau too, but I think it'll be a good product.. I was looking for a buttery, creamy sealing product.  As my hair dries, it is starting to feel softer. I'm a little itchy though. Not sure what that's from.

TIP: use one product at a time so that,for instance, if your head gets itchy, you can tell which products you have adverse reactions to lol.

I really don't like that it has such a long ingredients list, but for now I'll keep using it until I find something more "natural". Its got some good stuff in it like olive oil, aloe, coconut oil, mango and Shea butter, argan oil... I don't know what behentrimonium methosulfate is, but considering how everyone talks down about sulfates, its probably not very good lol. With all the good stuff in it though, could be worth ignoring until I get something else.

Also, I want to quickly mention, I have no clue what my curl type is if that's something you base your decision on. Its long and coily on top, but super springy on bottom and sides. So, yea. If you have medium- thick tightly curled or coiled low porous hair like me, then you can try the stuff I'm talking about lol

Location : 2403-2423 Wilma Rudolph Blvd, Clarksville, TN 37040,

destination: definition - Wave Nouvea

Just got two new products at sallys in my quest for less frizzy hair. The first being Soft Sheen and Carson Wave Nouveau moisturizing finishing lotion - its made to be used with their texturizer but it does say excellent for natural hair... I don't think I'm going to keep this product.. although it does say provides long lasting softness and shine and quenches dry, thirsty hair, its not what I'm looking for in a moisturizer. Even on Micah's fine curly hair it seems to make it crunchy. My hair feels kinda hard right now.

I attempted the brush coil method, which is where you use a brush to define curls on short hair. Basically, while your hair is wet take a soft bristle brush or medium, I don't know, I used my sons old baby brush.. anywho, take the brush and make circular motions thru you wet hair and it should coil right up. I think I need more practice. I'll show pics in a later post cause this phone app will only let me post one per post, so, on to the next product 

Location : 2403-2423 Wilma Rudolph Blvd, Clarksville, TN 37040,

Sigh

With my big chop also came the discovery of this silver strand.... hmm... I'm not upset, but I do want to mention, I'm only 25! Ugh........ ...

Location : 2403-2423 Wilma Rudolph Blvd, Clarksville, TN 37040,

so.. your boyfriend doesn't like your natural hair?

Considering dumping your boyfriend because he doesnt like your natural hair? This is a good video to watch:

Big Chop!

I sat on it and sat on it.. I called both of my grandmas, and both told me "baby, just do it. you gotta do it anyway, right?".. so, finally, I broke down, drove over to the beauty college and had them chop me up..

I was big eyed and terrified the whole time, watching big chunks of my hair fall to the floor.. They took me over to the barber side to get "shaped up".. That was the first time clippers have ever been than close to my head. I understand why kids are so scared during their first hair cut lol.. The guy cut me kinda crooked, but its done now and I'm not going back for a while.. I still have some relaxed ends on top, but I just couldn't handle anymore.. I was shaking, feeling light headed. I needed to go home and let this trauma pass lol.

Sorry about the sun, I snapped a quick picture in the car driving home. I dunno what they used on my hair, but it was stinky. The definition is nice though. I have about 3 inches of hair, but my coils are super tight, so there's a lot of shrinkage.

I couldn't quite replicate the look myself at home.. So, back to square one. My oil and aloe vera mix just doesn't seem to be enough. I went to target today and got some Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-in Conditioner and Suave Professionals Mousse Captivating Curls Whipped Cream Mousse because they were both under 3 dollars lol. I tried to buy from the ethnic care section, I really did.. when I saw shampoo for or whatever it was for 58 bucks, I did my best to catch my breath and not pass out on the floor. I couldn't do it. I could feel the cash in my pocket causing great pain to my leg..

I ran into another natural (cause I can say that now, hehe). I asked her the typical question one natural would ask another natural stranger in line at the store "what do you use on your hair?" basically, she said she uses Carol's Daughter, but wants something cheaper. She went on to say she wanted to try the Shea Moisture next.. Ok, if you don't know anything else about me, know that I am cheap.. too cheap. I'm not a penny pincher, I have my pennies super glued down. I showed her the Garnier in my cart, but she said its best to use products designed for "African American hair". I didn't want to argue with her, so I just said "oh, ok.. thank you"..

I'm just going to throw this out there for any new naturals, transitioners, or vets: you do NOT have to use products designed specifically for black hair.. truthfully, most of that high-priced ethnic stuff is manufactured by "white people".. let's just be realistic. Hair is hair.. set aside the curl types and color of our skin, its all basically the same. That's why a white person can use a black person shampoo with great results. if you read the ingredients list of the white products against the black products, I guarantee they have the same things. I know, because I looked lol. The main differences are oil and petroleum, but even on the white products, most of the moisturizing products have oils in them, because all hair, black white red green, needs oil.....

Ok, I realize I've gone off on a whole other blog post. I really just wanted to talk about the fact that I just cut off all my hair lol.

I'm only going to do a quick photo update about the results of my flat twists.. They looked alright, for my first few times:

In this one, I did them dry so they looked fluffier.

In this flat twist, I used Aussie Hair Insurance Leave-in conditioner on wet hair, along with my oil/aloe vera gel mix. The curls were much tighter; less fluffy

flat twists

Here is a pic of my first flat twist. Well, really my second, but this will count as my first since I don't have any other pictures to show:

Here's the after result.. not bad, I guess.. I could use some practice though lol:

Basically I just, flat twisted toward my face, around my head with two extra at the crown to avoid being flat on top.. I'll probably continue doing this until I get better, or bored with it and decide to move on to something different.

scab hair

Where do I begin? If you know or have heard of scab hair, its nothing to be afraid of.. it doesn't look very pretty, as you can see from my photo, but hair is hair and it isn't permanent.

For those that don't know what scab hair is, basically (and unscientifically) its the hard, frizzy, fuzzy, straight, curless (curl-less?) new growth as a result of relaxing. From my own understanding, and I'm no scientist, relaxers completely change the structure of your natural hair. Think, mutation (chemical X?). It strips and damages your natural hair in order to obtain that oh-so-desirable straight look. Well, we all know the skin and scalp absorb things from the environment, which includes harmful chemicals, such as relaxers, hair dyes, and texturizers. Although we all know we aren't suppose to get relaxer cream on our scalp, if you've ever done one at home and are like me, you probably slathered it right on there, heavy-handed, thinking what harm could be done, then left it on until you were running for some cold water to put out the fire on your head. How many beauticians have told you the longer you leave it on, the better it will work? hmph... Also, if you've never done one yourself, but you've ever had sores or burns on your head after a process, well, you've had the chemicals on your scalp..

When I was relaxing, I didn't know what scab hair was. I just knew that the hair in the back of my head grew in frizzy and fuzzy. When I couldn't flat iron the frizz away or slick it with pomade anymore (usually between 3 and 5 months), I knew it was time to relax, chemically relax that is. Now, my instincts did tell me that there was a possibility the relaxers and heat were damaging my hair, so I did start to take certain precautions like lowering the heat setting on my flat iron, air drying my hair, and relaxing that section of my head last in order to fix the problem. yea, didn't work.

Back to scab hair.. there really isn't a "cure", so if you stumbled upon this blog hoping for one.. I'm sorry. There is a light at the end of the tunnel if you're experiencing this problem too: it will go away. Let me repeat that: it WILL go away. It can take anywhere between 6 months to TWO years for your non-scab hair to grow back in. Read about it here: . I've been transitioning for 6 months now, and on the right side of my head, I am finally starting to notice my curl pattern growing in.. the left, which I have always had more trouble with, is still straight and frizzy..

Honestly, the best thing you can do for this hair, is baby it: condition, condition, and moisturize! This hair is the result of our harsh treatments and neglect. Its growing in this way to protect itself, from us. So, spoil it, love it, and treat it well; eventually it will forgive you and grow back in healthy and curly just as it was intended.

So, if you have scab hair and you want to get rid of it, keep it moist, keep it trimmed, and keep it happy. Before you know it, the hard ends will be gone and you can start worrying about something else ;P

I've been up since roughly 1:30 this morning.. at first I did my usual thing and play around with my phone. Normally, I google about hair, but since I've already almost reached my max for data (yea, hair obsession.. its that serious), I looked at a few youtube videos instead. I didn't check many cause I'm sure that uses up much data too..

Now, unusually, instead of laying in bed for 3hours until I fall back asleep (avoiding internet usage), I got up... big thing for me. I showered, shaved my legs (tmi?), put on a face mask which I was way overdue. Since my hair obsession I've been neglecting my other beauty needs. Gotta find some balance here.

O then cleaned the kitchen, which hasn't happened in a month.... don't judge me. Finally put a light bulb in the dining area. No more eating by candle light, haha. I started on the bathroom, which hasn't been cleaned in... well, I don't remember the last time, but then my babe woke up... now I'm starting to feel lazy again and want to go to back to sleep..
While you're over there passing judgement on me, let me just attempt to justify why Im such a slob. We're not living amongst garbage, rats and roaches here (my mom would kill me), but with my b12 deficiency, along with being a SINGLE MOM, its just physically difficult for me to muster up the energy. When I do get little bursts like this one, cleaning is not on my mind. I want to get out and do something, play with my son, do something fun before that jolt is spent. There have been days I have slept all night, woke up late, but ny the time I walk to the kitchen and make my sons breakfast I'm ready for a nap.. my body feels like its contracting; I get sp sore it hurts to walk.. so, I'm not your typical lazy slob. I do have a medical reason. I am taking supplements but I may need to up my intake cause I'm definitely not feeling any extra energy.. well, I guess for me I am cause now I only need an 2hr nap during the day instead of 5 lol..

Well, guess I'll take a quik nap.. its just 5:30. Still got the whole rest of the day. The dirt will be there when I wake up.

I did the unforgivable today... I used, Petroleum! *cue natural hair police*. I was just doing some experimenting. I saw that jar of blue magic sitting under the bathroom sink and thought, why not? Naturally, my hair feels a bit greasy now, but I think with some adjustments I can incorporate it into my winter hair care semi nonexistent regimen.

I only used it to seal my hair before doing my twists. I washed my hair this morning after hiding the scissors from myself. I just did my yogurt banana mask (which I added 10capsules of fenugreek, and I'll tell you why) then washed with Dove Daily Moisture conditioner and my L'Oreal reconstructive conditioner.

Lost my train of thought. Got Dora in the background and trying to get my son to eat dinner... anyway, um I did my usual routine of twisting and rolling, but I'm bored with that and I'm starting to think the rollers are aiding in the breakage. They're the foam type; I noticed my hair gets tangled into the foam pieces. I hardly, if ever, see hair in the shower or on my shoulders. I could count the hairs in my comb if I wanted... now, before I started using fenugreek, I tried a mayo/egg conditioning mask which left my hair crunchy, dry and from there I noticed the extra hair in my comb and sink. Anyway, it could be a number of things. It is getting much cooler out too which could be causing the slight breakage, or perhaps my hair is trying to force me into a big chop. It has always strived in shorter cuts lol.

I think, in any case, this is a sign I need to start trying new styles. I'm bored with two-strand twists with the rollers. Time to upgrade. Tonite I'm gonna try flat twisting. I know it isn't a huge jump, but bantu knots just don't quite work to blend my hair. They're ok for when I'm going to pin my hair down for something important. Otherwise, I like my hair BIG and curly. That's part of the reason I'm going natural (I'll talk more about that later).. so, tonite its time to change it up.

Now, I used that much fenugreek because my mask just wasn't thickening the way i like and I absolutely hate stuff dripping down my face and neck. Its comparable to Chinese water torture, if you ask me. To compensate for using so much, I only left the mask on my hair for 30minutes or so. My ends feel more wiry, which is good in my opinion. Makes me feel like my hair is stronger than when its pillowy soft. I dunno that it is or isn't; just a mental comfort thing really.

Alright, so I'm gonna go do this thing while my son is distracted with Wall-E.. I've been checking some Youtube videos, so I think I'm ready now.

Here I go!

the great debate

I guess there comes that moment in every transitioners journey where she (and maybe he?) contemplates the "big chop".. I'm at that moment now... laying in bed pulling at these matted ends cause I was too lazy to twist my hair last night...

I chose to transition because I knew I wasn't ready for such a drastic change. i.e., cutting my hair and wearing a fro. I had no idea what kind of hair was hiding under this relaxer and if I did hate it, I could always fall back to the #creamycrack lol.

The problem comes from my impatience. I'm too impatient to transition. The detangling and different textures doesn't even bother me, I'm just tired of waiting! and rolling...

On the opposite end of that, I'm too impatient to big chop.. once its gone, its gone, and can I really wait a year or more for my hair to get this length again? Plus, the shrinkage... ugh. I like instant gratification. Hair doesn't grow instantly.

I've done well to combat my normally impulsive nature.. minus that mini chop episode a month or two ago.. right now at the top of my head, my curls are long and springy. I have no curl pattern in the back; just frizz and fuzz. I should start posting photos, huh? Haha. I don't think I can from this phone.

What to do, what to do... I really can't tell where my new growth ends, so I ought not cut it myself. I need to just wait and see how I feel in a few months. Maybe with a few more inches of growth, I'll gain some balls and just chop it.

I want to hear from people that transitioned and big chopped. How did you feel? Why did you choose that route?

the devil laughs..

I have figured out the astonishing unemployment rate in America.. its those damned assessment tests!!

How many times can I be asked the same question?? I hate filling out applications for that very reason. his one was really creative with video clips of scenarios, plus the 118 question "which describes you better" section.. who came up with this evil? the devil is laughing now at every other unemployed person completing an online job application right now..

I better get a damned job soon, and when I do it is the last job I will take before I get this business thing started again.. now that I am flustered, time to finish folding laundry before we (me and my son) head home for the night.

well, no hair tonite. oh well. got nothing but nothing to to do tomorrow.

yogurt? yep.

Since I'm on the topic of hair, I want to mention yogurt..

Like I said in my last post, I don't buy hair products.. Well, let me back up - I don't buy expensive hair products. I'm definitely not against lab created hair stuff. I still don't really understand what silicones are, but apparently they make my hair really soft. Why take that away? lol. Anyway, yogurt has become a staple in my semi non existent regimen. I use it as a prepoo-protein-deep-conditioning treatment (gotta love the all-in-one).

I don't really remember why or how I came across the idea of using yogurt, but somehow I was led to this website: Lipstick Masala.. Yogurt apparently has some type of antifungal and antibacterial properties.. its also good for probiotics, which i will assume does some good for my hair too lol. Well, the yogurt, in all its wonderfulness (except its taste, cause that's just gross) has some cleansing powers as well. A clear, healthy scalp means healthy hair growth, right? Welp, at 3 bucks for a gigantic tub, I was sold. I don't even have to eat this stuff to reap some benefits. YES!

Yogurt also offers protein which is great for hair too.. I don't really know all the ins and outs, and scientifics behind using yogurt, I just know it works for my hair..

Now, to the cut: For my hair mask I mix a few good scoops of full-fat yogurt (and yes, it needs to be full fat), 1 egg, 1 banana, and some olive oil.. blend it up really well (to avoid banana chunks) and smooth onto dry hair starting at the scalp.. I like my masks to be good and thick, so I add just a capsule or two of fenugreek, which coincidentally also conditions my hair and adds a lot of slip to the mixture. I'm terrible about detangling, but this is a good time to go ahead and do that part.. Anyway, wrap your hair up in some type of plastic (I use a Kroger bag), then a towel to create more heat and leave on your hair for 30 minutes up to an hour (2 in you skipped the fenugreek).. then rinse, shampoo and condition as usual.. with the fenugreek though, you may find that you don't need any additional conditioner. TIP: let the yogurt reach room temp, or your head might get really really cold lol.. TIP 2: if you use the fenugreek, don't let it dry on your hair, or you'll have powder chunks in it.. they come out easy though, so I've read.

the fenugreek really softens the hair so I do NOT recommend leaving it on for very long or using it more than once a week, or even bi-weekly (I'm still working out the kinks).. the first time I used it, I added way too much and left it on for nearly 3 hours.. well, now I'm experiencing some breakage. before you FREAK out, I'm not going bald and thankfully I noticed early enough to make some changes. I emptied like 10+ capsules into my mix along with Dove conditioner and some other things.. chances are I just over moisturized my hair. Don't be afraid to experiment. Just know your hair, your ingredients, and your time.

Anyway, I will probably be using this again tonite. Since its getting to be winter time though, I'm on the hunt for a not so cooling hair mask. Any suggestions or tips? I'd love to hear them.

product junkie? um, no.

looking at my last blog entry, apparently the enter button does not make a line break from my phone.. my bad.

I really just want to talk about hair for a minute.. as I mentioned in my last entry, I'm transitioning from relaxed to natural hair. for those that don't know what that means: I'm growing out my nappy roots.

I'm a lazy, penny-clamping DIY type of girl.. Standing in Target in the "ethnic hair" care section proved that. All the different products, names, ingredients... this one is African, that one is organic. This product contains olive oil, while this one over here has coconut and hibiscus.. then there's neem, carrot, mango, etc..some from Jamaica, others from Haiti (but all manufactured in Texas?.. hmm) I was overwhelmed! Last time I was in the black hair aisle, my choices were: blue magic, doo gro, and motions lol. OK! maybe it wasn't that long ago.. haha.

When I saw a tiny bottle of some randomly named "natural" shampoo for 30 bucks, it was in that moment I knew I was NOT a product junkie, nor was I going to be a product junkie. I quickly turned around, grabbed some L'Oreal Reconstructive Sulfate Free shampoo and conditioner and headed for the register.

I want to, for just a minute, talk about the ridiculousness of all the natural hair product hype.. that probably doesn't make much sense lol, but I know what I'm trying to say. I have been getting away with using "white" hair products for years. Yes, yes, I know I'm still going thru the transition so most of my hair is still straight, but I just can't bring myself to spend 40 dollars on a 2.5 oz bottle of shampoo. I looked at the Carol's Daughter Transitioning Kit.. Nope, couldn't do that either. Comes in pretty box though..

I did try the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie in the pink tub, but that stuff made my hair so hard.. It smelled bad too.. I've since read a ton a good reviews for it since trying it though. its kind of a shame it didn't work for me, but I did save myself 10bucks.

Hmm, originally I just really wanted to talk about my hair, but somehow this turned into a product review lol.. Alright, I'll go with this..

I've tried the Cantu grow strong, pomade, and intensive leave-in before I was consciously transitioning. Meh, they were ok, but probably not something Ill get again. Kinda made my hair feel dry and greasy at the same time.. The pomade worked great for when I was blow drying and flat ironing my hair. Yes, it has petroleum in it, but hey, there is no perfect product lol.

I'm no naturalista or whatever (at least I don't think I am (whats a naturalista again?)), but I think the best natural products are just regular old oil and water. My family has been using that base and they all have long luscious hair. I don't know my hair type and got tired of trying to figure it out, but I find castor oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil all work great. mix in some water and aloe vera gel and BAM! you've got a moisturizer, detangler, and sealer in one.. YAY for the lazy girl! The more aloe vera, the better detangler.. add more castor oil for heavy sealing, and more jojoba and water for something lighter.

Hmm.. another blog entry!

where am I?

Hmm, wow. Like digging up a tomb.. Well, I won't bore anyone with grave details of the past year, but here's a quick update: Still single (big surprise, right?), back in college, unemployed... (again? Yes, long story), and I'm transitioning to my natural ends resulting in a slight hair obsession (seriously, I think I failed my classes last semester because of this disease)... speaking of diseases, I've also learned I have a b12 deficiency. Yippee! One which costed me 200dollars to learn about.. another yippee. So, things never seem to be getting better, despite my efforts, and my rent is a week late because although i am now finally receiving child support I have to wait on the damned state to send it to me and of course its a fucking holiday. The mother fuckers told me they would put it on that ridiculous debit card I got in the mail. Grrr... I cannot wait to get off the child care assistance so my son's sperm donor can pick up the bill and the army will send my portion of his check straight to my account. I have bills to pay and my baby needs clothes.. Now, before you jump down my throat read my next update about my baby drama then you can judge me for my angry black woman attitude. I do have a few good stories to tell, but they will come in due time along with a new blog front, and a new approach to the business owner thing..