I'm Back!!

I'm back y'all! I'm sorry it's been a little while but I've super busy with 3 full time jobs - work, wife, mom. I haven't neglected my hair, just the blog - sorry :-(.



I'm still loving my Bantu Knot Outs - it's just too easy and really suits my lifestyle, which is crazy!



Just wanted to do a quick run down of my regime at the moment.



Saturday (WASH DAY!!)
- Co-wash (deep condition every other week and shampoo once a month) (am/pm)
- Detangle and moisturize as usual (am/pm)
- Bantu Knot (am/pm)
- Sleep with Satin Bonnet (pm)

Sunday
- Loosen Knots and Style (am)
- Sleep as usual (pm)

Monday
- Fluff out matted hair (hehehe) (am)
- Spray with moisturizing mist (water, leave-in conditioner, oil, glycerin) (am)
- Sleep as usual (pm)

Tuesday
- Co-wash (pm)
- Detangle and moisturize as usual (am/pm)
- Bantu Knot (am/pm)
- Sleep with Satin Bonnet (pm)

Wednesday
- Fluff out matted hair (hehehe) (am)
- Spray with moisturizing mist (am)
- Sleep as usual (pm)

Thursday
- Co-wash (pm)
- Detangle and moisturize as usual (am/pm)
- Bantu Knot (am/pm)
- Sleep with Satin Bonnet (pm)

Friday
- Fluff out matted hair (hehehe) (am)
- Spray with moisturizing mist (am)
- Sleep as usual (pm)

I'm loving this routine at the moment because it's so easy and it always makes sure I've got a fresh hair-do for church on Wednesday and Sunday!

On another note, my friend said to me the other day that since I started transitioning, my hair has looked much healthier and the bantu knot out is definitely working.

Bantu Knot-Out Review

Transition Style: Bantu Knot-Out

Apprx 'Fixin' Time: 15-30mins

Approx 'Settin' Time: Overnight-24 hours (depending on how much time I've got)

Tools: Wet-damp detangled hair, styling mousse and elastics (I'm using small fabric covered ones)

Pros: A million times quicker than either or the other styles I had tried before. The time it akes to fix literally depends on how long your hair is and how tight you want the curls when you take the knots out. The tighter the curls you want, the more knots you have to do. It's a really really easy technique as well and that's always a good thing.

Cons: If the knots aren't relatively small, it won't blend the new growth as well as the TnC when taken out. I think unless I sat under the dryer, which y'all know i don't have time for, it's not going to last all week - maybe 2-3 days max but then that depends on how tight you make the curls.

Rating: *****

Overall Comments: This is my signature transition style at the moment because it's so easy. The fact that you have to do it every 2-3 days suits me fine right now because of the new regimen I'm adopting for the summer. At night I sleep with a bonnet and fluff it in the morning with some moisturizing mist, put a band on the front and then i'm good to go - so quick! I love it!

(the picture is for illustrative purposes only and isn't me!)

Rollerset Review

Transition Style: Rollerset

Apprx 'Fixin' Time: 45 mins - 1 hour

Approx 'Settin' Time: Overnight

Tools: Wet-damp detangled hair, setting lotion (setting lotion mixed with water and oil), magnetic rollers, end wraps

Pros:
Much quicker than the TnC, which is a realy big deal to me. Really easy to 'fix; - you honestly don't have to be an expert at rollersetting to get a nice result. Doesn't hide length as much as TnC.

Cons:
Doesn't blend the new growth as well as TnC - the demarcation line between the twos sections is quite clearly visible. Had to replace the rollers everynight to keep the style lock'd for the next day.Curls were a little looser than I'd have liked so would just fall at the slightest sniff of moisture. I couldn't refix it every night while I was at the conference so it started looking more straight than curly - not the look I was going for.

Rating: ****

Overall Comments:
I really really liked the results of this style and I'll definitely try it again. I'd need to use larger rollers next time so that my hair dries better and more evenly next time.

Twist n Curl Review

Transition Style: Twist n Curl

Approx 'Fixin' Time: 1 -2 hours

Approx 'Settin' Time: Overnight

Tools: Wet-damp detangled hair, Curling Wax, End Wraps, Perm Rods

Pros:
This style blends the new growth with the relaxed ends like no other style I've seen. The results are always gorgeous spirals. The hair's always a little bit shiny (or has a sheen) because of the wax I think - so it looks really healthy (I got a lot of comments on this aspect).

Cons:
Takes too long to 'fix'. 1 - 2 hours may not be long for some people but I'm a full-time working Wife and Mother, so my spare time is limited. Granted it may take this long because my hair's still short and I have to do more twists than if it were longer. Also it doesn't look as defined after a few days and can look a bit dry and dull (might have something to do with the wax though)

Rating: ****

Overall Comments:
I really love the way the TnC looks when it's done but I don't have the time and patience to do it every other day to keep it looking fresh. I'll always do it for a special ocassion though because the style is just too fly.

Rollerset Success!

This is different for me as I’m actually blogging from work via email! Just wanted to give you a quick update on the rollerset I did last night.

I was a little bit disappointed this morning when I took the rollers out because my hair was still a little bit damp at the crown so I had to spend 10 minutes drying it with a hairdryer. And if I’m honest my rollersetting skills aren’t the best anyway so I wasn’t holding out much hope for the style, just had my fingers crossed. Well, what can I say? It came out quite well. Hopefully I’ll do better next time but it’s good enough for work and church.

I got quite a few compliments on my hair when I walked into work today so it’s a good sign, I think. I’ll post some pictures as soon as I can.

Till later

xxMuwahxx

Sorry I'm MIA

So I disappeared for a little bit there. Went MIA for a little bit but I'm about and I definitely haven't 'backslidden' and gotten a relaxer. My hubby's been practically glued to the computer for a few days so I haven't been able to get my blog on.

Anyway, I've been rocked the twist n curl for about 2 weeks so I need to do a full review and tell you what I think in all honesty. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Twist n Curl!!

I'm sitting here and I've got rollers in my because I'm trying a rollerset, so I need to blog about that as well.

It's mad busy so I might not be able to do it for a couple of days because it's church tonight and then my daughter's birthday tomorrow, but I promise I'll do it.

I also tried a curly pudding recipe I got from AGurlCanMac on my daughter's hair, so I'll tell you about that as well. OMG so much to do, so little time!

I'm out, till next time.

xxMuwahxx

The pictures are finally here!!

I finally got the hang of the camera so I know how to download stuff to my PC now - yay! Here so pics from my Twist n Curl when I took out my crochet braids.

All the hair that broke off when I detangled the 1st time - I told you it was enough for a small mammal

Ok, so the breakage was major to say the least. I was so heart broken when i saw all that hair - MY HAIR! *sob sob* But the truth is that quite a lot of my length was damaged and would only have ended up falling out at some point anyway.

For picture number two, have a look at what my head looked like with the perm rods for the twist n curl all it in. This was actually just before I started to take them out. I'm dressed for church and ready to go, the only thing left was the hair. I know that it may look a little bit crazy but trust me and take a look at the next picture for how it came out.

I really liked the results and it really blends the new growth into the relaxed ends. I mean you can't really see the new growth as distinct from the relaxed ends in this picture. Once the week's truly over i.e. one more full day of work, I'll let you know how the styled fared during the week and if it was all totally worth it.

Till later, xxMwuahxx

Twist n Curl Success!!

So I took the curlers out and my husband says "Is that it? Are you going out like that? It's cute but I hope that's not it." I'm like "no, there's more to do"

Anyway, I took the twists out and fluffed the curls a bit and OMG it's too cute - CurlyNikki and Shuantae1 would be so proud. I wish I could get the hang of my camera and post the pics. I will as soon as I do.

I got to church and comments ranged from "your hair's so nice, I really like it" to "wow, it's so sexy". My husband loves it, so I'm really happy. I wasn't sure about it as I did it because it seemed so short and I'm trying to grow it, you know? But I think this style's going to be a staple in my transitioning closet.

For tonight, I think I'll just tie my satin scarf on it and hopefully won't 'squish' it too badly and then rock it to work tomorrow. Will definitely report back on that.

xxMwuahxx

Transition Style #1 - Twist n Curl

Ok, so I'm transitioning to a natural look and my hair's kind of short, so I'm a little bit low on the kind of styles I do while transitioning. I was thinking of doing a sew-in weave but it's getting too warm for all that. My hair's also very weak from years of frying so braids are also out of the question.


So I was searching for a transition style to try out. I've just taken out my crochet braids - sorry I don't have any pictures - but I loved them and I'll definitely be doing them again in the colder months. I've heard a lot of fuss about Twist n Curl on the Hair Boards esp CurlyNikki and I couldn't wait to try it.


Right now, I'm sitting with perm rods in my hair and I'm itching to see how it turned out. Here's what I did:

• Washed twice with Luster's Pink Oil Conditioning Shampoo and 1/4 cup of baking soda - I've heard that adding baking soda to your regular shampoo turns it into a great clarifier, which is what I needed after wearing the braids for 4 weeks. Also won't be using Pink Oil shampoo again because it's got Sodium Laureth Sulphate in and they are sooo bad for your hair.


• Deep Conditioned with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner for 1 hour (no heat) - I absolutely love this conditioner!!! It's awesome! I use it on my daughter's hair and her hair is so soft and manageable. It made my hair much easier to detangle.


• Detangled with Wide Toothed Comb - OMG My hair was such a mess of knots and breakage - there was enough hair for a small mammal sitting on the side of the bath tub when I was done detangling.


• Rinsed and blotted with towel


• Sprayed in Aphogee ProVitamin Leave-In Conditioner


• Rubbed in Kids Organics Shea Butter+EVOO Detangler Moisturizing Hair Lotion (it's my daughter's) and did a final detangle - the comb was just running through at this point. Everyone raves about Shea Butter on YouTube and the Hair Boards so I'm definitely buying some in bulk and mixing up a batch of Purpleola's Special Shea Butter (hehehe) - I don't know what I'll put it yet though. I'll keep you updated.


• Rubbed in some Oils - Wild Hair Growth and Wonder 8 Oil - just some stuff I had laying about the house, which I may or may not use again.


• Parted into 4 sections


• Did a bunch 2 strand twists in each section with KeraCare Curling Wax- I had to trim my hair (each twist) because that's how I plan to transition without really doing the BC and my ends looked so ragged it was embarssing.


• Curled each twist on perm rods till it was all done


• Tied a satin scarf on it and went to bed

Shuantae1's video was my inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8X8xtcOdgA

It took a while because in the midst of it all, my duaghter wanted me to twist her hair and made sure I used some wax - "Mommy do it hair?" (while holding up the tub of wax to me) - she's going to rock a twist-out to church today.

So that's it. I'm excited to see what it'll look like and I'll add some pictures to this post and show the results real soon.

xxMwuahxx

I'm going nappy

Ok, so I'm tired of getting my relaxed, my new growth coming in and then running back to the salon for a retouch every 6 weeks - sometimes less because my hair was growing so quick. The truth is, I've been tired of it for a VERRRY long time, so I stopped going as often and would try to strech my relaxer. The problem was, I didn't know what I was doing, so my hair just broke off :-(. Then I said enough is enough! I'll just keep my natural hair!!!!

I have very thick, very coarse 4b textured hair - so it's coily, can be wiry, dry, brittle and then my hair's also super porous so whatever moisturizer I put on it, it just sucks in and dries up so it needs A LOT of moisture.

I've tried transitioning once before, about 4 years ago just before I got married. I had a sew-in weave for my wedding but took it out while I was on our honeymoon in Jamaica because it was too darn hot! So I got another relaxer and the cycle started all over again.

Now, I'm a mom of a gorgeous little girl with gorgeous 4a hair - hers is a little bit softer than mine but also super thick and coarse. But she's not yet 2 years old and there's no way I'm processing her beautiful hair - so I thought I've got to 'LEARN' about natural African-American hair care. I say learn because you know you don't really learn anything at the beauty salon. So I joined the hair boards. Thanks to my girl KP for leading to longhaircareforum.com, which led me to YouTube and there are soooo many natural and transitioning sisters on there - it's great. So I've learnt some things and my daughter's hair is FABULOUS!!! And I thought: "If it works for her, it can work for me". So I'm transitioning again.
I got a sweet haircut when I got my last relaxer in February 2009, so my hair's quite short, which makes transitioing a little bit scary because I want LENGTH not shrinkage, but I've started this journey now and I'm not turning back.
I just want to share this journey which anyone that wants to join me in my quest to have gorgeous, healthy, NAPPY hair.

xxMwuahxx