Earrings (and things)

Happy Friday lovelies!!

This week has been so busy for me now I'm back in the swing of things in lab. I just wanted to stop by and just fill you in on what has been going on.

As you know, I have been bunning for the majority of the summer. There's nothing wrong with that right? It's a great protective style and it's low manipulation. Everything should be good, right?

WRONG!!!

I have found that buns have the tendency to make you look like Plain Jane if you aren't careful. And we all know what happens if you look like Plain Jane, right? You get bored with bunning and then you're on the hunt for another protective style. So, I have decided to start accessorizing more to get rid of this bunning boredom. I figured a good place to start would be with earrings. I have 2 piercings in each ear (got my ears pierced as a baby and again at 16) and I barely wear earrings. I need to change that. Although I have just started to really wear earrings on a daily basis, I am finding that they add much needed oomph to basic, boring buns (hooray!).

I just want to show you a few pics of my buns w/ earrings. Keep in mind that my earring collection isn't extensive (yet!) but I plan on adding more earrings as the months go by!

*SN: Sheesh. I need to expand and get some gold earrings, huh?*

Hair Boredom/ Look of the Day: 8/11/11

Happy Thursday ladies!


Well, it has been awhile since I last posted. I have been having a bit of hair boredom lately. I mean, it's too hot to straighten it and I'm too lazy to do a flexirod set. So, I have been washing DCing and bunning. The bunning is driving me to frustration since I usually bun with my hair all the way back. This would be all well and good if the front part of my hair would get some 'act right' and not want to look jank all the time.


As a result of all these factors, I am bored with my hair.

In an effort to add some spice into my (hair) life, I'm trying to jazz things up a bit. Since I bun a lot, I'm trying to wear earrings more (so I don't look so plain). I picked up some great ones at Forever 21 and Rue 21. I also purchased some beanies for the Fall. I'm also trying to style my hair so that my hair isn't straight back when I bun.

Today, I am rocking a side bun/ flat twist. I think it's pretty cute. Take a look:

* I purchased the earrings from Rue 21 *

: Sigh : Hopefully this is the first step in getting me out of my (hair) funk :/

I FINALLY Figured It Out!!

Slicking down my edges when I'm wearing a bun (or just wearing my hair back in general) has always been the bane of my (hair) existence.

I have tried every manner of gels, glazes, and pomades and have met minimal success with each. Some would slick my hair down but as soon as I come into contact with the slightest bit of moisture, my edges would pop back up. Grrr. Do you know how frustrating that is!?????Today, however, has marked the end of my frustration. I've pretty much found that the key to keeping your edges slicked down lies on 1 key product: moisturizer.

Yep. That's it. Moisturizer. If your edges are moisturized enough, the easier they are to beat brush into submission. Who freakin' knew?

Now, I can't tell you what moisturizer to use since every head of hair is different but I can tell you what moisturizer worked for me:

Darcy Botanicals Coconut Lemon Transitioning Creme. Oh.Em.Gee. I put some of this on my edges and followed up with the olive oil Ecostyler Gel. Edges are laid down! Even after walking in the sauna that is Birmingham, AL in the summertime, my edges have stayed put!

So there you have it. If your edges seem to laugh at any gel, pomade, or glaze you put in your hair, try moisturizing it first. It may make a world of difference.

Happy Friday ladies!

It Be Callin' Me Man....

It being hair products.

This week I've been feeling a little bit like Pookie in New Jack City. All week, I have wanted to go out and purchase hair products. Not any product in particular, just something. Nevermind the fact that I have bottles and tubs of unfinished hair products taking up space in my bathroom cabinets. I just have the itch to try something new.


Fortunately, my attempts at purchasing something have been thwarted at every turn. From the store being closed to me being too lazy to drive somewhere during rush hour traffic, I have been able to return home sans product. Another plus is that I'm actually making any effort to use up the product that I have! :gasp: I know! It's shocking. Today I actually pulled out my bottle of unfinished Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 to moisturize my twists. I actually forgot how much I liked this product during the summertime (it has glycerin in it, which is a humectant and is perfect for the summer when there is so much moisture in the air).

*Rediscovering long lost products in that cabinet of mine? Heck yeah! :D *

I suppose I should stick to this pattern of using up things that have yet to be used. I know for a fact that I have an entire tub of Cantu Leave In. I don't remember why I bought it and have yet to figure out how to use it.

:sigh: I need to do better with this product junkie business.

This Is What Happens When......

.....I have nothing but time on my hands.

Yesterday I had decided to do absolutely nothing. I was gonna lounge around my apartment and like it. Yep that's what I was gonna do. I was doing great on achieving nothing until I went on YouTube and looked up videos for mini twists. That was the wrong move. They looked so cute and low maintenance that I wanted to give them a try. I figured that I have enough texture left in my hair to make twists that actually stay twisted and decided to test that hypothesis. Lo and behold...I actually can do mini twists!! A little over 3 hours later (many thanks to 'Clueless', 'The Wedding Planner', and Keeping Up w/ the Kardashians for keeping me entertained), my twists were complete and I was putting flexirods on the ends of the twists to get them to curl at the end.

I didn't use a lot of product for the twists, just some Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Style Milk and some EcoStyler Gel (the green one). I plan on keeping these in for a week or two since they took so daggone long to complete.

Well....what do you think?

My Top 3

So I saw this on the My Healthy Hair Journey blog and the [Hair].I.Am--WORLD! blog and figured that I should give go ahead and fill in my answers. So here goes.....

1) Top three things you love about your hair

-its thickness (it took my hair breaking off for me to appreciate it. Like Joni says: Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone)
-its versatility ( I am able to do so much with my hair that I thought I'd never be able to do with it)
-its length (yeah I said it. It's never been this long before!)

2) Top Three things you have learned since being on your hair journey

--No one NEEDS a relaxer. It's a styling choice. Your hair is manageable if you're natural or if you're relaxed.
--My hair needs moisture. Ain't no getting around it, under it, or through it.
--Protective styling is only as boring as you make it. Protective styling so frequently has forced me to be more creative with my styles!

3) Top three things you want to accomplish during your hair journey

--I want to get to mid back length--maybe waist length.
--Perfect my straightening technique so that I use less heat (and don't mention rollersetting. I got beef w/ rollersetting lol)
---Did I mention I want to get to mid back length?

4) Top Three things/Products you love:

--Mizani Thermasmooth
--AO conditioners and Silicon Mix
--Buns, braidouts, and bantu knot outs

5) Top three Hair inspirations (youtube or otherwise)

Anyone who is on a journey for healthy hair inspires me. To see AA dispelling the myths that surround our hair care on a daily basis is definitely inspirational to me. It's what keeps me going on in my own journey! :)

Water Has Never Felt So Good!

I am currently sitting under my heat cap, deep conditioning happy as a freakin' lark.

After refusing to wash my hair in that stuff they call well water, I finally got to wash my hair now that I'm back in B'ham. Plus, I had to wash my hair. Aside from the fact that it was dirty, it smelled like smoke (my grandparents smoke) and I had to take care of that ASAPedly.

I swung by the BSS to pick up some Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo (funds are kinda tight this month so spending $10 for the little Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo is not really cost effective) and got to work. I'm DCing with Silicon Mix (I have this huge tub of it and I like it....and I figure that I better use it so...yeah). I'm finding that in the summer (maybe due to humid behind Alabama) I can be more lenient with my DCs. However, during the winter I have to alternate between AO GPB and AO White Camellia religiously otherwise my hair will revolt.

Anyway, following all of this, I'm going to air dry (with a little moisturizer, some argan oil, and a scarf) and call it a day! I'll gonna use my banana clip to bun tomorrow (SN: Can you guys tell how much I LOVE the banana clip? I mean seriously. I'm tempted to write an ode to the banana clip that's how much I love it lol).

This particular was day has made me happy. It's like eating after a month long fast. :)

Summer Bunnin'

...and that was my corny attempt at referencing the movie 'Grease' (one of my favorite musicals, by the way lol).

As you guys know, this is my first summer since the start of my hair journey where I have not used braids (extensions). At this point in the game, I feel that my hair is too long for braids w/ extensions...and I've seen what they do in those braiding shops. I've seen how they pull out scissors to make the style look neater :side eye: All I know is, if someone cuts my hair they're gonna get drop kicked.

Anyway, I've been doing the bunning thing for awhile and there has definitely been a learning curve. I've recently figured out that high buns are not for me :sad face: Trust me you guys. I've tried it so many times! However, my nape consistently says "eff yo' bun!' and decides to just be out while my edges say "You may have slicked us down but we ain't gonna stay that way." The end result of all of that? I look like a 5 year old who has been out playing all day. Being that I'll be 26 in August....I don't think that is a good look.

Today, I finally found use for the banana clips I had laying around in my bathroom (for some reason I have tons of hair toys laying around that I never use). What'd I use it for? A bun!!! So far I like it. It makes my bun look fuller and not so...meh. I also like that fact that with a banana clip breakage becomes less of an issue (as compared to using a hair tie). I'm being a wee bit creative though and I left a section (I guess you can call it a bang) out, braided it, and it shall be a braid out bang! I'll post pics tomorrow so yall can see what I did.

I will say that bunning has drastically simplified my regimen. Currently, I wash and deep condition at least once a week (sometimes more since I'm slowly easing my way back into the gym). I then air dry and put my hair into a bun. I use Shea Moisture products to moisturize, when needed. That's it. Easy as pie! It's definitely a good thing since I'm trying to hold back on my relaxer (currently 10 weeks post) until the weather cools down. I just don't see the point of relaxing my hair when I'm constantly gonna wear it up. We'll see how long that lasts though.

Well I've rambled enough for one night. I'll be back tomorrow with pics!

10:38pm

It's 10:38pm on a Thursday and I'm sitting under my heat cap...deep conditioning and watching Snapped. I decided around 9pm that I had to wash my hair TONIGHT! I wasn't going to go to bed with a dirty head of hair. Fortunately, I am not straightening it so I will be able to get into the bed at a decent hour.

But that's not what this post is about.

As you guys know, my hair has grown quite a bit during my journey. However, from time to time I find myself doing the same things I did when I first cut my hair. This was really, really evident when I would wash and condition my hair. Now when my hair was shorter, I never had to worry about product (shampoo, conditioner, etc.) getting onto all of my hair. I mean, how could it not? It was all very no fuss, no muss back then. :sigh:

Well, I have been following the same washing procedure. I didn't section anything off. I just washed.......and apparently I can't do that anymore lol. For awhile, there have been parts of my hair that is OMG amazing! Soft, lush, and all that good stuff. Then, there are other parts that just feel....eh. It's not super duper dry but it's not make you slap your mama soft either-it's just there. So, after doing an intensive search (well, not really intensive. I just used the search function on LHCF) I figured that I have to start washing my hair in sections. That way I can ensure that all of my hair gets the product that it needs. This is what I've been doing:

1) I section my hair into four (4) braids before getting into the shower
2) Once in the shower, I unbraid one (1) section, wet it, finger comb it a bit, and apply shampoo. Once finished, I rebraid that section.
3) Repeat for the other sections (**)
4) Once all sections have been shampooed, I proceed to rinse the shampoo out section by section and rebraid each section once the shampoo is washed out.

**I let the shampoo sit on my hair for at least 5 minutes. I don't know what the science is but I find that sulfate free shampoos work better on my hair that way.

I also apply my deep conditioner to my hair in sections....basically, as of right now, my wash day process is done in sections from start to finish. So far, my hair is loving it! All parts of my hair gets the product it needs and makes my life that much easier.

So the bottom line is this: you gotta learn how to to adapt sometimes! :)

Musings of a Sleepy Girl....

It has been about a week or so since I last updated this thing. I was meaning to but last week, I was just extremely tired for some reason. I would come home 'nap' and wake up around 9pm or 10pm. The post is just random things that are going on and some random thoughts I've had during the week. Now keep in mind, that are absolutely random. Don't expect any logic to them whatsoever lol

1) My french braids are getting better! :D I've been rocking my Tammy half-wig for awhile now and I pretty much keep my hair in two french braids underneath. Now let me tell you, my braids have come a looooooooong way from where I started (meaning: my first set of french braids were really really sloppy). Now, they are much better but you can still tell where my hands got tired-usually on the second braid. I'm finding that I really have to take my time with these particular braids.

2) My hair feels...meh. I need to wash it but this past weekend was not my own. I was in meetings followed by social events..I just haven't found the time. My hair still feels pretty moisturized for the most part but I know I need to wash it and soon.

3) One n' Only Argan Oil is awesome! I'm gonna have to do a product review for it but for now, just know that it's awesomeness.

and finally (and this is totally non hair related)

5) I don't like that Beyonce song. I don't care if her performance was good at the Billboard Awards, that song is still suck-tastic. There I said it.


Happy Monday everyone!

Why I Dislike Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide

I admit. I have tried a fair share of heat protectants in my day. I have my staples: Mizani Thermasmooth, Tresseme Heat Protectant Spray, and Fantasia IC heat protectant. I've even had to revisit heat protectants that I thought I hated (can we say Beyond the Zone Turn Up the Heat?).

However, there is one heat protectant that I absolutely cannot stand. No matter how many times I've tried it. No matter how many different ways I have tried it...it. just. will. not. work. Now, I'm over it. I feel like I've given it a fair shot and now I'm gonna voice how much I do not like it.

The heat protectant in question is Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide. You would think that something that is similar in composition to my beloved Mizani Thermasmooth wouldn't be so awful but it is! I've determined that Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide is just too heavy for my hair. No matter when I use it and no matter how much I use, the end result is heavy, weighed down hair!

Well, I'm listening to my hair now and I refuse to purchase this mess anymore!

Is there a product that your hair simply cannot stand?

Call Me Crazy But.....

I think I'm gonna extend my stretch by 4 weeks. I'll be 12 weeks post on Tuesday and I just don't feel the need to relax just yet. My new growth isn't particularly unruly and I'm wearing loose buns the majority of the time anyway. I'm gonna push it to 16 weeks (which will put me at 4 months post).

Gonna keep you guys posted! :)

Bolt and Vybz Kartel

Bolt and Vybz Kartel

Mouthing “Gaza Mi Seh” to television cameras during his usual pre-race antics, Bolt hailed his favorite Dancehall deejay moments before shattering another 100-meter world record. Ace lyricist and leader of the ‘Gaza’-based Portmore Empire Vybz Kartel celebrates Bolt’s victory with ‘Lightening Bolt’ a clever tribute to Bolt’s outstanding world championship triumph.

Kartel heads the Portmore Empire, situated in an area of Portmore known as ‘Gaza’ in Jamaica’s parish of St. Catherine.

LIGHTNING BOLT - VYBZ KARTEL [USAIN BOLT] AUG 2009



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