Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Conditioner

Quick story.... I was so excited to find that I had a Trader Joe's by my house because the amazing reviews I heard about their conditioner. So when I got it and tried it out I was completely NOT AMAZED!!! I had used it after shampooing my hair with my Giovanni stuff and it didn't feel like anything. My hair wasn't dry or out of this world moisturized. I ended using my good ol Aussie Moist Conditioner on top of the Nourish Spa because I wanted it feel softer. So I gave it another chance while trying revert my curls back from using the Curlformers. And I must say this conditioner is great. I don't know what happened before but I love it now. My hair feels lovely!!! This product is definitely going in my staples box. This just goes to show you how you can't give up on a product just because of the first time using it.

As the year comes to an end...

So as 2009 slowly comes to an end I figured I do make a list of things that I have learned since doing my big chop. 

1.) The importance of detangling. (It truly makes dealing with natural hair a 1000000 times easier)

2.) The importance of a regime 

3.) Good products are not hard to find, you just have to do a little research

4.) Heat damage can occur on the first or hundredth time you apply a lot of heat. (Learned that from other people's experiences)

5.) Co-Washing a lot isn't as great when your hair is growing longer.(Can you say tangles galore!)

6.) Deep conditioning is a complete MUST and hair changer

7.) Never rest your head on ANYTHING without a scarf or bonnet.

8.) In order to achieve fabulous twists or twist outs. Don't put a scarf or bonnet on right after finishing them and then go to bed because they will be flat. (It took me awhile to figure that out)

9.) I learned to love my hair more now that I know how it works

10.) Don't give up on a product just because it didn't work the first time

11.) Natural hair is totally MANAGEABLE!!!!

12.) Drinking lots of water and eating really does help your hair.

Curlformers...

I finally got to open my curlformers (it was a present ;). So far this is my second doing it this week because the first time I was so excited that I was doing a variety of sized sections (even though I knew better) and just rushed through it (took them out when they were still drying). The results were a mess and I didn't even have enough rollers. So today I did it again and I must say that I think I could have done better (but I still love them). I hair seems to be too frizzy or something. I'll definitely do smaller sections next time. But I will say that the process of putting them in was A THOUSAND TIMES EASIER! lol

Products used: Giovanni Direct Leave in, Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding, and water

Pin Up Darling...

I got this idea from Tonidaley80's video on Youtube (go check her videos, good stuff) 


Products used to create this look:

Bobby pins 

Head band

This style was done on freshly  deep conditioned hair the night before and put into medium sized twist. I used OyinHandmade Whipped Pudding and Giovanni Direct Leave In Weightless Moisture. And used coconut oil to take them down. This is a great protective style because none of your ends are out.

Big Hair Don't Care...

 I love Kelis's hair in this picture...as a matter of fact I LOVED Kelis's curly hair when she first came out!!

Hopefully as my hair gets longer I can use my curlformers to recreate this look...Yall will be the first to see how that turns out =)

Bre from America's Next Top Model

Lauren Hill: I love her fro

Yall know I love Algebra

My Regime

Shampoo: once week or every other week

• Suave 
• Giovanni Silk Deep Moisture
• Dr. Bronners Castile Soap

Deep Condition: once week or every other week after shampooing

• Lustasilk Cholesterol Shea Butter
• Organic Root Stimulator 

CoWash: once a week.( I don't really like co-washing too often because my hair tangles a lot)

• Aussie Moist 
• Bed Head Moisture Manic
• Sunsilk Captivating Curls

Moisturize: Daily...unless I have twist in

• Cantu Shea Butter
• Coconut Oil
• Giovanni Direct Leave In Weightless Moisture
• Beyond the Zone Leave in 

Nightly:

• Wild Growth Oil (every other night)
• Castor Oil (every other night) 
• Satin Bonnet

Styling:

• Eco Styler Olive Oil
• Ic Fantasia Gel (clear)
  
• Kinky Curly Curling Custard
• Carol's Daughter Kizzi Styling Pomade
• Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding :)
• Organic Root Stimulator Lock and Twist Gel
• Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera
  

I Made It!!!!

Today marks the day that I did my Big Chop last year!!! Wow this year has flown by sooo fast. I can remember getting ready to come home for winter break and deciding that I was going to do the BC as soon as I got home. Over the past year I have learned so much about what my hair likes and dislikes. I think that when you learn how your hair works then it allows you to love it so much more and it makes manipulating a thousand times easier. One of the biggest shocks, is how much my hair has grown!!! Caring = Retaining. Like others have said many times before, going natural has been the BEST thing I have ever done!!!

A Benefit of Being a Product Junkie...

I recently have been buying a lot of products just because I see them in the store. But within the past month I have learned that maybe trying different products out isn't a bad thing. Not sure if you guys remember...but I used to be soooo "in love" with Avalon Organics clarifying shampoo. Since then my opinion has changed dramatically!!! I came home one weekend and desperately needed to wash my hair. I normally wash my hair in the middle of the night, around 12 am, so I couldn't go out and get some more shampoo. I ended up using Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Shampoo (even though it has sulfates in it) but I really could feel a difference between the two shampoos. I never really realized how dry my hair felt when using the Avalon shampoo. My hair would tangle up so much and feel like rubber. But with the ORS it actually felt like there was still moisture left. Even days after washing, my hair didn't feel dry and brittle. I ended up going out and buying some Suave shampoo and got the same results as the ORS. Since the shampoo does contain sulfates I don't shampoo as often (which was once a week).

Beyond The Zone Leave- In

I am in love with this stuff. And I think I'm just going to have to go out and just by the entire line. Okay so where do I start...

Scent: Fabulous!!! I am a HUGE fan of products that smell like perfume or just smell good in general. I will say that the scent is quite strong and I kinda got a head ache while doing my small twist. But I still the LOVE the scent. I'll probably just use it for wash and gos...the scent stayed on my hair for days. But again I wouldn't use this for my twist (even though the hold was nice) because after a few days my hair started smelling like dirty hair and conditioner.

Price: The price is okay :/ 5. 49 without a Sally's card (need to renew my card) for 6 oz.

Packaging: I hated how big the opening was....every time I popped the top product would squirt out. So really there is no point in sitting the container flat.

On the hair: Kept my hair nice and moisturized for days. I didn't experience any flaking, crunchiness, or white residue. But like I said before, this is one of those products you can't keep on your hair for days or overuse. After taking down my twist this product provided a decent amount of hold.

Overall: I really like this product. Even though it's not completely natural it really gets the job done.

Stylin and Protectin...

This fall/winter I have been rocking berets and slouchy hats. I got all of my hats from Forever21 for under $7.00. I usually wear them when my twist are getting old and/or giving my hair a break. I never really wear them with without the twist because MY HAIR IS TOO BIG...lololol. So what I do is of course put some twist/braids in my hair and then I wrap my hair up in a scarf. This is so my hair will not dry out from the hat material or be rubbing against the hat. Oooohh and it protects the hair from the harsh weather.

After Thanksgiving I put some more two strand twist in and I wore them for another week...I had already been wearing twist for a month. So I just took them down...I missed fighting with my hair in the morning.

Products used:
----Beyond the Zone Leave-In conditioner (I like this stuff. When I took the twist down I noticed they had a little hold to them. And I was out in the cold pouring down rain today and they still looked the same as when I took the twist down ;)
---Organic Root Stimulator Lock and Twist gel- I love this product for twist. If you want your twist to last for weeks definitely use this product.
--Cantu Shea Butter-I only really use this product if I want a soft hold and plan on taking the twist down the next morning.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

I love this time of year!! Family, food, chillaxin, and old school holiday shows on ABC... =o) <

Here's a little gift from me to you...(snickering)

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Playlist...

Here are some artist that I've been jamming too lately...Let me just tell you, that I probably am totally fitting the stereotype of natural hair....but who cares.lol

Ledisi--I have been sleeping on this lady...wow beautiful voice.great music.
Maxwell--He's never leaving my list!
Mint Condition--This group..This group!!
Trey Songz- =)(=
Melanie Fiona-I loves me some Melanie
Nicki Minaj- Not the holiest music but ....lol
Eric Roberson- Great Music.
Maysa-Man she has some really great stuff
Anthony Hamilton- I absolutely LOVE his new album...Point of it all
Bebe and Cece- Heaven, Addictive Love, Close to You>>>Faves.
Mariah Carey- Love Mariah!!!!
Mario- Really like his first album...and a few of those new songs he has out
Crystal Waters- Throw Back!

My Holiday ProductWishList....

Hey guys...this post will be my ProductWishList! Consisting of products that I have been eyeing for awhile and those that I am waiting to go on sale. As you guys know (from previous posts) I have been trying to cure my product junkie illness. Since the year is slowly coming to an end, I figured I'd go ahead and start making my list of products for Santa to leave underneath my tree=) haha

1.) Afroveda...My problem with Afroveda is that I've heard sooooooo MANY great reviews on their products, that I can't make up my mind....grrrrrr
---Shea Alma
----Curly Custard
-----Totally Twisted

2.) Miss Jesse's...Last year I missed out on their bogo sale so this year I will not be making that mistake again. (It's going on now!!)
---Baby Buttercream
----Curly Pudding

3.)Moroccan Oil...I've heard this stuff will make your hair SUPER soft, so who wouldn't be tempted to buy it.

4.) Curlformers
---OMGosh you guys these things are AMAZING. Put in curlformers on natural hair on youtube to see what I'm talking about...I really can't wait to try these out!!!

YAY!!!! For Me =)

I have finally built up the courage to rock some twist out in public without covering them up with a hat!! So you guys already know I'll be rocking some two strand twist for a couple of weeks now!!!

 

I think the key to get the perfect twist is the size. You have to remember that when you get to the end of the twist it is going to unravel and appear bigger. So if you want thin twist, you'll want to section off hair that is a little smaller than what you want your twist to be (if that makes sense). Oh and if you're experiencing shrinkage, you can try putting duck bill clips towards the ends twist to weigh them down (keep them up there until the twist are dry a bit).

 

Push/Precious

By now, any of you Mariah Carey, Monique, Tyler Perry, Oprah, drama loving fans have heard about the new movie called Precious, that's coming out in November (i think). If you haven't, I definitely recommend you go watch the trailer for it. OMGosh that movie looks soooooooooooooo good!!! The actors look great and unrecognizable, especially Mariah!!! But anyway...when I found out the that movie was based off of Sapphire's Push, I just had to find it and read. The book as GREAT!!! The things that the main character, Precious, goes through are some of the worst possible things that a child could go through. She had two kids before she turned 17 and you'll never guess who the daddy is!!! But I really recommend this book...It is such an easy read. You can read in one sitting. I really want to see the movie now.

Check these links out if you're interested:
http://www.speaksista.com/2009/02/20/push-by-sapphire/
http://www.amazon.com/Push-Sapphire/dp/0679446265
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5FYahzVU44

The Evolution of the Puff....

The puff is probably one of the easiest styles for naturals (besides the fro) to do. My hair has grown so much since my BC...so now I can do way more styles. But styling my hair can be a bit time consuming, which is way I always go back to my puff. Not just the simple pulled back puff but different variations of the PUFF!!!

I wish I had a better picture that didn't look so FRIZZY!!!! But what I did was take a section of hair in the front out and then made my puff as usual with the pantyhose. Then took the section of hair that was left out and did a flat two strand twist. And ta-da another version of a puff. Oh and I did this on semi dry.

One of my best wash and go's I've EVER had....

I took these pictures back when I went to Louisiana this summer.

Products used:
Suave Conditioner mixed with Coconut Oil Conditioner Inteco (got it from ULTA)
Giovanni Direct Leave In
Coconut oil and Shea Butter mixture

I loved the curl definition I got while I was there :)

Castor Oil Mixture....

Castor Oil is GREAT for thickening up those edges or spots that just need to grow back. I used it back when I first BC'd on my bald spot in the front part of my head. And what do you know, my hair is back and growing :)

What you'll need:
An applicator bottle or just a bottle
Castor Oil (regular castor oil and be found at drugstores)
Essential oil/s (for scent or growth)
Others oils that can be used: olive, almond, vegetable glycerin, shea butter, coconut,jojoba, etc....

Basically you pour all your oils into the bottle of your choice. But make sure you put more castor oil into the bottle. If you choose to use essential oil for the mix make sure you DO NOT USE A LOT(1-5). Essential oils are VERY potent. Then shake, shake, shake...

Application: I use mine every other day because castor oil is sticky and thick. Apply where ever you feel like and then massage into scalp for a while (DON'T JUST LET IT SIT ON HAIR) Massaging well also helps to grow the hair back.

My results have been FABULOUS!!l!