Wash and Go: Cantu Products

I did a wash and go on Saturday and I am highly satisfied with the level of definition and hold that i had :)  I used Cantu products to achieve the look. I washed my hair with Tresseme's Conditioner (For all Hair Types apparently) and washed it out of my hair. Then I took some Cantu Leave in Conditioner and moisturized my hair and coat my curls. Then i put Cantu's define and shine custard onto my sectioned hair. I had to use a small amount as it is a very sticky substance and leaves a lot of residue. After coating my hair with the custard my curls started to become heavily defined (as shown in the photographs). I was satisfied with the hold that i achieved with the product and rocked defined hair for 3 days in a row. I do commend Cantu for creating products that work well with my hair, but i'm still peeved about the level of residue that the product creates. Yes the hold is great, yes my curls are defined, but having giant chunks of dried product in my hair is not pretty. After 3 days of wearing my hair like that, i had to wash my hair to remove the custard residue. Even after intense washing and rinsing, my hair was still covered in residue, so i resorted to brushing the clumps out of my hair. :( I really do love the definition as shown in the photographs, but the residue that is left is just not cutting it for me. All in all the product gets top mark for definition and hold, but scores poorly in the residue department.

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Protective Styling: Crochet Wig

I'm so excited about my new Crochet Wig! I love that i'm able to rock a curly hairstyle while still affording my natural hair protection, allowing it time to rest and grow. Making a crochet wig seemed pretty simple after watching some videos on youtube, so I sent them to my friend who made one for me! It frames my face pretty well and the net cap allows it to have a natural look.

Here's Some of What You'll Need:

When you have all the tools you need, You then start the process of completing the wig. The fullness will vary depending on the amount of braids you use. I bought 2 packs, but we expertly cut the braids in half to accommodate my small face. If you want curls you'll have to put the hair on perm-rods and soaked them in hot water for the synthetic hair to hold the shape.

I've included the tutorial video for the wig so that you can try it on your own :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paccBahpm48

BAKING SODA - Why I Regret Putting It In My Hair

 

Every time I see a blog post about the wonders of baking soda for your hair, I get upset. I thoroughly regret my decision to ever put that powder anywhere near my wonderful fro. I read a post saying that using baking soda cleans your hair and promotes softness as well as moisture. It also advised me to leave it in for a long period of time. How stupid I feel now! Even though my natural hair journey is supposed to be a learning experience based on trial and error, i could have gone without this error. My hair which was thick and luscious,  now feels brittle and weak. This was after 1 use. From afar you may not be able to tell the damage, but my hair is rough to the touch and retains limited moisture.

My hair doesn't even shrink as much as it used to, and i welcome shrinkage... So, I'm going to start the process of rebuilding my hair. I will be more careful this time to stay far away from things that most people rave about. Of course I'm not starting again from scratch, but i will repair what i have and do better. I will start with oil washes and deep conditioners to rebuild the protein and moisture of my hair strands... I will post a photo of my baking soda damaged hair and document my progress. If anyone has recommended baking soda to you, turn them down and warn them of the damage that is being done to their hair.

Progress Report: 7 Months of Fro

It's been 7 awesome months since i made the decision to go natural... I decided to transition instead of doing a big chop for fear of looking like a boy. I had originally intended to transition for a year.... but after 6 months of transitioning i got fed up of battling two textures. So, i did what any normal person would do... i went into my bathroom with my blue handle scissors and cut off my hair. After slowly cutting off the tiny straggles of relaxed ends that i had left, i was fully natural. On May 4th, the day of my not so big chop, i had 2 1/2 inches of hair on my head. Now... 7 months later i have 7 inches of hair which stretches a little past my nose. It took quite a lot of patience to get this far.  

I can totally agree with the various hair bloggers when they say that your hair changes after the big chop. The day of my chop, my hair was extremely hard and was in dire need of moisture... it also didn't help that i went out to a fair in the hot sun and had nothing else but water to keep it going. Also.. my hair seemed to grow in one consistent pattern that i identified as 4C. however, with length came a bunch of new things. The front and back of my hair is notably 4a in it's composition and whenever my hair gets wet it droops down in my face and down my neck. The sides are mostly 4c and poofs out now... before my entire fro would just shrink. The Front of my hair is a lot softer and i have a large section at the middle and sides of my head where straight hairs grow with my fro. Lots of people thought i still had permed ends until the looked at the whole strand and realized it grew straight from my scalp.

I've been experimenting with ways to style my hair daily as a twist out everyday doesn't really work anymore. I've gotten products to help with my hair and honestly my hair now holds moisture for days on end. I use a lot of oils which keeps my hair nice and shiny. My hair is also extremely thick.. but i love it that way. A few weeks ago i did my first flat iron on my hair.. and i failed miserably. I had prepped my hair with moisture and heat protectant, but my flat iron to 350 degrees and my hair never did fall flat. It just stretched out further to show how much length i had retained but it wasn't the straightened look i had expected. I liked what had happened tho because i got to rock giant puffs for a while... i don't have any of those pictures in this post though.. maybe another time ^_^ I've even experimented with marley hair and created some cool styles which gave my hair more volume. After 7 months i can say that i am satisfied with my hair and how it's growing so far.

NB: If you haven't noticed, you can see a reduction in pimples on my face. That's because i decided to reduce my soda and juice intake and now drink mostly water. I've seen a difference in my hair health and my skin and i think i'll keep doing this.

Kinks are Pink!

There are many different fashion blogs on the internet and with the advent of the natural hair movement, there are many blogs about natural hair. However, few blogs are able to strike the perfect balance between both of these topics. Ashlei, the brain behind Kinks are the new Pink in my view has an excellent balance. She's not only a major figure in type 4 hair education, but she's also somewhat of a style guru for many persons who read her blog. I really love her blog as i learn new ways to care for my hair as well as cool ways to mis and match patterns and styles for outfits. She's always experimenting with different methods of doing things and she's not selfish in sharing her methods with her following. So, in honour of Ashlei's exceptional style, here are a few of her outfits that i absolutely loved >>>>

Hair Care: Deep Conditioning

Conditioning is a very important part of my Natural Hair regimen. I have leant since cutting off my hair that shampoo is the devil and will make your hair feel like the Sahara Desert. Conditioner helps your hair maintain moisture and also helps to remove product build-up without completely stripping your hair and scalp of moisture. After a CoWash or a Deep Condition session, your hair is curly, healthy, and vibrant. I've not tried out much deep Conditioners.... in reality i've used two brands (As I Am & DooGro), and so far i've fallen deeply in love with the 'As I Am Deep Conditioner'. My hair is softer, during conditioning my curls are more defined, and at the end my hair is easier to style and smells great all week. Your deep conditioner does not have to be costly but you should research ones that work best with your hair type to avoid disasters. In addition to conditioning your hair, you should always drink a lot of water which helps to lubirate the scalp and skin

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It has been 6 months since i big chopped and my hair is already past my ears and on the tip of my nose. I've been taking care of my hair pretty well in my opinion, and i love that my hair is healthy and I'm not forcing my hair to conform and do what it wasn't meant to do. Deep Conditioning is important to make your hair malleable and flexible for styling as well as detangling. If you've recently started your healthy hair journey... Happy trails to you ♥