Natural Hair Survival

You're stranded on a deserted island. What three natural hair products would you need for survival?

Twist Out vs. Wash N Go

Twist Out/Braid Out: Pros -

Low Manipulation Hair StyleCan be done on wet or dry hairHair is set overnight and is dry by the morningLength of hair can be stretchedSize of twists can determine the outcome (smaller twists = tightly coiled, larger twists = looser curl)Heat is not required

Twist Out: Cons -

Drying time (sometimes) cannot be predicted

Style has to be planned 

Wash N Go: Pros - 

Low Manipulation Hair Style

Quick style, can be completed within ten minutes and you're out the door!

Curl definition is more noticeable

Wash N Go: Cons -

Welcome to: "Shrinkage City"

Dealing with wet hair for at least an hour (unless you use a diffuser to dry hair)

Tangling and Matting of hair

Single Strand Knots

Finding the method that is perfect for you

As you can see, both styles have their ups and downs. It's all about what works for you in the end!

My First Curlbox!

 I'm finally in! It was like hell trying to compete with the Curl Box Server but I finally have a subscription. I probably should have had one months ago, but I kept missing the "window" for when to subscribe. Well better now than never. I'm a self proclaimed product junkie. And this box officially feeds my junkie habits of purchasing on impulse. The best part is that I don't have to leave my house. The box is delivered right to my door!

Information about Curl Box from their website:

And here are the contents of my first curl box:

Exciting! Product reviews on the way!

Three Month Length Check

Two Inches of Growth! Go me!

For the next three months I plan on continuing my wash n gos. I also will be doing twist outs and buns. Oh...and I will only be straightening my hair for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I would like to incorporate other methods to help with my hair growth. I plan on experimenting with black tea rinses (which are known to be superb for minimizing hair shedding). I would also like to to try Aloe Vera Juice to help with detangling (a nightmare at times!) 

Maybe I Should Reconsider...

At one time I thought that Wash N' Gos were a thing of the summer.

But Curly Nikki and Mahogany Curls have me thinking otherwise!

I am reaching true milestones in my wash n' go journey. I have learned a lot this year:
a) How to do a wash n' go without it turning into a wash n' no-no.
b) What product combination works best for my wash n' gos.
c) How to achieve second, third, and forth day wash n go's.

A lot of this has been trial and error. And of course much thanks to the natural hair gods of YouTube!

Now that I am becoming more attached to my wash n' gos rather than to my twist outs...I'm thinking about doing them throughout the winter as a low-manipulation style (along with rollersets!).

I'll explain my pros and cons of the twist out vs. the wash n' go in another post.

(these pictures are from a day three wash n go)

Red in the Nude

A "pop" of nude?

The Swoop Up-Do

This up-do was done on an old frizzy braid out. I simply parted my hair into a U-Shape, did an old school french roll in the back, and "swooped" the front part that was left out to the side and pinned it up. Fairly simple. I was having an "arrrgghhhh" hair day and found this style to be my saving grace!

Natural Hair Dilemma...Update

Eureka! I think I've found a solution.

The good ol' fashioned bobby pin!

Dampened my ends, added a teeny weeny bit of Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel. Rolled the bottom of my hair up and secured with a bobby pin.

I managed to get four days out of this style without having to use rollers at again (except for that stubborn piece in the front). I definitely need to find a better solution because I am really trying to protect my ends more...and manipulating/toying around with my ends probably won't help me too much!

Natural Hair Affirmation #101

Source: onyxroseonline.com

Natural Hair Dilemma...

Why does my hair have three different textures???

The top of my hair has a very loose curl pattern. The front-left side of my hair is little loose and always looks damn near straight on the ends. And the front-right and back of my hair is coily. I prefer the latter. But blending it all in makes it a styling nightmare. 

It's not heat damage. This loose texture is from root to tip. It's just the way my hair grows. It's so bad that I have to put a rod on the braid in the front of my hair because it barely curls on the end.

I haven't been rodding the left side because the right side curls with no problem and I have a dilemma in my head where I have to do for the right side of my body whatever I do for the left and vice versa. 

Kind of like how you can't wash one hand without washing the other. 

I've done some research but Youtube videos and forums suggest curly gals to twist the hair around your fingers. Let me tell you, that doesn't work! It only makes it worse! 

I was thinking about cutting the left side so that appears to be the same length as the right side.  But when my hair is stretched they are the same exact length.

I know I can't be the only one out there with a variety of hair textures!! 

Left side - look at those straight ends!

Right side - hair love!

Back of my hair - *drool* (if only all my hair looked like this!)

Written by Danielle Elle

Google

October Green Smoothie Challenge

The lovely Francheska of heyfranhey.com has introduced an October Green Smoothie Challenge! I'm excited because I am already a Green Smoothie addict. Also, I need to introduce some form of exercise back into my life. I figure that this would be a great way to start! I have a routine (believe me, I'm not one for routines or organization!) that I've gotten down to a "science". 

Every Sunday, I prepare my smoothies for the week so that it simplifies my already hectic mornings. I simply go in the freezer, grab a pre-made bag of bananas, sliced peaches, and sliced pineapples. I grab a couple of strawberries (already frozen) out of the container. And add in my fresh spinach (from the refrigerator). I then pour in my unsweetened almond milk (so yummy!!) and flax seeds. Finally, I whip it, whip it real good on high, switch to low, and I'm done! 

I have been drinking Green Smoothies since the summer and I've been loving it. I believe that drinking them for breakfast has helped me to maintain the weight I lost over the summer. I also feel more energized and healthier. 

Now if I can only increase my water intake...hmmmm...