Boom!

Curly for two weeks. Back to straight. The versatility of natural hair.

 (But this is the last time I am straightening for a loooooong time! *crosses fingers*)

Road Trip!

So I took a trip to the Windy City...

(Collage Created by Moi with Photovisi)

21 Questions

Kim, the lovely woman behind the Fancy Flair Lady...Stylishly Ever After blog did a 21 questions hair tag on her blog. I am sharing my answers with you all below. Thanks for the tag Kim!

1. Why did you start taking better care of your hair? I realized that my hair was not as healthy and as long as I believed it could be. I started to take better care of my hair once I came to this realization about three or four years ago.

2. What are your 2 favorite hair products? Shea Butter and Tresemme Naturals (I've been holding steady with these two!)

3. Who's hair did you admire as a child? Lisa from Saved By The Bell, Tia and Tamara Mowry, and Stacey Dash

4. What is your ultimate goal length? Waist Length is my ultimate ultimate goal length. Anything past that point needs to be cut lol.

5. How are you going to celebrate when you reach your ultimate goal length? Maybe I'll do a "bun drop" video on YouTube. Maybe not...Ok I'll celebrate by starting a protective style challenge though and announcing it on my blog!

6. Two styles you want to try at your goal length? I want to try a french braid and the most massive high bun that I can possibly achieve.

7. Which do you prefer: Health or Length? Health!

8. Which do you prefer: hair ties with no metal parts or butterfly clips? Hair ties with no metal parts. 

9. What products do you prefer: salon brands, organic brands, BSS brands, Drugstore brands, or other? I prefer organic brands first, but I don't mind using salon and/or drugstore brands. Whatever works!

10. Which product/technique do you think is over-rated? I would've said Miss Jessies a couple of months ago, but I'm actually a new-found fan of their Pillow Soft Curls product. I would say Wen is a bit overrated (I'll explain my personal opinion later)

11. Which product/technique do you think is under-rated? I think hair butters (shea butter, mango butter...) are definitely under-rated. 

12. What is your favorite part of your hair regimen? The time of the day when my wash n' go dries. Oh, and washing out my deep conditioner. I love how soft my hair feels afterwards. 

13. What is the most annoying part of your hair regimen? Putting the product through my wet hair. Though it doesn't take long...I wish there was a simpler way!

14. Oils or Butters? Butters...with oils mixed in!

15. Buns or Ponytails? Buns

16. Wigs or Weaves? Weaves

17. What is your opinion of growth aids? I have never used them or looked into using any. I guess whatever works for each individual person is their own personal business!

18. At what length do you consider hair long? A long and healthy MBL

19. When is the last time you visited a salon? Two week ago.

20. What do you like to surf most often: YouTube channels, personal blogs, or hair forums? Hair forums. I love reading the different responses to threads that are started. It's my down-time entertainment!

21. And finally, what piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out on their hair journey? BE PATIENT! Do not give up. You will have your bad hair days, get over it! It's all a part of the journey. Look forward to the destination and enjoy the journey!

Straight Hair Longevity

Straight hair or Curly hair? I choose curls! But for the 3-4 times a year that I have my hair trimmed and do my length checks, I visit the hair salon to have my hair straightened.

I usually try to make my straight hair last long so that I do not feel like it has gone to waste. Here are some ways in which I make sure that my hair stays straight for at least two weeks:

1. Use a minimum amount of products: One thing I hate is having my soft, flowing, bouncy straight hair become a stiff mess because of an overuse of products. I avoid this by making sure that I avoid being heavy handed with the products I use. My hair becomes weighed down easily when it is straight.  I make sure that I use a dime sized amount of a light-weight product (such as coconut oil) and only use it when needed.

2. Protect from moisture: I'm only able to achieve straight hair that lasts long in the cooler months. But I have to be cautious of taking long hot steamy showers because my hair will revert quickly. Using a shower cap is not enough for me. I have to make sure that my hair is either wrapped or pin curled with a scarf wrapped tightly (but not too tightly) around my head while taking a shower. This helps to preserve my natural hair without having to deal with puffy edges or frizzy hair afterward.

3. Bed time!: Straight hair is not the time for me to be lazy. I might be able to break the natural hair commandments and go to sleep on my cotton pillowcase without a scarf or bonnet. But I absolutely cannot do this when my hair is straight. I make sure that I either wrap my hair or pin curl it each and every night (and/or naptime ;). This helps to maintain my style and also helps me to avoid drying out my hair on the unforgivable cotton pillowcase. 

Good luck to all my straight haired naturals (whether temporary or permanent)! Hopefully these tips help!

Shhhhh...Some of my favorite secret concoctions

I have a confession to make:

I secretly love mixing and blending up a bowl of hair *magic* in the kitchen! I have been trying to become more skillful with using my hands in the kitchen. In addition to trying new recipes (the food type, not the hair type lol), I have been also mixing together some of my own "juices and berries" mixtures for my hair.

The first one that I will share with you is a deep conditioner blend.

In a bowl I mix together:

2 cups of Tresemme Naturals 

1 cup of a cheapie conditioner (I used V05)

1 tbsp of Olive Oil

1 tbsp of Grape Seed Oil ceramide

1/4 cup of Alma Oil (from the Indian Store)

This batch will last me for at least 2 or three deep conditions.

I love it because it makes my hair incredibly strong and soft. I also love it because I'm using Grape Seed Oil, which is high in ceramide content.

Information about ceramides:

Ceramides perform a "barrier function" and help reduce the hair's overall porosity. Ceramides bind to the hair fiber in damaged, vulnerable areas to help prevent natural moisture and protein loss that occurs when we manipulate our hair. Natural ceramides keep the hair fiber tight, and cuticles flat so that the hair shines and has low porosity.

If you happen to use this mix please let me know how it works out for you. Or feel free to share any mixes of your own in the comments below!

Elle's 13 Hair Goals for 2013

“If you think you can do it, or you think you can’t do it, you are right.”

– Henry Ford

13. Deep Condition Weekly

12. Moisturize and Seal at least three times a week

11. Protective Style more often (buns, updos, twists...)

10. Try at least 10 new hair styles this year. Maybe even invent some of my own!

9. Trim/Dust ends at least 3 times this year

8. Figure out how to minimize shed hair and breakage (Going to try some new stuff ya'll!)

7. Henna, Henna, Henna - At least once a month

6. Read more blogs, Browse Forums, and Watch YouTube to learn more about natural hair!

5. Protect my hair either through using a scarf or a bonnet EVERY night

4. Pre-Poo!

3. Find or mix a staple hair detangler (This has become my latest struggle!)

2. Try some more new hair products.

1. *Reach or narrow in on waist length (WL)!!*