Monday, January 14, 2013

1 Week Curlformer Review + New Style Obsession

I thought that I would include a slideshow of my week of looks, courtesy of my Curlformers set.  I have to admit that I was bummed on day 2 and 3 when the curls started to not look as "crisp" but Curlformers are awesome for stretching!  I rocked a big, fluffy, twist out for days.  And working out didn't ruin my hair.  I usually end up with terrible shrinkage after a rough workout, but the 3 strand twist out really saved my hair.  And again, I want to reiterate that I didn't use any heat on my hair.


So once my curls started to poof, my thought was to rely on a 2 strand twist out.  But as I was perusing YouTube, I discovered the 3 strand twist *gasp* - my new style obsession.  It really sounds more complicated than it is.  You are literally twisting your hair, like a rope, with 3 strands.  You just have to be careful not to braid your hair.  Check out a great tutorial from MsKelabug:

MsKelabug's video is great and her hair is beautiful!

Yesterday, I planned on doing a 3 strand twist on wet hair, but I'm "chasing [the style] dragon" this week and decided to use Curlformers again.  I've really gotten the technique down and my second attempt took only 45 minutes.  I would love to hear about your Curlformer storiy!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Elisa shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Elisa just shared an Instagram photo with you:


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"Bangs + Poof = airport 'do #teamnatural "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Friday, January 11, 2013

Elisa shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Elisa just shared an Instagram photo with you:


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"Stay tuned for a post about my lastest style obsession... 3 strand twists. #teamnatural "

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Just happy and nappy

When I first started blogging about my transitioning journey, I never (1) thought that I would be able to go completely natural, (2) that I would still be natural almost 6 years later, and (3) that I would have fallen so in love with natural hair.

It is clear that a lot of things have changed in my life.  I went to business school, moved across the country, and most importantly, I married the absolute love of my life.  But my hair journey continues to changed as well.  I am no longer trying to go "from dyed and fried to happy and nappy".  Instead, I am "just happy and nappy".

Now some people have a problem with the word "nappy".  My hair is tightly curled or coiled.  I love my hair.  So yup, I am just happy and nappy.

I hope you will continue to follow me as I continue on my ever evolving hair and life journey.  Here's to a new year, new beginnings, and all things happy and nappy!

Follow me on Instagram: @kabobbell

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

BluePrint Juice Cleanse



BluePrint Cleanses.  Renovation Level.
Hello lovelies!  So a few days ago, I completed 3 days of the Renovation level of the BluePrint cleanse (BPC).  I've tried to do a fruit and veggie cleanse in the past and I ended up not being able to handle it (you can search on my blog for "cleanse" to check out some old posts).  I was determined to get through just 3 days of a juice cleanse as a way to purge my system of my holiday "fun" and to get myself back on track.  Before my wedding, I was in the zone and I just want to get back to that state of mind.  What I wasn't determined about, was the price.  

A good quality juice cleanse isn't cheap.  I spent weeks researching different companies across the country, only to find they were all around the same price.  I lucked up on a Rue La La "sale" and got the BPC 3 day cleanse for $155 + $30 for shipping, roughly making each juice $10.  The juices are also sold at Whole Foods for about the same price, but I liked the idea of having super fresh juice, sent to me all at once (it is shipped overnight via FedEx).  And plus, there is no guarantee that Whole Foods will have each juice that you want.

So I am not going to try and sell you on the benefits of juicing.  I'm only going to share my experience. I think so many people are curious about how I did it because I am not shy about my love of food and if  I don't eat every 2 hours, I am cranky, mean, bitchy... etc.  Which is probably why my husband wasn't too thrilled about me doing this.  So here goes.  I tried to keep a diary to detail when I drank each juice and how I was feeling, as well as the weight loss I experienced.  Just a warning, it is clear that I am an over-sharer, so if poop grosses you out, it is mentioned below.  You have been warned :).

Juices:

  1. Green Juice - Kale, Apple, Ginger, Romaine, Spinach, Cucumber, Celery, Parsley, Lemon
  2. PAM (my second favorite) - Pineapple, Apple, Mint
  3. Green Juice - Kale, Apple, Ginger, Romaine, Spinach, Cucumber, Celery, Parsley, Lemon
  4. Spicy Lemonade - Lemon, Cayenne, Agave
  5. CAB - Beet, Apple, Carrot, Lemon, Ginger
  6. Cashew Milk (my favorite) - Cashew, Vanilla, Cinnamin, Agave


Day 1
Until 10:30 a.m. - As instructed by BPC, I snacked on apple slices, water, and herbal tea until my juices arrived.
10:30 a.m. - #1.  Has a very strong parsley smell but the actual taste isn't overwhelmingly parsley.
12 p.m. - #2. Very refreshing and not overly sweet.
2 p.m. - #3.  Note to self.  Don't let the green juice get too warm...
4:43 p.m. - I'm feeling kind of light headed.  Why did i do this again?  Drank some water as I was leaving the office to hold me over a bit longer.
5:15 p.m. - #4.  This is good, but I wish it was spicier.
7 p.m. - I am not a huge fan of this one but it is much better than I thought.
9 p.m. - LOVE the cashew milk but it does get oddly lumpy towards the end.

Day 2
***Down 3 pounds***
7 a.m. - Drank warm water with lemon and I'm actually not hungry, but I am kind of gassy (sorry TMI, you were warned).  No poo this morning so I am drink some laxative tea (I really like Smooth Move).
8:49 a.m. - #1
11:11 a.m. - #2
1:25 p.m. - #3
3:30 p.m. - Time for some laxative tea.
5:00 p.m. - #4. Starting to feel light headed so I guess it was time for a juice.
8:00 p.m. - #5.  Sigh.  Still feeling light headed a bit. 
10 p.m. - #6.  Thank God!  Time for cashew milk!
Midnight - Bedtime

Day 3
***Down 1.4 pounds***
7 a.m. - Chamomile with lemon and then some warm water with lemon.  Still no poo.  WTF!
9 a.m. - #1
10:09 a.m. - Poo!  Finally!
11: 15 a.m. - #2
2:00 p.m. - #3
4:30 p.m. - #4.  Now I seem to have the hang of this...
7:14 p.m. - #5
10 p.m. - #6.  Wow.  I really did it.  I will miss the cashew milk though.

When I woke up the next day, I was down another pound, so I lost a total of ~5 pounds and I was back to my pre-holiday weight.  Woohoo!

Follow me on Instagram: @kabobbell




Saturday, January 5, 2013

Curlformers: Attempt #1

Right now I am in the phase of falling in love with my natural hair all over again.  I was uber lazy this week and rocked a giant poof.  So I think it is time to try some new things especially since my hair is a lot longer.

Enter Curlformers.

I've been very skeptical about these curly things and the price tag ($70ish) didn't help either.  But I said, f*** it and bought the styling kit from Sally's.

At first I was skeptical and didn't think that I was going to end up with smooth curls because of my tight curl pattern.  But things turned out well!

Cleanse
  1. Pre-Poo: Avocado Oil.  20 minutes.  No heat.
  2. Cleanse: SheaMoisture Thickening Shampoo. Since I am not longer taking my Alopecia medicine, my dermatologist prescribed an oil treatment for my scalp.  For that reason, I am experimenting using a gentle shampoo to make sure my scalp is properly cleansed vs. cowashing.
  3. Deep condition: SheaMoisture Anti-Breakage Masque + Avocado Oil + Olive Oil.  30 minutes with a plastic cap and towel on my head.  No heat.

Style
  1. Detangle: Kinky Curly Knot Today
  2. Hold: Kinky Curly Spiral Spritz
  3. Installed Curlformers.  This took me a little over an hour simply because I didn't know what I was doing.  When I was done, I went to bed and when I woke up my hair was completely dry.  I did sleep in a scarf too in order to keep the front Curlformers off of my face.  It wasn't horrible sleeping in these things, but I didn't get solid sleep.

Finished Product





My hair is SUPER soft and the curls are pretty damn smooth.  My ends on some curls are so so but I think it is because I used too much hair for that particular curl.  I must say that I am impressed.  Now I did miss a few small pieces here and there, but for my first time, I think I did a pretty good job.  Here are a few tips:

  1. Twist you hair at the root so you can easily hook it and pull through the Curlformer.
  2. Use small sections.  I found that if I used too much hair for a curl, it was hard to pull through the Curlformer.
  3. Resist the temptation to mess with your curls a lot.  I wish I had just left them as is and separated them  in a few days.
This may be my new 'do for the next few weeks!

Follow me on Instagram: @kabobbell