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!

I need to stop being lazy...

So finally my life is starting to get back to normal.  I finished my MBA, moved to California, started my new job, and the wedding planning is wrapping up!  In the midst of all this transitioning, I did whatever it took to minimize the time it took to do my hair.  Yup, basically, I got lazy.  Real lazy.  So today I decided to not cut corners and to mix up a great deep conditioner.


And with that. I rediscovered my love for shea and avocado oil.  After I washed my hair with SheaMoisture Yucca & Aloe shampoo, I coated my hair in a mixture of shea and avocado oil and massaged it in.  Then, I applied the SheaMoisture Yucca & Aloe deep conditioner and slapped a plastic cap on my head.  I accidentally fell asleep with a towel on my head (don't ask) and when I woke up, my hair was super soft.  I easily detangled my hair with the mixture in it.  After that I used a heat protectant and used the blow dryer to dry my hair.  I changed up my two strand twist method and if it comes out cute, I will post again tomorrow with pictures and instructions.


So I am making a promise to myself (putting it in writing so I will actually be held accountable) to really start doing my hair like I used to!

Follow me on Instagram: @kabobbell

It has been TOO long...

Hi Lovelies!  It has been WAY too long.  After my summer internship in New York City, I moved back to Ithaca for my last year at Cornell.  School mixed with wedding planning and recruiting made for a hectic life.  So for the most part, I have been rockin' my natural hair.  I did however get a weave for our engagement pictures.  Here is one for your viewing pleasure :).

Photo by Love Life Images, Inc.

So let's talk about the weave.  My weave was beautiful, but I decided to leave some of my real hair out to make it look more natural.  I have never done this before.  I usually get full weaves, not exposing any of my natural hair.  Here is a close up (you know I can't resist showing off my handsome fiancé).  This was a hasty decision because I didn't think about the maintenance for keeping my hair straight, especially since I have a trainer 3 times a week.  When my hair was freshly straightened, it blended very well with the weave (this time I used wavy Indian Remy human hair).  But as the days went on it was harder and harder to blend.  I ended up putting heat on my hair 3 times a week and using that much heat on my hair concerned me.  Since I rarely straighten my hair, I didn't want the heat to alter my curl pattern for that one section that I left out.  I was very good about using heat protecting products before any heat touched my hair, but that still didn't make me feel comfortable.

Another issue I had to deal with was due to my hair thinning due to Alopecia.  Making sure my scalp wasn't exposed was difficult and really left me feeling insecure.  I did discover "hair shadow" which is basically eyeshadow for your scalp.  The stuff is great.  I was able to put this on my scalp to give the appearance of hair; this stuff was a lifesaver.

Well I managed to leave my weave in only for one month.  I'm going to Brazil (yay) for 10 days and the thought of having to deal with the heat, humidity and my hair, was too much to think about.  I have noticed that my curls are more relaxed in that one spot that I was flat ironing on a regular basis.

I'm glad to have my natural hair back.  I'm still following my same wash, condition, and styling routine, but I am finding that I experiment with how I wear my twist outs a lot more.  Here are some pics of my latest 'do.  Also, I put a clear rinse in my hair a few months ago.  I'm sure it has rinsed by now, but I'm loving my hair color (most of the henna has grown out).

ORS Lock & Twist Gel for Two-Strand Twists

Every so often, I like to switch up my products and routine.  I have been craving a product that would leave my twists defined but not crunchy and this has been my quest for the summer!  I remembered that I had a container of ORS (Organic Root Stimulator Lock) and Twist Gel, that I had used only once before and blogged about it.  When I used it, my hair was a lot shorter, so wet sets weren't my friend at the time.  But 2 weeks ago, I decided to revisit it.  Before I shared the results with you all, I had to make sure they weren't a fluke and I used it again this weekend.  Let me tell you....

 +  = defined, soft, moisturized twists

These two products may have become my go to for my wet twist outs (at least for a little while).  My curls are defined but not crunchy, soft, and moisturized.  Here's the kicker... my hair looked great for an entire week.  Simply retwisting and refreshing with some Moroccan Oil resulted in some beautiful styles throughout the week!

 

So the million dollar question is, what are the ingredients in the ORS Lock & Twist Gel?  Well let me tell you, for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised: Water, Coconut Milk, Soybean Oil, PVP, Polyquarternium 37, Propyl Paraben, Methyl Paraben, DMDM Hydantoin, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance, Sucrose.  For more info on some of the ingredients, I went to my new favorite website.

• PVP - You many want to stay away from this ingredient IF in shampoos and conditioners as it may cause build-up.  But in gels, it is okay.
• Polyquarternium-37 - You many want to stay away from this ingredient IF in shampoos and conditioners as it may cause build-up.  But in gels, it is okay.
• Propyl & Methyl Paraben - Some studies (in animals) show that parabens can lead to breast cancer.  Some feel very strongly about parabens, so please make sure you are fully educated before making a decision about this product or any other product containing parabens.

I have also figured out a way to combat the shrinkage I experience from wet twisting.  After I finish twisting my hair and before I sit under the dryer for a few minutes (I sit under the dryer just long enough to take the wetness out of my twists and I let my twists air dry the rest of the way), I pull my twists taunt, and pin them.  This way, they dry while they are stretched out.

My hair hasn't stayed this soft, for this long... maybe ever!

Lovelies, I have a new discovery!  What's my secret weapon, you ask?  Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair conditioner.  For months, I have been wondering about Dove hair care products, but already had way too many shampoos and conditioners to justify a new purchase.  Finally I gave in an purchased the Intensive Repair conditioner anyways.  


One Friday I worked from home and decided to try the conditioner as a pre-poo and I left it in for hours.  The smell isn't overwhelming and is pleasant, the conditioner feels thick and substaintial (too often non-salon conditioners feel thin and like water), and the ingredients are okay.  Here are some of the ingredients and info courtesy of Tightly Curly.  I didn't list all of the ingredients, so be sure to research them and make the call for yourself.  The ingredients are listed right on the Dove website as well.


The Good
Dimethicone - a silicone that conditions by preventing water loss.
Behentrimonium chloride   - Used for detangling and as an anti-static ingredient and emulsifier.
Lactid Acid - Adjusts the pH and acts as a humectant, helping to attract moisture to your hair.
Dipropylene Glycol - Humectant


The Bad
Stearamidopropyl dimethylamine - This is used to keep the product from separating and can be slightly corrosive to hair if not properly neutralized.  
Potassium Chloride - Is a cheap thickener.

So after a lengthy pre-poo, I continued on with my normal routine for the most part.  But for my deep conditioner, I mixed my go-to Redken Butter Treat with Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Daily Treatment.  I followed with the Knot Today leave-in and two-strand twisted with Jane Carter's Twist & Lock cream.  Perfection is what I got!!!!  My hair has been super soft and moisturized for almost a week.  I haven't experienced this in a very long time, if ever.


So think about it, learn about it, and perhaps you will give it a try.  I have no complaints and I am sitting here right now pre-pooing with my new staple product!

To Leave-In or Not to Leave-In...

As you all know, I have an absolute love affair with Redken's Butter Treat.  Over the past 4 years of experimenting with every product out there, Butter Treat is by far the best deep conditioner I have found.  The instructions state that the conditioner doesn't have to be rinsed out and can be left in as a treatment.  I have never done this before, because I wasn't completely convinced that this was the case.  So last week I decided to leave it in, instead of rinsing it out.  With that said, I didn't use Knot Today, like I normally do.  I added a little Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue to each twist because I wanted my twists to maintain definition.  I used very little because I didn't want my hair to have the crunchy feeling that I have had before from using the Curly Meringue.

So all was well until I untwisted my hair the next norning.  My hair had this "dusty film" to it (sounds gross, doesn't it).  I think I used way too much Butter Treat and the excess product dried and created a "dusty film" on my hair.  It wasn't a huge deal and wasn't really noticeable, but it was gross at first because I didn't know what was going on.  I'm doing my hair again today and I'm going to try using the Butter Treat as a leave-in, but I will definitely use less.

I have also been experimenting with updos, now that my hair is longer.  I LOVE wearing my hair up, but it takes so many pins to keep the style secure.  I bought a cute, pink flower from a craft fair last weekend in Jersey City and now I am on the hunt for more cute hair accessories.  I think updos + hair accessories are my new summer go tos!

Weekly Shampoo, Condition, & Twist Routine

I thought that I would post a video of my current weekly routine.  Right now, this seems to be working for me, but I will keep everyone updated if I start to do something a bit different.

YouTube Chanel: HappyAndNappyElisa

So I decided to start a YouTube channel.  Sometimes I'm in the mood to chat rather than write an actual post.  As some of you may know, this isn't my first YouTube appearance (google my name and my videos some come up in the search).  Enjoy!