I decided to order Kinky-Curly Custard...

So after a lot of debate, I finally ordered Kinky-Curly Custard. My mom has been bugging me to give it a try, but what she fails to realize is, I have tried and SPENT so much money on products that just don't do what I want them to do. So for weeks, I've been reading reviews on the Internet as well as watching You Tube videos on how people apply and like or dislike this product. Despite people saying their hair felt crunchy or sticky, I am going to give it a go because I have desperately been searching for a product to elongate my curls. People were shocked by the length of my hair when it was straight. I think there is a misconception by how much hair I have b/c my hair shrinks up so much. So a product that boasts elongating properties has me literally drooling. I can't wait to get this stuff. I'll be sure to post a blog with pictures. Until then...

I finally found the color I wanted!

I finally have achieved the color I have been trying to obtain! After talking to my stylist about permanent color, she put my mind at ease. I have been researching the best permanent colors on the natural forums/discussion boards and decided to use Clairol Textures & Tones in Bronze. I haven't noticed any negative difference in my curl pattern or the moisture content in my hair. I would definitely recommend this brand to any naturals wanting a permanent color. The color is noticeable but not overboard. I can't wait to see how the color looks once I get my hair straightened in August.

Straight (for about 4 days)

Hello everyone! Well I finally did it. I got my hair straightened at Pure Beauty in DC. My stylist Nicole is fabulous and I have already made my appointment for August. I had no idea how long my hair is. She cut off about 1/2 inch - 3/4 inch and my hair still is a nice length (see pictures). Not only did the length surprise me, but the health of my hair as well as the color did too. She said my hair was in great condition and really not that uneven (considering I cut it myself the first time). But now I am free of all relaxed ends and my hair is free to really do its thang and curl! The major down side to trying to keep my hair straight is the humidity. DC is terribly humid during the summer as well as Atlanta (I'm down there a lot), so it's hard to keep the ends straight. Nicole used Pureology shampoo and conditioner; I really loved the conditioner because it was so cooling and tingled much like tea tree conditioner. I went to purchase it only to discover it was almost $30 for a SMALL bottle. So needless to say, I haven't gotten it yet, instead I purchased the Paul Mitchell tea tree conditioner. I am kinda bummed that my lil fro has taken a step back because of the trim, hopefully it will continue to grow fast :o).

Growing like a weed!

My hair has always grown fast but I really think my vitamins are helping tremendously! So this past weekend I put a color rinse in my hair. I mixed two colors - cinnamon and a little bit of paprika. I like the results. In the sunlight, my hair has a reddish glow and it's kind of nice. But other than that I really have nothing new to "report". I did buy another Aveda hair product - Brilliant Humectant Pomade. It's a great moisturizer and I use it every morning. I am glad that I rediscovered Aveda products because they are wonderful for dry hair and they smell fantastic!

Check out the picks!

Clear Rinse + Aveda Brilliant Emoillient Finishing Gloss = Smooth Ends

My ends are soooooooo smooth! I decided to give myself a clear rinse this weekend mainly because I wanted to preserve my color as long as possible and try to boost the shine level of my hair. After the rinse and a deep conditioner (I sat under the dryer for both), I smoothed a few pumps of Aveda Brilliant Emollient Finishing Gloss in my hair followed by Baby Buttercreme. As I was coiling my hair, I noticed that my ends are soooooo smooth. They have never felt this smooth before. I've always like Aveda products but I think I am slowly but surely changing over to a strictly Aveda product user. I mean, there products are not any more expensive than other stuff that I have been buying, they smell fantastic and they are made with some great ingredients. I must say that every Aveda product I have used, has delivered on what it claims to do for you hair. I am totally recommending their Brilliant line for black hair, natural or relaxed. The products in this line contain oils that I think are fantastic for our hair. I used to use their products during college and I don't know why I stopped, but I am so glad I rediscovered them again!

It's all about SHINE!

So I am on this shiny hair kick. As some of you know, I LOVE color and I have been itching for some summer color. I really didn't want to do a permanent color so I opted for a semi-permanent color. So I researched the preferred semi-permanent colors of naturals in the forums that I frequent and was really surprised by what people liked. People really seem to like Natural Instincts, so I decided to give it a try. I used a color called Golden Cappuccino and I am really happy with the results. As promised, the color change is subtle and you probably can't tell unless I am in the light, but I swear my hair feels fabulous since I colored it! The conditioner that comes with the color is great as well (you are given a 6 week supply).

When I was in Target and I saw that Biosilk has a conditioner. I remember loving Biosilk Silk Therapy when I was transitioning and flat ironing and I thought I would give the Silk Therapy Conditioner a try. Well I wasn't disappointed! I also decided to start using the Silk Therapy in the mornings for an extra dose of shine! I am going to try using the Silk Therapy on my wet hair before twisting it to see what kind of shine I am able to get! I think I am going to start integrating more of the Biosilk products into my hair routine. They seem to really do well with natural hair.

Well that's all for now! Tah tah!

Things are going good yall! :)

So I have added a new style to my repertoire :). Now I have been coiling my hair after washing it, letting it air dry and then separating each coil. I like this better than 2 strand twisting it. I am still using the same products and am really happy with the my hair! It's growing very fast and really starting to look cute, in my opinion.

Wash and go isn't for me... yet.

So I tried the whole wash and go thing two days in a row this week and my hair didn't do what I wanted it to do. It curls too tight and just shrinks right up when it dries. So I thought I would try to be 'cute' today and make myself a style of some sort and it worked. Take a peek at my pictures. I used a very small amount of the Aveda Brilliance gel that I just bought and used a little bit of the Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue (I am out of the Baby Buttercreme) and two strand twisted and coiled some pieces last night. And voila! As I am writing this, I am finishing up re-twisting it because I am going to rock this style again tomorrow.

Update

Well I am happy to report that my natural journey is going well. I've been taking my multivitamin and Biotin supplement every day and I can say that I do see a difference in my hair thickness and growth. My little 'fro is growing and is definitely more full. I have been experimenting with Miss Jessie's Baby Buttercreme as well as Aveda's Be Curly line, in particular the curl enhancer lotion. I LOVE the Aveda curl enhancer BUT it curls my hair so much that I have major shrinkage but adorable curls. So I went to Aveda this past weekend and the sales associate recommended that I mix the curl enhancer with the Brilliant Retexturing Gel. That way I'll still get the curl but maybe I will be able to retain some length. I am still using my Wen cleanser and love how soft my hair. Each time I use it, I can tell that my hair is softer. I definitely recommend this product to anyone - relaxed or natural. I probably wash my hair every 2 or 3 days depending on how lazy I am feeling. In the mornings I spray my hair with a water/oil mix I made to try to revive it a bit and at night I use some Caster Oil (solid) to keep my hair soft.

I'll try my best to take some pictures after I wash and try this concoction tomorrow morning. As usual, I'll do my best to keep you all posted.

My curly fro made its debut at work!

Hi everyone! As you know, I have been wearing my natural hair out on the weekends and my super cute wig to work during the week. Well after my wine club this meeting this weekend, I was further assured that my hair was cute and that I should wear it to work. As you can imagine, I have been a bit apprehensive about wearing it out especially to work because I am not 100% comfortable with it yet. But, I sucked it up and wore it to work yesterday and people liked it. I think I am getting better when it comes to figuring out what to do with it. My next step is to go to a natural hair salon. I just called one that was recommended to me and she told me that my hair needs to be at least 3" to hold a style, so I might just go in for a consultation.

Right now I have been washing or cowashing about twice a week since I work out and then adding some Miss Jessie's Baby Buttercreme to my hair and two strand twisting while its wet. Then in the morning I untwist and run my fingers through each twist for volume.

I have also been taking a multi-vitamin from the Vitamin Shoppe as well as a Biotin supplement to promote healthy and fast hair growth. So far I have noticed a huge difference in my nails. They haven't broken in 2 weeks!

Well, wish me happy nappiness! As always I will keep you guys posted!