Hair

Curly Reggie and Products 2014

A new year can often mean that a new regimen is in order. Although I have what I consider to be my tried and true methods for obtaining and maintaining a healthy head of hair (See My Regimen for Long, Strong, Natural Hair), I must say that I have done away with a lot of my former habits and have adopted a much simpler routine.

Hair

My Latest Splurge

If you recall from previous posts/videos, Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding is one of my favorite curly hair products. I fell in love with this bad boy when I first sampled it back in 2010 (See Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding Is..). However, I don't purchase it often because SHAZAM, the price is outrageous!

Hair

My Regimen for Long, Strong, Natural Hair

Lord knows I have experienced several ups and downs in my hair care journey. Even at times when I knew better, I suffered setbacks thanks to laziness and lack of care. Over the years, I've experimented with tons of products, tools and techniques. If I've learned anything throughout this little adventure of mine, it's the products, care and styles that work best for my hair.

Hair

I love my natural hair, but...

Don't get me wrong, I love my natural curls, I really do. Sometimes I have to be reminded of how much I love them, like when I suffer from heat damage. Although shrinkage irks me, seeing my once bouncy, springy curls transform into permanently straight, frazzled pieces irks me even more. Yet, as much as I love my curls and encourage others to embrace theirs, I'd be lying if I said there weren't times when rocking my natural drives me crazy...

Hair

My Review of the Remington T-Studio Pearl Ceramic Heated Clip Hair Setter 

I recently purchased a new hot roller set, which I shared in my Mini Hair Haul -- April 2012 post. I used to use hot rollers back in the day (back in the day meaning college years ;-)), as they were a quick way to get big, bouncy curls without having to use a lot of damaging heat, such as that which stems from the use of curling irons and curling wands. For one, hot rollers generally don't get as hot as other heat styling tools, and thanks to the now prevalent use of ceramic technology, they are considered more safe than before.

Hair

Alberto V05 Moisture Milks is...

Hair

Fiyah

In my March Beauty Haul, I shared the extensions I purchased and what I planned to do with them. I dyed them red, then had a few tracks sewn in the back for a peek-a-boo effect.

Hair

A Good Hair Day

Okay, so I just wanted to share my "good hair day," with you guys ;-). As I'm sure many of you know, sometimes getting our natural curls to behave in a way that we would like them to does not always come easy. I was therefore so happy to look in the mirror the other day and see my curls looking springy, healthy, and full of life! Plus, they just seemed to fall in place, which isn't a regular occurrence for me...

Hair

Curly Hair Update

Hey chicas! So, here's my curly hair update for December. Not sure if I'm going to get around to doing a video update this month, but I did want to let you guys know what's been going on with my hair.

Hair

November Check In: Two Strand Twists

Hey lovelies! I decided to check in with you guys to let you know how I'm currently caring for my hair. This will be my first check in since I announced the beginning of my waist length journey.

Hair

Quick, Curly Updo

Hey lovelies. The following is a tutorial of a simple updo that can be done on naturally curly hair. It uses the basic principle of the sloppy bun featured in my TBYHC 2011: Quick Hair & Makeup video. Hope you like ;-).

Hair

Are Afros Uncivilized?

I'm sure many of you are already aware of the Nivea ad that got many naturals in an uproar last week. It's the one you see above which depicts the image of a clean-cut African American male holding, or rather, preparing to toss aside a decapitated version of himself sporting an afro. The words "Re-civilize Yourself," which are displayed in all caps across the front have been deemed highly offensive.

Trips

The Carolinas! 

 

I mentioned in my video titled, "Thanks Huffington Post & Curl Activator Gels" that I would be taking a trip to North Carolina. First, I'd like to thank those of you who commented on the video, offering tips and advice on how to stay cool in the humid south. Unfortunately, the trip was such a short turnaround that I didn't have time to organize a meet and greet as some of you requested. Trust, if I had more time, I would have loved to have met some of my North Carolina subbies ;-). I haven't even had a meet and greet in my hometown yet, so I'm really slacking! The thing that sucks about traveling long distances is that you lose a day or two just flying. And let's not even get into how taxing and cumbersome traveling with a baby can be! Needless to say, the trip was short, but fun. Here's a few highlights:

Hair

Mixed Silk & Bigen

Hey chickadees! I said in my Major Haulage post that I would probably dye the front of my hair before the weekend was out. Well, I did, and here's how it went...

#1. I started off with dry hair that had actually been doused with EVOO the night before (I slept with it in my hair as I'm prone to do).

#2. After shampooing with the Silk Elements ColorCare Sulfate-free shampoo featured in my Major Haulage post, I applied the Bigen hair dye in light copper brown to the front of my hair like so:

The dye up close:

#3. So after I slathered that on ever so gracefully (I actually made a complete mess and didn't use gloves. Don't try this at home folks!), I placed the colored portion of my hair in some tin foil just to get it out of the way and allow it to process a little better. I threw a processing cap on top and sat under the hooded dryer for 10 minutes as instructed:

#4. After the 10 minutes were up, I allowed the hair to cool for approx. 5 minutes before rinsing out the color. Next up was the deep conditioning treatment:

#5. I combed some of the Mixed Silk Nourishing Deep Conditioner through towel dried hair, put a plastic cap on, and sat under my hooded dryer for another 10 minutes. Afterwards, I rinsed it out in the sink with cool water and it looked like this:

My hair truly felt like silk, baby!

I believe my curls felt so quenched not only because the product is good, but also because it was the first time in forever that I switched up my moisturizing deep conditioner. I stated in my Q & A Volume 6 video that sometimes you just gotta switch up your shampoos and conditioners because you may find that your hair has gotten used to them, rendering them less effective.

#6. Anywho, after my hair was washed, dyed, and deep conditioned, I applied some of the Just So Curl Activator Gel I also shared in my Major Haulage post to damp hair, raked it through with a wide tooth comb, scrunched, then applied a small amount of the Isoplus styling gel to my edges to slick them down. Once I had finished, I looked like this:

A wet puppy, LOL!
And here's a shot of the texture up close:

#7. Of course, that wasn't the final result, because my hair had to dry. So, after allowing it to air dry for a few hours, my curls looked like this:

Although I loved how my hair looked and felt (soft and silky with a light hold thanks to the Just So Curl Activator Gel), I wasn't all that pleased with the color. I don't know why I continue to kid myself thinking that I'm going to get amazing color from anything less than a permanent formula once my color has grown out. Anyway, you can get a better view of the color here:

True, you can see the color, but it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. This looks more like Dr. Pepper burgundy to me than the light copper brown it claims to be. After all, my hair looked more coppery brown before:

Before Bigen & After

Anywho ladies and gents, that's it for my weekend hair update. For those of you who are in the market for a great moisturizing deep conditioner, I recommend you give the Mixed Silk by Silk Elements a try. It will leave your curls feeling quenched with moisture. Oh, and I'll be doing an update on the Just So Curl Activator Gel after I've had a chance to rock it for a few weeks. You know me, I can't definitively say how I feel about a product, especially not a curly styler, until I've had a chance to use it for a while, so stay tuned...

Hair

A Random Hair Update

Okay so, I thought I'd bring you up to speed on my hair. As you already know, based on my results for the TBYHC 2011 Edition, my hair is in pretty good condition. However, I am extremely BORED with my hair right now. For one, my color has faded and grown out significantly.

Just look at how dark it is now compared to here.

As far as length goes, my hair is longer than it's been in a while. For one, a lot of the layers have grown out, and because I've been taking better care of my hair (I've been deep conditioning it more often, using less heat, eating my Wheaties, etc.), I have a lot more bulk on the ends than I did in the past:

(Left pic posted to blog on 9.17.09; right pic taken on 6.17.11)

You can see just how much the short, choppy layers in the pic at left have grown out (BTW, my layers only looked that crazy because my hair was windblown and not moisturized, but when moisturized and wrapped, it looked like this).

I got pregnant shortly after the pic at left was taken, and I must say that the pregnancy definitely did my hair some good (i.e. my hair grew quicker and got thicker. To learn more, see Pregnancy & Hair).

Although I've been able to retain a lot of the length and thickness I gained during those 9 (or really 10) months, I'm still not sure how long I want my hair to be. Right now I'm cool with the length, but I don't really have a length goal because I've been so focused on the health of my hair. Plus, it seems that anytime my hair grows I get the urge to cut it, just like I did last December. Take for instance how I'm feeling right now. A part of me wants to grow my hair to waist length (it hasn't been that long since high school) just so I can have something to aspire to, but another part of me wants to cut my hair into a cute, sassy style. It doesn't necessarily have to be short all over, but bangs and layers would be cool.

The last time I straightened my hair was on June 17th. I was crunched for time, so I used a blow dryer for the first time this year. I recently bought a new one (I plan to do a vid on my heat styling tools, so stay tuned...) because my old one, which I had for about 6 years or so finally conked out, and I basically just wanted to see how well the new one worked on my hair. I normally air dry my hair but figured I should get a blow dryer for hair emergencies. Plus, I'm what you call a "kitchen beautician," so I need one to use on my "clients" (and by clients I mean fam and friends ;-)).

The pic at left is of my hair after it was straightened, and the pic at right is of my hair after I put some curls in it (just for body and movement) with my curling iron:

I'm debating whether or not I'll be straightening my hair this week for an event I plan to attend on Friday. I really don't intend to use heat much, if at all this summer just because a) it's so hot out, and b) I've been exercising hard to lose the last 10 pounds or so of my baby weight. Chances are I'll just sweat it out, so I'll mainly be rocking my natural curls.

Because I've been upping the intensity of my workouts, I've started doing co-washes again, which is something I had eased up on. I had basically replaced co-washes with rinsing my hair in the shower post workout, as I found this to be adequate in removing sweat from my scalp and product buildup from the hair. However, now that I'm doing co-washes and rinsing my hair almost daily, I'm going through my styling products a lot quicker. Since buying jars upon jars of styling aids is not good for my wallet right now, I've decided to just allow my curls to do their thing. Thus, I just focus on sealing in moisture because I can stretch leave-ins and oils a lot further than any styling product. Take for instance what I did to my hair on Thursday after I shampooed and deep conditioned it using ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner:

Here's what my hair looked like post wash with nothing in it:

And here's what my hair looked like once dry with just coconut oil:

This was just a little experiment I did to see how my hair would fair with just coconut oil because that's all I put in my son's hair, and his looks great. However, since my hair isn't baby fine, it needs more moisture, so yesterday (Sunday), I rinsed my hair in the shower and applied some of my Bronner Bros. Moisturizing Hair Lotion and sealed with the coconut oil. This gave my hair the moisture it needs, but I still didn't use any styling aids to hold my curls in place.

My hair may be looking wild and wooly without any styling products, but until this heat lets up, and I lose the rest of this baby weight, I figure I may as well leave it alone. In the meantime, I can do some research and decide if I want to color my hair again, what products I want to use, and how I'm going to style it.

So, how are things going with your hair?

XOXO,

DPrincess28

Hair

Interview with Viva the Diva TV

I recently participated in a video interview with the fabulous YouTube personality, Viva the Diva. I was honored and thrilled when she contacted me and asked if I would allow myself to be interviewed by her. We talked about all things hair, and although those of you who have followed me for a long time may not be surprised by any of my answers, I still thought you'd enjoy this fun and cool vid. Check it out:

Hair

A Natural Bride

My big sis, otherwise known as Girl With Curls, got married a few months back. If you recall, she mentioned her engagement in my video titled, Q & A Volume 3: Update on Girl With Curls. She also mentioned how much her then fiance, and now proud hubby, loves her natural hair. I must say she has come a long way considering she went from being a constant weave wearer who balked at the mere thought of sporting an afro (If you don't believe me, check out her debut vid here: Let's Talk Hair! (Vol. II: Girl With Curls), to walking down the aisle on her wedding day sporting a what??? Yes, a curly afro! Here's a look at her hair up close:

Her hair was styled by the fabulous YouTube Guru, Anaturalbeauty3, who used Hair Rules Curly Whip to get her curls to pop.

Because my sis has fully embraced being natural and loves her textured tresses, she insisted that her Matron of Honor, who was none other than yours truly (*smile*), wear her natural curls too:

I styled my natural curls using Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding. Who says natural hair can't be glamorous?

Hair & Makeup

Curly Braidout in the Enchanted Forest

There are some days when you just have to go with the flow. The look featured in this video is an example of that, for I had to do a braidout on my curly hair after I ran out of my Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1 Miracle Worker. Normally when I do a braidout, it's because I planned to wear one, and I therefore prepare my hair for it on wash day. You can tell the difference between a planned braidout, and an improvised one, as showcased in the following video. I also threw in a makeup look. Enjoy!



The Makeup





Products used:

Eyes
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer
-NYX Jumbo Eye pencil in Milk
-Maybelline eye shadow quad in Enchanted Forest
-Line Stiletto eyeliner in black by Maybelline (upper lash line)
-Smolder eye kohl by MAC (lower lash line)
-Lycra Lash Extender mascara in black by Rimmel London

Face
-Pur Mineral 4-in-1 powder foundation in Deeper
-Blot powder in dark by MAC
-Raizin blush by MAC
-Gold bronzer by Icing

Lips
-Lipstick by Neutrogena in Nude Blush
-Ulta lip gloss in Mischief

The Hair




Products used:

-Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Moisturizer
-Bronner Bros. Extra Lite Double Strength Super Gro with Vitamin E
-Isoplus Pre-conditioning Lite Styling Gel

The Total Look




And, if you watched the outtakes at the end of the vid, you'll see why I thought my hair looked exactly like...

Sho'nuff!

Now tell me my hair didn't look like this in the clip, LOL!

Hair & Makeup

TBYHC 2011: Another Quick Hair & Makeup Look

Hey ladies! We're winding down this year's Take Back Your Hair Challenge. The following video features another quick hair and makeup look. Enjoy!



Pics of the finished look:




Hair pre-rinse




Items used:

Hair
Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner

Makeup
Eyes
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer
-NYX Jumbo Eye pencil in Milk
-Urb eye shadow by Urban Decay
-Maybelline eye shadow quad in Seashore Frosts
-Line Stiletto eyeliner in black by Maybelline (upper lash line)
-Smolder eye kohl by MAC (lower lash line)
-Lycra Lash Extender mascara in black by Rimmel London

Face
-Pur Mineral 4-in-1 powder foundation in Deeper
-Blot powder in dark by MAC
-Loverush blush by MAC
-Gold bronzer by Icing

Lips
-N.Y.C. lip gloss in Plaza Punch

P.S. After I rinsed out the conditioner, I applied pure coconut oil and Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1 Miracle Worker to my hair and hit the sack! Good luck with the rest of the challenge ladies ;-).