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

My Winter Hair Update

If you saw my Protective Phony Pony and "Natural" Makeup post, then you know that I have chosen to use fake ponytails as my protective style for the winter. Since I live in California, my winter experience is obviously not the same as it is for those of you who live on the East Coast, but, I do travel enough to know whether or not my hair care methods work in other parts of the globe.

Hair

Protective Phony Pony & "Natural" Makeup

I mentioned in my January Length Update that I was going to wear "phony ponys" (Fake ponytails) as my protective style for the winter. Well, I got one and decided to record a video tut of me applying it. And of course, I had to throw in a makeup tut to go along with it. Hope you enjoy!

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 & Makeup

Date Night Hair & Makeup: Bronze Goddess

I wanted to get glammed up for date night, and was inspired to do so after seeing the fabulous pic of Christina Milian you see posted above. I love her smokey eye and how bronze her skin looks. I also love her thick and somewhat wild tresses. I therefore decided to put my own spin on this look, so check out the following vid to see my rendition:



The Makeup





Products used:

Eyes
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer
-Smog by Urban Decay (I Love NY palette)
-Perversion by Urban Decay (I Love NY palette)
-C-179 Golden Retriever by Prestige (inner corners)
-Maybelline eye shadow quad in Enchanted Forest (highlight color used as highlight)
-Line Stiletto eyeliner in black by Maybelline (upper lash line)
-Zero eyeliner by Urban Decay (lower lash line)
-Lycra Lash Extender mascara in black by Rimmel London
-EL104 Falsies by NYX

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
-Sweetie lipstick by MAC
-Star Nova lustreglass by MAC

The Hair



Products used:

-Moisturizing Hair Lotion by Bronner Bros. (to moisturize hair and set bunout)
-Pure coconut oil (to seal in moisture)
-Bronner Bros. Extra Lite Double Strength Super Gro with Vitamin E (on edges only)
(*Note: Hair was air dryed in Tomb Raider ponytail to stretch out curls prior to placing in buns)

The Total Look:

Hair

Pin Curls (Two Techniques)

A while back, I did a picture tutorial of how I curl my hair using bobby pins in a post titled Pincurls! Well, today's video demonstrates how I can get big, full curls, or soft, loose curls and waves by using two different methods. Enjoy!

Hair

Twist & Shout

My mom, who is natural, wanted to try out a new hairstyle. She was tired of rocking a fro and straightening her hair and was therefore interested in trying other styling options that would allow her to enjoy some versatility without costing too much money, time, or effort.

Since her hair is coarser than mine, I knew I needed to start by imparting moisture. I therefore started this style on freshly washed, air dried hair, and began spraying it with good ol' H20. I then applied a light setting lotion called SET (Extra Hold) by Hair Play to small sections of hair prior to doing a simple, two strand twist:


After her entire head was twisted, she allowed it to set overnight. She slept in a loose bonnet and untwisted the hair the next day. Here are the results:

Twist out, hair down

Twist out, hair half up, half down

My mom was very pleased with the final outcome, as she loved the volume the style afforded. However, she found that her hair felt a little dry, so now she is working on finding solutions to keeping her hair full of moisture without losing the body and lightweight feeling the setting lotion provides. I would suggest that in the future, she spritz the hair with a moisturizing spray (Even ol' skool Stay So' Fro might do the trick!) to maintain the moisture balance without losing the style. Since these pictures were taken, I trimmed her ends to eliminate any splits and give her hair a cleaner shape. All in all, I thought she looked beautiful, and her hair came out fab!

Hair Update

So, I know my blog rolls have been MIA for a minute now, and for that, I am truly sorry. However, as of late, my life has entered warp speed, and before I know it, a whole week has passed by without me having the time to post. My mother always told me that my thirties would be the busiest years of my life, and she ain't never lied, because I barely have time to comb my hair, which leads me to my hair update…

So, I seriously haven't felt like doing jack to my hair. Of course I want it to stay healthy, but aside from keeping it clean, I haven't been doing much to it style wise. I therefore knew something had to give, and although I'm not a big fan of braids, braids seemed like a logical option for me at this juncture in my life.

I got the inspiration to braid my hair from fashion designer Kara Saun. I loved her hair on Project Runway (See pic above), and decided to go for a similar look. Check it out:


Since my hair was too long for the stylist to braid it all up, a lot of my real hair is left out and blended in with the extensions. To prep my hair for this style, I washed and deep conditioned it by sitting under a hooded dryer for 15 minutes with Organic Root Stimulator's Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner. I then added a small amount of Hawaiian Silky to it and allowed it to air dry in two buns.

I got my hair done at a local salon that specializes in braids, but also does traditional styling such as flat irons, roller sets, etc. The stylist that did my hair was very nice and quick! The style/labor cost $75, and the hair only cost me $5.99 per pack. I bought four packs of hair and ended up needing only one! I therefore have enough to do this again 3 more times!

I was told this style would last me six weeks, but I'll probably only keep it in for three or four. All I know is that the minute these cornrows start looking raggedy, they're coming out! I plan to care for this style by doing the following:

1. Spritz my ponytail with a mixture of water, setting lotion, and Hawaiian silky daily to keep it hydrated and get it to blend in with the extensions (The setting lotion I'm using is LottaBody with Olive Oil).
2. Wash just the ponytail to remove product buildup.
3. Clean my scalp with witch hazel.

I'll update you guys on how long it lasts. How are you styling your hair these days?

Until next time…

XOXO,

DPrincess28

Hair

Pincurls!

In the September/October issue of Sophisticate's Black Hair Styles and Care Guide, there is an article titled "Sleeping Pretty," which discusses various ways to preserve one's hairstyle at night. Hair stylist and salon owner Keisha Bogan of Atlanta, GA, offers pincurls as one way to keep the hair looking fresh in subsequent days after heat styling. The article states:

"Give Pincurls A Whirl
To help prolong the wear of salon-fresh curls, stylist Bogan says pincurling is a great option. 'Separate hair into large sections, about five total,' the pro explains of the process. 'It depends on how curly you want your hair to be -- if you want a more wavy look, do less sections; for more curl, do more sections. Comb out any tangles, then in the direction of the curl, wrap hair around in a complete circle against your head. Take a duck bill hair clip and slide it in to secure the curl in the very center of the circle.' If you find these clips are too uncomfortable to wear while sleeping, the pro suggests substituting bobby pins" (Page 40).

Well, since I'm always looking for new ways to style and maintain my hair, I decided to take heed to Bogan's advice regarding pincurls. Below are the details regarding my first attempt at pincurling my hair:

#1. I started by distributing a quarter-sized amount of Bronner Bros Oil Moisturizer Hair Lotion throughout my hair. Then, I created a part in the lower portion of my head (across the occipital bone).

#2. I then began sectioning my hair vertically, and took a small portion of hair to pincurl. I basically used my fingers to roll my hair around an imaginary roller, then once I made it to my head, I used bobby pins to secure it in place.

#3. I continued in the same manner described in step #3 until the entire first row of pincurls was complete.

#4. I made another horizontal part in the back of my head and began pincurling the second row. This time however, I alternated between using duck bill hair clips and bobby pins. It just depended on the width of the pincurl (i.e. duck bill hair clips for larger sections and bobby pins for smaller sections).

#5. I rolled all the hair under until I had a head full of pincurls.

#6. I covered the pincurls in my satin bonnet to protect them at night.

#7. The next morning, I removed the bonnet and sprayed some oil sheen throughout my hair.

#8. After removing the pins, I finger combed through my hair so to not break up the curls…

#9. I was left with big, bouncy curls!

Hair

Two-Strand Twists

Today's tutorial is on two-strand twists. This low-maintenance hair style has become one of my favorite summer looks. It may take an hour or so to create, but the payoff is so worth it. I literally don't have to do anything to my hair once my twists are set. I use Twist It Hold It Shine It by Luster's Pink (a product featured on my favorite products list) to form the twists. I can go up to a week with this style, and all I have to do is wrap my hair in a satin scarf to protect it at night. This style is a great option for transitioners and busy moms who "don't have time" to fuss with their little one's hair on a daily basis.



Twists worn down


Twists pulled back into a bun (My favorite way to rock them :-))


Twisted bun from the back


Twisted bun from the side

Hair

My Braidout Updated

In the past, I would divide my hair straight down the middle, and do two large braids for a loose braidout. Yet, I noticed that constantly parting my hair down the middle was creating an irritating gap, as my hair was getting used to the part and would remain split down the middle even after I would finger comb through it. I then started creating three braids: two in the front and one in the back, hoping to eliminate this problem. In fact, that's how I braided my hair in my braidout tutorial (Get it here: Braidout Tutorial).

Well, today I'm doing something different. I've now started dividing my hair into five sections: three going towards the back, and two on the sides. This way, my hair blends together perfectly, and I don't have to do much finger combing to get it to look right. Here's what it looks like braided:

Back shot


Side shot


And here's what it looks like once I've taken the braids out:



Below is a shot of me separating the waves as I finger comb through my hair:



Here's the finished result!




I used good ol' water and Coconut Oil by Proline to set the braids. And of course, I used some Isoplus gel around my edges to finish the look. I get more texture throughout my hair this way, and I love it!

Hair

My Bun Out Remix

For my date night last Friday, I did a bun out, but this time I divided my hair into four sections instead of two. This gave me much tighter, bushier waves than my standard, two buns (To see my bun out tutorial, click here: Sexy Waves Thanks To A Bun Out). I think I used a little too much water to set the waves this time, as my hair was a little more unruly than I like it to be. Yet, I must say that the "wild" look was great for a night out of dancing, for it didn't look messed up after all the sweating I did. Normally, I like to flat iron my hair when I go out at night, but this heat-free style was definitely the better option. Below are pictures of the process and finished look.

I made two tight buns on each side of my head like so:



I kept the buns in for a full day then took them down as I was getting ready to go out:



I finger combed through my hair, then slicked back the edges with some of my Isoplus gel. I took some of the hair from the center of my head and created some height at the crown by clipping some of the hair up with the following accessory (I shared with you guys in a previous post that my round face can only carry a style that's full on the sides if I also have height at the crown. See Find A Look That Best Suits Your Face to find styles that best complement your face shape):


And this is what I got:




Hope you like it!