21 Months Natural

Time is really flying by these days that I had almost forgot to gave my 3 month update. Luckily I have it programmed in my phone. My hair is definitely making progress and I am happy with it. The last time I did my length check I trimmed about 1/4 inch off afterwards. I had planned on doing it again but haven't done it as yet because I don't have the time at the moment.

This is gonna be my last length check for the year. The next one will be in the next 3 months which will be on my 2 year anniversary.

Curls-Natural Haircare Products

 

I've been using these products once every month for the past 4 months and some of them have really impressed me very much, but for some it was not as I had expected.I received 4 products:

• Curlious Curls Cleansing  Cream
• Coconut Sublime Moisturizing Conditioner
• Quenched Curls - Curl Moisturizer/2nd Day Curl Refresher
• Curls Milkshake

Step 1:Cleanse - Curlicious Curls Cleansing Cream - Sulfate Free Cleanser

















 Use as often as needed.This rich and creamy sulfate free cleanser gently cleanses your curls, hydrates, and conditions the hair all in one step.  Produces a mild, gentle lather, as it is sulfate (detergent) free.  Infused with Carrot Seed oil, Horse Chestnut, Sage Leaf and Arnica Montana Flower Extract. Perfect cleanser for relaxed, chemically altered, and/or color treated hair.

 Step 2:Condition - Coconut Sublime Conditioner




Use after every shampoo

Looking for a conditioner that provides MAXIMUM moisture and softness for your dry curly tresses? Look no further, Coconut Sublime Conditioner is guaranteed to soften the kinkiest curl, moisturize the driest lock, and detangle the most unruly tresses. Great for all curly hair textures especially dry, damaged, and chemically treated kinky, medium or coarse curly hair.

Step 3:Moisturize - Quenched Curls - Curl Moisturizer/2nd Day Curl Refresher

Use daily on dry hair to refresh and reactivate curls or on wet hair to seal in moisture.

Are your curls dry, dull and lifeless? Give them just what they need! Daily moisture! This EXCEPTIONAL moisturizer will hydrate, condition and revive your curls, restoring their natural beauty. Consider this your under wear for your hair. Excellent companion to any of our Step 4 styling products. Revive your 2nd day bed head curls with Quenched Curls for a fresh new start, without recleansing!

Step 4:Style - Curls Milkshake - Curl Lotion

 for FINE curly hair

Guaranteed to define, defrizz, revive, hydrate, and soften dry curls. Derived from natural milks and exotic extracts, this moisturizing cream will bring life back to your overworked tresses. Light enough to use on fine curly hair.  Perfect cream for transitioning curlies...to soften and hydrate dry new growth. Also works GREAT for curly weaves.

For best results, apply evenly, section by section.

MY THOUGHTS

• The  Curls Cleansing  Cream  Lotion  is an absolute favorite of mine there's no doubt about it. This product is a must have for me. I love what it does to my hair, it really  cleanses  and conditions the hair at the same time. It leaves  my hair feeling so soft and manageable.The first time I used it I was very impressed with the results.

Score:5/5

• The Coconut Sublime Conditioner-the first time I used it I wasn't very impressed I'm not quite sure why but that was then, now it has become a favorite of mine. There are days when I'll use it as a deep conditioner for my hair whenever it's looking dull and is in need of some TLC. There are times when I'll use it as a leave-in conditioner.

Score:4/5

• Curl Moisturizer/2nd Day Curl Refresher-let me just say that this product was not designed for my hair type. It was formulated for wavy and curly hair. With that been said it dosen't do much for my hair(kinky coily). So usually I will use it as a refresher or as a final touch after styling my hair.

Score:1/5

• Curls Milkshake - Curl Lotion was formulated for wavy and curly hair types but it works great as a leave-in conditioner for my hair type. So instead of using it as step 4 I use it as step 3, then I'll use a butter or oil to seal in the moisture.

Score:3/5

Source for product description here

2 Strand Mini Twist

It has been a while since I've done some Mini 2 Strand Twist in my hair so on Friday afternoon I took the time and did some. I must say that I was impress by the way they turned out. I had forgotten what it was like to have my hair like this and I must say that I'm absolutely in love with my hair.

 I"m gonna try my best to keep my hair like this for the rest of the month. I don't know if I could because I'm always re-doing my hair every 2 weeks. And because my birthday is in 2 weeks I really wanted to try something with my hair but I don't have anything planned for birthday so I don't know what I'll do as yet. 

Avocado Deep Treatment Conditioner

It has been a while since I've posted any thing. I did braid my hair in Box Braids for 2 weeks.I took them down over the weekend so I can wash and condition my hair. I decided togive the avocado treatment a try.

mixed together w/ EVOO & Sunflower Oil

I applied the mixture on damp hair coating each strand. After I was finished with my hair I decided to use the extra as a face mask. I cover my hair with a plastic cap and left it on for 30 minutes. I then rinse and conditioned my hair making sure nothing was left behind. The final results was hair that as very soft.

Update

Things have been going really great lately.I'm very thankful for everything that God has and is doing for me. Life hasn't been very easy for me but I'm thankful and I am blessed to have life no matter what.Anyway I plan on braiding my hair sometime not sure when but will keep you updated. I trimmed my hair on the 4th of this month because I was having some breakage with my ends so I had to get rid of that before it got bad. Right now I'm not seeing any more breakage so I'm thankful for that

Product Review:Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer

 

 Ingredients
Water (Aqua) , Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive) , Capric Caprylic Triglycerides , PEG 75 Lanolin , Behentrimonium Methosulfate , Cetearyl Alcohol , Ceteareth 20 , Cetyl Alcohol , Dimethicone , Phenyl Trimethicone , Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter , Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Retinyl Palmitate , Tocopherol , Ascorbic Acid , Biotin , Linoleic Acid , Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado) , Fragrance , Imidazolidinyl Urea , Methylparaben , Propylparaben , Hydrolyzed Silk , CI 19140 (FD&C Yellow 5)

This product was given to me as a gift for entering a contest. I received it early June and have been using it ever since. It's been 3 months now and I've used it all.

• I absolutely love the consistency of this product.It is very thick,I love products that are thick because they work well with my hair type. 
• It has a very nice fragrance, it's not very strong
• It is an awesome moisturizer

So will I ever purchase this product with my own money? I definitely would consider purchasing this product but here in my country this product is priced at 20-25 EC dollars. Yes that's a lot for me to spend on one product. I'm already breaking the bank to buy simple things like Shea Butter, castor etc. and I'm not trying to go broke while going natural.
 

18 Months Natural

It's been 18 months since I started to grow out my natural hair. I'm really enjoying my journey, learning new things like what works for my hair and what doesn't. I'm definitely seeing the progress that I'm making and it's truly amazing.

Cornrows and Twist

So I decided to take a break from extensions for this month and braid my own hair into a protective style.

Check Out Oprah's Natural Hair on O Magazine's September 2012 Cover!

 For the first time ever, Oprah's appearing on the cover of O without blow-drying or straightening her hair. She says that wearing her hair naturally—as she often does on weekends and on vacation—makes her feel unencumbered. But there was a time when she wanted to just cut it all off. "I wanted to wear it close-cropped a la Camille Cosby but her husband Bill convinced me otherwise. 'Don’t do it,' he said. 'You’ve got the wrong head shape and you’ll disappoint yourself.' I took his advice," she says. Although, never one to shy away from a style update, Winfrey is a firm believer that changing your hairstyle can change what we see and feel is possible. "I even notice a change in my dogs when they get their summer cuts: they’re friskier and livelier, feeling more themselves once the weight of the hair is released."

After all the makeovers she’s done in O magazine and on TV, Oprah stands firm that the only makeovers that are maintained and sustained are "those in which something inside the receiver clicks, aligning with that which is being received. The only way to real transformation is through the mind."

Source

The Myth of the Split End

Everyone has heard of a split end. Split ends are defined as hair strands that have broken into two or more parts or pieces, on the very end of the hair. If this is the case, then why I am saying that split ends are a myth? The myth is that splits only occur on the ends of the hair. Splits can and do occur at any point on the hair strand, at any point from the root to tip or end of the hair. Hair is most commonly split on the ends. Or at least that is where most people notice them.

The ends of the hair are the oldest part of your hair, especially if you have or are growing longer hair. We often hear, and I say it myself, that we need to protect and preserve the ends of the hair. What about the rest of the hair strand? Here are some tips to do just that:

Avoid bobby pins that have lost the soft head on the points. These exposed, sharp metal parts can tear the hair strand and weaken it. Weakened hair is more likely to split.

Try to use cotton or nylon to pull back your hair instead of rubber bands. Even coated rubber bands placed too tightly on the hair can flick off the cuticle layer of your hair strands.

Condition your hair. By using a moisturizing conditioner, you help to keep the hair strand moist and pliable. Hair that is moist is less apt to break and split. For most people with afro textured hair, conditioner is placed on the whole head, not just on the ends of the hair. Thus, this will help to keep the entire strand protected.

If your hair is natural, your hair will very likely tend to dryness and thirstily drink up moisture. Water based moisturizing products, placed on the hair for maintenance between washes will also help to keep hair full of moisture. Thus the hair will be less prone to breakage and splits.

Most of us are aware that the ends of our hair are very fragile and that they can split if they are not handled properly. What many people don't know is that splits can occur at any point on the hair strand. Please be mindful of this so that you can preserve your hair strands and the natural structure of the hair, for as long as possible.

By Chicoro, BeautifyBitByBit.com

How to Avoid Getting Matted Afro-Textured Hair

Matted hair is an enemy to gaining length and retaining that length on afro-textured hair. Getting tangles at the root, middle and ends of hair are big problems for afro- textured hair. I am going to teach you in three easy steps how to avoid getting matted afro textured hair.

Detangle Hair Daily Before Retiring: When wearing your hair in loosened styles such as twists outs, braid outs, and puffs, be sure to finger comb them at night before retiring. Gently rake your finger tips through the style to remove any tangles. Make sure to go from root to tip or from your scalp to the ends of your hair. If possible, try to gently and loosely place the free and loose hair into large sections. Secure the hair with a satin or silk scarf. Retire for the evening.

Address Small Tangles Immediately: Small tangles only become larger tangles if you ignore them. As with any problem or challenge, the sooner you nip it in the bud or address it, the better it is for you in the long run. A tangle usually begins with a broken hair or hair that has shed and mixed in with some type of styling product or even lint or dirt. If you can't address the tangle right then, try to keep the addition of any styling product to a minimum.

Do Not Increase the Tension or Tightness of a Tangle: Rushing to get ready for your work or school day or for an evening event may not leave time for you to provide the attention your hair needs. If you have tangles in your hair that you cannot address at that moment, try to fix your hair using your fingers. Try not to use a brush or comb to smooth the hair down when you have a tangle in your hair. Why not? If you brush or comb your hair and smooth it up to the tangle, you run the risk of squeezing the tangled hair even more tightly together. In addition to this, any residual product that is intertwined within the tangled hair will be pressed down and will spread out to engulf more of the tangled hair into the knot.

By keeping your eye on tangles when they start, addressing them immediately, or styling to not make them tighter, this should go along way in helping you to avoid getting matted afro-textured hair.

By Chicoro, BeautifyBitByBit.com

Box Braids

So I ended up taking out my crochet braids after one week because I think I was allergic to the type of braids. My scalp was itching so bad,it got so irritated that I started get boils that was when I had enough and took them out. On Wednesday I decided to do some box braids.

Crochet Braids

I decided to try Crochet braids for the first time.I must say that i love the way they look natural.

End of Challenge/15 months

My challenge has ended and it's now 15 months since I began my natural hair journey. I've come a long way. I've been braiding my hair for the past months and right now I'm doing some damage control. I think I've kept my braids in for too long and I didn't do enough deep treatments.S my hair is sort of breaking and I have some split ends.S for this month I'll be giving my hair a little more TLC.

 So this is where my hair is at now. I didn't achieve my goal,honestly I was sort of disappointed.I knew that it would have reached where I wanted it to but I was hoping that it would have at least touched my lip. Truth is for the past 3 months I didn't treat my hair to the best of my ability at all. My diet is horrible, I haven't exercise in a while and I am sort of stress out. So yeah,not good.

 Length Check:- (front)

                        March 03,2012 *4.5 inches*

                        June 03,2012 *5.5 inches*
  
So I gain/retain 1 inch over a 3 month period =(

Yaya DaCosta

Model and actress Yaya DaCosta at the premiere of the film "Whole Lotta Sole"

 

 

Box Braids

Hair Update

So, after 5 weeks the braids are finally out. I didn't want to because my hair had  a lot of growth the braids started to get heavy and began to pull my hair. Didn't want my hair to get damaged so I did what was best.

My hair is in twist,I've saturated them with some castor oil cause I'm gonna steam my hair overnight using the baggy method. I had started the process around 11 o'clock this morning but by 12 I started getting a headache cause my head was so hot. The sun today was really hot so I had to take the plastic off my head.

this is the amount of shredded hair after I finger detangling last night and combing them out this morning

I am surprised that after 5 weeks of not combing my hair I only shredded that amount of hair.

Hair Update

So it has been over 3 weeks since I've had my braids in. I must say that my hair is growing out nicely.I am truly in love with my hair. I don't know when I'm gonna take them out as yet cause I'm really loving and enjoying them.

Solange

Solange Knowles attends “The Man Repeller” event at the Stuart Weitzman boutique in New York City.

Esperanza Spalding's defined curls

Source:http://cdn.static.telepixtv.com/photos/essencegallery2/system/images/gallery/001/240/143/full/esperanza-spalding-sg.jpg

Naturali-Chik LookBook: Kimberly Elise

Here's a few pics of the Gorgeous Actress Ms Kimberly Elise.

 

Solange Knowles LONDON EVENING STANDARD COVER

Source: mydamnblog

Hair Update

Yesterday I decided to braid my hair in kinky twist again. After the last time I braided my hair in these braids was a failure and only lasted me 1 week, I was upset. But I wasn't gonna throw my money down the drain so easily because I'm not working. So I took those same braids and braided my hair but this time I plait right down going about an inch pass my actual hair length. It took me about 6 long hours to complete but it was worth it and they look okay. Right now I just have to wait an see how long I can keep them in for.  

 

Solange Photoshoot 4 TIME OUT - NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Source:mydamnblog.com

Stretch Out Hair

Yesterday I Co-washed and deep conditioned my hair so I decided to stretch my hair using the bonding method.

My Afro

My Afro puff

 As much as I like the way my hair looked I will never wear my hair out like this simple because my hair tangles very easily. And I do not want my hair to get tangles cause it causes the hair to break. So as soon as I was done taking these pics I put my hair into 12-flat twist.

 

Solange in Rwanda

Some amazing pics of Solange that she posted on her blog. 

 

How is the hair journey going? Remember, a journey has starts and stops.

Often, when we step onto our hair journeys, we want instantaneous and perfect results. I've washed and conditioned my hair, reached behind my back and wondered after one week, "How come it's not longer?" It probably sounds really silly to read it here. I am sure though, that you have done this in some shape or fashion during your own journey.

I wanted to take a break from the articles and just talk with you, encourage you and remind you that you can accomplish your hair goals. The one step you must take daily is to stay persistent and continue on your path.

If you are exhausted, leave your hair alone. The worst time to mess with your hair is when you don't have time to treat it carefully. Don't feel guilty if you miss your weekly wash day, or your treatment day. Sometimes other things in life are far more pressing and important.

Most days, I am on track. There are those days when I just can't get to my hair. Some times, my hair looks bad, too. Remember, that none of us are perfect and that we are all doing the best that we can do, on a daily basis. Some days, the best you can do will not be a representation of your best self. That's okay, though!

The world can be rough enough. There is no need for you to beat yourself up. If you are on track with your hair care routine, great! If not, just dust yourself off, get back up when you can and step back onto that path when the opportunity presents itself. It's your journey. Do it the way that works best for you.

Chicoro

www.BeautifyBitByBit.com

Hair Length Goal #2

To grow 2-inches of hair in the next 3 months(91 days).

START: MARCH 03, 2012

END: JUNE 02, 2012

Where I am:- 12 months/1 year

 Length: 

Top-4.5"(mid nose)

Sides-4"(jawbone)

Back-4"(shoulder)

Where I Wanna Be:- 15 months/1 year,3 months

Length:

Top-6.5"(mouth)

Sides-6"(neck)

Back-6"(collarbone)

1 Year Natural

It has been an amazing journey so far.I've learned a lot and I'm still learning. I am glad that I made the decision to wear my hair in its natural state again, and so far I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever.  

after my 2nd cut-3/3/11

1 year later-3/3/12

My hair length now is: 

Top - 4.5 inches(mid nose)

Sides - 4 inches(jawbone)

Back - 4 inches(shoulder)

then & now