One Month Natural

I've been natural for a little over a month now. I have to say I LOVE it! I've only had one near breakdown and that's regarding moisture balance. But I think I'm on the other side of that. Here are comparison shots...

Big Chop June 26, 2009 One Month Natural

Along the way, I've learned a few things...

• My hair doesn't like Raw Shea Butter (unless it's melted and mixed in with something else)
• EVOO is still the best overal moisturizer for my hair (and it has multiple uses)
• I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the smell of freshly washed hair
• Men LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the smell of freshly washed hair LOL
• I won't straighten my hair nearly as often as I thought I might. I adore my texture
• People at work were a lot more complimentary (at least to my face) than I thought
• I don't have to justify my hair to others (not like I was going to anyway)
• Every texture of hair has it's advantages and disadvantages
• I shouldn't have cut dow the back when I first BC'd as much as I did...
• I have to be much more intentional about moisturizing than I did when I was relaxed
• I love my coils, I love the softness, I just LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!
  

My Hair Journey 7/28/09

Check out my hair journey for the past two years...I admit I am a bit nostalgic about my relaxed hair, but do not regret my BC!

My current DC mix

Here's what I mix together to deep condition...

• Nexxus Humectress


• Giovanni 50:50


• Olive Oil

It is applied with a color applicator brush

Apply a plastic cap and sit under dryer or electric heating cap

I sit under heating cap for 45 minutes to an hour. I usually DC on dry hair, so I co-wash after. If I clarify, then I DC on wet hair after clarifying.

In the next day or so I'll post a Curly Girl tutorial...

Happy Hair Growth!

Love it or Hate it?

When I first made the decision to go natural, I was a little leery because I didn't know what my natural texture would look like. I was also leery because I didn't know if I had the face or the style to carry it off. Let's face it, not every style is for everyone.

Which brings me to this little gem that I found on Bossip.com. This is the Solange (Bey's li'l sis) that we remember...

Solange apparently has taken a sharp right turn into the world of Naturality and rock her own hair...

Um....don't really care for it on her (maybe it's the shades) but I'm glad to see she's not ashamed to rock her natural do...

I don't love it, but I don't hate it either...what about you?

The Curly Girl (CG) Method Works for Me!!!!

I posted last week about hair feeling dry and got some great feed back. But I still wasn't really satisfied with the curliness (or lack thereof) of my hair if I didn't twist it. I wanted something that if pressed for time I could wash and go and still look good. So I started researching the Curly Girl CG method and decided to try it. Here's what I did...

• DC'd on dry hair with EVOO and Giovanni SAS for 1 hour under electric heating cap
• Co-washed with Giovanni SAS and Nature's Gate Jojoba Condish
• On the first co-wash I put Nature's Gate in a color applicator bottle (pointy tip) to apply directly to scalp to cleanse
• 2nd co-wash I use Giovanni SAS and apply to hair
• Rinse with cold water
• Lightly pat hair with T-shirt (towel can cause frizz)
• Apply Giovanni Direct Leave In
• Cover with plastic cap for 10 minutes
• Apply Black Earth Crinkles & Curls Foam
• Apply Coconut Oil
• Apply Raw Shea Butter
• Cover with plastic cap for one hour (allow moisture to set)--OPTIONAL depending on my time
• Uncover
• Define curls and pre-style (finger coils and smoothing edges--SEE PICS)
• Air Dry (for me I co-wash at night and dry overnight)
• Finish styling (for me that is defining curls and pulling pieces, moisturize and seal with oil)

Here are wet pics after I've defined and pics of what it looked like this morning.

Styled....

I like unkept, wild, messy hair...so I really like this. It's an easy do and I can spritz it with moisturizer during the day and it not come undone. Takes about 10 minutes to get the pieces like I want, but I'm set for the day. My hair is soft, fluffy and has some sheen to it without it being jheri-curl looking. LOL

This will probably be my go-to do til the back grows enough for my next style (shhhhhh)...LOL

The Big Reveal...The Natural Me!!!!!

I had planned to transition for a long time...at least a year and mini-chop along the way. Well plans changed and I changed my mind. Making my hair decisions seem snap to other people, but they are pretty methodical for me. I've been researching natural hair for a while (about a year)and examining my own texture and stalking (I mean looking) at other people's fotki's and reading about their experiences.

Now mind you, I haven't seen my natural texture EVER in life. I got a relaxer when I was 5 years old. So relaxed hair is all I've every known. So while I was confident that this was what I wanted to do, I was still a bit hesitant about what my natural hair would look like.

One Friday I decided on a "whim" I wanted to BC. I hadn't rollerset my hair the night before and it was literally standing on top of my head...

I flat ironed and did the ol skool patting it down as best I could. I talked to my mom's friend (hairstylist) and asked her to cut my relaxed ends off. She's always rocked short hair, brush cuts, etc. so she wasn't at all shocked about what I wanted to do.

Soooooooooo on June 26, 2009 I BC'd and here are the results...

Luckily it didn't feel like steel wool...the "good" genes of my parents came out...LOL

I love it and I'm getting lots of compliments. I wore short hair in my 20s so it isn't too drastic for me.

Stay tuned as I chronicle my natural hair journey...

You Are My Sunshine....

I love First Lady Obama in yellow....

I think I will do an Ode to First Lady this weekend by allow my light to shine...stay tuned!