Tag Archives: bunning challenge

Dec10

Bunning Challenge Week 4: Going Straight

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braidedpony

Hair

Okay … so, let me put this out there right out front. I cheated. I did NOT wear a bun 5-6 days last week. Yes, I know. Shame on me *sheepish grin*. But, in my defense, because my hair was straight, it didn’t get all matted at the neck and tangled like it does when it’s curly! And, despite the fact that it RAINED off and on ALL week, my straight hair held up amazingly well!! I also didn’t completely abandon the challenge ;).

So, let me figure this out. I pre-pooed and washed my hair on Sunday to set it into two braids. I wore a braided bun on Monday for work.

Monday
photo 3-5

On Monday night, I flat-ironed and placed my hair in a single mid-height bun for bedtime. This resulted in a “beach waves” look that I wore to work the next day.

Tuesday
beachwaves

On Tuesday night, I set my hair in two buns when I got home, a high one and a low one, to provide more waves. So, I wore my hair out again the next day.

Wednesday
beachwaves_day2 

On Wednesday and Thursday night, went back to the single bun after work. I didn’t take a decent pic of my hair Thursday. But Friday morning began with loose beach waves that I promptly placed into a twisted ponytail for the work day.

Friday
straighthair_fritwistedponycollage

I wore the same twisted ponytail to run errands on Saturday as it was still nasty and wet out. When we got home, I placed the pony into braid that I bunned and wore to bed. On Sunday, needed to head back out to for more errands and decided to re-set the braided ponytail and loop it into a bun. Good thing, because it was REALLY raining Sunday!! Ughhhh!!

Sunday
braidedponycollage

I really liked the braided looped pony, so very well may be wearing that today as I’m not washing my hair again until this weekend. Gotta get two weeks out of the straight hair at least ;).

So … you’re probably wondering what products I used on my hair while it was straight, right? Well, y’all know I have a ton of stuff sitting around. No? You didn’t know that? Well, let me show you.

PJStash1_Dec2012 This isn’t even all of it. Time for a meet-up and product swap! #dontjudgeme

Anywho, so because I have all of this, I’m not really consistent in what I use. The pic in the upper right hand corner is what sits on my sink though, so I tend to grab whatever’s handy and catches my eye from there. My hair started to feel rough on Tuesday night, so I grabbed one of my new faves:

SM_rawshea_reconstructive_elixir

OMGosh!!!  This Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Reconstructive Elixir is like liquid gold for my curly or straight hair!! Maybe it’s the argan oil?!?!

Ingredients: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea butter) oil*, Argan oil, Vegetable Squalene, carrot oil, macadamia nut oil, Isopropyl Myristate, avocado oil, castor oil, Sebacic acid, sea kelp extract, essential oil blend, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and Lonicera Japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) flower extract and Tocopherol (vitamin E). *Denotes certified organic ingredients.

I “discovered” 😉 this the Tuesday following Superstorm Sandy when I hung out at the house of friends who had power!! So, the female friend is natural and a PJ like me and we’re always talking hair and products. She was away, and while the cat’s away, the mouse will play!! When I went into the bathroom for a quick potty break, I saw it sitting on the shelf and remembered her telling me how good it is! Well, I spritzed a little of this on my hair and felt it soften immediately. But, that evening and the next day? It felt even better! So, I knew that I had to find some and picked it up a couple of weeks ago. Well, after I straightened my hair, I decided to use it again when my hair felt hard. Then I read on the bottle, “Recommended for use following heat styling to seal cuticle.” Shoot! Wish I read that Monday night! So, I applied it to my hair before bunning on Tuesday night and woke up to soft, lustrous hair on Wednesday. Yes!! It was as good as I remembered!! (Note: As it could be easy to over-apply, I spritz it into my palm and then smooth it down my hair.)

The other two things that I used pretty consistently were Carol’s Daughter Healthy Hair Butter (CD HHB) and Sof n’Free Nothing But Mold and Hold Wax to moisturize, smooth and hold my edges. Although the CD HHB has water as the first ingredient, when I apply it and tie down my edges, it doesn’t make my hair revert. I don’t know if that will be the case for everyone. But, I’ve used this on my straight hair for years and it’s always worked for me. I started using the Mold and Hold Wax on my edges earlier this year and it also works very well for me. It’s very thick and heavy, but not wet, so a little goes a long way. It also doesn’t flake on me or leave my hair hard, caky or sticky if I apply with a light-hand. Since it has dimethicone, it does require a shampoo to remove. But, a sulfate-free shampoo with coco betaine, like DevaCare No Poo, will suffice.

So, that’s about it on the hair front! It’s enough, right???

Operation “Get Right”

In health and fitness news, I’ve lost about 3.5 pounds in 2 weeks. I slacked and only did C25K two days last week, Wednesday and Saturday. On Saturday, I did do Lauren Brook’s 12 minute Full Body Blast Kettlebell workout before hopping on the treadmill. On both days, I placed my straightened hair in a bun and wore a Dri-Sweat Fit Cap.

drifitcap

The wide band worked well to absorb the sweat on my face and keep it from reaching my hairline while the mesh cap allowed my head/scalp to breathe, so that it wasn’t sweaty! I was very pleased that I was able to preserve my straight hair without the need to apply heat again. With the dri-sweat fit cap and my terry-lined shower cap keeping my hair dry, all I had to do was just apply a little product at night and tie my hair down with a satin scarf for bedtime and repeat in the morning and I was good to go.

Although I didn’t exercise as many days as I should have last week, I ate well all work week and made certain that I took my supplements every day. I had more starchy carbs over the weekend than I should have, but they were healthy ones and not really junk, so I didn’t feel too bad about it. I even had Chinese on Saturday night and Sunday for lunch. But, I “healthed” it up by having steamed broccoli and shrimp on brown rice with a drizzle of 1 packet of soy sauce and 2 packets of duck.

broccoliandrice#nomnom

On Saturday, I picked up some healthy snacks at my local health market. Got these Back to Nature Sweet Potato and Cinnamon crackers that are only 130 calories, 3.5 grams of fat (0 sat.), and 2 grams of fiber for 20 crackers (mmm mmm good!)!! I also picked up some Blue Diamond Wheat & Gluten free Nut-Thins with Flax Seeds with the same amount of calories, fat and fiber for 13 crackers. I LOVE getting a satisfying amount of food for a small amount of calories!!!

In regard to the upcoming week, I need to get back on track with C25K. I have to do day 3 of week 2 and all 3 days of week 3 this week. No biggie except that I have two long days in Trenton. That’s the same thing that happened last week and a 2 hour commute each way always drains me of the energy to workout when I get home. But, I need to push through it as 30 minutes isn’t going to kill me. In fact, what I need to do is get on the treadmill instead of the computer in the morning and #JustDoIt!! I also have a holiday lunch on Friday, so I’m going to try to be strong and order a healthy salad (dressing on the side) and/or a lean cut of meat with veggies!

Alright, this post has been SUPER LONG!! Guess that’s what happens when I’m recapping a whole week … and that’s not even all of it ;)! I’m saving something for another post later today!!

Lata Luvs!!
♥♥♥

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So, let’s try this again! What’s up ladies?!? How’s the bunning challenge going for you guys??
What about Christmas shopping? Started? Finished? I haven’t done ANY! I am not a fan. *lol*

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Nov17

Bun Porn

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I posted this on my FB Page a long time ago. It came to mind because of the Bunning Challenge.

O_O Bun porn. Ain’t no other way to put it.

Nov16

Bunning Challenge: Week One Buns

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Hey guys. So, you see that I’m still off of a normal posting schedule. Though we are back in the house, I’m still off my game. This weekend, going to try to get the house back in order, hit the grocery store and work up a lot of overdue posts for next week. Until then, this is just a quick post to tell you what I’ve done with my hair for the first week of the Hairscapades Bunning Challenge!

I de-shedded and pre-pooed (Aubrey GPB + HSR + Vatika Oil) on Sunday after we got home (. Despite being overdue for a wash by a week, my hair felt pretty good. It didn’t smell the best … lol … but it felt and looked soft and decently moisturized! That definitely reinforced the benefits of bunning for me and encouraged me with this challenge.

I usually like to keep my pre-poo in overnight, but overnight turned into me rocking a pre-poo bun through Wednesday night.

 

Left: Mon & Tues bunned twists. Cute? Not really. Functional? Yup!; Right: Wed mid-height bun.

Finally, on Wednesday night, I sucked it up and washed my hair. But, I phoned it in. *lol* What I mean, is that I didn’t go full throttle. I washed my hair loose and I didn’t deep condition. I figured, with a three day pre-poo, my hair was moisturized enough. And, you know what? It went fine. Here’s a quick run down.

Wash Day

  • Shampooed with diluted *Bye Bye Parabens Rosemary Mint shampoo.
  • Conditioned and detangled with *Bye Bye Parabens Rosemary Mint conditioner.
  • Blotted hair with Curl Cloth to sop up the drippies.
  • Applied Mizani True Textures Curls Soft Leave-in to hair in four sections.
  • Set hair in 6 braids using Mizani True Textures Curl Set Jelly.
  • Sealed ends with Wonder Curl Polishing Pomade.

*Note: Bye Bye Parabens contains non-water soluble silicones. 

The next morning, my hair wasn’t completely dry, so I sat under my hard bonnet dryer for about 20-30 minutes. It still wasn’t fully dry, but I released it anyway with a little more Wonder Curl Polishing Pomade. Then, I tried something new! Over the weekend, I came across a post on The Mane Objective (who’s participating in the bunning challenge! Yea!!) about her DIY fluffy styling cream inspired by Naptural85. Well, I didn’t go so far as to make it. Noooo. LOL! But, I have this Pooka Pure & Simple Cocoa Baby Whipped Cream body cream that has similar ingredients (shea butter, cocoa butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oils and Vitamin E). So, I figured, “What the heck?” I love re-purposing stuff, so I applied the body cream to my edges and tied them down with a satin scarf for the ride to work. I also loosely twisted and clipped up the length of my hair to allow it to dry more and reduce frizzing.

Once I got to work, I released my hair for a nicely defined braid-out … that I bunned shortly thereafter.


I actually think I look nicer with my bun! #WINNING

So, I think I’ll wear my hair down this weekend … maybe … then, I’ll I’ll skip washing my hair this weekend and will bun it through next week as well.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

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So, to my Bunning Challenge ladies, how is your first week going? To all my other ladies, what’s up with you? How did you rock your hair this week? Are you rocking a new winter style or do you see one in your future?

Nov12

Sock Bun Tutorials

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Thought I’d kick off the first Monday of the Hairscapades Bunning Challenge with a sock bun tutorial from an awesome YouTuber, Laila-Jean aka Fusion of Cultures!

Hair not long enough to cover a sock bun? Check out this video to learn how to make your own with the synthetic braiding hair of your choice! Then, just pop it on and secure with bobby pins!

Just need a “plain” sock bun? You can find synthetic bun forms at Sally Beauty Supply or take the DIY route and make your own like I did using the following tutorial!

via Curlista

Finally, have longer hair? Then check out this technique for using a sock bun when your strands are too long to tuck under the sock bun or too fine to cover it in one pass!

via WendysLookbook

See, there’s a sock bun for everyone :)!!

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Do you rock a sock ;)? If so, any tips or tricks to help us get the most out of the look?

Nov11

Home Sweet Home!!

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Finally home in a warm house, with hot water, cable and internet after 13 days with no power!!! 13 DAYS!!!! That was out of control. But, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to my friends Anthony (Sci-5 FOREVER!!) and Jackie who took us in for the week, kept us warm, gave us internet and cable and fed me too much ;).! They were sooooo AWESOME!!

Anywho, now that we are back in the house, I was finally able to pre-poo this 2 week old hair so that I can wash it and officially begin the #hairscapadesbunchallenge!! Knowing myself well enough though, I’ll probably be rocking a pre-poo bun tomorrow ;D!!

 

Nov9

Hairscapades Bunning Challenge

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Told you that it was coming soon ;)! LOL! Before Hurricane Sandy interfered with my best-laid plans :P, I wanted to debut a bunning challenge on Hairscapades for the month of November! As many of you know, I wore my hair out a LOT this summer after a layered haircut in June. And though I still saw some great length retention at my front, sides and crown, the longest section in the back remained pretty stagnant.


Right: 6/15/12 ; Left: 10/20/12

So, I decided that I wanted to go into protective styling mode and a bun challenge might be a great way to get started and stay motivated. But, Frankenstorm interfered with my announcement posts plans. However, at the same time, it jump-started my personal challenge as I couldn’t wash my hair on my normal weekly schedule because I haven’t had power or hot water for 11 days. So, I got to bunning last Saturday … without you guys *sheepish grin*.

But, earlier today, I shared my Best Bun Practices as a lead-in for the challenge announcement! You can follow my regimen there or create your own. The key is to make certain that you build a regimen that is gentle, doesn’t put unnecessary stress or excess tension on your edges and strands, tucks your ends, and reduces environmental and mechanical damage.

Bunning Challenge Guidelines

  • This challenge will run for two full months from Sunday, November 11, 2012 to Saturday, January 12, 2013.
  • The only rule is that you must wear your hair in a bun style for a minimum of 5 days a week for the course of the challenge.
  • I will host “virtual” check-ins at the beginning of each week with short posts that I’ll gear towards answering questions I receive from you guys about techniques, products, challenges, setbacks, concerns, etc.
  • I have created a “Hairscapades Bunning Challenge 2012″ FB album, so that everyone can share pics of their buns! To submit a pic, e-mail me at hairscapades@gmail.com. I’ll update the album as I receive pics or weekly. You can also share your pics on Instagram! Just use hashtag #hairscapadesbunchallenge and tag me at @hairscapades please!

So, want in?

To participate: List your name, starting length and your 2 month goal in the comments below. In addition, please indicate how many days a week you plan to bun and the core steps of your regimen (listing products is optional). And, if you just want to go hog monkey wild, send me a starting pic for the Bunning Challenge FB album too ;)!

And now, I’ll “officially” kick this thing off!!

_______

Name: Shelli aka Hairscapades aka Skills

Starting length: Armpit to waist length

Goal: Grow and retain an additional inch of hair all around.

Weekly Regimen: Pre-poo, wash, condition, deep condition (alternate moisturizing and protein, as needed) and stretch hair with a braid-out, twist out or some other method. Bun 5-6 days a week and wear my hair down 1-2 days a week.

________

Ready? Let’s go!! 😉

Nov9

Best Bun Practices for Length Retention

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With the cold weather breathing down my neck and the drying air that accompanies the cool temps, as well as the return of friction-causing, lint-spreading, tangle-inducing sweaters, coats, scarves and hats, it seemed like a good time to bring back protective styling in force!!! So, I’ve decided to embark on my own personal bunning challenge for the next month or two. However, as many of you know, constant bunning can cause more harm than good if done haphazardly or without good techniques. It can be murder on your edges and crown and result in some nasty detangling sessions if done improperly. So, if healthy length retention is your goal, it’s important to establish a strong regimen.

That being said, I decided to put together a list of bunning steps and techniques that I’ve found give me the biggest bang for my buck! Hope that you find them helpful!

BUILDING A BUNNING REGIMEN

  • Start with clean and well-conditioned hair. A dirty scalp can clog pores and cause “the itchies.” Dirty hair can collect lint and dirt that cause knots and tangles, resulting in breakage. Dry and/or weak hair is more susceptible to damage and breakage. So, wash, condition/detangle and deep condition (moisturizing or protein, as needed) weekly or every two weeks. (Note: You can find my wash day regimen here.)
  • Apply a leave-in conditioner and/or moisturizer.
  • If desired, massage scalp with a stimulating oil such as Wild Growth Hair Oil, Jamaican Black Castor Oil or an essential oil mix like the one I shared here.
  • Seal hair using an oil, butter or follow the L.O.C. Method.
  • Stretch curls, kinks and coils with twists, braids, Bantu knots or lightly blow-out to reduce tangles and single-strand knots. Stretching also makes it easier to thoroughly re-moisturize hair, when needed.
  • Bun hair after it dries fully. Bunning wet can cause mildew and/or result in over-conditioned/weak hair if the hair can’t dry.
  • Wear buns in different styles and positions. This reduces repeated tension on the same areas and alleviates boredom! Don’t forget, you can wear your bun high, low, to the side, to the other side, make multi-buns, roll, tuck, braid, twist, pin-curl and/or add extra hair too!! Check out YouTube, other hair blogs and my Style Library for oodles of ideas!

 

  • Don’t pull hair too tightly!! Your edges and nape will thank you! Plus, a loose, messy bun can be fun, relaxed, sophisticated and sexy ;)!
  • Use hair-friendly tools to secure your buns. There are a lots of options available and you don’t have to choose just one! Hair bungees, ouchless/metal-free hair elastics, satin scrunchies, silicone ponytail holders, banana clips and/or comfort flex barrettes are all great tools. You can also go the homemade route! Try cutting the leg of a pair of opaque tights into a 1-2 inch loop to make a DIY ponytail holder!
  • Be careful with bobby and hair pins! Don’t stab your scalp and use as few pins as needed to secure your style. Your scalp/head shouldn’t be sore or hurt while or wearing a bun or after releasing it. If it is, those are signs that the scalp is being traumatized and/or the style is too tight. Also, use good quality, undamaged pins to prevent snagging and tearing (check out this post for the Best Bobby Pins! They are totally worth the investment IMHO).
  • If you are using a gel for hold, ensure that it is free of drying alcohols. Not sure which alcohols are drying?  Check out Skills Notes: Product Ingredients!
  • Smooth the surface of hair leading to the bun(s) lightly with a firm, natural bristle brush or a fine-tooth comb laid flat on its side. Yes!! I said a fine-tooth comb!! I just learned about this from watching this video by my girl MyHairFetish, where she demonstrates how this enemy of natural-haired women everywhere is converted from foe to friend!!

(I’ve only tried this a couple of times, but I’ll be forsaking my Phillips teasing brush for a fine-toothed comb for the immediate future.)

  • Don’t brush/comb through to your scalp/roots. Simply smooth the top surface of the hair and tie edges down with a silk or satin scarf for 10-15 minutes to set.
  • Release bun and re-moisturize and seal as needed between wash sessions. For some, this may be every day, for others it may be a few times a week and for others still, it may not be at all between wash sessions. This is entirely dependent upon your hair’s needs. The important thing is to make certain that your hair doesn’t become dry and brittle.
  • Wear a silk/satin scarf or bonnet at night and/or sleep on a silk/satin pillowcase.
  • Wear hair bunned for a minimum of 5-6 days a week.

BONUS BUNNING TIPS

And here are a few extra tips to make a bunning regimen work for you!

  • Think you hair is too short to bun? Maybe not! If you can make a ponytail, you can probably bun. Try stretching, using a sock bun and/or adding extension hair for length and fullness!!
 Check out the many wonderful YouTube mavens for ways to make buns work for short to medium-length hair.
  • Feeling bored and ho-hom? Dont forget to accessorize! Dress up buns with cute accessories like bows, headbands, flowers (my fave!), broaches, hair sticks, hair forks, snoods, etc. Just make certain that your accessories are gentle and don’t snag or dry hair.
  • Brrrrrr!!! Cold ears a concern? Don’t forget your earmuffs or opt for more stylish and trendy winter headbands! To keep knits, cotton, wool and fleece from robbing your hair of healthy moisture, tie a small silk or satin scarf under the headband or sew a piece of silk or satin fabric to the inside to make your own custom lining. Choose a pretty printed fabric to up the cuteness factor! Or, you can just buy pre-made satin-lined headbands like these flowered and sequined ones sold on Hatsome.com!
  • Ends looking and feeling jacked? Get a trim or do it yourself because, who wants to retain ratchet looking length?!

Sooooo … that’s all I got. Now, about my personal bunning challenge. It actually may not remain that way! If you’re interested in joining me, stay tuned for the “official” buning challenge announcement, which is coming very soon!

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Do you bun for length retention? What techniques work for you? What Best Bun Practices would you add to the list?