Tag Archives: down and out hairstyles

Aug21

Aloe Vera Gel Braid-Out

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Okay y’all. I didn’t expect to be doing a hair post this week. But, I got such awesome braid-out results from my wash day this weekend, I just had to share!!! This may be my new regimen if it consistently delivers the super soft, light, defined, and shiny results that I got this time!!

But first, let’s talk about the state of my hair going into this. Dry. Crunchy. Undefined. Bushy (the bad kind, not the good kind). So, I knew I needed to do some rehab first. Therefore, I pre-pooed with an old fave combo that I seemed to have forgotten to use for a while (O_o) … Vatika Oil and Aubrey conditioner!! This time, I used Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose (HSR) conditioner as I was in need of some serious moisture versus the protein shot that Aubrey GPB would deliver. I usually mix the oil and conditioner together prior to applying. But, the HSR was an afterthought, so I ended up layering it over the Vatika Oil (I lightly finger detangled and then twisted my hair into 4 sections) and then applied my JBCO/EVOO/EO mix to my scalp.

prepoo_813Looked and felt better IMMEDIATELY.

I donned a plastic cap and my thermal heat turban for about an hour. Then, I left the plastic cap on and did some chores before hitting the shower about 3 hours or so later, I guess.

Now onto the dirt!!

WASHING and CONDITIONING

  • Shampooed with DevaCare No Poo. Rinsed.
  • Applied Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe Restorative Treatment (Gifted and then purchased. Review coming soon. Preview? LOVE at first sight!!). I smoothed it down length of hair and left it on for about 5-10 minutes. Rinsed.
  • Applied Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (HE HH) to finish detangling, first with fingers, then with the Ouidad Double Detangler. Rinsed.
  • Applied Sally’s GVP Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm (I forgot how good this stuff is to my hair!!).
  • Donned plastic cap and thermal heat turban for about 30 minutes.
  • Cooled (10-15 min) and sealed with diluted HE HH.

Next up, styling.  So, I was perusing YouTube videos over the weekend and came across this one about an amazing, soft hold braid-out with aloe vera gel.

via VeggieCurlDeelite

This is the thing, waaaay back in the day, I used this gel for WnGs with ho-hum results. It didn’t provide much hold or definition as far as I can recall. But, I have a huge bottle of it under my sink, because I usually mix it with my face lotion in the summer to reduce the oil slick down the middle of my face. So, I decided to break it out and give VeggieCurlDeelite’s (VCD)  braid-out a go with some of my old … and new … faves!!

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STYLING

  • Sectioned hair into four and worked section by section.
  • Applied about a marble-sized amount of Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in Conditioner, smoothing and finger combing it through the length of hair.
  • Smoothed about a marble-sized amount of Curl Prep Sweet Buttah (gifted) down section of hair.
  • Smoothed and finger-combed a marble-sized amount (or maybe even a little more) Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel down the section, ensuring hair coated (the gel seemed to add slip and aid detangling too!).
  • Placed front two sections of hair in 2 braids on each side and back section in 3 braids on each side for a total of 10 braids.
  • Lightly applied a little virgin coconut oil (VCO) to ends (last 3-4 inches) and rolled on small grey perm rods covered in end paper (I set my ends not only to curl them, but to keep them smooth, discourage knots, and to “lock in” the moisture).

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I tied my head down with a hair net to allow air flow, then hit the sack on an EboniCurls satin pillowcase. But, with only 5 hours and an a.m. workout, my hair did not dry in time for work on Monday morning. So, I just removed the rollers, pulled the braids into a low ponytail, and  threw on a headband to get out the door. I didn’t release my hair from the braids until Tuesday morning. But it was worth the wait!!

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Y’all … VCD was NOT kidding!!!! My hair was sooooo soft and silky!! I was suffering from some serious Hands-in-Hair (HIH) Syndrome!! I told at least three friends touch it, so that they could marvel over how soft it was ;)!! LOL!!! So yeah, this AVG combo looks like a keeper (I think that the DC might have had something to do with it too). Now, how it’ll hold up overnight and after daily, sweaty a.m. workouts? That remains to be seen. But, you know, I’m not expecting miracles. I may be in bun by the end of day 2. But, as long as it is still soft and moisturized, that’s okay with me!!

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Have/do you use Aloe Vera Gel to style your hair? If so, what brand do you use, how do you use it (with what other products) and how does it work for you (hold, definition, feel, appearance)?

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Jun15

Curlformers Convert!!

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Okay, so I’m gonna try to keep this quick and too the point …  you know that’s a feat for me … which is why I don’t really Tweet/Twitter!! But, I gotta get ready to head out for Man of Steel and don’t have time to go into deep detail. So, here goes.

This past Saturday, I hennaed my hair, applied mix of Sally’s GVP The Detangler, aloe vera juice and JBCO/EVOO mix to my hair. Then, I twisted it … but first I attempted to set a section of hair with a Curlformer … and I very easily did it for the first time!!!! (I guess all those YouTube tutorials finally sunk in!).

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I wore my twists down on Sunday and in an updo for work from Monday-Thursday. I have an event this weekend and decided I was going to finally give it the old college try and attempt a Curlformer set. I watched Naptural85’s Updated Curlformers Technique tutorial and MahoganyCurls Curlformers on Natural Hair: My First Impression again. Then, after work, I got to it.

My hair was still moisturized from being in a twisted updo all week, so I didn’t feel a need to re-moisturize. It was also almost perfectly sectioned and essentially detangled due to those same twists. So, the products and tools I used were very minimal.

Products
Water in a small spray bottle
ORS Lock and Twist Gel (I♥ this gel and originally purchased it b/c of the GORGEOUS flexirod set KaiRox’s achieved with it.)

Tools
Curlformers (Extra Long & Wide 40 pack [20 clockwise & 20 counter-clockwise] for hair up to 22″ long)
Hair clips
My 10 Fingers

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Process

  • First I secured all but the bottom left twists of my dry hair up with hair clips.
  • Working from the back left (nape), I separated each twist and grabbed about 1-2″ sections (usually 2-3 per twist).
  • Once I had the section I wanted to set, I would prep a pink Curlformer on the wand.
  • Then, I spritzed the section of hair with water until it was slightly damp (not soaking wet) and smoothed a nice size dollop of ORS lock and twist gel down the length making certain the hair was detangled.
  • Next, I twisted the roots of the section to make it small enough to get the hook of the wand around all of the hair.
  • Finally, I hooked the wand over the root (not too close to the scalp), pushed the curler up over the top of the wand, and pulled my hair through the curler.(If the curler twisted wrongly, I fixed it to form the correct shape.)
  • I repeated this process on the left side and then completed the right side using the orange curlers.
  • The entire process took me about 1 hour 30 minutes, which wasn’t too bad given it was my first time.
  • I can’t remember how many Curlformers I used now!! But, I think it was about 38 … and, get this … there were at least an extra 6 pink curlers in my kit!!! #WINNING

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Things I Learned

  • My hair is longer than 22″ in some sections?!?! Go figure. So, I had to pull a lot of the Curlformers down about an inch to make certain my ends were fully enclosed in the curlers.
  • I could have twisted the roots first so that the section out of the curler still had a wave to it (but, even though I didn’t do that, my roots were very smooth).
  • They make “Spiral Curls” Curlformers for super long hair up to 29″ now!! But those jokers are $73.95!! I’ll stick with pulling mine down from the root since that worked perfectly fine!! LOL!!

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The setting went very easily. I only had to start over on two sections because the hair wouldn’t slide through smoothly. I decided to set my hair only slightly damp with the hopes that it would dry overnight. So, speaking of overnight, let’s talk about sleeping in these. I followed Naptural85s suggestion and secured the front sections with hair elastic. Then, I split them down the back and laid on my back to sleep. Yeah … I’m a side, fetal position sleeper and didn’t get much sleep that way. So, finally, in the early hours, I flipped on my side, threw the curlers over the edge of the pillow and balled the corner of the pillow up under my chin to elevate my head a little. That worked a lot better for me.

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The Take Down

 The next morning (about 8 1/2 hours later), I removed the curlers and set my curls in buns for my morning workout following Naptural85’s technique for stretched curls.

  • Working from the front left first (pink curlers), I held the end of the curler near my roots and stretched the curler straight (this can be a little tricky as the Curlformers are firm and have a lot of “recoil” action, which help smooth the hair and retain their shape after repeated uses, I think).
  • Then, I squeezed each end of the curler to make it open and pulled the curler down the strand, keeping a grasp on both ends.
  • I “corrected” any curls that twisted/flipped by twirling/flipping them in the proper direction with my finger.
  • Next, I applied a little Shea Decadence Sweet Marmalade Pomade to my ends to seal the hair and add shine. (Yo. I’ve been using several items from Shea Decadence for about a month now. LOVE them and have to get you guys a full review soon as it is soooo overdue!!)
  • Repeated on next section. (I had one section that didn’t fully dry, so I just pin curled it and left it that way until I released all of my hair.)
  • Once I had two sections free, I combined the curls. (I did not clip the ends as my curls stayed together without one and I didn’t want my curls to stretch too much.)
  • I repeated until the left side was one big “twist” and then did the same on the right side.
  • Once both sides were done, I loosely wrapped and bunned them at the back of my head using hair pins.
  • Then, I tied my hair up in a satin scarf and donned a sweatband for day 117 of my #365daysoffitness (30 min. progressive incline walking on the treadmill … decided to not run to try to reduce the amount I sweat … yeah … I still sweat a lot. But, health over hair.)

So, yeah, I removed the sweatband, but left the scarf on my hair (and actually added a second thinner one around my edges to absorb more sweat) until I got to work. When I uncovered my hair, the scarf and my hair were still damp :(. But, I released my buns anyway and gently separated the curls. I left the roots alone to try to allow them to air dry.

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And, by the early afternoon, after it had long since dried, I played around with the part to get it more to my liking (meaning, I needed to create more volume at the front!).

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Final Thoughts:

So, what do I think of Curlformers? I LOVE them! They weren’t whistling dixie when they said these get the hair soooo smooth like a curling iron! I was also soooo impressed that even though I had to leave the first inch of my hair out, my roots still looked smooth and silky (until I worked out ;))!!! Though the curls looks similar to my perm rod sets, I think my hair is a lot smoother and more stretched. The application process went very smoothly for me, which was my biggest concern and why I didn’t try these things for 2 years!! The removal was also pretty easy, though I didn’t do it quickly to make certain I didn’t snag or ruin a curl. My hair didn’t get snagged or pulled out in the curlers during the application or removal process (I only removed shed hairs that I saw … no broken hairs from the curlers).

Now, the cost of Curlformers may be prohibitive for some at $50-$75 for most complete kits. But, if you can swing them, I would definitely recommend!!! Sally’s carries them on the ground, and you might be able to catch them on sale and use the 15% discount if you are a rewards member. Oh, and if your goal is to grow your hair long, I’d suggest getting the longest ones you can afford so that you don’t outgrow a shorter set and have to spend more money for longer kit. In the alternative, if you just can’t see yourself spending that much on “rollers,” I know that there is a knock-off brand called Magic Levarag. It’s sold on eBay and Amazon for at least half the price. However, that brand doesn’t have the length options that Curlformers have and I’ve read mixed reviews, so I’m not co-signing on it at all and would suggest that you do your research first.

Alright … it’s obvious I don’t know how to write a short post! I started this yesterday an hour before heading to the movies (BTW, I HATED Man of Steel) and had to finish it this morning!! Oh well … at least I’m thorough … right (humor me please ;))?!?!

To wrap this up … Curlformers get four hearts out of five (I took one off for the high price tag ;)).

♥♥♥♥

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Have you used Curlformers? What do you think of them?

Jan7

Bunning Challenge Week 8: From Funky Fro’ to Boring Buns

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So, this is just a quick update to show you guys how the curly ‘fro fared on days 2 and 3 with pineappling at night. Overall, the pineapple worked well on Monday night. My curls held up except for a few that loosened on one side (the side that I sleep on, of course ;)). So, I did a little repair work using Deva Care Set It Free and the grey flexi-rods!

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Twenty minutes later …

curlyfroday2_2

So, day two hair. Not bad. Not bad at all. Day three, things got a little more wonky …

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It actually didn’t look too bad, but it was definitely getting frizzier and some curls were drooping too much. Thank goodness for the Hairscapades Bunning Challenge. As I’d worn my hair down two days, it was time to put that bad boy up! So, quick, easy, high bun it was!

curlyfroday3_bun

I did another simple and quick bun on Thursday (low this time), but didn’t get a pic … I mean, it’s all pretty much the same now. I did manage to take a pic of the quick bun I did with ONE Goody Ouchless elastic on Friday. This was after a loooooooong day at work.

photo 3Do you see the red eyes? I was DONE!

So yeah, that’s how the Curly ‘Fro turned into a bun over the course of a week. And, I know what you’re thinking, “How hard was it to detangle that on wash day?!?” Well, we’ll talk about that later.

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So ladies, the Hairscapades Bunning Challenge was supposed to end this Saturday, 1/12/13. However, I’m planning on extending it another 2 months because I didn’t achieve my goal to gain another inch all around … because I got my hair cut in December!! LOL!!! But, it’s in better condition now and I’m seeing a lot less shedding and breakage, so it’s all good!!

That being said, who’s with me?!?! Want to take this bunning thing to March 9th?!?!

Jan1

My Curly ‘Fro

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PIC HEAVY POST AHEAD!curlyfro1

As you know, this weekend, I decided to try the “Curly ‘Fro” set that I previously shared here. As you also know, I thought that I had finally figured out how to flat-twist properly and screamed it to the heavens here. Yeah … not so much. LOL! But, despite the difficulties that I experienced with the take down of this style, I really do like the results and plan to do the style again, just with regular twists until I can improve my flat-twisting technique.

For those of you who can flat twist well though, like the look of this style and are interested in trying it, here is what I did!

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Wash Day Process (Sunday)

  • Pre-pooed with Vatika Oil (with a little Wild Growth Hair Oil applied to my scalp) for an hour with thermal heat turban (I usually mix Aubrey GPB and/or Honeysuckle Rose conditioner with the Vatika Oil for pre-pooing. But, I forgot!)
  • Shampooed with Cream & Coco Pumpkin Pie Shampoo Bar.
  • Detangled with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner in four sections under shower stream.
  • Deep conditioned with Darcy’s Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Conditioner for an hour with thermal heat turban.
  • Cooled and sealed DC with diluted Aubrey Green Tea Cream Rinse.

flattwist3

Curly ‘Fro Set Process

  • Applied leave-in conditioner (2 tbsp Kinky Curly Knot Today + 2 tbsp Aloe Vera Juice + 1 tsp jojoba oil)
  • Applied coconut oil whip to seal. YES! My body oil whip is serving dual purposes ;).
  • Working from the front, “pie-parted” the front middle section of my hair (as seen above) and flat-twisted the roots. Then, two-strand twisted the length and set it on a small grey perm rod covered with end paper. Don’t underestimate the importance of end paper. (Hair can snag around these types of perm rods if you don’t use it. I know I don’t use it properly. I think you’re supposed to fold it over your ends, then roll your end over the rod. But, I just wrap the paper around the perm rod, then wrap my hair around the roller. Seems to work just fine for me!).
  • Repeated process until my entire head was set, sometimes applying a little more coconut oil whip to hair as I twisted the ends. I used a total of 23 rods.
  • Due to the length of my hair, I had to really overlap the twists a lot in order to roll the rod to the roots. So, I knew that it wasn’t going to dry overnight. Therefore, I tied on a hair net sat under my hard bonnet salon dryer for 1 1/2 hours.

curlyfrodryerJust ignore him ;).

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The Morning After: The Take Down

Now this is where it starts to gets sketchy. LOL.

  • Removed all of the rods (and my hair was dry! YEA!! Well, the twist at the right temple felt a little damp … I think it might have happened in the shower.).

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  • Emulsified coconut oil whip in my hands and carefully released twists … until I got to the flat-twisted sections. Then … all hell broke loose!! Because I didn’t flat-twist cleanly (meaning, as I pulled sections into the twist), it created a lot of “pieciness” and frizz as the hair tangled on itself as I released the flat-twist. Therefore, There was a lot of twirling, coaxing and coconut oil going on to restore the coils and tame the frizz.
  • Used a wide tooth comb to “lift” the roots to give more volume (works for a little while, but then my hair “settles.”).
  • A few curls were not properly coiling or hanging too long, so I employed a little trick that I’ve used over the years. I coiled each offending curl around my finger and pinned with a bobby pin. If placed properly, since my hair was so big and curly, the pins are completely masked in the curls! And there’s a bonus. After a couple of hours, the coils set and I can remove the pins!

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At the end of the day, though I wish the takedown wasn’t so rough and I had a little less frizz, the Curly ‘Fro turned out pretty well!! I got a lot of compliments and I love having a different look!!

Morning

Evening

♦

And that’s it! I pineappled my hair last night and I’ll have to give you guys an update on how that worked out another day! Oh, and if you’re interested in seeing even more pics of the set and release, I created this Curly ‘Fro Facebook album :)!! Enjoy!

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So, what do you think? Would/do you rock the Curly ‘Fro?

Oct28

Curly ‘Fro

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Okay, LOVING this!! May have to give the curly ‘fro a try soon!! Like Shaniece, it’s hard for me to get a ‘fro look due to my length. But, I think this is possible! Don’t think I’ll be giving it a try tonight given Hurricane Sandy aka “Frankenstorm’s” imminent arrival tonight and predictions of 4-8″ of rain in the next 3 days. But, I’ll definitely be putting it in the Style Inspiration Library to check-out at a later date ;)!

via PGneiicey

Gorgeous woman and gorgeous hair!! 

Oct23

Three Strand Twist-Out

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OMGAAAAAAAAWH!! Do you see the gorgeousness of this?!?! When I saw this pic on the Instagram page of @iameden_, my eyes bulged out of my head and my jaw dropped. When I saw that it was a three strand twist out, I had to immediately search for a video tutorial!! I found this great one on YouTube where yarn in three different colors is used to provide a strong visual of the technique. Embedding is disabled. So, to view the video, click here.

And for those of you thinking, “That would never work on my texture,” check out the results that knotty_girl achieved with a three strand twist-out on 3c (?) hair!

BEE.AY.YOU.tiful. Right?!?!

Yeah, think I’m gonna have to give the three strand twist a whirl soon!!

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Have you ever done 3 strand twists and/or a 3 strand twist-out? How did it work out for you? Any tricks of the trade to share?!?! Products, timing (wet, damp, dry?), technique?

Jun28

Style Savior: A Dry Braid Out

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So, by Tuesday night, my wash and go looked like a wash and stop. LOL! No, seriously, the definition was all but gone and I had turned into a wild-looking frizz beast! I got home and thought, “Man, look at this! I look like a hassled mess!” And, given that I had been feeling like I was running around the office like a chicken with its head cut off all day, I looked like I felt!!

Anywho, I knew that I had to do something and washing my hair was not an option. I didn’t want to bun as I was afraid that my hair would be a nightmare of tangles by the time I got around to washing it, if I did that. So, I decided to try to salvage my old, frizzy WnG with a dry braid-out. I broke out the Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose (HSR) Conditioner and my newest acquisition, Wonder Curl Butter than Love Whipped (WC BTLW). As you know, I love the WC BTL Pudding, but had never tried the Whipped, which is a thicker and more moisturizing version of the Pudding.

Once I figured out which products I was going to use, I did the following:

  • Diluted a small amount of  Aubrey HSR with water in a spray bottle.
  • Separated one side of my hair from the back, lightly spritzed it with the diluted Aubrey HSR and gently finger detangled the section.  Surprisingly to me, the detangling was relatively easy!
  • Applied a finger full of WC BTLW and tightly braided section to about 2-3 inches from the end. Twirled the end around my finger to form the natural curl. Applied a little more WC BTLW to ends.
  • Repeated process 5 times to make a total of 6 braids (1 on each side of my face and 4 in back).

  • I smoothed a little more WC BTLW on my crown, then tied a wide scarf around my edges, leaving the braids to hang free for bedtime.
  • In the morning, I spread a pea-sized amount of Amazing Botanicals JBCO in my palms and then smoothed my hands down my braids and released them.
  • I fluffed my turning my head upside down and massaging the roots.
  • Finally, I placed some Eco Styler Olive Oil gel on my edges and tied my hair down with a narrower satin scarf (it’s one of the wide ones cut in half) until I got halfway to work. (Smooth edges make my style look a lot neater ;).)
And this was the finished look at the end of the work day.
This is actually my first stretched style since I got the haircut!! Again, I can really see the difference that this cut has made in the appearance and curl of my ends!!! Makes me so happy :)! Anywho, I definitely think that this braid out will take me through Friday. I think I’m done with WnG for a little while … they are more tangle prone. But, as of now, I haven’t figured out what I’m doing with it this weekend. Whatever it is, it’ll probably start with braids or twists and will be up most of next week!
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What are your weekend hair plans?
Jun20

Twist Then Stretch

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by Nia of Ask Nia B

Sometimes I’ll blow dry my hair using the tension blow dry method. I don’t use a lot of heat on my hair (maybe three or four times a year) and will reserve this treat for times when I’m going somewhere and would like to lengthen my hair a bit for the occasion. Well, the other day, I did my whole hair routine and once my braid/twists dried overnight, I realized I had to go somewhere and wanted my hair a bit more stretched.

So, I sat on my bed looking out the window; maybe I was tryna find inspiration from the trees – I don’t know (lol). But, nonetheless, I needed to figure out how I was gonna pull off stretching my hair and make it to the event on time. I couldn’t do the “normal” tension blow dry method, because I do that before I twist my hair and it was obviously too darn late. I didn’t want to take the twists down and stretch my roots with the blow dryer, because I wanted to keep the texture from my braid/twists. So, I decided to blow dry and stretch my hair with the twists still in.

Here’s a pictorial of what I did:

I wasn’t sure if this was going to work, and I believe I spent way more time analyzing the process than I needed to. But, as you can see, comparing where my twist was in the first picture and the result in the fourth picture after the Twist Stretching, I was all set!

I noticed it didn’t take as much time for me to stretch my hair while in the twist as it does when I do it before twisting (which equaled less heat!). Also, the blow drying didn’t disturb the texture I was trying to keep, so I was all good. I think from now on I’m gonna twist, then stretch and not the reverse! That way, I save myself a smidgin of time, heat on my hair and money on my electric bill!

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Do you use the tension blow dry method?  If so, would you try doing so while your hair is in twists, etc.?

Jun13

Day 3 (or is it Day 2?) WnG Hair

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Hmmm, I got my hair done on Sunday, but didn’t finish until around 8 pm. So, is a day counted by how many days you had to sleep on your hair or a 24 hour span? I’ll go with the first method and will say this is Day 3 hair!

So, I’ve just been putting my hair in a pineapple overnight with a satin scrunchie (no wrapping required) and sleeping with it uncovered on a satin pillowcase. However, on Monday night, my hair was feeling pretty dry and looking dull. So, I decided to apply some Curls Curl Souffle to the length and sealed it with Wild Growth Hair Oil (WGHO) Light. Then, I applied the regular formula WGHO to my scalp and massaged it in a little before pineappling my hair for the night. On Tuesday morning, because my curls were looking a little flat, I decided to refresh my WnG as I explained here. I lightly spritzed my curls with Sally’s GVP Infusium 23 until my hair was slightly damp. Then, I mixed LaBella Lots of Curls with Carol’s Daughter Healthy Hair Butter (CD HHB) in my palm and smoothed it down each side of my hair, without separating or disturbing the curls too much.

And the above was my Day 3 hair after work … and walking through the rain … no umbrella … twice. That’s right. I don’t even OWN an umbrella. Haven’t for close to a decade. I bought one one time … lost it within a week. Haven’t owned one since. I laugh at rain. I’m gangsta like that.

Wait … what was I saying? *lol* Anywho, at lunch, I pulled the front of my hair back with a mini-jaw clip that I keep in the hair emergency kit;). It  was falling in my face while I ate and I really like my hair when it’s pulled back like this.

I took the above photos in the mirror like this as the pics never seem to do the volume justice when I aim the camera directly at myself. But here’s my requisite, non-mirror profile shot too ;).

I’m really loving my cut!! Though I’m seeing how much shorter it looks, I think it’s a good shape and losing those loosened waves is allowing both my curls and volume to return. Yea big, curly hair;)! Anywho, I expect that this Refresh and Go should last through Wednesday and I expect to refresh again on Thursday morning with another round of Infusium 23, LaBella Lots of Curls and CD HHB to make it to the weekend. If it starts looking crazy frizzy or too massive with all of this rain, I’ll just puff or bun it. Well … that’s the plan anyway.

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How many days do you get out of your WnG? How do you refresh it between wash sessions?

Jun12

WnG: Rake & Shake

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As you know, I’m planning on revisiting the Wash and Go for the summer. So, I thought I’d share a pic of my hair from 2006 when I first discovered LaBella Lots of Curls and Ouidad’s Rake & Shake technique for applying product, defining, clumping and encouraging curls. Tameeka, a Ouidad trained stylist, used a very similar technique to do my hair on Sunday (she just dropped the “shake”). So, I figured I’d share a video of Ouidad herself demonstrating the Rake & Shake.

A few things about my WnG technique:

  • When I do my hair and Tameeka did it, I apply the styling products section by section and not to my entire head.
  • I use Infusium 23 or the Sally’s GVP version as my leave-in.
  • I mix any gel that I’m using with Carol’s Daughter Healthy Hair Butter first before applying. I just mix the two in my palm and apply.
  • The gel with butter gives me  hold and moisture with little to no crunch.
  • I primarily air dry (never touching hair until completely dry, to prevent frizz). I may diffuse if I can’t wait for it to air dry, but that is very rare. Diffusing gives me more voluminous day one curls and I love the effect, but it just takes too long, so I rarely do it.

So, these are the techniques and products that I plan to revisit when I do a WnG this weekend. However, I am interested in the Tightly Curly Method and may have to investigate that a little more. Any suggestions on a great tutorial for that technique? I think I’ve read that MahoganyCurls has a good one and her curls are GORGEOUS!

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How do you Wash and Go?