Tag Archives: pressed natural hair

Apr20

GOC Contender #44: Elen

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Name: Elen (La Diosa Poderosa)

Goals: Hair – My hair has been natural for 11 years as of this May. My current length is armpit length. My goal is bra strap length. My hair is color-treated and I also blow dry and flat iron once a week, so I have to be very, very careful about how I maintain my hair. Health & Fitness – I currently weigh 135 pounds. My goal is to weigh 120 pounds and be at 17% body fat by June 13th.

Regimen:

Hair

  • Weekly (every Sunday) shampoo with Pantene Relaxed & Natural or John Frieda Sheer Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner.
  • Next is Neutrogena Hair Mask and detangling with a wide-toothed comb, followed by another Neutrogena Deep Conditioner and a rinse.
  • Then, I apply John Frieda Hair Serum and Chi Heat Protectant spray to all of my hair before blow drying with a brush and flat ironing.
  • I then take a light oil (Olive Hair Oil) and gently massage it into my scalp, which tends to be dry, and lightly apply the remainder to my hair, which gives it a light sheen.
  • Finally, I wrap with a silk scarf to protect my hair. I have not been as diligent as necessary with this final step, which I suspect will allow me to better retain hair growth. I think putting my hair in more protective styles and giving the heat a break would also be beneficial.
  • I also use the Aphogee Protein Treatment once every 2 months. I’m planning to make another trip to the hair salon in early June, before my birthday, for another color treatment.
  • Additionally, I have my ends trimmed every 2-3 months.

Health & Fitness

  • Low carb, high protein.
  • 5 days of 60 minute cardio
  • 4 days of strength training
  • 2 days of yoga/pilates.

Skin Care (New)

Rewards: Shopping trip, new bikini and a short vacation.

Documenting: Photographs. Wellness blog. Videos.

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Feb29

Post Flat-Iron Reversion

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It’s 7:18 a.m. and I’m writing this post very quickly as I need to hop in the shower and get to work! I did a WnG in the morning yesterday and waited for it to dry as I made the trek to my Trenton office. I wore it down in the morning so that it could fully dry. However, I really can’t stand to have my hair down during the work day most of the time. It was really getting on my nerves, getting caught under my purse while I tried to juggle a portfolio, water bottle and cup of coffee. Plus, my ends were looking scraggly.

This is the “good” shot, but I took it when I got home, after it had been bunned.

Ugh, scraggly. But, I’m not screaming “heat damage” yet. My hair wasn’t as wet as I normally leave it when I applied the products and I also didn’t put it into 4 big twists like I normally do. Again, I was in a rush ;). Plus, I usually give it a couple of washes after being straight to “snap back” as the first wash my hair is usually more wavy than curly. So, I’ll keep you guys updated after my next wash.

Anyway, back to down hair at work. Before heading back to my office up north around lunch time, I pulled out my new purse standby, the trusty hair fork, and put it up in a bun.

Okay, that’s it! Gotta go! Stay tuned for a new Naturals Around the World HairStory later this morning!!

Feb28

Length Check Video (Pressed Natural Hair)

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Just a quick video that I filmed on Sunday to video “journal” my straight hair before I washed it. It’ll probably be another year before it’s straight again!

Feb27

The Best Laid Plans

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Well, not really. I only kinda sorta planned to wash my hair this weekend. You see, although my scalp is in serious need of a washing, you can’t tell and my hair still looks halfway decent! So, when push came to shove, I opted to do nothing on Saturday afternoon and, on Sunday, to finally fold the two mountains of clothes in laundry baskets and put them away with the two stacks of folded cardigans that have been sitting on the loveseat for 3 weeks (yeah, it’s been that bad).

So, that’s why I’ll be rocking a bun to work today. I have an important meeting this Wednesday and am trying to figure out if I should wash it before then or just leave it alone until Thursday. Guess it’ll depend on how it looks and how my scalp feels over the next couple of days. My scalp isn’t itchy, but I do have some “build-up,” which isn’t typical for me. I’m not sure what the cause is though. Maybe it’s because I only oiled my scalp once and it’s dead skin cells due to dryness? Anywho, I definitely want to wash it before the weekend as a good scalp scrubbing shampoo is looking good right about now.

On another note, here is a LOTD from last week. I LOVE tie-neck blouses, especially printed ones as I am a fan of layering them under vests, sweaters (short and long-sleeved) and blazers. Here, I’ve layered a sheer floral print, grey, baby blue, navy blue and deep plum tie-neck blouse under a deep plum short-sleeved wrap sweater. I don’t remember where I got the blouse, but probably Marshall’s, and I believe the sweater is from Old Navy. Then, I broke out a pair of staple black, wide leg pants and accessorized with a matching pin and clip-on earrings set I got from my local Goodwill. The baby blue of the “berries” on the pin and earrings picks up the blue in the blouse. Finally, I finished the look with purple, faux suede slouchy ankle boots (Sami by Dollhouse) that I got from MJM a couple of seasons ago.

Now, the thing is, though I liked this outfit, I really wanted to wear the blouse and sweater with my grey with baby blue pin-striped pencil skirt (Marshall’s) and grey patent leather peep-toes (Nine West). Buuuuut, I still don’t have any nude hose!!! So, I couldn’t. But, I took a few pictures to show you what I would have worn with the proper leg wear!

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What did you do with your hair this weekend?

Feb20

Lilith Moon Inspired Braided Updo

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I saw this Lilith Moon tutorial a little while ago and really liked that it looks more complicated than it actually is.

However, when I attempted it on an old TnC or twist out (I think), it wasn’t working out … my hair was just too tangly. So, I decided to revisit yesterday, since my hair is pressed and I figured it would be easier for me to braid. It was, though I did have to think about braiding more than I normally do, since hair is only added from one side and only to a specific section. But, I think it turned out okay. The first two pics are of the braids down and then the next are once they have been folded up to form the “updo.”

This style may work better for medium/shoulder length hair (straight or stretched) like Lilith’s. I also still think that this would look really cute on stretched curls with some wave to them. It would have a lot more texture and body. As I haven’t really perfected it, you may see this one again on a twist out;).

Edited to Add:
Why, after I had released the braids, did I find this almost identical style, with a slight twist?! This YouTuber does a reverse/inverted French or Dutch braid and crosses the braids all the way across the back of her head. That is how I should have placed the braids instead of trying to fold them and tuck them back under the origin braid! So, I think the Lilith Moon technique would work well for medium length hair and this one would work better for my current length. Live and learn;).

Feb17

Mermaid Braid

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Earlier this week, Tai was an enabler and shared several video tutorials with me on the post, Step Away from the Hair. The simplest of the styles, though it looked complicated, was the mermaid braid.

Simple and pretty! Just how I like it! So, I decided to give it a whirl.

It was okay, but I think it could definitely stand to be a little messier to get that mermaid, tousled in the water and seaweed effect! LOL! I actually think my hair is a little too straight for this style right now and could use some, “texturizing.”

That being said, I’m so conflicted! My hair has held up wonderfully (of course, when I’m being lazy and not exercising, I’m not surprised … *womp womp*). But, I have the meet-up this weekend and feel like it should be in a somewhat curly state for the event!! I was contemplating setting it on flexi-rods tonight and spritzing lightly to try to get a curlier set. What do you guys think? Should I do that? Just wear it as is? Do a TnC (though that might be challenging given that we have to travel today and set-up for the 1 pm meet-up tomorrow morning)? WnG (not as challenging as a TnC as I don’t have to worry as much about dry time, but still would have to get a pre-poo and DC in, as well as make my kimmaytube leave-in)?

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So, what say ye? How do you think I should wear my hair to the meet-up?!?! Aggghhhh!!!

Feb14

The Cross-Wrap

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I’ve never been able to successfully wrap my hair all the way around my head. Inevitably, it just falls down, I end up with creases, I don’t know what to do with that center piece and the hair all ends up bending to one side looking stupid! But, a couple of months ago, I came across this video by the texlaxed Ms. Kibibi who seems to have maintaining straight hair down. She demonstrates a different wrapping technique that she called the “cross wrap.” I even have a mesh heaband with velcro from Sally’s similar to the one she uses at the end of the video! Check out her technique.

by mskibibi

Hmmmm, a bun may still be easier though.

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Have you ever cross-wrapped? Did it work for you? If not, how do you prep your straightened hair at night to maintain it?

Feb14

Step Away from the Hair

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Okay, so really, really having a problem with HIH Syndrome y’all. I guess it’s the novelty of having my hair straight, but I keep putting it up, taking it down, putting it up, taking it down. It’s really out of control. As I type, I do have it bunned with some Goody Spin Pins and wrapped in my silk scarf. But, not before I played around in it first. Hope that I’ll be able to replicate the last little updo shown below for work today!

But first, here I was playing around on Sunday night with a French roll and my hair fork to make a faux short haircut with a long “bang!” I’m kind of afraid to wear this all day for fear of getting a big ol’ goose egg pimple on my “generous” forehead. Don’t deny it … I was given the nickname forehead in school *smh*. Bangs never did a sister good back then. But, it was fun to play around with for a few minutes :).

So then, Monday night after work, I messed around with it some more. I KNOW! Ummm, it was work for the blog … yeah, that’s the ticket!! *lol* Anywho, I made a deep side part, swooped a “bang” and rolled the sides to the left side of my neck, securing with bobby pins. I let the remaining hair hang loose in a curly “tail” over my shoulder and then adorned with three of my dollar store fabric flowers.

And lastly, I pinned the “tail” up in three big, loose pin-curls to make an updo that I think was inspired by watching this video the day before!

As I didn’t do a braid (though I want to try it!) and only pinned the loose hair in three sections, this took all of 5 minutes to do. I had to remove the flowers to set the hair into the messy pin-curls. Then, I pinned the flowers where I thought they looked nice.

So yeah, got an issue here and I don’t see a cure in sight in the immediate future! I guess, because I know that it won’t be straight for long and it’ll be quite a while before I get it pressed again, I can’t help myself!

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If you suffer from HIH Syndrome, when is it at its worst?

Feb11

Impulsive Blow-Out

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Quick post to tell you guys that I went to a salon to get a blow-out and flat-iron press yesterday after work! It was a total impulse move. Well, not totally. I researched salons earlier in the week. It was just impulsive, because I didn’t expect to get an appointment the same day I called!

Anywho, here are a few more pics. It’s been 16 months since the last time my hair was straightened. I gotta get out the door, but I’ll be back with more details about the salon experience later! I am pleased with how healthy it feels and looks without any trimming by the stylist (which was a source of discussion while my hair was getting shampooed).

One last note, I wrapped my edges with a silk scarf, pin-curled the length and donned a bonnet for bed last night. I haven’t released it yet, so we’ll see how it holds up! I’m really hoping to get a week out of it, though I expect to have it up for the majority of that time!