i will try to deal with the more superficial stuff in here: my hair and skin. gotta look the part, right? here are all the blogs from my fotki page (http://members.fotki.com/lilsparkle825/about/)
june 5 wash journal
DC on dry hair, kenra mc/jf color glazes. 20 min w/o heat, 20 min w/ heat.
co-rinse with VO5 strawberries and cream; also used as leave-in.
bunning under satin scarf overnight.
i have never used the VO5 as a leave in but i have heard rave reviews about this. like i need to do it...i have giovanni and the HE LTR, but what the hey. i am also trying the "lay down edges with satin scarf" thing...two things to cross my fingers for.
oh, and i changed my mind...i am starting bootcamp TONIGHT! still have not decided what i will do to my hair for my bestie's baby shower later this month...perhaps a nice twistout if i have perfected them by then. i foresee many more co-washes in my immediate future, and that means more opportunities to practice!
i am switching over to blogspot soon, as soon as i come up with a good name for my blog. i do too much writing for fotki to keep up. lol
co-rinse with VO5 strawberries and cream; also used as leave-in.
bunning under satin scarf overnight.
i have never used the VO5 as a leave in but i have heard rave reviews about this. like i need to do it...i have giovanni and the HE LTR, but what the hey. i am also trying the "lay down edges with satin scarf" thing...two things to cross my fingers for.
oh, and i changed my mind...i am starting bootcamp TONIGHT! still have not decided what i will do to my hair for my bestie's baby shower later this month...perhaps a nice twistout if i have perfected them by then. i foresee many more co-washes in my immediate future, and that means more opportunities to practice!
i am switching over to blogspot soon, as soon as i come up with a good name for my blog. i do too much writing for fotki to keep up. lol
LHCF BOOTCAMP...
I'M JOINING! YAY LONG HAIR!
no but seriouly without the yelling, i read the related threads and had no choice. have you seen brownsugarflyygirl's progress pics from last year?! plus it sounds really easy and i can incorporate it with the other two challenges i'm on, DC and APL08. i mean, no direct heat? doing that this month anyway. DC with every shampoo? do that already. protective and/or low-mani styles? that's all i do when my hair is not flat-ironed...i mean come on. piece of cake, right?
...we'll see. starts june 15th for me only because i have not decided when i am going to wash this straight style out. (haha wasn't i just saying the other day i was sick of it? i'm so fickle...)
p.s. used some old suave shampoo we have from before we started giving a damn about our hair as body wash tonight. i smell like shampoo. lol
p.p.s. i wish everyone could have seen the old, and i mean from when i was a baby, bottles of hair spray i pulled from under the bathroom cabinet tonight. teen spirit and white rain? really?! OF COURSE i chucked em, i'm just amused mom brought them with us when we moved 5 years ago even though she hasn't used em since at least 1993! i'm not kidding...and the only reason she let me chuck em is because i read SouthernTease's entry on alcohol, SLS, and all that other crappy stuff to her! see, she does listen sometimes. =)
no but seriouly without the yelling, i read the related threads and had no choice. have you seen brownsugarflyygirl's progress pics from last year?! plus it sounds really easy and i can incorporate it with the other two challenges i'm on, DC and APL08. i mean, no direct heat? doing that this month anyway. DC with every shampoo? do that already. protective and/or low-mani styles? that's all i do when my hair is not flat-ironed...i mean come on. piece of cake, right?
...we'll see. starts june 15th for me only because i have not decided when i am going to wash this straight style out. (haha wasn't i just saying the other day i was sick of it? i'm so fickle...)
p.s. used some old suave shampoo we have from before we started giving a damn about our hair as body wash tonight. i smell like shampoo. lol
p.p.s. i wish everyone could have seen the old, and i mean from when i was a baby, bottles of hair spray i pulled from under the bathroom cabinet tonight. teen spirit and white rain? really?! OF COURSE i chucked em, i'm just amused mom brought them with us when we moved 5 years ago even though she hasn't used em since at least 1993! i'm not kidding...and the only reason she let me chuck em is because i read SouthernTease's entry on alcohol, SLS, and all that other crappy stuff to her! see, she does listen sometimes. =)
perm rods + comp shot
had to buy more perm rods today...doing mom's hair last night and i ran out so i had to finish the top with two cornrows. i guess it would have looked better if i could actually cornrow. LOL! i took that opportunity to watch a video on youtube by ladykpnyc...and guess what, i learned. she is the only person that ever made the finger placement make sense! too bad i'm not washing her hair till this weekend at least, so no practice till then.
i moisturized for the first time since saturday today. i know that sounds bad but i swear i didn't need it! i bunned today so something told me i still didn't need it but my edges are funky so i did it anyway, with bb oil moisturizer (aka the TROOF) and then some castor oil. i'm baggying right now.
i made a comp shot today also...see it in my album. i'm shocked to say the least. LET'S CROSS THAT V NEXT TIME! whooooo!
i moisturized for the first time since saturday today. i know that sounds bad but i swear i didn't need it! i bunned today so something told me i still didn't need it but my edges are funky so i did it anyway, with bb oil moisturizer (aka the TROOF) and then some castor oil. i'm baggying right now.
i made a comp shot today also...see it in my album. i'm shocked to say the least. LET'S CROSS THAT V NEXT TIME! whooooo!
skin regimen
i have realized that as a pj my job (lol) is to try every product, every regimen, and every remedy for my hair and skin under the sun, then use the best-working ones to come up with my regimen. this is what i did for my hair, and this is how i know things like DCing 2x a week, baggying with bb oil moisturizer, and buns are my friends. this is also how i know i hate chi iron guard (my scalp is still recovering, literally). now i have done the same for my skin: using the makeup/skin care forum, afrobella's info on the OCM, youtube videos, and pokahontas's masks/scrubs, this is what i have come up with. i have found that i do like the honey on my face, as well as the baking soda. it feels so much better than the sugar. the coffee and yogurt seem to taste better than they work but i have only done the coffee scrub once. (still have to try the mask with cinnamon in it.) my face has cleared tremendously in the past week, which is something that has not happened since i used proactiv 2 years ago (the joy from that eventually faded). in fact, i went to the doctor today to get a new referral for my upcoming derm appt (june 10th!) and he looked at my face and asked me why i wanted to go. yes, he asked ME, of all people. i have never really been the one to get those really big red bumps, except for every other month or two one will pop up on my chin, but in the past 2 weeks i have had two (one at a time) on my left cheek, and through resisting the temptation to touch them (something i have only accomplished with less than 5 blemishes my whole life) they are shrinking. i usually get the really small ones on my cheeks, around my nose, and on my forehead, despite losing the sideswept bangs, but even they are disappearing to some extent. i will take pictures tonight after i rinse this cleanser/mask off (yes i am multitasking, one of my favorite hobbies: typing this, watching the first 48, and cleansing) since i failed to take some last week like i should have. i was simply too embarrassed for anyone to see my skin.
after all that talking/typing, here is my current regimen:
MORNING:
*rinse face with lukewarm water
*apply shea butter or purpose moisturizer (it has spf 15 in it and my derm recommended it)
NIGHT:
*put a little (teaspoonish) amount of baking soda in my hand; add honey; make it less stiff with EVOO. apply to face for ~10 minutes. rinse off - no washcloth anymore.
*dry with hand towel, though i may change to a t-shirt or something
*tone with acv/distilled water/lemon juice mixture to remove excess oil and such
*moisturize with raw shea butter while face is still damp
*apply a thin layer of castor oil...use this time to apply it to my hairline as well =)
voila. i will update in a week or two, and definitely when i see the derm to hear his thoughts on dermabrasion/chem peels.
after all that talking/typing, here is my current regimen:
MORNING:
*rinse face with lukewarm water
*apply shea butter or purpose moisturizer (it has spf 15 in it and my derm recommended it)
NIGHT:
*put a little (teaspoonish) amount of baking soda in my hand; add honey; make it less stiff with EVOO. apply to face for ~10 minutes. rinse off - no washcloth anymore.
*dry with hand towel, though i may change to a t-shirt or something
*tone with acv/distilled water/lemon juice mixture to remove excess oil and such
*moisturize with raw shea butter while face is still damp
*apply a thin layer of castor oil...use this time to apply it to my hairline as well =)
voila. i will update in a week or two, and definitely when i see the derm to hear his thoughts on dermabrasion/chem peels.
a day later...
it has been only 24 HOURS and i am already itching to DC and wash out this straight look. when i was curly i really wanted it straight (although i think that was just an urge to do a length check). this has never happened before in my life...i don't know whether it's the heat or what. i need to do SouthernTease's sidebun real quick so i can keep my hands away from the showerhead and kenra mc.
:goes to look at my hair pics album for motivation:: i did NOT spend an hour and a half on my hair yesterday for it to only last two days! i MUST get someone to french braid it or something! this sabino mb will keep on doing what it was purchased for! (oh, speaking of which, i woke up sweating like a fat rat, thanks mom for turning off the a/c, and my hair still looked fabulous. i love this stuff.)
but once it DOES get washed out...i'm on two strand twists like white on rice in a glass of milk on a paper plate in a snowstorm (got that from major payne). i saw someone on LHCF with a pic of some perfect twists using only her hair, no yarn or extension hair. this is what i will do until i can find some kinky twist hair that matches my color. i REALLY wish i had the patience to do a straw set but i can't do styles that take an insane amount of time unless it's someone else's hair, cause then it's like busy work. guess i will have to coax mom into trying it.
NO BC until AUGUST!...yes i know that keeps changing. sue me.
:goes to look at my hair pics album for motivation:: i did NOT spend an hour and a half on my hair yesterday for it to only last two days! i MUST get someone to french braid it or something! this sabino mb will keep on doing what it was purchased for! (oh, speaking of which, i woke up sweating like a fat rat, thanks mom for turning off the a/c, and my hair still looked fabulous. i love this stuff.)
but once it DOES get washed out...i'm on two strand twists like white on rice in a glass of milk on a paper plate in a snowstorm (got that from major payne). i saw someone on LHCF with a pic of some perfect twists using only her hair, no yarn or extension hair. this is what i will do until i can find some kinky twist hair that matches my color. i REALLY wish i had the patience to do a straw set but i can't do styles that take an insane amount of time unless it's someone else's hair, cause then it's like busy work. guess i will have to coax mom into trying it.
NO BC until AUGUST!...yes i know that keeps changing. sue me.
flat ironing
the banding experience was just that, an experience. i still did not let it dry all the way although i left them in overnight, goes to show how impatient i am. i pulled my hair back in a pony puff and threw on a dress and must say i felt very summery. it is 90 degrees outside after all.
once i got home though, i had the urge to flat iron, despite the fact that a) i am still wearing it up and b) it's 90 friggin degrees like i said. i mixed up some giovanni and water in a spray bottle and re-sectioned my hair into the 4 ponytails, then sprayed them and sealed with my shea oil mix before applying MB. i blowdried on medium then used my trusty solia to finish up the roots. it really does work in one pass. the plus side is my hair has grown and looks reallllllly shiny, but the negative is that it still doesn't swang. i have to get this product ratio down. i think too much MB may have done it. oh, and i'm laying off the flat iron for the month of june. if i want straight hair i will rollerset and wrap, or band again since it really did a good job of getting most of the curlies out.
once i got home though, i had the urge to flat iron, despite the fact that a) i am still wearing it up and b) it's 90 friggin degrees like i said. i mixed up some giovanni and water in a spray bottle and re-sectioned my hair into the 4 ponytails, then sprayed them and sealed with my shea oil mix before applying MB. i blowdried on medium then used my trusty solia to finish up the roots. it really does work in one pass. the plus side is my hair has grown and looks reallllllly shiny, but the negative is that it still doesn't swang. i have to get this product ratio down. i think too much MB may have done it. oh, and i'm laying off the flat iron for the month of june. if i want straight hair i will rollerset and wrap, or band again since it really did a good job of getting most of the curlies out.
banding pt 2
giving this thing another go since the one yesterday did not dry all the way.
DC w/ kenra mc, 2 hrs no heat
section off, apply GD
I FORGOT MY SHEA MIX!
band into 4 ponytails
on a side note, my ponytails were so pretty, especially the ones on the sides. the curls were just perfect...i think my dream hair is starting to show. in the morning when it is DRY (as in 100% this time) i will add the shea mix and MB before deciding whether it needs to be flat-ironed or not. tomorrow is APL challenge length check-in! is it weird that i am excited? i think i can make it by the end of the summer...that is if i can resist the urge to BC.
DC w/ kenra mc, 2 hrs no heat
section off, apply GD
I FORGOT MY SHEA MIX!
band into 4 ponytails
on a side note, my ponytails were so pretty, especially the ones on the sides. the curls were just perfect...i think my dream hair is starting to show. in the morning when it is DRY (as in 100% this time) i will add the shea mix and MB before deciding whether it needs to be flat-ironed or not. tomorrow is APL challenge length check-in! is it weird that i am excited? i think i can make it by the end of the summer...that is if i can resist the urge to BC.
dream hair - o rly?
in my last journal entry i said how my bestie's sister touched my hair and was shocked. now i wanna talk about her hair just because i need to get it off my chest. for all intensive purposes i will call her B.
B just turned 16 years old...man it literally seems like the other day when i was that age, which is when my bestie became my bestie. anyhoo, when i met B at age 12 or so, she had really long (like BSL) thick 3b or so hair that her mother made her keep in ponytails - age appropriate, i thought. when she turned 14 her mother let her start straightening it, and she hit the ground running. it was professionally straightened the first time and it was so nice that they took multiple pics of it. it really was awe-inspiring. after that however she wasn't allowed to go to the salon...the stylist was "scissor-happy" it seems and no one wanted her to even have the chance to "clip some split ends", which i completely understand. so what happens? B gets a cheap flat-iron, a jar of vaseline, and goes to town. from that point on she wore it as straight as possible - and every few days she would restraighten, usually on damp hair, because it was frizzy.
now mind you this is before i found LHCF, but i still did not think this was a good idea. fast forward to a few months ago: she asks me to straighten her hair, so i bring over my chi silk infusion to act as a heat protectant, make sure her hair is DRY first, and do my thing. it came out really nice, but again it only lasted a few days. i mentioned that she should use a heat protectant but she is young and it only mattered that the vaseline made her hair shiny. because of the length she would eventually put it up in a ponytail.
so in march i joined LHCF and immediately began to think of her. by now you can probably figure out the results: as of now B still has long-ish hair, but her ends are horrible and her hair has broken off to APL pretty much. in fact, i saw her for the first time in a month and a half on memorial day and i was taken aback by the condition of her hair. it was in a messy bun but her ends were so see through it was ridiculous. it had lost what 'swang' it had and everything, i mean i almost cried. she saw my hair, which i had straightened and was wearing in a side bun, and told me it looked really nice. (i just liked it because it was shiny and moisturized, but come on it was a donut bun.) while sitting outside with my bestie we began talking about her recent haircut (FIERCE, btw) and trailed off to the subject of B's hair. she told me she had gotten so sick of the abuse that she has to hide her flat iron every time B comes over...yeah it's that bad. i then told her that no offense but she needs a trim, and she said that's why her mom hasn't taken her to a salon - she KNOWS that they have no choice but to cut B's hair. so then i was thinking how sad it was that she would rather hang onto those ends so she could have long hair, but really if the damage would not stop even after she cut it what would be the point? now i am stuck: do i try to pass some knowledge down to her or just let her do her thing? i feel like she will say what i used to: why pay all that money for that expensive hair stuff (like chi products and MB) when what i have gets the job done? i saw her again tonight and struggled with this. i will think on it a bit more so i can find the right words...or maybe i will just buy her some silk infusion or something. -sigh-
B just turned 16 years old...man it literally seems like the other day when i was that age, which is when my bestie became my bestie. anyhoo, when i met B at age 12 or so, she had really long (like BSL) thick 3b or so hair that her mother made her keep in ponytails - age appropriate, i thought. when she turned 14 her mother let her start straightening it, and she hit the ground running. it was professionally straightened the first time and it was so nice that they took multiple pics of it. it really was awe-inspiring. after that however she wasn't allowed to go to the salon...the stylist was "scissor-happy" it seems and no one wanted her to even have the chance to "clip some split ends", which i completely understand. so what happens? B gets a cheap flat-iron, a jar of vaseline, and goes to town. from that point on she wore it as straight as possible - and every few days she would restraighten, usually on damp hair, because it was frizzy.
now mind you this is before i found LHCF, but i still did not think this was a good idea. fast forward to a few months ago: she asks me to straighten her hair, so i bring over my chi silk infusion to act as a heat protectant, make sure her hair is DRY first, and do my thing. it came out really nice, but again it only lasted a few days. i mentioned that she should use a heat protectant but she is young and it only mattered that the vaseline made her hair shiny. because of the length she would eventually put it up in a ponytail.
so in march i joined LHCF and immediately began to think of her. by now you can probably figure out the results: as of now B still has long-ish hair, but her ends are horrible and her hair has broken off to APL pretty much. in fact, i saw her for the first time in a month and a half on memorial day and i was taken aback by the condition of her hair. it was in a messy bun but her ends were so see through it was ridiculous. it had lost what 'swang' it had and everything, i mean i almost cried. she saw my hair, which i had straightened and was wearing in a side bun, and told me it looked really nice. (i just liked it because it was shiny and moisturized, but come on it was a donut bun.) while sitting outside with my bestie we began talking about her recent haircut (FIERCE, btw) and trailed off to the subject of B's hair. she told me she had gotten so sick of the abuse that she has to hide her flat iron every time B comes over...yeah it's that bad. i then told her that no offense but she needs a trim, and she said that's why her mom hasn't taken her to a salon - she KNOWS that they have no choice but to cut B's hair. so then i was thinking how sad it was that she would rather hang onto those ends so she could have long hair, but really if the damage would not stop even after she cut it what would be the point? now i am stuck: do i try to pass some knowledge down to her or just let her do her thing? i feel like she will say what i used to: why pay all that money for that expensive hair stuff (like chi products and MB) when what i have gets the job done? i saw her again tonight and struggled with this. i will think on it a bit more so i can find the right words...or maybe i will just buy her some silk infusion or something. -sigh-
banding
i had every intention on flat-ironing my hair tonight although i had reservations since i am going to an amusement park tomorrow and will more than likely sweat my curls out (even though my MB came today). i decided to give Pokahontas's banding method a try (man i'm really goin through her albums, lol) so i cowashed with kenra, did a clear glaze and rinsed it out with vo5 strawberries, added GD and MB, then put my hair in 4 ponytails and added the multicolored cloth bands with perm rods on the ends. i must say my hair was very straight and shiny under those bands...i only wish i were more patient and had stayed under the hood dryer till they were all the way dry, but that's another story for another journal. in any event my hair came out nice and wavy...i brushed it into a high pony and it looks so nice i will just wear it like this.
oh yes, from the overnight baggying i did (successfully) last night - i covered the plastic cap with a satin bonnet and slept on my satin pillowcase - my hair came out wayyy too soft for my liking. i put it all on and took the cap off after 2 hours to check and everything felt great, so maybe i should have stopped there. but after a few hours of being out in the air it "hardened" up. i think i will baggy this ponytail tonight so that when i wake up in the morning all i have to do is remove my scarf and the cap.
p.s. another hair compliment today - my bestie's sister touched my ponytail and was caught offguard by the softness and the smell. as i couldn't smell it myself it was either the kenra, the vo5, or the GD i think. lol
p.p.s. i took some of the shea butter and whipped it (with an electric blender) with some of the herbal oil blend and some EVOO. my skin is so well moisturized. i plan on putting this on my hair in the baggy tonight as well.
oh yes, from the overnight baggying i did (successfully) last night - i covered the plastic cap with a satin bonnet and slept on my satin pillowcase - my hair came out wayyy too soft for my liking. i put it all on and took the cap off after 2 hours to check and everything felt great, so maybe i should have stopped there. but after a few hours of being out in the air it "hardened" up. i think i will baggy this ponytail tonight so that when i wake up in the morning all i have to do is remove my scarf and the cap.
p.s. another hair compliment today - my bestie's sister touched my ponytail and was caught offguard by the softness and the smell. as i couldn't smell it myself it was either the kenra, the vo5, or the GD i think. lol
p.p.s. i took some of the shea butter and whipped it (with an electric blender) with some of the herbal oil blend and some EVOO. my skin is so well moisturized. i plan on putting this on my hair in the baggy tonight as well.
am i there yet?
after that whole coffee mask thing the other day, i got impatient and being that i stayed up all night anyway i did the baking soda scrub thing at around 7 in the morning. it was honey and baking soda at first but that stuff was hard to spread so i added EVOO, then toned and applied a thin layer of castor oil. then last night i did another one, but forgot the toner. i know i am super impatient though so i will do this for a week before i note any results, but YES my skin is soft (it usually is though) and YES the blemishes are shrinking (but this is usually the case as well).
jump tracks to my hair: that braidout came out pretty good. i pulled it back with a knee-high because of the shrinkage though so it looks like a curly fro. i whole-head baggied successfully last night and i think i should have taken the bag off last night before i went to sleep cause my hair feels kinda mushy. i will be co-washing anyway because ::cue trumpets:: MY MB and SHEA BUTTER ARRIVED! i am going out with friends tomorrow so i want to straighten my hair tonight, and these will be perfect for doing that. i also get to use the shea butter on my skin now...oh i can hardly stand the excitement.
but playing around in the mirror last night...i think i am almost APL. not full APL mind you, but i am almost there. i was stretching that hair as hard as i could...lollll! i am due for a length check-in for the APL challenge on the 31st anyway so perhaps i will do it tonight. i'm so exciteddddd!
jump tracks to my hair: that braidout came out pretty good. i pulled it back with a knee-high because of the shrinkage though so it looks like a curly fro. i whole-head baggied successfully last night and i think i should have taken the bag off last night before i went to sleep cause my hair feels kinda mushy. i will be co-washing anyway because ::cue trumpets:: MY MB and SHEA BUTTER ARRIVED! i am going out with friends tomorrow so i want to straighten my hair tonight, and these will be perfect for doing that. i also get to use the shea butter on my skin now...oh i can hardly stand the excitement.
but playing around in the mirror last night...i think i am almost APL. not full APL mind you, but i am almost there. i was stretching that hair as hard as i could...lollll! i am due for a length check-in for the APL challenge on the 31st anyway so perhaps i will do it tonight. i'm so exciteddddd!
another survey from LHCF
1. Clarifying Shampoo - suave clarifying
2. Moisturizing/Detangling Shampoo - CON blue
3. Protein conditioner - aphogee 2 min, emergencee
4. Moisturizing conditioner - lustrasilk shea butter cholesterol just got knocked off by kenra mc
5. Flat iron - solia
6. hair oil - castor oil/africa's best herbal mixed with EVOO if i'm feelin frisky
7. Blow dryer - ion pink bonnet or andis ionic handheld
8. Leave in - HE LTR or giovanni direct depending on my mood
9. Homemade concoction - i'm not that advanced, sorry
10. Regimen - whatever it takes to achieve the style i am looking for, from cowashing to the whole poo/protein/dc/rollerset/flat iron thing
(Bonus) Growth aid - none
(Bonus) Pre Poo - VO5 and oils if not clarifying
(Bonus) Co wash - VO5 vanilla mint tea or moisture milks
(Bonus) Relaxer - transitioning!
other tools: jf color glaze in brunette and clear, denman d3, sabino mb, baggying, purple satin scarf and pink satin pillowcase
2. Moisturizing/Detangling Shampoo - CON blue
3. Protein conditioner - aphogee 2 min, emergencee
4. Moisturizing conditioner - lustrasilk shea butter cholesterol just got knocked off by kenra mc
5. Flat iron - solia
6. hair oil - castor oil/africa's best herbal mixed with EVOO if i'm feelin frisky
7. Blow dryer - ion pink bonnet or andis ionic handheld
8. Leave in - HE LTR or giovanni direct depending on my mood
9. Homemade concoction - i'm not that advanced, sorry
10. Regimen - whatever it takes to achieve the style i am looking for, from cowashing to the whole poo/protein/dc/rollerset/flat iron thing
(Bonus) Growth aid - none
(Bonus) Pre Poo - VO5 and oils if not clarifying
(Bonus) Co wash - VO5 vanilla mint tea or moisture milks
(Bonus) Relaxer - transitioning!
other tools: jf color glaze in brunette and clear, denman d3, sabino mb, baggying, purple satin scarf and pink satin pillowcase
may 27th
HAIR:
washed with CON blue.
emergencee treatment.
DC with jf brunette glaze, jf clear glaze and kenra mc.
rinse with VO5 "moisture milks".
giovanni direct leave-in; 5 large braids.
i'll be damned if this isn't the softest my hair has ever felt. can't wait to see the results of this braidout. if it goes well maybe i DC again before the end of the week, especially if i got that protein/moisture thing back on track.
SKIN:
bought honey, baking soda, and got coffee grinds - enough for some serious exfoliation. i did Pokahontas's coffee scrub and boy my face feels great. tomorrow i will try the honey mask because i have heard great things about honey's anti-acne properties and i am up for anything. in addition i have heard some talk about washing with baking soda so i want to try that too. hopefully this coupled with the OCM will clear me up a bit before my june 10th derm appointment.
washed with CON blue.
emergencee treatment.
DC with jf brunette glaze, jf clear glaze and kenra mc.
rinse with VO5 "moisture milks".
giovanni direct leave-in; 5 large braids.
i'll be damned if this isn't the softest my hair has ever felt. can't wait to see the results of this braidout. if it goes well maybe i DC again before the end of the week, especially if i got that protein/moisture thing back on track.
SKIN:
bought honey, baking soda, and got coffee grinds - enough for some serious exfoliation. i did Pokahontas's coffee scrub and boy my face feels great. tomorrow i will try the honey mask because i have heard great things about honey's anti-acne properties and i am up for anything. in addition i have heard some talk about washing with baking soda so i want to try that too. hopefully this coupled with the OCM will clear me up a bit before my june 10th derm appointment.
i hate my face.
well, the skin on it.
so something i have been dealing with since high school is mild acne. i remember a girl telling me in 10th grade "you have such perfect skin!" and i think that is what set off the blemishes...LOL! i have tried various remedies, both OTC and prescription, but the fact that i find it hard to stick with things for four weeks (i'm an instant gratitude type of girl) AND the fact that i have serious hand-on-face disease (i'm working on it, i realllllly am) make these things work little to none of the time. proactiv was the best thing on wheels for a while but either the magic faded after the 60 day trial period or i fell off, i don't know. but now i am looking for something to clear up these bumps (tiny but numerous) and get rid of the scarring.
my current regimen:
DAY: moisturize with purpose w/SPF 15 (derm recommended). i don't wash because i find it unnecessary to wash 8 hours after the fact, but maybe if i did i would see something different. hmm. i'll ask the derm.
NIGHT: remove eye makeup (if applicable) with almay pads - OCM with EVOO - tone with ACV/water/lemon juice mix - apply thin layer of castor oil. once my shea butter comes in i will use that day and night. EVOO/sugar or Pokahontas' coffee scrub 1x week; baking soda in EVOO every other day. steam treatments are also delish; man how i wish i had a face steamer other than my pot of water. lollll
ETA: reading the makeup/skin care forum like it's my job. wash/exfoliate/mask/moisturize seems to be the key, at least once a week, though exfoliation can be done 3x week if necessary. and i have to ask the derm about peels and microdermabrasion - seems lots of people have had success with 40% lactic acid peels, TCA peels, and glycolic acid.
so something i have been dealing with since high school is mild acne. i remember a girl telling me in 10th grade "you have such perfect skin!" and i think that is what set off the blemishes...LOL! i have tried various remedies, both OTC and prescription, but the fact that i find it hard to stick with things for four weeks (i'm an instant gratitude type of girl) AND the fact that i have serious hand-on-face disease (i'm working on it, i realllllly am) make these things work little to none of the time. proactiv was the best thing on wheels for a while but either the magic faded after the 60 day trial period or i fell off, i don't know. but now i am looking for something to clear up these bumps (tiny but numerous) and get rid of the scarring.
my current regimen:
DAY: moisturize with purpose w/SPF 15 (derm recommended). i don't wash because i find it unnecessary to wash 8 hours after the fact, but maybe if i did i would see something different. hmm. i'll ask the derm.
NIGHT: remove eye makeup (if applicable) with almay pads - OCM with EVOO - tone with ACV/water/lemon juice mix - apply thin layer of castor oil. once my shea butter comes in i will use that day and night. EVOO/sugar or Pokahontas' coffee scrub 1x week; baking soda in EVOO every other day. steam treatments are also delish; man how i wish i had a face steamer other than my pot of water. lollll
ETA: reading the makeup/skin care forum like it's my job. wash/exfoliate/mask/moisturize seems to be the key, at least once a week, though exfoliation can be done 3x week if necessary. and i have to ask the derm about peels and microdermabrasion - seems lots of people have had success with 40% lactic acid peels, TCA peels, and glycolic acid.
my affair with baggying
i wanna start out by saying i never really got the point of baggying before the other day. sure, i knew it was supposed to "lock in moisture", and i should have known this based on the no-heat treatments i have done while prepooing (that shower cap always came out soaked just from me sitting in front of the tv). i did it once before using SouthernTease's whole head baggying, but my hair was wet...stupidstupidstupid! NOW i know it's done on DRY hair that you have moisturized before bed!
my hair is still flat ironed from last tuesday or so, so while going through the closet the other day throwing away all the "bad" hair stuff, you know the ones with mineral oil, i came across this barely used bottle of BB hair lotion "with castor oil and aloe". i read the ingredients...good stuff, no mineral oil, so i decided to use it and see what would happen if i just so happened to put a plastic shower cap on my ponytail. after one night i was sold. three nights later i am testifying. i found that mixing it with that african oil stuff we have on the shelf produces even greater results. so here i am tonight getting ready to try the whole head baggying again...but this time with a DRY yet moisturized head.
my hair is still flat ironed from last tuesday or so, so while going through the closet the other day throwing away all the "bad" hair stuff, you know the ones with mineral oil, i came across this barely used bottle of BB hair lotion "with castor oil and aloe". i read the ingredients...good stuff, no mineral oil, so i decided to use it and see what would happen if i just so happened to put a plastic shower cap on my ponytail. after one night i was sold. three nights later i am testifying. i found that mixing it with that african oil stuff we have on the shelf produces even greater results. so here i am tonight getting ready to try the whole head baggying again...but this time with a DRY yet moisturized head.
trade secret+sabino haul
BOOM! went to trade secret today looking for the MB and Kenra MC since it's on sale through the end of the month. got the kenra (whoo hoo) but the saleschick had no idea what MB was so that let me know they didn't sell it and i would have to pay for shipping. &*^%!!!!!!! so i bought it online. so for $28 i got 2 LITERS of kenra...and for another $28 i got 3oz of MB. what a ripoff. they better be glad this stuff works.
oh, and i took back the iron guard and the straight guard. i have too many products already, and MB > iron guard.
oh, and i took back the iron guard and the straight guard. i have too many products already, and MB > iron guard.
hair disaster+MB+CVS haul
ok so its not really a disaster but here's where i am.
tues night: dc'd with some hot oil treatments i found in the back of the closet (they are suave but they have wheat protein!) and my cholesterol. i wanted to keep it on overnight so thank goodness i only kept in on about 2 hrs, one with heat one without. i took off the cap and when i rinsed it out OMG! there were all these short broken bone straight pieces! ALL MY HAIR IS FALLING OUT! not literally but it felt like it compared to the wash 2 days prior where all i saw was shed hair. wore it in a snood so i couldn't see it. idk what to do.
so wed night i was sad but i wanted to flat iron my hair for a meeting i had today (well, thursday). i cowashed, rollerset with detangler and chi silk infusion, and planned on just flat ironing the roots but i had my mom put the rollers in and she did a horrible job with straightening the hair on the roller (sorry mom). i have these sabino moisture block samples i wanted to try so here's what i did:
after taking out the rollers i then applied one whole vial, but i think i didn't coat it all too evenly. i was nervous about the heat protection so i had conveniently purchased some chi iron guard (what a pj) and i sprayed that on starting at the bottom half of my hair. i heard this frying noise and ditched that idea REAL quick.
so playing around with the temp, i went from ~410 on my solia back down to 370, then once i stopped using the iron guard (and subsequently stopped feeling like i was burning my scalp even though i was nowhere near my roots at that point) i turned it back up to 400. i then pulled out the other vial of MB and applied it section by section...man i tell you once i started doing it that way my results were so much better, just really shiny and smooth. gotta say i love my hair right now...i put on some castor oil and bunned today (gotta make APL!) but it still feels really great. can't wait to return the iron guard and run to trade secret tomorrow to see if they have this in stock.
last but not least, i made a trip to charlottesville today so i could get my shoe basket from my apartment (i can't believe i went TWO WEEKS without my flats!) and go to a meeting. while there i went to cvs since there isn't one here in newport news. they had john frieda products all BOGO and i was dying to try the color glaze (littlegoldlamb's reviews are slammin, btw). i got the brown and the clear BOTH for ten bucks and will try them this weekend or when my hair stops trippin, whichever comes first. i also bought some emergencee since this is the only place i can find it - seriously, that stuff is out of stock everywhere i go and shipping charges online are a b*tch. i will try it in maybe 2 weeks. oh, they had some 75% off stickers on random makeup...too bad the true match foundations/blushes were for people of a lighter complexion. i did get some physician's formula eyeshadow, a smoky trio that i really needed in my life, for 3.99, since it was 50% off. gotta love it.
be back in a few days...this is therapeutic as hell.
tues night: dc'd with some hot oil treatments i found in the back of the closet (they are suave but they have wheat protein!) and my cholesterol. i wanted to keep it on overnight so thank goodness i only kept in on about 2 hrs, one with heat one without. i took off the cap and when i rinsed it out OMG! there were all these short broken bone straight pieces! ALL MY HAIR IS FALLING OUT! not literally but it felt like it compared to the wash 2 days prior where all i saw was shed hair. wore it in a snood so i couldn't see it. idk what to do.
so wed night i was sad but i wanted to flat iron my hair for a meeting i had today (well, thursday). i cowashed, rollerset with detangler and chi silk infusion, and planned on just flat ironing the roots but i had my mom put the rollers in and she did a horrible job with straightening the hair on the roller (sorry mom). i have these sabino moisture block samples i wanted to try so here's what i did:
after taking out the rollers i then applied one whole vial, but i think i didn't coat it all too evenly. i was nervous about the heat protection so i had conveniently purchased some chi iron guard (what a pj) and i sprayed that on starting at the bottom half of my hair. i heard this frying noise and ditched that idea REAL quick.
so playing around with the temp, i went from ~410 on my solia back down to 370, then once i stopped using the iron guard (and subsequently stopped feeling like i was burning my scalp even though i was nowhere near my roots at that point) i turned it back up to 400. i then pulled out the other vial of MB and applied it section by section...man i tell you once i started doing it that way my results were so much better, just really shiny and smooth. gotta say i love my hair right now...i put on some castor oil and bunned today (gotta make APL!) but it still feels really great. can't wait to return the iron guard and run to trade secret tomorrow to see if they have this in stock.
last but not least, i made a trip to charlottesville today so i could get my shoe basket from my apartment (i can't believe i went TWO WEEKS without my flats!) and go to a meeting. while there i went to cvs since there isn't one here in newport news. they had john frieda products all BOGO and i was dying to try the color glaze (littlegoldlamb's reviews are slammin, btw). i got the brown and the clear BOTH for ten bucks and will try them this weekend or when my hair stops trippin, whichever comes first. i also bought some emergencee since this is the only place i can find it - seriously, that stuff is out of stock everywhere i go and shipping charges online are a b*tch. i will try it in maybe 2 weeks. oh, they had some 75% off stickers on random makeup...too bad the true match foundations/blushes were for people of a lighter complexion. i did get some physician's formula eyeshadow, a smoky trio that i really needed in my life, for 3.99, since it was 50% off. gotta love it.
be back in a few days...this is therapeutic as hell.
may 18th wash journal
so i spent ALL day yesterday putting yarn twists in my sister's hair then i washed my brother's hair for him. that makes today MY day. man i feel like such a bad girl because of all i've learned on LHCF. last time i washed was on the 10th...i meant to wash on the 13th or 14th but i got that free blowout and it messed up my life. not really, but it threw me off schedule cause i wanted to extend my straight hair glory. lol
ok...so right now i am prepooing with EVOO and castor oil and i will be washing afterwards with suave clarifying (1st lather) and CON blue (2nd lather). i bought a denman =) so i will use that and my VO5 to detangle. after that i will DC with aphogee 2 min for about 5 mins then again with Lustrasilk cholesterol. then thats about it...rinse, add my HE LTR leave-in, braid it up and dry it. haven't decided whether i will wear it curly or straight yet. i feel good about this though.
updated wants: CON green, a better prepoo. maybe.
ok...so right now i am prepooing with EVOO and castor oil and i will be washing afterwards with suave clarifying (1st lather) and CON blue (2nd lather). i bought a denman =) so i will use that and my VO5 to detangle. after that i will DC with aphogee 2 min for about 5 mins then again with Lustrasilk cholesterol. then thats about it...rinse, add my HE LTR leave-in, braid it up and dry it. haven't decided whether i will wear it curly or straight yet. i feel good about this though.
updated wants: CON green, a better prepoo. maybe.
thanks LadyLibra
LHCF Hair Survey!
1. Current Hair Length:
--collarbone stretched, mid-neck unstretched.
2.Relaxed/Texlaxed/Natural?
--transitioning? lol, natural
3. Favorite Style at Current Length (not necessarily a style you'd wear since we're all mainly wearing protective styles, but a style that you think looks cute with that length):
--bantu knot outs
4. Current Hair Color:
--lightish brown; darker at the ends where the damaged reddish black stuff is trying to fade.
5. Favorite Hair Color (for yourself):
--dark brown
6. Realistic Goal Length (the length you are truly determined to get to):
--APL unstretched
7. Dream Goal Length (the length you'd like to have, but not sure if you can achieve it, can be the same as above):
--BSL unstretched
8. Desired Style or Styles for Realistic Goal (a style you would wear at that goal):
--keeping it flat-ironed in protective styles, or when curly i like bantu knot outs/twistouts/braidouts.
9. Desired Style or Styles for Dream Goal:
either mimicking the sew-in with the bangs i had, or long, soft perfectly shaped ringlets.
10. Dream Look (okay this is weird but I've vowed to try to look more stylish once I achieve my goal length, plus I know some ladies here have taken up other self improvement regimens like weight loss or skin care so in the end what would be your dream look?):
--long healthy hair with glowing healthy and scar-free skin (acne scarring and the tolls of being a tomboy on my legs.)
11. Any crazy hair story:
--the day i got mad at my stylist for trying to charge me an exorbitant amount of money just to wash my sew in so me and my mom went at it. end result was HUGE matted tangle on top of my head...and since this was ~6pm on a friday every salon i called was like "sorry, see you monday". (btw i did find a girl who opened the shop just for me AND recut my bangs to please me.)
12. One thing you LOVE about your hair:
--discovering how much of a mistake it was for me to beg for a relaxer once i hit middle school. i love this versatility, and i am afflicted with hand-in-hair now.
13. Who truly screwed your hair up?:
--a few, to make it short: my mom's former stylist, who gave me my first relaxer...my stepmom's former stylist, who decided i would look great with bangs and resigned me to walking around with them bobby pinned back for 6 months...the people who told me dark and lovely blonde would be great on my hair...these are the same ones who did my sew-in and made me think i could go for 2 months without doing ANYTHING to it. eww.
14. Three reasons for wanting long hair (other than wanting to show that black women can have long hair, this is somewhat a goal for all of us):
--to determine if SL really is my terminal length (so far doesn't seem like it); to have more versatility; because my bf loves girls with long dark hair. haha. j/k about that last one, the real 3rd reason is so i learn about MYSELF (and save some dough in the process).
1. Current Hair Length:
--collarbone stretched, mid-neck unstretched.
2.Relaxed/Texlaxed/Natural?
--transitioning? lol, natural
3. Favorite Style at Current Length (not necessarily a style you'd wear since we're all mainly wearing protective styles, but a style that you think looks cute with that length):
--bantu knot outs
4. Current Hair Color:
--lightish brown; darker at the ends where the damaged reddish black stuff is trying to fade.
5. Favorite Hair Color (for yourself):
--dark brown
6. Realistic Goal Length (the length you are truly determined to get to):
--APL unstretched
7. Dream Goal Length (the length you'd like to have, but not sure if you can achieve it, can be the same as above):
--BSL unstretched
8. Desired Style or Styles for Realistic Goal (a style you would wear at that goal):
--keeping it flat-ironed in protective styles, or when curly i like bantu knot outs/twistouts/braidouts.
9. Desired Style or Styles for Dream Goal:
either mimicking the sew-in with the bangs i had, or long, soft perfectly shaped ringlets.
10. Dream Look (okay this is weird but I've vowed to try to look more stylish once I achieve my goal length, plus I know some ladies here have taken up other self improvement regimens like weight loss or skin care so in the end what would be your dream look?):
--long healthy hair with glowing healthy and scar-free skin (acne scarring and the tolls of being a tomboy on my legs.)
11. Any crazy hair story:
--the day i got mad at my stylist for trying to charge me an exorbitant amount of money just to wash my sew in so me and my mom went at it. end result was HUGE matted tangle on top of my head...and since this was ~6pm on a friday every salon i called was like "sorry, see you monday". (btw i did find a girl who opened the shop just for me AND recut my bangs to please me.)
12. One thing you LOVE about your hair:
--discovering how much of a mistake it was for me to beg for a relaxer once i hit middle school. i love this versatility, and i am afflicted with hand-in-hair now.
13. Who truly screwed your hair up?:
--a few, to make it short: my mom's former stylist, who gave me my first relaxer...my stepmom's former stylist, who decided i would look great with bangs and resigned me to walking around with them bobby pinned back for 6 months...the people who told me dark and lovely blonde would be great on my hair...these are the same ones who did my sew-in and made me think i could go for 2 months without doing ANYTHING to it. eww.
14. Three reasons for wanting long hair (other than wanting to show that black women can have long hair, this is somewhat a goal for all of us):
--to determine if SL really is my terminal length (so far doesn't seem like it); to have more versatility; because my bf loves girls with long dark hair. haha. j/k about that last one, the real 3rd reason is so i learn about MYSELF (and save some dough in the process).
hair mini haul
so today was my bf's birthday and since he is still up at school finishing finals i went out and bought things for myself. =) i had been itching for some aphogee so this is what i got from sally's:
denman d3 (can't wait to use it tomorrow!)
aphogee 2 min reconstructor
noodle head curling creme
CON blue shampoo (extra body, they were out of the regular and i just had to take advantage of the sale)
rayon net
and then i went to wal-mart and bought yarn so i can do yarn twists in my little sister's head (thanks for the tutorial Honesty!) so we will see how my prepoo/wash/DC regimen goes tomorrow. i will prepoo with EVOO and castor oil, then wash with the new CON, and DC with the aphogee followed by the cholesterol i bought the other day.
denman d3 (can't wait to use it tomorrow!)
aphogee 2 min reconstructor
noodle head curling creme
CON blue shampoo (extra body, they were out of the regular and i just had to take advantage of the sale)
rayon net
and then i went to wal-mart and bought yarn so i can do yarn twists in my little sister's head (thanks for the tutorial Honesty!) so we will see how my prepoo/wash/DC regimen goes tomorrow. i will prepoo with EVOO and castor oil, then wash with the new CON, and DC with the aphogee followed by the cholesterol i bought the other day.
reorganizing my regimen
all i need to add in:
cowashing (3x a week?)
DCing 2x a week
clarifying 1x aweek
full prepoo/wash/DC 1x a week
i'll figure it out in the next week or so.
cowashing (3x a week?)
DCing 2x a week
clarifying 1x aweek
full prepoo/wash/DC 1x a week
i'll figure it out in the next week or so.
PJ in search of a DC
So I joined the DC challenge on LHCF...I think challenges are my new thing - so many good tips and support, and in this particular one Aggie (LadyAggie on fotki) is so great at being patient with me and answering all my unanswered questions! I love this challenge and I have only DC'd once!
I wanted to flat iron my hair today so I started preparing my hair on Saturday night 5/10...I don't have any SLS-free poos yet so I just used my trusty old VO5 conditioner and did a co-wash. (I since have bought some Suave clarifying...I heard Trade Secret has a sale though, and I'll stalk the board tomorrow for some recommendations. If you wanna rec though...you know!). After that I DC'd for 30 mins with this Cantu shea butter leave-in I bought spiked with some EVOO, which is my best friend ever. It clearly said "leave-in" but the back of the jar said something about leaving in overnight, so for less than $5 I said why not. My hair didn't feel so mushy after the treatment, so I said hey cool, but something still didn't feel right. (I exchanged it today for some LustraSilk cholesterol, btw.) Getting on with it...I detangled with this leftover Thermasilk spray and put on some of the greatest leave-in ever, HE LTR. I really wanted to stretch it but it was 3am by then and I was t-i-r-e-d. Therefore, I just put a satin bonnet on.
Fast forward to Sunday afternoon. My hair was still damp but I was anxious to use my new Solia for the first time, and the box clearly says you can use it on damp hair, so I grabbed my Chi Silk Infusion and went for it. Somewhere along this pathway I must have went seriously wrong, because I couldn't get my roots straight for anything. I got frustrated and just did what I could, so basically my roots are crimpy right now and the rest is straight. It also looks dry...what the heck, man? I'm gonna get this thing eventually.
What I'll do different next time:
1) STRETCH! Probably banding or a braidout or twistout.
2) Let it dry all the way by giving it more time if I air dry or just biting the bullet and blow drying. The hood dryer also looks tempting...but that thing is HOT on my forehead. I am stanning for a Pibbs at this point.
3) Use a different moisturizer?
4) Clarify...maybe it is the buildup from all this freakin' co-washing.
So I'm excited...I am having a medical procedure on Wednesday and that will give me a lot of downtime (about 2 weeks) to sit and think once I get over the pain of the healing process. I will try to DC again on Sunday since I'm not happy with this straightening job anyway...but we shall see if I really feel like it.
I wanted to flat iron my hair today so I started preparing my hair on Saturday night 5/10...I don't have any SLS-free poos yet so I just used my trusty old VO5 conditioner and did a co-wash. (I since have bought some Suave clarifying...I heard Trade Secret has a sale though, and I'll stalk the board tomorrow for some recommendations. If you wanna rec though...you know!). After that I DC'd for 30 mins with this Cantu shea butter leave-in I bought spiked with some EVOO, which is my best friend ever. It clearly said "leave-in" but the back of the jar said something about leaving in overnight, so for less than $5 I said why not. My hair didn't feel so mushy after the treatment, so I said hey cool, but something still didn't feel right. (I exchanged it today for some LustraSilk cholesterol, btw.) Getting on with it...I detangled with this leftover Thermasilk spray and put on some of the greatest leave-in ever, HE LTR. I really wanted to stretch it but it was 3am by then and I was t-i-r-e-d. Therefore, I just put a satin bonnet on.
Fast forward to Sunday afternoon. My hair was still damp but I was anxious to use my new Solia for the first time, and the box clearly says you can use it on damp hair, so I grabbed my Chi Silk Infusion and went for it. Somewhere along this pathway I must have went seriously wrong, because I couldn't get my roots straight for anything. I got frustrated and just did what I could, so basically my roots are crimpy right now and the rest is straight. It also looks dry...what the heck, man? I'm gonna get this thing eventually.
What I'll do different next time:
1) STRETCH! Probably banding or a braidout or twistout.
2) Let it dry all the way by giving it more time if I air dry or just biting the bullet and blow drying. The hood dryer also looks tempting...but that thing is HOT on my forehead. I am stanning for a Pibbs at this point.
3) Use a different moisturizer?
4) Clarify...maybe it is the buildup from all this freakin' co-washing.
So I'm excited...I am having a medical procedure on Wednesday and that will give me a lot of downtime (about 2 weeks) to sit and think once I get over the pain of the healing process. I will try to DC again on Sunday since I'm not happy with this straightening job anyway...but we shall see if I really feel like it.
My Hair Journey
As you can see...this is L-O-N-G.
If only I knew where to start. This "hair-therapy" is very new to me; I came across Macherieamour's site (http://healthytextures.typepad.com) about a month and a half ago just trying to find out more about the oil cleansing method or something else completely unrelated. Once I saw that there was the possibility that I really COULD have long hair, I was hooked.
I was born with light brown curly hair, and my brother came along four years later with a similar mop. He has grown his hair out on several occasions and always got praise for his curly 'fros. My mom always took pride in plaiting my hair into cute little ponytails, and I liked it too. My aunt and my older cousins (one is 10 years older, the other 2 years older) were ALWAYS putting their hands in my hair, and from the few times my aunt took me to her stylist Linda (who has a daughter my age with hair similar to mine) I liked that a lot. I felt so "grown" sitting in that chair. My mom tried to mimic that happiness by taking me to her stylist, who I now realize may have been part of the problem (I still love you though!). She was the one who first cut my hair, put the hot comb to my tresses, and applied that first relaxer. I felt pretty - my mom felt defeated.
From there began a line of bad stylists: my stepmother would take me with her and her daughters, who have hair similar to mine, but it stays pressed/greased. My mom was appalled on a number of occasions when I came back from his house with straight, shiny hair, which I LOVED because it helped me fit in with my Caucasian (ahem) friends.
Once I got into high school I continued with the relaxers but wasn't so big on upkeep: ponytails were my best friend. My cousins would tease me a lot for those puffy frizzy things, and this is when I was introduced to wrapping, moisturizing, and the like. My hair looked healthy for sure, but I still have no idea whether it was actually the hair or all the products. I began wearing my hair down more, and this may be why my hair didn't get past SL: it was always rubbing against my collar!
I began college in the fall of 2005 and decided I wanted a new hairdo to mark this new phase. (This is part of the problem: I express breakups, successes, and tragedy with my hair.) I cut it into a style like Linda's daughter's the day after Thanksgiving, and a month later I got it colored like hers too. I usually let Linda do what she saw fit, and I will concede that it worked - while I was relaxed, anyway. I grew this out, then in about September of 2006 got my first sew-in. It was ok, and I got it mainly for length, but I was under the impression that I didn't have to do anything to the braids underneath. This resulted in breakage when I took it out in December, then in January I bleached it blond with some Dark & Lovely off the shelf at Wal-mart. Linda's color was better of course, but $5 compared to $85? Come on!
Ok...grew out the blond (it looked bad anyway, but I didn't care) then dyed it a reddish color the summer of 07 to get rid of the yellowish. Got a sew-in July 07 because I liked that particular hairstyle; it looked good but was put in by an "old-school" stylist who told me "she didn't need to look at the pic I bought" so I was never satisfied with the bangs. She was one of those people who tell you what you wanna hear if it means you will sit in the chair...and give up that money. After it came out I found a great girl named Myra who advised me to wait for another...but only after taking out the one she put in. I had anticipated another full sew-in, but either because she didn't feel like it or she thought she had creative license, she left the top (reddish, remember?) out and the bottom was jet black. Wow, right? It looked okay, but once again I wasn't in love with it. Then that same night one of the tracks on the side slipped...she was 50 miles away by then so I had my mom fix it. Big mistake.
Myra disappeared right around the time I was looking for it to come out...by my 20th birthday (Oct 2007) it was looking really bad and I was upset, since I was planning on having a big celebration and didn't want to look like a fool. My cousin ended up taking it out so I could just wash it or whatever, and while it had grown it had also knotted up. After the knots came out I was barely SL. After I finished crying she told me about a Dominican salon she had been to, and since I was in no shape to get a relaxer I went to them. My hair turned out fabulous, minus the fact that they had to cut out the part that knotted up after washing it, so I went from SL to ear length that day. I kept up going to them pretty much once a month (more over academic breaks) from then (Oct 2007) to Feb or March of this year, since I have to travel ~150 miles from school to there. Sometime in November they dyed my hair black, and I haven't dyed it since.
In comes LHCF, which I discovered in late March. I began seriously reanalyzing the lack of washing (I only let them wash it, so if I was only home once a month that's all that happened) and deep conditioning, as well as my lack of enthusiasm for spending money on what has proven to work vs. going for the cheaper stuff. I quickly became a PJ (ha) after discovering LHCF, and through all the trial and error I have found a few things I can't live without - and saved some money. ($25 on a wash and set, then another $12 for Emergencia, then $5 for DC if I requested it...what?! I bought some VO5 for 66 cents from CVS and some HE LTR leave-in for 3 bucks at Wal-mart, and recently discovered the BOTTLE of Emergencee is $12!) Love it, and so does my hair. I love CW days now, and I use them to experiment with all the new styles I've picked up from LHCF. Who says you have to be relaxed to have style versatility? Just in the past 3 weeks I've tried braid-outs, twist-outs, Bantu knots...when I went home two weeks ago my mom bought a Chi (she has since returned it for a Solia from folica.com) and I used that and the Silk Infusion I had from a while back to straighten it. WOW...it's so thick and shiny, and the Bantu knots are so different when I do them on straight hair! I can't wait to post all my pics!
I know, I know...this was long. But if only you knew how liberated I feel. I seriously doubt I can offer suggestions to anyone, but I am open to them and eager to learn from the pros.
Peace, love, and (no) hair grease,
mojo <3
If only I knew where to start. This "hair-therapy" is very new to me; I came across Macherieamour's site (http://healthytextures.typepad.com) about a month and a half ago just trying to find out more about the oil cleansing method or something else completely unrelated. Once I saw that there was the possibility that I really COULD have long hair, I was hooked.
I was born with light brown curly hair, and my brother came along four years later with a similar mop. He has grown his hair out on several occasions and always got praise for his curly 'fros. My mom always took pride in plaiting my hair into cute little ponytails, and I liked it too. My aunt and my older cousins (one is 10 years older, the other 2 years older) were ALWAYS putting their hands in my hair, and from the few times my aunt took me to her stylist Linda (who has a daughter my age with hair similar to mine) I liked that a lot. I felt so "grown" sitting in that chair. My mom tried to mimic that happiness by taking me to her stylist, who I now realize may have been part of the problem (I still love you though!). She was the one who first cut my hair, put the hot comb to my tresses, and applied that first relaxer. I felt pretty - my mom felt defeated.
From there began a line of bad stylists: my stepmother would take me with her and her daughters, who have hair similar to mine, but it stays pressed/greased. My mom was appalled on a number of occasions when I came back from his house with straight, shiny hair, which I LOVED because it helped me fit in with my Caucasian (ahem) friends.
Once I got into high school I continued with the relaxers but wasn't so big on upkeep: ponytails were my best friend. My cousins would tease me a lot for those puffy frizzy things, and this is when I was introduced to wrapping, moisturizing, and the like. My hair looked healthy for sure, but I still have no idea whether it was actually the hair or all the products. I began wearing my hair down more, and this may be why my hair didn't get past SL: it was always rubbing against my collar!
I began college in the fall of 2005 and decided I wanted a new hairdo to mark this new phase. (This is part of the problem: I express breakups, successes, and tragedy with my hair.) I cut it into a style like Linda's daughter's the day after Thanksgiving, and a month later I got it colored like hers too. I usually let Linda do what she saw fit, and I will concede that it worked - while I was relaxed, anyway. I grew this out, then in about September of 2006 got my first sew-in. It was ok, and I got it mainly for length, but I was under the impression that I didn't have to do anything to the braids underneath. This resulted in breakage when I took it out in December, then in January I bleached it blond with some Dark & Lovely off the shelf at Wal-mart. Linda's color was better of course, but $5 compared to $85? Come on!
Ok...grew out the blond (it looked bad anyway, but I didn't care) then dyed it a reddish color the summer of 07 to get rid of the yellowish. Got a sew-in July 07 because I liked that particular hairstyle; it looked good but was put in by an "old-school" stylist who told me "she didn't need to look at the pic I bought" so I was never satisfied with the bangs. She was one of those people who tell you what you wanna hear if it means you will sit in the chair...and give up that money. After it came out I found a great girl named Myra who advised me to wait for another...but only after taking out the one she put in. I had anticipated another full sew-in, but either because she didn't feel like it or she thought she had creative license, she left the top (reddish, remember?) out and the bottom was jet black. Wow, right? It looked okay, but once again I wasn't in love with it. Then that same night one of the tracks on the side slipped...she was 50 miles away by then so I had my mom fix it. Big mistake.
Myra disappeared right around the time I was looking for it to come out...by my 20th birthday (Oct 2007) it was looking really bad and I was upset, since I was planning on having a big celebration and didn't want to look like a fool. My cousin ended up taking it out so I could just wash it or whatever, and while it had grown it had also knotted up. After the knots came out I was barely SL. After I finished crying she told me about a Dominican salon she had been to, and since I was in no shape to get a relaxer I went to them. My hair turned out fabulous, minus the fact that they had to cut out the part that knotted up after washing it, so I went from SL to ear length that day. I kept up going to them pretty much once a month (more over academic breaks) from then (Oct 2007) to Feb or March of this year, since I have to travel ~150 miles from school to there. Sometime in November they dyed my hair black, and I haven't dyed it since.
In comes LHCF, which I discovered in late March. I began seriously reanalyzing the lack of washing (I only let them wash it, so if I was only home once a month that's all that happened) and deep conditioning, as well as my lack of enthusiasm for spending money on what has proven to work vs. going for the cheaper stuff. I quickly became a PJ (ha) after discovering LHCF, and through all the trial and error I have found a few things I can't live without - and saved some money. ($25 on a wash and set, then another $12 for Emergencia, then $5 for DC if I requested it...what?! I bought some VO5 for 66 cents from CVS and some HE LTR leave-in for 3 bucks at Wal-mart, and recently discovered the BOTTLE of Emergencee is $12!) Love it, and so does my hair. I love CW days now, and I use them to experiment with all the new styles I've picked up from LHCF. Who says you have to be relaxed to have style versatility? Just in the past 3 weeks I've tried braid-outs, twist-outs, Bantu knots...when I went home two weeks ago my mom bought a Chi (she has since returned it for a Solia from folica.com) and I used that and the Silk Infusion I had from a while back to straighten it. WOW...it's so thick and shiny, and the Bantu knots are so different when I do them on straight hair! I can't wait to post all my pics!
I know, I know...this was long. But if only you knew how liberated I feel. I seriously doubt I can offer suggestions to anyone, but I am open to them and eager to learn from the pros.
Peace, love, and (no) hair grease,
mojo <3
get up on the terminology if you have no idea what i am talking about!
http://longhaircareforum.com
2 comments:
hehe, i definitely didn't read everything in this entry, but i just wanted to tell you that i really like your blog! i love reading about other people's experiences with their hair and what not. hehe. hope all is well!
lol PLEASE dont read all of this...ANYONE...but thank you!
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