Havana Twists

I took out my Senegalese twists about a week ago and decided to get Havana Twists. I bought 10 bags of marley hair which cost $4.99 a pack. Now, the best part about all of this is that I was in and out of the salon within 2 hours! Now, for braids, this is amazing. Of course it's because they are huge but depending on how these last, I'll get them more often.


Outfit Deets
Dress - Banana Republic (similar style here)
Shoes - Mix No. 6 (similar style here)

Protective Styling: Senegalese Twists

I get so bored when it comes to hairstyles. Every so often, I end up changing it approximately every 6-8 weeks by jumping from my natural hair to u part wigs to Senegalese twists and the list goes on. It's a never ending cycle.

This time around, after wearing my hair natural for about two months, I decided to get Senegalese twists. Don't get me wrong, I loveee my natural hair but from time to time, I get tired of the moisturizing, twisting, etc. And let’s not forget about wash day! My whole Sunday is devoted to detangling, oil treatments, washing by section, conditioning under my makeshift steamer and THEN twisting or doing bantu knots. I love it all, but a break every once in a while isn't bad.

Two ladies were dedicated to my head and it took approximately 5 hours. I went to the local beauty supply and purchased 9 bags of regular synthetic braiding hair because I wanted it to be waist length. I'll most likely keep these in for about 6 weeks max and then it's back to my natural hair!


Outfit deets
Blazer - H&M (similar style here)
Shorts- Old Navy (similar style here)
Shoes- Steve Madden (similar style here)

Review: Naturally Silk Elements Curling Cream Gel

I cut my natural hair short again due to breakage and have been looking for a product that will make my curls pop when I shingle it. I was using As I Am's Smoothing Gel and absolutely loved it! The only down side was it left my hair with a white ball type of residue. So after spending at least an hour in Sallys Beauty Supply, I decided to purchase this product by Naturally Silk Elements for $6.00. Now, before I buy anything, I hop on the internet to check some reviews. Everything looked good for the most part so I purchased it.

That night, I washed my hair with Phytonectar shampoo followed by a deep conditioning treatment. I then two-strand twisted my hair with the product. Upon application, my hair felt moisturized but still a little dry. It even produced a little curling effect at the end of the twist. After I was done, I noticed that the product dried pretty quickly but left my hair feeling crunchy and extra dry.No feeling of moisture whatsoever. So the next morning, I spritz my hair with some water/conditioner mix and it felt moisturized again but once it dried, the same crunchy feeling came back.

Now, would I recommend this product? No, because it left my hair feeling dry, which you know is a no go. I will try it again by adding some type of leave in or conditioner to my hair first before adding this. I just hope it doesn't create flakes or a white type of residue like the other product.

Long Hair, Don't Care

Last month, I had box braids put in. Now it's been a couple weeks and I have to say, I love it! Since my cousin was in town she did them for me. I have a lot of hair so 8 packs of regular synthetic braiding hair did the job. $5 for 3 packs! At first, I wanted kinky twists, but since I was on a time limit, I opted for regular box braids, of course hip length. It took 2 days to complete which wasn't so bad. She did the perimeter and then finished the middle the next day. I will take them out next weekend because I don't like to keep them in for long because 6 weeks to me is pushing it.

Natural Hair Update

For the past 2 months, I've been wearing my natural hair out and I LOVE it! It's like a breath of fresh air. You don't have to worry about blending your leave out in the morning or securing your wig in fear of the wind blowing it off.  But I must say, it can be a hassle when it comes time to styling it. I often check out various blogs for ideas but sometimes find myself stumped because A. my hair isn't long enough or B. it just isn't working lol. So what style do I usually revert to? The puff. Don't get me wrong, I love my puff but I also want to try other styles.

Also, about 2 weeks ago I went back to my stylist for a trim and twist out. I'm mad at myself for not taking a picture of it because it turned out really nice! Since my hair is so thick, it takes time to do that and since I'm usually so busy, I can't. So, we shall see what styles I come up with. I'm actually putting in braids tonight and giving my hair a rest for like 3 weeks. I'm excited because I can't tell you the last time I had braids.

Hair Cut Time!

After wearing protective styles for a year, I decided to rock my natural hair again. I realized that in order to do so, I had to get it cut. So I returned to my stylist Maisha at Bibi Salon in Harlem, NY. I love her salon because its cozy and she takes her time with you, unlike most salons that try to rush you in and out.  Now, the last time I was there my hair was a mess. It was dry, brittle and broken off in so many places. So after taking biotin for a year, my hair grew back tremendously. She gave me a fresh cut and recommended a shampoo and conditioner by Phyto. I haven't used them as yet but plan on putting them to work this weekend. Check out my pics below of the process from start to finish.

Sassy Mitchell Hair Review- Eurasian Ocean Wave

For the past couple of months, I've been researching different hair sellers. I hear great things about Indique but their prices are too expensive for me right now. Then some lady recommended Halley's Curls but after reading reviews on BHM I decided I'm not taking the chance. So one day while browsing various sites I came across Sassy Mitchell. The deal breaker for me is YouTube videos. After watching about 3-5 I can make an overall decision. So Lover4Fashion posted this video and I automatically fell in love. They also offer a 10% discount to students per bundle! Something unheard of. Usually you have to wait until a seller has a spring, winter or some kind of special sale to catch a break. I purchased two 16in bundles of the Eurasian Ocean Wave and have to say hands down this is the best hair I've ever had. I actually had to look at the calender to see when I got it installed because it still looks so good. No tangling, shedding, nothing! This is definitely a good investment. They're based in Atlanta and their customer service is great. They even offer layaway. I installed this hair on Feb 18th and washed it myself every 2 weeks. The hair color to me is like a 2 so I had to dye it black. Below are a few pictures. I'm now considering the Brazilian Tight Curl for the summertime.

Outre Velvet Remi Natural Yaki Final review

Have mercy! I've had this hair in for 2 months now and it's time for it to go! I must say it was nice in the beginning but as time went on it started shedding like crazy. Before I go off on a tangent, let me break it down:

Its my Nappiversary!

Do you know what today is?? ITS MY NAPPIVERSARY (little Tevin Campbell plug lol). Yes! I'm at the 3 year mark of being natural and I loveeee it! I've definitely had my share of ups and downs but I'm glad I pulled through. From the countless products to researching high and low on Black Hair Media forum, I have to say thank you to the following individuals that have and still continue to inspire me: NaturallyNiké, Naturally Obsessed, Nikkimae2003, ItsMsHeatherNicole, & Rusticbeauty.

Below is a picture of my hair when i took out my weave last month.

I started taking biotin and fish oil over the summer and it definitely has made a difference in my hair growth. I can now put my hair up into a ponytail without having to pin the "i can't make it" sides. I can't wait until later this month when I have to take out my weave again. I will post an updated picture for you guys.

Outre Velvet Remi Natural Yaki Update

Sorry for not posting on Friday and yesterday. My brother got married this past weekend so I was realllllly busy and exhausted.

So its been a week since I got this hair installed and its holding up great! My stylist put in a pack and a half and it's so much thicker then the regular Velvet Remi. I use flexi rods every night to get that curl/wave look. Since I had it cut into layers I use small ones on the top and bigger ones on the bottom. The hair does shed quite a bit but since I wear it curly all the time, it doesn't bother me. And as for blending, it blends really well with my natural hair. I only have to flat iron it twice a week (max). When I get to the 1 month mark, I'll do another review on this hair.

Bohyme Brazilian Wave Review & New Install: Outre Velvet Remi- Natural Yaki

Sooooo my bo-braz. I had it installed in July 2011 and then re installed in Sept. When I first had the hair put in it was great. I used a pack and a 1/2 and wore it out of the salon curly. The maintenance was fine. Every Sunday I would co-wash the hair, deep condition my leave out and then braid it into 2 pigtails. This caused very little shedding and tangling. Now fast forward to September. The hair started tangling like no other. Conditioning and braiding didn't even help so upon having the hair re installed I had my stylist straighten it. This caused little tangling until I got to week 3. The hair just started having a mind of it's own. I would brush it in the morning and it would be fine but within an hour or two it just went crazy. So for the next 3 weeks, I could only wear it in a bun. Would I try this hair again? Probably not. I just love the fact that it blends very well with my natural hair.

So now this past Saturday I had the Outre Velvet Remi- Natural Yaki installed (12in & 14in in 1b). A while ago I actually posted about the regular Outre Remi Velvet and said it was a bit too silky for my natural hair. This one blends pretty good so far. It also holds a curl really well.

Indique Hair - Halleys Curls...Whats your take on these brands?

I'm definitely in need of some new hair. I'm currently on the second lap of my Bohyme Brazilian Wave and I can't even wear the hair out anymore because it tangles so much. My best friend currently has in the Bounce Relaxed Straight by Indique and loves it. Only thing is that it doesn't hold a curl. I usually like to wear my hair straight, but every once in a while I like to curl it. If I do get this hair I'm going to try the Bounce Natural Roots or Pure Wavy. You can check out their products here.

Also, I've heard good things about Halley's Curls Virgin Malaysian hair. Which I think would be great because it's like a loose curl so I can have the best of both worlds kinda. They currently have a sale going on so if you’re interested get it cheap while you can!

Have you tried any of these brands?

My Natural Hair Story

My natural hair story is like a roller coaster. Some people laugh at me when I say this but it hurts when you think your doing all the right things when your actually not. I'll explain....

Bohyme Brazilian Wave Review

So after looking at this hair on blogs for about 2 years I finally decided to purchase it. I got one 14in from hairsisters.com for $90 (they had a 10% sale) and the other at my local bss.

Do you believe in Andre Walker's Hair Typing System?

When I first started going natural, I found it difficult to maintain my hair. I didn't know what products to use or where to turn. After doing some research I came across Andre Walker's "Hair Type System". Many of you might know Andre as being Oprah's hairstylist for 20+ years. So basically what this does is place your hair type (straight, wavy, curly, etc) in a specific category that is then broken up into a sub-category according to your texture. I find it very useful because if you're a 4a another person with 4a hair can recommend products that work for them. And yes, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another, but it can steer you in the right direction. Check out the link below to see what hair type you might be!

http://www.naturallycurly.com/hair-types 

Review: Elasta QP Curl Wax

2hairReview: Outre Velvet Remi Yaki

I have to say that I really really like this hair! I bought a 14in and 16in from my local BSS in 1B and its been holding up really well. The only thing I don't like is

Natural Hair on Vacation....

I've decided to take a little break and have a protective style installed. I haven’t had a weave for the last 2 years so it was almost like a new world to me again. So after heavy manipulation with my natural hair I wanted to give it a rest. I think I will continue to weave my hair until April of 2012. Until then, I will have my hair washed every 2 weeks, deep condition when I take out my weave and make sure I get a trim when necessary.

2Review: It's a Half Wig- Fame

My friends call me the guinea pig because I'm always trying out new hair products. I wanted to try a new line of wigs because Outre isn't doing it for me anymore. Sooo I bought this wig called Fame made by the It's a Wig Collection. I got it at a good deal because Clair Hair was having a 20% sale. I've had it almost for a month and a half now and its still holding up great. One of the best secrets to keeping your wig looking nice is to keep product usage to a minimum. So I do that and pull apart the curls every few days to make sure it doesnt tangle and VIOLA! Got yourself a good wig. I'm debating on trying another half wig they make called Violet. It's similar to Fame but the curl pattern is tighter.

Kinky Twists

I attempted to put some kinky twists in my hair. After watching numerous youtube videos I decided I was going to try to "twist" it from the root instead of "braiding" it. This was a lot more difficult than I thought. I used some left over hair I bought from clairhair.com and bought 3 packs from a local beauty supply store in color 30. The hair I bought from clairhair.com was so much better than the beauty supply store one and it was cheaper. I only kept in the braids for about 2 weeks because I started to miss my hair.

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