Fav Vlogger: Naptural85 on YouTube

I'm not too big on watching natural hair Vloggers on YouTube, but I have run across one who is particularly helpful. She vlogs under the handle "Naptural85" (<-- click her for a link to her channel) and her videos are very informative with lots of helpful tidbits.

I tried her version of a two-strand twist out, where she flat twists the roots for added definition. I've done this method before, when my hair was shorter, and didn't like it. This time it worked like a charm! Naptural85 uses a whipped shea butter cream that she makes from scratch. I didn't have any shea to whip so I used the thickest cream I had on hand, which happened to be B&B Lock & Twist Cream.

I picked up B&B Lock & Twist Cream at the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show for all of $2.50. It is thick and somewhere between creamy and greasy; the scent is amazing...mango I think. The last time I used it reminded me of a twist out I'd done using shea butter, and it worked well this time, too. On barely damp, sectioned hair, I applied the product to each section with the Denman. Flat twisting the roots helps to pull them taunt.

I slept in a satin scarf and (SLOWLY!!) un-twisted the next morning. You cannot move too fast on the take-down or you will have tangles and frizz. I love it now, but I bet I will love it more tomorrow. Tonight I will re-twist in larger sections or try Naptural85's "Twist Out Stretching Bun Method." This is looking like it may become my winter routine. It's either that or my pig-tailed bun :)

*Smooches*

Product Review: Revlon Amber Waves All Purpose 50/50 Nylon Natural Brush

A situation of desperation lead me in search of a hair brush at 7:45 am this morning. I was on my way to work and had plans to style my hair in the parking lot before entering the building.

Then I realized that I didn't have a brush with me. Panic set in.

Last night I slept with my hair in two pig-tails....with no scarf...on a cotton pillowcase (I know...horrible!). Needless to say the resulting bed head this morning was a hot mess. I had fuzz everywhere and the only things I had to tame it were my fingers and some Eco gel.

It was NOT gonna happen.

So I stopped in Kroger thinking that I would have to buy some measly, hard brush for at least $10. But there on the top row (and surprisingly, not in the "ethnic" section) was a Revlon Amber Waves Brush. I have used the Amber Waves line before. I bought one of their loop-tipped vent brushes about a year ago and loved it. Immediately, I could tell that this 50/50 Nylon-Natural brush had real potential. The design was sleek. Its bristles were thick. I touched it and the bristles were somewhere between soft and firm. The rows of bristles were longer than on most brushes, which I love for even smoothing.

I expected it to cost more, but it was only $3.99 (reg. price). I used it immediately and loved the results. This brush really grabs and smooths without tugging. Some naturals don't believe in brushing, but I ain't one of them..lol! I love a good brush and on this one I am a believer so far. I will update if anything changes.

*Smooches*

The label claims the following:

This all-purpose brush is a great way to smooth, shine and groom your hair. Intermixed with all-natural bristles, it helps add sheen and luster, and stimulates your scalp for a healthy-looking, beautiful style each time you use it.

• 50% nylon bristles smooth your "locs"
• 50% natural bristles lock-in sheen
• Nylon bristles are great for medium to coarse hair
• Soft, all-natural bristles are great for all hair textures and
• Help to retain and spread moisture
• Prevents breakage and enhances growth

Natural Hair: Evening Styling Results

Here are the final results of my blown out twist set. I decided to wear it out instead of pulling it to one side as planned. It worked well for my look and masked the length of my feathered earrings. A side-swept bang dressed up this style quite nicely, and it continued to expand all night. By the end of the night I looked a little bit like a wild child...but it worked with the shoes :P

Natural Hair: Evening Styling

The Soul Train Music Awards are being taped in Atlanta today and I'M GOING!! The past week has been a whirlwind with finding something to wear and deciding how I want my hair to look. I lucked up and found a "stylist" who works in Dillard's. He had a vision and I put together my whole look based off of his instruction.

For my hair, I decided to stretch it out for the show. My dress has a one shoulder design, so I either need to pull it to one side or wear it big.

I prepped the night before by detangling with Organics Passionfruit Guava Conditioner and EVOO. I twisted and let that dry to stretch my hair.

The next night I blew my hair out one section at a time, then re-twisted with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. I then set the twist on flexirods so that they would have more body when I release them.

I will update tomorrow with the finished look..but this looks promising :)

Natural High Pony Puff

Over the weekend I needed something quick and cute for a weekend of shopping. I cannot stand having my fro out when trying on clothes because it's usually all over the place and frizzed by the end of the day. This high pony puff was easy to get clothes over (and I tried on a lot of stuff) without too much hassle.


The night before I co washed with Aussie Moist and used Organics Passion Fruit Guava conditioner and EVOO as a leave in. While damp, I twisted six, big twists with some Mizani Coconut Souffle. The next morning I released the twists and used my Denman to smooth the edges back with some EcoStlyer gel. Pinning my puff into place with bobby pins helps to shape and secure it.

World Natural Hair Next Top Model Search

It's that time again ladies!! Mark your calendars if you are interested in applying to become the 3rd World Natural Hair Next Top Model. The deadline to apply is 12/31/2011. Click the link below to be re-directed to the site:

15th Annual World Natural Hair, Health and Beauty Show

Check out the highlight reel from last year's crowing ceremony. I'm sprinkled throughout the video (in the green dress). Does that make me famous? LOL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4W00hSaMbU

Blowout Style Preservation: Flexirods

Here are better pictures of my results using flexirods to preserve my blowout. Wrapping my hair after a blowout always resulted in frizz. Pin curls work great but can be tricky when trying to avoid dents and frizzed ends.

Part strategically and you won't have a ton of scalp to cover in the mornings. I roll each section between my fingers (like you would for a bantu knot) to get the spiral look in the pic above.

3 Years Natural Growth

Happy Nappyversary to me!!

I got my hair blown out for my Nappyversary and my Birthday this past weekend. The blow out session was brutal because I haven't had a trim in a year. My ends were a complete mess and I had fairy knots for days. That's what I get for being cheap o_O

My hair has grown considerably since my last check in. Blade is still just as fabulous as ever. Here is his info in case you need it. (Also, Blade does do natural styles ladies, but he charges based on the amount of time for each process. Natural styles take longer so..you know what that means..)


Blade
Natural Hair and Beauty Tune-up Clinic
2200 Northlake Pkwy, Tucker, GA, 30084
Phone: 404-484-7136
(Tell him Natasha sent you!)


To maintain I set my hair on 8 flexirods each night and cover with one of my son's "Under Armour" type t-shirts. His shirts work great as head scarves because they stretch to fit over the rods without being too tight. A scarf that is too tight will cause night sweats and roller dents in your set. I release the curls in the morning and lightly separate the curls. It fluffs on its own throughout the day.

Taking a Break: Hair Senioritis

Maybe it's the fact that I'm going to my 10 year high school class reunion in three days...

Maybe it's because I haven't had a trim in almost a year and detangling is a beast these days...

Or maybe it's because Natural is no longer "new" to me now. I will be 3 years in the game come October...natural is a part of life these days.

It could be any of the reasons listed above, but for some reason I have not had the time or energy to deal with my hair for the last..hmmm..month or so. TDavis inspired me with "low to no" effort style and I have rocked it out to Puerto Rico and back.

It works for work, home, and vacay...and lasts me for at least a week at a time. I think that I like having my hair "put away" from time to time. Hell, sometimes it's nice to put on my shower cap and just see my face for once.

This is really two pig-tails jazzed up with an off center curved part. I smooth with EcoStyler w/Argan Oil gel (can you believe the jar is almost empty..it does work when used alone). I split the ends of each pony into two and twist. Then fold each side over and secure with bobby pins.

Easy peasey lemon squeezey... and I can be lazy another week...lol!

Back in the Game Baby!!

I FINALLY GOT MY REPLACEMENT COMPUTER!!

In comparison to my HP Entertainment PC, it is some rachet BS, but it's a computer..lol! Thank you all for your patience because my posts have been falling off without it.

I have been trying products and styles and taking pics like crazy, so I should have a lot to post. Stay tuned :)

*Smooches*

Queenofthe4s

Product Review: Miss Jessie's Curly Buttercreme

Recently I tried out a sample of Miss Jessie's Curly Buttercreme. In my three years of being natural I have never tried any of their line because I have heard that it's essentially "hype in a jar." After seeing a $58 price tag on a jar of their Curly Buttercreme I said that I would NEVER pay that for a jar of hair product .

But I will try a free sample...LOL!

I was feeling particularly ambitious that evening and decided to flat twist my entire head with it. Applying to damp hair, the first thing I noticed was that it didn't feel greasy to me like I've read in most reviews. It was really creamy...but didn't have a lot of slip. Halfway through my hair I decided I would do single twists in the back, since the back of my hair is so thick that you can't really tell the difference in the pattern...or so I thought!

Once I took the twist down I noticed that the flat twists were frizzing horribly. My hair just will not do right with these things!! I was soooo glad that I didn't do my whole head that way. I retwisted the front into individual twists and allowed it to set overnight..

Below is the final result. The Curly Buttercreme did define the twists but as it dried it was noticably greasey and heavy. I don't particularly care for greasey hair so the Buttercream is a no-go for me (but I wasn't paying $58 anyways, so we already knew that..lol!).

I did try the Curly Meringue and I actually did like it. It was lighter and a lot less greasey but had more slip to it. I would buy it on a BOGO...

Chunky Twist Out w/ Mizani Coconut Souffle

This summer I've been swimming a lot which causes the need to style my hair a lot more frequently. I've found this to be my staple quick fix between swimming sessions. Allowing my hair to dry in twists keeps it from getting tangled between stying sessions.

Once I get out of the pool I immediately rinse my hair in the shower and apply Shea Moisture's Shea and Argan conditioner. I detangle and rinse in 4 sections and air dry to about 50% (usually my roots are drier and the ends damp). I break each section down in about 4 twist, applying the Mizani Coconut Souffle (MCS) before twisting each section. The MCS is very light, yet moisturizing so my hair is typically completely dry by morning. Using a lighter styling aid gives me fuller hair and the "chunky look", as opposed to twisting with a gel or heavy cream. Re-twisting each night will stretch this style for at least three days...and by then I am ready to hit the pool again.

Train Your Curls in the way that They Should Go

Happy Friday ladies!!

Just wanted to do a quick post with a helpful tip for your twist sets. I used to hate the way my twist sets looked because the ends were either frizzy...or too defined and didn't blend well. I stumbled upon this technique trying to pin my hair back to wash my face.

Once you have your twist all in, take the ones that frame your face and pin curl them the way you want them to fall. The rest of them I pin backwards before tying it all down underneath a mesh wrap or silk scarf.




In the morning I release the pin curls and twists. Instead of having stiff little straight twists, I have a more curly swinging action going on. It's helped tremendously!

I feel like my hair has a better shape when I do this...without getting it cut! I've seen some naturals with a cut in similar shape, but I don't think my hair would be going for that. The curls are too tight and my wash-n-go fro would be a sight to see with different lengths of hair. O_o

Any of you ladies have methods of making your hair appear to have a different "shape"....dish!

*Smooches*

Sectioning Natural Hair

Here's a quick post on sectioning natural hair. Sectioning breaks the hair down into smaller, more manageable sections of hair for easier detangling and styling. So if you've ever read any of my post where I've said to "section in 4" ....this is what I mean.

I typically section after my rinse out conditioner is applied. Each section is detangled, twisted, and secured in a little bun. I rinse my conditioner out section by section, re-securing after each rinse. Once the conditioner is out I allow the sections to dry about 50% before I break each one down into smaller twists for my twist-outs.

Style Preservation: Chunky Flat Twists

In order to preserve my dry twist out using the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie I resorted to three, big flat twist. This method was simple and effective. Most importantly...it was QUICK!

All I used were 3 bobby pins and my fingers. Keeping my center part, I just grabbed hair while flat twisting towards the back of my head. Once I reached the nape of my neck I stopped and secured with a bobby pin, leaving the ends out.

Below is what it looked like the next morning...before fluffing and pinning. You can see the twist pattern is still very defined. I typically rub some Mizani Butter Rich between my palms and fluff my hair, pinning the front with bobby pins to fall to either side.

Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner: Leave Well Enough ALONE!

A few weeks ago I recommended that my coworker try out Giovanni's Smooth as Silk conditioner. I tell anyone who will listen that this is my Holy Grail conditioner for everything...conditioning, detangling, leave-in, and styling. She went out and bought one of the 33oz bottles from TJMaxx, tried it, and hated it. She actually gave me the whole bottle!! I was shocked, to say the least, but was glad that I had a new bottle of SAS to work with (I'd been working to use up some Giovanni 50/50).

That day I went straight home and co-washed my hair with it. First thing I noticed was that it smelled different. Then I noticed that it did not have the same slip that I'm used to...crazy. I chalked it up as a bad bottle or batch. I worked well enough for me and I continued to use it to this day.

Fast forward a few more weeks, and I find the Giovanni Facebook page. A quick review of the wall told me all I needed to know. People were complaining that that ingredients have changed in the SAS, and changed for the worse. I don't keep up with every ingredient like some do, but these people were LIVID! It was also noted that the packaging label has been edited from "Pure Organic Technology" to "EcoChic Technology." #REDFLAG

Sure enough, the bottle my coworker gave me is that of this new formula. Tisk tisk Giovanni. I am soooo disappointed. Now I feel like running out and finding every bottle I can find of the old formula. This is a HOT MESS!!

I will continue to use the new formula because I am not a stickler for "cones" and such, but I wish they would bring the old formula back.

#fingerscrossed

Happy 4th of July Ladies!!

*Smooches*

Product Review: Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie

I'm back with another product review! I recently posted that I got my hands on some Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie (SMCES). I used it last week for a dry twist out from a wash n' go.

I love the consistency and slip of it; it's a great product for twisting but I don't know if it would do anything for my natural curl pattern. It's on the thick side and very creamy/watery (those two terms are contradictory but it's the only way I can think to describe it!). It's the type of product that would require you to smooth it in with a Denman brush to get the "enhanced" curls it speaks of.

Starting out with dry hair, and using only my fingers to part and detangle, I worked in smaller sections. I was generous with the SMCES on each section and twisting was a breeze. I used about 1 oz on my entire head...this product definitely goes a long way! It took about two hours to twist my whole head (I watched the movie "Inception" from start to finish) and I let them dry over a days time.

Here's the end result (and the pic at the top of this post). I love the way it turned out! The best part is that it lasted for days and I was able to re-twist at night without adding water or product. I will post more on that next time.

*Smooches*