It's My Hair: Fabulous Results

Since I am having the best week with my natural hair, I decided to write about it. The change in weather has been a plus for this naturalista. I've changed my conditioner for my cowash. I'm still using Suave but not its the almond + shea butter conditioner. I am in love with the smell of it. It works wonders on my hair. I am still enamored with the Obia Shampoo Bar. This week, I've been using the Obia Curl Hydration Spray daily. I love the effect it has on my hair. It gives it a shine and my curls seem to pop more. I love that. So, I two strand twisted my damp hair with Curls Unleashed Curl Cream. I let it air dry for a full day. Then that night, I bantu knotted the two strand twists. I sprayed the Obia Curl Hydration Spray on my hair before I went to sleep. The above picture shows how dope my hair came out the next morning. I couldn't be happier with the outcome. I was having a great hair day.  

The pic below is the outcome of bantu knot out with just using the LOC method. I used the Obia Curl Enhancing Custard as the C (cream) for my LOC.  There was a lot of shrinkage here. Also, my hair wasn't as moisturized as I would've liked. I corrected this the next day by adding the Obia Curl Hydration Spray. It worked like a charm. I am really loving my natural hair this winter. With the weather being cooler, my hair styles seem to last longer. Also, I don't have an issue with frizz either. So, for that, I am thankful. I love that I am still learning more about my hair in its natural state over 2 years later. This started out as a simple quest. One that I believed would most likely end up with me going back to relaxers. I do not see that happening. I'm enjoying my hair in a way that I never did before. I take so much more time with my hair now. It's been a journey that I needed to take for myself. Happy Holidays, Naturalistas!!! 

It's My Hair: 21 Months Strong

It's been a little over 21 monthe since I began my natural hair journey. I have learned that less does indeed equal more when it comes to product in my hair. I've been trying some new things lately. Simplifying my regiment. Decided to go from a braid out to bone straight and then a bun this week. The first picture shows the 3 different hairstyles that I had.  In the below picture are my three staples. One spray bottle of homemade leave in conditioner (water, conditioner, sunflower oil and evoo), Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel, and another spray bottle of water and glycerin. This entire process started with me pre-pooing my hair with the Body Shop Rainforest conditioner and oil. I followed it up with my leave-in conditioner. My hair was braided after that. 

Fast forward 5 days, I sprayed my braid out with the water/glycerin "green" spray bottle first. Then I sprayed the leave in conditioner in "blue" bottle. I let my hair air dry for a few hours. After it was about 85% dry, I started on the daunting task of flatironing my hair. I haven't done it in so long because it is a job. My hair is very thick. I actually hate doing it. But, I wanted a different look. It was my first time using the Garnier Fructis Style Sleek & Shine Flat Iron Protector Straightening Mist. I was optmistic. The scent was light and fruity. I liked the way my hair felt afterwards. Some, heat protectors make your hair feel sticky. This one did not. It took me a little over an hour and a half to finish. I was completely worn out once I was done. I was left with a head full of straightened hair. But, I live in southern Louisiana and the summertime heat is no joke. So, I decided to pull it back into a bun with a little Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel. 

 Finally over 2 hours later, I was done. I am satisfied with my results of all the new products I used to achieve this sleek and oulled together look. I had a moment last week where I wanted to cut all my hair off. I was frustrated with a few things. That would have been a rash decision and those are never good. I'm glad I didn't let my emotions make a decision I surely would've regretted. I've been stressed and my hair shows it. My hair was doing more shedding than normal because of this. I think that's over now. A hot oil treatment and a little dusting took care of it. Oh and prayer. A lot of it. I do love my hair. I haven't been able to say that in a long time. Naturally me so I cannot complain. No natural hair woes this week.

It's My Hair: Products Review

The natural hair movement is a huge deal. There are literally thousands of products being offered to us naturalistas. It is so easy to get confused & frustrated to figure out what works & what's crap. I want to discuss 3 products I've recently tried & how they worked for my hair. First is Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie. I learned pretty quickly that less is more here. It worked wonders for me. It's thick & provides great coverage. It smells good enough to eat. It gave my hair a more defined look to my curls, which is a great thing. I couldn't be happier with this product. I'm going to try other products by Shea Moisture.

Before I began my natural hair journey, I spent a ridiculous amount of time researching. I read all the popular hair blogs and watched all the youtube videos. I was well informed. One product that was mentioned a lot was Eco Styler's Olive Oil Gel. It seemed to be a stable. It was a product I've avoided. I am not a fan of gel. It has never been a product I've liked. So when I received an email from Sally's that the ESOOG was on sale, I decided to give it a try. The 32 oz is on sale all month for $3.49. That was a price I couldn't pass up. I do not know why I avoided it for so long. I am a fan. It works so well. It does not get hard or flaky which I was afraid of. I love the fragrance of it as well. It's a great product for me to use when I wear my hair in a bun which is usually once or twice a week.

 

Staying within my olive oil category, I picked up the Olive Oil Moisturizing Sheen Spray. It was on sale as well. It's new to me because I have not used it before. I haven't really used oil sheen in about a year. I dyed my hair recently and needed some shine. This was a good choice. It smells wonderful and gives me the shine that I was looking for. It is also really light. It does not make my hair feel heavy or weighed down. That is always a great thing. These are the three new things I've started to use on my natural hair. My hair is stronger and thicker now. I love that. I'm still learning what works for me and my hair. That is the journey itself. I just want to share my finds with any other natural hair ladies.