Product of the week: Extra Virgin Olive oil

Like many natural products extra virgin olive oil (evoo) has many health benefits, for the sake of natural hair I will discuss the benefits this oil have on natural hair.  EVOO is a great moisturizer ;  it strengthens, softens, cures dry scalp, reverse hair loss, promote growth and adds natural shine.

I have many uses for EVOO:

Deep Conditioner:

Working in sections I apply evoo to my hair after shampoo rinse, I pay close attention to my ends and not so much my roots so it doesn't clog my pores. Next I apply my conditioner then rinse with cold water to lock in moister.

Oil Treatment:

1oz of hot evoo applied directly to scalp, then I massage it into hair with finger tips (not finger nails) , I leave  in overnight then wash and condition the next day. This stimulates root growth, promoting activity and increased circulation, it also helps distribute the scalp's natural oils through the shaft of the hair, increasing moisture content.   A little goes a long way.

brand I am currently using

Sealer/leave in: 

I apply evoo as a leave in after my co washes it also serves as a sealer, this adds great shine to styles.

EVOO in hair

Natural Queen of The Week

This week I am most excited to introduce the beauty of the week!!! I have been eyeballing this sista for a  while on fotki and I have been dying to get an interview from her, I am so glad I am successful. Meet Lukalomi, aside from her striking beauty, the unique beauty Lukalomi has to bring to the natural world is her creativity with styles, her hair progress over the past 3 years have been remarkable, I hope you all get as inspired as I am. Special thanks to Lukalomi for taking the time to do this interview.

1. How long have you been natural? how long did you transition?

- I have been natural a little under 3 years. I transitioned for 7 months before BCing.

 2. What are the pros and cons (if any) of being natural?

The pros of being natural are that I have been forced to learn how to care for my hair on my own.
I feel more comfortable in my own skin. I am more confident and I trust myself a bit more. It's a great conversation starter.
The cons are that I have become even more aware of how insecure some black women can be about hair. To point
of putting each other down.

 3. Please describe your hair texture and its behaviors ex. kinky curly coarse coil very dry....

- I have an assortment of fine to medium to sightly course hair it can be relatively cooperative. The curl pattern
varies greatly. Some curls kinks and waves here and there. It's normal to dry.

 4. What made you want to become natural?

I decided to go natural after several haircuts and dye jobs. My hair was dull frizzy and lifeless. I was spending
ridiculous amounts of money on stylists (for a student). I like to change up my look a lot. Straight hair just didn't
give me enough versatility.

 5. What is your hair goal?

My hair goal is shiny healthy hair with no split ends and no single strand knots. I can dream. LOL

 6. Name 4 fave hair products?

My favorite hair products are kinky curly knot today. burdock root butter from qhemet biologics. shea butter and sauve coconut conditioner.

7. What tips and advice would you share with us?  

My advice is to take pictures so you can see how your hair has grown. Be gentle with it and have patience.

 8. Where can you be found?

 I can be found at youtube:lukalomi for videos and at fotki for pictures.
 

 9. What advice would you give someone who is considering becoming natural?

To someone going natural I would say really research how to take of natural hair before you do it because it will save
you from heartache down the road.

 10. Would you say being natural affects your life? if so in what way?

 Being natural is a way of thinking and doing. It is life. It has made me more health conscious and makes me question every day life

BC & Transitioning vs Self Esteem &other peoples opinion

I notice a lot of naturals make their decisions to go natural but along the journey they allow others and their opinions to interfere with their experience or their personal low self esteem get in their way of reaping the full benefits of being natural.

 Part of going natural is the freedom of finding beauty  internally even when you don't feel it externally. I have had the best experience ever doing what I did for ME. Queens let me tell you, it seemed like my world thought, I was insane ranting and raving about being natural and its benefits when i first took interest in going natural, my friends didn't believe me when I said I would BC and it didn't matter because this wasn't for them to believe it was for me to prove to myself; I knew I needed to find the more of me, there was more to my natural beauty than wearing someone else hair to feel secure. When I finally BC'd  I texted them all pix of my hair on the ground, than of my face, they couldn't believe I did it. When I look back  I remember  feeling extremely uncomfortable with my hair as short as it was, but I was getting so much compliments that  I knew it was an internal battle I had with myself.  I see pix  of my hair then and think,  "i looked a hot mess w/ twa" 

but you know what?  I went through it despite of how unattractive I felt because there was way more to my beauty than my hair.  I wanted to reap the full  benefits,  think about it; you will NEVER have your hair that short again, why not enjoy the ride and all the phases? when I look back at my pix I can say I did it from beginning to end .There are naturals who transitioned a long time, who follow my journey they, and tell me me how much they wished they would have BCd and didn't take the cowardly way out and transition. Now they will never know how it feels.

Out of all the natural ladies I am one that really took A LOT out of the experience of going natural. I love to see others gain these same benefits. For those of you battling the same issues I did, don't think about it and just go for it, in the long run you will be glad you did. 

Just a thought Peace & Blessings

Product of the week: Bentonite clay & Apple cider vinegar

This weeks product  is a personal favorite, like many of my natural products this combo can be used for multiply purpose. I am happy to admit most of my staples were discovered when I first became natural. Bentonite clay is created for skin benefits particularly the face.  As a face mask, it cleanses, softens, gets rid of pores, acne and any other skin issues you may have. I recieved a tip that it works well for the hair and scalp and waisted no time try to it,  and to my surprise its worked wonders!

experimenting by applying to both hair & face at the same time

Kinky hair is prone to dryness because our hair shafts tend to be lift, what the ACV does is close those shafts. You can see the difference in your hair after you rinse; hair is shiny, curls are naturally defined and cleansed. I also use ACV as a rinse to tame frizz. Remember to use raw unfiltered ACV to get the best results. When used as a mask the consistency should be like yogurts do not be scared when clay starts to harden, it desolves once it comes in contact with water. You will feel when it is time to rinse the clay out because hair will be stiff. 

bentonite clay and ACV on hair 4 months natural

ready to rinse clay

Raw unfiltered ACV has many health benefits, a tablespoon daily before a meal  will burn fat, detoxify, and cleanses your system. You will start to see a difference in your skin in a matter of weeks.  ACV also  remove; stains, bacteria, and germs. 

What I admired the most about being a newbie was my curiosity to try new things, with that I found great products that I can see myself using for years to come. Taking risks is not only exciting , its is fun! See what bentonite clay & acv can do for you!

Natural Queen of the week

Because I missed last weeks natural queen of the week I decided to bring a natural that will inspire for months and years to come.

Meet Jazmine, I first seen her on my fave website BGLH and was immedietaely inspired!! What is remarkable about her hair is how she was able to reap the benefits of beautiful natural hair ata such a young age.


1. How long have you been natural? how long did you transition?
- I have been natural for about 6 or 7 years. My dad helped me transition when i was around 11 or 12 by paying for my trips to the shop to get braids in, so my mom wouldn't have to ever do my hair again.


2. What are the pros and cons (if any) of being natural?
- the pros- you realize how beautiful you are NATURALLY. It gives me something to obsess over, and it accommodates my all-natural lifestyle (not only hair, but skin, food, everything. I started this lifestyle when I was around 16 when I noticed the correlation between the high amounts of chemicals we use in our everyday lives and the increasing rate of cancer in America.)
The cons- I love my hair so much that it becomes a huge obsession, which becomes a distraction from what I really need to be focusing on, like college. That is my only complaint!

3. Please describe your hair texture and its behaviors ex. kinky curly coarse coil very dry....
-my hair texture is a mixture of everything- kinky/coily in the back, curly/coily on the sides and front, and wavy on top. (weird, right?) It is very dense and very thick.

4.What made you want to become natural?
-Diana Ross! Ever since I can remember I've always wanted big hair like her. I even remember when I got my first relaxer as a child, I was very disappointed by how flat it was. I think I just have an inborn preference for big, long fluffy hair.


5.What is your hair goal?
Tailbone length stretched. I want my hair to reach my belt buckle in the front. And I want it to remain thick and healthy in the process. I see a lot of people with very long hair, but the last 3 or 4 inches are almost invisible. I want my ends to stay just as thick as my roots.


6. Name 4 fave hair products?
#1(all time fave)- Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner
#2- Jojoba Oil
#3- Organic Excellence Wild Mint Chemical Free Shampoo
#4- SheaMoisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie

7. What tips and advise would you share with us?
The less manipulation, the better. My hair started growing the most when I just left it alone. I have worn braids almost exclusively from 2007-2010 and my hair almost grew to tailbone length. I had to cut some of that length off because I never moisturized my hair during that time, so my second tip would be: keep your hair moisturized while you're leaving it alone. LOL

8. Where can you be found?
 http://public.fotki.com/JazmineB/


9. What advise would you give someone who is considering becoming natural?
I would say it is an extremely important thing to do not only for the health of your hair, but for the health of the mind, body and environment. I would say the most important thing to do is get as much information as you can from blogs like this one, curlynikki.com and youtube. Curlynikki.com saved my hair's life! I also read the blog Happy Girl Hair daily.

10. Would you say being natural affect your life? if so in what way?
 Yes it does. I think the effect it has on my life now is I have a lot more confidence. I just feel more comfortable with myself when I do not look like every other person (black and white) with straight hair. And when I walk around in public with huge hair and people staring at me, it is a great feeling!

I WON, I WON, I WON!!!!!

Recently one of my fotki sistas Starry Elven Twin  posted  giveaway to celebrate her 4 year nappiversary on her blog page, candidates had to write about the following topics;
Suggested topics:

• What’s the most memorable moment in your hair journey?
• What keeps you up at night about your natural curls and kinks?
• What would give you total peace of mind?
• What would you change about your hair?
• What lessons have you learned and what is next for your hair?

Today I recieve an email announcing my winning !!! I don't win often so I am super excited, plus the fact that my story may inspire others makes me so grateful. If you would like to read the post and what I wrote please check the link: http://suburbanbushbabe.wordpress.com/


I win a jar of  Vigorol Curls Curling Cream and a sample of KBB product YAY!!!

Product of the week: Jojoba oil

One fact about curlly hair is it's in need of  lots and lots of moister, although you cowash and apply a leave in it is important to constently keep the moister in.  A spritz bottle handy is a must to keep hair moist and refreshed throughout the day. In my spritz I have water, jojoba oil, and Alo Vera juice.

Jojoba oil has great moisteizing properties, it keeps the hair in a balanced level of moister which results in healthy hair and scalp. Jojoba oil serves as sebum oil, this is the natural oil our body produce so its great for dry skin, it is also great for hair loss.  Jojoba oil leaves my skin & hair SUPER soft, all I do is add a few drops in my fav lotion and conditioner.

According to buzzle.com, "The regular use of this oil for massage gives strength to hair and makes them break resistant by providing them required moisturizer and thus making them free of split-ends and tangles. When few drops of jojoba oil is mixed with the hair cleaning agent or shampoo, new cell growth are enhanced that make the hair stronger and get rid of dry and frizzy hair."

Jojoba oil also cleanse well, I apply a few drops on my cosmetic wedge to remove makeup....YES you read correctly; Jojoba oil removes makeup and WELL, I luv how quickly and easy it removes mascara (one of the hardest makeup to remove) and the fact that its gentle enough for my eyes makes it all that better. It adds natural shine and moister to my skin, just a few drops of Jojoba oil does ALL of this and more,  So next time you are at the store and want to try something new, try Jojoba oil.

120 Color Palette 2nd Edition purchase

I have always LOVED makeup but never really master the skills of applying them, it  always fascinates me the way makeup artists have the  ability to transform models from ordinary to extraordinary. I had always been limited to practice different looks beacuse  affordable, good quality makeup is was hard to come across.  I  thought MAC was the only and although I owned 8 pallets and some brushes from MAC it just was not enough to do different looks. With MACs prices I just could not drive myself to purchase its brands. Luckily I stumbled on BHcosmetics makeup, they sales tones of pallets for less than a fraction of MAC prices.

I placed my order Tuesday afternoon of this  week and received my purchase the next day! So I was very impressed with the fast shipping. I made the decision to purchase from them because reviews show they have GREAT customer service, and I love that. 

There is no difference between Bhcosmetics and Costal Scents makeup, I looked up the ingredients and they are the EXACT SAME.  

I was very please with the purchase,I brought my makeup from Amazon.com; I spent $26.95 on the pallet and $4.45 on S&H which totaled to $31.40. Packaging was very good and not a single pallet was broken or out of place.  This company also has their own website; www.bhcosmetics.com

On to the fun stuff; the pallet consist of different variations of colors;pearl,shimmer,neutral,matte,translucent...the list goes on and on. The quality is good and the colors are pigmented.  I am super excited about creating different looks from smokey, to everyday look, and night looks all this for $31.40... I go a great deal.

Trimming hair

Today I got my very first trim and it was needed. My ends were horrific,and styling was unpleasant because the overwhelming amount of fairy knots gave me goosebumps. Ladies never let this happen  to you, get rid of those knots immediately! I took off 1/4" last night after doing small braids, then went to my brothers barber shop this morning and had him finish, he took off another 1/4" so half an inch in total. I am all for trimming when it is necessary and now that my ends are smooth again I am happy, its like a breath of fresh air. Trim only when hair asks for it, not beacuse someone tells you to. Here are some signs to look for before considering a trim:

*ends are obviously split

*hair snags more than usual while combing

*fairy knots at end of hair

How often do you trim and how do you know when its time?

Hair Typing

4 hair types source http://thirstyroots.com/hair-care/black-hair-types

On a recent natural beauty interview with my sis Annanie, she mentioned that I said  there is no 4c, just 4a & 4b and I wanted to set the record straight. At first this statement shocked me when I read it because that is not at all how I feel about natural hair typing. But once upon a time I did read an article where the creator of the hair type system Andre Walker explained kinky hair being one of two types and I ran with it. I know better now, not only is our hair too complicated and inquire to put in a measuring scope,  but I have been natural almost 1.5 years and have not found two or more naturals with the exact same hair texture plus behavior. So when it comes to hair typing 4a & 4b are general but our hair is beyond general, so instead of typing its best to describe the hair and its behavior.

Lesson learned: This teaches me that rather than taking info from random sources its wiser to look into it more in depth before speaking with conviction about the topic because you don't know who you may be influencing.

Question: What is your take on hair typing, in what ways does it influence your natural journey?

Natural Queen of the Week

Annanie is sew in weave PS

This weeks beauty is closer to me than most naturals; I would like to introduce you all to my little sis Annanie, her journey is both courageous and remarkable, I couldn't be any more proud of her for taking the plunge into the natural experience. The unique beauty Annanies gorgeous strands have to bring to the natural world is its power; it has a mind of its own and hates many things, but once you find the product it likes/loves, its will thank you. The only let down is to not let it down. Here is her story.

1. How long have you been natural? How long did you transition?

*I have been natural for 1 year now; my nappiversary was on Sep 6, 2010

Annanie & Dee both in PS

2. What are the pros and cons (if any) about being natural?

*the pros about being natural is that you do not have to worry about that creamy crack each month that has damaged so many beautiful hair out there including mine. you don’t have to worry about water touching your beautiful hair because you are natural and it doesn’t matter, I remember when I use to have the creamy crack and press my hair I wouldn’t get in the water when I go to the beach, pool, or when it’s raining because I didn't want my hair to get frizz and messed up. Now I can say goodbye to the heat and creamy crack. In addition, you meet new people that share their natural journey with you and also share tips. The cons of being natural is that it will take some time to find the product that you hair loves, and that will add moisture to your beautiful hair,this can be very difficult for some like my sister she was a products junkie if you go in her room you would see so many products that she brought from watching YouTube videos sad part is the products that she seen works well on other natural sistas hair she would run and go purchase it expecting to get the same results and she never did. She finally realizes that she doesn’t have to purchase everything that she sees; because it work well on others hair doesn’t mean it will work on hers. As for me it didn’t take me long to find the product that went well and moisture to my beautiful hair because my hair rejects nearly all products so PJ was not an option.

3. Please describe your hair texture and its behavior ex. kinky curly coarse coil very dry....

*My hair wowwww.. I usually say that I am a 4c/z.lol my sister says there isn’t such thing as 4c hair type so I guess I’m a 4b. Think about the driest and course hair, my hair is tightly coiled you can’t see the elongate because it’s so coiled.

4. What made you want to become natural?

*I became natural because number 1 my sister was on my butt about it telling me the benefits of being natural she did a lot of research before she became natural, and my oldest sister also went natural, So one day I woke up and went to the bathroom and started cutting my hair until I cut off all of the chemicals, I cut it so low that i had my brother finish it off, he cut it like a boy "yessss girl with the side burns and all" (in Antoine Dodson voice). However I didn’t have any issues with it being cut this low because I was told that I have the face for short cut so I could pull it off. I know I should have gone natural a long time ago as many people told me before “you should just go natural” and of course I looked at them as if they were stupid. Now I feel real stupid.

bc pic

5.What is your hair goal?

*Honestly I don’t have a hair length goal if that’s what you are referring to. I don’t mind my hair being short the way it is, I’m afraid when it gets longer it will be a lot more difficult to maintain. I don’t think I am going to let it grow pass shoulder length because I don’t want to get tired and lazy with the amount of hair, I think it will be a lot harder for me to maintain.

6. Name 4 fave hair products?

*My four favorite hair products that I love with my hair is Kinky Curly (shampoo, Knot-Today, Custard, and olive oil). These products right here I cannot live without.

7. What tips and advice would you share with us? 

*If you are a 4c like me I would suggest that you keep your hair moisturize all the time because remember moister means growth. Try using the Kinky Curly line trust me it is worth the price and you will love how it leaves your hair feeling, so AMAZING! If I want to add moister to my hair I usually wash my hair with the Kinky-Curly shampoo after rinsing add some great suave leave in conditioner and do a deep conditioner on my hair by adding olive oil, then i apply a cap on my hair for 30 min. I then rinse out my hair and apply Kinky-Curly (Knot-Today leave in conditioner) working in sections with my fingers until I apply to whole head (remember you do not need a lot),  then apply small amount of olive oil to my hair, style it.  I usually kinky twist or the finger coils while applying the Kinky-Curly custard as I twist, the custard defines your curls and adds shine.

8. Where can you be found?

*I can be found on www.facebook.com/annanie or www.fotki.com/nappiqueen09

9. What are your fave hairstyles?

*I love the braid outs sense my hair is tightly coiled this style elongates my hair. Or the finger twist I love how my hair looks when I take it out.

10. What has being natural taught you?

*Being natural has taught me versatility I love all the different styles that I am able to do with my hair, I love that I learned to love my beautiful nappy hair because there isn’t a thing as "good hair". Also being able to help and share with other nappy sistas that can relate to me or vice versa.

Kimmaytube leave in conditioner review

I made Kimmaytubes leave in concoction for my sister Annanie a week ago, her hair is coarse and very porous (or prone to dryness). While most of us naturals may share the same problem with dryness Annanies hair is a special case has a mind of its own; it hates just about everything,  I can call her lucky, she can rule out being a PJ (Check out Annanies post "beauty of the week").  This worked for her hair so I decided to try the remaining amount on my hair tonight. I applied some to damp twists after conditioning with suave humectant conditioner (check out product of the week for review on this product) 

The results were absolutely gratifying; I had to wear a towel over my shoulders to catch all the dripping water. This is definitely a keeper especially for the summer time when hair is quenching for thirst.

hair is dripping in moister

Kimmaytubes recipe:

1oz leave in conditioner ( I use giovanni direct leave in, kimmaytube uses kinky curly knot today)

2 tablespoon Aloe Vera juice

2 teaspoon Jojoba oil

2 teaspoon Castor oil

*mix to together until consistence is creamy then and apply to damp hair and leave in hair.

Note: you can alter this concoction which ever way you please, you know what your hair likes.

dripping in moister

My Current braid challenge & update

spritz bottle

I am currently doing a braid challenge, here is a summary of my regimen;

I decided to go on a two (2) years braid challenge, I think its a great way to grow my hair without having to deal with the maintenance and protecting those ends. Two years is a long time and I know I will miss my hair CRAZY so I will give this challenge a try to see how far I get.

I will give my hair rest for a couple of weeks in between taking out and putting the braids back in, during this time I will take lots of pix to see the progress and to update with you all.

Its important to keep the scalp clean and since extensions takes moister out of our hair I plan to double up on my moister regimen. My regimen will go as follows;

1. scalp oil treatments the nites b4 wash days
2.wash weekly
3.co-wash ever other day
4. used braid spray and spritz for moister


here is a great link/website that teaches u how to properly wash,cowash and treat hair while in braids http://www.growafrohairlong.com/braidreg.html the creator of this site was able to grow her hair waist length in just 2 years, the fact that she relaxes is aside the point, its a good method.

washed hair (dont pay attention to date)

Yesterday (11/6/10) I took down my braids after having them in for about 1 1/2 month, I know I said I would leave them in longer (2 months) but 2 seek wont make a huge diffrence. I miss my hair soo much over the pasyt month and I pampered it very nicely once the braids were out, here is what I did;

Bentonite clay treatment
Shampoo w/ KCCC
conditioned with vo5 tea therapy nourishing condish and didn't rinse out
 

 * the results were satisfying granted my hair was happy. I also tried the tightly curly method which took me 2 hours to do!! Its was a great turn out but with all the shrinkage and not being a fan of wash n gos I will wait for longer hair before trying it again.

For info about Terrys' tightly curly method check out her website http:///www.tightlycurly.com 

length check with tightly curly hair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

close up texture shot

Hair Tutorial of the week: twists, twist out & twist out puff

you will need: rats tail comb, clips or rubber bands, water, hair butter(whipped shea butter,styling creme etc)

Step 1: wash and condition hair

Step 2. section wet hair into 4 sections with rats tail comb. use clips or rubber band to separate sections.

Step 3. Start on nape area or  back of head begin by parting first section hair horizontally into square shaped parts. use clips to hold hair from mixing with small section.  then add small amount of hair butter to section before twisting.

Chunky twists

Step 4. repeat step 3 until entire head is twisted, leave  for a few days, if gets frizzy retwist with water and butter

Chunkier size twist

Step 5. undo twists using light oil to tame frizz, use a pick comb to comb out roots only..this is to cover parts

Step 6. Style; be creative use hair accessories, hair pins, headbands and all.

Step 7.For twist out puff simply add head band around head use gel to sleek edges

tips:
1. sections size is up to the person; the smaller the more defined twists willl be.
2. the technique to  twisting is in the wrist
3. use water to wet dried hair
4. protect style by sleeping with silk bonnet at night.

twist out

twist out puff