First attempt at FLEXI RODS

 I make all styles work so there is no way it was going to be a bad turn out, however I wanted bigger hair like Tracy Ellise Ross

  The following pix were taken last weekend (sept 17), we all got dolled up and headed to my soon to be brother in laws birthday bash. My sisters hair has grown so much and i wanted to experiment with a stretched out style to i did a classic updo on her 4b/4c hair. As for my hair I love big stretched hair so I decided to try flexi rods. I used the inch size ones and the turn out was satisfactory.    

Hair and makeup by yours truly.

FIERCE

gorgIOUS

FAB





The goal is to try bigger rods next attempt. This was time consuming and sleeping on them was a major HEADACHE, but i must admit its worth it since this style can be preserved for up to 2 weeks (mine last 1)

UPDATE

Hey Dolls,

Long time no write. I returned to PS braids extensions. After about 2 months of playing with my hair it is time to take a load off. I plan to leave them in for 2 months but as proven in the past my hair grows fast in them so I will probably have them in for 6 weeks.  Here are some pix from an outing this past weekend (Sept. 24) my co workers and I went out and I rocked the blue get up. I must say the hair style complimented the outfit.

Another day in the FAB life, getting glammed up is what I live for lol.

TODAY IS MY 2 YEARS NAPPIVERDARY!!!!!

It has been one heck of a journey ladies. I have learned so much about myself and my hair. Being natural has opened up a new me and a world of discoveries. Now that i am at my 2 year mark I can honestly say I have mastered how to properly care for my hair. I know how to cure dry ends which according to an article on bglhonline.com is one of the top issues naturals deal with with their natural hair.

Today instead of interviewing someone I will interview myself for i truly feel like I am my own inspiration for taking such a courageous plunge at the chance of something so risky and sticking to it.

For all of you ladies out there who are transitioning or just curious about going natural,  I say take a chance and go for it!  You have nothing to loose but some damaged hair. I have gained the most length ever in just 2 years I've been natural than I have my entire life.   I once was blind, It is great to finally see.

Questions:

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

I have been natural 2 years today. I did not really transition long, I had braids in for 1 month then anxiously did my BC Aug. 23, 2009

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

Pros of being natural are limitless; different ways of styling the hair, having my hair in its healthiest state, being able to retain length, having the healthiest hair i have ever had.

Cons I didn't think there was any until i started getting fairy knots but they don't bother me enough to take going natural back 

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

My hair is kinky with medium and loose coils. Dense stands with both thick and fine strands. Porous (pron to dryness) but can be tamed with proper care..

4. What inspired you to become natural?

I was inspired by my friend who was natural. She turned me to the natural world,  that's where  I discovered a plethora of different naturals and their beautiful  tresses, styles, and i was sold.

 5. What is your hair goal?

My goal is to achieve the longest most healthiest hair i can get in four years (waist length). I am challenging the hair chart system. According to it at least 1/2" grow a month. So i figured if i could retain all of my inches i can grow waist length hair in 4 years. Now that I know trimming is needed I will probably come close at the 4 years mark. But for me being at APL is the longest i have ever had my hair so that's a goal right there. Cant wait until BSL then MWL.

6. Name 4 of your fave hair products?

*Raw unrefined Shea Butter

* Shea Moister Shampoo

*Extra virgin olive oil

* Raw Apple cider vinegar

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

Love yourself and embrace your natural hair, find only the beauty in your hair for there is ALOT to love. No one has the exact hair as you, so that makes your hair special.

8. Where can you be found?

I can be found here on my personal hair diary

www.forki.com/dee-nature-619

www.youtube.com/transnaturel0709

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

If you have never done anything risky before THIS IS IT!! you wont regret it, and you will have the experience to talk about for a lifetime

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

It has dramatically changed me as a woman. I feel like it was the one thing i needed to do in order to go from young lady to woman.Cutting my hair was a defining moment in my life it was like rebirth it meant a lot more than just cutting my hair; it symbolized that I had transformed into my own person not what every ones view of who i should be or what they view is "beauty". To step out of the "norm" takes courage, courage I didn't know i had and i am forever grateful for it. 

since cutting my hair I have been revamped, I discovered a world of healthy living because what i put in my body affects my hair and its health.

I am confident and love the Woman the God has created; this is how He created me and how He sees me any other way would be a lie.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

So for my bday i decided to do the following style

Its stylish, edgy and it compliments with my bday dress.  The night was innocent shared with my siblings who are my BEST friends and some close friends. After going through lifes ups and downs one thing I realize is when all else fails FAMILY is ALWAYS there. I learned to stick with them because we may fight, and disagree but its like a marriage we get through it and become closer and stronger. I am fortunate to be blessed with 4 sisters and 4 brothers who I ADORE; I LOVE LOVE YOU ALL!!

Birthday girl





THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!

BIRTHDAY MONTH: Birthday Hair

I have never been so anxious about how I am going to wear my hair for my birthday . I stumbled on two amazing styles that I have been dying to try. Although they are very much alike they contrast. 

The first one:  a classic long french braid that wraps around the head. It reminds me of an Nubian Goddess.

Second Style: edgy and elegant, one long french braid going around one side of head. I can see myself wearing this one because it goes with most of my dresses.

Both styles are sooooo cute and eventually I will try both but I am indecisive about which one to wear although I have my fave.

Shea Moister Product Review

A few weeks ago I purchased the Shea Moister line and vowed to come back and make a review on it. I am happy to report that "I finally found my stapled product!!!!" YES ladies this product is the TRUTH. Where do I begin;

1. All natural ingredients

2. MOISTURIZING

3. Thick

4. SMELLS AMAZING!! :-)


When used together my hair thrives.

Hair Milk: I use it as leave in conditioner
Conditioner: Thick and smells good
Shampoo: Cleanses and moisturizes
Curl enhancing smoothie: Thick and moisturizing

**Last but not least I love the way my hair looks and feels with this product. This product brings my hair back to its natural state; my curls are naturally defined, soft, and feels MAGNIFICENT!!

HAIR CARE 101

Hair Care 101:

 I cringe when I witness improper handling of our fragile hair but I learn to keep my comments to myself.  My advice can be easily mistaken for something else. I figure, “this is how she/he/they have been caring for their hair before me and it has been working for them up to this point.  The hair never lies. u can see improper handling of the hair in its’ condition; excessive split ends, and breakage.

When caring for my hair here are a few things I ALWAYS REMEMBER:

1.       BE GENTLE: I am so gentle with my hair that my head is the most tender it has ever been. When dealing with my hair I treat it like fine silk (cliché but true).  I patiently care for every strand equally. I never curse or get frustrated with my hair.

2.       Make an appointment for hair: I do not rush when doing my hair. I make sure I take a generous amount of time out of my day when I want to do my hair. I mentally prepare myself and patiently do it. This is how I get the best results.

3.       Listen to hair: know when to wash, moisturize, and leave hair alone.

4.        Know when and how to  trim:

I know it’s time for a trim when I have stringy ends.  Other signs include lots of fairy knots and or slit ends. I usually cut off ¼ to ½ inch depending on how bad they are. If you are uncomfortable u should cut ¼.

Trimming is easy! I twist my hair and snip the ends, the smaller the twists, the better trim I end up with.

5.       ALWAYS, ALWAYS sleep with a silk bonnet or on satin silk pillow case.

HAULT!!!!

I got I bargain on Walgreens website . $7.99 a piece for the 4^th of July sale!!! Now it has been I while since I did a product review. I honestly have found the love in my existing products that I don’t see the need to search for others. People who  know my battle with PJ on my first year knows I learned the hard way to stick to trusted products especially if they work! “If it aint broke, don’t fix it!!”

Since I have been doing my PS challenge I  havent had it urge to buy hair products. But I have been eyeing shea moister line before it's  blow up on the natural world. I first seen it at target and thought how cleave it was that there was a natural product line there. I was curious but had products that did what it claimed to do at home so I out it off. 1 year later it’s the talk of the natural world and I still didn’t see the reason to purchase it. Although the price is reasonable compared to other natural products I just didn’t see the reason to try. A few months passed and I ran out of EVERYTHING, it was time to restock on my hair products and what better time to make a purchase than a holiday weekend SALE!!!! I brought the curl enhancing cream, hibiscus hair milk, shampoo, and conditioner. I waited anxiously for them to come in the mail and after 1 ½ weeks of waiting it came. The packaging was good (although I must admit the shampoo bottle cap had open and some had spilled in the bag) they sent an extra shampoo bottle so no complaints there.

I skipped my last wash day b/c my hair just didn’t feel dirty enough to wash but boy did it catch up.  I have been itching like a dog with fleas, perfect time to try my new products. Will be sure to come back and share my experience. CAN’T WAIT!!!

CHOW queens!!

Summer Regimen

Summer is here and there is a lot of buzz about changes in the way we treat our hair. Last summer I did a lot of protective styling; my hair was a lot shorter and I wanted some length. This summer I plan to co wash more often to keep moister in. I also plan to keep my fave leave in (kimmaytube leave in) even closer because it has the perfect ph balance that keeps my hair moist all week.

Hairstyles:

I may do some PS styles that tuck the ends away since they tend to suffer the most with dryness.  I want to experience with styles that will help in protecting my ends such as buns (this will be new for me) and huge stylish cornrows (one of my bday hairstyles).

Products:

As far as products go, I plan to give glycerin a try. Last summer I used it but only because other naturals raved about how good it was for the summer. I didn’t personally see a difference. A lot of naturals are putting their heavy butters away in the summer but Shea Butter is my hairs best friend so instead of listening to other naturals I will listen to my hair and give it what it likes, I do however plan to use small amounts. With butters a little goes a long way. It only took a small amount to do my twists and my hair was moist and supper soft the entire time I had the twists in (1 ½ weeks).

BAA Don't Care

This month I got acquainted with my hair in blow out styles. Ever since national Afro day or the 4th of July, I have had my hair dried in a braid out. Today is my wash day and my hair just doesn't feel like it needs to be washed so i decided to comb my braids out and rock a classic fro. The results even shocked me. I have finally achieved a BAA (Big Ass Afro) YAY!! 

I was asked 3x this weekend if my hair was actually mine! I had been prepared for these questions once my hair is mid way length but didn't think it would start at armpit length. Some girl even asked me if i was mixed....SMH, wanted to say something smart but I just smiled and said "no". It really doesn't matter what people think about my hair being real or not,  i know what it is. I just dislike when people use that excuses as a crutch to keep them from educating themselves about Black hair care.

Two years is around the corner and I can't wait to see what year 3 brings.