Banana Conditioner...a WARNING!!

So this weekend  I decided to do a banana homemade conditioner with honey banana and coconut oil. It was a great conditioner last time, and my hair was coming from two weeks of being straightened with no washes in between. (ugh!)  I let it sit on for a while... couple of hours under a hot towel and baggie, and then rinsed it out but.  the problem was when I went to detangle.

Dun dun dunnnnnn!

The first time I did this it was so great in my hair felt so good I was not as precise with my measurements of the banana. I did not use a blender for my for my mix this time either. Big mistake! There was so much banana left in my hair that I could not get out!! I had to wait for my hair to air dry and try to pick it out. This did not go as well as I thought it would. I wound up picking at my hair im this one spot...that poor spot was soooo dry and crazy when I was done. I will never put banana in my hair again. 2 days later I had to cowash again!! You will be happy to know I am finally banana free.

Meanwhile the saving grace of this entire ordeal was a new product that I tried. This new product is called shea moisture!  (pictured below)

(Website)

I used the shampoo and the balancing conditioner and my hair is so awesome!! It was moisturized...it was defined...there were no frizzies, (im the spots that I wasnt torturing for banana intel)  barely any tangles... I think I have finally found by accident ( because I wasn't looking I was just getting a product to use at my mom's house because she doesn't have any silicone free/sulfate free products and I didn't want to go all the way home to rinse out the banana! ) my wash n go product!

Drawback: the Shea Moisture product is a little pricey. Each product was about 12 dollars and not very much is in the bottles. Maybe 8-12 oz. I will look when i get a chance.

I used it again tonight after a wash with my Tresseme naturals just to get the rest of the banana out of my hair. I used it on my twist n curl and I can already tell that it's going to be a really nice turn out. My hair was very supple soft and very very smooth! Love this stuff!

Lessons
Personally i will be using avocado from now on..lol...but if you must..blend it well!! Into a liquid if you can, unless you want to know what 3 day old banana looks like stuck in your hair. Smh.

<3

http://instagr.am/p/NQ6j8qQ7HT/

OMG. Stupid Dynamic Page.

Its all better now. I think I got so mad at the page that I just left for a while. Stupid dynamic layout refused to show my pictures! :(

GOC Update!! Drum Roll Please!!......

Heeeeyy! Sorry this is soo late! I posted this in my phone app but forgot to hit send! Silly me!

 Growth challenge update!

 The good news is...
I gained about 4 inches!
The bad news..it was a lil damaged. So we took off about an inch to 1.5 inch to help the health of the hair.
Im happy though! Hooray for growth!
Last check i was just below the shoulder blade....now im...
About 1'' shy of Bra strap length!! Yaaay!




3/26/2012!!                  After Trim ( back is still long. Layers.)
\

Bunnin. lol :) 

Curls before Straightening Time!

Heres the last bit of my curls after a stretched two strand twist! Next stop
..straight hurr...

Great hair day!

Yay! Just wanted to share a great hair day on such a lovely thursday!

Bible Study : John 11:9-10

Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. (John 11:9)

The first thing to bear in mind is that the Lord Jesus here was answering the timidity and unbelief of the disciples. They were apprehensive: to return to Judea, they supposed, was to invite certain death (cf. John 11:16). Christ’s immediate design, then, was to rebuke their fears. "Are there not twelve hours in the day?" That is, Has not the "day" a definitely allotted time? The span of the day is measured, and expires not before the number of hours by which it is measured have completed their course. The night comes not until the clock has ticked off each of the hours assigned to the day. The application of this well-known fact to the Lord’s situation at that time is obvious.


A work had been given Him to do by the Father (Luke 2:49), and that work He would finish (John 17:4), and it was impossible that His enemies should take His life before its completion. What the Lord here assures His disciples, is, that His death could not take place before the time appointed by the Father.  "As a traveler has twelve hours for his day’s journey, so also to Me there is a space of time appointed for My business" (Hess). What we have here in John 11:9 is parallel to His statement in John 9:4—"I must work the works of him that. sent me, while it is day"—"must" because the Father had decreed that He should!

In the second part of the ninth verse the Lord announced another reason why it was impossible for men to shorten His life. Spiritually, this means, It is impossible that one should fall who is walking with God. To "walk in the day" signifies to walk in the presence of Him who is Light (1 John 1:5), to walk in communion with Him, to walk in obedience to His will. None such can stumble, for His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It is beautiful to see the application of this to the Lord Jesus in the present instance. When He got word that Lazarus was sick, He did not start at once for Bethany. Instead, He tarried where He was till the Father’s time for Him to go had come. He waited for the "light" to guide Him—a true Israelite watching for the moving of the Cloud! Christ ever walked in the full light of God’s known will. How impossible then for Him to "stumble."


"But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him" (John 11:10).

Very solemn and searching is this in its immediate application to the disciples. It was a warning against their refusing to accompany Him. Christ was the true Light, and if they continued not with Him they would be in the dark, and then "stumbling" was inevitable.

The great lesson for us in these two verses is this, No fear of danger (or unpleasant consequences) must deter us from doing our duty. If the will of God clearly points in a certain direction our responsibility is to move in that direction unhesitatingly, and we may go with the double assurance that no power of the Enemy can shorten our life till the Divinely appointed task is done, and that such light will be vouchsafed us that no difficulties in the way will make us "stumble." What shall we say to such a blessed assurance? What but the words of the apostle Jude, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen" (verses 24, 25).

Breakin. And not the kind from the 80s. :/

Theeeese are the Breeeeeaks!!

 

Since this is kind of a sad post, I will gift you guys this cute vid of Vin Diesel "Breakin" when he was a teen. lol

So lately I've been loooooovvvving the curly fro look with the flexi rods, and once the style gets old, I pin to the side, smooth my front and make a giant fro-nytail, or make a fly frohawk. Apparently though, in my excitement, I failed to remember the rule of thumb with fragile hair. Well... the rules of thumbs. All the fingers.

- I forgot about overstyling on one section of the hair can cause too much stress on those hairs. BREAKAGE.
- I forgot about how I NEVER ever never never have used a bristle brush on my hair, and commenced to using it just to get that smooth look on my edges. BROKEN-NESS.
-I also completely forgot that using certain products that resemble gel, even Smooth n Shine which claims to be a "conditioner" can stretch hair too far and cause it to break under too much tension. WAH!.

So I spotted the breakage on one side of my hair and I'm sad. I worked so hard on this GOC (grow out challenge ) only to have my straight week be ruined by raggedy frontal sections. LOUD SIGH AND EYEROLL. Oh well. Womp Womp.


Well I'm not Curtis Blow
And I'm not here to flow
But if you dont know,
now you know! *crosses arms and poses*

hahahahahaha!!


 Please learn from my mistakes. Be kind to the hair!

MARCH Makeover MADNESS: 5 Steps to Your 2012 look!

Women! Awesome as we are, we are the most self auditing, reinventing, newness craving beasts that ever roamed the earth!So while the boys gear up for March Madness, in our own way, we do too! Makeover Mayhem! Magazines will soon be sprouting new colors, makeup and accessories that call to us from the checkout aisle… "Makeoverrrrrrr….. you know you waaaannnt toooo!" Lol Cmon! Lets give our self esteem a boost, and have some fun getting out of that winter frump. 

Step 1: BRAINSTORM!

- Flip thru the television stations, Get LAST year’s spring magazine, or this year’s hot-or-not gossip Hollywood online article and make a list of what you WISH you looked like. No holds barred. Have at it. Bombard your fairy god mama with all your hearts desires.

- Now. Get the red pen. Circle all the POSSIBLE stuff. Be creative though – wishing you were taller may just mean you could wear heels and elongating outfits that can create the illusion of height! #keepthat !


Step 2: NARROW IT DOWN!


- Pick a few celebrities, a hair blogger, a cooking show host, someone in the public eye who’s style you just LOVE, and jot down some things about them that makes them awesome to you. Make a collage of their pictures if you want, just for a visual “map” of what you are looking for.

- Don’t forget Hair styles, body types and style types.

o For example, Erykah Badu has a very stand-out, unique style. She wears nude lips and dark liners to emphasize her flawless brown skin, thick brows and green eyes. She has natural hair that she usually will wear in a stand out, statement-making way. She’s confident, and not afraid to wear a dashiki, or a mini skirt. Or both!

- Here are my celeb Inspriations!:



 

<>

 

Curly Nikki, and below - Tracee Ellis Ross

 

Step 3: PLAN!

- Find out your Body type and what is flattering on you. Now there are a ton of articles that will tell you a ton of different things. Best bet? Find an article and actually try out the different styles you seem them comparing. If you like it on you – then to heck with the contrary/popular belief in the mag! But if you find you agree, then follow the directions on what to wear and what to .. .not.  Either way, you will have guidelines as to what brings out the best in your shape.

- If a change in weight is your goal to happiness, get serious about what its going to take. Start planning your meals to eat better and exercise. Regardless of what your goals are, they probably don’t include a pizza face and grungy nails, so take extra care to well… take care! Drink plenty of water ( ugh! I know!) and veggies and fruits and cut out the french fries. Yada Yada.. you know the deal!

- Try out the new hairstyle on a Saturday, when you’ve got NO where to go. Usually styles turn out awesome when there’s no pressure ( and no one to see it. Lol ) If it’s a dramatic cut – PLEASE consult a trusted professional first!! They will know how to either coach you on how to gradually achieve the style and length you want, as well as (carefully!) chopping it off and giving you the coif you desire. The key great hair is PATIENCE and RESEARCH.



Step 4: PRACTICE!

- Go shopping, but don’t buy out the whole zebra section of Charming Charlie’s JUST yet. Lol Pick up a few items that you really like, and that reflect this new style you want to have.

o For example, I loooovve Joan from GF’s . Fly style and classic beauty. I can’t dress like Joan all the time, her stuff is designer! I aint balling like that yet! Lol But I can pick up a blazer, pleated skinny pants and a long pendant necklace like Joan wears. Just to try it out on myself. I can buy some statement-making shoes that I really love, but make sure they are work apropos, and comfy so they are practical. Just trying out a few things helps me be sure I like the style, and not spend a fortune on stuff I will never wear, or have to take back.

- Makeup! Remember the celeb look you loved? Bring a pic to the MAC counter! ( Or any other good makeup counter! Lol ) A professional will be able to guide you through how to make your daily makeup face, party face, and date face look the way you want, without looking like the king of Pop…. Tarts.



Step 5: REVEAL AND MAINTAIN

- Well, if you’ve practiced your accessories, hair and outfits, and you think you’re ready for the world.. Go on and shine! Don’t forget to be constantly improving and personalizing the look. Now that you know what colors, styles and enhancements to look for, you will naturally begin to make the style your own.

- One last detail – I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping yourself up! The point of a makeover is not to look different for a few days, its to boost your confidence, reinvent your self image, create a fresh NEW look for yourself, and hopefully shed the icky little habits that led you to want a makeover in the first place. Fun little extras:

o Create a beauty regimen and Reward yourself with little “look-related” gifts when you succeed!
o  Dont forget the accessories! Purses, bracelets, earrings... they can turn a blah outfit into a Carrie Bradshaw, ok? lol
o At least be fly. No matter if it’s a work day and your swag is on Newlook3000 or if its Sunday and you’re rocking the sweats.. your makeover should be about your attitude and presentation as well. If you love this new look and its really you - slowly Incorporate your new style in EVERYTHING you own by gradually changing out everything from your socks to your outerwear. Raincoats, Undies, club dress jackets, car accessories, work sweaters and even umbrellas are part of your overall look. I’m not saying throw away all your old comfies, but I am saying, one day when you decide to get your mail in your cute sweats instead of the raggedy “old you” ones with the hole in the thigh… and your shirtless, beamer driving neighbor wanders over to say hi… you will thank me. 

Interview hair!!

Did a 50s style pinned do' .. I love it -Watcha think?? Xo

Its that TIIIIME AGAAAIN!

Cant believe the last time I straightened my hair was in DECEMBER! Its been 8 weeks and its ( passed!)   length check/trim time! WOOT! I need to make my appt stat! lol I will update soon with pics! I will leave you with my favorite Haiku poem while you wait! lol


Haikus are easy
But sometimes they dont make sense.
Refrigerator.


:) XO

Can i just...

LOVE on my hair a lil?

With all the different "texture wars" we have amongst ourselves I'm glad I've finally gotten over the "I want her hair" syndrome. :)  Oh COME ON, I'm about to pull your card! lol  I dont have a thousand followers - so I can say what I want! LOL Dont sit there and act like there isnt a coveted texture, ladies - and the underlying notion that the looser the curl, or the more definition the curl has, the "better".  We have all seen people, especially on the websites that are super pressed to tell people what their texture is, especially 3-anything or the popular 4a or whatever it is. No one wants to just have their OWN hair - undefined by a bracket that makes them SEEM as if they have "better" hair than the next curly. Its gotta be "just like hers" or they see a style and get hair envy, and go crazy trying to make her hair be something it isnt. On the flip side, we have all also heard that one girl friend that says "My hair is Nappy and it wont do all that" or "Yeah but you have that kind of hair" or "Good hair this and that" *rolls eyes*, lol But yes... we have to admit we still have a few lingering issues with embracing our black natural beauty.

 Its cool. And understandable. But my point here, is that I feel like I've reached a breakthrough. A "Curly Nikki" point if you will, where I've FINALLY found the products and regimen that work, and now I can say I LOVE MY HAIR! Not because it looks like someone else's, not because I trained it, tamed it, or "fixed" anything about it, because there wasnt anything wrong with the way God made it.  or  not because I was able to "get my hair like" something... but because it is healthy, happy and it shows! I will never again describe my curls (or anyone else's for that matter) as NAPS because "nappy" is a word that
1. makes no sense.
2. was a mocking, nasty word created to make black women feel bad about their hair
3. is a mentality I no longer subsribe to. I aint got no naps. PERIOD.

I have gone from "nappy" to "Happy" and I love, love... lovvvve it! Yay!! #POW Take THAT mental slavery! lol


XO

Jesus, Hairpins and Mojo - What a great weekend!

Dear Jesus, I had an answome weekend. It was wonderful to just be in a happy space. I met some great people and got to know them better than I ever could. I drove ( ME! ) all the way to Cheasapeake/downtown Norfolk for a quick mini vaca, and let me tell you, I had a ball! We went to check out the local gospel/rap talent at a concert.... can we say TALENTED PINKY TOES? These kids had more origniality, talent and love for God in one room than I've ever seen in my life. They crunk danced, pop locked and dropped the word on some hot tracks better than Kanye or JayZ ever could. The vocal talent was just phenomenal! Like turn Beyonce down and put John Legend on Mute for a sec! lol  Just a blessed event!

Skip to 2:15 to hear this 18 year old artist. He was PHENOMENAL!

These kids were so cute. Especially the littlest "krumpers". lol

The weekend ended with sight seeing and lunch at a really nice harbor-area tavern called Freemason's Abbey in downtown Norfolk. 2 words, four stars! :) She Crab Soup and Crab cakes were on point!

Nighttime in Norfolk. :)

I know you are wondering, and YES... My hair was awesome! I did a really simple twist-n-curl that turned out wonderfully. This is totally my new staple style. I think it really suits me. :) All I did was co-wash with Sauve Naturals, used shea butter to seal and ORS olive oil cream for moisture. I mixed jamaica mango-lime locNtwist spray with lacio lacio and a few squirts of Argan oil into a spray bottle, and spritzed on for the twists. I flat twisted my hair into about 6-8 flat twists and flexi rod the bottoms. Sat under the dryer for about an hour, but mostly air dried in the morning because my hair takes 20 years to dry. lol Viola! Side bar: I can see my hair becoming more shiny and smooth... silky even. I wonder if its the Henna... or the co-washing. Hmm.

Actually this is today, at work, so.. 3rd day hair. lol but ... its STILL pretty!

YAY!

I also had great convos this weekend! The things I've discovered about myself, my friends and about how much God loves me and how I approach life- just a blessing. I feel like I have my mojo - the type of mojo that never goes away! My JOY. I know where to find it now, and I'm not letting it go. Sunday night I helped to make someone's day (today) by sharing something I love - natural hair know-how! I did some hair and she loves it, and making her feel awesome -FELT awesome! I'm sleepy, but I'm good. My spirit is GOOD. :) Thank you for that.

Amen!

Interview hair and my NEXT style!!

So the interview went well :) I did a quick flexi with like 15 rods and pulled it to the side. See?:





Yay! Also, I'm looking redder and redder with this henna. I'm really thinking indigo is happening SOON. This weekend I will be skiing for the first time, and I dont have time for all that, so I will need to think of a nice self sufficient style that gets cuter with more wear... Whats that? FLEXIS you say?? LOL Yeppers! haha! Probably do a side sweep and then by the end of the trip end up in a pony on top. I have earmuffs so it wont get smushed by the hat! :)

 I found a new style on KaiRox ( youtube ) that I LOVEERRRRR!!I love her site because her hair texture is very similar to mine where it is thick, fine, straight, wavy and curly all at once with lots of shine when stretched or heated straight, but a tendency to look a lil fuzzy unmanipulate. This time she uses 18 JUMBO flexis and I have just GOTTA try this.

 I've done this before with straightened hair and the flat iron, so I have an idea of what it looks like on me. Her hair is probably about 4-5 inches longer tan mine though, so I think mine will be bigger but not hang as long. Either way I will wait untill next weekend to experiment with this style! I know I have some ORS (organic root stimulator lock and twist gel) somewhere in my product junkie closet, so I will have to try that with my flexis and see if I like it. It seems like it would be sticky. I used to use it with my locs ( years ago... and yes I still have the big ole jar I bought back then... so its rather booger-like in consistency ( EW!) and I should probably purchase more huh? lol Will do. Will post pictures!


XO

Not bad!

Ok wait, the post before said that my henna was, well... less than splendiferous. On the contrary - it was sooooo easy this time. Here was my mix:

Hair Happy Herbal Essence, or whatever the name is
Olive oil
Rosemary
Honey
Dash of Cinnamon ( smell!)
Chammomile Tea

The difference this time was the honey, olive oil and rosemary. My hair rinsed out SOOOO easily. Like the water really ran clear a lot faster this time. Also, my hair was still "sticking" to itself, as if it had jagged edges, not like there was a sticky substance. But a but less than last time. I find the color a little unappealing. I left the henna mix in for only 4 hours this time, because I wasnt crazy about changing the already-kinda-ashy brownish red. It still gave my hair an even ashier tone. I may do the indigo after all. I just hope that its color and not dryness... else Ima have ashy black hair too! lol

With the flexi twists I did the half set again, 15-20 flexis, flat twisting the parts that were close to the scalp. Easy peasy. I also added some Argan oil to my wet hair before the sheabutter/lacio lacio leave in/Jamaican Mango and lime lock and twist setting lotion mix. <-- say that 3 times! The Argan oil is a BEAST, I tell you. Curly Nikki wasnt lying when she said it would save the world, babysit her kids and make Obama president again. This oil is the truth! I put a SMALL amount on my hands and rubbed it onto my hair and it was SOOOO soft. #newstaple

Only regrets this time... dry hair. Dry ashy hair. I may have to go old school and press n oil tonight. Gotta Interview! lol YAY!

Wish me luck! XO 

Bunnin'

My after henna flexi didnt really come out as id hoped. Nothin waa wrong with it, it was really soft and managable....but really soft. Like cottony. Too much color so not enough shine. I think i need an oil. Or more shea butter. Only thing i did different was sit under the dryer to dry my flexis. Hmm. I may wind up either doing a fresh twistncurl for tommorrow...or breaking out the flat iron. :/

Any how...my bun is cute! I want it to be bigger and less hump before the bun next time. Need some real ponytail holders instead of the rubber bands i was using.  I used a black satin cap as a makeshift hair-rat! Lol worked!

Henna Update - First of the moooooonth....

Pausing from my Flexi-Swagginess... Think I'm ready to HENNA again! :)

So I did one henna gloss back in November ( or october or something ) and swore that I would give it another try. I didnt get the "unbelieveable softness" that everyone else raves about, but I do see the color and shine. NOW my hair, 3 months later, is very soft, full and pliable. Where, 3 months ago, it was behaving as if there were something coating the strands that was actually heavy enough to make it act "sticky". Since then I have had 2 protien treatments with my 6 week trims, and I love my hair. I want to do another henna ( instead of leaving well enough alone, right! ) just to see if I can get those pretty results everyone is talking about.

By the by I do have a confession: I never did use the indigo. SO glad I only bought 3 packs. I dont think I'm ready for it yet. Think I wanna do a few more henna glosses and just see how things go. I'm afraid of blue hair. Plus I love how shiny red and highlight-ery (hush!) the henna makes my hair. I had highlights years before that were naturally created by just being in the sun ( top front of my hair) and now they are a pretty auburn. :)

My plan is to do the Curly Nikki or the Mop Top Maven henna gloss this weekend. Cant wait! Stay tuned! :)

                                                       Here's MopTop Maven's Tutorial

Ciao! 

Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Curly Hair Care: Herbal Remedies- Rosemary for Growth

Curly Nikki Natural Hair Styles and Curly Hair Care: Herbal Remedies- Rosemary for Growth: by Shanti of A Curls Best Friend Antoinette's Results of a Rosemary Rinse Before Pantene, Queen Helene and Head and Shoulders, women turn...

I tried Rosemary last night! Just got some out of the spice cabinet and steeped like tea for about 20 min. I then rinsed thru the front of my hair where the dryness ( and dirt...lol this is an 8th day flexi set and it is TUESDAY, chile. I am NOT a mid week washer. Hmph! ) is most prevalent. * smart moment!! * I used an old pointed top doo-gro scalp oil container to keep the rinse only on the front of my hair. The rest of my still-poppin flexi set, I pulled away into a pony tail. Worked! It seems my problem area is right at the crown of my head. So the rinse smelled great and I got the area nice and clean... and I started to think today... what if I just ditched shampoo alltogether and used rosemary rinse? Hmm... Everyone else is ditching shampoo! Why not?

Lets see how long this "quickie clean" lasts for my scalp.

;) Ciao

Um.. Bacon Chapstick?

Yep. The world has officially lost it. There's more.  Go to the website. Case you need some bacon soap or bacon breath mints. SMH.

Still Going Strong HOORAY! - Quick Update on Indigestion and Anxiety disorder

Real Quick:

It has been a long time since I had a really bad anxiety attack. Like months. I had some dizziness last month, due to my cold and ear infec, but I'm all good now. This month I continue to feel dizzy whenever something is off-kilter with my body or stress... but other than that, the indigestion theory is really working well. Anytime I feel something ( arm or chest pain, overpowering dizziness)   I just note where the pain is and assess whether it could be over tiredness, dehydration or indigestion. Usually, it is indigestion, and I have incorporated ginger and/or peppermint teas, peppermint altoids and tums to alternate for this type of discomfort. Trying to drink lots of water is something I'm doing also, because it really puts my mind to rest when I'm going to sleep, since studies show you are much less likley to have a heart attack while sleeping by simply drinking a glass of water. ( I know... Jeez Maya. lol right. These are the things I think about!! LOL )

Any way,  it has TRULY been a blessing to find something that works! If you have anxiety disorder, or know anyone that does,  I cant say enought how much it helps to know the facts and to feed the mental drama with good facts and consistent healthy choices.

Amen and good day!