Quasi Length Check

57 Months Natural

It has been way too long since my last real length check! While I was taking my blog break, I tried to be mindful and jot down ideas here and there. I KNOW I took pictures of my hair with my length check shirt on, but so much has gone on over the course of the past few months. I've searched high and low for those photos and I can't seem to find them anywhere.

SO! The next time my hair is straightened, I'm going to get things rolling again with more routine length checks. I also need to get a post out to get my blogger legs back, so this post is more than a must.

A Few Quick Tips For Crochet Braid Maintenance

How I'm Caring For My Senegalese Twists

I've had my twists for a month. I haven't had a hairstyle like this since the 4th grade when I had box braids! Before leaving the shop, I made sure to get some maintenance tips so I could be informed about how to care for the hair before being sent off to tend with it on my own. With that being said, here's a few things I've done to care for my natural hair during this first month.

Moisturize & Protect The Hair

One of the perks of having crochet braids has been accessibility to my scalp. I'm able to moisturize my roots and keep my scalp oiled. My hair didn't need much attention during its first week. I started moisturizing my roots and edges with one of my staple moisturizers, Creme of Nature Argan Buttermilk. Two days after I moisturized my hair, I oiled my scalp using Creme of Nature 100% Argan Oil.

How To Use The Banding Method

African Hair Banding

Like many of the tests and techniques I've discussed recently, hair banding has been something I've heard of since the beginning of my natural hair journey. Also like everything else, I've never tried it. I'm stepping outside of many boxes, so I saw this technique and thought "why not?".

What is The Banding Method?

The Banding Method, also known as African Hair Banding, is a way to stretch natural hair without using heat. The basic concept of the method is to wrap sections of damp hair with some sort of "band". A "band" can be anything from hair scrunchies, to ribbons, rubber bands, strips of cotton, yarn, you name it! The list goes on and on and on!

A Protective Style

Literally The Letter "A" Protective Style

I remember when Facebook first came out. It was only for college students and it was a social network. I guess you can still say that about it, but for me, I use it as a helpful source of information. Recently, I was doing my normal perusing and came across a video. A Facebook friend had shared a video of someone doing a protective style that looked simple enough for me to do. Like I usually do, I saved the link and kept it moving. Unlike I usually do, I actually went back to this video and decided to put it to use.

Wash and Go Success

Perfecting A Technique

I've been battling with the wash and go ever since becoming natural. I've never really been a fan of shrinkage so when my hair was in its earlier stages, I couldn't take the reduction in length. Now that I'm being more cognizant of my hair and the styles I choose, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the style.

The Second CoWash Experiment

Creme Of Nature Pure-Licious Co-Wash Product Review

I recently did a product review for the first cowash product I tried. I don't know what I expected but I'd heard so much about that particular product that I couldn't resist.

I've always shampooed my hair about every two weeks. Now that I think about it, that may be a part of why I think my hair is always dry! I don't have a staple shampoo but I think I may have found one with the ORS shampoo I tried recently. I shampoo so often because of product build-up but after defining my hair type, I learned I don't need to pile on products AND that cowashing might be the way to go for my type of hair.

I know many naturalistas use conditioner to cowash but I guess brands are getting "hip to the game" because I've been seeing many products advertised as cowashes. I usually don't think twice about trying new products because they're new, but I'm still subscribed to curlBOX and they recently sent this product. I figured since I had it, why not try it...especially after that last attempt.

Sew-In Home Maintenance

Washing My Sew-In

Let's start this post off by giving me a round of applause for making it this far. If you remember this post, then you understand where I'm coming from.

Here's the real. I paid for this hair and it's on my head, so I have to make sure it's maintained properly. I questioned myself about what I wanted to do with it. My thought was, let's get past my birthday without looking crazy first, then I'll make some decisions. Goal Accomplished!

I don't put products in the hair because everyone (knowledgeable about sew-ins) says products will weigh it down. The stylist said natural oil from my hair would eventually spread throughout the sew-in and I'm guessing that's what's happened because it seems the hair has become "weighed down".

I decided against paying money to have someone else wash the hair because I didn't think it was worth it! I asked around to see how other ladies washed their sew-ins and to see what products they used. Then I went to the University of Youtube and got my knowledge up. After that I was pumped!! This is just hair, so what if it's sewn in, I know how to wash hair!! Plus, I'm a visual learner and I found the perfect video to help me feel comfortable enough to wash these extensions. So, here's what I did:

July Curlbox & Product Review

Herbal Essences 'The Sleeker The Butter' & Pantene Hair Masque and Custard Product Reviews

If you're not getting a curlBOX, you might just be missing out!!

Getting these boxes is like getting Christmas presents full of goodies each month! I wouldn't try a lot of these products if they weren't being sent to me but (like I've said before) you can't find what you like unless you try different things! I'm still getting over split ends but most of the products are treating my hair well, so I'm not complaining about that part.

July's box was a Beach Box theme! This box was packed with a trip to the beach in mind. All you'd have to do is throw this box in your suitcase and you wouldn't need much else. It included:

• Herbal Essences 'The Sleeker The Butter' Shampoo
• Herbal Essences 'The Sleeker The Butter' Conditioner
• Herbal Essences 'The Sleeker The Butter' Creamy Hair Milk
• Pantene Pro-V Stylers Texturizing Sculpting Wax
• Aussie 3 Minute Miracle
• Covergirl Queen Collection Jumbo Gloss Balm
• Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash
• Secret Clinical Invisible Solid Antiperspirant
• Crest Be
• Ivory Soap

May curlBOX & Product Review

Creme of Nature Product Review w/ Nov 2015 Update

I know it's June and my next curlBOX is probably halfway to me by now but May was a busy month for me. There was my vacation, then family reunion, then playing catching up...I was exhausted! I still managed try the curlBOX out, so let me share my views on the products. In this month's box were: 

May curlBOX

• Crème of Nature Strength & Shine Leave-In Conditioner
• Crème of Nature Pudding Perfection Curl Enhancing Cream
• Ojon rareBlend Moisture-Rich Cleansing Conditioner
• U R Curly Soya Shampoo
• Grandma's Pure and Natural Lye Soap
• Earth's Nectar Coconut Curls Conditioning Detangler
• and a curlBOX Postcard

I tried two products out of this box. The first product I tried was the Crème of Nature leave-in. I couldn't tell a difference between using this leave-in versus using other leave-ins, therefore I can't really give an extensive product review about this product. I know, I know...boo to me. But if it helps, I've used it about two or three times, and nothing negative has come from it!

This product review is mainly for the Crème of Nature Pudding Perfection Curl Enhancing Cream. I'm going to preface this by saying I didn't want to use it because I love my Pantene custard so much, especially for twist outs; but what else is the curlBOX for other than to try new things?!

The product was very light and didn't have a hard hold, so when I untwisted my hair it absorbed so much moisture from the air. The product has a decent smell so that wasn't an issue. As a matter of fact, most of the products I'm exposed to these days has a decent smell, so I think brands are being more cognizant of that. If I had to use this product again, I would use it as a moisturizer for a wash and go, rather than use it as a holding agent for my twist outs, because it didn't work at all!!!

Of course I didn't take good pictures of the final result. I didn't really like how it turned out, so I wasn't in the photo snapping mood. I kept meaning to get at least one good picture for the blog, but I'm still in off-the-grid mode so my phone (and other devices) stay out of my hands more than they stay in my hands. From the outside looking in, most people would say it looks fine...and it does, I just prefer the more defined look Pantene gives me. This look was too puffy and shrunken for me. The humidity played a big role in this look (and I have to remember that for future styles), but I only kept this look for about a week before throwing some Pantene on it!

NOVEMBER 2015 UPDATE

The only products I've used out of this box, still, are the two mentioned in this post. This was the first time my hair was exposed to the brand, so I'm thankful to curlBOX for the exposure. Back then, I had no goals for my hair so I didn't know any better. I was trying products just to try them. Now with my goal of having healthy hair, I'm more cognizant of what I'm putting in my hair.

I don't use the Pantene custard anymore. My NC cosmetologist told me that product wasn't good for my hair because the pH was way to high. Since then, it's been on my to-do list to start testing the products I use for pH.

I have used the Creme of Nature leave-in a lot since this post. It's one of my favorite spray leave-in conditioners. It's a great moisturizer and very light, so it doesn't weigh my hair down. That's also what I love about the Pudding Perfection Curl Enhancing Cream.

When I tried this product the first time, I was more interested in getting length out of my twist-outs. Now, I don't stretch my twist-outs, I wear my twist outs as pictured here. Also, my wash day technique has changed. Perfecting my technique has a lot to do with how my hairstyles turn out. So, while the products I use play a large part of that, the technique is key.

Creme of Nature is one of my go to brands now, I use many of their products and would highly recommend them to anyone. I guess the next thing I should do is test these products for pH!

What's your favorite hair product??

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