Comparison Puff Pictures

These pics show my growth for 4 months of being natural.. I'm not doing anything special.. Right after cutting my hair I co-wash weekly and Deep Conditioning.. Now I use Terr-Essentials hair wash and some weeks I DC and some weeks I don't..

I DC'd on June 19th.. Oct 19th.. Made 4 months..

4 months Natural

It seems like I been natural longer than 4 months..  I have some great growth and I am getting better with my puffs.. All the other styles I'm still working on.. This is a failed braid out attempt.. My trusty puff never lets me down..

Terressentials Hair Wash

I must say this is the best purchase I have made so far.. There are some other items too that I consider my best purchase as well but this one has been the rave to use. So  you only has to use about 3-4 products on your hair and your hair goes thru a detox depending on how much product build-up you have on your hair.  After you use the product you have to use all natural or organic products so that mean I had to go thru my stash and get rid of my not so good products.  Most of the all natural products that we are paying a lot of money for really don't have natural products in them.  I guess just because the product has the word "natural" in the name doesn't really mean its natural.. Just read your ingredients on the label..

http://www.terressentials.com/

Here are some pics of my hair Day one of the detox and after the detox..

This is the most moisture I've had in my hair since being natural.. After the detox I twist my hair with flaxseed gel that I made and Qhemet Alma & Burdock root cream and this is what my twist look like when I took them out.. Being that I was going to be outside for most of my day I ended up putting my hair in a puff.. My edges did not lay down all day so I need something a little stronger than flaxseed gel for my edges.. Only thing I could use was ecostyler gel but no more.  All my gels has to be all natural or homemade..

My Natural Hairstyles

The 1st 3 is called the Braid & Curl Check out WestNDNbreauty you-tube to get this style.. I did mine a little different from what she did but I got so many compliments.

The last 4 well that is a result of this fail braid out attemp.. I just used some hair candy to spruce it up. Still trying to learn how to do a braid out & twist out that I am happy with

Product Review Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship

I must say I have slept on this product.. It gives great slip and leaves your hair easy to detangle and manage.. If you ever done an Indigo treatment  and know how dry it leaves your hair and sometimes it seems like nothing will ever get it back to its moisturized state.. This will.. I would DC for hours and still my hair would be dry after indigo treatment.. I used this once just as I would co-wash my hair and my hair instantly felt soft and moisturized and once again easy to manage.. If you ever wanted to try this conditioner its worth giving it a try.. It will be the best $2.50 or $3 you ever spent... I also love the leave in but that is getting harder to find in the stores these days.  So I will just stick with the conditioner..

I give this product 5 starts

After 18 Months of Transitioning I'm Natural

I could have gone longer even made my 2 year mark.. But on June 19th I decided to let those relax ends go.. Now I'm just trying to maintain new styles and keep the moisture in and also get my styles too look great... Cannot master braid outs, twist outs right now so I think I might try to do protective styles..

Afro Puff Transitioning Style

Here is another one of my transitioning styles.. I would have issues trying to get my hair to lie flat and never woudl work.. Some areas would have that dreaded frizz and other areas would be just fine.. This style I decided to use the tension method when I finished air drying it didn't turn out like I expected so I decide to wear my hair in a ponytail.. I cornrowed the top and took the rest and just slicked it back with Eco Styler Gel.. I used the Clear kind and the Argan Oil kind mixed with Mango Butter.. I also did an Aloe Vera Gel mixed with oils and used that to keep my frizz at bay.. These was my results..

15 Months Post Still Going Strong

Coming up with hair styles has been trying for me during my transition.. 1st starting I would tell you it was detangling but I got that down now.. So I have to say within my 15 months styling is still an issue.. Moisture will alway be my crusade to get my hair moisturized and stay that way.  Until I BC that is my mission.. Get moisture, keep it and maintain it.  Just doing various things to keep my hair moisturized and right now I am using Chicoro' Moisture Rich Recipes.. She has 4 steps.. Being that I don't shampoo I'm co-washing still somewhat using her steps.. Next will be to use her leave in.. In this pic here I used her pre-poo recipe..


Ingredients you will need: (Pre-Poo)

In a bowl mix


· ½ cup of aloe vera juice or whole leaf aloe vera
· 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite oil (wheat germ, olive, safflower, walnut etc)


In a separate Bowl melt


· Food grade coconut oil (1/4 cup)


· Sit the bottle or jar in hot water- do not put in microwave or on the stove!


Remember, everyone's hair has different needs. You may need more or less of this mixture. Or, your hair may not like this at all. None of these will irrevocably change your hair. Thus, you just need to wash out the mixture if your hair doesn't like it.

1. Using your fingers, separate your hair into 4- 8 sections. If your hair is caked with hard product, rinse your hair first. Gently handle the first section. First, smooth the hair in a downward direction. You are just trying to make sure that all the hair is going in one direction. You don't need to completely detangle the hair at this point.

2. Dip your hair in the bowl of aloe vera and oil or cup your hands in the mixture and transfer it to the section onto your hair. Work it through. Get the aloe vera/oil mix into your hair from root to tip. Make sure it is moist throughout the sectioned hair. If your hair is long enough, twist it and wrap it around like a bantu knot. If it is not, try to twist it and move it out the way. Repeat until you have done this to each section.


3. You should have a head full of aloe vera mixed with oil twisted sections. Go back to the first twist you did. Undo it, pour the liquid coconut oil in your hand and work through the section. Re-twist it and repeat on whole head. Place a plastic shower cap on your head for 15-60 minutes. Your moisturizing pre-poo is complete!
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Here is her leave in also for moisture rich hair.. I haven't used this one yet don't have all of the ingredients: She has 4 steps this is her last step..


The fourth step in the process where you have an opportunity to add moisture to your hair is during your leave in step.

Ingredients:


½ cup of aloe vera


1-2 tablespoons of oil


1 tablespoon of vegetable glycerin


1-3 drops of rosemary essential oil (optional)


1-3 drops of sage essential oil (optional)


1-3 drops of basil essential oil (optional)


Liquid panthenol (optional)

1. Mix all the ingredients together. You can even place them in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on your freshly rinsed hair.


2. Work the leave -in mixture into your hair from root to tip.
3. Do not rinse out this mixture.
4. Style your natural hair as usual.


There you have it! This routine is one way to add moisture to your hair. I hope you can keep your hands out of your soft, moist, beautiful afro-textured hair!

Do You Henna

I would hear so much about Henna on the hair boards.. I was scared to try it.  I been on band wagons b4 and some because of not doing the correct research my hair suffered.  So I researched found recipe after recipe and decided to do a Henna Gloss.. 1st time I tried it the henna was ok.. I did wait for any color release and followed with Indigo.. The indigo didn't take at all.. I had copper hi-lites where my grey hairs were.  2nd time the same thing just did not take.  So the third time I said I am going to follow these recipes and keep it simple.. Less is better. I tried Top Mop Maven Henna Recipe.. Added my own because I didn't have some of the things she had but I still kept it like hers I just used a different brand..For the 1st time my Indigo worked and want to know what I did wrong.  Looking around a the recipes instead of adding water to my indigo because I heard of the drying effects I added Aloe Vera Juice the 1st time around and other things that I should have kept out of it.. What I did this go around was just water and salt.. Yes less is best.  When I used the Henna Gloss my hair came out soft and not hard or tangled at all. Like b4 when I was adding everything I had in my kitchen.. lol

Here is Top Mop Maven Henna/Gloss Recipe

200G Henna [two boxes]
1/2 Cup Hello Hydration Conditioner
1 Cup Lustrasilk Mango & Shea Butter Conditioner
1/2 Cup of Brahmi Oil added to mixture before applying the Henna on my hair.

This is Letha's Henna Gloss Recipe

200G Henna Jamilia Henna (2bxs)
1 cup of Lustrasilk Argan Oil Conditioner
1/2 Hello Hydration b4 the changed the name (can't remember the name)
1/2 cup of GrapeSeed & Walnut Oil ( applied the oil b4 I put the henna gloss in my hair)
I didn't have any Brahmi Oil so I used this mixture

I did let my mixture sit over night for color release.  Most people don't do this so this can be your personal preference.

I had some left over so I might use one box next time.. I made sure I had enough to go all over my hair.. To Keep the black color I plan to do a Henna/Indigo gloss.. That is just where I plan to mix the indigo with the henna so I don't have to go thru the step of using the indigo alone and dealing with the dryness.  I have some recipes in mind but still researching that Henna/Indigo Gloss.. I might just use the recipe I have and just add the Indigo right b4 I used the recipe above.. Not sure if anyone remember MedMunky.. I came across a great henna/Indigo gloss recipe that she had so at least I have 2 recipes to try out..

Just do your research and remember less is best no need to add all this extra stuff to your Henna Mix unless you have a mix with 15 ingredients and it work then stick to it but for someone starting out to do Henna keep it simple..

Changing my eating Habits

Just like when I find out something new about hair I am researching things and the same goes with my eating habits.. They are not good at all. It's great on the weekdays and then the weekend comes.  I been thinking to try to become a vegetarian or vegan.. I'm already trying to stay away from egg, milk, and butter.. Find other products to use like Vegan butter.. Not bad at all.. I been on site after site and even plan to dabble into making my own breads without the milk and eggs and even bagels.. If I do use milk it will be Almond Milk.. Love Love that stuff.  I really need to get this weight off and I'm always tired..  So becoming a Vegan or Vegetarian does not have to be restricted to just certain food just have to branch out and do your research to come up with different  ideas.

Here are some sites that I came across while researching Vegan..

http://cookeatshare.com/recipes/special-category/vegan

http://vegandad.blogspot.com/

Found Some Great Buys at Rite Aid

I went in Rite Aide to get some Herbal Essence which is 2 for $5 and they were having a sale like I never seen b4.. Here are some items I picked up that were 50% off.. Some of these product I never used b4..

Lets start off with Aveeno Nourish & Revitalize which is orginally $7.50 I got it for %50 off got 2 bottle


Tresemme 32 oz $5.49 50% off

FX Special Effects Blow out Cream $4.50 50% off


FX Special Effects Tangle Out $2.40 50% off with $1 coupon off


Samy Deep Conditioning Treatment $7.50 50% off

4 bottles of Herbal Essence which was 2 for $5.. If I like any of these products I plan to go back and buy what they have left.

If you have a rite aid in your area go by and check them out..

Description of Samy:


Samy brings you the ultimate conditioning and protection you need to control frizz and keep your hair beautifully soft, and silky smooth everyday. Samy Deep Conditioning Treatment is formulated with a concentrated blend of shea butter, macadamia oil and melon extract that quickly penetrates and revitalizes hair damaged by over-processing, repeated styling and coloring.

My New Found Love Thread Earrings

I have fallen in love with these earrings.. I saw them at my local BSS and got them for .99cents well if you know me I will research something until I found it and now I plan to order me a bunch of these earrings. They will go great with my new style when I decide to BC.. These aren't these exact earrings but this is the style.. They are called Thread earrings.. The site that I found are very reasonable too..


http://www.peruvianearring.com/index1.cfm