Category Archives: NATURAL HAIR

Highlighted and Pressed!!

I finally did it! Last night I got my hair professionally highlighted and pressed!! The first time I’ve let anyone in my hair in 3 years! Needless to say I was extremely nervous. I entrusted my tresses to a young lady by the name of Toya Rucker and let me just say, she did an extraordinary job!

She started with a shampoo followed by a slight blowout and some time under the dryer. Next she applied a product by Redkin called Chromatic using the foil highlight method. It’s actually a clear formula that lifted the natural color of my hair 3 shades lighter. It was very cool!

Afterwards she washed and deep conditioned my hair. Following that she applied a color called Golden Apricot by Redkin to all of my hair and I spent about 20 minutes under the dryer. She washed and then it was on to to the blowout and press!

Before she started she applied a product called It’s a 10 Silk Express Miracle Silk Leave-in. You guys I have never felt my natural hair so straight and light! I was in awe! After the initial amazement came the unfortunate part…the trim. My hair needed a trim fairly bad and although she was delicate I pretty much threw my growth challenge out the window. On the upside my hair is healthier!

So…all in all I am over the moon with the results! Here are some pics of the details.

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Growth Challenge Bale Out

So I’m sure some of your are thinking that I’ve completely bailed out on my 6 month growth challenge, which I’m sorry to say isn’t completely wrong!

I’ve been really busy with a great new initiative I can’t wait to share with you all and it’s been consuming a bunch of my time. And while I’ve still been sticking with a lot of the core elements of my growth challenge like no heat, wash & deep condition once a week and wearing protective styles, I have become a bit of a slacker when it comes to moisturizing and sealing my ends 3x a week, taking my vitamins and drinking enough water.

Now that I’m approaching the end of the challenge and my 3 year natural hair anniversary I’m not too sure that I will have reached my mid-back goal. The last time I did a random length check I was at BSL, so I guess we’ll see! Stay tuned!

If you’re in the middle of a growth challenge, do better than I did! Don’t get distracted! And well, if you do it’s not the end of the world :o)

My Current L.O.C. Obsession

Hello beauties!

Sorry it’s been a while. I’m working on something really exciting that I can’t wait to share with you all.

In the mean time, let me introduce you to my current L.O.C. obsession.

Leave-in: Cantu Shea Butter
Oil: Organix Renewing Moroccan Aragan Penetrating Oil
Cream: Organix Moroccan Curling Defining Cream

This combination makes my hair soooo soft! I just love it. I caught these Organix products on a BOGO sale at Walgreens and now I’m hooked! The only downside is that I can’t follow this product combination with my staple curl defining Eco Styler Gel. It leaves a very unappealing white residue.

But…definitely recommend trying these to seal in moisture.

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Texture Texture Oh How I Love Thee

This weekend I decided that I wanted to rock some twists one more time for my growth challenge grind which ends in April. Unfortunately I’ve been so busy preparing for the awesomeness God is about to manifest in my life that after doing my deep conditioning regimen I only had time to do some medium to large size twits. Of course those only lasted me a day BUT it actually worked out perfect because the texture I was able to achieve today has me hair crushing on myself!!

Soooo here are the details:

Deep conditioned with Creme of Nature’s Intensive Conditioning Treatment

Twisted with Eco Styler gel with Olive Oil and wore twists for one day

Unravelled twists on day 2 finger combed the roots and applied a light layer of Eco styler

Finished off by applying a light coating of Olive Oil Moisturizing Shine Serum

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New Product Fun

It’s been a while since I tried any new products so I decided to stop and picked up a few newbies.

As most of you know I am in love with almost all of the Cantu products I’ve tried, so when I spotted the new Coconut Curling Creme and Daily Oil Moisturizer I had to scoop those up.

I also spotted a new product from the Dark and Lovely Au Naturale line called Anti-breakage Super Softening Hair Butter. However, after researching it a bit further it’s actually more ideal for transitioning hair. So, I think I’ll pass it along to my sister who I’m super excited to say has decided to start her transition to the world of kinks and curls!

Stay tuned to see how these guys work out!

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These Grays Gotta Go

I don’t know about you beauties but I seem to have acquired quite a bit of gray hair since entering my thirties. Consequently I’ve been seriously contemplating getting highlights but have been a bit reluctant because I’m afraid of damaging my hair. I’ve seen countless ladies maintain a head of healthy color treated hair so I know it can be done.

Well, this year that fear can kick rocks! This naturalista will be saying goodbye to these grays and getting highlights this spring after my growth challenge ends in early April. Time for another level of fun with my curls, kinks and coils!

Before I take the plunge I’ll be doing a lot of research on maintaining healthy color treated natural hair. I know that moisturizing and deep conditioning is key! If you have any other maintenance tips that you would recommend please let me know. These grays have gotta go!

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Instagram Identity CHRISTless

I think we can all agree that there’s no shortage of beautiful people on Instagram. Whether their interest is in fashion, fitness, beauty, art or maybe a funky eclectic look at life in general, you can’t deny them. They are there, the beauties of the world. A challenge comes however, when you fail to recognize yourself as one of those beautiful people. When you are fooled into believing that the body, head of hair or face that you are envying is perfect. When you discount yourself, your beauty, your physical attributes or even your hustle! When you let the fact that you are a complete bad ass grinding every day fall by the waste side because you’ve determined that based on some random photo uploaded to an application called Instagram, you aren’t good enough. This, my friends is a direct byproduct of not knowing who you are in Christ.

As an extremely visual person I happen to really enjoy Instagram. I seriously believe the application was made for people like me. From a health, beauty, hair and makeup perspective its focus on imagery and photography inspires me every day. Whether the photos have been extraordinarily altered or not this app never fails to give me ideas that get my creative juices flowing. Much like most other Medias however, there’s another side of Instagram that seems to be challenging the self-esteem and self-worth of many individuals around the world. The answer to this identity struggle, this lack of confidence, is to build a relationship with Christ.

Once you get to know Him, how absolutely beautiful He formed you and how beautiful you still are despite what you’ve been through, then you can begin to appreciate His other creations without feeling inferior. When you grow to understand that you were fearfully and wonderfully made and discover who God has called you to be, no one can make you feel anything less than what you are, royalty.