Saturday, May 28

Blackest Black

So...I purchased an ION Blackest black semi permanent hair color a while back and because I will now only do Henna and Indigo treatments, I decided to use it on Thursday night. Rinses usually wash out quick which is why I will use Henna and Indigo in the future, but just because I had it, I decided to use it.
Because these have no chemicals in them, I think they are the best option for getting black hair.

How I did it:

Shampooed hair
Conditioned
then applied the rinse in sections completely saturating my hair
Covered with Plastic Cap
Let sit for 2 hours (only needs to be left on for 20 minutes max, but I was doing a lot around the house and didn't have time to wash out)
Rinsed out for like 10-15 minutes with Cool water
Applied conditioner and let sit for 3 minutes
rinsed out


Friday, May 27

Self- Relaxer Tips

So...I completely forgot to do a follow-up relaxer post and decided instead of doing that, I will offer some helpful tips. Most of these I followed during my relaxer process.
I used ORS Lye Relaxer in Normal

First thing you should always do if you're self relaxing is CHECK THE WATER IN YOUR HOUSE TO MAKE SURE IT"S WORKING PROPERLY! hahaha.
Okay, after watching Malcolm X, I have the biggest fear that my water will not work and I would have to stick my head in a toilet to get the relaxer out. Sounds crazy, right? Well I still check the water to make sure its working as it should.

1.) Base Scalp- Sounds like a duh kind of thing, right? But some people still don't do it. No matter if the relaxer says "No Base" or not, a base is needed. This is a VERY harsh chemical that should not be directly touching your scalp and if it does, that's what a base is for.  I used plain ol' Vaseline.

2.) Do Perimeter LAST- I always relax my edges and nape last because those are the most sensitive areas of my head. That goes for most people. If you have issues with your edges and nape area..it could be due to over processing. So...relax those areas last if at all.

3.) Oil Already Relaxed Ends- To prevent Over processing, it's best to oil your already relaxed ends. I used Castor Oil which is one of the thickest oils I know

4.) Always do a Mid-Step Protein Treatment- After Rinsing out the relaxer, you should do a 2 minute Protein Treatment to replenish lost protein during the relaxer process. You will notice your hair becomes immediately stronger and you may not even get that "thin relaxed look" right after your relaxer

5.) Be sure to PROPERLY Neutralize- Neutralizing is the most important step because you are able to get ALL the relaxer out of your hair.  After my mid step protein treatment, I rinsed with Neutralizer twice, then I covered my hair with Neutralizer and kept that in for about 6 minutes, rinsed again.
Getting a color activated neutralizer may be best for those who aren't sure.

6.) Lye or No Lye?- Check out this post to see the pros and cons of each relaxer. I use Lye. My hair is a lot less dry afterwards and I do not need a chelating shampoo to remove the calcium buildup a No-Lye Relaxer leaves behind.


Few other tips

Stay on time!- The recommended processing times are there for a reason. Set a timer and work as fast and efficiently as possible

Enlist Help- If you don't think you can do it yourself, either go to a trusted beautician or have someone close to you(that can follow directions) help you out

Add Oils or Protein to Relaxer- This helps slow down processing time and  somewhat prevents overprocessing. I had the relaxer in my hair for 25 minutes and it still did not get bone straight, which is great. I used Silk Amino Acids and added a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil


**** Please note I am NOT a licensed beautician, just offering advice based on my own personal experience.
Relaxers are harsh chemicals so if you ARE NOT comfortable doing your own relaxer, please visit a licensed beautician to do so!! ***

Have any other tips??? List them in the comments section


Follow us on Twitter!Follow us on Instagram!

Thursday, May 26

Got the Braids Itch

 Summer is almost here and one of my most visited styles are single braids.
I used to do these at least once a year, to get a break from daily styling, and I think it's that time of the year to do them again.
The only issue is that last year when I did them, the longest I would keep them in,was 3 weeks.
I always do them myself, so the only thing wasted is time.... but I'm wondering if it's worth it.
Retaining length is so easy for me when in braids, so I'm about 90% sure I'll do them...I even set a date, July 1st, which I'll be 8 weeks post.
So..we'll see.


One style I am considering are Senegalese Twists. I have never done these before, but I watched some you-tube videos and they don't seem too difficult. I will probably practice doing a few before I commit to doing my whole head...



\

Friday, May 20

Today's Hair

You guessed it!!!

 My "signature" braid-out. I wear buns all week long and on Friday's and Saturday's I usually rock a braid out.





Thursday, May 19

Teyana Taylor

Would you do this to your hair?

I think it suits her well! She's young, she can get away with this.


Actress/Singer Teyana Taylor debuted a new hair color on Twitter today with the following tweet:


Well-behaved b!tches seldom make history.


Source: twitter

Wednesday, May 18

Got Some More Indigo Powder :-)


I did my first Henna and Indigo treatment last year. SEE POST HERE!  And I loveed the results. Unfortunately, I continued on with Henna Treatments minus the Indigo and my my hair lost the jet black look.

When my hair is jet black, I think it looks so healthy and fuller for some reason, so I am going back to Henna and Indigo treatments.
I will be doing those once every 2 months, maybe more often depending on how my hair feels/looks.

I purchased 500G @ $30.00 + $8.00 shipping from http://www.ayurnaturalbeauty.com/
Shipping was extremely fast! I love that site especially since I can't find Indigo ANYWHERE!!!

Monday, May 16

Sharpening Hair Shears with Aluminum Foil



I will be trimming my hair soon and was contemplating purchasing a new pair of Shears.
I purchased the shears I currently own last July I believe, but because I dust often, I was wondering if they may be dull.
The last time I trimmed a half inch to 1 inch was in January and even with all these protective styles and dustings..my ends didn't maintain as well as I thought they should. Could they be the Shears?

Now we all know..cutting hair with a dull pair of Shears is just as bad as not trimming at all. They can cause hair to split just as fast.

So, I was looking up ways to sharpen shears on-line. There are many different methods and techniques, such as using whetstone, sand paper or even going to a local Fabric Store and asking them to sharpen it.

But the method of sharpening with Aluminum foil stood out to me and I did that over the weekend.

I used the same method outlined below and tested the "sharpness" on shed hair. The freshly sharpened Shears seemed to do the job, so I continued to "search & destroy" any split ends I saw.
I will do my real trim soon. (still not sure if I'll do it myself or buy a crea-clip and have someone do it for me)


Sharpening Hair Shears with Aluminum Foil

  • Tear off a six inch piece of aluminum foil and fold.
  • Fold over (as if you were making a paper fan) the piece of foil several times until the foil is thick.
  • Cut along the longest edge of the foil with the scissors that need to be sharpened. Cut several times through the thick foil. If you need to have the tip of the scissors sharpened, snip the foil with the tip of the scissors. Test on a piece of felt or thread. Repeat if necessary

Read more: How to Sharpen Scissors with Aluminum Foil
eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5297369_sharpen-scissors-aluminum-foil.html#ixzz1MGVrDCgc


ALWAYS REMEMBER- WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST PURCHASE A NEW PAIR!!!!

Follow us on Twitter!Follow us on Instagram!

Going Back...

....to what I loved!
The first year of my hair journey, my products remained consistent and I actually found a few products that worked really well for me.
BUT, me being me, I thought I could find products that were better.
I did find some new products that I did like..but nothing beats what I used to use!




SO, the first product that I absolutely LOVED and don't know why I strayed away from, is the ORS Replenishing Conditioner. It has the perfect balance of moisture and protein and ALWAYS made my hair feel soft, well conditioned and a little bit stronger after rinsing out and for days leading to my next wash.
I still like the Aubrey Organics WC, but with this..I just can't go wrong.
Going forward, I will use this as my DC only. And the remainder of my other DC will be used only after Henna Treatments.






 
The next product is Roux Porosity Control. I used to use this once a week for a year, but when I started doing ACV rinses, I stopped. Porosity control, as most of you know, helps bring the PH of your hair back to a normal level. If you are having issues with retaining moisture or if your hair dry's super fast after washing, this is something you should look in to.
Anyway, I am now using this as a final rinse after 1 weekly co-wash and on Wash Day.




The last product is Roux Mendex. I used this ALL the time..but once again, I stopped for some reason. It is said to make hair strong and "mend" split ends which we all know can't be done. BUT it sure does make my hair strong. This is a light protein treatment that can be left on hair for one minute(then rinsed out) or for damaged hair, 10 minutes with a plastic cap(then rinsed out). I do the 1 minute way and use this on wash day.
My hair is NOT afraid of protein and this light protein treatment is perfect for me. I'm not sure how often I will use this, but I'll keep ya'll posted.






Sally's had a BOGO sale on Roux products, so I bought them both for $12.99 total.
I originally purchased these products for Relaxer Day, which I did use them then, but I am keeping these in my weekly rotation.

Monday, May 9

Quick Hair Update

Hey Everyone!  Hope you all had a great weekend and a Blessed Mother's Day (although that should be celebrated EVERY DAY).

So, I relaxed on Friday night. My Mom did the back while I did the front. So, when I did the front right section, she did the back left section. My mother was a little afraid of ruining my hair..haha..so the back is a little underprocessed. No biggie though(even though I was a bit angry at the moment).

More on the Relaxer and Flat Ironing Process coming soon.
I did flat-iron on 310 degrees in the back and 285 on the remainder of my hair.
I wanted to do a black rinse, but didn't in fear of ruining my parents shower and sink.

Sorry to rush this post!
Here are some pics. The flash was on, so it made my hair look really brown.







I dusted a little after these pics. But I plan to cut off a half inch or more in 3-4 weeks.
My hair is unintentionally layered, if anyone recalls from a past post, I had breakage in my crown(it was like 1 inch long) which is now past neck length.It's making a lot of progress, but my hair isn't as full as it should be!!! Argghhh!