Monday, July 14, 2014
A few new things...
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Guest feature: Meet naturalista Danielle!
3. How would you describe your natural hair texture?
4. Describe your most recent style regimen within the last month.
5. What are your go to hairstyle(s)?
6. Do you have a specific wash regimen?
7. What are some of your favorite hair products?
8. Do you have any natural hair goals?
9. Do you have any advice for other new naturals or those aspiring to be natural?
Friday, June 20, 2014
Guest feature: Meet fellow natural Imani!!
My name is Imani and I am a student of life! I love learning new things and I love learning about natural health (mental, physical and emotional causes of health) and about the pregnancy process. I am a Doula, a birth assistant for women during and after pregnancy. I am also a Natural Health Consultant and I make beautiful earrings by the name of Eyecatchers Designs.
I love being buried in a book, writing in my journal, making funny faces,hanging with friends and family and thoroughly enjoying myself at concerts .
2. Why did you decide to go natural/ become chemical free?
I was always a fan of afros and locs! They are so beautiful to me. I had a friend ask me was I natural and my response was "huh?" lol. She explained and encouraged me to go natural. I went home and watched youtube and I had the thought "This makes a lot of sense! No more creamy crack for me!" :)
Going natural was not difficult for me at all, once my mind is set I go with the flow. I was only getting perms 2-3 times a year anyways. My perm was not my identity or an ego booster for me.
3. How would you describe your natural hair texture?
4. Describe your most recent style regimen within the last month.
5. What are your go to hairstyle(s)?
6. Do you have a specific wash regimen?
7. What are some of your favorite hair products?
Saturday, June 14, 2014
What those "hair supplement" companies DON'T tell you!
A little background about my hair: I have very THICK, type 4 hair. With low porosity and its extremely dense. When I say my hair is thick, its extremely thick and shrinks like no ones business when water hits it. When trying these hair supplements, I was hoping that they would boost my already fast growing hair, and help me to retain some length that I "thought" I wasn't keeping.
Now I'll admit, I was one of those people who fell into the "trap". I had studied and researched Hairfinity and The Mane choice both for a quite a long time before I decided to make a purchase from both of them. I decided to give hairfinity a go first, and bought one bottle to start, just to see how I liked it...
I started taking hairfinity late fall, early winter of 2013. As indicated on the bottle, the directions are to take 2 capsules by mouth daily.( preferably with meals). As I did so, I immediately noticed two side effects from Hairfnity that I did not like. 1. Increase in Migraines (I already had a problem with migraines before starting this supplement) and 2. Acne/break-outs. My skin went crazy when I started taking these pills! I'm talking 1-2 new pimples a day. Now I'd say that my skin was is usually pretty clear and smooth and I don't have a hard time keeping it that way. As far as the migraines, I usually get those 1-2 times a month, because they are controlled with a prescription medication I am currently taking. When I started the hairfinity, I had a migraine every other night! I thought to myself, this is crazy! Nevertheless, my hair was growing slightly faster than it was without the supplements. I decided that I would not repurchase Hairfnity after finishing the first bottle.
A few months went buy, and I was still seeing posts from The Mane Choice on Instagram. I was pondering the thought of possibly trying this supplement, because maybe it was a little bit different from hairfinity. I decided to give it a go on a whim, because I felt like I had nothing else to loose. Boy was I WRONG. I will say that I didn't have the same horrible side effects with The Mane Choice vitamins as I did with Hairfinity. No breakouts and no added migraine headaches. But something just wasn't right with my hair over the course of a couple weeks, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I kept complaining to my mother at the time, that something just was NOT right with my hair. It wasn't responding to product like it used to, and it wasn't as thick and full as it usually was. At the time, I contemplated the big chop again, because I was so frustrated. We went over a few things that we thought could be causing the problem and left it at that. Never did we think to question the supplement I was taking. During this time, my hair was growing. I did notice the length, but the thickness just was not what it used to be. By now, I had finished the first bottle and was on my second bottle (the last bottle). Then, one morning it HIT ME. The hair supplements were causing my hair to thin!!!! It had to be the hair supplements. I can honestly say over the course of the months I was taking the pills that this is when I saw the biggest difference in my hair. The thickness was there but the length had drastically been affected by these supplements.
Now I don't know about anyone else, But Id rather have thick, full healthy hair than long, thin, brittle hair. I'm not sure what chemical in this supplements caused the body and thickness of my hair to be affected, but let me tell you I am not liking it.
I stopped taking the supplements the beginning of this week. I will come back to you guys in one month to show the difference in my hair as far and thickness and body. Let me just say that I am in no way trying to bash or discredit any of these companies, but I thought it was important to let the natural hair community and my followers know about this. Most of us are so consumed by getting fast, quick results, and getting long, luxurious hair fast that we will take anything and try anything to get it. What's most important is letting your hair do its own thing naturally. Drink water, eat right, take daily vitamins not aimed at hair growth, but aimed to aid the body. I fault myself from gearing away from what's important in my natural hair journey and what I want you all to take away from my posts. Healthy hair, is the best hair, no matter the length. Length will come if you do what you need to do for your hair.
Check back with me in a month guys, and I will do a follow up on how may hair is doing since I have completely stopped the hair supplements. Thanks for reading, feel free to ask questions and comment!
-Dani
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Sallys buy 1 get 1 FREE....and other news
Today I scored BIG TIME. Sally's Beauty Supply had a buy 1 get one free sale going on for 2 days ONLY. Boy did I score big. I purchased ALL of the As I Am Naturally products I have been dying to try for months.
Products I purchased were:
Cocoa Shea Spray 4oz.
Leave-in Conditioner 8 oz.
Moisture Milk 8 oz.
Twist & Defining Cream 16 oz.
Double Butter Cream 16 oz.
Coconut Co-wash 8 oz.*Long time fav*
Hydration Elation 8 oz.
Since I am such a product junkie, and have so much crap that I need to try and need to review, I will be using one product line for a month straight to give my hair time to decide if it likes the products or not. Please stayed tuned and stay patient with me as I continue to provide product reviews for you guys.
In other news....Yes I know, its been a while since I have come to you guys with a post. If you ONLY KNEW how busy I have been. Being a full time graduate student, on top of working a full time job, on top of working part time on the weekends, leaves me with absolutely NO TIME. Things are going to change however, and I will soon be back to you all regularly with at least 2 posts per month! I also plan to redo my blog completely and start a new, fresh looking website!!!!
Thank you all for continuing to follow my blog, and for sticking by me as I work out all of the kinks in this journey of a natural hair blogger. New and exciting things to come....
Until next time,
Peace and Love,
Dani
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave in Conditioner & Essential 17 Growth Oil
Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair Conditioner
Monday, March 3, 2014
Protective Style Challenge Complete!
A few months back, I embarked on a protective style challenge. I stated back then that I would be on this challenge until February sometime. I have since complete the challenge!
Recently I wore a sew in weave, with a little bit of leave out. The hair used for this protective style was First Remy, Bobbi Boss hair in a 1B. The lengths were 10 inch at the top and 12 inch at the bottom. Now, I know your wondering how much heat did I have to put on my hair to maintain my leave out... With the use of certain products, and with wrapping my hair at night, I only HAD to use heat once every 2 weeks!
The products that I used on my leave out were: Organix weightless argan oil, Carols Daughter Monoi split end repair/sealer and Carols Daughter Hair Balm.
I loved having my hair straight for a while, and loved that I didn't have to use that much heat on my hair and the weave hair. The weave hair blended perfectly with my own, and the next time I get a weave I will definitely be repurchasing this hair. Every winter, I will be putting my hair in a protective style, to retain length and minimize manipulation. I feel like my hair grew a lot while in these styles, and I was restricted with the versatility. When I took the hair out and washed my real hair, I did not see any apparent heat damage. I will be going back to my conditioning regimen, which is deep conditioning every week. I will also be doing protein treatments regularly on my hair to get it back up to par.
How do you guys feel about sew in's with leave out? How often do you use heat on your hair? What kind of hair do you use? Let me know what you think!
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to subscribe :-)
-Dani
Clarifying with Aztec Indian Healing Clay
I have been so MIA! I have been transitioning into a lot of new things lately. I started Graduate school in January, and I also got a new job, and started training this week. Not to mention my hair has been in a protective style since early January, so I haven't really been able to try any new products or post any new reviews about them.
I took the protective style (weave) out yesterday with the help of my boyfriend. While I had this protective style in, I took the opportunity to try Hairfinity Hair Vitamins to see what all the hype was about. (A separate post will be coming for that soon).
Since I had this protective style in for over 6 weeks, I knew when I took out this hair I needed to clarify my hair, to remove all the build up I would have from having this style. My usual clarifying routine consists of an ACV rinse, (Apple cider vinegar solution, ACV with a little water). But this time I decided to try something new! This past weekend, I found myself on YouTube, browsing my favorite natural hair guru's YouTube channels. I came across one of my fav's "HeyFranHey". Her texture and my texture are complete opposites, but I love to see what methods she uses for her hair and also what she does for her skin. I came across a video of her using the Aztec Indian Healing Clay. I've seen this particular product on other blogs and YouTube channels, and most people swear by it for their skin and also for their hair! I've heard it works wonders as a facial mask, pore reducer and it also is great for removing access oils from the skin that can cause acne and blemishes. So I though, why not use this one my hair?
The Mixture: (no exact measurements were used. I approximated until I got a nice smooth paste)
-3 scoopfuls of Aztec Healing Clay
-about a cup of "Braggs" ACV (apple cider vinegar)
- about a 1/2 cup of Aloe Vera juice
I mixed all of these together in a glass bowl, until I received a nice smooth paste.
PLEASE NOTE: It is advised on the packaging of the clay that you DO NOT use metal utensils or bowls when dealing with this product. The metal mixed with the clay creates some kind of charge :-/
I used gloves, to keep from getting my hands messy. I parted my hair in 4 sections, (makes things easier), and I proceeded to apply the mixtures evenly to my SCALP and my HAIR. I made sure to rub this into my scalp so that all of the build up accumulated, oil and dirt could be removed with the clay. After applying, I immediately washed it out. As I rinsed my hair, the product was not hard to rinse out at all, and my hair felt very moisturized. I'm thinking the reason my hair felt moisturized and not dry and stringy was because of the Aloe Vera juice I added to the mixture.
I could have proceeded to styling without deep conditioning, but since my hair hadn't been deep conditioned in so long, I knew I needed to add this step.
I will definitely be clarifying again with the Aztec Indian Healing Clay. This mixture did way better in removing buildup from my hair and scalp than just ACV alone. All of the products (Aztec Indian Healing Clay, Aloe Vera juice and ACV) were purchased from the Vitamin Shoppe by my house. All of the items together were about $15.
This method is good for ALL HAIR TYPES, not just kinky textures. I will be using this same recipe as a skin masque, and I will post to let you know how this turns out.
Let me know if you guys have any questions about the products, were to get them and your experiences with them. Don't forget to comment, subscribe and tell a friend !!!! :-)
Peace,
Dani
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Carols daughter Monoi products: Review
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Guest Feature: Meet fellow natural Bianca!
1. Please introduce yourself!
My name is Bianca Young. I am 25, married and a mother of an outgoing little diva. A few things about me that basically sums me up; Proud Christian, I love serving & encouraging others (in ministry, church or community give back), family time (most of my weekends), fashion (my back ground is in visual art & fashion merchandise), I love to help people find items/looks/styles that enhances their wardrobes. I currently work at Express home office and outside of work in my creative zone; I collaborate with photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists and create style shoots or model look books. Last but not least, I am working on a site with my fashion partner that will have style tips, blog, natural hair channel, DIY, etc.
2. Why did you decide to go natural/ become chemical free?
I decided to go natural for one main reason, it was a fear of mine, sounds crazy right?! Well it wasn’t in my mind, I thought that if I went natural my hair would never get really straight again, and it would be a mess all the time. Of course no one should allow fear to control them from doing anything because 9 times out of 10 its false. So that gave me the green light to go chemical free! It’s been 4 years and I wouldn’t have it no other way!
3. How would you describe your natural hair texture?
My natural hair texture is type 3c – Curly Kinky Hair. Somewhat spongy when wet with a good conditioner in!
4. Describe your most recent style regimen within the last month.
My most recent style that I’ve been wearing is a two strand twist out mixed with a few flat twist. I would keep that style in for about 2-3 days; adding a little oil, water and curl cream to keep it fresh.
5. What are your go to hairstyle(s)?
My go to hairstyles are full twist outs, half of my hair up in the back and the curly bang out in the front, last the natural bun!
6. Do you have a specific wash regimen?
I don’t have a regimen that’s a routine but I have different regimens that I do depending on what my hair needs at the time. Usually if I’m wearing it natural (not blown out) I would wash it once a week, shampoo if needed but mostly a co-wash with one of my favorite conditioners.
7. What are some of your favorite hair products?
Shampoo: Argan Oil by One & Only
Conditioners: Herbal Essence Honey I’m Strong, Argan Oil by One & Only.
Curl cream: Shea Moisture Enhance Smoothie,
Leave-In: Cantu Argan Oil leave-in conditioner or Design Essential leave-in
Oils: organic coconut oil, pure olive oil
8. Do you have any natural hair goals?
The first few years of going natural I didn’t have any hair goals, just for healthy hair. Now I would say it’s still to have thick healthy hair, but I do want to see more length by 2014 summer.
9. Do you have any advice for other new naturals or those aspiring to be natural?
The grass is definitely greener on the other side! Once you go natural it’s a lifestyle, more than the hair. I will be honest, when you first are transitioning over to natural it will be challenging and rough, but many trials and errors will help you better understand your hair and love it. Your hair is going through a whole new transition process, so it will take time and patience.The best thing to do is, tons of research! There is a worldwide natural community; hair blogs, YouTube (blessed my life), books, magazines, social network etc. Last but not least it’s not about length it’s about healthy hair; giving special TLC to what God has blessed you with! All natural hair types.
10. How can you be contacted?
I can be contacted personally 216-253-6023 or bianca_charles88@yahoo.com. Social network: @1bianca/ twitter: @queenbabyb3. My business site/blog and info I’m working on is:www.clashingeko.com, Bianca@theclashingeko.com