It's been too long...

Happy New Year all!

I'm horrified by how long it has been since my last blog post! I have been extremely busy with work, life, etc and I have completely slacked on my blog flow. Well, I've decided to get it back together and I have a few ideas for upcoming posts. I do want to first quickly update you guys on what my hair and I have been about...

First off, I am about 10 weeks post relaxer, since I have been slackin' on my gym regimen due to lack of time and I have been eating much less than usual, I have slightly less new growth than I usually do at this point, which is actually not a problem for me, when my new growth goes HAM it eats up a lot of time that I just don't have at this point.

For a few weeks (between Christmas and maybe a week after new years), I had the craziest dandruff ever. I first assume it was either product buildup or mineral deposits (I was visiting my sister and she has hard water), so I clarified and that made no difference. It continued even using sulfate-free shampoos, oiling my scalp and even just only co-washing for a few weeks. I also noticed my eczema was getting worse as well, and that's when it hit me, I wasn't drinking enough water!! So as a reminder, don't slack on your water intake--within a few days my scalp stopped flaking, the rest of my skin returned to normal and all was well.

I've also spent some time experimenting with other shampoos that could potentially replace my Shea Moisture Shampoo just in case I couldn't find it or something and honestly, I still haven't found anything even close. Epic fail :p. The only shampoo that I've tried that I don't mind is the Organix Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo, it doesn't irritate my scalp at all and it doesn't strip my hair, however it fails when it comes to detangling (and if your a fellow thick-haired individual you know detangling is a big deal). So basically the Shea Moisture shampoo is still king... lol

Aside from that, I was experiencing some breakage, so it was time for Keraphix. As usual, Keraphix stopped the breakage and my hair was basically on point after that wash day (2 weeks ago). I should be relaxing tomorrow, and honestly, it's about time for me to cut my hair. My ends are looking a little crazy, so I should be removing about an inch, the good thing is, it will be the same length it was last time I relaxed (around BSB) just fuller. I have about an inch of new growth and its not like my hair broke so much that I lost length.

In terms of styling, I stepped up my protective styling game back to about 70% of the time due to how crazy the weather has been recently. My edges started to feel tender earlier this week though, so I had to kick the bun for a bit so I'm currently rocking a flexi-rod set, which I pin-curled last night for comfortable sleeping :o).

Thank you for reading (and for bearing with me in my absence),

New Product Preview!

Happy Sunday!

I decided to buy myself an early Christmas present a few days ago. I have heard so much about Kérastase products, but because of the $50+ price tags on their deep conditioners I felt that maybe that was a bit much to spend on some hair products. Well, this has been a messy year and I figured I'd try something new and entirely too expensive to cheer myself up lol. I purchased the Kérastase Nutritive Masquintense for Thick Hair a few days ago, and I tried it out last night.
I followed the directions online on the Kérastase website and left it in for 5-10 minutes without heat and then rinsed. It felt soft, smelled amazing but I am not yet blown away. I will try it a few more times and a few different ways before giving a full review. I tried it after a normal wash day, with a coconut oil pre-poo treatment, clarified and shampooed with Aussie moist shampoo and Shea Moisture moisture retention shampoo and then conditioned in the shower with Masquintense. I'll return with pictures of how my hair turned out and more info on this product coming soon :o).

Those are the results of pincurling air-dried hair after applying my Bee Mine Deja's Hair Milk. I didn't separate the curls yet, just let them fall out of the clips and I also didn't use any oil or anything yet. I'm hyped. My hair is soft, smooth and it looks nice and full. Hopefully Kérastase and I will live happily ever after lol.

Thanks for reading :),

Wash Day

Hey there ;),

My hair was due for a wash on Tuesday after a hard weekend of time spent at the gym. It felt a bit waxy, so I decided to use a mild sulfate shampoo to clean off the silicone. These were my wash day steps:

1. Pre-poo with coconut oil on my scalp and the length, with heat for 30 minutes. 
2. Shampoo one time with the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Cream Lather Shampoo. This is one of the few sulfate shampoos that I still own. It was mild enough to clean my hair without stripping it.
3. Shampoo one time with the Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo.
4. Deep conditioned with Aussie Moist with heat for 30 minutes.
5. Rinsed and t-shirt dried for 10 minutes.
6. Applied leave-ins: Silicon Mix Bambu Leave-in and argan oil on my ends. I have really been enjoying the silicon mix leave-in, review next post :).
7. Lightly finger detangled, then combed through when hair was about 70% dry to complete detangling.
8. I then let my hair air-dry to about 90%, applied the Giovanni Direct Leave-in and added seven 11/16'' gray flexi-rods to my ends.

I left the rods in overnight and put a hair net on to keep them all in place. I much prefer to add some type of roller on wash days now, even if it's just to my ends. My ends stay smoother for longer periods of time, I notice less breakage, fewer tangles and I don't have to moisturize my hair as often throughout the week when rollers are used. I'm most likely going to continue to set for the duration of this stretch, and since flexi-rods require far less manipulation than magnetic rollers I will most likely be using those.

Fortunately, I was able to snap some pics of how my hair turned out during the day. Here are the results:

 

 

Note that one flexi-rod that was left lol, but thats about all the hair I roll on those rods for really loose curls,
and then put them into a hair net to keep them from flopping around too much

Thanks for reading :),

Wash Day -- New Products + Flexi-Rods

Hey there,

So I have been slipping on my posting a bit recently. My mind has just been all over the place recently, but luckily I have been keeping up with my hair routine even though I haven't been posting much. For whatever reason, this weekend's wash went extremely well. I feel like I've performed this wash tons of times, but it somehow turned out really well. This wash day went down on saturday afternoon (I know, mad late lol) and here are the steps:

1. Overnight pre-poo treatment with Kinky Curly Perfectly Polished Hair Oil (I've used this a few times, still not impressed--especially not for the price, but I'm making it work) and coconut oil.
2. I rinsed out like 15 hours later and shampooed twice with diluted Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo. I recently started diluting this shampoo, more on how and why next post!
3. I deep conditioned with Organic Root Stimulator Hair Masque for 20 minutes with heat.
4. After the conditioner cooled, I rinsed it out and finger detangled under running water.
5. I t-shirt dried for about 10 minutes, then applied my leave-ins: Silicon Mix Bambu Leave-in (love this!) and argan oil.
   I must confess, I think adding the leave-in may have been too much protein for my hair. It didn't break while detangling, but it was far more tangled than usual, it was also a bit dryer too. 
6. I finger detangled, combed my hair out and let it air-dry loose.
7. When it was about 90% dry, I moisturized with Deja's Hair Milk and sealed with a combination of argan oil and the Jane Carter Nourish & Shine. 

After doing that, my hair was super hydrated, smooth and tangle free and for whatever reason it remained that way until Sunday evening! On saturday night and sunday morning all I did was run a bit of argan oil through it and that was all. My hair had been straight all weekend, so when I arrived I decided to toss some curls in it because you see, i recently FELL IN LOVE with flexi-rods! Why didn't anyone tell me these things were so amazing lol?! It makes my hair look like a full magnetic rollerset in a fraction of the time.

So last night, I lightly sprayed my hair with water, finger detangled and applied Mizani Butter Rich Deep Nourishing Hairdress (I figured I'd give my Deja's Hair Milk a rest for a bit) in sections. I then rolled my hair onto eight, 11/16'' gray flexi-rods, put on a hairnet and called it a night. As usual I was running late for work (lol), so I couldn't snap pics this morning but I took some when I arrived home.

 

 

I'm shocked at how well these held up after being done on mostly dry hair! 

I'm sold on the flexi-rods :).

My hair is also super moisturized and still bouncy with a great smell. Mizani FTW lol. I'll use this a few more times and then I'll review it, but if the results continue to look, feel and smell this good, this may just become a staple.

Thanks for reading :),

The Favorite Series: Leave-in Conditioner

Happy Labor Day!
Prior to my hair journey, my hair routine was wash, condition and blow dry two times per week. Clearly that wasn't working for my length retention, so the first thing that I changed when I began to take better care of my hair was to cut out heat styling. Although, I must admit it was a hard habit to kick; as of today I have not heat styled my hair in 14 months and I don't see myself heat styling anytime in the near future. I am 100% addicted to air-drying. When I think about how my hair used to look, it occurred to me that I get smoother results from air-drying than I ever did with my blow dryer so I'm gonna stick with it lol. Air-drying didn't always work out for me in the beginning though, but I can honestly say that one day it all turned around.

Rusk Smoother Passionflower and Aloe Smoothing Leave-in Conditioner

This leave-in conditioner is probably one of the most important parts of my hair care routine. It instantly smooths, detangles and strengthens my hair to ensure optimal moisture retention. The first time I started using it was during the winter when I was having a hard time retaining moisture in cold, dry conditions. After a good moisturizing deep conditioning, this keeps my hair balanced with a shot of protein to improve manageability and keep my hair strong while manipulating during damp styling, detangling and air-drying. On t-shirt dried hair, I use this on the length in conjunction with pure argan oil on my ends to get smoother results from air-drying than I have with any other leave-in I've ever tried (and since I'm quite the product junkie I've tried a few ;). Recently I have been working on my rollersetting skills, and I came to find that this works better than any of the serums I have ever tried. It keeps my hair smooth, and makes detangling easier to create smooth, soft, strong sets that last for days without the aid of a setting lotion or other styling product. All in all, this product is just amazing. It has a smooth lotion-like consistency and an awesome light fresh smell. If they were to change the formula of this product I don't know what will become of my air-drying routine lol. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who has trouble with post-wash detangling, moisture retention or attaining smooth hair from air-drying.


Rating: 5/5--Staple!

Claim: Rusk Sensories Smoother Passionflower and Aloe Smoothing Leave-in Conditioner awakens the sense, while smoothing and texturizing the hair. Smoother Leave-in Conditioner contains protective sunscreen, and eliminates static, while providing body and a healthy natural shine. All Sensories products feature Compress Formula Technology. CFT enhances and expands the user's sensory experience. Use 30-50% less product and achieve twice the performance.


Ingredients: Water, cyclopentasiloxane, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, propylene glycol, polyquaternium-37, stearyl alcohol, panthenol, behentrimonium methosulfate, hydrolyzed wheat protein, aloe leaf extract, passion flower extract, centrimonium bromide, dimethicone PEG-8 meadowfoamate, PPG-20 methyl glucose ether, cinnamidpropyltrimonium chloride, propylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, hydrolyzed wheat starch, fragrance, PPG-1 trideceth-6, DMDM hydantoin, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, orange 4, yellow 6, hexyl cinnamal, linalool, benzyl benzoate, limonene, butylphenyl methylpropional, hydroxyisohexyl 3 -cyclohexene carboxyaldehyde, citronellol, geraniol, hydroxycitronellal
pH: 7
Type: Protein Containing Leave-in Conditioner

Thanks for reading :),

Relaxer Update #3

Good afternoon!
Yesterday I relaxed my hair after 9 weeks, since I've been back at the gym my new growth has been poppin, so I figured I would relax before it got to hectic lol. Here are the steps:

Relaxer Prep:

1. On Thursday:  I used my 6+ week detangling method using coconut oil and Carol's Daughter Tui Hair Moisturizing Smoothie.
1. I left that in for about 30 mins with heat and 2 additional hours because I was busy :o).
2. After rinsing, I shampooed in 4 sections using the Dove Intense Repair (sulfate) shampoo to gently remove any build-up prior to relaxing. I then shampooed a second time Shea Moisture Retention Shampoo.
3. I then conditioned briefly without heat with Aussie Moist and proceeded to finger detangle.
4. After rinsing, I t-shirt dried for about 5 minutes, applied Rusk Smoother Leave-in Conditioner and argan oil and proceeded to finish detangling with my fingers.
5. After my hair was about 90% dry, I applied Giovanni Direct Leave-in, aloe vera juice/water mix and some more argan oil to seal my ends.
2. The day before I relaxed (Saturday): I coated the previously relaxed ends and length with coconut oil and fully detangle all sections.
3. Relaxer day: I applied vaseline to scalp and completely around hairline.

Relaxer Day:

1. My hair was parted into 4 sections and then relaxed using the half and half method (click here to see explanation of this method) with the Gentle Treatment No-Lye relaxer in regular strength.
1. The back two halves were relaxed first, then the front.
2. The total relaxer time for each half was 18 minutes.
3. The hair was then rinsed and neutralized.
4. I then deep conditioned with Nexxus Humectress for 30 minutes under my heat cap.
5. I rinsed, then t-shirt dried for about 10 minutes.
6. I applied my leave-ins: Rusk Smoother and argan oil, then detangled and allowed my hair to air-dry hanging loose.

 

My hair at 70% dry, prior to trim. I wore my hair out for the last few months to give my scalp a break, 
my ends took more a beating than usual, so a trim is definitely in order, most likely later this week.

I randomly decided to try to flat twist my hair, and it actually didn't come out too badly. The twists were done of dry hair, with no products used. This was more of an experiment, but now that I know that I can flat twist I will be sure to try this method again!

 

...and yes those are absolutely barrettes lmao, I was too lazy to go get rollers #laziness!

Final results, best pic I could get since I was running late for work. 

The waves were fairly uniform :).

I plan to try this style again in the future, so I will def do a post on it. I will be updating later this week with a length check after I trim!

Thanks for reading :),

Product Review: Nexxus Signature Line

Good evening!

If you have ever read any of my wash day posts, especially recently, you'll notice that any of various Nexxus products are featured on wash days. I have to admit, when I first started my journey in 2011, I was not impressed. I was expecting these products to work magic, but after realizing that there is no magic product, I noticed it was more about determining the proper placement of a product in your regimen to obtain optimal results. After figuring out where Nexxus belonged in my hair care routine, these two of us have been madly in love lol. I use and own the bulk of the Nexxus signature line (excluding the styling products, I don't really use styling products at all) and I have for quite some time. This is definitely going to be a long post, but I promise it will be informative =)...

Nexxus Therappe Luxurious Moisturizing Shampoo

This is one of the few sulfate shampoos that I still own. I use this whenever I feel like I have build up or if I have been using a lot of silicone (like if I were to heat style or rollerset). This is a good moisturizing shampoo, with a pearly, somewhat thick consistency similar to that of most moisturizing sulfate shampoos. It smells like fresh coconut and cleans my hair in one lather without over-drying or making my hair feel hard. If you are sensitive to sulfates and silicones, of course this shampoo is most likely not for you. My scalp is sensitive to sulfates so I am just sure to do a hot oil treatment prior to washing and I follow up with my moisturizing sulfate free shampoo (Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo) to ensure that my scalp does not become irritated after use. As far as sulfate shampoos go, this one is pretty good.

Rating: 4.5/5
Claims:  Therappe Luxurious Hydrating Shampoo, now enhanced for superior salon performance and advanced moisturization, is specially formulated with Rosemary, Chamomile and Nettle, gently cleanses for nourished, healthy looking hair.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium-10, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Gylcerides, Fragrance (Parfum), Cocamide DEA, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Coumarin, Panthenol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Methylisothiazolinone, Honey (Mel, Miel), Magnesium Citrate, Allantoin, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Stearic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids, Ceramide 3, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
pH: 7
Type: Moisturizing Sulfate Containing Shampoo

Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner

Nexxus Humectress is a hair forum favorite for a good reason. This is the only protein-containing conditioner that actually manages to moisturize my hair. It always adequately conditions my hair without overmoisturizing. Humectress always comes through in the clutch-- during a stretch, after a fresh relaxer and even works magic for post gym dryness. The consistency is similar to that of a lotion, its more of an instant conditioner, but I've also used it to deep condition with and it does an amazing job. My hair always comes out soft, smooth and moisturized, usually I don't even need to use a leave-in before detangling! Humectress is definitely my go-to conditioner for rollersetting, as it smooths and detangles the hair making rollersetting a breeze :). It's also pH balanced and has an amazing coconut scent, that is particularly persistent when heat is used.

Rating: 5/5--Staple!
Claims: Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner, now enhanced for an elevated level of moisturization, is specially formulated with Vitamin E, Coconut Oil, and Honey Extract, provides nourishing moisture, leaving hair luxuriously soft, manageable, and full of lustre.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Bis(C13-15 Alkoxy) PG-Amodimethicone, Stearalkonium Chloride, Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Fragrance (Parfum), Cetrimonium Chloride,  Dimethiconol, Isostearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, DMDM Hydantoin, C14-15 Alcohols, Alcohol Denat., Limonene, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Sodium Chloride, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Panthenol, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Propylene Glycol, Red 33 (CI 17200), Red 4 (CI 14700), Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Polysorbate 60, Palmitic Acid, Myristic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Honey Extract (Mel, Extrait de Miel), Ceramide 3, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
pH: 5.5-6
Type: Moisturizing Deep Conditioner 

Nexxus Keraphix Restorative Conditioner

KerapHix definitely has a special place in my heart lol. During my first moisture overload during my journey my hair was limp, breaking and weak, I wasn't sure what protein treatment to try so I checked the suggested list of products in The Science of Black Hair (if you haven't read it yet, you should read it soon!), and opted to try Nexxus Keraphix to fix my moderate-severe breakage. I skated over to my local rite aid, purchased it, used it and 3 minutes later my hair was soft but STRONG, the breakage stopped and I've been in love with this product ever since. This protein conditioner has saved my hair multiple times and has helped it withstand daily wear and tear without that horrific hard feeling a lot of protein conditioners can give to the hair. Keraphix also has suprisingly good slip and it's pH balanced so the hair comes out stronger but super smooth. It also works in the 3 minutes suggested without heat. Since Keraphix is a medium (can be heavy for some) protein conditioner, if used too often it can put your hair into a protein overload, I would suggest using it no more than twice monthly. This conditioner was a staple from the first time I used it and hopefully they won't change the formula so we can stay together for a long, long time lol.

Rating: 5/5--Staple!
Claims: Keraphix Restorative Strengthening Conditioner, specially formulated with Collagen and Keratin Amino Acids, gently repairs damaged hair for softer, stronger, healthier looking hair from root to tip.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Aspartic Acid, Quaternium-18, Fragrance (Parfum), DMDM Hydantoin, Isostearamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate, Citric Acid, PEG-9, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, DNA, Panthenol, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Sodium RNA, Zinc Chloride, Rhodochrosite Extract, Magnesium Citrate, Polyquaternium-10, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Polysorbate 60, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Myristic Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ceramide 3, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols
pH: 5.5
Type: Medium Strength Protein Conditioner/Protein Reconstructor

I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this line to anyone in need of a good moisturizing deep conditioner or protein treatment that works quickly and effectively. I do want to include a few notes:
These products are not compatible with no-poo or sulfate-free regimens. The bulk of Nexxus products contain a lot of silicone, and if they are not removed regularly by sulfate shampoo usage build up can form and that can lead to breakage. Also for the protein sensitive or for those currently suffering from protein overload, be careful with the Nexxus signature line. Most of the products either contain protein or natural components that may strengthen the hair and that can worsen the hair's condition if protein is not necessary at the time of use.

Aside from those notes however, this line hasn't failed me yet!

Thanks for reading :),