My Big Salon Disappointment...

          Yes Ladies, I went to the hair salon this past weekend ::gasp::.  I know its been close to a year now since I stepped foot in such a place and that was to get a press and curl from the best dresser I know to lay hands on a flat iron.  However, she is also one of the very scissor happy ones which is why I've been MIA from the place.  Length retention and avoiding heat damage were not goals that would have been accomplished had I kept seeing her.  But anyway, I decided that I needed a change.  To me nothing signifies a fresh start to new better things like changing your hair in some drastic way.  So I decided I wanted to be a red head. Peep the color I wanted below.

          So I took my butt down to my childhood hair dresser who did my color a few years back and told her to paint me RED.  Now I don't know if the message got through to her or her mind was elsewhere but she had to leave for her son's graduation mid way and left me in the hands of an amateur.  Not only did the color turn out to be more copper than anything but I also left the Salon with half the hair I came in with.

Kind of similar to my previous color back in 2009 huh?

         Now in the mere 6 months that I have took my hair into my own hands, I have learned VOLUMES on the do's and don't of my natural hair.  One of the most important ones being patience is KEY in detangling.  Obviously the amateur that was charged with the task of detangling and flat twisting my hair thought opposite.  She would rake a comb as fast as she possibly could through my hair, seeming to rip and break every single strand on my head.  It took everything in me not to snatch that comb out her hand and rip her hair out with it.  Did I mention she had the nerve to ask me "when's the last trim I had?"  I just did one and no thanks to your ignorant ass I will need to do another one since you shredded my poor hair with your damn comb!

          Needless to say I was not a happy camper.  This is my second color nightmare came true and now I'm left sad and hopeless.  If anyone knows a good colorist that can color natural black hair without the use of bleach in the New England area, PLEASE let me know.  I'm willing to travel :)

What I'm Lovin' Fridays

1.  May Conscious Box

2.  Party Favors

Hands down the best cake place...EVER.

3.  Bandwagon Hopper

Yes I boarded the bandwagon lol.  Once I find some quiet time I'll let you know if its worth the hype, but from what I can tell it is

4.  Eden Body Works Hair Care

Free gift in the mail for participating in a contest (great customer service btw).  Can't wait to try this out once I take down my twists.  If you haven't noticed though I'm a big fan of Tea Tree Oil.

5.  Round 2...FIGHT!

I went to my first boxing match in Lowell last week.  I never really paid boxing any attention but its actually pretty entertaining

My Love Hate Relationship with Terresentials

          Its been a while since I've dedicated a post to the Locs.  Rightfully so, since I've been neglecting it for a while now.  Wash, twist to dry, thrown in a bun, and left untouched until its wash day again.  I guess you can say I've been protective styling it lol but really its just laziness at its best.  I'm long over due for a henna treatment, haven't touched my steamer or done a serious DC in over a month but yet the Locs have been good to me with no major breakage or drying.  I know, I don't deserve this good behavior, I'm terrible, but when life calls you gotta put somethings on the back burner.

          I wish I could say the Locs are going to get some TLC soon, but they're not.  Into hiding they with these kinky twists I got done last week to prep for my trip to Miami (9 Days!) .  Normally I would do braids but I gave up on them ever since my hair has gotten too long.  The process is way too time consuming for all that, so I figured twists would be a faster alternative to put in and take out. Peep my lion's mane.

          But back to the topic of this post, my love hate relationship with Terresentials.  It seems as though I'm bipolar when it comes to the Terresentials Lavender Mud Wash.  Some days I LOVE it and others I wonder why I even gave into the hype.  To be honest I think I ultimately fall in the "glad to have tried it, but won't be a staple product" category.  Why?  Well it has its pros; time-efficient, smells amazing and all organic natural ingredients, however it has its drawbacks. 

          Number one being price.  If it told in the stores it would be priced just fine, however unless you live in Maryland where the headquarters are, the would be $10 bottle doubles in price to include shipping, no bueno.  And the other major con that I've come to terms with after washing my hair this morning was this,  its an itch and a half to rinse out, for me at least.  I don't know why but for the life of me I can't get this stuff to rinse clear out.  When I used my Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle instead of the wash last week I realized that I never fully got all the mud out from the week before! To make it even worse that was the second time I scrubbed my scalp, smh.

          Needless to say I think this 16oz bottle of terresentials will be my last, lest I change my mind again lol.

Reniging on a Promise

          I know, I know, terrible thing to do right? But let's not front we've all made promises and set a goals for ourselves that we wind up breaking.  Whether its not swearing, eating healthy, or in my case staying away from the heat. 

          Yes, I made a promise back in December that I would not flat iron my hair for a year or at least until the fall.  However tomorrow I will be going to the annual National Society of Black Engineers conference and I don't want to have to worry about doing my hair.  There's a lot of workshops, career fairs, formal events, and plenty of partying and I want to be able to switch from professional hair to party hair in an instant without having to wait for my hair to air dry.   So I'm bitting the bullet tomorrow as my lovely mentor and friend NaTonia of The Chocolate Girl Chronicles be doing me the honor of flat ironing my hair straight. 

          To prep for the dreaded but welcomed heat I looked on Curly Nikki to see what I will need to do tonight to minimize heat damage.  I found this awesome article here and will be doing the following tonight...

1. Shampooing and Conditioning with Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle:  My Terresentials love affair will be put on hold for just this time.  Why? Because I actually want to strip my hair of all the products and oils and start fresh for the flat iron and shampoo is the best way to do that, for me.  My aunt gave me the Tea Tree Tingle as she wasn't too thrilled by it.  I've heard good things about it elsewhere and it doesn't contain my no no's (sulfates, mineral oil, silicones, or parabens) so I'll give it a go. 
2. Deep condition under my Huetiful steamer with my Homemade DC Mix:  Made a new batch and added a little Aloe Vera Juice.  We'll see if that addes any umph to it.
3. Rinse, trim single strand knots, braid in sections, and wait: Until tomorrow's flat ironing session. No blow drying for me! The less heat the better.  

Hopefully all goes well.  I'll post pics soon of the results.  Wish me luck!

Some Hair/ Workout Inspiration

          Alright,  I couldn't help myself I had to share this video.  I agree with mostly everything he's saying and hey, he's definitely good eye candy while you listen.  So here's some motivation for your natural hair journey and/ or your workout goals.

Enjoy!

Diary of an "Ingredient Junkie"

Missing a few items, but you get the idea

          No I am not a Product Junkie, I swear.  Well, maybe a better phrase would be "Ingredient Junkie" because I am addicted to making mostly all my products myself.  Body butter, daily hair moisturisers, pomade, conditioner, hair wash, etc. You name it, I have or intend to make it. 

          You might wonder why would I want to go through all the trouble of making my own goods when the market is FULL of great buys?  Well for one, I find it fun.  A true DIYer to the core.  Secondly, I am a hardcore environmentalist at heart so I want any and everything that goes on my body to be natural and good for the environment.  So what better way to ensure that than to make the stuff myself! Thirdly, aside from the upfront cost of buying all your ingredients, its cheaper than buying premade products, especially if you buy them from an online discount store like VitaCost. 

          Now don't get me wrong, there are some things I prefer buying pre-made, like my facial products, deodorant, and body wash but even these things I make an effort to make sure they're eco-friendly.  The Body Shop is my go to store for those eco friendly smell good body washes and lotions (for those special occasions :J ).

New Body Wash Line from The Body Shop I'm Trying

           I can honestly say that my hair and body love the stuff I make the same, if not more than the stuff I buy (like my shea butter body butter for my super dry skin).  I believe its mainly because your body responds to natural ingredients best. 

Shea Butter Body Butter

          So if this inspired the hidden mixtress in you great! Or if it spoke to the environmentalist tucked away inside you, even better!  I love to inspire others with my own experiences.  After all is was Naptural85 who inspired me!

Happy Mixing!



My TLC Plan for The Locs and Terresentials Review

          So its about time I tell you how I give The Locs some Tender Lovin' Care.  Twist outs are my staple style and buns come to my rescue when The Locs are having a bad day.  But once a week is wash day, my time to unwind and take care of me.  Finally here is my regimen :)

Wash Day!

1.  Section my hair into 4 parts and prepoo with EVOO.  I let it sit for 15min-1hr.  (I know a large time frame but sometimes I like to take a nap :)

2a.  When I use shampoo and conditioner (only natural parbeen, sulfate, mineral oil, silicone, and protein free ones):  In the Shower, shampoo each section, apply conditioner, finger detangle, rinse, add conditioner again, and twist.  I let the conditioner sit while I go about my regular shower business and then rinse just as I'm ready to get out.  Once out, I apply my homemade DC of coconut oil, EVOO, and honey to each section and retwist.

2b.  Recently I have been using Terresentials mud wash (thanks Nap!) in which the process goes like this:  In 8 sections saturate hair with water using spritz bottle and massage mud wash throughout each section and twist.  In the shower, rinse out mud wash, apply homemade DC and retwist.  Resume shower rituals.

3.  Once the DC is in I get out my Huetiful Hair Steamer and sit under it for about 30 min (it has an automatic shut off so I just sit under it until it stops).  During this time I put on my mud mask, kick up my feet and watch Law and Order SVU.  How I love Tuesday nights :)

4.  After the steamer I rinse the DC out (still in twists) with cool water and t-shirt dry.  Apply some of Nap's Silky Stuff to each section, retwist, don a silk cap and voila all done. 

          As you can see using Terresentials is WAY simpler than using shampoo and condition.  I've been using the Giovanni Smooth as Silk duo and its been alright (click here for the review) but with Terresentials I spend less time in the shower, save money on hot water and reduce the amount of product I use.  And might I add I am addicted to the smell of the Lavender Terresentials, I LOVE it! 

          As for its benefits, besides having an amazing smell and cutting down my regimen time by close to 45 minutes, I've notice that my curls are a little more defined and its doesn't dry out my hair as much as shampoo.  Other than that, there are no "miracle" results but definitely a good product.  However the main drawback is its price.  For a 16oz bottle once you add shipping (its not readily found in stores), I paid $29.25!  Yes definitely on the priceyer side.  However the good thing about it is that I can attempt to make this myself because the ingredients are au natural! 

          All in all I like it.  I might venture off to try cheaper natural cleansing products but I'll always keep this in my back pocket :)

What I'm Lovin' Fridays

          Can we talk about this weather though?  Yesterday was like a perfect Spring day.  Sunny, not a cloud in the sky and 60 degrees.  Today though? 2 inches of snow! New England, I'm sorry but somethings gotta give smh.  But on the upside its Friday, payday for me and that means time for...

 "What I'm lovin' Friday"!

1.  PETA's Lazy Weekend Essetials: 
Love this combo.  I'll just replace the iPad with my Dell Duo, the Tazo for my Teavana and the book bag (though very cute) with my Jemma Northface Bag.

2.  My Little One: 

Knocked out in the car. What an awkward sleeping position.

3.  Yesterday's Sunset:

Gorgeous end to an even more gorgeous day

4.  Hair Idol: 

I LOVE her curls.  Check her out! MahoganyCurls Youtube Channel

5.  Waist Beads: 

Made them myself!

 

What are you lovin' today?

What I'm Lovin' Fridays

1.  Rihanna's Grammy Dress:  I not a big Rihanna fan but I WANT THIS DRESS!



 

2.  Bertucci's Valentines Day Dinner:  Nothing like a little Vday Dinner with my Roomie to forget our woes

3.  Shoes:  There's only one place where you can do grocery shopping AND get shoes like these.  Yes people they're from Target. $29.99!

4.  My Crazy Hair:  I don't know why but I was particularly fond of my hair this week :)

5.  Perspective:  Powerful picture I saw on Twitter

What are you loving today?

 

Wake Up, Wake Up, Wake Up Cuz' Its the First of the Month

          Ahhh, February 1st.  A fresh new month filled with tons of possibilities.  I like to start off the month by cleaning out my phone, email, and apartment of all the stuff that's clogging my productivity.  I make a new set of goals and clean out my to do list from last month and probably my favorite part in it all and starting fresh on my financial spending.  It sucks looking back at all the things I spent money on that I could have avoided but the new month brings new hopes.

          In the spirit of new beginnings, I even tried a new style on my hair.  Having thick unruly natural hair often proves difficult to have neat tamed styles like a simple bun, which is why I never usually attempt them but armed with a fresh twist out, banana clip, bobby pins, and some advice from one of my new favorite bloggers lykelambswool I tamed that bad boy into the meanest looking bun I ever seen. 

            So proud of myself :)! So with all this positivity I will leave you with my lesson of the day (I know its been a while).

LESSON OF THE DAY

Everyday is a chance to start anew, don't let yesterday's worries prevent you from accomplishing today's goals.  

What I'm Lovin' Fridays

1.  AFC Championship Game: Game, Set, REMATCH! Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl.  G-Men, we'll see who the real men are.

2.  Proud Parent:  Every morning this little face puts a smile on mines :)

3.  Death By Chocolaty Goodness:  From fuckyeahnumnums Tumblr

4.  The State of the Union Address: This was one mean speech.  My president is baaaaad.  Obama 2012!

5.  Terresentials:  It finally came in the mail! Review coming soon...

6.  Dr. Pepper Commercial:  So dope

My Lush Henna Encounter

          So this past Saturday I dedicated to hennaing my hair.  It was my first time and I wanted to try out the Lush Caca Rouge Henna because it seemed easy enough for a starter and I wanted to go with a red mix.  So I got my tools and ingredients together after much research on how henna curlies apply their mix, I began the process. 

          I mixed the directions Lush provided (which actually differed from their video tutorials) with the one Curly Nikki suggests and here's what happened...

          Lush Henna comes in a solid block so I began to grate it (their directions in the video) with a cheese grater but got tired and was taking too long so I started chopping it like chocolate (again their instructions in their video but the ones on the actual bar required a double boiler :/ ).  I began to add my hot green tea and honey (as suggested by CN) and didn't like the consistency the chopping was giving me so back to grating I went.

          Finally I was done making the mix, so I set off to the shower to co-wash my hair with the rest of my Tea Tree Wen.  I applied the Henna to my damp hair, wrapped it in saran wrap and donned a shower cap.  The application process was a little tougher than I thought.  Bits of the thick paste fell everywhere which was promtly gobbled up by my roommate's dog :/ and applying it thoroughly to my hair was tough.  But luckily it didn't leave any stains (on me or the floor) and the dog was fine. 

          I let it sit on my hair for a little over 6 hours and then used my shower hose to rinse most of the henna out before I got back in the shower to condition the rest out.  Unfortunately the Lush henna has a very sandy consistency and rinsing the stuff out was more like rinsing muddy sand out my hair.  It seemed like it was never ending!

          I finally stopped rinsing after my hot water turned cold, got out blot-dried my hair with a t-shirt (produces less frizz than a towel), applied my own Deep Conditioner (Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, and Honey), put on a plastic cap and wrapped it up with a t-shirt (to help keep the heat in) and took a nap. 

          2 hours later...I rinsed the mess out (still trying to get the "sand" out) moisterized with Nap's Silky Stuff and twisted up and called it a night.

Before

After

           In conclusion, it was an experience.  Not one I would like to go through again, at least not with Lush's Henna.  But I did notice a slight color change when my hair is in the light and the conditioning benefits I feel didn't really come through for me.  Maybe I should give henna one more try in a few weeks using the one CN suggests just to see if my "not so great experience" was due to the type of henna I was using or just the henna itself.  Next time I'll definately be doing a gloss though and not the full strength one.