POSE FOR THE CAMERA NOW...

March Madness is upon us and though it has absolutely nothing to do with basketball, I thought I'd still use the title in honor of my 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY for the blog *CHEERS CHEERS*

I'm gearing up for some great giveaways, SO get your flyyest photos ready so you can submit them starting NEXT TUESDAY!!!

MOVE OVER DENMAN HELLO TANGLE TEEZER?!

{PhotoCredit}

This little brush is all the rave amongst us Naturalites, especially us Type 4s. I've read and watched all the reviews which piqued my curiosity, so I decided hey for $10 I might as well try and it out. And let's just say I was very impressed.

Y'all know I heart my Denman, but the Tangle Teezer is definitely giving it a run for the money. I was so excited, I pushed my wash day up just so I could use it. Just about all the things I've read/heard about it ring true ie. less detangling time, less hair in the brush, so you KNOW that's a bonus. I've only used it once, but it's definitely a keeper, shoot anything that'll cut my detangling time is a keeper. One down fall is it kept slipping out of my hand *OPERATORERROR* lolololol

But I want to hear from y'all, DO WE LOVE THE TANGLE TEEZER?

P.S. If you're looking for one, just about all the Sally's in Cleveland are out. But you can call the Sally's in the Steelyard on Monday to reserve yours, that's when they get their shipment in ;)

BACK to BASICS: DETANGLING

{ PhotoCredit}

OH BOY have I been through the ringer with this one. I had no idea that I needed to detangle my hair and furthermore once I found out that I did, I didn't have so much as a clue how to do it.

My stylist always used a wide tooth comb, so I followed her lead on that plus using small tooth combs always made me feel like my hair was snagging, even when I was relaxed. Then she introduced the Denman Brush. *HEAVEN*

Alright, so when Detangling, here's a few key things I've found that helps:

* Do it when you hair is wet AND has conditioner in it - We all know dry brushing/combing our hair a NO-NO, so I won't beat you over the head with that, but for a while I was detangling with no conditioner :( It was snapping LEFT AND RIGHT, it MUST be coated!!

* You must be gentle. Our hair has too many curls and kinks and being rough with it can cause our hair to snap at those curly/kinky points.

* Section your hair - it makes it SO much easier and you get a more thorough detangle

and MOST importantly: GO TIP TO ROOT!!

Here are a couple of vids to guide you on your journey

{VideoCredit}

{VideoCredit}

AND THE NATURAL GIRL WINS!!!

{PhotoCredit}

{PhotoCredit}

I was just as shocked as the rest of the world when her name was read over Bieber and Drake and I actually like her music. I'm still unsure about how I feel about it though, but regardless her hair is to DIE FOR and major Congratulations are in order to the 2011 Grammy Winner for Best New Artist, Esperanza Spalding. Do ya thang boo!!

BACK to BASICS: MOISTURIZE VS. SEAL

{PhotoCredit}

When Regimen Building, it is important to know the difference between Moisturizing and Sealing. These are 2 different things that work together to give us beautiful, healthy Natural hair.

Hair is permeable, so it is critical that we use products that will lock in the moisture (Moisturizing) and keep it in (Sealing).

I consider it Moisturizing when you are using water-based products that go deep within your hair strand. The product actually penetrates the hair to nourish it and prevent breakage. These would be your conditioners/creams.

Note: Some conditioners/creams have significant amounts of protein, which is good for hair strenth, but protein based moisturizers do not have the moisturizing benefit that water-based moisturizers do, so READ THE LABEL!!

Now that you've added moisture to your hair, it needs to be held in by something. Sealing is what you do to hold the moisturizer on your hair. The key is to use oils that “lock in the moisture” ie. EVOO, Jojoba, or Coconut oil after you've applied the moisturizer. (See pic above - notice how the Oil is on top of the Water).

If you use oils without a moisturizer or before one, the oil will seal the moisture out of the hair and have a coated feel, but eventually you'll begin to feel the true dryness.

So now that we've gotten the Moisturizing and Sealing squared away, what are some of your fav Moisturizers or Sealers??

My personal favorite sealer is melted Shea Butter, still working on the Moisturizer part :/ Any suggestions??

BACK to BASICS: REGIMEN BUILDING

{PhotoCredit}

Hey all, for those of us who have been in the game for a while, we have experienced the trials/errors of creating a hair regimen. It can get frustrating trying to figure out how to properly care for your tresses, but once you do find out what works for you, that makes it worth the ride.

Now I've found that I need 2 regimens, one for the Fall/Winter and one for the Summer/Spring. In the cooler months I tend to use heavier creams/conditioners and I DC every week, whereas in the warmer months I prefer to use light and airy products so my regimen reflects that.

When creating a regimen, you want to look at the different things you to do your hair prior to styling ie. Do you detangle first, then wash, then moisturize, seal, then style or do you wash, detangle, seal, moisturize, then style? Get me?


Here are the different processes I go through prior to styling:

Wash

Detangle

Moisturize

Seal

DC

Style

My Fall/Winter routine is:

* Wash

* DC

* Detangle

* Moisturize

* Seal (with oil of choice)

* Style


My Spring/Summer routine is:

* Wash

* Detangle

* Seal (as needed)

* Moisturize (as needed)

* Style

** I DC about once/month in the Summer**

What is your regimen and how did you come to create it?

HAIR FOOD: SALMON

MMMMMM... Salmon... loaded with omega-3 fatty acids - which are not only key in promoting a healthy scalp, but also help protects against heart disease and promotes healthy skin and joints.

Salmon is most definitely one of the healthiest things to eat, so it should be no surprise that it contains vitamins and minerals which encourage hair growth. Along with protein and fish oil, two of the most important foods for hair, salmon is also rich in Selenium, which strengthens the hair strands. The fats in salmon work to prevent dry, brittle hair. *SIGNMEUP*

The American Heart Association's (AHA) dietary guidelines recommend that adults eat at least two servings of fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids per week, so here's the recipe to one of my favorite dishes to cook, Honey Ginger Salmon.

Vegetarian? Include one or two tablespoons of ground flaxseed in your daily diet for some plant-based omega-3 fats.

Enjoy!!