ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END....

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Hey guys!! Yes it has been over 4 months since I last blogged O_O.  Throughout that time, I have decided that I will no longer be blogging.  

I have enjoyed the last 3 years (well 2.5 years really) and have met some super awesome amazing people in the process.  So I TRULY THANK EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU who have journeyed with me through all my rants, raves, loves, hates, etc...  I appreciate you deeply!

I will continue on solely on Facebook, so feel free to connect with me there by liking my page "The Natural Girl's Guide to Cleveland" or emailing me at naturally.cleveland@gmail.com.  I love chatting with you all!

Peace and Blessings on your journey to and through Natural land.  

See ya on on the flip side!!!

COILS COILS COILS GALORE!!

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Since my hair is shorter, I decided to finger coil it.  It took 3 long hours, but since I don't have to do my hair for a few weeks and it holds up great while I work out, I'd DEFINITELY say it was worth it.

I co-washed my hair using Tresemme Naturals and used Motion's Naturally You! Define My Curls Creme to coil (you can't tell from the pics, but the creme actually provided a lot of shine and didn't make my hair super hard). 

I grabbed and coiled.  I didn't use a comb and really didn't intend on making them super small, but I did.  I didn't pull them apart for 2 days.  No particular reason, but after I pulled them apart my hair is a little bigger and I like it.

Check the results:

Clearly I have cowlicks :(  Still working on that

5 Day Hair!!



Enjoy!! Happy Styling!

TOP 5 THINGS I'VE LEARNED SINCE CUTTING MY HAIR

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Some stuff I knew, but others I've found out in this first week of me rocking my TWA.

1. My hair dries SUPER fast!!  I spritz my hair with my leave-in conditioner and water mix and add oil every morning and thought for sure I was gonna get a head cold.  I didn't.  Now, I don't drench my hair, but I guess I spritz enough so that I can fluff and go.  Perfect.

2.  ACCESSORIES ACCESSORIES ACCESSORIES!!  I knew this, but now I really know it.  Accessories can make or break you.  I feel a little boy-ish at times, so I'm glad I accumulated enough earrings, headbands, flowers, etc... to hold me over. I tried an accessories haul and I came up completely empty handed. Sad day for me :(

3. I find myself wearing more makeup.  I never was a daily makeup wearer, but now I find myself looking for more lipsticks to try. It's definitely getting me out of my box.

4. You have to OWN your TWA.  I feel myself coming out of my shell, becoming more confident, and I love it!  I knew it was freeing, but not like this.  I'm pretty amazed.

5. SMILE!  This is truly the best accessory.  I find myself smiling a lot more.  I think it just brightens up my face or something.  Like I said I feel boy-ish at times, so in my head smiling makes me feel and look feminine.  Sounds crazy, but it works for me.

All in all, I'm loving my new 'do.  I've gotten so many wonderful and encouraging compliments and I thank you all for the support.  Means a TON!

Thanks for journey-ing with me :)

YOU DID WHAT?!?

Yep.  That's pretty much the question I've been getting since I posted a pic of my new TWA on Instagram. I was trying to come up with a reason on why I cut my hair and couldn't.  I just decided after watching Scandal (which is the best hour of my TV life BTW), that I didn't feel like twisting my hair and that the next day come hell or highwater I was getting it cut.

So that's what I did.  My stylist squeezed me in before I had a chance to change my mind (not like I was going to, but I am very indecisive and she knows this) and rest is history.

Sunday I was taking a break from school duties and it hit me.  I had a fear of short hair on myself.  I never would have willingly cut my hair short before.  I've been curious about how I would look for a while now, but I never really built up the nerve to actually do it.  2013 is all about me conquering this thing called fear, so that's pretty much what this sudden cut boiled down to. 

Anyway, I can't twist my hair so I've been rocking my 'fro as is.  It may be a little more than I bargained for, but I'm perfectly happy with starting my new TWA journey.  I don't regret I doing it at all and who knows, I might go even shorter or keep it short for a good long while.

Stay tuned!!

MOVING ON...

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Thanks to my Curl Crew for helping me get through this whole hair disaster.  I swear if it wasn't for that latest session on regimen, improvements, warnings, and so on, I would have BC'd. 

Now, onward and upward.  I am waging a full blown attack on strengthing my hair and retaining length.  It'll be in a series of posts and will cover everything from our regimen to protein treatments.  I'm actually excited about this.  Hopefully it'll provide me some insight on WTF happened to my hair, which I am currently blaming on that Aphogee Protein Treatment I did, I am speculating either A. my hair didn't need it or B. it was too strong ~ stay tuned!! 

If you have any insight, please share!!  I welcome guest writers :)


Have a great weekend!! 

THOUGHTS??

I've finally built up the courage to show you guys my hair.  Here it is last night, post workout.

This is my hair in September 2012.

I know it doesn't seem like much difference but it is.  I could be overreacting (which is not unusual) but I'm tired of being at this same length.  It's annoying.  I know I just got color (thought it would spice me up), but I'm going to put my hair up for a while.  I can't deal.

Thus...the process begins..AGAIN!!

TRIM TURNED "SHAPE"

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Ok, so I've been back and forth about this post for a few days, but transparency is key, so here it goes.

Now we all know I've gotten highlights, which I LOVE BTW *woot woot* so I went back to get my hair straightened and decided to get a trim.  I know my hair needed it just by the way it started to feel so figured why not.  Soooooooooooo how bout this turned into a "shape" read CUT and I am pretty much back to where I was this time last year!  *INSERT FALLOUT*

I was like "Um!?!?!?! WTH just happened here???" A million questions have run through my mind, but I get so overwhelmed I have to block them out.  I think it was the initial shock of it that had me buggin.  I tried to look at the bright side of things and say "Hey at least you have hair." "Be patient." BLAH BLAH BLAH.... But this did nothing for me.  So yes, I am PISSED!!!  It took me a while to come to this conclusion, but there it is. 

I'll be posting a picture soon so you can be the judge, but everytime I walk past the mirror I get pissed and haven't really come to terms with where my hair is quite yet so I haven't taken one.   

Real talk, I was 2.5 seconds from completely cutting it all off.  I am totally frustrated, but hey life goes on. 

Here are two pics I keep handy for times like these.  They make me feel a little better.

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What do you do to keep pushing despite your hair setbacks?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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2012 was definitely a bangin' year and I expect nothing less for 2013!!

Happy New Year to ALL of you!! 

I appreciate you rolling with me and this is going to be the best year yet!!

NYE HAIR

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Hey guys! New Year's Eve is right around the corner, need hair ideas??  Try one of these. 

Check out more styles here.

By the way...guess who FINALLY got their hair colored??  MOI!!  I'm so ready for 2013!! Are you??

How do I look??  S/O to Jazz at Reverence Salon for hooking me up ;)

3 MINUTE JOHNNY BRAVO-ESQUE 'DO

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Of course I decided to wash my hair at 11pm last night and my original plan was to twist it and do a quick pin up. But in my laziness, I decided to just do 2 roll and tucks to the back with a Johnny Bravo hump protective style.

Here are the results:

*whew chile...look at that denseness*



That's it folks.  Feel free to jazz it up with some hair accessories.

Happy Styling!

I'VE REACHED MY HAIR GOAL...NOW WHAT??

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*CONFETTI*  YAY!! CONGRATULATIONS!! *CONFETTI* You've reached your hair goal!!!

Now what???  Do you let it continue to grow?  Keep it at your dream length?  Cut it?  What???  I sure as heck don't know.  That's why I'm asking.  I am pretty close to my 2012 hair goal *CHEERS* and although it's not my ultimate hair goal I want to have a plan in place for when I do reach it. 

When I got my hair straightened the last time, it was annoying the crap out of me.  It was always getting caught on something, flying in my mouth, landing my food, on and on and on.  Now.  If I want my hair to ultimately be BSL, how am I going to handle all that hair when my hair is just shy of APL and working my nerve?? Sigh. 

But I'm curious, what have you done since reaching your hair goal? 

HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM....

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Brace yourself PJs - Look what I've found!!!  I've been plotting on this for a minute.  It's a monthly goodie bag of natural hair products!!!! 

I've found 2 that are the most popular and taking social networks by storm, CurlBOX and CurlKit. 

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CurlBOX is a monthly subscription service ($20) that caters to women with natural curly/afro textured hair by sending them 5-7 samples of hair products. They also include a mini magazine featuring your favorite Natural hair bloggers and vloggers.

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CurlKit sends out a selection of 6-9 samples of everything from pomades and conditioners to natural hair tools, from well-known brands as well as emerging gems.  It is also $20/month.

 

Now.  The difference is not only the products themselves, but how you must subscribe.  CurlBOX has a list that is like super duper hard to get on.  You have to be at your computer practically about to press the button as soon as the list opens.  I mean I've seen them tweet about the subscriptions being sold out in less than 5 minutes!!  I ain't got that kind of patience or energy *shrug*  Meanwhile you can get a CurlKit anytime.  No muss, no fuss.

*INSERT DISCLAIMER {cue Silkk the Shocker & Mystikal} IT AIN'T MY FAULT* 

 

Seriously though, what's NOT to love about this??? BUT do you see the pic above?? It's definitely representative of underneath my bathroom sink. And to think I am considering adding more???  I can already see this becoming a problem for the kid.  I mean SERIOUS problem. *hides face in shame*

So what say you good people?  Are we in??

HEALTHYSEXYHAIR

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I am completely in LOVE!!!  This hair line is a hidden gem.  There aren't many hair lines I love, but this one I swear by.  I stumbled upon it a very long time ago and have been hooked. 

I particularly love the HealthySexyHair Soy Milk Conditioner. 

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Besides the fact it smells divine, it leaves my hair feeling uber soft, moisturized, and very manageable.  It's just the right consistency for me.  It isn't super heavy or runny and works great as DC as well (mixed with Honey of course).

And this right here:

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Love in a bottle.  The best leave-in conditioner I've tried to date. It doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy like some leave-ins and once again leaves my hair very soft and manageable.  When my hair dries it doesn't feel like a brillo pad either - I think that has helped with my length retention.

I will say, it's very difficult to find.  I buy mine at Ulta (with a coupon of course) and sometimes I make a come up at Marshall's or TJ Maxx (these store have all the goodies).  But other than that...your best bet would be online.


So ladies...give it a try.  Let us know what you think. 

IT'S FALL!!

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Trade in your sundresses and sandals, it is now time for light jackets and boots.  According to my sources (local farmers in line at the bank) we are about 6 weeks ahead of season and I couldn't agree more.  Fall has officially arrived. 

Normally I would just drastically switch my regimen to using thicker conditioners and DCing more often, but this time around I'm pretty much going to keep it simple.  I figure I don't have to completely change up what I've been doing, just tweak it a little.

Here's my plan:

Start off right by getting my quarterly trim.  After 2 months of braids, I need it.  Plus, I'm ready to whip my hair back and forth. 

Find a really good daily moisturizer.  I haven't been diligent about this part of my regimen at all.  I have to change that. Recommendations anyone??

Focus more on taking care of my ends.  I want to actually retain my growth from this year.


That's it.  Easy breezy. 

What are your hair plans for the Fall? 

NAPTURAL85's GREEK YOGURT CONDITIONER

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Well I took down my braids after 2 months and boy did it need some TLC!! I mean a serious DC was in order. Naptural85 is one of my favorite YouTubers so I decided to give her Greek Yogurt Conditioner a try. When I tell you it was the truth….it was THE TRUTH!! I haven’t been this excited since I began adding honey to my conditioners for my co-washes.

Now of course my hair was in all kinds of knots but I will say adding the conditioner and separating my hair with the conditioner in it helped A WHOLE LOT when I got in the shower. It was kind of like a pre-detangling session.

I know how my hair feels after it's been in braids or twists and it does not feel good.  This conditioner left my hair feeling really soft and manageable.  I poo’d and co-washed as normal after my DC, but I could definitely tell this conditioner worked its magic on my hair. It definitely has my stamp of approval. Go try it out!!

This is my rendition:

I only used what I had on hand, I substituted the lavendar oil for the EVOO.  I was kind of nervous about the smell, but surprisingly it didn't smell as bad I thought it would.  It could be from my 'poo and co-wash, but either way, it worked.  This is a must try!

Check out the vid below:

 

Enjoy!!!

NEEM OIL

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So I was walking around a fair and came across some Whipped Shea Butter mixed with Neem Oil.  I asked the vendor what Neem Oil is supposed to do and he said it works to control an itchy scalp. SOLD.  We all know I have scalp issues, especially around the cooler months, so I figured I'd try it out.  

I will say, before I completely jumped off the deep end with trying it, I looked it up.  I wanted to make sure I did a little bit of homework on this Neem Oil which I had never heard about.  

Here's what I found:

Neem oil is antibacterial, antifungal and full of Vitamin E to nourish your scalp and hair

Neem oil can relieve symptoms of scalp psoriasis

Neem oil makes your hair soft, shiny and strong while encouraging growth

Helps with thinning and dry hair

It also works as a bug repellent and treats cold sores, and acne


Not too shabby for a $5 investment right?  We'll see if it lives up to its description.  But I will say, the smell is AWFUL.  That's probably why it's mixed with the Shea Butter.  My goodness :(    If I had known it smelled this bad I wouldn't have bought it, but oh wells.  Here's to trying new things!

JAMAICAN BLACK CASTOR OIL

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After reading this article I am definitely adding Jamaican Black Castor Oil to my Fall regimen. 

I have been meaning to try it for the longest, but life happened and I forgot about it...until now.  I've read/watched reviews of it and mostly everyone who uses it is pleased.  So why not now?

Here's what it boasts:

 It works for all hair types.

 It will moisturize, thicken, strengthen your hair. 

 Prevent hair breakages, dandruff, eczema and dry, itchy scalp. BOOM!!

 Works extremely well for those who have thinning edges or just want a thicker fuller head of hair 

There are many variations, but the one most used and loved is Tropic Isle.  You can get it from Amazon.com and any other beauty outlet on the web or you can go directly to their site here.  Get more info on JBCO here.

Have you tried JBCO before? Spill!! I can't wait to get mine!

HAIR FOOD: GREEK YOGURT

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What you eat influences how you look in more ways than one. The nutrients you take in go toward maintaining and producing body tissue like hair. Protein is a major player because, without it, your body doesn’t have all the nutrients it needs for you be your best self.

A former coworker of mine suggested I try Greek yogurt because of the high protein it contains.  At first try, I was like YUCK!  The consistency of it was a complete turn off.  It was way too thick for my taste.  So instead of being completely turned off, I decided to leave it out of the fridge for a while before I ate it.  YUMMO!!  It definitely worked for me. It was a lot creamier and since I like the kind with the fruit on the bottom, it was a lot easier for me to mix together. 

Another great way to get our protein on!

And for those mixtresses out there, check out the Creamy Greek Goddess Conditioner here or this video:

Definitely check out these recipes too, because it's not just for breakfast!!

ENJOY!!!

HAIR-MERGENCY KIT

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Picture this:  You're out and about around town and you're having a fabulous hair day at a free concert in the park or just walking around downtown hanging out with your girls, then out of nowhere, the heavenlies open up Noah's Ark style.  What do you do?? 

Now granted, this may be a little extreme, but what do you do when you and your summer twist-out hit an unexpected wave of humidity?  I have definitely been here.  Luckily, there a few things I keep on deck for situations like these:

1.  BOBBY/HAIR PINS - I cannot tell you how many times I've had to pin and tuck random flyaway pieces of hair or had to do a quick pompadour when my twist-out started to fall and landed right in my eye *no bueno*

2.  OUCHLESS BANDS - I always have at least one in my purse.  If my hair starts to act up, in a puff it goes. 

3.  SHEA BUTTER - Y'all already know.  I keep my butter in my bag at ALL times.  Multi-functional - hair and skin.  Enough said.

Of course you could add some gel, a brush, water bottle, and various moisturizers and stuff, but I like to keep it simple.  I'm trying to limit the amount of stuff I need to do my hair.

So tell me good people, what do you keep handy for times like these when you're in a Hair-mergency?

GABBY, STRAIGHT HAIRED NATURALS...AND MORE

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First off CONGRATULATIONS TO GABRIELLE DOUGLAS FOR BEING THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE TO WIN THE GOLD IN THE GYMNASTICS INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND CATEGORY!!!  IT DOESN'T STOP THERE, SHE'S THE FIRST AMERICAN GYMNAST TO WIN GOLD IN BOTH THE INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM ALL-AROUND COMPETITION AT THE SAME OLYMPICS!! MAJOR PROPS ARE IN ORDERS!!!!!

SO.  I'm about to have a little venting session.  Over the past week (or so) I've been seeing a reoccuring theme in our Natural Hair Community where people are going overboard with this Natural thing.  People are calling in the guards over Naturals who opt to wear their hair straight over curly; folks getting all excited about Alicia Keys' HAIRCUT and calling it a BC or Oprah's big hair reveal on the cover of her magazine; and something or other about Gabby's hair.   It's like Naturals Gone Wild around this joint!!  I need whoever is leading this infantry to have 13 seats in the back. 

I see why some women distance themselves from "The Natural Hair Movement."  It can be a bit much.  I read this article "In Defense of the Straight-haired Natural Girl" and totally feel her.  I mean maybe it fits their lifestyle better or maybe they actually like it better that way....who knows??!!  I am not one to criticize how people choose to wear their hair. I mean, it is THEIR hair.  Do what you will.  But more and more I'm seeing some level of "bullying" because people feel you're not being "REAL" enough if you don't rock your curls.  Overit.org. 

I am usually mum about the whole exploitation of being Natural (and Real), but this whole incident about Gabby's hair took me to a whole 'nother level.  Baby Girl is making history and we are discussing her hair???  I.ABSOLUTELY.CANNOT.  If anything we should be praising her for her accomplishments and not becoming another statistic!! And if we must talk about 16 year olds, let's talk about the real issues they're dealing with. 

I am so over the Hair Brigade PERIOD.  It's just not that deep.  I'm Team Natural all the way, but I'm not about to make everything people do about "The Movement."  #ENDRANT

What are your thoughts?