A Few Candid Photos.

Ok, selfies. LoL! 

I attempted to preserve my curls so I wouldn't have to wet my hair every day. So after washing and drying and wearing all day, I pinned it down with bobbies and the next day...

It worked pretty good. Most of the curls just vanished, but I liked the results. This was day 2. 

Day 3

A little frizzier, but still cool. 

By this day. I think this was like day 12. All the curls are pretty much gone. I had refreshed and remoisrurized my hair with water, spritz (water, aloe Vera juice, glycerine) and put some Cantu Curling Cream in it. (I am liking this product on old wash n go's. It doesn't really do too well on freshly washed hair for me.) I then put my hair in mini buns to stretch. This pic does not do the fullness I got justice. It was so big! LoL!! I think I will be stretching more often!! 

~J

Fresh and so Clean Clean...

Just a quick post to say... It's so SOFT!! I did a deep condition with Aussie Moist like I said. I kept it covered for like 3 hours probably.. Maybe MORE! But when I took that bag off.. My hair was SOFT and buttery.. It felt so wonderful. Even after I rinsed it out.. Still soft, curls were poppin'.. It was just WONDERFUL! Love it..

here's what I used, and what I did.

I wet my hair a bit and applied a LAVISH amount of Aussie Moist, I mean a good little bit. I then combed it through. This is my detangling session. After I finished combing with my Goodie wide tooth comb (Like $2 and I thought THAT was expensive! LoL!) I put it in a ponytail (yes the top will fit into a ponytail! LoL!) Then covered with a plastic bag and threw on my satin bonnet. And I just let it sit... FOREVER.. I washed it out after about... I think I washed it out about 9pm.. I washed it around 4pm. so that's like 5 hours!! Don't think it takes that long, but that's how long it sat. I then rinsed it out, massaging the scalp as I did.

Once I was done rinsing it all out, I added Vo5 as a leave-in, then I added some KeraCare hair Milk (From that sample kit I got.. I actually like the hair milk. It's OK. I may purchase that.), I sealed with coconut oil, then put in a GOOD amount of my Long Aid. And now.. It's smellin' good and it's so SOFT!! I just had to post that. I love good hair results. :) All naturals do and we LOVE to gush!! LoL!

OK.. Now that's all for now.. Really..

Ciao.

Jen

New faster INTERNET...

Maybe I can upload some pictures now!! LoL!

Well, it's been like 3 weeks since I chopped my hair into a nice fro and discovered I'd botched the back.. I've been looking at it, and yes it does look oddly flat, but I am SO over it!! I'm coping and I DO NOT cover my head in public.. Also, I've been wearing it more fro like than curl like.. Like a chunky, curly fro.. Rebel is LOVING her new style. Don't think she LOVES being flat in the back, but she is like "gurrrrrl, I am WAY too fierce to worry bout what's goin' on back there!" LoL!!

I wonder why I was so ashamed of my hair in the past? I know public opinion plays a role when we're younger. I think I was just thinking my hair was different than it was.. I guess in my mind.. "better" than this.. Like the curls were bigger than they are.. And when I discovered they were TINY.. What folks call "naps".. Well.. I was just embarrassed... But now I know.. My hair is as it should be. It IS curly... RRRRRRRRREEEEEEAAAAAAALLY CURLY!! LoL!! And getting to know her, I think me and Rebel will get along just fine now..

Now if Rebel and DH will get along.. I'm not sure.. They are pretty much not speaking to each other right now. I catch DH lookin' at her like.. "UGH!" And she's lookin' at him like "Peesh! What EVA, Nigga." LoL! So they are not tight right now at ALL!! But I think she'll start to grow on him as she gets bigger and fuller in back.. And she will.. And I'll be happy, and she'll be happy, and DH... Well... Don't think men really get us and our hair or this natural hair obsession we have. So that remains to be seen.. If history is any indicator, he won't LOVE it.. But he'll learn to tollerate it at least. He'll stop insulting me so much about it.

OK.. On to products....

No more KeraCare.. I do have the Hair Milk left and I do use it pretty much daily. But I won't be buying anymore as far as I know. I like it better than the Butter Cream, but just because it soaks in faster. The Butter Cream is a little thicker. Still, pretty sure I won't purchase it.. I mean it's OK, but I'm sure I can find a cheaper, locally sold- Or BIGGER size at least cream moisturizer some where.

My Long Aid Curl Activator is doing WONDERFULLY now. It gets sticky nearing wash day, but since I figured out, NO ma'am.. I can't shingle with it.. Too greasy and wet.. BUT if I just work some in.. Back and front.. The stickiness is tollerable and the wetness isn't so bad. Plus it keeps my hair soft and pops those cute little curls PERFECTLY! Plus 16.5oz for less than $4.. Can't beat that. I bought more yesterday. :) It is a keeper.

Washing, you know I'm a co-washer. I only use Shampoo when I really REALLY need to. I used that Cleansing Cream from KeraCare and my hair started to stiffen up.. So.. Even sulfate free stuff dries my hair out. For co-washes I've been using Aussie Moist. I am BLOWING through that little bottle though. I gotta find a bigger size.. The one with the pump would be nice. I also have Vo5 Moisture Milks Conditioner in Passion Fruit Smoothie. It's a staple product, and since it's so light, I can use it as a leave in too. So I'm going to be keeping both those on hand.

Of course my LouAna Coconut oil for sealing. 32oz for just $5!!

Very simple routine so far and I'm hoping I can keep it as simple as it is now.. I know more has to be done once Rebel gets bigger, but for now.. It's pretty simple.. I actually had no idea it was so simple, as DH seems to think I'm making too much of this whole natural deal. But my routine is as simple as it was when I was locked.. AND relaxed!! LoL! Simple gal I guess.

I only comb once a week. I comb when my hair is wet and FULL of conditioner.. I detangle and rinse.. After that, no more combing except MAYBE finger combing while I'm applying product. I've had little shedding so far, so I must be doin' it right. LoL!


And that's it... All I do..

And that's it for the week.. Hopefully the photo upload works now..

Chao..

Jen

The Aftermath..

Flakes, hardness, dryness. Not sure what happened. The KeraCare started out so great! But ad it dried it got harder- which didn't make me HATE the product. But I can't take flakes. That's a deal breaker for me. I remember flaky gels. (LA Looks anyone?) And that is NOT a good look. So KeraCare did define my curls. (Even DH said it was full of a bunch of little curls. He does not call my hair "curls". So it MUST define!!) There are still lots of curls up there. BUT it's too flaky to wear out any where. I have to rewash it and try to do SOMETHING with it. A real shame too. It was so pretty. I still think I used too much. Don't know HOW, but maybe I did. I'd love to try again, but the only way to do that is to buy the Custard. If it still flakes I'll be pissed for SURE then. But the results started out so awesome. I guess I gotta give 'em another shot. I HOPE it was my mistake. Because if it IS, I've found my (can't believe Imma say it.) Holy Grail product. O_o!!!!

More to come.. :)

Jen

KeraCare

I just used some of my KeraCare samples and I... am.... FLOORED!! My hair is so defined and curly.. It is so much prettier than I could have ever guessed it could be! My curls are defined and awesome... Now it's still wet, so I'm in the no touch-y stage, but if it looks HALF as good as it does now, I'd say this product line is a winner for our hair. (Black hair)

I'd say my hair type is between 4a and 4b.. Maybe SOME 3c in there some where.. If there was a 3d that would probably be it too. So I do not have biracial hair.. So it's not a situation like I keep running into online with people who probably shouldn't have been relaxing their hair from the beginning saying this product is my holy grail!! And "My hair is that rough stuff." And I'm like.. "O.....K...." No, I got some REAL hair.. (My girl's name is "Rebel", that tells it all. She do what she wants, when she wants.. Just like the person who's head she's on!!LoL!) And I say, this product line is a WINNER!!

OK, what I used...




Cleansing Cream (Step 1)
Aussie Moist Conditioner (I'll explain why I felt I need to use this.)
Leave In (Step 2)
Defining Custard For Curls and Coils (Step 3)



I wet my hair like you normally do in the shower, and applied the Cleansing Cream.. Now, I'mma tell ya, I really don't like the smell of this stuff.. It is pretty natural I guess, but it reminds me of chemicals. It actually smells like Cream of Natures old shampoo. It's even pretty much the same colour. But it doesn't make my hair melt like that stuff use to.. Now, I'm not really a bit shampoo person anyway, Sulfate free or not. So I may just not like Shampoo. But it didn't really make my hair feel very... I don't know.. It just made it kinda squeeky.. I guess I kinda NEEDED it after the Long Aid stickiness.. That stuff HAD to come out.. It's great for moisture I guess, but for curl definition, you need too much and it stays too wet for 2011.. LoL! Still, the shampoo kinda felt like it was stripping too much away..

So I used the Aussie Moist, let it sit while I showered, then rinsed it mostly out..


Dead after that, I slathered on the Leave In... I mean SLATHERED.. Yeah, I had to rinse some out as it was just so white and I just was too heavy handed with it, BUT I noticed that even after I rinsed SOME of it out, my curls were already popping.. With the leave in ALONE, so I felt this might not be a bust after all.

I put a LITTLE coconut oil on my hair. Why? I don't know.. Just felt I needed to seal a little.

Then came the "shingling" with the Defining Custard. Now at first I was like "No I don't like it" because my hair felt a little rough while it was going on. It was like just styling gel in my mind, but I decided to apply it anyway. And when I saw the first curls, I was like "What the hell, give it a try." One thing I noticed is it looks like Kinky Curly Curling Custard. Or at least the pictures of the product I've seen. I mean colour and all. so I'm like OK.. I really don't like the smell still.. I mean, I could probably get use to it.. That is if it's still really nice once it DRIES.. That's the real test, so I'll know in about an hour maybe. But for now the results are wonderful.. BUT.... I do already feel a slight CRUNCH.. My hair is a little hard, but nothing I can't live with.

I'm going to ATTEMPT to add some photos, but blogger has been really screwing with me about uploading photos.. They load really SLOW or not at all, but they will be posted here definately. :)

I hope that photo came through. It took so long, I'm just gonna post them on Fotki.. Check out my fotki for images..

Jen

It is DONE!!

And I am LOOSE!! I finally got it all done. I chopped 9 locs, but the rest I just picked out. (The last 9 I just couldn't take it anymore!! My hands are working hands so they were like UNCLE!! LoL!) Now it's uneven, but it looks pretty good. I like it. I just smell like old man cause of the LongAid. LoL! But I can tell ya, that wash and condition felt AWESOME!! I can't wait to try new products.. LoL! Already the product junky!

Will I even go back to locs? Possibly. It's not out of the question, but for now.. I'm gonna enjoy the CRAP outta these curls!!

Photos to come!!

Jen

Half Way!!

I'm happy to report I am over half done taking down the locs! I think I have 20 left out of 52!! I washed that loose hair (Yes, lather and all. It's RARE, but I had to get 5 years worth of gunk off it!!) and that hair was so awesome!! It's so much better than I could have imagined! There were all these little curls in areas I looked to be only naps.. However some areas I looked for to be really curly are wavy at best, but it still looks nice. I had my other hair already in twists, I took them loose to see what my twist outs are gonna look like and I was FLOORED!! It was kinda messy, I mean it was freshly unlocked, not yet washed and no product was used to twist them with, so given all of that... It was awesome!! My hair is gonna really be beautiful.. Not that my locks aren't beautiful. And I will always be glad I grew them. But now it's time to get use to my loose hair. I mean, one day I'll be blessed with a little one.. And if I'm locked all the time, how will I know how to deal with her hair (If it's a girl that is.) I went straight from perm to locs.. Never really dealing with my hair.

Which means I am LOST! LoL! But I'll pull it together. :)

Jen

Thinking Back...

I was just thinking about a situation a long time ago. I had short hair then, and my husband and I went to Fredricks of Hollywood, and the clerk said as we entered with her big white girl grin, "What can I help you gentlemen with today?" Last time I looked I was not a gentleman.. She was embarassed as hell when she realized her mistake, but that is something to think about. The persuit of being FEMININE!! I seem to have lost mine somewhere along the line. My bastard ass husband blamed my short hair and clothing. I was wearing his leather jacket.. Or my build.. Can't do squat about that. I mean I can lose some weight, but I'm still gonna have the same wide shoulders as I do now, just bonier I guess.. I don't know.. I don't think he really understands what a woman feels.. Nor does he care to. I guess that's why I've got my blogs..

But now I'm taking down my locks.. Oh, and that was a major MAJOR issue.. My locking.. He called me all kinds of dikes and lesbians, and thugs.. It just wasn't even damn funny!! If it wasn't for my twilight sleep-esq love of my locks, I don't think I would have made it. I would have ran screaming back to the perm! But I took the red pill and all was revealed..

Or was it the blue one? It was a Matrix thing.. Or Alice in Wonderland.. Hell you get it..

I can't see myself getting a perm again.. Maybe one day a texturizer, but I don't even see that on the horizon. However when DH found out I was planning to take down my locks, his gears started turning immediately...

Towards me getting a perm... And when I said no... He flipped out. I mean called me all kinds of stupid bitches and everything.. And that I wasn't gonna like my regular hair, and I wasn't gonna be able to comb it and it was gonna be hideous, and ugly, and nappy and hard.. I mean just the most hurtful things about something I was born with, that is a part of my most natural, REAL self. Hmmm.. Seems he says a lot of hurtful things... But this is a hair blog, so I'm gonna stick with hair feelings...

I know my hair is not silky. I'm not white, and I'm not one of those first generation mixed kids.. I KNOW what my hair looks like.. But in my mind our hair is not ugly.. I mean if we don't do anything to it just let it stay dry and crusty, yeah that's ugly. But it would be even on his so called perfect type of hair.. But I've seen some hair that would be called the "rough stuff" and it looks FAB!!! Beautiful.. But those who think like him would say that bitch needs a perm, or that nigga needs a hair cut.. It's plain lunacy!!

I guess the point of all this, other than to just vent is you can't let others define you. You can't let people make you do things that you don't want to do. YOU KNOW YOU!! And I know "naps" are just tiny curls. They should be treated like curls.. I actually hate the term nappy.. I know I'll get a true flogging for that, but I do. Because it implies that our curls are lesser than a white persons or a mixed person- or anyone with big open curls and silky hair. That our hair is ugly and shouldn't be concidered hair.. It's just some nappy ass crap that needs to be covered or altered. Just plain vulgar. I just don't like the inplications.. That's all...

So I'm not using nappy anymore. I'm using curly from now on.. I may still use coily... And I'm not sure about coily either. But as I have a group called Springy Coils, I have to stand by coily for now. FOR... NOW.... LoL! I'm thinking of changing the title to something else that reflects this more equal status movement... I'll let yall know soon...

Well, I guess I'm done rambling for now. I'm going to try to get some picking done.. Maybe I'll get a couple taken down this weekend.. I can't wait to see my little springs free and thick.. Gonna be a real ride...

More to come...


Jen

Natural Thoughts....

I have been stalking hair vlogs on YouTube and looking at all the product reviews.. Just having me a good time... Now not all hair I see is.... PLEASING to my eye.. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess and far be it from me, being a new Ne-Ga-Ro (Like how I did that.. Keep saying it.. You'll get it..), to deter anyone from a more natural life.. You're beautiful because you are as you are....


But even with all that.... I've noticed something....

Most highlighted naturals....

A. Have hair that shouldn't have been processed in the first place...

AND

B. Are thin or have thin or small faces or heads..

So now then there's me.. Sure I was fine with my locks.. I was so in the romance and bliss and sugar snaps and farts stage of being natural that I just went with it.. Big ol' head and fat face and all.... I didn't care about hard hair cause I wanted it as hard and kinky as possible because (I believed)that would make me lock faster and make awesome locks.. And it did. My locks are awesome.. Lint and all. LoL! But a heavy woman can have locks.. Hell, stereotypically we are the ones with them. (The stereotype is not flattering.) But this is gonna be my natural, tightly curled, busy hair... On my fat head... Around my fat face.... kinda scary...

Fear won't stop me.. But has anyone else noticed this? Most of the naturals online look like models!! I'm wondering what will I do looking like regular old folks? I just took loose my 5th lock and am almost done with my 6th. (Yeah, I'm on a roll this weekend!! LoL!) Since I'm not destroying my already carpal tunnel ridden hands anymore on that debone line, I can take them loose more often, so probably in another month or 2 I'm gonna be totally loose!! I have to get some help with this or I'll be rocking some fierce hair.. With my HEAD DOWN!!! Not a good look..

So I have to get some confidence pretty damned fast... Still.. Has anyone noticed the whole "gotta be skinny and cute for natural hair" thing? Or is it just me?

Later..

Jen

Oh the hard... Hard... HARD....

WORK!!! Locs are hard to take down.. I see why people cut them instead of picking them apart...


BUT....

Smart ass me, decided to not cut my hair again... Well, not MAJOR cutting anyway. Maybe it's spiritual.. Maybe I just don't look good with small hair.. Either way.. No cutting... Right...


Anyway, I'm taking down I think my 5th loc. Which sucks cause when you're done, it's so skinny that you can join two.. NO you HAVE to join two just to get a good sized twist.. Seems not worth it and if you DON'T have a cutting vice, I say go ahead and just chop.. At least half the lock off if they are long as mine. (They're bra band length in some spots.)I would NOT be mad at cha. LoL!


But here I am picking. I found a small toothed comb in the bathroom (Might be mine... Maybe have been here when I moved in.. Not sure.) and I have my shoe needles or craft.. What the hell do you call 'em... NEEDLE POINT needles.. My hot conditioner water.. And I'm just picking... And the worry sets in....




These curls, though curls they are.. (I DO know that naps are just tiny curls..) They are little and they are... Kinda course... And in other spots they are kinda frizzy.. And I am a little scared as to how I'm going to pull all that into a nice head of hair.. Sure all hair is good hair.. But looking like a chicken is not a good look, boo boo... I have some starter products.. My LongAid activator, my Smooth N Shine gel... Some coconut oil as I've always used.. Or at least in the last couple years. But I'm thinking I'm going to need lots of products and mostly stick to twist outs instead of wash and goes cause I get loads of shrinkage, which is not entirely bad cause I get my big hair like that... But also because it would just friggin tangle so terribly that I'd never get it loose- I'd RElock and that's not what I'm going through all these hours of unpicking to do... Well, at least not right now... It's not out of the question to lock again.. Just right now.. I am wanting to dig these curls and coils for a minute... :)

DH is still thinking I need a perm or a texturizer or to texlax my hair for it to look right... Now, you know I am against chemicals in the hair and I'm going to try to prove him wrong.. I think I can.. But I don't condemn those who decide to process their hair anymore.. It's not worth the effort.. It's almost like telling white girls you don't need blond hair and double D's to be hot.. It just will end with you making them feel bad AND ugly because they can't grasp it and you'll just be damn TIRED.. Everyone knows what they need to do at that time to feel better.. Let 'em do it.. They'll come around sooner or later, and realize that "Hey.. I was made just as I was intended to be and whoever doesn't like it can suck it!" LoL! In any case, I think I'll convince MYSELF that my little curls are beautiful LOOOOOONG before I can convince DH that they are cute and beautiful and just as awesome as them big old silky curls. But it won't be easy.. Remember what I went through with him when I was locking? Yeah.. I'm looking to be in for the same kinda crap..

Anyway, I guess I'm done rambling.. I got over here to rest my hands and kinda give yall a taste of what I'm up to with the locked to loose journey. I should be able to get some taken down since I'm off for a week.. VACATION baby!! LoL!!


More to come.... :)

Jen

Locked to Loose... Sounded so simple...

But it is hard as FIRECRACKERS!! I decided to actuall do it in January this yesr and I've undone 4. FOUR!!!! My hands were getting better.. Then came breast debone. And now thar are screwed up again. So it hurts to pick the hair apart for so long. So I could just cut it.. But I can't bring myself to part with that much hair yet. I know beauty is not in hair length or texture... But come on!!! it's half way my back. I grew this for 5 1/2 years!! I'm attached to it! I know it's time to free them, but I just don't know how to go about it just yet. I did decide to separate some of the multi headed dragons up there and accidently chopped off a LONG head.. (LoL! Sounds weird right?) I hated it but, it happens..

I'm alright. :) I had to separate them because it would save SO much time undoing them. Heads take as long to undo as the lock itself.. You'd be adding time.. PLUS.. You look less one sided if you take small locks loose. Instead of having a giant chunk of loose hair on one side and locks on the other side.. And it made them hang better and ponytail better.. So the chopping in half was not a bad idea....

Now if I can just GET THEM LOOSE!! LOL!! Should get easier as I'm off debone. (Yep, pay drop and all.:( BOO!!! ) But now my hands will get well and I can continue to take my locks down with my newly healed hands... I've been checking out YouTube kind of getting an idea of how to take care of the curls.. I've never had to do it actually. My mom always straightened it and when I got older we just relAXED it... Then I went straight to locks. So I've been natural for 5 1/2 years and have no idea how to take care of natural hair.. LoL! Well, natural LOOSE hair. So I'm going to need a lot of HELP.. But luckily I have internet which has Nappturality and YouTube and Google search and Bing... LoL!! I can find what I need.. :)


OK, damn, now I'm done rambling.. I do that sometimes.. :p

Jen

I'm done.. Just a quick ramble..