Saturday! Wash day!!

I really find myself so HAPPY it's wash day! I love washing and caring for my hair! Even the detanging is fun!! You get to see length and such and my hair is down to my NECK stretched out in the front, but with shrinkage, I have a TWA all the way around. It's wonderful either way. I've had long hair for years, so I'm not in any real hurry for my hair to get long- except for that back side.. I really need some roundness back there! LoL! But as for lenght and length checking and all that crap.. Maybe after a year or so I'll be curious about length and all that. For now I just want healthy hair, and it looks really... REALLY!! Robust and healthy!! :) And the curls are so wonderful.. I have so many springy well defined curls WITHOUT help!! I don't need HOLD, my curls hold all on their own!! All I have to do is co-wash ( I really need to find that big bottle of Aussie at a cheap price, because the regular size is only lasting about 4 washes!! then again at about $2.50 a bottle for a month of washes is pretty good.) Leave-in, seal, and Long Aid for curl definition and moisture (more for moisture than anything, as I said, my curls are really THERE!).. And I'm done.. Curly curls all over the place and happy ME right here, baby!! I imagine it will be more difficult once it gets longer, but for now.. I am on EASY street..

Any problems? Well, this wouldn't be the REAL world if there were NO problems.. My hair is always dry.. Long Aid does the best job with moisturizing, but there are always dry patches. My front is a really dry patch of hair, and I never noticed that. Also, I have loose curls in the front and more defined curls in the middle and around my hears.. The back is pretty much like the front, but from what I can see, DRIER!! Or it looks really dry. It feels pretty fine, but it looks really dry and... Not cute most of the time.. I mean, it's OK and I can live with it, but if I could find something that makes it LOOK moisturized, I'd be happy. I've heard all the hype from different products, but they are ultimately usually for other hair types than my little type 4 AfroCurls. If you have 3c hair your biggest problem is holding a curl and defining curls and eliminating frizz.. With type 4 there are other problems. Like my dryness and dullness that can't be cured with a little serum. I guess I just have to accept that it will always look like that and just be happy it's healthy...

And... Accepted.. :p (Still if I HAPPEN to find the miracle that changes that, I'm no idiot Imma be all over that! LoL!! But I gotta have some proof!! A sample or something.)

I was thinking of revisiting BB Castor oil hair lotion. it worked pretty good when I was relaxed.. I don't want to put bad products in my hair. As Taren of Areyaa said, once you know, you can't go back to NOT knowing. And that is so true. I know I don't want mineral oil and the likes in my hair anymore. I hate that I have to use petroleum jelly on my skin because of my eczema. If I could find a natural oil, I'd stop using that too. I'm thinking of trying to use my coconut oil again, as my eczema is kind of in remission a little bit. Last time it made me break out. The only think I can use is the grease and I HATE it. it makes my skin look so old.. Well, older than normal. I'd love to go back to regular lotion like normal people...

Oh well.. At least my hair can enjoy the good healthy life. LoL! Anyway, I'll research the B&B first then decide, cause it is hella cheap. Like $3 if I can remember correctly and it lasted FOREVER! Way better then Luster's Pink lotion.. More moisturizing and absorbed much better into my hair. Pink lotion took too long to soak in.

I also want to try the other products. The usual Mixed Chicks and the likes of those. Miss Jessie's just really doesn't turn my head. I mean, if I was able to get it free or at a deep.. DEEP discount I'd give it a try, but other than that.. I'll pass.. But Mixed Chicks sound promising as well as Jane Carter solution. Both sound like great products, but I also know they were not made for my hair type, but they might have some benefits. Still, I'd have to try a sample first. Imagine if I'd bought KeraCare only to find out it FLAKED like crazy.. I'd be TOTALLY pissed!

Well, I guess that's it.. I'm doing a deep condition with my Aussie Moist. I must look a hot damn mess. I got my plastic bag on my head... Let me elaborate on that.. My plastic bag.. Is just that.. A SHOPPING BAG!! LoL!! I got my satin bonnet on top just to keep from looking so silly.. I'll have shower caps once I go shopping, but this actually works the same.. Still, I'd rather have the genuine article. I reuse them until they just fall apart or get cluttered with crap I can't wash out.. One cap can last me months. A pack of caps last me over a YEAR! At maybe $1 a pack.. it's worth it. Still, keep in mind.. Them Walmart bags are a good alternative if you're into the green thing. :)

Well, that's it for now. I've rambled too long and I have to get to YouTube to do some video watching!!

Check Ya LATA!!!!


Ciao.

Jen

Gel Experiment.... Epic Fail...

I mixed some Smooth n Shine, Long Aid, and Coconut Oil together... And it was an epic fail.. My hair was not crunchy.. It didn't flake.. I just didn't look good as I wanted, so I had to rinse that stuff out, put some Vo5 in, sealed with coconut oil, and hit up my Long Aid. Now my fro is happy.. Also, I've found that my hair just looks better at this length UP.. Not pulled down around my face. The reason for that is I have a very... VERY fat face! LoL! And with my full face, the hair is shrunken just above or MAYBE at the cheek. And what it does is makes my face just look FULLER.. Being up, I can't say it slims my face, but it doesn't add to the sheer VOLUME of face I have going on.. So I think this will be my style as long as my hair is willing to defy gravity. :)

Also, with all the searching, I think my first thing is my best thing. Just my Long Aid and a nice conditioner as a leave in.. Sealing with coconut oil.. It is just so moisturizing and my little curls are defined.. My hair looks great to ME, which is all that matters.. So why am I looking for products that cost me $30 a pop (they know who they are!! LoL!) When I can get my Long Aid (16oz for $4, 32oz for just $6 most times.), Aussie Moist for co-washes. (14oz, I think I paid $2.50 for it, maybe less.. I can get the pump{33.5oz}around $6 or $7 online and maybe at the right store.), My Vo5 (between $.88 and $1.50 at most places for 15oz.)My LouAna cocount oil (32oz for JUST almost $6) And done.. Just plain done and I've spent at most.. AT MOST.. $20.50 if I buy the big sizes of Aussie and Long Aid and have to buy ALL my products at the same time.. In a nut shell, I can probably take $25 to the store and with tax and all I have ALL my products.. You can not beat that price.. So I think I've found my staples for now.

Not saying I won't try products. Mostly conditioners and the like.. There are products I want to try. But as for all these curl definers and all that.. I think I'm so over that. I do like moisturizers, so that will probably be my PJ addiction. Hair milks, creams and the like. I won't be needing any real heavy stuff until my hair is longer.. That could be 5 years from now.. Wonder how big will my fro be in 5 years? Look how long my locs were.. Can you imagine... Rebel that long.. LoL! She will be fierce for sho'!!

Wonder what I'll be wanting to do with her 5 years from now? I really hope not PERMING her.. I say I will never go back to the perms.. I think I can stick with that.. I remember I use to say locked for life!! And militantly encouraged everyone to join me in this.. And now look.. Not locked.. But I am clearly not dead yet.. Meaning I wasn't locked for life. So I guess the one thing I've learned (Other than patience for my hair.) is to never say never. Never even say always. Take life a day at a time, and just enjoy the scenery.. I loved my time locked, and now I'm loving my time loose and natural. I won't LIKELY perm my hair, as I don't really look that good with straight strands. My hair has always looked better BIG, so a perm probably isn't in my future. So that much I can say.. HOWEVER.. I can't say I'll never flat iron or straighten my hair with heat.. Just not chemicals.. But even THAT is a ways down the line.. I just don't want straight hair.. Sorry..

Well, I guess that's it for now. Just wanted to chime in on how my gel mix worked.. Maybe it will work for twist outs, but I don't have any of those planned for quite some time, so it will be drawered for now. :) Me and Rebel are just gonna hang loose for awhile. LoL!!

Chao.

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

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