2 Years Natural!!

Happy 2 Naturalversary to me!!

I honestly can't believe it's been two years since I did my big chop. In the months leading up to my big chop I had prepared myself for short hair, by cutting a little bit each month. So by the time I walked into the salon that day I felt more excitement than fear. After months of watching YouTube videos and reading books about natural hair, I was ready to discover my natural hair. This would be my first time dealing with my natural texture--my mother relaxed my hair at a very young age.

Leaving that salon I felt free and nervous. It was the first time that I was going to be solely responsible for the health of my hair. I knew that there would be failures and successes, and to be honest I was ready for the challenge. The first year being natural was all about building a regimen and finding products that worked for my hair. Click here to see some highlights of that first year.

This past year has been refining what I know about my hair, which included experimenting with hairstyles and products. I also decided to try hair vitamins, something that has been really beneficial and positive for the health of my hair. And I finally have a regimen that works for my hair. My natural hair journey has also allowed me to become a healthier and happier person!

I'm excited to see what the next year of my hair journey will bring. I also wanted to say thank you to everyone that supported me along the way. Your encouragement and inspiration means the world to me. And of course a huge thank you to my husband, who planted the seed several years ago about rocking my natural hair.

~Adventures of a Nappy Chica

Hair Goals for 2016

Happy New Year!!

2015 taught me a lot about my natural hair. I learned a lot about my regimen, products that work for my hair and experienced a lot of growth. I'm looking forward to learning a lot more this year. With that being said, here are my hair goals for 2016:

1. Curb my product junkie tendencies. With the amount of growth I experienced in 2015, I found myself experimenting with products. So, my goal is to limit myself to trying 1 or 2 new products this year (if any at all).

2. Stick to a regimen for at least 4-6 months. I feel like I’ve finally hit a groove with my hair the last few months and I think it’s because of consistency + products I am using. So, unless my products suddenly stops working (which is doubtful), I want to keep my regimen the same until at least June.

3. Say no to heat- as much as possible- I’ve done a good job of keeping my hair heat free since I big chopped in April of 2014. I did get a light blowout in August for my trim but I would like to stay heat free as much as possible this year.

4. Try a few new hairstyles. I usually find a hairstyle that I like and stick with it. In the new year, I hope to try at least 3 new hairstyles.

5. Get my hair trimmed, as needed. I got my first trim back in August since my big chop. I won’t set a time limit on when I need a trim but I will be paying attention to my ends. I will definitely get one maybe two trims in 2016. In between trims, I will also do a search and destroy method.

6. Retain as much length as possible. While healthy hair is my main goal, I also have a length goal as well. This year I will be working towards healthy hair and hopefully retaining length along the way. I will continue to evaluate my regimen and hair style choices throughout the year and adjust if needed. I also realize that obsessing about length is unhealthy, so I will only do one or two length checks this year.

What are your hair goals for 2016? I would love them! Please share your goals in the comments below.

Favorite hair products from 2015

2015 was the year of experimenting with various natural hair products to find ones that worked best for my hair. Here is a short list of my favorite hair products from this year:

1. Jia's Caribbean DreamCreme- I gave you all the details about my love for this product in my recent review , so I will spare you my review again. But, I will say this, going into 2016 this will remain one of my staple products. If you want a leave-conditioner that leaves your hair soft and manageable, look no further. Jia is soft on your tresses and is made of natural ingredients.

2. Mielle Organics Mint Almond Oil-  Ok, so by now you know that I am in love with Mielle Organics. And if you didn't know, just take a look at the rest of the products on this list. Anyway, besides being a lightweight oil perfect for the LOC method, it smells amazing! I love that this oil leaves me hair moisturized without making it feel greasy. 

                                                      

                                                 

4.    Honey Dew Berry Detangling Co-Wash by Mielle Organics- Another gentle, natural hair product from Mielle Organics. At first I was a little skeptical because it is lighter than what I have used in the past but, it more than does the job. My scalp and strands feel clean and refreshed after each use. Plus, it really brings out all of my curls and coils. 

5.  Twist & Define Cream by Kera Care - I picked this product up at the suggestion of my hair stylist here in Portland. Before this product, I often wondered why my twists out were not as defined and bouncy like some of my natural hair idols. But this cream solved that problem for me. Every single time I use it my twists are on point. And of course the smell makes it a winner in my book. This has also become one of my staple products and one I plan on using in 2016,

6.  Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner by Mielle Organics - I know, I know yet another product from Mielle Organics. But what can I say? There products are amazing!! Seriously, you need to go get your life and try them out! Lol. This conditioner leaves your scalp and hair moisturized. My hair does okay with protein but if you have issues with it, you might want to consider that before including it in your regimen.

7. Essential oils + Aloe Vera Juice - After watching HealthyHairJourney72's video about her spritz spray, I decided it was time to include essential oils and aloe vera juice in my regimen. While I didn't use all of the oils featured in her spray, my hair has still reaped the benefits. Before using the oils on a daily basis my hair was dull and dry. Now that I do the LOC method consistently and I use oils on a regular basis, my hair is happier and healthier.

     

While there are so many awesome products out there, I narrowed my list down to 7 products that have become essential to my natural hair care routine.

What are you favorite hair products from 2015? Please share your favorites in the comments below!

Wash Day | Last Wash Day of 2015 + Semi Mini Twists

Hey loves!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate) and that you spent a wonderful time with family and friends. Can you believe 2015 is almost over??!! I swear the older I get the faster time goes by. I plan on reflecting on my favorite natural hair products/accessories and hairstyles in the next few days, so stay tuned for that.

Anyway, earlier this week Jenell (aka BlakIzBeautiful, founder of Kinky Curly Coily Me!) posted a Mini Twist Tutorial | Talk Through after getting requests on Instagram on her latest protective style (from people like myself).


         

After watching her video, I was inspired to rock some Mini Twists myself. I remember mentioning my desire to wear this as protective style earlier in the year but I never followed through. But I figured what the heck! I'm on holiday hiatus and have one more week before going back to work. If I didn't like my results, I had time to resort to my normal Two Strand Twist.

                           Here is how yesterday's wash day went down:


Pre-Poo/ Hot Oil Treatment: After I got 2-3 big spoonfuls of EVCO and several drops of EVOO. 
 I microwaved the mixture for 30 seconds and put on my Hot Heads Thermal Cap for an hour.

Shampooed with Carol's Daughter Monoi Sulfate-Free Shampoo because I ran out of my detangling co-wash. I ordered it last week so I hope to get it by this weekend. This shampoo is very gentle and didn't leave my hair feeling stripped. I got this free sample from Ulta Beauty awhile back and this is only my second time using it. I don't shampoo often but I would consider making this my shampoo go-to product.

Deep Conditioned with Babassu Oil and Mint Deep Conditioner + Deep Moisture Conditioner (I'm trying to use it up to alleviate my stash) under my Hot Head cap for 30 minutes. Sadly, I used up my jar of Babassu Oil and Mint Deep Conditioner. But, luckily, I have more thanks to My Black Friday Buys.

Detangled my hair in sections with my Eternally in Amber comb in the shower. 

All the hair I lost from my pre-poo and detangling session

ACV Rinse- I finally got a new bottle to do more rinses. I love how my scalp feels after the rinse.

T-shirt dried my hair for about 10-15 minutes. 

Leave-ins + Oils and Styling My hair- Did the LOC method on each section of hair ( I parted my hair in six sections to style my hair) using Mint Almond Oil, my spritz mix (Aloe Vera Juice, Water and I added White Peony Ultra Moisturizing Leave-in Conditioner), Jia's Caribbean DreamCream and Kera Care Twist and Define Cream. 

Initially I wanted to do mini twists like BlakIzBeautiful but my twists ended up looking like Semi Mini Twists instead, which I loved. All in all, it took me about 4-4 1/2 hours to finish my twists.

View of the back

                  I decided to pull my mini twists in a ponytail to go to the gym

     

I plan on wearing my twists for two weeks by keeping it moisturized and co-washing in between.

How was your #WashDayExperience? Don't forget to join the link-up!

                                                  

Wash Day | Business As Usual

I can't believe Christmas is only 5 days away and the new year is just around the corner! I hope everyone is enjoying their time with families and friends this holiday season.

Since my last post the tv show I work for went on hiatus and I have been enjoying my 2 1/2 week break :)! Well, that's partially true. As we wrapped the last episode of 2015 on Wednesday night, I started to feel sick. By the time I got home it was evident that I had food poisoning and I spent the next 24 hours or so thinking I was going to die. Seriously, it was awful. Thank goodness the husband stayed home with me on Thursday because I barely left the bed or couch. Once Friday rolled around I was ready to (slowly) eat foods and wash my hair. Here's how my wash day went down:

Pre-Poo/ Hot Oil Treatment: 2-3 big spoonfuls of EVCO and several drops of EVOO (I don't measure, I just pour until I think I have a good amount).  I heat this mixture up for 30 seconds in the microwave before I apply it very generously to my ends and scalp.  I find using my Roots Only Applicator Bottle makes the process easier. After I massage the mixture in my scalp for a couple of minutes, I put my hair in four ponytails using Goody Ouchless hair ties. Then I put on a plastic cap and my Hot Heads cap for an hour.

This is not the same bottle that comes with the applicator. I think I used the other bottle for something else.

Co-Washed with Co-Washed with Detangling Co-Wash by Mielle Organics in four sections. I finished the bottle so I will have to restock it asap!

Protein Treatment--GPB Balancing Protein Conditioner by Aubrey Organics for two minutes.

Deep Conditioned with Babassu Oil and Mint Deep Conditioner  under my Hot Head cap for 30 minutes.

Detangled- With my deep conditioner still in my hair I jumped in the shower  and  used my Eternally In Amber Detangling Comb. This conditioner and comb make detangling quick and easy!

Hair loss from pre-poo and detangling.

* The hair that I lose on wash day has been fairly consistent over the past couple of months, which is great!

T-shirt dried my hair for about 5 minutes. I had a writers meeting so I only had a few minutes for this step. I'm pretty sure I had water dripping down my back during the meeting. Lol. Good thing it was a virtual meeting.

Leave-ins + Oils and Styling My hair -  As usual I did the LOC method, which has helped my hair retain moisture. My go-to products for this are: Mint Almond Oil, my spritz mix (Aloe Vera Juice, Water and I added White Peony Ultra Moisturizing Leave-in Conditioner), Jia's Caribbean DreamCream and Kera Care Twist and Define Cream. 

Newest addition to my mix

After my meeting I did two strand twists and I will probably wear the twists until Wednesday. As of right now, I plan to wear a twist out for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

How was your #WashDayExperience? Are you rocking any special hairstyles for the holidays?

Don't forget to join the link-up!

                                        

Wash Day Recap | High Puff

Hey loves!

I'm so excited with my recent wash day and a new style that I got to try out. Here is a recap of Sunday's wash day:

Pre-Poo/ Hot Oil Treatment:  I mixed EVCO, EVOO, Grape Seed and Jojoba Oil together and put it in the microwave for a minute. After it cooled down,  I applied it to my hair and scalp leaving it on for an hour. 

Co-Washed with Shea Moisture's Cleansing Co-wash Conditioner 

Deep Conditioned with Shea Moisture's Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow and Restore Treatment Masque and Tangles & Beyond's Deep Moisture Conditioner adding Jojoba Oil to my ends. To get the full benefits of this trio, I used my Hot Heads cap for 15 minutes.

Detangled with the mixture still in my hair. I used my Eternally In Amber wide tooth comb to detangle. The detangling process was quick and easy because my hair was soft and most of the tangles were already gone.  

T-shirt dried my hair for 15-20 minutes. I like my hair to be damp but not soaking wet when I apply my leave-in conditioner and oils. 

Leave-ins + Oils  I got out my trusted Jia's Caribbean DreamCreme by Tangles & Beyond and applied a generous amount to the hair shaft and ends. This is probably my favorite part of wash day because I love the way this stuff smells. Lol. I then sprayed the ends of my hair with my oil mix and massaged my scalp with Sweet Almond & Jojoba Oil for a couple of minutes. 

While pulling my wash day arsenal, I stumbled across The Antidote (which I forgot I had. Lol). After reading about how people use this as a styling cream instead of a deep conditioner, I decided to use it to twist my hair.  I let my hair dry overnight in the twists and then took them out in the morning.

Styled my hair - I've been wanting to try a high puff style for awhile. I did one this summer but the pressure from the elastic band gave me a migraine. Then I stumbled on one of BlakIzbeautyful's old tutorials and knew I hit the jackpot.




This tutorial was so quick and easy. I think it took me less than 5 minutes to do this style before work on Monday. I loved the results and rocked this puff the whole week. I will definitely do this style again in the future.

Rocking the puff on Monday

A little selfie action at work on Wednesday

How was your wash day? Did you try a new hairstyle or technique? Be sure to join the link-up and share your #WashDayExperience

Wash Day Recap | Hello Twists!

Hey loves!

Hope you are having a great weekend. Here is my a recap of my wash day last Sunday (I know, it's late).

Pre-Poo:  I applied my current pre-poo mixture ( EVCO, EVOO &Grape Seed Oil) to my hair concentrating on my ends.  I let the mixture sit in my hair for about an hour.

Co-Washed with Shea Moisture's Cleansing Cowash Conditioner using Nappy Fu's tips for co-washing.

Deep Conditioned with  Shea Moisture's Jamaican Black Castor Oil Stregthen, Grow and Restore Treatment Masque for 15 minutes using my Hot Head Deep Conditioning Heat cap. 

Detangled with the masque still in my hair. I decided to use my fingers to detangle and carefully removed any knots or shed hair along the way.  

T-shirt dried my hair for about 10-15 minutes. This allowed the excess water to be absorbed by the t-shirt.

Applied my leave-ins Shea Moisture's JBCO Leave-In Conditioner, Jia's Caribbean DreamCreme by Tangles & Beyond and sprayed my hair and scalp with my essential oil mix.

Styled my hair-- The original plan was to twist my hair and let it continue drying. Then in the morning I would put my hair in a puff and wear it that way for the week. But after I got back from pole class last Sunday and remembered that my call time was 6am the next day, that plan went straight out the window. Instead, I wore my twists for the rest of the week and did a twist out yesterday for date night with the hubby.

How was your #WashDayExperience? Join the link-up and share your experience.

Natural Hair Journey: 10 Months Natural

It's been 10 months since I went natural. I can't believe in two months it will be one year since my big chop!

Overall this month has been pretty easy. I decided to join the February Mini Challenge and have been wearing updos all this month. This allowed me to experiment with styles and give me a break from constantly manipulating my hair. 

Current Length: I'm not sure. Since I've been wearing my hair up this month, I didn't really focus on the length. My current plan is to do a length check in April.

My Go-to Styles this month: Updos 

 All of the updos that I tried this month were from YouTube. I always watched tutorials but thought I couldn't achieve a certain style due to my length. But, I learned that I change or adjust the hairstyles based on my length. 

         

                               

                  

Hair Regimen: This month I reduced the number of times I washed my hair each week. Instead of two wash days a week, I went down to one. At first I was nervous that my scalp would be greasy or dry but so far it's been okay. I also bought several new products that I am currently testing out. 

Plans for next month:  To combat my issues with single strand knots, I'm going to wash my hair in sections from now on. I will also need to look at my regimen to see what else might be the cause of the knots. And because I love trying out new styles, I plan to do that more as well.

Until next time!

~Adventures of a Nappy Chica

Natural Hair Journey: 9 Months Natural

Happy Monday everyone!

I'm officially 9 months into my natural hair journey. The beginning of the month started off great but towards the end of the month, I was yearning to try a protective style. Don't get me wrong, I love wearing my fro but I want to retain length and protect my ends. One of the downfalls of wearing a free fro is that you have more single strand knots. Those little buggers can be tough to deal with. But it has been great to see how far I've come in 9 months, even with the minor setback in September.

Current Length:
front: below my eyebrows around the top of my nose (when stretched)
 sides: past my earlobes
back: base of my neck

      

My Go-to Styles this month: 
I was in a bit of a hairstyle funk this month. I only tried one new hairstyle, a perm rod set and that didn't go so well. The rest of the time I either wore a twist out or my fro, which of course meant a lot of single strand knots!

Hair Regimen:  I started using Bee Sensitive Oil Free Hair Serum and purchased a few other products to try. I have a few other products on my wish list but nothing that I necessarily need.  I still wash my hair twice a week, mostly by co-washing it. But, for the most part my regimen is still the same. At some point down the road I'll try washing my hair just once a week.

Plans for next month:  I need to get a trim, actually just a dusting-no more than 1/2 inch off. I would also love to experiment with protective styles that are quick and easy to do.


                              Only 3 months until my 1 year anniversary!



Until next time!

~Adventures of a Nappy Chica

Natural Hair Journey: 8 Months Natural

Happy Day After Christmas everyone!

I don't know about you but it was hard coming into work today. It was only for a half day but still, the struggle was real this morning. Lol.  Hopefully you all had a great holiday with your family.

Today marks 8 months since my big chop! That means I'm only four months until my 1 year anniversary! As you can tell, I'm super excited :)



Me being my usual goofy self while rocking my afro :).

Current Length:
I think my hair is probably around the same length it was last month. I'll post a length check (basically stretching my hair) on my wash day post tomorrow.

My Go-to Styles this month:
This month I had fun experimenting with flat twists, 3 strand twists and two strand twists. Although I love wearing my hair out, I want to retain length and prevent tangles/knots. My plan is to only wear my hair out once or twice a week.

 

3 strand twists

 

3 strand twist out- I ove the curl definition!

 

Playing around with my 3 strand twist out

 

 

I decided to add a few accessories

View of my first attempt at flat twists

Two strand twist out I wore for Christmas dinner

 

 

 

Quick pic before work today

 

 

 

Hair Regimen:  I contemplated using Hairfinity, but ultimately decided against using it.  I bought a few new products to try and will post about those soon. I also finally bought scrunchies for the multi-pineapple method  I'm going to use when I want to stretch my hair.

Plans for next month:  I plan on experimenting with more hairstyles and I want to pick up a few more hair accessories. My birthday is next month so I want to think of a cute hairdo for the occasion.


Until next time!

~Adventures of a Nappy Chica