Wash Day Recap: I got 99 problems but my Fro ain't one of them

Ok, I don't have 99 problems but I thought the title was super clever and wanted to use it for today's post. As someone of you know, I celebrated my 1 year natural anniversary on Sunday. To celebrate I undid my twists and let my fro out all day Sunday. The plan was to do my normal wash day and then twist my hair for the week, which has been my routine for the past month or so.

[1] Pre-pooed with Hair Trigger for about an hour.

[2] Shampooed with Tangles and Beyond Rhassoul Whip Poo . I normally only shampoo once a month by I ran out of my Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner. I didn't realize that until I put the Hair Trigger on my hair.

[3]  Protein Treatment : ApHogee Intensive Two Minute Keratin Reconstructor . 

[4] Deep Conditioned with The Antidote by Tangles and Beyond for about 40 minutes. Unfortunately we don't have a microwave at our current place but I can't wait until we move. I'll be able to incorporate heat  again. This stuff is amazing! It's my first time using it but so far I love it!

[5] Detangled-- I wish I could say that I did but didn't. The good news is I didn't really need to. The Antidote made my hair soft and manageable, I honestly didn't need to detangle it.

[6] Tea Rinsed - I'm seriously slipping on my tea rinses. In my defense, we are leaving Monterey in about two and a half weeks. So needlessly to say life has been a little hectic. We already have most of our things packed #wearereadytoleave . Unfortunately my tea rinses have suffered because of the upcoming move.

[7] ACV rinse  No rinse this week because I didn't find my spray bottle until the next morning. But it will be back on the next wash day.

[8] T-shirt dried for about an 30-40 minutes.

[9] Applied my leave-ins: Jia's Caribbean Dream Cream  and Tangles and Beyond Deep Moisture Shea Butter.

[10] Stretched my hair-- I don't know if it was because of my hair anniversary or if I was just tired, but I didn't twist my hair. Instead I used my hair ties to stretch my hair over night. 

When I woke up the next day I was too tired to do anything to my hair so I decided to wear my fro out. My hair is longer, which means my fro is bigger. I was self conscious about wearing my hair out at work because it's not how I usually wear my hair but with the some pep talks from my hubby, I strutted into work proud of my fro.  I was surprised on how many compliments I received from co-workers, many of whom said they would love to see my hair out more.

My fro at the end of the day yesterday

A close-up 

Last night I stretched my hair again using hair ties. This morning I wanted to do a couple of braids but my hair was out of control. That's the problem with wearing the fro, once it's out it is hard to tame it (at least from my experience). Instead of fighting with my hair I rocked a frohawk today.

How was your wash day? Don't forget to join the linkup and share your #WashDayExperience.

Wash Day Recap

Now, that we have about a month left  in Monterey I'm soaking up time with friends and enjoying the scenery before our next adventure. So as a result my wash days have been cut a little short. Oh, well sometimes you have to enjoy life. Anyway, here is a recap of yesterday's wash day.

[1] Pre-pooed with Hair Trigger for about 30-40 minutes

[2] Co-Washed with Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner in sections. 

[3]  Protein Treatment : ApHogee Intensive Two Minute Keratin Reconstructor . 

[4] Deep Conditioned with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque for 15 minutes.

[6] Tea Rinsed - No tea rinse again this week. I just didn't have time :( .

[7] ACV rinse  AI sprayed my scalp with the rinse and massaged it in for a couple of minutes.

[8] T-shirt dried my hair for about 30 minutes while walking the dogs. 

[9] Applied my leave-ins: Jia's Caribbean Dream Cream ,  SheaMoisture's JBCO Leave-In Conditioner, Tangles and Beyond Deep Moisture Shea Butter  . 

[10] Styled my hair-  Before I braided my hair I detangled briefly. And when I say briefly, I don't even think I spent 10 minutes detangling. But the good news is I didn't have any tangles or knots.


On a side note, I have 13 days until my 1 year natural anniversary! I'm so excited to celebrate that milestone and share the great giveaway that I have planned.

           How was your #WashDayExperience? Don't forget to join the linkup.

Wash Day Recap | Easter Sunday Edition

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you had a nice Easter/ Resurrection Day with your family and friends. My goal was to wash my hair on Saturday but I decided to be lazy and pushed it back to Sunday. Because we're far from our family and friends, we planned a Skype date to connect with some of our family on Easter. Now, we originally set the Skype time for the early afternoon (West Coast time) but the call happened while I was in the midst of washing my hair. Oh, well.  Here is a recap of yesterday's wash day:

[1] Pre-pooed with Hair Trigger for 45 minutes.

[2] Co-Washed with Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner in sections. 

[3]  Protein Treatment : ApHogee Intensive Two Minute Keratin Reconstructor . I left it on for two minutes and then rinsed it out. 

[4] Deep Conditioned with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque for about 15-20 minutes. As soon as I put the conditioner in my hair, we got the call to push up our Skype date. So, I had to shorten this part of wash day.

[5] Detangled with my hair in sections with my Denman Brush for about 5 minutes. I did a quick detangle with the brush before washing it out

[6] Tea Rinsed - No tea rinse again this week. My plan is to start the rinses up again this week.

[7] ACV rinse  After our call (which lasted about an hour), I sprayed my scalp with the rinse and massaged it in for a couple of minutes.

[8] T-shirt dried my hair for about 30 minutes while walking the dogs. Yes, I had a my t-shirt on my head during our walk. Luckily my hoodie covered it up pretty well, it just looked like I had a really large head. Lol. 

[9] Applied my leave-ins: Jia's Caribbean Dream Cream , Tangles and Beyond Deep Moisture Shea Butter, Marguerite's Magic Restorative Cream   . I also detangled a little here because my detangling session got cut short.

[10] Styled my hair-  No surprise here, I opted for my three strand twists again this week. This week, I'm pinning them back a little just to spice it up a bit.

How was your wash day? Join the #WashDayExperience linkup and share your experience.

Natural Hair Journey: 11 Months Natural

I think I officially hit my groove this month. The past 11 months have been filled with learning about products, techniques and natural hair. Now, I actually have a sense of what my hair needs and products that work for me.

My motto for this month has been: keep it simple. For me, that means wearing low manipulative styles and keeping my regimen simple with just the basic necessities.

Current Length: I haven't really been focusing on length in recent months. In fact, since the February Mini Challenge I haven't worn my hair out. The only time I "see" my hair is once a week on wash days. I will say that the hubby has been commenting on how big my fro is getting. I can definitely tell that it has gotten fuller.  While I want to retain length, I don't want to become obsessed with the it. Instead I want to focus on healthy hair practices and remain consistent.

      

My Go-to Styles this month:  Three Strand Twists

There wasn't much variety with my hairstyles this month but I'm okay with that. After some research and trail & error, I realized that wearing my hair in three strand twists decreased single strand knots. To spruce up my twists, I like to wear flower accessories.  Thanks to NaturalMe4C 's review I scored a couple of new accessories and I can't wait to wear them (once they arrive).

Hair Regimen: Washing my hair once a week has worked out well. My scalp has been doing well with the help of Bee Sensitive Oil Free Serum  . I'm also currently in love with three products from Tangles and Beyond: Deep Moisture Conditioner, Jia's Carribean DreamCreme and Deep Moisture Shea Butter Creme. I will be posting a review of these products in the near future.  Other than that, things are pretty much the same. Oh and after some research, I may have found out how to prevent single strand knots

Plans for next month:  My plan is to keep my hair in twists until my 1 year natural anniversary. I have a giveaway to mark the occasion, details will be posted as we get closer. 

Until next time,

~Adventures of a Nappy Chica 

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

February Mini Challenge | Updo #4: French Roll/ French Twist with Bang

Happy Monday everyone!

Can you believe it is the last week of the February mini challenge? Crazy, right?! This week I wanted to have a little of my hair out, to spice it up a bit. So I chose the French Roll/French Twist with Bang by BlakIzBeautyful. I love her tutorials because they are easy to follow and the hairstyles are cute.

        


I'm going to wear this style for a few day, then take it down to moisturize it and put it back in the same updo. I had less tangles on wash day and perhaps adding more moisturize during the week played a part.

Front

Back

Side 1

Side 2

                                           What are your favorite updo styles?





Until next time!


~Adventures of a Nappy Chica

February Mini Challenge | Updo #3 Inspired by NaturalMe4C

Happy Monday Everyone!

At the end of yesterday's wash day, I still didn't know how I wanted to wear my hair this week. I had a few styles in mind but didn't know if I could pull them off. When choosing a hairstyle, I try to be realistic about my styling abilities. I try to choose quick and easy hairstyles for my hair. This week I went with a hairstyle inspired by NaturalMe4C:


          


     
Now, my results are a little different from the tutorial but I still love it.  One of the things I've learned during this challenge is that it's okay to adjust a hairstyle to make it work for you. My hair is shorter than NaturalMe4C's hair, so I tweaked it a bit.

My plan for the rest of the week: I plan to wear this style the rest of the week. To keep my hair moisturized I will spritz my hair every night and in the morning. I noticed I had a lot of single strand knots yesterday, which means I need to change a few things this week. I'm going to wear this style until Wednesday and then take it down to moisturize it. I'll redo the style and wear it until my next wash day (Saturday or Sunday).

                                              What styles are you rocking this week?

February Mini Challenge | Updo #2: Braid & Tuck + Help Me Choose My Next Updo

So far I am really loving this updo/protective style mini challenge. It has really forced me to try new hairstyles and allowed me to see the versatility of natural hair. I thought my hair had to be longer to do updos but so far I've found some great styles for my current length. When I saw CaribBeauty's braid and tuck tutorial, I knew I had to give it a try.

This might be my new favorite hairstyle. It was quick and easy. And it actually looks like I have braiding skills, which I don't. Now, my hair doesn't look exactly like the tutorial but I think it's pretty close. I love that this hairstyle can be worn for work or for a night out on the town. Plus, I don't have to worry about styling my hair every day.

The upkeep for this style has been fairly simple so far. I spray my hair at night with my Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner and apply JBCO to my edges. Then I wrap my hair in my satin scarf, put on my bonnet and call it a night. I'm on day two of the style and it still looks great. I'm hoping I can stretch this style to Friday.

I'm already thinking of my next updo. Does anyone have suggestions on styles that might work for my current length? I'm looking for something that is easy to do and will last at least for about a week. I would appreciate any help!

                    What are your favorite updos for twas? Feel free to comment below!

Until next time!

~Adventures of a Nappy Chica

February Mini Challenge | Updo #1: BlakIzBeautyful's Two Strand Twist Pin-Up

Although I love wearing my hair out, I've decided to wear more low manipulation styles to help retain length. My goal is to mix up my styles as much as possible and avoid wearing my hair out until the end of April. So imagine my surprise when I found out there was a updo/protective style challenge going on this month.

Here are the rules for the challenge:

-Style hair in an updo each week in February
- The style MUST be an updo. Faux bobs don't count
- Do Not repeat a style
-  Manipulate your hair as little as possible

Go to Great Lengths to read more about the challenge


My last wash day was this past Friday and I attempted to do a Roll, Tuck & Pin. It didn't look great but I was too frustrated/tired to attempt anything else. So, I left my hair like that until yesterday evening. After the Superbowl, I decided to try this tutorial from Jenell B. Stewart (BlakIsBeautiful) from Kinky Coily Curly Me. Before twisting my hair I added Marguerite's Restorative Magic Cream and Alikay Natural's Rich Hair Parfait.



                          


Now, my hair didn't turn out exactly like Jenell's but I still love the style. Her tutorial is quick and easy to follow. I feel like my hair is in the weird/awkward stage but this style gave me the boost I needed. If you're in that awkward twa stage or getting bored with your hair, try this hairstyle. Believe me, you won't regret it. And even if your hair is shorter than mine, you can still wear this style. Just be sure to use more bobby pins. It took me about an hour or so to do the two strand twists last night and about 10 minutes to pin it up this morning.

The goal is to keep this updo until Friday, if possible and I will continue moisturizing my hair daily.

What are your favorite updos/protective styles? Do you have any twa updo/protective style recommendations for me? If so, please feel free to comment below! 

                         
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

How to Survive A Bad Haircut

It's been exactly one month since my unplanned second big chop. Although it took some time, I was able to bounce back and use it as a learning experience. Here are some tips and suggestions for surviving a bad haircut.  

Find a support system

The first hour after my unplanned chop I cried.  I kept thinking about how it would set my hair journey back and how much length I lost. Fortunately, my husband reminded me that my hair WOULD grow back. He encouraged me to take it as a learning lesson and to come back stronger than ever.

Whether it's a spouse, partner or another family member, find someone that can help you put things into perspective.  Sometimes it's tough to see the bigger picture when you're focused on the problem.

Fake it til you make it 

When I decided to go natural I prepped myself for months for the Big Chop. I knew what to expect and I was confident with my short do. My trim/unplanned second Big Chop threw me for a loop because I didn't see it coming. Needlessly to say, I'm not happy with it.  So until I my hair grows out, I plan to wear hats, scarves, wraps and other accessories.  Vine80 has some cute, fun bows that can help hide any bad haircut.  If that doesn't work, try wearing braids or extensions until you feel more comfortable.

If you take care of it, it will grow

A bad haircut can leave you feeling depressed and defeated. Instead of mourning your loss strands, use this time to revamp your hair regimen and go-to products. Drinking plenty of water, exercising and eating a well balanced diet will also help you grow strong, beautiful hair. Taking a supplement such as Biotin may also aide in hair growth. Be sure to talk to a doctor first and do your research before taking any supplements for hair growth.

Be prepared the next time 

I did all of my research before my trim and I thought it was prepared. In the end, I didn't speak up when I thought the hairstylist was cutting too much. Part of me thought since she was a hairstyle, she knew what was best for my hair.  Make sure you outline your expectations BEFORE your haircut. Be sure the hairstylist talks to you throughout the process and gets your approval before doing anything drastic. Remember, it is YOUR hair and it is okay to speak up if you disagree with something.

 Until next time :)!

Results of 30 Days of Moisture Challenge + Fall Castor Oil Challenge Check-In

Results of 30 Days of Moisture Challenge

By now, you all know that I like to participate in the hair challenges. It's a great way to focus on different aspects of my hair regimen and help keep me motivated. September's challenge was 30 Days of Moisture sponsored by Relaxed Thairapy and Just Grow Already. Since moisture has been an issue for me, something common in the twa stage, I was definitely on board. Here was my plan of attack:

[1]  Find moisturizing hair products

Because my hair wasn't retaining moisture, I thought it was time to try some new products. First, I need to find a new deep conditioner. I decided to try SheaMoisture's Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner, which I love. Check out this post for my full review. Then, I focused on trying a new leave-in conditioner. I've heard great reviews of Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner in conjunction with Kinky Curly Knot Today (this leave-in conditioner was already in my stash and is great for detangling). I also bought Marguerite's Magic Restorative Cream by Carol's Daughter. 

[2] Change my nightly routine

I have to admit, I definitely slacked in this area starting around month two. Now, however, I do the LOC (liquid, oil and cream) method every night before bed. For my liquid, I use the Black Vanilla Leave-Conditioner,  JBCO to seal in the moisture and finish by using Marguerite's Magic Restorative Cream. 

[3] Deep Condition every week

I'm a big fan of co-washing and so far it has worked for my hair. Right now I co-wash twice a week with a co-wash cleansing conditioner. I make it a point to deep condition once a week during one of my co-wash days. And believe me, the hype surrounding deep conditioning is real. My hair always feels soft, moisturized and more manageable after I deep condition.

I have to say that making these changes and adjustments have truly made a difference. I also do a refreshing spray with either the Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner or DevaCurl Set It Free if my hair needs it. Going forward, I need to make sure I have enough protein in my regimen to keep the moisture balanced. Too much moisture can cause damage to hair as well. 

Fall Castor Oil Challenge Check-In

Last week was week 5 of the Kinky Coily Curly Me's Fall Castor Oil Challenge. I really like Tropic Isle's Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) so I've decided to use it again. Here are my length check pictures and I'll post another one at the end of the challenge in December.

                                  

                                                              

                                                           

                                               

Side view with a close-up of an acne flair up. Lol.

Until next time :)!

Recap of Wash Day + Review of Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner

Here's a recap of my wash day today.

[1]  Pre-pooed with Jamaican Black Castor Oil and EVCO under a plastic cap of an hour. I
[2]  Co-washed with Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Co-Wash Conditioning Cleanser
[3]  Deep  Conditioned with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner for 15 minutes. I decided not to do a tea rinse today but I will do one on my next wash day. Check out my review of this conditioner below
[4]  ACV rinse + Water after I washed out my conditioner. I left the mixture on my hair for about 5 minutes and then washed it out. 
[5] Dried my hair for about 10 minutes with a t-shirt.
[6] I applied Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner and used a wide tooth comb to detangle. I also used Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner,  Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner, JBCO, Marguerite's Magic Restorative Cream  (also from Carol's Daughter) and Shea Moisture's Curling Custard. I was pumped to use my new products from Carol's Daughter.

Overall. the wash day went well. It only took almost two weeks but I'm actually okay with my haircut now. 

Product Review: Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner

Price: $9.75 for 13 fl.oz. I bought my bottle from Walgreens but you can also find it at Target, and CVS.

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Butyrospermum, Parkii (Shea Butter), Argan Oil, Coconut Oil, Behentrimonium Chloride, Essential Oil Blend, Vegetable Glycerin, Emulsifying Wax, Sea Kelp Extract, Panthenol (Vitamin B-5), Avocado Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle), Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil. 

Directions/Suggested Use: Work conditioner through hair from root to ends. Leave on for 3 minutes, then rinse. For deeper conditioning, leave on for up to 15 minutes. As a leave-in, work a dime-sized amount through damp hair, than style as desired.

How I used it:  When I bought this conditioner, I intended to use it for deep conditioner. It wasn't until I used it for a couple of times that I realized I could use it as a leave-in as well. So I now I use it as a deep conditioner,  rinse out conditioner and a leave-in. 

What I love about it:  It's a triple threat for such a great price.  It promises to "detangle, moisturize, repair and restore lifeless, damaged hair. After using it for a month, I notice that my hair is retaining more moisture and I haven't had any issues with knots or tangles. Also, like the other SheaMoisture products, the smell is so good. The smell is evident but not overpowering, which I like. 

What I don't like:  Honestly, I don't have any complaints. I absolutely love this product.

Final thoughts:  This conditioner is definitely on my list of go-to products. I'm going to keep using this as a rinse-out conditioner and leave-in. I curious about the Shea Moisture masque so I might try one for as a deep conditioner in the near future.