On, On to the Next One!!

So,

I have moved on to the next protective style...I opted for braids this time, thinking that maybe they will last a bit longer. I kept the last style in for almost a week before I felt like my hair needed a good cleansing...so who knows, but here it goes:




So, the braids were going from one side of my head to the back slightly at an angle. I twisted the ends of the braids and then flat-twisted the ends going up. The previous pics were after a braid-out of the bangs had been tortured in a day of humidity...can we say POOF-factor!!! Since I wasn't happy with the definition, I decided to twist up the bangs instead of rebraiding them...



I plan on wearing it like this for a couple of days & then seeing how the twist-out comes out. Until then, let me know what you think :)           

Whip It REAL Good!!!

Ok, so I've been a pretty good girl this time...I have kept my protective style for almost a week now and I have worn it almost ALL the way down :) I told yall before that I was ready to take it down around day 4, but I wanted to see what the twist-out mohawk looked like. So, here it is....

..

Look @ Me Now...OH!!!

HEEEEYYYYY,

I know it's been a VERY long while, but I've been super busy with school, trying to finish up the last quarter and LIFE in general! But, I wanted to update you guys on what my hair is talkin bout now...so, here's the protective style I'm rockin at the moment...










I finally decided to stop bein lazy and twist myself up...went for the mohawk style that I enjoy :) Tell me what you think...

I wanted to do smaller twists so that they would hopefully last longer, but who was I kidding?! I know my hair don't last in styles very long before I think they begin to look disgustingly frizzy and old!!! I have now had my hair up for about 4-5 days (sinceThurs., June 29) and I am tryin to make it last...I want to see what the twist-out of the middle-hawk looks like, but my poor lil twists on the sides lookin a bit ragged :(

I am also very tempted to take them down b/c I feel my hair needs a cleansing!!! I may do it
again, but with braids this time...idk, the JOYS of natural hair...so MANY options :)

So, before I go to bed, I split the hawk into three sections & band each, then I flat twist the bang portion and band the ends to keep my twists stretched. I tie it down with my satin scarf and cover with a stocking cap to keep my scarf from moving all over my head as I toss & turn throughout the night :)

Length Check Update

So, it's OFFICIAL...I finally did an exact measurement to obtain my baseline length for later comparison. Without further ado (adue???), here are the results:
~4 in both sides & back
~5.5 in front

I wasn't too far off when I guessed in my original "Length Check" post. There you have it...let's see how much I can retain or how far I grow :) If you would like to see me doing my length check in action, you can check out my youtube vid: 

Length Check

I've never really done length checks before...don't get me wrong, I have checked in the confines of my own bathroom, but not for documentation or journal purposes. But, I thought - since this is a grow-out challenge, I might as well start or at least have a baseline for future comparison. Being that I'm a rookie at length checks, I have yet to whip out the ruler for an official measurement (but I will update soon!).

I really liked the post added to CN about NOT being discouraged when comparing your curls to others' who have the same or similar BC anniversaries because you don't know what length they actually started their journies nor their particular routines/regimens. I found myself caught up in the comparative dilemma (like SOOO many other natural sistaz!)...BUT my discouragement and disappointment in my growth led me to the point I'm at now. With all that said, the reason for this post is not only to establish myself a baseline comparater, but this is a PERSONAL challenge for myself to see how much growth I can retain over the next few months. SSSOOOOO....LEGGO!!!

OMG...Oyin!!!

Do you believe in love at first sight?  Well, I do!  From the moment I began using Oyin's Juices & Berries (and later Frank Juice), I was in love.  I think I can FINALLY say that I have found my FIRST staple company/product(s) because now I have ventured out to some of their other products...HAIR DEW & BSP (burnt sugar pomade).  OMG y'all..."I'm so in love...I found IT finally!!!!"  It really makes me wanna say O O O O O O O MY GOD!!! (I don't even like that song!!!)

I first tried the hair dew on wet/damp hair and it didn't work so hot, but on dry hair that stuff is the TRUTH!!  I love it love it love it...did I say LOVE IT??!!  Sorry, I'm just REALLY excited I finally found something that works on dry hair.  I mean it's hard enough for me to keep the water spritz in my hair long enough.  So, this is truly an accomplishment and movement past a milestone for me :)

I use the BSP to seal ends and it works great.  I see why so many people rave about this stuff.  So, my next plan is to purchase the regular size because I have been using the sample size I purchased when I reup'd on my juices & berries/frank juice and when I purchased the hair dew for the first time.  I still need to find something that will work well in combination with these two products to keep me well moisturized all day long...maybe that's where the juices & berries/frank juice will come in handy.  I normally just use those as my initial moisturizer, but I forgot they suggested to use it as a mid-day spritz...LIGHT BULB MOMENT ;-)

If you have any suggestions of things I can try to retain moisture throughout the day, please let me know...thanks in advance.

As always...DEUCES (PEACE) & LOVE!!!

PLEASE Protect PRECIOUS!!

I finally came up with a name for my kinky curls...PRECIOUS.  It fits almost perfectly...on second thought PERFECTLY!!  She's a true diva in that everything must be pampered just so!  No cuttin' corners or she will get pissed and shrivel up & get sour (dry out) on you :(  So, the utmost TLC must be given to her for her to act right...hence, the name Precious.

What is the secret behind that TLC that she so painstakingly calls for day in and day out???...MOISTURE, MOISTURE, MOISTURE!!  Once I figure out how to maintain the moisture that my Precious so desires, I think we both will be on a road to success and happiness.  So, I come to you fellow natural haircare bloggers to get some advice and ideas on how to maintain this moisture and keep my Precious diva'd up...LOL.

I would like to know what protective styles have worked for you in your journey that has helped you maintain moisture, promote growth, and is low maintenance.  If you have tutorials or videos, please share.  I love to try new things and would be interested in whatever you have to offer :-)

flat twists from the back

twists from the side (in combo w/ flat twists above)

Continued blessings on your "rollercoaster" of a journey!

Haircare tips...ANYONE???

Ssssoooo...this blog thing is all new to me, but I decided to give it a go to see what feedback I would get.  I have been on my natural haircare journey for almost two years and I am still fighting the battle with my hair.  I am coming to love my hair as I continue to try to conquer its mysterious nature!  At times, my hair can be a BEAST, as it is naturally very dry, coarse, kinky and curly (4a/b).  Now, the kinky & curly nature I can deal with, but the dryness almost sent me over the edge :(  I have been through a lot of regimen changes and alterations, but I think I am FINALLY on the right track now...THANK GOD!!!  I come to seek some advice and suggestions...
What has had the biggest impact on maintaining moisture in your haircare regimen?  What has been the key for you in promoting growth or retaining length?