Today's Hair: Wash n Go

My hair was in need of some TLC this A.M. It was beyond frizzy and dry; I didn't have a lot of time to style my hair so I ended up doing a wash n go. Yes, I know its very cold in Maryland right now but I had no choice. I washed with Original Moxie's no foam shampoo (review coming soon) and I conditioned with the Strawberry Hisbiscus conditioner from the same line. LOVED the results. I then applied a good amount of knot today as my leave in and Donna Marie's Custard for hold and definition. Since this wash n go will only last me another day, I didn't bother "wasting" my amazing Moxie products on my hair. I need those to give you all a great review! :) See my results below. Shrinkage is the devil <--- LOL. 

wet hair

wet hair

dry hair

Happy Saturday!

How did you wear your hair today?

Original Moxie Natural Hair Care (Mini Review)

I have some exciting news to share with you all! I was contacted by Rachel, the owner of Original Moxie, to try her line of all natural hair care products. First of all, I was super shocked when I got the email that she wanted me to give her products a try. I see a lot of  my other more "popular" blog sisters getting products to review, so this was an exciting moment for me. When Rachel emailed me she was very good at detailing what her company was about and I was immediately intrigued by her description; and OF COURSE I agreed to give the products a go. I asked Rachel to SURPRISE me with that she thinks would work for my hair type and regimen. She did just that and I got my package yesterday.

 Original Moxie's products are mostly made from organic and unrefined ingredients. For those of you who've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I LOVE organic goodies. I received full sizes of the Get Clean No-Foam Shampoo, Intense Quench Deep Conditioner, Twist Mist Lightweight Shine spray, Scalp Therapy and Emoillience Penetrating Moisture. OMG, can you say HEAVEN! I was also sent me some sample sizes of other goodies to try; along with a sheet on how to use everything and a regimen outline. Let me start by saying that everything smells amazing. Very fresh, earthy and clean. I like the scents because they are not too overpowering and they don't linger in the hair. 

Once I opened the package and set everything out I was so impressed with the ingredient lists. All of the products were loaded with amazing ingredients. The No-Foam shampoo caught my interest the most. Its filled with  things like: Aqueous Extracts of Amla, Bhringraj, Neem, Red Sandalwood and Rosehips. Best of all it's sufate free. Moxie products have Ayurvedic herbs in them, which is good since I am transitioning to an all Ayurvedic hair care regimen. These products fit in perfectly with my personal hair care and goals.

 My hair was freshly washed Sunday so I couldn't used the shampoo and conditioner last night BUT I did need to re-twist my hair. I was dying to try SOMETHING from the line so I did. I decided to give the sample sized products a try. I used the Lux Locks Style and Shine with the Everyday Leave-in Detangling Conditioner to twist my hair then I sealed my ends with the Emollience Penetrating Moisture. 

Before applying the Moxie products I spritzed my hair with water and finger combed. I then applied the detangling leave in conditioner and oh my goodness was I impressed, my hair sucked that stuff up! I used my denman to gently get out some of the knots I had and the brush slid through my hair with such ease. Many of you know that I love leave in conditioners, I am happy to say that this one will be my new staple. Once my hair was ready to be twisted I added a small amount of the Lux Locks. My twist's immediately plumped up and my ends coiled very nicely. Lastly, I sealed with the Emollience product and VIOLA!, my twists wear pump, soft and moisturized. 

Click jump for more.

Anita Grant Rhassoul Clay

Today, I decided it was time to try those Anita Grant Clay cubes that I got last week from Hairrogant. I was already anxious to try the clay and my hair was in need of a wash. My original wash day was set for tomorrow but I had a lot of build up in my hair due to the Eco Styler Gel I used for my puff ball. My hair felt really gross. Any who, I washed with Carols Daughter Dead Sea Moss Shampoo and I applied the clay mixture as my DC. I had prepared it about 20 minutes prior to washing. I used HOT coconut milk instead of boiling water as my base, OMG, the best descion ever. I also added hibiscus powder and honey for some shine, deep hair shaft penetration and thickness to the mixture. Click the jump for more pictures and the application video. Enjoy!

video is under the jump.

Saturday's Hair

Today was wash day for my daughter so while she was in the bath I washed with a children's shampoo from Roots Market (organic and 100% natural) and conditioned with one of my fave leave in's from Tigi's "Peace" line. Her hair gets extremely tangled while washing so I used the Tangle Teezer to help with the knots, worked great! I wanted to show you all how much her hair shrinks when its wet; I am amazed at how long it is when I stretch it. See pics below.

Freshly washed and de-tangled.

Stretched.

Styled.

Video: Tangle Teezer on Coliy Hair

Enjoy!

Tangle Teezer

(source)

 I have been hearing a lot of naturals RAVE about this new detangling tool called the "Tangle Teezer." After watching a few reviews on YT and finding out that it's sold AT SALLY'S I had to go pick one up. When I first saw it, it reminded me of a brush you can use for dogs, kind of intimidating but I still wanted to give it a go. I paid $9.99 for it, which wasn't too bad. The pamphlet it came with said it can be used on wet or dry hair so this morning I used it to detangle my bangs for the flat twist I did. All I can say about this brush is WOW, I LOVE IT. At first I wasn't sure if it would work on my tight curls but I was wrong. This beats out my denman brush, which I love. If you have Type 4 hair, this brush can DEFINITELY work for you. My mom was even impressed with how the brush slide through my THICK coily hair. LOL, I am very happy that I purchased this brush. I am thinking about getting my daughter one, they have a cute flower pot Tangle Teezer that she will love.  I plan on doing a YT video on how to use it today, stay tuned. :)

Have any of y'all tried a Tangle Teezer? 

If so, how did you like it?

Captured Curls: YT's own "Curly Chronicals"

Today's Captured Curls is another one of my YT favorites, Curly Chronicals!

Her hair is awesome and so are her videos. Check her story out below.

Tell me about YOU

I'm born and mostly raised in Los Angeles but my mom is a New Yorker and we moved a few times back n forth.  I like the sun so I'm happy she chose to stay here! I work for a chamber of commerce full time and serve on a non profit board for the yoga studio I helped open called The Infinite in Long Beach which provides donation based yoga to the community.  I've been natural since 2003 and my hair's never looked better!

  Tell me your hair care regimen (do you use heat, natural products, ect...)

I normally wash once every 5 days or once a week if I'm being lazy with NjoiCreations Apple Cider Vinegar poo bar. I style with Giovanni Direct leave in or Kinky Curly Knot Today and either shea butter, grapeseed oil  or coconut oil.  If I need to deep condition, I'll use an oil, maybe olive oil or a mix of banana, avocado and olive oil for a hair mask..it helps deliver some much needed moisture!

Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type

I feel like my texture is 4a primarily but it's somewhat fine, pretty thick and definitely more textured in some areas and slightly looser in others.  Leave in conditioners are great for my hair and lighter moisture sealers like coconut oil are best. I don't think my hair does well with protein treatments though.

 Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural

I didn't really get one at all.  I got some compliments and some questions on products I used.

Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?

I didn't do either truly, I got a perm way back when in jr. high and it grew out over time but the flat ironing and coloring damaged it more so I snipped off most of the color and stringy pieces - it was more like a mini chop because not too too much had to be cut. I wore kinky twists for about 8 months I think,  I wasn't too knowledgeable about natural hair and I was a college student lol.

 What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

It's healthy hair that I can see and touch. I never thought much of my hair before or much about the health of it. But I'm doing something right in the present moment because it's growing and it's softer.  I'm big on health so this is a huge deal for me :)

Where can we find you on the web?

On youtube - www.youtube.com  and on twitter -www. twitter.com/curlychronicles

Anything EXTRA you want us to know?

I hope to continue women to embrace and enjoy their natural tresses..it's really cool when you find out something really amazing about yourself. For a lot of women, realizing that their natural hair is gorgeous can really blow their minds. Let's continue to blow our own minds as well as the minds of others!

Hair Goodies

Last week I ordered some hair goodies from Hairrogant and Ayur Natural Beauty. I was so happy to receive my products in the mail today, fast shipping is always a plus when ordering online. Since I found that henna works wells for me, I ordered some more of it along with Hibiscus powder from Ayur Natural Beauty. Very reasonable prices; I think I paid $16, including shipping, for both the items. From Hairrogant, I ordered the Anita Grant Rhassoul Clay cubes, words can't describe how excited I am to use that stuff. I have to wait until my next wash day, which is next Monday. I will try my best to hold out but I am not sure if I will be able to.

Wash Day-Henna #2

It's been a whole week since I've washed my hair and since my last henna treatment. I have never been able to go this long without washing my hair. Yesterday, I knew I couldn't go much longer because my hair was getting FRIZZY, DRY and KNOTTED. So, I made today my wash day and I applied my second henna treatment. I wanted to try something a little different today with my henna mix. The recipe I used is below.

Alex's Henna Mix:

1 box of Jamila Henna

1 Rosemary and Candula Tea Bag

2 cups of warm water (steep the tea bag for 10 minutes)

2 oz of HairVeda's Vatika Oil

1/2 cup of Hello Hydration Conditioner

I mixed the above ingredients until it was creamy and smooth in consistency then I covered the mix for about 15 minutes. Before I applied the henna I spritzed my hair with Green Tea and rinsed with warm water then I towel dried and applied the henna in sections. Once my hair was completely saturated with henna I covered my hair with 2 shower caps (I have too much hair now to use just one, LOL) and my satin bonnet. I plan on letting the henna stay on my hair for about 6 hours. I am in major need of a good DC and since I am off work today, why not make it an all day hair affair? 

Products for sale

(source)

Below are some products that I barely used or do not like. Instead of tossing them I decided to give you guys first dibs.  Shipping is $2 even for everything. If you see something you like email me at 1alexandra.smith(at)gmail(dot)com. FIRST COME FIRST SERVE!

Carols Daughter Healthy Hair Butter-$7 (4 oz only used twice)


100% Pure Rhassoul Clay-$5 (8oz, half full)

Curls for Target Lavish Curls Spray-$3 (used twice)

Hawaiian Silky-$3 (16oz, more than half full)

Mizani Moisturefuse Conditioner-$7(half full)

Ouidad Botanical Boost-$ 7(never used)


Jason's Biotin Shampoo- $3 (used twice)


Kinky Curly Style Spritz-$5 (Used twice)


Kinky Curly Custard-$6 (8oz, a little less than 1/2 full)


Ouidad Essential Daily Shampoo $9 (used once)

Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo- $4(used twice) Curls for Target Pomade- $3 (almost full) Miss. Jessie's Curly Buttercreme $15 (used once, 8oz) Miss. Jessie's Meringue- $15 (used twice, 8oz) Curls for Target Creme Brulee- $4 (about 1/2 full) Butters and Bars  Mud Mask- $4 (about one use left) Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave In-$9(used once) Carols Daughter Hair Milk-$7(More than half full) Jane Carter's Twist and Lock Butter-$5 (a little less than half left) Allafia's Shea Butter Deep Conditioner-$5(used 3 x) Allafia's Beautiful Curls Leave in-$11 (used once) KBB's Hair Milk- $9- (half full) Wonder Curl Get Slick Hair Smoothie-$4 (half full) Products with a STRIKE through them have been sold!

Today's Hair:1-14-11

Today is DAY 4 after my henna treatment and I am loving my hair. I haven't had to wash my hair YET and I am excited about that. I usually have to wash my hair every other day but my style (twist out) is lasting longer than it ever has. Last night I re-twisted my hair in 6 chunky flat twists on the top and 12 medium sized twists in the back. I spritzed with Carol's Daughters black vanilla leave in and this morning I took down my twists with Vatika Oil.  See below for pictures.

Click the jump for more.

Captured Curls: Can You Guess Who?

I have a VERY special guest as the "Captured Curls" feature today. She has been one of my FAVORITE YT vloggers since I started my natural hair journey and I have been trying to get her on my blog for months now.I finally got a hold of her and her story is amazing. She's a very smart and ambitious young woman, it's a honor to have her featured on my blog. Many of you, I'm sure are familiar with this natural hair beauty...can you guess who she is?

Click the jump to find out and to read her GREAT feature.

Capture Curls: Carlyne

Everyone, I am pleased to introduce you to Carlyne. Her hair is awesome and so is her story!

Read about her natural hair routine and journey below.

Enjoy!

Tell me about YOU

 I am originally from New Jersey but live in Miami. I have been natural for almost 2 years now and think that was the best decision Ive ever made. 

Tell me your hair care regimen (do you use heat, natural products, ect...)

My hair regimen right now is pretty simple (at least I think so…hehe) I was every Friday which means I do a deep treatment every Friday. For my deep treatment I apply coconute oil to my hair and leave it in over night but If I do not have the chance to do so then I use my soft bonnet and leave it in for an hour or so. For my wash I use Dr.Bronners soap. I use either Yes to Carrots as my conditioner or Kinky curly Knot today. As my leave-in I use Garnier Frutis. I twist my hair after washing and use both Shea butter and Shea moistures curl enhancing smoothie. By the end of the week my hair turns into a twist-out and then I start my whole process for the next week. To moisturize I use different oils such as: Jojoba oil, coconut oil, or sweet almond oil.

Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type

My texture is 4a/4b. I would say what works best for me is properly detangling and staying away from heat. I am a product Junkie (yes I confess) so I try a lot of products out. The ones that Ive been looooooving lately are: Kinky curly, Eco styler, Yes to Carrots or Tomatos, and Shea moisture.

Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural

When I first went natural I got a lot of negative reactions to say the least! All my friends thought I was crazy and a lot of people said to me "You're such a pretty girl why would you do this to your hair". I told them all "I wish you could see what you are doing to your hair when you relax it!" LOL. After a while, when I started to learn how to better care for my hair, the reactions changed. I have helped so many of the people who were against the idea transition and they are now NATURAL! 

Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?

I did not BC, but I transitioned for about 11 months or so.

 What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

 I love them because even on a bad day my hair looks good!! I let it do what it wants! I love the fact that I don’t look like everyone else, my hair has its own identity. A lot of man have approached me telling me that they would rather a woman wear their natural hair.

Where can we find you on the web?:

Www.luvyournaturalhair.blogspot.com or twitter: Creolelioness

Anything EXTRA you want us to know?:

Yes please visit and support my online store www.celaniesvintage.com and twitter: Celaniesvintage

Hooray for HENNA!

I LOVE henna, last night's experience was awesome. My hair has never felt this amazing, soft, fluffy or strong EVER. I am not sure why I am just now getting hip to henna but I am so glad that I finally bit the bullet and tried it.  I recall giving a henna a try once before, sometime last year, and I never really got the hang of it. Maybe I didn't use it right because this time, it's did wonders for my curls. Now I see why Curly Nikki and TMTM always rave about it.

(Texture shot on dry hair after henna, I need a trim...lol)

I left my henna on for a few hours, ran some errands and was ready to rinse. I hopped in the shower and let warm water run over my head for a good 3 minutes. After that I slathered on a cheap conditioner and co-washed a few times until the water ran clear. My curls instantly popped and spiraled out of control, I was amazed. Lately, during and after washing, my hair has been lifeless. My curls have been frizzy and dull. The henna was like a hair re-birth, LOL, I know that may sound dramatic BUT I am so serious. Not to mention my hair was SUPER shiny, which was a great thing. I did notice that my scalp started itching terribly  while I was rinsing the henna out, it eventually subsided but I found that kind of strange. Anyone experience this?

De tangling my hair was a breeze. I parted it in sections and gave my self about 10 flat twist going in alternating directions.I wanted the wild, funky look today. I twisted with Oyin's Hair Dew and Koils by Nature's Hair Butter. I like these products because they are all natural and leave my hair with definition and moisture. Once I was all twisted, I applied MTG to my scalp (I am still using this as a growth aide) and spritzed with Oyin's Frank Juice. Taking down my hair this morning was a breeze, I HAD NO FRIZZ or OUT OF CONTROL ends like I normally do. Henna got the job done and will be a new staple in my regimen forever. I plan on henna'ing every 2 weeks. My next henna date is the 24th. I am excited about that, I plan on getting my hair re-braided in the up-do PS that I wore over the holiday. I am very serious about reaching APL by my 2nd year natural hair anniversary. :)

More pics under the jump...

Ayurvedic Regimen: Day 1 (Henna)

Today is day one of my Ayurverdic hair care regimen. I stopped by an Indian food store picked up some henna and decided to give it shot. When I got home I mixed 100 grams of henna with honey, 1 1/2 cups water, 1/3 cup conditioner and Vatika Oil. I stirred the mixture until I got a thick muddy consistency then I applied in sections. The henna smells gross to me, like wet grass, so if you want to add some EO's for scent you can.

More under the jump...

Product Review: Miss. Jessie's Curl Buttercreme

Product Description:

Our legendary super softening soufflé spiked with extra cooling peppermint essence is the premium ultimate for growing out natural hair and preventing peppercorn tangled knotted ends. SUPREMELY HYDRATING HAIRDRESS FOR PARCHED KINKS and CURLS. Instructions for use: Apply a nickel sized dollop to instantly soften dry, crunchy curls. Excellent for taming hairline edges, moisturizing pony puffs, two strand twists, coils, braids, cornrows, naturals. Great for: 2 Strand Twists, Pony Puffs, Braids, Hairline Grooming Creme, Short Naturals and Fades, Growing out Natural Hair. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT CHEMICALLY ALTERING The must have maintenance product, Baby Buttercreme and Curly Buttercreme, add to hair the day after styling.

Ingredients:

WATER, PETROLATUM, GLYCERIN, MINERAL OIL, ACETYLATED LANOLIN, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, CRAMBE ABYSSINICA SEED OIL, WHEAT GERM OIL, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA BUTTER), THEOBROMA CACAO (COCOA) SEED BUTTER, HYDROLYZED KERATIN, PANTHENOL, PEG-8 DILAURATE, CETEARETH-20, STEARYL ALCOHOL, TRIETHANOLAMINE, FRAGRANCE, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYLACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, DISODIUM EDTA, DMDM HYDANTOIN, IODOPROPYNYL NUTYLCARBAMATE, ORANGE 4 (C1 1550), YELLOW 10 (C1 47005) 

My Experience:

I usually use MJ's Baby Buttercreme but I had this lying around so I decided to give it a try for a twist out. I liked the results but I definitely prefer the baby buttercreme versus the curly buttercreme. The smell of this buttercreme is way too strong for my liking and wasn't as moisturizing. I had to use some shea butter and "Curl"s milkshake moisturizers to give me some slip and clumping. I think that I will stick with the baby butterecreme. The products essentially do the same thing BUT I prefer the smell and moisture I get from Baby Buttercreme.

Overall:

I won't repurchase this product. 2/5 stars for me.

Have any of you tried this product? If so, what are YOUR thoughts?

Bantu Knot Out Results

I was excited to wake up and take down my Bantu knots this morning and since this way my first attempt to do them I was a little nervous too. I had no extra time to fix my hair IF IT WERE to turn out awful. Luckily, I was pleased with the results. Before my take down, I rubbed some Oyin Bunt Sugar Pomade on my hands to help with the process and to avoid frizzing my hair while un-twisting.

Here are the results:

Ayurvedic Regimen

If you all didn't know, I am a HUGE FAN of "The Mop Top Maven Blog." I absolutely LOVE that blog and I read it almost every day. I came across a post offering advice on how to implement an Ayurvedic Regimen in 2011 as a "hair challenge". I decided to give it a try. I ordered all the products I needed to participate and I should be expecting them in the mail any day now. I cannot wait to get started with this. Once my products arrive I will do a length check so I can document my growth during this time. I plan on participating until my 2 YEAR mark of being natural. Hopefully this regimen will aide me in reaching APL. I will be 2 years natural on 9/26, so about 8.5 months away. My goal is to not only retain length but to also grow EXTREMELY healthy hair. *crossing my fingers* All the products I needed for this challenge are ALL natural, holistic hair care? Sounds GREAT to me.

Anyone participating in this challenge already? If not, do you want to join in? I'm excited! Happy Growing!!

My FIRST Bantu Knots

Today, when I got home, my hair was in need of some TLC. I wasn't able to really style my hair this morning and as a result of that my curls were tangled and frizzy. I picked up some Aphogee products from Sally's yesterday and decided to give one a try. The Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor was calling my name, so I used that one first. I have seen rave reviews about this product and I was eager to use it. I detangled my hair in sections, spritzed with green tea and applied a little bit of coconut oil before I washed. Using Vatika Coconut Oil as a pre poo works wonders on my hair and scalp. I washed with a generic shampoo from Whole Foods and then applied the K2MR to my hair, covered for 5 minutes and rinsed. I could definitely feel the difference in my hair once it was towel dried. I plan on adding the product to my regimen, especially since my hair is color treated.

(to read details about this product and it's benefits CLICK HERE)

Once my hair was all clean I stretched it with my blow dryer and then parted in 6 sections. I flat twisted my roots and chunky twisted my ends. During this process I decided, why not try BANTU KNOTS. I wrapped the chunky twist around it self a secured with a bobby pin. While I was twisting I used my Curl Clouds product to add some "stiffness" (helps me twist better) and Curls Curl Souffle to add moisture.

I hope the results come out nice. 

To see the bantu knot results click the jump.

I will be taking them down in the AM so I can wear my very first Bantu Knot Out. 

Capture Curls: Kay

I was contacted by the beautiful Kay a couple of weeks ago, asking if I would feature her. 

Of course I obliged, her hair is gorgeous and her story is inspiring.

This Captured Curls feature is WAY overdue, I hope y'all enjoy.

Read below...

Tell me about YOU

I am a teacher by day, fiancée by mid afternoon and blogstar by night. I absolutely love learning and from there I love spreading the news about what I’ve learned! Teaching is my number one passion and I thrive off of sharing my knowledge with others!

Tell me your hair care regimen (do you use heat, natural products, ect...)

Style.Hydrate.Protect.Wash.

Style. As a teacher, I like to keep it classy yet add my bit of pizzazz! I truly believe in rocking protective styles and don’t necessarily wear my hair down unless it’s a special occasion.

Hydrate. I never manipulate my hair without using a water-based or oil-based moisturizer. I’ll be honest: the skin on my hands is rough, chile! So, I must use some type of summin’ to ensure my hands aren’t damaging my tresses. I’ve got a few Carol’s Daughter products that work wonders for my strands. When I go to sleep I usually braid my hair into 7 sections and seal my ends with Black Smoothie.

Protect. Each night I braid my hair into 7 sections: Bang, 4 braids through my ear sections and the back is separated into two. This works very well after I’ve washed my hair to give it a curly-yet-straight texture. Giving extra attention to my ends I’ll seal them with olive oil or my very own K for Konkashun.

Wash. I can no longer wash my hair in the sink...bummer...this process has to be completed in the shower and usually takes me about 30 minutes to thoroughly cleanse my hair. Every four weeks, I will use a shampoo, any other wash is with a conditioner. Once my hair is completely saturated, which usually takes about 3 minutes of standing under the water, I will separate my hair into 4 sections. I wash and rinse each section separately. Then I move onto conditioning, which I rely on my 4 sections again. Using a Denman brush, I detangle each section and twist as they are detangled. I don’t necessarily rinse my conditioner out. Just a quick wet and ring out!

Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type

Natural Texture:

When I am in the shower washing my tresses, my hair is very sleek and wavy. However, once it dries it turns into this massive shrunken pouf that breaks combs and bends brushes! Yes, my natural hair texture is seriously coiled and ranges from a 3c to every 4 category! I know it loves water, any kind of moisturizer and itself!! Once upon a time I tried all the products from every line. Got over that and started using items that were cheap and meaningful. Currently, I’m in love with L’oreal Royal Jelly Conditioner (yellow bottle), Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner, a few products from Carol’s Daughter and  in the mail, I have the Wen collection coming!

Pressed Texture:

Amazingly, my hair goes from this rigid, rough, don’t-take-no-mess confusion to a sleek, elegant, if-I-don’t-curl-it-a-bit: lifeless head full of hair. As soon as a flat-iron touches these strands, they go from 3c and 4s to 1s and 2s. SCAREY!! So when my hair is straight, I dread adding any type of moisturizer, whether oil based or water based to my hair because it will become limp: oil based and stringy: water-based.

Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural

I transitioned for a year and a half, normally wearing my hair straight or in braids. When I finally BC, baby chop as it was only 2 inches, I wore my hair in the afro style. Many people stated that it was cute! A lady I know once told me that cute is for babies. Needless to say, I never wore my afro wash and go again. Not because of being “cute,” I just didn’t like the shape. It wasn’t big and defined as I thought it would be.

Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?

In 2006, I went in with shoulder length hair asking for my ends to be trimmed and walked out with a short pixie haircut. I was depressed for a very long time. When I decided to go natural, I knew I wasn’t planning to BC due to that experience. I knew I couldn’t fathom that experience again!  Starting in October 2008, I began transitioning.  I finally BC’d on Earth Day 2010. My contribution to the earth! HA!

 What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

The versatility! When my hair is straight, that’s all it is: straight. When I wear my hair in its natural state, maybe a bit of stretching, I’ve got quite a few go to styles. Many of them helped me transition and I’ve hung onto them as I’ve perfected how to create these styles in under 5 minutes! The Stega is an inward braid that starts at the nape of your neck and goes toward your bangs and then you create a hidden bang in the front. I’m addicted to The Smilin’ Frenchie because it keeps my ends extremely protected! Very simple, two french rolls meet at the nape of my neck and fold into each other to make a French roll. Then there’s The Pomp and France which is a mixture of two French rolls and a coifed bun. This is my favorite style. Very Dainty and Very Chic. And then the lovely TER-riffic hair: Tracee Ellis Ross-riffic, in other words a braid out - gotta love that one!

Where can we find you on the web?

I recently started a blog about Hair.Finance.Womanhood. As a school teacher I’m always compelled to share what I know and learned! www.lovenwright.blogspot.com

Anything EXTRA you want us to know?

My hair goal right now is not to grow my hair long. Currently I am seeking to grow out my bangs!! I soooo want to have even hair, meaning my hair in the front is visually the same length as the hair in the back. In April 2009 I got a Sasha Fierce hair cut!! I was every bag of chips on the market! I loved, loved, loved - yes I was feeling myself - this hairstyle! But it had bangs and so now I’m plagued with this mini-mullet which I’ve always struggled with because of my weak ear patches. One hair dresser suggested that I start to get my back cut at ½ inch and my bangs cut at ¼ inch. The process seems to be working! But, boy is it tedious!

Wash Day: Sunday

I kept my PS in for a week and a half. I tired to push it longer but my hair was super dirty and FRIZZY. I am glad I kept it that long, usually when my natural hair is braided it unravels fairly easily. NOT this time! I will be getting it re-done next week. *Excited face*

Any who, I washed my hair yesterday and pre-poo'd with Shescentit Banana Brulee Conditioner. Love this stuff. I have had it for a while but it got lost in my drawer full of conditioners, creams, ect... The ingredients are awesome, see below: 

Good stuff, right?

I covered my hair with a plastic cap for a little over a hour, did some chores and then rinsed. My hair instantly felt 8x better. I was in NEED of some serious moisture. I washed with Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo and conditioned with Yes to Cucumbers. Voila! Clean, bouncy hair. 

I decided I wanted to rock a twist out. I used the products below to achieve a very well defined style:

I chose to flat twist my ROOTS ONLY to help my hair lay down a little more. I find that this method works to help prevent shrinkage, I was please with my "stretched roots" results.

Click jump for results.

Loc'd Man: AJ

Meet AJ and his GORGEOUS LOC'S!

Read his Loc story below.

Tell us a little about yourself? (ex. name, age, state, school)

My name is Aj Kimpson and I am from Clinton Maryland. Currently a senior at bowie state University, majoring in Psychology.  

How long have you been growing your locs?

Growing locs for 4 years of love and hate, LOL.

What do you use on your hair, product wise, to maintain it?

The woman who does my hair uses the Jamaican mango and lime products but it is washed and conditioned with Dove’s shampoo

How often do you have to wash and re-twist your loc’s and who styles them? 

My hair is for the most part washed and re-twisted every month I’ve waited longer at times but a month is the ideal time being that the grain of my hair cancels the longevity of “fresh locs.” 

What do you think about women with natural hair? Do you care if your woman is relaxed, natural or loc’d?

I honestly just ask for a woman to take care of herself whether it is natural or with weave, as long as you’re presentable and not showing off damaged hair you are alright with me.

Do you think women who choose to loc their hair are sexy?

I find some woman with loc’d hair sexy, but it’s all on how you present it.

What are the pros and cons about having your hair loc’d?

The pro’s of having loc’s is being free willed and not conforming to anyone’s set rules of how I should wear my hair. I’ll get a haircut when I feel as though that’s what I want to do or any other style of hair.  The con’s are being negatively profiled with others who don’t share the same goals or morals as me, and it also gets in the way at times like showering brushing teeth and things of that sort

What made you decide to loc your hair? Have you always had hair or did you start your loc’s from “scratch?”

I was about 19 when I started my loc’s still stuck on trends and not wanted to be the last man standing with twist or corn rolls; a lot of people won’t admit that. I cut my hair down to a good start size so they would lock faster.

What makes a woman’s hair beautiful to you?

Beautiful hair stands out to me, when its noticeable and done well. I observe a lot of things and I barely miss anything so if it’s a track slipping chances are I seen it or if a girls scalp is dry I probably didn’t miss it, but everybody has bad hair days so I don’t judge the first time. As far as what’s beautiful hair, I would say anything that’s done nice and not trashy natural or permed or even the invisible part when it’s not gaping wide.

Do you have any advice for my readers who are considering loc’ing their hair?

If any readers are thinking about loc’S, ONE word patience . Do the time don’t let the time do you

 Where can we find you on the web?

You can find me on twitter.com/staxxisback