Weekend Hair Plans

 I have to play catch-up on my hair, because I haven't posted any pics lately. I recently moved and my interwebs won't be up and running until this weekend, but I have been experimenting a lot. This weekend, I plan to try a new product. I want to stick to getting something from the drugstore because my wallet is on a tight leash. I know what I have in mind, but for those of you who care feel free to suggest your favorite drugstore product and I may pick it up!

FYI, I'm not sure how I'm going to style either, but I guess it will be based on the product I pick up. All I know is that it's wash day (either today or tomorrow).

The "Natural" Treatment

I got my first relaxer at age 5 when i begged for straight hair like all the other little {white} girls in school. My hair was long and soft, but immediately my mother realized that she had made a mistake. Since then, i have gone from relaxed to natural and back on an average of every 4 - 5 years. The second time the hair salon relaxed my hair without her approval when i only wanted it pressed out for a wedding, and the third time was in the 7th grade when i wanted my hair relaxed after my best friend got hers done. 

Growing up, we moved a lot, so i went to about 4 different elementary schools and a separate preschool.  Although we moved a lot, we always lived in good neighborhoods and i always went to good schools, which here in NYC meant that i was probably one out of 3 black kids in my class. I've even been the only one. It seemed that no matter where i went i was going to be the "tolken" black person, so i made light of my differences. Because my mother has always been a single parent with 2 jobs, she didn't always have time to do my hair so i spent most of my childhood in box braids and twists. The other kids in my class used to love to pull on them and watch them spring back, making those 'boingy! boingy!' sounds. I didn't mind that because i too liked the springing effect my hair had, but the other kids weren't always as nice. I got called all kinds of names including Medusa and Buckwheat. You could imagine what this can do to the self esteem of a 10 year old girl, especially one who's mother's hair has always been full, relaxed and long.  My best friend also always had a full head of hair that was always past shoulder length, so you can understand why i wanted that relaxer again when i got to the  7th grade. I had started noticing boys and thought no one would like me with natural "nappy" hair.

When i decided to go natural in high school, i had started transition to natural hair with micro braids. I wanted to grow out my natural hair because i didn't like the way my relaxed hair looked so thin and lifeless. It was healthy because my mother used to roller set my hair for me every few days, but it was being permed bone straight and my hair is much too fine for that.  I am so happy that i decided to go natural in high school because it taught me a lot about people and how superficial they can be at an early age. When my hair was relaxed, i was the "it" girl in school because i was different. I went to a predominately black high school, which i chose to go to so i could be around more of my own people, which i later learned was a mistake. 

I went to school with black kids from Harlem, Brooklyn, and the Bronx who spoke slang and wore baggy jeans and wanted to fight all the time, and everything was new to me. I was the girl who showed up for 9th grade with a Stevie Wonder CD in her CD player and punk rock/ skater clothing. I definitely stood out for being different, but going natural was a whole other story. When i finally chopped off all my permed ends, i came back to school sporting a TWA pushed back with a headband. Girls made fun of me and guys didn't even want to talk to me or look at me anymore. I went from everybody wanting to know my name, to everybody acting like they didn't know me. I finally decided to texturize my hair just a little to help take down the frizz which also helped to define my curl pattern. When i went back to school with my curls instead of my afro, i remember one girl telling me that looked better and asking me why i hadn't been wearing my hair like that the whole time, to which my response was "I don't know." I realized that i then had become more acceptable.

I've been experiencing "the Natural treatment" my whole life.

From this i have learned so much about people, life, superficiality, and beauty images. I also now know why black women are so strong, because of all that we endure.

I am glad that i learned the lessons i did and i hope other young girls will learn to realize their hair is beautiful, no matter what anyone says.

Race and Racism surrounding Natural Hair

When we say "natural hair" we automatically think of a big afro or some curly, ethnic type of hair.
Living here in NYC, i am submersed in all the cultures of the world in my own back yard, mixed cultures included, and i love seeing all the curly heads walking around. So many different types of curls and textures, it is a wonder how people can still be racist to this day. I just appreciate each curl and culture for what it is.


I would definitely say this post was inspired by those "good hair, mixed hair" comments and of course questions of race. Being a mixed race person myself and having a very diverse family, i see all different types of hair and i have seen all different types of hair from all over the world. Okay, so there is obviously a "Natural Revolution" going on out there, and i couldn't help but notice that it's going on with hispanic girls a lot too. Growing up around a lot of hispanic people, i noticed that they always loved to get their hair straightened, and even later learned that some were getting relaxers. I always questioned why they would do this, since they always seemed to have pretty manageable curls to me. Now all i see are all these perfectly curly afros on hispanic girls and other mixed race girls that back in the day would have been permed or blow-dryed out. It is nice to see women taking pride in their natural beauty, no matter the race.


It is unfortunate that many people still can not accept people for who and what they are. The reason why racism even exists is because people are always ready to compare instead of accepting differences for what they are. I am Brazilian, Caribbean mixed, and as you can see my hair is verrrryyy curly! When i was in high school i wore my hair natural, pulled back in a banana clip everyday. I used to get all types of remarks as to what i was. Was i dominican? Was i mixed? "You're not like other black girls. 

What was that supposed to mean?

 I noticed how people treated me different depending on how my hair was. Being that i am a hairstylist and have always done hair, you can imagine that i've been through many hair phases and styles. With each hairstyle, it seems as though i had a different identity. When my hair was short, relaxed and dyed, nobody knew where i was from but i always heard that i didn't look like a 'regular' black girl. When i had it short and dark, i was obviously African-American.

 I also found it funny how some of the biggest problems i had with people accepting me were my own kind.  Besides the color of your skin, hair plays a major role in your looks and i think i learned that rather harshly, but im glad i did. People are always ready to categorize and critisize upon what they see, as opposed to asking and learning something new. Whether they like it or not, this is me, as mixed and curly as i want to be and loving it <3

I'm so proud of all the natural women who are wearing their hair with pride.

Viva la Natural Revolution!

Tried a New Product: Jane Carter Wrap and Roll

At the beginning of the summer, I bought Jane Carter Solutions Wrap and Roll Setting Lotion. I was hesitant because the last product I tried from this line was a conditioner that I couldn't stand. But I'm making it a mission to practice rollersets and wanted to try this. (You may recall when I used it to do my curlformer set) I still have yet to make up my mind about it because the very first time I used it, I didn't like it. But then when I did the curlformer set, it seemed okay. And then I've been doing rollersets for the past couple of weeks and I've gotten mixed results, which I think is a combination of my skills at rollersetting (I'm only now getting better) and maybe how much of it I'm using. My last rollerset I did, my hair felt coated. But the week before it felt fine but not much hold. *Le sigh* Has anyone out the tried it? The jury is still out for moi....

Why Blog About Hair?

I meant to relay this incident a few weeks ago, but I sorta forgot about it.

When I stopped in Albany on the trip I took last month, I was with my boyfriend (aka Mr. Smooth) and his family. He spent part of his childhood up there, and we stopped to visit family and friends. I met a woman with shoulder length locks who inquired about the twists I had. You like your hair in twists I'm sure, she said. I bet they are easy to maintain. I told her that they were. From there, she catapulted into her hair story, about how she always had her hair natural but got the Dominican Blowouts and when she moved she couldn't get them done anymore one so she relaxed. Then her hair broke off but she really didn't know what else to do so she continued. Finally she got locks because she was tired of the breakage.

I just didn't know how else to manage my hair, she said with a shrug. It gave me a feeling that she wasn't really happy with her  locks either but it was the only way she felt she could deal with her hair. I wanted to tell her how versatile natural hair was, but I didn't know her well and as soon as she finished her story she moved on to other things. What bothered me was how she felt about her hair she projected it on to me in some ways. She assumed because my hair was in twists that was proof that it was the only way it can be managed. At that moment I suddenly wished that I had done something else to my hair.

One thing I love about the natural hair community is how it taught me that many things my hair can do. Remember I grew up with the same mentality, that natural hair was only good for braids and twists. I felt bad for her but there was nothing more I could say. Except continue to support the natural community as a whole, and keep up with this blog. It's a challenge for myself to prove the beauty of natural hair. I think it's also safe to say that it's the same mission SP has taken up. I truly realize the importance of this community.

How i was rockin' those braids!

eh... don't feel like typing, just enjoy the pics =D

down, out, and toasty =)

High Pony please

Out and about...

Or  Wild and Styled  

My fro and wash-n-go after my braids!

So i took my braids out after 2 weeks because one had started slipping off and i didn't want to take the chance of it falling off in public! lmfao
I really loved having the braids and i can't wait to get them done again!
When i took my braids out i realized my hair had grown so much in just the little 2 weeks i had the braids in. I definitely think this is going to be a new protective style for me. When i took my hair out, it was the most beautiful it had been in a while. It was fully moisturized, full, healhty, shiny and longer!!!! These pictures were taken directly after taking my 2 week old braids out so if you see any dirt or anything, dont judge, lol. 
Here's a quick little length check thrown in there too. MOre growth!!!! lol Next step, on to get this hair washed


A quick little pre-poo with my Burts Bees Avocado Butter ~ Look @ how huge my roots are!

Shampooed with my Love Yes! To Carrots C Loves Your Hair Daily Pampering Shampoo

Shower Shingle with my Silicon Mix and rinse and shake and Voila! My curls are poppin' more than ever!