Lesson Learned

This weather has been so confusing; warm and gorgeous one day, cold and rainy the next. My allergies have been so bad I'm recovering from a sinus infection which left me sounding like a horse the last couple of days (I'm almost back to normal today though) Anyway, I washed my hair on Sunday and threw in some bantu knots which didn't dry in time yesterday but stretched my hair our nicely. So Monday night I dabbed my strands with some EcoStyler Gel and  because I heard it was supposed to be nice out Tuesday I woke up a little later then usual because allergy medication always makes me drowsy (thanks Zyrtec!) and I overslept so did know that there would be some rain first from the news? No, I thought I was going to rock a wonderfully defined (if I may so so myself) braid - out for the day

A better picture of my red lips

But guess who's hair puffed up to a not-so-cute afro by the time I got to the train station? I didn't have a headband or anything to make it look cute so I had to bun it when I got to work. #fail

 Lesson? Watch the weather channel or listen to the radio for weather before you leave the house. Or look at the sky because when it's gray that's usually a sign of some wet weather which apparently I didn't think to do either. It's rainy again today so my hair is back in a bun because I can't be fooled twice!

Perfect Second Day Hair + OOTD + Product Review

I know this is like an A-D-D post totally but f&%$ it! lol

I just had to post a pic from my hair today because I'm never able to achieve second day hair that looks the same or better and I finally did!!! Again, all I did was moisturize my hair, throw it in 3 loose, tucked under buns to sleep, and then took out and fluffed this morning. I put a few 2 strand twists in the bang area for definition, and same as yesterday, I just put my head band behind my bangs, and pushed it to the left. I figured while I was @ it I would just do a quick little OOTD + my accessories for you all while I looked semi-cute, lol.  Funny thing is I bought those earrings a while ago and hated how they looked on me, but now that my hair's bigger, I like 'em!

Wondering what has my edges held back so beautifully? One product I will quickly review:

Thanks Domin for recommending this because I < 3 it! (Click the link to watch her review 

She is definitely my number one hair inspiration, if she's not everybody's, lol)

I haven't really tried it for twist outs yet, but I will say it's amazing for slicking your hair back in ponytails. I wouldn't say it gives you as much hold and sleekness as a gel per say, but if you don't want that wet super sleek/slick look but still want to be able to control frizz and flyaways this is perfect. 

As you can see my edges and the hair going back into the puff looks well tamed. You know what?  It actually does exactly what it says on the jar: Fights frizz, Adds Shine, and Moisturizes. This cost me about $4 and a little bit goes a long way so you really get your bang for your buck. Plus the smell is divine... everyone loves a product that smells edible right? lol 

Done ranting now... goodnight! = )

New Ombre' Color + Curly Side Puff Updo

 Every year when the spring/summer comes around, I always get that itch for fun, vibrant, bright color! Last year I decided to go with some creative color I referred to as my party patch. This year I decided to lighten a piece of my hair in the front, in the same area where I had placed last years party patch (since it was previously lightened which would make the process a little easier). Being that my roots were virgin, I knew they would lift to blonde, and my end previously being dyed green, i knew would lift to a lighter green. (left)
Once my hair lifted to my desired level using B&W bleach and 40 volume developer, inspired by the oh so trendy Ombre' hair color effect, I decided to use Lie Locks and Shocking Blue from Manic Panic to create my own colored Ombre look. I used a little 10 volume developer on my own hair and then added the manic panic, starting with the Lie Locks and then fading into the Shocking Blue, without disturbing the already light green area. The photos below shows my hair with being highlighted with bleach in foils, then shows my hair immediately after the color was rinsed out.

 And here are some photos of what the color looks like a little damp... while contemplating doing a full head of 2 strand twists... (In the stretched hair photo, you can totally see all the bleach damage on the part of my hair that's green, since it's been bleached a few times :(

And here is my hair, fully dried,with the front twisted out, and everything pushed to the side with a headband. Those twists that didn't make it to a full hair style made a great set of twisted out bangs and my is hair so curly from the 4 braids I did the other night to sleep, after washing my hair...
which I wore yesterday in 2 buns which really helped to stretch out my curls while still keeping them in tact!

I am sooo in love with my hair today and hope I can try to re-visit this style next week when I actually have something to do! lol

How do you like the curly side puff with the heavy bangs? What about the color? Would you Rock it?

VERY Happy Hair as of lately!

 You all know I'm impatient, so it's no wonder I took my weave out in a week! lol I guess what it is more so though, is that I really enjoy my own hair, especially now that it's getting longer. And though I enjoy wearing weaves and extensions, I still end up feeling fake. I know I will enjoy weave more when my hair is long enough to fully and easily blend... right now it's just a little more work and leaves me with limited styling that makes me just rather my own hair...

So, I took my hair out 2 nights ago, and since I had washed my hair about 3 days before that and moisturized it, It left me with a beautiful, soft, and defined braid out.. In love!!!

Randomly, I bought this Aloe Body Lotion at the hair show that I did not love for my body, but upon reading the ingredients further, decided to try it in my hair, and so far it's amazing!!!

I don't want to jump the gun, seeing as how i've only been using it for a day or two, so I won't give any reviews or names of anything until I've used it for a while... especially since it's initially intended to moisturize the skin... Review in let's say...a week?  

Anyhoo... I moisturized my hair yesterday using the Aloe Cream and decided to wear the braid out in my fave 2 buns, and was so happy to see how much my hair had grown, as my buns were bigger, fuller, and longer! I even had to squish them down quite a bit to get scrunchies over 'em.

I definitely loved the protective styling benefits of wearing the weave for a week, and I am thinking of wearing my usual large, long extention braids for the first 2 weeks of May... just to  get some protective styling in (especially for my front edges) without missing my hair like crazy. Also, though I love those braids, they're damned heavy! lol

 I bought some new products at the hair show I wanted to try and my scalp was a little itchy so I decided to wash my hair last night. Again, I won't be reviewing anything until I use it for a little while so I can give a full and thorough review...

Before washing however, I decided to do a few length checks, just to see how this growth process is going and I'm happy to say I'm pleased. My hair doesn't grow super fast, and it can break, tangle, get split ends and single strand knots pretty easily, so growth around here is a joyus occasion, lol. My edges are still basically the shortest of my hair, my hair at my crown and upper head in general being the longest. 

International Beauty Show NY

Every year, the IBS comes to NY at the Javits center for 3 days... Since I was in LA I only bought my ticket for the last day...  I love the beauty show though, it's sooo fun!

A very sleepy me @ the International Beauty Show NY after coming in off my flight from LA earlier yesterday morning... I wore a turban for the first time! (I wish I took a better pic for you all but by the time I got home I passed out!)

Loved both the purple and the red hair, also the awesome crimps and curls!

Look at Nick Arrojo from "What Not To Wear!" He's a super cool dude (left)


You know she's getting lip liner tattooed right?
(right)

Check out the hair flippin' Fabios! lol

Loved her updo! (left)


Cool Cuts (right)

One of the most beautiful heads of hair at Ms. Jessie's was actually on a Mr. lol.

Look at this adorable Asian Dreddy man! Damn right I got him to shake those locs for me!

Some of the cool, wild and crazy hair!

Look @ this hairshow cutie Tiara!! Her style is sick and I've never seen orange hair look so good, not to mention she was super cool!

And last but not least ladies (sorry whoever this is for using your head as an example, lol), This is exactly why we can not bleach and relax our hair... See that hole in her hair? And the fact that its all over her shirt? Her hair was breaking in front of my very eyes... I wonder how long before all of that hair is on her shirt?

Young and Natural - Post-College: A Reflective Experience

Springtime is always a reminder that many are graduating from college. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Media and Communication Arts with a concentration in Film & Video Production in May 2010 and I'm going to be honest and admit it was one of the most difficult transitions of my life so far. Looking back I was confused, frustrated and a little lost as to what to do with myself. I had done internships in college and had done a lot of production work but I didn't know how to apply what I studied to a job where I could get steady paychecks. While I come from a family who stress post-secondary education - hell my grandmother is back in college trying to obtain a Culinary Degree - they really had no idea how to help me. By the time graduation rolled around that summer, I was still interning and applying to jobs like crazy, in-between apartments and had no idea what I really wanted to do. I eventually started working in the non-profit sector as an after school instructor for a Charter School, and found a way to apply my skills to the job. It was quite the nine-month adventure and one that I miss sometimes, but I ultimately decided that I wanted to do something else. So then I got a full time job working in TV advertisement tracking. It sounded exciting but it really wasn't; the hours were horrible and I was bored out of my mind so I quit just shy of three months when benefits would've kicked in.

Mind you, I was still working at my internship part-time half hoping that they would hire me as a full-time employee. Entertainment and Media is a competitive industry and I was lucky enough to have a paid internship in NYC in the first place. So once I quit the TV Advertisement Tracking job, I asked my internship supervisor if I could work full time, because I had intentions on being hired if the company needed someone. Luckily I built a good relationship with my supervisor and upon learning that I wanted to be in the company, she put in a good word. By the end of last summer I was offered a full time position with reasonable pay and one that was created for me because the position I have now didn't exist before. So now I work within Independent Film/TV distribution (collectively called Entertainment Distribution) and while it's not production work it's the "business side" of what I studied and I am happily applying my skills.

Now the point of this post isn't to brag about anything; I wanted to share my experiences with those who may be finishing up school this Spring and feel the pressure. Maybe you want to get your Master's Degree right away and are waiting for those acceptance letters to your programs. I chose to give myself a little time because four years straight in college really kicked my ass (don't let anyone tell you an arts degree is "easy." Getting a B.F.A. was work!) I do plan on starting a Master's Program within the next couple of years. Maybe your family is demanding for you to make a decision because they want to see a return on the education they may have helped fund - hell you want to know what you want to school for. My family still doesn't get what I do, even though they interact with what I work with on a daily basis but I've explained it's in my field so they don't say much to me about it. But it took me a while to find what I wanted and that's because I explored options, and even with this I know it won't be forever. If you got a degree in Religious Studies it doesn't mean that you have to find a job with a title "religion" in it; the key is to apply what you know and learned to anything you do. I feel like that's what studying in college is for. If you end up with a job that doesn't seem related to your field, be open to the experiences it will provide for you; it's what helped me in the end figure out what I want for myself right now.

Feel free college folk to share your experiences on the path you took post-college, or if you're still in college and feeling that anxiety!

Today's Style: Twisted Up With Red Lips

Just a quick check in YAIS! Over the weekend I washed my hair and re-twisted, this time while soaken wet which I rarely do. I used TreSemme Conditioner as my leave in and sealed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (SP's post about moisturizing is reminding me to become a little more diligent with my hair). The shrinkage made my twists appear shoulder length and prompted a couple of co-workers to ask the inevitable "Did you cut your hair" which I always think is funny.
Anyway, it's windy today and I decided to just tuck in my twists with some bobby pins. Also, I'm enjoying the splash of red on my lips and the headband, so for your viewing pleasure:

I forgot to mention this before, but I bought this lip tint from Lush a few months ago that I absolutely adore, and tend to wear when the weather is cloudy and gray to cheer up my look a little. I'm pretty sure I bought this right before Valentine's Day. It's a kind of matte lip tint, so it can be drying, but I use chapstick or something under it before I put it on and it works for me. I wish I had a better camera on me just so you can see how bright and bold this color is; I have a very dark upper lip and this tint still spreads pretty even. Have any of you shopped at Lush? I love that store so much!