2011 A TWA Year In Review: Protective styling by any means necessary...

This post is kind of like a 2011 in review post looking back on my second year being natural and growing out my hair from an inch long... I decided to come up with a "TOP 5" of categories to kind of track my hair progress or digression.. here they are in order from most to least important (for me, that is.)

Moisture ~ I have definitely learned how to perfectly moisturize my hair for all seasons and needs... My problem is remembering when the seasons change that I have to switch up my regimen too... I always seem to have a bumpy start at the begining of a season and then i'm like "Oh yeah... DUH. Time for the old one, two, switcharoo!"

Ends ~ Split ends and single strand knots (curse those things) Inevitable for me as with my hair texure and curl patterns. I just do my best to keep my ends protected, stretched, moisturized, and I dust them (small trim) every 2 months approximately.

Satin/Silk head covering while sleeping & under hats ~ When I wear a hat I always make sure to wear a bonnet underneath so my hair wont get dried out and ripped up by cottons, fleece, and wools... Yeah... this is where I start messing up... I'm so lazy!!! If I sit down without my bonnet when I'm tired, that's it, I'll knock out without it... sometimes I'll get up in the middle of the night and put it on (if I can find it). I've been much better about it though lately and my boyfriend will even put my bonnet on my pillow if he finds it first

Length Retention ~ The question I should have asked was set backs?! lol All due to me not tying my head down at night and it getting all tangled, dry, and forming single strand knots ::shudders at the thought::
Otherwise, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give myself a 7.5 on the length retention scale

Protective styling ~ I hate it!!!! Isn't that horrible? I'm going to be honest, all I wanna do is grow my hair out so I can wear it out, do cool updo's, cool styles with large long braids or twists, or wear it in a ponytail or bun... The only thing i've really been able to do from that list so far is wear my hair out and try an updo or two (which was a struggle)

Now that I'm finally growing out of this TWA stage, I feel like protective styling is starting to have much better options for me and I'm so ready because I want to retain as much length as I possibly can from now until my birthday! I just don't know what to do... Extension braids? A weave? Should I stay weaved up from now until the summer? I also really want to protect my edges, especially in the front, so we'll see...


This week's style:

Rollerset hair which I decided to lightly flat iron.... once it gets all puffy on me it'll be twist-out time... and guess what?! I made a video too so as soon as I can get it up and edited I will!

From Coco & Creme: Saving Bad Hair Days

People, I am having a crappy day; my hair is nothing to post or brag about. I was in Massachusetts this weekend visiting my sister, and it randomly snowed and was freezing cold and windy - my hair took a bit of a beating. I was tired last night, so I washed my hair this morning and it still felt blah; all I could do was put it in a bun, which is one of the options mentioned in this article by Coco & Creme: Ways To Save A Bad Hair Day. 

I don't know what I'll be doing with my hair this week, but today I'm just trying not to focus on it. Have you used any of the ways listed to salvage a "bad hair day?"

Poll Results: Do You Mind Using "Nappy" To Describe Your Hair?

Just a quick post to discuss the results of our poll/Sunday Question. From those who took the time to vote:

18% Mind using 'Nappy' to describe their hair
18% Don't mind using 'Nappy' to describe their hair
63% say sometimes or it depends when it comes to using 'Nappy' to describe their hair


I suspected that there would be more "sometimes/depends" answers mostly because most of the naturals who I've talked to told me the same thing.We're naturally still curious as to why you would or would not mind, or even instances when it might be okay - don't be shy, let us know!

Want to ask a Sunday question? Email us at yais.nyc@gmail.com or ask us on Twitter @yaisnyc

Sunday's Question: Styling Requests

Lately I've been going crazy looking at hairstyles to draw inspiration for my up-coming nuptials in July. It's been "hinted" that I should wear a straightened style, partly to show off the length of my hair and then because it's a special occasion. I personally don't subscribe to notions that straight hair equals "fancy" or "professional" and have an interest in wearing a natural style. My fiance doesn't have a particular request for that day, but he has made requests in the past. In college he liked when my hair was in twists and lately he's been liking my hair buns.

But, what if you were a bridesmaid in my wedding and I told you that I prefer you to straighten or wear a fro; let's say both those styles were not ones you wear on the norm and you have strong convictions about both - would you still do it? Or would you tell me that this style wouldn't work for you?
Let me know!

Budgeting and Saving: The 50-30-20 Budget

As twenty-somethings, learning to manage  your own finances is so important. I hope to one day become extremely financially educated. I'm a college grad with a small amount of debt (compared to most), childless, with a decent entry level job and would like to get into the scary world of stocks and bonds and all that; but for now I'm learning basic money skills that will help me in the long run.

I came across this concept of the 50-30-20 budget which is a simple way to break down your expenses by needs, wants and savings. In other words, 50% of monthly expenses should be your needs, 30% are your wants, and 20% is your savings. The link will help you break down everything you spend your money on and it looks really helpful! I'm definitely going to give this a try, and report on how well I did - or not!

What do you natural and fabulous young folks use to save money? Do you think this concept is helpful?

Fashion Week Hair

Ladies and (if we have any) Gentle-dudes,
I'm so sorry I've been gone from posting, things have just been so hectic with fashion week and all, but in a few more days things will be back to normal for me.... as if my life was normal before.. lol.
Anyhoo...
It's been crazy hectic for me chaperoning girls around the city to castings and fittings, going to a few different shows, working in the office at Wilhelmina, shooting girls for their showcards and books, and all while still taking my clients and hoping to get a moment in to eat, shower, and sleep... I've had 2 days off in the past month and the universe only knows what I'm running on..
My hair however has been running on Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Elasta QP's Olive oil and Mango Butter, Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter... whatever it takes to keep her majesty moisturized during these busy times when I can't remember when was the last time I washed my hair... Oh! And a new favorite product:

CHI Deep Brilliance Glisten

 I seal in my moisture with this stuff and my hair seriously does glisten, all while still being light and fluffy and softer than cotton candy, plus it smells awesome. I trimmed my hair sometime within this crazy month because my split ends were getting a bit ridiculous but I have been retaining length which i'm super excited about... my hair in the front is like a 1/4 inch from my top lip! I haven't been able to rollerset my hair since last month, so i just washed my hair and blew it out, and have been basically wearing it in afros or twisted up ever since. Everyone's been loving my hair and it's been a crazy, sexy mess! I love it too.
Rollerset Hair:

Wash and Go Curls:

Blown Out Hair:

Me extremely tired with my hair twisted up

And this was my hair today, the result of doing  cornrows to sleep, fluffing in the morning, and after much wind, Voila! lo.

 So Basically fluffed up fros have been my life this fashion week (though it been more like a month for me), as I really haven't had time for much else. I can't wait to have the time to do some DEEEEEEP conditioning and get back to my rollersetting regimen!

What do you or have you resort(ed) to as a regimen when you're too busy for your regular regimen?

Growing out of the Trial and Error Phase

It's been about 2 years natural and 1 year with this hair I have now (as I "big chopped again about a year ago), and It feels great to finally feel like most of my new trials should have minimal errors. These past 2 years have taught me so much about myself, my natural hair and caring for it, and really understanding what my hair needs.  Now that I've really learned more about different ingredients in products, I also realized that I'm having a lot less error when it comes to buying new products or tools to try.

Aside from the fact that I also feel like I've finally streamlined my top and favorite products, I have also seemed to streamline my methods too; Methods for detangling, twisting, parting, braiding, placement, washing, product application, mixing products and more. It's funny because I've been watching LOST from the begining on Netflix since the new year, and I've even gone as far as to thinking about what would be my regimen if I was stranded on a deserted island... papaya juice moisturizer? Detangling tool made out of bones or teeth of some sort (no snag?) Yes... I thought long and hard about this because you know I would still be trying to retain length on the island too... l wanna get rescued with some Rudy Huxtable/ Ciely braids! Lol Lemme stop now...

It definitely feels great to know what single strand knots are and how to keep them at bay, to understand moisturizing and how to do it properly, knowing that when I can't run my fingers through my hair, it's time for a trim, and just to have gotten into a flow of a regimen because I'm definitely not usually one to stick to a regimen.

I would say my favorite part has been my whole change of mindset when it comes to natural hair and beauty in general. It feels good to know that the ignornance of "good hair/ bad hair" has been erased from my mind and I now understand beauty and hair care practices.

What is has been your favorite part or least favorite part of doing your natural hair?

Any trials and or errors you're happy to be over?

R.I.P Whitney Houston

Remembered by us for the good and the bad, but forever missed. Her amazing voice will live on and continue to touch our hearts and souls.

Sunday's Question: Is Your Hair Nappy?

Natural hair enthusiasts! It's been too long and for that, we apologize. SP has been busy with fashion week and will update us all on her experiences soon, and work and personal matters has kept me away. Let's just jump back in, like friends who haven't seen each other in a while but can vibe again as if a day hasn't passed!

Let's start the week off with discussing the word "nappy." It's a word used to described the highly textured strands of hair belonging to people of African descent, and was generally negative to describe hair that is "unkempt" and "dirty." The Natural Movement has taken the term and made the word something to embrace positively. But I'll admit, I'm not fully on board with it. I don't describe my hair as nappy and wouldn't like it if others referred to it as such; when I was younger my grandmother used to refer to my hair texture as "silky naps" because to her, nappy hair meant you had "black people's hair" no matter what you were mixed with, but I disagree with hair - let alone a black person's hair - should be described as nappy. I use terms like "highly textured" "coily," "curly" and "tightly curled" but that's just me. If a natural refers to their hair as "nappy" with pride, I would never tell them they are wrong to do so.

So what about you guys? Do you refer to your hair as nappy? Is there anything wrong with the term? Feel free to vote in our poll and drop us a comment; I'm interested in your thoughts!