LDFH Protective Style: Flat Twist Side Updo

I've been in the market for a new job or two, and not sure of how I should be wearing my hair to go about interviewing. I know the world is still taking in all the naturals, and I don't want my hair to ever be a reason as to why I may not have gotten a job. I love my natural hair and texture and refuse to straighten it unless I want to, so I wanted to experiment with an up do that would look professional enough and still showcase my fun personality!


With my latest post about switching my focus on this blog to styling and haircare for my low density, fine hair (LDFH), I thought of how flat twists can be done loosely to give the illusion of fuller hair, and came up with this style! I had done a flat twist style on my blown out hair a while back, which also came into mind while searching for inspiration.


I wasn't crazy about the twist in the front going from ear to ear, so I decided to do a little tweaking of sorts to add a side part. I then also started to play with the idea of the front twists hanging as another alternative!

Speaking of density, I'm sure you can see here that my crown area has far more density that my edges. My edges are so fine and not at all dense.

This style is only 6 flat twists in total and took me all of 10 minutes to do. I did nothing intricate with the parting, just tried to do straight lines all over to the side, starting with diagonally staggered parts (what gave the sort of zig zag part effect).

 I also tried to do the twists as loose as possible for a voluminous effect, especially to create a pompadour type of effect in the front, then just twisted all of the twists into a little side bun/pin curl of sorts... One more fave thing about this style? The twists are so loose, it literally takes a minute to take them all down! This really helps with being a style chameleon and all, making it quick and easy to switch up my styles.

What do you think of this flat twisted up do? Would you rock it?

Switching Up My Posting Focus

Beautiful Artwork by Dawn Okoro

So I've been yelled at enough to know that I don't have a TWA anymore! I won't lie, I've had a TWA for so long, there are a few bittersweet feelings, but oh well! lol

I tried making a title for us awkward length, still feeling and looking like a TWA, but not exactly girls... In-Be-TWA... no one embraced it, so moving on...

So now, I've decided to switch up my focus:

Low Density, Fine Hair

If many of you weren't aware, I have low density, fine hair. Curly Film chick has high density, fine hair.
The density refers to the amount of strands we have per square inch on our heads, and fine describes the width of the individual strands, usually categorized by fine, medium, or coarse being the thickest strand.

Any other low density, fine hair chicas out there will understand the struggle... styling to try to make the hair look fuller, bigger, not too thin or bald looking, lol.  Many people always say it looks like i have a lot of hair, but truth is, I just do my best to make my hair look full.
I constantly am fluffing to the maximum, doing natural hair "comb overs"of sorts to hide any thin areas, and staying away from styles that will have me looking scalpy.

I feel like as I'm searching through protective styles especially, there are always a lot of styles for girls with really dense hair, lots of parts and little braids... those styles don't work for me.

So now that I really am out of TWA waters, I will be catering to us Low Density, fine haired girls especially. Creating styles and techniques from this awkward stage and beyond.

Think: Volume, Big, Up-do's, Textures, Flat Twists, French Braids, Whatever else I can come up with, it's going down! lol

Stay Tuned for the Start of my Low Density, Fine hair posts!!! 
I will be labeling them: LDFH

Stacked Buns & Pompadour Fun!

My New Fave Style! Stacked Buns!!! About a week ago I posted about trying out some buns and up-do's after roller setting my hair, so naturally, I washed and rollerset my hair again the other night, and decided to again try wearing some buns.

My second set with the Eco styler gel came out even better and straighter, so this will definitely be a staple for rollersetting and straightening my hair. I did do two things differently this time:

I used a little Care Free Curl Instant Moisturizer with my Lacio Lacio Leave- In, and I silk wrapped my hair for about 10 mins after rollersetting, then went to sleep (I took off the Saran wrap and used my silk scarf to sleep of course).

My hair came out what I'd like to call semi-straight, and was nice and easy to pull back into a bun. The silk wrapping helped to straighten out my roots a little more too, so I wore my hair side parted for the day to Vote for my President! Yay Obama!!!

I was supposed to meet up with some friends after voting to watch the verdict so I quickly changed my look into this pompadour and stacked bun updo!  I didn't end up making it (figures, when I'm having a good hair night) but I still made sure to snap some cute flicks for you all ... I was obviously feeling myself a little... lol

Stay tuned for a video on this look and how to easily achieve stacked buns!

How was your election day hair?

Taylor Swift Inspired Natural Updo

Remember the post I wrote about putting together my fall looks?

Well I was looking back into that post for inspiration, and decided to do a video for you all of the Taylor Swift Updo Look!

I did this style when my hair was shorter on another video, but I hope this is a much better rendition

 In the past I had been taking the videos with my computer, so this time around I decided to do them with my phone so I hope it's a little clearer for you all! Enjoy!

Twist Out From my Roller Set Results!

  After having fun with the pincurls after my roller set the other day, I decided to put my hair into my usual flat twist pattern to prep for a twist out.

I wore the twists for a day or two, under my silk scarves and hats, and decided to take them out yesterday (though I had nothing to do).

This was my first time doing a twist out on hair that had been pincurled, and I have to say i really love how much a lot of the ends held the curls from the pincurls, even after being twisted. My hair in the front is a lot looser than the rest of my hair, so its no surprise to me that the ends came out a little straighter in the front, so I think I will have to be changing up my pattern a little bit when doing twist outs on rollerset hair, so the texture in the front will also have the curly waves of the hair every where else.

Protective Style Fail: A Straight Weave

 I was really loving the look of this weave, but unfortunately it didn't last for me with all of the humidity that's been in NYC thanks to Hurricane Sandy.

I used to use this weave when my hair was relaxed and it matched my hair perfectly... it still does now if my hair is bone straight, but I've learned that I definitely need a weave that will plump up a little when my hair plumps up!

I did not want to have to keep adding heat to my hair so out it came, which is what led to the roller set I posted about yesterday (backwards, I know). I don't think I'll be straightening my hair again until the holidays or maybe even the New Year... until then, I think roller sets and twist outs pulled up into cute updo's is going to be the way to go for me. I'm looking to get another little job so I'm trying to make sure I have a  few go-to looks, which will definitely be including my banana clip!

I also found a YouTuber who's protective styling videos I've fallen in love with! She like me has low density, fine hair so a lot of her styles are very simple and elegant, focusing on making sure to not add too much tension to the hair, and creating styles that help create or give the illusion of fullness. I will definitely be posting and trying a few of her style videos, having to do minor tweaks because my hair is shorter, but I'm sure you all will love the styles!

I'm trying to protective style but i'm not winning here... maybe it really isn't for me... but I won't give up yet! Has protective styling failed for you in the past? What/who helped you?

Protective Styles: Braided Up-do's

My hair has finally gotten a little longer, and is finally in a category of hair styling that I'm more comfortable with. While having my hair straightened, it's very fine and fragile, and with trying to avoid breakage, I figured I'd try wearing some protective styles.

I've never been able to french braid but the other night I figured I'd try my hand at it again, and was actually successful! A little thought and a few moments later, I came up with this:

I liked the style, but didn't love it, especially with my braid looking so skinny. I really loved the idea though, so I figured I'd try again the next day... A few hairstyles, parts, braids, and brushes later, I came up with this style:

I believe this was a much better version of what I was going for, and I think it's an absolutely beautiful style, even to be worn in a corporate setting or formal occasion. I wasn't going anywhere special but I put on some earrings and lipstick so you all get the gist. I made a little pincurl braid in the back where the braids end, which is also the perfect place to add a little hair accessory, or even a phony pony or bun of sorts!

I really love these simplistic up-do's and they work well on my fine hair, and give the illusion of fullness. There are definitely a few more styles I still want to try with my straightened hair before I wash, so stay tuned for that! Since I am trying to protective style with my own hair a little more right now, I will be continuing to try these braided up-do's on my hair in all different textures as well, not just in straightened form.

What do you think of these braided up-do's? Can you believe that I want to protective style?!
If you ladies want any styles that I do to be made into a tutorial, please let me know!

My New Curly Weave + Blending

I know, I know, I just said I was going to do a wavy bob weave... but do I ever do what I say I'm going to do with my hair?! lol I actually realized that regardless of anything, with that wavy/straight weave, I'd definitely be using more heat than I really want to right now (which is none), so I opted for a curly weave again instead.

I needed a break from doing my hair, and my hair definitely needed a break from me, so I figured I needed a style where I'd have to manipulate my own hair as little as possible and I think I've finally found it! The hair I used:

How/ Where I found out about this weave?

My little cousin found in it her local BSS in BK and decided to give it a try, so naturally when she came to me with this hair to get her weave done, I fell in love with it. I bought the 10'' and 12'' because I originally wanted it to be a little longer and with minimal layers, but that ended up being a waste of money because I chopped it up for it to look more realistic anyway. One thing I also learned, was that the curl of the 8" vs the 10" and 12", is a lot more of tight curl that resembles my hair almost perfectly, the 10" and 12" is a much looser, silkier curl, but still very beautiful. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos during the process, but I saw her a few days later at my Grandmother's house with the weave piked out; Here's the outcome of my cousin's weave to you can see the difference:

I love the curly look so I'm not mad that I didn't get the 8 inches, but I will definitely be trying the 8" as well. To see some of the steps I took to install and how I blend my hair with the weave, click the jump :)

Your TWA, Your Ends, and Styling

People would look at me like I was crazy whenever I told them I needed to trim. They looked at me like it was bogus to trim my hair because I'm trying to grow my hair out... doesn't mean I shouldn't still keep my ends as healthy as possible. 

One thing I definitely have learned while in these 2 years having a TWA, especially one that is styled and worn out regularly, is that keeping your ends fresh and healthy makes a big difference when you're styling.

On longer hair, we are able to see more of the hair strand's length, with the ends being at the bottom of the hair. On our short TWA's, the hair is sticking out from our heads so the first thing we see are the ends. 

Over time, if my ends would look dry and frazzled I would try re-wetting the ends only or twirling them around my finger with a little curling cream to try and make them look better. Once it got a little longer, I would just try to put my hair up somehow or go into a protective style until the next trim, so my horrible ends wouldn't be making my hair look dry and frazzled.

I'm not afraid to trim my hair as needed, and I never do huge trims, just a dusting of hardly even a quarter inch at times, usually anywhere from every 2 - 4 months. Though I may retain an inch or two less a year than other girls, I have healthy ends which makes detangling easier and prevents further splitting, not to mention my ends aren't thin and stringy as I reach my goals. As my hair gets longer and I can wear styles like buns that keep my ends protected, I'm sure I will need to trim my hair less. 

Lesson learned: Keep your ends healthy. Keeping split ends and single strand knots at bay keeps the problem from exacerbating any further, and your styles will also look, and hold better.

Do you feel like having fresh ends makes your TWA styling look better? How often do you trim your TWA?

Quick TWA & Up Updo!

I did an updo on a failed braidout this morning in preparation to go to an event this morning. I thought it was really cute when I did it but got over it and put my hair in my trusty two buns before I left the house. Luckily for you all, I snapped a few pics before the style went bye bye, lol

I didn't plan to do this, i just had a few bobby pins by my side, my soft bristle brush and some Murrays Cream beeswax... started by separating out the front section (as you can see I did not part anything), doing a roll going backwards and pinning.
I then french rolled up the back while pinning, and at the top, folded it back towards the french roll and tucking it under, creating another hump. Tighten, pin, loosen to your liking, leave out a few curls if it tickles your fancy, and Voila!

This should work if your hair is at least 5 inches or longer, you may just need to tweak everything a little :) This is also a great protective style because your ends are all tucked away.

 Even great for transitioners to tuck away those straight ends.
Here's a link to another rendition of this same style I did a few months ago on my shorter hair.

 Good luck and have fun styling!

   

(excuse the messy room : )

Would anyone wear this style?!

2 Quick and Easy Twist Out Styles for TWA's + Longer

Alright folks, my final and favorite video I made for this week! lol I know I've been loading them on this week, but I hope you all enjoy them and find them helpful. For all of my TWA ladies, I used my pinned-down method which is really great with helping us fake it until we make it in the length department! I also realize, especially with the fall coming that both of these hair styles are really great protective styles.

 I'd really love for someone to speak up one of these days and give me a really cool hairstyle idea to make a video on... until then... Love, PEACE, and skip the grease! lol

"Minnie Mouse" Extension Braid High Double Buns!!

 I braided my hair up two Wednesday's ago, bored of my hair and wanting to take a break from having to do her... and she needed a break from me too! lol

How have I been caring for my braids?

• Spraying scalp and hair in braids with mix of Aloe Vera Juice, Peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, sage oil, JBCO, coconut and avocado oils.
• Baggying roots every other night.
• Tying hair down very night with a satin scarf.

Liking to keep my money in my pocket, i did these braids over about 7 hours (no, not straight. I took the night off and finished on Thursday). Usually I'm ready to rip these things out as soon as I do them but I've actually been enjoying them a little more this time around so I plan to keep them in until the 31st. Saturday night I wore one of my usual High Braided Buns, and yesterday decided to see what 2 would look like, i'm loving it!!! I really love the look of two buns so I can't wait until my hair gets bigger and longer so I can wear two of my own huge buns on top of my head like that! lol
When I was younger my mother used to always give me 2 afro puffs and everyone would call me Minnie Mouse... so maybe it kind of taps into that Nostalgia.

What do you think? Would you wear 2 High buns?!

My Last Straightening Before Summer... (+OOTD)

 On May 3rd I got the itch to straighten my hair for the last time before the summer hits... I figured "Hey... Cinco de Mayo is coming up..plus I have the itch to see what my color looks like straightened." I had just gotten back from LA too, with their beautiful, even weather so I was still getting used to the fact that the weather was still $h!tty here in NYC! I thought I would leave for a week at the end of April and come back to sunny skies... it was actually colder when I got back -__-
Anyways, A roller set and flatiron later (notice: I can use bigger cap less rollers now!!!), I got invited to a friend's surprise birthday so I set out to join the fun. Without watching the weather. #nobueno
Though I was only going about 5 blocks from my house and it was only drizzling, my hair went from looking like this right after I finished it:

To looking like this by the time I got there, ending up in a little bun on the top of my head so I could look half decent just tipsy going home:

 I wore my hair in a little tightly wrapped bun to keep my ends moisturized for the next day, and went with my trusty 2 buns for Cinco de Mayo. I'm really a big advocate of only straightening once, so once my hair goes puffy on me, that's it for the bone straight look...
 I hope you enjoy my Cinco de Mayo look, I tried to play on the 2 buns and basically go for the cute Asian girl look, lol (I dig cute Harajuku Kawaii Asians!) Looks like I was feeling stripey for the start of May... I guess you could also say I did a little light protective styling, lol

 I will be posting a part 2 to this hair straightening post to show you  my straight hair length check for before summer! I don't plan to straighten again until its not humid anymore... so that'll probably be some time in late September, that should be a great comparison as long as I keep up with the hair care.

After I got tired of the buns, I returned to my regular 2-strand flat twist pattern to achieve a silky, stretched, twist out. Unfortunately my camera died before i could take a shot of how I fluffed and styled, but I promise there will be a lot more fluffing and styling to come =)

Don't judge me! I know y'all were all out there trying get your last straightening in before the summer too! Were you? lol 

**I used the same products for this style as I used in my Rollersetting and Flatironing Natural Hair Video.