My Curls Are Poppin'!!!

So, the picture to the left, shows my curls poppin' with some conditioner in my hair. I made it a point to take a picture of this area of my hair to show the drastically different textures that are right next to each other... this is only in one little segment of my hair mind you.

I definitely haven't been wearing wash and go's because of this little fact of having extremely drastically different textures everywhere, but i missed my curls, so i prepared for a day of crazy, curly hair! I oil treated my hair overnight with wheat germ and neem oil, a little Trader Joe's Nourish Condish, and baggied to sleep.

After Cowashing, I realized I had never tried the whole T-shirt wrapped on the head thing, but decided to give it a try and OMG! Love this technique! My hair was still damp but not soaking wet, and my curl pattern wasn't disturbed or made frizzy.

Four products (Lacio Lacio Leave-in, Care Free Curl Instant Moisturizer, Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing smoothie, and something new to review later!!!) and a little smoothing and shaking later, pow! Curls! I had to leave my house soon and my hair was still a little damp so I used the diffuser to do a little blow drying, and then switched to my nozzle attachment to stretch my roots out a little.

  By the end of the day, a little shrinkage had ensued, but frizz was still kept to a minimum and my curls were still poppin'!


I got lots of compliments and mini convo's that day, a whole lot more stares, and even more hands in hair syndrome. And though I'm not looking forward to the detangling, I really missed my curls so I'm enjoying this wash do too much and go, lol. I pineappled to sleep, and woke up to amazing second, and today even makes third day hair (banded last night though).

After wearing my hair in roller sets and blowouts for like the last 2 months, always up in a bun or semi-protective style, it was a great change to rock my curls for a few days. 

How have you been rocking your natural? 

My 2nd Braid & Twist Out

 Before I blew my hair out, my last rollerset had gotten pretty stale and my hair needed to be washed, but I had very minimal time.

I co-washed while in the shower with the plethora of conditioners I have been using to keep my over processed hair feeling as good as possible (will make a  post about that soon) and was so ready for bed!

I knew I needed to do something with this hair of mine, and my West Indian side kicked in and said "tro it in some plaits gyal" and that's exactly what I did. I plaited my hair until about 2 inches were left, and turned the rest into a two strand twist, much like when I did my Braid & Twist out the 1st time. I prefer the curls on the ends from twist outs, but like the wavy texture with braid outs.

On my damp hair, I applied Lacio Lacio, Elasta QP's Olive Oil and Mango Butter, JBCO to seal and 8 plaits later I'm in bed. Unraveled in the morning with Vatika oil, fluffed, separated and go! I was super busy and tired last week, so this was optimal for quick styling.
I think I will forever be a twist out girl but I look forward to enjoying more braid outs as my hair gets longer.

Which Do You like Better, Braid Outs, Twist Outs, or a Braid/Twist combo?

Sunday Question: Advice For The Someone Going Natural

"2nd Day" hair from a braid out on Friday

At work on Friday, I got into a small discussion with a co-worker about hair. She compliments a lot of my styles, especially when my hair is big and loose, and often says how she wishes her hair could do that.

"My hair is a brillo pad," she always says. "You have a good grade of hair, that's why you can wear it like that."

I'm always startled whenever someone mentions "good hair" because I don't believe in it, and also never know what to say to that. If I wasn't so thrown off, I would muster up a response explaining that there's no such thing as "good hair" and that you just need to learn how to take care of it; that it's true that people have a problem with perceptions of beauty and "kinky" hair is expected to be "tamed" instead of admired or "owned" as SP wrote the other day. Alas, I'm not that eloquent on the spot and I have difficulty in talking to people who are "set in their ways of thinking" (like the notion of "good" and "bad" hair) because I find it more beneficial to show them instead. Ironically I didn't realize that I've been showing my co-worker for a long time that natural hair is awesome through the styles I wear at work and as a weave-wearer with relaxed hair, she wanted to learn how to work with her natural hair as well. I finally picked up on it when on Friday she said that she had a stylist do a twist-out that came out horribly because her hair was just too dry, and that she went back to the weave but opted not to get her hair relaxed and used a hot comb instead to blend because she really doesn't want to process it anymore. It suddenly dawned upon me that all this time she was trying to get me to help her with her with her hair! So a little later that afternoon after being on gChat with SP agonizing over the situation (would it be offensive to tell recommend products, tell her that there's no such thing as bad hair etc - I've had a bad experience with this before!) I walked over to her and chatted with her about hair, then gave her SP's info for styling. She was relieved and happy for the chat - whew!

So I guess today's question is, What is your quickie advice for someone thinking of going natural for the first time?

Want to submit a "Sunday Question?" Email at yais.nyc@gmail.com!

Fall Protective Style: Textured Blunt Bob Weave

Fall is here, and I'm over doing my own hair! lol  The ends have been really dry from a crazy color process at the salon earlier this summer, so styling has been a little annoying. I've been trying to be careful and avoid breakage, doing extra deep conditioning, and my ends still look and feel like crap to me.

I had long decided that I wanted to get a straight weave for this winter, and though I was thinking to aim more for the long side, something drew me to wanting to get a bob again instead. I love short, straight hair, and I think I'm just over the obviously fake right now, and wanted to pull off something more natural looking (I also dont have like $200- $300 to dish out on good long hair right now). I have always looked good in bobs, so when I started looking through pics to decide what I wanted, I fell in love with these wavy bobs! I am also loving the chin length right now! I so wish I could just chop my own hair to chin length right now, which would cut out the majority of my layers, but I'm not ready to go there right now so this weave will do... lol 

I know I will be wearing a straighter look, but I plan to order wavy hair, and leave out only a small section of my own hair  in the part area that I'm hoping a curlformer set, or whatever type of set can help me blend so I can stay away from using too much heat (gotta find the hugest flexi rods possible)!

I've always been a fan of finger waved hair, so I will definitely be rocking this style with my weave in too, just probably the non-gelled version.

I will be ordering my hair this coming week so I will post all about the process as soon as it comes!

Any ladies planning on weaving it up for this fall/winter?

How to Remove Your Twists for a Defined, Frizz Free Twist Out

I made a video for you all last week of how I twist out my hair. These twists were done on freshly washed damp hair, and left over night to dry.
 A lot of people always go goo goo over my twist outs and I'm not sure why, except for the fact that I know my curls are usually super defined... so much so that people think I have a straw or flexi rod set usually. I tried to make it short and sweet so I hope you all enjoy.. and stay tuned for another video of a couple of styles I did on my twist out!

Have you been loving your twist out results lately?

Teyana Taylor's Ombre Curly Weave

Man, does Teyana Taylor always have great weave! And I live for Turquoise so you know I'm drooling all over that all turqiouse ombre. I really don't have much to say else to say except for the fact I love her weave (I don't really get why she's famous)... All the right colors and shades, beautiful natural textures; Just Beautifully executed. Teyana Taylor coming in at 9.7 on the weave scale! ( Sorry, I've been watching a lot of Olympics lately.)

If I could do this to my real hair ya'll know i would, but i'd likely go bald, lol.

What Do You Think About Teyana's Ombre?!

Reader Question: Transitioner Learning how to Style

Sietta (Not Pictured Above) said...

I'm looking to transition from wearing sew-ins to wearing my own natural hair again, but I'm lost about how to go about styling it :( I haven't worn my own hair for more than a week in almost 5 years and I don't have a perm so as you could imagine it is very difficult to work with at this point and I am concerned about styles because of this. Also, my coils are SUPER tight and idk what to do with them at this point because my hair has never been this untrained so I know I have a job ahead of me lol. Do you have any suggestions for styles until I can get my coils to loosen a little?

Hi Sietta, 
Thanks for asking and we're glad to help =)
For starts, I would say it'll be a little hard without a few extra details (Hair length? What look you would like to achieve? What do you mean by trained hair and coil loosening?)but I will give you the best advice possible for anyone in your situation or anyone who needs help learning their new texture and how to care for it.

Part 1 - Moisturize, Detangle & Stretch!!!
As a professional hair stylist, time and time again I've seen women trying to go natural after wearing weaves for quite some time, but feeling discouraged about their "rough, dry, hard" manes. They think they have this horrible texture of hair because it is usually dry and malnourished, and because of this, their hair may also be a lot more shriveled and shrunked up.

Start with a spritzer bottle with water, get some of your favorite slippery conditioner, take your hair in one section at a time, moisturize, detangle from the ends up, and either braid, twist, bun or band the little section to keep the moisture in and your hair from shrinking up again (You can also do this in the shower if it's easier/faster for you). 

Part 2 - Washing
Don't be afraid, moisture and water are your best friends :)
After detangling and moisturizing it should be much easier to deal with your hair now, and if you have a lot of hair you may want to leave it in those sections during your wash. If/when I wash in sections, I will bring a few hair clips in the shower with me so as I wash one section at a time, I can twist and pin it back up so it stays stretched and detangled and I won't need to comb through my hair again....or at least bring a scrunchie to throw it all in a ponytail.

Part 3 - Styling
When it comes to styling natural hair, it's all about knowing the look you're going for, and understanding what your hair will and won't do. Henna and other natural products like coconut milk have been known to cause a little curl loosening, but usually on looser textures. The way we usually go about loosening our curls usually is by way of chemicals or heat damage, as a lot of hairstylists will call burning your curls out "heat training." Know that this is not an accurate method (not a method at all) ladies.

I love the curly look and my hair is curly but shrinks A LOT so I live in twist outs as it lets me have the look of my own curls, minus all the shrinkage. Doing twist-outs, braid-outs, banding, or any other kind of Set that will stretch the hair, should help with your feeling of wanting to loosen your curls. When I want a curlier, froey-er twist out I will do it on wet hair or re-twist an old twist out, and if I'd like my hair to be a little silkier, I'll first rollerset my hair and do my twist out on that. 

Here are some links to help you along your journey:
Tips For Naturals
Creating Textures
Creating a Regimen

I hope this helped, and please, don't ever feel like your options are limited, And Haircare above all else!!!

Stunning Chocolate Afro Beauty In The GAP campaign

While walking my dog today, I was taken aback by the sight of this beauty on the bus stop GAP poster.
Not only is she a gorgeous chocolate girl but how about that Afro! I love how they didn't photoshop her hair perfectly round, nor did they photoshop the texture. Very seldom do we see a chocolate girl, with actual chocolate skin, rocking a a huge full on fro... it would usually be a twist out or curly set of some type, or just cut low... It's so beautiful to see chocolate faces in fashion places, especially Naturally Beautiful ones.

The "Right" Kind of Curl (Repost)

**This deserves a re-post due to an interesting conversation today about natural hair and the lengths we go sometimes to make sure it's still "accepted" before accepting it ourselves.***

Even with natural hair becoming more popular these days, there is still a long way to go to define what institutes as "curly hair" or "good hair." When mainstream people think of curls, they are thinking of specific images.

I still wonder sometimes if I have the "right kind" of curls. I'm guessing not because they aren't big springing ringlets, but at the same time I've been told by folks of different cultures and walks of life that my hair is just right for me. People may admire the hair, but I raise my eyebrow whenever someone, especially a non-person of color says, wow I wish I had your hair. It always makes me think back to a girl I knew in high school who was Italian and Puerto Rican. She was really frustrated with her hair because it was tightly coiled and thick and if I remember correctly her hair had the same curl pattern as mine. I remember her venting to me once that she hated how it shrank, how it was difficult to manage and how she wasn't supposed to have this hair--that my hair was okay and looked cool for me but not on her because she was white and she's supposed to have "white people hair." Eventually she got a relaxer and she loved it. To this day she still gets them and keeps her hair straight. It's okay to admire, but if want to get my hair, you'll have to get the baggage that comes along with it!

I remember in college another girl, Hispanic, mentioned how envious she was of folks with curls. She had straight hair on the coarse side and when she said this I smiled and said really? Yeah she said. Like the big bouncy beautiful curls, big spirals. My smile faded. I realized she wasn't talking about having hair like mine. Because curls like mine aren't desired really, right? They are a nice splash to fashion maybe but in the end when folks think of curls they again, are only thinking about a specific images.

I spoke to others about this more in college, by accident. Two women, both hispanic--one Cuban and Puerto Rican the other Ecuadorian and Puerto Rican--were transitioning out of relaxers. I thought I didn't have the right kind of hair, I'm hispanic hello! one of them told me. My cousins had the proper hair and I had the kinky morena thing going on, so relaxer was the solution. But now I'm just gonna let this grow out and cut little by little because I have nice curly hair, just different. During down time, besides discussing projects (and playing the SIMS lol) we discussed braid outs and twist outs and shampoos and conditioners. They liked my hair, and understood it, and we bonded over the fact that we didn't have the "right kind" of curls.

I guess in conclusion what I'm trying to stress is that approval really is pointless to seek in others. No one can love your hair for you. You have to love your hair for yourself and not other people. Compliments can be really great and make you feel good, but that cannot be the base of your relationship with your natural curls/kinks/coils.

Beyonce's Natural Hair

Beyonce, our biggest star since Michael Jackson. So just as everyone was all up in his business, everyone is in hers as well. We all love her for her amazing talent, captivating her audience by first glance and note, her moves like Jagger, and let's not forget all the amazing Lace Front Wigs that come with her (like she's "Weaving Fun Beyonce"). It's funny because I'm really not one to be starstruck or worship celebrities, but upon entering the online natural hair community, aside from Solange seeming to be the first black woman to go through a real hair journey in the Media, everyone wants to know if Beyonce is natural and what is her hair texture!

I've seen people with their own Fotki albums arguing Beyonce's hair and texture. A lot of people argued that she had beautiful, loose wavy curls that look pretty much like her weaves because she was "creole", while other's argued that if her sister's hair was tighter and coarser, then she must have that hair too. Both of these statements, as a professional hairstylist I can say are not true. Being a particular race does not ensure you a certain texture , nor does the fact that 2 people with the same exact parents would have the same exact hair. Prime example, I, even with a mulatto parent do not have any particular "mulatto defining" hair, and Curly Film Chick and her sister share the same 2 parents and their hair textures and curl patterns are completely different, though equally beautiful. Another thing we can not forget is how amazing weaves can be. Weaves are supposed to and should be installed to look natural, so there is also possibility that the hair we've been thinking is her natural hair, has been somehow enhanced with tracks or is a weave.

After watching her video "I Was Here" Live @ the Roseland it bought back the thoughts of what her natural hair was like, seeing her hair as a child. My conclusion? Well....
Beyonce definitely has hair of her own. I think she's also making a little too much money to be caught out there bald headed under a weave... even Jay would tell her to take care of that I'd think, lol.
Do I believe she has some length?
Yes, and she seems to also go through phases of being colored or growing her natural color out.
Do you think she has some sort of relaxer or texturizer?
It's hard to say, being that I've never seen or touched her hair or even have been up close to it. From photos, I would say I believe she has a texturizer. Tighter waves and curls can be seen at her root/natural hair line, then going into a looser curl/wave. In the video, as a child, her hair appears very similar, but it's not impossible for her to have had a texturizer as a child as well. If she is fully natural, she could be doing sets, braid outs, and twist outs to achieve these curly/wavy looks, since her roots do appear much tighter. Even in the photo with her dark hair pulled back, you can see the wave pattern is smaller than that of a loose wave or curl.
Do you think the natural looks are weaves or her hair? 
I believe she is wearing her natural hair out, even if she adds tracks for fullness and/or length. Regardless of anything, this gorgeous woman does appear to have a beautiful head of hair of her own.

(Now remember, these are my opinions from a hair stylist's stand point and I am not implying that any of my statements are particularly factual)

What do you all think of Beyonce's natural hair? 

***UPDATE***

I came across this photo on the web the other day, a throwback of Beyonce sporting a natural look. Look at those tight waves at her roots... I think it's safe to say her and Solange most likely have the same or a similar texure.

Being Natural DOES NOT Mean You're Enlightened

I'll admit that I am one of those folks who believe that for women of color, specifically black women, hair isn't just hair. It's a statement. It means something. As much as we wish that it didn't, our hair evokes questions, demands, anger, happiness, relief, explanations, and dismissal. It can shame our family, or show pride in them. Hair isn't just hair and that's a fact.

What I've come to be even more shell-shocked about is the belief that naturals are better. When first scouring the online natural hair community I suddenly felt like I belonged somewhere. Naturalistas seemed non-judgemental, they came in all shades, textures and walks of life. I felt "virtually" accepted by folks who only knew my by my online name and hair texture. Little by little I opened up and people reciprocated. It felt great. But not everything is rosy. Not everything is well. Naturals are people first (duh) and have their own values and beliefs. In a lot of ways my feelings started getting hurt and I've been slowly shying away, because the natural hair world isn't the safe space I thought it would be. I don't expect everyone to ever agree on everything, and no one should have to bare the responsibility of representing for an entire group of people but the negativity has really been taking a toll on me and my journey.

I dislike the hair hierarchies we have. I don't really deal with the hair-typing system for two reasons: the first being it doesn't really explain anything to me about how the hair functions, and the second is that it seems to have created a division amongst naturals who say things like "Only type 4's struggle, type 3s have it easier and can't really complain" or discouraging the "type 4's" from having great hair because they feel their hair type is the worst ever. I'm sick of the natural hair police determining for someone else whether they are natural or not because they color their hair or straighten it. I don't like the snobby attitudes about products and the philosophies of others. Sometimes the ideological differences do bother me, not because of the belief but how it's used to again, separate people and it hurts.

I don't know if others have felt this way, but honestly right now I only feel safe on my own blog space. I've been posting on the forums and a couple of blogs I'm comfortable with, but overall I'm discouraged and dismayed. I'm not trying to be negative which is why I have stopped short of naming the certain instances that led me to rant write about all this, but I'm hoping that this little blog with a handful of readers is at least welcoming to others. *Sigh*

My Wash And Go Adventures (Picture heavy post)

Hair enthusiasts! How have you been? Apologies for the scarce posting but SP and I have been really busy...we both live up to our namesakes in a sense (hint: SPStyles, and Curly Film Chick #doingwork).

So what's my mane been up to? Well let me tell you I've been really lazy. All the hair minus time equals neglect. Or maybe not as much neglect, but I haven't really been doing much styling. My routine these past few weeks include washing my hair two-three times a week with SheaMoisture, using hair milk as a leave in, then some gel and bun it. I tried to do interesting things with the buns to make it look like I was doing something. I either braided or flat twisted the front of my hair:

Braided in the front

Bun in the back

This past week, I've been experimenting more with the Wash and Go. For those who don't know, it's basically just washing (with shampoo or "conditioner washing"), adding product, and letting your hair dry with the intention of defined curls. I sucked royally at this, mainly because I had issues with finding products with hold and making the different curl patterns I possess look somewhat uniformed. And for my hair not to be crunchy and dry at the end of the day. So many issues. But I managed to pull it off AND have second day hair.  Basically, I washed my hair Wednesday morning, and used the TRESemme conditioner as my leave in. I detangled my hair very carefully in sections then added Eco styler gel to each section and sealed with Coconut oil. I put my hair in a very lose bun, because my hair was dripping and I knew it would take all day to dry. When I took out the bun at the end of the day, my hair was still damp but surprisingly there wasn't much frizz and there was no dryness or crunchiness. And my curls were still popping...

Hair Crush: Janet Mock

I think I found my hair crush in writer and journalist Janet Mock. She rocks the big hair I love and those colors...it looks like chocolate and caramel colors. As soon as I grow out these fuschia hi-lights I'm going to copy her. By then my hair will should be longer too.

As a side note: it came out a few weeks ago that Janet Mock was born a male. It's been met with a lot of the usual crappy commentary about her being an abomination and all. What I found funny was that I had just learned who Janet Mock was about two weeks prior to her sharing her story with Marie Claire because I was watching a documentary called Dressed (about fashion designer Nary Manivong) where she made an appearance due of her friendship with the designer. I saw her big curly hair and instantly fell in love, especially with the color. Her being born a male doesn't take away from my crush and actually, reading her story is pretty interesting. I have no idea what it must've felt like for her to grow up the way she did, but I think it was brave for her to share her story.

I'm mad interested in her hair routine though, it looks great!

A Curly Bob and Other Tales

4th grader: Why do you wear your hair so big and poofy?
Me: Because that's the way my hair goes...

Last week after washing and all that jazz, I decided to try a "braid and curl." I was a little dismayed when doing the set because I came to the realization that I don't have the "5 minute hair" that magazines say you can achieve. Clearly not me.  This is just half way into me setting my hair with some Jane Carter Wrap and Roll...

Do you see that? That is my damn what have I gotten into face. For some reason I forget that I have a lot of hair, and that right quick can mean a half hour O__o Needless to say I continued with setting. I braided most of the hair, then added perm rods on the ends; but I ran out and had to add one flexi rod to the set...

With all that work, I was actually pretty satisfied with the results. A poofy curly bob that I rather enjoyed....

I now have a new fixation on this look. The curly bob/fro and its variations will be my new thing for a bit!

My "Loose" Hair Adventures

Hey everyone! I haven't posted any hair pics in a while. Basically I've been wearing my hair loose in braid-outs and twist-outs with bunning and ponytails involved. My best braid out was last week when I went out with Mr. Smooth for his birthday...

Braid out

Mr. Smooth and I

I did this on dry hair, set it with my homemade leave-in spritz and some Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Conditioning Cream. I definitely noticed which parts of my hair can hold a set and what can't. My hair has different curl patterns and "textures" I guess, with the front being wavier and the hardest to keep a curl so adding more product is important for me. I washed and DC my hair with a mixture of Renpure Organics My Hair Is Parched, honey and coconut oil and then just added some gel and did a twist out that in the end, I didn't really like so much. I still need to learn how to apply sufficient amounts of product to sections of my hair that react differently. From that twist-out set this week, I've pretty much done ponytails and today I did a low side bun.

I have an event this weekend to attend, and am probably going to do another braid out because I want big noticeable hair for the occasion.

Natural does not = Afro (Creating Texture)

This post is for all of the relaxed ladies thinking of going natural, and all of those transitioners who are still a little reluctant about going completely natural...
Time and time again i have recommended friends to go natural, and i have gotten a few to start transitioning for the long haul, some in weaves, and 2 clients who have transitioned from relaxed to texturized.


The ladies who are thinking of going completely natural always seem to have the same question, or what seems to be more of a fear.
"Do i have to wear an Afro? I don't want to wear an afro."
The answer is NO... And what's so bad about an Afro anyway?
It's unfortunate that so many women are uneducated about their natural hair and think that there is no versatility in it, especially for the more tightly curled textures. There are so many different styles and results you can have when you learn how to style your natural hair, and i have learned thats it's all about creating the texture you want.

Straight Hair: People relax to permanently create a straight texture. Natural women can straighten their hair by various methods, usually combined. You can flatiron, maxiglide, press/hot comb, roller set, silk wrap and/or blowdry to create a sleek, smooth, straight finish. If you try straightening your hair and you have a lot of damage and split ends, it will show and probably not get as straight as possible, or you might have straight hair and 'afro ends.' Your ends may not be used to being straight so try your best to smooth your ends by silkwrapping, wrapping, pincurling, finger smoothing, whatever you can, and if that doesn't work, your ends may be split and in need of a trim. Remember to ALWAYS use heat protector when using heat so as to avoid heat damage.
You should also make sure to do your best to preserve your style by wrapping/ pincurling at night so as to avoid needing to add heat to the hair again. 
*A smoothing and heat protecting serum is a great way to keep away frizz and add a bit of moisture and shine.

Wavy/Curly Hair: To create wavy and/or curly textures, women rely on sets. What do you mean by "sets?"
A set refers to creating a texture and setting it to last. You can set your hair by using a curling iron, doing a rollerset, flexirod set, perm rod set, straw set, bantu knot/ china bump set, twist set, braid set, or setting your own curl using certain products/gels to help preserve your own natural curl pattern (example: Using a product like Kinky Curly Curling Custard or Ecostyler gel).


Sets have memory and can last for a few days depending on how you care for them, resetting by re-twisting a twist-out or putting rollers back in the hair to sleep can help to prolong your set. Wet/damp setting usually lasts the longest/ holds the most memory. If you want a long lasting style (usually set to last for a week), set the hair wet and let dry. Your final result will be up to you so remember to set your hair in the direction you want your hair to lay (example: If you are doing a twist out and want curly bangs, make sure you do the front twists coming to the front so when you untwist them, they're already hanging forward). Make sure you also use the right products to help you achieve your desired look, like using holding and frizz reducing products, or only moisturizing products and/or light hold if you like a more 'free' look.


Remeber that while setting, you are creating the texture you want, so for bigger waves/ curls, do larger twists/braids/knots or use bigger rollers/rods and vice versa for tighter waves/curls.
 Some people would rather dry set, probably because they want to stretch the hair first to show more length or have a sleeker/ less textured look. Braid outs, twist outs, roller and rod sets can be done on blowdryed/flatironed/air dryed hair as well.
Take your time and experiement with your hair and you will learn that your options and results can be endless. With any hair type, remember that everyone has bad hair days so if something doesn't come out perfect, try again or try a different approach.

Afros: Yes, an afro is a texture some choose to create, as not all people have hair that stands up as an afro would. An afro is basically a bunch of separated curls that stand out from the head and usually defy gravity. 
Some people may tease their hair to create an afro texture, set their hair on small rollers/ rods or in small braids or twists and then comb/pic them out to separate the curls/texture and shape the afro. 
Some people want a fully rounded/picked out afro while others like textured afros, created with either their own afro/texture or a set texture.
Either way, know that our options are NOT limited!
Now remember, it's always going to be harder to have and keep the texture that is the most opposite from your own hair texture, and remember that as women with textured hair we are not the only ones who go through these issues. Just as it can be difficult and time consuming for straight Asian hair to be curled and stay curly, the same goes for our curly hair and trying to straighten and keep it straight.
Once you go natural, it's always easier when you embrace your natural texture and natural styling, as opposed to always wanting to straighten, as it will of course be the most time consuming and damaging. 
If your texture is not ideal to you or you just want to try a new look, learn how to create the texture that you like and don't forget that your hair's health should come first and foremost. 


Have fun experimenting with creating textures!

Getting Back To My Curls

Happy Monday!

I was so eager to see my hair back to curly with the shape and hi-lights so I washed my hair Friday night. I used a new line of products, Jessicurl. I ordered the trial pack which includes shampoo, conditioner, her infamous weekly deep conditioner and some styling products.

I won't give a full review just yet because I only used it once, but I don't mind it so far. I split my hair into four sections, then pre-poo'd with Burts Bees Avocado Butter for about 20 minutes on wet hair and then rinsed it out. I then used Jessicurl's Hair Cleansing Cream on each section and then rinsed. I will say that my hair felt pretty moisturized and smooth and the smell is not bad either---sorta reminds me of putting herbs in my hair.

Right after rinsing out Avocado Butter

Cleansing Cream in my hair

I then used the Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner which was a thick cream with some detangling power. Rinsed that out and then went in on the Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment that I've heard so much about. I applied it to each section and wrapped my head up in a plastic bag and let it sit for about 45 minutes as I was busy about my apartment. I rinsed it out in cold water and detangled a little, which was a breeze...

freshly washed and detangled hair

 THEN I decided to stretch my hair using curlformers. I let it air-dry, took them out and using my fingers smoothed the curls out and put my hair in a high ponytail. I was done for the night. Yesterday I decided to put my hair in medium-sized boxed braids that I'll probably take out at the end of the week or maybe leave it in for 2, I haven't decided yet. You can probably see how the ends of my hair are unraveled and curled up...I like it like that actually.