Naturally Obsessed

Corrine looks hot on the set of her new music video for the single "Closer".  On her website Corrine made this statement....

"I had such an amazing time making this video. The director, Adria Petty, has brilliant ideas. We both thought about the feel of the song and independently imagined a slightly seventies look, Donna Summer sexy, abandoned roller disco fun."

Images: Source

First off let me say I L.O.V.E your blog!  It's so informative and organized with great updates!  I am currently in the process of transitioning, I am about 3 1/2 months post relaxer and it's getting harder to style my hair.  I have been getting it pressed once a month, to help better manage it while I'm in school.  Since classes are over this week, I would like to experiment more this summer.  I love your twist outs and was wondering if they will work on hair that is partially permed as well as natural??  Your results are amazing!  Also, do you have any other suggestions for protective styles, (no weave) while I'm transitioning?
Thank you! -Stacia

Hi Stacia

There are many style options for those in  transition, the possibilities are endless.  It really comes down to how creative you are.  Twists and twist outs, braids and braid outs are great style options whether full natural or not.  These styles stretch the hair and will give a continuous hair pattern to disguise the kinks and the straight hair.  To add sass to the look try Curly Nikki's twist and curl style, it will add fullness and give your straight ends more shape.  Flat twists, rod/roller sets and buns are a few other looks as well.

When I transitioned I didn't have a clue as to how to deal with the different textures growing from my head and as a result I just wore micro braids until I was ready to chopped the ends.  It wasn't until after I BC'ed that I discovered a ton of other ways I could have made my transitioning period more enjoyable lol! 

Below is a link to tons of transistioning  YouTubers doing style tutorials and reviews.  These ladies can show you better than I can type it so check them out!

Transitioning Styles http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=transitioning+styles&aq=8

Among a sea of lace fronts, avatar ponytails and candy colored wigs, natural hair spottings were few and far between.  However, the ones that were spotted rocked the look effortlessly, check the pics below!

One of my favorite natural hair celebs, Esperanza Spalding, came through looking beautiful as she performed during the Prince tribute. 

Also performing for the "Purple One" was Janelle Monae, who did an amazing cover of Prince's Let's Go Crazy.  And crazy she went lol!

Jaden Smith, his hot mama Jada and sis Willow spotted on the red carpet. looking cute.  Not only is his fro amazing, Jaden followed in his father's footsteps and slayed the box office with the remake of Karate Kid.  Congrats Jaden!!

 Singer Goapele look cute on the red carpet in a black drees and kinks to the side.  I'm not really into her music, but her hair is always on point!

What did you guys think of the awards this year?

Product Description: Abba Pure Curl Shampoo is a natural solution for restoring body to your hair. Restore body manageability and luster to naturally curly or permed hair. The combination of lemongrass and orange peel oil provides extreme bounce and adds shine to curly or wavy hair. Sulfate and DEA free and is also 100% vegan.

Ingredients: water (aqua) (eau), sodium methyl cocoyl taurate (coconut oil), cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, glycerin (vegetable oil), myristamine oxide, glycol stearate, symphytum officinale leaf extract (comfrey), ocimum basilicum (basil) flower/leaf extract, echinacea angustifolia extract, equisetum arvense extract (horsetail), hydrolyzed wheat protein/pvp crosspolymer, cymbopogon schoenanthus oil (lemongrass), citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) oil (orange), peg-120 methyl glucose dioleate (vegetable), polyquaternium-10, sodium pca, disodium edta, citric acid (sweet potato), citronellol, geraniol, limonene, linalool, phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol.

My Thoughts: I first tried this shampoo when I decided to get my curls back after wearing it straight for almost 2 weeks and I totally like this product! It's very creamy, but still gave me a nice lather. It rinses easily and unlike other shampoos it didn't leave my hair stripped at all. My hair actually felt moisturized. Now we all know that sometimes the first time we try a product it's works amazing, but the second and third time is kinda like where did the magic go. So I tried it a few times more before completing this review and I have to say I still liked it!

The downside is if you don't always use all natural and organic hair products then this shampoo may not clean too good. The third time I tried this shampoo I use it after wearing a braidout that was styled with a heavy non natural moisturizer and it did not do a good job of getting all the residue out. I wasn't really expecting it to though. In my opinion, Abba Pure Curl is a very mild cleanser that would definetly benefit a curly girl who is all organic all time with her hair care.

So when I have my organic all the time moments ( they come and go..lol!) I'll be using this again.

My Rating: 4 out of 5

For More Reviews: Click Here!

Hey Guys!

Naturally Obsessed has teamed up with NaturallyCurly.com to bring you product reviews of some the hottest curly hair products on the market.  Some of them you've heard of and some of them you haven't.  Even the products that you think wouldn't work for our kind of hair...and by "our" I mean me and my readers, I have a feeling that most of you have a similar texture to mine or kinkier.  Naturally Curly will send products for me to try and I'll review them here by text or YouTube video.  So when you see the curly head logo or the title "NC Review" you'll know that it's a sponsored Naturally Curly review.  All other product reviews will simply be titled "In Review".

I would also like to stress that even though these products are sponsored my review will still be 100% my opinion and honest!

First product up for review is Abba Pure Curl Shampoo which will be posted tomorrow afternoon!

KKQ

p.s. If you have any suggestions on products that you would like me to review, please let me know and I'll pass it on to the Naturally Curly staff.

Don't you just love it when celebs go cheap....R&B singer Melanie Fiona rocked this giant polka dot dress while performing on CBS "The Early Show" alongside mom to be Alicia Keys. She looked super cute and feminine in her dots and added a touch of sass with sexy hot pink pumps.

Just wanted let you guys know what my hair has been up to this week.  First off I snipped a couple pieces in the font to even out the bang area.  I've had some great growth in the front, but I can't stand when my hair hangs in my eyes.  Also so my right side tends to hang longer than my left side which is annoying for me to look at....So those pieces had to go.  It's not a drastic change to keep me happy for now, but I eventually want to get bangs professionally done like my girl Nisus...her hair is fab!  And I'm not to worried about it being uneven when strectched, because I don't plan on straightening my hair any time soon...

Right Side (the side that was cut) I used Giovanni Tee Tree Triple Threat Conditioner and Clear Eco-Styler Gel.

Left Side

All Dry and Evened Out!

After wearing my kinks out and loose for 3 days I pulled them up into a puff.... 

And yesterday I co-wash my hair with TIGI Curls Rock Conditioner,left a little bit in as a leave in and used La Bella Styling Gel to smooth the top and edges.  At night I banded the puff in the middle to give my hair some stretch and covered with a satin scarf....

How was your hair this week??

Is That A Texturizer: My Quest For The Perfect Curl

Is Your Hair "Neat"?: My Quest For The Perfect Curl

I Wish I Would Have Know: Mop Top Maven

 My Trip To Dominican Republic: Honey.Brown.Sugar

How Do You Feel About Shrinkage: Mane & Chic

My Good Hair Story:  The "Good" Hair Blog

Roll & Tuck Fro Hawk: A Girl Can Mac

Watch as Anthony teaches how to properly elongate your wash & go, curly hair advice and shows off his salon.  Take notes!!

Side Note: Homegirl's hair is FAB!!

When and why did you decide to go natural?

I decided to go natural this past January because I was tired of split ends, flat hair, dry scalp and breakage.  I wasn’t allowing my hair to reach its full potential with relaxers and weaves  and I decided I needed a change in time for my 20th birthday.   Also my best friend went natural two years ago and I've been jealous and she's been encouraging me to do the same.  SideNote: I'm a college student and the creamy crack was becoming a burden on my pockets.

Were your friends and family supportive of your decision?

If not, how were you able to move forward?  Most of my friends and family were supportive, sans my conservative grandmother.  My mom was natural for years until she relapsed out of empty nest syndrome, lol (I’m one of two and we both left for college at once).  My boyfriend has been the most supportive in my decision and that was all the motivation I needed.

What is current hair routine?

I’m currently figuring out a routine through research and blog stalking, but I’ve been deep conditioning 1x a week and co-washing 2x a week.  Then I use a leave in with Organix Hydrating Tea Tree Mint Conditioner and water.  I also put in bantu knots at night and wear the curly benefits for a few days afterwards.  It works for now but I’m always looking for something new.

What are your hair goals? What steps are you taking to achieve them?

My ultimate hair goal is to have fuller, healthier hair that fully expresses who I am as a person.  I’m not flat and dry so why should my hair be that way?  At this point in my transition stage, it’s all about keeping my hair moisturized and regularly trimming my ends because I have yet to do my BC.

How has your perception of beauty changed since going natural?

I think my perception of beauty has evolved since going natural.  Before going natural, I fell into the widespread idea that beautiful people have straight hair.  Now I realize that the beauty is in the confidence of the person rocking that straight or natural hair  I’ve seen my beauty with a relaxer, so now I want see what my beauty is like with natural hair.

What advice would you give to a new natural?

You will not see results overnight.  Take your time getting to know what your hair does and doesn’t like. And DO NOT try to compare your hair to that of other people.  It is uniquely you and you shouldn’t be trying to live out someone else’s hair journey.  Create your own and enjoy it.

Submit your Hair Diary by clicking the link! http://naturallyobsessed.onsugar.com/Hair-Diary-How-Can-I-Featured-8336639

"My hair is kinky, grows toward the sun and laughs at the most inferior utensils that try to tame her....And I wouldn't have it any other way!"

This post was written June 12th

I finally got tired of my twists and took them out.  I worked on the back of my head on Thursday and finished up the front on Friday.  It feels so good to have my hair free again! 

After my last twist came out I quickly hopped in the shower to shampoo the 4 weeks of twisted bondage out of my hair.  In 2 sections I shampooed with Suave's Rosemary Mint Shampoo for no particular reason, it was just the first shampoo saw in my cabinet so I said what the heck.  Then I applied Aubrey Organics Green Tea Cream Rinse (review soon) and divided my hair into 4 sections.  On top of that I smooth on Suave's Almond & Shea Butter Moisturizing Conditioner, which is a really good and cheap condish, and covered with a plastic bag.  After about 45 minutes I divided each of the 4 sectrions into 2 sections and began to detangle.  Each time I detagle a section I twisted and made a loose bantu knot to keep the hair from getting tangled again.  Once complete I put the plastic bag back on my head and went to bed.

In the morning as I rinsed with cool water, I could definetly tell that my hair desparately needed this pampering.  Wearing twists for 4 weeks with little to no water applied, could drive you r hair to it's breaking point...literally.  So I'm glad that even though I could have easily gotten 2 more weeks out of the tiny twists,  I knew my hair well enough to say 4 weeks...that's enough!

After the conditioner was all rinsed away I applied Vatika Oil ( I love this stuff) throughout, rinsed a litttle and smoothed a small amount of Giovanni Smooth As Silk Conditioner to each side of my head.  On top of that I raked in Eco Styler (Clear) Gel in small sections for a wash & go.  As you can tell from the pictures below I was a bit heavy handed with the gel this time.  I think I was just excited to have my curls back..lol!!

I let my hair air dry for almost an hour. then I sat under my Soft Bonnet Dryer until it was mostly dry.  I can't remember exactly how long I sat under there, I lost track of time tweeting my tweeps on Twitter.  But I think it was around 20-35 minutes.  After that I shook and fluffed and went on my way.  Here's what it looked like all dry....

So happy to have my hair back!!

I'm originally from D.C, but have recently relocated to Thailand for the time being (which is what finally convinced me that I needed to make my big chop!).  It can get lonely out here without a support network when the days get rough and the curls get frazzled, but sites like yours keep me going and fresh with ideas that make my friends and co-workers over here coo.  I can't wait to try out some of the styles. -Lauren

When and why did you decide to go natural?
Like most reborn au-naturales, I had toyed around with the idea of going natural for a looooong time before I finally took the plunge and went for my big chop. After watching two of my best friends return to the wave in college, I finally realized that my hair was a hot mess, for real, for real.  I had spent months and months trying everything I could to re-strengthen, re-vitalize, and re-grow the pile on my head to little luck.  What finally pushed me over the edge was my post-graduation plans to teach in Thailand-- a mix of no salons for these kinda kinks and the constant sweating in the Thai heat meant bye bye to my relaxer days.  So, two days after I received my diploma, I packed my bags, scrapped the doo, and made my way, TWA and all, halfway around the world!

Were your friends and family supportive of your decision?  If not, how were you able to move forward?

Some of my friends had already gone the route.  Those who didn't respected my decision, albeit with a wary eye.  My family was a different matter.  My mother had chopped her hair off in college so she was all for it.  My father was appalled.  My great aunt smacked me upside the head.  I thought my Jewish boyfriend, who sports his own curly 'fro, would want to snatch the scissors from my hand, but when I surprise called him from the salon chair, he said: "You spend more time trying to fix that stuff than you do with me, so if it'll make it better-- do it."  I never looked back.

What is your current hair routine?

My routine shifts and changes all the time, but I try to match ingredients/product lines where I can.  It's hard since Sally's definitely don't exist here and when I walk into a salon, people look terrified.  At any rate, living in a tropical zone does have its benefits like cheap fresh products and great oils-- tons of avocado, coconut oil, coconut milk, ylang ylang, etc.  Right now, I'm hooked on avocados.  I wash with an avocado shampoo once a week (sometimes I mix in a little Organic Root Stimulator conditioner), deep condition 2x a week with an avocado DC, apply shea butter moisturizer every other day, light refresher spray every day, and oil my ends with coconut oil/olive oil mix at night.  I also always do an oil treatment the night before I DC.

What are your hair goals? What steps are you taking to achieve them?

I love my 'fro.  I really do.  And I can't wait to see the potential it has as it grows bigger and curlier every day.  I still get excited to stick my head under water and rub some DC in!  I hope that by Christmas, I'll have the curls under better control for more definition and shape and that I'll be able to straighten it into a bob for New Year's just to see how it looks.  I hope that DCing twice a week will finally conquer my chronic lack of moisture.

How has your perception of beauty changed since going natural?

The more of my friends I keep prying away from the texturizers and relaxer kits, the more validated I feel in my decision to go chemical free.  After seeing me be so much happier and stress-free with my hair, it's rewarding to watch friends rethink the need to chemically beat their natural tresses into submission.  Even though sometimes I feel limited or like I don't have enough styling options because it's not "long enough" yet, I truly feel more me and more beautiful, not to mention more sophisticated with a shorter doo.  There's something that's too hot to trot about a woman with a head of wild curls-- big fro-tastic or cute and coiffed. And I like being that woman.

What advice would you give to a new natural?

If it hasn't been said enough already, moisture is really the key.  Especially for natural hair that's trying to grow out of the aftermath of a relaxer like mine was.  Deserts sprout cacti, not beautiful flowers.  And don't be afraid to accessorize!  I crave variety and all sorts of clips and headbands and bra strap bands and flowers keep me from ever feeling bored.  Love your hair, because after all, your hair is an extension of you.

What a great message sis!  Keep doing your thing over in Thailand and send an update if you do or don't meet your Christmas goals.  Kharb Koon (thank you) -KKQ

"Not everyone wants to see you succeed, some people want to see you fail. Just remember to count your blessings and not your haters!"

Never saw this one coming!  Little Miss Sunshine has changed her look again.  She debuted her candy red locks at one of her many sold out tour stops and wowed her fans.  I guess its safe to say that whether you like her music or not this chick is FIERCE and can rock just about any look effortlessly.  I must say that while I absolutely love the color, I'm not so smitten with the cut.  Here are a few pics of Rihanna rocking out at The Summertime Ball in London and I have to ask do you love it or hate it??

Over the years Rihanna has had many color changes, which one was/is your fav?

Images courtesy of RihannaDaily.Com

• Black (287 votes)
• Blond (41 votes)
• Red (10 votes)
• Brown (33 votes)
• She Can Do Whateva! (135 votes)

When and why did you decide to go natural?

Were your friends and family supportive of your decision? If not, how were you able to move forward? 

My family was supportive, except my brother.  He means no harm though.  He simply likes long flowing weave.  Everyone else was cool with it.  I actually had my sister sit with me while I did some of my research and she was very interested.  She said she's probably going to want to go natural after she sees my hair grow out.  She seriously needs to, her hair has been destroyed by perms :-(

 

What is your current hair routine?

 

Well, right now I'm wearing yarn twist as a protective style.  When I'm not wearing that I co-wash everyday with Sauve Naturals, V05, or Herbal Essences.  If I'm wearing a certain style then I won't co-wash until my style is threw.  I moisture and seal with Olive Oil and Shea Butter everday and I deep condition my hair every Sunday.  That's pretty much it....very simple

 

What are your hair goals?  What steps are you taking to achieve them?

I just want to see how long my hair can grow.  I don't have a desired length.  I do want my hair to get long enough to try all those awesome hairstyles though.  I just try to retain my length so it can grow by taking care of my ends.

 

How has your perception of beauty changed since going natural?

 

It really made be appreciate black features more.  I'm definitely more proud of our features now and I embrace that.  For instance, I use to wear colored contacts, but now I embrace my dark eye color. I think dark eyes are beautiful.  I also appreciate natural beauty much more now.

 

What advice would you give to a new natural?

Have fun with your hair!  Don't stress over trying to have your hair look a certain way or get a certain length.  Just embrace what you have and enjoy it while you have it.  Always be confident because that is very important when it comes to having a TWA.  So have fun and look fab!!

Thanks for sharing your story sis!! Loving that black & white hair bow :-)

If you would like to share your story please click the link! http://naturallyobsessed.onsugar.com/Hair-Diary-How-Can-I-Featured-8336639