Naturally Obsessed

I spotted this vid link in my timeline yesterday and just a few moments ago had the chance to watch it. In a nutshell, it captures the nervous, anxious moments before and during one's Big Chop. Videos like this make me regret that I didn't capture my BC on film lol...it's so well put together! The natural newbie also talks about her families reaction to her choice to go natural. At the mark 3 minute mark narrator/poet Steven Russell recites "Nappy Heads Unite". It's a powerful poem and I would love to hear all of your views on it! What was your reason(s) for going natural? Was self hate ever a factor when you used to relax?

About me...Hi. I am currently a Fashion Merchandising student starting my second year at Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, Pa. I am really involved with the ministries at my church and hoping that God will lead me to the best career ever, lol. I am hoping to one day intern at Seventeen Magazine, and eventually end up in the fashion department at Essence Magazine. There are more things I want to do with my life, but I could spend all day listing those them.

Where do you live? How is the natural hair community there?
I live in Wilmington, Delaware. The natural hair community is visual at times, but it is not as big. People mainly wear the straight styles. However in Philly, where I attend school there are many more naturals, especially in the Center City area.

When and why did you decide to go natural?
My choice to go natural was not really conscious, it really stemmed from frustration with my hair. In the summer of 2008 I was asked to be in a fashion show for my brother at his old high school. I needed my hair done for the show so I asked my aunt to give me a touch up. Well my hair came out nice and straight, but I felt it was too close to my scalp, to thin and it had absolutely no volume, and I love voluminous thick hair. So after being dissatisfied with my hair I decided to grow the perm out. Another fact is I always had admired one of my best friend's hair because it was so curly and pretty. I did not know I could have that type of hair too, I ignorantly thought you had to be mixed to have it. I have been natural for two years and 2 months, but I big chopped July 3rd this year in pure spite.

Were your friends and family supportive? If not, how were you able to move forward?
I never had a problem with support when I transitioned because I always would wear my hair straight. However, after I BC and really start wearing my hair curly, I could tell that my parents did not take it well at first. My mom was not phased by me wearing my hair curly, it was the cutting of my hair that bothered her for a while. That shouldn't of bothered her because I am always cutting my hair. My dad does not care for the natural look, but he loves me enough to accept it and let me be me. On the other hand, my siblings have been very supportive. My sister and my friend have now started to want to go natural. Plus I have a couple cousins who also are going natural so its great that I have this special bond to share with them. I really did not care who approved or disapproved but it was nice to have that support.

What is your current hair routine?
Oh boy. Well every week I deep condition with Herbal Essences Hydralicious Conditioner. Throughout the week I now wash my hair every 3-4 days. I try to wear my hair in protective styles from Monday to Saturday but I love touching my hair so much I wear my hair in at least 2 different styles per week. I know its bad to be in your hair all the time, but there are times where I don't like a particular protective style and decide I need to switch it up. On Sundays I mainly where my hair out in a braid out, twist out, or bantu-knot out (which are my favorites).

Everyday I moisturize my hair with Cantu Shea Butter, B&B Oil Moisturizer with Castor Oil and Aloe Vera, and from time to time I use ECO Styler Gel depending on the style. I was using African Essentials Carrot Oil to seal, but I ran out of it, lol so I am looking for something else. For the in-between the week co-washes I use Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner. I really love the Herbal Essences Conditioners but I am ready to start trying some others.

Do you have any hair goals? What steps are you taking to achieve them?
My hair goals is to have mid-back length hair when stretched but to have APL hair while naturally curly in the next two years. I am going to try to wear my hair in more protective styles, especially in the winter time since I can't wash n' go anymore. I am also going to try to keep my hands out of my hair lol.

What is your fav go-to style for your natural hair? Tell us how you achieve it?
The Bantu-knot out and the braid out (or plat out as I would say) because the braid out really stretches my hair where I can see great length.

Curly girls have more fun because...our hair is a symbol of our strength, our faith and perseverance...and also because we don't have to worry about getting our scalps scorched anymore lol.

Thanks for sharing Sharaia :)

Product Description: Your perfect hair care partner! A Tangle Teezer hair brush will break the cycle of broken hair and give tangled hair the brush off. A revolution in detangling hair, it has the ability to flex and not pull upon contact with tangles, gently and effortlessly delivering smooth and shiny hair in an instant. The Tangle Teezer Original is a gentle pain free hair detangler that has been referred to as the miracle brush that detangles like nothing else. Its secret is it allows you to manage and style your hair as never before, transforming tangled hair into stress free, style-able hair and encouraging your hair's natural shine and thickness to return.

Cost: $9.99 @ Sally's Beauty Supply


My Thoughts: There is a ton of hype surrounding this brush so I decided to put it to a major test! In the beginning of the clip above you see my hair looking wild and bushy...that's the result of not properly maintaining my braid out at night and by day 5 that's what it looked like. It looked even worse in person and was definitely in need of a good detangling. So I began by shampooing my hair with Elucence and then I slathered my hair with Mop Top Deep Conditioner (review soon) and allowed it to soak in overnight. The next day I finger parted small sections and began working the TT through my hair from end to root....as always. I was a little nervous at first because there is no cushion on this brush, like the Denman and the bristles seemed to short to get through my texture. Although, once I got the hang of it I was very pleased with the results.

In comparison to the Denman, the detangling is very similar. They both do a great job of detangling and can be used for styling. The TT is bigger/wider and allows you to detangle more hair at one time. However, it's size could be a little hard to handle especially to those with small hands. It's bulkiness coupled with a slippery conditioner could be a issue to some as well. I love that the Denman has a handle, but I could see myself using the TT more often. Here are my reasons...

1. It doesn't make my hair coil up into itself, causing me even more shrinkage than I naturally have.
2. My detanging time is cut down because I can work with bigger sections
3. It's wayyy easier to clean. There is no cushion or teeth to remove, simply remove the shed hair, rinse and your done!
4. The pink color makes my day a little brighter lol! Just kidding :)

I won't sit here and say that I'm completly done with the Denman, but I loving the TT for now. Also, those who say that the TT may cause breakage and SSK, I'll keep you updated if I began to have any of those issues.

What are your thoughts on the Tangle Teezer? 

After the recent tsunami/earthquake in Japan, singer Solange and son Juelz decided to show their support through art. Solange tweeted this adorable pic of Juelz getting his paint on in the name of charity and of her modeling her son's designs. If you would like more information on where to purchase these tees and/or paintings follow Solange on Twitter.

About Me...Hello! My name is Mary and I'm from O’Fallon IL. O’Fallon is a small town near St. Louis. You could actually drive through the whole town in like 7 mins. It’s predominantly Caucasian and growing up, there were plenty of times where I was one of a few African Americans in my class. Even in high school I didn’t know anyone who was openly natural (I say openly because the naturals straightened their hair and didn’t walk around in braid outs or anything). Senior year of high school I happened to know a few girls who were transitioning, but that’s it! There really isn’t any natural hair community at all.

When and why did you decide to go natural?
I was completely ignorant of natural hair. I would see pictures of natural curls and think, “I wish my hair was naturally curly”. I actually thought that when I washed my relaxed hair and didn’t flat iron it, that was my natural hair. So serious! Sad, isn’t it? I don’t remember how I stumbled across sites like CurlyNikki and Fotki, but seeing the pictures of African Americans with curly hair was mind blowing. I had NO idea our hair was curly. I was tired of my relaxed hair, but I wasn’t tired of it being straight. My original plan was to go natural just so I would have thicker straight hair. So Jun 2009, I decided to transition to natural.

What was your family's reaction to your natural hair?
At first my family and friends didn’t believe me. I don’t blame them, because I relaxed probably every few weeks, and straightened my hair twice a week. I was addicted to straight hair. I’m surprised I even had hair now that I think about it. After the first 4-5 months they started to take me seriously and supported the decision. After 13 months and 2 days, on July 23 2010, my boyfriend cut all my relaxed ends off. It was that day that I fell in love with my curls and decided not to straighten them.


Describe your current hair routine.
I will be 8 months natural on March 23 2011! My hair routine is actually simple compared to many naturals. I’m a college student who likes to spend her money on food or books instead of hair products. Maybe when I get a 9 to 5 ill go product crazy, but until then I’ll stick to the basics. At the moment I wash with Suave Almond and Shea Butter Shampoo. I condition with the Suave Almond and Shea Conditioner and detangle with a Tangle Teezer in the shower. After I detangle I put each section into fat twist. If I want to do I braid/twist out, I add Aussie moist conditioner then braid/twist it. If I was to wear my natural curls I put coconut oil on my hair and eco gel. Every morning I fluff with coconut oil and that’s it! Oh, I also deep condition every week with Coconut Oil Formula w/ Vitamin E Deep Conditioning Protein Pack. I’ve tried plenty of hair products and the ones I just describe are all my favorites.
Do you have any hair goals? If so, what steps are you taking to achieve them?
My hair was past bra strap length when it was relaxed, so my first goal is just to get right back to that length natural. My ultimate hair goal is to be between bra strap and waist length. I’m only 5 foot so waist length is just too much hair for me! To achieve this goal, I’m just doing what it tells me to do. If it says I’m dirty, I'll clarify it, if it says I’m dry, I’ll do more oils and deep condition it, if it says my ends are tired, I'll trim and do more protective styles. It’s all about listening to your hair and being consistent with your treatments.

How has being natural changed you?
Being natural has taught be to just love how God has made me and to become more comfortable in my skin. It took a lot for me to find myself attractive when I had a lil fro on my head, but I did it. I actually stopped wearing everyday makeup and eye shadows. I found that I just like the natural color or my skin. My natural hair has just broadened my definition of beautiful.

My top 5 obsessions are...
•Grey's Anatomy
•Styling my hair...I find it quite relaxing
•Photography/Photoshop
•Goldfish
•Music...My current fav song is Repeaterbeater by MEW


Anything else you would like to add...
I have a fotki! It has all the pictures since day 1 of my decision to transition. I love to share photos, hair styles and swap ideas around. Visit my Fotki --> http://members.fotki.com/-PeaceAndNatrility-/about/
Thanks for letting me share my story with others! ♥

I'm sooo not the expert on the topic, but since my Made From Earth review I've been getting a lot of requests to spill the beans on my regimen. Like I told you guys before....I have acne prone and oily skin. There's no cure for acne you just have to learn how to maintain it. Last October my skin began breaking out really bad. From tiny pimples to big mosquito bite looking bumps, I had them all. The Clean and Clear cleanser wasn't doing enough to clear my skin, so I quickly made an appointment with a dermatologist. After going over my issues with her she prescribed Duac Gel and Differin Gel. Both of these gels helped me tremendously through my teenage years so I was confident that they would clear up my skin.

Once I got the gels I decided to change up my cleanser as well. After watching MopTopMaven's oil cleansing tutorial I decided to ditch the Clean & Clear, for a more natural approach to cleansing my skin. Since it was my first time try the OCM I used MopTop's exact oil mixture, which was Castor, Grapeseed and Hazelnut Oil. After a week of using the mix morning and night my acne got worse! I starting getting tiny bumps around my hair line and my face was super oily. After more trial and error and after much time on the net trying oils more suited to my needs, I finally found a mix that consistently keeps my skin clear. I use a 50/50 mix of Sweet Almond Oil and Grapeseed Oil.....that's it! It's light yet effective and is moisturizing without making my face oily/greasy. Here's my skin regimen...

Morning:
Cleanse with oil mix
Cold water rinse
Apply Witch Hazel as a toner (when necessary)
Moisturize with Neutrogena Visibly Even SPF 30 (currently in love with the Made From Earth moisturizer sample....ugh why can't it be cheaper lol)
Spot treat any breakouts with Duac gel

Night:
Cleanse with oil mix
Cold water rinse
Moisturize with Rose Hip Seed Oil
Spot treat any breakouts with Differin gel

**Every now and then I do a Bentonite Clay mask using water or apple cider vinegar...not often though. For acne scars I've been using Ambi Fade Cream, morning and night on my problem areas**

It may sound complicated, but the more you do it the simpler it gets and my skin is thanking my for making such an effort. The key to being successful with the OCM is finding the right mix for YOU, not just what someone else swears by. For more info on oil cleansing try these searches HERE and  HERE and HERE. To purchase the oils mentioned my fav online shops are CamdenGrey.com or LuckyVitamin.com....the have the best prices!

One thing I would like to try more is steam treatments. I have the facial attachment that comes optional with the Huetiful Hair Steamer and I've only used it once, but I loved it! And even though the setup is super easy I'm to lazy to attach the thing lol! If I start using regularly I'll keep you guys updated :)