Hairstyle of the Week: The Farrah Flip

Since my last relaxer, my bangs have grown out quite a bit and I haven't been quite sure what to do with them yet.  I don't feel the need to cut them again, so I've been trying to find styles that I can rock to get around it while they grow out a little more.  The result... a throwback!!!

It is a little hard to tell from the pictures, but I've been flipping my bangs back for the past few weekends and I've liked it a lot. I curl the rest under as normal. 

Thoughts?

I'm Curly and I Know It

Week 8 of my relaxer stretch and after not combing my hair during week 7, I decided not to comb my hair another week by going curly.  I had company coming over that day so I got up early on Saturday morning and washed and styled my hair.  This time when I styled it, I moistened my hair with my typical mixture, but before wrapping around the flexi-rod I used the smooth and hold pudding along with sealing with a dab of oil.  I will say that this time around, I took my time, made a few larger sections in my parts and had a decent flexi-set for once.  I finished with a ton of rods left.  I then proceeded to clean up my house while letting my hair dry.

I Didn't Comb My Hair This Week and I Still Looked Fab

How ya like me now?!  It all started on a Sunday night.  I had washed my hair, I was about 7 weeks post relaxer, and I was like, oh really, you want to act like that?  And my hair was like, umm yeah, what are you gonna do about it?  So I was like, well okay, I'm just going to twist you up in two buns and go to sleep and deal with you in the morning.  

What resulted were light, fluffy, puffy curly curls that looked super cute.  I wore a ton of different styles with it - of course I didn't take pictures every day, but this is one of the looks:

Yeah, I was feelin myself ;-)

Each night I would just put my hair up in two buns and the mornings would be a surprise.  It wasn't as cute as the week went on, but I just changed it up.  One day I wore it half up and the rest down.  One day it was a curly ponytail.  Either way, it got me through the week and I was in flexi-rods that weekend.  But who says stretching can't be cute??? 

2012 Comparison

I'll go ahead and admit it -- I've been pretty horrible with posting my comparison pictures and I'm probably not going to get any better at it.  It's just not really something I care about or am interested in capturing, however, I do take a moment from time to time and now I'd like to share.

I'd also like to introduce a new term to the hair care world - Tattoo Length Hair (TLH), LOL.  I don't know how scientific this is, but I tried to aline my pictures up at the tattoo line as my point of reference for how much change as occurred over the past 12 months.  Take a look:

I think now, I'm a lot thicker and fuller than a year ago, in addition to being longer.  I will also note that the hair on the 2011 picture looks flat ironed, while the 2012 picture is not.  So I'm at APL, but not a "full APL".  I am on my Jamaican Black Castor Oil challenge, so I expect big changes in the next 32 days before I relax again.

And since I had it, I wanted to throw in bonus long lost picture from July 2011.  It's a wet hair pic (which I now feel like is cheating),  but I wanted to throw it in anyway.  Maybe I'll do a wet hair comparison from then till now...?

July 2011 - Wet Hair

Cheers!

How Low Can You Go?

V-Day Flowers hand delivered by my Hubby

 It's February... the month of love, black history month, and now - the month I always get bangs, LOL.  This is year 2 of the v-day bang (no pun intended) and I'm loving it.  After desiring, wishing, and hoping that I had the balls to change my hair, I finally went through with it... over the course of a couple weeks.

Jealous of My Own Hair

I'm a couple weeks strong with deep conditioning twice a week and my hair is suddenly loving it!  I think I'll stick with Wednesday and Sunday deep condition days - with a switch ups in between.  I did my first switch up this past weekend. 

On Wednesday, I did a normal deep conditioner mix with EVOO, JBCO, and my conditioners.  On Friday, I finally repurchased Suave Humectant conditioner to use as my cheapie condish.  It cost around $2 and I'm now going to consider it my miracle in a bottle.  So on Saturday, I only did a co-wash, no oils or anything.  I air dried for a little over an hour and then I blow dried my hair because I had a few parties to attend.  After I blow dried my hair, it felt more soft and moisturized then it has been in weeks.  When I flat ironed my hair, it looks silky and shiny and felt amazing to the touch.  I loved it :)

Also, if you're keeping track - I'm going for 8 weeks before I relax my hair.  That puts me at about one week away.  The oil treatments have definitely made a difference and I will continue to use them as a part of my regimen. 

Year End Wrap Up

Hello 2012! 

As I look back over 2011 and all of the growth and styles, I must give myself a pat on the back for being the MOST consistent I have ever been since starting my hair journey. Since December has been pretty busy socially, I tried not to style to same each time I went out.  I didn't find very many options that worked for me but, below are some pics from a few events.  Look for changes in 2012...


Bun with a Twist for Work

                           

Time with Friends

I tried to go for a sleeker look

New Year's Eve Party

 
                    

Blue and Gold Eyes

See you in 2012!

I'm Bringing Sexy Back (Literally)

As we all know, I like to show up and show out.  This past Friday was no exception.  Given the fact that I had been awakened to a whole new world of makeup that I didn't know that I didn't know about, I just knew that this past Friday was going to be extra special.

Last weekend I did a flexi-rod set mainly because I couldn't really comb through it the week before (it was thick and dry) and therefore wanted to do a minimum amount that week.  Plus, I went to a holiday party that Saturday and I wanted it to be fresh and super cute. Overall, it turned out well and lasted until I was ready to relax my hair that Thursday.

Casual Party Attire w/Fresh Curls

Spoiler Alert: It Ends Well

Well after a several month hiatus I am finally back in my hair care stride and things are going better than ever.  A few months ago I declared:  Arm Pit Length!!!  When I first made it there it was really just in a few sections and it looked good, but I was just barely there.  Today I'm at a full Arm Pit and it's looking better than ever!

Hair after a wash and blow dry a few weeks ago

What have I been up to lately?  Nothing much.  The end of the summer, early fall was filled with personal projects so hair has been a last priority.  I've continued relaxing ever 8-10 weeks with protein treatments in between, washing/co-washing every week (1 or the other), and no deep conditioning.  I think it was all the bunning and a lack of heat that really got me to where I am today.  My bangs have grown back out and all of my strands are longer.

I don't Whip my Hair Back and Forth...

You heard me!  I don't whip my hair back and forth because I don't wear my hair down anymore.  Unless it's a special occasion.  Mon-Fri you will catch my hair pulled back in a bun varying in different styles.  One of my new up and coming favorites is having the sides twisted up and pulling it back in a bun.

Please excuse the acne...

Arm Pit Length!!!!

Ok, I'm saying it loud and proud, I am ARM PIT LENGTH!  I relaxed my hair again about 2 Saturdays ago my hair was soooooo long!   I curled it that night and my hair was so full, long, and sexy!  I put my feather in my hair and said "how ya like me now?"

Switch Up

Before you say anything... I know I've been MIA for a while, but it's been for good reason.  I have had a lot of personal changes recently, one being I finally got a new laptop today, so I'm ready and prepared to get back to regular updates.  This one is a few weeks old, but hey, it's new to you : )

I've taken my hair into my own hands again.  I was bored with the regular and not ready to go for layers again so I decided to give myself side swept bangs.

Before

No Relaxing @ the Pool

[source]

This past Wednesday, I had my box next to me, set up in the room, timer on the clock, and ready to relax my hair.  I then realized that I had a ton of oils in my hair and decided to just shampoo and pull it into a ponytail with headbands.  I was out of town in a professional environment that Thursday and Friday, and I didn't feel too confident with that style.  When I returned home Friday, I was tired, busy Saturday, and swimming on Sunday.

I did research about relaxing and chlorine, and I didn't like what I read.  I'm not used to being in the water regularly, so I didn't know what the rules are, but supposedly the chlorine is chemical enough, so I shouldn't add a relaxer to the mix until I have at least a few weeks out of the water.  We are only on lesson 3 out of 10.  I will have a bit of a break due to my upcoming cruise during the first week of May.  That means, I'll have to spend the entire month in curls!  I'm at the client site Mon-Thurs now, so I don't have the luxury of looking any kind of way during the week anymore.  I will say that maintenance this week has been superb. I did not touch one curl until Friday - which has never happened to me before.  And to add to that, I liked the style more as the week progressed. 

I'm working in the office this week and I'm not sure how I'll maintain.  I need sleep at night, so I can't keep the curls up too much longer.  I'm not sure how much longer I can go without relaxing, but I'll go as long as I can!  The plan is to make it until next week.  Let's see what happens!

Ultra Hair Plus... Dreams?

It's that time of the month again -- my beauty budget is replenished and new products are begging to be purchased.  This past weekend, I made a quick stop at Sally's to purchase some more flexirods (same size and smaller) plus a Denman brush - $9.99 - for detangling.  In my last post, I included a video on detangling and knew it was the right direction to go.  A regular wide tooth comb is great for separating and making it manageable, however, it is far from a detangler (at least in my hair).

Not only did I stop at Sally's but I also stopped at Vitamin Shoppe to pick up hair vitamins...  but LT, weren't you supposed to go to GNC?  Yes, let me explain.  The hubby and I had an event last Friday and afterward went out to dinner.  Me, thinking that there was a GNC nearby, wanted to go to this particular place.  Turns out, my memory served me wrong and it's a Vitamin Shoppe.  I figure, close enough and so I go in and browse.  As I'm reading the ingredients of the products, I come across one made by Nature's Plus called Ultra Hair Plus.  It appeared to have the same ingredients as all the others (give or take a few vitamins - they're all the same) except a TON more.



 It cost just a few dollars more (around $18), so I figured why not?  I'm currently 8 weeks post relaxer (going on 9 woooohoooo) and I have a solid 1'' or more of new growth already.  I'm wondering how much more the pills will add?  I kind of want to wait until I complete the pills (30 days) before I relax.  Currently, I don't feel the need or urge to relax.  My scalp is not sore.  It's detangled now, which is amazing.  Plus, I've been wearing my hair curly so it's been super easy maintenance.  Speaking of which, last week I kept my curls pinned up for 2 days until I got ready to go out on Friday.   

High Maintenance

I am loving my curly hair, however, I feel that it's a bit high maintenance.  Or maybe it's just the right amount of maintenance?  I should be DCing more frequently... Especially with me stretching longer than 8 weeks...  But back to my point.  Over the weekend, I had to re-do many of my curls - which wasn't that bad.  I just took a dab of foam, let it sit for about 10-15 mins, and tada, I was finish with my hair.  But to keep it at that level where all I have to do is fix a couple of curls is the problem.

Sunday Afternoon

Case and point - I can't sleep.  I probably didn't get any sleep the first 2 nights.  My arms would go numb throughout the night and I was practically uncomfortable the entire time.  Yes, I pinned up my hair and wore a satin bonnet, but I still cannot SLEEP on my hair.  I have slept on it the past couple of nights and I now have the flat curls.  It's semi-cute, but overall looks a mess.  But it has been about 4-5 days.  It's time for a co-wash.  I just keep wondering if I should re-do my hair and be sleepless again.  Especially if I'm not going anywhere in particular...

Another issue is the tangles. For some reason, I've gotten a lot of knots in my hair.  I need to work on that.

For today, I'm doing an EVOO treatment and I'll probably DC with heat for an hour.  However, I just finished my last meeting for the day and I'm feeling extra tired... We'll see how much longer I last.

Making the Most Out of the Day

With my stomach still upset, but less fragile than the previous days, I'm attempting to get work done along with taking care of my hair.  This will be another ALL day update. 

Friday, 1:30 PM:
Per last night's update, I was contemplating doing an overnight treatment.  I sat on the couch one minute too many and became too tired to implement that idea.  So I woke up this morning and applied EVOO, did a brief massage, and baggied.  As I wore the cap, in between looking at PowerPoint files, I also looked at a few youtube vidoes and some threads on Long Hair Care Forums.  As I watched/read a few ideas ran through my mind - I wanted to deep condition, but I didn't feel like washing my hair first.  So I started planning out a dry hair deep condition.  That eventually lead me to thinking about a protein treatment.  I only used an egg about 4 weeks ago and that wasn't the best experience.  I decided to do the later.

On another note, looking through the forum of relaxed ladies with super long hair, confirmed that I am taking the right approach in my hair journey, if not doing too much.  It appears that DCing once a week, not using a lot of heat, and using protein at least once a month are the commonalities for hair retention and growth.  Yay!

I just washed with ApHogee Shampoo for Damaged Hair.  My hair felt SOOO nourished and moisturized while wetting and shampooing.  I absolutely love wetting my hair now.  I then applied ApHogee Protein Treatment very generously all over my hair.  I paid a lot of attention to my ends and edges. I prefer to let it air dry versus using a dryer.  The only thing I don't care for with a protein treatment is how sticky it can be.  I prefer to pour it directly out of the bottle into my hand, so it could be my own fault.  Either way, in about an hour or so, I'll rinse, use ApHogee Balancing Moisturizer and then apply my Silky Smooth DC mix.

Stay Tuned!

Working on Myself

Another week on the road and another week of being burnt out by Wednesday.  I haven't quite gotten my sleeping habits back on track yet, but I'm working on it.  Let me explain...

I had a typical day at work on Monday, so I planned to keep my promise to workout Mondays and Wednesdays.  I hit the gym hard: ran about 30 mins on the treadmill and spent another few miles on the elliptical machine.  After, I didn't have a baggy, so I rinsed and conditioned my hair in the shower.  Last week I bought a sample package of the Silk Elements conditioner and decided to use it that day.  I can't say that I really liked it.  My hair sucked it up, so it wasn't thick or nourishing enough.  It didn't add anything to my hair.  I then proceeded to towel dry for 10-15 mins and then used the scarf method while I chatted on skype.  When I was dry enough, I used the liquid leave-in conditioner that I decided to try out: Aveeno Nourish and Condition leave-in treatment.  It was a decent price and the bottle had the two things I'm looking for - nourishment and conditioning.  So far, it's been a pretty good experience.  It feels good in my hair and I haven't had much dryness.  I must admit, I think the restoration of my hair to a proper pH balance with the Roux products has enabled me to see better results with all of the products that I use.  My hair is much more hydrated and refreshed.  The ends aren't crispy and dull looking.  I'm very proud of the progress my hair has made. 

Tuesday, I was convinced to workout again and so I did cardio via Just Dance 2 videos on YouTube.  I have some of the dances memorized already, but I did learn a new one which was super fun (see below).

You try that video just one time and see the amount of sweat you accumulate!  Just Dance 2 has been great for me in terms of finding a fun cardio workout.

I didn't co-wash that night, but I did shower without covering my head.  I wanted to let my hair get wet without soaking my head.  I've been pretty consistent in sleeping with my rollers and that's been great for protecting my ends.

2 rollers is all it takes.

Wednesday, I felt exhausted after work and proceeded to sleep immediately after.  I didn't even have the energy to tie up my hair. Thankfully, my ends managed and I just moisturized and sealed in the morning.  Also, let me mention that because I didn't have a small empty jar to put JBCO in to travel with, I've been applying MegaTek to my scalp instead (it came in a 2 oz jar).  When the MegaTek is gone, I'll put JBCO in it and use that as my daily scalp treatment.  But I do love my MegaTek - it smells great, it's easy to apply, and hopefully I'll have a ton of hair growth.

I had to go into the office this Friday and so I pushed my shampoo and DC to Saturday.  I started with a 30 min scalp massage with coconut oil.  The oil smells great and leaves my hair shiny.  I then shampooed with ApHogee Shampoo for Damaged Hair (I wanted a little protein) and Roux Porosity Control Shampoo.  I wanted to make sure that the chemical treatment from last week didn't reverse any of my progress.  I then applied Roux Porosity Control Conditioner for a few mins and made my Silky Smooth DC Mix.  I went a little heavy on the honey this time by accident, but I'm sure I'll have great results.  I'm under the dryer attachment now and I'll DC for about an hour or so.  Next I plan on dancing a bit via Dance Central on Kinect (shot out to the Hubby for the early V-Day gift) and rinsing later. 

After rinsing, I'll air dry, apply JBCO to my scalp, moisturize and seal my hair, and get ready for bed by pulling my hair up and protecting the ends with rollers.  If you saw the last posting, I achieved a TON of growth for my Dec-Jan stretch.  I noticed that I had regular shedding (which is good) and little to no breakage (which is amazing).  I'm going to keep the healthy habits up, continue to eat better, drink more water, and achieve my goals before the deadline!

Stay motivated : )

My First Hairacle of the Year

Hairacle:  A term used to describe when you have a miracle breakthrough with your hair (Hair + Miracle = Hairacle).

Yes, I'm claiming it!  I had a hairacle Saturday morning.  In my last update, I was under the blow dryer and letting the conditioner marinate into my hair.  After another 30 minute heat session, I followed with a through rinse.  My hair didn't feel spectacular under the water, but it didn't feel the same as when I started. Next, I added a bit of leave-in conditioner and proceeded to roller set my hair.  I figured since air drying straight leave my ends dry and my hair frizzy, attempting a roller set would provide better results.  As I've only done it once, roller setting my hair was a bit of a challenge.  My hair was super easy to comb and detangle, but getting it to stay on the roller without wrap lotion was a new factor for me.  In order to supplement, I used Shea Moisture to moisturize while wrapping and to seal afterward.

When I finished it was about 2 AM and I was beyond tired, therefore I attempted to sleep in the super hard, huge rollers...  Aside from waking up with a head ache in the morning, the roller set proved to be a success!  I had relatively smooth hair that felt silky to the touch and believe it or not, my hair was HYDRATED!  It didn't have a hint of dryness and that's from root to tip.  I then wrapped my hair and proceeded to get ready for the day.  Since I was going to my sister's b-day party (shot out to Jo Jo, happy 15th!), I wanted to wear my hair down.  I flat ironed, only to realize that down did not look at all like I thought it would.  My hair was super fluffy and stiff.  So I went with option 2 and attempted a bun.  I think it turned out cute : ) but then again, my opinion is biased, LOL. 

Side Note:  I didn't apply any oil to my scalp because I plan on relaxing my hair at the end of this week.  Since this is my first week back on the road after 2 weeks at home, I wasn't sure how much I'd stick to the regimen. 

I gifted my thirsty hair Sis with the Roux Moisturizing Shampoo, Conditioner, and Treatment & Shine.  I also picked up a bottle of the Treatment & Shine for myself, in hopes of reaching the 103% increase in moisture retention as claimed on the bottle.  When I took my hair down on Saturday night, it still felt as hydrated and healthy as when I took out the rollers.  To sleep, I wrapped my hair - and in wrapping, I did notice a bit of dryness - and applied the Treatment & Shine as my moisturizer (which can be used on wet and dry hair, but it claims to only add shine to dry hair) and sealed with Shea Moisture Oil. 

This morning when I awoke, my hair was still very soft, healthy and hydrated.  I'm going to do a quick ends check and see if I notice any improvement.  I may way until my next relaxer before giving my ends a trim again.  I just want to get rid of the damage asap so that I can have healthy growth. 

I also have to do a quick assessment of my products and determine if I want to travel with any or buy new... If I buy new, I will most definitely hit up a Sally's and probably try the Silk Elements products that were DEEPLY discounted.  I currently only have 1 moisturizing conditioner and 1 deep conditioner, so I may leave those at home and buy new.  I just hate to check luggage! LOL, I think I just answered my question. And I've already decided that my bonnet attachment is a must have on the road.  Now if I can just find a better baggy solution... 

Ok, so I have packing to do - if you have any moisturizing product recommends for the cheap, please send me a comment!

When is a Good Time to Say Goodbye?

Ok, so I believe I have an obsession with cutting my hair.  Every so often, I just feel the burning desire to take scissors to my hair, LOL.  Nothing drastic, just some trim-age. : )

With that in mind, I started doing some investigating last night on proper techniques for cutting hair.  I bought proper hair cutting scissors a few months ago, but I actually only cut my hair once.  So I hit up google and found a Lady that I like.  She talked about the search and destroy method, along with a few other tips:

I'm going to give it a try as soon as I finish cooking dinner!

Oh and to provide an update to last night, when rinsing the concoction out of my hair, it felt wonderful!  So soft and silky.  My hair was very easy to detangle and air dried rather quickly. After rinsing, I applied my Neutrogena Leave-In Conditioner and sealed with my Shea Moisture Oil. 

In the morning, I flat ironed my hair and I wore it semi-down.  It looked okay.  I applied Chi Hair Serum before flat ironing to get it shiny - and it looked shiny and felt silky from about the base of my head to about 12 inches out... then my hair just looks raggedy... I'm hoping a little trim-age goes a LONGGGGGGGG way!

 My hair is a very comfortable shoulder length.  Lots of lonely stragglers of hair sticking out around my head...

This is a close up of the ends... Yes, I think today is a good day to say goodbye.

 My shears and some of the hair lost.

 Oh the damage... It can only get better.

Oil Guru

In the course of 3 days, I have become a oil guru, LOL.  My order of Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) arrived via an amazon order a few days ago.  I was beyond ecstatic to finally be caught up in the hair oil world and begin adding it to my regimen.  Since there aren't any Castor Oil challenges occurring right now, I just looked at the previous ones and decided to try the "advanced" level - since I need to catch up asap.

Day one went well.  I my still doing a wash with Roux Porosity Control Shampoo and Conditioner.  My hair condition has changed drastically!  I am loving it.  After, I air dried without leave-in conditioners, but moisturized and sealed with my Shea Moisture products and then applied the JBCO to my scalp.  JBCO is very thick in substance.  It has a slight smell, but it isn't bad.  I used a color applicator bottle that I purchased at Sally's Beauty Supply.  The tip is small, so it's a very controlled amount that comes out.  Since I wanted to cover my scalp as well as possible, I parted my hair into 6 sections and then divided into subsections from there.  Similar to as if I were apply a relaxer.  I applied it very well and massaged it into my scalp.  I pulled my hair into a ponytail and slept on it overnight.

When I woke up in the morning, all was well.  Since I was going into the office, I decided to flat iron my hair.  I ran my hair through the heat, and let me tell you it felt as soft as silk.  My curls looked relaxed, it was "silky smooth" to the touch and it looked great.  Later that night, before I went to sleep I applied the JBCO to my scalp the same as the day before.  I moisturized and sealed, and I tied it up into a ponytail and went to sleep.

Day two, I didn't do anything all day so I kept my hair in a ponytail.  That night, I did the same routine as the day before.

Now, it's Sunday and I am a self declared guru.  I went grocery shopping at Whole Foods and ran into the oil aisle.  I purchased Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (OVCO) and honey.  I also stopped by target and picked up a jar of ORS Hair Mayo.  I wanted to do a deep condition today and mix all of the ingredients together.

My ingredients

I started with a hot oil treatment with JBCO.  I just put the applicator bottle in the microwave for about 20 secs and applied it to my scalp.  I massaged it for about 15-20 mins while watching TV and then proceeded to rinse and shampoo.  When I started my rinse, I noticed that it didn't rinse as easily as when I used EVOO.  My hair still had a thick coat of JBCO.  I shampooed twice with RPCS and my hair felt sticky to the touch and not smooth like I'm used to.  So I did a quick shampoo with my ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo that I use to clarify.  That removed the oil from my shafts.  I did another quick wash of RPCS and then applied the RPCC to my hair for a few minutes this time.  While it was in my hair, I ran around the house and collected my:

• Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• JBCO
• EVOO
• Hair Mayo
• Honey

I grabbed a bowl, eyeballed amounts to mix, and just threw it all together.  In the order of the largest amounts, I used: Hair Mayo, OVCO, EVOO, Honey, JBCO.  I didn't melt the OVCO first, so I had to mash the chunks of oil until it melted.  I mixed it with a spoon and it turned a light orange color.  I was afraid to add too much honey because I thought it might make my hair sticky.  I sectioned my hair and applied it generously root to tip.  I am now sitting on the couch, rubbing the oil dripping down my neck and face with a paper towel, allowing the concoction to marinate in my plastic baggie.  I did pay special attention to the back of my hair around the nape of my neck, because when it air dries, it shrivels up and is still my thinnest section.

Since I don't have a hooded dryer yet, I plan on sitting near my space heater (not as a substitute) and allowing my hair to deep condition for about 2-3 hours.  It smells pretty good, thanks to the OVCO.  The only annoying thing is the constant oil dripping...

I'll provide an update once I have finished air drying.  And if I can find my cell phone, I'll take some pictures!