Hair Update!

 Forgive the pic quality, it's super cloudy outside. 

Here's a shot of my bangs

 3.25 inches until I am waist length which is my final goal

Last week I had to straighten and trim my hair for a shoot. While it was fun to go straight for a change, I didn't really have time to document the way I detangled, blow-dried, trimmed, or pressed my hair [which I will do in the next few weeks]. A lot of people ask me why I trim so much each time I straighten; the reason is that I started my hair journey with a ton of heat damage, and instead of cutting it all off at one time, I cut it gradually. After this final trim, I think I got rid of all the straight ends.

This is the longest my hair has been in my entire life, and I definitely attribute it to limiting the amount of heat used on my hair, and all of the methods/tips/techniques I share on this site. In 2011 I hope to reach my final goal of waist-length. Here's a recap of my hair journey over the past two years. 

My healthy hair journey started December 2008 with this as my starting picture. As you can see, my hair was barely APL [arm pit length]. My hair at this point was very damaged. The front was breaking off [which is why it appeared layered], I had major breakage around the hairline, and nape area as well. My hair was also very thin due to excessive heat. 

These were my braid outs in the very beginning [the first few months December 08-March 09]. I always wore them pinned back because my hair was too thin to wear it full. It always appeared sparse and "piece-y" so I just pinned the sides back. I had about 4-5 inches of heat damaged ends, so my ends were super straight. I had to put rollers on the ends of my braids just to get a slight curl. 

 During this time I maintained a strict Ayurvedic hair regimen

These were my twist outs in August of 09. I was still wearing the sides pinned because my sides were still very short.

At that time, Deva Curl products were my fave. Set it Free made my hair very shiny.

In September of 2009, I decided to straighten it for Labor Day. My hair is styled in a Caruso Roller Set here. 

I trimmed my hair in October 0f 2009 to get rid of about 2 inches of heat damaged hair I was holding on to - I am almost Bra Strap Length here

 After trimming those heat damaged ends, I really experienced a growth spurt; this is my hair in Jan 0f 2010 styled in a twist out

 My hair in June 2010 after trimming another few inches to remove the heat damaged ends I started with. I am slightly past Bra Strap Length here.

In June of 2009, I did another Caruso Roller Set

At the end of July 2010, I decided to cut my bangs for a different look. My hair is styled in a twist out here.

My twist out in August 2010

 In November 2010 I started experimenting with dry twist outs..

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Product Review: My Anita Grant Haul!!

About a month ago, the gracious staff over at Hairrogant [the US supplier of Anita Grant] offered to send me some Anita Grant products. Of course I obliged. I have heard many rave reviews on Anita's goodies, and I wanted to try them out for myself! I received a package of Whipped Butter [which I haven't tried yet], Creamy Cafe Latte, Organic Sapote Castor Hair Oil & Anita Grant's infamous Rhassoul Deep Conditioning Spa Mud. 

Rhassoul Deep Conditioning Spa Mud

$12.50 - 3 Cubes

Product Claims:

Our Rhassoul Deep Condishes contains Unrefined Black Cocoa Butter & natural Soya based Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) which helps to guard scalp & hair from free radical damage. When hot liquid is added to our Rhassoul Deep Condishes, it swells & increases its surface area like a highly porous sponge.  Attracting & trapping toxins into these open porous spaces so that when it comes time to rinse the Rhassoul Deep Condish from your hair the toxins are eliminated and you're left with detoxified fluffy soft tresses.

My review:

 This was the consistency of my mixture

Because my hair is so thick, I decided to use two cubes. I poured about 2 ounces of hot water over two cubes and mixed it with a fork until it was a creamy consistency. I then applied the mixture to freshly shampooed hair and covered it with a plastic cap for about 45 minutes without heat. I then rinsed out the mixture with lukewarm water and the result was ridiculously soft, shiny hair. If I had to rate the softness factor on a scale from 1-10 it would definitely get a ten. No doubt about it. - I also loved that it left my hair full of body and so soft that I could actually comb through my hair using my fingers without it snagging on any knots.

Who should use it: 

If you are struggling with chronic dry strands, or you just want to treat your hair to an ultra hydrating deep conditioning treat, try this out! 

Would I actually purchase this?

Most definitely! This is something that I plan on using twice a month. I love that it is natural and and that it detoxifies and hydrates my hair without leaving it feeling coated or stripped. 

My hair with the treatment

This was how shiny my hair was after rinsing out the conditioning cubes!

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Organic Sapote Castor Hair Oil 

$27.00 - 3.38ounces

Product Claims: 

All of Anita Grant's Castor Hair Oils are rich in texture but light enough to be used every day to seal in moisture, protect & restore vitality to your curls. - Product also helps eliminate issues with dermatitis, helps repair damaged and over-processed hair, and also promotes hair growth. 

My review:

I used this oil on wet hair to seal in the moisture after applying my leave-in conditioner. I only used about a dime size portion on each section of hair [my hair was sectioned in four big braids; two in the front, and two in the back] and I blow-dried my hair on warm until it was slightly damp; braiding each section as I was done with it. 

My hair after blow-drying and removing braids. Still very shiny, soft and bouncy!

The Sapote Castor Hair Oil made my hair easier to manage whilst blow-drying and also kept my strands very soft and full of body. - I love that this product is light enough to be used for heat styling and hydrating enough to actually deliver moisture to highly textured hair like mine. 

Who should use it?

If you are looking for an oil to seal in the moisture, aid in heat styling, or looking for a product to use as a hot oil treatment, this is definitely for you. 

Would I actually buy this product?

Yes. I definitely plan on purchasing this product when my bottle runs out. I love the ingredients, and I love how my hair felt after using this product. - I must admit I was a little leery of this product because I am not really a fan of Castor Oil, but this is much lighter and penetrates my hair much better than Castor Oil. 

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Creamy Cafe Latte

$13 - 3.5 ounces

Product Claims: 

Pure Brazilian Coffee Oil stimulates the follicles while the wholesome goodness of Organic Virgin Coconut oil, nourishes your skin and naturally curly hair. Decadent Organic, Unrefined Fair Trade Black Cocoa Butter from Ghana conditions from top to toe, and the vitamin enriched - velvety suppleness of Australian Macadamia Nut Oil lovingly caresses you everywhere. All engulfed in an abundance of delicious natural & organic skin and curly hair care loving ingredients...mmm-mmm-goodness! 

Product Review:

I think I have found the Holy Grail of butters. Some of you that read my blog may know that I am not really a fan of hair butters. It seems as though they always sit on my hair, and coat the strands rather than soften and nourish them. - 

So fast forward to the review: After each section of my hair dried thoroughly, I decided to cornrow my hair for a light, fluffy braid out. I took down my braids and used the Creamy Cafe Latte on each section as I braided it. Applying the Cafe Latte made cornrowing a breeze [something I absolutely hate doing on my natural hair], and gave my hair tons of sheen and softness.  - I think for me this is the Mecca of hair butters because it definitely made a difference in how easy it was to work with, and how soft and bouncy it left my hair. The sheen was also a definite plus.

I am feeling very "Cleo" from Set It Off in this pic. - I cornrowed my hair using Creamy Cafe Latte, it made my hair soft and manageable, and very shiny!

I don't know how it does for curl definition, as I used this on a dry braid out in which I only left the braids in for a few hours. 

Would I actually purchase this product?

Most definitely! I plan on purchasing a few more jars in the near future for myself and for friends. 

Overall I was very impressed with the performance and quality of Anita Grants products. Most of the ingredients are natural and perform well on highly textured hair! 

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I did not purchase this product. This product was sent to me for review by Hairrogant courtesy of Anita Grant. In order to maintain the integrity of MTM, all samples sent by PR are for consideration only. This allows me to share with you products that work well for me and are worth spreading the word about. If you would like to read my entire policy regarding product reviews, please read the Editorial Policy by clicking {here}.

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Henna Gloss: The Tutorial

[quality may be a little crappy, as the video is still processing]

Hey guys, so I finally got around to editing and uploading this video. This is how I do my Henna Gloss applications every 6 weeks [I apply on dry hair]. I also follow up with an Indigo application for the deep blue black color, but I could not find any ANYWHERE! So I resorted to ordering some online :-/

I will do an updated video once my indigo arrives, but until then, I hope some of you find this tutorial useful!

Why Henna?

• Help stop/curb breakage
• Makes hair stronger
• Thickens strands
• Temporarily loosens curl patterns for some [enhances curl patterns in others]  
• Reduces dandruff
• Imparts shine, and makes hair incredibly silky

Here are a few tips for getting the best out of your Henna application;

• Make sure you have enough Henna to completely cover your entire head. I have very thick hair, so I use two boxes of Henna which equals 200g [Each box is 100g].

• I do not add Lemon Juice to my mixture [it is too drying for my hair], if I want to expedite the color release process, I put my covered bowl inside of a heating pad [on low] for about 3-4 hours. 

• Don't add oil to the mix BEFORE the color has released; it is purported that doing so may hinder the dye release process. 

• If you have RELAXED hair, please use Body Quality Henna only. If you aren't sure your Henna is BAQ, don't use it. Instead, order from a source [source two] you trust!

• I use conditioners in my mix, it makes the Henna mix "smoother" and easier to rinse out. 

• Do not try to comb the Henna through your strands when applying it to your hair. You want to manipulate the hair as little as possible. 

• When rinsing out the Henna, allow the the pressure of the water to gently rinse out the henna, again, you want to manipulate the hair as little as possible.

• To combat the drying effects, use a SULFATE FREE shampoo to rinse out the Henna, or even a moisturizing shampoo. I use Keracare Hydrating Shampoo in their Sulfate Free formula. 

• Make sure you rinse out the Henna thoroughly. If there are remnants of Henna left in your hair, it may appear dull, and will often feel very dry [I know, I have experienced this].

I use the following brands [and I love them might I add]:
Dulhan
Mumtaz [Body Art Quality]
Nupur
Supreme
Jamila [Body Art Quality]
Karishma

My mix consists of:
200G Henna [two boxes]
1/2 Cup Hello Hydration Conditioner
1 Cup Lustrasilk Mango & Shea Butter Conditioner
1/2 Cup of Brahmi Oil added to mixture before applying the Henna on my hair.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section so that I can answer them for everyone!

BIG Hair Don't Care

This is probably the most asked question on this site. "How did you do that look...." - If you want BIG [yet defined hair] listen up:

• Make BIG CHUNKY braids or twists: I used about 8 twists on each side. 

• Smooth the hair out before braiding or twisting: I use a denman brush for this. Make sure your hair is properly detangled prior to smoothing with a brush. 

• Use a leave-in conditioner: Preferably a stellar one, you want something that is going to leave your hair uber soft. A cheap oldie but goodie is my Paul Mitchell The Conditioner [which is what I used] - A good "homegrown" mixture for ladies with super kinky hair is a mixture of Aveda Damage Remedy and Water. Leaves your hair soft for days. 

• Use a minimal amount of product that is not BUTTER BASED, I have found that  butter based products will weigh my hair down, more than a product like Miss Jessie's.  

• Leave the braids/twists in until 85-90% DRY. You want it slightly damp, because as it dries, the hair will S W E L L. Trust. So finger style gently, and allow your hair to naturally do it's thing! 

Eco Styler Wash & Go Tutorial

[the vid is still processing so quality will SUCK for a while]

The jury is still out on whether or not I like this tutorial, so I may do another one in the future. You will notice I did not use a leave-in, and that is because it really makes it hard for my hair to curl. I have "curl pattern issues", it has the potential to get curly, but only after some serious cooing, and coddling. For some strange reason my hair in it's uber natural state has the texture of a light blowout, I have never had much of a curl pattern. 

To keep the hair soft after using tons of gel, I added 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil to my water bottle. This helps keep my hair soft, and give it a little sheen as well! As you can see in the finished product, my hair doesn't really get super big with Eco Styler, but I am still satisfied with the results. This by far has been the best product for bringing out my inner curly. I am now able to get second-day hair, and during the second day it has been known to puff up twice it's size. I do have to "reactivate" it with a little water for it to behave, but it only takes about 5 minutes. I just saturate my hair with water, shake, and let the curls find each other. That's it, no finger styling for me. When I finger style, it is OVER. lol

Enjoy!!!! 

New Braidout Video!

Oh boy. It took me about F I V E HOURS to wrap my brain around uploading HD videos to youtube. I have seriously been at this since 8:30AM this morning. However it's up now, and all is well! The video is still processing, so it may take it moment for it to be available in true HD.

Here lately I have been experimenting with different braidout techniques. Out of pure laziness one day, I did about 8 braids instead of my normal 15-20, and I liked the outcome. Using 8 braids as opposed to 20 makes for a bigger, wavier, less defined look [on my hair at least], and my braiding time is only 10 minutes to boot!

The only drawback for me is that this style only really lasts about 2-3 days before I need to re-braid it at night vs the style I can don for a week or more using 15-20 braids. 

It's been a minute since I did a YouTube video, so I have a few more coming your way in the near future [Henna Tut, & Wash & Go w/Eco Styler Tut]! I hope you enjoy!

To achieve this look, I used the following products:
Leave-In Conditioner - Sebastian Potion #9
Styler - Oyin's Shine & Define
Secondary Styler - Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream
Moisturizer - Oyin's Juices & Berries
Oil - Afroveda Citrus Sunsilk Hair Oil

Product Rave! - Oyin's Shine & Define

This week I received a few emails about the product I used in the photo above, and from this post. I wanted to wait until I knew for sure Oyin's Shine & Define was a keeper before running down the halls proclaiming my love for it! I must admit, I had Oyin's Shine & Define sitting in my medicine cabinet for a few months before I finally used it out of necessity. I ran out of Miss Jessie's CP, and I needed something to braid my hair with. I reluctantly grabbed the OS&D and began braiding my hair.

Early on, I wasn't convinced that anything spectacular was going to happen, it had almost a thin butter-like consistency so my hopes weren't too high [products w/that consistency usually do nothing for my hair]. The sheen in the beginning was ok too. However when I took down my braids, my hair was super soft, shiny, and very defined. I was pleasantly surprised, as Shine & Define was the only product I have used to date that can even compete with the definition and sheen that I get from Miss Jessie's CP. Shine & Define also gets bonus points for being the first all natural product that can give me results like this!

I normally order all of my Oyin's products via Naturally Curly because their shipping is unbelievably fast [I'm talking same week fast!]. The price is $11 for 4oz, but trust it will take a while before you use an entire jar of this stuff. You don't need to pile it on, a little goes a long way.

To achieve this look, I did the following:

• Shampooed hair w/Lanza Daily Clarifying Shampoo [Love this stuff, it is my new favorite clarifying poo]
• Conditioned hair w/Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner
• Used Paul Mitchell The Conditioner as my leave-in
• Braided my hair in 8 big braids [2 in the front, 2 in the back on each side] using Shine & Define
• Let air dry for about 16 hours or about 1hour underneath a Pibbs dryer. [The braids are soo thick, it takes a while to dry]
• Take down braids with oil of the day [usually Afroveda's Sunsilk Citrus Oil, or Monoi De Tahiti]
• Run my fingers through my hair, fluff, and go!

Today's Braid Out Is....

 ...not quite what I thought it would be, this is definitely not a look I would write home about. I had high hopes after my last braid out. Don't get me wrong, it's soft and all, but because it lacked so much definition, I knew that by the end of the day I would have a major poof ball. Reluctantly, I pulled it back in a pony before I left this morning. I guess that's what I get for toying with a formula that works.

I was so afraid of frizz, I couldn't finger style it the way I normally like to. So I was left with "piece-y" ends and areas that were see through. No bueno. I like my braid outs defined, full, and with lots of body, all things I really didn't have this morning.

Running your fingers through the hair [using your hands like a comb], is a way to separate the waves so that the braid out looks more natural. I really couldn't do that today.

Instead of using Miss Jessie's CP for braiding, I used Amla & Olive Heavy Cream by Qhemet Biologics. Now don't get me wrong, this is a wonderful product, I just need to stick to what I bought it for; a moisturizer. I am starting to see that my hair reacts much better to things that have a thinner, almost pudding-like consistency versus products that are super thick and creamy.

The only drawback is that most of the products that work well for me ["puddings" or "custards"] have polymers in them [Miss Jessie's has Carbomer - A polymer made from acrylic acid], and while they play a major role in definition, I don't like the residue that polymers tend to leave on the hair [that tacky feeling]. Kinky Curly Curling Custard works well for a lot of folks, however it has Pectin [which is also a polymer, and a byproduct of fruit] in it, so no matter how much I use, I always tend to have some sort of residue on my hair.

I think it is time to dip back in the closet and try to find a home grown substitute for all those polymer laden products I have come to depend on. If I find a subbie, I will definitely share it with you :-)

In other news, I stopped by India Sweets & Spices  to pick up some Henna for this weekend, and a few other goodies :-)

If you haven't tried the spice packets from the Indian grocery stores, you should give it a go at least once! The Chicken Tikka Masala mix is yummy, and so is the Alu Methi (Potatoes w/ Fenugreek). I use the Supreme Henna, Full Full Colour. It was recommended to me by Shreya, one of the Indian women at Pioneer Cash & Carry [my fav Indian store in Artesia, Ca].

I also picked up a few sheets of Henna tattoos, I like to wear them on my hands sometimes, guess I kinda got obsessed with them after wearing them for Halloween last year....They are easy to apply, and come off easily with a little bit of fingernail polish remover. You can use all or part of the tattoo, and you can put it anywhere you like!

Sometimes Less is More - My Best Braid Out to Date

Today I attempted another braid out, and I must say I was quite pleased with the results. By using less products this time around, I was able to achieve hair that had a lot more sheen, body, and softness.

Here's what I did to get this look:

Clarified with L'anza Daily Clarifying Shampoo followed by Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo

Conditioned with L'anza Nourishing Conditioner

Used Paul Mitchell The Conditioner [Leave-In]

Braided hair using Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding

Spritzed Oyin Handmade Juices & Berries on my hair after I finished all of the braids

This is the size of the braids, it generally takes me about 45 minutes to braid my entire head - I allowed my hair to dry for 6-8 hours prior to taking down the braids. To aid in the takedown process, I used a smidgen Afroveda Citrus Sunsilk Hair Oil.

This is what my hair looks like after I take the braids down. I haven't separated the "crinkles" at this point.

Another view of hair before separating

 Here's my hair after fluffing, and separating. As you can see, I have a lot more volume.