Goals for the New Year

I stopped setting goals for my hair journey and pretty much have been keeping it simple. But there are two main things that I want to accomplish. Keep reading to find what's going on.

1. Try to use up at least half my product stash by the end of July and buying no new products during that time.

Yes I know what you are going to say and you are absolutely right. I have done product no buy stints before. Some I got through and others were a complete fail. But my stash of products is still out of control. I seriously need to cut it down and reign in my product junkiness. I love trying out new products but the lesson I need to learn is that I do not have to try every product that catches my interests. They will still be there when it's the right time for me to buy them. I have a wide range of products for each category: shampoos, conditioners, deep conditioners, leave ins and stylers. So I have to dig extremely deep to keep from getting anything else. I can and will do it.

2. To make it to two years post relaxers. No big chopping.

My desire to cut my relaxed ends off changes with just about every wash day. I am still not too comfortable with the length of my natural hair. I know that I would not be happy if I big chop. But I want to stick to making it to 2 years post, maybe even 3 if my hair continues to cooperate. I want to be about APL or longer with my hair stretched whenever I decide to big chop. I'm really not in much of a hurry.

Do you have any new goals for you hair journey?

Regimen for My Color Treated Hair and Preparing for Color

When it comes to my regimen not much is going to change once my hair is colored. I will continue to wash my hair on a weekly basis and deep condition under my steamer with every wash. If my hair starts to feel dry during the week, I won't hesitate to cowash. Color makes our hair dry so keeping the hair moisturized is an essential part of successfully having healthy color treated hair. During our hair journeys we tend to focus mainly on moisture, moisture, moisture. At the same time, you cannot slack on using protein either. My plan is to alternate using moisture based deep conditioners and protein based deep conditioners.

These are the protein conditioners that I will use. My favorite is the Hydratherma Naturals. I am not into doing hard protein treatements like the Aphogee Two Step Treatement. I prefer mild protein treatments. Treatments that don't make the hair hard but still gives it a boost of strength. That is enough for me. Once I have finally finished with these conditioners, Hydratherma Naturals will be my staple protein treatment.

Basically my regimen will look like this:
Fridays or Saturdays

Overnight Prepoo w/ an oil (whenever I feel like it)
Shampoo
Rinse Out Conditioner
Deep Condition
Apply Leave-ins
Air-Dry in twists

Wednesday:
Cowash if my hair is feeling dry

This regimen is nice and simple. My regimen is not very complicated. I have learned that for my hair less is more. I will continue to stick to the basics with my hair. It has aided me well during my journey. 

Since I booked my appointment to get my hair highlighted, I have been searching You Tube to find out how to prepare my hair for color. I came across SimplyBiancaalexa's video on Caring For Colored Treated Hair. Something she said stuck out to me. She said that her stylist told her that it is best to color freshly washed hair. So the day before her hair was colored she clarified. I decided that I would ask my stylist during my last appointment on Sunday what I needed to do. Buuuut I completely forgot during our discussion. So I texted her today and asked her was there anything I needed to do to my hair before my appointment next month i.e. clarify. Usually by the end of the week my hair is screaming to be cleaned because it has a good amount of product build up on it. I don't want that to hinder the color taking well to my hair. She basically cosigned on what I heard on the video. She told me to shampoo and detangle 48 hours before the color and to try to keep the hair detangled and in four sections to ensure better manageability before application. That is exactly what I am going to do. So that Wednesday before my appointment I will clarify my hair and keep it in twists until my appointment. Realizing that detangling with conditioner in my hair is beneficial for me came just in time.

Here is what that wash day is going to look like:
Clarify: Hydratherma Naturals Herbal/Amino Clarifying Shampoo
Condition: Hairitage Hydration Sticky Honey Hash Conditioner
Deep Condition (steamer)/Detangle: Hydratherma Naturals Moisture Boosting Deep Conditioning Treatment
Leave-In: Silk Hydration by L. Jones Leave-In Conditioner (This is a light spray on leave-in. I don't want to use something heavy that will coat my hair too much)

That's it ladies! 

Color Talk and Some Random Chit Chat

If you have been following my blog for awhile then you already know that back in March of 2013 I colored my hair at the salon using the Shea Moisture Color System in Bright Auburn and I loved it. When it came time for me to touch up the color my cousin who was doing my hair for me at the time was very hesitant about doing it. So I left it alone. When I decided to start frequenting the Huetifull Salon earlier this year, I revisited the idea again. On my second visit I asked my stylist what she thought about me coloring my hair. She said it would be best wait until I had cut a lot more of the relaxed ends off. I was about 8 or 9 months post relaxer then. I definitely had more relaxed ends. Again, I stuck a pin in that idea and just continued taking care of my hair. So fast forward to the last few months, I have really been itching to get my hair colored. Now it's time to scratch the itch. Lol Corny. I know. I asked my stylist about coloring my hair. She is the same stylist I asked earlier in the year. She said that I would be able to get it colored as long as I didn't go to bright. That won't be a problem because I want to stay in the reddish brown/auburn family. Now you know that made my day. After my appointment I went straight home and booked my appointment for Jan. 19. Ladies, I am really excited about coloring my hair. Although, I still have some color left in my hair, it's damn 2 years old. Lol I am ready to add a little flair to my hair. (I promise I wasn't trying to rhyme there.)
So to show how serious and excited I am about this, I have 2 folders worth of pictures I have saved from instagram to help me pick a color. One of the two folders are of the top six pics. They are all different shades of the same color. Lol Here are the pictures so you all can see what I am going for.

I'll be getting my hair done on Sunday and will show my stylist this picture. The color service I booked was for Partial Highlights and I booked my regular hydration treatment as well. I will be doing a post on my regimen for my soon to be colored treated, mostly natural and partially still relaxed hair. Lol Also look out for a post on the results next month.

Randoms:

I have a new found love of washing my hair. I never thought I would say that. Whether it's a good wash day or not so good, I enjoy it. Lol

I am very much so looking forward to the new Science of Transitioning book by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy. I haven't even finished the Science of Black Hair book yet but I will be purchasing this as soon as it is released.

Since my hair will be color treated I will give the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Shampoo another try. Maybe it'll perform better and I don't want to waste my money. I want to use products that are moisturizing and color safe. I believe the majority my products do just that.

So that no buy I was suppose to be on a couple months back. Yeah....that was an epic fail. I am sure you all have noticed some products you haven't seen me mention regularly. My product junkiness was in full swing. It's definitely time to cut off the product spending. We'll see how long I can go without purchasing a new product. My only leeway is to repurchase products that I run out of and plan on using regularly. 

If my wash days end like my last one did I can see myself continuing this stretch past August. We'll see. 

Update on the 30 Day Water Challenge. My water intake really didn't change. I drank the same amount of water that I normally do. I drink a decent amount of water,  it 

just didn't increase like I wanted to. 

I think this post is long enough. I hope you enjoyed a post that was something other than a wash day chronicles post. Lol

Wash Day Chronicles: 68 Wks Post

Hello ladies! I have been on vacay for the past the week. I went on a cruise to Belize and Cozumel and I had a wonderful time. But now it's back to reality. I went to Huetiful to get my hair done the day before I left and as soon as I got off the plane in Florida my hair frizzed up and became kind of big. I'm not use to that happening. lol Now that I am back home it's time to wash my hair. I will be going back to Huetiful to get my hair done for Christmas and I also made an appointment to get my hair colored in January, I am super excited about that. I am ready to spice my hair up. Let's get into today's wash day.

My frizzy hair

{1} Last night I applied coconut oil to my hair and the Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Complex to my scalp. Put on plastic cap and let it sit for hours.
{2} After rinsing out the oil, I shampooed with Shi-Naturals Lemonade shampoo to get all of the oil out of my hair. It did just that. Love this shampoo.
{3} I tried a new rinse out conditioner for this wash day, Soultanicles Curl Supreme Conditioning Supreme. It's an ok conditioner. My hair was very moisturized but it doesn't detangle my hair very well. Nothing I will repurchase in the future.

Sidenote: Because I didn't detangle my hair very well before washing so I had some tangles to the point that I was considering cutting my hair because detangling in the shower wasn't working. Keep reading to find out how I salvaged this wash day.

{4} Once the conditioner was rinsed out, I t-shirt dried for about ten minutes and started trying to detangle my hair. I decided to do something that I have never considered doing before. I applied my Hydratherma Naturals Amino Plus Protein Deep Conditioning Treatment to my hair in small to medium sections and detangled with the conditioner in my hair and twisted each section. That was the absolute best decision ever. I was able to comb through my hair and get the tangles out. This conditioner saved my hair. It is officially a favorite of mine. Detangling with conditioner in my hair is now a permanent part of my regimen.
{5} After sitting under the steamer for about 25 minutes, I let my hair cool off for a few minutes then went on to rinse out the deep conditioner. I have said it before and I will say it again this conditioner rinses out so easily.
{6} I kept most the twists in my hair when I rinsed out the conditioner. This kept my hair detangled. I started out using Hairitage Hydration's Soft Coconut Marshmallow leave-in and sealed with my Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage serum. Once I was out of SCM Leave-in, I used Soutanicles Knot Sauce Coil Detangler. That stuff is pretty good. Now my hair is in twists and I will run the blow dryer over it with the concentration nozzle on it to help take some of the moisture out since I need to be leaving soon.

I can definitely say that was a good wash day. I discovered a new technique that my hair likes and I find a new product that I could possible see continuing to use.

Wash Day Chronicles {11.29.14} 66 Wks post

{1} This wash day I wanted to use a moisturizing shampoo instead of the using the Lemonade Shampoo I have been using. The lemonade shampoo is my clarifying shampoo that I love to use because it gives me the deep clean that I want but doesn't leave my hair feeling super stripped and dry. This week I did think my hair needed that deep of a clean so after hearing some good things about Shea Moisture's Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Shampoo, I went and purchased a bottle. If I didn't throw away my Target receipt it would be back at Target and not taking up space in my room. This shampoo is more like a conditioner than a shampoo. I felt like it created more build up than it did cleaning my hair. I went ahead and continued to use it and give it a far shot. Not a good idea. A couple of days later, I was wondering why my hair had trouble staying moisturized. I believe this was a problem. I really wanted to like this shampoo but I just couldn't do it.

not my picture

{2} After rinsing out the shampoo, I applied Haiveda's Moist Condition 24/7. The jury's still out about this one because my hair wasn't properly cleansed for me to say if I like it or not. I put on plastic cap and let it sit in my hair while finished showering.

{3} Next, I deep conditioned under my steamer with Hydratherma Naturals Amino Plus Protein Deep Conditioning Treatment. This is definitely a staple, It's sinks into my hair beautifully. It makes my hair stronger but not stiff. I also let it sit on my hair for an additional hour or so.

{4} I applied my leave-ins (Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave-in and Kurl Pop). Twisted my hair and let it air dry.

This was just ok wash day for me. I got my hair done today at the shop so it was properly cleansed. lol

***Note: Look out for my next post where I will talk about coloring my hair again in the new year. I caught the color bug again***

 

Black Friday Sales!

There are so many sales going on. Which ones are you going to take advantage of? Here are a few. Happy Shopping!

Simplicity Oil

Hydratherma NAturals

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Another Wash Day

While browsing Instagram, I kept seeing a lot of pictures from E'tae's hair page and that gave me the urge to want to do a Carmel Treatment. So on Saturday, I did one. Honestly, I really just wanted to wash my hair again for some reason. Lol  That gave me an excuse.

{1} I applied the E'tae Carmel Treatment on damp hair and left it on for 6 to 7 hours with my conditioning bonnet on.
{2} Rinsed the Carmel from hair with warm water. It rinses away very easily. My hair was very soft after rinsing.
{3} Shampooed with Shi~Naturals Lemonade Shampoo. As usual my hair was very clean but not dried out using this shampoo.
{4} Conditioned with Hairitage Hydration Chocolate Covered Curls conditioners. I am still not a big fan of this conditioner. It took a lot of it to soften my hair. My hair only felt soft after tshirt drying for a bit. I never really have that issue with the other conditioners from this product line.
{5} Applied the Lemongrass Leave-in and detangled my hair. Sealed with the Intensive Hydration Complex. Added the Kurl Pop and twisted my hair. As I am typing this out my hair is still twisted until I decide to take them down and put my hair in a bun.

Highlights:
• Lost less hair when detanging
• Used up the Chocolate Covered Curls Conditoner (I won't repurchase this)
• The softness that the E'tae Carmel Treatment gave my hair. It's messy but effective.

I won't be washing my hair again until Saturday.  Two wash days in one week was just a treat I guess. Lol

Wash Day Chronicles: 64 Weeks Post

What time is it? WASH DAY TIME! lol I have been itching to wash my hair for a few days now. As much as I love when my hair is straight after about a week and half I'm ready to wash it. I try to hold out until the 2 week mark but that didn't happen this time. Since I do not moisturize my hair much when it is straight I start to get see a few long strands of hair come out when I comb my hair and also when my new growth starts to revert at the root it makes it a pain to comb through too. Those are the signs that it is time to wash. So let's get into this wash day.

{1} Cleansed my hair with Naturelle Grow's Mango and Berries Cleansing Conditioner. Since I didn't have much of any build-up on my hair I decided to use a cleansing conditioner instead of shampoo.
{2} I applied Hairitage Hydration's Pink Grapefruit Punch Conditioner and let it sit for about 3 minutes. I had soft and moisturized hair when it was rinsed out.
{3} I deep conditioned under my steamer with Hydratherma Naturals Amino Plus Protein Deep Conditioning Treatment. This protein deep conditioner made my hair feel stronger. I would classify this as a light to medium protein conditioner. It strengthened my hair but did not make it feel hard. My hair was easy to detangle and it soaked this conditioner right up. I love when conditioners sink into my hair. I am very heavy handed with conditioners. This one is so concentrated that a little bit definitely goes a long way.
{4}Applied my leave-ins, Silk Hydration by L. Jones Leave-In and Kurl Pop, and twisted my hair to air dry. Well actually I did use the concentration nozzle on my blow dryer to knock some of the moisture out of my hair so that I wasn't going to sleep with wet hair. Then I air dried overnight.

<==== This is a picture of my hair in twists. They aren't perfect but they are great for when I dry my hair. They help to stretch my hair. Once I am done twisting a section, I go back retwist this base a bit tighter to stretch the roots more then I use a bobby pin to hold it in place. This method has been real good to my lately. I must admit that I really like how juicy those three twists in the back look. lol

Highlights:
* My natural hair fully reverted
* Finished my last bottle of Hairitage Hydration Pink Grapefruit Punch Conditioner YAY!
* 1 more use out of the NaturelleGrow Cleansing Conditioner then it can be tossed YAY!
* I am digging the Hydratherma Naturals Amino Plus Protein Deep Conditioner
* The three juicy twists

How did your wash day go?





* I connect my wash day posts to the Wash Day Experience Link Up. I can't figure out the codes and all that jazz to link it to my posts. I'm not that tech savvy. So hop on over to Saving Our Strands and Just Grow Already Blogs to read other wash day posts*

30 Days of Water

I am on a challenge roll. lol I woke up this morning and did my daily blog scanning. I saw a new challenge is being hosted by Jen and Divachyk. I just had to join. I drink a decent amount of water daily but I can definitely step my water intake up. My goal is to drink about 5 16.9oz bottles of water daily, With me working in a child care center I can't run in and out of the classroom that much, I will be repurchasing my 74 oz jug that I got from Walmart last year. Hopefully they still have it. So that all I have to do is full up once in the morning. The one thing that annoys about drinking a lot of water is the constant bathroom breaks. I feel like every few minutes I am running to the bathroom. lol The benefits are hoping to see is more supple skin, better moisturized hair, and (tmi alert) lighter color urine. I can't stand when it is darker in color. lol Let's do this!

Random Beauty Faves

I haven't done an official favorites post before. I decided to give it a try since I am on a quest to better my blog. I want to have other content on here besides my wash days because they don't really change. I don't experiment with hair styles so I know the posts can be very much redundant. So I decided to try my hand at showing some of my favorite products. I don't wear makeup. Hell I don't even own a piece of make-up so you want see that here. lol Although, I am thinking of at least trying out some basic makeup items but we'll see. So here it goes.

EOS Lip Balms:
I am in love with these things and cannot go a day without having them. I have tried other types of chap sticks from Burts Bees to other natural brands but I always come back to this one. I own several. My newest fave from the line is the one the left. It's new to their line and it's called Coconut Milk. The moisture these give you comes as quick as when you apply it. It goes on so smooth. If you haven't already, give them a try. They can be found just about anywhere: Walmart, Target, Walgreens. Costco (they have a 5 pack available), etc

Rafiki Facial Lotion, Body Lotion, and Body Butter http://www.rafiki.us/:
I found out about this product line a couple of years ago while at the Black Women's Expo. It is a small black owned business, I decided to try them out and I'm glad I did. I seem to have try skin as of late and these give me the boost of moisture I need to combat that. Take a look at the pump bottle sitting on top of the container. I have had that since I bought it at this years expo back in March/April. That is the Facial Lotion. A little goes a long way with it. I use about one and a half pumps. I absolutely love the choice they made to put in this type of bottle. Very convenient. The bottle standing alone is the Body Lotion. I mainly use it as my hand lotion. Now I have been using it as it is intended because I am waiting for my order to come in since I am out of the body butter. It gets the job done. The consistency of it is thinner than the Body Butter. Now the Body Butter is what I use the most. I love how thick it is and how it moisturizes my try skin especially my legs which seem to get ashy the quickest lol. These products do run on the pricey side. The down side is that when you run out you can only purchase them online from their website. The only thing that I have repurchased the most is the Body Butter because I use it daily on my whole body. They also have hair products and a lip balm. The lip balm is really good too. I got my bestie hooked on it. lol


I love this soap. It cleanses like no other. I love the squeaky clean feeling it gives when I use it. I was using a body wash that I got from Sephora and it always made me feel like I had film left on my body. I didn't feel completely clean after using it.The only down side to this soap is that it makes your wash clothes look like you were super dirty especially when you are using a light colored towel. So beware. lol

These are just a few of my favorite random beauty things. What are your's? I would like to try some new things out.

30 Days Without Heat and Huetiful Visit

I made it through the month without using heat. Whoo-hoo! lol I knew it would not have been much of a problem since I had already been a heat free for a little over a month when the challenge started. Since I like doing challenges, I wanted to participate anyway. How did I do with my game plan?

1. Deep condition weekly with steam - check
2. M&S daily or every other day - check
3. Air Drying in twist -  check
4. Try out the banding method - check and hated it



Being heat free for the last 2 months has been very beneficial to my hair. My ends are looking great despite my concerns. I am LOVING the health of my hair. She only cut about about 1/4th of an inch all around. When she was going through my hair to trim, I was really digging the shine and the overall look of my hair. The service I that I had done is called the Huetiful Hydrating and Conditioning Treatment. It includes shampoo (the hair is detangled at this stage), deep conditioning steam treatment and my choice of a blow dry and flat ironed style. There are other choices you can get such as a wash and go or protective style.

The pics below were the only decent ones I could get. The curls I had dropped but I love the loose curl look. I haven't wrapped my hair in awhile so to preserve my straight hair, I just put my hair in a ponytail at the top of my head and twist it around itself. When I let my hair down the next day the loose curl look is still intact. My natural hair has officially taken over my head. I have way more natural hair than relaxed. The relaxed ends look so puny in comparison especially when wet. I'm keeping my hair straight for about 2 weeks then at the beginning of December I'll be at the salon again getting my hair done before my trip. That's it. Nothing too exciting going on in my hair world. lol Just enjoying the ride!

  

Wash Day Fun: 61 Weeks Post

{1} Did an overnight pre-poo treatment with my deep conditioning bonnet using three different oil blends. Why so many you ask? Because I couldn't make up my mind up on which one I wanted to use. First I applied Talisha's Secret 100% Pure Organic Hair Growth and Repair Oil on my scalp and had a mini scalp massage session. Next, I grabbed the SM Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Complex to the length of one section of hair. Then I decided to use TGIN Argan Oil Replenishing Hair and Body Serum and added that to the length of my hair in the other 3 sections.

{2} While rinsing the oil out in the shower, I did my usual light finger detangle and I loved it. My hair released tangles and shed hair so much easier. My hair pulled apart with so much ease. Then I went ahead and shampooed my hair with the Lemonade Shampoo. I reached for this because I felt using a cleansing conditioner wasn't going to be enough. The shampoo did what I wanted. It cleansed my hair perfectly.

{3} Applied Pink Grapefruit Punch conditioner and let it sit on my hair for a few minutes. Like last time, my hair was very soft and the moisture was restored.

{4} After rinsing the conditioner from my hair, I T-shirt dried for about 10 minutes. Then I brought out an old favorite to deep condition with; Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Dream Moisture Dream. Sat under the steamer for 20-25 minutes, let my hair cool then proceeded to rinse the conditioner out. I am still in love with this conditioner. I love the smell, how it melts into my hair and how soft and hydrated it leaves my hair feeling.

{5} Next up I applied my leave-in and oil, Silk Hydration by L. Jones Leave-in Conditioner and the TGIN Replenishing Oil. I detangled, added the Kurl Pop to each section and put my hair in twists to stretch it out. I air dried the twists for about an hour then pulled out my blow dryer with the concentration nozzle to speed up the drying time since I was headed out. I bunned as usual. That's it!

Next week's wash day will be done at Huetiful Salon. I figured I got my hair done for my birthday, why not get it done for my love's birthday. lol I will be getting another trim depending on how my ends are looking. I know I've said that I want to trim each time I go to the salon but I feel like I'm seeing some growth progress. If that is the case I am not doing it because I've gotten my hair trimmed quite a bit this year. Oh but you better believe that if my ends are looking raggedy, I will get a trim with the quickness.

Adding Pre-Poo Treatments

Pre-poo – Preparing your hair prior to shampooing. You do this by adding a moisturizing conditioner or natural oils into the hair . You can do this overnight or 30-40mins before you shampoo. This helps keep the moisture in your hair after you shampoo or clarify. Prepoo-ing helps keep that moisture in. (Hairlista)







If you have asked me a few years ago, I'd even give you a few weeks ago, if I would be adding pre-poo treatments to my regimen. The answer would have been resounding no. After incorporating them into my regimen the last three wash days, I decided they are beneficial. Pre-pooing with oils have made detangling in the shower soooo much easier. Pulling the hair apart in the shower has been much smoother. I also noticed during this weeks wash day that I lost less hair in the shower. 


This weeks wash day, I used a few oil blends on the fly. First I used Talisha's Secret 100% Pure Organic Hair Growth and Repair Oil on my scalp and massaged it in. Next, I grabbed Shea Moisture Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Complex to add to the length of my hair. That only lasted for one section because I  decided to use the TGIN Argan Replenshing Hair and Body Serum to the rest of my hair. I haven't used this oil in a long time. I am definitely happy with using these oils for my pre-poo treatment. I will also be adding Coconut Oil. I've neglected my coconut oil as of late. Time to pull it out and put it to good use. Can't wait to see what the long term effect of it would be since I am over a year post relaxer.

Do you pre-poo? Have noticed any benefits from it?

Wash Day Chronicles: 14 Months Post (60 wks)

{1} Pre-pooed overnight with the Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Complex Serum. I said that I wasn't going to this again but I'm glad I did. It made the in-shower detangling much more easier.
{2} I shampooed with the Silk Hydration by L. Jones Extreme Clean Shampoo. I purchased this shampoo around the time I purchased the Lemonade Shampoo. It does exactly what the name says. It extremely cleaned my hair. I would say that this conditioner could be more along the lines of chelating shampoo. At least that's what it felt like. There was not a drop of moisture left in my hair  after using it. The great part about it is that it did not tangle or matte my hair at all. This shampoo would be used every other month to get rid of product build up and possible mineral build up.
{3} Followed up with the Hairitage Hydration Pink Grapefruit Punch conditioner. I used A LOT of this conditioner in each section to help restore moisture to my hair after shampooing. It was well worth it. After rinsing the conditioner, I t-shirt dried my hair. After taking off the t-shirt, my hair felt absolutely great. Very moisturized.
{4} Applied Hydratherma Naturals Moisture Boosting Deep Penetrating Treatment as my dc of choice. This conditioner goes onto my hair smoothly. The texture of my hair in the back is very loose. The conditioner defines that section something fierce. I love it. lol I did 2 deep conditioning sessions under my steamer. After rinsing out the deep conditioner my hair felt very hydrated. I would repurchase.
{5} Next, I used the Silk Hydration by L. Jones Leave-in Conditioner to detangle, the Intensive Hydration Complex to seal, and I added the Kurl Pop to twist my hair. I love how the Kurl Pop help to stretch my hair and it also gives my hair great definition. This would be my go-to product for twist outs in the future, (I think I mentioned that before lol)

That's it! Another good wash day.

Wash Day Chronicles: 59 weeks Post (10/10/14)

After dealing with extremely dry hair for the week, it was time to tweak the products I had been using. No matter how much I moisturized and sealed my hair it was dry and dull looking. Just a hot ass mess. I couldn't even achieve a semi-sleek bun. Well I never really could but at least sometimes they are decent. lol Ooooh but yesterday's wash eliminated all of that. So let's break it down.


{1} I decided to try a pre-poo treatment using the Shea Moisture's Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Complex. I applied the oil to my scalp first and then the length of my hair. Put on my deep conditioning bonnet and slept in it over night. The oil felt really good on my hair. It's very light weight and smells really nice. I don't think that I will do this too often especially overnight. It was very annoying.

{2} My hair was parted into 4 sections and I clarified with the Shi-Naturals Lemonade Shampoo. I've used this shampoo once before about 2 years or so ago. The consistency back then was very watery and didn't have much lather. So once that bottle was gone I didn't purchase it again. After the hair week I had I went ahead and revisited it and I am extremely glad I did. The consistency of the shampoo has changed. It's thicker and has more of smooth gel consistency which makes much easier to apply. The lemon sent isn't very strong. More importantly, it clarified my hair very well but it did not mat or tangle my hair. Which I have experience once before with a sulfate clarifying shampoo. Oh and the lather is GREAT for a sulfate free shampoo.

{3} After rinsing the shampoo, I applied Hairitage Hydration Pink Grapefruit Punch conditioner. I did finish a bottle of the Pink Grapefruit conditioner during this wash (yay!) and started on another. The consistency of the conditioner in the new bottle was thicker.

{4} I deep conditioned under my steamer for a about 35 minutes with the Shi-Naturals Peppermint Stimulating Conditioner. I love the cool feeling my scalp gets when I use this deep conditioner. This should be another product empty next week. I'm not playing around this time guys. lol

{5} After rinsing the conditioner, I applied the Leave-In Conditioner by L. Jones (not pictured) to detangle and the Intensive Hydration Complex to seal. Once I m&s each section, I applied Shi-Naturals Kurl Pop and twisted each section. The Kurl Pop really helped to stretch my new growth and elongated each twist. It actually made me excited to try twist outs sometime in the future. Kurl Pop helped to stretch my new growth to the point that my bun was actually really neat. It wasn't super sleek but there was no bang area fly a ways. I would choose the Kurl Pop over the Eco Styler Gel any day right now. lol

Clarifying my hair was the absolute best thing I did for my hair yesterday. I had a lot of product build up on my hair from m&s and applying gel. Using a cleansing conditioner to wash my hair is all good and even my shampoo bars are good but clarifying is your best friend. I'm glad that I found a natural clarifying shampoo. My hair feels so much better.

Cream and Coco Feminine Care Product Review

Let's take a break from the hair talk and focus on something a lot different shall we. I found out about Cream and Coco from the Mane Objective blog. When I read that one of the soap bars that I will review I had to try them out and have been addicted ever since. Now that might be some TMI moments but we are all ladies who go through the same feminine issues. Anything, that I can do make it easier on us I have no problem sharing. lol


Pink Cookie Soap Bar
Price: 5.50 per bar/ 35.50 for the PC Soap Log (It sells out FAST)

This bar is very specifically formulated for a woman's natural pH. Our mildest soap yet to gently cleanse even the most sensitive lady parts. Moroccan red clay for its amazing absorptive properties to refresh and naturally absorb odors. The clay also makes the bar fabulous for bikini shaves and provides a lubricant for your razor. Pink Cookie is organic Greek yogurt for the probiotics to maintain your natural pH and prevent "lady issues". 

Lastly, and why this bar is just so fabulous, organic white vinegar. Vinegar helps maintain the natural acidicity of the vagina and can minimize odor. Please ask your Grandma about vinegar, but I assure you, you will thank us. 

FEATURES:

• Greek yogurt to help maintain healthy flora
• Vinegar for odor prevention
• Pink clay to absorb odors and lubricate for shaving
• Creamy coconut soap to naturally cleanse without drying
• Shea butter to moisturize delicate skin 

---

5-5.5oz bar

ingredients: saponified oils of soybean & coconut, olive oil, soy butter, shea butter, rhassoul clay, organic greek yogurt, vinegar

My view: I have been searching for a feminine cleanser for a long time. I was using Summer's Eve wash for a bit but that was garbage. I used black soap for awhile and was okay. It cleansed but it is nothing compared to what the Pink Cookie does. This soap leaves you feeling really fresh and clean all day. It doesn't have much of a smell which is good for our sensitive va-jay-jay area. lol I have been hooked on this soap since I first used it. It sales very quickly. I've gone awhile without because it was out of stock. Luckily they have other feminine care items that I used until I was finally able to reorder. When I reordered I got the Pink Cookie Soap Log. The soap log will last you a very long time. I won't be worrying about reordering for a long time. Check out Cream and Coco for all the other feminine care and various other products.

Pink Cookie Soap Log

Wash Day Chronicles and A Couple of Issues

{1} I decided that I wanted to clarify my hair. So I used Naturelle Grow Lemon and Mint Detoxifying Cleansing Conditioner. This cleansing conditioner uses 100% natural lemon to deep cleanse strands and remove product build-up. This is a decent conditioner but it didn't deep cleanse my hair for me. It felt clean but not like a clarifying cleanse.
{2} After rinsing, I applied two different Hairitage Hydration conditioners to my hair, Sticky Honey Hash and Grapefruit Punch. They both left my hair moisturized after rinsing. I finally finished the Sticky Honey Hash conditioner. Yay! Brings me one product closer to clearing my stash.
{3} I deep conditioned under my steamer using the Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Masque. My hair was nice and soft.

{4}Once the conditioner was rinsed, I t-shirt dried for a bit, added my leave-in, sealed in the moisture, detangled and used the banding method to stretch my new growth. Not my favorite method. I'll be going back to twists on my next wash day. I'm even contemplating Curlformers again now that my natural hair has grown out quite a bit.

Here is one of my issues, I have never been one to say that the change in the weather affects my hair but maybe it is. My hair seems dryer this week. After I moisturize and seal, my hair feels moisturized for only awhile.. It could be the change in the weather or it could be product build up. I know that I said that I wasn't going to buy any new products but I don't have anything to help test out my theories. So I went back to my trusty Shi-Naturals products. I purchased the Lemonade Shampoo as my clarifying shampoo. As much of a fan as I am of my spray leave-in/moisturizers, I need my Creamy Leave-In. It's one of the best cream moisturizers/leave-ins I used on my hair journey. I'll see if clarifying my hair helps me out.

Second issue, I am completely style challenged. I cannot style my hair in the least. Hence why my hair stays in a bun. This is what is making me want to go and book an appointment to get my hair done. For some reason I can't combat the puffiness at the top of my head. Since my natural hair is the shortest in this area, no matter how much gel I apply and no matter how long I keep a scarf on, it continues to puff up throughout the day. Being at work with that mess is a mess. Now for awhile, I will say, that it worked and some days are better than others. So I am hoping that the Shi-Naturals Kurl Pop helps. It is an aloe vera gel based product. I need all the help I can get to make through this 30 Day No Heat Challenge and also to get through my personal goal of no heat until the end of November. It's been four weeks since I last had heat applied to my hair and I have about 7 to 8 weeks left. I will say that I will continue to try my hand at twist-outs and even braid-outs and like I said earlier in the post even Curlformers. I'm desperate ya'll. lol

Nobody's hair journey is without it's issue. Just try to pinpoint the problem and do what you can to rectify it.

How is your journey going?

I have officially joined the 30 Days Without Heat Challenge hosted by the ladies from Just Grow Already, Relaxed Thairapy and Grow it Girl blogs. I already do not plan on using heat until the end of November. But with me being style challenged, I will go to the salon in a heart beat to get it done. So this challenge is perfect for me to keep up with my goal of being heat free for 2 months.

My plan:

Deep Condition weekly w/steam
Moisturize and seal everyday or every other day.
Continue Air Drying in twists or even try the banding method

That simple. Anybody else join the challenge?

That Urge Has Reared It's Head!

What urge am I speaking of? The urge to cut, cut, cut! I've been wanting to cut off the relaxed ends really bad lately. One of the reasons why is all because of one particular product. Yes a product. I think this is a new level of product junkieness. lol

I have seen so many nice wash and goes being done with Camille Rose Naturals newly formulated Curl Maker. I have always been intrigued by the wash and go. It's one of two styles I always wanted to try in the event that I ever decided to become natural. I have been trying to figure a good technique to use and what products to try. I think that I have found a good product to try them out with.

The second reason is because I am loving my new growth/natural hair. Every time I wash my hair I'm loving it even more. I wish I could get a decent picture of it. If I had a pair of hair shears yesterday I might have went ahead and did it. Luckily I don't. lol When I applied the Hydratherma Naturals to my hair yesterday, it gave my hair some serious definition. lol But of course I am not going to cut it especially not behind these reasons. I know that I will regret it and not be happy if I do. I will be doing my best to make to the two year mark. I have a decent amount of new growth but I want it to grow out some more before I chop away the relaxed ends. Oh the drama that is a hair journey. lol

Wash Day Chronicle: 13 months Post (9/27/14)

This wash day I decided to do something out of the norm of what I would normally do. Keep reading to find out. By the way, it's nothing to drastic. Let's get into it.

{1} I shampooed with Cream and Coco's Cocobutter Milkshake Soap. It gives a low lather but cleanses well without stripping the hair.
{2} Conditioned with TreSemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture conditioner. I haven't used this conditioner in a long time. I am still a fan.
{3} Here is where the "out of the norm" thing comes in. As you already know, I am still working on reducing my stash. So I took a page out of Sistawithrealhair's book. I used two different conditioners on my hair to deep condition with. I have a few new conditioners that I have been anxious to use. Why not use a couple at the same damn time. lol On the right half my hair I used the Hydratherma Naturals Moisture Boosting Deep Conditioning Treatment. On the left half, I used the SM Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque. Both conditioners are really good but I'm liking that SM a bit more. I'll be doing full reviews on both. I deep conditioned using my BonBon Cheveux Hard Candy Conditioning Bonnet for a few hours. I didn't use my steamer because I was using Jeni's tip on how to get rid of the mineral build-up in your steamer. So it was out of commission. Next week I will be doing the same thing but using my steamer to see what the outcome will be like.

 

{4} After rinsing, I applied Hairitage Hydration's Soft Coconut Marshmallow Leave-in to detangle and then applied the Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum to seal.
{5} Two Strand Twisted my hair and let it air dry overnight and I bunned my hair the next day.

That's it! Pretty easy and straight forward wash day. How was your's?

Your help is needed

Mainly my blog is a way to help me keep track of my hair journey. I hope that it has helped someone in someway  with their journey. Here is where your help comes in. What are some other topics that you would like to see on here? List them in the comments below and I will do my best to oblige.

Thanks a bunch!

Continuing My Manetabolism Journey and Few New Hair Pics

I was contemplating ending my Manetabolism journey once I was done with my last bottle. But I decided against that and went ahead and ordered a 4 month supply during their latest sale. Check out the pic to the left.

I want to continue to grow out my natural hair with a little help from the vitamins until I decide what my next step is going to be. I can say that as of right now I'm not focusing on length retention. I will be hovering around the same length for awhile.

 taken Aug 27th

These two pics are of my hair after being blow dried and flat iron and right before it was curled. I am 56 weeks post and my hair is doing great. The color I got in March of 2013 is growing out and giving somewhat of an Ombre effect I guess. Lol Overall I am happy with hair and looking forward to whatever comes next.

Intro to More New Products Plus Another No Buy Stint

Product No~Buy

Despite my efforts to widdle done my products I keep buying new things. lol Specifically conditioners. I am a sucker for conditioners. But I think that my curiosity has now been satisfied that I don't need to buy any more products. I am now on another product no buy. My last one was late last year or earlier this year. This is going to last through Jan 1, 2015. I believe that I can do it and my bank account will thank me for it. lol I have been spending way too much money on products knowing that I have more than enough. I love experimenting with new products but at some point I have to cut back and I am at that point. lol Wish me luck! 

On to the more exciting stuff: New Products!!!!!

Entwine Couture Deep and Penetrating Moisture Masque

It comes in what they call a Clutch with five 1.25 oz of conditioner. I have used it once and I liked. Right the Clutch Pacque is on sale for $10. Check it out at www.entwinecouture.com

Hydratherma Naturals Moisture Boosting Deep Conditioning Treatment and Amino Acid Plus Protein Deep Conditioning Treatment

Hydratherma Naturals had a 20% off sale last weekend I took advantage of it. I can't wait to try them out. Hydratherma Naturals is one of a few product lines that helps with moisture/protein balance. I have heard of these products before and finally decided to try them out. www.healthyhairjourney.com

SheaMoisture Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque

I started my hair journey using Shea Moisture products. I raved about them and even started a group on KISS for them. Eventually my being new to the whole hair journey world and wanting try other products got in the way of that love. lol I haven't messed with SM in a long time, outside of their color system that I used last year. After seeing Christine from the Mane Objective blog high praises of this conditioner. I went to Target today and picked it up. 

Note: When you purchase products from this particular SM line 10% of the sales go toward Community Commerce Initiative.

I can't find it on SM's website but I will have the link to the Mane Objective review. http://www.maneobjective.com/2014/08/shea-moisture-manuka-honey-mafura-oil.html

Have you tried anything new lately?

One Year Post: What's Been Getting Me Through

My hair as of 9/7/14

As of August 22, I made 1 year post. Making it to this point has been one heck of an accomplishment. There has been some ups and downs and even some paranoia about my hair during this time. I worried about breakage, matting, and many other things. But believe it or not,in hindsight, this year has not been very difficult. Especially compared to the horror stories I have heard.

Here are a few things that have been helping me get through the last year of stretching.

1. Cutting the number of wash days: Although I have just started doing this As you all know I washed my hair twice a week at one point. I decided to start washing only once a week to help cut down the amount of manipulation.
2. Keeping my hair moisturized: I deep condition my hair weekly using my steamer and moisturize and seal as often as needed.
3. Limit heat usage: I am not opposed to using heat. When I get tired of my hair being in a bun I run to get my hair flat ironed. I don't it often. Doing this helps me to retain my length and keeps away split ends.
4. Protective style: I bun my hair all the time. That's my only style. I bun so much that when I do get my hair done people are shocked. lol
5. Keeping my new growth stretched: Doing this helps to keep tangles at bay. Yes I still get them bur they are definitely reduced when the new growth is stretched. I have done the tension method before but I have changed to twisting and flat twisting my hair to stretch it.
6. NOT STRESSING OVER MY HAIR: I'm not saying that my hair doesn't get on my nerves but I don't stress over it. Take a deep breath and relax. I know for some
7. Keep it simple: My wash days are very simple. shampoo, deep condition, detangle then style. For me that's all it takes. Any more steps then I might drive myself crazy.

Here's to another year of a successful hair journey!

E'TAE Carmel Deep Reconstructing Treatment

Price: $19.99 for 8oz
Where: Etaeproducts.com
Description: The Carmel Deep Reconstructing Treatment restores life back into all hair types. Rebuilding damaged hair and maintaining the health of healthy hair. It also: improves texture, adds body, encourages growth, restores natural moisture, encourages manageability, and creates natural shine.
Directions: *This is used before shampoo on damp or dry hair* Apply throughout entire head of hair, beginning in the roots and spreading to the ends. Place a plastic cap on your head (do not sit under dryer). allow treatment to sit for 20 minutes., for deep conditioning 1 hour. Rinse well. Shampoo twice with Camelux-Shampoo and follow with Carmelux Conditioner.
Ingredients: Honey, Bananas, Olive Oil, Cornstarch, Molasses, Apple Cider Vinegar, Water, Tea Tree Oil

My POV: 

Texture: It has the consistency of syrup due to the molasses and honey but it goes on smoothly. I have used gloves to apply it. It is sticky so make sure to have some towels and wet paper towels in arms reach.
Scent: It smells like honey. Plain and simple. lol

This is going to be a straight to the point review. Like I stated in my 46 week post wash day chronicles post I am really feeling this product. The time that I let it sit on my hair varies. No matter how long I leave it on, my hair is always soft to the touch even after shampooing. Which I love. This is a really good deep treatment that packs a moisture punch. I want to try it out with the shampoo and conditioner from this line so I can get the full benefits of it. Right now I am just using it as a deep conditioner. The results that I see on Instagram are amazing. It does help soften your hair which makes detangling a lot easier. I honestly can't think of anything else to say about it. I give it a thumbs up. If you are interested in this product and have any questions about it leave them below and I'll answer them as best as I can.

Wash Day Chronicles: ONE YEAR POST!!!

Yes, you surely did read that right. I am officially ONE YEAR POST BABY. lol I am so happy that I can finally say that. Never thought I would be able to say it. Just a few short years ago I was going to the salon my hair relaxed once a month. I was going to the salon getting my hair done every two weeks. It's like going from one extreme to the other but it is well worth it. I'm loving seeing what my texture is like and learning new things about my hair over time. An updated "what's helping me stretch" post has been added to my list of posts to get done. So look out for that. Now let's get into this wash day.

{1} Parted my hair into 3 sections. Rinsed each section with water for about a minute or 2.
{2} Applied the Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Cleansing Conditioner ton each section
{3} After rinsing, I applied Hairitage Hydration Chocolate Covered Curls conditioner. This Hairitage Hydration product is unfortunately a miss for me. It doesn't moisturize my hair very well like of other HH products have done. Right now I am using it to get rid of it and whittle done my stash.

{4} I sat under the steamer for 30 minutes with the Shi-Naturals Peppermint Stimulating conditioner on. I can never go wrong with my Shi-Naturals products. I haven't used them in awhile since I have product junkie tendencies. lol My hair was so soft after rinsing this deep conditioner out. I couldn't keep my hands out of my hair.
{5} I T-shirt dried my hair for about 35 minutes then proceeded to apply leave-ins, HH Soft Coconut Marshmallows and Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum. The serum seems to provide a little more slip for me when detangling. This has been my only sealant lately. It helps to minimize breakage a bit as well.

Overall it was another pretty decent wash day for one year post but I am definitely looking forward to getting my hair done on Wednesday at Huetiful Salon. I am getting their Nano Smoothing Treatment done. It's pretty pricey and the treatment is suppose to last for 8 to 12 weeks. I am treating myself for my birthday. Depending on the condition of my ends I might do another trim/cut.

Wash Day Chronicles: 50 Weeks Post

{1} I started by doing a faux hot oil treatment. I had just a tiny bit of Simplicity Oil left. So I applied that all over my hair. Put on a shower cap and let it sit for a few minutes.

{2} Cleansed my hair with Naturelle Grow Lemon and Mint Clarifying Cleansing Conditioner. 

{3} I applied Hairitage Hydration Pink Grapefruit Punch Conditioner under a plastic cap while I finished up my shower.

{4} After rinsing the conditioner out I t-shirt dried my hair for about 20 minutes. Applied Naturelle Grow Intense Deep Conditioner and sat under my steamer. I finally used a protein conditioner.

{5} Applied Hairitage Hydration Soft Coconut Marshmallow and Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave-in Conditioner and proceeded to detangle my hair and put it in twists to stretch my new growth.

{6} I sealed my hair with my Organix Coconut Oil Serum. I still love this serum. It's so lightweight and smells good.

All in all it was a decent wash day. Dealing with some tangles and straight ends that like to stick together is no fun but I managed. I am a bit paranoid about my ends and think I might have to do a another trim when I get my hair done in a couple of weeks. But I will do my best not to worry until then.

How was your wash day?

Have I Used Up My Stash?

From Feb post

 Back in February I did a Use Up the Stash post. I was reminded of this from a comment from fellow blogger FancyFlairLady. lol

Have I used up my stash? Yes and No. Some products I have used up. A lot were given away and some sadly were thrown out because they had been around a looong time. Taking these steps helped to reduce this pile quite a bit. Although I still have a good amount of product to get
through, the original pile has been reduced only to

Feb Post

have been replaced with newer items. lol So now I have a whole new crop of products to go through and I am working on it. lol The last picture is of the new stash. lol This is my life as a product junkie.

This is what my stash looks like today