Flexi Rod Set Using Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter and Aloe Whipped Butter Gel

Hey everyone!

      This week, I will be reviewing Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter and Aloe Whipped Butter Gel combination. If you follow my blog regularly, you will recall that I did a product review for the Almond Jai when I used it with the Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Leave-In. I decided that I wanted to experiment more with this product by using it with other leave-ins and stylers because I wanted to see if I could still use this product without getting the "matte" feel that I got from using it with the Coconut Water Leave-In. The first product I tried it with was my absolute favorite leave-in, the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave-In Conditioner. I used these two products together on a twist out and loved my day one results! My hair was shiny, super hydrated, and had amazing volume, body, and definition. The only con was that I wasn't too fond of my day two curls. They were a bit stiff and were not as "flowy" as my day one curls, but I rocked them anyway!

      I came to purchase the Almond Jai Easter weekend when I went to Target to purchase the Aloe Whipped Butter Gel and could not find it. I had been wanting to try the Aloe Whipped for a long while and learned from a fellow natural hair blogger on Instagram that not only did the Aloe Whipped work great with the Almond Jai, but it is really only sold online. With learning that new information, I decided to go ahead and purchase it off of Camille Rose Naturals' site. I was so determined to get my hands on this product because I have seen some really great product reviews and tutorial videos about this product and I also heard that it was very light and not heavy on your hair, which is what I always look for in my hair products. So again, I went for it and purchased this product online. It was a bit pricey, however. It was $16 plus shipping, so my grand total came up to $24. I was not too happy about this, but I really had high hopes and faith in the amazingness of this product. Thankfully, it most definitely lived up to and beyond expectation!

      The Almond Jai is a butter that results in soft, elongated twists while strengthening and holding the style in the process. Some of its ingredients include: sweet almond milk, jojoba oil, hemp seed oil, castor oil, aloe, and honey. The Aloe Whipped is a cream based gel that is rich in vitamins that nourish the scalp while it provides definition, a light hold to curls, and maximum moisture. Some of its ingredients include: aloe vera gel, macadamia oil, avocado seed oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, castor oil, and vitamins C and E.

      When it came to styling, I wanted to try a style that I knew would last and one that I felt would yield good results. I was attending my best friend's college graduation that weekend, so I wanted to try something that would be a bit more dressy and sophisticated! With that being said I decided to try flexi rods for the second time. My first encounter with flexi rods was less than amazing. I used the As I Am Curl Defining Cream to achieve the style and I didn't end up loving the results. They really only lasted for a day, but even after I took them out of the rods and separated them, they began to poof and lose the structure of the curl. I figured I just hadn't used the right curling product, so I decided that i would try again this time around with the Camille Rose Naturals. Here is how I achieved the look:

I deep conditioned my hair using the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Treatment Masque. I applied the product in sections of four, covered my hair with a plastic bag and sat under my bonnet hooded dryer for about 15 minutes. I then rinsed my hair completely with cold water and wrapped my hair in a t-shirt to absorb all of the water. When I started to prepare my hair for the flexi rods, I parted my hair into four sections. One section at a time, I applied the Almond Jai to the entire section of hair. I then took a small amount of hair from the larger section and applied the Aloe Whipped. I then smoothed the product through my hair thoroughly, detangled, and then took one of the flexi rods and curled my hair around it being sure to curl towards my face as opposed to in the direction of the back of my head. I continued to do this until my entire head was finished, which ended up taking about 45 flexi rods in total! I then sat under my bonnet hooded dryer again for about an hour and a half. After my hair was fully dry, I left the flexi rods in for another hour or so just to make sure they were fully set. After the hour was up, I removed the flexi rods and did not separate and fluff. I let them stay as they were for the rest of the day and overnight. When I went to sleep, I pineappled my hair (put it in a high bun on the very top of my head), tied my silk scarf around my head, removed the hair tie I used to pineapple so it wouldn't create a crease, and then put on my silk bonnet. The next morning we drove to my best friend's school to attend her graduation! For the course of the road trip, I decided not to separate and fluff my curls just yet. I wanted to make sure they had the time to really set into the pattern of the curl, so I left them as they were until we started getting read to leave for graduation.

      Before I began separating my curls, I smoothed a little bit of the Shea Moisture Tahitian Noni & Monoi Smooth and Repair High Shine Glosser over my entire head of hair. I then proceeded to separate. To separate, I twisted the curl in the opposite direction that it was curled in, carefully separated the curl into smaller pieces, and softly twirled the smaller pieces back in the original direction of the curl. I did this all over my head.

      The end results were amazing!! My hair had so much shine and body that it was, honestly, unbelievable! The oils from the butters came through so strong and provided such a soft and hydrated feel to my hair without weighing it down and making it fall flat. I wore my separated curls for two days and then on day three, I separated my curls and fluffed at the scalp some more in order to achieve more volume and wore those curls for two more days. My hair maintained its high amount of shine, softness and elongation up until the day I washed my hair a couple of days later. The curls lasted for about  five days, but they would have lasted longer, but I was in a rush to get a fresh head of hair so I could try out some new products (lol), so I washed my hair before my curls lost their luster.

    I am extremely happy with the results I achieved by using the Almond Jai and Aloe Whipped! I was nervous about trying a new brand of hair products, mainly because I have been an avid Shea Moisture user since my transitioning days, so I have a hard time trying out new products from other brands. However, I have heard way too many great things about Camille Rose to not give them a try and I'm SO glad that I went for it! I also was hesitant to use butters on my hair. I try my absolute hardest to avoid them because they are always too heavy for my hair. They overwhelm each strand and result in my hair looking wet, clumping up, and lacking in volume, body, and movement. However, these Camille Rose Naturals butters are extremely light and provide ample amounts of body, so I don't even have to worry about my hair getting weighed down. In fact, I don't even know that I would call them butters. They have more characteristics of a cream rather than a butter, so I think that's why it works so well in my hair! Another great thing about these products is that it didn't take a lot of product for me to achieve such a strong hold so I know that these products will last for a long while! Considering the prices of these products, I am very happy to know that I can use them sparingly and still yield great results! I have used the Almond Jai four times already and I'm not even halfway through the jar yet! And as far as the Aloe Whipped goes, I have barely made a dent in it. It still looks brand new and completely full! A little bit goes a long way with these products, so there's no need to feel like you have to use a lot in order to get the a good result, which is amazing! I will definitely be keeping these products around as staples!

I really hope that you found this post helpful and thank you so much for supporting my blog! Be sure to check back next week when I do a product review of the Kinky-Curly Knot Today and Curling Custard! Also, be sure to cast your vote for the monthly poll question. It's under "The Purpose" on the left side of the screen! Thanks again and I'll see ya on the next post!

Product Review: Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Leave-In Detangling Hair Treatment and Almond Jai Twisting Butter

Hey everyone!

This week I'm going to do a product review for two Camille Rose Naturals products: the Coconut Water Leave-In and the Almond Jai Twisting Butter. I have been wanting to try Camille Rose products for a while now, but could never really gather the drive to do so. I know that my hair doesn't react well to all hair products, so I was really nervous about trying a new line, especially one that's a bit pricier than the other product lines I'm used to. But a few weeks ago, I built up the strength to dive into a new product pool, mainly because I have seen some AMAZING product reviews and tutorial videos featuring this product line. Obviously, this was my first time using Camille Rose on my hair and I have to say that I was impressed for a few reasons, which I will discuss later on. At this point, I hadn't done a twist out in a while, so I figured since I was trying out the Almond Jai Twisting Butter, what better style to try it out on than a twist out?! :)
The Coconut Water Leave-In Detangling Hair Treatment is a part of Camille Rose Naturals' Coconut Water collection that provides superior moisture. Some of its ingredients include: coconut water, shea butter, grapeseed oil, flax seed oil, and yucca root. I wanted to try this product mainly because I read many reviews on it that said that this product was very lightweight and that it was perfect for fine hair, which I have. I loved that it had the benefit of hydration and that it promised awesome slip. Since I prefer to finger detangle my hair instead of using combs, I love to find products with a good amount of slip so that I can detangle with ease and reduce the amount of breakage and splitting. As an added plus, this product smells SO good!! It smells like a light breeze of fresh coconuts!
The Almond Jai Twisting Butter is a styler that strengthens and softens hair and elongates curls. It contains ingredients such as: almond milk, jojoba oil, castor oil, aloe, and honey. I originally wanted to try the Aloe Whipped Butter Gel, but did not find the product in the Target I was in, so I opted for the Almond Jai. (I recently found out from a fellow natural hair blogger that the Aloe Whipped Butter Gel is only available online, so I just purchased it and will be doing a product review as soon as I use it). I normally don't purchase butters because they are oftentimes way too heavy for my hair. I love hair milks, curling jellies, and light creams because they give me an amazing hold without weighing my hair down. However, I was not at all disappointed with the results I got from using this butter. It is not heavy at all and my hair still had SO much body and volume! Also it smells absolutely amazing! I kid you not, it smells like vanilla cake batter! Sooo yummy!! Let's get started with how I styled my hair!
To start off this style, I deep conditioned/cleansed with Shea Moisture's Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System hair masque. After I cleansed, I parted my hair into four sections. I then took one of those sections and separated it into fourths. I took one of those smaller sections and dampened it with a bit of water and applied the Coconut Water Leave-in from end to root as I detangled on my way up the section of hair, being sure to focus on my ends. After I thoroughly smoothed the product through, I then took a little bit of the Almond Jai and applied it to the same piece I just applied the leave-in to. After the products were smoothed into my hair, I then did a two-strand twist. I continued this process all over my head until I was done. After wards, I allowed my hair to air dry over the course of the day and overnight. The first thing I noticed was that it dried much quicker than I expected, so that was great!
The next day, I took my twists out, separated and fluffed my roots. Y'all...when I tell you that this Almond Jai is amazing...I truly mean that!! My curls were defined, yet still SO full! My hair was also extremely hydrated! The only flaw I came across was that I had a slight "matte" feel to my hair that I wasn't too fond of. However, this does not discourage me from using either of these products ever again. What I want to do is try using them separately so that I can see how they do on their own or with other products But overall, I highly recommend these products. The leave-in had amazing slip and I was more than able to detangle with ease. The Almond Jai was so amazingly lightweight and smooth that I wouldn't even consider it a butter. It has more of a creamy, thick whipped texture, which I absolutely love!

:)

I hope y'all found this review helpful! Be sure to come back and check out my next post and don't forget to respond to the poll question under "The Purpose." See ya on the next post!

Product Review: Shea Moisture Anti-Breakage Firm Hold Gel Cream

Hey everyone!

I'm so sorry for being so absent lately! I have been super busy and by the time I got around to writing a blog post, my computer crashed! So I finally have a new laptop and now I am all ready to go!

This week, I will be reviewing Shea Moisture's new Yucca and Plantain Anti-Breakage Firm Hold Gel Cream. This product is a new styler from their newly formulated Yucca and Plantain collection which is meant for frizzy, split, and breaking hair. This gel cream defines waves and curls while providing a firm hold without a sticky or flaky residue. It prevents frizz by hydrating and smoothing the hair cuticle, allowing for soft, shiny curls that last all day long. This collection contains:

-Yucca extract - promotes hair growth for thicker, fuller hair
-Plantain extract - rich in Vitamin B complex and nourishes hair with moisture
-Baobab oil - contains Vitamins A, D, E and F to fortify and strengthen hair
-Garlic - increases blood circulation in the scalp for healthier hair

Freshly washed hair

Overall, this collection has some AMAZING ingredients that help promote healthy and strong hair growth. It is formerly known as the Yucca and Baobab collection that was for fine, thin hair, and it contained biotin, a vitamin that strengthens the hair follicle. The new formula, unfortunately, does not contain biotin and it actually made me really sad when I found this out because that formula was perfect for my hair. However, I found that this collection definitely makes up for the removal of this awesome vitamin by replacing it with other ingredients that fortify hair and aid in healthy hair growth. If they took out the biotin and didn't add anything else, then that would have been pretty sucky. But the fact that they replaced it with other great substitutes definitely makes up for it. But yet and still, I know that my hair absolutely loves biotin and proteins, so that's what I try to look for in my hair products. So when I found out that Shea Moisture's Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 System collection contains biotin, I was super excited! I tried the masque from this collection and LOVED it!! It's definitely a new staple. So if you are like me and you looooooove biotin containing hair products, be sure to check that collection out! Now lets get to the product review for this gel cream!

Wet hair with Gel Cream applied

When I purchased this product, I knew right away that I wanted to do a wash-and-go. I figured it was the best fit style for this product because of its thick and slippy nature, so I figured I would first rate it in its element. To start, I deep conditioned/cleansed my hair with the Shea Moisture Yucca and Plantain Anti-Breakage Strengthening Masque and used their Yucca and Baobab Thickening Growth Milk as my leave-in/detangler. This is a milk from the older collection, obviously. I had some leftover from an old bottle so decided to use it! When applied the masque and leave-in, I made sure to massage my scalp to promote blood circulation and and remove buildup and I also paid close attention to my ends by making sure I applied a little extra product to them and finger detangled softly.
After I cleansed and rinsed, I parted my hair into 4 sections and applied my leave-in, again, paying close attention to my ends. When I began styling with the gel cream, I took one of the four sections, sprayed it with water and applied the product to small pieces at a time. After I finished a section, I scrunched my hair and then continued that process all over my head. When I got to the front sections where I have a looser curl pattern, I coiled my hair around my finger in small pieces to allow for better curl definition. My hair took quite a while to fully air dry, as it usually does, but when it did, it was extremely defined and hydrated. I did have a slight gel cast, but all I did was smooth my hands down my hair and fluff my roots and it was gone! My hair had tons of body and my curls were beyond soft and shiny! Most importantly, when I washed my hair the next week, I had barely any shedding! It was kind of crazy how much the amount of shedding decreased in just one week, so I know for sure that my hair really loves and reacts well to this system, so I will continue to use it in the future.

Dry and fluffed hair

Overall, I was VERY happy with this product. My wash-and-go lasted a full week with my hair gaining more and more body and fullness with each day! I absolutely LOVE this gel cream and this new formula. The masque was also amazing and I want to try the hair lotion this collection also offers!

I hope you found this post helpful and that you gained some insight to this collection. As always, thank you for the support and I will see y'all on the next post! They hopefully will not come months in-between anymore LOL!

To see a video of my results using the cleanser and the cream, check out my Instagram, @naturallykimie :)

Long Time No See!!! :) Winter Hair Tips, and Maintaining Flat Ironed Hair

Hey everyone! :)

      I am SO sorry that I have been so inactive on the blog lately! The end of 2014 and the beginning of this year has all be so crazy! Between some personal family matters, Thanksgiving, my undergraduate graduation from the distinguished and prestigious North Carolina State University (whoop whoop!!), CHRISTmas, New Years, having started graduate school a couple of weeks ago, and all of the traveling in between, I have been super uber busy! But I am settling down now and am in a much better position to get back to dedicating more time to blogging and sharing more reviews and tips with everyone! :) So lets start off with some healthy hair tips!

      Of course, it is winter time and everyone is looking for different ways to protect their hair from the cold! I have a lot of friends who tell me that their hair gets super crazy dry during the winter months. They are always trying to find new products to put on their hair because the winter air makes their hair dry and brittle. Somehow, I have never experienced this extreme dryness this time of the year. My hair tends to be pretty much the same all year around, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But either way, just because I don't face a certain amount of problems during a certain amount of time, that doesn't mean I don't still face those same problems throughout the year! Whether it's winter or not, we all still face dry hair, itchy scalp, and frizziness throughout the year! So here are a few tips to help you through those frustrating hair times!

Tip #1: If your hair is suuuuper dry and lacking softness, try making a DIY deep conditioner using mayonnaise and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). You could leave it at that, or you could add some other ingredients for added nutrients and benefits such as avocado, pumpkin, eggs, yogurt, or banana. I find that after I cleanse my hair with deep conditioners containing mayonnaise and EVOO, my hair is beyond soft, full of body, hydrated, and moisturized after I rinse it out! It's beyond amazing and it lasts!

Tip #2: If you love beanies but can't stand the frizziness that they cause your hair, try either sewing a silk lining to the inside of your beanie, or you could wear a silk bonnet (yes, the sleepwear that many women, unfortunately, wear out in public) under your beanie. That way you don't have to buy a bunch or material or silk bonnets and sew them into different hats! This will help your hair to stay smooth instead of rubbing up against the cotton material of your beanie or even your toboggan!

Tip #3: For those of you who feel like you can't rock your wash-and-go in the winter time because you don't want to walk outside with a wet head of hair, think again! :) Try preparing your wash-and-go on a day when you know you won't leave the house! That way you can style it on wet hair the day before, let it air dry, and then wear it out as your style the next day! This way, you get the fullness of day 2 curls on their first day out! Or if you prefer to not have to be tied down in the house all day, try letting your hair get about 50% air dried before you apply your wash-and-go product! That way, you won't have to style and walk out of the house with soaking wet hair AND your hair will have more volume! Be aware that there may be a bit less definition in the curls. But me, personally, would choose fullness over definition any day!

Tip #4: Hydrate your hair much more often. If dry hair is an issue for you, try spritzing your hair with a bit of water daily and following with a small amount of a light moisturizing lotion or creme. Or you could do as I did when I did my big chop and put a little bit (maybe about 3 quarter-sized amounts) of your favorite leave-in in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake it up, and spray that on your hair daily! I may actually start doing this again because my hair was very well moisturized when I would do this daily!

Tip #5: Try to wear styles that keep your hair off of your neck and back. Since during this time of year, we are all wearing scarves, and wool coats, it is easier for our hair to frizz up because of all the friction. Especially our poor ends! They get it the worst :( So if you know you are going to pull out the cotton or wool coat and scarf, consider wearing your hair in an updo, braids of any kind, or twists that day! This isn't necessary to do every single day, but every once in a while, give your hair a break from the friction. Maybe for at least half of each month total, try keeping your ends off of your neck and back. You'll be happy you did! And be sure to keep your hands out of your hair if you have on gloves or mittens that aren't leather! :)

      So now we are going to shift gears a little bit and I'll explain to y'all how I maintain my straight hair. Like i mentioned before, I had my undergraduate graduation last month and I decided that I wanted to get my hair flat ironed for it. I got my hair done the Sunday before graduation (December 14th) by an amazing cosmetologist named, Kendra. She came highly recommended by one of my best friends, Adrianna. Kendra trimmed and flat ironed my hair and I loved it! My hair was shiny, it had SO much body and it looked incredibly healthy! I kept my hair up and maintained it by not applying any unnecessary heat, but I found within the next couple of days that my hair was getting very dry, as it usually does. It was losing a lot of its luster and it wasn't looking as healthy. I didn't know what to put on it to give it its glow back because all of the hair product I had was for hair in its natural state. I had nothing that wouldn't make my hair revert back to its curls. So then I went on Pinterest and searched "natural heat protectant." A few things came up, but the one thing that popped out to me was grapeseed oil. I just stared experimenting with grapeseed oil in August and what I notice most about it is that it's extremely light. If you follow my blog regularly you know that is a winning characteristic of a product for me. I LOVE a product that sits lightly on hair because it doesn't cause any weigh down. I love for my hair to move and have body rather than stick to my head. Especially when it's flat ironed! So I took the grapeseed oil tip and ran with it!
My best friend, Teleza, took my senior pictures for me the day before graduation (December 17th). So the night before we took them, I poured about a quarter-sized amount of grapeseed oil into my hand, rubbed it between both hands, and applied it to half of my hair from root to tip. After I applied and rubbed it in thoroughly, I did the same thing to the other half of my hair. I then combed my hair with a paddle brush and put my hair into a top knot (wrapped my hair into a knot bun on the top of my head). I put on my silk bonnet and then went to sleep. When I woke up the next morning and took my hair down...y'all. My hair was right back to how it was before! It was full of life, SUPER shiny, and had SO much volume!!! It wasn't weighed down at all! I could not believe how much that grapeseed oil did for my hair, literally, overnight! I was so excited! I then got my flat iron and put some curls in! I had it on low heat, of course. I was in absolute and total LOVE with the results I got from using the grapeseed oil! That night, my hair looked and felt fine, but I wanted to add a little more oil, so I did! I then put my top knot back in and my silk bonnet. The next morning, graduation morning (December 18), my hair was just as it was the day before! And not only that, but the top know preserved my curls! So I barely had to add any curls in that morning...but I did anyway because I wanted to hahaha!! :) My curls lasted all day long! From that night on, I didn't add anymore grapeseed oil to my hair, nor did I use anymore heat. My nighttime hair routine consisted of only 2 steps: top knot and silk bonnet! Doing just that alone, i preserved my curls and my hair was still so hydrated, so I didn't have to add anymore oil or curl my hair until CHRISTmas, which was exactly a week later.
      From now on, I definitely will be using grapeseed oil on my hair when I do any kind of heat styling! It was soooo good to my hair and I love the results I got! And in case it wasn't obvious, no, I didn't acquire ANY heat damage!! My hair reverted right back to its curls when I washed it! So long story short, a great way to protect and maintain your straight hair is to add grapeseed oil before you go to bed, put your hair in a top knot, and sleep with your silk bonnet on or on your satin pillowcase.

:)

I hope y'all found this post super helpful and that you gained something from these tips! If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask by commenting below! I'll see y'all on the next post! And as always, thank you for your support!

Natural Hair Spotlight Month Wrap-Up: Meet Megan, Kiki, and Adrianna! Then, Be Inspired.

Hey everyone!

I hope everybody had a FANTASTIC Thanksgiving and ate a whooole bunch of yummy food and desserts! I know I did! I ate anything and every dessert with the word "pumpkin" in it! Haha! We are on our very last post for Natural Hair Month! (And yes, I'm very much aware that it's no longer November! Please forgive me for the delay!) For me, wrapping up Spotlight Month is bittersweet because I loooove reading these interviews and I hate that it's ending :( But on the plus side, I will be able to get back to my normal product reviews and tutorials! Yaaayyy!! This week for the final spotlight, I interviewed 3 beautiful ladies who are all dear friends of mine! They all have different journeys but they are all so inspiring! I hope y'all enjoy these interviews as much as I do! Lets start with Megan!

Meet Megan!

Name: Megan

Age: 22

Describe your “pre-natural hair” (relaxed, damaged, dry, etc.): I’ve always had thick, healthy hair. I just wanted to try the natural experience and stop wasting money on the creamy crack lol.

How long have you been natural: This time, 2 years LOL.

What made you decide to return to your curls: I originally tried my freshman year of college, then my sophomore year of college. Each time my hair just got so long that I felt like I had to perm it to see how long it had gotten. Then, I realize my hair looks permed just by straightening it so I finally decided that the third time was the charm and went all in by giving up heat and perms for a year. It was honestly just to try something new and have even more healthy hair!

Did you transition or big chop: I transitioned for almost a year and a half.

What made you choose one over the other: I don’t know what my head looks like without hair and I was afraid I would not like my head shape with super short hair! Yikes!

How long has it been since your big chop: I transitioned for a year and a half and cut my last relaxed end in October of 2013.

How did your friends/significant other/family react to your decision: They all loved and supported my decision.

How do they feel now: Everyone loves my hair!

How is your natural hair viewed in the workplace/at school/among friends: Everyone seems so fascinated by how full and thick my hair is because it has always been apparent straight but now people can really tell when it is curly!

How do you normally style your hair/what are your go-to styles: Oh gosh, twist outs and flat twists outs are my fave. I love to bun it up or put it in a puff. Recently, I’ve started to wear it straight more just because there is so much of it!

Are you a “I want to experiment with my hair weekly” kind of natural, or a “Put it in some braids or twists for a few months at a time and call it a day” kind of natural: Neither, I will keep my hair in braids for a while when I feel like doing it or I will wash and twist it weekly just to keep it clean.

If you could do whatever you wanted to your hair, what would you do (funky cut, color, etc.): I want a bob cut again soooooooo bad but I promised to stop cutting my hair *sad face*

What are your must-have staple products/oils: COCONUT OIL IS LIFE! I like Argan Oil too though! Just recently I started using OrganX products and I love them! My hair is so soft and moisturized!

What is the biggest life lesson you have learned on your natural hair journey: Just be yourself and love yourself naturally. That’s what is most important.

If you could change one thing about your journey thus far, what would you change: I should have done it sooner LOL.

What has been your biggest personal gain since the start of your journey: PATIENCE! Natural hair care is not for the impatient or the weak LOL.

Any advice for anyone considering taking the leap into returning to their curls: DO ITTTTTTT! Simple.

Business/blog/social media inquiry info: IG: @_meggoelizabeth Twitter: @iamKNOT_myhair

Meet Kiki!

Name: Kiyana Harris (Kiki)

Age: 22

Describe your “pre-natural hair” (relaxed, damaged, dry, etc.): My pre-natural hair was relaxed. It's never been damaged. There may have been a time where I used too much heat but my hair has always been pretty much healthy, long, and very thick.

How long have you been natural: Technically I am not natural yet. I am still transitioning :( But I am almost there!!

What made you decide to return to your curls: I have always wished my hair could curl! I just didn't think it was possible. When I came to college I saw so many girls going natural but just didn't think it was for me because everyone was doing the “big chop” and I couldn't see myself chopping off my hair. Little did I know that you do not have to chop all your hair off to become natural. I also thought that I would not like my texture because my hair was thick even with a relaxer so imagine being natural! Going natural was always a thought but I was always too scared to go through with it. My mom decided to big chop her hair and it looked great which really inspired me that perhaps returning to my curls was the way to go!

Did you transition or big chop: currently transitioning!

What made you choose one over the other: I decided to transition by accident. I was in between relaxers and during this time of receiving new growth I noticed that the hairs in the front of my head could actually curl! So when I did buns, and pony tails I could pull out two little jewish curls in the front! Lol this was something I could never do before. Then I tried braid outs and bantu knots and loved the way my hair curled. I also noticed that my hair was growing so much faster now that I wasn't relaxing my hair. I had all the intentions of getting a relaxer but I fell in love with the way my hair was transitioning. I also knew that I did not want to big chop my hair and by keeping the two textures it allowed me to see more growth which was very motivating!

How far are you into your transitioning stage and when do you plan to big chop: My last relaxer was January 2013 and I have no idea when I will be chopping off all of relaxed ends but I can tell you that it is coming soon! I have slowly been trimming the ends and I just received blowout and a big trim on October 30^th so when I wash my hair and see how much relaxed ends I have left I can decide from there.

How did your friends/significant other/family react to your decision: My friends and family love my hair! They have been trying to get me to stop getting relaxers for the longest. Lol most people had no idea that I even had a relaxer.

How do they feel now: They love my determination to continue transitioning and reach my goal of becoming natural!

How is your natural hair viewed in the workplace/at school/among friends: I always get compliments for my twist outs and pineapples! Several of my friends have asked me to twist their hair for them.

How do you normally style your hair/what are your go-to styles: I definitely love flat twist outs! If I am having a good hair week it can last me 5-8 days and then I can do a curly bun or pineapple until I wash.

Are you a “I want to experiment with my hair weekly” kind of natural, or a “Put it in some braids or twists for a few months at a time and call it a day” kind of natural: I am definitely the experimenter ! I have tried everything! Bantu knots, braid outs, two strand twist outs, perm rods, flexi rods, blowouts with the tension method, and more! I did decide to get twists(you will see them in the pics I sent) in my hair and leave them for a month in a half back in january 2014 but I missed my curls so much I doubt I will do that again!

If you could do whatever you wanted to your hair, what would you do (funky cut, color, etc.): If I could do anything I would definitely color my hair! I want to do either a burgundy or a brown ombre on my ends. But I am going to wait until I am fully natural to do that!

What are your must-have staple products/oils: Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave-in, coconut oil, water, ecostyler gel (green and pink one) , Miss. Jessie's Jelly Soft Curls, Shea Moisture Anti-Breakage Deep Conditioner and Cantu Coconut Curling Cream.

What is the biggest life lesson you have learned on your natural hair journey: When it comes to hair What I learned is that you have to find what works for you. I have watched so many Youtube videos and tried styles in hopes that it would turn out the same as it did in the video but I learned that everyone's hair is different. You really do have to try trial and error to see what specifically works for you. I never thought in a million years that flat twist outs would be my go to style. I was horrible at flat twists!! I tried this style by mistake and ended up loving it! Lol As far as life, I learned that patience is key! Being patient has been a key role in this journey and by being patient you will see that it makes the goal so much more worth reaching.

If you could change one thing about your journey thus far, what would you change: I wish I would have done it sooner!

What has been your biggest personal gain since the start of your journey: Being less afraid of trying something new or unfamiliar to me. It is when you are in the most uncomfortable positions that you have the most growth as a person.

Any advice for anyone considering taking the leap into returning to their curls: I say do it!! You will not regret it. It allows for so many styles! Before I had straight hair that wouldn't hold a curl at all but now I can switch from straight and curly without a problem! When I was in doubt I just thought to myself that if it didn't work out I could always return to relaxers. But also, make sure to do research and prepare yourself for the journey.

Business/blog/social media inquiry info: instagram is @madeinnyc_xoxo and Twitter is @baby_koxv

Meet Adrianna!

Name:  Adrianna Nicole

Age:  25

Describe your “pre-natural hair” (relaxed, damaged, dry, etc.):  My pre-natural hair was something I was never truly satisfied with. I could never get it to hold body or curls.  I wore it many different lengths and styles. But it was never what I wanted it be.

How long have you been natural: My last relaxer was March of 2010.

What made you decide to return to your curls: I was really interested in my hair looking good and being healthy no matter the circumstances. I traveled to the DR and one of my classmates had natural hair and it was gorgeous, despite the water, humidity, sweating, and so on. My hair was awful and unmanageable and I was SO jealous!  I even helped her twist hers up before bed, and it was so thick and healthy. I knew I had to do something different. 

Did you transition or big chop: Big chop. For me, it was all or nothing. I big chopped after going without a relaxer for 2-3 months.

What made you choose one over the other: I wanted to fully commit. I also got frustrated VERY quickly with attempting to maintain two different textures.

How long has it been since your big chop: May-June 2010 was when my big chop took place.

How did your friends/significant other/family react to your decision: My family was supportive and I got lots of compliments. However, my friends of other ethnicities didn’t fully understand the decision and didn’t have a clear concept of what was happening. I think it was a shock to them!

How do they feel now: I don’t think they really care very much, honestly. I think they are happy as long as I’m happy!

How is your natural hair viewed in the workplace/at school/among friends: Many people are shocked that my hair is natural. Even if they’ve known me from the beginning, they still ask questions about my hair. Those who knew me when I wore my hair kinky ask if I have a relaxer. Those who’ve only known me with straight hair can’t imagine what I look like with kinky hair. 

How do you normally style your hair/what are your go-to styles: I get my hair washed, conditioned, and blown out every two weeks. I went through a season of wearing my fro, then wearing flat, two-strand twist up-do’s. Now it’s always straight.

Are you a “I want to experiment with my hair weekly” kind of natural, or a “Put it in some braids or twists for a few months at a time and call it a day” kind of natural: Honestly, I have never been talented enough or patient enough to experiment.  I usually wear it blown out with curls, then headbands, and a ponytail if I’m REALLY desperate!

If you could do whatever you wanted to your hair, what would you do (funky cut, color, etc.): Hmmm. I would wear it kinky and loose, with enough to go into a cute ponytail or a nice wash and go. I would love some color—perhaps some golden brown highlights.  I also consider a short cut. I really like a neat, clean, and well-put together look.

What are your must-have staple products/oils: Haha. I’m a minimalist here. I must have bobby-pins and headbands of all colors. I also must have a light oil (Argan or Moroccan) and an edge-tamer that doesn’t flake or create build up.

What is the biggest life lesson you have learned on your natural hair journey: That I can be beautiful and confident no matter what my hair looks like. I have also learned how important my hair is to me and that it has such a big factor in my day-to-day life. I’ve also learned that you get out what you put in.  My hair is at its best when I am consistently taking good care of it.

If you could change one thing about your journey thus far, what would you change: I would have taken much better care of my hair early on, and not have to do so much damage repair. I may also have done Henna treatments to loosen my curl pattern rather than going to heat to straighten! 

What has been your biggest personal gain since the start of your journey: Learning about myself and redefining my definition of personal beauty.

Any advice for anyone considering taking the leap into returning to their curls: Do it! It’s how God created you. It can still be worn however you like and is much more versatile than a relaxer.  It’s beautiful and unique!               

Business/blog/social media inquiry info:  anharre2@ncsu.edu.  I don’t know that I’ll have much to offer, but I’m open!

:)

Ok everyone! We have officially wrapped up Natural Hair Spotlight Month!! Yaaaayyy!! It was so amazingly fun being able to interview these amazing ladies and gents and learning more about them! 

My main goal in doing these spotlights was to allow people to see more than just hair. A lot of men and women look at natural hair and either get discouraged because they don't think that their hair could ever "do that," or they think that natural hair doesn't fit the mold or meet the criteria for the beauty standard in our society. Every curl, knot, wave, coil, tress, loc and kink is beautiful! Our hair is our hair and it is a big part of us! It is so different and so unique! It holds so much beauty, power and history. We should be encouraged and proud of our roots (pun intended lol), and we should embrace all of who we are! This doesn't mean that women who have relaxers or wear weaves are trying to run from their heritage or that they are ashamed of their skin. And this also doesn't mean that there should be a divide between natural hair women and women who relax their hair. What it does mean, however, is that we should not shame those who choose to wear their natural curls and we shouldn't shame those who choose not to. We should see more than hair. We should see the things that we have in common. Rather than pointing out and focusing negative attention on the things that make us different, we should embrace what makes us different! No matter how many relaxers and weaves we may have in, our hair will ALWAYS grow out of our scalp curly, kinky and gorgeous! We should embrace it! If styling that hair isn't for you, then that's fine! But don't ever view those curls and kinks as disgusting, ugly, nasty, annoying, or gross because that isn't the case. God gave us this hair for a reason and that's it!

I'm not saying all of this to speak only to women who choose relaxers, but I'm saying this to encourage everyone! How my hair grows out of my scalp is how it will always grow out of my scalp. There's nothing I can do to change that! All that I can do is embrace it and move on. And know that when we say, "Natural hair is beautiful," we aren't just talking about the hair of the men and women who rock their natural 365 days a year. Every black person has natural hair, but only some choose to actually BE natural, and that 365 days a year definition, in my eyes, applies to "BEING natural." Someone who chooses to embrace their God-given natural hair by not chemically straightening it is someone who chooses to be natural. Natural hair, however, is the raw, irreplaceable, unique, one of a kind beauty that grows naturally out of our scalp! So when we say, "natural hair is beautiful," that is what we are referring to. That is what's beautiful and everyone should know it! Beauty isn't about what's sitting on top of your head! It's about what grows from within, manifests itself and the strong sense of pride and confidence that comes along with it. And of course, that applies to more than just hair.

Natural men and women, your natural hair is beautiful!! Women who get relaxers or wear weave, your natural hair is beautiful!!

There is no reason to ever think otherwise! There is no divide between the two because we all have that natural hair within us. It's what we choose to do with that hair once it breaks through the scalp that makes us different in a beautiful way, but the foundation is the same! I'm not saying that relaxed hair/weave isn't beautiful. I'm saying that if you relax your hair or wear weave because you don't think that you will be pretty anymore with your natural hair, or because you think your hair isn't beautiful, or you think that people will think you're making a mistake or that you don't have the "right hair" for being natural, then you don't have any reason to feel that way. Everyone is beautiful in their natural state! There's no need for plastic surgery and injections, caking on make up, drawing on 10 lbs worth of eyebrows, or trying to make your body look like your favorite celeb. Who you were created to be is beautiful and we get even more beautiful everyday!

:)

Though every one of these spotlight features made the decision to return to their curls, the events leading up to and the events following that decision varied for everyone. Just because we all chose the same, that doesn't mean we will all experience the same thing. We all have different minds, different lives, different textures, and different outlooks on life. Yet and still, beauty can be found in each and every journey. I don't want to be the only voice on this blog. My journey isn't the only journey that matters, and everyone should be given the opportunity to voice theirs if they please! These interviews go to show that EVERYONE had a different journey, and that is why I wanted to focus on them this month. When we see a natural, we should see much more than just hair. We should see a journey. We should see a story. We should see ourselves.

As always, thank you so much for checking out my blog! Y'all are awesome and I appreciate the support SO much!! Feel free to share the link and be sure to cast your vote for my monthly poll! It is located on the left under. "The Purpose." Since today is the first post of the new month, it is time to announce the winner for November's poll:

Question: What is your favorite part about Thanksgiving?

Top 3 choices (since voters were allowed to choose more than 1 answer): #1- The food #2- Spending time with family #3- Cooking

Thank you to everyone who voted! I hope y'all have enjoyed Natural Hair Spotlight month as much as I have, and I also hope you look forward to my product reviews and tutorials that will be returning this month! Y'all are awesome! Thanks so much for the support! See ya on the next post!