Lets do it again....henna time

It's been quite some time since I posted and as usual its because nothing has changed with my locks. I just mixed up a batch of henna. I only used one box of the henna powder from Mehandi as with the past two times.  This time I mixed the henna with Apple Cider Vinegar instead of the Orange Juice for the acidic portion and I added in vegetable glycerin for the moisturizing effect.  And instead of mixing with a spoon I used a hand mixer.  The last few times the mixture started out more like mashed potatoes but this time I finally got the consistency of yogurt.  Although I had no issues of applying the mixture the past few times I'm hoping with this consistency I can easily smear it on and washing it out can only be easier. I did most of the changes based this you tube video.

http://www.youtube.com/user/quotidianlight#p/search/0/v7R2wBrPeqw

What I'm hoping for this time is to see a more drastic red in my roots. I plan to only to do my roots and if I have any leftover I will do some of my ends. As you see here my ends are already pretty red and don't need much color especially since its the colder months.

Hues of red

Henna 2nd time around

Hey All - I have definitely not been keeping up with my blog, but I don't have that much to say, but I did another treatment of henna.  I mixed the henna in the AM and applied it around 8pm and slept with it.  I wrapped my hair up in saran wrap then a scarf  and then put on my bonnet and went to bed.  It was easy as 1-2-3....only thing it did dry up and I saw particles in the bed the next morning.  Again this time around no issues washing it out and I didn't use any shampoo/conditioner afterwards.  After my 2nd application I'm ready to place my next order for 3-4 boxes to do a treatment every month.  Oh...the reason why I'm going to order is I feel that my locks are definitely thicker and have more body now without any curls (because curls no longer hold in my hair...even with mousse ).  Additionally, I do feel that my locks seem to hang longer and although I'm still using a mist of water and oil I do feel my hair is more moisturized.  Well thats all I have for now ladies :-)
 

2 and a half years

Just a quick update.

As they says its not just a hairstyle its a lifestyle.  Over the time frame I have tested and tried different products but I have come back to the sisterlock products for washing and conditioning my locks.  Additionally, from my most recent post I will only be using henna to color my hair and for the added conditioning properties of it.  The less you do to them the easier the daily management of them becomes.  I use Carol's daughter Tui Oil in between washing which is every week and that's it.  I also continue to maintain my SL's myself. I don't even bother looking for trainees/consultants anymore because I always walk away disappointed. 

Here I come year 3, still loving my locks!!! 

Henna

A few weeks ago I met up with a lady whom I've kept in contact with locally. She had her sisterlocks installed give/take 6 months after me. When I saw her locks I loved the highlights she had in her hair. When I asked if it naturally grew out like that she said no it was her grays that turned color from henna. You know the product junkie that I am I started asking more questions and where I could purchase it from. She said online, well that couldn't be a better answer. I came home and logged onto the Mehandi website and ordered henna for African American hair. I strongly suggest if you are interested in using henna that you read the wealth of information that is on the website.

Moving forward a week or so later I finally received my package. Now knowing that I was in love with my brownish color locks I was a little apprehensive to jump right in and use it. It was Labor Day this past weekend (as you already know) and I had plans to go out. I had plans to stay in all day Monday and get prepped for my daughters first day. With my anticipation of staying in Monday I mixed up the henna on Sunday afternoon around 1pm with a little bit more than a cup of OJ and smidget of water. My disclaimer on that, just follow the directions given in the box because who knows if I put too much, too little. I mixed it all up covered it with saran wrap and kept it moving. As with my social life at the last minute I decided to go out Sunday night and I didn't get home until midday Monday, exhausted at that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I look at my henna and say to myself now that's a wasted batch but at the same token I don't want to just throw it out. This morning I woke up and I figure I will take my chances and slather it all on, hey its natural what could go wrong. LOL!

 

 

 

 

I put my hair into six sections and put my gloves on (very important)! I started in the back and literally felt like I was putting dirt on my hair. My consistency wasn't thick but more like a paste. I go thru each section carefully making sure that I applied to my roots and all the way down to my ends because they really needed the conditioning properties. After about 20 minutes I was done. My boyfriend helped wrap my hair up in saran wrap like a cone head and I then put a towel on my head as well to keep in the heat from my body. I left the henna in from 9am to about 2:30.

 

 

 

Here are the results!

Washing it out was not difficult at all and I did so in the shower. I used no conditioner or shampoo. Although the smell is still a bit herbal I have yet to put any oil in my hair. My hair feels a bit softer but not dry and I'm happy about that. I will take another picture in a few days because the color is supposed to oxidize a bit more over the course of a few days. What do you think??

I like it :-) and I see myself using this going forward for the strength, coloring, conditioning properties. And I would love to have big locks so if this helps with that process I'm all for it!

Length

It's been a while since posted a picture of my hair down. So here you go. I'm long overdue to do a comparison shot but you get the idea. It has grown, lol!!!

Effortless

Here are just some random shost that I liked that my locks were truly effortless. They are pulled back because its HOT!!! and right after a retightening so my parts are on point. Excuse the expression, a fellow walked into my light!

27ish months, who's counting

Well it has certainly been a while....and yet I have nothing to say :-(

There is nothing really new with my locks, actually no thats not true.  I feel like the front area of my locks are unlocking based on that new product I was raving about in my last post.  It made my locks so soft which was a great thing but over time it felt like after every wash my ends were curly q's verse locked ends.  On top of that, every time I run my fingers thru my hair I can pull balls from the ends because they are literally handing on for dear life!  Since I don't use anything on my hair besides maybe once a week spritzing with a mixture of Carol's Daughter Tui Oil and water I figure the cause has to be the shampoo.  So I decided to go back to the sisterlock products.  I ordered the salon formula along with the green tea formula and I received it yesterday.  I haven't washed my hair yet, but I know it has to give me that hard rough cuticle I need again to continue the locking process.  Other than that, I truly haven't been styling a thing.  I pull my locks into a messy bunish/ponytail and go out the door.  I put some curls in the other day with lock loops but by the end of the day they were almost out, so why bother! And really isn't that the best part so I'm not complaining.  Unfortunately, I don't have any new hair pics although I'm infamous for taking car pics but I switched from the blackberry to the Iphone and instead of taking pictures I'm now consumed with playing words with friends!  Well thats all I have but I would like to know .....

What would you like to hear from me??? I've gone blank :-)

I did it again..

Oh yes, I colored once again, I couldn't help it.  In my past coloring experiences color hasn't take as well as I would have liked it too so I didn't do my best in applying the color to my roots in the middle or the back.  I also did not do a good job of putting color in the back. I opted for Texture and Tones Honey Blonde.




Honey Blonde 6C



I put the color in more so the front and put on a plastic cap.  After putting on my plastic cap I wrapped my hair in a towel and clipped it.  I had just bought my daughter Just Dance 2 for the Wii so we played for 30 minutes with my hair wrapped up.  I didn't think much of how the color would come out but when I took the towel off I was SHOCKED. 



Shea Moisture

 Before I got too excited I tried my new shampoo and deep conditioner made byShea Moisture. I love how it smells and makes my locks feel heavenly.  Its nice and creamy and feels like it can penetrate the lock.  It even got some of the debris out of the back of my locks, you know the lint that accumulates at the nape of your neck.  So I sat with the conditioner for about another 30 minutes and walaaaaaaa, this is what I ended up looking like.....


New Hair Color (Honey Blonde)

Oh yes ......I actually have honey blonde hair and I didn't have to pay out my wazooo for it!!!!! I know this picture isn't the best, because I need to take a picture of the back. Honestly (as I'm laughing) there is nothing new to see in the back, the color is still dark brown!

Pattern Change

An interesting question was posed to me the other day about my pattern change.  As you recall I changed from a Pattern 4 to a Pattern 3 sometime ago, you can read the reasoning here (just click, "here").  Now the question was very simple:

noticed you started with a 4 pattern and now use the 3. As a result, have you noticed a difference in the size or appearance of your locks?

I must say that I have not noticed a difference in the width of the lock at all and its now been close to a year and a half since I did change the pattern. I took a picture to see if there is a difference, you tell me?

Two locks in the left front side

 They actually look thinner at the root to me, but I know that's also due to them still being in the pattern and not locked yet so they haven't swelled. 

Stylish Blogger Award

OMG!!!!! I received an email that I was nominated for the stylish blogger award. I have to say I'm so surprised that I was nominated, I can't say my blog is stylish but I will take it anyway :-). 

I just want to give a special thank you to Kreyola for nominating me, and she gave me a great compliment:

"I love her blog. I been following her for a while now and love all her sisterlocks updates."


Here's what you have to do nominee's

THE RULES
Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award

Share 7 things about yourself.

Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers

Contact these bloggers and tell them about it.


Now, wow 7 things about myself....that's a hard one, here goes nothing...

• My friends call me Dancehall Queen.  As you know my parents are from Trinidad (mom) and Tobago (dad) so any soca music that I hear seems to get into my blood and I really just feel the music.  I LOVE TO PARTY!!!!
• I LOVE to workout, its becoming one of my favorite things to do, of course its a huge thank you to having Sisterlocks and not having to worry about my hair afterwards. I started after having my daughter because I used to be a toothpick prior to having her.  Not as if I'm large now, but instead of just being slim, I want to look and feel fit and I am.  I have really gotten into it over the past three years, if I could just stop the cocktail consumption I would be better :-)
• I have a beautiful daughter who just turned 7 on Saturday 4/30.  She is a joy, wakes up smiling, goes to sleep smiling and is so smart (who doesn't say that about their own child), but hey that's what everyone tells me :-) 
• I have an undergrad degree majored in Finance and minor in Economics, I also have a MBA in Accounting. I've used all of that to earn a living working with Hedge Funds first as a Manager and now I work in an analyst role.   
• I am anti-social when I just meet people, unless I'm in the mood to be social.  However, once I get to talking I'm a talker and can dominate a conversation and room.  My mood normally comes more often than not to be a social butterfly:-) ....now that doesn't sound like a good thing.
• As you can tell I take a lot of pictures of my face.  This all has to do with trying to figure out what styles work for me, what makeup works and doesn't work.  And this also has to do with having a blackberry.  Prior to blackberry with the camera I hardly took pictures from the phone.  I take a lot of pictures with my camera, never download them so I'm the only person who sees the events I have gone too :-).
• I am addicted to my blackberry, I really cannot leave home with out it.  Nor can I go longer than 10 minutes without looking at it even when I have all the notifications on to let me know I have received a message.  Its addicting, I also have an Iphone because I wanted to test out all the clever applications they have.  I got tired of paying two bills so now my Iphone has turned into an Itouch :-), but trust me I'm debating giving my blackberry up full time for the Iphone 4. 

Since the blogger award has been going around for some time the ladies who have already received it as well as passed this along are the same ladies I would nominate such as Dewdrop, Saabira, and Blaqkofi I always find myself going to there blogs to read up on things I'm questioning.  In addition, I have to give a great shout to my girls, we all started the journey together Bajan Lily, Cshan, and Kay Exquisite.

Thanks to all my fellow bloggers as well as followers.  I truly nominate you all, because we all deserve it!

Happy Easter

May I take this opportunity to wish each and everyone of you
a most blessed and happy EASTER filled with the peace
and love and joy of the Risen Christ.
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Thank you Immensely

I've reached over 100 readers on my blog and I just want to take this time out to say thank you to each and every one of you.  Originally creating a blog I didn't foresee the future of meeting beautiful woman and gaining sisters that I don't biologically have.  I've met quite a few of my readers personally and I look forward to meeting more of you.  Once again thank you as we continue this journey together!

Stunted Growth

The consensus seems to be to go back to the reddish brown color.  I must say that I agree with that decision.  What I'm concerned about is stunting my growth.  I don't know maybe its me but I feel like my locks should be longer.  I throw that thought out the door and plan to color again in about 4-6 weeks.  This time around I think I'm going to make my coloring experience a (GDO) girls day out with my close locked sister :-).  She has traditional locks and is interested in getting them colored as well.  I told her we should go to the salon together and do it together.   Totally digressed!!!

After coloring have your locks grown at the normal rate or slower? 

Too Many Colors Options

As I look at my pictures above I am examining the color.  The one on the right is year 1 and the one on the left is year 2, as you can see there are two distinct colors.  Both pictures are from March, my loc-a-versary, so the season didn't play a part in my decision, I must say I do like the red. But I'd love to know what you think, the reddish family or brown? Or both, but it just matters on the season?

Sleep Position

How random is this? I was getting my eyebrows threaded in an Indian hair salon. It was quite busy for a Sunday morning but the client next to me was getting her hair cut. After the hairdresser was done cutting I heard the client say one side is heavier than the other. The hairdresser responded is that the side you sleep on it will always be heavier. It got me thinking that wow that is such a true statement. For a while now I have been noticing and complaining (smile) that my left side is longer than my right side, and yes you guessed it I sleep on my left side. Now when I think about that it seems strange that the side that you sleep on and constantly moving about would be thicker than the side that is free and getting all the air. Is one side, or back thicker than the rest of your head because of how you sleep? What are your thoughts?

Compliments

Compliments! Its been a long time since we discussed them. Have you gotten any recently? Or do you still remember that one compliment given to you on a day you needed it?

24 months and still counting

2 years of sisterlockdom! I can't say that the time has flown by because it does feel like a long time since I originally had my installation. On day 1 I really thought 2 years in I would have locks literally down my back, I DON'T :-). I thought that all my locks would be locked, can you believe they are not? The front (hairline above the forehead) especially, which has always been my problem area is unraveling a bit and breaking -- totally frustrated!!!!! Since the front isn't locked and its now breaking I am going back to braiding and banding that has to help. Or at least that's my thought anyway. The back is doing well all nicely locked and growing. In the back, one of my locks seemed to have thinned in the middle from me constantly pulling it into a ponytail and so it was longer than all the others. Yesterday when I reached looking for it I found it snapped off, I lost it somewhere who knows! Ah well, another one lost to the struggle.

Now, who would of thought you would read a 2 year anniversary post so negative. Although I'm having issues I would not have it any other way. All hairstyles have positives and negatives and I just want to chronicle it all, because its not all peaches and cream. I'm still fiddling around on what products I use, from the SL line to liquid black soap to Jane Carter, but it all depends on my mood. Moisturizer I switch up to from Carol's Daughter to a local oil I purchased. The one thing I'm going to try to refrain from this year is coloring my hair. I don't feel it has been harmful but it can't hurt NOT to color it. I'm going to go thru the spring and summer without coloring and see what changes that brings to my locks. All in all I'm still in love with my locks and don't regret the decision to lock with the sisterlock family!!!

Almost 2 yrs!

I'm almost 2 yrs locked,well I guess you can say I am because its tomorrow but I will put my thoughts to keyboard tomorrow with comparison pics!
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And I colored again...

It really is somewhat addicting because you don't have to worry about the ramifications of truly damaging your hair/locks. I decided to color my hair once again because although it was very nice it looked too brassy and truly two tone colors. I colored using Naturtint with light copper chestnut. I knew going into it that my roots wouldn't really take the color too well, but surprisingly they lightened up a bit and my ends darkened so I have a color that blends well from root to tip. Or I should say it lightened from root to tip. Of course I don't have the pics to really show this because I've been pretty bad of just taking pictures of my locks. I'm now more so taking pics of styles that work and don't work. Attached is a DON'T WORK look :-) but you sort of get the gist of it. I don't have a much changed routine, I'm still washing once a week and now I use some rosemary and regular tap water to spray on my locks in between the wash. Although its cold, my locks don't feel all that dry so I have not been using any oils on a regular basis. I have to say I'm a BORE when it comes to my locks. I've been trying some new styling ideas and I will share that once I get a chance to upload pictures from my camera. I am now 23 months locked and still loving it. I will do my comparison pics for 2 years, I'm long overdue for that.

22 Months

On the 18th of this month I celebrated 22 months of being SL'd. Additionally on the same day I had Lasik surgery. Although my vision is still a bit blurry I've been off for the week and starting to become a bit stir crazy, so why not blog. Adding to that fact, the snow came again this morning and its bitterly cold outside.

I love my locks and I have no thoughts of cutting them off but as I flip through magazines I do find myself staring at the new short crop cuts thinking WOW that style is FIAH!!!! Then I find myself looking at some loose natural styles and thinking wow the versatility with the curls popping and the options to straighten it, I miss the options. I know we have options with SL's, but in truth and honesty we have more options than traditional locks certainly, but not the options of a loose natural. Yes I wear my curls and ponytails with a bang or just a full ponytail and that's all great, but don't you miss the true styling???? One thing I am noticing more and more is that on commercials any African American woman is normally a loose natural and every now and again you see a sister with locks (SL's, traditionals etc). I appreciate that we are making waves in Hollywood---but we have yet to become that phenom!!

Now I'm a bit lazy with doing anything with my hair unless I'm in the mood and that comes far and few in between. As I type this I have perm rods in my hair because I have plans to go out tomorrow and I don't feel like being bothered tomorrow. I do appreciate that my curls are lasting a bit longer, but that has nothing to do with my current regimen. The density of my hair has certainly changed and allowed the curls to last much longer.

Can you believe in 22 months, my locks are still not 100% locked??? Especially in the front half of my head it isn't sealed on the ends probably because I manipulate that area the most, but come on really!!! It doesn't bother me at all as I plan to color my hair in the next month or so. With that said lets just go over where my locks are:

Where I am:

• My locks are not fully locked


• I no longer separate after washing (never really did)


• One side is longer than the other and seems to grow faster (right)


• I have this one long lock in the middle of my head that hangs the longest in the back


• I shampoo with a liquid black soap and my scalp feels extra clean and smells clean


• I air dry


• I only use Carol's Daughter Tui Oil maybe once a week


• I sleep 40% of the time with a loc soc and other 60% with my hair out on a satin pillowcase


• I wash weekly


• I don't really get compliments anymore - just more of your hair is growing alot


• I no longer worry about length, I'm just letting it do its thing


• I retighten for myself faithfully every 4 weeks, mostly because I don't like the feel or how my edges look


• I try to take pictures daily, but moreso to figure out what looks works and what don't


• I wear my locks up the majority of the time, its just easy and the ends seem to hold a curl.


• My roots aren't taking a color, I have no plans to lift it again.


• I like the two-tone look


• I love my locks, it suits me and my personality! DIFFERENT

Just to add a photo because thats what we all come for -- here is one from May last year so that 14 months.

Quick Flick

I took this photo as usual in my car but I liked the detail it showed of my locks. I owe you all some close ups and comparison photos which I will get to in the next few weeks.
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Happy New Year

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