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!

New way of curls

Over the past few months I have strayed away from styling because I've gotten lazy but even more so from using the lock loops and moving towards the perm rods because it gives such a nice looser curl from day one. I conditioned my hair with Lustrasilk shea butter cholesterol only for a little over an hour. I then washed it out and used only the Organix coconut mousse as my setting lotion. I left the rods in for at least 10 hours while I did housework. I took them out before going to sleep because they are really difficult to sleep in. Unfortunate for me I went for a run the next morning so I did lose a bit of the curl in the process but either way the look in my opinion is much better than the lock loops at this length and stage. The drying time is still an issue for me, but I'm still not sold on sitting under the dryer so air drying is my thing.


I have come to the conclusion however that bangs are not for me..permed or locked :-)!!! I'm going to leave those for others going forward!!! However I love, love, the way the back and sides fell.

Mayo n Egg conditioner part deux

Last night I once again did the egg and mayo conditioner, and this time I used one egg and less mayo. I mixed it up and put in back in the fridge hoping the mixture would become a little thicker in consistency. Well it didn't! Lol :-). There was a lot less this time so I figured it shouldn't run like it did previousl . I jumped in the shower put it all over my head and sat for an hour with little to no leaking. Yippie!

Now an hour passed and I was ready to wash it out. I remembered that I had cooked egg particles in my locks the first time so I made sure to use cold (frigid) water. Albeit uncomfortable, I withstood the water and washed it out squeaky clean. Now it was time to get that horrid smell off my locks. I grabbed my Aubrey Organics conditioner applied it mostly to the ends, put the water slightly (operative word) warmer and washed it out.

So I'm all done and I go to the mirror, do you know what I see. Egg particles!!! Humph! Are you kidding me! Now I spend a good 10 minutes in the mirror picking them out! Yuck! All of that, and I must say my locks feel no different and I don't see any extra shine. Why did I do this again????????

Next time around (my calendar reminder is set for 60 days) I'm only going to use mayo and I'm going lather it up!!!

Stay tuned.....

Mayo n Egg Conditioner - UPDATED

After my horrific experience with the ACV rinse that I thought would give my locks a new sheen and it didn't, I thought I should go out and purchase the cellophane color that is clear but adds shine. Well, since it was Mother's Day and I really didn't feel like leaving the house to go anywhere I opted against it. I happened to be doing my daily stalking of blogs and ran across Kalia Dewdrop's mayo and egg conditioner. I youtube'd it some more and decided it was a good idea. I looked in my fridge and darn it, I only have light mayo, not exactly what I'm looking for. I called my cousin who luckily lives close and she brought me some mayo. I mixed up the mayo (which I didn't measure, I just went off the eye) and threw in two eggs. I mixed it up and then put it back in the fridge because I was still retigtening my hair. When I mixed it up, it was quite liquidy, so it was evident I didn't use enough mayo so the mixture was runny.

I started applying the mixture with my fingertips on the sides in the roots and worked my way to the middle; then I went to the back and applied only at the roots and worked up to the middle, then I did the other side. By the time I was done with that I had the mixture all over my sink. I then just took a scoopful and put it on my roots and kept doing so until the bowl was almost empty. When all my locks were saturated I bent my head over, took the bowl contents and poured the remainining on my head. I put on a plastic cap and started the time. I figured since it was the first time I didn't want to go for 90 minutes, I would do an hour and see the results. As I sat around it started leaking down my neck and that confirmed that I didn't use enough mayo. After an hour I was ready to go; now I specifically recall that I shouldn't use hot or warm water to wash it out. So I set the water to cool and washed it out until the water ran clear. I put some Organix conditioner in to mask the smell, but where I messed up is I turned the water temperature to a little warmer and I washed the conditioner out.

Pros (immediate difference)
*locks felt a bit heavier
*locks felt solid
*softer

Cons
*washing with cool water
*if not, white chunks,

As for the con, I immediately put my head back under cold running water, but to no avail I had to pick it out. It wasn't too much but I know next time. In any event, I'm defintely going to do this every 2 months because its natural and I see immediate effects. I'm hoping over the long run I will see the difference in my root to tips.

Let's Play Catch Up

I have been a delinquent in posting to my blog and there is so much to write about and definitely not enough time in the day for it all. Not enough time especially since the weather has been warmer and I've been spending much more time outdoors so lets get to it.

So about a two weeks ago I tried the ACV rinse.

When I originally purchased the vinegar and put the bottle to my nose I thought, yep smells just like vinegar with a hint of apple. I love red vinegar or balsamic vinegar in my salads the more the merrier so I was quite pleased that the smell was along the same lines. I jumped in the shower put half a bottle of vinegar in my plastic clear bottle filled the other half up with water and started pouring the solution from my front hairline and working backwards. I didn't feel a huge cleanse feeling on my scalp so I left the solution on while I did my shower duties. I diluted another half bottle and mixed with water and then..what a STENCH start to emerge in my entire bathroom. My boyfriend just so happened to walk in and ask "WTH is that smell"..needless to say it was unpleasant. I began to wash out the 2nd ACV rinse and noticed no difference, my scalp didn't feel especially cleansed but my face felt burnt!!! I did a quick conditioner only on the ends of my locks put it in and washed it out. I jumped out the shower and thought nothing else of it.

Now the following day I went to the gym and as usual sweat in my head...WOW that dang stench was back! It was a mixture between someones butt crack and another person's buttcrack ..hehe! I came home and washed my hair. Needless to say I won't be doing another ACV rinse because I certainly didn't feel like my locks felt uber soft afterwards nor did I feel my scalp and locks were extra clean.

Moving on, in a previous post I asked about cutting off processed ends, not permed ends. After the beautiful responses I got I cut the ends of about 5 locks. I checked them out and I liked how they progressed so I got to snipping on the majority of all my locks. I still have ends that need to be cut which I'm doing a little bit each day as I see them. My ends are definitely looking more sealed in the front and middle and my overall appearance looks a bit more clean than undone.

One last thing to catch you all up, I purchased the Taliah Waajid Crinkles and Curls because literally no matter what product I used for my curls they aren't lasting more than 2 days. So many SL wearers have raved about this product so I of course have to give it a try.

Whew...now that we are up to date there is nothing much else going on. This week I've done about 7 flat twist in a somewhat side going back direction and pulled the back up into an 'onytail'...you know the immature ponytail :-)!

Taking it back to the Basics...YET AGAIN!

Although I'm not seeing hairs shedding from my locks, I feel like the color now shows how thin SL's really are. So a week after I got my hair colored I orderd the Green Tea Product kit from the sisterlocks website.  Ironically, Dewdrop mentioned in her combining SL's into TL's post that extensive coloring started to thin her locks out and I've been feeling that its definitely possible. Today I used the green tea shampoo which has a really nice smell and lathered up so well.  The applicator bottle posted on the SL website that came with the kit notes to put water in with the shampoo.  Its funny because you read so many places that you should or shouldnt' dilute who actually knows the answer.  I had stopped diluting the starter shampoo for months now, maybe I shouldn't have.  Oh well :-(.  So I used the green tea shampoo for 3 shampoos and I didn't bother braiding and banding, I think I'm definitely over that (at least for now).  The shampoo has a nice tingling feeling and I felt like my scalp and locks were getting a really good cleaning.  I moved on with the reconstructor conditioner and left that on with a cap for 30 minutes.  I must say my locks feel so soft and really, really moisturized.  I had no reason to even put any oils on my locks. What they (who is they, lol) say is true, sometimes its just better to go back to the basics and use the products made for what you have.

Mood For....

Admittedly so I have not been in the mood for blogging.  Don't ask me why, I think this New Year has me in a mood for something new, fresh, exciting.  New career? baby? marriage? home?  I'm going to settle for neither, and I think something like a nice vacation with some R&R will cure me of my new year blues. 

What has been going on is I've purchased a new product, Jane Carter Twist & Lock.  I purchased it at Whole Foods for who knows how much probably about $20 bucks.  I justify this since I don't spend money on my hair at all, it all balances out! In any event, I have tried it on wet hair, right after a fresh wash I put some on my scalp and also on my locks and used the lock loops.  The results you saw, the poodle look (smile), not bad huh!!  Now again this week I tried it after my curls starting to fall out. What I like about it so far is that it is lightweight gives a bit of a shine without having my locks feeling weighed down and greasy to the touch.  I run my fingers through my scalp and I have no residue on my fingers after.  I do like it and you don't have to use much product so although its costly it will go a long way so this is staying in the arsenal, well for now at least!

In addition, I must admit my lock appearance seems to be changing.  Over the weekend on more than one occassion someone has said "wow, your hair is really growing" I think they are well on there way to locking and appearing longer and not bunched up. I would say they have "dropped" i.e LOCKED enough to lose the natural curl.  As I have been walking, working out I feel locks falling in my eye and lots of bounce, I am really enjoying the progress.  I have started sleeping with my satin cap, (I've lost my sexy at night) but for good reason!! LOL!!!

Braid out is a go!

I did the braid out on freshly washed hair on Friday night and today is Tuesday and I still have tons of crinkles! This is definitely going to be a staple style for a while, because the lock loops just aren't doing what they used to do for me. I wonder if the Organix had anything to do with the hold? Looks like some more experimentation is coming up!

Organix is a Keeper

The results are in!!! Last night, I decided it was time to test out the products.  I jumped in the shower with my four bundles (thats the amount I'm down to now).  I opened the shampoo bottle and the smell is so soothing and relaxing.  I poured the shampoo in my hand and then started in the front and worked it through my scalp, can I tell you it just felt like butter on my locks.  I did two shampoos, and then I used the conditioner.  I mostly focused on my ends with the conditioner (even still in the bundles) and oh my felt like someone else's hands were in my head it felt so great!!! When I got out the shower I was pleased to see my curly q's weren't retarted (and not curly q's) so I was pleased with the products.  I then used the split ends mender to do a braid out.  I put in about 9 jailhouse cornrows (straight back) and  I went to bed.  This morning I took them out and my hair still feels lightweight and I feel like it has a shine to it.  What do you think?  I definitely like this product and it will be mixed in with my SL shampoo going forward weekly.

It got the Best of Me!!

Alright, I admit, just last week I had a post about only using water on my hair.  Well, time to throw another product in my mix.....I keep up with another blog that is for loose hair and I read to see the newest product crave on natural hair.   For this week it was, Organix, ironically enough this week, A Sista who locked also discussed Organix.   C'mon a lockhead and a loose head both craving about the same product, like my title says, it got the best of me!!!   From the convo with my boyfriend I was in the process of buying some more green tea oil, but after reading the rave reviews about the coconut Organix shampoo/conditioner I had to look it up.  I did my research and I also found that they have a mouse, leave in conditioner, nourishing split ends mender, repair treatment and styling cream.  With the options, I went to the store on a mission. I came back with the shampoo, conditioner, and the split ends mender (why, but thats all they had)? LOL!!  As soon as I put the bags down I pumped two times of the mender, and the smell is divine as everyone has been raving.  I put it on, and my daughter immediately asked whats that smell......that alone is a keeper!!! Having coconut smelling locks, I can't wait.

You know what the most ironic thing of all is to me is for years I've always wanted to know why all other womans  hair smelled so delicious and our shampoos never smelled like anything but chemicals.  I cannot wait to swing my locks with a coconut smell left in the air!!! 

Smell of my Locks

Just to give a back story, my boyfriend supported me 100% in getting sisterlocks and to this day, he plays with them in public, at home, any chance he gets.  Over the weekend he was leaning over me and I find him smelling my hair. I ask "something wrong with my hair"

He -no, but it doesn't smell how it used to
Me - does it smell
He - no, it doesn't really smell like anything, but it used to smell like
Me (I cut him off) - oh, I haven't put any oil in it
He - yeah it doesn't smell like juices and berries

Wow!!  I need to pull back out my green tea oil, now!!! LMAO!!
 

Products

It has been a hectic few work days, but have to make time for blogging!! I just wanted to stop in to discuss products. No matter what product I mix up or purchase over the past few months I keep reverting back to the same one.  If I have trouble with my curls being too tight, or my locks not feeling bouncy the first thing and only thing that comes to mind is WATER!!!  Can you believe it?  It's free, well not exactly right since I get that dang water bill!!!  However it is still my best styling aide, it works no matter what look I'm going for.  A more fluffy airy look, a looser curl, or just to put some "pep" back into them mid-week.  I don't know what it is, but I don't even think to pull out my Oyin products, which I waited for two weeks to receive, I just turn on the faucet.  I've even moved away from spritzing from a bottle daily, just a bit in my hand and I run it through my locks, shake and go. Its a very weird feeling going into the stores and not perusing through the hair products aisle looking for the newest product...Thank you WATER!!!

VO5 Conclusion

If you have been following my blog you know that I tried a new shampoo yesterday hoping to get rid of the white bulbs of my hair showing (see previous post).  Yesterday I left the lock loops in until I had to run out but my hair didn't completely dry so this is what I ended up. Since my hair didn't completely dry I can't blame the lack of curls on VO5, but I wasn't too pleased originally and I planned to wash my hair again with the sisterlock starter shampoo last night, however I fell asleep.  When I woke up this morning I was much happier with the feeling and look of my locks.  All in all ,VO5 has some pros and cons and I will keep it in my arsenal for future use because it also has a great smell.

 

Pros:

• The white flakes are not showing (big relief...biggups to A sista who locked)
• My hair is very soft
• Locks feel squeaky clean
• Scalp is clean (needed after all these months)

Cons:

• Curly Q ends have lost curl and are BUSHY (like the 1st day after installation)
• Hair may soften too much and slow down the locking process

The pros outweigh the cons 2:1 so I will use it once a month to make sure I get a good clarifying shampoo and the other three washes I will continue to use the sisterlock starter shampoo

VO5 Shampoo...could it be the solution to the white balls???

In deep discussion with A Sista Who Locked, she recommended that I use VO5 to get rid of the white balls showing in my locks, I am truly fed up with them so I figured its worth a try, so I ran to the grocery store on lunch yesterday to buy a bottle and I could not believe my eyes for two reasons. 

First reason the price was .77, yes you read correct thats .77 cents!!!
Second reason, I flipped it over to read the ingredients and what was staring me in my face as the 3rd ingredient.  You guessed it SLS, and the second was Sodium Laureth Sulfate. 


For the price why should I expect that it wouldn't be one of the ingredients.  So I purchased the bottle which specifically notes that it is clarifying and this is how I defend purchasing it (defend it like I'm on trial, lol).  SLS is known to remove buildup and dry out your locks/hair.  Well right now, I obviously have some type of buildup that needs to be removed and if I'm not using it as my main shampoo then I should be ok.  Basically the past six months my hair has not had a good cleansing so why not try it?!?!? RIGHT!! LOL!

Well I tried the shampoo today and although I loved the way it felt like I got a good cleansing I wasn't too pleased with how my ends came out, see for yourself and I did bundle.

Right now the lock loops are in and I'm waiting to see the final outcome.  But, can you imagine if my locks actually still feel soft and the residue is removed?  All these years I’ve been spending so much money on hair products---why!!  I guess, because my hair was in an unnatural state and the products needed to have all these extra additives in order for my hair to stay half way healthy!! Absolute insanity when you think about it!

Update to come...

Lock Looping Again

So I washed my hair on Friday night and used the Lock loops again.  I'm really enjoying the look now that my hair has more length.  Here I am on Monday, my curls still intact but yet a bit looser.  Today is Thursday, the curls are still here but not so much, which I think is great, because I got a good week out of the curls.  In addition, I rolled my bang going straight back so I had the 70's wind blown look once the curls dropped. I loved it :-).  And as you can see the Oyin's Juices and Berries didn't weigh my hair down -- Oh yeah I'm loving it all right now! 

Oyin's Juice's and Berries

Update:

Oyin's is RECOMMENDED.  This morning, my hair is not sticky, my curls are still extremely bouncy and tight which means that it did not weigh my hair down.  Although, I cannot smell the aroma personally I'm sure it smells much better than what my hair has been smelling like!  Go out and get it ladies!! Its a keeper for the arsenal!  It states its a moisturizer so I will be using this 3x a week and continue washing weekly.  I'm also hoping this will solve my issue of seeing white bulbs in the front.

Ok, so I'm going on a tangent, but using the SL starter shampoo has brought out more white bulbs in the front, but I'm positive that once my hair has sealed in the middle that this will no longer be an issue.  However, I'm going to try and combat the issue with a deep conditioning moisturizer that I received from the retightening class.  I'm going to use this after shampooing and let it sit for about 15 minutes with a cap and hopefully that will help..and of course I will let you know how it goes (smile). 



My Oyin Juices and Berries (see previous post discussing this) finally arrived today, I ordered on 9/2 and viola 17 days later I got it. Luckily they warn you when you order that it will take no less than 2 weeks to receive the product because they are specially made to order. The spritz could not have arrived with better timing because I washed my hair last night and put some lock loops in and I curled them really tight and this is what I have.

I spritzed some of the Juices & Berries a few minutes ago and I'm hoping that it won't weigh my curls down or be greasy to the touch later tonight. As I stare at this picture, look at the dirty ashy look of my ends, YUCK!  I may have to try dying or at least rinsing my hair sooner than later, this looks pretty bad to me. 

PJ at its finest!!!

A natural co-worker brought in her Oyin Juices and Berries product so that I can see it, and let me tell you it smells delicious!!! It is so enticing, that of course I had to spray some on my own hair. As I sit right now I can smell it and the BF is going to LOVE IT, lol!! Since I'm an absolute product junkie I went on the website and ordered $30 worth of products.

The product description is:

Greg Juice" has been one of our most popular products since its introduction more than two years ago - "Juices and Berries" is the same oil-free mixture of vegetable moisturizers and herbal essences; the same beautiful amber pump spray bottle. The change? The fragrance... Juices and Berries is fragranced with the juicest, fruitiest, brightest fruit scent we could find! Perfect for summer, or anytime you want to sweeten your day.

The therapeutic effects are the same as for Greg Juice - spring water, strongly infused with a variety of herbs known to help stimulate the scalp and encourage hair growth; vegetable ingredients for detangling, moisture and suppleness; vegetable glycerine for humectancy and shine; and an essential oil blend nutritious to the scalp.

This formula, like Greg Juice, is excellent for a daily pick-me-up on cornrows or twists. My sisters say it keeps their locs moisturized without weighing them down. And if I tried to detangle my hair without a bottle standing nearby, it would stand up and laugh at my comb. Many uses, this potion has. Cop an 8 oz bottle and find out for yourself. . .

Naturally preserved with grapefruit seed extract and citric acid.

And I would like to highlight this sentence of course "My sisters say it keeps their locs moisturized without weighing them down." I cannot wait for my order to arrive so I can smell like juices and berries!!!

Sisterlock Starter Shampoo

I ordered a new bottle of starter lock shampoo on Monday and I received it on Friday (four days) not bad at all. The bottle is much larger than the shampoo in the starter kit. I diluted the shampoo this time around with water I would say 1:1 and I shampooed three times.

What I notice different from using the starter shampoo to Dr. Bronners is that my curly ends are really prevalent as my hair dries. My hair does not feel as hard as the first few times I used the SL shampoo. I think that has to do with my hair settling now and plumping up, not a result of the shampoo. The largest difference is that I don't see the white bulbs and that's a great thing. My hair feels clean. The verdict is that I will be using the SL shampoo every two weeks until the bottle finishes. I plan to go back on the sisterlock website and order the green tea shampoo once this one finishes.
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Dr. Bronner Results

Here are the pictures from right after my wash, my hair is still wet.

The Verdict...

I'm still waiting for my hair to fully dry but as of right now I like what I see and feel. First, and as usual I braided and banded all my locks up which by the way felt like yarn, which by the way is how I'm going to refer to my hair when it feels nice, soft, but also moisturized. I digress; I pour the Dr. Bronners in my hand which has a great smell to it and I start rubbing in, and maybe it was mental but it felt better than the hard starter shampoo (of course just my opinion). I wash three times, and on the third I left the soap in and handled my shower duties then I washed out the soap.



Getting out of the shower and parting I didn't see much of a difference but as my hair is air drying my hair definitely feels nice and soft, and is looking full and big which I like. Pics to come of when I first got out the shower. Also I will take some pics tomorrow morning and I will report back on what it feels like fully dried with no moisture added ....to be continued.





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