Hair of the Week

Last week I gave my hair a much needed break from elastic bands and hair pins. I created a simple two strand/flat twist updo.

 To moisturize throughout the week I would spritz my hair with S-curl.

The only thing I started to dislike about this style was that the hair on the side was hanging in my face and started to cause a breakout on my cheek.

On Friday I took out the twists and gathered my hair in a high loose ponytail.

 The headband in the picture is from Tomoka's Twists, I picked this up at the NC Natural Hair Care Expo 2011. I bought myself and Hubby one. They are so easy on the hair. Most of my headbands I can only wear for a few hours because they start to hurt. This headband felt just fine all day long.

Hair of the Week

Last week I gave my hair a much needed break from elastic bands and hair pins. I created a simple two strand/flat twist updo.

 To moisturize throughout the week I would spritz my hair with S-curl.

The only thing I started to dislike about this style was that the hair on the side was hanging in my face and started to cause a breakout on my cheek.

On Friday I took out the twists and gathered my hair in a high loose ponytail.

 The headband in the picture is from Tomoka's Twists, I picked this up at the NC Natural Hair Care Expo 2011. I bought myself and Hubby one. They are so easy on the hair. Most of my headbands I can only wear for a few hours because they start to hurt. This headband felt just fine all day long.

Textured Updo [Inspired by MsVaughnTV]

I'd watched MsVaughnTV's UpDo with Jamaican Braiding Hair a while back and really liked it but didn't think I would be doing it because I don't like to use weave. No real reason why, just personal preference. This weekend I was playing around with my hair and had the idea that I could achieve her updo with my current length. I am happy to say that it worked and I really like the style. See my rendition below:

To achieve this look:

Products
Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Shampoo
Herbal Essence Long-term Relationship Conditioner
Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner
Raw Shea Butter
Fantasia Aloe Vera Gel

Tools
Hair Clips
Hair pins
Bobby Pins
Wide tooth comb
Soft boar bristle brush

[My]Steps
Wash, Condition, and Detangle hair into two top sections.
Leave front section (bang area) loose and secure the back portion with a ponytail holder
Cornrow the front section forward
Plait the hair in the ponytail
For a neat set, let the hair dry completely before removing all braids
Remove braids and pin into place as desired
To maintain at night you can wrap your hair in a satin bonnet

Textured Updo [Inspired by MsVaughnTV]

I'd watched MsVaughnTV's UpDo with Jamaican Braiding Hair a while back and really liked it but didn't think I would be doing it because I don't like to use weave. No real reason why, just personal preference. This weekend I was playing around with my hair and had the idea that I could achieve her updo with my current length. I am happy to say that it worked and I really like the style. See my rendition below:

To achieve this look:

Products
Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Shampoo
Herbal Essence Long-term Relationship Conditioner
Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner
Raw Shea Butter
Fantasia Aloe Vera Gel

Tools
Hair Clips
Hair pins
Bobby Pins
Wide tooth comb
Soft boar bristle brush

[My]Steps
Wash, Condition, and Detangle hair into two top sections.
Leave front section (bang area) loose and secure the back portion with a ponytail holder
Cornrow the front section forward
Plait the hair in the ponytail
For a neat set, let the hair dry completely before removing all braids
Remove braids and pin into place as desired
To maintain at night you can wrap your hair in a satin bonnet

High Ponytail with Curlformers

Earlier this week I had the bright idea to do a high ponytail using Curlformers. It turned out okay but it was just a lot of work getting all my hair up in a high ponytail, which is why I don't do it often.

I set my hair in small on the Curlformers using CurlyNikki's curl defining spritz on dry hair. I sat under the dryer for about 20 minutes on med-heat and 10mins on low heat.

I slept in the Curlformers overnight. They did not disturb my sleep because they were up and out of my way. I tied down the edges of my hair with a satin scarf and used Aloe Vera gel to help smooth the edges.

I removed the Curlformers in the morning and thankfully the curls did set. I was surprised to see that the curls resembled more of a flexirod set than a curlformer set. My curlformer sets usually look more elongated like:

I am satisfied with the look and the curls held up well in the high humidity. This is a style I will do again. To maintain at night I used a satin scarf on my edges and put the curls in a satin bonnet.

I am on Day 2 of this style and it's still looks fresh. I will be taking it down tonight because my hair needs some water. I think I am becoming addicted to mid-week co-washes. Like I need one more hair thing to be addicted too...

When was the last time you wore a high pony tail? Do you think it's harder to do them now that you are wearing your naturally textured hair?

High Ponytail with Curlformers

Earlier this week I had the bright idea to do a high ponytail using Curlformers. It turned out okay but it was just a lot of work getting all my hair up in a high ponytail, which is why I don't do it often.

I set my hair in small on the Curlformers using CurlyNikki's curl defining spritz on dry hair. I sat under the dryer for about 20 minutes on med-heat and 10mins on low heat.

I slept in the Curlformers overnight. They did not disturb my sleep because they were up and out of my way. I tied down the edges of my hair with a satin scarf and used Aloe Vera gel to help smooth the edges.

I removed the Curlformers in the morning and thankfully the curls did set. I was surprised to see that the curls resembled more of a flexirod set than a curlformer set. My curlformer sets usually look more elongated like:

I am satisfied with the look and the curls held up well in the high humidity. This is a style I will do again. To maintain at night I used a satin scarf on my edges and put the curls in a satin bonnet.

I am on Day 2 of this style and it's still looks fresh. I will be taking it down tonight because my hair needs some water. I think I am becoming addicted to mid-week co-washes. Like I need one more hair thing to be addicted too...

When was the last time you wore a high pony tail? Do you think it's harder to do them now that you are wearing your naturally textured hair?

One Week, Two Looks

A busy day always leads me to create a look that will last for a few days. This time I did some flat twists in the front and mid-sized two strand twists in the back.

It worked as a great protective style. 

I removed the twists in the back later in the week.

The back was frizzier than I wanted but the twists were really old and frizzy.

One Week, Two Looks

A busy day always leads me to create a look that will last for a few days. This time I did some flat twists in the front and mid-sized two strand twists in the back.

It worked as a great protective style. 

I removed the twists in the back later in the week.

The back was frizzier than I wanted but the twists were really old and frizzy.

For a second, I thought you had on a half wig.

The title of this post reflects a statement that I heard when I wore a twist out from the "twisted in a storm" updo.

I took the updo down with the intention to wash, deep condition, and bun. After seeing the twist-out results I decided to just wear the style for a day or two.

Check out the shrinkage - which resulted from me initially doing the style on wet hair.

I like shrinkage because at this length it allows me to wear my hair out without worrying about the ends so much. The back section of my hair did rest against my shirt but I know that if I would have wet my hair again while it was twisted I would have been able to get even more shrinkage. It's not ofter that you hear people talk about how they WANT shrinkage.

For a second, I thought you had on a half wig.

The title of this post reflects a statement that I heard when I wore a twist out from the "twisted in a storm" updo.

I took the updo down with the intention to wash, deep condition, and bun. After seeing the twist-out results I decided to just wear the style for a day or two.

Check out the shrinkage - which resulted from me initially doing the style on wet hair.

I like shrinkage because at this length it allows me to wear my hair out without worrying about the ends so much. The back section of my hair did rest against my shirt but I know that if I would have wet my hair again while it was twisted I would have been able to get even more shrinkage. It's not ofter that you hear people talk about how they WANT shrinkage.

Tornadoes, Hair, and Sunshine

This weekend (04.16.11 - 04.17.11) was a crazy weekend. First North Carolina got abused by storms and tornadoes. People's homes were pick up and thrown, cars flipped, and lives lost. The most amazing story I have read thus far is the one about the 3 month old baby that was taken by the tornado winds and then found safely on a stack of wood.

See photos of the destruction here: NC tornado disaster

Around 2pm we lost power and the wind picked up. I was in the middle of deep conditioning my hair. So I checked the weather report (thank God for our technological advancements) on my phone. The tornado was predicted to hit our area around 4pm. So I rinsed my hair and used the remaining day light coming through the window to start twisting. If the tornado came early at least I would already be in a bathroom.

By 3:30pm I was done with my hair so we waited in the windowless bathroom until it sounded calm. We heard wind and then it got quiet. We looked out the window and it was raining, then it started to hail, then the sun came out. It was bright beautiful sunshine.

In the end God watched over us. We suffered no damage whatsoever. Not even one shingle blew off the house. But the damage 5-10 minutes down the street from us is devastating. Two HBCUs in our area have had to cancel classes for the remainder of the semester.
 
As a result of  styling my hair in the midst of a storm, I have to call this look "twisted in a storm." I did have to SMH at myself because only I would be in the bathroom doing my hair during a tornado warning.

My heart goes out to every person in each state that suffered a loss with this storm.

Click here to see the inspiration for this look.

Since we didn't have power I did this look from memory. I should have more twists in the front and the back was a guess because there is not a shot that shows the hair from the back.

Tornadoes, Hair, and Sunshine

This weekend (04.16.11 - 04.17.11) was a crazy weekend. First North Carolina got abused by storms and tornadoes. People's homes were pick up and thrown, cars flipped, and lives lost. The most amazing story I have read thus far is the one about the 3 month old baby that was taken by the tornado winds and then found safely on a stack of wood.

See photos of the destruction here: NC tornado disaster

Around 2pm we lost power and the wind picked up. I was in the middle of deep conditioning my hair. So I checked the weather report (thank God for our technological advancements) on my phone. The tornado was predicted to hit our area around 4pm. So I rinsed my hair and used the remaining day light coming through the window to start twisting. If the tornado came early at least I would already be in a bathroom.

By 3:30pm I was done with my hair so we waited in the windowless bathroom until it sounded calm. We heard wind and then it got quiet. We looked out the window and it was raining, then it started to hail, then the sun came out. It was bright beautiful sunshine.

In the end God watched over us. We suffered no damage whatsoever. Not even one shingle blew off the house. But the damage 5-10 minutes down the street from us is devastating. Two HBCUs in our area have had to cancel classes for the remainder of the semester.
 
As a result of  styling my hair in the midst of a storm, I have to call this look "twisted in a storm." I did have to SMH at myself because only I would be in the bathroom doing my hair during a tornado warning.

My heart goes out to every person in each state that suffered a loss with this storm.

Click here to see the inspiration for this look.

Since we didn't have power I did this look from memory. I should have more twists in the front and the back was a guess because there is not a shot that shows the hair from the back.

T.E.R. Goddess Braid

Tracee Ellis Ross

I have been wanting to try this braid style for a while and since my hair is straight - there is no time like the present. Here's my attempt:

I don't like hair in my face so i moved the braid up a little. This was actually pretty quick and easy. I did a tutorial on the look and I believe the vid is going to be less than 3 min long - not bad.

T.E.R. Goddess Braid

Tracee Ellis Ross

I have been wanting to try this braid style for a while and since my hair is straight - there is no time like the present. Here's my attempt:

I don't like hair in my face so i moved the braid up a little. This was actually pretty quick and easy. I did a tutorial on the look and I believe the vid is going to be less than 3 min long - not bad.

Flat Twistout w/ 2 Braids

You get it first...

This is a style I wore to the CurlyNikki gathering a while back. I got a few questions on how I maintained the look and this is how.

The flat twists were done on dry hair that was an old twist-out. The older the twist-out the more stretched out the look. 

This look was originally done on freshly washed hair but as the days passed the look got a little messy and this video basically demonstrates the steps I took to refresh the style.

To achieve/refresh this style:

1. Create two plaits/braids in the front

2. Separate the rest of the hair into easy to work with sections

3. Using a water-based product, flat twist from the crown to the nape (this will encourage length with the look)

4. When hair is 100% dry remove the twist (apply oil if desired) and fluff until you are happy with the look



Edit: The error with the video not playing should be resolved. If it does not play for you please let me know

Flat Twistout w/ 2 Braids

You get it first...

This is a style I wore to the CurlyNikki gathering a while back. I got a few questions on how I maintained the look and this is how.

The flat twists were done on dry hair that was an old twist-out. The older the twist-out the more stretched out the look. 

This look was originally done on freshly washed hair but as the days passed the look got a little messy and this video basically demonstrates the steps I took to refresh the style.

To achieve/refresh this style:

1. Create two plaits/braids in the front

2. Separate the rest of the hair into easy to work with sections

3. Using a water-based product, flat twist from the crown to the nape (this will encourage length with the look)

4. When hair is 100% dry remove the twist (apply oil if desired) and fluff until you are happy with the look



Edit: The error with the video not playing should be resolved. If it does not play for you please let me know

A night out with an old twist out

When you have old hair, a busy day, and plans later that night - trying to figure out something to do your hair can be stressful.

It just so happens that two days before I watched a YT video on a Quick and Easy Saturday Night Updo...and I must say, it was very quick and very easy.

 The style was done on a 3 day old twist out that was on it's last leg - seriously it was BAD.

I did not apply any product to my hair prior to styling and the only tools used were my hands, a brush, and a hairzing.

For smoother edges you can gel & brush - then tie them down. I opted to go with just a brush because I didn't want the style to look like an attempt at neatness - I prefer messy looks when my hair is out.

I got a few compliments that night so this will definitely be a "go to" look for those days/nights when I have little to no time to do my hair for an event.