Shea Moisture Hold & Shine Moisture Mist

With Target selling products for natural hair and my hair being dry, I figured I'd check out the selection. Of course, they had Ms. Jessie's but that's out of my price range. I looked at the Shea Moisture brand and saw they have moisturizing spritz. This line claims to be organic but like many others, it's just mostly organic. One of them actually had alcohol in it so I clearly didn't pick that one. I didn't want to contribute to the drying issue.

The one I selected says it's for thick, curly hair. The bottle says: Our all-natural moisture mist eliminates frizz, while hydrating hair and creating brilliant shine and curl control.

I really love the smell. It's got that coconut smell but not too strong. It's light weight and actually helps add shine to my hair. I guess my curl pattern does not promote shine but this definitely gives it a bit of shine. I've applied it to wet and dry hair, getting great results each time. It keeps my hair moisturized and helps it stay soft. I normally use it after I used water to fluff out my wash n go. I love the fact that it's not really greasy also.

This is will stay in rotation for me.

Tangles and color

I haven't had a chance to take some good pictures yet but I finally got my hair dyed. I got it done during my salon trip last Saturday. It took a moment for me to adjust to the new color as I've never dyed my hair. But now, I love it! It was a spur of the moment decision so I didn't get the chance to deep condition before hand. I will do a serious dc this weekend though. Maybe an overnight treatment.

I believe I'd said before that I'd been mainly wearing wng. They are quick and easy which works well with my schedule. My hair has been getting horribly tangled these days though. I know the cause is not properly protecting my hair while I sleep. I've been sleeping at a friend's house more than my own b/c it allows me to get a bit more sleep. I rarely have a scarf with me and no satin pillow case. That means I'm sleeping directly on a cotton pillow case. I've only had the time to detangle once a week and I'm normally rushing through it on my way out the door. Bad for my hair.

I have been luck enough to detangle twice since my coloring. I'm not sure if it's the color but my Herbal Essence Hello Hydration is not working like it normally does. My hair has been even harder to detangle since then. It seems my beloved condish isn't giving me the same slip since I've colored. It was the same the 2nd time I detangled also. I used even more condish than I normally do. I'm going to take my time and detangle when I deep condish this weekend. Separating my hair into sections and going through it more carefully. That will let me know if it's my hair/color/condish combo not working or if I'm just not being careful enough with my hair.

One year and randomness

I officially hit my one year mark of going natural. I'm proud of myself, my hair and that I've kept my hair healthy. MSatch hit her one year healthy hair journey as well and her hair is looking better than ever these days. I got to see her hair last weekend as she is nearing the end of another texlax stretch and it's looking great. It is curly, shiny, soft and thick. We exchanged a few products and as soon as I get the chance to try them, I'll do some reviews.

I found a natural salon in my area and decided to go to them and get my ends trimmed yesterday. I do think the chick was a bit scissor happy and took of a lot more than necessary but that's okay. It was only and inch and I'll have that back in no time. She did comment on how healthy my hair was and the she didn't have to even take off that much. I was disappointed though b/c the salon specialized in locs as do all natural salons in this area. They claim to do loose hair but really don't and therefore did not have the products to style my hair. I wanted a frohawk and had to explain to the what it was. smh. I ended up just getting a wash n go which meant they loaded my hair down with the stuff people use when they have texturizers. My hair was hard and jacked up. I washed it out immediately.

A high note from that whole thing was one of my sisters finally got the big chop! Yay! Her hair was so very badly damaged and now she rocking about 2 inches of healthy hair. I'm proud of her and it looks so cute on her! (my other sister is currently transistioning again. hope she makes it this time. She's lasted longer and made it through her first urge to give up and relax.)

I've always had an issue with scarves staying on my head and even moreso now that I'm natural. I was in Target and saw a satin pillow case for $4.99. I LOVE IT! I sleep with loose hair every night and my hair loves me for it. My wng last longer and don't seem to be as tangled as before. I only wear a scarf if I'm sleeping with medium two strand twist for a twist out. That's only because I'm afraid they'll unravel. I wore small two strands the other day and slept w/o scarf. I love that my twist were still fat in the morning.

On a personal note, I just have to say that I am really happy right now. Not with just hair but with life. I'm excited about my future and I can feel that everything is going in a positive direction. I am in a place where setback don't bother me because I know I can make it through. I may not have everything I want but I have what I need and then some. Doesn't get any better than that!

Product Haul

I was trying to straighten up my bathroom closet and wicker back that I keep my products in today. It was easy to do since I never let it get that messy but I realized just how much product I have. It's not a lot compared to a lot of people but I was surprised at just how much stuff I have.

My wicker basket that contains the things I don't use every day. It's pretty much tons of conditioners and poos. I have a baggie full of headbands and 2 jars of IC Fantasia gel (don't use that very often). My beloved olive oil and honey are in there too.

Sorry for the sideways picture but this a 2lb tub of shea butter. One of the two I bought at AFRAM Festival in Norfolk,VA.

Protein dc mix.

Moisturizing dc mix.

Best moisturizer ever!

The Shea butter/Hollywood Olive oil Creme mixture. (I've been debating adding some olive oil and re-whipping this one.)

The base for all of my moisturizing dc mixes.

The only shampoo that doesn't strip my hair.

These are my regulars. The 4 products I use almost daily. Elasta QP moisturizer sitting on top of Shea/Hollywood Olive oil mix. A spritz bottle with the water/oil/condish mix ( I wrapped a bunch of headbands around it to stretch them.) And my all time favorite condish for wng and detangling Hello Hydration.


Whew!

Just a little spritz

Shortly after I did my bc, I read how a lot of people would spritz their hair throughout the day to help combat dryness. I tried that, I don't remember what I was using (something I made, I believe) and my face started breaking out. I discontinued the use of it and dumped it down the drain. I rinsed my spray bottle and filled it with filtered water. I would only use it to revive my hair in the mornings.

With the moisture issues I've encountered, I felt I should try again. I don't want to moisturizer and seal everyday. That would clearly lead to buildup and I'm not a fan of shampoo. I filled my bottle with mostly water, added some EVOO and a little bit of Herbal Essence Totally Twisted. (I don't measure so have no idea how much. And the water was warm.) I shook the bottle for a few minutes to blend and help break down the conditioner. HETT is pretty thick so I had to shake for a while.

Just like with the plain water, I only use once in the morning to revive my hair. I have to say, this is soooo much better than just plain water. It helps to keep my hair from drying out through out the course of the day. I only use enough to dampen my hair. It's dry within 10 minutes.

Although this and using plain EVOO work okay, I'm still on the hunt for some way to better retain moisture. I still end up with really dry hair a lot. I'm going to have to set aside some time to go back through the things I've done in the past and figure out what I need to reincorporate into my routine. Pure shea worked really well but I don't like the buildup. Hmmm...what to do.....

Olive Oil to the Rescue!

I'm sure I've mention before that I have been experiencing issues with moisture retention. I know a big part of this is because I wear my hair out a lot. But I'm at that odd length and can't really do the great protective styles. I can only get a good pony puff with a blow out or hair stretched from a old twist out so I can't do a bun yet. I haven't even tried pin up styles on stretched out hair yet. I haven't had the patience to play around with that. So wng and twist outs have been my styles.

I was twisting up and old wng last Monday while having worried thoughts about how long it would last due to dryness. I applied a liberal amount of Elasta QP Mango Butter, followed my shea mix. I added IC Fantasia gel because I wanted a lot of definition the next day. I had the thought of wanting shine (my hair always looks dull to me) to I grabbed the olive oil, poured too much in my hand and applied it through out my hair. My hair immediately felt softer.

The next day, my twistout came out funky because too much olive oil prevented it from becoming defined. I had to pin the front back. But my hair was very soft, shiny and held moisture really well for a couple of days. I've added olive oil straight from the bottle after a wng this week and was pleased to have similar results. This will probably be a step that I'll incorporate into my routine once or twist a week. My hair really loves olive oil.

Product mistake

This post is extremely late but as I've told you guys before, the hectic work schedule I have is to blame. But there have been a few changes over the past 2 wks that will hopefully cure this for the most part.

Anyway, on to business! I headed to my local bss to pick up the new Elasta QP Mango Butter with the added olive oil ingredient. I love it. It works just as well as the original formula although here is a slight difference in the consistency. It's only a little bit thinner.

So, I took a quick trip around the store because I'm always on the hunt for a  new moisturizer to try out. I saw this stuff from Ultimate Organics. It was a whip made from extra virgin olive oil. I looked at some of their other products and wasn't really impressed. The whip didn't have anything that JR doesn't like so I figured I'd give it a try. It was thick just the way she likes. I wasn't impressed with the smell. It had the hair product smell. You know how someone's hair smells when it's loaded with chemical based products? It's hard to describe but it smelled like processed hair.

I get it home and figure I'll try it out when I do a twist out. I have to admit, I'm not one to analyze a product too much before I purchase it. I took a quick look in the store and decided to buy. When I start to read everything on the container, this is what I read:

Directions: Rub a generous amount of cream into dry skin, concentrating on hard to soften areas as needed.

I was like what the heck? This nasty smelling stuff is for your body. I was shocked. I couldn't imagine using that and walking around all day with my skin smelling like a hair salon. I was too through. But that's what I get for not paying attention to what i was buying. Still smh at myself.

Suave's Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner

After reading MSatch's review of Suave's Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner, I had to run out and buy me a bottle. I was just about out of conditioner anyway.

Product Description: Salon proven to moisturize your hair as well as Aveda® Dry Remedy® shampoo and conditioner. Infused with 100% natural almond and shea butter, which are known for their rich emollients. The shampoo and conditioner system replenishes lost moisture, leaving your hair well-nourished and beautiful. (I straight jacked this whole section from MSatch's blog! lol!)

First, I love the way it smells! It's sooo yummy. I really wanted to lick it off my fingers. It's nice and creamy which Jessi Rose loves and the slip is great. I've used it 3 times I think and it has made detangling really easy. I do have to use a lot of it though. More than any of the Herbal Essence conditioners. And did I mention I love the smell!

Although it smells good and is nice and creamy, I don't think it works well for JR. I've had it for about 2 weeks and am not pleased with how it leaves my hair. When I wng, I leave some in for hold. This products isn't holding anything. My hair ends up frizzy and curls undefined as if I washed all the condish out. I even added a little extra after I rinsed yesterday and ended up with the same results. And the worse part is, I think it's sucking the moisture out of my hair. I always end up with rough feeling and dried out hair by the time it's dry. I applied more Elasta QP mango butter than I normally do and it still ended up really dry. The only time I retained moisture is when I had my hair in two strand twist. But about an hour after my twist out it was dry and dull again.

So despite the great things, I won't continue to use it. I'll be making a trip to the store for some of that good 'ole Herbal Essence. I'll probably get the Hello Hydration. I miss that stuff and I know JR loves it! (And MSatch, this is another condish I'll be passing on to you and the girls next month!)

Random

I don't think the overnight dc caused the itchy scalp issue. I'm feeling that since my hair is longer and I wearing it in more stretched styles, not as much product is reaching my scalp. No moisturizer on the scalp obviously leads to dryness and the itchies. I'm going to incorporate some type of moisturizing spray for my scalp or "greasing" it directly while wearing two strand twist. Shea butter will act as grease.

Speaking of two stand twist. I love them. I've begun to wear them often. I knew before I did my bc I would love wearing the twist. I am surprised at how much I love twist outs as at one point, I had a strong dislike for them.

I've been wanting to wear a beanie style hat since winter. I could never find one that seemed to look right. I was at a bss and saw one. I grabbed it without even bothering to try it on. Gave myself a twist out. Let the front hang out like a bang. I loved it! I was really feeling myself and the outfit that accompanied the hat.

With the exception of when my hair is stretched from a twist out, I continue to detangle a couple of times a week. The really tight curls in the back demand it. The twist out allows me to go longer since I retwist often and sort of detangle when I do that.

There will be a product review and product mistake coming up later this week.

Itchy Scalp

I'm not sure what happened but the overnight dc made my scalp all itchy. I've never had an issue with dry itchy scalp before. I'm pretty sure that I rinsed it all out before using HETT for a cowash. But for some reason, my scalp was extremely itchy on Monday after I'd rinsed and styled. I was at work scratching like crazy. It was especially annoying b/c of how long it takes my hair to dry. I had soaking wet hair and itchy scalp for hours. I wished I had taken the time to diffuse my hair.

The itching continued all week. I did an awesome twistout on Wednesday which I wore wild and crazy for an event I went to. I absolutely loved it! For work the next day, I pulled it into a puff, using IC Fantasia to gel it down. The itching was worse than ever! I ended up adding some olive oil to filtered water and using it to spritz my scalp. It worked like magic. I could tell the spots that I missed b/c those still felt itchy.

Though I normally don't shampoo so quickly but I'm going to do so again tonight to clarify my scalp. Hopefully it won't be so itchy but if so, I'll just use the spritz again. I have to admit that I loved the spritz.

And this is why..

..my wash n go only last 2 days

I had a serious case of Hand in Hair Syndrome last night. Had to convert into a twist out! lol!

Just because

And just because I took about a million pictures, I'm going to share some pictures of the wng, turned blown out puff, turned twistout, turned twisted out puff. These are of the twist out and twisted out puff.

Deep Condition

Lately, I've been shampooing and deep conditioning with protein every 2-3 weeks. That's based off of whenever I feel that my hair needs to be shampooed. This week, I had a lot of product in my hair from doing a blowout ( I wore a wng but decided I wanted big hair. I used the Palmer's Hair Milk when I blow dry. I did a puff so I applied tons of gel. I ended up turning the blown out puff into a twist out and then into a twisted out puff. And yeah, all this was within a week. lol!)


I was really tired last night but I knew I had to do my hair. So I shampooed with Renpure and applied the protein dc mix that I previously told you about. I left that on for a few hours before rinsing. I then applied the moisturizing dc mix. I ended up putting a bonnet over my shower cap and sleeping with the dc mix in my hair. I was too tired to finish washing my hair. I put a tight headband over my bonnet to make sure it and the shower cap didn't come off over night. When I woke up, I rinsed and detangled with Renpure. I then applied a little HETT to shingle and leave in a little bit for hold. 


My hair turned out so great. It's soft and very  moisturized. My curls are tight and well defined. This was truly a great treat for my hair. I will have to do this every once in a while, especially in the winter. I took some picts and was amazed at how my curls looked. 

Twist it up

I finally have enough length to do a style that I love seeing on other naturals: Two strand twists. And not just twisting and then taking out before I leave the house for a twist out. No...I mean twists that I wore for almost a week! I was so excited. I loved how they would hang and curl at the bottoms after I spritzed them with a bit of water.

I twisted on dry hair that I stretched out a little bit for some length. I did learn that doing a blow out would make the twist appear longer so that will be my method for future twist. I don't use a lot of products so I only had Elasta QP Mango Butter and the Hollywood Olive Oil Creme/Shea butter mixture in my hair.

The resulting twist out was awesome! I loved it! I just got bigger and better every day. The last day I wore it, it was big and fluffy. I wish I had gotten a picture. Some of the curl definition was gone but that just made it even better. I didn't retwist the entire time I wore them. Normally with twist outs I retwist every other day but I didn't when I did these and I'm glad that I didn't. I've done the style twice and gotten major compliments each time. I continued to use Elasta QP and Shea mix to moisturize my hair.

Renpure Organics Conditioner

Again, the one in the green bottle: i love my hair! body &shine conditioner with hydrolyzed soy and wheat proteins, and chamomile flower extract.


I'm on the fence about this conditioner. I liked it the first time I used it but I also used all those dc mixtures so the results may have been from those, not this condish. The 2nd time I used it, was for a cowash. The slip is really good and made detangling really easy. I don't remember why, but I ended up using HETT for the leave-in when I did a wng that day. 


I used this for the 3rd time and hated it. The slip was still good but the wng was horrible. My hair was frizzy and didn't even have close to the definition that I get with Herbal Essence. When I do wng styles, I don't completely rinse the condish out. Once my hair is dry, this condish leaves my hair feeling crunchy. It has done this every time I used it as a leave-in. I don't like crunchy hair. I love when my hair feels soft to the touch. 


It's really interesting to me how Jessi Rose loves the poo but isn't fond of the condish. I'm thinking I'll use the rest of this bottle since the slip is good but probably won't purchase again after that. Guess as far as condish goes, I'll be sticking with Herbal Essence for now. Also crazy that she loved HE condish but hates the poo. lol! 

Renpure Organics Shampoo

I got the one in the green bottle: i love my hair! body and shine shampoo with hydrolyzed soy, wheat protein & chamomile flower extract.

I am not fond of the smell. It's sort of reminds me of a cleaning products. And unfortunately, the condish and deep penetrating reconstructor all have this smell.

Happily, that is the only thing I do not love about this product. Though I didn't think it possible, Jessi Rose has fallen in love with a shampoo! Normally, she's completely pissed after being poo'd. Curls completely gone, feeling wiry and rough. It would take a few days of extra moisturizing to get back on track. Even doing a wng after poo was a disaster. I have used this twice and for the first time after shampooing, my hair didn't feel completely stripped and lifeless. It felt moisturized and soft! I was shocked!

The first time I used it, I had a lot of product build up from playing around with different styles. I poo'd without using a prepoo and my hair felt great. 2nd time the same. No prepoo and my hair was soft and moisturized. This is a keeper! Love Love Love Love Love it!

Renpure Organics Amazing Miracle

Okay, first let me say I'm sorry it's taking so long to review these products. My work schedule has been beyond ridiculous.

On to business. Renpure Organics Amazing Miracle deep penetrating reconstructor with aloe, kukui & silk protein. I'm not sure what the kukui nut does. I'll research and update when I have a bit  more time.

I mixed this with 1 ORS packet, some DRP-11, honey and olive oil. I let it sit with no heat for an hour or so. My hair felt sooooooo soft. I really loved what it added to my moisturizing dc. It made it a little bit thicker and my hair really liked it. The wng I did after using this was one of the best I've ever had. People who see me with wng on a weekly basis were asking what I'd done differently to my hair. Permies were asking how to get curls like mine. It was crazy. Whatever this did to my hair, I love it.

I've used the mixture twice and gotten the same results. I know I say it every time I try something new with my dc but this is going to be a permanent part of my dc mixture. It seems to be giving consistent results and that is what my hair needs.

Next 2 blogs will be the Renpure poo and condish. After those, some new hair styles! I'll try to get a bit more blogging in b/c there is so much I want to share with you guys.

Hollywood Olive Cholesterol Deep Conditioning Creme

So this was the free sample size deep condish that came with my newly beloved Hollywood Olive Oil Creme. It has the same gross smell that all cholesterol conditioners have. Since I love mixing stuff, I made a crazy mixture with this.

First of all, I'm always confused as to whether or not cholesterol deep conditioners are supposed to be protein or moisturizers. I read something different on every site. I was in dire need of protein and I wanted to use this new condish. I also didn't want to use the entire container on one usage although that would have been possible since it was just a sample. I ended up using half of the Hollywood Olive Cholesterol (2 oz), about the same amount of Lustrasilk Olive Oil Cholesterol and about 3 oz of Nubian Heritage Coconut & Papaya Conditioner. (I'm not sure if I work about Nubian Heritage C&PC. It completely organic and 100% Black owned. It's unfortunately hard to find. Just like the moisturizer that I loved but haven't been able to get more of. I'm not happy about paying for shipping on a 4oz moisturizer that already cost $8. It has really strong proteins in it. Ingredients: Coconut oil, Jojoba oil, Olive oil, Filtered water, Veggie Glycerin, Kaolin Clay, Coconut Milk, Wheat germ oil, Aloe vera, Veggie Wax, Pro-vitamin b-5, Veggie gum, Papaya extract, Vitamin E and Rosemary extract. Proteins are in bold. It was expensive: &9 for 8oz but a great product.)

These 3 mixed together turned out really good. The Nubian Heritage has a very strong clay smell and the cholesterols have that chemical smell. I really didn't like the smell. They worked well together though. It gave me the protein and strength I really needed and when I rinsed, my hair was actually feeling pretty good. I have been staying away from protein because of how rough it makes my hair feel. It was not the case here. My hair actually felt soft and had some curl definition (normally lose that after protein also).

Even if I never purchase the Hollywood Olive Cholesterol, I will continue to mix the Nubian Heritage with a cholesterol condish. My hair was a bit easier to detangle after the protein treatment.

Lovely Mix

Just a quick post to say I am really loving the Hollywood Olive Oil Creme/Shea mix. It's been keeping my hair so soft and locking in the moisture without being greasy. I had a problem with my hair feeling really oily with the castor oil and feeling oily and being weighed down with pure shea. Mixing these two together is absolutely perfect! I am really happy with this. Luckily, I have a lot. I made the mix in a an empty Lustrasilk Cholesterol jar. Most of you know how big that is. And that was only about half of the Hollywood Olive Oil and I have tons of shea butter. I'll be using this mix for a long time! Yay!

Hollywood Olive Oil Creme

In my last post, I talked about all of the products I purchased at Walgreen's. I'm going to start doing reviews on them. First up: Hollywood Olive Oil Creme (HOOC). I purchased this to use as a sealant. When I opened the jar, it was really creamy (hence the name but I had a duh moment. lol!) I was worried that with it being so creamy, it wouldn't seal in the moisture. I immediately decided to whip it with shea. I have tons of shea that I wasn't really using because I didn't like how it made my hair feel coated. I actually thought I was the only one with that problem but I have found out that some peoples hair just doesn't like oils. Their hair works better with creamier products. I knew this from using products too watery but didn't make the connection to oils until just recently.

Anyway, I whipped the entire container with a a little less than equal parts shea butter. I also added 2 tbsps of olive oil but I just did that because I felt like I should be adding something to the mix. I'm sure it didn't need it. It came out really fluffy and creamy. When I scoop it out, it looks like whipped cream!

I used this to seal after applying Elasta QP Mango Butter. The combination was perfect! The HOOC mix didn't leave my hair feeling coated and oily like most sealants do. When I touched my hair, it felt smooth and moisturizer, not oily. I kept touching my hair, expecting to pull back oily fingers but nope! None greasy moisturizer hair. The only thing I don't like is the smell. YUCK! It smells like Cholesterol Deep Condish from Lustrasilk or any other cholesterol dc. Those smells remind me of perms and always make me nervous when I use them. I keep thinking I'm going to rinse and end up with permed hair. lol! The mango butter and shea balance out the smell a bit but not enough for me. I'm going to have to get some type of EO to mix in there asap! But I love it despite the scent.

4 more products reviews to come. Stay tuned!

24hr Walgreen's

Headed to Walgreen's to satisfy the pj in me when I got off work. To say this was a GREAT experience is an understatement. First, I only went to purchase two products: Renpure Organics poo and condish. I was initially disappointed because I wanted the moisturizing set but the tops were broken on all of them. I settled for the "I Love My Hair!" body and shine duo. Then, I was thinking about the fact that I haven't done a dc in forever so I grabbed Renpure Organics Amazing Miracle Deep Penetrating Reconstructor (with aloe, kukui & silk protein). Remembering that I needed something to seal and I'm out of Castor oil and not loving Shea right now, I turned around and grabbed Hollywood Beauty Olive Creme (smells like a perm though :-( yuck!). But I picked it up because it had a free container of Olive Cholesterol deep conditioning creme. Then, I saw Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Paks (grabbed 2 for $1.39 each). And as I walked down the aisle, I saw shower caps (needed one for my dc as I just had to throw away the one I had) and black headbands (all black ones are broken). So, this long list of products cost me LESS than $25. The Renpure Organics was buy one get one free and all 3 of them have mail in rebates. So really, after I mail them in, I'll have spent $13!

All this for less than $13 after mail-in rebates

When I was checking out, the clerk told me how beautiful my hair was and said her granddaughter had natural hair down to her waist. She had been having trouble finding products to use on the child and asked my advise. I told her for detangling, I use HEHH or HETT. Upon her request, I showed her the two products, explained how I detangled and showed her a few other products I'd tried or heard were good. She was so happy! She told me again how beautiful my hair was and that she was so happy she was at work tonight so that she could meet me. She said that God sends angels when we least expect it and on this night, I was her angel. That was about 30 min ago and I'm still smiling. I almost went to Walgreen's last night but changed my mind and went tonight instead. There was obviously a reason why. I feel really good.

Monday and Tuesday, I wore my hair in a w-n-g. I wanted to twist my hair on Monday night for big, wild hair but had an interview and went for a more subdued look. On Wednesday, my want for big hair hadn't gone away. I decided to try and wear my hair in a puff. I knew it wouldn't be long enough while curly so I did a quick blow out. I wet my hair with water and used a little bit of Palmer's Coconut hair milk. I detangled with a wide tooth comb and then blew it out. I used tons of IC Fantasia gel to slather my hair down and then picked out my puff.

Everyone seemed to really love my hair. I was called everything from Lady of Rage to Cleopatra Jones. I just laughed at these comparisons. It was crazy because I felt pretty sexy with my hair in a simple puff. So I put of the plans I had for my hair and I'm going to keep rocking the puff.

To preserve it, I kept my hair up and two strand twisted the puff. I'll be taking it out soon and fixing it up a bit for work tonight.

What to do with the left overs

I was perusing a hair blog that I like and saw something interesting in the comments. A woman said she used conditioners she no longer uses/likes as shaving cream. She claimed to have smoother skin for it. I just so happen to have a bottle of HH Longterm Relationship that I'm not using. I wasn't too pleased with it and only really used it as a leave in when I was styling.

I shaved with soap under one arm and used the condish on the other. I have very sensitive skin and am easily irritated when shaving. The side with soap was irritated as usual. The side with condish, little to no irritation. The little I felt wasn't enough to bother me. If it weren't for the fact that I was being very conscious about it, I probably wouldn't have noticed. I tried my bikini area and same results. Just haven't done my legs yet.

This works better than shaving cream in my opinion! Guess this is what I'll be doing when I run low on condish. Instead of trying to squeeze out the last few drops for my hair (esp since it doesn't even do anything for my hair anyway since it's not enough) I'll use those drops to shave.

It's all in a name

Across the hair boards, there a posts where naturals play the "Name your 'Fro" game. It's always cute and funny. Ladies select their name and explain why. I love it when I see something really original that actually has some type of significance. I tend to role my eyes at the ones saying they name their fro "Sasha Fierce" because it so fierce and they love Beyonce. Yuck! What does that really have to do with you?

I thought about it and decided I would do name my fro. She is official dubbed Jessi Rose. The reasons are as follows: My favorite romance/erotic writer is Beverly Jenkins. She writes a series of novels based in the 1800s about black men and women who accomplish great things. They range from deputies, conductors in the Undergroud Railroad, slaves, business moguels, doctors, lawyers, cowboys, train robbers, madams at brothels and the list goes on. They usually overcome so obstacle and do something for the greater good of thier towns and the black community. She also incorporates historicaly facts into every book. Jessi Rose comes from the book "The Taming of Jessi Rose." Jessi Rose is a woman who is confident, unafraid of what anyone says/thinks of her, unconventional and a bit on the wild side on the days she chose not to be tamed. Those are characteristics that people who know me well have described me as and I fell that my hair is the same way. My hair shows my confidence and gives me more. Although I did care at first, I no longer care of other people's opinions of my hair (although I do love to hear them if they are positive). Natural hair is unconventional. Natural hair can be wild or tamed, just depends on the day.

So, all of that to say, my 'fro is Jessi Rose, whether she be tamed or wild!

Detangling

My hair is getting longer and with that, detangling sessions are getting longer. W-n-g's aren't so quick anymore but are still one of the styles I mainly wear. I've been getting fairy knots for the past month or two. I officialy despise those things! I'm also getting more tangled and knotted hair. They are easy enough to get out but still I worry about breakage and splits because of it.

Currently, I detangle using just my fingers. I prefer that to a wide toothe comb because right now, it's easier and it works. I did use a comb one day and felt like I was breaking off a bunch of my hair. It shed the same amount but I just didn't like it. Plus, I felt like it seperated my curls a little too much and gave me a jheri curl type of look. Lol! I love chunky curls. (Guess I won't be investing in a Denman after all.)

I shed a lot so I'm going to continue to detangle a couple of times a week. Stretching detangling sessions would probably be horrific. I'm going to stick with HE conditioners for detangling sessions. The slip they have is awesome. I'll only stray from this line when I go organic (meaning when I have more $$$$). I will continue to use my fingers as I am most comfortable and less scared about breakage as I have more control over what's happening to my strands. I will reincorporate monthly deep protein condish into my regimen because I'm noticing a lot of elasticity when detangling. My hair has too much moisture and very little strength. Gotta get over that protein fear because my hair is telling me she needs it. I will listen!