Twisted...

Hey Mane Stars!

So I've been playing around with my flat twists. It's been a litlte tricky for me with this porcupine hair cut but I think I finally got it down.

Here are the products I used:

Beautiful Textures Taming Shampoo

Trader Joe's Nourishing Spa Conditioner

Giovanna Direct Leave in

(Can you say "staple"? I love this stuff!)

Tresemme' Heat Tamer Spray

Curl Care Soft Hold Creme

(Curlbox score!)

After washing and conditioning I wrap my hair in a t shirt to softly absorb excess moisture. I then apply

the Giovanni Direct leave-in in 4 sections. One section at a time I apply the Heat Tamer spray and blow dry. YES Luvs! This set is done on blow dried hair. I need some hang time! Now when my hair grows back I'll go back to air dry stretches.

Now, once my hair is dry I begin my flat twist sections. I softly mist each section with a travel size spray bottle like this:

Thats right shrinkage is NOT my friend. This bottle delivers just a mist. Thats all I need. After wetting the section I used just enough Soft Curls Creme to make sure that section is moisturized (The amount used should vary based on the thickness of your hair). Too much product will not yield good results. I do a total of 8 flat twists.

Now the results:

Definition

2nd day hair...still nice and defined

On the 3rd day I started playing with styles...

Dont you just love Buns?

Decided to tame my long bangs with a faux

You like?

I use different product mixes for almost every set. Im still experimenting with products that work best for my hair type. Stay tuned for product reviews.

Box Braid Pimpin...

Ok confession... I miss my hair. Although I adore my box braids oh and I'm working them hunyyy. Let's face it, there is nothing like caressing your scalp with your staple conditioner on wash day, taking that last shot of cold water to seal in that moisture before wrapping those luxurious curls with your t-shirt towel. So before I snatch out my box braids prematurely ( cuz momma's having some serious growth under here) I thought I would have a fashion show. Watch momma werk!

Ok I tried. Dont forget to send us your hottest box braid styles on Instagram.

All Natural Face Scrub

As much of a product junkie as I am, I have to admit that I get the best results from using items right out of my kitchen. I came across this facial scrub recipe online about a year ago. Nothing I've used since (hence product junkie) has worked as well as this in terms of keeping my complexion clear, bright and soft. No really, this is not a product I'm selling or brand I'm endorsing. These are all natural ingredients that you can whip up in 10 minutes , so thank me later!

Ive made this mixture enough to be able to tweak it and add items to my liking so some things will be optional but here's what you'll need:

Are you starting to see a pattern here with the green tea?? Green tea has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that helps with wrinkles and signs of aging.

Raw honey helps with acne, eczema, rosacea, enlarge pores and dullness, just to name a few.

Restores skin's pH balance, reduces red marks, blemishes and softens skin.

Acts as a natural exfoliator, unclogs pores and helps eliminate blemishes

Non-greasy, prevents fine lines an wrinkles and helps skin produce collagen.



In a glass bowl mix:

1 Tablespoon of ACV
2 Tablespoons of green tea
5 Tablespoon of  sugar
1 Tablespoon of raw honey
2 additional tablespoons of sugar
optional: 4 drops of grape seed oil

you can scoop up your mixture with your fingers, pat the mixture all over your face and neck, let it sit for about ten minutes, scrub your face an neck in circular motions an rinse thoroughly.

Make sure your tea is cooled or it will dissolve the the sugar. Store the remainder of your mix in a small plastic container.

Enjoy!

Rhassoul Clay Conditioner

1. Mix 1/2 to 1 cup of clay mix in a bowl

2. stir in warm ( not hot) green tea.

3. stir in raw honey( two table spoons)

I have never measured the amount of honey or green tea. You can eyeball your measurements and stir until the mix takes on a clay texture.

Clay over Henna: I prefer Rhassoul clay over henna for the following reasons;

There's no red color to marry. Yes I've been married to that red hue and when I wanted to do something different in terms of color even the most experienced stylist did not want to touch my hair.

The clay defines the H E double hockey sticks out of my curls. Where as henna gives your curls a looser effect.

And last but no least, time! I've left my clay in from 1 hour to 3 hours and I've gotten the same soft defined curls.

I part my hair in 4 sections and work the clay into each section.

Green tea stimulates hair growth and prevents dandruff. .

You can find Rhassoul clay already proportioned in small cubes. I prefer to mix my own

Try buttersandbars.com

Honey nourishes hair, seals in moisture and promotes growth. 

You see why I make my own mixture?

You cant go wrong.

My magic wand...

I absolutely adore the curling wand. There is so much you can do with it.  You can give life to an old press or whip up a sea of curls off a fresh blow out. Along with flat ironing this is a styling option for both natural and relaxed manes. The key is to protect, protect, protect. Before you get your curls in a bunch gather your favorite heat protecting products. Once your mane has been prepped twirl away!

My process is to take a small section of hair,  start at the base of the wand and carefully wind the hair around. Hold for 10 seconds and release. I start at the bottom of my hair near the nape and work my way up and around. One thing to remember about this styling option is where you set your curls is where they will be. It's not easy to let's say fill out a part in the middle. These ringlets stay put.

At night I simply cover  my hair with a satin bonnet. Believe it or not, I've actually extended this type of style for over a week. Cant wait to rock this on my much shorter mane. I'm in the mood for something funky!

Check out some of my previous sets:

Wand set on blow dried hair

                                   

This was a wand set about 4 days old.
This was done an old light press.

Fresh set on flat ironed hair

3 days later. Nice loose curls...

5 days later. Curls have transformed into waves. Did a sexy side sweep.

2013 Deep Conditioner Regimen

Greek yogurt
Raw honey
Green tea
Mustard oil
Rhassoul clay:

1. Mix Greek yogurt, Raw honey and one tablespoon of mustard oil in a bowl.
2. Separate (co-washed) damp hair into four sections.
3. Work mixture into each section from root to tip.
4. Let sit under plastic cap for 15 to 30 mins

Mustard oil is my absolute favorite oil for deep conditioning.   my hair loves this. It promotes hair growth, has vitamin A,  calcium, and fatty acids just to name a few.

Raw honey also promotes hair growth, nourishes hair and seals in moisture.

Greek yogurt has a thick consistency an twice as much protein as regular yogurt.

Life after a haircut...

So we've already touched on "why" you should trim. But let's face it, sometimes you get a little more than you bargain for. I'm not exactly scissor shy. I love the way my tresses fall after a good trim. The problem I'm having right now is finding my style rhythm again after an all out cut. Yes, while we say "trim" which means cut an itty bitty bit, sometimes you end up getting chopped up. I'm just saying... Then its back to the drawing board when it comes to stretching etc. Bad enough we have to deal with the dreaded "shrinkage"!

Now on the bright side, as Mia has shown us life after a cut can mean a nice healthier weight, the strings are no more and the curls are popping!!

With that being said I gotta feel my way around this cut. My heat styles are still my go to's. The results are similar just shorter:


Wand Curls before and after hair cut:

Light press before and after hair cut:

My challenge right now is NON heat styles. My flat twistouts which normally give me good results have been just okay. My first attempt below was good. But as many of you know that does not mean you are going to have a hit the next time.

Flat twist out before and after hair cut:

I'll be playing around with my no heat styles. I'll keep you guys posted on my progress. The goal is to get curly looks with SIMPLE techniques. Yes SIMPLE. Time does not stand still because you want to play around with your hair. We get it. Stay tuned.....

Sister with Locs

Mane Star Mya

This Mane Star loves her Locs! She's been rocking these strands for a little over 5 years. Mya tells us she maintains her fearless mane by getting her Locs professionally touched up every 6 weeks. We love her fun funky styles and color choices. I think we'll be seeing a lot of this loc star beauty.