Men and Natural Hair....

Personally I think men fall under two-three categories when it comes to their feelings regarding natural hair. Hate it, love it, or tolerate it! #thatisall


Now, I have attended quite a few natural hair events and most times the guys in attendance (usually a photographer or someones  boyfriend) look bewildered and confused  to say the least...lol. I will never forget the guys random comments as they passed the line of natural women outside of the Karen's Body Beautiful and Curlbox meet and greet. So I wasn't to surprised when I saw this comment  (courtesy of Charlamagne The god, a NYC radio personality) on my Twitter timeline this past Thursday in reference to the Hair Rules Meet Up!  (If you have sensitive eyes.... don't read the comment)!

"Come to Taj Lounge 21st between 5th and 6th. It is a room full of women here for this Hair Rules event. Natural Hair and Pussy everywhere!"

Damn...tell me what you really think?!?!  The comment was tasteless but it left me wondering, with the new trend of making natural hair events more "guy friendly" will the camaraderie I usually feel at hair events disappear?  Will I have to be subjected to men admiring more than just my natural hair?  Guess we will have to see....

What do you guys think of the comment?

Nina Saro-Wiwa's Transition

I KNOW this video is everywhere right now. Being discussed on YouTube, taking over Twitter timelines, being shared on Facebook...everywhere. To be completely  transparent I noticed people talking about the video yesterday and simply did not click the link. I didn't want to watch another "why I decided to transition" video, what new can someone say? All this changed when I received the link to the video in my inbox from a close friend and I finally decided to watch Nina Saro-Wiwa's New York Times Op-Doc, Transition.  

Screen Shot from New York Times

My first reaction was shock. The filmmaker, Nina Saro-Wiwa, was at the Darker than Brown Meet-Up I attended a few weeks ago interviewing people I'm guessing for this film. Thinking back I remember how excited she was to be surrounded by so many natural coifs. When I watched the video not only did I see people I knew from other natural hair meet-ups but some of the people I met that day. Small world. Saro-Wiwa's film  in my opinion is one that should be watched, shared, and discussed with as many people as possible.  I agree with her statement that natural hair is under represented in the mainstream media and wonder how we combat this. The natural hair movement is not going anywhere anytime soon. Every day there are new bloggers and vloggers sharing their tips and journeys with the other naturals. Although there are new women joining the natural hair movement daily I fear that this trend has yet to reach the younger generation. How do we compete with Nikki Minaj videos, Vibe magazine covers, and the  bags and bags of  long, straight, shiny hair in the beauty supply stores. Don't get me wrong, I believe that how you style your hair is a choice. Whether it be relaxed, colored, or a Cesar. However,  I would love to see the day that terminology such as "transitioned", "big chopped", and even "going natural" no longer have a place in this world because brown and black girls will grow up knowing that they are beautiful just the way they are. Simplistic? Maybe. Cliche? Yes. But isn't that what other girls have?

Please check out the film HERE is you have not already!

Hair Bows and Other Forever 21 Finds:

Happy Hump Day! I just wanted to share a few hair accessories that I bought from Forever21 the other day with you all. I was never really fond of  accessories in my hair because  I always thought they made me look juvenile and immature. Despite these concerns I am absolutely digging the new "hair bow" trend that I have been seeing around the blogoshpere lately. So much so that I decided to buy my own.

Excuse the pics...I am still learning how to take interesting pics of inanimate objects!!!

 I loved the vibrant color of these headbands as well as the lightweight chiffon material. The headbands came in five colors: salmon, magenta, royal, yellow, and turquoise (the one that I did not purchase).

See caption above. ; )

Yes, I bout 4 of the 5 colors they had in the store, but at 3.80 a piece I had to!

BONUS PIC: My new addiction --> stud earrings and I was so happy when I found these.

Are you into the new hair bow trend? If so, do you rock other hair accessories as well?

Tp purchase these from Forever 21 click HERE!

PJ'ism

So, I left my house this morning in an attempt to purchase some gel for my hair. Although I love my Curls Control Paste I wanted to try something new. Three stores and two hours later I have returned home with the gel and then some...( -_-)

• 2  .35oz ApHogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor- 1.99 each
• 1 16oz jar of African Formula Super Grow Hair Gel -24.99
• 1 4oz jar Jane Carter Nourish and Shine - 15.99
• 1 6oz Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream- 15.00
• Fulfilling all the desires of my inner product junkie- PRICELESS  = D

Wash and No's...

 CharyJay of 160days2lose2 is one of my favorite vloggers on the YT (yup...that's YouTube). I think she is quirky, I love her style, and her product reviews seem pretty sincere. I can actually  pinpoint the moment when she became a "friend in my head".  CharyJay made a video documenting her unsuccessful  search for her hair's curl pattern. As a natural who rarely sees a curl in her head without a twist out (or after a henna session) I could totally relate. She recently posted a video documenting her last attempt at a wash and go. Finally some one who understands my plight (and why my first and last jar of Kinky Curly remains FULL years after I purchased it)! Take a look...

Trimming my natural hair--Results!

I finally did it! Despite my fears, reservations, concerns, and general negative attitude towards sitting in a hair salon I put on my big girl pants and had my hair trimmed by a professional last week. I shared with you all in this post the results of my hair consultation and my disappointment in learning despite all my healthy hair practices I still did not possess a head of healthy hair. Well here are the results from my follow up appointment:

I know it is hard to tell with the cornrows but what you are looking at is a fresh start. :)

My hair was detangled, washed, conditioned, and treated.

In order to accurately trim my ends Janice, my hair dresser, blow dried my hair.

I was amazed by the amount of  hair on my head. For the first time in a while I  felt as if I made progress.

Precision braiding...

This hair gel was recommended to not only smooth my edges but encourage hair growth.

The ingredients: sounds like a  Jamba Juice order



Close up pic...



I'm loving my new "done" look and have received many compliments over the last few days. Janice, my hair dresser, truly made this experience an easy one. She was attentive, she offered product suggestions, she heard my concerns regarding my hair, and she managed to give me and edgy yet protective Interested in Janice's servies? Feel free to email me for the details. ; )

Joico, Olive Oil, and Honey= Totally manageable hair!

Have you ever had one of those hair moments when it seems as if the stars have aligned just right and your hair is perfect; soft to the touch, shiny, moisturized, fluffy, and you just  can't keep your hands out of it. Well this is the moment I had today after trying a few new things I feel like I hit the hair jack pot.

• Pre-Po with Olive Oil and Honey- One of my new favorite vloggers Ms. Ahsiek1118, did a video showing her Olive Oil and Honey Hair Treatment step by step and I loved her results so I  gave it a try. I decided to do this pre-poo with my hair while it was still in the twists.  I simply slathered my Organic Extra Virgin  Olive Oil and my Trader Joe Raw Honey all over my hair and left it on for about an hour (it was covered with a plastic cap). I will admit some sections of my hair were a little sticky from the honey (and I missed the step in which she sprayed water on her hair before applying). but for the most part my hair was easy to detangle (untwist)  and felt soft to the touch.

• Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner- This week I was scrolling through Curly Nikki's website and I came across a guest post by Nicole Harris of Hair Liberty answering a question in regards to detangling and breakage, a tale I can relate to. In the answer Joico Moisture Recovery conditioner was mentioned as a great product for natural hair for  detangling, had a low ph, and contained hydrolyzed protein (an ingredient that strengthens hair) . A product junkie at heart I quickly googled the product and found it for $25.00 on Amazon. No, thanks!! I couldn't justify spending that kind of money on an experiment. This weekend however I found the 33.8 oz bottle on sale for $ 14.99 at TJ Maxx, and it was well worth it. This conditioner has amazing slip and literally glided through my hair making detangling a breeze. This will definitely be a staple in my hair regimen for a long time.

After sitting under my Huetiful steamer and rinsing out the conditioner  I sprayed my hair with a sample leave-in conditioner I received from I love My Fro, and  moisturized each section with a dime sized amount of Olive Oil and my Shea Moisture Organic Thickening Growth Milk. My hair is shiny, feels amazing, and most importantly  done for the week. Have any of you tried any new hair products that wowed you? My inner product junkie is dying to know.
; - D

Natural Hair in the New York Times

I have not been on twitter for a while. Honestly, it's been difficult to find a few moments at work or when I am home to read my timeline, comment, and post thoughtful  or at least somewhat interesting statements. However today I was pleasantly surprised   to find that #naturalhair had made a major accomplishment by having an article in the New York Times. Kudos, to all mentioned (Nikki Mae, Kimmay Tube and Curly Nikki ) in the article. I'm so proud to be a part of this community!  Haven't read the article yet? Click here.

Source

Natural, relaxed, kinky, curly, or straight we ALL have to deal with split ends. My personal relationship with split ends ebbs and flows, sometimes I obsess over them and at other times they don't even cross my mind. Where do I stand now? I'm obsessed with them (-_-)!!! While in the midst of this obsessive period I have come across the most comprehensive guide to split ends on thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com. The highlights: the post uses scientific research to back all the claims that are made and it is styled like an online magazine. Check it out here and tell me what you think.
: o )



Damaged hair strands...They come in all shapes and sizes! (-_-)



Nappy Head: Can you get a comb through that?

“Your hair is thick and nappy! Can you get a comb through it?” This statement was made by a 10 year old girl I happened to be speaking with one day. She also took the liberty to inform me that she had her “Just For Me” perm touch-up done the day before as she preened herself in the mirror.  Even as I type I’m honestly not sure how I feel about the word nappy in the context of describing hair.  If you follow me on twitter you might have witnessed my confused reaction to this statement. At first *blush* I felt as if the word was disparaging and offensive. I wanted to explain to this young lady that my hair wasn’t “nappy,” but instead was what I would like to call “kinky.” As the words for my rebuttal were beginning to formulate in my mind I paused for a moment and wondered: what was the difference? And more importantly, why was I responding to it so negatively?  My response to her was “…I love my hair the way it is…” and she proceeded to draw a picture of me depicting my “nappy” hair.  After she had gone I felt her words still stinging my ego, so I did what anyone self-respecting kinky haired woman would do, I Googled it! Here are a couple of definitions I found for “nappy” that I found:

• Miriam Webster Dictionary : (1)chiefly Scottish: Liquor: Specifically: Ale ; (2) a rimless shallow open serving dish; (3)chiefly British Diaper; (4) Kinky
• The Free Online Dictionary:  (1)Having a nap; fuzzy: a nappy carpet;  (2)Often Offensive Tightly curled or coiled. Used of hair.

The image search proved to be even more interesting with most of the images on page 1 having to do with babies and diapers.  There were, however, about 5 exceptions: an image of Don Imus, an image Lauren Hill and an image of group called Nappy Roots, an image of the book entitled Nappy Hair, and this image:

After I concluded my mini research project, I still cannot say that I fully appreciate the word’s actual connotation. Is it in fact a negative word that us naturals have accepted (like the N-word for  some people of color or perhaps the term “coolie” for some  people of Indian decent). Should I embrace it? Should I defend it? Should I loathe it? Should I correct a person who uses it? I would love to hear from some of my naturals about their thoughts on this… especially those of us in the 4abc category that might be called “nappy-headed” on any given day!

My Portrait ;- )

There's nothing wrong with a little hair envy....

My style rut requires an intervention! I know protective styling coupled with time, care, patience (this is a hard one, I don't even like waiting on line), and consistency will equal longer lengths by this summer but I want BIG hair now! Here are a few images that have been keeping me on track. The source...one of the best for kinky, coily, curly inspiration: Fuck Yeah Curls Curls Curls. 

Are you in need of some pictures to inspire you? Click HERE!

Natural Hair Icon: Corinne Bailey Rae

I guess the first thing I should say is I love Corinne Bailey Rae's hair as much as I love her music. She is an artist who is in heavy rotation on my I-Pod especially when I am in a neo-soul groove. In addition to this I have a lot of respect for her not only as an artist but as a woman. In 2008 her husband Jason Rae died unexpectedly from a drug overdose but despite this Corrine continued to sing, write, and perform all while grieving the loss of her husband. She is the picture of resiliency and a natural beauty. 

Like A Star--My Favorite Song by Bailey Rae! Enjoy ; )