Fall Into a Bun

The seasons are definitely changing.  Summer has passed and the chilly weather of Fall is upon us.  As the seasons change, in a way, my hair practices do as well.

Around this time of the year, I usually start rocking my buns more frequently.  I use them as a styling option for a couple reason.  One... when the weather gets on the windy side it's bothersome to have to worry about my hair blowing every which way.  Two... it's a good idea to keep my ends covered and away from the harsh elements. Buns are an easy protective style for those who want something quick.

My bun of preference is probably the low ballerina bun.  It's sleek and professional at the same time.  Plop in your favorite conditioner, cream, or gel and you're good to go :-)

Shrinkage

Shrinkage = the amount by which something becomes smaller or less. 

The photo on the left is my hair wet, while the photo on the right is my hair dry.  There are many products that "claim" to control/prevent shrinkage, but I'm not really a believer.  Sometimes I am able to have less shrinkage by pulling my hair up/back at night, and releasing it in the morning.  But depending on the mood my hair is in, that may cause other problems (i.e. frizz, messed up curls, lopsided hair, etc.). 

Shrinkage is a reality for all us coily girls.  No matter what....I know that my hair is going to have some sort of shrinkage, unless I'm wearing it straight.  It's just another fun fact about being a naturalista!

My Two Cents - Beautiful Curls by Alaffia

I mentioned a couple months back in My Faithful and Favorite Products post, that Beautiful Curls products are one of my favorite product lines.  I regularly use their Shea Butter Curl Activating Shampoo, Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Treatment,  and Shea Butter Curl Activating Leave-in Conditioner.  I've occasionally used the Curl Control Custard.  They also carry a curl cream, lotion, oil, and sculpting wax...but since I haven't used any of those, I'm not able to make any comments just yet :-)

I love the story behind the Beautiful Curls products.  The shea butter is handcrafted by the Alaffia Shea Butter Cooperative in Sokodé, Togo West Africa. The products are Certified Fair Trade, which means that the members of the Cooperative are guaranteed to receive fair income.  Also a minimum of 10% of sales are returned to West Africa to fund community empowerment projects.

Here are my thoughts...

Shea Butter Curl Activating Shampoo

Rating: 4 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Lathers really well 
• Cleans scalp and hair well without any harsh ingredients
• Last a long time - You don't need to use alot
• All natural ingredients
• Smells great
• Price is reasonable
• Nice creamy/smooth texture
• Non-drying - Does not strip the hair
• Curls pop and hair is left feeling moisturized
• Incredibly moisturizing for a shampoo

Cons:  

• None really, with the exception that I've only been able to find this product line at Whole Foods (not sold everywhere). That's a ditto for all 4 products that I am reviewing.

Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Treatment
I normally apply the conditioner and then sit under my heating cap for 30-45 mins and then rinse out.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• All natural ingredients
• Smells great
• Price is reasonable
• Creamy texture
• Pretty good slip
• Leaves hair feeling very soft and moisturized 

Con:  

•  Not a fan of the tube that it's packaged in.  Not always easy to get the products out of the container. I would prefer if it was in a jar instead of the tube.

Shea Butter Curl Activating Leave-In Conditioner

Rating: 4 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• All natural ingredients
• Smooth texture is very easy to apply
• Great at coating my hair - coats very easily
• Smells wonderful
• Great moisturizing properties
• Curls pop
• My hair loves this stuff.  It really does my hair good.

Cons: Can't really think of one

Curl Control Custard
I apply this to wet hair after I have applied my leave-in.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• All natural ingredients
• No alcohol
• Decent curl defination
• Great hold on Day 1 and Day 2
• Day 1 and Day 2 hair looks really good

Cons:  

•  Smell is kind of perfumey (not my cup of tea)
• Consistency is runny, which can be somewhat messy to apply
• Hair has a bit of that hard/crunch factor
• Leaves hair dry
• Around Day 3 the frizz starts to take over (I like gels that last at least 3 days)

So in  a nutshell I absolutely love the shampoo, deep conditioner, and leave-in, which is why they are on my favorite products list.  The custard (aka gel) is on my honorable mention list, as I have others that I prefer.  So if you're interested in trying any of these, or any of the other products within their line, visit your local Whole Foods, or you can also order online.  To learn more about Alaffia's mission and Beautiful Curls products, you can check out http://www.beautifulcurls.com/

Flower Power!

Flowers are one of my favorite hair accessories! I have one in just about every color.  They are super cute, and super feminine, and can jazz up just about any hairdo....all while adding a splash of color! 

For a couple years flowers were my signature.  You could just about always catch me with a flower!  The other day I felt the urge to revisit my former signature accessory.  I decided to liven things up, and wore my pink and white flowers with some twists. To my surprise the flowers brought a smile to some normally frown prone faces. It reminded me why I used to love them so much..... They just have a way of brightening things up!

Fran - Locker Extraordinaire

Fran

I've been admiring my fellow University of Hartford gospel choir member and alum Fran and her lovely locs.   This song bird has some seriously beautiful hair to match her amazing voice.  I was interested to learn a little bit about her hair story.  I decided to interview her to learn about her loc journey.


How long have you been relaxer free?

I have been relaxer free for 10 years.

What inspired your decision to rock your natural hair?

I hadn't seen my hair in its natural state since I was nine years old.  I just wanted a change.

Did you slowly transition or do a drastic big chop?

I did a slow transition.

How did family and friends react to your decision to wear your hair natural?

Family was slow to get on board with my decision but my friends loved it.

What would you say are your biggest hair challenges?

I don't think that I have any big hair challenges but sometimes I loathe having to re-twist my locs after having washed them.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 4 hair products/tools, what 4 would you choose?

Locking gel, olive oil, coconut oil, and a fine-toothed comb.

Do you have any hair inspirations?  If so who?

I am inspired by my aunt, Dawn, who has locs down to her knees!

Any words of wisdom or advice you’d like to pass on to others?

The only advice that I have would be that if you're going to go natural, embrace all of the changes with an open mind and patience.  We are all beautiful no matter how we style our hair. 

FestAfrica 2013

I had an awesome time at FestAfrica 2013 this past Saturday!  The festival included African music, dance, comedy, and a fashion show. It's the 11th annual official African Festival for the State of Maryland, and is sponsored by the Nigerian Youth Association of Maryland.

I went with my fellow naturalista and blogger Kristy Samone. Kristy is a fashion blogger and writer of http://kristysamone.com/. She was rocking a cute blowout, and a bowed headband accessory.  We had an amazing time just hanging out watching the performances and eating :-) And of course being the bloggers that we are, Kristy was particularly interested in the African inspired fashion, as I the hairstyles :-)

I saw many MANY naturalistas at FestAfrica.  There was such a variety of styles; curls, locs, braids, twists, twas, updos, afros, you name it.  I saw this really cute curly puff w/ bangs worn by Jalisa. She was such a doll and let me snap a photo.  Her style was multi-functional as it was super cute, and the updo really helps to beat the heat.

My Two Cents - Pure Shea Store Mango Hemp-Shea Shampoo Bar & Shea Leave-In Conditioner

 

I recently tried out Pure Shea Store's Mango-Hemp Shampoo Bar, along with the Shea Leave-In. Pure Shea Store products are completely natural and created without animal testing, parabens, GMOs or other harmful ingredients. I've been using the products for a couple months now. I wanted the effects of the products for more than one use.  Alot of times the first use is a fluke, be it good or bad. 

Here are my thoughts...

Mango Hemp-Shea Shampoo Bar
I use this like I would any shampoo.  I applied after my oil treatment.

 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Lathers really well 
• Cleans scalp and hair well without any harsh ingredients
• Last a long time - You don't need to use alot
• All natural ingredients
• Price is really reasonable

Cons:  

• Personally it does not provide enough moisture for me.  My hair was super dry. 
• Frizz was like WHOA
• I actually ended up giving this away

Shea Leave-In Conditioner
I used this 2 different ways....  1st as the marketed leave-in conditioner.  I used like I would any other leave-in conditioner (post wash, and conditioner on wet hair).  2nd use was as a pre-shampoo treatment, used with a heating cap (pre wash and conditioner).

As a Leave-In
Rating: 3 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• All natural ingredients
• Nice smooth texture - Very easy to apply 
• Last a long time - A little goes a long way
• Great at locking in moisture

Con:  

•  I had to experiment some with the amount to use, because my hair is somewhat sensitive to oils post wash and conditioner.  Oils tend to leave my hair on the greasy side.  So it took some trial and error on my part.

As a Pre-Treatment
Rating: 4 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Smooth texture is very easy to apply
• Coats hair easily
• Great for my finger detangling
• Smells wonderful
• Hair was soft and moisturized as I rinsed out

Cons: Can't really think of one


Check out the entire line of Pure Shea Store products for yourself at the following website: Pure Shea Store or visit on their retail stores in MD, DC, MI, GA, NC, or VA.