Monday, August 30, 2010

Going Ayuvedic!!!!

Yep. I know I am supposed to be keeping it simple, but with the winter months just around the corner I want to be prepared. I am currently 18 weeks post relaxer and I don't plan on relaxing any time soon, so in order to combat breakage/shedding I am going to start implementing some ayurvedic methods into my regimen. My hope is that I will have a full on ayurvedic regimen come this November. There is so much to learn and some many combitations to try I don't want to rush it and I still have some products to use up anyway.

I found an Indian grocery store aboout 20 minutes away from my house and they carry everything I'll need. Caleb and went yesterday and I had to pick up a few things..

Neem Powder- good for dry scalp and promotes healthy hair growth
Alma Powder- conditions, and stregthens hair. also helps promote growth
Orange Peel Powder- great for shine, can also be used on the face as a toner.

Thursday is my next wash day and I will go over how I use these products and I promis to take lots of pics. Until then

Peace
So Much Love
Erika

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Bantu Knots, trail run..

I have been in a protective styling rut as of late so I have been trying to shake things up a bit by doing more low manipulation styles. Before, I would just throw on a wig and I would be cute and protected, but now that my hair is starting to get to a lenght where I can actually do braidouts and twist outs etc and actually like the results. I have mastered the braidout, now my next conquest is the bantu knoutout. This is my first real attempt at knots. I did 8 small knots and here's what I got.



I like the results, but I think next time I am going to try to do about 4 big knots. This looks a lot like my braidout, except the curl pattern is a bit differnet, but to the average eye(Caleb) it looks just the same. Just to give myself a little more variety with my styles.

Peace
So much love
Erika

Day Trip to DC

Yesterday Caleb and I took the train into DC. He's never been so we went the tourist route and walked around the national mall seeing the sights. I did a braidout, and it lasted suprisingly well considering how hot it was. Here's a few pics...






I am really loving the 8 braid braidout. It's so stylish and so easy to do. I just moisturized and sealed. Then I applied some of mt got2be texturizer to each section before I braided, then I put a foam roller on the ends and went to sleep. The next day I put a tiny bit of coconut oil on my fingers and un bradied the braids. I added a flower accent and I was done... Its my new weekend look and it doesn't even matter that I have hella new growth because its such a curly look anyway.

Peace
So Much Love
Erika

Thursday, August 19, 2010

17 weeks post... Wash day

Hey doll's,

Just wanted to do a quick upday on my new wash dayy routine. Since im am so far into my stretch(my longest ever) my old routine just doesn't seem to cut it anymore. I still do most of the same things, but I made some minor changes in order to reduce sheeding and breakage and the line.

1. I pre poo woth a mix of water, glycerin, detangler and a cheapie conditioner

I put the mixture into a spray bottle to reduce the mess.

I pre-poo'd in 4 sections taking time to detangle as I went.

I let it sit for about 30 minutes(I finshed the new episode of TEEN MOM)

2. I got into the shower. and rinsed one section at a time, making sure not to cause any tangles.

3. shampoo'd

4. applied my cheapie on top of the poo

5. rinsied and finger combed.

6. I applied my GVP version of Kpac. let it sit for about a minute or 2 then rinsed

7. Towel dried my hair and sectioned it out into 4 sections

8. applied my dc and let it sit for an hour and a half.

I saw a hugh diffenece in the amount of hair I lost, and my hair looks and feels so healthy. With this new method I hope to keep this stretch going until Mid- December just in time for Christmas. I hope to be able to claim full SL by then.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

My WishList...

Here are a few things i'm itching to try...



Thursday, August 12, 2010

1 Year later..

a comic strip!

Updated Regimen: August 2010

Hey Dolls,
I know I have been MIA for a while, and I have even slightly fallen off my heathy hair journey, but I am trying to get back into the swig of things, and I have decided to update my regimen. I am currently 16 weeks post relaxer and I am trying to go for 24 weeks. Here's what I've been doing.

Moisturize and seal nightly.

Spritz when I need a moisture boost.

Wash and deep condition once a week.

co-wash when needed.

protein when needed.

Every night I wrap my hair.

I take my vitamins everyday.

Bun 99% of the time.

This is really about all I do right now. This is my longest stretch so far, so I am trying to really keep it simiple so I can make it thru these last two months.

Oh an I am gonna update my products sometime this weekend, but I need to re stock a few of them...

peace
so much love
Erika

8 braid braidout

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Hey Dolls!!!

Sorry for yet another round of delays, more internet problems. After several phone calls and a sunday visit from a comcaast tech. I think I can finally say everything is in proper working order!!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Carrie Fever.

Hey Roadies,



This past weekend Caleb and I went to see Sex and the City 2. If you were a fan of the show it is a must see. I liked this one a lot better than the first one because its main focus was on the friendships among the ladies instead of their relationships. There is a big gay wedding, a luxe trip to the middle east, nanny drama and Samantha being Samantha. All in all it was money well spent. So if you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for?

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Use Up My Stash Updates!

I am still going strong with not buying hair products. I actually used up the last of my Mane and TAil Friday which only leaves me with 2 products to use. Other than that my products are still exactly the same, although I want to try the Sauve Almond condtioner, instead or re purchasing the hummectant. I might just get a little bottle of each instead of getting the big bottle, that way I can try out the almonds and still have my fave cheapie on hand if i need it. Well off to work.

Peace
So mUch Love
Erika

Saturday, May 29, 2010

I'm BAAAACKKK!!!

So Sorry it has been so long. Life has thrown me more than a few curve balls lately so blogging hasn't been on the top of my to do list. Life is starting to get back to normal so blogs will be back to normal.

My hair has suffered a little lately. I have been having some shedding issues and my scalphas gone backwards. My goal for the next few weeks is tto just get my hair back on track. I have been trying to stay on top of my regimen, but it has also slipped away from me too.

Yesterday I deep conditioned all day then washed and air dried. So I am going to start fresh this week, back drinking water, and moisturizing every night and even using my MN. I still hope to be SL in July, but this little break did not help at all.

Peace
So Much Love
Erika

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Sorry it's been so long...

I moved!!! Just got internet on today, so back to normal blogs tmrw.
Peace
So Much Love
Erika

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

bunning update!

Hey Roadies,
I'm trying out a new Blogger app on my phone so please excuse any typos I don't catch.

I have been chugging along fairly well with my buns. I am still have a little trouble styling my hair outside of the bun but I think that will come in time. I am going to try a bantu knot out tonight because tomorrow is wash day so at least if it comes out a,mess I can

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Monday, May 3, 2010

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Jumping Jade



I love this Sally Hansen's insta dri polishs for quick before work mani's. They are a thick formula and they dry in no time, Only downside is they cost about 4.50 which is more then I like to pay for polish.

Another One Bites the Dust...



3 more to go

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Polyester Pink


I took my press ons off about a week ago to give my real nails a chance to breathe. I will probably re apply my mails next week, but on the mean time I am loving this N.Y.C polyester pink. You really can't beat it for the price even though its a bit runny and takes longer to dry than I would like, it was only .94. A white base and 2 coats did the trick...

Friday, April 30, 2010

DD: Beyonce Cochella

Metallic Text Generator at TextSpace.net

I instantly fell in love with this Look the moment I saw it. It was probably something to do with the Chanel Boots...

Most of the stuff is from Forever 21 so that you don't have to pay a million different shipping rates.




Forever 21 $15.80


Forever21 24.80


Forever 21 7.80(Beyonce has a belt, but I like the jean chain better)


Karmaloop 33.95 (I know it's a lot for a hat, but I love the rose detail on the side you can cut cost by wearing a pair of jean shorts you already own, but the hat is the one of the outfit staple's without it you got nothing)


Journey's 149.99 (any combat style boot will do, but again with the roses)


B also has on some simple bangles and a long necklace, which I'm sure everyone has already, so I didn't think I needed to add them

NastyGal...

Just discovered this new website and I wanted to share with you. Its kind of like Karmaloop, but it's smaller and has a vintage section! Here are a few of my favorite things






1 week Bun update..

Hey Roadies,

Just wanted to updated you ladies on how the switch from wigs to buns is going. I am still trying to get the hang of styling my hair. The good news is that I haven't giving up yet lol. I started my week in my sock bun. I really like the sock bun, but since I don't have any silk or satin socks, I can't rock it everyday. Then to ease up on some of the tension I switched it up to this.


Since I wear a hat everyday to work the location of my bun basically stays the same, but I also try to wear pigtails or just pull the bun way off to one side. I have noticed a bit of breakage but, I think that was from wearing the sock bun for 3 days before I realized that it was probably drying out my hair. I have also been wearing my satin scarf under my hat so that my hair isn't rubbing up against it. I am determined to be SL by July so I am going to start a new vitamin regimen and also kick my water intake to over drive.

Oh I almost forgot, I did a braid out yesterday. I didn;t wait for it to dry completely so it got frizzy after a few hours but I was really happy with the out come. Although this style doesn't so off my progress at all I still think it's a cute carefree summertime type of look. I acheived this with 8 braids.





Tonight is date night for Caleb and I so I'm not sure how I am going to style my hair but I will be sure to take lots of pics.

Peace
So Much Love
erika

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Shea Butter Mix, Take one... Epic Fail

Hey Roadies,

So for those of you who follow me on twitter know, my Shea butter came in the mail on Monday. I was so pumped to try something new one my hair, because since I started my stash project I have been stuck with the same products. Not that that's a bad thing, but every once in a while I like to change it up a bit.

Anywho I had this grand plan to show you ladies how I mixed it and it just did not work at all.

First I tried mixing it in the blender, NO BUENO.

Then I tried to whip it woth a fork, again BAD IDEA.

So finally I heated it up with some hot water then mixed it in a sandwich bag... It worked ok, but I'm not really going to post what I did because I dont really think it will help anyone lol. I will review it in a few weeks, and until then if you are intrested in how to mix shea butter, youtube it.

Peace
So Much Love
Erika

Oil Guide: Proclaim Natural 7 Oil



What it is.
Proclaim Natural 7 Olive Oil is an Oil mix with a list of uses as long as it’s ingredients. It’s a multi-purpose oil enriched with olive oil, Grapeseed oil, Jojoba oil, Sweet almond oil and other natural botanicals.

Ingredients
OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT OIL ,RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL ,CANOLA OIL ,SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) SEED OIL ,TRITICUM VULGARE (WHEAT) GERM OIL ,TOCOPHERYL ACETATE ,SESAMUM INDICUM (SESAME) SEED OIL ,PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) O ,CYCLOPENTASILOXANE ,FRAGRANCE ,BHT ,ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE ,GREEN 6 ,BENZYL BENZOATE ,BENZYL SALICYLATE ,LIMONENE ,LINALOOL ,CITRONELLOL ,HEXYL CINNAMAL

Hair Uses and Benefits
-Hot Oil Treatments
-Adds shine to hair
-locks in moisture

Other Uses
- bath Oil
- helps with dry skin
- softens cuticles
- massage oil

My two cents

I wanted my next entry in my Oil Guide on Proclaim Natural 7 Oil because my bottle is almost gone. It’s not my favorite hair oil. I think it’s too thick and greasy for my hair, and at least for me it caused some build up. I do however like it for my skin. I usually put it on fresh out of the shower at night and it leaves my skin soft and moisturized in the morning. I also put it in my bath water and it makes my skin SO SOFT. All in all it’s a crappy hair oil, but a great skin oil. I probably won’t be re purchasing it though, just because so other oil’s that I already use give me the same results

Monday, April 26, 2010

Updates: Use up my Stash, Summer Hair Plans, DD

What's up Roadies
Just thought I would update you on a few things.




I know I haven't updated my use up my stash in a min, but that's because I am still tugging along doing the same things I been doing. Nothing new to report. I am almost done with the Proclaim Natural 7 oil and the Mane an Tail. The Aphgee and the Bio Silk are a different story. I might have to make some amendments to the challenge because I have a feeling I will be rockin with those too all summer. The new rule is that I will be aloud to replace things that I don't have a back up for in my stash already. Meaning I am almost done with every single moisturizer that I have ever had, and if the Shea Butter doesn't work out I will need to buy a moisturizer. I am not allowed to buy any hair products on a whim, there has to be a need in order for me to purchase.



As far as summer hair plans go, I want to focus on learning how to wear my real hair and still retain the same amount of length I got with my wigs. I plan to do my own little bunning challege and wear a bun, or some sort of protective style 5 days a week, and on my weekends I am going to work on perfecting my braid outs, bandu knots and rollersets. The worry with bunning is that I want to make sure I don't cause breakage with my buns. Its hard for me to change up the location of my bun because I have to wear a hat to work everyday. For now I have just been making sure to take my bun down as soon as I get home and just try to move it as much as possible. I will post pics of different idea's as they come to me.

I am also hoping to reach full SL by mid-July, so I am going to step up my water and vitamin game as well. Other than that my regimen is basically staying the same.

Metallic Text Generator at TextSpace.net

Last but not least in this infinite post, is my new series DD. As you know the theme of my blog is basically about my life as a road trip, but I am trying to make it more cohesive, so the Oil Guide, is kind of like mapping out all the Oil's I've tried, and now DD or Delicious Dupes is going to be bringing high fashion to you with an affordable price tag. I know I have been slacking on the fashion lately, just because I have been so consumed with nail art and natural hair for the last few months fashion has take a back seat(see what I did there lol). Anyway, that's all the updates I have for now

Peace
So Much Love
Erika

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Shea Butter...



I know that I am not supposed to be buying hair products, BUT I had an amazon gift card, so I ordered some Shea butter. I plan to use it for both my skin and I might try it out on my hair too. I honestly just bought it for my skin, then once I placed the order I was like 'Oh shit idk how to mix this stuff up.'

So to make a long story even longer, I went on Youtube to find some shea butter mixes, I will share my mix when I actually do it, and I realized that most of the mixes were used for hair. The only thing that makes me reluctant to try it on my hair is that mostly natural's use it. I have found some relaxed heads that use shea, but mostly in the winter for an extra moisture boost.

I am not sure exactly how I am going to use my shea butter, but I will keep you posted. I hope my hair likes it thought, because I like using more natural products, I think my hair responds so much better to them.

Qoute Of the Day!

"When real love hit's you, you can't do nothing but the right thing with it." Brandy and Ray J's day

I Want to See This



Common looks amazing and I'm a sucker for a corny love story

Don't Forget!


Basketball Wives tonight at 10 on VH1

DD: Oxford Loubs.

Metallic Text Generator at TextSpace.net

I am loving Oxfords at the moment. My heart aches for these Louboutin studden Oxfords.


Click Here to SPLURGE!!!

But since I'm not ballin out of control, I found these nice Steve Maddens(sans studs) that will suffice

Click Here for the STEAL

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Hair Talk.


Hey Dolls,

Just wanted to take a moment to talk about my hair. As you know I ended my stretch one day shy of 15 weeks. My goal is to stretch for 18 this time, not relaxing again until the end of August. I am pretty sure I can do it, because this stretch was a breeze. The only real reson I relaxed was because I was getting antsy to start trying out some new styles, but I didn't want to cause any breakage while I was in my stretch.

Anyway I am in love with my hair right now, so much so that I decided to stop wear wigs. Well on an everyday basis, but I will still be rocking them for going out and stuff, which I hardly ever do. My whole plan with the wigs was to wear them until my hair was long enough for a decent looking bun, and I am basically there now, soooo I am giving them up.

My hope is to bun 5 of the 7 days a week,like Tracyee's bunning challage on KISS, and then on the weekends, or for me Thursdays and Fridays, wear my hair out. I will keep you ladies posted on how that goes and I will also be taking some pics of my buns incase you're interseted.

Peace
So Much Love
Erika

Qoute Of the Day!



I believe everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they're right, you beleive lies so that you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and things fall apart so better things can fall together.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

I was getting bored with my Real Hair so...

I cut out some bangs...



I know what you're thinking Yes I am still trying to grow my hair out, but in the mean time I still want to be able to enjoy the sucess that I have had. I kept the long enough to swoop to the side incase I regret cutting them later, but I wanted to go a little shorter. I think this high bun will be a great look for the summer, and tmrw I want to try bantu knots. Until then...

Peace
So Much Love
Erika