Here are just a few things I've learned during the past 9 months about what I should do the week prior to relaxing.
1. Protein! I don't normally use heavy protein often, but always the wash before my relaxer. I just mix one egg into my suave humectant conditioner and throw in whatever EO's I have on hand.
2. CLarify. Clean hair aids in helping your relaxer process better.
3. DC. Always Always Always follow up protien with moisture.
4. Final rinse using either AVC. Helps further rid hair of build up and prepare hair for chemical service.
5. LEAVE your hair alone. Don't irratate your scalp. No co washes, no braid outs just leave it be for a week.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Updates: 9 months, 14 weeks Post, and Use Up My Stash
Hey Dolls,
Just wanted to do some quick updates. First here is my 9 month comparasion pic
I know my hair isn't styled exactly the same in these too pics but I think you can see the growth. Anyway this is just showing the last 3 months growth so the change is subtle but I think its noticable. I almost wasn't going to post this because dun dun dun dunnnn. I'm going to relax next week, but i'm not sure if that means i'm cheating at my stash project but I can't wait anymore I gotta see me real length plus I want to practice my low manipulation styles, but streching you're not really supposed to do much manipulation so I am at a stale mate. I plan to realx at about 15 or 16 weeks post still making this my longest stretch yet so I'm still pround of myself.
Now finally the big news. I finished mt ORS Hair Lotion last night so strike one off the list! I think the Natural 7 oil is next, probably followed by the Mane & Tail. The other two might take awhile. Anyway that's all the updates for now.
Peace
So Much Love
Erika
Just wanted to do some quick updates. First here is my 9 month comparasion pic
I know my hair isn't styled exactly the same in these too pics but I think you can see the growth. Anyway this is just showing the last 3 months growth so the change is subtle but I think its noticable. I almost wasn't going to post this because dun dun dun dunnnn. I'm going to relax next week, but i'm not sure if that means i'm cheating at my stash project but I can't wait anymore I gotta see me real length plus I want to practice my low manipulation styles, but streching you're not really supposed to do much manipulation so I am at a stale mate. I plan to realx at about 15 or 16 weeks post still making this my longest stretch yet so I'm still pround of myself.
Now finally the big news. I finished mt ORS Hair Lotion last night so strike one off the list! I think the Natural 7 oil is next, probably followed by the Mane & Tail. The other two might take awhile. Anyway that's all the updates for now.
Peace
So Much Love
Erika
Monday, April 12, 2010
Nail Swatches!
Ok so I have been OBSESSED with painting my nails so much so that I have changed them everyday for the past week, then it hit me.. SWATCHES!! So this way I can practice new nail designs while enjoying my manicures longer. Basically what I did was pull the one of the cotton ends off of a Qtip and glued a fake nail(one that doesn't fit any off my nails) to the end. Then I let it dry for a min and then went crazy. Here are the first of many swatches to come
Oh and incase you were wondering, these are the Nails I use...
and here is where I keep My swatches
Oh and Here's my mani for the week
here's what I used.
NYC 130A Classic Coral Creme, NYC 108A Polyester Pink, Sinful Colors 832 This is It.
- 1 coat of clear base coat
- 1 coat of pink
- 2 coats of coral
- 1 coat of gold
once everything was dry I added a sticker to each thumb from my Broadway Sticker kit. It looks like this.
I like this simple spring look I am going to try to make a franken polish with these two colors I hope it turns out as nice as it looks when I layer them
Peace
So Much Love
Erika
Oh and incase you were wondering, these are the Nails I use...
and here is where I keep My swatches
Oh and Here's my mani for the week
here's what I used.
NYC 130A Classic Coral Creme, NYC 108A Polyester Pink, Sinful Colors 832 This is It.
- 1 coat of clear base coat
- 1 coat of pink
- 2 coats of coral
- 1 coat of gold
once everything was dry I added a sticker to each thumb from my Broadway Sticker kit. It looks like this.
I like this simple spring look I am going to try to make a franken polish with these two colors I hope it turns out as nice as it looks when I layer them
Peace
So Much Love
Erika
Monica Still Standing
HHey Dolls,
So I've had the new Monica Cd for a couple weeks now and let me tell you it is in HEAVY ROTATION. I loved MOnica back in the day and I LOVE Monica today and honestly if you are an R&B fan you will love this CD.
Still Standing is her 6th album and its crazy because I still remember most of the words to her FRIST one. *Sings off key* It's Just one of them days, when I wanna be all alone...
Anyway This Cd has a song for everybody, from love songs, to break up songs to the title track Still Standing. It is also one of those Cd's that I can play from beginning to end and I would honestly one skip one song(IF you Were My Man) and that song isn't even that bad I just don't think it comapares to the rest of the album.
Here are My Favorites:
Love All Over Me
Everything to Me
Mirror
Superman
Belielving in Me
Here I am
I Know it;s like almost everysong but the CD is that good. Go get it NOW!!!
p.s. I just got the new Usher, but I can't turn Monica off long enough to listen to it, so that will be the next CD
Peace
So Much Love
Erika
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Oil Guide: Tea Tree Oil
Hey Dolls
Here is another entry of our Oil Guide. I want this to be sort of a quick referance guide to help you decide which oils are right for you,but I also encourage you to do some more in-depth reserch on your own if you want more info about a certin Oil. Knowledge is power right :).
Anyway Tea Tree Oil Is the oil of the day. As with all oils, the best kind of tea tree oil is 100% pure tea tree oil, but there are some brands that make tea tree oil mixes if you can't find pure oil or don't want to pay for it. One important thing to note with pure tea tree oil, as well as all essential oils is never use it without first diluting it with another oil, or glycerin or lotion or shampoo(get the picture).
Hair Benifits
- helps unclog the hair follicle and scalp
- helps prevent dandruff
- helps promote growth
- helps prevent lice
How to Use it
- mix it with your favorite shampoo's and condtioners
- mix it with another oil for scalp massages
- use it in a spritz to refresh your scalp when wearing braids
Other Benifits and Uses
-anit-inflamatory
-helps fight nail fungus
-helps with atheltes foot
-disinfects cuts and burns
-also helps heal skin(think neosporin)
My 2 Cents
I love Love LOVE essensial oil's because my scalp needs all the extra love and attention it can get. I have been going hard on tea tree oil latley because my scalp is killing me. I mixed it with my sweet almond oil and I use it oil oil my scalp whenever the urge strikes. I also use it in my weekly scalp scrub and I have it mixed in with my DC's. I also put a few drops in my Aloe Vera Spritz and I keep it in the fridge and it instanly cools and soothes my scalp after being under my wig all day. It is definatly a staple for me.
Here is another entry of our Oil Guide. I want this to be sort of a quick referance guide to help you decide which oils are right for you,but I also encourage you to do some more in-depth reserch on your own if you want more info about a certin Oil. Knowledge is power right :).
Anyway Tea Tree Oil Is the oil of the day. As with all oils, the best kind of tea tree oil is 100% pure tea tree oil, but there are some brands that make tea tree oil mixes if you can't find pure oil or don't want to pay for it. One important thing to note with pure tea tree oil, as well as all essential oils is never use it without first diluting it with another oil, or glycerin or lotion or shampoo(get the picture).
Hair Benifits
- helps unclog the hair follicle and scalp
- helps prevent dandruff
- helps promote growth
- helps prevent lice
How to Use it
- mix it with your favorite shampoo's and condtioners
- mix it with another oil for scalp massages
- use it in a spritz to refresh your scalp when wearing braids
Other Benifits and Uses
-anit-inflamatory
-helps fight nail fungus
-helps with atheltes foot
-disinfects cuts and burns
-also helps heal skin(think neosporin)
My 2 Cents
I love Love LOVE essensial oil's because my scalp needs all the extra love and attention it can get. I have been going hard on tea tree oil latley because my scalp is killing me. I mixed it with my sweet almond oil and I use it oil oil my scalp whenever the urge strikes. I also use it in my weekly scalp scrub and I have it mixed in with my DC's. I also put a few drops in my Aloe Vera Spritz and I keep it in the fridge and it instanly cools and soothes my scalp after being under my wig all day. It is definatly a staple for me.
Wash Day andPonytail Rollerset/ Wrap(Pic Heavy)
Hey Dolls,
I know I didn't do a wash day update last week, but it was mostly because I am FINALLY satisfied with my wash routine so I didn't do anything new. This week however I am going to be attempting a ponytail roller set. I Am so close to reaching my first goal of SL I can taste it, my only worry is how will I style my hair once I get there. I don't want to wear a wig everyday, and I don't want to fall back into my habbit of relaying on heat to style my hair, so I have decided to really commit myself to learning as many low manipulation styles as possible. I have done rollersets in the past but, I can honestly say I was only happy with the results 1 time :/. I think its mostly because I just didn't care enough to try to perfect my technique. I knew I was going to put my wig on anyway so why bother right, WRONG. anyway I will be doing a length check and 9 month comparison in a later post, but I am on pace to be SL or atleast close enough to claim it by my Year mark in July, so that gives me 3 months to learn to style my real hair and first up is what I think will be the hardest, and that's roller setting. Anyway Lets get right into it. oh and as always click here for a list of products
Here's what you'll need:
1. I dc for an hour and a half. 30 min under the dryer and 1 hour under a towel.
2. Washed and Quick Condtioned (how i wash)
3. sepatated hair into 4 sections.
4. working 1 section at a time i applied my leave ins
5. then I seperated each the one large section into 2-4 smaller sections, depending on the amount of hair. In this first setion I used for rollers, in the back I only needed 2 etc. Once in the smaller pont tail i used the rat tooth comb to detangle and the i put in the roller, rolling in an upward motion. Once i reached the scalp i secured the roller with a duck bill clip.
here's what the finish section looked like
I did the same for each section and Vola!
then I put on my net
then sat under the dryer for about an hour(torture I know).
Once it was completly dry I took the rollers out.
then I cut out the ponytail holders(be careful not to cut your hair)amd this is also why I use the cheap little kid holders because you can get so many of them for likee $1.
then I used a small amount of Ors Hair Lotion and A Dime sized amount of Bio Silk and Wraped my hair
I then put on my plastic cap and net
and went back under the dryer for about 15 more minutes
Here's what I got when I took the wrap down.
It came out OK. I think I definiatly need to work on my wrapping skills cuz they suck! I think had I had a better wrap I would have had better end results, but my roots are very soft and manable, not to mention semi straight so no complaints there. I am going to re wrap it and that should also eliminate some of the poof. Not to mention my hair is about 14 weeks post relaxer so of course it would have come out better with a fresh perm.
More Pics after I take down the wrap and 9 month length check, until then
Peace
So Much Love
Erika
I know I didn't do a wash day update last week, but it was mostly because I am FINALLY satisfied with my wash routine so I didn't do anything new. This week however I am going to be attempting a ponytail roller set. I Am so close to reaching my first goal of SL I can taste it, my only worry is how will I style my hair once I get there. I don't want to wear a wig everyday, and I don't want to fall back into my habbit of relaying on heat to style my hair, so I have decided to really commit myself to learning as many low manipulation styles as possible. I have done rollersets in the past but, I can honestly say I was only happy with the results 1 time :/. I think its mostly because I just didn't care enough to try to perfect my technique. I knew I was going to put my wig on anyway so why bother right, WRONG. anyway I will be doing a length check and 9 month comparison in a later post, but I am on pace to be SL or atleast close enough to claim it by my Year mark in July, so that gives me 3 months to learn to style my real hair and first up is what I think will be the hardest, and that's roller setting. Anyway Lets get right into it. oh and as always click here for a list of products
Here's what you'll need:
1. I dc for an hour and a half. 30 min under the dryer and 1 hour under a towel.
2. Washed and Quick Condtioned (how i wash)
3. sepatated hair into 4 sections.
4. working 1 section at a time i applied my leave ins
5. then I seperated each the one large section into 2-4 smaller sections, depending on the amount of hair. In this first setion I used for rollers, in the back I only needed 2 etc. Once in the smaller pont tail i used the rat tooth comb to detangle and the i put in the roller, rolling in an upward motion. Once i reached the scalp i secured the roller with a duck bill clip.
here's what the finish section looked like
I did the same for each section and Vola!
then I put on my net
then sat under the dryer for about an hour(torture I know).
Once it was completly dry I took the rollers out.
then I cut out the ponytail holders(be careful not to cut your hair)amd this is also why I use the cheap little kid holders because you can get so many of them for likee $1.
then I used a small amount of Ors Hair Lotion and A Dime sized amount of Bio Silk and Wraped my hair
I then put on my plastic cap and net
and went back under the dryer for about 15 more minutes
Here's what I got when I took the wrap down.
It came out OK. I think I definiatly need to work on my wrapping skills cuz they suck! I think had I had a better wrap I would have had better end results, but my roots are very soft and manable, not to mention semi straight so no complaints there. I am going to re wrap it and that should also eliminate some of the poof. Not to mention my hair is about 14 weeks post relaxer so of course it would have come out better with a fresh perm.
More Pics after I take down the wrap and 9 month length check, until then
Peace
So Much Love
Erika
Scalp Exfoliator Take 2
I am a little late with this post because I was to lazy to put it up the day I actually did the scrub, but I still wanted to share with you how it went. This time I tweeked the recipie a little bit(for the original click here). Even though I used a sillicone free constioner it was still a conditioner, and with my scalp problems I don't want to have to worry about any build up so this time I just tried it with plain EVOO. Here's what I used
-I used 2 tablespoons of Taget Brand Brown Sugar
- 3 tablesponns of EVOO. I decided on Olive Oil instead of anothe type of Oil for 2 reasons, 1.Because in my homemade exfoliators for my face and body I use EVOO and 2. I have a huge bottle of it that my mom got me from Sam's Club lol.
-Then I used about 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil.
this is what it looked like all mixed together.
It's a lot lest runny, but somehow it was more messy lol. I liked this mixture better because I felt like my scalp got more of a scrub. Maybe I just used to much condtioner the frist time, but I think I will be sticking with Olive OIl.
Now I did this mid-week so I was still in my braids but it was SOOOOO much easier to rinse out that way. I am definatly adding this to my regimen and staple products.
Peace
So Much Love
Erika
-I used 2 tablespoons of Taget Brand Brown Sugar
- 3 tablesponns of EVOO. I decided on Olive Oil instead of anothe type of Oil for 2 reasons, 1.Because in my homemade exfoliators for my face and body I use EVOO and 2. I have a huge bottle of it that my mom got me from Sam's Club lol.
-Then I used about 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil.
this is what it looked like all mixed together.
It's a lot lest runny, but somehow it was more messy lol. I liked this mixture better because I felt like my scalp got more of a scrub. Maybe I just used to much condtioner the frist time, but I think I will be sticking with Olive OIl.
Now I did this mid-week so I was still in my braids but it was SOOOOO much easier to rinse out that way. I am definatly adding this to my regimen and staple products.
Peace
So Much Love
Erika
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