Vintage Posts from the CN Forums - Part 2

14-08-2012
Hair Regimen Update
I had to go to counseling today, and my mom didn't tell me what time I had to be there until 15 minutes beforehand, so I had to wrap a scarf around my head to hide the DC. I still haven't rinsed. I've had it in since last night, and usually this isn't a problem when I use Aussie as my moisture DT. I can leave Aussie in even longer, and I'm good. But today, I got this insane itch in several spots on my head. I know it's not my grapeseed oil, because I put that on my scalp all the time. So I think it's the TRESemme. The areas where the conditioner got the gloopiest and got to my scalp are the ones that are itching (and burning slightly) now. I think this means that I have to switch conditioners...AGAIN!! Ugh. I try not to get conditioner on my scalp, but it happens. Aussie doesn't make my scalp itch like this, but I think that's because it has little fragrance, and the AVJ is soothing. TRESemme has a few more additives for fragrance (hexyl cinnamal, linalool, amyl cinnamal, etc.), so maybe that's what irritated my skin. I'm going to wait it out and try another DC with it though. I don't want to have to just waste 3 more full bottles of perfectly good conditioner.



15-08-2012
Hair Regimen Update:
I forgot how much I love doing ACV rinses! I made it stronger, using a 2:1 ratio instead of the recommended 3:1. I poured the rinse into two 3 oz bottles with caps. After rinsing out a good portion of my DC, I squirted the ACV rinse all through my scalp and scrubbed my roots and scalp well. I also undid a few twists, poured the rinse directly on to the hair, and retwisted (those were the shiniest twists, btw). I undid every twist, rinsed it thoroughly, lightly removed a few shed hairs, and retwisted again. I made sure that this rinse was with cool water. When I got out of the shower, there was no product in my hair and - WOW! I was amazed! The frizz that I usually have after washing was nowhere to be seen, and I had shine galore from the ACV (and rinsing with cool water). And my scalp still feels clean! I usually have some gunk and build up on my scalp after a DC, but the ACV got rid of most of it, as well as the itching.

After getting dressed for bed, I went through each twist, slathered it in coconut oil, finger detangled, and retwisted. Again, major shine! Today, I'm going to the county fair with my friends, so I'm going to flat twist my hair later this morning.

All in all, I'm pleased with how my DC went. I'm warming up to TRESemme not being a leave in now, and it actually detangles better than Aussie. I also need to stock up again on coconut oil - I'm almost out!

Hair
So I ended up not flat twisting my hair today. I woke up late, and since I'd baggied my hair last night, it was still damp/wet when I woke up this morning. So I just left my twists in, though I took several of the chunkier ones and divided them in half. My hair still looks shiny, and considering that I have nothing except for coconut oil in it, the frizz is minimal. I was easily able to lightly finger detangle my twists, and the curl definition was impressive, too. All in all, a great hair day!  I'm thinking of just leaving coconut oil in my hair for my next TO...hmmm.

Vintage Posts from the CN Forums - Part 1

Ciao bellas! As promised, here are some of the posts from my mini blog on the CN forums:

13-08-2012
I haven't washed my hair in nearly 2 weeks (gross, I know). My scalp was itching like crazy, there were brown and white flakes popping up in my twists at random times, and my situation was D.R.Y. So, I made today wash day! 

I put my hair into 11 twists before I went to bed last night, so pre-pooing was easy this morning. I undid each twist, poured some oil onto it, worked it through with my fingers (and lightly finger detangled), and twisted up again. I let it sit while I was here on CN for almost 2 hours. Then I hit the shower. I let the water run over my hair for a minute or two, and then shampooed my scalp with TRESemme Climate Control shampoo (OAN: I wish I could use more shampoo than just a few quarter sized dollops!! I made the mistake of buying the 32 oz size of TRESemme shampoo, and it will likely last me until next year, easily. *sighs*) and rinsed well. I then undid each twist, applied generous amounts of VO5 conditioner (Strawberries & Cream and Pomegrante & Grapeseed extract) and retwisted. I let the conditioner stay in while I soaped up and cleaned the rest of my body, and then I rinsed it out. It wasn't a super thorough rinsing, so I didn't undo each twist and let the water run through, etc. But most of the conditioner is out.

I'm about to do my DC of Aussie Sydney Smooth and grapeseed oil, which I will cover with a plastic bag and leave in until tomorrow. I plan to rinse out most of it, and then follow up with a 2:1 ACV rinse to help clarify any other parts of my scalp that I might've missed with the shampoo. Afterwards, I will coat each section in coconut oil, flat twist, and let my hair stretch out and dry to be ready for mini twist installation (I want to do a practice set before putting in the real ones; just to make sure I know what I'm doing).


Update: My DC has changed for the year! I have to use gel on my mini twists to help them stay together, but I was having problems with white stuff coming up everywhere with my Fantasia IC gel and TRESemme. Somebody posted in another thread to put a little gel and conditioner in the palm of your hand to see if they'll mix well. So I tested all of my conditioners, and the ones that pass are:

Aussie Sydney Smooth
Aussie Moist
Fresh Elements Captivatin' Color
TRESemme Vitamin B12 & Gelatin Anti-Breakage

The rest of the TRESemme conditioners were a total no-go with the gel. They balled up, made the gel turn into gunk, etc. I was glad to find that out in my hand before turning my hair into a gunky white mess! So TRESemme Moisture Rich,Flawless Curls, Climate Control and Smoth & Silky will be my weekly DCs instead of Aussie. I tested my Pantene Anti-Breakage too, and that was one was...eh. So that'll also be on my DC list. The only problem is that most of the conditioners that mixed well with the Fantasia gel, I only have half empty containers of! TRESemme is the only full one. So I'll have to buy more Aussie and Fresh Elements when I run out.

I slathered lots of TRESemme Smooth & Silky on a few twists with some grapeseed oil to see how it'd turn out. It feels weird not using TRESemme as a leave in, but it makes a pretty darn good DC. I can easily finger detangle with it in my hair, which is a plus!



I finally finished off my bottle of TRESemme Smooth & Silky! I was getting so tired of using it. Now, I'm back to an old favorite for DCs: TRESemme Vitamin E Moisture Rich! I haven't used this since I was transitioning, so it's like visiting an old friend. It was gloriously moisturising on my last few twists!

Regimen update: I'm considering alternating between protein and moisture DTs every week while my mini twists are in (and even when they're not). VO5 conditioners are loaded with hydrolysed collagen, hydrolysed keratin, silk proteins, silk amino acids, gelatin, hydrolysed silk proteins - pretty much anything for strengthening or protein treatments. I like VO5 and the conditioners are dirt cheap, so why not use what I have? Those, combined with coconut oil, should be a "beasty" protein DT that my many fine strands will appreciate. Today was obviously a moisture DC, so my next wash session will be protein galore!

There's been another hair success in my household: my sister! She's a stubborn, hair lazy natural with super thick, fine-stranded raven colored waves that cascade down her shoulders. Her weekly routine is very simple: shampoo with TRESemme Moisture Rich shampoo, condition with Suave Naturals, detangle (and leave in) with Pantene NatureFusion Moisture Balance or Aussie Moist conditioner and John Freida Frizz-Ease Extra Strength Formula serum. She puts her hair into 10-12 braids, or simply buns it, and she's done for the week. Usually, by the next day, her hair looks dry and is frizzy. This week though, I convinced her to spritz her hair with water, add 2-3 quarter sized dollops of conditioner to her entire head, and then seal with Fantasia IC Olive Moisturising Shine Serum. The results were amazing! Her hair looks so much shinier, and is holding moisture better. Her frizzies are nearly gone, too. Looks like my sister will be taking my container of Fantasia...

FINALLY - An Update!

Ay! I have been so terrible about posting on here. I started doing a blog on CurlyNikki, but I think that I'll move my blog back here again. I'd like to have something separate from my other online stuff. And I feel like I can be a bit more in my element here. On CN, I felt like I was writing just to get other people to read it (not many did because I guess I just don't have that magic blogger touch *shrugs*). Here, I can blog to just blog. So here will I stay! :-)

Well, SO much has happened since I last wrote! I'm in my first full-time semester of college, my hair has grown, I had my 13 month nappyversary (more about that later), I've gained weight (*sobs*), I'm starting a YT channel and I've gone silicone free until the spring or summer! So let's start from the beginning:

 College

The last I wrote, I was trying to make a decision on which college to attend. UMBC gave me a mid-tier scholarship ($10,000 per year) for their humanities program, plus I won another $5,000 per year from my dad's job. But, that still left a great deal to pay, and my parents would've had to take out loans. I have a 100% no-loan policy, so I chose to stay home for 2 more years and be in the honors program in my CC (I've been taking classes there since the 11th grade). 15 credits per semester are paid for, so I just pay for books and whatnot. I wasn't sure how I'd like it, but I love it! The classes are very demanding, but it's enjoyable. I was afraid of not knowing anybody, but I have 24 friends that I grow closer to every time I see them. We hang out outside of classes, have parties, picnics, etc.  I think I actually might have a social life now lmbo. Oooh! I'm a bit of a nerd, so I want to tell you which classes I'm in this semester:

World Literature II Honors

World History II Honors

World Music Honors

Introduction to Philosophy Honors

Intermediate Spanish II Honors

General Psychology

Dance Aerobics

First Year Seminar

...a total of 15 credits. The four classes at the top are actually an interdisciplinary set of courses, so those are actually just 6 credits for the semester...I'll explain later lol. I'm already signed up for next semester, and then I'll be taking:

World Literature II Honors

World History II Honors

World Music Honors

Introduction to Philosophy Honors

Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology Honors

Principles of Biology I

Elementary Korean I

...16 credits next semester. I'm pumped! I especially can't wait to start Korean. I'm a fan of Kpop, and I just got into Korean dramas (I'm currently going through The Iron Empress on Hulu). Plus, I was thinking of teaching ESL/ESOL there someday, so I thought it was worth a try. I'm so nervous! I've never had to take a 101 language class before. But I've ordered some Korean audio things from the library (Pimsleur materials), and I found a YT channel that has videos to help with pronunciation, and a website to help with the written segment. Random fact: Korean is considered an Altaic language, and not Asiatic, like Mandarin (Chinese). I always wondered why Korean didn't have that same metallic sound as Chinese lol.

Hair

Yes, it has grown! I'm now a bit past collar bone length (CBL) stretched. I'm so happy! Keeping my hair in twists a lot has helped with length retention, methinks. I've had to trim a few ends because they looked straight, but it ended up being nothing.

13 Month Nappyversary

This one is going to be hard to explain. Bear with me. Earlier this year, in May to be exact, my grandmother (Nana) was hospitalised at Holy Cross. We found out what she had known for months but not mentioned: she had ovarian cancer. She was in there for a month, her life in the balance. After 4 long weeks, she was allowed to go to the Rehabilitation Center, but she fell into poor health yet again (this time at the hands of the doctors), and was readmitted to the hospital. She was never able to come back home. It was so difficult for me during that time. School was finishing up, I was dealing with graduation, and because of classes, I couldn't visit her very often. She passed away on 10 June 2012. I was devastated. It was one of the most difficult summers of my life. But this year, on my nappyversary date (3 September), I realised something - my Nana's birthday is 3 October. I BCed exactly 1 month before her birthday! So, in remembrance of her, I celebrate every 13 months that I've been natural instead of every 12.

Weight

Needless to say, my ambitions for losing weight were lost. I started out well, but due to the circumstances over the summer, I just got further and further away from healthy eating. I'm now at my heaviest - 230 pounds :-( But I won't give up! I'm going to Asheville in the summer, and I will NOT be buying a plus sized swim suit, nor will I be embarrassed to show my legs! I'm reading Dr. Fuhrman's book called Eat to Live, and it looks doable. So I'll be trying that starting in January methinks.

YouTube

Yes, you read it correctly, chicas! I'm going to be starting my very own YT channel! I want it to be good quality, though, so I need to purchase a camcorder, learn how to use an editing program, etc. And I want it to either be in Spanish or English with Spanish subtitles. It won't be ready until the summer, probably, though. I want to focus entirely on school and exercise next semester.

Silicone Free?! O_O

Yuppers...I've crossed over to the other side! Lmbo. After my silicone serum obsession of the summer, I was eager to see how my cones would do during the autumn. And somehow...they sucked. Like badly. Like, my hair looked like the Sahara desert bad. I wanted to cry. Soo, thanks to some encouragement from the wonderful ladies on CurlyNikki, I've been exploring some silicone free options. And, to my surprise, my hair is loving it! I'm floored. I didn't know that no 'cones could be so wonderful! So, now my plan is to use 'cone-free products in the autumn and winter and early spring (September-April), and then use regular silicone products in the spring and summer (May-August). Here's my current regimen:

• Prepoo/DC overnight with VO5 Silky Experiences Shea Cashmere Conditioner cocktailed with honey, EVOO, EVCO, and GSO (I'm going to start using the honey and oils with 2 overripe pureed avocados instead, because I want to find another conditioner for DCs that doesn't have isopropyl alcohol in it and is a bit thicker).
• Cleanse scalp with Paula's Choice All Over Hair & Body Shampoo.
• Condition hair and scalp with Spa Haus Salon Conditioner (I actually found this at the dollar store lol. I really like it; a review will be coming soon! :-) ).
• Detangle with TRESemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner.
• Twist hair with Shea Moisture Curl & Style Milk or Curly Q's Red Velvet Moisturising Curl Cream; seal with my EVOO/GSO mix.

I've been doing this for about 2 weeks now, and my hair looks great! I'll be keeping this up until May hits! :-D

That's about all for this update, bellas! I'll be posting almost everything that I posted on my CN blog on here over the next few days. 

Ciao!

Life and Hair Update...

Well, chicas, it's been more than a month since I wrote my last post. Life has been crazy busy since then, and it's getting even more hectic with graduation coming up! Ugh. Anywho, I thought I'd give you a brief life update since I haven't been posting regularly.

1. I was accepted into 6 of the 8 colleges I applied for! A 75% acceptance rate is pretty good methinks, especially with SAT scores as low as mine. God was so faithful during this process! I was fretting about money and how school was going to be paid for, but I was chosen to be a member of a scholars program at my community college, so my first two years of tuition will be totally paid for! I couldn't believe it! And there's a really high chance that after I transfer, I'll be able to get a good scholarship for the last two years of my undergrad degree. Praise God!

2. My weight loss plan was a major fail. I've been so stressed, and I didn't stick to my plan, so I've been gaining a ton of weight this semester. I'm now at 230 pounds :-( *sighs* I'd like to start eliminating sugar, meat and dairy in April so that maybe 15-20 pounds could be dropped by the time my high school's banquet is near.

3. Spiritual growth seems to have been stunted this year too. I've not been reading my Bible as much as I used to, even though I've been praying a lot more (the crazy people at my job are part of that reason).

Sooo, my 2012 resolutions seem to have been a no-go, but I'm determined to start again! I won't quit only a few months in. The year is still new! :-D

Also, I've got a ton of hair updates for you too. In the time that I was absent from the blog, I reevaluated my regimen, and found a few things that weren't working for me. Shampooing for one. It was drying out my scalp and hair, so I decided to try co-washing (using a conditioner like a shampoo). It was okay for a couple of weeks, but after a while, my scalp was full of build up, and my hair looked dull. I asked for help on the CN forums, and somebody suggested that I try apple cider vinegar. So at my next wash session, I mixed 3.5 tablespoons of ACV with 1.5 cups of water. I poured it onto my hair, rubbed it into my scalp, etc. And then I rinsed for several minutes (to make sure that funky smell was totally out). My hair felt so clean and moisturized! I'm hooked and never going back to a regular shampoo! The ACV has helped with shedding, reduced or totally eliminated my scalp's irritation, and helped with curl definition. Unbelievable. I can't believe I hadn't tried this before! I'd highly recommend it to any curly who's willing to try this.

Anywho, I have to go for now, but I'll be back soon to finish my hair update!

Hasta luego, chicas!

Updates on Products, Life, etc...

So I tried the Rejuvenating Mud Masque during my last wash session. It wasn't like, "WHOA!!!" but it was good. When I read the ingredients label, I saw that it was formulated just like a regular conditioner, with extra oils (olive and coconut), bentonite clay, and honey. I could've done the same thing with my regular TRESemme conditioner, adding in the extra ingredients. Plus, it was an 8 ounce jar, and I used every gram of it in one deep conditioning treatment. I'm not sure if I'd pay extra money for a product I'll use only once. But it was very moisturizing. When I rinsed, I washed out about 40% of it, and then applied the shampoo to my scalp. After that, I finished rinsing out the rest of the masque and shampoo. I did it to keep the shampoo from drying out my hair too much, and to thoroughly rinse the masque out of my hair. My curls were soft and felt really moisturized, so all in all, it was a great deep treatment.

I also tried the Liquid Gold Shine Therapy. I L.O.V.E.D this stuff! My hair usually loses its luster about Tuesday, and I have go through the rest of the week with dull-looking hair. I applied at least 20 pumps of this product to my hair after washing out my rinse conditioner. I left it in for about 8 minutes (which is 3 minutes too long, according to the directions). When I started rinsing it out, though, none of the "micro crystals" rinsed out. I'm pretty sure they were lodged in the twists of my little curlies. But oh.my.goodness. The shine that came from these coils was unbelievable! Even 5 days after wash day, my curls are still glossy! I am in love with this product, and I will definitely add this to my regimen. It's not a total necessity, but it'll keep your precious tresses shining all week long.

I'm trying the Protein Renewal Creme this upcoming Saturday, and I'm excited about that one, too! I'll post results as soon as I can.

In other news, yesterday, I started my first "official" job! I went in at 3 pm, but since it was a slow day, I left at 6 instead of 7. Everything went well...except that I'm the only one on the team who speaks fluent English. My manager and one co-worker who arrives before me speak a Semitic or Sanskrit language, and the two women who come in later than me converse in Spanish. The customers were so patient, despite me working as slow as molasses. And one coworker and I are developing a crush on each other...we were flirting big time. The cool thing is that he's Asian, and where I live, most Asian guys and black girls don't "mesh" socially. It's an odd little unwritten rule. Black guys and Asian guys hang out together, black guys and Asian girls have relationships, and black girls and Asian girls talk. But for some reason, Asian guys and black girls don't really associate in this part of the country. It's strange. But my co-worker obviously didn't get that memo. I'm glad he didn't :-D

Well, I've gotta run, chicas. Lots of homework due next week...eeek! And my driving test is tomorrow. Ay...so much to do and so little time. Hasta luego!

Have you tried any new products lately? If so, which ones? How did you incorporate them into your regimen? What were your results? Would you recommend the products to other naturals? Anything new going on in your life? Dish!

Taking the Plunge...

As I sit here typing, my jar of TRESemme Rejuvenating Mud Masque is impatiently staring at me, waiting for me to open it and use its contents. I can hardly wait! Here's my DC process, below:

1. Spritz entire head with water.
2. Rub EVOO between hands, spread throughout hair.
3. Take a fingerscoop of product and saturate a section with it. Proceed likewise on the rest of the sections.
4. Once all hair is saturated, cover head with 2 plastic bags (or plastic caps) and a satin/silk bonnet or scarf.
5. Leave in overnight or for at least 3 hours.

The next day, I wake up, rinse thoroughly, and proceed with my regular regimen. I might not be able to post results today, but I'll try to get them up as soon as possible.

Hasta luego, chicas rizadas!


P.S. I checked out the phenoxyethanol, and it turns out that it's just a preservative. Guess I need to brush up on my organic chemistry :-D

New Products!!

I apologize for not posting sooner. What with applications, college classes starting up again, and everything those entail, the past few weeks have been hectic. As a result, blogging sunk to the bottom of my "To-Do" list, and I kept putting off writing more posts. However, something happened today that warranted one! I'm a member (and devoted reviewer) of TRESemme.com, and as such, I am paid privy to new product lines, special offers, etc. About two weeks ago, I received an e-mail asking if I'd like to receive several TRESemme products to try. The first 300 responders would be given four products from TRESemme's newest line, Nourishing Rituals (which hasn't yet reached stores or even their website). As a moderate PJ, I filled out my information, and ecstatically waited for the new products to arrive. Well, they came today! I excitedly tore open the box, and gasped as I gazed upon four new-found treasures. Here's what I received:

1 8 oz jar Rejuvenating Mud Masque
1 8 oz tube Protein Renewal Creme
1 6 oz bottle Liquid Gold Shine Therapy
1 3.3 oz bottle Cashmere Touch Hydrating Serum

All looked good at first glance, but disappointingly, I can't use the serum because it contains denatured alcohol (which is drying) and crosspolymers (an ingredient that would make my hairs stick together). But the other three look promising. The only two ingredients I'm not sure about in the others are bentonite (a type of clay) and phenoxyethanol (probably a type of alcohol).

The Liquid Gold Shine Therapy is supposed to make your hair shinier, and it's supposed to be applied to damp hair, left in for a few minutes and then rinsed out. It looks like I could use this after my rinse conditioner is out of my hair. The Mud Masque - which has a light scent and is colored green - looks like an amazing deep moisture treatment, so that's going to be my DC on Friday night. From the ingredients list, I doubt that the Protein Renewal Creme will have enough proteins in it to qualify as a protein treatment, so it'll also be used as an overnight DC.

One very pleasing aspect about this product line is the moisturizing oils that are infused into the formulas. Coconut oil and olive oil were in the ingredients list of all the products I received today. I was surprised, because most products marketed towards naturally straight-haired women don't contain these oils. I'm glad TRESemme thought otherwise.

 The feedback TRESemme receives from everyone who volunteered to try these products will most likely determine if the line will sell and where the line will first be available. Needless to say, I'm even more pumped about sharing my opinions on the products with the company and with you!

Hasta luego, chicas rizadas!