Staying at MBL (for now)

My ends (in my opinion) are just alright. Not many splits but they are not completely even, and feel slightly rougher. So I'm thinking about maintaining MBL for a while until the ends even up. I'm not aiming for perfect ends. Just more even and maybe in a U-shape...and of course healthy with no splits. So that means I'll be cutting and trimming more often. I already trimmed an inch or so (very ends and all over) last night.

In the mean time, I'll be preserving my "new" ends by continuing to baggy nightly on non-wash days. Also when I apply product, focus a little extra on the ends. And be extra gentle when detangling braidouts.

It's not all about my ends though. I actually really like being this length. I don't feel like repunzel (okay, maybe a little) but I'm quite happy with my hair.

Right now it seems like MBL is the happy medium between long length and styling options.

Relaxer Update: I'm Claiming MBL

I self-relaxed my hair last night. The process went smoothly (pun intended) and my new growth is processed exactly the way I like it. I'm claiming midback length!!!

I just finished flat ironing it as of a few minutes ago, here are some pics:

 

Products used after washing: Aphogee Green Tea & Keratin Reconstructurizer (leave-in) and CHI Silk Infusion (serum/heat protectant)

I'm really excited because I'm getting closer to waist length. I relaxed at 10 weeks post so I wasn't expecting a huge difference from my relaxer in May, but I do notice more length! Hard work and protective styling pays off!!

Every stretch I learn a new lesson about my hair. This time I learned not to touch my hair if I'm tired/annoyed/rushed etc;. Which is kinda common sense but unfortunately I learned the hard way. So hopefully others can learn from my mistake and avoid a setback in their own hair journeys.

So yeah, I'm claiming MBL! I'm really happy and thankful for the health of my hair and it's length progress. It's been a rewarding journey so far, and I'm excited to see what's in store for the future :)

Relaxer Update: The Deets

I relaxed my hair last night with Optimum No-Lye relaxer in normal strength (review in a nutshell: claims to reduce breakage after 1 use. Not sure how true that is but its been a staple since the first time I tried it in 2008. This relaxer also contains ceramides).


I self-relaxed for the second time ever (the first time I was shoulder length and it came out super underprocessed) It came out pretty good and overall it was a good experience. For the first time I feel like a 100% DIYer when it comes to my hair.

After relaxing

Still some texture/thickness left in the back, just how I like it

May 2011 relaxer

July 2011 relaxer. I see some progress

Here's now the July 2011 (yesterday's) relaxer process went

Relaxer prep: The last wash before my relaxer (Wed July 13) I clarified/chelated, and used aphogee 2 minute reconstructor, and did a final rinse with Porosity Control Corrector and Conditioner. The days leading up to my relaxer, I oiled my scalp with JBCO, and coated my hair with CHI silk infusion and Aphogee Green Tea and Keratin Reconstructurizer. I also put some JBCO and One n Only Argan Oil in my relaxer mix to buy more processing time.

Yesterday (relaxer day) I applied the relaxer using a combo of gloved hands and the back of a comb. Left the relaxer on for 20 minutes, neutralized 5x. Then I deep conditioned with Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle and Queen Helene Cholesterol for 2 hours (that's all I had at the moment...not my favorite post-relaxer dc...would have prefered to use Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner). Then I rinsed that, air dried with a little Aphogee Green Tea & Keratin Reconstructurizer as a leave-in (this is officially my staple leave-in conditioner) then blow dried the rest of the way. Finally, I applied CHI silk infusion and flat ironed today.

Whew! Now I see why people don't relax often (or not at all lol). Hope I covered everything!

Washed My Hair

My scalp was torturing me. It was so itchy because I put vaseline on it a couple days ago to help build scalp protection for the relaxer process. I was even scratching my scalp during the night, yeah it was that bad. So I washed my hair. Used a sulfate shampoo (Herbal Essences Hello Hydration 2 in 1 Shampoo and conditioner) and a moisturizing conditioner (Aussie 3 Minute Miracle).

I tried finger detangling while the conditioner was sitting in my hair for 3 minutes. This step helped the comb glide through easier as I was rinsing and detangling (simultaneously) with my wide tooth comb. So now I'm air drying.

This means my relaxer is delayed until my scalp recovers from all the scratching I did, and the sulfate shampoo that probably stripped my hair's natural oils.

Starting Pics

These pics range from 2007-2009. My hair does not grow fast....It's only when I look at pictures, I can see the progress

right after a relaxer touch-up from the salon

ponytail

starting to get long in high school...lol I was feeling my hair!

July `07 to March `08

January 2009. Hair starting to get longer...flat ironed with an FHI technique for the first time. Herbal essences none of your frizzness as a leave-in.

Thanks but....I'm not natural

I went out twice this week and both times I got compliments on my hair.

• I went to a BSS and as I was checking out, an older, natural lady with an afro turns to me and says: "It's so good to see young girls with their natural hair". I told the lady I have a relaxer. She said "It doesn't matter, I mean girls with their real hair". I had my hair in a high braidout bun that day. 

• Yesterday I went to Afrofest which is Canada's largest annual celebration of the richness and diversity of African culture. I had a lot of fun!! I decided to wear my favourite halfwig, the one that looks like a really loose big braidout. I blended my hair pretty well if I say so myself -- twisted-out my own bangs and pinned it back to create a hump and hide the wig line, and some babyhurr. One booth featured all natural products and the woman who was at the booth had what looked like MBL natural hair in small twists. I thought it was interesting that she had all this natural hair but massive fake eyelashes...I digress...She said my hair looks "so beautiful" and it's so good that I have my natural hair texture. I said "Thanks...but I actually have a relaxer". She rolled her eyes and to be honest I've never seen anyone's eyes roll so far back into their head. I just laughed. She then preached about how she's natural and how natural hair is awesome. I thanked her for letting me try the samples and kept it moving to the Honeyfig booth.

• A sales associate at the Honeyfig booth weave-checked me. She's like "Your hair looks so good" and looked at my hairline and ran her fingers through the length of my halfwig. Then she said "oh.. you have a weave... but thats okay it looks good". This was my first weave check where someone put their hands in my hair without my permission. Not sure how I feel about it. I'm not too mad because we've met before and I would consider her an acquaintance. So I guess it's better than a total stranger weave-checking me. I just can't wait until my hair gets as long and thick as my halfwig, so I can stop buying them. Well I suppose I have the length part down. But its the thickness part I need to work on. Maybe I should revisit nightly JBCO scalp massages and biotin pills again.

So, with a quick braid-out or twist-out, strangers in real life think I'm natural. It was never my intention to "fake natural", for lack of a better term. I just like big hair and textured styles sometimes. I like to get creative and find ways to make my hair do different styles. I love the versatility.

Your products are too expensive for this mess

So I finally got the Donna Marie Super Buttercream that I've been eyeing for a couple weeks. It has great ingredients and rave reviews. When I first got the product, I looked at it and it looked "homemade" which was kind of expected since it's a natural product. Well I opened the jar when i got home and his is what it looked like

GROSS

Pretty packaging and nice yummy fragrance doesn't matter if your products are not emulsified properly!

Brand new. Yuck!

So yeah. Gross. I googled this separating problem and it seems pretty common with this product. I'm getting a refund on Monday. At $24 this is completely unacceptable. Donna Marie, your products are too expensive for this mess!

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I did a braid-out today, then threw it up in a messy braidout bun.

Ponytail pulled forward...messing around...

Messy Bun

Back

Top 3

I saw this hair tag Longing 4 Length's blog and I had to do it!

 1) Top three things you love about your hair

• The versitility!!!
• The natural brownish color
• It's finally healthy (barely any splits or breakage)

2) Top Three things you have learned since being on your hair journey

• My hair LOVES oil, protein, and silicones. It also doesn't mind products with petroleum or mineral oil.
• DONT BE A PRODUCT JUNKIE!!!
• Find what works for you, and stick to it. Following someone else's regimen is a good starting point but make sure to tweak it to fit your hair. Once you find when your hair likes, stick to it and actually carry out what you claim to be your regimen.

3) Top three things you want to accomplish during your hair journey

• reach waist length
• reduce my stash down to the bare minimum
• Help and/or inspire at least ONE other person (on the internet or in real life) to take better care of their hair

4) Top Three things/Products you love:

• CHI Silk Infusion
• Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor 
• Satin scarf for air drying and protecting hair overnight is an absolute MUST

5) Top three Hair inspirations (youtube or otherwise)

• WAYYY too many to name...I don't want to name anyone because I will definitely forget someone or I will want to change my list right after I post this lol...*cheese alert* Pretty much everyone who is publicly on a hair journey is my inspiration. Especially those who are relaxed and a similar length as my hair.

If you're reading this, I tag you! :)

Relaxer Prep

I'm relaxing soon, not sure of the exact date yet. I am only about 9 weeks post, but I have a lot of new growth....So much that I want to relax now. The next paragraph is me complaining about why I want a relaxer. If you're transitioning or natural, you can kindly skip this part lol

I don't want to get cornrows (my last experience was a bad one) so it's not like I can hide my hair for another 2 months. It's getting to that point where I'm looking rough around the edges -- literally. Natural hair can be slicked back and look neat because it's a uniform texture...but new growth and bone straight relaxed hair can be challenging to work with and blend. It requires patience which I'm not sure I have right now. When I come out of the shower, after 5 minutes the new growth at the front is completely dry...I don't even get a chance to smooth it with a brush or anything. Part of the reason why I haven't claimed MBL is because if I let my hair loose, it reaches BSL/APL. But it's only when I pull it, that it shows the true length. This hide and seek is a direct result of shrinkage. I want to be able to look at my hair and see the real length. I don't want to put in all this effort just for my hair to shrink up to a milestone I passed already. Maybe I'm attached to length? Maybe. Maybe I just want my hair to fit my lifestyle. I like to do styles (messy buns, braidouts, twistouts, flexi rods, curls, intricate buns and updos, wash and goes, etc etc etc) without worrying about the weather or the detangling session later. I miss thorough detangling sessions being less than 30 seconds. I miss being able to do heat styles that last for weeks without worrying about my hair reverting. There is clearly a natural hair trend. People are lopping off their relaxed hair left right and center, which is awesome if that's what they want to do. But I like that I decided to remain relaxed despite the influence of the people and pictures on the internet. On the flipside I like that in real life (where most people are relaxed here in Toronto) I enjoy getting compliments on my hair, and sharing advice and my regimen with others. Yesterday's blow drying session had me "snap, crackle and popping"... there were a lot of broken hairs due to me raking through the 2 textures with a Denman. I should have taken my time but honestly, between the heat and how busy things are, I don't have the patience this time around to do a long stretch. I usually have a decent gut feeling about things when it comes to my hair. Right now my gut is telling me to end my stretch with a fresh relaxer.

For those who are still with me lol, stay tuned for updates within the next few weeks.


So what am I doing between now and my next relaxer?

• No washing or itching.
• Only product that will be applied to hair is CHI Silk Infusion. "Silk can form a protective covering over the hair to prevent it from being damaged from alkaline materials, such as the chemicals in relaxers." Taken from a thread on LHCF
•  Only thing applied to scalp will be vaseline

Wash day [4th of July]

So last night I washed my hair with a sulfate-free shampoo. Well today, my hair was still kind of weighed down, greasy and itchy. My ponytail had ZERO movement and was just...there. On top of that I noticed a pimple near my hairline and that usually only happens when my hair/scalp is really dirty. So tonight this is what I did...

1. Cleansed with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration shampoo and conditioner 2 in 1. I ran out of my shampoo so I had to use whatever was in the bathroom which happened to be this. It left my hair less stripped than my usual HE CMH shampoo (as expected). I lathered twice.

2. Conditioned for a new minutes in-shower with Queen Helene Cholesterol.

3. Leave-ins: Aphogee Green Tea & Keratin Reconstructurizer, and CHI Silk Infusion (aka liquid gold).

Air dried with a satin scarf for an hour or so. My hair feels super clean, soft and light. Now going to blow dry the rest of it and sleep with a satin scarf.

My hair likes low-sulfate, but my face and scalp hate it. I have to find a happy medium and alternate between the two..

Wash day [July 3rd]

Here's what I did:

1. Gently detangled with vatika oil (light pre-poo) and a wide tooth comb.

2. Shampoo w/ Creme of Nature Argan Oil Moisture & Shine shampoo

 3. GVP Joico K-Pak for 5 mins. My hair was feeling a bit mushy from overnight bagging so this was needed. This was my first time using this product in a very long time. After using it my hair feels stronger but nothing special in the slip or softness department. Going back to Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor when this is done.

4. JBCO mix to damp scalp and massage in.

5. Apply Aphogee Green Tea and Keratin Reconstructurizer.

6. Air dry with a satin scarf.

Little update on my hair + Ramblings

One of my blog friends pointed out that she thinks I'm MBL already :) I'll probably officially claim it by my next relaxer, when more of my layers reach it.

Lately I've been wearing halfwigs or bunning during the day. At night I'm pretty good about wearing my scarf and/or bonnet. I'm also good with moisturizing and/or oiling my ends daily.

2 Nights ago I decided to wash my hair upside down in the tub...WHYY?! lol I have no idea. But now it's sort of in a tangled mess.

For the rest of summer I plan to protective style with buns and halfwigs. Boring, but last year when I did this I received the most growth/retention since starting my hair journey. So I'm sticking to what works.

I'm not sure how I'm gonna do my hair when school starts. I do know I will leave it out more.

I think I'll be pretty good about keeping my hair purchases under control. I've diverted my attention (and extra income) to nail polish, clothing and makeup. 

Waist length hurry please? Thanks in advance :)

June recap + July and August 2011 Hair Goals

JUNE GOALS
1. Leave my hair braided for the entire month. Didn't do it. But I don't feel bad because I listened to my hair and took them out before that setback had a chance to cause any more damage.

2. PERSONAL NO BUY!! My hair is in cornrows so even if I want to get something, it wouldn't make sense because I can't even use it until next month! Also this is a good way to save money Lmao failed this miserably. My logic went out the window on this one.

3. Drink 3 bottles of water daily. This works out to about 6 glasses. I don't care how I do it (chug at night or sip throughout the day) this NEEDS to be done! I'll say I won on this one. I definitely upped my water and fruit/veggie intake this month.

4. Use up *FIVE* products in stash Let see..I finished CHI Keratin Mist, a conditioner, a shampoo. That's alright I guess. I can't remember if I finished anything else. Next time I'll have to make a note of things I finished as I go along. OH! I gave my Lustrasilk mango and shea cholesterol and Cathy Howse UBH Deep Conditioner (good products, just my hair hated them) to my sister. Guess that counts?

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JULY/AUGUST 2011 HAIR GOALS (aka plans for the rest of summer 2011)

1. Reach midback length.
2. Use up ALL "extra" products in my stash. This means streamlining it down to 15 staples or less. I don't want to claim no-buy because it's not realistic for me lol! So for now I'll just be heavy-handed and get creative to use unloved products faster.
3. Relax in August. No sooner! (this will be tough)
4. Limited heat (minus my bangs). Flat iron once a month max, if that. Blow dryer is okay to use on cool.

I Wanna Relax + New Halfwig

Blended my own hair with a flat-twistout in the front then bobby-pinned it back. Wearing NYX eyeshadow in Golden ♥ and edges are slicked with ORS Edge control.

Texure...reminds me of a loose braidout

I finally broke in my new halfwig: Outre Tammy in color #2. Verdict? LOVE IT!!! It reminds me of my favorite sensational 7047. Which is still my favorite. But Tammy is a toned down, daytime version of  my favourite halfwig. Still big, still curly, but a little shorter and a looser curl pattern. It reaches BSL in the back.

 As for my own hair, it's doing well. I have a lot of new growth. So much that I wanna relax soon. I'm officially 8 weeks post and I was trying to go for 16 weeks or so. Right now I just wanna feel and see all this puffy (pretty) new growth turn into length -- via a relaxer. Hopefully my new purchases (halfwigs and a flat iron) will help me stretch longer.

I Got a New Flat Iron

So today I took a new route home from work and when I saw a store called "Beauty Supply Outlet" you know I had to stop in! The first thing I saw was an FHI Technique flat iron on sale :) As you may know I don't have a full-sized flat iron right now -- just a mini GVP iron from sally's that I use on my bangs. I decided to get it, what an impulsive buy lol. Original price is $139.99 and I got it for $79.99! Apparently it was actually supposed to be $99.99. Somebody's typo saved me $20 on top of the sale. Score :) Still expensive but honestly I don't mind investing in quality hair tools.

I've had a good experience with the FHI Technique flat iron in the past. To me, it's better than the CHI.

My only complaint/drawback about this iron is that it does not have a temperature setting. I know right?! Well the pros outweigh the con for me (silky/flowy results, gets to the roots, ceramic plates treated with tourmaline better for the hair etc). Plus I don't use heat often (length checks only) so hopefully the higher heat doesn't make too much of a difference.

Overall I'm looking forward to straightening my hair with this to post an actual review lol. But I'm in no rush. Loving my air dried styles and updos.

Summer Stash

Here are the products I'll be using this summer. For the most part I like these products. Some are long time staples. Some are new. Some I'm just trying to finish up.

Conditioners...I like all of these especially the Tresemme Naturals for co-washing because it doesn't contain silicones. The Aussie 3 min is a revisited hit and Queen Helene is my favorite cholesterol.

<3 these for my edges! alone or together

Moisturizers

Oils and serums...Not sure what to do with the Amla maybe I'll try oil rinsing with it. Probably won't repurchase the jojoba oil but for now I add it to my deep conditioners sometimes.
♥ JBCO, CHI Silk Infusion, Dabur Vatika oil, and One n Only Argan Oil ♥
Oh and I forgot to add peppermint oil to the pic. I add it to my DC's

Shampoo and Conditioner sets. I chose Herbal Essences Color My Happy for the scent (shampoo is to clarify and conditioner is for co-washes). The Creme of Nature Argan Oil is good and so is the One n Only Argan Oil shampoo and condish. The one n Only Argan Oil Restorative mask is awesome but I won't repurchase that until I finish some other DC's.

Accidental Twistout...I like :)

This morning I decided to moisturize my hair with Darcy's Botanicals Coconut Lemongrass Transitioning Creme. Then I sealed with Jamaican Black Castor Oil (lovelovelove this...instant softness and it's BEEN a staple so yeah). I was quite heavy handed because I just twisted each section (5 sections/twists per side), pinned them to my head, put a wig cap on then wore a halfwig all day while shopping. Tonight I just took down the twists, shook, and was pleasantly surprised: an extremely soft, moisturized, shiny twist-out!! So I experimented and took pics...

All down

Donut bun - Twisted my hair firmly around itself and secured it with a clip (Don't need to use a filler anymore...woop!)

Another view of same donut bun above

Goody Flex Barette

High messy bun with Goody comfort headband

Messy Bun

Southern Tease Bun

Ponytail

Wash Day [June 23]

Here's how today's wash looked like:
1) Shampooed with Creme of Nature Argan Oil Shampoo (I really like it so far). Also applied some HE CMH shampoo to the front of my hair (using a sulfate shampoo on my hairline helps keep breakouts under control)

2) DC'd with Creme of Nature Argan Oil Intensive Conditioning Treatment. This stuff has awesome slip. I like the consistency too (thick but still easily spreadable). What I liked the most about applying this DC is that  the product really absorbed into my hair. I used a lot (almost a quarter of the bottle in one session) but after applying it, I could barely see the conditioner in my hair. I could feel it, but it turned invisible. Like it was melting into my hair. Cool :)

3) Applied growth aid to scalp, and Fantasia IC gel to edges. Now air drying with a satin scarf. I didn't use a leave-in or moisturizer yet -- I'll put some on in the morning when my hair is almost fully dry. I dunno if it was the CON conditioner or the fact that I did a long DC session with heat for the first time in forever -- but my hair feels extremely soft ♥

Notes/Random Thoughts...
* I'm keeping combing to a minimum
* I left the DC on for a couple hours, and using a heating cap for most of the session.
* I'm officially 7 weeks post relaxer as of today :)
* I might just revisit S-Curl. That stuff gave me a lot of moisture back in the day. In the meantime, Donna Marie Super Buttercreme, Giovanni direct leave-in and Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie are on my wish list.

The Stretch Begins...

I believe stretching my relaxer touchups is one of the most important things that contributed to my length and thickness retention. So I'm going for a 4 month stretch this time around. I'm currently 6 weeks post...

One inch of new growth. I'm trying to go until August.

This stretch I will be:

• Keeping moisture/protein in check by alternating btwn protein DC's and co-washing
• Use a wide tooth comb as little as possible
• Use Darcy's botanicals transitioning creme on my new growth often
• Take garlic to minimize shedding
• Listen to my hair..ultimately if my hair is breaking and shedding like crazy, I'll get a relaxer
• Listen to my hair part 2...if my new growth co-operates then maybe I'll even stretch longer. Because right now I'm loving my natural hairline in the pics
• Protective styling to the max but still experiment with no-heat styles
• Always washing hair standing up in the shower...I hate shower hopping but the tangles I get from washing my hair upside down in the tub/sink are simply not worth it

On my edges is Fantasia IC Gel with ORS Edge Control on top. Lasts all day great combo.

Why grow long just to hide it?!

I was lurking in a thread on LHCF and in one post, someone couldn't understand why so many women grow their hair long just to hide it all the time.Well for me:

1. I'm not done growing yet. I have a few more inches until I reach my final goal of waist length. Just because I gained a lot of length from where I started doesn't mean I'm going to ditch the protective styling that got me here.

2. To me, protective styling is like wearing a bra. It keeps everything contained and in place -- which is best for the long run. Sometimes I just like to let my hair free from the contraints but most of the time I feel comfortable and supported with my hair secured with something.

3. With the weather getting warmer, I just love to keep my hair up to keep me cool. And in the winter I keep it up so it doesn't get caught/rub against harsh materials.

4. I'm growing my hair for myself. I know what my ends look like and I know how long it is. That's all that matters. I don't feel a need to "show it off"

5. I love the surprise factor of added length after stretching/hiding my hair for a long time

So for all these reasons, I like protective styling :) Maybe when I reach my final goal I'll wear it down all the time. Who knows. But until then: up it goes and down it grows!! (that was so corny LOL)