Whole Foods Haul (Featuring Aveda)

Today I stopped at Whole Foods here in Toronto and picked up some things:

1. Giovanni Triple Tree Treat Shampoo - $9.99

In my last post I was saying how my scalp is driving me nuts. Well I got so many great suggestions (thanks to everyone who commented in that post!!). Namely, Jeni from Just Grow Already directed me to a post about the oils she uses to soothe her scalp. I decided to buy this shampoo because it contains Eucalyptus,Tea Tree, and Lavender oils...many of the oils in her mix. I wish I could afford all the oils separately but my wallet wasn't letting that happen so the shampoo is the next best alternative. Also, Prettyjwatts did a youtube video raving about the product. This is my first Giovanni product so I'm excited to try it :)

2. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - $19.99

Another popular recommendation. I've been meaning to try this for the LONGEST time. Thanks for giving me the nudge to finally invest in this stuff.

3. Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner - $12.99

This is a repurchase, I used it towards the beginning of my hair journey with great results. This is a great cone-free moisturizing conditioner.White Camellia is next on my wishlist.

4. Aveda Damage Remedy shampoo, conditioner and daily hair repair (free samples)

I stopped in at an Aveda store because of a large sign outside saying "Free Damage Treatment". I'm not usually drawn in by signs but as a hair fanatic I just couldn't pass it up lol! I got sample sizes of the Damage Remedy shampoo, conditioner and daily hair repair. Looking forward to trying these eventually.

I also bought some cling wrap for my DC sessions (I usually do cling wrap then a plastic cap over the cling wrap).

Dry, Itchy Scalp: Help

Ever since the weather started cooling down, my scalp has been acting crazy. It gets really itchy only a few days after washing. And I never used to have an issue with dandruff but when I rub/itch my scalp I can see a whole bunch of flakes falling down.

I've tried co-washing and lubricating my scalp with JBCO to no avail. Moisturizer directly on my scalp just makes the itching worse. I would really like to go at least a week between washes but by the end of the week my scalp is extremely itchy to the point where small scabs are forming...yeah it's that bad :(


Any tips to help soothe this dry, itchy scalp of mine?

Week Recap & Weekend Hair Plans

This week I wore my hair in a braid-out bun every single day. Each night for maintenance I would apply product (s-curl and/or One n Only Argan Oil treatment). Then do 6-8 braids, set the ends on perm rods, and sleep on it. Take the braids down in the morning and put it all in a bun. Super easy, cute, no-heat and low-manipulation.

Last night I detangled/combed out the braid-out and these pics are what I ended up with...big fluffy hair. After taking some pics I gave my hair a much needed wash...here's how it went:

• Shampooed 2x w/ Quantum clarifying/chelating shampoo
• Shampooed 1x w/ Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Shampoo
• Conditioned with Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair Daily Treatment Conditioner
• Leave-in: Aphogee Keratin Green Tea
• Air dry, then moisturize and seal

It's the next day and my hair is still wet. I think this means my hair retains moisture well? Bet it's from all the Roux porosity control I've been using...Anyway this is my first time using the Dove treatment (in the tube) and I really like the smell, I keep getting whiffs of it here and there. The slip is alright. The consistency isn't very thick but it's only a "daily" treatment. 

Plan for the rest of the weekend is to moisturize, seal, and protective style. Mon-Fri I'll probably continue with the braid-out bun style. And incorporate another shampoo+condition on Tuesday

Stretching until Jan 2012

After watching a video by Buildable Beauty on youtube, I decided to join her on her challenge to delay the relaxer until next year. I'm currently 5 weeks post so that means no relaxer for at least 9 more weeks. 14 total. I think I can do it...I've gone 16 weeks before with good results and more thickness. So I'm ready for it again.

Problems: Christmas/end of year reveal. I was really planning on showing the fruits of my labour on here and in person with a fresh relaxer. But I guess I can get a similar result with a flat iron...

Another problem is that during final exams I really do not want to deal with my hair...like seriously not at all....I know that I'll be impatient with so that might be an issue with tons of new growth. I guess I could throw it in a bun for exam week and hope it doesn't turn into one big deadlock?

With those off my chest, looking at them they don't seem major so I'm gonna go ahead with stretching until 2012.

Anyone else avoiding something hair-related for the rest of the year?

Kreativ Blogger [Award]

Thanks to Tommie @ Hair De La Creme for awarding me :)

RULES

1. Link back to the person who passed you the award
2. Complete the form below
3. Award 10 Blogs & drop them a line about it
4. Share 7 random things about yourself 

 Here are my answers..

• Name your favorite song: This changes all the time but right now it's Adele - Cold Shoulder
  
• Name your favorite dessert: White Chocolate Brownie from Moxies!
  
• What pisses you off: That I spent $100+ on each textbook and can't even sell it for the full amount because the publishers change the edition every year
  
• When you're upset, you: listen to music or take a walk while I relax and think about how to handle the situation
  
• Your favorite pet: I've only ever had pet fish. But I think a hamster would be so cute
  
• Black or white: Black
• Your biggest fear:  I`m pretty terrified of spiders *shudders*
  
• Best feature: My smile.
  
• Everyday attitude: Don't blame other people but instead see what you can do to make the situation better
  
• What is perfection: An epitome.
  
• Guilty pleasure: Anything hair related, and fast food

 7 Random facts about me

1. I hate the feeling of wet substances on my finger tips (including lotion, oil etc...which is probably why I wash my hands all the time)
2. In high school I won the performing arts award
3. I think Adam Levine (lead singer of Maroon 5) is sexy
4. #TeamBlackberry
5. When others around me feel warm/hot, I feel cold...and vice versa
6. I'm turning 21 soon
7. I have 5 piercings...2 on each ear and belly button

Here are the bloggers I'm awarding. I tried to pick people who haven't been awarded yet

Hairlicious Inc (fellow Canadian)

Thick Beautiful hair Journey (fellow Canadian)

From Short to Long

My World of Hair

Healthy hair by special k 

 Diva Locks

 My Pure Beauty

Seven Things [TAG]

I am pleased to announced that I have been tagged by Shika over at Hair I Am World in a 7 things about me tag. Here's it goes...

1. I'm Canadian (Toronto).

2. I failed math in grade 2. Which is funny because now I'm studying Finance in university.

3. I'm a really quiet person. I guess you could say I'm an introvert? On a Friday night I'd much rather read, surf the net, and deep condition my hair rather than go out and party. But I'm really outgoing and talkative with my friends, co-workers and classmates.

4. I like when people doubt me. This is because it motivates me to work harder or find creative solutions. My life has been a series of people thinking I can't do something, and me proving them wrong (not out of revenge, but for my own satisfaction).

5. I'm addicted to chocolate. I love food in general but something about chocolate does something to me

6. I like winter better than summer. My friends think I'm crazy for this but I love to bundle up, and not to mention all the events that are in the winter (Christmas, new years, my birthday etc etc).

7. I love writing to-do lists. I have an agenda where I write my plans for the day and the major things I want to get accomplished. I guess it's because I'm a student, but I seriously think I will continue to be an avid "planner" even when I'm done school. You know what they say..."if you fail to plan you plan to fail"

If you're reading this, you've been TAGGED!

Winter Wishlist !

I've been really trying to watch my spending this month because Christmas shopping is right around the corner. Generally, this is my spending habit: I don't buy things often but once in a while I will splurge on things I really love and are of good quality. So I plan on getting these things before the end of the year:

• A cute knit hat. I've never really been a hat person but I think this winter is a good opportunity to protect my hair and keep warm with a silk-lined one.

• Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner. I've used this conditioner in the past with good results. I'm looking for a strictly moisturizing conditioner that I can use for deep conditioning, co-washes etc. This product does not contain any protein and I've had good results from it in the past (soft, moisturized, shiny hair....it also has natural ingredients and no cones - which is a bonus for minimizing build-up).

• Natural oils. I took a good, hard look at my product stash and I realize that I basically have NO natural oils. I have a full bottle of Amla (which I can't stand the smell of by the way, no idea how I'm gonna use it up) and Sally's One n Only Argan Oil which doesn't count since it's filled with cones. I'm thinking of getting coconut, extra virgin olive, and/or avocado oil. Also definitely getting Jamaican Black Castor Oil which is a long time staple, I just ran out. 

• A dry shampoo. Winter means washing my hair less often so I want to use something to freshen up my hair in between washes.

• A drugstore shampoo and conditioner combo. I liked the Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair line so I might repurchase that. Right now I can't justify this purchase because I have a shampoo and conditioner I'm trying to use up, but I will get this combo at some point this season.

 

• Large barrel curling and/or clamp-less iron. You may be wondering...why do I want a heat tool if I'm on a HEALTHY hair journey? Well I don't plan on using heat more often but it would be nice to try a different type of direct heat when I choose to use it. I figure that I've worked so hard this summer (with protective styling especially) that I deserve to reward myself with something that will help me "enjoy" my hair!

What's on your winter wishlist?

Finally learned how to wrap (thx to this vid)

 

I actually learned how to wrap a while ago, but I still find myself watching this vid as a guide until wrapping comes naturally to me. It is the most helpful technique I've seen on youtube. My hair is currently flat ironed and wrapping has been a great way to preserve my straight styles. 

I read that wrapping can cause thinning on one side, but honestly I'm not too concerned because I rarely wear my hair out (and therefore rarely wrap). But I'll still keep an eye out for an adverse effects.

Speaking of hair, I flat ironed my hair on Sunday night. I must say I'm really enjoying wearing my hair straight. Here are some pics I took today (as requested):

Nightly maintenance: 

1. apply a little serum/pomade (only if needed...I didn't use any tonight because my hair was already a little weighed down). 

2. Wrap like in the video

3. tie a satin scarf

that's it. This is just as simple as protective styling with halfwigs. I'm planning to wear my hair straight for the rest of the week.

Another September Wash Day

This week has been pretty hectic. I protective styled every day of the week - updo 2 days and halfwig 3 days.

I couldn't take the itchies anymore so I went ahead and washed and conditioned my hair today. here's what I did:

• Applied Amla Oil to my hair and detangled
• Shampooed with diluted sulfate shampoo (1 part shampoo to 2 parts water)
• Conditioned with Aphogee 2 Minute
• Rinsed, and applied my leave-in (Aphogee Green Tea and Keratin)
• Air dried with a scarf until my edges were dry, then blow dried

Thoughts: During the whole wash process I was losing a lot of hair. I know it's shedding because majority of the strands are long with a little white bulb at the end. At least its the lesser of the 2 evils (shedding is better than breakage). But my shedding is excessive right now so I'm going to pop a couple garlic pills and hopefully that stops the shedding.

I'm currently 9 weeks post and hair is starting to get tangled more, and harder to work with. I have a good inch of new growth so I'm glad about that. 


Plans: I'm planning to wear my hair straight this week. I haven't flat ironed since August 22 so I'm looking forward to using heat finally.

Due to the new growth and excessive shedding, it may be time to relax soon.

Things They Don't Tell You About Being Relaxed

...the good and the bad:

1. We still have to straighten it. Just because a relaxer chemically alters the strand to make it straighter, doesn't mean the job is done until the next relaxer. Still gotta use a flat iron if you want the polished look.

2. It's not easy. We always hear about how hard transitioning is. Well being relaxed is literally transitioning over and over again.

3. It's easy. On the other hand, it's pretty easy to get relaxed hair to do what you want it to do. For example, detangling is not a challenge when you're a few weeks post.

4. Kink & coil envy. Every time you see healthy, nicely styled natural hair in real life, you're intrigued. Sometimes you start thinking about what your own hair would look if you went natural. This is when braid-outs, twist-outs etc come in very handy.

5. Natural products work for us too. This emergence of the "natural" hair care market is benefiting relaxed heads too by giving everyone better alternatives and quality ingredients. The products that drench natural hair in moisture do the exact same thing for relaxed tresses.

Weekend hair plans

Here are a few random pics:

Work bun

I flat ironed at the end of August. Sorry for black on black but you can see the silkiness of my hair in this pic. I applied a little DAX Light Pomade before flat ironing. I still am loving and using this stuff. My hair also had some CHI SIlk Infusion in it. Those are the only 2 products I used after my hair was dry.

Crappy pic but you can kinda see how long my hair is after I trimmed it a little while ago

I don't think I've so much as moisturized and sealed my hair since Monday. It's been a pretty hectic week back to school and I've decided to wig for convenience. Well my hair is still feeling great and today I'm looking forward to pampering it:

Pre-poo with Queen Helene Cholesterol + Honey
Shampoo (Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo)
DC with heat (Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner)
Apply leave-in (Aphogee Provitamin Leave-in - trying this for the first time. Lets see if my hair likes it)
Air Dry w/ scarf method

What are your weekend hair plans??

Wig it or not??

I'm debating between whether I want to wig it for the rest of the year or not.

On the one hand, I can save a LOT of time every morning and it is soo convenient to just throw on a halfwig, blend a little, and go. I wont have to worry about bad hair days or anything. Also, my hair will be 100% protected for maximum length retention. If I want a change I can always just do an updo with my real hair every once in a while.


On the other hand. My hair is at a length where I feel comfortable with wearing it out. Halfwigs are pretty expensive over time.

What to do?? How are you wearing your hair this fall/winter?

Random Hair Thoughts

• So after major shedding, breakage and dryness issues this past week, my hair is back to normal for the most part. I shampooed with Queen Helene Garlic Shampoo and conditioned, that helped but I still had a lot of shedding and breakage going on. I tried deep conditioning with Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner -- that helped bring my hair's moisture level back but I still had a lot of shedding. It wasn't until I took 2 garlic softgels that my shedding literally STOPPED in it's tracks. 

• My hair has outgrown regular shower caps. It doesn't all fit in the shower cap so when I'm DCing or baggying, there's heat/steam escaping from the perimeter where the elastic isn't snug against my head. So I'm going to start applying a layer of plastic wrap first, then put on a shower cap. I did it for today's DC and it works pretty well. I got the idea from Shorty2sweet59 on youtube.

• Today is wash day. I deep conditioned on dry hair with Queen Helene Cholesterol (LOVE this stuff...When my current jar is done I'm gonna just suck it up and just get the $20 tub). I left this on for about 3 hours while working out and just doing stuff around the house. Now my plan is to wash it out with Dove Damage Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner, apply Aphogee Green Tea & Keratin Mist and air dry.
• The search for a daily moisturizer might STILL be on. I thought S-curl would be the end-all but I read http://longing4length.blogspot.com/2011/08/time-to-shelve-s-curl.html Ebony's post and come to think of it my s-curl hasn't been as moisturizing lately and it makes sense for the reasons she mentioned. I may just need to clarify my hair. But I will keep using it until I notice a major difference.

Tangles

Ever since I did the brahmi treatment and conditioned afterwards, my hair has been super dry and hard to detangle. During yesterdays wash there was way too much hair in in the wide tooth comb while detangling in the shower. My hair was saturated with conditioner and even though I was under the stream of the shower, it was really hard to detangle and I lost a lot of hair :(

How NOT to detangle...I really wanna hand this lady a wide toothed comb and tell her to start from the ends and work her way up gently lol

What have I learned from this...let's see...don't use things my hair doesn't like for the sake of using them up. I've used the brahmi treatment before and it made my hair strong just like last time - but this time it was just overly strong? which led to the dry, tangled hair I'm dealing with now days after. I think this happened because the mixture I used was way more concentrated (I didn't use water this time, only oil and condish). I even did a co-wash just now but no luck. Hopefully it gets better when it dries. Until then, no combing, and lots of deep conditioning.

Actually come to think of it, I've been using a lot of protein products lately so maybe I have protein overload?? *lightbulb*  Tomorrow I'll wash with a diluted shampoo, and do a long moisturizing DC session. Final rinse with Porosity Control Corrector and Conditioner. Hopefully this helps.

TGIF: Weekend Hair Plans

Well it's Saturday now and I really hope everyone is having a great weekend so far...I plan on getting much needed R&R after this hectic week...here's my hair plans:

Friday: Shampooed and conditioned with Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair Shampoo & Conditioner (bought it because it was on sale for $2.99, regularly $8). Moisturized with S-curl.

Saturday: Moisturized with S-Curl a few times...Dove's "weightless moisture formula" made my hair feel dry...but soft and flowy. Also loving the soft, clean scent.  Anyway I knew the s-curl wasn't cutting it so I sealed it in with Dax light pomade and that did the trick. Yes I'm still using and loving this stuff. Earlier this week I flat ironed my hair and Dax did the trick to give my hair some extra weight and shine. As opposed to being slightly dull, dry and frizzy (I think it was like this because I clarified right before flat ironing..note to self: for sleek, shiny results, hair needs some type of moisture left in before you flat iron so don't use a clarifying shampoo).

I was organizing my product stash and I have a few bottles and things that are almost finished...So yeah...it's Brahmi treatment time! I used up the rest of my brahmi powder in a treatment consisting of: Brahmi powder + the rest of my Tresemme Naturals conditioner + the rest of my Vatika Oil + One n Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Conditioner. I applied the mixture to my hair outside in the backyard because I remember how messy the treatment can be. And it was quite messy and unappealing but I just kept thinking how much it would help my hair in the long run...

Benefits of Brahmi Powder:
- Cools the scalp and induces sound sleep
- Controls dandruff
- Makes hair long, dark, Dense & lustrous
- Strengthens hair roots

So now as I type this, I'm sitting with the Brahmi in my hair. Random sidenote - all of my hair doesn't fit under this shower cap :o guess I'm gonna have to upgrade to grocery bags? or use 2 shower caps at a time (one to cover the front and one to cover the back, with overlapping between the 2 caps. I dunno yet.

Whenever I decide to rinse this out, I'll do the usual routine: shampoo, condition in the shower, and apply my leave-ins and air dry as usual.

Sunday: I plan on co-washing and air drying....haven't done that in a while

---------------------------------------------

As for my hair, it's doing well. I'm 6 weeks post tomorrow...wow how time flies it feels like I just got one last week or something. I don't feel a lot of new growth yet. I'm thinking about going to the salon to have my hair done (washed, blow dried, flat ironed) for back to school next week.

Tip: Diluting Shampoo

I've been diluting shampoo by putting it in an applicator bottle with some water, and applying it directly to my scalp.

Benefits of diluting shampoo:

- Applicator bottle lets you get directly to the roots and scalp
- Shampoo becomes less harsh
- Makes thicker shampoos easy to spread and lather
- Use less shampoo and save money in the long run

I think I first found out about this method from Traycee from KISS, but I forgot about it and didn't think of trying it until I saw one of BuildableBeauty's youtube videos recently. I must say this is a great tip so had to share!

Back to School Hair Regimen

 School is starting back up again in about 2 weeks. I already know from now that my hair will take a back seat to everything else. So here is my bare minimum regimen for the fall semester:

Weekly:
1) Prepoo and baggy before washing (optional)
2) Shampoo with a sulfate shampoo
3) Protein treatment or deep condition with every shampoo
4) Apply leave-in conditioner
5) If doing an air dried style (braidout, twistout, bantu knots etc), then moisturize and seal. If using a hot tool to style, then only use heat protectant and/or CHI SIlk Infusion.

Nightly (maintenance depends on hairstyle):
Straight: apply serum, wrap, scarf overnight.
Curls: no product. Do pin curls and wear scarf overnight
Air dried style (braidout, twistout, bantu knots etc): Moisturize and seal, re-braid, and scarf overnight.

As Needed (maybe weekly, maybe never...depends on how my hair feels and what I have time for): Co-washing, Porosity Control, clarifying, black color rinses, trims.

Weekend Wash Day

Pre-pooing overnight with JBCO+pep oil in a bun

Last night I doused my hair with vatika oil and a mix of JBCO+peppermint to scalp only. Put it in a high bun and let it soak in overnight under a plastic cap. So I guess this is baggying, pre-pooing and hot oil treating in one step, cool beans.

Now it's the next morning. Time for wash day, here's the plan....

1) Shampoo with diluted HE CMH shampoo (2 lathers)
2) Condition w/ One n Only Argan Oil conditioner
3) Final rinse with Porosity Control C&C
4) Leave-in Aphogee Green Tea & Keratin Mist
5) Air dry with a scarf and let the back hang loose

Thoughts/Blabber: It's been 6 days since my last hair wash. I'm glad I could go so long without washing considering the amount of products I caked on during the week. Next wash I will only use 1oz of shampoo diluted with 1oz water...this time I used 2oz shampoo diluted with 1oz water (3oz total) and it was too much

JBCO makes my hair ridiculously soft. I need to repurchase a new bottle soon since my current bottle is almost done..

I did a lean back in the shower and my hair reached waist :o I should be there before 2012. Or blunt MBL if I become scissor happy. Either way, I'm excited

School is starting soon. I'm going to tweak my regimen for less washing and less manipulation in general. The semester gets so hectic and I already know from now that my hair will take a back seat to everything else. So I need to think of a solid bare-minimum school regimen...

Moisturizing and Sealing Combo (unpopular)

Today my hunt for a cheap, protein-free, effective daily moisturizer ended. I decided to revisit S-Curl. I also purchased an unpopular sealant to match: grease...

Super Light Dax Pomade. Sealing with natural oils is nice because they're light, but lately I need something heavier. Sweet almond oil and jojoba oil were too light, and JBCO is a too heavy to use as a daily sealant. Oyin Burnt Sugar pomade smelled so yummy and was nice but its super expensive where I live, and also I found it to be grainy and a little hard to spread. The dax spreads really easily and literally melts in my hands. So I think this product is the happy medium. It's unpopular, but I think my hair will like it in the long run...

Ingredients: Petrolatum, Lanolin, Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sesame Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Safflower Seed Oil, Peanut Oil, Cottonseed Oil, D&C Green #6, Fragrance.

And here's what my hair looks like after moisturizing and sealing with S-curl and dax in 4 sections, then braiding each section and un-braiding after an hour. My hair feels soft and moisturized, but not damp or wet at all. I'm looking forward to seeing how this combo affects my hair over time.

After moisturizing and sealing with S-curl and Dax. I feel so old school lol. Not in love with the way my hair smells, but it sure feels good. I haven't washed my hair in 5 days so its weighed down in these pics.

What are your thoughts on grease? Anyone else using it?

My NLV's

NLV, a term coined by Ebony over at Longing 4 Length, stands for Non-Length Victory...which are other accomplishments that are made while you are caring for your hair in between those length goals.

So here are my NLV's lately....

- I've perfected the art of air drying. Depending on what products I use and how long I leave the scarf on for, I can get my hair to dry sleek and smooth for a nice bun. Or really big and fluffy with lots of volume. Or anything in between. No matter how I do it my edges are sleek and smooth just how I like it.

- I finally learned how to wrap. I always heard youtubers talking about how they've been wrapping their hair forever and how easy it is to maintain their hair when it's straightened. The first (and last) time I tried wrapping I was left with a sore hairline the next day. Well after my most recent relaxer I decided to give it another shot, and it worked great. Its because I used a wide comb to wrap instead of a paddle brush like how many youtubers do.

- I can safely say that I found staple products. The only reason I try new things is to keep it interesting. For example I'm more motivated to deep condition if it means trying out a new product. But at the end of the day I know the products that my hair adores.

- I'm no longer obsessed over showing my length. Actually I've been "over" showing length since APL. By this, I mean not constantly pulling at my braidouts all day to show more length. Or making sure every hair on my head is pulled tightly into a ponytail to create the fullest bun I could on SL hair. Nope, just throw it in a bun (usually with no comb, just fingers) and it's already full. I still care about length, but I'm not obsessed about showing it all the time.

- Thickness victory: it now takes 2 loops with an ouchless band and my hair is held tight. It used to take 3 or 4 loops. I've also had to upgrade my butterfly clips to the larger ones, because my hair laughs at the small ones now

Air dried ponytail

- My bangs can finally be tucked behind my ear! The awkward bang length is over!!

- 100+ people actually look at my blog. Thanks to everyone who checks out this blog, leave comments, give suggestions, or just lurk. It makes me wanna post more pics and update more often!