HOW TO ACHIEVE A GORGEOUS STRETCHED TWIST-OUT?

Hey Blossoms,


So are you interested in taking your twist-outs from this:

TO THIS:

Then WATCH THIS:

Thanks Youtube for the thumbnail LOL!

Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms

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NATURAL HAIR UPDATE: 3 MONTHS NATURAL!!! SEE THE GROWTH!!

Hey Blossoms,

Time flies! It seems like just yesterday I big chopped all my permed ends off! I big chooped 3/23/11, just 3 days after I officially declared myself "ALL NATURAL". I was disappointed to find that I still had permed ends and so thus the reason I have 2 dates that are dear to me.

Amazing things have been going on in my hair follicles. My hair has been growing ABOVE average and it's more coily, stronger, shinier and softer than EVER before.

Just before 2 months natural I decided to try Senagalese Twists as a protective style. I was referred to a salon in NYC by Jenell of KinkyCurlyCoilyMe. I kept this style in for 5 weeks and the result was growth and length retention!

Below are a series of photos showing my hair the day of my BC and 3 months later! The growth has been rapid & extreme!

WOW! I'm super excited about it all! Especially the nape of my neck and my edges.

During the past 3 months I have tried my hand with a few protective styles: Synthetic Afro puffs, Afro half wig, Senegalese Twist & Marley hair buns. I believe all has helped in my growth retention. I let my hair "breathe" often. Besides the Senegalese twist which I had in for 5 weeks the other styles lasted no more than 3 days.

I am very excited and proud of my hair. It's thicker, stronger, healthier, shinier, softer and LONGER!!

Huge thanks to this product:

IT works! IT's inexpensive! And it's easy to find and ships quickly! A true review will be done. But as Grandma always said "The proof is in the pudding!"


Thanks for following me in this journey thus far. Stay tuned for updates as well as my "secrets" to hair growth and hair health!

Have you used Jamaican Black Castor Oil? How are your natural hair journeys going?

Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms!

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NATURAL HAIR JOURNEY: PROTECTIVE STYLE: SENEGALESE TWISTS

Hey Blossoms,

I did not think I would protective style so soon but after experiencing a few tangles from constant manipulation of my hair trying to place it in styles it could go in and styles it couldn't I decided my tresses needed a break (no pun intended!).

I was very hesistant to protective style for many reasons.The first being I did not want a hair disaster to set me back on my journey, The second, I felt like I was going against the natural law and resorting back to "fake" hair so quickly. Lastly, I felt I would get hooked and cover my natural hair up more than I would show it. After almost a month of protective styling I see that my 1st and 2nd reasons aren't anything to worry about. However, the verdict isn't out yet on the third. I've been eye balling a few other styles but I've promised to give my hair a few weeks break in between protective styles.

Jenelle, a natural hair blogger and creator of www.kinkycurlycoilyme.com recommended a local hair salon to me via Twitter. Although this salon doesn't specialize in natural hair she told me that she goes there and has had many protective styles done, all which she was very satisfied with and she had no hair issues after removing the styles. I was sold. I follow her blog and am a subscriber to her Youtube channel.I've seen the many pictures of her protective styles and her growth is amazing and we seem to have similar hair texture so I decided to give it a try.

This is how I was wearing my hair before. I would gather it into a pony puff and then place a synthetic puff over my own to not only protect my ends but to add volume to my puff: I LOVE THIS STYLE! Sadly the constant manipulation was a little rough on my newly natural strands so I have to retire this style for a short while.

These are pictures of me with my Senegalese Twists:

They are very easy to maintain. I moisturize and seal them with water, essential oils and Shea butter or Coconut cream daily. I tend to wear them gathered up and away from my face since I'm no longer used to wearing hair in my face since going natural. I remember a time when I HATED wearing my hair up now its a style I prefer.

So far I've had this style in since 5/9/11, just under 3 weeks. I made 2 months natural 5/20/11. I am super excited to do a length check and see how my hair has grown when I finally take down this protective style. I'm trying to make this style last for at LEAST 6 weeks and at most 8 weeks but I can tell that I will need to get the front redone in the next week or 2. My hair was NOT straightened for this style. I instructed the stylist to merely just comb each strand out, ridding it of knots, add a little Shea butter and then twist it with the synthetic hair used to create the Senegalese twist.

I will soon write a blog post on the DARK SIDE of being natural AND the confusion and myths NON-NATURALS have of protective styling! I am NOT surprised that when people saw me with this protective styling those who had shunned me because of my natural hair began (TRIED!) to talk to me again. I was rained upon with compliments of how nice "MY" hair looked (some of the compliments were about the style itself and harmeless but others seemed almost slathering me with compliments to persuade me to not go back to wearing out my natural hair...NOT GONNA HAPPEN!) Also some seemed even more "mad" in thier minds (im just assuming here) they believe once you declare yourself a "natural" that you shoulnd't ever use another hair tool, product or wear any synthetic style EVER AGAIN! The natural hair misconceptions are endless!

I'm curious to know what are other's naturalistas protective styling favorites? Have people received you or treated you differently when your hair is protective styled? What myths/misconceptions do you see/hear from nonnaturals about being natural?


Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms!

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A NATURAL HAIR MUST HAVE!!!!! ORS OLIVE OIL EDGE CONTROL!!!

Hey Blossoms,

One of my biggest hair battles has always been with my edges. As in most people your edges are the finest and shortest area of your head, prone to the most tension from different hairstyles, product buildup from hair products AND makeup, and even a build up of sebum from sweating. Basically, your hairline and edges take a beating and it can definitely be the most difficult to overcome in any hair journey ESPECIALLY a natural hair journey.

My hair is coily...very coily..and shrinks up to 85% of its actual length!!!! WOW!!! Don't believe me check out my recent Youtube video on my 1 month natural hair update  HERE where I stretch my hair out and show you what shrinkage really is! So imagine what the hairline around my edges does! It curls into these individual little coily "circles" and it REFUSES to lay flat! When I first went natural I chucked having tamed edges up to just being a total lost cause. Imagine my sheer surprise and HAPPINESS when I discovered this product.

Now I tried this product BEFORE going natural when I wore weaves but it didn't work that well. So I chucked it in the garbage and didn't think twice about it. When I tried it again natural it made ALL THE DIFFERENCE! Without further wait that holy grail edge control product is.....

ORGANIC ROOT STIMULATOR OLIVE OIL EDGE CONTROL



Now I'm sure many of you have heard of this product before but have you SEEN the wonders it works? NO! Well I'm here to show you.

I also included a link where you can purchase your own. This retails for about 6-7 dollars in many beauty supply stores. So at $4.69 your definitely saving!!

The key ingredients are: Water, Olive Oil, Aloe vera, Wheat protein, Glycerin, Castor Oil, (it has a slight fragrance so you do not have to fret your hair WILL smell good!)

It's texture is very light weight and its neither greasy or sticky and it does NOT harden when it dries.


Here's a picture of my hair when I first went natural. Notice how my edges are coiled up and gives the illusion of being dry but actually my hair is well moisturized and very soft here.

My hair along my edges and nape of my neck are the areas of my head I'm working diligently on to aid in its growth. Being that I always had my hair covered or permed (which is a temporary fix for loss of edges because with the coils straightened it gives the illusion that the edges are longer than what they really are) I didn't care how my edges and nape looked. Now that I'm natural I wish I took better care of my hair OVERALL (I'm sure many naturals have this feeling from time to time too!)

Now here is a photo of my edges and nape after using ORS Olive Oil Edge Control. The above pictures were taken the first day I went natural 3/20/11. These pictures below were taken after I BC (Big Chopped: I went from 6 inches of hair to 3 inches!) and I HAD to use something to help make my puff look more presentable. I bought another ORS Olive Oil Edge Control and after my hair air dried I placed it on the edges and nape and smoothed it in and these were the results....

WOW!!! Super smooth! To avoid a shellac' look (think of a cowlick or super slicked back) I place the product at the tips of my fingers and smooth it out to a thinner consistency up to the middle of my finger-beds. This allows for the product to be applied evenly giving a smoother look and evenly distributed shine. Another bonus of this product is it definitely bought out my wave pattern!

I would not recommend this product to be used for wash and go's because it is way too thick to be used all the hair, just use it along your hairline, nape and edges. Also use this product in moderation a little goes a long way.

Another trick is when you smooth the product along your edges take a soft bristle brush and brush your edges and nape lightly and place a silk wrap around your head. This will help your hair stay flat as the product dries (which takes a few minutes if you use a little so don't overdo it!).

This product is DEFINITELY Sherry Blossom Approved! I noticed that at my local beauty supply store these sell out quick so I always buy 2 at a time. I use this almost every day and it's become a staple in my natural hair care arsenal! I may go a day without it if my hair stay wrapped properly but I ALWAYS mess my hair up in my sleep so those rare days are few and far in between.


CONS: 
This product can be hard to find! Don't be surprised if you have to go to a few stores before you hit the jackpot and cross your fingers that when you do the price won't be trumped up due to it's rare availability! (Remember I've included a link above for you where it can be shipped to you! No hassle!)

This product does have many great natural ingredients in it but with continuous uses without washing there can be slight build up. So if you use it throughout the week be sure to co-wash or shampoo.

If you use this product frequently the small jar of product will be done QUICKLY. I wish they came up with an economy size! I also wish they had a small travel size jar that can fit in a backpack or purse without taking up to much space for when you need those quick touch ups!

HEY ORGANIC ROOT I HOPE YOUR LISTENING!!!!!

Have you ever tried ORS Edge control? What product(s) would you say are similar? 

BLOSSOMS PLEASE COMMENT! THIS IS AN INTERACTIVE BLOG AND I DO WRITE BACK!!! DONT BE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP!!! IM LISTENING!!!

Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms!

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NATURAL HAIR JOURNEY: PROTECTIVE STYLE: CURLS

Hey Blossoms,

After manipulating my hair so much during another "How will I wear my hair today?" episode. I accidently knotted a few strands of my hair and that SCARED ME STRAIGHT!!! I decided that day that I would wear a protective style.

If you read my hair story you will know I've experimented with all types of hair styles one of the easiest and low maintenance styles I wore were wigs whether lace fronts (hated them!!) or half wigs (loved them!!). I decided on a full wig that can also be worn as a half wig. I decided to get a curly wig that was big as I admire hair like that and know that one day I will have similar hair.

I snapped a few photos of the new protective style. I have worn it a few days and I already want a change. It's cute but it doesnt feel like THE style for me especially if I plan on wearing the style for a month or so it has to be one that I am completely in love with. I just like this one....

So what are your favorite protective styles?

Until next time,

Later Blossoms!

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NATURAL HAIR UPDATE: 1 MONTH NATURAL

Hey Blossoms,

As I was preparing for my weekly deep conditioning and wash I thought of how quickly a month has gone by and to do this hair update for all of you! I am so excited to bring this update to you all! I am completely IN LOVE with my natural hair. I love how it feels, smells, styles and just goes with my face and outfits of the day. A single hair accessory can turn it from casual, to chic, to elegant. A few bobby bins here and there can take it from pony tail to up do. And I LOVE MY COILS!!!

When I comb my hair now I barely see any broken ends or hair strands and if I do I literally can count each of them that's how little there are. They are so cute too! Little coils!

I can tell my hair has grown simply because I have to detangle more often and now I understand the importance of protective styling to retain length and I have resorted to wearing one.

I am still learning and I see my biggest challenge is keeping my hair moisturized. I'm constantly going to the bathroom to sprinkle a little water on my hair especially the ends which tend to get the brunt of this New York weather..one days it's hot, the next its' raining, then it's freezing cold...my poor hair!!

Despite my few difficulties, the weather and my newness to the whole natural hair world I am doing an awesome job. If you don't believe me just check the photos below!

You all remember I went natural 3/20/2011 and had my hair was 6 inches at its longest point (the front and center of my head). On 3/23/2011 I noticed I still had permed ends :( so I chopped off 3 inches...leaving me with 3 inches all over. I was NOT discouraged as I knew I'd grow it all back and grow it has!

March 20th 2011

April 19th 2011

The nape of my neck was definitely one of my TOP priorities when it came to target areas for hair growth. Keeping this area moisturized and not pulling it up to tightly with daily scalp massages was key in it's growth. Although it's the least dramatic in it's growth you can definitely see improvement. Hair has grown filling in what used to be bald spots. I'm sure in time this area will be just as thick and dense as the rest of my head.



Now on to more dramatic hair growth results. My regime is pretty simple...MOISTURE ! MOISTURE! MOISTURE! I do my absolute best in keeping my hair moisturized and detangled. I usually wear it in 4 afro puffs at night each heavily moisturized (to last through the night especially since it tends to get hot in my home) and one big afro puff during the day. Shea butter is my BEST friend as it keeps the oils I use (EVOO, Almond, Coconut, Jojoba & Castor Oil) locked into my hair during the day.

March 20th 2011

Here's my hair growth at the nape of my neck stretched out for a length check. As you can see in the first picture the hair literally stops at my hairline(2 inches) and in the second picture it's 1in passed my hairline(3 inches in length).

April 20th 2011

March 20th 2011

The next area is the side. They were amongst the longest sections of my hair before I cut off the remaining permed ends. After the BC (big chop) the sides just reached the tip of my earlobe(3 inches). Now it's well past my ear lobe(4 inches) and on it's way past my jawline.

April 19th 2011

Next is the front section of my hair. This was by far the most drastic in length change from 6 inches to 3 inches when I did the BC and now I can see another dramatic length increase. I'm going to showcase my hair BEFORE my BC (6 inches), AFTER my BC (3 inches) and NOW (4 inches).It feels awesome to see that my hair is healthy and grows beautifully. I'm excited to see what the future holds for my tresses.

BEFORE BC (3/20/11)

AFTER BC (3/23/11)

NOW (4/19/11)

Yes I am SHOCKED myself! I never imagined such fast and amazing results. My hair is softer, HEALTHIER , thicker, curlier and well on it's way to being LONGER than it's ever been before !!!

Here are photos showcasing my hair texture

A head full of coils! I call them coils because they are tight and not as loose as regular curls. I have NO IDEA what "type" this would be considered. All I know is these are MY coils and I LOVE THEM!

This is what I'm doing as a protective style. A synthetic hair afro. I make sure to thoroughly moisturize my hair underneath and either have my hair in 2 strand twists, bantu knots or normally 2 afro puffs underneath and a small section of my hair out in the front for blending. I want to try kinky twist extensions but I'm afraid of the damage it may do to my ends so for now this works for me and here's a picture of the style below( pictured here with my BF...affectionately nicknamed "Handsome").

ALL IN ALL..my hair has retained 1 inch of NEW GROWTH in 1 MONTH! At this rate 12 inches of hair for a year is definitely doable!! Can you even imagine?!! There is a Youtube Natural Hair Guru who reached WAIST LENGTH in just 2 YEARS! And her hair was SHORTER than mine after her BC! So I know it's definitely possible. Setting "hair goals" is fun. Its definitely not all about length but getting the length is sort of like a bonus or a present for taking good care of your hair and I'm definitely happy to have received this 1 inch "gift" and I cant wait to "receive more!" The journey has only just begun but it's turning into an amazing experience! One I wish I started years ago but happy that this is one journey that has NO EXPIRATION DATE!



I am addicted to hearing about and seeing photos of others hair journey and if you know of any amazing blogs or youtube channels feel free to share below. I follow quite a bit already but like makeup...you can never have enough!

I hope you all enjoyed and a HUGE thank you to all who have followed my journey thus far and those  you who are so supportive...


Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms

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