3.5 Years Post Relaxer Flat Iron + Length Check

Hey guys! I flat ironed my hair for the first time since February 2013! Check out the video below to find out how I achieved this look, and what my hair growth goals are for 2014 and beyond!



And here are a few pictures! I have marked off the area where my waist (WL) is for me.

Hair brushed straight down...

Hair brushed into "V" shape...

Look back at it...lol

And here's what it looked like on 1/4/14 after I trimmed off 1 to 2 inches...

Red vs. Blonde...

Okay, so in my last blog post I discussed going blonde. Now I'm debating if I should just go red instead. I am on the fence. I know I would like blonde, as I have tried it before with wigs and it looks nice. However, I think red would look nice on me too. The problem?? Well, I have never tried a red wig so I have no idea if red would TRULY look decent on me lol. I've seen lots of darker women around my color wearing red, and it looks hot on them.. So, I guess it could work on me too. The hard thing is picking the right shade though. I don't like all shades of red, so it has to be EXACTLY the shade I have in mind. Not too cola(grandma red). Not too bright (Rhianna red). A little bit alternative (emo red). But something acceptable in the work place (stick up my @ss red).  Something like this...

I would hate to be stuck with Ronald McDonald or crusty the clown red/sideshow bob red hair.  I hate the color Rhianna has below. I like red that has more a of black undertone if that makes any sense.

If I choose red, it would have to be a bold color, but not something that would be shunned in the work place. So here are the pros and cons of each color. You tell me what you would do.

**Red**

Pros:

1. Would be something new and fresh.
2. I could experience color without possibly using bleach and damaging my hair.
3. It would look nice with my complexion(maybe?)
4. Perhaps  it will be easier to lift my base later on if I decide to go blonde.

Cons:

1. I heard red dye fades like crazy. I have to co-wash my hair daily, so it will prob fade too fast.
2. Blonde hair would be my first choice, since I just started liking red a few months ago. What if I have regrets/a change of heart right after?
3. Might be considered less professional to employers since it will look a bit alternative. I'm trying to transition into TV News reporting and most reporters are either blonde or brunette. In my field "the look" is very important and they are very conservative. I don't see anchors down south with bold red hair. Most stick to the standard look. I'm already pusing it by being natural.

**Blonde**

Pros:

1. I think blonde afros with highlights are sooooo cute and fun!
2. The highlights will add depth and dimension to my curls and make them look more defined. I have superrrrr thick hair so it often just looks like a black curly cloud. There's no dimension.
3. It's a cute summer color.
4. I think it will be okay to co-wash daily since blonde needs lots of moisture.
5. Probably more acceptable in the workplace than Red hair since red might considered alternative and unprofessional to "stuffy" employers.
6. If I get tired of it, then I can just put red over it.

Cons:

1. Could cause my hair damage(loosen curl pattern/texture if bleach is used).
2. Could stunt my progress and have me stuck at APL if I can't retain length.

Black Women Gone Blonde!

Hello heart breakers! If you are familiar with my Youtube channel, then you've probably heard me discuss coloring my hair. I've never dyed my hair before, and I have been looking into it for a few years. In fact, one of the main reasons I went natural was so I could experiment with color as safely as possible.My relaxed hair was healthy, but I didn't want to risk having two chemicals in my hair at once. I've heard many horror stories about coloring while relaxed. And the women in my family always suffered from a setback if they added color to their healthy relaxed hair. At any rate, I really want to take the plunge this summer and go some shade of light brown with blonde highlights. Possibly 4/27, or something closer to the freetress wigs that I wear in the color F33/32/240. Now, it is just a matter of finding someone to get the job done. Wish me luck guys! In the meantime, here are some pictures of me rocking blonde tones. I plan to stick to something more similar to the wig "Nari" below.

Me wearing a wig I made in color 4/27:

Me wearing Freetress wig "Nari"  in the color F33/32/240:

(This is probably the color I will dye my hair)

And here I am in Freetress wig Aliyah in GF8643: 

And here I am going even lighter with "Carrie" in the color .....:

My Favorite Curly Black Blonde Bombshells:

Tanika Ray:

Mel B.(back when she was natural)

Yani:

My Fav Relaxed/Flat Ironed Blondies:

Melanie B.

Olivia:

Queen Latifah:

Naomi Campbell:

Yarn Braid FAQ and Details

A few weeks ago, I blogged about my yarn braids. Well, I finally made a video with FAQ and details about the process, and how I maintain my braids. I will be filming several videos with more detailed info on the braids in the future. But for now, here is an overall video on my yarn braiding experience. Click here to see the video...Enjoy!

My First Half Wig: "Kelly" by New Born Free

Hello heart breakers! First, let me start by saying I missed you guys! I have been gone for a while, but I am back with a review! This is my first time ever trying a half wig, so I am super excited. I have been wearing my natural hair out in wash and goes all winter(even though it is cold). This means I leave the house with wet hair every morning. I decided to give my hair a break and try something new. I wanted to try a half wig because I wanted the option of wearing some of my own hair out and giving my hairline a break. So....I went on a search for the perfect kinky/curly lace wig and decided to go with "Kelly" from New Born Free. She was sent to me by divatress.com. She is sooooo fierce! I have been getting tons of compliments too. Overall, I am happy with my choice, and I think "Kelly" might become a fav of mine. I could go on, but I think you should just watch my video review instead. Click here to watch my Youtube review of  "Kelly." And of  course, here are a few pics. Toodles!

My Natural Hair Puff Tutorial

Hello heart breakers! A few weeks ago I posted a video on Youtube showing you all a new style that I tried for the first time. It was an afro puff/ponytail that made me feel like Esperanza Spalding at the Grammy awards this year haha! Please keep in mind that this style is NOT an exact replication of Esperanza's hair style. I received several requests to make a tutorial video showing exactly how I achieved the look. Well, I am here with that video today! Please check out the video if you are interested in giving this style a try. It is simple and a great style to try if you are looking for "2nd day hair." In fact, this puff is the only style that I can actually achieve 2nd day hair with at the moment! At any rate, I enjoyed making this video for you guys, and I love the way my hair looks when I wear this style. I hope you love it as much as I do! Click "Read More" to see the pictures and video!

14 Months Post Relaxer (4 months Natural) Update!!

It has been a while since I have posted any updates about my natural hair! Well, I am now 14 months post relaxer and four months natural...yay! I randomly decided to flat iron part of my hair today for a length check. Please keep in mind that I didn't use a lot of heat, so my hair is still frizzy in the pictures and video below. Also, I  flat ironed my hair "dirty" so it is not as bouncy and light as it would be if it was freshly washed. However, .my hair is in great shape right now, and has grown at least an inch or more since June! My ends are still uneven since I did my own big chop, but I will get them evened up at some point. Otherwise my hair looks great to me. If you would like to compare what my hair looks like now to what it looked like two months ago...please click here to see my June update pictures and video. Anywho, please watch the video below for a full update on my current length, regimen, and emotional state! Click "Read More" to see the pictures and video!

Avocado Disaster Update!

Hey heart breakers! I am back with an update on how the avocado fiasco worked out. If you have no clue what I am referring to, please click here to read about what happened to me a few days ago. So last time I left you guys, I was headed to the shower. I Shampooed my hair with Roux Porosity Control shampoo. I  then did an Aphogee 2 minute protein treatment. I followed that up with Roux Porosity Control Conditioner. While that was still in my hair, I combed through my hair in tiny sections. I never really comb my hair, but I wanted to make sure I got all of the avocado crud out of my hair this time lol. So, combing through my hair in tiny sections was about a 40 minute process...whew! My hair is reallllllly thick, so that's why it took so long! I then hopped back in the shower and rinsed out the Roux Conditioner. After getting out of the shower, I noticed that my hair seemed to be pretty much back to normal. Pictures of my end result are below...

Homemade Avacado Deep Conditioner = Epic Fail!

When it comes to beauty, veggies and fruits aren't only used to help maintain a balanced diet and tight physique! Some of them are used for hair and skin treatments as well! My latest experiment was making a homemade avocado hair conditioning treatment & facial mask! Before I get to the details of my horrible experience, let me give you a list of the ingredients that were used in my mixture.

Ingredients for my hair conditioner:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 2 tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of light mayo

I mixed all of the ingredients in a bowl and tried to "mash" the avocado well enough to get rid of any clumps. I even did a little mashing with my hands too! I then applied the mixture to my head, and put on a plastic cap and then covered that with a head scarf to seal in the heat and help it "marinate" so to speak. I left  the conditioner on for about an hour or so while I worked out and did some stuff around the house. I then used the left overs as a facial mask! The facial mask part went well, but the hair - not so much.When I removed the plastic cap I noticed some of my curls were almost straight(forgot to snap pics of this)! The ones in the back had maybe an inch of almost straight ends, and the hair was able to touch my shoulder...while curly! The hair was NOT like that before doing the treatment.

Your Big A** Afro Is in the Way!?

Big hair is fierce, fun, and sexy...but can it be an inconvenience to those around you in public?? This is one question that has stood out in my mind lately. I look forward to having a long/big afro one day(hopefully by the end of this year), and I have been thinking about how it will effect those around me. See the video below for a full explanation. Also, feel free to chime in with responses in the comment section of this post.

I Finally Big Chopped it ALLLLL Off!

Hey everyone! I finally big chopped all of my relaxed ends off. I did it on April 1st, 2011! Please enjoy the videos below! The first one is footage of me actually chopping off my hair. The second video is a slide show of my TWA (Teenie Weenie Afro)! Enjoy!



Raw footage of me doing the big chop:

-It is kind of long, but I wanted to show the entire thing without heavy editing. This was a major moment in my life, and I want to be able to share it in its entirety. Also, I talked throughout the entire experience, so it should be somewhat interesting to watch.









Pictures of my natural hair post big chop:

-This video is very short and to the point. It is basically a slide show of my 1st week as a natural. I did wash and goes and even attempted my first puff! Check it out!