Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Loves! Guess what this gal was blessed with for Christmas? Yes a camera! Expect more and better post! Again enjoy your holiday and have a happy New Year.

Preview

My Experience with Rainwater

Like any other natural I'm always looking for new things to try out with my hair, but I kind of hit a slump with that. I don't really have to funds to go out and buy new products every other week and even if I did I put myself on a product fast (my bathroom cabinet can't take all those products) so buying anything was out of the question. Anywho... Thursdays are my designated wash days (I skipped last Thursday thanks to laziness) so there was no question of whether or not should I wash my hair.
So once I got home and sat around for a little bit, procrastinating of course I then decided to wash my hair. But then I heard the thunder and seen the lightening... *sigh* that's the disadvantage of staying in North Florida, at any given time there will be a random thunderstorm. So I couldn't wash my hair because I find it dangerous to be near any kind of water while it is lightening. I then decided to mope at the fact that I couldn't wash my hair when an idea hit me! Rainwater!
I have tried numerous times to wash my hair in rainwater but every time I catch the water I leave it outside for weeks until the mosquitoes occupy it. This time I decided once it finished raining I would get the buckets and immediately wash my hair. So I set two buckets outside and came back for them an hour later after it finished raining. When I came back this is what I had..

How all that dirt got in there I don't know but I took care of that!

Honestly this takes a lot of patience....

Almost there...

Yay!!!No more dirt...it only took me no more than 20 minutes to do it all.

BENEFITS OF RAINWATER

Okay so I know some of you all maybe wondering why the heck she wants to try rainwater? Well here's a little spill. According to some sources rainwater which is "soft water" washes your hair better than tap water which is "hard water". It also is said to help cleanse the hair better and some people rave about how it makes their hair softer after a wash. I don't feel like getting all into it so here's a little article right here about it.: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/style/can-you-wash-your-hair-with-rainwater.htm

MY EXPERIENCE 

I really wanted to use the rainwater throughout my whole washing process but I didn't catch enough (I'll use a bigger bucket next time) so I decided to use it after I did a deep condition. I did my deep condition with "Organic Root Simulator Olive Oil Replenishing Pak"  I love that stuff, leaves the hair feeling great and is easy on the pockets. So after I let the conditioner sit on my hair for an hour I rinsed it out with the rainwater. That was VERY tedious, trying to dip that water out that small bucket on my head wasn't any fun...next time I just may use a pitcher and pour it on. Lol. Anyway it was enough water to get all the conditioner out. Am I happy with the results? Well to be quite honest I didn't feel an immediate difference, my hair is always soft after I rinse so I couldn't tell if the rainwater had made a difference. I added Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In in my hair and I then noticed a difference. Instead of my curls drying hard they do feel much softer and my curls are actually a little more defined. So I guess the rainwater does live up to the hype. 

WILL I USE AGAIN  

I'll continue to use rainwater because 1. It's free 2. I do believe the benefits of not using "hard water" will help my hair out in the long run and 3. It's all natural. Although I'm not one of those naturals who searches high and low for all natural products, I do believe it's good to use them . If I could change one thing about this experience is I'll use a bigger bucket so I can use it for all my rinses (I use do 2 when I wash). 

Well that was an interesting way to put a spin on my normal regime, will you be trying rainwater in the future? Let me know! -Krystal 

A little Update!

Hello how is everyone? First and foremost welcome new followers!!! I hope you enjoy the content thus far. I'm sorry that I haven't been posting as often. But SO much has been going on. School has me SO tied up at this point, thank God it will all be over with by next Thursday and I'll have a two week break before the Fall semester, so I'll be posting a few stories. My camera situation hasn't gotten much better but I have been working along with it. I'm also trying out new hairstyles so we'll be seeing a lot of that lately. So I'm wrapping up this rant right about now because I still have a paper I need to get back to writing. Lol. Just decided to give a little update. Thanks for your support and patience! -Krystal

Stretching my hair, Getting the most out of my growth

When you are natural you learn quickly that shrinkage is. I know as a natural we are told to embrace our shrinkage but sometimes you can't help but become aggravated with it. My issue with my shrinkage (my hair shrinks a LOT) is after my hair drys there is literally nothing I can do with it but wear an Afro. If I want to style my hair in it's dry, shrunken state it will more than likely involve me losing a LOT of hair because my hair is so tightly coiled it's almost impossible to comb through. So because of that I style my hair when wet, which is not bad but after I wash my hair I become lazy and would rather not be bothered with trying to style it. But recently I discovered the power of heatless stretching! What you do it get elastic bands and wrap them around your hair while it's wet causing your hair to be stretched rather than shrunken when it dries. I like this method because it doesn't require me to use heat and it elongates my hair and it helps me style my hair when it's dry. Here are some pictures of my hair before, during and after stretching.

Side View: Wet and Before Streching

Front View: After I stretched my hair and fluffed it out. Please ignore my face, I was just being goofy. Lol

Back View: All stretched out. 

Front View: Stretched...wonder could I wear this anywhere 

Side View: After I took the bands off.

Top View: After I took the bands off. I actually liked the definition I got from streching. If I parted it better I would actually wear this as a style. 

Before Stretching: My fro is getting BIG!  Again ignore this pose and face I was feeling myself a little TOO much. 

Side View: Stretched

Note: I'm doing this on my phone so I don't know why these pictures aren't in order -____-. I really dislike the Blogger app but it's extremely convenient.  

Also products I used on my hair while stretching is Castor Oil and Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In. Both left my hair soft and smelling lovely! Well that's all for this post. I hope you found this helpful! -Krystal 

Sampler's File: Aubrey Organics AND Kynx

Yes ANOTHER free sample well sample"s" in this case. In seems after I just got my goodies last week I opened my mailbox this week (Monday to be exact) and in there are two little packages containing Aubrey Organics and Kynx. My first reactions was excitement and then the second was "Not again! It's going to take me 2 months at LEAST to try out all this stuff." but it's all good. So lets see how the goodies look why don't we?

Aubrey Organics

So as you can see Aubrey Organics is very generous. I went on their website, emailed them and they then replied and asked for my address and two weeks later they sent the samples that they choose (yep I had no say so in what they sent me. Lol ) But I am satisfied with what I got.

One of the samples they sent me was Lavender Ylang Ylang Shampoo and Conditioner and it is for all hair types. 

I also got Honeysuckle Rose Shampoo and Conditioner which is for dry hair. 

And I also have the Camomille Luxurious Shampoo and Conditioner which is also for all hair types.

This is a little odd pile.In this pile I have the J.A.Y Desert Herb Shampoo which is for Dry and Damaged Hair, for some reason I did not receive the conditioner with this. I also got the B5 Design Gel which is styling gel and conditioner. And last but not least I got NuStyle Organic hairspray that is suppose to hold your style in place...trying this should be interesting seeing as NOTHING holds my hair in place. 

Knyx

Prior to my adventures with free sampling I had no idea about the brand Kynx. But I heard some fellow naturals mention it and I decided to contacts them. Their website is www.knyxhaircare.com and I contacted them, they sent me a kick reply and 2 weeks later the samples came in. The first thing I noticed about them was a LOUD smell but it's a nice smell! I hope it leaves my hair smelling that nice. In the above picture in the larger container that is their "Leave in Moisturizer", according to the website it's for hydrating the hair and it can be used alone or with a styling gel or cream. 

In these two little cute pouches I have "I am Unique: Texture defining gel"  which is suppose to be used on wet hair for curl defining. And in the other pouch I also have another sample of "I am Fierce: Refreshing Leave-In moisturizer." well I find that weird... but that's good, I'll probably get coverage all of my head with both the container and pouch they gave me. 

Well that's all folks! I will be having a field day with all these products! Remember to contact these companies yourself. You'll never know what you'll get. -Krystal

Sampler's Files: Curls.Biz

                                                                         
Yep, some more free samples and it hasn't even been a week yet! Earlier this week I got my Miss. Jessie's and yesterday when I got home I was welcomed with my Curls samples! Like Miss. Jessie's I was amazed at their service. I went to their website (www.curls.biz)  and went to the "Contact Us" bar and filled out one of those forms and asked did they give free samples. A few hours later I got an email telling me yes and pick out three products I would love to try. Then exactly a week later I get them in the mail! That's what I call good business!
The products I choose were the "Curls Ecstasy Hair Tea Conditioner" which is a deep conditioner that can help dry damaged, or chemical processed hair. The website also says it's best to use it with heat. Another one was  "Curls Milkshake" which is used to define curls, the website says it's better for lighter curls that doesn't need much oil. That maybe a problem for me seeing as I have a lot of hair and it's thick but we shall see, that's what sampling is all about, testing a product out and seeing if it works. Then there is "Cashmere Curls" which is a Leave-In it contains ingredients such as Coconut Milk and Aloe Leaf, so this should be interesting. I'll be trying these products and writing a review after I try out my Miss. Jessie's so that should be in 2 weeks seeing as I wash my hair once a week.
Well that's all on this free sample. I should be receiving some more in the up and coming weeks and I will be sure to let you all know. Don't be afraid to reach out to these companies and sample for yourself, some will say yes and some will say no but you'll never know unless you try. Besides if you get a yes you'll get free hair products! That's always a good thing for us product junkies. Lol :-)
Another thing... I'm so sorry for this small piss poor picture! My Iphone and my HP have been going through the motions with my pictures. I'm still praying on receiving a camera and I hope it happens soon! When I do the review I hope to have better pictures for you all!
Thanks for bearing with me! -Krystal 

5 Tips For Transitioning

Image: http://fuckyeahnaturalhair.tumblr.com/post/3947899498/bantu-knot-out

By far one of the hardest parts of going natural was the transitioning phase. The main reason why I found it hard was because I had no idea what to expect and I hadn't the slightest clue how to take care of my hair. But as soon as I started researching I found out things that worked best for my hair and I would like to share those tips.

Trim Your Hair 

No matter what state your hair is in your should trim it but it's especially important to trim when you are transitioning. It's important to keep your hair trimmed so that it can stay free from fairy knots and split ends which can lead to breakage. No, trimming does not make you hair grow any faster but with you keeping it trimmed you are sure to retain length rather than lose your length. Also when should you trim your hair? I say trim whenever you feel it's needed. I've heard things such as every 6 weeks, 6 months or once a year but honestly your hair may need trimming more frequently than every 6 months or less than every 6 weeks. Just make sure you pay attention to your ends and know when it's time for them to be clipped rather than follow a time schedule. 

Styling

Styling transitioning hair can be tricky due to the fact that you are dealing with two textures. The best way to deal with the both of them is to blend both of them. Styles that can help blend relaxed ends and the natural roots are flexi rods, perm rods, curlers, braid-outs, twist outs and bantu knots. If you do not know how to do these styles yourself you can easily look them up on a blog or Youtube. My usage of Youtube was HEAVY during my transitioning period, I was always looking for styles. Another way of styling is weave. The weaves that I found the easiest to deal with during transitioning was braids and Senegalese (rope) twists, they provided a way for me not to deal with my hair for awhile. Wigs and half wigs are also a great way to transition. Sew-in's are also a nice way to transition but you have to be careful about leaving hair out and trying to blend it with the weave by using heat and that brings me to the next point.

Limit Your Heat Usage

Heat damage is not a pretty thing. I remember when I wore my first sew-in when I was transitioning and I left some of my hair out. I tried not to flat iron my hair but the Florida heat made that impossible every morning I would wake up and set my flat iron to the highest setting and proceed to burn my hair. Even though that was 9 months ago and I have since Big chopped I still can see signs of that heat damage so as you can tell heat damage is something you don't want to deal with. 

With the styles I have listed about they are all heatless so heat will not be needed to achieve them. So there is no reason for you to blow dry and/or flat iron your hair trying to achieve them. However if you choose to use heat on your hair don't use it often and make sure you use a heat protectant and set your drying and/or iron on the lowest heat setting so you won't end up frying your hair. 

Start Your Regimen Building 

Although having a regimen to take care of your natural hair isn't mandatory it's one of those things that is great to have. A regimen is a way to better take care of your hair to make sure it is healthy. Before I built one I use to just wash my hair with shampoo and (maybe) put conditioner in it then proceed to blow dry and  flat iron it, no wonder my hair always was so limp and lifeless. With a steady regimen that you will build you will already have a better idea of how to take care of your hair when you decide to go fully natural. I have friends who have transitioned for months and once they big chop they still don't know how to take of their hair. If you build a regimen while you transition you will most definitely have a better feel of how to take care of your hair and what products will and will not work once you go fully natural. 

Don't Be Afraid to Big Chop 

Yes this is a list about transitioning but sooner or later the ends will have to go. Some women transition for a few weeks others for a couple of years there is no correct or incorrect time period to transition it depends on how comfortable the person is with their natural hair. But honestly (I hope I don't step on any toes with this one. LOL) you may never feel comfortable with the thought of chopping your hair. Myself for example was never Gung-ho about cutting my hair but I began to notice I struggled with it everyday, my styles became limited, my permed ends where too straight, stiff and thin while my natural was curly, soft and thick (yes it was a horrible combo to deal with) and my bob I had wasn't flattering if it wasn't bone straight which I couldn't get it to be that way and weaves drove me crazy. All this and yet I refused to cut my hair, I finally broke down and forced myself to go to Super-Cuts and cut it all off and I made myself like it. I probably wasn't fully comfortable with my hair until a few weeks later then I loved it. The whole purpose of that little story was to say you may not be comfortable with cutting your hair but it will have to happen sometime. A guy who once did my hair told me, "You should never be afraid to cut your hair." I didn't fully understand him until I finally took that plunge myself. There will probably be some days where you don't like your shorter locs but just remember, "It's hair, it will grow back!" :-) 

Well that's all the advice I have for today guys! Remember I don't claim to be a stylist or an expert. I've learned from myself and others, I'm just here to pass along advice that I think maybe helpful for you. Hate it or Love it just let me know. Thanks again for reading! -Krystal 

Samplers Files: Miss Jessie's

So about a week ago... well actually a few days ago I was browsing some natural hair forums and the suggestion to contact companies that sold hair products and ask them for free samples was a pretty hot topic. So I immediately hopped on that bandwagon. A little background story on me: I'm a college student with no job who is a product junkie... that's not a good combo. I have been on a product junkie "detox" where I only buy a product if I have ran out of it, so far that's been going pretty good BUT I crave new products! Its just what a product junkie do. *shrugs* So it sounded like there was nothing to lose with asking companies for free samples. So the first company I approached was Miss Jessie's. Miss Jessie had a 50/50 reputation in the natural  hair community. I hear some naturals swear its a holy grail while others announce it as garbage. Personally I prefer to try a product out for myself and form my own opinion on it but... Miss Jessie isn't cheap so I wasn't about to dish out $20+ for a product that may not even work so I went to Miss Jessie's website ready to send an email asking for samples until... I seen on their website it had "Free Samples" I was shocked! I immediately clicked the link. There it took me to an ordering form where it told me to pick out 3 products. I picked out my three, "Creme De La Curl: Cleansing Creme", "Creme De La Creme: Conditioning Creme", and the famous Curly Pudding! So as I made my order they told me S+H was free too. Ahhhhhh double plus! So after I sent in my order I felt pretty satisfied. I had no idea when it would come in so you could imagine my surprise that only after 4 days my order came in, and this is how everything looked!

Yep all this came! Plus the booklets and the shopping bag. I cannot wait to try out her products and I will be sure to put a review up on the site about them. That probably won't be for another two weeks though because I currently have mini twists in and I have kept them in for a week too long and when it comes time to wash out all this gunk in my hair out I don't want to be testing out new products on it. So a review for Miss Jessie's will be up later. Also I have more samples on the way as I type so I will be letting you all know what companies you can get free samples from and perhaps what to expect. Another thing on a personal note I'm currently taking pictures with my IPhone because I don't have a camera so please bare with me and this quality I hope someday to have a real camera and put quality pictures on here but I'm currently taking it one day at a time, I will be blessed with a camera soon. Well that about sums it up! Hope you like my post! Please leave feedback, until next time Bonjour! 

Hair Inspiration Sunday!

Happy Sunday Everyone! I think I'd like to take time out to show a natural inspiration of mine! Drum roll please! Yes! It's Ms. Corinne Bailey Rae! Her hair always looks so nice a luscious to me! One thing that I can also appreciate about her hair is I remember how it looked like only a few years ago.  That to me gives me hope and lets me know that black hair truly grows! Right now I consider my hair to be at that beginning length right now and I want to try that curl hairstyle...it maybe in the works soon! I'll be sure to keep you all posted. But for know I can only dream of lengths that Corinne has inspired me to reach!

Back in action...sort of...

So I know I don't post on here as much as I should...and I also realize that I may need to put my self on a strict blogging schedule. Sooo how does 2x's a week sound? Good? Okay yeah... Lol. I also realize that I may have little to no audience but that's okay... I plan to get a few of followers soon. How does 10 by the end of the year sound? Good? Uhmm... Okay.

Tried a Flat Twist Out

I twisted on freshly washed hair. The products I used were Coconut Oil and Taliah Waajid which were great at holding in moisture. I am satisfied with the results but did it last a second day? Eh, another story.

Background

Last Perm: February 26, 2011
BC: September 27, 2011

Currently almost at 5 months post BC and I'm at that awkward stage...hmph!