tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80230029223778109932024-03-18T23:41:44.065-04:00EliteBeauty13<center>Randomness of Natural Hair and Life</center>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-59835451409151074512011-04-20T11:24:00.000-04:002011-04-20T11:24:02.740-04:00Death to the Tangle Teezer!When I first started using the Tangle Teezer, I thought I had found my holy grail detangling tool. I was in complete awe at how well it removed tangles as it gently glided through my hair. But alas I was plagued with an unusual amount of rough and split ends. It was so bad that I ultimately ended up trimming about an inch off my ends. I love the feel of fresh healthy ends, but I'm disappointed that I am no longer grazing APL. I have to return back to old faithful, my wide tooth comb. I chucked the tangle teezer in the garbage, so i can't be tempted to use it again.elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-87420393701815181382011-04-19T09:37:00.000-04:002011-04-19T09:37:31.200-04:00Wash n' Go Part 2: Eco Styler - Olive OillI am so late posting this. Last week I tried another wash n' go using Eco Styler - Olive Oil. Although I used a tad bit more gel than needed, I was in love with the results. The best part of the whole experience is I managed to get second day hair.<a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-dance005.gif" /></a> I could not believe it. Now, if I can find a way to make it last 3-4 days, I'll really think I'm doing something.<br />
<br />
Here's the videos:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/4zfZM6KNrCw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/cjbVjTPbpYs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Hope you enjoy.elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-12840531757842406952011-04-07T21:03:00.000-04:002011-04-07T21:03:13.273-04:00Wash n' Go Part 1: Conditioner onlySince the weather is starting to get warmer, I want to revisit the wash n' go. I haven't worn this style in almost a year, when my hair was drastically shorter. At the time I was doing a true wash n' go. Meaning I did all detangling, product application, and styling in the shower. Since my hair is longer, I'm on a quest to find a technique that will give me great results with minimum knots and tangles.<br />
<br />
The first technique I used was the conditioner only method. Not to be confused with the Tightly Coily method. I did not follow Teri's instructions. If you are not familiar with her technique, check out <a href="http://www.tightlycurly.com/">Tightly Curly</a>. Anyway my video is below. Tell me what you think.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q96kccrM05I?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-27877853773281439672011-04-02T16:40:00.000-04:002011-04-02T16:40:13.558-04:00Bantu Knot Out on Wet Hair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wg9fYnWTLHg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-19127483674242890452011-03-14T19:24:00.000-04:002011-03-14T19:24:19.225-04:00Cornrows / Two Strand TwistI usually wear my hair in two strand twists or a bun when protective styling, but this week I really wanted something a little different. So, I cornrowed the front and one side of my hair. Then two strand twist the end of each cornrow and the hair that was left out. I curled the twist with flexi rods. I really like the style and it will definitely become a staple protective style for me.<br />
<br />
Here's the pictures:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhIFnFIE6MHVt6k8m6zKnU_bohBOAepY8XLZlR0FFZQ94rNmiPauJUpGwU35qUhAm-3dAmfHOZjK75dLcorJitY-bdEennNT7gNHHfShx0y1on-z0XEDWCDEGK3MA_FUsDOl9SYfw_4o/s1600/Picture0162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhIFnFIE6MHVt6k8m6zKnU_bohBOAepY8XLZlR0FFZQ94rNmiPauJUpGwU35qUhAm-3dAmfHOZjK75dLcorJitY-bdEennNT7gNHHfShx0y1on-z0XEDWCDEGK3MA_FUsDOl9SYfw_4o/s200/Picture0162.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqZ0zrGwPNJqbnsYufQg2HaPdiLY_nj9NRaDOLhWua-riiBK8uJYUSkgKUtMTxS5twWVOkRlMHrKIt610VSJ3X2cj7p-8AeefooDZAYgd0bdmY30E-KQFBbFknrDJM7hVBcaPH1NMc6U/s1600/Picture0164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIqZ0zrGwPNJqbnsYufQg2HaPdiLY_nj9NRaDOLhWua-riiBK8uJYUSkgKUtMTxS5twWVOkRlMHrKIt610VSJ3X2cj7p-8AeefooDZAYgd0bdmY30E-KQFBbFknrDJM7hVBcaPH1NMc6U/s200/Picture0164.jpg" width="184" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwehmIQSWZ8rSeJDmK4Gpq51e60u2y4-dHzg3juUdy-If2HZgtWhoO8PTeqVsIKz7PVhalkOnp63wseYTiy6T7Ap8OAGA9NJ-fQEsYEAD8kedOc1Kc0De1pSUYa6YIKHTGV4qXS-NJqs/s1600/Picture0163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwehmIQSWZ8rSeJDmK4Gpq51e60u2y4-dHzg3juUdy-If2HZgtWhoO8PTeqVsIKz7PVhalkOnp63wseYTiy6T7Ap8OAGA9NJ-fQEsYEAD8kedOc1Kc0De1pSUYa6YIKHTGV4qXS-NJqs/s200/Picture0163.jpg" width="200" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was really late when I decided to do this style, so there's no video...sorry! </div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-46039948860878473902011-03-09T16:18:00.000-05:002011-03-09T16:18:00.426-05:00Banana Clip on Twist Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Zf51mmnAso?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-66098828395638551222011-03-04T20:11:00.000-05:002011-03-04T20:11:35.802-05:00Herbal Essence Touchably Smooth Conditioner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.herbalessences.com/m/products/ts/pp_ts_c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.herbalessences.com/m/products/ts/pp_ts_c.png" width="72" /></a></div><br />
I've seen several great reviews for various Herbal Essence conditioners, but none for the <span style="color: magenta;">Touchably Smooth</span> conditioner, so I decided to give it a whirl to see if it can compare to my beloved <span style="color: magenta;">HH Hello Hydration.</span> I've been using it exclusively for a little over a month as a co-wash, rinse-out, and leave-in.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">What they say:</span></b> It's in the stars! See smoothness in your future? How about some protection from humidity? Try this deep conditioning formula for all hair types so your path to soft, smooth hair is perfectly clear.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">What I say:</span></b> <span style="color: magenta;">HH Touchably Smooth</span> is one of the best smelling conditioner's I've ever smelled. It smells like a bed of beautiful flowers on a warm spring day...lol. This conditioner definitely makes my hair feel extra soft, however it really does not live up to the claim of making hair smooth. The few times I've used it for a leave in, I found that it doesn't play very nice with other products, such as oils and gels. I honestly can't be too disappointed that it's not a great leave-in because it wasn't specifically designed for that purpose. I believe that this conditioner would be great to use in the summer time for co-washing. <span style="color: purple;"></span><span style="color: purple;">Will I use the rest of my stash?</span> Of course. I love the smell, I love the way it makes my hair feel.<span style="color: purple;"> Will I ever buy it again?</span> I'm still not sure about that. It has some good qualities, but I've used better. It really depends how well it blocks humidity during warmer weather.<span style="color: purple;"></span>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-27404160722658185062011-03-04T19:19:00.001-05:002011-03-09T06:08:18.725-05:00Tangle Teezer - First Impressions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.justbeautifully.co.uk/images/prod/tangle-teezer-black-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.justbeautifully.co.uk/images/prod/tangle-teezer-black-large.jpg" width="200" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I received my Tangle Teezer about 2 weeks ago. I've used it once on myself to detangle after clarifying and deep conditioning. My hair was soaking wet with no product for detangling. At first I was hesitant to use this brush without a detangling product, but it was a breeze. I was able to detangle my entire head in about 5-10 minutes. It usually takes approximately 20 minutes. The best part is, I experienced absolutely no breakage. I was quite impressed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've also been using the Tangle Teezer on my son's hair. The first time I used it on him was to dry detangle before I washed his hair. His hair is generally fairly easy to comb through, whether it was dry,wet, or damp, but this time it was completely effortless and took practically no time at all. I did notice one downside to dry detangling...there were a few broken hairs, but not enough to be completely distraught about. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next time I used it on his hair, I dampened it a little with a few spritzes of water. It was still very easy to use and an added bonus...no broken hairs. So for now on, I'll be sure that his hair is at least damp when I use the Tangle Teezer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So far, I can say that I'm in love with the Tangle Teezer. I will be taking <a href="http://www.curlynikki.com/2011/02/updates-tangle-teezer-and-watermelon.html">Curly Nikki's advice</a> to not use excessively and keep a check on my son's ends as well as mine because we both have thin strands of hair and it seems that a few thinned haired people have expressed adverse effects from using the Tangle Teezer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><b><span style="color: blue;">The next time I use it on my self I'll be sure to do a video.</span></b>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-77726858666439168002011-02-28T22:58:00.009-05:002011-03-01T01:33:02.504-05:00End of Month Check-in - FebI skipped my mid month weigh end because I really didn't feel motivated to continue on the weight loss journey. I honestly didn't notice the results of my hard work, so I just did not want to be disappointed. However, this past week I went to visit my biggest critic and biggest supporter...my mom. She immediately told me that my weight loss was noticeable and I probably shouldn't loss too much more weight, but simply focus on toning. Hearing that from her gave me the push I needed to continue my journey to a healthier more fit me.<br />
<br />
Anyway, enough procrastinating...on to the good stuff. When I stepped on the scale today, it said 142.3. I loss a little over 5 lbs this month. <a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-happy023.gif" /></a> To most people, that may not seem like a lot, but I was thrilled beyond measure. I had to do a little dance. <a href="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php" title="Smiley"><img alt="Smiley" border="0" src="http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-dance007.gif" /></a> I'm in it, to win it.<br />
<br />
<b>Next Goal: <span style="color: blue;">Have a firmer, flatter stomach by my 26th birthday.</span> <span style="color: magenta;">2 months 13 days to work on it.</span></b>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-64104741592086715602011-02-17T23:57:00.002-05:002011-03-04T18:48:30.116-05:00Tangle Teezer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.yourtantrum.com/ekmps/shops/tantrum/images/tangle-teezer-7-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://shop.yourtantrum.com/ekmps/shops/tantrum/images/tangle-teezer-7-p.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><span style="font-size: small;">The Tangle Teezer has been the new "it" thing in the natural hair community for the last couple of months. I have seen mostly positive reviews from woman with various textures, density, length and curl patterns. It was so much positive press that I am intrigued to try it myself...and I'm certainly not one to jump on bandwagons. Lucky for me I actually won one from a give away by youtuber <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/jcokes7">jcokes7</a></span> (thanks girl), so I will be receiving it soon to give a review.<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Here's what the makers of Tangle Teezer have to say about their tool:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: blue; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Do you suffer with tangle prone hair?</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="bold"> Ask yourself </span>- are you a hair criminal who is repeatedly guilty of torturing your hair with inappropriate brushes or combs that only tug, tighten and tear tangles from your hair? If the answer is yes, help is at hand. Hair rehabilitation is painless and easy with <span class="italic">Tangle Teezer</span>.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;"> Change your hair brush not your lifestyle. </span></i> <i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; padding: 0px 20px 0px 50px; text-align: left;"> </span></span></i></div><div style="color: blue; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; padding: 0px 20px 0px 50px; text-align: left;">A <span class="italic">Tangle Teezer</span> hair brush will break the cycle of broken hair and give tangled hair the brush off. A revolution in detangling hair, it has the ability to flex and not pull upon contact with tangles, gently and effortlessly delivering smooth and shiny hair in an instant.</span></span></i></div><div style="color: blue; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; padding: 0px 20px 0px 50px; text-align: left;"> </span></span></i></div><div style="color: black; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; padding: 0px 20px 0px 50px; text-align: left;">Here are some of the reviews from youtube:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/ydAvmf_aPqs/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ydAvmf_aPqs&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ydAvmf_aPqs&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/U1ZTNaddS5s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/k_u8aWuS4hw/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k_u8aWuS4hw&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k_u8aWuS4hw&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/tOC2FFLFCS4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="color: black; text-align: left;"></div><div style="color: black; text-align: left;"></div><div style="color: black; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; padding: 0px 20px 0px 50px; text-align: left;">Hope these help. I will be doing a review soon. </span></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; padding: 0px 20px 0px 50px; text-align: left;"><br />
</span></span></i></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-64061248620107117392011-02-14T11:11:00.000-05:002011-02-14T11:11:02.703-05:00Natural Ladies (Single Ladies Spoof)I thought this song was really cute. I've listened to it so many times already. Hope you enjoy it too.<br /><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KtGmPWTHaK0?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" width="480" frameborder="0" height="295"></iframe>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-46600926191435652902011-02-10T10:30:00.006-05:002011-03-04T18:26:40.872-05:00Hair Typing: FIA<div style="color: blue;"><b>Disclaimer: I am not promoting one hair typing system over the other. Nor am I alleging that one hair type is superior to another. It is my belief that all hair types are beautiful and can grow to great lengths with the proper care.</b></div><br />
FIA's hair typing system goes a step further by incorporating density into the the equation.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<div style="color: blue;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">FIRST CLASSIFIER: Your curliness <i>(or lack thereof)</i></span></b></div><div style="color: magenta;">The straight ones </div><ul><li>1a – stick straight</li>
<li>1b – straight but with a slight body wave, just enough to add some volume, doesn’t look wavy</li>
<li>1c – straight with body wave and one or two visible S-waves (e.g. nape of neck or temples)</li>
</ul><div style="color: magenta;">The wavy ones</div><ul><li>2a – loose, stretched out S-waves throughout the hair</li>
<li>2b – shorter, more distinct S-waves (similar to waves from braiding damp hair)</li>
<li>2c – distinct S-waves and the odd spiral curl forming here and there</li>
</ul><div style="color: magenta;">The curly ones</div><ul><li>3a – big, loose spiral curls</li>
<li>3b – bouncy ringlets</li>
<li>3c – tight corkscrews</li>
</ul><div style="color: magenta;">The really curly ones</div><ul><li>4a – tightly coiled S-curls</li>
<li>4b – tightly coiled hair bending in sharp angles (Z-pattern)</li>
</ul><div style="color: blue;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">SECOND CLASSIFIER: What (most of) your individual strands look like</span></b></div><div style="color: magenta;">F – Fine</div>Thin strands that sometimes are almost translucent when held up to the light. Shed strands can be hard to see even against a contrasting background. Similar to hair found on many people of Scandinavian descent.<br />
<div style="color: magenta;">N – Normal</div>Strands are neither fine nor coarse. Similar to hair found on many Caucasians.<br />
<div style="color: magenta;">C – Coarse</div>Thick strands that where shed strands usually are easily identified against most backgrounds. Similar to hair found on many people of Asian or native American descent.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: blue;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">THIRD CLASSIFIER: Your overall volume of hair</span></b></div>Put your hair in a ponytail with as much hair as possible in it. Don’t bother with the way it looks – the goal is to have most/all of your hair in there. If it means it sits smack dab on top of your head, put it there.<br />
Measure the circumference of the ponytail. If you have bangs and/or you can’t get all of your hair in there adjust according to how much of your hair you have measured.<br />
<div style="color: magenta;">i – thin (less than 2 inches/5 centimeters)<br />
ii – normal (between 2-4 inches or 5-10 centimeters)<br />
iii – thick (more than 4 inches/10 centimeters)</div><br />
If you are having difficulty determining the thickness of individual hairs, this might help:<br />
Take a strand of hair from the back of your head. Roll the strand between your thumb and index finger.<br />
<div style="color: magenta;">Fine Hair — Your hair is difficult to feel or it feels like an ultra-fine strand of silk</div><div style="color: magenta;">Coarse Hair — Your hair feels hard and wiry. As you roll it back and forth, you may actually hear it!</div><div style="color: magenta;">Medium Hair — Your hair feels like a cotton thread. You can feel it, but it isn’t stiff or rough. It is neither fine or coarse.</div><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Credit: curlista.com</i></span> <br />
<br />
<div style="color: white;"><b>According to FIA's system my hair is 3C/4A, F, ii. This means that I fine strands that are a mixture of tight corkscrews and tightly coiled s curls with normal density. When my hair is in its natural state it can appear to be rather thick. However, once straighten it becomes obvious that it is not. </b></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-58911378941906465812011-02-10T08:49:00.002-05:002011-03-04T18:28:23.828-05:00Hair Typing: LOIS<div style="color: blue;"><b>Disclaimer: I am not promoting one hair typing system over the other. Nor am I alleging that one hair type is superior to another. It is my belief that all hair types are beautiful and can grow to great lengths with the proper care.</b></div><br />
The LOIS system is more descriptive than Walker's. It incorporates strand size, amount of sheen/shine and the general curl/wave patten of one's hair. A healthy, undamaged, virgin hair strand, meaning one that is not processed, relaxed or colored, is needed. Examine Your Hair Strand: Select a single strand of the most common type of hair on your head. Aim for 70%, so if you have different textures, use the most common texture on your head. The hair should be freshly washed without products applied to it and rinsed in cold water. Or, gently rinse a single hair with a little dish detergent and rinse in cold water. Allow the hair to dry on a bit of paper towel so that you can look at the pattern without touching it. <br />
<br />
<div style="color: magenta;"><b>Step 1: Find Your Pattern:</b></div><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">L</span> </b>- If the hair has all bends, right angles and folds with little to no curve then you are daughter L. <br />
<br />
<b style="color: blue;">O</b> - If the strand is rolled up into the shape of one or several zeros like a spiral, then you are daughter O. <br />
<br />
<b style="color: blue;">I</b> - If the hair lies mostly flat with no distinctive curve or bend you are daughter I. <br />
<br />
<b style="color: blue;">S</b> - If the strand looks like a wavy line with hills and valleys then you are daughter S.<br />
<br />
You may have a combination of the LOIS letters, possibly with one dominant. If you cannot see one letter over the others, then combine the letters. Example: LO or IL or OS..<br />
<br />
<div style="color: magenta;"><b>Step 2: Find Your Strand size:</b></div>A strand of frayed thread is about the thickness of a medium sized strand of human hair. If your strand is larger than this, then your hair is thick. If your strand is smaller than this, hair is thin, or fine..<br />
<br />
<div style="color: magenta;"><b>Step 3: Find Your Texture:</b></div>Shine is a sharp reflection of light while Sheen is a dull reflection of light.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Thready</span> - Hair as a low sheen, with high shine if the hair is held taut (as in a braid), with low frizz. Wets easily but water dries out quickly.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Wiry</span> - Hair has a sparkly sheen, with low shine and low frizz. Water beads up or bounces off the hair strands. Hair never seems to get fully wet.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Cottony</span> - Hair has a low sheen, a high shine if the hair is held taunt and has high frizz. Absorbs water quickly but does not get thoroughly wet very fast.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Spongy</span> - Hair has a high sheen with low shine with a compacted looking frizz. Absorbs water before it gets thoroughly wet.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Silky</span> - Hair has low sheen, a very high shine, with a lot or low frizz. Easily wets in water.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Credit: tytecurl.com</i></span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: blue;"><b>Since the ends of my hair are dyed, I cannot accurately use the LOIS system. However my best guess at my hair type for this system is OS, thin/fine, spongy. Since my hair tends to make O and S shapes, it is easily knotted. Thin/fine hair is very fragile and prone to breakage and split ends. This lets me know that my hair will most likely fair better in stretched out styles ie. twist outs, braid out, and etc. Now that I know my hair tends to be spongy, I know that it's important to seal in any moisture my hair retains from water before my hair loses it all.</b></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-10406362343928551022011-02-10T02:35:00.001-05:002011-03-04T18:29:32.196-05:00Hair Typing: Andre Walker<div style="color: blue;"><b>Disclaimer: I am not promoting one hair typing system over the other. Nor am I alleging that one hair type is superior to another. It is my belief that all hair types are beautiful and can grow to great lengths with the proper care.</b></div><br />
<div><b>Hair Stylist to the stars, Andre Walker has classified hair into various hair types in his book <i>"Andre Talks Hair"</i>. This system is the most commonly used to classify hair wave pattern.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Type 1a </b> - Straight - Hair tends to be very Soft, shiny, difficult to hold a curl, hair also tends to be oily, and difficult to damage.<br />
<br />
<b>Type 1b</b> - Straight - Hair has lots of volume & body.<br />
<br />
</div><div><b>Type 1c</b> - Straight - Hair is normally bone straight and difficult to Curl. Asian women usually fall into this category.<br />
<br />
<b>Type 2a </b> - Wavy - Hair has a definite "S" pattern. Normally can accomplish various styles.<br />
<br />
<b>Type 2b</b> - Wavy - Hair tends to be frizzy, and a little resistant to styling.<br />
<br />
<b>Type 2c</b> - Wavy - Hair is also resistant to styling and normally very frizzy; tends to have thicker waves.<br />
<br />
<b>Type 3a</b> - Curly - Hair tends to have a combination texture. It can be thick & full with lots of body, with a definite "S" pattern. It aslo tends to be frizzy.<br />
<br />
<b>Type 3b</b> - Curly - Also tends to have a combination texture, with a medium amount of curl.</div><div></div><div><br />
<b>Type 3c - </b>Curly Kinky - Hair tends to be fine in texture and densely packed. Hair can be kinky or very tightly curled approximately the size of a pencil or straw.</div><div></div><div><b>Type 4a</b> - Kinky - Hair tends to be very Fragile, tightly coiled, and has a more defined curly pattern. When stretched out usually have an "S" shape.<br />
<br />
<b>Type 4b</b> - Kinky - Also very fragile and tightly coiled; however with a less defined curly pattern -has more of a "Z" pattern shape.</div><div></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Credit: naturallycurly.com </i></span></div><div><br />
</div><div><span style="color: black;"><b>According to the Andre Walker system I have a mixture of 3c and 4a hair. It is mainly 3c with a patch of 4a right at the crown. I take this to mean that when styling my hair I have to be extremely gentle with my crown because it has a tendency to be dryer than the rest of my hair. Thus I have to very diligent in keeping this area moisturized because it is prone to breakage.</b></span><i> </i></div><div><br />
</div><br />
<ins style="border: medium none; display: inline-table; height: 90px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 728px;"><ins id="google_ads_frame1_anchor" style="border: medium none; display: block; height: 90px; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 728px;"></ins></ins>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-63182479972824320612011-02-10T01:52:00.002-05:002011-02-10T08:56:27.973-05:00Hair Typing Systems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dreamstimemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/hair_types.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.dreamstimemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/hair_types.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some people believe that hair typing systems are useful in determining product selection and styling options. Others believe, for various different reasons, that these systems do not serve any true purpose in the natural hair community. When I first started visiting hair boards and forums, I would sit for hours on end trying to determine my hair type and others. I found it very intriguing. As my journey has progressed, I no longer have any strong feelings about typing systems one way or another. I have gotten great results from various products that are raved about by people with my hair texture and people without my texture. I believe that finding the right products is basic trial and error. What works for one person may not work for another.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When analyzing hair people should focus on the hair's elasticity, porosity, texture, density, and wave pattern.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Elasticity</u></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The hair's elasticity is the measure of how much the hair will stretch (and return to a normal state). Healthy hair, when wet, will stretch up to 50% of its original length and return to its normal shape without breaking, while dry hair will only stretch about 20%. Elasticity is rated as being low, normal, or high. Hair's elasticity comes from the side bonds in the hair shaft. Hair with normal and high elasticity is easily styled with wet-roller sets, thermal styling tools, etc., while hair with low elasticity may prove hard to curl, or lose its curl quickly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Porosity</u></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Porosity is the measure of the hair's ability to absorb moisture. This is determined by the condition of the hair's cuticle layer (the overlapping scales of the hair shaft), and is rated as low, normal, and high. In normal, healthy hair, the cuticle is compact and inhibits the penetration of the hair shaft by moisture - both moisture going in, and moisture coming out. When the cuticle is overly compact and prevents the penetration of the hair by moisture it has low porosity. Hair with low porosity is harder to process, and is resistant to hair color and perms. Low porosity hair must usually be softened prior to other chemical services. Hair with high porosity is hair whose cuticle layer is open and the hair too-readily absorbs moisture. Overly-porous hair also releases moisture easily and becomes dry and is easily damaged. Acid-balanced conditioning treatments are used to contract the cuticle layer and lock-in moisture on overly-porous hair.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Texture</u></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hair texture is the measure of the circumference of the hair strand itself. Professionals classify the texture of hair as being "coarse", "fine", or "medium". Coarse hair has the largest circumference, and fine hair has the smallest. Medium texture indicates a middle-range of the size of the hair shaft, it's considered normal and poses no special considerations regarding processing and chemical services. Coarse hair is stronger, for obvious reasons - it has more substance. However, coarse hair can also be harder to process, and can be resistant to hair coloring services, perming, and straightening. Fine hair, conversely, is often very easy to process, and can be over-processed easily and is susceptible to damage from chemical services. <span style="color: blue;"><b>This should not be confused with wave pattern!</b></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Density</u></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hair density is the amount of hair strands on the head. Generally, it is measured by counting the number of hair strands found in one square inch of scalp. When a stylist tells you that you have thick hair, it is high density he/she is describing. Generally, the classifications of hair density are thin, medium, and thick, and are unrelated to the texture of the hair. The average head has approximately 2,200 strands of hair per square inch, and a total of approximately 100,000 hairs.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Wave Pattern</u></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The hair's wave pattern is different from the other elements of hair analysis because its classifications have no reference to the health of the hair. Any of the wave pattern types can be found in healthy hair. The classifications for wave pattern are straight, curly, very curly, and coiled. Hair with absolutely no wave in its length is straight hair. Straight hair can be coarse, normal or fine. Curly hair has wave to it. A curly hair strand will form a distinct 'C' shape when short and an 'S' when longer. Very curly hair will make an 'S' when short and a repetitive wave when allowed to grow out. Very curly hair tends to be 'bushy' when worn long. Coiled hair strands do just that - they coil in spirals as they grow out from the scalp. The coils can be very tiny and give a kinked look to the hair, or they may be finger-sized ringlets.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Credit: hairfinder.com</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With all that I said, I still feel that its only fair to share information about hair typing systems because many people want to know their type for one reason or another. To remain unbiased I will discuss the three main typing systems in future posts in this order:</span></div><ol style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Andre Walker</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">LOIS</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">FIA</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-size: small;">If someone is interested in using a hair typing system, I personally believe that one of these three can be of some use. Which one a person decides to use should depend on how the level of simplicity or complexity they are looking for.</span>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-49178038443410114522011-02-03T17:54:00.001-05:002011-02-10T09:25:09.638-05:00Flexi rods on Braids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwt-s0JoFPFAnVPJv2NI_xiGiMAYS7kXZlmQgahiPq3QuBI-eq7iYNtBakgavZgnpHte3SNDFs_47-ZlftGX45euKEZeSmaen4xHWOgCVXM9sJjbP46B9nh_ewwDkNZ132LeUnwEjYSM/s1600/Picture0118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwt-s0JoFPFAnVPJv2NI_xiGiMAYS7kXZlmQgahiPq3QuBI-eq7iYNtBakgavZgnpHte3SNDFs_47-ZlftGX45euKEZeSmaen4xHWOgCVXM9sJjbP46B9nh_ewwDkNZ132LeUnwEjYSM/s320/Picture0118.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I finally put the flexi rods in my hair. Honestly, the results are very similar to the perm rods on the two strand twist. Anyway I really like this look a lot better. Now I feel like my time was not wasted. The video is attached below:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2iesvUeINi8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-17364019386547031852011-02-03T11:18:00.002-05:002011-02-07T17:17:32.990-05:00Protective Style Challenge UpdateImmediately after posting my last entry, I began to put individual braids in my hair. I put a little evoo through out my hair mainly concentrating on my ends prior to braiding. I did not use any other products. It took me 3-4 hours to get these results:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid540FFmAJ1SMEwDVW8XK7DTN683DjD-XCt8HHC5A2pPrNl94u-uuu2QAo0_M1uIFMJCSiFViSr6m47QCGf7pN-QY9gBjaasW_vWwSljk9ZlSSOnW7fXLY08l6NSfUSE6Ht5EqTVhiwRc/s1600/Picture0100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid540FFmAJ1SMEwDVW8XK7DTN683DjD-XCt8HHC5A2pPrNl94u-uuu2QAo0_M1uIFMJCSiFViSr6m47QCGf7pN-QY9gBjaasW_vWwSljk9ZlSSOnW7fXLY08l6NSfUSE6Ht5EqTVhiwRc/s200/Picture0100.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8_M_zEpe0ZcG0hC6g0dDfWsBVTJnC7qO5Rdi2Sy4hkikrhniHcwOssLhxLDDW_a1ZqJpbe1A-J5HFUUnnxS-G1yUFNNscBxmJKukZ8gr_JcLAZC_8ltAepNjmZBdxml2BaKaxOKKLac/s1600/Picture0101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8_M_zEpe0ZcG0hC6g0dDfWsBVTJnC7qO5Rdi2Sy4hkikrhniHcwOssLhxLDDW_a1ZqJpbe1A-J5HFUUnnxS-G1yUFNNscBxmJKukZ8gr_JcLAZC_8ltAepNjmZBdxml2BaKaxOKKLac/s200/Picture0101.jpg" width="200" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I honestly was not very happy with the results because it doesn't look as full as I would have hoped. My husband said he liked it, but I just wasn't feeling it on me. We were on our way out shortly after I finished, so I really didn't have time to figure out how to fix it so I settled for this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11Os__C79eTnm2ErA2PBfWJE03fAnUrMB8EpY9AL5zMfqLxw8RRhGyJtEteLi_P7wEzesdEuwzJ7QEE0RA_jScnEkRye98Migt89zrclSa-ZO1gDGY3-IsQQUrGs0DaOJBDbMHgCzLLg/s1600/Picture0103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11Os__C79eTnm2ErA2PBfWJE03fAnUrMB8EpY9AL5zMfqLxw8RRhGyJtEteLi_P7wEzesdEuwzJ7QEE0RA_jScnEkRye98Migt89zrclSa-ZO1gDGY3-IsQQUrGs0DaOJBDbMHgCzLLg/s200/Picture0103.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes, I spent all that time on these braids just to pull them back into a bun. I was highly upset with myself. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Yesterday, I had a few errands to run, so I clipped my hair up like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOdyH27likzuE1f0k504h036jWZ8rCiFs5Tg63JcMFCye9pozWaievk93dVWpzsE2ZmIA8b5V8TW-gzXf7ngivbNw30f-LMtZq2IGzoSZVOGMWkmuOB_nr3MAgHHe9tGsWQUhXUdcNBE/s1600/Picture0104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOdyH27likzuE1f0k504h036jWZ8rCiFs5Tg63JcMFCye9pozWaievk93dVWpzsE2ZmIA8b5V8TW-gzXf7ngivbNw30f-LMtZq2IGzoSZVOGMWkmuOB_nr3MAgHHe9tGsWQUhXUdcNBE/s200/Picture0104.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAp3MQb8oFD4Q_kZyQpsd8Tx6TWVGeeuQhQifbGGI3sh58X-pWXVppg_C5IzSLyOetIQMgvXxXkYL7INhMENspnV1aH46iTQ7lvU3_fX5xKwK4nJfHYMEYk3grViMlrMfbDJLidADJMI/s1600/Picture0105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAp3MQb8oFD4Q_kZyQpsd8Tx6TWVGeeuQhQifbGGI3sh58X-pWXVppg_C5IzSLyOetIQMgvXxXkYL7INhMENspnV1aH46iTQ7lvU3_fX5xKwK4nJfHYMEYk3grViMlrMfbDJLidADJMI/s200/Picture0105.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>I'm still not a happy camper. So today, I'm going to do conditioner-only wash (co wash) with <span style="color: magenta;">Herbal Essences Touchably Smooth Conditioner</span>. Then I'll roll my braids on my favorite styling tool...flexi rods. Hopefully a little curl will give me the illusion of fullness I desire. I spent too much time putting these braids in not to enjoy them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll be back later tonight or tomorrow with the results.</div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-32956410247416078852011-02-01T13:46:00.004-05:002011-03-04T18:32:41.719-05:0028 Days of Protective Styles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSx_YZdx5vQ4vWUxQTRyhzsFZl3qT3RACdBs51Eaq-5AO0eQSEesiPQ8aU42kopOzV2nHIPks2oF70nhOWSJHP6YeE_39lex1nzrtQFiaHIex92c3L5ST_ahZVW0Bs4Ge9QrvR-fjZTEc/s1600/Picture0098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSx_YZdx5vQ4vWUxQTRyhzsFZl3qT3RACdBs51Eaq-5AO0eQSEesiPQ8aU42kopOzV2nHIPks2oF70nhOWSJHP6YeE_39lex1nzrtQFiaHIex92c3L5ST_ahZVW0Bs4Ge9QrvR-fjZTEc/s320/Picture0098.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>I'm on a personal challenge to protective style for the entire month of February. In my opinion a protective style is any style in which your hair is protected from harmful elements such as the cold weather, direct heat, rubbing on clothes, and etc. These styles include buns, mini twist, individual braids, cornrows, wigs/weaves. This month, flat ironing, wash 'n gos, and puffs are definitely a no go for me. The only way I will be able to wear a twist out, braid out or bantu knot out is if I immediately bun or pin the hair up.<br />
<br />
Although my ends will be protected it still is very important for me to keep my hair moisturized and sealed. Currently I'm trying various moisturizers and leave-ins but my sealants of choice are shea butter and extra virgin olive oil (evoo) depending on my mood and/or hairstyle.<br />
<br />
Right now, my hair is in the high bun pictured above. I <b><span style="color: black;">did not</span> </b>use heat to get the sleek look. I stretched my hair with flexi rods. Either tonight or I'll be putting individual braids in my hair for the next two weeks. I'll be posting challenge updates periodically throughout the month.<br />
<br />
Live...Laugh...Loveelitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-66297408082993130242011-01-31T23:12:00.005-05:002011-03-04T18:33:32.579-05:00End of Month Check-in: JanI'm going to make this one really short because I am so disappointed with myself. Over the last two weeks I've managed to lose less than 1lb...yeah you read that right<span style="color: blue;"> </span><b style="color: blue;">less than one freaking pound</b><span style="color: blue;">,</span> taking me from 148.6 to 147.8. I know where I went wrong, those darn honey buns my husband brought home, he knows they are my one true weakness. I think he may be trying to jeopardize me on purpose...lol. I'm just kidding. Anyway on a positive note, I didn't gain any weight, so I'm still heading in the right direction, just at a slightly slower rate than intended. Well, I'll see what the next two weeks will bring.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Short Term Goal: Say NO to Sweets!!!</span>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-15954007615239532932011-01-28T21:47:00.003-05:002011-01-31T23:28:32.851-05:00Jill Scott & Alicia Keys Inspired Hair Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYB88T3I0teQtIrOILYmdQcP_DSffyijsZCRbA5f8_el9w0ZmW7kPf2-ejYwskQp82q5mnBIbrl4hmwGFJF33vai2uUVOSc7T7BUJELRZ6pzSpCYPy61BLyaFG-s66F7B2gABusv8eNNk/s1600/Picture00818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYB88T3I0teQtIrOILYmdQcP_DSffyijsZCRbA5f8_el9w0ZmW7kPf2-ejYwskQp82q5mnBIbrl4hmwGFJF33vai2uUVOSc7T7BUJELRZ6pzSpCYPy61BLyaFG-s66F7B2gABusv8eNNk/s320/Picture00818.jpg" width="276" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So after I did my banana oatmeal hair treatment last night, I was bored and surfing the web checking out celebrity hairstyles. I ran across two hairstyles that truly spoke to me so I decided to style my hair. Before I get into what I did let me show you the lovely ladies that inspired me: Jill Scott & Alicia Keys.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndNQDmUwC6CAmgk6KZuPP7bdbUNKRd1n4fLTYMRtIIE-nj6BCoPI3wIx6TI9KadnTabvZGfDWhfqepcFSNlC1gweKHGMrw-mmKGMiL7TA_s7xqQcXmR0A3BcXhLAgIH0EAsA-ZorTp0g/s1600/jill-scott-hairstyles.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndNQDmUwC6CAmgk6KZuPP7bdbUNKRd1n4fLTYMRtIIE-nj6BCoPI3wIx6TI9KadnTabvZGfDWhfqepcFSNlC1gweKHGMrw-mmKGMiL7TA_s7xqQcXmR0A3BcXhLAgIH0EAsA-ZorTp0g/s200/jill-scott-hairstyles.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://thirstyroots.com/jill-scott-hairstyles.html</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tFdLvjMUqNIForAhy0nHXlO8FD5C5jLs4a0rX7vZQyBq4AFVZZHqvPG7q4EYJ4qNzPA9cHchnbeAYnFbWmk7gA6ng661tl1jaxNa7VxXrtP5Bx7Y4dI7fgIXQSWX6nOV7hSPv7dkI0g/s1600/celebrity-hair-styles-extremely-curly-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tFdLvjMUqNIForAhy0nHXlO8FD5C5jLs4a0rX7vZQyBq4AFVZZHqvPG7q4EYJ4qNzPA9cHchnbeAYnFbWmk7gA6ng661tl1jaxNa7VxXrtP5Bx7Y4dI7fgIXQSWX6nOV7hSPv7dkI0g/s200/celebrity-hair-styles-extremely-curly-13.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.curly-hair-styles-magazine.com/celebrity-hair-styles-extremely-curly-13.html</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8tFdLvjMUqNIForAhy0nHXlO8FD5C5jLs4a0rX7vZQyBq4AFVZZHqvPG7q4EYJ4qNzPA9cHchnbeAYnFbWmk7gA6ng661tl1jaxNa7VxXrtP5Bx7Y4dI7fgIXQSWX6nOV7hSPv7dkI0g/s1600/celebrity-hair-styles-extremely-curly-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<br />
<b> Tools Needed</b><br />
<ul><li>Spray bottle with water</li>
<li>Rattail comb (for parting)</li>
<li>Rubber bands to secure twist (optional)</li>
<li>Flexi rods</li>
<li>Eco Styler Gel (holding agent of choice) </li>
</ul><b>Steps</b><br />
<ol><li>Separate the section you want to twist or braid. Secure the remaining hair out of the way with a hair clip or ouchless band.</li>
<li>Twist or braid this section in whatever design you choose. Secure each twist/braid with a rubber band.</li>
<li>Roll the remaining hair on flexi rods. Be sure each section is wet and apply holding agent before using rods.</li>
<li>Let hair air dry over night or sit under hooded dryer.</li>
<li> Remove flexi rods and separate curls.</li>
</ol>*<i><b>Curls will loosen as hair style ages.</b></i><br />
<i><b>*</b>If you want a tighter or smaller curl try a straw set or coil out. If you want a more of a wave or crinkle try a braid/twist out. You can also do a wash and go if you prefer your natural curl pattern.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8HbTLnJJh0NDhkcd4Fv4hAOxo0p-vQ43ZRLdi4ICmeCTRNF4l4fH5U_YHWFZUW_enzf1leR-oWD0_Le_EYQ_KDyDvX49pSMa0Wk4fXgGkR6JiOyxxb6ohExEqm3mzcSOSnqB9mdyZSI/s1600/hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8HbTLnJJh0NDhkcd4Fv4hAOxo0p-vQ43ZRLdi4ICmeCTRNF4l4fH5U_YHWFZUW_enzf1leR-oWD0_Le_EYQ_KDyDvX49pSMa0Wk4fXgGkR6JiOyxxb6ohExEqm3mzcSOSnqB9mdyZSI/s400/hair.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-62514519248120174482011-01-28T20:24:00.018-05:002011-01-31T23:17:08.298-05:00Banana Oatmeal Hair Mask<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVd1jUPd4HU28_xWjH-lYUHT9rcJKPdDbwwz_zhhxloMpubjKVZZ3QL4nisDwKFJHe6Do9LsMb09rRVpq3zRGQN0UbI2NxTqDN7nG6nCaZIGWlb_oBX-W-lhqYWLuOfivErr7elRKoHmM/s1600/make-banana-oatmeal-mask-200X200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVd1jUPd4HU28_xWjH-lYUHT9rcJKPdDbwwz_zhhxloMpubjKVZZ3QL4nisDwKFJHe6Do9LsMb09rRVpq3zRGQN0UbI2NxTqDN7nG6nCaZIGWlb_oBX-W-lhqYWLuOfivErr7elRKoHmM/s1600/make-banana-oatmeal-mask-200X200.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">* This treatment can be used as a deep conditioner. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">** You can also use it as a skin mask minus the olive oil and add honey.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ingredients</span></b></div><ul><li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 4oz jar banana baby food / 1 whole banana <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(if using a whole banana smash it, put in food processor, & strain it to make sure there's no chucks)</i></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 large egg</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 table spoons unsweetened oatmeal</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">few drops of olive oil <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(sorry didn't measure)</i></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">few drops of milk <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(sorry didn't measure)</span></i></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Instructions</span></span></span></span></span></span></b><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mix oatmeal, olive oil, and milk in glass or plastic bowl until it becomes a paste.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Add egg and banana to mixture and stir until well blended.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apply evenly to detangled hair in small sections from roots to ends.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let set for at least 15 minutes then rinse with cold/cool water. <b>DO NOT USE WARM/HOT WATER BECAUSE IT MAY CAUSE EGG TO COOK IN HAIR.</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shampoo, Condition, & Style as usual.<b> </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ol><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <b>Benefits of Main Ingredients</b></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Banana</b> enhances strength. endurance, and shine of hair. Helps prevent split ends. Combats dandruff problems. Also helps retain scalp moisture.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Oatmeal</b> is a well known gentle cleansing agent which fights dryness and itchiness of the scalp. It also promotes soft and shiny hair.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Eggs </b>are rich in protein which leads to stronger strands and less breakage. It provides moisture to hair causing smoother and shinier hair. With continuous use it could lead to thicker hair.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ol><br />
<div style="background-color: white;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: magenta;">My Experience With The Hair Mask</span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">First let me say, I AM IN LOVE with the Banana Oatmeal Hair Mask. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">I've been searching for a while for a recipe that could serve as a homemade hair mask and deep conditioner, but just couldn't find one that I found totally appealing, so I put my thinking cap on and took ideas from various hair and skin recipes and tweaked them to my liking and came up with this concoction. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">It's thick enough to use as a mask, yet creamy and moisturizing enough for a deep conditioner. And for an added bonus the egg gives you just enough protein to strength the hair strands without making your hair hard and brittle.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">While applying the mask to my hair, I immediately noticed that my curls and ringlets were becoming well defined. I was in complete awe because no commercial product has ever given my hair that much definition. After about 30 minutes I rinsed the mask out and shampooed with Suave's Naturals Tropical Coconut Shampoo. To my surprise my curls were still well defined and very soft before using my regular conditioner (Suave's Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner). I let that set for about 5 minutes then rinsed it out.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>What's my verdict? </b>Like I stated earlier...I love this stuff. I'm definitely glad I took the time to do my research on the ingredients before starting to mix things together. This is only my first time using it but I can honestly say the main ingredients surely live up to there claims. My hair felt stronger, softer, and smoother. It was shiner. And the dry scalp I was experiencing in the front of my head is currently nonexistent. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">Next time, I'll be using it as a deep conditioner. Hopefully the results will be as great.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"></div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: #444444; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: #444444; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></span></span></span><i> </i></span></span></span>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-57744830666028520832011-01-24T10:36:00.002-05:002011-01-28T20:32:48.695-05:00Styling Two Strand Twist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexKMe19jB1FIFHfk6D9AEJpOgKdakqds1EC6WmQ9cDYN08eHtn_MF-eg888Nj3QZsdlOWP5m4GEftcxKDzIeSjFp4JeGXihYDafLR77u3QDAmEJLmlEvavKx2kDANUGBuFoAtzwmX3rE/s1600/Picture0080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexKMe19jB1FIFHfk6D9AEJpOgKdakqds1EC6WmQ9cDYN08eHtn_MF-eg888Nj3QZsdlOWP5m4GEftcxKDzIeSjFp4JeGXihYDafLR77u3QDAmEJLmlEvavKx2kDANUGBuFoAtzwmX3rE/s320/Picture0080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So I've had my hair in twist for two weeks now. I don't think I've had this much fun with my hair in a while. The styling options for twist are limitless. I put together a short slide show of some of the styles I've tried over these two weeks. Some of them I really liked, others were complete failures...but hey, you win some, you lose some, but you live to style another day...lol. Corny right, I know, but I couldn't care less. Enough rambling, on to the video. Hope you enjoy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/KDB7JfyB6eI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-9434905948399930432011-01-23T20:16:00.000-05:002011-01-23T20:16:31.712-05:00Perm Rods on Two Strand Twist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/x3bWTV75zQc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-6318513512406640232011-01-19T16:08:00.001-05:002011-01-19T16:08:39.799-05:00Transitioning TipsI recently found out that a few of my friends are transitioning at the moment. One of them asked me for some tips that helped me through my transition. These are the things that I shared with her;<br />
<br />
1. Make sure you keep your hair moisturized, especially at the line of demarcation (where the relaxed and natural hair meet). This is the weakest part of hair, and where most breakage occurs.<br />
<br />
2. Get a good leave-in conditioner, rinse-out conditioner, and deep conditioner. You don't have to spend a lot of money on them. Look for key words like moisturizing or some equivalent. <br />
<br />
3. If you experience a lot of shedding and/or moisture overload. Try a light protein treatment such as Aphogee 2 min every 6 weeks or so. The Aphogee 2 step may be too strong. Be sure to do a moisturizing deep conditioning treatment after the protein treatment.<br />
<br />
4. Comb/detangle hair with a wide tooth comb, starting from the ends to the roots. This helps cut down on breakage.<br />
<br />
5. If you comb your hair dry, try doing it in smaller sections.<br />
<br />
6. Instead of using hair grease, try some natural oils or butters such as olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, or shea butter.<br />
<br />
7. If you decide to straighten, make sure to use a heat protectant to avoid heat damage.<br />
<br />
8. Check out youtube and some natural hair blogs such as, curlynikki.com, strawberricurls.com,maneandchic.com, and confessionsofablogvixen.com for styling tips.elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023002922377810993.post-50731857746711162011-01-19T15:57:00.003-05:002011-01-23T20:17:37.174-05:00Bantu Knot Out on Two Strand Twists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/LNBfVN0mONw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>elitebeauty13http://www.blogger.com/profile/01753157993342013254noreply@blogger.com0