WORLD Natural Hair, Health & Beauty Show

Hello Naturally Fabulous family!

For those that may be interested, the annual Natural Hair Show in Atlanta is being held April 10-11, 2010 this year. If you are in the area, and would like to go, I think it would be a great experience. I plan on going [for the first time] this year.  There will be demonstrations of hair styles and products... a fashion and entertainment show... and plenty of vendors to buy products and tons of accessories from.

Have any of you been? What was your experience like? Or do you plan on going?

You can find out more about it here  -->INFORMATION<-- (as far as hotel packages, vendor, ticket info is concerned)


-Brandiss

Not HIDING anymore!!

I decided to wear my hair out everyday of 2010 as a hair resolution.  Here’s why. Last year I began to let my hair grow after wearing it in a low cut for about 7 months. During the 7 months where I kept my hair short, being natural was EASY. I didn’t have any hair to fuss with or worry about, so concerns over my hair were non-existent.

Once I started to let it grow out, however, I noticed I was only happy with my hair when it was shiny, neat, styled and looked “managed”. Wild hair with no clear “style” was a major no-no and I avoided it like the plague. On days when my hair was not “up to par” I would cover it with a hat or a scarf and shamefully keep it hidden from the world. I could honestly go up to 4 days doing nothing to my hair and hiding it.

You may be wondering “What’s so wrong with that? When having a bad hair day isn’t it okay to cover it up and hide it?”

Yes and No.

While I was relaxed and weaved up, my hair was always hidden. Its realness was always camouflaged. I had negative thoughts about my hair and wanted nothing to do with it in its curly state. Chemicals and hair with price tags made me happy and made me feel pretty. My real hair was a burden. I didn’t know how to properly care for it and didn’t think it was necessary to learn. It was much easier to tuck it away and not even think about it. It wasn’t beautiful so hiding it was necessary and expected.

When I cut all of my hair off and decided to be natural, I had to begin the process of re-learning what was beautiful, acceptable and appropriate. But it wasn’t until I let my hair grow that I really came face to face with my ignorant beliefs of the past.

When I began growing out my hair, I went to great measures

to make sure it always appeared neat and styled and that every hair was in its place as to not offend or be too loud with my wayward, non-conformist hair style. There was a part of me that still found it okay to hide my hair and take the easy way out by not dealing with it for days on end. This became a problem to me.

In my observations of women (of all different races and back grounds) I noticed, for the most part, black women were the  ones who would regularly come out of their houses with their hair covered up. Whether it was covered to hide it, save a style for later, or in my case just not have to deal with it, it was US that I saw in large numbers hiding our hair. Whether it was under a weave, wig, rag, scarf or hat, it was US.

So then I thought to myself, if I am still hiding my hair for days at a time, what negative thoughts am I still holding on to? Why can’t I just leave out of my house like any other race of women with my hair just “doing what it do” and be content? Why does my hair always have to be styled? Other women I know (who are not black) didn’t seem to have the same preoccupation with whether or not their hair was styled. They just washed and went. Maybe they would add a few styling products or blow dry it or whatever they do to their hair, but they were free to walk out of the house at a moments notice and their hair didn’t have to be hidden.

Don’t get me wrong, I know other races of women wear hats sometimes and have bad hair days, I know that, but how often do they have bad hair weeks? How likely are they to have an arsenal of weaves and wigs to choose from on their dressers on underneath the bathroom sink? How likely are they to be on a first name basis with the person who sells tracks at their local beauty supply store? And I know we can argue this point to the ground about how other races do the same thing, blah blah blah, but that’s not the point I am trying to make here.

I want to experience the same freedom other women have. I want to be able to walk out of my house everyday with my own natural hair free. Whether it's styled or not, shiny or dull, nappy (yep I said it) or not. WHATEVER it is, I just want to feel okay with it. So that is why I resolved to wear my hair out everyday this year. To confront my demons head on and truly learn how to manage my hair day to day.

And let me tell you... it has been a struggle. We are only 3 week into the New Year and I have already covered my hair because it was too straight.  So this is a work in progress. Just like many of you, I am a relatively new natural and I am still working out the kinks in my mind. I am learning day by day how to accept myself, flaws and all. I am learning little by little to let go and just be SUNSHINE. Whatever that entails.

So here are the actual rules to my resolution. I have to wear my hair uncovered and out most of the time.  My hair can only be covered if, I am rocking a style that requires my hair to be covered like head wraps or when I am going for my hip hop look when I wear a cap and large hoops. I am not allowed to “hide” my hair. If I am reaching for something to cover my hair with, I have to ask myself, am I “hiding” my hair out of shame today? And if the answer is yes, I am not allowed to cover it. If the answer is “No, I just want to rock this scarf today or hat” then I am allowed. But uncovered days need to significantly outweigh the covered days.

And that’s that. What are your thoughts? Do you find yourself "hiding" under weaves, wigs, protective styling, hats or scarves? Are you a natural who has yet to wear your “real” hair “out” because you are still holding on to your old beliefs? What do you think about us being so content to hide our hair and not have the freedom to just “BE”?

***I am  not referring to protecting your hair from the weather, or choosing a protective style for whatever reason, but you know what I mean....I am asking about shamefully hiding your hair or hiding it so you don't have to deal with it.

I wanna know!

Happy Nappiversary!!! [by Brandiss]

Three years ago today...

I got the urge,

the urge to chop,

to chop the hair,

the hair that wasnt me.

I was afraid of the reflection...

she was too much for me,

for me to handle,

to handle and to accept,

to accept with no shame.

She told me I was perfect the way I am...

I told her she was crazy,

was crazy to think that,

think that I could love me,

love me with nappy hair.

I was determined to change my mindset...

God made no mistakes,

no mistakes when he crafted,

he crafted my coils and kinks,

coils and kinks that I have fallen in love with.

So, I guess she wasn't crazy after all...

I am perfect the way I am,

I am beautiful and Naturally Fabulous,

Naturally Fabulous, that's me,

That's me! She is now ME!

~Brandiss

Product Review: Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner [by Brandiss]

(pic courtesy of www.curlmart.com)

Product: Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner

Company: Elucence Beauty & Wellness

Price: $8.00 for 10oz/ $20.00 for Liter

Product Claims: "A balancing blend of natural olive oil and coconut, Moisture Balancing Conditioner moisturizes and protects your hair without weighing it down. Essential triglycerides add softness, shine and silkiness to your hair for effortless combing and minimized breakage." (www.elucence.com)

Ingredients: Panax Ginseng root extract, cetraria islandia (Irish Moss) extract, saccharomyces cerevisiea (Brewer's Yeast) extract, Gingko Biloba extract, pimpinella anisum (Anise) fruit extract, prunis persica (Peach) extract in purified water, hexadecanol, stearakonium chloride, certimonium bromide, Squalane (olive oil lipid), Capric Caprillic Triglycerides (coconut fatty acids), Panthenol (pro-vitamin USP), Biotin (USP), imisazolidinyl urea, methylparaben (USP), fragrance


My review: I love this stuff! It works wonders on my dry hair. On the bottle it says that you can use 3 different ways: 1) as a rinse out conditioner or 2) as a leave in or 3) as an intense moisture treatment with a heat cap. I have tried all 3 and prefer to use it as a deep treatment. Most times when I use it as a deep treatment, I will add olive oil and honey. After rinsing it out, it leaves my hair well mositurized and manageable.

I also use it as a detangler/pre-poo treatment. For example if I have been wearing my hair out for the whole week and its kind of tangled, I will put the conditioner on my hair and detangle each section and then twist or braid the sections and then I wash my hair concentrating on the scalp.

As a leave in, I didn't really like it. Once it dried my hair looked rather dull. I may have used too much so I will try that method again one day and report back to you all.

But overall, I am pleased. I think it is priced reasonably compared to some of the other good conditioners. Im just sad that I can't find it locally. When I bought the bottle that I have now I used a gift certificate that I won from the lovely Ms. Kcurly over at Newly Natural and I made sure that I got a LITER. (sidenote: I have tried this product in the 10oz bottle over a year ago which is why I got the Liter the 2nd time around)



Soooo, Have any of you tried this? Are you going to try it? What are your thoughts?

Protein Update

I did it! And boy am I glad. I have not seen my hair look as good as it did after the protein treatment since Christmas!

So here's what I did:

After writing the last post, I remembered, I don't have the luxury of jumping up and running to the store at the drop of a dime to go get hair supplies. Not with a recovering husband and 3 month old in the house. So I had to make do with what I had in the house already.

I used 1 organic banana, coconut milk, honey, and 1 organic brown egg. I mixed it all together and applied it to my hair. I didn't measure anything. I just put enough coconut milk in to be my base and perhaps 3 tablespoons worth of honey. But like I said, no measuring.

I let it sit on my hair about 1 1/2 hours and then rinsed. My hair looked much curlier than it had been lately. I followed up the treatment by doing a braid out. The results were AMAZING. My hair was soft and soooo cute the following day.

I was so busy enjoying my hair that I didn't take pictures. Sorry. But I'll take some tomorrow.

I liked the protein treatment and I will follow it up by doing it again in a week. My hair felt and looks great, but I know it still needs some TLC. I'll keep up with the protein treatments on a weekly basis (if I remember :D) for about a month just to see if it significantly effects my hair and the issues I've been having lately.

It's also time for a trim. I have decided to try to trim my ends every 6 weeks. The last trim I had I did myself. This time I am thinking of picking my hair out and having a barber go over it with the clippers. I figure if he (or she) shapes my hair and evens it all out, then my ends will subsequently be trimmed. But that's still up in the air, since I currently have no barber.

I'll keep you posted.

Here’s the 411 on eggs  (this info came from ehow.com)

Raw eggs contain a significant concentration of essential proteins and nutrients. Because of the high protein content, eggs can be used to strengthen hair follicles. Likewise, the nutrients work much like conditioners to add volume, shine and texture.

Raw eggs can be used in the same fashion as a standard conditioner. Many recipes for egg-based conditioners call for added ingredients. The addition of olive oil, lemon juice and other ingredients are common. However, the application of a single egg, two eggs for thick hair, is an effective and simple method to strengthen and thicken the hair.

Using eggs as a conditioning agent is simple. Simply beat an egg as if you were making a scrambled egg. Massage the scrambled egg into your hair and scalp. For longer hair, use a brush to sufficiently cover the hair and scalp. Let the egg sit in the hair for at least 15 minutes. Rinse the hair with cool or lukewarm water. Follow up by washing hair with the shampoo of your preference. Repeat the process on a weekly basis.

Do not use hot water to rinse the egg from your hair. Hot water can partially cook and harden the egg, making it more difficult to rinse from the hair.

The use of eggs as a conditioning agent has been met with mixed results. Most people that employ this method of hair care into their standard routine report stronger, thicker and more manageable hair. In some circumstances, users have claimed to experience renewed hair growth and increased hair coverage. However, the growth of more hair has not been proven by any scientific study.

Peace

U. K. R. by Brandiss: Update!

Hey Fabulous folks! Happy (late) New Year!  :)
The last few weeks have been crazy busy for me. I'm back now! And a big thanks to everyone who voted for our pic in the photo contest ---> HERE. We won 1st place!!!

So I figured I'd do an update on my hair first. So far it has been cooperating well. I guess my low manipulation has really been working.

birthday hair (updo twistout)*

(2ST pinned up)*

(back of pinned up style)*

I wore the twists pinned up for3 days then did a twistout. I let the twistout swell up over the next few days and kept it moisturized.

Wash day is today. So, I will probably do some small to medium sized twists on wet hair while watching the playoffs today and leave them in for the week. I want to try box braid but Im afraid my head is too big for that and they wont be full enough! What have you ladies been doing for protective styles? I would like some new ideas...

*please excuse the quality of the photos!

One word to describe my hair lately; BLAH!!

Lately I've been less than enthused about my hair! With the Post Partum Hair Loss and thinning, combined with losing my barber and then my texture playing tricks on me I have been in a hair slump. Mostly I have been wearing my hair in two large flat twists, or like this

The thing which is weighing the most on me is the texture. I miss my curls! Some of you have suggested that perhaps my hair is lacking protein and could be over moisturized. And I think you may be on to something. Natural hair needs moisture, but it also needs protein. Maybe not as much protein as a person with relaxed hair, but we still need it. Embarrassingly, I have NEVER done a protein treatment on my hair. So I got to thinking that perhaps it's time.

I immediately went to youtube and watched Chisellecoutures' video where she showed her protein treatment which she does twice a month. If you are familiar with her, you KNOW she has fabulous hair, so I think I'm going to give it a shot. Right after I finish writing this I am heading to the store to get my supplies. I'm excited!!

Aaaannnnddd I think this mayt be what I need to get some of those tight curls back. Y'all know that my hair was recently cut low on the sides and in the back right?, Well the hair is beginning to grow in a little and the new hair is curling up the way I remember. I guess this is a sign that the longer hair which has been around for a while is missing something. Perhaps protein is that somthing.....I'm hoping that's the case.

Wish me luck! What is your protein/moisture ratio? How often do you do protein treatments? What do you use for protein?

Does being pregnant change your texture too?!?!?!?

After that last post went up I began looking through some of my old blogs and photos. The pictures are bringing another though to the forefront of my mind.

Ever since I had Shea Baby I have not been getting the same results from my routine and products. My hair was soooo much curlier when I was pregnant. My curls were tighter and more plentiful. Now they are....less tight and  my hair doesn't hold styles the way it used to.

So now I'm wondering if being pregnant caused my hair to be curly before and now I'm going to be stuck with blah hair that doesn't want to curl and hold a style....

Please tell me that this too shall pass!

Too "GOOD" to be true?!?!?!??

My hair has been going through some ups and downs lately, but in the end, I am still in love with it. I recently OVERDOSED on Shea butter and ended up with hair that is laying down a lot more than I normally like.

Here's what happened:

I did an AMAZING deep conditioner made from Organix Coconut Milk Conditioner mixed with HONEY, BAKING SODA, COCONUT MILK and COCONUT OIL. I added the mixture to my hair and then covered it with a plastic cap. I was swamped with orders that evening so I ended up letting the conditioner sit in my hair for over three hours. My hair was SINGING praises to the mixture by the time I finally rinsed it out. My hair was soft and curls were popping and springing out from EVERYWHERE.

I then sprayed my hair with cUTIE jUICE cOCKTAIL and did large two strand twists with Shea Butter. I sprayed the sides with more cUTIE jUICE cOCKTAIL and used the Shea Butter like gel to smooth down the sides. I brushed the sides and then tied my hair down with a silk scarf.

I obviously OVERDID it with the Shea Butter because the next day my hair was STRAIGHT. I mean it really looked like it had been relaxed.  I was startled, sad and freaked out! I ended up wearing a cap that day to hide my hair. I don't know why, but I didn't want anyone to see my hair like that.

I also didn't want to wash my hair again so soon with it being so cold outside and me having to run as many errands as I did. After day one I had a stern talk with myself, and reminded myself of  my hair resolution to wear my hair uncovered every day and to no longer be ashamed of my hair when it was not "styled" and perfect. After that conversation I went out without a hat on and felt okay. Just because my hair isn't in an afro does not mean I am any less committed to natural hair acceptance (I had to tell myself this in order to feel better about how straight it looked.)

 Even though I wore it out, I felt weird when I saw people I knew. Like the ladies in the Post Office. It felt strange to see them with my hair the way it was. I didn't want them to think I had abandoned my beliefs and had gone back to the creamy crack. Then when I went to the barbershop with M, I felt like I was getting looks like " I knew you were going to get that hair "fixed" eventually!" I just felt like an imposter. It's hard to explain, but I felt weird.

But now, a few days later, it is looking more full and I am happy about it. It's starting to grow in on the sides more and I am falling in love more and more with the cut.

That experience with my hair brought up some questions for me. Am I being fair to myself by being upset that my hair was "straight"? Do I prefer kinky-er hair to my own texture? Do I think natural hair has to be in a fro or dreadlocks to be "natural" enough? Am I limiting the dopeness of natural hair?

I do find myself wondering sometimes if others actually realize my hair is natural. And when I try to talk to women about accepting their natural texture I feel as though they are looking at me like "Yeah, it's easy for you to say. You got GOOD HAIR." Just yesterday I was talking to someone about my hair and she made the comment that I didn't have a "bad grade of hair" to begin with. Those encounters make me sad. I  feel like I can't send the message I want because in the backs of everyones mind the're thinking I'm only preaching natural hair acceptance because I have "a nice grade" of hair.

Got feedback for me? I would love to hear it.

I found out where my FALLEN STRANDS were coming from!!

(If you would prefer to watch me dramatically act out my feelings on this subject please feel free to go here.)

So, remember I was telling you all about my post partum hair loss?!?!? And remember how I said I did not know where the fallen hair  had actually come from? I said my hair looked the same and I wasn’t missing the fallen strands….well I am eating my words now!

I found out where the hair was coming from. THE VERY TOP OF MY HEAD, y’all. Yes ! The very top my hair is SOOO thin I want to cry. I guess I didn’t really notice before because I had all of my other hair to keep me company. But now that I got the sides cut off, my style DEPENDS on the volume up top so it’s more noticeable.

A couple weeks ago, M said something about the top looking a little less full than normal, but I didn’t think anything of it. I just thought it needed a little fluffing. NOPE! It’s thinning out.

So now I have to be more creative with the manipulation of my hair in that area. I’m also developing an action plan. I’m going to try castor oil mixed with a few essential oils and start massaging that into my scalp. I am also going to look into veggies that are good for hair health. I’ll keep you posted on my healthy hair diet as it further develops. I’m seriously contemplating doing some fresh fruit and vegetable juicing to see how that helps.

As sad as I am about this hair situation, the silver lining is, I can use this experience to help others and also  bring this subject into the light (I mean NO ONE mentioned this to me before I got pregnant, so I wonder how many others out there are as oblivious to this as I was). AND I get to possibly come up with a new product for Peace Love and Sunshine Products!!

This is yet another moment when I am SO HAPPY I AM A NATURAL!! I don’t even want to imagine what this experience would be like with a relaxer. The curlies camouflage the loss very well. My appreciation of short hair is also helping, because if push comes to shove I won’t be too hurt if I have to just cut it all off and start over. I mean it’s just hair {*gasping* did I just say that?!?!?}, I can live without it. But let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that :D

In the mean time check out my hair. It’s still cute :D

Peace

~Sunshine