Curly Gal Wigs

Shout out to the awesome cashier at Walmart. Blessings to you always, here is my website. Below is my newest crochet wig.

curlygalwigs.yolasite.com

My Havana Twists Installation

Well, I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. We went to my Uncle's cookout Saturday and Monday just stayed inside. Monday was the perfect day for me to install my Havana Twists.

I've been eyeballing the style for a minute, scouring Youtube and practicing the invisible braid method. So, Monday night I was feeling myself, and I had the nerve to start installing the things around 7p.m.  Seriously?!  LOL

I purchased 7 packs of hair a few weeks ago. The Janet collection Havana Spirit is really cool. It's not rough at all. I think I finished around 3 or 4 a.m., Mind you I took a few breaks.  Below is the finished product.

Now, I have to pat myself on the back because I had it going on with the way I twisted these things, unfortunately I wasn't too happy with my parts. Also, my hair is not coarse and dense so in some areas, there wasn't a lot of hair to attach the twist hair too. You would think I have a full head of hair just by looking at me, but sadly I do not. It was because of that aspect that I uninstalled these twists in under 45 minutes. LOL  I never went to bed Monday night and that was fine with me. 

The hair was entirely too heavy for my tastes even though In the past I've had Nubian Twist extensions twice. It was uncomfortable and annoying and I missed seeing my fro. This was supposed to have been a style to help me fight the shrinkage and give Vi a break from the normal wear and tear, but you know what? I think I'll do wash and go's and updos for the rest of the summer. 

I purchased 7 packs of hair, used only 3 and I've got four packs left so I'm selling those on my site, Black Dymond Naturals. 

 I'm going to crochet a wig for myself because for me, I think wigs may be a better option. Don't get me wrong, braid extensions are wonderful, but unfortunately they're not for me. 

Finally Mastered My Wash & Go

Okay, so I wrote a post about my modified wash and go a few days ago. You can see this post here.  Now there are two more times I've tried a wash and go. (not counting my faux wash and go's). Once was about two years ago when I was pressed for time. I had just finished washing my hair and had lost time. Back then my wash routine was about 4 hours. So I had to hurry, apply my leave in conditioner, moisturizer and some gel. I did a high puff and was out the door. Now that's a wash and go! LOL

Last summer for date night with hubby I did a wash and go but it came out crunchy, and I didn't stretch it so there was some shrinkage. But you see, this was a few months after I had my mom cut my hair to about chin length.

Well, over the weekend I did a twist and curl. Saturday night I took my hair down and it was fluffy and curly. Due to the humidity (it rained before we left the house) my hair swelled but it was nice & fluffy. Halfway through dinner it shrank a bit but it was so full and still fluffy. The texture was off the chain!  I absolutely loved it. By the time we came home, it was still nice and so full of moisture and I slept on it. LOL  The next morning I didn't suffer from tangles because my hair was full of moisture. I used ouchless bands to stretch the hair and twisted before leaving the house around 2 p.m.

Well, as you know, it was very humid yesterday and Vi shrank. LOL  So, I'm telling ya, I'm too through with twist outs (for now).  I'm sure if I used some grease or some type of anti humidity product I could rock my twists outs, but I feel the need to experiment more with wash and go's for the next week or so.

Last night I tested another wash and go on my damp hair.  Applying products to sopping wet hair isn't for me. I did the usual method of sectioning the hair. I applied my leave in, then my oil mix. After that I apply moisturizer and then saved my Eco-Styler gel for last. I piled my hair on top of my head and secured it with a few large scrunchies. Also, this made for a great workout hairdo. This is the way I slept.

The next morning I took my hair down, unsure of how it would turn out. You know what...

I'm digging this look. I absolute had no problems with the take down this morning. I spread some oil mixture on my fingers and arranged my hair the way I wanted it, that's it. I didn't mist the hair with water because my hair will shrink to my ears.

I love more volume with my Wash and go's. I had some shrinkage, but not a lot. My hair brushes against my shoulders a little. Today was supposed to be wash day, but I'm going to experiment with maintaining this wash and go tonight. Instead of pineappling, I'm going to mini pineapple in sections to see how much volume I can obtain on the top and sides of the hair.

It's 1 p.m., I've been out in the humidity today but I still have my length and volume and movement. Now for those of you who think us 4c curlies can't do wash and go's, I urge you to take the time and experiment a little. Perhaps it's the products you're using, or maybe you think a leave in and gel is key. I made that mistake last year and I did experience some tangling and SSK's.

Although I slept on my hair Saturday night(morn) I didn't have any tangles or SSK's.  Even now I don't have those worries. My hair remains soft (no gel cast) and I'm really glad I didn't give up on the wash and go.

When I wash my hair tomorrow night, I'm going to put it all up on my head while the hair is kind of damp and rock a cute curly puff top knot for Wednesday.

Peace!

5 Things You Can Do When You Are Beyond Frustrated With Your Hair

We love our natural tresses and nurture them the best we can. It’s a no-brainer that sleeping in a scarf or bonnet helps to maintain moisture in our tresses. But sometimes, we need a little change.

5 Things You Can Do When You Are Beyond Frustrated With Your Hair

New Jewelry for Sale

Good morning all. I have added two pairs of earrings and a necklace to my site.  All items are hand made. The faux mother of pearl pierced earrings come in beige, and the black and red earrings are also pierced.  If you prefer an item in another color, email me and let me know.

My favorite piece out of this collection is the necklace below. I think I had a Native vibe going on there with this one. Feathers are hand painted gold. All items can be purchased here. 

My Modified Wash & Go

Let's face it, the humidity has increased and it's going to get worse. Last year I remember fighting my shrinkage tooth and nail by twisting small every night. Sometimes I gave my hair a break, but it would only be once out of the week.

I co-washed last night and deep conditioned with coconut milk, honey, and olive oil. This is how my hair looked earlier today.  So, by the time I picked "The Teen" up from the bus stop, went to the grocery store and made a stop at the postal office, came home and unloaded the groceries, Vi was shrunken. I had no more hang time. She was still moist, but since last night was wash night, I needed to supply her with more.

So, I figured maybe dampen the hair, add some of my moisturizer then my gel. I was playing around with just leaving it alone at first.  Just look at that. Nice and fluffy. Now see I don't mind the pic below. I wish my wash and go's would just stay like this. I swear for cheese n crackers I think I need to grow hair to my a@@ to keep it looking like the pic below.

Now here's a pic of me with hair that is fully dry.  Um, No Bueno!  Maybe I'm just not used to totally shrunken hair. I do prefer my length. I've embraced shrinkage very well, but there's only so much shrinkage I can take.  I've never liked the way I look with short hair. Heck, I'm having flashbacks from the 80's when mom cut the relaxer out of my hair so I could get that Jheri Curl I so desperately wanted. My hair was short back then and I felt it necessary to wear earrings bigger than my head just to let people know I was a girl.  *smdh*  I've got to find some of those old pics, scan them and post them for you guys. 

Anyway, I've used the diffuser and concentration nozzle in the past for my wash and go's but they don't help any. I like nice, fluffy WnG's. I mean, pinned up on the sides I can do, but I've got to have the fullness. 

Anyhoo, I proceeded to part my hair in 6 sections, loosely twisted and added small perm rods.  

I know, I know. This isn't a true WnG, but it is my modified version of one. It's a shame because I love the look of a wash and go but I need lots of stretching. LOL  Check out my bangs. I love how they look here. Since I have several different textures, I don't get this look all over my head. But, that's okay!  I'll post some pics of the outcome tomorrow morning.  So for now, Adios peeps!

Okay, here is how my hair turned out this morning! Yay!!!

Now I'm digging this look so much better. So there you have it, my modified version of the WnG!

* Update * 

I've mastered my Wash & Go.  

Great Hair Days

Hey curlies! Happy Belated Mother's Day to you. I'm showcasing a few pics from the past couple of days.

You know it's been humid, and I'm happy to say I've finally stopped fighting shrinkage. There was a time when I twisted my hair two or three times a day in order to maintain that length.

 The pictures above are from Saturday. I co-washed my hair Thursday night.
I was digging the results on Friday, Note the nice definition. By the time hubby and I got home it was 1 a.m., the hair shrank a little, but not too much.


Sunday, Mother's Day was a very busy day. I managed to get myself roped into dancing in front of the church. * sigh * I could have used a little more rehearsal time, but that's okay. Mothers and daughters danced together, it will be a most memorable moment.

This pic is Sunday evening after a nap. * Yawn * Yes, I definitely needed a nap after all the commotion. We went to my Gram's house and ate.

And the picture above is from today. Not bad for only twisting in large chunky twists over the weekend. My moisture retention is on point because I experienced no tangling or knotting when Vi shrank.

Soooo, if you notice in the pic, my hair was a little fuzzier so I decided to wash it tonight. Vi seems to prefer being washed every 4-5 days. You've got to remember that when sealing moisture into the hair with oils and butters, you may not be able to go a week or two in between washes. I've done it before but my hair gets so dull and becomes a bit hard. Putting layers of moisturizers/gels over already sealed hair can be a recipe for disaster.

Til next time....oh, and if you haven't already, check out my homemade deep conditioner post over at Curly Nikki's.   Feel free to comment.

My Recovering Edges

I'm amazed at how well my edges are filling in. Sure it's taken some time but it's totally worth the wait. I know when I had my perm, I resembled Count Chocula with those two little peaks along the headline.   But not now.

Good Lord, I know I'm looking a little rufff, but it's wind down time for me. ; P    I'm just ecstatic over the growth I'm experiencing here so I wanted to do a quick post.  If you're familiar with my blog, you know I don't utilize every oil under the sun. Starting out, I was thinking about it but you know, that's just too much time involved. Bad enough I'm a recovering PJ. LOL

Oils I'm currently using to seal moisture into my hair are Sunflower, Castor, and Olive.  Yesterday was supposed to be wash day for me, but I've been so busy. I had a bit of an itchy scalp so I combined Olive, tea tree, and Neem oil and massaged my scalp and that did the trick. Tomorrow morning after taking Little Chica to the bus stop I'm washing my hair. But right now, I'm just too pooped to pop.  

Til Next time

DIY Coconut Milk, Honey Olive & Rosemary Oil Deep Conditioner

Deep conditioning with coconut milk, honey, olive and rosemary oils has helped my hair to maintain moisture until the next wash day.  Now, for some reason, I'm unable to use coconut oil as a deep conditioner, it dries my hair out something fierce. Coconut milk is another story, and it contains iron, fatty acids, and proteins to help reduce breakage and strengthen hair.  So if you're having issues with thinning and breakage, coconut milk can help with this. 

I like adding a tablespoon of honey (a natural humectant), 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a few drops of Rosemary essential oil to half a mason jar of coconut milk.  I prefer using Thai brand of coconut milk. This can be used as a pre-poo while detangling hair. You really can't go wrong. Either way, you'll have nice, pliable soft hair.  Just remember to add honey/and or oil. Coconut milk is protein and can be drying to the hair, this is why I use honey and olive oil. 

Now, I don't deep condition with heat. Violet doesn't like that ( Found that out during the winter)  My preferred method is steaming in the shower or with a steamer. By the end of the day even in this humidity my hair is still soft and manageable. I usually use this mixture once or twice a month. Remember, moisture and protein balance is key to the overall health of your hair. 

I freeze my leftovers until I'm ready to use it again. Give it a try, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

Black Dymond Naturals Moisturizer

Is in the testing phase.  You know I've made a mango butter sealant for natural hair and now I've found something that will keep natural hair moisturized. I wanted to create something creamy that doesn't require refrigeration.  Please know curlies, Vitamin E is not a preservative. Some of the ingredients in the mix below is coconut milk, Vitamin E, honey, and Optiphen I used this mix beneath my leave in conditioner and Violet is still full of moisture and has held definition in the heat we had today. I'm curious to see how it will hold up in 90 degree weather.

Fitness Journey Progress

Well, this time last week I was in quite a predicament. I went shopping for some jeans and realized how much weight I've gained. I don't use scales, I tossed those out a long time ago. WEll, with the exception of tracking my progress while doing Insanity. But for now, I'm going by how my clothes fits.  

I purchased these sized 10 jeans from Burlington last Monday. Now, normally 10's fit me loose when I'm actually behaving myself. I tried them on in the dressing room and had to tug them over my hips. Hell, I couldn't even button the dang things but this helped to motivate me. Lots of clean eating, exercise, and perseverance. My goal are 8's, my normal size that are supposed to be fitting me the way these 10's are. Lmao!!

Feels like I've been here before. Oh wait... I have!  Once I get back down to where I want to be, I'll need to practice on how long I can maintain.

Twist N Curl After Wash Day

Hiya curlies. Yesterday was wash day for me. I washed my hair using Soft Sheen Carson's Optimum Oil Therapy Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner. Now, it's been a few years since I've used these products.  I needed a shampoo that would safely lift the oils and butters I use in my hair. Usually I co-wash using As I am or Jane Carter's Creamy Co-Wash conditioner.

I purchased them yesterday from Shopper's Food Warehouse. Can't believed I overlooked them all this time. They can be purchased via the website or Walmart, but I'm telling you, this line seems to be rare. The Micro-Oil Technology helps to infuse the hair with moisture. I love that it has Coconut Olive, Avocado and Jojoba oils. I didn't suffer from tangling or breakage, either. You see, since my hair is fine, I have to wash in large twists. It's just easier that way. 

* Update *  I no longer use this line as of August 2015. I don't use shampoo at all, simply Henna and Moroccan red clay. 

I left the conditioner on my hair for 20 minutes or so and then rinsed. There is no need to condition over night, etc because your hair can only absorb so much. I like to keep my wash day as simple as possible. Detangling was a snap, and yes I do use a comb a few times a week. 

After rinsing out the conditioner, I let my hair dry completely before applying leave in conditioner mixed with Olive, Sunflower, and Castor oils. Then I applied my creamy moisturizer before twisting the hair and using small perm rods on the ends and below are the results. 

I'm loving the versatility of my natural hair.  This week I'm enjoying curlier hair. Some of my neighbors swear I've had a haircut.  * grins *  Yeah, one minute I'm rocking my length by stretching the hair with perm rods, and If I want a shorter style, I simply add water or use small perm rods. I opted for twisting in smaller sections for more definition and a tighter curl. For a more stretched look I create chunkier twists and larger perm rods...but that is another post.  ; )

I love my natural hair!!!!!

Temptation and Eating Clean

Right now I'm torn between eating clean and popping a few fruit snacks. Problem is, I've started eating clean. I mean, I'm eating Shirataki Noodles because they have no calories. I sometimes mix oat bran in my protein shakes.

Now for those of you who know me, you know I love my fruit snacks.

 It can be the Scooby Doo Snacks, Dora The Explora, Fineas & Ferb, etc. Fruit snacks are my Kryptonite, my downfall. Why? Because of the sugar they contain! I've eaten a pack of day sometimes and there have been other instances where I'll eat 3 or 4 bags. Yes, anything Gummy. Gummy Lifesavers, Gummi Bears. Hell, Starburst had the nerve to put out those gummy gusher chews.

But you see. I've been down this road before. When I set my mind to it I can turn down temptation. My goal this time is to create muscle. I've been doing Insanity and the Butt Bible, but I need to join a gym. I've been twice this week so far on a 7 day guest pass but I'm not really enjoying the atmosphere of this particular setting. Okay, going off base here.

 When I do Butt Bible I use the heavier weights, like 15 pounds for my squats, lunges, and even the upper body workout. However, I've noticed my left arm is weaker than my right. I need to do Preacher Curls, Military Press, and the Leg Press. Those were awesome, haven't used those machines in years.

Now, I know what some ladies may be thinking right now. Weights will make you hulk up. Nope, that's a myth. Our bodies aren't designed to bulk up like that, unless you're taking steroids or if you continue to eat foods that are unhealthy while you're pumping iron. Then you'll be a toned bull dozer. I've always had some definition going on, but I would like to be a little more cut. So, I'm eating clean.

Tonight's dinner consisted of black beans, Quinoa, chicken breast and half a sweet potato. I'm full, mind you; but dude I really could go for some fruit snacks! LOL

Okay, my rant is over. Here's a few pics of the style I sported while working out.

 And this one is half an hour ago when my teenager ate fruit snacks in front of me. Ah, temptation. But I can hang! Not giving up because I've got my eyes on the prize!