How I use a Blowdryer and Diffuser on my Wash and Go

During the winter months I tend to shy away from wearing the wash and go style.  This is because I don't want to walk around with wet hair while it's cold outside.  Recently I discovered that, if I carefully wrap my hair at night, I can rock the curly look without re-wetting my hair in the morning.  So as of late, I have been doing the style at night and then blowdrying my hair before going to bed.  That's where my diffuser comes in.

The point of using a diffuser is to dry your hair without causing frizz.  Mine is an attachment for my blowdryer that I picked up at Sally's Beauty Supply for about 10 bucks.  Unfortunately, the attachment broke recently after years of use which I'll be replacing soon.  Nowadays you can find a blowdryer that comes with its own diffuser attachment included.

How I use my Diffuser

Using a diffuser attachement to
blowdry without frizz

Stretching my hair for more hang time

After I finish applying my leave-ins and gel to set my style, I like to let my hair air dry for about an hour.  At this point my ends will start to harden which lets me know that I can manipulate my hair without ruining the style.

 I like to use the diffuser all over but mostly in back where it takes the longest to dry.  Then I'll remove the diffuser attachment and just point the blowdryer at my roots until completely dry.  Sometimes I'll hold the ends of my hair and stretch it while blowing warm air on the section.  This helps give me a little more length in areas that really shrink up.

Using my blowdryer in this way makes it possible for me to continue wearing my curls even when it's cold out.  I can usually keep the look going by just wrapping my hair with a large satin scarf at night.  In the morning I just shake my hair out and fluff.

Tips on How to Define Type 4 Curls

My hair wet with product

Sometimes I feel like I should be crowned the Wash n' Go queen by now after all of the products and techniques I've experimented with to achieve the curly look.  Washing my hair and just heading out the door is never the case.  I have curls but they are "type 4" curls.  Yes, I'm talking about the hair typing system.  It's not my favorite way to categorize my hair but hopefully it will give others a way to gage whether my techinques will work for them.

My curls are tight corkscrew coils, lazy "s" shapes and everything in between.  I even have a section that laughs at the idea of curl definition.  Oh and let's not forget about the shrinkage.  I would say mine can be up to 75% but it depends on the day.

In order to get my curls to pop, there are certain things that I must do in order to get the definition I want.  Just so you know, I'm usually looking for hair that will last me a few days without feeling drastically dry and brittle.  I'm still looking for a softer hold solution but at least I've got the curl definition part down.

Here are some things that I have learned when styling my own hair

My hair freshly washed and detangled
using a denman brush.
Dry with no product

1.  Start with clean hair

For some this may mean co-washing; for others, shampoo.  I've noticed that I really do get the best results after cleansing my hair.  Otherwise, I end up with so-so results.

2.  Detangle, detangle, detangle

There are times where I skip this step and I always pay for it.  Not only does this cut help to cut down on the time it takes to apply the products but the hair is also way easier to work with.  Whether you're shingling, raking or combing product through remember to start with detangled hair.

3.  Make sure hair is soaking wet

When my hair begins to dry, all of those pretty little curls go poof!  Any curl defining product out there is really just a way to lock your curls into place.  My hair is at it's curliest when it's dripping wet so I start with that.  When sections begin to dry, I make sure to keep a spray bottle handy so I can wake those curls back up.

4.  Work in small sections

We've all seen the videos where someone takes a quarter size amount of product and applies it to all of their waist length hair and voila; curl definition.  Not for our hair texture!  It's best to keep the sections as small as possible so that each and every little curl can get enough product from root to tip.  Sometimes, big hair is desirable but if you want every curl accounted for, using smaller sections is the way to go.

I get lots of curl definition using product
on wet hair

5.  Smooth those ends

After I have completely raked the product through a section, I always go over my ends, using my fingers, to smooth them out.  This will ensure that the curl lays flatter and discourages those stubborn single strand knots.

6.  Once the products are all in, LEAVE IT ALONE!

This is a biggie.  I've done it myself more times than I can count.  Still, you've got to leave your wet hair be until you've got that, dried "cast" that tells you it's okay to touch your curls.  Even if you choose to diffuse, remember not to handle your hair with your fingers because this will cause lots of unwanted frizz.  Simply tilt your head and let your curls drop into the diffuser so that it can do its' thing.

 I hope these tips will help someone out there.  I sure wish I would have known all of this long ago when I first went natural.  Still, I'm pretty happy with my coily creations and that's all that matters.

How I Style My Heat Damaged Hair for a Wash n' Go

A plait in front helps to
blend the straight pieces
with the rest of my curly hair

Even though the majority of my hair is still nice and curly, the front of my hair is practically straight when I wear a wash n' go because of heat damage.  I've been doing lots of braid outs and twist outs to help add texture to that area.  I finally figured out how to blend the straight pieces in with the rest of my hair when I wear my natural curls.  I feel so silly for not figuring it out sooner but hey, better late than never.

Gel of Choice
for my Wash n' Go styles

Basically, I apply product to my hair the way I normally would for a wash n' go.  I use leave-in conditioner on wet hair (usually Suave Coconut Conditioner) and then seal with oil.  Right now I'm lovin' African Royale's Hot Six Oil, which is a Bronner Bros. product.  Then I apply Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel to my hair in medium size sections starting with the back and rake it through.  When I get to the front, heat damaged area, I still apply products in the same way.  Then I take that section and braid it up in one plait.  Sometimes I'll do a two strand twist with a roller on the end.  Since I start my wash n' go's at night, I usually pull the rest of my hair back into a puff and cover my hair with a satin bonnet.  The next day I take down the puff and spritz with my leave-in spray mixture.  Then I shake my hair out to bring the curls back to life.  Lastly, I take down the plait or twist, which is usually a bit damp but is now wavy in texture and blends in better with the rest of my hair. 

The front now blends with the rest of my hair

Wavy bangs are better than straight for this look

Back/Side View

Shea Moisture Products at Walgreens



Shea Moisture Products
Now available at Walgreens stores



All the hair forums and blogs are buzzing about the Shea Moisture line which is now available at Walgreens stores.  The drugstore chain is doing a BOGO this week on all of the items in the line so if you've been thinking about trying it out, now is the time! 

Prior to this, the Shea Moisture line was only available at Target stores or online at Target.com.  The products are made with natural and organic ingredients and are very affordable with each item going for $9.99 USD. 



Shea Moisture's
Dandruff & Dry Scalp Elixir



Even with all of the excitement on this promotion, I still wasn't too sure that the Walgreens in my area would have the Shea Moisture line stocked yet.  So tonight I decided to stroll by the hair aisle just to check and see if they had it.  There wasn't any Shea Moisture to be found.  I figured that maybe this Walgreens was a little bit late but then I stopped by the new items near the door and found a very small display with maybe five items from the line.  There were only one or two of each item.  I'm hoping that there will be some Curl Enhancing Smoothie left when I get around to shopping this Friday.  I already told my husband that I'm gearin' up for a product haul this week so look out Walgreens, I'm comin'!

READ MY REVIEW on Shea Moisture's Conditioning Curl & Style Hair Milk

Night Time Routine for the Corkscrew Braidout



The Corkscrew Braidout



I recently posted a video showing how I do my Corkscrew Braidout.  I call it this because of the way I roll the ends of each braid so that it makes a smooth spiral. 

The look is great for special occasions or when I just want big, curly hair.  To date, I have been able to keep the look going for about three days before it starts to look a little less than cute. 

I "Pineapple" the
Curls on top of my
head

I do the pineapple method by pushing the curls up on top of my head and wrapping it up with my satin scarf and bonnet. 

First, I push all of my hair upwards and then use bobby pins to keep it pulled back off of my face and up in the back. 

Then I use a loose band to put all of my hair in so it stays up.  After the hair is up, I fold a square satin scarf in half to make a triangle and use that to wrap around the

 sides so they don't get fuzzy. 



I protect the look
 with a satin bonnet



Finally, I put my satin bonnet on over the whole thing to protect the curls at the top and that's it.

I like the lightweight feel of this style so I just use a tiny bit of coconut oil each night before I wrap it up.  When the look starts to get old, I either co-wash or just pull it back into a bun for another day or so.

I Did My Own Big Chop

My hair after 9 months of Transitioning;
Relaxed ends and lots of new growth

I have been doing my own haircuts and trims ever since I graduated from high school.  Still, I wasn't sure if I could successfully do the "Big Chop" myself.  I transitioned for nine months so it was very easy to see where to make each cut.  I guess I was mostly concerned that I would end up with a fro without the right shape.  I had never worn my hair shorter than ear length so the shape of my hair was going to be pretty important to me. 

For awhile I considered going to my Dad or Brother who are both trained barbers.  I even asked if they would be willing to do it when the time came.  I could tell that my Dad was not going to give me a buzz cut because he's so used to seeing me with longer hair.  My brother however had done the Chop for a few other ladies who were starting their journey so he was up for it.  Before I made my decision though I decided to check out some videos on YouTube to see how other naturalistas got it done.  It seemed to me that having someone do it at a salon meant getting a little more length taken off than I wanted.  This was because of the shaping that was done after the relaxed pieces were cut away.   That's when I decided that I would just do it myself because then I would only have myself to blame if I there were any mishaps.  Anyway, I could always have my brother fix it if it came to that. 

My hair the day after the Big Chop

During my transition, I made it a point to cut off a little each month so that I wouldn't have very much relaxed hair left to part with.  I started out by putting my hair into small sections and cut the first piece right in the front.  No turning back!  My fro was bigger than I expected which was a plus.  The following day, I used some Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-in Conditioning Cream, aloe vera gel and shea butter on my wet hair to encourage my first little curls to come into view.  I was so proud of my new hair and how the cut turned out. 

New Year, New Trim



My new Stainless Steel Sheers by Conair

I was looking at my hair for the past few months and noticing that my curl pattern had gotten looser.  I knew that henna can have this effect so I added amla powder to my last few applications to prevent this from happening any further.  After wearing my hair straight twice in December, I was pretty sure that I was experiencing some heat damage.  My hair texture is thinner in the front so it always happens there first.  The rest of my hair was still curly but not as thick as before.  After using my Aubrey Organics GPB conditioner for a couple of light protein treatments, I knew that my hair, although it looked better, still needed a trim. 



My stretched hair just before
trimming the first section



I was due for a trim this month anyway so I figured why not invest in some new sheers.  I bought the stainless steel hair sheers by Conair.  I was surprised to find them in a kit that also came with a cape...COOL!  Instead of flat ironing my hair again, I decided to do the trim on stretched hair.  This method showed me that it is possible to do a trim without using heat.  I decided to go for it and take off a little more than the usual 1/8" to 1/4".  I cut a full 1/2" off of each section!  That is a whole months' growth for me but it was definitely worth it. 

Front View
Thicker, Curlier Hair with Shape

The result...MY CURLS ARE BACK!  I'm so excited because my hair has not been this thick and curly for so long.  The bangs are still pretty loose but I'm okay with that.  The other thing that decided to join the party is my crazy shrinkage.  My hair looks really short since the trim even though it's still past my shoulders in the back.  This is exciting because I didn't actually have to cut very much in order to get back where I wanted to be.  I'm still serious about achieving great lengths with my hair this year.  Now, with the trim, I have the healthy ends I need to start things off right.  







Back View
Looks short but it's still
past shoulder length



Wintertime Wash n' Go

This time of year is always very harsh on my hair and skin due to the dry climate here in Colorado.  I decided to start doing deep conditioning treatments twice a week for added moisture during the winter months.  The wash n' go style is perfect for this because I'm usually done with the style after two or three days.  Plus, I've been reading and watching how other naturals noticed significant growth while wearing the wash n' go because of the more frequent washing.  I tend to believe that a clean healthy scalp is one contributing factor to this but also the introduction of moisture multiple times per week.  Thing is, it's winter in Colorado!  Leaving the house with wet hair is not happenin' right now.  

Instead of waiting until the spring to rock my curly fro, I looked at a few videos by one of my favorite naturals, anaturalbeauty3.  She's been natural for 2 years and is currently residing in Cali.  Her video on her night time routine illustrates how she puts her curly hair up at night to stretch it out.  I sent her a message asking how she went about reviving the style in the morning.  She replied back that she scrunches her hair with Shea Moistures' Curl Enhancing Smoothie to wake up the curls.  This was a light bulb moment!  Once I realized that there wasn't any need to leave the house with a dripping wet head I was on it. 

The Curl Enhancing Smoothie product is not available locally so I decided to try my Palmers Coconut Oil Replinishing Hair Milk.  I thought it would work because of it's creamy, but wet texture.  I know it plays well with Eco Styler Gel so it was worth a try. 

After a few attempts, I was able to come up with a routine.  The trick is to apply my usual products for my wash n' go in the evening.  Once it has air dried for a couple of hours, I use the diffuser to get my hair completely dry.  This sets my curls before I wrap it up.  Then, just like in the video, I pull my hair back and secure it with a hair tie.  Any short strands can be pinned down.  I then wrap it with a satin scarf and put on my satin bonnet.  In the morning I just take my hair down, scrunch in some product and that's it.  I'm so glad to have found this method because it has resulted in hair that is soft, moisturized and easy to style.

CLICK HERE To See how I do my wash n' go

Rockin' My Fluffy Fro





Early on in my natural hair journey I started trying styles that I could do at night.  I was finally understanding that my hair would thrive if I could just stay away from the flat iron every morning.  Little did I know that there would be a lot of trial and error.  The braid-out style has always kept me guessing because I could never get it quite right.  Either I chose the wrong products, separated the sections too much or it simply wasn't dry in time. 

I've come to realize that every braid-out I do is different depending on so many different factors.  So instead of cringing at the first sign of poof, I'm learning to just go with it.  In the end, the technique is altering my tight, curly fro and stretching my hair.  This helps with tangles and those nasty little single strand knots.  While I am pleased when the style results in lots of definition and curl, I'm also learning to accept the big fluffy look I sometimes

get.  Most importantly, I rock it in public so that others can see that big hair is beautiful and it's here to stay.

Celestial Seasonings Tour

Boulder, CO

Nestled in the Foothills of Boulder, Colorado is the headquarters for Celestial Seasonings Tea.  The company was founded in 1969 and has been producing herbal teas ever since.  Here in Colorado, it is common knowledge that the company offers a free tour of the facility.  So, we packed up the kids and made the 40 minute drive out to Boulder. 

Our "Tickets"--Packets of Herbal Tea

While waiting for the tour to begin, we sat down and enjoyed some tea samples.  The visitor area was decked out with lots of original artwork and information about the companies' history.  Next, we viewed a short film about how it all began during the, "Summer of Love," when life (and the company) were much simpler.  It went on to talk about all of the places throughout the world where the tea leaves and botanicals for the herbal teas are produced.

After the viewing, we were led on a tour through the factory.  We were all fitted with lovely hairnets prior to entering.  My husband laughed when I could just barely fit my curly fro into mine.  I got my revenge when he was outfitted with a "beard net" for his facial hair. 

One of the highlights was the much anticipated Peppermint room.  The smell was so intense from all of the Spearmint and Peppermint stocked to the ceiling, that it cleared the sinuses and irritated our eyes a bit. 

Lastly, we ended up in the Gift Shop where we bought a few boxes of tea at discounted prices.  We love drinking tea on a daily so we were in "tea heaven".