Getting Too Cold for My Wash n' Go

It is nearly the middle of September and I'm already shopping for knit beanies to wear over my hair in the snow.  Welcome to Colorado!  Home of the mild summers and early winters.  This would be fine by me if I wasn't having so much fun with my wash n' go style.  Yes, recently I've been rocking my curls and enjoying my curly afro.  However, last night it was forecast to drop down to good ole thirty two degrees or freezing as I like to call it.   

To prepare for the cold, my family and I quickly harvested our large, unripe tomatoes from our community garden plot.  We hated to do it but we just didn't want to risk losing them.  While standing in the drizzling rain and feeling my fingers go numb, I decided it was time to start wearing braid outs.  The style works for me  during the colder weather because I don't have to revive the look by rewetting my hair in the morning.  Also, my hair will usually lay flat enough for me to wear a warm knit beanie hat over it.  Braid outs for the win!

My High Puff
I might be making a warm headband
for when I wear this style during the winter

I like to knit and crochet so I may possibly construct a new hat for myself.  I might even look into making a warm head band for those days when I want to wear a puff or high bun.  Another option would be to head over to Natural Born Hats and order a couple of their satin lined beanies.  Either way, I'm not about that dripping wet hair life when it comes to the colder temps.  Sure, we still may have a couple of sunny days coming up but as for me and my curls, it's braid out season.

BE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM FOR A LOOK AT MY DAILY HAIR ROUTINE

Olive Oil Pre-Poo for Dry Hair

Just thought I would share that my hair is making a turn around thanks to my new bestie Extra
Virgin Olive Oil.  This stuff is amazing!  I'm so glad because I was really beginning to worry about where my tresses would end up without some major TLC.  One of the ways I have incorporated the oil is demonstrated in my video below.  I'm learning how important a good pre-poo treatment is if I'm going to continue using shampoo.

I have used mild shampoos and sulfate free versions in the past.  I noticed though that they didn't always remove all of the product from my hair.  Last summer, I was using shampoo all of the time because we were doing lots more swimming.  It all caught up with me and resulted in dryness that my natural hair is not accustomed to.  Also, the dryness that comes with the Colorado winter weather doesn't exactly help either.  So, I'm super excited that the olive oil is working for me.

WATCH HOW I DO A PRE-POO WITH OLIVE OIL

Also, my braid outs have been looking a lot better since I've started using the olive oil.  I first apply leave-in conditioner, which lately is Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in, and then put a little oil on the section. Then I braid it up and finger coil the ends.  My hair is turning out a lot softer using this method because I'm moisturizing the hair from root to tip.  So it's olive oil for the win!  I'll be using this in my regimen for the next few months and post an update on how my hair is doing.

Learning How to French Braid Natural Hair

French Braids on my Natural Hair

Recently I posted a Youtube video on how I french braid my natural hair.  I have been wearing my hair braided up more often recently as part of my No Heat Challenge.  It has made things a little easier for me because the weather is cooler these days.  My hair can get really big and full so the french braids make it possible for me to get a hat on my head whenever I want.  I also use the braids to protect my hair while I'm sleeping at night so I won't have to wake up to tangles in the morning.

I posted the video because I wanted to offer a visual to other naturals of how to do french braids.  I see a lot of comments online from people who have never learned how to braid their hair in this way.  I learned the technique from my mother who braided my hair every week when I was younger.  Sometimes she would do a fancy braided style on my hair but later on she just did one or two french braids with a little bang in front.  When I was about ten years old she taught me how to do it on my own hair.  She also taught me how to do the inverted method which was basically the opposite of french braiding.  I was frustrated with it at first because my braids just didn't look as nice and tight as when she did them.  I eventually got the hang of it though.

CHECK OUT MY VIDEO ON HOW I FRENCH BRAID MY NATURAL HAIR

Having this styling technique in my arsenal made it that much easier when I went natural.  When my hair grew past the TWA stage I knew that I could braid my hair up for a braid out or protective style.  I can see now that I'm also saving money because I've never gone to someone else to have them braid it for me.  Hopefully more people will learn the technique so that they'll have more options when styling natural hair.

What My Hair Has Been Up To

I know I haven't been posting very much lately but I wanted to share some of the styles that I have been rockin' the last few weeks.  I have actually been wearing my hair straight a little more which I think is coming to an end this week.  At least until I can get my hands on a flat iron that has a heat dial so I can adjust the temperature setting.  My FHI Technique G2 straightens really well but only has one setting...400+ degrees!  I know that a lot of you are thinking why use heat in the first place?  I know, it can be damaging but, I'm one of those Naturals who likes to use it occasionally.  Anywhoo, enough of the straight talk and on to the pics. . . Enjoy!

Corkscrew Braid Out
at the Denver Art Museum

Flat Twist Up Do
My current favorite during the week
to keep my hair protected

Corkscrew Braid Out
with Satin Scarf Headband
with Eco Styler Gel on my edges

Corkscrew Braid Out
Back View

Straight Hair in August just
before Trim

Wash n' Go at City Park

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.

Natural Hair Style--The Corkscrew Braidout

I'm finally all finished with my Corkscrew Braidout video. When I blogged about this style a few months ago, I realized that the process may be easier for other naturals to follow if I just illustrated it in a video on my channel. This has become my go-to style for special occasions because I don't have to use any heat to get a fluffy, curly look. The other reason why I wanted to get this tutorial up is because I noticed that there aren't that many videos on natural hair styles that use setting lotion as the main holding product. I never thought to use it for a braidout but it works great while leaving the hair soft and lightweight. I'm just glad to have finally found a braidout method that is pretty much fool proof and delivers every time.



 
See more of my videos on my channel "mitchellzee" on Youtube.com