Tag Archives: natural hair

Natural Hairstyles of 2013

I love my natural hair and it’s versatility. Since the year is coming to a close in a few days, I decided to take a look back at my natural hair styles of 2013.

Early this year I installed Marley Twist, a style I hoped would last at a month but only lasted about a week or two. I ranted about it here.

Bantu Knot Out

I also tried the Bantu Knot Out earlier this year. I love the shrinkage and fullness but it’s definitely a style that needs work.

Wash’n Go

I also revisited the Wash’n Go this year. I personally prefer the Wash’n Go on shorter hair but I might give this one another go too.

Mini Twist

Mini Twist are always a favorite of mine!

Mini Twist Updo

I straightened my hair this year and was blown away! I couldn’t believe how long my hair has gotten. But unfortunately Jesus prefers my hair curly because it rained everyday.

I experimented with a few new updo styles too.

The Twist’n Bun

The Twist’n Bun is my go-to style on a bad hair day. I love it…simple and chic!

The Pony Puff

And when all else fails, I throw in a what I like to call a Pony Puff.

The Twistout

I used to be a die-hard braidout girl but once I mastered the twistout, I’ve been in love ever since. Now it’s my go-to style for all occasions!

What’s your favorite natural hair style of 2013? Will you be trying any new hair styles in the upcoming year? Are you ready for 2014?

YouTube: Holiday Hair Giveaway

#TeamNatural: To Cut or Not to Cut?

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So I’ve been natural going on 5 years now, including my transition. And let me just say, I absolutely love my natural hair, on most days. Now don’t get me wrong, I have no desire to relax my tresses again but the day-to-day maintenance is no joke. I recently straightened my hair and was in absolute awe. My hair is the longest it’s ever been and I couldn’t believe it. And that is where the problem lies…

Long hair don’t care…*humph* that’s only when I don’t have to wash or style it.

I’m sure y’all may think I’m crazy and are wondering why the length would be my problem, right? See I like to consider myself as a low-maintenance girl when it comes to my hair, in fact my motto is to keep it simple. And although my styling and wash routine are pretty basic, it still takes me forever to do it. I will admit that over the past year or so, I’ve become a bit lazy with my hair. Just thought of having to re-twist my hair at night makes me gag, so most nights I rock a pineapple. And I’ve tried the whole protective styling thing but that too is a time-consuming process and weaves/wigs aren’t really my thing.

To cut or not to cut?

It’s happened three times here recently…I’m getting ready in the morning and the hair struggle begins. Spraying my hair with water, adding oil and stylers, trying to brush it and *sigh*…a voice in my head says, “where are the scissors?” I end up fighting the urge to shave my head, like really its a battle. I push on through and I usually end up looking a mess by the head simply due to the frustration of it all. Yes, I do blame myself and the fact that I’m just to lazy to fool with my hair but something has got to give. My solution is to cut it…But the question is, how short? I would love to shave it all off but I think the hubs would just die so I’m searching for a happy medium. Here’s what I’ve found so far….

The Curly Bob

Source: Pinterest

Ok so I’ve had my hair cut similar to the bob before. I went in for a trim and some layers and ended up leaving with a bob-ish cut…I loved it! But this time around I’m thinking of going a little shorter. I want to maintain some length so I can at least pin-up my twist and rock a “ponypuff.” So to cut or not to cut is the question…

What do y’all think? Should I go for the bob or leave it be? Or should I just go all out and shave it off? What have been some of your recent hair challenges?

**Please note I do not own any of the photos in the collage above, they are photos that I admire and have borrowed from Pinterest for style inspiration**

Dying Natural Hair

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A few weeks ago I posted a pic on Instagram showing me in the process of dying my hair…well I’m finally getting around to sharing the results.

I’ve been itching to dye my natural hair for some time now but I was on the fence about whether I should tackle it myself or let a professional do it. Well I had several reservations about letting a professional do it…one, I have yet to find a stylist that I trust; two, what if the “professional” messed up my hair….what recourse would I have; and three, I’ve dyed my hair a million times in the past and loved the results. So what the hay…I did it myself. At least if I messed up my natural hair the only person to blame would be myself, right? Lol

So after months on swooning over all the naturalistas in the social media world with a gorgeous hair color, I discovered MOSEPJONES on Instagram! Her hair color (and hair) is so gorgeous, I absolutely fell in love! So of course I had to ~~stalk~~ look through her pics to see if she ever mentioned what products she used to achieve such a fab color! And lucky me she did! I did a little research on the products she recommended and headed to Sally Beauty a few days later….

Ion Demi Permanent Creme Hair Color in Light Burgundy Blonde, Ion Sensitive Scalp Level 10 Developer and the Annie Large Dye Brush (which I already had)

I’ve seen Ion products in Sally Beauty before and even gave them a once over a few times. After researching I found that demi-permenant would be a good fit…it’s been a while since I’ve dyed my hair at home and I’ve become extremely cautious about what I do to my hair since I’ve gone natural. I like that the demi-permanent color last longer than semi-permanent color but isn’t as damaging as permanent color. And it gives me a chance to give the color a little test run before committing to a permanent shade. Check out the process below….

Here’s everything I used.

Washed, condtioned, product-free, dry hair.

Washed, conditioned, product-free, dry hair in three sections.

The mixture: 1 full tube of hair color and 1/2 bottle of developer.

Ready to go under the dryer.

35 minutes under the dryer

The Ion Demi-Permanent Creme Hair Color was so easy to use. I followed the directions on the packaging and no problems what so ever. I did sit under the dryer an extra 5 minutes or so but that’s because I wasn’t quite sure when I went under…lol. Check out the final results….

The immediate results…product free wet hair.

The results…twist out the next day.

The results…four day hair.

Well, I knew going in that the results weren’t going to be nearly as red as I would have liked or even close to that of MOSEPHJONES. But you do see a hint of red…*sigh* in the light. I’m going to keep like this for a few weeks before attempting anything else. I have discovered a salon in my area that specializes in natural hair so I might hit them up for a consultation and see what they know about dying natural hair…maybe.

So what do y’all think of the results? Do you think I should keep my natural hair this shade or go a little redder (if that’s a word)? What are thought about dying natural hair?

Wash N’ Go Attempt Round 2

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Last summer I shared with you my first attempt at a wash n’ go here, the results were so-so….well, I decided to give it another go. I’ve been saying since the weather has gotten warmer that I wanted to try my luck at WnG’s again and I’ve decided that my goal this summer is master the technique.

Now I’m not completely new to WnG’s, of course I’ve watched more than my fair share of tutorials and when I was natural years (and I mean years) ago that is all I ever did. I would wet my hair every morning (year-round, call me crazy) add gel and then go. Back then I thought the results were amazing, my hair was considerably shorter then and the only complaint was that my hair was hard from using only gel of course.

So randomly today, after hitting the gym (btw you can check out my Tips for Working Out with Natural Hair over on L4L <—-shameless plug, I know) I decided that I was going to do a WnG today. I was thinking since I loved the effect of gel on my WnG’s years ago that I would add it to my routine this time around. And since I’ve also been using the heck out of the Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair line (and loving it) that I would use the Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream too. Check out the results….

Freshly co-washed, product free hair.

Products used.

Wet hair with products.

Hair almost 50% dry…I had to add a part.

Hair about 75% dry…excuse the face, the sun was bright.

100% dry

Side view

Close up

Overall I think the WnG turned out pretty good. I love how the Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Curl Activator Curling Cream, helps my curls pop. But I’ve noticed in past uses that it leaves a bit of a residue on my hair, so we will see. It also doesn’t pair that well with the gel, I had to really massage and work the product combo in…and I ain’t nobody got time for that *in my Sweet Brown voice. My only other complaint is that my hair feels dry so I’ll have to work on that too. I will say I’m happy that it didn’t take forever and a day for my hair to dry, which means I can do this style and go. Like I said my goal is to perfect the WnG this summer….wish me luck!

What do you use to do your WnG’s? What’s your favorite natural hair style? Have you ever tried the Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair line?

Hair Update: Marley Twist Rant

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So if you follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook then you know that I recently installed Marley Twist. I’ve been wanting to experiment with different protective styles and I thought this one was absolutely gorgeous! Check out the video to see my take, thoughts and recommendations on the style.

What do you think about the Marley Twist? Would you rock them?

Quick Twisted Up-do Tutorial

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This particular style was inspired by a recent tutorial I saw by MotorCityMoxie on YouTube. This style is super easy, quick and can be altered to fit your personal style. It also serves as a great protective style too and will be a perfect option to try out during the Longing 4 Length Protect Styling Challenge! Let me know what you think…

The Twist Out…Revisited

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Since I recently got rid of those “ratchet” ends (mentioned here) my hair has been on point and my curls have been poppin’! I don’t mean to sound like I’m bragging or anything but my naturalistas out there can relate…when your hair is doing it you can’t help but to feel good! Lol. Anyway, if you follow my blog then you know that my favorite style is the braid out. I never had much luck with twist outs simply because my hair just wouldn’t stay twisted…like I said my ends were awful; they suffered from a bit of heat and color damage. However I decided that I would give the style another go. Check out the results of the twist out….revisited!

My night time look…don’t judge me!

Twist up close.

Twist pinned up and ready for bed.

Side view – Day 1 of twist out.

Day three of my twist out.

The twist out was done on freshly washed and conditioned hair, I used the Shea Moisture Organic Shea Butter Curl & Shine Shampoo and a killer combo of leftover conditioners mixed with sunflower seed oil. To achieve the style I used my favorite…Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and I retwisted my hair every other night.

So what do y’all think of the twist out revisited? I’m thinking that this may be my new fav style…twist are so much easier to do than braids (lol).

Have you revisited any styles lately?

Natural Hair: TRIMMED!

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I finally had my natural hair trimmed and man was it looooong over due. My ends were ratchet…lol. I had single strand knots, super dry ends and split ends that went both up and down the hair shaft. I had put off having my natural hair trimmed for months…yes, months, almost 6 to be exact. I had every intention of attempting to trim it myself, which I’ve done before, but the thought alone made me cringe….the washing process can be so time-consuming much less adding another step. Then I was hesitant about finding a stylist just because everyone isn’t familiar with natural hair. But I just couldn’t wait any longer, my hair was a mess and was really starting to look it…I had to get my natural hair trimmed ASAP!

Well, if you know me then you that sometimes I can be a bit impulsive even when it comes to my hair. So I was out shopping with the kiddos last week and passed Famous Hair, a local salon in my area. I peeked through to see if there were any stylist that I could relate to (if you catch my drift) and there were two. I walked in, explained to one of the stylist what I needed and she stated that it could be done. I prepped my hair the night before by washing and detangling it myself…like I said not everyone is knowledgable about natural hair. Anyway the next morning I headed to the salon rocking two pigtails with my baby boy in tow to have my natural hair trimmed.

The night before.

The process begins…

Almost done…lol

It didn’t take long at all for her to trim my ends. I’m glad I went in with my hair already prepped and detangled; I’m sure that made the process a lot easier for both the stylist and myself. I asked for a few layers just to give my hair some body and dimension. The stylist did most of cutting on dry hair but did end up wetting it to add the layers, which was cool but I totally forgot get pictures of that (sorry).

Didn’t look like much came off.

I felt pretty good when I left the salon. I didn’t get that “OMG she cut off all my hair” feeling while I was there. And from the picture above I was confident that she didn’t shave my head…lol. After my trim I went home, washed my hair again and I could immediately feel a difference in my hair, in a good way. I styled my hair as usual in my favorite go to style, the braidout and went to bed. Check out the final results the next day…

Tired eyes…smh.

Left side…see the layers?

The right side…ignore the unblended part (lol).

Overall I’m pleased with the final outcome of my hair. My hair looks a lot shorter but the stylist only took off about 1.5 inches, which isn’t much. Before the trim my hair was just below my bra strap in the back and now it is right above it. I have a little bit more shrinkage which shows that my ends were just hanging there weighing my hair down. I definitely needed to have them cut and I’m glad I did!

Do you have your natural hair trimmed professionally?

Big News…

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I am over here super crunk!!! I’m sorry but there are very few words that can express how I’m feeling so crunk it is *insert happy dance* (lol). I’ve been bursting at the seams and I can finally let it out! All I can say is God is truly in control and it’s amazing how He works. Over the past few months I have had the opportunity to (virtually) meet some amazing women, my BLMgirls. I have learned so much and been inspired to take The Savvy Housewife to the next level…So on yesterday evening the announcement was made and now I can finally share the news with y’all.

I’m now a Natural Hair Blogger for Longing 4 Length (L4L)! *hammer dance* My girl, fellow BLMgirl and founder of Longing 4 Length EbonyCPriness is amazing! She initially created L4L to document her personal healthy hair journey but recently decided to expand. And I’m so glad that she chose me, along with two other lovely chicas, to be a part of the L4L Team.

So head over to Longing 4 Length and check out the new L4L Team…there is my girl EbonyCPrincess (of course), creator, brainchild and visionary of L4L; myself; my girl and fellow naturalista Monet (Mo as I like to call her) of CurlsandMo; and the fab, diva and a personal fashion inspiration Kelly of KellyMonroe.

So what do y’all think of the results? Do you think I should keep my natural hair this shade or go a little redder (if that’s a word)? What are thought about dying natural hair?

What do you use to do your WnG’s? What’s your favorite natural hair style? Have you ever tried the Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair line?

Meet the L4L Team here!