Almost two months...

Hey there everyone.

I just realised that I haven't written a blog post in over a month, almost two months actually, and I apologise for my disappearance. I have been feeling a disconnect to my hair. It's still breaking. And I'm exhausted trying to get it back on track. I am strongly considering simply putting it into box braids or twists this coming weekend and be done with it for the summer. I just can't deal anymore. Moisturising, protein treatments, minimal heat, nothing is working and helping. So I am kind of throwing in the towel and going to protective style through out the heat and humidity that is an African summer.

On another note, I told you ladies that I have started actually looking better after myself with the help of a dietitian and biokineticist. I had an evaluation yesterday and the results are in. Centimetres lost around my waist, lower abdomen and upper arms. Centimetres gained (muscle though, so yay!) around my chest. No change with my legs though, then again it doesn't surprise me, I have always had muscular calves and big thighs even when I was at my slimmest. 5.5 pounds lost, which sound like very little BUT I still did the happy dance yesterday because I shaved off a whole FIVE percent of BODY FAT!!!!! Which means that the scale is a bit of a liar, considering that clearly I've gained muscle. Don't believe the scale ladies!!

So here's my action plan for the majority of summer:

"Forget" about my hair - I am going to protective style using either box braids, twists or cornrows. This will also help to not stress about it during my workouts. Whilst in protective style, I'm going to moisturise like a crazy person using a spritz. Hopefully when fall hits, my hair will be in a much better condition than it is currently as well as actually be full APL. I will keep each protective style in for 4-6 weeks at a time, with a two week resting period in between. I'm sick and tired of struggling! And the most important reason - I don't want my hair interfering with my exercise regime anymore!

Work out like a beast! I recently moved to a new apartment complex. Right next to it they are in the process of building a small lifestyle centre which will include a gym. One of the incentives for new tenants was a 3 month gym voucher if you move in. So, apart from going to biokinetics 3 times a week, I plan to work out an additional 2-3 days a week in the gym right next to my apartment building. I plan to shave off at least an additional 3% body fat by January 2015 at least.

Right now I am very much focusing on shedding fat, gaining lean muscle and losing centimetres. The scale is not my friend and it actually depresses me, so I'm throwing away the scale. Besides, skinny girls look good in clothes. Fit girls look good naked. I wanna look good naked, lol. In addition, since it's summer, I am going to try and get to a swimming pool as much as I can. Swimming is an AWESOME full body workout, and it's way more fun than throwing the weights around. (Although I must admit, I do like strength training way more than cardio.)

Not sabotage my diet during the festive season. This is a tricky one. As it is summer here and the majority of us take our annual vacation time during December, there will be braai's (barbecues to my American lovelies) galore, so heaps and heaps of red meat (I'm African! There's no such thing as veggie burgers for us, lol), potato salad, garlic bread and cocktails. In addition to that, Christmas is only 4 weeks away, and we cook (and eat) like maniacs on Jesus' birthday. Which can be detrimental to ANY diet/eating plan.

So, first of all, I am going to substitute whiskey or scotch for all the sugar laden cocktails and ciders. It, along with vodka, has the lowest calorie count of all alcoholic drinks, especially if paired with water instead of some soda mix. Luckily I like whiskey and scotch, lol.

Secondly, I need to stick to my plan and routine as strictly as possible during the week, as the braai's and frivolity usually occur over weekends and thus I may indulge a little more than if I were cheating during the week.

Thirdly, I need to take charge of potato salads and make the German version instead of the traditional mayonnaise laden version. Because the German contains no additional fats like mayo but vinegar instead, its GI count is lower and thus healthier. But still yummy!

And lastly, I am going to incorporate smoothies as much as possible. It's refreshing and if self made one is assured of what you take into your body. Unfortunately Christmas day might be a big bust up to the diet. Then again, Christmas comes but once a year!

So, for the next few months I think I may focus a little more on my health and fitness and weight loss journey than my hair, I will however try to start writing wash day posts again, just to motivate myself regarding what's going on on top of my head.

What's everybody else's plans for the festive season and summer? And to my lovelies States side, what are your plans for the winter?

Have a good one!!

An update, despite the insanity

Good morning everyone!

I apologise for being away for so long, I can't remember the last time it took me so long to write a blog post. Regardless of my absence, I see that y'all are still reading, and that slightly older posts have been getting love. I want to thank y'all so much!! 

Life has getting in the way of regular blogging a little bit. I am still without wheels and my social calendar has been INSANE, even though it is only January. So far I have had a birthday party, a catch up barbeque with friends I haven't seen in months, a bachelorette party and within the next 72 hours I have a huge birthday bash that I am attending (the theme is A Night at the Opera, which includes live performances and dressing to the nines!) and a slightly out of town wedding. In the meantime that has meant that my hair has not been getting the complete attention I normally give it. Now, I have not been neglecting it per se. I have just been going the faster, easier route and my hair is not quite THAT happy with me. So starting February, I promise to be more diligent, regarding the care I give my hair, as well as keeping up with my blogging. 

Okay, I will give y'all a quick update as to what my hair is currently doing.

I am about 2 weeks post now, having self relaxed my hair with ORS Olive Oil No Lye in Regular at 14 weeks post. The For Girls kit was sold out, so I grabbed the Regular Box and diluted it by adding sunflower oil to the relaxer mix as well as about a tablespoon of Tresemme Naturals Conditioner. This allowed me to fully relax all my new growth without my scalp being irritated. I based my hairline and scalp THOROUGHLY, like a person possessed. When I rinsed and neutralized, I truly felt the effect of no lye relaxers i.e. the mineral deposits. So after neutralizing like a crazy person with ORS Creamy Aloe shampoo and my hair felt softer, I clarified with Amla 3 in 1 Body Filler Shampoo. I then DC'd with the ORS Replenishing Conditioner for a good hour before roller setting. I'm very happy with the results. Length wise, I think I may be officially APL, I haven't done a true length check yet (I know, naughty, naughty). Look below and tell me what y'all think? 

My ends are a little uneven, I am planning to have a slight trim this coming Saturday before the wedding to even them out, and then  I will also take official length check pics. 

Regarding the wash days of the past couple of weeks, I kept it VERY simple, but I have the most amazing leave in product that has been added to my stash. My bestie brought me bottle of MoroccanOil Treatment from India, and I am so in love that I am scouring our little town for stockists or importers of it so that I can have the rest of the range. The rest of my wash days have been pretty routine, although with the crazy schedules I have skipped a prepoo here and there. On Saturday when I go to the Salon I am going to take MY products with me and have a stren talking to with my stylist before she starts, and hopefully walk out happy as a clam. 

Until then, what has been new with y'all? What new products have you added to your stash that you simply LOVE? Have a great day everyone and happy growing!

2013 is behind us

And I need to kick butt in 2014.

Good morning everyone, and I trust that you all said a hearty goodbye to 2013 and welcomes in 2014 with open arms.

Let me quickly tell you how my 2014 started, literally on the 1st of January. My car's window got smashed and everything that wasn't nailed down, was stolen. On top of that my car's electronics decided to pack up and the car won't start. It won't move an inch. I spent a fortune having it towed back home, and the workshop isn't open until next week, so for the next couple of weeks I will be cabbing it and relying on the goodness of friends to get around.

Because of all of this stress (you go and stand at the offices of Home Affairs to apply for a new ID and tell me that is not stressful) I haven't really been taking care of my hair as I should have and also the stress is coming out IN my hair, as in LOTS of breakage and shedding. I don't even have a decent pic of what my hair is doing right now. I know though that the nape on my right side has broken off badly. It is an inch shorter than the left. I also have demarcation breakage, especially around my crown and where I part my hair. I'm struggling to keep my new growth soft and moisturized and my ends are ugly and straggly, at least to me. What makes me extra sad is that it seems as if all of this has only been happening in the last couple of weeks, because in general I have had a pretty good year.

Here's my 2013 in quick review:

HITS:

1. Protective Styling. I retained QUITE a bit of length during Ebony from Longing4Length's Protective Styling challenge. I realise now that I need to be more diligent regarding protective styling and then I will kick ass again in 2014.

2. Bagging my ends. I did this quite often in 2013, but I have been slacking the past few months and my ends are testament to that. Must step it up!

3. Dark & Lovely Amla Legend 1001 Oils Wrap Cream. This moisturizer is the bizniz! My tub ran out and I need to stock up again. Since it has run out, I have been struggling to maintain my moisture/protein balance, but Clicks didn't have stock. Seems like I'm not the only one who loves this product. On the next trip to the store I am going to get at least two tubs of this stuff.

4. Tresemme Naturals Conditioner. This stuff is AWESOME! Who would have thought that a silicone free conditioner would have so much slip? It is great as an instant smoothing conditioner, and it puts oodles of moisture in my hair prior to a light protein DC. It is is officially a staple for me.

5. Sunflower oil. Yes, normal sunflower oil that one usually cooks with. My hair loved this stuff, although I have only prepoo'd with it so far. Will be stocking up on nice BIG bottles because I wanna try oil rinses very soon!

MISSES:

1. Stretching too long between relaxers. I am currently a little over 3 months post, and I already bought my ORS Olive Oil No Lye kit. Planning to tackle my head tonight after work and gym. Stretching too long leads to trouble for me and it is NOT worth it.

2. Keeping in twists for longer than 6 weeks. My hair does like protective styling, but long term protective styles can only be kept in for 6 weeks at a time, otherwise my hairline and nape HATE me.

3. Trying too many new products all at once. I scolded myself HARD for doing this, and my hair hated the assault of a LOT of new things at the same time. Never making this mistake again. I am really going to try and get OFF the product junkie wagon.

4. Aussie Conditioner. NEVER AGAIN. It is expensive and my hair hates it! It freaking CREATED knots instead of smoothing them out. And on top of that, it didn't penetrate my hair al all, it just SAT there.

5. Amla Legend Deep Treatment. Not a big fan. It also just SITS on the hair, even when heat is applied. Hair does not feel extra smooth, soft or strong. It does cause damage the way the Aussie did, but it's not worth it. Will not repurchase.


So, I have a couple of goals for the year of 2014, and the first thing I am going to do is to have a trim. Yes, I don't want to lose length, but right now, my hair is not at optimum health. Health ofer length, otherwise the length will NEVER come. So, I am going to make an appointment with my OLD stylist, give her VERY strict instructions regarding the trim and then start 2014 fresh hair wise.

Further goals:

1. Reach APL by March damnit!!!!!!!!!

2. Reach full BSL by December 2014 latest.

3. Ensure the health of my hair and body by drinking enough water, exercising consistently and eating well.

4. Following on #3 - be anal regarding going to the gym. Minimum 3 times a week. Add to that daily brisk walks around the block every day. Lose 10% of my current body weight by end of February 2014.

5. Look after myself better. When I feel sick, actually go to the doctor!! I have excellent coverage (I'm pretty sure I can't exhaust it) so this self medicating thing and not going to my very excellent GP, needs to stop. (As I'm typing this, I have a KILLER headache. Note to self: call Dr. de Villiers!)

6. Buy a new car. My French love affair is over. Me and my Citroen have had a good run, but it is time to move on. I'm not saying that I'm going to buy a new car next week, but before 2014 is out, I will have new wheels.

7. Travel. I don't care where to, but I MUST go somewhere far away this year. Here's looking at you Europe!

And then in general, just be a better person. Love more, give more, stand up for what I believe in more, work harder, laugh louder, dance more and just live my life to the fullest.

What are your goals for the new year?
Here's wishing all of you a fantastic 2014! Be blessed and happy growing!

New challenge

Well, ladies, as y'all know, I am pushing for that APL goal by New Year's Eve. I've decided to step it up and I have found what is going to help. I am going to take part in GAHL's Hair Challenge, in order to grow and retain as much length as humanly possible. 

The rules are as follows, and they're easy to follow:

1. Wear protective styles 90% of the time
Protective styles are those that keep your ends hidden. These include buns, cornrows, braids, weaves e.t.c keeping your ends hidden will keep them from getting damaged and will encourage length retention.

2. Wear low manipulation hairstyles 10% of the time. Low manipulation hairstyles do not keep your ends protected but do not need to be combed out. These styles can easily be turned into protective styles. Examples of these are braid outs, perm rod sets, straw sets, bantu knots out, twist outs e.t.c 

3. Deep condition every week or at least once every two weeks

4. Moisturise and seal your hair on regular basis. 

5. Baggy your hair or just your ends whenever your hair or ends feel too dry.Baggying is simply applying a plastic bag on your head after moisturising to retain moisture. 

6. Keep your hair covered with a satin or silk scarf at night while sleeping.

7. One heat pass for the entire three months use it wisely ladies. Rollersetting and steaming the hair is allowed.

I'm planning to utilize my singular heat pass around my birthday in December. Other than that I am planning to rollerset religiously and protective style like a crazy person. 

And this is where I am today:

Sorry for the sucky cellcam quality, but yeah, y'all get the idea. I have about 2 whole inches to go to reach APL, but I am SO not giving up. And yea, my tattoo is completely covered by my hair!!!!!!! And it was still peeking out 3 weeks ago! I am a happy camper! (not about a few of those ends though, eish)

Anybody gonna join me in this simple challenge?

Blessed Monday y'all!

Some inspiration from the world wide web

Good morning boys and girls, ladies and gents and a happy Monday to you all!

Well, I trust that everone had a splendid weekend. Mine was relatively chilled, apart from my wash day, which made me realise a few things, which I will update you on in another post. This post is about the myriad of hair care blogs out there that form a part of my journey, and specifically about the ones that have in the past couple of weeks jumped out at me from the computer screen. The theme of this post is courtesy of the ladies from Saving our Strands and are as follows:

1. www.Longing4Length.com - Ebony from L4L has been an inspiration for me from the very first day of my healthy hair journey, and she continues to be, broadening her inspiration to include a healthy LIFESTYLE journey, having lost a whopping 20 pounds in 3 months and inspiring me to do the same.

2. belowthawaist.blogspot.com - I've only relatively recently discoverd Abbi's blog and the post that resonated most is the one regarding the building of a hair care regimen, especially considering that I am planning to simplify and streamline my regimen so as to get the MOST out of it.

3. tayshj.blogspot.com - This girl's bantu knot out gives me life!!! I cannot wait for my hair to be long enough to get that kind of soft flowy waves from a knot out instead of tight springy curls!

4. www.blackhairinformation.com - They had the most perfect post about what people are most commonly doing wrong with regard to their haircare and how one can reverse it to turn it into something better and healthier for your hair. Since I'm on a rejuvenating my regimen tip, I found this awesome!

5 www.fancyflairlady.com - Kim has a great post regarding smoothing ones edges, especially fater a workout, and I am SO going to try this. I'm only a little over 2 weeks post but working out leads to sweaty messy edges regardless and I am not willing to sacrifice the health of my body for my hair, or vice versa, so I am working towards creating THAT perfect balance too.

So, who has been part of your motivation and inspiration?
Blessed Monday and happy growing!

A short update

Hi there everybody. Sorry for the quiet the past couple of weeks, but being twisted up and all hair has become quite simple hairwise.

In other news though - I resigned from my job and will be starting with a brand new company the 1st of October!! I am uber excited! Of course, it means a couple of late nights working to tie up my loose ends at the office, but that's a good thing.

Secondly, right now I've got the freaking flu and I feel all nasal and congested and horrible! I won't wish this upon my worst enemy! Yes, not even on the douchebag ex, lol.

Thirdly - y'all remember my Motions relaxer review? Well, it seems somebody from the company had a glance at it and they contacted me to exactly find out what I did not like about their product. I am quite impressed with their diligence. I still won't use their relaxer again, but maybe I'll try out some of their other products. When I do I will keep y'all updated.

And lastly, it seems as if my hair actually grows faster than I thought. This is week 4 of me being in twists and those twists are slowly turning into box braids as I neaten it up. A lot of new growth is showing at the base of each twist, which does not look neat. So every night I sit and rebraid a few (around 6-10) since I don't know how to retwist them. I gently loosen the twist, detangle that little section of hair using my very slippy TCB Bone Strait leave in, apply Amla Legend 1001 oil wrap cream as a moisturizer and then rebraid. I see practically NO breakage and this way I'm getting rid of shed hair intermittently so that when the day comes that I take down ALL of the twists/braids, detangling and getting out all the shed hair will be a breeze. I also love the feeling of my new growth, and I think that I may have been mistaken, that I might actually have 3c hair and not 4a, as I have believed all my life. Apart from that my basic regiment regarding my braids is one step - braid spray, braid spray, braid spray! It's such a moisturizing spray that I can see myself using it on my hair after the braids are out as a leave in and/or moisturizer. I spritz it on at least twice a day, and at night I then cover my hair with a satin scarf and go to bed. See - simplified hair life.

How's everybody else doing this week? Have a good Thursday, the weekend's almost here!

August goals revisited and September goals

Winter is over! It is spring time! Time to quickly review my August goals and see what September has in store for me.

1. Moisturize and Seal every day - win! With the new Amla Legend 1001 Oils Cream it was a cinch. I really like this product!

2. Dust ends  - win! I took off very little but even just that light dusting already made a difference in the appearance of my hair and ends.

3. Co-wash at least once a week - almost. I co washed thrice during the month of August and my hair's moisture/protein balance truly felt on point before I went to have it twisted up.

4. Protective styling at least 4 days a week - win!

5. Go back to basics on wash day - win!

6. Drink a minimum of 2 liters of water a day - win!

7. Go to gym at least 4 days a week - big fail!! I made it to gym a grand total of four times for the entire month! I have a relatively valid excuse though - my blood pressure was through the roof, I was so dizzy that just walking across a room was a mission. It's under control now so I trust that during September I'll see the inside of the gym more often.

8. Focus on cardio - well, win, sort of. The times I did go to gym I did exactly that.

9. Limit calorie intake to 1200 - basically a win, except for a couple of days that I went out to dinner with friends or family.

10. Limit carb intake to two days a week - fail :-( I really need to start distancing myself from egg salad sandwiches!

11. Get a multivitamin and drink it daily - fail.

12. Sauna/steam room once a week - epic fail.

And there you have it. Mostly a win on the hair front, a big old flop on the health side. I'm not very happy with myself but I'll just try to do better this coming month.

SEPTEMBER GOALS:

As I told y'all I had twists installed last week, and I'm planning to keep the twists for about 8 weeks. It might be a little shorter than that since I'm already feeling one or two twists wanting to slip out, but we'll see how it goes. So, here's my goals for this month, and thus also my idea of a braid/twist regimen:

1. Moisturize roots, scalp and hair daily with spritz or braidspray.

2. Give myself scalp massages with coconut oil at least every other day.

3. Wash my roots and scalp once a week with diluted shampoo. I'm actually considering getting a dry shampoo for in between freshness.

4. Sleep with satin scarf as usual.

5. Find cute styles to wear my twists in.

6. GO TO DAMN GYM 3-4 times a week.

I'm keeping it simpler this month, thanks to the twists. What are your goals for the first month of spring? (that is of course if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, lol)

Have a cooking Monday!

Final challenge check in!

Hello there everybody.

I am very glad to report that the Longing 4 Length Protective Styling Challenge was just what the doctor ordered for my tresses. I have retained quite a bit of growth. My hair and I are still locked in a bit of a battle though. I'm 13 weeks post, and I don't know when I'll be able to touch up my hair. So, I'm trying to be as gentle as possible, while my new growth is extremely stubborn, even though I keep them nice and soft and moisturized. My hair's pretty strong at the moment, I've managed to reduce my breakage rate. However, I'm still struggling a bit with shedding. I'm considering infusing garlic into my coconut oil for my next wash day, hopefully reducing the shedding. 

But enough about my current hair issues, especially in the light of how HAPPY I am with my progress. When we started this challenge, I was grazing shoulder length, as in I wasn't quite there, but I could taste it. Here's a little reminder of where I was at the beginning of the challenge:

Sorry for the crappy quality of the pics, but if you look closely - the ends are grazing the top of my tattoo and the side layers have not yet reached the shoulders. 

Side view at start of challenge - not SL yet. 

And here ladies (and gentlemen) is where I am now after three whole months of protective styling, of up do's and french plaits, of 1950 style pin ups and buns, practically no heat use (just once), deep conditioning religiously, sometimes more than twice a month, only wearing my hair out and about twice, and then also only for a few hours (ended up being pinned up later). 

Drum roll please................................

I AM OFFICIALLY SHOULDER LENGTH!!!

I am planning to trim my ends when I touch up my roots but as y'all can see, another month of protective styling and my tattoo would be covered by hair. But yes, this is me claiming SL, and as far as I can tell from the top pic, I'm about 3 inches away from APL, so THAT is where I am heading now. In the meantime, my heart is aching for that Pebco dryer, so guys, go to http://longing4length.com/2013/04/l4lpsc-final-check-in-voting.html and if you're also of the opinion that the protective styling gave me an edge, vote, vote vote. 

PS A very good friend of mine has told me that she has started her own personal hair journey and she's picking up helpful tips from my blog. And I am seeing very positive changes in her hair's health and length. It makes me feel very honored, and humbled, considering that I've only been doing this for a little over a year. So, to her, and to all my other readers out there, thank you, and let's keep growing and taking care of our crowns!

PSS I hope that I have now finally fixed and solved the picture visibility issues. 

1st year anniversary coming up!

Tomorrow is the anniversary of my healthy hair journey, exactly one year since I started taking care of what grows out of my head and blogging about it. So far the journey has been rather remarkable. My hair is longer than I can remember it ever being in my adult life. I've gotten into an actual routine and regimen regarding my hair. I've had to learn new methods of roller setting due to the fact that I'm dealing with more hair than before. I've been educating myself on not just techniques on hair care and handling, but also on hair care products, the ingredients they contain and how some aid you in your journey and how others are detrimental to your goals, hopes and dreams (well...where your hair is concerned at least). 

I've come to realise that there are people that don't give a flying donkey. They don't really want to hear you blabber on about what you did on your last wash day and how you wanna try out a certain product. They however always notice the progress that you're making and they knock on your door when they need some hair advice of their own (which I'm always willing and able to dish out, lol). 

I've also learned that there will always be naysayers and haters, and they are the worst! The ones who discourage and demoralize you. I've learned that  have to shut those negative voices and negative energies OUT. I've learned that I can't allow myself to be discouraged from WHATEVER road I'm on, whatever journey, whatever goal I'm focusing on. 

And I've come to know some excellent cheerleaders, girls doing the same thing I am, ladies walking the same road. Some are WAY ahead of me, some are right next to me. But all know the heart break of a setback, of breakage, of a bad cut or a bad relaxer. All know the joys of an extra inch at the next length check, of added body and volume, of filled in edges and healthy napes. 

It's been a year, and so far, so good. I'll make a point of doing an official length check before the end of this week (which also means doing my ONE and only heat pass for Longing4Length's Protective Styling challenge) but I believe that I can actually claim that my hair has grown from ear length to shoulder within that time. 

This is to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me so far,  which includes all my friends who have sat through ramblings about hair products, regimens and the latest news from the blogosphere, and of course also all the ladies who's blogs have inspired me so far this year. It's been one hell of a ride so far, with greater things to come. 

Have a great Monday everybody!!

Very close to claiming SL.

This past Friday I relaxed my hair at 12 weeks post. I think I'm going to not stretch longer than 12 weeks, which also means that my projected next touch up would be on the 8th of February. I used the ORS Olive Oil No Lye Relaxer kit Regular strength. My BSS was out of stock of the kit for girls, which is the one I prefer, but I thought it would be best then to stick to the ORS brand, and honestly I'm not disappointed. For the most part. 

The process - I based my scalp with petroleum jelly. The kit does not contain a scalp protector, which the girls kit does. Secondly, I covered my previously relaxed hair with Pro-Vitene Conditioner,  cheapie conditioner I picked up at Clicks, since the regular kit doesn't contain a product for that either, which the girls' kit does contain. (Get where I'm going with this??? Kit for Girls is BETTER!) Then started applying the mixed relaxer to my new growth with the help of a friend. We started in the middle of my head as I have experienced some breakage around my nape and wanted to avoid that area being over processed. The nape and hairline received relaxer last. 

Even though my scalp was thickly based, we had to work pretty fast. This regular strength is still quite a bit stronger than the Girls' formula and my scalp is pretty sensitive. Application and smoothing in total I think took about 15 minutes and then I immediately got up to rinse. Hair was still relaxed nice and straight, I also think that parts that were slightly under-processed previously were corrected by the chemical run-off as it now feels like I have a uniform relaxed texture again. I rinsed and shampooed with the supplied packet of Creamy Aloe Shampoo. I HATE not neutralizing with a colour indicator neutralizing shampoo, as I'm never sure then whether I neutralized correctly. To make sure of that, by the time I applied the shampoo for the third time, I left it sitting on my hair for a good 10 minutes, after which I rinsed and shampooed at least another two times. Of course I loved the provided Replenishing Pak, deep conditioning with it for a good half an hour. After rinsing that i applied my usual leave in of 3D Rescue and Bone Strait lotion, roller set, dry and straighten with a single heat pass as I wanted to do an official length check. 

My hair felt soft and smooth and straight and I'm generally happy with the results. My ends feel pretty dry though and I'm going to pamper them for the next few weeks so as to soften and nourish them as I do not want to lose any of my progress which I am pretty happy with, and I feel that I am super close to claiming full  shoulder length. 

Sorry lovelies, picture quality is sucky as always but I think it's clear enough to see the progress I've made so far. 

The V of my hair touching the top of my tattoo.  I think it's officially the longest my hair has ever been in my adult life.

Still very much in layers, not quite SL yet, but I can practically taste it!

My last official length check will be on the 31st of December 2012. We have 6 weeks to go until then and I am planning to protective style, moisturize and generally pamper and baby my hair for the next 6 weeks so as to retain every millimeter of growth, and I think I should be able to attain at least 1-2 cm of growth during that time. I love having longer hair and I love that my hair is in such a better condition than it was when I started this journey. I love that I haven't had any major setbacks so far and I pray that it stays that way. Considering where I was when I started, so far I am pretty happy. 

PS I'm thinking of trying a few more available relaxers in the coming year. So far I'm pretty satisfied with ORS, and I've used Dark & Lovely most of my life, but just maybe what is PERFECT for me is something else completely...I'll make a final decision on that in February 2013. 

Here comes summer, but hot sticky hair is not sexy!

Hello lovelies, yes, it's been a minute, but life sometimes has this thing...it goes on and sometimes it moves fast.

It is officially summer. It is hot and sticky and humid. All I want to do is run around in short skirts and tank tops and lie in a pool as often as I can. Which brings me to the fact that I need to switch up my regime a bit if my hair is to flourish through the sweaty summer months, especially considering that I still have a good 2 weeks to go before I touch up and my new growth is driving me slightly insane.

But lets rewind first - were October's goals achieved?? Well, I did moisturize and seal more often but it still felt insufficient, specifically around my NG. I think I will have to find a richer moisturizer. I truly attempted to baby my nape, I think I've stopped most of the breakage, but it's still a bit of a sad sight. I cheated on the heat usage, I straightened my hair with a ceramic straightener for a Halloween party on the 26th. It took me FOREVER, since I took small sections, and the next day it was a massive puff again due to the fact that I wore a hat as part of my costume, it was hot as all hell and I sweated like Ms Piggy. The next day to salvage as much as I could I put my hair in some rollers with moisturizer and after it was dry again pinned it up. Due to breakage during detangling I've given the bantu knot outs a rest for now, rather simply roller setting, wrapping and pinning my hair for the past 2-3 weeks. So, all in all, October wasn't truly a miss, nor was it a roaring success.

Now, to move on to the month to come. I'm scheduled to have my touch up in 2 weeks, the weekend of the 16th of November. I'm actually looking forward to it, due to my hair being longer than ever before in my adult life, it truly is easier working with one texture instead of two, and right now I'm rocking 3, with bone straight ends, some texlaxed hair and my 4a/b (depending on location) roots. I'm contemplating to, during my next relaxer, correct the texlaxed parts and having all my hair bone straight to combat the breakage from working with multiple textures. I now know that I am not adept enough for multiple textures and thus if I wish my length retention to be out of this world, I need to do what's best for ME and my hair. In the meantime, the next few washes I'm going to step up the protein a bit in preparation for the process, as well as keep moisture levels high and manipulation low. I truly need to baby them if I want to keep up my level of retention.

I'm going to do a black tea rinse this weekend  (either tomorrow or Sunday) as I've also been shedding a bit more than usual and I'm going to get my hands on apple cider vinegar and do a ACV rinse for my porosity issues. I've purchased the Creme of Nature Argan Oil Deep Conditioner and am going to try it soon, and that is going to be the extent of my experimentation this month. I have succeeded in trimming down the supplies and streamlining the products I use, as well as slightly simplifying my regimen on wash days.

This morning I had to do a quick wash (my hair felt AWFUL) and  I gave the ORS Olive Oil Intense Masque another try, and this time it worked SO much better. I'm guessing the reason for that is two fold: 1 - I used Pantene Sleek and Smooth Conditioner beforehand (following the shampoo) to detangle. 2 - I applied the Masque in sections from root to tip on SOAKING wet hair. I had plenty of slip and the 5 minutes in the shower felt sufficient, my hair felt strong and smooth and soft and roller setting was a breeze. I can rollerset my entire head in 20-30 minutes using the mohawk methodology, I'm going to try to keep that time, especially due to the porosity of my hair, if I don't work fast, by the time I'm done with only half my head, the other half would feel dry already. Also, it means that I can shower, wash hair, roller set, dry (using fast cold air on the dryer) get dressed, style my hair and be ready for work in an hour and a half if need be!!

Wow, I have been rambling today! Tomorrow is the Windhoek Jazz Festival, to which me and my ladies are all headed, and of course we'll most probably run into practically everyone we know. As it's festival time, we'll be outside and therefore one on a HHJ like myself need to consider the elements' effect on her tresses. My plan of action would include the following - doing a major wash day tomorrow morning, including an overnight pre-poo and decent DC with CoN, roller setting and air drying, moisturizing and sealing, and pinning up the curls from the rollers. Since it's a big party, I expect nastiness the next day, so I will most probably also do a wash on Sunday, perhaps a co-wash only to increase moisture levels, but will see how it goes. What's everybody else's weekend plans? Have fun and be safe!

Post weekend update, with some pics

Good morning, happy October and I trust everybody's ready to take on the new month with vigor. This will also be when one truly feels the effects of the new season, it becoming cooler in the northern hemisphere and warming up considerably here in the south. It 's spring (although in all honesty, it often feels as if Namibia only has two seasons - winter and summer, and that autumn and spring fall by the wayside) and thus the days are longer and warmer and just generally more fun. It's easier to go the gym after work, since it's not dark when you're done after a good hour long session and driving home. Sun downers are so much more fun because cold funky cocktails don't really go down well during winter and the sun sets too damn early in any event. One's social calendar fills up much more easily as everyone actually wishes to come out of their state of winter hibernation and laziness and shake off the cobwebs of the cold season. Personally, the only thing I miss about the colder seasons is that my wardrobe and sense of style was so much easier while still being creative, and hair care, for me personally, was a little easier, as a simple bun in winter is so much more the norm, as summer asks for more flirty fun styles and thus much more care so as to minimize breakage and shedding.

Talking of fun and flirty, this weekend was amazing and very fun. Friday night I went to a themed Red Light District Party: Heels and Top Hats with my girl Ash. Upon entering one received complimentary champagne, and my glass was almost never empty. There were live performances, which included stand up comedy, poetry and singing. The DJ burned up the decks and the next day my feet were in absolute agony as I danced the night away in heels, which I NEVER do, ask ANYONE who knows me. My feet only truly feel better today! But heels were part of the theme so I threw them on,lol.

The rest of my outfit consisted of an ankle length black fitted skirt with a slit on the side and a black corset. My hair I simply retwisted my knots a little and then fluffed them out. Make up was simple and then we partied the night away.







I need to make the following statement - girls of today DO NOT know how to dress with class and style so as to look like LADIES. I verily believe that me and my friends were some of the very few classy ladies at the party. The GIRLS do know however how to look like very expensive prostitutes. A style lesson that I know is absolutely timeless - one must choose the focal point between chest and legs. You CANNOT show off both, because then you end up looking trashy and cheap.

I saw SO many girls on Friday night who's boobs were falling out of their dresses which were so short that daring the sit down would have been a challenge and wearing underwear would not have been great because their were SO tight that even the tiniest of thongs would leave a visible pantie line, and on top of it, wearing hooker heels. As a woman, I found it disgraceful. There is nothing wrong with sexy, and there is nothing wrong with flaunting your best assets, as long as it's done tastefully and with class and not like you're the lead in a porno movie and the clothes are gonna fly in about 2 minutes anyway! Girls!! Learn to have some self respect! If you don't respect your own body and your own image that you're projecting to the world, how on earth do you expect anyone to respect you??

Okay, enough about that rant and on to the awesomeness that was yesterday and the Trevor Noah show. The man is brilliant! I haven't laughed so hard in a very long time. He has been one of my favorite comedians for a couple of years now, and it was awesome seeing him live here in Windhoek as I missed his show last year which he did before leaving for the States for about a year. I am so grateful to Ashante for hooking us all up and making sure that we don't miss the comedy show of the year.

As a precursor, I decided that I must look decidedly cute, and thus yesterday morning was a wash day, which I ended with a roller set, After taking out the rollers, I pinned my hair up in a slightly 40's and 50's style, took out some tendrils to frame my face and wore a strapless dress that I picked up at American Eagle a few years ago with a tiny little cardigan over.









I apologise for the quality of the pics, I'm still relegated to my cell phone. I pray that the situation will change soon.

Also, I realized that I need to have a ton of oils for when detangling my curls from a knot out to minimise the breakage, so I will be adding that to the planned hair haul which will probably occur this afternoon.

In any event, that was my weekend y'all (and I also watched A LOT of Grey's Anatomy over the weekend - some tears were shed, was intense). Wishing everyone an awesome week ahead and a happy, not blue, Monday further.

Black Vulcanite and post weekend update

Good morning everybody, and I hope y'all are having a better Monday than me. I'm all snotty and congested and this fuzzy head feeling is not conducive to a good mood. 

Regarding the weekend, it was such a blast being at the Black Vulcanite video shoot party. I can't wait for the video to premiere. Although these boys are young, I believe that they are firmly on the road to real success, as long as they continue to work as hard as they are now. Of course, with their momager, the awesome and stylish Ms Manetti by their side, only good things I predict will come their way. 

Yesterday I was so lazy and a little lethargic that I spent most of the day watching Grey's Anatomy and wondering why it is that women allow themselves to go crazy over one of two things - a man or their career. It always seems to be one of the two. I believe my friend Stiletto Rambler will probably broach the topic at some stage, because it is somewhat perplexing to me, maybe because I believe that one can have it all. Of course Grey's Anatomy is simply a story, the figment of someone's imagination, but quite a few of the story lines have a way of tugging at one's subconscious, of being relatable to one's own life. It could simply be due to good writing or good acting, or it could be that the issues are very real to many people. I don't know, I'm rambling.

Nevertheless, the weekend was an absolute blast!! I apologise for the lack of pics, considering that I made so much effort with my hair this weekend and I laid out all of my plans beforehand, but I am pleased to report that everything did come out awesome, my hair being full and lively and getting mucho compliments. The outfit was very spring focused, including a colourful boobtube and purple waterfall cardi. I felt good (snotty but good) and according to my friends, I looked good. 

I realised that I need to stock up on a moisturizing DC, a moisturizing shampoo and a light protein DC, like ORS Hair Mayonnaise, and very soon. I haven't done a hair haul in a while and I have actually been using up quite a bit of my current stash. I strongly believe that I will be FULL shoulder length by the end of the year, which is my ultimate goal for 2012. Then we'll start working on 2013 and where to go at that stage. In the meantime I need to be consistent and continue caring and loving and the results will be more and more evident as time goes by. 

That's it for now folks. Have an awesome Monday, and a blessed week!

Edit: Got a pic folks, I'm with my awesome friend Ashante and one third of Black Vulcanite, AliThatDude. Feel the awesomeness emanate from this pic :-) 

Trying new things

One of the most awful tings in life is getting stuck in a rut. Whether the rut exists at work, at your business, in your social life, in your relationship, it is an indication of an imbalance, and primarily of YOU, who is in the rut, being lazy and not busting out of your own rut. I am speaking from personal experience, having experienced many different ruts, and only getting out of it after I made a concerted effort. One must take responsibility for your own life, you cannot expect others to help you out of your rut. 

Now, with that being said, I know that I have been in a styling rut for a while. My hair is growing and the retention is there, but also, it's now at an awkward stage where I had NO idea what to do with it except EZ comb and bunning, until recently. I did a side french braid a la Katniss Everdeen. I still need a LOT of practice with that one though, and MORE hair, lol. 

I actually did a bantu knot out and it came out cute!! I'm wearing my hair straight today for the first time in almost a week, which is VERY rare for me, because my entire life I would wear my hair straight and stretched for the simple reason that I believed, into my core, that curls did not suit me. Well, glory hallelujah, I was wrong and it is giving me more hope and vigor to try even more NEW things, with my hair, my workout schedule, my make up, my wardrobe. And lastly, after my first summer swim of the new season, my hair turned into a nice big wavy do, which I'm going to attempt to recreate soon. 

Now, I think it may be very much overdue to post some pics. I would love to hear what everybody thinks and on how to improve the styles and on suggestions for other styles to try. I apologise for the picture quality, hopefully they're clear enough for y'all to get the idea. 

Side french braid a la Katniss Everdeen. 

First successful bantu knot out

Knot out lightly pinned at the sides

Tighter knot out, also slightly pinned at the sides

BIG hair after a swim and lying in the sun

So, what new things have YOU been trying lately?

I feel good, nanananaaaa!!!

Yes, I do!!! Which is a rare thing on a Monday. But my weekend was too damn awesome for the good feelings to not be transferred to this Monday morning. 

Let's recap. 

Friday started with my friend and soul sister's birthday party. It was chilled out and relaxed, while we still had a lot of fun chatting, getting back to basics and playing cards. Whilst there I realized again how lucky I am to have the friends that I do. It's like being enveloped in a down comforter. And Julio's soup was the bomb!!! The night ended at our preferred haunt, Garlic and Flowers, for a night cap with my other soul sister Ashante, and a catalyst for the smile on my face that lasted ALL weekend long. But I am SO not going to jinx this, so this is where I shut up. :-)

Saturday was taken up by the birthday party of the now 2 year old Zen, and we were surrounded by toddlers, which although cute, made me realize exactly how much of a kid I myself am not anymore. Regardless, it was so much fun. A further continuation of spending time with good friends, good food (Chanty, that curry, yummy!!!) and counting one's blessings. 

The rest of the weekend I was absolutely engrossed in the Hunger Games Trilogy. My inner nerd was in the best mood, I finished all 3 books in a matter of days, a full week has not gone by yet since I purchased them. I was transported to another world, and I actually felt as if I experienced the Games myself. I CAN'T WAIT to see the first film. (I avoided seeing it until I read the books. Personal little rule) Now of course, I'm a little sad, I actually FINISHED the whole trilogy. I'm seriously considering reading them all over again, slowly, since I simply devoured them now. 

Oh yeah, and then a little hair update. I could touch up, so now it's scheduled for this coming weekend at 14weeks post. My NG is driving me a little crazy, so last night I dry DC'd with Pantene Repair and Protect mask for almost 2 hours, then washed with my Avon Moisturizing Shampoo, detangled with Tresseme Moisturizing Conditioner and rinsed, Quick protein Treatment with ORS Olive Oil Intense Repair Masque (which STILL gives no slip and makes my hair feel a little hard, I officially DON'T like this product) and then after rinsing that conditioned again with Pantene smooth and Silky Moisturizing Conditioner while I finished the rest of my shower duties, lol. I then put in Avon 3D Rescue Leave-in Treatment, mixed with ORS Glossing Polisher serum and proceeded to roller set whilst watching True Blood and spritzing my hair with a mix of water, a TINY bit of Aussie Mega Moisture Conditioner and a TEENSY bit of glycerin as I went along. I let my hair airdry in the rollers for about two hours before taking the dryer to them on the mild setting, as it was getting late and I refuse to sleep with rollers, it's too painful and distracting. My roots are WAY thick, so although my hair felt soft coming out of the rollers, I prefer it to be manageable, so I flat ironed (one pass) and wrapped and went to bed. This morning my hair is actually BEHAVING and I am having the best day so far. It feels soft and it's bouncy. I need to look for cute pins though, as much as I'm loving my retention, I need bigger clips now for my protective styles, which is awesome!!! 

Yes, it might just be hair, but it's also a woman's crown and these days, I'm actually liking my own. :-)

Trying something new...hairwise

I know it's been a minute, but between exams and feeling listless, the opportunity to blog wasn't there. However, I do think that it's high time to give a bit of a hair update. Unfortunately, I won't be posting pics now, but I plan to post quite a few soon. This one I'm keeping short and simple.

Okay, what my hair is currently doing is driving me a little CRAZY. I'm 13 weeks post and I'm planning on touching up this weekend, but all things considered, that is not guaranteed. It is needed though. I'm starting to experience additional breakage, especially around the demarcation point and it is quite disheartening. Also, my hair feels brittle, such as if caused by a protein overload, despite the moisturizing conditioners and daily moisturizing and sealing. This past wash day I used 3, yes, T-H-R-E-E conditioners - my Aussie, Tresseme and Pantene, and my hair STILL didn't feel soft as I was roller setting. I'm thinking of washing my hair tonight and to do a DC with heat for at least a good hour, just to check if it makes a freaking difference.

Styling wise, I've been trying a few new things, that being flat twists in front and bunning in the back and pinning up my hair using hair grips. My experiences are that my head does not like my hair being pulled back tight for a long time, more than 4 hours being too long. My head started aching, so flat twists will be reserved for going out to dinner and not for going to work! The pinning...I'm still learning,but I'm getting compliments, so I'm doing something right :-)

Lastly, I've come to realise that I truly do not like winter. It's still freezing, and spring is supposed to be around the corner. What gives? I'll take warm and humid over cold and dry any day, and I suspect my hair readily agrees. So, come on SUMMER!

I survived the weekend...and an official length check

It's Monday, I am at work, I definitely need to tackle the heap on my desk, and I made through the weekend. The first weekend. I'm still employing the same survival methods - focus on the here and now and let the future take care of itself. 

On another note, on Friday, after work, I went to the salon to a stylist that I know does awesome blow outs. I again realised why I haven't been to a salon in over 7 months - the wash girl shampooed and conditioned my hair in one big ball, did not detangle prior to me getting into the stylists chair and in my opinion the products used were subpar. I could feel my ends being dry and my hair being FULL of static electricity. While she was doing the blow out I feel that she could have been a little more gentle, but it wasn't that bad. The end result however was AWESOME. My hair had lots of movement, body and shine. And I could finally see that I have really had some good growth. Also, I am 7 weeks post and one would swear that I just had a fresh relaxer after that blow out. So, taking that into consideration, I decided to a very official length check compared to when I started on this journey. I apologise for the picture quality - cellphone, and taken in the bathroom. 

I think that I can technically claim SL due to the hair at the back actually reaching that length, but I do not wish to claim it until the front and sides at the very least reach chin length, and I really think that I'm not that far off from it. Also, the salon won't see me again for quite a long time, since I now know that me taking care of my own hair yields the best results. However, when I do go again (I never said never, lol)  will make sure to either take my own products and to detangle myself prior to the blow out OR I will wash and DC at home and then simply have my hair rinsed at the salon and then blown. This time, to counteract the dryness left by the subpar products and lack of proper detangling I moisturized and sealed a little heavier than usual and I have succeeded in parching the dryness in a 24hour time span. 

So ladies, am I entitled to give myself a pat on the back? 

Fresh touch up after 13 weeks post

13 weeks post relaxer in my life was a test of patience. My last stretch was 12 weeks and simple logistics prevented me from having this current stretch also end at 12 weeks. Nevertheless, the tresses were relaxed at 13 weeks post with Dark 7 Lovely Beautiful Beginnings No-Lye Relaxer Kit. Yes, I used the kiddie brand, as I have found it years ago to be gentler on my scalp. In addition I stirred in about a teaspoon of castor oil before applying it to my NG to prevent over-processing. After application and smoothing I rinsed and shampooed with the kit's neutralizing shampoo immediately, using ORS Hair Mayonnaise as the mid protein step, which I kept in my hair for about ten minutes, after which I shampooed again with the neutralizing shampoo and one final lather with ORS Creamy Aloe before applying ORS Replenishing Pak which I sat with for 30minutes whilst wearing a plastic cap. After rinsing that I spritzed on some leave in for slip because although my hair was soft, it had very little slip.

HUGE POINT THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE: Prior to starting my HHJ, whenever I had a touch up, when rinsing I would see SO much hair in the tub. My hair broke like it was being paid. It went on for so long that for the longest time I believed it to be the norm. Until yesterday. During the entire rinsing process, I think I saw a maximum of 8 hairs! Yes, breakage and shedding have been reduced to the very minimal in only three months!!! I'm so happy I did a happy dance right next to the tub.

Okay, and we're back. My hair was then roller set and left to air dry in the rollers, which only took a couple of hours. After removing the rollers, I decided to not yet straighten it with heat but to only do that on the first wash day after this entire relaxing session. I strongly believe that my hair looks it's best after that first wash day on freshly relaxed hair. I will at that juncture then also take a progress pic to determine if my retention goal of 2-3 cm have been met (but I believe, just from pulling my hands through my hair, that the goal was achieved). I honestly believe that my regimen is working. It's still a little touch and go, but the important thing is progress, not perfection.

Till next time :-)

April goals revisited

I have not been here in a minute, and it's actually a little crazy how it has effected me to the extent that just gearing myself up to write this post took a little bit of doing. But I am back, in full swing and complete glory, and although were almost a third into the 5th month already, I need to revisit my April goals, specifically those regarding my hair. So, to recap, those goals were:

• FINISH at least 3 products from the list below, and it was a success, as I actually finished 6. 
• • Pantene Silky Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner 
  • L'Oreal Elvive Repairing Conditioner 
  • Avon Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner for dry and damaged hair
  • Avon Overnight Elixir
  • ORS Aloe Moisturizing Shampoo
  • ORS Hair Mayonnaise
  • ORS Replenishing Pak Conditioner (1pack)
  • ORS HAIresque Deep Conditioner (1pack)
  • ORS Olive Oil Moisturizing Lotion
  • ORS Olive Oil Moisturizer Hair dress (tub) 
  • ORS Hair Fertilizer
  • Dark and Lovely Ultimate Cholesterol Deep Conditioner
  • Dark and Lovely Anti-Breakage Conditioning Repair Mask
  • Dark and Lovely Beautiful Beginnings Normal Relaxer Kit
  • Dark and Lovely Oil Moisturizer Spray
  • Castor Oil
  • Coconut Oil
  • Pure Glycerin
  • Kair Light Serum
  • Bone Straight Wrap, Blow and Setting lotion
  • Self made leave in consisting of Protein Feed Conditioner, water and glycerin. 
  
  
• Sleep with the SILK BONNET. In general successful, with the exception of maybe six or seven nights the entire month, thus technically a goal achieved. 
• Experiment with some other methods of styling. I DID experiment, a little, but it was not extensive. What I did try was the following:
• phony pony
• phony pony in a bun
• headband covering edges and most of hairline
• wore my hair out (to a wedding, it felt nice)

• Moisturize and seal EVERY DAY! Unsuccessful. On average it happened only every 2nd day, except for the very first week in May. 
• Properly pre-poo before every wash, and deep condition more often this month. Unsuccessful. I did not properly pre-poo before every wash, and I experienced a bit of protein overload this month. I also did not give my self proper time to DC every week, and once only kept the DC in for 10 minutes  without heat instead of 45 with heat. 

Three out of five is not too bad in my mind. From this month on wards I'm taking part in Ms Ebony's Banging & Swanging Challenge from Longing4Length, and those goals will be incorporated in my current regime. The above items will also continue to be part of my regime in my HHJ, as the ultimate aim at the end of the day is to have long, lush, healthy hair. I do think that I am retaining length though, I believe that slowly but surely what I am doing is yielding results. Friends are commenting on how good my hair looks and on how it's grown. I can't wait to hit SL. Till next time all. Have a good one.