Wash Day

Today's wash day went really well. I had plans to roller-set my hair, but they fell through due to lack of time. Here are the steps to my wash day.

1. Pre-pooed with a garlic and NTM conditioner mix. I finished the last of the NTM Daily Conditioner. I probably will not repurchase since I was using it as a conditioner rinse and may have found a substitute. I didn't mention this is my previous post, but my hair has been shedding excessively. This is my reasoning behind this particular mix.
2. Shampooed with CON Argon Oil Moisture and Shine Sulfate Free Shampoo.
3. DCed with ORS Hair Masque. Review coming later this week.
4. Rinsed out DC and applied Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Daily Treatment and rinsed after about 5 mins. I loved how smooth my hair felt. I think this will replace the NTM conditioner! So far I LOVE this stuff, but I will have a more through review after a few more uses.
5. T-shirt dried for about 5 mins then added Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In and sealed it with GVP's Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum. The combination of this serum with the PM SS Daily Treatment was a heaven send for my hair. It left my hair so soft, smooth, and shiny!! A+ combination! I just hope it works like this every time I use it.
6. I airdried my hair in a bun d/t a lack of time. I'm thinking about adding some bantu knots or flexi-rods to it tonight. I need to do something with my hair because on my days off I have not even touched my hair. It has been sitting all over my hair and my Honey told me it was wayyyy past time to do something to my hair. I definitely agreed with him.

Hair 100% dry at this point.

So with that being said I'm gonna try to stay clear of bunning my hair for a about a week or two. I may even flat iron it for Christmas. Lately I've been thinking of going to a salon to have someone else do my hair for a change. I'm not sure if I will be able to go through with it, but it has definitively been on my mind.

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Relaxer Update

I relaxed my hair last weekend with ORS Professional Line. I used the half and half method and basically did everything I did in my last relaxer update. Just a quick run through of the steps.

1. Parted my hair straight down the middle into two halves. Added clips on one half to keep hair separated.
2. Sectioned my hair in 1 inch horizontal parts and based my scalp with Vaseline. 
3. Covered on half with 2 plastic caps.
4. Applied relaxer to each section of new growth only
5. Applied/smoothed for 15 mins.
6. Rinsed with warm water and did a mid-step protein treatment with Aphoghee 2 Minute Reconstructor.
7. Rinsed out protein treatment and neutralized 3x.
8. Repeated steps 4-7 on the second half.
9. Deep conditioned with Optimum Care's Repair Masque with heat for 30 mins with my hooded dryer. I ended up falling asleep with this on for about another 2 hours.
10. Rinsed with warm water and t-shirt dried for about 15 mins.
11. Added Aphoghee Keratin and Green Tea Reconstructor as a leave in.

I had every intention of roller-setting my hair, but I was too lazy tired so I just bunned. Truthfully I was feeling sick so I didn't want to even take on that challenge. All week I have been bunning. Boring!!! I wanted to roller-set today, but I just have not been up to doing my hair! I really do plan on getting out of this lazy spell soon. Work is just kicking my butt!!! I love my job, but being a bedside nurse in a hospital setting is hard work. I will probably wash my hair in the morning so be on the lookout for a wash day post. Sorry I have no pics. I really have been too lazy busy to take any. I will try to make up for it in my next post. Also review on the Optimum Care Hair Masque will be posted soon. I want to use it a few more times so I can give a through review. I will say that so far I really like it. I love the way it makes my scalp tingle and I also love the smell. 

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Wash Day (My dryer is here!!!)

I ordered my LCL Beauty Salon Hooded dryer on wheels last week Friday and it was delivered yesterday Friday 11/3/12. The shipping was right on time and I could not have been more happy! It took me probably an hour to put together only because I'm not very handy and I was waiting to for my Honey to assist me. So for an average person it would probably take 20 mins or less. So far it's durable and heats great. It's way too soon to do a review, but I will make sure that I will post a review a month from now.

Source: lclbeauty.com

This week I decided to do a hard protein treatment because I plan to relax next week. I'm 11 weeks post and I'm not about that life!!! My new growth is so thick and my hair is having a hard time holding moisture. I think this is due to the change in weather (it's getting cold here) and my lack of energy time to moisturize my hair. I just started my new job a few weeks ago and it's kicking my butt! I love it, but my body has yet to adjust. This is how this weeks wash day went.

1. Pre-Poo with EVOO and EVCO for 30 mins under my hooded dryers

2. Clarified with Ion Clarifying Shampoo

3. Shampoo washed with CON Argon Oil sulfate free 

4. Hard Protein treatment with Aphogee 2 Step Protein + the Balancing conditioner w/ hooded dryer until hair was hard

5. Conditioner Rinse with CON Argon Oil deep conditioner (I probably should have DCed with heat, but I was feeling lazy.

6. Leave in conditioner CON Argon Oil leave in spray + GVP's PM Super Skinny Serum

7. Air-dried overnight in a bun

I tried to detangle my hair in the shower, as usual, but my hair was not cooperating! I know it's because of the hard protein treatment. I ended up detangling as best I could in the shower and finishing up once I got out. I had to add the leave in and serum to make detangling easier. I also noticed my hair has been shedding a lot lately. I will be incorporating garlic pre-poos in my regimen in the near future. I also noticed my edges have been thinning  This could be due to tension caused by bunning. I plan to do less buns after my relaxer. when I do decide to bun I will make sure they are not too tight. Maybe I'll try the Southern Tease bun. I also plan to purchase some Castor oil soon. 

What has been going on with your hair? What are your hair plans?

Wash Day/Last Length Check of the Year

Disclaimer: This was on last Sunday's Wash day (10/14/12). I was so busy that I didn't have time to finish the post and publish it.

Sunday night/Monday morning were my wash days. I spent all day Thursday through Sunday moving in to/setting up my new home and the time blew past before I knew it. It was about 10pm (if not later) Sunday night when I applied my deep conditioner. Here are the steps to my wash day.

• Deep Conditioned on dry hair with ORS Replenishing Conditioner mixed with 1 tsp of EVCO, EVOO, and Hemp Seed Oil each. I also added about 4 drops of Peppermint oil. I applied the conditioner as if I were applying a relaxer. I know my hair needed the TLC.
• Shampooed 1x with L'Oreal EverStrong Sulfate Free Shampoo.
• Conditioner Rinse with NTM Daily Deep Conditioner.
• I added GVP's Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum and blow-dried on medium high heat.
• I put my hair in a loose bun, wrapped it up and went to bed.

I got up early Sunday morning to flat iron my hair. Here are the steps.

• Added IC Fantasia's Heat Protector 
• Flat ironed in small sections with my Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Flat Iron on a setting of 25 out of 40? 

I wore my hair out the first day. The next day I wanted curls so I added a little foam wrapping lotion and set my hair on about 6 flexi rods. That was my simple yet late wash day! This week I plan to purchase my hooded dryer from LCL Beauty. I'm soooooo excited that I can finally get my dryer for better DC sessions and to perfect rollersets. 

I almost for got to announce that I am grazing APL! If you follow me on twitter on IG this is old news to you. I'm almost certain I will be APL by Dec. My goal is to be full APL by Feb and I'm well on my way!

10/15/2012

Emergency Co-wash

Source: Google

This blog post was written 9/27/12. I just didn't have the time to post it. I've been busy setting things up to relocate so this has been a super busy time. I probably will not be posting much until I get settled in. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you may see some updates. I appreciate all of your support and patience as I make this transition in my life.

My hair has been feeling extremely dry these past two days. I tried moisturizing my hair with Hawaiian Silky 14-n-1 and Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter moisturizer to no avail. Yesterday I went to a farewell dinner for my Hunny's co-work as well as being my my Hunny's birthday. My hair needed some serious TLC so I decided to co-wash my hair. Before I co-washed,  I pre-pooed with EVCO and Hemp Seed Oil as "suggested" by ECP's latest post. I will say that this combination was amazing. It left my hair feeling very soft and moisturized! I miss pre-pooing with oil. I now DC on dry hair to prevent having to jump in the shower twice. It just seems to cut out a lot of time on my wash day. I co-washed with HH Hello Hydration Conditioner. I love the smell of this. It doesn't give me as much slip as the V05 did so I will not be purchasing the regular size.

 I applied CON's Moisture and Shine Leave in and GVP's Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum before blow drying on cool. This takes sooooo much time! I just didn't have the time to air dry. After blow drying I added Fantasia IC heat protector to my roots only and flat ironed ONLY my roots on low heat. This made my new growth much more manageable. I styled my hair with an EZ Comb pic (due to lack of time I didn't take a picture).

After blow drying my hair yesterday I realized how thick it has become due to stretching my relaxers and texlaxing. I'm loving it! The only thing I have to get use to is trying to get my hair into a ponytail after air drying or blow drying. I will try to remember to take a picture of my hair after I blow dry next time. In the mean time enjoy the picture of my hair taken a month ago.

Check out the thickness of my hair. I should have texlaxed long ago!

                              

Wash Day

I gave my hair some much needed TLC on Saturday. I bunned all last week and my new growth was extra dry despite trying to tame it with moisturizer. I wanted to co-wash, but it was Thursday when I finally had the time to do it. I decided to just wait to and shampoo wash it. My wash day was pretty quick and simple. Here are the steps.

1. Sprayed my hair with water and applied the ORS Olive Oil Hair Masque. I love the smell of this stuff? I applied my plastic cap and winter hat and let it sit in about 2 hours.
2. I shampooed in the shower one time L'oreal EverStrong Hydrating Shampoo and one time with CON Argon Oil Moisture and Shine Shampoo. I'm very excited that the CON shampoo left my hair a moisturized. The L'oreal EverStrong dried it out a bit which I have never noticed before. I also discovered how to make the CON shampoo sud! 
3. I applied NTM Daily Deep Conditioner for about 5 minutes and rinsed with cool water.
4. I detangled under running water and I'm very pleased with the small amount of hair I have been loosing lately. 
5. I t-shirt dried for about 10 minutes. I parted my hair into 6 sections and added Cantu Shea Butter leave in and EVCO individually. I then plaited each section for a braid out. The only part made with a comb was my off center part. The rest was done with my fingers. 
6. I applied foam rollers at the end of each braid, tied my hair down with a satin scarf, and put of my bonnet. I let it air dry overnight.

I have yet to take my braids down. I don't plan on leaving the house today so I probably won't take them out until tomorrow. I'm going to try to make this braidout last until Wednesday. I plan to rebraid each section every night. To see the results follow me on twitter @blutifullyblaq or Instagram @2kizmet. Hope your wash days was as simple as mine. HHG!

My Current Products: Moisturizers and Oils Edition

In my previous post I discussed the shampoos and conditioners that I am currently using. In this post I will be discussing the different moisturizers, oils, and serums I am currently using.

Moisturizers

1. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion: This moisturizer is kind of thick. It works best on freshly relaxed hair until about 5 weeks post relaxer.
2. Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter: This is the newest addition to my moisturizers. I'm still trying to figure out how it works on my hair. I have used it on straightened and air-dried hair and it works well on both. I love how it leave my hair super soft and smelling lovely!!
3. Hawaiian Silky 14-N-1(Green & White Bottle): This is a thinner moisturizer and works best on my new growth. I notice it weighs my hair down a bit so I don't use it when wearing straight styles. I use this moisturizer only when I'm further post relaxer (about 6+ weeks).
4. Pure Honey: I mix this in my deep conditioners (mainly the CON argon Oil deep conditioner) and as a pre-poo. It leave my hair very moisturized. I like to use it as a pre-poo when I'm further post because this is when my hair is the driest and it leaves my hair more manageable. Staple!

As you can tell I don't have a staple moisturizer that I use before I seal. I'm not necessarily looking for new ones, but I'm open to try others. I know I would like to try NTM Silk Touch leave in one day. In the mean time these will have to do. 

Oils

1. Peppermint Oil: I recently purchased this oil and so far I have used it in my deep conditioners as well as mixed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) to use on my scalp. I love this stuff. If smells wonderful and I love the tingling sensation it has on my scalp.
2. EVOO: I use this oil on my scalp, in my deep conditioners, to shave, as hot oil treatment and to seal when I am further post. It's a thick oil and will weigh my hair down if I use to much. This is why I use this to seal only when I am bunning.
3. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (EVCO): I use this oil the most so it is probably my favorite oil. I use it to deep condition, on my entire body including face, on my son's and SO's head, as a hot oil treatment, and to seal. I use everyday! I love the shine it gives my hair! Staple!
4. One and Only Argon Oil: This is a light oil and I loved this oil when I first started my hair journey. A little goes a long way and it has a very light scent. I use this oil to seal and on my face. I don't use it in my pre-poo or deep conditioner because it's a bit pricey for the amount you get. I also use it as a heat protector before blow drying. I like to use this oil during the beginning of my relaxer stretch. It gives the hair an amazing shine! Staple!
5. Hemp Oil: I use this oil in my deep conditioners as well as to pre-poo. I don't really like the smell so I only use it in ways in which I wash/rinse it out.

Serums

1. GVP's Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum: This is the generic brand from Sally's BSS. I love this serum. Love, love, love, love, LOVE!! It leaves my hair super smooth after air-drying. I use it throughout my stretch and I always get great results. Staple, of course.
2. Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Heat Protector Straightening Serum: This stuff is amazing. It leaves my hair super smooth and shinny. I use this before flat ironing. Staple!
3. Proclaim Glossing Polish with Aloe and Natural Oil Heat Protector: Hate it! I used it one time and I vowed to never use it again. It does not leave my hair smooth. I will be giving this away.
4. Proclaim Glossing Polish and Frizz Eliminating Shiner: This serum is ok. It give great shine, but weighs my hair down if I use too much. I don't use it often, but I plan on using it to roller-set to see how it will work for my hair.

This list is not nearly as substantial as list of conditioners. If you have any questions about the products I use please leave me a message. Stay tuned for the last edition to this series: Styling tools. As always HHG!

Wash Day

Wash Day was Saturday and it was easy-peasy! Here are the steps to my wash day:

1. Deep conditioned for like 12 hours with ORS Replenishing Conditioner. I'm thinking of mixing this with oils and honey to see if it works better. 
2. Shampooed with CON Argon Oil Shampoo (This is not the official name). Lathered twice and massaged my scalp thoroughly. It had my hair very clean. I guess I wasn't doing that great of a job previously.
3. Conditioner rinse with NTM Daily Deep Conditioner.
4. Detangled in the shower under running water
5. T-shirt dried for about 10 minutes.
6. Cantu Shea Butter Repair Cream Leave-in and sealed with GVP's Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum.
7. I air-dried over night in a bun.
8. Sunday morning I let the bun down so that my ends could dry completely.

Results: My hair came out very soft, smooth, and frizz-free. The GVP serum is definitely the reason for the frizz-free. I plan to bun for a few days and maybe try a braidout. I'm going to be  very busy these next couple of weeks so I know my hair will take a backseat. 

My Current Products (Shampoo and Conditioner Edition)

I have been on my healthy hair journey for 9 months now and I think it is safe to say I have discovered what products work for my hair. I also know when to use certain products during my relaxer stretch. What I am still trying to distinguish is what products to use when doing certain styles. I think my lack of styling has contributed to this issue. To address this issue I have been experimenting with more styles. In this post I will address each product I am currently use. I will discuss how and when I use each product. I hope this post is not too boring. I'm doing this one for those who asked me about the products I use on other social networks as well as for me.

Shampoos

1. L'Oreal EverStrong Hydrate Shampoo: I love this shampoo and it is definitely a staple! It's sulfate free, but it gives a little sud. I can use it anytime during my stretch without my hair feeling stripped of moisture. The only thing I don't like about this shampoo is that I don't always feel as if it is cleaning my scalp thoroughly. I think I will alternate bi-weekly between this and a sulfate shampoo or clarify 2x/month. 
2. Creme of Nature Argon Oil Moisture and Shine Shampoo: This shampoo is also sulfate-free. It does not sud very well so I will not be repurchasing when I'm done with this bottle.
3. Ion Clarifying Shampoo: It does what is suppose to do. I hate that it strips my hair of moisture which is why I make sure I follow with a great moisturizing shampoo. I'm not sure if I will repurchase. I may try Organic Root Stimulator Aloe shampoo if it is cheaper.

Conditioners

1. Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner: My hair loves this as a pre-poo. It even works well as a conditioner rinse after shampooing. This is a staple and I will now be using this only as a conditioner rinse.
2. V05 Moisture Milks Passion Fruit Smoothie: I use this to co-wash. My hair only likes this when I am freshly relaxed. Since I co-wash more when I am further post, I will not be repurchasing this product. 
3. Herbal Hessence Hello Hydration Conditioner: I use this to co-wash. I have only used it once so it's too soon to determine if I will add this to my permanent product list.
4. Queen Helen Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Creme: I hate this product. I don't like the smell and I'm not impressed with how my hair feel after I use it. I rarely ever use this product. Mainly I mix with other deep conditioners. I will not be repurchasing and probably will be giving or throwing this product away.
5. Creme of Nature Argon Oil Intensive Conditioning Treatment: I love this deep conditioner only when it is mixed with oils and honey. It leaves my hair feeling like butter. I probably will be repurchasing if I don't like the Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Hair Masque.  
6. Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Conditioner: I LOVE LOVE LOVE this conditioner!! It is amazing and is my staple light protein conditioner for biweekly use. 
7. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Hair Masque: I have only used this product once, but so far I like it. I'm not sure if I will be repurchasing this or the CON Argon Oil conditioner as my staple deep conditioner.
8. Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor: I only use this product during my mid-step protein during my relaxer. For those who is not familiar with that phrase I will briefly explain. After I rinse out my relaxer and before I neutralize my hair I do a protein treatment. This leaves my hair feeling strong! This is more of a  moderate protein for my hair. It leaves it a little stronger than the ORS Replenishing Pak, not not as firm as the Aphoghee 2 Step. It is a staple.
9. Aphoghee 2 Step Protein Treatment: I use this product about every 15 weeks. It use it the week before I relax my hair. It leaves my hair very strong, yet kind of dry. After using this product I make sure I follow up with the balancing conditioner provided as well as an additional deep conditioner. My hair still has that protein feel, but I usual only bun during this week anyway. This is a staple.

Leave-In Conditioners

1. Creme of Nature Argon Oil Strength and Shine Leave-in Conditioner: I especially like to use this leave-in when I blow-dry and flat iron my hair because it's a light spray that doesn't leave my hair weighed down. This is a staple and I will be repurchasing. 
2. Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in Conditioning Repair Cream: I have been using the CON leave-in so much I almost forgot I had this product. I like this product. It smells wonderful. I can only use this product on wet hair because my hair dries out when I use it on dry hair. I'm not sure if I will be repurchasing. I need to use it a little more often before I make a final decision.

Wow, I use a lot of conditioners!! I didn't realize it until I wrote out this list!! I don't feel bad because I was on a quest to find out what worked best for my hair. I can say that it has all paid off. Be on the lookout for part two: Moisturizers and oils as well as part three: Styling Products and Tools. Thanks for reading and HHG!

Wash Day

My wash day took place on Tuesday, just in time for my interview (which I got and accepted the job). I sprayed my hair with water and applied my Organic Root Simulator Olive Oil Hair Masque deep conditioner. This was my first time using this conditioner and I was pleased with the results. I left it in my hair for about an hour before rinsing it out in the shower.  It left my hair buttery soft and moisturized. I will be posting a review for this product in the near future. I shampooed with CON Argon Oil Shampoo and did a 1 min conditioner rinse with NTM Daily Deep Conditioner. I then t-shirt dried my hair and added my leave in, which was the CON Argon Oil leave-in spray. I added a small amount of GVP's Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum and blow dried on medium warm heat. Next, I added a nickle sized amount of IC Fantasia Heat Protectant serum. I flat ironed and styled my hair in a traditional wrap. My hair was light and silky. I was in love with the results!

After my interview

After two days of wearing my hair down and straight, I curled it with about 6 bantu knots. Due to the heat my hair reverted back straight by the end of the night. Surprisingly, I didn't have a lot of frizz. It was nice while it lasted. Today I wore a mid-bun. I don't think I will be adding any more heat to my hair for a few months. I'm thinking until the end of the year. I plan to roller-set frequently during the fall. If I want a straight look I will more than likely do a silk wrap. In the meantime I plan to perfect my braidouts and bantu knotouts. 

Texlaxed Update #2 (*Updated)

Styles for the Month of July

It has been a few weeks since I published a blog post which is very unusual for me. I'm currently going through a transitional stage in my life and it is time consuming. I will share more details in the future as things begin to unfold. In the mean time I will blog as often as I can.

I texlaxed my hair 2 weeks ago (August 14) at 15 weeks post with ORS Lye Relaxer. Texlaxing meaning to purposely under process the hair during the relaxer process. It leaves your hair with more texture and overall a more healthy option for relaxing hair. I used the Half and Half method shown by Jeni of Just Grow Already. The only difference is I parted my hair straight down the middle to have a right and left section instead of top and bottom. This method is perfect for self-relaxing and I will be using this method from here on out. It allows you to process your hair the way you desire without having under processed hair due to lack of time during application process.

This was my first time using this relaxer and I was impressed. I left the relaxer on for 13 minutes for each half and it left my hair with the perfect amount of texture. I rinsed the relaxer out and did a mid-step protein treatment with Aphogee 2 Step Reconstructor. I then shampooed 3 times with ORS neutralizing Shampoo. I DCed with ORS Replenishing Conditioner for about 30 minutes. I air-dried to about 80%.

New Growth VS Texlaxed 

I applied CON Argon Oil Strength and Shine Leave in Conditioner and GVP's Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum to my hair. I blow-dried with warm heat on high. I then applied a few drops of IC Fantasia's Heat Protectant and flat ironed my hair with my BabyLiss Pro Flat Irons. I did 1 or 2 heat passes. After flat ironing my hair I used my Tweezerman Stainless 2000 5 1/2 Shears to trim my hair. I used Feye's Method to make a blunt cut. I used the updated method which was to hold my head down slightly when putting my hair in the ponytail holder.

I trimmed about 2 inches off. After I trimmed I realized I could have trimmed about a half an inch less.

Overall, I am very pleased with my results. Since my relaxer I have washed my hair twice and have been playing around with a few styles. I completed my first successful flexi-rod set on dry hair that reverted in 2 hours due to the Alabama humidity and a gorgeous high bun that I didn't really capture well on film. I plan to do another flexi-rod set on dry hair,  a few bantu knotouts, and a few curly updo's before my next relaxer. Follow me on twitter @blutifulblaq and Instagram @blu2kizmet for faster updates!

Freshly flat ironed and trimmed

Next Day Hair

I hope you all enjoyed this update. Check out my progression tab for photos of my entire journey thus far. HHG!

*Corrected date of relaxer

Hair Haul and Relaxer Prep

I was planning to relax my hair in next weeks, but something came up that pushed me to relax this week. I went back in forth debating on if I would stay with the no-lye relaxer or change back to a lye relaxer. I decided to go back to the lye relaxer, but changed to the Organic Root Salon Professional relaxer in normal. I am currently 14 weeks post. I usually relax at 16 weeks post.

To prepare for my relaxer I went out and purchased Aphogee 2 Step Protein Treatment. It was my first time trying it out and I will be using it again. It left my hair strong, yet hard. So I decided to do a deep condition with CON Argon Oil Conditioner (official name can be found under my regimen tab). After I DCed my hair felt soft, but strong.

To prepare for my relaxer and restock on my hair products I purchased

1.  Organic Root Salon Professional relaxer in normal
2. Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer (I LOVE this stuff!)
3. Eco Style Gel in white bottle
4. ORS Olive Oil Hair Masque sample pack
5. ORS Neutralizing Shampoo
6. Tweezerman Stainless 2000 5 1/2 Shear

I will be posting soon with my relaxer update!

Great News, Co-Wash, & Nail Haul

First off I will would like to share my great news! Last Friday on July 20th I took the NCLEX, which is the exam to become licensed as a registered nurse. I'm very proud and excited to announce that I passed!!! It took 110 questions and 2.5 hours for me to officially add BSN, RN behind my name! This a dream come true and I'm ready to start my career as a professional! 

Monday night my Sweeties (SO and Son) took me out to celebrate. It was somewhat last minute so I had to do a quick co-wash and blow dry. I co-washed with V05 Passion Fruit Moisture Milks Conditioner. I detangled in the shower. I towel-dried for about 7 minutes and add my leave-in and Serum/heat protectant. I used CON Argon Oil Strength and Shine Leave-in and GVP's Paul Mitchell Skinny Serum. I started off blow drying on high heat, but became a little apprehensive of heat damage and turned it down to medium heat. I used a little tension to straighten my hair a little. After blow drying, I added a little argon oil for shine and out my hair into a low bun. I was very pleased with the results. My hair was very smooth, soft, and shiny!  Sorry I didn't take any pictures. I was rushing to get out of the house. 

Lastly, I have a nail polish haul to share with you. Sally's had a 50% off all clearance items so I decided this was the perfect time to invest in some quality nail polishes. I have been the only who always went to a salon to get my pedicures. But as of lately, I've been on a DIY kick so I decided to learn how to polish my own nails. This would also save me a ton of money. Besides I've been noticing my polish chips within a day or two of me getting them done at a salon. It's almost becoming a waste of money. 

A few weeks ago I went ahead in invested in my first Essie nail polish. I purchased Play Date, which is a light purple color. I had in on for 2 weeks before it chipped. Yes, I said 2 weeks. I was living and breathing my NCLEX study material. What made me go out and purchase the polishes at Sally's BSS is my BF's kind of serious joke. He said that I would have purple polish on for a month. I had to prove him wrong. So without further rambling here is a list of the polishes and pics.

ORLY: Mysterious Curse and Grave Mistake

Finger Paints: Picasso's Puce, Beach Bound, Bauhaus Burgundy, Go Van Goghi

Essie: Play Date 

Social Media!

I'm now back on social media. You can follow me on Twitter at @blutifulblaq and Instagram @2kizmet!!

Wash Day (Tuesday)

I went on a much needed mini-vacation to Atlanta this past weekend with my family so I didn't have the time or means to wash my hair. I decided to wash my hair yesterday and try out Aphogee's 2 Minute Reconstructor. I d/c on dry hair with NTM Daily Conditioner and a plastic cap. I put on a winter hat to add heat. I d/c for about 6 or so hours. Due to laziness I didn't apply this conditioner with my application brush. I ended up going outside to play with my son with both the cap and hat on. I live in the Southeast so as you can imagine, my head became toasty in no time. I ditched the hat, but kept on the plastic cap. 

I washed my hair with L'Oreal's EverStrong Hydrating Shampoo. I squeezed the excess water out of my hair and applied the 2 Minute Reconstructor for 5 minutes with a plastic cap. After I rinsed my hair I immediately felt how strong my hair was. I lost VERY little hair when detangling in the shower. I was very impressed. I will definitely be adding this into my regimen. I dried my hair with a t-shirt for about 15 minutes and applied Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in. I actually forgot I had this product. I put my hair into two loose twist and let my hair air dry. Last night I M&S with Hawaiian Silky 14-n-1 and EVCO and put my hair into 2 bantu knots. 

Today I wore my hair in a puffy pony tail. I wanted to do a braidout, but became lazy after a day of housework. 

Health Over Length.....Trimming

I have been hearing the phrase "health over length" a lot since I have been on my hair journey. Although I hear many people say it, I  had not given it much thought until recently. I started experiencing breakage and I just became extremely unsatisfied with my ends that. Lately I've been fighting the urge to give myself a good trim. I have not found a stylist who I trust to put shears to my head, so I decided to self-trim. What I can't really finalize is when this trim will occur. I'm currently 2 days shy of 11 weeks post relaxer. I'm waiting on a job interview to come through before I end my stretch (I know it's coming soon). I will either flat iron my hair and trim next month or wait until I relax to trim.

Most people dread getting trims whether it is self-trims or trims from a stylist. They are afraid of loosing their progress or not reaching their length goal by the planned date. For me neither are that important. Don't get me wrong. I want to reach my length goals. Just not at the expense of my hair's health. Truthfully, since I have been on my hair journey my main focus has been on the health of my hair. This is why I don't own a length check t-shirt yet and I don't do frequent length checks. My hair is pretty healthy now, but I still have a ways to go. So the thought of trimming 2 or 3 inches off does not scare me. I know that my hair will grow back and my ends will look amazing.

Now that I think of it, I have always been unsatisfied with my ends. I have been prone to splits, which I now know was the result of improper use of heating tools (my flat irons). I had NEVER used a heat protectant and I don't remember any stylist using one on my hair either. Shocker, I know. My dissatisfaction with my ends has caused me to always bump my hair when getting it straightened and to not flinch at frequent trims from my now ex-stylist (about every 4-6 weeks). I'm not talking about dusting either. This was full out trims.

I'm looking forward to wearing my hair straight and my hair looking full and healthy from root to tip! I hope that you ladies realize that health is way more important than length. I'm a strong believer that if you hair is healthy, length will follow.

HHG!

HOTD (Mobile Post)

I'm pretty excited to share my hair of the day. I finally got my first successful two-twist bantu knot. To achieve this look I moisturized my hair with Hawaiian Silk 14-n-1 and sealed with EVOO. I then two strand twisted my hair and wrapped it as seen in numerous YT videos. I let it sit in overnight (about 12 hours) and took it down with EVCO. I love the way it came out. This will be a frequent style of mine for the summer because it blends my three textures well.

Wash Day

Saturday was a much needed wash day. I had done the bare minimal to my hair since I last posted of my wash day. Truthfully I'd been in a bit of a funk since I graduated and I'm in what I call "limbo" or between stages of my life. I'm studying for my boards(NCLEX) which I plan to take next month and looking for a job and things were not happening fast enough for me. I was reminded GOD is always on time and that things will fall in place the way HE wants. I have it bad trying to plan my life and getting disappointed when it doesn't work out my way. I'm slowly doing better with that. To top off my funky mood I have been having some medical issues. I'm not sure what is going on, but I hope to have some answers soon. Just keep me in your prayers!

On to my wash day. I decided to deep condition on dry hair for a couple of reasons. One, my hair loves it more than on wet hair. Two, I wanted to see if the Argon Oil Intense Conditioning treatment worked better on dry hair because so far the product was not on my list to repurchase. I mixed about 1 tsp each of honey, hemp oil, and EVOO with my conditioner. I mixed them together and applied to my hair with an applicator brush. I will definitely be making application of conditioner a part of my regimen. It's a little time consuming, but every strand was covered and moisturized. I left the conditioner on for about an hour with a plastic cap and a hat. This is one of my versions of DCing with heat until I get my dryer. When I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair it felt amazing!!! My hair was soft as butter and I finally realized what slip was! I washed with L'oreal EverStrong Hydrating shampoo. I love this stuff. For a sulfate-free shampoo it sure does lather up and clean the scalp very well. I think I'll do an official review sometime this week.

I detangled in the shower under running water and I think I like this method better than doing it after I get out the shower. My hair detangled with ease! I t-shirt dried for about 15 mins then I applied my leave in: CON Argon Oil Leave in and sealed with One N' Only Argon Oil. I airdried and wore a low pony tail.

Over all I can say this was a successful wash day. After my hair air dried it still felt super soft! Sorry I have no pictures.

Wish List

It has been a while, if ever, that I have shared my wishlist of hair care products with you all. My list use to be super long at the beginning of my hair journey, but now not so much. A big part of that is because I'm starting to see what my hair does and doesn't like I'm trying I stick to the products that agree with my hair and get rid of those that my hair doesn't love. So here is my wishlist.

1. Hooded Dryer!!!! I need this for DCing in the worst way. I kept putting it off because I had other expenses but I must get one by the end of July.
2. Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Reconstructor
3. More magnetic rollers
4. Seamless Comb
5.  ORS Hair Masque
6. Jojoba Oil
7. Sweet Almond Oil
8. Roux Porosity Control conditioner (Not sure of the official name)
9. Hair Shears
10. KeraCare1st lather and Hydrating and detangling shampoo
11. Steamer- Ebony from Longing4length has peaked my interest.
12. QP Elasta Mango Butter Moisturizer
13. Castor Oil (almost forgot this!!)

What are some things that are on your wishlist?

Battling My Breakage

Found on google

I know you are thinking that is seems I'm always going to war with my hair. First it was shedding, then detangling, and now breakage. Well these are just minor obstacles one may face when on a hair journey. As I've stated in several previous post I have been experiencing some breakage. Between my last wash day and today I have noticed a significant decrease. Believe it or no I can not take the credit. I have not washed my hair in over a week (I'm currently pre-pooing) and I stopped M&S a few days ago besides when I "do" my hair for the day. I have been walking around the house looking very unattractive. I decided it was past due for a wash day.

As for my breakage, I have been doing tons of research on a fix. I know that my breakage is probably due to several things and I have a plan for solving them all.

1. The first is improper detangling. I have come up with a plan and I'm currently implementing this plan. So for now this is not an issue I will stress about. 
2. The second reason in texlax hair=DRY!!!! After texlaxing for the first time I noticed my hair is much more dry. To solve this issue I plan to M&S nightly! I can not afford to slack on this as I have done in the past. I will be investing in a couple of new products: Aphoghee Keratin and Green Tea Reconstucturizer and Organix Coconut Milk Anti-breakage serum. 
3. Mishandling my new texture- I will make sure I will not manipulate my new texture too much. This means no combing unless it's wash day. This also means only combing my hair when it is saturated with product.

With this plan I feel as if I can overcome this breakage issue. I will keep you updated on my progress. You all continue to stay blutiful and blessed!

Wash Day

Today’s wash day has been one of the most smooth I’ve had in a few months. I’ve had an epiphany about detangling. I’m also learning how to deal with my texlaxed hair and it seems like this will be a learning experience. I’m currently experiencing breakage which I’m sure is coming from the area where my bone straight hair meets my texlaxed hair. This area always seems dry despite the moisturizers I’ve used and co-washing. I think I will need to M&S every night to reduce the breakage. I’m going to come up with a plan to reduce breakage which I will share in a later post.

I used EVCO to detangle my hair and as a pre-poo. I think I will invest in a detangle spray. Now that I have a thicker texture, detangling with oil is not enough. As I was detangling I experienced breakage at the same area stated above. I kind of used ECP’s 3 comb method except I don’t use the same combs she does (one day when I get some extra cash I will invest in the first two combs she uses). I will be getting a new detangling comb in the very near future. Detangling went great. I lost far less hair than I normally do with detangling and this is even with the broken hair. After applying the EVCO I applied a cap, a microwaved towel, and another heat cap. This is my rendition of a heat cap until I get my hooded dryer. It works pretty well. I let it sit for about ten minutes before rinsing out in the shower.

I washed one time with my clarifying shampoo and one time with the L’Oreal EverStrong Shampoo. My hair felt like butter even before adding the deep conditioner. It actually felt extremely soft after detangling. I washed my hair in two halves parted from ear to ear. This method worked great and really helped out when applying the DC later. I DCed with ORS Replenishing Conditioner. I wanted something moisturizing yet with protein because I planned to blow dry and flat iron my hair. I used the same method to heat my head as I did with the pre-poo except I wrapped my towel around my head to keep in the heat. It worked great! I could feel the conditioner working. You know the tingling feeling on your scalp? I know I’m not the only one who experiences this.

Next I rinsed my conditioner out using cool water. This closes the cuticles of your hair shaft and makes your hair smooth. I towel dried for about 5 minutes. I normally t-shirt dry because it soaks up more of the water, but I was not home so I had to make do with what I had. I put in a very small amount of Cantu Shea Butter Leave-in and a generous amount of IC Fantasia Heat Protectant. I love this stuff and it is definitely a staple. I spilt my hair in four sections and gently detangled. Detangling was a breeze! I used my new blow dryer, Gold N Hot Professional 1875 watt, with the comb attachment to blow dry each section. I then flat ironed using my Babyliss Pro tool c8 I did one pass throughout most of my hair since it was blow dried fairly straight. I was very pleased with my results!

Sorry this post is so long. I didn’t realize it would be this lengthy and besides this blog doubles as my hair journal.

The Big Bad Detangling Wolf

Since I started I thought I had detangling down to a science. When I read about people taking 30+ minutes to detangle I always thought they were doing the most. After texlaxing my hair for the first time and dealing with texture I realized I wasn't doing enough! Since texlaxing I've been battling breakage. I DCed with a protein base conditioner last wash day and it seemed to help a bit.

Now I have up deal with the shed hairs. I have NEVER been able to get out all my shed hair when detangling. When I'm in the shower I have shed hair everywhere. I'm always utterly amazed when I see how little shed hair a lot of people get after detangling post wash. I'm amazed because this is from people who claim to only detangle once a week on wash days. From this I discovered that I'm clearly detangling wrong. Let me tell you about my old method then I will share what my new method will be.

My Old Method
There was nothing fancy or time consuming about detangling my hair with this method. I would section my hair into 2, 4, or sometimes one big section. It would take me maybe ten minutes to make my way from tip to root of my entire head. Slack, I know. I would always have some type of product on my hair when I detantagled. I never put a comb through dry hair. I would use one of the two wide tooth combs I own. Sometimes I even use the tangle teaser. I still don't know how I feel about the tangle teaser yet. I don't use it consistently enough.

My Proposed New Method
I plan to take my time with detangling. I will be separating my hair into multiple smaller sections. This method is to mainly ensure that I'm getting rid of as much shed hair as possible. I plan to invest into some new detangling combs. I was thinking of purchasing the Denman Brush, but I think it may be too rough for my fine hair. I will be making a trip to look at some detangling combs tomorrow before I wash my hair. After I have successfully detangled each section I will twist up each section an air-dry or style my hair as I desire.

I also plan to invest in some Organix Anti-breakage serum to address this breakage. It's on sale this week at Walgreens for $4.99. I've read and watched reviews on this product decreasing breakage tremendously. I'm almost sure this breakage is coming from me not properly caring for my newly texlaxed hair. It seems as if my texlax hair is so dry despite co-washing. I think I need to find a great moisturizer for my newly texlaxed hair. Maybe I will try Aloe Vera Juice. I follow quite a few bloggers/vloggers who use this product religiously.

If you have any suggestions on detangling or moisturizers for texlaxed hair please share. I'm open to any and all ideas.

Before I run off I want to say hello to all my new subscribers. Thanks for subbing and I hope that you find something on my blog that is useful to you. Leave me a line so that I can check out your blogs!

Until next time you all remain blutiful and blessed. HHG!

Relaxer Update and Length Check

I self-relaxed my hair on May 2, 2012 using Optimum Care Salon Collection Relaxer in regular strength. I read a few blog post about how great this relaxer made their hair feel afterwards and the how they minimal to no shedding. I decided to give it a try and I must say I too was pleased with the results.

To prep my hair for my relaxer I based my scalp, nape, and hairline with Vaseline. I also used a method of Jen from Just Grow Already and twisted my hair in sections to make it easier to apply the relaxer.

Face is blurred out because it was late and I was tired!

To protect my previous relaxed hair I used EVOO on half my hair and the protector provided in the kit on the other half. I wanted to see if there was a difference between the two. I didn't notice a difference so in the future I'll be using what is provided in the kit. I had a hard time deciding if I would add EVOO to the relaxer to slow down the process since I knew I wanted to texlax. I decided not to add the EVOO, but to instead decrease the relaxing time. It took me 15 minutes to apply the relaxer, smooth, and rinse out the relaxer. I wanted to do a mid protein step with Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor, but I missed the BSS so I had to use what I had on hand, ORS Replenishing Conditioner.

After relaxing I added everything provided in the relaxer besides the moisturizer and air-dried in a pony tail. The next time I relax I will add EVOO to slow down the relaxing process. My hair was not relaxed bone straight, but I want more texture. I am very pleased with the health and length retention of my hair since starting my hair journey. I will continue with my regimen and using the products that work for my hair. Now to the length check.

Jan 2012 vs May 2012

My ends need dusting, but I'm not sure if I will do it before my next relaxer. I might wait. Well until next time be Blutiful and Blessed!

Reading Challenge Update

Before I start with the real topic of this post let me just add that I will be posting my relaxer update and length check post before the end of the week. Be on the look out!

As you know I have started a 50 book reading challenge to be completed by Sept 23. I will post the link with details when I get to a computer. So far I have completed one book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I'm now reading two other books. The first one is Irresistible Forces by Brenda Jackson. The second book is The Lying Game by Sara Shepard. This book is base on the TV series The Lying Game that comes on ABC. It is already very different from the series. So far I like both books.

I'm trying to decide if I want to invest in an E-Reader so I am reading Irresistible Forces on my tablet and The Lying Game is an actual book. So at I read more with the actual book. I'm not sure if it's only because the Lying Game is more interesting than Irresistible Forces. I may purchase The Lying Game for my tablet so I have a more accurate comparison. I hope to finish both books by the end of next week.

I will be adding a post of books I'm interested in reading during this challenge. If you have any suggestions please leave me a comment below. I read a wide variety of genres. Until next time stay Blutiful and blessed!

One Lovely Blog Award

I received the One Lovely Blog Award from Blessed Tresses , What's Up With My Hair, and SpecialK. I'm very honored and find it incredible that people find my blog informative and lovely! These ladies each have awesome blogs and you should check them out by clicking on the links.

The rules requires me to share 7 random facts about myself and award 15 other bloggers.

7 Facts

1. I'm a band geek. I've been playing the flute for 14 years, Piccolo for 8. I've also taken lessons to learn Piano, Oboe, and Bells. I can dabble with the latter, but I'm not very advanced. I also LOVE listening to HBCU bands. I played in the band at Tuskegee University for 3 years. Shoutout to the Marching Crimson Piper Band.
2. I've decided to give up watching reality TV for a season. It is starting to become too trashy.
3. I taught myself how to swim but jumping in pool (8ft) and going.
4. I'm originally from Wisconsin. 
5. I love Lion King on Broadway and I can not wait to see it this summer!
6. I hate the color pink!
7. I've never been to a spa, but it is something I plan to do in the near future.

Everyone I would have chosen has already been given the award. 

April Recap

April has been a very good month for me and my hair. I have done more than what I expected to do to my hair. I've done 2 dry flexi-rod sets which came out pretty well. Now I want to get the spiral look with flexi-rods. Like the one Ebony in this post or Shika in this post. Co-washing has become

1. M&S nightly- Fail! One day I will get better with this. 
2. Oil scalp at least 3x/wk- Fail!! 
3. wrap hair with a satin scarf nightly- Fail! I started off doing great, but then I slacked off. 
4. Co-wash at least 1x/wk- This is very important since I'm further along in my relaxer stretch.- Success!!
5. DC 1x/wk- I'll probably do this with my co-wash on dry hair because my responds well to DCing on dry hair. Doing it this way also eliminates a step when washing. - Success!
6. Wash at least bi-weekly- I will attempt to wash weekly, but with 25 days left before graduation I have an exit exam, paper, last exams, and finals. I don't want to commit to more than I can handle.- Success!!
7. Low manipulative styles 95% of the time. I will probably bun so that I won't have to manipulate my new growth.- Success
8. No direct heat- I only plan on one set this month for the roller-setting challenge and then it's back to bunning.- Success

Flexi-Rod Sets. The last two pics are from the set. The same color shirts throws it off.

Buns for the month. Top 2 pic is an air-dried pony tail

ConGRADs to me!

Sorry for the horrible quality

I finally graduated from college with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing. I'm extremely proud that I have accomplished a life long goal of mine. I'm thankful for all the love and support from my family and friends throughout the years. All the long nights and tears have finally paid off. Maybe in a later post I will share my personal struggle with college. For now I just want to enjoy the positives! Now I'm ready to pass my NCLEX on the first try!

ECP's Banging and Swanging Contest

Ebony from Longing4length.com is hosting a challenge for body and hair and I decided to join. Check out the link and join! The more the merrier! The rules are as follow:

Rules:

• The challenge will be begin on May 1 and run until August 31.
• To compete for the challenge grand prize you must post (or submit by email) a picture of both your starting and ending weight with a date stamp.  If you do not want your weight posted, that is a-okay by me!  I just need to have something to prove your progress.
• You do not have to compete for the grand prize, you can join the challenge and participate in the monthly challenges *yes there will be monthly challenges again! yay!* and just be here for motivation and inspiration.
• Check in monthly on my official check-in posts.
• Sign up by leaving a comment below and include some of your goals: hair and body!
• Protective style your hair at LEAST 50% of the time.  This can be done any way you choose: 2 weeks out of the month, 3-4 days per week, every other day or a true hideaway style like wigs or braids...its all up to you!  You don't have to submit a starting length photo but they are always great for personal progress! (see definition at bottom of the post if necessary)
• Exercise at LEAST 3 times per week.
• This challenge is not only for those who wish to lose weight, its for anyone who wants to get fit and tone up as well.  So take your starting measurements, a starting photo something that helps you track your body transfromation!

My personal goals for the challenge are:
1. Tone
2. Work on a flat stomach
3. Make working out become second nature
4. Stick with my regimen and what works for my hair
5. Learn at least one new style

I will be posting a starting picture and weight soon.

Relaxer Prep

I'm relaxing my hair next week Tuesday or Wednesday for my graduation. I still have not decided on which relaxer I will be using. I'm in between two (Lye vs No Lye). I guess I will be making my decision sometime this weekend.

To prep my hair for my relaxer I plan on making today my wash day. I will do a hard protein treatment with an egg and clarify. I will make sure that I detangle very thoroughly in small sections. I will also make sure not to use any gel on my hair and use very little product on my hair this week. I don't want to cause build up and I also don't want anything slowing down my processing time even more than what I already plan on doing.

I don plan on texlaxing my hair with this relaxer. I'm not sure if I will add an oil or just decrease the time I allow it to stay in my hair. I'm thinking that adding oil may work best for me because my hair processes extremely fast!

I will try to remember to take some pictures of my new-growth with this wash and come back and update this post.

Until next time HHG and stay blessed!