Thermal Hair Care Hot Head Giveaway | Curls and Blossoms

Hi curlies! One of my favorite healthy hair accessories is a heating cap for deep treatments. Especially if you have hair that is stubborn to absorb moisture, or very dry, adding heat while you use a deep conditioner or treatment can make a huge difference. It accelerates and intensifies the conditioning process.  You can check out my new video on how I pamper my hair and skin here.

Lately I have been using a Hot Head cap from Thermal Hair Care for deep conditioning. These are great because the entire cap gets hot (as opposed to a few areas), and it's heated up in the microwave- easy peasy. The caps are filled with flax seeds so they are all natural as well. They come in a ton of cute patterns, and kids' sizes as well!

Preparing to double mask with my Formula 10.0.6 Peel Mask & Mane Choice Hair mask. I have the Hot Head in the "Rain" pattern.

Thermal Hair Care was kind enough to offer a giveaway for my followers. You can enter in the widget below. Please use a correct email address, and don't forget you can tweet about the giveaway once a day, every day to increase your chances of winning. (If you enter via facebook, we will receive the email associated with your facebook account in your settings.) A winner will be selected after a week's time. If they do not respond to email within 48 hours I will select a new winner, and so forth, so stay on top of your emails. Thermal Hair Care will send out the prize, once I have passed your information onto them.

Good luck! @:-)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Note: US entries only. (Don't worry- keep your eyes peeled for an international giveaway coming soon on my channel...)

My Curly Hair Travel Essentials | Tips & Tricks

Hello curlies! Here's the list of products I take with me in my travel bag:

Shea MoistureTahitian Noni & Monoi Shampoo (~2 oz)
Tressemme Naturals conditioner for conditioner washing (~3-4 oz)
Sally's Beauty Genric Value Matrix Biolage Balm (~3-4 oz)
As I Am leave in conditioner (~2-3 oz)
Jessicurl spiralicious gel (~2 oz)
Shida Naturals Cream gel (~3 oz)
Aloe Vera for scalp and sunburns (~2oz)
Hot Sock travel diffuser attachment (buy on amazon.com or curlmart.com)
1 t-shirt and one curls like us towel
Tangle teazer brush
Small toothed comb
Hair ties/Bobby pins
Large bristled brush for ponytails

I hope this video helps you out if you have any trips planned during the rest of the summer!

What are your curly hair travel essentials? Leave them down below in the comments!

xo

My Top 5 Extra Curly Hair Stylers

Hello curlies! I hope you're having a great week. You have may have noticed a change in my blog. New layout! ^_^ Let me know what you think about it in the comments.

Anyways I wanted to do a post on my top 5 unique or extra curly hair stylers. As a bit of a product junkie I tend to try lots of different types of products. In doing so I come across some unique products that do something no other product in my collection can do. These are products outside of your basic shampoo, conditioner, gel, serum, mousse etc.  There are also products that are not particularly unique on the market but are "extra" products I like to have around to style my hair in a variety of ways.

All of these products are free of heavy silicones, waxes, or mineral oil.

1. Design Essentials Natural Edge Tamer 

This is one of my favorite products for smoothing down my edges aka baby hairs. I use this almost everytime I put my hair up in a bun, ponytail, or half up. I dampen my hair, moisturize with conditioner, and smooth on the Design Essentials product. It works like a dream to get pesky hairs to stay put, especially when combined with a tooth brush or boar bristle brush. This product has a non-descript, pleasant scent.

2. Shida Naturals Gel Cream

This is my favorite second day hair product, and it has a very unique texture compared to other stylers I've tried. It has a thick texture that changes to a slightly tacky, oily texture when emulsified in hands. I apply this over water and conditioner on the second day. The light hold and tackiness gives me enough control to reshape my hair and it dries shiny and non-sticky. It also has a pleasant citrus scent.

3. OGX Moroccan Sea Salt Spray

Sometimes our curls get a little droopy, or we just want a boost. This salt spray mist is perfect for that. I spray it on underneath my gel and then diffuse for best results. Hello curls! Just be sure not to use this too often, as the sea salt can dry out hair. This is one of the only curl enhancing sprays I've seen at the drugstores, and it smells divine. Pictured above is my DIY sea salt spray which I have with me at the moment. The OGX product is nice to have though, since it's a store-bought product that wont expire and smells great.

4. Kenra Platinum Blow Dry Mist

This is a new product I've tried recently that does a great job at heat protection. It has a perfumey scent and also adds shine to the hair from the natural oils in the formula. It's secret weapon is that it shortens blow drying time, which I have never seen in another product. I spritz this on before my gel (or after if I forget) and then diffuse my hair. This is great for those of us with low porosity hair that takes forever to dry!

5. Batiste Dry Shampoo (in Oriental Scent)

Lately I have been using this product after I work out to help dry my scalp which gets a little sweaty. That way I can wear my hair in a bun the next day, or work out at night but wash my hair in the morning. This product contains drying alcohols which can dry out the hair, but works to help zap away moisture. (I wouldn't recommend using this daily, especially without re-moisturizing your hair.) The scent is light and perfumey.

For my light brown hair, it's very hard to detect, but when used on my husband's dark brown hair to reduce oil, it shows up after spraying. I work it through his hair with my hands and a brush, and the white caste disappears. (You should also spray at least 30 cm from the scalp.) This would also be a great product to use if you were transitioning to the Curly Girl method or to using sulfate free shampoos.

So those are some of my favorite "extra" products I incorporate into my routine from now and then. I wouldn't bring many on a trip, but I wouldn't want to be without them at home.

What are your favorite "extra" or super unique products? Let me know down below in the comments.

Wishing you a good hair day,

Summer Hair Care Changes & Avoiding Chlorine and Sun Damage

Hey loves! In this post I'll be laying out the different steps I take to change my routine when the summer starts to roll around as well as how to protect your hair from the sun and chlorine. I get lots of questions about this so I hope it is helpful. :)



Routine Changes

For reference I have spent most of my life living in the southern US, so I spent summers in hot and humid places. When the weather starts to get a bit warmer, we all know we need some extra help from our hair products to help prevent frizz and keep our hair moisturized. I use harder hold gels and frizz reducing products. One of my favorite frizz reducers is Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper, which is a serum that's awesome for cutting frizz when layered under gel. If I can't get my hands on that I will opt for relying on my gel alone; I enjoy Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee (for ultra high hold) or LA Looks Sport gel (with high hold) for hot weather. If you live in Europe or Asia the L'oreal Invisihold gel is a good dupe for LA looks sport in terms of amount of hold. Or if you want something high end the Original Moxie Hold Up Serum is the bomb and has lots of good ingredients for your hair. If the gel leaves your hair a little crunchy, just give your hair a good scrunch when dry. The gel cast really helps prevent frizz and poofing!

Used #beautywithoutcruelty leave in to keep the hair moisturized, @lorealparisme invisihold gel for definition, and @shidanatural cream gel as a finisher on dry hair. I also used more product which seemed to help since it's getting hot and humid in Dubai! (99F today!)

A photo posted by 🐨 Sarah 🌻 | waterlily716 (@waterlily716) on Apr 24, 2015 at 12:16pm PDT

Hair *usually* frizzes because of dryness so you can't forget about moisturizing in the summer. Not to mention the sun and swimming can take a toll on your hair, which I'll get to in a minute. One of the best steps to prevent frizz is a good leave in. My hair loves both the As I Am and Kinky Curly Knot Today leave ins, which are water based and really leave my hair feeling like seaweed. I also like Beauty Without Cruelty's leave in conditioner from iHerb.com if I can't get my hands on those two. Beyond that good regular conditioner is really important like Sally's Beauty Generic Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm or the slightly lighter Andalou Naturals Citrus Conditioner (again from iHerb.com). And when my hair really needs an infusion of moisture I use my Hair Therapy heat wrap with Curl Junkie Curl Rehab deep treatment.


It's also worth mentioning that I apply A LOT more of my products in the summer---for all of them. The extra moisture and hold really helps keep my hair from frizzing out. I also check the dew point on AccuWeather on my phone, which is an excellent measure of how much moisture is in the air (aka humidity) and helps me know which products to reach for.

New holy grail alert! Lately I've been loving this hold up serum by @originalmoxie! Today I applies it alone over @asiamnaturally leave in and these are my results. It's so defined! What are you guys loving lately?

A photo posted by 🐨 Sarah 🌻 | waterlily716 (@waterlily716) on Jun 6, 2014 at 2:01pm PDT

Surf and Turf Protection

So you wanna go swimming but you don't want the chemicals to affect your hair. And did you know you can get very real heat damage from the sun?? The good thing is that these are easy to prevent.

When I go swimming in chlorine, I follow up my swim with a shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo like any from Shea Moisture or the Boots DermaCare Gentle Shampoo. Then I use a deep conditioner or a really good regular conditioner (mentioned previously). This usually leaves my hair pretty happy. BUT if you want to prevent any chlorine seeping into your hair, you can apply leave in, water, and oil before swimming. This is probably more necessary for frequent swimmers; as an occasional swimmer and more of a pro-tanner I don't feel the need to do the preventative step but it is a good tip. If you spend time sunning, you'll also be letting the moisturizing products work their way into your hair even better.

Lastly if you go swimming in a lake or the sea, don't worry too much about clarifying your hair. The sea salt will actually give you a natural curl boost, so it's fine to avoid washing it out completely with shampoo. But do be sure to follow up your dip in the ocean with a good conditioner. And if you're spending a lot of time in the sun, invest in a cute sun hat or a bandana to cover your hair. There are some products with sunscreen in them (benozophenone in the ingredients) such as LA looks sport gel, but covering your hair is by far the best way to protect it from the sun.

Please leave any questions or comments below. What are your favorite summer products and what do YOU change?

Have a great summer!

Wishing you lots of good hair days,
Sarah @:-)

A photo posted by 🐨 Sarah 🌻 | waterlily716 (@waterlily716) on Feb 14, 2015 at 4:51am PST

My Week in Photos 03.29.14 - 04.05.14

Hello blossoms! Here are some photos from the beginning of April. How is it Spring already?? This week I visited my boyfriend's family in another area of North Carolina and got my hair cut. I also did the normal college classes grind, and then went to my Senior spring college formal. The formal was hosted by my eating house, which is kind of like a sorority but not really. 

My new filming set up and decorations

Soooo in love with this Steve Madden bag I got off Poshmark.com for spring. <3

Visiting my boyfriend's family and all the dogwoods were in bloom.

I chopped off all my hair!!

I got the cut done at Scott Musgrave Hair Artistry in Cary, NC.

Back at school I snapped this photo on my college campus, but didn't notice the bee and almost got killed. lol

My homemade fried rice. Yums!

All my girlfriends and I at our Senior spring college formal 

Me and the BF <3

 Overall, this was a really awesome week. I got to see lots of fun people and I love my new hair! Thanks for reading along!

<3 Sarah 

Hair Porosity 101: Typing Your Hair & Tips for Low and High Porosity Hair

Hello curlies! Today I wanted to write a post about hair porosity; porosity is something that is a little more complicated than curl pattern but very helpful for understanding how to care for your hair. Porosity has to do with how the cuticle of the hair lies and how this affects moisture and nutrients entering the hair strand. Hair can be anywhere on a spectrum from low, medium, to high porosity.

Here are three ways to test your hair's porosity, and some tendencies of low and high porosity hair. Remember that your hair doesn't need to neatly fall into one category, and different parts of your hair may have different porosities. This isn't an exact science unless you send your hair off the be analyzed (which you can do at Live Curly, Live Free) but it's usually pretty accurate.

• Water test: Take a piece of your hair and place it into a glass of water. If the hair sinks before one minute, this indicates high porosity hair. If the hair floats for a minute or longer, this indicates low porosity normally. Try testing the ends of your hair separately from the newer lengths of your hair. You may find like me that the ends are more porous and damaged, so they sink. 
  
• Strand test: Run your fingers down the hair from the root to the end of a single piece of hair. (Tip: The root of the hair has a small bulb, aka the follicle where the hair grows out of the scalp.) Low porosity or normal porosity hair feels smooth to the touch. If you feel bumpiness this is a sign of high porosity.
• Squeak test: This test is from the forums on CurlTalk. Run your fingers up the hair from the end to the root. If you hear squeaking this is and indicator of low porosity. Normal or high porosity hair should not squeak.
• Properties of low, medium, and high porosity hair:
• Low: dries slowly (4-6 hours), resistant to heat, resistant to chemicals & dyes, products sit on top of hair instead of absorbing
• Medium: dries in an average amount of time (2-3 hours), healthy, absorbs and retains moisture well
• High: dries very fast (1-2 hours), can be caused by heat or chemical damage, absorbs moisture well but loses it immediately when rinsed, easily heat styled, easily over processed, loves protein and protein treatments

For low porosity hair the cuticle lies flat and products and water have a hard time entering the hair. For normal porosity hair the cuticle lies slightly open, allowing the hair to retain and absorb moisture. For high porosity hair, the cuticle shingles lie very open so that moisture enters and leaves very easily; the hair does not retain moisture well. 

So now that you know how porous your hair is, here are some curly hair care tips.  For low porosity hair, try using a blowdryer and diffuser or plopping to speed up the drying process. You can also use a cotton or microfiber cloth to scrunch out some water before or after applying your styling products. Try using steam (i.e. Huetiful hair steamer) or heat (i.e. Hair therapy heat wrap) when deep conditioning your hair so the moisture can penetrate. Use warm to hot water in the shower before you apply conditioner so the conditioner can sink in. Heat and steam help open the hair cuticle so moisture can enter low porosity hair. My hair is low porosity and I love: As I Am Naturally leave in, Kinky curly leave in, Sally's Beauty Generic Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm, and Curl Junkie Curl Rehab Deep Treatment.

For medium or normal porosity hair, you need only to maintain the health of your hair and prevent it from becoming damaged. This hair is easy to care for and absorbs moisture readily. 

For high porosity hair, protein treatments are essential. These help fill in the holes of the cuticle so the hair lies more flat. High porosity hair can occur naturally, but it can also occur after damage, so protein is essential as well for rebuilding damaged hair. The Liquid-Oil-Cream (LOC) method for sealing in moisture can help prevent moisturizing goodness from evaporating from the hair. For my looser texture I only like this for braid outs and roller sets, but I do apply a water based leave in, jojoba oil, and then Karens Body Beautiful Super Duper Cream. You can also try a L-O-G (G: gel) method for wash and go days. Another thing you can do are acidic rinses to help seal the cuticle with apple cider vinegar or citrus juices which also add shine to the hair. (Or you can just run cold water over your hair.)

I hope you found this helpful! Comment below whether your hair is low, normal, or high porosity!

For perhaps a better explanation, watch the video about this.

More about hair porosity:

http://www.curlynikki.com/2013/12/hair-porosity-and-your-natural-hair.html

http://www.curlynikki.com/2012/09/how-to-dry-low-and-high-porosity.html

http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/low-porosity/128169-does-low-porosity-hair-sqeak-during-strand-test.html

http://livecurlylivefree.blogspot.com/2009/01/hair-porosity.html

http://www.naturallycurly.com/texture-typing/hair-porosity

My Natural Star Expo Experience [Charlotte, NC]

Hey curlies! So I am soon going to post a vlog and haul from the Natural Star Expo that I attended in Charlotte, but I also wanted to type out some of my thoughts on the event here. I didn't want to add all this to the vlog because 1) I lost the cord to my mike for voice overs and 2) the vlog was already long anyways! :)

lil ol me

So this was the first year that this event occurred. I was fortunate enough to meet the founder of the event when my friend and myself were just walking around, and she was super nice! Overall I had fun networking- I met lots of people at the event and I need to bring business cards if I go to another one of these.

my friend Tyler

The event ran from the morning into the afternoon, but my friend and I arrived about noon. The event was very organized; we were handed a schedule when we arrived. The venue was gorgeous and so was the set up for the event, which you can see more of in the vlog. There were lots of stands from what seemed like local vendors and small businesses with a handful "bigger names" mixed in. For that reason I didn't go crazy and buy a bunch of products, since I hadn't heard of any before.

During the event there was always a supplementary activity going on besides the general shopping. While I was there there was a singer, keynote speaker, a makeup demo, and a natural hair lesson. I went to "Natural Hair 101." I wont say much, but let's just say the stylist arrived kind of late. She had some good stuff to say, but I wish she had focused less on heat styles and "taming natural hair" as she put it. She did show some interesting styles for type 4 hair with pipe cleaners and popsicle sticks. Also I was probably just bored because it was "Natural Hair 101"; I'd love to see a hairstylist do a lesson on a more advanced topic.

As a side note, I found myself to be one of a handful of other Caucasian women at the expo. Now this doesn't bother me, but it makes me think about what the phrase "natural hair" means. Because for me personally, I think that includes all women that wear their hair without using heat or chemicals to change the hair texture.

So should companies in the natural hair market try to appeal to a broader spectrum of not just type 4 girls (kinky coily), but also type 3 and 2 (curly and wavy)? Are they losing business or should they stay in more of a niche market? I started this debate with a few online friends of mine, and we came to the conclusion that companies should be more inclusive in advertising to other races and hair textures. But also the consumers would have to make this change too, by creating their own meetups appealing to a wider range of women, contacting the companies, etc. What do you think? Let me know down below in the comments.

Overall this was a really fun event and if I'm in the Charlotte area and this happens again I will definitely go back. I feel like Charlotte deserves an expo or a convention with more "big" name vendors though, since it definitely has the population for that event to be successful. And I would love to see a hairstylist like April Couse Walker or Joy from JoyfullyCurly.com, who have a different approach to natural hair, at the expo.

Sarah @:-)


*Photos in this post were taken by my friend Tyler (@color_character on instagram).

Videos:

As I Am Product Review: Leave in & Hydration Elation Intensive Conditioner

Hey curlies! Today I am posting what may be my first ever hair product review (as a blog post). Let me know if you like these as an addendum/companion to my video reviews. Anyways let's get cracking.

**Disclaimer: Product results may vary on your own unique coils, waves, or curls depending on your hair density, porosity, and thickness! YMMV.**

As I Am Leave In

Claim: "A great leave-in is a vital first step in styling. Smooth it on after cleansing and conditioning. Your finished style will be softer shinier and more manageable. This natural wonder keeps tangles away and provides a great foundation for natural styling. It contains an organic strengthening agent, plus natural ingredients that promote hair growth."

Ingredients:
Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificada, Purified) Extracts: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut)¹ and Phyllanthus emblica (Amla)¹, Cetyl Alcohol¹, Citric Acid¹, Phytosterols¹, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit (Saw Palmetto) Extract¹, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract¹(Green Tea), Glycerin, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract¹, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract¹, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Stalk Extract¹, Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root¹, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance/Parfum, Limonene.
*CG friendly, silicone free, protein free, paraben free, wax free, castor/mineral oil free

Price: $10:50

Sarah's thoughts: This is a wonderful water-based leave in conditioner that is very similar to my favorite Kinky Curly Knot Today (KCKT) leave in (for a few bucks cheaper). It smells great- sweet and citrusy- and the ingredients are pretty natural and very moisturizing. This leave in leaves my hair soft and moisturized throughout the day. The consistency is between thick and thin- again similar to KCKT. Love it! This has become my new go-to leave in.

As I Am Hydration Elation Intensive Conditioner

Claim: "A rich, penetrating conditioner, As I Am Hydration Elation Intensive Conditioner is an exceptional blend of hair softeners and fortifiers, including coconut, sugar cane, green tea, apple and lemon, shea butter and vitamin E.

• Moisturizes deep within the hair shaft
• Smooths and aligns cuticle layer
• Repairs split ends and strengthens weak areas
• Promotes shine
• Infused with pure herbal ingredients that stimulate the scalp and hair roots
• Enhances manageability and hair health"

Ingredients: 
Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificada, Purified) Extracts: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) and Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine)¹, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil², Coco-Caprylate², Quaternium-91, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin¹, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Phytosterols¹, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract¹ (Green Tea), Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract¹, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract¹, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Stalk Extract¹, Fragrance/Parfum, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glucose, Lactoperoxidase, Glucose Oxidase, Abies Balsamea (Balsam Canada) Extract¹, Limonene 

*CG friendly, Paraben Free, Protein Free, Silicone Free, wax free, mineral/castor oil free

Price: $16.00 

Sarah's thoughts: This deep conditioner (DC) was just OK. I used it two times, and while maybe my hair would have gotten more of the benefits over time, the product doesn't seem to live up to its claims. My hair felt softer, but it did not feel amazingly softer or super moisturized once I rinsed the treatment out. (For reference, I love Curl Junkie Curl Rehab Conditioner for to give me that amazingly refreshed and soft hair.) Since it's protein free, I'm not sure how it's supposed to "strengthen weak areas" either. This is not a DC that can double as a detangling/rinse out conditioner; it did not aid with detangling, which is something I personally look for in DCs. The product does smell amazing and it has a thick texture that distributes well in the hair. I will use up this product, but will probably not repurchase, especially at this price point. 

References - photos, ingredients, and product descriptions from NaturallyCurly.com

The Boyfriend Tag with Michael!

Hello curlies! So I know a lot of gurus on YouTube have been doing the boyfriend tag for quite awhile, so I finally got around to doing mine. And let's just say that I didn't want to do one of these until I was sure I wouldn't have to take it down later. ;)

I tag anyone else to do this with your significant other. Also check out my vlog channel videos with Mike on my second channel!

Questions:
How did we meet?
How long have we been dating?
How/when did we meet the families?
She sits down to order a drink at a restaurant; what does she get?
What's her favorite cereal?
What was your first impression of her?
What is one special talent she has?
If she is eating a sandwhich was is it?
What type of dressing does she get on her salad?
She's watching TV; what show is on?

Thanks so much for watching girls! Feel free to leave any comments down below. If you would like to see Michael in any other videos let me know. :)

<3 Sarah @:-)boyfriend,

Natural Hair #NaturalStarExpo Experience

Hey guys! I'm going to try once again to get back into blogging.

This past weekend I attended the Natural Star Expo in Charlotte, NC. It was the debut of this new event and in light of that, I was impressed with the level of organization. They featured about 20 vendors that were mostly smaller, local companies of hair care products, jewelry, makeup, and clothing. In addtion they had speakers going on throughout the event and a couple demos.

I chose to attend the Natural Hair 101 event, which was alright to say the least. The hairstylist was intent on taming natural hair and showing us heat hair styles, but I'll leave it at that. I really enjoyed meeting the owner of KurleeBelle products as well as the founder of the event and getting to network a little bit. Next time I go to one of these I am making business cards for sure!

My friend Tyler and I did a lot of shopping, and in general it was nice to go into Charlotte for the day since we live in a sleepy college town. I was not attracted to too many of the stands, given I didn't research many of the brands beforehand. However I did purchase KurleeBelle deep treatment and a t-shirt, since they are on curlmart and somewhat well known. I also got some scarves to wear around my neck and hair. I specifically want to try laying my edges with the beige skinny one. :)

I am currently in the process of editing a vlog and haul video about this event, and will post those when they are uploaded to YouTube. Have a fabulous hair day, curlies!

<3 Sarah @:-)

First Time Stretching the Wash n Go for a WEEK!

Hola curlies! @:-) I am currently studying abroad in Sevilla, Spain right now and I travel a lot on the weekends. During these trips we tend to stay in hostels with communal bathrooms, and stay busy exploring whichever city. As well I have a very busy schedule for classes and extracuriculars here during the week. I've always been busy back home at school in the US too. Washing and styling my hair is always an hour long process, and the drying process around 4 hours since I didn't bring my diffuser... For this reason I decided to see if I could go a whole week without washing my hair. I have mastered 2nd day hair, but don't usually go past that, so I decided to give it a go. 

Day 1 - hair after a self trim. Good hair day. Styled with kinky curly knot today leave in, CVS personal lubricant, and LA looks sport gel.

Day 2 - still looking shiny and fairly frizz free, but a few curls are starting to go straight. Refreshed with water, kinky curly knot today and some devacurl set it free.

Day 3 - curls are starting to lose their form. For a quick styling fix I threw it up in a side pony tail and bobby pinned by bang pieces. I think I added more devacurl set it free.

Day 4 - Slept with my hair in french braid pigtails to readd some curls. Looking much better than I thought it would, but the frizz definitely comes out. Added some water, kinky curly knot today, and LA looks nutra curl gel to the hair.

Days 5 - Flew to Valencia, Spain this day. My hair ended up in a ponytail because it was raining cats and dogs there. I forgot to take "hair" pics, but here is me with a huge ChupaChup (brand of lollipops). My hair ended up frizzy that day from the rain; my umbrella actually broke in the middle of the stick from the wind!

Day 6 - Second day in Valencia, I styled my hair with water, curl junkie leave in, and LA looks sport gel (a dime sized amount). My hair started out fairly nice, but the continuos misty rain, and moving my hair in and out of a poncho, left my hair frizzy and dry looking by the end of the day. This picture is of me at the Ciudad de las artes y ciencias gift shop, a huge modern museum in Valencia. I'm posing with a Tri-cera-tops because my name is Sarah... get it? ;)

Day 7 - Hair in a bun to fly back to Sevilla. Not worth photographing. :) Washed my hair this day.

So after going a full week, I've established that my hair can survive. It was really nice being able to wear my hair down without too much effort. (Usually a mid week wash, means my hair is going up in a bun or pony for me.) 

However, this routine is really not perfect and my first experiment. (That's why I'm blogging instead of vlogging lol.) The kinky curly worked wonderfully as a moisturizer. I think I probably should use something besides devacurl set it free; although it leaves my hair shiny and smooth, it has beeswax, which may have sealed OUT moisture later in the week. Gel was better- the LA looks nutra curl works well, but I think a dab of stronger gel will give me more hold. I've found that I get better hair if I rewet and add gel each day. However my hair did start to feel producty on days 5 & 6. My sleep cap from SilkyCocoon on esty was great- it lets the length of my hair lay pretty much undisturbed while I sleep, or I can do braids.

Overall I am going to seek out some better 2nd day hair products--I wish I had a butter made of oils here as that's great for braid outs. I also need a moisturizing product for my scalp if I am going to go this long. I have a very dry scalp, and this week of not cowashing, left it extremely dry and flaky. :( I have my eyes on a product made by Moxie Original, because applying oil to my scalp just makes my hair look oily of course. I am also going to attempt the LOC method (liquid-oil-cream) to keep the hair more moisturized. Next time I am going to try water, then kinky curly, then jojoba oil or coconut under, and then LA looks sport because I don't have a cream. I am limited in experimenting until I get back to the states unfortunately!

I think I may need to make some changes to my hair washing routine, after going a full week. After a whole week without fully being wet, my hair felt dry even after washing out the conditioner. So I think a deep conditioner may be in order every time I attempt the week long wash and go. Also the tangles were rather bad, although I attempted to detangle with water and fingers every day. I also think I developed a few more single strand knots (SSKs) aka fairy knots (a single knot on a single strand of hair). I need to be more diligent about braiding my hair every night to help prevent this, instead of sleeping with it loose inside the cap. My hair was not overly frizzy after styling after this wash though, so I consider it a success. :)

In conclusion, the pro's for me included: 

• wearing my hair down for 6 days straight
• good hair days, days 1-4
• decreased time spent on my hair was awesome

The cons for me, or rather my hair:

• more tangles and SSks
• dry hair after washing
• touchiness of day 5/6 hair with humidity and rain
• scalp drying out

I think with product experimentation and braiding more often at night, I can diminish the cons. But for now I am just going to extend my hair to 3rd or 4th day--especially because of my dry scalp and SSKs. I was surprised by how long my hair could go though, and I definitely recommend some of you curlies see how long you can stretttttch your curls as well. Saves you some sleep and time, so you can spend less time thinking about your hair, and more about life!

Wishing everyone a good hair day @:-)

Sarah

Curly Hairstyle: Formal/Prom 2-in-1 Knotted Style

Hey y'all! This is a hair style I came up with after needing something to wear to several formal events this semester. It will work for prom, school dances, weddings, or any other special events. You can wear it a couple different ways too, which is nice, especially if you run out of time when you're getting ready!

This style does take a bit of practice to get it down. If you are doing this for a special event, I recommend practicing it the night before so that you've got it down. Give yourself plenty of time and make sure you have the necessary equipment.


Products used:
Jane Carter Nourish n Shine (whole foods)
Bobby pins
Good day hair magic grips (Sally's beauty)
Fancy flower clip - unknown
Duckbill clips (Sally's beauty)

I hope everyone has a wonderful spring! Please let me know if you try out this style. :)

Wishing everyone good hairdays,

Sarah @:-)

Curly Hairstyle: Retro Rolled Updo

So the other weekend I went to a decades themed party. I had a lot of fun getting dressed up and doing my makeup, but my favorite thing was probably my hair style!

 

I cam up with a 40s/50s inspired updo with some pinned up curls and rolled sides into a bun. So I decided to record a tutorial for y'all in case you want to recreate the style.

This time around I had more neutral makeup and I added a gorgeous rose flower clip accessory from FlowersFromFatima.com, an etsy boutique that sells handmade hair accessories.

So I think this style turned out super cute! Let me know what you think down below in the comments. I may do more retro inspired hair tutorials in the future.

- Sarah @:-)

Using Up the Product Junkie Stash

Hello curlies, my name is Sarah and I am a product Junkie.

This is a picture of my hair product stash! At college! (More at home.) There are far too many hair products! So I am resolved to start using them up, selling them, or giving them away to friends. That way I can not feel guilty about trying something new, and only buy products when I need them. I am going to come back to this blog post periodically and cross out used things. Hopefully I will be able to make a successful blog post in a little while saying I've decreased my stash!

So I encourage any product junkies out there to join me on my journey! Feel free to share pictures of your stash with me on twitter @waterlily716, or leave a comment on this blog post to join in. I am not going to purchase any new products, besides staple rinse out conditioners and gel, until the rest is gone! (If I haul new products, y'all need to call me out.) I will unfortunately have to add to this list if I receive products from companies.

I am actively working on the conditioners/oils/deep treatments on this list, but the stylers and shampoos are going to be hard to use up. I don't use shampoo everyday or even every week so I may be selling these or giving them to friends. I also am not good about branching out from my comfort zone as far as stylers go, but I think I need to so I can at least try them all and then sell them if I don't need them. Oh and by the way I will be selling any products I don't want on the naturallycurly.com swap board.  Anyways here is my way-too-long-in-a-really-bad-kinda-way list of hair products.   Wish me luck!

3/8/12 - This list below is now pretty updated. I later gave away a lot of products to a womens shelter. I still have a huge stash and I'm still working on getting rid of it!

Shampoo:
AG Hair Cosmetics Smooth Argan Shampoo
Activate shampoo
Shea moisture thickening shampoo (2)
Organix moroccan argan oil shampoo - used as soap!
Giovanni tea tree triple treat shampoo
Kinky Curly come clean shampoo
Aubrey organics white camellia shampoo*
Devacurl no-poo (sample)
Herbal essences hello hydration shampoo (sample)*
Jessicurl hair cleansing cream (sample)

Conditioner:
Bed Head TIGI Moisture Maniac CO
Beautiful Curls shea butter deep treatment*
Giovanni Smooth as Silk CO
Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner
Curl Junkie Curl rehab DT
Jessicurl weekly DT
Paul Mitchell the detangler CO
Yes to carrots pampering CO
Giovanni tea tree triple treat CO
Natures gate chamomile and lemon CO
Herbal essences hello hydration CO (sample)*
Curly Hair Solutions Slip Detangler

Stylers:
Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper
Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave in
LA looks sport gel (travel size)
Herbal essences body envy gel (travel size)
Jane Carter Nourish n Shine melted out :( got grainy.. threw out
AG hair cosmetics re:coil curl activator
AG hair cosmetics curl trigger
AG hair cosmetics smooth straightening lotion*
Biosilk rock hard gelee
Pantene curl defining mousse
Shea moisture thickening moisture mist
Shea moisture curl & style milk
LA looks nutra curl gel
Curl junkie curl fuel spray
Garnier fructis pure clean gel
Moxie mane tame
Moxie sweet poof volumizing spray*
White rain hair spray
Aubrey organics nustyle hairpray
Hair rules curly whip*
Ampro olive oil gel
Ecostyler gel
Devacurl set it free samples (2)
Jessicurl rocking ringlets styling potion samples (2)
Jessicurl confident coils styling potion (sample)
Jessicurl gelebration spray (sample)
Mop-C curl refreshing spray

Oils:
Happy Scalp Oil
Shea hot oil treatment
Aubrey organics Nustyle hair serum
Coconut oil

*Products that haven't been tried, even once.

Also here is a video I made awhile ago about using up unwanted hair products. Some neat stuff I found out about. :)

Curly Care: Dusting for Single Strand Knots

Hi curlies! I hope everyone had a good new year. I made this video to show y'all how I dust for single strand knots.  This is also known as "search and destroy." It's a good thing to do every few weeks or so for curly hair. The SSKs can make curls feel coarse and frizzy, so it's good to get rid of them. A lot will get cut off at a trim, but this way, you lose less length. My hair is still slowing inching towards my goal length of my waist (and then hopefully my hips). Good luck with all your hair goal lengths!

Sarah @:-)