Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 03:34PM Hey Guys!
As promised, here's the second formal updo perfect for events, weddings, and the prom! This natural hairstyle is perfect for girls with thin hair that want to make their hair seem more voluminous! It also looks great on girls with thick hair as well! I hope you give this young and flirty look a try!
XoXo Whit
Sunday, April 8, 2012 at 04:19PM Hey Guys!
I love using Curlformers to create quick and easy curls without heat! I've been using them for quite some time now in a lot of my tutorials, but the technique in how I apply them has changed significantly over time. So I hope you enjoy the updated tutorial for Heatless, Silky, Curls using Curlformers!
XoXo - Whit
Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 08:11AM So you're done transitioning and spent the last year and a half growing out strong healthy natural hair. But now it seems like your growth rate has slowed down, or even worst, come to a complete halt! Well, don't fret, there could be a variety of reasons and solutions for your delay in growth...
The first reason could be that you're just due for a trim! Personally, I tend to go about 7 to 8 months between trims. Some people trim more often, some trim less, but it's about listening to your hair and what it needs. Indications that it's time for me to trim my hair, are split ends, loads of single strand knots, and "dents" in the hair shaft.
Split ends are self-explanatory. When your hair shaft splits and travels in more than one direction, you've got a split end! Also look for strands that look like they get thinner at the end, or feather out.
Single strand knots are inevitable with curly natural hair. When your hair is super coily, it has a mind of its own and twists and turns in all different directions. Sometimes it twists, turns, and locks up with another strand of hair, causing a knot. And sometimes it twists, turns, and locks up on itself, creating a small little ball, or a single strand knot!
When I say "dents" in the hair shaft, I'm referring to a strand of hair that varies in thickness. If you look closely at it, especially towards the ends, it looks like it goes from thick, to thin, and then thickens out again; like someone took a bite out the hair shaft!
If I have an abundance of any of the three issues above, or all three, I know it's definitely time for me to trim!
The second reason could be that you may not be moisturizing your hair enough, specifically the ends of your hair. Like I've stated before, your hair is no different from your body, it needs water to function. So you want to make sure that you're moisturizing your hair day and night and that you're sealing in the moisture with an oil-based, creamy product.
When I refer to moisture, I'm talking about water or anything water-based. In regards to the oil-based creamy product, that will depend on your hair texture and density. If you have really thick, dense, and coarse hair you'll want to stick with a thick and dense sealant. If you have thinner, less dense hair, you can also go with a thick and dense sealant, but you'll probably prefer a lighter, less heavy cream-based sealant, that won't weigh your hair down or cause build up.
The third reason could be that it's just time to change or step things up with your hair care routine. Maybe you should start increasing the amount of deep conditioning treatments you do during the month. Maybe you want to start washing your hair more… or less, if you find that your hair is becoming too dry. Perhaps you want to start adding different oils or aloe vera juice to your routine! Whatever the case, try something new or add something different! Increase or decrease steps in your current routine relating to what your hair needs most. When your hair growth comes to a halt, you usually just need to switch things up to give it a pleasant little shock and push in the right direction.
As some of you may know, I'm all about keeping it simple in my routine. But I also pay attention to the changes in my hair health and listen to what my hair is telling me it needs. So if I notice the ends of my hair getting rough and splitting, or an abundance of single strand knots, I know that my ends are in need of some "TLC," Tender Loving Care, and give it a trim! I'll also make sure to moisturize my hair daily, concentrating on my ends. If I'm moisturizing day and night, and it seems that it's not helping anymore, I know it's time to incorporate more deep conditioning treatments, steams, water bagging, or protective styles for a while until things balance back out.
So I hope these tips help! If you've hit that growth halt, have fun experimenting with new things! Your hair will love it and you'll see the results your looking for. I hope this helps guys!
XoXo Whit
"Natural Hair", Blog, Don't Know What To Do, How To Grow Long Natural Hair, How to Care for Natural Hair, How to Deal With Single Strand Knots and Split Ends, Naptural85, Natural Hair Care Tips, Natural Hair Styles, What To Do When Your Hair Stops Growing, Why Isn't My Hair Growing Anymore, Why Your Hair Stopped Growing in Hair Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 12:43PM Late Post!
I almost forgot to post this on my blog! Last weekend I tried uploading this to Youtube three times in two days while in the mountains; the connection was horrible! But at least we had a connection, lol. Anyway, I forgot to post it to my blog, so here goes!
Here's a quick and easy style done on stretched out hair! Perfect for natural hair, relaxed hair, or naturally curly hair! This style is similar to a side braid; I call it "The Infinity Twist" because the twist has the appearance of traveling around the entire head. I added a slight bohemian feel for a more laid-back style! Perfect for those days when you need your hair out of your face, or cute under a hat! Hope you enjoy!
XoXo Whit
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 11:16PM This is a 100% Heatless, No Heat, Flexi Rod Set Tutorial, set on curly hair! It's a great alternative for those who want heatless curls, but don't have curlformers! I hope you enjoy!
XoXo Whit
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 09:38AM I have a lot of videos regarding mini twists, but unfortunately, they still don't cover everything you guys want to know! So I decided to make this video to answer, through demonstration, some of your most frequently asked questions regarding installing, maintaining, and caring for "Mini Twists". Some topics include:
1) How to avoid frizzy Mini Twists
2) How to avoid unraveling of Mini Twists and make them last
3) How to control your Mini Twists and get them to lay flat
4) How to Avoid Single Strand Knots on Mini Twists
So I hope this helps!
XoXo Whit
**Naptural85 Mini Twist References**
How To Mini Twist: http://youtu.be/OSBFMjCoZOQ
How To Wash Mini Twists: http://youtu.be/l-h76h7_HQ8
How To Maintain Mini Twists: http://youtu.be/P60mRRrcKPQ
How To Deep Condition Mini Twists: http://youtu.be/xqbIJpGgTtM
How To Safely Remove Mini Twists: http://youtu.be/7H-LoQKxuWQ
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 02:44PM Hey Guys!
I recently removed my mini twists, and of course, needed to wash my hair. Well, I ran out of my favorite hair cleanser, which I can only get by ordering online, so I decided to use the opportunity to try a product line that I hear so much about, Shea Moisture. I get so many questions asking me about my thoughts on the line, but I've never used it, so I've always answered with "I've never used it, but have heard great things…" Well, I wanted to be able to answer from personal experience, so it was time for me to give it a try!
So I found the product at a drugstore in my area called Walgreens! Unfortunately, they only sold one line of Shea Moisture, the Coconut and Hibiscus, so I picked it up. It came in a convenient little kit for $14.99, which included sample sizes of the shampoo, a style milk, a styling pomade, and a shine spritz (I really only wanted the shampoo and conditioner "style milk?").
Now, my thoughts on this product aren't necessarily positive, and in any other circumstance, I just wouldn't review it, but since it's a popular product, and I get so many questions about it, I feel like I should share my point-of-view.
It was clear to me after using the product that it wasn't the line for me. It was shocking how dry and raw my hair felt in the shower after using the shampoo; it had literally stripped my hair of all of it's oils. I haven't used shampoo in about two years, and after feeling the effects it had on my hair, it made me appreciate my mud wash cleanser so much more!
Anyway, the shampoo felt horrible on my hair, I quickly reached for the style milk to try and condition my hair and put the moisture back in, but it still felt brittle after applying it. The worst part is that after taking out my mini twists, I had detangled my hair with a fine-tooth comb and even trimmed the ends, so my ends were nice and crisp. But after applying the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus shampoo and conditioner, it actually created knots and tangles in my hair!
Hair after washing and "conditioning" is dry, frizzy, and undefined compared to how it usually looks in wash and go state.
Needless to say, this is NOT the line for my hair. To be fair to Shea Moisture, I don't think it was created for my hair type, tightly coiled and kinky. I think it was made more for a looser-curled texture, which would make a lot of sense as to why the style milk conditioner is so light. My hair needs something thick to penetrate the strands, while this product just kind-of sits on top of the hair, never penetrating. So Coconut and Hibiscus, not for me, but if you are a looser texture, give it a try, it'll probably work out really well for you.
After that fail I was extremely disappointed with Shea Moisture. I was on the phone with my girl Taren and mentioned that I tried Shea Moisture and didn't like it. She told me I probably tried the wrong one and to pick up one with Shea Butter in it, which would be better for my hair type. So I decided, what the heck… I'll give it a try…
So I checked Walmart for the product, and couldn't find it, then I searched three (3) Target stores… yes, three Target stores to find the product (all an hours distance from one another). I really wanted to give Shea Moisture a fair chance and I needed to re-wash my brittle hair! (My Terressentials Mud Wash hasn't arrived yet because they are having label production issues… Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to make it from scratch yet, but that'll definitely be in the future.)
I finally found some at the third Target in the very bottom shelf behind some random lotion. Lucky me, it was another kit! This time, the Raw Shea Butter and Argan Oil Repair and Transition Kit. Luckily, it was the only hair cleanser there by Shea Moisture and it happened to have shea butter, Yaaay! It came with two items, the shampoo and the deep treatment mask.
**Side note** I also decided to pick up the Shea Moisture African Black Soap Shea Butter Body Wash. When I went to the register to purchase the Kit and the Body Wash, my bill was only $11!! For some reason, I received $9 OFF my purchase… maybe there was a Shea Moisture sale, I don't know but I was happy! A-Whaddup-Savings!?! Yea, and the body wash smells AWESOOOME!!!
Okay, back to the issue at hand… so I couldn't wait to give the Shea Butter and Argan Oil line a try… anything to repair the damage from the Coconut and Hibiscuits situation…
After using the shampoo, I could tell there was bit more moisture than the other line, which I was thankful for, but it still stripped my hair. That's not abnormal for a shampoo though, so I won't hold it against them. I guess I just don't like shampoo anymore, sorry, can't get on board, I'm a spoiled mud girl.
So after washing with the shampoo... ohh this is a long post. Lunch break.
If you need a snack or beverage, this is a greet time to go grab it... tick-tock, tick-tock...
Okay I'm back. So after washing with the shampoo, I followed up with the deep treatment mask and, sigh... it still didn't penetrate and moisturize my hair. It was definitely nice and creamy and heavy the way I like, but it just felt like it was sitting on top of my hair. I actually ended up using the entire 4oz container on my hair because I just desperately wanted it to moisturize. The directions say to leave it on for 5 to 30 minutes, so I left it on for an hour with a plastic cap. After 45 minutes, I rinsed out only some of the product (instructions say you can use as a leave-in) and proceeded to styling my hair with LOTS of my homemade shea butter cream.
While I didn't enjoy the cleansing process at that moment, and felt like it didn't fully moisturize my hair, I must say that the next day, my hair was nice and shiny and did manage to feel better, more moist.
Stretched Twist-Out
I guess it took sleeping in the deep treatment mask and sealing it in with shea butter to get the effect. Although, I'm not sure if it's worth it since it did take a substantial amount of Deep Treatment Mask, 4 oz to be exact.
But trying to be fair to the product here and stay somewhat neutral because I don't want to compare it to the mud wash cleanser I always use, that wouldn't be fair. It should be compared to any normal shampoo or conditioner…
In that case, for a shampoo and conditioner, it's not bad. If I could only buy one type of shampoo or conditioner, would it be one from the Shea Moisture line? Honestly, probably not. I would probably use something like the Trader Joes Nourish Spa line (fyi: contains parabens) or Tea Tree line first. They're much more moisturizing to the hair even though the shampoo strips the hair, the conditioner is effective in returning the moisture back. Also, they're great for de-tangling, while both Shea Moisture lines that I've tried are NOT AT ALL effective in detangling my hair. In fact, both lines created more tangles and knots to my previously de-tangled and trimmed hair than I could ever imagine. So yea,… the SM lines aren't bad, they're just not the best, in my opinion, for my extremely dense and coily hair... as far as shampoo and conditioner go.
I understand that there is one other line out there from Shea Moisture. Maybe it's better than the Shea Butter and Argan Oil line, which seems to be geared towards transitioners or people who might have chemically-treated hair. Unfortunately, I've spent enough time looking for the products I've reviewed (and enough money) to order any more online. If it were a "real world" situation, I would've stopped purchasing at the Coconut and Hibiscus line, but I wanted to be fair to Shea Moisture and try to find the one for my hair type.
But honestly, for myself, this whole process reiterated the fact that I enjoy washing my hair with clay (mud) the best. I mean, nothing compares to it's moisturizing and de-tangling properties. Although shampoo does make your hair "squeaky-clean" eh.. I don't need the squeaky… I'm good with just clean.
But I hope this review helped guys! Sorry it was so freaking long! But that's how this whole process felt to me… like a never-ending hair-shampoo show-down. Luckily my hair is doing much better after the second try and I'm anxiously awaiting my mud wash delivery… let's go Terressentials, I don't care if your label-maker isn't working, send it to me without a label, I know what's in it! LOL, send it in a plastic baggy, Ziploc, Gladware, I don't care, just get it here! ;)
Oh, and for those asking, I do still love the Anita Grant Rhassoul Clay bars, and I will be buying more. If you don't want to buy Terressentials, or don't have time to make it yourself, the Rhassoul Clay bars are amazing and they're MUCH cheaper. Just mix in a little aloe vera juice and you've got a great cleanser as well.
Okay, hope this helps, bye!
xoxo Whit
Re-Twisted at night to achieve a more defined stretched twist-out. Not bad!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 02:36PM Easy Method Technique on how to Deep Condition your mini twists! Also shows how to stretch out your shrunken mini twists after washing. Hope it helps!
xoxo Whit
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 05:05PM Here's a really cute style for your "natural hair". Styled on mini twists, this easy technique gives you a big, flirty, and voluminous ponytail. It's also perfect for flat or thin hair! Hope this helps!
