My hair lately

I'm deep in the midst of a stretch. With no end in sight. I need a trim badly but I'm holding off until I relax. Staying moisturized with this winter air has been a challenge but the Beautiful Textures Tangle Taming Leave-In Conditioner on my new growth has been LIFE CHANGING. Yeah, it's that serious. Go get you some if you're stretching your relaxer. You need it in your life.

Why I'm Scared to Go Natural

Everybody and their mama are going natural these days. Including my own mother! And my sister. And all my best friends.

But I'm hesitant to take that plunge into the depths of all it means to go natural. I have three natural heads in my daughters and let me just say that it's a battle.

Plus I have a husband who loves my flowing tresses. I know that there is a ton said about relaxers being the devil. And people who relax their hair are trying to conform to the European look.

I fervently disagree with this sentiment. Wholeheartedly.

Yes I love myself and who I am. I love the hair that grows out of my scalp in all it's natural glory. No I don't want to denounce the black parts of myself (as if I ever could).

So then why am I still relaxing my hair?

At the end of the day it's really about manageability for me. Not my hair's manageability, but the ability to manage 4 heads of hair.

I'm scared because my weekends are already consumed with deep conditioning, washing, detangling, moisturizing, drying, styling and protecting heads of hair that are not my own. And they have hair. Lots of it.

My three ladies and all of their glorious hair

REVIEW: Beautiful Textures Tangle Taming Leave-In Conditioner

I really love that there are a ton of products being made and marketed towards different textures of hair. And this one doesn't disappoint.

I picked this up at Sally's for around $5. I use it on my hair and my daughters hair and it seems to work really well on all of us.

It claims to:

Unlock tangles, deeply moisturize, tame frizzies, and nourish curls with the right blend of natural oils. Achieve amazing manageability and styling versatility for curly, wavy, kinky-coily or frizzy hair. Get soft defined curls, bodacious bouncy spirals and smooth silky tresses with this intensive moisture rich formula for mixed textured hair. 

I have to agree that it meets all it's claims. It's a cream but on the oiler side, which is good for slip when trying to detangle. It smells marvelous and it really does moisturize. I've been using it in combination with a shea butter to seal.

Oh and if you're curious about the natural oil claim, it contains: Aloe vera, coconut, olive, soy, argan oil, shea and mango butter.

So my final grade is an A. It really soaks into the hair and meets all it's claims. This one is a staple!

Before and After

Results of a stomach bug and hair left free for the weekend. A knotty mess. A deep condition and tons of shea butter brought her hair back to life.





A little trim is in order.

5 Things to Combat Thinning Hair

I have thin hair.

I am just on the other side of some really bad post partum shedding.

But there are a few things I have learned along the way to help combat shedding and thinning hair.

1. Biotin

I have been taking Biotin off and on for a few years. I do notice a big difference in the condition of my hair, nails and skin when I'm taking them consistently.

2. Monistat

When I first heard this, I thought it was crazy. And like a crazy person, I tried it. It worked. I used it to regrow my edges, because when I wear ponytails, they thin significantly.

3. Castor Oil

Used on a regular basis, castor oil can really thicken up hair. It's thick, but it does the trick.

4. Protective Styling

One thing you can do is really protect your hair. Instead of wearing it out everyday or in some other high manipulation style, braid it up, put it under a wig, bun it. Give your hair a rest. It will thank you later.

5. Texlaxing

This by far, really helped to thicken my hair. I relax for the manageability factor, but I always hated how thin my hair looked freshly relaxed. Texlaxing is simply not processing your hair fully. In essence, under processing. This leaves quite a bit of texture and much thicker, fuller hair.

Date Night Hair

I'm  a simple kind of person. I rarely curl my hair or do anything fancy to it. And honestly, my hair loves me for it. My hair thrives off low manipulation. Sometimes I forget to comb it...don't judge me. 

But I had to do something special for date night with the hubs. So I dusted off my curling iron and got to curling. I loved the change and how it really dressed me up. I usually wear my hair down and straight or in a twist out so this was a nice change from the norm. 

I watched this video tutorial and though mine didn't turn out exactly like that, I still loved it. 

I need some ideas for my next date night. What style do you wear for date night? 

Evolution of a Ponytail

After wearing my hair in a ponytail yesterday for the first time in many moons, it got me to thinking about the evolution of my ponytail.

In 2009, I started my hair journey and a few months into it, I cut my hair so short, I couldn't even put it into a ponytail.

Sometimes it's hard to really see the growth my hair has obtained over the years. But that cut in 2009 is my reference point and proof that my hair does grow! 

Hair Today

Today was spent by the pool with the littles so I took it low maintenance. I tend to not wear many ponytails because my hair breaks pretty easily when it's pulled up like this. But honestly, there's nothing like a ponytail. 

What style you rockin' today? 

Doing Hair - Kids Edition

Last week we were on the beach, enjoying the clearwater and white sand.

This week, we're battling the tangles.

Tangled left side. One big matted ponytail

It's my fault. I wanted to enjoy my vacay and not fight a toddler who didn't want to get her hair done. So for one whole week, I didn't touch her hair. Through the salt water and sand, through bedtime with no bonnet and baths where every single strand of hair got soaked. I knew I was going to have a disaster on my hands at the end of our vacation, but I figured I'd worry about it later.

Well, later was today when I had a marathon session with my baby girl. It took me about an hour and a half to dentangle her hair. I worked in small sections, drenching her hair with a mixture of conditioner and water. I used my fingers to detangle because the mattes were so bad. I'm ashamed of myself. After her hair was detangled, I saturated her hair with a deep conditioner and covered with a cap. 

I used this to deep condition with. It's my first time using this so after I use it for awhile longer, I'll post about how I like it (or don't like it).

I washed her hair with Hello Hydration Shampoo, which is my go to. The slip on that stuff is amazing. Ahh, freshly washed hair. 

It's almost impossible to get a good picture of a moving toddler

After too many breaks to count, I finished her hair. It's not my best work but both of us were happy to be done.

Gotta unpack that suitcase...

I learned a valuable lesson this past week. I can't ignore my girl's hair. With my relaxed hair, it's easy to go a few days without doing anything major to it, but natural hair is a whole other story. I'm still learning.

I wanted to relax and enjoy my vacation, but my baby girl's hair suffered for it. I put twists in my older girls hair so they could enjoy swimming and playing without getting their hair done every day. Maybe it's time to give baby girl some twists. 

How do you handle your kids hair on vacation?

Bunning It

I've spent the last two weeks bunning it. I'm six months post and go in for my relaxer and trim tomorrow. How I manage my hair this late in the game with all my new growth and relaxed hair fighting each other is lots of moisture. One thing I was reminded of when I had some crazy tangling was not to forget the protein. It's super important to add that strength to your hair when you're stretching for a long period of time. It's all about the balance. 

Postpartum Shedding

This is the dirty little secret I wish someone would have told me about when having a baby.

Postpartum shedding.

It's real and it's not fun.

Here's my story:

When I was pregnant, I did not lose one strand of hair. My hair was thick, luscious, shiny. All the things you want your hair to be. All the time.

I knew that during pregnancy, hair goes through a major growth stage. What I didn't know was that I'd lose so much hair that I thought I was going to be bald.

This was my third pregnancy, so I thought I knew everything there was to know about having a baby. Diet, weight gain, random gross things that happen to your body? No problem, I knew all about it.

But I had no idea that postpartum shedding was a real thing. I cried and then I cried some more. I scoured the internet trying to find some information that might ease my mind but there was nothing helpful, nothing useful.

What helped in the end was realizing that this was my body's reaction to the fluctuation in hormones and that it wouldn't last forever. Eventually my hormones would level out and the crazy hair loss would stop.

My baby is 21 months now and the shedding has slowed immensely. I think the biggest advice that I could give if you experience postpartum shedding is to not freak out. It's part of the process and it will end.

The best thing you can do in the mean time is take great care of your hair. Here are some things that can keep your healthy while your body transitions:

1. Keep hair moisturized.

Deep condition your hair for at least 30 minutes every time you wash. Moisturize daily with a creamy based product and then seal with an oil based product.

2. Wear protective styles.

Buns and updos are great. Try not to manipulate your hair too much but be sure to comb through regularly to remove all the shed hair. If this isn't done you could see tangles.

3. Eat a healthy, balanced diet.

Don't discount taking care of the inside and how if affects the outside, even your hair. I began taking a hair, skin and nails vitamin during my shedding and I did see a difference in the health of my hair. Be sure to drink plenty of water.

Postpartum shedding can be a scary thing but remember to stay calm and do what you can to take care of your hair while your body is changing. Take your mind off of the shedding by enjoying your new, bundle of joy.

REVIEW: Palmer's Coconut Oil Replenishing Hair Milk

It's always been a struggle to find a product that works for all three of my girls and me. All of our hair types are extremely different and we need different things.

That's why this product saves my life.

It's Palmer's Coconut Oil Formula Replenishing Hair Milk. It has no sulfates or parabens, which isn't one of my requirements for a hair product but it is a plus.

It's extremely moisturizing and it's lightweight. I also really feel like it soaks into the strands and really hydrates. I love the light coconut scent and the fact that it leaves no residue on the hair. I really love this stuff. It's a staple.

*I purchased this product. Review is my own.

Hair Today

I've been rocking a bun for the better part of two weeks. 

Finally let it down to breathe before washing. 

Wash regimen to follow.

Simple Make-up Routine

 I like to keep my makeup routine fairly simple because most of the time, time is of the essence. I usually have somewhere between 10-15 minutes to get myself together before I have to be out the door, so I focus on 3 simple things: face, lips and eyes.

FACE

The foundation that I use is Revlon ColorStay in Mahogony (440). I love this stuff because it is so lightweight and it's the only foundation that I have found that matches perfectly right out of the bottle. I have yellow undertones and find it pretty hard to find foundation.

I use a foundation brush to apply and I tend to apply my foundation very lightly. I use a powder to set and I'm done with my face.

EYES

I always play up my eyes. Eyes are the center of the face and they absolutely cannot be ignored. I stick with a pretty neutral palette for daytime. I use Maybelline New York Bronze Glitz palette. I love this palette. It's understated but adds that pop. I use the top for inner corner of my eye to brighten my eye. Next I use the middle on my lid and the bottom color on my brow bone. And of course I finish up with eyeliner and mascara.

Perfect eyes every time.

LIPS

I always have this stuff in my bag. It's inexpensive and I love the way it looks on my lips. It's N.Y.C. Extreme Lip Glider Lip Gloss in Downtown Brown.

Unless it's date night, I have to keep things simple in the beauty department. What's your beauty routine?

Is it simple or complicated?