New Haircolor & Marley Twists!

Yeah... I know what you're thinking, "She colored her hair again?!" .... (hides behind computer screen)... Yeah BUT see what had happened was... Ok in all honesty I was bored, bored with that red-violet color so I took my hair back to its natural medium brown color and I'm going to leave it alone for awhile. Promise!

[Tutorial] Torpedo Locs Updo

I made up this style one evening and after posting this picture on Instagram and getting numerous requests for a tutorial, we made it happen!

Check out the latest style tutorial for the "Torpedo Loc Updo"! 

8 Month Loc Update

My babies are now 8-Months old and I'm amazed by the growth and maturity of them already! When I had my Sisterlocks they were barely even close to loc'ing at this time so that's a major difference I'm noticing. I did manage to last the entire 4 weeks without shampooing my locs (Yay!) but I did touch up a few locs on my edges so that I'd at least look half decent, lol.

I also discovered ingredients to formulate a "Loc Accelerator" ... Have y'all heard of this before? I mixed some up myself and have been using it for the past week... It's probably too soon to review but I like it so far.

For a closer look at my locs and more details about what's going on check out my latest vlog update [HERE].

Transitioning to Locs

In case you missed it yesterday, I was the guest Co-Host on Nappturalite Radio discussing various ways to Transition to Locs, methods to starting different types of locs, and a few other tips and tricks I've learned along the way! 

You can listen to the entire episode [HERE] or skip directly to my interview which starts at the 25 minute mark! I hope you enjoy and definitely share any tips you've learned along your loc journey below! 

It's Wash Day!

It's about time to cleanse and retwist my 7-month old locs and I wanted to share the experience with you! I'm trying some new shampoo this go around (and I LOVED IT btw) and you'll also see my routine after my locs are clean (moisturizing, sealing, massaging, etc.).

Versatility of Locs: Marley Hair Extensions

Lately I've been wanting to do something different with my hair and since I've stopped coloring it I had to think of something creative. So I decided to give Crochet Braids a try with Marley Hair.


For the video tutorial, check out this post, "Crochet Marley Hair over Locs Tutorial". If you prefer a visual pictorial, keep on reading :)

In the Stylist's Chair: Goddess Box Braids

I know I've been MIA for a while on the blog, but if you've been following me on Instagram you know all the changes that's been going on. If not, my 7-Month Loc Update (coming soon) will catch you up. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a great protective style that I did on my homegirl, Jess of HairGetsKinky.com, Goddess Box Braids with a hint of purple.

Havana Twists on Locs

After I installed the "Marley Twists" on my sister's relaxed hair, I challenged myself to try to install them on my locs. I was going to use the Marley braid hair but because its fine and I would have had to use a lot of strands (and packs of hair) I choose to use the Havana Hair. The Havana hair is thicker than the Marley braid hair and it has more volume which made it a lot easier to cover my locs. I used 3-4 strands of Havana Hair per twists, whereas with the Marley Braid hair I would have had to use at least 5 strands to camouflage my locs.

So after about 2 hours and about 2 bundles of Havana Hair, I have Havana Twists over my locs. Check out the video update [HERE] to see them in action and for more deets.

Did you ever think Havana Twists (or Marley Twists) were possible on locs?

Hair Diary: Nighttime Qredew

We've moved to CurlyNuGrowth.com!

Check out the post on the new website, "Qredew HandHeld Steamer on Locs: Nighttime Routine". 

[Product Review] As I Am "Smoothing Gel"

You know that product that starts off ok, gets better with further use, becomes a staple product, and then fails miserably? I don't personally have too many experiences like this but the As I Am "Smoothing Gel" (sadly) definitely falls into this category. 

I picked up this product about 4 months ago from the Cosmetology Store because it looked interesting (one of the key elements of discovery, lol) and I know my hair likes light-weight gels. The product said it would provide "moisturizing shine and hold" and the ingredients seemed good too:

In the Stylist's Chair: Relaxed to Marley

As much as it pains me, my little sister has a relaxer **POUTS** but I have started taking care of her hair and since then its become a lot more healthy. As we all know, "good hair" is healthy hair so relaxed or not she is doing what makes her happy. 

When she asked me this week to put "Marley Twists" in her hair, I was so excited because you know the marley braid hair is textured and so I knew it would give her a more natural look and deep down inside I was going to try to convince her to go natural again **sneaky grin**. Unfortunately, the "Marley Twists" didn't change her mind about being natural (lol!) but they did give her a beautiful island-look.... 

Hair Diary: Shiny Dry Retwist

I'm still on the search for a really good retwist product, sadly the As I Am Smoothing Gel isn't doing the job (review coming soon), and in order to find you have to explore. So today in class we had free time to create a freestyle look on our mannequins or work on each other and I took advantage of working on myself and trying some products, lol. Even though I retwisted my locs last week with the new color [HERE] it was a loose retwist and a week later its pretty frizzy and unraveled so I thought I'd see what the Aveda products could do. I was impressed! 

I Dyed My Locs Blue!

Didn't I tell you it was time for a new color?! Well, here is my new hair color... Blue Loc Highlights! And I am in absolute LOVE!

In the Stylist's Chair: Model Day

This "In the Stylist's Chair" is a little different...as you may or may not know, I'm now a full-time cosmetology student at the prestigious Aveda Institute (w00t w00t) and today was our first live model day! Well, let me back track and give you some deets on the program...it's an accelerated & advanced cosmetology curriculum encompassing hair, makeup, and nails and I started almost a month ago. So yes within the first month we've learned so many techniques and are required to execute a few of them on a live person. This is what we call "Model Day" and today was my very first one!!

Needless to say it was hectic, a class full of new stylist applying technical knowledge (for a grade) in a timed scenario. Oh, and we just learned the techniques on Monday, yeah of this week! We were critiqued on a shampoo, blow dry, and updo of the model's choice.

This is the image that my model (and good friend) selected from the options I had available....

Three Month Loc Update!

Wow, I can't believe it's been 3 months already! Time is really flying by and my new set of locs are definitely coming into their own. I am so glad that I went with the backcombing method to start my locs because the look of them is exactly what I wanted and their thickness is perfect!

You can't really tell how thick they are right after I retwist them, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it shows after I wash them and somewhat as it gets closer to the next time to retwist them.

Check out my most recent update video [HERE] for the current regimen/products I'm using, tips, and more.

How to Shampoo Starter Locs

Maintaining Traditional Locs at home is fairly easy, if you know what you're doing and practice good hair care. One area the many people fear or aren't very knowledgeable on when it comes to starting locs is the "shampoo process". Admittedly, I was a novice myself when I first started my new set of Traditional Locs and before I took specific "Loc Care" training classes.

The most common questions people have about the shampoo process are "how often should I shampoo my new locs?" and "what products should I use?"; which are two very good questions. Before I answer, let me preface and say that I take a holistic approach to Loc Maintenance and firmly believe less is more and my recommendations are based on experience and formal training. Ok, so let's dive in...

Beauty & The Blog | Ashley of Urbane-Natural.com

I first discovered Urbane-Natural.com a year or so ago and when I found out writer was local to the DMV area, I knew we had to connect! Fast forward to now, I've not only met this cool chick but I also love and support the amazing natural hair & skin products that she makes! So I'd like you to et to know Ashley, the edgy Naturalista behind Urbane-Natural.com....

[Tutorial] Twisted Nerfertiti Headwrap

This is a quick and very easy headwrap to achieve, with or without, a lot of hair. The "Nerfertiti Headwrap" is created using only two pieces of fabric (1 yard minimum each) and shaped to create a high crown similar to Queen Nefertifi. I added my own spin on it by adding a hair accessory.

[Product Review] J. Pure Ultimate Skin & Hair Moisturizer

In the first "Wishlist Wednesday" post [HERE] I added the "J. Pure Ultimate Skin & Hair Moisturizer" and fortunately I've had the opportunity to try it out over the past few weeks!

Full Disclosure: The owner of J. Pure sent the J.Pure Ultimate Skin & Hair Moisturizer" to me for review. All opinions, thoughts, and recommendations are my own and I was not obligated to write a postive review.

How to Reduce Frizz & Exercise with Traditional Locs

We've moved to CurlyNuGrowth.com!

Check out the post on the new website, "Interlocking Locs: How to Reduce Frizz". 

Win a Complimentary Hairstyle: "Marley Twists"

How to Moisturize & Seal Your Locs, Twists, Or Braids

Yes, Traditional Locs and protective styles like Twists or Braids do need to be moisturized to maintain the health of the hair. I've noticed though that a lot of people don't know the proper way to moisturize their hair, let alone what moisture is, so I created a quick video [HERE] with a few tips. 

What are you currently using to moisturize and seal your hair? Share some of your favorites in the comments below: 

How Do You Determine Good or Bad Hair Advice?

These days, as I browse the web, Twitter, Facebook and various other social media outlets, I'm finding a lot more "bad" hair care advice than "good" factual information.  Which I think is pretty sad and detrimental to the promotion of healthy hair. I specific post/article that I discuss in the video is one in which BlackHair101.com stated that raw chocolate was good for the hair and then a Blogger took this article and shared a post stating that you could use Chocolate Bars in your hair; which is false.  

In this week's "NuGrowth Chat" I'm really curious to hear how you determine what is "good" or "bad" hair care advice and whether the source you're getting the information from is entitled to recommend or give that advice. Check out the latest video [HERE] in the NuGrowth Chat series and leave your comments, thoughts, opinions, and/or experiences on philosophy for educating yourself on your hair.

Under the NuGrowth | Angela

Angela is the Owner and Stylist at N Natural Hair Studio in Silver Spring, MD and she definitely has a passion for natural hair. I'm excited to share just a piece of her fun-loving story...and she's even included something special for you!

Photo Credit: Alex Elle. 

[CLOSED] 1MeNaturally Giveaway!

Last week's "Under the NuGrowth" feature [HERE] and Boutique Owner, Meosha, would like to share a piece with us from her 1MeNaturally Shop! 

Her creations are beautiful and have a Bohemian style to them, which I personally love! The giveaway is for a Long beaded choker neckpiece that can be worn several different ways - Color: Red and Black.

In the Stylist's Chair: Curl Stretching Cream

Can you believe these Mini-Twists were done on wet hair?! Believe it! My client wanted her twists to show her length but she didn't want to use any heat, so I gave the Design Essentials "Curl Stretching Cream" a chance and the results were was amazing!

Is Having Natural Hair a Movement or a Trend?

I was moved to pose this question to you after reading an interview feature in Ebony on Jamyla Beenu, Mixtress / Creator of Oyin Handmade [HERE]. In the interview, she was asked "Why do you think it’s become such a movement for women to go back to their roots?" and her response was by far one of the best I've come across:

"There are a number of reasons in my opinion. I sense there is a definite self-love component to it, an emotional and psychological freedom that comes with embracing our hair as it grows from our scalps. Technology also plays a part in the current swell—through instructional videos, blogs, message boards, etc., women are able to share an unprecedented amount of information with each other. People finally feel like they have more options due to the scale of knowledge that exists."

I know this is a topic that is highly debated, but I wanted to share my personal views on the topic and I'm also really curious to hear your opinions as well. Check out the latest video in the NuGrowth Chat series and leave your comments, thoughts, opinions, and/or experiences on whether having natural hair is movement that'll stay or just a passing trend [HERE].

Coloring My Baby Locs

I was so tired of looking at that Chocolate & Green hair color debacle on my head that I had to do something, anything. So I took a risk and decided to color my hair. Check out the vlog update [HERE] for details about the hair coloring process and how I've been moisturizing my locs. 

Under the NuGrowth | Meosha

Meosha is the Style Icon Coordinator at Black Girl, Long Hair and I discovered her on Instagram when she posted a dope picture of her 'fro. I am really glad that I reached out to her because not only is she beautiful, inside &out, she is also a creative spirit with lots of [hair]inspiration!

In the Stylist's Chair: Yarn Wraps

Last week's "Beauty & The Blog" feature, Jess of HairGetsKinky.com, told me she was going to Trinidad for Carnival and I immediately suggested she get locs...well not actual locs, but a loc'd look with "Yarn Wraps". This style is not only a great protective style, but it is really low maintenance, will last for several weeks, and a great way to change up your look (especially if you're thinking about locs). 

Hair Diary | Headwraps & Turbans

"Queens, wear your crown proudly and keep your head high."

Setting Hair Goals for 2013

Its about that time of the year again... Time to set goals and continue to better your hair & yourself! Last year I set some pretty purposeful and "restricting" goals [HERE], which I definitely had a hard time keeping up with, but this year I am going to do the complete opposite and set more open goals.

So for 2013 I plan to....

Advantages & Disadvantages of Sisterlocks and Traditional Locs

I am frequently asked, "How do I chose between Sisterlocks and Traditional Locs?" or "What are the differences between Sisterlocks and Traditional Locs?", so I created a video to outline, in my opinion, the advantages & disadvantages of both types of locs. Keep in mind, when I say "disadvantage" I am using the term loosely and as a generality for some mindsets, not all.

Top 5 Reasons Why I Cut My Sisterlocks

In my Sisterlocks Big Chop video [HERE] I touched on my reasons, which were many, briefly but since so many people are still asking me "Why did you cut your Sisterlocks?" I figured it was time to make a dedicated response. You can watch the video [HERE] discussing my Top 5 reasons and/or check out the post below...

Wishlist Wednesday | Oil, Gel, and a Towel

So far Wishlist Wednesday has kept my product junkyism at bay. Whenever I see a product that I want to would like to try, I write it down on my list. These week's list features a few products that I desperately need in my life...well maybe not desperately but definitely.

To learn more about why I chose these products, check out my explanation below.... 

Beauty & The Blog | Jess of Hair Gets Kinky When Wet

You might remember Jess from our live "Havana Twist Tutorial" [HERE] or from various meetups we host in the area with our Natural Hair Talk Show "The Mane Definition." So, I'm really excited to finally be able to feature her and for you to get to know a little bit about her & her mane.

Try the BOOMBox!

Recently, Nappturalite Radio announced its new subscription service, BOOMBox, which features products for natural hair, beauty, and your lifestyle. Have you heard about it? If not, I'll tell you what you need to know... 

Two Weeks Later... My Retwist Update

I can't believe it but I actually went a full two weeks (and even a few days over) in-between my last shampoo and retwist. I truly didn't think I'd make it because of the itching and dandruff, but I stayed strong. You can check out my latest update, in my Traditional Locs Vlog [HERE].

HOW TO | Date Night Locs Style for Men

This is for the fellas, that may need a style for this weekend. It's a really easy style that TB created and all you'll need is a hair tie. 

Would You Use Monistat in Your Hair?

Last week, while listening to the Nappturalite Radio show the featured blogger mentioned that natural hair women are putting Monistat in their hair and I thought "What! You're joking!" and I immediately went to social media. After asking whether that statement was true, I learned that is isn't a "new" method and apparently I was late (go figure) and I discovered an entire community of women that practice this method.

Check out the latest video [HERE] in the NuGrowth Chat series to see why women are practicing this method and share your thoughts, opinions, and/or experiences in the video comments!

Beauty & The Blog | Crystal of Kinky Hair Affair

Get to know Crystal, a natural hair blogger at KinkyHairAffair.com and overall cool and sincerely honest naturalista!

[Tutorial] Front Cinnabun Headwrap

I am slowly counting down the days until I can shampoo & retwist my locs because my babies are getting really out of control, but their messiness is pushing me to be more creative with my hairstyles / headwraps. Lately, I've been wearing this this Front Cinnabun Headwrap and it is super quick & easy to do. If you're interested in how to achieve this style, check out the tutorial [HERE]!

What are Common Misconceptions About Locs?

Since starting my Traditional Locs journey I learned that many people have misconceptions about locs and I want to share 5 myths that I've heard.

Check out the latest video in the NuGrowth Chat series and leave any common misconceptions & myths that you've encountered, comments, thoughts, opinions, or experiences on the video [HERE].

[Event] Inaugurate Your Curls

First, let me say, if you're in the DMV area, you don't want to miss this event! Crystal of KinkyHairAffair.com and Jamila of TheDiaryOfaNaturalGal.com have put together an amazing event featuring several amazing hair care lines, hair demonstrations, discussions, and tons of giveaways, including a few goodies from my Shop!

Wishlist Wednesday | Moisturizer, Rollers & a Book

I usually am an impulsive buyer and as soon as I see a product or item that I want I immediately purchase it. There are a few problems with this (maybe for another post) but in the context of hair-related items it leads to becoming a product junky. To help avoid downward spiraling into a hoard of products, I would like to introduce "Wishlist Wednesday",  a series that'll feature items that I've recently discovered and would like to try....and maybe you can add to as well :) 

The first items on my wishlist include the J.Pure Natural Moisturizer  Strawllers Rollers, and "Naturally Healthy Hair" by Mary Jansen. Now, let me tell you why I've added these items to my wishlist...

Hair Diary | Chunky & Frizzy

Today, I was really enjoying the look of my locs; despite them being frizzy, messy, and chunky, to me they are beautiful! 

But why are my locs so frizzy and messy nowdays? Good question.... 

Under the NuGrowth | Weena

You guys know how much I love thick locs, and when I started following Weena on Instagram I had an instant case of "loc envy"! Weena not only has a head full of gorgeous locs, but she is a (very talented) Natural Hair Stylist in Canada. I am excited to share her hair story and the great tips she has to offer... 

My Locs are One Month Old!

As of January 9, 2013, my locs are now officially four weeks old! Yay! So far my journey has been really fun and full of new discoveries! In my latest vlog update, I discuss my experience swimming with my baby locs, my nighttime regimen, and how I control frizz and unraveling. 

First Shampoo & Full Retwist

Happy New Year! I am starting 2013 off with clean hair & scalp, yay!! I know I mentioned in the Vlog update last week that I wouldn't be shampooing my hair for a while, but I couldn't take it and not to mention my beau gave me a great suggestion. Check out the latest vlog update for a look into how my experience went shampooing my 3 -week old locs....