Natural Hair

Game Show Host: What is natural hair?

Contestant: Natural hair is hair that has not been blown-out, dyed or colour treated, relaxed, texturised (texlaxed), doesn’t have any form or extensions in it and has been flat ironed.

ENH! WRONG!

In my honest opinion, natural hair is hair that hasn’t undergone a structural alteration with the use of chemicals. If curly, straight, wavy, kinky hair or a mixture of some of those normally grows out of your scalp, that’s natural hair. If your hair has been relaxed, permed or texturised (“texlaxed”) it is no longer natural because its structure has been permanently, chemically altered. I say that “if you douse your hair with water and it doesn’t turn back, even if just partially, to how it normally grows out of your head, it ain’t natural!” If your natural hair has undergone a blow-out or has been flat ironed, it is still natural. Although it’s structure has been changed (though only temporarily), you can still get your natural hair back in about a week or less, or, well, if you just douse your hair with water, like I said, it’ll turn back to its natural state showing that indeed, your hair is still natural. Heat damaged hair on the other hand is..... heat damaged hair. Yes, the structure has been permanently altered, but, not chemically so, some may argue this one out – whether to call it natural or not – I don’t know, don’t ask me. As for dyed hair (colour treated hair), I still consider it natural because your hair’s still gon’ be in the same state in which it grows out of your head, only that it’ll be a different colour.  Extensions: honestly, I find this one stupid, the whole saying that your hair’s not natural if you’ve got extensions in, but, honey, once you take ‘em down, what’s your hair gon’ look like? Chemically altered? If you douse your hair with water (after separating clumps and possibly detangling, of course,), would it stay straight, looking like a braid out or twist out? IT’S GON’ BE IN THE SAME STATE AS THAT OF THE HAIR THAT GROWS OUT OF YOUR HEAD!

So, fortunately, this isn’t one of my super long posts where I just talk and talk and talk and talk, I’m just going to end here.

So, have fun, and spread the word!

~SammyWithTheBigHair

Tangle Teezer Review

Picture got from FeelUnique

*Sammy appears wearing a toga*

*cough, cough*

Friends, Curlies, Citizens of the world, lend me your- (....um....eyes....yes), lend me your eyes. I have come to tell you about the Tangle Teezer not to.....(okay! I've got nothing!)

*Toga disappears and Sammy stands in her...um....(*looks down*)....um....school uniform*

*sigh*

Hello everyone :)

So, I'm finally reviewing the Tangle Teezer! Yay! *happy dance*

Before I start I will let you read a description of the Tangle Teezer which I got from Amazon:

"Tangle Teezer professional detangling hairbrush delivers impressive results on both wet and dry hair. It has been swiftly referred to as a ‘miracle brush’, whilst children excitedly declare it a ‘magic brush’. It’s a detangling hairbrush that finally ends the torment and misery of shampooing your hair. It reclaims the hours lost with bottles of conditioner and incorrect brushes and combs, waging war on tangle prone hair. Your hair’s future has never looked so smooth.
Tangle Teezer professional detangling hairbrush works like no other brush or comb. It boasts a unique teeth configuration that has a revolutionary ability to flex upon contact with tangles. Quick and simple to use, it makes brushing your hair easy and stress free by removing tangles and not your hair."

 Now, let me start by telling you that this brush won't necessarily work for everyone.

Need to knows:

It costs about

• £10-£11 at Boots (in England) and at Amazon.co.uk
• 
  
• $12-$18 at Sallys (in the USA) and at Amazon.com

Review


I liked this brush and I like this brush, I really do. People complain about it's shape and how it has to be held and all that, but they're just fine to me. This brush takes out my tangles like there's no tomorrow. It slides through my hair with ease. It also goes through my hair wet or dry, with conditioner or not easily. No more fussing around with other combs.

Unfortunately, this is a ripper for me. I don't use my tangle teezer that often (maybe just once a week or twice a week) because it breaks off my ends some times and that's not good. Also, when the tangle teezer is wet, it tends to become slippery and might just slip out of your hands especially if it has conditioner on it. Mine's fallen a couple of times, but it's still without a crack or dent so, I guess that's good.

Besides those little disadvantages, the Tangle Teezer is a keeper. I love it! :)

Twists with extensions tips, care and stuff

Hey,

So, I don't know if I told you guys this, but I had a bad experience with those twists with extensions,so, I'm never using extensions again. However, I learnt a couple of things from them.

What was my bad experience?
I lost over an inch of hear in front 'cause of the twists. They suddenly fell out, I took out the extensions that fell out, undid them and voila! my hair was in them. I hand-stretched the hair in front that had been below my lips and they were like nose-length. Not funny. I also lost quite a lot of my nape hair which I had managed to grow out till it had started going down my back I had like just stubble or what left when I hand-stretched it to see its new length.

What type of extensions did you use?
Synthetic ones

Aaaah, must be why. You should've used human hair extensions.
I would never use those

Why?
'Cause the hair....like....where did it come from? Either:
1. The heads of dead people, or
2. Temples (used for sacrifices)

I can't use hair from any of those on mine and like none of us really know where those human hair extensions came from by just looking at the pack-thingies they come in. All we'll see is something like,"Malaysia" or "Thailand," "India,"or something. We won't know that someone died, their hair got scraped off and sold or some person went to a temple for tonsure or something, their hair got shaved off, some person went over to the temple, took the sacrificed hair and sold it.

Oh.... that makes a lot of sense, but quick question: didn't the extensions dry out your hair?
No, they didn't. I was extra careful with taking care of my hair while I still had the extensions in to prevent them from drying out my hair.

So, you knew there was a possibility of them drying out your hair?
Yes, I did. I actually just found out about it a few days before I got the extensions 'cause I was chatting with Chris-Tia Donaldson (founder of ThankGodI'mNatural) and she mentioned it.

Okay! So, please, please, dish on the care, tips, and need to knows. I need to know them.
Here we go, then!

1. Installation: When getting your twists done, make sure your hair and scalp are clean and moisturised and work some combing conditioner into your hair prior to installation. Make sure the twists aren't done too tight especially around the name area and edges. Don't use a lot of extensions on a tiny portion of your hair. If you do, it'll weigh down your hair giving it a reason to fall off. *Ensure you start the twists from your roots and you don't start them by braiding at your roots first. Also, hot water isn't needed and you don't need to trim the hair down the length of the twists after installation. Hot water's not good for your hair and the trim's just going to unevenly cut your hair off.

2. Washing: You don't need to wash your hair or scalp every single week. I washed mine only once and I had my twists in for 2 months. I guess because your scalp isn't as exposed to the air and all the pollution in it, it doesn't get as dirty as fast. Anyways, to wash your hair, all you need is a bottle, some water, some shampoo, some conditioner and some extra virgin olive oil (or whichever oil you prefer). Pour about a teaspoon of shampoo into the bottle, followed by about a tablespoon of conditioner. Add a teaspoon of the oil to it, shake the bottle up a bit then fill up about 3/4 of the bottle with water. Shake it really well till the shamconoil (don't ask why I suddenly made up that word) has totally dissolved. get your hair into about 6 sections and braid each of them securing them at their ends with either hair bands or rubber bands. Wash your scalp well getting some of the washamconoil on your hands and working it into your scalp. Leave the washamconoil in for about 2-5 minutes then thoroughly rinse it out using warm water. In a scrunching motion, squeeze out the water from the braids you made then leave your hair in those braids till it dries or is 70-90% dry before you let it out. Some people might just let it out after washing, but that's just going to get everything, including you, wet.

3. Night Routine: All I'll say is, Satin bonnet or scarf. Remember your hair's still there, it didn't magically disappear when you installed those twists. So, ensure you always sleep with a silk or satin bonnet or scarf on. Also, ensure your hair's held up in at least a loose ponytail before doing so..

4. Care: Every few days or once a week, work some extra virgin olive oil into your scalp and hair (about a 50p coin size in total). Never pull at your hair. Don't fiddle with it much. If it hurts anyways, you take it down. After about 3-4 weeks, take down the hair at the edges and at the napes. Detangle and twist your own hair (alone) and style it whichever way you want with the other twists. If your hair is shorter than the other twists, you hold you hair up then tuck your own hair sorta behind the other twists in a way that it still blends in if you know what I mean. You don't want the hair around those places falling out.

5. Take Down: Below where the ends of your actual hair, turn the twist in the opposite direction of how they were installed or get your finger through it. When you have an opening, gently pull the extensions apart then gently finish up the take down.

6. After Take Down: Get your hands wet work them around sections of your hair at the roots to make sure any possible lint has been dissolved (I didn't have lint, by the way). Detangle your hair starting from the ends with a wide toothed comb (your hair should be sorta damp during this). If you can, run a tangle teezer through it then wash it out how your normally would on a wash day and leave it to air dry whichever way suits you best. For at least a week, do not braid or twist your hair, even if just alone as a hair style. Let your hair and scalp rest, okay?

That's all I have for now.

Wow! That's a long list!
No, not really

I guess. It looks long, but it's pretty simple.
Exactly

So, with this, you are guaranteed healthy, soft hair?
Well, like I always say, what works for one person just might or might not work for another. This worked for me and I hope it works for a lot of other people.

It was nice to talk to you about this.
You too.

I hope all you've said helps someone out, Sammy.
I hope so too, Sammy.

Bye, for now.
You too.

ZBogem
ZBogem.

I promised you

I promised you:
1. Tangle Teezer review (and it's G.O.O.D)
2. Afro Pick review
3. Denman Paddle Brush review
4. Twists with extensions tips, care and stuff
5. Hair Care (finding what works for you, etc)
6. BeeMine hair products review (when I finally get them)
7. Journey towards Graduation Hair (land). This is going to be from September till June (when I graduate). It's also a 6-inch new growth challenge 'cause I'm wearing my hair out long and curly for my graduation.
8. Goody Ouchless Bands review
9. Goody hair grips

So, far, I've only done the Ouchless Band review.

I am one person who doesn't make empty promises and when I make a promise, I keep it so, (wait! did I actually say, I promised to post those? *Sammy goes to check*  Nope, I didn't. Anyways.....). I'm going to post as many of these as I can today.

I'm at school, I've only got 2hrs and 38mins left here. When I get home, I can't get online (don't ask). So, since I've got nothing to really do today, I'm going to post stuff.

Enjoy!

ZBogem,

~Sammy

Contest!

Lily.B (natural skincare), along with their brand ambassador, Colbie Caillat, have partnered with Bloom.com to help women embrace their natural beauty. Grand prize includes a year of free skin care from Lily.B, an autographed guitar from Colbie Caillat and a copy of her new Christmas in the Sand CD.

 

Naturally Glamorous Curly Parent!

 

 So, y'all know, I dish the story on how I ended up being able to interview someone. So, here it is!

I had seen this parent at my school many times and I was like, "oh my days! I love her hair!" I had mentioned many times in the car on my way home that I would so love to interview her and like, well, I procrastinate a bit some times so, well, I  never asked her if I could then one day, while my mum and I were leaving school, she was walking in and my mum stopped and talked to her a bit then told her that I'd like to interview her sometime. I know, I know, my relax-haired, not-planning-on-going-natural momma. Anyways! here's what this curly parent had to say after I sent the interview questions to her: 

:)

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(Interview questions will be put up in a link ASAP)

I actually was converted by my cousin who stays in the States. It took a year of persuasion to get me on the "natural hair" train. Initially it was a hard decision because I had really long permed hair but I got tired of chemicals constantly applied on my hair and my daughters, so on the 15th of jan 2011 we did the "Big Chop" and started from scratch.

Fortunately for myself and my daughters,we have natural curly and soft hair which makes it very easy to maintain our natural hair.

My siblings were surprised about d BC but my dad was a bit upset I cut off my hair.

I loved and enjoyed every sec of growing my hair because I always Rocked and still rock my hair with style.

I wash my hair at least once a week,sometimes once in 2/3wks depending what hair style I have on and only comb my hair when I condition,that means I can go a whole week or more without putting a comb through my hair but for my girls,I comb regularly. I always sleep in satin scarfs,this locks in the moisture.

Don't have a particular hair style,I weave,braid,twist,pack into a donut,extensions etc....I do whatever I feel like actually

In as much as the natural hair grows faster than processed hair,it also tends to break a bit too....for me and my girls,we use alot of natural oils,Shea butter,aloe Vera....in essence,we use natural base products and try as much as possible to stay away from using excess heat on our hair. For natural hair,moisturising and conditioning and the keys to having a healthy hair.

For me its only a few people that actually touch my hair.

Any type of hair can be unprofessional depending on how one takes care of his or her hair. My hair texture really makes it easy for me to style any how I want so it's not really an issue for me

My girls have always loved the natural look so they are knowledgeable in everything to do wit natural hair.

My journey so far with the natural look has been fantastic and I don't see myself or my girls ever going back to processed hair.

Like I tell everyone, been natural doesn't mean you shouldn't take good care of your hair. You have to make time to moisturise and condition your hair often,you have to make sure your hair is clean and tidy all the time and most of all,you should always keep learning about the natural look and various styles you can rock with your natural hair.

 

><>

I'm hoping this lady can convince my mum to go natural! :)

My New and Improved Regimen

Hi,

I know I haven't written in a while. I'm actually at school, at the moment, and I've got a couple of things to post, but I'll do those when I get home. I've actually been kinda busy, exams at school, exams and interviews at other schools in different parts of England (and just so you're sure, yes, I wore my natural hair proudly to all of those).

Anyways, here's my new regimen.

1. I take down my hair on Friday.
2. I deep condition every Friday night (overnight) with either coconut oil or a mixture of the BeeMine BeeLovely Daily Conditioner and the BeeMine BeeLoved Hair & Scalp Moisturiser. *Sometimes, I detangle before doing so, other times, I detangle in the shower or just before I hop in.
3. At around noon on Saturday, I wash with the BeeMine Botanical Shampoo (sulfate-free, ofcourse), then I condition with the BeeMine BeeLovely Daily Conditioner. Braid or twist my hair with the conditioner in and shower then rinse it out. *My new trick that minimises shrinkage while washing is to flat braid your hair in two and work  on a section at a time, rebraiding when done with each section.
4. I scrunch my hair up with an old t-shirt
5. I work some BeeMine BeeLoved Hair&Scalp Moisturiser
6. I  rake the BeeMine BeeHold Curly Butter through my hair and flat braid in two or twist or bantu knot, but I prefer to flat braid first then when my hair's about 80-90% dry, I twist or bantu knot till whenever.*Sometimes, I used the WonderCurl Butter than love pudding. I use it how I use the BeeHold Curly Butter. The WonderCurl actually defines curls and styles a bit better, in my opinion, but the BeeHold Curly Butter leaves my hair so soft!
7. I leave my hair in the flat braid, bantu knots, or twists practically all day (sometimes, I do leave them in all day, if I don't have to go out to somewhere important or that I have to dress a certain way to. Please not that I don't bantu knot or twist in an orderly or neat way. I pick whatever section my hand touches and that's it).
8. I slip on a satin casing
9. In the morning, on Sunday, I shower, dress up, pass a stretched out elastic head band over my head down to my neck, then comb my hair out into an afro with a Boots Afro Pick then I pull the head band up to achieve the perfect puff (sometimes, I braid out a section in front as bangs, pull up then undo the braid, comb out and hold off to the side).
10. In the evening, still on Sunday, my mum braids my hair (flat braids) in about 12 or so braids.

 
Detangling Tools

• Boots Shower Comb
• Tangle Teezer
• (Sometimes, I use an afro pick, but usually after the shower comb)
• A paddle brush (always after the tangle teezer or shower comb. I usually use this after the whole washing routine is over)

Hope this was a good post.
I'll talk to you when I get home
~Sammy

p.s Sending interview questions to a curly mum at my school this evening! Her hair's like so GORGEOUS! Interview would be up either tomorrow, on Sunday or next week.

Aevin Dugas is Naturally Glamorous

Guess what? I got to interview the beautiful, Aevin Dugas! :)

I'm guessing most of you know who she is, but I'll still tell you who she is: Aevin Dugas is a Guiness World Record holder. Now, what's that record for? THE WORLD'S LARGEST AFRO! How big is her afro? Well, when last I read something about her (the article had been posted in 2011), it said over 4ft. WOW! :) I want hair like that :) I'll be SammyWithTheBIGHair no longer SammyWithTheBigHair, if you know what I mean ;)

Anyways, here's my little interview with Aevin Dugas:

(Sammy: "ohmigosh! ohmigosh! I still can't believe I got to do this!" *Sam stops jumping and tries to act cool, calm and collected ..... so hard to do*)

When did you and what made you decide to go natural?
I went natural 13 years ago

Did you big chop or transition?
Well, back then there was no name for it! Lol, but I guess you can say I transitioned because I let it grow for a year before I decided to chop my ends off!

How did you manage your hair while going natural?
I had a friend who's sister would cornrow it for me, I'd rod it, or find any style wher I didn't have to mess with it too much.

When did you BC?
It was the month of May during Maymester at Southern University. Thank goodness, because I probably wouldn't have remembered it.

What was the initial reaction to your natural hair?
Some loved it but others weren't too happy about it. I'm from a small town so there were a lot of closed minded ppl at that time. Natural wasn't the "in" thing to do! We laugh now but my little sister got bullied about me cutting my hair short! Weird!

How did your family and friends react to the new you?
They all loved it, it was a shock bc I went from hair to a low fro but they were very supportive. Eventually they almost all went natural!

What was your response to them?
For the ones with questions, I'd give them my reasons why I went natural and explained why they should too:-)

(Sammy: haha, I did that too :) )

What does this journey mean to you?
It means a lot, I love seeing more And more naturals! I love seeing the little girls loving their hair and I'm happy to see the commercials with natural hair women.

What is your daily regimen (including your night-time routine)?
Well.........I think because I've been doing it for so long I've gotten lazy. I shampoo and condition once to twice a week. Then I usually add argan oil and mix a bunch of conditioners and slap it in a bun!

What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it?
Lol, honestly it's my bun, and my newest is my braid out. I shampoo/condition then part my hair into 4 sections and braid it. Once it's dry, I take them loose and that's it!

How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage, shrinkage, length retention and moisture?
Honestly I've been blessed to not have to deal with breakage and length retention. As far as shrinkage I usually stretch my braids or twists with ponytail holders. But, it'll shrink after a while anyway so...... For moisture, I add a little argan oil before my conditioners and that's about it.

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?
I'm very simple for products, I use Pantene, Garnier Fruictis, Tressemme, Shea Moisture and KoilsbyNature

(Sammy: "I love this picture!" :) )

Hand-In-Hair syndrome an issue I have now only that....it's not my hand (okay! sometimes it is my hand :) ). Do you have this issue?Yes, I love to feel my waves! Silly, I know!

Do people ask before touching your hair or they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it?
Some ask...............but most just grab

How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?
It's uncomfortable. I used to let ppl touch IF they asked bc they always thought it was fake so I'd let them feel for themselves. But now I realize they should just take my word for it! Now when they grab aka pull my hair........ That's a whole other situation! Not a good one either:-)

What was your reaction when you found out you had made a world record?
I was shocked bc I never win or get anything! Even now, I'll see myself somewhere and just stare in disbelief.

What have you learned throughout your journey?
I've learned that I do what makes me and my hair happy!

Any advice for those who are considering going natural, are currently transitioning, are newly naturals or "Nana" naturals?
Yes, I always say find what works for you. You can watch all the you tube product videos you want. Until you use it in your hair, you just don't know. Also, if you are thinking about going natural, you do not have to cut your hair bald. I hear a lot say that we hold onto our hair and how it's just hair and will grow back. Yes that is true, but lets be real, going bald is a hairstyle and SOME may not be comfortable with it. I say take your time, and when YOU are ready...........chop it off and enjoy your natural hair!!! It's so worth it once you do!!

><>

Yay! So, I did it! *fan girl scream!* :)

~SammyWithTheBigHair

A Plea to My Readers

Dear readers,

I know some of you have bookmarked this blog and a bunch of you check it out every now and then (and I’m really grateful for that), but honestly, sometimes, I feel a little disappointed or like, “people don’t really read my blog,” or “my blog’s not good enough” when I go through it, post something new and every single day, I see just three followers. In 3 months, SammyWithTheBigHair (the blog) will be a year old (and SammyWithTheBigHair would be celebrating the second year since she started transitioning back to natural). I’m like, almost a year and just three followers? I know some people don’t even get up to those three and indeed, I am grateful that I have those three and some of you “invincible” readers.

So, here’s my plea, that all of you who have clicked on the “follow” button do. It’ll really encourage me. It’ll give me a reason to post something because there’s proof that you’re most likely reading.

Please, please could you do this for me?

Please and thank you.

~Sammy

I'm Back

Hey!

I'm back. Didn't tell y'all, but I was away at a sort of camp thingy for about 3 days. It was fun! We line danced for over an hour at night on Sunday (we did the ELECTRIC SLIDE! :) ).

So, so, let's talk hair!
I rocked my signature style - the puff - every day and oh my days, did I look good! :) I have to say, I did have a bit of an issue with:

1. Shrinkage,
2. Hand In Hair Syndrome (HIHS) <---- not my hand, and
3. Tangles

Shrinkage: It rained during an activity and well, the boys didn't want to give me their shirts (said they were protecting their hair (stubble) and one wiped off some dirt of his hand on his shirt that had been hanging on his belt hole then was like, "oh, I'm using it") and the other girls (mainly the curly haired) had their scarves over their hair to keep the shrinkage to a minimum.

HIHS: Like I said, it was not my hand. People were like, "can I touch your hair?" or their hands just went straight into my hair which led to....

....Tangles: All the hair touching and pulling and shrinkage caused A WHOLE LOTTA TANGLES! Like I couldn't get my fingers through my hair easily (finger combing) or do anything with my hair.

What'd I take with me:

1. A shower comb,
2. An afro pick,
3. A slack head band (for the puff)
4. 2 gorgeous looking head bands (I have on in right now) to hold down the front (actually, to spice things up a bit!) <----- ended up not using them
5. A claw clip (which I also didn't use), and
6. Ouchless Hairbands. (I don't remember using these either)

So, during my first night there, a friend helped me braid up my hair at night to stretch it out a bit. During my second night, my hair had shrunk so bad 'cause it had rained and you know the story, anyways, so that and the hair touching gave me terribly shrunken and tangled hair. All the girls in my room were scared to touch my hair apart from one who's got lovely kinky hair. She sat me down on the floor by her bed and helped detangle my hair and braid it up before I got some sleep. By the next morning, I got some help taking out the braids 'cause we had to be out before 7am. So, when I combed my hair out into an afro and held it up, it was big and curly and gorgeous. People stared at my hair, some were like, "is that actually your hair?" and I was like, "noooooooo," (heavy sarcasm there). People touched my hair, my room mates said that my hair was alive and well, some said the annoying bit, "you've got the second longest hair  here apart from Enem (the kinky haired girl) and we didn't even know that till your hair was pulled. You should TOTALLY get your hair (......wait for it......) relaxed. It'll look so nice!" Oh my days! Anyways, pushing that aside, people L.O.V.E.D my hair! Yesterday, Wendii was like, "I love you hair! I want you hair! and I am going to get your hair!" and then her hands went in my hair! Someone was like, "you should be scared" when they heard that Wendii said she was going to get my hair.

I totally felt like some sort of celebrity. :)

So, yesterday night, I slept with my hair wrapped up in a satin scarf, I was way too tired that I couldn't be bothered with detangling and stretching over night (rained yesterday....). So, today, I mixed up some conditioner (Tresemme Naturals), bottled water and some oils (real lil) and worked the mix into sections of my hair (totally dissolved those tangles. From the comb practically breaking to get through my hair, it just slid through. Then I braided and twisted my hair till I had to head out (didn't wash out the condish I should add). My hair wasn't thoroughly dry, but it was okay when I took down the braids and twists. I got some coconut oil onto my hair, combed it out into an afro then held it up in my signature style before heading out. My hair feels so moisturised!

I love my hair! I love my hair! And Wendii wants my hair! haha :)

I'm glad I'm not getting so many hands in my hair now that I'm home, but I sorta miss all the attention (if you know what I mean). I was like the girl with the gorgeous hair back there and now, at home, my parents don't give a care about my hair!

Haha!

Anyways, the whole camping thing was fun!

A couple of featured posts coming up in a bit,

~Sammy....WITHTHEBIGBEAUTIFULGORGEOUSHAIRTHATWENDIIWANTS!

(I should totally change the name of this blog to that!)

:)

Goody Ouchless Bands Review

What are Goody Ouchless Bands?

Basically, Goody Ouchless Bands are hair bands/elastics that don't have metal connectors. Now, as some of you may know, I've been using hair bands without metal connectors for some time now, but this one, the Goody Ouchless Bands are....different. They're a whole lot better.


Where did your purchase your Ouchless Bands?

At Boots, in Eastleigh, Southampton (England). That's the only place I've seen it. Oh! and a lil advertising (wasn't asked to do this, but I will), if you're in England and happen to be in Eastleigh or any part of England, but at a Boots store, they've got Denman brushes (practically all the types), Tangle Teezers, Tangle Tamers, Afro Picks, etc, all the curly hair accessories and styling tools! :)


How strong are the bands?

They are really strong and don't stretch out too fast. I hate having hair bands that get so slack easily. Also, they don't snap. The metal-free hair bands I used to use, well, they snapped like a toothpick (for some of them, toothpicks were actually harder to snap than they were).


How is it with your hair? (does it pull it out, hurt, etc)

These bands, unlike the others, don't pull out my hair and they most definitely don't hurt. They just hold my hair in place how I'd want them to. They also don't leave white rubbery things in my hair like my previous hair bands have done after a while.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 is totally awful and 10 is totally amazing/perfect), what would you rate this?

9

So, I'm guessing you'll be recommending this, right?

Right.



By the way, for anyone that's in England, these ouchless bands are sold at Boots for £3.25 :)

My next challenge

Hey there,

So, you must be wondering, what's Sammy's next challenge gonna be? Or, well, there still is a possibility that you're not thinking that, but you're still reading this, aye? So that means you're interested in knowing what it is (or sorta).

Anyways, here's my new challenge (you can tag along if you'd like to):

Making my very own curly pudding.

Gaaaaah! I've wanted to do this for quite some time now.

So, the thing is..... recipe...What recipe will I use?
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Okay! so I was writing the above a couple of days ago, but never got to finish so, I guess I will now:

I tried making my curly pudding today. I heard that a good way to use up products you had a long time ago, but stopped using for some reason was by using it to make other things. So, remember that OLTG (the lock and twist gel? I did a review of it on here? remember? does it ring a bell? even a tiny ding? Okay, I don't know where I'm going with this! Anyways.... :) )
So, here's my recipe:

• Shea Butter
• Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Rosemary (sieved out (the water while hot was poured over this and left for several minutes))
• Water
• Organics Lock&Twist Gel (shea butter, rosemary and water are more than this)
• Conditioner (Tresemme Naturals)
• John Frieda Frizz-Ease Heat Protectant (just about 2 spritz)

I mixed everything up manually (with a fork and in a cup). It's final consistency was like that of whipped shea butter, but a bit lighter. Mixed everything up thoroughly till it was so smooth you'd have thought that I bought it that way from some store in some place in some country in some continent in some earth, in some (okay! I have no point in this).

ANYWAYS, I've tried it out. Used it to hold up 2nd day hair (which I have got to wash lol). It held pretty well, didn't leave a white residue, didn't make my hair hard (well, it felt hard-ish for about 10-ish minutes then let up), my hair's shiny, not dry and well....no one can guess it's a second-day puff lol (slept with the puff in 'cause I got home pretty late from a formal dining with a bunch of the people in my grade. Our last formal dining while schooling together 'cause we're graduating this coming June! I remember when I took my braids down, combed my hair out into an afro (using a pick) then held it up (using an elastic head band), people were like "how'd you get your hair to hold up like that?" they thought it was pretty cool.).

So, I'm going to try another recipe when I run out of this (if I run out of it before November). Till then, so far, this has been pretty good. I'm going to wash out my hair before I sleep, maybe use a bit of this on it (but use my homemade secret moisturiser on my hair first) then I just might use a lil more of my curly pudding before I head out tomorrow.

I <3 being a mixtress!

I'm still thinking 'bout that "Sammy's Little Bowls" thing. I just might do it sometime. I'll see how my things do locally first. Also, I'm going to be making hair accessories, bow clips, hair bands, etc. Once I have everything set up, I'll let you guys know and maybe set up an online store (just incase you guys see something you like (and want), you better see something you want and buy it, I order you, I ORDER YOOOOOOUUUU! lol just joking, (bout the whole ordering you thing and that you must buy something)).

Anyways, gotta go,

Gotta study now.

"Love you, Curlies"

~SammyWithTheBigHair

It's been a while..... (must read update)

I know I've neglected this for a while and I'm sorry, but.......I've got to do that again. I will try to get on once a week or once every two weeks, but I doubt I'll post something new on here any time sooner than that. Don't worry, those things in the 'Coming Soon' post are still coming. Once I get the time to type up all the reviews and I get back to England in Nov. (had to send the BeeMine stuff over to my aunt's 'cause they were too heavy at that point in time to bring over here with me. Last to arrive, first to go, as dad likes to put it (with my stuff)).

Anyways, I finally took my extensions (twists) down (on the 30th of Aug) and I doubt I'll ever put them back in. Why? Well, it  pulled out my hair. Like it took off over an inch of my nape her at the left corner  (finally grew out my nape hair and now, I have to start over on that side). Took off over and inch in front. I actually had to take down all the extensions around that area, twist up my own hair and hold it up with the rest of the twisted extensions. However, I didn't have any lint in my hair when I took them down (unlike my mum lol). I made sure to wash my hair (even though I did that just once) in a certain way: get everything in a bottle, quite diluted, shake up the bottle and wash your scalp with it's contents then rinse out thoroughly (oh! and be sure to braid up your twists in sections and hold the ends of each section with a rubber band and please, DON'T let that rubber band come into contact with your actual hair). I also moisturised every now and then so, my hair wasn't really dry when I took down the twists. I had been told that the synthetic extensions I used would dry out my hair thoroughly, but I guess, I was able to figure out a way to prevent that. I also always slept with my satin bonnet on. But I'm not going back to twists or braids with extensions. I'm going to stick to my own hair or crotchet braids. I might revisit the extensions some time, but well, really lose ones or something....I don't know.

My hair everywhere else grew quite a bit (about an inch or a bit more:) ) during the time I had my twists in (low manipulation). I got to school for some stuff (before school got back in) and like the few other students that had to be there exclaimed, "ohmigosh! your hair's grown so much!" and well, you know me, I can't just let that comment pass. I even had someone put his hands in my hair just to feel it (without my permission, ofcourse), but it was okay 'cause he's one of my closest guy friends, but I totally felt like joking around and going, "you don't touch a black woman's hair!" (or a part black, in my case, but, anyways!). My hair's been shrinking a whole lot, I should add. Over 75% I believe (I know). I have to keep it stretched 24/7. I'm actually back to my weekly protective styling, but during the weekend when I DC, wash, etc, my hair shrinks and gets tangled whenever even after a thorough detangling session (and the shrinkage makes it worse). This week, I decided to just take out the ends of my flat braids (cornrows). On Friday, I did my shortest DC ever  (which means I didn't sleep with the DC on - oh! and the DC was with coconut oil). Before I slept, I co-washed my hair and scalp (still with the braids in) then I wrapped my hair up in a t-shirt, secured the t-shirt on by tying a scarf over it then my satin bonnet thingy. By morning, it was all dry so I took all those things off my head then I started taking out my ends (every part that wasn't flat braided/the ends of every flat braid) then I banded them (using Goody Ouchless Bands) to keep them stretched and to retain the whole braid-out look (and add a lil "band-out" action to it :) ). I still have my hair like that right now, but I'm taking everything down before I head out to church tomorrow, but I can't decide what to do with my hair.....my signature puff that everyone loves, or an afro which would most likely shrink to my scalp in this humidity (or possible rain). *sigh* My dilemma. But I sure do know that I'm rocking my signature puff to a formal dinning event I'm attending on Friday. It's going to be full of teens aged 15-17, we have it every year. We get all dressed up in gorgeous evening gowns, tuxedos/suits, get our hair done, and act like grown ups (well, some of us don't really need to act if you know what I'm saying *wink* *wink*). I believe that my puff would look great with my dress. Oh my is it gorgeous! Note to self: make sure to pack an afro pick, bobby pin and elastic head band.

Okay! So here's the really important part:
(If you've read everything so far, thank you so much, I truly appreciate it! :) )


I've been thinking for some time now about writing a book and well, early this year, I used to think about making my own natural hair product line since I'm already such a mixtress.
As for the book, I was talking about it with my mum and I was like, "you know those books that have 2 cover/front pages?" and she was like, "yes," and I was like, "I want my book to be like that, wanna know what the titles would be on the different cover pages?" and she was like, "sure," and I was like, "on one side, it'll be 'SammyWithTheBigHair,' for naturalistas and on the other side, 'Stubborn Like My Mother' for people who are like you and choose to remain relaxed when they've got beautiful curls!" Can't you just imagine that book right now? A total best-seller, don't you think? We gon' be famous! *Sammy does some cool (scary) happy dance* :)
About the products. I know it'll be hard to advertise and all, but I think I might go into this sometime. When I'm older ofcourse (even if just by a year) and when I done with this school year (graduating by the end of this school year). I'm thinking bout calling my brand of products, 'Sammy's Little Bowls.' What do you think about that name?
Oh! and I came up with some really good hair moisturiser some days back, modified it a little today, put it in a bottle and it is epic! I totally love it! Made my hair feel so soft, moisturised and totally G.O.O.D *Sammy dances again* This moisturiser makes life easier for me. Instead of having to reach for the bottled water to get on my hair then the coconut oil/cond-mix then the butter, I have this. Saves time. I'm thinking of making this one of my first products. I might actually start selling it now because some people have requested for some of the things I make for my hair. I'll see what I can do, but nothing major. I would put the recipe on here, but for now, it's going to be my secret, my secret moisturiser, 'my precioussss, myyyyyy' 'It came to me, my own, my love... my... preciousssss'. *said in a gollum of Lord of the Rings voice* :) I mean, it's totally amazing! But I guess I should stop talking about it now since I'm not putting it up here yet (oh! but for you guys, my first fans, just send me a message (details on the contacts page on here) and I'll send you my recipe, but you have got to modify it a bit to fit you. What works for me may not work for you.


Okay! So here are some new things about my hair:

1. She totally loves coconut oil now
2. She's starting to like olive oil
3. She loves her shea butter even though it doesn't smell very appealing to Sammy and her parents.
4. She has the perfect puff now when she detangles her hair and combs it into an afro using a pick before holding it up in the puff
5. She totally wants a trim (but the stylists refuses to give it for the next 3 months)
6. She totally loves water
7. She shrinks so bad she makes Sammy look like she has a TWA when she doesn't .
8. She hates extensions
9. She loves Sammy's tender loving care :)

Anyways, I still can't decide what exactly to do with my hair for my prom and graduation. By then, I should, hopefully, be around or a little less than bra-strap length when my hair's been stretched out (which I'll do using african threading).

I'm thinking about getting my first blow-out in over a year, but I'm looking for a blow drier which has a cool/cold setting on it. That's what I'll use. No heat is going on this hair (even with a heat protectant on). Sammy's gon' rock a massive 'fro when she gets her hair blown out! *dance* Wait! why am I talking in third person?

Anyways, I'll talk to you all later,

~SammyWithTheBigHair

Guess what?

Okay! so it's a quick update!
I finally got them! And they're arriving most likely tomorrow!
Yippee!

Wait! do you know what I'm talking about?
Okay! incase some of you haven't figured it out, it's the BeeMine products I've been wanting and well, we've ordered them (yesterday). We ordered them from BritishCurlies.co.uk (incase you want to know where I got it from). If you live in the UK, you'll get your orders within 24-48 hours. And just so you know, I wasn't asked by anyone to advertise or mention BritishCurlies. I just wanted to let you guys know about it.

I am SO excited!
I'll let you know on the 29th or 30th how they worked out for me.

I should have my extensions down by then.

Anyways, like I heard a kid say, "love you curlies!"
Zbogem!
Talk to y'all later.
~SammyWithTheBigHair


p.s I saw some lady at the mall the other day rocking a FIERCE afro! Oh . my . days ! :)

Curly and Young: Being Curly In Highschool

By NaturallyChelsea of Curly and Young and NaturallyCurly

At the beginning of my transition it never crossed my mind to be natural in high school. As far as I was concerned it was something you just didn’t do. I mean we are all just little fish in the big sea they call high school and no one wants to be the odd fish out.

Then one day without thinking I cut off my hair, I BC’d!!! When the euphoria and giddiness from my new do wore off I was left with the ‘What now?’ feeling. I mean there were so many things to think through- styling, the opinions of others, how to fit my new hair into my routine and much more. Well I do not want you to be like me so I’ve broken it down for all you lovely divas thinking about taking the plunge and joining team natural and those who are already naturally divalicious.

BEING FLY

I do not know about your school but at my school the girls take their hair very seriously. Weaves and wigs are always worn and hair is gelled, straightened and slicked into submission. This in and of itself scared me. How could I ever match up to those girls? Well I took affirmative action ladies and in my first week of being natural I tried at least 3 styles in one week. I wanted to find my signature look and be able to pull it off at the drop of a hat so at all times at school I would look my best.

Also, if you are anything like me you do not want those girls to outshine you. Sometimes I feel that it is my duty to keep my hair fly to prove to people that natural hair can be beautiful and maybe convince a few other girls out there to consider becoming natural.

Lastly, there are times when your hair may not look its best; be it a bad hair day, a protective style that isn’t too fly or maybe you just haven’t fallen in love with your hair yet, take heart. I can empathize with you as I have been there and all whilst beginning at a new school. The first day of school I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me especially when the comments began and when the cold came in and I began to twist my hair I quickly felt that my tiny scalpy twists looked ugly when compared to the tresses of others. Then I realized something- Who cares? As important as my hair is to me it isn’t the most important thing. Since going natural I have learnt many things and one of them is to let go of the idea that my hair defines my beauty. Simply by continuing to allow my inner beauty to shine through and trudging along despite of my insecurities I was able to make friends and get a guy to ask me out, scalpy twists and all.

Also, I urge you to wear your hair out and not hide it at the beginning of your natural journey. The first few days you may feel self conscience but it is imperative that you learn to be comfortable with your natural hair. The first few days may be rough but any negativity surrounding your hair, be it from others or you, will come to pass. Hang on in there

BOYS

The average teenage girl probably spends quite some time thinking of boys, thinking of ways to attract boys and worrying about whether or not she’s considered cute by the boy she likes this week, I know I do. One of the things that deterred me from cutting my hair, which I am ashamed to say, is the possibility of being labeled ugly by the opposite sex. Can you blame me though, no girl wants to be thought of as ugly by anyone let alone a guy? After my sporadic cut I actually avoided some of the guys I knew for awhile. Eventually I had to meet them and I dreaded what they had to say. But something weird happened, they liked my hair.

When you peruse some of the hair boards and forums you may get the feeling that men are somehow anti-natural hair- especially black males. I can not speak for every male out there but the ones I know loved my new hair and told me so. In fact I had convinced myself that no on would like my hair when in fact the opposite was true. Everyone seemed fascinated by my hair; they asked questions and couldn’t keep their hands out of it (I didn’t mind). We do not give boys enough credit. They can appreciate natural hair and find beauty in it. Also, they do appreciate and will choose substance over a relaxer or weave. However, there will always be ignorant boys but think about it, is this guy worthy of being your BF anyway?

SNOOTY GIRLS

Well this one is simple. In most cases a good side eye and or simply ignoring such girls usually does the trick. At first it may be hard to ignore the unsolicited comments of others but remember this is high school. Today you might be the talk of the school but tomorrow everyone will go back to talking about ‘Who’s dating who?’ and ‘Who did what with whom?’

TIME

I can not tell a lie, it is hard to schedule hair play into the hectic schedule of high school. Usually when I complete my mountain of work at sometime around 12 in the night the last thing that I want to do the following morning is style and moisturize. Also, when the weekend rolls around all I want to do is catch up on the sleep that I missed out on not cleanse, DC and style! The way to remedy this situation is to manage your time. I find that if I set a schedule for myself I can get everything done. This has not only helped me with my hair but with my school work as well as I am now more organized.

RESOURCES

As a new teen natural it is easy to become overwhelmed by not being able to afford all of the organic hair lines out there, but do not fret. There are plenty of affordable lines out there for you to try some of which can be found in our local beauty supply stores. Lastly, I am all for naturals whipping up their own hair products. Without being a pro you can easily whip up your own DC, sealant, twisting cream etc from inexpensive ingredients so get mixing.

Being natural in high school in a sea of straight makes you unique not an outcast. So makes the most of it and represent team natural well

Love, Peace and much hair grease (mineral oil and petrolatum free of course :-)

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Check out a bunch of other posts by Chelsea by going through the links below.

You'll love them!

First Link

Second Link

So, have a great summer! and I'll talk to you guys later.

~SammyWithTheBigHair

p.s those posts 'ComingSoon' are going to come soon not today, maybe not tomorrow, but they're coming soon.

Coming Soon

So, I haven't posted much in a while. Why? been busy......ish.

Anyways, here's a quick low down on what's coming up next:

1. Tangle Teezer review (and it's G.O.O.D)

2. Afro Pick review

3. Denman Paddle Brush review

4. Twists with extensions tips, care and stuff

5. Hair Care (finding what works for you, etc)

6. BeeMine hair products review (when I finally get them)

7. Journey towards Graduation Hair (land). This is going to be from September till June (when I graduate). It's also a 6-inch new growth challenge 'cause I'm wearing my hair out long and curly for my graduation.

8. Goody Ouchless Bands review

9. Goody hair grips

So, yeah! I've finally bought a tangle teezer, afro pick and paddle brush! I tried the tangle teezer out a few minutes ago (took out the twists at the front. I'll talk to you guys about my twists later). Anyways, a quickie is that I absolutely love the tangle teezer.

I haven't used the other things yet. So, I'll let you guys know about them when I take all my extensions down around the 29th.

So, talk to y'all later.

Have a fun summer!

~SammyWithTheBigHair.

Hair cut

Okay! So, it didn't happen and I'm pretty upset (so wasn't my fault). My mum spoke with the stylist on the phone and she was supposed to be there to get my hair cut (by the way, she's also the owner of the hair salon). Anyways, we got there and she wasn't there neither was another lady there that I might have let do it instead. There were 2 ladies and the salon owner's sister there. She then told us that her sis had gone down to London for the Olympics. So, I eventually just got my hair put in twists with extensions and I'm having them like this till the end of the summer.
I got to the salon at around 3pm and left at almost 9pm. At some point, 3 people (a lady and 2 guys) were working on my hair at the same time and it still took forever to finish even though one of the guys was SUPER fast! Never seen a guy twist that fast. I've never seen a guy twist, period!
The guy walked in, looked at my hair and started touching it (the lady working on my hair originally had stepped away for a second) I seriously felt like saying something like, "you don't touch a black woman's hair!  But 1. I'm only part black and 2. I was curious to know what this guy was up to. Next thing I knew, he was sectioning out my hair and then he picked up some of the extensions and about a minute later, this guy was twisting my hair perfectly, pain-free and so fast! The lady who was originally working on my hair was fast, yeah, but if I can still make out your fingers, you're not fast enough. Anyways, the twists she did hurt and when I asked her if she could stop making them so tight, she said, "no!" (and she calls herself a pro-braider/twister).
Anyways, totally lovin' my twists (can't wait till my hair's as long as they are lol)
By the way, my twists aren't tiny.




So...I'll talk to you guys later. Maybe when I get my BeeMine products :)
~Sam






p.s I want to stumble into some BritishCurlies members this summer :)

Countdown (Small Chop)

So!

I've pretty much been procrastinating about this, but this time, it's for real.
Tomorrow, I'm getting my hair cut. I'm losing all the relaxed ends left (not like they're that much). If not tomorrow, on Wednesday. Why either/or? Well...
1. My mum needs to be able to drive me down to the hair salon and
2. I need a specific lady to be there (the salon owner) 'cause she's the only person there that I'll let cut my hair. Even though she's scary when at it (she tends to take off too much hair sometimes x_X).

I know I've not put up very decent pictures of me on here. They're not bad, it's just that they don't look that good. Anyways, so I'm going to get my SC recorded and well...I'm skipping a lil here. So, I'm going to get some really good hair pics and my SC vid and put them up here once my dad finally lets me do so  and I don't know when he'll do that....

So excited! and at the same time.....scared x_X lol.
Can't wait! :)

Venting + First sulphate wash in like half a year...ish

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Hi,

So....I don't know which to start with; the venting or the sulphate wash............

I guess I'll start with the sulphate wash.

So, y'all know that I've been CG for quite some time now, but today, I had my mum wash out my hair with a sulphate shampoo. Yeah, I know, I said my mum :) I'm going to get my hair braided/twisted with extensions some time soon so I was bound to sulphate wash some time. By the way, I used a John Freida shampoo (you, know, the one for curly hair). My ends feel dry, but despite that, my hair's fine. I am, however, cutting off my ends, God-willing, next week. I might get a sulphate wash done again once before I switch to the BeeMine Botanical (sulphate-free) shampoo (ordering it this summer).

Now, the venting:

So, my dad's threatening to cut my hair off, like everything. It's going to be like a whole new big chop. Okay! so, if you've ever read my hair story (which is up on here somewhere), you'll know how I got my first BC. Dad got a pair of scissors (not hair shears/hair scissors) and snipped off my ponytail then had me got  to a barber's shop (yup! full of guys getting their hair cut) and level it out. So, I had this boy-ish hair cut, like a really short hair cut. You know, like a Denzel Washington kind of hair cut. Totally wasn't funny. I was the girl with the short hair at school. I carried my bag on my head the next day just to try and hide off my hair. I was the girl with the gorgeous long hair one day, and the next, my hair was gone.

So, Mr. daddy-o is threatening to cut my hair off again. I should mention that he claims to not like short hair. My sis always had her hair short while she was in high school and I think part of uni then my dad was like, "enough is enough!" got mad and made her grow her hair out (which is like back-length now). My sis loved her hair short. I love my hair long and now, he wants to take that away from me. Again?

I know I've been talking about this 'getting my hair cut' for some time now. You know, finally getting the less than an inch of my relaxed ends off. Won't this be a way to achieve that? Yes, but NO. I'm working at BSL before prom. If I have another "Denzel" cut, I would never achieve that. I doubt I'll even be at APL by then. The same man that acted as if he was finally relieved that I had decided to grow my natural hair out is so against it. I don't get it!
He thinks that unless my hair is stick straight, it's messy and not combed (he thinks that my hair's only culry when it's not been combed right). What is that? Hair discrimination or what? He makes my bro get his hair cut lower than that "Denzel" cut and why's that? "Curly hair's not responsible." OH.MY.DAYS!!!! My bro grows out his hair whenever he's away from home, but once he visits or updates, say, his BB Profile pic with a picture of him, woof! his hair has to go. He once got suspended from school for cutting his hair! I know, I know, it's a British thing. Same thing happened to my cousin when he cut his hair. They were both on suspension till their hair grew back out.
We talk about standing up to the curl haters. I just wish I could stand up to this one (but I know I'm just going to get shut down).

~SammyWithTheBigHair


p.s I'm done venting and talking bout my sulphate wash for now.
p.p.s My dad's the black parent. So, yup! he's got really kinky hair, but it's cut so low it's almost like the guy from 'My Wife and Kids'."

Oil Allergy + Moringa

So, I've developed an allergy to my oil mix. Boohoo.
I haven't used my oil mix in a long while, but when I used it religiously, I didn't have anything to worry about, but suddenly, my scalp went "rabid" after I used it 2 days ago. It was totally crazy! x_X Especially because I didn't use more than a 20p coin size of the oil mix (and yet, my hair felt sorta grasy/oily? which was...weird)
Some people may think that it might just be something else, not an allergy, but I did my research when I got so confused and worried and that's when I got to the conclusion that it was an allergy. Also, yeah, I had been using it before without any problems, but that's just like how someone could be having a glass or so of milk daily for like 50 years then suddenly become lactose intolerant.

Anyways, so I've been planning on using some of the bottle of moringa powder my dad got. Here's what I did. I got some moringa powder into a cup, added a little hot water to it then mixed it up into a paste. I then worked it into my hair and scalp (I thought it might absorb the oil). I tried rinsing it out, but the water went out at our house so I just donned on a plastic bag and slept with it in my hair. The next morning, the water was still out, but my mum had arranged for enough water to shower. I tried using that to rinse my hair out too, but it ran out before all was washed out. I just combed my hair out, held it up and went out with it like that because I had to be out of the house before 8am. So, it wasn't really visible that I had stuff (bits of the moringa powder) in my hair because I've become an expert at hiding things like that in my hair (esp. after the incident with the banana DC). Anyways, when I got home at around 8pm, the water was back so, before I went to bed, I washed out the rest of the moringa and OH.MY.DAYS! did my hair feel good! I know I've been having amazing naked hair for the past few weeks, but my hair even felt better (and still does). The moringa actually conditioned my hair, absorbed all the oil and stopped the allergy.

Who knows, I might start using moringa religiously :)
~SammyWithTheBigHair

p.s I'll leave you with these few facts about the moringa leaf:

"President Obama....I want to know if my hair is just like yours."

Hi,

I love this picture and the whole story behind it. If you've never seen this picture or heard the story behind it before, here they are! :)

~Sam

Exert from the New York Times:

“The boy in the picture is Jacob Philadelphia of Columbia, Md. Three years ago this month, his father, Carlton, a former Marine, was leaving the White House staff after a two-year stint on the National Security Council that began in the Bush administration. As departing staff members often do, Mr. Philadelphia asked for a family photograph with Mr. Obama.

When the pictures were taken and the family was about to leave, Mr. Philadelphia told Mr. Obama that his sons each had a question. In interviews, he and his wife, Roseane, said they did not know what the boys would ask. The White House photographer, Pete Souza, was surprised, too, as the photo’s awkward composition attests: The parents’ heads are cut off; Jacob’s arm obscures his face; and his older brother, Isaac, is blurry.

Jacob spoke first.

“I want to know if my hair is just like yours,” he told Mr. Obama, so quietly that the president asked him to speak again.

Jacob did, and Mr. Obama replied, “Why don’t you touch it and see for yourself?” He lowered his head, level with Jacob, who hesitated.

“Touch it, dude!” Mr. Obama said.

As Jacob patted the presidential crown, Mr. Souza snapped.

“So, what do you think?” Mr. Obama asked.

“Yes, it does feel the same,” Jacob said."

Waychaun is Naturally Glamourous

Waychaun of Luvbeinnatural

When did you decide to go natural? Why? 

 I decided to go natural in 2009. I was working out quite a bit and I just couldn't get my relaxers to last. Going natural was the best option for me at that time, and has been one of the best decisions I've ever made! 

Did you big chop or transition? How did you manage your hair while going natural?  

I transitioned for 9 months. I wore my hair in kinky twists, and then a few straw sets. I also did a roller set once. I like that style, and would tried it a few more times, but I did my big chop pretty soon after that.
 

When did you BC?  What was your initial reaction to your natural hair? 

 I did my BC on Nov 17th, 2009. Clearly it was a big deal and still means a lot to me, because I remember the exact date! lol! I was relieved, and I loved my hair. It was a little shorter than I thought it was going to be, but I was ready and I loved my hair so much. My very first style was a twist out, and I was so proud!!
 

How did your family and friends react to the new you?  What was your response to them?  

I had mixed reactions. Some of my family and friends tried talking me out of going natural, and they didn't really like my new short hair cut. But I think it was more of the 'change' itself that they weren't too sure of, not my natural hair. Change can be difficult for lots of people. Once they got used to it, they prefer me now with my natural hair. Other family members and friends have loved my natural hair since the beginning. So I got a mixed reaction for sure! But at the end of the day, I knew what I wanted and it didn't matter what they though. So I continued to 'do me' and they I was happy with that.
 

What does this journey mean to you? 

My journey means a lot of things actually. It's opened up a lot of doors and opportunities that I never even though of, or never even knew I wanted. It's been life changing!! 

What is your daily regimen?  

My daily regimen.... well, that depends on the style I'm wearing. Generally my hair is twisted and pinned up. So if that's the case, after I work out I rinse my hair or co-wash, then apply leave in conditioner and pin it right back up. Maybe put on a headband, and that's about it. Then at night I add leave in conditioner and put on a satin bonnet. If I'm wearing an out style, I'll wake up and untwist my hair with a little coconut oil on my hands. Then style with hair pins or something like that. Before bed, I add leave in conditioner and retwist. Put on the satin bonnet, then goodnight! :0)
 

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?  

Right now I use My Honey Child Scalp Cleanser and Creame of Nature Argon Oil Deep conditioner. Those are my favorite right now, and they work great for me! 

What have you learned throughout your journey?  

Patience! lol! That's the number one thing that I have learned. Patience when it comes to my hair growing, when it comes to styles that don't work out, sometimes dealing with the ignorance of others when it comes to natural hair... lots of different things... patience, patience, patience!!
 

Any advice for others on their journey? 

 Basically just to own your journey! It's your journey, make sure you do what is going to make you happy. And embrace it... with patience! lol! It's just like any other goal, it's not always easy, but if it's something you want, I will be worth it!! 

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Check out Waychaun's Youtube channel: Luvbeinnatural

Ashley is Naturally Glamorous!

Ashley of SoSaidAshley

When did you decide to go natural? Why? 

I decided to go natural April 1st (I know, I know. Yes, they did think it was an April Fools joke when I announced it to everyone). I did it for personal and medical reasons. The personal being the fact that I had seen that whole "soda-can-in-relaxer" portion of "Good Hair" and I was just tired of sitting hours with a relaxer on my head, just so it would "lay down for once".

Then, the medical being that I have chronic migraines and I would always stress myself out before getting a relaxer (because, as I mentioned, I often sat with it on for several hours at a time), so, my stressing would give me migraines, and, afterwards, for a few weeks, the chemicals would react badly with my body and cause even worse migraines.

I just finally decided I had enough.

Did you big chop or transition? How did you manage your hair while going natural? 

I transitioned. Well, I'm still transitioning. There was just something about me with short hair that I didn't like; my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother have always looked great with short hair, but, it was short because they kept it that way. 

As for me? I just wasn't comfortable making such a drastic change.

I'm managing my hair being sure to keep the two textures blended - without doing that, breakage is going to happen, for sure.(And, as I said in my first post on my blog, breakage is not something I'm playing with). I like to keep the textures blended by making my relaxed ends more texturized. I've never been able to maintain truly straight hair with chemicals, so, now that I'm transitioning, I'm not even going to bother trying with heat.

When did you BC?  What was your initial reaction to your natural hair? 

In terms of "BC'ing" with transitioning, I haven't officially done so yet. I did cut off a large part of my hair in the back that's purely natural, so, I have a good idea of what my texture looks like, and, from what I can see, I love it. I haven't been hesitant, at all, in typing it (it's easier for me to take care of if I have a general idea of the type and thus some ways I can look up how to care for it), so, I'd say it's about 4b/4c (which I fully believe exists). 

How did your family and friends react to the new you?  What was your response to them?  

They didn't react well. I grew up with "Good Hair Syndrome", so, they were always used to seeing my hair straight - Well, my hair is still, for the most part, straight. They weren't used to seeing all of my new growth and hearing me honestly say that, no, I was not getting a relaxer anymore. And, no, you could not pay for it. I got picked on, from adults and kids alike, friends and family alike, but, they don't understand it, so...

My response was just to tell them it was my head of hair and they didn't have to like it. It wasn't that I couldn't afford a relaxer or that someone said something mean about me getting relaxers - I just didn't feel comfortable getting them anymore and I wasn't going to, whether they liked it or not.

What does this journey mean to you? 

This journey means... A lot to me. I don't want to say something "cliche" like "Oh, this means finally stepping out from the bonds of the societal 'norms' and being myself!", but, I feel like, sort of, that's what it means. This means finally getting to honestly say "I am not my hair" and live like it. I've cut out a large section out of the back of my hair, I'm wearing my new growth and not trying to hide it... This finally means I can get over the whispering of my peers and do what I want to with myself and be confident in it.

What is your daily regimen? 

Unfortunately, I don't have one just yet. Well, my "rough draft" of a regimen is being sure to wet with water and seal with castor oil when I wake up, and put it in a protective style (typically a large, french braid crown, now that I've learned how to do them).

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you? 

Motions! I know, I know, it's kind of been a hands-off product (it's got 'cones and sulfates, right?), but, it's doing wonders for my hair. In addition to just throwing in some castor oil and EVOO in my spray bottle with my water. It's kind of a running joke on my blog that I'm broke, so, no big, pricey things for me.

What have you learned throughout your journey?

I have learned that people will talk. It's inevitable; and especially since I'm a high school student. My peers don't understand. And, what they don't understand, they fear - it's different. And, what they fear, they hate and make fun. It's a pretty natural response, and, I've learned that anyone not making comments that'll help me improve in my journey or as a person... They just aren't worth listening to.

Any advice for others on their journey?

You have got to have an attitude. That's not suggesting you be rude or cocky; there shouldn't be room in your person for those types of attitudes. But, you can't just go into this just doing it. You've got to have an attitude and a mindset that says "No matter what they say, I'm going to be the bigger person, answer their questions in an educated manner and not go off when they make ignorant comments". Because, they will. You just have to have a strong attitude and be prepared. Not everyone is going to be supportive.