My (sorta) New Routine + Update

Hey everyone,

So, I know it's been almost a month since my last post on here. I have an excuse. Yes! And it's a good one. I've been laptop deprived. Yup! And my iPhone, for some reason, won't let me post anything on here. *sad face* :(

Anyways, so I'm here now and yes, I have graduated. :) Oh! yeah! so, I said I was going to tell you guys what I'll do with my hair for my graduation and prom. So, I had my hair up in a cinnabun for graduation and then for prom, I picked my hair out into an afro and pinned off part of the front-left-side. The prom do shrunk so bad at my prom, but it shrunk beautifully, people were still going, "I love your hair!" even after it had shrunk till it could shrink no more.

So....back when I was still in high school (which was like 12 days ago, I know, it's been so long since i graduated), I was so busy with exams and stuff (exams started in February and ended on the 12th of June - an almost daily thing) so I started to deep condition less and take care of my hair less. Fortunately, due to my previous regimen, my hair still remained moisturised and soft even without being deep conditioned weekly, it did need a protein treatment real-bad, though, my ends, those babies suffered :( Another thing is that I started to wash my hair less. Like I normally would wash my hair once a week and during really dry weeks, a sulfate-free shampoo wash during the weekend and a co-wash mid-week. Well, the shampoo and co-wash, both were out of my equation. Don't get me wrong, I didn't become a smelly-haired, dirty girl, my hair looked and smelt fine. I just didn't have the time to wash it and like I was always so tired so even at night, I wasn't really up for washing my hair and I didn't have enough time to do it in the morning. And please don't being up the weekend 'cause I was at school on Saturdays AND SUNDAYS too doing exams. During that period of washing less, I noticed something, umm.... dirt is good. Okay! let's just put that as "washing less is good" 'cause the whole dirt is good thing gives me the image of a dustbin, trash can, rubbish bin, dumpster, whatever you want to call it. My hair actually felt better without being washed as often and it stayed stretched longer. I guess it's because it's retaining nutrients longer and losing its oil less. I'm getting this vibe that some of you might be thinking up something rather nasty right now, so I'll just set things straight with y'all, I didn't go without washing my hair from February till June! Okay! so it's out there! I washed my hair a couple of times, just not as often as I usually did. Like I could go 3 weeks without a wash. But hey! I only washed my hair with a shampoo once every 4 weeks while I was transitioning (but I believe I co-washed between that, so it's still different, hmm..... but anyways!)

Right now, I'm out of high school (yup! :) ) and well....I've been sleeping so much. I'm still not washing my hair as often as I used to, but it's not as bad as while I had exams. Right now, I'm just letting my hair be unless I need to step out of my house. Like I had messy bantu-knots in for almost a week and even stepped out with them (under a satin scarf with a cotton scarf over the satin scarf).

It's been raining practically every day and when I'm rocking a short style (rocking some shrunken hair), that's a bit of a rinse for me. I would wash my hair this week, but I've got rehearsals for a fundraiser (concert I'm performing at on Sunday) and I'm heading out to the beach with a bunch of friends (something I haven't done in quite a long time) on Saturday I guess I can try squeezing in a wash after the beach 'cause of the salty water and stuff, but it takes a day for my hair to dry nowadays so, I'm not guaranteed it'll be dry by the time I'm heading out to church and I need it to be sorta stretched out so I can easily style it for the fundraiser.

Okay! So, I'm going to force myself to wrap up this post now. I'll just put up my sorta new routine:

• Wash whenever time is found, but don't go longer than two and a half weeks before a wash.
• Alternate between amla and BeeMine Botanical Shampoo (sulfate-free) or make an alma-shampoo mixture to wash with (weird....this just came to mind....."alma-poo")
• Co-wash more often and with a conditioner and oil mixture.
• Condition after every alma or shampoo wash with a conditioner and coconut oil mixture.
• Twirl hair in random, but medium-small sections with fingers or twirl/roll and bantu knot (to secure) hair immediately after washing till it dries to aid the clumping (my hair doesn't clump everywhere and it usually loses it clumps especially when manipulated or it gets frizzy)
• Finger detangle and style rather than comb-detangle and style,
• Spray hair with a mixture of water, apple cider vinegar and coconut oil every morning and every night (ensure every night before bed incase the one in the morning doesn't work out) and seal it in with a 1p coin (never more than a 50p coin) amount of coconut oil (I'm sorry, but I don't know what size the different cent coins come in). This helps to keep the hair moisturised and soft. Oh! yeah and I have to caps of a bottle of Heinz ACV (poured the ACV in the bottle top/cap twice and poured it into a very large spray bottle that's half full with water).
• Deep condition before every wash, with a moisturiser, with coconut oil, with damp hair, with a mixture of honey, mayo and an egg (preferably egg yolks) and deep condition with coconut milk (mixed with coconut oil, honey and cornstarch (cornstarch for thickness)) only when I don't mind getting myself and my bathroom messy.
• Don't manipulate hair unless leaving the house and going for something quite important (that is not the grocery store/supermarket).
• Rock twist-outs (flat and two-strand), bantu-knot-outs or a flat twist going through the ends of my hair whenever leaving the house. Avoid rocking puffs often (even though it's your signature style). Rock puff only when you have concert. Save 'em edges! (and ends)
• Shower without hair covered (I usually left my hair with a satin-scarf on when showering to prevent frizz due to the humidity 'caused by the hot water, but right now, the steam gives my curls a wake-up call and helps keep it moisturised).

That's basically it!

Toodles!

(can't believe I just said that!)

Road to Graduation Hair (and little (make that a huge) digression)

 

Hey,

So, I'm still not sure what exactly I'm going to do with my hair for my graduation (first week in July). One thing for sure is that I'm stretching out my hair by African threading it for over a week before my graduation. After that, what's next? Dunno.

I'm considering getting pencil curls done (without heat of course) or a satin scarf braid-out or maybe a twist/braid and curl or a twist and bantu-knot out or a regular bantu knot out. Dunno.

I'm going to try them out.

I'll be through with my IGCSEs (exams) on the 12 of June. After that day, my protective styles will become african threading all over my head of hair. When I take them down (might be on a weekly basis, or every other week), I'll try out a style till I find one I think I'll like for grad.

Actually, two. I need one for prom too! I can't decide if I want some elegant or wild-ish for that, though. There's going to be a lot of dancing and that's like exercise, right? So, what do you think I should do? An updo? I think I have an idea for the prom hair, but I'll need to draw it out 'cause I can't really explain it right now and drawing it out is going to be so....gaaah....my art exam has put me off drawing.

I'm moving out this August, don't know if I told you guys that. I'm going to order products and stuff (running out), but styling is my issue. I don't want to manipulate my hair on a daily basis (that includes retwisting or pineappling) and I don't want to have my hair braided or twisted for 5 days of the week. I'm considering getting crotchet braids done during the fall then get a Heat-Free Hair Movement weave for the winter till sometime during spring (if I don't miss my hair too much, that is).

My aunt's going to have to be my stylist because I don't really trust stylists at the moment especially in certain parts of England. I might go to Matthew James sometime, not this year, or next, but someday, but that's a different thing entirely. My aunt, the problem is.....she pulls and yanks and makes people cry (including my almost 80 years old nana). My nana always has a weave on. She gets the weave redone every nine months (like she keeps it in for nine months, takes it down, washes and puts another in). She had about knee length hair that my nana cut to a bob, but has grown out to bra-strap length if not longer due to her absurd protective styling technique. I was over on the day she took her hair down last (in November) and I helped her take it down and detangle and she was so happy because for the first time in forever, she didn't end up crying because her hair was being detangled. I even styled her hair in a cute half bun :) Her lovely, luscious, white-ish silver hair. Anyways, you can see that an energetic almost 80yr old lady is scared of my aunt (my mum's bro's wife). Her own kids are scared of her and when our Polish friend wanted to get her hair styled like one of my cousins', my mum told her that she could ask my aunt to do it for her. To cut a long story short, I don't think she ever mentioned it to my aunt.

Major cringe, right? My aunt's gon' be styling my hair for me.

My mum has a sis with lovely curly hair (my mum's a curly, her sis is a curly, but with bigger curls and her brother's sort of a wavy-curly (and I don't think he owns a comb because his hair just seems to lie in place, neatly without anything being done to it). My aunt's 52 and a really busy (and very energetic lady). She's done her daughter's hair before (she's a curly too, but with tighter curls than her mum because, well....to cut another long story short, my mum and her siblings all married blacks (don't ask)). I could see if on a day my aunt's free and I can get to her house, she can get my hair done for me, but I don't think she does weaves. Solution? Maybe. Possibility.

You know one person I want to touch my hair (even if not style it, just touch it)? She's in England too. Not sure what county or city, though. Can you guess who? I'll say it! NADINE! Nadine of GirlsLoveYourCurls (on YouTube). I would be so happy if she ever gets to simply just touch my hair!

Oh my, I digressed a whole lot here!

Anyways, I'll tell you what I decide on with my hair for my grad and prom.

~Sammy

p.s I have totally got to start making vids for when I start putting up pics of myself and I need to create another YouTube channel (well, I'll wait with that one till I do start uploading stuff).

p.s.s/p.p.s (whichever it is) I have a niece! She was born on the 19th of Feb and I'm like planning so much for her hair. My sis lives really far away, but I'll visit her sometime soon and we can talk and decide what we're going to do with Fay's (my niece's) hair. My sis has always had the longest hair in the family (well, since my dad forced her to end her clipper and scissors addiction). I'm sure Fay's going to have really long hair. Able (my nephew), had a lot of  lovely curly hair when he was just 4 months then he grew it out into like an afro before my sis cut most of it off (she said it looked bushy (to her, not to me or Able's nana (aka, my mum)). Anyways, my sis has relaxed her (but she ain't gon' put a relaxer on my niece's hair for as long as I'm natural (which is going to be for forever)). I'm going to let my sis know how to care for Fay's hair and she just might become my lil SammyWithTheBigHair model :) (that reminds me, her name is Fay Samantha (named after her lovely aunt....me! :) ).

This is the longer p.s.s/p.p.s (whatever it is), right? I mean, I should get a Guinness World Record or some sort of award for this, right?

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