 It has almost been 9 months since I did my big chop and I have learned soo much about my fro thus far! There has been lots of trial and error during my journey, but I have honestly enjoyed learning my hair. I'm still learning lol! Here are some things that have helped me get though my journey so far...
1. My hair is going to shrink :) I have learned that there is nothing wrong with having hair that shrinks . It's easier for me to learn how to style my hair in it's semi shrunken state rather than try to keep it fully stretched at all times lol. That is a battle I will lose because I don't have the patience to constantly re-braid or re-twist my hair all the time lol. The nature of my hair is to shrink lol. It is what it is! 2. My hair does not have a high shine to it naturally. This was something I quickly realized early on during my journey. I can spray, mist ,oil, lotion up, and mist some more and my fro will not have a high shine to it lol. (More so when my hair is in an afro state or shrunken state.) I've learned that my hair is healthy because it holds it moisture and requires little product to retain it's moisture. It's not shedding or breaking excessively. It also has been retaining it's shape from the styles I do alot better than before :) ( I now understand that my hair is the shiniest with a day 1 twistout or braidout....once my hair starts to shrink up and change back into its afro form, it doesn't 'appear as shiny :) ) 3. My hair needs to be moisturized or else!!! If my hair is not properly moisturized, bad things happen lol. It won't act right, it won't look right, and it would break off hands down! Both the Curly Girl method and the LOC method help keep my fro super moisturized. 4. My fro doesn't like to be over manipulated. I have been trying to make sure that I keep the tension very low on my hair. I rarely use combs to style and detangle my hair lol. My fingers do all the work 99% of the time :) (I even find that when I use combs during styling, my coils don't stay in tact...I then have to work harder to recreate the coils I had before using the comb lol! ) 5. My hair is going to cause some kind of attention not matter what lol. There have been frequent stares upward when I'm out shopping or talking to people out and about lol. I don't mind because I know that it can be a rare sight at times to see my hair type :) So when this happens, I tend to smile at the person and keep it movin' with my held held up :) I love my fro and I feel confident rockin' it! 6. My hair grows :) I used to think that it would take forever for me to reach certain lengths with my tresses, but it turns out that my hair grows at a pretty decent rate! The fact that my hair is up and off my shoulders(because of its shrinkage allows my hair to avoid getting snagged on my purse straps and clothes. Along with that, when my hair is semi shrunken, it doesn't move very much lol, so things like wind is unable to cause extra tangles and knots. 7. My hair is not hard to manage. I used to think that if i had 4C hair, I was sure to have TONS of problems with everything! That is definitely not the case for me :) As long as my hair is moisturized, we have a great relationship lol. My wash days (not including me air drying over night lol) have been taking about an hour and a half. This includes, detangling, cowashing and setting. (If I'm froin' and going it takes less time.) As far as daily styling...it's a breeze because I refresh with shower steam. This lifts and plumps my hair back up from the smushed bedhead that I get every night. After that, all I do is fluff and position my hair which usually takes under 10 minutes. 8. My hair is unique to me :) I love the fact that my hair looks different every single day! It forces me not to get stuck in a rut lol. I try not to get frustrated when my hair is doing its own thing or doesn't come out quite the way I want it to :) No two twistouts, braidouts, wash & go's, or wash & fro's are the same lol! God has blessed us all with unique textures and characteristics that match who we are. It's soo awesome. 9 months natural is around the corner! Have a blessed day!!! Check out my YouTube video, Things I've Learned About My Fro (Hair Talk)- NaturalMe4C
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I'm not too big on gels in my regimen, but they do have an important place for my fro. Gels help keep my coils from wrapping around themselves and causing all sorts of knots. I have less problems with SSK's and tangles when I use a gel vs when I don't. Especially if my hair is in a shrunken state :) Here are the gels I currently have: Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Styling Gel
After Sun Aloe Vera Gel
Shea Moisture Curling Souffle
Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel |
Highlights* Cheap * Strong hold (great for edges) * Alcohol free * Contains protein (strength) *Contains glycerin (moisture) *UV protection * Silicone free * Curly Girl friendly | Cons For My Fro* Drying (feels "draggy" when appling to my hair) * Leaves my hair hard * Leaves and ashy residue * Leaves my hair dull looking * Strong scent (men's cologne lol) * Can cause build up etc if too much is used Possible Con: contains glycerin and protein which can make the hair feel hard depending on the weather or how much protein or glycerin rich products are in your regimen. |
Good Morning! We have gotten many questions about our experiences when we were a newly wed couple :) We talked about things from our humble beginnings lol, how freaked out we were after having our first child, and how we stay playful with each other after being together for so long! We got a little crazy and had fun answering the questions lol.
Check out our YouTube video, Marriage/Newlyweds Q&A (Your Questions Answered vol 2)- NaturalMe4C :D
Here are the questions we answered:
Check out our YouTube video, Marriage/Newlyweds Q&A (Your Questions Answered vol 2)- NaturalMe4C :D
Here are the questions we answered:
1. What were our biggest challenges as a newlywed couple?
2. What were our biggest challenges as new parents?
3. How do we keep the "spark" in our marriage?
4. How do we feel about pre-marital counseling and prenuptial agreements?
5. How do we stay together without losing ourselves?
Have a blessed day!!!
2. What were our biggest challenges as new parents?
3. How do we keep the "spark" in our marriage?
4. How do we feel about pre-marital counseling and prenuptial agreements?
5. How do we stay together without losing ourselves?
Have a blessed day!!!
Good afternoon! I went to the Goodwill the other day ( I didn't even realize that the last time I was there was in back in February lol!) I was hoping they were having a sale or something, but they weren't :/ So I did my normal search through the "color coded" sections and was able to find 5 things that I thought were pretty cool :) I spent $18.00 during this trip to the Goodwill. Did I mention that I love the Goodwill???? Well I do lol!
I did it again! I'm soo excited because I attempted to do another stretched wash and go and I was able to get awesome results once again :) This time, I actually got the courage to use a pick to fluff and lift my roots a little to create some fullness. My hair this time around had a neater shape to it and wasn't as spiky as the first time lol. I'm really glad I'll be able to do wash and goes without stressing about tangles! Next time I do this style, I'll be attempting to let it air dry overnight (this time and last time I did this style during the day)...I hope I don't end up with crazy squashed coils when I try doing this at night :)
BTW, wash and go's aren't really "wash" and "go's" lol they're more of a "wash" and "wait" til your hair dries style lol!
Here's what I did:
BTW, wash and go's aren't really "wash" and "go's" lol they're more of a "wash" and "wait" til your hair dries style lol!
Here's what I did:
Check out my YouTube video, Stretched Wash & Go Tutorial (w/ pics)- NaturalMe4C to see how I styled my hair after it dried :D
Stretched Wash & Go
It looks almost like my Day 2 Twistout :)
Previous Un-Stretched Wash & Go's
SUPER SHRINKAGE lol
I ordered two things from Amazon.com a few days ago and my shipment arrived today! YAY! I decided to try the Olay Professional Pro X Advanced Cleansing System to see if if helps with exfoliating my skin...especially since I'm working on my hyperpigmentation. (There are other systems like Clarisonic...but need I say it's EXPENSIVE!!! LOL) I have been wanting to try this brush out forever but it was always too pricey for me until I found a sale for $21.97 :) Usually this product costs almost 30 dollars, so I thought this was a fair price to give it a try. I can't wait to use it and will be sure to let you know how it works for me! Have you ever tried this product?
I also ordered these eyebrow shapers made by Noxema. I have been using similar shapers from TRIM , but they aren't very sharp. I hope these work better for me :) They were only $2.39!
Today Ty's answers FAQ's about weight loss on YouTube! He loved answering the questions and I was cracking up as usual at his responses lol. (He's soo silly sometimes!) Have a great day!!!
Check out Ty's Weight Loss Update/Q&A/Pantry Tour! - NaturalMe4C
Check out Ty's Weight Loss Update/Q&A/Pantry Tour! - NaturalMe4C
We had soo much fun doing our "Kohl's Challenge last weekend and were excited by all of the votes that came in! Both teams put up a good fight but, it turns out that team Mommy and Gabe won!!! YAY! Micah was convinced that his team won :) Ty claims it's cool that we won lol, and that his "walkin' it out" session was what made the outfit work lol! He is also insisting that we have future challenges doing different things! That sounds like a great idea to me :D Bring it on baby!!!
Gabriel was able to read many of the comments/votes for the challenge as the week went on, and he was very happy that most people loved the orange shirt he picked out! So in celebration of winning the Kohl's cash/ discount cards, we took another trip to the store to pick something for the boys :) We couldn't leave Micah empty handed! He did such a great job as well!
Thank you soo much everyone for participating in the fun! Have a blessed day!!!
Gabriel was able to read many of the comments/votes for the challenge as the week went on, and he was very happy that most people loved the orange shirt he picked out! So in celebration of winning the Kohl's cash/ discount cards, we took another trip to the store to pick something for the boys :) We couldn't leave Micah empty handed! He did such a great job as well!
Thank you soo much everyone for participating in the fun! Have a blessed day!!!
Check out out our YouTube video, Family Fun! - Who won? - Kohl's Style Challenge- NaturalMe4C
I love turning to the puff when I just want to get my hair off of my shoulders lol. (Ya'll know I'm joking right??? My hair has like no hang most of the time LOL!) However, I do wear a puff often when I'm getting bored with my hair being out :) This time, I decided to attempt stepping it up a notch. I played around with my 1 1/2 day old twistout (that turned into more of a fro, the more I messed with it lol), added some flat rolls, and a side "pomp." I really like this sporty look :D I can also leave my bangs out for a softer, more flirtatious style :D I hope you like this look, and give this one a try! Be blessed!
Sporty Puff w/ Side Pomp :)
Check out my YouTube video, Sporty Puff Tutorial - NaturalMe4C
Sporty Puff turned Flirty w/ Bangs :)
I added a flower for fun!
Good Morning! I received lots of awesome questions from our Q & A Your Input video awhile back, so I was excited to share my answers on YouTube today :)
Check out the video,Kriss Answers Your Questions - (Transitioning, Big Chop, Diet, Exercise)- NaturalMe4C on YouTube :)
I hope you enjoy it!
Here are the questions I answered today:
Why did I go natural?
Why did I choose to big chop instead of transition?
What were my emotions during my transition and big chop?
Have I have been criticized for my hair type?
How do I handle criticism?
Do I have any length goals for my fro?
Will I ever straighten my hair?
Will I ever color my hair?
Do I trim my own hair?
How often do I cowash my hair?
What is my diet?
Do I exercise?
Have I ever worn braces?
I really enjoyed answering all of these questions :D Thank you all soo much for everything! Have a blessed day!!!
Check out the video,Kriss Answers Your Questions - (Transitioning, Big Chop, Diet, Exercise)- NaturalMe4C on YouTube :)
I hope you enjoy it!
Here are the questions I answered today:
Why did I go natural?
Why did I choose to big chop instead of transition?
What were my emotions during my transition and big chop?
Have I have been criticized for my hair type?
How do I handle criticism?
Do I have any length goals for my fro?
Will I ever straighten my hair?
Will I ever color my hair?
Do I trim my own hair?
How often do I cowash my hair?
What is my diet?
Do I exercise?
Have I ever worn braces?
I really enjoyed answering all of these questions :D Thank you all soo much for everything! Have a blessed day!!!
Good Morning! We thought it would be fun to see how well we know each other's sense of style so we decided to challenge each other to put together an outfit from Kohl's lol. We asked everyone watching to tell us who they thought put together the best look :) The winner get's Kohl's Cash lol! The losing team has to admit defeat on Youtube lol!
Here were our teams:
Team Daddy: Ty and Micah
Team Mommy: Kriss and Gabriel
So who wins???
Here were our teams:
Team Daddy: Ty and Micah
Team Mommy: Kriss and Gabriel
So who wins???
Outfit picked by Ty and Micah :D  | Outfit picked by Kriss and Gabriel :D  |
Check out our YouTube video, Family Fun! - Kohl's Style Challenge! - NaturalMe4C
I can't believe it! Seriously?!!?!?!?! My fro is in a stretched wash and go finally!!!! I have been getting questions asking if 4C hair had any hope in achieving a wash and go style. I think that anyone can wash their hair and go, but it may not look like what you want it to look like LOL In reality, I would totally be a wash and go girl if I didn't get so many knots after doing them. After all, I only tend to twist my hair on wash days and the rest of the time I allow my fro to do it's thing!
So today I decided to give another wash and go a try. My last wash and go was with Eco Styler gel and it could have been better lol. It was very shrunken (like all my wash and go's are lol) and it also had a white cast on it from the gel :/ My coils were popping but they shrunk down soo tight that it went unnoticed. I have been trying to figure out ways to stretch my hair but allowing it to do its thing and coil up as it shrinks... Ladies, I think I figured something out! My hair is actually way more stretched in this wash and go today! I'm soo shocked!!! I hoping this will lead to little to no tangles at all this time around...I'm very hopeful!
I'm going to post a tutorial on what I did the next time I do this style (which will be soon lol), because I have no footage of the process from today since it was random :( I hope you like this!
God bless :D
So today I decided to give another wash and go a try. My last wash and go was with Eco Styler gel and it could have been better lol. It was very shrunken (like all my wash and go's are lol) and it also had a white cast on it from the gel :/ My coils were popping but they shrunk down soo tight that it went unnoticed. I have been trying to figure out ways to stretch my hair but allowing it to do its thing and coil up as it shrinks... Ladies, I think I figured something out! My hair is actually way more stretched in this wash and go today! I'm soo shocked!!! I hoping this will lead to little to no tangles at all this time around...I'm very hopeful!
I'm going to post a tutorial on what I did the next time I do this style (which will be soon lol), because I have no footage of the process from today since it was random :( I hope you like this!
God bless :D
My First Stretched Wash and Go
I haven't picked my hair out to get a more even look yet, so it's very chunky lol.
I only used my fingers for now :) (I'm still in shock lol!)
Excuse the lighting in the pictures, it was raining today and it was very cloudy out :(
I'm not a product junkie by a long shot, but I do like to try new things every now and then especially if they have a place in my regimen :) I have been thinking about introducing some sort of "clarifying" into my regimen every once in awhile, almost as a treat to my fro lol. I haven't had any build up issues or anything(I've only clarified with ACV one time back in January) but since I do use one oil(castor) that can be difficult to remove over time if you use it often, it won't hurt to have a product like the Purification Masque from Shea Moisture in my stash :) I haven't tried this out yet but I'm excited to see how it works on my fro. I've heard awesome things about it from: deep cleaning, to superb detangling, and it's awesome scent! This product should be the bomb lol. We'll see!!!
I also picked up some avocado oil awhile ago but haven't gotten around to using it. My plan for this oil is to use it on my length during my deep conditioning sessions. I'm hoping it will add extra softness to my hair since it penetrates the hair shaft :) if I end up loving this oil, I gonna try using it in other ways too :) I'm excited to try this oil since I LOVE avocado butter!!!! I'll keep you posted :)
Check out my YouTube videos,My Staple Conditioners - What I Use & When I Use Them! - NaturalMe4C and My Staple Gels/Oils/Butters (Plus New Stuff! lol) - NaturalMe4C
Good Afternoon! So I just wanted to share a quick peek at the outfit I'm wearing today :) I'm a jeans and cute/simple top kinda a girl on the "day to day." :) After all, I am a stay at home mom with two high energy lil' men lol! So I think this outfit, although simple, is a cute way to spruce things up a bit while running errands lol :) Have a blessed day!
Sorry about the pics quality, this was spur of the moment lol :)
Top- "Thrifted" Ann Taylor top with zipper sleeves (tags still on $3.75 from the Good will )
Black Jeans- LC Lauren Conrad from Kohl's
Croft and Barrow flats- Kohls $23.99
Bracelet Apt 9- Kohls clearance $1.96 after discounts
Elle Clutch bag - Kohls ( I've had this for ever lol!)
Earrings- Walmart lol! (pack of 3 for like $4.88 or $5.88 lol!!!)
Yes, I'M CHEAP :D It's cool though lol! I love the Goodwill, Kohls, and CLEARANCE :)
Sorry about the pics quality, this was spur of the moment lol :)
Top- "Thrifted" Ann Taylor top with zipper sleeves (tags still on $3.75 from the Good will )
Black Jeans- LC Lauren Conrad from Kohl's
Croft and Barrow flats- Kohls $23.99
Bracelet Apt 9- Kohls clearance $1.96 after discounts
Elle Clutch bag - Kohls ( I've had this for ever lol!)
Earrings- Walmart lol! (pack of 3 for like $4.88 or $5.88 lol!!!)
Yes, I'M CHEAP :D It's cool though lol! I love the Goodwill, Kohls, and CLEARANCE :)
My night time routine has been EXTREMELY simple lol! I usually wear my hair in some sort of twist out, simply because it helps my fro remain slightly stretched and waaay more moisturized than my full shrinkage lol. When I first big chopped, I was re-twisting my hair every single night! I was fine with doing that in the beginning because I knew that I had chopped my hair to a length that could have a tough time holding its shape. But, I was NOT feeling the idea of re twisting my hair every single night for the rest of forever lol. After all, I decided early on, that I wanted to go natural and have an easier lifestyle spending less time in the bathroom doing my hair. :)
After my first month being natural, I decided to try sleeping on my fro without re-twisting it at night. I woke up with EXTREME bedhead that was SMUSHED and looked like there was no hope for my hairstyle. I thought my hair was going to be tangled and matted down lol. I had heard about ladies refreshing their wash and go's with shower steam before, so I decided to try it on my twistouts....and it worked lol!
This is what I have been doing since September 2012 and it has really worked for me:
1. I make sure my hair is moisturized
2. I sleep with a satin like slip (my bonnet is getting too small for my hair lol) and a satin pillowcase.
That's it! That is all I do to my fro 99% of the time at night :) Even though my fro looks different each day, I love it! It never gets boring lol. I've realized that my 4C hair is going to change day to day. It is much easier to embrace it and work with it instead of trying to change it :) My hair is going to naturally fro out and shrink in some sort of way lol... it's all a part of having my hair texture. To me, fully stretched and defined hair isn't the only beautiful way to rock your fro :) I actually enjoy my day 2 and day 3 hair more than my day 1 hair lol. I love it!
How do you feel about re- twisting nightly?
After my first month being natural, I decided to try sleeping on my fro without re-twisting it at night. I woke up with EXTREME bedhead that was SMUSHED and looked like there was no hope for my hairstyle. I thought my hair was going to be tangled and matted down lol. I had heard about ladies refreshing their wash and go's with shower steam before, so I decided to try it on my twistouts....and it worked lol!
This is what I have been doing since September 2012 and it has really worked for me:
1. I make sure my hair is moisturized
2. I sleep with a satin like slip (my bonnet is getting too small for my hair lol) and a satin pillowcase.
That's it! That is all I do to my fro 99% of the time at night :) Even though my fro looks different each day, I love it! It never gets boring lol. I've realized that my 4C hair is going to change day to day. It is much easier to embrace it and work with it instead of trying to change it :) My hair is going to naturally fro out and shrink in some sort of way lol... it's all a part of having my hair texture. To me, fully stretched and defined hair isn't the only beautiful way to rock your fro :) I actually enjoy my day 2 and day 3 hair more than my day 1 hair lol. I love it!
How do you feel about re- twisting nightly?
Day 1
This twistout was done with medium twists.
Product used were:
olive oil, avocado butter, shea moisture curl and shine conditioner and Fantasia IC Hair Polisher (clear) gel
Day 2
refreshed with shower steam :)
Day 3
refreshed with shower steam
(updo is "Easy Afro Hairstyle" I just left out my bangs lol)
Check out my Youtube video, Maintaining My Hair Without Re-Twisting Nightly- (Night Routine)- NaturalMe4C
About Me
Crystal aka Kriss
Hey! I'm Crystal, an energetic married mother of two who is on a journey to become the woman God has meant for me to be. I'm sharing my journey in hopes to inspire others to be comfortable with who they are. Here you will find lots of things ranging from natural hair care, beauty, marriage fun, spirituality, and more!
Remember to be who you are and not the person others think you should be!
Last Relaxer Date:
February 3, 2012
Big Chop Date:
August 5th 2012
Remember to be who you are and not the person others think you should be!
Last Relaxer Date:
February 3, 2012
Big Chop Date:
August 5th 2012
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