Preparation 

 * Moisturized hair is a must for great twistouts/braidouts.
 
* Be sure to use a product with " hold" for long lasting results. (Gels are great options.)

* Be sure to use the proper size twists or braids for the style you are trying to achieve.
               ( large twists= fuller fro with little definition) (small twists= very tight and defined fro)

  * When unraveling braids/twists out, be careful not to unravel them too much on the first day. This will prevent frizz and loss of definition.


                                                                                    Night Care Tips

* Moisturize your hair if needed.

* Re-braiding/re-twisting is a great way to prolong your style.  (However, keep in mind that your hair may not look the same as day one. LOL)

*  Protect your hair with a satin bonnet, satin scarf, or satin pillowcase at night. 


                                                                                         Styling Tips
 
* Using the steam from a shower is a great way to revamp your style. This is fantastic if you opted not to re-twist/re-braid your hair.

* Style your hair in ways that compliment whatever "shape" your hair has taken on for the day. LOL  (I've been amazed by how many ways my hair has molded and smushed from a night's rest! LOL)

 * Don't fight the fro!  Don't be alarmed if you wake up to a twistout/braidout with very little definition.  In this case, just "Fro and Go" or "Puff and Go"! LOL  

 * Add product to your hair only when necessary. 

* Try using accessories to play up your style.

    I did it!  I dusted my hair over the weekend and it turned out great!  I chose to dust my ends while I was preparing my hair for a twistout. I did my normal cowash routine.  After that, I applied my products in the following order on wet hair: olive oil, avocado butter, leave-in conditioner and aloe vera gel.   Adding the product to my hair allowed me to be able to see exactly where to cut.  The straggly ends would just stick straight out at the ends of each twist and it was obvious to see where I had to snip.  For this twist out, I did smaller twists than what I normally would do. I wanted  to make sure I got as many "stragglers" cut.  In result, I ended up with super defined twists and a very defined twist out. :)  Although I actually prefer my hair fluffier than this, it's nice to change it up a bit.  Here are a few pics of the results!  Let me know what you guys think :)

Check me out on YouTube :)

1. Breakage
        When it is time for a trim many will experience breakage when combing or styling their hair.  This is a problem because it will lead to loss of length and fullness.

2. Split ends
    Hair that is splitting just leads to problem after problem.  Split ends can travel up the hair shaft.  They even cause breakage!   In the end, you could end up losing more length than desired.  So, trimming that tiny bit of hair now, can prevent having a major hair cut in the long run. 
    
3. Tangles and Knots
     If you are noticing more tangles and knots, especially at the ends of the hair, consider a trim.   Allowing the hair to constantly tangle and knot will eventually lead to breakage and split ends.  Detangling becomes a tedious and frustrating job. 

4. Transparent ends 
        I've been here more often than not!  LOL  Transparent ends are a major sign that it is time for a trim.  It will make the hair look thin and lifeless.

5.  Moisture issues
        Have you been applying product after product and are still having dry ends?  Your hair seems to be moisturized everywhere else except the ends.  They just feel hard and brittle no matter what.  Grab those hair shears!

6.  Frizz and dullness
        Often hair that needs to be trimmed will look dull and frizzy.   This can be the result of breakage, split ends, knots, transparent ends, and dryness!  LOL  

        Trimming our ends is important for the overall health of our hair.   Healthy hair is always beautiful.  In the end, we want hair that is healthy and hair that looks healthy at all lengths.  (Even the "awkward length" stage.  LOL)   

    I'm very excited about the results of this braidout!  Especially since I have been having trouble with getting them to look right.  I changed up the way I usually do my braids this time around.  This time, I only added aloe vera gel midway to the ends of my hair instead of the entire length.  This was a huge help in removing the parts created by the braids.  I was able to spend less time "hiding" the parts.  I think the results came out pretty good inspite of my straggly ends lol.  Let me know what you guys think.  Also, what are some techniques you use to achieve a successful braidout? 
See pictures below  :)

    I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you have a fun and blessed day as you spend time with your families.  Be sure to tell your loved ones what they mean to you, and don't forget to count your blessings. 
God bless :)

    I went to Target the other day and I wanted to try an E.L.F. product.  I've heard so much about this brand being great quality at a cheap price. ( I love a bargain :) ) So while at Target, I picked up the Liquid Eyeliner in black.  It was only $1.00!  I was thrilled because if it didn't turn out to be a favorite of mine I wouldn't feel so bad tossing it.  LOL  The brush is extremely small on the wand. Lol  So it shocked me a little at first. ( It didn't take too long to get used to the brush tip though.)  I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at the staying power of this eyeliner.   It lasted for several hours without fading or transfering to different regions of my face like a lot of other eyeliners tend to do.  The only negative thing I have to say about this eyeliner is that you have to draw over your "line" a few times to get a bolder look.  One swipe aross the lash line hasn't been enough color.  :/  But other than that, the eyeliner is great addition to my makeup stash.  So, if you guys want a cheap eyeliner that has a decent lasting power,  check out E.L.F.  Liquid Eyeliner  :)  Talk to you soon!   

I'm venturing into "braidout" territory again. Last night, I braided my hair(dry) before going to bed. It turned out okay I guess, but I'm still not quite lovin it. :/  It's definitly good for stretching my hair when I wanna see some length.  Braidouts used to be my ultimate transitioning hairstyle.  Once I decided to give up heat during my transistion, I had to come up with a way to style my hair.  Braidouts were perfect for blending the many textures I had going on at the time.  Before I big chopped, I was sure that I would continue having success with braidouts. However, that is not the case!  LOL  They seem to take way too long to do and undo.  It also takes me almost triple the time to style in the morning vs my twistout!  I always have trouble hiding the parts :(  As for my ends?  They always come out crazy looking. LOL (Maybe they will look better after I trim them.)  Anyways, I just can't seem to get my braidouts quite right.  Funny huh?  I mastered this style while transitioning, but now, not so much. (sigh)   I'm not ready to give up on this style. I loved it soo much during my transition to natural.  There has to be a way to make this style work for me again.  So, I will be doing a braidout on clean hair within the next day or so.  I will be sure to let you guys see how it turns out.  Pray for me! LOL

This is the hairstyle that comes to the rescue when your hair needs some help.  LOL  Do you wake up in the morning to smushed hair?  Do a puff :)  Was your twist out an epic fail?  Try a puff.  LOL  Don't have time to wash your hair?  Throw it up in a puff.  LOL  Yes, I rock this style very often.  It's even great if your hair is growing out from a short haircut or a big chop.  Surely, it will become a staple for the dreaded "inbetween stage."   On top of the heroisim of the puff,  it is incredibly easy to do.  It's easy to jazz up for an evening out.  And it is perfect for lazy days around the house.  I love the puff.  :)   How do you jazz up your puff?

 I recently posted an entry about how I allowed my hair to fully shrink after quite some time.  My hair felt and looked fantastic even though I didn't use any gel or leave in conditioner. It was unbelievably soft.....which was something I had never achieved with my shrinkage.  However, since I was experimenting with my products that day I decided to do a dry twist out on my shrunken hair that night.  (I just wasn't sure how it would turn out the next morning if i went to sleep with it in it's shrunken state. I chickened out. lol)  Anyways, as I was twisting my shrunken hair, I was still amazed at the softness and shine.  I didn't add any water.  I didn't add any extra product.  I didn't even use a comb or pick before twisting!  It was awesome.....until I started running into knots!  Ugh.  My hair tends to shrink into a ball in some sections and hug on each other in other sections,  so I had some locking going on.  :(  It took me quite some time to finger detangle my fro that night.  In fact, even days after my twist out, I had tangles!  I even had to trim some of the knots out!  Sigh...  I'm just glad I decided to twist my hair that night instead of sleeping on it shrunken. I have no doubt it would have been a real mess in the morning.  LOL  So in conclusion,  I'm still working on getting my true wash and go's (no shingling) just right.  How do wash and go's work for you guys?     

Check out my Shrinkage video on YouTube :)

Hey Ladies!  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  Today marks me 3 months natural!  I'm soo happy and almost in shock that time has passed so quickly.  I don't have any regrets regarding my transition and big chop timing.  I think it's important for everyone to remember not to do anything until YOU are ready.  Be comfortable within yourself and even pray about decisions (and this goes beyond hair). But in this case, I think doing these things will be beneficial before chopping off your hair... especially if your hair has always been something important to you.  I applaud ladies everywhere who were able to just chop everything off without transitioning.  That is fantastic!  Either way you choose, just make up in your mind that wearing your natural hair texture is the right choice for you.  :) 

Check out my length check on YouTube :)

  
1.  Type 4 hair defies gravity!  Hang time?  What hang time?  It's headed straight for the clouds!

2. 4C hair can display different length throughout the day because of weather.  You can leave the house with huge lengthy tresses and come back with what looks like a TWA!

3.  4C hair looks tough but it is like delicate flower.

                                                    4.  Shrinkage when wet!   Shrinkage when dry!   Enough said....lol

                                                    5.  The fact that we can have many different textures in one head of hair!

                                                    6. 4c hair intrigues the curiosity of many people.  What does it feel like?  
                                                        How do you get your hair to do that?

                                                    7. Oh so versitile!  Wear it straight one day  and show off your coils the next :)

                                                    8. Da softness!  It can feel like plush cotton when properly moisturized.
                                                   
                                                    9. Natural hair thrives on mother nature.  Water, Oils, Butters, and other natural ingredients

                            LOVE YOUR TEXTURES LADIES!