London Girly Monthly Rundown

This has come early because I fly off to Cyrpus on 26th June then immediately start work afterwards. Here we go....
I have been buying… things from Forever 21- I love that shop- £28 included postage and packaging, 3 pairs of earrings, 2 headbands and 2 pairs of shorts - I was pleased
I have been eating at… Indian restaurants, surprise surprise lol
I have visited… the airport a couple of times- picked my mum up from Ghana earlier this month then she's flying off to Cyprus with me this weekend- jet setter!
Best Bargain…3 Jodi Picoult books for £7.25 from Play.com - yes they're used- but I really only read books once- this will occupy me on holiday
I have achieved… Qualified Teacher Status- yes my course has finally ended! I am no longer a postgraduate student :)
I've been listening to... ALOT of Movado- Jamaican artist. Bit strange, not the biggest fan but...here's a few of his songs I like:
Movado- Star Bwoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5nF_Cgbwes
Movado/Chipmunk- Every Gyal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTrOiYe-2oQ
Movado- Long Distance Stulla http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NibEdAZytcM
I've been reading... Glamour Magazine as I do every single month
Next month I’m looking forward to… having 6 weeks off work for R & R
Next month I hope to splash some cash on… make up, I've been eyeing the Sleek Make Up iDivine palettes and I need a new liquid eyeliner and some false eyelashes

Hairstyles How - To - The Clip-In Ponytail

I am not sure why I didn't think of this hairstyle before, but anyway I was getting ready to go to a club and I wanted my hair off my face and neck. But I like long hair with volume so I decided to use one clip-in extension. Here is what I did
1. Divided my hair and clipped in one track

2. Started brushing the hair over to blend

3. Brushed my hair back to get it into a ponytail, being careful to ensure the track was not exposed. My hair is quite thick so this was not a problem

 4. After a bit more brushing to blend I got the desired look.
A lot of people thought it was my hair, I think this look works well because my edges are laid down pretty easily due to being freshly relaxed. If not I'd use my Elasta QP mango butter to lay down my edges. I find using a brush blends my real hair and clip-ins easier than a comb.

More Caruso Roller Set Saran Wrap Results...

Ayurvedic Hair Powders Review

In an earlier post I did I stated I purchased two ayurvedic powders.
1. Brahmi Powder
Description:
Ayurveda's most potent hair vitalizer
Has the following advantages: Cools the scalp, Controls dandruff, Makes hair long, dark, Dense & lustrous, Strengthens hair roots.

2. Shikakai Powder
Description:
Dirt Buster for your scalp
Has the following advantages: Provides new life to hair strands, Strengthens hair roots, Increases bounchiness and silkiness of hair, Clears dandruff, Keeps the scalp clean and cool.

I purchased a pack of each powder for about £1.50 each from Ebay- this included postage and packaging, so I was quite pleased. About three weeks ago I mixed about 2tsps of each powder with water in an empty pot. Yesterday when I looked at this pot, there were bits that had sunk to the bottom - literally clumps and the rest was of a liquid consistency. In order to make it thicker I added my conditioner (Tresemme Naturals) and just mixed until it got to the consistency I desired.

I planned to use this mix as a DC (deep conditioner) once a fortnight. As I am two weeks post-relaxer I chose to use it after my shampoo wash yesterday. I applied the conditioner to my hair with an applicator brush, it is a sloppy process, it took me no more than 5 minutes, I applied it to my hair in two halfs and then clipped up the hair in a kirby grip. Here is a picture:

I left for 40 minutes and then washed out with warm water. I had to comb my hair while I was washing it under the tap because some other reviewers have stated that they have found lumps in their hair from the powder and it took a few days to remove. It did take me a while to wash it out, what would happen is I would finish washing. Then run my hands through my scalp find a lump and wash again. This happened about three times. I then added my leave-in conditioner and wrapped and went to sleep.

This morning my hair felt like it had been clarified- a bit dry, I used my Elasta QP moisturiser and it feels like the moisture has been restored. I think the clarifiying effect was due to the Shikakai Powder which acts as a "scalp buster". I would definitely use it again, I want my hair to be stronger and also darker (remember I said my hair is going brown). I reckon this could be used instead of a clarifying shampoo 1x month.

How I am Packing My Hair Products for My Holiday...

I am going away for a week beginning Sunday, I have been wondering how am I going to take away all of my hair products and fit them in my suitcase? Shortly after the holiday was booked, I purchased this travel bottles pack from Primark for £1 ($1.50) -bargain.

It actually includes 3 of those bottles - I used 1 and obviously the 3 small pots you see in the bag. You can purchase travel sized dispenser bottles from Superdrug for about £1.20 each but that is way too expensive. So in these containers I plan to pour:
1xbottle: Olive oil (it's already in this bottle)
1x bottle: My Elasta QP creme conditioning shampoo (not too much as I don't feel I will shampooing more than once on holiday)
1xbottle: My Elasta QP DPR-11 DC (I will put this in my hair prior to swimming)
1xsmall pot: coconut oil
2xsmall pots: Elasta QP mango butter moisturiser


Results:

And for my conditioner, I purchased a travel size version of Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends (LTR)- £1.20 from Superdrug ($1.80)- I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me to try out this conditioner and also saves space. It's tiny!

Smells so good! *The Herbal Essence's Beautiful Ends products are called Long-Term Relationship in the US. Not sure why.

Breakage...Ahh!

I have really bad breakage at my nape. My nape is usually quite thick, in fact my nape has never broken off before. This breakage is due to my dalliance with transitioning, and the hair has obviously broken off at the line of demarcation. I think to get back on track I should apply castor oil to my nape 3x week and just baby this area, ensuring it is moisturised. It is abit obvious when I put my hair in a bun and this little tuft of hair sticks out hmph. But nothing a kirby grip can't fix. This is a minor setback- just can't wait for it to grow back!

Weekend Updates! (with PICS)

30 day blog challenge: I failed! On day 10 *sigh*. I completely forgot to blog on Friday.
Anyway speaking of Friday, I was in a rush to get ready to go out Friday night and what did I do? Reach for my flat iron :( yes I cannot believe it. This means direct heat has touched my hair twice in June. Oh dear. I did use heat protectant but I wore a braidout for the day and could not get rid of my curl pattern, why didn't I do a bantu knot out? caruso roller set? side swept braidout? Nope I reached for the GHDs. Anyway enough of the guilt trip I am hoping I can stay away from direct heat till my next relaxer date- August 12th. It's a long shot but I will try.
I should be able to achieve this challenge especially, given the straight results I got with my Caruso roller set. Usually if I do this I start from air dried hair- here is what my hair looks like when air dried:

I put rollers in my hair- I typically use 2 small ones, 2 medium size and 4 jumbo ones on my hair. I always divide my hair into two sections than divide my hair into 4. I keep the rollers in for about an hour similarly, to the saran wrap method I wrap my hair:

< old pic

Then put saran wrap on my hair, go under my hooded dryer attachment for about 5 minutes, remove the saran wrap and comb with a wide tooth comb. Results (before London was hit with heavy rain):

There are still kinks (from my braidout)- I don't know how to get rid of these which is a bit of a problem :/
Another issue: I can't do a braidout on dry hair as well as I do a braidout on washed hair. I know curl pattern is stronger on freshly washed hair but does this really mean for each braidout I wish to do I have to wet my hair beforehand? If you have any advice let me know please.

Anyway back to caruso rollers- hair had swing- and it was completely heat free. If you want to see a video of caruso saran wrap check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ5FMeea6lc

30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 9 How important do you think education is

I am a teacher. So it is obvious what I think about education, I think it is highly important. I have intentionally taken a job in the education field because not only do I want to make a significant contribution but I do think knowledge is power. I have 10 GCSEs, 3 A Levels. 1 AS Level, 1 undergraduate degree and a postgraduate certificate. For Americans I guess that is equivalent to graduating high school, graduating college and completing a 1-year postgraduate course. I am now wondering whether to complete another year of study (part-time) and get my Masters. But how important is education? Is it essential? Well the current government definitely think so, raising the compulsory leaving age to 18 by 2013. I do know people who have worked their way up to a senior position in a company versus gaining a degree. Think about it, there are many celebrities who have achieved upward social mobility and do not have a degree- Puff Daddy (whatever he calls himself these days!), Richard Branson, David Beckham and Jay Z to name a few. The question of the importance of education is very popular, considering the three fold increase in tuition fees in the UK, from £3,000 to £9,000 in a year *shakes head* (around $4,500 to $13,500). I think the answer to the question is: education is highly important but not essential, depending on your career aim. Do you need a degree to be an artist? No. But you do need a degree to be a teacher, nurse, social worker etc. That is not to say that any of these occupations are not as valuable/worthwile as the other it proves that education is not vital for everyone. Everybody learns in different ways- some people learn while doing (kinaesthetic) I believe Jamie Oliver is like this, which is why he did not gain more than one GCSE. Some people, like myself are visual learners. I think anybody can gain an education and everyone needs an education not only to learn knowledge but also to learn social skils. Not everybody wishes to gain a degree or Masters and that is fine also.

Hairstyles- How To - Two Bantu Knots

These are basically two bantu knots and this hairstyle is from Pure Beauty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6bnE4-lmmA
Here is what I did:
1. Moisturised and sealed hair
2. Divided hair in two, did one bantu knot per section

3. Covered hair with a satin bonnet
4. Woke up undid bantu knots and fluffed
Results:

Unfortunately my kirby grip fell out at the top when I was sleeping :/, so I re did it in the morning and left for a further hour. The result was just basically big, shiny hair. Not really wavy, maybe I need more length for this or more bantu knots.

30 Day Challenge- Day 8- What You Ate Today

Oh dear. Here goes:
-Breakfast

• Crunchy nut cornflakes with warm skimmed milk
• 2 Apples

-Lunch

• 1 packet of low fat paprika cut crisps
• Noodles with chopped bacon

-Dinner

• Prawns with white rice
• Warm muller rice with a spoonful of jam

My Delicious/Enjoyable Wash Day/Braidout With PICS!

I shampooed my hair for the first time since relaxing last Tuesday. What an enjoyable experience, I just had to share, here is what I did:
1. Pre-pooed with Vatika Oil (which I bought), I was a bit worried it wouldn't coat my hair so I rubbed a bit of Tresemme Moisture conditioner throughout my hair- but those worries were gone because the Vatika oil was enough. I did this for 90 minutes (through my spin class)
2. Washed with Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo. *pause* I had the 'what's that' feeling, during this wash I felt something on my back- was it a piece of thread? a towel? Nope it was my hair! I can feel my hair on my back, it is definitely growing :)
3. Applied my protein DC (ORS Hair Mayonnaise) combed through, DCed for about 90 minutes
4. Rinsed
5. Combed and applied my Herbal Essences LTR
6. My hair felt so good- for two reasons 1) The products were sooo good on my hair - felt good/smelt good 2) The last time I washed my hair at 1 week post relaxer was February lol

This week I am rocking a braidout, so I did about 8 plaits all over my hair and to make the ends curly I applied perm rods. Just look at those smooth edges :)

I covered with a satin bonnet- this is my first time using perm rods. To ensure smooth edges I tied down a scarf over my edges. Well overnight my scarf fell off and one perm rod fell out. But my results were so juicy- especially after I moisturised and sealed. Here are the results and a couple of ways I plan to wear the braidout this week (I will re-braid each night):

These are two headbands from Forever21 (I love it I know it is a US store, but last year when I lived in America I fell in love- I order from their UK website) about £3

Banana clip- love it, got 3 for about £1.50 from Ebay.

Hairstyles How-To- Twisted Back (pics included!)

I relaxed my hair on 7th June and I usually wear my hair straight and down for the week after and then shampoo wash. I get bored easily so I like to do a variety of hairstyles. This is a simple one I did.

1. I wrapped my hair before going to bed (I have a blog post on that)
2. I woke up and brushed my hair down
3. I divided my hair roughly at the front
4. I twisted one side of my hair back and secured with a kirby grip
5. I twisted the other side of my hair back and secured with a kirby grip

Results:

I thought it was a cute style, I needed at least two kirby grips to ensure the twists didn't unravel. This might be nice on a twistout or braidout.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 7 Five Pet Peeves

1. Rudeness: I cannot stand people with no manners. Londoners this is part of the reason I cannot take the Tube- people pushing shoving, stepping on your shoes, muttering under their breath and no apologies. Ugh.

2. Ignorance- Bigots, homophobics, racists, those make sexist comments etc.

3. Bad Drivers- turning without indicating, driving at 20mph, tailgating, speeding and overtaking. Erm where did you get your license please!

4. Laziness- those who complain about their situation but are too lazy to do it

5. The Sun newspaper- just cause. lol.

30 Day Challenge: Day 5/6?

Day 5: Things you want to say to an ex *blushes* I'm passing this one
Day 6: Your views on mainstream music
I'm slightly confused on what mainstream music is. When I was in school "pop" music was Spice Girls, 5ive, Nsync, Backstreet Boys. Pop stands for popular music but now pop is almost anything! Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne, Adele, Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, NDubz just to name a few. But these artists make or have made grime music, hip hop, r & b and pop. I think mainstream music can be from any genre these days and that is great because it means a variety of music is now acceptable and available to all. Hmm, I do have a positive view on mainstream music but I do think a lot of it is marketing and being moulded by record companies to appeal to mass audiences. I do listen to mainstream music, I am a huge Beyonce fan not so much of Lady Gaga but they are both talented nonetheless. Videos and lyrics are certainly pushing boundaries these days, more so then I was younger. The more controversial, the more sales? Hmm.

Oils Oils Oils

Prior to beginning my hair journey I watched ulovemegz videos on You Tube and noticed how much she incorporates oils into her regimen (http://www.youtube.com/user/ulovemegz) , she uses a variety of oils including castor oil, alma oil and argan oil. If you are interested just search on youtube for her videos. I truly think incorporating oils in a hair regimen is very important and can promote healthy hair. This is how I use my oils:

For Hair Growth:
I use castor oil 2x week, when I first started my journey I would use it 5x week but my scalp would itch! On clean scalp (the morning after I co-wash or shampoo wash) I apply castor oil to my hairline, and divide my hair into quarters and apply it directly to the scalp. I pour a bit on my finger and apply it to the scalp that way. However I may invest in an applicator bottle. I use Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) and will continue to do so, there are other brands available (e.g Hollywood Beauty) but I'm going to stick wit this one. I do feel my new growth is thicker when I use this oil compared to when I do not.

To Seal:
I always seal with an oil and coconut oil is the best for me. Here is a post from Urban Bush Babes on some of the benefits: http://urbanbushbabes.com/?p=2202 . For me on my HHJ it has given my hair shine and is very moisturising. I use it everyday, I apply a dot sized amount to my palms and rub it through my hair.

To DC:
I feel I have been slacking on my oils recently, so I have added olive oil just 2-3 teaspoons to my DCs in order to be more moisturising. I will see how this goes as I am yet to wash my hair since relaxing on Tuesday.

To Pre-Poo:
I have heard great things about vatika oil (promoting shine and strength) and it is part of Ayurverdic hair care (I've previously done a blog post of that) so I plan to borrow my mum's vatika oil to pre-poo before shampoo washing on Monday. I will apply it directly to my hair the same way I would do a DC and leave for 45 mins -1 hour before washing. Here is a description from Amazon's website about Vatika oil:

Vatika Hair Oil is a delicate mix of pure coconut oil with special hair care herbs including henna, amla and lemon. Blended together to strengthen each strand of hair from within. Vatika provides natural nourishment to your hair. Giving it body and radiance, taking care of the critical balance of nutrients.

To Protect:
Prior to relaxing I apply any of my oils to my previously relaxed ends in order to protect against overlapping. I have heard of some people basing their scalp with oils but I think vaseline provides a stronger defence against burning in my opinion.

Hot Oil Rinses:
I am actually in love with hot oil rinses after doing mine last week at 18 weeks post. Here is what I did:

1. Pour a bit of oil (I didn't measure but around 2-3 tablespoons of each oil) in a microwavable pot. I chose olive oil and coconut oil
2. Microwave for 30 seconds
3. Applied this oil to my hair, by dividing hair into two halves and ensuring each half is coated
4. Pile my hair on top and cover with a shower cap for 30-45 minutes
5. Rinse hair, I actually co-washed after but some just rinse hair with warm water

Results- my new growth was so soft and nicely detangled. I feel I will incorporate this into my regimen when my new growth becomes challenging which is around 8 weeks post and just do it 1x week. I loved it and definitely reccommend doing it.

30 Day Challenge: Day 4- Bullet point your whole day

Oh dear, I have not done much today but here is my day from midnight to now (7pm)

• 12am: Went to a nightclub in Central London with my friend
• 5am: Left the club and went home
• 6.30am: Fell asleep after non stop chatting with my bestie lol
• 3pm: Woke up (oh dear I was supposed to go to the gym today- eek)
• 5pm: Returned home and ate
• 5-7pm: Read the newspapers (Sunday Times & Mirror as I usually do every Sunday), blogged and surfed the internet
• Predictions for the rest of the night...curl under my duvet whilst watching CSI on Fiver and more food - I am tired!

30 Day Challenge: Day 3- A Book I Love

I don't really read books unless I'm travelling abroad, so this post should really be called 'the last book I read' however I did love it and highly reccommend it. It's called "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult, I read it in about a week when I was travelling from Chicago to LA last August. It concerns a court case surrounding an autistic boy (the blurb is at the bottom). Jodi Picoult is a bestselling author and the way she tells this story it is so intense you feel you really know the characters by the end of it (each chapter tells the story from a different character's perspective). I loved it, especially as autism is a close subject to my heart as I have previously supported autistic adults and children in my last two jobs. The misconceptions surrounding autism are truly revealed and by the end of the book you will have a better understanding of it. Jodi Picoult also wrote 'My Sister's Keeper', for my holiday at the end of the month I plan to buy 3 books by her. I'm sure it won't take me long to finish!

Here is the blurb:
Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject--in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger's--not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect--can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. For his mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?
Emotionally powerful from beginning to end, House Rules looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way--and fails those who don't.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 2 Something You Feel Strongly About

There are loads of things I feel strongly about- discrimination whether it is sexism, racism or homophobia, having morals and manners, issue of poverty and corruption in Africa and loads of issues in UK such as the recession, poverty and increasing unemployment rates.
However as a teacher I feel very strongly (and concerned) about young people especially ethnic minority people and their future in the UK. Institutional racism has become less of a problem (or seems to be), especially if you look back to the days of the 1990s when the Stephen Lawrence case came to light. However there are STILL issues, the ethnic groups who have the lowest achievement rates at GCSE are Bangladeshi/Pakistani, Irish Gypsy and African-Carribbeans and it has been this way for years and remains so. I graduated from one of the top 20 UK universities, and I was one of three black people to graduate out of 250! My university had only 2% of students from an African-Carribbean background, to put that in perspective that is 720 out of 36,000. The figures never fail to shock me. I am even more concerned about the lack of role models, not just for African-Carribeans but for young people in general.
Only recently, there was a story concerning Nikki Minaj visiting a high school, as a speaker to speak to female pupils.
http://sandrarose.com/2011/06/the-question-is-not-if-nicki-minaj-had-breast-implants-but-how-many/
 Really? Nikki Minaj? But yet, she and Rihanna are the lyrics my pupils recite in school. 70% of African-Americans are born to parents who are not married, 90% of lone parent families are headed by women. What is the impact of the lack of a male role model on male achievement, more specifically African-Carribean pupils? Sometimes I get worried about the achievement of the children that I (hopefully) will have. At the moment I feel I am making a good contribution by being a teacher and showing pupils that you can achieve regardless of your ethnic background. Hopefully things will improve.

30 Day Challenge: Day 1 Five Ways To Win Your Heart

30 days.
30 topics.
30 blog posts.
I found this challenge from http://tiashauntee.blogspot.com/ (Her Best Hair) and thought it looked quite fun, so I'd thought I'd start now (even though I go on holiday on June 26th for a week but I will continue after). And I will also be doing blogs about hair - don't worry!
I found this post quite hard.
1. Cook for me/Share my love for food
One way to a man's heart is through his stomach and it's the same for me. I love food! I love to be cooked for, don't get me wrong I can cook but there's nothing like homecooked food made by someone else lol. My favourite food to eat is African, Caribbean and Indian. I love chicken korma, naan bread, onion bhajis, pilau rice, kelewele, jollof rice, chicken stew, dumplings, patties and jerk chicken.

2. Good sense of humour
I love to laugh, I laugh everyday and I love to be around people who make me smile. Being positive and light-hearted makes life so much easier.

3. Be ambitious
I am a very ambitious person and it is really appealing to be with someone who is as ambitious as me. Ambition is very attractive and definitely a way to win my heart.
4. Understand me
I have (like every one else) my specific ways of doing things or my particular likes/dislikes. My love for Hello Kitty (my whole car is decked out in it), my need to buy Glamour magazine every month, my ability to not be able to eat anything spicier then Lemon & Herb at Nandos. Whatever it is - acceptance and understanding is key, definitely important.
5. Honesty
I try to be as honest as possible- with friends, family and whoever else asks me for an honest opinion. Honesty is definitely the best policy.
That's it- not very interesting but quite simple.

Relaxer No.3

Okay I relaxed at almost 19 weeks post. I will never stretch this long again, I experienced shedding and breakage :(. The stretch was so long because I wanted to transition to natural but changed my mind. I'm afraid to say I did not self-relax I went to the same salon I went to for my corrective relaxer. I just couldn't face handling almost 5 months of new growth, my natural hair is 4A/4B, very coarse. I used my usual ORS no-lye relaxer. Next time I will self-relax, I have to face my fear sometime of self-relaxing otherwise I will be resigned to salons forever *sigh*. I really want to be a DIYer and  be free of stylists. The experience was okay apart from a few things:

1. The hair stylist blew out my hair using a blow dryer with a comb attachment prior to relaxing, I did not have heat protectant on and neither was any applied to my hair. How would this make it easier to differentiate between the new growth and relaxed ends?
2. I think I was overprocessed. The first hair stylist applied relaxer to my hair and then smoothed and left it to take. The second hair stylist smoothed again?
3. My scalp started to tingle (which I expected because my new growth has been itching me recently) I asked to have it washed out, it took 5 minutes for the stylist to do this
4. She didn't neutralize until I asked her to

I think that's enough reason to self-relax if I'm honest. It's funny a year ago I wouldn't have seen any problem with these hair practices but since joining Hairlista and embarking on a HHJ I know these practices are wrong. Anyway back to results:
I am not exactly pleased with these results, I am aiming for APL by the end of this year, even better would be by my 1st hairaniversary (September 2011). I'll show you some comparison pictures:

This was my last relaxer January 28th 2011, my hair reaches the third stripe but not the top of the vest.

My hair does reach the fourth stripe now, BUT still doesn't reach the top of my vest :(. This was taken today. I've still got about 3 inches I'd say till APL :/, that's 6 months, so there is still hope I could make it by the end of 2011.

More pics:

I relax bone straight, at least I can comb my hair, I haven't been able to comb it since April 2011!

My hair is still really thick, even though it has been relaxed. I am going to review my hair regimen although I don't feel I am doing anything wrong. It has grown from between neck and shoulder length. I really should take better length check pics, but at least I'm documenting my journey. Here's a flashback from September 2010 when I was basically neck length:

Hopefully I will have better results, next relaxer which is in 10 weeks time.

My Favourites (Inspired by FromShortToLong)

I have been on my hair journey for 9 months now (time flies!) I started out shoulder length, it's relaxer day on Tuesday *dances* (I am still debating whether to do do it myself or get it done at the salon, but length check pics will be taken) and I thought this may help any "newbies" out there. This is just my favourites so far on my hair journey.

Oils/Butters:Coconut Oil: I seal with this daily - love it!
Jamaican Black Castor Oil : I use 2x weekly on a clean scalp to promote thick hair growth
Wishlist: vatika oil and argan oil

Shampoos:Elasta QP creme conditioning shampoo: basically sulfate free and cheap! This is my staple I use 1x week.

Conditioners:Tresemme Moisturising conditioner is what I'm using at the moment 1x week but there may be better ones out there. I want to try Herbal Essence's LTR or Aussie Moist. I'm still searching for that staple conditioner hmm

Leave-In:Herbal Essence LTR- I use after each wash, so 2x week
Wishlist: Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In

Moisturizer:Elasta QP Mango Butter- LOVE it! I use daily.

Styler:
I might find a serum/styler, I only use Elasta QP design silk for hold/heat protectant when flat ironing, does the job. Although oils in my opinion do the same job as serums.

Tools:My wide tooth comb- definitely an essential!!!
My GHD straighteners- I use no more than 1x month for my heat pass, they are £100+ ($150+) well worth it, received it as a birthday present 7 years ago and still going strong

Current Regimen:
Pre-poo then shampoo wash 1x week then protein DC
Co-wash 1x week then moisturising DC
Moisturise and seal daily
Use heat no more than 1x month
Use leave-ins after each wash
Clarifying shampoo 1x month
Protein treatment 1 week pre-relaxer
Relax every 10-12 weeks
Planning to incorproate my ayurverdic powders 1x fortnight and DC with them
Protective style (ends protected i.e buns) 4x week minimum

Mini Hair-Haul

I know tut, tut but the product junkie in me couldn't help but buy a couple of things from the hair shop.

< terrible picture *covers eyes*

I've been slacking on my oils ALOT, I'm almost out of castor oil and will not be re-purchasing carrot oil (doesn't compare to coconut oil). So I bought some coconut oil for £1.79 from Julia's. I also purchased my relaxer ORS no-lye (£3.49), I plan to relax on Tuesday because I am co-washing tonight. I have bought Wahl pro-pik dryer (£12.99) which I have wanted for years, yes years! I actually don't own a hairdryer I use my mum's. The comb attachment will come in handy and I plan to use it for my monthly heat pass. I also purchased some Sleek fashion 101 hair 1B (£5.99) I'm still confused on whether it is synthetic or human hair :s, all I know is you can use heat up to 200 centigrade. This hair is for some new clip-ins which I plan to make. My old ones are just horrid and matted, I didn't really look after them :(. So a product junky promise- I promise not to repurchase any new hair products unless they are oils (I am really running low) or a relaxer till the end of September- my first paycheque. My mum purchased some olive oil to cook with so I've taken some and put in a spare bottle, I plan to add this to my DCs. I also plan to purchase argan oil and more castor oil. I need to post a whole lot more reviews- on coconut oil (which is my new oil to seal with, definitely a staple), my new Sleek fashion 101 and argan oil when I purchase it and my brahmi and shikaki powders when I make that mix.
I have been really busy lately but now that I have almost finished university I should be doing a lot more posts. I am treating my hair today. I was SO worried after all that shedding, but I have just been plaiting my hair in four braids each day and moisturising and sealing that's all really, very low manipulation. Today I have done a hot oil mix (olive oil and coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds)  - thanks for the advice Maureen - and coated it in my hair in four sections. Next I am going to do a moisturising DC with added olive oil (just 1-2 tsps) and then co-wash with a moisturising coniditioner. My hair has honestly been the longest and healthiest it's ever been, haircare REALLY works. I can't believe how much my hair has grown since September. I realised today I actually do not trust any hairdressers, I am actually fearful of going to a hairdresser to get a relaxer. I'm fearful of relaxer burns, a "cut" when I want a trim and just coming out bald-headed. So I am definitely going to self-relax *fingers crossed* you know I'll post the results too!
Thanks for following my blog guys, I've noticed some new followers :)

So I Took My Weave Down *sigh*

And I shed so much guys! SO much! I did a protein deep conditioner and I clarified, here is a picture of my shed hair:

I almost cried in the shower :(. I googled for advice and found that shedding after being in a weave is pretty normal because it is all the shed hair that has not been manipulated/combed for the time hair has been in a weave. I had my weave in for 6 weeks, maybe it is the shock of seeing all the shed hair at the same time- I'm not sure, either way I feel a bit bad about it. I keep racking my brain what did I do wrong :(
I detangled when my hair was wet, maybe I should have pre pooed? Maybe I didn't moisturise my real hair enough when it was in the weave? Did I oil my scalp enough? I thought I did everything right, maybe I am overreacting I am just not sure.

I took a picture of what my hair looked like when the weave came out, it was just one huge braidout:

Took a close up picture to show some of my hair is really brown now - not sure why, I know relaxer can lighten your hair, but considering my last relaxer was in January, I'm slightly confused. I may do a black rinse using Dark & Lovely Reviving Colors I'm not sure.

I see a little bit of growth, but to be honest I'm so disappointed in my shed hair, I'm not satisfied with it. APL is my goal and I'm still not there yet, not sure whether I may self-trim in August.

23 MARCH 2011

31ST MAY 2011

I see about an inch of growth if that, the ends are very thin at the moment so I may trim them. An inch seems about right for 2 months.

By the time I finished washing my hair I was shedding a lot less which is something. After washing I applied my leave-in conditioner (Herbal Essences LTR) and did four plaits to air dry overnight. This morning I moisturised and sealed each section. My strategy for the next week is moisture, moisture, moisture! I'm going to do a moisturising DC on Friday and co-wash and air dry overnight. Saturday I want to wear my clip-ins, but want to avoid heat so hmm not sure how I'm going to do that yet. I am planning to relax next week- yes admittedly I am back to the creamy crack. When I am ready to go natural I am going to have to big chop I just cannot cope with the two textures. I do miss my natural hair but honestly the daily maintenance just does not appeal to me. I really wish to self-relax but with this much growth I am unsure whether I can. It is just way too expensive to go to the salon £35 (around $52). If I bought a relaxer myself it would be £3.70 (just over $5). I already have my tools from the last attempt at self-relaxing  so I may just practice this weekend with my moisturising DC. I've got two items on my wishlist: a Wahl pro pik dryer (for my monthly heat pass) and coconut oil (I love and miss this oil soo much). Anyway HHJ I'll update you on my hair plans