Captured Curls: Elle and her hair "Izzy"

Hello Ladies!!

I am pleased to introduce to you one of my favorite YouTube ladies!

Her name is Elle and she has a awesome head full of hair whom she calls "Izzy."

Read her natural hair story below and BE SURE to check her her product review videos on YT.

I almost always check out her channel before making a new product purchase.

Enjoy!

Tell me about YOU

I’m Elle, a Maryland native who relocated to SoCal right after I did my mini-chop and started wearing my hair in a mohawk. I decided to go natural because I was just tired of relaxing my hair - I was always burning my scalp and my hair never really wanted to be straight. It would ALWAYS frizz out in humidity and look terrible! Also, I was researching natural hair and I saw all these pictures of women with beautiful, huge, curly hair. I thought to myself, “I want hair like that!!!” Straight hair for me was always so boring, so I didn’t miss it at all.

  Tell me your hair care regimen (do you use heat, natural products, ect...)

My regi is really simple - all I do is cowash daily, DC a couple of times a week, and stay away from heat and silicones if possible (only because they often make my hair frizzy). My favorite deep conditioner is evoo and honey, and I have this new DC made with rhassoul clay that I LOVE. I really love putting mud and clay in my hair. Once a month or so, I may do a henna treatment, or a Cherry Lola when my low porosity hair needs an extra kick of moisture.

Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type

My hair texture is medium/coarse, which means that protein is not my best friend! I rarely do protein treatments, and am all about the moisture! I use a lot of aloe vera though, so I count that as my protein. My hair also loves honey and WATER! It’s low porosity, so the more water, the better. Often, butters just sit on top of my wet hair.

 Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural

Well, everyone on my hair board was obviously very supportive, but I got some flack because my hair was really short - a lot of my male friends didn’t understand why I wanted to cut all my hair off, and to be frank, they were jerks about it. I had to set more than a couple of people straight! At work, it was absolutely no problem though, so that was really great. I work in a corporate office, and came to work with my mohawk and no one blinked an eye!  Well…they might have blinked, but it wasn’t a big deal.

Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?

I stopped getting relaxers 7 months before I BC’ed, but I don’t really say I transitioned because I kept cutting my hair off, and was shaved natural on the sides and back of my head (relaxed hair up top) before I did my full BC. When I BC’ed, I had about an inch of hair because I cut the top to be even with the sides and back. I played with my hair a little bit before I decided to start growing it out!

 What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

I love that my hair can look different everyday depending on what I put in it…it’s like having different styles without all of the extra work! Also, I love that my hair boingy - I often have to wear my satin bonnet when I’m at home because I can’t keep my hands out of my hair! Relaxed hair was really generic for me, and I hate looking like everyone else, so I love that no one is going to have the exact same hair as me. It’s beautiful and unique. J

 Where can we find you on the web?

My blog and YouTube channel where I do a TON of product reviews; I am a product junkie all the way, even though I have found products that work for me! I just love trying new things and playing with my hair.

 Anything EXTRA you want us to know?

My one year natural anniversary is at the end of December! I can’t wait to see my progress!! J

Donna Marie's Dream Curling Creme

Dream Curling Crème

16oz/$18.00

Product Description:

Removes frizz. Stretches and elongates your curls. Give your Twists and Twist-outs SUPREME definition, shine and hold. ABSOLUTELY no crunch, flakes, or hard hair! Enriched with organic, fair trade certified Cupuacu Butter, Macadamia Butter and Aloe Vera offering maximum moisture and softness to curls, twists, twists-outs, braid-outs, puffs and other natural hair styles

• To Define Curls:
• For loose wavy to loose curly hair types, part hair in sections and apply to wet hair by smoothing product in each section of hair from root to tip. Allow hair to air dry.
• For tightly coiled hair types, apply product to damp or dry hair in small sections from root to tip. Allow hair to air dry.
• Twists out, braid-outs, etc.
• Apply product to wet or dry hair in small sections. Style as desired. Allow hair to air dry.

.
Ingredients:
Water, Aloe vera juice infused with Rosemary, hibiscus, and horsetail, vegetable glycerin, silk amino acids, sorbitol, Sweet Almond oil, Shea Butter, Macadamia Butter, Cupuacu Butter, polysorbate 60, sodium carbomer, xanthan gum, phenoxyethanol, caprlyl glycol, fragrance.

My Experience:

I am very pleased with this curl defining gel/cream. It definitely gets the job done and the products description about it 100% accurate. My hair LOVES this stuff. I used it on clean damp hair. I applied it in medium sized sections and finger comb/smoothed it in my hair from root to tip. My curls IMMEDIATLEY popped and they also felt very moisturized. I added a little Eco Styler Gel to the cream for the crown section of my hair since my curls are kind of resistant to products in that area. 

Overall:

Overall this curling custard beats out a lot of products on the market and I will be repurchasing it. If you are a 3c/4a/4b curly girl looking for a awesome definer with perfect hold my advice is to give this product a try. It is worth the $18.00 and a little of the cream goes a long way, for those of you who are heavy handed. J

Have any of you tried this product?

If so, what are YOUR thoughts?

(Photos of my hair are under the jump)

Captured Curls: Gabrielle Allen of Strawberri Curls

Ladies, I am pleased to introduce to you Gabrielle of Strawberri Curls!

If you have not yet checked out her awesome blog please do so by clicking here.

I reached out to Gabrielle via Twitter mainly because I love her hair and she is such an inspirational woman 

in the natural hair community.

I love having inspirational naturals feature on my blog and I was honored that she was willing

to share her story with us.

Below is her natural hair story, I hope you all enjoy it!

1. Tell me about you:

My name is Gabrielle Allen aka MsLizziA. I am a college student majoring in Business with a concentration in Computer Science.

2.Tell me your hair care regimen (do you use heat, natural products, ect...)

I used to have a regimen that i was gung-ho about but as of late it has been all over the place. I try to DC at least once a week which doesn't always happen. Lately i have been doing tons of protective styling and moisturizing my hair while PSing. I don't use heat often at all in fact i use it less than once every 2 months. I don't shampoo my hair often at all. About once a month, thats all
My staple products include :

Leave-in - Aussie Moist or Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner

Gel and pomades - Eco Styler , Oyin Burnt Sugar

Shampoo - Dove Moisturizing Shampoo and Suave Clairifying Shampoo

Moisturizer - Crisco

Oils -Olive oil, Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil

Misc- Henna

3.Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type:

I don't get caught up in hair textures. I think its whats work for THAT persons hair as opposed to what works best for a particular hair type.

4. Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural:

Ha! My whole family thought i had lost my mind. Everybody was like "Whats wrong with you?" "You going through something" and the "Living my life like its golden" n " I am not my hair" theme songs as i walked by. I can't really say anybody was that supportive when i went natural. At the time i had no hair boards, knew nothing about the natural hair community, no blogs, NOTHING! I was basically on my own and no one else around me was transitioning but me. I did it basically because i wanted to and didn't (and still don't) care about what anybody had to say.

5. Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?:

The 1st time i went natural, i transitioned for a year because i was afraid to have short hair. I cut the hair off, wore it natural for some months, texturized it because i didin't know what i was doing, then permed it some months later, and transitioned the same exact week i permed it. The second time, i didn't care and didn't have the patience so I chopped my hair off after 4 months and haven't looked back since!

6. What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?:

I love the versatility of my hair. I can do things with it that i never even knew was possible. I can go straight, curly, updo, braidouts, twistouts, rollersets, yep all that! Lol. I just love it because it represents my personality.

7. Where can we find you on the web?:

You can find me a couple of places

Blog:http://www.strawberricurls.com

Fotki:http://public.fotki.com/mslizzia/

Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/user/TheStrawberriCurls

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mslizzia

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/StrawBerriCurls/366079370392#!/pages/StrawBerriCurls/366079370392

8.Anything EXTRA you want us to know?:

 I do have some advice for people on their journey; please be patient with your hair. Don't obsess over length because with healthy hair, length will come. Everyone's hair doesn't grow at the same rate so don't look at the next person's hair and wonder why yours isn't growing as fast. You are YOU and no one else so if your hair grows a little slower, so what? If you keep living, that time will fly by and your hair will grow.

Captured Curls: Ashlee M.

Happy Saturday Ladies!

I hope everyones week was productive and stress free.

I know I haven't done a feature in a while and that is because I have been scouting other naturals

that can share their diverse stories with you all.

Today I will be introducing you to one of my Twitter friends, Ashlee.

She is beautiful and has awesome natural hair to match.

Read her story below, I am sure that you will enjoy it.

1.Tell me about YOU:

My name is Ashlee McIntosh and I'm a 20 year old junior at Hampton University.  MY sports of choice are dance and soccer.  I live in Northern, Va (yea I know...no one reps it) and I love math. I want to go to Georgetown for grad school and open up my own Emerging Markets company, or work for the United Nations, something along those lines.  One of my goals is to donate to locks of love....probably in a year or so.  I have something similar to an obsession with Pharrell Williams, but I mean who can really blame me?  MY phone is like my sixth finger or something, I am rarely without it (shame on me, I guess). I'm usually more interesting than whatever words I am coming up with now I promise.  I named my hair Nahla =) and I love LOVE and anything that has to do with it. 

2.Tell me your hair care regimen (do you use heat, natural products, ect...):

My regimen is dependent upone what I want to do with my hair.  Usually I wash my hair two to three times a week, and I use Aussie Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner, or Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner.  If my hair is being really difficult then I use Cantu.  I swear by that line.  After washing I condition with Cantu Shea Butter Leav in Conditioner, comb, and usually put it in a bun for the night.  If I want big hair, in the morning I will dry my hair with the diffuser for about ten minutes, and if i want to stretch the curls a little longer I will go over the first three or soo inches with my blow dryer.  It loosens my curls but my hair is still big, so I like it. I also have grown to love my natural curls as well.  If i don't want to diffuse and all that, then at night i will flat twist my hair in the front, and take it out when I wake up so my hair can frame my face,  and that is my typical fro if you will. 

For heat, the best products are CHI Silk Infusion or if your pockets are running on E, Cantu Hair Silk.  Anytime I straighten my hair (usually only three or so time during the winter) I use these products.  HEAVEN SENT!

4. Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type:

Hmmm okay well I'm gonna say my hair type is majority 3c but sometimes there's a little 4a in there.  The best things for me are Cantu Leave In Conditoner, Cantu Gow Strong Strengthing Treatment, and Cantu Hair Pomade.  I love all of their products and they work really well in my hair.  Sometimes if I need a little extra condition, I use Just for me Hair Milk.  I used to swear by Pantene Pro-V products but they have grown to leave my hair stringy and gross, but Cantu is AMAZING. My best tools are bobby pins, my diffuser, denman brush, and my huge waterpick comb.  As far as deep conditioning, I have tried treatments with honey and olive oil and they are messy but they definitely work.

5. Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural:

Well I have always been natural, but I wore my hair in ponytails and buns until I was 17.  I HATED my hair. 

6. Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?:

Like I said I have always been natural, but I think in a way I did have to go through a transition with my hair as well.  I never liked my hair, I always wanted a perm and my mther wouldn't let me get one.  Of course I am thankful for that now, but not back then.  My tangles were always a struggle, and I longed for frizz free hair.  I swore by gel for a good decade.  I call those the lost years. 

I had to grow to love my hair...I honestly can't say I loved it until my freshman year in college.  Crazy I know, people used to tell me I had 'good' hair but I never saw what was soo great about it.  Freshman year of college, I think seeing a lot of other girls embracing there hair allowed me to start embracing mine.  I finally realized my hair will always have a little frizz, a few tangles...maybe even some locs after a few days...but I love it now, and I will for all eternity.

7. What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?:

I think as I learned to love my hair, I grew to truely love myself as well. The road to loving and appreciating my hair took me like 17 years, but I love where I am now.  My hair isn't tame, and I would say it's fairly uninhibited.  I love that though, I love the color of my curls in the sun, and the way they frame my face.  I love when the boy I love plays in them, and I love that white people tell me i have 'cool' hair.  I love that if I don't want to wrap my hair, I don't have to, if I don't want to get it done, I don't have to.  I see some people who refuse to live without having their proper sew-in or perm, my hair gives me freedom and variety, I am not confined to anyone's stylist chair, chemicals, or a pack of 18" anything. I think as I have grown, my hair is almost an extension of my personality now.  I love that they are mine, and no one knows my Nahla like I do.  No one has hair exactly like mine, and I love that because no one is exactly like me. Besides the fact I got waves from my mom, and curls from my dad....I think it all goes into me feeling that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by HIM and He made my curls the way they are, how can I not love them?

8. Where can we find you on the web?:

You can find me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/amacattackkk

and on tumblr at http://maclovinnnn.tumblr.com

9. Anything EXTRA you want us to know?:

Whether you are natural or not, do whatever you do because it makes YOU feel good.  Whatever kinks, coils, corkskrews, shirley temples etc. you have just embrace them.  For many people, hair is your 'crown and glory' so be proud of yours regardless of the texture.  I read that if you are good to your hair it will be good to you and it's soo true. And like this blog says Good hair is HEALTHY hair....remember that yall =)  

I must say that this feature might be one of my favorites!

What do you ladies think?

Leave feedback in the comment box.

:)

xoxo,

Alex

Marshmallow Root Hair Mask

So I took my weave out. I know it was only in for 2 weeks BUT I could not take the itching. My scalp was burning and nothing was helping. Once I took down the weave I was instantly relieved. My scalp was caked with gunk too. It was gross and my hair smelled awful. I made the right choice for me and my hair. I was kind of bummed that I wasted my money. I only paid $60 to get it installed so it wasn't that bad. It wasn't a $250 weave. If it was that sucker would've stayed in, LOL. Anyways, my hair needed some TLC and a good trim.

I was planning on doing a Bentonite clay hair mask but I was out of powder. So instead I used Marshmallow Root Powder as my base. See below for the recipe and details.

Recipe:

8 oz of water

2 cups of Marshmallow Root Powder

2 teaspoon of Honey

1 teaspoon on Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Coconut Oil to coat hair strands before mask application.

1. Mix the MRP and the water together very well. Using a hand mixer helps a lot. Make sure the consistancy is similar to pudding..

2. Add in the honey and JBCO. Stir well.

3.Apply Coconut oil to hair before the mask.

Below are some pictures that I took of my hair while applying the mask.

My strands felt amazing and my curls were very defined.

Sectioned hair before the hair mask was applied.

My hair was super dry and frizzy!

I used Hairveda's Vatika frosting as my coconut oil of choice. I love this stuff.

My ends were NASTY! I was so glad to get rid of them.

Up close curls. 

This in between length is INTERESTING, LOL. I look like a mushroom head.

Look at those curls! 

I rinsed the mask out of my hair after 45 minutes. 

I then coated my strands with Giovanni's 50/50 conditioner while I was in the shower. 

I rinsed most of it out and then parted my hair in 6 sections.

Each section had about 6 individual twists in them.

Before I twisted I dusted my ends with some sheers to get rid of my SSK's.

I then banded the twisted sections to prevent major shrinkage.

My hair was NICE and stretched this morning and my ends feel soft and clean. 

See below for my stretched twist out puff.