Play With It - a Coffee Table Book & Documentary by Vaughn Dabney

Many of you have seen me tweet about the upcoming documentary and coffee table book by Vaughn Dabney called "Play with It." If you are not quite sure what I am talking about, let me give you the run down. A friend of mine put me in touch with Vaughn a few weeks ago and asked me to check out his Kickstarter page. At first I was kind of hesitant but then she mentioned that he would be writing a book and making a documentary on natural hair so, of course I was on board immediately after that. It's rare that you see a man taking initiative to spread the love and knowledge of natural hair, especially a man of color so I was beside myself after watching his video and reading up on his goals for the project. 

From Play with It Kickstarter: 

What is this project about?

"This project is about shedding light on the natural hair movement and why certain women either embrace or reject the notion of natural hair. 

Using photography and film as my media, I will attempt to debunk myths, uncover hidden desires, and bring forth truths about women with natural hair."

Hi, hair. High hair.

I haven't had my hair blown out in a very long time. The other day I decided it was time for a length check so I stretched my hair on warm/cool air. Since I wasn't using high heat the process took a while but it was definitely worth it. I protected my strands with grapeseed oil and sealed with Shea butter. The end result was super big, hella soft hair. It was so great to see my hard work pay off. The length I retained during the challenge was awesome! 

In Review: Belle Butters

Shea and Matcha Green Tea Butter, $13.50/8oz

(All photos used are from BelleButters Online)

Recently I had the opportunity to receive some lovely products from Belle Butters to review. As you all know, I am a huge supporter of my fellow entrepreneurs and I cannot say no to YUMMY HAIR PRODUCTS that are made naturally! Yes, I know, I need self control. I was browsing Belle Butters site when I saw a few things I wanted to try. I tweeted the owner to see what she recommended, I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by all the choices I had in front of me. When I noticed she sold a face product that targeted oily skin, I knew I had to inquire about it. I ended up receiving the Shea and Matcha Green Tea Butter along with the Neutralizing Butter for Oil Skin. The quality of the butters are great and the owner was kind enough to send me full sized products, so I will have them for quite a while. Click the jump for the full review.

Captured Curls: Fatima of Flowers from Fatima

    

Please, introduce yourself.

My name is Fatima Spencer. I am 22 years old and reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.  I am a recent graduate and have earned my BA in Spanish, with a focus in Advertising. Aside from Flowers From Fatima, I spend much of my time with my family. Aside from my craft, I enjoy making music (YES, instrumentals!)

 What was your inspiration behind starting Flowers from Fatima?

I was inspired to start Flowers From Fatima from my involvement in gardening as a young girl. Growing up, my father decided to pursue a family run program for the improvement of our neighborhood. Alone, my family and I transformed the neighborhood into a paradise. It was then, 12 years ago, that I found an attraction for natural beauty and have grown to connect with our Mother Nature in all ways possible. The seed of Flowers From Fatima was planted then.

TGHBPSC: Final Week

We have made it TGHBPSC participants! Three whole months of happy, healthy hair growing is over in a few days. Thank you all for participating with me, it was super fun and I am excited to do it again next year. Today I finally had a few minutes to dedicate to hair styling, even though I was not able to wash my hair, I put it up in a twisted puff bun. My bangs were from a stretched twist out and I simply have them tucked in a pompadour. Y'all should know my routine by now, LOL, plain and simple!


Next week I plan on doing a length check and making an update video for you all to close out the challenge. Thanks again for participating! 

xoxo,

Alex

Guest at MissNoce's Bloggers Affair

Last week I had the honor of being a guest blogger at Miss. Simona Noce's Bloggers Affair event. If the lovely lady in the photo looks familiar to you it's because she was recently featured as my Captured Curls of the week, you can read her story here. The event hosted by Simona was so fun and it was great to see so many young people of color come together and network! 

I was featured as the natural hair blogger "to know" *blushes* and there were A LOT of curlies and loc'd men there too. I was able to mix and mingle with my peers and it was AMAZING to meet some of my blog readers.

Click the jump for pics of the beautiful people!

Dirty Hair, My Best Hair x Updates

Update time, YES I know I owe you all some posts!

Let's get to it...

I tweeted the other day that my hair was FILTHY dirty. I haven't washed or even co-washed it in a week and I kinda have some product build up going on, YUCK! Unfortunately, I have no clue when I will have time to lay hands on my strands to give her some T.L.C. However, I feel that my hair is looking particularly awesome even though it's dirty. I haven't had to do much to it besides refresh with my Oyin Greg juice or water. When I have a lot of product already in my hair I try not to use excess products because then my strands will feel gross. Water helps activate those products already in my hair.


The photo above is a 3 day old twist out puff with bangs. I have been meaning to twist my puff for a twisted puff bun but when I say my time is SHORT, it's literally impossible for me to do my hair. I haven't even had time to re-twist my bangs, I preserve my definition at night by banding them. School is kicking my butt, help! Does anyone else seem to have their best hair days when your strands are dirty? I can't be the only one.

How Old is Too Old?

(I do not own the rights to this photo. Google image)

Today, Monica of Hair and Heart blog emailed me with a great question and I wanted to share it with you all and hopefully get some feedback. Basically, Monica wants to know, how old is too old for boys/men to have long hair and what are your thoughts on males who decide to keep their hair long versus cutting it?


My personal opinion is that I think little boys should have their hair cut short. Personally, I like seeing short cuts on little boys more than seeings them with cornrows or plats. If I was to have a son, his first hair cut would have to be before he turned 5 years old.


What are your thoughts? Click the jump to read Monica's email and please head over to her blog and check it out by clicking the above link.

xoxo,

Alex

Random: Natural Hair Shoot ft. Jamal

Remember the handsome Jamal, who was featured as last weeks "Loc'd Man?" Well, I had the pleasure of shooting with him this past weekend. We had a ball! I just wanted to show y'all a set of the pictures we took, the theme was black love x natural hair. My hair was simply pulled back into a puff with twist out bangs and his loc's were twisted. I loved his hair, it made my "I want loc's" itch, itch even more.

Tell me what you think...

Hued Curls

(Phtography by Amir)

I am officially a red head and I love it! I really tried to get the henna color pay off to work for me but it just wasn't what I wanted. The henna did tint my hair and make my curls super soft and conditioned but I wanted my hair red. I went back and forth about dying it because I was nervous about damage and breakage but I am at the point now where I know how to care for my strands. I also wasn't going to lighten my hair like I did the first time I colored it, earlier in my journey. My hair cannot take bleach lightening, so I was worried that the color wouldn't be as vibrant as I wanted but it came out fine. 

When choosing a red  I knew I wanted my hair to be a dark burgundy, purple color. So I went the salon and discovered my options. We decided to go with an Aveda color called "Red Violet." What I like about this color is that it's dark but when the sun hits it the true color shows, it's very vibrant but not overpowering. 

Captured Curls: Dominique

Please, introduce yourself!

Hey sistahs, my name is Dominique. From 9 to 5 I am a Court Liaison for a Residential facility and from 5 to (whenever I catch some Z’s) I write for my online publication, najamagazine.com I have been a natural for a little over eight years. Like many naturals, I was tired of the limp look and lack of versatility that I had with permed hair. There was no big chop during my experience I simply transitioned with braids, pony tails and sew-in weaves.

What is your current hair care regimen?

I actually don’t have a consistent regimen. It changes with the seasons or whatever my hair tells me to do. In the Winter I use more Shea butter products because my hair is very porous. I deep condition at least once a week or bi-weekly and my hair is usually in some protective style. In the summer my hair is never out unless I’m giving it a break in between braids and in that instance I love twist outs. It is pointless to straighten my hair. I don’t use Shea in the summer because it’s too heavy; I stick with olive oil instead. I do tend to wash my hair more often in the summer because I swim a lot and I sweat a lot. I use any brand shampoo as well as apple cider vinegar rinses. I’m not big on brands but I love Yes to Carrots and Yes to Cucumbers conditioners. They are super creamy! I just started using multi vitamins because I became vegetarian and I noticed my hair was shedding more often probably because it was adjusting to the new diet.

Captured Curls: Lesley of Ododo Originals

Please, introduce yourself.

Hello, my name is Lesley and I’m an accessories designer. I’m originally from Nigeria, but now make my home in Minnesota.

What was your inspiration behind starting Ododo Originals?

I’ve always loved accessorizing and the romance of putting flowers in the hair. But when I started looking a few years ago, there weren’t any flowers that had quite the look I was going for. I started Ododo Originals because I saw a hole in the market for high quality, curl-friendly hair accessories. I played around with silk flowers for a short while before I finally settled on beads as my medium. All of my accessories are made by me by hand.

Today's Hair: Twisted Puff Bun (Day 2)

Style: Twisted Puff Bun w/ pompadour 

Accessories: Ododo Originals x Mane Message

Captured Curls: Shari of Bon Bon Vie

As the months go on I encounter more and more amazing black women with hair that'll make you want to scream! Recently I have had the opportunity of becoming friendly with Shari, the beautiful owner of Bon Bon Vie. Her hair is amazing so of course I had to ask her to come on over to the blog and share her story! I think you all will enjoy it. Please be warned that her hair definitely falls under the "Hair Porn" category. Click the jump to read more about Shari and luscious curls!

Please, introduce yourself!

      Hey everybody! My name is Shari Neal, I am a 27 year old Belizean-American entrepreneur. I run an online tee shop named Bon Bon Vie and do occasional freelance graphic design projects. And I just moved to Connecticut from my beloved Chicago.

TGHBPSC: Today's Hair

The past few days I have been wearing my hair in a loose puff, matched with puff bangs. So, I guess you can say that I haven't been the best "protective styler" lately BUT I am back! My hair will be in a twisted puff bun for at least 4 days out  of this week. 

I am kind of getting restless with my hair. I know it's growing and that's makes me even more excited to wear it out. I've been reminding my self to keep in mind that too much manipulating and not enough protective styling will lead to less length retention.  Yesterday, my hands were in my hair a lot so I knew it was time to twist it up.

This time around,to add some "umph" to my style, I layered some flowers around the bun. I really love how it turned out. It gave me middle evil times plus Grecian goddess.   I asked CharBaby if she liked my hair and she did, until she saw I used her flowers, LOL! She gave me major "I don't want to share my flowers with you" attitude this morning.  

How are you wearing your hair today?! 

xoxo,

Alex

Sealing your Strands

Google Image

Going natural for the third times was just as hard for me when I went tried it the first 2 times. I knew nothing about hair care. Growing up I had long permed hair and my mom handled the styling relaxer touch ups and for the most part. Then I started messing in it and coloring it and cutting it. My hair has been through the wringer, I ruined it! With that said, I made sure that I took the time to learn my type 4 coils this time around. As time went on, I became more and more familiar with what worked for me and my strands. My biggest natural hair blessing was learning how to seal my ends and retain length. Some of you may not know this but I just recently learned and embraced protective styling! I wish I would have just sucked it up and did it more my first year of being natural, I would have retained a lot more length. 

Since I am two years in now, I think I have gotten the hang of caring for my hair. I co-wash 4x a month, I clarify 1x a month, I detangle properly and I use products that will give enough slip. I also seal the moisture into my strands to prevent breakage, my hair is fragile so I need that extra barrier of protection. A lot of people want to know how I go about sealing my hair/ends. My technique is really simple.I start with wet hair, no matter if it's clean or just needs a  little refresher, I always give my hair water. I like using warmer water to spritz 2nd or 3rd day hair to open the hair's cuticles a bit. The steps I take after that is as follows:

1. Apply a leave in conditioner with a few drops of coconut oil. 

(I use Oyin's Honey Hemp or Kinky Curly's Knot today and Vatika Oil)

2. I smooth/detangle my strands with a Denman brush to distribute the product evenly.

3. Before styling I like to use a heavy butter, like Shea butter to seal in the products and water.

I find that doing this helps keep my dry hair hydrated. Right after sealing and even a few days after that, my hair feels soft and refreshed. Before I learned how to seal I always had the dry hair problem, even more so after dying my hair. Also, I noticed since I started using henna again, my hair is not dry, even if I forget to seal my ends I don't have nearly as much breakage and single strand knots. 

Do you have a sealing technique?

If so, please share below.

xoxo,

Alex

Puff Saver: Mane Message

All images are from ManeMessage online.
Use code "GOODHAIR20" to get 20% off your order.

I think I found the cure to afro puff headaches, Mane Message hair ties! I stumbled across Mane Message's Etsy shop a couple of weeks ago and instantly wanted to try the super cute, handmade accessories. Since I've been wearing puffs it's been hard to find a hair tie or head band that doesn't end up giving me headaches or cutting off my blood circulation. I am sure my fellow puff wearers know that feeling. It's not only uncomfortable but it can be pretty painful too. That also may be contributed to wearing my puff too tight. I have tried everything, shoelaces, pantyhose, Goody hair ties... you name it I have given it a go. They all work for a few days and then those dreadful headaches creep back around.

I was drawn to Mane Message because of the unique design and beautiful colors. However, I wasn't sure if the hair ties would be large enough to fit around my fro. I decided to contact the owner Olivia and send her a picture of my hair to see if she could possible create a custom order for me. She was willing and I ordered a set of the Dusk Headbands. She made them in a variety of sizes (20",22",24") so I could see what worked best for holding up my puff. 

3 for $9

Captured Curls: Maiya

 Please, introduce yourself!

  My name is Maiya and I am 3 years natural. *everyone says, "Hi, Maiya!" like we're at an AA meeting.* I am a 25-year-old graduating senior majoring in Biology from PG County, MD, a part-time waitress, owner of a teeny tiny business, and full-time looking for a big girl job.

What is your current hair care regimen? 

 My current hair regimen has recently changed. Since the weather is getting colder, I have gone back to protective styling. With or without a protective style in, I wash my hair every 2 weeks with either pure castile soap or Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo. Over the summer, I dyed my hair so I make it a priority to condition my hair each and every time I wash. I have been doing hot oil treatments with extra virgin olive oil/coconut oil/jojoba oil (put some in a bowl and pop it in the microwave), deep condition with Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque and Aussie Moist mixed together, and once a month, do a protein treatment with either ApHogee Two Minute Protein Treatment or Megatek (bought on Amazon.com). When my hair isn't in a protective style, I alternate between blowing it out for a twist/braid/bantu knot out and doing them wet for 2 weeks setting my hair with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie in the cooler months and Shea Moisture Curl & Style Milk in the warmer months. No matter how tired I am, I re-twist/braid/bantu knot my hair every night spraying just a little water and applying a little product just to remoisturize. Between washes, if my scalp begins to itch, I take a q-tip and apply 100% pure tea tree oil (bought from The Vitamin Shoppe/GNC/Wholefoods NOT CVS/Walgreens hair section!) and apply it to my scalp then give myself a good scalp massage distributing the oil all over. This also allows blood to circulate and can promote hair growth. But nothing drastic so don't think you're going to be Rupunzel and then blame me, lol!

Loc'd Man: Jamal

So, I stumbled across this gorgeous man and his beautiful loc's on Tumblr last week. I had no idea he was a DC resident but after taking his pic and posting it on InstaGram, I quickly found out who he was. Ladies, meet 22 y/o Jamal and his 5 y/o locs. His story is under the jump so if you want to read more, click it!

The Henna Diaries: 2

I mentioned in my last henna post that I was trying to henna my hair red. After rinsing out the first henna treatment my hair wasn't red but it was SUPER soft. If you didn't know, henna is  a great conditioner for hair of f all types. I noticed there was a slight tint but nothing extremely noticeable unless the sun was shining on strands. 


With that said, I wanted more color! I did some research and ordered some henna from Henna for Hair. I have heard amazing things about the company and their henna is supposed to be very fresh and great in quality. The henna I purchased is specifically for people trying to tint their hair red. I figured it was perfect for me! The kit I bought came in the mail over the weekend and I wanted to try it so I mixed it up with some yummy ingredients.