Hello, Wash and Go!

Ok, y'all I am excited about my hair today! It has been quite sometime since I have be able or wanted to wear a wash and go.  WNGs have not been my friend in the past mainly because it takes my thick mane hours, sometimes a full day, to dry completely. Another reason why I was not a fan of WNGs was because the shape of my hair was weird but since the cut I have been more than satisfied with my hair style these days.

Today I washed with WEN's Fig Cleansing Conditioner, which is formulated for ethnic hair. I really love this product. It gives me AMAZING slip and my hair so super soft after washing with it. Last week I scraped my change together and and bought a 16oz bottle to have in my collection of hair products (best decision ever...). The defining product I used to hold my curls  today is by Ampro. You know, the "black gel" folks? They have a new olive oil gel that is great! Let me just say I AM IN LOVE with the gel now. It has taken the place of my beloved Eco Styler gel which I was unable to live without for a long time. Even though I haven't worn a WNG in a while, I do have a preferred method. I have to prep my hair in the shower from start to finish. My hair must be soaking wet before applying any defining products so putting the gel on my strands while in the shower works best for me.  As you can see in the above picture, my coils are popping! My hair is still kind of wet in the middle but that is to be expected. Overall I am pleased with my WNG results. One of my friends said my curls look like I have an s-curl. LOL, I died laughing but it's so true! My wet curls look a lot like I have a jheri curl going on but hey, I didn't have to pay or chemically treat my hair to get the look... ;o)

xoxo,

Alex

TWA Only Contest, Hosted By N Natural Hair Studio

Angela Walker of N Natural Hair Studio reached out to me and asked if I'd be willing to spread the word about her new salon that is opening in the DC metro area. Of course, since I am a from here and VERY EXCITED about her new shop, I said YES! Below you can find all the details on the contest which ends on the 27th of March. I wish you all good luck! Y'all better work those TWAs!!!

**Click the jump**

xoxo,

Alex

Captured Curls: Recording Artist, Alex Young

Credit:  Rowena Husbands, Blink Of An Eye Photography

Last week, I had the pleasure of chatting with recording artist Alex Young about her hair, childhood “curly girl” experiences and much more! The amazing Curly Nikki put me in touch with Alex and I am so glad she did! This talented curly haired beauty just released her new single titled “Don’t Play with Me” which will be available for special download under the jump. During our chat I was able to dig deep into Alex’s personal hair story which I think a lot of you will enjoy and be able to relate to. We talked about everything from products, bad relaxers experiences and hair care on the road while touring. I hope you all love Alex’s hair story as much as I did, enjoy!

On her hair and love for products:

 My hair is very curly and big, so I have a lot to deal with! My hair also gets bored with products fairly quickly so I am constantly changing the products that I use. Right now I am using shampoo and conditioner by Free Your Mane and it’s amazing! The products are very moisturizing and they give my curls great definition. I also switch between that and the Organix line so whenever I feel like my hair starts getting bored I just switch back to that. When I use Organix products I love to wash with their Shea Butter shampoo and the Hydrating Tea Tree Mint conditioner. Sometimes I even use Living Proof’s frizz shampoo, Warren Tricomi products and Ojon! Yes, I use a lot of different products! I especially love Ojon's Dry Recovery product because my hair is so prone to dryness and it can get very brittle. That specific product helps prevent that issue by keeping my hair moisturized with a frizz free shine. I am constantly on the lookout for new products; I have to make sure my hair is happy and content.

On her hair type:

 My hair type is a difficult to pin point because I have so many different textures throughout my head. I think not knowing my exact hair type is what leads me to try so many different products! Sometimes I can’t decide what exactly to use but for the most part my hair has a tight wave and there are also some parts where my hair is kinkier than others. It’s so hard to pin down my exact type though; I just try to keep my hair happy and healthy, overall.

TWA Livin'

I've forgotten 3 times not that my huge puff is no more! LOL, I have gone to style it and then I realize, "Oh, I have a TWA again!" It's definitely a laughable moment and  like my little red bush. I have experienced the "I miss my huuurrrrr..." blues but whatever that's normal and it'll grow back in due time.  I snapped a few pics of my texture today so you can see how nice my ends are coiling since the cut. The little curlies are so cute! I have a drawer full of accessories so I am beyond excited to start going through it and finding cute stuff for my hair. In the pics below I am rocking a twist out that was styled with shea butter mixed with Jamaican Black Castor oil and Mizani's Moisture Stretch cream. Loving the results!

xoxo,

Alex

In Review: Salon Grafix Conditioning Cleanser

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted to see if I'd  be interested in trying Salon Grafix's new conditioning cleansers. After doing a little research on the product, I decided to give it a go. I was sent a full size bottle of the product and I ended up trying it last night on my new cut curlies!  Before I get into my opinion about the product, this is how it's described: 

"This revolutionary product is a new concept in hair care. The product is a lather-free, conditioning cleanser that gently cleans hair without stripping hair of the natural oils it needs to stay healthy, shiny and full of body. It is a single step hair care regimen process that takes the place of five products; shampoo, daily conditioner, deep conditioner, leave-in conditioner and detangler. The color-defending formula conditions and revitalizes damaged hair, from roots to ends. It is designed for use on all hair types and has a light citrus crème scent. This lather-free formula will gently clean your hair of dirt and grease, but not of its natural oils, keeping your locks healthy, clean and full of their natural nutrition. Salon Grafix Healthy Hair Nutrition Conditioning Cleanser retails for $8.39 and will be available for purchase at CVS, Walgreens and Wal-Mart as well as other select retailers throughout the nation. "

Mini Big Chop

Gone are the days of me holding on to my hair. I know when to let it go and today, after wrestling with my decision to cut out those dreadful layers, I decided to go ahead and DO IT! I pranced my hindparts into a Bubbles salon and asked for a natural hair stylist. I was kind of testing my "gangsta" because I half way didn't want to cut it and I just knew that they wouldn't have a natural hair stylist BUT they did. I was sitting in her chair 25 minutes later. 

I will be honest, my heart was RACING, my palms were sweating and I was about to get up and leave. However, I knew that I had to get my hair evened out. If you have been following my journey for a while you know that I complain about my layers a lot. The longer my hair got the worse my layers became. The initial layers came from a hair cut I got over a year ago, pain in the WHOLE BACKSIDE! I thought I could bare with it but I couldn't anymore. Now my hair is about the same length and and EVEN.

Captured Curls: Christine

Please, introduce yourself!

Hi-yah! My name is Christine Louis-Jacques, 23 year old graduate from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Born and raised in Massachusetts, but moved to the Washington, DC area a year ago. I love it out here so far! I am known for my feisty personality, and I feel my head of curls brings out more of who I am :)

What is your current hair care regimen?

I let my hair speak for itself. I realize the less I do the better my hair feels. Shea Butter mixed with olive, jojoba and avocado oil has currently been my favorite mixture for twisting my hair. Other than that, I try to deep condition every other week. I only shampoo my hair 1-2 times a month.

What is your hair type and what works best for your texture?

I never understood the hair typing method. I never focused on it really. My hair is definitely thick and tightly curled at the root.  After trying many different products, I realized doing too much to my hair made it look dead and caused build up. I currently live by my spray bottle that consists of water, aloe vera juice, Giovanni leave-in conditioner and olive, jojoba and avocado oils. Other than that, my hair loves creamy light conditioners. I currently use the Aubrey Organics and CURLS line.

Hairfinity Hair Vitamin Challenge

YAY! My Hairfinity vitamins came in the mail today and I am stoked about it. I've tried these vitamins before and I really liked how they affected my hair, skin and nails. Ingredient wise, Hairfinity vitamins contain a unique  blend of nutrients that aide in promoting the growth of healthy hair. What I like about Hairfinity supplemnets is that they contain A, C, and D vitamins along with B-vitamin complex, biotin, panthothenic acid, MSM and silica. So, as you can see they are packed with yumminess!

CN Guest Post: Beverly Johnson Reveals Her Real Hair!

Curly Nikki writes:  Beverly Johnson is On the Couch! Ms. Johnson was the first Black woman to grace the cover of Vogue in 1974. Since then she's been on the cover of more than 500 magazines, ripped all the runways, authored books and appeared on television. Currently, you can find her on the Oprah Winfrey Network, starring in her own reality show, Beverly's Full House', as well as find her new hair care products on the shelves at your local Target. During the interview, Beverly talked staying young, weaving as a protective style and revealed pics of her real hair! Enjoy!

On her new hair care line, 'Hair by Beverly'...

I've been chasing the formula for 10 years, so I can't really take all of the credit. I was the spokesperson for this line... that's how much I loved it. When I was doing my hair care line for Target, I decided to check back in and see if it was available. It's the most incredible products in the sense that we take science and also natural ingredients and put them together. I feel that there is a huge void in the market for an affordable, quality product and this should fill that space. With all the perms and improperly installed weaves, our hair has gotten really, really beat up, so my line promotes healthy hair and growth.

I'm proud to say that there is no compromise in the quality of the products. And I don't get to say that a lot. I've represented a lot of products... I'm a model, that's what I do. But with this, I'm really happy to be an owner, in the sense that I manufacture, distribute... every single ingredient, every single step of the way has been this amazing team effort that I've been very involved with. I'm blown away and I hope you will be as well.