Hair under Hats with LitKnits!

*THE CODE HAS EXPIRED LADIES!*

I am so excited for the Fall! Etsy.com is my go to spot for almost everything but especially knit hats, socks, slippers and such. The creativeness on that site is mind blowing and I love it! So, since I don't get much sleep these days (long story) I was up late browsing Etsy when I came across this SUPER cute shop called "LitKnits." I instantly fell in love with the cozy feel of the store, beautiful colors and cute photography. 

While browsing I stumbled across their yellow slouchy beanie beehive knit hat, which is super cute and of course I bought it. I needed a new beanie because I lost my other one-- mustard yellow is my new obsession and when it arrived in the mail, I was SOOOOO happy!

Happy may be an under statement...

The hat is so soft and FLUFFY! It's also the perfect size and has the best slouch ever. The beehive knit is fun and unique--is it safe to say I am head over heels with my new beanie? 

Yea, pretty much! 

I reached out the the creators and raved about the great quality and customer service. I also told them that I shared the hat with my InstaGram followers and they were just as happy and eager to get their hands on a hat too! So, the nice folks over at LitKnit have teamed up with me and have offered a GENEROUS discount code of 15% off for my readers! How sweet? So if you want a hat, use the code below AND at checkout be sure to say THANK YOU!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP!

Back to School Giveaway with Flowers From Fatima

Fatima and I got such a great response from the last giveaway that we teamed up to do another! Fall is coming, folks are big chopping, college is starting back up so WHY NOT enter to win something super fun, cute and handmade for your curls? See details below on how to enter for a chance to win the gorgeous sunflower pictured below.

FALL in love with Flowers From Fatima and enter the exclusive giveaway for one of her signature hair flowers!  You can win the popular “Golden Sunflower Hair Clip!” shown below!

The rules are simple:

1. LIKE Flowers From Fatima on Facebook! (http://www.facebook.com/FlowersFromFatima)

2. If you don't have a FB that's fine, just comment below with your favorite accessory from www.FlowersFromFatima.com (You MUST do this regardless, even folks with FB!)

3. For an extra entry you can tweet "I want to with @FlowersFFatima on @TheGoodHairBlog"

Giveaway ENDS 9/6/12! Enter NOW!

My New Love: Ade Vegan Hair Butter

HOW AMAZING is that puff ball?! Between the brilliant Cherry Lola Treatment and my new found love for Ade Vegan Hair's "Husky Hair Butter" I am in much love with my hair these days. What's Ade Vegan Hair butter? Well, it's my new best friend to say the least! I don't think I've ever loved a hair butter like this before, even my OWN Avocado Shea Butter can't compete with this stuff. Yea... it's that real. LOL!

A close friend of mine is the owner/creator behind AVH. When I went to Cali to visit her she surprised me a sample which I loved immediately. I used the butter on my hair and skin everyday until my sample ran out. I broke down and told her right away that I needed more and because we are friends (and I'm spoiled) I asked for a special request... VANILLA BEAN! Which has been added to her permanent line.

Is that extra of me? *shrugs* I had to have it. 

I love vanilla scented anything and the idea of having a butter with flecks of real organic vanilla bean in it made my whole being extremely happy! My home girl made it work and I am even more in love with this version!

Captured Curls: Tobia

Please, Introduce yourself!

Hi there! My name is Tobia and I currently live in Brooklyn, NY.

What is your current hair regimen?

As my hair gets longer I noticed that it also gets drier and requires more love and attention. I co-wash my hair whenever it asks for it (usually twice a week) and deep condition every week. I start off by detangling my hair with a mix of conditioner (Treseme Smooth & Silky), olive oil, jojoba, and tea tree; I section of my hair with six clips and rinse out each section. I then follow up with a homemade DC (honey, rosemary, aloe vera, and an egg), I often leave the DC in for five hours, sometimes overnight depending on how lazy I am. When I wash out the conditioner, I follow up with Treseme Moisture Rich Conditioner, rinse it out and then I sprits on my leave (Treseme Leave In Split Remedy), apply coconut oil and then twist. Once a month I will wash my hair with a beer and oil concoction, before the wash I prepoo with coconut and peppermint oil and then follow up with the conditioning process!

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

It’s really hard for me to pinpoint my hair texture; I have a little bit of everything. The back is looser with very defined curls while the crown is very kinky and the driest part of my hair. My hair is very soft and fluffy. Coconut oil and finger detangling work really well for my texture.

What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural?

My family was very supportive of my decision to go natural. My mother’s hair is locked; my little and older sister both have natural hair so it was more like I was joining the club.

There have been a few people who do not understand why I transitioned back to my natural texture and even a few who have suggested that I relax or at least flat iron my hair. A few months ago I would probably take the time to argue with them and defend natural but I now realize that is not my responsibility. This is just how I choose to wear my hair, the way it was meant to be.

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

I transitioned for 4 months, just couldn’t bring myself to BC. I used sponge curls during the transition stage so that I could deal with the two different textures.

What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

I love my hair because it is actually mine and I have watched it grow. I love that I no longer run for cover when I smell rain, I am no longer attached to a blow dryer, flat iron or any other hair tools to make me feel/look good. I love that no matter how many naturals there are in a room no two’s hair is actually the same.

Where can we find you on the web?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tstgermain1

Instagram: @tsgermain

Tumblr: http://minusculethoughts.tumblr.com/

YES to Cherry Lola's Treatment

WHOA, *catches breath* I am in some kinda  love with this Cherry Lola Treatment! I have been wanting to try the concoction for months now but just haven't. Well, I took my braids out last week and attempted to style like I normally do. However, after a couple of days my hair felt very dry, like REALLY dry. I'm not sure if it was the new hair product I used or what but my strands were like "no, ma'm" so I ended up randomly stopping at Roots Market today and scooping up the ingredients for the mixture. 

What is the Cherry Lola Treatment? Good question. The CLT is a protein treatment that aids in reducing frizz, defining and softening curls. Definitely a God send because the treatment did EXACTLY that.

You can learn more about the CLT here.

I love making things that are EASY, simple and low maintenance. The ingredients for the CLT are as follows:

16oz plain yogurt, I used FAGE
2 tbsp Liquid Aminos, do not use soy sauce!
2 tbsp Baking Soda 

Mixing the ingredients was pretty simple too. I added the yogurt and aminos first and then stirred well. Once those two ingredients were mixed together I added the baking powder, that was the fun part! As I stirred the mixture became frothy and started to fizz up. After it was all mixed the end result was a light airy texture versus a thick cream. 

Captured Curls: Brittney

Please, introduce yourself!

My name is Brittney. I am a 24-year-old Prince George's County, MD native. I just recently moved to Texas to take an English teaching job at an amazingly rigorous school. I quickly learned that Maryland's "humidity" has absolutely NOTHING on the insanely high dew points in Texas!

What is your current hair care regimen? 
I tend to switch up my regimen a lot, and since my hair kind of went into a super-crazy shock when I moved here, I had to nurse it back to a normal level of moisture. My hair no longer hates me.

Because it is so hot here (and I sweat in my scalp) and my hair won't hold any defined styles for longer than a few seconds after walking out of the door, I opt for lots of different styles that don't require my hair to be "out." I've gone back to experimenting with two-strand twists, which is nice because I can wear my hair down without it shrinking up to my brain in the weather, and they are super low maintenance and cute. I have also been wearing a lot of wash-n-go ponytails in an EZ-comb, some buns, and more recently, fishtail braids (which I heart!). Current regimen involves clarifying monthly with Eli's Body Shop Black Soap Shampoo, shampooing as needed with Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Shampoo, conditioning and detangling with Kinky-Curly Knot Today, and then moisturizing with Shea Moisture Moisture Mist and Curl & Style Milk, and then Curl-Enhancing Smoothie for sort-of-sealing. I have recently begun using Jane Carter Nourish & Shine to seal and so far, so good! I've been trying lots of different things for deep conditioning but nothing has REALLY stuck with me yet. I baggy a few nights per week to get some extra moisture in while I'm still experimenting to figure that out.

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

My hair is a mix of waves, curls, and coils. My strands are mostly fine, with some medium thrown in, with pretty low to medium density overall. For some reason, people think my hair is thick when they see it, but I think that's just the curls playing tricks on them! (It's all a facade...) My hair is also pretty fragile, so I often have to make sure I am keeping it strong by balancing my protein and moisture. Moisture alone is a hot mess for my hair. Using products with both moisturizing and strengthening ingredients together - mainly water and silk protein - work wonders for my hair. I also have to take care to be gentle with detangling - my LEAST favorite part of being natural.

3 months with VIVISCAL!

YAY! I am excited about this. The great folks at Viviscal sent me a three month supply of vitamins to try and review. Most of you know that I am faithful to Hairfinity but I really wanted to try something different for comparison. Yesterday I finished my 3rd bottle of Hairfinity (for the year) and figured it was perfect to crack open the Vivscal and start a new journey.

Viviscal link

There are 60 capsules in the package and the directions state to take 2 pills daily. I've seen a lot of my fellow natural hair bloggers try the product and end up pleased so I cannot wait to see how the vitamins work for me.  Today I took my first two!

A Little About Viviscal: Viviscal Extra Strength is a 100% drug-free hair growth vitamin made with the finest ingredients which promote thicker, longer, and faster growing hair.

Now, these vitamins are NOT cheap, for those of you who were wondering! Per box, they sell for $33. On September 16th, I will be making a video on my thoughts so stay tuned!

In Review: USE ME! Products

Buy HERE.

About Use Me!: Refill, Reuse, Repeat is the concept behind Use Me! Products, a sulfate-free, paraben-free, eco-friendly hair care brand full of vegan and organic ingredients. It is as straight forward as the name on the bottle—what you see is what you get.

 Every product in the Use Me line is made with natural ingredients that give you unbeatable, realistic results. The fear of leaving the salon and not being able to reconstruct your stylist's creation is all in the past, as Use Me clearly states how to use each product at home.

The lovely folks of Use Me! products contacted me about a month ago to review their vegan, eco friendly product line. I jumped at the opportunity, mainly because their line seemed to have products that could REALLY cater to my hair needs. I was sent a cleanser, conditioner and styler geared toward "dry/coarse" hair types. Use Me! products have a easy yet descriptive way on the back of each bottle, explaining how each product should be used along with what it's specifically supposed to do for your hair. The conditioner in particular is my favorite! Below you can find some details about the products from Use Me!'s site and my honest opinion about the overall line! 

Captured Curls: Lesley

Please, introduce yourself! 
Hi, I’m Lesley Chung and I ventured into the world of this social media through  a friend of mine who suggested that I document my natural hair journey.  I was one for RELIGIOUSLY getting my hair done and did not  know a thing about my hair AT ALL.  Once I left the creamy crack behind its been ONE HUGE learning experience.  I have to admit I was scared as hell! All this coming from a girl who only knew how to wrap her hair at night for the next morning and just recently mastered pin curling (lol).  Now you want me to do MY OWN HAIR.

What is your current hair care regimen?
My current hair care regimen is a wash n go. I cleanse my scalp twice a month with DevaCurl No Poo, apply my leave in of choice either Tresemme  Naturals or Paul Mitchell The Conditioner and detangle my hair, I seal in the moisture with Coconut Oil, then follow up with Uncle Funky's Daughter's Curly Magic is my gel of choice.  [THIS STUFF IS THE TRUTH FOR MY HAIR] and allow it to air-dry. I have lately been experiencing with the Eco Gels; but UFD is my staple. Every Wednesday and Saturday I co wash my hair with Suave Naturals then rinse it out and leave in either PM or TN, detangle, seal my hair with coconut oil, & add some UFD and go. I deep condition my hair weekly using Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque or the Curl Junkie products.  I'm pretty lazy so I do an over night deep conditioning and rinse it out the next morning. This makes detangling the next day a breeze!

What is your hair type and what works best for your texture? 
The hair typing system confuses me IMMENSELY and from what others have told me I range between 3c to 4a.  I follow the Curly Girl Method and according to the Curly Girl Handook I have head full of corkscrew curls. I have a section of hair near my ear (lol) that is a bit looser (not by much) then the pencil shape corkscrews all over my head.  I have SUPER DUPER thick hair and it constantly needs to be moisturized.  The Curly Girl Method has been a god send for my hair and me because its EASY.  I've been doing the CG Method for the past 5 months and its going really well.  

What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural or have you been relaxer free all your life? 
I was fortunate to have a very supportive family, boyfriend and friends behind my decision.  What was the most ironic thing about me going natural was that the woman who DID my hair informed me that she does NOT work on natural hair and SHE'S NATURAL.  I thought that was funny (lol).  I was lucky to receive help from my close friend who is a stylist and fellow natural.  

-Of course my mother constantly reminds me that she did NOT want to put a relaxer in my hair.  She never lets me forget so I have to say it for the world to hear that my mother was right...like most moms are anyway.  I did beg for a relaxer soo soo many moons ago.  My mother was the happiest that I decided to go natural.  

Captured Curls: Melissa

Please, introduce yourself!

Hi, I’m Melissa aka MelissaChanel fashion and natural hair blogger at www.melissachanel.com

What is your current hair care regimen?

My regimen includes washing my hair once a week; Sunday’s are usually wash days for me. I mostly single twist my hair and wear a twist out during the week, as it gets bigger and stretched I may style differently (I.E puff, front puff).

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

I don’t feel I have a specific hair type, the front of my hair has loose curls, middle is super tight and the back is a mixture of both….I just call it the “Melissa Type” LOL! My hair is kinky, curly, dry and sometimes CRAZY …as long as I make sure to detangle after washing and keep it moisturized I’m good to go.

What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural or have you been relaxer free all your life?

The reaction I received wasn’t at all great. My family and friends could not understand why I didn’t want a relaxer, why I wanted to wear my hair “nappy” and how long was I going to walk looking like “that.” After seeing that I wasn’t changing my mind they start complimenting me on styles and even talked to me about the “going natural” process. I’m glad I have a great sense of humor and self confidence because they were not hearing it at the beginning, but now they wouldn’t have it any other way!

Did you big chop or transition, for how long? If you’ve always been natural, did you ever have any curly hair girl insecurities? If so, what helped you adjust to having naturally curly hair over the years?

I transitioned for a year and a half then in March of 2009 I did my version of a “BIG CHOP.” I was traveling to Miami for spring break and had no idea what I was going to do to my hair because of the two different textures. I went into the salon in my local mall and told the stylist to cut it!!!! I went to Miami with a new look and feeling so free…best hair decision I ever made!

What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

What makes me love my kinks and curls is that it’s sooooo ME!!! I feel my hair matches my style, FUNKY! I can style it anyway I want, add color (something I couldn’t do with relaxed hair because of all the chemicals) , it’s so versatile…BIG ASS FRO one day and a puff the next. I just love the looks I get, the questions that I’m asked, it just makes me feel like I’m being ME. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!

Where can we find you on the web?

You can find me at www.melissachanel.com and every other social network ..LOL

Twitter: @melissachanel2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MelissaChanel/197101513713763

Instagram: melissachanel

Youtube: MsMelissaChanel

Anything EXTRA you want us to know?

I just want to say Thank you sooo much for the feature , I love your blog and the inspiration you are to the natural hair community. And to everyone young girl or woman reading this BE YOU, don’t let anyone every try to make you be someone different!

Video: Braids and Updates

Summer Hair Tips from Jacey Crow

I am sure at first glance that you all are like "huh?" but I can assure you that this post may be helpful to a lot of you, despite whether or not you're natural! I was contacted to with some interesting info on how to maintain summer hair health. When I dug a little deeper and read the GREAT tips I decided to ask if I could be sent a list by the stylist pictured above,  Jacey Crow, that was geared toward women with kinky curly afro textured hair. To my surprise, I enjoyed reading the pointers. Below you will find a little info on Jacey and some great advice on how to keep your hydrated and protected in the hot summer months. 


I hope you all enjoy! Side note: Aren't Jacey's tattoo's AMAZING?!

About:

Jacey Crow, hairstyle artist at Victor’s Salon in Ocean Beach CA, keeps up to date on current trends and cutting edge techniques through webinars and other industry training. Crow is a graduate of J.E. Boutique in El Cajon, CA where she received her hairstylist license in 2006. She specializes in both scissor and razor cuts, color and healthy hair maintenance. Her knowledge of hair care products helps her clients pick the right brand based on their hair type and the look they are trying to achieve. www.victors-salon.com