Goodbye, 2009!

This was a great year for my hair (and I realize how ridiculous that sentence sounds to those not obsessed with their hair)!! I learned a lot, found my HGs, and even formed some friendships along the way! Here's a general run-down:

- I started this blog. I know it's not directly related to having good hair, but I was able to document my journey and I read old entries all the time to see which routines worked well for me. I wish I had done it when I started CG!

- The year started out with some pretty weird hair. Oblivious to my porosity and what it meant product-wise, I had done a lot of damage in December by using shampoo bars and not giving my hair enough moisture. I was also recovering from sinus surgery and unable to give my hair the care it needed. There were nowhere to go but up!

- I got a Sedusa for Christmas and was totally unable to conquer it! I gave up after a few tries and getting into a fight with it. It's still sitting in my bathroom, waiting to be used. Now that I'm motivated, my hair is too short!

- I bought a jar of Pink Boots from a curly traveling abroad and discovered my new love! I don't use it as often as I would like (mostly because I shower at night and it makes my hair too soft to carry a curl the next day - maybe that can be my new challenge?), but when I do, my hair is soft, curly, and complimented on all the time!

- Had a lightbulb moment and finally figured out my texture/porosity and how that plays into my product choices, thanks to the great discussions on Tiffany's blog and over at nc.com.

- Developed the Modified Pineapple. I use this every night when I'm not planning on bun-ing it the next day. I've modified this a bit since my hair is shorter (and have been meaning to update that post! I guess I can do that now that my laptop has been fixed!) and it works great, especially since I'm at the point where I get multiple-day hair regularly.

- Finally mastered the art of flax seed gel (both making it and using it successfully)! For some reason it only works well during the colder months. We broke up in the spring. Here's another thing I need to try again now that it's colder!

- Following my break-up with FSG, I decided to try KCCC again. I had tried it in the fall with limited success. This time I knew more about porosity and hit the jackpot with this stuff! I tried it in mid-March and have used it almost every time I've washed my hair since then! It is the ultimate HG and I use so little of it that it is also my cheapest! I bought a new jar in May, thinking I would run out soon. Haven't even finished my first jar yet! Can't live without this stuff.

- Figured out that my hair HATES oils (with the exception of my beloved coconut oil). More than it hates protein. I think this was one of the most important things I learned this year, right up there with the texture/porosity lesson. It was after figuring this out that I was able to find my HGs.

- Things have been pretty mellow for my hair after finding my HGs, but I did learn how short is too short for my hair in terms of curl-age. My cut in March rode that line, but my September cut totally crossed it. Almost four months later, I don't feel like it's grown that much and I'm just barely starting to get my spirals back. I don't think I'll ever cut it that short again.

Well that was exciting! My 1-year blog anniversary is coming up as well - crazy! Here's to a great hair year in 2010! Thanks to everyone for reading and giving input on the important curly issues!

Starting Over...

... kind of.

It's been about two weeks since I've worn my hair curly. No, I haven't gone to the dark side and straightened - I've been bun-ing it. This was partly due to laziness, partly because I shampooed and needed to recover with some DTs, and also because of the car accident I was in on the 16th that left me with bad whiplash. It hurt to bend over, which also seems to be about 75% of my curly routine!

I just washed my hair and am currently plopping (should probably start diffusing before it gets super frizzy!). It feels so nice to be back to normal in my hair routine! I even went over to nc.com and did some posting - it's been a while since I did that too!

I'm hoping to get my curls back to normal soon and continue to maintain it during the next (and last) semester of school. I was pretty run-down by the end of my observation days at the middle school and did not do my hair curly as often as I would have liked. Going into full-time student-teaching, I'm going to keep it a priority!! (fingers crossed though, lol).

Shampooing Tonight

So due to circumstances beyond my control, I've come to the point where I am forced to shampoo. I've been trying to clear up my problems with brown sugar scrubs, but I don't think that will work. Which is ok. Even though I'm CG, there are going to be times when I need to shampoo.

The problem is that I can't use a low-poo. The only ones I have are Giovanni low-poos and they have oils in them. So I will be using Suave's Clarifying shampoo.

I haven't shampooed since late June/early July. Usually it takes a few weeks for my curls to bounce back, but I think last time I did a pre-poo treatment with coconut oil and that helped immensely. So I have coconut oil in my hair right now and hopefully that will help!

This is my last week of school. I'm making up four days of classroom observation at the middle school. So no real work, but I do have to be out of the house pretty early. Looking forward to next week when I can wash during the day! I have had some product samples sitting around for a few months that I need to try!

Clipping-Challenged

I have a confession to make: I am clipping-challenged.

That's right. I've been at this for a year and a half now, and I still can't clip well enough to save my life.

I've tried everything. From the square metal clips, to the rounded long clips, to jaw clips, to duckbill clips.


I've tried methods by shellynot, Del, struttswife; you name it, I've failed at it.

Right now I'm using duckbill clips I bought from curlmart. When I finish diffusing, I use two clips on my crown and one on each side in the front. It's sort of a mix between shellynot's and struttswife's methods. If I don't take them out early enough, I end up with weird dents and weird curls.

Oh, and always MAJOR FLAT TOP!

It sucks.

What is your curly downfall?

A Curly Moment

Last night while co-washing I found a bobby pin hidden on the back of my head!

I have no idea how long it was in there (a few days at most).

Ah, to be a curly...

Oops!

And once again, I'm reminded that too much KCCC makes for stringy curls. Pics to follow tomorrow (maybe I can save them!).

On another note, I'm pretty sure my hair has not grown AT ALL in the two months since my cut. So sad! I was looking through old pictures this weekend and missing my length and real curls so much! It needs to hurry up and grow!!!

(yuck!)

Straight Hair

Yes, my hair is straight today. It's been almost 2 years since I've straightened. The last time I did it, I hated how lifeless and flat my hair was. I was definitely right about that!

Here's two years ago:

Yesterday I washed my hair really early and then put it up in a bun for class. This left my hair pretty straight, so I fixed what little wave was there on the top layer. There are some rebellious curls on the bottom layer though!

Del's Spritz & Condition Method

So Del finally got around to creating a thread about this method. I've been using it for about three months now (with the exception of that two-week period where my hair got semi-dry) and I LOVE it. I'm so glad she filled me in on it, because it's made such a difference!

I didn't post anything earlier because it wasn't really my method to be sharing and I wasn't sure if anyone reads this blog regularly.

Here is my version:

1. Spritz hair thoroughly with a water bottle
2. Apply rinse-out conditioner (GVP CB). I tend to concentrate on the lower half of my hair (basically not my roots), where it can get drier
3. Put up in bun, do other things for at least 20 min
4. Step in shower
   - If it's a co-wash day, I'll quickly put my head under the water and then co-wash as normal (like I didn't already have conditioner in my hair)
   - If it's not a co-wash day, I still put my head under the water but go to the next step
   
5. Next I add a little bit of conditioner (skip this if I didn't co-wash) before brushing through with my Denman brush
6. Scrunch upside-down and clip up
7. Later rinse upside-down in cold water while scrunching
8. Turn off water, apply leave-in
9. I still scrunch out water, but I have to be VERY careful not to overdo it. Using this method means absorbing less water, so I have less to scrunch out. It's very easy to take too much water out at this step
10. Scrunch in KCCC and the rest of the routine is the same

I really love this method because it's completely changed my hair. I have very consistent results - my hair stays moisturized and defined for longer periods of time. I've been washing every 2-3 days (so basically I co-wash every time I wash). I always get second day hair and sometimes real third day hair (not just up in a bun or something). It cuts down my drying time by a LOT. As porous curlies know, that is really a feat!

I just started back on this method last week after being off for two or three weeks (mostly due to time; I had forgotten to or didn't have the time to spritz and condition before I had to wash since I do this at night). Remember when my hair got dry? That was really weird to me. I hadn't experienced that since early to mid summer (with the exception of the protein incident, but we all know what caused that).

It's just so effortless. I'm really amazed at how far my hair and routine have come in the last 16 months (has it been that long?). Doing my hair and figuring out what was working and what wasn't used to take up so much time. I barely think about it now. And that's kind of awesome. So big thanks to Del for being a genius!

I Love My Curls

So my hair is in much better condition, made even more awesome by the return of my clumps AND spirals!! It's been almost two months since I've seen them! Guess I figured out the limit of how short I can go.

It makes my heart happy :)

Here is my "regular" routine, for the record:

• Co-wash: V05 Sun Kissed Raspberry Balancing Conditioner (less than $1, Kroger)
• Rinse-out: Generic Value Products Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm ($5.99, Sally Beauty Supply)
• Brush through GVP CB with Denman D3 ($9.49, Sally Beauty Supply)
• Scrunch upside-down, clip up for a few minutes
• Turn the water as cold as I can stand it, flip upside-down, gently scrunch conditioner out underneath the water, then turn it off
• Leave-in: quarter-sized amount of Kinky Curly Knot Today ($12, NC.com)
• Scrunch out water once on each side - upside-down, left, and right - with a flour sack towel (Bed Bath & Beyond, $9.99)
• Scoop out dime-sized amount of Kinky Curly Curling Custard (now $30, NC.com; also have bought at Ricky's with discounts)and scrunch in upside down using pump-and-scrunch method (I scrunch 8 times); repeat for left and for right
• Plop for 5 min a most in Curl Ease Towel ($19.99)
• Using pump-and-scrunch method (again, 8 scrunches - I'm OCD apparently), apply Aussie Instant Freeze Sculpting Gel ($3.99??, Target). I'm very thorough in applying gel because it's probably the most essential styling product I use. I apply dime- to nickel-sized amounts upside-down, leaning to the left while upside-down, leaning to the right while upside-down, back left while right-side-up, back right while right-side-up, front right, and front left
• Correct part if needed (usually don't, my hair is pretty good about staying parted throughout the washing process)
• Plop for 5-10 min in another flour sack towel
• Diffuse pixie-curl-style until crunchy and mostly dry. I do this very similarly to the way I scrunch in gel. I do four sections while upside down, just to "set" the curls. Then I lean to the left and diffuse in sections - usually top parts, followed by bottom parts. After everything feels mostly dry on that side, I'll flip to the other side in case I missed something
• Flip head right-side-up and shake gently
• Clip roots (though this is probably in vain) using duckbill clips - I use four; two for back, one for each side in the front ($4, NC.com)
• Spray lightly with Garnier Fructis Curl Shaping Spray Gel ($3.49??, Target)

This takes anywhere from 45min to an hour. Most of my time is spent diffusing, but I pass the time reading books or magazines. I mostly shower at night now, so I usually wait an hour before scrunching a little and putting it up in a modified pineapple - of course I usually shower late; if I am proactive and wash earlier, I wouldn't do this until right before I go to bed.

Modifications:

• If I'm washing during the day, I like to use a very small amount (less than a pea-size) of pink boots curl creme (bought on the swapboards) AFTER KCKT and BEFORE scrunching out water

I've had most of my products for a long time. I bought KCCC over a year ago and still have a third of the jar left. I even bought a second jar in May because I thought I'd be running out soon. So I have backup for the next two years and I didn't spend as much as I would now. And it works out to pennies per use!

Here are the rest:

• KCKT - 6 months
• GVP CB - 2 months
• V05 Raspberry - 1 month
• Aussie Instant Freeze gel - 1-2 months
• Pink Boots - NO IDEA! I bought it almost a year ago and it doesn't even look like it's been used. Pretty sure it'll last forever

Deep Treatments:

• Coconut Oil (just got it for $13 for a BIG jar at whole foods, but you can find cheaper)- I've had the best luck with this. It's the only oil my hair seems to like. I apply to either plain damp hair or damp hair covered thoroughly with GVP CB, leave on for an hour or two. Mostly used during the colder months, when my hair dries out more easily
  

Hair towels are essential for me. I can definitely tell the difference between using a t-shirt and using a hair towel, just by looking at the frizz factor.

I know a lot of curlies have to switch up their products. For whatever reason, I haven't had to. In fact, when I try this I end up with poor results. I had a lot of trouble figuring out what products to use. It wasn't until I knew my texture (coarse) and porosity (high) that I figured out what ingredients my hair likes, what products to use, and what methods to use. I had KCCC for six months before realizing it worked best when I squeezed some water out. My hair absorbs water like crazy, so I have to be aware of that when applying products.

I follow this routine because it works for me. I get at least 2nd day hair, usually 3rd. I sometimes experiment with new products on the weekends when I have nowhere to be, but generally stick to this product routine (always the methods!).

Results & A Shopping Trip

Well, the results of the protein co-wash are pretty even in terms of being good or bad. I had nice curls and clumpage (my spirals are even starting to come back; haven't seen those since the haircut!) and the grease was gone, but yesterday it started to get itchy and flaky. Not sure if I'll do it again, either now or in the future.

I just got back from Whole Foods. I don't go there a lot because even though it's one city over and not that far (my dad actually works in the building across the street from it), it takes about half an hour to get through all the lights and traffic. I got a sugar pie pumpkin to make a pumpkin pie (yum!) and a jar of raw coconut oil. They didn't have that great of a selection. Almost everything was expeller pressed and/or refined. And they only had glass jars, so it was more expensive than I'm used to.

But it will work! I need to make some more homemade deodorant and I'm planning on experimenting with sealing. It's starting to get cooler here, and my porous hair can get very dry during the winter.

I also got some vegetable glycerin. Mostly for my skin and mineral makeup, but I may try it on my hair if we have any more humid rainy days (which has been a lot lately).

Interesting Protein Experiment

I know I swore off protein a few months ago, but I tried something different tonight.

My hair was leaning towards the greasy side, and I really didn't want to low-poo since GTTT has oils in it.

My solution?

Protein. It's been a while since I've used it, my hair is nowhere near dry (it's been either greasy or abnormally moisturized for a number of weeks now), and using it small amounts every once in a while hasn't done much harm. If protein can dry out my hair, which is currently greasy, could I in fact use it for a mini-clarification?

Apparently I can! I won't know for sure what the results were until tomorrow morning, but so far so good. My scalp feels better AND my curls are back! Win-Win! And all it took was a little Suave Coconut for a co-wash.

Definitely keeping this in mind in the future!

More About Coconut Oil

There is a great new post over at The Natural Haven concerning coconut oil!

It got me thinking about trying this as a prewash treatment to prevent excess water from entering the hair - something I definitely have problems with since my hair is highly porous. I've been using another curly's method for a few months (not sure if I can post about it yet) to help with moisture loss, but this has definitely caught my attention. I'll probably try it as soon as I get my Vatika Frosting (it would be nice if it was back in stock!).

I'm also interested in the sealing discussion going on over at nc.com. Once again, Del is saving my hair. I haven't had time to read it carefully, but I know she's on to something good. Another experiment to add to the list!

So I've totally flaked and haven't washed my hair. It was just as well; I walked outside to crazy fog and highhhh humidity! My hair didn't stand a chance. It was back in a flexi-8. Tomorrow I'm doing a double ponytail (hey, my class is at an elementary school!).

So...

It's been a while? Sorry about that. I haven't been doing much with my hair, and it's hard to update when there's not much to update about.

Things have been CRAZY busy with student-teaching this semester. I've pretty much been washing two days a week. Which is ok for some, but not for my scalp! It's been acting up lately. I've been thinking about low-pooing, but the only low-poo I have has oils in it, and I don't want to go there again.

Speaking of oils, I'm thisclose to ordering some Vatika Frosting from Hairveda, since it's on sale for $5 and my hair loves coconut oil (its only oil love). It is currently out of stock, but should be up in the next few days. Here's to hoping.

Anyway, my hair has also been having issues with inconsistent curlage. I'm not sure whether it's the inconsistent washings, crazy weather (hot and humid one day, freezing and dry the next, followed by cold humidity, which I think is the worst), or washing too late at night to allow it to dry in time for bed. It's kind of sad. I was really liking having short-ish hair because it was super easy to revive in the mornings. Not so much lately. I actually found my best flexi-8 and have been using that. That and a lot of buns. One day last week I actually rolled out of bed with my hair still in a bun from the night before and went to school. Didn't fix it at all. And it was day three hair. Laziness at its finest.

Other than that, not much is going on hair-wise. My hair hasn't been dry much at all, which I'm attributing to not washing as much (remember when you were transitioning at the beginning of CG? It's kind of been like that lately.......). Gross? I don't know. I'm washing tonight to hopefully get back on track. My clumps - from when it was longer - are starting to come back! And it's growing. I was surprised how long it was the other night. My next cut is scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving. We'll see if I keep it.

Ok well I think that's enough of an update. I have tried a new leave-in, but haven't used it enough to review. It's hard when you wash at night, because you don't want your hair to be as soft as you would during the day. That would be a frizz disaster!

P.S. I started a new "life" blog for random thoughts and happenings. I thought I'd keep this one strictly about curls!

http://jbitsandpieces.blogspot.com/

Happy International Curly Day!

Woohoo! May curls live free everywhere (hey a girl can dream, right?)!

I actually got some nice compliments on my hair today from some of my mentor teachers. And as usual, I had been in a rush out the door this morning and it was not up to my standards. Ah, c'est la vie!

(not from today, but you get the idea!)

Update?

Um, it's been a while. And I don't have a whole lot to say. I've been doing the same routine with the same results. My only problem is that I don't have the time to wash every day, which my scalp seems to require. So my scalp has been a little on the dry side. I did a sugar scrub today that I *think* took care of the problem. But other than that, things have been good!

I do still have a number of samples to test, and I may do that soon. So hopefully some interesting updates to come!

Oh I also have a new "hollywood curls" post coming soon - I finally saw a movie that was not well received within the curly community (you can probably guess which one!).

Never Forget

Pictures

Here are some pictures of the new cut!

It doesn't look too short, does it? It doesn't quite fit into a pineapple, so by morning I had a few pieces that had fallen out (and of course, some frizz). It does fit in a ponytail; not quite into a bun. But I'm really liking it! I think it feels shorter because it's just on the shoulders in the front, whereas it's a little longer in the back.

I actually had a hair conversation with my stylist. I told her my hair was super dry because of a protein overdose and she said "oh, well your hair is so healthy that you don't need much protein at all!" True - but no mention of my texture. It's a step though. I just had her rinse and use KCKT to detangle, which she really liked.

And if you ever needed to see a visual of why we need styling products...

I will say it dried in less than an hour with no product in it! I'm not sure how long it takes when actually styled, and I'm hoping my curls come out to play when I don't have to sleep on them!

Two Things

1. I got my hair cut. It feels SO short. I don't think I've had it this short since I was a freshman in college (senior now). But it doesn't look that short in pictures. Those will be up as soon as I can find the cord, or have time to find the cord. No product in my hair is very scary.

Now I just have to figure out how to do my hair for bed. A pineapple doesn't seem like it's going to work very well.

2. My Sally's order got here!!! How fast was that? Not even forty-eight hours later, and the box was at my door. Maybe they read my last entry? They almost redeemed themselves.

Hair Emergency!

Once again, I let myself get to the bottom of a conditioner bottle before I even thought of buying my next one. "Oh well," I thought, "I'll just stop at Sally's on the way home and pick one up." Sounds like a plan, right?

Wrong. I walk in the door, walk straight back to the GVP section and lo and behold: no Conditioning Balm!

"WTF!" my mind exclaimed.

"Can I help you find something?" the employee asks. I explain what I'm looking for and she walks over to the Biotera section before turning around and replying "Oh, no, I know what you're talking about."

We look desperately (ok, I'm being a little dramatic) for the bottle of conditioner. It's simply not there. It's not even like there's a space for one and it's just empty. There is a whole row of GVP Matrix products, but this one is missing.

"Well, it should be here. Unless we've discontinued it, which I didn't think we had. HUM."

DISCONTINUED? This is the ONE conditioner I can use - it's moisturizing enough and it does not contain any bad ingredients, like the usual silicones, protein, or oils.

Then, she walks away. Without any explanation. She sort of acted like she was going to the stock room, but turned at the last second and went back to whatever aisle she had been in before. And starts humming again. Ok...

So I looked around where it should have been for a temporary replacement. No luck, everything has silicones, protein, and lanolin.

"Are you finding everything?" another employee asks. Yes, I am. Obviously that is why I've already been asked and why I'm staring wide-eyed at a display of hair products.

Eventually I decide to stop wasting my time (because I've already wasted enough just by driving there) and walk out the door dejectedly. "Thanks!" the employee yells after me. Yeah, thanks for nothing.

So I race home and what do you know? It's on their website. So now I have to order online and pay shipping (I'm not having the store order it - not dealing with them again).

This time I'll order two, so it will be another three months until I have to deal with this again.

Ch-Ch-Changes

Well, it's happening. Haircut is scheduled for Wednesday at 5pm. I'm going for something much more dramatic than last time:


Just kidding. I could never do that. I need at least shoulder-length. Now the only questions are how short and how much shrinkage?

New Pictures

...are up in my fotki! I haven't updated that thing in a loooong time. I think it's been since my haircut on St. Patrick's Day.

Which is funny because I'm thinking it's time for a haircut.


Note: My hair is dried out from protein (only used it three times). I knew it was too good to last!

Super-Soaker Method: Take One

After all the raves of rudee's Super-Soaker method, I decided to try it last Friday night. I don't really have a problem with clumps, but I do have a problem with consistent and uniform clumps in the back. I thought this might fix it. Here are my results:



Unfortunately there were a lot of issues that led to these results.

1. These pictures were taken on Saturday afternoon after sleeping with a Re-Modified pineapple (this reminds me, I still need to do an entry about this) and a four-hour shopping trip that required trying on clothes. So probably not the best to begin with.

2. I'm not really sure I did this right. I was trying to be really careful about getting water everywhere, and it was really hard to soak my entire head. I'm not sure I got everything in the back.

3. I used pink boots as one of my bases, and this always leads to soft hair. Good thing when washed in the morning; bad thing when done at night when you need "stable" hair in order to last through the night.

4. Brushing ruins my curl pattern. As soon as I got that Denman through my curls, they were gone. I had stringlets everywhere. Soaking them with water did not help. I did get some curls back after scrunching gel in at the end, but some were gone for good.

5. I ended up using the Got2b gel because I was (at the time) pretty much out of Aussie (as of tonight, I'm all out). From the experiment last week, I know this may not have the hold that I am used to/NEED.

6. I didn't use my clump-guaranteed product (KCCC) because it only works in hair that isn't that wet. It seemed stupid to go through the whole process and then scrunch water out. I may do it at some point, but thought the first test-run should be as close to the original method as possible.

So, a good number of things to take into consideration. I plan on doing this again at some point, but I'm waiting for the video to make sure I'm doing it right.

And it may be that my hair is just too porous for this method to work that well. My hair soaks up a lot of water to begin with.

I do still have some tricks up my sleeve in the methods department, so everything is not totally back to normal.

One of which is a new diffuser bowl. I got my mom a new dryer for her birthday because her's was so worn down I was afraid it would start a small electrical fire. The lettering had completely rubbed off, so I don't even know who made it (though she thinks it was Conair). Anyway, I got her a VS dryer for fine hair that is supposed to boost volume (which she needs - her wavy hair is fine and so short that it is straight).

Anyway, it came with a couple attachments and she gave the diffuser one to me. It doesn't fit on my Revlon dryer, but it DOES fit on the Deva adapter, which then fits on my dryer! So I had an interesting-looking dryer tonight. I have high hopes for it. The fingers are longer, like my first diffuser that died in October. I had amazing curls with that diffuser (see picture to right!) that I haven't been able to get since. Here's to trying again!

Interesting Hair Day

Just a quick update - I know I've spent most of the last year working hard to coax spirals and ringlets from my hair, but imagine my surprise when I took down my hair this morning and discovered glamorous old Hollywood waves!

I had volume in all the right places, with a few ringlets strategically placed in the front. Of course it only lasted maybe an hour - it was SO hot out today. I really wish I had taken a picture, because I've never seen it like that, ever! It was a little curlier than Rita Hayworth here, but still glamorous all the same!

And then, for some odd reason, it morphed into an almost Farrah Fawcett-like style. Everything in the front flipped to curl towards the back. It really confused me. But I'll take it!

My Stash(es): In Pictures

Last week my aunt and her family came over for dinner. Two out of three of my cousins are curlies and sort of follow their own version of CG (I did a boot camp for them last summer!). Anyway, I asked if they wanted anything from my stash, and we went upstairs to look. I had totally forgotten how big my stash was! I only showed them two of my stashes, but was amazed and sort of embarrassed at the sheer amount of product I have.

So I thought I would share! Here are my stashes, in pictures - taken on my cell, so forgive the quality!

The Closet Stash (formerly known as The Dorm Room Stash)

The Bathroom #1 Stash
(I share this bathroom with my sister, but I don't do my hair here - way too small!)
This used to be my soap bar cabinet, but I've managed to bring down the collection a lot. The middle shelf used to be almost completely full of soap bar samples! Very bad for porous hair!

The Perpetual Shower Stash
(My staples: V05 Raspberry, GVP CB, & KCKT)

The Bathroom #2 Stash
(More Frequently Used Products & Makeup/Skincare)

Sedusa, Deva, and Revlon Diffusers are all stashed here - seriously confused my cousins

Blurry close-up of my organized makeup (relatively new) -
I love my bamboo brush holder ($10 at Target!!)

The Dining Room Stash
(Things I might need on the way out the door and my KM samples that haven't made it upstairs)

There it is - wasn't too bad was it? How big is your stash?

Got2b Spiked Up Gel

I know I said I wasn't that into testing new products anymore, but I was almost out of gel and I didn't pay for this one.

I used this last night with V05 raspberry (co-wash), GVP CB (rinse-out), KCKT (leave-in), and KCCC. I tried to use the same amount that I usually use with Aussie, but I wasn't sure if I was using too much. It didn't feel like I put anything in my hair, honestly. It did not look pretty when I un-plopped to diffuse. And was not that crunchy when I was done.

I had to sleep on it. While this wouldn't have been the true test of a product in the old days, now that I will most likely be showering at night it will be necessary. It didn't look too bad this morning. I used some CJ Curl Fuel and that helped with some frizz. There are a few spirals, but it's mostly wavy, and not uniform.

Overall, I'm not liking it much based on this one time. I'll use it a few more times, with varying amounts, before giving an overall verdict. Sad, I had read this was comparable to BRHG (which I still have not tried...).

The Miracle of Protein

Yes, I did just write that. No, I don't believe it either.

Last night I used a few shots of Suave Coconut mixed with my GVP CB as a rinse-out, based on the advice of Del. Literally as soon as I applied it, the tangles were falling out of my hair! It was so weird! They're pretty much non-existent today AND my hair isn't dry at all!

In fact, it's in pretty good condition moisture-wise, following the coconut oil DT I did on Sunday. Will definitely keep that up every week to prevent dryness!

Confirmation

Tonya's new Curl Chemist article on nc.com has confirmed why my hair does not like most oils. Not only does it go more in depth, but apparently porosity can have a big effect on using oils in our hair - nice to know! It's also cool because we learned about lipids and the structure of saturated/unsaturated fats a couple weeks ago in my biology class (and today, we learned about parasitic round worms in apple cider vinegar - oh joy!).

On Sunday, I did a DT with coconut oil, then washed as normal. I didn't want to throw any protein into the mix for fear of the coconut oil making the effects more intense. Because I am super paranoid like that. My tangles were a little better.

I went through my stash and discovered a whole host of protein products I had forgottten about! So now I won't have to dig up the dreaded LVPNG to get my small shot of protein.

Not much else going on in my hair life. I'm hoping to do some product testing this weekend with the untouched samples I got two months ago.

Lesson Learned: Porous Hair Needs TLC

So throughout the many weeks of my lazy summer routine, I haven't been washing my hair as often as I used to - usually around 3 times a week. Which means my hair isn't getting the extra moisture that it NEEDS because it is porous.

Even in all these high dew points, my hair gets dry by the end of day one. It's also a little frizzy and tangled - especially on the nape of my neck. These are the types of knots that take a good five minutes to work through with conditioner in the shower.

I've been burned by this before, so you would think I would know what I'm doing by now, but I just had the epiphany today. My hair still feels soft, or at least normal, so it doesn't register to me that it's dry until day two.

And so begins the weekly deep treatments. The last time this happened to me (in winter/early spring), it was hard because all the popular conditioners marketed as DTs contain oils, which we have learned that my hair does NOT like at all. I guess this really is the first time I have to DT without using those conditioners. Maybe I should get some butters?

I'm going to start out with some GVP conditioning balm, maybe sealed with coconut oil? That will be tomorrow's project.

Curl Acceptance?

I haven't posted lately because I haven't really been doing anything lately with my hair. I wash maybe twice a week. Nothing special in my routine - can't even use pink boots because it makes my hair too soft to survive sleeping on it. I've been doing my hair at night during the week because of school. It's good practice for student teaching this year, and I suspect for the rest of my career.

I do still lurk on nc.com, though I'm not posting as much as I used to. Someone asked the other day about what happens after you find your HG - are you content with what you have, or do you continue the search because so-and-so loves a new product? Honestly, I think I've reached the point where I've accepted my curl pattern and found products that make my hair look good. It's SO weird to come to this conclusion. The me of a year ago, heck even a few months ago, would never believe that I have reached this point. I used to think people were crazy for abandoning the boards and testing new products (and in some cases I was right - what with all the new techniques and texture/porosity discussion).

I've been a curly all my life (well, minus the first two years when I was bald). I've accepted it all my life. That doesn't mean though that I always knew how to take care of my hair, and finding nc.com was a godsend for that problem. For the past year, curly hair and the science behind it has consumed my mind. Now, not so much. I don't feel the need to wash everyday; to keep trying and trying to achieve maximum curl; to achieve perfect multiple day hair.

And I'm guessing that means I've finally accepted my hair as is - and that's a wonderful thing.

This doesn't mean that I'll stop blogging or posting on nc.com; far from it. I've just come to this realization lately, and thought I would share. It's a big moment!

Summer School

Today was the beginning of the second session of summer school. And even though I'm stuck in class for four hours (2 hour lab followed directly by the 2 hour lecture), it's not all bad... yet.

My biology professor is a curly! Think Lorraine Massey, but much better!

And today we learned about the "important molecules," which include lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins (there's a fourth, but we didn't get to it today)! I knew pretty much everything she talked about related to proteins solely because of my curl knowledge! How cool is that?

There was an interesting discussion on the structure of proteins and what can change them. Proteins are functionally dependent on their structure, and this has awakened the inner geek in me. It took a while, but it's here! I'm wondering if I do something to change the structure of a protein, if it will stop the effect it has on my hair and allow me to use products I normally wouldn't be able to use.

That goes down a whole other road. I have a major headache right now, so am not thinking about or looking to experiment anytime soon, but it's an interesting thought.

Bouncing Back

Just a quick update - this morning I decided to use Curl Junkie's Curl Assurance Leave-In as my rinse-out. It has some oils in it, but I'm going to shampoo again anyway after my GVP Conditioning Balm gets here. My curls are much better today. There is a little frizz in the back, but it's curling again and there are a few ringlets.

Speaking of shipments, Sally's website is out of Lustrasilk. So my order shipped without it. I may go down to my store and see if they have it. Of course I would go to the store after all this!

I'm officially out of my dorm. Very happy about that!

Lustrasilk On Sale at Sally's

Yes, I caved and bought online. So what?

Since I was already on the site, I decided to check out Lustrasilk's Shea Mango conditioner. I didn't have an amazing experience with the Olive Oil version, but I decided to try it for a few reasons.

1. I didn't experiment much with it after that inital testing.
2. The weather has changed dramatically since then (dews are a whopping 60 degrees higher, lol)
3. Curlies with the same texture/porosity as me did quite well with it
4. It's on sale for $1.99
   

Less than $2 for a giant tub - I'm sold!

I know it's semi-hypocritical/probably stupid to purchase since it does contain oil and I did just shampoo for the second time in two months due to oil build-up problems, but... it's $2! And hopefully the shea butter balances it out.

Here's to hopefully fast shipping!

I'm also on the lookout for a new dryer/diffuser. My first one started acting up in October (it was four years old, but I had only used it for four months at that point). I bought another Revlon dryer (different model) and have been happy until now. I have to reset it at least twice every time I plug it in, which is followed by a burning smell for a second or two, and then it gets very hot. So I've been sort of looking around. I want to get a better one that will last me longer than a few months. There is a GVP dryer on sale at Sally's, but it's less wattage than the one I have now. Not sure how much of a difference that will make. So we'll see.

And Once Again, I'm Reminded...

of how much my hair HATES sulfates! I cannot believe I used to do this on a tri-weekly basis! My poor hair!

I shampooed yesterday to get rid of oil build-up.

Not pretty.

At.

All.

It's actually embarrassing. My hair will be in a bun for the next few days (perhaps with a secret DT) until it recovers.

Thankfully my new bottle of KCKT and some duckbill clips will be here by then. I have a new bottle of V05 for my co-wash - blackberry sage tea - but have still not made it to sally's. Part of me is embarrassed to go in there with hair like this (ok, most of me). I may cave and order online... is that sad?

On a more positive note, this is my LAST WEEK living in a dorm! From now on, I'll be home with a regular bathroom with a regular electrical outlet strategically placed near a mirror. Finally.

Allergic to Suave

Sorry I've been MIA for a while. Between school, visiting family, and an underwhelming birthday, I've been busy. In hair news, the repeated use of BB's Smoothie has finally built up on me. My hair is frizzy when wet and not curling as well as I know it can. It only has a small amount of palm oil in it, so I'm now weary of all oils. I was thinking about taking advantage of the 4th of July sales and getting some of the CJ DT, but I really don't want to spend that much on something that might make my hair look worse. Thankfully I have not used any of the samples I got from KM. That would have been a waste.

I'm so in need of conditioner right now, it's crazy. I'm out of V05, so I used Suave Lavendar for yesterday's co-wash. BAD IDEA. I stopped using Suave conditioners a few weeks ago, thinking it was contributing to my allergic reactions after getting out of the shower. I was right. By the time I had finished co-washing yesterday, some hives and red patches had popped up on my back. I'm not sure what it is about those conditioners (maybe a preservative?) but it's bad.

I'm also out of a rinse-out - well technically I have some of BB's Smoothie left, but I don't feel a great need to finish it. I wish I liked it, but unfortunately I don't. I think that about Jessicurl as well. Sigh. But I've been meaning to pick up some GVP Conditioning Balm for a few weeks now (!) and just haven't gotten around to it. Today or tomorrow for sure!

And of course, I'm thisclose to being done with my first bottle of KCKT. It lasted six months - that's a good thing right?

Off to do some shopping - happy 4th, everyone!

Why Is It That...

...you always get the most and best compliments when you personally think your hair looks like crap?

Just one of the many rules of curly hair that I just don't understand.

Pink Boots & KCCC Revisited

OMG - why did I ever stop using this combo? I'm in love! Frizz-free clumps with root curl and shine - what more could a curly girl ask for?

Did I mention our temps are in the high 90s to low 100s? With dew points in the 60s and 70s??

As I said in my last post, I revisited this combo on Friday (after my previous blog entry on the subject was referenced in a post on nc.com -whoot!). I had really good second day hair on Saturday (enough to get some compliments, which hasn't happened in a long time!). I wasn't feeling well yesterday, so it spent most of the day in a bun. I decided to wash last night, and it actually looked pretty good when I took it down. So potential 3rd day hair!

I washed last night, scrunched out most of the crunch, and put it up in a modified pineapple. It was AMAZING this morning! I didn't even have to do anything to refresh it! I'm really hoping for third day hair. Not only would it be awesome to accomplish, but it's a serious pain to do my hair in this dorm room. I have two more weeks (but home on Thursdays for the weekend) after this that I'm stuck here. If I never have to wash my hair here again, I will be one happy curly girl!

I really wish I had pictures to post. My hair looked very similar to the way it did at my sister's confirmation a few weeks ago (at which time I also failed to take pictures!). I think it also has something to do with GVP Conditioning Balm. I've been using BB's Smoothie and not getting the same results. I pretty much scraped the bottom of my last bottle last night. Really need to get some more!

Has It Really Been A Year?

Well, things have been resolved and my hair is much happier. My university came seriously close to pretty much screwing my life over, due mainly to one stupid person and a rigid computer system, and though it has made things more difficult, it is resolved. I've also discovered that being a curly girl in the dorm room I'm in for the next three weeks is pretty much impossible. The bathroom/shower area is ridiculously small with no where to put anything (not cool when you have multiple products/hair towels!), and the electrical outlets are nowhere near the mirror! I have to sit in a weird position on my bed. It's a nightmare.

Which is why I'm glad to be home for the weekend! I had a pretty good hair day yesterday and soon I'll be able to see if it carried over into second day hair. I revisited pink boots and KCCC and remember why I fell in love with it back at Easter.

Ok, on to the next item... Has it really been a year? It's crazy to think about everything that's happened since I first started last summer. All the experiments I've had, the good ones and the bad. I've learned so much about so many things since taking the plunge - my outlook on life has changed. And I know that sounds ridiculous and naive, but it's true.

Just over a year ago, I remember being in the hair product aisle with a friend. She knows her ingredients. She picked up the bottle of conditioner I was considering, pointed to the ingredients and said "These are so bad! Don't buy this! This one right here can cause cancer!" to which I laughed and replied, "Mmm chemicals," and put in my basket. Now you can't get me near that with a ten foot pole. I'm constantly complaining about ingredients in my family's hair products. Or screaming at the tv when certain companies air false advertising. My friend introduced me to another website that led me to nc.com, and I always tell her she created a monster - I'm worse than her now!

I began with the book that many begin with, even though I did find nc.com before. While I'm grateful to her for writing it so that I might be introduced, I think it falls short in a lot of ways. There is so much more to caring for curly hair than anyone could have imagined. Sometimes it's more of a curse than a blessing, but that's life. Overall, my hair is in a much better place - as am I. As shallow and materialistic as it sounds to some, having curly hair that is healthy and well cared for makes all the difference. Curly girls endure more than their straighter counterparts. It really does have an effect on their psyche. And bad hair days = bad days, period.

Ok enough of the rambling - on to the pictures!

The last two pictures are of yesterday's hair. I had some issues with volume (as usual - and I'll add that the clipping picture is just one that I've tried, not using it right now) but overall pretty good! It's crazy to look at my pre-CG pics and see how far I've come! And things will only get better! Thanks to everyone that's helped me over the past year - I'm more grateful than you can imagine.

It's My CG Anniversary!

Yay! One whole year of being CG!

I had a whole post planned out, but some not so good things (as in screwed-me-over-in-life type things) have happened. I am not in the mood and I have pretty much no mental capacity right now.

Hopefully things will be straightened out tomorrow and I can post.

Jennifer

P.S. It was a bad hair day anyway - hopefully it will be better with take 2 tomorrow!

Yay Coconut Oil!

I got a small jar of coconut oil with my order from iherb the other day, so I decided to try it out last night. I used it as a mini-DT before low-pooing with GTTTT shampoo (my scalp has been stubbornly itchy for over a week now, no matter how many brown sugar scrubs I do).

I didn't notice much of a difference last night. I SOTC a little bit before doing a modified pineapple and going to sleep. This morning I scrunched out the rest and used a little bit of pink boots to smooth away frizz. It feels SOOOOOO soft! I really like it.

I was reading a magazine last night while diffusing and it said we should do weekly scalp and/or hair treatments with coconut oil to maintain scalp health and keep it shiny and soft. If these results continue, it may be a new weekly staple for me! Which is awesome because having such a high porosity leads to dry hair at the end of the first day and definitely the second day. I know it hasn't been a full day yet, but hair is still soft and happy! And it seemed to really absorb well. I'm a little weary after just getting over an oil build-up problem, but it does seem to act differently than other oils.

On another note, I updated the previous two posts with picture results. Still experimenting to see what will work best. Summer school starts tomorrow, so now I have to re-adapt to not only living in a dorm, but sharing a ridiculously small room with someone. I had my own bedroom in the dorm I shared during the regular school year... sigh.

Navigating Natural Products

I know I said I would update with pictures, but for I can't find the cord for the camera and the computer isn't reading the chip. So hopefully they will be up at some point. I had some really great clumps, which is actually pretty normal for KCCC.

My problem right now is with volume on top. I diffuse upside-down and to the sides until my hair is crunchy. This method is great for getting lots of curl towards the bottom, but the upper-middle is not as curly, and the top is usually completely dry - and flat - by the time I'm done. I then spray some water around my roots and clip with mini jaw clips. I've tried spraying this with Garnier Fructis' spray gel, but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. The clips usually fall out and it's just horrible.

Today I decided to try clipping before diffusing. Did not help much. They pretty much fell out (which is what I expected, but I figured I'd try). I think it's the clips. I switched to those about a month ago after trying the longer clips used in the Curlisto video. Last year I tried the square metal clips without much luck - they always fell out. Maybe I'll try the misfitcurls method next, though I need to get those clips.

Plopping doesn't help and wet-pineappling isn't much of an option because when my hair is wet, it needs to be plopped to help with curl formation. Which just gave me the idea of doing a wet plopped pineapple. Maybe I'll try this tomorrow!

Beyond that, I've used Botticelli Botanicals' Smoothie conditioner three or four times now. I have mixed feelings. When I put some in my hands and rub together to apply, it's like my skin absorbs a good amount. Then my hair absorbs the rest - I can't tell that I put anything in. It's not extra-detangling for me like LVPNG was (when I could actually use it...). There have been a few times where I had to use KCKT to help with detangling. I've also started getting bad knots, especially at the nape of my neck. I did an ACV rinse today, so hopefully that will help. However, after I finish detangling, it does have a decent amount of slip. And the scent (orange) is nowhere near as overpowering as the lemongrass scent of my BB FSG. So I don't know. It's pretty light - I actually think it would make a better leave-in conditioner. But it has a little oil in it, and I'm hesitant to leave that in after the recent oil incident. If the knots don't improve, I may switch back to GVP Conditioning Balm and save this for later in the summer when I don't need as much moisture.

I got an order from iherb today, so I finally have everything I need to make my own deodorant and specialized flax seed gel. I just finished making my flax seed gel and am very impressed so far! I hope it works well tomorrow!

I used:
- 2 cups distilled water
- 1/4 cup golden flax seeds
- a little more than 1 tablespoon of agave nectar
- a pinch of citric acid
- a few drops of sweet orange EO (which smells just like the oranges we pick off my grandpa's orange tree in California)

This overfilled my 8oz bottle, which was really surprising to me. With my old FSG, I would use the same amounts of water and brown flax seeds and make just enough to fill a 4oz bottle. Anyway, it seemed a little on the runny side, so hopefully the agave will give me enough hold. I may have to wash twice tomorrow!

I think that's everything. I'll try and update tomorrow with results and pictures.

* Edit *

Here are my results:

As you can see, there wasn't a whole lot of volume. I didn't blot or use a leave-in before applying, so I'm going to experiment with that. I did get some great spirals and clumps, but it was hard to get a picture of it (so I did resort to using the flash!).

I co-washed with Suave Green Apple (which I'm beginning to think I'm allergic too...), GVP Conditioning Balm as a rinse-out, homemade FSG, and Aussie Sculpting gel.

Getting Back to Normal

Just a quick update to say that my hair is pretty much back to normal. I had an AWESOME hair day on Sunday, which was even better because it was my sister's confirmation and all of our friends and family were there. I washed on Saturday night and used only KCKT, KCCC, and Aussie. I was worried because it was still a little wet when I pineappled to go to sleep that night, but it worked out in the end! I'd post a picture, but I don't think I have a good close-up. But I had awesome clumps and spirals, with curl all the way to my root!

I've been washing every-other day for the past two weeks. This is when that whole porous thing does not come in handy - my hair has been very dry every second day. They dew points haven't been as high as they were, so I think that has something to do with it.

I got BB's Smoothie conditioner the other day. I've only used it once, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'll use it again today and update later.

* Edit *

I don't usually take pictures with flash because I think it makes my hair look curlier than it really is. I couldn't help it this time though!

Clarifying (Again)

So after discovering the oil build-up problem last week, I clarified with a sulfate shampoo. Things were kind of weird Sunday and yesterday, so I clarified again today. Then I co-washed with Suave Green Apple, conditioned with GVP Conditioning Balm, scrunched in BB's FSG, blotted, and scrunched in some KCCC. I haven't used BB's FSG in a long time, way before the dews went up. I figured it was worth a shot, especially since my hair doesn't look it's best after shampooing.

I was actually really surprised. I had some nice ringlets while diffusing. It didn't last as long as I would have liked, but that could be because it took a long time to dry and I didn't use a super-hard-holding gel (crazy, I know!). So here's how it turned out:


I know it's not my best, but this is really good for hair that was just shampooed! I have tons of clumps and very minimal frizz. My roots are pretty flat - I'm wayyy overdue for a new clipping method. I ordered some of BB's Smoothie conditioner, and if that doesn't come in tomorrow I'm heading to Sally's to get some more GVP Conditioning Balm and new clips.

I'm also making my way into the world of homemade products. I haven't had time to do Jess' routine, and I'll be moving back into a dorm in three weeks (soo not cool!), so I need something that's easy to travel with, meets my skincare needs, but also is non-commercial. I ordered a book that also included haircare recipes, so we'll see how that goes! With the success I had today with FSG (the first since... the end of February?) I'm going to make my own FSG concoction as well. I'm pretty excited. And who knows, maybe I'll be the next BB (hey, I can dream. Especially with the year of student-teaching - and no income - I'm about to embark on!).

Done!

Yeah, I know, it's been forever. But the semester is finally over! It was a rough last three weeks, so it's definitely a relief. And as my brain and sleep suffered, so did my hair. I had so many issues, from regular frizz, to being super soft on day 1 and super dry on day 2, to frizzy when wet. My scalp was dry and itchy. It seemed to take forever to do my hair, and when I did it just sucked. Low-poos, vinegar rinses, and baking soda didn't help. I had no idea what was going on.

So I got some help from the boards and discovered that it was most likely oils building up on me. It makes sense that it would be super soft on the first day and then dry on the second, since moisture couldn't get through. I did a sulfate on Wed night and slept overnight with some Suave in. Didn't get around to washing again until today (checking out of my dorm yesterday was a PAIN). It doesn't look great, but that's to be expected with sulfates.

I don't know what I'm going to do product-wise. I'm pretty much out of AOHR anyway, so nothing will be wasted there. I may go back to what I did last summer, which was just Suave, Aussie gel, and sometimes CK or FOTE. That's what I used in my profile pic at the top. The dews are in the 70s and I honestly don't know what I'm supposed to do. I know CK and FOTE worked great last summer, but all this "don't use humectants in high dew points" or "use anti-humectants" is boggling my brain (which is still in recovery, lol).

So that's that. I'll be updating more often now and I have some experimenting to do, so things will be better!

Lazy Days

I feel bad I haven't been updating this as regularly as I used to. A lot of it is that I'm just not doing my hair as often as I did. The end of the semester is turning into a rush of projects and papers (oh how I wish I could relax like that dog!!). I have six days of class left and then three finals the second week of May.

I've been really tired. Doing my hair everyday takes a lot out of me. It's takes about an hour from the minute I step in the shower to when I finish diffusing, and then at least an hour and a half before it dries all the way. It's been feeling more like a chore lately than something fun to do. And as a consequence of that, my scalp has been acting up. I used Flowermoon's Dairy Whip on Sunday but it didn't help much. I might have to low-poo over the weekend.


And while I was comfortable with KCCC and a new routine, the dews have reached the 60s. I realized that I haven't been using many humectants. My curls don't last and I get frizz. So I'm going to start experimenting with CK again and possibly looking into anti-humectants. CK worked well last summer, but I have no idea what the dews were and I've since become sensitive to many ingredients, so I don't know what to expect.

I got to use Ohm's Avocado Custard on Sunday. I really liked it! I used a very very small amount to SOTC. It wasn't greasy like KBB cream and my hair was soft and defined. I know I need to use it more than once to make a decision, but I'm glad it worked well once and I got it for more than half off!

I do have some KCCC pics on my other computer that I need to upload, so I'll do that this weekend. I've been doing some updos, so I'll try and post pics of those too!

PJ Adventures and an Update

So I thought I would update since it's been a while. I'm still having good hair days with KCCC, so long as I wait at least an hour after diffusing to SOTC and my hair still has some moisture in it when I apply gel. Temperatures have been in the 80s/90s (hot!) with dew points in the 50s. I have great clumps and I'm soo happy I finally figured out how to get KCCC to work for me! I need to take pictures one of these days (or at least get my computer fixed so I have a webcam at school!).

I came by two great PJ deals today that I couldn't pass up. It's been about a month since I bought anything (hair-related at least!), and I've been diligently using up conditioners that I've had for a while (finally got through a bottle of Suave Green Apple I bought last July!).

First, Aziza is having a sale on Ohm Body Crown of Glory Hair Custard. It's usually $18 but currently going for $9. Plus there is a 15% discount for anything you buy - coupon is OOPS. So with shipping, it was still $4 cheaper than the original price! I've never tried it before, but at that price I figured, why not?

Next, someone posted a thread on nc.com about Ricky's giving out coupons in NYC. I had never heard of them, but then someone else posted they have a 25% discount going on at their site right now. The coupon is DAILYRICKY. I figured I'd stock up on KCCC. The discount brings it to around $20, but with shipping it would be the same as the original price. So I guess it's like getting free shipping. They do have a free shipping offer if you spend at least $49.

It's funny, I've bought a few books and makeup stuff the past few weeks (nothing super expensive) and had it sent to the house. So whenever I go home on the weekends, I have at least one package. My dad told me that I must be supporting the economy all by myself! I think he's just jealous of all my packages!

KCCC & Pink Boots

I tried this combo out for the first time on Saturday. I had heard good things about it and wanted to see how well they played together so I could possibly use it for Easter Sunday (more so for impressing my curly cousins than for the whole Easter thing. It sounds bad, but the few times I'd seen them in the past couple months my hair had looked like crap - and they have BEAUTIFUL curls without even being CG!).

After applying a leave-in (Curl Junkie's leave-in), I blotted moisture out and applied a thin layer of pink boots. It was about the amount I would use on its own - barely covering my hands when emulsified. I scrunched this in the usual way (I do everything à la mysteryflavored, including diffusing). Then I scrunched in KCCC the same way. Plopped, scrunched in Aussie Sculpting gel, plopped again, diffused, and clipped.

We actually ended up going over to my aunt's house anyway to do an Easter egg hunt because we were getting bad weather on Sunday. And I had about forty-five minutes in between when I finished diffusing and when we left. So needless to say, I was worried. I usually have at least an hour and a half before I scrunch the crunch. I had diffused on high power a bit, which I don't normally do. I'm having trouble figuring out how much water to blot out of my hair. It's easy to over-do it, but so easy to not get enough out. Saturday I ended up getting just the right amount out.

It ended up looking really good! It had some hold, but the pink boots made it pretty soft. I also do the icequeen method, so I had root curl and spirals everywhere! My cousins really liked it and we did a high-five for curls, lol. So I was very happy with it.

I did the combo again today and did not have as good results. I think most of it is due to the blotting issue. I guess I have more experimenting to do to figure out how much to get out. I took out too much water, and I think pink boots may have soaked up some as well. By the time I got to the point where I needed to scrunch in gel, my hair wasn't squeaking when I scrunched. So dry! I attempted to wet it down with a spray bottle, but that didn't do much. So I ended up with some fluffy curls in the back. And any hold that I had sort of dwindled by the end of the day.

I tried using CJ Curl Fuel Spray at various times to save it. I have learned that if I use too much, even if not at once, this stuff can turn on you. I get a greasy, build-up feeling. Like right now, I'm having the urge to go co-wash. But I'm experimenting with doing my hair in the morning right now, so it'll have to wait. For some reason, and it may be related to dropping an unneeded medication, I get about six to seven hours of sleep now. I wake up automatically at about 8am every morning, where it used to be 9:30am. Now that I have time in the morning, I can actually do my hair. My sleeping methods hadn't been that great with KCCC, so this works out.

So the overall verdict on KCCC + pink boots: Good, but I need to experiment more. If you want soft curls, don't need mega hold all the time, and happen to have both of these products, give it a shot. Otherwise you might find that it's not the best.

I've also heard good things about mixing them, so I may try that at some point. Right now I think I'll play it safe and go back to just KCCC.


Oh, and as for my previous post - I did make it through my wash routine, including diffusing. I was actually surprised! Then I got to make-up time and I literally could not lift my right arm. It was crazy! I'm still not sure why it was the right, since that's my dominant arm. I guess it could be because I haven't used those muscles in a long time. I marched cymbals in high school and left arm is more dominant than right. I woke up Saturday with pain in both that lasted all through Sunday. I'm so excited to play again when I get home though! I like punching for some reason (loved Tae Bo!).