My Internets are sort of back and running, albeit slowly, so I’m petering around my blog network…reading and catching up on posts that I’ve missed.  Product Junkie Diva’s  site recently posted a love shoutout to a really awesome and inspiring new on-line mag called Clutch! If you haven’t already, check them out now! But wait, be prepared to spend some time digging through their archives, because there is where you’ll find info & advice  on celebs, beauty,  lifestyle and tons more to feed the urban bella in you! I visited the site during it’s early weeks of conception, and lately have been impressed by their new face lift which is inspiring the hidden stylista feme in me.  I’m digging around their blog network that’s sort of a one-stop destination for everything in your life! Hard to choose a fav, but I’ve been lingering around Fuchsia, Golden and of course the parent Clutch, for my daily fix of hair, beauty, and lifestyle advice! From those who’ve just recently begun transitioning to others who are so far down the PJ ladder they need help in figuring out what really works for their hair, Clutch has got you covered!  Here’s some more info on the other networking blogs:

Solidifying our status as a rising powerhouse in the new media industry, CLUTCH has launched a niche blog network, the first specifically for women of color . The CLUTCH blog network, updated 3-6 times daily, offers insights and information on  topics such as fashion, entertainment, beauty and parenting.

The Edge

Entertainment news and hearsay from the fringe of mainstream culture. The Edge provides the freshest,  insightful “hip-smart” commentary as it pertains to those in the know. We administer a daily dose of  the most intriguing chatter about everything from your favorite personalities to rants about TV, Film, Music and much more.

Stylistic

All fashion, all the time, Stylisticis the ultimate fashion sanctuary for urban  stylistas worldwide.  With daily styling tips, collection reviews, looks for less and more, every feature is  meant to keep Clutchette’s both fashionably self-confident and knowledgeable shoppers.

Paper

Paper is here to help you get your money right and prepare yourselves for the career you’ve always dreamed of! With tips on education, money management, and career placement, we hope to get you all just a few steps closer to living a prosperous life. So whether you’re a soon-to-be college grad or going back to pick up an extra degree, working for a Fortune 500 Company or recently unemployed, visit “Paper” to touch up on the skills and planning you’ll need to make the most out of your current situation.

Pad

Padis our home décor blog. Looking to renovate, redecorate, or simply spice up an old space in your house? You’ve come to the right place! “Pad” will highlight all the latest products, techniques, and tips that you’ll need to tackle that home décor project with ease.

News.Gossip.Info

Internationally known, News.Gossip.Info.is the premier blog for those who choose to be informed  and empowered on news, politics, health and more.

 

Basically, I’ve fallen back in love with the mag scene! I was a devout back in the days of Honey and Vibe Vixen, but withdrew my time when both folded.  Clutch mag-online is lead by the fashion savvy Dede Sutton, founder and creative director…with her this site just ooooozes cutting edge vivre!  Also sitting on the editorial board is the beautifully inspiring brains of Michaela Angela Davis and Kevin Powell just to drop a few.  No doubt the vision of this brand and it’s audience will  reach many smart & ‘sexy urban female.’  

Click here to read Ms. Davis’ love letter to her readers.  I’ve been a HUGE fan of Ms. Davis since her days at Essence and continue to follow her career because I sincerely believe she is one of the strongest voices for up and coming African American women.  Visit Clutch, browse …catch up on what you’ve missed, and decide for yourself;-)

So yesterday I was all about the hair. Totally devoted to styling and pleasing my mop because I’d so erroneously ignored it for the past two weeks. To back track, I’d carelessly over-conditioned my hair while revisiting the conditioner method, as well as styling with Lustrasilk and KBB milk the following week sans DC’ing and clarifying.  As a result my hair turned hard, fuzzy and unmanageable by the time Sunday rolled around.  To manage through the unruly hair days, I’d been pinning and tucking my hair in up-do’s and trying out various gels and buttercremes to tame the frizz.  Most of the products I’d sampled were all goodies for the hair, but I’d definitely over-used one too many.  I tried the Afroveda Pur whipped Jelly one day, then switched to the Wet Set pudding the other, then topped off with some Flaxseed Gel.  Yesterday I’d woken up to an irritated and inflamed hairline! All that product usage along with the continuous brushing aggravated the hair around my front temples forcing me to bring out the big guns.

Yesterday I was more than happy to dig up the remainder of my Bentonite clay for a nice deserved treatment.  I had just enough to cover my hair, and mixed in some ACV, water, Vitamin E oil as well as some Hemp Seed oil.  The Hemp Seed to help fight the inflammation and Vitamin E to help heal any potential scarring.  Before applying the Hemp oil to the mix, I did test a small patch on the inside of my forearm for any adverse reactions, and thankfully found none (something I’d recommend every product junkie to doin light of previous skin sensitivities).

I applied the mix to freshly pre-pooed & sectioned hair, which makes application a ton easier in my book! I started from the back and worked my way forward making sure to target the scalp first and then evenly distribute throughout the hair.  After applying to each section, I massaged the batter a bit more throughout my head, leaving no hair unturned…followed with a conditioning cap and left it on for 1 hour.  I wanted a serious deeeeeeeeep cleaning, hence the hour block as opposed to my previous 15-20 minute.

This was the longest I’d kept the bentonite in my hair, and it was well worth the wait.  I finally experienced that softer feel every other bentonite user had been harping about for some time! My hair at first appeared longer but, soon realized my curls were a tad more elongated, though more importantly my hair and scalp felt cleansed!! I rinsed out the clay using Nature’s Gate Hemp Nourishing Conditioner for good measure (thanks to maturenatural for the rec;-).  This is my second go with this brand and I’m finding that it agrees with my hair & my budget. At around 6 bucks, I’m able to run away with a full 18oz bottle! For something that works well, is hair friendly in terms of ingredients…I’ll say it’s a keeper.

After rinsing I applied Curl Junkie’s Curl Rehab and DC’d for 1 hour.  My final rinse was with cold water and this week I opted to style with Donna Marie’s Lock and Twist Pudding.  I made my twists larger this week to cut back on time but also rolled the ends using my old stash of flexi rods.  I was going for a shortened curly look, that would gradually lengthen over the course of a week, and using the rods help to achieve the look.  To protect my ends I used end wrappers before rolling, and utilized for the first time my soft bonnet dryer!! Turns out there’s no cute way to look when using any bonnet, so I embraced it for what it is and stayed put for about two hours, the average time to dry my thick hair.

This morning I unrolled the rods, and sealed ends with Afroveda’s Hemp Seed Lock ,Twist & Roll Butter before taking down and separating each twist.  Final result was just what I wanted! I have a bob look going that should fluff and expand as the week progresses.  No frizz, sufficient moisture and a cleansed scalp make me a happy PJ;-)!

Giveaway update: The winner of my second giveaway for Dr. Susan Taylor’s Rx for Brown Skin goes to Miriam P!! Miriam, email me your address (backtocurly@gmail.com) and I’ll swing the book your way! I’m making my way up to some product giveaways in the next month, so look out;-)

How crazy am I?!

Tomorrow begins my hair’s return to normal via The Process, and yesterday, on yet another whim, I decided to purchase something I’ve been loooonging for!! A soft bonnet dryer!!! Thankfully it doesn’t resemble the one this lovely gal is wearing…I mean…that look is too 80′s even for me…but I did pick up the HOT TOOLS soft bonnet dryer  from my local BSS, Ricky’s here in NYC!  I’d luv to say that I don the rouge and full on makeup when doing my hair but…eh…I just don’t.  But lately I’ve been anxious to save on time and reduce the frizz factor in the a.m., so hopefully my bonnet will aid in that department…I won’t have to feel trepidation when wanting to set my hair!!! I can’t wait!

Maybe I can finally try that long over-do roller set?

Or that flexi-rod set I saw mentioned on one of my fav blogger’s site!

Lately I’ve been noticing some changes in my hair, scalp and skin.  They’ve sort of bonded and become increasingly sensitive to A LOT of the products I’ve been trying over the past few months, even old staples that I’ve been devout over for some time.  Frustrating!! It’s been a slow process, one that started with my skin, forcing me to switch face washes, invest in expensive corrective lotions, and then finally make that inevitable call to the dermatologist.  The texture of my skin has changed over the years as well, and I’m sure it has much to do with age, coupled with diet and most importantly, my water intake…but I’m still a bit peeved that I’m having to make so many costly adjustments!

My scalp has also become beyond sensitive over the past several years.   Before going natural rarely did I have problems with over-dryness, flakes or irritation. But once I did the BC, my scalp went on a journey of specitivity…forcing me to try, and re-try different products that wouldn’t irritate…hence, this is how the PJ in me surfaced;-).  After visiting my dermatologist I was diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis, an irritation that often targets the scalp but also found on other parts of the skin.  I have a mild case that sparks up when I apply products with way too many ingredients, or apply something that has little to zilch in nourishing properties.  To combat this, I’ve been careful in choosing DC’s and styling products that have nourishing oils, which my scalp appreciates, and mostly natural ingredients that aren’t broken down too much.

Vigilance is sort of key for me these days, which can be a pain because…over time you do tend to over-think what may or may not be good for your hair or scalp and just go willy nilly on whatever other people suggest, including your dermatologist.  Over the past couple of months I’ve been prescribed countless cremes, pills and foams to help with the irritation, but found that they’re either too messy and cumbersome to apply…or they just don’t work.  A topical oil which my doctor prescribed had mineral oil listed as the second ingredient!   Which is why I’m trying my darndest these days to come up with my own remedy.

I’m not in the kitchen concocting potions and cremes, but I am choosing  to pay extra attention to what goes near my scalp & face…normally whatever I apply around the nape of my neck or around my edges in terms of styling products, often determines how sensitive both my face and scalp are to that product.

This past weekend I was extremely pressed for time and had to condense my hair routine into about an hour and a half, opting for a quick co-wash, no DC and a style that consisted of Lustrasilk, KBB’s hair milk.  The end result would have been acceptable if…and only IF I’d allowed my hair sufficient time to dry.  I’d gone to bed with wet hair, awoke with damp hair…and untwisted to a puffy mound just in time for the start of my work week.  My hair…not so happy with this ‘new’ routine.  The week prior I’d revisited the conditioner method, and had costly buildup from the product I’d decided to use…I basically styled my hair on over-conditioned hair this past weekend!! A big no no when it comes to my hair…over-conditioning means my hair takes longer to dry, remains hard and brittle for 3-4 days after the wash and truly resembles a nest of knots and snarls.

So this weekend is my return to normal.  I’m continuously finding that being natural  involves staying focused and not straying too far from what naturally works for your hair, scalp and even skin.  I missed my ACV…in all it’s stinky glory.  I long for the silky feeling of my Curl Rehab, and the nourishing properties of my Coconut Oil.  I’ve come to realize that I don’t want to spend 60 bucks on oils and foams to treat my scalp irritations, the smart savvy PJ in me just needs to open other doors and seek cheaper, more effective (natural) treatments.  And while my skin does react well to the potions and cremes prescribed by my dermatologist, I realize that I can do better in other areas…the body washes and cleansers that I use on my skin have the same chemicals I’ve scratched from my hair routine…why not eliminate it all together…?

It’s worth a shot.

Here’s how I’m choosing to celebrate the beginnings of Spring….with a giveaway!! Last Friday was the official first day, but in all likelihood if you looked out your window in the a.m. like I did, you awoke to a freak snowstorm and not so friendly, nippy weather.  Yeah…we’re not off to the most predictable spring are we.  But I digressed in time to look on the bright side…I can officially begin my prep -work.

By prep work I do mean changing my approach to my skin, hair, and nail care.  It’s time to divy up my moisturizer plan by switching to lighter cremes.  Trimming my ends to prep for easy wash and go styles, and finally…FINALLY heading to my nearest nail salon for a long overdue manicure!

To accompany me on my transition I’m turning to this book, Dr. Susan Taylor’s Rx for brown skin, a comprehensive guide to managing and improving your beauty care regime.  Dr. Taylor covers a whole range of topics from skin, hair care, and nails and really delves into the do’s and don’ts of what it means to take care of pigmented skin.

There’s a pretty lengthy chapter devoted to hair and nail care which addresses both sides of the coin, basically how to best care for both relaxed and naturally textured hair.  She challenges basic myths related to hair growth, the basic composition of hair for women of color, as well as how to best condition and care for your hair by determining and working with hair texture.  She dives into the business of elasticity, density and porosity to help readers better understand what your hair is actually telling you! (i.e. strand tests and texture quizes to help check for elasticity, helping to determine hair breakage and proper maintenance for your hair)

This book has infinite amounts of info in it and is up for grabs because it’s always important to share;-)! Leave a comment down below or email be at backtocurly@gmail.com sharing some of your beauty secrets and I’ll draw a name at random by 5 p.m. Friday.  Hopefully by then the sun will be out, and remember to springify this side of the world.

Hope everyone’s weekend was a goody;-)!

This week my hair and I have been in a fussy mood…or more so I’ve sort of put us there by unnecessarily toying with it at times, to just plain ignoring what it needed at night to re-moisturize. FOR SHAME! Yesterday turned out to be a pull hair back/headband sort of day…which was fine in the end because it was a nice welcome change.  But…last night I was still left with a fuzzy mound on my head and little time on my hands to re-wash & twist.  The last thing on my mind after a full day’s work is going through my week-ending ritual of washing/conditioning/styling!

While at work though I did convince myself to try something different in light of the lovely change in weather here in NYC.  Last night I re-instated a method that I usually reserve for those summer months…those easy breezy styles that make it okay to wear your hair wet, even when outside to air dry…(good times).  It’s an already popular method that I adopted two years ago that works well in a pinch!

Teri from http://www.biracialhair.org/  refers to it as the conditioner method, a straightforward easy way to style and condition your hair using specific types of rinsing and combing conditioners.  Before heading home I stopped by a local pharmacy to pick out a suitable combing conditioner, then scrambled home to douse my hair!

The basics of this method are simple:

• cleanse scalp with an adequate rinsing conditioner (I used  Giovanni’s Deeper Moisture).  Think along the lines of Suave Naturals or VO5′s line of cheapies.  Click here to read Teri’s reasons why.
• While hair is wet, divide into two sections.  Evenly distribute a good amount of combing conditioner to each side, making sure not to skimp! The trick is to add a bit more than you might be used to.  The idea is to also saturate the hair, not just coat it lightly. I usually do this while in the shower because it’s a lot easier to maintain the moisture I need.
• Next step is to trust in your go-to detangling accessory, mine is the Denman, and begin the process of detangling.  Because your hair will be overly saturated with conditioner, this process should be a breeze! Make sure to start at the ends, and gradually work your way up.  I begin from the nape of my neck and work upwards, sectioning then pinning the finished parts in place when done. (this step can get a bit messy, so be prepared for a lathery mess of condish! keep a towel within reach;-)
• Afterwards you should notice your curls separating on their own, forming individual strands. Teri recommends separating each one, then smoothing down to ‘reinforce the curl.’ Depending on how much hair you have and how much time you have, this step might appear a bit tedious.  To make things easier, I simply separated the curls, smoothed and sort of twisted them into coils in one swift motion.  At first it takes a bit of practice but once you’ve gotten the hang of it, it really saves on time. 
• Last step is to simply dry.  Less manipulation the better after completing the last step, cease from the curl touching!! My hair seems to air dry faster when conditioner is applied, so I had no problem donning my satin number and going to bed.

 I decided to go for the ringlet look with coils just about all over my head.  I’ve got fingers crossed they’ll stay intact by Friday or even Saturday, so I’m going to take care and tie them up at night. You can click here for some amazing before and after shots posted on Teri’s site.  The lovely lady by name of  Frances is pretty close to what my twists look like this morning.

I have my hair in a semi-up do for a fancy look but LOVE how easy it was to just pick up my coils and tuck them into place! Easy manipulation and next to zero fuss…it’s fantastic that the only product in my hair right now is a conditioner!

You can also click here to listen to some visual testimonials on how quick and easy this method is! If you’ve tried this method let me know how it’s worked for you, what combing/rinsing conditioners you’ve tried;-)!