Several weeks back I had the insane luck of winning a phenomenal prize goody from one of my top ‘get at it‘ blogs. ‘Get at it…’ verbage equating to–>why haven’t you checked out the AWESOMENESS that awaits you, inspiration, decor…giveways!

clickity click here!

Get Togetha is more than a step up from a run of the mill decor/style blog, it is simply… my haven to indulge in all things fabulosity and inspiration derived. I <3 it for these reasons and of course a few more…but mostly for hosting a gem of a giveaway a few weeks back featuring the colorful works of Alia Michele’s handmade designs.

Seeing Alia’s handmade gems featured in her shop is enough to make you wish you’d taken arts & crafts a l’il more seriously as a youngling, yet BELIEVE me as I say….in person. They are truly stunning. Opening my prize after a long day’s work I could not believe my luck, envisioning future prospects of rockin something as feminine, colorful & ME!

Ana and I are going to have good times this Summer. Yes, she has a name…isn’t she Belle! All bags are made to order, tailor made for you which is what every woman wants, MmmHmmm?

Despite the recent gloomy weather and quiet retreat back to long sleeved coats and closed toe shoes, my heart and wardrobe are still on track, anticipating the warmth and color of Summer! Looking down at my nails while at work today, typing away at the keys did remind me to continue to stay the course, and maintain the look of my nails with a few awesome shades of polish found a few weeks ago.

In the past I’ve been a devotee to the common but credible lines of Essie, Opi and the occasional Sally Hansen POW POW color, but recently snagged the wonderful hue acceptable collection by Urban Outfitters! Yes, Urban Outfitters.

Perhaps….I went overboard…eh? But to be fair, the camera pic does.not.do.it justice. The colors are bright, poignant and call attention to your nails making them the perfect added accessory. I stock piled a few colors over a few weeks, keeping an eye out for their buy 2 for $8 sale, and walked away VERY happy. UrbanOutfitters.com does not readily carry this line, but you can easily snag your favorite color at your nearest location.

Favorite perk about this collection is not only the range in colors, but the cute packaging. With an easy to screw on square black top, application is very easy, and two coats is enough for full coverage. If using a base coat, and a better than to-do top coat ( I use Sally Hansen Double Duty strengthening base and top coat), a solid manicure will undoubtedly last you the better half of two weeks, as it did with me – a ridiculous rarity! I add a secondary coat of the Double Duty a day after a manicure, and typically before washing dishes or when the likelihood of handling water comes into play.

Color tracking is easy and oddly simple, opting instead to name by corresponding ‘#’, the shades differ slightly from each color category.

While both these colors are green tinted, the one on the left is labeled ‘Green 11‘ while rightie is smartly called ‘Green 2‘

Great for the consumer, but a bit tricky for the PJ in me! Must.find.all.COLORS! I prefer to add these to my staple rotation in the coming Summer months, and will surely add to the growing set.

I can’t fully recall all of the challenges faced while transitioning from relaxed to natural hair many years ago. Periods of frustration, annoyance & doubt are not as familiar as feelings of excitement & anticipation once were.

Thankfully, I do still feel as if I can emphasize with those just entering the first stages of transitioning. A friend who is in the beginning stages of her own transition is understandably unfamiliar with the two variably different textures staking claim on her head, and today I’m trying my best to offer up a few tips & reassurances.

Put down the Shampoo!

This first step was hard to come to grips with during the beginning stages of taking care of my natural hair. If not shampoo, what else could I effectively use to cleanse both my hair & scalp? Several years ago and after my second BC, I  gradually developed a few scalp irritations that warranted more special care & attentiveness, therefore nixing the shampoo from my routine seemed a far reach. Instead, I experimented and found better solutions in low-poos, no-poos or SLS free like formulas that were less harsh on my strands. The object after all is to cleanse your hair efficiently while not stripping the hair of the oils it inherently needs to remain moisturized.

You’re not alone in this journey – Be Savvy, Do Some Research!

Guilty. With practically zilch knowledge before deciding to abandon the confines of the salon experience a few years ago, I hunkered down in front of my decaying laptop and took to the web, not expecting to find much, yet unexpectedly found more information then I knew how to digest in one sitting. Knowledge is power – when used correctly, so I began to take notes, applied those notes to my weekly routines. Made adjustments as the weeks and months let on, and slowly began to understand why way leads onto way…and taking care of one’s hair doesn’t happen overnight.

Read Ingredient Lists!

Read up on what goes into the products you are using. Attentiveness is important, but certainly being over cautious can lead you to abandon a few past favorites. Do not fret! Ingredients are important as they pertain to the health of your hair, not simply based on the opinions of someone else, or even the past experience of another natural. Research for yourself to determine what effectiveness means for some products, this goes for shampoos, styling products, conditioners, oil blends, hair masks, etc. What I’ve chosen to abandon in terms of ingredients may differ for many heads of hair. Time & patience have taught me this, as well as research.

Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize!!

As a relaxed head years ago, I hardly ever took the time to do anything other than pony and go. Tie the backend of the hair with one quick swoop, apply a little magna shine grease pomade across the edges and head on out the door. Moisture was never an option, rather it was a deterrent for relaxed her, shortening it’s longevity. Convincing a newly natural to embrace this concept may take several tries, but the benefits always outweigh any previous doubts. Begin with water. Learn from how it can naturally moisturize and nurture your hair for the better, and believe in how your hair will thrive off of its continual use. Afro textured hair while more prone to dryness, readily thrives off of water based products to help keep it moisturized and less prone to breakage.

*A short list that with enough time & thought could stretch into page after page of do’s and don’ts.

But if I could talk to the old Chai of 1999-2000, a college youngling carrying around a frayed picture of a beautiful brown face with a turned out curly fro, I’d tell her not to feel stifled by the journey, but rather enjoy it. Learn from the frustrations & use a few-if not all- of them to carry you forward, not backwards into defeat.

Do not be afraid or become intimated by the insecurities of others around you who have trouble understanding your decision to transition.

It’s not about them. This is about You.

Find a friend, a supportive friend – a network of natural haired women, whether online or for brunch who are willing to offer advice & guidance. The Natural Hair Community is growing, never floundering, so make use of a movement that is  in the stages of getting its proper due. Sooner than later, a mirror will be your one and only inspiration to feel beautiful.

What have you learned during your natural hair transition?

*image via b.vikki vintage

That is what I need today. The rain is pouring, it’s only Tuesday & I have the aches already for a long-much needed weekend. Memorial Day is in two weeks so here’s to the countdown. In the meantime, a touch of good music is in order.

Meet Maylee Todd. Found her only a few days ago, but can truly dig her sound.

Here’s a cool intro by the lady herself:

Really loving this song, perfect vibe to combat the rainy blues;-)

01 Hooked

On the record, I do believe I have a total of 4 or 5 ‘short‘ posts that have gotten to the gist of my weekend hair plans. Today, I will add another. Chai no feel so well. Ordered sushi. Should feel better by a.m. Bullet points work well for such occasions…yes.

1. Tried Aussie Moist for the first time this week. Why wasn’t I told of the awesomeness behind this condish!? Made for an amazing pre-poo.
2. Same ‘ol Poo/scalp cleanse using this w/help from this old friend. Thanks to a prevo convo with Twitter friend, I have been reintroduced to ACV. Great for warmer months, when that gooky hair/scalp feeling just won’t disappear.
3. DC’d w/ Shea Moisture Organic Restorative Conditioner.
4. Played the twisting game for several hours and came up with this:

Yes, that’s tiredness in plain view – five minutes before snoozing and calling it a night. Twisted w/Blended Beauty Curly Butter until I ran out – finished up w/ Blended Beauty’s Happy Nappy Styles and seriously could not tell the difference.

Tonight will seal w/ a bit of Hydrating Hair Butter, baggy and look forward to another day.

…..probably forgot a step, this I know. Will do better for later. For now…sushi!

*shout out to the lovely reader  I met at A Journey To Understanding screening!! So much fun;-)

Tried hard to prolong the twists into the next week, yet with the increasing warmer temperatures, my scalp doth protest…eh. Good times with my friends this week though, that’s all I could hope for in a protective style. To help preserve the goodness, I’ve been baggying my ends as opposed to my entire head of hair – and still love the results. Below is a pic of day 7 hair.

Taking these down on the same day I intend to put them ‘back up’ is a process I don’t necessarily look forward to, but the perks definitely outweigh the occasional agita. To give the ‘do’ a bit of shine factor before heading out with a few gal friends, I shudged up the ends and the crown using a bit of Hydrating Hair Butter by Fleurtzy. Light & fast penetrating…my hair approved.

To help moisturize the front edges that are normally more prone to dryness, especially as the days in the week wear on, I dabbled in a bit of Curls Nurture Creme. Just a lil bit to tame the dry edges that had turned into dull flyaways, and the roots of my twists instantly perked up. Decided on the updo before heading out!

Tomorrow is wash day and settling in for the long haul for another twisting session. Really thought by now I’d miss my signature twist-out styles, yet have nothing but good hair health results from continuing to twist and let be. Definitely intend to retreat back to larger twists in the coming weeks, but for now still have nothing but love for benefits of versatility!

Hope your weekend is off to a splendid start;-)!!