Can we all modestly agree that maybe….just maybe, the hella heat of Summer 2010 has won this week’s battle of hair wits? Hmmm….?

I should have long dunked my head of hair in a bucket of ice COLD water yesterday…but for all intents and purposes, deemed it unsafe and ill advised to move various parts of my body in order to wash/style my hair this week. I.Just.Could.Not.

What I do have to show is how beautifully kind my twists have been over this past week. Sunday would have made it 1 week with them in, and considering my ‘scalp situation,’ this is yet another milestone. Warmer temperatures are better suited for my scalp that is naturally prone to dryness, so humid temperatures are halfway welcome.

the smile that you sorta see in the pic is me attempting to bear with a trickling breeze that tried to make it’s way through my windows. I waited in vain & you can very faintly see the sweat beads christening my upper lip…but err…, yes.

This above pic was taken Friday afternoon, and to be quite honest…I can’t remember much else during this past weekend. The below pic…taken either Saturday or Sunday, shows my attempt to clip the twists up, up and AWAY, before heading out to buy my bro his birthday present.

He got a cute B-day card, sans the Hallmark Greeting and other fun toys, while I finally ducked into an air conditioned movie theatre to finally watch Toy Story 3! Yes, this was my weekend – and while it was HAWT, it was continually joyous, sunny and mixed with good conversations with people I’m blessed to have in my life.

The twists have fared pretty well, despite the Sun beaming down on my hair, trying it’s best to suck out the moisture. While the air is saturated with humidity, my hair comes home after a long day in the sun, dry and in need of more moisture. At night I’ve been regularly applying Fleurtzy’s Curls Nurture Cream (*as needed) and just a dab in the morning after removing my satin bonnet.  Up-do’s will be in main effect for the rest of this blimey heat week…

*off to canoodle with my fan*

I have a lot to be thankful for this week -  second chances as a result of old mistakes, have turned my future a million shades brighter – and this weekend it’s all about appreciating new perspectives, friends and life! I can only speak for myself, but with the continuing hotter than hawt weather we’ve been experiencing lately, it’s often easy to paint these days as being just a tad oppressive – or in my case, as if Summer is sneakily flying by.

What I often turn when these feelings stir up is MUSIC! In NYC, being a commuter on the subway, hands are either tied with a book in hand or an mp3 player, and these days I’ve been on the hunt for traditional beats with familiar rhythms and homespun lyrics. Def Chronic has filled my week with all three essentials. Reach for your download HERE.

Are any of you listening to anything interesting, noteworthy and worth purchasing? Fill me in…

I’ve developed a few good habits since nursing my hair back from a sordid heat damage stage a few years ago, one of them has been deep conditioning my hair at the very least once a week – no matter the season – and the other is properly rinsing my hair before adding any styling product.

My favorite final rinsing mix is by far ACV (apple cider vinegar). Because I’m more prone to irritations on my scalp than the next person, an ACV rinse helps to battle those pesky itchies and helps to maintain a good healthy scalp in between washes. For added hair health and when I have more time on my hands, I try to incorporate a quick brew of Horsetail and Burdock Root Herbs into my preferred clay mask OR as a quick final rinse after deep conditioning.

Two weeks ago, in between figuring out how to style the hair for a few impending trips and battling the rising humidity in my place, I threw together a Honey Rinse while doing a quick wash-n-go, and was surprised how soft and manageable my hair became.  I’ve used Honey in several rinses in the past, yet applying after co-washing and directly before styling and bunning the hair in a quick style, helped combat the frizzies and added mucho softness!

The benefits of Honey for the hair and how to best incorporate them into your regime are endless, and it also depends on your hair needs. Because of it’s healing and antibacterial properties I choose to use it in rinses and for deep conditioning. If you’re currently in the throws of a humid inducing Summer, debating on how to combat the frizz and increase the softness of your hair, try an easy Honey Rinse after co-washing.

Because honey is not slippery and hard to incorporate in the hair alone, (particularly kinky/curly hair) I mix a good portion of Raw honey with water and add a few fragrant herbs that I may have on hand, last herb I used was a tablespoon full of Lavender. Simple & easy, I brought the mix to a slow boil & cooled before applying to my hair. Try to use a good quality grade Honey, preferably one that is raw because it is less filtered and not over-processed. I gravitated towards Honey Ambrosia Colorado Honey, which is available at most stores, including Vitamin Shop because it’s affordable and tastes incredibly yummy!

Honey Rinses are great if you’re experiencing scalp irritations or seeking that added softness your hair might lack due to change in weather or other factors. Because my hair is naturally prone to dryness & the weather here on the east coast has been far from dry,  a rinse that incorporates a humectant works wonders!

*Check out the aficionados on Honey Products, the hilarious crew of Oyin Handmade as they dish on one my favorite goodies, Head-to-toe Honey Wash!

I haven’t stopped staring/admiring/oggling these beautiful editorials since I spotted them on Get Togetha a few days ago. Love the vibrant colors, the gorgeous models, and the undeniable feeling of sharing something intimate with a good friend.

via Get+Togetha, sourced: Pride Magazine

Celebrity Stylist Felicia Leatherwood, and Karen Tappin-Saunderson of the infamous Karen’s Body Beautiful are hosting a Natural Hair Workshop on July 18th, from 1-4pm.

Included in the workshop:

• Knowledge of high vs. low end products
• Hair care maintenance the natural way
• Demos of various natural hair styles and updos
• Learn how to love your hair and not curse it!
• We are what we eat and this includes our hair…
• Understanding of what type of hair you are working with – “What’s on your Head?”
• Guest Speaker: Karen Tappin-Saunderson, co-founder of Karen’s Body Beautiful will talk about the importance of
• healthy hair & products
• Fabulous gift bag give aways & so much more!

To be held at the Karen’s Body Beautiful Store & Spa:

Karen’s Body Beautiful | 436 Myrtle Avenue | Brooklyn, NY 11205

cost of the event is $35, click here to RSVP.

I have no doubt beautiful naturals will be in attendance, will you?

It’s a tad easier these days figuring out what style to wear for the span of the week – thanks to the ridiculously hot temperatures engulfing the east coast, options have eased to either  my old stand-by two-strand twist, OR le wash-n-go. After my hair cut a few weeks back, the wash-n-go got it’s shine, and while in New Orleans just last week, my favorite hair style, the tw0-strand twist saved me from the over-thinking that tends to overcome many naturals when humidity and high temperatures mix.

Albeit a bit time consuming to part, separate and twist the hair, two strand twists are versatile enough for the kind of activities I tend to enjoy in the Summer months. Before sitting down and settling in to twist the hair, I do try and adequately pre-poo, shampoo the scalp and deep condition as necessary. If my hair is undergoing a long term – or even short term – protective style, properly cleansing the scalp & sealing in adequate moisture is an absolute must!

Yesterday I returned to an old favorite, Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle conditioner to help pre-poo. Hardly ever do I shampoo my scalp without first pre-pooing with a moisturizing conditioner (preferably a cheap, effective one), because it helps retain any natural oils that my be stripped when using the Shampoo. Used a new hydrating shampoo by Esencia, to scrub & cleanse the scalp. Lately I’ve been on the hunt for reputable sulfate free shampoos and have been surprisingly successful in my search! My hair is naturally coarse and prone to dryness, so actually finding a shampoo that claims and delivers on effectively hydrating the hair is always an added bonus! I scored the Esencia brand, a hefty 12oz bottle for a $1.99 at a local discount store here in NYC. Fellow NYC’ers might already know about Jacks 99cents city and the outrageous discounts available – if you happen upon this brand give it a try! Other retailers price it upwards of $6-$8.

Deep conditioned with Curl Junkie’s Hibiscus and Banana Deep Fix Moisturizing Conditioner for close to two hours under a conditioning cap – sans heat, yet the increasing hot temperatures in my place surely helped! After cold rinsing the hair while still in twists and fully detangled, I sat down, turned on the nail bitting last game of the World Cup – and decided to give myself twist-bangs similar to ones sported on my trip to New Orleans last week. Since the hair shape-up a few weeks back, the twist are laying much better. Ends are easier to twist since the trim, less rough to the touch and FINALLY stay unraveled as the days progress! Picture to the right was taken a few days after arriving in New Orleans, and they lasted well into the next week still moisturized.

To twist the hair I mixed together a good portion of Eco Styler gel with Qhemet Biologics Amla & Olive Heavy Cream. To twist my hair with only gel is an instant recipe for disaster – no matter how often I try to moisturize during the course of a week, both hair & scalp end up dry and excessively flaky. Mixing the Eco Styler w/ the Amla & Olive cream gave me the oils my hair loves no matter the season, and the moisture a traditional gel often fails to deliver. So far this is my favorite combo to twist the hair because I have superb hold, incredible shine for days and adequate moisture. The trick is finding the right ratio when mixing – which I find easiest if you first add the gel, and slowly incorporate your choice of moisturizer. The end result is typically 2 parts gel to 1 part hair butter/cream – and yields you a creamy easy to apply pudding like texture.

Yesterday, while putting in the twists took my well over three hours, I’m very satisfied with the results. Alternating between a protective style and a few wash-n-go’s throughout the warmer months is a great way to keep the hair healthy and under low manipulation.  In the short weeks after my last hair cut, I’ve already noticed significant hair health/growth. After removing the last of my damaged ends, sealing the twists is a lot easier & detangling is less strenuous on the arms;-)!