Friday Fabulous With Tamar Braxton

She Better Work! 

Rocking her full lace wig (also a GREAT protective style)

GET IT CURLS!

The Big BANG Theory

Check out these Beautiful Curly Girls Trending Haute Bangs and Natural Hair

GET IT CURLS!

Talk About It Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday Curly Girls!!!   It's Talk About it Tuesday!!! 

Today's question is:

Who is your natural hair style icon?

Talk About it Curls!! #TAIT

Blow Outs To Bun!

Happy Monday Curly Girls! 

Over the weekend Ms. Mahogany Brown was transformed from kinky curly to blow out bone straight! As part of my winter hair care regimen, I try to bun my hair at least 4 days out of the week. Keeping in line with that routine, I decided to whip up a little sumthin sumthin!

Check out my Blow Out to Bun Updo!

For the Curly Girls that prefer to wear their hair straight. What types of protective styles do you rock?

GET IT CURLS!

Friday Fabulous With Jill Soctt

Loving that protective style Ms. Scott!

GET IT CURL!

Wash Day Wednesday! A Product Review For My Transitioning Curly Girls

Transitioning is a long journey. Demystifying the science of your ever changing hair becomes exhausting and let's be real, down right expensive! Trying product after product to find the right "curly cocktail" of products that not only nourish your emerging curls but offer strength and balance to those oh so fragile chemically altered ends. In a transitioning Naturalistas time of need a step by step process can be the answer to those frustrating wash sessions! Carol's Daughters Transitioning 1-2-3 kit provides a 3 step process that nourish, strengthens and creates balance in the tug of war of the transitioning process


Last Wash Day Wednesday, I had the opportunity to sample the Transitioning Kit on Ms. Mahogany Brown. As always, when trying new products I like to test the fragrance and product consistency prior to use.  The product fragrance was fresh and airy with minty undertones and a slight aroma of patchouli. While overall the consistency of both the cleanser and anit-breakage treatment has a milky texture. The treatment was much thicker than that of the cleanser as it is created to prevent breakage and molds to each strand.

Cleanser

Anti-Breakage Treatment

3 Step Product Contents 

Purifying Extra-Gentle Cleanser

Renewing Scalp Spray

Restoring Anti-Breakage Treatment  

Product  Usage:

I used the Transitioning 1-2-3 kit per the instructions.  I started with the Purifying Extra-Gentle Cleanser washing with warm water. I was quite surprised that the cleanser had foaming agents as I have grown accustom to my staple products which are mainly no-poo non-foaming cleansers. After carefully washing and ensuring my hair remained detangled, I sprayed the Renewing Scalp Spray starting with a one inch section on the right hand side of my hair and worked the product in gently. I continued this process throughout my entire head until complete. Per the instructions, I let this sit on my scalp for a total of 15 minutes then washed clean with warm water. Completing the 3 step process I applied the Anti-Breakage Treatment to my hair and covered with a plastic cap (intensifying product results) and let set for 15 minutes. I again rinsed hair clean with warm water and continued to my styling routine with the Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Simple.Perfect.Curls.

*** Important tip! The Transitioning 1-2-3 kit is to be used in your cleansing process.  To style hair be sure to use products that reinforce moisture and balance. For more suggestions on styling products that work well pairing with this wash regimen click here.

My Results:

 They say a picture says a thousand words! And The amount of pictures I took of my hair after sampling the Carol's Daughters Transitioning 1-2-3 kit  is INSANE!! The results left my curls poppin!! I couldn't believe the amount of definition I had after letting my twist loose!  My scalp felt amazing! My hair was well extremely clean, well hydrated and bouncy! I definitely feel that the Transitioning 1-2-3 kit clarified my hair and rendered amazing results!

Conculsion:

Carol's Daughters Transitioning 1-2-3 kit will definitely be added to my hair regimen as a clarifying treatment. I plan to use the kit at least once a month to eliminate extreme product buildup that regular co-washing or low poo cleansers may leave behind. My recommendation for 100% Naturalistas and Curly Girls is to use the kit as a clarifyier, for my transitioning Curly Girls, I would increase usage to at minimum 2X per month.

CGATW Final Grade: 

Great Products + Moderate Pricing + Accessibility = A

 

Another OUTSTANDING Grade for Carol's Daughter!  

GET IT CURLS!!!

EEE's Into Transitioning

 As a newly natural Curly Girl by way of the LONGEST long term transitioning process (2.5 years to be exact), I realized that this right here (in my best Tamar Braxton voice) is NO JOKE! Transitioning is NOT for the faint of heart. It's a journey not a sprint and a process that you must EASE into.  In year 1 of my transitioning journey, I took some time to reflect on the ebbs and flows of this process.  With this reflection, my 3 E's of  Transitioning was born.

Sew-in Extensions

Enlightenment: During the Enlightenment phase I came  to the realization that relaxing or chemically altering my hair's natural state is not what I thought it was all "cracked" up to be (all puns intended!). As a dependent of the 6 week relaxer ritual from age 4 to 28, I thought that there was NO WAY I could live without a relaxer. But when I finally took the step to experimenting with stretching my relaxer and wearing sew-in extensions my blossoming relaxer free hair was strong, beautiful and ready to flourish! I realized that not only did the chemical make my hair weak and stringy it was something that I was extremely addicted to. I did not want to be consumed or dependent on any substance to make me feel beautiful. I made the decision to make a change. That's when I knew I was now ready to move to embracing this new me!

Transitioning

Embracing : During the Embracing phase I had to become fully committed to take action! If I was going to  make the decision to take this "transitioning" thing on for the long hall, I realized that I needed to not only embrace my hair but this new me that this change had created. I admit, I didn't want nor did I think that my hair's connection was a spiritual one but it has proven to be just that. As I began to learn and educate myself about my new "do" a new sense of me was unfolding before my eyes!

100% NATURAL!

Empowerment: Now I'm ready to be empowered and empowered other ladies in this journey. Not only have I been more vocal in my day to day with talking about the beauty of natural hair but the benefits of being comfortable with me holistically.   This blog has come out of  relishing in the empowerment phase. My goal is to connect as many Naturalistas to one another while building a platform that empowers women to love themselves unconditionally from head to toe and everything in between.

Allow yourself the time to enlighten, embrace and be empowered to love and nurture your changing hair. Find the beauty in each stage and appreciate the lessons learned. In the end, pay it forward and share your journey with others in hopes to lend inspiration. 

GET IT CURLS!!!! 

<3 Keelii

MTV Goes Natural!

MTV's True Life is calling all Naturalistas to show the world your style! If you appear to be between the ages of 15 -28 and would like  to document your transition to natural. For more information and to to check out the full article check out  Clutch Magazine's article on MTV Casting Call: Are You Ready For The Big Chop

Hairfinity's 5 Rules for Longer, Healthier Hair

Use these tricks of the trade to grow long luscious locs!

1. Treat your hair like it is fragile. Once your hair is broken, it cannot be repaired. Therefore, you should make an effort to avoid anything that can cause your hair to break. Using a wide tooth comb, sleeping with a satin scarf, and wearing protective hairstyles can help keep your hair from breaking.


2. Use products that rebuild your hair and keep it healthy. Developing a hair care regimen that includes a gentle shampoo, protein treatments, moisture treatments, and moisturizer can help keep your hair strong and healthy.


3. Give your hair what it needs to grow properly. Nutrition and overall health plays a vital role in the health of your hair. Vitamins, sufficient water intake, and exercise can help your hair to grow faster and healthier.


4. Keep it Simple. Do not use too many different products on your hair. If you have a bad reaction to one of your products, you will not be able to determine what caused it. It is best to find products that really work for your hair then use them consistently.


5. Trust your instinct. No one can take better care of your hair than you. Your hair is a part of you, so no one cares about it more than you do. Learn the proper way to care for your hair and you will see a big difference in it. This does not mean that you can't still go to your stylist, but you should also know what your hair needs and when it needs it.

Revealing Your Truth

When making the decision to make any type of change in your life I believe we go through a review process. We review, why we are contemplating this change, the pros and cons, tragedy's and triumphs and the here and the now and the why not later. Focusing on the inner transformation that unfolds as you transition from relaxed to natural and this new sense of self is amazing! The evolution of your physical appearance nurtures a rebirth of self. While nature and the natural state of your tresses begin to rebuild years of Lye, you realize the full potential of the beauty within.

As a visual person, I started to think what iconic image embodies the idea of revealing your truth. Immediately, I thought of the scene Brand New Day from The Wiz . The bondage of "OZ" represents the miss-education of our environments that teach us that relaxer and chemical alterations equal the only destination to beauty. This bondage becomes stripped away revealing the beauty and newness of the path that extends before them which represents the revelation process of "going natural".

Lyrically the song says :

It's such a change
For us to live so independently
Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully
Just look about
You owe it to yourself to check it out!

So I ask, is today going to be your Brand New Day?

My Three "E's" of Transitioning

As transitioning Naturalistas, we all go through various phases during this journey to becoming 100% Natural. During my current transition, I believe that I have experienced 3 phases (i.e. my 3 "E's" of Transitioning;


Enlightenment: During the Enlightenment phase I came  to the realization that relaxing or chemically altering my hair's natural state is not what I thought it was all "cracked" up to be (all puns intended!). As a dependent of the "creamy crack" from age 4 to 28, I thought that there was NO WAY I could live without a relaxer. But when I finally took the step to experimenting with stretching my relaxer and wearing sew-in extensions my blossoming relaxer free hair was strong, beautiful and ready to flourish! I realized that not only did the chemical make my hair weak and stringy it was something that I was extremely addicted to. I did not want to be consumed or dependent on any substance to make me feel beautiful. I made the decision to make a change. That's when I knew I was now ready to move to embracing this new me!

Embracing : During the Embracing phase I had to become fully committed to take action! If I was going to  make the decision to take this "transitioning" thing on for the long hall, I realized that I needed to not only embrace my hair but this new me that this change had created. I admit, I didn't want nor did I think that my hair's connection was a spiritual one but it has proven to be just that. As I began to learn and educate myself about my new "do" a new sense of me was unfolding before my eyes!

Empowerment: Now I'm ready to be empowered and empowered other ladies in this journey. Not only have I been more vocal in my day to day with talking about the beauty of natural hair but the benefits of being comfortable with me holistically.   This blog has come out of  relishing in the empowerment phase. My goal is to connect as many Naturalistas to one another while building a platform that empowers women to love themselves unconditionally from head to toe and everything in between.

Just wanted to share some advice!

So I LOVE CurlyNikki Forums and I peruse to find inspiration, inspire others or just to keep me motivated on this transitioning journey. I was feeling extra philosophical  today and shared this bit of advice;


I've been transitioning for about 14 months and I still have a LONG way to go. My relaxed ends really bog me down but I see those little curls peaking out and I remember why I'm doing this. I swear you have to have the strength of 10 men to go through the transitioning process. It's hard for those of us who are use to our hair being a certain length and aren't really feeling fully committed to the bc. We are in limbo and it's a hard place to be in. At least we can motivate each other and lend support when we are struggling through this long journey.

What is your advice to transitioning Naturalistas struggling with the journey to Natural?