Lazy Day Twist and Pin Updo For Natural Curly Hair

Count on Pinterest for hairspiration (am I right?)...I have a few go-to natural hair styles for lazy days. But recently, I found this seemingly simple and effortless twist and pin updo from Hair Romance and decided to try it out!

Admittedly, the front could use some work. But if a messy and tossled look is what you're going for...it works. Check out the full tutorial here. This style works best if you have medium-to-shoulder length hair -- but it can work on short hair, too (just not too short). 

I especially like how it looks with the blonde highlights -- I've been considering dying it dark again. But styles like this are making me second guess...

New Hair Cut from DYE Salon, Ferndale Michigan

New hair cut! After I washed and restyled at home.

I need to stop being so sporadic with my blogging. Get it together. And post more often. 

That being said...this is WAY overdue--but I could not NOT post about my last hair cut...no matter how long ago it was (late November 2014--it's been a few months). Especially considering I blog about hair...and that I rarely trust anyone to cut my hair. And considering that basically every time I've ever walked into a hair salon during my lifespan, I have more often than not walked out on the verge of tears...

This time, there were no tears! I actually was very happy with the result. My friend (who has wavy/slightly curly hair) recommended DYE Salon in Ferndale. It's not far from where I work and it has a nice environment. DYE is also special because they let you select one of several additional services that you get free with the purchase of any service. I chose a free makeup application...because it happened to be a Friday and I had plans to go out after.  So I was really hoping it would turn out ok...and it did.

This was very spontaneous. But I had the urge to do something with my hair after having a hair conversation with a friend earlier that day. I was in the area and swung by...and they happened to have an opening and fit me in within the hour with very little wait time. 

To make this whole thing less risky, I decided to get a straight style done. I think this may be the trick from now on...because I'm very particular when it comes to curly styling. I really don't like when my curls are too short. I feel like what is the point of having hair that looks 2 inches long when it's actually 10 inches long? Might as well just do a TWA again...so if it's curly, I always stretch my curls. And I think most stylists (outside of natural hair salons...which I've never experienced) likely don't know how to do that. So now I know...straight styling at a mainstream salon is always safer. 

My goal was to get a short hair cut / long bob. Not that I look anything like T Swizzle...but I wanted a haircut similar to this (minus the short bangs):

My services included:

• Hair cut/style -- $55
• Blow out/style -- $10
• Deep conditioning treatment -- $20
• Makeup application -- $0

So my total damage was about $90 with tip. Kind of a lot...but really not too bad considering I was very happy with the cut, got a free service, and my hair hadn't felt as healthy in a long time. The stylist was also very nice and got my hair straighter than I probably ever could. I'm not sure how much the deep treatment made a difference, but my hair felt very soft and very healthy. In retrospect...I should have asked which products she used to style. But I forgot. Sorry...

before:

A few weeks before salon visit. My ends were so fried.

after:

At the salon, right after being styled.

Personally, I felt like it was a little bit flat. I like a lot of volume and the stylist got my roots so straight that my hair was very flat on my head and so ridiculously soft and slippery it didn't even feel like my hair. Once she put some curls/waves in it, I liked it a bit better. But I like it better, actually, when I style it...for the volume (picture at the top). 

Also, after watching her straighten my hair...I kind of changed my straightening method. I can post a tutorial later. But how I straighten 4A hair is definitely quite different now! Tutorial coming soon...

If you're looking for a good haircut...I recommend DYE in Ferndale! 

Visit DYE on the web here

DYE on Instagram

Get the Look of Curly 3B Natural Hair with No Gel, Just Moisturizer and a Little Heat

This is a new technique I've been trying out on my VERY fried bleached blonde 'natural' hair (not so natural since it's bleached...). 

Instead of twisting, I just run my straightener over my natural curl pattern to calm frizzies and smooth my texture a little bit. It's really weird because you would think that straightening damaged hair would make it more damaged...but I find that when I straighten my bleach damaged hair it actually becomes much smoother, stronger, less brittle and softer. 

How I style my hair from this:

(Frizzy, brittle, dull)

To this:

(Smoother, softer, shiny)

As you can see, this method of styling resulted in much softer, tamer, and smoother curls and waves--and I didn't use ANY gel! As you may know...my new natural hair tool kit favorite is Yes To Carrot's leave in conditioner. It is super creamy and moisturizing and leaves my hair feeling very soft. To get this look I do use heat--though if you are opposed to heat styling, you can stretch your hair using the wrapping or pony tail method. You could also twist or braid and then pull until taught, bobby pinning the ends.

As you can see, my natural hair is totally fried and breaking off little by little. It's a nightmare! But I am coping as best as I can...not to be overly dramatic...and Yes to Carrots has been a big help. I love the conditioner and shampoo as well...but that will be another post!

The Process:

First I washed my hair using a purple shampoo and Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Conditioner.

Then I separated my hair into about 4-6 sections.

I re-spritzed each section with water.

Then detangled.

Then used a dime size amount of Say Yes to Carrots Leave In and distributed the product throughout each section. 

To further distribute product and help clump my curls, I brushed through using my Denman brush.

After that process, each section looks something like this.

Repeat this process throughout your whole head.

After the Say Yes to Carrots Leave In was evenly distrubited throughout all of my hair...I sat under my bonnet dryer for about 45 minutes until my hair was about 85-95% dry.

For extra moisture and shine, I rubbed a quarter size amount of Trader Joe's Organic Virgin coconut oil into my ends.

Then, I covered my hair in a scarf and slept on it overnight letting it dry completely and allowing the coconut oil to absorb.

The next morning, I sectioned my hair again into workable sections. 

You don't need to set your straightener to the highest heat level--but the hotter the straighter, the less time you'll need to run the straightener over your curls. You want to be careful not to STRAIGHTEN your hair -- just stretch your hair. 

This is how short my hair is with shrinkage! It shrinks to about a third the length. Sometimes even less! 

As you can see...my hair is actually much longer. You want to stretch out the small section of hair with your fingers...

And then quickly run your straightener over the section. The longer you let the straighter stay on your hair, the smoother and less curly it will be. I focus the straightener more at the roots and less on the ends. 

Then repeat this throughout your whole head -- focusing a little more on the roots and then running the straightener on high heat more quickly along the rest of the hair and your ends.

This is the result! I didn't use ANY gel or styling product -- only Yes to Carrots Leave in Conditioner. If you do use a gel on top of this, the curls will likely be a bit tighter and will probably last a day or two longer. So that is up to you -- but this just shows that even if you do have very tight curls, you can get away with ditching sticky and/or crunchy styling gels. 

This style lasts me 1-3 days until it starts to frizz. I usually touch up again with a straightener or twist it throughout the week. I find that using a straightener to stretch my curls, rather than a blow dryer, leaves my hair less frizzy and helps reduce shrinkage. Though I still like using my blow dryer on days when I want more volume. I guess it just depends on your style and what you like! But if you have very tight curls (like I do) and want to get the 3B curl/wave look--this is a good method!

Let me know how it works for you!

The Bleached Blonde Natural Hair Survival Essential: Yes To Carrots Leave In Conditioner with Argan Oil

Don't worry, Giovanni Direct Leave In, I still love you. But I have found a very close second, if not tie, for a leave in conditioner for natural hair. 

Every since dying my hair blonde, my hair has turned extremely diva -- it's is now temperamental, flakey, very thirsty, brittle, and dry basically all the time. I also find my hair to be happiest when it is straighter and/or wavy rather than curly. The problem is...I am fairly lazy, so straightening my hair everyday is not a realistic option.

Lately, for a serious boost in moisture and maleability, I've been LOVING Say Yes To Carrots' Leave In Conditioner with Argan Oil. I love everything about it -- the texture, consistency, feel on my hair (and even on my skin), and the smell. It feels like a creamy, heavier lotion. It is not has heavy as an oil or butter, but thicker than the Giovanni Direct Leave In. It has a light, fresh, powdery smell as well as a powdery finish so it doesn't dry so oily. Even if you run it into your fingers, it dries a bit more powdery soft than oily. It really does leave my hair feeling as soft as it was prior to dying, especially when I wear it in a straight style. 

The only possible negative I've found with this product is that it does not always mix well with gel based styling products. I would not suggest mixing this with heavy amounts of Kinky Curly or Eco Styler, for example. If you do cocktail this product, go lighter with the products and use a lot of water.

Anyway...this has definitely been a bleach blond survival staple in my natural hair toolkit as of late. And I highly recommend this product! 

Of course, you can't know if this will be good for your hair type until you try it for yourself...

I am upset to hear this...but I've heard this product might be going away soon. Not sure what I will do without it...it is currently on sale here on yestocarrots.com  for a little over $5. A great price! 

This product is 96% natural with a rediculously long slew of natural extracts and few hard to pronounce unfamiliar ingredients. I also like that it is paraben free, petroleum free, SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) free, & cruelty free! If Yes to Carrots is actually bidding this leave in farewell, it's a big mistake!! 

Contains:

• Argan Oil
• Sea Kelp Extract
• Keratin 

Ingredients:

Water, Cetearyl alcohol, Behentrimonium chloride, Safflower seed oil, Candelilla cera wax, Olive oil, Shea butter, Argan oil, Macadamia seed oil, Coconut oil, Radish root ferment filtrate, Pomegranate extract, Green tea leaf extract, Carrot root extract, Sweet potato extract, Spirulina extract, Orange extract, Honey extract, Sea kelp extract, Soybean seed extract, Hydrolyzed keratin, Hydrolyzed soy protein, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, Capric Triglyderide, Glyceryl stearate, Citric acid, Dihydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, Sodium hydroxide, Sodium borate, Potassium sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance. 

*Many of the extracts and oils are organic 

This is definitely up there on my top leave in list with Giovanni and Kinky Curly Knot Today. I liked it before I dyed my hair, but find that it works particularly well on dyed damaged hair. If your hair is undamaged  then its possible you won't notice much of a difference between this and your already favorite leave in. 

Tell me how it goes if you try it out!

Tutorial: Beach Waves on Natural Hair (While the Summer Lasts!)

These beachy loose waves have been my go-to style for my blonde hair so far. I find that when I wear it totally natural in what used to my go-to wash, diffuse, and tension blow dry (that sounds more confusing than it is! Click here for the how to), that it feels so rediculously DRY. And for some reason when I wear it in straighter styles it's much softer and at least feels more pliable and moisturized. I don't understand how this makes any sense!

I like this style because you can do it on wet hair, straightened hair, or a blow out -- or an old wash and go. And if you do straighten your hair, this is a good style to do in between washes so you don't have to keep straightening it repeatedly throughout the week. It looks cute out, in a messy side ponytail, bun, of half up do.

The Process:

First, seperate your hair into 4-5 workable sections. Section by section, split each big section into 3-5 (depending on how thick, long, curly...your hair is) smaller sections. Twists the small secions into one strand twists as tightly as you can, and then wrap around itself into a bantu knot. Secure with a bobby pin if needed. 

Do this around your whole head. In total, I had about 16-18 bantu knots. I do not use much product at all, a small bit of moisturizer, curl cream, and/or coconut oil will do! Leave the bantu knots in 6-8 hours overnight or until 100% dry (if applied on wet hair).

The next morning, gently unravel the bantu knots. If you want to loosen the curl/wave even more, you can run your straightener over the one strand twist -- while it's still twisted -- befores separating. 

Gently separate the waves. To reduce frizz, rub some coconut oil on your palms and fingers.

Do this to your entire head!

The Result:

And there you have it! Even if your hair is damaged, it should now feel soft to the touch, pliable and moisturized. Be sure to add extra moisturizer or coconut oil to those ends...

Let me know how it goes!