Humectants!

Hello!!

I hope that everything is going well for you. Me? Oh ya know...work, striving to be better on my health journey...all of that fun stuff lol 

This blog will be about....HUMECTANTS!!! Humectants are an ingredient found in hair products that attract moisture from the environment. This ultimately moisturizes your hair. When I first became natural, humectants were my saving grace during the winter time. I would experiment with different styling products and applications, realizing how buttery soft my hair became (no lie, ask my momma). I did not understand what the heck a humectant was until after researching the ingredients of my hair products. 

Natural hair is already fragile. However, during the winter months, natural hair can be as fragile as Derrick Rose's joints (yes, I am from Chicago. I still said what I said). Winter is when one really has to be extremely vigilant with hair care. This is where humectants come in: they provide some assistance in circumventing hair breakage with their moisture-attracting qualities. There are two categories of humectants: synthetic and natural humectants. 

Synthetic:

• Butylene glycol
• Glycerin
• Urea
• Tremella extract
• Sorbitol
• Dicyanamide
• Sodium PCA
• Sodium lactate

Natural:

• Hyaluronic acid
• Aloe
• Alpha hydroxy acid
• Honey
• Seaweed, algae, and other marine extracts 

  

Ideally, natural humectants are recommended. However, synthetics work just as well (please keep in mind that synthetic humectants have the potential to dry your hair out over a period of time).

Be sure to check your products and see if some of the ingredients are a humectant. You will definitely be one step closer to moisturized hair in the winter time :). 

I hope that this helps! 

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. 

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Determining a Hair Care Regimen!

Good Morning!

Two things: I hope that you guys are having a nice week so far. It is Wednesday, and you're also closer to the weekend! AYEEE! On a serious note, I am sending my thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families in Las Vegas. <3

This blog post is dedicated to hair care regimens! Hair care regimens tend to be very essential if one is trying to achieve hair growth. Hair care regimens also help newly naturals (even more seasoned naturals) practice discipline. It also challenges one to practice consistency as well. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are some who are against hair care regimens, preferring a more carefree approach to their hair.

I've tested out the regimented and carefree hair care routines. As for me? I am fully aware that I am a lazy naturalista who prefers regimens lol. Natural hair care can take a lot of time and work. However, many of us have jobs, children, school, and everything in between. Many of us do not have enough time and or patience for styling/taking care of natural hair. Honestly, truly. Maybe it's just me, but I want to be efficient and effective with my small amount of time. Also, there are SOOOOOOOOO many regimens out there, it is overwhelming. I narrowed down my current regimen like this:

When you are figuring out your hair care regimen, 
FIRST

• Ascertain (Based on YOUR lifestyle!)
• Time/Availability 
• Frequency of styling (number of times per day(s)/Week(s))

SECOND

• Determine (How do you EXACTLY style your hair? Do you need all of the following below? Yes? No? How often?)
• Wash/Condition 
• Co-Washing
• Treatments
• Styling**
• This is going to be trial and error. The best way to figure out your regimen is to take note of your GOOD HAIR DAYS. What did you do? Do you notice a pattern when styling your hair? If so repeat, and adjust as needed! 

For example, I wash, use a protein treatment, and finally style my hair once a week. As of late, my style lasts until my next hair wash day. If it starts to look old, I will style it. I preserve my style by using a satin bonnet cap at night. I do not co-wash often as my hair is mostly hydrated and moisturized. This works for me due to my busy schedule. 

If you are inspired by other regimens via social media, try it out! But please. PLEASE. Be realistic with yourself. You know yourself better than anyone. If you decide to stick to a regimen, make it work for you. That way, it will be easier to commit, and it will coincide with your life style. Regimens can always be adjusted as well. So, RELAX! 

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. 

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Hair Care Products!

Helllooo!!!

How is the week going so far? Mine is great! Work is work, but I now have a friend who is married, and I am praying that the rest of them find their prince charming soon enough! :)

Okay, so you  now have a great idea about what products should work for your newly beautifully cut hair (if you haven't big chopped, what are you WAITING FOR?!?!?!?!). We officially get to the best part of the K.I.S.S. Naturals Series: SHOPPING!!!!!!...well more specifically, shopping for hair products lol. Shopping for hair products should not be stressful! Shopping for jeans, is stressful. Not hair products. :)

This post is going to be a guide on hair products that I like, and have had success with. I also will provide tips for purchasing products.
There is a more in-depth blog post HERE. A lot of my hair products that I use are still the same, with the exception of a few that I am testing out. HERE WE GO!!

• Shampoo/Conditioner-These shampoo/conditioner combos have been moisturizing for my hair. I also would recommend that you stick to the same line when it comes to this combo. This has to do with the combined products being pH formulated to work with your hair. 
• Alba Botanicals Drink it Up Coconut Milk 
• KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Line
• Deep Conditioner/Moisture Treatments
• TGIN Honey Miracle Hair Masque (recently purchased; will update you guys soon!)
• Aphogee Curlrific! Texture Treatment (quick, yields great results, and effective!)
• Oils
• Argan
• It moisturizes your hair DIVINELY. 
• Castor
• Great for coarse, thick hair. A little goes a LONG way
• Jojoba
• Lightweight.  Similar to sebum: An oil that your scalp naturally produces.
• Coconut
• Lightweight. Gives hair incredible shine. Please DO NOT USE if you are allergic to coconuts! 
• Leave In Conditioner
• ElastaQP Olive Oil & Mango Butter
• Aphogee
• Curlrific! Moisture Rich
• Pro-Vitamin
• Jane Carter Revitalizing 
• Oyin Handmade Juices & Berries (honestly, ANY of their leave ins)
• Moisturizing/Styling Creams
• Oyin Handmade 
• Burnt Sugar Pomade (holy guacamole this stuff smells AMAZING)
• Whipped Pudding 
• Shine & Define
• Hair Dew
• Qhemet Biologics 
• Amla & Olive Heavy Cream
• Olive & Honey Hydrating Balm
• Taliah Waajid
• Curly Curl Cream (The #1 product for BUN hairstyles)
• Homemade hair cream
• I am still experimenting, but it looks VERY promising! 
• Styling Gels/Pomades
• Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Paste
• TGIN Curl Bomb 
• Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity (This gel has changed my life. No, seriously.)
• Kinky Curly Curling Custard
• Styling Foams/Mousse (used mostly for bantu knot outs)
• Jane Carter Solution Natural Twist Out Foam
• Big Sexy Hair Mousse

Tips

• If there is a product that you've been eyeing and it is E X P E N S I V E... Shop online! Amazon, BeautyLish, NaturallyCurly, CurlMart, AveYou are popular websites. 
• You can find a coupon code, there may be a promotion, etc. Save money as much as you can! 
• Some hair care companies offer promotions periodically. Follow them on social media or check out their website! 
• Seasonal promotions are clutch if you are looking to save money, especially around the holidays. For example, Miss Jessie's were KNOWN for their 50% off promotions back in the day lol.
• Samples! I cannot stress this enough! Try a sample of a product FIRST! Then invest in the product if you like it. 
• Try looking for products that emphasize moisture and richness: I've noticed that those products typically have better ingredients and work better for curly hair. 

If you guys have any products that would be helpful for anyone that is newly natural, sound off in the comments below!  FUN FACT: These products also work for men as well. <3

If you made it to the end of this blog, congratulations! I hope that this helps you! 

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. <3

SERIES: K.I.S.S. Naturals

Hey guys!


Are you guys great? I hope so! I know that you didn't ask, but I am doing well. LOL


This is just a heads up: I plan on starting a series of blogs dedicated to condensing natural haircare information. I am gearing this to anyone who may feel overwhelmed (especially anyone considering natural hair) or maybe is interested in adopting a few nuggets of wisdom (for my natural haired women-hey!). The series will be called K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart) Naturals.

I plan on having a blog post every month dedicated to answering a question regarding natural hair and anything related. If you guys have any topics that you would like for me to discuss, let me know.



The goal again, is to make sure you're provided with easy-to-digest info that is helpful. Okay? Okay.
Honestly, I am actually excited to show you guys the following posts..like..I'm slightly giddy lol.

No..Honestly..K.I.S.S. A Natural. ;)

Peace&Love.
Brie.


P.S. I also have an article featured on Audacity to be Yo(unique)'s website! I am pretty excited about it since this is my first article haha! Please click the link and let me know what you think :) Temptations Every Natural Encounters

My Natural Hair Product Faves!

Hola (Hello)!

I hope you guys are still doing well. Why the long break? Bear with me as I am currently juggling work among some other things (sorry for being slightly vague).


It has been quite a L O N G time however, I am coming to you all with a brand new blog post. I warn you, there will be a bit of information to absorb and process. I will try my best to condense this information for you.

I am not sure how interested you are in my opinion of hair products (This year will mark 7 years of my natural hair journey), styling tools, etc., but I will share them anyway! lol

For the newly naturals (are there anymore newly naturals??), or someone who is interested in trying new hair care lines here are some of my suggestions:

• Hair Products

• Shampoos
• *Alba: Their shampoo doesn't contain ANY sulfates. It is also an organic product. To me, it is the only shampoo that doesn't leave my hair dry. And it smells..AHHHMAZING. 
• Conditioners/Leave-In Conditioners
• Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner (most wallet friendly!)
• *Suave Naturals Conditioner
• **Giovanni's Leave In Conditioner
• Styling Creams/Butters/ Oils
• ***My hair creme
• ***Qhemet Biologics Alma Butter/Honey Balm (GET. YOUR. BLESSING!) 
• *Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding (for the chocolate lovers!)
• *Coconut Oil (It cures everything)
• *Olive Oil (Very moisturizing)
• Styling Gels
• **Eco Styler
• ***My home made gel
• ***Ouidad humidity gel (HOLY GUACAMOLE THIS PRODUCT IS AMAZING)
• Moisturizing Products/Sprays
• *Curls Moisturizer/2nd Day Curl Refresher
• *Jane Carter Spray leave in conditioner
• Foams/Hair Mousse
• *Jane Carter's Twist Out Foam
• Styling Tools
• **Denman 
• **MetaGrip Premium Bobby Pins
• *Ribbon hair ties
• *Headbands
• **Satin Scarves
• *Duck Bill clips (hair washing)
• Tips: 
• SAMPLES SAMPLES SAMPLES!!!!!! If you do not want to fully commit to a full sized product (self-proclaimed commitment-phobe here) start with a sample size. You don't waste money, and you can see if you like the product! 
• If you bought a product and you HATE. IT. Try using the product in different ways! I would purchase a few items, until I found a way for it to work for my hair. Money does not grow on trees, okay? 
• Search for coupons and shop around! An obivious tip, but I have saved money by shopping around for certain hair products. 
• Experiment! Look at the YouTube gurus for guidence, then adjust for your hair needs. 

Note: Any product that is italicized and in bold, means that I HIGHLY recommend this product. No I am not being sponsored by these companies (I've paid with my own money). My blog is too indie for that. lol. 

* Mostly found in Target, Walmart, and a few drugstores like Walgreens, CVS, etc. 

**Can be found in select Target, Walmart and drugstores depending on your location

***Can be difficult to access or can be found at Sephora or Ulta. Can be moderate to expensive. I would suggest purchasing either online (possible coupons), the company's website, or a store locator.

This is only to be a guide. I hope that this is a good start for you guys. :)

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. 

Straightened Hair!

Hey guys! I am back again with another hair post! So I recently wanted to try something new with my hair and one thing led to another...which led to me straightening my hair! Surprisingly, the process was simple and easy...just time consuming. What was even more surprising was that I kept the style for over a week. I would've kept it longer but I became bored with my hair. Here's what I do to achieve my straight hair. Now..results may vary depending on your grade of hair and how it reacts to moisture as well as environmental factors so proceed with caution!!

1. Wash Hair: Self Explanatory

2. Blow Dry Hair: Before I blew dried my hair, I applied Argan oil, John Freda Frizz-Ease 3 Days  Straight Semi Permanent Styling Spray (that was a mouthful lol), Ion Straightening Solutions Healing Jojoba Flat Iron Cream and Ion Straightening Solutions Straightener, respectively. I was taking NO chances with reversion of my hair. Lol

3. REST(OPTIONAL): Because blow drying natural hair can take a lot out of a person physically. 

4. Straighten hair: I  used the FHI straightener, a fine tooth comb and Argan oil. Separate the hair into enough sections so that way you straighten your hair effectively. Also when I straightened my hair I combed the section 1st, applied the oil, and used the comb straightener method.

5. Clip split/dead ends: As needed of course. I unfortunately, became scissor happy and ended up with shorter hair than I expected....Y'all pray for me.

My hair was "flickin" low key. The Argan oil helped to make my hair look and feel healthy. I also received compliments on my hair. Some people thought that I went to a salon, which made me feel even better with my DIY straightening technique. 

I had pictures...But they were accidentally deleted! And I was going to use stock photos to compensate for my deleted pictures but they all look WHACK so don't scold me. Lol

**UPDATE**
I found pictures of my straightened hair!

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. 

My Natural Hair Journey.

Enjoy folks! 

And you can share your natural hair journey as well.

Talk to you soon.
Brie.

Bantu Knot-Out!

Hey guys! :) I hope you all are doing well. This blog post will be how I do my bantu knot outs. They're pretty simple, but I have perfected it to where it is afro-porn/crush worthy (YAASS). If you have any different methods, let me know in the comments below! (That rhymed. Ha.)

1. Take hair. 

2. Section hair. 

My hair after a long day. Shrinkage! :)

3. Twist hair. Now for me, I make an individual twist because my hair is very fine and it can be hard to achieve a defined style. I have tried twisting the entire section of my hair, making a bantu knot, and ended up having beach-wavy hair (think Cosmopolitan hair style articles -__-). And yes. Black women can have beach wavy hair without curling wands and weave. FYI.

      a. Also, the product is important too. Use a product that gives your hair definition. I used my homemade           hair cream (my moisturizer) and Organic Root Stimulator (ORS) Smooth-N-Hold Pudding (styling               product)

Twist! :)

                                                                                               

4. Create knot!! Ergo...the Bantu Knot! What you are going to do is wrap the twist around itself. You are going to twist your hair around and it is going to form a small knot. That will be your base. Then, wrap the rest of your hair around that base. It should look similar to this:

Creep Life.

          

5. Leave it alone! :)

Trendy style. Just kidding. 

6. Take it down (no Chris Brown): You are going to unwrap the knot. If you created an individual twist before the knotting, untwist your individual twist (there's a lot of twisting going on here haha). You can use oil to create less frizz. If you don't want to use oil, that's fine too! It's completely up to you! (All these rhymes, I'm coming up with a rap name I swear. lol) 

7. Fluff to your heart's content! Just get rid of the obnoxious parts that may be in your hair, and fluff. I love big hair, so the people can stare. I strive to have Diana Ross/Chaka Khan hair! 

It was a good hair day.

My face during social media antics lol

Alright! Let me know what you do in the comments below! Quit being scurred! 

Also..call me G-Thizzle cause I have officially killed the rap game in this tutorial. 

Look for the mixtape this summer: "Fros on Fleek". 

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. 

A Picture Heavy Puff/Pompadour Tutorial

Hey guys! I hope you all are doing well. This is the first post of 2015 woo!!
I recently celebrated my six year natural hair anniversary (December 21, 2009) and decided to post one of my well worn hairstyles: DA PUFF. There is a method to my puff. And I warn you: this will be a picture-heavy tutorial.

1. Start off with unstyled hair. 

   

2. Section off front part of your hair and "pick" the remaining hair at the roots for volume. I do this for a more fuller puff.

 

 3. **Optional** Use whatever holding agent around the perimeter of your head. I used Curl's Control Paste for the edges, and used my Denman to further slick down my edges. 

  

4. Place hair (not sectioned off) into a puff. I used a clean knee-high to create this puff.

 

"What are you going to do with the front section?" I'm glad you asked! 

5. Take the ends of the front section and create a small puff in the front (called a pompadour) and pin the ends once you achieve your desired pompadour. 

 
 

Or you can make a slanted pompadour... 

  

 

Or you can loosely twist the front section, create a pompadour and pin the ends. You get a textured pompadour...

 

Or you can create a Janelle Monae styled pompadour (Hint: it's in the flick of the wrist)... 

 

Or you can just go back to making the original puff/pompadour like I did. haha

Back view of puff/pompadour

I hope this helps. Let me know how you style your puffs in the comments! 

Talk to you soon.

Brie. 

Hair Neglect & Giving Your Hair Some Love

Hey! How have you been? I hope all is well! 

Alright. Let's get to the topic!

So..I recently moved to Washington D.C. and I am still getting adjusted to..life and the weather. LOL 

In the midst of this transition, I have been neglecting my hair and throwing it in a bun. Lo and behold, one night, I was playing in my hair, and I frowned. It felt SO DRY. I also didn't like the way it sounded (dry sounds..yes that is a weird description! Let me live beloved!). It sounded like hay rubbing together (I'm also being a bit dramatic). So I had to stop neglecting my hair and show it some love! 

T I R E D bun.

See the ends? The effects of hair neglect. :(

Bantu Knots. Prep for detangle and deep condition.

This picture makes me LAUGH like no other! 

Naked hair. See the curlies? :)

Clean hair. Come on "baby hurr"!

 S H R I N K A G E and lazy twist using homemade hair cream

Products Used: 

• Aphogee Curlific Texture Treatment- I prepooed with this one because my hair was REALLY dry. Follow the directions because the longer it sits, the more your hair can feel dry afterwards (it contains protein).
• TRESemme Luxurious Moisture Shampoo- It is a trial size because I am testing out the product (money saver!!).
• Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner- I am trying to use up the rest of this product. 
• Grapeseed Oil- Used for detangling before pre poo. 

If you guys have any methods for reviving neglected hair, let me know and comment below!



Brie.