K.I.S.S. Naturals: The End!

Hello!!!!!

I hope that you all are doing well!

Excuse me for the brief MIA (missing in action), the last week or so has been kicking my butt (work, adulthood, and life) :).


This post will be a short one, but this will be the final post of the K.I.S.S. Natural Series! I just want to thank anyone that stumbled upon my blog, shared, liked, or commented on my natural hair blog. Even if you felt that it didn't relate to you (someone actually told me that lol), you still checked out my site.



It is thoroughly appreciated. I hoped to inspire and provide some insight and encouragement to women (even men!) who wanted to pursue natural hair. I wanted to provide a series of posts that provided a simple guide amidst the vast amount of information out there. I wanted to provide anyone with the tools to feel empowered on their natural hair journey. Hair is not supposed to be an overwhelming stressor. It is not complicated.



So again, this is the last post of the series. I hope that you enjoyed! I will be back on November 29th with a new post. Enjoy your holidays!



Talk to you soon.
Brie.

Always #KISSANATURAL ;) xoxo

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Confidence in Natural Hair

Hello!! Are you having a great week so far? I hope so!

One of the main concerns that I hear often, is how difficult it is being comfortable or confident wearing natural hair. I cut off all of my hair at the end of 2009, and did not fully wear my hair out for four months. Frankly, I was scared and I did not like the reactions that I received with my natural hair. I was used to my hair length, and I did not know HOW to style my hair.

Quick backstory: I am from Mississippi, and grew up in a very sheltered, conservative, and deeply Christian based home. I also grew up having my relaxers every 6 weeks like clockwork lol. When I cut my hair, it was assumed (by some relatives) that I was a lesbian, and going on a downward spiraling path to destruction. -__________________________-
I was also made fun of for having nappy hair, being told that I should use my hair to scrub tubs and mop floors. It also didn't help that when I went out in public, non-blacks did not hide the fact to gawk at my head. People (black, white, and in-between) were being rude, and OBNOXIOUSLY ignorant, only intensifying the insecurities that I hadn't yet sort through.

I installed twists, and even the stylist (who was African) had something to say. I was OVER IT DO YOU HEAR ME??!! After four months of twists, I literally said, "F*CK THEM. I'm wearing my hair out and I DARE A M*THAF*CKA have something to say". I decided from that point on, I was going to wear my hair out REGARDLESS of the responses it would incite. I figured that, "Hey, it's MY hair. If people are THAT bothered with my hair, they are more than free to pay for a relaxer (fun fact: they never did)." At first wearing my hair out was uncomfortable, but it became easier. I learned that people tend to play on your insecurities if you let them. People will also back off when they realize that their opinion doesn't stand up next to your convictions.

It is a LOT easier now to become natural compared to when I first started. This is due to the social media communities encouraging natural hair.

So to condense this post, I will give you some tips for how I learned to wear my natural hair in confidence.

• Remember your reason why you decided to become natural
• Keep in mind that your natural hair is in fact beautiful. No matter how short, nappy, or kinky the texture. 
• People's negative opinions are just that: OPINIONS. Some people will solicit opinions or comments because THEY are scared, choose to be negative, or are jealous that you're doing something that they may want to do. Their comments/opinions can also stem from a place of insecurity. 
  • While you strive not to take negative opinions seriously, please do not hesitate to let a person know that you are not the one for disrespect. Yesterday. Today. Many days. Always. 
• Find people who are on the journey along with you! There is comfort and support in numbers. 
• Find inspiration! I was always on YouTube trying out new hair styles and reading articles. 
• Natural hair is a process. Being uncomfortable with the length, and the learning curve of figuring out hair styles. It is all a process: the awkward stage of natural hair is only temporary. 
• Confidence takes time. For me, it was deliberately placing myself in places where I KNEW that I would be gawked at. For you, it may be different. And that's okay. <3

This picture is so cute! <3 

If you have any tips, please comment below! If you read all of this, you are appreciated. lol 

Talk to you soon. 

Brie. 

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Hairstyles!

Hey! I hope that you are doing well. Excuse the late post, I had some technical difficulties yesterday. But I am back! :) This blog post is going to touch on the different hairstyles of natural hair. One of my pet peeves is hearing about how black hair is not versatile when it comes to hairstyles.  I also hear a lot of people mention how they are hesitant to become natural because they don't know where to start when it comes to hairstyles. Contrary to popular belief, natural hair, specifically black hair, can be very versatile. Creativity is a MAJOR KEY for hairstyles!


HEADS UP: This is going to be a picture heavy post. And quite frankly, full of hair porn. LOL. Please use this blog post as inspiration for your hair whether you are a newly or seasoned naturalista. You can incorporate one technique or multiple! And I BETTER not hear any more whining about not knowing what to do with natural hair (slightly joking)!!!!!! LOL

 

 

Popular Hair Styles

• Bantu (think of Jada Pinkett Smith in the Matrix)/bantu knot outs(unraveled bantu knots)
• Braids/ braid-outs (unraveled braids)
• Twists/ twist-outs (unraveled twists)
• Updos
• Afros
• Puffs
• Buns
• Wigs*
• Locs
• Weaves*
• Straightened Hair*

*Try to wear sparingly, if you can; if you opt for these styles for an extended amount of time, please tend to your hair! Neglect can cause dry, brittle hair ultimately causing stunted hair growth.

Bantu knot out. Current fave. Throwback pic from two years ago :)

OMG I love BLACK HAIR. Our hair is so amazing like... I can't even! lol Natural hair is FUN! Experiment! Don't be scared or intimidated! Try new hairstyles!

And if it doesn't work out, throw it in a puff and start again at a different time. NO WORRIES! <3
What are some of your favorite hair styles? And it doesn't have to be natural. Let me know in the comments below. :)


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: Figuring out Which Hair Product to Use with Natural Hair

Hola (Hi)! Are you having a great week? Anything new? :)

I know someone that is currently transitioning into natural hair. She asked me the other day," Brie what do you use in your hair?" I told her some of the products that I used.

However, what may work for MY natural hair, may not work for YOUR natural hair. Please refer to the previous line. Wash, rinse, and repeat (pun intended).

Trying to figure out which products work for your hair is hard, okay? IT IS HARD! If I am to be honest, I am still figuring out the best leave in conditioner (as I type this). The reason why it can be difficult is because there are a lot of hair products that aren't well formulated for black hair. There are a handful of brands, but there aren't as many. Another reason would be that there is a TON  of information and opinions on hair products from social media influencers (usually sponsored by those companies-no shade). This makes it more difficult to sift through the information given and find unbiased, honest reviews. Lastly, the most important reason, is that we all have different hair types! Our hair can be compared to snowflakes: one is not like the other.

Alright. So you FINALLY chopped off your hair! YYYYAAAASSSS!!! ABOUT TIME BELOVED!

You did your research with hair ingredients. Now, what do you do?!

First!

• Try different products!
• Sample sizes are your friend. When I went natural, samples weren't as prevalent, so I had to buy the full jars/bottles. I started off with more affordable products that I saw at my local beauty supply, paid attention to how my hair reacted to those products and expanded/condensed my products from there.                         
• Example products of a 6 MONTH naturalista (10 years ago):

                          

Second!

• Pay attention to how your hair reacts!
• Is it fabulously frizzy? Is it dry? Are your curls popping? Is your hair hydrated and moisturized? Aesthetically, are you happy with how your hair looks? These are important questions when it comes to changing, updating, keeping, or tossing hair products!
• Depending on your hair, you may have to switch products that contain different oils, or have a different ratio of water and oil. Maybe your hair likes silicones, protein, or sulfates....who knows?!

     

Third!

• Do you like the results of your hair from using the products that you've bought?
• Yes? Continue using them! If you feel like you can do better, then try a different product that has similar qualities to the one that you have.
• No? Try using the product in a different way!
• If the product was meant for twistouts, try using it as a moisturizer, or applying it after washing your hair. If it was an oil, try using it as a hot oil treatment before/after your wash day. Find a way to repurpose the product and use it in an unconventional way; you get your money's worth, and once you finish, you don't have to use it again.
• You can always give the product to a family member, use it on your child and see if it works for them.
• You can also dispose of the product if it is THAT terrible.

The message that I really want to convey is that figuring out your collection of hair care products can be a learning curve. However, it can ultimately be achieved through trial and error.

I really hope that this helps!
If you guys have any other tips regarding how to figure out your personal hair product faves, comment below!



Talk to you soon.
Brie.

Checking In! K.I.S.S. Naturals Coming in September!

Hey guys!

I am popping in to say:

Sorry for going AWOL (absent without leave). I hate excuses, however, dealing with the loss of my stepfather, the move back home, and adulthood have been a damper on my spirits.


I also had to assess why I began blogging in the first place, being honest and blunt with my reasons. I honestly missed writing on my blogs.


Don't think that I forgot about the K.I.S.S. Naturals Series. I did not.

K.I.S.S. Naturals was a blog series that I started last March as a guideline for women that were considering wearing their hair in its natural state.


This post is only to say that I will continue the K.I.S.S. Naturals Series. Instead of every month, I will be posting every Wednesday for next eight weeks (Nine posts total). The second post however, will not be posted on Wednesday, but on my birthday, September 5th. Also, please expect to see additional posts periodically in between the series.


Talk to you soon,
Brie.

K.I.S.S. Naturals: Should I Transition into or "Big Chop" My Natural Hair?

Hi! :)


I hope you ladies and gents are doing well. This is the first OFFICIAL  post of K.I.S.S. Naturals!
AHHHHH!!!!! (milly rocks like a boss)


One of the things that I see on the internet involves this scenario:

"I'm deciding on going natural, but I don't know if I want to transition into natural hair or BC...What should I do?"

I'm going to stop you right there, beloved.

There are pros and cons to either methods to ultimately achieving natural hair (hair chemical (or lye)-free).

This guideline should make it easier on deciding what to do to achieve natural hair.

• Big Chop (B.C.): Immediately removing relaxed/chemically treated hair, leaving untreated natural hair behind. 
• Pros: 
• Learning curve dealing with natural hair (easier to deal with)
• Less breakage than transitioning into natural hair
• Less products needed; can be a money saver
• Low maintenance 
• Standing out from a crowd
• Challenges one to be fashionable in other ways; can't hide behind hair
• Cons: 
• Learning curve dealing with natural hair 
• Can be a stark contrast to long hair
• Standing out from a crowd
• Dealing with criticism from outsiders

• Transitioning: Gradually growing out relaxed/chemically treated hair, dealing with two different textures at the same time.
• Pros: 
• Thicker hair, makes for voluminous hairstyles
• Avoiding the shock of having short hair
• Not as steep of a learning curve when dealing with natural hair
• You're able to figure out what works best with your hair while dealing with the two textures
• Cons:
• Dealing with two different textures (relaxed and natural hair)
• Figuring out hairstyles that would blend the two different textures (Tip: bantu knots work!)
• Hair is more prone to breakage! The point where your natural and relaxed hair (demarcation) meet is HIGHLY fragile!

Welp, that is all that I have... if you guys can think of any other pros and cons to big chopping/ transitioning let me know in the comments below! 

Awesome looking TWA!

Side Note:
I tried both methods, and ultimately big chopped. If you want to find out why, I posted a video about it. Check out the archives! Plus, I just celebrated my 7 year NAPTURAL anniversary! ^__^


Talk to you soon.

Brie.