Princess Leia Buns

This week I stepped outside of my regular bun box and created some Princess Leia inspired buns.

I got comments ranging from "Your hair is cute" to "You look like a little girl." To achieve this look I parted my hair down the middle prior to getting in the shower to wash and condition my hair. I cleansed each side and then used an elastic ponytail holder to position the ponytails for the buns.

To prep my hair for bunning I applied a leave-in conditioner to each ponytail, followed that with coconut oil, and lastly SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. Each bun is comprised of two 2-strand twists that were wrapped around the ponytail holder and hair pinned into place.

To smooth my edges I used the same leave-in conditioner, shea butter, and a satin scarf to tie down the edges over night. Theses buns were fun, I liked the way they looked, and they were quick.

If you are bunning for a protective styles, remember to switch up the bun position so that you will decrease the chance of experiencing breakage at the point of your in which the ponytail holder is placed.

For me, buns work just fine

May 12, 2011

May 12, 2011

Nothing special - just a bun.

I started with shampooed and conditioned hair
Then I two strand twisted the the ends and pinned them into place while the hair was still damp.
I am still applying product to my ends using the Chicoro method of moisturizing and sealing:
-Leave-in conditioner
-Castor/Sweet Almond oil mix
-SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie

This bun is slicked back with shea butter so perfectly that it really shows off my crazy edges and hairline. No, they are not thinning - it's hereditary.

Top Protective Styles

After years of doing protective styles on my hair I have finally learned the hard way which styles work well for my hair and which ones cause me more problems. Some protective styles are great for length retention but others have caused me breakage or an increase in single strand knots.

5. Yarn Braids

I really enjoyed yarn braids and they were so convenient. So why  are they last on my list? Well, they can be tricky to care for. I did great with caring for my scalp and edges with the braids but I failed to moisturize the ends of my hair well enough. As a result, when I removed the braids my ends were extremely dry and very close to the breaking point. I had to handle my hair with care and deep condition well for a few weeks after removing the braids.

#naturalhairtip: When using any type of synthetic hair to protect your hair or grow your hair out keeping YOUR hair properly moisturized is key to getting most out of the protective style.

4. Tucked Styles

I see a lot of tutorials on Youtube for some really cute tucked natural hair styles and a few of them are on my list to try. With the hair being up and protected from clothing and the outside elements, tucked styles are great for protecting your ends but there is a downside. With tucked hair styles, most times there is a requirement to manipulate the hair daily. I learned the hard way (through some breakage) that my hair does not like to be manipulated on a daily basis when in its natural state.

#naturalhairtip: When manipulating your hair daily be sure that your hair doesn't feel dry - handling dry brittle hair leads to breakage.

3. Mini Two Strand Twists

Two strands twists (TSTs) are the easiest style for me to do and since I also have a desire deep down to loc my hair they do help quiet that want for a little while. However, the ends of my hair are extremely curly so when I do mini twists my ends curl up and create single strand knots. After my Jan 2010 twists challenge I ended up having to do a trim all over to remove the influx of SSKs.

#naturalhairtip: TSTs need to be kept up off of rough clothing just as any protective style.

2. Updos

I LOVE my updos and the only reason that they are no. 2 on this list is because of time. Creating updo styles take a little more time than any other protective styles that I like to do on my hair.

#naturalhairtip: When doing updos on damp hair, your hair can start to dry before you finish styling. Keep a spray bottle with water close so that you can re-wet each section as you go.

1. BUNS!!!

I can't say enough about how much I love to bun. Bunning for me started off as a challenge and after a while bunning became a habit. I can't stop. During the challenge I took a tip from someone to take my bun down nightly so that I would not experience breakage. Guess what? Taking it down nightly actually caused breakage. I style my buns on wet hair only and I don't place my ponytail holder on my hair tightly. I now change the position of my buns twice a week (shampooing or cowashing each time) and it works great for me.

#naturalhairtip: When bunning change the location of the bun at least weekly to prevent weakening of the hair in one hair.

#naturalhairtip for all protective styles: A protective style will not do your strands any good if you do not handle your hair with care, moisture properly, and use a heavy oil or butter to seal. Always sleep on a satin pillowcase, in a satin bonnet, or (like me) both.

Hi, my name is Tia and I am addicted to protective styling...

Got protective questions, comments, or tips? Please leave them below.

(If the formatting in this post is a little off - blame blogger.)

Natural Hair and Wearing Hats - Part 2

The people have spoken and the twist-out won! I was able to get a few hats from a co-worker/fellow church member to try on. I am so gracious for her generosity - I know ladies don't play when it comes to their hats. I had a few hats of my own so I threw them in the mix also.

I was little nervous and curious about how the hats would look on me...

...but the more I tried on the more I liked them.

I loved that I was able to obtain different styles so that I could get a better idea of how they would look.

I love big hats, I look forward to pictures of the Kentucky Derby just so I can drool over the hats.

I think the floppy hat look is so chic and it is great for sunny days. I actually wore that particular hat (above) when the hubby and I went to Jamaica and it was perfect.

I had to throw in the graduation hat. I figured the season was right....CONGRATS to all the grads out there.


I hope this post helps anyone out there thinking about becoming a hat wearer or wanting to pull out the hats they used to wear. Also, if you are wondering wear you can pick up a hat or two - check your local department store or check out this site: Ashro. It just so happened that my mom had their magazine on the table this past weekend and I have been gazing at the hats for a good part of the day.

Natural hair and wearing hats - Part 1

Not only can hats be a great protective style in the winter (yup - they can) but they can also be worn during the warmer months to protect your hair from the sun or if you are just having a bad hair day. When I first started embracing my natural texture and learning how to style my hair, I had a lot of bad hair days. I still have a few bad hair days. As a result I began to stock up on slouchy beanie hats. I don't really have one place that I frequent to purchase them - I pick them up when I am out an about. However, teen stores and beauty supply stores tend to keep them in stock. I purchased hats until I had one in every color - that way I would have one to go with any outfit.

Recently, a friend (hey girl!) inquired about (Pause: someone literally just asked me for the hat I am wearing right now,LOL) how to wear hats with natural hair. I thought: "This is would a great post." Here are some images I found:

Click image for a larger view

As you can see almost any texture, length, and style can wear a hat.  Beanies, slouchy hats, scarves & hats, baseball caps...the list goes on.  

One image I had difficulty finding was a natural wearing a Sunday hat. Looks like I will be paying Macy's a visit ;) so that I can try some on. FOUND SOME!! (sorta, they're close).

Do you wear hats with your natural hair? 

What style of hat and how do you wear your hair with a hat?

---

Part 2 of this post will include 'moi' wearing an hairstyle with different hats. This is where I need your help. What hairstyle should I wear and show with some hats? Vote below.

Edited 09May2011 to had Sunday hat photos

Tornadoes, Hair, and Sunshine

This weekend (04.16.11 - 04.17.11) was a crazy weekend. First North Carolina got abused by storms and tornadoes. People's homes were pick up and thrown, cars flipped, and lives lost. The most amazing story I have read thus far is the one about the 3 month old baby that was taken by the tornado winds and then found safely on a stack of wood.

See photos of the destruction here: NC tornado disaster

Around 2pm we lost power and the wind picked up. I was in the middle of deep conditioning my hair. So I checked the weather report (thank God for our technological advancements) on my phone. The tornado was predicted to hit our area around 4pm. So I rinsed my hair and used the remaining day light coming through the window to start twisting. If the tornado came early at least I would already be in a bathroom.

By 3:30pm I was done with my hair so we waited in the windowless bathroom until it sounded calm. We heard wind and then it got quiet. We looked out the window and it was raining, then it started to hail, then the sun came out. It was bright beautiful sunshine.

In the end God watched over us. We suffered no damage whatsoever. Not even one shingle blew off the house. But the damage 5-10 minutes down the street from us is devastating. Two HBCUs in our area have had to cancel classes for the remainder of the semester.
 
As a result of  styling my hair in the midst of a storm, I have to call this look "twisted in a storm." I did have to SMH at myself because only I would be in the bathroom doing my hair during a tornado warning.

My heart goes out to every person in each state that suffered a loss with this storm.

Click here to see the inspiration for this look.

Since we didn't have power I did this look from memory. I should have more twists in the front and the back was a guess because there is not a shot that shows the hair from the back.

Back in a bun...

Over the weekend the hubby and I hosted a couples game night. Most of the night was spent playing MJ Experience and as a result of all those wrist flicking movements - my wrist hurts. Of course I would do this to myself before hair wash & style day.

To give my wrist a break and decided to do a quick and easy bun. Also with doing this bun I decided to utilized Chicoro's Method of sealing to lock in some moisture for a few days.

The bun was inspired by this look worn by actress Nia Long:

source

 

Nia Long's part is off center but I preferred a center part this time.

The cornrows in the front are not tight at all l- after applying all the product my hair laid down very easily.

Steps followed:

• Shampooed with Giovanni SAS Shampoo
• Conditioned with Giovanni SAS Conditioner
• Applied (layers according to Chicoro's Method) leave-in conditioner, Castor/Olive oil mix, and SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie (SMCES) to front sections to be cornrowed.
• After cornrowing the front section, applied leave-in conditioner, Castor/Olive oil mix, and SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie
• For the bun the SMCES was applied to each section of hair before 2-strand twisting. The bun is made up of about five 2-strand twists.

Yarn Braids? Yes!

I have seen on YouTube and read a lot on the the blogs about a protective braid style known by many as "yarn braids" or "genie locs." Since I now have some free time back in my life I decided to give them a try. Another reason that the timing to try them out was perfect was because the last two weeks of the year are causal days at my job and if I didn't like them I could easily throw on a hat. (Natural hair and hats - I love the combination).

Some of the tutorials I watched on YT to learn how to do yarn braids are here, here, and here.
A blog that I found extremely helpful is here.

I did learn a few things with the braids:
• Braiding in small sections gives better results. Larger sections results in a lot of space and a lot of  visible scalp.
• Don't braid too tight or close to the edges. I had about 10 braids that I did a little to tight for my liking.
• Moisturize each section before braiding. The last thing you want with a protective style is breakage. Handling dry hair too roughly will lead to breakage.
• TIME. Putting in yarn braids so that they look good, takes t - i - m - e!!
• A spray bottle filled with your favorite moisturizer is great for daily moisturizing.

Side

Ponytail

Front

Rear

Thoughts?

I love the outcome! This is definitely something that I will do again. When time allows and I am looking forward to trying out some styles with the braids.

If you have tried yarn braids, do you have any tips that you would like to share?

What is a protective style?

Tucked Cornrows

My definition:
A protective hairstyle is one would protect your hair from constant manipulation and your ends from environmental elements and clothing. The overall goal of protective styling is to retain length and promote healthy growth. Limiting the use of harmful hair practices such as heat and the use of harmful products should also be included in a protective styling regimen.

My favorite protective style is a bun. Quick, simple, and fitting for any occasion.

What is your definition of "a protective style" and what is your favorite?

Sunday Style to Protective Style

I left the cornrows in place from yesterday and bunned the lose hair. Quick, simple, and easy!

I prefer to bun on wet hair. To prep my hair I applied a leave-in conditioner and sealed with a hair butter. Bunning this way helps my hair stay moisturized for 2-3 days depending on how warm it is outside. Since we are about to start the Fall season in the 90s my bun will be dry in about 2 days. Then I will take the bun down, cowash, and re-bun until the weekend.

Skin issue:

You may be able to tell by the last few posts that my skin is looking ROUGH. I have been extremely stressed lately (I won't go into detail) and my skin is showing every bit of the stress. It was worse than it is in the pics above but I have have been washing with Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree castile soap and I can tell a huge difference already. Surprisingly it does not dry out my skin. I am liking it more and more each day. All I need is to relax but until things calm down I gotta make due...

Bun Tutorial

Some geographic areas are cooling down faster than others so there are some of us that are already implementing our Fall/Winter hair regimens. I have not started my Fall/Winter hair regimen yet - it was 80° today :) however the humidity and the dew points are dropping so I will be starting soon.

Many Fall/Winter hair regimens consist of protective styles and last year my favorite protective style became the bun. This is how I do my buns:

To change it up (and prevent breakage) I like to move the position of the bun or include some cornrows in the front.

Happy bunning!

Seasonal Regimen Change

Fall is coming so of course a change in my regimen is needed. Last year (2009) around this time I gave myself a trim to prepare for protective styling throughout the Fall and Winter seasons. I didn't realize this until now... and just this past weekend I did another trim. So I guess I found my trimming routine. In between trims I would do search & destroy's to maintain my ends.

This year bunning was my first choice but I am open to other options.

I have thought about:

• Roller-sets: They would make my hair easy to handle but would be time consuming and would require me to manipulate my hair daily.
• Spring Twists/Crochet Braids: I haven't worked with weave before so I am not quite sure how that would work for me.
• Cornrows: These would be quick, easy access to my scalp, and cheap to maintain. However, at this stage in my life I am trying to do some things that would not make cornrows feasible right now.
• Two Strand Twists: I have been doing that style for over a month now. I need some change.

I'm open to suggestions. Do you protective style in the fall/winter? What style are you contemplating this year?

Two Strand Twists Protective Style

This week I have a wedding to go to on Friday so I wanted a style I could release quickly for a more fun look. For me, two strand twists always win in situations like this. Plus, the wedding is at the beach and my twist outs get bigger and better when its humid.

The protective style pictured was inspired by none other than kimmaytube. The items needed to achieve this look were a banana clip and some hair pins. I actually did this before leaving for work - it's a really quick style.

Friday morning I will take my twists down for a twist out. I kinda want to cover my headset at work with satin because it snatches out my hair - not cool (and it hurts)!

To twist my hair I shampooed, conditioned, and applied kimmaytube's leave in conditioner. I used the Koils by Nature Citrus Bliss butter to twist. That's it - just leave in conditioner and hair butter. Very simple. My hair feels extremely soft and I love the sheen.

Still on the diet

My postings have been slow because I am still doing the cornrow challenge and still on the hair diet. The combination of those two make for a very boring hair story.

This week my cornrow style was inspired by CurlyNikki.com Glam Hair Idol Catrina. She has some fierce cornrow styles in her FOTKI albums.

This weekend I will be washing my hair with Dudu Osun Herbal Shampoo. I am really starting to like this shampoo and this diet just might cause me to make a permanent switch. Then I will deep condition with Giovanni Smooth As Silk(SAS). I like SAS because it gives me results that are similar the results I get from using Herbal Essences HH.

The only downfall of this diet is the fast frizzes. I read on someone's blog this week that it's the silicones that keep our hair from frizzing so quickly. I usually take what I hear and read on the web with a grain of salt but I am starting to believe this theory.

Happy Friday!!!!!

-Tia

Is protective styling addictive?

Around Sept '09 I started bunning and I bunned my hair for pretty much the entire winter. This when Spring came around I got into twists, cornrows, and now and then a bun. I started wearing my hair out on the weekends but I found myself looking forward to "tucking it away." The style I am currently wearing is almost two weeks old and I am ready to shampoo, deep condition, and .....tuck it back away. I don't even have the desire to be wild and free. So I began to wonder if protective styling could be addictive.

The regimens of a few of my hairoines (hair + heroine) and some others include protective styling over 90% of the time. Could we be addicted?

Cornrow and Hair Diet Challenge - Week 1

The first week of the month long cornrow challenge. One of my goals is to do cornrow styles that are as feminine as possible. This week I started with this style:

To achieve this style I first shampooed my hair with Dudu-Osum Natural Shampoo. Then I conditioned with Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat for about 15mins. I used Shea Moisture Shea Butter conditioner for my leave in and then let my hair air dry in two braids. I styled with Shea Butter and used Kemi-Oyl Conditioning spray to moisturize.

Six Cornrows with a flower

I have a lot going on and I didn't want my hair to suffer so I needed something that was super super low maintenance. Also, for a while I have been wanting to recreate one of NikG's super cute styles that she does on A's hair. I chose this one: 6 cornrows with a bow

Fun to Protective

Sunday's style was the perfect template for a protective style and quick to do. Since the sides were cornrowed into place I just needed to twist the loose section. I misted each section with Care Free Curl/Water mix and sealed with my Spring Shea Butter mix. This look is the outcome.

Bunning It!

After having my fun with the Jill Scott inspired style I decided to use the style as a starting point for this week's protective style - more buns :)

Sunday Style: Side Bun

This bun was done on damp hair (Damp bunning) and my ends were still slightly damp yet very soft by the end of the day.

Today message: "Still in the FOG" (favor of God)

It's alright to be in a fog if it is the right fog-the favor of God. Its possible to be in the favor of God and not recognize it because are so used to equating what we are getting(material possessions) with favor. The favor of God ain't about what you get it's about what God keeps from getting you.

(2 Samuel 9:1)

Have a Great Week!!!