Now Featuring....

Hey guys!! I know I've been slacking on the postings recently!! This is my repenting of my slacking and giving you all a gift! :) James AKA Jirbaud kindly accepted my offer to post his story and an example of his poetry on my blog via Twitter! :) Lately, I've found myself drawn to loc'd up men....at least those that keep them neat and don't look like Pippi Longstocking...

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I've followed Jirbaud's blog to read his amazing poetry and views of the world; this dude truly has a GIFT with words... Ok, and also to look at his incredible locs...and that smile!! :) Read below, comment, then go check out his blog :)

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What is one word that describes you? Why?
Dumbazzgenius

I  tend to be scientific, technical, logical and ordered; however, my artistic soul is free flowing, impulsive, spontaneous, and emotional.  The latter doesn't mold well into the secular world. I've been told I represent Nietzsche's Apollian/Dionysian dichotomy, teetering the balance of the left and right brain.  Thoughts and actions oft misunderstood and mistaken for simplicity but like wine; in time potency reveals itself.

Why did you choose to wear your hair in locs?
I appreciate my own cultural history and the spiritual connection some appreciate.  My own "loc-ed" journey symbolically represents my spiritual growth as a constant reminder that growth is never-ending

How long have you been loc’d up? What other interests do you have and how long have you been
into them?
Nearing five years but I have always been found of the strength and beauty of naturally loc-ed hair

What was your family and friends’ reaction to you growing locs?
Initially when I cut my own hair to grown them there was shock and even ridicule.  But the journey was my own and others soon appreciated what the change represented

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What is your regimen for keeping your locs maintained?


Any “Holy Grail” products?
I wouldn't say I have a Holy Grail product but I typically us Organic Root stimulator Lock and Twist gel

Is there any product or technique that you’ve had to AVOID since being loc’d up? Why?
BEESWAX or any heavy product that attracts dirt

Could you give us a sample of your poetry? :)Very simple, I wash monthly and twist after washed while wet

Growth
intricately woven to form the bond
loc-ed up yet free the nomenclature; "dreaded" I'm not so fond
whether your have em for a spiritual journey
or you like the look
locs are forever entangled in my outlook
I started the processes about five years back
I wore my hair long but grew tired of that
from braids to twist it was never right
so i started from scratch with locs in sight
my family's part west indian maybe, haitian or Bajan
everytime i ask my g-ma i get a different explanation
whatever the creed, its in my blood
so i accepted my past and grew my locs of love
it just hair! yet it reminds me of continual growth
never to be tamed never to be stopped
Im not a rasta, but my spiritual growth is symbolically loc-ed
i took this oath, I made a promise to myself that to do it
forever intertwined; growth and spirit
the past always shown
but new beginnings from the roots are grown
so i show my spirit with nothing to hide
Lion mane hangs, leader of his Pride
Just!, in His eyes, Never less
I am forever seeking righteousness
locs only grow, never to shrink
that's my story written, permanent ink

Is there any advice you’d like to give men or women who are natural?
Again Simple, DONT QUIT and pick a loc size that compliments your natural curl size and pattern, it makes upkeep a breeze


How can we find you on the internet?
http://jirbaud.blogspot.com/
Twitter @jirbaud


Until next time....

The Black Hair Salon: Taking Advantage of its Clients?

The Black Hair Salon has been one of the mainstays in the Black community since the beginning...it's the place where you find out who's doing what in the church, down the street, and even in the next city...it's the place where you go not only JUST to get your hair done, but also to enjoy lively conversation with the cackling beautician...
I went to go get my hair straightened at a place locally and had mixed feelings about the place...yes, all the traditional elements were there, but I think sometimes we forget that there are some elements that need to go!! If I make an appointment for 1:30...I kinda expect you to be ready to do my hair at....(drumroll please) 1:30. Not sitting in the waiting area for about 20 minutes while I wait for you to get back from getting lunch. Not cool at all. I only tried this place at the recommendation of a friend of a friend because she said the hairdresser "specialized" in natural hair. Maybe she does normally specialize in natural hair. All I know is, my hair was roughly washed and detangled from the roots (a definite no-no; this only makes tangles worse). On the other hand, I normally "baby" my hair...if I'm frustrated, I will not detangle my hair because I know I'll end up ripping out a section. My mother has baby pictures of a two- y/o me holding a cornrow I had ripped out of my head! lol  Then she plaited my hair and sat me under the dryer (use of heat #1) for about 30 minutes; after my 30 minutes, I waited until she finished taking the rollers out of 1 of the 3 clients in the small shop...and then waited again as she put a relaxer in a girl's head with one hand and ate chicken fingers with the other. By this point, I was furiously texting one of my girls while almost holding myself down in the chair to keep from bolting out the shop, Ms. Seely plaits and all! However, I swallowed hard and politely asked..."Ms. ***, What time do you expect to be done with my hair?" "HMMMM, *pause* about 4:30." At least she was pretty accurate with the time. Once she got me in the chair, she blow-dried (heat use #2), pressed (heat use #3), and flat-ironed (heat use #4) my hair....I rarely use heat on my head so I was incredibly concerned about heat damage... I got out from an appointment  at 1:30 at 4:45 in the end...

So, my conclusion is that, even though  I  do want to support the black business and the end result was good (I will post pictures)....I will not be back for several reasons: disregard for my appointment time (yes, I understand they need to eat), overbooking clients (yes, I understand they need to hustle), too much heat (I'm paranoid), and too much time wasted. Beauty shops, if you want good, faithful clients, please be respectful of their time and schedules...I'll be taking my business elsewhere.

One last thing!! Getting my hair straightened revealed some DREADFUL ends!!! I will be bumping my trimmings up from every 4 months to every 3 months... :) Until next time!! :)

Please post comments and thoughts! :) I'd love to read them! :)

My Music

Now Featuring....

Sooo, This is my first feature (happy dance) !!! I reached out on Twitter  about a week ago looking for anyone who was into hair, poetry, photography, fashion....really anything that would be interesting. The FIRST person that reached back was Jess of the incredible blog My Hair Gets Kinky When Wet . Her interest happened to be in natural hair, so of course I wanted to feature her! Check it out guys! :)

What is one word that describes you? Why?
Inquisitive. I'm always open for more knowledge, ready to learn, investigating and questioning norms. And this definitely relates to my relationship with natural hair.


Why did you choose to wear your hair naturally?
I got my 1st relaxer when I was about 11 years old. Back then, everyone wanted that bone-straight, flowing Aaliyah look. I'm talking absolutely NO volume at all. But my hair was so thick that even the Super strength relaxer would only make my hair that straight for the initial application.

So number one--I wasn't getting the look I wanted anyway.
Two--I got tired of my scalp tingling & then finally BURNING because I could not completely refrain from scratching before getting a touch-up.
Three--The scabs on my scalp were grossing me out.
Four--I hated that I had to keep getting my ends trimmed...I loved my length, and though it was not as bad as some other's situations, the slow breakage was evident.
Five--I saw what relaxers were doing to my friends whose hair I had once envied & did not want that for myself.

At age 13, I got my last relaxer for my 8th grade picture and that was that. I told my mom my decision & she was perfectly fine with it.

How long have you been natural? What other interests do you have and how long have you been
into them?

I am in my 11th year of being natural.

When I'm not obsessing about my hair, getting a handle on my product junky-ism or posting to my recently developed natural hair blog, I'm probably reading about education reform. Don't call me a nerd! Alright, I'm a nerd. But I do love to read.

Some other random things?
I play Wii when no one's around because I'm ashamed of how hype I get.
I've been trying to teach myself to play guitar since this past summer.
I change my nail polish 2-4 times a week.
I just started taking free sign language classes in October.
And last, I am addicted to twitter>>> @HGKWW ;-)

What was your family and friends’ reaction to your natural hair?
The two family members whose reactions I really remember are my mom and my grandpa. My mom was supportive & even started reading books on natural hair so we could make the journey together. My grandpa is from the Press-and-curl Generation & to this day asks, "Jessica.......what is going on with your hair?!" when I come to visit him.

I don't remember my friends really having much input. A couple of them were natural too & never had a relaxer before. Some of my classmates, though, were awful to me. Everyone was always telling me how long my hair was & asked why I didn't get a relaxer.

What is your regimen for keeping your curls YOUR texture?
In high school, I couldn't tell you WHAT i was doing. I wore cornrows & twists & huge afro puffs, but my regimen was nonexistent. In college, I went back and forth between taking care of my hair & neglecting it, depending on my workload and stress level. Now, I've made a commitment to keeping my hair moisturized and conditioned, with the occasional protein treatment to ensure healthy, balanced hair.

I've been wearing twists for the past couple weeks, so before bed I just put ORS Olive Oil Moisturizer or Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave-in on my hair then seal with Shea Butter or Coconut Oil.

I co-wash with Suave (Humectant, Almond & Shea Butter, Tropical Coconut), V05, & Herbal Essences (Hello Hydration, None of Your Frizziness) because they are inexpensive so it doesn't matter if I run through a bottle quickly. I use a clarifying shampoo once a month.
My fav deep conditioners: ORS Replenishing, Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask.

Any “Holy Grail” products?
ORS Olive Oil Moisturizer--combats the chronic dryness I usually experience in this cold, dry weather
Coconut oil--seals in moisturizers, makes my hair feel great, smells wonderful
Kinky Curly Knot Today--started as my leave-in a few months ago & I am hooked!!! helps define and clump my curls
My shower comb--makes detangling soooooo easy

Is there any product or technique that you’ve had to AVOID since being natural? Why?
1. I quickly discovered that I am protein-sensitive and need to be careful about which conditioners and leave-ins I use.
2. I avoid heat because it is just no good for my ends.
3. I got rid of my brush--it was seriously tearing at my kinks!!!
4. I abandoned hair grease for natural oils because it weighed down my curls and resulted in dry hair since it can keep out moisture. 

How can we find you on the internet?

HairGetsKinky.com
Twitter: @HGKWW


Until next time... :)

My Music

This is a great song that has been really uplifting to me over the past few days. Despite the picture that YouTube decided to put with this, this video actually has a quality sound...not some rinky-dink tone to it with horrible microphones. :) Enjoy!

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"If my heart is overwhelmed and I cannot hear your voice

I hold onto what is true, though I cannot see
If the storms of life they come, and the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith, I will believe

I remind myself of all that you’ve done
And the life I have because of your son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am yours
I am forever yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out and remind my soul
I am yours
I am forever yours
  
When my heart is filled with hope, and every promise comes my way
When I feel your hands of grace, rest upon me
Staying desperate for you God, Staying humbled at your feet
I will lift these hands and praise, I will believe"
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Until next time..

Product Review

So, have you ever heard raves and great reviews on a particular product that you have KNOWING that the product does not work for you? And you still want to make it work? You think, maybe I'm spraying too much/too little, maybe I'm applying it the wrong way, maybe Im using the wrong products with the product I KNOW is a complete FAIL for my head...
Such was the case for me with...*drumroll please*.... Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer!!

   

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I kept trying to make this spray work for me for about a month....the label promises that "Regular use on porous, damaged hair adds body, helps prevent breakage, controls frizz and helps preserve hair color and chemical services." My hair is not damaged, but I figured adding it to my hair regimen couldn't do any harm. One of the key factors with natural hair is maintaining a protein/moisture balance...if your hair has too much protein, the excess protein will not be  "extra strength" but instead will cause your ends to snap like twigs. How do I know this?? I noticed ~ 1/8 inch pieces of my curls on my fingers when I would manipulate my hair for twists or other styling.

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To remedy this, I have stopped using the product first of all. What works for others may not work for me :) Also, I cowashed and deep conditioned my hair with Yes To Tomatoes conditioner this afternoon. I made it work for me by mounting a colorful headwrap on top of the unsightly plastic cap as I made my Sunday afternoon errands. :) Once I rinsed out the DC, I lightly dusted the ends of my two-strand twists with some barber shears from Walmart just to make sure my ends were good. If you don't trim the ends when you see the ends snapping, the breakage just continues up the hair shaft and causes permanent (and unsightly) damage. Better to just get it out of the way :) My hair was about due for a trim anyways lol I used to get my hair trimmed professionally with a blow-out and flat-iron, but  stopped once I found that I could trim my hair with my staple twists in and avoid heat damage all together. :) Until next time...

Preview of my photo shoot

Hey guys! I had a great break and am now excited and nervous about the upcoming semester, which begins....TOMORROW!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!! My sister came and visited me over break; she's into photography and quite good at it (what can I say? we're a talented bunch :). Here's a preview of the pictures she took! Enjoy! I'll post more later :)

until next time.... :)