Big Chop Photos....and a sneak peek...

Tomorrow is the big day...one year since the big chop! I decided to post a few pics of me about a year ago right after the chop...



Here are a few crappy camera phone pics...the first one is today... I promis to take better pics soon.

One Year Post Big Chop! My Reflections...

(My hair a month or so before I did the big chop a year ago)

So tomorrow will mark one year since I have cut off my relaxed ends. I can not believe it has been a year. I am reluctant to take pictures because since the BC I have cut my hair twice and I fear that I will be discouraged by my length.

My thoughts...one year later.
I love being natural. My only regret is that I did not transition and stick with it sooner. I am STILL learning my hair but I have identified some products that work well for me.

What I would do different
Looking back...I would have transition YEARS ago. My transition was very plesant. As I have mentioned I used protective styles and weaves as my staple while transitioning. The only thing I would change...I wish I had discovered Henna and Amla sooner. But other than that, my transition was very pleasant.

Favorite products for my natural hair
Over this past year I have experimented ALLOT. My fav products thus far are:
Dulhan Henna
Reshma Henna
Hesh Amla
Tresseme Conditioner
Herbal Essence Hello Hydration
Fantascia IC Gel
Pantene Relaxed and Natural Mask
DevaCurl One Condition

Favorite style
I thought I would enjoy straight styles more than textured styles. Currently my favorite style is my puff. It is so easy and it looks good. I would love to wear more twisted styles as my hair grows longer... I also look forward to doing more braids outs soon. The only thing stopping me...is laziness. :-)

Well...that's it for now. I have neglected my blog and I promise to come back and update more. I have LOTS to share. :-)

So....

I am back in love with Henna!

Headed to do a treatment right now...

I am trying to get one of my inspirations to start a blog! Her hair is GORGEOUS! Check her out here and drop her a note encouraging the blog! LOL

http://public.fotki.com/nik-star/

New Online Store at Cyberstylist4u!

Hello all!

Just dropping in to let you know that Cyberstylist4u now has an online store! Right now there are three departments: beauty, shoes, dresses. The store WILL continue growing weeks!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

www.cyberstylist4u.com

Jessicurl After Mother's Day Sale

Hello ladies!



Below is an email I got from Jess over at Jessicurl! Enjoy!

Hi Curlies!
I hope all you mothers out there were appreciated and pampered yesterday in all the ways you should have been! We’ve updated the Featured Specials at Jessicurl.com so if you didn’t get all of the hair products you wanted yesterday, you can get ‘em for yourself now and save!

But before we get to that I want to tell you about the first ever Best Of The Best survey currently being conducted by NaturallyCurly.com. In it you can vote for all of your favorite Jessicurl products and be entered to win free stuff from NaturallyCurly.com. The survey goes through the end of this month so please go vote for Jessicurl at this link: http://questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=1200106

When the winners are announced we’ll be putting winning Jessicurl products on sale, so be sure to vote for your favorites! :-)

Now for the current Featured Specials. For a limited time, get the following savings at Jessicurl.com:
10% off ALL gallons.
Get 10% off when buying all 3 Jessicurl conditioners together. (Aloeba Daily Conditioner, Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner and Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment)
Spend $75 (subtotal) and get a free bottle of Oil Blend For Softer Hair. (Please specify scent choice in the Comments section of the checkout page.)
I’d also like to let you know about a really fun interview I did recently with curly blogger JilliPoo. Jill asked to interview me via email for her blog, but I thought it would be way more fun if we could do a real interview in person and record the audio so she could post that instead. You can listen to the segments she’s already posted on her blog here: http://jillipoo.blogspot.com/ I recommend bookmarking her blog, since she’ll be posting more segments from our interview soon, and, well, her blog is just really cool overall! :-) Thanks in advance for your votes in the NaturallYCurly.com survey, and have a curly day! :-)
Jess

Amla Paste vs Henna Treatment

I am torn. Tonight is my weekly spa treatment and I can not decide which treatment I want to do. I can say this that since I have started using the Ayurvedic powders my hair is looking GREAT. A few months ago I started raving about Henna. As I have previously stated, I was always afraid to henna my hair because I did not want to change the color of my hair nor did I want to loosen my curl pattern. Well after viewing VERY inspiring pictures on www.curlynikki.com, I decided to follow her lead and give it a try. My first experience with henna was pleasant. My second experience with henna was even better. My third experience with henna left me in LOVE with henna! So I started applying henna to my hair once a week and finally stretched it out to once every 2 weeks.
Well ofcourse my curls started to loosen and my puff was not looking as curly as usual. So hennaforhair.com mentioned using Amla powder in your henna. So I altered my henna recipe to include: green tea,honey, henna and amla powder. The Amla was added to prevent the loosening of my curl and keep my hair color from becoming TOO red. Well it worked. My hair still has/had a reddish tint but it was very subtle.
Well before I even started with henna a friend mentioned Amla powder and oil. I never got into it or even researched it. Well after seeing how well it worked with Henna I got curious. After doing a little research I decided to try it as a paste alone. I mixed Amla powder,coconut oil and olive oil and applied it to my hair for one hour. After I rinsed it out my hair was SUPER soft and MAD curly. I then applied a deep conditioner (last few times I used Elasta QP DPR 11) and was in love. I have been wearing a protective style so all I can account for is:
1. My hair had started shedding allot and it has decreased DRASTICALLY
2. My hair is not a s red anymore...looks similar to my 1B instant weave
3. My curls are POPPIN!
4. My hair feels fuller...but again I am in a bun baggied up. So who knows?

Well both henna and Amla have similar results...one is just WAY easier. I am also not sure if my shedding was from the brand of henna that I used or what...but I do know that Amla has helped decrease that drastically. I also know that if I henna...it will roll over into my Saturday morning. Whereas if I choose Amla I will be done tonight...Hmmmm what to choose.

I am feeling rather lazy and I plan to rreeaaalllyy be into work and watching the game tonight...maybe I will henna ONCE a month and AMLA every week or every other week. But my question is...if Amla is doing me so well...should I really continue with Henna.

Man...color me confused because Henna is also VERY good to my hair. I will let you know what I decide and take photos of my results.

Oh...and before I go. I am happy to report that my edges (temple area) are filling back in. I was looking at my little fuzz this morning. I am SO happy that my hair is obedient! LOL

Oldie but Goodie: Surge 14 Plus Revitilizer

Back in 2005 or so, one of the most popular hair growth aids was Surge 14 plus. Many people on various hair boards started growth challenges using this product. ALlot of people reported increased growth from the use of Surge 14 plus. Well, unfortunately this product is also discontinued....but guess who still has some?!?
Yeap! Me. I am using it to grow my edges back. I would take pics but it makes me cry to see it...so I will report back in about two more weeks with my progress. Times like this I am SO glad that I am a PJ!

In other news....my SO stopped by last night so I was unable to do my Amla paste. I must say...I can already see a difference in my hair. I can not wait to see what happens with the continued use of Amla and Henna on my hair!

Chlorella...I am still using this as well. I take about 3 pills a day with a Sea Kelp pill. My skin looks GREAT. Haven't straightened so I don't know WHAT my hair is doing...

Will be back later...going to do my favorite thing...wash my hair and dress for work!

Random Thought: Chest Hair in Men

My friends know me as a very random person. My friend was recently teasing me about how we can be in the middle of conversation of how to cook chicken and I will randomly venture off to another topic that is totally off the wall. So this morning as I was getting my breakfast, I spied a guy with chest hair. This was not your regular chest hair, think back to the 70's. You know the days when men wore their shirts slightly open with the balled up knottly hair showing right below their gold chain? I have NEVER found this attractive. I lost a little bit of love for the very handsome Morris Chestnut when I spied him showing off his lil meat. Yes meat, this hair reminds me SO much of taco meat. You all have heard that before. LOL! So ladies, what do you think? Do you find chest hair in men attractive? My babe is bare chested and I LOVE it. I could just lick his chest! :-)

So I have been missing...

(my sweet puppy Sky)

Yea...I have been MIA...
Well let's get caught up..

1. I have not had the chance to henna again partially because of laziness and partially because I have been super busy.
2. I have since fallen in love with Amla paste treatments... All the same benefits of Henna TIME consuming. I have only done 2 treatments...I will give detailed information after a little more research. :-)
3. FINALLY finished this SUPER boring course so I am headed to summer session.
4. Work has been crazy as hecks and promotional work has picked up also.
5. I launched a third site...still VERY much under construction..this one is geared more towards my career www.urnestegg.com
6. Still working on and developing www.cyberstylist4u.com...let me know if you have any input
7. I am CRAVING new shoes and maxi dresses...I did pick up a couple of both recently but nothing earth shattering...I will be back with pics later.
8. Still hanging in there with weight watchers...I have lost a total 6 pounds...SO far to go...
9. I was recently hired as a "Dr. Pepper Girl" gotta stay on my grind...

And FINALLY had a girls nite last week. My big babe and took my little babe camping so my pup SKy and I were home alone... Here is a flick from the evening!