Freshening Up

PHOTO: Padre Denny - www.flickr.com

A New Year for Canadian Curlie, will be a fresher style.

I’ve decided that I will continue to post about natural hair with sprinkles of other life experiences and anything beauty related that I’ve discovered.

I want you (my readers) to get to know me a little better. As you all know, life has a way of impacting your thoughts and the way you respond or react to people or things. So instead of having these things happen to me, I will share what I can, instead of giving my blog a hiatus, which I’ve done in the past. This is a New Year’s resolution I have made for this blog.

In regards to the beauty factor, I’ve been dabbling in nail art, I’m not a professional or plan on getting serious about this, but I’m enjoying myself. I’ve also been watching makeup tutorials on You Tube which have been great, since I’m an eye shadow, mascara and lip gloss girl.

Don’t fret, the beauty posts won’t be overwhelming – natural hair is still my focus, but I want to share different episodes with you from time-to-time to keep it you guessing and interested.

Lastly, I want to feature more of your stories this year, so feel free to contact me if you would like to be a Featured Curlie or even just want to have a chat on Twitter, link me at via email at canadiancurlie2010@gmail.com or on Twitter @CanadianCurlie.

All the best to you in 2014!

Blessings and Curls,

Kim aka B-Curlie

Christmas Hair Wish

PHOTO: http://santacallsllc.com/

Usually at this time of year, I come out with a product wish list of things I want to try out, this time I wanted to do something a little different.

Among the materialistic things I would love to receive, there is something much more important, I would like for a Hair Wish.

It is for every woman and child with natural afro-textured hair to be proud to rock their curls and love themselves for who they are. 

As of late, I’ve been reading sad stories about young girls who have been tormented at school, not only by kids, but by adults who are supposed to have their best interests at heart:

Seven year old, Lamya Cammon, in Milwaukee had her braid cut and put in the garbage by her teacher, because she was playing with her hair. Why this women thought it was OK to even touch Lamya’s hair at all is beyond me.

Tiana Parker also seven from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was told that her dreadlocks were not acceptable at her school. Her parents, eventually switched her to another school.

Twelve year old, Vanessa VanDyke from Orlando, Florida, was threatened to be expelled from school, if she did not cut or shape her hair. The school seemed to change their mind once, the press got involved.

My point is, this has happened too many times and I think it’s horrible that any of these girls had to go through this. You cannot tell me that these experiences have not done a number on their self-esteems. It is a blessing that all of them have supportive parents that helped them through this discrimination.

We need to embrace and love each other for who we are, especially when thinking about our children. That is my Christmas Hair Wish … What are yours?

Blessings and Curls,

Kim aka B-Curlie

Extension Revelation

So as most of you know, I installed Marley Twists a little over a two weeks ago give or take a couple days.

I was totally smitten with them. The lead-up to buying the hair and the actually twisting process was amazing and a labour of love. I was super happy with the results. Yet, over the last few days of having them in I came to realize that I am more in love with my own curls and kinks than I thought.

This was actually the first time since going natural that I had extensions and it’s been different for me. I remember when I was younger not being able to wait to get my box braids in, because I loved the look, but also because I wanted to finally fling my hair, swoop it behind my ear or put it in a long ponytail.

This time around, I did this as a protective style and to give my hands and mind a break from styling, with the thoughts of keeping my Marley twists in for a month. Well at my halfway mark and ready to see and feel my hair again ALREADY.

Let me tell you, there is nothing like the feeling of grabbing a cute coil of hair and having it bounce back into place. I really missed them.

I am not taking anything away from this experience of Marley Twists though, I loved every minute or it. I have just realized that I cannot have a long term commitment to extensions, yes two to three weeks, but that is it. I am also really glad I did this. I still plan on trying Senegalese or kinky twists, but not for a while.

I now see how much I’ve really changed and have come to love my hair in all its 4a-4b glory. It’s just like that old saying, the grass always seems greener on the other side – but the truth is, it never is. 

I removed the twists last Friday and have returned to my twist-out junkie ways...totally in love.

What are your thoughts about extensions, share your story?

All smiles - my twist-out is back. 

Blessings and Curls,

Kim aka B-Curlie

Canadian Support

PHOTO: Flag Wallpapers 

So I was thinking the other day about the products I use on my hair, and I realized that none of my staple products are Canadian.

I would love to support more Canadian companies that have integrity especially when it comes to natural hair and beauty products.

I do remember trying Kynk Naturals Hair Honey, in my early transitioning days, and I loved the smell, shine and sealing properties that the product gave my hair. Yet, as everyone know, as you transition, so do the products you use… I think I will revisit some of their offerings in the future.

I also tried Curly Canadians and fell in love with Hair Love, however the company is no more. A company that is new on the scene is Queens & Kings Natural Products. I have not tried any of their products yet, but they are located in Nova Scotia and specialize in natural hair and skincare products.

So tell me where are all the Canadian natural hair products? Do you know of any you’d like to share?

Blessings and Curls,

Kim aka B-Curlie

DIY Marley Twists

So I finally did it, I installed Marley Twists in my hair on the weekend and I love them!

It was my first time doing extensions on my hair, all by myself. I have not had any extensions or weaves in my hair for more than four years, because of a bad scalp experience. I thought, I would not be able to do it again. Well I was wrong.

Me rocking my Marley Twists - I'm in love!

I did some research and found out that I could wash the extension hair in water and vinegar to remove the harsh chemicals and dirt on the hair. I did this earlier in the week. So far so good, my scalp is doing well.

I also lived on Youtube during my free time and stocked blogs, there are plenty of resources online.

So I know you are l really reading, to see how I did it, here goes:

1.       The day before, I pampered my hair with a deep conditioning treatment, a mix of protein and hydrating conditioners (Tresemme, Keratin Smooth and Salon Silk), along with coconut oil. I sat under the dryer for 30 mins. I rinsed, applied Knot Today leave-in, and Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and twisted my hair in the sections I wanted for my Marley Twists. Note: I’m not a big hair parter and I wanted them to look natural. I decided only to part the front perimeter of my hair, to ensure that my twist looked tidy.


2.   The next morning, I started my Marley Twists, using the invisible twisting method. See video by Cassandre Beccai. I love her videos: 

3.       Before adding the hair, I added a little more of the Curl Enhancer Smoothie, sealed with shea butter and a bit of Eco Styler for hold.

4.       I used two pieces of Marley hair per twist. My hair is fine, but high in density, I wanted to avoid scalpy patches and it worked. I used Freetress Marley Braid hair in colours B2 and P4/27, for a spring of colour.

5.       I ended up with 32 twists and used 4-1/2 bags of hair.

6.       When done, the next day I burned the ends and curled them in hot water, using flexirods.

What I learned

It is definitely trial and error and took me about six hours to do, not including snack and washroom breaks.

The hair will unravel at the end, so you will need to seal it in some way.

It’s important to note that, I did not grab the very front of my edges in the twists, to avoid damage. I’m fine with a few curls, I think they make the twist look more authentic as well.  

I loved having the control over the size of the sections and the tightness. For me, I’m fine will re-doing a couple twists if need be, because I know I’m not pulling my hair out and that means it is a real protective style. There is nothing worse than having extensions, and not knowing what you will end up with after the take down.

Maintenance

I will moisturize with aloe vera juice and a drop of coconut oil when needed.

I plan to wash my scalp with apple cider vinegar and water. Let’s see how that goes, or I will find a good dry shampoo. I’m open to suggestions!

Will I do it again?

Yes, without a doubt. I’m proud that I was able to do this myself, especially it never thought I would ever try this, but then again, four years ago I didn’t think I was going to be natural either. Things change and so do your capabilities, when you put your mind to it. I plan to keep these in for three to four weeks. The next time, I plan to try Senegalese twists.

Tell me what you think or if you have any tips to share.

Blessings and Curls,

Kim aka B-Curlie

   

Halloween hair & product review

  

My husband and I love Halloween, for one main reason. It’s one of the only times you can truly be silly or scary. This year we hosted a Halloween party and also went to a Halloween gathering at a friend’s home. We had fun at both events.

I thought I would show you my Halloween hair and also give you the promised review of Shea Moisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie mixed with Eco Styler Gel (the blue one) for sporty and active lifestyles.

Me being silly, twist out with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Eco Styler Gel.

I have been using the Curl Enhancing Smoothie, for a while now and I’m currently on my second jar. I’ve always been a fan of Eco Styler Gel, but this was the first time I used the blue brand. I use them on freshly washed hair, with my leave-in and then begin twisting with the mixture.

Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie:

It smells divine like coconut and hibiscus. It has a creamy, goopy and slippery consistency, which I found worked well. The product is water based, but also contains Neem oil and silk proteins, which helps contain frizz. I’ve also used it is as a moisturizer and that works as well.

I’m a twist-out junkie, so the first time I used it alone as a styler. It left my hair really soft and defined, but I found the definition didn’t last long enough.  With that said it has become one of my new staples.

Eco Styler Gel

As I mentioned in past posts I’ve tried most of the EcoStyler brands and for the most part I’m very happy with their performance with my hair. I mix a little of it with the Curl Enhancing Smoothie on freshly washed hair and the results are stellar. I get the definition and softness from the smoothie and hold that allows the style to lasts longer with the gel. A match made in heaven. 

I hope this review helped you, let me know. This mix will stay in my play book for a while yet.

Blessings and Curls,

Kim aka B-Curlie

Craving Marley Twists

For the last couple weeks, I have been craving to have Marley Twists installed or something similar to them. I love my curls, but I’m ready for a little change and a break from having to do my hair every day. Here is a great how-to video I found for Marley Twists from My Natural Sistas – it makes me want them even more when I watch it.  

My only problem is I haven’t had extensions in about seven years or so, only because the last time I had them in, my scalp had an attack. My dermatologist friend told me, that many of the hair companies, often package the hair, even human hair with chemicals that many black women are allergic to, but don’t know it. So she wasn’t surprised when I mentioned what happened to me.

Even though my scalp went crazy that one time, it didn’t happen every time I had extensions in the past. So I set on my search for hypoallergenic extension hair. I was pleasantly surprised when I found Prota Hair. On their website they say it’s not human hair, best is made with Ultima, which is a natural hair protein, very close in structure to keratin. That other feature that they mention that really attracts me is this blurb from their website:

“Prota Hair is even better than human hair because it is hypoallergenic, less-tangling, easy to restore, and flame retardant!  For sensitive scalps, Prota Hair is the best option because it is hypoallergenic and always clean and free from harmful bacteria.  And because Prota Hair is made with Ultima Organic Protein, the hair retains moisture so that it is soft and easy to manage.”

I have not purchased the hair yet, but I plan to in the next few weeks. Before I do so, I would love to hear from you. Have any of you used this brand or type of hair?

Blessings and Curls,

Kim aka B-Curlie