Twist-outs are not my friend....yet!

So yesterday my hair looked like a ball of frizz. A combination of being too pre-occupied to properly moisturise and the torrential rain left me with a dry looking, fluffy mop which was trying to break free from the mum bun. Thoroughly embarrassed with the state  my tresses were in, I set about lovingly restoring it's inner lustre. 

Firstly I spritzed with my trusty water and Extra Virgin Olive oil mix, immediately my coils came to life and felt supple and bouncy as opposed to dry and fuzzy. I then locked in the moisture by applying Coconut oil and BeUnique Mango twist.  Then I  flat twisted into approximately ten sections and bantu knotted the ends after sealing with Jamaican Black Castor oil. I was rather impressed with my flat twists and I had high hopes for the subsequent twis-out, but alas it was not to be. YET!

This morning I was in my usual rush, battling to get three children up, washed, dressed, watered and out of the door by 7.45am. I suppose that was my first mistake. I was in a rush. Taking out twists and being in a rush apparently do not mix! Despite oiling my hands and unravelling each twist from the end, they still seemed to snag or get caught up. 

I think this may be due to me not twisting with two completely separate sections. Sometimes a stray hair will creep in from the other section leaving a befuddled mess, which leaves the twist out susceptible to a lack of definition and subsequent frizzing. Maybe I need to introduce a bit of gel?? Who knows? It's all trial and error I guess, but I'll keep on trialling and erroring (that's not a word, but you catch my drift). Practice most certainly makes perfect. But until then I've always got my reliable friend the UPDO!! Thank you Jesus!

Last night's flat twists.
I had to achieve greatness with these babies right?

The twist-out. OK I suppose.
Beautifully moisturised, but not a beautiful twist-out.

Evidence of another failed twist out.
For now the updo is my friend. 

My faithful friend. The updo!

Products my natural hair loves

I've been natural for nearly two years now (well 20 months to be exact). In that time I have built an itinerary of products that really seem to work wonders in my hair. They are products I swear by and would recommend wholeheartedly to anyone else on the look out for hair products. Of course not everything I use on my hair will have the same results for yours, (it is trial and error after all), nevertheless I'd like to share in the hope that someone out there will benefit from my nuggets of information. 

Anita Grant - Creamy Cafe Latte; Vanilla:

I came across Anita Grant when I first started blogging nearly a year ago. I was perusing the fabulous Natural Belle blog and noticed that Anita's products are featured quite frequently. At the time I was on the look out for oils and butters that would help me with the dryness I was experiencing whilst I transitioned from chemically straightened to natural hair. I got in contact with Anita Grant on twitter and asked for a recommendation as to which products in the line would work best to combat the extreme dryness I seemed to experiencing. A representative was swift to get back to me and recommended the Vanilla Cafe latte butter. I was also really pleased to discover they have a whole range of samples that are fabulously priced, so I set about ordering around £30 worth of samples. It was like Christmas when it all arrived. Straight away I got stuck into all the butters, creams and oils. All of them were great and really nourishing but the vanilla Cafe latte really stood out for me. It smells devine (just like chocolate). Everyone I use it on completely falls in love with it. Even my fiance who prefers to use nothing on his hair or body (strange guy!) has been converted and lovingly applies it to his hair and skin most days (woop, woop!). I mostly use it on my hair when it's damp and it always leaves it feeling soft, nourished and supple. Not to mention smelling scrumptious.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Oh my, this stuff is amazeballs. Sorry to have to use this word, but I think it is rather appropriate - ha. When I first used this oil I was a bit put off by the thickness and the smell, but once applied to my freshly washed, damp hair it seem to penetrate every single strand and leave it feeling and looking ultra soft and shiny. I get the same results when I use on my children's hair too, although I do find it a bit heavy for my youngest daughter's hair (which has more of a curly/coily rather than kinky texture), so  the smallest pea size amount will suffice for sections of her hair when divided into four. When I use JBCO on my little boy, it turns his frizzy curls into a soft, nourished cloud of loveliness. I can't get enough of this stuff, not only does it soften and nourish but it has healing properties and stimulates hair growth and yes you guessed OH loves it too. I purchased my first bottle of JBCO from Akua Wood at The Shea Butter Cottage when she was exhibiting at the Curlvolution event in June. I also purchase JBCO from Hair9.

Pure Coconut Oil

Coconut oil I love it. It smells just like coconut, I'm sorry to state the obvious but for some reason I didn't expect the smell to be so rich. It also solidifies when cold and becomes a very runny oil when warm. Out of all of the oils I've ever used coconut oil is very temperature sensitive. I find it extremely light and nourishing and I use it on freshly washed, damp hair. It is not heavy like JBCO but it still leaves a fabulous shine on my hair as well as my children's. I also use coconut oil for pre-poo treatments if my hair is feeling particular dry. I'll apply it and leave in over night then wash my hair with conditioner (Co-wash), the results are a head of soft, supple coils. YES m'am. Coconut oil is also fabulous for use on the skin. I use on my kids after a shower or bath and their skin glows for hours aftrewards. Even my sister recently commented how good their skin looked and I let her in on the secret. lol. I buy my coconut oil from Holland and Barrett, it's quite pricey at  £14.99 a tub, but the tub is large and Holland and Barrett are great for their buy one, get one half price and buy one get one for a penny deals.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Like coconut oil EVOO is great for pre-poos. I also use on my hair when it's damp or mix it with water in a spray bottle, so I can revitalise dry hair daily with a a quick spritz. EVOO is great for skin too. I use it all of the time on all of my kids all over,  it is definitely a staple in our household. EVOO is really easy to find as it is available in all supermarkets, it is also really affordable if you are on a budget.


TRESemme Naturals Nourishing Conditioner

Where do I start? This is hands down the best conditioner I have used EVER.  There are other conditioners in the TRESemme line I use and they give me good results too, but I think the fact  this conditioner is silicone free and includes aloe vera and avocado make it top of the bunch for me. I hardly ever use shampoo to wash my hair these days, unless I've been for a swim or there is a lot of product build up. TRESemme Naturals conditioner is great for detangling and nourishing and it always leaves my hair feeling clean, soft and silk like. I use it on the kids too with the same amazing results. LOVE! I buy my TRESemme Naturals conditioners from Tesco, Asda, Superdrug and sometimes Willkinson, who all have great special offers on the TRESemme line from time to time.

Beautiful Textures Curl Defining Pudding

I used the Beautiful Textures Curl Control Defining Pudding a few months ago on my first ever wash and go. I was always a bit dubious about curl defining products in the past because I felt they over manipulated the hair, leaving it crunchy and dry. Not so with this product. I apply to freshly washed damp hair that has been oiled with either EVVO, JBCO or coconut oil, then I put the pudding on top. It really gives my curls a defined looked which I am confident enough to wear out in public. It also works wonders on my son's hair. I swear by it in fact. Whenever I use on his freshly washed, damp hair, his curls come to life and everyone always comments on how good it looks. Will have to post pics soon. I received the pudding in a goodie bag after attending the Beautiful Textures UK launch a few months back. I have however seen it sold in most black hair shops, so I'll no exactly where to go when I run out.

So there you have it, the products I'm currently using and loving. Which hair products are you currently relishing?

Sunshine days and dry hair

The gorgeous sunshine we have been experiencing in the UK this past 5 days has wreaked havoc on my hair. It's as dry as peppercorns or parchment paper, as my beloved mum would put it. I think I may be in need of a trim too because it has been feeling like straw. Not nice.

I was definitely in need of a deep condition to help regain some moisture so I set about to work last night. I started off with a pre-poo treatment. A pre-poo is as the name suggests, a pre sham(poo) treatment. You can use almost any type of oil or homemade concoction to coat your hair before washing and conditioning to help lock in moisture and nourish the strands. On this occasion I pre-pooed with Pure Coconut Oil. I sectioned my hair and after drenching each section with Coconut Oil I twisted. Once my whole head was twisted I wrapped in cling film and left for a few hours. In this time I made myself useful by preparing dinner, clearing up and getting the children ready for bed.

Once all was quite in the household I washed out the Coconut Oil using TRESemme Naturals Conditioner, otherwise known as a co-wash because you are washing your hair with conditioner as opposed to shampoo. This was important for me as I didn't want the oils to be stripped from my hair which shampoo can often do.

After co-washing I added Organic Root Stimulators Replenishing Conditioner. I made sure that every strand was covered and massaged into my hair. I then sectioned into four and twisted, then wrapped in cling film, covered with a scarf and left overnight.

This morning I washed out the conditioner. My hair felt light and springy. I blotted with a towel then added Anita Grants Vanilla Café Latte whipped butter and sealed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil after flat twisting into sections.

I can happily report that my hair no longer feels like straw. It looks and feels thoroughly nourished and moisturised. Next step is to work on styling, but with three little kids to tend to it ain't that easy. Hey ho I do what I can.

Some pics of the products I used.

Some attempts at pics of the hair. As you can see my eldest was clearly in her element sabotaging my shots lol. And flat twists before bed.