Once Upon a Curly Clan...

Heya, curly mamas! I just wanted to upload some pics of my kid's recent hairstyles. 

Riah

 

Jam 

Mari

Lani (6 months)

These styles were done with a leave in and a gel (except the baby) and lasted a whole week. When I take Mari's hair out after a week, the moisture is phenomenal when I protect her hair in styles like this. Then she can rock a twist out/braid out for the next week before I wash. I absolutely cannot wash every kid's hair every week, so I've pushed their hair washing days to biweekly instead of weekly (except the baby who's hair gets washed during baths).  It's just too much freakin work! lol

I've started selling my whipped shea butter again as well, so it's been super busy around here. I'm still homeschooling and cooking and all that other SAHM jazz. So hair is sometimes at the bottom of the list. But moisture is still a top priority for everyone, regardless!

 

 

So that's my quick update for now. Got babies to feed and housework to do, even though it's Saturday. Blah. Hope you enjoy the hair pics! If you check out my YouTube, I am doing a series on my DIY avocado and banana deep conditioner. ;) 

Peace out! 

~Epic Realist~

Too Tired for Hair & My TMI Tag!

Hola, curly mamas! Getting closer to the end of this pregnancy (35 weeks!) and I am super EXHAUSTED. It's been kind of a struggle to even do my hair, so I have been keeping it pinned up a lot. I deep conditioned it today because it really needed it from Saturday's wash with the Herbal Essences sulfate shampoo. I used that to get the Kinky Curly Curling Custard from the previous post completely out of my hair this time, because the first time I tried to get it out, I called myself doing a deep condition right on top of the KCCC, and that was an ultimate FAIL from hell. I should have known to wash it out last week first and then deep condition, but because everything hurts lately, I was trying to take shortcuts and ended up with nasty white flakes STILL in my hair despite using ACV to rinse it out.
Natural hair doesn't like it when you take shortcuts, I see. O_o
So after the ACV rinse last week which did nothing for getting rid of the grimy product on my hair, I rinsed my hair over and over again at the sink, combing out as much flakes as I could until my arms got tired. Then I just threw in a leave in and some oil and braided it up. I had to take care of that another day. Finally, the product is all out of my hair. Whew... I see why people complain about that product (KCCC)! It's awesome, but as far as washing, you'd better not even think about co-washing with a normal conditioner. You'd better find a shampoo that has sulfates upon sulfates or you'll end up looking like someone just dumped a bucket of dandruff on your head. -__-
Today, I skipped Syriah's wash day because I washed it last week. Too tired to wash weekly right now. I took down her flat twists and re-moisturized with AVJ and water, a leave in, put whipped shea butter on each section, and gave her some sleek box braids. I am curious as to how long they'll last, but considering that I know how to do her hair well so that braids will hold for a bit, she'll be fine. As long as I keep it wrapped up, these box braids should last her about 2-3 weeks. Maybe baby Jalani will show up by then. LOL!
Little Mari's hair doesn't last at all in anything right now, unless I keep her hair sectioned in rubber bands with braids. But even that doesn't look good after she's slept on it. I think I'll just stick to low maintenance ponytail puffs or something for her, because ain't nobody got time fo dat!
Jam's hair still gets spritzed with AVJ/water and oil whenever I remember (about 2-3 times a week), but I still wash his hair at least twice during his baths because his hair gets uber dry from me not working on keeping it moist enough. Plus, he likes to keep his fat head on the carpet when he plays and outside dirt also gets stuck in his curls. Boys...sigh. So I constantly put moisture on his hair. It's growing well and he doesn't cry as much anymore when I try to comb it.
See the kid's hair regimens here: http://curlsofinnocence.blogspot.com/p/syriahs-hair-regimen.html

I did finally get around to doing the TMI Tag that everyone else on YouTube is doing. It was kind of fun. I'm so happy that I got a new camera so that my vids and pics can be of much better quality. Blogger is acting up again with the video posting (GRRRRRR!), so here is the video link. Hope you guys enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39t3xbbWfUQ

Peace out till later, folks! 
                                           ~Epic Realist~

Personal blog link: http://epicrealist.blogspot.com/

WARNING: If you are easily offended by religious debates/statements, DO NOT even attempt to read this blog.

Oil Rinsing?

Hiya, guys! I wanted to talk about something I have yet to try on my natural hair... oil rinsing. I have seen others do it, though. I started thinking about it after seeing Fusion of Cultures on YouTube doing it in her latest wash day video. Then I remembered that I had never tried this!
The process of oil rinsing is usually done after the hair has been shampooed and conditioned. The purpose is to give the hair shine and more manageability. If you use cool/cold water to seal the oil in when rinsing it, the cuticles will close and the oil's properties will remain in your hair even after you've washed out the oil. 
 Apparently, it's a popular method for a lot of naturals. I use lots of oils in my hair anyway... I pre-poo with oils, I add oils to my scalp right after washing, and I add oils to my hair throughout the week, especially if I hadn't found the time to deep condition that week. But the reason I thought about trying an oil rinse is so that maybe I won't have to re-apply oils on my scalp after coming out of the shower; I can just go right to using a leave in with shea butter on top. I want to see if my hair will have a shine to it as well after sealing in the oils with cool water. 
So perhaps, on my next wash day, I'll bring my oil spray bottle in the shower with me and rinse the oils out after washing and conditioning. Can't hurt to try! I just have to make sure not to slip and bust my behind on a slippery, oily tub floor. LOL!
Have you guys tried this method? How long do you leave the oils soaking in your hair? Have you noticed any benefits? Tell me! Comment below or on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-of-Innocence/256662627753918?ref=hl

Peace out till later, curlies! 
P.S.: I have been slacking on my videos lately... lots going on in life right now. I will get back on it soon! ;)

 

My babies and their new baby cousin, Aria! <3 

My current hair product stash!

 Me with a fresh twist-out (using Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter)

                                                     ~Epic Realist~

New Deep Conditioner: Organics Hair Mayonnaise Review

Hey guys! It's been a little minute. I just wanted to quickly show you guys the new deep conditioner that I tried yesterday. It's cheap, but very effective.  I love it!

I almost bought my usual Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque, but I was in Walmart at the time and they jacked the price from $9.99 to $11.99. Hell no was I buying that! Walmart be tripping... raising prices because of popularity. So I started looking for cheaper deep conditioners without a ton of protein. I found this one, which I think has one type of protein only. It smelled wonderful... to me that is. The smell kind of reminds me of hair grease from back in the day! It was 3 dollars and change, so I said, why not? 

Consistency/Overall look: orange with herbs in it, thick with a little runniness
Smell: herbal, smells like hair grease
Price: no more than four bucks
Slip: amazing to detangle with


It was a wonderful deep conditioner! I put it in my hair before washing it and let is sit for a few hours, then rinsed it out. My hair was super soft and manageable.
So if you're looking for a cheaper alternative to deep conditioning, try this stuff. I've heard lots of raves about it, so more than likely, you won't be disappointed. ;)

See ya later, curly mamas!

~Epic Realist~

Washing Yo Hair Don't Have To Take ALL DAY! (Rant and Tips)

Heya, curly naturals! It's about that time again... ranting time. LOL!

I just like to write, so I write down my frustrations with natural hair as well as other people's frustrations with natural hair.
I am a bit annoyed at the amount of time that people spend on wash day. It's really not that serious. No, it has nothing to do with hair type because I have several different hair types in my head and I still manage to shrink wash day time down to two hours MAX, and that includes styling.
Here are the basics of wash day:

1. Pre-poo- Lather your hair in conditioner or oil, leave in for desired time. If it's left on overnight, I don't count that as part of wash time.
2. Detangle- Optional... some people do this after washing instead of before.
3. Washing- Honestly, this shouldn't take that long, unless your hair is waist length or you don't wash your hair for a month so it's really grimy (gross)
4. Conditioning/Detangling- This might be where people spend the most time, because some people deep condition at this point instead of doing a five minute condition...
5. Rinsing- shouldn't take that long
6. Drying/Flat Iron- Another way some people go wrong... the use of a blow dryer is not necessary EVERY TIME you wash! I don't use one at all, and if I do, it's for styling purposes and not to dry my hair fast.
7. Styling- Honestly, this should be the longest step, depending on what style you're trying to achieve.

Now, the ranting part comes in where I say... you ain't gotta do all dat! I have heard some naturals dread wash day because it takes literally the entire day, which is ridiculous for the average working woman who doesn't even have the time for all that. They waste their entire weekends tampering with their hair, and the whole day is gone. I don't see how some people take 30 minutes just to WASH their hair, and then another 3-4 hours to deep condition, then they jump back in the shower to rinse it out. No wonder your hair takes up your entire weekend! Then when it's time to style, they use too way too many products for one style. Some swear that it's best to DC right after washing and get it over with, but if you honestly don't have time to do it, I wouldn't stress over it! You're only making wash day more of a chore for yourself. 
Wash day for me is therapeutic, not only because I am a SAHM (stay at home mom) and that's one of my only ways of ME time (LOL), but I don't blow dry my hair, I don't take ten years washing and rinsing it out, and I don't flat iron my hair. I have a lot of hair; that would take way too much time to do often. Plus, the best thing for me is that I don't have to go somewhere every day, so I can wear fat twists or braids around the house until God knows when.
Some people have TWAs and they still somehow spend the entire day on their curls... I don't get it. Try to track how much time you're spending on your hair on wash day and see if you can make some improvements. It doesn't have to be soooooo time consuming to be natural. It should be about simplicity. What's the point of being natural if you spent 100% more time on your hair than you did when you were relaxed? That's why some naturals revert back to relaxing, because they think that natural hair is such a chore when it doesn't have to be. Unless your hair is waist length, it should take the average natural no more than TWO HOURS (not including styling or DCing) to get the washing process done. I'm just saying... trying to help some sistas out!
Yes, I have UBER thick hair, yes, my hair is past bra strap length, yes, I have to detangle like everyone else, and yes, I have multiple curl patterns, which is sometimes rough to deal with. It's not always a walk in the park here, either. But I can get it done in a timely manner where I don't have to waste an entire day on the washing process. It's just not worth it.

Hope you guys enjoyed this post. Comment and join the Curls of Innocence community!
Until next time. Take care, curlies!
~Epic Realist~

RANDOM Hair Chat! (Fall 2013)

Heya, curlies! I have some random hair stuff to talk about. Brace yourselves for randomness! ;)

1. I have a new video up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPuetgbe5AA Well, I have another one that I posted yesterday, but this one is a quick vlog about my beauty supply run. My kids are in it! Woo hoo! I have 16 videos up now and 30 subscribers. Working on getting more, more, MORE! <3

2. My hair has suffered some breakage at the top of my head within the last two months, and I'm not sure how it has. I haven't worn any tight styles at all; I've been wearing braids, twists, braid outs, and twist outs. I think maybe the breakage might have come from those mini braids that I had... maybe having only gel in my hair for two weeks holding those braids together is what broke the top of my hair off, because that's the only place that I can see breakage. I don't know; it's so weird. >_<

3. I have a million and one different textures of hair! I say that because I don't know for sure how many I actually have. Here are about 2 or 3 examples of my hair fresh out of the shower. The back of my hair is really tight, like the kitchen area. I just find it interesting...

4. Little Riah's hair is still flourishing. She got taller this summer, so her hair isn't exactly to her waist anymore, but it's still healthy and growing. Recently, she had bantu knots with flat twists as a style combo and it looked amazing on her.

 

When the style got frizzy after about 5 days, I made a new style out of it. 

 

5. Mari's hair is rapidly growing and healthy. I've been doing little baby hairstyles on her, styles that I didn't know how to do when Riah was a baby. She's 15 months old now, and is such a great sport about getting her hair done. She actually sits still... as long as she has something to play with. There's a video on YouTube (which they won't let me embed here, ugh) where I did her hair and she barely moved.

 

 
 

6. My hair doesn't like a lot of protein! I think that I've been figured this out months ago when I did the hair strand porosity test, but I never took it seriously as far as like, deep conditioning. Surely my hair can withstand a weekly deep condition with mayo, right? Not! I have tried it three times already, and each time, my hair was extremely crunchy and dry, lacking serious moisture after air drying it. I hate the feeling that my hair has after using mayo in it. It feels okay right after washing it out, when my hair is still wet, but when it dries, no matter what I put in it afterwards, my hair feels like a bird's nest with Brillo on top. >_>
I'm seriously going to stick with deep conditioners that don't have protein in them, like my Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque. Might even use that for my next natural hair lightening treatment (see previous posts). Other than that, my hair is growing and feeling great. Official length check will come again next month. Stay tuned for that!

 

7. Jam still has his little rat tail! It's growing, and it's becoming less of a priority to keep it moisturized nowadays because I'm working on me and the girls' hair more, but I do spritz water on it every few days and some leave in moisturizer or my whipped shea butter mix, or both depending on dryness level. I wash it at least once a week, even though he keeps his fat head on the floor constantly. I am still doing his at home haircuts... Mama knows best! ;)
#savingmoney

So, that's my long, long random hair update! Hope you guys enjoyed. Check me out on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.  Peace out! 

http://www.youtube.com/curlsofinnocence

~Epic Realist~

Lightening Hair...Completely NATURALLY! ~PART 2~

Hello, again, curlies! I have completed my first hair lightening technique with natural products! For details, see Part 1 of this post. http://curlsofinnocence.blogspot.com/2013/08/lightening-haircompletely-naturally.html
 I can't see any lightening yet, but I plan to do this every week or every other week until I see a change.                                              BEFORE rinsing
So I left that cinnamon mixture in my hair for about three hours, because I wanted to wash it out while my kids were down for nap. When I took the bag off my head, my hair was kind of reddish looking, but very soft & it smelled VERY good.

I began to wash the stuff out. It was super grainy! Cinnamon grains were all over my hands with every touch. I washed my hair leaning over the tub because I wanted to use my shower hose to really get the mayo and stuff out. The part of my hair that had already been dyed looked lighter with the treatment in it. Maybe that's how it'll look in a few treatments. ;)

It took forever to rinse this stuff. I didn't use any shampoo because I have read that when you do a deep conditioner with mayo, it's best not to shampoo just yet. Surprisingly, my hair never smells like rotten mayonnaise or sour eggs after washing it out. So I kept rinsing and rinsing and rinsing until my back hurt.

All of the mayo was out, but the cinnamon granules just kept coming out!

 Oh, well. I got up and softly squeezed the water out of my hair with a towel. More cinnamon invaded my fingers. Mad softness, indeed. I think the cinnamon and honey did a great job along with the mayo to condition my hair. Like I said, no color results yet, but not only will I wait until it completely dries to tell for sure, but it takes a couple of treatments like this to see color. I am so excited to try this again!
                                            
                                               AFTER rinsing

If I notice any other changes to my hair after doing this treatment, I shall let you guys know soon. I hope you enjoyed this review of a natural hair lightener... for us black folks. Peace out until later curlfriends!

~Epic Realist~ 

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