[Tutorial] Professional Quick Pinned Updo {Keyda]

Have you ever styled your hair out of frustration!?

hah! Well, I experienced quite a frustration trying to style my hair after my wash day. I needed to also have a elegant yet simple style for my school's graduation! However, it ended with a lovely up-do that I pinned up (if I say so myself!). It took me about 30minutes lol but it should literally only take 5minutes. This style and the many renditions, NEVER get old! What's your up-do!?



Check it!

How to:

1. Moisturize & Seal hair! I used a dab of water, then sealed with CHI Silk Infusion and put a dab of Hair butter.

2. Separate bangs and clip. I made a semi-deep middle part that was off to the side. (not so complicated!) 

3. Gather hair starting from back then securely with bobby pin. Securely pin all hair around side. Now, you look like you want a mohawk! hah! 

4. Separate as needed and pin curl those pieces, securing with bobby pin. Then unclip your bangs. Gather one side and pull atop of head from front to back, securely pinning hair at back. Tip: My bangs were long enough to pinned on the inside of my back pin curls, so no ends could really be seen. Then do other side. 

Vaalaaa! I was going for this style with twists atop... No-go for me... Instead I have this! :) 

Sidebar: Another counselor said " You must wear your hair like this on your wedding day!" lol...No, Imma be flowing! lol 


 What do you think!? What are your styles out of frustration!?

xoxo

Keyda

My Love/Hate Relationship With FitBit Zip

I walked into the exchange, picked up the magenta hot pink FitBit Zip and told my hubby "THIS is what I want for my birthday" then sashayed off to buy bananas and laundry detergent. Several weeks later, my hubby surprised me with a magenta hot pink FitBit Zip for my birthday! (He's totally a keeper! Ha-ha!) I wanted to use my Fitbit Zip for a while just to break it in and really give you the low down. It's #FitnessFriday *throw your confetti!* and today I'm dishing about my love/hate relationship with my FitBit Zip:

Love
It's addictive. I CAN NOT leave my house without it. Seriously. I was about to go do some shopping with my suegra, went we made it half way up the driveaway when I realized that I forgot my FitBit Zip. So, let them clown me as I turned around go back and get it! I love how it tracks my steps, distance, and calories burned.

Small steps to accomplishing big goals. I love how I can see how active I am throughout the day. Since the weather has warmed up, I started taking walks in my neighborhood and in the park with my minions, I don't mind having to run up and down my steps when I forget things, I park further away from the entrance to stores to make sure that I get my 10,000 steps in. Sometimes, I'll put on my Pandora 90's station and dance until I hit my daily goal.

The encouraging automated love. When you reach your goals, your FitBit sends you a love note. When you're slacking it will gently remind you that you only have a little more to go. Part personal trainer part pixie dust spreader. Either way it makes me smile.

Hate:
It's a shiny fancy glorified super expensive pedometer. Yes, it is more accurate than anything else that I've used, but in the end all this thing does is count your steps, tell you that you're awesome, and smile at you. Literally.

Sucky Mobile & Online Tools. I wanted to be able to track my other fitness related activities either especially running via the FitBit app on my smartphone or online.  (Your FitBit is AWFUL at tracking your steps running. Don't bother trying) I was surprised at how un-user friendly and NOT intuitive it is. If I'm going to spend $50 on a gadget that claims to sync you with the world, then it needs to do just that.

Limited Interaction With 3rd party Apps. After some research I saw that I could link my FitBit to my all time favorite fitness app RunKeeper. RunKeeper allows you to record dozens of fitness related activities with distances and calories burned. The RunKeeper interface is dumb easy to use. I use it when I run, jump rope, go to Zumba, and even for Spinning class. Sadly, this was another bust. Sure you can sync your FitBit to RunKeeper but you can't sync your RunKeeper activities to FitBit. Which defeated the ENTIRE purpose of having a sync-able pedometer. Is it too much to ask to have all of my sweat stuff in one place.

Was my FitBit Zip a ratchet waste of money? Well, no. Using it is incredibly easy. Like---so easy that a cave man can do it. Plus its hot magenta pink! It's totally the most stylist pedometer ever. Unfortunately, interacting with its mobile app and online isn't intuitive. Maybe I expected too much. But the tag line "Wireless Activity Tracker" is a little misleading to me. If you want a wicked cool steps counter and that's it---then the FitBit Zip is for you. If you want just a little more---wait until they update their apps. I'm sure eventually they'll get this thing right.

Do you have a FitBit? Do you love it or hate it?

Let's inspire together! Create a fitness related blog post and link up every Friday with me, KLP of SavingOurStrands, Ebony of Longing4Length, and Britt of One&20

Fitness Friday Linkup RULES

1. ​Follow your hosts: SavingOurStrands, Longing4Length, and One&20 via Bloglovin'
2. Fitness is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!
3. Inspire the Fitness Friday contributor that linked up directly before you with an encouraging comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. (Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; So everyone gets love​!).
4. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button which links back to the Fitness Friday page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.savingourstrands.com" title="Fitness Friday"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhsLeWkIh1rs1sF-Iic3PODoBvyfta8RC1sXqgVNqQRYDkQW7i3twbzuGic4I06evwqgO4jz4K-6OqmbLQMIg8ybwaClCtpl3uodNRkddvJzjj6vC2kNZPyk1FkNpeFcHPv5Ao-ZY19E/s1600/Fitness+Friday+Badge.png" alt="Fitness Friday" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Besitos!
KLP

An InLinkz Link-up

25 Mile Bike Ride | Fitness Friday

Cruising!

Georgetown DC

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!! Yes, you read that right! 25 MILES!! One of my colleagues (client of the BF as well) invited my BF and I on a bike ride this past memorial weekend. Of course, he agreed and I smiled with a slight nod! lol I was looking forward to bike riding but I had a traumatic (in my eyes lol) experience as a kid so I had not rode a bike in over 10 years! I was not sure of my survival through hills and turns. Nonetheless, I wanted to stay with my workout kick and try different ways of exercising in my workout regimen.

My BF and I met my colleague at her gorge home in Maryland, where she had two bikes with all the gear waiting for us. She is a very fit and outdoorsy individual. Her husband and her decided to ride their "tandem" bike...I can not make this up! hah I wore my hair in a low bun since I would have a helmet on the entire time. If you are familiar with the DMV area, we rode our bikes from Silver Spring to Georgetown DC to Bethesda to Silver Spring using the Rock Creek Trail. This is not a typo...

The toughest moment of the ride was going from Georgetown to Bethesda because it was a steady incline with some hills that were just...ahh! I literally hopped off my bike on the last hill and just walked it up. We still had 5 miles to go. The upside was we had a lovely dinner in Bethesda before riding back in the DARK to her home in Silver Spring. Although I enjoyed myself, it will be a while before I bike 25 miles again! I think (KNOW) next time I will bike a shorter distance. I am very PROUD of myself because I did not quit, complain or ask for a friend to pick me up! I really gave it my all which should always be given when staying healthy and Check out what my BF had to say about it! Two different perspectives of enjoyment. 

Beauty of DC

My recommendations for future bike riding: 

1. Wear Bike Shorts! My behind was soooo sore from the seat, it was ridiculous! I am not over exaggerating.
2. Go at your own pace! I was always the last to meet up with the group. At first, I was embarrassed but I soon realized I had to work with MY body at MY pace.
3. Enjoy the scenery! I never noticed the beauty and calmness of DC. Sometimes I forget how peaceful our city can be.

Let me know if/when you decide to bike ride. It works muscles in a way that I have never experienced in dance or pilates.  It is a great workout to have when wanting to explore nice weather as well. 

Will you be bike riding!?

xoxo
Keyda

ABCs of Bangin' Bantu Knots

I'm a one trick pony. I try braid outs---they fail. I even tried twist outs---they were a hot mess. Flexi-rods are just far too complicated. I'm too lazy for roller sets. Bantu knots are seriously the only low manipulation style that I can count on to blend my super curly roots with the rest of my texlaxed hair. I hope that y'all aren't tired of them! It's been over a year since my first set and here are the basic ABCs of bangin bantu knots:

Air Dry:
I always start with detangled air dried hair. I get the best results when my hair has been washed and deep conditioned 24-48 hours before I try to install the knots.

Bigger is better:I prefer my curls in big sections because I love volume. Big hair; KLP don't care. Ha-ha! The smaller your sections, the tighter the curls. You can experiment to see which curl you like the best. I usually end up with 10-12 knots. My knots take about 15 minutes to install.

Cocktail:
Moisturizer + Oil/butter + Holding product. Use whatever floats your boat. My go to cocktail has been Jessicurl Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner + my kitchenista Tangerine Vanilla Whipped Hair Butter + Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. I do believe that order of operations matter on this one. I've found that many products that "hold" aren't particularly moisturizing and can make my hair feel or look very dry over time. Layering on a moisturizer and oil prior to the holding product traps that moisture in and keeps the frizz at bay.

I studied Whoissuga's "How to do a bangin Bantu knot out" fifty trillion times to figure out how to knot my hair. Then Tressedforsuccess took my bantu knot game to another level. It will take some time. You probably will fail the first time. But you're totally not alone. Shoot, I failed a few days ago. It happens! Throw it all up and rock a curly bun or tuck it under and work a faux bob. Whatever you do, do not give up! What's your go to low manipulation style this spring?  

Besitos! 
KLP 

Wash Day | Keyda

Hola Chicas!

I had a very active/long weekend! Fitness post shall explain :) However, I NEEDED to wash my hair just to feel clean lol. Have you ever had that moment!? My wash was rather simple again and I loved it!

Main Wash Day Products 

[A] Detangled with my fingers. I decided to go without pre-poo this wash. Again, I just wanted to get clean!

[B] Shampooed with KeraCare Detangling Shampoo then Conditioned with Oyin Honey Hemp Conditioner.

[C] DC with Baba de Caracol sealed with Chi Silk Infusion for about 35 mins with heat. Yum!

[D] It was late...and I was lazy...haha so I skipped out on my tea rinse this wash. I plan on doing a mini-wash tomorrow with a tea rinse to ensure scalp/shedding protection!

[E] Leave-ins included Aphogee Keratin and Green Tea Spray, with a dab of Koils by Nature Perfectly Peppermint and massaging of Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner through my scalp.


Air Dried for roughly 75% then wanted to head to bed so I put low heat on my hair until roughly 90% of my hair was dry... hehe 

Hint to my active weekend!

My Hair Reality: My hair tangles were manageable and there was a "normal" amount of shedding. I have not been feeling overwhelmed with the amount of shedding like I have in past. My new growth is really curly CURLY and thick... ever since fully going texlaxed, I never noticed just how curly my natural hair was...who knew!? lol I styled my hair out of frustration and ended up loving the style. Check Tutorial for pictures of my hair! I am really digging a simple hair washing routine but I have to remember those little things that matter for my hair (i.e. pre-poo & tea rinses!). With summer fast approaching, I have to get with it since I will have "pool hair" for days!

Fun Times! Hope everyone appreciated many heroes like KLP's Husband over Memorial Day weekend! :)


How was your #washdayexperience!?

xoxo
Keyda

[Hairstyle] Braided Mohawk | The #WashDayExperience

My hair has been on it's very best behavior the last couple of weeks. Detangling hasn't been all that miserable and my shedding is completely under control. I figured that it was the perfect time (if there is a such thing!) to try some new products. Here's how I washed my hair this week:

1. Pre-Shampoo- I gently detangled with my fingers and slathered on extra virgin coconut oil. 
2. Shampoo- with Bobeam Rootz Herbal Hair Grower Shampoo bar.
   
3. Extreme deep condition- I deep conditioned with Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Smoothie then I massaged my stands with extra virgin coconut oil, covered with a plastic cap and sat under my hooded dryer for an hour.
4. Rosemary Green Aloe Hair Rinse- After rinsing the conditioner, I applied 1 part steeped green tea + 1 part aloe vera juice + 2 springs of rosemary, using a narrow tip applicator to my strands--focusing on the roots. I let it sit for a few minutes then rinsed.
5. Smoothing Treatment- with a large dollop of Matrix Biolage Detangling Solution.
6. Air Dried- to 80-85% wrapped in a cotton t-shirt.
7. Leave ins- I used the LOC(B) method, starting with a little (O)Carol's Daughter Hair Balm, (C)Jessicurl Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner, + my kitchenista (B)Tangerine Vanilla Whipped Hair Butter, I faux banded to stretch the roots.

The Results:
I gave Carol's Daughter another try and yet again another set of products yield *meh shoulder shrug* results. The conditioner was decent. I hate the scent of the hair balm. (It lingers forever!) The hair honey was interesting enough to try again to smooth my edges. We had so much going on last weekend from bbqs to lounging at the beach to putting in several sweat sessions enjoying the beautiful weather. I whipped my hair into this cute Naptural85's braided Mohawk using about 3/4 pack of Kanekalon hair. I love the way that it kept my hair tidy while I smashed my hubby in badminton.

How was your wash day?

Besitos!
KLP

The Wash Day Experience Linkup RULES

1. ​Follow your hosts SavingOurStrands and JustGrowAlready via Bloglovin', Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.
2. Healthy Hair is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted.
3. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button below which links back to The Wash Day Experience page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.
4. Encourage the wash day experience contributor that linked up directly before you with an inspiring  comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; comment love for everyone! 

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.savingourstrands.com" title="The Wash Day Experience"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxUU9CYrA5Ckl6e7zkj8KBbgpA4cbv1lYcMq298bFncjKgVr3-qB61SxkjH_vnzfHa_jkMiThxScN_0OoMf1XYRDd-GHZC2R55Vfj1ZOTPng0-DBfRAh32fxYEUrna4ntJukp3olEaWs/s1600/The+wash+Day+experience+badge+%282%29.jpg" alt="The Wash Day Experience" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

4 Ways to Fight Dandruff & Flakes

I can relate to the fight for flake free hair. Until fairly recently, I would find flakes in my combs, on the bathroom counter, and all over my clothes whenever I touched my hair. I'd always "scratch my scalp" when I washed (which was like once a month at best...no wonder my scalp was going crazy!) but the flakes would still be there afterwards. Very un-sexy! Fast forward to today. My scalp is flake free and happy as can be. Here are 4 ways to fight dandruff and flakes

Evaluate Your Products (especially leave ins): Some products can cause dry scalp, contribute to yucky build up, or irritate your scalp causing what looks like dandruff. While food allergies can be different from contact allergies, be sure to label check your products before you use them. If you noticed that your scalp is irritated from chemical (read: relaxers, keratin, or coloring) treatments, you might need to consider ditching them.

How to: Start eliminating products---especially those that you're applying to your scalp---one by one. 

Essential Oil Pre-Shampoo: I love a good pre-shampoo treatment. Especially one with stimulating, detoxifying essential oils. My stimulating essential oil blend has a few drops of peppermint to invigorate and refreshes the scalp.  Plus, eucalyptus which is antimicrobial, revitalizing, and clarifying. Start with 5-10 drops of each essential oil + extra virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil to see how it feels on your scalp. If the scent is overpowering, next time only use 2-3 drops of each essential oil. Or as you get customized to the sensation, you can add a few drops more. Never use essential oils undiluted as they are highly concentrated.

How to: Apply to unwashed hair and scalp then let this pre-shampoo sit for 10-20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. 

 

Gentle yet effective shampoo: I hate the way that shampooing strips my hair but I understand it's important role in removing dirt, excess oil, and sweat from my hair. Everyone and their mama wants to prolong the days between washes. I get it---washing can be long and tedious but if your scalp starts to revolt after a few days post wash, then you probably just need to cave and wash again. I typically wash or co-wash every 3-4 days to keep my scalp clean. And for the record---a dirty scalp does NOT make your hair grow faster. It's just gross!

How to: When shampooing be sure to focus on your scalp especially in those areas where you suffer from the most dandruff. Using the pads of your finger tips---not your nails---massage the shampoo into your scalp in a circular motion, allowing the suds to cleanse the length of your hair. My fave liquid shampoo is Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie Hydrating Shampoo. I recently fell in love with shampoo bars because they don't strip my hair of moisture but still get my scalp clean and fresh.

Tea Rinses: I love tea rinses because they combat shedding and alleviate icky scalp. One of my favorite blend is Rosemary Green Aloe. Rosemary acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory to soothe itchiness. Green tea is an astringent packed with tannins which protect your scalp from excessive oil and dirt.

How to: Apply 2 green tea bags + 1 cup H20 + 1 cup aloe vera juice + 2 springs of rosemary using a narrow tip applicator bottle so that you can target your scalp let it sit for a few minutes then rinse.

When the weather shifts, my scalp goes a little crae-crae but after a few days, it's good to go. Your diet and lifestyle can also have an effect on your scalp. Eat great, exercise and drink tons of water. If nothing helps, visit with your dermatologist. You'll be able to figure out if you’ve got dandruff as a symptom of something else or if you are actually suffering from psoriasis/seborrheic dermatitis.

How do you keep your scalp flake free? Shout out to Nikki for asking this question!

Besitos!
KLP

Healthy Hairology Medley

Welcome to another edition of Healthy Hairology Medley. HHM is just a cute name for the place where I share my favorite healthy hair tips, tricks, and techniques from bloggers, vloggers, and forums for you each week with the occasional mention of simply cool stuff. I guess that you could say that I'm kinda hair enthused obsessed!  Here is the best of the best from last week:

Twisted Back Updo adesiredbeauty: There is something about a style that takes 2 minutes to achieve with only bobby pins but looks so intricate that no one would ever believe how easy it is! Melanie stuns with this gorgeous but super simple updo!

 

HAIR LUSTING // Ideas for Wearing Head Wraps and Head Scarves thefiestyhouse: I think that head wraps are perfect hair accessories for any season, but I especially for the warmer months. Krystal gives us 7 lucky ways to keep calm and rock that head wrap this summer.

 

1 Month No Heat rcsoatl: Going no heat is one of the best things that you can do for your hair. But the hard part is finding styles that you're comfortable with and that are sexier than straight hair. No worries though, Vett has got 5 natural hair styles that will keep you away from the flat iron and embracing your curly texture.

How Long Should You Use A Product Before Tossing It? indigenouscurls: If a product gives me mediocore results, I'll typically keep using it in different methods until it's gone unless I see that my hair is suffering. Tyra gives her take on how many chances you should give your products before you toss it.

 

Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk freshlengths: I love the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie for my bantu knots and thanks to Lesley's amazeball review, I'll probably pick up the Curl & Style Milk soon. See why she's raving about it!

What did you bookmark last week?

Besitos!

KLP

 

5 Ways To FAIL On A Juice Detox

I'm not a bandwagon dieter. I believe very simplistically that if you burn more calories than you take in then you'll lose weight. I'm so overwhelmed by the South-Paleo-Clean-Eating-Gluten-Dash-Daniel-Beach craze that I'm pretty skeptical and jaded about any popular diet trend. But I read about Ebony's results of her juice detox, last week, I was super impressed. Impressed because that's my girl and I know that she wouldn't lie to me--well us. Impressed because the results seemed legit. Impressed because it actually looked attainable. So I gave it a try. My goal was to juice for 2 meals a day---for 4 days, only drink water, and have a clean dinner. Sounds easy enough right? Well I totally FAILED! Here's why:

5 Ways To Fail On A Juice Detox

1. Forget about that juicer- I don't own a juicer. Yeah....I was probably destined to fail from here. Ha-ha! I borrowed a friends for day one and made Ebony's Sweet Cucumber Juice. Which was surprising good. The other 3 days I drank Odwalla Juices which are pasteurized and have far less nutritional value than I realized. I'm allergic to bananas, which seems to be in EVERY store bought veggie juice known to man.  What was I thinking? *hangs head*
2. Workout like a maniac- Then I ran 10k on the first day. I felt awful. Light headed, stomach cramps. Headache. The works. I didn't take into account that with such a drastic change in my diet, my exercise regimen would need to decrease. *hangs head*
3. Don't drink enough water- On Day 2 I realized that one meal a day wasn't going to cut it for my active lifestyle. So I increased to 2 solid meals and 32 oz of juice daily. But, I kinda forgot to drink more water. I didn't feel as awful, but not all that great either. *hangs head*
4. Skip meal planning- I ran out of juice by Day 3. I didn't want to cheat so I had to run to the grocery store. Which wouldn't have been a big deal except I was swamped with real work, mommy duties, and everything that could go wrong went wrong. I ended up fasting until I could buy more juice which of course didn't happen until just before dinner time. *hangs head*
5. Give up many other vices at the same time: It's no secret that I love my coffee and chocolate. I do have to admit that I did have a cup of coffee on the first day. To my defense, kinda, I forgot that I couldn't have it until I took the first sip. Then I thought, oh fudge, I might as well drink it now. Ha-ha! I do have good news: I was able to ditch coffee for the last 3 days of the detox though! 

What I Learned From My Juice Detox Fail:

1. What it means to be full: My first "regular" meal after detoxing was 3 slices of my favorite veggie pizza. I felt worse that day than I did on my first day of the detox! I never really understood why I felt so sluggish, tired, and blah after overeating until now.
2. What it means to have will power: This experience has taught me that moderation might not be best for me. I'm better able to completely eliminate my contact with coffee and chocolate than to have it in moderation because my self control is quite pitiful.
3. What affect food has on my energy levels: I haven't felt this energized since before I had kids! No more 3'o clock crashes that required coffee to reboot. No more feeling too exhausted to function after dinner. I was able to better focus and concentrate when at work and decompress at home. 

Will I try a juice detox again? Meh...I'm really not sure. I haven't figured out if I want to invest in a good (read: expensive) juicer yet. But I have given up coffee and chocolate completely since ending this detox. I'm drinking only water or fruit + veggie smoothies daily. AND I've laid the smack down on my snacking. Even though a failed on the juicing expect, I loved the mental clarity that this detox gave me.

Have you tried a juice detox? How did you do?

Let's inspire together! Create a fitness related blog post and link up every Friday with me, KLP of SavingOurStrands, Ebony of Longing4Length, and Britt of One&20

Fitness Friday Linkup RULES

1. ​Follow your hosts: SavingOurStrands, Longing4Length, and One&20 via Bloglovin'
2. Fitness is the theme. Entries completely unrelated to the theme or linked to your homepage will be deleted---we not about that life!
3. Inspire the Fitness Friday contributor that linked up directly before you with an encouraging comment. We are each here to support each other and build a community of determined women and hair-friends. (Don’t worry, the chica ​who links up after you will do the same; So everyone gets love​!).
4. Share it! Your blog post must link back to this site so others see. We even made this nifty button which links back to the Fitness Friday page! Just copy and drop the code into your blog post.

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.savingourstrands.com" title="Fitness Friday"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhsLeWkIh1rs1sF-Iic3PODoBvyfta8RC1sXqgVNqQRYDkQW7i3twbzuGic4I06evwqgO4jz4K-6OqmbLQMIg8ybwaClCtpl3uodNRkddvJzjj6vC2kNZPyk1FkNpeFcHPv5Ao-ZY19E/s1600/Fitness+Friday+Badge.png" alt="Fitness Friday" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Besitos!
KLP

An InLinkz Link-up

Quick Wash Day | Keyda

Hola Chicas!

After exploring on instagram, I came across "oil rinsing" posted by @LuvThyMane (picture was from Kyss of www.kyssmyhair.com) which was new to me! lol I have done hot oil treatments and used oil within my pre-poo but never have thought of a "oil rinse". Have you tried this method? Anyways, my wash day was a rather quick one and I loved it!

[A] Detangled hair with my fingers. Massaged Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner in my scalp as well.

[B] Cowashed with Oyin Honey Hemp Conditioner - I loves it. Review in the works!

Now the "new-to-me" technique

[C] Sectioned my hair, then massaged warm Olive Oil with drops of Peppermint, Rosemary and Eucalyptus into my roots. Then I put Organix Awapuhi Ginger Recovery Mask over length of my hair. Then I comfortably watched TV under my heat cap :) for roughly 40 mins (this my own addition).

[D] Leave-ins were Nexxus Root Lift Mist and Organix Coconut Anti-breakage Serum.

Air Dried for 85% then low heat blow dried with tension at my roots


My Hair Reality: This was the easiest hair wash, I have ever had.  In my opinion, it was like a deep pre-poo/DC labeled an "oil rinse". Unless I did something wrong lol. All in all, my hair ten times softer and strong. I feel like something so simple, yet I never thought to do that. It also lowered the amount of product I placed in my hair. So, my hair did not feel heavy and less knots. I have been styling my hair in big twists! Luvs!

How was your wash day experience!?

xoxo

Keyda

[Hairstyle] Bantu Knots on Transitioning Hair | Wash Day

Contrary to what it looks like, I usually wear my hair up 5 days out of the week. On wash days, I typically set my hair in bantu knots to stretch my roots, wear them out for a day, maybe two, then it's back to the usual bun, braid, or updo. I promise you that my hair life is far less than ordinary and really quite boring. Any who, here's how I washed my hair this week:

1. Pre-Shampoo- I gently detangled with my fingers and slathered on extra virgin coconut oil. 
2. Shampoo- with Bobeam Rootz Herbal Hair Grower Shampoo bar. (Tutorial: How to use a shampoo bar)
   
3. Extreme deep condition- I deep conditioned with Jessicurl Deep Treatment on my roots and  Joico K-pak Reconstructor conditioner on my ends. Then I massaged my stands with extra virgin coconut oil, covered with a plastic cap and sat under my hooded dryer for an hour.
4. Rosemary Green Aloe Hair Rinse- After rinsing the conditioner, I applied 1 part steeped green tea + 1 part aloe vera juice + 2 springs of rosemary, using a narrow tip applicator to my strands--focusing on the roots. I let it sit for a few minutes then rinsed.
5. Smoothing Treatment- with a large dollop of Matrix Biolage Detangling Solution.
6. Air Dried- to 80-85% wrapped in a cotton t-shirt.
7. Leave ins- I used the LOC method, starting with a little extra virgin coconut oil, Jessicurl Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner, + my kitchenista Tangerine Vanilla Whipped Hair Butter, I tension blow dried my roots on cool. Then using a dab of Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie on my ends, I bantu knotted in about 10 sections.

Results: 
Happy curls! When I stick to the basic ABCs of bantu knots, my curls are usually happy go lucky. When I don't...well...it's not all pixie dust and rainbows. I'm really glad that I deep conditioned with a little Joico K-pak on my ends. After writing this post, I realized it's been a while since my last protein treatment. This wash should buy me a little more time. It's been a while since my last straightening/trim too---about 3 months I think. I probably should do that soon too. Too much to do never enough time to do it in!

How was your last wash day?

Besitos!
KLP

The Wash Day Experience Linkup RULES

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An InLinkz Link-up

How To Use A Solid Shampoo Bar

My hair hates shampoo. I promise that I'm not being my usual dramatic self. I'm oh so serious. Typical shampoos leave my hair stripped, stringy, and tangled. I hate it, but I understand that it's a necessary evil in my regimen especially when I my hair feels coated from a build up of residue from conditioners and other styling products. My favorite shampoo has been Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie Hydrating Shampoo for a while now. It cleans my scalp whilst being very gentle and super moisturizing for my strands. Then a few months ago won a Bobeam contest from Natural Haven (hey JC!) and I've been madly in love with Bobeam Rootz Herbal Hair Grower Shampoo bar. Here's how I use it: 

How To Use A Solid Shampoo Bar

1. Detangle and section hair before you wash. If you're petrified of stripped and tangled hair like me, try pre-shampooing with extra virgin coconut oil for about 20 minutes.
2. Saturate with water to thoroughly rinse hair your hair in the shower.
3. Form lather by rubbing shampoo bar between hands. 
4. Apply lathered hands to one section of hair focusing on your roots and scalp. Repeat until complete.
5. Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap and suds completely.

And for my visual learners (hey y'all!). Here's a quick video from the best smelling store on the planet: Lush! Lush specializes in gorgeously green and awesomely handmade beauty products.

Soon I'll share what shampoo bars are on my wish list---as if I'm gonna run out of this Bobeam bar anytime in the near future. Ha-ha! And I'll show you how I store my solid shampoo bar so that it lastest forever (kinda). 

Have you used a solid shampoo bar? What's your fave?

Besitos!
KLP