Caruso Steam Rollers on Natural Hair | The #WashDayExperience

In honor of today's #WashDayExprience theme, I took a break from attempting to perfect my wash and go technique so that I could throw my hair up in some big ol voluminous curls.

Here's what I used:

Deep Condition- DIY Moisturizing Mist (tutorial here) + Jessicurl Deep Treatment Conditioner (review here) + Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Clay Rinse- How I get my curls to POP!
Leave-Ins- Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Why EVCO is AMAZING here) + Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner (why I love this stuff here) + DIY Hair Butter

And here's how I did it:

I started my spritzing the ends of my hair with my DIY Moisturizing Mist (tutorial here). Then I slathered my hair in Jessicurl Deep Treatment (review here). My hair was super dry so I sealed in the conditioner with a little Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (here's the kind that I use $) then left it in overnight.

RELATED: Why I Deep Condition Overnight

The next morning, I hopped in the shower, rinsed the conditioner section by section then applied my Clay Rinse with a narrow tip applicator bottle. I still adore how this treatment makes my curls perfectly springy, defined, and moisturized. Out of the shower, I t-shirt dried for a couple of minutes then applied little more Extra Virgin Coconut Oil + Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner (why I love this stuff here) as my leave ins. Then I faux banded my hair to stretch it a little while it dried.

RELATED: How To Stretch Natural Hair Without Heat

I thought about doing bantu knots, but then decided to try an oldie but goodie: CARUSO STEAM ROLLERS!! It's been forever since I rocked a set of big fluffy steam curls so I wasn't sure what to expect.

RELATED: How To Use Caruso Steam Rollers on Natural Hair

I set my hair on the rollers using a little Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie as my styler/holding product. I'm pretty shocked that in 3 years, I haven't done an official review on this stuff. Just know that it's amazing and EVER so perfect for setting perm rods, bantu knots, and twist outs. Plus the scent is to. die. for.

I let my rollers air dry for about 30 minutes then sat under the dryer for another 15 minutes just to make sure that they were dry. For my chicas with super thick hair---you know the struggle to get any kind of roller set dry in a decent amount of time.

I'd forgotten how much I love how steam roller curls look on me! My hair is uber moisturized and has tons of volume. The next day it rained so I wore it up in the high puff  + bangs situation.

How was your #washdayexperience? What's your favorite way to get big voluminous curls? Share all the dets below!

Besitos!
KLP

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The Best of 2015: My Hair's Hits & Misses

2015 was a really great year for my hair. I wasn't concerned with length, I didn't use heat, and I lived for deep conditioning. I still made a TON of mistakes along the way. Here's a recap of the best things (and the worse things) that happened to my hair.

Hits: Protective Styling

If you haven't read about my LOVE AFFAIR with Kurly Klips---then---idk where you've been chile! It's all that I talked about for the last 6 months! So here's your chance to catch up on why I think that

KURLY KLIPS ARE THE WORLD'S MOST VERSATILE PROTECTIVE STYLE EVER!!!!

Hits: Trimming

I've trimmed and dusted my hair several times this year (Like here, here, here, and here). Way more than I ever have in my healthy hair journey. And while frequent trimming would have been a miss for me in past years---this year it was a hit. My hair is as healthy as it's ever been. My curls look fantastic when wet and my ends are perfectly blunt---and y'all know that I LIVE for healthy blunt ends!

Hits: Curlformers, Perm Rods, and Twist Outs
When my hair wasn't in a protective style---I styled using (most recently) curlformers, perm rods and twist outs. I can't say that I've masted any one of them, but I can say that y'all will definitely see more of them next year.

Hits: My New Staple Products Bentonite Clay Hair Mask Treatment
When I first chopped my hair, I cut it whilst it was straight---which was a total mistake because I was still left with some bits of straight hair on my bangs. It was nearly impossible to tell the difference between my texlaxed hair and my natural curl so I turned to Bentonite Clay! It's amazingness in a jar. It's moisturizing, detoxifying, a shine enhancer, frizz eliminator----just curl defining goodness. Here's how I mix it up and get my curls poppin!

Misses: Wash and Gos
I mean---wash and NOsss!  After about a month of experimenting with wash and gos---I realized that my hair behaves better when it's stretched. It's less tangled, it stays moisturized, my end are far less prone to breakage. Maybe one day, I'll revisit wash and gos, but for now---I'm staying far far away from them.

Misses: High Puffs
My staple natural hair style! Omgosh---how I love this style. It's effortless. And that's the problem. It's so effortless that I'll rock this style for days without moisturizing or sealing my hair. My ends dry out and the curls tangle. Whilst, I'm not vowing to never wear a high puff again, I am going to wear them less and make sure that I moisturize my hair better. Plus, my hair is long enough now, that I can rock a high bun instead! Which is far more kind to my ends!

What were the best (and not so wonderful) moments of your #washdayexperience this year? Share the dets below!

Besitos!
KLP

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[Hairstyle] Fierce Frohawk | The #WashDayExperience

My hair has been screaming bloody murder for a good protein treatment and clay mask but I've been too lazy preoccupied crazy busy to do it. Then, I had the audacity to go to the beach and let my hair loose. My hair revolted! 

Needless to say, I HAD to get my act together and gave my hair the deep treatment that it needed. Here's what I used:

Pre-shampoo: Redken Extreme Builder Plus
Shampoo: Jessicurl Cleansing Cream
Clay Mask: Aztec Healing Bentonite Clay (+ Apple Cider Vinegar + Aloe Vera Juice + Glycerin)
Deep Condition: Jessicurl Deep Treatment
Leave-Ins: Almond Oil + Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner + DIY Hair Butter + Camille Rose Curl Maker

And here's how I did it:

First, I started by detangling in sections with the help of a little Redken Extreme Builder Plus. I totally owe you guys a review on this product. But in a nutshell:

1. I'm totally repurchasing
2. This stuff is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious amazing! 
3. My curls practically sang after I apply it...

After detangling and letting the Redken conditioner sit for about 30 minutes (without heat and uncovered), I hopped in the shower and rinsed thoroughly. Thanks to my minions turning me into a sand mermaid, I still had a ton of sand in my hair so I shampooed twice with Jessicurl Cleansing Cream. What I love about this shampoo is that no matter how many times that I rinse-lather-repeat my curls still feel uber springy and moisturized. 

I gently t-shirt dried my hair then applied my Bentonite clay mask. When I apply the mask, I like to sort of smooth it in from root to tip add a dab more on the ends then twirl the section around my fingers. I noticed that when I use this technique---as opposed to just rubbing it in---my hair is crazy smooth and my curls better elongated. I covered my hair with a plastic cap and a scarf then let the treatment sink in for about an hour. 

My full wash day process is sorta tedious at times but totally worth it. Especially when I went to rinse out the clay treatment! Oh, sweet baby Jesus I couldn't take my hands out of my coils. Honestly, I could have stopped in my tracks right there and when on about my day. My hair was crazy moisturized, not a tangle in sight, and gorgeously elongated. But I knew that after several weeks of neglect, I really needed a deep conditioner. So I grabbed my Jessicurl Deep Treatment conditioner, smoothed it through my curls and sealed it with a little almond oil. BEST.THING.EVER.

I adore everything about Jessicurl Deep Treatment. I mean, it literally revives my curls. I only had one petty hair product junky issue with it: the packaging. Okay---check it---this stuff is crazy thick, which I LOVE but being in a narrow bottle with a itty bitty opening drove me insane on wash day. 

For my Seinfield lovers. C'mon man---you know that you've done this to your favorite conditioner before. Don't turn your nose up at me. LOL.

Me trying to get the last bit of conditioner out of the bottle

After rinsing in the shower, I let a cotton t-shirt absorb the excess water then applied my leave ins and about 25 purple (magenta), white, and tan perm rods. I left the perm rods in overnight to dry. It was a fitful night of sleep but honey my curls where worth it!

To style, I used about a billion hair pins to pull my hair into a frohawk! Frohawks are fierce, edgy, and fun but I'm not gonna lie---I'm gonna need some time to get used to this one on me because it's not my usual sleek sophisticated (aka mom hair) look. I'm not yet comfortable with really bold styles on my curls but at the same time---I feel really empowered by its carefree wildness.

So what do you think? Can I pull off this look or should I stick to my usual pin ups, buns, and braids?

Besitos!
KLP

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[Hairstyle] Flirty Tuck and Roll | The #WashDayExperience

I swore up and down that I was gonna be flaunting big bouncy curls all spring. And I really wanted to...but real talk---I'm an updo kinda girl. I'm far more comfortable with my hair up and out of the way than I am with it blowing in the wind. I sure hope that you guys aren't totally bored with my hair!

This #washdayexperience, I stretched my hair in a few medium sized twists then went for a tuck and roll style. Here's how I got started:

Pre-Shampoo: Redken Extreme Strength Builder Plus
Shampoo: Jessicurl Cleansing Cream
Clay Mask: Aztec Healing Bentonite Clay (+ Apple Cider Vinegar & Aloe Vera Juice)
Deep Condition: Jessicurl Deep Treatment
Leave ins: Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner + DIY Hair Butter

The Results:
I started by applying Redken Extreme Strength Builder Plus to my unwashed hair and gently detangling. I totally owe you guys a product review on this protein treatment. I really love it! But the biggest issue with the size. I only got 2 (maybe 3) uses out of the 8oz container and I haven't been able to find it in a bigger size yet. 

Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream is honestly a top notch shampoo for naturally curly hair. I love the way that it cleanses without stripping and my hair actually feels moisturized and tangle free afterwards. Totally a #winner. My bentonite clay mask isn't pictured but I used the same exact process and ingredients as shown in this #washdayexperience.

If you only try one Jessicurl product---please let it be the Deep Conditioning Treatment. I don't even have words for how much I LOVE this conditioner. My hair stays crazy moisturized after I use this. Honestly---I don't even know why on earth that I use anything else!

To style my hair, I applied a few drops of Almond Oil to my freshly deep conditioned and rinsed hair. Then I applied my leave-ins (Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner and my DIY Hair Butter). in sections To stretch my curls, I installed a bunch of medium sized two strand twists.

I let the twists dry overnight. In the morning, I unraveled and fluffed. The twist out was super cute on it's own but I just didn't feel like wearing it out. So, to get this flirty tuck and roll, I created a deep side part then sectioned off my bangs. Starting on the right side, I gently rolled my hair around my head stopping occasionally to secure the roll with a few pins. I kept rolling around my nape and up to the opposite side of my head. I stopped the roll just above my eyebrow and secured with a final pin. A few more carefully placed pins to shape my bangs and viola!

Hmm... that explanation kinda sucks...If you want a step by step pictorial let me know!

How was your #washdayexperience?

Besitos!
KLP

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Mini Chop + It's My Birthday! | #WashDayExperience

This week's #washdayexperience was super simple because #1--I didn't have a lot of time and #2 I knew that we were going to be traveling to celebrate my birthday! It all started with a:

Overnight Deep Condition- Matrix Biolage Hydrasource Conditioner + Almond Oil (Wondering why I deep condition overnight? Click here)
Leave ins: Jessicurl Too Shea + My DIY Hair Butter


Per the usual, I banded my hair then pulled it up into a top knot to finish drying. Once it was dry, I tossed in a couple small Caruso steam rollers, let them sit for about an hour, and then removed the rollers. To my surprise, my curls looked and felt FANTASTIC! I new that it was going to be super windy so, I sprayed the curls with a little Chi Enviro Flex Hold Hair Spray. for a light hold. I love love love this spray because it doesn't leave a residue or that crunchy hold that typical hair spray is famous for. Plus a little goes a lllloonnnggg way.

I actually wore my hair down! I've worn my hair down probably 3 times since I straightened it then chopped. It felt great to have carefree hair. Especially since the hubster had a great birthday weekend planned for me.

We started the weekend by taking the minions to the circus. It was their first time and I'll never forget the look on my daughter's face once the show began.  #priceless

Then we went to the Cherry Blossom Beer and Wine festival (without the kiddos obviously...). MOST. FUN. EVER. Yeah...I was kinda in love with my hair....This had to have been selfie #87926303! Haha!

Because I literally passed out the night before, the next day I pulled my hair up into a high bun and left the few curls that made it though down to frame my face. I didn't think much of the style until I got weave checked by our server at breakfast! She was super sweet and obviously just curious so I wasn't offended or anything like that at all. After we left, my hubby told me that my hair was just too unbeliweavable to be real. He's such a dork! Ha-ha!

The weekend was a blast and it reminded me of how much I love my curls. As I started to pre-shampoo my hair last night...I randomly grabbed my scissors and snipped off the last bits of texlaxed hair on my bangs! My sister-in-law has threatened to hide my scissors because obviously I'm addicted!

I'll share all the dets of my mini chop in a few days. But so far---I LOVE IT! Since today is my actual birthday, I'm celebrating with a pedi spa day with the girl minion then dinner with the family. Yay for another year of love and laughs!

How was your #washdayexperience?

Besitos!
KLP

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[Hairstyle] Curly Upsweep (Perm Rods) | #WashDayExperience

My natural regimen and my stretching-turned-transitioning regimen hasn't been all that different. Plus so far all of my favorite products since work like a charm! Thank ya Jesus! Here's how my #washdayexperience went:

1. Extreme Deep Condition- As I detangled my hair in sections, I applied Jessicurl Deep Treatment from root to tip then massaged in a little extra virgin coconut oil to seal the conditioner in. I covered with a plastic cap and sat under my heat cap again for about an hour. 
2. Air dry- After rinsing the deep conditioner, I blotted my hair with a cotton t-shirt, applied a little extra virgin coconut oil in sections then wrapped it in the t-shirt to dry a bit more.  
3. Leave-ins- My hair was about 80% dry when I applied a mist of Nexxus Humctress Luxe Leave In, Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner and a dab of my hair butter then I set my hair on a mix of purple and white perm rods. I let them dry overnight. 

The Results:

My hair loves everything about Jessicurl Deep Treatment. It's crazy thick, dreamy creamy, and simply one of the most moisturizing deep conditioners that I've ever used. If they ever changed the formula, I'd cry. No seriously...I'd cry ugly Oprah crocodile tears. That's how much I love this stuff. 

I co-washed a few days before this #washdayexperience so I didn't shampoo. My scalp felt clean and my hair was actually well moisturized. I probably could have waited another day or two to wash but one thing that I've discovered since chopping is that my hair behaves a lot better when I wash every 3-4 days as opposed to washing once a week. I sorta knew this before I chopped but dealing with the tangling between all my textures just didn't make bi-weekly wash sessions it worth it. It seems to be a mortal sin to wash more than once a week around the healthy hair community but whatevs y'all. If it works---it works. If it doesn't---it doesn't. So far---it's working. 

I'm in love with the way that my curls turned out. The mix of purple and white rollers gave my curls dimension and a fullness that orange rods hadn't since I chopped. To style, I pulled all of the curls up and to right side then secured with a bunch of pins. Easy peasy!

How was your #washdayexperience?

Besitos!
KLP

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[Hairstyle] Wash Day | My First Flat Twist and Curl

I've had a luxuriously TERRIBLE track record with braid and twist outs on my texlaxed hair. I love them. They HATE me. I kept trying, changing my technique, adjusting my product. And they still hated me.

How to: Twist Out French Tuck (circa 2014)

The ONLY good thing about a busted braid or twist out is that they give updos fabulous texture. Like this uber cute french tuck that I did last year:\

How to: Twist out with Satin Rollers (circa 2014)

I've only had one twist out that looked decent enough to walk out of the house when my hair was fully texlaxed. Ugh...but it didn't last because I forgot to use a holding product. 
 
But, I'm a glutton for punishment, so I decided to give the twist out another try. I figured that now that maybe since I chopped, things would be better. Here's how my #washdayexperience went:

1. Extreme Deep Condition- To start, I gently detangled and applied a mix of OGX Repairing Awapuhi Ginger Instant Recovery Mask, Herbal Essences Honey I'm Strong, and Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil ConditionerTreatment from root to tip. I massaged in a little extra virgin coconut oil to seal in the conditioners, covered with a plastic cap and got comfortable under my heat cap again for about an hour.
2. Air dry- After rinsing the deep conditioner, I blotted my hair with a cotton t-shirt, applied a little extra virgin coconut oil in sections then wrapped it in the t-shirt to dry a bit more.  
3. Leave-ins- My hair was about 80% dry when I applied a little Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner and a dab of my hair butter then I flat twisted in 7 sections (3 in the front and 4 in the back) and set the ends on white perm rods. 

The Results:

I'm actually still in shock that my hair actually looks...dare I say it...DECENT! Texture galore. Curls galore. Effortless movement galore. I twirled y'all. Allll day. I twirled! The shape of my hair looks amazing. I attribute that to my lob (long bob) cut. I adored the way that my hair looked on the left side. The curls were perfect. The right side---meh...not so much. I forgot to take a picture of my flat twists but I did one on the left side and two on the right side. Next time, I'll only do one on the right side and secure the perm rod a little tighter to get a curl instead of a wave.

I bet that you noticed that I haven't used my BELOVED Matrix Detangling Solution or tea rinsed in a while. Well, my hair doesn't tangle in the shower anymore! I haven't had ONE tangle since I chopped. Plus, the amount of hair that I lose each wash day has decreased dramatically. I pinch myself every wash day. I swear it's like a dream come true!

As I sectioned my hair to flat twist it, I grabbed my scissors and dusted my ends. I don't have a timeline of when (or if) I'll chop the 2-3 inches of wavy, curly texlaxed bits on the ends of my bangs yet. But I noticed some straighter pieces while my hair was wet and they had to go! I'm definitely not afraid of my scissors anymore!

Oh and you're probably wondering why do I have so many conditioners? Well, what had happened was---my product stash is OVERFLOWING. It's very very very pitiful. I feel like a hoarder. I grabbed a couple of my half-empty conditioners, mixed them all together and slapped it into my hair. I was pleasantly surprised at how soft and fluffy my hair felt after I rinsed the conditioner.

These curls are fabulous but y'all know that I love a good updo! The next day, I whipped my hair into a fat halo braid. I did a tutorial on it a million moons ago. You can check it out here.

How was your #washdayexperience this week?

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[Hairstyle] Wash Day | Perm Rods on Natural Hair

When I purged my product stash a few weeks ago, I realized that I if I buy another conditioner without using up something first, I deserve to be drop kicked in the teeth. I like my teeth. I don't like being drop kicked and I really like my teeth so I grabbed some of the (sorta) newbies for this week's #washdayexperience

1. Pre-Shampoo- To start, I gently detangled and applied OGX Argan Oil of Morocco to my hair. I let it sit covered in a plastic cap and scarf for an hour or so.
2. Shampoo- Next, I hopped into the shower for 5 minutes to rinse the conditioner completely. Then shampooed with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention shampoo twice.
3. Extreme Deep Condition- I applied Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque from root to tip to my damp hair, massaged a little extra virgin coconut oil in, covered with a plastic cap and got comfortable under my heat cap again for about an hour.
4. Air dry- After rinsing the deep conditioner, I blotted my hair with a cotton t-shirt, applied a little extra virgin coconut oil in sections then wrapped it in the t-shirt to dry a bit more.  
5. Leave-ins- I applied a little Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Extra-Moisture Transitioning Milk and a dab of my hair butter then set my hair on about 30 purple and white perm rods using end papers overnight. 

The Results: 
OGX Argan Oil of Morocco isn't actually a newbie. I've used it for years. I especially love it as a co-wash and now I know that it's perfect as a pre-shampoo too. My hair instantly felt moisturized and of course it also instantly reverted (after been stretched all week). The back half of my hair is completely natural and I'm really digging the curl pattern while its wet, but my bangs have 2-3 inches of wavy, curly texlaxed bits on the ends. I'm reminded every time that I pre-shampoo that I really need to figure out what to do about it. My last relaxer (July 2013) was ridiculously under-processed to the point that it is hard to tell where the texlaxed curls/waves meet my natural curl. I'm hoping that with time (a bit of protein and a bit of moisture) my curl pattern (or lack there of one) reveals itself. But I have no stinkin idea how long that takes!


My hair has a LOOOVVVEEEE/HHHAAAATTTEEE relationship with Shea Moisture products. My love for Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie runs 5 years deep. It's the perfect holding product for my bantu knots. But everything else that I've tried from the Shea Moisture line---meh...not so much. Remember this #washdayexperience catastrophe with the rest of the Coconut & Hibiscus products? Yeah...

Of the three Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter products that I used today, one was "if I don't have anything nice to say then I won't say anything at all," another was "I'm gonna finish it but I won't enjoy it," and the other was "OMG OMG OMG OMG Can I buy this by the gallon?" I usually don't do reviews on products until I finish the bottle but if you need a good moisturizing leave in, RUN---do not walk---and get yourself several bottles of the Extra-Moisture Transitioning Milk. IT. IS. AMAZING!

I like to install my perm rods on damp---not wet hair. (I cringe at the thought of manipulating my soaking wet hair) So, I dry my hair for a while wrapped in a cotton t-shirt then start the perm rod installation process. It takes me over 90 minutes to get it done, especially with these smaller rods. If the section is too dry, I like to mist it with a little Nexxus Humctress Luxe Leave In. I didn't like this product at all as a leave in on my texlaxed hair, but I LOVE it for my natural hair! (You could probably use a little mist of water and get the same effect though...)

I loved everything about this set of perm rods. How silky smooth my hair was. The shape of my curls. The shine. Ugh. When I walked around my house, I may or may not have twirled with each turn. 

It was definitely a good #washdayexperience! How was yours?

Besitos!
KLP

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[Hairstyle] Wash Day | Bantu Knots on Natural Hair

I have a confession. Are you ready for it?

I didn't deep condition my hair this week.

*Sits in awkward silence*

Well, see, what had happened was...I swear that this is the truth tho...

1. Co-wash- I detangled my hair, applied Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner then layered a bit of extra virgin coconut oil. I let it sit for a while.
2. Air dry- After rinsing the conditioner, I blotted my hair with a cotton t-shirt, applied a little extra virgin coconut oil in sections then wrapped it in the t-shirt to dry a bit more.
3. Leave-ins- I applied a little Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner and a dab of my hair butter then set my hair on about 6 bantu knots overnight.

The Results:
When I rinsed the Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner from my hair, I didn't expect my hair to be that soft, that fluffy, or that moisturized. I thought to myself in the shower. "How wrong would it be to just stop right here." Don't look at me funny, girl. You know that you've had thoughts like that before! So I channeled my inner lazy and went with it!

You can find a list of my favorite cowashing conditioners here.

So far incorporating a light/medium protein each week to help define my curls and encourage my curl pattern is working well. I honestly can't remember a time when my hair felt this moisturized for this long.

I had no intention on wearing a curly set this week. But my goodness, I was pretty siced about how much curl I got for only 6 bantu knots! And look at how well it stretches my hair! I just had to show you guys! My bantu knot situation before my chop was a mess. I had more unprocessed hair than relaxed hair, my roots would look thick and lush while my ends looked thin and limp.

The universe is always hating on my good hair days. It was SNOWING of allll things the morning that I unraveled my knots. So I twisted my hair up into this half halo crown updo and when outside to build a snowman. (our poor snowman melted by the afternoon tho...the universe was out to get him too...) Want a full tutorial on this style? Let me know!

Thanks for reading my #washdayexperience! Now share yours!

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