That One Time They Came For My Edges...

I live unbothered. Low key, happy go lucky, tunnel vision focus on my hubby, kids, and keeping my house from looking like a tornado hit it.

People, places, things---they just don't irk me or my high puff. We sit. We play. We chill.

Until that one time they came for my edges.

So here's the story:

I posted this volume check pic on social media with the caption: "Progress"

Less than 30 seconds later someone wrote:

"I can tell especially the edges"

Hold up bruh...

I had to look at what I posted again...just to make sure that I wasn't tripping. That some trolling computer gremlin hadn't switched up my post with somethang cray cray.

Nope...no gremlins, no glitches, no vampires...no mistake.

That comment was meant for ME...and MY EDGES...

Then I am like...DID HE JUST COME FOR MY EDGES???

Nah...He couldn't have come for my edges...

That before pic doesn't have edges laid by the GAWDS.

Those sideburns won't swooped for days.

There ain't nothing sleek or slick about it..

But honey, I'd rather have thick full frizzy edges than not have any at all.

Yes...THAT was a READ. 

The worse part:

After his rude boi unmerited shady comment...

I got a TON of questions asking how I grew back my edges...

*hangs head*

I politely answered, reiterating that won't nothing wrong with my edges before here's a link to my regimen, be blessed and highly favored blah blah...

But I'm still kinda salty.

When did slayed and laid edges become that IT thing? Do my baby hairs have to be sleek and slick in order to sit at the healthy hair table? Is that what we consider progress? And does that mean that if you don't---folks have the right to come at you for your edges?

Idk y'all...

I'm just not feelin it. And for my laid edge social media quality control brotha...

I don't wanna sit at ya table cuz you mean and rude anyway...

RANT OVER.

Whew...Glad to get that off my chest. 

Now I'm gonna go play in the rainbow glitter and positive pixie dust storm that that unicorns left in the backyard.

What's your take on "laid edges?"

Besitos!
KLP

Kurly Klips are BACK! | The #WashDayExperience

These Kurly Klips are EVERTHING.

E V E R Y T H I N G !!!!!

They're perfect for bad hair days, I don't feel like doing my hair days, and omgosh what's wrong with my hair days.

Just the kinda days that I've been having.

I've been washing my hair. But not really styling it. Which basically means that it's been the puff life for the last 2-3 weeks.

RELATED: How I get the perfect high puff

To get myself out of the rut + a quick protective style---I brought my Kurly Klips back into rotation.

I know that it won't be long until I'm bored with them again (Just like last time). But that's cool. I trimmed my hair about a week ago and I picked up some Lush Caca Rouge Henna last weekend. 

Yep yep...I'm ready to get my curls on fleek for the summer!

How did you style your hair this week? Anyone else trying to get their hair summer ready?

Besitos!
KLP

An InLinkz Link-up

3 Ways To Prepare Your Curls For Summer

I'm so ready for summer! But, I'm not so sure that my hair is. I feel like I've got my minimalist regimen down pact. I know what styles...

*clears throat* Hey Curlformers!!!

...worked for my hair during the cooler months. However, I think that it's time to give my curls a pick me up. Here's how I'm getting my hair ready for summer:

START WITH A TRIM

My last trim was in December and although I'm not one to really trim on a schedule, I do want to start the summer without splits and single strand knots.

RELATED: 6 Ways To Trim Natural Hair

DEEP MOISTURIZING TREATMENT

Y'all know how much I love deep conditioning my hair overnight. I talk about it constantly because iIt's a staple technique in my regimen. Plus I already know what will happen if I don't stick to what works for my hair. Last summer, I lived in my high puff. I didn't moisturize my hair regularly and my ends suffered because of it. In learning from my mistake, I want to be proactive instead of reactive and keep my ends in good shape.

RELATED: Why I deep condition overnight

RE-EVALUATE YOUR HAIR STYLE

My curlformers have been very good to me, but I need to be realistic. I live at the beach and the humidity + heat + 100% chance of rain erryday just won't let me be great. I don't think that I'll turn into a wash and go pro, but I really want to find a styling technique that can work with the elements instead of revolting against them. Until then---I'll be rocking the mess outta these Kurly Klips!

In what ways are you pepping your hair for summer? What's your signature summer style?

Besitos!
KLP

Meet My Natural Hair | Keyda Update

I cannot believe it has been this long since I have posted! It has been so much going on that sometimes I'm not sure if I have time to just BE! I am sure ALL of you know where I am coming from! #queenin #blackgirlmagic So, many hats, so many super women!

Well, I have realized that I have not received a touch-up since July 2014!!!!!! And it was a journey through a long year. In fact, prior to my wedding day, I had a ...

BIG CHOP! Yes, this is not a typo! I cut off the rest of my relaxed ends and am officially all natural! It has been AMAZING! I LOVE MY CURLS and have grown to love my "fro". Honestly, I was very timid about wearing my curls out as I have not seen my hair in curls since middle school. Of course, I  make that face the moment someone goes for my hair (you know which one!) and try to bite my tongue when asked how does my hair curl (normal response.."wash it"). *le sigh* I have learned to own it and walk confidently in my natural hair, so who knows when, if ever, I will get another perm. I still love a good blow out! Although, my last one was for my wedding!

Positives:

• My hair is manageable.. surprisingly.. like really. While the tangles are not always fun, I am definitely more pleased taking them out compared to before. 
• My scalp can breath! It has not been as itchy or irritated in-between my washes. 
• I can literally just ... GO! Like, it's amazing that I can simply fluff and go! :) 
• Confidence. This is not something about my "hair" but what has grown in me since going natural. I have always been a fierce one hehe but now I just feel so much more confident in any style I wear and feel no judgement. 

Negatives:

• Laziness due to the fluffiness. Honestly, I have difficulty changing up my styles and remembering to wash at least 2 times a week. I hope to co-wash more often in-between my full-on wash days. (I need to do better)
• Trimming. I really need to find a method so I will definitely be exploring some of the ways KLP was discussing here. 

I have grown to have a few "go-to" styles that are easy and manageable with my hair. However, as my hair grows, I try to mix it up and I definitely plan on trying Curlformers that KLP raves about! I cannot wait to give them a try! :)

Let me know what you think and how your journey is going!

xoxo
Keyda

10 Quick and Easy Updos For Natural Hair

I LIVE and DIE for a quick and easy updo. Especially since I stopped relaxing my hair. I just don't have time for crazy complicated hair styles.

I'm guilty of hitting the snooze button one too many times. I often forget to set my hair the night before. And don't get me started on all of my failed wash and gos. Nonetheless, I refuse to walk out of the house looking a hot mess. So instead of giving you a boring #washdayexperience this week, I decided to share 10 of my favorite super  quick and easy updos: 

1/ SWIRLED CROWN BRAID (tutorial)

The perfect way to elevate a humble dutch braid. The key to this style is gently fluffing the sides of the braid to give it volume and make it look thicker.

2/ KNOTTED UPDO (tutorial)

Not a braid. Not a bun. All protective. Stupid simple. This Knotted Updo is perfect for any length hair. I used a technique called banding to stretch my curls.

RELATED: How to stretch natural (and transitioning) hair without heat! 

3/ TWO STRAND TWIST UPDO (tutorial)

The final chop of my texlaxed ends left my bangs super short which made styles other than a high bun difficult. After a little trial and error, I realized that two strand twisting my bangs first + a few well placed hair pins was all I needed to create a cute "not a boring bun" look. 

4/ FLAT TWIST BUN (tutorial)

I love using curlformers to stretch my hair then pulling the curls up into a protective style. And this Flat twist Bun is the perfect example of that. This style is chic but simple and the longer that you leave it in, the more voluminous it makes your hair look. So if you have hair on the finer side---this style is for you!


RELATED: How to use Curlformers on Natural Hair

5/ FISHTAIL BANANA CLIP (tutorial)

Banana clips are a fun way to put your hair into a quick updo. Then you can pin your ends up to turn the updo into a protective style.

6/ SWIRLED FLAT TWIST BUN (tutorial)

Make one large flat twist then two single twists then BOOM you gotta super cute hairstyle! Again, the length of your hair doesn't matter for this style.

7/ HIGH PUFF (tutorial)

Of course this list wouldn't be complete without my high puff. It's the style that I love to hate. It's the epitome of easy but it makes me soooo lazy with my hair. 

8/ FLUFFY TOP KNOT (tutorial)

As I got deeper in my relaxer stretch turned transition, pulling my hair into a high bun got harder and harder. That is until I worked my hair into this gorgeous fluffy top knot.

9/ HEAD WRAP SCARF BUN (tutorial)

This style has two steps: Bantu knot your bangs then wrap your hair in your favorite printed scarf. Easy peasy!

10/ CURLY UPSWEEP (tutorial)

Necessity is the mother of invention. All I had was a failed twist out, 5 minutes, and a stretched out hair tie; and it was all I needed to create this style. I pulled my hair into a high puff leaving down a large section to give myself a curly bang.

What's your favorite updo? Link it up below!

Besitos!
KLP

An InLinkz Link-up

Corkscrew Curlformer + Flat Twist Out on Natural Hair

I had such great success with my Spiral Extra Long and Wide (Pink and orange) Curlformer styling kit that I've really been debating on whether or not I wanted to invest in the Corkscrew Long and Narrow (Blue and Green) kit. These kits aren't cheap and ya girl ain't rich so I put those thoughts on the back burner for a while.

Apparently someone over at HairFlair (the makers of Curlformers) heard about how I'd been screaming singing the praises of these little gems for months and they offered me the opportunity to try the corkscrew curlers for free.

Yep.

That's me.

Happier than a 5 year old on Christmas.

Anxiously, I put these bad boys to the test over the weekend. I used my usual products but I had to change my technique up a little bit.

These curlformers are more narrow and my hair is pretty thick, so I wasn't sure if my set of 40 would be enough for my entire head. I decided to try a flat twist out---with the curlformers at the end.

I did a total of 13 flat twists with 2 curlformers on the ends of each. Then I used the rest of the curlformers at the very top of my head for added volume. I also added a tiny dab of gel to the ends before installing to keep the curls smooth after take down.

Here's what it looked like after take down.

Then I had to fluff it like crazy because the curls were defined---but flat.

I don't hate it---but I'm not sure if I love it either. For the first day, I did a half up/half down high bun. They next day, I pulled all of the curls over for a romantic sideswept look. I have to admit, the curls really held up well. My hair was super moisturized and the addition of that dab of gel on the ends was a game changer.

Have you ever tried the corkscrew curlformers? Were they winners?

Besitos!
KLP

An InLinkz Link-up

5 Ways To Trim Natural Hair

I'm scissor happy and cut apprehensive all at the same time. I'm not at all afraid to trim my hair. I know that my curls will look better, feel healthier, and behave properly when my ends are maintained. But I just don't want to over do it.

My goals for trimming my hair are simple:

Keep length

Remove splits

Create shape

Without using heat

I want to keep my length, while removing any split or rough ends, and give my curls some shape, all without having to straighten my hair with heat. I know I know...I'm asking for a lot here. So I took to YouTube in hopes of finding a few tips to help me beyond a better DIY trimmer. Here's what I found:

THE TWO STRAND TWIST METHOD

Time consuming but thorough. I like this method because it allows me to wash, trim, and set my hair all at once. However, I doubt that it will give my hair shape.

THE STRETCHED FRO METHOD

Because my hair is typically stretched from a Curlformer set, the stretched fro method would definitely be convenient for me. I sort of used this method during my last trim, but I found that I snipped off a tad bit more length than I would have liked because my ends love to curl up on itself.

THE CURLY SEARCH & DESTROY METHOD

I love this method because it truly takes into account what your ends look like while wet while concentrating on getting rid of single strand knots. There are times when my stretched ends will look wonky and uneven but once it curls up---it's perfectly fine. Again, this method is tedious but you're guaranteed not to take off too much length.

THE DIY DEVA CUT METHOD

I won't lie, this DIY Deva Cut Method is personally the scariest technique that I found because it's all about achieving that perfect shape. I don't trust my trimming skills enough yet to even attempt this free hand method, but I'm saving it for that day when I feel bold!

THE BANDING METHOD

I love the way that Laila uses a hair tie to determine where to trim her ends. She concentrates on keeping the trim even, only snipping off the splits and keeping her layers in tact.

What are your tips for trimming your hair? Have you tried any of these methods? Share your dets!

Besitos!
KLP

5 Reasons Why Curlformers Are AWESOME! | The #WashDayExperience

The biggest reason that I caved and picked up Curlformers was because I wanted an easy way to stretch my hair so that I could work my hair into some of my favorite updos. I live for a simple, chic updo!

I also understand that this isn't everyone's motivation, especially when you see the price tag ($60USD+) for a curlformer kit. However, if for some reason I lost my kit today---I'd replace it in a heart beat. Here are 5 reasons why I don't even want to function without my curlformers:

SIMPLE INSTALLATION

Yes, there is a learning curve to using curlformers, but once you get into your own rhythm, they are stupid easy to work with. Honestly, I think that they are easier than magnetic rollers, perm rods, or even bantu knots because you're guaranteed a perfectly uniform curl every time. No fumbling with end papers, no worrying about even sections, and no wondering if you're twisting your hair in the right direction. I mean---the fact that they are color coded (one color for clockwise and another for counter-clockwise) makes installation easy peasy.

HEAT FREE

After spending years addicted to using heat to straighten my hair---I'm trying to stay as far away from direct heat as much as possible. I love that I don't have to use heat in order for my curlformers to set. Whether I install + air dry (4-5 hrs) or install + hooded dryer (30+45 mins), I can get the look of hot curlers, curling wands or flat iron curls without fear of burning my hair.

RELATED: 8 Tips for Sleek & Smooth Curlformer sets

SMOOTH & SLEEK CURLS

The best thing about Curlformers is that you can achieve a glossy curl from root to tip. The curls are glossy and moisturized. My hair feels smooth and bouncy.

GENTLE

My natural curl pattern is so tightly coiled that rarely do I get to see the full length of my hair without some sort of manipulation. Luckily for me, the gentle tension from the curlformer rod stretches my hair (without yanking it out at the root).

LESS TANGLES

And because my hair is in a stretched state, I've noticed that I have much less breakage from tangles. My hair stays moisturized longer from root to tip. I see less tangles/breakage from installing curlformers than I do for any other style that set recently (including a flat twist out and banding) 

Curlformers are perfect for relaxed girls who are trying to stay away from the heat and even for those of us who are transitioning because it blends all the textures in your hair SEAMLESSLY!

Do the results not speak for themselves? What are your tips for getting smooth and sleek curls?

Besitos!
KLP

An InLinkz Link-up

[Review] Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner

How ironic is it that in my minimalist regimen; I actually wash my hair more often? I wash my hair twice a week; a mid-week co-wash then a few days later I deep condition. I've been using Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner to co-wash for about a year now and I'm madly in love with it. Here's why:

SLIPPAGE. This conditioner has some of the best slip of any conditioner that I've ever used (especially for it's stupid cheap price) First, I mist my hair with my DIY Moisturizer just to dampen my curls, then I apply this conditioner and my tangles completely disappear.

MOISTURIZING. Don't you hate it when a conditioner just sits on top of your strands refusing to soak in? Well you won't have that issue with this conditioner! It absorbs into my hair leaving my curls super soft and moisturized. I can't say that it could replace my deep conditioner by any means, but it's great for keeping my curls from getting dried out.

VERSATILE. I've used this conditioner as a pre-shampoo treatment, co-wash, and leave in conditioner. Because of the (mostly) organic ingredients, I'm not afraid to that it will dry my hair out or make my curls frizzy. 

STIMULATING. The tea tree + peppermint + eucalyptus essential oil combination makes my scalp giddy. Yes...I'm oh so serious! The tingly refreshing sensation keeps my scalp from rioting from all of my sweaty workouts.

RELATED: How I Cowash My Hair

The only downside of this conditioner is that it's exclusive to Trader Joe's stores. Which means that if you're not within a few miles of a Trader Joe's location then you'd have to grab it from Amazon.com (where it's more pricey)

And here are all of the official specs---just in case you're interested in all that mambo-jumbo:

Price: $3.99 USD

Purchased at: Trader Joe's and Amazon

Ingredients:
Water, Tea Tree, Peppermint Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Nettle Oil, Thyme Oil, Birch Leaf Oil, Chamomile Oil, Clary, Coltsfoot Leaf, Yarrow Oil, Mallow, Horsetail Oil, Soybean Protein, Cetyl Alcohol, Vitamin E, Trace Minerals, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxymethylgycinate, Grape Seed

Promises:
Invigorate With Peppermint, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus Botanicals. 

Have you tried Trader Joe's Tingle Conditioner? What's your fave way to use it?

Besitos!
KLP

Volume Check

My hair is stupid dense.

Sometimes I feel like I have a million of the world's teeniest tiniest curls.

The changes that I've made in my regimen have made a world of difference in the way that my hair feels.


But does it look longer? Meh...not really.

When I found this picture from 2015; I had to really mediate on what indicators actually mark progress for my curls. Length is great, but it can't be the only factor worth considering.

My hair is probably 2-3x more voluminous than it was last year.

My hair is shiner, fuller and much more defined.

My ends clump and form these perfect little coils.

My hair has evolved and I think that it's time for my mindset on progress to evolve too because all of this volume and definition is giving me LIFE.

So I'm wondering, should I start doing volume checks in addition to length checks?

Besitos!
KLP

How To Get The Perfect High Puff on Natural Hair

In honor of lazy day hair style week, I'm sharing with you guys my laziest boringest style ever:

The high puff.

Yes, yes, I know that I swore off my high puffs in my Worse of 2015 list. But...

I just can't quit it.

This must be what Cookie Monster feels like when he goes on a diet...

The good news is that I figured out a way to rock my worse/best style without damaging my hair (so far).

But first, I had to promise myself was to never NEVER...

Like ever...

Go more than a day without re-moisturizing my curls.

I'm just so prone to laziness...

Anywhos---here are my secrets to the perfect high puff:

1. Start with stretched hair- My hair was previously stretched using curlformers.
2. Moisturize- I lightly mist my hair with my DIY Hair Moisturizer and applied my favorite leave-in conditioner.
3. Seal with a oil or butter- Because I know that my ends dry out fast, I liberally added this hair butter to my ends.The butter also defines my ends so that they don't get tooo frizzy.
4. Lay your edges- I'm not much of an edge control girl, but when I wear a puff, I like my edges neat and laid. Today I used a little Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Paste.
5. Gentle metal free extra wide hair tie- my secret to a giant high puff is to center it at the very top of my head with an extra wide hair tie. The density of my hair keeps the hair tie in place without it being too tight. This is my current fave hair tie.

Viola. My stupid easy uber lazy high puff!

What's your lazy day style? Share the dets in the linkup collection below!

An InLinkz Link-up

My Curlformer Secrets

I'm totally in love with Curlformers! I've used them practically weekly for the last 3 months. They're perfect for stretching my hair, which allows me to keep my hair moisturized root to tip. Plus curlformers make it super easy for me to work my hair into some of my favorite updos.

There is definitely a learning curve for using your curlformers, but once you get into your own rhythm, they are really easy to work with. Here are a few tips that I've picked along the way:

CHOOSE YOUR CURLFORMER

Curlformers range in size and curl type. So far, I've only used the (Pink and orange) Extra Long and Wide styling kit. I choose this kit because it was cheaper than buying the rollers + hook separately. The extra long kit also will allow me to keep using the rollers as my hair grows out. Currently my hair fills about half of the roller. I'm considering picking up the Extra Long and Narrow (blue and green) kit one day---you know when I hit the lottery or something like that.

WET HAIR

I almost never do anything in soaking wet hair---except install my curlformers. The results are sleeker, smoother and shiner than when I set on nearly dry hair.

CURLFORMER COCKTAIL

This is the only time that I'm strict about order of operations-- Moisturizer +Oil/Butter + Holding product--is the key to gorgeous curls that last. Use what your hair likes but just be sure that the products that you use together like each other. Some moisturizers don't like some oils and some holding products loose their minds when compounded with some moisturizers. Which will cause flakes. Date a few cocktails until you find one that you like. My current fave for long lasting curls is  Jessicurl Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner, my Tangerine Vanilla Whipped Hair Butter and Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. I won't lie tho, I usually skip the holding product unless I plan on wearing my curls out and about. My goal with curlformers is simply to stretch my hair without direct heat.

SECTIONING

In the beginning, the hardest part to figure out is how to section your hair so that the curlformer will slide onto your hair without snagging all while dry in a decent amount of time. I like to first divide my hair into 4 sections (2 in the front and 2 in the back) and apply all of my leave ins. Then further divide those larger sections into 10 pieces. This way I'll have enough curlformers for each section.

DETANGLING

The better detangled your hair before installation, the sleeker that your curls will be. I prefer to finger detangle my smaller sections, then get the curlformer and hook prepared for installation. I tried using a denman brush once---but in the end, I felt that it was too much manipulation on my curls. Finger detangling definitely gets the job done.

DOUBLE THE CURL

I love my curlformers but I have no intentions on buying more if I don't have to. So in order to get more bang for my buck, I two-strand twist my sections before installing the curlformers. This sneaky little technique create two curls instead of just one without having to divide the curl after they set. It also gives your hook somewhere to latch onto so that it doesn't snag your hair. 

DRYING TIME

The first 2 times that I installed curlformers, I slept in them and it was the WORSE idea EVER. It was awkward, absolutely uncomfortable, and I didn't sleep at all. Because I loved the results, I knew that I'd need a better way to dry, so I invested in this dryer from Sallys. It was a bit on the expensive side but absolutely worth it! Now my drying time is 45 minutes, the dryer is quiet, and I'll NEVER have to sleep in curlformers again. The best part is that my curls are actually glossier when I use my hooded dryer than when I let them air dry. Removing your curlformers before they're dry will completely ruin the curl so allot enough drying time.

FLUFFING

When I do wear my curlformers out, I usually don't divide the curl any further. I do fluff my roots using my fingers to get rid of those parts. Then I use a pick, only at my roots for a little volume.

There you have it---my secrets to super smooth curlformer curls. Do you use curlformers? What are your tips and tricks for a fabulous set?

Besitos!
KLP

What To Do When Your Favorite Relaxed Hair Blogger Goes Natural

Your favorite hair blogger is totally your friend in your head. Y'all share hair secrets. She comes to you when she's frustrated or overwhelmed. You encourage her when she has a setback. Y'all are brutally honest with each other and transparency is the only way that y'all roll.

Then she has the NERVE...

AUDACITY...

LOS COJONES...

To decided to stop relaxing her hair.

How rude?!?

You might feel betrayed. Y'all were supposed to be in this together. Things will get a little awkward for a minute. But before you comment on her "Big chop" or "I'm transitioning" post, remember these 3 tips:

W O O S A H

Just breathe. Remember that it's just hair. And if our goal is to have healthy hair then does it really matter if it's healthy chemically straightened hair or healthy curly hair? We're still in this together rooting for the same outcome.

I T ' S   N O T   P E R S O N A L

Her decision is for her. She's not asking you to follow suit. She's not even asking you to agree. But she is asking for you to respect her decision. There are so many reasons why women stop chemically straightening their hair. Some are as simple as they want a change and others are deeply spiritual, political, or emotional. She loves her readers and of course she's thought about how it would change the content of her blog---yet she still made this choice for herself. After all, hate to say it but---it's kinda not about you. So continue to do you boo!

E N C O U R A G E

This cute little community of healthy hair lovers was totally built on encouragement, support, and positivity. We have enough decisiveness in our world that the way that you choose to style your hair shouldn't be one of them. We can still affirm each other even when our journeys don't exactly mirror each other. 

If we're honest with ourselves, this natural vs relaxed debate is old, tiresome and just plan lame. We have more in common with each other than we have differences.

The same tips apply if your favorite natural hair blogger announces that she's gonna relax her hair too!

Let's give our hair bloggers some love! Link your faves below and list if they are natural, relaxed or somewhere in between!

An InLinkz Link-up

[Hairstyle] Curly Upsweep for Natural Hair | The #WashDayExperience

I ditched my Curlformers this week to start testing out styles for our upcoming family photo shoot. Ay dios mio, our pics from last year were EVERYTHING and more to me---but I'm kinda thinking that I want to try something different this year. Give me a shout if you have suggestions!

Here's what I used during this #WashDayExperience:

Pre-shampoo/Strengthening Treatment- DIY Moisturizing Mist (tutorial here) + Aubrey Organics GPB Conditioner (review here)

Clay Rinse- Here's the dets on my recipe

Deep Condition- Jessicurl Deep Treatment Conditioner (review here)
Leave-Ins- Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Why EVCO is AMAZING here) + Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner (why I love this stuff here) + Camille Rose Twisting Butter (shop it)

RELATED: My Minimalist Natural Hair Regimen

And here's how I did it:

This week's #WashDayExperience is all about deep conditioning hacks, so started with one of NEW favorite hacks: warming up the conditioner.

First, I spritzed the ends of my hair with my DIY Moisturizing Mist (tutorial here). Then I slathered my hair in warmed Aubrey Organics GPB Conditioner (review here) as I detangled. I love this conditioner because it helps makes breakage disappear, defines my curls and it has a TON of slip. This is what my shed hair after detangling looked like:

Hopefully I can continue this breakage-free trend that I have going here! I let the conditioner sit for about 20 minutes before I hopped in the shower, rinsed the conditioner section by section then applied my Clay Rinse with a narrow tip applicator bottle. I'm still on a mission to get the curls in the front of my hair to clump as well as the curls in the back. Fingers crossed that consistency will do the trick!

Next, I deep conditioned with my all time fave conditioner Jessicurl Deep Treatment Conditioner (review here), coated my ends in Extra Virgin Coconut oil to seal in the conditioner (which is another deep conditioning hack!) and plopped under my hooded dryer for about 30 minutes.

Instead of curlformers, this week I attempted a flat twist out. Have you ever started styling your hair and then about half way into it you KNOW that you made a critical error? Yeah...that was me. I knew that my flat twist sections were too small but it was too late for me to turn back. I put a couple of perm rods on the ends and reminded myself that I could always rock a curly puff.

*le sigh*

Anywhos, the next morning, I unraveled my hair.

It wasn't soooooo bad---more texture than I wanted.

Not as voluminous as I was expecting.

Yerp. Up it went into this quick curly upsweep. At least my bangs looked marvelous dah-ling!

I'm definitely going to try again---with bigger sections and I'll probably ditch the perm rods. They had the ends of my curls looking all kinds of cray cray!

How was your #washdayexperience? Share your style this week and your favorite deep conditioning hacks with our healthy hair tribe!

Besitos!

KLP

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4 Ways To Make Deep Conditioning Easier

I love deep conditioning my hair. I know that my curls CRAVE moisture and I know that moisturized hair retains length. Like--what is there not to love about deep conditioning---except how long it can take. So here are 4 ways to make your deep conditioning session a little quicker and easier!

T E M P E R A T U R E

Hooded dryers, heating caps, and steamers are all fantastic heat sources to allow your fave deep conditioner to absorb into your strands but who really wants to sit under them? Next time that you deep condition, try warming your conditioner first then apply it to your hair. According to JC (healthy hair scientist) at Natural Haven, applying warm conditioner to your hair is just as effective as the other heat sources---but it's soo much easier!

D E E P   C O N D I T I O N   O V E R N I G H T

I get fried every single time that I say this, but it's my truth: I deep condition overnight. *gasps* I discovered this technique by accident---I fell asleep with conditioner in my hair---and I adore it. Over moisturizing is real; however I can  honestly say that this technique has done wonders for my hair. It also saves me time and keeps my hair more moisturized longer (even without daily moisturizing/sealing. 

L A Y E R   W I T H   O I L

I first picked up on this brilliant deep conditioning technique via Carol's Daughter's Olive Oil Infusion. I layer an oil over my conditioner to seal in all that moisturizing goodness before I cover my head with a plastic cap. Every single time, my hair feels like silk afterwards.

RELATED: How I Prevent Breakage in my Natural Hair

U S E   P R O T E I N

Protein conditioners keep my curls balanced, soft but strong, and thwarts breakage on my ends. My I use this cult classic from Aubrey Organics as a pre-shampoo treatment on my ends about once a month to balance out my moisture usage. However, I'm considering using henna in the future. Strong hair plus subtle color? Seems like a win win to me! 

What's your secret hack for making deep conditioning easier? 

Besitos!

KLP