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Can't wait to see you there!!!!

-Stay beautiful xo

Hair Tip #8 - Holidays in the Sun

Happy holidays beauties!

As the holiday season approaches, many of you will be going on a long awaited (and let's face it long needed) VACATION!! A little holiday in the sun is definitely remedy for the soul! So I thought I would give you guys some advice on how to manage your curly hair in the hot sun.

First things first, hydrating and moisturizing your hair is key. Between the salt water, chlorine and sun, your will go through hell and back, causing some serious dryness. So make sure you have your hair lotion, hair oil and grease handy.

Second thing to remember is to wash your hair with clean water! Before going to Cuba, I learned this amazing trick from a natural hair blog. Rinse your hair with clean water before going to the beach, that way your hair will absorb less salt water when you head to la playa! Also, after a dip in the pool or a swim in the ocean, you should wash your hair with a little conditioner, et voila, your hydrated bouncy curls will be ready for an evening out.

Another important thing to consider is UV protection. Your eyes and skin aren't the only thing you need to protect from the sun. Before my trip down south, I found this amazing little spray from Organix. The Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil: Weightless Healing Dry Oil not only heals split ends and prevent frizz, but it also provides UV protection! The added bonus is that it's neither greasy or heavy. I have heard a lot of good things about the Organix collection. And that product did not disappoint. Look for more Organix product review in the near future! All you have to do is spray the product over your styled locks and you are good to go.

Must Haves Cheat Sheet For Your Trip:

1. Conditioner*
2. Hair Oil and/or hair lotion*
3. Hair grease*
4. Hair U/V protection*
5. Styling curl activator* (if needed) - Or any other styling product (If you want to rock a from, no need for the activator) 

For all of those heading down south, bon voyage!! And be gentle to those locks of yours!

-Stay beautiful xoxo

P.S. I will post a little something about my favorite makeup this weekend! Keep an eye out for that!

*For ideas on product: look at my earlier posts.

Hair Tip #5 - Hair Products - Styling

Hello beauties!!

Sorry for the delay!! As promised, here is the third part of my hair routine series.

Once I have washed and conditioned my hair, I use curl activators or gel to bring out my curls.

My gel of choice is the EcoStyler Olive Oil Styling Gel extra hold. To prevent flakiness, I tend to mix this gel with some oil (usually my Doo-Gro) or some grease. Also, adding these to the gel keeps my hair from becoming too hard.  I tend to use gel when I want to get a 'wet', just got out of the shower look.

For everyday use, I tend to opt for curl activators. My ABSOLUTE favorite has to be the Softee Aloe Vera Activator Gel: For Extra Dry Hair. The difference between a curl activator and a gel is the softness of your curls after using the product. It also dries a lot quicker, in my opinion. Plus, since it's not a gel, the curls stay really bouncy.

Another curl activator that I have used in the passed is the Blue Magic Curl Activator. In all honesty, it's not my first choice, but if the store is out of Softee and gel, it does the trick. Though it says that there will be no flaking, I tend to find flakes the morning following the application, and I don't need anyone telling me that I have dandruff when I don't. I find that adding some hair lotion, grease or oil to the Blue Magic Curl Activator lowers the risks of flakes.

My method to apply the gel and curl activators is the same:

1. I start by making sure that my hair is still damp (I keep a full spray water bottle near me at all time).

2. I separate my hair in small sections, using professional hair clips.

3. I apply a generous amount of gel/activator on the section I'm working on.

4. I then pull out my curls with my fingers. From root to tip, I pull out the curls, and they will bounce back all defined.

5. Repeat the same thing for the rest of the sections.

When I'm done applying the product, I like to do a little shake and see where the curls fall. You can part your hair down the middle, or leave it messy, it's all up to you.

The next morning, to refresh your curls, you can simply spray your locks with water from your handy dandy water bottle. Just a few squirts and a little pulling of the curls and voila! Ready for day 2 :)

It used to take me 30 minutes to style my hair, now I'm done in less than 15 minutes.

Also, remember the smaller the sections the curlier the hair. So have fun with it!

Hope this helps beauties!!

Stay beautiful! Xo

Hair Tip # 4 - Hair Products - Moisturizing

Moisturizing

Ola beauties!! Welcome to another installment of the 3 part hair care series J!! Today, I will talk about the different products I use to moisturize my natural locks.

The first step to keeping my hair silky, healthy and shiny (after a good conditioner, of course) is a good oil! A few years back, you would have had to pay me an extreme amount of money to oil my scalp or grease my hair. But I quickly learned that spending an extra 5 minutes oiling my scalp and sealing my ends went a hell of a long way.

Oils

In the last two three years, I've discovered two oils that I swear by. I've used them both on my chemically straightened hair and on my natural hair. The first one is the CHI Silk Infusion oil. CHI, for those who know the brand, is not the cheapest of products, but it works. The product is lightweight and doesn't give you that weird greasy feel, especially when your hair is straight. I put a quarter size amount in the middle of my palm, dip my fingers in it and massage my scalp. That's all I needed to do the trick. I do this process daily or every other day, depending on how dry my scalp gets.

Another oil that I absolutely love is my Doo-Gro Mega Thick Growth Oil. Thanks to the pointy tip, I use this oil on a daily basis. I apply the oil moderately to the scalp and use the tips of my fingers to massage thoroughly. Unlike the CHI Silk Infusion, this oil is slightly heavy, so putting too much can give you that greasy look. Keep in mind that this oil is a lot cheaper than the CHI, ranging between $3-$6, depending on the store.

Another oil that I have to mention is the Soft Sheen-Carson Optimum Oil Therapy – Featherlight Hot Oil. The bottle says: ‘Transforms dry damaged hair, Guards against shedding & breakage, Restores softness and elasticity with no greasy build-up’, and they are not lying. I first used this product when I first started my transition. I found it online, and thought I would try it out. Honestly, I wasn't disappointed. Like the name says, this product is extremely light; you barely feel it (which caused me to overdo it from time to time…oops). After two uses, I noticed a difference in how my hair moved and felt. I haven’t been able to find this product in my area, so I purchase it online at www.haircloset.com.

Grease

Moisturizing your hair would be completely ineffective without a good grease to seal the ends. To do so, I use the Doo-Gro Medicated Hair Vitalizer. Compared to other hair grease or pomades, it’s not thick. The best way to describe it would be ‘solid oil’. It has an oily feel as opposed to a gelatin feel like Vaseline. I apply this grease to the ends of my hair after oiling and/or putting some hair lotion. I part my hair in sections and seal the ends section after section.

Lotion

And finally, my hair lotion of choice is the Doo-Gro Mega Thick Anti-Thinning Growth Lotion. I usually apply it after towel drying my hair, before applying oil. It keeps my curls moisturized and bouncy.

Another beloved hair lotion is the Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil: Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion. It certainly does the trick when my Doo-Gro is running low.

I hope you will like these products as much as I do! If you have any questions about how to use these products or where I purchased them (especially if you are in the Montreal or Ottawa area) leave a comment or a message and I will gladly help you out.

The next post will be about styling your curls! Definitely the best part! So keep it locked ladies…

Until next time beauties! Xo

Hair Tip #3 - Hair Products - Washing

Time for some hair product talks ladies!!

I've been asked over the last year what I use in my hair on a daily basis. So to make it easier, I will break it down into 3 posts. This first will be 'Washing', the second would be 'Moisturizing' and the third will be 'Styling'.

Shampoo

I've used many shampoos and conditioners in the past year. As mentioned in an earlier post, I'm a big fan of the 'Conditioner Only' washing method. But a good shampoo doesn't hurt once in a while.

One of my favorite hair product brand has to be Doo-Gro, which explains why their shampoo is at the top of my list. One of the reasons is they have many types of regimen, depending on what you are looking for. For my own need, I use the 'Mega Thick' collection.

I use the Doo-Gro Mega Thick Anti-Thinning Shampoo roughly once every three weeks, as well as the first wash after removing braids/weaves.

Compared to shampoos I've used in the past, this one doesn't leave my hair dried out. Keep in mind that I only do one shampoo instead of the suggested two.

Conditioners

Climate Control

Moisture Rich

As for my conditioners  my current obsession is my TRESemmé Climate Control Conditioner! Before my recent trip to Cuba, I went looking for a new, better conditioner than my old Doo-Gro one. Don't get me wrong, the Doo-Gro works well, but my curls were not as bouncy as I wanted them to be. So the clerk recommended I try TRESemmé! I fell head over heels in love ladies. I was in the sun all week long (and we all know what salt water and sun can do to your hair) and I did not have one problem. My hair remained bouncy, soft and silky. And for the price, you have enough for months!


Recently, I went to the store and they were out of the Climate Control :(, so I decided to try the TRESemmé Moisture Rich Conditioner. So far I like it, but I find it lacks the instant softness that I found in the Climate Control. Just like Doo-Gro, TRESemmé has a wide selection of products for various tastes.

Deep Conditioner

Just like many of you, I've tried many deep conditioners in my day. I've tried various mayonnaise, heat therapy deep conditioners, etc. My favorite one so far comes from (SHOCKER) Doo-Gro. Their Mega Thick Intense Repair Rebuilding Thickening Treatment is absolutely amazing! Though the packaging says to leave it for 10 minutes, I leave mine on for approximately 30 minutes. I put a foil cap on and do chores around the house, and 30 minutes later, I wash it out thoroughly and do one more round of conditioner. (Yes, I love my conditioners!) I use the deep conditioner every 3 weeks or so, when I shampoo my hair usually.


Using these products regularly have contributed greatly to my hair growth. They are healthier, stronger, bouncier and shinier than they have ever been. Hopefully these will work for you too.

Keep an eye out for Part 2 where I will be tackling moisturizers!!

-Stay Beautiful xoxo