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