Organix Moroccan Argan Oil

After a few days at the water park, C's hair was in serious need of recovery from all the chlorine! 
I already have some Organix Shampoo and Conditioner, so I used that when she got out of the water each night.  (I also did a deep condition) We stopped at Wal Mart this afternoon and I came across something we've never tried- Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil.  It was $6.50 (I believe)- the same price as the shampoo and conditioner, but the oil is only 3.3 oz so I almost didn't get it because we have so many other oils at home that we can use but I am always looking for something better!

I have only used this on C's hair once, so I might be doing another review later to give it a fair chance.  I really LOVE the smell of this oil!  It makes C's hair feel so soft and silky.  I used it last night, and this morning C's hair looked very well hydrated and still feels soft.  It also looks to me like there is less frizz in her hair than usual, which is  always good!  :)

So far, I really like this oil and we'll probably be buying it again! I might use it again tonight and heat it just a little bit to use as a hot oil!

This oil is pretty light, it didn't weigh C's hair down.  But then again, a lot of things that other people say are heavy aren't heavy at all on C's hair.  I like heavier products for hold, but I like a light oil.  If the oil is too heavy, C's hair looks and feels greasy so that's the main reason I like this argan oil.

Description:    This rare formula has a centuries-old history of providing natural vitamin E and antioxidants while renewing your hair's cell structure, sealing in shine, and creating lush softness. A precious blend of Moroccan argan oil which instantly penetrates the hair shaft restoring shine and softness while strengthening. Derived from the southwest region of Morocco, argan oil protects from styling heat and UV damage while creating soft, seductive, silky perfection.

Directions:  Apply a small amount of Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Penetrating Serum to palm, rub hands together, then apply evenly to surface of damp hair (towel dried) hair working through to ends. For best results, use in conjunction with other Organix Moroccan Argan Oil products.

Ingredients: 

Cyclopentasiloxane Dimethicone CYCLOMETHICONE C12-15 alkyl benzoate Butylphenyl methylpropional Linum usitatissimum oil Fragrance (Linseed extract- Irritating to eyes) Argania Spinosa Parfum, Yellow 11, Red 17

 

                                                            What is your favorite oil?

 

PLEASE READ!!!

This all seems very childish to me, but I've heard from several people that Love Your Girls Biracial Curls is spreading negative rumors about me. I checked her blog and saw for myself and now I'm telling my side!
I want to make it clear that I am not spreading rumors about any other blog. If you see any comments on a blog from me, they are always positive!
I have NEVER asked to take credit for another bloggers work or anyone else's work. The only thing I've done is ask to use a style-on my own daughter- or to feature someone.
I have never cheated on a blog giveaway! In fact, take a look on all the recent giveaways... You won't see any entries from me OR the person with the beads who I supposedly made up! If I was going to make up a person, what would I have to gain by making up a fake blog?! If I was going to make up a fake person, wouldn't you think Id be having them comment on my blog all the time? I've never gotten a single comment from either Lynneice or the person with the beads.  More than one person in this world is named Danielle, it's not a unique name!
That person is not me and neither is this Lynneice person or Rose Hillard. I explained this to LYGBC once, Rose Hillard is a combination of my (ex) co-bloggers last name, Rose, and her fiancees last name, Hillard because they share an account. I don't see the significance there since she has never communicated on any blog, but she is not me!
Since the day I started this blog I've had lots of rude emails telling me things about other blogs- just like LYGBC! Is that a coincidence or what? The weird thing is LYGBC saved them, as if she had a plan to use them against me.
I have contacted Lynneice via facebook and she is starting her blog- that will prove I'm not her!
LYGBC could have come to me with these accusations, but instead she chose to make me out to be some crazy obsessed hair person! You say you don't mind competition, so let me run my blog without  publicly embarrassing me!
I don't think of blogging as a competition or popularity contest at all. I want to point out that I even gave LYGBC a tip on where to find the small Goody brand ponytail holders. She deleted me from her friends list on facebook so I couldn't confront her publicly so I had to be just as childish and make a blog post...

Please don't think I'm crazy or weird! I only want to have fun.
I started this blog so that other people who enjoy styling hair can see and share styles with us.  As I mentioned in my post 'Relaxers', I don't know ANYONE who appreciates hair styling or hair care and I was just looking for a place to belong and fit it.  I guess some people just don't want that to be possible but I wont be ending my blog if I have comments and followers or not!

Star Spangled Hair-Stars & Stripes

With the 4th. of July right around the corner, I figured I would try and come up with some festive hairstyles for the occasion.  I'm going to try and think of more styles, so hopefully this will be just the first style of the Star Spangled Hair 'series'!  :)
This is a somewhat simple cornrow and Bantu knot style.

I finally went and got a new camera today just because of this style!  I worked hard on it and I really liked it, so I wanted a better quality picture than my phone can take!  Unfortunately, you can't get much of a camera for under $200 but anyway, the pictures are still better!

*I'm terrible at explaining how I do a style but I'll try my best!

I had a little bit of a plan for this style before I started.  I knew I wanted stars and cornrows.

I started by parting C's hair straight back, into 2 equal sections.  I tied off the left side of her hair and got to work on the right side. 

First I decided where I wanted the star.  I wanted to be able to make braids on each side of the star to make it stand out more.  I didn't want the star itself cornrowed because I wanted a 'stripes' effect.  Once I parted the star, I put the hair inside of it into a Bantu knot.  -I originally just did Bantu knots to keep the hair out of my way while I finished cornrowing, but I ended up leaving them because I liked them! 

 I just made some random cornrows around the star, starting each cornrow at the edge of the star.

*It isn't noticeable, but the 2 cornrows near the top of the star were braided together.  I had to do this because C has a lot of little baby hairs at her hair line, and I was trying to leave them out.  Making the 2 cornrows into 1 single braid made it a little thicker, and also kept them from hanging down over the star.

Here is the top view of C's hair. In this picture, you can see a little better how I braided the 2 cornrows together.  I tried my best to make each side somewhat symmetrical, but also look 'flipped'. 

This is harder to explain, but basically, where I made a cornrow going to the back of C's head on the left side, I tried to make the cornrow in the same spot going towards the front of her head on the right side with some of the cornrows.

(I really hope that makes sense!)

Here's the left side of C's hair.  I really liked how it turned out. On this side, I did a little cornrowing around the star to make it a little different looking from the right side.

I started this star right at the part line going down the middle of C's head.  Again, after I parted the star, I put the hair into a Bantu knot. 
I cornrowed the top left section of the hair near the star going towards the front of C's head.  I cornrowed the right section near the top to the star going around the edge of the star, then I did the same for the bottom right section... The pictures probably explain what I did better than I can- it's pretty easy to tell!

And here is the back view.  The stars weren't meant to be lined up in case you were wondering! 

I made big stars because I wanted something that wouldn't take too much time.  Styles don't last too long in C's hair, so it's pretty much a waste of time to spend 4 hours on one hairstyle! 

 (She already asked if she could have her hair down!)

*This style took us about an hour and a half-2 hours. 

I used our normal things- bottled water and oil, and also added 2 new things.  Taliah Waajid Lock It Up Tight Hold, and Unrefined African Shea Butter.

I love both of these products!  The Shea butter did a great job of moisturizing C's hair. 

The Tight Hold Lock It Up is a really great holding product!  I'll be doing a full review later to be fair, but so far it's the only product we've used that kept all the little hairs from poking out of C's braids over night! 

Another really good thing about this product is that it smells and feels a little mentholated- kind of like what Vick's Vapor Rub would feel like, even though the smell didn't stay on C's hair and it was really light scented.  I liked the cooling feeling because I have problems with my hands, and this gel really helped with the pain!

BUT... the Tight Hold Lock It Up is another one of those 'Good-Not-So-Good' products.

I didn't even think to check the label since we already have the regular Lock It Up gel and there are no bad ingredients in that, but I realized after I got done with C's hair that the Tight Hold Lock It Up gel has parabens so I'm not sure if we'll be buying this again. o_0

Are you planning any holiday themed hairstyles?

Relaxers

This is my favorite picture of Mr. C from when he was just a little over a year old. Even though I loved his hair, I cut it by the time he was about 2 years old.  Read on to find out why...
                                          Please don't judge me, but be prepared- this story is sad
                                                                (at least I think so!)

When my daughter was maybe 2 years old, my mom told me she had something for C's hair and handed me a box much like this one.

I immediately told her "Sorry you wasted your money, because I'm not using this on her hair!"

I have always loved curly hair, and I had seen what relaxers do to hair so I knew better than to use this on C's hair!

My mom said to me "Are you sure you don't want to try it? Look at the girl on the box- her hair looks nice! And it says that it's safe for kids.  It would make her hair so much easier to deal with! Just think of how long it is when it's wet, that's how long her hair would be if it was straight! And if you don't like it, you don't have to use it again.  You could just see what it does!"

But I already knew exactly what it would do.  I knew from first hand experience!

I guess to tell you the whole story, I have to start from the very beginning...

I had never knew any black or biracial people.  In fact, I don't think I had even talked to any black people at all until I met my first boyfriend!  It wasn't because I didn't like them or anything, but the situation never came up.  So needless to say, I knew nothing about kinky/curly hair types or how to properly care for it.  To put it nicely, my family strongly disapproved of me being with a black man, but I wasn't going to let them make my decisions.  When I got pregnant with my first child, my son Mr. C, everyone (in my family) was telling me how 'nasty' his hair was going to be, among other things.  But I figured if it was that bad I could cut his hair.  I wasn't too worried about his hair at all. 

But then, less than 2 years later, Miss C came along!   As soon as everyone knew she was going to be a girl, they were telling me that I better learn to braid because, of course everyone just had it in their minds that obviously  'there's nothing else you can do with the kind of hair she's going to have' and that they felt sorry for me.  (and Ms.C)

Mr. C had a sweet little afro at that time.  I wish there were hair blogs or any kind of information available to me about hair care (if there was I didn't know about it)

If there was, maybe I could have kept enjoying Mr. C's little afro hair and I wouldn't have made the biggest hair mistake I could possibly make!  Mr. and Miss C's father told me not to do it, but I didn't listen.  I had to know if a relaxer would work the way it showed on the box because if I couldn't do anything with Miss C's hair, what would she look like?  Her hair would be all over the place in this huge afro that everyone thinks looks nasty (everyone but me) and they would reject my biracial children even more than they already do!  I figured if the relaxer made hair just straight and smooth like the girl on the box, it can't be such a bad thing!  Even if it was, I could just cut Mr. C's hair off and it would grow back the way it was.

I was so wrong! 

I decided to go buy a relaxer for my son and I used it on his hair that night.

It didn't seem to bother him having it put in his hair, but then again he never did complain much.  He got a broken leg once and I almost didn't even take him to the hospital because he barely even cried!  (I wouldn't have taken him but he wouldn't walk on his leg!)

I followed all the directions on the relaxer box and when it was time to rinse it out, I knew right away I made a BIG mistake!  Mr. C's hair seemed almost like it was plastered to his head!  It was just flat on his scalp, very heavy feeling- not free and flowing like the girl on the box!  Mr. C's hair felt like straw and was very fragile.  I had ruined Mr. C's hair!

Here is a picture of Mr. C's hair after the relaxer.  It doesn't show how bad it was since his hair was wet in the picture, but it laid basically the same way even when it was dry.

I let it go for a few days to see if maybe it would wear off or start to look better at all.  I was planning on letting it just grow out until we went to the park to play.  Kids were laughing at poor little Mr. C, and one little boy was even following him throwing wood chips at him and calling him a monster!  :*(

So I decided to take him home and cut his hair.

Mr. and Miss C's dad was right- the perm never grew out, and it changed Mr. C's hair forever.  He never had the sweet, soft little curls he loved to play with so much and he hasn't had long hair since.

The thing that made me feel  the worst is Mr. C didn't want his hair cut.  He LOVED his hair!  My family kept trying to tell me to cut it, but since we both loved his hair, I would tell them "It's his choice- he doesn't want it cut!"  Then I would ask Mr. C "Do you want a haircut or do you want an afro?"  And he would yell so excitedly  "AFRO!"  I think he knew what he was saying too.  I should have listened to poor Mr. C!

I was so worried about trying to make my children 'acceptable' in my family's eyes that I lost sight of what would be good for Mr. C and for myself.  I was just a very young and stupid white mother of biracial children trying to make them something they're not to please everyone else.  I wish I could go back and do what we wanted to do and not let other people make my decisions!

I was once told by someone (I think it was my boyfriends cousin)    "White people who don't know how to do black people's hair shouldn't have black kids!"   I didn't want to be seen as not 'deserving' to have biracial children because I didn't know how to do hair!

The negative comments I got about needing to know how to do hair inspired me to learn, and I was determined enough to teach myself how to do hair.  Starting with simple pigtails I worked my way up to cornrows and everything I can do today.  So I guess that negativity paid off for me in the long run.

I guess at least one good thing came from the relaxer nightmare too though...

I learned not to ever use it again, and I didn't ruin Miss C's hair the same way!  

I can't imagine what her hair would be like now if I would have used a relaxer on her!

I learned my lesson! Relaxers- Just say NO!!!

Have you ever felt pressured to change your/your child's hair?  Did you give in?
I have more hair stories to tell, so please keep coming back, and also feel free to send me in your stories and/or photos!   :)

Curly Friend-French Braids By Twisted Sisters

I'm very excited to tell you all about this great french braiding website I came across a couple years back called French Braids By Twisted Sisters! I have always been impressed by all types of braiding, so of course I loved this website. The Twisted Sisters are so talented and creative!  Their only limits of braid designs  are the limits of their clients imaginations.  These women are amazing!

Since 1992 the Sisters (five of us to be exact) have been providing hair braiding services at the nation's finest Renaissance Festivals and Art Fairs. We formed our business at the Texas Renaissance Festival with the belief that kindness, creativity and a hand crafted product sells. It did then and it still does.
Lo these many years later, we still create new braids and perfect old ones. We are still traveling and meeting new and exciting people (you!) and most importantly, we continue to love our work, our fellow sisters and our ever expanding families. Come see us and find out why return customers make The Twisted Sisters the start of a fine faire day. Enjoy your visit to our site and we will look forward to seeing you soon.

The Twisted Sisters have given me permission to show you a sample of some of their work.  I chose just a few of each sisters beautiful styles to share with you all...

*Melanie

Here are a few of Melanie's styles...

 *Gayle

Here are some of Gayle's styles...

*Cindy

Here are some of Cindy's styles...

Aren't these styles just beautiful?!

I am blown away by the braiding the women of this website do and I think you will all be impressed also.  I would LOVE to have the chance to see them braid in person!  (or even make a special appointment!)    Be sure to check out their awesome website here!  You can also find them on facebook...  Maybe they'll be having a show near you!  

 

Me and C give a big thanks to The Twisted Sisters for allowing us to feature them on our blog!  :)

*If you would like to be featured, please email me at curlyhairisbeautiful@gmail.com  for instructions!            

Aveeno Nourish & Moisturize Conditioner

I'm always looking for new products for C's hair.  I wanted a good conditioner that would hydrate her hair and help get rid of some frizz, and I decided to try Aveeno.  I got the Aveeno Nourish & Moisturize conditioner at Wal Mart for $6.50
We didn't get the shampoo because we're only using shampoos without sulfates, but I would like to try the shampoo for my own hair.


*Product Description:   Helps repair everyday damage to normal hair with nourishing wheat complex.
Nourish + Revitalize Conditioner does much more than nourish and condition - it smooths and helps repair everyday damage to hair, invigorating it with new life. Scientific studies show that just three washes helps repair damage, proving the three key elements that give hair life - strength, softness, and shine.*
This exclusive Active Naturals formula, infused with Nourishing Wheat Complex, is designed to feed your hair - replenishing moisture as it zeros in on the weakest part of hair - fortifying the hair shaft with protein where it needs it most.
Developed with at team of experts, including a leading dermatologist and stylist, our Active Naturals formula harnesses the power of nature combined with advanced scientific methods, and is shown to give you the beautifully strong, healthy hair you desire and deserve. And, because it's from Aveeno you can trust that it's gentle on color-treated hair.



*Ingredients:   Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cyclohexasiloxane, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Stearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Gluten (Wheat), Triticum Vulgare (Wheat Germ) Oil (Wheat), Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Glycol Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Fragrance, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cetrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Panthenol, Polyquaternium 7, May


After we washed C's hair with our current shampoo (L'Oreal Ever Smooth), I divided C's hair into several small sections and used about a handful to do the Tightly Curly Method with each section. If you don't know what the Tightly Curly Method is, click here! I didn't add anything else to C's hair, I just let it air dry with the Aveeno in it.

After using the Aveeno N&M Conditioner, C's hair looked amazing!  It was so soft and light and it cut down a lot of the frizz.  So far  I love this conditioner and we will be buying it again.    :)

Have you tried this conditioner?  What did you think of it?

Simple Chunky Cornrows Into A Single Braid

For me, the best part about hair styling in the summer is that I can take all the time I want to come up with a style and work on it.  C sees summertime a little differently... She thinks that as long as she's not going to school, she doesn't have to get her hair done!  Her daddy has the idea that her hair needs a break from being done for a while so that it can 'air out' a little.  He doesn't understand (or care) that if I don't do anything with C's hair for a week it gets all matted up and ends up causing more damage and taking much more time.
Anyway, to make everyone happy, I decided on this simple style...

                                                       Just some simple chunky cornrows!
I started with an off centered part from front to back, and then just for a little more variety I added what I call a bang braid.  I like styles that frame her face a little.

It's hard to tell from these crappy pictures, but C's shirt was green and blue.  The ballie in her hair was cute little green bunches of grapes that I thought seemed summery so I wrapped it around the braid.   :)

I added a few barrette beads to the bang braid and we were finished!  It's nothing fancy, but I thought it turned out cute anyway. 
This simple style only took 20 minutes including detangling and it will be in for 3 days.  What is your quick summer hair styling like?

10 Facts About C... Virtual Playdate

C has been invited to the Virtual Play date by Diva R at Love Your Girls Biracial Curls- How cute is that!  :)

So, here are 10 facts about C and her big brother, Mr. C

1.  C wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up
2.  Both C and Mr. C have won trophies in 'New Star Search' contests
3.  C will eat whatever I cook, even if she doesn't like it, so she won't hurt my feelings! (I just recently found out she never liked Chinese food!)
4.  Mr. C is obsessed with wrestling, and has everything WWE related, including an entire bedroom set
5.  C loves Justin Beiber
6.  Both C and Mr. C prefer fresh fruit over junk food- even candy! Mr. C once shocked my friend when we went to dinner (at an arcade with pizza and lots of desserts) and he ate a big helping of raw broccoli (he was about 3 years old at the time)
7.  Mr. C taught himself to ride a bike without training wheels
8.  For fun, C and Mr. C like to go to the park, the mall and the library (in that order)  :)
9.  C potty trained herself in ONE DAY when she was 18 months old!-  She started  using her potty right away and never even had an accident at night!
10.   C and Mr. C want a brother and sister and try to talk me into 'keeping' their friends! :)

To join the play date, post 10 facts about your child/children  in the comment section.  If you have a blog, post those 10 things.  Next, thank and link back to the person who invited you to the play date, and invite a few other blogs to participate in the online play date!

I don't know if there are any bloggers who haven't been invited yet, but we will invite...
KJ Braids
Goldilocks N Me
Baby Bella Hair

Thanks for inviting us Diva R!  :)

My Curly Genius

I don't know what kind of criticism (if any) anyone of you gets, but I am constantly ridiculed for styling my daughters hair and for spending so much time taking care of it.  Everyone from my own family and friends to C's teachers have told me that I put too much emphasis on her hair (or just looks in general) and that by doing C's hair, I'm teaching her that her looks are her only worth and the only thing that matters in life.  I'm told that spending so much time on C's hair takes away from other more important things- like having time to be a kid and play with her brother and her friends outside, and for school.
For these reasons, I decided to make this post.  Even though it isn't exactly about hair, I think it fits in here!

These are just a few of C's awards from the past school year!  She has gotten awards for everything possible- Student of the month, Citizenship, Principals List, Academic Achievement, Perfect Attendance (which she kept all year!) and the one I'm most proud of, Honor Roll! C kept straight A's all year and since kindergarten has never gotten anything lower than a B on any of her school work!  :)

She will be starting 2nd grade in the fall, and I just hope she can keep up her efforts!

I think all C's awards speak for themselves in saying that while admittedly I do spend an outrageous amount of time on hair care and styles, I also take the time to make sure C knows what is important in life!

Now if only I could convince everyone else!

This makes me wonder...  Do you have the same problems with people trying to make you feel guilty or foolish about your love of hair care and styling?  If so, I'd love to hear your story and I'll post it here for everyone to see. I'll also be sharing more of my own stories!     :)

Bantu Knot Crown

C wanted a bun with some of her hair left down, and I wanted to do bantu knots for the last day of school since she has only worn them to school once this year.  I wanted something fun and a little different looking, and this is what I ended up with...

This is pretty self explanatory, but I'll explain it anyway.  For this style, I just divided C's hair into 2 sections, front and back.  Then I  made 5 triangle shaped parts in the front section and twisted the hair from each triangle into a Bantu knot.

This isn't the most creative style, but it was something that could be done in a short amount of time. (Which worked out great because C didn't feel like having her hair styled!)

I put the back section of her hair into a few medium sized twists the night before and took them down for a twist out, which looked much prettier in person.

I'm not sure if I really liked how this style looked from the front, but here it is anyway.
This is just a quick and simple hairstyle that I thought looked cute.  Hopefully I'll have better pictures soon, but until then I probably won't be coming up with anything too special to do with C's hair.  : /

WINNER!!!

I'm so excited to be announcing the winner of our very first giveaway!
I wish I could give everyone who entered a prize, but there is only ONE winner this time.





And the winner is..........

Commentor number 41, which is Michelle G
Congratulations Michelle! Please contact me via email and give me your address and color choices for the Princess beads and rubber bands!

Thank you to everyone who entered!
If you didn't win this time, don't worry- we will be having lots more giveaways! :)

Half Rows and A Braid Out

I still have very low quality pictures, but it's better than no pictures at all right? : /

I wanted to cornrow all of C's hair, but I ended up getting out of the mood to do hair so I just did this half back style with a braid out in the back.  I wasn't too happy with the braid out because to me it looked too much like her natural curls, only looser.

I like the way the cornrows turned out.  For this style, I parted C's hair into 2 sections, front and back.  I tied the back off and started cornrowing the front section.

I was trying to do something a little more creative than just braiding straight back, so what I did was I also made some braids starting from the back of C's part line going towards her face.  It made cute little 'bang' braids.  As I said, I was planning to braid ALL of C's hair, which is why I braided all the cornrows to the ends instead of ending them at the part line.  I put the back section into 3 big cornrows and left them in until the next morning.  I think the reason the braid out didn't turn out the way I wanted it to is because I left out the Taliah Waajid lock it up gel!  I just moisturized with Bee Mine curly butter.  As I said before, I'm not a big fan of Bee Mine, but since I bought 2 great big tubs of the curly butter, I'm still using it once in a while.  C's hair seems to soak the curly butter right up within an hour or so (and I use A LOT of it!) I also have to use something that provides hold, which is why I like the lock it up gel.

This style stayed for only 2 days.  I could probably have gotten away with a 3rd day, but since it's almost the end of the school year, I want to think of something extra special to do!  Hopefully I'll come up with something and have pictures for you tomorrow!  :)