I Went a Little Crazy at Claire's

I'm like a kid at a candy store when I'm at Claire's. I went a little crazy and just wanted to share some of the stuff I got. I don't know about you, but I love seeing what other mommies bought their little ones. Got a shopping spree to share too? Send it in, and I'll post your goodies. :) So here's what I got...

Bows

Flowers

Clips, Ponytail holders & Bracelets

Lacing Cornrows

A very unique way of 'dressing up' cornrows. A unique accessory. It may look difficult but really it isn't. It's just like lacing a sneaker. Just make sure not to pull on the ribbon when lacing because you will end up messing up the cornrow. I used an off white satin ribbon which you can find at any crafts store. I bought so much ribbon and had to do 'something' with it. Use whatever color ribbon you like to match the shirt/dress you want to dress your daughter in. I used two big needles that didn't have a pointy tip, but just a round tip, bigger than a pen tip. See the picture below. Hope you all like this one as much as I do. Her daddy loved it. :)

How to achieve this look:

• I started with washed, and moisturized hair.
• Part the hair from ear to ear and section off the back hair which you will work with later.
• Next, part the top hair in the middle and work with only one side.
• Part the hair in a 'V' starting from the main middle part. I did 3 cornrows in each side, so 6 in total. After I finished cornrowing, her hair was still a little damp, so I finished the back before I laced the cornrows.
• In the back, I did 2 strand twists using clear rubber bands from Claire's. All rubber bands are not equal and I find these are more 'slippery', which is good. You can do either box braids in the back or twists.
• By the time I finished the back, the top part was almost fully dry. Which is what you want because if you start lacing on wet hair the ribbon will get wet and loses it's shine with all the product in it.
• Refer to the pictures below on how I laced the cornrows, remember, it's just like lacing a sneaker. If the ribbon gets twisted, gently turn it with your fingers to make it look flat, before you proceed lacing. This will give it more of a smooth look.

I hope this was clear enough! If you have any questions or suggestions please email me.

OT Saturdays: I love the whole world!

I recently discovered Discovery Channel and love this commercial. One of the best commercials ever. I get happy every time I see it. It hasn't been coming on though lately, what happened? Anyway, are you a Discovery Channel addict? What's your favorite show? Watch this commercial and let me know what you think.

OT Saturdays: STOP Bullying Now!



There's too much bullying going on! I wish no child ever had to go through it. So help spread the word. Share this on your Facebook page, Tweet, post it on your blog, Blackberry messenger, etc...  That's the least we all can do. Help Stop Bullying Now!

Visit Stop Bullying Now! and see what you can do to help.

Question: What is your favorite styling product for braids, twists etc?

I can't wait to try some of the most popular hair products on my chlidrens hair. I know many of you have already figured out what products are best for braids and twists. So my question is, which is your favorite hair product for braids, twists etc? I need to find something asap. So help me people! :)

Meet 5 Year Old Yaya

This is Yaya, my little man and first born. He is 5 years old and loves anything Spiderman and Superman! Such a boy. He has very thick curly hair. It was cut very short not long ago, and is now already starting to grow back and curl. His hair grows very fast. I will have some posts on boy hair care very soon. All my children have curly hair, yet all have completely different textures. I'm waiting for some great products to arrive, then will see which is best for who.



Affordable Curlers: Three Layered Curly Cornrows using A Shower Mat!



Shower mat? Yes, you read right. While I'm waiting for some curlers to arrive, I decided to curl Jannah's braids with a Shower mat that I bought not long ago to put under my washing machine because it would travel all over the place while it spinned the cycle. This is supposed to help hold it in place. I had some leftover and decided to use it on her hair. I saw this trick on the Style Network. Haha! These are usually made for under the carpet, or for the shower, not hair. lol. They are only about $9 for a whole roll.

It does work very well, because the material sticks to the hair and stays put. It sticks in a good way though, no damage involved. Jannah took a nap after I put them on and when she woke up after about 2 hours, her braids had a nice curl. This curling method is supposed to work very well on type 2 and type 3 hair. Well, I guess if it works for 4a braids, then it should work for anyone right? If you decide to try it out, let me know of the results. I would love to know.

Here is the How To:

• Start with washed, detangled and moisturized hair with product of your choice.
• Part the hair in 3 parts. See picture.
• Start cornrowing. Make the cornrows as big or as small as you like.
• Now cut up the Carpet Underlay about 5 inches long and 1 inch thick.
• For curling technique, refer to the picture tutorial. Note that I curled 3 braids in one strip of the Shower Mat. After rolling the braids in the strip, just tie it once and it will not unravel.
• I am a new and slow braider, so this took me about 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you are used to cornrowing it should take you about 1 hour.

Here is a different way to style it.

Here is what you need:

 

Tinker Bell's Iridessa Bun

We love Tinker Bell and her fairy friends. We have all 3 movies. Our favorites are Tink and Iridessa. I like all the fairies myself and think they are absolutely gorgeous! If you look up close at Iridessa's hair it looks like it's twisted or something, but then I was thinking maybe this is just Disney's version of kinky hair? lol. Anyway, here is the tutorial. Let me know what you think.

How to achieve this look:

• Start with freshly washed and moisturized hair. I am waiting on a few products to come in, which I am very excited about, so until then I'm using Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-in.
• Part small sections along the hairline and use rubber bands to section them off. I soaked the rubber bands in olive oil the night before.
• Twist each section in 2 strand twists and leave them alone for now.
• If you don't know how to make a sock bun, here is the tutorial.
• After you put the hair in a ponytail for the sock bun, take the twists and secure them in with the ponytail holder.
• Smooth down the top and back and you're ready to go.

So who is your favorite fairy?

Here are a few Tinker Bell products from Amazon.

The Princess Show: J

1. Please introduce yourself and your daughter.

My name is Danielle.  I’m black and Japanese and my husband is Nigerian so her hair is a bit different than mine.  I didn't know much about her type...I always thought it was normal for it to be dry and hard to comb.  She didn't really show an interest in her hair but now she is looking forward to her hair growing so I can try all the styles on the blogs.

2. What is your daughter's hair care routine?

I am just now learning about how to properly care for her hair.  I used to just wash it once a week and use grease to cornrow it. I didn’t use conditioner or moisturizer, but I would spray some oil on her scalp during the week if it was braided.  I guess because I don’t use that stuff for my own hair.  Just last week I noticed her hair has gotten shorter and really dry so I looked at your blog and BBB blog and curlylikeme and this week started a routine.  So far I washed her hair, used a rinse conditioner and then a leave-in.  I put it in twist and styled the next day.  Every day I am planning to moisturize her hair.

3. What products work best for her hair?

So far I’m using HEHH conditioner, vo5 moisture soak conditioner, avocado oil that you recommend and coconut oils. 

4. What products have you tried that didn't work so well?

I bought some shampoos (Garnier Fructis and HEHH) but then saw the sulfate and sodium chloride in them so I am looking forward to replacing those when they are finished.

5. How long would you say her hair is in inches?

It is braided right now, so I have to estimate...it's pretty short in the back, maybe 3-4 inches and her hair gets longer toward the top, maybe 6-7 inches.

6. Do you periodically trim her hair? If so, how often?

No. Never.

7. Do you ever use heat on her hair? If so, how often?

I’ve used heat on her hair maybe a total of 2 or 3 times.  I’m not sure if I will stop forever but I don’t plan on using it until her hair is stronger.

8. Have you ever relaxed her hair?

No.

9. Do you plan to in the future?

No.

10. Do you have any hair secrets to share with us?

Since I’m new, no but I’ve seen other people say moisturizing it is key so I’m going to see how that goes.

11. Finally, let's see pictures of your princess!

Danielle is a dear friend of mine and I wanted to thank her for participating in our blog. Jannah and J are good friends and I hope we can get together very soon. It is also thanks to her (and dh) that I didn't relax Jannah's hair. I remember she was very against it and as a result referred me to some websites that had lots of great info regarding bi-racial hair. THANK YOU Danielle! Keep up the great work.

OT Saturdays: Charlie bit my finger - again!

Off Topic Saturdays: Hey guys! Thought I would introduce something new to the blog, there is always so much more to talk about other than hair, so every Saturdays I'll post some things that ineterest me, just for fun. You can expect videos from youTube, recipes, jokes, book reviews, reviews of different products. Anything. Let me know what you think.

I wanted to start off with something funny. These kids are adorable and I always laugh everytime I watch this. Enjoy and comment!

Big Flower and Puff

Who do I think of everytime I see a huge flower in somebodys hair? Niecy Nash! I don't think I've ever seen her without one. I love big flowers when added to a hairstyle, and thought it would look very cute on Jannah, here are a few pictures.

How to achieve this look:



• I had just washed Jannah's hair and moisturized it with Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-in. Note that I am not a huge fan of it, I'm still pondering which organic-natural product to use next.
• I used an ouchless ponytail holder and brushed her hair to the side and a bit up.
• Shea butter was used to smooth down fly-aways.
• Added a big flower and she was done!



Cornrows and Flowers

Simple cornrows to the side, add a big flower and you're good to go! I think this style is so easy to do and fast and it's good for school, holidays or even special events like a wedding. It's all about the accessories. As you can see in the header image, I did this style a few weeks ago.


How to achieve this look:

• This is a style that can easily stay in for a week or more, so make sure the hair is washed, detangled and moisturized. I used Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-in and Coconut oil and Avocado oil.
• Instead of parting the cornrows from forhead to nape, part the hair about the width of your middle finger from ear to ear.
• This is the website that taught me to cornrow. I remember I was in tears when I first started to learn just a few months ago, but it's actually very easy and it's just like riding a bike, you will never forget how to do it.
• 
  
  When the cornrows are done, use a ponytail holder to hold them together and add a huge flower. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

             

STRAWLLERS Giveaway at Curly Hairdo Ideas

Just wanted to let everyone know know that there is a great Giveaway at Curly Hairdo Ideas! What's even better is that you get to choose your own color and size. Click to enter the giveaway here. 

Also, make sure to read part 1 and  part 2 of the Strawllers Review!

Curly Jannah is on Curly Nikki

Yaay! We are so happy to have Jannah on Curly Nikki. Please check it out and comment on this post. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Head on over to Curly Nikki to enjoy some good reads, she just had a beautiful babygirl too!

Friendly reminder: Please be kind enough and follow our blog! For a long time I bookmarked blogs instead of following them, until I realized that I would be supporting them in a good way by 'following' instead of just reading. Plus, a great giveaway is coming soon.

Thank you to those who are following and supporting our blog already! Your advice and support is GREATLY appreciated. :)

Meet Yu-Yu



Meet 1 1/2 year old Yu-Yu. He has very fine, tight curls that get tangled too easily. His hair is about 3-4 inches long. I am going back and forth about cutting it to about 1 inch because it gets tangled so quick and he does NOT like getting his hair brushed. I'm really not sure if I should cut it. I think I will regret cutting it, so that's why I haven't done it yet. I'm still looking for a product for his hair, haven't found the right product yet though, so we will see.

Here he is with just Fructis Sleek & Shine leave-in

What does your child use for very fine tight curls?



Natural Flower Girl: Braid Headband & Elegant Bun



I always thought doing a sock bun on Jannah's hair would be very difficult, but nope, it was very easy and fast. This hairstyle took only 20 minutes. Jannah loved it and felt like a princess. If you googled 'natural flower girl' hairstyles, you really won't get much for natural hair. So I thought I would add some, I hope you enjoy, and more will come very soon.

How to achieve this look:

• Start with clean, detangled and moisturized hair. I didn't use avocado oil on this style because I knew I wanted to add some bows or possible flowers that were white later, and didn't want them to turn greenish because of the avocado oil.
• Let's fix our sock first. Take an old sock and cut off the end. You should be able to put your whole hand through it now. Make sure you are using a clean sock. Haha! Roll the sock until it looks like a doughnut (whole in the middle). Put to the side.
• You want to start making the braided headband. Part the hair from the side till the farthest ear. If you are parting on the left, keep parting until the right ear, or vice versa, which ever side you choose to part bigger than the other.
• Add your styling product of choice and start cornrowing the headband. If your daughter's hairtype is in the 2's or 3's, I suggest to french braid the headband instead of cornrowing it.
• Now work on the other side. Part the hair until about 1 inch below the ear, add styling product and cornrow. These two braids from each side will meet at the nape after you are finished making the sock bun.
• Now gather all the left over hair on the top of the head and use an ouchless ponytail holder. Pick up your sock and bring the hair through the sock hole. Lay the hair all around the sock. Smooth the hair down and add another ponytail holder around the bun. Don't wrap it around, just put it around the bun. The left over hair that will stick out, you can just tuck it under the bun.
• Add more styling product to smooth down the surface of the bun and any frizzies that decide to show up. Add whatever accessories you like. You're all done!

The Princess Wave

Poll Results

Here are our poll results. Thanks to everyone who voted!

What would you like to see for our first Giveaway?

• Basics, ie. Denman brush etc  42%
• $25 Gift Certificate   21%
• Moroccan Hair Oil   28%
• Goody Hair Accessories  7%

The giveaway will be announced soon. I am too impatient to wait until 100 followers. Lol.

What would you like to see more of?

• Braids, Twists, etc..  80%
• Product Reviews  80%
• Giveaways  40%
• Hair Recipes  80%

So I guess I will be doing a little bit of everything!

The Princess Show: Hannah Kaelani

Hannah Kaelani

1. Please introduce yourself and your daughter.

My name is Vanessa and my daughter's name is Hannah Kaelani.

2. What is your daughter's hair care routine?

Hannah's hair is "cleansed" about 3 times a week but only shampood about once every 7-10 days. We use Hair One Cucumber and Aloe and Fructise Sleek and Shine conditioner to co-wash or cleanse and Kinky Curly Come Clean to shampoo. Once in a while I used GVP Matrix Moisturizing Shampoo which has sulfates to clarify it, but only after I do a pre-poo deep treatment. Her rinse out conditioner is GVP Matrix Conditioning Balm, sometimes with honey mixed in.

Deep treatment is Coconut Oil, Olive Oil mixed with Organix Shea Butter Conditioner before shampooing OR GVP K-pak if she needs protein. I do this about once a month, but more often in summer. Been thinking about trying Avocado oil too.

Leave in is Kinky Curly Knot Today.

Styling products vary. For the most part I use Kinky Curly Curling Custard, KC Spiral Sprits, Olive or Coconut oil mixed with KC Tiny Twirls for pony tails

But when humidity is crazy I switch to some products with silicones such as GVP Matrix Extreme Cream and GVP CHI Silk infusion. I also occasionally use Eco Styler and Tizz No Frizz gel from Aussie. Been experimenting with Aloe Gel too. You just never know with me.

3. What products work best for her hair?

It really depends on what is going on weather wise, when's the last time I washed it and what activities we're doing. But if I had to choose, Kinky Curly products are my favorite and I can feel really good about using them because they are organic.

4. What products have you tried that didn't work as well?

I've never had anything completely fail. They just have worked in their own way.

5. How long would you say her hair is in inches?

We recently had her hair cut into a bob because she had a mullet forming. :-) So, maybe about 7-9 inches when pulled all the way out.

6. Do you periodically trim her hair? If so, how often?

Yes. Every 4-6 months. It's really more for mullet control. :-)

7. Do you ever use heat on her hair? If so, how often?

Yes. VERY seldom. I used Chi Silk infusion and a heat protectant spray when I do.

8. Have you ever relaxed her hair?

NO!

9. Do you plan to in the future?

HECK NO!

10. Do you have any hair advice to share with us?

Learn you children's hair. Every hair type has the potential to be beautiful. There is nothing worse than a multi-racial child suffering humiliation because of a lack of information or a lack of effort on the part of their parents. ALSO....NEVER comb or brush curls once they are dry.

11. Finally, let's see pictures of your princess!

Vanessa, your daughter is a pure beauty! Her beautiful big green eyes just make you melt and those curls are perfect. Thank you for being on The Princess Show and I especially loved your advice about learning your children's hair.

Iman E.

Cornrows & Three Strand Twists

This is a very easy and fast style to do and will last about a week which is perfect for school. Since she has quite a lot of damage on the top part of her head, I try to keep that part mostly braided or in cornrows.

How to achieve this look:

1. When styling hair always start with freshly washed, detangled and moisturized hair. For a moisturizer, I'm making my own at the moment with a mix of Avocado Oil, Hello Hydration Conditioner and drinking water.
2. Part the hair from ear to ear. Pull the back hair into a ponytail to get it out of your way so you can start working on the top hair.
3. Start parting the hair to get ready to cornrow. I am still not perfect at it since I only learned how to cornrow in May 2010. If you don't know how to cornrow, visit this site here. This, with a few youTube videos made it pretty easy to learn.
4. You want to make about 4 or 5 cornrows at the top. I parted mine a bit slanted.
5. Once you finish the top cornrows, start parting the hair in small boxes and use rubber bands for each section that you want to twist. You can do 2 strand twists, or 3 strand twists. In this tutorial I did the 3 strand. For 3 strand twists, separate the hair in 3 equal pieces, hold 2 of those pieces with your left hand and 1 piece with your right. Now all you have to do is take the right piece over the left piece and place it on the far left. Now the one that used to be in the middle will be on your right. Repeat the step and take the right piece and place it over the left piece and place it on the far left. I hope this makes sense.
6. ***Note: If you want to twist the hair in the back for the purpose of having a twist out curly look, I recommend not to use rubber bands and not part the hair in boxes, rather, just grab an equal amount of hair and start twisting. This is what I did in this tutorial.
7. I spritz with a lavender spritz after I'm finished styling. Add some cute hair accessories and you are all done!

This is the finished look. I took the twists out after a few hours.

Glossy Shine & Silky Texture: Avocado Oil

I have started using Avocado Oil a few weeks ago and I don't ever want to stop! I am using Roland' Extra Virgin Avocado Oil. It has done wonders to Jannah's once dry and damaged hair. I saw amazing results the first time I tried it, I remember trying it as a pre-poo and left it in for 30 minutes. Her hair was so soft and shiny I didn't even want to wash it out. Seriously. It supplies vitamins A, B, D and E which nourish both scalp and hair follicles. I have read somewhere that the only oil that moisturizes hair is Coconut Oil. I'm not so sure how true this is, all I know is Jannah's hair now feels very moisturized and ummm....moist! lol. I believe it is making her hair grow faster too. I haven't seen any growth in her hair since she was 2, she is now 4 and I'm finally seeing some growth. About an inch of growth in a few weeks. There are several ways we use this wonderful oil. Here they are:

• Daily Spritz: I mix about 1/2 cup Hello Hydration conditioner with about 1/2 cup drinking water (I wouldn't use tap water) and add 1 tbs Avocado Oil. You can use this mix every morning to wake up the curls/braids/twists.
• Hot Oil treatment: 1 tbs Avocado Oil, 1 tbs Coconut Oil, 1 tbs Olive Oil. All of these oils must be extra virgin. You can also add 3 capsules of Wheat Germ oil (optional). Apply to scalp for about 30 minutes. Most likely you will have some left over which you can just add to the rest of the hair.
• Banding hair with Avocado Oil: After I co-wash Jannah's hair, I like to leave the HEHH conditioner in and when I'm about to band her hair, I just apply the oil straight over each section that I'm banding, brush it with our modified Denman D3 brush and start banding. The hair comes out very soft, shiny and moisturized.
• Some people like to add Avocado Oil in their choice of conditioner, I haven't tried that yet, but it sounds like the same as the step above.

Are there any oils you can't live without?

The Princess Show: Nyana

1.Please introduce yourself and your daughter.

My name is Kandyce and my daughter is Nyana. She's 5 years old and has curly thick hair.

2.What is your daughter's hair care routine?

I wash/deep condition her hair once a week and once a month I give her a hot oil treatment and protein treatment using eggs and oil.

3.What products work best for her hair?

I am currently using Garnier Fructis (sleek&shine) for shampoos, Infusium 23 (repairologie) for deep treatments and I moisturize her hair with Bee Mine (hair and scalp moisturizer, Juicy Spritz and Curly Butter)

4.What products have you tried that didn't work as well?

I have tried several products which didn't do a thing for her hair, but I kept searching around looking for the best products for her hair type. I'm still searching around looking for a complete hair care line for everything.

5.How long would you say her hair is in inches?

I have never measured her hair but I would guess around 12-16 inches when stretched out from the nape.

6.Do you periodically trim her hair? If so, how often?

No I haven't trimmed her hair, I have recently taken her to the salon and they said she didn't have many split ends, so they didn't recommend it yet.

7.Do you ever use heat on her hair? If so, how often?

I haven't used heat on her hair yet, I plan on flat ironing her hair this winter and I will use a heat protecting product and only flat iron her hair once every 2 months if that.

8.Have you ever relaxed her hair?

No, it will ruin her naturally curly texture.

9.Do you plan to in the future?

No Way !!

I will flat iron her hair when she wants to have the straight look, but I will not use any chemicals.

10.Do you have any hair advice to share with us?

Whenever you come across a knot try wetting it, and then finger detangling it but NEVER pull it apart.

11. Finally, let's see pictures of your princess!

Sure :-)

 

Kandyce, you have a beautiful daughter and thank you again for being the first on our Princess Show.