Getting Kinky: A New Natural 'Do

Happy Monday! I have a little surprise for you all today :) If you follow me on InstaGram then you already know that I got a little scissor happy last week and ended up chopping off a good chunk of my fro.

My ability to focus on anything related to school or work was nonexistent and I found myself falling deeper and deeper into natural hair boards on Pinterest and digging through the archives on Merely Marie - who's blog I love and have followed for a while now, and she always has this uncanny ability to convince me to switch up my hair style. Case and point, this day. 

Before I knew what hit me I was in the bathroom, scissors in hand, cutting away. For the record, this is something I highly recommend you do not do, unless you're experienced and very comfortable with cutting your own hair. I sometimes get very impulsive, especially when it comes to my hair, and since I've been itching for a new summer time 'do when the thought to cut it hit, I went for it.

Now granted I was at home all day so I didn't put any effort whatsoever into my hair, and that's my excuse for why it looks totally lopsided, but it had been pretty tangled and knotted lately as I'd been lazy and hadn't properly detangled in quite awhile, in addition to sleeping with it left unprotected (ahh! I know, I'm a horrible natural hair caretaker) my ends were dry, matted, and just plain gross. DCT compared it to having a mushroom around my head (he really knows how to compliment his lady...) So clearly something had to be done....

And then this happened.

I was attempting to go for a tapered fro, and I may have gone a little shorter than I actually intended, especially at the top, but I won't lie, I really like it! It took me a day or two to get used to it, but it's super easy to maintain which is perfect for both being on-the-go for summer and my innate laziness.

So we're back to TWA status, but like I said, I don't mind. I've always liked the way I look with short hair, even when I was getting it relaxed. I feel like it lightens up my face, and I'm even thinking about going a step further and adding some color soon, ya know, just because :)

Do you have any plans for your summertime hair? Let me know!

Thanks for reading!

Two Years Natural!

Hi all! So February is coming to a close and I almost forgot (sometimes my mind likes to go on vacay without me) this month marks my 2-year anniversary of being on #teamnatural!

I can't believe it's been 2-years as I still feel like I've only just begun this journey. Also looking back at pictures, holy crap has my hair grown! Seeing your hair day in and day out you never really notice the difference in growth, at times I've felt it was stuck at the same length, but I'm happy to see that I actually have a pretty thick and fluffy fro going on ;D

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Getting Kinky: 3 Easy, Everyday Senegalese Twist Hair Styles

 

 

 

I'm still getting used to having massive amounts of hair, but I am quite enjoying the different look. DCT claims I look like I should be a news presenter for MTV UK and will only listen to me if I talk with a British accent....he's so special, that one :)

These three styles have kind of been my go-to for work when I don't feel (or have the arm strength) like putting it all up in a bun. I've learned that with all the running around I do at work, I have to have my hair out of my face or else I'll just get frustrated and cranky and begin thinking evil thoughts, and really no one likes a frustrated, cranky, and evil Ashlei ;)

I've been doing daily searches on YouTube for different ways to style senegalese twists and have built up quite a supply of styles to try so keep a look out for more in-depth how-to's, especially for the holidays!

Hope you all have a great weekend! Thanksgiving is next week, what?!? Haha! Thanks for reading!

Happy Friday!!!

Getting Kinky: Product Review - Motions Smoothing Conditioner

It's been a long time since I've had a product review and honestly it's because I simply don't venture to new products as much as when I first went natural. I tend to stick with what I know my hair seems to like, plus I get to save money for important things....like shoes, a girl has got to have her priorities, ya know? :]

I'm actually bringing you this review due to a couple of factors:

1. I received the Motions Smoothing Conditioner as a free gift during the Curly Nikki meetup I attended (more on that below!).

2. I conveniently ran out of my other conditioner and have been too lazy/busy/forgetful to pick up some more.

3. I honestly like the product!

A couple of weekends ago Curly Nikki finally made it out to Chicago for a natural hair meetup at Japonais sponsored by Motions Hair Care. As you would expect people came all out for this event! There was literally a line out the door, down the building, and around the corner. There were signature drinks, delicious appetizers, bumpin' tunes, and fluffy, kinky, gorgeous natural hair in every corner of the building.

 

Curly Nikki was front and center, along with celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen (who is famous for creating Rihanna's infamous bob hair style), and both did a short talk about natural hair and the Motions Naturally You hair line products. What I really enjoyed about the meetup was how both Nikki and Ursula intermingled with the crowd and didn't run off and hide in some private back room. This was great because it gave me the opportunity to meet Nikki face-to-face, thank her for my Naturally Glam Hair Idol feature, and even snap a pic together!

All in all a really cool experience!

Now on to this product review! As I said, I honestly like this product and I've been a fan of the brand as I frequently used their products when I had relaxed hair. You'll also remember I did a little post about the release of this new natural hair care line when interviewing one of their Naturally Fabulous Girls, Erica Smith. So it seems only fitting that I try the new line and let you all know what I think! This review is only for their Smoothing Conditioner as I haven't had a chance to try the Deep Conditioning Masque just yet. So finally on to that review!

Before Washing: Popping open the bottle you're hit with a nice floral perfumed scent that is custom to all Motion's products. The product has a thick and creamy texture which is always a good start to a conditioner. One qualm is that there seems to be a lot of added chemicals in the ingredients, which is fine, however I typically go for conditioners that have the majority, if not all, natural ingredients. My rule of thumb is if I can easily read all your ingredients without stumbling over large chemical names (I'm looking at you Isostearamidopropyl Dimethylamine) then you're alright in my book.

During the Wash: As mentioned it has a nice thick and creamy texture and I noticed I didn't have to use as much as my other conditioner, probably about a dollar coin amount. It felt heavy in my hair, but not in a bad way, more like I was getting extra extra moisture. It isn't very slippery so I probably wouldn't advise using it as a de-tangling conditioner.

After Washing: Once I rinsed the conditioner out I could definitely feel a little more smoothness to my curls, it felt nice to run my fingers through. I didn't add any other products and let my hair air dry, and I have to say I'm very impressed on how it made my hair feel once completely dry. It was very soft and luscious, had a little bit of extra shine and my curls were super defined! All of this without adding any other sort of styling product on top.

Overall I think this is a great product! My hair seems to have really taken to it and I can seem myself continuing to use the conditioner and even branching out to try their other products in the natural hair care line. Obviously this isn't going to work for everyone's hair so let me know if you've tried the product and if you got similar or completely different results.

Whew! This was a long post, thanks for sticking through and reading it all! Hope everyone had a great Halloween Weekend!

Getting Kinky: Box Braids

Hi there!

So guys and gals, I have a confession. I've been having second thoughts about my natural 'do. You see I've become a little bored with the same old fro and I'm in dire need of something new to spice things up. I've thought about highlights or all over color, growing dreads (but I don't have the patience), or even chopping it all off and starting new again.

And then, as many of my epiphanies come about, I saw a girl randomly on the street with the best hair ever. And it was in braids. Long, chunky, beautiful braids. And right then and there it was decided that I too shall have braids this winter.

The boho box braid has been one of the trendiest hairstyles of the summer (Thanks Solange Knowles!), which is just more proof that the styles of the 90's are making a come back (I'm looking at you Janet Jackson).

I absolutely love the look and have truly developed an obsession, so much so that I have to have some to call my own. Box braids can make for a really great, low-maintenance, protective style, which is what I'm in the market for. Plus, it'll give my hair a much needed break and hopefully time to really grow.

Photos via: Pinterest / I Love Box Braids / The lovely Tomilola at Style Loveletters

I think I've finally decided on a stylist, so it's just a matter of booking an appointment and 'gitting r done' ;) Have any of you had or have braids, twists, etc? I would really love some tips on hair care and styles, I haven't had braids since high school so the more advice I can get the better. Feel free to share in the comments below and stay tuned for my new 'do!

Thanks for reading!

Getting Kinky: Tips for Traveling with Natural Hair

It's here! It's here! DCT and I are finally off to Europe tomorrow morning and I couldn't be more excited. I feel like it was forever ago when we first started planning our trip and now we're actually going. I can't wait to see the fam and to show DCT around, it's going to be such a great experience :)

I definitely consider myself a bit of a travel bug (I mean I grew up as an Air Force Brat, can you blame me?), but I have to admit traveling with natural hair is still relatively new to me. The last time I took an extended holiday, my hair was still very short and therefore required little to no maintenance when traveling. Now, I have a pretty decent size fro that will definitely require some TLC, so in true Ashlei fashion I stalked browsed the web to find some tips and tricks for traveling as a natural and now I'm here to share some of those tips with you!

Top 7 Tips for Traveling with Natural Hair

7. Pack Your Every Day Styling Tools.

This includes your comb, brush, bobby pins, and hair ties that you use on a daily basis. This way, no matter how you style your hair you'll be familiar with the tools you're using. This is especially important if you're traveling outside your home country as you can't be certain they'll have the same or even similar tools where you're going.

6. Must Have Products Only.

I definitely succumbed to product-junkie tendencies as a new natural and still come across new products that I just have to try, but traveling is not the time to try out that new hair cream. The last thing you want is to be on some fabulous get-away frustrated because you're hair isn't responding to this hot new product like you'd hoped. Therefore you should stick with what you know works for your hair and only bring the essentials, that  way you're not weighed down with tons of different products. Finally, don't forget to grab those travel size containers, they'll take up less space so you'll have more room for other necessities, like your shoes :)

5. Protect Your Curls.

I'm totally that passenger who curls up against the window seat and passes out the minute we take off, and my last couple trips I've fallen victim to the side-slopped fro. You know what I'm talking about, you get to the airport, your fro in the perfect shape, you settle down in your little window seat, take a nap after take off, wake up and....uh oh! That perfect fro is no more! To keep this from happening, try wearing a protective style on the plane ride, either twists or a bun, or if you don't have the time to style it before hitting the airport tie it up in a turban (I have lots of how-to's here!). Also don't forget to bring a satin scarf or bonnet for when it's time to get some shut-eye, you don't want those cotton hotel pillows pulling your hair :)

4. Be Prepared.

Understand that different climates can cause different reactions to your hair, what was once smooth, luscious curls in Chicago can become dry, frizzy knots in Dallas (true story!). So be sure the products you bring with you are able to combat with the different elements. Also, do your research before taking off! If you're heading down South where it's typically hot and humid you may just want to bring a light styling gel while if you're going somewhere in the desert where the climate is typically more dry you may want to pack a heavier styling cream.

3. Always Have a Plan C.

To tie in with being prepared, sometimes your hair won't cooperate no matter what products you put in it so always have a Plan C and bring some accessories. Hats, scarves, headbands, whatever's your favorite to use when your curls just aren't acting right.

2. Keep It Simple.

It's your vacation! Now is not the time to try out that new chunky twisted updo. Let your 'fro fly free! The less you fuss with your hair the more time you'll have to enjoy your experience, which is the reason you went on vacay in the first place.

1. Relax!

Again, this is your vacation not Paris Fashion Week (...unless you are actually going to Paris Fashion Week, then in that case let's chat, cause I'd like to go too ;] ) This is your time to live la bella vita! We all know our curls can have a mind of their own and your vacay is the perfect time to let them just do their thang, Think of it as a vacation for your curls from all the stretching and twisting and pinning we do on a daily basis. They need some R&R too, ya know.

There you have it! Anything you'd like to add from your experience traveling?

'Till Next Time...

All Photos via Pinterest

Getting Kinky: Pin Up

Hi there! I've been playing around with my hair a lot lately, now that I have a little more length it's easier to try different looks. Though I'm still not at the length I'd like to be, I do enjoy the challenge of trying to figure out how to recreate a certain style with my current length. Enter my version of a pin up style....

This was a very quick and simple style, that'll I'll probably be using a lot more often now that I figured out how to create it. All I did was section off the front portion of my hair, and then using an Ouchless stretch headband I wrapped it around the back portion of my hair. Then I smoothed out the back of my hair by pushing the headband up till it just reached the ends of my curls to create the look of my hair being pinned. Afterwards, I simply fluffed to give it a bit more volume, et voila! It literally took me all of 5 minutes and it's so easy to switch it up with different hair accessories.

If y'all are interested in a more detailed step-by-step (with more pictures or even....a video!) tutorial let me know. In the mean time, here are a couple of tutorials I found while browsing YouTube that I would love to try once my hair gets just a little longer. Follow the links below and enjoy, let me know if you try to recreate some of the styles. Hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday!

Tuto Pin Up - Joyce Harmonie (It's in French, but I think it's still pretty easy to understand how she created the look, also love her nails! Ils sont beux!)

Retro Updo - Backsyncfan (She is so cute! Definitely check out her YouTube channel for more great tutorials)

Easy To Do Hairstyle inspired by Pin Up Girls - The Pinup Noire (She is the natural hair pin up guru, I think this one is simple enough for beginners (like me!), but check out her channel for more advanced styles)

That's all folks! :)

'Till Next Time...

Getting Kinky: Summer Natural Hair Products

Hi everyone! So a couple weeks ago I brought you 5 ways to jazz up your hair for the summer. Today I want to talk about products you should use during these hot humid/dry days ahead of us. The key, as in winter, is to keep your hair hydrated, but it's especially crucial in the summer as our hair is usually exposed to the elements more from going to the beach/pool, street festivals, road trips, etc.

There's a lot more your hair has to handle during the summer months and though you want your hair to be moisturized, don't over-weigh it with products, that's no fun for you or your hair in 80+ degree heat. So continue on below and check out so summer products and tips for you to use these next few months!

1. AG Hair Cosmetics Fast Food 2. Kinky Curly Knot Today 3. Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper 4. Oyin Handmade Hair Dew 5. Mixed Chicks Leave-in Conditioner

Leave-in conditioners are important as they give that extra boost of moisture after you cleanse your hair. Some summer tips, put leave-in conditioner in your hair before taking a dip into the ocean or a pool, it'll help keep your hair from absorbing too much salt or chlorine. After your fun in the sun, rinse your hair out and put more leave-in condish back on it to keep it from getting dried out.

1. Curl Junkie Curls in a Bottle 2. Mop Top Light-Hold Anti-Frizz Gel 3. As I Am Curling Jelly 4. DevaCare Arc AnGEL 5. Darcy's Botanicals Avocado & Honey Twisting Cream

When styling your hair, switch to lighter products like gels and jellies, they're a perfect addition over leave-in's as they're not heavy and will still help seal the moisture in your hair. Try to avoid using hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons, and other heat styling as much as possible as you'll already have the heat from the endless sunshine on your hair.

1. JessiCurl Hair Cleansing Cream 2. Blended Beauty Curl Cleansing Conditioner 3. Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner 4. Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Conditioner

Shampooing should be kept to a minimum as over cleansing can quickly dry your hair out and make it brittle. Try using a cleansing conditioner instead to keep your hair clean, moisturized, and healthy!

1. MYHoneyChild Olive You Deep Conditioner 2. Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix 3. Aubrey Organics Blue Green Algae Conditioning Mask 4. DevaCurl Heaven in Hair 5. Spiral Solutions Deeply Decadent Moisturizing Treatment

More exposure to the elements means more deep conditioning! You should try and do a treatment once a week depending on how dry your hair gets.

And there you have it! All these products can be found on NaturallyCurly's Curl Mart. Hope everyone has a great day!

'Till Next Time...