Sunday, December 5, 2010

Henna Update


Hello to all of my lovely naturals,

Hi ladies well I have been applying henna to my hair for about three weeks now...yes I am doing it once a week. I am pretty sure that I am going to change to every two weeks not for any reason in particular but just because it is time consuming. So I really love the results not only is my hair shiner but it is smoother,softer and stronger. I have not had much color change but it looks as though it is turning a light brown, which I am thankful for because I did not want to go red. When I first blogged about my henna experience I was using the henna/cassia mix that is made by light mountain (whole foods) and my major concern was the loss of curl pattern that I have heard people complain about. Once I washed my hair I noticed that my curl pattern was the same but maybe just a little looser but the good thing about cassia is that it is not permanent, it lasts up to two weeks in your hair. After a couple of washes I was back to normal. Because I knew that I wanted to do a full henna application I was afraid that after repeat applications I would not like the results. So whats a natural girl to do?! Well I searched the henna blogs and forums and women were talking about mixing their henna with alma to retain your curl pattern. That is just what I did I mixed half henna with half alma and my hair is back to normal but it is a little wavier which I like. I think everyone should at the least do a cassia treatment once a month because it is like a deep conditioner for you hair and trust me you will love the results. Check out the pics below of my braid out and tell me what you think.


Always,

Verano



Thursday, December 2, 2010

Tips on How to Retain Your Hair and Even Help it to Grow

Hello to all of my lovely naturals,

Hi guys!!! I apologize about not blogging yesterday it totally slipped my mind I had an event to attend...So I have a lot of friends who are concerned about loosing their hair or making it grow in certain spots. If you can remember a couple of posts back I touched on making your hair grow by applying aloe vera juice/gel to it. Well after some research I found a couple of oils and herbs that will promote hair growth. The amazing thing about these oils and herbs is that you probably already have them around the house or in you hair product arsenal and you can apply them topically.

Basil: Promotes hair growth

Grapefruit Oil: Promotes hair growth

Peppermint Oil: Promotes hair growth

Cypress: Promotes hair growth

Sage: Promotes hair growth

Saw Palmetto: Promotes hair growth


Keep in mind that these herbs and oils have other delightful benefits but I just wanted to point out that they promote hair growth.You can get these oils at any health food store,use them and let me know if they work for you!


Always,

Veranos

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Stylin n Profilin: TWA + New Oil!!!!!

Hello hello to all of my lovely naturals,

So I must admit that I have been a little bit bias, I have forgotten about our natural men and our sista's who have just transitioned. For those of you who are currently rockin' your twa (teeny weeny afro) I wanna so go head wit you bad self. I loved when my hair was super short it was so cute and so sassy. On the other hand I feel your pain cuz eventually you get tired of the wash and go but don't fret it will all be over with in a matter of months. For the ladies that have a twa don't forget to use head bands,flowers,clips, oh and hair combs. You can also pin your hair into a fro hawk. I know that I have been preaching about protective styles, no wash n go, and moisturize but for you all with twa's a wash n go is really all you have. So here are a couple of tips: First remember that you don't have to do a wash and go all the time, after you wash you hair you can apply a leave in conditioner, then on the days that you hair is looking a little thirsty you can add water to rejuvenate. Second water is your friend sometimes whipped shea butter and castor oil are too heavy for your twa, I use to use distilled water mixed with aloe vera juice.Third invest in a light oil moisturizer ie coconut oil, sweet almond oil,jojoba oil, tea tree oil....and mix this with a heavier oil ie castor oil or olive oil...when mixing these oils remember to use more light oil than heavier oil. Keep in mind that this length is only temporary and cherish it cuz the more you hair grows the more time consuming it can be. Okay so on to the hairstyle my friend Xety came over and he is growing his hair out. Now I would be lying if I didn't say that it was a hot mess but fortunately for him I did not take any before pics. His hair was just dry you know to the point where it even looks dry and once this happens you curls just look pitiful. Make sure that you are moisturizing every day and it is super easy when you have a twa. Anyway lucky for him I was just concocting an elixir and had some left over. I was playing around with the whipped coconut oil recipe that I posted last week instead of using aloe vera juice I used castor oil and loved the results. First I sprayed his hair with distilled water and then worked in the elixir. So without further adue here is the recipe and the pics. Check it out and tell me what you think.

Always,

Verano




Whipped Coconut Oil Remix

1/2 cup of Coconut Oil
1 tablespoon of Castor Oil

Then Whip It!!


Monday, November 29, 2010

Glycerin and Aloe Vera Juice/Gel

Hello to all of my lovely naturals,

Today I want to go over some of my favorite products!!! I use these is almost all of my home brewed elixirs. They not only moisturize but they also bring a shine to my hair. Now you will hear  a lot of people say that you should not use glycerin in the winter time, I say figure it out for yourself use what works on your hair no matter the season! So below you will find the definitions for these products and I hope that this helps you to make educated decisions when it comes to putting products in your hair.

Aloe Vera Juice/Gel: Helps with dry,damaged and frizzy hair. Acts as a natural conditioner and moisturizer. Also has the ability to grow hair in some people the gel/juice will activate an enzyme therefore promoting hair growth.


Glycerin:is a clear, sticky liquid that is naturally produced during the soap making process. As a humectant, it attracts moisture, so is nice to use in products designed to provide additional hydration to the skin or hair. Since glycerin attracts moisture from the environment it will attract moisture from the air and toward the hair. The effectiveness of glycerin in a dry climate is questionable since a dry environment contains no moisture to be pulled toward the skin.

Always,

Verano

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Stylin n Profilin: Protective Braids

Hello to all of my lovely naturals!

I hope that you all had a blast for the holiday, cuz I know I did : ) So for most of us it is getting colder outside meaning that the days of the wash and go are over. In order to maintain proper moisture we will need to protect our hair, we can do that by properly moisturizing and wearing it in styles that are no fuss and do not unnecessarily cause our hair to be exposed to the elements. This does not mean that you can not wear the occasional blow out, braid out, afro puff and so on and so forth. This means that you should keep your hair in a protective style for 80 percent of the week at least in order to insure that your beautiful locs will still be able to thrive. Okay so on to my hairstyle...in order to achieve this hairstyle I first sprayed my hair with some water then moisturized it with natures blessing and detangled. Then I begun my braids but I started from the bottom going up, once I was done I pin curled (my fav) the tips and tied it up. In the morning I got up and took down the middle braid by a couple of inches and poofed it up into a mini bouffant. This style can be worn for a week and a half then for the rest of the week you can wear a braid out. Oh and remember that just because you have your hair in braids does not mean that you can relax on moisturizing your hair. Check it out and tell me what you think.

Always,

Verano





Tuesday, November 23, 2010

My Miracle Elixir: Whipped Coconut Oil

Hello to all of my lovely naturals!

Alright I am not sure which site I got this from but it is the bomb! After I hennaed my hair (well talk about that later) I put it into twists and sealed it with my whipped coconut oil. I loved it because it is not as heavy as my whipped shea butter so I can use this whenever I need something more than my spritzer but less than my whipped shea butter and it adds just the right amount of sheen. Try it!


1/2 cup of virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon of aloe vera juice/gel

and whip it!




Monday, November 22, 2010

Stylin n Profilin: Fat Twist Out w/ Twist Headband

Hello to all my lovely naturals!!!!

Okay so I apologize about not posting yesterday but I was filming my video for youtube which I posted this afternoon so check me out at MzGrimmage!!! and tell me what you think. I know that I have been posting Sun-Thurs but now that I have my youtube up and working (well it needs a little bit more work) I will have to balance or better yet juggle the two, that being said there might be some changes coming; I will let you all know when I figure it out myself. Now that's out of the way I want to show you all this easy hair do that I did for my friend and fellow blogger Metaphor. I co-washed the hair with Trader Joes Nourish Spa Conditioner and deep conditioned it with Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque. Then I hit it with my whipped shea butter and I applied my natural spritzer on it, detangled, and twisted it into about 7/8 fat twists which then were pin curled. Once everything dried (she slept on it) I put some castor oil on my fingers and un raveled the twists, poofed the hair. I sectioned off the top and twisted from one ear to the next then secured the end of the twist with a bobby pin that I hid behind her ear. In order to maintain this hair style all you need to do is twist the back part of your hair every other day (or everyday its up to you) and un ravel in the morning. Check it out drop a line and tell me what you think.