Morning Quickie: Locs

the BF was lusting after her hair... and honestly i was too!

The decision has finally been made, once and for all, to loc my hair. I know you’re all just as excited about it as me. Right?! So now it just comes down to finding a loctician who a) knows what they’re doing and can explain the ins & outs of locs to me, and b) doesn’t charge an arm and a leg. I’m thinking two strand twists are gonna be the way to go, considering the length of my hair. (Will another method work just as well? Tell me. Y’all know I don’t know!) There are several things that have me pretty excited about the decision:

1.       Not having to detangle (thank ya lawd)

2.       The end of unsightly knots

3.       Not as many day to day “what to do with my hair?” issues, which are happening more and more as my hair gets longer

4.       Reduced (or eliminated?) bad hair days

How gorgeous is this?!

5.       Being able to style my hair more easily

6.       Having my hair pulled without it being completely messed up (not that that’s an issue… yanno… ummm, just in case it ever… uhhh nevermind!)

7.       The prospect of just doing something different with my hair!

But there are some other things that I’m not so hype about, like

1.       Having to learn a whole new maintenance routine, since I know nothing of how to wash & condition locs

2.       The trial & error process of selecting the right products, because everything doesn’t work the same for everyone

3.       Spending money to get my hair retwisted. I know this only has to last until the hair actually locs and then I can do it on my own if I’m comfortable, but still… I’m kinda in the poor house right now!

4.       Having to wash my hair more often. I refuse to let sweat and product buildup have me walking around smelling crazy! And the fact that I live in Mississippi (apparently we’re right under the sun!) and sweat easily… ugh, I’ll be washing every other day!

5.       How long it could take my hair to loc. I’ve heard it can take up to two years! Y’all know I don’t have patience like that. Of course it depends on the type of hair, the starting method, maintenance, etc. Hopefully my hair ADD won’t kick in before it happens.

This is the thickness I want my locs. They're gorgeous!

Morning Quickie: To Cut or Not to Cut?

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="203" caption="my short hair inspiration"][/caption]

Lately I've been obsessed with short hair cuts. (And purple hair, but that's a different post.) Maybe because my hair is at a length now where I have to take serious care of it & put thought into styling or it looks a hot mess. Maybe because by the time I did the big chop, I was already past the TWA (teeny-weeny afro) because I transitioned for 10 months. Mostly I think it's because I miss those wash & go days and the time when one bottle of product lasted forever!

Anyway, I'm seriously considering whether to cut my hair next spring/summer. Even though it is growing like crazy (length check coming soon... probably) and I love long hair, I'm just not feeling it as much as I should. So I wanna switch it up. The drawback? People's reactions. For many of us, long hair is equated with beauty. I've previously discussed my own hangups with seeing myself with short hair after having long "pretty" hair be my redeeming feature for so long. And my father and grandmother both exclaimed that I "look so much better" with long hair and said "promise you won't cut your hair anymore" after I got rid of my permed ends. I didn't make that promise, and I know neither of them will have anything positive to say.

But hey, at the end of the day, it's my decision. Other people's long hair hangups don't have to be mine. My only concern at this point is finding a cut that fits my full face.

Are you all "long hair, don't care," "short hair everything," or "whatever works"?

Carol's Daughter Has a New Line: Chocolat

Y'all know I'm really not a product junkie. I have a few staple products and only experiment from time to time. However, I am excited about the launch of a new line of products from Carol's Daughter: the Chocolat Smoothing Collection. From huffingtonpost.com:

The 3-step collection (Smoothing shampoo, Smoothing conditioner and Smoothing Blow Dry Cream) of sulfate-free products is designed to physically rebuild hair structure from the inside out. Whether you chemically treat your hair of have natural tresses, the products will work on all hair types...

There are hints of Ylang, Iris and vanilla to help round out the sweet chocolate base.

"It's a very wonderful experience when you're blowing our your hair to have this chocolate floral thing going on. Usually you just smell hair when you blow out your hair, but with this you have a really great sensory experience in the shower and out of the shower," Price adds.

[caption id="attachment_1708" align="alignright" width="246" caption="Impossibly Smooth Curly-to-Straight Set"][/caption]

On the Carol's Daughter website, there are several Chocolat sets to choose from. The one that I'm ready to try? Impossibly Smooth Curly-to-Straight. It includes Smoothing Conditioner, Smoothing Blow Dry Cream and Macadamia Heat Styling Hairspray. Here are the claims:

 

Deep-conditions and tames curly hair for an Impossibly Smooth blow-out that lasts

This collection straightens out all the frizzy issues that usually come with naturally curly hair—from having parched locks to flaky product buildup. The main ingredient Cacao, found in the deeply nourishing Chocolät Smoothing Conditioner and Blow-Dry Cream, adds extra moisture to each strand to fight unruly flyaways after a blow-out. Finish and protect your new tresses with Macadamia’s lightweight styling spray for added shine and control.

Added bonus,they give instructions on how to properly use the products included for the desired results. That's great for someone like me who tends to buy things and then ask "So what do I do with this now?" (Don't judge me!)

Sounds promising! Since the weather is cooling off (OMG

it was in the upper 30s this morning y'all!) I'll be wearing my hair straight every now and then. Considering my past problems with straightening, I'm looking forward to seeing whether this will make a significant difference in the results. I've only used one other Carol's Daughter product before, the Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner. Since I had good experiences with that, I have high hopes for this line.

Anyone else excited to try this line? Already ordered it? Share your experiences with Carol's Daughter products.

Why I Don't Care if Natural Hair is Just a "Fad"

[caption id="attachment_1509" align="alignleft" width="200" caption=""I've BEEN in the game!""][/caption]

"This is just a fad for them; I've been natural 10/20/100 years!" For some reason, this is a comment that I see over and over again on natural hair sites and message boards. Some ladies who have been natural for a while seem to look down at those of us who have decided to go natural within the last few years. To me, it's very sad but a little laughable as well.

With the exception of those who have never had any chemicals applied to their hair, everyone had some starting point for their natural journey. So to say that because you're only x number of months in the game, you aren't "real" about it is rather absurd. But it is rather dashing to realize that there is yet another division among us. Not only do we have natural vs. relaxed and "real" naturals (4b & c) against other hair types, we can add newbie naturals vs. old heads. Why do we do this to ourselves?!

Listen, if it is a fad for someone else, that should have no bearing on what goes on with your hair. And yes, it is a fad for

some. Some ladies will cut all their hair off and rock a TWA, then perm it when it gets a little longer, then dye it some outrageous color, wear a weave for a while, and do any and everything in between. So what? It's their head, their style, their choice. Whether they are natural for a few months, a year, the rest of their lives, or even if they never go natural at all, my only concern is that people (and black women and men in particular) realize that we don't have to have silky straight locks to be beautiful. We don't have to feel that relaxing our hair is the only option to be "presentable." Our hair, in its natural state can be elegant, professional, funky, casual and healthy. As long as that message gets through, it doesn't matter if others think it's a fad, trend, or lifestyle change.

Do You Seal Your Ends?

[caption id="attachment_1489" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="pic courtesy of thankgodimnatural.wordpress.com"][/caption]

Lately when I search the web for natural hair tips, I focus more on what I can do to keep my hair healthy, not just cute styles. One thing that I've learned about is sealing my hair, particularly the ends. Of course the ends of your hair are the oldest and are more susceptible to damage and splitting. Sealing the ends of your hair won't repair splits (only thing to do then is trim those ends off) but it can add protection to healthy hair. That is because sealing helps lock moisture inside the strand. The drier the hair, the more likely it is to be damaged. And when your hair is constantly breaking due to damage/split ends, it seems that the hair is not growing. So you definitely need to take action against that.

Now don't roll your eyes and say "Great, something else to add to my routine!" Sealing your hair is not hard to do at all! I follow these simple steps, courtesy of Curly Nikki:

1. Start with wet hair.
Water is the only true form of moisture, if water is not present, neither is moisture.

2. Apply a leave-in, moisturizer or creme.
Try Direct Leave-In or your favorite water based leave-in. Avoid products that claim to moisturize, but have petroleum or mineral oil in the first five ingredients.
(Now y'all know I'm not averse to using petroleum or mineral oil--they've worked fine for me--so this is up to you. However, I use Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. Y'all already know I love that stuff!)

3. Apply a top coat of an oil or butter.
Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, and Coconut Oil, and Raw Shea or Mango butter are all great choices and can be found in most health food stores such as Whole Foods or Trader Joes. (My personal preference is coconut oil.)(source)

 

Do you seal your ends, and if so have you been able to see a difference in the condition of your hair?

I'm Bored With My Hair!

[caption id="attachment_1467" align="alignleft" width="266" caption="yeah, that's kinda how I'm feeling"][/caption]

Maybe it's because my hair is in that weird length where it's too long for a fro but too short for many other styles I want to try. Maybe it's because most of the styles I've tried have really just been variations of the same look. I'm not really sure why, but I'm a little bored with my hair. Still love it; still can't keep my hands out of it. Just not feeling as patient or as happy with it at the present moment (even as I get oohs and aahs over its growth and volume). Now, this is not just a natural hair thing. I had this complaint many times while relaxed as well. That lead to layers, streaks, color, breakage from the color that resulted in a cut, a rush to make it longer, more streaks, more cutting. Since straightening is out (way too humid for that right now) I am leaning towards kinky twists. Hopefully by the time I take them down (my goal is 1.5-2 months) I'll be excited about Big Sexy again. If not, we'll give it some color and see what that does.

How do you handle hair boredom? Do you switch up your look often, or is it pretty consistent? Did your transition from permed to natural arise from being tired of the same old look (like mine did) or have you considered going back to relaxing your hair to do something different?

Chlorine + Natural Hair = Oh, No...

This weekend I went swimming played around in a pool for the first time in a long time. This being the first time swimming as a natural, I figured it would be okay to not wear a swimcap or anything because there were no chemicals in my hair for the chlorine to interact with. I really figured it would be okay if I just gave it a quick wash after I swam.

(Don't you dare laugh at my ignorance!) I ended up not washing it after swimming (I was in a hurry to get back to the party) and waited until Sunday morning to wash and condition my hair. Let's just say that me and Big Sexy are not on good terms right now. She's not soft at all, and I know I'm gonna have to do some serious work to get on her good side again.

Since I realized that this would not work and I do have plans to swim more this summer, I decided to look up the effects of chlorine and what steps could be taken to prevent this steel wool mess on top of my head. Here is what I found:

 

What is so terrible about pool water? Why is it so damaging? What is chlorine?

From Wikipedia:

Chlorine is a powerful oxidant and is used in bleaching and disinfectants. As a common disinfectant,

chlorine compounds are used in swimming pools to keep them clean and sanitary.

Chlorine being an oxidant, or an oxidizing agent, is what makes it so damaging to hair. How exactly? (If you don’t want to read all this, the main point is that “Chlorine=Bad for Hair”)

According to Chemical and physical behavior of human hair, someone named Allworden was the first to test the effects of chlorine on hair. He used wool fibers and exposed it to chlorine. The chlorine created bubbles and sacs across the surface of the epicutical, or the thin layer of material covering the hair of mammals  (that’s us ya’ll!! ).

These sacs form as a result of diffusion of chlorine water into cuticle cells and weaken the protein of the hair. The product of this reaction is unable to diffuse out, causing swelling which creates the sac. (source)

These chemicals, chlorine in particular, dehydrate the hair and are particularly harmful to natural hair as it is already pre-disposed to dryness.

Chlorine sucks away sebum, the natural oil our scalp produces to keep the hair healthy, and this causes the cuticle to dry out and crack. The end result is dry, brittle hair.

Here are a few tips to protect your hair as you swim!

1. Rinse Thoroughly

Before you jump in the pool, rinse your hair thoroughly with warm water.

Why? Think about a sponge. If you place a dry sponge in a puddle of water, it will absorb the water until it is saturated.

If you place a wet sponge in a pool of water, it will only absorb a small quantity of water. The sponge is already filled with water so there is no need to absorb the puddle water.

We want the hair shaft to be swollen and full of water before we hop in the pool. This way the hair does not absorb the

chlorinated water.

So, hop in the shower or rinse your hair over the sink so ensure it is saturated with regular tap water before hopping in the pool.

2. Apply Coconut oil to the hair.

Coconut oil protects and seals the hair cuticles. It also helps your hair retain moisture by sealing moisture into the hair shaft. I use Tukka Restorative Hair Treatment since it contains ingredients that not only seals, protects my hairs cuticle it also helps my hair retain moisture by sealing moisture into the hair shaft while nourishing and lubricating my hair at the same time.

3. Apply a conditioner

After the hair is saturated, apply a conditioner. Any cheap conditioner will do. Use conditioners that are for dry, damaged, chemically treated hair.

Apply a generous amount of the conditioner to hair, making sure to coat the length, roots and scalp.

Conditioner will not only moisturize the hair, it will also help protect the hair from the harsh pool water.

Do not rinse out the conditioner. We want the conditioner to protect your delicate hair strands!

4. Go for a Swim

If possible wrap the hair with Saran wrap and cover with a swim cap. Even if a bit water gets into the swim cap, the hair is well-protected.

5. Use a Chelating Shampoo

After swimming, rinse out the conditioner and pool water for at least 3-5 minutes and use a Chelating Shampoo. The chemicals in the shampoo “chelate” with the chlorine and rinse it out of the hair.

Popular Chelating Shampoos:

L’anza Swim & Sun Daily Shampoo, Joico K-Pak Chelating, Joico Resolve Chelating Shampoo, Nexxus Aloe Rid (with chelating gel), Nexxus Phyto Organics Kelate Purifying Shampoo, Ouidad Water Works, Artec Textureline Daily Clarifying Shampoo, Kenra Clarifying Chelating Shampoo, Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three, Aveda Detox.

[TORI'S NOTE: If you're like me, you have no idea what "chelate" means. Well according to the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, "'Chelate' means 'claw,' and chelated minerals have been chemically bonded, so that they figuratively hang on, like a claw, to amino acids (the building blocks of protein) or other organic acids. The theory is that this makes them more absorbable."]

6. Apply a Deep Conditioner

Apply a super moisturizing deep conditioner to the hair in sections, cover with a plastic cap and let penetrate for 20-30 minutes.

7. Seal and protect the hair cuticles

Sealing and protecting the hair cuticles helps the hair retain moisture.  Great oils to use are coconut oils and castor oil. Hair treatments that contain 100% natural ingredients are the best to use such as  Tukka Restorative Hair Treatment.

8. Use a Low/No Heat Method of Styling

To combat dryness, try air drying the hair in braids, twists or a bun or try setting your hair on roller, rods or curlers and allow the hair to dry overnight or air dry during the day. Try, if possible, to avoid using both a blow dryer and flat-iron or curling iron as the direct heat is especially drying to those who swim regularly. (source)

Were You Anti-Natural Before Going Natural?

I saw a tweet on my timeline Monday that made me think back to the months prior to my decision to go natural. I was on several sites where women were discussing transitioning, styles they were trying on their natural hair, etc. There were several other ladies--myself included--who would playfully interrupt them with praise for the creamy crack. And after many of my line sisters went natural, I boldly stated that I was in love with the perm and would never let it go!

[caption id="attachment_1261" align="alignright" width="205" caption="pic from a Google search. I have no idea who this young lady is but her hair is gorgeous!"][/caption]

Most of my words were said in jest, but I will admit that some of it came from the jealousy I felt after my first failed attempt at going natural. Now that I am completely natural, I'm a little amused when I hear the same words I used coming back on me. (Side note: many of the other ladies who were professing their love of the creamy crack are going or have gone natural too! LOL)

So that brings me to today's question: Were you (for lack of a better term) anti-natural hair when you were still relaxing? If so, what was your reasoning? And what changed?

REPOST: You rockin’ a fro for the 4th?

July 4th is quickly approaching, and many naturalistas will be wearing big beautiful afros (or fierce TWAs). You can find last year's post on it here:  You rockin’ a fro for the 4th?.

I couldn't make it work last year; my hair was not cooperating! But that won't stop me from trying it again this year. So who is with me? We want to see how you rock it! Be sure to share your pix with us by sending them to submissions@kinxnquirx.com

 



 

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My Hair Won't Stay Straight!

The other day I was talking to a sales lady at AT&T and the subject turned to natural hair. She mentioned flat ironing her hair, and I kinda guffawed because we've had 100+ temperatures this past week and humidity through the roof. I had to ask how long her blowouts last, and guess what she said? She said it lasts til she washes it!! A week, two weeks... It stays straight. She doesn't even have to retouch it. Y'all know I was jealous right? Seriously, my hair starts to frizz up the day after I straighten it. Even when I did my blowout in December (when the humidity is pretty much non-existent) it started poofing up the next day. I did notice that her hair appeared courser than mine, and maybe that had something to do with it. We didn't have time to talk products though.

Now my mission is to find out whether I need to use different products or whether my hair type is just rebellious. Actually, scratch that last part; I know my hair is rebellious. The question is whether or not it can be tamed!

Do you/have you had problems with your hair reverting back soon after a blowout? If you no longer do, what is your secret? Help a sista out!

One Year Natural

DAAAAAANG, really? Has it been a whole year since I chopped off my permed ends? Hard to believe, but yup, it's my one year nappiversary! Honestly, I am very proud of myself for sticking with it (I've got commitment issues!) and more importantly learning my hair. One of my major concerns going into this was maintaining the health of my hair, not just the look. Fortunately I've not experienced any breakage or major shedding, and from looking at the pix I know it's growing!

 

[caption id="attachment_1108" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="the day after the big chop *cringe*"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1109" align="alignright" width="300" caption="i was in love with this curl pattern!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1111" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="today, my 1 year nappiversary!"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1110" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Memorial Day 2011, just because :)"][/caption]

This year has definitely been a learning experience. I've read books, blogs and magazines, but in the end the only way to truly learn about natural hair is to experience it. All of the info in the world couldn't tell me what my hair wanted and needed. Once I got over the fear of not knowing what I was doing (being a complete novice to hair care and all) I found out that it really wasn't that hard.

 

 

I think that a lot of women have a fear of going natural or think they can't because they've been lead to believe it's too hard. While it is time-consuming and takes a bit of trial & error--and patience, of course--it isn't particularly difficult.

There were a couple of things that I focused on: health (preventing as much breakage & shedding as possible) and softness. Tried a few different products and paid attention to how my hair responded. Learned what styles I was able to do and what I needed to leave to others. I found my go-to styles: chunky twist-outs and fluffy twist-outs (like the one I rocked today), puffs and the fro with little accessories to give it flair. Still working on those protective styles; haven't quite got those down yet. :-/

Long story short: This is an ongoing lesson, but it's worthwhile. Don't be afraid to experiment and ask questions!

 

*no length check this post but it'll be coming soon!*

 

 

Another Hair Horror Story

Since I've been completely natural, I've been handling most of my hair care myself. Although it's been challenging at times, it is rewarding. However, I've missed the feeling of laying back and letting someone else pamper me. The last time I stepped foot into a salon was last September to get my ends trimmed, but a few weeks ago I decided it was time to make a return visit.

I went to Ulta Salon and had the same stylist who trimmed my hair before. Let me pause and say that she was recommended to me by another natural whose hair always looks great, so I felt like I was in good hands. I told her "I want to dye my hair a rich dark chocolate color, slightly darker than [other natural's name]'s hair." She said fine. I see her mixing up the color and it is gorgeous in the bottle, just what I'd envisioned. She puts it on, we're talking and laughing with other stylists and customers. She casually asks, "Do you mind if I straighten your hair?" For a split second I almost said no. After all, that's not what I came for. I just wanted a color and trim. But I figured what the heck.

Long story short:

My hair is the same darn color that it was before I went.
STRIKE ONE.

The blowout was frizzy by the second day and didn't last a full week.
STRIKE TWO.

When I washed my hair I noticed a few pieces of hair didn't have the same curl that it used to. So I deep conditioned. Several times. Yet I still have about six pieces of straight, heat damaged hair that stick out like sore thumbs.
STRIKE @!#$%^&*( THREE!!!

 

[caption id="attachment_1009" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="the look on my face only begins to show my pisstivity"][/caption]



I blame myself for letting this happen. I should've been more watchful while she did it. Probably should've asked questions about her straightening methods. Definitely should have listened to my first mind that said don't do it. Then I wouldn't be faced with the dilemma of camouflaging my damaged tresses. Interestingly, the ends of the straight pieces remain curled, even though the texture of the strands has completely changed from root to tip. Also interesting is the fact that they are all on one side of my head, mostly in that weird extra rough patch of hair. My guess is that when that section wouldn't succumb to the heat she turned it up. I also have two sections right up front that are dangling lifelessly.

From everything I've read, there is no coming back from heat damage, but I can't just chop off those pieces and have a little bald spot right at my hairline! Truly, Big Sexy has seen better days. For now she is being kept in a puff. Once there is some more growth I'll have to re-evaluate the situation and decide what to do then.

Oh, to add insult to injury? That was the most I'd ever paid to get my hair done. $110.

Have you ever had to deal with heat damage or some other hair horror at the hands of a professional stylist? How did you handle it?

Falling Off the Wagon

I am one of those people with a horrible propensity to start things vigorously but gradually fall off until eventually I'm not doin' a thing. This is particularly true when it involves some type of regimen. The multi-step teeth whitening process dwindled to just daily brushing, mouthwash rinse and occasional flossing (DJM!) and the skin care routine involving about five different products to be used nightly has come to just a good scrub in the morning and before bed.

The hair is slowly going the same way, but maybe if I put myself on blast I'll be more accountable to myself and to y'all. (Maybe... hopefully.) The slack started in the winter months when I was no longer doing wash-and-gos. I went from co-washing every other day to washing weekly or bi-weekly with shampoo and using a leave-in conditioner. Sadly, I don't condition as I should nowadays and I think I'm paying the price for it. I'm finding more and more of those little fairy knots, and my ends are looking a little rough even though I trim them from time to time. Plus (I don't know whether or not this is a result of lack of care) my hair is just limp, lifeless and won't do anything I want it to do. Not typical of Big Sexy.

I'm going to start babying my hair all over again, but I really need something simpler. A regimen with 50-11 steps just isn't going to work for me. As I stated when I first started, I'm lazy! I guess this is where a protective style would really come in handy, huh? Well I should be getting some just in time for graduation (Big Sexy doesn't play well with the graduation cap) so hopefully that will help some. But then what?

I need help y'all! Do you have problems keeping up with your routine? If so, how do you cope? Have you found something simpler, or do you just say "whatever!" and do pretty much nothing until the spirit moves you? C'mon, help me out!

Essential Oils

I'm looking for information on essential oils. I know about some of them, like jojoba and rosemary, but I want to dig deeper to find what other oils are out there and what they do. So far, the best information that I've found has come from Esoteric Oils. It includes information about various oils and gives a couple hair care recipes. The info is not limited to hair care; there are links about alternative medicine and treating various ailments with oils.

Please note that I am not endorsing anything sold by Esoteric Oils, nor have I tried any of their products/recipes. This is just the most comprehensive list that I have found to date. If any of my readers know of other sites (or better yet: books!) that provide information on essential oils, please hit me up in the comments or via email. I'd appreciate it soooo much!

Natural Hair Apparel

Even though it's only March, it's starting to warm up here in Mississippi . That means more casual outings, which means a need for more casual clothes. As I do more reading and searching the web for natural hair information, I often come across sites with cute tees, totes, etc. celebrating natural beauty. I wanted to share some of them with y'all just in case you wanted to buy me a birthday gift.

I love this Retro Chic T-shirt over at RegionUSA.com. Only thing I wonder about is how long the image would last. I've had bad luck with tees that had that kinda foil-like detailing on it. One or two washes and it was over! But of course this could be a lot better quality than what I had. I hope so, cuz I really want this shirt!

 

CafePress has tons of cute natural hair tees. I love this Kinky tee and how the word was used as an anagram. The word nerd in me is pleased!

 

This super cute "No exception" shirt is also from Cafe Press. I feel like I should wear this to church for all those older folks who say I look soooo much better with straight hair!

Through Twitter, I discovered YoungBlackNappy. They have a variety of tees, and I'm gonna get my hands on the "Naturally Sweet" and "Pick Pocket" shirts. I love "A mother's love" too. That may be next on the list.

Back to CafePress. I found this I *heart* locs gym bag. It's a simple little design but I fell in love with it!  I am a sucker for a fine man with locs. I can't get it tho. The BF just had to cut his locs recently and he's still a little touchy about it! LOL Maybe I can get it when he's not so sensitive...

 

Soapbox Theory is one of the few sites I've seen that had apparel for men and women, and surprisingly my favorite design is one that is for men! The BP (Black Power) Stance design is awesome. Would be great to have a curvy female figure for a women's shirt!

Goddess Zuri has several lines of t-shirts, many of which have a natural theme like this I'm a Natural tee from  the beau-tees line. I love the creativity behind one line especially, the Sorori-tees. They have a natural spin for all four of the NPHC sororities, and one for non-Greeks as well! Only one complaint: it looks like they ran out of ideas by the time they got to my beloved Zeta. -_- I like the design on the Delta tees much better.

Zazzle, like CafePress, has plenty of natural-themed shirts, bags, pins, etc. This Afros are Love tee is among my favorites. In fact, I really like most of the designs under Bushy Baby! Apparel. I haven't found out for sure, but from the design I want to say its the same person who did the "regret" pic that I love. Anyone know for sure?

I know I'm missing some great ones. And I've seen some in the past that I cannot find online. That gives me the sads. LOL Tell me what I've missed! Surely my readers know of some great pro-natural apparel that they're keeping secret :) You can tell me, I promise not to show up in the same place as you with the same shirt!

By the way, one of my projects that I'm working on (besides a new website and book) is a line of natural tees. It's still a little ways off, but I wanted to give y'all a heads up!

Afternoon Quickie: Good Hair

Today at lunch I got a question I haven't heard in a long time, not since I cut my hair into a bob almost two years ago. The girl at the counter asked, "Is that your real hair?" I can't lie, that lil comment made me smile, like "Yes! I got it back!" But then came the other comment... "Oh, you got that good hair."

-_-

I don't know what to do with this comment. I can't really be mad at someone for saying this; after all, they are trying to give me a compliment. But "good" hair implies that there is such a thing as "bad" hair, which simply isn't true. There are different textures, some which appeal more (to some people) than others or may seem easier to handle. But "good" is determined by the quality of care. Anyone can have "good" hair if they learn what their hair needs and not attempt to do things that should be done by professionals (coloring, relaxing, etc.) on their own/without consultation.

Of course, I can't go into this little shpeel every time someone makes the comment. Usually I just smile awkwardly and say thanks....


Do you say anything when you hear "good/bad hair" comments, or do you tend to let it slide? If you do speak up, what do you say? Let me hear your thoughts. Maybe I'll have something to come back with next time!

Natural Hair Haters

So tonight I washed my own hair for, like, the second or third time ever. In life. I'm pretty darn proud of the job I did too. (If I didn't tell y'all before, let me tell you now: I am a complete novice when it comes to taking care of hair. I don't know how to braid, barely know how to wash it, and really don't do much with it besides either wrapping it or putting it in a ponytail. But I'm learning.) As I sat down to let my mom put my hair into cornrows (I'm gonna do the lil krinkly style as seen in my pic in the last post), my dad asks "What you tryin' to do to your hair? Why you decide you wanna be nappy-headed? You doin' this 'cause of your boyfriend's hair, ain't you?" Now, because of the nature of my relationship with my father (let's just say it's less than stellar) I was ready to go off. But I kept my composure and simply said, "This has nothing to do with him. I just want something different," and went back to reading. He then began to make comments on how he sees some women at work coming through looking "rough" and he wonders why they don't "do something with their hair, get a perm?" To this i bristled. "There are people with perms looking a hot mess too. And just because you're natural doesn't mean you have to be unkempt." He took this some kinda way; I didn't care cuz his feelings aren't important.

What is important though is noticing the response that I've been getting from people when I say I'm going natural. I get a lot of "girl why?"s, "don't do it"s, and "whaaaat?!"s. It's like so many people believe that it will be some terrible experience and that I'll look and feel awful. I don't get it! Why should I be scared or ashamed of what God gave me in the first place? I've come to love and adore my dark skin and my full figure, so why not my natural hair? Why do people assume having natural hair means looking raggedy, or being militant, or lesbian? (All stereotypes and assumptions I've heard based on women having natural hair). What's with all the stigma around it? Why are WE such haters of our natural hair?