Reader Response: Product Review by Sheena

Hello ladies, here is a reader response. Hope you enjoy!
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Hola my fellow apostolic naturals!!! My name is Sheena Desha and if your hair loves proteins like mine does or you want something to help define those twist out curls and even define your natural curls then I have a great product for you to try!! It's Shea Moistures Curl Enhancing Smoothie! The smell and its creamy texture is amazing! 


I used it for the first time on dry hair taking medium size sections of hair and on some pieces to dampen my hair I used Shea moisture organic coconut & hibiscus hold & shine spray.  I then took a dime size maybe a little more and saturated each piece of hair to be twisted, I twisted my entire head and put a satin cap on! And in the morning......Awesomeness! 

I must say that to me it's the best twist out I have ever done.  I unraveled each twist to reveal great curl definition, bounce and shine! So I give this product an A because I have tried tons and tons of products to define,hold etc etc.. But this is definitely one of the few that actually works how it says it will.


I believe it I reasonable priced at 9.99$ for an 8oz jar at your local target stores

Say Hello to Flexi-Rods!! Part 1

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting! I have been SUPER busy! But here I am with a SUPER cool post :) LOL.

***side bar***

Hello to all of my new followers!

I am so excited to see that you are

following this blog. Greetings!!

Be sure to leave a comment so I

can get acquainted with you all!

***side bar end***

Now, I have been DYING to get some flexi rods but every time I would go to look for some, I would forget and get sidetracked. Then when I would get home, Its like oh no... nooo flexi rods. I am extremely forgetful. It has been months since I have wanted them so I finally got some! I found some today at a random beauty supply for $4 per pack- I got a medium size (5/8") of 6. I am not sure if that is pricy but I think its more than worth it!!

Kendra, why flexi-rods?

1. If you love curls like me, and I love curls, this is a simple way to achieve them!
2. I can no longer stand to put bantu knots in my hair. They are too tight and I get headaches.
3. In the past I have used foam rollers but its a hassle. They unclip too easily and then it takes forever. No bueno!
4. They are very gentle on your hair. No tugging, no ripping out strands, low stress.
5. Great for protective styling. When you twists look frizzy, flexi rod them and wear them curly. Unravel your twists and have a curly twist out
6. Versatile on wet hair, dry hair, straight hair, blow-dried hair, etc.
7. They come in MANY different sizes. From the tight straw curls to large curls!

So, I am going to show you my first experience with flexi rods. I am going to wash my hair - right now. Detangle it and then put my flexi rods in over night. I promise to show you pics when I take them out in the am..

Do YOU have flexi rods?
How do you set your hair with them??

Here is a pic of my flexi rods

I bought four 6 piece sets that are

5/8" in diameter for $3.68 + tax!

TO BE CONTINUED....

Celebrating the best curls in the world <3

Hair Tip #11: Chemicals to AVOID in Hair Products

Here is a very helpful list of chemicals to avoid when you go shopping for new hair products. I strongly encourage you to seek out organic and herbal types of products. PLEASE, I cannot stress this enough! Check the labels!

If you don't believe me, keep reading :)

 

• ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL: aka, rubbing alcohol. Sure, thats a great thing to put in your hair! NOT!!! EW! I am sure you wouldn't want to go pour this in your hair, so I am sure you wouldn't want to use shampoo with it either!!
• PEG & PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PG): (abbreviation for polyethylene glycol) Polyethylene glycol is a petroleum product used in commercial cleaners such as oven cleaners. It is also used in personal care products. Over time, this chemical can cause premature aging of the skin. Do you really want something strong enough to clean an OVEN to go in your hair?! I think not!
• SODIUM LAURYL SUFATE (SLS) & SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES): Both sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate are used as detergents and surfactants. If you look at MOST hair products, they are used in over 90% of them. They are used because they cause a lot of foam. And to us, foam = clean. Well accordng to research, It is possibly the most dangerous of all ingredients in personal care products.
• According to the American College of Toxicology both SLE and SLES can cause malformation in children's eyes. Other research has indicated SLS may be damaging to the immune system, especially within the skin. Skin layers may separate and inflame due to its protein denaturing properties. Hair is made of protein and is affected by SLS and SLES leading to poor quality hair, corroded hair follicles and inhibited hair growth, contributing to hair loss. SLS has the potential to cause cataracts through skin absorption, even without direct contact with the eyes. It can denature the protein of the eyes and delay the healing time of the eyes. Check it out here!
• Skin contact can cause SLS to be absorbed into the blood circulation and can then concentrate in organs such as the heart, liver or brain. This is potentially dangerous since SLS is a mutagen, capable of changing the information in the genetic material of your cell and organs.
• SEVERAL TYPES OF CHLORINE for obvious reasons, it is VERY drying!!
• DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (momoethnanolamine), & TEA (triethanolamine):These chemicals are sometimes listed as Cocamide DEA or MEA, Lauramide DEA. These are hormone disrupting chemicals and are known to form cancer causing nitrates and nitrosamines. They are common in shampoos. A study at the University of Illinois found that repeated skin applications of DEA-based detergents result in a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancers. Children are at greater risk. TEA is used to adjust the pH. TEA causes allergic reactions including eye problems, dryness of hair and skin and can be toxic if absorbed into the body over time.
• FD & C Color PIGMENTS: Synthetic colours are used in a shampoos and conditioners to make them more visually appealing. Many pigment colours used in hair dye cause skin sensitivity and irritation, and nerve problems. Absorption of certain colours can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and even death. Many colours contain coal tar, which has been shown to be carcinogenic.
• FRAGRANCE: If a hair care product lists 'fragrance' on the label it can contain up to 4,000 separate ingredients, most of which are synthetic. Symptoms reported from use of these fragrances include headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, and allergic skin irritation. Studies have shown that exposure to fragrances can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioural changes.
• IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA and DMDM HYDANTOIN: Formaldehyde is used in shampoos, and conditioners as an inhibiting agent against carcinogenic nitrosamine production. Yet, formaldehyde is carcinogenic itself. It readily penetrates the skin and can cause serious long term health concerns, and often sensitises individuals to other chemicals. It can seriously weaken the immune system and can cause cancer. It also causes allergic reactions, headaches, and chronic fatigue.

Print this out and take it on your next shopping list!!


Information taken from http://altowebmasters.com/, check it out for yourself!

Celebrating beautiful locks of glory <3

 

Chronicles of a Natural Apostolic: Damage and Destruction

I can never express enough regret for the damage and destruction that I put my hair through.


It all really began in high school. Of course before high school my hair had been through chemical damage as I wore a relaxer since the age of 12. I found that I loved to cut and style my hair via lots of heat. I loved wearing braids, twists (both with fake hair) and fake ponytails. I was already infatuated with fashion, trends and looking "unique". I wanted ALL eyes on me. That was my goal. To walk down the hallways and school just to find people staring and even whispering about how gorgeous I was. My thinking was clearly off and absolutely disgusting to God.

So it all began junior year when I dyed my hair for the first time. Red.

Little did I know that once you start dying your hair, it doesn't stop. When I dyed my hair red, I used a dye that contained peroxide and ammonium. Of course I put the dye over my relaxer. Why not? Within about 3 weeks, my hair began to fall out in chunks in the shower.

I thought I was cute.

I thought I was "creative".

My hair was unique.

My hair was flashy.

No one knew it but.....



My hair was falling out and breaking off by the inches.


So, I chopped it all off.

[16 years old, with a buzzed cut in the back, bangs in the front, spiked on top]

After about a year I started to let it grow back. And of course the dying continued. Whatever color it was clearly wasn't cute enough so dyed it all brown..

All the while I continued to cut and trim and straighten and curl...
You weren't likely to see me without my hair "done"
I didn't quite like the brown so I added highlights..

This pic above is right after I dyed my hair..

Notice how dull and dry my hair looks just several weeks later..

Doesn't it make you wanna throw some oil on my hair?! lol

WILD FIRE ALERT! LOL

Are you starting to see the damage in the pics yet?? The light highlights grew old to me. And I didn't want it quite so light anymore. So I dyed it brown with cinnamon highlights. Of course, with new dye came a new cut. I was scissor crazy! Notice that my hair never really grows in length.. because I was constantly cutting and trimming it to handle the self imposed damage!!

I got tired of those so I decided to dye the top light and the bottom dark... My hair was so porous at this point that it nearly absorbed this light color within 7 minutes of applying the dye. And within a week, the light part was already breaking off. Notice the breakage in the pic..

Again, no length retention.

Then I decided to add some tracks.. I wanted to have some length... I was tired of my hair being the same length! haha. I honestly couldn't figure out why it wasn't growing ya'll!

Just several weeks later, notice the many broken strands and chunks there are sticking out.
 I was losing more hair than I was "preserving".

Oh and to give my hair a "break" I would just put more fake hair in, and put it into tight braids. But of course normal black or dark brown wasn't suffice. I had to stand out and I had to be seen! So there I went in my blonde braids..

You know, here is another reason why I DO NOT watch television or movies! I don't even OWN a television,I do not have cable, I don't own one single movie, no dvds or anything of the sort. What a terrible image it sets of what defines beauty. It is repulsive. Lets see, the last time I checked 98% of the black women had dyed, colored (generally as light as they could get it without looking too ridiculous) and fake hair! On top of that it is almost always straight and doesn't even look like black hair. My word. Furthermore, women with natural hair were just thrown into the neo-soul, eclectic category. Hmm. What irony... Once in college I got into modeling. I would have you know, unfortunately, this was my favorite picture of myself for years. Light eyes, light skin, and my hair looked blonde.

Nothing was good enough for me! I remember the movie, "The Devil Wears Prada." That was one of my favorite movies because it represented what I wanted to happen to me. Just an ordinary girl turned into a fasionista. I kid you not, every single time I watched this movie I would go to my bathroom and cut my hair, dye my hair or go shopping for new clothes. I did whatever necessary to look and feel like a diva. After all, I was modeling and I was cute! Right?...

I hope by now you are noticing a pattern. I was never satisfied. Never content. Never happy with how I looked. I was always trying to revamp and recreate myself. It went deeper than self-esteem. It went deeper than feeling inadequate with myself. I was depressed. I had self hatred on the inside. It seemed that no matter what I did, I never felt beautiful. Instead I felt empty. And at the end of the day, no matter how many compliments I got, I still felt inadequate. I still cried myself to sleep. I still felt that no one would ever love me for me. It went deeper than my emotional and mental pain. It was a matter of being totally and utterly out of the will of God. For those of you reading this, who may know the exact feeling I am expressing here, I am telling you that you will forever feel incomplete without God.

I remember the day that I met my husband. I even remember what I was wearing. (smile) It was the spring of 2008. I thought I was cute with my weave and jet black hair. But you know what, he didn't compliment me then. He didn't compliment me when my weave was curled. He didn't compliment me in my designer jeans and stilettos. The very first compliment my husband gave me was when I was in an orange and plaid dress, with an orange sweater, my hair in its natural state all pinned up, no make up and my glasses. He told me he loved the way I was dressed and he loved my hair when it was natural.

I was shocked.

Here was a super cute white boy, who was the captain on the track team, the fastest sprinter at the school, mr popularity, who I had an immediate crush on when I saw him- and he liked me NATURAL?!

You better believe it girls. Because when you get right down to it. Men like the real you. All real. If he loves you, he will want the real you.

----

We began dating June 7 2009. And I will have you know that he HATED how long it took, how plain it looked and how it smelt when I constantly straightened my hair! lol. He was like, why do you have to do that when you can just wear it curly all pinned up? I like that better. So I thought, hmm, it is easier. So I started wearing it that way...

After all, look at the damage I had done to my hair,

Later on he told me he didn't want me cutting my hair. I was like, *record stops* woah hold up wait a sec! I love cutting my hair! haha :) Well he convinced me to stop on account that he liked me natural. You know, the real Kendra. So I stopped cutting my hair. I think I trimmed it two more times and that was it. As more time went on, would you believe that Brendan wanted me to stop wearing make up too?? Now that one took a while... But eventually I did it when I got into truth. God used my honey to help me.

Imagine waking up every morning knowing that your husband loves you for you. He loves your natural curls, frizz, poof and all. He loves your skin, blemishes and all. He loves your beautiful natural nails, nail polish and acrylic free. He knows He has the real you. All of you. Nothing hiding.

Even greater than that, imagine knowing that God loves you for you.

If he didn't make your hair blonde, it was because He thought this masterpiece would look better with black hair.He may have thought, wow, she will be a stunning brunette. Her husband's heart will melt when he see's her for the first time!

If He didn't make your hair straight, it was because He thought curls would suit your face much better.

If He didn't make your hair curly it was probably because He knew He didn't bless you with enough patience :)

If He didn't make your nails pink, candy red or with a perfect french tip, it was because He liked the natural peach and soft pink of your nail beds much better.

If He didn't make your hair short- it was definitely because He gave it the ability to grow. And He called it your glory. And He blessed it to be your covering- your power source. In fact, He gave you the power of angels!

When God formed us, He created masterpieces. For us to alter ourselves would be like taking Mona Lisa and bedazzling it with rhinestones. Sounds funny but its the truth. Would you go into an art museum and destroy the art work? It would be absolutely insulting and disrespectful. Perhaps that is a great way to view ourselves when we alter things.

Am I saying you are committing a sin by wearing make up or nail polish?

Am I saying God gets mad at you when you dye and cut your hair?

Am I saying that God is against cosmetics?

Here is a great way to answer that question. Would the artist be happy with you ruining His masterpiece?


Here is to celebrating happy, healthy and long hair.

Here is to celebrating the masterpiece that God created.

Here is to celebrating the anti-damage, and anti-altering lady :)

Here is to celebrating uncut hair and the glory God gives. The POWER of angels!

Here is to celebrating a revelation of our God given natural beauty!

Here is to celebrating me. Embracing me. THE REAL ME! And encouraging you to do the same!

Celebrating happy, healthy and long hair <3

Spread the word!!!

If this blog has blessed you and helped you on your natural journey, SPREAD THE WORD!

I am so thrilled that I have impacted you, but I want to impact more women, so please SPREAD THE WORD!

If you are happy with what you see, SPREAD THE WORD!

My goal is to have 50 followers by the end of the year, you can help!!

Encourage your friends, sisters from church, family members, etc to subscribe

and FOLLOW BLACK APOSTOLIC HAIR!

Because after all,

This is for you :)

and you,

and of course you too!

SPREAD THE WORD!

Persepctives from Persons #2: Courtney Thaler

Hello beautiful ladies! This is Courtney Thaler, my beautiful sis in law. I do NOT call her my sis in law or even sis in love! She is my SISSY!!! :) She is my best friend and she is amazing! With all of that said, I want you to have the persepective of another person from the outside looking in. Courtney has seen the process from start to finish. She has seen the ups and the downs. The bad hair days and the good. haha. We have laughed together and cried together (yes about our hair haha)  Lets hear what she has to say!

1. What is the most beautiful thing to you about a woman with uncut hair?


The most beautiful thing about women with uncut hair is that it is an glory unto God. I mean, think about it not cutting your hair brings glory to the only Lord and Savior, How much more beautiful can you get? There is a certain glow on a woman who doesn't cut her hair, she has a beauty that other cannot obtain.

2. Coming from the persepective of the sister of someone who made the transition to go natural, would you say it is life changing in a good or bad way?

When my sissy said that she was going natural it was the most exciting thing. I had seen alot of my friends who are black begin to loose their hair by burning it. My sissy is so beautiful and loved long hair but her hair was stuck at a length because of the perm she was putting in. Ever since she has gone natural her hair has grown so long and beautifully. Her curls are amazing (to be honest i want them). Her hair is always styled to the "T", not saying she didn't do it before it was just the same old straight style everyone wore. I see more of a pride that my sissy takes in her hair. She is constantly getting compliments because how long and pretty it is. I never understood why black women felt the need to perm their hair. Number one it makes it thin and it breaks off. Number two their hair is meant too look different because God created them that way. All in all I am sick of people trying to change who they are we all need to embrace who God created us to be and look like. Watching my sissy go natural inspired me to wear my hair natural too. I have Frizzy, Curly, Wavy, and straight hair. I used to constantly straighten it and use heat on it which was ruining my hair. As I watched my sissy go natural it inspired me to take pride in my hair too!! I am proud of my sissy for taking care of her hair and taking pride in it!!

3. Tell us how you got the revelation of hair.

Its funny to me when people ask me this. Because it really didn't take much for me to get it. You can ask my family I have always had long hair. I rarely cut because people were constantly cutting it way too short. But Dying it is a different story... I bleached my hair from 8th grade all the way too sissy's wedding year ago. It killed my hair and every time i did it I got mad at the results. Finally I went to a new church after my sissy's wedding and saw all these women with longer hair than me, and they had natural colors...I WANTED THAT. I called my big bro and my sissy and asked for scripture. When I got that scripture I saw what it said and just knew it was truth. From that moment on i stopped cutting and coloring my hair. On my brother and sister's wedding aniversary it was one year since i had cut and colored my hair it was one of my most proud moments. I see the differnce in my hair and how God honored my sacrifice by allowing my hair color to was out. I love my hair and have grown to love styling it in different ways. Girls, if you are reading this wondering if your man will like it still let me tell you something... MEN LOVE LONG HAIR ALMOST AS MUCH AS GOD!!!

Celebrating happy, healthy and long hair <3

Hair Tip #5: Hair Washing and Detangling Methods

What is more important than clean hair?

And what is better than saving money by saving shampoo??

I decided it would be easier to show my hair washing techniques rather than just

trying to explain them in words. I explain the best method I have found to distribute

 shampoo from my scalp to ends without tangling my hair. With this method

 there is the guarante of saving soap! I'm all about having the best of both worlds!

So here are a few short vids explaining how to shampoo and detangle your hair,

Kendras way of course :)

I hope this helps!!

 

Celebrating happy, healthy and long hair :)

Hair Tip #4: The Mirror

When you look in the mirror, what do you say to your reflection?

When you look in the mirror, what is the expression of your face?

Do you embrace the image that looks back at you?

Or do you anxiously turn away thinking its all a waste?

When you look in the mirror, is there a smile or a look of disdain?

Is there a thought that natural beauty is a waste or is it all a pain?

When you look in the mirror are you sad at what you see?
Or do you say, "that is beautiful and yes it is me"?

Is your perception of beauty what God sees?





This is an extremely important hair tip! I know its not about a style, a product or something "conventional". But I feel that I need to encourage some of my beautiful ladies that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! I know some of you might be the only black girl in your church with natural hair but know that you are beautiful.. We were fearfully and wonderfully made. I have had days where I have cried and just wished my hair wasn't so different and hard to manage. But I go right back to the question, what is your purpose Kendra? Why are you doing this?? Because your hair is your glory. No need to hang our heads in shame or feel embarrassed. This is how God made us and it is beautiful!

So I ask the question,

When YOU look in the mirror,
what does your reflection say?...

Celebrating healthy, happy and long hair :)

Hair Testimony #1: Harvellia

Hello everyone. Meet Harvellia :) She has an awesome testimony about how she recieved the revelation of hair. You can find her hair testimony on the hair testimony link on my blog. Check it out here: Harvellia's Hair Testimony
 
1. When did you make the decision to go natural and why?
 I truly do not recall when I made the decision to go natural since I've always worn my hair naturally off and on between curls. This is probably was the best picture with my hair relaxed - freshman year in college. Mom put a relaxer in my hair so that I could manage my hair. However, I took swim class and the clorine broke all my hair off.
 

 

Then I went to curls. Perhaps it's been about three (3) years since I totally made the decision not to process my hair anymore. Basically this decision came about or was a result of years and years of my frustration over the long hours that I would spend at the beauty shop, receiving poor quality work, and most of all becoming fed up with the outrageous prices that the beauticians would charge.

2. What has been the most difficult part of wearing natural hair?

 It has never been difficult for me to wear my hair naturally. Since I was never one to have long hair - length was never a concern of mine. I could leave it or take it - but you don't miss what you never had. Plus, I have always been proud of who I am as an individual and never felt that we were defined by the length of our hair.

3. When someone says your hair is your glory, what does that mean to you?


When someone says that my hair is my "glory", it means to me that "my" hair is my "covering" for me and my family. My uncut hair is like a guard/protection from the hands of the enemy. I think about Samson, the protection and power that came from his uncut hair - the spirit of God was present in his life. We see what happened to him once he shared with Delilah his secret - his hair was cut - the spirit of God left (he did not even realized this had happen) - he was left vunerable to the enemy/satin. I don't want to be left vunerable to the attaction of the enemy/satan.

4. With all the hype in the natural world about the big chop, and constant/routine trimming, how do you handle not partaking in these things?
Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Rom. 12:2) I know who I am - I know who's I am. Know ye not that I am the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in ME!!! You could say I march to a different drummer - the HOLY GHOST!!!


5.  What is your daily hair regimine? Anything special?
Nothing special. Since discovering your website, I have adopted your healthy hair suggestions. Before I proabably shampooed my hair on a monthly basis but now I'm trying to shampoo every 7-10 days and incorporating more natural products with less harmful chemicals.

6. What style do you love to wear the most?


Because of my length, I have always worn my hair in an afro and probably always will because this style is more becoming to my personality and facial features. I try to be modest on all aspect of my life/appearance and that includes my hairstyles. I did experiment with the "bantu" knots that you have posted; however, I did not feel comfortable. In my sprit I heard the Lord say that this style takes away from Him and could be a distraction to witness or to minister. He wants them to see Him (Christ) and not be distrated by my hairstyle. Plus, I don't want to be concerned if the spirit of God moves upon me to be concerned about losing bobby pins.


7. How has this decision to have happy, healthy and long hair changed your life?


 For me I have adopted the phrase: "HHHH" or "Happy, Healthy, Holy Hair" . . . . . . For over twenty years I have taught and have strongly endorsed healthy lifestyles and fitness. I have always tried to maintain a healthy life by monitoring what I eat and exerciese on a regular/daily basis. So when I realized that I could have "Happy, Healthy, Holy Hair" I became estatic. . . . . . . so now this temple of the Holy Ghost is getting in total allignment both naturally and spirtually. PRAISE GOD!!!!

8. If you were to give a word of encouragement to another sister, what would you say?


I can only give them the WORD. . . . . . Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate (conversation, dress, hair, etc.) saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive yo (2 Cor. 6:17). . . . . Where much is given - much is recquired.

9. How has this blog helped you in your personal hair journey?

Your blog/website has been such a blessing and very refreshing. . .. to have someone of like faith, racial/ethnic background who have received the true revelation about I Cor. 11. . . .I know that I'm not alone and that we as black apostolic women can have "Happy, Healthy, Long Hair" and also "Happy, Healthy, Holy Hair".

Perspectives From Persons #1 -Meagan Rowell

Lets hear a word of encouragement from Meagan Rowell the beautiful!! She is an awesome young person on fire for God. She has known me for the majority of my natural life so she knows all about it (I talk her ear off) lol. So listen up to what she has to say to help you :)

1. Why do you think more black apostolics should go natural and take better care of their hair?

There are so many reasons why girls should go natural and guess what? They are all stated in Kendra's blog :) She has said before that using relaxers, excessive heat, and all the chemicals that come with it damage your hair to the extreme. There were even pictures of real women that suffered from those horrible decisions. What if they were taking the same path that you are on with your hair?? 5 years down the road, your "beautiful" (relaxed, unnatural, cut, dyed, chopped) hair will look exactly like those pictures. That's why, by going natural, you can prevent it from happening :) Using the products that Kendra has talked about, your hair will strengthen, grow, and feel new again :)

 

 
 
 
 
 


2. When you see one of us rocking natural hair, what do you think about it?

What if you were asked the question:

"Oh! Your hair looks so cute! Who did it?"

Ummm, your hairdresser?? This box that contains chemicals to straighten your hair?? ... Wouldn't you be proud to say, "It's natural!" :) ALL NATURAL! Kendra provides protective styles :) and tons of cute options! You can get inspiration for a new hairdo in just a couple minutes if you look up hairdos on google images and even better, out of your own head. There's nothing like creating a new hairdo to rock to school/work/church/or out to eat with some friends.

When I see my girls rockin' their new hairdos, I get excited! They tend to be sooo adorable and they don't even have to redo their hair in the morning!! Heavenly! :) Lol. Kendra has some amazing hairstyles you can all rock too. I wish she would post more pictures of them ;) *hint* haha.



3. If you could give a word of encouragement to all of the sisters who are natural, going natural and considering it, what would it be?

If you haven't decided to go natural already, what are you waiting for? So many girls are unhappy with their hair, which is why the cut, dye, perm, and put chemicals in it. It doesn't make you happier. It make it worse. After a week of your hair being dyed, it starts to grow out and you don't like the color anymore. With perms (I wrote a post about my perm and how damaged my hair was these last 3 years because of it), you have beautiful curls but the chemicals are killing your hair and scalp. Then when it starts growing out, your natural hair (which is why you permed it in the 1st place) starts to grow out again. When you feel like you made a good decision to cut/dye/chop/relax/perm, there are unhappy results in the end.

Going natural: it may not be much easier but it sure makes you happier :) your hair won't be nasty, dry, brittle, and damaged. It's like a NEW you!!

Instead of trying the new "color of the season" on your hair, why don't you try to go natural :) same difference, right?

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Check out Meagans blog for hair tutorials, tips and another great apostolic perspective on hair!!

Click here to check out "A Flair for Hair"

My personal hello to you!

Celebrating happy, healthy and long hair :)

Hot Oil Treatment Day II

Here are a few pictures I took of the results and the process:

This was all I used ...

1. Africa's Best Ultimate Herbal Oil
2.  Hollywood Beauty Tea Tree Oil
3. 1/4 cup of purified water
4. Small plastic container

These pics were after I finger combed it out

It was SO SOFT! Fluffy and bouncy!

I am going to be incorporating this into my WEEKLY wash and condition!

Celebrating happy, healthy and long hair :)

Hair Tip #1: Avoid Excess Breakage

Hair Tip #1:
Want to avoid excess breakage on your ends and your edges??

Tying up your hair at night is a must!!

• Avoid  cotton bandanna's!!! Look for satin and silk!
• Find what works for YOU, or find SEVERAL options that work!
• Some options are better than others depending on the style you are trying to preserve!

 Satin Bonnet

Convenient, easy to use, comfortable and stays on all night! (for me anyway)

Perfect for twist outs, braid outs, twists and braids.

You can find it less than $3 at most places!!

Silk Scarf or a Do Rag

Perfect for laying down edges! If you are a hard sleeper it can easily

 slide off so beware! And if tied too tight it can cause a headache lol.

 But its great for slick styles, cornrows, flat twists, etc

Silk or Satin Pillowcase

This is another easy option. If you aren't in the mood to tie up your hair

you can rest easy knowing you aren't pulling out hair all night on your pillowcase

 Celebrating happy, healthy and long hair :)

Learning YOUR hair and getting with it!

So I have gotten a lot of questions about my personal hair regimen! (Rightfully so because thats what I talk about on this blog mainly). My experiences. What I use. What works for me. Now when I first went natural, I was clueless.  The only natural style I knew anything about were bantu knots, and well *blushes* a fro!! I thought all "black" products were A-OK for my hair. I thought if the product said it contained "natural products" that it was good to go! BOY was I ever wrong!

But how I learned my hair was through what other people did. I gradually was able to find out what worked for my hair.

[For example]

I read that protein is very good for your hair

as long as your hair isn't protein sensitive!

I thought, well what are the chances that my

hair is actually protein sensitive?? So taking the

risk I decided to condition my hair with mayonnaise

(We had some in the fridge that a friend brought over

but my husband and I don't eat it! YUCK)

So I applied it and do you know what happened???

MY HAIR WAS A TANGLED MESS!!!!

talk about a birds nest, a major disappointment and a sad Kendra!

I said that to say, be honest with yourself and be sensitive to what your hair likes! I guarantee that everything that works for my hair won't work for yours! No two people have the same hair :) Its pretty awesome the way God made us that way! SO don't be afraid to step out and try new things if you haven't found what you feel makes your hair feel and look fabulous!

Furthermore, if the shoe fits wear it! And if its not broke, don't fix it! Once you find what works, STICK WITH IT! I think where a lot of us go wrong is wanting to constantly change products and switch up our routine. This can cause severe damage to your hair. Find what works and stick with it :) For the BEST results!!

Now as far as Kendra is concerned! I am GETTING BACK WITH IT! I've been so busy *ahem* lazy with my hair. Yes I admit I haven't been on the ball like usual. So I am in the process of working some things out! Here's what you have to look forward to:

• Me putting together a strict hair regimen that can be modified for your needs
• More hairstyles with different length options
• Quarterly hair length check pictures
• More pictures and tips that you are asking for!

Celebrating healthy, happy, and long hair :)

P.S. BONUS PIC

Hanging with Ms. Mary with a high bun! Protective styling is way cute!!!

Old skool french braid

So I was exhausted after two awesome services on Sunday! We had such powerful moves of God both in the morning AND night! By the time I was home, I had no energy to think about twisting, braiding, or doing anything to my hair- except throwing on my sink bonnet and calling it a night!! So I thought of a super quick style that I could rock on monday.

A french braid :)
sometimes you just gotta take it back to the good ol' elementary school days...

I added a small braid across the front for something different

And I'm wearing one tiny plastic headband :)

Side view: I pulled the back into a bun at the bottom

Perhaps a better side view :)

Celebrating happy, healthy and long hair :)