And it comes to me...like an epiphany...

Hola Chickletts!!

I just wanted to share a quick anecdote. I had a sweet realization the
other day...hence the title.

So we all know imm going through a "naked hair" challenge, eh? Naked
hair? No gel, no curl enhances... ring a bell? So anywho, I've been
doing pretty good for about a month and a half now. Only oil (coconut,
castor, amla or vatika) has touched my head. But this morning in a fit
of laziness, I rinsed my DT from last night (hydralicious, herbal
essence and castor/coconut oil-the castor was TOO sticky!) and worked in
a little HE hello hydration. Rinsed with cold water (brrr!!) with no
manipulation, and BAM!! Curls, coils and waves were a'poppin! My hair is
soft, touchable and not residue-y! Ok, so I was a little heavy handed
with the oils this morn, so there's a slight "soul glo" (oil on your
fingers when you scratch or play in your hair, stains on the seat and
other miscellaneous surfaces, white drippies...ew.), but im cool with
that! So hello hydration will definitely be added to my daily routine! I
had some moisture maniac I've been playing with, adding water and oils,
so maybe I'll give that a go. Ooh, I can't wait to get home so Kev can
feel my hair!

Ok, addendum...its 2:51 pm and im still playing in my hair. No oily
residue! Curls STILL popping, still shiny, still soft!! Ah yea...oil +
diluted condish = good hair days!!

Maven...out!!
--
Signed...La Trabrasera

Raves & Reviews

The PJ in me finally took over. I hate to admit, but im totally weak. In
the past 2 weeks I've purchased:
V05 moisture milks (strawberry and passionfruit)
Dulhan henna (3 boxes)
Parachute coconut oil
Herbal Essence (hello hydration and hydralicious)
Castor Oil (hollywood beauty)
Brahmi
Shikakai
Neem (powder and oil)
Glycerin
Lets Jam
Lime twist and loc gel
Vatika black shine shampoo with black olive conditioner
Mint julep masque
That's all I can remember. And that's just for my hair! I don't even
wanna go into what I got for my face/body...

In other news, I've finally broken Kevin's resolve. He got SO tired of
running all over town to (3) different global markets, one of which
smelled like moth balls and old aquariums...yea, don't wanna talk about
it.

Back to the reviews...so I LOVE the HE Hydralicious!!! I did a DT after
a mint julep mask. Kev thinks I'm crazy...he thought I got it to put on
my face. Who does that??? So the MJM felt reeeeaaaally good on my
stinky lil scalp. Left it on until it was gummy, rinsed and applied the
HE. Left THAT on overnight, after I sealed it with hello hydration.
Before that I poo'd with the vatika black shine, which by the way is
real....REAL good! It didn't dry me out like the PM tea tree, but my
hair and scalp were definitely CLEAN. After I rinsed and cowashed with
HE Hello hydration, cold water rinsed and sprayed aloe vera gel (mixed
with amla and coconut oils) all over. Then held. I didn't touch or
massage anything. I have a terrible case of HandInFro disease. I was
good until about 3pm, when my hand found its way to my head. And
oh...my...gah. SO soft! No crunch! A little frizzy, but its still a work
in progress.

Sidebar--> the other day I told Kev to feel my hair and he started
picking apart my curls. I know girls that have ended relationships over
that! NEVAH disrupt a black woman's curl pattern!!! He thought I twisted
it with my fingers. Awww...

Lets see, what did I miss...oh yea, I made flax seed gel and mixed in
the glycerin. Some of the crunch was gone, but im working on a gel free
routine. Kev knew I made products, but he was a lil freaked out seeing
me "take stuff that looks like nothing and mix it all together. Say
wha?!" He's funny...

Shikakai and brahma are mixed to clarify before henna, castor oil is
just "ok". Coconut, amla and vatika oil ROCK!!! Im still working on the
application. Seems like everytime I scratch my head my fingers are
really greasy...hm.

Alright chickletts, I've got a stack of papers to sign for my third
grader. They grow up so fast...*sigh*

Henna-Dulhan Edition

You wouldn't even believe how excited I am! So, Kev and I found an
Indian market last week, and I found all sorts of goodies! He actually
got jealous, allegedly I don't get that excited to see him. I do...I
just don't show it! Lol So anywhoo, I got vatika oil, amla gold oil,
brahma, shikakai and neem powders, neem oil (why did no one tell me
about the smell?!), glycerin and rose petal powder. Oh yea, and Medimix
soap. So I went a lil crazy...sue me...

We went back the other day, and I decided I wanted to try out some of
that Dulhan henna that the curly kids keep raving about. The henna I use
came from FNWL, and it's *ok*, but...the texture leaves a lot to be
desired...A LOT. So I mixed a third box of dulhan with neem and brahma.
I didn't want to adulterate the results too much. No oil, no
honey...just powder. I pre-cleansed with shikakai, neem and brahmi
powder for about 20 minutes before I applied the dulhan.

Can I just say...this stuff mixed like BUTTA!!! It literally felt like I
was simply putting in condish! Im attempting to NOT be impatient Pam and
allow it to do what it does...although I did peek, just once. My hair
actually looks darker than it did with the FNWL henna. It made it look a
little sandy brown, mahogany in the sun. Im VERY excited to see what
happens in the morning. I feel like a kid at Christmas! Can't wait to
open my package...by the by, we found another Indian market around the
corner from the one we frequent, so we'll be checking there for
Jamilla...oh, sweet Jamilla. Why do you hide from me?? woot woot!!

The question still remains...with what will I DT?? Updates and pics and
madness to ensue!

Olive-honey experiment--day one

So...the PJ (product junkie) in me couldn't resist! I remembered on my
way to Kev's house (is that bad? Im thinking of hair when Im with my
fiancee...hm.)that I have miscellaneous honey and olive oil in my hair
pantry. I keep my hair food separate because I don't want anyone to
ingest henna by mistake! Anywhoo, I thought id make a mask of the olive
oil and honey. Both are really good for thirsty curls, which I have at
the moment.
Recipe:
16 pumps of Aussie Moist (so lovin this stuff again!)
1 oz olive oil
1 tablespoon of honey
-I mixed it past the weird lumpy phase until it was creamy again. Im
currently resisting the urge to taste it...shut up, don't judge me! :o)

I was going to mix it with bentonite clay, but I seem to be out.
--sidebar, bentonite is REALLY good for curl clumpage!! Phat, juicy
squiggles all ova!--

The comb coil experiment lasted all of a week, which is about how long I
wanted it to last. I so don't have the patience to try and part out the
back of my head.

I just added more honey and olive oil to the mix...it tastes kinda
sweet...like I said...shut it up! Looks like vanilla pudding...mmmm...

So Im thinking of washing with either Pravana color safe shampoo
(sulfate free is great for meee!) or Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special
(looove the tingle!). My PJ'ism is only exacerbated by the fact that im
a licensed stylist and have access to goodies at a discount. I'll also
be trying my new Neutrogena Wave tonight, but that's a different blog
for a different day...be back with an update!

The olive-honey-moist mix went on really easily, no clumps, no lumps. It
took a little mixing...alotta mixing...and we all know im lazy! So here
I lay with a food lion bag on my head and a satin scarf to hold it all
together. Hopefully to crumple crumpl won't keep me up. HOW did people
sleep with Jheri curls?!?!

Up next, rinse well, cold shot and shea butter. Im currently trying to
live without my fantasia IC gel. I wish I knew how to quit you!!! I just
feel like you can't go through h-e-double hockey sticks for softer
moisturized hair then gel it up. Besides, I want my natural curls to
come out and play, frizz and all. And ramen noodle head is SO not the
business!!

Whoo! Time to go!! New episode of split ends is on!! SHHHH!!!!
--
Signed...La Trabrasera

Aussie Moist Conditioner

Description
Accented with Australian Aloe it gives thirsty, dry hair a long and quenching drink for silky hair.
So your hair walks into a bar and says I'm parched!
Please give my hair a drink to quench its thirst!
Right away says the tender as he slides the Moist Conditioner accented with Aloe and Jojoba oil.
It's not funny, but it works.
Biodegradable formula.
Contains natural Australian ingredients.
Made in USA of US and/or imported ingredients

This is SO the business! I discovered this the first time I went natural a few years ago. I found it in Target (yes...the Disneyland for Stay at home moms!) and of course HAAAD to pick up the liter size...at least I think it's a liter...it has a pump. I dunno.

I started co-washing with this after my henna debacle. My hair is frizzy and...odd. But the Aussie is bringing it back! Im soft and slinky, and gee my hair smells terrific! Bah, nevermind...blasted kids... At any rate, it feels and smells delicious. It only exacerbates my hand in fro disease, which by the way is contagious. My fiancee can NOT keep his mitts outta my head! I think it's a thing...can't really control it...it just keep callin me!

Somehow I completely went off in another direction...a couple of pumps and a scrub and my hair is shiny, silky and soft. It hasn't been soft since I started growing it out! Well, that's a untruth. It was soft with Pantene but I had that weird film on it...So yea, Aussie is definitely a staple in my shower!

Pros:

easy to rinse, co-wash with

smells awesome

amazing shine

I CAN COMB MY HAIR!!!

Cons:

Fiancee still can't keep his hands out of my fro, so it's always frizzy on the right side

Speaking of him...I wanted to cut my hair but HE (king of the harpies!!) talked me out of it. He says I had to throw that in...so there!

Comin up next...MTG! This stuff stinks like hellfire, but my scalp has NEVAH been so moisturized!!!!

Love how ya love meee!

Thirsty curls love Biolage!!

Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm 33.8 oz

Features:
*16.9-ounce jar
*Replenish dry, stressed hair with a dose of intense moisture
*Algae and aloe vera to help restore hair's moisture balance
*Nourishes hair for superior softness, shine and
manageability
*Rejuvenates dry and damaged hair

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Myristyl Alcohol,
Cetrimonium Chloride, Decyl Oleate, Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis)
Extract, Golden Seal (Hydrastis Canadensis) Extract, Algae Extract,
Chitosan PCA, Quaternium-79 Hydrolyzed Keratin, Methylparaben,
Propylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea, Fragrance

Directions: Apply to clean, damp hair. Rinse thoroughly. For more
intense moisturizing, wait 1-3 minutes.

Price point: $16-$22

Can be found: trade secret, beauty express and supercuts-buyer beware!
Do not buy from target/walmart!! Its counterfeit and possibly watered
down!

Pros:
Soft, manageable, COMB-ABLE hair
Smells so good I want to slather it on my mattress and roll around...no,
really
Shiny, defined curls

Cons:
May be too expensive for some (being a licensed stylist has its perks!)
Frizzy curls-hand in fro disease is contagious!!

This balm is definitely the wind beneath my wings! My hair was like taco
meat...no really. Dry, dull, thick and coarse...its still thick and
coarse, but this is the ONLY conditioner that can find it way through
the jungle on my head to my scalp. I could comb my hair, my curls are
more defined and it smells DELISH!!! This is definitely one of my
staples! Its available in 2 sizes: 16.9 oz and 33.8 oz. I stick with
the larger jar because I hate trying to squeeze it out of a tube. Stay
away (far far away) from the generic, knock offs. Its not the same and
you're getting what you pay for. Its not the same consistency, smell or
conditioning benefits.

The only bad thing I can say about this product is that my fiancee can't
keeps his hands out of my head when I use it!!
All in all, this is as close to an HG as im going to find. Its
absolutely a staple, but because of the price, it will only serve as a
DT. Pick it up!!

Stay fab chicas!!

--
Signed...La Trabrasera

Henna...the aftermath!!

So...not real sure how I feel about it. My tiny fro is REALLY soft, but
my curls are devastatingly frizzy! I was going to sleep in it, but the
smell and the crinkling of the curl bag were killing me. So I shampooed
with Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special shampoo and splooshed in MTG and
Matrix Biolage conditioning balm. Let it sit overnight, woke up, rinsed
and co-washed with Aussie moist (hello old friend!), shook it like a
salt shaker and applied Fantasia IC gel. Noooot quite sure how I feel.
Its really soft, but still feels...odd. Of course the curls loosened. A
LOT. So next time, I see Amla in my future...

Love how ya love meee!!
--
Signed...La Trabrasera