HairPplay: Flat Twistout Parts I & II

Like the Curly set but want something quicker and slightly different? Prefer a soft tossled look with hang time rather than fat curls? Then try this Flat Twistout!

Flat Twistout Parts I & II

How To Video:





More videos to come soon. Thanks for watching,

Kamika lovin this style

Hairplay: Curly Set On Natural Hair

Meant to post this on Friday. If you frequent my YouTube channel then you've probably already seen this. If you don't enjoy!

Curly Set On Natural Hair

How To Video:



More videos to come soon. Thanks for watching,

Kamika lovin this style

The President, Fair Trade, and the Growth Initiative

Today the Prezzy prez, that is Obama, touched down today in Long Beach right outside my office. Folks were lined up all along the streets and in the tunnels. Our parking lot was full of cars that didn't belong to any of the employees that worked in the business park. Folks in the building were excited and giddy. From our office we had a birds-eye view through the windows. The new Air Force One is a very pretty plane. Very sleek and colorful. He landed, jumped on Marine One and was escorted by 3 other helicopters to Costa Mesa. Just a little excitement for the day.

Now back to me. Today is Day 4 of my personal Protective Style Challenge. On Saturday I braided my hair into a gazillion little box braids that I plan to keep up for 3 weeks to a month - repeat. Every night I will moisturize them with my rosewater mixture and baggy the ends. By following this method I hope to be better able to retain my ends and see increased length. At the end of this month after I rebraid I will show progress picks. My goal by the end of this year is full armpit length or just below. I'm being hindered by occasional scalp flair ups in the back area where I had alopecia, which leads me to my next topic.

I wanted to show you my recent haul. I love it when I get boxes in the mail. A couple of weeks ago I infused Castor oil with fresh rosemary and sage leaves. I wanted to see if I could get better effects with a fresh infusion vs. an essential oil mixture. So far so good. I'm loving the Castor oil mixture so I bought a few other treats to try. In a later post I will explain what each of these herbs are and their uses. I may even post a video.


From Mountain Rose Herbs I got the following organic fresh dried herbs: Lemon Balm, Chamomile Flowers, Peppermint Leaf, Rose hips, Nettle Leaf, Horsetail, Burdock Root, and Dandelion leaf. I plan to try some new oil infusions and make tea. I also ordered some fresh unrefined cocoa butter. Many of these items are Fair trade.


During this challenge I also plan to start hennaing my hair more often. One place I've used before and gotten great results is Mehandi. This time I'm not really going for color (my hair is darker than it has every been and I love it) but strength and conditioning. I bought two packs of the red label for African Hair. Mehandi has excellent henna that is finely sifted, smooth in texture and deposits great color. Also the prices are very reasonable. 200g cost me $14 with shipping.

Lastly, I picked up some yarn. I loved the Cycling Aran so much that I decided to make one for myself. My LYS Compatto Yarn Salon was having a sale and I got a spiffy deal on some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. I plan to start working on this soon but it may have to wait until school is out.


Be sure to check me out on YouTube to see what else I'm doing.



Kamika Au natural

Beautiful Tresses Not Winter Stresses

Winter temps in these parts can be hard on one's hair. Natural or relaxed the cold harsh weather can wreak havoc on your style and on the condition of your strands, leaving it dry and brittle. Styling one's hair in the dead of winter's dry air can cause "Winter Static" -static buildup from products and dry air that leads to tangles, knots, and fly-aways. Good looking healthy hair requires moisture and protection from the harsh winter elements. But in a season that's known to be wet and with your mom's old saying "going out in the cold with wet hair will make you sick" in the back of your mind, how do you get the moisture that you need? By the way, that's not true.

Dry hair and by extension a dry scalp doesn't need much to be re-invigorated. As long as you have water and quality natural products (used in moderation) your hair can sing in the rain, sleet or snow. Here's a few things you should know about keeping your hair gorgeous in every season:

• Drink lots of water! I can't stress this enough. Beauty starts from the inside and so do your strands. If your body is not properly hydrated your hair will grow brittle from the root leading to quick breakage and less retainage. Water transports vitamins, nutrients, and hormones throughout your body including to your scalp. It also carries away any toxins. Try to drink as much as half your body weight (in ounces (oz)) in water each day.
  
  
• Eat your fruits & vegetables. Try a salad a day of dark leafy greens for Copper and Iron, which prevent hair loss, and colorful toppings like Avocado - counteracts slow hair growth, Broccoli - promotes supple and elastic (breathable) scalp, Garlic and Red Onions - rich in MSM Sulfur for strong hair strand structure, and a whole host of others. Not only will you have gorgeous hair but a FABU body and skin to go along with it!

• Pre-Condition, Condition, & Deep Condition. Depending on where you live, and the wind chill factor of your locale, will determine how often you can put water in your hair. In really cold areas such as the the east coast and the pacific northwest the weather may make daily washes/rinses prohibitive. Only you can determine what works best for your hair in your area.
  
  Because I'm in Southern California with our temperate climate, I can get away with rinsing my hair more often than others. I say rinsing because unless you've found a good non-drying shampoo (more on that in the future) the sulfates can be extra drying in the winter. To combat this many women create a conditioning regimen for their hair that includes:
  
  >>Pre-conditioning - dry bathing their hair in moisture retaining products such as castor oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, honey, essential oils, and even apple cider vinegar and baking soda. By doing this, you will limit the amount of natural oils made by your scalp, lost during washing.
  
  >>Conditioning - use a moisture rich conditioner either after shampoo or as your shampoo to retain the water from your wash. I'm a big fan of conditioner washing also called no-poo or low-poo. Shampoo is made to cleanse the scalp but can be too harsh for your hair strands, conditioner is made to clean, smooth, and coat your hair strands and retain the moisture. If you don't use a lot of pruducts or if you don't have a problem with build-up no or low-pooing may be the way to go for you. I do this about 2 to 3 times per week and wash with shampoo every 2 weeks (more frequently if I've used a lot of products).
  
  >>Deep Conditioning - combines pre-conditioning and conditioning (low/no pooing) together in one step to be done either after shampooing or after clear rinsing your hair. Mix both of the earlier treatments together, apply to your hair, and for best results apply low heat using a heat cap or warm towel over a shower cap, for at least 15 minutes to open the hair follicles for deeper penetration. Sometimes I even go into the steam room at the gym for an extra conditioning bang. Rinse after and style as usual.
  
  
• Keep products to a minimum. Too many products and/or too much of a product creates product build-up. Product build-up is like a smothering sludge that sits on your scalp closing your hair follicles preventing them from breathing properly. If your hair is closed and not porose then moisture will not get in. Remember our hair needs as much moisture as possible.
  
  Did you know that too much product can aid in the growth of dandruff, prematurely thin your hair strands, give your hair shade a mousy tinge, and cause acne? Did you also know that mixing to many different products from different manufacturers together can be toxic and cause an allergic reaction? Yes, cut back on the product! Less is better.
  
  Another reason I advocate less product is so that you know which products actually work on your hair and which don't saving you time, heartache, and money!
  
  
• Treat your scalp. Gently massage your scalp between washes/rinses. Use a light carrier oil such as olive oil mixed with an essential oil like rosemary or tea tree oil. With a dollop on your finger tips work in circular motions on your scalp. Try not to get it on the hair. If oils are not your thing try a nice cream moisturizer.
  
  
• Reduce Heat. We all know that heat is drying. No matter how it's used, it usually ends up dehydrating, evaporating, and leaving dry something or another. Prolonged heat causes damage and reduces elasticity. Hair with body and movement, soft coils and fat curls require elasticity to be bouncy and spring back into shape. Too much heat hinders this and leaves strands permanently straight and limp.
  
  
• Get regular trims. Yes, make sure the already dead dry ends are gone. They sap moisture from the rest of your hair.
  
  
• Protect it from the elements. In the winter months I tend to put my hair up in protective styles to keep handling to a minimum and to retain those ends. I often wear braid extensions, yarn braids or corn rows to achieve an instant style update all the while keeping my tresses up and protected. Many women wear wigs, weaves, buns or chignons (be careful with your hair line) to achieve the same results. Becareful that whatever style you choose it's not so tight that it pulls excessively at the scalp. The pullng alone can cause stress bumps and dry scalp that looks like dandruff.

Contrary to the the urban legend that your hair grows better dirty- clean hair and a healthy scalp is the way to go. Nothing is more unattractive than a women patting, scratchy, and rubbing her (more than likely dirty) head in an effort to get at the itchies while trying to maintain her hairstyle for 2 weeks or more. Stop the insanity. Healthy hair, be it short or long, no matter how you rock it needs to be clean in order to be shiny and resilient.

I hope the tips above help you to take control of your hair and triumph over your dry scalp. These are tried and true tips that I've learned over the years and have helped me greatly. Questions? Leave me a comment. For a list of some of the products I use, check my hair album here! Great links on the sidebar ~~~~>

Kamika

And the Winners...

... of the first ever Kinky Coils & String GiveAway are!

**Drum Roll**

1. Eve Knits
2. Afiba (Ms. Lina)
3. Sonya

You ladies were selected using a random number counter program so as to make it as fair as possible. I will be contacting these ladies over the next couple of days to get their choices. Eve Knits gets 1st choice and so on. Hopefully each of you will get what you want. They are all great products!

If you get to me before I get to you, please email me at kamikak at MSN DOT com.

Thanks to all who entered and please stay tuned for those hair updates. I'll need your input! Also, hopefully you'll come back to be inspired to knit, crochet, or take up a hobby to bless your self with. As women we need to start doing things for us that will birth out creativity and help us to relieve stress. Knitting and crochet does that for me and so many others, maybe it will do it for you too.

Kamika

GiveAway Update!

The Hair GiveAway is almost over. You have just over 5 hours to enter if interested otherwise I have to move on to my next for my stringfellows. The contest is over at 11:59:59 pm Pacific Standard Time. My Time!

Stringfellows, all I have to say is, "Lorna's Lace." Some of you have begun to salivate I'm sure. So stay posted.

I will post the winners of the Hair GiveAway on Wednesday. I have a full day tomorrow and don't think I can do it sooner. I do want to say that I appreciate all who entered as well as all of those who just stopped by. You ladies have provided me with a lot of great topics to discuss in the future concerning our hair. I'm planning to make Friday's Hair Day so stay tuned!

Kamika

The More You Give...GiveAway!!

Here it is! My first ever giveaway and the beginning of something great! I had planned to do my first giveaway at my blogiversary in March but decided that I wanted to draw some folks out of lurkdom and spread some New Year good cheer! I want to set the tone of this year for giving as much as I can to others. I believe that the more you give the less you lack.

I have been blessed to find some of my holy grail products to help me love and nuture my natural kinky coils. I try to limit my use of products to only those that are necessary so that I can tell what works and what doesn't for my hair type without wasting my hard earned cash. My sure-fire grails are easily gotten from your local beauty supply shop or grocery store and include Castor Oil, Olive Oil, Let's Jam gel, Honey, and the Trader Joe's Nourish line. Yes, fruits and berries baby, fruits and berries.

GIVEAWAY #1: $10 in HoneyMoney to spend on anything you like @ Oyin

On occasions I splurge and allow my hair some treats like those made by the mixtress, Jameelah herself over at Oyin Handmade. I absolutely love the Greg Juice. It leaves my hair feeling so soft and moisturized. I recommend it to anyone who has a problem with dryness be it on natural or relaxed hair. Greg Juice has become so popular that they created two additional scents with the same beneficial formulation called Frank Juice and you guessed it! Fruits & Berries! I also like her Shine 'N Define for smoothe edges and twists without the dry feeling of gel and the Honey-Hemp Conditioner for a luxuriously good conditioning wash. Hopfully Oyin will be your spoil as well!


GIVEAWAY #2: one 4oz bottle of Wild Growth Oil

Let's keep the ball rolling and get on to number two! In the hair world some sistahs just can not live without Wild Growth Oil. They scream about how wonderful it is for hair growth and how they grew nine inches in 24 hours. J/K! Ya'll know how I am about the "magic in a bottle" faithful. I'm a strong believer that products don't grow hair they just help to create the ideal environment for optimal hair growth. **Don't sleep on this basic truth** You will save a lot of money and heartache if you stop running around trying to find your magic growth bullet in a bottle or pill. **off my soapbox**

I will say that recently when I got my hair pressed it did provide a nice non-oily shine to my hair. Applied properly it wasn't heavy and didn't weigh my hair down. It was applied by my stylist and she raved about it. I decided to try it for myself and give a review of it later. I bought two bottles and so I'll share one with you. Be forewarned that many users warn of the strong scent. Mine wasn't strong but then again I like medicinal smells. So here it is.

GIVEAWAY #3: one 12oz bottle of Surge Plus 14 Moisturizer

Blow the trumpet loud! My last giveaway is what you've all been searching for. At least that's what my Feedburner stats tell me. Some of you may remember my post about Surge Plus 14 Moisturizer and how it helped my scalp to heal from nearly 3 years of Alopecia. Well Surge has been discontinued (for whatever elusive and unfounded reason) by the manufacturer and practically unattainable unless you want to pay in upwards of $30 a bottle on eBay. EGAD! That's over a 400% markup. Well I have a few bottles (and I didn't pay $30 for them) and I'm willing to give one away. So dun duna dun!!

HOW TO WIN:

Just leave me a comment telling me what you would like to see more of on my blog that will help you to love your beautiful hair. It could be hair inspiration spotlights, hair care research, style tutorials, or even more great links to other helpful sites and hair albums. You name it and tell me what you would like to see. I don't want to reinvent the wheel and in saying that will not duplicate the efforts of those well known sites. You tell me what's missing and if I have knowledge about it I will try to share it here.

I'll leave this open through the weekend and randomly select 3 winners on the evening of Monday, January 26th. You must live in the continental US to participate. Be sure to provide me with your email addy otherwise I will not be able to reach you. The first to respond to my email will get first choice and so on.

Good luck!

Kamika