protective styles Archives - Page 3 of 5

In Review: Satin Lined Military Cap from Natural Born Hats LLC

Posted on by Michelle

Recently I was contacted by a company called Natural Born Hats LLC. When I saw that they

curlyincolorado.com satin lined hat review

Finally a satin lined cap that’s stylish
and fits over my natural hair

offered satin lined hats at affordable prices, I jumped at the chance to do a review. Why is a satin lining so important you ask? Well, for starters, it can help minimize frizz and matting that can occur when wearing a hat without the added lining. The smooth satin is what comes in contact with your hair which means less friction which in turn minimizes breakage. That’s music to my ears because I’m always concerned about how my hair will fare when wearing a typical hat. With this I have no worries.

About Natural Born Hats LLC

If you head over to the website, you’ll find the story detailing the relationship between the two friends who started the company. They were both on a hair journey and using satin bonnets and scarves, as we all do, to protect their hair at night. They, like me, wanted another option that was stylish for wearing out but still had the protective satin inside.

Satin lining inside

Military Cap Style

What I like about their hats is the sound construction and the variety of styles that are available. I was sent a Military inspired cap but they also carry sun hats, fedoras and lots of fun knit beanies. The Military caps are produced using a cotton blend. This is a plus because I’m planning to wear mine when I go on my walks this summer. The other hats are constructed using materials such as straw plaiting, flax and polyester. Each comes with a polyester satin lining. The knit beanies are polyester throughout which makes them machine washable but no dryer. I like that because I’m planning on getting one for my very active 12 year old son.

I know my new hat will get a lot of use this summer. I’m favoring braid outs lately which means my braids are sometimes not completely dry in the morning. Now I can just throw on my satin lined cap and head out the door knowing my braids are still protected. I’ve tried this before with other hats but was having trouble getting all of the braids to fit. It even has room enough when my natural hair is in full swang.

A hat that fits over my braids YAY!

If you’re interested in a comfy satin lined hat for yourself, be sure to head over to Natural Born Hats LLC and use Coupon Code: CURLYCO25 for an extra 25% off

NOTE: The code will be active for the next 2 weeks and must be entered using all caps.

Thinking About Crochet Braids for a Summer Protective Style

Posted on by Michelle

For a while now I’ve been watching videos on Youtube that illustrate how to install crochet braids. At first, I was just curious how the style was done. The crochet braids that I remember were stringy, pre-braided strands that were attached to the hair with a latch hook tool.

It looks like the technique has come a long way since then. Now, people are using all different types of hair textures to create various looks. This means the style can be worn curly or straight; short or long. I’m interested in doing this type of style over the summer because it looks like an easy way to protect my growing hair while having the look of a style that is always ready to wear. It may take me up to two to three hours to complete but can last four to six weeks.

I watched several videos on how to install crochet braids and this one, by MamiTresses, was the best at explaining how it’s done. Enjoy!

Learning How to French Braid Natural Hair

Posted on by Michelle

French Braids on my Natural Hair

Recently I posted a Youtube video on how I french braid my natural hair. I have been wearing my hair braided up more often recently as part of my No Heat Challenge. It has made things a little easier for me because the weather is cooler these days. My hair can get really big and full so the french braids make it possible for me to get a hat on my head whenever I want. I also use the braids to protect my hair while I’m sleeping at night so I won’t have to wake up to tangles in the morning.

I posted the video because I wanted to offer a visual to other naturals of how to do french braids. I see a lot of comments online from people who have never learned how to braid their hair in this way. I learned the technique from my mother who braided my hair every week when I was younger. Sometimes she would do a fancy braided style on my hair but later on she just did one or two french braids with a little bang in front. When I was about ten years old she taught me how to do it on my own hair. She also taught me how to do the inverted method which was basically the opposite of french braiding. I was frustrated with it at first because my braids just didn’t look as nice and tight as when she did them. I eventually got the hang of it though.

CHECK OUT MY VIDEO ON HOW I FRENCH BRAID MY NATURAL HAIR

Having this styling technique in my arsenal made it that much easier when I went natural. When my hair grew past the TWA stage I knew that I could braid my hair up for a braid out or protective style. I can see now that I’m also saving money because I’ve never gone to someone else to have them braid it for me. Hopefully more people will learn the technique so that they’ll have more options when styling natural hair.

Finally on Facebook and Instagram

Posted on by Michelle

I know I’m pretty late on this but bear with me. I started a page on Facebook sometime ago but was never really sure how to keep it separate from all of my other Facebook ongoings. My friends and family already hear enough about my hair as it is and I didn’t want to blast them with it on there too. So the Facebook page for my blog was born but then it just sat for a while. Fast forward to this fall, where I’ve been a lot more productive for some reason and got back to this whole social media thing.

I also decided to start an account on Instagram because I really like photography. I figured it would be a fun way to update my YouTube subscribers on some of the daily styling I do with my hair. Since I upgraded to a new phone I thought it was a good time to check it out. I have since found out that there is a ton of stuff to see on Instagram and I’m having a lot of fun with it.

MY VIDEO INTRODUCING MY SUBSCRIBERS TO MY FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM

I’ll be using the two social media sites to keep everyone up to date on what is going on during my four month No Heat Challenge which will take us into early 2014. For now I’m just enjoying my new “online life”.

Gearing Up for Summer

Posted on by Michelle

Finally here in Colorado we are getting some warmer weather. That weekly snow storm business was beginning to drive me crazy! Every time I saw the cold temps coming I cringed at the idea of wearing a Wash n’ Go. Curly hair is great but, wet hair when the weather is cold is not so great. As a result, I have been wearing my hair either straight or in stretched styles.

HAVANA TWISTS INSPIRATION VIDEO

Now I’m beginning to wonder what style I want to rock for the summer months. I’m thinking about maybe taking on Havana Twists. These are twists done using Marley Braid hair but much larger (and faster) than mini or medium size twists. It looks like it may be easy to install but I haven’t done my own extensions in ages so who knows what I’ll get.

I’m also loving the medium size, “Poetic Justice” type box braids. I would also be doing these myself but I tried to practice recently with some leftover hair from last time and it didn’t go so well. Until I make up my mind and try to tackle a summer protective style, I’ll be either straight or curly depending on what activities my family and I have planned. Since the warm weather is late here I’d better hurry up and decide before it’s too late!

BEAUTIFUL BOX BRAIDS INSPIRATION VIDEO