As you can see from the title, I have finally decided that I’m going to attempt to cover my currently burgundy hair with a Semi-Permanent rinse. When I started using henna I mixed it with Indigo in order to get a brunette effect. I was never really successful but continued to use henna each month for the past year or so. Although, I love the benefits from using henna, I never really intended for my hair to end up so red. We’re talkin’ Rhianna type red in the sunlight at this point.
I’ve been debating this for a few months now. Originally I decided that I would just order more indigo and do a two step henna/indigo process. This is where you apply the henna like normal and after rinsing it completely, apply the indigo for another 30 minutes to an hour and rinse. The result is Jet black hair and it is permanent. I know from past efforts that black hair does not look so hot against my skin tone. Somehow it makes my face look really red and I always have trouble adjusting my makeup palette to suit the black hair color. Because of this, the darkest I can go is a dark brown.
For this reason, I decided to go with Clairol’s Beautiful Collection in the color Darkest Brown which has a neutral base. It is a formula that does not contain ammonia or peroxide. I’ve read over on NaturalSunshine.ning.com that the Clairol line is pretty much the only one considered gentle enough for Natural hair. I’m going this route because I figure the color result will be more predictable than trying to mix henna and indigo for the color I want. The only thing I’m concerned about at this point is the Isopropyl Alcohol which can be drying. I’m going to make sure and do a moisturizing deep conditioning treatment after rinsing the product and then do an ACV rinse to close down the hair cuticles. I’ll post pictures after the application and do a review.
I recently bought an item that I thought would help with the shedded hairs that collect in our bathtub. This may not be very pleasant to discuss but I still thought I would share my experience with a product called, the Hair Stopper. My husband has long straight hair and washes it almost daily. I like to co-wash a couple times each week and also detangle my hair while under the running water of the shower. I won’t go into detail but we were in need of something to help with the hair that kept building up in the tub. I found the Hair Stopper at Walmart for about $4.50 USD and was really hoping that it would work for us.
How it works is you’re supposed to remove the little grate that already covers the drain in the tub. Then insert the Hair Stopper, which says it should fit most household drains, into the drainage hole. It ended up fitting so I figured all things were a go. Did it work you ask? Well, let’s just say that it did stop. . . the WATER from going down the drain! I felt like I started out taking a shower and ended up wading in bath water. I mean what gives?! I tried to tweak it a little but it still acted like a plug and not a catch-all. I planned on returning it later that week, but of course, my crazy dog, Grover, thought it would make a great chew toy. Needless to say, it’s back to the drawing board on this one.
A plait in front helps to blend the straight pieces with the rest of my curly hair
Even though the majority of my hair is still nice and curly, the front of my hair is practically straight when I wear a wash n’ go because of heat damage. I’ve been doing lots of braid outs and twist outs to help add texture to that area. I finally figured out how to blend the straight pieces in with the rest of my hair when I wear my natural curls. I feel so silly for not figuring it out sooner but hey, better late than never.
Gel of Choice for my Wash n’ Go styles
Basically, I apply product to my hair the way I normally would for a wash n’ go. I use leave-in conditioner on wet hair (usually Suave Coconut Conditioner) and then seal with oil. Right now I’m lovin’ African Royale’s Hot Six Oil, which is a Bronner Bros. product. Then I apply Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel to my hair in medium size sections starting with the back and rake it through. When I get to the front, heat damaged area, I still apply products in the same way. Then I take that section and braid it up in one plait. Sometimes I’ll do a two strand twist with a roller on the end. Since I start my wash n’ go’s at night, I usually pull the rest of my hair back into a puff and cover my hair with a satin bonnet. The next day I take down the puff and spritz with my leave-in spray mixture. Then I shake my hair out to bring the curls back to life. Lastly, I take down the plait or twist, which is usually a bit damp but is now wavy in texture and blends in better with the rest of my hair.
I remember attending the very first Cherry Creek Arts Festival when I was in High School. I was a budding artist and the concept was so cool to me. Basically, it’s a large scale art event situated right in the middle of the Cherry Creek North shopping district. There is usually a lot of live music, wine & beer gardens, food and even craft stations for the little ones. Not only is there lots of cool activities, music and artist booths, but visiting the surrounding shops can be fun too. Now that I’m older, I enjoy heading to the festival but with the family in tow. My kids all love to draw so I like to think that maybe the art and artists are an inspiration for them now like the festival was for me when I was younger. It sounded like a great way to spend my birthday this week which is only 3 days after the 4th of July.
Here are a few pictures I took at this years’ event.
I’m really trying to be patient for APL which has been my hair length goal for a while now. I’m still an inch away from it which is really frustrating. I’m guessing it will take another two months before I reach it. I’ve decided that in order get to where I want to be, I need to really baby my hair and keep it protected.
It actually feels good to keep my hair off of my neck on hot days. I try to wear my hair up in a bun or french braids whenever I can. Sometimes I also like to throw it up into the occasional puff. I’ve even been thinking about wearing some type of half wig or lace front to keep my hair completely under wraps. That’s a new concept for me though so it may be a minute before I jump on that bandwagon. I wore it down for the 4th of July weekend but now it’s back up again.
