I know it has been a while since I last posted, but I'm back! I've been a bit busy, but I wanted to share some updates about my life. (By the way, I'm almost always posting pictures on Insatgram. So, feel free to follow me @mybeautifuloasis)
So.... I'm 6 months natural!!! I can't believe how fast time flies! I remember my Big Chop like it was yesterday! I also remember obsessing over my hair, wondering if it'll grow... Well, it has! I started with 1/2 inch of hair...and now, It's about 5 - 6 inches. I remember watching several YouTube videos where everyone kept saying "Enjoy your TWA stage" and I kept thinking, "Yea, right! Easy for you to say because you have long hair!" But guess what? I'm actually LOVING my TWA!
I mean, it's so easy to maintain and style. At first, I thought there wasn't anything I could do with my hair, but I found that to be untrue. I've tried so many different things so far: quick/brush coils, finger coils, twists/twist outs, flat twists...as well as protective styles (yarn braids, box braids, Marley twists).
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| Twist Out |
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| Frohawk (Flat Twists & Twist Out) |
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| Tapered Look (Flat twists & Twist Out) |
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| Single braids (using Free Tresses Bohemian Hair extensions) |
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| Yarn Braids |
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| Yarn Braids (styled into a bun) |
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| Updo (Flat Twists & Twist Out using Kinky hair) |
As for maintenance, it has not changed much. Unless my hair is in a protective style, I do the following:
Cowash every 2-3 days with V05 conditioners
Shampoo weekly with Shea Moisture shampoos (Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo OR Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo)
Deep condition monthly with Shea Moisture Treatment Masque
LCO method daily (Liquid-Cream-Oil)
Liquid: Water (wet hair from right after washing OR spritz with my spray bottle OR Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Hold & Shine Moisture Mist)
Cream: Leave in conditioner (Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk OR Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner OR Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioner)
Oil: Personal mixture of oils (coconut oil, Extra virgin olive oil, Jamaican Black Castor Oil) OR Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Reconstructive Elixir)
Style as needed with Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie (I use this for all my styles mentioned above)
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| Pictures of my staple products *Treatment Masque not pictured here* |
From February to May, I participated in a "Castor Oil Challenge" hosted by one of my favorite YouTubers, Jenell aka BlakIzBeautyful (click here for more info). It was a 3 month challenge, and I used Jamaican Black Castor Oil. I think it really helped my hair and edges grow. So, I will definitely be participating in future challenges.
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| Length Check Comparison Top pics: Beginning of Challenge Bottom pics: End of Challenge |
I'm also currently on a "Use It Up Challenge" which was inspired by Discovering Natural, another YouTuber I follow. Meaning, I plan to use up all my hair products before buying more. I'm not a product junkie (a term used by many naturalistas for someone who buys tons of hair products while still having a lot already), but if you are, this challenge is for you. Feel free to let me know how it goes for you. I don't really have that many hair products, and I'm not too interested in trying other products just yet, because Shea Moisture works just fine for me and my daughter. Perhaps, after all my hair products are used up, I'll try something new and see how it works.
My daughter's hair regimen has remained the same as well (see Toddler Hair Care Page). Lately, I have been doing more flat twisting than cornrows on her hair, because I find that there's less tension to her hair, edges and scalp. However, the flat twists start looking a bit rough after one week (as opposed to cornrows, which could last 2-3 weeks).
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| Flat Twists Style - Day One |
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| Another Flat Twists Style - Day One |
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| Flat Twists After One Week |
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| Flat Twists After One week |
Enough about hair.... On to my new found obsession: SEWING! Oh my! The summer weather has inspired me to pull out my sewing machine and dust off the cobwebs that were accumulating on it over the winter! I get so much inspiration from Instagram for both my hair and my sewing projects. So far, I have made versatile shorts (with African print material called Ankara; I made matching shorts and skirt for my little ones too), a colorful casual top, a pretty summer dress, a cute outfit for my daughter. Next on the list: recreating the style of my favorite summer maxi dress.
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| Ankara Shorts (with tank top) |
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| Ankara Shorts (with button down shirt) |
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| Wearing matching outfits with my little ones |
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| Casual Colorful Top (with fabric from Joann's Fabric Store) |
I hope you all are well. Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, wishing you peace, love and happiness...From me and mine to you and yours!
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