Showing posts with label Natural Hair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Natural Hair. Show all posts

Hairfinity Hair Vitamin Challenge

Author: lilisokey


YAY! My Hairfinity vitamins came in the mail today and I am stoked about it. I've tried these vitamins before and I really liked how they affected my hair, skin and nails. Ingredient wise, Hairfinity vitamins contain a unique  blend of nutrients that aide in promoting the growth of healthy hair. What I like about Hairfinity supplemnets is that they contain A, C, and D vitamins along with B-vitamin complex, biotin, panthothenic acid, MSM and silica. So, as you can see they are packed with yumminess!









I decided to buy a two month supply to get going on my challenge. I paid $42 dollars for both bottles. I am sure you all know by now that I do not believe that anything can "make" hair grow so PLEASE keep that in mind before thinking there is a miracle pill on the market that will give you flowing mermaid locs, there isn't. In my opinion, vitamins help give us nutrients that we may be missing from our everyday diets. I find that taking vitamins keep me well rounded in my diet. Oh, did I mention I am a vegetarian?...Well pescaterian when I am feeling fancy but all in all no more of the other stuff. My goal is to be vegan one day *end rant*. ANYWAYS,   during this challenge length preservation is key so my protective styling should help me retain and see any growth I do get while on these vitamins. My step dad measured my new growth today, my roots definitely need to be touched up but I have 1 and 1/2 inches of black roots. So, I will be using that to keep track of my growth and length retention. I will start the vitamins tomorrow and at the end of month one, I will update y'all! 



Do any of you have a favorite vitamin or a supplement that you take daily for your hair, skin and nails? If so, feel free to share below! Want to try Hairfinity, click HERE to buy!

xoxo,
Alex

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BeautyShorts: Caleb

Author: lilisokey



I have started a new campaign called Beauty in Color which is geared toward young women of color in the Washington, DC metro area. My first event is coming up in the Spring and I am super excited about it! Angie Ange of 93.9 WKYS is helping me get my new movement off the ground and will also be sharing her hand in the event. I want Beauty in Color to depict a woman’s beauty in a different light. Inner beauty is important and I hope my campaign will shed that light to youth of color everywhere! 
Since I am heavily involved in the natural hair community it’s only right to have my very first event centered around young women, their hair and the beauty in loving what God gave us as black women. Please feel free to share these shorts on your blogs, Tumblrs, Twitters, ect. :)
Leading up to the event I will have short videos posted on YT and Vimeo called “BeautyShorts” that will capture positive opinions of beauty in women. I hope you all enjoy and if anyone wants to be interviewed on camera in the DMV area please email me! I would love for you to share your beauty with me. Also, we will need guest blog/vlog speakers and vendors so PLEASE contact me if interested. 
xoxo,
Alex

Email: Alexandra(at)thegoodhairblog(dotcom)
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Cold Weather Regimen Q & A

Author: lilisokey
4 day old twist out

I know this post is beyond overdue but better late than never, right? My most FAQ is about my regimen for the colder months. To be honest there isn't much of a change in my hair care during the winter. You can see my full detailed regimen HERE. The main difference to the regimen I posted last year is sealing. My biggest words of advice for naturals looking to retain length and moisture is seal your strands! Under the jump you can find some Q & A about my winter regimen. I hope this helps!




xoxo,
Alex




Q: How often do you wash your hair during the winter?


A: 1-2x a month depending on the product build up. I try to use lighter products, like coconut oil and Oyin's Shine and Define, during the winter and a heavier sealant like castor oil, to avoid over washing and walking outside in the cold with a wet head of hair.


Q: Do you blow out your hair every time you wash in the colder months?


A: Yes, I am able to work with my thick hair better when it's stretched and completely dry. I do not like going outside in the winter with my hair wet. I've tried winter wash and go's and they aren't for me. It also takes my hair 2 days to dry all the way if it's not blown out.


Q: How do you blow out your hair and avoid heat damage? 


A: I blow my hair out on the cool setting and I use grapeseed oil as a heat protectant. 


Q: What do you use as a sealant?


A:  I use whipped shea butter or Jamaican Black Castor oil. A little goes a long way, you do not need to heavily coat your strands with butter or oil for a good seal. Your hair will be weighed down and gross if you do, LOL!


Q: How do you preserve your hair at night?


A: As of late, I re-twist my hair in chunky twists every other night with a little water. On the nights that I don't re-twist I use a loc sock to pineapple and preserve definition.
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Good Hair Magnet x Pin sets!

Author: lilisokey
Hey beauties! I wanted to let you all know that the Good Hair pins have been restocked and magnets have been added to the package. You can buy your magnet x pin set HERE for $8.50 (FREE SHIPPING to the USA). A lot of you wanted magnets, which was a GREAT idea. I have a Good Hair mug that is super cute, those will be available soon once I find an affordable custom item printer.


I hope your week was fabulous!

xoxo,
Alex



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Essence.com Feature

Author: lilisokey

Today, myself and a few other AMAZING natural hair bloggers/vloggers were featured on Essence.com. Super exciting, right? If you haven't check our Ultimate Natural Hair Holiday Gift Guide, click HERE to check us out! 


Thank you Essence and their awesome editor, Nicole Melton!

xoxo,
Alex
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Play With It - a Coffee Table Book & Documentary by Vaughn Dabney

Author: lilisokey

Many of you have seen me tweet about the upcoming documentary and coffee table book by Vaughn Dabney called "Play with It." If you are not quite sure what I am talking about, let me give you the run down. A friend of mine put me in touch with Vaughn a few weeks ago and asked me to check out his Kickstarter page. At first I was kind of hesitant but then she mentioned that he would be writing a book and making a documentary on natural hair so, of course I was on board immediately after that. It's rare that you see a man taking initiative to spread the love and knowledge of natural hair, especially a man of color so I was beside myself after watching his video and reading up on his goals for the project. 

From Play with It Kickstarter: 

What is this project about?

"This project is about shedding light on the natural hair movement and why certain women either embrace or reject the notion of natural hair. 
Using photography and film as my media, I will attempt to debunk myths, uncover hidden desires, and bring forth truths about women with natural hair."





Vaughn is actually from my neck of the woods but resides in Atlanta, GA. I had the pleasure of meeting him this past weekend to discuss the project and the fantastic giveaway that he will be hosting here on the Good Hair Blog. You may even see little ol' me in the book and documentary! What Vaughn is doing is spectacular and I really want you all to take the time out and support him. I've donated to his Kickstarter and I also have bookmarks (if anyone wants some let me know) that I have been mailing to fellow naturals across the country. Even if you don't have money to give share the word via Twitter with the hashtag #PlaywithIt to get more buzz going and be sure to follow him HERE. I have a feeling that this project is going to be beyond epic!

Vaughn's Links:

xoxo,
Alex

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Guest at MissNoce's Bloggers Affair

Author: lilisokey

Last week I had the honor of being a guest blogger at Miss. Simona Noce's Bloggers Affair event. If the lovely lady in the photo looks familiar to you it's because she was recently featured as my Captured Curls of the week, you can read her story here. The event hosted by Simona was so fun and it was great to see so many young people of color come together and network! 

I was featured as the natural hair blogger "to know" *blushes* and there were A LOT of curlies and loc'd men there too. I was able to mix and mingle with my peers and it was AMAZING to meet some of my blog readers.

Click the jump for pics of the beautiful people!









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Random: #NaturalHairspiration

Author: lilisokey

If you follow me on Twitter you know that the #NaturalHair hashtag is not a stranger to my timeline. I decided today to start a trend for the women who want to go natural or who may have just BCd and need a little inspiration. So, if you have any love, advice and/or tips to share @ me and use the tag #NaturalHairspiration. I'll be sure to re-tweet to all my followers and I am hoping that this will be another way for use to fellowship and come together!

xoxo,
Alex



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Sealing your Strands

Author: lilisokey
Google Image

Going natural for the third times was just as hard for me when I went tried it the first 2 times. I knew nothing about hair care. Growing up I had long permed hair and my mom handled the styling relaxer touch ups and for the most part. Then I started messing in it and coloring it and cutting it. My hair has been through the wringer, I ruined it! With that said, I made sure that I took the time to learn my type 4 coils this time around. As time went on, I became more and more familiar with what worked for me and my strands. My biggest natural hair blessing was learning how to seal my ends and retain length. Some of you may not know this but I just recently learned and embraced protective styling! I wish I would have just sucked it up and did it more my first year of being natural, I would have retained a lot more length. 

Since I am two years in now, I think I have gotten the hang of caring for my hair. I co-wash 4x a month, I clarify 1x a month, I detangle properly and I use products that will give enough slip. I also seal the moisture into my strands to prevent breakage, my hair is fragile so I need that extra barrier of protection. A lot of people want to know how I go about sealing my hair/ends. My technique is really simple.I start with wet hair, no matter if it's clean or just needs a  little refresher, I always give my hair water. I like using warmer water to spritz 2nd or 3rd day hair to open the hair's cuticles a bit. The steps I take after that is as follows:


1. Apply a leave in conditioner with a few drops of coconut oil. 
(I use Oyin's Honey Hemp or Kinky Curly's Knot today and Vatika Oil)
2. I smooth/detangle my strands with a Denman brush to distribute the product evenly.
3. Before styling I like to use a heavy butter, like Shea butter to seal in the products and water.

I find that doing this helps keep my dry hair hydrated. Right after sealing and even a few days after that, my hair feels soft and refreshed. Before I learned how to seal I always had the dry hair problem, even more so after dying my hair. Also, I noticed since I started using henna again, my hair is not dry, even if I forget to seal my ends I don't have nearly as much breakage and single strand knots. 

Do you have a sealing technique?
If so, please share below.

xoxo,
Alex
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CharBaby's Hair

Author: lilisokey

If you have been following me for a while, you know my gripe with letting CharBaby wear her hair out. It's hard to manage if the right product isn't used and a lot of products do not work for her because of her super fine type 3 hair. Today we tried something new on her strands, Miss. Jessie's Curly Pudding! This product works well on my dry hair for styling but terrible on my wet hair for wash and go's. Char's wet curls, on the other hand, LOVED it! We used the product on her soaking wet hair and it really helped maintain her definition. I'd even say that the curly pudding helped reduce some of her shrinkage.


Char and I made a vlog earlier today with us chatting about her "hair out" experience. Pop the jump to watch. Miss. Jessie's Curly Pudding is a win for CharBaby!
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Natural Hair is Not a Fad Event

Author: lilisokey

I really had a ball today at Koil's by Nature's "Natural Hair is Not a Fad" event! I bought some goodies and made a quick haul video to share with you ladies. You can find the video under the jump! The earrings above can be found HERE by the way. 




Dee, Jocelyn of Curly Nu Growth, Me.





xoxo,
Alex
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The Bigger the Hair...

Author: lilisokey

Over the past 2 years of being natural, I have encountered a lot of different reactions to my hair. Some people "ohhh," some people "ahh," and some may even reach out their hands to touch, BEFORE ASKING but most of all people stare. Not that, "Oh, chile what has she done with her hair" stare but the "I want to ask her about her hair" stare. I don't mind natural hair admiration at all, I am guilty of hair stalking too. I personally have hairgasms over locs. The feelings I get when I see beautiful, clean, freshly twisted locs are beyond me. So much so that I am seriously contemplating loc'ing my strands but that's for a later post...

Any who, I wanted to know from y'all if people stare at you and your hair when out in public. Are they good stares, confused ones or the "oh" stares? Share your stories below!

Happy Friday!

xoxo,
Alex
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Natural Hair Regrets

Author: lilisokey





*GASP* Yes, you read the title right, I have some regrets about things I've done to my natural hair! How many of you are shocked? LOL, we all have our moments and we all make mistakes; so yes, I have learned some lessons on the way over the past 2 years. Like I mentioned in a previous post, September 26th will mark my 2 year natural hair journey and this past week I have been thinking about things I could've done differently to help my hair flourish, along with what I will do from here on out to keep my hair healthy.


My first and MAIN regret is coloring my hair. I know, I know, some of you said not to do in the first place but I wanted "something different" when in all actuality I should have left my hair alone! Yes, overtime I experienced some breakage which in turn stunted any type of length retention I was trying to achieve. To this day, I wish I would've just gotten highlights or maybe even nothing, versus having my whole head dyed. My advice to new naturals is to not color your hair right away. Wait, at least 3 years. That may sound like a long time but you'll have some length and hopefully would have gotten to know your hair by the time you choose to "spice it up" a little bit. I know that some may think their TWAs are boring but would you rather have boring healthy hair or borderline damaged "cute" colored hair? There is too much to loose especially if you have fragile type 4 strands like me and are trying to grow your hair to great lengths. Just a suggestion! 


I have also come to accept that my hair needs to have a low maintenance regimen. Nothing "extra" because then she, LOL, yes, "she", will not flourish. That color really set me back and I would say that last December,when I started protective styling nursing my strands back to health, I can definitely see the difference. 


Speaking of protecting strands! I wish I did more protective styling when I first BC'd, I regret that I didn't. I would dabble in it here and there but I used to have a bad case of "hand in hair" syndrome so I really wouldn't give my hair a break. A tip for my new natural's, "keep it simple sistah," for real! If you want healthy hair with some length, you will have to sacrifice somethings and have patience to get your hair where you'd like it. I've always struggled with hair patience but now my regimen and routine is second nature. I am retaining length and most importantly my hair is healthy!


For the most part, those are the things that I look back and say "Dang, I should've or shouldn't have..." Lesson LEARNED! Do you have any natural hair regrets? Share your experiences and learned lessons below.


xoxo,
Alex
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Too long for TWA?

Author: lilisokey
image credit

A great question came in via email from one of the ladies participating in TGHBPSC a couple of days ago and I wanted to get your feedback. The question was from Tia, she writes; 

"When do you stop considering your hair a TWA? I have very coily 3c hair with a lot of shrinkage. But if I straighten my hair I have a bob. Would my hair in its natural state still be considered a TWA?"

When I read her question, I immediately thought it was a GREAT one and to be honest, I kind of don't know the answer to it. Some of the other ladies weighed in and gave their answers.  Evelyn responded,  "Good question Tia, I still consider mine a TWA because without any stretching it doesn't touch my shoulders." 

So, what is your answer to Tia's question? When do we stop considering our curls and coils a TWA?

xoxo,
Alex

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Natural Hair Take Over

Author: lilisokey
Alex SHORT from Teck Films on Vimeo.


Teck made a snippet of me from our shoot yesterday and I wanted to share with you all!
I am thinking about putting together a Natural Hair Takeover shoot soon and Teck will be shooting it.
I think it's amazing that so many women are going natural, I LOVE IT!
Seeing all the different textures, lengths and colors is great and such an inspiration.
So, if you are a DMV local and are interested in shooting leave a comment below and I'll be sure to contact you!

Enjoy the short video and make sure to follow DJTeck on Twitter if you like his work!
He's awesome.

xoxo,
Alex
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FOR YOU!

Author: lilisokey




I made this for y'all! Feel free to save it and use it. Just make sure to give me photo credit if you post on another site! My tumblr's name is in the right corner, please do not remove. :)


xoxo,
Alex
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Hair Love...

Author: lilisokey
I was playing around in my new photo software and came up with the little image below. Out of PURE BOREDOM, mind you!  I am thinking about having this printed on a tee, would you ladies wear it? Give me your feedback, please!



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THANK YOU giveaway!

Author: lilisokey
I really do appreciate you all! I have reached over 1k followers on my YouTube and blog, which is epic for me. The love and support you all throw my way is amazing, to say the least. My blog has been getting close to 4k hits A DAY so to know that over one thousand people have taken the time out to follow my site, makes me feel amazing! Hello to all you occasional visitors too, you count just as much. ;o)


(Pictured: Springy banana clip, Scunci Wingless Clips, Goody Headband in peach)


To show and share my love and appreciation with you all I decided to host a little giveaway. Two people, 1 reader and 1 YouTube viewer will receive the above items. Entering this giveaway is easy here are the steps that you need to take:


1. YOU MUST WATCH THE VIDEO and FOLLOW the directions given!

2.Leave the instructed comment on the video
3. Come here and post your email, YT name and Twitter
4. Wait for the winners to be announced on Monday, September 12th.

**THE CONTEST CLOSES ON September 9th at 6pm**

Good luck to everyone and thank you all so much for supporting me! All of you are the reason I've stuck with blogging, you're the BEST!

xoxo,
Alex
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Crocheting for Curls

Author: lilisokey

Last week one of my Twitter followers,Romney aka @MomToNia, sent me a very cute hair accessory for my curls. I have seen some crocheted hair pieces before and wanted to give them a try but never did. I am so happy I got the opportunity to try one out! Romney sent me a black and pink handmade headband that looks super cute when worn with puff balls or even certain protective styles. At first I wasn't sure how the headband was going to fit over my head and hair. I didn't know that it'd be able to stretch without elastic but it did and I loved how it looked on.




Hair accessories should definitely be utilized especially when we are feeling "blah" about our "mane". I have a drawer full of hair knick knacks and I think this crotched headband is my new favorite! 

If you like what you see then I have good news for you! Romney asked if I'd be interested in hosting a giveaway and OF COURSE I said yes. I figured you ladies would love this and since we are participating in the "TGHBPSC" this item would be perfect for one of you who may want a little extra "pizazz." The giveaway will be posted this week so check back in a few days to enter!

xoxo,
Alex 



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Puff Bun

Author: lilisokey



Exciting news today! I finally switched my hairstyle up and I could not be happier with the outcome. Lately, I have been very hesitant on trying  new styles. My hair is RIDICULOUSLY fragile and I've found that too much manipulation will only cause breakage, so for the most part I keep things very low key style wise.  Tuesday, my friend Keeta from "All Things Keeta Ray" had her hair styled SO CUTE! Of course I made her dish on how she achieved the look. She said that she saw a "Puff Bun" tutorial on Curly Nikki's site and decided to try it.  The video she sent me can be found here for those of you who want to watch.  The puff bun is a GREAT protective style and it's super wearable and cute! I think I am in love... LOL 


What I Did
1. Took down my twists
2. Moisturized with Lavender tea water
3. Stretched my hair from the root with a afro pick
4. Gathered my hair in a puff using a black stretchy shoe string
5. Once the puff was secure I tucked and rolled the hair and pinned with straight pins




I will be making a tutorial of my own soon to walk y'all through this style, step by step!
I vlogged today about the puff bun and my excitement, LOL!
See video below. 
ENJOY!

XOXO,
Alex
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