MY HAIR - Back to Black

I told y'all the ombre was gone and BLACK IS BACK!

I sound excited but I wash't at first.

Instead of getting a natural black, I got Silken Black from Clairol Textures & Tones

Why? I'm not sure. Now I still kind of regret doing it.

I'm not a fan. I'm thinking I should have done a dark brown instead.

I have to let you lovelies know the good, bad and ugly of my hair.

Initially, it looked hella fake. To me at least.

I shampooed twice in one week with sulfates to spread up the fading process.

That deep of a hate.

It's not as blinging black as before but I want it to fade more.

This reminds me of the time I did a red rinse when I was relaxed.

At least I knew that would fade, this is a permanent color.

The urge to chop is heavier than before..

Artiste Spotlight - Kristine Alicia

What a way I've been missing!

Anyways, we won't dwell on that.

What we will dwell on is this amazing artiste - Kristine Alicia

Who would I be if I didn't feature someone of the reggae genre from my beautiful island Jamaica?

I've had the pleasure of knowing her for almost 10 years

(since I was a teen)

and I've always been blown away by her unique voice.

It's soulful and sticks with you. 

So much so I find myself repeating her tracks.

She's also a fellow curly girl!

Isn't her tapered cut awesome? Makes me want to chop mine off.

Get into this acoustic version of her song Perfect Time

which just happened to be shot by yours truly :)

For more vids of her singing and giving her take on life

subscribe to her YouTube -> KristineAlicia 

Enjoy =)

Time & Ombre Hair

Summer is over and so is this ombre hair. It was short lived as was Summer. Where did the time go?

It's as if time said "Peace out homie" & left me behind.

I realize I tend to go missing on this blog during those months .. I'm not sure why.

Maybe it's because I get into a state of reflection which turns into a funk.

Life picks up & drops me - then Fall rolls around & I'm back. Two months just flew by me.

Recently, I was reminded by God how time is precious. Time is a gift.

Time is priceless. Time is also fleeting.

We are suppose to invest our time wisely and not squander seconds. Why am I posting about this? Well since 2014 is coming to a close 

[quicker than I thought]

Why not remind y'all to use it wisely as I've been reminded.

Yes You!

What things haven't you accomplished yet for this year?

Ready for this Fall/Winter season?

Artiste Spotlight - Seinabo Sey

source

Today's spotlight is on Seinabo Sey

A singer that hails from Sweden.

I think I have a fascination with singers from the continent of Europe.

Their vibe and tone of voice is just exceptional.

I came across her music on Spotify. 

I have an infatuation with the related artistes tab and my affair tends to give me gems.

Seinabo Sey being one of them.

Her discography is small at the current moment with Younger and Hard Time 

[the latter I absolutely adore]

then this Swedish Soul is one you should be tuned into.If you like the sounds of Disclosure, Banks or Maipei

Peep my fav Hard Time below.

Enjoy =)

MY HAIR - Ombré Effect

So I talked about wanting to go blonde for the summer and here it is!
Well kind of..
I wanted an ombré effect because well.. I like how it looks. All over head color without it being my whole head.
My first attempt was with L'oreal Excellence Extreme Blonde in B1. It didn't do much. It brought it to a brown color on my ends.
The second attempt which is pictured here was done with Clairol Textures & Tones in Honey Blonde.
I colored it a week after trying the first time.

It's not the blonde I want and I might do a third attempt at some point.
For now I'm giving my hair a break.
Watch my second attempt below and do subscribe to my channel if you're not already :)

Blowout Business

Alo Lovelies!

Almost two weeks ago, I decided to attempt to straighten my hair.

Didn't come out as I wanted to (all sleek and LAID)

but such is life.

I used the Carol's Daughter Chocolat Smoothing Collection

because it's really the only set of products I trust when heat will be applied to my hair.

Check out my review I did of it way back when here.

I did shampoo first with Tresemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo to clarify

then the Smoothing Shampoo.

Y'all know this struggle!

There was so much product left that would not squeeze out so

the scissors came out to play and viola!

easy access.

I detangled and deep conditioned with the conditioner for about 30 mins.

then I proceeded to blow dry my hair only using the blow dry cream.

DASSIT.

I then flat ironed my hair at 370º

I really should have done smaller sections and whatnot but it was late.

The whole process took at least 6 hours. AT LEAST.

Never again. I will let someone else do it for me.

Comes out nicer anyways.

I'll show y'all a proper length pic soon.

Because, more posts.

The curls are back though!

Anyways, do you do blow outs often?

Miss Jessie's Transitioner's Magic

So it was wash day this weekend

and I finally tried out Miss Jessie's Transitioner's Magic

Again, if you follow me on Instagram, 

you know I was sent the product by the lovely folks at Miss Jessie's for review.

Took some time to make it across the pond from FL but it is here!

hair with product in

 I cleansed my hair with Shea Moisture Deep Cleansing Shampoo & Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap

Detangled with Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner

Deep Conditioner - Creation Gardens Protein Conditioner & Avocado Oil

 styled with the TM on damp/nearly dry hair

sealed with Almond Oil

day after

Wanna know my thoughts?

Check out my review below!

Boots Curl Creme - Wash n Go

Greetings.

Wash N Go.

nothing new to the blog. this style will have me stocking up on various products to see if any outdo the other.

This post is about one of those products. 

I came across Boots Curl Creme somehow one night while I was traipsing through the internet. I was intrigued. It's cheap and readily available to ladies in the UK. Even lil ole me in random ol' Crewe.

If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen me post about it already but I like it so much, it gets a blog post.

no parabens. no cones. under £2

I've used it two or three times now and it's been good to me all those times. I used it ALONE on damp hair. I would not recommend wet hair as it does this weird thing, 

i.e. nothing good.

I sealed with almond oil because one must seal in moisture.

no idea why my eyes have those black spots. i blame blogspot
hair damp with the curl creme in

I get a good 4-5 days when using this for a wash n go.

Soft, moisturized, fluffy, defined (ish)

Things I love when rocking a WnG.

To all my UK lovelies, try it out!

Won't set you back much if you end up hating it but I don't know why you would.

Fix of Hair

my twist n curl - the dying days

Twist n Curl

So that style I told y'all bout after I dyed my hair..

Yea this is it.

Shockingly I've never done this before. I've had flexirods for over 2 years now and never really used them. They aren't comfy to sleep in but the payoff is worth it and this is going to be a staple style for me.

Applied Mixed Silk Leave In mixed w/ SM Restorative Condish as leave in

KBB Heavenly Jojoba Oil as oil

SM Curl Enhancing Smoothie as Styler

Kept in the flexi rods the following day (wasn't going anywhere)

Took them the out the day after that.

Don't remember how many twists. Around 14 I think.

LISTEN!!!!

My hair looked so good! And felt good! And still feels good! (haven't washed my hair yet lol)

The fact that the ends being curled up has helped me keep my hair moisturized for 2 weeks is lovely.

I maintained the style by having my hair in a low loose ponytail and then popping on my satin scarf.

No re twisting or nada

Have you ever used flexirods? 

Denman Brush Wash n Go

I bought a Denman brush. After all this time, I finally got one.
Not sure what model but I got one.

Chock full of pics so peep after the jump

End of Year Hair Rant

2013 is almost done and I can't believe it.

The end of a year always brings about an itch to do something different with my hair.

I really want to color the lightened sections of my hair back to black but I want to use Shea Moisture hair color due to how great my hair felt but it isn't here in the UK :-( 

I'm also thinking of straightening my hair. Not revolutionary but I've never actually done it myself, the last 2 times my cousin has done it so it would be a new thing for me.

I may not end up doing it because I can't be bothered (a lot of hair man)

 Le sigh. I also thought about doing yarn twists or twists in general but again.. Where I live in the UK, getting hair is a feat. A Caribbean shop is in my town and the lady sells some hair but the prices are racked up because black people are scarce. 

I may do mini twists on blown out hair. That's it! 

What do you think? Itching to do something new with your hair approaching the new year?

Youtube Goodness

Hello my Lovelies!

If you haven't been keeping up with my YouTube channel,

I have two recent videos. One on my hair regimen and one with holiday hairstyles!

Check them out below and subscribe if you aren't

Enjoy =)

Hair for the Holidays

My Hair Regimen

MANE-ly Speaking - Nicole

Got another lovely MANE-ly Speaking feature with this gorge gal!

South Florida stand up! Take a peek into this model's mane story

Who are you?

My name is Nicole Arnold.  I’m a 25 year old Mommy of a 3 year old little girl, and a LPN nursing student. 

3 words you would use to describe yourself.

• Social
• Goofy
• Dreamer

Why did you go natural?

For multiple reasons.  Excessive blow drying and flat ironing caused tons of damage.  So I looked for alternatives.  I began to watch Taren916 and LoveIslandBeauty on YouTube and got my inspiration to go for it!

Was it difficult or easy to go natural?

It was pretty simple in the beginning.  It didn’t tangle easily and it was usually quick to style (half hawks or mohawks).  The downside was it never really looked good as a wash and go, so I spent hours twisting it every night.  I went through an awkward stage at around a year I believe where my curls just weren’t acting right, but I’m loving the stage my hair is at now. 

4 words to describe your mane.

• Big
• Frizzy
• Fun
• Unpredictable

Tell us a little about your regimen. 

To be honest, I’m not too consistent with a regimen.  I’m all over the place when it comes to products.  It changes every other month.  But currently my routine is wash day Sat or Sun, I shampoo with Pantene or Herbal Essence shampoo (I’m not picky with what it’s specific for… moisture, hair damage repair, volume..none seem to work better than the other for my hair), The conditioner I use is usually Pantene also.  I slather that on my hair to do the initial detangling, rinse it out, then I put either Loreal’s Moisture Mask or Damage Erasing Bomb on to comb through my hair.  I leave it on for a few hours, rinse it out and diffuse.  As the days go on my hair gets bigger and bigger.  With a little help from my pick and blow dryer.  Usually lasts the week then it’s in need for some serious detangling.

What have you learned on your natural hair journey?

PATIENCE my dear, patience.  I began with such unrealistic expectations, thinking my hair would grow over night and would be effortless every morning.  Boy was I wrong.  It took a year of crazy hair days and lots of long nights combing out my hair to get to where I began to be satisfied.  Expect for a different hair day every day.  Curly hair has a mind of its own.  Just make it work for you (accessories are a big help).  I’ve gotten the most genuine compliments since becoming natural.  It’s an instant boost of confidence and such a fun playful look.  

Candidly speaking.. 

Blow drying your roots does wonders!!  I’ve gotten so much extra length from my curls by blow drying directly on the roots while gently tugging on the section I’m focusing on.  It even works when the hair is dry.  Every morning it takes me about 5 minutes just to style.  

Tip: Pull up and out instead of down if you want BIG hair rather than just length & always use a heat protectant (like a light weight spray) . 

                                          

Find Nicole on Instagram - @nic0le_chantal

Winter Wash N Go

I have a love affair with wash n gos. I admit it. 

The girl who used to loathe them because they just did not look right has now a thing for em. 

I love seeing my actual curl pattern(s). This was achieved using Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue as a styler.
I think I may like their stylers for winter wash n gos.. well some. 

I used Tresemme Naturals as a leave in ..eh. 

I prefer using the Mixed Silk.. hair feels more moisturized. 

This was probably day 2/3 after being outside in the wind and rain.

I like to do my wash n go's when its cold outside the day before I plan on rocking it.

So I do it the afternoon before, giving it time to fully dry before heading out.

I apply a leave in and seal with oil before applying the styler.

I applied the Meringue in four sections.

Shrinkage at it's finest!

Back in the day, the shrinkage was too real. I don't even hate shrinkage but the different curls I have in my head.. man I couldn't rock WnGs after awhile. Right when I BC'd? sure. but then my hair grew..

Anyways.. WnG is a style I now rock.

Love wash n gos? Rock them in winter? 

Refuge & Strength

"But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress." 

- Psalm 59:16 (NLT)

Felt like sharing this on the blog today. Was doing my devotional and this was one of the verses in it The devotional was on praise and thanksgiving. 

-an excerpt-

Praise is not optional in a life that wins over worry and doubt. Praise is essential in a journey of faith. It is a demonstration of trust and the acceptance of a circumstance without insisting that God change it. When we choose to praise God, we choose to trust Him. And when we choose to trust God, we will win over worry.

Look man, God just loves to speak to my heart at the right time. ALWAYS!

I cannot deny that He exists, when I pray to Him about things and He responds.

What an awesome God I serve!

So I don't know who will read this and what you are going through, even if you aren't going through anything in particular.. PRAISE HIM!

He will rescue you. He is the same God who delivered the Israelites from Egypt.

So this devotional led me to listen to one of my fav Christian artists, Kristine Alicia.

First I listened to "Unfailing Love" & "Praise Dance" off her album Get Ready

then another song, "Rescue".

Sharing the vid for Rescue here and I pray you'll be blessed by it.

(oh and she just happens to have bomb behind natural hair :)

MANE-ly Speaking - Melody

Hey Lovelies! 

Got another MANE-ly Speaking with the beautiful Melody.

 Such a beautiful soul this gal is & I'm pleased to feature her. Do get into more after the jump!

Who are you?

My name is Melody. I am a Senior at the University of Central Florida, majoring in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in Health Sciences. Beyond the basics, I am a lover of life, music, good food, and good vibes. 

#Fall4P31 Challenge - Update

Hiya Lovelies!

If you've been following me on Instagram, you have seen that I'm currently in the throes of the Fall For Proverbs 31 Woman Challenge.

I invited others to join in but it's really only been my sister, myself

and a lovely Youtube subscriber of mine. (S/o to SapphiraNew :)

Now as I'm in it.. it's really a daunting task.

Reading the chapters daily isn't as hard because I have my sister alongside with me.

(we tend to post the same verses and similar hairstyles too)

Speaking of hairstyles, that is the part I am finding difficult.

If you prance about through my blog you will notice I really just wear my hair out most of the times

A bun drops in the mix a lot of the times and maybe some twists..

It's only day 9 and i feel stuck :|

iIalso feel like a self crowned selfie queen because I post a pic daily of my hair

I try not to include my face on some because I really don't want my IG to become selfie land

If you wanna see the pics, find me @CandidCinni :)

Artiste Spotlight - Mapei

Haven't done one of these in a proper minute

but today's spotlight is on Mapei

I came across her through my Flipboard app. I saw that pic and thought "who is this chick with the luscious curls??" 

Tap on the article and find out she's a singer who just released a single 'Don't Wait'

In doing more research to find more songs (and pics of her hair)

found out she was an "Artist to watch" in the LATimes in 2009

Somehow she dropped off the radar and now she's back 

This Rhode Island born, Swedish bred woman has an infectious voice and the track is one that I shall have on repeat. I really am hoping to see an EP or mix tape from her soon as I feel it will be something great.

Get into it below. Enjoy =)

My Fall/Winter Mains

So tomorrow the #Fall4P31 Challenge starts!

I'm excited because this is a great way for me to kick off being 22.

So I needed to wash my hair in preparation for this challenge & well my hair needed to be washed.

Now that I'm back in the UK, climate change and all that..

products have changed and my regimen!

These are my mains.

My Fall/Winter regimen is almost the same as last year's.. read here

- I detangle before cleansing. This may be done with applying some oil/moisturizer/conditioner to my hair and either brushing it out with oil or combing it.

- Cleanse with the Shea Moisture African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo in 6 sections.

- Deep condition with a DIY concoction with the Tresemme Naturals as a base.

- Apply Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner as leave in with a bit of Mixed Silk leave in.

- Seal with Karen's Body Beautiful Heavenly Jojoba Hair Oil [review here] 

- I also follow up with Shea Butter to set my braids/twists.

- I use the KBB Creamylicious to do twists/braids on dry hair. Review on that here

Do you change your regimen when the seasons change? What are your mains?