Well I was going to start this journal when new year's came, but i figured why wait til then?  I should get started on my New Year's Resolutions to

1) Get 8 hours of sleep each night
2) Get my body in shape
3) Eat as healthy as possible
4) Beauty on the INside and outside the natural way ... I figure I wil start with my hair since it is the thing that bugs me the most about my appearance.  I used to think I could never have really nice hair and that you had to be born with good hair genes to have beautiful hair.  I thought my hair was too fine, thin and damanged to be long and pretty.  I thought I had to keep it in layers, as every hairstylist told me it was the only way for thin hair to look thicker.  I thought I had to either blow dry and straighten every day or scrunch it while wet with copious amounts of gel, mousse AND hairspray to make it wavy.  I also colored it constantly, bleaching and dying and stripping color to dye it again.  Needless to say, my hair fell out, split or broke off until it was incredibly thin.  I still can't tell if my hair is fine or normal...It SHOULD be normal since I"m of Hispanic descent but maybe it's just incredibly weak and damaged?  Well either way, I thought I was doomed to scraggly, thin hair.  Then  I was looking at some pics from about 5-6 years ago when I was a freshman and sophomore in high school and I couldnt' believe it how long, black, shiny and pretty my hair was from ages 5-17.  Before I ever blow dried, used a flat iron or put anything in my hair. Best of all, it doesn't look thin or scraggly in any pics.  And that was before I found this site and began evan healthier hair habits.  So I decided I wanted hair between BSL and waist-length, no more layers or "side bangs" I just wanted it all one length, long, shiny and healthy.  So before, like I said i used heat, drying products, chemical-laden shampoos and conditioners and permanent hair dyes and bleaches.  I washed and conditioned every single day.  My new routine is as follows:

-Shampoo only my roots with Burt's Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate and Soy Shampoo every other day.  I'm trying to cut back on washing so much, but I exercise just about every day I can and I hate the thought of dirty, sweaty, oily hair esp since my scalp is pretty oily as it is.

-The days i don't shampoo I rinse my hair with warm water and massage my scalp to lift off oils and dirt and stimulate growth.

-Apply jojoba oil on my damp ends as a leave-in.  On the rare occasion I heat style my hair, I throw a tiny bit on my length before blow-drying.

-Twice a week, do an acv rinse to clarify after shampooing.  Just mix a dash with warm shower watter in empty water bottle, let it soak in for a few minutes, then rinse with cool fresh water.  

-Deep condition twice a week in the winter after acv rinse.  Right now I have a -cone conditioner, Jason's Organics Lavender Conditioner :-(  but will probably buy Burt's Bees Deep Conditioner since they don't use -cones and i love my shampoo.

-Sometimes I wll add a tsp of warm honey to my conditioner or shampoo.

-Take biotin supplement every day

-To style my hair, I usually scrunch it with 100 % Fruit of the Earth aloe vera gel and when it dries I get these waves that I happen to like very much :-)

-I love using natural, chemical-free products on my hair and I want to extend this to my entire beauty routine (skin care and makeup etc) and to my eating habits as well.  I only straighten or curl my hair with a curling iron  special occasions (like my birthday last weekend :-)  I can say that in the month or so, my hair is definitely better.  I also had my sis trim off my dead ends.  I want to keep trimming every 6 weeks or so until my layers and side bangs are all one length.  My hair feels so much healthier, and I very happily noticed that I have new little hairs growing all over my head :-)  I'm also going to the doctor tomorrow and ask them to make sure all my hormones are normal to make sure that is not contributing to the thinness of my hair.  

Finally, I'm very interested in natural, homemade recipes with kitchen ingredients for my hair.  Any one have any good ones?  Also, I plan on making some all natural hairspray to tame all my new little tufts of hair, they are sticking out everywhere!! It makes my hair look frizzy and it's not really.  Well this is a super long post, the next one will be some pics of my hair and so forth!

Ok here is the picture post.

here is my hair just out of the shower. as u can see, i need more horizontal volume and also part of my scalp shows when my hair is wet :-(


let me just test this to make sure it works...

ugh, it didn't work...i will play with it and fix it later, I'm off to oil my hair for the night since I will now start washing my hair in the mornings and I want it to dry before I leave out PLUS I plan on getting 8 hour sleep AND working out in the morning so I must go now!

Hi MTBBIO, sounds like you're on a roll with those resolutions - it's something I need to think about too and put down in writing - keeps me focused ;).  I like the idea of scrunching wet hair with aloe vera gel and letting it dry - I bought some the other day so I'll give it a try!
Like you I am trying hard to grow out all my layers (why is it that hairstylists think it'll make fine hair thicker??!) as I want long, healthy hair that is all the same length.
Good luck with your journal  :)

Thanks, JL! I was going to make all these changes when New Year's came, but I figured why wait?   And yes, I love love love the way my hair looks when i scrunch it wet with aloe vera gel...it gets so wavy and doesn't look so thin! And before when i used regular gel, mouse and hairspray my hair did NOT get this wavy...i didn't think the aloe vera on its own would work but it works better than all 3 regular products combined!  Give it a try and let me know how it works out for you :-)

Well last night I tried heavy oiling my hair w/jojoba, braiding it and sleeping in it and washing it out the next morning.  I didn't think I would be able to get all the oil out! But then I washed, acv'd, conditioned etc.  I scrunched my hair wet this morning w/aloe vera gel, which makes it a different texture than air drying so I don't know exactly how it affected my hair, but it can't be bad for my hair! I did get my 8 hrs of sleep this morning but no time to exercise :-( so i will do it when i get home from work.  My hair also didn't dry by the time i left the house, need to work on that.  I also forgot to mention last night that I can definitely say that i will NOT be dying my hair again (except w/henna of course!).  My natural  hair color is so pretty and black! And if i get tired of it I can always subtly change it w/henna.  I don't know what I was thinking all these years with my blond streaks! I'm Mexican hahaha and a pretty tan one with really dark eyebrows....ok I think I got all that crazy teenage hair out of my system.  I'll stick to black, dark browns and reds!  Even though everyone loves my hair when it's light brown, including me...hmmm...I wonder if I can henna that? If not, it's not a big deal.  Like I said, when I was young I hated my straight, long black hair and now i'd do anything to get it back!  Well here's a little wish list of things I still need to do/buy but cannot currently afford!

* A good deep conditioner.  Preferably all natural, with no cones.
* Satin pillowcases or at least a scarf
* A winter hat! Esp on days I have to leave with wet hair. I live in Chicago, so this is a must!
* Although I like my jojoba oil, I still want to try new ones to see which will work best on my hair.  I should wait til my bottle is done but it's huge! and i have like no hair so I don't use that much...I want to try: coconut, hemp and avocado oil

Sorry for being late on this, but congrats on starting your hair journal.  :)

Your resolutions are reminding me that I need to write mine down before I forget them! hehe Take care, sistah.

Welcome to the wonderful world of hair journals!   :)

So this is my hair after getting out of the shower, pretty thin esp since it's in layers...parts of my scalp even show when it's wet :-( it didn't used to be this thin so hepefully when i go to the doc they can tell me what's wrong.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Loresbsp/lorelicious009.jpg?t=1197599568

And this is my hair right after I scrunch it wih aloe vera gel
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Loresbsp/lorelicious007.jpg?t=1197599719

and some more pics of the waves...i'll try to take better ones but i just got my new camer and i'm still messing with it
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Loresbsp/lorelicious011.jpg?t=1197599930

as u can see, I really need to get all the chemical dye out of my hair, i like the pics where it looks all black but it's actually a mess of black/darkbrown/lightbrown/orangey/leftover bleached color.  I also can't wait til my hair is all one length!! My mom told me it looks like a need a new trim already and I just had my sis trim off more than an inch at thanksgiving! But I should...even though I want long healthy hair NOW it's better to just slowly get it all to one even, healthy length and then just grow from there!

I also REALLY REALLY want to get a shower filter.  We live in an unincorporated area and use well water, so our water is extremely hard and leaves buildup and deposits even on our dishes! It's gross.  My dad said we already have a filter but it really doesn't do a good job because my hair and skin is constantly dry! Maybe I will save and buy one but then again I'm moving into a new apt for school soon so I probably should wait...I guess I will just have to really really try to go as long as I can b/w washes and make sure I moisturize my hair frequently.  It's hard tho because my scalp is oily and Iwork out a lot. I don't want my hair to stink or look greasy!

Another issue I'm having is wearing my hair up.  At the moment I don't like to because 1) my hair is so thin on my scalp and I'm very self-conscious about having scalp showing.  I need to be really careful when putting my hair up to make sure my whole scalp is covered.  But hopefully my doctor will help me with this. 2) my length is so thin my little buns are pathetic! and embarassing. 3) I hate my sideburns so that's another very self-conscious issue.  I want to get laser treatments eventually when I can afford to but for now I just Nair :-X  I feel so ugly with my hair up but I know I should, esp during the cold chicago winters, to keep my ends healthy.  

This is such a dilemma to me.  I like to wear my hair down scrunched w/aloe vera gel because it really hides what little hair I have and it hides my horrible sideburns (ok they're prob not as bad as i make it seem but ij'm super self-conscious about that) but I know that's not good for my hair every single day, esp my ends.  I also feel as though too much aloe vera gel may be drying out my hair.  It's been feeling somewhat dry lately and I REALLY hope it has nothing to do with my new best friend aloe vera gel :-(  i'll serioiusly cry.  But it could be a lot of things: lack of exercise and nutriton! (need to work on that!), failure to remember to take my biotin supplements for a week, too frequent washing, my burt's bees may be too drying since it's a volumizing shampoo.  When I run out I'm going to try the more moisture rasperry and brazil nut one, and if i don't like it better than the one I have now i may need to look for a new brand. :-(  I also really should deep conditon more in the winter.   My little mini bottle of Jason Organic Natural Lavnder twice a week isn't gonna cut it.  But tomorrow I'm going to make a batch of deep conditioner and some natural hairspray, i got some lemons for that! I need to stop typing so much but hey its my journal huh!?  ::) 8-)

Hang in there girl!  I was there myself three years ago.  It will grow out.  Maybe try a snood to cover your hair so you do not have to struggle to make a bun?  

Hey, MTB

Your hair looks quite a bit thicker than mine. Are the dark parts of it your natural colour? If so, it is lovely.  :)

I don't think it's possible for aloe vera gel to dry your hair out. It can make it crusty like regular hair gel, but it won't dry it out. Oh, and one thing to be aware of when using natural hairspray is that lemon juice lightens hair.

So long as you're taking care of yourself, your hair will reflect that. And don't worry so much about having small, "pathetic" buns. If you make them flat so they come out looking like cinnamon rolls instead of like knobs, it will look like you have more. It takes some practice, but this is how I've learned to do mine.  ;)

Also, relax! So much stressing is not good for your hair.

Aww thanks guys for responding to my journal.  Yes, that is my natural haircolor.  The lighter parts are all leftover dye so I hope to grow that out asap!  I don't really mind if the hairspray lightens my hair a bit since I plan to dye it with henna  ::) I'm too much of a hair color addict to stick to one for long

well i went to the doctor today so I should get my results back soon.  I want to go get some more shampoo and conditioner.  I'm convinced that my shampoo is not moisturizing enough for the winter and I don't condition or deep condition enough.  I want to buy the Burt's Bees Raspberry and Brazil Nut one but I just bought the volumizing one.  Maybe if I add a little honey and/or jojoba oil it will be more moisturizing? I do really need to get a conditioner though because mine is about to run out.  I want a deep conditioner because I still only plan on using it twice a week or so

Well I think I'm starting to figure out what works best for my hair.  I just discovered that my hair absolutely LOVES when I mist it with a little concotion I made up.  In a small travel-sized spray bottle that was from a dove hairspray I filled it with bottled water and put in 3 drops of jojoba oil.  I had been complaining that my hair felt as if it was drying out.  Well I just kept spraying this onto my length and my hair just drank it all up.  It now feels so much softer and healthier AND it's not greasy (my scalp is a different story lol).  Since the bottle is so small I don't feel bad about using bottled water since I can just drink the rest lol and i can stick it in my purse and use it whenever it feels like it's drying out.  So maybe it was the shower water and not my shampoo that was drying out my hair.  

Also ANGEL SPUN: thanks so much for the tip about making buns more flat as opposed to knobs.  I actually wore my hair in a bun last night to go hang out with friends and it actually looked ok!

When I go out, I've been remembering to either throw my hair in a quick bun until I get to my destination or to make sure to put it on the inside of my coat to protect the ends.  I've also been doing the "search and destroy" method so that I do not have to trim so often.

Went to walgreen's today to pick up my prescription and a few hair things.  The doctor gave me a pill to induce my period, since I have not had once since July! My prolactin gland is really high which is why she said I have increased facial hair and irregular periods.  To treat this I can either
1) Go on birth control pills to regulate my periods which i DO not want to do.  I just do not like all the side effects that it produces.  I've gone on the patch twice now and I hated the weight gain and all that.
2) Take a pill to regulate my prolactin hormone.  The only thing is that it apparently makes you super fertile.  So I can either be infertile or extra fertile lol.  I definitely don't want to get pregnant right now but I'm really uncomfortable with the idea of going back on birth control.  My boyfriend will probably want me to tho lol.

Well anyways I bought a shower cap at walgreens for when I don't exercise and don't want to wet my hair and also for when I do homemade deep conditioner treatments.  I want to do one with egg yolks, honey and jojoba oil but i'm going to save it for xmas since i'm going to *gasp* flat iron my hair that day! I just want my hair to look sleek and straight for once lol

And I also bought the Burt's Bees shea and grapefruit hair repair deep conditioner but i'm not gonna try it today because i'm going to do my damp aloe vera gel scrunched waves for my cousin's birthday party today and it works best when i don't have a lot of stuff in my hair.  I'm just going to rinse it with warm water and massage my scalp.

WEll that's all for now. Toodles! 8-)

Hey I tried the aloe vera gel on my wet hair - worked a treat!  Thanks for the suggestion.  It also felt really soft and tangle free too - bonus.

Your hair looks a lot thicker than mine so I'm sure with all the care you are now taking your hair will be thanking you for it and back in good condition soon!  I love the colour!  I used to dye my hair dark brown - similar colour to your natural colour - but my hair always, always refused the colour and eventually it went back to light brown - hmph!  Oh well, I guess I just have to learn that leaving it natural is what it really wants!

JL: I'm glad it worked out for you! It is one of my favorite styles because it hides how thin my hair is.

Well, today was a good day.  My sister, cousin and I spent the night at my aunt's house and in the morning she took us shopping since we all have birthdays this month.  We went to a clothing store, where I bought a really cute top and we also went to....ULTA!!  Which I was super excited about because I wante to get hair stuff.  Well, I got some Almay powder which broke :-(  I hope I can return or exchange it because my aunt has the receipt.  

And I also got the Giovanni Direct Leave-in conditioner.  I hope I like it because it's a pretty big bottle.  Since my hair is so thin I don't like to use too much conditioner in my hair.  I figure I can use this on a more regular basis and still deep condition twice a week and that should keep my hair adequately moisturized for the winter.  I'm not washing my hair today, so I'm going to try the Burt's Bees deep conditioner tomorrow and then the leave-in another day.  I don't want to use them together the first time because I want to make sure I like them both on their own in order to keep buying them.  

Well I'm here at work and I'm happy because they're trying to train the 2 new receptionists so they stuck me in the empty office which means I can pretty much just play on the computer all day today. Yay!

Last night I slept with my hair in a braid and saturated with a mixture of aloe vera gel and jojoba oil.  Then in the morning I washed it out w/ my BBs Pomegranate/Soy volumizing shampoo and did an acv rinse.  Then I tried my new  Burt's Bee's Grapefruit and Shea Hair Repair deep conditioner and I really liked it! I feel like my hair really benefitted from it.  It's sooooo soft and is behaving for once!   So my hair is feeling pretty nice right now.  I brought my little spray bottle of water and jojoba oil too and some hair ties because the heat in the office is really dry.  

I decided to give up coffee too.  We always have so much tea in this office that I should take advantage of it.  I read that green tea is good for hair and health overall so I"m going to drink some in a little bit.  I also brought a healthy lunch, grilled lemon pepper fish fillet and some green beans and corn.  I did get my 8 hours of sleep also, but I was toooooo lazy to exercise this morning.  I just laid in bed and showered early because I knew I was going to be doing extra stuff to my hair.  And I think the condition of my hair IS really improving because before, my hair would dry almost immediately after I took a shower.  Today I finished my shower an hour before I had to leave and it was still wet on my way to the train station!  I finished drying it on the train.  Well time to pretend to do some work! ;D

*I forgot to add that I changed the name of my journal because the other one made me laugh to much lol*

Sounds like you're really on a roll, MTB.  :)

Oh, one little thing...if you're giving up coffee because of its caffeine content, you won't have any better luck with tea. Most teas contain way more caffeine than regular coffee. Always check labels and ingredients.  ;)

And btw, your lunch sounds delicioso!!  :D

ANGEL SPUN: Yes I didn't even think about that lol...but either way, I'm sure green tea is more beneficial to my health than coffee!

*I'm changing the name of my journal again, just one more time! I was just googling long hair and whatnot and ran across the Lil Wayne quote "Long Hair, Don't Care" and it just reminded me of this site and I thought it described my hair goals/aspirations/attitude perfectly! So last time, I promise!

*So I've just been in the office reading about hair all day...my hair's been in a bun almost all day I only took it off for about half an hour when I was doing a pre-consultation w/ a client....still can't believe how soft and slippery it is, and it smells so great!! Can't wait to try my new Giovanni leave-in conditioner!

Oh I love Green Tea!  I've found some shops here that sell Decaff green tea and it tastes just the same as regular green tea  :)

I have been looking out for Giovanni hair products but I don't think they sell them here unfortunately - I'll keep looking though as I've heard great reviews.

Do you have an Ulta where you live? That's where I got mine ... I've also seen them at health food stores...hope you find it! I've only bought the leave in and I haven't even tried it yet, I will the next time I wash my hair...I do want to try their other stuff tho!

I haven't seen an Ulta - I'll ask around at work though.  I'll also keep searching the health food stores.  Let me know how you get on with it!  :)

;DHere I am at work in the back office again! But today I actually have a lot of work so no slackin off til I'm done!  I woke up late again and didn't work out AGAIN but I HAVE to do it today when I get off work.  No excuses.  I did, however, get my 8 hours of sleep yay!!  Today for lunch I brought some Italian wedding soup and healthy snacks to munch on all day: baby carrots, a tangerine, a pina colada yogurt and some walnuts.  I was going to bring an avocado too but I"d feel bad about eating the whole thing! They're delicious and healthy but do have a lot of fat...And I'll keep drinking my 2 mugs of green tea and water all day.  :P

HAIR-Is in a bun again, have not washed it since yesterday morning and my scalp feels itchy.  Which is kinda weird because usually it gets oily, not itchy.  Great.  I guess I could just go back to doing my one day shampoo, one day rinse with warm water.  I think the days I just rinse with water I"ll just apply my new leave-in conditioner afterwards instead of just leaving it the way I usually do.  I'm going to try misting my whole head w/ my water/jojoba mixture instead of just my length  since I'm not going to wash it til probably tomorrow morning.  Well I'll report back if my hair does anything crazy! :o

I like most soups but not all of them but I have not heard of Italian Wedding soup?

Jerry

Jerry: I had never tried it before but I have heard of it.  It was just a can of Progresso soup, called "Italian-Style Wedding Soup".  It had little meatballs, noodles, carrots and spinach.  I added a little black pepper and it was really good! You should try it  :P

That sounds like it could be good 8-)

I will look for it next time I am at a grocery store or the next time we go grocery shopping.

Thank you ;)

Jerry

I didn't care for the stuff myself.  The meatballs were too tiny and not...meaty enough.  I like really strong soups, and it seemed more delicate than I expected or liked.  It was one of those that I tasted and wanted to taste some made by an italian grandmother, because I just had a feeling that what was in that can wasn't REAL Italian Wedding Soup, and that if I could get hold of the real stuff I would feel differently about it.  No such luck, though.

Yea I'm sure whatever Progresso makes could be made better but hey it works for a quick lunch

Goooood morning!  Working again, have the back office to myself and no work to do :-) yayyy!!!

Hair:  I was a bad girl today and left the house with wet hair today :-(  I was just tooooooo sleepy in the morning to wake up altho I did get 8 hrs ... but no exercise and late shower :-(.  I tried the Giovanni Direct Leave-IN and....I don't like the way it smells!!!! But my hair is soft and a little less unruly so I may keep buying it if I like it.  Before that, I had slept with my hair heavily oiled w/jojoba and then in the morning I washed out with BBs Pomegranate & Soy...no acv rinse or deep conditioning today.  I think I can stand to do that once a week, I don't think twice a week is necessary for my fine, oily hair.  Right now, the front section of my hair is in a little pouf held with bobby pins and aloe vera gel and the rest is loose, air dried and wavy-ish.  I didn't want to wear it up(altho I will while i'm working) because I'm going to my (ex) boyfriend (?)'s house and I wanted to look a little nicer.  We're going to see I am Legend and probably to dinner so I also brought some extra clothes.  And I'm spending the night.  For some reason, I ALWAYS have bad hair days at his house when I wake up  so I'm going with an arsenal of weapons:  bobby pins, aloe vera gel, hair ties and a fresh batch of water/jojoba oil mix.  I forgot my wide tooth comb tho :-(  hopefully I can do w/o it.  

Other: My food snacks for today:  For lunch I made some whole wheat spaghetti w/marinara sauce (i made it last night) and I also brought some celery sticks, baby carrots, an avocado, a tangerine and my homemeade trail mix (walnuts, dried cranberries and golden raisins).  I will probably also go buy a salad too...and i"m drinking my lemon-ginger green tea :-)  

I went to the library yesterday because I reallllllllly want to read Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez but since the movie just came out, of course there's like 5 holds on it  :'(:-(  but they're going to call me as soon as it's available.  I did get 6 other books! I loooove to read.  They are:

*One Hundred Years of Solitude by GGM (I figured I could read this one since the one I wanted wasn't available)

*Tales of my Melancholy Whores by GGM again( Hey I heard it was good and to not be put off by the name! lol ...I just loooooooove Latin American Literature)

*Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende (one of my fave Lat Amer Lit authors)

*Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros (another favorite author)

*Beauty in COLOR by Iman (the pictures are absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGEOUS!!!!! and it has GREAT makeup and skin care tips for Hispanic, African American, Asian, Native American, and Middle Eastern women)...I'm thinking of buying it just for all the beautiful pictures of the looks you can create....and after I get the hang of caring for my hair right, I"m going after my skin next...I want a gorgeous, clear, glowing complexion now!

*The Hair Bible!! by I forgot who lol....I already skimmed through it and it does have some nice tips.  I'll post what I learned from it when I'm done with it!  ::)

Quote:

For some reason, I ALWAYS have bad hair days at his house when I wake up

For some reason, eh?  ;)  No worries, girl. We've all been there too many times to count. Just be very careful when detangling! We fine haired ladies are especially prone to tangles. You might either suggest that your boy get some satin pillowcases or just bring a few to his house. I have already made it very clear to my man that satin pillowcases are absolutely necessary and non-negitiable, even if the sheets are not satin.  ;D

Looking forward to some interesting tips from your book!  :)

Jerry wrote on Dec 18^th, 2007 at 2:45pm:

I like most soups but not all of them but I have not heard of Italian Wedding soup? Jerry

I bought the Progresso Traditional Italian-Style Wedding soup at Wal-Mart and had it for brunch this morning and I do like it 8-)
But, I am sure home made would taste ten times better.

Jerry

Angel Spun I did buy a satin pillowcase and I like it a lot!

Jerry: I'm glad you liked the soup!

Well my hair is currently up in a bun and suppppeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr greasy!! I was trying to not wash it til xmas morning but I think I'm gonna go ahead and just wash it today, then put it up til tomorrow.  I know I will want to style it for xmas, either flat iron or curl it  >:( :-? :-[ :-X :'(   ...I guess if I do it on special occasions my hair won't suffer.  Besides, I"m not one of those ppl on here that want floor length hair!!  Somewhere between BSL and waist length will make me more than happy and I plan on trimming quite often so I'm sure my hair can take some heat styling once in a while :-)  Well anyways, last night I gave myself a nice scalp massage (altho it was super greasy hahaha), then massaged aloe vera gel in my hair and jojoba oiled my ends.

We had our office xmas party and it was a lot of fun!  So much food and so much wine!  My christmas presents from co-workers were: a bottle of red wine, a $5 intelligentsia gift card, a $25 Macy's gift card and a $92 xmas bonus.......yay!!! Super excited about that.  I also finished my xmas shopping yesterday, as well as buying my hair a xmas present: a satin pillowcase!! lol

Well I have learned a few things from the Hair Bible book.  I was listening to much to everyone who has dry scalp and doesn't shampoo or does it once a week etc.  I have fine, thin, straight-to wavy hair...therefore not only is my scalp naturally more oily but since the shaft of my hair is straight and fine and thin, the oil travels down a lot faster and more often than someone with coarse or curly hair.  So it's fine if I shampoo every other day and rinse every other day.  My hair needs it.  I did notice that when I shed, the bulb of my hair is usually covered with white stuff that I 'm guessing is scalp gunk.  I haven't shampooed my hair since tuesday, and I haven't rinsed it since friday and my scalp looks super greasy and I have tons of little white dots by my roots (not dandruff) .  Definitely not healthy or attractive.   So no more torturing myself and my poor scalp by waiting days before I wash it! Ill wash it as soon as my scalp starts feeling more greasy!

Also, I've been trying to eat for hair health.  According to the Hair Bible, these are the

10 best foods for hair health:
salmon, cold water fish, sardines
eggs
lentils
wheat bran and germ
kale, spinach, watercress
unpolished rice
cantaloupe
blueberries
citrus fruits
seaweed

top 12 snacks for super hair:
almonds
walnuts
sunflower seeds
figs
apricots
bananas
raspberries or strawberries
oranges
raisins
prunes
skim milk or low fat yogurt
whole grain cereal or snack bar

Top ten foods for shine:
ground flax seed or oil
walnuts
sunflower seeds
olive oil
evening primrose oil
ginger
prunes
seafood
apples
chickpeas

and TOP TEN HAIR NIGHTMARES ooooh, scary
too many carbs (dry cereals, cake, soda, sugar)
excessive sun
nylon brushes
drugs
allergies and infections
chemicals in rinses, tints and bleaches (i def learned this the hard way!)
lack of a regular scalp massage
chlorine
salt water
bubblegum

So everyday I will try to write down what I had for healthy hair.  So far today:
-lowfat milk
-eggs
-biotin capsule

will try to include a lot more!! I also think I do need vinegar rinses twice a week cuz my scalp gets so oily and gunky! grosssssssss i refuse to continue walking around with greasy hair! I'm gonna go workout, shampoo w/BB pmegrante and soy, acv rinse, deep condition w/BB's grapefruit and shea hair repair, leave-in giovanni conditioner and then put my hair up in a nice bun...then I will wake up and it shall be nice and soft so that I can flat iron it for xmas!!! (then no more heat appliances til another special occasion arises!)

Cool, MTB. Thanx for posting all of that.  :)

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas!  I certainly did!  I flat-ironed my  hair, but I made sure to apply heat protector before.  Still, I feel guilty! LOL.  I think for New Year’s I will just embrace/play up my wavyish texture with aloe vera gel.  I’ll probably do it the way I have it now, a little pouf held with a mini mini jaw clip, and the rest is wavyish.  I’m really enjoying how wavy/full it looks right now.  I’m not sure how long these waves are gonna last.  When I had my glorious virgin hair (super straight, jet black, fine but tons of it, waist length) I always just left it straight so I don’t know if it’ll wave up the way it does now.  I think the reason it does it so easily (even if I don’t scrunch it w/aloe vera gel it still has some wave to it) is because it’s so thin, not very long, and damaged.  It has no “weight” or strength to it.  But that’s ok.  One thing I like about my hair right now is that I can straighten it or make it wavy so easily.  I’m pretty sure I can still make it wavy once I have virgin hair again.

Geez, it kills me so much to see pictures before I dyed/bleached/flat ironed my hair.  It was just so long and healthy and straight and the color was so gorgeous and it was full and not thin and scraggly,  I honestly don’t know what I was thinking!  My hair is so brown and thin and ugh! O well.  I have to just face facts and learn from my mistakes.  And work on getting that hair back!  I should post pics to compare my hair in high school to how it is now so u guys can understand why it upsets me so much!  Ah, the teenage years.  ? POSITIVE THOUGHTS!! I swear, not one drop of permanent hair color or bleach will EVER touch my hair again!

I feel like posting what I got for xmas hee hee.

From my parents:
-Mini perfume collection from Victoria's Secret
-Mini set of the lip plumpers (which I loooove) from VS
-VS bronzer
-VS Bare Bronze spray (yummy for the summer it smells like coconut :0)
-Pretty eyeshadow
-Black pointy shoes for work (that are too big and that I need to exchange :(
-Very cool giraffe print flats...loooooooooooove

From my grandparents:
-A hoodie that I also have to exchange :(

From my extended family Secret Santa:
-20 bucks and some dark Dove chocolates

From my job:
-92 dollar christmas bonus
`$5 intelligentsia giftcard
-$25 macy's gift card
-Bottle of red wine

so yay for me and hope everyone else got everything they wanted!

Also, a question:
Does anyone practice the Morroccan Method of Hair Care?  I'm really thinking of buying the trial pack but it's not cheap AT ALL.  But if it really works as well as the website claims, I'd love to try it.  I'm thinking of just waiting til the summer, when I'll be (hopefully) graduated from college and working full time.  Then I won't feel guily about spending so much money on something that may not work.  But like I said, I'm determined to have my full, voluminous black straight hair back so if this stuff works then I'm all for it!! Can someone point me in the direction of someone who used this method? Maybe someone's personal journal? THAAAAAAAAAAANKS

Wow, you cleaned up this Christmas.  I bet those giraffe shoes are too cute, I'm glad you got everything you wanted! :D

I think that Curlgirl64 does the Morroccan Method, but I'm not totally certain.  I've used casia and henna, but I never ordered from Morrocco Method because they are expensive and I've always been able to find it cheaper elsewhere.  Good luck!

La Diosa::Thanks for the help!

Well I decided to wait after I graduate this summer to try the Morrocco Method, because this way I will have more money to spend in case I do l like it and want to continue to do so.  Also because that will be 7 months from now and I want to see how healthy I can get my hair before I give it a shot.  After reading the website a bit more, I also think it will work better on hair that is all one length and all one color and I hope to be somewhat there at that point.

Speaking of that, I have no idea how I will!! At first I wanted to just trim gradually until my hair is all one length but I have a feeling I will be sick to death at that point because my hair will basically stay the same length(couple inches shy of BSL) til that  happens.  But I’m suuuuuuuuuper reluctant to chop it to the smallest layer because that will leave me w/chin length hair ?.  Also my little “side bang” is eye level.  And my virgin, uncolored hair is also about eye level.  Double ? .  Sooooooo Im thinking that 7-8 months from now, my shortest layer/bang etc will HOPEFULLY be long enough to where I will feel comfortable chopping it all off.  Then I will have a “new look” to keep me occupied/tempted to do anything drastic for a while, plus ALL my hair will be virgin,  one length, healthy with no dead, bleached out ends.  Then I can use the Morrocco Method to help me with my next goals: Horizontal volume and eliminate thinness from my scalp.  After that, my goal is seriously shiny hair.  THEN my next goal will be hair down to my waist!!! Yiiiiiiipppppeeeeeeee.

I bought some crap from i-herb.com.  They had a big sale and I wanted so much stuff but I restrained myself to not spend more than $20, INCLUDING shipping.  Anywhos, I got
* Silica and Horsetail tablets to take in addition to my biotin supplements.
* Apricot Kernel Oil
* Sweet Almond Oil
* Rosemary Essential Oil

I just wanted to experiment w/more oils, and try adding some to my little spray bottles, shampoos, conditioners etc.  But I was so excited yesterday that I forgot to buy evening primrose oil!  I completely forgot about that.  I also should have bought some orange or tangerine EO to mask the smell of the rosemary.  I also was going to buy some L-cysteine tablets but I think I’ll wait on that. O well.  Next time lol.  I also really wanna try some Monoi oil.  Has anyone tried it?

In other hair news, I decided to get over my fear of buns.  So I made a deep side part, rolled some extra hair ties around my ponytail to make my bun look fatter and just did it.  I accessorized with huge hoop earrings, makeup and I also wore my giraffe flats (altho that has nothing to do with the bun lol!)  My sister and my mom said my hair looked cute.  So I don’t feel so ugly in my little bun lol.  I sprayed my bun with my mixture of water/jojoba oil.  OMG I just remembered that I also wanted rosewater!! Ughhhhh. Can anyone recommend a brand of rosewater?  I think I’ll buy it online so I can also get the evening primrose oil and citrus EO while I’m at it.  Ok so no more buying hair stuff for a whiiiiiiiiile.  Hopefully not til the summer when I’ll probably just try the Morrocco Method stuff.  I also need to do an acv rinse asap!

Quote:

At first I wanted to just trim gradually until my hair is all one length but I have a feeling I will be sick to death at that point because my hair will basically stay the same length(couple inches shy of BSL) til that  happens.  But I’m suuuuuuuuuper reluctant to chop it to the smallest layer because that will leave me w/chin length hair

Hi MTB - I feel just the same about my hair too!  The layers in my hair are the worst at the front where I had a fringe cut.  I sometimes think that I should just chop it off to the shortest layer which would be chin length now but I just can't bring myself to do it!!!  For the moment I am going to trim it gradually but that means it will take quite a while to get my hair even again but I feel that's best for me right now, so you must do what will make you happy  :)

I haven't updated in a while but I've been sick with a cold this past week ...ugh...my hair felt extra dry and tangled so much!  But I feel better now and my hair is feeling GREAT right now.  My oils (sweet almond, apricot kernel and rosemary essential) and vitamins (silic/horsetail) came in and I love them!  In fact, I think I may like the apricot kernel better than jojoba for my hair.  I've been adding some to my shampoo and deep conditioner and love the results.  I've also been oiling my length at night before I wash it.  I use about 3 drops each of jojoba and apricot kernel, and 1-2 drops of sweet almond and rosemary essential oil.  This morning I also washed with the BB pomegranate n soy, acv rinsed, deep conditioned with BB hair repair, used my giovanni direct leave in, and put one drop each of my oils on the ends.  My hair is sooooo soft and slippery ;-)   I really love the giovanni direct in my hair, but i still don't care too much for the smell.  I wish BB made leave-in conditioner!  

Helloooooooooo! Well I just came back from Ulta (my fave store ever!) and got a buuuuunch of stuff.  I'm so excited!!

-Giovanni 50:50 balancing shampoo.  I read that it's better to rotate shampoos because your hair will need different things at different times.  I already have my Burt's Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate and Soy shampoo, which I like but it leaves my hair squeaky clean and I think it may not be moisturizing enough, especially in the winter.  I've been using it exclusively (almost halfway gone) and I feel like my hair is in a "hair rut" right now.  This shampoo is supposed to be very very moisturizing and it's made w/natural ingredients (which I looove!)

-Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk shampoo:  Some of the ingredients (dimethoconol) scared me a little, but the smell sold me.  I"m obsessed with anything coconut, pineapple, mango ...I love tropical stuff.  This smelled so damn good, plus it has egg white proteins and I feel like my hair needs a little more strength.  

-Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk conditioner:  Again, the smell! I don't usually use conditioner (except for deep conditioner maybe one a week, and leave in conditioner when I feel I need it) b/c I feel like it may be too much for my fine, thin hair.  I also think it increases my shedding.  But it smelled toooooo good and I don't think it will hurt to use it occasionally.

-Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub: I'm trying to only use natural, organic things in my hair and skin care, but I couldn't find any that claimed to help with body acne.  I have not had body acne since I was like 14-15 and I'm 22 now and it just started appearing on my back like crazy! So until my skin clears up, this is what I will be using.  I hope it works!

-Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream:  I've also been breaking out on my face lately and I love Burt's Bees because they're natural.  I really want a glowing complexion, so this has Chamomile and Aloe to soothe and soften and Rosemary and Echinacea extracts that "reduce inflammation, tighten pores, and increase cell renewal"

-Almay Nourishing thickening waterproof mascara in black:  Needed a new one.  I have very long eyelashes but they're kind of fine.

-Almay Nearly Naked cover up stick in light/medium:  I might go exchange this for the medium b/c I think the one I got may be too light.  But the medium seemed so dark!  I will probably exchange it tho b/c I don't need it right away.  I still have some of my old concealer left.

-Ionic Antistatic Volume Detangling comb:  This appears to be seamless and it's supposed to dry hair faster and cut down on frizz and static (which I have frequently).  It was pretty cheap so I got it!

WISHLIST:  I couldn't get everything!
-Almay blush (can't remember the name)  It's water based and supposed to automatically turn to a shade that will go well w/your skin tone.  I hope so!  lol ...next paycheck!

-A boar bristle brush:  I don't usually brush my hair, but when I need to put it in a ponytail/bun etc, I need SOMETHING to smooth it down otherwise I'll have bumps and lumps and stray hairs everywhere.  But everytime I go to Ulta, the ones I want (for fine hair) are ALWAYS sold out!! I should call them and have them hold one for me...or maybe I can order it online..hmmm.

-These twisty foam rollers.  I didn't get them b/c my arms couldn't carry much else and also b/c I feel that I won't be satisfied w/the results.  I think I will experiment with pin and rag curls first.

Woo! that's a lot!  I will definitely be trying the Organix coconut shampoo and conditioner tonight!  So excited.  

In other news, while browsing through personal journals on various hair sites I stumbled across a challenge that I really want to try.  The 2008 Head to Toe Challenge.  Instead of focusing on one particular goal, you basically tackle all of them.  I really want this to be the year that I get everything together with my looks, health, personal life etc.  So here we go:

-HAIR-  
Get it as healthy, shiny, strong and thick as possible.  I want hot hair!  By doing this, I will continue to use the healthy hair habits I picked up from this board.  I will NOT heat style it unless it's a special occasion.  Once a month at the MOST.  Preferably much, much less often.  Learn to curl my hair w/o heat.  If i do flat iron it for a special occasion I will AIR dry first, no blow-frying!  I also promise to use homemade hair masks more often.  I also want my hair to be all one length and well on it's way to waist length by the end of the year.  I also need to stop playing with my hair so much!
-SKIN-
I totally want a smooth, clear, glowing complexion.  Luckily, I don't break out TOO often, but lately I have and I don't like it.  Remember to always wash my face daily, esp my makeup.  Remember to always moisturize, moisturize, moisturize the dry skin on my body with my new fave concoction (aloe vera gel with a varitey of oils)
-BODY-
Keep eating as healthily and nutritiously as possible!! I'm pretty good about this, but HORRIBLE at working out consistently.  I want a nice body!  I'm 22.  This is year 10 of my diet.  Ridiculous.  I need to just keep eating for my health (NO dieting, just pack as much nutrition in as possible) and working out regularly.
-OTHER-
1)  Be nicer to my family.  
2)  Smile more.  Try to do only good deeds and actions.
3)Meditate more
4)8 hours of sleep every night.
5) Graduate on tim

OK that last post was too long but I wasn't done!

5)graduate on time, do better in school, better attendance
6) find a good job when I graduate
7) keep in better touch with my friends
8) work things our with my ex so we can have a healthy, loving relationship instead of the heated, on/off, psycho jealous (on both sides lol) ...thing we now have.  We were together almost 5 years and most of those years were really really good so I don't know what went wrong.  But we've both expressed interest in changing for the better and working on our issues because we love each other and can't live without each other!  
9)  Be more put together.  I have a lot of nice clothes, shoes, hair accessories, jewlery etc but I get so damn lazy it's ridiculous.  Especially at work, sometimes I know I look sloppy but I feel like "o well i'm fat and ugly so who cares"  Im totally not fat or ugly  but i have that mentality some days, you know?  And it makes me mad b/c like when I was single, I would always see cute guys on my worst days and I'd be mad b/c it really doesn't take too much time to pick a cute outfit, "do" my hair and and apply a little makeup.  Like my mom says "You never know when you'll see the man of your dreams so you should always look your best!"  I also want my boyfriend/ex to feel proud when we're together.  He always says I look beautiful, even when I know I don't but still.  Who doesn't want a hot girl with a nice body, hot outfit, glowing complexion, long/shiny/healthy pretty hair by their side???? Well that will definitely be me by the end of the year!!!

OK whoo.  So that's a lot.  I will take baby steps in each direction so that I can be the best me this year!

There are a few more things that I forgot to add to my "Head to Toe" Challenge.  
-stop biting my nails and have my sister do them more often.  She's really talented when it comes to this and has so many polishes, paint,
rhinestones, decals etc so I have no excuse not to.  My mom and I have been buying her supplies and stuff like crazy just so she can do our nails lol.  The other day I got her a brush, some gold striping tape, a 4 way buffer, rhinestones and some new polishes.  Then yesterday my mom got her a new set of brushes, special glimmery polishes and a cuticle remover.  Plus, when she does them I don't bite them or put them in my mouth as much because they're so pretty!  My nails always look like crap b/c I bite them.  I refuse to go pay over $40 for someone to put fake nails that will only horribly damage my real ones.  So my sister just paints pretty designs on my real nails.  For free!

-Keep my room clean.  This is the only thing my mother always rags on me about.  And my boyfriend.  They both call me the tornado for my amazing ability to make a huge mess everywhere without even realizing it.  My boyfriend complains that his room is always neat until 5 minutes after I arrive.  I have no idea how this happens but I will work on it.

Ok.  Now.  Product Reviews. From last night and this morning.

-Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo- Absolutely love.  It's sulfate free, but I guess I have nothing to fear from the teeny weeny cone in it (dimethicone) since it's my only cone shampoo, I will be rotating other shampoos that are all natural, cone and sulfate free and I do acv rinses at least once a week so I should be fine.  Anywho, the smell is so freakin yummy. Sigh. I miss it already.  I was def right about being in a hair rut thanks to my Burt's Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate and Soy.  The Organix lathered up much better than the BBs and my hair felt so nice and clean.  Today, I do have mild scalp itchies which I usually never have unless I haven' shampooed in a while.  I reallly hope it doesn't have anything to do with the Organix b/c I loved everything else about it!

-Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner- Undecided about this one.  When I rinsed it out, there were parts of my hair that felt "rough" and tangly.  But it may have been b/c I didn't use my shower cap to put it out of the way while I went on w/the rest of my shower.  I put it in a ponytail since that was all I had on hand.  Oops.  So I will use this a few more times before I decide anything for sure.

-Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub- I like the smell and the little tingle.  I really hope this helps to clear up my bacne.

-Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cream Cleanser- Another iffy one.  The reason why I wanted a new face wash was because I don't really care for the blackhead clearing scrub I know have because I don't think I need it on a regular basis.  And I hate the noxzema one my sister uses.  That stuff BURNS horribly.  So I go to use my new one and sure enough, this stuff starts tingling like the Noxzema! BUT thankfully it didn't irritate my skin so maybe it's a good tingle?  Next time, I will try the Peach scrub b/c I don't know about tingles.

Then I got out of the shower and moisturized my skin and body.  For my face, I used a tiny squirt of aloe vera gel w one drop of sweet almond oil.  I only applied to my dry areas (cheeks, under eyes, around my mouth, and in between my eyebrows).  Definitely will not do this again.  My skin felt tight and I added more oil to my face, so I think I will just moisturize with the oil and skip the aloe vera gel.

For my body, I used a big dollop of aloe vera gel with 2 drops each of sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil and jojoba oil.  I applied it to the parts of my body that don't get too dry and don't have stretch marks (legs, hips, arms, bottom of stomach) then for my really dry/stretch marky areas (feet, breasts, top of stomach) I melted a little cocoa butter, added apricot kernel oil and massaged those in.  So I think I have my body skin routine well under way, just need to work on my face skin regimene!

Then onto the hair.  I removed the towel and didn't want to use my Giovanni Direct Leave-In because I wanted to gauge the full effect of the Organix products.  So I just applied one drop each of jojoba and apricot kernel oil to my ends.  Then, I had read that if you comb your hair  often while it dries, it will dry straighter.  Now as I've mentioned, my hair used to be naturally straight and now it's neither straight nor wavy.  Well, I love straight, curly and wavy hair and I know how to make my hair semi-wavy(let air-dry) and very very wavy (scrunch w/aloe vera gel while damp) but I don't know how to make it straight without using heat.  I want to re-train my hair to just be straight w/o frizz or waves but this may take a WHILE.  So I combed with my new volume ionic detangling comb that's SUPPOSED to make hair dry faster and w/no frizz or static.  Well, I don't know if the comb sucks, if it was the Organix products or if my hair is "not ready" to be naturally straight again because my hair had these big, poofy body waves (it was straighter than air-drying tho) and tons of flyaways/frizz :-(  Not happy about that.

Then my sis did my nails.  The tips are like a french manicure, instead it's a silvery glimmery polish instead of white.  Then there's a thickish black line where the tip ends, and little white dots in the black line.  Finally, the silver glim

I just noticed half my previous post was eaten lol.

ANyways in hair news:  Yesterday I tried something a little different.  I conditioned with the Organix Coconut Milk, THEN shampooed, then applied a little more conditioner on the ends.  I think my hair really hates conditioner because I shed like CRAZY with it, even with leave-in.  I don't know why.  I only apply it to my length so I don't know what the problem is.  But I really don't want to give it up!  Whenever I apply conditioner and then run my fingers through my hair, a ton of hairs just slide out.  This is not so with shampoo, regular water or oils.  WHY???? My aunt always tells me to never use conditioner because it makes your hair fall out but I'm too much of a product junkie to give it up I think.  

ALso:  my mom told me the other day that my hair looked really nice.  It did  8-) ;)  I just had my default hairstyle in, front section gathered in a little pouf with a mini jaw clip, the rest scrunched while damp with aloe vera gel.  


Also:  my boyfriend n i were discussing my hair and hair in general.  I told him i was gonna let it grow til it reached my belly button.  He admitted that he thinks hair past the boobs is too long ( I used to think this way also until I realized I'm just jealous of everyone with waist length hair and I secretly coveted waist length hair!).  But honestly, he's a guy and I noticed that guys always say things like this without even really thinking about it.  Case in point: while we were broken up and seeing other people he was dating a girl with very pretty, wavy, black hip length hair.  So yea.  I don't buy it lol.  And most of his "tv-and-movie crushes" are girls with very long hair.  But he did say he supports my hair decision and i'm sure once my hair reaches my goal he will have no complaints ;-)  

My other challenges: Doing pretty well! My sister said I keep looking skinnier and skinnier, and another friend mentioned that she thinks I have pretty hair.  When my hair was an overprocessed, shoulder length mess I would never receive hair compliments but lately I have been and I like it!

Today is a no wash day, so I'm just gonna rinse with water and apply a leave-in conditioner, then seal with jojoba and apricot kernel oil.  I think I'll also experiment with pin curls.  Wish me luck!

Just came back from the health food store and walgreens.  Good news for my hair/skin, bad news for my wallet!  I picked up:
(from the health food store)

-Giovanni Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor:  I wanted a deeper protein treatmeant.  It's supposed to encourage thickness and volume, and fill in porous hair with rich proteins.  

-Heritage Products Rose Petals Rosewater.  The ingredients say vor-mag water and hydroessential rose oil.  I want to use this for my face/hair.

-Sample size of Jason Tea Tree Satin Shower Body Wash.  Tea Tree is supposed to be good for acne/blemishes so if I like this better than my Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub, I will switch to this.

From walgreens:

-Miconazole Nitrate Cream-yes you read that right.  I've read lots of threads on Long Hair Community and other hair boards along with articles before I tried this.  -azoles are often used in hair regrowth products (like NIoxin) so this is just a cheaper way to try it.  Been using it about 3 weeks and my new growth is incredible.  I really do think it's helping to fill in my thin spots, especially around my crown and my nape, which never seems to grow.  It also thickened up my eyebrows some.  I had a little bald spot from overtweezing that never seemed to grow in and it has.  I already went through a tube of this stuff (i mix it with jojoba and apricot kernel oil, some leftover folicure treatemnts, aloe vera gel and rosemary essential oil, which is also supposed to stimulate growth and apply it on my scalp the night before I wash)

-Burt's Bees Marshmallow Vanishing Creme with Mango Butter- Although I like my current way of moisturizing my face (thin layer of aloe vera gel while face is still damp, then seal in with a drop of sweet almond oil) I wanted to try this since it was on clearance, over 50% off.  I think it's going to be discontinued so if I end up liking this I may have to scour/stalk ebay.

-Organix Soft & Silky Vanilla Silk Shampoo- since I loved the coconut milk.  This smells soooooo good, like cake batter.  I got this because it had a mail in rebate for the entire price.  So it's like I'm trying it for free :-)  If only I had seen this before!

-Conair 100% Boar Bristle Brush- since Ulta is ALWAYS sold out of the one I want and this one is half the price.  It's not as soft as I'd like it to be but that's ok.  I'm only going to use it for ponytails/updos because I always end up with bumps and lumps and stray hairs.  

-Cococare 100% Cocoa Butter sticks.  I bought the last 4 left in the store because they were .50 each.  And I love this for my stretch marks.  They have faded considerably.  I melt it a little, and add apricot kernel oil.  Love it.  

-V05 conditioners in
~Herbal Escapes Pomegranate and Grapeseed Extract Strengthening Conditioner and
~ Extra Body Volumizing Conditioner
mainly b/c I had coupons so they were .79 each.  I also desperatly want my hair to like conditioner as much as it loves shampoo, water and oils.   I want to give CO washing a try and I read these were pretty good AND they're cone free.  If it's just not for me, then I will give them to my mom or something.  I don't feel bad about buying these since they were so cheap.  For the price of one of my Giovanni or Burt's Bee's products  I could of bought about 10 of them.  OOOh speaking of which, if you guys like Giovanni products, go to Walgreens because they're on sale for 5.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Everywhere else I've seen them they're 7.99-8.99.  If only I had known this BEFORE my little binge at Ulta and the Health food store.  But Walgreens didn't have any of the stuff I bought (the Nutrafix or the 50:50...they were sold out of that one I think) so I don't feel too bad.

Also, Walgreens has all their vitamins/supplements buy one get one free!  I was going to pick up some L-cysteine and MSM, but I don't think they carry it :-( Boo.  I might go back and get some evening primrose oil and either some flaxseed or fish oil.  But only if I return some of the crap I bought, which I don't think I'll be doing.  Either way, I NEED TO STOP spending!!! B/c I also just ordered some neutral henna from Morrocco Method website ::hangs head in shame:: :-[  

I tried some of my new Giovanni products yesterday.  I did my entire hair routine with only Giovanni products....and it was a hit and miss.  First I shampooed with the Giovanni 50:50 shampoo.  Eh.  I didn't really like it.  Did nothing for my hair.  Definitely prefer the Organix Coconut Milk or the Burt's Bees Pomegranate & Soy.  I will give it a few more tries though, since I lost my Ulta receipt :-/  Then I forgot to do an ACV rinse, which I'm thinking may be the reason why I didn't like the hair process last night.  So anyways, I used the Giovanni Nutrifix deep conditioner next and left on under my shower cap and warm towel for 10 min.  Rinsed it out, and my hair did feel stronger.  Very nice.  This is a keeper.  After that, I applied some Giovanni Direct Leave-In and sealed with a drop of sweet almond oil on the ends.  Now this is where the real problem started.  I tried to get my hair to be curlyish/wavy with my beloved aloe vera gel but it just wouldn't.  I'm thinking since the Nutrifix is a strengthening treatment and my hair SHOULD be straight, that it was resisting the texture I was trying to create.  Maybe I should've just let my hair air dry.  My hair also felt a little coated, so maybe I didn't need the leave-in, which is pretty heavy after that deep treatment.  In the morning, I also noticed little white dots by my scalp/roots, so I was probably due for that ACV rinse :-/

Cut to today.  I wore my hair very cute, with a little pouf in the front and the rest pulled into a ponytail.  I slicked the sides with aloe vera gel and put on big hoops.  My boyfriend said I looked beautiful  :D
Then when I got home, I decided to take  a shower now so I won't have to in the morning (it's getting super cold in chicago).  This is when I was very greatful that I have all my new products.  I loved looking at my stuff and deciding just what my hair needed.  If I just had my regular old shampoo/conditioner...well that's all I would have been able to do.  But I decided my hair needed a scalp massage with warm water, acv rinse, and v05 extra body conditioner for 10 min under my shower cap/warm towel finished with a cool rinse.  And I was right!  My hair felt clean yet soft and moisturized.  AND I didn't shed too much in the shower, so maybe my hair really likes these lighter conditioners.  My deep conditioners and leave-in I think should be used more sparingly. I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of LISTENING to what my hair needs.  Anyways, after my shower I detangled with my volumizing comb, put a drop of sweet almond oil on my ends and sprayed with rosewater.  I am letting it air dry, then I will put it up in a bun n go to bed.  In the morning I'll mist it with water and scrunch with aloe vera gel. :-)  My hair is so happy right now.

My hair today:  I just had it in a bun with a claw clip.  Didn't have much time in the morning for much else.  Now that I got home from work/school, I applied my MN cream to my scalp, put it up in a high ponytail and sprayed the tail with rosewater, then applied a heavy coating of 2 drops apricot kernel oil, 4 drops jojoba oil and 4 little drops of rosemary essential oil.  In the morning I think I'll just wash with my Burt's Bee's Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo followed with my V05 Pomegranate and Grapeseed Strengthening Conditioner, which I haven't tried yet. I think I'll do a CWC with this, as I think my hair just hates HEAVY conditioners b/c I hardly shed with the V05 Extra Body Conditioner.  This is bad news for my Organix Coconut Milk and Vanilla Silk Condishes, but I want matching, deliciously scented sets DAMMIT!  Maybe I just need to dilute them? I dunno, but  I'm DYING to try my Organix Vanilla Silk Shampoo, but I noticed the dreaded white dots by my scalp again, and the BB usually gets my scalp "squeaky clean" so until I fix the white dot problem.  Perhaps I need to buy an *actual* clarifying shampoo or some baking soda?  OK yea I need to stop buying hair products but I can't stop!! I also want a microfiber towel and/or turban, another satin pillowcase to keep at my boyfriend's house, and i'm absolutely FEENING for that Giovanni leave in vitamin spray since my hair and conditioners have some sort of beef with each other.  I also want to try herbs so that I can infuse my ACV rinses and oils with them, a wooden and/or horn comb, more hair vitamisn/supplements/hair healthy foods and hair toys.  Lots and lots of hair toys.  Meanwhile, my neutral henna order from Morrocco Method is supposed to arrive on Friday.  I need help  :-[

LOL but it's ok because I spent so much time and money DAMAGING my poor, poor hair so now I need to treat it like a big, fat, spoiled baby!  So yea I"m super excited about my henna on Friday.  I was worried that no one would be at my house to sign for it when it arrived via UPS, but luckily I'll be home allllllllllll alone on Friday so I can really pamper my hair.  I was going to get a black or dark brown henna but seeing as how I haven't seen my natural, virgin hair in YEARS, I"m dying to see it now.  If I don't like it, I can always infuse it with dark brown, dark red or black henna til I get a haircolor I'm happy with.  For now, I just want the shine, conditioning and thickening benefits of it.  Well, I'm off to do some research on henna to prepare for Friday then go to bed!

So this morning, I CWC'd with  Burt's Bee's Pomegranate and Soy Shampoo and VO5 Herbal Escapes Pomegranate and Grapeseed Extract Strengthening Conditioner..  Then I applied a tiny bit of Giovanni Direct Leave In and sealed with a little Sweet Almond Oil.  I did shed a lot in the shower once the conditioner was on  :-/ but overall I had a very good hair day.  I did the little mini jaw clip pouf and combed it while it dried since I am still trying to convince my hair to be as straight as possible like it used to be.  It's working I think!  One thing that seems to "straighten" my hair is Rosewater...I was very surprised by this!  So I made up a little bottle of Rosewater, Jojoba Oil and Aloe Vera Gel for when I comb my hair straight.  This will prevent my hair from getting frizzy as it dries and it seems to pull the wave out.  Near the end of the day, I was a bit frazzled and my hair had got some frizzies so I sprayed this stuff on and combed it through and it definitely helped!  It stayed frizz free after that.  I'm still amazed that I can air dry my hair without it turning into a giant frizz ball...I don't know when I convinced myself that I needed a blow dryer and flat iron for my hair to be tame!  :o

I haven’t really been updating lately.  I’ve been kind of sick of hair actually lol.  Well, I don’t know how I feel about my first experience with henna.  It was neutral henna, from the Morrocco Method website and I wish I hadn’t bought so much!  I bought 2 jars and each one is enough for me to do 3, maybe 4 applications.  I added black tea water and instant coffee to see if it would darken my hair any.  Maybe that’s what messed it up.  But my hair definitely did NOT feel conditioner or super shiny or anything ?  In fact, it’s been feeling dryer than usual lately. I’m now thinking of ordering one jar of black henna to mix with the neutral henna to actually dye my hair so I’m not just putting this crap on my head for no reason.  

In other hair news, I’m definitely returning the Organix Vanilla Silk Shampoo & Conditioner.  Sure, it SMELLS lovely in the bottle, but it does nothing for my hair, the scent doesn’t stay long at all AND it has cones in both the shampoo and conditioner.  If I hadn’t noticeably used it so much and had not lost  my Ulta receipt, I’d also return the Organix Coconut Milk set.  Suave has a much cheaper, coneless version of this!  But since I’ve used this quite a few times and the smell DOES linger, and I do like it on my hair I’ll just it til it’s gone and then NO MORE CONES for me.  And I’d also return the 50/50 Giovanni shampoo as it also does nothing for my hair and it’s quite expensive.  I’d rather get the Vitamin leave-in spray.  I’m gonna search high and low for that Ulta receipt!  Maybe I CAN still return the Organix.  Won’t hurt to try.  

In other news, as I’ve mentioned, my hair has been feeling quite dry and weak and I’ve been pretty mean to it:
1)      I CANNOT stop  touching my hair, and “peeling” my splits.  Suuuuper bad habit, I know.  I haven’t been S&D-ing at all, just peeling the splits and breaking off the hair where I see white dots.  Need to stop this ASAP.
2)      Have not been applying my MN growth treatment, as I’ve been staying at my boyfriend’s house a lot lately and I know he’ll bitch about the smell and that it’ll get all over his pillows etc etc etc
3)      Since I’ve been staying at the BF’s place, no satin pillowcase and no tying my hair up when I sleep.  I just kind of pass out on his rough cotton pillows (no pillowcases!)
4)      Have not been misting the length with my rosewater/jojoba/sweet almond oil mix.  This would always help my dryness.  Must get on that.
5)      Have not been exercising, eating healthy, or drinking enough water.  Will blame that on the BF too lol.
6)      Have not oiled my hair AT ALL this week.  

So last night I felt bad and neglectful to my hair.  I didn’t get home from school til 10 (which is actually early for me)  so although I really should have pampered my hair I was feeling too lazy to even jump in the shower.  But I made myself do SOMETHING to my hair so I CWC’d it.  
First C- V05 Extra Body Conditioner – love, love, LOVE this stuff! This will definitely become a staple for me.  It’s cheap, coneless, and doesn’t make my hair shed nearly as much as other conditioners.  And, I can always use extra body!
W- Burt’s Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy shampoo- Eh.  I’m really getting sick of this stuff and can’t wait for it to run out.  I had to put on a TON of it to get any lather out of it.  It’s annoying and I feel like my hair isn’t even getting clean.
Second C- Giovanni Nutrifix Hair Reconstructor- I couldn’t decide if my hair was weaker or dryer, but I decided it was protein that I needed so I went with this.  I shed a ton, but it could have been because I hadn’t washed my hair in 3 days (usually it’s every other day).  I didn’t like this stuff as much as I did last time, but it’s probably because I didn’t leave it in the whole 10 min (too tired) and I didn’t use my shower cap/warm towel/body heat combo because I couldn’t find my shower cap!! GRrr…I hope my mom didn’t throw it out.  

Then I pinned it up to go to sleep but it fell off during the night because I awoke to wavy, wild, unruly hair.  If I sleep with my hair loose, it gets suuuuuuuuuuuper wavy/curly because I’m a tosser and turner and I sweat, so the moisture and movement make it go crazy.  If I put it in a bun or ponytail while I sleep, it will be straight with just the ends turned up a little.  Much better.  If I want my hair wavy, I’d rather do it with aloe vera gel because then they will be shiny, tame, frizzles waves lol.

Right now, my hair is looking pretty cute, with a little pouf in the front, the sides slicked with aloe vera gel and a BBB,  and the rest in a high ponytail.  I really need to mist the length though!