Natural Hair Mist

I have been using a basic water based hair mist since my natural hair journey began.  As I started researching (goggling) hair care I came up with another hair mist that I also enjoy.  I use both daily as I am styling my hair, well not at the same time.  Different days but I mist my hair everyday.  I have natural curly hair and my hair needs moisture so this is a way for me to add that without drenching it and walking around with dripping hair.

Image from: http://water.aiche.org

When you are mixing your hair misters make sure you are careful to clean and sterilize everything you use.  Bacteria and fungi can grow in your recipes and then on your hair.  Always keep products in a cool dry place.  Add preservatives, refrigerate or make only what you are going to use immediately to prevent microbial growth.

My go to recipe that I have been using since the beginning is:
    -water
    -coconut oil
    -add ingredients to spray bottle and shake
One tip is to get the coconut oil to melt is to add warm/hot water and shake.  This usually keeps the coconut oil from solidifying.  However, if it does I run hot water over the bottle or add more hot water inside.

A new recipe that I am trying and like because it makes my hair feel really soft and moisturized:
    -aloe vera juice
    -essential oil (your choice but lavender is good)
    -coconut oil (or any oil of your choice)
    -add ingredients to spray bottle and shake

What are your hair mister recipes? Do you have different ones for different hair issues?

Mist Lightly,
CurlyBeautyBoss

Natural Me Hair Style

I recently Hennaed my hair and decided to see how my hair would look without product.  Usually when I style my hair I use a leave in conditioner and curling gel at minimum.  This time the only product I used was an oil (that I mixed).  This is how it looked with silver hair combs holding up one side.

This side is much curlier.

The top and first time I noticed the red dye from the Henna.

Front, I wanted to add curling product to the front but I resisted.

Left side isn't as defined.  

I like it but would probably add curling gel next time.  What do you guys think? How does your natural curls look without product?


Naturally Me,
CurlyBeautyBoss

Eye Makeup Colored Mascara

Since I cut all my hair off I have been wearing a lot more makeup.  Well a lot for me.  I figured since I didn't have long hair anymore I would accessorize with colors and big earrings.  In keeping with that theme, I recently tried one of MAYBELLINE New York: Great Lash Limited Edition in Totally Teal.  

If you are looking to spice up your look with a splash of color.  I would try one of the Limited Edition Mascara.  They come in four different colors that I know of and I picked teal because it goes better with my brown eyes.  These are my eyes before I applied the mascara.   

  

These are my eyes after I applied Totally Teal.  The color shows up better in person.  

Oh no! Not the big eyes.  

 These are the tools I used from start to finish.

Have you tried one of Maybelline's Limited Edition colored mascara? If so which one and why? If not would you wear colored mascara?



Totally Teal,
CurlyBeautyBoss

Great Hair Gel that Does More than Hold

When I did my big chop one of the first products I used was Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Styling Gel.  I have used it on damp hair, wet hair and dry hair.  I found that it worked best for me when my hair was spritzed with water.  This gel helped define my curls and held my hair styles.  It also left my hair really soft, shiny and manageable.  I realized this one afternoon at the end of the week when I was playing in my hair (apparently this is a curly girl, naturalista no no, oh well) and realized that my hair felt really soft and moisturized.  I started thinking what could it be and realized that I was using IC gel exclusively that entire week.

IC gel is a clear, lightly fragrant gel.  It gives me light hold and slippage without being hard and causing flakes in my hair when it dries.  It says it is "Hard to Hold" but I have short, tightly curled hair so for me it helped define my curls but didn't give me a strong hold.  I picked this gel up in the store because it contained aloe, vitamin E, and wheat protein (which are good for your hair) and NO alcohol.  My curls need water not alcohol.  

There isn't much I didn't like about this gel but it did not provide a strong hold.  When I tried to lay down my hair using this gel, it did not work for me.  I mainly used this gel in styles where my hair was out like wash and gos.  You can buy this gel just about any store for around $4.00 for 16 oz of product.  I also reuse the  container for my homemade products.  Have you guys tried this gel? How did you like it or didn't like it and why? What gels do you use?


Happy Styling,
CurlyBeautyBoss

Natural Hair Goal

I found that over the last few weeks my hair has been really dry and itchy.  I actually made my own hair oil to combat this dilemma which actually worked really well since it was my first homemade oil.  Which leads me to my weekly goal:

RETAIN SOFT, SHINY, MOISTURIZED HAIR FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.

Currently my hair looks like this after a twist out.

I plan on washing, sealing, and moisturizing my hair on wash day to get off on a good foot.  Then regularly moisturize to keep it soft and shiny.  Here are the tools I will be using:

My Homemade Oil Elixir 

Every curly girl should have a spray bottle

My homemade hair butter

Here is my routine to keep my hair soft, moisturized, and shiny.

1. Wash and condition

2. Seal hair                 

3. Twist hair               

4. Mist daily               

5. Oil/Butter as needed

6. Cover hair at night  

Hopefully this routine works and I will let you guys know next week when I talk about my next hair goal.  What do you guys do to have soft, moisturized and shiny hair? What has worked or didn't work for you?

Moisture Experiment #1

CurlyBeautyBoss

Eating Cassava to Have Twins

I recently watched an episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta where Porsha Williams Stewart married to Kordell Stewart retired NFL player (who might also be gay/bisexual) mentioned eating a special type of potato to have twins.  I of course had to Google this information and found that eating Cassava potatoes can increase your chances of having twins.  This information is based off a tribe in West Africa in Nigeria called the Yoruba.  The Yoruba have the highest twining rate in the world.   It is speculated that the high incidence of twins comes from a high consumption of a specific type of yam (cassava) containing a natural phytoestrogen which may stimulate the ovaries to release an egg from each side. Phytoestrogen, an estrogen compound that increases a woman's follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and may induce a higher rate of ovulation.  I recently went on a search to find the cassava and did not have much luck in finding the raw potato.  I did however find these other sources of cassava.

   

The Boba Tea is a milk tea with tapioca balls in the bottom.  The tapioca balls are made from the starch of the cassava root.  The tea was actually really good.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Saw these at the local Farmer's Market.  

But since the cassava has high levels of phytoestrogen which is supposedly the cause of multiple egg release finding other food sources with phytoestrogen can possibly give you the same effect.  Such as soy or this yuca potato I found that is supposed to be very similar to the cassava potato.

If you are looking for sources of phytoestrogen I would try flax seeds, oil seeds, soy beans, tofu, whole grains, walnuts (nuts), herbs like black cohosh, dong quai, alfalfa, mexican wild yam, ginseng, and wild clover.  I should also mention that from doing my research I found numerous resources stating that the flora of the intestinal tract must be in a healthy balance for the phytoestrogens to be effective.  That means eating plenty of pro/pre biotics like yogurt to get the gastrointestinal tract balanced and staying away from sugary,high fat and  fried foods.  The phytoestrogens also need to be at high levels in your system.  You can't eat cassava one day and hope to have twins it must be daily and well before starting to get pregnant.

If anyone decides to increase their intake of phytoestrogens and gets pregnant with twins please, please share your story with me.  Does anyone know someone that ate cassava and had twins? Do you think this will work? Let me know.


Happy Baby Making,
CurlyBeautyBoss

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or expert that can give medical advice on having twins.  These are my opinions based on research that I have done and in no way have been proven true.

Passionate about Me

Ever since I can remember I have only wanted to do two things: play sports and travel.  As my High School graduation drew nearer and I did not have a college to play sports for I decided I would work for six months and then travel for as long as I could.  I figured as I traveled I would learn a foreign language, (Spanish perhaps?) and then go take everything day by day.  I relayed this plan to my parents and I they passed me a look of "are you out of your mind".  See I did all the customary bull crap one has to do senior year of high school, I applied to Colleges, filled out scholarship letters, and made sure I graduated (with honors, so I'm not a slacker).  But, I just did not want to go to college at least not at that moment, I wanted to travel the world (or at least to Spain).  That was my plan and I was going forth with it.

Well when you are eighteen without money or a job I had to learn to bend to what my parents thought was best.  In other words I could go attend one of the schools I was accepted into or join the Military.  Well I definitely was not about to go to the Military so I started making plans to attend college.  While making these plans I received an offer to play basketball for a Division I school and that made the decision to attend college much easier to swallow.  Like I said at the time I had two passions sports and traveling, so I was happy.

As I went through college I had to decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and I went through numerous fields; public relations, architecture, physical therapy, nursing, teaching, law, etc.  However, none of them really struck my interest till I went home one summer and worked at a rehabilitation center with my mom and sister.  I had fun working there and thought it must mean I should be a physical therapist.  I know now it was because I was working with family and that is what I enjoyed.  Through my various dabbling here in there interning, volunteering, working, shadowing I knew that whatever I did I needed to be my own boss.  There my entrepreneurial spirit was born.

Now I had three passions, working for myself, traveling and sports.  I still want to travel the world but responsibility and funds elude me so I settle for small week trips here and there.  I workout and am looking to join an adult league, in any sport I'm not picky.  Now I need to fulfill my entrepreneurial desire but I am not sure how to go about doing that.  I want to enjoy my business and it not feel like a job but still treat it like one so that it will be profitable.  It also needs to be flexible so that I may travel and see the 7 Wonders of the World.  Now end lies my quest to find my passion(s).

To be continued. . .
CurlyBeautyBoss