Why I Big Chopped?

No, this isn’t a post about why I went back to my natural unprocessed hair.  This is a post about why I chopped it off instead of transitioning.  I get this question often, so here’s my answer.

I Big Chopped (BC’ed) because I don’t have patience.  It’s that simple.  I was not concerned with length because I’d never had super short hair before and I thought it would be a great new experience for me.  I loved every minute of it too!

Wash and go!

The last week of December 2002, I cut my armpit length relaxed hair to 1 -2 inches of scissor cut natural hair.  This picture was about three weeks after the initial chop, I have no idea what was in my hair, I will assume it was Paul Mitchell’s foaming pomade.  I used that religiously along with Black N Sassy creamy set to define my coils.  My styling product options were very slim back then. LOL.

Before I chopped, I researched natural hair for about 2 years.  Yep!  I looked around the internet for pictures of hair that looked similar to my relaxed hair trying to get an idea about what my hair would look like unprocessed.  Having not seen my unrelaxed hair since I was 13 years old, I looked a pictures of people with kinks, naps, and coils I thought my hair would either be like Amel Larrieux or India.Arie.  I had several inches of new growth, but as many come to find out after they chop, that is not a real indicator of how your hair will be once it’s free from the relaxed hair that I call “dead weight.”

So no, I had no idea what I was getting when I made the chop.  None at all.  It really didn’t matter, all I knew is that I wanted to cut that crap off of my head and get to know me.

It really was that simple for me.  I’m not very insecure about my looks, I never have been.  That doesn’t mean that there aren’t things about my physical appearance that I don’t like, it just means that vanity isn’t my issue.

The other reason I chopped my hair was because after reading forums like Nappturality, I realized that, for me, getting to know my hair from the very beginning was the better option.  There wasn’t a ton of information out there in the early 2000’s.  Even though people transitioned back then, the easiest, most prevalent route seemed to be the Big Chop.

I haven’t chopped my hair since 2003, but I plan on doing it again soon, now that I’m armed with information, I know that  I can do it better this time.

 

NOTD – Orly Blue Suede

I went out of town this past weekend, partied a little too much, and inadvertently broke almost every single fingernail on both hands.  Story of my life!

The only good thing about having nubs instead of nails is that you get to wear darker, richer, deeper colors.  Dark colored nail polishes look fantastic on short nails.

For the next few days I will be sporting Orly’s Blue Suede from their second matte collection that came out this Fall.  I’m not the least bit enthusiastic about matte nail lacquers, but that won’t stop me from owning a couple of bottles.

Orly’s Blue Suede is in fact Suede, sort of like the surface of an eggshell.  While there’s no shine, there’s a hint of a sheen making it different from the other matte collections that came out this year.  You know the ones that pretty much look like colorful chalkboards.

Blue Suede is opaque after one coat.  I am wearing two coats because I had to clean up the cuticle area.  Take your time when applying matte polishes so that they look smooth, not streaky or clumpy.  Orly’s formula for mattes is pretty great because it takes a while for them to dry which gives you time to cover any mistakes.

Although I said that it takes time for your nails to dry, they still dry three times faster  than regular nail polishes.  Even the quick dry ones so be aware of that before you begin to polish.

I am not wearing a top coat for obvious reasons, but I AM wearing a basecoat [Orly's Bonder] to protect my nails.  Matte polishes don’t last as long a normal polishes, which is why wearing them while having nubs for fingernails is perfect.  There’s no nail surface to chip, so the polish will still be there, in tact [I hope,] by the time I get tired of looking at my nails and switch colors.

Orly Blue Suede is still available online.

Fall and Winter Hair Maintenance Part II

Last week, I briefly told you about adjusting your haircare routine to prep for the dry, cold weather.  [Click here to refresh your memory.]  Now I’m back with a few product ideas under my new category I’m calling Play or Pause. 

Play, meaning products that I think you should try.  Pause, meaning products that may not work as promised or may not be right depending on the circumstances.  There’s no Stop, because most products have potential, they can be used a different way, or can be gifted to someone that can use it successfully.  [It's an iPod nation.]

Let’s continue the Fall/Winter haircare discussion.

Really good conditioners have a balance or protein, humectants, and emollients.  Finding one that excludes or greatly reduces one of those aspects is challenging.  And again, you have to find what works best for your hair.  Here’s a list of products to Play or Pause during the winter:

 

Play

• Giovanni 50/50 Conditioner
• SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner [contains pathenol and glycerin in small amounts]
• Aubrey Organic’s Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner
• Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner

Pause

• Suave Professional Humectress Conditioner
• Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave-in Cream
• Pure 100% Glycerin [when used alone]

 

Part III coming soon.

FOTD – Amber Lights

MAC Amber Lights.  Another shadow that I rarely use.  I don’t know why, because it’s a beautiful color that’s complimentary to brown skin and brown eyes.  It’s even more spectacular if you have deep blue/violet eyes.  I consider it a safe color, meaning it’s great for any occasion, any time of the day, work or play.

FOTD – Blue Rimmed

Instead of using plain black eyeliner, punch up your look by smudging your lashline with color.  Here, I am wearing a blue eyeshadow with pink shimmer to rim my eyes.  I also played up my cheeks by going heavy with the blush and I finished the look with pale pink lips.

*The hallway was dark, so I had to lighten the pictures; my face may look a little ashy*

FOTD – Brown Smokey Eye

This look is perfect for hooded eyes.  Bring your dark crease color above the crease to bring dimension to the hooded part of your eye.  A hooded eye just means that when your eyes are open the fatty part of your eyelid, above your crease, covers your lid and crease completely or almost completely.

Fall and Winter Hair Maintenance Part I

The cold weather is fast approaching, and for those of us who experience all four seasons, we know how unforgiving the cold conditions can be to our tresses.  While I don’t deviate too far from my normal haircare routine, I am conscious about what products I put on my hair during the colder, drier months.

To keep your hair healthy during the harsh weather, you must establish a general haircare routine that works for you.  Not a routine that works for me, or your stylist, or your co-worker.  A haircare routine tailored just for YOU based upon your personal hair needs.  You are your hair’s best advocate.

So, where do you begin?

Check the dew point.

• The lower the number, the drier the air will be.
• Dry air can be harmful to hair, especially the ends, and can cause curly hair to become frizzy and unmanageable.  [This is not exclusive to the cold weather of course, if you live in a dry climate year round, this also applies.]

Sideline your humectants.

• Put away your humectant shampoos, conditioners, and treatments that helped you retain moisture in the warmer months.  Look for products that contain high amounts of: glycerin, honey, glyceryl triacetate, propylene glycol, sorbitol, collagen, or pathenol for example.
• Humectants attract moisture from the atmosphere.  When the dew point is moderate to high, humectants keep your hair [and skin] moist.  When the dew point is low, humectants can do the opposite and draw moisture from your hair because there is none to draw from in the atmosphere.
• Save your humectant products for moderate to high humidity days.

Condition your hair.

• If you aren’t regularly deep conditioning your hair, start.
• Most of the moisture your hair receives will be on wash day.  Your goal is to retain it, so this may mean conditioning your hair more often.

Emollients = Yummy.

• Invest in products that have emollient properties.
• Emollients promote hydration, soften hair, and seal in moisture.
• Look for products containing large amount of castor oil, jojoba oil, cetyl alcohol, shea butter or coconut oil.  The thicker and more moisturizing the better.
• Check the labels.  Emollient ingredients should be high on the list.  Choose a product with plenty of fatty acids and oils to help retain moisture.

 

Thanks for reading Part I.  Much more to come!  Check back for more tips and product ideas.

Natural Hair: Double Buns

Heat can be very damaging to hair when used in excess.  Too much direct heat [blow drying, pressing, flat ironing] can cause breakage, dry hair and split ends.  The key to using heat without causing major damage to your hair is to always make sure your hair is clean, use a heat protectant, and use direct heat sparingly.  For me, that means no more than once a month.  I normally don’t flat iron my hair more than four or five times a year.  I prefer my naturally kinky/curly hair.

As many of you natural ladies know, as time goes by, your hair starts to revert, usually because of rain or humidity and no amount of product will prevent it from going back to it’s natural state.

Instead of flat ironing your roots and edges again, try to work with textured hair [pincurls, braid-outs] or updos.  As my roots start to revert, I like pin my hair up and tuck my ends in, creating a cute protective style.

Click the jump to find out how I created my double buns.

NOTD – Misa Toxic Seduction

Toxic Seduction is from Misa’s Poisoned Passion collection from 2008.  It’s a beautiful dark green shimmer and is opaque after two coats.  Easy to use, I would consider this color a must have!

Product Review – Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Solid ICE Pomade

Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Solid ICE Pomade

• Humidity resistant and hold hairstyles in all weather conditions
• Defrizzes, straightens, and smooths all hair types
• Use it to mold, sculpt, slick, and define hairstyles
• Adds moisture, texture, and shine
• Water soluble; contains no alcohol
• No product build up

I have been using this pomade for at least seven years.  I’ve used it when I had chemically processed hair and I still use it on my natural hair.

I find that overall, it holds true to it’s promises.  I use it frequently when I have my hair flat ironed when I want to slick my edges.  I use it to define my curls when I wear my hair wet and pulled back.  Although, I find that it’s not the best product to use when wearing a wash n’ go hairstyle, it works well when combined with products that provide moisture like shea butter.

My biggest complaint about the Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Solid ICE Pomade is that it wears off.  I notice that regardless of the state of my hair, wet or dry, kinky or straight, after about 6 hours, the product starts to wear off.  But I the benefit of this is that you can use this product everyday without the fear of product build-up.  I can easily brush the pomade out without my hair feeling tacky, gritty or seeing flaky gel bits leftover.

I don’t find Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Solid ICE Pomade particularly moisturizing despite it’s promises, but it adds incredible shine to my hair.  And it allows me to mold my hair how I want it.  The consistency of the pomade is very similar to Let’s Jam without the stickiness.  It will remain a staple product for my hair as long as they keep the formula the same.

Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Solid ICE Pomade retails for about $4 [USD] and you can find it at any drugstore or BSS.