My Texture

Did I mention I was a red head?!? Lol, I'm getting so many compliments on my color selection...which boosts my confidence in my natural journey! Plus check out these great texture shots I captured! Length check coming very soon and be encouraged Loves! 

Red heads have more fun!!

Alright, so it has been almost 2 months since my last post and I've gone through some changes! I was itching for a new hair color and totally stalked Instagram hashtags for #ColorTreatedNatural and similar tags. I was looking at everything from red to dark purple. Blond/brown highlights and color has been done on so many people, including myself, but I wanted something fun and not typical.  I also needed it to be toned down enough to work in an office setting.  I had to hunt for a fierce stylist who knew how to properly color treat natural hair. Well it all came together a month ago and I decided on a deep red/burgundy base color with fire orange highlights. I LOVE IT!!!!! Here go a few pics in different lighting and angles. 

I am 100% happy with the job done on my color. This was no bleeding/patchy looking color job. My hair looks gorgeous and it's soft and healthy!! Power to coloring fun! 

Nelly

Length check #1

My first length check since the big chop! I cut on 1/11/14 and I remember I measured the front and back of my hair at 3 1/4 inches. The front and back are now 4 1/4 inches. The sides were at 4 inches and are now 5 inches long.  Patience and TLC will get me to my long term hair goal of waist length. 

Nelly

I learned a new trick!

Hey Loves!! Winter is almost over here in Baltimore and it's been brutal on my natural hair with harsh winds and freezing air.  My last big chop I did was on 1/11/14 and I had to do that because I had some uneven and damaged ends to repair. My hair has been mid back length the majority of my life so this short hair life is outside of my comfort zone.  Nonetheless the chop had to happen for a fresh start on my hair journey, health before length!! I was not in love with my two strand twists after my chop so I decided to try my hand at installing Senegalese twists.  Many naturals turn to protective styling to help retain length and reduce on hair manipulation.  It can be very convenient to just get up and go! I watched YouTube vids by Donedo and Breanna Rutter and learned the invisible root method.  At first, it was VERY difficult for me to get the hang of the method. My hair is fine and very curly which proved tricky when trying to cover my ends with the braiding hair.  The first set of chunky twists I installed were towards the end of January. I used Kanekalon Braiding hair in 1 and 30 and it came out decent for my first try but I only left it in for about 10 days.  I really wanted to wash my hair plus it wasn't as neat and uniform and I would have liked.

After letting my hair be free for a few days I ended up buying my first legit wig Lol!! It's synthetic and a good start to my soon to be collection! Her name is "Kelly", yes I named her...don't judge me! 

I wore "Kelly" for a week and then decided to try the Senegalese twists again but this time with the Marley twist hair. I had a color blend of 4 and 30 and did them slightly smaller and tighter this time. It came out really well and it was MUCH easier working with the Marley hair over the regular braiding hair...you don't have to deal with loose strands of hair everywhere!! It took me a day and a half to install these last set of twists...I take my time and I'm anal about my parts. I've had them in for almost 3 weeks now and will take them out over this next week. Here's the Marley hair: 

Overall I enjoy Senegalese twists...both types of hair can give you a great look and it's relatively easy to learn how to install but practice makes perfect!! 

Nelly

 

MUAW (Make Up Artist Wannabe)

I've never been big on wearing heavy makeup...I'm more of a natural girl. Lately though I've been wanting to learn more about makeup and how it's applied properly.  I started following a some folks on YouTube and Instagram for look ideas and pointers. Some of these makeup artists are straight magicians the way they "transform" people! I really love @beatfacehoney and @rennyvasquez...they are amazingly talented and very humble people!! I'm not even gonna lie...makeup is kinda FUN!! I did make a few minor purchases of new makeup and tools to start off but there is soooo much to learn about this art. I'm just doing it as a hobby so I'm not pressed about having everything out there. Obviously these professionals are artists and their canvas is your face...so although my application may not be flawless, I can still make it my own. The goal is to get better with each application and feel extra pretty when I'm finished.  

Smooches Loves!! 

New Year of Hair!!

Happy New Years!!! What's in store for 2014?!? Well the pics above recap my hair journey in 2013...major changes went down as you can see. A few key lessons learned: treat my hair like a precious gem...give her lots of attention and don't be lazy. Using fingers to detangle instead of combs significantly reduces hair breakage...I only use wide tooth combs now and minimally at that. Make sure to enjoy my hair changes/choices because it's my hair and my journey...nobody else's approval needed.  Liquid, oil and cream...aka LOC method...is now a regular routine to prevent dryness. Cowashing is a regular occurrence as well...I shampoo like once a month. Deep conditioning is a must at least twice a month. Protective styling and hair vitamins helps to retain strong strands and length.  

With Love,

Nelly