D-I-Y Nappturaliciously: BRAID-cation 2013

Tools of the Trade

Miss Mooch is OFFICIALLY on BRAID-cation!!! Whoo Hoo! It took about 12 hours this time (Being a fan of Hindi cinema really helps the time pass!!), but I am really happy with the results. I consider it a revamped version of the mermaid braids I rocked exclusively throughout my twenties!

In an updo!

I am planning on keeping them in for the rest of the summer and take them out sometime in September or October! Thanks to the feedback I got, I ended up purchasing Eden Bodyworks Jojoba Monoi All Natural Hair Oil AND Darcy's Botanicals Organic Coconut and Hibiscus Conditioning Oil. I will be sure to do a follow up post on my thoughts on both products!

D-I-Y Nappturaliciously: It's BRAID-cation Time Again!!!!

It's that time of year again!!! It is the time when Miss Mooch gets some much needed rest and relaxation for the next few months... and goes on a much needed BRAID-cation.

This weekend, I will be a braidin' fool and this year I am going for some long, black, box braids. I cannot wait!! Next week, I will be sure to post about the installation of the braids, so be on the lookout for that one.

I am thinking of trying something a little different this year in terms of how I maintain my braids while they are in. So I decided to check out CurlMart to see what products might be good for moisture, protection, and shine. And of course I need something that will smell fabulous! Which lead to a bit o a dilemma... I not only found one product I thought might be good... I found FIVE!! LOL

As I know that all of you are wise and know your stuff when it comes to products, I am leaving the decision as to which of the five to pick in YOUR hands!! Here's the options (in random order):

As I Am CocoShea Spray ($15.00, CurlMart)

Nourishes, softens and enhances shine
Hydrates hair
Seals in moisture
Protects against weather damage
Moisturizes the scalp

EDEN BodyWorks Jojoba Monoi All Natural Hair Oil ($9.99, CurlMart)

Decreases dandruff and itchy scalp
Strengthens hair
Prevents breakage
Leaves hair full of shine

Jessicurl Oil Blend for Softer Hair ($11.95, CurlMart)

Adds softness and shine
Available in three scents:
Citrus Lavender
Island Fantasy
No Fragrance

Kinky-Curly Perfectly Polished ($18.00, CurlMart)

Protects hair
Adds Healthy Shine
No Mineral Oil
No Petroleum
Silicone free

Darcy's Botanicals Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Conditioning Oil ($10.00, CurlMart)

Provides healthy conditioning
Encourages hair growth
Adds sheen and softness to hair

Which of the five products do you think I should try this summer? If you've tried and loved any of them, be sure to share your feedback. Leave a comment with your pick!!

D-I-Y Nappturaliciously: Ms. Mooch takes a BRAID-cation!!!

Hey y'all!!! Ms. Mooch is on BRAID-cation for the summer! Hooray!!! It's been two weeks since adding the braids to my hair (I know this post is long overdue, but from the picture above, you can see that I still had some allergy issues that haven't completely worked itself out! lol)

I started by making sure my hair and scalp was clean, using my usual regimen. The following day, once my hair was partially dry, I started braiding my hair.

This time around, I opted to use Miracle's Yaki Pony Hair, which I purchased from a Beauty Supply Store downtown Brooklyn.

 I liked the color combination used, so I snatched up 8 bags of this hair. I couldn't wait to get started. Before applying each braid, I made sure that Ms. Mooch was super moisturized by applying Karen's Body Beautiful Beauty Boss 101 to each section of hair and the scalp.

8 hours later, I was finished and SHOCKED at how quickly I managed to get the job done. I opted to use smaller braids than I initially planned for, because I feared the larger braids would be too heavy.

So far, I am really loving how light they feel and the variety of styles I can work with!! I say that I CAN rock a variety of styles, but mostly I'm rocking a high bun. 

It's great for when I take my walks!! Synthetic hair + Neck + Summer + Physical Activity = HOT!!! LMAO

The view of the braids from behind!!

So what do you think? Is Ms. Mooch's BRAID-cation a win or a fail?!?!?

I HEART Her Hair: Solange Knowles...

It's summertime, and between the heat, taking walks, and over-all laziness when it comes to Ms. Mooch, I do believe it is HIGH time for a good ole fashioned BRAID-cation! Can you believe it's been two years since my last one?!?

This time around, I decided to attempt to recreate Solange's beautiful box braids, as I think it's a versatile, fun, and the perfect style for summer. So of course, this post is all about the Solo Braids, man!

I will be putting my braids in this weekend, so next week, be sure to check out the post next week. What do you think of Solange's braids? Would you rock them or knock them?!?

D-I-Y Nappturaliciously: I'm taking a BRAID-cation!!!!

So I braided my hair on Saturday. I wanted to get it done professionally, but decided to save myself the money and do it myself.

Eight hours lady, here are the end results. I really could've finished this job faster, but I straight up took a zillion breaks!!

This is the type of hair I used - I bought about seven bags (I only end up using 5, so the other 2 will be used for touching the braids up!) and got them for a sweet deal!!

I plan on leaving them in my hair for a couple of months... In that time, I am going to keep my scalp healthy and hydrated with some Jamaican Castor Oil... which I heard is also good for growth, so I am looking forward to see how it goes!!

I'm getting Kinky Twists next week...

This summer's humidity has been straight up hell on my hair, so I've decided to give it a rest for a few months and invest in some kinky twists. I've never had the style before, so I am very much looking forward to getting them done.

I've braided my own hair for the past 10+ years, and I was considering doing them myself (armed with the numerous YouTube how-to videos), but I haven't gotten my hair done by a professional in almost a decade, and I thought it would be a great spirit boosting, self affirming, "I deserve it" kind of treat.

In my mind, I picture a Tracee Ellis Ross (Joan from Girlfriends) sort of do with kinky twists. I am not even sure this is possible. I've been scouring the web searching for pics that convey this vision, but to no avail.
























Of course, if I wasn't unemployed, I would probably opt for something more daring like these, but I figured I would keep it conservative the first time, ya know?


























After I take them out, I plan on following this regimen I scouted online via the Long Hair Don't Care website about Shikai-Co Washing, and I thought I would try that, coupled with deep conditioning to see how I like it.