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Showing posts with label natural hair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural hair. Show all posts

Friday, July 19, 2013

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!



Friday, July 5, 2013

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!!

Saturday, December 1, 2012

A Little [DAVID SHA] for a Saturday Night


Happy Saturday, All! It's the first Saturday in December and I'm back with another tasty song from an artist I think you might dig. And in all honesty.. what's not to dig about a song that's a love poem to us naturals?!? LOL



So I hope that you will sit back, relax, and vibe out to David Sha's "Her Hair"... and be sure to show him some love if you like the tune by visiting him at http://www.reverbnation.com/davidsha


Thursday, July 5, 2012

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?!?!?

Friday, June 22, 2012

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?!?

Thursday, June 7, 2012

I Heart Her Hair: Tamara Tunie...

I was smack dab in the midst of a SVU marathon a few weeks ago and the realization that I hadn't done an "I Heart Her Hair" post on Tamara Tunie hit me like a ton of bricks.


Seriously how dope is Tamara Tunie as Dr. Melinda Warner?!? I love the episodes when she testifies in court, because she always finds a way to give the Defense attorneys a bit of snarky/sweet quips.. which always makes me chuckle!

She also has a beautiful hair, so sit back.. relax, and enjoy!






Friday, June 1, 2012

D-I-Y Nappturaliciously: My UPDATED Hair Regimen (Pt. 1)

Happy June, y'all! Can you believe how fast this year has been going? Oy!! As promised, I will be sharing in this post my modified hair routine. This routine is a bit special, because I will be incorporating some new products in the mix, so in addition to talking a bit about what I do to make Ms. Mooch so very Ms. Mooch-y, I will be sharing my first time thoughts on the new additions I tried.

Let me get this first out of the way and say it upfront so that there is no misunderstanding: Since the beginning of the year, I've been washing my hair once a month. Yes. Once. A month. Me. Washes my hair. LOL

It honestly started sometime in January because our apartment was frequently having water issues. We would either have no cold water, no hot water, or no water at all.. depending on the day. Either of these situations aren't really the most optimal for getting in the shower and washing my hair. The familia had to actually buy gallons of water to use for bathing and cooking (and the toilet... just saying!), so I couldn't really use up the water for my hair, so I ended up having to wait until the beginning of February to wash my hair when the water problems were fixed.

And when the blessed moment finally arrived, I noticed I had a lot less hair shed. I wondered if the change in my wash routine had anything to do with it, so as an experiment, I decided to wash my hair again the beginning of March. Again, I noticed my hair had a lot less tangles, a lot less shedding and it looked like it had grown more than usual since the beginning of the year. So I did my homework, and discovered a lot of naturals follow this same regimen. And I figure if this wash schedule works for Amel Larrieux and Cipriana from Urban Bush Babes (And be honest, who doesn't LOVE their hair!?!?), it won't hurt to see if works for me!! And so far, it has! So to get started, I will talk about my wash and condition routine in part one.

Because my wash week occurred after my flat ironing Ms. Mooch, I decided that I would give her some extra special TLC, so I started with a pre-poo using Karen's Body Beautiful Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment for the very first time.


I'm not really a pre-poo kind of girl, to be quite honest. I think I can count on two hands the number of times I've actually done one in the past 6 years. But I received the jar free with my recent purchase, and I was excited about trying it out from reading the ingredients, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.


The treatment has an amazing lavender mixed with something (I cannot put my finger on it) scent. I don't know if that's the scent it has, or it was scented to match my other products I ordered... 'cause I love my Vanilla Lavender!


The texture reminded me of the roux I first make when preparing gravy when I put it in my hand, but I must admit I was quite surprised how quickly it thins into an oil. My still semi-straight hair was separated into four bantu knots, so I took down each section and added a liberal amount to my tresses.


Seriously, why did I think it was a good idea to flat iron my hair?!? Poor Ms. Mooch.. she's looks beat up, huh? After it was all up and through my hair, I put on my very sexy plastic conditioning cap and waited to let the treatment work its magic.


I kept the treatment in a lot longer than the recommended 20 minutes (I watched, like, two movies!), but it did say you can leave it in over night so I figured four hours wouldn't hurt. I then hopped in the shower and was ready to wash my hair using Bumble and Bumble's Creme de Coco Shampoo.


I really fell out of love with my Mixed Chicks shampoo months ago, but out of necessity I opted to keep using it until it was finished before trying something new. I have read a lot of rave reviews on Creme de Coco online and because I am a total smell junkie, I decided I would give it a try. I did buy the 2 ounce bottle, just in case! LOL


I have the very strong feeling that I'm going to end up purchasing the bigger bottle next month, because not only does this shampoo smell HEAVENLY... it really did a bang up job in removing a month's worth of product and the Secret Weapon Restorative Treatment from my hair without leaving it feeling stripped and icky. I think I heard Ms. Mooch sigh with relief! Relief turned into excitement, because she knew what was coming up next!


Yes yes, y'all! It's Anita Grant's Rhassoul Deep Condish, which was cooling in the kitchen while I was in the shower. I raked up on this conditioner last Christmas, so I had a ton of hearts (which are all gone now!), plus a big block (which I just broke a piece off of) at my disposal. I stupidly forgot to grab Coconut Milk for my treatment, so for the first time, I was using plain H2O (mixed with a little EVOO) to make the mixture.


I was a bit worried when I noticed that the mixture was a lot thinner than it normally is with coconut milk, but I figured I would give it the old college try!!!


At this point Ms. Mooch is  in hog heaven because the curls are coming back and she knows she's just been given the good stuff! I left the rhassoul condish in my hair a little over an hour and it was back in the shower I go!


I love it when my curls get clumpy, and nothing makes 'em clumpy like the Rhassoul Deep Condish!


After my getting out of the shower, I don't apply a leave-in to my wet or damp hair. I find it makes my hair really stringy. So I put my hair in four braids.


My hair will stay in these four braids until completely dry. It is then that I apply a leave-in and product to my hair. Part Two will cover what I use and how I maintain my hair every week. Stay tuned!!!