Team Natural

Sooo...it got lost in all the hullabaloo. 

Every time some sees me these days, they comment how much they love my hair.  Makes me realize just how much and just how long I've been out of the loop, because I joined team natural last August.  Yea, I've talked about it for a long time and it's been on my 101 Things to Do List for two iterations now, but yanno, sometimes the impetus is just desiring some evidence of CHANGE after a traumatic experience.

Anyhoo, went to my very first "natural hair" show last weekend, and it was a treat!  Although I am excited about wearing my hair "naturally", I am more of a reader, so I can't get into all the YouTube videos and what not to find out more about all things curly, kinky and wavy.  There's lots of information out in the atmosphere to process, so this hair show was a great way for me to learn about the variety of products.  I also got to see a variety of styles that natural sistas are wearing.  Styles that I may try to emulate in the days to come. What I still an unsure of, though, is my "hair type."  The stylist I sometimes frequent is not a fan of "typing" hair, so he wasn't able to tell me, but when I consider my hair in comparison to some of my naturalista friends, it appears I am closer to the curly/wavy end of the spectrum than the curly/kinky. 

Whatever THAT means.

It's soft.  It doesn't kink up when wet, it's pretty easy to run my fingers through.  Even when dry and in need of a washing. There's a section in the front that has a definitely different pattern because it's more...cottony, if that is a word...than the rest of my hair.  Truth is I've been natural since the late 90s when I last got a relaxer, and wore my hair short.  It's been braids and weaves since then.  My hair had grown long, past my shoulders.  But it had started to break off in the back last summer.  The big chop for me was a fade on the sides and in the back, but I kept some length on the top.

Now, I want some color. Highlights or something for the summer.

Like I said, there's alot to learn apparently, about proper hair care, and I am thankful for all the tips and suggestions from my naturalist friends!  One of my favorite lessons is that I CAN do my hair myself, and that doing so has saved me major moolah HA! Every couple months I let a stylist trim and work his magic, but I'm the one washing, conditioning,and styling my half a head of hair every week...and I love it :)

Today, I'm trying a line of products I was introduced to at the natural hair show.  I used the Peppermint line from Eden Body Works, to wash, condition and moisturize.  I then used the Signature Series Stretch- It cream from UrbanBella as a styling aid to create two-strand twists.  My first impressions are that the peppermint cleaned my hair and scalp nicely.  The hair milk and oil are not too heavy, so my hair does not feel loaded with product.  The stretch-it cream really maximizes my natural curls and waves!  I learned a new technique to grade the product through my hair and doing so results in bouncy looking curls.  Although freshly washed and conditioned, I spray a water/coconut oil mist into my hair after applying the stretch-it cream, before I twisted it.  It's air drying now, but I'll be under a hair dryer shortly.

As I try new styles, I add them to my Team Natural Photo Album, if I remember to take a photo that day LOL Once I get that slideshow to work, perhaps I'll share photos of this journey.

..::more to come::..

[Song of the Day: Gonna Be Alright, Robert Glasper, feat. Ledisi]