Yarn braids!

Ok, so I've been itching to do yarn braids for a while now and I finally got brave enough to give it a whirl!

Items used:
”red heart” purple yarn
”bernat” brown yarn
Water/oil mix
Blended beauty down & out styles
Small scissors
Rat tail comb
Banana clips

How I achieved style:
I washed her hair the night before, put in a leave in conditioner and put in about 7 braids. The next morning I sectioned hair and clipped away what I was not working with. I then sprayed the section I was working with (with the oil/water mix) and then put my moisturizing product in. I also sprayed the yarn before putting in baby girl's hair so it wouldnt suck all the moisture out. I used 2 pieces of yarn and wrapped around base of her hair, then braided down till I had about one inch of her hair left. I then added a piece of the yarn to that last inch of hair and continued braiding and knotted the end when at desired length. When I finished her whole head I went and cut about a cm under where I knotted the yarn off (there is no hair on the yarn being cut, I went about 4 inches past her actual length). This took 4 hours to do and she LOVES it! She picked out the purple color to add for fun as well :)

How I learned:
I learned from the ladies on ”beads braids and beyond” fb page. As well as watching ”YouTube” videos (afrikanhairgod)

**make sure to use 100% acrylic yarn!**

”Roots only”

I bought this bottle at Sally's the other day and I put bee mine growth serum in it...AMAZING!! This is a must have if you have a product that is for scalp only. I was having a hard time applying the product to my daughter's scalp with my fingers, so when I saw this bottle I was like hallelujah! Lol...so now I just comb down the section I'm working with, then rub the oil/serum in scalp.

Style on dry hair

I wanted to do a quick style after baby girl's bath and this is what I ended up with...not my proudest moment I must say. Her hair is a bit short for this style in my opinion and also I did on dry hair, which I never do. I planned on using bee mine luscious moisture on damp hair, which has never been an issue, except today is extremely hot and I had the fan going while doing her hair. Needless to say it dried her hair and caused immediate tangles...I should have gone and grabbed some detangler, but I did my best...never again! Lol

Oils

Coconut oil-
I love coconut oil! I have been using it in baby girl's hair for over a year now and it has done wonders in softening her hair.

What to look for: when buying look for these on the label...100%, organic, extra virgin, unrefined

Benefits: moisturizing, keeps hair shiny, builds strength, helps with dandruff, helps in healthy hair growth

How we use: For free hair wash days I will use coconut oil after washing her hair by scooping desired amount out of jar and rubbing my hands together to melt the oil, then run my hands thru baby girl's hair starting at the ends, working my way thru the rest of her hair.
For styles I will mix the oil in a spray bottle with water and spray her hair.
For use with deep treatments I will scoop desired amount and put into another small bowl and heat in microwave, then mix in other products I am using with it.

Tea tree oil-
I have been using this oil on baby girl for less than a year. I found out she had eczema in her scalp and decided to try natural remedies. Thank God for tea tree oil!

Benefits: helps soothe dry, itchy scalp, helps hair loss, dandruff, head lice, and is effective against fungus, bacteria, and viruses

How we use: I apply to my finger tip and rub in dry, irritated spots on baby girl's scalp as needed

Castor oil-
My go to oil when baby girl's ends are feelimg rough and her edges looking thin.

Benefits: seal in moisture, humectant and emollient, helps in hair loss and thinning, anti-fungal, antiviral, antibacterial

How we use: We use on wet/moisturized hair to seal in moisture. Since it is extremely thick I like to use very little or mix with water or other products and use only where needed. I also like to mix a little in deep treatments for shine and softness.

Jojoba oil-
This oil has been on my ”things to try” list for a while now. This oil has been hard for me to find 100% and not mixed with other ingredients. I have found it finally, but it is a bit pricey for a tiny amount, so I will buy when I am done with some other products.

Benefits: moisturizing, emollient, stimulates hair growth, antibacterial, fungicidal, reduces hair loss and helps dry, frizzy hair

Uses: scalp massage, conditioner, leave-in conditioner, hot oil treatment

Product Review: Dove Intensive Repair conditioner

My review:
I bought the sample size in the $1 section at target. I got 2 uses out of it and I think I'm going to have to upgrade to a full size bottle!...the smell was a nice, soft, clean scent. It felt about as thick, if not thicker, than herbal essence hello hydration conditioner. This product has a decent slip (a bit less slip on her thicker, tighter curls) and did an amazing job detangling! I let it sit in her hair for about 10 mins, as I usually do, then rinsed. Her hair felt extremely soft once rinsed and smelled great!...I might have to replace one of my usual conditioners with this one, I'm assuming its a little more expensive but I'm in love with the feel and smell once rinsed!

Ponies and twists

Quick style to last the rest of the week. After freshly washed hair I parted in sections and applied bee mine luscious moisturizer. I put a band at the base of the section, twisted and put a barrette in...baby girl picked her clips :)

Uh oh!

Baby girl fell asleep without her ”keeper” (aka silk cap)....oohhhh was I tempted to disrupt her sleep to put it on lol thankfully her morning hair wasn't too bad. But boy was I scared for the morning to come!

Product review: Palmers Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Milk

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Cetearamidopropyldimonium Chloride, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polysorbate 20, PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Extract, Dimethicone, Fragrance (Parfum), Tocopheryl Acetate, Keratin Amino Acids, Sodium Chloride, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropyl Butylcarbamate, Yellow 5 (CI19140), Red 4 (CI14700), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090) (CI142090)

My review: My first "yay" about this product was how smooth it was! It felt soft, not sticky, and ran thru baby girl's hair easily. The smell is kind of a light powder scent, I still haven't figured it out yet. I used this for braids and pony tails. I like it much better for braids since it did make her hair feel a bit hard, but it had a good hold while braided. This product did look a bit white when applied but cleared up once dry. It left her hair soft but a bit hard, I had to "crunch" it out to soften it up...I'm not sold on this product, just trying to use the bottle up. I'll give it a 6/10 only because the scent is not the best and I am still stuck on other products that keep sending this one to the back of the drawer.

Braids and twists!

I wanted to try something new and quick on baby girl before bed, and it turned out to be one of my favorite styles! I used curls detangler/moisturizer and bee mine luscious moisture. Hoping this style holds up for the week! Our last one didn't quite make 2 weeks so it came out early.

Throw back Thursday!

One of my favorite styles I've done on baby girl :) I need to find the motivation to do it again!

Random style

Baby girl's hair has been ”free” for 4 days and it was time to get it under control again lol so this is what we got for hopefully the next 2 weeks!

Product review: Dark and Lovely Conditioning Oil Moisturizer

Ingredients:
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum (Mineral Oil), Glycerin, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax), PEG 100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Polysorbate 60, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, VP/Dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate Copolymer, FIL #D49805/1

”Beautiful Beginnings Conditioning Oil Moisturizer is a dual action cream that moisturizes hair, controls frizz and fly-aways. Use daily for instant shine and hassle-free styling without a hard, sticky feel.”

My review:
I have been in search of a new product that I can find easily in stores and that is $wallet friendy$...I came across this product at Sally's Beauty Supply a while ago and have used it a few times since...First of all the price could not be beat, it was approx $3. The smell is amazing! It's kind of a strong fruity smell. It had a nice feel to it, it did not feel sticky in my hands or once applied to baby girl's hair. I did find that a little went a long way, and too much caused her hair to look white until fully dry, which took even longer the more product used. The product did not moisturize her hair well, it just felt as tho it did till the product was fully dry...All in all I was not a fan of this product besides the smell, so I have been using lightly with other products which smells aren't the best.

Throw back Thursday!

Baby girl's first mohawk when she was 2!

”Gorilla snot” update

It's been 4 days since I styled baby girl's hair. I must say this is the BEST her braids have held up ever! I usually braid with ”bee mine luscious moisture” due to how soft her hair stays and feels once taken out after about 1-2 weeks. But with that product having no hold, her styles tend to frizz a bit by day 2.... I'll be washing her hair tonight, so we'll see how well her hair holds up after that!