haircuts!

finally, the man got a haircut (given by moi)! we decided to make a day of it and he gave the munchkin her first trim as well.

the man's hair

the munchkin- pre hair trim

daddy did a great job!

the munchkin- post hair trim

winter hats for curly kids

check out www.curlyzebra.com
theyre satin lined winter hats for kids. sweet.

long time, no see!

not much has been going on with me and my hair. im still in the process of growing it back out to BSL (bra strap length) and i can proudly say that ive stayed away from any random haircuts. and we all know thats a huge accomplishment for me!

ive started using gel again, just to switch up my look. my hair doesnt look too much different with or without gel, but using it does give me a tiny bit less shrinkage and a bit more control. in general, ive started using a bit more product in my hair. i had just been using elucence mb conditioner + castor oil. i would just mix the two in my hands and rake it through my hair. most recently ive been using the same conditioner and oil, but ive been adding a bit of veggie glycerine to that mixture. its been raining ALOT recently, so i figured it would be a great time to use glycerine. after i mix the conditioner oil and glycerine, id apply my gel. ive been shingling the products through--first the conditioner/oil/glycerine and then the gel. all in all, it still takes me less than 10 minutes to do my hair, but by the end of the day i still have a controlled look. at night if i go out, i can fluff my hair to get the volume i like, without frizz or humidity being an issue. here are some recent hair pics:







the first and third photo are at a packed club. without gel, my hair would just be a shrunken poof. i constantly had my hands in my hair and it looked that good thanks to good ol' fantasia ic gel w/ sparkelites.




moving on to the munchkin. i flat ironed her hair (bad mommy) just to get an idea of how long it was. she looks just like a geico caveman with straight hair, so thank God her curls finally came in (she was born with straight hair and didnt get curls until late in her infancy). as you can see in the pics, i didnt try to get her hair bone straight. just one swipe of the flat iron. i did it right before she went to bed and then i wet her hair first thing in the morning. i love her curls!





the munchkin stumbled across a great hair moment as seen in these pics:




i had given her a bath and used burts bees super shiny conditioner as her rinse out. then on her towel dried hair, i applied herbal essences long term relationship leave in split end protector for long hair and combed it through. she ran off to jump on our bed, took a nap, and then woke up with this gorgeous hair. the long term relationship leave in is something i use in her hair once a week. i use it sparingly because it makes her hair feel product-y and stiff if i use too much. i like for her hair to move, so i prefer to use only a small amount.



i think thats all thats been going on with our hair recently. i am considering coloring my hair again. i have a gift card to a local salon and spa so im deciding whether or not im just going to go for color or use it to try some ojon products. either way, i'll keep you posted!

product review update: herbal essences UPDATE

i have been using herbal essences none of your frizzness smoothing leave in creme since early august on the munchkin. i do like the results, but the other day i noticed a small rash on the back of the little one's neck exactly where her hair hits her neck/back. im left to believe its the herbal essences products that are causing the rash. i dont know how long its been there, but i do know that she has extremely sensitive skin. so if anyone else has extreme sensitive skin and also has the itchies, this may be the culprit. its bittersweet becasuse i did enjoy how her hair looked with herbal essences and the price is excellent, but i was always a bit uncomfotable with the mass amount of chemicals in their ingredient list. i will be switching back to more natural products for the munchkin.

ponytails

ive said it a million times an dim going to say it once more: i suck at hair styling and further more, i dont like it even if i were good at it. but i wanted to spice up the munchkin's ponytails. so i did brigitte bardot inspired side pony (deep side part, teased a bit at the crown for a bit of height). simple. age appropriate. super cute.




i love this look on wavy/loosely curled hair.




for the second twist on a regular pony, i just wrapped a small section of hair around her ponytail and bobby pinned it in place. it looks twice as cute when done on pigtails!

patting myself on the back

im still styling challenged, so i was super excited when i managed to do 2 braids on the munchking. it took me almost 2 episodes of dora to complete, but i did finish and boy was i proud!

product review: mixed chicks leave in conditioner/styling cream

a while back i posted an email i received from an acquaintence singing the praises of the mixed chicks product line (http://subbrock.blogspot.com/2009/04/mixed-chicks-products-testimonial.html). now im not trying to knock anyone's hustle, but the major thing that turned me off from the mixed chicks line in general is their marketing strategy. i personally feel like theyre capitalizing on mothers (white mothers in particular) of bi/multiracial children with curly hair. but i guess thats a-whole-nother issue...

i had the opportunity to sample their shampoo, leave in, and deep conditioner but i decided to go only with the leave in (the shampoo has SLS). i tried it on both myself and the munchkin.
pros:
- it smells yummy
- it has an element of hold to it
- left munchkins hair shiny and frizz free
- definitely gave our hair some bling (munchkin had blinging curls that lasted all day. mine were blinging at first but once my hair dried 100% no bling)
- depending on where you live, you can get it locally

cons:
- hate their percieved marketing strategy
- the ingredients are definitely not CG friendly. the shampoo has SLS, and both conditioners contain non water soluable silicones. the leave in has emulsifying wax (my hair hates waxes) and multiple parabens. many chemicals ive never heard of are listed in ingredients.

baby girl's hair styled with leave in + curl keeper:



my hair styled with only the leave in (no oils or gels added). i used my modified braid out technique (http://public.fotki.com/subbrock/2009/winter/pony112.html)to style instead of my usualy wash n go.





you can get mixed chicks products at www.mixedchicks.net (check their store/salon locator to see if they have a retailer near you) or www.curlmart.com

product review: herbal essences none of your frizzness smoothing leave in creme

the little one and i went to the beach and i realized that i had left her/the man's leave in (generic paul mitchell the conditioner) at home. so i was forced to buy something (anything!) from the grocery store. i decided upon herbal essences none of your frizzness smoothing leave in creme.

pros:
- cheap
- love the smell
- leaves her hair very soft
- lightweight

cons:
- the ingredients. it contains dimethicone (im not opposed to this silicone)and its no where near natural. most of the ingredients are chemicals ive never heard of. also, it contains 5 different alcohols.

im still on the fence about this one. like i mentioned before, it left her hair extra soft even after full days of swimming in the salty ocean water and chlorinated pool water. but im worried that over time, the silicone and alcohols will leave her with a hair disaster. im going to finish this bottle and possibly repurchase one more time before i give it my seal of approval/disapproval for the munchkin. my hair gave it a seal of disapproval. too light to be effective on my dry 3c coils.

here is her hair with the none of your frizzness leave in + curl keeper:


the pics are kind of crappy but i wanted readers to note (a) the lack of frizz, despite the fact that we're at the beach and (b) the bling aka how shiny her hair is.

link to product info: http://www.herbalessences.com/us/collections/none_of_your_frizzness/creme.jsp

product review: burt's bees super shiny conditioner

ive tried burt's bees conditioners on my 3c curls and in general, theyre too light to do much for my hair. but ive been on a quest to find great products locally, so i decided to revisit burt's bees for my daughter's 3a/b curls.

ultimately, i went with their super shiny grapefruit & sugar beet conditioner because it does not contain protein.
pros:
- relatively inexpensive
- can be purchased locally
- natural/CG friendly ingredients
- leaves the munchkin's hair unbelievably soft
- good for co-washing

cons:
- doesnt "melt" tangles away
- not heavy enough on its own to tame frizz

im not in love with it, but i dont hate it either. if youre still experimenting with products, its deinitely worth a try.
here is a pic of baby girl's hair using the super shiny conditioner:



for more info, check out this link to the product info at burtsbees.com: http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/hair-conditioners/super-shiny-grapefruit-sugar-beet-conditioner.html

fotki update

laziest blogger ever checking in :)

i added some new pics of my hair (as well as the munchkin and the man) to my fotki. check it out....

http://public.fotki.com/subbrock/

perfect curl products: standing the test of time

ive stated before that im not a product junkie (at least i think i have) and the main reason that im not a pj is because i use products that stand the test of time. i might tweak my routine a bit every so often, but ive seriously been using the same products for years. and the ones ive just fallen in love with keep on working their magic!

generic paul mitchell the conditioner- as far as ive been concerned, this has been the man's product. i dont mess with it and it doesnt mess with me. well, we were running low on my beloved elucence moisture balancing conditioner and i decided to give old paul mitchell a go. i mixed it with some castor oil and applied it to my hair as usual and i was pleasantly surprised at how well my hair held up. soft, moisturized, but light.


baby girl is also running low on california baby calming conditioner and is completely out of kinky curly knot today so i desperately needed to use something as her leave in. i gave the paul mitchell a try and it made her 3a ringlets sooooooooo soft. like buttah. this may be one of her new staple products.

its a great price and you can buy it at sally's. woot woot!

castor oil- castor oil can do no wrong as far as im concerned. if youre working with 3c/4a/4b/cnapp hair and havent tried castor oil thus far, what are you waiting for????? one of the beautiful ladies at naturallycurly.com started this thread after my recommendation: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/showthread.php?t=80691 thank you SBB for the shout out.


curly hair solutions curl keeper- looser haired curlies, if you havent tried curl keeper yet, what are YOU waiting for???? :) this is an HG product for about a blabillion wavies/curlies. type 2s/3a/3b please try this stuff if you havent already! and tighter curlies, it wont kill you to give it a whirl either. curl keeper is my daughter's HG product. if youve read any review ive written about this stuff, i always mention how you can revive and refresh the product by rewetting the hair. well this is a pic of my daughter's 2nd day hair:

oh yeah. 2nd day hair on a two year old. and id like to mention that this is her hair as shes playing in a tent that is misting water. humidity is no match for curl keeper (thats because glycerine is one of its ingredients)! i gave her a bath the night before and put in a leave in + curl keeper and the next morning i spritzed it with detangling spray to get the rouge tangles out and voila--gorgeous curls.

ouidad climate control gel- i love this stuff. and foxycus is enjoying it too: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/showthread.php?t=80565

subbrock hair pics

here are some pics of my hair as well as the munchkin's that i just uploaded to the fotki.



http://public.fotki.com/subbrock/2009/summer/



http://public.fotki.com/subbrock/2009/baby-curls/

"shes going to hate her curls when shes older..."

everyone loves to see a child with curls, so its no wonder everytime i am out with the munchkin someone compliments her ringlets. more often than not, it goes like this:

"oh i love her hair! she has the most beautiful curls. too bad she'll hate them when shes older..."

there is a 50/50 chance the person will follow it up with:

"people with curls always want straight hair and straight haired people always want curls."

i do get where theyre coming from when they add in the second part. it seems like the philosophy of the grass is always greener on the other side is just a part of human nature. but it always makes me wonder. granted, its always a straight haired person who says it, so maybe they too are a slave to their flat iron or know someone who is. but i cant help wonder why they would say that to me, a curly adult. obviously, i dont hate my hair if im sporting my kinks in their full glory. sometimes i do tell the person that i doubt that she'll hate her hair since both her dad and i are proud curlies.

i know the comment in itself is very innocent and those who tell me dont mean any harm at all. but the more i hear it/think about it, i realize how powerful my role is as a parent. its up to us (her dad and me), as well as my extended family to let her know that her hair is beautiful and that there is no reason to wish she had something else. for anyone reading this who knows a young curly, please do everything in your power to let them know just how wonderfully perfect their curls, kinks, and frizzy fuzzies are.

summertime product!

summer is almost here! i usually dont switch up my routine or products much with the exception of something to protect my hair from the sun. in the past i had used redken's uv rescue. they had an awesome oil spray. but to my dismay, the uv rescue line has been discontinued. *sad face*



last year i used ouidad's sun sheild leave in conditioner for myself and for the little one. here is the product description from the website (http://www.ouidad.com/Sun-Shield-SprayIn-Beach-Conditioner):

The sun is not only dangerous to your skin but it can also wreak havoc on your hair—causing its color to turn or fade and drying out already thirsty curls. Sun Shield/Beach Pool Spray from Ouidad protects against sun damage with effective UVA/UVB blockers, which form an invisible breathable shield to lock out the elements. Spray on prior to sun exposure and any time by the pool or beach when you want to create softer, smoother, shinier curls.

Also effective against damaging environmental factors like wind, salt and chlorine, Sun Shield’s blend of special proteins and amino acids seal in moisture and nourish hair while shielding from overexposure to the drying and stiffening elements common to outdoor activity. Now you can love being outside and love your curls!

i'm a fan and i will be repurchasing. so if youre looking for something to protect your curls from all that summer fun you'll be having, give it a try.

product review: jane carter solution, devacurl, lush

like many curlies, im constantly on the quest for even better products than what i already have. in general, im disappointed with my new finds and realize that elucence moisture balancing conditioner is truly my HG (holy grail) product. but that never seems to stop me from trying. here are a few things ive tried recently:



jane carter solution twist and lock

product description: This lock cream will help to re-moisturize your locks while adding shine to your hair. If you twist or lock your hair, this product was created for you. Once you use it, you will wonder why you haven't been using it all along. No longer do you need to use bee's wax or that gooey brown gel. Twist and Lock is made with natural butters for shine and a light polymer for hold. Mix with Nourish & Shine for best results. Twist & Lock does not flake or leave residue. It does not attract dirt and dust and it rinses water clean.


my experience: i dont like it. i initially bought this product because i was looking for a daily moisturizer i could use on my dry (as in not wet) hair. granted i neither wear my hair in locs nor twists, but i figured the products wouldnt know. it didnt leave my hair noticeably shiny and it doesnt leave my hair feeling moisturized either. it does leave my hair feeling product-y. it also has a VERY strong herbal smell. i think it stinks. the best results i ever had with it were when i applied it to my damp hair. my hair did feel soft and moisturized once it dried. not sure if i should try to sell it, give it away, or chuck it out of the window while im driving to get another product. if anyone has any insight on how to make this product work for me, please let me know!

deva curl one condition

product description: It's all in one! This super-rich conditioner will keep the moisture level of hair and scalp balanced to perfection. One Condition restores, hydrates and neutralizes detergent and product residue with the fresh scent of lemongrass.

my experience: not completely sold. ive heard good things about this conditioner, so i decided to give it a try. as a conditioner, it doesnt really qquench my thirsty curls. but when i use it as a deep treatment, im fairly satisfied with my results. as i sit here now im using it as a dt. i melted a bit of honey, olive oil, veggie glycerine, and shea butter together in the microwave. then i added the one condition. while the mixture was still warm, i put it on my hair and then put on a plastic cap. i'll rinse it out in about 30 minutes. i did let the man try it out (coarse, thick, dry hair) and he said it left his hair feeling like straw too. ive used it on the munchkin and it works beautifully on her hair (fine strands, dryness isnt an issue for her). this conditioner does contain amodimethicone. so if youre on a strict CG hair diet, youre going to want to skip this product. i wont repurchase, but im not kicking myself for trying it out either.

lush seanick solid shampoo bar

product description: Orange blossom scented shampoo bar makes limp, lifeless hair buoyant. Don't let Seanik's compact size fool you. This little puck of joy buffs and shines like no liquid can. A couple of swipes worked up into a lather to moisturize the scalp, breathe life into the lifeless, and shine your hair like a champ. Economical and easy to use, Seanik's citrus and seaweed combo enriches and enlivens while its fragrance entices all who cross your path. Now proudly SLS-free.

my experience: ive used this shampoo for nearly a year on my daughter with wonderful results. its long lasting--im still on the same bar that i bought last july. its vegan. it does contain a sulfate, but its a gentle sulfate (sodium coco sulfate). for the first time i finally used it on myself and i had the same great results as my daughter: bouncy, shiny, soft, clean hair. very awesome. the closest luch store is about an hour away from me, but i like this shampoo so much id be willing to make the drive or pay for shipping. and that says ALOT since im not made of money!

don't forget to deep condition!

i am the first person to admit that i am horrible when it comes to being consistent, following rules, schedules, routines, etc.
what can i say, im a free spirit!
so needless to say, ive been slacking on my deep conditioning treatments. ideally, i would do them at least once a week but its been much much much longer than that since i had done one.
this evening though, i decided to get back on track and do a deep conditioning treatment.

i used mop extreme moisture and mixed it with a bit of my oil blend. i spritzed my dry hair with a bit of water and then applied the conditioning mixture. next, i parted my hair in 5 sections and detangled with a comb. this also helped distribute the conditioner more evenly. after i finished a section, i twisted it up into a little bantu knot (a little bun). after i finished my whole head, i pretty much went on about my business. for an extra conditioning boost sometimes i will put a plastic cap over my hair and then cover that with either a towel or a knit cap so that my body heat aids in the deep conditioning process. after about an hour i hopped in the shower and rinsed out my hair. my hair feels amazing! im going to force myself return to once a week deep conditioning.

at least once a month i deep condition the little one's hair as well, either using mop extreme moisture or jessicurl weekly deep treatment (which i love for myself as well). on bath day i'll wet her hair as soon as she gets in the tub and then put on whichever deep conditioner i plan on using. then right before she gets out of the tub i rinse her hair. since i dont heat style or manipulate her hair too much, the 5-10 minutes of conditioning time still makes her hair even soften than it already is.

for an extra extra boost i will add oil, honey, and even vegetable glycerine to my deep conditioner before i put on my make shift heat cap (the plastic cap/towel combo).

so please dont be like me and remember to deep condition regularly. your dry thirsty hair will thank you!

not so perfect curls

most of the time people post pics of their decent to great hair days. i decided to switch things up a bit and show you our bad hair days. the reason being, is ive looked at tons and tons of pictures of people and said "wow, they have gorgeous hair" or "whoa, shes beautiful," thinking it wasnt something i could attain because my hair didnt look like that at the time. finding the right products and routine makes all the difference.

i'll start. this is my hair last weekened. i refused to detangle it for at least 3 days and wore it in a bun/ponytail the entire time because i didnt feel like dealing with it.




the man:
im not exactly sure what happened to his hair. maybe he fell asleep on the couch so he didnt have the beenfit of sleeping with his satin pillowcase.


the munchkin: the first pic is before i found products that actually enhanced her curls. back then i was just using detangling spray and no styler or leave in conditioner. the second pic is her morning hair. notice how the curls are still in tact, due to sleeping on satin.



just because you dont wake up with perfect curls, doesnt mean you cant attain them!

3 strand twists

due to a recent thread on the 4a board at naturallycurly.com, i was inspired to try 3 strand twists on the munchkin. i remeber doing these on my friends' hair back in the day, so i didnt need to watcha tutorial, but here is my favorite tutorial:



this is how the munchkin's hair looked with her 3 strand twist pigtails:

perfect curl products: kinky curly

my little girl had an awesome hair day using kinky curly knot today conditioner and kinky curly curling custard.

here are product descriptions of both products directly from the website (kinky-curly.com):

KNOT TODAY TM is a creamy herbal conditioner and detangler designed to smooth the cuticle and remove knots, snarls and tangles from thick curly textured hair.After washing hair, apply KNOT TODAY TM generously and work through troubled areas with a wide tooth comb.Can be used as a regular rinse out conditioner for wavy hair or as a leave-in for thicker curlier hair types.An excellent product to use after removing braids and extensions.**TIP- When using this product as a leave-in, apply in the shower and rinse with a little water to evenly distribute the conditioner.

CURLING CUSTARD TM gives moisture and curl definition, hold and brilliant shiny hair!You get Moisture + Hold + Shine in one product!An all in one product which will simplify the styling process!This high performance product is very concentrated so a little goes a long way. It reduces bulk, defines & elongates your curls helping them to 'hang' better. CURLING CUSTARD TM will bring out the natural curl or wave pattern you never knew you had!It is an advanced botanical formula made with ALL NATURAL ingredients that nourish and strengthen the hair.Utilizing the humectant properties of the Agave Nectar, CURLING CUSTARD TM will give weight to your hair, define your curls, remove frizz, provide long lasting hold and shine without ever being greasy, crunchy or drying to your hair..**TIP- This product is designed to work alone but ultimate curl definition and length can be achieved when used with KNOT TODAY TM as a leave in conditioner.For best results apply CURLING CUSTARD TM to soaking wet, freshly washed hair.For very kinky and tightly coiled hair use KNOT TODAY TM as a leave-in conditioner then apply CURLING CUSTARD TM to soaking wet hair in small sections. Smooth each section with fingers from root to tip.

ive never used knot today as a rinse out conditioner, and until i started typing this post, had no clue that you could even use it as a rinse out conditioner! ive always used it as a leave in for the munchkin and her 3a/b curls with great results, as you can see below. to achieve this look i started with clean wet hair and applied the knot today conditioner. i combed it through to make sure it was evenly distributed. next, i took a small dab of the curling custard (too much will make the hair crunchy) and rubbed it in my hands and raked it through her hair with my fingers only--no comb. then we air dried.

i got a little envious of my daughter's awesome hair day so i figured id give the knot today and curling custard a try. ive used the curling custard several years ago, and really liked it. but i never repurchased because i found fantasia ic gel w sparkelites (its cheaper and i felt like i had similar results).


for my 3c coils, i started with clean wet hair and raked the knot today through. no comb. then, i parted my hair in three sections, from ear to ear. starting at the bottom section, i raked the curling custard through with my fingers once again, and braided the section of hair. i did this until all 3 sectoins were braided. after about 5-10 minutes i released the braids. this modified braid out helps clump my curls together more. after unbraiding i usually shake my head a bit because i like fuller hair. i try not to touch it too much, if at all, because the hair is still wet and i dont want excess frizz. once my hair dried, i wasnt sure if i liked the results. i definietly need more moisture than what the knot today seems to be able to deliver. my hair felt kind of dry. in the past ive used the curling custard on top of a heavier conditoiner (elucence moisture balancing conditioner) and my hair didnt feel as dry. i was also pretty haphazard with my application because i wanted a more voluminous look, which i got. here are my results:










im going to revist the curling custard one last time to see if i can get the amazing results i had in years past, but i will say farewell to the knot today (for myself, not for my daughter). i would love to try the rest of the product line, but i'll have to save up my pennies before that happens :)

for those interested in purchasing kinky curly products, they can be bought online and in some whole foods stores. check the website to see who's selling it near you!

for the kids

running out of styling ideas for your little girl? well check out videos from kaylenasmommy at youtube. ive never seen such creative (and rather simple) hairstyles!


http://www.youtube.com/kaylenasmommy