This is where all my hair findings/discoveries/experiences will be located!

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Happy New Year y’all!

I really can’t believe that it is 2018, but I am so excited because I feel like this year is going to be dope. I filmed an update video that talks about my path that has once again been redirected, as well as my goals for the new year. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can do that here. I’m speaking into existence countless blessings and abundance and growth in every area of my life, which brings me to today’s post. I really want to more closely document my hair growth and how it’s acting, because I feel like I have been stuck for a while. I made a switch in my natural hair regimen and have since seen a ton of improvement in my moisture retention and my curl definition. You guys have to believe me when I say that I have NEVER seen my hair act like this before and I love it! So I’m curious to see what will happen as time goes on and I really continue to put a huge focus on properly caring for it and not taking any shortcuts. I typically wear my hair in my signature “tapered cut” look but I’m trying to part my hair so it can grow downward? Haha i’m not sure if that makes any sense, but I am desperate to try something new! I have a really hard time retaining length in the back of my head and on the sides and I feel like this has improved since I started parting my hair. I don’t have too much more to say at the present time and I feel like these posts will end up being fairly short/mostly photo drops. So here are my starting pictures for my natural hair update this month!

 

#2018 is the #yearofgrowth

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Comin’ at ya (just a tiny bit tardy) with my mid-week STuF post. I can’t believe that I haven’t shared my natural hair regimen since I initially went natural! It’s changed so many times since then, and after looking back, I wish I would’ve kept better documentation. Just so you know a bit more about me, I have high density, low-porosity, protein sensitive 4b/4c hair. If you have no idea what I’m talking about or would like to know where you fall within these categories, I made a video showing you how to do that here. My initial hair regimen (peep that here) really covered all the bases and kept my hair so moisturized, which I’ve been struggling with for a while now. I was also very diligent about following my regimen which I think resulted in better length retention. So note to self: keep track of your regimen more closely.

I just shared my recent experience at the Miss Jessie’s Salon in SoHo and this regimen I’m about to share is new as of that visit. I always really liked Miss Jessie’s products, but it wasn’t until reading their book and going to the salon that I realized I was using the wrong products for my hair type. I’ve started using their incredible daily moisturizer as well as a styling product, and two deep conditioning treatments. Using these products, which are far better suited for my hair than the other Miss Jessie’s products I was using, have increased my love for this brand ten-fold! Throughout my hair journey, I’ve found that it can be difficult for me to mix products from different lines because it usually results in build up or residue which is so not cute. However, I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot of combos because my SheaMoisture shampoo and conditioner have been working with the Miss Jessie’s products to slay my hair forreal. We’re talking intense moisture and curl definition. Alright, without further ado, my Fall 2017 hair regimen for 4B/4C hair.

1. Hot Oil Treatment with Jamaican Black Castor Oil

I don’t really know if I can technically call this a hot oil treatment because I’m not adhering to the traditional hot oil treatment instructions, but I apply this all over my hair and then sit under my hooded dryer for 15 minutes. If you don’t have a hooded dryer and you have curly hair, girl, do yourself a favor and go get one now. Or at least add it to your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa list. This is the one I use and I think it’s pretty good. Also, I really hate how Jamaican Black castor oil smells. Like a lot, it’s really terrible. The past two bottles of it that I’ve used have been gifted to me in swag bags so I couldn’t take advantage of choosing any of these amazing scents (which I most definitely plan on doing as soon as this bottle runs out) so what I’ve been doing is adding some of my lavender essential oil to the bottle. You really don’t need to add too much to mask the smell, and it makes a world of difference! Jamaican Black castor Oil is supposed to aid in hair growth which is one of the major reasons why I use it, but my hair just really loves the stuff. I feel like it’s better moisturized with better curl definition every time I use it. So after this treatment, I hop in the shower, wet my hair, and move on to the next step of my regimen!

2. Shampoo (sometimes) and condition with SheaMoisture Jamaican Black castor Oil line

Remember what I was saying about Jamaican Black castor Oil and all of the wonderful properties it has for my hair? I was so so excited to try out this SheaMoisture line and it has been nothing but good to me! I’m not sure how they did it, but the Jamaican Black castor Oil smell is nowhere to be found. I’ve tried the other products in this line and I use them occasionally but these are my favorites/the ones I use most consistently. When it comes to shampooing my hair, I really only do it probably once a month unless I have a lot of build up or my hair just feels really dirty. This shampoo isn’t particularly drying I don’t think, but since I’m constantly struggling to maintain moisture shampooing less just works better for me. On days I shampoo, I’ll do that immediately when I get in the shower and then apply conditioner. After the conditioner is in my hair, I’ll wash my bod and then rinse the conditioner out. On days I’m not shampooing I just skip straight to the conditioning step!

3. Deep condition with Miss Jessie’s Super Sweetback and Rapid Recovery Treatments

Something I learned from my recent salon trip is I need to get much more intense with my deep conditioning treatments! My stylist recommended I combine these two treatments to help my hair stay moisturized and help stimulate hair growth in the back and sides of my head since I’ve struggled to retain length in those areas. Once I get out of the shower, I immediately take a dollop of the Super Sweetback treatment (shea butter and centella extract to promote growth) and a dollop of the Rapid Recovery Treatment (shea butter and avocado cream oil) and mix them together in my hands and apply to my hair. Then I sit under the dryer for 30 minutes and rinse out!

4. Styling with Baby Buttercreme and Curly Pudding

So far since my appointment, I have been rocking either two stand twist outs or wash and gos. Either way, these are the products I’m using! When it comes to just daily moisturizing, I use the Baby Buttercreme and I love how thick and moisturizing it is. Also, y’all. There’s a reason it is called Buttercreme. It smells sooo so delicious. Using these products has my hair smelling amazing, which is a huge plus for me.

And that’s it! Much shorter and less intense than my initial hair regimen, but maybe that intensity is what I need to retain moisture. What’re your favorite moisturizing products?? Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

*If you use these links, I get a small cut, but I’m only suggesting these products because I love them and I think you will too!! This post is def not sponsored*

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Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. I wanted to do a really quick blog post to share my Miss Jessie’s Salon Experience. Miss Jessie’s is a leader in haircare within the natural and curly haired community, but did you know that they also had their own Salon?! I had no idea until I read the book written by Miko branch, one of the co-founders of the brand, entitled “Miss Jessie’s: Creating a Successful Business from Scratch—Naturally.”

I bought this book several years ago after I had recently gone natural and also after the extremely unexpected death of the other co-founder of the brand, Titi Branch. It was just sitting on the bookshelf collecting dust until I grabbed it to read while doing a lot of traveling this past Summer. After I started reading it, I finished it over the span of I think 3 weeks, which is really quick for me! I was so inspired by the story of two sisters grinding it out in NYC to follow their dreams, but was surprised to learn how much I had in common with these women! They’re also of mixed African-American and Japanese heritage with family having the last name Pittman from the same area where my Pittman family members are from! How cool is that?? AND, their grandma, Miss Jessie, lived in Poughkeepsie and would shop at the same grocery store I used to go to in College! Learning more about these sisters and their struggle to create something they believed in made me feel so close to them and by the end of the book I was rooting so hard for them. Needless to say, I was stoked when I found out I’d be able to get a last minute appointment at the Miss Jessie’s Salon my birthday weekend.

It was so crazy to know Miko’s motives and the thought process behind all of her choices in the salon and then experience them first hand. I felt like royalty during my entire experience and all of the staff was SO. NICE. If you’ve been following my natural hair journey at all on any of my platforms, you know I’ve had some difficulty finding a natural hair salon that I trusted and made me feel comfortable (because I’ve been shamed and also had nonsense spewed at me) but I instantly fell in love with the Miss Jessie’s Salon staff. They listened to my concerns and my story and were able to suggest products that would work for me. My visit consisted of a super deep conditioner, end-trim, and two-strand twist (which I neglected to get a picture of. Bummer.) and I loved the results and process of everything. I can say, without a doubt, that this will be the salon that I go to for the entirety of my time in NYC. I’ll share the products they suggested as well as the other products I’m using in my current natural hair regimen with you soon. Do you use Miss Jessie’s products?? Let me know which ones in the comments below!