Mixing It Up: Whipped Shea

  

Ahhhh.....My perfected* whipped shea butter mixture.  The finished product really resembles whipped cream, smooth and silky.  Here is my recipe:

- 1 part Shea Butter

- 2 parts Carrier Oil (olive, coconut, jojoba) This seem like a lot of oil, but it's needed in order to get this

consistency.  As stated in an earlier post, my hair cannot take heavy oils and butters, so this light mixture    works perfectly for my grain of hair.  I used a mixture of olive and jojoba for this mix.  

- 20-30 drops of an Essential Oil (I love the smell of anything citrus, so I used a combination of lemon and orange oils)

- 3-4 Tbsp. of Aloe Vera Gel (Or more if I feel it needs it)

These are approximate measures.  I usually eyeball the amount of ingredients I add into mixtures because it's less time consuming and I know what I want the finished product to look like.  I will use this on my hair to seal in moisture and on my skin after a shower.  What's in your mix?

Not Your Mothers Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream

I purchased this and my holy grail Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioner from Wal-Mart two days ago.  It promised to define my curls and de-frizz.  I've used it twice on wet hair and I'm not that pleased with the results.  It did de-frizz my hair (meaning it made it look neat), but it did not define my coils.  I am seriously considering the Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Lite.  The original's scent was too much for me as I like products with little to no scent at all.  My hair is on the fine side, so heavy oils, creams, and butters just do not work for me.  I have a solid regimen but am looking to incorporate more styling products as my hair continues to grow, especially one that define curls.  I do keep my hair detangled which helps with definition.  Any suggestions?

Be Encouraged

My Natural Hair Journey Thus Far....

Here is my journey....

My Permed Hair Years........

 

Transitioning:

  

My Big Chop:  

Three Weeks after Big Chop:

Three Months Natural:

After the Club-6 Months!!

My Fro Blown Out at 7 Months!!

Twist Out at 8 months

Wedding Hair-2 Weeks Ago!!

My Afro Puff:

My hair is thriving.  It's soft and fluffy!!  Going natural is one of the best decision I have ever made.  I love my hair...it is all me just like it's supposed to be!  If you are thinking about going natural, please do it!  Yes, there have been ups and downs in my journey, but I do not regret the decision to stop harming my hair with chemicals.  Kinky/curly hair is beautiful.   The important part of the journey is learning about your hair, being patient with your hair, and accepting YOUR hair.  

Be Encouraged!

My Life's Update...

I haven't blogged in a REALLY long time.  Here's the update:

• I completed grad school back in May.  I now have a Master's degree in Social Work.  
• Losing weight/maintaining a healthy lifestyle is still a challenge although I have made significant strides in bettering myself.  I eat a lot less but still struggle with emotional eating.  Being consistent with exercise is another struggle.  I need to really step my fitness game up because I KNOW and UNDERSTAND that regular exercise is the only way to achieve long-term weight loss.  
• My spiritual growth has been exponential.  I have really allowed to the Lord to come into my heart and change me.  Lately, I've been praying a lot for renewal and increase.  My financial decisions in the past have been destructive; thus, my mind and spirit needs to be changed/renewed in order to handle the increase properly.  God's word is so powerful...I've been consuming all that I can and I have a desire to learn more.  
• I've struggled with anxiety for most of my life.  But (Hallelujah!), I've experience low-or-no anxiety for the past 6 months.  I believe that God has a plan for my life and because he lives in me, I handle everything that comes my way.  Exercise has helped as well.  I've always tried to handle the anxiety on my own but when I began to believe God's word, my thoughts changed.  I know that there will be moments or events in my life that will cause me to become anxious/worry (these are normal feelings).  However, these feelings won't change what I believe and that is that God is in control of my situation.  He knows my limitations and he will help me to do what is impossible for me to do on my own.    Everything about me is good and I can expect to win!   
• I'm loving my natural hair journey.  My hair is growing and thriving.  July 4th will be my 10 month Natural Anniversary!!  There will be future posts with pics about my journey, regimen, favorite products, favorite styles, etc.  
• I will be moving to Connecticut in August for a fellowship at the Department of Veterans Affairs!!  I have been blessed with such an amazing opportunity.  I have never lived outside the state of Virginia, so this will be truly an adventure.  I have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

So that's everything that that has been going on with me over the past year.  Now that I have a little more time on my hands, I want to blog regularly.  I will be writing more for myself mostly, but I hope to bless, motivate, and inspire someone else in the process.  

Be Encouraged!!!

I'm Back!!!!!

Finally...Pics of my BC!

I finally bought a digital camera.  Yay!!  As you all know, I BC'ed about 3 weeks ago and I am loving my hair...I have finally "grown into it."  I am happy to say that I have even noticed some growth in this short amount of time.  I'm excited to see how long my hair will be next May when I graduate!  I moisturize regularly, usually two times day.  I co-wash 4 times per week and wash every two weeks.  I recently bought Carol's Daughter Hair Milk and Black Vanilla Shampoo.  Be looking for reviews on those products soon. Here is my current regimen:

• Co-wash 3 times per week.
• Shampoo every two weeks
• Moisturize morning and night (Using my homemade spritz, aphogee balancing moisturizer or hair milk, and then my own oil blend)
• Deep conditioner once every week
• Aphogee Protein Treatment every 6 weeks

To my surprise, I get these cute little coils over my head.  Love it!

The Back

Lovin the Coils!

The coils are not as defined in the front

I have a big forehead, LOL.

Be Encouraged!!!!!!

Monica

Dirty Thirty Challenge

So, since I did the Big Chop, there is really no point in me doing the Dirty Thirty Challenge.  I will create my own strategic plan with the help of Dr. Phil.  If you haven't read his book, Life Strategies, you need to go pick it up ASAP if you're looking to make some changes in your life.  I had to read it for a class over the summer and it definitely made me think about the choices I make and how I often engage in self-sabotage.   After its creation, I will layout the full details of my plan for you guys.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Stay Encouraged!

Monica