Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Return of the Curls! New Announcements!






Hi Naturals!


Just a few quick updates on Return of the Curls - Curls Gone Wild!

This is the last week for early bird tickets (for attendees & vendors) AND the last week of the giveaway on this blog for 2 free tickets to the Greensboro event!  Get your tickets today!
http://curlsgonewildgreensboro.eventbrite.com/

If you are in Virginia, the date of that expo is May 4th & 5th.  Currently, if you buy 2 tickets to the Virginia event, you get 3 tickets FREE!
http://curlsgonewildvirginia-eac2.eventbrite.com/

Return of the Curls has also re-released a brand new website & created a blog.  The website can be found at www.returnofthecurls.com  & the blog name is www.returnofthecurlsblog.


Product Review - Koils by Nature Herbal Curl Defining Gel





Earlier this year, I shared some of my key staple products for my hair.  One of those for styling purposes is the Koils by Nature Herbal Curl Defining Gel.  This is my primary styler for my hair.  One of the reasons for this is because it gives my hair great definition with medium hold which results in awesome 5 day hairstyles for me.

My hair is medium density, medium texture, & highly porous hair.  My hair is cottony in texture.

Product Name:  Koils by Nature Herbal Curl Defining Gel

Product Description:  Herbal Soothing Gels are infused with organic calendula, burdock root, horsetail, & nettle and will provide your hair with great hold, excellent for defining curls, wash & gos, two strand twists, and smoothing your edges.  This gel will provide you with a medium hold depending on your hair type.  The oils will help seal in the moisture and the organic slippery elm bark and marshmellow root will help condition your hair.  The gels contain no alcohol & no protein. It will not dry out your hair or cause flakes.

Product Ingredients:  Distilled water infused with organic calendula, organic burdock root, organic horsetail, organic nettle leaf, aloe leaf juice, Shea oil, macadamia nut oil, Jamaican black castor oil, grape seed oil, organic olive oil, organic marshmallow root powder, organic burdock root powder, organic calendula flower powder, organic slippery elm bark powder, chamomile flower powder, preneutralized carbomer, guar gum, potassium sorbate, willow bark extract, peppermint essential oil, lemon essential oil.

Fragrance:  Strong essential oil scent.  I use peppermint but the the eucalyptus & lavender gel I have tried in the past & it has a similarly strong scent.

Texture:  Loose, almost watery



Ease of application:  5

My experience:  When I first saw this gel, I thought a gel this watery is not going to hold my hair.  But to my surprise it did!  So be careful, a little goes a LONG way!  Too much of the gel will make your hair crunchy.  However, this can be worked out by scrunching the hair.  I use this gel in combination with a leave in conditioner & coconut oil before application.  My favorite way to use this gel is for twist outs but I have used it with roller sets & other styles with similar success!

Would you recommend to a curlfriend:  Yes, especially if you like super defined twist-outs rather than lightly textured, fluffy twist-outs.

How many curls would you give it: 5


Day 2 twistout



Day 5 twist & curl



Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Natural Hair Protective Style: Buns!


As is usually the case during this time of year, I wanted to give myself a break from styling my hair daily.  I typically  get a braided updo style but with my increasing length, I decided to try styling my hair in a series of buns!  I wore the following 3 buns over the course of 3 weeks. I loved the break, my hair stayed moisturized and protected, and I looked very chic with each style!  I can see me returning to buns for a quick style alternative throughout my hair journey.

Prep

Before setting each bun, I shampooed my hair, deep conditioned, & applied my leave in.  I then sealed the moisture with coconut oil & applied a moisturizer.  I smoothed my hair back with Koils by Nature Herbal Gel for each style.  I pulled my hair into a ponytail and 2 strand twisted the loose hair into 4 twists & then rolled and bobbypinned the ends down.

Bun #1  - Marley Hair Bun





I used Marley hair to achieve this bun.  I received my inspiration for this style from Jouelzy from Youtube's Empress Bun.  Her's is larger than mine but I followed the same concept. 

Bun #2 - Low Side Bun with Side Part




For the next week, I decided to change it up and create a low side bun.  This time instead of using Marley hair, I used regular braiding hair and bobby pinned it around my ponytail.

Bun # 3 - Bun with Center Part



First of all do you see those waves?!  LOL!  I used the same braiding hair for this bun as well.

Maintenance

I tied my hair down each night with a satin scarf.  In the morning, I would rub coconut oil over my hair for sheen.  If my edges needed to be slicked mid week I would add the Curls Paste to smooth them down.  

I loved these options!  What is your favorite protective style?

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Return of the Curls "Curls Gone Wild" Ticket Giveaway! - CLOSED


GIVEAWAY ALERT!  I'm sure you've been hearing the buzz about the Return of the Curls Natural Hair Expo and Hair Show & I am hosting a ticket giveaway to this amazing event!

At this expo you can expect:
  • to be introduced to established and new hair products!
  • Shop with vendors!
  • Participate in workshops that will educate you on natural hair care!
  • See onsite hair/beauty consultations!
  • Watch live BIG CHOPS!
  • See the versatility of natural hair with creative hair shows!
  • Mingle with your favorite bloggers & Youtube vloggers!
  • Meet Curly Nikki at the Greensboro show!
Sounds like fun right?  Well, to help you get there, I am giving away 2 free tickets to the Return of the Curls "Curls Gone Wild" Expo.  You can choose to attend either their Richmond, VA expo on May 4 & 5th or the Greensboro, NC event on July 13th. 

How do you enter?  I'm so glad you asked!
  • Follow my blog
  • Enter a comment below stating what your favorite hair care product is and how you use it (i.e. My favorite product is Curl Junkie Curl Rehab Deep Conditioner.  I use it to condition my hair & it makes my hair feel amazing!)
  • The giveaway will run for 2 weeks.
  • Winner will be announced by March 31st!
Good luck!

As a reminder, if you don't get a chance to win (#rats), you can still purchase early bird tickets to the Greensboro show by April 1st.  Snag discounted tickets at curlsgonewildgreensboro.eventbrite.com

Be sure to follow Return of the Curls on Facebook & Twitter at @ReturnoftheCurl!

UPDATE  04/02/2013
Winner Announcement after the Break....

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Clogged Drains? Zip It!





If you are a naturalista then you have experienced your fair share of clogged bathroom drains.  The shampooing and detangling sessions that we frequently do to prepare our hair for styling renders many a hair strand going down the drain.  After a while, your tub or sink will drain slower & slower.  It's a clog!  What many of us do is run down to the nearest hardware store and grab Liquid Plumber or Draino or an industrial strength, liquid, toxic drain opener.

Recently, I had this clogged drain experience and I remembered this video on Youtube that I'd seen on an alternative.  Now, this isn't for the faint of heart.  If you're easily grossed out, then this might not be the method for you.  But when I saw the price was less than $3.00, no toxic fumes, and I live alone so all the hair I would retrieve would be my own...I got over it.  LOL!  You can purchase these at Lowe's & Home Depot.


It's 3 simple steps:

1.  Push the Zip It Tool all the way into the drain to the handle, pull slowly but firmly to remove clog, discard both tool & hair.



























I did this in November & have had clear running drains ever since!

Have you ever tried this tool?  If you have, come back & tell me what you think!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Product Review - Bondi Bands

Me in plank position!

I haven't talked about my working out much lately on my blog but I'm officially back on track.  I've committed to working out 3 times a week as well as eating a healthy diet and it's been going well!  #5 stars

I recently wrote a blog post about working out with natural hair and shared some suggestions for how to maintain your natural hair while exercising.  In the post, I mentioned that I had recently purchased some Bondi Bands and would be using them during my workouts & would report back on the wicking qualities.

Product:  Bondi Bands (Heavy Sweat Wicking Headbands)
Price: $8.00
Where I purchased:  www.kenaonline.com  (excellent customer service)
Shipping: Free!
My review:  I usually wear these headbands during my Les Mills Body Attack aerobics class & my home workouts with either Julian Michaels (Ms. Drip Sweat herself) or Billy Blanks workout.  No matter what, I'm dripping sweat after any of these workouts.  Let me just say these headbands are wonderful!  I still sweat but the headbands wick away the majority of the moisture from the perimeter of my hair.  After removing them, I can almost wring water out of them & my edges are dry in less than 10 mins. 


All of the pictures above are post 1 hour high intensity workout.  In the close up of the band, you can see the difference in the color which shows how wet it is.  The last pic on the bottom right is after removing the band post workout.

I would certainly recommend these headbands to anyone who works out rigorously.  At $8 each you can certainly afford a variety of colors.  I'm enjoying my return to a consistent workout schedule & The Bondibands I've purchased have actually made  maintaining my hairstyle a little bit easier.  So I've just removed another excuse for you not to be active!  Let's get out there & get active!  #teambringsexyback!

Friday, March 1, 2013

NaturallyNita Reviews: CurlyNikki's Better Than Good Hair

Photo credit


I pre-ordered CurlyNikki's Better Than Good Hair in January before it went on sale to the general public.  One might ask why after 2 &1/2 years of being natural, countless hours of watching Youtube videos, reading various blogs and blogging myself did I feel the need to get this book?  One reason is always like to support other women who are doing something positive & pursuing their dreams.  Secondly, there is always something to learn.  I enjoy researching and learning new things that will result in me being the best me I can be.  After reading the book, I must say it does not disappoint.  Nikki states that she wrote the book to condense all of the information that is in her blog into a easy to use resource for new naturals and those who are curious about natural hair.  It does all that and more. 

This book does the following:
  • Prepares you for the emotional as well as physical transition of going from relaxed to natural
  • Talks about the various stages of natural hair growth from TWA to long natural & how to handle your hair at each stage
  • Helps you understand the natural hair jargon
  • Provides an extensive product guide
  • Has simple hair styling tutorials
  • Helps a curly develop a regimen
  • Provides a guide for dealing with children with curly hair
  • Talks about dealing with negative comments
  • Helps with the in between stage of hair growth  & much, much, more!
No matter where you are on your natural hair journey, I would strongly recommend purchasing Better than Good Hair.   Refer back to it when you are going through the various stages of your hair growth, refer to it when a fellow curly asks you for advise (better yet buy them a copy), dog-ear pages, highlight, try out new products from the product guide, get some information!

Pick up your own copy of Better than Good Hair by clicking here.

Also, don't forget that the fabulous Nikki Walton (aka CurlyNikki) will be at the Return of the Curls "Curls Gone Wild" Natural Hair Expo & Hair show in Greensboro, NC on July 13th.  Those who purchase VIP Tickets will get a copy of the book Better than Good Hair!  Purchase your tickets for the event here.!

 Have you read Better than Good Hair yet?  What is the most burning natural hair question that you would like to have answered?
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