tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86391210083696403172012-02-05T01:14:55.034-05:00Just a newly natural girl trying to find her way through a newly natural world.Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.comBlogger1371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-59691886486833908992012-02-05T01:14:00.002-05:002012-02-05T01:14:55.039-05:00

i'm going back into braids today, which isn't too unusual, but of course the urge to experiment with my hair should strike again! in order to keep this enthusiasm, i figured i would make a list of all the things i wanted to try, that way i can keep myself entertained for a few weeks when it'll be time for me to take these braids out again. i want to try:*another twist & curl*bantu knot out on

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-83689452203994502722012-01-16T22:08:00.002-05:002012-01-16T22:15:44.045-05:00

i've only ever done a braidout once, during my 2011 summer styling circuit. now that my hair is a little longer and i've perfected my wash routine i wanted to try again. my last braidout came out pretty good (did one last week) and i could immediately tell that my results from braidouts would be a lot more consistent than my twistouts, since i haven't yet nailed the perfect twisting method. i've

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-691608311120276862012-01-16T03:39:00.000-05:002012-01-16T03:39:14.100-05:00

ingredients: shea butter, castor oil, broccoli oil, camellia oil, vitamin e this was sent to me by a good friend maybe a week or two ago and i have been using it every chance i get since then! this is one of the products that recently made me realize that i need to start sealing in my moisture with heavier, waterless creams and butters. i'm so happy she sent it to me, so onto the review!

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-30319849742142615432012-01-14T00:40:00.001-05:002012-01-14T03:32:02.836-05:00

Castor Oil, Olive Oil, Distilled Water,Organic Amla, Organic Brahmi, Organic Aloe, Methylsulfonylmethane, Vegetable Glycerin, Conditioning Emulsifier (Sorbitan and Cetearyl), Phenoxyethanol & Ethylhexglycerin (a paraben-free and formaldehyde-free preservative), Essential oil blend ahh, the crowning jewel of natural hair products. the creme de la creme for many a kink, curl, and coil. the piece de

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-38598263728693975852012-01-13T04:02:00.000-05:002012-01-13T04:02:14.495-05:00

since i'm home for winter break, i've been spending a lot of time experimenting and playing in my hair and having tons of fun! i'm refining my wash routine and trying out some new styles. so far i've had a lot of good ideas, but a lot of misses.  i'm realizing a lot of things about my hair, including that it's not nearly as thick or as kinky as i'd like. :/ i want a huge, shapely twistout for

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-9665051451955626222012-01-06T19:16:00.001-05:002012-01-06T19:17:12.622-05:00

i had ideas to title this post quite a few things, since i have so many thoughts i need to get out. i'm hoping this title captured the overall gist, lol like i mentioned in my last post, my hair has never been doing better and it has changed the way i plan to treat my hair from now on. while i'm sure the products i used contributed to izzy's newfound nirvana, i want to instead focus on the more

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-28342490993094331282012-01-06T18:44:00.001-05:002012-01-06T18:44:35.525-05:00

i hope everyone had a beautiful christmas, kwanzaa, new year's eve/day, etc. :) my izzy has been on quite a few adventures these past two weeks so i wanted to share! so this may be a long post, but at least there are pictures lol for christmas, i wore a twistout that came out beautifully! i deep conditioned with bee mine's dc and moisturized my hair in sections with my shea butter mix. i

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-7272995994703370682011-12-06T02:36:00.001-05:002011-12-26T01:09:01.999-05:00

hey all, i know it's been forever since i've updated this. it's been on my to-do list but school comes first. let's get to the point. :) i took my weave out about two weeks ago and boy was it a task. if i ever get another weave, i will either be getting a net underneath or having the weaveologist take it out. my fingers were extremely sore afterwards, but i only had to cut out one small tangle,

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-67789532425353205882011-10-22T22:37:00.000-04:002011-10-22T22:37:51.677-04:00

just a quick weave update since i decided to steam today. i detangled, steamed, shampooed, moisturized, and sealed in sections and now my hair is pinned up as i wait for it to dry. next tuesday i will have had this weave in for six weeks! i've had my hair tied up for the past week just because i was way too lazy to deal with it. i noticed it began tangling terribly so i decided to go ahead and

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-30146574913077747352011-09-22T01:18:00.001-04:002011-09-22T01:22:44.579-04:00

just a quick update since school has me so sorely lacking sleep, smh. i know i owe some people pictures (you know who you are… *bzz!*) so i figured i'd post pictures of my new install as well as my goal for these next two months. my personal goal for this fall (or at least the next two months) is growth! i did my styling circuit challenge and an unofficial protective style circuit (i was in

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-82954046202493822222011-09-03T22:41:00.000-04:002011-09-03T22:41:02.053-04:00

…and I've taken my braids out. I had wanted them to last at least an extra week so that hair wouldn't be an issue for the first week of school, but they just weren't up to it. But they did good! They stood up to five months of beaches, pools, amusement parks, and sleeping with no scarf, so I definitely got my money's worth. I'd considered having my edges redone, but the $60 wasn't worth

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-34902636505107859152011-08-03T01:48:00.000-04:002011-08-03T01:48:49.443-04:00

Ingredients: Purified water, aloe vera juice,  vegetable glycerin,  Provitamin B-5, avocado oil,  Linseed extract, herbal infusion of plantago extract, Rosemary, Slippery elm and hibiscus, xanthan gum, alkanet root, potassium sorbate, silver citrate, citric acid and fragrance. [ pricing ]you can get a whopping 18 oz for $21.00, which i think is very agreeable. 18 oz is a huge size and sure to

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-16221553115990649092011-08-02T08:37:00.002-04:002011-08-03T01:49:02.795-04:00

Ingredients: Aloe Extract, BTMS(Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter, Glycerin, Quaternium-79 Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Panthenol, Vitamin E, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid(food grade paraben free preservative),essential oils i'm sitting in the comfort of my home while my hair is being braided up, so i'm going to try and focus long

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-31636916638984148332011-08-02T07:57:00.000-04:002011-08-02T07:57:14.382-04:00

i know i said i'd do two more posts in this series but this will be the last one! i planned to do a coil out today but this was the only morning my braider was available to do my hair, so i had to take it. i did start to break apart my coils; i figured i could at least take pictures to share. but as i started separating them, i realized it was gonna be way too much work to not even wear out. and

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-11947974742789080592011-08-01T22:35:00.001-04:002011-08-03T01:49:15.480-04:00

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol (mild emulsifier), Cocos Nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Polyquaternium-7, Cetrimonium Chloride, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Silk Amino Acids, Panthenol, Cetyl Alcohol, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter,

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-48046462732549082672011-08-01T18:38:00.000-04:002011-08-01T18:38:03.458-04:00

i did this sunday night after coming back from the beach. i had plans to go downtown with a friend today so even though i was quite tired, i decided to go ahead and get it out of the way. funny how i don't even mind doing izzy anymore, when i used to avoid wash day before. ;) still in my twists (which were quite frizzy, but held up well), i shampooed with the mozeke just peachy shampoo and

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-49086593696303148612011-07-31T23:41:00.001-04:002011-08-02T08:37:55.114-04:00

ingredients: Distilled water, Hydrogenated Persea gratissima (Avocado) Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil (and) Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Persea gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Emulsifying wax, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Paraben & Formaldehyde Free Preservative & Fragrance (Island

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-1663418295713980522011-07-29T03:20:00.002-04:002011-07-29T03:33:46.133-04:00

i know i should be sleep, but i've been itching to post something - weird, right?! while i'm up enjoying the 90's Nick programming block, i figured a quick, simple post updating my no-buy would be okay. :) so, looking back on my old posts on my no-buy, i realize my six months are well up! over about 8 month period, i can count the hair products i've purchased on one hand (not including a $1.00

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-54000111435765079632011-07-28T19:39:00.001-04:002011-07-29T03:01:13.003-04:00

i've wanted to try these for a while and since i'm going to the beach this weekend, it seemed like the perfect time. :) last night, i steamed with my mozeke moisture mask. i added some of hairveda's vatika frosting and castor oil; since i would be swimming, i wanted to make sure my hair was super moisturized. i rinsed my hair for about five minutes, because my hair was so incredibly lush and soft

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-47617593482795720262011-07-20T21:25:00.001-04:002011-07-20T21:45:37.740-04:00

yes, i did have to include three exclamation points! :) i'm so excited for this post, i wanted to do it the moment i put my twists in! i did a twistout today and it came out so beautifully, i'm learning that there really is a technique/process to great twistouts and i'm so excited to be learning my hair and what works for it to get the best style. so saturday night, i washed and deep conditioned

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-56932786996684885102011-07-17T21:36:00.000-04:002011-07-17T21:36:32.909-04:00

for this challenge, i decided to try my first braidout. i liked how quickly this took, maybe 30-45 minutes to braid my whole head. here are the pictures (loving how shiny my hair looks!) not sure if you can see from the pictures, but i always have trouble when i get to around my temples because my hair is thinner there. instead of braiding, i had to do the odd twist or two. and here's when i

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-88258368528263016792011-07-13T00:13:00.001-04:002011-07-13T00:15:21.324-04:00

for my first styling attempt, i tried a bantu knot out! i figured my hair was finally long enough to try this style, so i sat down sunday night and began twisting. it took me maybe an 40 minutes to an hour (i don't remember how long exactly, but it couldn't have been longer than that). i worked for about twenty minutes and then took a break before finishing. i sat under the dryer for 20 minutes

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-56405625044896557172011-07-11T01:50:00.000-04:002011-07-11T01:50:53.515-04:00

cool title, right? ;)  so i gave in to the siren call of izzy and took my braids out after 6 or 7 weeks (i don't remember how long exactly). i was maybe 1-2 weeks short of the 8 weeks i had them in earlier in the year, so i don't feel too bad. i plan to give izzy two weeks to have her fun before i go back to my senegalese for the rest of the summer. while i've missed her, i'm really not trying

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-78451661496132908652011-07-01T14:10:00.000-04:002011-07-01T14:10:22.138-04:00

i haven't done a review on a natural "product" in a long time, and since i just recently ordered more coconut oil, i figured i would review that! :) this review will be on what i like as coconut oil as a whole, but i will say that emerald labs is my favorite brand. now, i've only tried one off-brand coconut oil before  so i can't really compare this brand to others. this is the brand i first

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-67723156113743701492011-07-01T13:36:00.000-04:002011-07-01T13:36:53.994-04:00

ingredients: deionized water, glycerin, propylene glycol, ppg-12-peg-50, lanolin, dicetyldimonium chloride, polyquarternium 32 & paraffinum liquidum, tea tree leaf oil, polysorbate 80, oat kernel extract, allantoin, silk amino acids, sheep sorrell, yarrow, slippery elm bark, sage, henna, comfrey, burdock root, goldenseal, cherry bark, ginseng, black walnut, chamomile, alfalfa, hyssop, wheat germ,

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-41336937123875804202011-06-21T22:47:00.000-04:002011-06-21T22:47:57.188-04:00

i know, i've been a terrible blogger lately. i know in my last post i said i'd be updating more frequently since it's the summer time and i wasn't (intentionally!) lying. technically today was the first day of summer so i'm making good on my previous promises. ;) lol to be honest, my enthusiasm for this whole natural thing has dwindled - i can't lie to myself or you guys. don't get me wrong, i

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-79040604375654098092011-05-21T03:19:00.002-04:002011-05-21T03:25:13.262-04:00

there are two things you can safely assume when it comes to the posts on my blogs: if i'm posting, i'm probably sitting under the steamer (like i am now, at 3 AM) and if i'm not posting, that means i probably haven't been steaming either.  i can't exactly say i took a "vacation," considering i was still going to class, doing homework, and going to work on most days. my absence certainly wasn't

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-57660526151348802132011-03-20T18:52:00.000-04:002011-03-20T18:52:04.052-04:00

ingredients: peach kernel oil, decyl glucoside, murumuru butter, fragrance, pro vitamin B5 and sea kelp extract. Jennifer from Mozeke sent me a few goodies to try out and i'm so happy to finally start sharing reviews with you guys! this was the first product i tried out, so it only makes sense that this is the first review. :) pricinglike all of the mozeke products, this shampoo is very

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-19366118302262208262011-03-13T03:09:00.001-04:002011-03-13T03:11:58.105-04:00

so... i ended up taking my braids out after six weeks! two weeks short of my last stint with braids and four weeks short of my ultimate goal. i don't really feel disappointed or anything, although it did take me about two days to decide whether or not i wanted to take them out or just get my edges done. i desperately wanted to wash my scalp (the buildup was evident - ew!) and i'd been taking

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-84010143282173920942011-02-25T19:07:00.000-05:002011-02-25T19:07:11.691-05:00

ingredients: purified water, castor oil, olive oil, organic aloe vera gel, behentrimonium methosulfate (emulsifier), coconut oil, olive squalane, optiphen (preservative), cetyl alcohol, and love! oh my, oh my, oh my! i mean… i really don't know what else to say when it comes to this product except OH MY! it's amazing! oyin has outdone themselves again. i'm already a stan for their conditioner,

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-55994569295528592152011-02-25T18:18:00.001-05:002011-02-25T18:21:18.382-05:00

just a quick blog post updating my personal no buy challenge! i only started this challenge the end of november, but i know it's important to keep checking in just to manage my progress. it's good to remind myself of my goals and acknowledge my progress. :) so, in addition to hair products, i've also banned myself from body washes, eyeliners, lip glosses, and skincare products. i have been doing

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-11410484934887876732011-02-17T02:36:00.000-05:002011-02-17T02:36:01.837-05:00

hey there curlies! how is everyone? well, i hope! i know... i've been gone for over a month, but it has been a crazy time! i earned a B in my winter linguistics class and spring semester has started. i'm also working now, so that does take up a few more hours of my day. i'm also vice president of an organization on campus so that gives me all kinds of new tasks to take on. still, that's no

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-46988014225165513172011-01-09T20:20:00.005-05:002011-01-12T18:53:51.066-05:00

i had a master plan for my hair alllll worked out. i was going to get braids next week and stay in them until march. then i would be trying out all kinds of new styles until the middle of the summer when i would color an afro i knew would be amazing. that is, until i was butchered by my stylist. yep. what i thought would never happen to me, did. and it's 100% my fault. i was too busy

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-60346910848641316152010-12-27T15:23:00.001-05:002010-12-28T00:44:01.888-05:00

ingredients:  water, behentrimonium methosulfate, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl babassuate, babassu oil, wheat amino acids, soy amino acids, arginine, serine, threonine, acetamide MEA, hydrolyzed hair keratin, panthenol, sorbitol, sodium cocoyl collagen, amino acid cocyl sarcosine, wheat germ acid, wheat germ oil, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, sulfur, polysorbate 80, oleth-80, jojoba oil, tocopheryl

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-45313097894221149832010-12-26T23:29:00.001-05:002010-12-26T23:29:51.806-05:00

hey curlies! so after my weekly steam tonight, i didn't want to just do NOTHING to my hair has usual, so i decided to try twists! i moisturized with oyin's new hair dew (LOVE this stuff!). as i sectioned off my hair, i sealed each bit with their burnt sugar pomade and got to twisting. here's how the twists came out! as you can see, my ends got huge and puffy. i'm in need of a trim, but

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-16067379630960161582010-12-26T17:57:00.001-05:002011-07-29T02:54:12.951-04:00

ingredients: distilled water, tucuma butter, sodium pca, sodium lactate, lactic acid, collagen, urea, amino acids, behentromonium methosulfate, ceteryl alcohol, monoi de tahiti oil, meadowfoam seed oil, vitamin complex, stearic acid, germall and fragrance. i first purchased a sample size of this back in november, when i was beginning my search for a water-based moisturizer. i found this on

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-89953225810573653902010-12-19T20:02:00.000-05:002010-12-19T20:02:22.069-05:00

i'm on a roll today! lazy sundays are always good for blogging (it's like the steam just gets my fingers going!). :) unlike my last post, this one will be quick! i'm going to add labels to the different components of my product reviews. i know i can load a post with lots of information, and i wanted to make them more easily accessible. they'll be separated into (and not necessarily in this order

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-85421111862753152392010-12-19T19:44:00.001-05:002010-12-21T15:24:29.006-05:00

I have to capitalize my words normally for this post, 'cause bases are srs bzness! So not too long ago, the natural hair community online was set ablaze when Afroveda increased her prices by about 50%. Now, I'd only ever ordered from Afroveda once (as evidenced by my single review), when I first went natural, so the increases didn't really faze me much, but understandably people were up in arms

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-48536083089016079602010-12-19T19:02:00.004-05:002010-12-21T15:19:38.265-05:00

ingredients: water, cetyl alcohol, stearamidopropyl dimethlamine, dimethicone, avocado oil, ceteryl alcohol, ceteareth-20, panthenyl ethyl ether, silk amino acids, hydrolyzed wheat protein, panthenol (vitamin B5), citric acid, DMDM hydantoin, disodium EDTA, fragrance. i am sitting under the steamer with this on my head now, so i figured now was a good time to knock out this review. :) i

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-47384715502787442902010-12-16T23:36:00.001-05:002010-12-16T23:36:52.518-05:00

hey curlies! :) i had a presentation on the black panthers last week, and my group decided it would be fun to dress the part as well. ;) my roommate blew out my hair into an afro so that i would better look the part of a panther woman. i washed my hair and moisturized with jasmine's shea butter cream rinse. i air-dried for maybe an hour until my roommate was ready. she sat me in a low chair in

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-32483080982301804932010-12-05T00:49:00.001-05:002010-12-05T00:49:51.021-05:00

ingredients: water, behentrimonium methosulfate, cetearyl alcohol, peppermint extract, horsetail extract,yucca extract, melissa extract,hydrolyzed wheat protein, panthenol, wheat germ oil, jojoba oil, vitamin e i've been eyeing christine gant's products on etsy for a little while now and once i found out that she sold sample sizes, i went ahead and ordered! her products look very clean and

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-67657706843743270962010-11-26T23:51:00.004-05:002010-12-05T00:26:48.201-05:00

yep, that's right. i'm putting myself on a hair product no-buy for the next six months! but... why?! due to the combined efforts of the amazing generosity of the lovely ladies of lhcf and black friday, i now have more than enough hair creams and conditioners than izzy can handle! amongst handfuls of adorable sample sizes and free full sizes, i plan to spend the next six months shopping my

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-79499221779252979592010-11-19T04:27:00.001-05:002010-11-19T04:27:21.762-05:00

i hate moisturizing on dry hair. hate it, despise it, detest it, curse it, etc. etc. how do people do it? maybe there are some naturals out there with magical afros that never get mushed, or flattened, or compacted while they sleep. maybe they can wake, shake (or fluff), and just go. *sigh* i can't imagine how blissful that must be. did they not get the frizz? the dryness and crackling? guess

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-84150713868089470692010-11-14T17:07:00.006-05:002010-12-14T22:54:04.740-05:00

earlier this year when i cut my hair, i managed to whittle down my product stash by quite a bit. i was quite happy buying samples as i wanted, and using them up within the week before moving on to the next thing. i never felt as though i needed a number of products. my short-hair mentality was: little hair, little products. a month or so ago, i decided to let my hair grow out and as you can see

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-18504294976448488852010-11-03T22:52:00.001-04:002010-11-03T23:09:24.782-04:00

guuuuuuuuurl(s). my hair look guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhd tuhdeee. let. me. tell. YOU!!! so like, i woked up righ? and i aint eeven have no scarf or nuffin! i just hopped up out the bed, and my swag was already on!!! it would have been a problem if it was the interior light, you know like in a car? cuz then my battry woulda been died. but nah, it was my swag!!! and swag don drain for me gurlies. so like,

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-52006211222161407132010-10-24T20:42:00.000-04:002010-10-24T20:42:27.713-04:00

so, i'm sitting under my steamer now... for the second time since i've got it monday. ;0 don't worry, though! i captured a bevy of pictures from my first foray under my huetiful hair steamer and i remember my thoughts clearly, so i thought now would be a good a time as ever to get this post out. i can see this easily becoming a weekly ritual - steaming and blogging. ;) yum! so i picked up my

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-59945644426750736382010-10-19T22:34:00.000-04:002010-10-19T22:34:38.439-04:00

beadsbraidsandbeyond is a fairly popular blog, so i'm sure many of you are following. i've been a follower for a few months now and have been eagerly devouring all of Nikki's updates and posts. i'm a little disappointed that she disabled left clicking, because i like to save the pictures to a "style inspiration" folder for ideas on how to style my own hair, but i can more than understand why she

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-28962980499347461892010-10-17T22:40:00.001-04:002010-10-17T22:40:31.797-04:00

haha! YES! i finally put in my order for a steamer! i was really unwilling to wait any longer. i've been working (fairly) hard in school, so i figured why not treat myself! ever since DC'ing this past weekend and using my hydra-silica spritz, izzy hasn't felt nearly as dry and crackly as she was, which has me so happy. but figured a steamer wouldn't hurt, especially with the colder weather

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-16681476622722886002010-10-14T15:50:00.006-04:002010-10-14T15:57:45.613-04:00

ingredients:  purified water infused with horsetail, lavender, nettle, roses, and chamomile; organic flaxseeds; aloe vera juice; vegetable glycerine; essences of lavender, sweet orange, ylang ylang; grapefruit seed extract; citric acid i've had this product for maybe a year now; maybe even before i went natural. i gave my first bottle away to a natural friend who was in love with the

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-33356817086584487212010-10-13T21:52:00.001-04:002010-10-13T21:53:14.026-04:00

ingredients: Water Aqua , Cocamidopropyldimethylamine Propionate , Trideceth-7 Carboxylic Acid , PPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate , Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate , Ammonium Laureth Sulfate , Lauramide Glucoside , Lauryl Glucoside , Polyquaternium-10 , Cocoglucoside , Glyceryl Oleate , Disodiium EDTA , Olive Oil Olea Europaea , Cetrimonium Carboxydecyl , PEG-8 Dimethicone , Cetrimonium Chloride , Sulfated

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-32603019011296990002010-10-13T18:36:00.002-04:002010-10-14T11:15:17.988-04:00

-pic coming soon-ingredients (on bottle): purified water, chamomile flower water, horsetail, neem leaf, hydroxyetheyl, polysorbate 20, phthalate free fragrance.ingredients (on site): distilled water, special herb blend, glycerin, hydroxethyl urea, polysorbate 20, germall, light fragrance. i just got this in the mail the past weekend and i have been using it everyday since then! i had no real

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-84843929994381648022010-10-13T13:57:00.000-04:002010-10-13T13:57:43.348-04:00

so i know i haven't done a product review in forever! i haven't been using a lot of new products, so i don't have much to chime in on. but i do have a few products i would like to review (with a much larger list of what i want to try). so my goal this week is to review hairveda's hair spritz and the VS so sexy conditioner, two items i love. maybe also the oyin juices&berries and the shine&

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-14843276582215920242010-10-03T20:28:00.000-04:002010-10-03T20:28:43.557-04:00

a post dedicated to my dearest izzy. :) this is the reaffirmation i have been looking for in the past few weeks. i decided to go home and do laundry (for free) this weekend, and while handling my clothes, why not take this time to treat izzy to the deep conditioning i cheated her out of last week? i shampooed off a week of styling with gel, excited to see the suds bubble up through my curlies

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-82515062518804451792010-09-19T19:24:00.001-04:002010-10-13T18:37:57.816-04:00

i've decided to just go ahead and let izzy do her thing. i am always surprised at how big she's gotten when i wash my hair. i've been meaning to go in for a shape-up for about three weeks now, so i need to get on that, but i will be growing her out from now on. while i absolutely adored my short hair (and despite people telling me to fade it again), i am ready for more comb coils, braids,

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-65030754426877975142010-09-09T20:18:00.000-04:002010-09-09T20:18:43.744-04:00

BACK&FORTH. hee hee. ;) it's been soooo long. i have so much to talk about about my hair. first off, apologies. i haven't had any reviews in quite a while. :( partially because i haven't been trying any new products, but there are still a few that i have YET to review. unfortunately, with school back in session, i can't see any coming anytime soon, especially as i'll be sticking with my

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-73734936396391070272010-07-14T20:44:00.001-04:002010-07-14T21:06:36.193-04:00

she begins to frizz, which is normal, but this is a lot of frizz. the bleach loosened my texture, which wasn't uniform to begin with. now i have even more stick straight pieces than before. oh well, it's nothing i can't handle and i really like picking out tiny izzy - she looks so fly! she's still looking and feeling a little on the dry side, though, so i plan to have izzy dc with heat tonight

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-52595098064535961492010-07-14T20:36:00.000-04:002010-07-14T20:36:24.879-04:00

click on the pics to enlarge them!

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-60786940497166424372010-07-14T19:52:00.005-04:002010-07-14T21:42:42.299-04:00

so ignore my cheesy title; i needed something to call this post, LOL. anyways! i had today off so i decided to whip up another body butter, this time for myself. i wanted something moisturizing and unscented... i hate showering at night because i often don't know what i want to smell like! and if the scent does linger, i don't want it clashing with my perfume in the morning. so the perfect fix

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-28785376548236708382010-06-28T22:23:00.004-04:002010-06-28T22:49:31.757-04:00

like i mentioned in my first disillusionment post, being natural is incredibly hands-on. you start experimenting with shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil... then maybe upgrade to other butters, castor oils, essential oils, and before you know it, you've got yourself a tidy little arsenal of natural products. and trust me, you will, eventually, try making your own body butter. even before i went

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-13432370682117197262010-06-28T00:08:00.003-04:002010-06-28T00:36:07.900-04:00

my first salon review! i am excited, but sad that i won't have any real pictures of the salon to show you/to open my post.i took a trip on the metro last saturday into DC, in desperate need of a corrective color. i'd been thinking of going blonde for the summer, but wanted to grow out my fade a little bit. so, on friday evening, my impatience got the best of me and while browsing a local beauty

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-52261056457569455532010-06-27T04:20:00.005-04:002010-07-06T22:12:34.210-04:00

ingredients: raw shea butter, pure avocado butter, vitamin e, peach kernel oil, coconut oil, vegetable glycerin, organic aloe vera gel, sodium lactate (natural preservative), fragrance.i'd first heard of this product on a review on youtube and it sounded absolutely delicious, so a quick google search lead me to safi haircare's etsy shop. i didn't purchase immediately however; at the time, i

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-3394835241437679662010-06-26T14:49:00.006-04:002010-06-27T04:19:48.084-04:00

ingredients: distilled water, vegetable wax, cocoa butter, kokum butter, all natural preservative, jojoba oil, irish moss, coconut milk powder, and fragrance.*sigh* i just received this product yesterday and i'm already doing my review. so this must be pretty amazing stuff right? so far, YES! but let me not get too ahead of myself. this will be an evolving review as i continue to work and play

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-43225644041797453272010-06-26T04:23:00.008-04:002010-06-26T05:14:42.205-04:00

well, not quite. ;) i'm sitting with the mozeke moisture masque in my hair now, and decided what better chance than to do a quick post? i noticed i have a few new followers too (hi!), so i wanted to make this place look alive (here's the shea moisture curl and style milk review, finally up).izzy's really been a dream lately. ever since i did a second chop almost one (two?) months ago, she's been

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-81369728261028310372010-06-18T23:43:00.002-04:002010-06-18T23:52:36.662-04:00

summer session has started and i've also begun working full time in a museum, so blogging has been the furthest thing from my mind, but i have missed it! i haven't even been checking on the blogs i follow, but i hope to make some new posts within the next few weeks.my hair has been growing out great - i absolutely love it at this length. i knew i wanted to keep it short for the summer, although i

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-33106569360006644422010-05-14T20:04:00.005-04:002010-05-16T23:02:13.448-04:00

the disillusionment series.if you've considered going natural, or are already natural, i'm willing to bet that you've told your girlfriend (or have been told by a girlfriend) that going natural is cheaper. if anyone has ever gone on to explain this (and i doubt many have), at the front of that reasoning is that it keeps you out of the salon.this is lie number one.fact:going natural is in no way

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-60860177424949955372010-05-14T19:53:00.003-04:002010-05-14T20:02:27.724-04:00

here's a rough outline of the ideas i wanted to touch on in this series. you can think of it as a chapter of contents. :)001: not everyone is "meant" to be natural (and this is true)002: not everyone has "curly" hair (kind of ties into the point above)003: being natural is not "easy"004: being natural is not "cheap"005: being natural will not always make you "prettier"006: being natural does not

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-13261886916634791292010-05-13T16:01:00.003-04:002010-05-13T16:09:29.923-04:00

so... in lieu of having little hair to talk about, i was thinking of maybe starting up a new series of posts called the disillusionment series (or possibly a catchier title).i've been natural for a year now and when you first go natural, you are so excited and ready to absorb so much knowledge that you start subscribing to thoughts like natural hair is better, natural hair is easier to take care

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-75673313220718561722010-05-08T16:40:00.005-04:002010-06-26T17:25:31.939-04:00

ingredients: coming sooni knew i was supposed to have this review up a long time ago for lovely, lovely skeeta, buttt... i dropped the ball on that one and she ended up reviewing it before me! so, to make amends, i've decided to go ahead and finally bang out this review now.typing up the title to this review, i realized... the shea moisture line has far too many offshoots, pre-titles, sub-titles,

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-14466248293900142782010-05-08T00:40:00.005-04:002010-05-08T03:21:04.832-04:00

i am loving every bit of my hair cut! don't have to wait years for some gel to dry, don't have to worry about what i'll do with my fro when i go out, no lumpy afro, no frizz. i firmly believe every woman should enjoy a low-maintenance, short cut. when i tell you all it is bliss, i am not lying! i shampoo my hair whenever my scalp feels a little itchy, and just moisturize morning and night.my

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-43229406619069769392010-05-01T17:20:00.002-04:002010-05-01T17:26:52.800-04:00

now that i've cut my hair, i really have been keeping it simple. i just wash my hair with whatever body wash i'm using - i don't bother with shampoo and conditioner. i moisturize twice a day, using up products that i already have - oyin's burnt sugar, mozeke's avocado cream, and hairveda's vatika frosting. i'll do a seperate post about my hair cut in it's entirety... but i was wondering.would it

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-43555738977143992612010-04-24T00:49:00.004-04:002010-04-24T00:57:13.283-04:00

i'll "update" with a "story" later, but here are the goods that you really care about ;)before.after.

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-72837105378864098462010-04-18T17:55:00.005-04:002010-04-18T19:27:19.631-04:00

ingredients: water, carbomer, hydrolyzed wheat protein, pvp, glycerin triethanolamine, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, polysorbate 20, tetrasodium edta, fragrance, love and prideso... i have had this gel almost as long as i've been natural and i'd only used it once or twice before stuffing it under my bed and forgetting about it. i've only very recently unearthed it, but i've been working with it

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-60778196888353638282010-04-18T17:28:00.002-04:002010-04-18T17:42:46.296-04:00

with my haircut just a week away, i have been doing a lot of thinking about dear izzy. we've been together for maybe nine months now (i lost count a while ago, lol) and in this short time, it has really been nothing less than a journey. we've had our ups and downs, our pretty days and our not-so-pretty days. izzy has cursed me out more than once over the winter for letting dryness get her down

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-39586596261061771862010-04-18T00:09:00.006-04:002010-04-18T18:37:48.982-04:00

ingredients: water, glycerin, oleth-20, trethanolamine, carbomer 940, aloe vera gel, panthenol, hydrolized protein, dmdm hydantoin, methylparaben, fragrance, propylene glycol, ext. d&c violet #2i picked this up about two weeks ago and i've been using it for a week, so i have a pretty good idea of how this performs, more or less. let's goooo!i snagged this one weekend out shopping with me mum. i

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-57602068987611868472010-04-17T23:17:00.009-04:002010-04-18T17:48:25.790-04:00

ingredients: deionized water, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), argan oil, cetyl esters, sea kelp extract, panthenol (vitamin b-5), ammonium salt, essential oil blend, avocado oil, lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and lonicera japonica (japanese honeysuckle) flower extract, tocopherol (vitamin e), hyssopus officinalis extract, salvia officinalis (sage) leaf and equisetum arvense

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-4110356524354785972010-04-17T22:34:00.005-04:002010-04-18T13:53:23.772-04:00

ingredients: distilled water, avocado butter, hemp Seed butter, BTMS (conditioning emulsifier), all natural preservative, avocado oil, honeyquat, pro vitamin B5, alfalfa powder, wheat protein, and fragrance. mmm... yummy. doesn't the name alone just make your mouth water!? when i first came across the mozeke website a few weeks ago, i knew from jump street this would be going into my cart. we

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-26240474070512189802010-04-15T23:27:00.003-04:002010-04-15T23:31:28.173-04:00

i've been thinking about reviews since last weekend and figured i needed to make a list to get my thoughts skraight. :] i'm doing another henna this weekend, and i know i can bang out a lot of reviews while it sits, so here's what's to come!-mozeke's avocado cream moisturizer-shea moisture deep conditioner-shea moisture curl souffle & curl milk-long aid curl activator gel-oyin's shine and

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-8184887054716562732010-04-04T16:39:00.005-04:002010-04-18T16:04:03.943-04:00

ingredients: distilled water, btms (conditioning emulsifier), aloe butter, avocado butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, mango butter, sal butter, all natural preservative, glycerin, guar gum, pro vitamin b5, and fragrance.i have been cooking up this review in my mind since i first used it yesterday. this is gonna be such a great review. :)the first thing i have to comment on, because it was the first

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-66458036035459551542010-04-04T15:11:00.003-04:002010-04-04T15:41:14.478-04:00

whether you're natural or relaxed, chances are, you've heard of henna. i had never really had much interest in it, for a number of reasons. although i'd heard of all the benefits: strengthening, natural color, shine, etc., i was overwhelmed by how much information there was. you could customize your mix with about a hundred different ingredients. you could use it for color or you could use it for

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-344015513251999632010-04-04T13:09:00.003-04:002010-04-04T13:33:00.055-04:00

ingredients: purified water, organic aloe vera gel, behentremonium methosulfate (emulsifier derived from colza oil), honey, virgin hemp oil, coconut oil, vegetable glycerine, hydrolized silk, citrus essences, fragrance, optiphen (preservative);)finally, this review! i have been in love with this conditioner since my first wash. i had heard RAVES on this conditioner for years and i am so grateful

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-23161703689343888322010-04-04T12:42:00.005-04:002010-04-18T00:57:08.576-04:00

ingredients: water, stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, vanilla planifolia fruit extract, cocos nucifera (coconut) fruit extract, glutamic acid, fragrance, bisaminopropyl dimethicone, benzyl alcohol, edta, propylene glycol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, citric acid, blue 1i know i have been promising this review since the end of time; literally,

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-79952088764055400972010-04-03T21:21:00.002-04:002010-04-03T21:31:17.165-04:00

alright, i think i'm done fiddling with the kinky curly curling custard. and i've all but given up on the knot today. i was fully prepared for this to become my staple styler, although mostly for appearances. it's a popular product, smells great, and cute packaging. but my pockets can't take the price, especially when there are gels that are more easily accessible and a fraction of the price.

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-47099909640731461562010-03-26T14:47:00.006-04:002010-03-26T23:57:21.091-04:00

i was able to go home earlier this week, so i decided to treat my hair to a few new goodies (my denman brush and lush shampoo). and the entire process, from when i stepped in the shower to when i styled was a dream. i was loving every since step and every single product and i was so happy, my heart even fluttered just a little bit. so excuse me if i wax poetic in this post, but if you'd

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-59971897650484605002010-03-26T00:28:00.002-04:002010-03-26T00:39:29.145-04:00

with this new cut, i am excited to clean out my stash. :) but you know that whenever you clear out your stash, you need to replenish it! so, i have a modest list of goodies i want to try on my hair when i cut and as it grows. it's a small list and i plan to get the sample sizes, so i don't have to worry about taking forever to use them up.i plan to purchase...hydratherma naturals daily growth

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-19496860486822201322010-03-24T21:58:00.003-04:002010-03-24T22:14:49.684-04:00

:]spring is finally upon us/me, after what seems like and endless winter and i have been itching for a change. some new color, a new cut... SOMETHING! after i took down my braids, i wanted a change so badly that i quickly seized onto the first (and most drastic) idea that came to me - why don't i shave !?yes, that's right! shaaave!i've mentioned before that i wanted to shave before but was talked

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-79426469487303662972010-03-19T00:47:00.004-04:002010-04-18T00:57:13.679-04:00

ingredients: water, coconut oil, castor oil, cetyl alcohol, glycerin, steryl alcohol, stearakloniun chloride, dimethyl stearamine, orange oil, orange extract, vanilla extracts, lactic acid, germall plus, fragrance.i've had more than enough time to play with this deep conditioner - so much time that i completely cleaned out my jar! i've been thinking up this review for a while - i'm so excited! :

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-86255474636837327452010-03-16T17:40:00.008-04:002010-05-04T20:06:34.630-04:00

ingredients: water coconut oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil, glycerin, cetyl alcohol, stearalkonium chloride, dimethyl stearamine, lactic acid, germall plus, fragrance.i was so excited when i received my hairveda goodies in the mail. granted, this was months ago, but that means i've had lots of time for this conditioner to marinate in my mind (and my hair, yumm). :)as far as price points go, the

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-83147371538778260682010-03-16T16:08:00.005-04:002010-03-16T16:16:30.149-04:00

so i know i haven't been delivering pic-wise, but i figured i could at least show off my new trim! :)here is a pic the night before my trim, you can see how much my hair had grown:and after! i adore the cut!

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-26014138534965249352010-03-16T15:43:00.002-04:002010-03-16T15:59:18.787-04:00

if you've been following my blog, you'd know that i've been playing with the idea of a trim for months now. my dryness and frizzy ends were driving me crazy. i had pieces of hair that would stick out straight and my ends were rough and dry. i obviously needed a trim, but i had no clue where to start. should i go back to the barbershop? or find a natural hair salon? would i be able to find someone

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-3068722161168166672010-03-14T17:57:00.002-04:002010-03-14T18:00:41.664-04:00

phew! it seems like ever since i took my braids out, my mind has been filing one blog post after the next. i have so much to update you all on. :]izzy is back home after being tucked away for two months in braids. that entire process is a blog post on it's own. it was such an ordeal.in this short week, i've also henna'd and gotten a trim! :0 finally! that trim i've been thinking about for months

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-41821188951932494152010-02-28T17:41:00.006-05:002010-03-14T18:01:16.014-04:00

i have been sooo surprised at how little i have updated this while in braids! i guess there's not much to talk about when your hair is hiding away.for a few weeks now, i have been lamenting having to let them go, for a number of reasons:one. the ease of styling. i love being able to just get up and go. no spraying, fluffing, detangling, etc. braids are, by far, the easiest style in the world.two

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-27090671589214318142010-02-11T21:24:00.002-05:002010-02-11T21:27:54.602-05:00

izzy, my beloved curly coily soft rambunctious afro, is seven months old today!man, time really does fly when you're having fun. i don't really much much to say except that in five more months, i will have been natural for an entire year and i can't even imagine what my hair will look like then, but i'm excited. :] she is growing happy, strong, and beautifully! my babyyy! i love her!meanwhile, i

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-32832924148213237392010-01-21T00:54:00.005-05:002010-01-21T01:03:27.942-05:00

alright, i am getting serious about these things. after having them for all of maybe half-a-week, i've already realized my "regimen" in my previous post just wasn't going to cut it. so here's the regimen i'll be sticking with, faithfully."shampoo" every 2 weeks (or as needed) with ORS herbal cleanse dry shampoospritz every morning with african royale braid sheen sprayhave edges re-done every two

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-90279622068133183172010-01-17T18:32:00.003-05:002010-01-17T18:45:47.259-05:00

senegalese, that is. ;]right before i did my BC, i was in senegalese twists that weighed maybe a hundred pounds and took literally all day to finish. but i loved them! i'd always loved twists on other women and i only had senegalese maybe three times in my life. well, right after i got my twists installed, i'd gotten the bright idea to go natural and chop my hair. but, i didn't want to waste all

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-75328657299964259652010-01-09T21:09:00.004-05:002010-01-13T21:03:33.305-05:00

aloe vera whole leaf gel, coconut oil, almond oil, herbal oil complex, vanilla essential oil.picture was graciously provided by shae, from afroniquely you!i've had this gel for maybe a month or so now and i have been playing with it a lot, so i've been very slowly writing this review in my mind. :)afroveda has a sizeable following on the online community and with good reason: all natural products

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-6156066889083190412010-01-09T16:09:00.003-05:002010-01-09T16:37:52.522-05:00

jamaican black castor oilhere's a natural product that i have been using even before i went natural. castor oil is pretty popular and is a staple for a lot of women - you can use it for sealing, shine, slicking your edges back, anything. i haven't been using it as much as when i first went natural, but it is one of my holy grail staples! jamaican black castor oil is a natural product made from

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-77992434446598126242010-01-08T23:10:00.002-05:002010-01-08T23:14:06.275-05:00

...nah.alright, so i know i've been holding out on y'all with the reviews. i sorry. but i have been ordering stuff like a madwoman and i am so in love. i ordered a few more goodies from hairveda (SO many good things to say about this line) and a small stash of treasures from peaceloveandsunshine! and i have never been so excited to get something in the mail...anyway! this weekend, i'll try to get

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-5826078483779396652009-12-27T18:17:00.004-05:002009-12-27T18:36:57.156-05:00

aubrey organics honeysuckle rose moisturizing conditionerCoconut Fatty Acid Cream Base, Aloe Vera (Organic), Shea Butter (Organic), Wheat Germ Oil, Jojoba Oil (Organic), Rosa Mosqueta (Organic), Rosehip Seed Oil, Extract of Fennel, Hops, Balm Mint, Mistletoe, Camomile, Yarrow, Chrysanthemum, Angelica, Forsythia, Honeysuckle Oil, Carrot Oil, Aubrey's Preservative (Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamin A, C

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-78349659532927042322009-12-27T01:02:00.003-05:002009-12-27T01:25:09.471-05:00

LET'S get ready to ruuuuum-buuuuuuhl!yep, it's that serious. my first challenge on longhaircareforum (and i've been a member for two years) and i'm super excited. it's perfect for me because it's a "lazy" challenge - i don't have to do anything but let my hair do what it do - grow! a lot of challenges you have to refrain from heat, protective style, or actually DO something. so this was right up

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8639121008369640317.post-17373835661901720702009-12-20T13:18:00.002-05:002009-12-20T13:30:25.496-05:00

that i was five months natural, like, a week ago. lol. whoops! i know i'm always quick to come here and update when another month has passed, but with finals, styling, and christmas, i guess i just got caught up. but trust & believe that i didn't forget!so i've been five months and some days natural now and the journey has been so fun. there are times when i do get impatient (more on that below),

Melyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11113137267836564178noreply@blogger.com0