Curly Nikki – God First, Curly Hair, Health, Beauty & Love

Tell me about yourself!
I am a Detroit native who loves all things hair and beauty related. Three years ago I was sick of frying and dying my hair. Excessive heat and color damage led me to take the big chop plunge. A couple of months post big chop I turned on my camera and decided to share my successes and fails with whoever felt like watching! I hope that my appreciation for natural hair and beauty transcends outward appearance and really inspires other women to do what is right for them in all aspects of life.

Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper? What was your journey like?
I was a big chopper all the way. Go big or go home! One morning I woke up and after looking at my stringy heat/color damaged hair, I took scissors to root and went for it! Despite a couple of set backs, my journey so far has been great! I enjoy experimenting with different styles and products. But I have to admit, I miss my twa. It was SO easy.

READ MORE>>

Had you always embraced your texture?
Not at all. In high school, I didn’t consider my hair “done” until it was bone straight via flat iron. A wash and go was completely out of the question. It wasn’t until I big chopped and started experimenting with my different textures that I actually began to love and appreciate my hair for what it is, naturally.

How did family and friends react to your decision to go natural? What was your response to them?
My family and friends were in complete shock. I had always been known for my long hair and warned by outsiders to “never cut it”. My response was always “it’s just hair!”. Thankfully my family embraced my big chop as well as my natural styles.

Describe your hair (fine or coarse, thin or thick, highly porous, low, etc.)
My strands are coarse, thin, and THIRSTY! Because of this, it takes a little extra effort to stop the breakage and single strand knots. I try to stay away from hair typing as my head is comprised of so many different textures!

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to your hair?
The craziest thing I’ve ever done to my hair was somewhere between my “Dora the Explorer” hair cut (no…really) and dying only the crown of it fire engine red.

What’s your biggest hair related regret?
Not big chopping sooner! Also, believing the hype around certain hair products. It is so beneficial to do your own research. Definitely saves time and money!

What's your current hair routine? How often do you wash, condition, and style? Favorite products! Deets!
Since it’s still fairly warm where I live, I’ve been wearing wash and go styles. I co wash my hair once a week with Yes To Carrots conditioner (staple product). While its damp I apply a hair pudding and a heavier gel (usually kinky curly) to make it last. I cleanse my hair with a shampoo or mud wash once a month or more depending on the product build up. As far as oils are concerned; In the hot months I keep it light with coconut oil. In the colder months my hair needs something heavier like shea butter mixed with olive oil.

What’s your favorite hairstyle? Where do you get hairstyle inspiration?
Currently my favorite style is my wash and go. But since I live in Michigan, my go to style for the colder months is my simple twist out. My hair inspiration comes from a variety of sources! Now that I am comfortable with my hair, I don’t limit myself to styles that cater to only a certain “type” or length. If I like a style done on straight, short hair I will find a way to modify it so that it works for my hair!

Who is your curl crush?
Whitney Aka Naptural85 on YouTube and Kim Love aka KimmayTube!

How do you maintain your hair at night?
Depending on the style, I mist my hair with water and tie it up with a satin scarf.

How do you maintain healthy length?
Moisture is key! Whenever I have let my hair get dry and brittle for an extended period of time, I make sure to deep condition and add that moisture back to my strands. Also, I’m scissor happy so I have absolutely no problem cutting off split ends or limp/damaged hair.

What's the best thing about being natural?
The versatility and community! I love being able to wear my hair in a variety of styles. It helps to have this growing community of women and men that can encourage all generations to embrace their hair.

Where can folks find you on the web?
My YouTube channel is AccordingToChloeC
Instagram is AccordingToChloeC
Twitter is @According2Chloe
Facebook is AccordingToChloeC

by Michelle Thames of HappilyEverNatural

I transitioned from 2009-2011. I can say that transitioning was very hard for me. At the time, I had no idea how to do my hair at all. The two textures were like night and day, and I was frustrated with my tresses. While transitioning, I chose to visit my hair stylist every two weeks to have her take care of my hair simply because I didn’t know what to do with it. At that time I wore my hair mostly straight. I continued visit my stylist and she cut the relaxed ends little by little. I continued this until one day I just couldn’t take it anymore and I let her know that I was ready to cut the rest of my relaxed ends. I had become confident enough that my hair was at a length I could work with.

Here are a few tips to help you through your transition:

Read On!>>>
Make sure you are choosing the right styles for your hair
One of the biggest challenges for transitioners is which hairstyles to try. The best hairstyles to try are Twist and Curls, Braid and Curls and rod sets (flexi rod and perm rods)-- they help hide the two textures and are easy to manage. You should try to experiment with different styles that work best for you. There are a TON of YouTube videos on how to do your hair in just about every style you ever thought of.

Set realistic expectations
Don’t expect to have hair like CurlyNikki, MahagonyCurls, or that girl on YouTube . Your hair is yours and differs from those women. Take time to learn your hair and what it likes and doesn’t like. It will take time for your hair to achieve the length and looks you desire. It’s a trial and error process. You will have to play around with different styles in order to figure out what works for your hair. If you don’t have realistic expectations you will be upset every time.

Take your time with your tresses
Good hair care is the best hair care. Make sure that you are moisturizing and deep conditioning your tresses. Don’t be overly rough when detangling your hair. Try to finger detangle most of the time (if you can). Pay most attention to the invisible line where your natural hair and relaxed ends meet, because you can have major breakage at this point. Too much heat styling can be bad (just a FYI), but the damaged can be minimized if it’s done right.

Be Patient, BE PATIENT and Lastly BE PATIENT
I know that you are like, 'ugh my hair is so not growing', but actually it is. It can be very frustrating to try to deal with two different textures, but you can stick it out. If you’re really serious about this process of transitioning, some patience will be required. Remember you can always cut the relaxed ends off when you are ready. My advice is to do it on your time. Don’t feel rushed or pressured if you are not ready to say goodbye to your ends. You can also wear your hair in protective styles to help you through your transition (like Marley Twists or Box Braids).

Remember that patience is key, whether you BC or decide to transition, you have to be patient. I know it’s hard, but you can do it. Don’t give up!

Happy Transitioning!

Photo Courtesy of Natasha Leeds

by Amanda

About a year and half ago I decided to start detangling on damp hair instead of soaking wet hair. When our strands are saturated in water the hair shaft swells, making it weak and vulnerable to breakage. Since my 4a coils are fine in width, I know that even though wet detangling in the shower was easier, it is not the best approach to prevent breakage. After parting my hair in six section before removing tangles and shed hair at the sink, I reach for one of these five conditioners (daily conditioners and leave-in conditioners) with slip that eliminate all friction between my strands for smooth application.

Read On!>>>

SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Conditioner

The SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Conditioner has been my go-to detangler for the past year and I am still on the same 13 oz. bottle, using 2-3 pumps per section. With coconut oil as the third ingredients I feel confident about preventing hygral fatigue and the stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, behentrimonium chloride gives me endless slip with little application, hence why I’m still on the first bottle.

Trader’s Joes Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner
If you love essential oils, then check out the Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner. It is chock-full with oils like tea tree oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, nettle oil, thyme oil, birch leaf oil, chamomile oil, yarrow oil, and horsetail oil. This conditioner is far from oily and it smells great and feels great when you have a head full of tangled curls. This conditioner is a great alternative to the Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa Conditioner if you prefer silicone-free products.

Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Leave-in Treatment
The Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Leave-in Treatment not only provides great slip but it also adds moisture. The surfactant behentrimonium methosulfate makes my tangles disappear and the castor oil and shea butter leave my strands soft without the need to refresh before my next wash day. It spreads easily and a little goes a long way. This leave-in conditioner also pairs great with any styler like the Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Set Styler and TreLuxe Curl Supreme.

Brown Butter Beauty Sweet Milk Hair Detangling Leave in Conditioner

When in need of a leave-in detangler with strengthening properties I reach for the Brown Butter Beauty Sweet Milk Detangling Leave in Conditioner. It has hydrolyzed wheat protein to help make the weak points along the hair shaft stronger for less breakage and is also great for those who do not like overpowering fragrances. It spreads easily without excessive application.

Soultanicals Knot Sauce
Love dessert fragrances? Then the Soultanicals Knot Sauce is for you. This coil detangler is nourishing and packed with oils, marshmallow root and slippery elm for slip, and aloe juice for its humectant properties. The flaxseed gel provides curl definition with light hold, making it a great primer for your styling product.

Follow Natasha Leeds (pictured above) here:

Stylish Lee and Instagram

What are your favorite detanglers?

by Jensine from Jungle Naps

Somewhere along your natural hair journey you learn the importance of detangling your curls. A necessary (and time consuming) evil! If only I could count how many frustrating hours I've spent untangling knots and asking my German/Irish husband for help. Side note: he is now a detangling pro too.

Below are a few tips that I use in my detangle and pre-poo routine.

Continue!>>>

1. Don’t Detangle When You Are Pressed For Time
Yes, along with not detangling when you are angry (or hangry for that matter). Why, you ask? Because you are less likely to be gentle and will cause unnecessary breakage to your sensitive kinks and coils.

2. Finger Detangling is a Major Key, But So Is A Wooden Comb/Brush
I love me a good finger detangling session, but long are the days when this alone was enough. Now I incorporate a wooden Bass brush that is surprisingly gentle on my hair. After detangling using my fingers, I gently brush my 4C kinks with a few passes of this brush. Believe me when I tell you it does not rip my hair out, which I unfortunately can’t say about my Denman brush.

3. Amla Oil Is An Excellent Pre-Poo
The benefits of amla oil have been said to contribute to strengthening the hair follicle, treating dry and itchy scalps, and preventing hair loss. This can definitely be a lifesaver during the winter months if you live in a colder climate.

4. Detangling on Damp Hair
If you have thick, kinky hair that is particularly prone to knots, you might find that detangling on damp hair is best. Soaking wet hair is usually at its weakest point and is more likely to break when you are manipulating it. I’ve found that getting the hair damp (with rose water or water + leave in) helps to remove a majority of my shed hairs, with less breakage.

apparently everything in Brazil is sexy, including the walls. #Bacchus #TheGreekGodOfPourItUp #MinhaCasa #Rio2016 #InterviewingForABrownCountryInCaseOfTrump

“We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the secret tonic of creativity. When we get home, home is still the same. But something in our mind has been changed, and that changes everything.” –Jonah Lehrer

Olá from Brazil!

A couple of weeks ago, Dr. Daddy and I made a last minute impulse buy on Orbitz for two reasons--

1. We got antsy. We missed our annual New Years 2015/2016 trip because my bestie got her wings-- it's important to note that we hadn't done NYE in the United States since '09, so this felt... necessary.

2.We need options... in case of Trump.

We sent for my parents to love on and get Boogie to and from school (back in D.C.), we threw some ish in a bag, and here we are, back in Rio. Peep the casa--

Continue!>>>

Yes.

that's the Greek God of #PourItUp, Bacchus. If you look closely, one of her hands is grabbing his horns and the other is holding a wine glass... this piece was done in charcoal and pencil directly on the wall, by the owner's sister.

one of the bedrooms

Later Gators,

Nik

birds flying high, you know how I feel- Nina Simone #RioAgain

Hola Chicas,

I talk to a lot of readers offline and in emails about their goals and good stuff they want to see manifest in their lives. And while everyone's journey is different, there's one thing that most (like 99.99%) of the successfully 'un-stuck' people have in common. It's a simple, yet necessary shift in perspective, that will begin to bring even your longest held dreams into view. I've mentioned it before, but I can't say it often enough, which is why I'm setting it down right here as another gentle reminder to you--

Continue!>>>

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

Instead of approaching life from the perspective of 'how can I get something to feel better?' How 'bout you try, 'how can I feel better in order to manifest everything amazing?" It's that simple. Just focus on aligning and healing your internal experience, instead of that new car or promotion, and everything will fall into place. Everything.

Remember, you don't become (or get) what you want. You become who and what you are. The 'inside' of you is reflected 'out there', and just as you wouldn't frown in a mirror and expect the reflection to smile, you cannot be feeling impatient, needy or frustrated and expect anything other than frustration-inducing situations to show up. Give yourself permission to smile now, to be free now, to be peaceful now (even though your freedom hasn't shown up yet) and watch what happens. You'll be amazed!

An easy practice for this is to remember throughout the day to check-in with yourself. Think of your moods as TV channels. Your current life situation, with your 'frustrated, generally annoyed and anxious self' is channel 1. Your 'happy, fulfilled, relaxed, joyful-for-no-reason self' is on channel 2. I can't tell you what all you'll see on channel 2, but it will definitely be people, places and things to reinforce that smile of yours. So, during the day, as often as you can remember (at least once an hour for a minute or two), ask yourself, 'what channel am I on?' And if it's channel 1, simply switch to channel 2. It's that easy. Results are immediate. Don't know how to feel better? Read here and here.

So how can you live the life you want to live? Stop waiting and think, be, feel and see as her, right now.

Later Gators,

Nik

p.s. Remember, you actually don't want stuff, you want feels!

by Jasmeen of Jascmeen.com

There's nothing like working with awkward length natural hair!

One of the few things I miss about my longer hair is my updo’s. Up until now my hair was just too short to make a bun, hell— it can barely make a ponytail that I can attach a fake bun to!

I was scrolling through Instagram and saw a woman doing her daughter’s hair and saw a trick she had for making her daughter’s short hair into a full poof. I used this technique to create my own teeny-weeny ponytail and then popped a faux bun on top. Here’s the scoop:

Continue!>>>

Start by parting your hair into two sections. Make a ponytail with the top section, moving it as far back as you can.

Now make a ponytail with the lower section, bringing it as far upward as you can. You can choose to grab another hair tie and secure the two mini buns into one, but thats totally up to you. (It is more tension, though. So unless you have to, I’d advise against it.)

Now comes the fun part. I grabbed some Marley hair to make this bun, but you can use a fake ponytail or tracks. I started by wrapping the hair over my little poofs to hide them, then started twisting the hair to add dimension.

Super easy and not to even be corny, I was pretty excited to get the high bun option back in my LIFE! My hair has been doing extremely well in protective styles and without tension so I’ll be saving by bun for special occasions only.

Here’s a quick vid of me breaking down the entire process.

by Ariane of BlackNaps.org

Ask about how to keep your hair moisturized and you are guaranteed to hear about the LOC Method for moisture. Tried it and it didn’t work? It happens, here are a few possible reasons why your outcome was less than pleasing:

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You didn’t section your hair
Divide your hair into 4 or more sections. This ensures that you can get thorough coverage.

Poor water quality
Unfortunately our water doesn’t always have the best quality especially if you are dealing with hard water. In this case you may want to purify your water using a water filter and then put it into your spray bottle.

You aren’t using water
If you decide to use a leave in for the first step of the LOC method rather than just plain water, make sure that the product has water within the first 5 items of the ingredient list; ideally it should be the first item (same thing for your cream). The product must contain water in order to be an effective moisturizer.

Not using oils penetrate the hair shaft
Coconut oil, olive oil and avocado oil are good choices when using the LOC method because they penetrate the hair shaft. If you are using oils that do not penetrate you are better off reversing the order to LCO.

Your hair is weighed down with too much product
Feeling like no matter how much product you add to your hair it is always dry? There is a reason for this. You have too much product buildup and it is time to cleanse your hair. When you have too much product buildup it is challenging for the moisture you are attempting to put into your hair to get through the layers of buildup that is already there. If the buildup is really bad, consider using a clarifying shampoo.

The Styles You Wear
Protective styling not only helps you to retain more length but it also helps you hold onto more moisture. Hair worn out will lose moisture faster than hair that is worn in a bun for example. Try doing more protective styles especially during cold dry weather and see if it makes a difference.

by Jascmeen of Jascmeen.com

I didn’t realize until I looked through the selfie folder on my iPhone that I’ve had a pretty amazing six months growth wise. In the picture above, the left image is from September 2015, the center image was taken in November 2015, and the one on the far right is a recent pic from this month (March.)

Sorry to disappoint, but I haven’t been doing anything fancy. I’ve been keeping it pretty simple with a nighttime routine that only involves 2-3 products. (Funny how that’s considered “simple,” right?)

Continue!>>>

Jamaican Black Castor Oil
I massage this into my hair every night. Not for a long time, just until my arms get tired. It gives me something to do while my night cream absorbs before I move on to the next part of my skincare routine. I do NOT apply it onto my hairline every night. I’m sort of paranoid that since the oil is so thick that it will clog my follicles and my edges wont be able to thrive. So I massage it every night into my scalp and along my hairline about every other night.

Cantu Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream
Where would I be without this stuff? My ends love it. Since I’m usually protective styling with “Bye Felicia braids” under a wig, it’s easy to slather this nourishing cream onto my ends every night.

Coconut Oil
If I’m not babying my ends with the Cantu, I’ll dip my braids into a jar of coconut oil. If I’m fully stocked, I’ll even alternate between the Cantu and the coconut oil. One night I’ll use Cantu, the next night I’ll go for the coconut oil. As long as something is on my ends every night, I’m in good shape. I slide on my bonnet or silk scarf and that’s it for the night.

Take a look at my entire first year (with some pretty embarrassing pics) in this vid--

by Sabrina Perkins of SeriouslyNatural.org

Although hair strands are considered "dead", I like to treat mine as though they were alive. After all, they play such a big role in my life and I would be devastated to lose them! I do different things that will help keep my strands attached to my head, so I can enjoy them for as long as I can.

I find that my hair loves natural remedies, since I have yet to have any side effects from using them. Since I went natural in 2008, my hair has bounced back from all of the harsh treatments I have put it through. Thankfully, my strands have been the utmost forgiving and decided to give me a second chance.

Today, I have long tail-bone length curly hair and I have my natural regimen to thank for that. One of my favorite remedies to use for my hair (and skin) consist of clays. I love them all, but I have certain ones that I prefer over others, especially when it comes to my hair. The three clays that I adore are highly beneficial for your scalp and hair.

Read On!>>>

Kaolin Clay

Other than detoxing your hair of chemicals and pollutants, kaolin clay is an excellent choice for dry, brittle hair. Whether your hair is in this condition because of your tap water, chemical processing or continued use of chemical hair products, you can use this to help restore the moisture. Of course, I do recommend that you fix these issues to get the best results.

Rhassoul Clay

One of my fave -- Moroccan clay, aka Rhassoul clay. This one is packed with minerals and has high absorption for impurities found in your hair. It can also help to relieve dryness, flakes in your scalp, and assist with detangling your hair. I like to use this clay because it leaves my hair soft. It reminds me of a conditioner.

Bentonite Clay

Of course, I can't leave out bentonite clay, which is one of the best clays for detoxification. I find that mixing Rhassoul with it helps to minimize the hardening effects that bentonite can sometimes have on hair.

Creating Your Replenishing Hair Mask

After you've collected these three clays, putting them together and mixing it up is quite simple. Just make sure that you use a non-metallic bowl and spoon when doing so. How much you use for your hair depends on how much hair you have. Combine equal parts of each clay into the bowl and use filtered or distilled water to mix it into a creamy paste.

I like to do this when my hair is wet for easier application. Plus, this also opens up my pores, giving me a nice deep detox in my scalp. Just section off your hair and apply the paste. I prefer to start in the back and work my way to the front, similar to how you would a relaxer or hair dye.

Some people time their treatment to about 15-20 minutes, but I like to wait until it dries. Once it becomes dry, I rinse it out and then wash my hair with an herbal 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner (made with shikakai, amla, aritha, brahmi and bhringraj). I then use a hair butter and style as usual. However, if you feel that this is too drying, you can put in oils or a leave-in conditioner as well.

You can use this hair mask as often or as little as you like. I prefer to keep my hair detoxes down to once per month.

by Jensine from Jungle Naps

A good clarifying/moisturizing shampoo can do wonders for your natural hair and scalp. For those of us that don’t stick to strictly cowashing, the quest for a holy grail shampoo can sometimes be quite frustrating.

These five shampoos are definitely worth a try if you’re on the hunt for a good cleanser that doesn’t strip your fragile tresses.

Continue!>>>

What are your holy grails for cleansing your natural hair?

by Emilia Obiekea of AdoreBotanicals.com

Dandelions are often seen as just being flowering weeds that are seen in the yard or coming through cracks in pavement. They are actually great for your health and have been used for centuries for that reason. Almost the entire plant is usable and edible.

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For hair care it is a great stimulant. The roots are rich with vitamins A, C, B-complex and E. It also contains biotin, iron, sulfur, magnesium and calcium. These all enrich the hair by stimulating and strengthening the hair. Many naturals love biotin and sulfur in their hair growth aids. It is a wonderful aid to get rid of dandruff and itchy scalp. It also removes build up from the length of the hair like a very mild clarifying solution. The simplest way to incorporate this is by topical application. It can be used as a rinse prior to or after deep conditioning and as an infused oil.

Dandelion Root Hair Rinse

Ingredients
-2 cups of distilled water
-2 tablespoons of calendula flowers*
-1/4 a cup of rosewater
-1 teaspoon of each: brahmi and burdock root

*This is a very soothing and healing flower. It is used in this recipe because it makes the hair softer and calms inflammation of the scalp.

Steps
-Warm the distilled water and pour it over all of the dandelion root and calendula.
-Cover and allow to steep until cool.
-Strain and discard the spent plant material.
-Add the rosewater. Blend well. Rosewater smells amazing! You'll definitely love that fragrance.
-Pour it over the hair and massage the scalp well with the pads of your fingers. Be sure to have a bowl to catch the run off.
-Repeat the above setup several times.
-You can rinse it out with cool water or leave in on the hair and proceed to styling.

Dandelion Root Infused Oil

Ingredients
-1 tablespoon of dandelion root
-1 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Steps
-Warm the oil in a double boiler.
-Blend the dandelion root with the warm oil.
-Pour it into a heat safe jar. Let it infuse for approx. 2 weeks then it's ready to for use.
-Can be used for hot oil treatments, prepoo and added to deep conditioners.

Give these recipes a try and see how much you like them as well.
Enjoy!

by Whitney From The Blog

Some girls have good hair days for eternity. How, you ask? It's actually pretty simple and I would like to share my personal 4 tips to help my wash day last for days.

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1. NOT IN THE MOOD OR IN A RUSH? SKIP WASH DAY
My first tip would be to not wash your hair when you are not in the mood for it or when you are in a rush. Detangling should happen carefully in order to prevent breakage.

2. PRE-POO YOUR HAIR THE NIGHT BEFORE WASHING
Pre-pooing your hair will make your hair easier to detangle and therefore you will spend less time in a cold, boring bathroom.

3. TRY THE LCJ METHOD
It is often recommended to seal the hair with oil; however, this does not work for everyone. If you notice that applying oil only results in frizz, you can replace the oil with a jelly, which will leave the same effect as sealing.

The LCJ method entails you first apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair followed by a leave-in cream and topped off with a jelly. Apply your products using the Praying Hands Method which will result in less frizz and more defined curls.

4. INVEST IN HAIR CARE PRODUCTS
This might be painful to your wallet, but your hair will surely enjoy it. During the last three years I noticed that my hair became healthier and bouncier when I started using products of high quality.

Here are my favorite hair care products for these methods.

Shampoo
SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo
TRESemmé Naturals Avocado and Aloe Vera Shampoo

Conditioner
Petal Fresh Rosemary & Mint Conditioner
TRESemmé Naturals Avocado and Aloe Vera Conditioner

Deep conditioner
Vatika Black Seed Hair Mask
Aphogee Keratin 2-Minute Reconstructor

Leave-in conditioner
SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk
SheaMoisture Yucca & Boabab Anti-breakage Strengthening Milk
SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-in

Cream
Camille Rose Naturals Almond & Jai Twisting Butter
Eden BodyWorks Curl Defining Crème

Jelly
Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker
SheaMoisture Curling Soufflé

5. DON'T FORGET WEATHER
If you live in a humid environment, wear your hair in a high pineapple bun when you are outside. You can also consider covering our hair with a fashionable head wrap. This will help you protect your curls and your wash day will last longer.

6. NIGHT TIME ROUTINE
When going to bed, pull your hair in a pineapple bun and wrap a satin scarf to protect your hair during the evening. You can also sleep on a satin pillowcase.

How do you make your wash day last throughout the week?

ultralight beamin'...

Checking in from our spontaneous trip to Rio de Janeiro. We've hit up all of our favorite restaurants, beaches and night hot-spots and the shit's surreal. It's been 4 years but we haven't missed a beat. Between the extra chill vibe, the conversion ratio of 1 : 4 (dollars to reals) and the #bootybuttcheeks, I could pitch a tent.

Peep the view--

runnin' off #OnThePlug

fro hawkin'...

posin'...

(with my boo! Remember Nina from our first trip to Rio? Well, she's still project managing, volunteering, writing, dancing, producing and generally slaying for Black and Brown girls everywhere.

She's actually looking to relocate to the States but needs a gig. She's kind of a big deal in IT over here-- an Executive of Technology Information since 2002, focused on SAP implementations. So if you know of anything, email me- nikki@curlynikki.com)

clownin'...

top of the worldin'...

sunnin'...

slayin'...

viewin'...

lunchin'...

servin'...

man crushin'...

strollin'...

lovin'...

Flexin'...

Cakin'...

frizzin'...

(I lost so many good bobby pins on this trip-- my hair would draw up immediately upon stepping outside and begin ejecting them joints, like 'ping, ping'-- it was hilarious and tragic.)

face stuffin' #Feijoada

meditatin'...

late night beach strollin'...

By far my most favorite thing to do.

new friendin'

(Meet Allie and Alexandra. They recognized me at Copacabana Beach after a long day of chillin' and we got up for drinks and dancing several days later. They're beautiful, natural haired students from Wesleyan University who managed to squeeze in a trip to Brazil on their spring break while working on their theses projects.)

vibin'...

(The only thing I wanted to do on this trip was come back here-- to Trapiche Gamboa Restaurant in downtown Rio. The ladies pictured above performed regional and black traditional music - samba, jongo and maracatu. The drums were SICK. Like, 'shake shake shake Senora', good. )

Livin'... #LikeItsGolden #CauseItIs

Later Gators,

Nik

Hola Chicas!

So y'all went hard in the paint and I appreciate the initiation of discussion and helpful advice you shared with one another. Thanks to everyone for your participation!

The February winners are--

Read On!>>>

Tee

Brendee
Megan M

Domenique H
PecanCurls
NikkiMar

Each winner will receive:

(1)Hair Therapy Wrap: $21.95

(1)Aubrey Organics HoneySuckle Rose Conditioner: $10.93

(1)Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo 10oz: $6.00

(1)Curl Junkie Curl Rehab - Gardenia: $20.00

(1)Oyin Handmade Hair Dew 8.4oz: $13.99

(1)Oyin Handmade Juices & Berries: $13.99

Please email me at nikki@curlynikki.com with your full name and home address using 'February Winner' in the subject line. Oh, and I'm hosting the exact same giveaway for March! Past winners are eligible! Remember, no one word responses! Ask questions, get answers, foster positive discussion! Love y'all!

Later Gators,

Nik

p.s. US only!

source

by Ariane of BlackNaps.org

Avocados truly are nature’s fruit for overall health and beauty. It has quite the amount of uses and benefits, but here are some key ones to zone in on…

#1 They are a great source of good fat and protein. You can make shakes, put them in salads and even make avocado mac n cheese for a healthy alternative.

#2 Improve your skin. Just by consuming more avocados I truly have seen a difference in my skin, including less breakouts. However, you can create avocado skin masks as well. Avocados contain oleic acid, which is helpful in combating skin problems like acne.

Continue!>>>

#3 Create your own DIY Hair Conditioner using Avocado. It will leave your hair feeling super soft.

#4 Avocado oil is a good choice when using the LOC method because it penetrates the hair shaft.

#5 Combat frizz. The natural oils in Avocado will leave your hair less frizzy and more manageable.

#6 It makes a great scalp treatment. Heal dry itchy scalp with amino acids and the Vitamin E found in Avocados.

#7 Add shine to your hair. Hair masks with Avocado will leave your hair glistening.

An Intensive DIY Deep Conditioner Using Avocado

Ingredients
-1 Banana
-1/2 Avocado
-1 Egg (just the yolk)
-1/2 cup raw coconut oil
-2 tablespoons organic honey

Tip: I personally hate to mess with Hass Avocados. They are just way too small! It’s pretty annoying trying to work to get something out of this little thing. Try Florida Avocados they are easier to work with and you get more out of them. I stay having one of these babies in my house.

via globalcoutureblog.net

Tell me a little about yourself and your hair journey. (Name, where you’re from, etc)
My name is Nadieya Barco. I am from Raleigh, NC. I was born in the little town of Elizabeth City, NC. Also, I attend school at Elizabeth City State University and I am a junior.

How long have you been natural? Have you always embraced your curls?
I have been natural for a little over 3 years. When I was in high school I did not embrace my curls. I had a mohawk and kept it straight, “laid to the Gods”. This resulted in heat damage, but I just considered my pattern to have changed to wavy.

Read On!>>>

What motivated you to transition? Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper& why?
I have been both a transitioner and Big Chopper. I wanted to transition because I wanted my curly hair back. I did that and ended up with heat damage which resulted in a big chop. I big chopped because I had a mohawk and wanted a full head of hair.

How would you describe your hair?
I would describe my hair as 3c/4a, frizzy, and free willed.

What do you love most about your hair?
The best thing about my hair is the fact that it is trained. It basically does whatever I want it to do.

What has been the most memorable part of your journey? Has it been easy or difficult or both?!
The most memorable part was being basically bald headed for months and having no choice but to do wash and gos because it was not long enough to style, bleaching my ends, and finally being able to do a puff. It has been difficult and still is, but it is worth it.

What are (or were) some of your favorite transitioning hairstyles or current dos?
My transitioning style was perm rods and I still do them now that I am natural!

What have your experiences been as a ‘natural.’ Any memorable reactions from family or others?
When I big chopped my mother and father said I looked like a little boy. I was constantly asked WHY I wanted to look like a boy and why my hair was always “dry”.

What is your hair regimen (including fav products)?
Sadly, I can never stick to a regimen, but I swear by TGIN DAILY BUTTER CREAM MOISTURIZER!

What are some of your favorite natural hair websites,YouTuber’s, or blogs?
I love the curlynikki and naturalcurly website. My fav youtubers would have to be TheChicNatural, MoKnowsHair, and askProy

Anything you want the readers to know? Inspirational words?
Never expect a certain curl pattern from your hair, doing this leads to disappointment. Instead, enjoy the ride, learn your hair, and learn yourself.

How do you deal with the backlash of those who do not “like” your hair?
Your natural hair is for YOU. There will be those who do not like, but embrace it. Have confidence, try new styles, and those same haters will be asking how you do it!

Where can people find you for more information?
My instagram is @trillestpsyche. My twitter is @trillestpsyche. My youtube is NarcissisticNaturals And Vlog. My email is nadieya@me.com.

bySabrina Perkins

Nikki says-- My hair gets matted every time I rock a rod set for too long... wash day is usually horrendous unless I take extra precautions by doing a pre-poo and a little pre-finger detangling!

What is matted hair?
Matted hair is the combination of attached and shed hairs entwined in clumps or web-like tangles. They are more severe than regular tangles. Some are just prone to matted hair, but many experience matted hair when wearing braided extensions or other extensions too long.

How does it happen?
Matted hair occurs when it has not been combed to remove shed hairs. Loose hairs can knot several times around attached hair, create a tangle, and lead to matting if not removed. Some people are just prone to knotting while other may be suffering from a damaged hair cuticle, causing more friction from the lifted cuticles.

Continue!>>>
Does it have to be cut out?
No, matted hair can be successfully detangled without cutting the hair. It takes patience, work, and product, but it can be accomplished and end up saving your strands and your nerves from being shot. Yanking or ripping the hair apart leads to further damage to your strands. No one likes dealing with matted hair.

How to detangle it
While some may decide to seek a professional (hair stylist) to fix their matted hair, it can be done at home with a few tools and some serious patience.

STEP 1 - LOOSEN

Loosen the matted strands by saturating with an excellent detangler, oil, or moisturizing conditioner but never a shampoo and water only. This is not the time to skimp so really saturate it. Some will allow the hair to sit for up to 30 minutes with the detangler and some even add heat to really get the product to loosen and soften the strands.

STEP 2 - PULL APART

Use fingers or a wide tooth comb to gently pull apart the strands, but take your time. The goal is to detangle your a hair and decrease further damage. Make sure to hold onto the hair near the root to prevent yanking and pain.

There will be significant shedding so do not panic and remember we lose on average 100 hairs a day, and since the hair is matted those shed hairs are locked in and need removal.

How to keep hair from matting
-DO detangle regularly to decrease the chances of it occurring, especially if you are prone to matting
-DO NOT put off detangling, as it may turn into a more tedious and damaging detangling session or matting
-DO regular protein treatments to fill the gaps in damaged cuticles, as this will decrease friction, tangles, and matting
-DO NOT keep extensions in any longer than advised

Have you experienced matted hair? How did you fix it?

by Tiffani Greenaway of MyMommyVents.com

Whenever Beyoncé brings the beat in, our heads start nodding. One all-female tap dance troupe has got our feet moving, too.

Continue!>>>

The Syncopated Ladies dropped their version of Bey's "Formation" on Sunday, showing the world that #BlackGirlMagic includes tap dancing. The five fierce women are members of the tap band headed by Chloe Arnold, a Debbie Allen trained choreographer from Washington, DC. Produced by Chloe and her sister, Maud, a Debbie Allen and Duke Ellington alum, the Ladies' video showcases the art and skill of tap. Feet thundering, their take on Bey's newest hit slays, with tap dancers around the world from Taipei to GA getting in formation.

Chloe formed Syncopated Ladies to "create a platform for women to have a strong and impacting voice in the art form of tap dance." With appearances on "Dancing with the Stars,""America's Got Talent," and "Boardwalk Empire," Chloe, along with critically acclaimed dancers Sarah Reich, Anissa Lee, Pamela Yasutake, Melissa Tannus, and Melinda Sullivan, have brought attention to the art. Their sold out performances at New York's Gerald W. Lynch Theater and D.C.'s Howard Theater have helped to mesh tap with pop culture. Maud told the Huffington Post, "We wanted to start a movement to show how powerful black women in tap dance are...Just how black culture influences the world... my sister and I, as black women, have been able to influence the world of dance."

The Syncopated Ladies have already proven that they've got coordination-- Queen Bey shared the group's "Beyoncé Tap Salute" video on Facebook earlier this year, and it went viral within 24 hours with over 80,000 likes. Their "Formation" routine has had over 2 billion views since Sunday. You can catch the tap dancing sensations LIVE on March 18th at the 8th Annual DC Tap Fest All Star Concert.

*********************

Tiffani Greenway is the wife and mom behind MyMommyVents, a New York city parenting blog. Her tips have been seen on Yahoo Parenting, Mommy Noire, and Fit Pregnancy. Find more of Tiffani's work at mymommyvents.com.

Facebook: https://facebook.com/mymommyvents
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mymommyvents
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mymommyvents/

By Dr. Phoenyx Austin of DrPhoenyx.com

I’ve known about this natural emollient since I was waist high. And I particularly love this oil because it is extremely rich vitamin E and essential fatty acids that are important for healthy hair growth.

A few benefits of castor oil:

Is an excellent emollient and humectant for skin and hair

Is a treatment for hair thinning and hair loss

Prevents the dry and itchy scalp

Has anti-fungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties- so it can be effective for treating skin/scalp infections like ringworm.

Read More!!>>>>

A Word On Jamaican Black Castor Oil…

Many women want to know why there’ so much buzz about Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO). So let me give you a brief rundown of what JBCO is and why it’s different from other types of castor oil.

Manufacturers will use different types of processing methods when extracting oils from plants. And an oil will be either unrefined or refined based on how it was extracted from a plant. Unrefined oils retain most if not all of their nutritive properties, while refined oils will lose some (or possibly all) of their nutritive properties.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil is simply a raw, unrefined form of castor oil. So it is a form of castor oil that has retained most, if not all of its nutritive properties. It is simply a high quality form of castor oil. And this is why JBCO is so highly sought after and wildly popular among women.

Castor Oil and Healthy Hair Growth

Castor oil is a great hair oil, but it can be very thick and viscous. So some women may end up having a bad hair experience with the oil. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a woman to get immediately turned off from using this oil because it left her hair all sticky and icky. Still this oil is simply amazing for the health of your hair and scalp. So check out these few tips on how to best use castor oil. Then try out this oil for a few weeks- who knows, you may just fall in love too!

Tips for Using Castor Oil:

1. Moisturize Hair First
Before using any emollient (i.e. hair oil or butter), you always want to make sure that your hair has been wet first (i.e. your hair that has been moisturized first). Emollients don’t “moisturize,” they simply “seal” moisture in. So the best way to use castor oil is on wet hair.

2. Use Less Oil
Castor oil is very thick and viscous so you don’t need to be “heavy-handed” with use. Using a lot of castor oil won’t increase its benefits- it will just make your hair sticky and limp. And with castor oil, as well as many other emollients, you will find oftentimes that when using “less is more.” Also, because it is a “heavier oil,” some women do prefer to only use castor oil on certain parts of their. For example, some may only use castor oil the edges of hair as opposed to using it all over their hair.

3. Mix With Other Oils
Since castor oil is so thick and heavy, it may be best to “lighten” it up with other oils. There’s no law that says you can’t mix your emollients. In fact, I’ve been using a great mixture that includes equal parts castor oil, olive oil and fresh rosemary. This is a wonderful hair oil- and it smells great too!

Is castor oil a part of your hair regimen? How do you use your castor oil? What type of castor oil do you use?

If you’d like to send a comment/question to Dr. Phoenyx, you can find her on her Facebook and Twitter. Dr. Phoenyx Austin is a writer, media personality, and physician.

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Castor Oil: The Natural Solution to Hair Growth

A few benefits of castor oil:

A Word On Jamaican Black Castor Oil…

Castor Oil and Healthy Hair Growth

Tips for Using Castor Oil: