Aphogee 2 Step... Uh....

So usually I do a light to medium protein on my hair once a week on dry hair. Well since I am trying to simplify my regimen, I figured instead of doing a weekly light/medium protein treatment why not just do one heavy protein treatment for that month and be over with it. So enters in Aphogee 2 Step, I decided to use it my last wash and put it in a spray bottle so I could evenly distribute it. This stuff gets really sticky on your skin not to mention it has a very horrible smell! I wasn't to sure about using it and I don't think I left it in my hair long enough which is probably why I wasn't too impressed with the results. Most people I seen that use this sit under a hooded dryer till the Aphogee 2 Step hardens in their hair, I waited till it started feeling sticky in my hair. I don't think I will be trying this again, I didn't like how my hair responded to this and it seems like I see small ends here and there since using it. So no more heavy protein treatments for me. I am going back to using eggs, conditioner, and Avocado Oil that I use to do in the past. This will be the last new product I try and am going to be sticking to all the things I know worked for me in the past. HHJ

MetaGrip Black Ponytail Hooks

I have been staring at these for quite a long time at Sallys and finally decided to pick up a pack. I want to see how this compare to traditional ponytail holders. They are supposed to give a looser more secure hold, and keep your ponytails from droppin. The directions say to wrap around your ponytail or braid and hook the hooks together. I will be giving these a try and will let you know what I think of them. HHJ

Braidouts, Buns, and Bantu Knot... Oh My!! Winter Time Coming Soon!

With Winter being right around the corner it is time to bust out those protective styles! My protective style of choice for the cold months is the tried and true bun. Buns can be done in many different ways besides the traditional donut bun you see a lot. This Winter I plan on giving different kind of styles of buns a try and will be posting pics up to show the hair style of the day. I feel buns do a great job of protecting hair from the winter climates, because the hair is tucked away from the elements. Always make sure that you tuck the ends underneath when creating your bun, because leaving them exposed will cause your ends to dry out. As far as the other two hairstyles for the Winter months, I feel they are good in moderation. Bantu knots and braidouts keep your hair out in harsh elements more and your hair comes into contact with scrafs, and other wool like materials you could be wearing. I use to try to do the braidout look all the time in the Winter, but hair would always get caught in my coat zipper or backpack strap. And while doing this hairstyles, don't forget to moisturize your hair. Many women in the Winter time find that they have to use a heavier moisturizer than they did in the Summer months. I feel that some of the moisturizers you use in the Summer could work just as good in the Winter, just that you should switch to a heavier oil sealant to lock in moisture. But listen to your hair's needs during the colder months to determine what is good for your own hair. Now ladies let's all have a wonderful Winter, so by Spring we can have hair swaying down our backs!! HHJ

Giving GVP Nexxus Humectress Another Try

Ok so in the past I tried the GVP version of the Nexxus Humectress and was not impressed at all with the results. Well this weekend when I was in Sallys I seen they had the new formulation change to compare with the new formula of Nexxus Humectress. Hopefully I like this one better, because Sally's sells big bottles of this as well. My new regimen calls for me to deep condition every other week, but since it is getting cold out I might deep condition every week. Depending on how I feel I will give the GVP Humectress a try and let you know how it works out HHJ =]

V05 Shampoo

I used this Sunday for my first wash since getting a relaxer. I first detangled my hair with conditioner in it and then washed my hair with V05 Free Me Fressia Moisturizing Shampoo and a hand full of baking soda to kind of clarify my hair. I then shampooed my hair with just the shampoo. I absolutely love the smell of this shampoo, some people don't like it but I love it! Yes it does have sulfates in it, but frankly when using it I didn't even notice. My hair felt clean and not stripped at all. I know women on hair care sites rant and rave about V05 conditoners for co-washes but I feel this shampoo does get slept on. The good thing about it is the price it goes on sell almost everywhere so stocking up on it isn't that hard to do. I have like 4 bottles of the shampoo now since it was on sale at Walgreens for 79 cents. I can say I will be adding this to my revamped up regimen. Anyway, after shampooing I deep conditioned for 25 minutes with Moisture Maniac by Bed Head, I love this conditioner, just don't love the price. But since I am cutting down on products I should be able to manage to get this one. But still paying 20.00 and up for a bottle of conditioner is kind of steep, but I shall see. After deep conditoning I rinsed out in the shower and then applied more conditioner to detangle under the running water. I dried my hair using the turbie twist (love this by the way). Applied Infusium 23 Leave in Treatment and sealed with GVP Silk Infusion. My hair was sooooo soft!! I didn't have to moisturize for 2 days!! The stuff I have tried out so far are keepers. I will keep you posted HHJ!!

Officially Waist Length!

I got my hair relaxed yesterday at the salon at about 17 weeks post. And I am happy to say that I am waist length now!! I feel after this I am going to continue to grow my hair out as long as it will grow. Also I am in the makings of simplifying my regimen down and cutting out a lot of steps. As my hair gets longer I am getting to the point where I feel all the extra steps like pre pooing(something I never really did anyway) and moisturizing and sealing everyday don't seem that necessary. I feel the simpler the better, because I don't feel like spending all day on my hair nor do I want to be breaking the bank buying expensive products. So I am going to be giving V05 a try, most of their products you can get anywhere and they usually go on sale for a pretty reasonable price. I will be giving their shampoo a try, since I like their conditioner a lot for cowashing I will see if I feel the same way about their shampoo. I will be giving you a review of the new regimen once I compile it and try it out for some weeks but on that note... Yay waist length!!