yes, im still here!

its been way too long since I've last wrote on this site and not for lack of trying just a simple lack of...

I have been busy with well life and such and the fact that my laptop died shortly after I moved and my tablet way before that, you can see why I haven't tried to reconnect electronically.

but life is good!!!!

really good in fact, I love my job as a Para and I really enjoy working with my kindergarten class. The only sucky thing is getting used to being paid twice a month over the every two weeks at the old job. But the pay is soooooooo much better just need to work on my budgeting.

I love my families new place. Its spacious, gathers so much light, and dots welcoming. Its not just a spot for us to call a home but this is home until we find a complete space of out own. I bought bedroom furniture and a new tv, both of which I was holding off until I found a space of my own. But I am definitely enjoying my purchases.

I have some product reviews to write about alikay and on my most recent protective style. things with the nephew deserve a post of their own!

Protective Style: Three Strand Twist

Now when i first learned of this, i was like no way is that possible, but it and and its fairly easy..
fairly.

Now I found a simple tutorial on youtube (click here) that completely dumbed it down. I always refer back to this video when i get my finger placement wwrong or need a refresher. its simple, and i liked the fact that she showed you how to do it with the yarn rather than having to try to catch her finger movements as she does her own hair.

So yea...

I havent done these in a while, the last time being 2012 (i think) yep it was then so lets compare shall we

dec. 2012 vs. feb 2014

 
Not that much of a difference other than length of my hair, i colored it, and i did them a bit chunkier. The method used (not that you can really see it) is also different. I had to go back and make some smaller since they were really puffy. I use a tension method to keep the twist really tight. Meaning that after a few times of going around i would pull at the ends as far as it would go to bring the hair up and start twisting again.

I recently saw this video and i like the method of braiding the hair a bit first (same as a stylist would do when twisting with extensions) and starting the twist from there.

I like how mines came out and how i look with the twist. I'm leaving it in until friday. Got an exam that day and then Saturday is the Locs Revolution: Know Your Roots natural hair even in Harlem. Ill be there as brand ambassador for Alikay Naturals.

So come through!

Have you tried 3 strand twists before?

A.Soul

Product Review: Entwine Couture 'Fall Ready Collezioni'

Hey all, i was a giveaway queen for th new year! last week i used my goodies from @MNRtv, loved the Miss Jessie's shampoo, didnt get a wow with their leave in condish but i'll try it again. Same with the sweetback treatment.

This week i used my hair crack (Mixed Chicks) for wash day. I dont use it often since my pockets arent that deep. But know this, as soon as that deep conditioner hits my hair, my hair is in HEAVEN!!!!

Ahem..
Any who here's what i used

I somehow ended up with two boxes (not that im complaining but i gave one to my coworker since she was looking in to getting the sample kit from Amazon). From Entwine Couture I got their Fall Ready Collezioni: which included full sizes of their 

• Exotique leave in hair potion (here)
• 100% raw+vegan argan oil (here)
• Exotique butter creme hydrator (here)
• Creme jelle styler (here)

After i washed my hair, toweled dried it, let it air dry for bit and then followed up with the leave in. Then the argan oil ( i do like the pump!) and the butter creme hydrator. This was my LOC. These three are very light weight and have a very light scent to them. i followed up with my now foods castor oil and the creme jelle styler. The styler is a heavier consistency but also very fluffy as well, it was whipped really well. 

I did some three strand twists ( next post) and that was it. I liked the feel of the products going into my hair. I prefer the creme jelle styler over the butter creme in that my hair needs a heavier moisturizer. The leave in was a bit more watery than i liked. But my hair feels awesome. I dont even have to say anything about my ends this time around (my problem area) cause they are well and truly hydrated.

I highly recommend this! 

Iits CG friendly as well - no mineral oils, parabens, petrolatum, or phthalates. 

Enter the Entwine Giveaway here

Love,
A.Soul

Closing of a Chapter

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I finally left my job! Last Friday was my last day and i was so happy to leave! Of course i was annoyed on my last day and people were just not helping in that office with my being the only one to nswer the window most of the day (as usual)

but now im gone! im fucking free of that annoyance!

AMEN!!!



but it was my first job and i greatly appreciate it as it was, a start up. I was over it since graduation tho. That office though it was a great support and easy going and sometimes lackadaisical on it slow days, some people gave me weird vibes and i didnt like that. like bipolar personalities and always had something to say about something (... this bitvh)

Any who, i met some pretty great people there and formed some good working relationships. And also found some good friends.

good times on the last day and thos cupcakes were banging!

Product Review: Miss Jessie's & ORS

It was a Miss Jessie's wash day this weekend. I recently won the super slip sudsy shampoo and leave in condish from the My Natural Reality birthday giveaway  and i already had some samples from various other natural hair events that i've been to in the past few years. (Exact pic of everything i used! lol)

                        

HOWEVER!...

This is my first time using any of it. Cause you know my pockets dont run that deep and its 50/50 on what people say about it. I am more for the CG method of being natural staying away from cones, parabens, sulfates, mineral oils, etc... And the first thing i see on the shampoo ingredient list after water is Ammonium Lauryl sulfate ...

((((O_O)))) (lord give me strength)

But i did it and i really like this shampoo... didnt get that slip it talked about but it did suds up nicely and my hair did not feel stripped and was really moisturized (thank you jeezus!). Will i purchase again... meh. lets see how my pockets feel when it runs out lol.

Now i followed up with ORS Replenishing Conditioner cause i personally felt my hair (specifically the ends)  needed that extra bit of protein care. But it didnt do much for me, did not like how my hair felt afterwards and this was a first. I then deep conditioned with the Super Sweetback Treatment..

BUT WAIT! (mad jamaican wit it lol)

What did i think i was going to accomplish with the 1-.46oz pillow pack with my big ass head of hair???.. 

Again did not like how my hair felt afterwards. And the bumblegum scent was alright (like bubble tape in my hair lol). I dont think sweetback is for me.. but ill give it another go (without the protein tx) and then try the rapid recovery tx. I did the same method as my last wash and while rinsing out the sweetback treatment... added Shea Moisture's restorative conditioner on my hair as well. It gave it some life but not much.

Moisture Method: The leave in condish was nothing special. Meaning i didnt notice much of a difference in my hair putting it in.  followed by oil, alikay's shea yogurt, castor oil and then the jelly soft curls. And i already like the jelly soft curls, i notice the the curl enhancement as soon as i lay that on my hair.... love my LOCO G method!


Now the SCENT! They were not kidding with they called it a FRESH SCENT! i Felt like i had just washed linen following me around with a hint of lemon and apples mixed in. Its a very light fresh clean but slightly sweet scent. 

I dont mind it. I dont mind it at all.

Recommendations: ALL OF IT! =) Honestly i did like everything. Ill give the sweetback treatment another go (bigger size of course!) But for you guys I would try the sample packs/ 2oz sizes first before you go all full size and yes they do offer them on the site! =)

Love,
A.Soul

Moisture Routine: The LOCO G!

Huh?

I bet you're confused but have no fear i shall explain.
=)

After the take down of my braids my hair was in serious need of some TLC which i gave it last weekend. and i had it in a protective style for most of last week until i decided to wear my hair in it twist out.
With this cold weather i did not moisturize as well as i should have =/

Le Sigh...

But i did use my LOC method and sealed afterwards with some castor oil midweek, which helped in sealing in moisture on my somewhat crispy ends. So it became an LOC+O. I usually go LOC+G, sealing it all in with a light weight gel (ors loc & twist creme, miss jessie's jelly soft curls, or curls cashmere curl jelly). I liked how my hair felt after sealing with the castor oi so i said i'd do it again for this week.

But this weekend i decided for an uber method the LOCO G! lol yes you read it right (the crazy g!)

So its pretty much all i said earlier loc method with an oil followed by gel in the end.Yes it sounds like much but if you have coarse (4b/c) hair that soaks up moisture and want to wear your hair out in the 11 degree weather out in NYC then you have to go to extremes..

(damn polar vortex!)

O_O

So this is what i used this week.. i traded up the alikay naturals leave in for the miss jessie's leave in condish (won it in a giveaway.. it was a miss jessie's wash day!)

My hair feels awesome and I wont be moisturizing again til the end of this week.. hopefully!

Whats your moisture routine like?

A.Soul

Poem: Soon I Will Be by KC Burke

And I told you
that i am not ready

I am still learning
about the world
and myself

I am still growing
into who i am
into who i think i
should be
and who i want to be

I am slowly forming
into an individual
that I want
my family to be proud of...
that my friends are aiming towards...
that my future husband and children are in awe of!

my future self will be ready
but my self now is not

A.Soul

Poem: Happiness Becomes Me by KC Burke

I am happy
And in my happiness
I want to squeal....
              girlishly
to jump and dance,
              do my happy jig!
to clap my hands and
              stomp my feet...
to scream:
              YES! YES! YES!

Can you tell....
              I am happy!


A.Soul


Wrote this when i found out we went international with ASOM Designs

O.O Shea Moisture Shampoo Gone Bad! O.O

the smell. omg, the smell.

its like a rotten eggs and perm mixture

:::faints:::

Ok, im done now. But this shit stinks. I bought a bottle of Shea Moisture's Raw Shea Moisture Retention shampoo when Walgreens was having its half off  sale in December. I haven't used the bottle yet myself seeing as how i still had my mini bottle from the shea moisture hair color system box when i colored my hair back in November. I was even thinking of mixing in the smaller bottle with the bigger one.

I'm glad i didn't....

Monday my mom asked me if  used the Shea Moisture shampoo yet and if i added anything to it. I told her no and that i used the mini when i washed my box braids. She went on to say that when she used it it smelled disgusting and she thought that since she had the acv in her that that might have caused the change in scent, But when she used it a second time without the acv or any other products the scent was still there and asking me she now knew that i did not change or alter its contents. Opening the bottle myself, i closed that shit immediately. My first thought was that there is a permed masked as the shea butter shampoo in my house. Then the smell of rotten eggs kicked in.

Eww.

Of course i emailed the company that same day (still waiting on a response, but im thinking with the help of social media.. it'll come faster. so to twitter, facebook, blogger, tumblr, instagram i go)

I honestly spent the last few minutes getting ready this morning taking pictures so you could see the difference in color of the bottles. One, the mini, is the regular tan shade and scent, while the other is is a light creamy green color with a very putrid smell.

                                

I know its probably a bad batch i got or something else (i dunno, maybe bad storage placement on my end) and i'm not saying that this has occurred to me before or frequently. Its the first time. I just want some acknowledgement on  the issue. I mean i only paid $4.99 for it. its not that serious. But if i could get a new bottle that would be awesome. =)

Anyone else had a bad experience with a product similar to this? Has a product expired on you?

Wish me luck!

A.Soul

Protective Style: Flat Twists & Roll Tuck

found this on Entwine Naturalle Couture facebook page.. might be my style for this week!

i dont know if i'll get my twists this lose, cause i usually twist tighter than whats shown but ill give it a go

And there it is. Not as neat as hers but i like it and it fits my face. Instead of leaving the back straight i had it in mini-twists to give it a more crinkled look. Left that in for two days before i took them out and roll tuck them away.