Category: miss naturale

3-C hair type, accessories, au naturale, etsy.com, flowers, hair combs, hats, headbands. natural hair, maintenance, miss naturale, natural hair, naturale hair styles

Wake up your natural with accessories

The Lupie Chick

I love …love…love.. hair accessories! I get bored very easily and to keep from doing drastic things to my hair ( such as cut it, shave it, or color it)I normally accessorize. My flower has become my signature look- the bigger the better, the bolder- brighter- the saucier I feel ( lol..lol..)

I typically find pocket friendly accessories at stores such as Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Craigslist, ETSY.COM, thrift stores, consignment shops, and flea markets. My accessories normally range from .50 -$6 unique items and multi purposed items are my fav finds. Accessories that can double as a brooch, shoe clip, belt, or necklace will always find its way into my collection. Below are a few things that I’m lusting over ( and ya”ll know I’m saucy enough to rock em all).



Couture Headbands




Flowers



Head Bands and Hair Clips


What do you do to ” change” your look? How do you accessorize? Where do you find accessories?

3-C hair type, 4-b hair type, au naturale, curl defining, damage hair, denman brush, detangle, maintenance, miss naturale, miss sixx, styling products, tangle teezer

Tangle Teezer Detangling Brush

The Lupie Chick

If you have experienced hair breakage or damage from your denman brush- take a look at the tangle teezer. I was put on to this product by a natural sista on Twitter. Check it out the article and let me know what you think..

Tangle Teezer is the first of a new generation of detangling hairbrushes! Upon picking up Tangle Teezer you will notice the teeth aren’t like that of an ordinary brush which is where the hair genius comes in. The unique configuration of specifically designed teeth flex just the right amount to detangle and help smooth the hair’s cuticle which in turn protects the inner cortex from damage.

Using the Tangle Teezer will ensure your hair will appear more lustrous by minimising cuticle damage which in turn will help colour last and reduce the risk of fading. The hair shaft is also better prepared for the onslaught of damaging heat from styling tools. That’s why we like to call it first aid for hair.

SHAUN P SHARES HIS TOP TANGLE TEEZER TIPS

Tangle Teezer can be used for all types of hair and held however you prefer without affecting its high performance. Here I share my tips and advice on getting the absolute best from your Tangle Teezer, helping to put your hair on the road to recovery. As the Tangle Teezer is all about your hair and you, if you have any tips or suggestions for using your Tangle Teezer then please share them and send them to info@tangleteezer.com

HAIR NECESSITIES

• Tangle Teezer is excellent for detangling both wet and dry hair.

• Don’t be tentative! Fantastic, painless detangling is achieved by using a firmer pressure. Remember: it’s like no other brush.

• It’s a workout for your hair. Tangle Teezer gives a blissful, relaxing head massage even for the most sensitive scalps.

• Unlike conventional brushes and combs where you have to try and ease tangles out starting from the ends of the hair and working up towards the roots, Tangle Teezer can be used from roots to ends and mid-length to ends. Tangle Teezer is perfect for those on-the-go with busy lifestyles and fidgety children! Mums have also discovered that Tangle Teezer is a brush sent from hair heaven when it comes to detangling their little darlings’ hair that loves to knot. Hair is calmed in minutes where out go the tears and in come the smiles!

• Detangle hair by using brush strokes from the underneath of the hair with the teeth pointing upwards. Alternatively, brush from the top of the hair pointing the teeth downwards. For those with long hair, turn your head upside down and start detangling from the nape of your neck down to the roots. Ideal for taking conditioner evenly through the hair when wet. Tangle Teezer ensures a light and even distribution of product which adds up to weightless blow-drying. For professional results and to ensure maximum root lift from blow-drying apply conditioner from mid-length to the ends – not from the roots. Tangle Teezer will distribute a fine film of conditioner at the roots which ensures no product overload that leads to flat hair.

HAIR REHAB

• Tangle Teezer is a must-have for hair extension wearers. Tangle Teezer will simply glide though the hair from roots to end, passing painlessly over the bonds without pulling. For those with hair extensions you will find less hair is pulled out and your style will last longer and look better. After three months your hair extensions will continue to look like new rather than pieces of twisted and frayed rope!

• Gives superb results for the daily and on-going maintenance of wigs, wefts, weaves and clip in hair pieces. Tangle Teezer leaves them looking and feeling just like new.

• Excellent results are achieved on even the tightest curls and afro hair.

• Daily brushing refreshes hair for a sleek style and helps to smooth the cuticle for increased shine. While on the go, Tangle Teezer is the ultimate styling tool to give your hair a professional finish all day long.

• To funk up short styles, apply your styling product to the hair and use Tangle Teezer to shape and mould. Great for guys too!

• Tangle Teezer minimises hair breakage, so over a period of time you will notice your hair feels thicker and looks healthier. A results driven brush, the minute you start using Tangle Teezer the sooner you are on the road to beautiful hair. It sounds crazy, but it’s true!

• Three is the magic number! Keep one Tangle Teezer at home, one in the office and one in your gym bag – you never want your hair to be caught without it!

TAKE-OUT SALON TIPS

• When cleansing the hair use a light shampoo along with a gentle massaging action. Remember: you wouldn’t use wire wool to cleanse your face, so why scrub the hair with shampoo? Never pour shampoo straight from the bottle onto the scalp, instead follow the rhythm of: bottle to palm and palm to scalp.

• For mid-length styles avoid aggravating and knotting the hair by gently patting the shampoo through the hair. This will minimise the stress on hair strands.

• Wet hair is more susceptible to snapping, stretching and breaking especially for those with long hair, highlights or with damaged or mistreated hair. For the ultimate conditioning treatment it’s essential to remove excess moisture from the hair. Do this by taking paper towels and scrunching them through mid-length to ends. Pour a deep conditioner onto the palms of the hands and distribute evenly through the hair. Leave on according to product instructions.

• When blow-drying, remember practice makes perfect. To save hair from unwanted and damaging heat practice your style using ‘cool’ tools. Become use to the brush and blow-drying motion of creating your desired styles by putting your dryer on a cool setting. The same with your straightening irons. Use them cold until you feel comfortable you’ve got the technique perfect.

TLC FOR YOUR TANGLE TEEZER

Like your hair, the more you look after your Tangle Teezer the better it will perform. Here I give my TLC tips for looking after your detangler:

• Always place your Tangle Teezer with the pointing teeth up. This way you minimise damage to the teeth.

• Rinse your Tangle Teezer with warm water after using any kind of product.

• Dry at room temperature. Do not be tempted to speed dry by putting on a radiator or drying the teeth with your hair-dryer.

• Clean using a toothbrush by lightly brushing through the teeth with soapy water once a week. Rinse thoroughly.

au naturale, coils, curls, curly fro, detangle, fro hawk, kinks, miss naturale, miss sixx, natural hair

My Knotty Truth- No Lye!

The Lupie Chick

I’ve been natural since off and on since March 1995. I’ve rocked everything from a relaxer to loc’s and everything in between. Last night as I was responding to a natural beauty on Twitter, it hit me- THIS SHIT IS TIME CONSUMING! There I said it!!!!!! Sometimes its too much! I dont always want to braid, twist my hair before bed- I miss the days of just laying down! Don’t get me wrong- I LOVE my natural hair, and I will NEVER- EVER relax again – NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But lets be honest- I’ve never in my life had to dedicate so much time into hair. I mix everything that I apply to my hair-conditioner, leave-in conditioner, deep conditioner, hair butters, treatment oils, scalp oils, henna, hair moisturizing mask/clays and lets not talk about the ayurvedic treatments. One day the hair is poppin.. looking like a million bucks….the next she feeling herself- just acting up for NO REASON!!!!! I’m tender headed to the 10th power and DETANGLING IS HATEFUL!!!! Saturday I had a Twitter friend educate me on testing the PH balance in my water-and why I should do it -OK-WHAT??? Among checking labels, and having a boat load of ingredients edged into my brain of what not to use- Now, I gotta put my chemist coat on, get the testing strips and test the PH level in my water???? {OK} you know I’ma do it right ( hehehehehe).

I love my natural hair- we fight, we argue, when I really need her to show up and show out- SHE DOES ( whipping my hair back and forth right now). Having natural hair has made me more conscience of what I put on my hair, and surely has given me greater confidence and pride about my culture. Back in the day if you rocked any variation of a natural you was viewed as “earthy” or “Afrocentric” today- we are from all walks of life and we don’t have to walk around with the “assumed” impression that we are “earthy” or “defend” our hair choices (BTW: there is nothing wrong w/ being earthy or Afrocentric). There is no greater, stronger bond than the natural ladies who network and bond over “HAIR”. The natural movement is growing and getting stronger, and stronger by the day. I love the feeling I get when I sit down, and ” do my hair” – when people ask me ” who did your hair” I gleam with pride when I say ME! When I go to the grocery store, I have 2 baskets- (1) for my groceries, (1) for my hair crack. I feel a rush when I stumble upon an item in the store that “may ” be the answer to any hair woes that I may be having. I’ve awaken out of my sleep when Ive forgotten to wrap my hair with a silk bonnet- ( lol..lol..) – yes, I m pressed sometimes (lol..lol..) I’m loving how kids (especially my daughter) just marvels at my hair and wanna embrace their coils, kinks, and curls!!! So yes, caring for natural hair is time consuming – it can be hard work, even a little frustrating-BUT I love it and there is nothing else I rather be doing 🙂
acv rinse, apple cider vinegar, au naturale, concoction, conditioner, miss naturale, miss sixx, mixology 101, natural ingredients

I’m a mixologist……and you can be one too

The Lupie Chick

Product junkies will agree — you can spend hundreds of dollars testing out the numerous products available on the market, many of which are supposedly intended for natural hair use. However, breaking the bank is really not necessary for a healthy, strong and shiny natural. You already have key ingredients in your own kitchen and bathroom!

Creating your own hair recipes not only saves money, but allows for a more intimate relationship with your hair — you can gain a much better insight as to what your hair craves, prefers, or rejects with your at-home experiments.

Get creative! There are a few simple rules to follow to find your perfect concoctions:

Don’t mix too many things at once-Start out with simple recipes, say, mixing one main ingredient and adding a small amount of another. It’s much easier to determine what worked and what didn’t when your ingredients list is limited.

Create two-ingredient mixes and try them until you find a mix that works well on your hair. If it’s a “perfect” mix, continue using it! If it’s a “pretty good” mix, retry the recipe with the same main ingredient then alter the secondary ingredient until you reach perfection. You may find you need to reverse the amounts used, making the main ingredient the secondary ingredient.

If there is one particular ingredient you find most always works well on your hair, make it a staple for your hair recipes, adding it as a standard part of all your recipes.

Alter the way you apply the mixes to your hair. Try dousing your hair with your Super Yogurt Surprise while your hair is drenching wet in the shower. Does it work well this way? Try another time by making it a bit more liquidy and spritz it on your dried hair with a spray bottle. Perhaps your hair responds better to this application.

For ingredients, a general rule of thumb is if it’s ok to ingest, it’s probably ok to apply to your hair as well. Pureed fruit, honey, apple cider vinegar and many more items are great additions to homemade hair recipes.

Take note of what works for you and how it worked. Some recipes may be better for clarifying while others make for great deep conditioners.

Search and compare! If you’re a little timid about applying egg whites to your hair, make use of resources available to you before doing so. Search the Internet for your particular ingredients. You just may find others who have tried the same type of recipe and enjoyed success or experienced a nightmare.

Go beyond your kitchen! Many cities have well-stocked health food and natural stores with a huge selection of ingredients to boost your hair recipes. Experiment with essential oils (a few drops go a long way!), xanthum gum (a thickener, also known as xanthan), as well as conditioners and leave-ins you won’t likely find at department stores and drug stores.

Remember, a recipe failure is a good thing. It lets you know what your hair simply does not respond to well. The worst likely thing that can happen with the use of your homemade products is the need to wash your hair again, so get creative!

Note: Use of homemade mixes for coloring of hair is not recommended.

Article Source: www.ezine.articles.com

3-C hair type, aloe vera, au naturale, Cantu Shea butter leave in conditioner, frizz control, miss naturale, miss sixx, orange marmalade hair butter, product review, sulfate free, twist outs

Product Review: Cantu Shea Butter Leave – In Conditioner

The Lupie Chick

Manufacturer: Cantu

Type: Leave-In Conditioner

Size: 16 fl.oz

Price: $4.99-$5.99

Attributes: moisture, shine, frizz control, sulfate-free

Ingredients: Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean), Propylene Glycol, Polyquaternium 37, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, PPG 1 Trideceth 6, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Stearalkonium Chloride, Trimethylsilylamodimethicone, Panthenol, PPG 1-PPG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, Lanolin Oil, Cinnamidopropyl Trimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride/Acrylamide Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Benzophenone 3, BHA, BHT, Zea Mays Oil (Corn), Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, DMDM Hydantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance

The week prior to me taking down my locs I had been eyeing a few products that I may need to add to my line up to assit me with achieving frizz free, detangled, moisturized hair ( all in 1 product) Ok I was reaching- but you know what I mean ( lol..lol..). I’d been stalking a few forums/blogs and a common product that most raved about was the Cantu Shea butter Leave – In Conditioner. My hair type is 3-c and alot of 3-c’s raved about it- so I thought I would go for it… I used it this morning for the first time.. And…..

The Good: (1) Affordable- this product was easy on the pockets. I paid $4.99, but saw it at a few outlets for $5.99. (2) This product is readily available everywhere ( Beauty supply stores, CVS, Walgreen, Target, Walmart). (3) the smell was pleasant. (4) the texture was like marshmallow cream, it glided on easy and my hair felt moisturized while it was wet.

The Bad: It didn’t mix well with the Orange Marmalade Hair Butter and Aloe Vera Gel, I cant really describe it- but it wasn’t giving me what I needed. After applying CSB to the first 2 sections of my hair- I noticed a white residue in/on my hair.. tiny white clumps ( yikes).. As the hair dried the clumps seem to disappear- but I wasn’t happy seeing that clumps. I didn’t apply it to the back- I stopped after I noticed the clumps in the front.

The Ugly: When the sections dried.. CRUNCH..CRUNCH..CRUNCH.. it left my hair crunchy!!!!! NOT..NOT..NOT… happy!!!!! I became paranoid and feverishly tried to figure out what I did wrong. I re read the instructions and noticed the warning label. The warning label states ” Avoid applying any styling or conditioning product directly on new growth” WHAAAAT!!!! WHY IS THAT?? That has left me very concerned and apprehensive.

Overall: I wasn’t overjoyed. The clumps and the crunchies didn’t make me a happy camper this morning. I will try it once more when I do my next twist out ( I did a wet n’ go this morning). After that depending on the results I may be giving this product up at a swap and shop tweetup.

Whats your experience with CSB: Hit or Diss??
aloe vera, coconut milk, comb coils, cultivated locs, curly fro, kinks, loc removal, miss naturale, miss sixx, orange marmalade, twist outs

My Loc Take Down!!!!!

The Lupie Chick

I’ve been debating about taking down my loc’s and starting them over for sometime now. I’ve been asking others there thought about me taking down my loc’s and I receive mixed responses. My loc’s were started 2.5 years ago with comb coils. As my hair begin to loc, I realized they were too fat ) especially on the top and the middle of my head). I wanted skinner, more uniformed loc’s. I’ve received so many “opinions” about width, size, etc. Ultimately I decided I had to be the decision maker and I needed to do what would make me happy in the long run. With that being said- Let’s start operation loc take down.

Day 1- July 11

Washed locs, and heavily laid on Mane N’ Tail conditioner with a heat cap. I left the cap on 30 minutes before I started the take down. I pulled one loc out from under the cap, and begun to pick with a rat tail comb. it took 1 hour for me to take down 1 loc!!!!!! F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-N-G!!!! I had a spray bottle with conditioner and water – I sprayed every second.. gosh … IT HURT. After 5 hours, I’d only taken down 12 locs!!!! at this rate I’ll be doing this 3 months *sigh*


Day 2-July 12th

All day at work, I was thinking ” how can I speed up the take down process?”. Detangler!!! Maybe detangler would help.. I went to lunch and purchased a large bottle of Mane and Til detangler. I came home, ate dinner and spritzed my loc’s heavily with the detangler and the conditioner/water mix. I began to pick away…. *le sigh* lets just say Day 2 I only removed 3 locs!!!! The process wasn’t any faster and i was only more annoyed. enough for today.. will resume business tomorrow :C

Day 3-July 13th

Ok, Day 3 is here. I would have thought that after 3 days I would see more progress- NOT! I emailed my friend Kellee, who had taken down her loc’s. I inquired about her technique, and products to use. She advised that I was doing it correctly- and that its a very long process. It took her about 8 days to remove her loc’s. So I found some shows to watch on TV, laid out all my tools and got to work.. wet loc’s with water.. spritz with detangler.. spritz with conditioner/water mix… massage everything in.. snip the ends off.. pick..pick..pick.. after 3 hours I’d taken down 5 loc’s. Ive now made 5 my goal for each evening. too many more after 5 makes me very frustrated and my head start to hurt ( I’m tender headed).

Day 4th-July 14th

I was a wet mess last night with the double spritzing.. so I decided to put the detangler in to the conditioner/water mix.. *shrug shoulder*, couldn’t hurt, and I’m trying to reduce time. Man, I started with the really fat loc’s.. JESUZ!!!!! they took an hour to work through. whew.. I almost stopped at 4, but then I felt bad that I didn’t meet my target, so I did one more and I completed 5 ( YEAH ME!!). I see right now.. the fat ones are going to be difficult ( and they are all in the middle of my head and on top of my head).

Day 5-July 15th

I visited my local grocery store during lunch and noticed that the VO5 conditioner was on sale for $1. I began to browse though the assorted varieties- and came upon ” Tea Therapy” The chamomile is suppose to have a calming effect. So I jumped on it ( I’d started having anxiety attacks over the process.. it was getting to me- in a bad way). After work, I went straight home, ate dinner, got relaxed, and went to work on the next set of loc’s. This time, I told myself I wouldn’t count ( although I did) and I would take my time. Well I wet the loc’s and sprayed them one at a time with the VO5 conditioner/water mix.. Baby.. I was working em out!!! I worked from 7p-11p and had taken out 9 loc’s. Almost all of the front were taken down. I love the VO5 conditioner. its a little thicker than the Mane and Tail, and for this process- I think I rather use the least expensive of the two. Not sure if the Chamomile in the conditioner did its job with the calming effects- but I was calm.. and I found my rhythm. **Doing the cabbage patch**

Day 6- July 18th

OK.. today wasn’t so great- its the day AFTER the wine fest and I was nursing a MAJOR hangover. *Note to self* taste the wine- don’t DRINK IT…I washed my entire head- It was hot, I was sweating and I had been spraying conditioner in it all week so I figured I would wash my hair, and do as many as I could with a hangover. I worked from 2p-8p and I completed 8- the entire front is loose!!!!! I did 2 big twist on the loose hair and sealed the ends with Crisco ( yes, the blue can- CRISCO). I looked like Shirley Temple with the ringlets hanging from my face. My daughter came in and said ” mommy.. your almost finished!!” All I have left is the back.. MAKING PROGRESS !!!!!!

Day 7- July 20th

I’ve missed two days and I feel like I need to get this OVER AND DONE WITH. I came straight home, ate a quick meal- and got to working. I worked for 5 hours and had removed 6 loc’s. The back is allot harder to take down- actually they are murderous. They are wound so tight and they are smaller. Aggggghhhh.. I’m never gonna be finished ( *insert sad face*)

Day 8-July 21st

I came to work feeling good and looking better. Until it was implied that my loc’s project a bad image. You can tell that my loc’s are gone in the front- I’ve been wearing my hair in a pony tail. One of my co workers noticed and lets just say- I found out what she really thought of me rockin loc’s ( click here to read what happen). I came home, hotter than Satan and immediately began to work on the remaining loc’s. I think I was so angry that I channeled that energy intro completing the take down. I didn’t track how many I took down, I just worked until I was tired and out of energy.


Day 9 – July 23rd

I have a few errands to run and I’m ready to get home and finish working on my hair. Its the start of the weekend and I’m determined- I WILL NOT GO TO WORK ON MONDAY WITH 2 HAIR STYLES ( locs in the back and a pony tail on the front- NOT GOING TO DO IT). I’m down to the final 15 loc’s. I worked until 2am Sat morning- ( I swear if I’d started with the back- I would have chopped them all off- there is NO way I could have done too many more of these skinner, tightly coiled loc’s)..

Day 10- July 24th

We spent most of the day at the water park to beat the 110 degree weather. While at the water park- I noticed every loc wearer- and there were plenty to look at. OMG– I cant wait to re loc. I’m starting to feel out of the circle-but its ok– I’m out BUT NOT FOR LONG. I washed my hair- and two strand twisted the “loose hair”, and sealed the ends with Crisco. I’m down to the final 9 loc’s ( yeah!!!!!). I can see the finish line..


Day 11- July 25th

I woke up with a mission.. Today is the day I will complete my loc take down. I cooked breakfast and dinner at the same time. Doubled up on ice cold drinks turned the TV to First 48 and began to work on the final 4. The final 4 were stubborn- OH BABY! they weren’t trying to go!!!! I realized after hours of tugging.. and picking that the last two rows in the back were the ones I latched- That’s why they are so friggin tight!!!! Anyhoo– It took me 6.5 hours to take down the final 4! Whew I got to the last one- I almost cried- I knew that once that last one was out- I would temporarily be out of the loc wearer circle ( sad face). I almost kept it, then I was going to cut the whole loc off as a memory- then I decided to just take it down. I called my daughter in the room and told her I was on my last loc. She asked, “now that you don’t have loc’s will you still make products?”- We’ll of course I will- she smiled, and clapped and I begun to pick..pick..pick..pick…. ( fast forward 52 minutes) and it gone.. I no longer rock loc’s– I marveled at my hair.. Now I’m here with this big head of hair and suddenly, I’m confused.. I’ve been natural off/on since 1995- but I always kept it short. I plaited my hair and trimmed the ends, took the plaits out- moisturized and two strand twisted all the hair. Now what?? My friend Kellee, and I exchanged 22 email over the last 11 days. She asked me ” what will you wear for your debut” * shrug shoulder* I don’t know- maybe a twist out- This day seemed so far away- but now its here- what am I going to do???

Debut New Hair Day!!!- July 26th

Its Monday- I whipped out my new dress to go with my new hair. I’m feeling something sexy and fancy. I un twisted the two strand twist I had did last night- and errrrr.. ME NO LIKEY.. I didn’t look like the girls on You tube.. I didn’t like it.. nope.. can rock like this.. So I took my water bottle filled with Coconut milk, water, and Aloe Juice and spritzed my hair.. Rubbed some Orange Marmalade Hair Butter on each section… a little Aloe Vera Gel… Shuck.. finger fluffed- D-O-N-E…. I got big hair ( which is what I wanted) * doing the cabbage patch* I LOVE IT!!!!! I put on my hoop earrings to complete my style and a sista is looking and feeling like a million bucks ( **singing Uh You fancy huh?**):!!!!!!!!