Latest update

Since using the coconut cream treatment, I have changed from using coconut cream solid, to coconut cream UHT (Blue Dragon).  I really like the treatment, my hair does not get too much tangles and the amount of fairy knots are reduced.  Also I have been using Hair Revive for the last three months and I am very pleased with the results, also just received Strong roots from Tropic Island Living and I have started using it today and I shall report how it is getting on.

Overall hair colour

I like the colour, so I will be definitely getting red enhanced shampoo and conditioners to keep the colour vibrant.  Next month, I will colour the whole head again. It is the third time of doing the coconut/yogurt treatment and so far so good.  My hair does not tangle up as much.

What's new

I haven't written for a while because I am in the middle of packing and I will be moving to a new home very soon.  Anyway, the latest news.  I tried the new Garnier home colourant, because it does not have any ammonia.  The parts of my hair which were coloured previously came out very well. I coloured my hair last Friday 19th October, last time I coloured was nearly three months.  Some of my roots were coloured, some were still black. I like the colour and what I plan to do, next time I do the roots, use 40 or 30 vol and the ends use the strength of the box colour. However I was very pleased with my front.

Beautiful Textures UK Launch

On Thursday 31 May, I was invited to the Beautiful Textures UK Launch. It was a wonderful evening.  I must thank organisers, Lukwesa Barnes owner of Gidore, http://www.gidore.com. Felicia Leatherwood, natural hair stylist to many of the important people and representatives of Beautiful Textures and Black Magazines. Thank you so much ladies.

The products are very simple to use and it is for all women with kinky curly, coily hair and one of the good things, there is a reciple sheet and you can mix up the various products to make up your own products.   Very enjoyable evening.  Large samples sizes so the product will last you for ages.

Plaited Styles which I love

I love doing plaiated styles, my hair is long enough so that I can do very simple styles which takes me minutes.  I am still able to rinse my hair or condition wash my hair as I put my hair in a netting type scarf those very light scarfs with small holes, apply my conditioner washes or rinses.  Then cover my hair with a towel, so my hair soaks up the excess water, any frizz, apply aloe vera gel to the hair and it keeps it very neat.

Aloe vera and Ayurvedic Treatments

I have been using Aloe vera and Ayurvedic Treatments for over two weeks now.  Daily I have been doing aloe vera and onion treatment and once a week, I have been doing Ayurvedic treatments, using  powders such as Brahmi, Amla, onion powder, Methi powder (fenugreek), Maka, Kalpi Tone, Rose, Kapoor Kachil. I made the powders into a paste, by adding water and oil, also I added aloe vera gel and onion juice, then apply to already oiled hair, rub gently into roots and along mid and ends of hair, leave on for 30 minutes, cover with a conditioning cap or wrap with cling film to retain heat.  After 30 minutes, I wash out my hair with conditioner, then rinse with a glycerine/rosemater mixture and style as usual.

For the daily treatments, I blend a small onion, mix with a little water, mix until I cannot feel any onion pieces, strain to make sure that I am getting the juice, then mix with aloe vera gel and a little castor oil, or olive oil or any other oil of choice, I left on my hair for 30 minutes, to retain heat, then wash with conditioner. 

On Saurday 26th May 2012, I did my monthy cassia/henna treatments. I have noticed that my hair appears to be much thicker and there is a lot of shine since doing the aloe vera/onion  and ayurvedic treatments.

So far

I have been putting my hair in large plaits, I find this style extremely easy, as I wash my hair with conditioner and I can re-plait or braid it back, plus I only use the comb for partings, I detangle with my fingers.

Another simple style

I now put my hair in very simple styles, which last me until my next wash. When I went to the Gidore multi-textures workshop last month. I was given a goodie bag, which contained two samples of Phillip Kingsley Extreme Elasiticizer, especially as my hair is coloured treated, I noticed that my hair felt very soft, now as I cover my hair with a plastic bag, using the Green House Method. I do the method, at least five times a week every night. Also I spritz my hair with a small spray bottle containing, water and Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 Miracle worker.

I am planing to try his Extreme Moisture, Shampoo and Conditioner as they are very moisturising, particularly suited for very curly, kinky hair.

Castor oil Challenge update

It is now 5 weeks, since my Castor oil challenge and the Green House Effect challenge, which I started on 1st March 2012, information about the castor oil challenge is on http://kinkycurlycoilyme.com and http://realqueens.ning.com. So far, I am very pleased with the results, on Saturday 31st March, I went to Multi-textures hair workshop, organised Gidore and I meet Jane Carter of Jane Carter solutions and I got some samples Revitalizing leave-in conditioner and Nourish and shine, which I really like, my hair felt really moisturised for hours.

Products I am using to keep my red colour, plus the castor oil challenge

Since I have coloured my hair, I have been using John Frieda's red conditioner to keep my red colour, plus I used Soft Sheen Dark and Lovely Reviving Color, which is a semi permanent, shade no. 394 in Ravishing Red. The box, it contained instructions, a pair of gloves and a plastic cap, because my hair is coloured and putting on the semi-permanent, it came out just like the shade on the box and I was very pleased. It was very easy to use, it was already pre-mixed, you had to wash your hair, apply the colour, leave it on for up 30 minutes, then rinse until the colour came clear, then there was a leave-in conditioner to apply after drying the hair. This semi-permanent is supposed to last for 6-8 washes, and cost me £3.97 at my local beauty supply store, also there is 100% grey coverage, which is very good.

I brought products from the website http://www.gidore.com, which specialises in products for kinky, coily, curly and people who are mixed race (bi-racial or multi-racial). They have all the Shea Moisture products, I got the Shea Moisture for Thin, Fine hair, not that I have thin, fine hair, my hair is thick, due to the henna now using the cassia treatments, my hair strands have got thicker, I had fine hair, but because I have a lot of fine hair, it looks very thick, but individually, each strand was very fine, but the subsequent henna and now cassia treatments have helped greatly. My crown of my hair was thinning and I brought the Shea Moisture, Thickening Moisture Mist and Growth Milk, delivery was very fast, it came within 2-3 working days, I loved the fact that it was tied up with blue ribbon very nice. The ingredients are yucca, baobab and biotin, I have been using it for nearly a week now and I like the smell, I may try other products, in the line as the growth masque.

I brought West Indian castor oil, Sunny Isle Jamaican black castor oil, available on line from http://www.afrodeity.co.uk, I bought extra dark castor oil, it as a very ashy smell, which I like, I also bought Home Health cold pressed castor oil, avaliable from http://www.amazon.co.uk.
Aveda's Invati's scalp revitalizing, I have quite got around to getting the shampoo and the conditioner. This is also supposed to thicken the hair and stimulate the dominant hair follicles.

I bought the various castor oil, for the castor oil challenge, which I started on Thursday 1st March 2012, it will continue for thirteen weeks, ending on 1st June 2012, each week, we have to check in. The details of the castor oil challenge is available at
http://kinkycurlycoilyme.com/kinkycurlycoilyme-castor-oil-challenge-spring-2012-grow-your-hair-thick-long/
I am mixing the various castor oils, with the Hairadrenaline, I made it in my previous post, if you got to http://www.valeriesworld-valeriesworld.blogspot.com/2011/06/making-of-valerie-mon-cherie.html
You will find all the details there. I mixed a small amount of all the castor oils, plus aloe vera gel and apply to my scalp and ends, then I spray water and I cover with a plastic cap at night. I am using the greenhouse method, creating heat and moisture for my hair, if you go on to Real Queens website, you will find the details there. http://realqueens.ning.com/.

What am I hoping to achieve. My hair grows, but it grows at a very slow pace and that is because I have not been consistent with my regime, my hair has got thick, my greatest friends are water and moisture, which really helps me retain my length.
I want to see a lot of growth, yes Mega Growth, my crown extremely, extremely thick, and abundant growth and when I part my hair, the partings are very tiny. I expect the rest of my hair to become extremely thick also and this will help me to be consistent with my regime, as I have other people doing the regime as well.

What has been the latest so far

I still doing my protective styles, however they last me for my next up to my next wash, which is pretty good, as I rinse my hair with my style in, but smooth it down with aloe vera gel or if it is untidy, I detangle and re-plait sections. My hair colour seems to be going very well, not having any issues of dryness, the rinsing and the spraying daily is keeping the moisture levels, plus as I am still using the mega tex re-builder, I only put it on my hair after I shampoo, only for 5 minutes, then I rinse it out and put on a moisturizing conditioner, which I steam in for 20 minutes and that as been fine. Also very few hairs have been coming out on combing, which is very good, also I have stepped up the massaging.

Cassia Treatment and my regular protective style

I used Cassia obovata last Friday to treat my hair. Cassia Obovata has the same conditoning properties as henna, but without the colouring properties, as my hair is already coloured, I use Cassia obovata, I mixed the cassia with hot water to make a smooth paste, then added olive oil, castor oil, aloe vera gel. I applied to my hair in sections and left it on for 2 hours, then I rinsed with conditioner, then put a moisturising conditioner, which I left on for the same amount of time. Then I rinsed out and styled. This style is very simple style, and very easy to do for me. I rinse my hair with my style in. If my hair gets fuzzy, it can be easy for me to replait or smooth down the edges.

Cassia does not stain, so I was able to apply it with my hands. Like henna, it thickens the hair strands. What I was very pleased, that on Friday 27th January, I coloured my roots and refreshed the ends, after using the Cassia obovata, I have noticed how my hair colour looks very vibrant.

Various hair styles

I have decided to use protective hair styles, to retain my ends, I am not one of those people who do twists, I find them too time consuming. also I rinse my hair with my plaits (braids) in and re-plait them, if they look untidy. Plus I have started to use my fingers to detangle and finger comb my hair.

I did my roots on Friday 27th January, I left the colour on my roots for 25minutes, then I refresh my ends for the last ten minutes, mixing more water and oil. Very pleased with how my colour had come out.

New Hairstyle

First of all, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and thank you for following me, throughout the year. I wish everyone a very successful New Year.

In November 2011, I coloured my hair and I have not had any problems, such as my hair being very dry or brittle. Once you colour your hair, you have to step up with more moisturising and protein treatments. Towards the end of January, I will do my roots. I have found my colour, I really like. and I plan to use a semi-permanent to keep the red colour longer. Also I have started using this style. I find it more convenient than the Chinese bumps, as my hair is parted and I can apply my Castor oil mixture to my scalp and roots, plus I have started to get back to daily rinsing, or sometimes I spray my hair with Hawaiian Silky Miracle Worker, 14 in 1, despite it has mineral oil, it is very light and it seems and feels very moisturising, so I am pleased with the overall result of my hair.

I pour my rinse mixture, which is conditioner, aloe vera juice, water over my head, wearing a silk scarf, that keeps my hair from being fuzzy, plus I apply aloe vera gel to my edges and overall hair to keep it neat. I am able to keep my hair a lot longer.