Curls, Coils & Glory...

Photo: Sophia Forero

Crowned in my curls, I am so happy to be Nappy

I was working on another Pour l'Amour post when I realized it's been two years since I've posted to A Nappy Hair Affair - désolé. Yes, it's high time for an update...

Simply Nappy

"...and I loves every strand of it."

- Alice Walker, the Color Purple

I've been Nappy 2 1/2 years now - lots of lows and highs - but I'm really enjoying the nappity-nap life. More so now that I've simplified my haircare regimen. Yeah, you know I'm gonna share...

There are literally hundreds of sites dedicated to natural haircare and at least an equal number of products - oye. And I find their natural haircare 'regimens' to be overcomplicated and ridiculous to the extreme: pre-pooing (huh?), co-washing (come again?), finger detangling, layering products (I'm talking 5, 6 or more!), all day deep conditioning (whaat?); and that's before you get to the actual drying and styling (who has hours to let their hair air dry on a regular basis - especially during the winter?). Who has time for that? I certainly don't. And, apparently, I'm not the only one who feels this way.

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"When I hear of expensive products, weird treatments and ungodly hours spent on hair, I wonder why...You can't enjoy your hair if you are constantly caring for it and never take the time to stop and actually admire it."- Naturally Chelsea's Coily Manifesto

*Don't get me wrong, I will continue to faithfully browse my handful of favorite "Nappy' sites - where great tips and products abound. My absolute favorite is Curly Nikki. She's a virtual Nappy encyclopedia. I especially like that she has a search engine. Her painstaking research and personal reviews are invaluable - especially for Sistahs at the start of their au naturale journey.   

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My regimen is pretty bare bones: moisturizing shampoo, moisturizing conditioner (that also doubles as a leave-in), once a week 3 minute deep conditioner; followed by curl creme and oil 

Aussie 'Moist': Shampoo, Conditioner & 3 Minute Miracle

For convenience, speed and low cost, 

I order in bulk from Amazon.

I cannot say strongly enough how much I love this stuff! I wash my hair 1-2 times a week. With Aussie 'Moist' that means: 5 mins to wash and rinse, slick in conditioner, wash my face, brush my teeth then rinse - done! This Moist combo gives me a super whammy of what I need - gently cleans completely, moisturizes and contains the frizz, is sweet smelling and, most importantly, renders silky soft my dry, thin, fragile hair - fast. Then I reapply a nickelish-sized dollop then comb through. Yep a regular and leave-in conditioner all in one. Awesome!

* About that 3 minute miracle - that's exactly what it is. I've found that this ultra-intensive quick deep conditioner - no dryer or heating cap required - carries the same punch as the conditioners you have to leave in for 1 - 4 hours. During my Midwest winters I use this once a week in place of the regular conditioner. 

Next, I comb out my hair with a wide toothed comb - none of that finger detangling jazz. Your local beauty supply shop will have the largest selection. Remember: the wider the tooth, the more gentle. After that, I divide my hair into four pieces, secure with clips and apply the following (dime sized dollop or smaller):

Marc Anthony - Perfect Curl Styling Cream

Amazon.com

Oyin Hair Dew: Daily Hair Drenching Lotion

Amazon.com

Marc Anthony's Curl Envy is the perfect styling cream for my Nappy - creamy, silky, sweet smelling and encourages my hair to curl to la perfection. It's also essential when I rock my Sade look ;-} During this hair journey I've learned that using straight Olive Oil is too heavy for my light locks. Oyin's Hair Dew is a combination of Coconut, Castor, Olive and Colza Oils - that my Nappy loves. My Anthony/Oyin duo drenches, seals and give me massive lasting shine - and it takes all of 10 minutes.Then it's time to diffuse - each piece (about 5ish minutes times 4) et voila! Soft, shiny curls.

Note: This is my regimen for my bi-weekly wash days. Otherwise my daily regimen is much shorter: First thing when I wake up I spritz my hair a spray bottle filled w/ water and two squirts of Aussie Moist Conditioner - just enough to get my head very slightly damp. Then I smooth some Anthony Curl envy into my hands and gently palm it through my hair (remember those ends). Then I do the same w/ the Oyin, scrunch and I'm done. Yep, hair prep done in 5 minutes! By the time I've brushed my teeth, eaten breakfast, drank my cup of coffee, and gotten dressed, my hair is dry and my curls are springing! Another 5 minutes diffusing (optional) + a quick pick out (for extra oomph) and this Sistah Diva is footloose, fancy free and fully Nappy.

Note: One thing I learned the hard way is to have regular trims. I've found a wonderful stylist - Marion - that does natural hair. I go every 2-3 months and get a deep conditioning treatment too. Let me know if any of these products work for you and keep the questions and comments coming my lovelies ;-}

Vivre! Rire! Aimer!

Temple

One Year Nappy

Nappy-couture, Paris (May 2012)

"Better to live one year as a tiger

than a hundred as a sheep."

- Madonna

Beaute: Unexpected

"To meet is so unexpected." - Hyde

Au Naturel

Viola Davis - Best Actress Nominee

(@ the Oscars, 84th Academy Awards, 2012)

"...in your life wear your hair. Step into who you are!"

- Julius Tennon, Ms. Davis' husband

It's been nearly a year since I began my journey back to natural hair. It's been a fascinating, frustrating, exhilarating, scary, and liberating experience. It's also been a lonely one. I rarely see Black women (or women with naturally Nappy hair) wearing their hair in its original Nappy state. And I almost never see photos and/or articles about famous Black women in their natural Nappy state. So you know that I was sauvagement ravis (wildly thrilled) to see a famous, accomplished sistah walk the Oscar red carpet in her natural Nappy state!

Free!

Happy to be Nappy - December 2011

"Freedom is being free of the need to be free." - F. Leon

A Nappy Hair Affair: How to Rock Your Nap!

"Once you are an originator,

you never go back to being an imitator."

- Yvette Smalls

Nearly 6 months ago, I began to blog my journey back to my natural hair (see: A Nappy Hair Affair, start in order - the last post is the first in this series). In my last installment: The Paris Edition, Judith asked: "Please explain more about the "straw method" you are using." Thus, this post is dedicated to Judith and all gloriously nappy headed women looking to get back to their Diva-roots ;-)

Happy to Be Nappy - The Paris Edition

Rocking my natural curls in Paris

"Don't need a trip to the beauty shop, 'cause I love what I got on top. It's curly and it's brown and it's right up there! You know what I love? That's right, my hair! I really love my hair."

- Joey Mazzarino, Seasame Street

In a recent Jet Magazine interview, Tracee Ellis Ross (the talented and gorgeous daughter of, La Diva, Diana Ross) uttered the most magnificant phrase: "You gotta respect the curls." Ms. Ross wears her gorgeous hair naturally and, in her interview, she talked about how high maintenance natural Black hair is and how she's embraced that fact. While I too have embraced this in theory, I must admit that I was very nervous about dealing with my high maintenance Nappity-Nap in Paris.

A Nappy Hair Affair

At R's Birthday extravaganza - August 2011

"...I say, it's in the arch of my back, the sun of my smile,

the ride of my breasts, the grace of my style...

I say, it's in the click of my heels, the bend of my hair,

the palm of my hand, the need of my care.

'Cause I'm a woman, Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman, that's me."

Phenomenal Woman - Maya Angelou (1995)

It's been another fascinating, at times frustrating, month in my Nappy Hair Affair (for past posts see here and here). Whatever your ethnicity or type of hair, ladies I know that you can emphasize with the challenge of letting your natural hair texture have it's way, with NO chemical intervention (EEK!). Still, I've experienced so much progress that I felt it was time for another update ;-) 

Changements (Changes, an Update)

Kinky, Curly, Natural Me - Happy to be Nappy!

"[Sistahs] have the same spiral in our hair as electricity, tornadoes, whirlwinds, DNA, galaxies!" - Nekhena Evans

In April I blogged about my decision to 'return to my roots' and no longer put chemicals in my hair (Time to Make a Change). Well, I'm finally able - and willing ;-) - to give you the update I promised.

Time to Make a Change

Natural me and Mr. Gorgeous - 2000

You know the saying "The Lord works in mysterious ways." For those of you not in the know - Sistahs have a 'thing about our hair. From girlhood 'til the golden years, most of us struggle with 'IT.' By that I mean trying to a comfortable spot for beauty-selves in a society/culture where straight, blonde and long hair is the predominant ideal of perfect hair. And while there are variations on that theme, those variations are not natural to Black hair. As with all women, our hair isn't hair, it's HAIR. There's all kinds of psychology bound up in our hair, body image, etc. Sistahs put chemicals in our hair, blazing heat and finish it off with a hot comb, curling irons, hot rollers, and on and on and on.

Well I'm sick of it, have been for awhile. And I've been seriously considering going back to my natural hair-state. I can't even figure out why I went back to processing my hair. Then I clicked on a comment that The First Lady left me on one of my posts. That led me to click on one of the blog she follows: AfroBella: All Shades of Beautiful (with a fantabulous title like that, how could I not?). Here's where that 'Lord working in mysterious ways' comes into play. It's time to make a change...