2 Years Post Relaxer!

I am officially 2 years post relaxer!!!!! 2 whole years since I last relaxed my hair!!! I'm still in a state of shock. I hit the two year mark on monday but I was unable to really appreciate what it meant because I had a 5,000 word paper to write. It has officially sunk in. *happy dance* *moonwalks*

  

I can't wait to end my transition or maybe I can ? Not really sure. I have quite a lot of relaxed ends left which makes thoughts of ending my transition a wee bit daunting. On the other hand I'd love to style my hair without feeling restricted by my two textures. I'd love to just wear my hair out. I've been wearing buns for literally the whole 2 years. I've missed hair framing my face. I've missed being able to use my hair to cover the cheeky little blemish that occasionally decides to seek refuge on my face. I've missed tucking my hair behind my ear. The little things ay. 

I've decided for the chop date to coincide with my last exam at university in about 2months time. That way it can be symbolic. I want to share the experience with you guys so I'll definitely record it. In the mean time here are some pictures I took of my hair today :).

Check out my hair at 1 yr post relaxer to see the progress.

Review: Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in/Detangler

Promises: 
This creamy herbal conditioner is enriched with botanical extracts designed to smooth the cuticle and to remove knots, snarls and tangles from thick curly hair.

Directions:
Apply generous and work through troubled sections with a wide tooth comb

Thick Coarse Curls: Use a generous amount as a leave in and completely detangle hair before applying Kinky-Curly styling products

Loose Wavy Curls: use moderate amount as a rinse out or leave a little on the ends before applying Kinky-Curly styling products

Ingredients:
Organic mango fruit extract, organic slippery elm, organic marshmallow root, organic lemongrass, cetyl alcohol, behentrimonium methosulfate, citric acid, phenoxyethanol and natural fragrance

Verdict: 
I love this product. It is the best detangler I've come across. I keep it within arms reach when I'm finger detangling. It does such a good job at melting my knots away!!! It does exactly what it claims and definitely lives up to it's name. I also like KCKT as a leave in, although it's not heavy enough to use alone for my type 4 hair. This comes as no surprise to me as it is a gel like consistency. I tend to seal with 100% Shea Butter or Shea Moisture transitioning milk, which does the trick. The fragrance is fruity, I can't quite pinpoint what it reminds me of but it's pleasant. The ingredients are awesome in my opinion, it really stood out to me that the 1st ingredient was not water. I love most things about this product but the price! In the U.K the 8oz KCKT sells for £12.95 and in the U.S $11.99. As much as I like it, £12.95 is just not worth it for me, I'm almost certain I can find an equally good alternative for 1/2 the price. Would I purchase again? Yes, but only if I personally bought it in the U.S or if someone brought it back for me.

What are your thoughts on KCKT?
What is your favourite leave-in/ detangler?

Holiday Hair: Packing, Styling & Swimming

We're approaching that time of year where some of us go on holiday/vacation. As a frequent traveller, I thought I'd share some travel tips with you. These tips are helpful for relaxed, transitioning and natural hair.

I took this photo in Alicante (Spain) in Feb 14. I love Sunsets!!!

Packing Tips

1) Travel sizes may not be realistic

I've ran out of hair products because I decided to put my hair products in those travel size containers. Don't make that mistake. I think the travel sizes work best for leave-in conditioner and shampoo, products that you don't use as much. I ran out of moisturiser when i was in Jamaica. I had to alternate between using water and conditioner and my cousin's wave nouveau (she wasn't hot on sharing -___-). Depending on where you travel you may be able to buy products but I'd suggest packing to avoid the risk and wasting time trying to find products.

2) Put hair products in a plastic bag when in your suitcase. 

The air pressure along with the manhandling of your suitcase at the airport may cause your products to leak. The bag prevents your clothes from getting stained. Believe me stained clothes are far from ideal when you do not have access to a washing machine or even an iron if you manage to hand wash. 

3) Pack Shea Butter!

Along with my moisturiser, conditioner and shampoo... I will always pack Shea Butter. Shea butter can protect your hair from sun damage. I don't know about you but if I'm in the sun for too long my hair gets HOT. We often forget that like cold weather, hot weather can also cause damage. If you're like me and are not keen on wearing a hat, shea butter is also great at providing protection against ultra-violet radiation. 

Oil Rinsing

Oil rinsing is adding oil to your hair after you shampoo either before or after you condition. I oil rinsed after I shampooed because to me it makes more logical sense. If shampoo has just stripped my hair of moisture it makes more sense to oil rinse after I've restored the moisture through deep conditioning. It's simple all you need is your favourite oil/oils.

Benefits

Moisture Retention

Soft, Smooth Hair 

Easier Detangling

Natural Shine

Reduction of Frizz

I used: 

Hairveda CoCasta Shikakai Oil

Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Peppermint Oil

(I used what I had. Remember to use coconut oil in its liquid form)

Verdict

I tried oil rinsing for the first time last night and I LOVED it. My hair felt amazing as soon as I applied the oil. I rinsed the excess oil out with a mild acv rinse and t-shirt dried as usual. My hair felt so good that I was tempted not to apply my leave-in conditioner. My hair was soft, moisturised, more defined and had a natural shine. Why hadn't I tried it sooner? If I'm honest the reason I hadn't tried it sooner is because I was being cheap... I didn't want to use my oils to rinse my hair *covers face*. I shall definitely be adding this to my wash routine and I encourage you to do so also. If you lose a lot of moisture when washing your hair, this is for you! The recommended oils are Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Olive Oil and Avocado Oil. You can use one oil or multiple oils, play around and see what works for you. There's a before and after photo below... the proof is in the pudding.

Before (left) and After (Right)
This is the same coil of hair, it's easy to find because
it's one of the few pieces I've snipped during my transition

Have you tried oil rinsing before?

Birthday Outfit

Coat - Zara // Vest - H&M // Jeans - Gap // Boots - Kurt Geiger 

Black Jeans have become my new staple. They're easy to dress up and dress down and pretty much go with everything in your wardrobe. I think my next purchase may be a white pair of jeans.... I haven't owned a pair since secondary school, mainly out of my fear of having a VPL (visible panty line) and getting them dirty.

This was the outfit I wore on my birthday for my unofficial birthday meal. The faux fur coat and boots are both new purchases, I saved them especially for my birthday... am I the only one who saves new items for a special event? I decided to wear all black and add suede wine boots from KG for effect. The blue lining of the coat is somewhat annoying to me but not to worry. Can you believe I got these boots for £29 down for £160, bargain or what? The current sale price is £75 on the KG website.

A faux fur coat is a wardrobe staple in my opinion!! You can recycle your coat year after year after year. You can wear it on date night with the hubby or to a casual lunch with the girls. If you live in England or a country with similar weather, you can even wear it practically all year round because Summer fails to exist.

What are your favourite items in your wardrobe ?

ps. I'm currently merging all elements of my blog onto the main page. Let me know what you think, all feedback welcome :).