Second complete rod-set: Another success?!

Maybe…..just maybe.

I am one of those naturals that has ZERO patience when it comes to styling my hair. Or rather, trying new styles. My hair is long-ish and my limbs tired-ish, so if I find myself getting frustrated, I tend to just give up.

But not this time.

I stuck with it, even with the elastic parts snapping hardly against my cold, wet and stiff fingers. That ish HURT! LOL!

My arsenal:

-xtra small, small, medium-ish and medium rods. (hey…. y’all get what I’m saying :P )

-PM The conditioner & IC w/Sparklites (for color-treated hair….I like it better than the clear)

-Table-top hooded dryer

-Rat-tail comb

-Butterfly clips

Directions:

After washing and conditioning hair, I applied the PM Conditioner moderately to each section of hair. I sectioned my hair into maybe 6 sections(held up and apart with butterfly clips), using the rat-tail to section off each piece.

I then applied a little bit of gel to my fingers, smoothing over each piece being rolled onto each rod, wrapped/rolled hair around rod and secured. I continued this throughout my entire head; using smaller rods in the front and larger ones in the middle and back.

After set, I sprayed hair with a little bit of water to reactivate the gel and sat under the dryer for 2 hours. I have a lot of hair, so the length made it harder to dry.

Once dry, I gently removed rods and attempted to separate. I thought my hair would frizz up completely but it didn’t. But with those stubborn pieces, I just let them be. Hence the varying curl sizes in the back. lol

The end result:

Not tooooo shabby. Next time, I'll pay for someone to do it for me. :P

Natural Urbanista

I'm BAAACCCKKK!!!!!!

I hope I was missed, even if just a lil bit because I've missed you all!!

While I make no promises that I won’t take another impromptu hiatus, I DO promise to do a better job at updating this blog as I’m quite ashamed of how long it’s been since my last posting.

That’s what happens when you work 10+ hour days, y’all!

BUT, in the midst of working hard but not playing harder, I have had the chance to try out some products AND I plan on getting back into the formulatory side of things. Something of which I have sorely MISSED. More dets to come in the coming weeks, but just know that when I’ve struck gold, you all will be the first I share that info with. :)

And to those faithful followers who have stuck around even though I’ve sucked monkey b*lls, I truly TRULY appreciate it. Blogging itself is a job and some are better at multitasking. Not I as much, but hopefully that will change.

I look forward to sharing my news, discoveries and just random, unadulterated hodgepodge with you all!

Stay beautiful, Naturalistas!!

Natural Urbanista

"Survivor" goes Natural!!

I don't really watch Survivor. There are just too many reality shows for me to keep up with, although I have enjoyed watching it in the past. As I was perusing Yahoo, I noticed pictures of the new cast and I THEN noticed the beautiful, "spoken word" poet, Semhar Tadesse.



*photo courtesy of CBS

We've got another natural on a CBS reality show. SCORE!

So go ahead and drool over her fluffy 'fro and watch her play "ditzy" on Survivor.


Natural Urbanista

USVI Birthday Vacation(oh and some stuff about my hair)

It's been entirely TOO LONG since my last post. I will get better....I promise.

As many of you may or may not know, I spent about 5 days for my birthday in the Virgin Islands; my first foray off of the mainland. And actually, my first REAL vacay in my adult years(I guess turning 30 served as my motivation). I had THE best time, so my departure from St. John was bittersweet. For anyone who has visited the island, you'll understand what I mean. But the great thing is I can always go back..... and I will. Next time, for a week or two.

I wasn't a beach person til this trip. I avoided it like the plague(blame it on my non-existent beach body). Now I'm a beach snob. I shall NOT set foot in water that isn't a pretty as the water I submerged myself in while swimming(well, technically laying) in the waters off of Honeymoon beach.



I mean seriously....can you blame me? :P

Okay, back to my hair. I had blown out my hair days prior to leaving and for the first few days; wore a Corinne Baily Rae inspired 'do.



By the time I took this pic, my hair was already expanding. Humidity AND wind, y'all. lolAnd about 2o mins later, it was pulled back into a massive puff. And I mean massive. Sorry, no pics of that. If only I could've photographed folks' expressions! :)

I eventually wanted to swim and pulled the hair in a single braid(which surprisingly stayed put), and did my thing. I tried to take some of my staples(Elucence MBC and shampoo, moisturizer, etc), and managed to make my little 3oz bottles work, but what I wasn't expecting was how HARD the water was. My hair felt HORRIBLE. Even with cowashing everyday. So needless to say, I did a major DT when I came home using One 'n Only Argan Oil Hydrating Mask(which I LOVE, btw....review coming soon!). I'm not sure if that salt water did my hair any good, as it supposedly is great for the hair, but when I DT'ed my hair, it was like butta.

I also found myself tiring of fighting with my hair(it just wouldn't stay DOWN) and pulled back into a wrap. Oh, and you know my hair FINALLY cooperated on the day of my departure, right? Figures. LOL!



So even with my temperamental hair, I had a wonderful time. The food, the CONDO I stayed in, the people, and just the beautiful and unspoiled nature of the island, which is like 60% national park.....perfect. So, if you've NEVER been there.....go. Oh and some advice:

• Don't decide to buy toiletries there. You will be set back quite a bit of green(my travel buddy learned their lesson, lol).
• Slather on that sunscreen!!! I didn't put on enough and I got sunburned. Hurt.like.HELL. And the peeling is SO not sexy.
• Spend your first day just walking around. You'll discover little gems on your excursions.
• If you can, rent a place with a full kitchen and make your own breakfast and lunch. Dinners are typically more expensive, but if you're only really spend on dinner, it balances out. Woody's is great for breakfast(massive pancakes...yum)! and Banana Deck had some of the best tasting food. Ate there THREE times!!
• Be courteous and say, "Good morning, afternoon, etc." Don't just say hello. Pleasantries will get you far better service with native islanders.
• And if you're used to hustle and bustle....get UNused to it down there. It's chill-paced. No one's rushing to do anything, so you'll need to readjust your 'tude and just ENJOY yourself! :)

Natural Urbanista

Is THIS why Ori Organics is on hiatus?

A fellow Naturalista mentioned on Twitter some weeks about how Ori Organics is no longer accepting orders right now. I was thinking I'd be fine since I still literally have half of a jar of my buttercream and half of my bottle of leave in that was purchased back in January(which is why I LOVE this brand, as they last me a LONG time). But THEN, after taking a break from using the buttercream(about a month) and switching to my Barry Fletcher product, I open my jar to see THIS:



Yeah. That's mold. And for reference, it's stored in my bedroom, AWAY from the moisture in my bathroom and I don't dip wet fingers into the jar for this very reason and scoop out a certain amount and put it in the cap when twisting my hair.

I'm guessing they're reassessing the preservatives used as it's not providing the full spectrum anti-microbial protection necessary in maintaining its shelf life.

Have any of my Naturalistas encountered this problem with this brand or another? What have been your experiences with "natural" products and spoilage?

Natural Urbanista