Twist/Braid/Bun for Growth Challenge (7/1/2012 - 9/30/2012)

[Leslie_C]

^^^^^^^^^^
MeowMix thanks for the video/style suggestion...I love it! You have such a sweet spirit

Tibbar wootwoot congrats on your approaching 2 year anniversary! Those styles look really nice on you..I especially like the last pic, it looks great pushed back like that.

MsDee14 you know im digging the headband!

NappyNelle thanks for the additional hair porn lol. And Im not just saying that bc of the boobage bahahaha.

PYT and shortdub78 we are here > < when it comes to styling. One thing that doesnt help is I am the only woman of color at my job so I really dont have to step up my game to get compliments...my coworkers ooh and ah over a simple flat twist in the front and banana clip bun in the back lol.

I think I was going through some kind of depression before I started transitioning and they are just glad I show up looking presentable at all lol. I went months just brushing my dry jacked up hair back into a little ball. It wasnt cute yall, it wasnt cute at all lol. I mean Im confessing that I barely ever moisturized or combed it...I would literally brush the outside layer back into my little tiny anorexic ball daily. My overall look screamed I dont care about myself . Luckily for me and everyone else I snapped out of it! Transitioning has actually made me start to take a little pride in my appearance again. Even it if is just a plain bun, at least it is conditioned and moisturized and I throw on a little makeup. Now if I can just lose this weight Ill really be in business!


I didnt henna like I planned...so its in the freezer and Ill do it tomorrow night overnight. Pinky promise (myself lol)!

 

[NappyNelle]

Leslie_C I'm so glad that you are feeling better enough to style your hair and wear bright colors and post on here! I know exactly how you felt; hair/clothes/skin just are not priorities during times like those.

I'd like to release some weight, too... I keep saying it, and doing practically nothing about it.

 

[MeowMix]

NappyNelle,♫ Your hair is delightful♫

Thank you so much for giving Leslie_C a BIG HUG. When I read her post, the first thing I thought was 'Thank you for sharing that, I'VE BEEN THERE'.

 

[-PYT]

Well, I managed to take my minis down last night/today. That was some work. Tomorrow I will slather with tresemme naturals/detangle and wash. This hair is a process...

 

[gvin89]

Just put in some 2-strand twists...going back to my flat twist updo next Wednesday.

 

[isawstars]

My lazy butt ruined my wash day!

So I washed my hair on monday... and I was dreading the detangling process. I don't know why because it had only been 2 weeks.... oh well. I applied conditioner to my twists (intending to unravel and detangle afterwards). WELL.... I decided to just DC all day and overnight.... okay well, I got busy the next day and left my DC in all day. Before I went to bed I checked on my hair... (yes, I was gonna go to bed with DC on my head still ) and I noticed the scent of my hair was "off." It didn't smell "sour" but it didn't smell fresh like it normally does when DCing. So I I detangled half of my hair Wednesday and detangled the rest yesterday

Sigh. It was more work than it should have been. I think it got tangled from being wet and not detangled for so long. Oh well, I'm done and will never do that again!

I sported a decent braid out last night... moisturized and rebraided before bed. Tonight I'm leaving it in braids and wearing a beanie. Tomorrow.... braid out again!

****Question! What styling products (creams, preferably) do you like to use for braid outs? I want something that helps with moisture but also gives a soft hold. A soft-moderate hold is most important to me... I have products that do it... but they don't help with moisture So I end up relying on spritzing water/oil

 

[Evolving78]

washing/ roller setting and doing some type of simple pin up twist style.

 

[RegaLady]

Still here a still twist bunning

 

[Leslie_C]

My lazy butt ruined my wash day!

So I washed my hair on monday... and I was dreading the detangling process. I don't know why because it had only been 2 weeks.... oh well. I applied conditioner to my twists (intending to unravel and detangle afterwards). WELL.... I decided to just DC all day and overnight.... okay well, I got busy the next day and left my DC in all day. Before I went to bed I checked on my hair... (yes, I was gonna go to bed with DC on my head still ) and I noticed the scent of my hair was "off." It didn't smell "sour" but it didn't smell fresh like it normally does when DCing. So I I detangled half of my hair Wednesday and detangled the rest yesterday

Sigh. It was more work than it should have been. I think it got tangled from being wet and not detangled for so long. Oh well, I'm done and will never do that again!

I sported a decent braid out last night... moisturized and rebraided before bed. Tonight I'm leaving it in braids and wearing a beanie. Tomorrow.... braid out again!

****Question! What styling products (creams, preferably) do you like to use for braid outs? I want something that helps with moisture but also gives a soft hold. A soft-moderate hold is most important to me... I have products that do it... but they don't help with moisture So I end up relying on spritzing water/oil

isawstars you sound just like me, I learned the hard way procrastination will bite me in the booty every time lol. I wore a beanie today too! I had a Grecian like large twist to the side in the front showing and the beanie on the back...I want more beanies for the fall/winter! I want all colors...they will go in my collection of headbands and scarves for hair candy lol.

Oh and about the search for a styling product you mentioned, my best combo yet has been mixing shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie and eco styler olive oil gel. It gave me an amazingly soft hold and is the first time I have ever gotten more than 1 day hair out of a style...my twist n curl lasted about 4 days, but on the 4th day I did some kind of textured updo. 4 day hair is a big deal for me....heck 2 day hair is a big deal to me lol...I usually get 1 day hair, partially bc Im transitioning and have straight wonky ends, and parially bc I have super porous hair that doesnt like to hold a style worth a dime. My hair would normally explode as soon as I went outside or my curls would droop in random places giving me long stringy random pieces hanging everywhere...not a good look lol. I used 1 part smoothie to 2 parts gel. I have also heard of others doing a 50/50 mix...I would imagine that would yield even softer hair...but my hair was very touchably soft and moist, yet the style lasted. I was ecstatic! HTH!

 

[Evolving78]

i decided to do a twistout instead of a roller set. i just finished twisting my hair. i don't know if i want to roll the ends or not. i tend to lose length when i do that. i use QB honeybush tea soft gel to set my hair with. i love this stuff. i used it when i was a natural. it leave a nice hold, but hair is still soft.

 

[isawstars]

isawstars you sound just like me, I learned the hard way procrastination will bite me in the booty every time lol. I wore a beanie today too! I had a Grecian like large twist to the side in the front showing and the beanie on the back...I want more beanies for the fall/winter! I want all colors...they will go in my collection of headbands and scarves for hair candy lol.

Oh and about the search for a styling product you mentioned, my best combo yet has been mixing shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie and eco styler olive oil gel. It gave me an amazingly soft hold and is the first time I have ever gotten more than 1 day hair out of a style...my twist n curl lasted about 4 days, but on the 4th day I did some kind of textured updo. 4 day hair is a big deal for me....heck 2 day hair is a big deal to me lol...I usually get 1 day hair, partially bc Im transitioning and have straight wonky ends, and parially bc I have super porous hair that doesnt like to hold a style worth a dime. My hair would normally explode as soon as I went outside or my curls would droop in random places giving me long stringy random pieces hanging everywhere...not a good look lol. I used 1 part smoothie to 2 parts gel. I have also heard of others doing a 50/50 mix...I would imagine that would yield even softer hair...but my hair was very touchably soft and moist, yet the style lasted. I was ecstatic! HTH!

Leslie_C

Thanks for sharing! That makes me feel better, haha.

One day I will take a photo of my beanie/beret collection... I have 6 hanging up on the back of my door. I want more too but I made myself stop haha. I wear white, purple and pink the most anyways.

Ohhh and I am going to try your mixture! I have a lot of that eco styler gel and I can't seem to use it up fast enough haha. Thanks for the tip!

 

[jprayze]

All week I was wearing my hair out bc I got it flatironed and was loving it but today I'm bunning again!

 

[MsDee14]

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

I'm still in buns..going back to twists this weekend for the final stretch of this challenge!

 

[ladysaraii]

It's official, I miss my mini braids. I'm going back in them as soon as I can find the time. This week though, I'm rocking 2 french braids again.

 

[NappyNelle]

My lazy butt ruined my wash day!

So I washed my hair on monday... and I was dreading the detangling process. I don't know why because it had only been 2 weeks.... oh well. I applied conditioner to my twists (intending to unravel and detangle afterwards). WELL.... I decided to just DC all day and overnight.... okay well, I got busy the next day and left my DC in all day. Before I went to bed I checked on my hair... (yes, I was gonna go to bed with DC on my head still ) and I noticed the scent of my hair was "off." It didn't smell "sour" but it didn't smell fresh like it normally does when DCing. So I I detangled half of my hair Wednesday and detangled the rest yesterday



****Question! What styling products (creams, preferably) do you like to use for braid outs? I want something that helps with moisture but also gives a soft hold. A soft-moderate hold is most important to me... I have products that do it... but they don't help with moisture So I end up relying on spritzing water/oil

isawstars This has happened to me too. Ugh, that scent is horrid and my hair would not detangle for anything. I learned the hard way, several times, lol, that I can't leave my hair soaked in conditioner overnight nor can I detangle wet hair.

For my braid outs I've used a cream with Eco Styler, QB Honeybush Tea Gel and Fantastia IC. My favorite combinations are HH Mango Tango Cloud or HH Avocado Cloud with Fantasia IC Gel. I redo the braids at night after a light moisturizing spritz.

ETA: Oh, you have Eco already, so use that up girl! lol I try to use an equal amount of gel and cream, or a bit more creamy moisturizer than gel since Eco can be 'too hard' of a hold on my hair.

MsDee14 Your buns always look so perfect. Where were you when I was transitioning back in 2005?

 

[MeowMix]

MsDee14 cosigning with NappyNelle.

Hey everybody. I'm dusting today so I just have the hair in some braids. It's funny how on fine hair braids always end up looking like mini braids. Can you believe we about 3 weeks left on this challenge? Time flies.

 

[NappyNelle]

Updo Inspo from vmerie:

My Saturday Hairdo: Messy High Bun

coyacoy Hey! It was done on old hair that I had worn in a bun for the whole week so it was a bit stretched. I spritz a medium sized section of hair with water (just to get it damp), applied Let's Jam Custard, and then applied jojoba oil and braided the section. I had about 18 braids when I was done. I then banded the braids and tied a scarf on to go to bed. Next morning, I took out the braids and separated each one to give volume to my hair making sure to not disturb the hair pattern. I gathered all my hair on top and tucked away my ends in a hair band, fluffed, shaped until I got my desired look. I then wrapped a few sections of afro braid hair around the hair band to hide it. It blended real well. I added gel to my edges and tied with a scarf for 10 minutes and voila! HTH.

And Mandy4610 shared a lovely braid & bun combo in this post.

I need to browse the relaxed hair threads for their styles that reflect the parameters of our challenge; I don't want to seem partial to natural styles.

 

[bajandoc86]

I have another girls' night out tonight I was watching some youtube vids today, and I have an idea for another updo. I think Imma try to incorporate that marley braid hair in this updo again. I know I am breaking the rules of this challenge...*shame* LOL. But I am on a roll!

 

[An_gell]

Sorry haven't checked in, in awhile yall. I'm still bunnin faithfully hopin to be full brastrap by the end of the year.

 

[Victoria44]

I'm back in mini twist and i'm going to stick it out til thanksgiving, my 3 years post relaxer date. My yarn braids lasted all of a week and a day lol

 

[antisocial]

I'm still in the same set of twists that I did on 8/19. I thought I could keep them until the end of the challenge but they aren't gonna make it. Im taking them down this weekend. I think 4 weeks is still pretty good considering that I washed them every week.

 

[NappyNelle]

antisocial Four weeks is amazing! Do you have any tips for washing in twists that you can share with us? How about tips for keeping your hair on lock down for so long?

An_gell Any pics girl?! We need some more photos from relaxed ladies in this thread.

bajandoc86 How was your night out? How did you end up wearing your hair?

ETA: Sorry angel! (I don't mind if you post though. :grin)

 

[NappyNelle]

I saw these photos, and thought of us challengers!

 

[bajandoc86]

Hey chica NappyNelle! I ended up doing a roll, tuck & pin updo with a twistout bang. I was thinking that I look reaaal cute! LOL. Lemme load a pic.

ETA: Here ya go. More pics in the Everyday thread.

 

[nickmack]

Oh. my. gosh.
LADIES. I've been AWOL because so many things have happened all at once (work-related)!!! I'm not complaining; I'm giving thanks but geez, I've lapsed on the challenge! Ended up installing a sew-in (I was also on vacation) and it's been there for a few weeks now. Should I still lurk? *pout* When life is ready to come at you fast...it DEFINITELY comes at you fast.

How has everyone else been? MeowMix, NappyNelle, SimJam and the rest of ladies in the challenge?

 

[MeowMix]

Hi Everybody.

Wow there's been a lot going on in this thread.

nickmack. Hey, good to see you back. Isn't it funny how IRL gets in the way of 'important' things

bajandoc86. You just ALWAYS look fabulous. Wait a minute you do not have Type F in your siggy?

NappyNelle. Hey I see those style and I think of you and other long hair ladies in the thread bajandoc86, Leslie_C, jprayze, MsDee14. I'm probably missing a few, so please forgive.

Thanks to all for all the good vibes with this challenge.

 

[antisocial]

@antisocial Four weeks is amazing! Do you have any tips for washing in twists that you can share with us? How about tips for keeping your hair on lock down for so long?

The less product I use while twisting, the longer they last.
Also, what really helps my twists stay is washing my hair with bentonite clay at least once (usually the first wash) while in twists. I do it more to clease my scalp (I had a minor flaking issue) but I noticed that afterwards my twists seem to lay just right.

I did this set on 8/19, washed with bentonite the week after, and wash once or twice every week until I take them down. Since the bentonite can be drying, I use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner (Trader Joe's nourish spa) for all other washes while in twists.

After washing, I moisturize with one of my Qhemet products while the twists are still soaking wet and then add "Lock it up" gel which is a must have for me when wearing twists. Even though they look frizzy at first, once I tie my hair with a satin scarf my twists are smooth again when I wake up.

I actually think they still look decent....not fresh but acceptable

 

[lamaria211]

Are you lovely ladies going to be doing this challenge again if so I'm reserving my spot I plan to bun 7 days a week!

 

[jprayze]

Hi Everybody.

Wow there's been a lot going on in this thread.

nickmack. Hey, good to see you back. Isn't it funny how IRL gets in the way of 'important' things

bajandoc86. You just ALWAYS look fabulous. Wait a minute you do not have Type F in your siggy?

NappyNelle. Hey I see those style and I think of you and other long hair ladies in the thread bajandoc86, Leslie_C, jprayze, MsDee14. I'm probably missing a few, so please forgive.

Thanks to all for all the good vibes with this challenge.

Awww that made me smile to be considered a long hair lady...thanks MeowMix!!!

 

[MsDee14]

Still bunning it! Used so much dang gel that I have flakes and need to clarify my hair tonight... which I am so not looking forward to.
Back in twists tomorrow! Can't wait

Happy Friday!!!