Update: Hair Routine

Check the "routine" tag in the sidebar. I've just been playing around with a few ingredients and made a few tweaks. 

twist-out

wearing 2x twists

• Scalp massage on wash day using avocado oil, Auromere oil and blend of  rosemary, tea tree, peppermint e.o
• Pre-poo with hair in 2x twists with Auromere oil, or conditioner under hooded dryer for 20 min. This helps with detangling since hair has been in twists 7-14 days.
• I pre-poo on DRY hair with a combo of 3-5 of my fave conditioners and seal with oil. Pop on a plastic cap, wrap a towel or scarf around that, and wear as long as I can stand it, sometimes overnight. My current pre-poo conditioners:
• Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose
• Burt's Bees Shea & Grapefruit Deep Conditoner
• Desert Essence Jojoba Conditioner (vitacost.com)
• Inecto Pure Coconut Oil Conditioner (Ulta)
• Coconut Oil to seal
• Finger detangle twists after pre-poo, then wash.
• This is key: Deep condition under hooded dryer for 30-45 minutes, then detangle with shower comb and paddle brush. No more detangling in the shower for me. Rinse and apply leave-in.
  
• Nature's Blessing hair dressing on scalp while twisting with Shea-Aloe. Seal with coconut oil, aloe vera gel mixed in palm of hands.
  
• Refresh twists daily with leave-in spray and seal with oil
• Set twists on rollers (sponge removed) on Saturday night for church
• Twist- out Sunday, detangle with fingers and paddle brush, moisturize  and re-twist Sunday night. This is the key to fewer tangles on the next wash day.
  
• Day before washing, saturate dry hair with fave conditioner and finger detangle
• Wash day and repeat

Best of 2009!

Happy New Year, Curlies! Better late, than never, right?

I still love you, I just want to make sure I'm giving you the best information I can, so I write when there's something exciting to write about. 2010 will be full of new product reviews, updates, beauty, skincare, videos and more! Before we jump into the new, let's recap some of the best products of 2009. Here we go......

Overall Hair Care: Curly Girl Method, "Baggy", and Sealing

Eliminating sulfates and -cones in my hair products has been the single best thing I've done for my hair in 2009. It retains moisture better, it's softer, shinier, and it simply looks healthy. For more info, check the tags in the side bar.

Shampoo: Aubrey Organics White Camelia

This cleanser is sulfate-free, but still does a great job cleaning my hair and scalp. I only use this product once every 2 weeks, focusing mainly on my scalp.

Co-Wash Conditioner: Trader Joe's Nourish Spa

Deep Conditioner: Aubrey Organics Honey Suckle Rose

I get much better results with a damp washcloth over my hair, plastic cap, and a hooded dryer for 30-45 minutes. Makes detangling a breeze!

Leave-In Conditioner: Desert Essence Jojoba Conditioner and Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier

Moisturizer: Shea-Aloe (with a KinkyCurly Twist)

Follow the recipe for basic Shea-Aloe. Once the oils have cooled, add 1/4 C of conditioner (must be silicone and protein free) and 1/4 C Taliah Waajid Bodifier. Mix until creamy

Oil(s): Auromere Pre-Shampoo Conditioner

This Ayurvedic oil is a blend of Indian herbs, coconut, and wheat germ oils. It gives my hair nourishment and amazing shine. For an amazing hot oil treatment- saturate hair with oil, pop on a plastic cap, and sit under a hooded dryer for 20 minutes. Wash and style as usual.

Styling Product: Taliah Waajid  Lock It Up "gel"

This product defines curls like a traditional gel, without the drying alcohol. It's also made with nettle, hemp, and Taliah's Black Earth formula.

Routine: Check these    posts

Skin Care (For my dry skin)

Cleanser: Oil Cleansing Method (All skin types)

100% African Black Soap

Moisturizer: I love experimenting with the ingredients that I have on hand. This winter, my skin has been loving shea butter, jojoba oil, and aloe vera gel mixed in the palm of my hand.

Exfoliator: Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel

Worth every penny! Vitamin C crystals and lactic/salicylic acid gel combine to exfoliate and resurface skin revealing glowing, just-had-a-facial skin. This will last months-a little goes a long way.

Five Minutes to Gorgeous!

With two boys, three jobs, and no time, it's sometimes a challenge for me to look as glam-tastic as I would like. These are my absolute must-have products and accessories that keep me looking  my Kinky-Curly best- in a hurry.

1. Moisturizer- If you're opting for a foundation-free face, make sure skin is primed and moisturized. Choose a product that suits your skin type. For my dry skin, I love a mix of jojoba oil, shea butter and aloe vera gel.

2. Groomed Brows- It literally takes seconds to fill in brows. They frame your face and keep your look polished and pretty. I love Maybelline's Define-A-Brow, or a brown eye shadow like Cover Girl's Brown Smolder.

3. Lush Lashes- Simple enough. Curl lashes and apply 2-3 coats of mascara. I love Cover Girl Lash Blast. Go for a brown mascara for a very natural look.

4. Gloss, Gloss, Baby!- Slick on a moisturizing balm, then apply your favorite color. The choices are endless. I'm loving cocoa brown shades of lipstick and gloss this season. Some to try: MAC's Touch l/s, 3N l/g, Mad cap l/g, NYX's Echo l/s, Cover Girl Queen Collection Shiny Cinnamon l/s.

5. A Cute Coif- Check out my hair routine post for details. I love wearing my 2x twists in a retro updo. No need to worry about frizz or weather-worries. Just secure with pins and add oil for shine.

6. A Pop of Color- Scarves are great all year long. A bright orange or purple scarf transforms jeans and a tee into a sophisticated uniform for Curlies on the go. Choose wool blends in winter and sheer cotton in summer months.

Now, I'm ready for errands, playdates, and lunch with the girls- whatever the day brings, I'm game! Make sure you are too. Until next time.....

Merry ChristmaKwanzaaHannukah

Whatever holiday you celebrate, here's a gift idea to get you started! I just ordered one, and I can't wait to wear it 10 different ways!

The Unisex Circle Scarf, $28, store.americanapparel.net

Use code FSW332A73 and it ships free!!!!!!!!!!!

For ways to wear, check out this video link http://www.americanapparel.net/storefront/movies/RSA0503/

Must See T.V

Also check out kimmaytube's channel. She has a great washing and detangling video. It never occurred to me to twist my hair in the shower, to keep detangled hair from tangling again after it's been combed. Great idea.

Do you have a special method or technique for dealing with your hair? Please share it with is in a comment. Until next time....

Emerald Greene Designs in Essence Magazine!

I can not BEGIN! to tell you lovely KC Cuties how excited I am about these photos! God is so Awesome to me, and I believe He is pleased with my committment to my family, my children and my natural-haired sistahs. When we honor God, He will honor us.

I was selling my designs in a boutique in Atlanta that has since closed its doors. During my time there, a stylist by the name of Kimberey Lacy fell in love with my pieces and contacted ME to borrow them for a photo shoot. Happy to get the exposure and recognition, I signed over everything I had. Little did I know, the shoot was photographed by Atlanta's premiere photographer- Mr. Derek Blanks! and for Essence Magazine no less! This was almost 1 year ago, but these are the pics I recieved from the shoot.

I left my position in Fashion and Beauty, which was my dream job in NYC, to focus on raising my two sons. It was a decision that not many people supported, and I faced a lot of criticism and negativity from family and friends. I believe this is proof that God is pleased with my heart, and that's enough for me. This is only a taste of what's to come for me in the future!

Get your custom designs NOW, before Oprah calls. Just kidding, but not really :)

www.emeraldgreene.etsy.com

Until next time.......

A quick hair update......

You all know my current cold-weather hair routine is 1 week of wearing twists, 1 week of a twist-out or puff, wash day every 2 weeks. That's the big picture. Let me hit you with the details:

• Scalp massage on wash day using avocado oil, rosemary e.o blend
• Nature's Blessing hair dressing on scalp while twisting
• Refresh twists daily with leave-in and seal with oil
• Set twists on rollers (sponge removed) on Saturday night for church
• Twist- out Sunday, detangle and re-twist Sunday night. This is the key to fewer tangles on the next wash day.
  
• Day before washing, saturate dry hair with fave conditioner and finger detangle
• Wash day and repeat

This has helped my hair stay knot-free, and combing on wash day is much easier. I can't stress enough the importance of a GREAT arsenal of conditioners to moisturize and manage  our hair. *NOTE: conditioners that contain -cones provide excellent slip and aid in detangling, but beware. They build up on hair over time, even when you rinse thoroughly, and leave hair dried out and hard to manage. Try rotating your conditioners once a month, and shampoo or clarify your hair once a month to remove -cones.

What are some of your fave conditioners? Let us know!

Until next time....