Step by Step: Hawk Variation

After wearing my hair in a twist out for a while I needed to wash and style it for Easter, but was short on time. Instead I thought of an easy style to get me through the day until I could wash my hair that night. The end result of this style looks like a mohawk made of puffs.

Tools I used: Shea butter mixture, 3 rubber bands, 7 standard sized protected bobby pins, 1 large protected bobby pin, and hair pins (number may vary)

I didn't want to manipulate my hair too much so I didn't use a comb. To begin I smoothed on my shea butter mixture to moisturize my hair and to give it a shine. Next I sectioned my hair into 4 sections making the biggest in the front of my head.

(Right) The red shows where a rubber band is used. The brown shows where rough parts were made.

Tip: If you part your hair using a comb you'll be able to see the parts easier in the finished product. If you use your hands/fingers to section your hair there won't be parts showing in the finished style.

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The very first hump in a basic pompadour secured with one large bobby pin. Once that's completed I moved on to the next pony tail in line. The hair is roughly divided into two parts, rolled, and then secured with a standard bobby pin.

 (Right) The red shows how the pony tail is roughly divided into two parts. The brown shows where the rubber band is securing the ponytail.

Tip: The rubber bands don't have to be very tight, or to pull your hair uncomfortably in any way. The sections that are pinned don't have to be exactly the same size either.

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After your first section is finished it should look similar to this:

 (Right) The brown shows the direction the hair was rolled. Yellow shows where a bobby pin was placed and red shows the rubber band that was used.



Tip: You can see that the pompadour was bobby pinned in two places since the section was so large. I made the next section's rolls large enough to touch and blend with the roll next to it. You won't notice the rubber bands once the rolls are done.

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Continue to roll and pin for the remaining pony tails.

Tip: When you section your hair, if you make the sections smaller as you go towards the back of your head the puffs will appear to cascade down your head ^_~" Also, when securing with the standard bobby pins, place one pin on each side of the roll. This will help minimize the amount of bobby pins needed.

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The last step when all of the rolls are pinned is to just clean up any stray hairs, curls, or make the puffs tighter with the hair pins. Since I started this with hair that had been previously twisted I had random strays all over the place.

After pinning everything how I liked here is the result:

 

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Night Care: Since this style is so simple to do I take it down completely and cover with a satin bonnet before bed. In the morning I sprits with my EO water mixture, smooth and restyle.

This hawk variation, puff hawk --- what would you call it?? --- has many pros:

• Can be worn by people with different hair lengths
• The number of puffs can be changed very easily to switch up the style
• People who are transitioning can wear this style
• Doesn't take a lot of time to style
• Easy style for people of all skill levels to achieve
• Can serve as a protective style since the ends of your hair are covered

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I encourage you to try this style!! If you do make sure you post it on the Facebook Fan Page, so that it may be added to the "Hair I Did" album for others to see! You're welcome to post any and all natural hair pictures of styles you've created or styles that inspire you in some way!

Style Quickie: Twists & Poof

For the longest time I've been so against doing mini twists on myself. The time it takes to complete them is really the sole reason for not wanting to do them. I began this style with full intentions of doing mini twists. As you can see that didn't happen. This style turned out nice anyways!

As always I started with a freshly washed head of hair. I used was my whipped shea butter mix, and essential oil water mix when my hair dried faster than I could style. On one side I put a few flat two strand twists, then bobby pinned out of the way while I two strand twisted the front of my head. Once that was completed, I had no motivation to twist anymore hair! I wasn't sure what else I wanted to do with it, but I didn't want it to take all day. Flexi rods to the rescue!! I still haven't mastered flexi rods on wet curly hair yet, so the results weren't perfect. Some curls were perfect, and some had frizzy ends. Over all the look wasn't terrible.

 

A high poof is what became of the flexi rod curls!

A nice headband added, and I'm off to work!

My poof was held in place with a few bobby pins. I wore this style for about 5 days before taking out the flat two strand twists. To wash, and to keep my two strands in tact, I clipped them together. The back and sides of my head I washed as normal, then gently cleaned my scalp where the two strand twists were.

I've washed my hair about three times since the style was first started. In the back of my mind I was still swearing off mini twists. Didn't work though, by the end of the weekend I'll have a full head of mini twists. Stay tuned for pictures!


Other Ways I Styled:

~~ After washing I did medium twists all over, let air dry, then wore a twist out with the two strands in front
~~ Slept with flexi rods on the two strands to give them some curl, and paired with the twist out
~~ Wore a poof and added a large hair flower to the side of it, and wore the two strands as curly bangs
~~ Rolled the loose hair into a french roll, then added a flower. The two strands were swooped to one side


** News **

I finally got my Etsy Shop open for business!!!! Does anyone else have a shop? Share your links!

Style Quickie: Sock Bun

I was looking through some older pictures and came across ones I took while styling sock buns. There is an older post on this style I wore, and you can watch the YouTube video that inspired me. The link for the video is under the "links" tab at the top.

 

Products Used:

1. Peppermint Shampoo by Dark and Lovely Naturally
2. Wave Moisturize by Dark and Lovely Naturally
3. Leave-in Conditioner by Motions

The products that I used can be found at local beauty supply stores, or even drug stores. They were about $5 each. I love this shampoo! Peppermint stimulates blood circulation in the scalp, and you can feel it working. My hair is soft afterward, smells great, and is tangle free. The wave moisturizer smells great and a little goes a long way. When doing twists the moisturizer helps to keep them from unraveling. The leave-in conditioner is a great go to product. It's inexpensive, works well, and lasts a long time. It leaves your hair feeling moisturized, soft, and easy to manage.

Tools Used:

Rat Tail Comb to help make large parts & Large Tooth Comb to help detangle

 

Elastics to make pony tails for the buns & Clips to hold extra hair out of the way. You may also need a bobby pin or two.

Styling:

After washing, applying product, and sectioning hair I begin to blow dry it

All that hair!! I hardly ever blow dry it, so I didn't realize how much it had grown!

I ended up with 3 sections for this style. They're all completely optional and you can change it up! You can have 3 buns if you'd like, make the 3 the same size, do something different in the front besides two strands....endless possibilities! An elastic is used initially to make 2 ponytails with the middle and bottom sections.

The front section is clipped out of the way. In the end, this will be twisted into small two strands. 

The rolled sock is placed over the ponytail. You do this just as if the sock was an elastic.

This part was easier to do if I had an elastic on my wrist before grabbing the hair. You want to fold the hair down and around the sock. Make sure  the sock is covered evenly on all sides with your hair. Next, secure the hair with the elastic that's around your wrist. There may be pieces of hair that are sticking out from under the elastic. That's fine! Roll that hair under as if doing a big twist. Continue around the bun, then secure the end with a bobby pin.

I ended up with one big bun in the middle and a small one at the bottom.

The front section was then twisted into small two strands. I used the wave moisturizer for this part. 

Completed two strands!

I pulled the twists up and secured them with a hair comb. You can leave them down, secure up with a bobby pin, or other hair piece. You can be creative here!

SUGGESTION: See the white showing on my top bun? I'd suggest using a black sock, because of this. If you do have small gaps it won't be noticeable.

SUGGESTION: If a hair elastic is too thick/big for your hair try using a small rubber band to make the initial ponytail. That's what I ended up doing for the smallest bun in the very back.

To see another way I wore my sock buns check out an older post H E R E !!


Sock Buns are:

• easy updos
• good styles for transitioners
• quick
• easy to switch from casual to more formal
• nice protective styles

~~ Do you have any variations of this style? Show me!! ~~

Don't forget to Like my Facebook Fan Page!! Follow me on Twitter @MzDezy

Spotted: Special Issue Magazine!!!

I've been trying to narrow my choice down to one article, picture, or hair style, and I just can't do it. The ENTIRE magazine is great!! Essence Hot Hair Special Issue for Fall 2011 is a must have magazine!!! There's a big section just about natural hair ^_^"

Fall 2011: Displayed until Dec 16

Find Inside:

• Styles that are hot in different regions of the country
• Great style ideas for all hair lengths
• Product lists for natural and relaxed hair
• How-to's on different natural curl styles
• Tips on hair coloring
• Wig info
• And More!

Some things I liked the most were:

Regional Styles- It's interesting to see what other people are doing to their hair. There are more than just afros, even though they're great, and I wear them all the time! I got a lot of style ideas I'd like to try from this section.

Products- I'm always on the hunt for new products. I usually go back to my old faithfuls, but trying new products is fun. I saw more products from lines I already use that I didn't know about too.

Curl Tips- I know that there are number of curl types. All curly hair isn't the same, and some have more needs than others. There's some good info on the different types.

Natural Hair Photos- Recently I've been noticing more photos and stories in magazines with people who have natural hair. A lot of times if there are pictures or stories about natural hair in a magazine it's limited to about 2 pages. I like seeing the different styles, people, and the amount of it here.

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I found this magazine at CVS, and I'm sure it could easily be found at any book or grocery store. If you're interested in products, need style ideas, are curious to what's happening in other parts of the country, or just want to read about hair I'd recommend this magazine.

Have you read it already; went to pick it up? What did you think? Comment, let me know, and follow me on Twitter @MzDezy!!

Naturally Meet: Shenicka

Let me start by saying Shenicka is one of the most inspirational people I've ever met! We've been friends for a few years now, but met when she was hired as a work-study student at a former job of mine. We started out working indirectly every once in a while, and ended up being like sisters. If there's ever a time when you need a good word, an ear to talk to, a hug, advice, or a laugh Shenicka is the one! For as long as I've known her, Shenicka hasn't been one to let others opinions decide what's "best for her," or one to give into peer pressure. A great example of this is her over coming obstacles. Speed bumps in the road did not stop her graduating from The Ohio State University with a Bachelors of Social Work, or even continuing on to recently graduated from Case Western Reserve University with her Masters of Science in Social Administration!!! Now that I've told you her life story here's your turn to Naturally Meet Shenicka:

What's your name? Shenicka J.

How old are you? 25

Where are you from? Toledo, OH

How long have you been natural?
I have been natural for almost 26 months (2 years and 2 months). I tried a prior time for 10 months then reverted back to a perm that did not take, so after that experience I decided to try it again, and this time stick to it.

What made or keeps you chemical free? I grew tired of spending my money on chemicals that really didn't work much different from what my natural hair could already do. I realized after a while that my hair was gonna do what it was allowed to do, either way, with or without chemicals, ending at the same result. What keeps me natural is the same mine, but I always remember how stunted my growth was when I used chemicals and how much liberty I feel now as I dare to do things with my hair I either wouldn't do before or couldn't do because of limitation of the chemicals.

What's your favorite style to wear? I love defined curls, so I love washing my hair and putting leave-in conditioner in my hair that helps keep my curls defined, moisturized, and shiny. I also like updo's (photos below).

Do you have any must have products? I am still in search of "the right product" that will work with my grade of natural hair. However, I do enjoy using Garnier Fructis products, and Olive Oil Organic products.

Where do you currently get hair tips and ideas from? Currently, all my friends with the exception of 2-3 are natural, so I usually get tips by word of mouth, via strangers and friends. It's amazing how much someone is willing to share about their process if you would just ask. I do it all the time, because I am always inquiring to learn new things about embracing "my natural".

Are there any words of encouragement, or thoughts you'd like to share? I would like to encourage those ladies who have considered, or are considering joining us naturals to "Just Do It". Don't preoccupy the thoughts of "I want to do it, but I just can't do it...I don't think I can". I use to be that same person who didn't believe they could do it, but I did it and am doing it everyday. I do want to enlighten you that you will go through stages of growth, but once you have reached that peak, you will never look back. It liberates you; it embraces your inner beauty, and defines your profound characteristics. It also gives you a new confidence, because as a woman we all know our hair is very important to us. Once you've mastered embracing your "natural" you will be able to storm any weather. The best thing about being natural is the uniqueness of everyone. No two people are the same, but we all share one thing and that is Liberty. India Arie says it best, "I Am Not My Hair", and neither are you...Be Blessed!

And there it is folks  ^_^"  Here are some photos that Shenicka provided.

You're still able to straighten, curl, pin, etc. your hair being chemical free!!

Any questions or comments?? I'd love to hear what you think...leave em below  ^_~"

Sock Bun Updo

I really like this style. I wore it for my birthday dinner, and one of the parties -- VIRGOS!! This is another style I learned from watching a how-to video by Mrs. PrettyDimples on YouTube. You can find a link to her YouTube channel under my "Links" tab at the top. I've seen people wear a similar style before, but never knew how they did it. It's SO simple, and I'll def try it again.

What I used:

• Pair of old ankle socks
• Scissors
• Bobby pins
• Hair ties/ Rubber band
• Shea butter mix

This is a style that anyone can wear. Relaxed, chemical free, long, short--doesn't matter, you can wear this style. You can see two different ways that I wore the buns. One was more simple; I used a decorative hair comb to secure my two strand twists. The second one, bobby pins were used to secure the two strands, but a huge flower was added. You could add chop sticks, feathers, clips, just about anything to change up the style. Try doing three buns instead of two!

Changes I Made:

• If you have dark hair it's better to use a black sock instead of white, or any other color
• A rubber band was easier to cover than a thicker hair tie after making the bun
• Hair ties used should be dark, or close to the hair color. I used brown
• I kept my two strands together, but you could do a twist out for the bangs
• The bun on the bottom was smaller than the top-- Rubber band used on bottom and hair tie used on the top

These are just things that I changed, or noticed while doing this after watching the YouTube video mentioned above.

At night I covered my hair with a satin bonnet after removing bobby pins. This style takes literally 10 mins max to do, so there was a point where I took down the whole thing, and re-styled in the morning. I wore this for about 4 days before moving on  ^_^"

Have you done this style before? Know any mods, or variations?? Share!

Quickie: Stuffed Twisted Updo

I saw this style while surfing YouTube videos last week and decided to try it. The channel I saw the video on was PrettyDimples. You can find a link to her channel under my "Links" tab up top!!

I've been celebrating my birthday, my friend's birthday, and other Virgo's birthdays ALL month! I wanted to do something different with my hair for the last party we would be having. This style was simple enough to do, and didn't require me buying anything for it.


What I Used:

• Rat-tail comb
• Hair clips
• 1 pack of braiding hair
• Eco Styler Argon Oil Gel (find out more about it H E R E !! )
• Bobby pins
• Lighter

I started by washing my hair, adding leave-in conditioner, then blow drying it. A small section on braiding hair was folded in half, and then the fold was heated with the lighter, molded with my fingers to make a point, and then lined up with the beginning of the parted twist. Each twist has a piece of braid hair that I used to stuff the twist. After forming the twist as far as possible incorporating your own hair, keep twisting tightly to make the braid hair roll. You'll start to get the crazy twisted coils. Keep twisting til you're at the end of the braid hair, then secure with a bobby pin.

The finish results were my variation on the how-to video. I prefer bigger twists to smaller ones. Making big twists limited how much hair was left over to twist into the spirals pinned on the side. If you used smaller twists then the spiral section, in the end, will be fuller. Over all I'm happy with this style. I've gotten SO many compliments on it from friends, co workers and even strangers.

The entire style took me about 45 minutes total to do. I always multitask when it comes to doing my hair, so it usually takes me longer than if I just focused on it. The twisted updo is one I'd suggest for someone who's transitioning, wants a protective style, or just something different.

It's day 4 with this style and it's still holding strong. At night I use a satin hair scarf to protect the edges of my hair, and then cover the remaining hair with a satin hair bonnet. I also sleep on a satin pillow case-- if you don't own one, get one!! It'll be one of your hairs best friends  ^_^"