UPDATE!!!!!

I have been so busy with school and work and sometimes just plain lazy that I've neglected to update my blog as well as my YouTube account. I have been fully natural for a little over a year now and still going strong. Since starting my natural hair journey, I have changed my regimen many times and gone through many staple products. I have become more conscious of what I put in my hair and how I handle it as well as how often I handle it. Most of the products I use now are either organic and homemade or tried and true products that I modify. I am still looking to perfect the combination of staple products I use, if one can ever really do that. I have yet to find a shampoo I like that doesn't feel as if it's stripping my hair, but Naptural85 from YouTube suggested an organic hair wash by Terressentials. I plan on trying it as soon as I have some extra cash. ^_^ Here are the products and regimen I use now, along with the recipe for both my DT and my leave-in:


What products am I using now?

Shampoo: Currently, I'm using Alba Botanica's Hawaiian Nourishing Mango shampoo, I believe it's called. I add extra aloe vera leaf juice to it for conditioning purposes. I don't really like it, but since I don't shampoo but maybe once or twice a month on average, I use it. As I said, I am going to try Terressentials organic hair wash since Nap so passionately recommended it!

Conditioner: Aussie Moist <3with a little extra aloe vera leaf juice added. I have recently found Kinky Curly Knot Today for pretty cheap at CurlMart.com. If it works out, I may substitute KCKT in my recipes. I'll try to keep you posted.

Deep Conditioner: I use a modified recipe for the avocado-mayonnaise DT. I'll include the recipe at the end of the post. I have heard great things about the caramel deep conditioning treatment and I will be trying that when I gather all the ingredients.

Moisturizer: I use a mix of shea butter and Shea Moisture Curl Smoothie with some oils of my choosing (I'm still experimenting with this so I won't include the recipe just yet). I also use a leave-in conditioner I've mixed myself that seems to work for me, though, I'm still tweaking it to see if I can improve it in any way. I'll include the recipe for that at the end of this post, as well.

Gel/Sealant: Beeswax. A friend of mine suggested ORS Edge Control, claiming it works better than beeswax. I'm eager to try it.


What's my regimen now?

I co-wash and deep condition once a week. I only shampoo when I feel my hair really needs it, if I missed a co-wash or there's product build up, for example. On average, I only shampoo once, MAYBE twice, a month. I moisturize with my leave-in conditioner mix twice a day (once in the morning and again before bed) if I have my hair in twists or braids, once a day (at night) if I have my hair out. I loosely re-twist/braid before bed to stretch a style and cover my hair with a silk bonnet or sleep on a satin pillow every night.


Avocado and Mayonnaise Deep Conditioner Treatment

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup real mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup organic aloe vera leaf juice
  
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 2 tbsp pure grape seed oil (or jojoba oil)
  
• 2 tbsp organic hemp seed oil
• 1 tbsp vegetable glycerin
  
• 3 - 5 drops of real lemon juice
  

Directions:

• Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
• Apply generously to clean, damp hair, cover with a shower cap and let sit for at least an hour. I recommend sitting under a hooded dryer, steamer, or wrapping your head in a towel soaked in hot water to allow for better penetration of the conditioner. I often take a nap or leave it in overnight, depending on how much time I have to spend on my hair.

Leave-in Conditioner Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 2 tbsp grape seed oil (or jojoba oil)
  
• 2 tbsp hemp seed oil
  
• 1 tbsp vegetable glycerin
  
• 2 - 4 tbsp Aussie Moist (or conditioner of your choice)
  
• 5 drops of lemon juice
  
• organic aloe vera leaf juice

Directions:

• Add all ingredients to a spray bottle ( I use an old 8 oz body spray bottle) and shake well. The amount of aloe vera leaf juice depends on how much you plan on using. I only make enough to last a week since the ingredients are organic with the exception of the Aussie Moist. Feel free to tweak the portions of the ingredients to how much mix you would like to make.
  
• Spray generously to hair and seal with gel, beeswax, or other sealant of your choice.
  

I hope you all can use these recipes and achieve as great a result as I have: soft, manageable, protein-enriched, moisturized hair. Should I find a way to improve upon these recipes I will come back and edit. Let me know how it works for you!!

Scab and Heat Damaged Hair

I think I've damaged my hair with either blowdrying or from trying to flat iron a certain section of my hair while I was transitioning (video of the damaged "scab" hair here). I recall when I tried to flat iron my natural hair when I didn't know about doing a blowout first. I struggled with it for a good 45 minutes or so before giving up and, of course, I started at the root. Now that I'm completely natural the heat damaged hair is uncooperative and doesn't respond to any product, beer rinses (click here, here, here, and here for more on beer rinses and natural hair), co washing, curl activator, you name it.

I've been trying to see what else I could do to treat the hair short of cutting it, but I haven't found a remedy. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have to trim the damage as my hair grows out. From what I've researched, it'll take about 6 months to a year before it all grows out.

That being said, I don't think I'll be straightening my hair any time soon. I might opt to do it once or twice a year after I've achieved the length I desire. I've also been thinking about ways I can stretch my hair before straightening it without the use of a blowdryer and what products are ideal to protect my hair from the flat iron. Suggestions are welcome.

For a bit more info on scab hair click here

Anyway, I was just popping in to document this small discovery. Peace. ^_^

UPDATE: 100% Natural

Hey! I've been really really busy, but now I have a little more down time this week so I thought I'd update. I cut all my relaxed ends off in October of last year and now I'm completely natural and loving it! I may post a few pictures later.
There are some days where I feel like it isn't growing like it should or I can't come up with any styles for it and other days, still, where I can't seem to get my curls as defined as I'd like (product suggestions are more than welcome).

I haven't been posting my youtube videos, but I should be posting one tonight! I hope everyone had a great holiday and best wishes for the new year.

See you all on youtube!

Hey everyone! I snipped a few more of those relaxed ends in the back. I'm just itching to cut them all off.

I haven't really been documenting my hair growth as I would have liked, one, because I was without a decent camera for a while, and two, because I've been busy with school, work, and a new boyfriend. ...And somewhere in between that I have to sleep!
So I'm still alive!! But my hair is breaking a little. I haven't been able to moisturize and deep condition as much lately. It doesn't feel quite as soft and hydrated as it used to. Probably just needs a good wash and some tlc.

I got 2 new kittens! I'll put up some pictures later.

New Video!! New Product

Just a little update on hair products.

So after much research and plenty of hints and tips from other people, I started checking my current hair care products for any bad ingredients and to my shock and horror, I discovered that my precious extra lite Bronner Bros. hair strengthening oil has petroleum AND mineral oil (both block up hair folicles)! Nooooooo!! Not to mention I found out that oil itself doesn't moisturize at all, it actually blocks any moisture from getting into your hair, which explains why when I put evoo in my hair it feels dry just a few minutes later. I also learned that one should use a water-based moisturizer and then seal in the moisture with oil afterwards. (How do you tell it's water-based? If it's the first or one of the first ingredients listed). So what did I do about it?

I went out and bought this!

Bio Infusions Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion

I've only used it for a couple of days now, but even so, I've seen and felt a big difference in my hair.

Despite this great find, I'm a little concerned about my hair. Whenever I set it and take it down the next day, it feels super soft almost as if it were wet, but it's completely dry. Maybe my hair needs more protein? Hm... Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Anyway, I'll keep you posted on how well this product works.

Oh! One more thing! I have a new video up in my hair & beauty vlog! It's a video on how to make the best exfoliating, moisturizing scrub ever! Using all natural ingredients. Go check it out here.

Well that's about it, ya'll. Catch you next time.

xoxo Romance Fatale

Next Time: Could there be a new Fatal Romance on the rise for Bastet?

Big Chop Date and Things

How are you doing, everyone? I've created this blog simply to get back into blogging and also to use as another way of documenting my "journey back to natural hair."
In a nutshell, without going through a lengthy intro, this blog is going to display the many sides of me.

Why's it called Femme Fatale?

That's a personal reference to my love life. It always ends disasterously for any man involved and means vexation for me. Same reason behind my display name.

Anywho, I've decided firmly on doing the big chop for New Year. Probably the day before New Year's Eve since all the parties are on NYE (can't miss those!). I've been transitioning for 11 months now and the end of this month marks 12. I've been noticing when I wash my hair there's about 3 inches of relaxed hair left in the back and about 4-5 on the crown and everywhere else just hanging there, limp and lifeless.
At one point, after watching a plethora of videos of women either getting the big chop or doing their own big chop and tons of nappiversary videos, and washing and conditioning my hair... I lost my mind for a few minutes and chopped the hair in the back. A BIG chunk of it. Slowly realizing what I'd done, I freaked out! "What have I done??? I just cut my hair off!! OH MY GOD and it's a BIG chunk of hair too!!" So, of course, I had to even out the back.
That just kind of let me know that I must be ready for the big chop on some level. And surprisingly, after I'd picked out the back, pulled it and measured the length, then fluffed it out... I liked it! I was excited and wanted to chop the rest of my hair too, but for the purposes of symbolism, I'm waiting for New Year, as I said.

I've been pretty anxious to cut it for many reasons. One, I really want to have my natural hair back. Two, I want to see what the curl pattern looks like without my relaxed ends weighing the natural hair down. Three, I work at night and don't get off till the wee hours of the morning... the only thing I want to do when I get home is sleep, not have to braid twist, or roll my hair to set it for the next day. That being said, I want to be able to slap a silk bonnet on my head and style the next day without worrying about my telltale relaxed ends lying flat and limp while my curly hair is wild and free. Four, I want to be able to wash my hair and walk out the door. For years, I had to do so many other things with my relxed hair after it was washed, be it flat ironing or curling, or whatever. I don't want to have to deal with it anymore. Natural hair is so low maintenance. It's wash, comb, and go. None of that tedious disguising of new growth and retouching, etc.

Ok well this post is getting lengthy so I'm going to end it here. Be on the look out for my artwork and other random things I do in future posts. Also, check out my YouTube vlog! Click the link down over there where it says, "Natural Hair Journey Vlog." Later days!