Haul from Canadian Beauty Supply Stores Online

 It is often hard to find black hair products in Canada if you live in a small town and most times when you find them they are double what they cost in the US. If you live in the US then lucky you because you are spoiled for choice when it comes to hair products and you can find most products at Walmart, Walgreens etc.

What I have done for the past 4 years is do a huge product haul once a year on www.gmbshair.com
 I found two Canadian beauty supply stores www.hairmall.ca  and www.beautifulblackhair.ca  The prices on
www.hairmall.ca are reasonable provided you purchase a minimum of $75.99 before tax and qualify for free shipping. My order was shipped out fast and I received it in 5 Business Days. But if you intend to purchase only one or two products then www.beautifulblackhair.ca is a better choice because they offer free regular shipping to anywhere in Canada.

I bought a lot of products (most of them are for use on my own hair) but here are two products that I will be featuring on my blog:

Creme of Nature Argan Oil Perfect Edges

3 Sisters of Nature Natural Curling Gelo

My Top 5 YouTube Hair Gurus

If you're new to YouTube, there are so many videos and "gurus" and it can get a bit overwhelming trying to figure out who to subscribe to. So I put together a list of my Top YouTube Hair Gurus. There are so many more amazing people you can subscribe to on YouTube but I picked the five below because I learn new things from them and I'm all about expanding my knowledge.

1) Peakmill
My favorite person on YouTube hands down!!. In my mind we are friends :p She's super talented, as in there is nothing this girl cannot do. She is daring and experiments with a lot of different styles, colors etc. regardless her hair is always flawless. Her reviews are honest and her tutorials are detailed, easy to follow and understand. She inspired me to start making my own U-Part / Full Wigs.

2) Ivy Powell
Every time I watch ivy's hair tutorials I learn something new. She's very innovative and comes up with a lot of new ways to do sew ins, closures etc. She's worn some of the most amazing curly textures I've ever seen. She is the queen of curly hair!!

3) Fabulasityisme
Absolutely love her channel. She makes any hair look good. She wears the hair, the hair doesn't wear her. Her hair tutorials are easy to follow too.

4) LakiaStar
Her channel offers a lot of variety. She experiments with different textures, hairstyles, colors etc. so there is something for everyone.

5) Tiarra Monet
She wears a lot of different styles and comes up with new things and her tutorials are detailed and very helpful.

Food for thought: I'm more into hair than makeup so I judged solely on hair tutorials & reviews. Please do your own research before purchasing from any company.  If your favorite guru gives a certain hair company rave reviews, that doesn't guarantee that when you buy the hair, you'll have the same experience.

Craving Curls For Fall

I have serious commitment issues when it comes to purchasing hair; which is why I haven't purchased new hair in 2013. Curly hair has been on my wishlist all year but the weather is getting colder and I hear curly hair is harder to maintain during colder months. My hair motto is "when in doubt, get body wave hair", but as much as I like the low maintenance aspect of body wave hair, it would not satisfy my current curl craving.
I saw the gorgeous Fabulasityisme on Youtube wearing a wavy curly texture..!!This texture will definitely give me my curly hair fix and doesn't look too high maintenance.

Other things on my wishlist:

1) Blow Dryer with a Diffuser attachment
Can you believe I haven't used a blow dryer in over 7 years?! Not even on my own natural hair. I am very anti-heat. But now I want one with a diffuser attachment because it gives you frizz free defined curls/waves.

2) 3 Part Lace Closure
I need to try this closure out to find out if the days of having to physically move my wig to change my part are over.

3) Edge Control
How am I about to start using edge control in 2013? This is supposed to be a staple in your hair product collection. We all know your hair isn't laid unless your edges are.


My show and tell is coming up soonish.. PROMISE!!

Best Edge Control Products for Relaxed / Natural Hair

My edges have a mind of their own so I've been on the hunt for a edge control product that actually works. My ideal edge control product would be moisturizing, leave no residue and provide good hold all day long. I understand everyone's hair is different and what works well for some may not work well for others. There are so many edge control products on the market but I managed to narrow it down to four after watching a ton of reviews on YouTube.

Silk Elements Straight Edges Edging Gel (Relaxed Hair)

Creme of Nature Perfect Edges (Relaxed Hair)

Hicks Edge Control (For Relaxed/Natural Hair)

 Design Essentials Sleek Edge Control (For Relaxed/Natural Hair)

Curls Edge Control Paste (For Natural Hair)

I'm going to purchase the Creme of Nature Perfect Edges first and if that doesn't work for me I will get the Design Essentials Sleek Edge Control.

You should be able to find all the products in store or online on eBay, Amazon etc. 

Lace Closure Sew In Method (No Hair Left Out)

Watch this video, thank me later :p

One word... GENIUS!!

I wanted to share this method with you because I know that some people are still hesitant about trying a lace closure because they feel it will not look natural. I was going to try the Flip over method for my next install but instead I will attempt this method. If you haven't tried a 3/4 wig you have to, trust me you will not go back to regular sew ins, at least I haven't and it has been more than 2 years.

 As you know I am rocking my Virgin Mongolian Kinky Curly Hair and loving every minute of it but I am going on vacation soon and I want longer curly hair. I am leaning towards a texture like this:

Will keep you updated :)

A week in the life of my Virgin Mongolian Kinky Curly Hair Extensions

I wanted to do something different, so I decided to do a post on how my hair looked for seven consecutive days (Saturday-Friday) and give details on what I did on each day to get the look. I spend about 5-10 mins on my hair every day. I tried to do different things with the hair e.g. twist outs, high bun, etc to show you how versatile it really is.

Saturday: Wet, finger comb and Go. Big Hair, Don't Care :)

Sunday: I wet my hair with water and brushed it out with a Denman brush and applied argan oil. I expected more curl definition but I guess the brush I bought from Sally's is the volumizing brush  because it made the hair voluminous and stretched out the curls.

Monday : To get this look, on Sunday night, I wet my hair, combed with a wide tooth comb and used virgin coconut oil + proclaim aloe vera gel to do 8 chunky twists. On Monday morning, I loosened the twists. Not bad for a first try!!

Tuesday:  I also rocked this chunky twist out look.

Wednesday: Wet my hair, combed out my chunky twists with a wide tooth comb & applied Argan Oil.

Thursday: Wet and Go. It was so windy outside. The picture shows the hair after I was out and about. Wind Blown :p

Friday: I put my hair in a high bun. So chic!

Don't be afraid to experiment with your Virgin Hair Extensions and try different looks.

Let me know what look is your favorite!!

Rave: Virgin Mongolian Kinky Curly Hair Re-installed (My One Year Update)

I haven't purchased new hair extensions in 2013 because I wanted to re-use the Virgin Hair extensions I purchased last year so it's almost a year old yay!!! I started wearing it again at the beginning of May.

I did not remake my wig.. because I was lazy, all I did was shampoo & deep condition the wig. I put the wig in a plastic bag for 3 hours, after 3 hours I finger detangled, combed through with a wide tooth comb (starting from the tips and working my way to the roots), rinsed with cold water and Viola it was good to go!

I wear this hair in two ways depending on what look I want: without products or I spray it with a mixture of water and conditioner, apply Argan Oil and scrunch for more curl definition.

Pictures of my hair with no products at all:

Blending Pic:

When I sprayed it with a mix of (water + conditioner) and applied Argan Oil the hair was tamer and curls were a little more defined:

I love this hair!! It looks so natural and although I  am 2 months post relaxer, I leave a tiny bit of my edges out in front and it blends fairly well. So if you're natural, it will look like it is growing from your scalp. It's so soft and has a lot of movement. Perfect spring/summer hair!!

Why I love this hair?

1. It looks very natural. I get so many compliments and people actually think it is my hair.
2. It's very soft. Manageable shedding and tangling.
3. Easy to blend relaxed hair if you have very minimal leave out. Versatile styling options.
4. The curls look good even without the use of a curl defining product. 

Three Tips to keep your Kinky Curly Hair looking Fabulous
1) Co-wash often.
2) Spritz with water + conditioner every morning, apply Argan Oil and scrunch.
3) Most important: Do not finger comb or manipulate it in any way when it is drying or dry. If you do, your hair will get frizzy. Let it be and it will look fabulous all day.

What I did that I don't recommend?
Do not split your wefts. I feel splitting your wefts makes the wefts weaker and leads to more shedding so I will not do this ever again!

What's next?
Although the curls look amazing even without the use of a curl defining cream. I'm looking to buy a curl defining cream but there are not many options where I live so I'll be ordering from eBay or Amazon. I intend to purchase a Denman brush and a diffuser. I want to try so many different looks with this hair e.g. twistouts, braidouts etc

Which look do you prefer? With products or without? Also, if you know any curl defining creams you would recommend, please do so in the comment section.

P.S: I used two bundles; 16 and 18 inches.

Hair Trend: Dark Roots

This is not a new trend but it caught my eye when I saw Rihanna on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

This was the first time I ever contemplated trying the look. Summer is the best time to experiment with your hair and I am trying to push myself out of my comfort zone with my hairstyle choices. What I like most about this trend is that since the roots are dark, it tones down the bolder color on the rest of the hair; makes it more wearable.
The look has been seen on Ciara, Nicki Minaj and Keke Palmer to name a few.

Rihanna's look is by far my favorite. I like her color combination better; it goes from dark brown at the roots to a auburn honey blonde color. Nicki's hair looks good on her but not everyone can pull that color off at least i know i certainly can't and will not attempt to.

What do you think of this trend? Would you wear it?

Hair Crush : Keke Palmer & Jada Pinkett

I have noticed more women wearing shorter hair extensions; hair that falls just below the shoulders. I like this length especially for spring /summer.

I am obsessed with Keke Palmer's current hairstyle. I need and I want NOW!! I like the texture, length and fullness.

I also like Jada Pinkett's current hairstyle. I think this look can be achieved with any type of virgin body wave hair e.g. Brazilian, Malaysian, Peruvian etc.

Spring is almost here and I plan to put my Virgin Mongolian Kinky hair back in sometime in the coming months.
I haven't purchased new hair in 2013 which is so unlike me. I have enjoyed wearing my Virgin Filipino Hair. and it will be a tough act to follow. I think that every time you purchase new hair, it should be better than your last purchase since you learn a lot with each type of hair. I cannot wait for find the hair that would give my Virgin Filipino Hair a run for it's money :p

Have a wonderful week x

My Story: Transitioning from Relaxed to Natural

I haven't posted in a long time because I have been so frustrated with the condition of my own hair.  I can honestly say now that I decided to transition for the wrong reasons. I saw others doing it,  I love the way natural hair looks and I wanted to be on #teamnatural. But I have decided transitioning is not for me and that is perfectly fine. I felt like a failure at first because I have heard fairy tale transitioning stories and I wanted that for myself but it did not happen.

 Almost a year into transitioning , I was so frustrated with trying to take care of two different textures. Transitioning is a very emotional process and it took a toll on me. One day I decided after a lot of tears, I was at my wits end and I decided to relax my hair thinking that would instantly solve my problem and boy was I wrong. My hair was breaking excessively especially at the ends and chunks of hair would come out each time I attempted to moisturize my hair or touch my hair.

Right now I have a strict hair regimen.  I also bought something I have always wanted; a heat cap. The advantage of a heat cap is that it helps infuse conditioners deeper into cuticles. I love wearing extensions but I love wearing extensions knowing that my own hair is in great condition. I am on my way back to having hair that I can be proud of like I once was. No matter how bad the condition of your own hair is, know that you can always restore health to your hair. It takes time and diligence but it is possible :)

Tyche Pro Conditioning Heat Cap. You can buy it on Amazon, eBay or here

I will provide details on my hair regimen & a review on the Tyche heat cap in a future post. It feels good to be back and I cannot wait to share my 2013 hair wishlist with you.

Stay tuned x