Natural Hair Chronicles: Flexi Rods

I've been "natural" for the last 6 years and I am most definitely, positively NEVER going back to relaxers! I'm trying to get my mom to get on board the natural hair bandwagon too, but as with most things, it is hard for some of these old heads to do something different than what they're used to.

My hair is naturally wavy and as much as I love wearing my hair in its natural state of curls and waves, I have struggled to find ways and products that will keep my hair from getting frizzy. The notoriously humid St. Louis summer weather also does nothing to help this pursuit. However, I've recently been trying new products and new tools that are giving me hope of a longer-lasting, more manageable way to wear my hair curly. My most recent adventure was yesterday when I tried flexi rods for the first time. I used the Goody Spiral It Out flexi rods.  Here's a look at how that went:

Step 1: Wet or Wash your hair and pat it dry with a towel. I had recently washed my hair so I decided just to wet it.

Step 2: While still damp, detangle the hair by combing/brushing.

Step 3: Add product. I used the Shea Moisture Yucca & Plantain Anti-Breakage Strengthening Styling Milk. I put a quarter-sized amount into my palm, rubbed my hands together and smoothed it all over my damp hair from root to ends.

Step 4: I then took a smaller section of hair and rubbed Carol's Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey onto my finger tips and smoothed it on each tress as a sealant for added shine, moisture, and to further prevent frizz. I then took the flexi rod and starting at the end, coiled my hair around the rod going all the way the hair shaft to my root. The skinnier blue rod for tighter curls and thicker purple rods for bigger, looser wavier curls. I then "locked" the rod by bending each side so that the rod was in the shape of a "C".

I repeated this step with all of my hair. There were 20 rods in the pack and I used all but 2 rods.

Step 5: With my hair still in the rods, I blow-dried my hair on high heat for 30 minutes, shifting between hot, warm, and cool temperatures. Cool air at the end locks the style in place.

Because I did this before church yesterday, I was rushing to finish the blow-drying. Big Mistake.

Step 6: After a total of 40 minutes, I unraveled my hair from the rods. My hair was about 85% dry. Another 20 - 30 minutes, and I think my hair would have been completely dry. I decided to take my blow-dryer and add the diffuser attachment and diffused my hair for about 5 minutes more without the rods. That helped a lot, while still keeping the curls in place. DONE!

Still wet in some places

The end result: I'm pleased with how it turned out. I definitely like the curl definition and silkiness of my hair. I think next time I use the rods, though, I'll use more of the thicker rods. My curls were a little tighter than I planned, but I'm still pleased. I've also gotten a lot of compliments on how it looks.

Finished Product after diffusing

Side Note: I have to show off the outfit that I wore to church yesterday! I got these pants on Saturday from Old Navy. Guess how much these pants were? $.97!!!!

Without using the rods, I've fallen in love with Miss Jesse's Originals Jelly Soft Curls gel. I was unsure if it was a good idea or not to apply that with the rods, but that gel is my absolute fave for soft, voluminous curls. Just apply a couple quarter-sized dabs into palms and work into damp hair. Then scrunch the hair with your hands, and then blow-dry with a diffuser and you're done! SO EASY! This is how my hair looked after doing that:

I also recommend Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Refresher Spray on day 3-4 to get the curls back, when you don't want to get your hair completely wet again.

I hope that these tips help you on your natural hair journey. It can definitely be a process finding the right products and techniques to getting the styles that you like while transitioning, but I promise you, it's absolutely worth it in the end! I'm never going back to the creamy crack again!

Review: Wet Hot American Summer: First Day at Camp; Awesome Come-back for a Cult Classic

I have fond memories of seeing Wet Hot American Summer with my friend Elizabeth Toal during my freshman year at Stephens College in 2001. We saw the movie at the RagTag Theater, a small local theater in downtown Columbia, Missouri that showed off-beat, artsy, and indie movies. The movie had us crying and laughing out loud. Another gentleman who was sitting in front of us was also dying laughing. The rest of the audience did not find it as hilarious as we did but I'm truly happy that this film grew enough of a cult following that Netflix and the entire cast from the movie decided to create a TV series as a prequel.

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day at Camp takes place 8 weeks before the 2001 film takes place on the first day of camp (the film takes place on the last day of camp). The TV series is just as quirky, raunchy, and campy as the original movie, with a lot twists and turns and new characters introduced who were not in the movie (i.e. John Hamm, Michael Cera, Jordan Peele, and Jason Schwartzman). There are lots of allusions to the movie in the lines and sequences that are used by the cast (ie Victor constantly running away from someone), and even in the ultra-cheesy theme song from the movie "Higher and Higher". We see how Ron and Gail met, who Lindsay really is, how Katie and Andy started going out, and perhaps the most important thing, the story behind Gene's talking can of vegetables. I LOVED IT! I love how all of the original cast signed on, even with so many of them being huge stars presently (ie Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd, etc).

 I feel kind of sad for Michael Showalter who played Coop, who was notably the only actor who looks physically different (he's put on a few extra pounds, but what do you expect in that it's been 14 years since the movie came out). This is an excellent 8-episode season that hopefully won't be the last time we visit the summer of 1981 at Camp Firewood. And hopefully we won't have to wait 14 years for its return. I can't wait for the next season!

Unboxing: Target Beauty Box Review

Over the last few years, it's been pretty hard to miss the popular trend of subscription boxes. There are subscription boxes available for anything from fitness products to natural hair products, and from beauty products to pet products. There is something for everyone! I have tried Birchbox in the past and have been getting Ipsy bags for the last year (and love it!). However, I recently became aware that Target from time to time offers occasional"Target Beauty Boxes" which include a variety of beauty products and makeup items at the low price of $5! The Target Beauty Box is available for purchase on Target's website, www.target.com with FREE SHIPPING. In support of back to school/college, Target recently sold two Beauty Boxes, which sadly, have sold out. They must be really popular because they just became available for purchase 2 weeks ago. The two recent Target Beauty Boxes are "Honor Roll" and "Head of the Class". Here's a look at these boxes and what they contained:

A few minor bruises during the shipping on the corners of the lids, but no major damage and good presentation.

The boxes both featured the items wrapped in lime green tissue paper, and featured the name of the specific box that was purchased (each are $5 and you can buy one or both). The box title cards also each featured coupons for $3 off of a $15+ purchase of cosmetics, skin care, or hair care products to be made at Target. I can't wait to use them!!!!

Head of the Class 

Contents: 

• 3-pack of Goody Ouchless Hair Elastic bands (Love these!)
• Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Facial Towelettes
• 2-in-1 Pumice Stone
• Hollywood Fashion Secrets Fashion Tape (I can't wait to use these!)
• Wet 'n Wild Max Volume Plus Mascara
• Covergirl lip gloss
• Herbal Essences Wild Neutrals Dry Oil Spray

Honor Roll

Contents:

• Bath Sponge
• 3-pack of Goody Ouchless Hair Elastic bands (You can't have too many of these, I'm just saying.)
• Olay Fresh Outlast Body Wash in "Cooling White Strawberry Mint" (It smells divine!)
• Covergirl Outlast all-day makeup primer (I'm so excited to try this!)
• Nyx Butter Gloss in "Strawberry Parfait" (Which is one of my personal favorite lip gloss brands!)
• Burt's Bees White Tea Facial Wipes 
• John Frieda Luxurious Volume 7-day Treatment (I'm leery of this one but anything's worth a try right?)

As you can see, the Target Beauty Boxes feature a large quantity of products with a lot of variety. The included coupons are also an added bonus and were an unexpected surprise. I highly recommend the Target Beauty Box, and hopefully I'll find out when the next one/s is/are available. I became aware of these by chance after a friend I follow on Instagram announced that they were available. I would recommend following the Target Style Facebook page for more updates.

Out and About: 7/17/2015 - 7/21/2015

Just sharing a few fun events and activities I participated over the past week.

Friday 7/17/2015: Missouri Botanical Gardens Lantern Festival

A lot of fun even though it was super hot that night (95 degrees). Me and the homie Devin went. The lanterns beautiful and massive! I highly recommend you check them out before the exhibit leaves. The Lantern Festival ends August 23, 2015. Here's some pics:

Tuesday 7/21/2015: Muny "Into The Woods" and Winslow's Home

This was an excellent show! The incredible Heather Headley did a superb job in her portrayal of the Witch. It was packed in that it was opening night for the show but fortunately the weather last night was perfect, not hot and not cold. I didn't drip a single bead of sweat the whole night which is unheard of for a mid-July evening. I wasn't complaining. Of course I had to contend with certain groups of obnoxious people, a young group of college students and a group of 40-something-year-old women. The whole show I kept saying to myself "we get it, you know all of the songs..." Annoying but we got through it. Also, before attending the show, I had my first encounter with Winslow's Home, a very special and unique restaurant on Delmar in U City. I wrote a review of my experience there on Yelp. Be sure to check it out! I highly suggest their Winslow's Burger, chocolate chip cookie (possibly the best chocolate chip cookie I've ever had), and their Goat Cheese Cookies (which were soooooo good!).

Pics from Winslow's Home:

Pics from The Muny: