CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0039, DC Edition

So I decided that for the rest of the summer, I'm rocking protective styles during the week and out on the weekends. These fairy knots are annoying so I'm trying to keep them at bay, plus, I can keep a style for about a week at a time which is cool. I rocked a braid out while in DC. The humidity had its way with Cottontop, but here's how she began.

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0038

You guys are about 3 hairstyles behind, so let me catch you up.

At Heatwave, I had the top of my head two-strand twisted. I kept it twisted for about a week. Here's my look when I unraveled them.

With Bilal at the MetroTech concert. He was uh-may-zing-a!

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0037

Sunday was Heatwave , I was going to brunch and my twist-out needed to be spruced up so I re-twisted my hair at the top. I worked in a dime size of Hello Hydration to each section before twisting with my EcoStyler and olive oil homemade custard and sealing with Vatika oil. Here are the results:

Off to brunch I go...this was def crop top weekend!

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0036

Some hair pics from the weekend. I took the twists out and rocked a pompadour with a swoop bang.

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0035

How was your weekend errbody??

I had a blast at the OkayAfrica event, so my weekend was quite epic. I washed my hair on Sunday. I was being lazy so I DC'd with my detangler, Pantene Natural Fusion, and some EVOO. I put in some Cherokee cornrows, adding Hello Hydration as I braided, and headed out of the door.

This is my hair this morning when I took the braids out. It was sooooo soft!

I rebraided it this morning because I had an interview. (I made the decision to no longer wear my hair pressed in interviews.) Here it is right after finishing the braids. I two-strand twisted the top to add a little wave to my pompadour.

Fin.

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0034

I was loving my new updo, but Lawd, my hair was dry!

I did a quicky co-wash, used Herbal Essences Hello Hydration as a leave-in, and twisted my hair using my homemade Eco Styler custard. I've been toying with the idea of wearing protective styles during the week and taking them out for the weekend. Thus, I pinned the twists up. Here's how they look.

(My closet is a disaster zone...please don't judge! lol )

Note to self: I need to get a daily moisturizer for my hair. It cant be to water heavy though, because one drop of water will dramatically change my hair.

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0033

I gotta new 'do and I love it!!!

I had my destroyed braid out in a cotton top for the last few days and it was getting dry. This morning I decided to braid one side. Somehow braiding the one side turned into this cute little diddy.

The top is just six chunky coconut oil soaked two strand twists, pinned into a pompadour. I will prob take it down tonight to moisturize and put back in. I think I can do this for a week. This style def put a little extra umph! in my walk today!

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0032

Who woulda thunk it??

I rocked a wash'n'go ponytail for the last two days. I haven't done a wash'n'go since like 2004! Life took a serious detour and I didn't have the patience to completely re-do my hair. I co-washed with Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Moisture Balance. After rinsing in cold water, I doused my hair in Eco-Styler w/ olive oil and put a scarf on to slick my sides up. I should have left a bit of conditioner in, because my curls were all gorgeous and defined, but they were a bit hard.

As we speak, I'm prepping to wash my hair, DC, blowdry, and do a braid set. Tomorrow is a busy day in Brooklyn and mama has to look GOOD!

Ciao!

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0031

My hair really took a turn for the worst on Saturday night, only to have a cat sleep on it UNWRAPPED on a cotton pillow. I kept it in my Harriet's all day and slapped a hat on. I wound up at some disco party behind this pizza shop in Billyburg/Bushwick doing beer bongs, so the hat was a good idea!

That night, I came home and prepped my hair for a braidout. It didn't come out the way I wanted it to, so I pulled it up. I love my curly pony. Coppertop is due for a dye touchup while I'm thinking about it...and a MEAN trim!

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0030 : All Draw'd Up

My day started off some kinda wonderful ya'll....then that devil named Humidity came out to play and ruin lives.

Like a good girl, I came home the night before and separated my hair into about 10 sections. Before plaiting ( yes, plaiting! I'm loving braidouts now) , I spritzed each section with a little water (no too much, I'm loving my hang time), slapped on a quarter size of my olive oil/eco-styler gel mix, and sealed with raw shea butter. I also twirled my ends around my fingers a couple of times so I can have purrty curly-qs.

Pre-fluff

Love! Love!

...and here comes humidity

Sneaking depressed pics at work

I had a rubberband, so I pulled it up into a cute ponytail w/a bang. I headed to my girl Jessica's graduation dinner and off course the rubberband pops. I had a date with this dude from OkCupid that night, so I wanted to look hot. I tried to re-do a braidout, but it wouldn't dry. Went out with a humidity raped afro. I had a great time though. :: le sigh::

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0029

Ya'll should know me well enough by now to know that I fell asleep w/ the DC in my hair and never woke back up!

In the morning, I rinsed the DC out with cool water, separated my hair in four sections and blew it dry on a medium setting. I oiled my scalp with tea tree oil, slapped it into my Harriet Tubman braids and skipped off to work.

I was going to the Soul of Brooklyn launch party that night, so I took the braids out, fluffed, and went on my way. Here's the end result.

curly girls diary: Give us us free!!!

Ten hours later aaaaaaaaaand the braids are gone! I'm really sad looking at them in a bag on the floor, but look how dope my 'fro looks fresh out of the braids.

I actually washed one go round with actual shampoo because my hair was oily and I had that weird dust you get from braids. I then co-washed with Suave Coconut conditioner. After rinsing, I applied my beloved Pantene Nature Fusion Moisture Balance to 4 sections and detangled. As I type, Im fighting sleep while sitting w/ my deep conditioner in. I wanted to amla today, but didnt have time to go buy some today.

I'm doing a braid out today. I don't think I've ever done one before, but my fro looked dope in the pic above. Check for pics tomorrow.

Its so hard to say goodbye

For the last two months and one week, Ive had my braids. As a true Philly jawn, Ive had these waist-length braids zillions of times, but I was soooo attatched to these this go round. They will be sorely missed...

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0028

I'm REALLY loving my Copper Cottontail!

My new routine to extend time between manipulting my hair is rock the pony for about 3 days, twists for a day, and a twist out for maybe another 2,3 days.

My ends desperately need to be trimmed and I will hopefully handle that this week. Split ends are the new drama since I now have my fairy knots under control!

ITS ALWAYS SOMETHING!

But geez I love my hair to much to break up with it!

[Just tried to take a pic of it for you guys, but the rubberband just popped}

CURLY GIRL DIARIES - 28

Dear iSo14below,

I HATE YOU! Be lucky you washed me last night or I would have run away. Fail to wash/lube me up for longer than 4 days again...and thats that {beeeeeeeeeep}

Sincerely,

Copper Cottontail

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0027

My hair has been quite the snore lately. I've been doing my bi-weekly Amla treatments. I don't know if its the amla, but my edges that ran away from me in the front of my head on the left side, are growing back!

I've been attacking these stupid fairy knots daily to keep from too much breakage. I still can't believe that just 2 years ago, I had a ceaser! Wooohooo me!

A new style has been added to the rotation tho. you can call me Copper Cottontail!

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0026

Hey Mrs. Ida B Hey!

But seriously, for a strong two weeks, I was doing an ode to my fave anti-lynching jounalist, Ida B. Wells. I'm really into the updo and my friends have been getting life from it, so its a new staple in the rotation.

CURLY GIRL DIARIES- 0025

I'm pretty sure everyone is over seeing my hair every CG post sooo...... ---> insert Brittany.

Quite possibly one of the sweetest people I know, Brit showed up to the Black Book event looking so purrty!

She came over the house for a simple twist out. We were hair twins for a couple days with the Cherokee two-strand twists, but hers came out WAY better than mine. Feast your eyes on this four day old awesomry!