I just spent $63.80 on henna (1000 grams) and 1/2 lb of shea butter...I hope I don't regret this...

It's  the Jamila brand art quality and I've really only heard great things about the brand and henna in general. I know I won't be able to find henna or shea butter while I'm home so I figured  I might as well buy now.

Plus that's 10 boxes and it should last atleast until I come back in June.

I can't beleive it's already (almost) 2011!!!  And that means it's been almost a year!!!

Ugh! Genevive is soooo tangled. Maybe it's all in my mind but the closer it gets to trim time the more tangled she seems. And it doesn't help that the other day I did a little...rinse. I put oil and conditioner in and slept over night then just rinsed in the morning. I think that's the reason she not so dry. But still a little tangled. It was too soon for a wash and too weird looking to just do nothing. So now I just have a weird shaped, shrunken, mini fro. It's not as bad as it sounds but not as cute as it could be... I'm a little nervous about the trim though. I don't want to get it straightened but I don't want to get a bad trim on shrunken and tightly coiled hair...hm. More research is needed.

The bad thing is that now I need to do my hair and I don't know if I'll have time before I leave. I leave on Sunday! I think what I'll do is cleanse, condition, and style and then just bonnet it. Like I'll do the bantu knots on Saturday (or whenever) and then just leave the front few undone to create an inflight bang. Although the only thing with that is I think I'll have to take the bonnet off for security. I guess they'll just have to see my bantu knots because I don't want to smoosh a fresh do on the flight...

CAN NOT WAIT FOR MY TRIM!!!

Just some other pics of Genevive. The first 2 are after washing and deep conditioning. The curls were popping so nicely that you can barely tell I need a trim! Top right is just me playing with my weird hairline-bang. My widow's peak is weird so the front hangs kind of like a floppy bang...not cute. The last 2 are an experimental puff. I kind of like it! It looks kinda big and fluffy. I walked around for a few minutes with it and then my head started throbbing. I must not be doing it right because people wear them all the time without pain. I'll have to investigate this issue further because I would love to stretch my curly styles for another day or 2 with this puff thing.

So this week I did a bantu knot out. It takkes less time and patience to do bantu knots and it's less manipulation than a big fro. I tried 2 new products (which I will review once I give them another try separately). Let's just say the preliminary results are pretty darn good. My curls were simply popping...and shiny. I wore the knots for about 2 days and then took them out because I had some {goodbye} events to go to. The first 2 on the bottom are day 1, the middle is day 2 and the last one is yesterday so...day 4ish. I retwisted a few in the front but the curls have actually been really nice and don't need to be revived.

More to come!

Genevive is a snob. Yes. I said it. She is very uppity and selective about what she wants.
Well. More of a reverse snob. If snobs want the most expensive and popular items, then my hair is the opposite of that. I've noticed in my long journey of approximately 8 months  that some people are hair snobs. There are people lurking in the the natural cyber world that only seem to use the most expensive products. Like, their "Holy Grail" products are only the most expensive and main stream products. They seem to be spokespeople for Carol's Daughter, KinkyCurly,  Miss Jessies, and other products I can't afford. I can afford them but I can't justify the purchase if it doesn't work. And if it works then that means I have to spend $20 a month on a specialty product. (Specialty product=single task, only good for twists)

I am a proud frugalista. I'm a bit of a minimalist. After all, I am a college student. So it goes without saying that I've never tried most products that I would have to pay over $10 for. And if it's over that it will definitely have to last for atleast 6 months. So is my hair trained to be a reverse snob then?

First of all, I have tried a few Carol's Daughter products. My aunt gave me some and while they smell delicious, Genevive can't really tolerate them. Maybe it was the specific items but my hair really didn't last longer than a day. And those other products are too expensive to even justify buying. Maybe I should try some different ones and then make judgment. But I've seen some pictures of absolutely fabulous hair and it's almost half and half of those who buy expensive products and those who don't. I think it's more about taking care of your hair and knowing what ingredients work for you. Moving on to the next point...

Second of all, Genevive likes the edibles. Even when I've tried packaged DCs and other products, she still didn't know how to act. Now mix and avacado and some oils and slap that on her and she will be so soft and well behaved. Again, maybe I haven't tried to find a good (expensive) DC but I like being a kitchen-tician. I know that I can always afford mayonnaise, honey, avacado ACV, evoo, other oils, yogurt, etc. Even if I'm broke and on foodstamps one day, my hair will still look fresh everyday.

I think I'm just trying to learn about my hair still. I don't want to invest in products and then think that they'll perform some sort of magic trick. I don't think there are any products that will make my hair super..anything. I don't think there's a miracle product and I want to become a little more familiar with Genevive and her tendencies before I start promoting miracle products.

After all, it's all the same ingredient base right?                                             

Ok. So with less three weeks left here in Peru, I've decided to get a list together to start reigning in my PJism.  SN: Can I just say that time has gone by soooo quickly?!

I know that when I get home I'm going to go crazy with trying new products even though I've been fine being a minimalist the last 6 months. But  I also know there are alot of products that I really want to try so I might as well try to control it...especially since I don't really have much spending money.

Products that I KNOW I'm buying:

• Coconut oil -tried it the first few months and I think I used too much so I wrote it off too soon
• HENNA- very curious. And I think it's rather inexpensive.
• Shea butter- heard nothing but good things. And I want to make butters and what not.
• Avacado oil- Genevive loves it. I just didn't have time to buy anymore before I left.
• Castor oil- again I've heard alot about this from people with hair similar to mine.
• essential oils- lavendar, orange, lemongrass, etc. I need some hair perfume! 

Products that I'd like to buy/try:

• Different conditioners for co-washing. I want to revisit Herbal Essences and try Aussie Moist...and maybe one more. I think I'll be buying travel sizes.
• Sulfate free shampoo. I mostly use ACV but sometimes I like to shampoo and I'm not taking back the 2 tablespoons of Carol's Daughter that I have left. Plus it's not sulfate free.
• Oyin Handmade, Aubrey Organics, Shea Moisture etc. 

That's all for now but I'll definitely be adding to the list. I also kind of want to actually try poducts like Oyin, Aubrey Organics and other lines that people are raving about...but I don't know if my (non existant) income can support that right now.

Not that I have any readers but I will return soon!!!

I'm more than swamped and buried with work right now!

I'm currently wearing twists for the week and am itching like crazy. My hair likes the twists but my scalp not so much...I just don't get it.

TTYS!

No es un tradución exacto pero es un frase que solo es usado en inglés. Entonces...

Hace dos años, si me has preguntado si ropa debe ser caro o barato yo te diría que no quería gastar mucho dinero en mi ropa y zapatos. Me piensé que ropa no era un inversión. Ropa es solo ropa y cuando no funciona bien, puedo comprar mas. No quería gastar mucho porque siempre estaba en un diet y piensé que los talles estaban temporarias. "En el proximó mes voy a perder peso entonces, no necesito gastar mucho ahora." Con los zapatos, creía que los que estaban baratos estaban igual. No importa si solo llevan por un tiempo porque en el proximo estación voy a comprar mas. $20 fue muy caro para mi. En colegio, mis papas pagaban por todo. Si necesitaba o quería algún cosa, ellos me lo compraron. Por cierto, no estoy "spoiled." Era un buen hija y ahora estoy un buen hija: estudio mucho, traba mucho, estoy independiente. No quiero preguntarles para nada. Siempre he tenido todo lo que quería. Pero siempre me sientaba como dinero era por ahorro. No tenía un sabor caro. lo que era mas barato estaba bien.


Ahora entiendo que a veces es mas importante a pagar por calidad. No estoy creciendo y no tengo planes para ganar pesa. Quiero perder pesa pero necesito vestirme para hoy. Ahora entiendo que lo que es mas barato no es siempre mejor. Mi sabor no ha cambiado mucho pero creo que 5 o 10 dolares más no es importante. Lo que es importante es calidad y comodidad. Un habito de mio estaba comprando ropa que no ajustarme bien. La resulta fue, tenia armario lleno de ropa que no podía ponerme. Fue un ciclo vicioso. Finalmente, decidí que bastante era bastante. Ahora mi primer regla es Si ropa no ajustarme bien en la tienda, no lo compro. A veces hay un gran venta pero tengo que ser fuerte porque sé que no voy a llevar si yo lo compro.


Digo todo esto porque mi nuevo manera de pensando es un poco raro para mi. Quiero comprar ropas que puedo llevar mas de un o dos veces sin desteñirse. Estoy listo para comprar ropa de calidad. Todavia le amo a Forever21 pero quiero comprar ropa que va a sostener.

A few months ago when I was packing I thought I was packing the minimal amount. A few bottles of conditioner, a little oil, some other products: the basics. I was wrong. With about 7 weeks left I'm realizing that I have entirely too many products! I never thought I would say this! But I think it's because I've been protective styling. So I don't use as much conditioner and oil daily.

I haven't updated in a while so here it goes. Genevive is still growing. This past week I just wore her fro'd in all her glory. Can I just say that it was HELL trying to keep the moisture! Like seriously. I had to add oil everymorning and I actually baggied twice during the week.

• Baggying is when you add oil and a little water to your hair and leave it on for a period of time. I sleep in it but I've heard of some people baggying for entire days and even a week at a time. It's not enough oil to be greasy. Just a regular sized amount. The water helps open your hair follicles and allow the moisture to get in. In the morning you can just take the bag off and style as usual.

The week before that I did Bantu knots for a few days and then wore it out. I'm trying it again for this week. I think it could be my nw style. I like wearing my hair out but I don't like taking the time to do the mini twists and then only wearing the twist out for 2 or 3 days. With this I can wear the knots (under  a tam/bonnet) for about 2 days and then wear it out.

I pre-pooed last night with olive oil and honey and then shampood this morning. After shampooing and conditioner rinsing my scalp still didn't feel clean so I did an ACV rinse. I know I said I was going to stop doing both but I still have hope in shampoo. I guess it's from my relaxed days. So then I but the Yes to Tomatoes in and got out the shower to detangle. I let it set in my hair for about 10 minutes while I ate breakfast and then detangled. I still love the Yes to Tomatos!

The bantu knots (twist and then knot) took about 1.5 hours. I say about because I started at 11:40 and finished at 1:40 but I took a break to skype with my mom and run to the corner bodega. It's definitely a time saver!

Wow! I've been natural for 2/3 of a year! That like 67% (I like to round up) of the year! I've made a lot of progress since February. I'm still learning but I think I can do this. I absolutely hate wash days (it takes too longg) but I'm still just as much in love, if not more, as I was when I BC'd. I feel like it's been longer than 8 months though. Here are a few shots of me...on my 21st Birthday on Sunday! I didn't have anywhere to go but I was feeling myself so I took a few pics. Take note of the one below- kinda artsy huh?






This week I'm trying something diffeent. I still want to protective style but I didn't feel like doing the twists. I pre-pooed with EVOO over night (baggy on head) and most of the day. Then I sectioned and detangled. Then I was going to shampoo and condition in sections...But that failed. I couldn't shampoo in sections. I realized that the shampoo would end up not getting rinsed out in certain areas. So I undid the sections and shampooed. Then I did an ACV rinse. Bad decision. Shampoo+ACV=too clean and clarified. So then I used the Yes to Tomatoes to detangle. It was as easy to detangle as before because of the above "cleansing" combo. My scalp is clean, but detangling was a hassle.

Right now I have bantu knots in. I know I didn't like it last time but I have a little more length and I'm hoping it'll work this time. If not, I'll just wash it out and be free. Pictures are forthcoming.

Also: I was walking down the street with my other friend, who happens to be natural as well, and I saw a store that looked natural. In passing, I could see bottles and green so we slowed to look and low and behold it was a natural store. Not like natural hair, but natural remedies and products. First we saw honey, olive oil, and ACV. Then my friend asked if they had almond oil. Not only did they have that and coconut oil, but they were only S./3 (that's like a dollar!). The bottles are only 30 ml (1 oz.). I think they're more essential oils so we'll see...

At this moment, I can think of nothing more than washing my hair. I know. Why don't you wash your hair right now then? We all know that Genevive is a process. And this is my birthday weekend (and I'm writing a paper) so I don't want to spend all day washing and styling. So I probably won't spend tomorrow doing it either, since it's my actual birthday. The twist out looks ok, but my scalp is sooooo itchy and flaky.

I didn't wash it last week so it's past due. Genevive does not like going more than 9 days without a good old wash! I guess I've learned my lesson. When I finally do wash (probably on Monday) I'm going to try a pre-poo and maybe some semi-chunky bantu knots. We'll see how it goes...

I realize this is probably my first review of an actual product even though I think I've promised more reviews before. I need to dedicate myself to more reviews, especially for all of my non-existant loyal readers.

• Ingredients:  Aqua (Water), Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomatoes) Extract*, Cetyl Alcohol, Capsicum Annuum (Red Pepper) Extract*, Aspalathus Genus (Red Tea) Extract, Citrullus Vulgaris (Watermelon) Extract*, Maris Aqua (Dead Sea Water), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil*, Magnesium Chloride, Chamomilla Recutita (Camomile) Extract*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil*, Benzyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil*, Calendula Officinalis Oil*, Maris Limus (Silt) Extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil*, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate Peel) Extract*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract*, Dehydroacetic Acid. * Certified Organic Ingredient
• Consistency: This stuff is THICK. And I'm all about a thick conditioner. I have almost a whole bottle because even though I was only using it as a leave in for my twists, I only needed a very small dime sized amount for my whole head. It's creamy too but mostly, thick and gelatin like. I had to squeeze the bottle to get just a little bit. And it also foamed up just a little bit. It was weird at first but it helped for spreading. To co-wash I used about a ping pong ball sized amount and it went far.
• Slip: I feel like I didn't even know what slip was all about until I used this. I used it for detangling and the longer it was in my hair, the easier it was to comb. I was able to first comb, and then use the Denman for detangling. This was probably the most painfree (literally) and thorough detangling session I've had. Atleast in the last 2-3 inches.

So I'm still doing the whole twists thing. And as much as I hate to say..Genevive is simply blossoming! Last weeken I went on a trip with some friends to a lagoon called Huacachina. I did the normal endo of the week twist out and then on Sunday did a good old deep conditioner. Nothing out of the normal. I shampooed first just to get it wet. The conditioner this week was mayonnaise, 1/2 avocado, and about 3 table spoons of olive oil. So I did that and left it on for like 3 hours then just rinsed it.

I just had a very deep conversation with a new friend about race/racism/heritage/culture/what have you. I’m currently in Lima, Peru. My new friend is NOT Peruvian, she’s American. So what’s the big deal? Come on Alisa, isn’t that what you went to Peru for? To have these “deep” conversations and leave people feeling culturally richer?


The answer is YES. But I didn’t realize that so many questions what be asked of me by fellow Americans. This girl’s heritage is Italian and Polish but of course in the states she is only white. So why is this weighing so heavily on my mind? I didn’t anticipate that in coming here to learn more about this culture, I would also have to explore more of who I am as a young. Black/ African American. Woman.

It was an intense conversation about growing up and being one of few black kids. And how I’m trying to break racial stereotypes and show people that there’s more than 1 or 2 types of black people. But the question that really got to me was: “Do you ever get mad?”

What? This sincere question caught me completely off guard. I didn’t even fully understand the question. Mad at racial stereotyping? Mad that people make assumptions about who I am based off of the color of my skin? Mad that racism still exists and so many [young] people are in denial? Mad that I’m black?

So I answered as honestly as I could. I said yes. But what does that change? I explained to her that while I’ve encountered racism first hand I try not to let it hold me back. I don’t think that every white person is judging me or treating me a certain way because I’m black. I know I’m black. Always have been and always will be. I guess the point of my ramblings is that every morning I look in the mirror and I’m black. (Obvious) But…

Well I guess I don’t really have a specific point. It’s just that with this conversation today and a class discussion yesterday about race/racism among Peruvians, I’ve started trying to gain some kind of perspective. I know my perspective is from the African American viewpoint, but it’s been a while since I really sat down and forced myself to consider what that means and confront…I guess the stereotypes that seem to be so determined to follow me everywhere I go.

I think I just have alot to think about...

So I've made a slight mistake. I've been waiting all week to upload some pictures from my camera of my hair in various states...but I forgot and deleted all the pics off of my camera today. Boo on that. :/

The pictures were just of my twists but there were also a few of my wet hair. I've mainly been wearing the twists so I haven't taken pictures of my hair just out. And those are the pics I deleted. And I'm stretching the twists for 2 weeks so I won't be taking more until next week sometime.

I still don't really like the twists. They're oh so convenient though. I add oil to the ends about once a week and try to oil my scalp. I'm really bad about not oiling my scalp. I'm going to try to get some jojoba oil on after this...At night I tie it down with a  scarf and redo the front flat twists every few days. And that's it. Even though they're so easy, I'm getting bored. I'm really determined to master flat twists so that I can do awesome twist outs. But I'm trying to wear the twists until when did I say? I think October. So I still have a few weeks.

So Genevive is growing! I know this isn't  really news but I just had what we'll call an epiphany. Yesterday I was doing my little routine: shampoo, co-wash, deep condition, ACV rinse, and I felt like it took so long. Genevive is genuinely THICK. Like I rinsed with the detachable shower head and still had beaucoup conditioner just sitting there. I tried to retwist and do you know it took me 3 hours yesterday and 2 today?!



I keep thinking that I'm not going to know what to do in another inch-probably by December. It's been 7 months and I think it's finally time to develop some sort of system for detangling and separating my hair. I'm thinking of going in search of a wide toothed comb...



*Pics coming soon!*


*EDIT: My hair is a little longer than my middle finger in most places. And this is the length of the twists. I really try not to do official length tests but I bumped into a ruler with inches today so...my finger is almost 4 inches meaning my hair is a little over that. Meaning my hair is growing at a normal rate! I was really nervous for a while there that maybe my hair wasn't really growing. This means that 1/2" per month is about accurate. Yay Genevive! I'm going to try to avoid rulers again until my one year mark in February. I hope I can make it!

So Genevive has been twisted for going on 2 weeks in a row. I'm so proud of myself. I really don't like twists but since they look ok and I have no one to impress, they serve their purpose. I'm really trying to push myself to protective style atleast until my birthday (October 10th). So far so good.

These pics are all from last weekend (after the twist out). I went to Cusco and Macchu Picchu!

Well that's all for now...I'm working on some posts with more...substance...stay tuned!

Ok. So  my problems with Genevive keep multiplying. Yes. After 6 months, her name is Genevive. Pretty no?

First, the dandruff. Then, the build up. Lately, it's been shedding. My hair is shedding like crazy. And I know it's because I'm not combing it right. I only wash my hair once a week so I'm retaining moisture but I don't have time to detangle. So when I fluff in the mornings, it's not good for poor Genevive.

My flat 2 strand twist is getting better everytime. This is how I've been wearing my hair.
So I decided to try a protective style: twists. I didn't think Genevive has enough length but something must be done so I did mini-twists and I'm trying to keep them up for the whole week. They don't look that bad and I've had a few compliments. I'm going to try to keep this going until October and see if I retain any kind of length. I really like playing in my hair so hopefully I'll wean myself from that.


I'm very proud of my work. I redid the flat twists this morning and they look even better. I'll be a pro in no time!

I did so many new things at once that I can't really review everything I did. Before I twisted I did a deep conditioner with mayonnaise, a little bit of olive oil, and an egg. It kept dripping so I managed to keep it on for an hour. I think Genevive really likes the mayonnaise. Next time we'll throw in an avacado. After that I did an ACV rinse. I added a few drops of peppermint oil and a little honey and my scalp feels great! The peppermint oil and honey helped with the horrid smell of the ACV.  The ACV rinse definitely is a keeper that I'm going to try every 2 weeks or so. It feels so clean and moisturized. I did the twists with a little glob of Yes to Tomatoes and I'm also trying aloe vera gel. At first I couldn't find any but it gives me a little shine and seems to work great on my edges.

I'll try to remember what hair accessories I use through out the week. It took about 4 hours (with about a 40 minute break) so if it lasts it'll definitely be a keeper.

We shall see..

Nappy trails to you.....