WOW. I just looked at the date of my last posting: March 13th...over 2 months ago! Well the good news is that nothing has changed and everything has changed.

I've been protective styling like a crazy person. It keeps my life simple.

This is my favorite style but the hardest for me to do :(

My twists change directions so the back is eh...

This a random style that I did...not my favorite but it held well.





This is my repeater and I guess mt signature style...it beats simple twists.



I also have been wearing my hair out in the last month. I went to Morrocco and did some other travelling plus some good byes so I let it free for photo ops :)

Feria de Seville...love hair accessories :)

This is a detangled and rinsed twist out...a semi rinse and go

I've probably henna'd once a month...I have 7 boxes of henna to take back home :/

Also did a twisted headband...it gets wonky at the top but chic nonetheless.

Barcelona :)

 Long hair don't care!

I blow dried for the first time...it went ok.

Chunky Mini Twists!

My hair is getting sooo long!

It's a cute bob and I love it. I've had them in for almost a week and am trying to keep them in until I leave Spain (4 weeks from now!). I'm not sure if that will happen. I'll probably get itchy and have to rinse. Plus they're all different sizes and seem to frizz up/unravel. I only used Oyin Shine and Define and shea butter. I'll probably go back and reseal, retwist (some), and add aloe vera gel for extra hold this week. Why so soon? Because I'm going to spend the weekend with a friend from the states and  I'll have to look good because we'll take tons of pics together and she's black so she can see a bad hair day better than the spaniards lol. #sadbuttrue

I haven't had alot of time to spend on my hair (and frankly I don't want to). After reading on bglh that so many naturals have cut out alot of steps in their routine, the most notable being the DC, I've been trying to simplify things. This week I didn't prepoo or really do anything to my hair before shampooing. I just shampooed with my hair still styled. It turned out to be ok because I saved 30+ minutes on not pre pooing and the shampoo got to my scalp better.

Than I dc'ed (because I shampooed) and detangled as I took my hair out of the style. I applied my DC (generic Spanish store brand with added oil and honey) and then left it on while I ate breakfast. After breakfast I rinsed and ran an errand. Then I styled. Simple.

I'm proud of myself because I also used my shea butter(finally). I mixed shea butter, coconut oil,and aloe vera gel and whipped it with my rat tail comb. It makes my hair really shiny (and was the only product I used). So far I like it. Plus I can use it on my skin. It'll be good to alternate with the Oyin Burnt Sugar pomade (which smells better). I need some essential oils!

Ok so I know I've stated that I'm not going to worry about products or try too many while I'm here..but I don't think I brought enough! I brought a few bottles of conditioner, a few oils, and my Oyin products. I'm now realizing that that won't be enough because a) my hair is going to get longer and need more product and b) I can't find/afford most of what I thought I'd be able to find here. I honestly thought that because it's Europe, I would be able to find more products and ingredients. What I'm finding is that everything is outrageously overpriced. I'm trying to develop a regimen and as my hair grows I realize that I can't just put any little thing in my hair. I brought a regular sized bottle of Suave Professionals and used it today after using some "organic" product I bought at Marshalls. I realized that I've been missing the slip of Suave. But now I have to ration it because I can't find it here...In Peru I saw V05 and other products that atleast seemed like maybe they'd work. Here I've seen Garnier Fructis and even Herbal Essences. But they're completely overpriced. A regular sized bottle of Herbal Essences is 2.79 euro that's 3.79 USD. That might not seem that bad but I don't want to pay that much for a rinse out conditioner...

My PJ wish list is:

• Tangle Teaser. Everyone and their mother has one! I just want to try it...
• A good conditioner. Suave or Aussie Moist or even Herbal Essences..something.
• A leave in. Kinky Curly Knot Today or Giovanni.
• More Oyin! I have enough of the Burnt Sugar Pomade but I'd really love more Shine and Define or Whipped Pudding. And everything else they have...
• Oils. Jojoba, coconut, avacado...all of them.
• A DC. I know I can use oils and whatever else. But I'd also like to just have something good and already mixed to save a little time everynow and then.

I could go on and on. Really...I think I'm just craving what I can't have right now. I wonder how expensive it would be if my mom sent me a care package...

I need a regimen! I think that lately I've been getting frustrated because I don't have a structured regimen for the care and keeping of Genevive. All the "gurus" stress the importance of regimens and seem to be able to do multiple beneficial treatments and restyling multiple times a week but that's just not me. Part of the reason I've committed to protective stlyes for the next few months is simply because I don't have time to co wash and retwist every few days.

As my hair has grown so has the list of products, treatments, styles etc that I can do to my hair. I want to go back to the basics and figure out what works best for me. Last week I henna'd without detangling or doing anything to my hair before. That was the worst mistake of my life! But I did it because I only had an hour of free time. I dc'd overnight too and didn't really detangle until I was styling a few days later. It took hours because my hair was tangles and matted...and I'm tenderheaded!

I think what I want to try in order to get a reggie going is:

• Midweek cleanse, condition, style, etc. I'm in freakin SPAIN right now. I don't want to miss great weekend opportunities or look crazy in a bonnet on the weekends because I'm trying to multi task. Usually I do all that on Saturday night/ Sunday-all day. What I propose is to do all this on a Tuesday/ Wednesday. This way my hair is fresh for the weekend and I look great for photo ops!
• Pre-Preparation. I feel like I wast alot of time, especially with henna because I prepare and use products all in the same period. Henna may work better for me if I prepare and leave it out for a day before putting it in my hair. That way I can just leave it on for a few hours.
• Don't worry about products! Lately I've been really worried about products. What I want, need, can't find, can't afford. I'd prefer to use natural products but that may not be possible here. I can find evoo and just work with what I have.

My regimen will go something like this:

• Tuesday evening: Prepoo with olive oil/coconut oil and a little condish. Detangle.
• Shampoo/co-wash in sections.
• Apply henna or DC.

Nevermind...I have alot to work on with this...My classes and internship schedule get into the way of all of this. I'll either have to do weekend hair time or just let it all fall out from dryness and neglect....

Forreal forreal plan coming soon!

Genevive is a year old today!!!
 This year has gone by soooo fast. I really can't believe that a year ago, at almost this time, I was sitting in my dorm room with a pair of raggedy scissors chopping my hair off.

I've come so far. We've come so far. I've learned so much and I have so much more to learn.

This is me in February 2010, shortly after my big chop

What I've learned in the last year is:

• My hair can be really soft. At first it wasn't but I've learned that it really likes a little oil.
• A little goes a long way. At first I was really heavy handed with everything but now I realize that a nickel sized drop of oil is really all I need.
• Protective styles. My hair grows best when I just leave her alone for days at a time. Not neglect or  ignorance but just giving her space.
• What works for everyone does NOT work for me. I've been resisting the band wagon and product junkyism and only occasionally giving in after much research.
• A little goes a long way...Product wise I don't have a lot of products and those that I do have I use. I don't have the money for a lot of experimenting so I try to work with what I have.

I CAN DO MY OWN HAIR! I was most nervous about the growth and how I would handle it. Prior to going natural I had never really done my own hair. I didn't learn how to wrap it until I was in college. Little by little I've learned to stlye and love my hair. I have so much more practicing and learning to do but flat twists and two strand twists are my holy grail.

So I did henna again. It's been about 3 weeks since the first treatment. It was a little more difficult this time just because this isn't my house and I didn't want to mess anything up. I couldn't find a plastic bowl and there's only a sink and no counter top for working space. Having said that I tried to make it a little differently this time. Last time I used curlynikki's recipe of just 2 tea bags and honey.

This time I was pressed for time and used 2 green tea bags and added a cup of conditioner. I didn't have time to wash or detangle my hair before. According to curlynikki the conditioner acts as a conditioner and kind of gives you a deeper treatment.