Happy Hair Journey

My Daily Hair Spritz Recipe :)

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:12:00 +0000

Gotta keep that hair moisturized underneath my protective style! But how do I keep my moisture level up without taking my hair down? Easy peasy. I use my spritz. It's easy to whip up.
I use:
1 part distilled water
1 part Bee Mine Deja's Hair Milk*
2 parts AVJ (aloe vera juice)
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Rosemary essential oil
Peppermint essential oil
*you can use any leave in of your choice

I mix all the ingredients in a spray bottle, shake it up and spray away! I blend together the oils and the leave in with the AVJ first, then add the water. For some reason, it blends the ingredients better that way. (Could be all in my head tho') Now more details....

The amount of oils and leave in conditioner you use is at your own discretion. The size of your spray bottle will determine how much of the oils you use. I like to be able to feel the oil after I spray it in so I may use a little more than some people would use. My hair needs it. I used 10 drops of each essential oil and about an ounce of EVOO this time around. My scalp was extra tingly but it left my hair and cornrows soft. Next time, I'll only use 5 drops each to an ounce of EVOO and see if I like that better. My scalp feels MINTY FRESH ya hear me? LOL!

I also use Bee Mine Deja's Hair Milk because I love the ingredients in it. Not to mention it smells yummy. Something about "hair" and "milk" in the same sentence just sounds delicious. My hair drinks this up! SLURP! LOL. >_<

The downside is because oil and water doesn't mix, I gotta keep shaking between sections to ensure all of the ingredients are being sprayed out at once. No big deal for me tho'. Every time I've used this in the past, I NEVER have dryness issues or excessive shedding or anything. It's like my hair didn't miss a beat. Not to mention it's super soft! :)

My hair loves this concoction when it's put up. Thought I should share with the world. If you try it, lemme know what you think. I'm curious to know how it works for others. And if you have your own recipe, please do share! I'd love to try it!

Ciao Bellas!

Countdown to 1 Year Post Relaxer

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:52:00 +0000

I'm excited and can't believe it's been almost a whole year since a relaxer touched my hair. Wow...
I attempted to transition back in early 2007, but only made it 6 months. So to think that as of this Friday it'll be 11 months since my last relaxer is mind blowing for me, let alone 12 months in March. Transitioning was a nightmare for me and I'm glad that's over. I'm enjoying my natural hair, even though it's put up right now.

I can't wait until things get a little more settled and the weather gets less freezing so I can get back to playing in my hair. I haven't even had my protective style in that long and I already miss my real hair. Alas, I don't have the time I want to keep up with my regular regimen, so for right now, this works.

I hope to finally finish that review I was working on...you know...the one that I tweeted about finishing it and accidentally deleting it? Well, I hope I can get it done and posted soon. We'll see. Nevertheless, get ready for a full blown hair update next month...at 1 YEAR POST RELAXER!

Later my Journey Fam! (*^_^.)

Grow with me! {My journey to BSL}

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:27:00 +0000

It's that time! You remember back in the end of September 2011 I cut all the relaxer out of my hair, the BIG CHOP! Wootie woo!!!

*Side note* It annoys the heck outta me when people say, "You cut all your hair off? Why?" I'm sorry but I did not cut ALL my hair off. O_o do I really look like Amber Rose? I mean really...of course you know, this isn't where the buck stops. It should be after the amount of cash I spent finding the right products for my now 100% natural hair...but alas... This is a JOURNEY. And I'm enjoying every step of it. My long term goal is to reach a healthy looking, natural, BSL (bra strap length). I don't have a goal date. I don't believe in that anymore. I'll get there when I get there. I'm gonna just enjoy the journey. :) My short term goal is simply keeping my hair's moisture level up. Easy peasy right? HA! We shall see. I'm up to the challenge! Here is my starting point as of December 23, 2011:

Since that day my regimen (can you believe I finally got one down?):

For the Winter
•Cowash 1x - 2x per week (Thus far, V05 is the best!)
•Deep condition 2x per week
•Apply Shi-naturals Creamy Leave-in after each wash, detangle and let air dry
•Apply Gro-Aut oil to scalp at least 2x per week.
•Moisturize with Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturizer Nightly (I don't have to seal after using this because it has plenty of oil in it to do the trick. I love products that save me time. YES.)

My current night-time "put it away" method is about 5 or 6 cornrow braid outs. Then in the morning, I take them down. My protective style of choice for the winter is my crochet hair style. I wore kinky twists in the fall tho', leading up to and about 2 - 3 weeks after my daughter was born. Did I mention she's on a journey too?

Not for length, but I'm only working at retaining her moisture level and keeping it soft. The only thing I'm using is a lil' jojoba oil after her bath. We'll do the length thing when she's older....much, much older :)

Anyhewwww, I just put in my crocheted hair yesterday. It took me three hours after I put in my 7 cornrows....which took almost all day (between tending to my baby girl). So you can see the other reason why I'm p-styling it up hunnay...

I like a lil' color...just a little.

I used Freetress Water Wave in 1B and TT530. What do you think?

That's all for now! Later journeyers! :)

posted from Bloggeroid

Baby news! :)

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:44:00 +0000

If you've been following my tweets, I'm sure you know by now that my baby girl is here. She was born Nov. 23rd, 2011 and is a beautiful miracle. Life has changed dramatically and for the better. I love my sweet baby girl and we're so thankful for her.

SO MUCH has happened since then and I have A TON of product reviews, growth and styling updates and just...well...STUFF to share. I'm so behind on reviews it ain't even funny. But now that life seems to be settling into a consistent routine (and baby's sleeping better), I can get back in the saddle and get crackin'. WHERE TO START??? Lol. Lawd a mercy ...

Check back often! I'm posting from my phone pretty easily which means tackling these reviews and stuff will be a lil' easier. Did I mention I love Android? Yessssah....

posted from Bloggeroid

The BIG CHOP! [ at 7 months post ]

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:27:00 +0000

K. So somebody's been fussin' at me about gettin' this update done. I ain't gone say no names, but you know who you are. *wink* LOL! {I love my peoples :)} Anyhowsie, I haven't gotten around to it because it's be a LOT goin' on with me. Plus, my routine is go to work, go home, go to sleep (at least try) and if I get insomnia, blogging is furthest from my mind...I just wanna sleep. Needless to say, my energy level is sapped. OK ENOUGH backdrop. Ya'll wanna see pics and stuff.

I actually did this on September 28th.

Needless to say, Rauney liiiiike :) I'm for real ya'll, you couldn't tell me nothin'. I had the proverbial nose stuck up so far in the air, if it rained I'd a drowned. And it didn't help that hubby thought it was hott. <--- Love me some him :) Could you see me sashayin' hunny....mmmmhmmm...yes I did chile.

Details:
I'm really diggin' it and am so glad to be DONE with the two textures. Man, that is one less frustration I have to deal with. I was hesitant to chop because of my TWA paranoia, but I really like it. If I had known I'd like it that much, I would have chopped sooner. Meh. *shrugs* However, it's in a protective style now. :( Why? Chile lemme tell you what I did.

I already told ya'll my routine right? (work, home, sleep, work, etc.) Well ok, so one night I was like, I'mma moisturize and put my hair up for the next day and stuff. Cool. Got home from work. I said, lemme just lay down a minute. Woke up...to my alarm for work. Um? What happened to last night? What happened to my hair? I didn't do it. And not only did I wake up, but I woke up LATE! No time to do anything with it. I threw on my lacefront and angrily went to work, mad as ever because I WANTED TO ROCK MY CUTIE FRO!!! I had the cutest headband picked out an errthang. And of all the times in the summer that I LOVED my lacefront...that day I HATED IT. I was so mad. But, I was tired ya'll and didn't realize how much until the next morning...obviously.

So, conclusion is, I ended up putting it away "until after the baby" (taking no more chances at attracting a setback), then I realized "Well, when she gets here, it'll be about time to put it away for Wisconsin winter anyway so..." (>_<). OOOOOO! *shaking fist*
I'm a little sad about that. But, I guess it's not toooooo bad since the main point was to rid myself of the two-textured struggle right? But still - who strugglin' with two textures when it's put up anTway?? Doh! It's so cute, I wanted to wear it out a little more. But I gotta do what's best for my hair. Plus with a lil' one soon to be here, I'm not sure what my regimen would have looked like so..I guess this'll have to do until the spring.

Now I'm itchin' for springtime to hurry up and get here so I can get more practice with wash n gos.

Anyway.

BTW: I took more pics, but the shots STUNK as I was by myself and by the time hubby got home, I was too frustrated and said forget it. I'll be taking my crochets out in a week to prep for kinky twists so hopefully I can get somebody to take some pics for me. Yes, I said for me. I'm in that home stretch where I don't feel like doin' nothin' (poor hubby) and if I get frustrated, it's a wrap and ain't nobody takin' no pics of nothin' (>_<). I need prayer. Lbvs.

Why I Returned to Natural

Just Chucked!!! {Pic included}

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:32:00 +0000

Okay more like...gave away. But either way you put it, I got rid of it allllllll.....
I was going to list it in the Just Chucked portion of my "About Rauney" tab...til' I realized...that was a lot of products. So I figured I'd show ya instead. :) All of the products in the pics below are from my days of being fully relaxed. :P

In transitioning, I tried to use these same products...EPIC FAIL. However, my transition has been saved and made more bearable by finding the right products that work awesome for both of my hair textures (not pictured). I'll tell ya about those later in my upcoming reviews. *wink* If you've been following my tweets, you probably already have a hint.

Til' next time!

HHJ

Booyah! I CHOPPED!!!! {PIC}

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:32:00 +0000

***As of today, I am 23 weeks post relaxer***

Mmmk...I realize this is overdue. Been busy with stuff ya' know? But it's only been about a week or two since I did it. My hair was getting on my nerves and I wanted to make it better during this transition. Some call me crazy, I call it hair that's getting cut off in December anyhow.

Wait, don't get it twisted, I didn't BIG CHOP yet. I'm shooting for that in December. I'm really trying hard to hold off, but I got that itch ya'll. I'm loving my cute curly pattern and ready to rock them luscious locs! I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready! Then I think about sportin' a TWA and realize...I ain't ready, I ain't ready, I ain't ready. LBVS.

So, all I did was chop my hair to full SL (shoulder length) so I wouldn't have so much hair to fool with. Seriously, the two textures have been a pain in my eye, but since cutting it, it's easier? Does that make sense? I mean, ok, if I had decided to relax in May I would've been MBL (mid-back-length) easily because I was almost there in March. My trial was finding products that worked for all that relaxed hair I had and my newfound mound of new growth. The second part of that trial was the fact that I was using up so MUCH product to make it happen. UGH! So my resolve? CUT IT OFF!

I'm not using as much product, and (surprisingly) I'm managing it better. Almost forgot what I looked like at SL. But can't wait to get rid of the rest. Ok, talked long enough. Here is a pic of my cut as promised. Btw...my camera was being boo boo...

Remember this? (March 2011 relaxer)

So um, yeah...hope I make it to December. LOL!

~HHJ

Reviews on the way!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:50:00 +0000

Hey happy hair journeyers! I haven't posted in a minute because I am still using up these sample kits! >_<.

I have two sample kits from Shea Moisture and one from Shi-Naturals. I'm telling you this has been an interesting experience and I have developed some likes, hates, and like-like-LIIIIIKES. But it may take another couple of weeks before I finally finish all or 90% of the products. And although I have already developed a very strong opinion of some products I've tried, I want to be as fair as possible and give you the most info. So, I want to use them up as much as possible.

Are you itchin' for a preview? LOL! Well, all I'll tell you is my favorite products, that have saved my transitioning hair, have been incorporated into my updated regimen. That's the most I can give right now for a preview.

BUT a huge CHOP is coming before the end of this month, pics and all. Being that the end of the month is right around the corner, you can expect that update pretty soon. I'm taking my hair all the way up to SL (shoulder length). GASP!!! Lol! Don't pass out friends, I'm going natural remember? So these relaxed ends have got to go eventually. The final BC will be in December of this year. WooT! I'm so excited!

Although, I have to tell ya....this two textures thing is really aggravating my nerves and I'm tempted to reach for the scissors...LOL! Don't panic, I'll hold off til' December. Seriously. I ain't rockin' no TWA. Ain't my style.

Until next time friends!

~Rauney

The State of Blah...

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:20:00 +0000

I've been in this rut, this state of blahness. You know, the I-really-just-don't-give-two-hot-biscuits mode? Yah, thas' me lately. Chile, please...forget a regimen. Regi-who? That's a real bad place to be in. BUT for some reason, I have peace about it. (Or does that have to do with the whole not caring attitude?). I'm transitioning, which means, for me, I'll be cutting off these relaxed ends. Huzzah.
Problem? My ends SUCK right now...and I don't care? No, I do, but my mentality is that I'm cutting them off anyway. <----That's bad. Bad Rauney >_<. I think part of it is that I'm upset that I've been unsuccessful in finding a product that works well on both my natural texture and my relaxed/texlaxed texture. It's been depressing for me, so I've been blah.

I haven't washed my hair in almost a month. THAT'S BAD! Is that bad? THAT'S NAUGHTY RAUNEY!

Wait, don't shame me just yet. The issue is nothing has been working. My heating cap died and just leaving the conditioner on under one of those space man shower caps wasn't gettin' it. The products I've been trying have been boo boo and the "good" stuff I used to use (and some stuff I wanna try) have ingredients in it that my Obstetrician told me to stay away from til' after our little miracle blessing arrives. A sista wanna cry about my hair issue sometimes ya hear me? My hair is a biscuit ya hear me?

The not-so-bleak (YAY):
I ordered a Thermal Wrap to replace my Gold n Hot heating cap and ordered Tropic Isle JBCO Shampoo, Conditioner and Coconut JBCO. Hoping they'll arrive by the end of this week because I'M HAVING WASH DAY WITHDRAWALS. I also picked up this Proclaim Argan Oil deep conditioning packet from Sally's to use. The JBCO Conditioner is a protein condish, so ya girl's gotta follow up with a moisturizing one, ya know?

So, I knew transitioning was gonna be a challenge, but I didn't expect this. By the way, I'm learning that it's more challenging to transition while preggers? I feel like a newbie some days. Lol! Still! I'm hangin' in there. Giving up is not an option!

First planned mini-chop will be sometime in July. Gonna flat iron and hit up Cost Cutters! I'm actually excited about that :) LOL! I know right?

HHJ on BlackBerry

Transitioning to Natural 2011 PICS ~ 16 WEEKS POST!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:17:00 +0000

Find more photos like this on HAIRLISTA INC. Healthy Hair Network

I dunno if you can see my texture well. I took 3 pics. Today I wore a simple pony. I moisturized with a spray mix of V05 & water, sealed with shea butter and added a little ECO Styler gel to make it stay down. (wanted it slick, no puffy uppies LOL).

Happy Father's Day!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:55:00 +0000

SOTD...My Cornrow Extensions {PICS}

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 05:15:00 +0000

Old school works for me baybee....

Top View - The night before

Side View - The night before

Next day - Sunday mornin'!

Ready for chuuuuch! Like my flower?

Ok. More like style of the month or a few weeks, cuz' I ain't takin' this down til' July. Bahahahahaha!

Staying cool!

Happy Hair Journey is MOBILE!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:19:00 +0000

Happy Hair Journey is Smart Phone Friendly!! Now when you jump onto happyhairjourney.com from your mobile phone, you'll see a mobile version of the website!

Of course, you always still have the option to view the full website if you choose! :) Make sure you bookmark it!

So My Senegalese Twists...Fail?

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:44:00 +0000

Nah, not so much. But here's what happened:

I took my time, beginning Friday evening and finishing Saturday evening. Now, before you say, "Rauney that took forever!", it really didn't. I goofed around allllllllll day Saturday. Cleaning, cooking, watching tv, shopping (yep, I hid it in a ponytail) which is the way I prefer to do it. It's more relaxing to me. Honestly, I think I could've finished in about 6 or 7 hours if I worked straight through. Here is a pic I tweeted of it when I was about half way - three quarters finished:

In the end, it turned out very pretty. The problem? Well, nature decided that it was gonna play a cruel joke and be 90 - 100 degrees for a few days. At BSL, I had to braid past those ends to glue (yah, I know, old school) it so it wouldn't unravel. Plus I wanted fatter ones, not the real skinny ones (the Lord is still dealing with me in the area of patience *hangs head*). The hair I used was very silky (won't do that again):

Needless to mention, all that hair was HOT on me (not in the cute way, in the temperature way). Oh no hunny, I wasn't about to deal with that on top of other conditions this summer. So, a week later, I took them down. LOLOL! Chile please. It cost $25 total. You can do that when you ain't spendin' $200 to get em' done (*hands on hips* I wish I would). So I cornrowed some extensions instead. Pics in the next post! (*^_^.)

Staying cool!!!

What would you do with a FREE Apple iPad 2? I know what I would do.

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:07:00 +0000

Yes, I know, shameless plug. (*>_<.) Tee hee.

How does a FREE Apple iPad 2 sound?

McAfee SECURE Shopping is a great site to shop and compare everything from electronics to shoes without worrying about getting your identity stolen. And right now, they’re giving away an iPad 2. I’m trying to win so visit the site and enter your email to help me! And you can enter too.

View >>

It's a wrap! Rauney IS going natural!

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:59:00 +0000

<---That's not my hair...but it will be one day...but not a fro. Fro's ain't me chile.

Yep, it's official. I am transitioning to natural! I've been teetering around the thought for weeks now, back and forth, and I finally decided a few days ago. I gave it a lot of thought, and figured, it's time for something different on this hair journey of mine.

I don't remember my natural hair hardly at all. I had a curly perm at 11/12-ish, relaxed at 15/16-ish and have been relaxed for the last 17 or so years. (Quit tryna guess my age! Lol!) During this last stretch (I'm 13 weeks post) I have fallen in love with my natural texture. And I went googly over my sister's natural texture (She stretched for a year...maybe more? Can't remember...). It's gorgeous!

So, I'm going for it. I figure since I was going to be stretching until after the baby arrives, this may be the perfect opportunity to transition and give the natural look a try. If I don't like it, I can always relax again, eh? It's not a biggie for me.

QUESTIONS
But, WHY Rauney???: Because I want to try something different. I've never been natural by choice and this is something I want to do.

Are you going to BC?: Lord willing, maybe in November (@39-40 weeks post) or I may wait until Summer 2012. Depends on how much new growth I have at the time. I want it to be a certain length before I cut it. TWA is not my style.

Your hair was so long!: Hair grows back. I've had short styles before...doesn't phase me. I just refuse to do a low fade or TWA. My preference.

Are you gonna be one of those militant naturals?: No. I think that's the most ridiculous thing ever. If your passion is to care about other's hair, fine. But please know that most people really don't care to hear what you think about them and relaxers. You can miss me with that. Stupidest debate ever. Who really cares? It's your hair do what you want with it and stay out of others.

What will people think about you going natural? Isn't it unpopular?: I don't care what people think. I'm never popular. I prefer it that way.

My side note:

I was thinking the other day, what if I have a girl? I don't want her to look at mommy's hair all long and straight and then want it pressed all the time to look like mommy's (cuz that's what little girls do). I want her to grow up confident that she was born beautiful just the way she is and that her hair is beautiful. What a reinforcement to tell your daughter that and then she looks at your hair and says, "Just like yours mommy!". When she's grown up, if she makes the decision to relax (notice I said grown) it won't be from pressure from me and I won't allow outsiders to make her feel like she has to either. I want it to be her decision. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't gotten processed as a child, would I have relaxed my hair as an adult? Who knows? Maybe so. I loved my hair all flowy and straight so...it probably wouldn't have made a difference.
But I wonder.
Regardless, it'll be her choice, not mine. And she won't be old enough to make that choice until she is grown-grown. I'm talking about paying for it herself . For real. Do you know how much a relaxer might be 18/19 years from now? Tuh. I wish I would.

I'm excited to see the end result. The relaxed part of my happy hair journey has come to a close (for now). Now begins the transitioning and natural era of my happy hair journey. I'M SO FRIGGIN' EXCITED!!!

Are ya with me?

My heating cap died...

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Sun, 29 May 2011 17:07:00 +0000

What the crud??? My heating cap goes haywire! I plugged it up and suddennly started smelling a weird electrical / chemical burning smell. You think that's going on my head? SYKE!

I guess it was time. I've had it over a year now...STILL MAD because it was a GOLD N HOT. THEN I'm out of town in a hotel with my dc on my head. I prefer to dc with heat. Poo for me... An alternative would be throw a wet towel in the micro for a few and wrap it around my head right? RIGHT! Problem is, we have no microwave in our room...we have a fridge tho' :P.

So, I'mma have to actually follow the instructions on my dc container this time (Leave in 2-5 minutes. Rinse well.). Would it make sense to say I'm extremely salty right now? Um...understatement...

Dagnabbit.

HHJ on BlackBerry

Rauney's going au naturale?

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Tue, 10 May 2011 15:37:00 +0000

I've been tossing around the idea of going natural for years now. But only recently have I been more back and forth about it than usual. Reason being is I've decided to stretch my relaxer until at least next July/August. But if I decide to go natural, then I guess I would have been transitioning moreso than stretching. Eh?

I've always adored natural hair and hairstyles. Ok, truth be told, I just love different hairstyles period. (Except the mohawk thing...I NEVER thought that was cute enough to go on my head...EVER). I've had short, bobbed, shaved back, braids, twists, cornrows, dyed, crimped, bumped, curled, bone-straight, texlaxed...but never natural...well, not by choice I mean.

I dunno. It really depends on how I feel at that time. Whether I want to BC at that time or relax away...I do know one thing...either way the stretch will be OVA chile. Please don't get it twisted. I am by no means considering naturality (Like that? I just made it up.) to be in touch with my roots, or to show my "blackness". I'm so sick of that debate I could puke. I just wanna try something different (maybe). I love all hair ('cept that dang mohawk doohikey). My hair, my choice. I'm black relaxed or natural.

So, in the meantime I've been eyeing some natural-friendly products. I'm seeing Kinky-Curly is a decent product for "transitioners", not that I'm joining that category just yet. I haven't signed on the dotted line. I guess we won't really know for a while yet. So, right now, I'm just stretching. :)

BTW...
<----This isn't my hair. I accomplished that by using yearbookyourself.com. Still...pretty fly huh?

~HHJ on BlackBerry~

Mizani Hair Typing System

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Tue, 10 May 2011 15:28:00 +0000

Mizani's Natural Curl Key - Screenshot from my Blackberry

So, Mizani has a new system for typing hair. It's called the "Natural Curl Key". It's very interesting. This is how they explain it on their website:

"With the support of our world renowned scientists in the United States and France, MIZANI has pioneered the Natural Curl Key™. After years of research and testing, our laboratories defined global hair types based on specific-shape criteria and utilizing a scientific approach to measuring features of human-hair strands, including curve diameter, curl index, number of twists and number of waves. This research resulted in the identification of eight distinct hair types worldwide.

The MIZANI Natural Curl Key™ is an easy-to-use reference guide that allows professional stylists to identify the hair type of any client and determine its key characteristics and special needs, as well as the most beneficial care and service suggestions."

I kinda like how they broke it down. It makes a lot of sense. And according to this chart my actual hair type is a 5 instead of 3c/4a. I'm not certain of how well known or widely accepted this new hair typing system is. I'm interested to see what others think of it.

~HHJ on BlackBerry~

Happy Mommy's Day!!

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Sun, 08 May 2011 13:51:00 +0000

M.I.A.

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:01:00 +0000

Hey there friends! I have something of extreme importance coming up that I have to take care of. So, I'll be off the grid for a few weeks. Lord willing, I'll be back on duty April 18 with some more updates and reviews. In the meantime, please keep me in your prayers.
Love ya!

HHJ on BlackBerry

Why I Heart Ulta

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 05:32:00 +0000

Okay...it's no unknown secret that my favorite store is Ulta. For many reasons, but mainly because almost everything I need from haircare to personal care, I can get from Ulta. And between all the coupons I receive and the great sales they have, I shop often and save a ton. It's no wonder why I told my family that I wanted Ulta gift cards this past Christmas. I ASKED AND RECEIVED!!! Lol!!

So...this past Christmas season, guess where I went shopping for most of the gifts? Yep. And it turns out that I spent quite a bit more than I thought. And each time I went, I always remembered to have them

scan my Ulta Club Card. Yes please.

I kinda expected to receive top tier rewards this time around, but what I got made me yelp! That's actually a good thing. :)

Um, so...yeah...notice how there are only 6 levels?

What happens when you reach level 9?

What happens when you reach level 9 of a 6 level rewards program? Well, apparently you get something free from the level 6 groups and something from level 3. Or one from 6 and three from one. OR any combination from any number of groups equaling 9. Make sense? Child please, it was sho' nuf elementary for me.

What's worse? Within my sales mailer I saw that they had another sale going on. I LOVE ULTA SHOWER SMOOTHIES! They are the BEST! And this particular time they were on sale, buy one get one free. YES!!! On top of that, Ulta had a promotion that if you spend at least $17.50 you get an ULTA makeup kit ($88.00 value) for free. So I bought my two smoothies and a body butter for a grand total of $19 and some change...WOOHOO!


ULTA Shower Smoothies in Creamy Colada and Peach Sorbet 14.99 ea. buy one get one free and the body butter-->

Pink Bliss Body Butter
(Perfect Pomegranate) 3.50
It smells sooooo yummy...

Pink Sugar Eau de Toilette 1.7oz
Ulta Extreme Wear Gel Eyeliner
(Primetime) BOTH FREE!!

I'm diggin this. It's so smooth.
I wouldn't have paid $9. for it,
so I'm glad I got it for free. HA!

Now this is the free gift that
came with spending at least
17.50 :)

The kit. Full of STUFF!
(All for free!)

Ulta Eyeshadow Quad: Pearl,
Pink, Flirty and Mystical

Ulta Eyeshadow Quad: Truffle,
Platinum, Trendsetter and Granite

Also in the kit: Ulta Cheek Powder (Adore), Double compact mirror, Ulta Nail Lacquer (Pink Leather), Ulta Lip color (Sheer Rose), Ulta Amped Lashes Volume Mascara (Jet Black), Ulta Lip gloss Duo (Charmed / Cosmo), Ulta Contour Double lip/eye pencil (Rose/Halo), Ulta Double Contour eye liner (Chocolate/Black), Ulta Powder Brush, Contour Blush Brush, Sponge tip applicator, Eyeshadow Brush, Makeup Case.

In all I ended up getting almost $180 worth of product for less than 20 bucks. That's my kind of shopping!

Relaxer Results - Next Day

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 02:19:00 +0000

These are my pics the day after relaxer night. Pre-Split Ender. I kinda curled it a lil" bit with my Sedu flat iron. The kicker? Shine without having to use a serum afterwards. Uh-oh Garnier! Wha' we gon' do??

Back view. I'm enjoying the
fullness.

Side view. I'm in shock.

By the end of the day (and thanks to the rain...) all of my curls fell and it was straight. So I could take an actual picture with my bra to measure the length. I'm not completely comfortable with showing my skin on the Internet so um...I put it on over the shirt I was wearing today. Hey, it still worked so um...yah. On with it!

I used a bright one so I
could actually see the result.
Obviously a black bra wouldn't
have worked to well, eh? LOL!

Apparently it seems I may be
closer to MBL than I thought.
WOOT! Then again...there's that
issue of that TRIM I still have
to get...*shudder*

Truth of the matter. I need to trim. BUT I haven't used my Split Ender yet so it may not be that bad. Even still, it's definitely time for a good ol' fashioned trimmerooney. Been a year so I'll say it's not looking too bad. Thanks to my February 2010 setback, it's growing in a very pretty "V" shape. Honestly? Methinks me like it. (*^_^.)

RELAXER DAY!...um...NIGHT! (Lots of Pics)

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 04:47:00 +0000

So exactly one week after removing my crochet "braids", I decided to relax at 12 weeks post. Woohoo!

I decided on giving a play by play this time. Ya'know, sharing each step I take. My hair has grown a lot! I'm excited! Even though I may actually need a real trim this time. Ah well, no big. It's been a year since my last trim anyway. So as not to make this a really long read, let's get movin'! First, the products! [click on any of the pics for a larger view]

Motions Silkening Shine Relaxer
System - Regular

Nexxus Keraphix (Heavy Protein)
I usually use Nexxus Emergencee, but I
ran out. This turned out cheaper and I like
how it felt. Go figure.

Motions Relaxer w/Nexxus Keraphix,
Silk Amino Acids, Softee hair grease,
Elucence Moisture Acidifying Shampoo,
Porosity Control Conditioner

KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo,
Queen Helene Cholesterol Hair
Conditioning Cream, My "special" leave-in
conditioning formula, Cantu Shea Butter
Leave-in Cream, Tresemme Heat Protectant
Spray, Garnier Fructis Sleek n Shine Serum

My tools: Butterfly clips, application
brush, detangling comb, Sedu Flat iron,
THE SPLIT-ENDER!!!

Virgin Coconut Oil

The relaxer system. I didn't use the
neutralizer that came with it. It'll
make a nice refill for my hand soap tho'.

The activator gel for the relaxer.

My deep conditioner mixture: (The
conditioner that came with the kit, a
little bit of my Queen Helene and some
Porosity Control Conditioner

My texlaxed waves! YAY!
This is what I've been
trying to do for a while now.

Air Drying

Applied Coconut oil to strands and the Softee Coconut hair grease around hairline and ears.
Applied protective conditioner (only a little bit in sections), let dry and applied relaxer.
Rinsed relaxer in sink.
Apply Nexxus Keraphix 5 min.
Rinsed in shower and shampooed with Elucence once through, then again and left in for 10 min.
Rinsed and applied once more.
Rinsed and shampooed with Keracare once through.
Rinsed and applied Porosity Control 2 minutes.
Rinsed and applied deep conditioner mix. Sat under heating cap for 20-30 min. (Preference)
Rinsed and applied spray leave in. Tied up with my t-shirt for 10-15 min.
Applied Cantu Shea Butter leave in and let air dry 100%.
TOMORROW: Applying Tresemme heat protectant spray and let dry.
Flat ironing in the morning because it's late and I'm sleepy.
Tomorrow evening, I'll use my split ender to get them naughty ends!

It seems like lot, but it's really not and it went really fast for me. It's alot of rinsing, but it really wasn't that bad. I take relaxer (or texlaxer) day very seriously, because I self-relax. So I spare nothing! PLUS the longer your hair is, the longer it takes to go through some of the different products and rinse...well, at least that's been my experience. I started at 6:15 and finished at ????. But I lolly gagged in between, eatin' dinner, talkin' and stuff. It "relax"er day so I relaxed dadgummit.

Nevertheless, I am loving the results and I'm thinking I may stick with Motions. I loved Mizani, but Motions is easier to access and my hair seemed to shed way less this time around than with Mizani. That doesn't mean that I'll stay with it forever, but for right now, it's doing the wonder!

HHJ everyone!

Crochet "Braids" Havoc!?!

noreply@blogger.com (Happy Hair Journey) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:26:00 +0000

Oh help me...
So um, yeah, I was just informed by my hair that it wishes to NOT be left in a protective style longer than 2 weeks. UM, I do believe that I would have STILL been receptive WITHOUT the hair loss...yah. So you can kind of imagine the overwhelming feeling of dread as I kept getting my hair full of clumps of hair...

The Notorious"Clump"

How big it was...BIG ol' mound of hair.

Growth "Aids" during Crochets

Click on the pic for a closer view. See the Sulfur?

BUT what I realized is that it was all mostly shed hair. I guess while my hair was in time out, it still released the hair that was ready to leave the nest. And the massiveness of this exodus (I later learned) could be successfully be attributed to the growth aid I was using...ahem..I mean growth aids.

That's right. Growth aids. Now, obviously my Grow-Aut oil speeds up the growth rate of my hair. I figured that out a couple of years ago and have been on that trail ever since. And of course if your hair is growing faster, it will shed more due to the faster rate of cycling through the different growth phases of the hair follicle. According to myfasthairgrowth.com's FAQs:

"2.) I'm experiencing increased shedding with your products, is shedding normal? Unless are you allergic to one of the ingredients, the shedding is just the old hair making room for the new growth. There are three phases in the growth cycle, the anagen (growing phase), catagen ( intermediate phase), and the telogen (shedding phase). The anagen phase last the longest (1000 days or more) while the telogen phase only last 100 days. Because our products rapidly increase new hair growth, you will notice more shedding at first because an old telogen hair is pushed out to make room for the new anagen hair, but because the anagen phase is at least 900 days longer than the telogen phase, eventually, you will end up with longer thicker hair. Shedding can also mean that you are not washing your hair enough. A clean scalp is very important in promoting hair growth. If your hair follicles are blocked from a build up of dirt then the hair can not push through resulting in breakage/shedding. Keeping a clean scalp by washing your hair a minimum of once a week can reduce shedding caused by blocked hair follicles."

Oh! I though it was me! So the shedding was a good thing then. That was a huge relief. Not to mention, the amount of hair taking its leave may have been magnified by the fact that my braid spray had SULFUR in it. And according to some hair experts, sulfur helps increase hair growth. So, yah, Gro-Aut Oil and Sulfur. Good one Rauney. And my hair really did GROW faster! So, I'm thinking of a way to incorporate the braid spray into my regimen on a regular basis. Hmmmm *gears turning in my head*

That still doesn't hide the fact that I had knots at my nape from my hair being tied up too long. Then I was told by someone that I can't wear braids/cornrows like most people because my hair grade is too soft. Go figure that people tell you this info AFTER you've put them in? Lol. Needless to say, I won't be putting them back in my head again for more than a couple weeks. 2 WEEKS exactly. I can work with that. Eh?

HHJ on BlackBerry