The Golden Sparkle

TheGoldenSparkle is Moving

2011-11-28T13:36:00.001-05:00

As you can tell from the title TheGoldenSparkle is moving to another site. Cristigold.com

There isn't a follow button on the new site but there are a couple of ways for you to stay updated:

-enter your email
-subscribe to the CristiGold rss feed

Make sure you're following because in a week I'm going to be having a WEBSITE LAUNCH GIVEAWAY!!!!

Good Hair Days Make the World Go Round

2011-11-13T08:36:00.001-05:00

The other I posted this twitpic of my AMAZING GREAT HAIR DAY...at least I think so!!! I was and still am very happy how my wash n go turned out last week. I truly had a good hair week, which are always great to have with natural hair.I love when my wash n gos look like this because it looks more natural and less jerry curlish.lol.

SN: This semester I have been doing a field experience with a 1st grade class and they have really only seen me with straight hair. Well when I came back with my hair like in the pic they totally did not recognize me at first. Some of them really had to remember who I was. Kids are too funny some times =)

Remington Hot Roller Set on Natural Hair

2011-11-09T19:37:00.000-05:00

During the time I wore my hair straightened I had this dying desire to have big bouncy curls.Soooo I went to my favorite store, Target, and picked up the Remington Style Ionic Protective Hair Setter. I've been wanting to try hot rollers for the longest but was caught up in the "it's not for black people hair" thinking. BUT surprisingly these rollers actually worked. I am so happy I purchased these bad boys!

The only thing I didn't like was that it only came with 4 small rollers...which are the best because you get tighter curls (which of course fall throughout the day).

Oh and I also used some Aussie Hairspray (accidental purchase years ago) which I love as well. My curls stayed for a good 3 days without even re-curling them.

And the Winner Is.....

2011-11-07T04:30:00.002-05:00

Thank you for entering into the Jilbere Straightening and Cutting Tool Giveaway. With the help of random.org I have chosen a winner. And the winner.....

Nzubechukwu Anih whose favorite tool to use is a hair steamer.

Congrats!!!

Length Check and Watch the Transformation Video

2011-11-07T04:03:00.001-05:00

I posted two new videos yestruday on Youtube. Check out if you have haven't watched them yet?

I know it's a little late for this video but ya'll know my computer has been messed up.

Bye Bye Straight Hair. Welcome Back Curls!

2011-11-04T20:29:00.000-04:00

Well after 3 weeks of wearing my hair straight I decided to wash my hair. I really needed a good wash because I noticed I had these GIGANTIC dandruff flakes all over my head. Plus I was getting really anxious...I thought I had heat damage because of the amount of heat I used. Luckily, there was no heat damage and the curls are back and poppin! Here are some pics of the process of my hair reverting back.

Applied conditioner to dry hair

Applied more conditioner and a some water

(I started getting scared because most of my hair was still straight)

Rinsed hair.

EX TERMLY HAPPY HERE =)

Little random fact:

Whenever I'm trying to get my hair to revert back I always have to follow the same routine because I think I'm going to jinx it if I don't....lol

My Hair Growth Oil

2011-10-31T22:03:00.001-04:00

This was supposed to be a video but I'm having a couple technical issues right now so I'll just explain it on here.
Well some of you may have heard me mention a couple of times on my channel,about the bald spot I used to have in the front of my hair....I wish I would have taken pics but at the time I had no clue that it would go away after using my hair oil. The bald spot was caused by tying my scraf too tight at night while I was transitioning. When I did my big chop it became really noticeable (to me at least) because my hair was so short. Sooo I decided to use the ingredients that I purchased to make my shea butter mixture and try to get the hair to grow back.

The Break Down:

The 2 Main Ingredients were rosemary essential oil and Castor Oil
Shea Butter, Coconut oil, Jojoba oil- I thought it would be good for moisture?? idk
Lemon and Orange essential oils- for fragrance....I STRONGLY dislike the smell of rosemary oil

I didn't really measure anything but the shea butter, coconut oil, and jojoba oil were about the same amount.

The Application

Every night before bed, I did scalp massages with the oil all over my head and then on that darn bald spot. When I was bored during the day I would massage my scalp for a couple of minutes.

And that's pretty what I did. I think I first started to see results after 2-3 months. Please guys keep in mind that this is what worked for me and there are soooo many variables to consider when trying to regrow hair. If you don't like an oil I used then change it out for something else that you do like.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

2011-10-31T19:29:00.000-04:00

Since there were so many of you who seemed interested in the Jilbere Vented Straightening/Cutting Comb I decided to do a giveaway. If you haven't already checked out my review for the comb click here to read that.

Contest details:

The contest will run from now until Sunday 6, 2011.

To enter: Just follow this blog and leave a comment telling your favorite tool to use on your hair.
***Make sure you leave your name and email, so you can know if you won.***

Anyone can enter no matter what your hair type is =)

Jilbere Straightening and Cutting Tool Review

2011-10-31T19:14:00.001-04:00

I think the number one question asked from my straightening video was "What is that tool you are using to straighten your hair?" Well ladies and gents, it is the Jilbere Straightening and Cutting Tool. I purchased it over the summer and have you used twice. I love the fact that this tool has multiple purposes. You can use it for:

-straightenin those kinks

-blow dryin those kinks

-trimmin/cuttin those kinks

Now to be honest this tool doesn't exactly make your hair straighter. What it does is it detangles and smooths the hair so that when the heat hits it your hair can be all silky and smooth! So if don't really want to pay the $6.99 for it you can always just use your rat tail comb....but I like this tool better. Plus it's easier to do the comb chase method because the hair can't slip out of the teeth like when using the rat tail comb.

As far as using it for blow drying...umm yeah I probably wouldn't even try that. I haven't had a chance to use it for trimming/cutting but I'm sure it's AMAZING at getting nice clean cuts.

Price: $6.99

Availbility: Sally Beauty Supply

Overall: LOVES IT!!!

What I Do to Straighten my Hair

2011-10-20T06:38:00.000-04:00

I'm soooo glad I decided to film a little of the process it takes for me to straighten my hair. I didn't think you all would be interested and it turns out many of you were! Many of you probably know my struggles with getting my hair to straighten and stay straighten, this time I was able to get it EVEN straigher...fingers crossed that this rain won't mess it up. I feel like I've learned so much about straightening natural hair since the first time I straightened, last year.

Products Used:

Shampoo: Tresemme Silky and Smooth

Conditioner: Tresemme Moisture something :)

Deep Condition/Treatment: Aphogee 2 Minute Re-constructor

Heat Protectant: GVP Silk Remedy

Tool: Conair Blow Dryer and Jilbere Vented Straightening/Cutting Comb (I love this thing. Review coming soon)

What I didn't show:

I started out as usual with shampooing,conditioning, and doing a little treatment. Something I did differently this time was that I detangled the mess out of my hair...which I found to REALLY REALLY REALLY help speed up the blow drying time.

-Enjoy,

Crisitn

Essence Hot Hair

2011-10-18T23:08:00.006-04:00

Have ya'll this special edition of Essence magazine. I really like it!!!! I think there are some really creative-funky hairstyles and great inspirations in it.

One of things that stood out the most to me was the cover. Kelly Rowland looks amazing and I love her makeup. Sooooo I filmed a makeup tutorial inspired by her makeup on the cover. Enjoy =)

New Video UP

2011-10-18T22:16:00.003-04:00

Watch the Transformation: No Time to Get Ready

End Result

2011-10-12T20:35:00.000-04:00

Ok sorry yall I forgot to upload the video with the end result on my computer and of course my camera is at home #mybad. Sooo here's a picture of what it normally looks like once it's day. I'll upload a video with end result soon.

BLOG SALE!!!!!

2011-10-10T11:30:00.001-04:00

See something you like then send me an email to cristigold@gmail.com with:

-Your name

-Paypal email address

-Item/s interested in purchasing
-Mailing Address

***Please send payment within 3 days after receiving invoice.***

ALL SALES FINAL.
ALL MAKEUP PRODUCTS ARE GENTLY USED.
Paypal users only.
US orders only.

Shipping: $3.00 for earrings $4.00 for everything else
Minimum purchase: $5.00

NEW STUFF 10/28

Animal Print Beaded Earrings- $3

Purple Feather Earrings- $3

BRAND NEW!!! NEVER WORN!!!

Gunmetal Ball Earrings $5.50

Brown Beaded Necklace-$6

MAC Sea and Sky Mineralized Eyeshadow-$11

MAC Loverush Blush- $12

NEVER BEEN USED!!!

MAC Gold Stroke Pigment- $13

NYX Copper Blush- $3

MAC Shell Pearl Beauty Powder- $16

Click image to get a better look

Vintage Earrings- $2.50

Sold: B1, B2, B3, B5, B9, B4, B7, B8, B10

Sold:Green 1, Green 2, Green 3, Green4

Sold: Green 6

Sold: PK2, PK4, PK5

Sold: P6, P2, P3

Sold:R4, R6

Sold:Black 3, BL1

Sold:Gold2, Gold 4, Gold 5

Sold^

Sold ^

Peruvian Earrings-$3.00

Peacock, Silver, and Blue Dangle- $2.50

Shrinkage SMH.

2011-10-06T01:40:00.003-04:00

It's always hard for me to ever believe I have this length when I see my hair wet because my hair shrinks up so much.

This is my hair after co-washing on top of an old wash n go.

Fun, Flirty, Fancy Hairstyle Video

2011-09-26T15:17:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, check out this video that I just uploaded. Enjoy =)

Best Friends for LIFE!

2011-09-13T23:25:00.000-04:00

Meet my new best friend in this "hair journey", the satin pillow case. That's right I'm back to using this ol' thing. So let me tell you all the story. I've had this thing since I was transitioning and stopped using it because my face broke out like crazy from all the oils I was putting in my hair, so I stopped using it and switched to the satin bonnet. Well, lately I have been trying to get back in the routine of doing twistouts but my hair takes forever to dry with a satin bonnet on which makes it difficult in trying to achieve a decent twistout. So the other day it hit me...don't sleep with the satin bonnet. duh! Soooo that's what I did and I put my satin pillow case on my pillow and in the morning my hair was dry.#bam I was soooo surprised the next morning I couldn't believe it. It's crazy that I haven't ever thought of this before but I'm happy I know now.

No More Puffs :(

2011-09-09T10:56:00.004-04:00

So I guess the longer my hair gets the further I am from being able to do puffs anymore. It's kinda like the length is weighing my hair down which is what's preventing me from having decent puff. I used to be able to get puffs just from twistouts, old wash n gos, and or whenever I picked my hair. I guess the only way to get a puff now is to pick my hair out :(

BIGAFRO Say What?!?

2011-08-08T20:37:00.000-04:00

As I prepared my hair for my sew in I decided I would have some fun and see just how BIG my hair really is. Well as you can tell it's prettttty BIG. 2 years and some months natural and that's all I have to say about that...lol

Life After a Breakup

2011-07-21T22:59:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, I recently ended a love-hate relationship with my Tangle Teezer. It was probably one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make in my life...tear. It was so tempting at first that I had to hide it from myself so that I wouldn't use it to detangle. So for the past couple of weeks I have been using my "handleless" comb and my Goody Jojoba Infused Brush. Out of the two, I TOTALLY prefer the Goody Jojoba Infused Brush because it's kinda like the Tangle Teezer in the sense that it can define my curls while I'm detangling. I don't really like the "handleless" comb because it basically picks my hair out...which is why my hair was looking a hot mess when I got back from Vegas. But now I can proudly say that my hair is BAACCCKK !! Lately, I've been trying to get back into doing twistouts...sidenote: I really loved the way my hair looked with twistouts when it was shorter. Hopefully, I can stick with these twistouts and stop doing so many wash n gos and ponytails.

Click Here to see the " Twistout on Wash n Go Hair" video

Hairstyles in Vegas

2011-07-05T09:01:00.001-04:00

I'm finally back home after having a wonderful time in Vegas (video coming soon). Since it was my first time in Vegas I wasn't sure how my hair would react to the dry weather so I made sure to pack the essentials. Fortunately, many of the horror stories that people told me about what happened to their hair while they visited Vegas did not happen to me. While in Vegas I wore two hairstyles, a high bun and a wash and go (defined curls) and I have to say my hair wasn't dry or brittle at all. I even tried something that you probably shouldn't do, which was I defined my curls before I got into the pool. Yes, you read that right I put a whole BUNCH of gel in my hair just minutes before I got into the pool. Since it was the Palms hotel pool I didn't do any crazy swimming so only half of my hair got wet. Then the second "hair no-no" I did was I didn't shampoo my hair afterwards (and still haven't) Can you say LAZY! But I did co-wash pretty much every time I wore a ponytail.

Overall, I had a great time and should be posting a video of my adventures in Vegas soon!

Oh and check out my Twit pics to see the two celebrities that I saw =)

My Essentials for Vacationing with Natural Hair

2011-06-28T00:31:00.000-04:00

It's almost that time...I'm going to VEGAS tomorrow and decided I would share with you all what my essential products and tools are for vacationing with natural hair.

1.) Conditioner = Must HAVE!!!
I recommend bringing one of your most moisturizing conditioners so that if you do decide to get in the pool or ocean you bring that moisture back with the conditioner after shampooing.

2.) Shampoo = Another must HAVE!!!
Just like the conditioner...bring you're best shampoo. I don't like bringing clarifying shampoos with me, I just want something that will cleanse my scalp and that's not too harsh.

3.) Something to detangle with- For me this WILL NOT BE THE TANGLE TEEZER
If you're gonna shampoo you all ready know not to forget that detangling tool. This tool will be especially important for those of us who can't get in the water without DUNKIN our heads underwater...lol

4.) Moisturizer and a LOT of it
While I'm on vacation I NEVER worry about over moisturizing my hair because it something that my hair is constantly craving in the summer

5.) Ponytail Holders/Headbands
Just bring them! lol If you're getting into the water these little life savers can help prevent you from looking a mess.com

6.) Styling Products: Gels or Creams
I just brought a small jar of Eco Styler (travel friendly) in case I want to slick my hair back or define my curls.

7.) Your HURR!
If all else fails bring ur hurr (hair). It's quick and easy styling.lol

Here are the products I'm bringing.

Sumthin' New

2011-06-08T00:16:00.000-04:00

I just posted this pic on Twitter and had to share it with you all too.

After wearing my hair straight for a whopping 5 days (shame) I'm back to curly with a little something extra.

Freetress.

Celtic Girl.

Color 2.

Video coming soon.

GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-05-17T14:01:00.002-04:00

Sorry for abandoning you all. I guess I haven't really had anything to write about lately. At least I have been posting on my channel.

Shopblvdonline is sponsoring a giveaway for my channel and all you have to do is:

-Subscribe to my channel
-Write "Enter Me" in the comment box on the video
-Follow Shop_bLVD on Twitter (be sure to send them a message with my username (allthatsgold) in the subject box

And that's it!!!

The Contest is running from NOW until May 30th, so Good Luck =)

The Regimens...

2011-04-10T00:50:00.000-04:00

I transitioned for nine months...

I Big CHOPPED on Dec. 13,2008

From 08-Feb. 09
My regimen from this time was pretty much not structured and because of that my hair stayed dry and I wasn't using the right products (even though I thought I was). I was in love with using products like Sunsilk Captivating Curls and Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship because of the way they smelled.

---I co-washed everyday...morning and right before bed.
---I was kinda against shampooing so I shampooed maybe once or twice a month....but I was constantly co-washing so that kinda cleaned my hair
---Whenever I did shampoo I made sure to deep condition and detangle
---I had a bald spot in the front of my head from transitioning so I made a mixture of rosemary oil, shea butter, castor oil, and jojoba oil and every night I massaged that oil mixture onto my scalp and mainly that bald spot. Within a couple of months I saw growth and now THERE'S NO BALD SPOT!!!

====Main products used====

Sunsilk conditioner and leave in, my shea butter mixture, my hair growth mixture, and that's all I remember

From the end of Feb 09- May 09
By this point I started to see growth and with more growth came more tangles. I noticed that I needed to start detangling more and I needed to do something so that I didn't have to walk in the freeze'n cold in the morning with wet hair.So I started twistin.

---I co-washed no more than twice a week.
---Shampooed once or every other week.
---Deep conditioned everytime I shampooed
---I TWISTED MY HAIR UP EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT AND WORE A TWISTOUT UNTIL FRIDAY....Sat. and Sun. were my off days.
---I started back taking my vitamins and biotin supplements.
====Main products used====
Cantu Shea butter used for twistouts, and my shea butter mixture

From May 09-Aug 09
During this time I was on summer vacation and didn't feel like twisting my hair up every Sunday night so I pretty much wore a puff or a wash and go.

---Co-washed a lot
---Shampooed, DC, and detangled once a week or every other week
---Every now and then I wore a twist out.

====Main products used====

Cantu Shea Butter, shea butter mixture, Aussie Moist conditioner, Clean Eco styler Gel, and Giovanni Direct Leave in

From Aug 09-Dec 09

By the time I went back to school my hair grew a lot and I could finally say I had some type of regimen. Because of the amount of growth I had I was able to start doing way more styles. And in Oct I was finally able to get a PONYTAIL...YAY click here to watch the video.

---Co-washing became more of a style so I didn't do it a lot only for certain styles

---Shampooed, DC, and detangled once a week

---Every other night I would either castor oil or my Wild Growth oil from Sally's and massaged my scalp

---By Nov. I started wearing medium sized twist as a protective style

====Main products used====

Eco styler Gel, Organic Root Stimulator Lock and Twist gel, castor oil, Wild Growth oil, Giovanni Direct Leave in, and Bed Head Moisture Maniac

From Jan.10

I finally started to find my staple products and finished putting the final stages on my current regimen. There's nothing really major to talk about.

My current regimen:

---Again I don't co-wash a lot only if my hair is dry, I am about to switch styles, or I just feel like it.

---Shampoo and detangle once a week

---I don't deep condition any more only if it is a protein deep conditioner

---I have trimmed my hair multiple times since I've been natural.... so I guess I trim maybe every 4-6 months

====Current products being used====

Sheamoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Moisture Retention Shampoo, Eco Styler Argan and Olive oil gel, Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding, Pantene Curly Conditioner, and Tresemme Conditioners