Natural & Lovin It!

Dying to Try It

2011-11-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

I hope you are enjoying the arrival of November! Happy Fall. With the fall comes cooler weather. I'm always on the look out to create or try new products for moisture. My locs have been softening up. I do wonder if it's just me getting used to them or are they actually softening up. The new thing on my mind is dying my locs. I've seen some really interesting loced hair colors. I'm in a toss up between blonde and a red. I'm leaning more towards blonde. When I originally had my hair loced my loctician (April 12, 2011) put a few locs of a lighter brownish red color. It added something extra but I think I'm ready to go bolder. I've dyed my hair blonde before. Well not my whole head just streaks and the back bottom part. I liked the streaks. So I think I'm going to go for it. Not sure how many streaks I'll do though. I went to the store last night to see what hair colors were available for a good price. I can't remember what brand I used last time. The last time I had my hair dyed was in 2005. Dying the locs will be a new adventure to learn about. I've been doing research and I've read the big warning only have your loctician do this, and then I hear it's easy from the DIY'ers. I'm a DYI'er :). After deciding not to get any hair dye last night, this morning I decided to do a little Photoshop work to a photo to see what it might look like. You tell me, Go for it or No.

Stay as is or blonde streak?

Chignons & such

2011-10-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I think it's time for a hair update :). I've recently had the baby. She is doing well, she's 4 weeks today! I think I'm getting back to my normal self. I definatly feel better. I'm 1/2 pound aways from my pre-pregnancy weight. Im not at the weight I wish to be but I'm happy to be back to square one in this situation.

So what's going on with the hair scene? I've been back and forth with my hair. I've had people ask me advice which is very flattering but I fell on the care for my own for a little while. I had some serious hair hatred during pregnancy too. I didn't want to make any hair decisons until after pregnancy. It might have just been the hormones ;).

I'm still on the quest to find out how to soften my locs. I've been using the Triple Moisture conditoner from Netrogena. I'll mix it with water and gycerine and use it as a daily spray. I tried and Apple Cider Vinegar rinse and it did remove build up. I was quite happy with it. My locs are frizzy but I'm getting used to it. I think I'm actually embracing them as they are...

A few days ago I tried a hairstyle that I saw in Whole Living Magazine. I took a picture of the page. It was really easy and quick to do.

Here is my result. I really like this style. I'll add my own twist on it and add curlies in the front or something.

I also did a braid out style that didn't last long, and a few other styles.

Ok that's about it. :) Need to go cuddle the kids now. Have a wonderful day/night.

Lock Loops

2011-08-02T10:28:00.001-07:00

Hello all a great friend, Alyssa posted on the LoCs ‘N’ Dreads facebook group that she had purchased some Lock Loops. I looked up the site, www.lockloops.com and views a few youtube videos on them. I had seen the site and thought eh not now they look a little goofy. So I dismissed them until now. My order was placed for 1 pack of 30 on July 20, 2011. I did receive a notice that they were on back order. That to me was a bummer but a good thing. It meant I had to wait but obviously they seem to be in demand. I got my lock loops on the 29th. I was excited to see them arrive.
I found a YouTube video by BigandLittleM on how to make your own leave in conditioner and setting lotion. I am still trying to soften my locs and decided to try her homemade recipe. It did seem to soften my hair. It’s a simple recipe so click and view her video! I surprised to read on the Lock Loops bag that it’s better to have damp hair and not completely wet hair. I just knew the hair needed to be saturated. I was glad that the hair didn’t have to be wet. I actually used the leave in conditioner recipe she gives in the video instead of the setting lotion. I haven’t made the setting lotion yet. Any how I sprayed my hair and put the lock loops in. I like these! I like these better than the flexi rods! They are soft foam and easy to sleep on. Here goes the photos.

Here you can see a few of them being taken down. I used all 30 of the Lock Loops. There were any were from 2 locs to 4 locks on one Lock Loop.
Here they are all taken down. I had tighter curls with the Lock Loops than the flexi rods.
Here is a photo of the curls later on that night. Some of have dropped.
So I’m officially a Lock Loop fan! I may order another package so I can put fewer locs on them. Thanks Alyssa for letting me know how you liked the Lock Loops!

Pregnant and blah

2011-07-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody,
Well... I've not really done much with my hair. I've basically been wearing it up in a bun or a side bun. I'm still trying to find a way to soften them. My hair is softer than the loc extension. I guess I'm hesitant to try much because I don't want to mess with the locking process. The loc extension feels scratchy. I've worn them up and off my neck and back. *sigh* any advice on this would be well appreciated :).

Besides my own locking issues, I've got some fantastic news to share! Pure Natural Blends was featured in an online video show review! I am so excited about the review, 2 new hair cremes and the new site layout and look! The video show can be seen here, just login as a guest. http://221588.myvideobroadcaster.com/playback/r/hwpM3NUB1Be3yphF

Visit PureNaturalBlends.com to see the changes and the two new products. We also added a blog to keep our wonderful customers up to date, Visit the blog here http://purenaturalblends.blogspot.com/

So here is a little picture for an update on the side ponytail hairstyle. My pregnant chubby face is coming along too lol!

Pinnin', Stalkin' and Locin'

2011-05-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I hope all is well and safe with you. What's going on in your natural hair world? Any new accessories? Any new websites or products? Let me totally and shamelessly plug Pure Natural Blends.com here :). Leave me a comment and let me know how you all are and what you've found. I was recently connected to two ladies I want to mention. Have a look at Adorned by Lavinia on facebook and her accessory site adornedbylavinia.com her accessories are so cute. I can't wait to get mine! Also have a look at riavision1.com! This site has some great information on natural hair care.

Well I haven't done much with my locs other than wear it up in a bun most of the time. I've been on Pinterest.com pinning photos of locs I like. Check out the photos and follow my board there http://pinterest.com/tawanna/lovely-locs/ this board has caused me to do more of my loc stalking! I get inspiration from seeing others styles since I'm quite new to it. I admire mature locs and those who have had them for years.

I think it is time for me to have my hair retwisted! It's all fuzzy now. I joined a facebook group called ♥LoCs 'N' Dreads♥ I've been browsing about and I've got a few ideas on how to DIY. I've always been a DIYer with my hair. I'm sort of upset with myself for not doing my own locs but it was nice to have someone do them. I'm still tussling with the desire to have them thinner. Any how, I've decided to attempt to retwist two locs in the front with 100% Pure Aloe Gel. We shall see how it all works!

I did take some photos. Have a look and stay safe in this crazy spring weather!

Curly Do's

2011-05-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,
I hope your hair adventures are going well. I was searching online on how to curl my locs. My locs are barely a month old so I'm trying not to mess things up too much. I looked on Youtube and I saw a few videos on how to use pipe cleaners to curl them but the pipe cleaners looked to produce tight spiral curls. I didn't

want tight spiral curls I wanted loose ones. Here is what I decided to do. I used some flexi rods I got at the store for 2.99. 5 of these soft flexible rods came in a pack of 3/4 diameter rollers. I ended up using about 10 on my whole head. I counted I have 120 locs on my head. I dampened my locs, put a little oil mixture on my hands to rub on to the locs and then I wrapped them around the flexi rods. This was the first time I had slept with rollers in my hair in years! These weren't hard to sleep on though. I used these on my daughter's hair the next day and she said she had no problem sleeping on these soft rollers. This is what I looked like with all the rollers in my hair. Try not to laugh ;) I did find that having my hair damp was good enough. I didn't want to saturate my locs because I wanted them to dry by the morning. So as you can see, I put a group of locs on one roller to avoid tight curls. They did dry by the morning. I was excited to see if it actually worked. Here is what I got when I let them down. I got loose spiral curls! yay! I separated the locs to style and ended up with the loose curls I like. A few of them did not curl much but overall I had nice curls.

I tried an up do too.

This is a day later. It sort of lasted... eh maybe I should have put the rollers back in.

I do like the loose curls and next time I might try to use more flexible rollers to insure that all of my locs get a curl.

Until then,

Still got em'

2011-04-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

I've still got my locs! I'm going to confess, I'm sort of ok with them. The size and the texture are bothering me. The texture of them is sort of scratchy/hard. This is not my natural texture. How do I know? Well as these are loc extensions, I can feel some of my natural hair in there and it's really soft. I like that and it gives me hope for when I start to cut them as my natural hair grows. My stylist said not to do anything to them. I am hard headed but not too crazy. I went searching for ways to soften the locs extensions. I read to dip them in hot water. I did. It changed it a bit. They weren't so stiff afterwards but they aren't soft. Oh and yes she did use human kinky hair. Hmmm. Maybe I'll try my Huetiful Hair Steamer tomorrow on them. I saw a review that stated the hair steamer was good to soften locs too. I'm on a quest to soften these locs! Tonight I decided to see what they look like in pony tails. Eh I could do it.

I'm locked up for a while.

2011-04-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

Well I had my appointment with Robin at Indigo 341 yesterday. We got started at 10am and she finished around 7pm. I brought her 3 pictures one to show the size, the color, and the ends that I wanted. I ended up with something like those photos. I didn't go with the color because I wasn't daring enough. lol I backed out of it. Instead she showed me an auburn color that she could use and did a few locks in that color. I'm not sure the size is like the photo. They seem a little thick but after thinking about maintaining them, eh it's ok. I like the look of the smaller locs but I'm not sure about how many I actually want to deal with on my head. She didn't leave the ends loose so I sort of loosened them when I got home. Over all, I'm happy with what she did. Robin was very nice and I like her personality. She made me feel comfortable and never insulted me. I find that the few times I've gone to a salon, all have insulted my hair in some way. Robin never did this. I was quite pleased. I'll be calling her to maintain my locs too. Oh and let me mention her prices are great! There are other salons in the area that I've read reviews about. The other salons do great work but their prices are high. I didn't get that at Indigo 341. She's fair and honest. So if you are looking for a natural hair stylist in the St. Louis area visit Indigo 341!

Now for photo comparisons. These are the 3 photos I brought to show how I wanted my hair.

This photo for size

This one for color

This photo for the ends.

I like the squiggly ends better than the blunt locked ends

Here is what it turned out like....

I'm getting used to them. They are quite hard right now but they are supposed to soften up. I don't know how long it takes them to soften up but I hope it's soon lol. Well I'm all locked up for a while. Sorry about the quality of my cell phone photos. :) I'll get some better pictures some time in the near future.

sigh...to be continued

2011-04-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, Hello all.
It's about 72 degrees outside and I'm getting that must get out and about feeling again. We are in while the kids are working on their school work. I'm going to find myself sitting out on the balcony again. I'm loving this weather.

Well if you read the last post I wrote about having a loc consultation. I had it. It went well. I've got my appointment for Tuesday. I'm still a bit nervous to see how I'd like the locs on me. I think I will. She quoted me a good price so we are set.

I tried the Huetiful Hair Steamer twice. The first time I used the Beautiful Curls Shampoo and Conditioner before I got under the hood. The assembly of the hair steamer is simple. I like the auto shut off and the simplicity of the hair steamer. After it does the auto shut off , it leaves a bit of water at the bottom of the container. I don't like the awkward way of emptying the remaining water out of the container. That's about the only complaint I have about the actual appliance. As far as the results... I really wish I could agree with the tons of youtube video reviews. I wasn't impressed the first time. My hair seemed a bit harder than had been before. I didn't experience the softer feel. Disappointment set in and I was determined to try it again. I did the next day. By the way let me say while I am pregnant I don't like the smell of the Beautiful Curls product. It didn't bother me before but I'm sure it's just pregnancy and not the product. So the second time I tried the hair steamer with just baby shampoo and Pantene conditioner. LOL I know I know! It's not to choice products for kinky/curly hair. My hair did a bit better. I wasn't wow'd by it. I'm going to give it a try on my girls hair before I conclude anything. I really want to like this product. The idea behind it makes sense so maybe I do need to get some better products. So I guess this situation is to be continued!

Out with the Old? In with the new??

2011-04-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
It's been a while! I've got a few updates. If you have read my Lovin Life blog then you probably already know that we are expecting our 5th baby in September. Along with the baby news I've decided to finally get locs some time this coming week but we will see where things take us. I've been a silent loc stalker (lol) since 2004. I was going to get sisterlocs but decided to wait. I've been doing a wash and go for weeks now. Today I made an oil mixture that included Lavender, Sweet Basil, Rosemary, and Lemon essential oils. It smells good! I asked my daughter who is officially a teen I might add, to smell my hair. I wanted to know her thoughts and she and her twin sister won't hesitate lol and I do appreciate it. She said "Oooohh it smells good!" I thought, yay! I know the oils are good but I want to add scent with essential oils. I think it is a success! It doesn't bother my pregnant sense of smell either. Speaking of, I opted to use baby shampoo today because I now can't stand the smell of the other shampoo or conditioners I have. It wasn't so bad. After my wash and go my daughter asked me, "Mom is that the way your hair is naturally?" I answered, "Yep this is all me." I think she was surprised. I admit I am too. I like my little ringlets at the bottom.
This is a photo of the ends
I've got these neat little curlies I like. The roots are a bit of a tangled mess but the ends are neat lol!

Here is the photo of the length.

So I've got my first, well 2nd loc consultation coming up. I had the first one for sisterlocs back in 2004. I'm excited. See I have this fear of salons! I've never had a good experience with any salon and that made me a DIY hair styler. So far so good but I couldn't do the locs. I tried. I know my mistake but I'd like to get them professionally done. We will see if I want to fork out the money to do so or attempt again to DIY it. I am hoping this time will be different especially since I'm going to a natural hair care salon. They've got to be different right?? I'm going to Indigo -341 to see about her locing services. I've also been referred to Napps in U-City but I have been forewarned about their great service but high prices so I'm going to try the other first. I have an idea of how I want mine done. I've combined three photos. One for color, one for the ends, and one for size. I pray she can do them the way I am wanting them because I am ready for change. I'm quite tired of the wash and go. I guess we can call it the hair blahs and it coincides with the winter blahs. Blah blahhh do I hear spring is here? Yes and I'm looking forward to warmer weather! As the seasons change so do the air and the effects it has on our hair.

Oh one more thing... this is on my wish list! The Huetiful Hair Steamer! I've read loads of great reviews. I'm ready for one. It's good for locs too.

So what does spring bring for you? What's going on in your hair world?

New Products

2011-01-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

New Products coming to Pure Natural Blends!
These are a new line of blend oils. They can be used for Hot Oil Treatments, Body Oils or Daily Use.
Currently you can design your own hair blends at Pure Natural Blends! Try it!

Just a Wash and Go Confession

2010-12-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ok so I confess...
I'm horrible about washing my hair. Have been wearing a pressed hair style for a while. This morning I really felt it was time to get right and wash it. My poor hair needed some care. I like my ringlets but I think I'm going to go back to twists. I'm kind of bored of my hair. My roots aren't like my ends. They aren't unified curls lol. So I have this thick bush and then curls. Anyone else have that? I washed my hair with a shampoo bar that I saw online. Moisturizing Shampoo Bar and I have yet to put extra moisturizing in it. Not because the shampoo is good alone, just because I didn't. I'm trying to figure out what I want to spray on it. I'm thinking of using an Aloe Juice spray that a great lady on the Natural and Lovin it group said she uses. I want a spray and not a cream or you know I'd put the products I make on it. :)
I do have a A Tomoka's Twists in my hair too. I love her products they are so easy to use and stylish!

Here is a pic. I took it with my iphone and used my favorite photo app :)

Curly Comparisons.

2010-10-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided to do a wash and go. This is what it turns out my natural curls are like. It's actually the first time I have seen my hair natural and loose. I'm quite surprised it did this. So here is a side by side of curly and straight. I look older with curly hair lol! At this point I'm not sure how to wear it loose. Last time I had it in two strand twists and it was easy to style. I'm not sure how to style it loose. I'm sporting the side bun at the moment and I quite like it. I've been reading on how to keep my curls neat and I've been trying them. I hope to continue to learn more about my natural curls.

I'm not sure how long I'll be curly. I like my curlies and I do love the way the natural curl pattern is. I also like the versatility of my African American hair. Curly, Wavy, or Straight I can do it!

More photos

2010-08-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

The other day we were on our way out to church and I told asked the kids to take some photos with me to send to my mom. Here they are. We are all natural hair loving. I've flat ironed my hair and one of my daughter's hair. My son and daughter have natural textures for the moment. I'm sure to go back to wearing the twist in about a week or so.

Mom and Daughter - August 2010

Here's my daughter! She's brilliant!!
I love her eyes in this photo and her little curlies.

Daughter and Mom - August 2010
Here's my daughter! She's wonderful!
I like the way she does her hair like this.
This isn't the Diana Ross do she's been sporting.

Son and Mom - August 2010
Here's my son! He's awesome!
I'm quite fond of his take on the Mohawk.
He's been rocking this since about 2008.

My daughters and Me - August 2010 (Yes they are twins!)

Daughter and Me - August 2010
Here's my Snugabug! She's our little sunshine always making
the family laugh with her "babyness." Her curlies are coming well!

My Husband and Me - August 2010

Here is my love. He's such a great husband.

Looking into his blue eyes can just make all the troubles go away.

Temporarily New

2010-08-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,
I've decided to do something different for a bit for a little bit. I've straightened my hair using my flat iron. I needed to do something because I had been wearing the two strand twists for months. I needed to let my hair naturally shed. I don't know how long I'll wear my hair in this style but I like it so far. I do know it is very temporary. Straightening it too much can damage it and of course, I want to avoid that. A little variety is great for me. I'm using my own hair products (www.purenaturalblends.com) and found that using coconut oil is good to help fight off our humid weather. We are in the very humid Saint Louis area so dealing with humidity is a daily thing right now. At the moment my hair will stay straight for the most part, but the longer I'm out in humidity the curls slowly appear. I've been amused at how it curls at different times. I like my curls so I don't mind it not staying straight. It has been interesting to see just how it curls and in what direction.

I may go back to the two strand twists soon. How soon? I don't know. That's the good thing about being natural -variety! Oh! I've found some grey/white hairs! I've counted 4 so far and you know what? I'm kind of excited about it. I know people moan and groan about grey/white hairs but I'm not. I like the salt and pepper look so I'm not pulling them out.

My girls are wearing different styles at the moment. One just had me put her hair in two strand twists and the other is wearing what I call the big Diana Ross do. She pulls it off very well. It's her style. I think she will keep it for a while. My son is still rocking the Mohawk!

Curiosity of Comparison

2010-05-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

I hope you all are having a good day. Thanks for stopping by my blog here. I took a picture of my hair to send to my sister yesterday. I finally got an ok one to send. I looked back at my old hair photos just out of the curiosity of comparison. So here it goes... a short comparison.

Hairy Adventures:

My first post to this blog was October 1, 2008. I had decided to go natural and said this, "I started my journey of going natural in August 08. So far I have about 6 inches of relaxed hair and maybe a 1/2 inch of natural hair. I plan to grow it out past the 1.5 inches required to get sisterlocks. Maybe I'll try 2.5 :) I'm excited!" The next day October 2, 2008 I posted this photo of me trying transitional hairstyles.

I decided to put individual braids in my hair during my pregnancy. I've worn individual braids at different times for years. I do them myself to save money and I guess because I like to be in control of how tight, how big or small they are. When I put the braids in I did a secret big chop. I cut all the permed ends off with plans of growing it out to a length I felt confident with. I don't think I can rock that TWA like many women can. Any how I wore individual braids during the pregnancy. Our 4th precious one was born in July 2009. Yes she will be 1 soon! I decided to take my braids out after she was born. Here is the photo as of November 2, 2009. It was 14 weeks after our baby was born. I was so excited to be able to used one of http://tomokastwists.com hair accessories!

During 2010 I started Pure Natural Blends.com :) I've been experimenting with my own hair products and enjoying it. Here I am as of May 25, 2010. I'm still doing the two strand twists. The hair do is about 7 months old but I keep retwisting them one at a time.

New Hair Discoveries: I've discovered that I don't really have to refresh with a whole new hairstyle. I can just update/modify the one I've been wearing. Yesterday I was thinking of wearing my hair straight but decided to hold off. This is straight enough for now. I do want to buy some more tomoka's twists and a flower accessory. I like this style from Curly Nikki's blog it's super cute!

Adventures at Home: Well we shall be taking a trip to go see my family in TX soon. I don't know what reactions I'll get about my natural hair but we'll see! The last time I was home I had individual braids. I'm going to buy the Thank God I'm Natural Book for my sister. It is a very good read! I got my copy from the library and I intend on buying one. Very good info!

Last Friendly Notes: I hope you enjoyed the look at my progression so far. I think I'm liking my hair more and more. It's funny to look back at the transitions with hair and other things with yourself in photos. LOL @ the eyebrows and expressions in the photos. I've surly enjoyed looking at the online resources for natural hair. Please remember there is no such thing as bad hair. We can't continually do bad things to our hair and expect good results. Treat it well. I hope you have a great day!

Many blessings &

Natural and Lovin it!

2010-05-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
Well I haven't posted much in a while. So let me give a little update!

Hairy Adventures:
We are all still doing well with our natural tresses. I've started a Yahoo group for those with Natural hair and those interested in going natural. Natural & Loving It is a group of warm people willing to talk freely about all things Natural hair. I created this group because I desired to talk with people about their Natural Hair care. So far we've talked about kids hair, products, our stories, funny situations, disappointments, ideas, inspirations, websites and more. The group isn't limited to one topic or one type of natural hair. We chat and there are people in the group with locs, loose natural hair, transitioning and people exploring the idea of going all natural. The group is for people who enjoy good humor, good knowledge, good stores and good conversation and will respect one another. The group is spam free. You are welcomed to join and enjoy good conversation. Can you tell I like our Natural & Loving It group?

New Hair Discoveries:
For dry hair try Joyful or Loving Hair Creme.
For dandruff or split ends try Harmony!
Shop Pure Natural Blends.com!

Follow Pure Natural Blends on Facebook and Twitter! Pure Natural Blends will offer coupon codes and product updates on Facebook and Twitter . Thank you for all the support and encouragement with the products! We have the best customers!!

I found a great product that I like. It's called Say Yes To Carrots. I like the Pampering Hair Mud Conditioner I like that this company puts all their ingredient lists online. The Pampering Hair Mud Conditioner smells good.
I like the ingredients: Water (Aqua), Dead Sea Water (Maris Aqua), Silt (Maris Limus), Magnesium Chloride, Chamomila Recutita (Chamomile) Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Calendula Officinalis Oil, Daucus Carota (Carrot) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota (Carrot) Juice, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Juice, Ipomoera Batatas (Sweet Potato) Extract, Cucumis Melo (Melon) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Honey (Mel) Extract, Fragrance (Parfum), Dimethicone, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat Germ) Oil, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Cetrimonium Chloride, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Peel Extract.

Adventures at Home:
Well lets see, so far things are going well on the home front. I've got a few ideas on the table for different
projects. So far the little one is ruling the schedule. She's almost 10 months now. Her hair is growing so cute with curls. She's almost go enough to put into some sort of pigtail style. I won't for now. It's cute as is. The only thing I've done was use the elastic type head bands. Here she is! She's crawling and standing. The other day she was cruising the furniture too. I'll have an update on my other blog Here.

Last Friendly Notes: I hope you enjoy the new design of the blog. I just searched for a new template because I needed a change. Oh and if the yahoo group interests you, please join we'd love to have you. It's spam free!

Moisturizing Words of Affirmation

2010-03-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

I have a link to share with you and some exciting news!!

I've started my own business! It's called
Pure Natural Blends!

Shop here!

Pure Natural Blends is all Natural! Our products contain 5 simple natural ingredients.

No Petroleum
No Alcohol
No Mineral Oils
No Beeswax
No Artificial Colors
No Perfumes
Pure Natural Blends contains no Parabens and is Cruelty Free!

The first ingredient isn't water! Pure Natural Blends products are quality products that can be used daily on hair and skin. Our product ingredients are all natural and beneficial! Pure Natural Blends products uses Coconut Oil, Mango Butter, Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil and other natural ingredients to create blends suitable hair and skin. There are several blends available. Please browse and see what blends interest you! Pure Natural Blends hair cremes are for natural or relaxed hair. Being all natural, Pure Natural Blends cremes can be used by people of all ages, yes even babies**!

Join our Fan Page on Facebook!

**Please to be aware of any allergies to the ingredients listed in each blend.

Shop here!

New things.

2010-02-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

Well I have some ideas going around in my head of a few projects. One is about hair products. I made my own "hair stuff" and I like it. I've given it to some friends to try out and got a few good reviews. I'm excited yet scared of this new thing. I love the product but I'm afraid of the legal stuff. I've heard that cosmetics aren't regulated by the FDA but I just want to make sure. My wonderful husband is the one that is great in this area. He's so good with research and looking into things. It overwhelms me to read the fine print. I'm such and idealist. I'll have several ideas come through my head and never do anything about them. Are you an idealist? I sort of get annoyed with myself when I do this because I need to get a notebook and just jot down all of the ideas that come.

Any how what do you do when fear comes into your mind? How do you conquer those moments when you are afraid to step out because of all the "what ifs"?

Small update

2010-02-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

Well things are still going well. Just wanted to share some more pictures. It's a bit late so I think I will post more of my thoughts tomorrow. Lots of ideas and confusion swirling around in my head. I've got to sort them all out.

This is me. A little bit of my snuggie's head is in the picture. She turned her head and got cut off the photo :(.

These are my girls! Twins lol. In this picture they look a lot alike. I guess they would since they are identical but most of the time they look very different. Here's a picture of Ang. No relaxer just a flat iron and some homemade hair product. If you recall she had me take her locs down after a year of having them. So she's actually got relaxed ends but more natural than relaxed hair. Any how, she was singing in this picture.

Oh! Here are a couple of links I can to share with you! The girls singing. They are 11 and still learning.

Ash singing Amazing Grace and Ang singing The Climb I've got some others of them singing there too.

Ok off to bed. More natural talk tomorrow.

Wild and Straight

2010-01-24T07:56:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

Well my natural journey has been going well. Here is a recent picture. This is me and my 6 month old daughter. She's looking more and more like her father. I've been sort of letting it go. I do like this new style. I'm still getting used to it though. Every now and then I'll get the urge to straighten it.

Speaking of straightening hair, one of my daughters decided she didn't want locs any more. So we worked for weeks on taking them down. I agreed it wasn't a style she felt comfortable with. She is still natural with permed ends. We flat ironed it since she wanted it straight. It looks good. It had grown out well with the locs. I told her we've got to make sure we are doing the right thing so it won't ruin her hair. Here is a picture of her after a rough play lol!

This hair journey thing is very interesting. Through it I'm finding out more and more about myself and my girls. We are finding out what we like and don't like. None is wrong, it's just our own preference. I'm glad we are getting to know us and not what someone else influenced us to be. We are all experimenting with our hair as God made it. I like that.

Well we must be off to church now. I pray you all have a great day.
Live Well.

The Wiz with a Twist

2009-11-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

Well here we are 14 weeks after the baby was born!

As you may have read I put in individual braids to ease the pregnancy hair styling. I didn't feel like getting up each morning with a messed up head of hair. When I put the braids in I cut the permed ends off. That was my secret big chop.

This past Wednesday I decided I would freshen up my braids. When I took them down to rebraid it I thought, "Hmm maybe I should take them out and two strand twist it." I asked my daughters what they thought. They said, "Mommy it's cute! You should wear it like that!" Sometimes I question their advice lol! This time I took their advice and started to take the braids down and twist it. I wasn't sure about it. How would this look? Is my hair long enough to look good like this? Can I really keep up with it like this? Would my husband like it? Oh the questions flooded my mind as I took each braid extension out and twisted my natural hair.

I actually didn't finish my hair until the next morning. It took a while between parenting and meeting my husband at our new house later on that night. I was supposed to meet him at 6:30 pm but I wasn't finished with my hair. I did get it to a point where the untwisted hair wouldn't be noticeable with a hair accessory from http://tomokastwists.com/ .

I looked at my hair and the way it flopped I thought, "I look like the scare crow on The Wiz!" I slipped on the hair accessory and went about getting ready to go. The kids told me my hair looked great and it lifted my spirits a little. I was still unsure if I had the confidence to wear this style. I decided I would have the confidence, besides I didn't have time to worry about all that, I needed to get the baby dressed, diaper bag ready, older kids ready to go etc, etc. No time for nonsense mom was on a roll!

So we get in the car and the thoughts flood in again. Is this hair style ok for me? Do I really look like MJ in the movie The Wiz?? What will my husband say? Will I get rude comments? LOL what happened to my decision of confidence? I know it's just the enemy trying to make me uncomfortable with who I am naturally. So in the name of Jesus... !!!

I was still unsure of how my husband was going to like it. He told me he liked it natural. So I was stepping out and letting my guard down. When I saw him he said, "I like your hair!" I smiled in relief but was quickly distracted with the kids. We went on about our night and when we got home my husband took my face in his hands and kissed me and told me he loved my hair!! I was like whoa! It was the first time that he has ran his fingers in my hair since I don’t know when! He didn't like the braids lol. Hey I needed a break being pregnant and all lol!

Any how I hope I can keep this up. I do still feel a little self conscience but I'm getting over it.

Here I am now:

Creative Yet?

2009-08-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Well baby is here! We are all so very happy about her arrival. To read more about that visit http://tscullen.blogspot.com/

Since baby is here that means I can get creative with my natural hair right? No not really. I'm still not up for doing my own hair. I need to redo some of my braids. I've been doing them a little at a time. Life with the baby is busy busy busy! We love it though. So it sort of takes away from the hair scene. The girls are still wearing their braid locs. I asked the girls what did they liked best about having locs and they said as I guessed that they don't have to use the comb and it's easier to handle. It's wash and go for them. My son still has his Mohawk. It's growing longer. The top doesn't really stand as much as it was. He still gets lots of compliments.

When am I going to take these braids out? I don't know. I do know that after I do, I'll be comfortable with the length and possibly where twists or take the jump to getting locs. That's the plan for now! Until then I will concentrate and be creative with the kids hair and just let mine grow with the transition braids.

short update

2009-05-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a short update of what's be going on with our natural hair journey. I'm still in braids. I did cut them today with hopes of having a layered sort of look. I think I did ok. Since I'm about 30 weeks almost 31 weeks pregnant, I don't think I'll be taking any snap shots yet. I'm not feeling up to being photographed. I'm in my blah pregnancy mode now. 3rd trimester is here and I'm hoping it will go fast! The baby is moving quite a lot. Her movements have slowed down but she still stretches, rolls and kicks. It sort of wears me down. If you want to read more about the pregnancy visit my other blog just for my thoughts at http://tscullen.blogspot.com/
My girls are still happy with their braid locs. I've had to retighten them since I last blogged. My son is still wearing his Mohawk too. Here are some updated photos of them.

Here is my son's Mohawk. He's not doing school work, he's actually messing with the girl's math books trying to see if he can do their work lol.

His hair is getting longer. He started his Mohawk in August 2008.

Here's one of the girls with their braid out hair do. She got the ends wet so it's not exactly how it was when we first took it down,

Mohawks n' Braid locs

2009-04-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a long while since I've updated this blog. I'm still on my journey. I decided to take a little hair combing break and put the braids back in. I'm 27 weeks and 4 days pregnant at the moment. I kind of got tired of getting up looking crazy and having to fix my hair. So braids it is. While I put them in I did the big chop. I cut inches of my hair. So it's all natural in there! Yay! I did this about 2 years ago and loved my natural hair when I took the braids out. I'm one that doesn't think she can sport the tiny fro. I'm not comfortable with it. Some ladies look great with it. I don't think I would. It does make life easier for me. I tried to contact the consultant in my area months ago but she hasn't returned my phone call. Oh well. I might just find a way to do mine at home! Any how this is me now. Pregnant with the braids. I was 24 weeks here.

My girls now have braid locs! I'm proud of myself for doing the DIY. It's saving me lots of money. They are doing quite well. I started to re tighten them for the 2nd time. My son is getting locs too. His started out with twists. He's been sporting this Mohawk since last August. He gets tons of compliments on it. It is rather cool. I do need some great moisturizing products for our hair. I prefer something all natural. I've been trying to keep up with the lock it up yahoo group. There are so many good suggestions and questions coming through. Anyhow if you have a home recipe or a product that you like please leave me a comment telling me about it. Here are my girls, and my son. One daughter has her hair curled and the other straight. The girls also just got braces earlier this month!

When the Smiles Came Out.

2008-11-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I washed my girls hair and braided it in cornrows while it was wet. I let it air dry and they went to bed with their hair like this. They they liked their hair in the cornrows. I think it was simple for them. They also knew their hair wouldn't be tangled up with Bed head in the morning. Both the girls don't like to have their hair fixed. So I'm trying to find easy hair styles that does not involved heat. Here is what the Cornrows looked liked. I also did this to my hair the day before. I have my roots twisted but they don't.
This afternoon I took their hair down after their school day was finished. It's thick and wavy. I don't have the Tomoka's Twists yet so I took two hairpins and pushed the sides up and back. I'm excited to try the Tomoka's twist hair accessories. They are so cute! So here is what they look like now with their big wavy hair. They are so happy about their hair now. All the smiles came out when they looked in the mirror. It feels good to like your hair!

Guiding Encouragment.

2008-11-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

So I got up today and decided to braid and band my hair. The first two times I did inside braids. This time I did outside braids and it came out wavier than last time. I’m not sure if I like it yet. I think I’d like it to be some where in-between. This is a good hairstyle for my transitioning. It’s giving me some practice on the braiding and banding. So far so good. My hair is growing well. I found the hair growth guide in the Going Natural book interesting. Last week I took a strand of my hair and laid it on the guide. I placed a clear cover over it to take a picture of it. It s been about 4 months since I made the decision to go natural.

According to that guide I have about 2.5 inches of natural hair growth. Now my question has been asked but not answered, is this how you measure natural African American hair? I’ve seen some stretch it out and wondered if this was right. The hair in the photo is not stretched, just flattened for photo sake. I've also noticed the different textures on my head. I don’t think I will be contacting a consultant just yet. I want a bit more growth before going to the consultant again.
I have found this time around I don't have that urge to perm at all. My husband has been a great encouragement to me in this whole process. He's told me he likes my hair and is happy to see me with my hair like this. He says he loves the texture and how soft it is. It is weird because I have to get used to him having his fingers in my hair now. I'm not used to it but love it when he reaches over and feels my hair. It is such a blessing to hear his compliments on this journey. I am enjoying this journey. So far so good with the transitioning!

Reading up

2008-11-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, so today I had sort of a bad hair day. It wasn't bad I just was blah about my hair. I couldn't decide on how I wanted to wear it today. I started out with two braids in the back then decided to just wear it pulled back on the sides. Yesterday I had it all curled and felt good about it. The mist from the shower made my curls fall. So I had blah hair today. I'm still wearing the twists.
I bought some natural hair books. I got

Curl Talk: Everything You Need to Know to Love and Care for Your Curly, Kinky, Wavy, or Frizzy Hair

Hair Rules!: The Ultimate Hair-Care Guide for Women with Kinky, Curly, or Wavy Hair

Going-Natural: How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair [Illustrated]

Organic Body Care Recipes

Locs for Life: The Root to Well Being for African-American Women

I just finished Locs for Life. I read this whole book on a plane from Los Angeles to St. Louis. It was a short good read. I did learn a bit about locs. The author talks of her experience with her natural hair. I think most women with kinky hair can identify with her struggles of dealing with hair and fitting into society's views.

I haven't started reading the other books just yet. I did thumb through the book Going-Natural. It has an hair growth measurement guide that interested me. You can see the measurement guide it if you click on the link and view the book online.

I'm excited about the Organics Body Care Recipes books since reading The Green Beauty Guide. I've become interested more in the green sort of living. One of the things I think about is just how much damage has relaxing my hair done to my hair and scalp over the years. The chemicals that are in the relaxers are scary. That just makes reading about natural choices and alternatives more appealing.

Aside from the books, I did see a website that was interesting. http://naturalsuccess.ning.com/ it is a wonderful site!

Happy Again

2008-10-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight I did some more SL blog surfing looking at photos of others that have blogged their Sisterlock journeys. This has become a favorite past time now! Am I obsessed? I don't now but I like looking at the various styles others have done. I ran across a site that has become my new found inspiration. Her locks are so beautiful I had to mention it. Take a look at Taylor Made Locks gallery!

Well, I've just been wearing the twist and curling the ends. I did discover this weekend while re-twisting that I'm halfway to the 2 inches I want to get the sisterlocks. I know they say 1 1/2 inches but I want to grow 2 just to make sure. Now my question to any of you that had relaxed ends when you got your sister locks installed is, did your sisterlock consultant lock your relaxed hair? I can say I notice my thicker natural hair more verse the thinner relaxed hair. This is not the first time I have gone natural though. The first time I transitioned with braids. I've seen my natural hair texture and I like it. It's sort of spongy and curly. I had braids all during the transition stage. When I felt comfortable enough with the length I began cutting the permed ends off. Eventually it was all natural. I liked it but didn't know how to maintain it so I relaxed it again. That was in 2007. I have to say every since I got it relaxed I have regretted that decision. My dh says that my natural hair is softer than the permed hair. I think my cousin described the relaxed hair as Hay head. When it was relaxed sometimes it would feel like hay then it would soften up. I'm tried of "needing a perm" so now I'm on the road to being all natural again. I'm happy. I think the been there done that was a good experience to make my decision to get sisterlocks a solid one. The ladies on Lockitup have been a great inspiration for me too.

Today I just sprayed my roots with an oil and water mix I made with the Carol's Daughter Lisa Hair Elixir. I wanted to be able to get some moisture in it with a spray bottle. I didn't want to go on a hunt for all new products. So far so good! I'm liking this transition. I guess I'm doing better than my last post!

Hair today, gone tomorrow...

2008-10-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

Well I sit here looking funny. I've washed my hair and put it in braids. I did the banding thing like what the SL consultants advise you to do. I didn't want to redo these twists. This is my second time doing this. The first time it came out great. I loved the waves it gave. This time not so good. I'm kind of blah about it waves now. I'm supposed to go to a place today with friends so I do want it to look better. Why doesn't hair come out the same time each time!? Oh well. I need to go fix it up better. I'm not as thrilled today about my hair as I was a couple of days ago. I hope tomorrow will be different. I'm going to go and try to fix it so I won't feel uncomfortable tonight. I'm feeling a little crabby about hair at the moment.

Transitioning Do's

2008-10-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Since no relaxers have touched my hair, I've had to come up with some sort of style that I felt comfortable with. At first I thought about putting the micro braids back in for a time. That always gives my hair a rest from daily styling, but my husband prefers my natural hair. I did want something different to break my usual cycle of hair styles. It's kind of odd to find something to do with only a half inch of natural hair. It's just the beginning. I've been searching the web for transitioning hair styles. The TWA isn't something I'm bold enough to do. Instead of doing the big chop I'm doing two strand twists. Here are a few photos I took of my hair with the two strand twist. They are loosely done. Of course the hair being relaxed at the ends will not hold a twist long. I have to keep twisting them. So far this style has been fun to experiment with. I have about a half inch of natural hair and about 5.5 inches of relaxed hair. I can't seem to stop playing with the roots of my hair. I'm liking the texture more and more. I remember not liking the texture, and saying I needed a perm long before I had a half inch of new growth! Oh boy and I happy I'm on the road to getting my locks. I'm so excited about it!

Welcome

2008-10-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

So I have officially started to blog my journey. Journey to having natural hair. Yes I've finally decided to have sisterlocks installed in my hair. I've wanted locks since 2004 or so. I even went for a SL consultation years ago. I wasn't quite sure then. I loved the look of them but I wasn't ready yet.

Since then I've gone through my usual cycle of hairstyles. I wore braids for months. I'd get tired of those, take them down and relax my natural roots. I'd get an itch for a change and cut my hair. After wearing it cut for a while, I'd get tired of the daily styling with heat and put braids back in.

My interest in natural hair started in 2004 close to 2005. I did decide to put the micro braids in to grow it out. The micro braids were always an easy hair style for me. I must say I liked the wash and go simplicity of them. It saved "getting ready" time in the mornings. I took them down in 2006 and had wonderfully natural hair. My downfall was not knowing how to deal with my natural hair. So I went to a salon to have it permed. Why I had to go to a salon when I had been relaxing for years myself I had no idea! I went, she permed, she blow dried, and cut my hair off. I was horrified. She claimed my ends were damaged. They were not, in fact it was they way she blow dried my hair. What was I thinking?! Soon after, I put the Micro braids back in. I took my Micro braids out back in May of 2008 and permed my own hair again.

Well, I'm ready to get off that cyclic lifestyle. I'm finally ready for my sisterlocks. I've step foot on that path and I'm quite excited about it. The last time I inquired about the locks I was unsure. I am now. I've been sisterlock blog surfing and enjoying the Lockitup Yahoogroup and the Locked Hair Blog Exchange. These two sources have kept me encouraged and well educated about locks. I've seen lots of different locks and styles. They are all very beautiful.

I started my journey of going natural in August 08. So far I have about 6 inches of relaxed hair and maybe a 1/2 inch of natural hair. I plan to grow it out past the 1.5 inches required to get sisterlocks. Maybe I'll try 2.5 :) I'm excited!