Hi!

I tried this forum blog thing about a year ago, after my bc, but lost my way a time or two, so I'm going to give it another go.

Like I said I chopped on April 3, 2011 after more than 10 months of transitioning (so around May 21st, I will be post relaxer for two years) and the last year has been a year of discovery. I've tried so many techniques. Things that worked but didn't work for this reason or that reason and products that didn't work for this reason or that reason, but I think I am finally coming into my own and figuring it out.

I am a w'n'g girl. I've progressed from not putting enough product in (CURLS) and putting in too much product in (EcoStyler - not a good look, or sound) and products that looked great but dried my hair out (Mixed Chicks), but I think I've finally got it product wise. Still haven't figured out the perfect 2nd hair day thing, but...it's better than it was!

A couple of months ago, I (re)discovered Mahogany Curls. I didn't pay too much attention to her when her hair was shorter, but she came back out of nowhere with all this beautiful hair, so I started to take notice. I've been leaving in the Tresseme Naturals silicone free product like she does and I think I am in love!

After doing that for a couple of months and doing my final flat iron/length check/trim until October (at the earliest - fingers crossed), I think I am going to give the Curly Girl method (used by Mahogany Curls) a whirl.

I need a place to talk to myself and gauge my progress and feelings, so I am going to try this again!

I did my final wash with a low-poo shampoo, and I'm going in headfirst with this curly girl stuff! I'll post pictures of my progress to this point very soon.

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A couple more pics

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Hi J!! Nice to see you posting again. I was going to ask you if you got married, but then I saw the beautiful pic of you and your hubby. You looked gorgeous on your special day!! Your hairstyle was perfect for the dress and the headpiece.

Welcome to the block. I will be following your journey.

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FOTKI Update: April 2013 and all albums unlocked !!!

thank you!! Hopefully I can stick with it this time!

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So, half way through my first week of curly girl. So far nothing has been that different. I co-washed yesterday morning and will again tomorrow, but this isn't different for me, as I've been co-washing multiple times during the week since going natural.

What has changed: I made the decision to stop trying so hard to get the beautiful second day hair I hear so many people talk about (for now, at least). It seems like (at this point) I spent more time on my second day hair than I do my first day hair and I am NEVER happy with it.

I've tried pineappling (still think it is too short to get much from it). I've tried sleeping with it out...yeah, that doesn't work at all. I've created a homemade Su Maestra cap (I think that's what it's called). That does preserve the curls, so I am still using it, but it doesn't give me a hair style I can work with without spending 30 minutes on it. So for now, I am throwing up the white flag. I'll revisit in about 6 months when I have a bit more length

What I've been doing this week is, sleeping with my homemade cap (on the night of a co-wash day). When I wake up, I have nice curls still due to the cap. I'll just pull my hair into a nice puff and that will be my second day hair. I'll co-wash again the day after that. I'm happy with this for now, mostly because it means I can wake up later three days out of the week and just throw my hair in a puff.

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Today was the first time I tried the new L'Oreal EverCreme Sulfate Free Moisturizing shampoo.

My experience with sulfate free shampoos so far have been a little...eh? I never really felt like my hair was getting clean and I still kind of felt like my hair had been stripped of all of the moisture. Now I don't have much experience - I've only tried Wen and CURLS, but I wasn't really impressed with either.

I have to say I really liked the L'Oreal. It still lathered up a little (kind of how your hair does when you put in a lot of conditioner. My hair felt really clean and after conditioning and rinsing everything out, my hair felt really moisturized still. So I have to say I liked it a lot.

The only thing I wasn't prepared for was the fact that I didn't need to use so much of the Tresemme Naturals conditioner as a leave in because my hair was still so moisturized from the shampoo. I used the same amount as I normally use, so my hair actually feels a bit greasier than normal, but I am not complaining, I still have yet to see how it dries and how it looks in the morning...it's all just an adjustment period, but as of right now, I'm happy.

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I bought the loreal sulfate free moisturizing shampoo as well and I'm impressed. It worked very well. I used my Aubrey Organics rose conditioner since I know that's all natural. My hair seems better.

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The way to the top is Perserverance! 😌

Two weeks in and haven't noticed a huge difference yet, but I also have heard that it can take up to five weeks to notice a difference when changing to curly girl. No complaints though.

I do feel like it's not frizzing up so much, but that could also be me learning to stop touching it so much after I've styled it and it's still wet!

Since the shampoo is more moisturizing, I don't feel like I have to use as much product on a wash day, but my hair still isn't holding up any differently for day two.

Oh well...I am still figuring it out!

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I'm really starting to think that 2nd day hair isn't meant for me.

Mind you, I didn't do anything to my hair other than put it up in a puff, but this is by far the messiest (not in a cute way) put I have ever had and honestly the only thing I did differently was what I put in it yesterday. Maybe the Shea Moisture + Eco Styler wasn't enough hold? I figure that would have been more hold than just the Tressemme Naturals conditioner?

Oh, I also stopped with the makeshift Su Maestra because it kept coming off, just put my hair in two puffs and put another bonnet on. Maybe that's it?

On the CG side, still don't really see any difference in my hair yet...

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I've really got to learn to stop touching my wet hair.

That is all.

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