Another Beauty Supply Discovery

A new beauty supply opened near my home and I couldn't resist. I noticed
right off that this wasn't your typical beauty supply. Mainly because
there was an African-American woman behind the register. Wasn't
expecting that. Here in St. Louis, the majority of beauty supplies are
owned and operated by Asians. Anyway....I took my time and went down
each aisle, taking in this particular store's inventory. There were your
usual staples: texturizers, relaxers, jars of grease, tubs of gel, etc.,
in abundance. This store was pretty dang big. And, oh, the weave! I
might consider this to be a synthetic hair emporium, becuase this joint
had all kinds. I considered a few different sew-in offerings, I might be
rocking this kind of style as the months drag on.......hint :)

So, I'm going down the aisles, looking like this: pick up a container,
read the front label, read the back label, find P/MO
(petroleum/petrolatum/mineral oil/paraffinum liquidum) or another
undesirable additive, put the container down. Initially, it was
frustrating to discover that the majority of products contained P/MO,
especially since it 86'd most of my former favorite products. I quickly
became pleasantly accustomed to the healthy shine my hair took on when I
used products lacking these ingredients. And did I mention my dandruff
vanished? Completely.

Moving on. I get excited when I think I've found a new, promising
product with no P/MO. Imagine my excitement when I saw, in the distance,
a product that screamed "NO PETROLATUM/MINERAL OIL"!

Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies...

What! I grabbed it off the shelf, smiling at the huge sticker on the top
promising me good, natural moisture. This product appeared to have
organic ingredients with nappies in mind. Amazing! Finally, someone
realized that there is a market of consumers that are conscientious of
their product's contents! I proceed to the back label to see what
goodies are held in my hand. Natural oils, yes! Vitamin B, yes!
Paraffinum liquidum, ye-what?

This may be too small, but the truth is in the fine print...

Yep. I was bamboozled. Hoodwinked. Led on a wild goose chase! They got
me, ya'll, and good. There in plain sight is paraffinum liquidum, just
another name for good ole' mineral oil. And to make it worse, "mineral
oil" was in parentheses right next to the pseudonym. So not only was I
tricked, I was lied to. Oh well, back to shelf it goes. I couldn't be
too mad, because its not like I actually used the product. The most
justifiable action is to simply not buy the product. I'm thinking maybe
they should come up with a more honest, straightforward marketing
tactic.

Would anyone like to share their own ingredient no-nos? Leave a comment

Which brings me to my next product observation. This one in particular
caught my eye because it was so dang cheesy.

Real smooth.....yeah, that's it.

"It's A Black Thang" texturizer line. Shaking my head. Afrocentric color
scheme, ultra-"down" brotha models, emphasis on the "a" in "thang".
Here's a slogan for you, free of charge. "When it's time to get those
napps in check, use 'It's A Black Thang' texturizers-because only we
know how to contradict you right!". Ugh. I'm just gonna leave that
alone.

Until next time, have good days.
The Trotter is bright (:Þ)

Strange Marketing Ploys

I wonder why the huge mark-down?

I was browsing a beauty supply one evening when I came across two of the
most unusual products I've ever encountered. Well, I'd found a
color-laxer (wha...?) and a package of hair, but that isn't the strange
part. The weirdness of the products was how they caught my eye.

The first was the color-laxer, a product that apparently straightens and
colors the hair simultaneously. I'd never heard of a product like this
before, has anyone else? Regardless, I definitely didn't feel the urge
to try this one! I can only imagine the wallop of damage this could do
to the hair...

The second product was a package of hair specifically for sewn-in styles
by the name of M.O.M. Hair. No biggie yet, right? Upon further
inspection, the packaging bears an illustration of an African-American
woman doing a girl's hair, pressing it maybe? The particular type of
hair on the package in the photo below is called "Oprah". Oh really? I
suppose when I'm perusing the aisles for a pack of weave that I'm apt to
reminisce on the days that Auntie fired up the pressing comb to give me
that straight and silky look. Yeah right, this package just made me
shake my head. Whatever.

Thanx for reading my blog!

The Trotter is bright (:Þ)

Random Animals and Cheezburgers

Me, in the morning.....


I'm a pretty goofy person, and I need to get my daily laugh fix from my favorite silly-site, I Can Has Cheezburger? . The site is very simple: chuckle-worthy photos of animals, mainly cats, with clever captions to boot. There is even an adapted "lolspeak" that generalizes how cats or animals would sound if they could talk. I check the site every day for new pictures (or "lols"), just for giggles. Good way to waste time online.

Since T-Bird is oh-so-photogenic, you know I had to make a lol just for him. I made a few for some funny dogs that have crossed my path as well.

T-Bird is computer literate, notsomuch in English.....

moar funny pictures

They're.....catching, Jasmine....

moar funny pictures

How about we try a blow dryer, then?

moar funny pictures

Awesome TWA rap video!

When I saw this, I was like, "Get 'em, gurl!"

I had to post it, oooohweee, I got a chill from her confidence and positivity!

This goes out to all my nappies that are feeling down about their 'do or doubting their hairstyle choice.

Enjoy! :)

I Know, I Know.....

Its been a long time, I shouldn't have left you, without a dope product
review...

I've been MIA for an extended minute. Please forgive me. Trust, its was
for good reason, but I couldn't neglect you for too long, and you know
this, maaaan.

Here I am, in the beginning of March, still facing harsh winter
conditions. As they say about St. Louis, if you don't like the weather,
wait 20 minutes and it'll change. It definitely seems that spring is
sneaking in, but I can't escape snow and dry air. My tresses are drier
than ever, and I'm working very hard to keep them moisturized.

My current regimen:
*Co-wash every 2-3 days with John Frieda Curl Around Daily Conditioner.
This conditioner is great! It provides great slip for detangling, and
leaves my curls bouncy and juicy. Smells like Finesse.
*Flat twist with Cantu LICC or Hollywood Olive Cream. See previous
reviews.
*Deep condition using heat cap with Suave or V05 "cheapies" with olive
oil mixed in. You can find the cheapies anywhere, they don't bust your
budget, and they are great bases for adding oils, baking soda, or even
shampoo if you can't give it up.

*Clarify with baking soda mixture as needed. I'd noticed my hair wasn't
responding to products or co-washes as usual. Turns out buildup was my
problem. I loves this mixture because its easy to make (1 TBSP baking
soda to every cup of water), it gets rid of buildup like magic, and
leaves the hair baby soft instead of squeaky and stripped. I did notice
that after leaving it on for more than 5 minutes, it stung a little. I
think the mix irritated the spots where I scratched my scalp.

For styling, I put about 10 (give or take) flat twists in my hair after
a cowash. Once they dry, I take them down, rub my scalp to "erase"
parts, put on a headband, and go! Its so easy, and I do it at night so
it can dry and set while I sleep. This lasts me about 3 days, and keeps
me from detangling every day. I find that detangling is easier after
wearing this style because my hair stays in the twist pattern rather
than shrinking up and tangling with surrounding hairs.

I've had my first victim! This is my play-brother Nookie. He's 18, and
he's been growing his hair for 7 months. He usually would go to a shop
to get his hair twisted, but I convinced him to save his money and come
to me. He, ahem, wasn't aware that he was the first victim, but I felt
I'd practiced enough on my own head. :) I did a baking soda rinse and
then a co-wash. He said his hair never felt that soft before. Since I
had a captive audience, I explained why I didn't use shampoo. I made
small rectangular parts and flat twisted downward using ORS Lock & Twist
Gel. It took about 4.5 hours, not bad for a first. When I was nearly
done, I confessed that I'd never done them before. He said he never
would have let me do them (I know! LOL), but he's glad he did. I hope
he'll let his hair keep growing.

If you live in the St. Louis area and don't mind being a "victim",
contact me.

Thanx for reading my blog!

The Trotter is bright (:Þ)

Happy Thanksgiving!

What am I thankful for? Let me ponder...

I'm grateful for having such a wonderful, caring family, for being
alive, and for all of life's possibilities.

Thanksgiving was an emotional day for me, but a wonderful holiday,
nonetheless. How did your Turkey day go?

Last Sunday was my birthday! I'm 22 now, and the past year flew by, just
as my older counterparts warned me! LOL! I had the ka-yutest b-day
hairdo, but only after having to make a quick improvisation.

I'd been planning to flat iron my hair for a straight look. I figured,
"Why not, its a special occasion,". I hadn't so much as unraveled the
power cord to my flatiron in months, and I was a tiny bit worried about
the damage it may cause.

I plugged the flatiron in, and the smell of burnt hair hit my nostrils.
Disgusting! I parted my hair in the back, and started the process. I
cringed as my hair began to singe. Wisps of smoke and steam floated
upwards, bearing witness to the damage. I inspected the first, and last,
section of straightened hair. Yes, it was long. Yes, it was silky. It
didn't matter; the apprehension of the irreversible damage that I would
do to my hair kept me from going any further.

The first three photos were taken right after I stopped the madness...

I wet my hair all over to do some flat twists up front. The straightened
hair in the back didn't curl as tightly as the rest of my hair. It just
hung there, limp and obviously longer than the rest of the strands
nearby. I couldn't help but feel a little grief. What if those curls
never return? What if this hair breaks off? Deecoily tried to tell me,
but I wouldn't listen. At least I had sense enough to stop while I was
ahead.

I parted my hair from ear to ear, and secured the hair in the back. For
the twists, I used Fantasia ic Gel and secured them with butterfly
clips. I used my 1/3 conditioner. 2/3 water mixture to spray on the rest
to keep it moist.

The results were fire! I was proud of myself, given that this was the
first time I did a style like this. Yay me!

I shall return...thanx for reading my blog
The Trotter is bright (:Þ)

Why NappyNest?

Why the name NappyNest?

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved animals. At the age of five, my grandmother, who raised me, got me a snow-white dove, just like the kind you see at weddings. Ever since then I have always had a bird for a pet. Right now I have a beautiful cockatiel named Thunderbird, T-Bird for short. Well, in my early stages of transitioning, I would let my hair air dry after washing. I noticed that T-Bird would fly or climb up to my shoulder and gently "preen" my hair or play with the droplets of water dangling from my curls. I was afraid he would break or nibble away the ends, so I would shoo him away or give him a toy to busy himself with. As my hair grew longer, my curious T-Bird was more and more attracted to my tresses. This was at a time when those around me were trying to convince me to use that creamy-hell-fire crack. I was feeling defeated since I was running out of styling ideas and was experiencing some social pressure.

T-Bird would take every chance he could get to fly up to my hair and perch, and I couldn't figure out what his fascination was! One day, while cleaning the house, I let T-Bird play out of his cage. As I was moving from room to room, T-Bird would fly into whatever room I was in and ultimately end up on my shoulder. At first, I was irritated and too busy cleaning to play with him, but he was persistent! I decided to see what was so interesting to him. When he perched on my shoulder, I let him stay. I walked up to a mirror to watch him do whatever he was doing. The next moment was life and mind changing for me.

T-Bird would scoot as close as he could to the base of my neck and surround himself with my hair. I could imagine that he felt as if he were deep in the Congo, surrounded by black vines! He then would, gently, grasp strands of my hair with his tiny feet and preen them with his beak. I've since learned that cockatiels preen their owners as they would a bird mate. It is a way of showing affection. He was so delicate and meticulous, and he wasn't nibbling as I had thought previously...he was simply running each strand through his beak. I know this may sound strange to some of you, letting a bird get all up in my hair. But birds are one of the most graceful creatures on this earth, and he was showing me something that I never discovered in my own life. He took his time and "did" my hair by bird standards. He was so careful as to not break one strand.

It was then that I realized that I didn't have that much respect for my hair, to handle it with care. I not once in my life was ever that gentle with my hair. As a child, I learned that my hair was a nuisance, a "job", a problem to be dealt with. It was to be raked through with a comb, attacked with a brush, sizzled by chemicals. I wasn't taught to explore my hair, I was taught to "get it over with". I wasn't taught to love my hair, I was taught to "do something with that nappy shit". I wasn't taught to be proud of who I am, I was taught to hide what made me who I am.

This bird had no choice but to see who I am through eyes that would never judge, never categorize. I knew then that I needed eyes like him. I needed eyes that saw my hair for what it was-MY hair. I needed eyes that wouldn't wince at the sight of "new growth". I needed eyes that would gaze upon nappy hair and twinkle with amazement. I needed eyes that would stare for hours at the curls, zig-zags, and corkscrews sprouting from my scalp. I needed eyes that would tear up at the thought of ever damaging it again as I had done for so many years.

From that day on, I've been seeing with a bird's-eye view.

Thanx for reading my blog!