My Favourite 2010 Summer Hair Style : Banding!

I love to wear this style in the summer. It keeps my hair moist, this style is great for showing length (try it for yourself!), and my ends are kept in place and not entirely exposed to outside elements. It's a nice change from the "everyday bun". LOL

I always make sure I put an extra coating of oil on my ends just for protection. I normally do this style after I co-wash. I used ouchless ponytail holders and my headband is from Ardene Accessory Store.


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♥ Sunshyne

S-Curl No Drip Activator Ingredients have CHANGED?!

I'm a huge fan of S-Curl No Drip Activator as my leave-in conditioner and daily moisturizer ( I still use Wave Noveau Finishing Lotion). It never fails me. I always re-purchase the 32 fl oz. size because I get 16 more ounces for an extra $3-4. Both bottles have always had the same ingredients, therefore its a better bargain for me to get the larger one.

When it comes to Scurl, I always purchase the big bottle then I pour a good amount (never measure) into the older bottle with the spray nozzle just for convenience and ease in distributing the product all over my hair. I re-stock with the big bottle and pour it into the smaller bottle.

However, when purchasing the 32 fl oz. size this time around, I noticed additional ingredients on the list. Check out the pics below for a visual comparison.

The new 32 fl oz. bottle of S-Curl No Drip Activator. *Hint* The new ingredients are after fragrance.

The 16 fl oz. Spray Bottle Version

I've been using the new bottle and so far I've found no difference in the effectiveness of the product. It feels just the same as before. Moisturizing! If I do notice a change in the near future I'll just go back to purchasing the 16 fl oz size. I just wanted to put it out there that if you purchase the big bottle of S-Curl, like myself and you notice a difference in the ingredients as well, don't be alarmed.

♥ Sunshyne

Most Recent Product Haul + Mini Hair Set Back *Update*

It's been a longggg time since I purchased products for my hair. For the past few months I was just living off of the surplus of products I had. I didn't see the need to purchase anything new until my staples ran out i.e. S-curl No Drip Activator. Everything else you see in the photo is new to me (except for Aphogee). I'm just curious to see how my hair reacts to them :)

I've used the Aphogee 2 min reconstructor in the past and I remember it being so-so on my hair. I never wrote a review neither did I write about it in my hair journal so I'm going to try it out again (just for my records). Lately I've been learning about ceramides and how they are good for the hair, lo and behold, they are in the Aphogee 2 min reconstructor ingredients - Nice! Most importantly, I would also like to compare it to Joico K-PAK Deep Penetrating Reconstructor and observe the differences as I mentioned I would here.

This Elasta QP Soy Oyl Ultra Hydration deep conditioner caught my eye. I've NEVER seen this product before so I immediately I picked it up. I'm anxious to try it out. Based on the ingredients it looks like a moisture/ultra light protein conditioner...I guess we'll see.

I recently tried out the Mane n Tail Detangler so expect a review on that shortly and last but not least, Wild Growth Oil. I'm excited to try this oil. I hear nothing but good stuff about it from my Hairlista ladies. Although I've found my staple oils, I'm willing to try this one out for recommendation purposes.

On to the depressing News...

I've become a victim of excessive split ends due to dull hair scissors. It's sad but true. I've had these Eclipse Hair Sheers from Sally Beauty Supply since fall 2008. I've only used them for dusting my ends, nothing else! However, I consistently noticed the re-occurrence of split ends. I'm there thinking to myself "I'm doing everything right so why on earth am I repeatedly seeing split ends? This makes NO sense!"

So I started doing research and I came across several articles stating that dull scissors will only encourage the hair to split further since the dull blades leave the ends open effectively creating a new split where it just removed one. Horrible cycle huh? There I am dusting my ends only to realize that I'm making the problem worse! SMH. I even explained my situation to the people over at Sally Beauty Supply and they mentioned that my particular scissors do not stay sharp for long and should be sharpened at least once a year, if not more, depending on how often you use them.

Now my main mission is to invest in high quality scissors (if you own a pair fill me in on where you got them from and how well they've work for you) or get mine sharpened every 3-6 months. I'll figure something out *sigh*. Learn from this experience folks, assess & evaluate the scissors you are using. I wouldn't want you to become a victim either :(

With that being said, I had my stylist trim the split ends off. I'm starting fresh - again. I believe I'm hovering around Bra Strap Length. It's all good. With the Castor Oil Challenge taking right now until summer, I should bounce back.

Man, when stuff like this happens I quickly remember that this Hair Journey is definitely a marathon not a sprint *wink*.

Happy Hair Growing☺

♥ Sunshyne

Check out my Interview on LHDC.net

Here is a little snippet:

Tell me about your Creme of Nature (CON)/Essence experience?

Wow, what can I say. I'm still in shock. I'm feeling a whole bunch of emotions at once but I can honestly say that I'm grateful and appreciative to have experienced something so monumental. Never did I think I would be in an ad especially in Essence. This is my first appearance in a magazine period. My family is really proud and I'm still on cloud 9 :-)

How did you get selected to endorse them?

Their marketing team reached out to me. They knew I loved CON products (via blogs, videos etc.), shortly after I took some head shot photos and ended up in Essence magazine.

What do you love so much about CON products?

Honestly, they just agree with my hair type and texture. I have very coarse resistant hair and I find that CON products really help to make my hair more manageable, smooth and hydrated whether I'm just relaxed or 10-13 weeks post relaxer. Their products are affordable and widely available.

Click here to Continue reading "Spotlight on ♥Sunshyne of Hairlista/HairliciousInc." »

♥ Sunshyne

February 2010 Hair Update + New Goals

Below are some recent hair photos. I stretched my relaxer out to 13 weeks - it was quite hard at times I must admit. The most my hair (especially since it's so coarse and highly textured) can tolerate is 10-11 weeks post. The longer I stretch, the more hair I lose . I learned my lesson! LOL

Moving on...I lightly trimmed my hair twice since I last relaxed in November 2009. I did this because I noticed some split ends and they had to go because I'm in the Healthy Ends Challenge on Hairlista Inc.

I feel like I haven't gained much length this time around (plus I gave my scalp a break from JBCO for a while..don't worry I will continue using it again starting tonight..I slacked off big time. No more excuses). Overall, I'm pretty happy with the health - which is most important.

FYI, I'm still on my quest to MBL...it's taking some time...but I'm loving the journey nonetheless .

Goals I Met from June 2009 Personal MBL Check Up:

• CONSISTENTLY Apply Jamaican Black Castor oil (not a fan of the regular Castor oil - sorry) to scalp 3x/week part of the Castor Oil Challenge Pt.2
  
• Increase/maintain thickness (hair & ends)
• Keep up with light protein weekly
• Incorporate more oils into regimen
• Co-wash 1x/week part of the Summer 2009 Co-wash Challenge
• Take Multi-Vitamins Daily & Fish Oils

New Goals:

• Apply JBCO to scalp 3 times a week after wash day
• Take Multi-Vitamin and Omega 3-6-9 capsules daily
• Drink 8 glasses of water daily
• Exercise 3 times a week (I got a new membership..YAY Me!)
• Increase shine and soften texture (hard goal but I'm willing to take on the challenge)
• Buy a new steamer (my Hair Therapy Wrap broke..will explain later)
• Simplify regimen and products even more!

Check'em out:


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♥ Sunshyne

Sunshyne's Top 12 FAB Products/Methods Of 2009

12. Co-washing 2x/week, shampoo once a week
- Helped to retain length by keeping the moisture levels high in my hair.

11. Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil with Mink Oil
- One of the best sealants for my ends. Sealed in moisture very well.

10. Dusting My Ends with every relaxer
- My ends remain even and healthier.

9. 3PO = 3 Penetrating Oils (Coconut Oil, Olive Oil & Avocado Oil) in my Deep Conditioners
- These oils soften, strengthen and nourish my hair every time I use them.

8. Braid Outs (Bronzeg Method) on Dry and Wet Hair
- Love this style with a passion. Easy to do and looks natural.

7. Creme Of Nature Nourishing & Strengthening Treatment
- Very moisturizing and detangles like a dream while stretching. Staple.

6. Moisturizing & Deep Conditioning in Sections
- This helps to target all areas of my hair to avoid neglect = damage.

5. Hair Therapy Wrap for Deep Conditioning
- Fun way of Deep Conditioning, I'm no longer strapped to the Hooded Dryer :)

4. Coconut oil on scalp and previously relaxed hair before relaxer for protection
- Light oil helps to strengthen & protect my hair from over processing.

3. Scurl No Drip Activator as a leave-in conditioner
- The Best Leave-in Conditioner Period! Took air drying to a whole different level.

2. Using Protein Once A Week
- This helped to strengthen my hair and keep breakage to a minimum.

1. Jamaican Black Castor Oil on my Scalp!!
- Awesome. Increased my growth and thickened my hair. The best thing I ever put on my scalp.


What are your Top 12 Products/Techniques for 2009?

♥ Sunshyne

How I Went From SL to APL in 7 months - My Old Regimen!

Hair Question:

"What was your regimen that made you get from shoulder length to arm pit length?"

Answer:

I get this question frequently so it's better that I answer it in a blog post. It took me 7 months (October 2007 - May 2008) to get from shoulder length to arm pit length. My regimen was pretty simple, however I used way more products back then.

Here's what I use to do:

I shampooed and deep conditioned with heat & oils every 3-4 days (Mondays and Thursdays). My deep conditioners were always moisture based mixed with oils & honey since my hair was moisture deprived at the time. I did my protein treatments 1x/month. I air dried 99% of the time, moisturized & sealed twice a day, put my hair in a bun daily, and co-washed maybe once a week. Overall, I did more moisture over protein, which helped me retain a lot of length and prevent breakage.

Here are the products I used to use:

Shampoo:

Creme of Nature Detangling Shampoo (green label)
Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo

Moisturizing Deep Conditioners:

Elasta QP DPR-11
AtOne Botanical Reconstructor with Moisture Recovery
Creme of Nature Nourishing Conditioner
Herbal Essences Replenishing Conditioner

Protein Conditioner:

Mane N Tail Original Conditioner
Aussie Moist mixed with 1-2eggs and EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Leave-in Conditioner:

Elasta QP HTWO Leave-in
Elasta QP Oil Recovery
Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave-in Creme

Moisturizer:

Wave Nouveau Moisturizing Finishing Lotion sealed with Safflower Oil or Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil

Co-wash Conditioners:

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner
Herbal Essences Replenishing Conditioner
Herbal Essences None Of Your Frizzness
Suave Tropical Coconut
Pantene Fortifying Conditioner
Aussie Moist

Some Techniques That Helped Me:

1. Baggying overnight
2. Damp Bunning daily
3. Doing the scarf method to lay down my new growth in the front while stretching.

Tip: As you carry on in your journey, your hair needs will begin to change. What worked back then wasn't going to get me to BSL because the extra moisture was thinning out my ends - so changes had to be made. Going from APL to BSL, my hair required more protein, less shampoo and less products. Be open to making changes in your hair regimen so that your hair will continue to progress allowing you to reach your hair goals quicker.

♥ Sunshyne

Dry Braid Out In A Banana Clip Style

Here are a few photo's showing the results of a Braid Out done on Dry Hair using S-Curl No Drip Activator to moisturize and Hot Six Oil to seal. I braided my hair and in the morning I unraveled the braids and put it up into a Banana Clip.



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


♥ Sunshyne

Penetrating Oils + Heat = Instant Thickness & Strength

Instead of adding my usual Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Honey to my Deep Conditioners, I decided to mix:

- 3tsps of Coconut Oil
- 3tsps of Olive Oil
- 3tsps of Avocado Oil
- 4-5 tsps of Abba Pure Color Protect Conditioner * I love this stuff*

I stayed under the dryer for a good 25mins on medium heat. After I rinsed and air dried, my hair was noticeably thicker, stronger and more durable while detangling. While manipulating my hair, I noticed less hairs in the comb (both breakage and shedding).

Honestly, it was a different feeling from what I`m use to. I feel as though these oils collaborated in a synergistic way to enhance and fortify the hair shaft drastically. Forget honey! I`m all for the 3PO (that`s my new name for them..3 Penetrating Oils). Just thought I`d share that experience with you all :-)

Now more than ever, I know how important it is to add oils to your deep conditioners or pre-shampoo treatments. I`m beginning to learn that water and oil is our hair`s best friend! Some conditioners give the illusion of healthy hair by just coating the hair shaft, whereas these oils have been proven to replenish the vital oils that give hair shine, bounce, strength and moisture.

Try this oil mixture and let me know how it goes :-)

♥ Sunshyne

Wet Hair Comparison Pics

Just finished co-washing so I decided to take some photos of my hair wet.

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♥ Sunshyne

I've Officially Made Bra Strap Length!!

I've officially hit another milestone in my hair journey and I can honestly say that I've made Bra Strap Length!

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♥ Sunshyne

My Second Braid Out ..Thanks Bronzeg

This past weekend I rocked my 2nd braid-out!!

Hairlista Diva, Bronzeg, has the best fierce looking braid-outs I know. So, I decided to try her methods & it turned out better than I expected and my hair stayed moist ALL DAY LONG. That made me super happy :-)

I used the exact same products she used in her video (HE LTR leave-in, EVOO), except I used Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship conditioner as a co-wash, and I used perm rods on my ends instead of satin rollers (haven't seen these in Toronto yet).

If you haven't seen her tutorials, check them out...

Braid out Tutorial Pt. 1
Braid out Tutorial Pt. 2

Check out my pics!!


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♥ Sunshyne

Quick Hair Update

I relaxed today(6.18.09). Everything went well. Applied coconut oil the day before and the day of my relaxer. I used ORS Olive Oil Lye Normal Strength (as you all know), did a mid step protein treatment with Hollywood Beauty Carrot Oil Cholesterol (stylist's choice), Neutralized (3x's), trimmed, roller set, blow dried a bit and that's it!

I got a little trim since I haven't had one since November 2008. I don't notice a huge difference in growth this time around. I SLACKED OFF big time applying the Castor oil to my scalp. I'm kicking myself right now. In total, I missed about 2-3 wks of the challenge i.e. vacation, busy with business and just straight up forgetting :(

However, I do see and feel a difference where thickness is concerned. My hair feels like it has more weight (stronger & heavier - Thanks to the Protein Is My BFF) and the health has improved tremendously. I'm happy with my hair right now :)

I barely have photo's of this relaxer b/c I have NO CAMERA. I'm deeply saddened by this. I was lucky to take photo's of my braid out since I was at my girls house. I have more photo's on Hairlista. You can also check out the Right hand column "Recent Hair Photos" for more pics.

Oh - I picked up a bottle of my beloved Jamaican Black Castor Oil so I'm back in businesssss.

(sorry for the horrible photo's, these were taken with my phone and bad lighting)

♥ Sunshyne

My First BraidOut

ETA (June 14th 2009): I was in a huge rush prior to taking these photos so I wasn't able to add the steps I took to achieve this look. It's very simple. Here's what I did:

Shampoo'd with Creme of Nature (red label)
Lightly Conditioned in the shower with Silk Elements Cholesterol (3mins with plastic cap)
Rinsed
T-shirt dried (5mins)
Sectioned off my hair in 6 parts
Moisturized with Wave Nouveau Moisturizing Lotion (small dime size amount)
Detangled with a wide tooth comb from the ends up
Sealed with Curls Whipped Creme (just a dab)
Applied a little amount of Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil to my ends

After braiding each braid, I rolled up the ends as if I were to pin curl my hair, I stopped rolling the ends after 2 rolls then I clipped the ends with small barrettes (didn't feel like using rollers..lol)

I tied my hair with a satin scarf, then went to bed. All I did was unravel the braids in the AM and added my accessories (silver flower clips)

That's It~


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♥ Sunshyne