Shaggy Blunt Cut

Shaggy Blunt Cut
Courtesy of Essence

Another Gorgeous Real Bride!

Courtesy of Kizzy of Kizzy-Online. Married July 10, 2009.
Rotterdam, The Netherlands




Keep those photos coming ladies! We can't get enough.

I appreciate all of you and I'm gonna prove it!

Sometime last year, I created a post on LHCF about the scarcity of Suave Milk and Honey bottles on store shelves. It seemed, at the time, that no matter where I searched, I could not find a bottle of it anywhere. Out of my despair, I asked the ladies at LHCF to find out for sure if my worst fear actually came true. Once it was confirmed, I pretty much was heartbroken. That is until I got a private message from a fellow hair fanatic at LHCF. This member (let's call her Angel123) went out of her way to help me when I was at my lowest. I'll never forget what she told me.

It seems that "Angel" had some type of premonition about Suave M&H's impending demise. Her sixth sense about what could be happening, was the driver behind her purchasing numerous bottles of the product. In her private message to me, "Angel" expressed her condolences for the pain I was feeling. She then told me that she had amassed a small stockpile of the product and would share some of her stash with me. "Angel" did not ask for any money or notoriety, her only request was that I "pay it forward" to someone else.

Weeks later a shipment came. In the package was several unopened bottles of Suave Milk and Honey and a brand new jar of Pantene Relaxed and Natural deep conditioner. I'm still overcome with gratitude when I think of the self-less actions of "Angel."
For this reason, I've decided to use this humble blog as a platform I can use to pay it forward. So here I am to tell you all that I've decided to create my very first Relaxed Hair Health giveaway!

Shortly after I posted my review on Burt's Bees Pre-poo treatment, I went out and bought two more bottles. While I do enjoy the feeling of having three tubes of the treatment staring back at me everytime I open my product closet, I'd much rather share the wealth with those of you who have supported this blog with your readership.

So here are the details of the giveaway:

This giveaway is open to all followers of this blog (sorry but this first giveaway is not open to those who only subcribe to my youtube channel).

If you are not 18 years of age, you must get your parent's permission in order to claim your prize.

I'll use random system to select the lucky winner.

The winner of the Burt's Bees Avocado Pre-Shampoo Treatment will be announced on Saturday, September 19, 2009. Anyone who follows the blog between now and September 18th, will be eligible.

I'll contact the winner directly to obtain mailing information.

I'm willing to ship internationally if applicable.

They say it's better to give than to receive. Well I'm feeling all gitty and excited about the opportunity to give back and "pay it forward." Something tells me that this won't be the last time I give away something fabulous to Relaxed Hair Health followers.

Good Luck Everyone!

Pin Curl / Pinned Up Hairdo

Pin Curl / Pinned Up Hairdo
by Nedjetti

Discounts galore at the Ulta store!

Awwwww yeah! I'm brimming with excitement right now. Why? Because as of today, I'm now able to offer readers of relaxedhairhealth.blogspot.com some amazing discount offers from purchases at Ulta!

For those of you who aren't familair with Ulta Store, they are, in my humble opinion, thee most amazing beauty product supplier around. I've heard of Ulta well before they actually came to my town. I was told that Ulta provided a wide variety of hair products ranging from "over the counter" brands to salon quality. Before Ulta, I was forced to by my salon brands from expensive mall salons. Then came the day when Ulta was brought to me. I remember the first time I experienced Ulta, I felt like I walked into hair product heaven. Best of all, most of the product prices there were well within my budget.
Add to that the fact that Ulta offers some amazing discounts on their already low prices. I'm always taking advantage of their $3.50 off any $10.00 purchase deal. Before I get it elsewhere, I check to see if Ulta's got it. Just the other day I bought two more tubes of Burt's Bees Avocado Pre-Shampoo treatment with my $3.50 off coupon.

Some of my other faves I like to pick up with the $3.50 off include:

-Products from the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Line

-Biolage Silk to Touch Leave-In (I pretty much love their entire line).

-Nioxin Healthy Hair and Scalp Products
-Makeup colors, brushes, etc. (I take full advantage of their buy one get one free sales of L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow offers).
-Nail Colors. (I can get OPI products there cheaper than anywhere else if I use the coupon.)

Ulta also offers a nifty 20% off deal which I utilize for my larger purchases. For instance, I bought my Super Solano (uber powerful) hair dryer there and saved $20 off the total price. Also got my Revlon steam setter from Ulta with coupon in hand. Right now I have my eye on the Clarisonic as a future purchase. I could save up to $40 bucks off that thing if I use the coupon.

Since I was just talking about saving money on products a couple of posts ago, I felt that this would be a great way to follow up for those of you who do plan on buying in the near future. If you haven't heard of, or shopped at Ulta before, I urge you to take a look to see if Ulta has what you're looking for.

Short Pageboy Bob

Courtesy of Janita Diggins

Lesson in Healthy Hair Episode I : Liquid Green

Ladies and gentleman, class is in session. Please have a seat and make yourself comfortable. In today's class, we'll be re-learning about healthy foods and, of course, the benefit to our overall beauty. I found this nifty video on youtube from fellow blogger Beauty Logic. Here "DE" (Dominican Enigma) is interviewing Kimberly, founder of Envision Beauty, about the tips and tricks she uses to keep her skin and hair as healthy as possible.

Before we get started, I wanted to give you a hint. What's smooth, rich, and has lots of green? No, not the man you were dreamin' about last night, I'm talkin' about morning smoothies!

You ladies know that I'm big on eating and drinking healthy so this video is right up my alley. As you might have remembered, I wrote a post a while back on green foods. I've even written a post recently on healthy drinks for the summer. I could go on and on but I figured that you might enjoy hearing it from someone else for a change.







Now, it's completely obvious that Kimberly is fully devoted to her natural eating and raw food lifestyle. I'm not saying that we should all give up our rice and beans for vegan/raw diet. I am suggesting that we can try a little harder to give our bodies some nourishing foods every once in a while. I for one, love the idea of starting the day off with a healthy smoothie. Maybe you don't want to drink a head of lettuce for breakfast but perhaps you can add some more palatable green powders and your fave fruits for taste.

O.k. ladies. Class is dismissed. Thanks for being prompt and attentive for today's lesson. I appreciate you joining me and one last thing before we end for the day........please don't forget your homework.

Taraji Henson's Effortless 'Do

Updo with Swarovski Hairclips

Updo with Swarovski Hairclips

Beautiful hair even when the funds aren't there

If you're like most people, funds might be pretty tight for you nowadays. Even if you're fortunate enough to have maintained the same level of income during this economic downturn, you're most likely still making more cost conscious choices on how you spend your money. Chances are, you are probably not able to jump on every new product bandwagon like the good 'ole days. Long gone are the days when we'd just swipe up a product off the shelves simply because it looks pretty. Nowadays, we absolutely have to make smart hair buying decisions without compromising the fabulous-ness factor of our beloved tresses.

So what's a girl to do?

Here are some simple tips to fabulous hair on a limited budget:

Tip #1: Use what you got!

There are times of plenty and times of lean. Chances are, during the times of plenty, you bought up every brand name product raved about. Now, even though you're not able to purchase as much as you used to, you've probably got enough in your stock pile to last you 'till the next economic upturn. So take a good look at your hair product closet. Probably half of what you now have works pretty decent. Now's the time to use it up. Who knows you might even fall in love again with one of your oldie but goodie conditioners.

Tip #2: Focus on the ingredients

Do you notice that every product you tend to buy has avocado oil or coconut oil? Take a look at the products you already have, if you're seeing a trend in the main ingredient, why not save some money by purchasing the avocado oil straight and adding it to what you already have. Sure, you could spend another $10 on a moisturizer with jojoba oil or you can spend $10 on straight jojoba oil and add to your conditioners, pre-poo and other moisturizers. You'll get the effectiveness of jojoba in everything you already have without having to go out and buy a bunch of other products. Now that's a smart move!

Tip #3: Go back to the basics

Yes, quality products are a major part of an overall healthy hair routine but without solid techniques, you are only half way there. During times of plenty, we look for miracle products which sometimes take our focus away from the foundations of a solid hair routine. How beneficial is your pricey conditioner if you're not taking the time to part the hair and apply to each section? How impactful is your strengthening product if you opt not to sit under the dryer for more intense results? No matter how fabulous the product, if you're loosing length because your detangling skills are lacking then you're waisting your efforts. Good hair practices aren't pricey. Take the time now, to really work on the basics of good hair care. Your hair, and your wallet, will thank you.

I personally have made a decision to curb my overall hair product spending. But to tell you the truth, I started by focusing on my technique and results. When I wanted to increase moisture levels, I would ask myself "what can I do to increase moisture?" I didn't say "what can I buy to increase moisture levels?" As a result of asking (and answering) those types of questions, I began to find alternatives that really worked. Sure, I've bought some products here and there, but I'm making more calculated decisions about what I do chose to buy.

One more thing, when I do buy products, I only get items that specifically address issues that I am working to eradicate. In a recent post, I advised that we target one major concern at a time. This means that any purchase you make should be of a product that has been proven (based on the intensive research you've conducted) to be effective at responding your issue. You have do not have the time, or the money to waste on a "nice to do" product purchase when you have real hair concerns that need addressing.

Take my word for it, this temporary pinch on your finances could actaully turn out to be a good thing. Now, more than ever, is the time to buckle up your bootstraps and get back to the business of haircare 101. Focus on what you can do to improve on the health of your hair. Take calculated steps in the right direction. Make educated decisions on what products are best for you right now, and enjoy the bountiful fruits of your labor. Yes, times are lean right now, but that doesn't mean that you will have to sacrifice on the essentails of life which are food, water, and glorious hair.

Till next time.

Natural Twists With Flower

courtesy of Uncle Funky's Daughter

Medium Length Blunt Bob

Blunt Cut Bob

Braidout Tutorial!

I've posted my latest video tutorial on Youtube. This episode is all about the braid out. I share my technique to working to manage the new growth prior to the actual braiding process. Braidouts are a lifesaver at the end of your stretch. It's one of those styles that works with your new growth, not against it. I know there are a million braidout tutorials out there already but I thought I'd share anyways.

Enjoy.

Bridal Bun Roll

Longer, thicker hair with the help of the Moon?

by Jsome1

You all may have remembered my review of a wonderful product called Zen Detox. The creator of that product, Anthony Morrocco, has practiced holistic hair care for over 40 years. He's worked with celebrities and has dedicated his time to helping people like you and me to achieve beautiful hair.

One of his mantras, which has recently caught my attention, is his belief in using a lunar chart, that documents the phases of the moon, as a guide for hair growth. More specifically, hair cutting and growth.

This idea of cutting the hair according to the phases of the moon is not a new one. I found countless of articles online by numerous people claiming to have utilized this chart in their quest for fabulous hair. Here's a quote I found online on a popular hair board.

"my sis trims her hair with the new moon, it's supposed to help your hair grow faster. Another woman I know that used this method when she was younger said there was a substantial difference between when she did follow it and when she did not."


When I first heard of this method, I immediately dismissed it as hogwash. How in the world could anyone affect the growth of their hair by relying on the moon for advice on styling options? But then I thought about it, the moon has the power to impact the tide of the mighty ocean, could it be possible that it could help a sista out with her hair growth?

That's when I found this article by Marie Ann Lionel on buzzel.com.
Mary goes out of her way to detail the basic laws of physics and how much the moon truly affects our planet. She even states that doctors often will see an increase of patients suffering from an epileptic seizures or bleeding ulcers during the time of the full moon. It all has to do with the moon's gravitational pull. The theory is that when the moon's gravitational pulls are lower, the hair grows slower. A higher gravitational pull means a greater likelihood of faster growth.

Whether you believe in moon cycles and hair cutting or not, I will certainly say that it's interesting to say the least. I haven't tried so I won't knock it. This new way of hair cutting, has certainly peaked my interest and I'm willing to give it a shot!

So I located a copy of a lunar schedule to see when the next possible opportunity is. The schedule on Anthony Morrocco's site was the most complete one I've been able to locate. He spells it out in black and white what the optimal days for haircutting are this year. You best believe that I'll be calendaring these dates so I get a timely reminder.

For those of you who are afraid that I've officially fallen off the wagon truck and suffered a nasty bump on my head, let me salvage my reputation by saying this.....

We all need to trim (or dust) our hair periodically for optimal health. I, for one, can say with certainty that I've experienced the most growth (and retained the most length)after I've given myself a well deserved trim. If there's even the slightest chance that I can get even more benefit from trimming if I schedule it for certain times of the year....them I'm in!

Those of who who've been contemplating a trim, check out this calendar first, try this method and see happens. Hopefully, your results will be so fab, you'll howl with excitement.

Curly Natural Straw Set

Jurnee Smollett's UpDo