SPECIAL: Blog Awards for October 2011!!!

Blog Award???

Yes! Random Bites of a Sweet Life gave me my first blog award :) Her blog is very adorable. I love reading her pregnancy updates and her fashion inspirations! Not to mention the fact that she is natural and Apostolic. How could you not love her? :)

I was given this award because:

"She has youtube videos attached to her blog and she gives a lot of hair tips and style ideas.  Plus she's Apostolic and so am I."

A big thank you to Janeen!


Now its my turn to give out a few awards:

Natural Hair Award 
NaturallySheenaDesha

I love her blog because it is one of the few natural apostolic hair blogs out there! She offers lots of hair tutorials as well as pictures. Her blog is fairly new but she posts regularly! One of my favorite things about this blog is that she does a lot of original and creative styles. Like a bow bun on natural hair. That is unique to me :)

Modest Fashion Award

More Modern Modesty

I just love MoMoMod! If you aren't already a follower, why?! lol. She presents modesty in her own way. I enjoy all of the bold colors she uses. She isn't afraid of prints. And she isn't afraid to be bold and trendy. She takes all of that that complies it into a blog. You will find lovely modest fashion ideas here. She is Apostolic and she is absolutely stunning :) What a classy lady!

Practical Living Award

McMoments and Memories

This sister is amazing! (Yes I do know her personally). I love her blog because it gives good practical, and spiritual living insight and wisdom. Her daily posts provide great inspiration for loving life and finding the beauty in every situation. She is a beautiful minsters wife, with a passion for ministry, music and life! Visit her blog for a good dose of wisdom everyday.

"Laugh until your stomach hurts" Award

Classic Mary Moments 

This blog is HILARIOUS! I told Mary at one time that her blog was better than any TV show or movie- we don't need entertainment- we just need Classic Mary Moments! This blog is sure to brighten your day and make you laugh- OUT LOUD! Need a good picker upper or just an inspirational story? This is the blog for you. Mary is a fun loving, beautiful, exciting and fun young woman. I know her personally to be sweet as pie. I am happy for such a blessed gift to the world!

Have a blog that you would like to vote for the next blog award disbursement??


<3 Kendra

"Fully Natural. Fully Apostolic"

Blog of Note: B.e.long

Hello there ladies! Meet Alicia from B.e.long. 

I came across her blog about a week ago. She is one of my followers. From time to time, I go through and check out the blogs of my followers. Well in this case, I found a great blog! Alicia does very cute, urban and funky hairstyles. You will find lots of ideas on her blog!

1. How long have you been natural?

I've been natural my whole life! I've never relaxed my hair.

2. What inspired you to start a blog?

Well I was searching for a forum that provided different natural hair style ideas. I love wearing my hair in braids and updos, however, most blogs I came across only gave the typical braid outs, twist outs, puffs, etc. So I decided to start my own!

3. Why have you made the decision not to cut/trim your hair?

Well I've never made the conscious decision not to cut/trim my hair. I just don't do it...because its a hassle.

4. Why is natural hair beautiful to you?

 It's beautiful because that's how God made me. I love the versatility it offers! I can wear my hair big, I can braid it, curl it, straighten it; its just all around awesome!

5. What can we expect to see on your blog?

 
You can expect to see hairstyles that I've done on my hair or friends' hair. I also include devotional thoughts that I have from time to time.

 

I hope that you get a chance to stop by and follow this lovely blog! 

Click here to visit B.e.long :)

<3 Kendra

"Fully Natural. Fully Apostolic."

Think and Discuss: Hair Washing Methods

If you look at natural hair care on websites, forums, youtube channels, etc, you will find that there are MANY different ways to wash your hair! You can find an in numerous amount of techniques and methods. We all have our preferred methods.



How do I wash mine?

Let me start by saying I don’t like hair running down my back, on my legs and arms in the shower. AND I really don’t enjoy washing my hair in general because it makes my body itch (no matter what shampoo or conditioner I use). So I saturate my hair with water from a spray bottle, and apply shampoo in front of my bathroom mirror before getting in the shower. In the shower I rinse, apply my conditioner, detangle, clamp it back up and get out. However, sometimes, I apply conditioner, rinse and detangle out of the shower because I get so itchy!

That’s what works for me,

So I want to know, what works for you? What is your favorite hair washing method? Do you use more than one method?

Let’s think and discuss below!

Video Tutorial: Detangling Dry Hair and Sealing in Moisture

Hello there! I recorded a video showing you how I detangle my hair when it is dry. I love to wear my hair stretched, as it is less hassle to style and I avoid single strand knots and excess tangles. However, when you are wearing your hair stretched you must be sure to keep it moisturized- lest your hair become a wild fire hazard!!

What products do you need?

• Spray bottle with water- I put 3-5 drops of jojoba oil in mine
• Leave in conditioner- I used Shea Moisture Curl and Styling Milk
• Essential oil- I used a mixture of jojoba and safflower oil

OR

• Butter - I used raw shea butter

What else do you need?

• Wide toothed comb
• Denman or tangle teaser - optional but highly recommended to remove shedded hairs

What do you do?..

Results ?

SOFT! I ended up doing a twist out that turned out so fabulous! But my camera died so I couldn't take good pictures of it. Anyhow, this method will definitely help you to keep your hair moisturized while it is stretched!

Style Points: Beehive

This was a super simple and quick style I did with a day two twist out!

What do you need?
All you need is about 10 bobby pins and an elastic headband - the headband is optional!














How do you do it?

Here's a quick video of me explaining what I did

 (I recorded this while on my lunch break at school in my car)... That's dedication lol :)

Hope you try this style!!


<3 Kendra

"Fully natural. Fully apostolic"

Challenge of the Month October 2011: Develop a Hair Care Regimen

My challenge to you is to develop a hair care regimen that works for you! There are several components that are necessary to obtaining a good and effective hair care regimen.

1. Shampoo

You need to find a good shampoo for your hair. Sometimes you might find more than one that you like which is fine. You want to look for something with natural -preferably organic ingredients. Avoid sulfates and harmful chemicals.

Keep in mind that shampoo is made to CLEANSE your hair. While you don't want something that makes your hair feel like straw, know that it will make your hair feel slightly stripped.

Here are some options:

-Nourish spa
-Tea tree tingle
-Shea moisture

2. Conditioner

This is essential! You have to put moisture back into your hair to balance out the shampooing process. The same rules apply for your conditioner, opt for natural ingredients! In the long run you will have the best results!



Keep in mind that conditioners are NOT meant to be left in your hair. This can lead to breakage and crunchy hair! This is the job of a leave in conditioner! Also, conditioners are NOT meant to be deep conditioners!

Here are some options:
-nourish spa
-giovannis (there are many types of conditioners offered within this line)

3. Deep Conditioner

A deep conditioning treatment is so important when it comes to the overall health of your hair! So finding one that works for you is vital to your hair. Deep conditioners do heavy repair. They fight against damage and keep your hair moisturized and healthy.




You should deep condition once a week or twice a month!

Here are some options:
-burts bees
-bioinfusion olive oil
-Shea moisture masque

4. Leave in Conditioner

Leave in conditioners are the basis of keeping moisture in our hair. Opt for a cream based leave in conditioner! And as always you want something with natural ingredients. They will vary in thickness so you have to decide if you like a thicker or lighter leave in.




Here are some options:
-Shea moisture
-Giovannis
-Organix ( they have a wide variety)

5. Essential Oils or Butters

This is of the utmost important when it comes to sealing in moisture!

Leave in conditioner is the peanut butter and oils/butters are the jelly- you can't have one without the other!




You want to choose essential oils and/or butters for your hair to seal in moisture. The possibilities are endless :)

Here are options for oils:
-jojoba oil
-castor oil
-safflower oil
-grape-seed oil

Here is an amazing option for a butter: SHEA BUTTER! (unrefined or raw)

Comment below and let me know what you plan to use for your hair care regimen!!

Poll Results: Do you think you spend too much time on your hair?

Thank you to all of the 36 participants in this poll,

Do you think you spend too much time on your hair? Here are the results:

• I spend way too much time on my hair- 2 women (5%)
• It depends on what I am doing- 17 women (47%)
• I spend a lot of time on my hair- 6 women (16%)
• I don't spend enough time on my hair- 8 women (22%)
• Is there such thing as spending too much time on your hair? 3 women (8%)

What was my vote?

"It depends on what I am doing". After washing my hair, it could take a good amount of time to detangle and style my hair into a protective style. But I try not to spend too much time on my hair!

What is spending "too much time" on your hair mean?

I believe that you hair can become an idol. Hair care can be a consuming thing that takes up a lot of your time. We could easily get too fixated on hair forums, websites, blogs, etc, to where it becomes a major priority. In all things we have to have balance. From a spiritual aspect, the bible tells us to let our moderation be known unto all men. Moderation is the key!

What are your thoughts on this subject?

Video Tutorial: Curly Twists

My twists were old and frizzy, but I didn't have time to take them out yet! To make matters worse, I had to be at church in 2 hours- still had to make dinner, clean and dress myself! So here is what I did...

RECAP!

How do you do this style?

I started with my hair in small twists. I applied a light amount of product, flexi-rodded my hair, and dried it. This is meant to be a quick style when you are short on time. I do not recommend blow drying your hair for the purposes of styling on a regular basis. Excess heat can be damaging!

What did I use?

• Shea Moisture Curl Cream
• Eco Styler Gel
• Flexi-rods
• Hooded dryer attachement and blow dryer

For more questions feel free to ask me in the comment section below!

Style Points: Wash and Go

This is my first wash and go using gel. I have been scared because I didn't want to end up with dry and crunchy hair!! However, using the leave in conditioner greatly helped!



How did I prep my hair?

I co-washed my hair using my giovanni's conditioner. If you are unfamiliar with co-washing, this is a method of washing your hair using conditioner only. I find that it keeps my hair moisturized in between washes.

What products did I use?

I used bio infusion olive oil leave in conditioner and Eco styler gel. You can use whatever leave in conditioner that works for you. I like bio infusion because it is very light. In addition, feel free to use what gel works for your hair. I like Eco styler because it gives a good hold without being too crunchy.

How did I do this style?

After co-washing, I:

-sectioned my hair in 5 sections using clamps
-saturated one section with water using my spray bottle
-applied leave in conditioner on that section following with a generous amount of gel
-made sure the section was fully saturated with gel
-continued to the next 4 sections
-shook my head to separate the curls when all of the product had been applied

How long did it take me to do this style?

Less than 30 minutes! It goes very fast actually.

How long does this style last?

I left it in for 3 days. I am sure it can last for 5-7 days easily. The trick is to apply a generous amount of gel so that your curls stay nice and defined!

How did I maintain this style?

At night I tied a silk scarf over it. In the morning I sprayed it with water, shook, fluffed and that's it!

Check out the video for more pictures and commentary!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Think and Discuss: Confidence and Self Esteem

I want to hear what you all think about this. I had an epiphany moment the other day.

"I could try so hard to do my hair like everyone else. 
Or I could enjoy standing out with hair no one else has or dares to wear."

I want you to think, discuss and reflect upon these questions:

• Has your confidence and self esteem increased since you have been natural?


• What have you learned about your self since you have been natural?


• Are you proud of your natural hair or do you still struggle to love and embrace it?

Leave your opinions and thoughts below!

Poll Results: How Often Do You Deep Condition Your Hair?

Hello ladies!


How often do you deep condition your hair??


My answer? Once every two weeks when I wash my hair.

Your answer? Depends on how dry, brittle and in need of attention your hair is.

• Deep conditioning is a must! 


• It is imparitive that you deep condition your hair. Our hair is dry and needs extra moisture. Deep conditioners penetrate in a way that regular conditioners not. They have different properties. 

• How often you deep condition is up to you!


• Do you use heat often? You should deep condition once a week


• Is your hair brittle and dry? You should deep condition once a week


• Is your hair at a good moisture level? You can use your discretion. Bi-monthly or monthly.

• Can you deep condition too often?


• YES! You can weaken the strands if you deep condition too often. 

• Need help looking for a deep conditioner?


• Look for something with organic ingredients. Read the labels! You want to beware of these ingredients. Print the list and take it with you.


• Look for something with things that you know work in your hair- whether it be a type of oil or it contains protein, etc.


• Take off the top and feel the consistency. Do you prefer lightweight products or thicker masques?

• What deep conditioner do I currently use?


• Bioinfusion olive oil deep conditioning treatment

• How can you get it to penetrate your hair deeply?


• HEAT!


• Sit under the hair dryer for an hour while the deep conditioner is in. 


• Cover your hair with a hot towel and shower cap to seal in heat


• Use your natural body heat by simply covering your hair with a plastic shower cap

What deep conditioner do YOU use and how often do YOU deep condition?? comment below!

Hair Inspiration: "Me = Good Enough", by Jen Lord

hmmm, where to begin??
i've been churning on this post in my mind for a while... like, for a few months really but i've never figured how i would start it. or even what to title it. craziness! it's part informative/part venting/part self-disclosure. funny how being a blogger still doesn't make self-disclosure any more comfortable for me!
ok so, around may of last year i made a rather big decision in my life: i decided that i would no longer chemically straighten / relax my hair. if your hair is nowhere near the excessively curly state that mine's is, you may be thinking, "and the big deal is....?" but to other people, this statement can elicit an audible gasp, an "Are you for real?", a "But why?", etc. see, it's a straight haired girl's world, for the most part. our society is heavily influenced by the european standards of beauty.

the problem is when a large group of people who have tightly curled hair {sorry, i've never been a fan of the word "nappy/knappy"} decide that they need to have straight hair because their hair isn't "good enough" or they do not possess the coveted "good hair" {loosely curled hair}. isn't it odd that my hair is called "natural hair" since i don't chemically straighten it but hair that has been chemically altered is just called "hair"? isn't that backwards?!

so i've pretty much always hated my hair. i've wanted to have hair like the little girl on the box of the Just For Me or PCJ hair relaxer kit, LOL! SOOO many black little girls wanted her hair! but alas, i wasn't born with "good hair" {i CRINGE every time i hear someone use that phrase}.

i've scoffed internally at preachers when they declare that hair is my glory. Glory?! umm... more like Shame! it's not growing so who cares if it's uncut? in actuality my hair was growing BUT it was breaking also so i could never retain length. thus, it never seemed to get any much longer.

so what spurred me?
- i was in a funk last year and i needed change. like, big time major change.  
- i was kinda tired of going to the salon. seriously, i am hightailing it across town to go to your salon and i still have to sit and Wait for you even though i have an appointment? oh, and pay that much? um, no.
- a book i had picked up at west coast conference 2009 by Juli Jasinski called "Her Ebony Glory". i remember scoffing at the book when she began to talk about not relaxing our hair.
- my convictions. yep, i've had this nagging thought for a few years now but never did anything about it: if i shouldn't dye my hair because i'm changing it from my natural color, why should i relax it and change it from its natural texture?

so i took the plunge and let me tell you, it was one of the best decisions i have ever made. God is bringing me closer each and everyday to more self-acceptance. do i love my hair now? i'm getting there.... i'm not in love with my hair but i don't hate it anymore.... in fact, i like it now and THAT, my friends, is one giant leap for mankind. my hair is not bad hair, it is Good Hair because God made it and it was Good Enough for Him.

and besides,  why would anyone argue against  having heathly, strong hair with less breakage and more growth??? all to conform to society's beauty standards.

hair is a hot button issue among some for sure. what prompted me to write this today was a conversation i had last night. "so, you mean you're never relaxing your hair again?" nope. "well, what if you meet a guy and he won't marry you unless you relax your hair?"

um.... if i met a guy and he said, "you know, i really like you but you need to do something about that nose"
should jen run to her laptop and check out if her job's health insurance covers plastic surgery?? noooooo...

see, it's really sad but you'd be shocked to know how many people feel like the person in the above convo.

so, i try to brush off the ignorance. it's all i can do.
after all, i am good enough in His eyes, right?

{ i suppose it would seem fitting that i stick a picture in this post but i don't really have hair pics! and i'm sporting french braids today. so yeah. :) }

Follow Jen's Blog. She is a beautiful and talented woman of God. I love her to pieces! She is so very sweet and she has been a blessing to me personally. Jen thank you for having the boldness to share this testimony with us! <3

Video Tutorial: Low Bun with Two Rolls on a Braid-Out

Hello there ladies! Check out this quick and simple style!

Style Points: Bohemian Braided Down-Do

Don't you think that a low bun should be called a "down-do"? I think that makes sense so in Kendra world that's what it shall be :)

I just started school this week and it's been crazy. I haven't had time to do my hair as fancy as I like it but I am experimenting with simple yet cute styles. For me the easiest thing is a bun but they can get boring.

So here is a braided style with a bohemian flair! What did I do?

I began this style with stretched hair from a flexi-rod set. I put in 2 French braids in the front. Then I did 2 small braids. Next, I pulled my hair back into a low bun and pinned in fly-aways. Then I pinned back the braids. Following that I pulled out two small pieces of hair at my temples and wrapped them around my finger for curls. To top off this style I added one of my favorite headbands!

How did it turn out??





















Quick, cute and easy!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Think and Discuss: Define "TOO MUCH" Heat

I would you all to think about what it means to put too much heat in your hair. At what point do you think you are using too much?

Define "TOO MUCH" heat, how much you use, and why.

Are you opposed to using ANY heat?

Do you think you use too much??

Comment and discuss below!!

Poll Results: How Would You Describe Your Styling Taste?

Hello ladies! Thank you for voting on this poll. This was a fun one solely for amusement! I love to style my hair. And truthfully I had a hard time deciding so I picked more than one answer :)

So here are the results from our recent poll,

How would you describe your styling taste?”

• 10 people voted: Easy, and low maintenance


• 6 people voted: Funky, I like something different


• 11 people voted: Classy and girly, I love curls, rolls and bows


• 13 people voted: I am a mixture of everything depending on how I feel


• 5 people voted: New and fresh, I am a trendsetter so I love trying new things!


• 2 people voted: I don’t know!

 Easy and Low Maintenance.

These are those, not much ado, type hairstyles. You want to be cute and fabulous but you don't care to take an hour to do it. Of course there are twists, braids, flat twists and buns. But there is more to life :)

Low Bun with Side Curls

Click here to try this style

 

Bohemian Low Bun

Click here to try this style

Twist Out

Funky.
Sometimes it is fun to step out of the box and do something you have never done before! Exploring your hair on the adventurous and wild side. Need inspiration? Wow everyone with these hairstyles.

Bun Hawk

Click here to see this style

Pompadour

Click here to see this style 

Afro Puff

Click here to see this style

 

Girly and Classy.
These are simple yet elegant styles. They look much more complicated than they really are. The kind that delicately whisper, "now there is a classy lady."

 



High Bun

See more photos of this style here

 Side Bun with Rolls

Tutorial for how to do rolls coming soon

Side Curly Bun

Click here to see how to do this style. Prep and all

Are you ready to tap into your styling abilities?? Enjoy!!

Style Points: Side Curly Bun

Hello Ladies! I feel like its been forever although it has only been 5 days :)

I want to show you a quick and easy style that I am wearing today called a side curly bun. You can wear it for church, work, or anything really. Its a cute and fast style to achieve.

How was my hair before doing this style?

My hair was already very stretched to where it looks blow-dried. I have been doing twists on dry hair to keep my hair stretched for the past almost 2 weeks. I washed my hair last a week and a half ago and co-washed once.

How did I prepare my hair?

Before going to bed I:

• Distributed aloe vera gel throughout my hair. I used about a quarter size about 3 times.


• Sealed it with jojoba oil and raw shea butter


• Put 2 large flat twists in the front


• Put 6 large twists in the rest of my hair


• Rolled the twists with 4 flexi-rods


• Tied up my hair with a silk scarf

I didn't use a comb to detangle, I just used my fingers. Again, my hair was very stretched so it didn't need much detangling.

How did I do this style?

In the morning I:

• Removed the flexi rods and twists


• Shook my hair for body


• Pulled the back into a side bun




• Pinned back the front



• Added a flower

Literally 5 minutes later I was done! I timed myself :)

Hope you like it!! <3

Kendra Mail: Chesyea's Hair Journey Update

I always love to receive emails from you all! In particular, I love when you send me updates of your journey with pictures. Chelsyea sent me some pictures several weeks ago that I want to share. I am hoping that she is going to be starting a hair blog very soon (*hint hint*). For now, enjoy her cute and classy styles. She does a great job at trying new, funky and sheik styles!

<3 Kendra

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Are you inspired? You should be :)