Ten Foods For AMAZING Hair!

"You Are What You Eat" 

So is your HAIR!!! A good nutrition will give your hair that boost of health, shine and growth that no product at the store can give you. Check out these Hair-Smart foods and incorporate them into your daily meals! :)

#10: Carrots!

Not only are they good for your vision, they keep your scalp healthy which leads to SHINE and well-conditioned hair!

#9: Low Fat Dairy Products!

For example, yogurt and skim milk!! The high calcium is amazing for hair GROWTH!

#8: Oysters!

They contain the MOST zinc than any other food, giving you a healthy moisturized scalp that will prevent shedding and promote shine.

#7: Whole Grains!

Not only does it give you energy throughout the day-- the zinc  will prevent hair shedding and keep your scalp moisturized.

#6: Eggs!

Eggs are the very well-rounded food that help you out in almost every aspect of your hair! Hair growth AND hair THICKNESS!!

#5: Poultry!

Chicken and Turkey will give you the high-quality protein you need to AVOID brittleness and loss of hair color!!

#4: Nuts!

Tired of shedding hair?? Go nuts for NUTS! :) They'll reduce the shedding and give you SHINE!

#3: Beans!

Not only are they the oh-so-loved "musical fruit," they're the HAIR GROWTH FOOD!! Eat beans a minimum of 2 or 3 times a weeks to boost that growth into turbo speed!

#2: Dark Green Veggies!

Like spinach, broccoli and Swiss chard! They create an oily substance that is released through your hair follicles and is your body's natural HAIR CONDITIONER!

#1: Salmon!

This fishy will give you super healthy scalp, which means no more of that dry itch and more SHINE!

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OhMyAfro: Center Stage - Alice from Aliceinnappyland!

Hey Ohmyafro readers! Today we have the lovely Alice taking center stage for us today. Check out the vivacious and traveling beauty!


1.) Welcome to Ohmyafro! Let’s start with your name, and tell us a little about where your from/where we can hear more about you.

Hello! My name is Alice and you can find me at Alice in Nappyland, on twitter and on tumblr. I'm a student about to get a BA in a joint computer science and studio art program. I'm a bit of a nomad so I don't really claim a single location "home."

2.) How long have you been natural?

I have been natural for three years! I big chopped in 2008 after transitioning for three months, I couldn't handle the different textures which cut my transitioning period down dramatically. 

Her Big Chop!

3.) What is your regimen like, including products, styles, etc? How do you maintain your hair?

It's pretty set, that's one of the joys of being natural for such a long time! In winter, I usually wash my hair in 4 sections once every two weeks with shampoo and condition with Aussie Moist. I then follow up with a deep treatment (either moisturizing using Shea Moisture's Organic Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Hair Masque or, on days I'm in need of some serious TLC a mix of the Shea Moisture Deep Treatment, Aubrey Organics' GPB Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner, castor oil and coconut oil). I then flat twist, braid or twist using Qhemet Biologics Burdock Root Cream, Unrefined Shea Butter and IC Fantasia's clear gel. I'll keep the flat twists/braids/twists in for 3-14 days (depending on my schedule) and wear an out style until my hair get too frizzy or dirty. In summer, I tend to co-wash once a week with Aussie Moist to beat the heat, and shampoo once every other week using whatever I have on me before I twist/braid or flat twist using the method above. 

4.) What’s the worst experience you’ve had with your hair?

The first time I dyed my hair pink, I bleached my hair myself and I burnt part of my hairline off! Needless to say, I went to a professional for all future bleachings after that.   

5.) What’s the best thing about having naturally curly hair/an afro?

The versatility! One week it's straight. One week it's curly. One week it's long. One week it's short. I feel like I have infinite styling options, which is great for someone like me who gets bored with a single look quickly!

Beautiful Twist-out

6.) What advice would you give to your fellow naturals out there?

Don't be afraid to experiment. Try new styles, shake up your routine and take risks once in a while, that's part of enjoying how versatile your hair is and you might discover something unexpected that works miracles. One of the major traps that new naturals (and even veterans!) fall into is being obsessed with long hair which is sad because all the little milestones can become less meaningful. Now that I have "long" hair, I really miss having a bob length twist out and even my TWA and I don't think I enjoyed either stage in my journey because I was so focused on length. 

7.) Congrats! You're now an Ohmyafro Diva! Anything else you'd like to add?

Thank you so much for having me!

Alice in NappyLand!

Share your thoughts, and check out her blogs/twitter! What'd you think of our Ohmyafro Diva? 

*Style Watch!*

Bonjour!
 
 So this week was a very busy week for me at school, and doing my hair was one of the last things I had on my mind. So, after a weekend of bantu knots, I re-moisturized my hair, french braided the back and twisted the front. Here's a great video on two strand twisting:

Today, I took the twists out, and tomorrow I will be pinning it up into a protective style for school and then wash it after I come back home. For those who don't know how to French braid, here's a video =)

Only difference is instead of braiding down, I braided up, and after I pinned down the "tail" which was covered by the twists in the front of my hair. Simple, and can easily be considered as a protective style because you can pin up the twists. I wore different headbands throughout the week to switch up the style and keep it looking fresh :)

Add hair accessories for flavor ;)

Both of us had twisted hair! :)

After untwisting my twists

 And voila! This lasted me from Sunday - Thursday, which is my wash day so that's the main reason I took it down. I took out the twists on wednesday morning, and washed it on thursday. Quick and easy style that lasts almost a whole week, depending on your personal preference. Ciao!

Before Heading to School in the Morning. :)

10 Things To STOP Doing To Your Baby (Your hair!)

Transitioning can be very difficult sometimes because as much as you want to begin a new chapter of NATURAL GORGEOUS BEAUTY for your hair, you need to cut old habits that have become your second nature. I had to stop doing a LOT of stuff to my baby and I was able to reach my goal sooner, which made me happier!! It wasn't easy to tell myself NO every time, but I kept the "final result" image perfectly clear in my head to remind myself where I wanted to go. Yes, transitioning can be a pain in the butt, so don't drag it out because you refuse to change your habits. The sooner you accept the changes you will have to make, the sooner you reach the goal you're dying to reach :)

10. STOP USING THESE EVIL CLIPS! 


They are evil! They eventually cut your hair where you place them! No! Stop it! Get yourself BOBBY PINS! Use Bobby pins all you want, but THROW AWAY these evil clips!




9. STOP TYING YOUR HAIR WHEN IT'S WET!

I did this all the time and did myself so much damage. Don't do it. If you washed your hair, dry it out as much as you can with a towel and let it air dry for an hour, the BEST would be to air it out completely. If you're in a rush, shake your hair in the shower like a dog, towel dry, then use a DIFFUSER attached to your blow dryer and use COLD or WARM air.... Then you can ponytail if you want :) If you're at the beach or at the pool, let your hair out and love it!




8. STOP USING GEL!
Gels most of the time are way too harsh. Especially the cheap ones. I only use Ouidad Gel and if you ever use that product you'll know it doesn't even feel like a gel, there just isn't any other word to describe it. Ouidad or something like it is okay, but gels in general are not. If the gel you are buying is some funky color like neon green or pink, don't use it. Using gel to ponytail your hair dead-flat against your head while transitioning, is like trying to reduce your cholesterol going to the gym but eat breakfast lunch dinner and midnight snack eating at burger king. Come on, let's be consistent. If you want to go natural, put the gel away. Throw it away. 


7. STOP HAIR COLORING WHILE TRANSITIONING!
If you are a color-dye lover like I used to be, this might stress you out a little bit. But.... get over it :) You are working TOO hard to go through this process and reach your goal to let some hair-dye slow you down! No way! Your hair is going through a change, and where the two different textures meet in your hair is very very DELICATE! Say no to chemicals! Let yourself grow out enough hair, to completely cut off the permed hair, and THEN you can make a choice to do highlights or change the color or whatever you want. I'm not saying never to dye your hair, I'm saying don't do it in this period of time of your hair journey.


6. STOP BUYING CRAPPY PRODUCTS FOR YOUR HAIR!
Your hair is an investment! Okay let's think of this, if you are willing to pay $20 for a top you will only wear about 12-20 days out of the year, you should be willing to spend on products for your hair that you wear 365 DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR!!!!! Your hair is your baby and your EVERYDAY ACCESSORY! You need to invest in it. Your hair isn't something you choose out of your closet every once in a while, your hair sits on your head every day and wakes up before you do! Your hair is a blessing, treat it like one. I'm not saying spend $65 on a shampoo, I'm saying cut some coupons if you want to save some cash and EXPERIMENT with different products from the store! Don't buy clothes at the mall and then hit up Dollar-Tree for some generic diluted Suave shampoo. Research for good quality products and go to Sally's, go to ULTA, go to hair salons, go to wal-mart (hey I love not spending more than I have to) and buy good stuff!!


5. STOP YANKING YOUR HAIR TO DETANGLE!
What!??! Why are you doing this?!?! You lucky your hair doesn't speak because you would get told a thing or two by it! Don't yank your hair. You're killing it in the most painful and agonizing manner. If you're going to detangle: take your time!! Slowly take out the knots and remember to use small pieces at a time and start from the ends and slowly working your way up. Take your time. This is a good time to listen to music, watch tv, think and relax sitting in a comfy chair. Enjoy this one-on-one time with your baby. I'll be honest: I hate detangling. I hate it with a passion, but I learned to get over it because I love seeing my afro all healthy when I want to go somewhere. It's a sacrifice.


4. STOP LOOKING RAGGEDY!
Your transitioning time will go by so much smoother if you boost your confidence with some nice outfits and perfume. Transitioning is not the time to feel ugly and depressed. It's your time to say Bye-Bye to your old ways and embark in a new relationship with your hair. Yes it can be the roughest time, but don't start letting yourself go because of it thinking "oh I'll dress better once it actually grows out." No, don't do that to yourself. You don't have to wear heels and make up every day with pearls and Chanel perfume, but don't wear sweats with dirty sneakers and a shirt the size of a hammock every day of your life. Cheer yourself up and remind yourself that you are beautiful! That's your job, not others. Don't depend on their comments and opinions! They don't know anything! Get pretty, smell pretty and take on every day with a smile :)


3. STOP LISTENING TO THE NEGATIVE!
You will always, always, ALWAYS find that one stupid person that feels their comment about your hair is necessary. Don't listen to him, her, anyone. When they're telling you their thoughts, you ZONE OUT and SMILE!! Smiling always annoys the other person lol :) :) :) Do it! Just smile it off! Don't listen to those idiots! They don't matter! And if that idiot is your boyfriend, HE IS NOT THE ONE FOR YOU! LET HIM GO! FAR! FAR AWAY FROM YOU! You deserve someone that will support you every day, especially about something that is so important to us, and especially because transitioning isn't permanent! It's just a period of time before you reach victory! If he can't see that, he's dumb, needs to learn patience and is not good enough for you. Don't listen to what doesn't inspire you to grow!


2. STOP THE HEAT!
This is so important. At least for me. I know many will disagree with how extreme I feel about this but I don't care. I say NO TO HEAT. Any heat! As I was transitioning I did not use any warm/hot blow dryer, straightening iron, curling iron, or anything similar. I said NO to heat and that was the toughest sacrifice. The only time I used heat was for a performance I had to do and I needed straight hair in the front to later attach a wig and the end of my hair (fake ponytail). I didn't really have a choice, if I did, I would have said no to heat! Do yourself that favor, don't use heat! 

1. STOP WALKING WITH YOUR HEAD DOWN!
You are beautiful! You are a masterpiece that God created and He blessed you with hair that is versatile and perfect for you! God has never and will never make a mistake, so don't ever think your hair or you are. You are BEAUTIFUL! You were FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE! BELIEVE IT! YOU ARE! So push your shoulders back, lift your head and walk with confidence! Do not be embarrassed or ashamed of your hair, or for this process you are going through. Walk happy, confident and with a smile! Again, you are beautiful! Don't forget it! Love yourself! Love your hair! Love the way God made you! You are a MASTERPIECE!

With love,

Roxy

Photo Credits:

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Oh My AFRO Featured in Alice in NAPPYLAND!!

Brittany and I were featured this week in the wonderful blog of 

Alice In Nappyland! 

We are so excited about the interview, and hope that our crazy responses to the questions can make you smile and know us a little better :)

The link for Brittany's interview!
http://aliceinnappyland.blogspot.com/2012/01/natural-expressions-brittany.html




The link for Roxy's interview!
http://aliceinnappyland.blogspot.com/2012/01/natural-expressions-roxy.html

Thank you for your support and subscribe!!

With love,

Roxy

Kinky Kurly Curling Custard Review!

Bonjour and Hola!

We were asked to do a review on Kinky Kurly Curling Custard so here it goes!

Claims and Directions: CURLING CUSTARD TM gives moisture and curl definition, hold and brilliant shiny hair all in one product!

It reduces bulk, defines & elongates your curls helping them to 'hang' better. CURLING CUSTARD TM will bring out the natural curl or wave pattern you never knew you had!

It is an advanced botanical formula made with ALL NATURAL ingredients that nourish and strengthen the hair. Utilizing the humectant properties of the Agave Nectar, CURLING CUSTARD TM will give weight to your hair, define your curls, remove frizz, provide long lasting hold and shine without ever being greasy, crunchy or drying to your hair.

This high performance product is very concentrated so a little goes a long way.
**TIP- This product is designed to work alone but ultimate curl definition and length can be achieved when used with KNOT TODAY TM as a leave in conditioner.

For best results apply CURLING CUSTARD TM to soaking wet, freshly washed hair. For very kinky and tightly coiled hair use KNOT TODAY TM as a leave-in conditioner then apply CURLING CUSTARD TM to soaking wet hair in small sections. Smooth each section with fingers from root to tip

Brittany: Now, this review comes from someone who isn't a huge wash n go fan like roxy is due to my bad experience with my ex-hair stylists. Like I previously stated before, my hair is usually stretched, up and tucked away. I used Curling Custard when my hair was shorter (WITH the knot today as a leave-in, I follow directions people) and it worked pretty well. My hair was defined, didn't feel hard like gels usually do, and still moisturized. My biggest, BIGGEST, problem with this product is the aftermath. The white flakes, yeah....no. I'm no big fan of anything being left over in my hair that  gives people the opportunity turn into that monkey from the Emperor's New groove and start picking stuff out my hair. That's a bandwagon I just can't jump on. So, if you like wash n go's, use this product very, very lightly. It's not bad, just didn't do much for me, so I gave it away. ^_^ xoxo. 3 stars out of 5


Roxy: First of all, I am a complete fan of "wash n' go's."  I love the simplicity of it, and the fact that if I give it just enough time to dry the result is a perfectly curled yet carelessly messy Afro. I LOVE it! This Kinky Curly Custard was the first "wash n' go" product I ever tried, so when I first used it it was the ULTIMATE product. After using a bunch of other products for my style, this product is good but NOT as amazing as I thought. The white flakes after a couple of days kills it all for me. My advice about this product is, if you use it, take your time to apply it well all over your hair to really define your curls, and mayyyybeee leave it in for the next day but that second day you HAVE to wash it out because those white flakes are unattractive. Also, to avoid the white flakes the most: don't touch your hair after you apply it!!!! 4 stars out of 5. Hope this helps, all my love!!

What do YOU rate this product??? 

What's your review for it?? 

:) xoxo

10 Commercials With AFRO Presence ;)

Maybe it's just me, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE watching a commercial and seeing how a random beautiful and confident woman is rockin' her Afro in it. It's one of those small things in life that make me smile daily. 
So! After a little search hunt, I was able to find 10 that I find worthy of sharing with all of you beautiful ladies! 

Enjoy and smile away :)

Did you smile at least once?? My favorite is the Disney Commercial :)

Which one is yours??

Feel free to share your comments!

With love,

Roxy

Happy New Year!

Besos y Bisous! xoxo

So we know we're a little late, but we want to wish everyone a blessed Happy New Year!

Since it's a new year we thought we'd make a post for all my newly naturals/transitioning diva's out there!

These are some key tips for those in the process of going natural or those who just took the big step to be completely natural!

1.) The key to being natural is simple. Moisture! Make sure your hair is healthy and amazingly moisturized, and she/he/it will thank you for it! Remember, the only thing that moisturizes your hair is water, not oils or grease. Those elements are used to lock the moisture it, but piling oils on your hair will not "moisturize it," that's only the greasy effect. Wash your hair on the regular, and occasionally spritz your hair with a water bottle every 2-3 days, between washes, whatever your heart desires. Keep your hair happy!

2.) Careful with your styling diva's. Put the flat iron down, turn down the heat, and learn what your hair likes. For me, my hair thrives in twists or braids, and though it may not be stylish to some, my hair mostly stays tucked up and away in an undo or bun. Take the journey of protection, and your hair will thank you for it. If you don't know how to twist or braid, start thanking the Lord for youtube and instructional videos. They're all over the place! Fusionofcultures on youtube just did a flat twisting video, check it out! Your not the only natural out there, and there are hundreds of curlies who'd be happy to help :)

3.) Patience. Yes, that is part of the routine. You must be patient with your hair. There are no "fast grow-it's" or miracle workers, only time and patience. You can grow your hair. Just have the right tools, motivation, and PATIENCE. Careful of your sources as well, many people preach but don't practice. When checking out your sources, be mindful of not only what your hair responds to, but the results that they are experiencing. Don't take advice from the girl missing patches of hair that's unexplained.

Finally, Confidence ladies! If you don't love your hair, trust and believe you'll find many haters who won't love it right along with you! So strut, poke, pout, be fabulous. You're a lady, flaunt it, wear the dress. Don't be afraid to be beautiful naturally.

What I have to say about WEN

One of the most seen infomercials about hair care is of the product WEN by Chaz Dean. In case you haven't caught it playing on tv, here's a video of it:

I was able to try the product out so I want to make sure I give you my review before you get suckered into buying a "magical-will-fix-all-the-problems-on-this-earth-even-world-hunger" product.

Let me say this: IT IS NOT AS INDISPENSABLE AND NECESSARY AS THEY MAKE IT SEEM.

But like all infomercials, it's their job to make you think so. It's an okay, read carefully-- OKAY products. That's it. Nothing more nothing less. 

My mom has Middle Eastern type hair (beautiful curly/wavy hair that's pretty thin compared to my afro) and she wanted to try out WEN because she had noticed her hair didn't have the same volume as before. I was excited for her because I wanted to actually SEE if that hair-cocaine actually worked. After her first use, she walked in my room and told me she hated it. I convinced her to keep trying it because maybe it needed a few uses for the magic to kick in. She used it about two or three more times and I did notice her hair looking more full and curlier (really pretty actually) but she wasn't satisfied because her head itched horribly. When I started using the product as well, I noticed the same thing. My scalp was seriously itching from the second I stepped out of the shower. I can't stand that, you should feel clean after you wash your hair-- not like you have red ants dancing around all over your scalp! 

Besides the itching, when you put the WEN conditioner in your hair, the sensation you'll feel is like the "icy" feeling from "Icy-Hot" lotion. A really cool and chilly feel. If you like that, then you'll like WEN a little more, if you don't then even more of a reason to not get WEN.

Here is MY guess about what WEN reeeeeeally does:

I think WEN doesn't wash/clean at all-- it only puts in all the "good-stuff" from conditioners and hair treatments to moisturize. What happens to cleaning? It doesn't, so it never removes any of your natural oils (which carry the dirt and bacteria) so your hair looks "fuller" because all of your oils are accumulating. But the hilarious thing is THAT THEY TELL YOU ALL THIS but try to make it seem like a good thing!! That's just nasty. Those oils need to be washed eventually, that's why everyone should wash their hair at least once a week, you want to remove those oils to prevent from it getting greasy and stinky and nasty and itchy.  But because WEN has such a strong fruity/minty smell it won't let you smell the real smell from the old oils in your hair. 

But this is just how I think this product really works. 
Think of this example:
instead of taking a shower everyday, and especially taking a shower when you just came back from a hot day and you're all sweaty, you just put lotion ALL OVER your body as if to clean it and cover the smell. Your skin will be very soft, yes-- but will you be clean? If this idea doesn't make you say EWW!!, I have no idea what else to say...

Do I recommend WEN?

If you have $30 bucks to spare and curiosity is just killing you-- then go ahead. But if you're wise and careful with your money, I honestly say don't get it. With thirty bucks you can do a lot for your hair.

There IS one product from WEN that actually did pull through and treat my hair. It's the WEN Re-Moist Intensive Treatment, which I applied to my hair after "not washing it" with WEN, and left it overnight. Once I washed it out I could see it gave my hair incredible shine and it felt really soft-- but it's not worth buying the whole hair care system for.

Hope I was able to give you some insight before the WEN commercials suck you in!

All my love,

Roxy