How I Styled My Twists Today

Short video from earlier today :)

*NOTES: Twists were done on wet hair after a co-wash so there is major shrinkage. I'm okay with that since I planned on wearing them in updo's anyway to protect my ends.
Feather Earrings were purchased by Candid Art.

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And stay tuned... BIG THINGS HAPPENING... New site under construction: www.facesbykeetaray.com

15% off at CurlMart

Now through April 18th, get 15% off of NEW PRODUCTS at CurlMart when you enter code NEW15 at checkout! :)

Some Great Hair Vids!

I want to share a few great vids with you that I've come across during the week.
The first is one of my hair idols, Luka Lomi. She shares how she achieves her FABULOUS updo's on her twist-outs. I'm going to try a similar look when I take my mini-twists out. Below is her video as well as links to her Fotki albums and Twitter page.



LukaLomi's Twitter
LukaLomi's Fotki Page

And here is another great vid I came across. Both of these young women have some gorgeous hair, but I am totally infatuated with the hair of the girl on the left :)

Review: Safi HairCare Citrus SheaCoco Butter

I've had the pleasure of being offered a trial-size of Safi HairCare's newest edition to the line, Citrus SheaCoco Butter. The owner, Alexandra Smith (also now a friend of mine) asked me to try this out, and I was more than happy (excited, actually) to try this out.

Here are the product facts:

- Ingredients: Raw Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Sweet Orange Essence Oil, Lemon Essential Oil, and Vitamin E.

4 oz $13.00

8 oz $16.00

This product is GREAT for twists, twist outs, braids, braid outs...

-How I Used It: I co-washed my hair with Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner. While my hair was wet after washing, I applied Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner (my staple) throughout. I sectioned my hair off and applied a small amount of the Citrus SheaCoco Butter along with a very small amount of gel (Fantasia ic Olive Gel) for additional hold. I twisted each section and did this all over until I was left with about 14-15 twists all over. I let my hair air-dry overnight, then unraveled the twists in the morning and fluffed/separated. 

My hair had a nice sheen, a very pleasant and light scent, and was very moisturized.

Thumbs up!! :) I definitely recommend this product.

Resulting Twist Out

Here is the resulting twist out from last night's product trial. I like it!

Twist Out using Hemp Seed Butter & ic Fantasia Olive Gel

New Earrings!

On this past Wednesday, I attended an event called Shecky's Girls Night Out. For those who are unfamiliar, they hold events in most major cities throughout the year for women, where they have various vendors (imagine clothes, shoes, accessories, makeup, skincare products, a cocktail bar, goodie bags, and fun). I purchased a few items but my fave purchase is my earrings. They're feather earrings, but they don't match. One is just a regular feather earring but the other is a DRAMATIC concoction of feathers. I took a pic of the earrings w/o me wearing them b/c I feel I need the right outfit/hair to set them off. So here is a pic of the earrings... without me. Lol When I do wear them I'll be sure to share a pic with you all!

Feather Earrings by Candid Art

If you are interested in purchasing these or similar items, check out their site here: Candid Art

Camden Grey Order - Review

I purchased a few items from Camden Grey and received my order today :-) They have essential oils and lots of natural products for those of us who like to mix their own. I ordered: Grapeseed Oil, Argan Oil, Hemp Seed Butter, and Rhassoul Clay powder.

My hair was a frizzy mass by the time I got home today due to the weather, so I decided to try 2 of the 4 products to retwist my hair to let it set. In a spray bottle, I mixed 80% water, 10% veggie glycerin, and 10% grapeseed oil. Shook it up and wet my hair, in sections. For each section, I applied a small amount of the hemp seed butter for moisture and then a small amount of ic Fantasia Olive Gel for hold. I twisted the section and did this until all my hair was twisted. I plan to let it airdry and take it out in the morning. Overall I have about 14 or 15 twists. I won't know my result until tomorrow but I can say my hair feels good - moisturized and soft. I'll be sure to snap a pic tomorrow of my twist out for you all.A few people has noted they don't care for the smell of hemp seed butter too much but it didn't bother me. However, I'm not the most sensitive to smells as I typically like "earthy/natural" scents. *shrugs* So, it really depends on your preference. To me, the hemp seed butter smelled "clay like" but it isn't strong and to be honest, I can't even smell it on my hair right now.

I will review the Rhassoul Clay powder and Argan Oil when I use it. I am not sure when I plan to use those two so stay tuned. By the way, this is my first time trying any of these products in this order so this is trial and error for me. Just wanted to share :-)

Hemp Seed Butter - 1/4 lb.

Grapeseed Oil - 1 lb.

Rhassoul Clay powder - 1 lb.

Argan Oil - 2 oz.

Curly Nikki and NaturallyCurly have apps!

For all you iPhone and Android users out there that love the natural Hair Forums as much as I do --
There are apps now to make it easier! And... THEY'RE FREE!

You can check your app store by searching "Curly Nikki" and "Curl Talk" for the free apps. Or, go here from your phone and click on the appropriate download link to go straight there: http://tinyurl.com/4qbxpfb and http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalkmobile.


Enjoy!! :)

What Do New Naturals Need to Know?

For awhile now, I've been getting questions from women who were newly natural or in the process of transitioning regarding how they should get started, or what key things they needed to know to get their natural hair to thrive. Answering this question is challenging for me because I always want to tell them EVERYTHING I know and it can be overwhelming. And then there are times when I don't know what is more important to tell them to start with. So my question to you all is, how do you (or would you) attempt to answer that question? What is key for a new natural to know without giving them too much information too soon? My fear is if they get overwhelmed they'll be discouraged.

Thanks for your input!

Review! Sally Hansen Salon Effects

I've been gone for too long!

I want to do something I've never done on this blog before. Post a nail review! :) My close friends know I am very particular about my nails. To the point I am often dissatisfied with getting mani's b/c they just "never do them right". Yes, I am OCD. I love doing my own nails and recently experimented with Sally Hansen's Salon Effects nail appliques! I purchased them from CVS for about $10. Check it out:

Tons of designs. I tried the leopard print ones. What can I say, I am drawn to animal prints :)
Here is a pic of my nails right after I applied them this past Friday:

Super-easy (I feel they were) to apply. Today is Day 4 and they're holding up well:

My nails grow fast as you can see at my cuticle. But the tips are not chipping and I don't have any cracks/chips in the polish. I did apply a clear coat on Day 2. The product instructions don't require this but I did this just off my gut. Lol

Here are the basic application tips -


Application tips:

• Warm the strips with your hands to make them more pliable.
• Bend the strip over your free edge and use the file to remove the excess rather than tearing it off.  Tearing can result in an uneven edge.
• Between sizes?  Size up and use the enclosed cuticle stick to remove the excess off your skin.
• Don’t submerge in water right after applying. I'd say wait about 1-2 hours or you risk the edges lifting a little.

Let me know if you try and what your experience was. I plan to get some more of the other designs.

**Updated March 4, 2011:
It's Day 7 of having these applique's on and they are holding up very well. I'm sorry but regular nail polish would have chipped by now. If you're used to get manicures weekly for about $10, the price of this kit is no biggie. I may do this every other week - Just until I get tired of the designs. :-o Take a look at the pic for Day 7 -