Change of plan

As you may already know, in my previous blog post, i talked about my conflicting thoughts to either dye my hair a rich brown or burgundy red colour. Due to my typical indecisive ways however, I've decided to unfortunately.... do neither! Well for now anyway.

My initial idea was to dye my full head of hair using a demi permanent hair colour from ion colour brilliance, in the shade medium burgundy blonde. Along side this daring idea, i was to follow the advice from an amazing tutorial by natural hair blogger and Youtuber Moknowshair ( you guys should defiantly check her tutorials out).In the video she took me through the process and steps of what demi permanent hair colour is, what to consider before dying your hair, and also what the application process requires. If you are considering colouring you hair at home, i would advise you to check out her video to see if colouring your hair is the right thing for you to do.  

Why did I change my mind? 

1. Hair Porosity- What is hair porosity? In a nutshell, i think the best way to define hair porosity, is how your hair absorbs and attains moisture. There are mainly 3 types of hair porosity (low,medium & high porosity), and you can find out which one you, are by doing a hair porosity strand test. 

I myself took the hair porosity strand test, and found from this, my hair is low porosity. This means my hair, although very shiny, suffers from build up quite easily. This is because hair cuticles are tightly bound, so when doing things such as colouring hair, it may be difficult to achieve the desired colour on the box. This was clearly evident when i took a strand test myself, and the colour did not take.I think if i am to colour my hair in the future, i will seek professional help and advice at a salon to guide me to my desired look. 

So what now?

I'm still considering colouring my hair, however 'what colou?' i do not know. A low maintenance hair colour would be ideal as the upkeep would be less expensive, but whatever i choose to do I will defiantly seek expert and professional help. 

Tyra x

Catch Up & New Hair Colour?

So I know its been a while, but I'm finally back with an update. I just finished school a month or so ago, and at the moment I'm currently five hours away, on holiday in Miami. I've been here for almost 3 weeks now and I'm sorta kinda getting used to it. With that being said, I've still got 3 weeks left, and although I miss my friends at home, I'm looking forward to these final weeks because I know I'll be complaining how much I miss it when I'm back at school.

Anyways...I know Autumn/Winter is right around the corner and like always, I'm looking to try a new hairstyle and/or colour. An additional reason to this new thought, is that I'm going into a new school year and just want a different look. So far, I'm caught between a chocolate brown colour, and a rich red/burgundy colour. I've been going back and forth with a decision; one minuet red, the next brown, so I'm not too sure what to settle on. On one hand, the chocolate brown is less drastic but gives me suttle colour change however the red/dark burgundy type tone looks like it could be more flattering on my skin tone, while adding a fun pop of colour.

 I've gone red before (way back last Christmas) but that was more of a bright, courageous red. This time around, whatever hair colour I choose, I'm looking to play up with the darker hues to delve into the deeper tones of the season and the fashion and makeup trends it brings.  

I'll try put up a new post when I finally go through with dying my hair, including the items I used and what I did to get it to my final colour. Fingers crossed all goes well.

See you somewhere on the internet,

Tyra x

Hair update: So I cut my hair...

So since I've cut my relaxed ends off, my hair had been disgustingly uneven. The main reason of this being from me cutting it myself, and not professionally. A lot of transitioners when doing the big chop at home (cutting of their relaxed ends) can relate to me on this one, so I decided to book a appointment at my local hairdressers. Just a trim and layers. Nothing too major!

Now cut into layers, and evened out, my hair has a lot more bounce, movement even though in the shape of a bob. Cutting your ends dosnt have to be a bad thing. I know a lot of you girls want to hold on to that length, but there's really no point if you have long hair that is damaged, split and fried. Your hair is most manageable when the ends are in good condition. Many of is hold onto every centimetre of length we retain, but damaged ends can do more harm than good. Everyone,no matter if short or long hair, should strive for one main goal: healthy hair! 

Tip: I would advise trimming your hair at least every 3-4 months just to keep your hair in tip top condition and retain length.  

90's Box Braids

                       

We've seen them everywhere! Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr and even on celebs from Janet Jackson to Beyonce and Keri Hilson. No matter where we see it, there's no escaping the 90's nostalgic box braid trend. Now. I've recently given into the box braid craze again myself (this is my 2nd time) , and can't help but fall in love again with how low maintenence and easy this protective style really is. If you want a no fuss, time saving hairstyle this fun, retro hairstyle is definitely for you! Here's a few tips on how to maintain and care for I've picked up along the way.

1. Cleanse that scalp

I know, i know. I find it tedious too, but you still need to cleanse your hair while in this box braid style! As easy as it is to get lazy and not do it, once in a while ( at least once a week) you have to clear away all that dirt and product build up. You still want you hair to thrive and grow in this protective style right? Opt for a light weight or sulfate free shampoo. I use Tropic Isle Living all natural black castor oil shampoo. With a combination of black castor oil and Shea butter, these essential oils really help gently cleanse, condition, restore moisture and promote a healthy scalp to grow my hair. 

2. Moisturise your stands 
Speaking of moisture, it essential you keep you keep your hair moisturised or else it can dry up and break off. I think this is one step that most people forget about, but I promise you it is one of the most important steps if you want to see an improvement in your hair when your finally take your braids down. My favourite is African Essence control spray (for human & synthetic hair). This fantastic product is a 3 in 1 so moisturers, conditions and adds sheen to my hair all at once. I use this around twice a day to really keep my hair moisturised. 

3. Be gentle when styling 

Pulling too tight on your braids during styling can put a lot of strain on your roots. By pulling too tight or being too aggressive when styling your hair, it can potentially  cause your hair stands to be pulled out. Always think of your hair as being like a fine piece of silk- be very delicate with it. And lastly make sure when you are styling your braids, you gently tie it up with a non snag hair band to avoid breakage. 

Hopefully these tips were helpful! :)