Barcelona: Day 3-5

Hi guys, I'm back. In true summer holiday fashion I've been so busy socking up he sun over here, that I've forgotten to update you on my time in Barcelona. Lets just call this my photo diary for days 3-5. Enjoy! 

Shoes : Carvela (by @kurtgeiger). 

If you couldn't tell already I have been rocking my hair in a straight do lately using the @Softandbeautiful 'Natural Botanicals' Curly to Straight Hair System. 

This kit has given me the easy manageability, shine and ease to try out different styles. My hair did get a little frizzy in the Barcelona humidity, but it was nothing wrapping my hair at night couldn't fix!

Follow me: 

Twitter @tyrachuck12

Instagram @tyrachuck12

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Barcelona: Day 2

Hola! I'm here in Barcelona for 10 days with my mum & sister, but thought I would post a few pictures as opposed to my usual hair posts. Enjoy! 

Twitter @tyrachuck12

Instagram @tyrachuck12

Vsco Cam @tyrachuck12

Allthingstheculture.tumblr.com

MOTHEROFCURLS: MY NATURAL HAIR JOURNEY

Hi, my name is Tyra Chuck, and just about all of my life, I have been told at some point or another, that I have 'good hair.' To the black community this typically meant that you had 'nice hair for a black girl.' Those two phrases went hand in hand. I mean, they were right wasn't they? I fit all the characteristics...the qualifying traits. I was mixed (Jamaican & Chinese) & had long hair. Growing up people, especially in school, made it seem preposterous, impossible even that there was no way you could be black, have long healthy hair & not have a relaxer! Wrong!

My 'Pre Relaxer Childhood'

Up until the age of 12, I lived a relaxer free childhood. My hair was thick, unruly & big... i'm talking Dianna Ross/ Mel B Scary Spice big. From looking at pictures, I observed my hair started off quite curly, but got thicker and more afro textured as I got older.

Like younger naturals, I dreaded wash day and my mum combing out my hair. I normally had to have my hair in plaits or cornrows, just to keep it neat and avoid my mum having to redo it so frequently. Back then there wasn't a lot of natural hair products that we have today, so rocking my hair in my 'natural state' out, wasn't even an option.

My mum was a working mum, so after some years she didn't have time nor effort to do my hair. That's when she gave me the choice to either get my hair pressed or relax it... 

My Relaxed Days

I chose relaxer. At the age of 12, I chose relaxer. Of course I didn't have the knowledge of what it did, but at the time it sounded promising. I was sick and tired of braids.

Straight hair all the time &no more painful wash days. Who wouldn't say yes! My mum's friend & hairdresser, who had been doing her hair and occasionally mine too, since my mum was pregnant with me, gave me my very first relaxer.

She used two boxes of no-lye texturiser from what I could remember. Yup, that's how much hair I had! My first relaxer experience was good, if I'm going to be honest. Apart from the almost tingling/burning sensation on my scalp and long hours in the chair, it was fine. She washed it, deep conditioned it, blow-dried it, trimmed it, and straightened it, the whole works! The change took some getting used to, but I got a lot of compliments. I got my hair relaxed every 2+ months up until the age of around 16. 

At first, I didn't have much knowledge on maintaining and caring for my relaxed hair-other than tying it at night and moisturising my ends. Within that same year, I thankfully discovered YouTube. People were actually posting videos on how they took care & styled their hair. It wasn't until I discovered Ulovemegz  (a beautifully relaxed & healthy youtuber) that I really started taking care of my relaxed hair. She was literally my relaxed hair goals.

 

From her I learnt about growing relaxed hair, deep conditioning it, stretching your relaxers and so much more. I could then maintain my hair easier in-between touch ups & experiment with different hairstyles. At one point I even had a full fringe.

The Good, Bad & The Ugly- Transitioning

 

One thing I didn't like about my relaxed hair, was the regrowth. It felt uncomfortable. It looked weird, and a part of me would always wonder how the little curls at the root, would look on my whole head.

Having relaxed hair, I discovered how fast my hair actually grew. And let me tell you... it was quick. There was a few other downsides too:

1. New Growth
2. The expense
3. The whole relaxer process/upkeep
4. How my hair looked wet
5. Breakage (which didn't occur so much until the end)

My last relaxer was around July 2013 (Prom). After that I was to say enough is enough, and call it quits with my bra strapped relaxed hair. That same year, in September I rocked a u-part wig while transitioning (see pic on right).

I found out what 'transitioning' was (growing out your relaxer) from my research on stretching out your relaxer, on YouTube. I looked at other people's 'Hair Journey' & 'Transitioning from Relaxed to Natural' videos for tips, advice, motivation and inspiration.

Back to Basics- 'My Natural Hair'

Going back natural was not easy. It was frustrating, unexpected and surprising all at the same time. The hard part was finding a style to which I used minimal heat. At first I tried a lot of braid outs and twist outs on my transitioning hair, but I just didn't feel comfortable. I hated having to deal with the two battling textures. Instead, I decided to opt for a easier protective style that required less maintenance- weave, wigs & box braids. I did this until I got to a comfortable length to do a 'mini big chop' around Feb/March 2014.

YouTube in general, but mostly the above YouTubers have been really helpful while on both my transitioning & natural hair journey now. Check them out!

Natural Hair Freedom- What next?

Like I said on my previous blog post ,since being natural I have experimented with protective styles, length and even got a side cut. One thing I have learnt about my natural hair journey hair is 1) Have fun with it 2)Healthy hair over length. Recently I have been having some heat damage issue, which is not so sever I have to big chop, but guess what...I kind of feel like it anyways. I've never had a 'twa', so...maybe soon I will.

I know this post was long, but thank you for reading & hopefully you found it useful. Feel free to ask me any questions. All social media links below!

Twitter @Tyrachuck12
Instagram @Tyrachuck12
Pintrest @Tyrachuck12
Tumblr: allthingstheculture.tumblr.com

THE #CUTLIFE: MY SIDE SHAVE EXPERIENCE

Famously sported on celebrities such as Rihanna, Cassie & Ellie Goulding, by now you must have heard about the side shave epidemic ...or be living under a rock! With that being said, like most of the hairstyles I spontaneously go for, either inspired by a celebrity or something on my Pintrest feed, I decided to take the plunge and experience this bold hairdo.

My Experience- Before

Before even being 10ft near a razor or a barber shop, I decided to thoroughly do my research on the style of my desired side cut. Did I want it to be simple? Did I want a pattern? How much will it cost? Am I going to do it myself? Barber? Did I want it on the left side of my head? Did I want it on the right? These were just a few questions I asked myself when constructing the exact way I wanted my side cut. Whenever you do something as bold as cutting off one side of your hair off, it is really important to think and research on what it is you exactly want. This being fairly obvious, because once you start chopping, there's no going back.

I looked at pictures. I also watched Youtube videos on people's tips & experiences on getting their side shaved as well as how they maintain it. This may be something you want to consider before diving into the cut life. I wanted mine on the left side of my head, to just behind my ear. I even sectioned this area back before I cut it & rocked a faux hairdo bobby pinning it back to get a confident look and feel of how my side cut will look on me. You could even try doing a braid instead to get that faux side cut look.

My Experience- During

I went to my local barber shop to get my side cut done. Both of my brothers got their hair cut there, so I knew it was a reliable and affordable choice. It only cost me £5. I went with my younger brother for 'moral support', but I wasn't nervous. Not even when the barber continuously asked me if I was sure I wanted to do it. I sectioned off the area I wanted cut before he started and clipped the rest out of the way. I got it cut down to a level 2.

My Experience- After

After I got my side cut, I felt kind of liberated. A lot of people, especially females, take a lot of pride in their hair so for me I felt really empowered and care free after- despite cutting off a whole chunk of my hair. I got a lot of compliments on my cut, and still do till this day. It's been nearly a year already! The cut puts a twist on any ordinary hairstyle; be it twist outs, straight hair, braid outs, box braids or even a sew in (which I am planning to try in the near future). I get my hair cut every 2-3 weeks down to a level 1, only because my hair grows quite fast. So with that said, for me, it is a quite a bit of maintenance.I go to the same place and person for the same price I first got it.

I hope this post was helpful, make sure to check out & follow my Instagram for pictures of how I style my side cut. If you have any questions or want me to post anything specific in the future- COMMENT DOWN BELOW! All social media will be listed below :)

 

Twitter @Tyrachuck12
Instagram @Tyrachuck12
Pintrest @Tyrachuck12
Tumblr: allthingstheculture.tumblr.com

BOXSPIRATION

So I've recently gotten box braids...again! I decided to get them just to give my hair a break from when i straightened it, and sadly but surely got a girly girls biggest nightmare- some head damage! Don't worry, i made sure to trim those little bad boys off, so my hair is back on it now. I just want to give my hair a breather, and hop back onto this low maintenance retro style bandwagon in order to reboot my curls. Plus, since exam season has kicked in and ain't nobody got time for up keeping natural hair.

Never the less, I've complied a Top 5 list of celebrity box braid queens that have been inspiring me while on this box braid venture. This time round I opted for long waist length box braids with a medium thickness. 

Check out my Instagram to see pictures on my rocking my box braids, and how I've been styling them.

Comment Below! What celebs have you liked rocking box braids?

Tyra x

Twitter @Tyrachuck12

Instagram @Tyrachuck12

Tumblr: allthingstheculture.tumblr.com

Product Pickups

Hiya! Just showing you a few hair products I purchased today.

I was running low on nearly all my hair products so decided to pick up these beauties. All products cheap and below £5! 

Comment below and let me know if you have tried any of these products & if they worked well for you.

Make sure to follow me on social media for updates on my blog, all things hair related or just my day to day life.

Tyra x

Twitter @Tyrachuck12

Instagram @Tyrachuck12

Tumblr- allthingstheculture.tumblr.com

Healthy Hair: From The Inside Out

Welcome back everyone! I know, I know... I haven't posted in a while. I've been really busy with school, but during my little hiatus ive been back on my A game-getting my health, fitness & diet in check. 

This may be a bit of a side step from my usual hair posts, but really, having healthy hair isn't just about the products you use. It's about nurturing your body and treating it right. Your diet, and the things you eat play a big part in the health of your hair and its growth. I've been natural nearly 2 years now, and I've come to the point where I'm not really concerned about the length of my hair anymore. It's healthy hair over everything. What point is it having a head full of hair if it's just being limp, lifeless, broken and broken? 

Below, is a food dairy if you like, of a few healthy things I've eaten this week. I didn't take a pictures of every single meal, but these are just a few pictures I've added into my regime to give you a rough idea. 

Lunch: Diced spam, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, apples & kiwi salad.

 

Strawberry Onken ft mangos, grapefruit & oranges.

As you can probably tell... I like fruit bowls. They're a quick, easy & you can get creative and add whatever fruit/toppings you like. Try it out!

 

Make sure to check out Youtube, Instagram & Pintrest for inspiration and ideas for healthy snacks and meals! It really helped me, so i don't see why it wouldn't help you!

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful. Hopefully, it will kick start your journey to healthy hair aside from the hair products you use.

 

Comment below if you have any questions & make sure to click the links below to keep up with my healthy hair journey. 

Tyra x 

Twitter: @tyrachuck12

Instagram: @tyrachuck12

Tumblr: allthingstheculture.tumblr.com