British Curlies Forum

A red, wavy whirly adventure

2013-01-24T10:53:25+00:00

I thought I would start a diary to detail my attempts at having proper curls, and healthy hair. I did my last shampoo on 8th January with the Aussie Moist, followed by the gorgeous smelling Superdrug Raspberry and Macadamia conditioner. I tried the plopping, I don’t know if I did it right as I just ended up with a soggy cot sheet full of hair on my forehead, I think possible my hair is a bit heavy for this. Anyway, did the diffusing, an improvement in itself. I think just the extra TLC helps.

Since I have been having fun trying conditioners and creams. I got some Inecto Coconut Conditioner off Amazon, which smells gorgeous. Also some Naked Conditioner from Boots, which I think is a bit richer, but not really enough for all my hair. I’ve just been and bought a massive bottle of tresemme naturals from Savers, for £2.99, so will try that tomorrow.

I have been playing with my oils etc too. I made myself a concoction out of Olive Oil, Almond oil and Geranium, Jasmine and Lavender essential oils, cos they smell nice and are good for hair. I warmed it through with a bowl of hot water, bunged my towel in the dryer while I applied it, mainly to roots and ends, and then left it about 90 minutes while I did my housework. Then washed as normal, even though I was worried that my hair would be greasy as I read that you needed shampoo, the co wash did just fine. Not a huge miracle, but my hair wasn’t as dry, and seemed a bit shinier. Yesterday I had a go at making a serum, I used a mix of Aloe Vera Gel, Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil and Jasmine essential oil. It seemed to do the trick, as my hair felt a bit dry, as it often does after I use the dreaded hair dryer (roll on summer!), and it was a lot shinier afterwards. I think I may have put a bit too much on in parts, I am great at doing that, too much curl cream, too much gel, but it was ok, and felt a lot better today too.

I am trying to get to grips with curl creams and gel. I think I am probably using way too much, but I am gradually trying to reduce. It is hard when you have loads of hair, as the recommended little dollop doesn’t go far on my mop. Although I have read to use it on wet hair and brush before, I have found it easier to make my hair just wet, and then apply, and brush through. If I scrunch and leave it for a few minutes it soon clumps again. But my hair is tidier this way, as washing my hair bent over the bath, doesn’t work as well as when you brush in the shower, then it kind of stays where you put it.

Anyway waffle waffle over, I write so much. My hair will need washing, here is a photo of after I washed it in my super trendy dressing gown, then one from today, when I have just dampened a scrunched a little bite of gel in and a quick blast with the dryer. I would love some feedback on curl type etc. I think my hair is just sort of 2b, maybe 2c in parts, it curls more in summer when I can leave to dry naturally. Coarse texture and high / normal porosity, and pretty dense.

newbie diary! need advice :-)

2013-04-27T17:55:47+00:00

Hello! Been lurking for a while but joined now to get some help! I have highlighted hair that only had a slight wave til I hit puberty when it went mental. I have children, after each one the curl dropped for a while but then came back. But this time it hasn’t come back and seems thinner. It’s also been very dry.
I’ve been using no-cone conditioner since Xmas but had no luck with co-washing. I’ve found a few things out:
I live in a hard water area so I need EDTA in my shampoo/conditioner
My hair likes protein.
The curl has been enhanced with scrunch and pump and plopping, plus I’ve started using gel to style, but now it’s really frizzy!

So my current routine is either VO5 nourish me truly shampoo, which has keratin and EDTA but also SLS, or body shop rainforest shampoo, which leaves my hair a bit sticky (think that’s the hard water).
Then timotei pure conditioner.
Then a bit of avocado oil on the ends
Then scrunch with UG jelly
Then some plopping

The curl is better, but they are stringy, also I need a lot of gel and then it takes ages to dry ( about 6 hours and it’s only shoulder length.

So, anyone got any suggestions for:
Protein and EDTA lo poo
Leave in conditioners with no cones
Other styling products that might work?

Think my hair prior to this baby was a 3a, 3b, but now its a 2 a/b :-(
It seems quite porous and it’s fine and fly away and very affected by the weather!
If you’re reading this, thanks!

Diary of a frizzly bear

2013-05-21T09:17:05+00:00

So on day one it was apparent that a DT was needed ASAP. Though shape-wise it wasn’t too bad by mid morning I had put it half up as there was too much frizz to be borne.

Day one evening: booked up Stephanie (recommended on here) for a restyle tmrw, researched some styles, might be mad but thinking of a fringe!!! Also made up batch of homemade DT and left it on overnight, as well as some FSG.

Day two: washed out DT and used gel, realised I need a good leave-in condish. Hair much more conditioned than yesterday curls a bit stringy but they do need a cut, will post pics below of today’s and yesterday’s hair.

Very excited about the cut tonight!!

Diary of ‘Dougal’

2013-01-03T21:32:34+00:00

I will start off by explaining why Dougal. My nick name was Dougal ( from the magic roundabout )! A name I had through years of marriage to my 1st husband. Needless to say I am not called it now! When I look back the 80’s Buffant certainly made me look like Dougal! Photographs I cringed at, which of course did nothing for self esteem. I ended up having my hair cut so short it was clippered to the back, just to stop the curl and look ’ normal’ In my late 30’s I decided to grow this boy style out and go blonde. Everything went very well, but my hairdresser would insist on cutting my hair wet and blunt to the edges, the same as straight hair. Constant colouring did nothing for the curl, so I either tied it back or had it straight. 2 years ago I stopped the highlights and went back to brown, but the curl was really loose and not as it had been. I even bought a curling wand!
So here we are, my hair has grown and I am no longer blonde. My hair was an unruly flat mess which I was tying back constantly, a waste of long hair.
By chance I came upon information on caring for curly hair. I thought it was too good to be true, but how wrong I was! Reading up about the CG routine I decided to give it a go. To my surprise the results were immediate. My hair started to respond relieved of all the frizz ease I had been piling on in the vain hope of controlling my hair. My hair was dry and I didn’t know it, so simply moisturising helped immensely.years of highlights had starved it of protein.
Keeping this diary I hope, will help myself with products, styling techniques and maybe just maybe help some other poor Dougal!

Adjoa’s experiment diary

2012-06-07T16:06:57+00:00

Hey all,

Received my year’s stash from British Curlies not too long ago, trialing lots of new products at the moment so wanted a place to document what’s working and not working, winning combos, what I haven’t liked very much etc etc.

My hair’s at a weird in between length at the moment - HATING IT, I like short cropped hair or long hair, inbetween doesn’t work for me so i’m sitting on my hands whilst I finish growing out my mohawk, holding out til August minimum but ideally first week of October before contemplating any type of major haircut (That’ll be a year’s break from shaving down my sides) although I won’t lie I do love the scissors and revamping my style soo we’ll see! haha!

Recently ordered;

◦ 1 x Repair Me! 12oz
◦ 1 x Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion 12oz
◦ 1 x Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo 12oz
◦ 1 x Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner 12oz
◦ 1 x Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie 12 oz
1 x Kinky-Curly Knot Today 8oz
◦ 1 x Bee Mine Strawberry Kiwi with Sulphur 2oz
◦ 1 x Bee Mine Bee Loved Hair & Scalp Moisturiser 2oz
◦ 1 x Bee Mine BEE•U•Ti•FUL Moisturizing Deep Conditioner 2oz
◦ 1 x Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturiser 2oz Coconut Cream
◦ 1 x GVN Smooth As Silk Conditioner 250ml
◦ 1 x GVN Direct Leave-In Conditioner 250ml
◦ 1 x Type 4 Hair Creme 2oz
◦ 1 x Organic Biotin Conditioner 500ml

Plus I have some samples of Vatika Frosting LOVES and DB Daily Leave in and Hairveda Cocasta (sp) Oil, haven’t tried these yet

As I start to work my way through my stash I’ll update here with thoughts and comments.

Used to be a fan of Aubrey Organics but I’m not anymore currently trying to finish the following;

AO Honeysuckle Rose Condish
AO GPB Condish
and literally can not bring myself to use the AO GPB shampoo…thinking of mixing in some oil olive perhaps?? I shampoo about once a month currently so this could take me a while as I also working through bottles of CURLS Purifying Shampoo and CJ Daily Fix and now Shea Moisture Retention Shampoo which I LOVE

Product Junkie you say? Nope not at all lol I like to have products on rotation so that my hair doesn’t get too ‘used’ to anything..as I mentioned used Aubrey Organics for over a year and now my hair and I cant stand it

Anyhoo that’s it for now, very interested on hearing from other curlies in terms of their winning combos etc etc, massive fan on this forum been a member for the past 2 years although I’ve been a bit quiet recently but saying that I’m still a major silent stalker (I’m hearing good things about Tresemme Naturals condish, I’ve been looking for a cheap co-wash so may have to try this soon! So I can save my conditioners for DTs and PTs!)

lol

Adjoa

Finding my curls with CG - Improvement :)

2013-05-13T00:54:57+00:00

Hi there :)

I’m desperate to enhance my natural curl after years of blowdrying to straighten. I’ve been avoiding silicones and sulphates (as far as I know) for about 3 weeks, and though there’s an improvement in terms of how I treat my hair, I’m not really seeing the results other people get yet. I know it takes time and that my routine is not anywhere near perfect, so I’m trying to keep track of my progress here.

To start off, I think I’m a type 2c/3a with a lot of variation (definitely some 2b/3b in there), but I don’t know if that’s because of my routine or not.
I have low/medium porosity, medium strands (with some thinner and coarser ones in there), and quite long (see picture, though the angle is slightly exaggerating the length). I think I’m botticelli, but Ï find it so hard to tell due to the amount of variation plus long length of my hair dragging everything down.
I haven’t tested elasticity yet, will try to get onto that soon. I’ve never dyed my hair (the colour is off in the pictures due to the lighting), and only very rarely straightened it, but never used heat protectant with blowdrying. My hair is very dry, and I tend to get dandruff once in a while. It used to be much worse a year ago, but it occasionally resurfaces.

I had a haircut shortly before going CG, but my mother did it with kitchen scissors (ahem). I wouldn’t mind getting a proper cut to chop off quite a bit more, but I’m at uni and I don’t really know which hairdressers are any good here.

The pictures were taken a few hours after washing my hair, which was followed by plopping, air drying and then blowdrying (no diffuser — ordered one online last week) to get it dry. In-between the two I did go outside in the wind and even some slight rain. I don’t think my hair changed a lot though, it looked pretty much the same before.

I know I’m missing a lot of things in my routine, which will follow soon + product list :)

Chronicles of a mixed chick x

2013-04-02T22:25:05+00:00

Hi all!

I am new to this site but not new to curls so thought it might be interesting to start a little hair journal and share my experiences. Things are always clearer when you put them in writing hey?

I find that I’ve spent my whole life wanting to change my hair. I wasn’t uncomfortable with the curls as such, I just did not always know how to work with their sometimes seemingly irrational behaviour! I find myself at the age of 30 just tired of being in pursuit of ‘something else’ and have decided to let go and let God! I want to work out what is best for my curls and what makes them happiest! Happy curls, happy girl!

My relationship with my curls has gone through many transitions. There have been times when we have been the best of friends and times where I cannot bear to look at them.

I guess my ‘natural hair journey’ isn’t starting now as such but the way I view my curls is. I don’t want to be in the salon every week straightening out my curls and spending colossal amounts of money on temporary results. I just want to be me so here I find myself on this website opening my eyes to a whole new world where me and my curls have been re inspired x

I know a lot of you guys on here have read Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey which I have yet to get round to but I do recommend reading Curly Like Me by Teri LaFlesh where she recommends that you put a palmful of conditioner to each side of the head, comb through the curls in sections and then run your fingers through each individual curl or to each section. I have found this the most helpful as if I had read something else first I would’ve gone out and bought a whole heap of products that I didn’t need. Here it’s just condition condition condition! And I have noticed a great improvement to the health of my hair. My ends are still in tact after not trimming for over 4 months! Normally my ends are so bad that it effects my whole hair after 2 months. And I have always looked after my hair. So this method seems to work. I am trying to do as little as possible as I really just want to let it grow.

I have also invested in pure organic coconut oil which is a great as a multipurpose product! And pure Argan oil. My hair really loves Argan oil.

Another recommended read, Better Than Good Hair by Nikki Walton. Is just great for re inspiring and celebrating the unique curls we have.

On that note, I am signing off but please feel free to share your stories good and bad and any tips you may have.

I am hoping this will be a place where we can all share and encourage each other.

Good night and God bless
Ava xxx

Medusa’s snaky hair

2013-03-30T08:04:11+00:00

Am starting a new diary til I can find out where mynFightingfrizz profile went to. I’m lost without my curl diary!

Yesterday I got a good result. I washed with Dr Organic Argan conditioner, which I like a lot for detangling and the generally moisturised feel you get. Then DT with the last of my Bee Mine Beeautiful stuff. I put on my shower cap and let it sit for over an hour, applying heat for about 15 mins. After rinsing my hair didn’t feel overly moisturised, so After a little jojoba oil i added a bit of Keracare LI (my new favourite thing). Then a 10p sized blob of Re:coil, and some Frizz Ease gel. Pixie then air dry to finish. My cupuacu butter arrived this week, so I melted a sliver in my palms (smells a bit like gravy granules or stock cubes haha) and smoothed it over. Tiny bit of Aveda Anti Humectant pomade to finish, and for once I didn’t overdo it. My snaky Medusa curls are crazy and bouncy, the way I like them. Sticking out in all directions

CrystalTips Going Grey - A journey into the unknown!

2011-01-04T15:59:44+00:00

A new year - 2011 - and I’ve decided to embrace the grey!

Have been deliberating on it since late summer and had my last hi/lo lights on 17 August 2010 (although I didn’t know they’d be my last at the time!) - that’s 20 weeks ago! As Christmas approached I felt that if I was really going to do this, I had to do something about the ‘yellow’ highlights. It’s a common assertion that people with lighter or blonde hair will find it easier to transition to grey, as the grey growing in won’t be so noticeable. I’m not so sure. I figured that the ‘yellow’ highlights will make the grey look yellow – not a look I am after! So, just before Christmas, I popped into Eleven Hair and spoke with Jason (colourist) to break the news about my decision to go grey and ask his advice about toning down the highlights. He was very sweet about my decision (but am sure he was secretly horrified – Ben (stylist) was a bit gobsmacked! Lol) and said he would use a toner throughout my hair, but avoiding the new grey growth. Got the toner a week before Christmas. Was shocked at first as it was soooo dark! Took a few days to get used to it and then I actually started to like it. I actually liked that I could see the contrast between the newly ‘toned’ hair and my grey! Bizarre! The first pic attached is right after the toner was applied (Ben had cut and styled too – I think he did a good job - looks quite mad, which I like!) A toner is like a semi-permanent colour - it just deposits colour on top, so I knew it would fade quite quickly. The second pic shows what it looked like after 4 cowashes – it was taken on Christmas day and has faded a lot.

The toner will probably need applying again in the next few weeks – it seems to be doing the trick to keep the yellow at bay! I have no idea what I am letting myself in for! Mad, mid-life crisis!

Short-n-Curlie 3b/3c Diary

2013-04-03T19:33:09+00:00

Hi,

Well, after my original account was accidentally deleted (!), I have to start again. I don’t think I can remember all 10 odd pages of it (LOL!!!!), but want to give newbies and others with a similar hair type some hope, and hopefully some tips

Have fine European curls, and apart from the odd visit to the hairdressers, I have never straightened it (only because it was so curly and fine it looked like baby fluff when straight!!!). Like most on here have had a love/hate relationship with my curls, and found they always looked better when short in the past. Little did I understand about Silicones and Sulphates!

Photo’s below show the difference between pre-cg (last photo) and after (6 months in-between photos!). The first photo is the length it is now (18 months on). This is the longest I have had my hair in years!!! The CG method works so well for me, and my hair is tighter and curlier than it ever was before. No split ends in sight (even 3 months after a trim!), and more importantly no frizz! I always envied those with ringlets; little did I know that with a bit of TLC I had them!!!

I will slowly build this diary up to what it was, but in the mean time, to all newbies, there is hope! Read the sticky posts on the Newbies Forum page, and the articles, and ask any questions you may have! We’ve all been there, and are happy to come up with advice and suggestions to your queries

Emma.