Category Archives: Braids

Bouncy Braid-out On Fine Natural Hair

Products/Tools

DIY Spray Leave-In Conditioner
Argan Oil
DIY Flaxseed Gel
Wide-tooth Comb
Orange Perm Rods x 8
Afro Pick

Process

Braid and Curl

I actually (oddly) prefer the results of doing this on wet hair (normally I prefer dry styling) but when I start on wet hair and incorporate the combination of products mentioned above I nearly always (95% of the time) get results I am super pleased with. I start on wet hair that was either co-washed or deep conditioned. While in the shower i detangle, split my hair into 3 and twist each section (left, right and center). My application process is: Leave-In, Oil, Gel. I make a total of 8 braids; 3 left, 3 right and 2 in the center and do not braid all the way down, just a little more than half way before wrapping my hair around the 8 perm rods.

I let my hair air dry overnight by pinning the braids down with bobby pins and covering with a silk scarf. The following morning I take down the braids with a little oil on my fingertips (any will do), separate sections and fluff the heck out of my hair with an Afro pick. That is it!

Thanks!

Maicurls

How To: Turning an old Twist-out to Braid & Curl Low Manipulation Style

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Hello Maicurlies,

Today I wanted to share one of the methods I use to remoisturize old hair & how I style my hair in a low manipulation style (when I went camping for 2 nights).

wrap up braid-out

So I was off to a beach camping trip for 2 nights and my hair was a MESS! I had it in a twist out that turned into a messy bun. The curls were tangled, dry and just not in a good way! Since I was camping I knew I didn’t want to do anything “drastic” especially since I would be washing my hair once I got back. I also knew I wanted my hair tucked away since sand and my hair just don’t play nice at all so I figured I would remoisturize, bring back some texture but still keep my hair tucked away.

My remoisturizing method was simple, the L.O.C method (Leave-in/liquid, Oil, Cream/Whipped butter) I also used permrods and that was it. I did not use a comb to get through my hair since I wanted low manipulation and to protect my hair during the trip I used a scarf to keep my hair up and away from my shoulders and presto.

Braid and Perm Rod Set

Braid and curl

Braid and curl after separating

Braid and curl

Products/Tools Used:

DIY Spray Leave-In Conditioner (I have two versions on my blog: here and here)
DIY Coffee Infused Almond Oil
DIY Whipped Double Coffee Butter
Perm Rods
Scarf (the next day for styling)
Bobby Pins (to hold my hair in place)

Method:

I parted my hair into sections (roughly 15 – 18 in total), spritzed my hair with my DIY Spray Leave-In Conditioner followed by my oil. I then gently, carefully and slowly detangled my hair and get rid of shed hair. I braided my hair but left my ends unbraided. I added a little extra spray leave-in on the ends, smoothed on some whipped butter before wrapping them around the perm rods and then rolling up to my roots.

wrapped up braid out

Once I was done I covered my hair at night (I kept it uncovered right until I went to bed). The following morning I took down the perm rods and using a little oil on my fingertips I undid the braids. Now if you want to have definition then take the braids down carefully to keep the integrity of the curl pattern (since I just wanted a little texture, a little volume and was going to cover my hair it didn’t really matter for me). After I took down the braids I separated my hair a tiny bit and covered my hair with the scarf, leaving a swooped bang at the front (the ends tucked away) and pinned the rest of my hair upwards. Presto: happy moisturized and protected hair ready for camping!

I have a video of the whole process:

P.s. In case you were wondering, here is a peak at the spot where we camped.

What is your go to method to remoisturize “old hair” mid-week/before washing your hair?

Thanks

Maicurls

Styling Introduction Video Uploaded on YouTube

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YES..so the time has come… I am going to start with the styling videos *biting my nails*! I really am excited to start this but super nervous as well because as I have mentioned numerous times…I am not a professional hairstylist nor a styling “guru”!

Here is a quick video explaining what I plan on doing. I will start off with my simpler styles at first and then take it from there. I also have some styles that I had tried when I was newly natural and at the time some of them did not work out. E.g my first attempt at Bantu Knot-outs. They did not fair well at all and I decided that “it would never work for me”. This year I wanted to give them another go but did them a little differently you can read about both here and the end results were much better! So what I will do is mention if a certain style was attempted before and failed and then you will get to see what I do differently now. I have a couple of new styles in mind that I have never tried before but want to try out and I will record them as well (I am sure a couple will be epic fails LOL.)

I of course would LOVE to hear from YOU! So please do leave me messages, suggestions etc of certain looks you think I should try!

Side note – apart from my styling videos I will also put a few Skin Care videos out because 1. I will otherwise probably end up running out of styles to do and 2. it is nice to have a variety of different topics…who knows this might lead to something else as well!

So I look forward to starting and as always I will have write-ups of styles (the ones I have not yet added and the new ones I want to try.) I really hope they workout because there is nothing worse than boring hair tutorials!

Have a lovely day!

Maicurls

How to ride in the open air

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Good Afternoon lovelies,

So I wanted to share a little “tip” (if I can call it that). I actually think I might dedicate a page to “tips” or something like that! Anyways….so I recently traded in my old car to my dealership and got a nice “almost brand new” car! Annnnnd it is a convertible!!!! So of course one obvious benefits of a convertible is driving around with the car-top down… “what about the curls?!?!”…you might be wondering.

Now I am not just bringing this up because the driving around in the open air can cause a styling mishap – e.g. if you have spent 2 hours styling your hair in a particular way (especially if you have quaffed your hair so that it is sleek, defined, laying down etc.) Yes the wind, humidity, heat, dust and all other elements will impact how your hair looks at the end of the ride but in my opinion the most important part is that all of the elements can dry out your hair!

Even if I were rocking a puffy, fluffy, big hairdo – while the elements might give me more volume; the dryness is something I can live without! So what is the solution you ask?

Twists!!! Yes twists! I would say drive around with the car-top down when you are rocking your twists – it can of course be braids, Bantu knots, of even a bun. (I do not tie my buns too tight therefore my little flyaways do their crazy dance so I always have a silk headband with me in case I can not tame them). If your hair is not out and flowing around, rubbing against one another and being overly exposed to the elements, having them in a protective style can help to at least try and reduce the exposure (it is not going to be 100% protected but it is better than nothing!)

You can even take it a step further by using a scarf over your twists, bun, Bantu knots, braids etc – once you have arrived at your destination you can take the scarf down if you do not feel like wearing it. I love showing off my twists when I do them well so I take off the scarf!

So there you have it! My little tip on what you can do with your hair if you do plan on cruising around with beautiful fresh air filling your lungs! I would LOVE to hear what you think and if you have any suggestions do let me know!

Enjoy the day!

Thanks

Maicurls