Darcy's Botanticals is da truth!

@Kinky,

I get lost on Curl Street too and I'm very lazy about journaling. I have Curl Define. I haven't tried it yet. I tried the Totally Twisted but it was too oily. I have to be careful with oil. My hair is pretty fine.

I love the new AVI. Your hair looks great.

rvalent2 wrote:Hi Renny,

I enjoyed reading your hair journey... I'm actually going down a similar path as yours... I had about an inch of permed ends and cut those today... So now i have a BC. I'm trying to ensure i have a good regime for my hair.. Lately i've found that my hair is dry after several hours of the day. Your looks great!

Thanks for reading. What are you using for moisture? I didn't have any problems with moisture after I chopped. I followed the weekly moisture regimen of one of my favorite YTbers and it worked for me. The only time I had dry hair was after I did an Baking Soda/ACV rinse. I'll never do that again. Here is her moisture video. I have completely different hair texture and used my own products, but it worked. I did have to buy the TW Protective Mist Bodifier, but I love it.



Let me know if I can help and congrats on the BC!

I thought I'd share some pictures of my first "happy" twist out. I actually had not planned to do a twist out until the spring because I didn't think my hair was long enough. I was wrong. I think I had so much shrinkage from WNG's that I didn't realize how much my hair had grown. I've been really practicing for the last few weeks. This is my third twist out this month, but I'd say the first successful one that I'm really happy with and have worn to work.

Let me preface this by admitting I'm lazy and I have a shoulder that I refuse to have an operation on, so twisting is not that easy, especially in the back. I only do 20 twist. The first time, I had an accidential twist out. I had cowashed my hair, put Giovanni Direct Leave-in in and sealed with cocount oil. I put in about ten twist and went to bed. The next day I planned to rewet my hair and do a WNG, but I ended up needing to go somewhere suddenly and as I took the twists out I liked what I saw. The only thing was I had dry hair by the 2nd day and nothing (in terms of product) that I felt good about moisturizing it with.

A few days later I retwisted using a mix I saw on a Kimmaytube video with Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue and Aloe Vera Gel. I probably put in 15 twist and left them in for 2 days. My hair was very moist, but frizzy on the 2nd day. Uh, yeah, those 15 twist were likely the culprit. Here's a picture of the twist. I accidently deleted the hairstyle, but the pictures weren't great anyway.





This time I decided to use Elasta QP Mango Butter and Olive Oil. Love it! Like the smell, consistency and the results. I still only did 20 twist and I'm sure I'd have more defined hair if I did more, but I kind of like the kinky look. Here are some pictures. They're not great. I'm horrible with the camera.

Day One




Day Two




Day Three




I retwist hunks every night and pin it down with hairpins and tie with a silk scarf. I also put a little Oyin Burnt Sugar Pomade on my hands in the morning and run it over my hair.

My hair is sooooooooooo soft. Although I have to be careful about using oils, I like the Elasta QP and Burnt Sugar combination alot. That Burnt Sugar is all oil, but it's the bizness.

So, I just wanted to share.

Here's my regime while i'm out of town:

Trader's Joe Tea Conditioner
Coconut oil/Jojoba oil mixture
Fructis Cream Gel

Back at home, i have the following products:
Funky Daughter Shampoo and Curly Magic
Since my BC, i was planning to do a shea butter mixture with ECO Style gel as seal.

Any thoughts?

Are you cowashing? How often?

Is the Trader Joe's is your leave-in? Are you sealing the ends with the oil mixture?

You may want to go ahead and incorporate that shea butter mixture, but remember you have to have a water based product to moisturize. That's why I was asking about the Trader Joes's - is the first ingredient water and are you using it as your moisturizer?

I had heard of anyone sealing with Eco. People usually seal with an oil or shea butter. Shea butter is great for sealing.

I've been co-washing every day since I'm on this business trip, in the morning my hair has been extremly dry.... I'm very new to this process and I'm trying to get my regime down.

Trader Joe's is my leave-in. I don't have Shea Butter out here. I'm in Bakersfield on a business trip. I haven't been able to find it so I'll have to wait until i get back to Houston to incorporate the shea butter mixture. Trader's Joe is water based, here are the ingredients:

Trader's Joe Conditioner: water, tea tree, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, nettle oil, thyme oil, birch leaf oil, chamomile oil, clary, coltsfoot leaf, yarrow oil, mallow, horsetail oil, soybean protein, cetyl alcohol, vitamin e, trace minerals, citric acid, sodium hydroxymethylgycinate, grape seed

Error on the eco as sealer statement above.

After I co-wash - add cocunut oil & Jojoba oil
Then, add Fructis Cream Gel

i'll be back in Houston tomorrow to begin using the other products above.

I don't know I'm not an expert, but there are two ways to attack the problem; one is to try to add more moisture and the other is to try to determine if a product is not right for you.

When I was transitioning and BCed I cowashed, used a leave-in and then used a creamy moisturizer. It was summer so I also was able to use glycerin and aloe vera juice with water and some oils in a spray bottle. This became my daily moisturizer and I used it a few times a day.

You can try bagging your head overnight with conditioner and some oils. I did that also.

You could try a different conditoner. The Trader Joe's has good ingredients, but one of the top ones may not a good match for your hair. I know my hair doesn't like tee tree oil, so try a different conditioner and see if it get's better or use the Trader Joes's for a few days and stop using the Jojoba or coconut. See if just sealing with one oil improves it. If not then move on to another conditoner.

Also are you deep conditioning? I think it's very important to deep condition your hair at least weekly. I've not missed a week since May.

Did you get a chance to watch the video I posted? I think it shows that moisturizing can be a process. I followed moisture routine and never had dryness.

Hi Renny!

sweetdrk1 wrote:Hi Renny!

Hi Lady. I love the hair. Great AVI.

Hi Renny... I did check out the video.. Thank you so much... very informative... My hair looks much better today.. last night I added only a little conditioner and refined shea butter, then i proceeded to twist. This morning the end result was much better. I'm trying to update my avatar and post some pictures... stay tune.

RVA - Great. Glad to hear it. Keep me posted.

Hi there! I don't think I have visited you before.

It sounds like you are learning your hair's likes and dislikes. That is great!

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Hey Renny! Your twists are looking great girl! And look at you GIVING advice!

poeticlyspkng wrote:Hey Renny! Your twists are looking great girl! And look at you GIVING advice!

I know, giving advice like I know something. LOL.

Well I shopped on my first Black Friday as a natural. I was disciplined and purchased the following:

Darcy's Botanicals:

Deep Conditioning Mask - adding to supply
Daily Leave-In - new for me
Curling Creme Gel - new to her line, new to me and free
Curling Cream Leave-In - new to her line, new to me

Donna Marie:

Curling Creme - new for me
Moisture Mist - new for me (a real PJ purchase)
Cocoa Hemp Styling Milk - adding to supply
Miracurl Gel - adding to supply

Not too bad. I do plan to pick up two products on the ground this weekend:
Good Hair's Honey Suckle Leave In (It's a local product. Ingredients look great and it's on sale for $10 this weekend.)
Qhemets Burdock Root Buttercream at a local store. We'll see.

Can't wait to get my stuff and use it!!! Fun, fun!!!

I also did a Twist Out for Thanksgiving hair. I actually had 45 twist in my hair. I'll post pictures later. My hair was hot, hot, hot on Day One. This is Day Two and it's very moist but I haven't fluffed it out yet. I hope it's a winner. I have book signing at 3 pm. Need hot hair.

Hey Renny,
I was coming by to see the twist out pictures with the Elasta QP & Burnt Sugar combo. Looking good lady! You got some nice treats for Black Friday. I so wanted to order the Miracurl and LI, but I know I have enough gels to last me through the winter so I'm gonna hold off until spring to try it. Can't wait to see the pics fromt he book signing.

WOW you stocked up yesterday huh? I only got one thing and that was some almond and ginger twist gel from afroveda. 45 twist? wow, I bet the twist out was awesome. I am wearing twist now, I have had them in for 4 days now. I will be back to see pics.

Hey Renny...

I didn't get anything from Darcy's....I wanted her new products, but I was so trying to be good. However, I'm giving away her deep conditioner this month on my blog and I really should have bought that...now its SOLD OUT!!! LOL

I hope you do a product review on the new product you bought from Darcy's...I'm curious to see what it does!!!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!!

@Crissy - I did stock up didn't I. Oh me. Merry Christmas to a sistah is what I'll justify it with.

@Kinky - I had a fabulous Thanksgiving. Thanks.

I'll definitely be doing some product reviews.

You can try getting the Darcy's DC Mask from Sage. Cindy's not out and she's having free shipping. Not sure how long that's going to last. I think it's through CyberMonday, but not sure.

Here's the website http://www.sagenaturalceuticals.com/shop/index.php?c=9

Nice giveaway. That's how I got the product. I don't think I would have paid $20 for a DC.

So I was very pleased with my Thanksgiving twist out result. Here are pictures of the twists and then the results before and after I got dressed:



My hair has grown alot in the front and back.



My 45 twist don't look like much because my hair is fine. It's never as sexy as the thick haired curlies.





Amazing curl definition and the pictures do not do it any justice.





I look so oily. I use a little coconut oil with my facial moisturizer. I don't think I look as greasy in person although I might be wrong. I also greased up my neck area just incase somebody brought hot man to dinner. It did not happen, but I looked good.

As for second day hair. FAIL. My hair didn't look bad, but I did not achieve the look I wanted. I'm not sure I will ever achieve the look I want, but I'm going to keep trying products until I find out for sure. What is the look I want? The same look I have the first day and I'd like to have it for at least 3 days. That look includes well defined curls that are not an afro at the roots with curls sprouting out of it. That's what I've been getting on Day 2 and by Day 3, I have a headband on. I don't want a headband on.

So again, this is what I did, I washed, DC with Darcy's overnight and the next morning washed out the conditoner and put in Giovanni Direct-Leave-in and let it dry. It was about 90% dry in the front and totally dry in the back. I started twisting in the front. (I know that's backward, but I just like to start in the front.) I used Elasta QP and Oyin Burnt Sugar on the ends. Very little burnt sugar. After I was done I pinned the roots down with hair pins because my hair begins to unravel at the roots. I was hoping this would help with the frizz/puffiness. I had this same problem when I twisted with the Curly Meringue/Aloe Vera gel. I thought it was because my twist were big, but clearly that ain't it. I'm believing it's product and/or the fact that I need to go completely dry.

The plan is to try the Curly Meringue/Aloe Vera gel and the Elasta QP on completely dry hair before I give up on them.

Thanks for reading, I'm taking all suggestions on how to improve my twist outs. The only thing I don't think I'll be able to do is leave them in longer. Not now while it's short. I can't wear twists to work. The max I've been able to leave them in is two days over the weekend and that was with the Curly Meringue/Aloe Vera gel. Made no difference in the puffy roots to leave them in.

Hi Ladies,

It occurred to me in addition to the changes I need to make in products for twisting that I might not retwist correctly. Am I supposed to use product to retwist? I know most people use larger sections of hair, but do you reapply product?

TIA!

Hey Renny

What I want to know is how did you get your front to stand up like that? Anyway....I hope some of the ladies that get great twist outs weigh in to answer your questions. However, I will tell you that now I re-twist every other day with a little CoCoLatte Moisture from AfroVeda. Not sure what everyone else does, but I've found that works for me. I re-twist in bigger twists as well, but by the 4th day....my twist out is on it's last leg!!

Hang in there you will so find your product. I was watching a YT video today by KeKe and she has amazing twist-out results. I've included the link to her channel. You should check her out if you haven't do so already!!

keke's YouTube Channel

LOL@Kinky - I can't stop it from standing up. It's kind of straight in the front so it just jets out like that. It's a very spiky look overall.

I'll check out KeKe's channel. I read that Curly Nikki twist on soaking wet hair to eliminate frizz at the roots. I'll keep that on my list of things to try as well.

I can't wait to hear what everyone else is doing for retwisting. I assumed everyone did it without adding product.

I shared this on another thread and thought I'd repost it here. Just some history about my hair. The question was, why did you get your first relaxer:

I got my first relaxer when I was 17. I actually had a Jheri Curl before I had a relaxer. My hairdresser needed someone with virgin hair to be her hair model in the 1st Annual Care Free Curl Stylist Contest. I was her model. I got to go to New York and I sat on a stage while she and about 20 other stylist competed to make the best Jheri Curl. I am so not kidding. Anywho, she won $500. All I got was a free Jheri Curl and a yellow taffetta jump suit. Hers was red. Get the picture. Care Free Curl! It was a great. Once I grew the curl out, I decided it was time for a relaxer.

Renny wrote:Hi Ladies,

It occurred to me in addition to the changes I need to make in products for twisting that I might not retwist correctly. Am I supposed to use product to retwist? I know most people use larger sections of hair, but do you reapply product?

TIA!

Hey Renny,

Usually the first day I wear a twistout I do not apply product the first night but each night after that I go by how my hair feels. If if feels dry or needs moisture I will either use SheaMoisture hair milk or a little Qhemet's heavy cream to moisturize my hair. Once its retwisted I will spray all the twists with a hair spritz. HTH.

Question: Does Sage sell Qhemet's? I haven't been there yet and I was wondering if I can get this on the ground instead of always ordering online.