My New Blog. Yayy.

I am finally ready to reveal my surprise!

Of course, because of the title you already know what that is.
I am so excited!
I love blogging, but I felt like I needed a fresh start and the freedom to post wider content.
I mulled it over for a while and decided to do just that by creating a new blog.

This new blog will delve into all aspects of my current life including beauty, fashion, life in Jamaica and will still include the subject of this blog - hair! (By the way, I cut all my hair off! Read all about it here.)

I hope you will join my over there as I bring you fresh, new content and a whole lot of entertainment.
Feel free to leave me notes about the things you wish to see on Glam Gal! I love to hear from you.


Xoxo Abbi-Jo

Something Good is Gonna Happen!

Laying Your Dutch Braids

Hey guys!

I'm stopping by to show you a quick visual of how I achieved the two dutch braids from my last post.

Enjoy:

Hope it helped.

Ciao!

Wash Day with OXX Haircare System

Hiya Lovelies!

Life is hectic!
I have been preoccupied with work and other engagements as I am sure most of us are, so I needed a wash-day that could fit neatly into my busy weekend.

Today I'm sharing a quick wash day routine that will take us through everything from cleansing to styling in 2.5 seconds. Well...not quite...

We had a four-day exposition here in Kingston this past weekend whereby hundreds of local businesses display their wares. I was tasked with manning our booth (along with other employees) for three of the four days. While there, I had a chance encounter with another booth holder - OXX System. We had a lovely chat and shared some of our experiences. She gifted me with a complementary bag of samples, which contained a shampoo, conditioner and a leave-in mist. I also got a brochure of all the products in the system.

On Sunday, I decided to experiment with the products received and set out to tame the beast that is my hair!

I started out, as per usual, by misting, finger detangling and placing my hair in sections. This time I went for 6, as opposed to my usual four as I am 17+ weeks post and I had not detangled for three weeks as I had been protective styling with large cornrows.

I hopped in the shower and applied the shampoo to my dampened hair. I rinsed the hair prior to shampooing as I learnt a while ago that the shampoo is better able to work its magic on dryer hair. The shampoo left my hair feeling moisturized, to the point where I wondered if it was clean enough. But it looked clean, so I kept it moving.

Upon reading the brochure for the OXX system, I noticed that they carry a pre-conditioning booster. Hmmm that's new, I thought. We, in the hair care community are all familiar with pre-shampooing, but pre- conditioning?...

After a closer look I realized that the pre-conditioning booster takes the place of deep-conditioner and may even be thought of as one in the same. Anyhow, having not received a booster in my goodie bag, I checked the ingredients list and found that I could duplicate the formula with items found in my kitchen. So off I went...

The ingredients in my version include molasses, coconut oil, essential oils, MSM, biotin and a multi-vitamin. lol. I'm serious tho!

I applied the mixture to my hair, left it on for three minutes, as per their directions and then rinsed. Don't try this at home friends, things could get messy! I'm kidding, take your chances, but do it in your tub.

After rinsing, I applied the conditioner to my hair, raked it though, and let it sit for a few minutes then rinsed. I T-shirt dried while I applied my make-up and then misted my hair with the leave-in and proceeded to style. A little secret: I used the mist as a make-up setting spray and I loooved it! lol

I installed the now famous, thanks to the Kardashians??? (WTF??), french braids and off I went.

I love simple, straight wash days where I am not prepooing for ages, sitting under a dryer for years and styling for days. Particularly when I get the same or similar enough results.

That's what I kinda like about the OXX system. It feels fresh, new and simple. And, can I tell you, the proprietor has waist-length, afro-textured natural hair, which she straightens weekly (with a flat-iron!). Also associated with the brand is a salon which specializes in, and practices healthy hair-care. So I'll have a feature and a documented visit to share later on.

'til then... muaahhh!

he regresado - trims, breakage & border-line neglect

Good morning!
Happy Sunday!

I got up this morning & randomly decided to blog.
How long has it been??
I didn't even remember how to create a post just now when I came here.

Lots have changed and I have been way too busy in the last few months and blogging just got tossed to the side... but alas, I felt inspired this morning so here I am today.

What's new:

On the personal: I have a new job (not so new anymore) and I am living in a new city and becoming readjusted to the 9-5 life. So far so good.

In terms of my hair, I am still following my routine, however I haven't been as focused as I should. I have been wearing a lot of the usual braid-outs and buns with the occasional straight/ flat-ironed hair thrown in.

My routine:

My routine these days has seen me deep conditioning on the weekends, usually on a Sunday with sporadic overnight DCs beginning on Saturday. I then wash (either co-wash or shampoo, depending on the week) and style. The last couple of weeks saw me throwing my hair in medium sized twists and then into a bun or up-do of some sort. This keeps me from messing with my hair during the week.

Products:

In terms of products, I've kept it basic, using for my deep conditioner Aussie 3 Minute Moist, L'Oreal Reparative Smoothing conditioner, Shea Moisture 10-IN-1 conditioner and/or L'Oreal's moisture Rush Masque & Total repair 5 (not pictured). For shampoo, I've been using Shea Moisture's 10-IN-1 conditioner or Tresseme Touchable Softness . I used the Shea Moisture conditioner above as my leave-n and top it off with some natural oils.

Length:

My hair now is still between mid-back and waist length... due probably to trims, breakage and border-line neglect lol. I think I'm in a zone now where I wanna grow again and I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Anyway, I think I'm back for good... I hope I'm back for good, so we'll talk and I'll keep you in the know.


lOvE & LiGhT!

All About Texlaxing!

Hey There!

Things have been quite hectic lately (in a good way), so I haven't been churning out the posts as I would've liked.
However, I did make time to record, edit & post a video on my YouTube channel! (Cue cheering audience, lol)
I decided to go ahead and share it here as well.

The video is all about texlaxing.
It speaks to what texlaxing actually is, how to achieve texlaxed hair and addresses some of the benefits & drawbacks of it. I even included some information on a few relaxers that are great for this process.

Hope u enjoy.

Have a great week!

Shaped By The Gods - Nails

Kick-boxing is my new fitness 'thing'.
I have been at it for about 2 weeks and I have truly fallen in love!

The only thing is, my medium length, coffin nails were taking a hit, so I had to rethink my nail style of choice. And that was tough, 'cause if you know me, those are my absolute loves!

Anyway, I suppose it's time to try something new.
I'm actually thinking about going acrylic-free too, big step! lol

I scowered Pinterest for some inspiration and here's what I found.

What's your favorite nail to rock?

 

 

 

Health & Beauty: 7 Uses for Baking Soda

Hello there my friends,
I love finding multiple uses for products found right there in my pantry. And today I want to showcase none other than... wait or it...
 
 

 
 
Baking soda, I got baking soda... lol
 
But seriously, baking soda is one of those products that is a household's best friend. Also known as Sodium bicarbonate, it's a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste and we can use it for anything from whitening laundry to extinguishing fires. This being a hair (and a bit of beauty :-)) blog, we'll stick to personal care uses.
 

 



 

 Hair: 

1. Cleanser - Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo. Shampoo as usual and rinse thoroughly. Baking soda helps remove the residue that styling products leave behind so your hair is cleaner and more manageable.
2. Also, remove natural oil build-up and hair product residue by soaking combs and brushes in a solution of 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a small basin of warm water.

 

 

 

 

Beauty:

1. Teeth whitener - Combine a bit of baking soda with lemon or hydrogen peroxide for a super teeth-whitening formula. Use this one to two times per week for a whiter, brighter smile.
2. Facial exfoliant - the aforementioned combination is also excellent in the scrub department. The fine particles of the powder-like substance is great for a facial scrub as it is able to get rid of dead skin cells without being too harsh. Use as often as the skin on your face can tolerate.
3. Pore opener - need to remove black and white heads on and around your nose? Use egg or tissue paper + non-toxic glue to do so. But before you go in with any adhesive, open up the pores with baking soda to make for easy removal.

 

Health:

1. Reliever of colds - When taken internally, baking soda can help maintain the pH balance in your bloodstream. This is likely the basic premise behind its recommended uses against both colds and influenza symptoms. It can also be used as an antacid.
2. Bath bomb - I love a good soak. Bath time is truly a joy-evoking experience for me. Some of my favorite tub ingredients are Epsom salt, oils, and essential oils, and baking soda is right up there on the list. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bath to neutralize acids on the skin and help wash away oil and perspiration, it also makes your skin feel very soft and smooth.
    

Have you been using baking soda in your beauty regimen? How?

 

 

5 Things My Hair Taught Me

Another Monday morning has come and gone.
And if you're like me, you engaged in some introspection to take you through the week.
One of the things I thought about today, is just how much I have learnt about myself and life through my healthy hair journey.

1. Patience - This is one of the most uttered fact on any "how to grow your hair long" list. Watch any YouTube video and you'll find this neatly tucked somewhere in it. But patience is not only necessary in a hair journey, but in a life's journey as well. I read recently somewhere that "worrying is like praying for something you don't want". These days I just do what I need to do, be patient and let it take care of itself, both with my hair and all the other aspects of my life.


2. Discipline and consistency - We all know that doing something that benefits our hair only once in a while won't cut it. Ain't nobody ever got long healthy hair on a hair journey doing that! We've got to be disciplined and remain consistent to see any kind of positive results. That's kinda how it is in life too. Whenever we half-ass stuff we tend not to get the desired results and certainly we never see our full potential that way.


3. To take matters into my own hands - How many of us had shoulder length hair that stayed there for years and years and we just kept going to the same stylist and executing the same routine to no avail? Then one day, we decide to do it ourselves, and that's when we see change. That was definitely me! I had  shoulder length hair for years and when I decided to educate myself on the matter and make things happen, that's when the script flipped on its head. This holds true for my entire life.


4.To be healthy & fit - Although I've had a gym membership since I was around 16, I gained a better appreciation for health over the last few years. I utter the phrase "healthy hair comes from a healthy body" all the time. But what is a healthy body? Is it one that hits the gym a few times per week? Certainly not. Health is overall well-being - mind, body and spirit. I have definitely being experiencing some new heights and depths in my health these days and I'm loving it.


5. That anything is possible - I save this for last as to me, it is truly thee most important. Once upon a time we genuinely thought that afro-textured hair was and would forever be stuck at a certain length. However, these days we know enough to know that the opposite is the truth. If we invest time, energy and effort into our hair, it grows beyond our wildest dreams. Can you imagine how many things in life we feel the same way about right now? "No way, that's impossible", "I'm big-boned", "I'll forever be in debt" are a few of the things we find ourselves uttering, for some occasionally, for others every day. But what we need to remember is absolutely everything that the mind conceives, we can achieve if we eliminate our resistance to it. In the words of Nelson Mandela, "It always seems impossible till its done".

Have a great week.

My Current Hair Regimen (with products)

Hola!

Happy Sunday!

I am popping in to share with you what I've been doing to my hair these days.

The further I get into my hair care journey, the simpler my regimen gets. I compiled a video telling you what I do, how often I do it and what products I typically use to get it done. Take a look-see:

 

What does your hair regimen look like these days?

 

 

 

Loving Lately... (4)

I have a new crush!

Every time I see these bad boys I get excited.

They are just so sexy-looking.

What I'm speaking of are these succulent, medium-sized two-strand twists done on healthy natural hair. No, not twist-outs, TWISTS! Check out a few pics of these beauties:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

I twisted up my hair up the other day and my 6+ months of new growth did something like this. I was so in love.

I apologize for not being able to source these photos, they were all taken from Pinterest. If you do know the sources, you can let me know and I'll add it to the article.

 

What have you been loving lately?

 

 

 

The A - Z of a HHJ

There are so many acronyms and initialisms in this healthy hair world: HHJ, BC, SSKs, EVOO, the list goes on an on... and on! So I decided to get in on the action by compiling my ABC's of this hair journey thing and also paying homage to some of my favorite blogs.

Accepting your hair for what it is and working with it to make it the best it can be.

Balancing hair's moisture and protein is one of the best things you can do to achieve strong and healthy.

Cover hair with a satin cap while sleeping to prevent dryness and breakage.

Deep condition often! and with heat.



Black Hair Information



Relaxed Hair Health

Exercise!



Saving Our Strands

Figure out what products work well for your hair and stick with them.

Growth retention should be your focus when aspiring to long hair.

Hair care = Hair growth. Proper hair care, that is!

Inversion method may or may not work lol. You'll have to try it for yourself.

Journey. It may be long and treacherous or short and sweet, but it's yours and you've just got to keep going.

Kinky, Kurly, Koily - the texture of my new growth and hopefully, eventually, my entire length.



Just Grow Already

Learn from others.

Moisture is your best bud.

Oblige your curiosity by experimenting, but don't Overdo it.

Prepoo, protective styles and pH balancing!



Longing for Length



Fresh Lengths

Quit. Sike! Quite the opposite. Don't ever quit your hair journey because you are not seeing results, the time will pass anyway.

Relaxer stretching will do you a world of good if it is that you are relaxed.



Rachie to Waist Length

Sulfate-free Shampoos!

Take pictures to track progress.

Understand that growth comes naturally when your hair is healthy.

Veg out! and maintain a clean diet to get all the vitamins & minerals your body needs.

Wide tooth combs!

X-citing, X-crutiating, X-hillarating - all part of the process. My vocab is void of words beginning with X lol.

Yolks, yogurt, and even yams can be incorporated into your hair regimen. Be creative.

Zeal - what you need to reach your goal.

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

First 1/2 of '15 - Five Faves

1. Hair

 

 

2. Makeup

 

 

3. Fashion

 

 

 

4. Music

 



 

Beyoncé & Nicky Minaj's - Feelin' Myself

 

 

 

 

 

 

 5. Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 What have you been loving since the beginning of 2015?

 

 

 



Wash Day - Twisted Up-do

It's a little strange to me that I can have these effortless wash days at > 6 months post. With all the new growth I've got, you'd think it'd be a struggle, but no, smooth as butter.

 

 

I started off by deep conditioning over night on dry hair which was previously in twists. I finger detangled prior to applying the deep conditioner - Organics Hair Mayo, then sealed with my oil mix and prepped my hair for bed.

The next morning, I proceeded to rinse and apply my shampoo. I used TRESseme Smooth & Silky shampoo once and then I did a second shampoo with Shea Moisture Retention shampoo to restore the moisture as the former was a bit drying. I then conditioned with the matching TRESseme conditioner , put my hair in 2 braids while rinsing and T-shirt dried that way.

When my hair was dry and stretched, I added some leave-in conditioner - NTM Silk Touch Leave-in cream and some serum (L'Oreal Frizz Taming), after which I put my hair in this up-do.

 

All in all, it was an easy, stress-free wash day which I really appreciated at 27 weeks post.

It's been a while, but I'm linking with some other lovely ladies where we all share our wash day experience. Check them out.

 

How was your wash day?