***My Signature Style***

From what I've noticed, every natural has a signature hairstyle. It's the one that most compliments them in EVERY way! From how difficutlt it is to how much time it takes, the products needed, how long it lasts, how it fits their face, etc.

For me, that style is the BELOVED TWIST OUT!!!

There it is...in allll of its glory! *Sigh*...it's a breath of fresh air.
So you wanna know why, ey? I'll tell ya and I'll keep it short and simple:

1. The twist out is EASY for me to do and it take about 45 minutes for me to twist my whole head. I use the flat twist method.

2. I use 4 products to achieve the best results and neither of those products are expensive nor hard to find. They all smell delicious and they make me happy :-) (I'll talk about them in detail in another post).

3. A twist out can last me a STRONG 7 days...the maintenance is extremely low and THAT is the most important factor to me. I hate styling my hair only to wear it for one day...that absolutely blows.Plus it keeps me from putting my hands in my hair too much, which is always a good thing.

4. Lastly, I feel sexy with my twist out! It's like that fresh roller wrap I used to get when I was relaxed. It never fails me! My hair looks great and when ya hair looks great, so do you!

So yeah...the twist out is MY thing! I have mastered it and it does not fail! My old faithful :-)

What is your signature style?

Haircut Gone ALL THE WAY WRONG

Hey ladies and gents (if you're into this kind of stuff)! So I know I told you all that I got the rest of my relaxed ends cut off back in February and thus started my natural hair journey...but that dreadful day started another journey that I was NOT anticipating.

Here goes the story:

I was looking up natural hair salons in Memphis because I really wanted to try one out. Plus, I figured that a natural hair stylist would be able to properly cut my hair and distinguish natural from relaxed hair. I came across this salon called, A Natural Affair(Hate to put them on blast but it's only fair). I looked them up, heard from a friend of mine that they were cool so I decided to go with them.

I booked my appointment online and their website was absolutely legit! It was nice and pretty, lol, so I was sold! I opted to go with the "curly cut" service they offer which is 35 bucks. All that service entails is them cutting your hair while it's wet basically. They shampoo and condition it, then cut it, and then you're done.

Anywho, a couple of days later I made my way to the salon which was nice. The ladies seemed cheerful so I really liked the environment. The stylist who serviced me was not the owner, but I figured she knew what she was doing because I heard the owner was really good at what she did and I trusted her judgement.

I was wronger than Alicia Keys was when she decided she just gon' keep on singing regardless.

As I was sitting in the chair, watching my hair hit the floor, I felt like it was a bit too much but I thought I was just having "hair cut jitters". Then I thought about it, I was seeing A LOT of curls hit the floor but I only wanted my relaxed ends cut off (which was about an inch in certain places on my head).

Anyway, I decided I wasn't going to worry about it. Like I said, I blew it off as if I was tripping and just decided to chill. She finished cutting my hair, threw me under the dryer, and sent me about my way. Before I paid my money, I noticed my hair was unusually shorter but I thought it was shrinkage.

I was wronger than Mitt Romney is...for just even trying.

I usually wear my hair big so I never need to blow dry it or anything. For a month I wore braid outs and up-dos. It wasn't until March that I decided to do a blow out and OH MY GOODNESS...I was appalled!

Y'all my hair was EXTREMELY choppy on one side! The top of my hair was extra uneven, one side appeared thicker than the other because she didn't cut symmetrically...SHE STRAIGHT UP EDWARD SCISSORHANDED MY HEAD Y'ALL!

I was sad and depressed (not really), but I was upset because I took all that time and good care of my hair only to have my mini big chop experience ruined. I called the owner of the shop the next day to let her know and she was very nice about the situation. She told me to come in the next morning and she would try to fix it for free. I was like...cool!

So I got there the next morning, and she saw my head and agreed that I was doomed. She did what she could to fix it but ultimately it wouldn't be all the way right unless I cut off a good 4-5 inches of my hair...

I definitely wasn't trying to do that.

I decided I would just play the waiting game and allow the choppy parts of my hair to catch up to the rest. It's been 7 months since then and my hair has grown but it's still very uneven...

Peep the pic:



Yep...that's the tragedy that's happening on the left side of my head. The right side doesn't look like that.

I bet you want to know how I plan to deal...right?

Well today, after I got my trim, I decided I'm not going to let the longest part of my hair get any longer than it is until the ruined part catches up. I'll get trims every 6-8 weeks (I usually wait 4 months if I can) just to get things as even as possible as my hair grows.

Also I WILL NOT be straightening my hair. I rarely do it anyway but because I hate how choppy it is, I don't like how it looks. It actually isn't so bad when I wear it in it's natural state or a heat free style.

Here's a wash n go from last week:



So as you can see it's not AS obvious. You can still see that something is fishy, but it's not so bad. So...yeah!

My conclusion: DO NOT LET JUST ANYBODY CUT YOUR HAIR! Even if they claim to be natural hair specialists DO NOT BELIEVE THE HYPE! Oh, I didn't get my money back...which I SHOULD HAVE! I guess the owner assumed her "fixing" but not fixing my jacked up hair was enough compensation...NO MA'AM. She was nice though, and if Jesus Christ (and ONLY JESUS) advised me to go back I would ask Him can I at least sit in her chair.

In the mean time, I'll keep you all posted on my hair growth! :-)

Tell me about a bad salon experience you've had!

Hair Moments: Wedding Edition

This past weekend my lovely line sister got married!!! Shout out to my Ace :-) Although she's clearly the star of the picture...I had to briefly tell you guys about my hair here. It started out like this:




This was one of those days I let it do whatever. This WAS a braid out, but it got ruined by the humidity. All I did was put 2 twists in the front and VOILA...it became a hairstyle!

That's the beauty of natural hair...when one style goes wrong, it can quickly turn into another. Just be sure to keep bobby pins and ponytail holders in your purse AT ALL TIMES.

What's your emergency hair style?

Real Talk: The Super Natural Natural

Transitioning from relaxed hair to natural hair is a lot of fun. It's exciting, something new, brings about some interesting experiences, and over all it becomes a newly met goal! We all know how good it feels when you accomplish something you set out to do...FREAKIN' AWESOME!

HOWEVER...some women kill me when they act like their whole life has changed. I mean they go from lookin' like this:



To THIS:



And I'm talkin' bout baby and all!

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not in any way downing African women or trying to make fun of them...that's the motherland and I have nothing BUT respect for the culture there.

I'm talking about these African American women who ain't never seen a MAP OF AFRICA walking around with dashikis on when last year, before their big chop, they were braggin' on their BeBe logo tees!

They KILL ME!

Then when you ask em why they went natural they hit you with "I was just tired of trying to conform to the white man's world....I needed to feel confident with the strands God gave me...those of sheep's wool"...and so on and so forth. It's like GIVE ME A EXTRA LONG BREAK!

I mean, for some people that may be true...but girl explain your African flag dress and ear rings shaped like the continent! These women have stopped combing their hair and everything...talking bout "see, the comb is a tool of the man..." GIRL if you don't slick that "hurr" back!!

It's like...just because you decided to stop getting relaxers, doesn't mean you instantly transform into a full blooded African. You're still African American and you still grew up down the street! I can imagine that this is insulting to those who were born and raised in Africa. There's so much more to them than natural hair and intricate clothing.

Personally, I considered going natural because I just wanted to see what my true hair texture was. Not because I was tired of relaxing my hair to look "white"...as thick as my hair is...looking white was NEVER an option. I was getting relaxers because I loved my straight hair in high school and majority of college.

It wasn't until I realized I loved to wear my hair big and that natural hair would be better for big hair styles that I was like, okay...let me see what natural talkin' bout. It turned out that I LOVED it! I said to myself that if I didn't like it, I would just go back to relaxers. Luckily, it all worked out for me!

Now, I get the whole "I feel more confident now that I'm natural" thing...it is a BOLD statement. Regardless of how many women decide to go natural, it will always be daring thing to do, because it's still not the norm.

But PLEASE, pretty freakin' please, don't start makin shea butter sandwiches and jamaican black castor oil shakes and trade all your clothes for kente' cloths 'cause you've determined you've got a 4A curl pattern growing out of your scalp...'cause I assure you that AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT. I talked to Sweet Brown the other day and she definitely signed off on that! :-)

Again...I don't mean any disrespect! Just stating my lil ole opinion. African culture is BEAUTIFUL but please, if you didn't grow up over there or NONE of your family is from there...just stop frontin'. Keep calm and do a braid out!

What are your thoughts on the Super Natural Natural? DO TELL!

Product Rave: Organic Roots Stimulator Hair Masque

This week's product rave is all about the ORS Olive Oil Hair Masque: Intense Treatment for Heat and Color Damaged Hair!
I got my hair recolored a couple of weeks ago and after the first shampoo, I was experiencing awful dryness! My hair was frizzy, the braid out I attempted to do on it wasn't defined and it felt like straw...ugh!
I did a hot oil treatmeant with coconut and olive oils, shampooed with a sulfate free shampoo, deep conditioned, and all of that; still my hair was dry and it saddened me!
Needless to say, I went on the hunt for an intense deep conditioner and came across this product. I've always been a fan of the ORS line and they usually never let me down. So when I saw the product in the beauty supply store, I just decided to go ahead and buy it...
This hair masque CHANGED MY WHOLE LIFE!!!
I pre-poo'd with coconut oil and decided to shampoo my hair with Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Special Shampoo. That particular shampoo has sulfates in it, but my hair had A LOT of product in it and I love how clean my hair and scalp feels when I use it!
After I shampooed, that's when I applied the hair masque. It has a very thick consistency and it smells great! Well, to me it does. Some people may think the scent is overwhelming. Anywho...I parted my hair in 4 sections, applied very generous amounts to each section, put a plastic cap on my head, then sat under a heating cap for about 45 minutes. On the jar it suggests to sit under a warm dryer for 10 minutes, but I always choose to leave the product in for much longer than required.
When I rinsed it out...my God, my hair felt like...I don't even know! Y'all it was softer than anything I can verbally describe right now!
When I was applying my leave-in conditioner and styling products, the comb was just gliding through my hair! It was a beautiful thing...boy I tell ya!
When my hair finally dried, the definition was beautiful, it was shiny and soft, and the smell of the product was still in my hair! I loved it!
This product is a definite MUST HAVE! Especially if you use heat a lot or have had a color treatment done. It does warn that you shouldn't use this product daily because it is an intense conditioning treatment and you don't want to over moisturize!
I probably will use this once a month and do my regular deep conditioning treatments in between that time.
This product costed me $11.99 and was worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY! It will now be a staple product in my collection :-)

Have you tried ORS Hair Masque? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

What's On My Head?!

Since I've already discussed the hair typing chart, I figured I'd share my hair type with you all...or at least what I think it is!



Alright so here is my hair after I shampooed and deep conditioned it. You would think it would be soaking wet but literally 2 min after I stepped out of the shower, it was already beginning to dry! It's thirsty! (I said that in the voice that a girl would use when talking about an overly persistent guy lol). Any way, I THINK that my hair is a mixture of types 3C/4A. Oh, excuse my face...I become awkward when I'm taking "for hair only" pics.



On the left side is the texture that is over the majority of my head. Here it is still wet for the most part...I would say this is 3C. When it dries it shrinks up maybe half of it's actual length. The picture on the right side is the "4A" area of my head. It's ONLY on my edges in the front. As you can see, it already was drying for the most part and just looks frizzy. When it's soaking wet, however, you can see a very tight curl. This part of my hair shrinks up more than half of itself. It actually looks weird because it's only on my edges, so when I let my hair air dry with out styling products, it looks patchy...and tennis ball-y, lol. Anywaaaay...



This is the crown of my head. To be honest, I know it's not 3C or 4A, but I opted to save myself the headache and not try to figure it out. The curl is much looser in the top of my head. In this picture it was beginning to dry without product so you really couldn't get the full gist of it, but you can see how it just waves up. That's all I have to say about my crown...*hits the Steeby J face just because*



Alright, here is the problem area of my head. I had a sew-in with a side part during the months of December and January. I flat ironed it every. single. day and BAM! No more curls for me. This patch of hair has been this way since I cut off the rest of my relaxed ends in February...so wash and go's look silly right about now. I have about 3 inches of new growth in that area so it's in its own special transition. I cut the front of my hair a lot so it shouldn't take the majority of the patch to become fully natural again.Needless to say, but HEAT DAMAGE IS REAL LADIES. Flat iron too much if ya want to!

So...yeah...that's my hair in all its glory! To give you a run down, I have really no problems detangling ever, my hair holds on to styles for dear life,I always get great definition with braid/twist outs, I have no problem with moisture retention (even with color treatment), and my hair has normal shedding.

If your hair is like mine PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I've been looking for a hair twin :-)

What's your hair type?

Hair Typing 101-In My Own Words :-)

I got CURLS ON CURLS ON CURLS! And if you read that to the proper tune then you were right in doing so!Lol...let me stop!

So...as you all know, natural hair comes in many different textures. Hair could be thick, thin, curly, wavy and so on and so forth. To help categorize it better, a natural hair typing chart was developed. This chart groups hair by a number/letter system: 1-4C.




"1" would be just a straight texture; there is no natural curl definition.

Then you get into the "2s" which is the wavy category. This group, along with groups "3" and "4", has sub categories. Those categories are identified by the letter; they tell how loose or tight the actual wave or curl pattern is. So...2A-very loose wave (closer to straight), 2B-deeper waves, 2C-deepest waves. This type of hair is normally very easy to manage.

Now we're at "3". Type "3" is the curly hair family. Now, if you look at the chart above you will see the difference between the 3 sub categories. Of course, it's all in the tightness of the curl.You just have to pay attention to the size of the curl from root to tip. When type 3 hair is wet, it appears to be straighter than it actually is. Once it begins to dry, the curl pattern will be more apparent. Type 3 hair is known to be easy to style and normally has lots of body. However, it tends to be very sensitive to humidity which we all know causes frizz. Bummer.

The last group is Type 4 hair. "4's" are considered kinky. It is very tightly coiled and the most delicate of all the hair groups. As you can see from the chart, 4A is tightly curled from root to tip, 4B is more of a zig zag pattern, and 4C is an extremely tight curl pattern; it sometimes appears to have no curl at all. This hair type takes a little more maintenance because of it's very prone to tangles and it requires a lot of moisture.

Okay, that was my little rundown of the hair typing system! Actually some naturals prefer not to go by it just because it has proven to be a tad vague. There are some hair types that just don't fit directly in any of the categories. Also, most people have more than one hair type in their head (like myself). That can make it difficult to distinguish. Personally, I don't care for it much, but it is interesting. I'm one of those people who believe my hair doesn't fit in *insert sad emoji here*.

If you're wanting to see what your hair type may be, check this link out: http://www.naturallycurly.com/hair-types it has pictures of real women with the different types so you can get a better idea!

What do you think of the hair typing system? Is it useful or just blah?

The Style Files: #1

One of the most common quotes I hear from newly naturals or those who are transitioning is, "I don't know what to do with my hair!" Believe me, I understand the frustration. So here at Bold, Bouncing, Beauty (or B-cubed as I like to call it), you'll find "The Style Files"! This is created specifically for you to reference and become inspired. I will post pics of my hair as well as others and the low-down of the hairstyle! So let's jump into Style File Numero Uno!! :-)





Name: Twist-n-Roll
Type: Up-do
The Skinny: It's simply a flat 2-strand twist in the front and a side bun
Perfect For: Work, Casual days, Weekend fun
Benefits: This style is extremely low maintenance and it acts as a protective style
Products Needed: Hair moisturizer (of your choice), Gel (I prefer EcoStyler with Olive Oil), Ouchless Ponytail Holder, Bobby Pins
Difficulty: Super Simple! (Unless you can't flat twist :-( )

EXHIBIT A



*Here you can see I made the part big enough to have a nice, chunky flat twist. I also made the side part further over than usual. You can do the twist to go either way you like, but I prefer to twist it away from my face for this style. Before you begin twisting, remember to moisturize your hair. This is also where I add the ecostyler gel to my edges (before I start the flat twist)*

EXHIBIT B



*Here you can see just how far my side part is. Also, I pulled all the rest of my hair to the opposite side of the part. You want the ponytail to meet the end of the twist. Be sure to moisturize your ends after you pull your hair into the ponytail!*

EXHIBIT C



*Here you can see why it's important to pull the ponytail closer to the end of the twist. While my hair was still in a ponytail, I pinned the end of the twist right above the ponytail holder. I then made a bun just by making one big twist and then pulling the end of the twist over the ponytail holder. I pinned it as necessary so that it can be secure and...VOILA*

Tell me what you think of this style and if you have other ideas, please share!!!

Why So Natural?

As of lately many women have opted to let go of the creamy crack and embrace their natural curls. Some see this as a fast moving "fad train" that everyone seems to just hop on, which in a sense is correct, but this train is moving in the right direction!

I, for one, was so against going natural years ago. I thought nothing was better than my straight, easily styled hair. I never really experienced any real problems with my relaxed hair UNTIL I had a horrible run in with breakage. It was my freshman year in college and I was away from home. I had a relaxer and blonde hair color and did not know how crucial it was to keep my hair conditioned and moisturized. Needless to say, my hair snapped under pressure...literally and figuratively!



(This is me in April 2008...all the front of my hair had broken off...I had a mullet SMC!)

That was in 2008. Now after that, I continued to get relaxers but I died my hair darkest brown and made sure I took better care of it!



(This is my hair around October 2009. It was thick, healthy, long, and shiny :-)

It wasn't until April 2010 that I started to rethink this whole relaxer thing. I had gotten highlights in my hair because I thought it was healthy enough to withstand color treatment. I was wrong. My hair didn't suffer like the first time it was damaged, but it was definitely dry and breaking a little.



(My hair in May 2010. Definitely shorter again...my face was huge here too, lol, excuse that!)

SO...needless to say I went BACK dark and decided that I would no longer get relaxers. I like to change up my look every now and then, and I realized my hair didn't thrive under two chemical treatments (color and relaxer).

Those experiences all led me to where I am today. I could have continued to get relaxers and still have a decent head of hair...but I wanted ultimate health!

I was a YouTubing fool for the first 6 months into my transition...SHOUT OUT TO CHISELLECOUTURE...she was my HAIR IDOL! Hate that she left Youtube...ANYWAYS...back to the topic at hand...

Going natural was the BEST hair choice I've made and I would recommend it to ANYBODY! Those chemicals in relaxer are so harsh; although hair may seem to be healthy, it is substantially weakened by the permanent straightening process. I don't know about y'all but I like my hair FABULOUS and STRONG!

Tell me why you decided to go natural!! :-)

Behind The Blog...

Well hello there! Or should I say "hay y'all"! (Shout out to my Southern folk :-)

I want to welcome you all to Bold Bouncing Beauty!!!

For the past few months I've been thinking of starting a natural hair/beauty blog and as of today I finally decided to stop talking about it and start being about it! Without any hesitation, I'm gonna go ahead and give you a little bit of insight on Cerise (that's me!)



I started my transition to natural hair back in May of 2010. This year, in February, I recently cut off the last bit of my relaxed ends! My journey was an interesting one to say the least. I tried many different products and hair styles. I made a few mistakes here and there but it all helped me to be much more knowledgeable about my hair and its new state. I've also done A LOT of research that I always tend to share. I find myself having natural hair convos everywhere I go: work, the mall, public bathrooms, the gym...and that's just naming a few!

I also have a knack for make up! I've never done it professionally, but it's one of those things I'm sure I know how to do! I've tried a crazy amount of beauty products. Some have proven to be a treasure while the others had me looking a hot mess...SMC (shaking my curls :-). Just through trial and error over the past 6 years (that's how long I've been wearing make up), I've become quite seasoned in the world of skin and beauty. I'm no where near an expert, but I know more than enough to get by!

This blog will, however, go beyond make up and natural hair tips. If we are to truly feel beautiful, it HAS to start from within. Life has its way of...ya know...happening! Sometimes different circumstances and situations can alter our confidence and leave us feeling not as fabulous. To combat that mindset, we must be strong in spirit! God didn't instill in us a spirit of defeat, so I'm also going to use this blog as a vessel. A vessel in which God's word can flow through and in turn encourage you to take on life and still feel beautiful from the inside out! I thank you for visiting and hope that you will feel informed and encouraged!

You'll see that it's ALWAYS a good time here at Bold, Bouncing, Beauty! :-)