Flexi Rod Update

Hey Peeps!  I just wanted to share a update about my flexi rod set.  It's been 5 days and my rod set is still holding up really nice. I have fallen in love with flexi rods.  I love the curls, I love that I didn't have to do anything all week but shake & go :) and I love the versatility.   I am definitely adding flexi rod sets to my hair rotation.   

 

To maintain my hair this week all I did was add some oil to my scalp at night and slept in a satin bonnet.  

In the morning I rubbed my sheacoco butter mix to my curls and that was it.

Also, I made sure I wore a satin bonnet under my hat.

Tomorrow is wash day but I am enjoying my hair too much. So, I think I am going to skip this wash day and see how long this set actually last.

First Flexi- Rod Set

So, last night I decided to try a flexi-rod set for the first time ever.  I've used flexi-rods on numerous occasions to curl my ends for my twist outs but I never tried a full flexi-rod set.  I must say they are very uncomfortable to sleep in.  But, I think the rod set came out nice for my first time. I can't wait to see it as the curls start to fall.  I love a rod set the older it gets.  

I started on freshly washed and air dried hair.  I used about 20 Flexi- Rods, Carols Daughter Setting Foam, Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Pink EcoStyler gel because I ran out of the Olive Oil EcoStyler.  I must say my curls are soft and bouncy.  I really like it even though the curls are a little tight for me.

My technique!

1. Took a medium size portion of my hair 
2. Added the Setting foam first and worked into my hair 
3. Then I used a mixture of the Curl Enhancing Smoothie with the Eco Styler Gel to add moisture to my hair.
4. From there I used my Denman brush to smooth out any knots and tangles in my hair.
5. Then I added my the flexi rods.  I focused on my ends first making sure they were smooth and tight so I would not have any frizz.  I rolled my hair up in a spiral and secured the rods. 
6. Added my bonnet and went to sleep!
7. Next Day, I used some coconut oil on my hands to unravel and separate my hair. 

I hate taking selfies :(

Why I chose to blog?

I want to share a short version of my natural hair and beauty journey.    I started my natural hair journey in July 2010.  I just woke up one day and decided to cut my hair.  Yes!  I cut my own hair and I loved it.  This was the beginning of loving myself naturally and a new self-confident Ria. For years growing up as a tall, skinny girl from Brooklyn with thick, bushy eyebrows and acne I suffered with low self esteem at times.  

Therefore, my natural hair journey wasn't just about hair and beauty it was about me learning to love myself inside & out.  I researched and spent hours on the blogs learning about natural hair and products. I started a regimen and became a kitchen beautician.  I love mixing up hair products and body products in my kitchen.  In addition, my natural hair journey led me to pay attention to what I ate and used on my body and skin.  I started to change my eating habits and begin a completely natural regimen for my skin.  Voila!  I saw a difference in my hair and skin.  For the first time I wasn't spending a bunch of money on products for my skin and my hair was actually growing.  

Then one day I discovered coloring (my biggest hair mistake ever), curlbox.com & curlkit.com and I quickly became a PJ (product junkie).  Needless to say color plus my love for products led to a big learning experience for my hair.   My regimen was out the window and the color ruined my hair. I was trying and using everything in my hair and my hair continued to stay dry, brittle and breaking.  I wasn't listening to it.  Instead, I continued to color and try a bunch of different products. Until one day and I looked in the mirror near tears with frustration because I couldn't understand how my was not retaining length and in some cases it looked like it was getting shorter.  I was tempted to do a big chop and start all over again but my best friends talked me off the ledge. LOL!  

At the end of 2013, I started to listen to my hair, I mean really listen to my hair. I stopped using tons of different products and  I've began to slowly trim the color out of my hair and I am starting to see a big difference.  My hair is starting to become healthy again and strong. So, here I am!  I will be sharing my new hair journey with you because I feel like I am starting all over.