2017 Shoulder Length Challenge

[faithVA]

I'm going to try to wear my hair out for the rest of the week primarily so I can test out some techniques and products to see if I can prolong a style. I usually just wear my hair out for special occasions. I would like to be able to style my hair and know it can last through a day and/or an event without worrying that my hair is sticking straight up in the air. I know style alteration is part of being natural I just want to give my hair every fighting chance.

My hair made it through the day, but it was a little wild looking. Tonight, I added a little of the TGIN Daily Moisturizer to my hair since it was a little dry. I tried to do it lightly like I see on all of the yt videos. I tend to be quite heavy handed. I mixed 2 parts Alikay Naturals Creme Brulee and 1 part Mane Choice 24 karat gel. I used an argan serum on my ends. I like the smoothness that the Alikay Naturals gives me. I'm hoping adding the MC gel will give it more hold and the serum will help smooth out my ends.

Tomorrow I may try sealing my ends with the serum and the butter. I have a feeling if I can seal my ends better, I can better retain my style.

 

[faithVA]

I moisturized my hair last night and added gel before twisting my hair up. My hair was more defined this morning with more hold. I actually prefer the style with less hold. Maybe that is something I can rock when my hair gets longer.

I didn't get a morning shot but besides my peppermint patty bang, most of my hair held up pretty well. My bosses office is like a sauna. That didn't help my bangs this morning

This is end of day hair

 

[faithVA]

Things are still going well. I am glad to know I can wear my hair out for a full day without a problem. I'm too scared to try to get 2nd day hair out of it.

Here's end of day hair for Tuesday

 

[LdyKamz]

Things are still going well. I am glad to know I can wear my hair out for a full day without a problem. I'm too scared to try to get 2nd day hair out of it.

Here's end of day hair for Tuesday
View attachment 416987

It still looks great. Put a bonnet on and separate a little more in the morning and fluff. If you are ok with it getting bigger as the week goes on I think it can definitely last at least 3 days (without a holding product)

 

[Rocky91]

I'm wearing my hair out too this week! I did a braidout fro that turned out pretty cute.

 

[faithVA]

So I wore my hair out until Thanksgiving and then it went up into 2 flat twist. By Thursday I needed a wash. I was traveling so had to hold on the wash until today.

Kept it simple with a shampoo and conditioner with the Mane Choice line. Just did loc and put in more flat twist.

I'm wearing my hair out for a Xmas party next week and then I will do my length check year end and then I'm done wearing my hair out for a while.

 

[faithVA]

Got all of my Mane Choice products today. If I had known they would arrive so quickly I wouldn't have washed yesterday. I'm way too tired to shampoo again today I plan to wash again on Thursday but I have another product line up for that wash. I guess it will have to wait until next week.

 

[Miss617]

I was going to wash my hair today so I could try out the blow dryer my husband bought me for my birthday. But I got busy, so I left it in a twist out. Maybe I'll do it real quick tomorrow before my son's doctor's appointment.

 

[faithVA]

I thought about shampooing today since I have new products I want to try Not going to happen tonight.

 

[faithVA]

I have been wanting to try Mielle Organic products for a while. I picked up a bottle of the cowash at Sally's when I used my coupons this week. I tried it tonight and I'm not a fan. It had no slip and when I put it on my scalp and hair it felt like I wasn't using anything. It didn't soften my hair up at all. I felt like I would have had to use 1/3rd of the bottle to feel like I was cleansing my hair at all.

I don't usually take things back but I will be taking this back to Sally's. I won't be trying anything else from the line unless it comes in a sample size.

 

[Evolving78]

I have been wanting to try Mielle Organic products for a while. I picked up a bottle of the cowash at Sally's when I used my coupons this week. I tried it tonight and I'm not a fan. It had no slip and when I put it on my scalp and hair it felt like I wasn't using anything. It didn't soften my hair up at all. I felt like I would have had to use 1/3rd of the bottle to feel like I was cleansing my hair at all.

I don't usually take things back but I will be taking this back to Sally's. I won't be trying anything else from the line unless it comes in a sample size.

The packaging is nice, but something just won’t allow me to purchase anything from that line.. I got the Long & Luxe growash. I hope that goes ok. I plan on using it tomorrow. You know I don’t like co cleansers. I just wanted to try something different since I’m back to coloring my hair.

 

[faithVA]

The packaging is nice, but something just won’t allow me to purchase anything from that line.. I got the Long & Luxe growash. I hope that goes ok. I plan on using it tomorrow. You know I don’t like co cleansers. I just wanted to try something different since I’m back to coloring my hair.

Let me know how that works. I' going to exchange it for the mane choice 3 in 1 which I do like.

 

[faithVA]

So last night I shampooed my hair and played around with product combos. I put my hair up into 40 or more 2 strand twist instead of my usual flat twist style for what reason I don' know.

This morning I'm putzing around and it dawns on me I have an early morning meeting and I go into a panic. Now I'm kicking myself for putting these twist in because I can't just walk out the door. I take the twist out but a twist out won't work. So I end up doing a puff. It's good enough.

What a crazy morning.

 

[Evolving78]

So last night I shampooed my hair and played around with product combos. I put my hair up into 40 or more 2 strand twist instead of my usual flat twist style for what reason I don' know.

This morning I'm putzing around and it dawns on me I have an early morning meeting and I go into a panic. Now I'm kicking myself for putting these twist in because I can't just walk out the door. I take the twist out but a twist out won't work. So I end up doing a puff. It's good enough.

What a crazy morning.

View attachment 417665

I like it and the color

 

[faithVA]

I like it and the color

Thank you. I hate the color. That' what my indigo looks like if I wash twice. It' only been 2 weeks.

 

[faithVA]

I was tempted to just put on a scarf and bonnet and wear a puff again tomorrow but I figured I wouldn't tempt fate. I put a little water on my hands and massaged it through each section and then sealed the ends with TGIN daily moisturizer. I put in some funky flat twists. I tried the cocooning method on my ends. Not sure I did it correctly but I think I have the idea. It was worth a try. I was too lazy to go get the perm rods.

 

[VinaytheMrs]

I can’t wait for the 2018 challenge! I’m finally retaining!

 

[Miss617]

I tried two new products yesterday, CON Argan Oil Moisture & Shine shampoo and Silicon Mix Bambú and then blow dried with the Blu ionic dryer my husband bought me. I don't like how my hair came out, but I kinda rushed the blow drying. Think I'll have to flat iron now.

 

[Evolving78]

I tried two new products yesterday, CON Argan Oil Moisture & Shine shampoo and Silicon Mix Bambú and then blow dried with the Blu ionic dryer my husband bought me. I don't like how my hair came out, but I kinda rushed the blow drying. Think I'll have to flat iron now.

How did it go with your new products?

 

[Miss617]

How did it go with your new products?

The shampoo seemed fine, I actually planned to use the CON conditioner with it too but I didn't have time. I only left the silicon mix in for a couple of minutes but I liked the way my hair felt.

I feel like I didn't use the blow dryer right lol, but it did dry my hair really fast. I swear I saw something that said what settings to use for kinky/coarse hair but I didn't find it in the manual.

 

[faithVA]

Tried the Surya Brasil henna color tonight. So far so good. It acts like a semi-permanent so it may last long but it's going to get me through this event. But if it works OK, I may buy a few more and use it between henna treatments some kind of way.

I love my new Mane Choice Egyptian leave-in. And I think I'm getting closer to figuring out some type of regimen.

Not much else going on. Can't believe it's almost the end of the year.

 

[faithVA]

So after all of that experimenting I ended up just wearing a puff to the xmas party. It was so much easier. I'm over wearing my hair out. I will wear it out 1 more time this year when I do my length check then I can put it away for another 3 months or so or until the next big event.

 

[LdyKamz]

So after all of that experimenting I ended up just wearing a puff to the xmas party. It was so much easier. I'm over wearing my hair out. I will wear it out 1 more time this year when I do my length check then I can put it away for another 3 months or so or until the next big event.

Looks cute. What type of band did you use. I'm over using cut up pantyhose for mine. When I first went natural I tried so many different headbands (goody ouchless bands, stretch, no stretch, short and tight long and loose) and I hated them all so the pantyhose was the best thing for me. But I can't pull my hair into a higher puff like yours with pantyhose without some bobby pns or something holding it in place.

In other news I've been rocking this wig non stop I love it so much. I haven't worn fake hair in ages. I'm talking years. I think I stopped wearing weaves shortly after I joined this board but I love my wig so much and think I want to start experimenting with some clip ins. I also want to buy another wig this time with more texture. When I joined this board I was definitely using my weaves as a crutch (which was the reason for joining in the first place - because I wanted to figure out how to care for my own hair) and being here I've long since realized that weaves/wigs can also help you reach your goals. And now that I'm confident in managing my own hair I'm ok with adding hair.

 

[faithVA]

Looks cute. What type of band did you use. I'm over using cut up pantyhose for mine. When I first went natural I tried so many different headbands (goody ouchless bands, stretch, no stretch, short and tight long and loose) and I hated them all so the pantyhose was the best thing for me. But I can't pull my hair into a higher puff like yours with pantyhose without some bobby pns or something holding it in place.

In other news I've been rocking this wig non stop I love it so much. I haven't worn fake hair in ages. I'm talking years. I think I stopped wearing weaves shortly after I joined this board but I love my wig so much and think I want to start experimenting with some clip ins. I also want to buy another wig this time with more texture. When I joined this board I was definitely using my weaves as a crutch (which was the reason for joining in the first place - because I wanted to figure out how to care for my own hair) and being here I've long since realized that weaves/wigs can also help you reach your goals. And now that I'm confident in managing my own hair I'm ok with adding hair.

Sorry just getting back to you. Saw it but wasn't in a place where I could respond then I forgot.

I just used a regular elastic tie band that you get at the store. This is the first time I was able to wear the puff as high. As we can length it seems to be easier.

I have a puff cuff I can't wait to rock but I think I will have to be APL before I can use it successfully. It just looks crazy now.

 

[faithVA]

We still have 15 days left on this challenge. Let's keep this thread rocking until the end.

 

[faithVA]

I had hoped my hair would grow a little more in the last quarter. I think my crown and the section above the nape grew down to catch up with the nape. Most of the back touches some part of my shoulder. It is good enough for me. I am ready to move on.

December 2016



December 2017

 

[LdyKamz]

I was supposed to do a length check last week but I ended up blow drying, putting in 2 braids and then putting my wig back on. I have it on now a don't expect to take it off for another week or so. I do know that my bangs have not reached my chin like I wanted them to. They are more at my bottom lip now so that's a bummer because it also means that I probably haven't reached SL in the back yet.

 

[faithVA]

I was supposed to do a length check last week but I ended up blow drying, putting in 2 braids and then putting my wig back on. I have it on now a don't expect to take it off for another week or so. I do know that my bangs have not reached my chin like I wanted them to. They are more at my bottom lip now so that's a bummer because it also means that I probably haven't reached SL in the back yet.

It doesn't necessarily meant that. My bangs are pretty much where they were in August but a lot of my other layers have grown out. It really just depends on your growth patterns.

 

[faithVA]

So I'm back on the SL train again. I will be starting a new thread in December - SL 2021. May the 3rd, 4th, 5th time is the charm

 

[Chaiwaters]

So I'm back on the SL train again. I will be starting a new thread in December - SL 2021. May the 3rd, 4th, 5th time is the charm

Tag me if you do! I want to join