Hi Sheba
Your hair is stunning.
Please share what products you use both for keeping it straight and wearing it curly.
Awww thank you so much, Jaffa.
When my hair is curly I use a modified version of Teri's Tightly Curly method from
http://tightlycurly.com
I coat my hair with thick conditioner (like Aussie's Sidney Smooth or Moist, etc) after cowash (with any one of the Vo5 conditioners; I rotate them) and let my hair dry throughout the day.
I say modified because I do not use a denman to separate the curls (I just rake with my fingers) and I like to cowash and redo this every day. I either wear a curly wash-n-go like my avi or I smooth with my fingers and wet bun. I really let the water help me to smooth back into the bun.
If I'm cowashing daily, I will reconstruct with aphogee's 2 minute reconstructor a couple times a week right before coating my hair in a mixture of oil and DC (my faves are GVP conditioning balm and the herbal liquid cholesterol formula). I will then add the Aussie on top and smooth my hair, again into a wet bun. I don't DC with heat when curly, I just leave my DC bun in until I cowash again the next day.
I hardly ever straighten my hair unless I'm applying my BKT. I'm not really a direct heat girl, but I love that I can get my hair straight with a roller set and silk wrap as I did after my second BKT
here. I'm looking forward to trying it again in March, since my hair has gotten a bit longer and I've changed BKT brands.
But when I do flat iron, I do have a method that works for me. I DC with a mixture of gvp conditioning balm, whale sperm conditioner and john freida clear glaze. Once I rinse this out, I smooth two products through my hair one section at a time. I use gvp paul mitchell smoothing balm (about a dime size per section if my hair is split into 6 sections). I then smooth through as DSD shows
here. I layer about a quarter size of cowboy magic spread throughout all six sections. Keep in mind, that is not a quarter per section
Once my hair is straight I maintain by rubbing vatika oil throughout my palms and smoothing into my hair nightly before either wrapping or pin curling.
HTH, Jaffa, if you have any more questions feel free to ask
ETA: I don't blow dry when flat ironing, either. I flat twist and air dry after I add the product before flat iron.