The Hair Chronicles- Oh So Silky (Therma)Smooth!

So who decides to wear their hair straight during one of the hottest weeks of the summer? (raising hand with excitement) Me! Normally during the fall season, I start itching for a change. The Fall season isn't here yet, but I wanted a change. So, I decided to straighten my hair (yes, in August).

I can say that my straight style lasted a FULL 7 DAYS! I have had NO issues with frizzing due to the temperature and humidity. This is astounding ladies, especially since every day I've had my hair straight the temp has been in the low to mid 90's. I truly believe it is because of the products I used. Therefore, in this blog I will give you the tips I used to achieve my straight look, along with the products I used.

Before I do that, let me first state that I am not an advocate of using the flat iron all the time on natural hair (or any type of hair for that matter). I've seen people hair that has been flat ironed (or pressed) so much their hair literally looks relaxed and at worst, looks like an over processed relaxer. Even to the point where when their hair is wet, it looks stringy. On the flip side I've actually serviced natural clients who get their hair regularly flat ironed but when they wet their hair it curls back into it's natural state with no problem. So flat ironing your hair is one of the versatile ways to style your beautiful, natural tresses. However, just like with anything else, too much of something can be bad for you. So I suggest if you desire to flat iron your hair, do it in moderation with protection. With that being said, let's go into the steps and the products I used.

Mizani Thermasmooth- this product has been tested and tried on different textures and has proven to be a great product. Mizani products are made for ALL HAIR TYPES. I've watched this product used on wavy hair, and I have used it on extremely curly hair. The great thing about this product is it can be used on relaxed, color treated, transition and natural hair. So for my relaxed sisters, when you're in need of a touch up before your 6-8 week appointment and want your hair silky straight, Mizani Thermasmooth is the product for you. 

First, I used the Thermasmooth Shampoo. This conditioning shampoo has coconut oil which moisturizes and nourishes the hair. Next, I moved on to the Thermasmooth Conditioner. This is an extremely thick, creamy conditioner that softens the hair and smooths the cuticle for maximum manageability prior to thermal styling. The instructions stated to leave on the hair for 3-5 minutes, but I left the conditioner in for about 10 minutes (without a plastic cap). The next step is the Thermasmooth Smooth Guard. This is a lightweight, leave-in thermal protecting serum, and helps against heat styling damage. Apply a small amount to each section before blow drying or roller setting. Be careful not to add too much- a little goes a long way. You want your hair to have bounce and movement and not be weighed down with product. After I blew my hair out, I used the Thermasmooth Shine Extend. This spray polishes the hair while straightening, and guards against humidity. Hold bottle 8"-10" away from your hair, and spray each section before using your flat iron. Key: the smaller the section partings, the better your results. Parting in 1/4" sections will give you maximum effect. After your done, spray a little bit of the Shine Extend over your hair, since it serves as a finishing spray as well. Style as usual (wrap, pin curls, etc.). Check with your stylist about the Mizani Thermasmooth products, or contact me for more information.

Oh! Want to wear your natural hair pulled back, in an upsweep or to the side? If so, do not use gel. Gel contains water, so one dab will have your hair crawling slowly and painfully back to it's natural state. The best thing to use to smooth out edges and get rid of flyaways is pomade. There are many pomade products out in the market, but I found two to be great. Aveda Brilliant Anti Humectant Pomade ($19.00 aveda.com). This is a great product and serves two purposes: to smooth hair and to guard against humidity. You can also try Tigi Bed Head Pomade ($17.57 target.com). This pomade comes in a stick form for cleaner application.

I look forward to hearing your feedback! Let me know how your journey turns out! If you found this to be helpful, please take the toll and subscribe to my blog for updates on everything beauty! (not just hair). So until we meet again- take care of your hair!

Mizani True Textures Part I

Ahhhhhh my natural sisters the summer is almost over! Just when I was used to getting my "wash and go on", soon it will be time to hit the double strand twists again (to prevent from going outside with my hair wet everyday and increasing the chances of catching Pneumonia).

Anywho, before the summer fades away, I wanted to try Mizani's new product TRUE TEXTURES for natural hair. When I got my hair cut, colored and highlighted back in April my stylist used this product on my hair and I wasn't crazy about it in the beginning. This is because I had already been used to Kinky Curly custard and Knot Today conditioner so I was a bit biased. My stylist put it in my hair once and it didn't achieve the same results as the Kinky Curly so I didn't like it.

What I have learned over the summer my natural sisters, is in order to see the full effect of a product you may have to use it on your hair for at least two days. This is because our natural hair has to get used to the product. I find that natural hair is like a piece of clay- you can mold that clay anyway you want to, but you just have to work with it in order to achieve the piece of art you want: the same thing applies to natural hair. I have to work with it, but I don't give up on a product after one day- unless it makes my hair dry, brittle and unruly.

So this past week I went and purchased the True Textures Curl Balance Shampoo & the Perfect Curl Defining Cream Gel. I used it in conjunction with my Herbal Essence Hello Hydration conditioner. I give the Mizani product 2 thumbs up. My hair was soft, and like the Kinky Curly custard, the way my hair looked when it was wet, is the same way it looked when it dried, which is key. Have you ever used a product and you had these beautiful spiral ringlets while your hair was wet, but once it dried you looked like Buckwheat?? Of course you have- everyone who has gone natural has had the misfortune of having one of those "hair days".

The Mizani is the shampoo is not as thick as us natural sisters prefer our shampoos to be, but it does it's job. The shampoo left my hair soft, moisturized and easy to manage. Also, the defining cream gel is more of a cream than a gel, and it is very light- but also, gets the job done. My hair was not sticky from the product and when it dried it left my hair SUPER soft. Of course the product smells good and as I said, my curls stayed in tact as my hair dried. Now Mizani has two extra products that goes along with the True Textures line- Curl Replenish which is an intense moisturizing conditioning mask, and Moisture Stretch which is a cream for coiled and tight curls that is treated the same way as the Perfect Curl Defining Cream Gel. My client used the shampoo, the conditioning mask and the moisture stretch on her hair and as I was doing her double strand twist/updo her hair was incredibly soft- so I plan to go and pick up those two products and use them in conjunction with the moisture balance shampoo- to see how the entire line performs on my hair. My next blog will be on the entire True Textures line so look out for it!