My Hair Goals in 2014

So, seeing as we are now a few days into the New Year, I thought I might try and really look at what it is I want to focus on in 2014 when it comes to my hair...

No more heat!

I've never had a relaxer or had anything permanently done to alter my curls -- something which I am forever grateful to my mum for, but growing up with curly hair has always been a challenge. So I turned to hair straighteners. I thought they were the ideal solution -- I never thought to protect my hair from heat, instead choosing to put in various gels and creams because the result was 'straighter hair'. I've probably straightened my hair on and off since I was 12 years old, and even as I got older and started using products to protect my hair from heat, it was still damaging my hair. I came to realise that I was only really straightening my hair for other people - to fit in with my friends and their straight tresses, and to fit in with what was considered 'pretty'. I'd cringe any time a 'frizz-ease' advert came on tv, and immediately rush to straighten my bush of curly hair. 

Now, it's a little different. Since the middle of 2012, I vowed to stop using as much heat. I'm still obsessed with length, and having it straight would convince me that it was growing...I know, silly logic. I've still straightened my hair right up until the end of 2013, but the funny thing is each time I did it I missed my curls. So I think it's time to officially give up the straightening - my goal is to go an entire year without straightening. Not once! Let's see....

Protective styles!

Now I've finally trimmed away my damaged split ends, and my hair is healthier than it has been in ages, I need to look after it! So another of my goals is to properly protect my hair - not always have it down to battle against the cold and wind, and even in the warmer months, protect my ends. I'm also going to focus on being more consistent with wrapping my hair at night, something that I can easily miss out from being lazy. 

Healthy, from the inside out!

Ok, so this is an ongoing goal which I know I am really going to have to strive to maintain, not just for my hair but really just for my own overall health. The amount of times I've said to myself, I must really drink more water, and I just don't do it! Given that our hair neeeeds moisture, it's obvious that drinking the stuff is a good place to start, and I know the whole body will see the effects. *Reaches for a glass of water...* Add some more healthy veggies, nuts n' seeds, and foods containing vitamins known to promote hair growth, such as spinach,. The more balanced, varied and protein-rich your diet, the healthier your hair. And yourself!

So no proper New Years resolutions for me this year - I always break them, or forget about them around the March mark. Instead, I'm just going to focus on a few small things, and make 2014 a healthier one!

Stay curly,

Chloe

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Dry Curls in winter -- DIY Honey & Olive Oil Deep Conditioning Treatment

I know that I'm not alone when it comes to battling with losing moisture from my curls, especially during the winter months.

I haven't been so diligent with wearing my hair in protective styles as much...it's hard when there are a lot of things going on, and let's face it, it's nice to have your hair down and out! So to try and remedy that, I've turned my attention to the wonders that a deep conditioning treatment can do for your hair.

There is so much information out there on homemade recipes and variations according to whether you feel that you need more shine, more moisture, more strength or a combo of everything (which is often the case) and so many natural ingredients that you most likely have in your kitchen can be thrown into a concoction of loveliness.

I had a few hours spare this morning, so I did a honey and olive oil treatment, based on the following recipe that can be found on Curly Nikki, an incredible curly hair resource. Click here for the original article.

I added a few of my own extras, feel free to add in your favourite oils, but make sure to use a pure brand of honey, rather than a honey substitute, to get the full effects. Change the quantities of ingredients according to the length of your hair. I am pretty liberal with what I use because I like to make sure all my hair is covered.

Honey & Olive oil Deep Conditioning Treatment:

1-2 tablespoons honey
1-3 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of oils of your choice (e.g: grapeseed, jojoba, black castor, sweet almond, coconut)

Heat up the oils -boil some water and then place the oils in a plastic container so that it sits on top of the water, rather than directly on heat.
Leave to cool down for a little while, till you can safely pour the oil into your hands, and then distribute evenly throughout your hair.
Cover your hair in a shower cap or plastic bag, and then sit under a heat cap or hooded dryer for 30 minutes. You can also dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out and wrap round your head if you don't have a dryer.

I sometimes also rub a little bit of my conditioner through my hair for added water moisture. I use either Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (as a leave-in, my hair loves it) or Tresemme Naturals.

After 30 minutes I leave my hair to cool down naturally for 10-15 minutes and then rinse out the honey/oil mixture with COLD water. The cold water is known to help the hair cuticle seal back down, and it leaves my curls really defined, with less frizz.

You can then just leave your curls as they are, or twist your hair to really set your curl pattern.

Why don't you give the treatment a try. Don't forget to add in the oils that you like!





(My hair twisted it into 8 sections and let it air dry fully. The treatment leaves so much shine and moisture and so little frizz)   

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It's the end of the year, but the start of new things...

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I've finally decided to get this blog up and running...it's new on its legs so you will have to bear with me!

I am by no means an expert on anything..just planning on writing my thoughts mainly on curly haircare and my own hair journey, as well as sharing DIY recipes, and what I find generally works for me, that will hopefully work for other people.

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About Me 

I'm Chloe, born and raised in London. I'm a student and artist on a year out until September when I'm off to university, which means I have time on my hands to explore different projects, as well as my biggest project...my curls!

I'm of mixed heritage, I don't like to say mixed 'race' because we're all part of the human race...right?! I've got Jamaican, Welsh/English and South Indian roots.

My Hair

For those who follow the Andre Walker hair typing system, I think my hair falls between the '3b' and '3c' category, but my hair is a real mixture of looser wavier curls, and thicker coily curls. I'm just letting my hair grow regardless - healthy hair is my goal! I'll be doing more posts about my hair as I go along.

 If you want to know more about the hair typing system, click here. 

My Journey, So Far!

In short, I have battled with insecurities about my hair since I was about twelve, mostly because of other people. I'm finally, finally coming to love my hair and accepting my curls - after years of bad heat damage and a heap of products with damaging ingredients, I think I'm now finally getting to grips with what is right for my hair. I've still got a long way to go, but I'm trying to document it positively and share my experiences with others, one of the reasons for this blog! 

 *Stay posted for a more detailed post about my hair journey since 2008 complete with pictures* 

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The opening post

Finally up and running! - Embellissima, sharing thoughts and reviewing all things that make life beautiful. I'm going to do my best to stay current, interesting and fun. More to follow. Stay tuned!, Chloe

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