Sisterlocked

The other day I posted the following pic on instagram and the Sisterlocked Facebook group with the caption, "Hydrated raw chia before dinner. Nothing like wearing a bathing suit to light a fire under your weight loss game! #locs #sisterlocks #healthyeating" and a few folks asked me how it worked.

I use Chia seeds as an alternative to afternoon coffee at work and as an aid in my weight loss goal. Chia is a real higher energy super food with nutritional value that exceeds most fruits (like blueberries) and many leafy greens, which is why I can use as an alternative to afternoon coffee at work.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014
food

Chia Gives Me Life

Efficiently and thoroughly cleansing your locs is an integral part of maintaining and retaining hair health.

Here is my tried and true method for shampooing my hair.

Step 1: Band locs into smaller sections. Though often recommended only for younger locs that have not settled, I've continued this because as my hair gets longer and more cumbersome to wash, this is how I insure I don't miss a section of scalp or length.

Step 2: Cleanse with Trader Joe's Tea Tree Shampoo. It really removes build-up well and has a pleasant peppermint smell.

Step 3: Follow up with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter (honeysuckle scented) conditioning shampoo. This may seem odd to double shampoo but, the aforementioned shampoo is so rich and my build-up so stubborn that it conditions my hair sufficiently without contributing to my build-up problem. I also hesitate to condition my sisterlocks, cleansing properly yields better sheen and results than risking conditioner buildup.

Though not the best for locs, the Shea Moisture shampoo is amazing on the fro, my daughter and sister love it! It also smells like heaven (like Jesus himself came down and touched it), and the smell lasts for days.

Step 4: Inspect. I always look closely at my scalp for that gray build-up sludge as an indicator of whether or not I cleansed thoroughly enough.

Step 5: Squeeze the excess water out in the shower, towel dry and leave it banded to air dry overnight (I tend to wash my hair near the end of the day). Leaving it banded to dry really yields a great next day look.

Final Step: Remove band and go (additional styling is optional).

Here is a video showing some of my shampoo prep.

Amazon.com Widgets

Tuesday, August 19, 2014
clarifying

Shampoo Routine

Efficiently and thoroughly cleansing your locs is an integral part of maintaining and retaining hair health.

Step 4: Inspect. I always look closely at my scalp for that gray build-up sludge as an indicator of whether or not I cleansed thoroughly enough.

Final Step: Remove band and go (additional styling is optional).

Here is a video showing some of my shampoo prep.

Amazon.com Widgets

My two favorite beauty vloggers made a video of advice to their teenage selves and it was just so incredibly sweet that I had to share!

I was the awkward ugly nerd in high school, so I can totally related to what they are saying.

Sunday, August 10, 2014
videos

Things I Would Tell My Teenage Self

Hindsight is 20/20 and I made many mistakes with my sisterlocks early on (and blogged most of them). Here is a list of advice based on the Top 5 loc mistakes we make in the early years:

1. I didn't push for more information and explanation.

Because I was not afraid to test the waters, I soon discovered all consultants aren't created equal and overtime learned how much I either did not know about my hair or was completely wrong about! This maybe a by product of the Sisterlock business model, but there wasn't enough transparency about sisterlocks. The Sisterlocks.com website was (and kind of remains) a bit archaic and insufficient. Sisterlock and microlock bloggers were inconsistent and often went inactive.

An acquaintance of mine paid a fist to go through the consultant training, and that is what it took for her to fully understand her sisterlocks. She had no intention of becoming a stylist but she wanted full ownership of her locs and she was tired of feeling handicapped
by her consultant. I can't tell how many times consultants made side comments about my locs that they did not even attempt to clarify. All the cloak and dagger secrecy forces you to make assumptions.

Wednesday, August 06, 2014
consultants

Top 5 Newbie Sisterlocks Mistakes

Time to talk skincare...

I live a make-up minimal life and I kind of love it! When I do partake in make-up, I'm able to reach my desired look with just (natural) primer, brow liner, (natural) concealer, (natural) blush, and a little something for lip. Success with minimal makeup starts with a results focused skincare routine! (FYI all the photos in this post are 100% makeup free!)

I have tons of new natural products that I am loving! Though I do get the occasional environment and/or food induced breakout, I am pleased with my skin.