Cleansing...

Happy Thursday!  I've probably already mentioned in a previous post that Thursday is my favorite day of the week.  Anyway....let me get to the point of this post.....Cleansing

As you can see from a lot of the pictures I post of my natural hair journey, I wear makeup often.  Unless you are close to me and my family you will rarely see me without my "face" on.  Makeup is something that I enjoy wearing and applying on others.  I have VERY OILY skin and it is prone to acne if I do not properly cleanse it. Just like I enjoy putting on the makeup, I enjoy cleansing it. I think it is the most important step (the FIRST and the LAST step). 

Cleansing the skin is fairly easy.  The products and technique I use may not be right for everyone; you have to use what works well for your skin type and sensitivity level.

1.)  After a long day with my "face"on I begin my cleansing regime by removing as much makeup as I can with a makeup removing facial wipe.  I don't have a particular brand I'm drawn to but baby wipes can do the trick as well.

2.)   Second, I remove as much eye makeup as I can.  For hard stubborn waterproof eyeliner and mascara I find using good ole' Vaseline works just as well or better than an eye makeup remover.  Don't get me wrong, I have eye makeup remover as well.  What you use is your personal preference. I normally wipe the Vaseline off using the same facial wipe I used to wipe off my foundation.

3.) Next, I use my cleanser.  I cleanse my face using my hands and Philosophy's Purity.  You can use a cleanser that works well for you.  I findPurity is excellent for removing makeup.  When I am out of Purity I use Neutrogena®Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub. After I rinse my initial cleanser off with water, I go back and cleanse my face again using the Clarisonic. The Clarisonic pulls more dirt and makeup from deep within your pores.  The Clarisonic is what dramatically cleared up my skin and minimized the amount of breakouts I would have.

4.) After cleansing I use Witch Hazel as my toner.  This is just another measure to help pull traces of makeup out of my pores and gently reduces the size of my pores. It also helps remove access oil.

5.  Finally, it is time to moisturize.  Remember, I have VERY OILY skin so I do not moisturize regularly.  Within 20 minutes my face will look like a disco ball even without the use of a moisturizer.  If you have dry, normal, or combination skin I suggest to moisturize based on your skins needs.  Although I do not use a moisturizer regularly I do use an eye cream at night.

My particular regimen may not be right/perfect to you but what I want you to get out of this post is to WASH YOUR MAKEUP OFF EVERY NIGHT. DO NOT SLEEP WITH MAKEUP ON. Once I consistently followed this simple rule I developed fewer breakouts.  For me, it wasn't the makeup that was breaking me out.  It was not properly cleansing my skin that lead to breakouts. 

As always, what works for me may not work for you.  I do hope that what I share does help someone.  

Thanks for taking time to read my blog and please subscribe :)

 

Peace & Blessings....

 

Natural4Rachel

The Latest....

Hi Everyone!  I'm sure you are wondering where I've been.  The answer is nowhere.  But, I've been embarking on another one of my passions.  Makeup!  What better way to set off your look then by putting on a great face.  On Sunday, June 10th I was given an opportunity to participate in a photo shoot for the CinciNatural Hair Group and their upcoming magazine.  This was an awesome experience.  The photographer is Gregory Cooper Spencer of Cooper Spencer Images.  It was great to be able to bring two loves together....natural hair and makeup artistry.  I had the opportunity to meet so many nice people with great talents.  I want to shout out Lee, Katrelle TravelingStylist, Alex Spencer, Tequana LastraintuParis Colvin, Shtequina Q Ray, Iam NJ, Michael True Aquarius Jackson, Theron Washington, Jessica Boonz, April & Angel! I enjoyed being in "The Place" with you all.  Also I want to thank Trever Thomas for recommending me for this job. For posts to come, I plan to continue sharing my makeup artistry and hair experiences with you. Below are a couple of behind the scenes pics from the shoot.

 

Thanks for taking time to read my blog and please subscribe :)

 

Peace & Blessings....

 

Natural4Rachel

Today's Hair: Conditioner ONLY Wash-n-Go

 

Happy Monday Everyone!

I just wanted to show you my conditioner only wash-n-go.  This is actually 3rd day hair.  I did my hair this past Saturday.  All I will say right now is that I'm loving it.  This conditioner only wash-n-go gives me the look of 2nd day hair after using gel (more volume and softer).  I usually like my gel wash-n-gos more after the 2nd and 3rd day. This was my first attempt using conditioner only, so after I've tried it a few more times I will share my regime with you.  

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Peace & Blessings

Natural4Rachel

Natural Empowerment

Good Monday morning!

Well, here is my only blog post for the month of April....I have only three words "Do Better Rachel."  

A couple of weeks ago I met a nice young lady in passing, and we both admired each others' hair.  During our conversation we talked about how going natural has increased our self-confidence and feelings of the like. Then she asked me, can going natural automatically increase a young ladies self-confidence/self-esteem?  In my opinion, the answer is "NO."  What you get out of being natural is relative to each individual.  I believe that going natural will not make you be or feel something that you are not or already possess.  If a young lady or man is suffering from low self-esteem, going natural is not going to automatically boost their self-esteem. I think that in some cases it could make the low self-esteem worse.  I say this because making the decision to got natural goes against the grain of what society has labeled as beautiful.  To have long straight hair is having good hair and to have short kinky hair is having bad hair.  Thankfully, this is becoming less of the case, but still, going natural is a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly. Some people need to be mentally prepared for it because not everyone is accepting of natural kinky-curly hair.  I believe that if you already have a decent amount of high self-esteem/ self-confidence and have made the decision to go natural then you are have probably said to yourself that this is what you were going to do and you don't really care what anyone else thinks about it.  You are making this decision for YOURSELF. With that decision may come increased confidence, increased since of self, and freedom. For example, girlfriend of mine who went natural shortly after I did said that going natural has given her more knowledge about how to take care of herself.  Learning to take care of her hair has contributed to taking better care of her skin and watching her diet. 

So in the end I can say that going natural has ADDED to my self-confidence that I already possessed.  What has going natural done for you?  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.  

Thanks for taking time to read my blog and please subscribe :)

Peace & Blessings....

Natural4Rachel

Today's Hair: 4th Day Hair via Hair Rules

Happy Thursday!  FYI....Thursdays are my favorite day of the week because I know tomorrow is Friday. Well, I don't have too much to say today.  I just wanted to show you how my hair has evolved into an afro after the 4th day via Hair Rules.  It pretty much started out similar to my KCCC look using the shingling method.  You can see that look on my previous blog post. Unlike the staying power of KCCC my hair begins to blossom out into an afro on day 2 and 3 using Hair Rules Kinky Curling Cream.  I am not adverse to my afro.  I like it and that's all that really matters.  This morning I said to my Mom, "How do you like my afro?"  She said, "Just spray some water on it."  I said, "I already did that." She said, " Oh, you did! You're done?"  All I could do then was walk out of the room.  It was funny to me, but later I added a little oil to my hair and slicked back my edges.  When I begin adding oils to my hair I know it is time to wash my hair because I am losing moisture.  All I need now is for this fro to hold up until wash day on Sunday.  

Another FYI:  For those who really know me, they know I like to shop on television via ShopNBC, QVC, or HSN. Last night I received an email from Hair Rules saying that they will be selling their products on ShopNBC.  This is a big, Wow!  You can get great deals on products you love from the shopping networks.  I doubt I will be purchasing much from them on this visit because I've already purchased the whole Kinky line. If they stick with ShopNBC I will be happy to make my future purchases there.  

I know this was supposed to be short. With that said...ENJOY YOUR DAY!

Thanks for reading my blog and please subscribe.

Peace & Blessings.....

Natural4Rachel

Today's Hair via KCCC & Knot Today

Happy Monday!

Today I wanted to show you my hair using Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in Conditioner and Kinky Curly Curling Custard (KCCC). This weekend I watched a newly uploaded YouTube video by Miss Jessie's curlsgolore. This video showed you how to apply Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding using the shingling method.  The video inspired me to use this method of shingling using Kinky Curly Knot Today and KCCC.  Normally I rake the KCCC into small sections of my hair while smoothing with my fingers.  If you watch the video this shingling method uses a small tooth comb and your fingers to smooth. The sections were also smaller than what I normally have.  Using this shingling method allows the hair to clump together more and decreases "wild" strands.  I always complain that in the midst of all my coils I always have strands that look almost straight and stick out every which way.  Using this method has eliminated that problem for me. I did not scrunch out the crunch this morning with the Kinky Curly Gloss Pomade because my hair was still a bit damp.  I plan on doing that this evening.  Also, I did not stretch out my curls with blasts from a blow dryer.  I try to avoid heat where all possible.  I  already know that I will get my full weeks hair dos with this style.  This style will allow me to slowly separate the curls day by day for a fuller look as the week progresses.  

KC Knot Today & KCCC Shingling Method

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Peace & Blessings....

Natural4Rachel

Today's Hair via Hair Rules

Happy Friday!  I thought I would write this quick post to show you my hair after using the Hair Rules line.  Yes, the whole line : Daily Cleansing Cream, Quench Conditioner, Nourishment Leave In Conditioner, Kinky Curling Cream, and Hydrating Finishing Cream.  My first impression of these products is that this is something I can work with.  I am not going to give a review now because I need to use it a few more times.  I can say that my curls are defined, soft and have a little more volume. 

The big controversy regarding these products is that the Kinky Curling Cream has mineral oil as the second ingredient and the Hydrating Finishing Cream contains petroleum. I wasn't paying close attention when I purchased the products so now this is what I have to use.  The problem that can occur with using mineral oil and petroleum is dryness. Mineral oil and petroleum can seal in moisture but they also block moisture from penetrating the hair follicle and this in turn can lead to dryness. In trying to be proactive against the drying effects I mixed my coconut oil with the leave in conditioner during application.  My hope was that the coconut oil would impart as much moisture as possible prior to applying the Kinky Curling Cream.  

Today my hair is defined, VERY soft and it doesn't feel greasy.  I usually like my curls a bit crunchy but I am not adverse to a soft curl.  Also my hair does not feel dry and brittle...yet.  I am pleased with the volume.  I feel that this is the 4-5 day hair look  I get after using Kinky-Curly Curling Custard. The problem with my 4-5 days on KCCC is that my hair begins to feel dry.  I am not sure how many days I can get out of this hair. I will stick to my Sunday wash schedule this week so if my hair lasts until Sunday I will be satisfied.  

Thanks for reading my blog and please subscribe :)

Peace & Blessings

Natural4Rachel