Naturally Junky

Tanika Ray's Hair.... Revealed?

2011-03-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

If you're a fan of VH1 reality shows, by now you've seen the premier episode of Beverly Hills Fabulous. A typical "Beauty Shop"-type show, the standout event was when Tanika Ray came in to get a straight weave installed by Elgin Charles, the shop owner. *record scratch* A cry went up all over the Internet. "What?! I thought Tanika's hair was real??!!"

If a Google search has brought you to my site, you were mostly likely searching for "Tanika Ray's Hair". My blog post from 3 years ago has become the #1 search result on Tanika's fiery mane. Even though the episode clearly shows her real hair being braided down to install a weave, I took to Twitter to get to the bottom of this "scandalous" situation.

And to my extreme delight, Tanika not only retweeted me, she read my blog and replied to me!

She actually spent a good portion of the evening replying to people who had questions about her hair.

So there you have it. Will this satisfy all of the doubters? Who knows. But Tanika has been and continues to be a natural hair idol of mine and maybe she can inspire you too.

Peajai's Plus-Size Fashion Picks: The Greatest Scarf Ever Made

2010-12-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

The Unisex Circle Scarf, americanapparel.net

I know my pick is controversial given the American Apparel's alleged "nice hair" hiring policies and discrimination against plus-size customers. But this is the greatest scarf ever made. How can you not love an item of clothing that can be worn 13 different ways? This is my only purchase from American Apparel to date, but it is exactly what I have been looking for in winter head gear.

I have this scarf in black and I wear it in the doubled scarf with hood style. It is made of a soft, stretchy material with no tags or seams. The material is thin, but once doubled it has kept my neck, ears and head warm even in this frigid 10 degree weather! There was plenty of room to accommodate my big head and my curly fros, pin-backs and buns. This scarf is cut so big, that even I could wear it as a shawl or a top (a mini though? I don't think so.)

If your disdain for American Apparel's sketchy policies cannot be overcome, try one of the many attractive options on Etsy.

My First Semi-Successful Braidout

2010-04-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

Braidouts were my staple style through my transition. But ever since my big chop, I had not been able to achieve the tight crimps like I used to (twistouts have also been a DISASTUH, but that's another story). I began to feel like my hair was meant for wash-n-go's almost exclusively, but I need more styles that will lessen tangles and breakage. Thanks to tips from the lovely ladies at HappyCurls, today I had my first semi-successful braidout on my natural hair!

Last night, I shampooed with Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Shampoo, conditioned & detangled with a blend of conditioners including TJ Nourish Spa Conditioner, Moisture Maniac & Pantene Relaxed and Natural conditioner and rinsed thoroughly. While still in the shower, I applied castor oil and SheaMoisture Shea Butter Leave-in and rinsed again (rinsing oily/buttery products really helps them to adhere to my hair).

While my hair was still dripping wet, I started braiding. No parts other than my main side part and no further detangling. The biggest mistake I was making before was detangling while braiding. I didn't realize I needed my curl pattern to help form the crimps. I added more Shea Butter leave-in as needed. I had a spray bottle with water handy but my hair stayed wet without any additional spritzing. I ended up with about 25 small to medium braids. I sat under the dryer for a few minutes and went to sleep. In the morning, I could tell they were still a bit damp but I took them down anyway. I ended up with loose crimps but I still had nice definition even in my frizzy crown hair. I fluffed at the roots and was very pleased with the results.

And the Winner of the Sarenzo Beads Giveaway is...

2010-02-03T18:16:00.000-08:00

Congratulations #10, EmpressRi! I will try to contact you via email to get your address. Thank you to everyone who entered and special thanks to Sarah of Sarenzo Beads for the beautiful hair tie!

Sarenzo Beads Giveaway!

2010-01-13T16:06:00.000-08:00

Yay! My first giveaway! One of my new Twitter friends, the lovely Ms. Sarah Elliott of Sarenzo Beads, is offering Naturally Junky readers a chance to win one of her gorgeous hair ties.

Sarenzo Beads features necklaces, hair ties, hair clips, headbands, earrings, bracelets, sunglasses and beenies. Through the month of January, she is offering free shipping on all orders over $25 using the coupon code "Happy Holiday". She is also donating 100% of the proceeds of this Haiti keychain to Haiti relief.

This brown & white giraffe hair tie is perfect for pulling back loose natural hair and locs. To enter to win this hair tie, simply leave a comment on this post! Comments will be open until January 27. The winner will be chosen at random. Be sure to sign-in or leave email address when commenting. I will notify the winner when the contest is over.

Click here for more information on donating to Haiti relief funds.

Reformulation Domination: The Smooth N Shine Curl Activator Gel Edition

2009-10-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

How do you express anguish? When I discovered yet another of my staple store-bought products has been reformulated, all I wanted to do was wall slide like Awesomely Luvvie. How dare they do this to me again!

In troubled times like these, be wary of new packaging. I actually admired the new packaging in the store, but it did not dawn on me to check the ingredients until I was about to put this in my hair. Funny how the aloe vera plant is now very prominent on the front of the jar but there is less of it in the ingredients. There is a possibility that this ingredient change may go unnoticed in my hair, but the increase in the chemical soup makes that seem unlikely.

Old Ingredients: Water , Glycerin , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract , Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein , Hyaluronic Acid , Panthenol , Oleth-20 , Carbomer , Triethanolamine , Benzophenone-4 , Disodium EDTA , DMDM Hydantoin , Fragrance , Ext. Violet 2

New Ingredients: Water , Glycerin , Propylene Glycol , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract , Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein , Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch , Carbomer , Oleth-20 , Aminomethyl Propanol , Methylparaben , Phenoxyethanol , DMDM Hydantoin , Disodium EDTA , Benzophenone-4 , Fragrance , Ext. Violet 2

Moisture Maniac Conditioner

2009-07-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

TIGI Bed Head Moisture Maniac Conditioner has surpassed all others to become my favorite conditioner. It is the only conditioner that I can use a co-wash, conditioning conditioner, detangler, and leave-in conditioner. In fact, it is the only store bought rinse-out conditioner that I can leave in my hair, period. All other store-bought conditioners harden into a dry, flaky mess if left in my hair.

Whether I leave it in or rinse it out, I use this conditioner every time I wash my hair. It layers quite nicely with other conditioners, oils and butters when I do deep conditioning treatments. I can also use this conditioner to make an intensely moisturizing homeade spritz (equal parts distilled water, vegetable glycerin, and Moisture Maniac). Part of the effectiveness of Moisture Maniac is the Behentrimonium Methosulfate, which I have started seeking out as a highly desirable conditioning ingredient.

The 750 ml bottle of Moisture Maniac is regularly $22 but they are currently on sale at Ulta for $9.99! I just stocked up on 6 bottles today. (Don't judge me...it is a really good deal!)

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Acetamide MEA, Cetrimonium Bromide, Stearyl Alcohol, Parfum/Fragrance (Fragrance), DMDM Hydantoin, PPG 2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Silk Amino Acids, Orange 4 (CI 15510)

Peajai's Plus-size Fashion Picks: Flip Flop and You Don't Stop

2009-07-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

Britney Flip-Flop, avenue.com

My size 11's love summer because it means my toes can finally be free and flip-flops are the next best thing to being shoeless. I got these flip-flops at $1 sale at The Avenue a few weeks ago. The price is now $8.90 but still an excellent deal for the most comfortable flip-flops I have ever owned. The bottoms are a perfect 1" thickness that just feel like foam happiness on my feet.

I spent my entire Independence Day weekend in a couple of pairs of these flip-flops and come Monday morning my feet just did not want to be contained. So I wore them to work too. My toes were painted so I dont think anyone was offended.

My Michael Jackson Favorites

2009-06-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

My favorite MJ song, Lady in my Life.

My favorite MJ videos, Remember the Time

and You Rock my World.

2009-06-25T21:06:00.001-07:00

In Remembrance...

2009-02-23T23:27:00.001-08:00

2009-01-20T21:22:00.000-08:00

The Ponytail Rollerset (sort of)

2009-01-14T19:16:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at a ponytail rollerset didn't turn out too well. I used several black rubberbands to make about 15 small ponytails, applied Hawaiian Silky Herbal Styling Mousse and rolled the ends with 2 big bouffant rollers. Once I got all the rollers in, I couldn't fit my big head with 30 big rollers under my bonnet dryer so I just went to sleep. I only got about 5 hours of sleep so my hair was still damp in some spots. My roots got pretty straight but my ends were crunchy because I didn't use end papers. So I ended up applying Proclaim Spray On Glosser and Fantasia IC Hair Polisher for heat protectants (that's all I had) and blowing it out and curling it with a curling iron.

I almost lasted a week with this style, but my hair was so big and fluffy I really didn't know what to do with it. I did mostly buns and messy ponytails. I missed my curls so much, I really didn't feel like myself. I think I will try it again though, when I have the itch to switch it up.

I did love the showing length. I pulled out curls to APL but I really didn't realize how long my hair really was until I blew it out. I definitely have more hair more than I did when I was relaxed. Just in case I go the blow dryer/curling iron route again, I do need to invest in some proper heat protectant. My biggest fear that kept me from straightening since for so long was my curls getting damaged! Although my curls did spring back once I shampooed out all of the cones from the glosser and hair polisher, I do think I have a few random straight single-strands I didn't have before.

I've Been Featured!

2009-01-13T05:59:00.000-08:00

So somehow I had a total brain fart and forgot to mention (here) that I've been featured on curlynikki.com! Check me out!

What I've Learned

2009-01-02T13:46:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I've been thinking about what 2008 meant to me, and I've made alot of growth and personal changes over the past year. I became active in the hair forums and that has lead me to many discoveries and positive changes in my hair routine. I even met some awesome ladies in the process. Since I love bulleted lists, I thought I'd make list of things I've learned over the past year that have changed my hair for the better.

Check your ingredients. Belt tightening during this economic downturn has lead to many product reformulations in the hair care sector and I feel like I have been hit the hardest. Proclaim Curl Activator Gel, African Royale Daily Doctor, Jamaican Mango & Lime Leave-in Moisturizer and the list goes on. When the first reformulation happened, I spent days trying to figure out what was wrong with my hair. It doesn't take much of a change to turn a holy grail product into an arch-nemesis of your hair. Now I check the ingredients of my staple products every time I repurchase.
Co-washing consists of washing and conditioning. Maybe this was a no-brainer for everyone else, but I always thought that co-washing consisted of merely washing your hair with conditioner. And that's all I did. One lather with a mixture of conditioners, usually Suave Tropical Coconut and a more moisturizing conditioner like Trader Joe's Nourish Spa. It wasn't until someone mentioned that the Curly Girl method actually states you should wash with a co-wash conditioner to remove the debris, rinse, and then condition with a conditioning conditioner. I've never actually read the Curly Girl book, but I believe myself to be following the rules as much as the rules work for me. (I still use some cone and mineral oil containing products.) Now that I have started co-washing correctly, I find shampooing is not needed as often.
Sealing works. When I first went natural, I used oil as part of a homemade spritz but it was messy and I stopped when I kept getting oil all over my clothes. When I started experimenting with oils again, I left an oil slick everywhere I laid my head. It was the ladies on HappyCurls who pointed out that I should be applying oil after leave-in and before gel and it would prevent these Soul Glo-like mishaps. I have been using castor oil to seal in my leave-ins and the difference in my hair is palpable. The oil boosts the holding power of my gel, my curls are defined, and my hair stays moisturized for 5 days with no need to reapply any products. I've also noticed less breakage.
Layering moisture is good, layering gels, not so much. With all my reading of hair blogs, visiting hair forums, looking at hair pictures in fotkis, and watching hair-related youtube videos somewhere I picked up the idea of layering Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Gel over my curl activator gels to catch the drips. Not only did it catch the drips, it prolonged the hold of my wash-and-go styles. I was hooked. I started layering Hair Polisher Gel over everything from Proclaim CAG to Long Aid to Curly Meringue. It wasn't until the reformulation of Long Aid (it was minor, but my hair noticed it) that I realized the layering of carbomer-based gels was drying my hair out. Since I have started using oil underneath my gels, all the drips are caught anyway. I am trying to experiment with more buttery-type styling products. And I still don't have an all-in-one product that I can just slap on my hair and go, but the leave-in, oil, and one gel method has been working for me.

Peajai's Plus-Size Fashion Picks: Rules for Wearing Leggings as Pants

2008-12-11T20:21:00.000-08:00

I know the idea of wearing leggings as pants is not popular when it comes to the plus-size woman. However, I have been wearing leggings as pants with calf-height boots for the past few weeks and I'm loving every minute of it!

avenue.com, Essential Legging

But don't go out there looking a hot ass mess and say I told you to wear leggings as pants, without following these simple rules.

The great thing about these particular legggings is that they are pants-leggings, not tights-leggings and yet they fit tight like leggings. If your leggings are opaque, they are good candidates for leggings as pants, if they are see-through, treat them like regular hosiery and proceed accordingly.
Can't decide what to wear with your leggings as pants? Just make sure to CYA! If the top does not at least cover your butt, then please don't pair it with leggings. Please.
Be proud to be plus in boots. Some hot boots will help balance smaller ankles and calves with larger thighs. Wear a pair of calf-height (or higher) boots with your legging-loving outfit to avoid a chicken leg look.
Leggings as pants can be worn with long tunics, long hoodies, and I've been having the most fun wearing them with casual dresses that I would normally find a little too short.
Make sure you're comfortable. If you feel like you're naked, then you probably are. You won't be able to pull this look off, if you are uncomfortable in it.

Miss Jessie's Annual Sale

2008-11-20T13:24:00.001-08:00

Miss Jessie's annual BOGO free sale starts tomorrow. I've been unsure if I was placing an order this year but I think I will re-up on the Rapid Recovery Treatment.

Hot High Buns

2008-11-11T22:10:00.000-08:00

The high bun was actually one of my signature styles as a child. I'd link an old picture of me, but I'm too tired (and lazy) to get up and find one off my desktop in the other room.

There's been much chatter around the hair boards about bunning almost exclusively to maintain length. I am not at the bunning as a protective style stage of my hair journey (I don't know if I ever will be.) This bun was the result of my hair being too frizzy to wear out and not having enough time to re-wash my hair.

I slicked my hair up with Fantasia IC Thick N Shine Gel and tied down with a scarf for about 30 minutes. I am always sure to wear some huge earrings when I bun. I had on my big sterling silver bamboo hoops, but they did not survive the photo editing. And I just realized I need to expand my earring collection if am going to wear more buns, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Yes We Did!

2008-11-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone that voted.

Today is the Day!

2008-11-04T07:24:00.000-08:00

If you have not already, please get out and vote.

In Defense of Pantene?

2008-10-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

My hair has had a rough couple of days. First, I had to get dressed in a rush and I needed to co-wash. So instead of getting all gelled up and walking around looking like a "curl looking girl", I decided to skip the gel and just use leave-in and moisturizer. I smoothed in some Blended Beauty Curl Styling Lotion (old bottle) and Jane Carter Nourish & Shine. I blotted the ends with an absorbent kitchen towel to stop the drippies, pulled back with a headband and went. While still damp, my hair was soft and full. Once my hair completely dried however, it was a tangled, shrunken, dry mess. Since it was pulled back into a puff, it was passable but I couldn't wait to get home and re-wash.

I decided I needed a deep treatment, so I warmed up some honey and castor oil (first time using honey!), mixed in some TJ Nourish Spa Conditioner, and combed through in sections with my Denman Brush. I left that mixture in twists overnight, and in the morning I shampooed with Dr. Bronner's Hemp Rose Castile Soap, conditioned and styled using my regular routine. My spirals were shiny, elongated and defined. I attributed this extreme turnaround to the honey. My hair seemed to love it and looked great all day. I got some supreme second-day hair the next day that I was able to literally fluff and go, but as the day wore on my hair felt drier and tanglier (that's a word, on this blog).

So I decided to treat myself to some new conditioner. I couldn't find the Pantene Pro-V Relaxed and Natural Deep Conditioning Mask, Breakage Defense that I was looking for, so I settled on Pantene Pro-V Time Renewal Replenishing Mask.

I know you're thinking, "Pantene?! What about those evil cones!" The Time Renewal Mask contains Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone which is easily removed with mild cleansers and according to this article, is actually beneficial. Everyone seems to have tried some Pantene product at one time and either loved it or hated it or can't remember which. I tried the R&N Shampoo and Conditioner years ago as a permie but didn't look the poofiness it gave me and never repurchased.

Once I got in the shower and slathered the Time Renewal Mask and I was instantly able to run my fingers through my hair. The tangles just melted away. I brushed through my hair again with my Denman and cleaned out the smallest amount of hair I've ever seen when I detangled. This is one of the slipperiest conditioner that I have ever used. In fact, the only other conditioner that I can remember being as slippery is Miss Jessie's Rapid Recovery Treatment. You can click the link if you interested in how much that costs, but I only paid $4.39 for this Pantene Time Renewal. Is it too soon to say that I love this product?? I won't be rinsing it out until the morning but I just could not wait to gush about the detangling properties of this product that I can purchase locally! I can't wait to try the R&N Deep Conditioning Mask, as its ingredients are very similar, with coconut oil and jojoba oil being the major differences.

Ingredients:

Water, Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentremonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Pathenol, Pathenyl Ethyl Ether, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

Tomoka's Twists

2008-08-20T20:44:00.001-07:00

My PJism has expanded to hair accessories, and even though I have many headbands, scarves and other adornments I have yet to wear, I just had to order two new baubles, a HairZing and a Tomoka's Twist. I received my Tomoka's Twist last week and I wore it for the second time today. I ordered the S. Luxurious to go with my wonderful silver jewelry collection. I wish it were a bit longer, so I could wrap it starting at the front of my head. I have a big head so I have to move it back a ways before I twist it closed.

Like all puffs, my hair has to be completely dry. This was third day hair that I spritzed heavily with some homemade spritz a couple of days ago. My hair was so soft I suffered some serious HIF (hand in fro) disease today, which is why it's so frizzy in these pictures. To achieve this puff, I wrapped it around the back of my head and held the beaded ends in each hand. I overlapped the ends and pulled until it was positioned in a taut puff. I twisted the ends over several times to close.

Overall, I am pleased with it. It holds back my hair without putting stress on my hairline. Hopefully, I will figure out how to use my HairZing and I can post about that soon.

Peajai's Plus-Size Fashion Picks: Make Mine a Maxi

2008-08-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

I talked to an old friend on the phone last night and we both lamented the fact that neither of us own a casual plus-size maxi dress. I can't say I've been looking intently for one, but it seems like in the year or so since this trend became popular, a maxi dress would have found its way into my closet. Time to start the search with the usual suspects.

1. LaneBryant.com: Doesn't have any. They have some dresses which they are calling maxi but are not at all what I am looking for. Fully lined? It's still summer, I am not a fan of linings and I'll pass. I may stop by the store this weekend but my hopes are not high.

2. OneStopPlus.com: Doesn't have any. I already knew that though. Roaman's and Woman Within send me on average 3 catalogs a week! I think I have ordered from them 3 times.

3. AshleyStewart.com: Now has online shopping! Woohoo. Again with the lining though? These are not at all what I had in mind. Maybe someday I'll find my way to my local store again.

4. Torrid.com: Cute, but I don't know if I'm feeling it for me. And what are those random sequined things? Maybe my local store has a different selection.

5. Alight.com: Has a huge selection of casual dresses. Alot of them are very cute but seem to be in the 40" range. I'm 5'11" and that is not long enough.

6. OldNavy.com: This would make a perfect maxi dress! And therefore I couldn't resist ordering it, even though it isn't.

Obviously, I need help. Any plus-size ladies out there find some cute maxi dresses? Assist a sista!

Reformulation Domination

2008-07-29T19:10:00.001-07:00

The reformulation bug has bitten me in the butt once again. My beloved staple leave-in conditioner has been reformulated, and there is nothing improved about this new chemical-laden soup featuring Paraffinum Liquidium (AKA Mineral Oil). My hair definitely felt drier after I started using this new bottle before I noticed the ingredients changed. I went several beauty supply stores in my area to see if anyone had any old bottles left, they did not.

Old Ingredients:
Deionized Water, Glycerin, Allantoin, Aloe Vera Gel, Polydimethylsiloxane, Silk Amino Protein, Polysorbate 80, Sage, Ginseng Extract, Sheep Sorrell, Yarrow, Wheat Germ, Slippery Elm Bark, Henna, Comfrey, Burdock Root, Goldenseal, Cherry Bark, Black Walnut, Chamomile, Jarborandi (Heavenly Hemp), Alfalfa, Hyssop, Methyl Paraben & Fragrance

New Ingredients:
Deionized Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, PPG12-PEG-50 Lanolin, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium 32 & Paraffinum Liquidium, Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alter-nifolia)Leaf Oil, Polysorbate 80, Oat (Avena Sativa) Kernel Extract, Allantoin, Silk Amino Acids, Sheep Sorrell, Yarrow, Slippery Elm Bark, Sage, Henna, Comfrey, Burdock Root, Goldenseal, Cherry Bark, Ginseng, Black Walnut, Chamomile, Alfalfa, Hyssop, Wheat Germ, Methyl & Propyl Paraben & Fragrance

Even though I have several other leave-ins to keep my hair content probably through the rest of the year, the product junkie in me just had to buy something to try to replace my staple. So I went to the health food store and picked up vegetable glycerin, jojoba oil, extra virgin coconut oil, and castor oil. I am finally going to try making my own products! Since I've had some whole leaf aloe vera gel chilling in the back of my refrigerator for months, I am going to try making homemade jojoba jel. (Shoutout to GypsyCurls, hey girl!) More on that experiment coming up.

Hair Happenings

2008-05-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

This curltastic curl day was brought to you by finger combing. Since I have been on a low manipulation routine (only washing once or twice a week) I had been completely detangling with a wide tooth comb and/or Denman D4 brush with every wash. I had shampooed and conditioned and detangled Sunday night, but by Monday night my hair had absorbed every drop of humidity in the air and I was dealing with a lot of flyaway frizz. So this morning I co-washed with TJ Nourish Spa and Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioners and combed through the tangles with only my fingers.

I raked and smoothed through Jamaican Mango & Lime Cactus Leave-in Moisturizer, Smooth N Shine Extra Dry CAG, and Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Gel. I sat under the dryer for about 10 minutes and then let air dry. Curls and Coils! I had very shiny, bouncy, soft spirals. I love a good hair day.

Mystery Hard Hair Theater

2008-05-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

My curls are nicely defined in this picture, but my hair is brick hard and dry. Can you tell? I think the grayish sheen gives it away. I battled a mysterious dryness for 2 and a half weeks. It started when I tried using Dr. Miracle's Healing Leave-In Treatment (after reading a glowing review) because I wanted my hair to be a bit stronger and I had sections of fragile strands with split ends. I just incorporated it into my usual routine as a pre-styling treatment. After washing, I worked in a little Dr. Miracle's, spritzed with Daily Doctor, put on a good amount of Proclaim Curl Activator Gel and a little Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Gel over top.

For the first week, I loved it. My hair was so shiny and soft and curls were very defined. But after my shampoo wash the next week and drying under the dryer, my hair was BRICK HARD. I tried different moisturizers (more Dr. Miracle's, Africa's Best Curl Keeper, Miss Jessie's Buttercreme, water) but after it dried, it was still hard and I had alot of build-up. So the next night I shampooed (TJ Nourish Spa Shampoo) again and conditioned and did my regular routine but left out the Dr. Miracle's. My hair is STILL HARD. My curls were defined but I couldn't even stand to touch my hair it was so brick hard and dry.

I turned to the hair boards for help. They recommended hot oil treatments, cutting out the protein conditioners, clarifying with baking soda... I tried them all. I did a hot oil treatment with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I sat under the dryer with that for about 30 minutes. I co-washed with Suave Tropical Coconut. I spritzed with a leave-in, oiled with some Africa's Best Ultimate Herbal Oil and braided it up. I took the braids down in the morning and my hair was still a little damp but very soft and poofy. The hot oil treatment made my hair buttery soft and I wore it in a bun (my very first natural bun!) but when I did my regular wash and go routine, it was dry again.

So I did the baking soda rinse. I put a tablespoon of baking soda and warm water in a spray bottle and spritzed it all over my head. It definitely helped, I could actually feel the buildup being drawn to the surface. I rinsed clean, co-washed, applied some Kinky-Curly Knot Today and some CAG and a little Fantasia IC Hair Polisher (the usual) and sat under the dryer on low, put it in two loose side ponytails and went to sleep.

The next morning, I moisturized with a little Jamaican Mango & Lime Mango Shea Butter Lotion (a body lotion, but it works on the hair too) and fluffed and went. My hair definitely felt better, it was super curly, but I still felt some hardness in the middle. I didn't think I was able to really work the baking soda all the way through this thick mass. So the following day, I tried mixing baking soda with conditioner and brushing it through with my Denman D4 brush, shampooed and conditioned with TJ Nourish Spa, my hair still felt hard and I still felt like I felt some buildup. So I broke down and shampooed with Suave Kids 2in1 Shampoo (contains sulfates) and deep conditioned for about 4 hours. I felt like I finally removed all the buildup. But I applied my regular leave-in and styling gels and surprise, surprise... my hair was dry and crunchy once again! It appeared that my regular styling routine was no longer working for me but I couldn't understand why.

It wasn't until someone else mentioned that the Proclaim Curl Activator Gel suddenly became drying to them after they purchased a new jar. She compared the ingredients on the old and new jars.

Old ingredients:
Water, glycerin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, propylene glycol, triethanolamine, carbomer, hydrolyzed wheat protein, methylparaben, fragrance, diazolidinyl urea, dmdm hydantoin

New ingredients:
Water, glycerin, propylene glycol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hydrolyzed wheat protein, carbomer, triethanolamine, fragrance, methylparaben, polysorbate 20, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, alpha-isomethyl ionone, linalool

There it was. These new ingredients made my hair BRICK HARD and DRY and it took me 2 weeks to figure out what the culprit was. I never suspected my beloved Proclaim Gel! It was a big lesson learned for me, if my hair suddenly starts acting funny, I will review the ingredients of everything I use, even my staple products.

I will say one positive thing, I had an unused jar of Proclaim but had thrown away my receipt. I took it to Sally's and explained what happened and they let me exchange it for something else with no problem. (I got a Ped Egg... love it!!) The manager said she would put that the changed ingredients dried out my hair in her monthly report to corporate. So if you experience this same issue with this gel, take it back. If enough people say something, maybe they will change the ingredients back. That is the only way I will use this gel again.

Ever since battling dryness, my PJ (product junkie) rose from a deep sleep. I have purchased/acquired a myriad of products that I need to try. Stay turned for reviews of Jamaican Mango & Lime Cactus Leave-in Moisturizer, Kinky Curly Knot Today, Long Aid Extra Dry CAG, Smooth N Shine Extra Dry CAG, SheaMoisture Leave-in Conditioner, Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix, ElastaQP Feels Like Silk, Paul Mitchell The Conditioner, and many more!

Zippity Updo

2008-04-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

I am badly in need of a trim. The shape of my hair has been likened to that of an apron. Needless to say, I will not be wearing my hair down and out until after my salon appointment next week. I had been "puffing" it, but I can see the toll it is taking on my hairline (front and back). So inspired by some Fotki friends, I finally did my own updo. I was pleasantly surprised that I could pull this off on second day hair using just one clip!

I smoothed the top with wet hands and some Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Gel. I brushed back one side using my Denman D4 brush and left some tendrils out for a side bang. I pulled my hair back like I was putting it in a ponytail, twisted it upward, and clipped it with a Vidal Sassoon Large Omega Claw Clip. This clip held all of my hair in place all day long. I am super excited to have found a new second day hair style.

In Memoriam of Joanne Borgella's Very Short American Idol Career

2008-02-25T20:58:00.000-08:00

Oh Joanne. As soon as I saw you I knew who you were. I watched Mo'nique's FAT Chance with a male friend back in 2005. We were rooting for you the entire time. I remember you stating you wanted to break into the music business, but had been turned away because of your size. Imagine my excitement to see you try out for American Idol! A beautiful black woman, a plus-size model, you had my attention before you ever sang a note.

You didn't get much play during the Hollywood round, but once you were picked for the Top 24, I just knew you were going to command the competition this year. You sang my favorite Aretha Franklin song ever, I Say a Little Prayer, and I really wanted to like it. But I did not. I hoped you would have a chance to redeem yourself, but alas, it was not meant to be.

So in honor of your American Idol career and the super cute hat you wore during elimantion, I plan to up my hat game, starting with something like this Luxury Divas cap.

Luxury Divas Newsboy style Black & White Tweed cap, amazon.com

Joanne, Keep singing, keep modeling, keep doing what you do. You're going to make it after all! *Hat in the air*

Natural Newbie Starter Kit

2008-02-02T19:44:00.000-08:00

My little sister is still transitioning! I am so proud of her. It's been about 8 months since her last relaxer. I honestly thought she would have given in by now (as she has done before) but she is convinced that once she goes natural her hair will be longer and look better than mine.... I support her dreams, no matter how delusional. Ha!

I spent nearly a year trying to convince her to go natural. She had very badly split ends and broken off hair for so long it never grew past a certain length. She was never happy with the way it looked. If she didn't get her hair done she would just default back to the brown gel and sad stubbly ponytail.. an indignity that no one should have to suffer. She referred to herself as ugly and I knew that wasn't right because she looks just like me! I planted the seed everytime she lamented her hair.

Part of the reason it took her so long to come to the nappy side was she thought she would need expensive products to maintain her hair. She only knew two people who were natural, me and a friend from school, and she saw both of use products which she knew she couldn't afford. I'll admit, there was a time when I thought I needed expensive shakes, butters and creams... but experience and research are a good teachers. I do have some expensive products in my cabinets but none of them are part of my daily routine. There are so many products can be purchased locally and cheaply that it makes sense that if you cannot afford it, you probably don't need it. So I am putting together a newly natural starter kit for her from my core list of products, with some new additions from the last few months.

Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Shampoo : $2.49 (local prices)
Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Condifitioner : $2.49
Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol Plus Conditioner with Mango : $2.49
Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner (Family Size) : $1.49
*African Royale Daily Doctor Leave-in Conditioner : $3.99
*Proclaim Curl and Wave Conditioning Activator Gel : $2.99
Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Gel : $3.99
Africa's Best Organics Texture My Way Curl Keeper : $3.99

These 8 products add up to $23.92 pre-tax and no one product costs more than $4. That's affordable even for the napptural beauty on a budget. I feel confident that my sister will be able to maintain her natural hair and I cannot wait until her big chop! What would you put in a natural newbie starter kit?

*ETA 8/16/08: Because of recent reformulations, I no longer use these two products.

Peajai's Plus-Size Fashion Picks: I Dream in Yellow

2008-01-23T17:51:00.000-08:00

True Story. A couple weeks ago I had a dream I had a pair of yellow shoes. I wore the shoes and went about my day in a normal fashion... but everything in the dream was punctuated by the fact that I was wearing a pair of bright yellow shoes. I woke the next morning realizing that I must have a pair of yellow shoes.

Even though I have shoes upstairs and downstairs and in every room of my house, these would look great with one of my cousin's funky toenail designs...

Naturalizer Verdum, piperlime.com

Even though I just bought 6 pairs of shoes (for $100!) at the Nine West store, these appeal to me more because of the silver buckle...

BCBG Girls Piper, zappos.com

Even though I keep receiving pairs of backordered shoes delivered to my door from Aerosoles.com despite my multiple attempts to cancel my order, these would look great at the office...

Anne Klein Impress, zappos.com

Even though I possess multiple pairs of shoes that I have had for years but never worn, these look cute and comfortable... Although that is with the hope they look more golden than mustard in person...

Skechers Pilav-Carrie, skechers.com

I will not rest until I have a pair of yellow shoes in my possession... And this tunic to wear with them.

Carletta Top, bandlu.com

Tanika Ray's Hair

2008-01-15T20:07:00.000-08:00

Have you ever taken the time to consider the towering inferno that is Tanika Ray's hair? Her flaming red curls are unmistakable. I have always wondered about the new heights that her hair always seems to reach. I think we have similar hair textures, but my hair never seemed quite so... springy. A quick Google search revealed others have asked how to get the look, but there didn't appear to be a whole lot of answers. I fancy myself a skilled wig/weave watcher, so I never doubted the authencity of her hair. But leave it to Barbara Walters' investigative reporting to verify Tanika's hair is real.

Tanika is my kind of wash-n-go girl. So how do you create your own voluminous naturally curly Tanika Ray inspired 'do? Well first, start out with a perfectly sculpted layered cut (or if you're like me and cannot find a skilled hair stylist in your area to perfectly sculpt your tight natural curls in the most inspired of layered cuts... start with the best layered cut your inexperienced stylist can give you for $20). Second, wash and thoroughly condition. Third, apply volume boosting styling aid to wet hair. This step is crucial. Any old aloe vera gel simply will not do. I've discovered that Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue pumps the volume up in my hair. But be warned! Your hair will be large and in charge and will only get bigger with each passing day.

I used the Curly Meringue for a slightly damp wash-n-go that I wore to church and by the next day, my hair had doubled in size. I wore this huge hair to work and when my supervisor stopped by my office, I found him talking to my hair more than he was actually talking to me. CM is great for those wash-n-go days where you have to be out and about with wet/damp hair and don't want that wet floppy look.

Is your hair natural, but not exactly curly? Don't fret, you can pull off a Tanika Ray 'do too! Her hair appears to be a twist-out in the above picture and you can also use Curly Meringue to do springy twist-out. Two strand twist with Curly Meringue, undo the twists when your hair is completely dry and then fluff the roots with a comb.

The one thing I love the most about Tanika's fabulous 'do is the fearlessness. She owns her fro if she's reporting on entertainment news, hitting the red carpet, or just casual out and about. Whether you rock a big fluffy 'do like Tanika or have your own signature hair style, don't be afraid to take your own hair all the way.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

Yeah... I realize I'm two weeks late. But I wanted to make sure I properly addressed my first post of the new year. I've thought about my blog every day. I so want write new posts daily, respond to comments, watch my readership grow. But I've suffered from busy-ness, tiredness, laziness, and blogger timidity. I have post ideas, but I over-think until late in the night and resolve to update my blog the next day. Repeat. It took me a lot to start the blog... and I don't want to let it fall silent like so many other promising blogs I've come across that haven't been updated in months.

So I enter the new year with a renewed commitment to my blog. Enough with the melodrama, on with the posts!

Congratulations Crystal!

2007-12-04T18:23:00.000-08:00

Crystal Aikin is Sunday Best! I screamed like a maniac. I got so emotionally invested in this show... Her album will be part of my very small CD collection.

And since I am always on the lookout for these kinds of things, I loved that they did something different with her twists for the final performance. I am going to have to try those large flat twists on my hair!

Peajai's Plus-Size Fashion Picks: Answering the Call of Booty

2007-11-29T21:09:00.000-08:00

The author of Daddy Likey is a mad genius. I feel we are kindred spirits, she is the Winona to my Portland*. Which is why so often I read her blog and I feel inspired. Inspiration is the sincerest form of flattery, right??

She recently did some posts on "the great boot conundrum" and I too must answer the call of booty. (I can't believe I just typed that, again!) The boot dilemma for plus-size fashionistas is two-fold. 1. Finding boots that are cute AND comfortable. 2. Finding boots that fit a wide calf. The second is obviously the more difficult because most boots that do not specifically cater to a wide calf, do not fit a wide calf. But with a little help from your friend, me, hopefully I can spread warmth into your cold, bootless world.

Shoetrader stocks alot of wide width and large size shoes. Even though the boots below are not listed with their shaft cirumference, it is likely they will accomdate a larger calf. Besides that, they are so cute, I would sell eyelashes to get them, so I think it is worth the risk.

Modena III Tall Leather Boot, shoetrader.com

For your more casual days... I really like these in camel.

Rachel Scrunch Boot, shoetrader.com

Avenue has a decent selection of wide calf boots in their Cloudwalkers collection. (I can't believe this is like the third time I am mentioning the Avenue on this site! I am not an Avenue stan, by any means.) The quality of their shoes can be hit or miss, but I have a couple of pairs of boots from there that have held up fairly well for two years I've had them.

Midland Wedge Boot, avenue.com

Zappos always has a few wide calf boots available. But the usually have only 1 or 2 of the largest sizes currently in stock.

Naturalizer Sidney Plus, zappos.com

You may have noticed that I did not pick any traditionally "wintertime" type boots with furry and/or fuzzy things at the top. This is because I really don't like boots with furry and fuzzy things. But if you must, at least get some with pom poms.

Quilted Pom Pom Boot, victoriassecret.com

*Winona, if you are reading this, I am not weird. Email me and I'll tell you what this means. We'll laugh maniacally.

Plus-Size Style Diva: Crystal Aikin

2007-11-26T19:58:00.000-08:00

I had been on the "BET does nothing for me" bandwagon for quite some time. For me, American Gangster and reruns of Girlfriends were the only shows that interested me on BET. That all changed when I caught a rerun of Sunday Best a couple of weeks ago. It's an American Idol-style gospel competition, and for me, the stand out performer is Ms. Crystal Aikin.

Check out her performance of "I'm Running Back to You." This girl is unbelievable. She gives me chills every time she sings. Boards and forums are buzzing about her talent, and the story of how she came to audition for Sunday Best is truly amazing. Not only is she a brilliant singer, she is a gorgeous plus-size fashionista! I was all set to pull a Plus-Size Style Thief on her, but not only could I not find any good full-length pictures from the show, I have a suspicion that her outfits come from Ashley Stewart, and their website doesn't have online shopping.

As if there weren't enough reasons to love Crystal Aikin, here's one more! She has a beautiful head of natural hair. I got a glimpse of her huge puff during one of their Toyato promos where each performer tells why they started singing. I couldn't find a picture of that either. *sigh* But she is rocking some great kinky twists on the show. This picture shows them pulled into a high ponytail. Kinky twists are a great protective style whether you're relaxed, natural, or transitioning. Her red streaked twists are very similar to the ones I wore during my transition to natural hair.

So if you haven't been watching Sunday Best, tune in before it's too late! New episodes air on Tuesday night at 8pm EST. They are down to three contestants, and I am team Crystal all the way.

Curls vs. Winter

2007-11-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

The warm days of fall have passed and I am deep into my winter hair routine. In fact, I am writing this post while sitting under the dryer after one of my new winter weekly rituals, the nighttime co-wash. I only wash my hair twice a week now, shampoo on Saturday, and co-wash midweek. I co-wash at night, because my hair is so long now I'd have to sit under the dryer for 45 mins to get it dry enough to go out in the cold. Between showering, checking my email and watching Saved by the Bell* on TBS, I just don't have that kind of time in the morning. I'm barely making it to work at a decent time as it is.

Since I am only washing twice a week, I do what I can to reduce frizz. Just yesterday, I rocked some fourth day hair. I couldn't believe it! Usually I confine my second, third or fourth day hair to a puff but my hair actually still looked good enough to wear loose on the fourth day. A good satin bonnet really helps control the frizz you normally get from sleeping on your hair. I use the Triple Gro Satin Bonnet. Not only does it help me keep my style, I retain more natural moisture. I rarely put any additional moisturizers on my dry hair since using this bonnet. I put my hair in two loose ponytails and cover them with my bonnet. The ponytails keep my hair from being matted to my head. This is especially important for me because I flail, flop and flip over during sleep. I wake up with all my pillows on the floor, and my hair will look like "who did it and why" if I don't wrap it up at night.

In the morning, I take down the ponytails and cover with shower cap. I think the steam from the shower loosens my bed head. Once I get out, I can just fluff and go! I think the loose ponytails are key, you can even do them without the bonnet. Also, I am heavy on the gel on my wash days. The above pic shows my wet hair with extra gel on it after a nighttime co-wash. My hair is a little hard that first day, but I am rewarded with longer lasting curl definition.

Are you a wild sleeper like me? Do you have any tips for making your styles last longer?

*Yes, I still watch Saved by the Bell, and I am unashamed! Now what?

Excuses

2007-11-14T20:54:00.000-08:00

I was going to come up with a long list of excuses for why I haven't posted in 3 weeks. But I know my readers are smart and attractive people, so I will not bore you with my life's many tediums. I will simply say that I am back, so on with the posts!

Never. Get. Micros. Again.

2007-10-25T01:10:00.000-07:00

I prefer my sundays lazy. However, in my neverending quest to rid the world of sloppiness, last sunday I offered to help my sister take down her micro braids. "They're fuzzy," I said. "You haven't been taking care of them!" 13 hours later, I numbly regretted those words (cause my fingers were numb... and wrinkled).

From my prior knowledge of micro braid take-down, I know the easiest solution is to get the hair damp and soak it in conditioner. Once the braids are saturated, they can usually be combed out in clumps, rather than having to undo individual braids. If the braids were knotted at the ends, cut at the knots before combing through. This was not possible. The knots were right at the end of her real hair, and I didn't want her blaming me for cutting her hair. So I picked out each knot, which resulted in me having to pick out the length of the braid. And I picked. And I picked. Some slide out easily, most did not. And alot of them took alot of her real hair with them when they finally came out.

The situation was made even worse when she looked into the trash can and saw how much of her own hair was being combed out. "You're ripping out my hair... I'm bald-headed!" I tried to explain to her that hair sheds, she'd had these braids in 2.5 months, so most of this is just the naturally shedding hair. Also, she has decided to go natural (!), so during the transition process the relaxed hair breaks away from the natural hair, resulting in more shed hair. I know that made her feel slightly better, but I really think the truth of the matter is those micro braids themselves.

Nearly everyone I know that has gotten micros has experienced breakage once taking them out. Most people seem to know this will be the case, but they continue to get them! I know that micros are cute and present alot of styling options, but my hair is simply too precious...I just don't understand. Especially if you are transitioning, your hair is very fragile. From my perspective, micros are expensive, damaging, and time-consuming. My sister sat for 24 hours (spanning 3 days) to get these tiny braids.

There is a better way.

Micro Braid Body Weave Weft, internationalwig.com

Micro braids on a weft (track) can be sew into the hair just like a traditional weave. If you prefer a part, your hair is braided straight back and tracks are sewn into each plait. (See the step-by-step process here.) If you prefer a ponytail, your hair is braided around your head. Traditional micros can be used around the edges to hide the tracks, but I would probably just opt for the part. There are also lots of options for colors and textures. We have a store here called the Beauty Outlet that sells alot of wigs and bags of hair. They have these weft braids in a variety of colors and textures (straight, wavy, bumped).

The best thing about these braids is that they can be worn just as long as tranditional micros, but only take 2 hours to complete! So not only do these save your butt, they save you lots of money too.

Plus-Size Style Thief: Ms. Halle

2007-10-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

There are blogs and sites out there devoted to stealing celebrity style. But as far as I know, none of them cater to plus-size fashions. So I had a brilliant idea! The plus-size style thief seeks to steal the style of stylish celebrities... plus-size or otherwise, using only plus-size fashions. Can I pull it off?

I spotted this picture of Halle Berry at YBF. Halle is beautiful, of course, and wears her pregnancy well. I love the long sweater. She looks comfy, warm and covered up, and so stylish at the same time.

The most important part of this outfit is the sweater. My familiar plus-size retailers turned up nothing. I found a close approximation of the original pretty easily, but where was its plus-size counter-part? After working with skill and precision like only a master thief can (yes, I am calling myself a master already!), I came up with this.

Women's Cannes Cardigan, softsurroundingsoutlet.com

Paired with a long sleeve knit top,

Women's Plus Surplice V-neck Tee, oldnavy.com

Denim leggings,

Tall Boot Flare Leggings, womanwithin.com

and Ankle boots.

RSVP Lara, zappos.com

Halle, call the police. Your style has been thiefed! The first time was more challenging than I had imagined but I am ready for my next job. Do you have some celebrity style you'd like to see me work my plus-size style thievery on? Email it to me at 1peajai@gmail.com.

Peajai's Plus-Size Fashion Picks: The "Avenue" Turns a Corner

2007-10-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

I know I wrote a glowing review of Avenue's Seamless Boy Short Panties, but truth be told, panties are about the only thing I had purchased at the Avenue lately. The underwear there is great, but I was resigned to the fact that the Avenue was for petite women. I had tried on too many shirts that were pratically midriffs, sleeves too short, pants all turned to capris. When a 5'3" co-worker of mine told me she gets the tall pants lengths at Avenue, I knew it wasn't just my imagination.

Well, Avenue finally realized we'd like a little coverage past our navel and joined the tunic trend with some pretty hot results.

Square Neck Graphic Tunic, avenue.com

I don't have many sequined clothing items... but I am a rock star.

Rocker Sequin Trapeze Tunic, avenue.com

And because you can never have too many black shirts...

Kimono Tunic, avenue.com

Baby, I'm Back!

2007-10-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

The neverending moving day is finally over. I finally got my weekend errands done (including my eyebrows, yay!) and some much needed rest. I thought about blogging every day and I am full of post ideas. Fashion picks, the dangers of micro braids, and professional appearances coming up...

What Do You Put on Your Hair?

2007-09-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

This is a question I am accustomed to hearing now. I have gotten so many compliments on my hair since going natural, and everyone wants to know what I do to it. When asked out in public, I try to keep the answer simple... I condition and style with aloe vera gel. But here is my detailed wash and go hair routine.

I shampoo every Saturday with DevaCurl Low-Poo. I lather once, rinse thoroughly, and follow with a deep conditioner (like DevaCurl One Condition or Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol Plus Conditioner with Mango) and Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner (for detangling). I comb this conditioner mixture through my hair with a wide tooth comb and also rake my fingers though to ensure I remove any tangles. I rinse completely with cool water and style.

I co-wash (conditioner wash) about twice a week with Suave Tropical Coconut and deep conditioner (same as above). I put a little deep conditioner on, then alot of Tropical Coconut and either comb through with wide tooth comb or finger comb through. I try to minimize actual combing, I only comb if my finger combing isn't sufficient to remove all the tangles. I cover it with a shower cap while I finish showering and then rinse with cool water. I squeeze excess water out of my hair with my hands but otherwise get out of the shower with my hair dripping wet. My hair is a lint trap so I do not towel dry my hair at all.

To style, I spritz in a little African Royale Daily Doctor Leave-in Conditioner, then a plop on a handful of Proclaim Curl Activator Gel and rake that through my hair with my hands. I smooth over a little bit of Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Gel (ensures no drips) and I part on the side.

If it is not particularly warm that morning, or I have something to go to right away and I don't want to go in with wet hair, I'll sit under my bonnet dryer for about 10-15 mins. I use this quality time to watch tv, read, and/or check my email. Otherwise I'll just leave the window down while I drive to work and let it air dry. That's it!

All of the products in my styling step are cheap and easily purchased locally. I get the DevaCurl products at a salon down the street, the Tropical Coconut at Walmart, the Proclaim at Sally Beauty Supply, and all of the other products at any black beauty supply store. I am happy with them but the PJ (product junkie) in me is always on the lookout for new hair stuff.

Figuring out what to do with this hair has definitely been a process. This routine will change as the weather gets colder and I experiment with more hair styles. Especially since my hair is so long now it takes a while to dry. Posts on second-day hair styles to come. Do you have a great hair routine or tips for second-day hair styles? Please share!

Peajai's Plus-Size Fashion Picks: "Skinny Jeans"

2007-09-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I said it. Skinny jeans... in the form of some tasty denim leggings.

Stretch Denim Boot Flare Leggings, roamans.com

I have them in Indigo, and with my black empire waist "dress" (they claimed it was a dress) from LB and black patent ballet flats with the bows, they have made for my favorite outfit of the summer. The picture shows a striped pair, which I am not entirely sure about, and they come in an array of colors but I haven't worn a colored jean since Cross Colours. Definitely size down, since these are super stretchy and you want them to be fitted. What makes these work for those of us with not-so-skinny legs is long length and the boot flare. I'm 5'11, so of course I got them in tall, go for the length that will cover your heels or grace the top of your flats nicely.

The Never-ending Moving Day

2007-09-18T21:10:00.001-07:00

Why no posts all week? This blog is too new for me to be slacking off already! I have been helping someone in my family pack, move and empty a 4000 sq. ft. house that was jammed full of stuff. We have been sticking and moving since Friday evening. It was short notice. I am covered in mosquio bites. My toenail polish is chipped beyond recognition. It has been ordeal but it will hopefully be coming to a close very soon. Stay tuned for posts about skinny jeans, my daily hair routine and my favorite hair products.

Going Natural

2007-09-13T21:01:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of my awesome puff from yesterday. This blog is about plus-size fashion AND natural hair, right? I am working on a post about my first positive salon experience since going natural. Until then, I present you with the story behind my going natural. If you've been to my hair journal or my myspace, then you're familiar with this story.

The main reason I went natural was to have healthy, LONG hair. With a relaxer, my hair never really grew past shoulder length. Once it got that long, it was just start breaking off. And when I looked at individual strands I could tell the texture of my hair just wasn't right.

I tried to start going natural back in 2004... that lasted about 2 months. Then I just broke down and got a relaxer. I hated to see my hair getting "nappy" and I just didn't know what to do with it if I couldn't wear it in my usual relaxed styles.

My last relaxer was on 3/18/05. I just finally decided to take the plunge. Every time I saw someone with beautiful, curly natural hair... I was so envious. I wanted that for myself. I started noticing alot of black women in commercials had natural hair... locks, curls, afros, etc. Was the media trying to tell me something??

I started out getting braid outs. I would wash my hair, and while it was wet my sister would braid it and roll it into balls. I'd sit under the bonnet dryer for about as long as I could stand it and then go to sleep. I took them down in the morning. Most of the time my hair would still be slightly damp (sometimes too damp, which makes for a disaster) because it is just so thick. I loved that style though.

I then moved on to goddess braids, afro twists, a curly weave (my first and last) and in between all that I would have my sister give me a braid out or some kind of cornrows. I grew impatient however. I wanted to style my hair myself. I tried twists but my relaxed hair wouldn't hold them. If I didn't feel like going to my sister for her to braid my hair, I would just blow dry it and gel it up into a ponytail.

The gelled ponytail was pretty much the last style I had before I did the big chop. I finally decided I was ready. I had previously told my hair stylist that I was going natural in April 2005 and he was supportive. He pressed my hair a few times during my transition but I didn't like that too much because it didn't last. I called him on Wednesday to make an appointment for Saturday (2/18/06) so he had 4 days to prepare...

Prepare as in learn how to cut/style naturally curly hair. At my appointment I brought some pictures from missjessies.com and the Curly Pudding and Curly Buttercreme that I had ordered from them. I showed him the pictures and he said, "You know those pictures can be very deceiving. Those styles look like straw sets. I don't think I will be able to get your hair like that." This was before he had even touched my head. So he started cutting. He cut off most of the relaxed hair. He washed and condititon my hair. He cut some more. "I don't even know how to shape it", is what he said at one point. Then he preceded to pick out my hair with no product in it. Now I really knew nothing about natural hair at that point. But I did know that if you pick out curls, you end up with a fro. He picked out my curls, he put the Curly Pudding on my dry picked out hair, and then said "See I knew that stuff wouldn't work. Those pictures can be very deceiving." I had a dry, misshapen fro. I looked in the mirror horrified and he said, "I kinda like this look, you look like Jill Scott." HA! As I left the salon I could feel everyone in there looking at me. As soon as I walked outside there was an explosion of laughter. I don't think I had ever been so embarrassed. I went home and rewashed my hair and applied the Curly Pudding to my wet hair (as it is supposed to be done). I got slightly better results. I still had work to do.

Apparently most hair stylists that specialize in black hair only know how to do one thing... straighten it. If you're not getting your hair pressed or relaxed they are just at a complete loss. I find this very disconcerting.I was determined to work with my natural hair. I transitioned too long to give up now. The first couple of weeks my hair was hit or miss. I used up the Curly pudding in one week. I had to find something else to go on my hair because there was no way I was spending $38 a week on hair product! I got on the net and started doing research. I found motowngirl.com and she gave me alot of helpful hints. I became a product junkie, buying anything that looked like it would work with my hair. I kept looking at pictures and hair journals but could not find someone with hair similar enough to mine that would really help me.

I finally stumbled across a California girl's geocities hair journal. Her hair looked like mine! I bought every product she used on a daily basis and followed her hair regimen and I have been so happy with the results.

So I encourage anyone who is thinking of going natural. I do not try to convert people with relaxed hair but if they ask, I try to get them to realize that relaxers damage the hair. If you are constantly fighting your relaxed hair, if you have split ends and your hair just doesn't seem to grow.. Seriously consider going natural. Once you learn what to do, it's not hard. Natural hair is truly beautiful. My hair has never been as healthy as it is now. Each strand is strong and silky, I can hardly believe it's mine. I have had unprecedented hair growth in the past year and a half. It doesn't matter if your hair is curlier or coarser, once you start working with it and not against it, it can and will be beautiful.

Peajai's Plus-Size Fashion Picks: Fashion Bug??

2007-09-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

Excuse me, when did Fashion Bug start selling cute plus-size stuff? I had always regarded Fashion Bug as Lane Bryant's homely, sometimes matronly step-sister but if they keep this up, I may have to add them to my regular shopping rotation.

Belted Babydoll, fashionbug.com

Peajai's Plus-Size Fashion Picks: All-Purpose Panties

2007-09-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I like my clothes to multi-task. Since I work in a business casual environment, most of my work outfits can take me to a variety of social settings. Even when the necklines of some of my casual clothes plunge a little too much, I can throw on a tank underneath and still be ready to roll.

I expect the same thing from my panties. I want panties that are cute, comfortable and flattering. I don't want panties that are cute and frilly but only comfortable for a short time. Yes I know a short time is all you need sometimes but let's be real. I don't want panties that are comfortable but I can never be seen in. And can these panties also be a little shaping? Help a sista out a little?

Seamless Boyshort Panty, avenue.com.

I have been wearing these panties all summer, and honestly, I never want to wear anything else. These are truly seamless, so that means no uncomfortable elastic, minimal bunching, and no panty lines. They provide a light hold that smoothes and shapes. Not only that, they are sexy in a laid-back way. True all-purpose panties can be worn in any situation, and believe me, these can be.

Junior High School Fashion Confessions

2007-09-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Daddy Likey has a contest to see who had the worst Junior High fashion sense. The prizes are... well the prizes aren't important. What could be better than a trip down fashion memory lane? I know my first thought was, oh my fashion sense in my younger days was avant garde. I was a trendsetter! Then my second thought was, if anyone produces photographic evidence of my past transgressions I will have to make this blog my full-time job because I can never leave the house again. Hopefully my fashion has improved since then. Here is my entry:

In Junior High (early 90's) I went through several phases, all of them bad.
1. Brightly colored leggings (stretch pants) paired with shorts or a mini-skirt.
This was my signature style in 6th grade. I had a purple pair and a turquoise
pair and a pair of black short shorts that I almost always wore them with. This
was usually paired with an oversized t-shirt (spring) or sweater (winter).
2. Short shorts with stockings. This was my signature in 7th/8th grade. I had a
pair of short white shorts that used to belong to my grandfather (he had really
skinny legs) that I would wear with various colored stockings, usually white or
black and an oversized shirt.
3. Vests. 8th/9th grade I was all about vests. No outfit was complete without a vest. I had vests for every season and every reason. These were usually paired with a fitted t-shirt or knit shirt and men's jeans. (I purchased all of my jeans from the men's department because at the ime women's jeans seemed to all have tapered legs and even at that tender young age I knew this was horribly horribly wrong.)
4. Glasses. Huge. Did they make them any other way in the early 90's? I had a new pair every year because I always found a way to break them.
5. Socks. Never matched my outfit. Argyle socks were my favorite. Loved to raid my grandfather's sock drawer. I would usually go out of my way to find socks that would be the complete opposite color of whatever I was wearing. Or I wouldn't wear socks at all.
6. Patent leather ass-kicking boots. I couldn't afford Doc Marten's so these were some generic off-brand but I wore them with pride.
7. Nail polish of every hue. I had quite the nail polish collection. I have no idea where they all came from. Yellow and black were my favorites! My signature style was usually a different color on every nail, with a glitter top coat.
8. Body suits/leotards. Usually paired with an unbuttoned button down shirt. I felt especially hot in the body suits with the snap crotch.
9. Kool-aid hair dyed, fried and laid to the side. I was all about the kool-aid hair dye. I got a process down and my color of choice was always bright red on black hair so the color would take you by surprise.

Please enter the contest and confess your junior high school fashion sins, don't let your past fashion crimes go unjudged.

Peajai's Plus-Size Fashion Picks

2007-08-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

Wondering what to wear to work when you're feeling smart and sassy?

Sweetheart Polka-dot Top, zaftique.com

With black cuffed crop pants and black boots... Can't tell me nothing.

When I grow up

2007-08-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

In high school, I wanted to be a writer. I had a poem "journal" and considered myself the best writer I knew. I began my college career as an English major, and had high aspirations of becoming a (working) writer. After 2 years of higher learning, reality set in (No, I am not going to be a teacher!) and I switched my major to Computer Science. Fast forward several years later, and I am a software engineer, a supervisor, and haven't written really anything personal in years.

So do I have something new and different to offer the blog world? Seeing as I totally have OCD, I would say yes. I don't know what this blog will be about exactly... but my current obsessions are natural hair, silver jewelry, lip gloss, pop culture, plus-size fashion, shoes and world affairs. We'll see what happens.