weaves » Addicted to All Things Pretty

Ask Krissy: How young is too young for a hair weave?

Feb 202012

How young is too young for a hair weave?

Now this is a tough one. I didn’t start wearing weaves until I was an adult. I just didn’t have a desire to wear a weave and back in those days it was assumed that if you wore a weave, you were bald or had some serious issues going on with your hair. Times are different now and I get a lot of questions from young girls looking to get weaves. A couple things to consider if you are not of age to purchase your own weave (aka of adult age); what are your reasons for wanting a weave and how well do you understand your natural hair? If you don’t take care of your natural hair maintaining a weave may not be for you, because you still have to take care of your natural hair and scalp.

What’s do you gals think an appropriate age is for a weave?

P.S. I adore Keke Palmer and love her hair! I don’t know her but from older photos it looks like she took really good care of her natural hair and she can afford to maintain her own weaves; she’s of weave-wearing age in my book (but she’s an adult now so it doesn’t really count lol)

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Tips and Tricks for Luscious Wet and Wavy Hair

Feb 032012

Bella Dream Hair Brazilian Wave

Upside-Down Twist

High loose bun

I feel like it’s taken me years to get a fail-proof routine for wearing wavy textured weaves, also known s Wet n Wavy. Outside of the basic shampoo and conditioning I’ve found several products that makes the upkeep of my waves easy peasy.

Between weekly washes, I alternate using 2 different “dry” shampoos. If I use a heavy crème product I do a water rinse followed by No Rinse shampoo. The liquid formula is great for getting the hair clean but I wear a lot of hair and I’d have to use entirely too much product to get this hair as I need it. Might I add that I start off with dry hair, so I don’t want to go through bottles of No Rinse.

My Holy Grail “dry” shampoo for waves is TRESemmé Fresh Start Waterless Moisturizing Foam Shampoo. I can start with dry hair and I’m still able to saturate my hair and create a rich foam lather without using too much product or effort. The dry time for both products is short but depends on how well you towel dry your hair. I suggest using a micro fiber towel.

At this point your waves should be clean and fresh. Unless I’m using Nexxus Pro Mend (which is a cream), I stick with hair mousse. Nexxus does have a mousse, I just haven’t tested it yet. I hair mousse to be light and it doesn’t weigh down the hair, provides a soft hold, and works well with damp hair. I also love that it enhances the wet look, even when the hair is completely dry. I turn my head upside and use a small amount of mousse focusing on the roots and use a scrunching motion for the ends. While my head is still upside down, I do a loose two-strand twist and twist all my hair in a loose bun that sits at the top of my hair using a loose hair tie. But all hair mousses are not created equally. I found Dove Body & Lift Volumizing Mousse to be the most consistent and neutral one of the bunch. Dove Style + Care Nourishing Curls Whipped Mousse Cream feels heavy and a little too moisturizing. It really does feel like a cross between a cream and a mousse. I think it would work better on curls than waves. VO5 Perfect Hold is the least expensive, and though it works great you can’t tousle the hair as much when it dries because it turns white. The next step is optional but unless you’re sleeping on silk cover your hair with silk or satin to help eliminate frizz.

When you wake in the morning simple untwist your hair, tousle a bit, and you’re good to go. To avoid tangling untwist with your head tilted down.

Wash Day, Weave Edition

Jan 092012

This wash week was a little different than my normal routine. I started using products from the Beautiful Textures Collection, normally I have a different array of products that I wouldn’t using on a weave as I would my natural hair, but I decided to give it a try. So far I really like the products and didn’t find them to be too heavy on the Bella Dream Hair Brazilian Natural Wave I have installed right now.

Prep: Organic Root Stimulator Dry Shampoo, focusing on the scalp using hot to the touch water to remove any excess build-up of dirt or gunk.

Shampoo: Beautiful Textures Moisturizing Shampoo (2x’s)

Conditioner: Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner, used while the hair was soaking wet, only concentrating on the ends, then removed the excess water with by gently squeezing the hair. How trippy is it that they created a deep conditioner that can be used as a leave-in? Love it!

Finisher/ Styling: Beautiful Textures Shine & Silken Growth Oil, which is meant for hair or scalp but I used a few drops in the palm of my hands and concentrated on just the ends, since I was unsure if it would be too heavy.

My hair was super light and well hydrated once dry and the smell is wonderful and light as well; not heavy or overwhelming at all. I’m going to be hooked on these products lol.

Bella Dream Hair 12 oz. 24″ Brazilian Natural Wave [Preview]

Nov 212011

Bella Dream Hair 12 oz 24 inch Brazilian Natural Wave

Disclaimer: This product was sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on http://www.addictedtoallthingspretty.com and from Krissy (aka Krissy90220) remain unbiased and unpaid. For more info, feel free to contact the author.

Tips On How To Clean & Reuse Weave Hair by Victoria of Glam Remy Spot

Aug 212011

If you are new to Virgin and Remy weaves, or you just would like a different perspective on how to clean human hair, read on for some great and common tips on how to care for and reuse Virgin and Remy wefts from Victoria of Glam Remy Spot

Focus While Removing Your Hair- Keep the hair organized as you are removing each weft. If you or your stylist cut layers or bangs into the hair, remembering the order in which the wefts were installed will make reinstalling much easier than guessing. Some people label their wefts in numerical order; others separate the wefts by short/shorter and longer/intact wefts and never mix the two. Recommended Products: Seam Ripper to remove wefts gently without cutting your own hair

Image via BikeFix.net

Detangling- Using a wide tooth comb, Denman or the Tangle Teaser, a ton of cheapie conditioner and patience. Start to detangle your wefts from the bottom all the way to the top of the weft. As you are detangling, make sure to remove all the thread and inspect your wefts for any damage caused by removal or while installed and repair them before shampooing. Recommended Products: V05, Suave or any cheap conditioner, Denman, Tangle Teaser

More Suave…

Shampoo- Shampoo the wefts in a downward motion using a clarifying shampoo. You can also add a tablespoon of baking soda to whichever shampoo you are using if you cannot get your hands on some clarifying shampoo. Remember while washing the hair to never rub or agitate the hair in a circular motion, it will cause tangles and you will have to detangle the hair again. Recommended Products: Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Clarifying Shampoo, Nexxus ProMend Shampoo, Suave Shampoo Daily Clarifying, Giovanni 50/50 Balanced Shampoo

More Suave…

Deep Condition- This step is key, deep condition the hair with a thick conditioner. Saturate the hair with the conditioner liberally, place the hair in a plastic bag, and in put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Let the hair cool before handling and rinse out the deep conditioner well. If you are not too keen to placing the hair in the microwave, you can place it in a hard hat hair dryer; leave it in the plastic bag in a warm room for a couple of hours or use a blow dryer to activate the deep conditioner. Make sure to rinse out the conditioner very well, not doing so can leave the hair looking greasy and/or stringy. Recommended Products: Nexxus ProMend Overnight Treatment, Nexxus Humectress Hydrating Treatment Deep Conditioner, Garnier Fructis Fortifying Deep Conditioner 3 Min Undo

More Nexxus…

Air Dry/Reseal Wefts- After you rinse out the conditioner, hang the hair to dry. Whatever you do, Do Not, DO NOT get the idea to place the hair in a clothes dryer. You could possibly ruin your hair. Seriously. It may seem like common sense, but I’ve heard and have attempted it myself and it’s not a great idea. Once your hair is dried, reseal your wefts, place extra attention to the cut ends of the weft and you will be all set to reinstall your hair. Recommended Products: Aleene’s Stop Fray, Aleene’s Fray No More, HE101 Weft Sealer

What are some tips/tricks that you use to clean your hair between installs?

Weave P*rn: New Kinky-Curly Weave from @BellaDreamHair

Aug 172011

Aww shucks! Got some hair-mail yesterday, some kinky-curly Brazilian 16-18 inch hair from Bella Dream Hair. Normally I would give new hair the comb test for shedding but I don’t want to disturb the curl pattern so I’ve been shaking it like crazy. Not a single strand of hair fell out. This texture is available on ww.belladreamhair.com under Brazilian curly, you just have to specify in the notes deep or tight curls.

Now I need to figure out what to do with the front of my hair since I don’t like leaving hair out and I don’t dig the curly hair with straight bangs look. Decisions, decisions.

Get The Look: Rihanna in Missoni Multi-Colored Crochet Pants in Barbados

Aug 112011

Rihanna is back home in Barbados relaxing in between shows. Recently she was spotted on the beach in a nude bikini top and high-waist Missoni multi-colored crochet pants retailing for ($737). These pants definitely aren’t like anything your beloved grandmother ever crocheted. The new honey blonde/ brown beachy loose curls are looking great on her, a nice change from fire engine red.

Photo Source

BC Footwear, American Apparel, Juicy Couture

More Missoni…

Your Ultimate Guide to (Not So) Dry Shampoo for All Hairstyles and Textures

Aug 012011

The secret is out of the bag. Ladies like myself have fooled the world into thinking we’re fresh from the salon on days that we haven’t even done so much as washed our hair. So what’s the secret; (Not so) day shampoo. If you know any old school wig wearers, dry shampoo is not a secret at all; it became an inexpensive way to keep delicate wigs that couldn’t be submerged in water clean and fresh, without interrupting the curl pattern or style. For a while dry shampoos were one of those products that we didn’t talk about and carried around this misconception of it being dirty. I guess if I heard the term ‘dry shower’, I’d raise my ‘brows too.

There’s a dry shampoo on the market for everyone, no matter what your choice of hairstyle is, and searching for the perfect one could be complicated. Hopefully this guide will assist you if you’re in the market for dry shampoo.

Dry Straight Hairstyles

For hair & scalp try Basiste, Beyond the Zone, Pssssst!, Tresemme, or TIGI Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo. The application for all of them is pretty basic; spray all over from afar, wait a few minutes for the powder-like substance to absorb the oily, and use a clean brush to brush out any remaining product. This is also great for touching up your bangs. These are the types of dry shampoo I use when wearing weaves, but I never apply it to my scalp. I only focus on the hair itself.

For the scalp try using classic baby powder, Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry, or Blow Faux Dry. With an extremely light hand, dust a small amount of power, allow it to absorb any excess oil, and use a clean brush to brush out any remaining product. This method focuses on the scalp and about n inch of hair from the root. I’ve yet to master powder like any of my best friends but the results always look like that of the ones listed above.

For Braids, Curls, and Locs

For hair & scalp try using no-rinse foam, liquid, or gel (not so) dry shampoos. As many of you know I love wearing weaves, but if you’ve ever worn a weave you know cleansing the scalp is a hassle since your hair is braided in a pattern and often covered by a net. I’ve used Sea Breeze Scalp Astringent but fell head over heels in love with Organic Root Stimulator Dry Shampoo. You can read my review here. I’ve also heard about people with braids and locs rave about it as well. With these formulas you apply the product and use a warm damp towel to blot your hair or to remove the product from your scalp. Tresemme makes a foam dry shampoo for curly hair, and companies have been making no-rinse liquid dry shampoo for years, that used to be limited to hospitals for patients that couldn’t easily wash their hair. With these formulas you typically apply them to your hair and viola, you’re ready to walk out the door.

For many naturalistas this can be tricky because depending on the amount of product you use for your head of curls using a dry shampoo can be ineffective, since dry shampoo is used as a refresher and not a replacement. Dry shampoos also won’t effectively remove all traced of heavy products.

More Tresemme…

Nexxus Pro-Mend, where have you been all of my life?

Jul 132011

Let’s not tippy-toe around the big elephant in the room. Nexxus made one of the most outlandish beauty claims of the past year; claiming that Pro-Mend mends damaged ends. We’ve been told for years that no product can mend your ends, they can only give the appearance that they better. They were so confident in their new product line that it sparked my curiosity and I had to try it. Of course that meant purchasing it from Ulta since they have a pretty good return policy. If it didn’t work, back to the store it went.
My weave needed some love…like Mary J. Blige real love. I’ve been in the weave for the past month and a half and for the past 2 weeks I’ve been braiding the hair while its damp and applying a styling cream and wearing it wavy. But since I used so much (water-free) holding spray (none that I’ve ever recommended on the blog) when I wear thermal curls that my hair took a beating. My hair was starting to look very damaged and dry. I couldn’t get the ends to smooth down to save my life and now was a great time to try Nexxus Pro-Mend. After washing with my holy grail (for weaves) shampoo and condition, Formula L.A., I used Infusium 23 Leave-in just for added moisture, which I don’t know why because it feels like water, then apply Nexxus Pro-Mend Leave-In (4 pumps for my entire weave which is 12 ounces of hair). I then follow up with Nexxus Pro-Mend Overnight Treatment Crème (1 pump only on the ends). That same night I noticed a huge difference in my hair. It was like I did a deep conditioning treatment under a hair dryer for 30 plus minutes. My hair looked brand new and it wasn’t heavy, or any film or residue. Just healthy shiny hair. The fragrance is a little on the heavy end but not to the point where it annoys me. I don’t notice it but it does smell like clean (slightly floral) hair. I can’t wait to try this on my natural hair.

Availability: Wal-Mart, Target, drug stores, Ulta, and everywhere Nexxus is sold.
Price: $10.50 – $15.00
Rating: A+

Updates: @BellaDreamHair 30-Day Update | A New Edge Control Product I Love! | Elbows Mac n Cheese in Cerrtios Review

Jun 182011

Just a few updates I wanted to post before I experience the busiest two weeks of my life! IMATS, birthday parties, beauty events, a wedding, and even a family reunion are all on my social calender. Enough about the hustle & bustle. So I’ve been wearing the hair from Bella Dream Hair for exactly a month now and I still love it! No tangling, the texture is still great but it does shed. It isn’t unbearable or anything extreme but had I sealed the wefts (something I don’t do on the initial review of hair) I would have almost no shedding at all. I would still purchase from them, but next time just seal the wefts. The price is worth the extra step. The pictures above are from when I was wearing the in its natural wavy state. I washed it and hit it with the diffuser and walked out the door.

I absolutely love The Roots Naturelle “Virgin Lacquer Gel Pomade” for slicking down these wild edges. This is the sample jar I keep in my bag. I keep the large jar at home next to the hair supplies lol. It doesn’t flake or hair build-up, which I love. The best way I can describe it, is that it feels like “Let’s Jam” but with better long-lasting hold…minus the oily residue.

Me and The BFF checked out Elbows Mac n Cheese in Cerriotos and even though she was completely feelin’ her decision to go with the Swiss & Bacon, I hooked on the Cajun Mac n Cheese. It had various cheeses, spices, sausage, peppers, and onions. We both went with the small bowls and it was around $7 each. I don’t know how anyone can make it through a large– we were only able to eat half. I’m the unofficial connoisseur of macaroni & cheese so I didn’t have high expectations of Elbows….I can’t wait to go back!