Thursday, May 17, 2012

5 Essentials That Stay in My Natural Hair Toolkit

 

toolbox

 

Looking back on the last 4 years since my “big chop”, I have done lots of research, experiments, and purchasing of the newest products and tools hoping that they would be my “hair savior”. From this, I have learned the importance of having handy and easy tools that can turn a frustrating styling experience into a fabulous hair day on the fly. They don’t always have to be fancy gadgets like this one

Here’s my top five tried and true hair tools!

#5 Spray Bottle

I love to mix potions in my spray bottle, lightly spraying my hair for moisture and pliability when styling. Some concoctions I’ve added to my bottle include: a base of purified water, aloe vera juice, or rose water mixed with olive, argan, or castor oil. I’ve also enjoyed mixing variations of the youtube sensation, Kimmaytube’s popular DIY leave-in conditioner.

#4 Hairpins / Bobby Pins

These are a MUST for me. With them I can create buns (one of my favorite styles for the office), pin-ups, funky fro-hawks and many more styles. You can find a pack of 100 hairpins or about 40 Bobby Pins for a measly $1 at your local beauty supply.

#3 Wide Toothed Shower Comb

I’ve tried many detangling tools (Denman brushes, Flex combs, Tangle Teezer) some of which I still love and use for certain purposes. But a wide tooth comb (like this one) is a mainstay for me. Its perfect for shower detangling or for a “primary” detangling session before styling. It’s also the easiest tool for me to use on my children’s hair.

#2 Silk or Satin scarf

I find that no matter how moisturized I keep my hair, going to bed just one time without a scarf (which I personally prefer to bonnets because they stay put a little better and pillow cases are decent but usually leave me with a messy mane) results in a dry matted disaster in the morning. Most of us know that cotton, wool (eek!), and other coarse fibers are a no-no but real silk and/or satin-finish scarves may not seem readily available. Furthermore, many of us like to look cute going to bed for our partners or ourselves. My suggestion? Visit your local fabric store and select a half yard of silk or satin that you find irresistible. Tie it in a funky fashion a la June Ambrose and wa-la!! Ferocious AND set for the morning =)

Scarves are also a best friend to pony-tails and puffs, buns, and any other style requiring the hair to lay down. After applying product and brushing into place, I apply my scarf for at least 15 to 20 minutes. This smooths the hair into place and eliminates frizz around the hair line.

And now. Drumroll please…

The gadget that's never left my hair toolkit and nevvvvvverrrrr will…

#1 Pantyhose Legs!!!

Yes… pantyhose legs! Some people use bra straps, headbands, or even regular ol’ ponytail holders. But snipping off the leg of pantyhose or stockings or tights will leave you with an awesome stretchy, flexible hair holder that can easily create pony puffs, pony tails, buns, frohawks, bouffants, and I’m sure there are tons of other styles this dynamic tool can create that I haven’t even explored yet! It’s easy to use, readily available, a breeze to make, and highly cost effective.

What I love most about the pantyhose leg is that it allows those who don’t quite fill out or reach into a ponytail, to easily pull their hair back away from the face. You can gather the hair as far back as you like creating the puff size that you desire and then tie the ends in a loose knot to secure. The stocking is barely recognizable as you can choose a pair that closely matches the color of your hair. And you can cut the hose as long or short as you please.

I guess this is my first official and very impromptu amateur video. I thought a visual would be nice. Usually I would brush the edges down and apply my scarf for a smoother look. But you get the idea =)

They are easy to hand wash and hang up to dry. And I haven’t noticed ANY hair breakage around the point where I usually place my puff in the 4 years that I have been using them.

Absolutely Essential!!!

Ladies…What are some over your tried and true hair tools?

 

SPC

 

2 comments:

  1. Nice! Who knew you could do that with panthose! Learn something new everyday!

    ReplyDelete
  2. IKR! And it doesn't get any easier than that!=)

    ReplyDelete