A Recap and This Month's Protective Style!

Hello my beautiful people!! 

This is a recap of the last week of May.  I know, I know, I have been unplugged and "MIA" for a few days but it was good to just relax at the beach with our kiddos.  No phones, no Ipads... just lots of sun and fun with our children.

Well, May is gone, gone, gone and June has arrived!!  I can't believe school is officially over and summer vacation has started.

Although school was over on May 20th, 2016, Calvary Day Summer Camp program, which by the way is our children's favorite summer program, didn't begin until June 3rd.

Therefore, our kids had to spend a few days with Grandmother and Papa so that we could work and make the last minute preparations for our Annual Myrtle Beach Vacation.

Basically our children were only gone for four days (Sunday Night 5/22 - Thursday 5/26th) but it was far too long for this mama! They may try my last nerve but the reality is, they are all mine and I do feel a little bit lost without them.   

This mama was supper happy when they arrived home late Thursday night.   Unfortunately, I was unable to accompany my husband to pick them up because our new puppies needed supervision.  Yes, wait until I share my "Boxer Puppies Post" with all of you!

Little man arrived back home just in time to receive a very important piece of mail.  We posted a quick video sharing the news on our Facebook Page.. click: HE MADE HONOR ROLL!!  

I must confess that I do worry about him and his grades.  I see a lot of me in him when it comes to "math" and we did struggle a bit a couple of times through out the year.  While I have to learn how to "NOT" stress him and me about his studies, I am glad that we have established a routine for those nights when he has to be at practice and/or games.

Having a plan and putting that plan into action has saved a lot of headaches and his grades. Otherwise I truly believe his grades would have suffered at great deal.  Stay tuned because I will share tips and ideas on how we prepare them for the next school year and how we are able to have good grades even when they play sports three nights at week.  

June's Protective Style

Because the warm and dry days have also arrived, it is time to style Ms. Bree's hair into a protective style.   This style also worked perfectly for our Myrtle Beach Vacation.  

I used the following products in the following order (on freshly washed and conditioned hair): 

Blended Beauty Curly Cake Shaker;
Creme of Nature Argan Oil; 
Blended Beauty "Down & Out"; with 
(a bit of) Eco Styler Gel with Argan Oil. 

Using the Eco Styler Gel allows her braids to last a bit longer.  It also helps with a more defined "braid out" if she decides she wants to rock her hair out for a few days before restyling.  

The practicality of this style is amazing.  I was able to easily co-wash and moisturize her scalp as well as her ends after every trip to the water park and beach. 

TIP: Remember, it is imperative to co-wash and moisturize their curly tresses every time they spend time at the pool or beach. Too much sun and chlorine can be damaging to their hair.

Now, stay tuned because we will be sharing wit you our Father's Day Gift Ideas, Ms. Bree's Recital, Billy's 2016 Baseball Season, Our Family Adventures in Myrtle Beach, and we will also be sharing our tips on how to prepare them ready for the next school year!!!  

  

Down & Out by Blended Beauty

Hello my curly peeps!! 

This is a review that is so over due, so let's correct that, shall we.  If you follow our Facebook Fan Page: CaramelCurlzNSwirls, then you've heard of me using this product on more than one occasion and how much I love them.

While I have a few favorite products that seemed to work perfectly on my daughter's hair, Down & Out is one of the best products and the results have never disappointed me.   When I say "it is one of the best", it's because Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer is on the top of the list.

Down and Out Styles is a Leave-In Conditioner Butter, that helps with moisturizing, conditioning and with the definition of my daughter's hair.  I love to use this butter when I style her hair in twists.  

In combination with Curly Cake Shake, our oil mix and gel always gives me the most beautiful results, as well as a lasting hold.

  

Because Down & Out is enriched with ingredients like Shea Butter, Aloe, and Chamomile, her hair is always soft and free of frizz.   Even during our trip to the beach, her hair remained soft and beautiful.  

Down & Out Styles Ingredients: 

Aqua, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetyl Alcohol (and) Butylene Glycol, Vegetable Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Methylheptyl Isostearate, Soy Lecithin, Cetyl Esters, Parfum, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Preservative (Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol and Sorbic Acid), Rosmarinus Officinalis, Aloe Barbadensis, Chamomilla Recutita.

How I apply Down & Out:

Working in small section is the key.  

1. Apply Curly Cake Shake to the section you are working and detangle the section using your fingers; 
2. Apply your favorite oil mix;
3. Apply Down & Out.

At this point you can start styling your little one's hair however you desire.  You can let it all "down and out" or you can style it in a protective style like I do.

Styling her hair in twists allows me to get more out of a hair style.  When styling her hair in twists, she is able to wear that protective style for a week or two, before I let it all down so that she can wear her hair in a fluffy and soft "Twist Out" for another week.  

In reality, from twists to a twist out style can approximately last a month, as long as we take our time to properly care for her ends and scalp, of course. 

The Curly Cake Shake can be used to maintain the hair as well.  This product will hydrate your thirsty curls while giving them the shine they need.

Have you tried these products before?? Share your thoughts!!   

Simple Pony Tail Style

Hello Readers! 

We are bring to you another easy to do hair style! 

I honestly thought last year was a busy year but goodness was I wrong!  March is here and we have a lot of events to prepare for.   I am definitely looking forward in enjoying our summer vacation.. :) 

This hair style can be easily modified and it can last for at least three weeks as long as you re-moisturize the scalp and hair every so often.  

Products Used: 

Our Oil Mixed; 
Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer;
Eco Styler Gel with Argan Oil.

Remember not to pull the hair so tight and always loosen the pony tail before bed time.  

and there it is!

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for more! 

Elena 

RECAP- Events and Styles

August 8, 2014

Hello Readers.. we truly apologize for the late posts but we've had some technical difficulties and we hope to be back on full force pretty soon. 

In the meantime, I wanted to do a brief recap on Ms. Bree's latest styles and the use of new product by Creme of Nature Argan Oil Line.

School started on August 7th, 2014 for our children and Ms. Bree's back to school style was a very simple one.    

If you missed our "Back To School Hairstyle"- You can see it here:

http://caramelcurlz.blogspot.com/2014/08/our-back-to-school-hairstyle.html

After a week of wearing her hair in pony tails and braids, it was time to let her scalp and hair line rest.  It is very important to remember to let the hair breath after a protective style,  the hair CAN suffer from constant protective style.  

Therefore, I unraveled all her braids and pony tails.  The picture below shows the results.  A simple headband to keep her hair away from her face and DONE, she was all ready.  

August 13, 2014

After a few days, it was time to wash and style it again. 

I decided to use one new product: 

Creme of Nature Argan Oil Strength and Shine Leave In Conditioner;

Our Moisturizer remained the same: 

Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer

And the oil we used to do this style:

Black Castor Oil

Ms. Bree wanted some "flowers" in her hair, so I used beads to accessories her style.

As you can see from the collage below, she fell asleep while I was styling her hair.  Which not uncommon, after a good wash and detangling session, she tends to fall asleep during the styling process. 

August 18, 2014

After approximately 12 days, it was time to wash, deep condition and style her hair.  But I decided to let her scalp rest for a few days.  Her hair looked beautiful once I unraveled all the braids, so why not take advantage of that, right?!   

August 30, 2014            September 3, 2014

As some of you may know, Ms. Bree is also a "dancer" and one of the many requirements is to keep her hair neatly gathered and away from her face during practice. 

Since Gymnastic class was canceled this past Saturday, I decided that it was the perfect time to Deep Condition her hair, wash and style.. YES, it is a long process, and it can take approximately 2 to 4 hours.   

And no, I know what some of you may be thinking.. I don't make her sit there for two or more hours at once.   Ms. Bree is only five years old and she is a very high spirited child.  When I deep condition her hair, I make sure I undo the previous styles and I make sure that the hair is also free of knots and tangles, I do this a few days or at least the day before I intend to DC.

I wash her hair, apply the deep conditioner and a plastic cap.  I let her play for 30 to 45 minutes then I rinse the conditioner out and then I start styling her hair.  We take breaks every 60 minutes.  There have been times when she sits and allows me to just finish the entire style by sitting quietly for 90 minutes.  But I always listen to her and her needs. 

I used the following products to style her hair: 

Deep Conditioner: 

Bee Mine Beeutiful Deep Conditioner; 

Shampoo: 

Creme of Nature Argan Oil Moisturizing Shampoo;

Conditioner: 

Herbal Essence Hello Hydration; 

Oil:

Argan Oil, Jobjoba Oil and Coconut Oil Mixture

Moisturizer: 

Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer. 

September 6, 2014

NOW IS TIME TO GET READY FOR SCHOOL PICTURES!! 

Our Back to School Hairstyle

Hello Readers...

I can't believe it's that time again... School is back in session for our little babies... But between you and me, I have to admit, I'm glad!  Summer Camp can get very expensive after a few weeks.  

Little Man is now a Second Grader and Ms. Bree is a Kindergartner, where has the time gone? I can't believe our son will be turning eight years old in just a few weeks :) 

Because the children attended Summer Camp at their old school.  Which has similar camp hours as their current school, it definitely made the entire process of preparing the kids for a new school year a lot easier. 

I have always try to prepare myself mentally for the first day of school and I'm the first one to say that I always fail miserably.   

I have always hated the idea of children crying, I've never been able to manage listening to  a child cry and even worse when it's my child.   I'm sure all of you can relate to this and know exactly what I'm talking about.  

My daughter has always been my social butterfly! The child who is not shy or afraid to ask a stranger to look at her dress, her hair style or whatever it is she is proud to show. 

This time, she shed tears and was very uncertain of herself.  Unfortunately, her best friend was not assigned to the same classroom and all she saw were new faces, which I believe, can intimidate anyone. So I could understand how she felt.

  

As a parent, it was difficult  to see tears rolled down her little face, my first thought was.. "I can take her home and we can try this tomorrow", but what good would that have done? So, I had to pull my big girls panties all the way up  to my neck (okay maybe not that up, after all that can't be very comfortable... hahhaaaa) and I had to remind myself that she was going to be just fine. 

Regardless as to how many times I told myself that she was going to be fine and she was going to have fun once her day started, leaving her was not an easy thing to do!

To be honest, I expected for my son to go through a meltdown, he has always been my baby and has had confidence issues.  He has gotten a lot better and during the first day of school he demonstrated how much he has  grown.  We could see the nervousness in his eyes but he quickly gave me a kiss and sent me on my way.. :)  

I wish I could prevent or at least prepare all parents and children for the first day of school so less nerves could be experienced and/or less tears be shed but I can't.. but what we can do is give you ideas on how to style their hair so that your little princess can have more confidence on herself... 

BACK TO SCHOOL HAIRSTYLE

I opted for Pony Tails and Braids.. something very simple and semi protective for the first few days of school.

Products Used: 

1. Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer; 

2. Castor Oil Mix;

3. Pony Tail holders; and

4. Flower Barrettes (or your favorite accessories)

Here are some other amazing Hair Ideas: 

by Danielle L.

I found the below image and poem on Google and has stayed with me and I thought I would share it with all of you! 

We wish all of your little ones a great school year!

Wash & Go Style

WASH & GO STYLE

using GIOVANNI LEAVE IN

In order for a successful Wash & Go I always follow these steps: 

1. Hair has to be extremely wet; 

2. Apply our Oil Mix; 

3. Apply Giovanni Leave In; 

4. Apply a little bit of Eco Styler Gel.

5. Let it air dry, preferably indoors. 

70% DRY

*Remember- don't mess with it!! 

100% DRY

PICNIC DAY AT SCHOOL

For me, it's really important to follow with a Deep Conditioning and a Protective Style. 

This time we used Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deep Moisture Conditioner:

Spring Break Hair Style

          Spring Break has come and gone for us.  For some of you spring break has not arrived yet and for others, spring break will not be happening due to the snow storms we've experienced during this winter. 

Since my children were going to be spending a few days with Grandmother and Papa, I needed a style that is easy to maintain.  It has been a long time since Grandmother had to take care of a little girl's hair and she has always expressed how she wouldn't be able to style my daughter's hair. 

With that in mind, I decided to do a very simple style that could easily me modified and easy to maintain.  Box Braids & Cornrows... how easy is that?

The last time I styled the front section of her hair in cornrows was a few weeks ago.  The cornrows were styled from the hair line towards the back.  

Therefore, I decided to change the directions of the cornrows in order to give her hair line a break.  

Remember it is not healthy to style the hair in the same direction all the time.  

  

I was glad to see that her hair lasted.

For Saturday's festivities, I spritz water all over her scalp and braids; 
I applied our oil mix to every row very carefully; 
Then I applied Bee Mine Curly Butter;
I rubbed Bee Mine Curly Butter on my hands and then applied carefully to each braid and concentrated on her ends; 
I re-did braids (only to those that were coming lose) and
Then finger coiled the very end of each braid.  (I did not had to use the rubber bands at the end of the braid to secure it because the braids)

She insisted on wearing a flower therefore I did a "Half Pony Tail".. I "rope twisted" the front cornrows and gathered them at the back of her head by using one of our "ouchless elastic band" and clipped the flower on the top.   

Now, her braids are all ready to face another week!

Tutorial: Cornrows into Different Styles

Hello everyone:

This is a very simple style and what I love about it is the fact that:

1. It's a fabulous protective style;

2. It can last for weeks;

3. and it can easily be modified into different styles.  

I am up for the "easy styles" specially when our weekends are full of activities.  What makes this style look more complex is the way the sections are divided but this style is simple enough even for beginners. 

The products I used are:

Rait Tail Comb;

Hair Clips;

Spray Bottle with Water;

Oil Mix Bottle (castor oil and jojoba oil);

Eco Styler Gel with Argan Oil;

Curls- Paste (for the front section);

Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer;

Bee Mine Curly Butter.

After wearing her hair straight for a week, I washed her hair using our moisturizing shampoo and deep conditioned her hair with Bee Mine Bee.U.ti.Ful Deep Conditioner.  

Once I rinsed all the conditioner out, her hair was ready for banding.  I applied My oil mix first, then Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer  to each section and began banding her hair.   Ms. Bree's hair was banded for a day or so before we began styling her hair.  

*  I began by parting her hair from ear to ear;

*  Divided the bottom section into two by parting it diagonally (from right to left as you can see on the above picture);

* Before cornrowing each section: 

     I parted the section as thick as I wanted each cornrow to be;
     Then I damped the hair with water;
     I applied Bee Mine Curly Butter and a dash of Eco Styler Gel with Argan Oil and began cornrowing downward. 

* I followed the same above steps to cornrow the bottom left section (damp hair and applied the products);

   

  For this section, part each line from right to left on a angle.  You will still braid this section downward. 

*Front section:  I parted the front section from her left temple toward the back in a diagonally line.  

* Then began cornrowing down towards the hair line. 
      (Note: This is a great option for those who are worried about the hair line.)

* Again, I damped each section before cornrowing it and applied the products. 

This is what her styled looked like once I was finished with three sections.  I could have stopped there, but banded hair without styling it's not a good idea, at least not for me.   But I can't deny that it looked pretty.

Now, let's move on to the final step:

*The front right section, it's done the same way;

* Part each section in an angle, before cornrowing each section, I damped the hair and applied the products. 

This is a view from above, each section is braided in different direction but still braided toward the hairline. 

 This is the final product: 

Now, this style can easily be modified into different ones: 


A.  Cornrows into Side Pony Tails: 

B.  Lose Cornrows:

C.  Cornrows Braided into a One Big Braid: 

All the above styles are great protective styles and are definitely school friendly.