Sunshine Blogger Award II

Hello everyone!! It's a beautiful day. I feel so blessed!!

Yes!! I got another sunshine blogger award which is a way for bloggers to know other bloggers better, and  for blog fans and readers to know their bloggers as well. Uzuoma of www.donttouchthehair.com , thanks so much for the award. I love your blog too and loved your responses to the questions you got. I did a response to Ghanaianemprezz's questions yesterday and you can click here for the list of the bloggers I nominated. 

My answers to Uzuoma's questions:

1. What is your favourite dessert? Fruit salads. I don't eat it often but I really love it besides cakes with icing. (watching my weight smh) 

2. What is your ideal vacation? A stay on an exotic beach resort on an island country with lots of sun and breath-taking natural views. Oh, and great tasting food too so I won't miss home....lol!

3. Why did you decide to start blogging? I wanted to track my hair journey progress and also help other ladies who wanted to grow their hair by sharing the knowledge and experience I had gained. 

4. What is one tip that you would give to new bloggers? Do whatever makes you happy; and when you get criticized, use it as an opportunity to better yourself at what you do. See it all as constructive. 

5. What do you like to do for fun? I love playing with my kids. Nothing pleases me much more than sharing time with them and hearing their happy laughs and giggles. It's so much fun. 

6. What coutries have you travelled to? Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Mostly work-related (sad face) so I've not seen all the beautiful places there are to see. 

7. Android or iPhone? Android. My gadget life is complicated enough. 

8. What is your favourite blog post that you have written? Onion for Hair Growth. That still attracts so much attention to my blog. 

9. If you could go back to any moment in history, when and where would that be and why? Right back to 2002 when I completed Senior High School so I can start my hair journey right then. My hair would have been butt-length by now....lol! It's the only time in my life I really, really, really, really, would like to wind back to. 

10. What is your favourite season? Rainy Season. I'm not fond of the cold but the heat gets unbearable during harmattan. 

11. What are your top 3 hair products? T444Z Hair Food, Hawaiian Silky 14-in-1 Miracle worker, Creme of Nature Argan Oil Strength and Shine leave in conditioner. I love these so much and I pray each day my hair continues to love them. 

Thanks so much for reading. 

Cheers,

Star. 

Sunshine Blogger Award!

Good to be back to Blogville.....Happy New Month!! 

I got this Sunshine Blogger award from fellow blogger and friend Abena Nyarkoah of www.ghananianemprezz.com blog. Her blog is a must-read; lots of tips for both naturals and relaxed ladies and loads of giveaways too. Wow, there's a giveaway her blog right now!!

Rules:

• Acknowledge the nominating blogger with a link to the website. Thanks Emprezz!!
• Share 11 random facts about myself by answering the questions the nominating blogger has created for me. 
• List 11 bloggers I believe deserve some recognition and a little blogging love! (I can't nominate the blogger who nominated me.)
• Let the 11 bloggers know you nominated them.
• Post 11 questions for the bloggers I nominate to answer. 

Answers to Emprezz's questions:

1.  How did you come up with your blog name? Honestly, it just popped into my head the moment I decided to start a hair journey and blog, and to identify with being Ghanaian and having long hair. It was perfect to call myself GHlonghair....and in the beginning, some fans found it funny I had short hair and was calling myself by the name. After a few months, they got where I was going with the name. *Fingers-crossed* 

2. Do you have a favourite quote? Drink deep or taste not!! 

3. What's your favourite hobby besides blogging? Sleeeeeeeping! *covers face* Lately, it seems to be the one thing I love doing besides work, home care and school....lol. Am I serious? Yes, I am. 

4. If you could live anywhere in the world other than where you currently live, where would it be? South Africa! (please, wave the wishing wand!!) I just love that country.... it's one of the most beautiful in the world and it's closer to Ghana.#dreamsandpossibilities

5. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Definitely a morning person. I begin to sleep walk as soon as I put my outside lights on......zzzzzzzzzzzzz all the way to bed!!
6. Favourite drink? Schweppes Malt always makes my day.
7. Favourite food? Banku and grilled tilapia.....with fresh pepper sauce and sliced vegetables! Meeeeeehn, my mouth is watering already!

8. If you could be a character from a book, who would it be? Hhehehehhehehehehe, who other than Pocohantas. *wink wink* . Her hair is fascinating!

9. What celebrity would you most like to meet? Oprah Winfrey. She's phenomenal. 

10. One gadget you can't live without? A mobile phone. I loose it in a day and my whole world turns upside down...somehow. 

11. Who inspires you the most? My mum. I look up to her in everything. 

Nominated Bloggers:

Fatima of hairequest.blogspot.com 

Jay of jaykinkskoils.blogspot.com

Mira of mzdirection.blogspot.com

Hadassah of nappilynigeriangirl.blogspot.com

Tendayi of africanhairblog.com

Joanne of growafricanhairlong.blogspot.com

Dorothy of myhairvolution.wordpress.com 

Kavuli of www.goodhairdiaries.com

Ms Z of www.hairinsights.wordpress.com

Aisha of www.myfroandi.com

Naya of mimeldo.blogspot.com

Questions for Nominated Bloggers:

1. Which do you love and care for most? Your hair, skins or nails? 

2. Do you still watch cartoons?

3. What have you always wanted in life? Did you get it? 

4. At what age did you last dance in the rain?

5. What was your first thought when you woke up this morning? 

6. Best compliment you have ever received?

7. What type of music do you listen to? 

8. What did you do on your last birthday? 

9. Are you still learning who you are? 

10. What is your favourite thing to spend money on? 

11. Would you rather go a week without bathing but be able to change clothes? Or a week without changing your clothes but be able to bath? 

I got another nomination from Uzuoma of donttouchthehair.blogspot.com and will answer her questions in the next post. Can't wait!! 

Cheers,

Star.

Back To My Wigs

I''m so bent on reaching my bra strap length goal by December this year. I really do not want to have any setback at all, and I especially don't want to loose my ends at all. I want to trim it myself when I flatiron in August. 

I am back to a low or no manipulation regimen and the easiest one is to thread my hair and wear my wigs. Found this old wig I had and just restyled it with a brush. It isn't bad looking and I'm looking forward to rocking it for at least 3 weeks. I am going to kill my boredom this time.....keep looking at the greater good keeping my hair away will do for me. 

The key really to growing out relaxed hair long is to keep manipulation to the barest minimum. At least for me, that is the huge factor that really makes or breaks me. If I leave my hair loose for just 2 or 3 weeks, I experience a lot of breakage. That's mostly because I just can't keep my hands out of my hair, and once the new growth starts coming in, there is that war between the textures. I style it this way, and that way, and then another way and then......geeeeeeeeeeeez, give this hair a break.....lol!!

In the next few weeks, I would try my hardest to answer the reader questions I've had in detail. I'm really grateful that you keep reading my blog and giving me feedback. You're awesome!! I really hope my blog inspires you out there and if there is something I could do to make you enjoy this blog better, kindly leave it in the comment box below. I do give lots of tips on my facebook page everyday on how to grow hair long and try not to lecture here on this blog....*covers face*. But if there's anything you would like me to write about in detail here, kindly let me know. 

Let's cut the talk and see some pictures........Tadaaaaaaaaaaa!! This is my look for the next few weeks.  *huuuuuuuuuuuuuge grin*

What kind of wigs do you like? Long or short? Curly or straight?


Cheers,
Star.

Relaxer Update

Relaxer day, Saturday 12th July went on very well and I'm 5 days post. I used Vitale relaxer and the same products I use on previous relaxer days, and used the same methods. I washed my hair yesterday and find that I am still texlaxed though I allowed the hairdresser to smooth within the last 2 minutes with the comb because I wanted my hair 80% straight. I had issues with reversion with last February's relaxer and had to relax again after just 6 weeks. 

Overall, I am happy that I see progress though I was only 12 weeks post. My hair was very thick even on relaxer day and a day after though I rollerset using setting lotion. I see increase in length too. I am deeply thrilled because my roots are texlaxed so my hair may really be longer than it shows. I still do not want to flatiron yet and just hope to reach my bra strap length goal without having to flatiron my hair to get the length. I love voluminous hair and airdrying gives me just that!

After my wash 2 days ago, I find that my hair is reverting again especially at the back and I don't know how much more it would revert. Looks like 70% straight right now but the back feels heavy and extremely thick. It tangles a lot back there already. I will put it in braids or thread it up and wear my wig if I find it unmanageable in the coming weeks. I have to find a workable solution to my texlaxed woes because I really like the thickness that comes with it. If only my hair would be more manageable!!

How long before you do a corrective relaxer when needed?

Cheers,

Star.

Hair Update: Cornrows Out, Preparing for Next Relaxer

It's been such a long time! Yes, my hair life has been so boring. I took my cornrows out last week and have been wigging since then. Nothing has changed in my regimen and I am just looking forward to relaxing on Saturday.

Though I would be only 12 weeks post, I've decided to end my stretch because wash days are not easy at all. The texlaxed middle just clumps up though I wash in sections, and gets all tangled I literally have to pick at the hair strands one by one to detangle.

Combing is a no-no as my hair just begins to break off like crazy. I just thread my hair when I finish washing and detangling, wear a wig cap and my wig. I started inversion this week and will end this weekend. My shedding is literally non-existent now, it's at the barest minimum and I'm so happy Groganics is working real good for me. It's the breakage I can barely control. The less I touch my hair, the better till I retouch on Saturday.

I am loving how Groganics vitamins is growing my nails like crazy. I believe all the thick new growth is also courtesy of Groganics as I stopped using T444Z when I started taking the pills.  Just a month and my nails are so long and haven't broken off despite the chores I do. That is something!! I will still texlax though I'm hoping I get up to 90% straight this time. I will not mix the relaxer as always and just stick to the time. It is never enough to process my hair bone straight anyway...lol! My hair has a mind of it's own as to how it behaves on relaxer day. I have just decided to live with it. Smh.

Does your relaxer day always produce the results you want? 

Cheers,

Star

New Protective Style: Cornrows

I got cornrows as planned last Saturday and hope to keep them in for at least 3 weeks. I want to use my heat pass at the end of July to flatiron and do a mid year length check as I have some texlaxed length. I hope to stretch till the end of July. I am currently 7 weeks post. Keeping my hair in braids has really helped me stretch this far. I deep conditioned with Vitale Mayonnaise mixed with Vatika Almond oil which I had purchased sometime back. I sat under the dryer for deeper absorption of the conditioner and I loved how my ends felt after rollersetting and hood drying. Totally frizz-free and amazing to see and touch! It took a lot of will to install the cornrows as planned.

I am still on a challenge to use up my stash before I buy new items....I definitely failed this month as I purchased some Groganics products. It had been on my wishlist for so long I just couldn't help it. I am joining a "Use up Your Stash" challenge hosted by fellow blogger Ghanaianemprezz to see if it helps keep me in check. I'm challenging myself to use up 3 products before I purchase 1 product....and even so, only if I really need. Ultimately, I hope to reduce my stash to 10 products, excluding oils by the end of the year as I have a ton of used and unused products. My sister will be back on holidays soon and I know my stash will get used up much quicker as it's her long vacation of 3 months. My littlest sister also just completed high school and intends to grow her natural hair. She has just abt 2 inches of hair now. Will send her some stuff too. I really dunno how I accumulated so many products within a year. I have really been careful not to purchase anything since last September...unless I really, really, really needed them. I will do a post on what I have now and update you on my "Use up Your Stash" progress every month.  

I will keep my cornrows the same way as I have always done. Wash and deep condition whenever I feel like and spray with my homemade mix or Groganics Liquid Scratch. I intend to use the Liquid scratch for ghe at least 3 times a week. I've been lazy with massaging my scalp with T444Z lately. I would have to get a new phone (I'm just so unlucky with fons; always cracking the screen up or sthg...lol) or repair my camera real soon as blogging is boring without having the "show and tell" pictures. 

What is the longest period you have kept a protective style in? 

Cheers,

Star.

Loc Extensions Out.....New Products!

My hair has been boredom.com hence no update for so long. I just got so bored with the loc extensions that I took them out yesterday. They had just turned 4 weeks. I was horrified in the beginning when I realised how I had to cut my hair within some of the locs because I was right about my hair being longer than some of the locs at the back. Yes, once I snipped off the burnt ends of some of the locs, I cut my ends in the process. 

By the time I was done undoing them all, I was over the initial shock and sadness. I left some of the locs in the back with the intention to show it to my hairdresser as I told her several times to make sure she braided to the end at the back as I could not see for myself. I did keep a close eye as she did the crown and front and always pointed out where I saw my hair sticking out. The front was intact...but the harm had already been done at the back. I decided not to bother anyway as my back grows faster than my front. 

One thing I noticed was how easily my hair detangled this time. I was very consistent with spraying with Hawaiian silky, oil and water mix everyday and night. My hair felt super moisturised and silky. Totally frizz-free. Most of the knots detangled easily ....so i didnt have to use water, conditioner and oil. For the tough knots, I decided to try Hawaiian silky as a detangler and mercy me!! Why on earth hadn't I tried that before? It was completely amazing to see and feel how easily the knots came out. No stress, no long hours, no water dripping down my back.....less than an hour for detangling. Woooooooooooooow!! Hawaiian Silky for me is a winner!

I washed my hair with same products and technique as my last wash day except i didn't do a black tea rinse.....but I blowdried on warm setting because I did my wash late and I was too tired to airdry. I have no picture updates now as I broke my fon screen completely on Saturday, and I still haven't fixed my camera. Kindly bear with me in the meantime. 

I just started using the Groganics DHT Blocker system to help with my shedding. I am currently taking their 2 a day hair vitamins; but I take 1 a day. I also used the Liquid Scratch for my braids in the last week before I removed them. Will do a post soon about the products in the whole range I bought. I started inverting yesterday and will continue for 7 days...hopefully. I intend to get cornrows with my own hair at the weekend. 

What are your thoughts about the Groganics DHT Blocker System? 

Cheers,

Star.