mixed

Curls Out The Box!

Posted on by Courtney Marie

Thanks to my girlfriend Jennifer (remember she is the one who helped get me started in this blog life) I got to do a Curl MAY-KOVER in June.  I have been waiting to receive a curlbox for years and finally, by way of NYC, one arrived on at my door.  I was like a kid at Christmas carefully tearing into the packaging, anticipating what wonderful gift was inside.

Love in box for my curls from my girl Jenn!

Love in box for my curls from my girl Jenn!

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The official curlBOX!

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Myleik Teele is the genius who launched curlBOX to allow women the chance to try several hair products for the price of one each month.  The popularity.  For as long as I can remember there has been a waitlist to get on the coveted curlbox list.  They say getting things in life is more about WHO you know than WHAT you know and this is certainly a case for that fact.  Needless to say I was immediately impressed by the packaging and the letter from Myleik introducing the MAY-KOVER products.  Of course I decided I needed to try them immediately.

BEFORE

BEFORE

After 2 days without washing and coming straight from the gym my hair looked like it does a lot of days in South Florida – dry and frizzy.

The products featured in the curlBOX were all from the Creme of Nature Argan Oil collection.  I jumped in the shower and since I didn’t have a lot of product in my hair I used the Pure-Licious Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner – in the past I hadn’t been a fan of co-wash products if I had a lot of build-up from products on my scalp.  I followed up the co-wash with the Argan Buttermilk Leave-in Hair Milk – again even though I know I should be using leave-ins more often I never felt like they moisturized my hair enough.  Not the case here.  I probably would have been good to go just after those two products but since I had the Style & Shine Foaming Mousse I figured I may as well finish it off.  This was the result after using the 3 products.  You can see the moisture and definition in my curls even with them being piled up on top of my head.

AFTER

AFTER

While this alone is impressive the fact that 3 days later I have not had to re-wet my hair or add more product (which I usually do if I want to see decent hair).  #NoFrizz What I really loved was that I didn’t have to use a lot of any of the products which means they will actually last me a little while unlike most products – remember my “Sponge” post?

Check out 3 days of creme of nature curls (Yes, I do wear black almost everyday to work).  Needless to say I will definitely be using this product – I am a fan.  Thank you curlBOX from just a curly gurl!

Day 1 Curls - Hair down and lots of movement

Day 1 Curls – Hair down and lots of movement

Day 2 curls - pinned some up for style but still plenty of spring.

Day 2 curls – pinned some up for style but still plenty of spring.

Day 3 curls - after working out each day starting to dry a bit but still great curl definition pinned back

Day 3 curls – after working out each day starting to dry a bit but still great curl definition pinned back

A Special Skill Acquired Once Upon a Sleepover

Posted on by Courtney Marie

Going up sleepovers were a big deal. I very rarely got to go but,  there are a few that really stick out my mind from middle school. The one I remember the most was at my best friend April’s house. She was a new girl who had moved to Danville from Oklahoma. The reason why that particular sleepover was so memorable to me is because it was the first time someone ever French braided my hair. In fact, it was really the first time I remember anyone ever doing something to my hair other than me. Other than my mother brushing my hair when I was really young.

At a friend's house in rural PA.

At a friend’s house in rural PA.

I realize my hair was really short prior to middle school and there probably wasn’t too much that anybody could do with it. As I grew it out I experimented, usually failing miserably, to make it resemble the hairstyles of all my friends.  I don’t think their words to describe how elated I was when Mrs. Splane completed her braid my hair.  After that I became abscessed with braiding I braided all of my dolls as well as all of my friends. Eventually, I even learned to French braid my own hair. In time I graduated in to multiple braids, fishtails, inverted French Braids and most recently braids inspired by the Hunger Games.

The satisfaction of a braid well done with tired arms and all - I have A LOT of hair.

The satisfaction of a braid well done with tired arms and all – I have A LOT of hair.

In the days before YouTube all you could do was watch others and learn and when it came to braiding I was an eager student and practiced diligently. In my adult life I definitely don’t braid as much as I did in my youth but it’s often therapeutic and a favorite way to tuck away my hair for travel days.

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A girlfriend of mine recently found out that she was going to have a daughter and when she saw my braids asked if I could teach her how to braid hair.  I think we all know how great it is to have someone else do your hair. And I’m sure that it’s a wonderful bonding experience between a mother and a daughter. I think I was always a little bit jealous of April to have such an awesome mom who could French braid hair.  Of course I adore my own mother but I wonder how different our relationship would’ve been if we had bonded over things like hair and make up and other girly activities. In the years since I’ve left home I’m now the one who goes home and beg my mother to let me do her hair and make up. Rather than practice on dolls I now practice on my god sister Katie, who is often a willing guinea pig.  She, along with countless children I’ve babysat, or cheerleaders I have coached, have benefited from the skills I learned as a child at a sleepover.

I can’t wait to have my own little girl one day but until then I will keep braiding my own hair and anyone else who asks.  Curly girls can rock the French Braid too – OUI!

Taking the plunge

Posted on by Courtney Marie

After decades of being asked about my hair I have finally decided to find a forum to share what I have experienced.  So no matter what your curl story is you will hopefully find a way to connect with my curl chronicles or in the least enjoy a good story or two.

First, let me introduce myself, my name is Courtney Marie.  I was adopted when I was only 7 weeks old by two amazing people and grew up with my brothers in a small town in central Pennsylvania.  When I was about 9 I found my birth certificate and discovered I was mixed (according to my paperwork I was “mulatto” – more about that in a future post).  I know very little about my birth parents beyond their age and race.  What I do know is that I grew up in a house and a community where the faces and hair did not match mine.

I cannot remember a time when I didn’t struggle in some way shape or form with my hair.  Only the innocent baby you see in this post lived a life free of hair problems.  I know if you asked my mother she would say she also bore the pain of the early years.  I can remember sitting between her legs while she brushed my hair out.  She didn’t have Google or YouTube to assist her in the challenges of raising a daughter whose hair was nothing like her own.  She also couldn’t ask a neighbor or find a hairdresser in town that had hair like mine.  We were on her own.  My mom’s solution?  Cut it short when it gets too long to deal with.  Short curly hair combined with my brothers’ hand-me-downs resulted in being mistaken for a little boy more often than not.

Thinking back I only recall wishing I had wavy red hair like my mom or straight dirty blond hair like my cousin.  In fact, I am pretty sure I spent about the first 20 years of my life wishing I had hair that wasn’t mine.  Little did I know that women out there do it all the time and it is just called weave (again a subject for a future post).  There are a number of reasons why I didn’t love my hair but they all come down to a common denominator – I didn’t have someone to help me or to identify with.  I don’t blame anyone – it was my reality at the time.  Luckily, any little girl in a situation similar to mine now has access to so many resources to help them learn to love their curls early.   Maybe I was nudged by Dove’s new #loveyourcurls campaign  http://www.dove.us/loveyourcurls 

My family - circa 1982. Can you spot me?

My family – circa 1982. Can you spot me?

Regardless, here I am taking the plunge and sharing my journey with my curls.  It is an ongoing roller coaster ride that I have learned to love.  I do love my curls and I am so glad God blessed me with them.  That does not mean I always know what to do with them or how to take care of them so you can join me as I continue to learn what works and what doesn’t.  Welcome to my #curlchronicles and thank you for reading my first post.  Please subscribe or come back for more.