Indian Hair: If you’re looking for the best quality hair, you will need to make an investment. Virgin Indian Hair is the best grade of hair to purchase. The term “virgin” means unprocessed, chemical free. The hair is at the most natural state. It came straight off of an Indian donor’s scalp the way it is. Virgin Indian Hair can cost anywhere between $300-$750 (that’s for 2-3 bundles). The term “bundle” mean the bulk of hair, which is usually 4-6 ounces. 1 bundle is the equivalent to 1 pack of beauty supply store hair. 1 bundle (anywhere from 14 inches – 26 inches) cost between $125 – $250. Indian hair can also be dyed or bleached. Indian hair can be reused for at least 1 year. When your stylist sew it in, she needs to sew it without cutting the tracks, otherwise it will be hard to remove and reuse again.

1. Curly or “Spanish Wave”: This hair is naturally curly. It’s the “wet & go” look. The hair is very versatile and can be worn naturally curly or straightened with a flat iron. This grade of hair is the hardest to get bone straight.
2. Wavy or “Body Wave”. This hair is very wavy and light. It can be worn wavy, straightened with a flat iron or curled with a curling iron. This is best type of hair to get if you’re looking for something to give you many looks, without too much hassle.
3. Straight: This hair is straight with a subtle natural wave to it. The hair is very flat and suggested to be cut in layers for body. The only way you will get the supreme wavy look with this hair is if you braid it into 2 braids for 8 hours.

Packaged Hair: If you’re not ready to purchase Indian hair, you can purchase packaged hair from your local beauty supply store. Packaged hair can cost anywhere between $75 – $150 per pack. You cannot process this hair with dyes or bleaching and you can only use it once. The way the hair came, is the way you need to wear it. Unless it’s straight and you can curl it sometimes with a hot curler. The best packaged hair to get is Saga Gold or Saga Platinum.

Shampoo: John Frieda Frizz Ease Smooth Start Shampoo – Be gentle with the hair when you wash it. Do not wringe, pull or squeeze tightly. This prevents the hair from breaking away from the weft (that’s what cause the shedding). Wash and rinse 2 times.

Conditioner: John Frieda Frizz Ease Smooth Start Repairing Conditioner – Leave it in for 5-10 minutes then rinse out thoroughly.

Scalp Treatment: Squeeze Infusium 23 Leave-In conditioner into your roots so it can moisturize your scalp/real hair, and to prevent flakes/itching. Try not to let all of it get into your actual weave. Nothing bad will happen, but the less product you leave in the weave, the better the outcome.

Coloring/Bleaching: Bigen is the safest product to dye Virgin Indian Hair black. 3 bottles, leave the dye in for about 3-4 hours though. My weave is still silky, didn’t lose it’s texture, and it’s not tangled. It’s best to use because it has no ammonia or hydrogen peroxide. Bleaching the weave does the same exact thing as it does when you bleach your own hair: it strips the hair of it’s color and thickness. I would highly advise against bleaching, but if you must, purchase the lightest color weave possible so you wouldn’t have to bleach it as much.

Drying: The best way to dry your hair is by roller setting it and sitting underneath the dryer for at least 90 minutes. If you don’t feel like doing that, you can finger dry your hair with a blow dryer. Note: Do not use the comb attachment with the blow dryer because that adds stress to the hair by pulling it too hard, which can also loosen the weft, which can cause shedding and slipping tracks. The most laziest way (which is what I do most of the time) is towel dry your hair, and then putting it into 2  braids while it’s damp. This takes about a day for it to dry.

Day-to-Day care: The only product I would suggest to use is BioSilk Therapy. You drop a dime size into your palm and rub it through your hair twice a week. It gives that natural shine, without weighing down the hair with oil/grease. It also promotes a nice silky look if you are wearing your hair straight.

Curling or Flat Iron: The best curling iron to use to achieve the waterfall curls (ie: Kim Kardashian’s look here) is RED hot curler, 1inch. The best flat iron to achieve the straighten look is any flat iron that has a titanium plate (it will be a silver plate), that’s about 1 inch wide. The heat should be between 350° – 425°. Anything higher and it will burn the hair, or eventually cause irreparable heat damage.

Wrap: The best material to tie your hair down with is a silk scarf. The natural fiber of silk allows air flow, unlike synthetic fabric. Wrapping your hair in a non absorbent fabric like silk will eliminate dryness, thus reducing breakage.

Where do I get affordable Virgin Indian hair from? - This is the hardest question to answer. You have to shop around, Google reviews from the company you’re thinking about getting the hair from, and compare prices. Never buy the hair from someone that’s going to meet up with you at the gas station and then they take it out from their trunk. Because if something goes wrong, you will never be able to exchange the hair. The company that has rave reviews (and where I purchase my hair from) is Luxury Remy. When you call, ask for Jack and tell him that Chanel from kisschanel.com referred you to get your 10% discount: 404.783.9270.

How can I stop shedding? – There’s no way to stop shedding. Sometimes you get a bad batch of hair, or you used a product that was too strong for the hair. However, you can prevent shedding. Before purchasing, take a look at the hair you’re interested in. Play with it, swing it around, run your fingers through, brush it a few times, and investigate the weft. Some companies will glue the weft to ensure that strands off the hair will not slip out of the weft. Ask if they do this. Do not be afraid to ask questions and to ask them to take the hair out of the rubberband because remember, you’re technically spending your rent money on this! Most places, if the hair starts to shed within one month of sewing it in, they will do a full exchange. You have to take the hair out and bring it in to them though. Be sure to call and check on their exchange policy before purchasing.

This advice comes from years of experience, experimenting and a family of Jamaican hair stylists. Any questions, feel free to comment below and I will respond within 24 hours.

If you’re not in the Atlanta area and need to order hair, you can go to luxuriaremy.com to order your hair. Remember, mention Chanel from kisschanel.com to get your 10% discount!

I’m lying. No one did that.

I registered for 5 classes this summer. Online classes. An extra piece of information: summer school is only 7 weeks long. Am I crazy for that? I don’t think so. I’m focused and motivated as hell. Plus, I don’t feel like going on that hot ass campus during the summer nights, for 3 hours each night. One of the classes is Physical Education. My homegirl asked me how can you take Phys Ed online. I told her by doing jumping jacks, via webcam, for 30 minutes each day. No bra. Nipples just spinning in circles, looking like they’re turning a double dutch rope.

I have a very creative mind. Don’t judge me.

Have you ever found yourself in complete bliss to the point where you were just waiting for the shit to fuck up? You sit there pondering “Okay, when is this going to turn to shit?” And you sit there anxiously tapping your fingers for the big bang. That’s what I’m doing right now. Although, I find right when I talk too soon, it turns to shit. lol, isn’t it ironic? Oh well, such is life. That’s why you keep backup plans.

We will see. In the meantime, I’m about to make it rain with these leftover rose petals. I’ll save some for later.

“damn, i fucked up” – written by chanel
he’s glaring at me
shaking his head
wondering why i did what i did
disappointment arises.
I whisper: damn, i fucked up.
i apologize repeatedly
tried to give him the sad face
and reach out to hug him
he declines.
I whisper: damn, i fucked up.
he continues to bicker…pointing at me
expressing his anger, capitalizing
he goes for the front door
unexpectedly, i cry
I whisper: damn, i fucked up.
he pauses at the doorstep
negativity evaporates from his spine…
ashamed, i turn away, not ready to endure more
with sternness, he says my name.
I whisper: damn, i fucked up.
gently, he turns me around, facing him
he wipes one tear away
however, unfazed by my “grief”, he frowns
shaking his head once more, he whispers “goodbye”…
he continues out the door.
I whisper: damn, i fucked up.
with my head down, i hide my shame
with my back turned, i hide my vulnerability
with my eyes closed, i hide the reality
with my arms crossed, i hide my heart,
with my mouth closed, i hide a smile.

damn, i put on a good show.

Notice that these women either have a scowl on their face or an attitude. You’re either unaware of their body type or it’s evident that they are slightly overweight. They all have hair that you cannot come through, nor is it past the shoulders. Why are we perceived that way as if we’re just a bunch of grumpy frumpy nappy intolerable people to deal with? Why when we’re showing joy, it has to be expressed in an exaggerating way. So if we’re not parading around with a damn attitude, we’re being loud and obnoxious. Why can’t we be conditioned to see all different types of black women? Embracing different styles of clothing, hair and body types? When I see white women in commercials, they’re running through fields of purple flowers, hair flowing in the wind, falling into the arms of a happy man. When I see black women in commercials, they’re in the kitchen, with 2 mulatto kids, no father present, complaining about something. And if there is a father around, he has this look of discomfort on his face. Or probably has an attitude too. Most of all, where are the pretty ones? I am quite positive that there are a lot of nice looking black women trying out for commercials so why are the unattractive ones, stuck in this stereotypical Afrocentric look, being chosen? Where are these women for the commercials?:

As you can see, we come in all shapes, sizes, skin tone and beauty. Now, I’m not saying this is in EVERY commercial I see where a black woman is present. But I can safely say at least 80% of them this is occurring. I’m not sure the reason for it, or how to change it. But I am certain that they need to wake up and open their eyes because times have changed. We’re all not nappy anymore. We can afford to keep our hair looking right. We’re all not frumpy anymore. We just have big butts and breasts (naturally!). We’re more in the office, being the backbone of a business and less in the kitchen with the mami apron on. We all don’t twist our necks when we’re voicing our opinion nor are we walking around with a scowl on our face. We don’t have a chip on our shoulders nor are we always at war with our men. This reminds me of the early 70′s where the only reason a black woman was casted for a role in the movie she was either a maid or a hooker.

Sidetrack: Weaves. There’s this sort of taboo about weaves and that’s also being associated with black women as well. As if we’re so “fake” and are “frauds” just because we have a weave. Ummmm, white women wear weaves also, JUST as much as black women. The reason why we don’t notice or can’t tell is because of the obvious. White women hair grows longer faster and the hair weaves match their hair texture better. We’re so conditioned to seeing black women with short hair, no one can fathom the thought that if her hair is 18 inches long, it’s real. They immediately cancel her out and say it’s a weave. Also, just because we have a weave, does not mean we’re bald. My real hair is past the back of my neck. The reason why most women (black & white) wears a weave is because they like to change hairstyles in a drastic way without actually damaging their real hair. Most of these hairstyles cannot be achieved with the hair we have.

If you’re of another race reading this, feel free to agree right along with me by letting me know how YOU feel about the way black women are projected in the media (if you even noticed it at all?). I try to look at it in a different perspective and analyzed how other races are portrayed in commercials and to be honest, I’m noticing other stereotypes as well. Except with the white actors/actresses. I’m sure if a white woman was watching BET and if most of the commercials portray white woman talking like a Valley Girl (ie: “LIKE, OH MY GAWD!”) she would feel the same way too. And if you disagree, I would love for you to tell me why also. I would like for this topic to be an open forum for any race to express the type of stereotypes you’ve experienced & endured as we walk through the means streets of society. Whether you’re black, white, hispanic, asian, indian and etc. I’m sure people are tired of white being associated with racism, black being associated with unattractive, hispanic being associated with labor work, asian being associated with Chinese food or nails, and indian being associated with a cab driver or terrorist.