Bantu Knot-out

I recently posted a picture of a gorgeous bantu knot-out done on shorter natural hair on our Facebook page.  I haven't done a full bantu knot-out on Miss A since she was about 4 years old and it didn't go very well but I felt inspired to try it again and although we had some issues this time as well I still love the look and she does too! 

Bantu Knot Instructions:

1. I began by working on freshly washed hair. For her full routine, click here.

 2. Using a wide tooth comb, I parted a medium to large size section by her forehead. I added a small amount of Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer to her wet/damp hair then added a little Bee Mine Curly Butter from root to tip.

3. I began to twist the entire section to the right, all the way down to the ends.

4. Once the entire section was twisted, I started to twist the section into a circle near her scalp. Each time I twisted the section around, I tucked it under the previous one. I tucked her ends under the entire bantu-knot. Please be careful not to twist the section too tightly. I actually hold on to the knot and twist the entire bantu-knot the opposite way just to make sure it's not tugging on her scalp.

 5. There you have it! A bantu knot! Continue parting with a comb and twisting until you're done.

Bantu knots complete!

 The back view.

I gently removed the bantu knots after a few hours. Here's the end result of her bantu knot-out:

I like the results but it didn't come out as I expected. Next time I will work with dry, moisturized, stretched hair (from banding). You can see some of the parts in the back began to frizz up, this is because they were still wet. I will also use less product next time. I'm going to try another bantu-knot out on her within the next month to stay tuned!

Now it's YOUR turn! I'd love to see your bantu knot-out's! If you have pictures, feel free to post them on our Facebook wall. I'd love to see them!

Let me know what you all think of the new look. I changed a few things. Hopefully it's easier to find what you're looking for. I'm still working on it and I'm totally open to suggestions. Also let me know how you like the picture tutorial. Was it helpful or can you do without? 

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Big Carefree Natural Curls

I received several questions on our Facebook page about how I got Miss A's curls to look like this and how she was able to achieve her second day hair so I thought I would make a quick post explaining how we achieved her big carefree curls.

After washing and detangling her hair, I applied a generous amount of Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer through her wet/damp curls with my fingers, from root to tip. I did not brush the product through. I continued to rake the product through (raking is key!) until I felt it had been evenly distributed. 

Once her hair dried it looked like this:

Later that night I gathered her hair in a loose ponytail on top of her head and created a messy bun, tucking the ends under. It's important for her to not sleep with her curls out. Once she lays on them they will tangle up terribly and become matted pretty quickly. When we want second day hair I will either place it in a high bun or put a few loose braids in her hair. 

The next day I removed the bun and her curls looked like this (see picture below). The only change I made was pinning the middle section of hair back for a different look.

Please note that if you try this (just using a moisturizer and raking) the curls will not be perfect. There will be frizz. Embrace it and learn to love it! As you can see, it's a beautiful thing.

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Natural Hair Updo: Twisted Cinnabuns with Cornrows

We have been loving updo's over here lately! Can you tell?  Miss A will be attending her Aunt's work event this weekend so I decided to give her a style to fit the occasion. This style is perfect for both little and big girls. Great for holidays, formal events or just to feel like a princess! 

As always, I washed, detangled, moisturized (with Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer) and banded Miss A's hair. For full washing instructions click here.

I removed the bands once her hair was almost dry, just slightly damp. I began by parting the hair from ear to ear and tying the top section off. I started working on the back section at the nape of the neck, cornrowing from the right into the middle and from the left into the middle until I was done with the back. I used Bee Mine Curly Butter on each cornrow. 

Once I got to the top I parted a fairly large section in the middle and tied it off. I added a few cornrows to the side sections going up into the middle of her head. Once those cornrows were complete I gathered a large section of hair in the front, tied it off with a ponytail holder and did a loose two strand twist. Once the twist was in I began to create the cinnabun. I simply wrapped the twist around the ponytail holder, making sure it laid flat the entire time. Once the twist was wrapped around into a cinnabun, I placed 1 or 2 bobbypins flat, straight through the cinnabun. I continued this process until she had 5 twisted cinnabuns. I added some cute flower clips I bought from Claire's and there you have it, a beautiful natural updo!

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