This will be my third hair journal. I also have a regular almost-daily hair journal that is updated more often, and is less of an "archive" as this. Frequent hair journal . The vault will be a random collection of links, photos, recipes, And of course instructions of all sorts. Thank you mods for creating this forum.

First, a link in honor of the namesake: diarist and writer (click here>) Anais Nin, the Goddess for the Union of All Words and Beauty! Some of the most beautiful love letters ever written were between Henry Miller and Anais Nin.

Anais Satin's hair in nauseating detail: hip length CheChen wood colored hair that looks naturally reddish with backlight. Base of ponytail is about 3.75" around, while it tapers off to about 1.5" circ.umference at the ends. I suspect that my cut ex-pixie layers have all shed. Most of my strands have naturally tapered tips. Very early terminal length, possibly about hip or tailbone. Genetically my hair should be able to reach tailbone, and I expect to do so by the end of this year. Fia hairtype 1b M/C ii/iii

BELTAINE 2005 measurement: just past waist

LUGHNASSADH 2005 measurement: hip length while straight

SAMHAIN 2005 measurement 33" long, almost to tailbone

Hair goals: SHORT TERM = Tailbone length, LONG TERM = Mid thigh a.k.a. Golden Ratio.

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Find more information on product ingredients:

http://www.cosmeticcop.com/learn/dictionary.asp?TYPE=MAIN

Holistic ingredients glossary

http://www.holisticbeauty.net/ingredients.htm

Speaking of ingredients,... PERFUME from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Fia's new VISUAL hairtyping system

http://homepage.mac.com/annsofie.henriksson/hairtyping/Photo Album17.html

Inspiration: Lady Galadriel

http://lordoftherings.haveabanana.net/

This will be my third hair journal. I also have a regular almost-daily hair journal that is updated more often, and is less of an "archive" as this. Frequent hair journal . The vault will be a random collection of links, photos, recipes, And of course instructions of all sorts. Thank you mods for creating this forum.

First, a link in honor of the namesake: diarist and writer (click here>) Anais Nin, the Goddess for the Union of All Words and Beauty! Some of the most beautiful love letters ever written were between Henry Miller and Anais Nin.

Anais Satin's hair in nauseating detail: hip length CheChen wood colored hair that looks naturally reddish with backlight. Base of ponytail is about 3.75" around, while it tapers off to about 1.5" circ.umference at the ends. I suspect that my cut ex-pixie layers have all shed. Most of my strands have naturally tapered tips. Very early terminal length, possibly about hip or tailbone. Genetically my hair should be able to reach tailbone, and I expect to do so by the end of this year. Fia hairtype 1b M/C ii/iii

BELTAINE 2005 measurement: just past waist

LUGHNASSADH 2005 measurement: hip length while straight

SAMHAIN 2005 measurement 33" long, almost to tailbone

Hair goals: SHORT TERM = Tailbone length, LONG TERM = Mid thigh a.k.a. Golden Ratio.

------------------------------------------------------------

Find more information on product ingredients:

http://www.cosmeticcop.com/learn/dictionary.asp?TYPE=MAIN

Holistic ingredients glossary

http://www.holisticbeauty.net/ingredients.htm

Speaking of ingredients,... PERFUME from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Fia's new VISUAL hairtyping system

http://homepage.mac.com/annsofie.henriksson/hairtyping/Photo Album17.html

Inspiration: Lady Galadriel

http://lordoftherings.haveabanana.net/

Stuff. I've been resizing pictures today. I don't see any sense in posting full-sized pictures of hair when a 120pixel width will do

Recent hair journey in photos.
The original photos have been removed from the rest of the thread for various reasons. It's also gotten me to reorganize all my photos offline.

 June 2005

 August 2005  September 2005

October 2005 pictures

November 2005 with flash (I'm not gonna use a flash anymore...)

Corset photos

C-COW-C INSTRUCTIONS, also found in the Lair  

(1) The first C: Wet scalp and entire length. Work the light conditioner into your ends (or the bottom half of your hair)
(2) Make your COW c.ocktail: In a squeezie bottle, add 1 dose (a dose is your regular amount of shampoo) of shampoo and 1-2 heaping tbsp of the same light conditioner. Add 12-14 oz of water and shake well. This isn't scientific by any means. Some people could end up preferring less water, if they use less shampoo. You'd end up with a nice froth.
(3) Apply your COW c.ocktail: Squeeze contents onto wet scalp, massaging the scalp lightly as you would with a CO wash. Finger comb only in this step, even though there is conditioner.
(4) Rinse very VERY well.
(5) Apply your regular conditioner normally; generally from the ears down. Comb, rinse, etc.. as usual.

SOCK CURLING INSTRUCTIONS, AT REQUEST OF GOLDILOCKS : ) Visual sock curling instructions can also be found in the Lair by clicking here:

(1) Find a clean-smelling, freshly laundered pair of socks. Preferably tube socks because they are totally tubular. Make sure they are long enough to tie a knot around two fingers.

(2) Start with slightly damp hair. It cannot be too damp. The hair often stays pretty damp if you bind it into socks and let it sit. You'd wake up with wet curls, which loosen, and adslkfjhaeopibglkj... The best thing to do is sock curl after a hairwash, when the hair has JUST dried, because then you'll have a little more flexibility and ease of rolling. You could also try misting your hair before curling, but I don't know how well that works.

(3) Divide your hair into two hemispheres, a Western and an Eastern. It will help if you do a center part. Comb the hair carefully.

(4) Fold the sock in half, lengthwise (the hot dog way)

(5) Tuck the ends of one hemisphere, let's say the right side, into the center of the "hot dog" folded sock.

(6) Start rolling the hair around the sock, like toilet paper. Yeah, blunt. I know. Tie the two ends of the sock together with a regular overhand knot. Repeat with the left hemisphere hair. Leave the socks on overnight. Undo the socks the next morning, taking care NOT to brush or comb the curls. Fingercomb only until your curls are loose enough to be called "wavy". The curls may not last long, or may last VERY long, depending on your hair type.

Good luck!

MAKING YOUR OWN HAIRSCROOS

Photo courtesy of LisaJaney (http://tlc-pads.com/services.htm)

(1) Cut segment of sculptor's aluminum (found in most craft stores in the sculptor's "skeleton" section, kind of by the foam and whatnot. It's softer and easier to handle. It's also easier to step on and deform) Get about 12" if you want really screwy, less if you want looser screws. Or if you're feeling ambitious, you can use coathanger wire and automotive sandpaper to dull the ends.

(2) Bend the segment into a U, where the width of the U is pencil-width.  
(3) Find a pencil (round, not hexagonal). Place the eraser end on the curve of the resulting U. Actually, you may have to bend the two prongs a bit to get the pencil to stay there: Bend the prongs in an upward spiral, keeping the prongs opposite to each other.  
(4) After a turn or two in the spiral pattern, insert the pencil and begin to spiral around it (as an anchor). Keep going upwards in as tight of a spiral as you like, keeping in mind that the prongs are always always opposite to each other.  
(5) When you finish, trim accordingly. Sand the tips really really well, and the best thing to do is round them completely. Aluminum is relatively easy to round off. The trick is to use the correct sandpaper, silicon carbide, marketed as automotive sandpaper. Wash and dry the scroo completely. Varnish entire thing with nail color.  

product reviews

SHAMPOOS
 
Pert Plus 2-in-1: Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate or similar, harsh and caused lots of scalp overcompensating. Now used for cleaning the bathroom.
Paul Mitchell The Shampoo: gentle Sodium Laureth Sulfate formula, smells like Down To Earth bubble bath, beautiful pearlescent color.
Finesse shampoo before reformulation: contained Sodium Laureth Sulfate (until Finesse had a redesign to officially become a "drugstore product" instead of a "salon quality product"). The later formulation has ammonium lauryl and laureth. The old formula I have smells wonderful.  
Kirkland Marine Algae Shampoo: gentle Sodium Laureth Sulfate formula from Costco, salon quality, smells like pineapple, clear white gel.
 
RINSE-OUT HEAVY FINAL CONDITIONERS
 
Suave BioBasics Conditioner: as a final conditioner that contains silicone. S-BB contains a water-soluble cone called dimethiconol, which is a very flexible and light silicone that builds up less than other varieties.  
Suave Humectant Conditioner: more heavy duty, used it for summer camping or hardcore travels.  
Kirkland Lemon Gingerroot: blue silicone conditioner that is a salon quality  knockoff of Paul Mitchell's Leave-in. Blue gel, rinse out or leave in, phenyltrimethicone. A little heavy and sticky for leave-ins.
Paul Mitchell Leave-in (blue stuff in a white bottle): Too sticky for leave-in, haven't tried as rinse-out, never will.
 
LIGHT PRE-CONE CONE-FREE CONDITIONERS OR FOR CO ROUTINE
 
Suave Milk&Honey Conditioner: Has been working as a pre-cone layer for CCC. And lately, as a big pre-layer but currently am working on increasing SM&H and decreasing the cone. Somewhat appropriate as a final C.
Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner: decent, similar to SM&H
Pure-A-Teas Lotus or Pure-A-Teas Green Tea Conditioner: I bought all the PATGT because it smells like BPAL's Embalming Fluid, otherwise known as Bear's choice of deodorant. Yum! Not appropriate as a final C.
V05 Sunkissed Raspberry Conditioner: I CO'd with this one until it ran out, and I loved it very much. It's a simple, protein free, cone free conditioner that is great for "lifting" scalp gunk. Not appropriate as a final C.
V05 Tangerine Tickle Conditioner: Used it with WCC routine back in the day. Worked well. Haven't used it for other purposes. Not appropriate as a final C.
 
 
OILS, in order: worst..indifferent.. best
 
Jojoba oil: makes my hair feel like straw. I only get soft jojoba results when I do a prewash. Oftentimes I would use it anyway before braiding, just because it's a 'good' oil that absorbs well. For skin, it's a miracle liquid.  
Extra Virgin olive oil(EVOO): very easy to buy, but it's too heavy an oil  
Avocado oil: fresh smell, light enough for a prewash with shampoo. Stopped using.  
Hempseed oil: needs refrigeration. Stopped using.  
Grapeseed: light and similar to jojoba in feel. Might as well use jojoba.  
Macadamia nut oil (Mac): a little heavy, I tried this in my shampoo washes but it wouldn't wash out completely unless I cut down. feels "greasy" but not "oily" when rubbed between palms. Not stickier per se, but more gel-like than jojoba. Doesn't absorb as easily.  
Coconut oil: also turns my hair into straw when used dry, although the initial application turns it extremely soft (until it absorbs fully. Then I get strawness). Worked rather well as a prewash treatment. Solid and travels very well. Stopped using.  
Flaxseed oil: Produced really good results to my utter surprise. I had to wait awhile though; it took lots of wooden-combing and waiting for the oil to absorb into actual soft hair. but... I really like it! The only downside is that it has to be refrigerated.  
Shea butter: prevents hairyness in braids, a bit sticky, makes hair clump unless worked thoroughly with a horn or wooden comb, but it doesn't have the straw effect. As a leave-in, it can make hair too greasy to wear loose, good motivation to wear contained hairdos. Travels very well. Wonderful for skin, moisturizing effects literally last more than 24 hours when using whipped shea 'cream' recipe (used as leave-in conditioner for braiding, hand salve, foot balm, general lotion, and of course, lip balm) It's shea white, shea yellow, and a small chunk (comparatively) of kokum butter for smoothness. I've also added mango butter into some mixes. NEW FAVORITE.

 OFF TOPIC STUFF

THAI FUSION PEANUT CHICKEN

What you need:

4-6 drumsticks

3/4 cup milk

about 3 heaping tsp of creamy peanut butter

about 1/4 cup soy sauce, preferably a non-Japanese kind, e.g. DaiBoDe or Maggi.

1/8 cup sugar (turbinado or dark brown sugar) You might want to use less to taste, but too little and the mixture doesn't carmelize

pepper to taste

cilantro (dried)

cajun spices (optional)

LOTS of fresh smashed garlic, e.g. about 1/2 cup

fresh cilantro garnish

(serve with rice and steamed veggies.)

(1) Make a milk and peanut butter mixture, slightly more than 3/4 cup of milk and about 3 tsp of peanut butter (heaping). Microwave the milk for less than a minute to ease the dissolving of the peanut butter. Set aside. Stir once in awhile so it doesn't develop a peanut film on the top.

(2) Make the marinade. (this is appropriate for about 4 drumsticks. Increase as needed.

$$ )'```ara $).,`` %*,`r !,,!-- ,,)-% ! " $4

A very lovely lady offered to measure the width of my hair under a micrometer.