All Things Hair - Untrained Hair Mom

Qoileez! Accessory Giveaway

May 8, 2013 By Brooke 10 Comments

I came across a unique item not long ago that I couldn’t wait to share with my lovely Untrained Hair Mom readers. Qoileez are a flexible plastic accessory that can be used in the hair, on pencils/pens, knitting needles and pretty much anything you want to accessorize.

Qoileez! are pretty nifty little items, they are about in inch long, they are made of soft plastic and fairly easy to apply to the hair and other things. They come in lots of pretty colors, too!

So, who is ready to win some Qoileez!? We are giving away 2 packs of 7 count Qoileez to 2 different winners. Each winner will receive 2 – 7 count packs of Qoileez! Leave a comment below telling us what you would do with your Qoileez , then enter on the Rafflecopter giveaway form. Good Luck!

You can see all the Qoileez! color, design and pricing options on their website.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: All Things Hair Tagged With: Hair Accessories

School Photo’s and Family Portraits: Tips and Hairstyle Ideas

April 29, 2013 By Brooke 4 Comments

School Photo Hairstyle Ideas

D just recently had her spring photo’s at school made. I always struggle with how to style her hair for photo’s. I want her hair to be done and styled nicely, of course, but I also like her to look like her in the photo’s. She’s worn her natural curls, curlformer curls, classic pig tails and flat twists in previous years. This year I decided to do our favorite easy updo hairstyle.

Past School Photo’s:

I honestly almost skipped out on getting D’s solo school photo’s this year because it’s time for us to do another family portrait, but we’ve been putting it off. Does anyone else dread family photo’s? Have you skipped the family portrait in years past because it just isn’t worth the fight?

Family Portrait Tips

I know from experience that getting the entire family together for pictures can be worse than pulling teeth. The days leading up to the event can be stressful, and all you want is for people to see how happy your family is. I’ve learned to face the fact that there isn’t a family out there that is completely happy all the time. And sometimes the best pictures are the ones that show the reality of that moment in your lives.

-Think about hiring a photographer that doesn’t expect you to sit perfectly arranged in front of a white background. Take your family to the park or maybe a museum and get action shots of you all enjoying the day together.

-Sitting still with a fake smile is not fun for anyone, unless you are one of the rare that feels natural in front of the lens. It is rare to find an entire family of photogenic people. Cater your photos to your family’s needs and have fun with the shoot.

- Don’t spend a fortune on outfits for the kids and try to force them to wear clothes they hates. Instead use NerdWallet’s coupon listings to find coupon codes for stores that have outfits that will make them happy to be in front of the camera, or at least they will be happy to have something they will want to wear again. (And don’t forget our Bee Mine code to help you save on hair products: SPRINGUM).

Remember, it is a fact of life that very little goes as planned. Acknowledge that pictures are meant to capture real life and if that still doesn’t sit well with you, be thankful that technology allows us to edit photos any way we choose, lol.

Have you had a bad “family portrait experience”? Got any other tips to add?

Filed Under: All Things Hair

Easy Cornrow Design Hairstyle Tutorial

April 15, 2013 By Brooke 2 Comments

Our contributor Mo Plaits is back with another hairstyle tutorial for us! This time it is a super cute and easy cornrow design of criss cross hairline plaits into ponytails.

What you’ll need:
Spray bottle with water
Moisturizer (I used African Pride Moisture Intense Shea Butter Miracle Leave-In Conditioner)
Rat tail comb
Hair accessories

Easy Cornrow Design Hairstyle

How To:
Step 1: Part the hair directly down the middle of the head starting from the forehead down to the back of the head.
Step 2: Put one side of hair that has been divided into a ponytail to keep out of the way.
Step 3: Use your rat tail comb to section the hair for the cornrow {wherever you would like to start} for this style I started the part at the crown of her head and made my section down to her forehead, leaving about half-inch from forehead for the next braid.
Step 4: Take about a half-inch of hair from the hairline section, (if the hair around the hairline is too short or hairline has not grown in yet, please take larger sections to help nurture the hairline and not hurt the edges) and leave it out of the ponytail to be braided.
Step 5: Cornrow the section of hair from the crown down to the forehead, curving your cornrow into the next side where you left out the hairline section.. braid all the way down to the side burn hair.
Step 6: Once both cornrows are complete.. you can put them into the ponytails you’ve previously made and add some accessories to spice up the hairstyle!!

We hope you enjoyed our newest hairstyle tutorial, please keep an eye out for future tutorials!!! God bless!!

-Mo Plaits Don’t forget you can find Mo Plaits on Facebook for more creative cornrow designs and hairstyle ideas.

Filed Under: All Things Hair Tagged With: cornrows, cute hairstyle ideas for girls, mo plaits

5 Easy Creative Natural Hairstyles

April 4, 2013 By Brooke 6 Comments

First, (before we get to these amazing and easy creative natural hairstyles) I want to give a shout out to our newest sponsor, Curly Princess Hair Boutique (take a look at their hair accessories, they are having a 20% off sale for the entire month of April!) and also to the maker of our favorite hair products Bee Mine, we’ve got a new reader discount code for you all, use checkout code SPRINGUM to save 10% on any order over $15, click here to go shopping (just be sure to come back and to see these hairstyles).

LaShauna of Nothing Unruly About These Curls has joined us once again to give us tutorials on 5 easy creative natural hairstyles for girls. If you missed her last 5 quick cute hairstyle tutorials, be sure to check them out. Now on to these hairstyles….

Style 1 – Rolled Pony Mohawk

This style took about 30 minutes.

Instructions:
Step 1: Part hair in half from ear to ear, tie off back half.
Step 2: Part front portion in half (from about the temples) so that you have 2 sections to ponytail. Secure both sections with an ouch-less band.
Step 3: Repeat step 2 on the back section of hair. you will then have 4 ponytails down the center of the head.
Step 4: Barrel roll each ponytail section down (using your fingers), you can also do buns if you like and secure w/ a bobby pin
Step 5: Add accessories or simply leave as is.

Style 2- 2 Small Braids into Pigtails

This style took about 15 minutes. It’s an easy style for toddlers & school age girls that can be done before school.

Instructions:
Step 1: Split hair in half down the center from front to back. Tie off half so it’s out the way
Step 2: Part off a small triangle section in the front of pigtail and do a simple braid or twist.
Step 3: Gather the hair including the braid/twist and secure with an ouch-less band, then 2 strand twist/braid the loose hair.
Step 4: Repeat on other side. Then accessorize as you like.

Style 3 – Ni Hao Ki Lan inspired

This style took about 30 minutes.

Instructions:
Step 1: Part hair in half from ear to ear then tie off front portion to keep it out the way.
Step 2: Secure the back portion of hair with an ouch-less cloth band, 2 strand twist/ braid and secure with a barrette
Step 3: Part off a small section from the front, tie off.
Step 4: With the rest of the hair make a part in the center (front to back), create 2 pigtails. Since her hair was short I chose to just fold the loose hair in half and add a black ouch-less band. If your daughter has longer hair you can bun it or barrel roll down instead.
Step 5: Untie the small section in front and make a slanted part. Cornrow each section and add beads.
Step 6: Add flower shaped bows or barrettes to the front pigtails.

Style 4-Simple Ponytail Style with Beads

This style took about 45 minutes.

Instructions:
Step 1: Part the hair in half from ear to ear then in half from front to back so that you have 4 equal ponytails. 2 in front, 2 in the back.
Step 2: Tie/clip off each section to keep them separated.
Step 3: Working with 1 section at a time, start with the front right section, make a slanted part starting from the center line slanting down towards the ear, secure with a rubber band in the center. Make another slanted part add the loose hair from the front ponytail,secure directly behind with a rubber band. Make 1 more slanted part adding the loose hair from section 2 secure with rubber band.
Step 4: Repeat step 3 for the other front ponytail to complete the top portion. For the back portion start your slanted part from the ear going downward.
Step 5: 2 strand each section and secure with a rubber band at the top center of the head.
Step 6: With loose hair make 4 equal twist/braids, add beads/barrettes.

Style 5 -Diagonal Parted Braids into Pigtails.

This style took about 45 minutes.

Instructions:
Step 1: Part the hair from front to back slightly off centered. Leave about a 1-2in space(I used the inner corner of her eyes as my guide for spacing) and make another part from front to back.
Step 2: Tie off each side leaving the center free. Starting in the front making alternate diagonal parts to give you the separate triangle sections. Cornrow or braid (depending on how big the sections are) each section.
Step 3: Gather all the hair on the right, including the braids hanging down (keep them spaced),into a ponytail, secure with a band. With the loose hair, 2 strand twist down and secure with another band.
Step 4: Repeat step 3 on opposite side.

This it one of my favorite styles on her. It’s so eye catching and she got tons of compliments.

Looking for more quick, easy and cute hairstyles for girls? Try these!

Filed Under: All Things Hair Tagged With: cute, cute hairstyle ideas for girls, natural hairstyles, quick easy hairstyles

5 Quick Cute Hairstyles

March 20, 2013 By Brooke 15 Comments

5 Quick Cute Hairstyles

Our talented friend LaShauna, from Nothing Unruly About These Curls, comes up with some really cute and creative styles that are fairly quick and easy to do. She has shared 5 quick cute hairstyles with us that are perfect school day styles for girls.

STYLE 1: One Hairstyle Two Ways

This style lasted for 1 school week

To get this look:
Step 1: Part the hair down the middle, then tie off 1 side so that it will be out the way.
Step 2: With the loose section, part off a front ponytail and rope twist the ponytail (if you don’t know how to create rope twists see our tutorial on 2 strand rope twists).
Step 3: Make a thin cornrow behind the first ponytail
Step 4: Part off another section for the middle ponytail then make another small cornrow section beneath it.
Step 5: Make the bottom ponytail

I repeated this process on the other side. On the 3rd day I simply took the 2 front ponies sprayed them down w/ water added a moisturizer (use checkout code COLDUTHM to save on Bee Mine Products) combed them into 1 center ponytail using a toothbrush and eco-styler gel to smooth her hair. Repeat the steps for the 2nd and 3rd sections and I chose to leave the cornrowed sections alone. She wore it this way for 2 more days

STYLE 2: Small Ponytail into Big Ponytail with Twists

How To:
Step 1: Section hair in to 3 sections (front, middle, bottom)
Step 2: Start with the front section part the hair slightly off center. Take the smallest section of hair, pony tail it with a rubber band then rope twist it down. (I had my daughter hold it so that it wouldn’t unravel while I smoothed out bigger ponytail).
Step 3: Connect the small twist over to the larger ponytail with a rubber band. With the hanging hair split it in two, rope twist it down and add a barrette to the ends.

For the middle & bottom section repeat the above steps, alternating the side the small ponytail is on.

STYLE 3: 5 Pony Rope Strand Twists

This is a super simple style that took me less than 30 mins to complete & lasted 3 days w/ minor touch up and accessory changes.

How To:
Step 1: Part the hair in half from ear to ear, tie off the back half .
Step 2: For the front portion part off a small section/ponytail, secure it with an elastic then create 2 strand rope twists all the way down, tie it off with another elastic then add a barrette on top.
Step 3: For the back portion simply part off 3 vertical sections (as equal as possible) secured each with an elastic, rope twist each ponytail, add another elastic and barrette on the ends. Easy peezy!

STYLE 4: Donut Bun with Hanging Braids

This is an easy protective style that took less than 30 mins to complete and she wore it for 1 week with daily touch ups.

Step 1: Part off a small section on the back/bottom of her head and put it into two simple single braids. This section can be as big or small as you like.
Step 2: Put the top portion of the hair in a ponytail using a ouch-less band.
Step 3: Slide the bun maker/donut/sock bun on the ponytail. Lay the hair all around the bun maker and use a smaller tooth comb to smooth the hair down (NOT combing through the hair just smoothing it down). Add another ponytail holder around the bun, don’t wrap it, just put it on top to hold the bun in place. Cornrow or braid the free hair around the bun and bobby pin it in place, then add a cute bow.

STYLE 5: 3 Side Cornrows Into a Ponytail of Twists

Mireya wore this style for Picture day at school. it took less 30 mins to complete. the cornrows lasted all week and I redid the ponytail daily.

Step 1: Make a slanted square on the side of the head
Step 2: Part out and create 3 cornrows in that square.
Step 3: With the free hair smooth it into a side ponytail using an ouch-less cloth band.
Step 4: With the hanging hair make three 2 strand rope twists then loosely braid those twist together and secure with an ouch-less cloth band.

Guest Post by LaShauna from Nothing Unruly About These Curls

A big thanks to Shauna for sharing these styles and how-to’s with us! Try them out, don’t be afraid to put your own spin on them. And as always feel free to share them with us on our Facebook fan page. You can find us on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, join our G+ community and subscribe to our blog via email so you never miss a post!

Filed Under: All Things Hair, Hairstyles Tagged With: 2 strand twist styles, 2 strand twists, braid styles, braids, buns, cornrows, cornrows for kids

Big Hair Book and Apparel Giveaway

March 17, 2013 By Brooke 4 Comments

You’ve probably seen the above photo in some form or fashion floating around our Facebook page in the past week or so, isn’t it cute? We just love it! Well, the girl in the photo is Effie, she is the main character in a book called Big Hair. Big Hair is also an iPhone app by Girl Team Mobile.

Girl Team Mobile is an app development studio and publishing house specializing in the creation of empowering, entertaining and educational interactive e-books with predominately female protagonists. How cool is that?! They create a customized reading experience packed with fascinating characters, delightful plots, and interactive design.

“The goal is to encourage positive values, explore diversity and inspire confidence”

Big Hair is Girl Team Mobile’s first book and app. Inspired by the author, Arynetta Floyzelle’s own transition to loving her natural hair – Big Hair tells the story of Effie Monroe, a sassy naturalista whose thick, crazy, curly, super-sized hair definitely makes her stand out from the crowd.

Supported by a colorful cast of friends, family, and community members Effie embarks on a journey to learn self-acceptance and the beauty of diversity.

The Big Hair Giveaway by Girl Team Mobile includes:
>>The Big Hair Book
>>The Big Hair App
>>A Big Hair T-Shirt and Big Hair Bow

Find Big Hair Online:
Facebook | Twitter | Big Hair Trailer |Website | Big Hair App

This giveaway will run from March 18-25 and is open to residents of the US only. “Big Hair” Photo submissions can be sent to brooke@untrainedhairmom.com with subject “Big Hair Giveaway”. You can enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: All Things Hair Tagged With: big hair, books, natural hair books for kids

Center Stage: Jaleea

March 7, 2013 By Brooke 2 Comments

Names
Mother- Shannon Calmese
Daugther- Jaleea Calmese
Age- Jaleea is currently 4 years old.
Hobbies- She loves to sing, color, read, watch television, dress up, and play with princess toys.
Favorite Styles- Braids

When I first got asked for a Center Stage Feature I had no idea what to do. I am not an expert. I am still learning everyday myself. I only try to keep my daughters hair presentable, while teaching her to embrace her hair. I do have some styles posted on my Facebook page. I really only create them so I can remember how to restyle the hair that particular way or give others ideas. If I find people want instructions on a particular style then I will be more than happy to create a instructional post, just message Untrained Hair Mom with your request. Thanks in advance for reading.

Hair care routine- Man, I would have to write a novel to cover this! I am sure Untrained Hair Mom has an article for each routine out there. The basics: Deep condition, wash weekly or every other week, hot oil treatments, protein treatments, finger detangling etc.

Hair Products

I am what they call a “product junkie”. I am not on the search for a magical product. I just get curious about what is out there (in other words someone is marketing really well). I usually give the products 2 weeks before deciding yay or nay. I have tried everything from the all natural route to chemicals. One thing I have never done is put a perm on Jaleea’s hair (and it’s not on my list of things to do).

Products I love
Unrefined Shea butter, tea tree oil, castor oil, argan oil, vitamin e oil, avocado oil, peppermint oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, grape seed oil, Herbal Essence Hello Hydration shampoo and conditioner, African Royal products (Fro Spray, Brx Braid and Extentions), Shea Moisture products, Eco Styler gel, Hot Six Oil Hair and Body Mist for greasing the scalp or oiling the hair, Cantu Butter Super Shine Hair Silk to make hair look extra shiny,

Products that don’t work for us
Aloe Vera Juice (shedding), cantu butter leave in repair cream (left clumps), kids organics soft hold olive oil conditioning smoothing and styling gel for baby hair/ bangs (not enough hold), palmers olive oil formula (too greesy but great for my son), flax seed gel-(too annoying to make and not as good as a hold as eco styler)

How to Know if a Product Isn’t Working
Shedding/Breakage- If you notice excessive shedding or lots of extra hair when washing then
change your routine. This means the product is not working for you. A trick I learned from Kandy Land Kurls-If your hair has a white bulb on the end then it is considered normal shedding. If there is no white bulb on the end then it is breakage.

Love this style? See our Criss Cross Cornrow Tutorial.

Hair Care Tips

1. Learn to block the negative comments or stares out! I get some nasty stares from time to time but I just dismiss them. They are not worth me going to jail over.
2. Always research your information before you assume anyone knows what they are talking about. I have learned more from a Facebook hair group I am in than any stylist I’ve ever talked to. Just because someone has the same texture as your child’s hair does not make him or her an expert.
3. If you decide to cut or trim the hair, I believe straightening it is the only way to evenly cut it. I have seen many people screw up kids hair because they cut it while in the completely curly stage-wet, etc.
4. Apply the LOC or LCO method per your hair type. We apply it daily sometimes twice depending on the weather. (L-liquid, O-Oil, C-cream/conditioner) If you feel the hair is still sucking up moisture apply it twice daily.
5. Do not jump on the hair bandwagon. Everyone is going to have an opinion. Do what you feel is best for you or your child. Do not feel guilty about not having all natural hair products. As you can see I love many types of products and my child’s hair is healthy.
6. Invest in a water bottle spray-(I usually mix a leave in conditioner, oil, and water) Spray on the hair every time you brush. Never brush the hair dry. This will eliminate a lot of breakage.
7. Protect the hair at all times-It will not only keep the hair from breaking but also help stretch your hairstyle.
8. Do not get discouraged when your child hair is not as long as another child his or her age. Our hair all grows at different rates. I am still waiting for my daughter to have long hair but I try to obsess more over it being healthy. Look back at some old pictures. I love to create a style I have not done for a long time and compare it to a year ago etc. This helps boost my confidence that her hair is growing.
8. If you need some hair encouragement….Join a hair group or post your styles on some some hair websites on Facebook. Surely someone will fall in love with them and offer positive feedback!

Want to be featured on Untrained Hair Mom or on our fan page? Get all the details here.

Filed Under: All Things Hair, Center Stage Tagged With: center stage

Double Crown Braid with Donut Bun Tutorial

March 5, 2013 By Brooke 13 Comments

Remember this double crown braid with donut bun hairstyle that was featured in our Braiding Is Art Center Stage Post? (There are many more adorable hairstyles in that post, be sure to take a look). Several people asked for a tutorial on the style and Cynthia the hairstylist behind Braiding is Art was generous enough to provide us with a video tutorial on the double crown braid with donut bun hairstyle, which you can find below. I’ve also created a step by step how to with photo’s below as well.

Items needed for this style include:

-Hairbrush
-Rat tail comb
-Rubber bands
-Bobbie pins
-Hair Clip
-Hair Tie
-Styling / Holding Product of choice
-Sock bun / donut bun styler

Step by Step How To:

Step 1: Part out a circle and tie of the middle section of hair
Step 2: Create a French braid around the crown, only adding hair from the bottom side
Step 3: Continue braiding around the crown, tuck the loose/end of the braid into the French braid, secure it with pins
Step 4: Part out a second circle, put the center section of hair in a pony tail (this will be your donut bun)
Step 5: Place the donut bun / sock bun around the pony tail
Step 6: Cover the donut with hair leaving a section of hair out (you will add this hair to the second French braid)
Step 7: Begin French braiding the remaining loose hair
Step 8: Continue French braiding, adding in the hair coming from the center of the sock bun
Step 9: Keep braiding, then tuck the loose braid into the French braid and secure it with pins
Step 10: All done! Use your styling product for smoothing any fly aways