#journey curl

[colebabey888]

Curly Hair Chronicles : My top tips for that define & shine | IT GIRL DIARIES

as requested, i’ve curated this post based on everything i’ve learnt when it comes to taking care of my curls and maximising my hair growth! let’s start…

knowing your hair type & porosity 🎀

first step in taking care of your curls or hair in general, is knowing your hair pattern & porosity because that’s how you have an idea of what your hair needs, how much moisture, specific ingredients in products, wash routine etc etc. above are a few ideas of what different curl patterns look like and a at home testing guide to check your hair porosity. It’s important to remember that you can have a mix of different curl patterns, for example, my hair texture is a mix of 4A, 4B, & 4C. 4A and 4B in the front, 4B in the back, and 4C in the middle—so I’ve created a routine that works specifically for me. this is also why you can’t just take any routine you see online and apply it to your hair. what works for someone else might not work for you if your curl pattern or porosity is different. before trying a new routine, always check if it matches your hair type and porosity. if you have a different mix of curl patterns, i’d suggest doing the porosity test on each area of different curl pattern.

protecting your hair & retaining length 🎀

protecting your hair and retaining length starts with reducing friction & being gentle. detangle your hair when it’s wet and has a deep conditioner in—it makes the process easier and helps prevent breakage & alwaysss detangle in sections. if you have thick, textured hair like mine (4A–4C), try to finger detangle first to remove knots before using a comb or brush. this reduces tension and minimizes shedding, which is key for length retention. always use a microfibre towel when drying your hair after your wash routine! if you don’t have a microfibre towel, use an old cotton t-shirt. at night, protect your hair by braiding it, wrapping it, wearing a silk bonnet, or use a silk pillowcase if bonnets slip off. silk pillowcases are a game-changer for restless sleepers! don’t forget about split ends—keeping them only harms your hair in the long run. split ends will keep splitting up the hair shaft, possibly reaching the follicle and disrupting new growth. trim them regularly or when needed to keep your hair healthy, even if it means losing a bit of length. healthy hair is always better than long, damaged hair!

protective hairstyles & oiling 🎀

styles like braids, mini twists, cornrows, or even a simple wash-and-go can work wonders when looking for a protective hairstyle. above are a few more examples. i stick to braids or twists that aren’t too tight to avoid tension on my scalp, or I do a wash-and-go with my full curly hair routine, leaving the style in for two to three days before touching up. the less you touch your hair, the better, this is key when it comes to retaining length as well. make sure your braids or twists aren’t too heavy—extra-long or jumbo braids can weigh down your hair, causing breakage instead of protecting it. protective styles should protect, not damage! low manipulation hairstyles are key when it comes to length retention and keeps your curl pattern in tact.

low manipulation hairstyles =

- no tight ponytails ( you shouldn’t feel your hair being pulled/slick back are ok just in moderation )

- braids ( i know the bust down braids and goddess locs are insta cute but it actually damages your hair instead of protecting it, imagine adding like triple the amount of hair to your head, it won’t be able to hold it up, stick to knotless braids or even box braids and have a decent length)

- wigs ( im not a fan & i’ve never personally worn wigs but from other opinions that it grows your hair amazing since you never touch your actual hair, it makes sense though and is actually very beneficial so if it’s your thing, do it)

seal in your moisture with an oil that works for your hair, could be a hair growth oil etc, like black jamaican castor oil which i use. apply it after your leave-in conditioner or other products since oil acts as a barrier to lock in hydration, it should always come last in your routine.

wash routine & monthly treatments 🎀

when it comes to wash routines and monthly treatments, it’s important to remember that one size doesn’t fit all. everyone has unique needs and preferences for their hair care. of course, there are a few essentials for your wash routine—like shampoo and conditioner. everything else, such as masks, oils, or leave-in products, is a personal addition that makes your routine your own. you’ve probably heard that shampoos and conditioners containing sulfates and parabens can have a negative impact on your hair. but in my experience, this isn’t entirely true—it depends on your hair type and scalp condition. for me, with my thick 4a-4c curls, shampoos with sulfates and parabens are a game-changer. by the end of the week, my curls usually have a lot of product buildup. when i tried switching to an “all-natural” shampoo that was sulfate- and paraben-free, it didn’t work for me. my scalp never was fully clean, and there was always some product residue left behind. this caused mad itching throughout the week because of the leftover buildup. when i switched back to a shampoo with sulfates and parabens, everything changed. my scalp felt properly cleansed, and the itchiness disappeared. my conclusion on this is that, if you have type 1-2 curls and wash your hair multiple times a week, only then, you might want to opt for sulfate- and paraben-free products. washing daily with harsh chemicals can strip your hair of its natural oils and lead to dryness in the long run. however, if you have type 3-4 curls and wash your hair weekly, a shampoo with sulfates and parabens can be beneficial. it makes sure your scalp is thoroughly cleansed of all the buildup from the previous week, leaving your curls fresh and healthy. the key takeaway? listen to your hair and find what works for you. every curl type is unique, and so should your routine be. now for monthly treatments, it should align with your specific hair goals. if you want growth, choose treatments that promote length retention. for hydration and nourishment, opt for products that moisturize and feed your hair. my go-to treatments are monthly hot oil treatments and deep conditioning, you can also try diy treatments at home.

My Curly Hair Routine - Type 4A-4C

- pre poo with jamaicain castor oil, i leave it on for an hour & do other things in the meantime.

- if i’ve straightened my hair i don’t finger detangle but if otherwise, i wet my hair with lukewarm water, apply a little bit of deep conditioner on my hair and finger detangle into 4 sections.

- i double shampoo & only apply it to my scalp, basically to my partings, wait for it to foam up and then shampoo each section individually, only my scalp!

- when i rinse my hair i let the shampoo run down the rest of my hair & i use luke warm water while rinsing. while shampooing and everything i keep my hair in those 4 sections.

- once it’s cleared completely i make sure there are no sudds and all the poo is cleared out and then i go in with my conditioner and comb through each section individually with a wide tooth comb. from end to root always.

- leave that on whilst i wash my body & then rinse off. after that i apply my placenta to my scalp and my deep conditioner, take my parts down unless i plan on doing twists or braids then i keep it up.

- after styling or whatever i just apply a little bit of my gel, not too much because i do touch ups throughout the week and i try to avoid product buildup and then let my hair dry sometimes air dry if it’s hot out or i’ll use a diffuser. after that i apply my hair oil and separate my curls if i want more volume.

- throughout the week, for touchups i mix lukewarm water and like 2 drops of my deep conditioner & hair oil, mix it up and spray it on my hair until it’s damp, i finger coil any curls that may have loosened through the week and after i’ve done that i then again apply a bit more gel and let it air dry.

- i typically do wash days every week but I’ve been trying to stretch it 2 weeks experimenting with different low manipulation styles, ive noticed my hair is healthier when I don’t wash it every week but sometimes i have to because of product buildup and i hate that!

- i do the pineapple method when im sleeping but no longer use a bonnet since it kept falling off, i use a silk & satin pillowcase.

- for my monthly hot oil treatments, i diy them at home. i mix avocado oil, rosemary stems & jamaican castor oil, heat it up in a pot for about an hour on low, let it cool down to just a bit above room temp and apply it my scalp, comb it through & leave it on overnight. same with deep conditioning except i don’t diy this, i buy a product depending on what my hair has been lacking or needed in that month.

these are all my tips for the girls who need advice when it comes to learning how to take care of your curls. soon i will be releasing a post on being a straight natural and how to keep your curl’s healthy during silk presses!

xoxo, colebabey888

[slutforpringles]

[hwaslayer]

since 2024 is coming to an end in a few hrs on the west coast, i just wanna say thank you 💕 thank you to every single one of you for your support and love, for always making me giggle and smile, for rockin’ by my side and for reading my silly ‘lil fics. no matter if you’ve been riding with me since @xpeachesncream days or if you found me through pmylm on here - ya’ll are the best, truly!

we made it through another year, and i’m very proud of you for getting through all the good & bad shit this year has thrown your way. to 2025 and many more years together; i hope the new year will be kind and good to you, and i hope it’ll bring you all the genuine happiness, love and support you deserve 🫶🏼

[elysiumxflowers]

I'm not sure what's more tired, my eyes or my soul

[artemispt]

[sofiaruelle]

Thinkin about short haired college leche <3

same i miss her. here’s something generic hahhaha

[articskele]

okay so I have no idea if you have ever heard of a game called sky but I think you would really like it. That isn't the point of this message. So, had this idea that Artic is a sky kid that crashes down from the sky outside of the Once-ler's cottage. Their wing/cape slightly messed up so they can't fly anymore so The Once-ler offers to sow it back up. This could also be canon, but I wanted an excuse to mention sky to you because it would genuinely shock me if you have never played it

Oooh I've never played that one! I heard it's by the same people who made Journey?

It looks pretty! And a quick peek at the main tag had me blown away by all the cool art and OCs people were making!!

I dunno much anything about the game, but I do know the sky kids make silly little honking noises ouo

Also I checked the wiki for reference, and there's a hairstyle that looks just like Artic's :D

[wisteriagoesvroom]

For London Fields chapter 2.... I have 3 words, but you can just pick one 😬

They are: towel, blush, curls

I love your writing and I love this story <3

thank u lovely georgia! here's a short snip for the word towel in the upcoming chapter 2 for london fields. dropping probably on monday!

“I’m home!” Oscar yells, more in warning than anything.  Christ, Oscar thinks to himself. The small space from the hallway to the kitchen is a sight.  There’s a traffic cone that Alex stole from his undergrad years that for some reason he has toted with him into various apartments, including this one. Chinese takeaway leaflets take up half the space on the mantle. Various jackets and a tea towel are draped on a coat hanger, which Oscar thinks is from Zhou’s second year at LSE. Recipe printouts are shoved carelessly into a spot above where the shoes are, because Oscar ran out of space in his room and they hadn’t reconfigured the storage to accommodate everything yet. Merch from a healthtech conference that Logan attended one year is abandoned on a chair, as well as an open box of Tim Tams – by an unidentified individual – next to it. Oscar tries to take in the scene through Lando’s eyes, his mind replaying everything from earlier: his undignified scream when Onigiri landed on him, the flour fall, the pigeon shit. He cringes inwardly.

[simgerale]

EXPECTATIONS

"Really, what is it about spring?"

beginning | recent

[abigail]

december I am going to be gentle with how I speak to myself.. december I will have warm cosy drinks and wear the scarf my grandma gave me.. in december the world turns tones of blues and whites and the earth hardens and hides the greenery and the paths become icy so it’d difficult to move and continue and I struggle.. to get to the bus stop… but once I am there I just have to wait, sometimes it’s late but that’s ok it still comes y’know ?? and I have my scarf and my gloves and my book to warm me while I wait.. and then I join the others who all likely struggled to their stop too,, but there we all are, reading our books, wearing our gloves and scarves.. and when I get home I will eat hot soup. december I just want to be soft. I want to be warm and I want to be gentle and kind.. to myself and others….. I want to feel at peace I suppose

[darlin-collins]

when you realize that the shirt you use as a towel to dry your hair is a SHIRT: 😮😮

[123pixieaod]

'This Church is a Quiet Place'

A thousand thanks to Lily, for cheerleading and proofreading this💖 TW at the bottom 🩷🩵🤍

-

The church is quiet. In Max's memory, there were always sounds. Footsteps and bells and whispers, a cacophony of worship compounded in one place.

Maybe the church her mother brought her to is different from this church. Maybe her memories as a child were simply elaborated on, made big and bright and alive by the passing of time.

This church is not softened by the sounds of the living. This church is silent, still. A breath held, a heartbeat not yet formed.

Light shines through the stained glass windows, and Max walks through the tinted air. Green, blue, red, orange.

The colours are as vibrant of God's love for you, her mother used to whisper, an arm wrapped tight around her slim shoulders.

God the Father, she'd say. In the name of the Father and the Son.

Promise me you'll keep your faith Max, she also said, voice a soft murmur as they sat side by side in the pews. Max nodded. It's important to pray. God listens to our prayers Max, he's our Father.

And Max had tried, to begin with. The first weekend, she asked Jos if they could visit a local church to light a candle. Jos' nose wrinkled. 

What for?

Max felt her mother's promise whisper away. She shook her head.

I don't know.

Her dad gave her a look, lips thin. Your mother's after making you too soft. You're an adult now, not some child in need of fairytales.

Max nodded. She never asked again.

Her mother knew. She must've figured it out, that she stopped asking her opinion on the weekly sermon, stopped answering her questions on her faith.

It seems strange, to think she once believed in it all. She walks softly up the aisle, her footsteps a gentle cadence reverberating through the church. There's an elderly woman at the front, head bowed as her fingers worry a Rosary. A man behind,  reading the Bible. And Max. The imposter.

She doesn't have the faith anymore. It disappeared somewhere on the never- ending motorways, the Sundays spent racing instead of praying, nights spent reciting strategies in the darkness instead of the blessings her mother used to whisper. Her fingertips grew blackened, dipped in oil rather than blessed water. 

Max thinks faith is like youth. Once it's gone, it's impossible to get it back.

Daniel still believes. He pretends not to, but Max knows he does. She found a rosary once in the back of his bedside drawers. The beads worn smooth, colour long flaked away. She had sat and ran her fingers over the string of knots and wooden pills, imagining the countless times he must've done the same. In secret, hidden away. Counting each prayer off, voice nothing more than a whisper.

Daniel crosses himself before each race. Daniel bows his head whenever a funeral parade passes on the streets. Daniel has a tiny, inked cross on his ribs. Max found it, nestled amongst the other loud and brilliant decorations he's designed into his skin. She traced it, and Daniel had started as if Max had slapped him.

This is new, Max had said. He'd laughed, roughly tugging his shirt on.

No Max, it's always been there. You just haven't been paying attention. He tossed a smile at Max, easy and in love.

She finds the candles nestled in the corner, just beneath the altar. Three rows of darkened tealights, only one offering a feeble, dying flame.

'Donations only!!!' is scribbled over a money box, and Max digs in her pockets, fishing out all her loose change.

She feels wrong being here. A fake. Like a woman who's been caught having an affair, and is now returning, head bowed and feet dragging. Kneeling, fingers clasped, repenting.

Has she no shame? Her mother would ask. The summer before the divorce, her mother's side warm against Max's as they watched TV together. These women, they always take men like that back, she tutted, reaching for the popcorn Max was holding. You won't be like that, will you Max? You'll be better than us all. You'll stand your ground if someone wrongs you.

She shook her head. I won't ever get married, she replied. It's lame.

Her mother huffed a laugh, even though Max hadn't been joking. Just wait till you fall in love Maxy, then -

I won't ever fall in love either, Max declared, watching the woman on screen embrace the man. She wrinkled her nose. She had seen what love did; she wanted no part of it. Max's mother simply laughed again, running her fingers lightly through her tawny locks.

She should phone her, it's been nearly a month since they last spoke. Sophie is always happy to hear from her, but she's preoccupied now with other things. Managing her new boyfriend's fledgling company, helping Victoria with the kids. Her life is full and Max is not really a part of it anymore. Hasn't been for decades, since she turned twelve and barely lived in the same time zone as her, let alone the same house.

Daniel's close with his parents. He calls them every second day, time zones carefully navigated around. Up early, doing yoga on the terrace as he chats to his dad about the latest news. Evening, Max already in bed, listening to him laugh softly through the walls as his mother tells him the local gossip.

What can you even have to talk about? Surely you've spoken about every possible conversation point at this stage, Max said, only half in jest. Daniel laughed, wrinkles creasing around his eyes in a way she knows he hates but she loves.

They're my parents Maxy, he replied with ease, as if that's the only answer she needs.

He's over there now. With Grace and Joe and Michelle. Max feels distant from him, from the life he must be living. On the ranch, dust gathered in the creases of his skin as he worked under the sun. Going out with childhood friends to pubs where everyone speaks how he does. His nephew and niece, adoring their overseas uncle, returned.

She lights the first candle. The flame is strong, and she feels stupid for taking such stock in the image, as if the strength of the flame is akin to the sureness of her future.

She doesn't know how to do this. Whisper? In her head? Address it all to God, like a formal letter?

She suddenly feels very young. Her mother beside her, handing her the childhood book of Bible verses she received for Christmas. Pray, Maxy, she murmured, bowing her head.

Max looks up. The light is tinted blue and white, shining in through a maritime scene created in the windows. There's a framed painting hung on the wall. The Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus. A pale woman with dark hair. Arms wrapped around a bundle of dark blankets. A baby, pale and young and smiling, looking out at the viewer. Looking at Max.

She closes her eyes and prays.

-

Maybe some people aren't meant to be parents Maxy, Daniel had said after the twelfth negative test. 12. A year of trying and failing. Max isn't used to failing at anything; she doesn't know how to do it.

What? She twisted on the bed, staring at him. He just continued staring at the ceiling.

Maybe some people aren't meant to be parents, he finally repeated, tone soft.

She scoffed, turning back around. It hurt. It hurt a lot, and the stinging somehow grew, like when she was a kid and she had accidentally gotten some chemicals on her hands. Corrosive. Her dad had grabbed her, dragging her to the garage's sink and scrubbed at her red hands until the burning finally abated.

She sat up and then stood quickly. Sports bra, an old Nike shirt and her leggings. Burning, burning, burning.

Max, Daniel sat up too. Wait.

I'm going for a run, she told him without looking at him.

Maxy, he tried again. I just mean maybe we should -

She slammed the bedroom door on her way out. She thought he might follow her, but he didn't, and she tugged her shoes on roughly. The burn in her chest was spreading. It's corrosive, her father had told her. She had never learned that word before, and he had had to explain the meaning as he wrapped her palms with gauze.

-

Outside the church, the sun is beginning to weaken. Shadows length in the carpark, and Max stands against the church's wall, taking out her phone.

She asked him to leave. She needed a break, time to figure herself out. She thought he would fight her on it, and was irrationally hurt when he had just nodded, lips thin and brow pinched.

Alright, he said. If that's what you want.

She didn't want any of it. She didn't want a body seemingly incapable of life, didn't want the 12 pregnancy tests lined neatly in her memory, didn't want the empty study room next to their own bedroom that they both refused to ever address.

"Maxy," he picks up the first ring. He sounds happy. She doesn't know if it's because it's her he's speaking to, or if he's always happy, now he's home again.

"Hey," she says. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he says, and she can tell he's meaning it. "How are - are you outside?"

She looks at the birds above in the trees, singing sweetly. Their songs are getting picked up, listened to halfway across the world. "Yes," she says softly.

"Going for a walk?" He asks, sounding like he's walking somewhere too. She can hear his slightly laboured breathing, the vague crunch of his footsteps on the dried grass.

"I went to a church, " she tells him.

"A church, " he repeats, as if she's named some alien planet. "You went to mass?" Disbelief clear.

They're not broken up. She doesn't really know what they are now. Other than in love,  of course, but that was never in question. She had asked him to leave and he had left. They still text every day, call a few times each week. She doesn't know what he told his family, and she's too scared to ask him.

"No, not mass. Church. As in, I went inside a church."

"Why, a horde of vampires were chasing you?" He asks. She can hear the smile in his voice. Longing fills her chest, the ache almost visceral.

"No, this is Monaco, not Transylvania. You are the one out of the two of us who needs to be worried about that," she tells him.

"It's too hot Maxy, all potentially murderous vampires would be burnt to dust before they'd get close to tasting this sweet, sweet blood. You know, today it was almost 40 degrees? Climate change is fucking us all up, but at least it means i can take a few hours off from the ranch because it's too dangerous to work outside in this heat."

Max hums softly. There's a nest in one of the branches - that's why the two birds were singing so loudly.

"You are having a good time then?" She asks.

"Yeah. It's always good to be back here." he pauses then, as if to weigh up his words. "I'm looking forward to being home, though."

She frowns. One of the birds slips into the brown mess of twigs, and sheep's wool balanced on the branch while the other is left outside; a guardian. "Why, are you not at the ranch right now? Where are you then?"

"What? I mean," he interrupts himself with a quiet laugh. "Maxy. I meant home. Home home."

"Home home," she repeats dubiously.

"With you," he adds, voice suddenly soft and vulnerable.

She looks away from the birds. She swallows. He's quiet, waiting for her to speak. The air is cooling down, dusk creeping closer.

"I miss talking with you," she finally says.

"We still talk. We talk nearly everyday. We're talking right now " he says softly, and she supposes she deserves this, him making her say it aloud.

"I miss you," she amends. "I miss... I miss you a lot Daniel."

He laughs. Not because it's funny, but because his happiness needs an outlet, needs to be vocalised and released in some form. Laugh or cry, Maxy, he used to tell her. Gotta be one of them.

"I miss you too," he says.

"You should come home," she tells him.

"I should."

"Home home."

"Yeah, home home."

They're quiet for a bit. She looks up, her gaze caught by a flutter of movement. One of the birds darts away, the other staying by the nest. She wonders if she concentrated very hard, would she be able to hear the chirping.

"I'm sorry," Daniel blurts out. Max frowns.

"For what?"

"I..." He pauses. He's definitely walking somewhere, she can hear his footfall over the terrain.

"I was wrong," he finally says. "About us... About... About what I said. About how some people aren't meant to be parents. I was thinking and... I mean, sure I wasn't wrong about that because some people definitely shouldn't have kids, but us, me and you, we should, I mean if you still want to, because we're, we would... we would be good, or I don't know, maybe we just are good, like good people and good partners and I shouldn't have said what I said, because it's not true, we'd be the best and coolest parents and -"

"Daniel," she interrupts him. He instantly goes quiet.

"I think so too," she says. He laughs, relieved and happy and excited, all melded into one.

"Because I've been doing some research," he begins again, words rushing into each other in their hurry to be spoken. "And there's a clinic we could try, or maybe -"

Max nods, letting Daniel's chatter wash over her like water, pure and clear and blessed. The lone bird sits above, and continues to sing.

(((TW: infertility)))

[mizzymaren]

Another bnuuy!!!! Mizzy really wants to be friends with the other bun maren👉🏻👈🏻

Mizzy is drawn to Puffy because, even though she’s a lvl 2 and quite different, Mizzy sees her as the closest thing to herself and desperately craves to have that sense of belonging.

[theshadowrealmitself]

With the way I’ve been finally going to dr visits and I have my inhaler and it turns out I have mild scoliosis, and now I’ve finally been treating my curls correctly, and the way I’m going to make an appointment to go get those glasses I need

I feel like a reverse of the “nerd made to look hot” trope

But in a way that is so healing

[thiriumstains]

been thinking out lil scenes for my transfem connor fic and like it so cool going into her brain and being like ‘how does this bitch perceive gender’

[balkanballad]

having curly/wavy hair is so... yeah :):