Students interested in film might want to take a look at a classic that focuses on one of the more overlooked aspects of movie making.
The 1981 motion picture Blow Out is a deep dive into the world of sound. It is the story of a B-movie sound technician and his relationships with audio: analyzing, acquiring, following, and implementing.
The viewer is purposely made overtly aware of the process of hearing in the first scene. A masked slasher stalks around a girl’s dorm. He is breathing, stepping into, and sampling the vignettes of sorority life window by window.
As a first time viewer, one is ready to turn this trite trash off, but soon discovers the goings on are being observed by two sound men working on a film: Co-ed Frenzy. Elements of sound engineering are seen in the opening credits as analog level indicators are used as a wipe between names of folks in the film.
Our protagonist, Jack, played by John Travolta, needs to find the perfect scream to complete a project. Now starts the most interesting part of the movie for this viewer: seeing all the tape, the reel-to-reels spinning, cutting/splicing, and just remembering how the world of sound manipulation used to look before the most disappointing offering of sound throughout this film: the dialogue.
This is a good example of a movie resonating with one of its elements of production. The telephone scenes are filmed with care and make use of several Hollywood conventions: A to B cuts with the conversation, dialogue overlaps in a shot/reverse style, and picture by picture sharing both parties’ conversation. One scene uses what is now called autonomous sensory meridian response or ASMR. While Jack is trying to compile evidence he peruses the pages of a magazine. While doing so his hands are touching and turning the pages, making one cringingly aware of the texture. Then in a classic ASMR move, he cuts the pages with scissors slowly and loudly, creating tension through sound.
Another fun point is that Jack’s antagonist is also a sound man of sorts. Burke, played by John Lithgow, can be observed wearing a telephone service man’s uniform. He also uses sound against Jack by erasing all of his tapes and manipulating the sound of phone conversations.
[SPOILER AHEAD] Music is used efficiently to move the action along during car scenes and to transition between scenes. In the final act our hero attaches a “wire” to Sally, only to discover that unbeknownst to her the killer is there. Jack uses the transmitted audio to determine her whereabouts: hearing the turnstile, train whistle, and fireworks. Ultimately Jack does not save the girl. He does, however, save the audio created from her fatal encounter with Burke. He languishes over this sound-bite in a snow-covered cemetery, internalizing every plea for help and each frantic attempt to appeal to her killer. The last scene of the film echos the start: with two sound-guys engineering audio for a movie.
This time Jack got his great scream and is tortured by it, and rightfully so. One can only assume that the ending has something to do with how the film making process requires a creator to use sometimes painful personal elements of their real life to complete a project.
Cooler weather has arrived just in time for fall festivities. Oktoberfest, the first of the fall celebrations, is coming up in De Kalb, Texas. There will be activities galore and fun for all ages, so bring your family and prepare to have fun!
Saturday in the park kicked off the official festivities last Saturday September 29, 2018. Activities started at a fast pace as the Pumpkin Run 2018 registration opened at 6:45 am. Nearly all the runners completed the run, with nearly 150 participating this year. The co-ed softball tournament had an even greater turn out than the run with teams competing throughout the day. Aside from the competitions, other fun games included reality foosball, kick dart, gaga ball, nine square, and more were available from 9 am to 5 pm.
Some attendees were more interested in exercise of the mouth than a physical work outs. There was a doughnut eating contest, hotdog eating contest, and pie eating contest to win the De Kalb title of the year. For those who managed to pass by all of that without a full stomach a $5.00 supper was offered of all-you-can-eat chili. The chili was even homemade and provided by De Kalb area citizens.
The evening ended perfectly with a free concert and dance in the park featuring Deryl Dodd at 7 pm. Local entertainers set the stage for Dodd. Sweethearts and love seekers alike started cuffing season right by dancing the night away. The Trad ‘N Post provided a photo booth for friends and family to save their memories with.
Over all Saturday’s activities were a blast, but the real fun begins this Saturday, October 6th. If you missed the chance to play reality foosball, nine square, gaga ball, or kick darts they’ll all be back with a bang. Face-painting, pumpkin decorating, and an amusement carnival for the kids will be open all day as well. A number of drawings will happen throughout the day for all sorts of goodies.
Live performances will include a magic show and an SNL show put on by the De Kalb class of 2020. There’s even rumor that the city will surprise attendants with a returning street dance. And of course, if you’re needing a break from all the excitement Front Street Junction Grill & Cafe will be open all day to serve you any number of delicious meals.
All proceeds from Oktoberfest activities go towards supporting a number of non-profits in the De Kalb area, as well as others in the west-end of Bowie County. No matter your age, Oktoberfest will be a fun, family friendly option for anyone looking for a great fall day. You will not regret making your way to the tiny town of De Kalb to celebrate fall.
With a myriad of Spider-Man games and even more superhero games that have hit the market over the years, does Insomniac’s latest attempt at bringing the red-and-blue-clad hero manage to stand out? With confidence, I can say that this is not only the best Spider-Man game ever made, but also a destined classic for the PS4 and the superhero genre.
After a four-year dry spell of mainstream Spider-Man games, the last being the mixed Amazing Spider-Man 2, Insomniac has done what Rocksteady Studios did for Batman in creating an experience that delivers both in narrative and gameplay.
PLOT
Image courtesy of Sony and Insomniac Games
With Dan Slott, a veteran Spider-Man comic scribe, and Insomniac’s writing team, the game spins an impressive web. Peter Parker, our friendly neighborhood web-slinger, has been at the superhero game for roughly eight years. He’s working as a research assistant for Dr. Otto Octavius, is behind on his rent, has put away plenty of his classic rogues behind bars, is helping out at the local homeless shelter (called F.E.A.S.T.) with his Aunt May, his relationship with Mary Jane Watson is on the rocks, and has finally put the notorious kingpin of crime, Wilson Fisk, behind the bars. However, with Fisk out of the way to manage crime in the city, Peter’s problems only seem to get worse as criminal misdeeds begin to spike in Manhattan when a new crime syndicate, the Demons, led by the mysterious Mister Negative, come into play.
What makes this plot work is how the writers are able to bring together so many elements from Spider-Man’s history in such a glorious fashion. Like plenty of classic Spidey stories, he’s down on his luck but manages to persevere with a grin and snappy quip to get him through it, but, thankfully, there are some twists along the way. While you have the usual stuff with Peter and how he tries to balance his personal life with his superhero life, there are also some of the newer components from the comics. He’s long since passed working at the Daily Bugle as a photographer, and is now working as a scientist. Mary Jane is no longer a model, and now works as an investigative reporter, much like her Ultimate universe counterpart. Miles Morales, one of the most popular Spider-Man characters in recent history, has been integrated into Peter’s life as a friend and helping hand around the F.E.A.S.T. center. The list goes on. With all of this interwoven with a plot that juggles Peter’s tragic friendship with Dr. Octavius, repairing his relationship with Mary Jane, the backstory and motivation of Mister Negative, escalating danger in New York, a conspiracy involving Norman Osborn (the city mayor and CEO of Oscorp), and the formation of Peter’s most reviled enemies, the Sinister Six, you’ve got yourself an engaging story that celebrates all eras of Spider-Man that’s both satisfying for fans and newcomers.
PERFORMANCES
Image courtesy of Sony and Insomniac Games
With motion capture blending together with voice acting, nearly every member of the cast give it their all in elevating the script and story to excellence. Yuri Lowenthal, best known for his roles in Ben 10, Persona 4, Paprika, absolutely shines as Peter Parker. With so many people that’s played as the character in the past, it was, no doubt, a difficult task to stand out, but Lowenthal accomplishes this in spades by delivering a performance that balances the traits of the character from his jovial mood, his unwavering sense of responsibility, his enthusiasm for science, etc. There’s such a level of humanity in his acting, once again praising the motion capture for capturing the subtle nuances in his face, that you don’t normally see that it’s not only refreshing, but also captivating. Other standout actors include Laura Bailey as Mary Jane, having great chemistry with Lowenthal, William Salyers as Dr. Octavius, giving us what I believe to be the best iteration of the character, Nadji Jeter as Miles, and Nancy Linari as Aunt May. All of these actors and more bring their A game and pull off the spectacular.
GAMEPLAY
Image courtesy of Sony and Insomniac Games
With fancy new gadgets, weighty web-swinging, and refined combat, it’s never felt so good to traverse the Big Apple while dealing out justice. Taking a page from the Arkham games, the fighting in Spider-Man mainly consists of punching, kicking, dodging, and using the environment to fight bad guys. Thankfully, unlike the gameplay from Beenox’s Amazing Spider-Man games, this manages to stand apart from being another inferior clone of the Batman games by emphasizing Peter’s agility and the use of various web-based tools to keep Peter fast and on the move. It works in adding a whole other layer to the style of gameplay as it doubles the variety you’d normally get with this type of gameplay. More on the gadgets, a handful of them are at the player’s disposal such as standard webbing to immobilize or yank weapons from enemy hands, impact webbing, web mines, taser webbing, robot spiders, and other such gizmos to meet whatever the player’s method of play. There are even stealth stages and side challenges scattered throughout the map, some even relating to other classic characters, such as Black Cat, Harry Osborne, and Taskmaster. While much of this seems familiar, no doubt bringing the mind to Spider-Man 2 or even other open-world games, it remains engaging because of these components working together with exceptionally polished execution.
If there’s one other thing the game had to get right, it was the web-swinging, and, like everything else, it’s just as skillfully realized. The weight of the character coupled with the momentum creates what’s possibly the most realistic swinging. It can take getting used to, but once it’s mastered, it makes for some fast and fun travel that never gets old. This along with the web-zipping and parkour-like moves all add up to the best traversal of New York ever developed.
Besides the usual stuff fans have come to expect from Spider-Man games, there are some new things brought to the table with some mixed results. Some sections of the game are dedicated to Peter in his civilian clothes as he solves two types of puzzles in Dr. Octavius’ lab and investigating, and stealth sections with Mary Jane and Miles. These sections are much slower in comparison to the rest of the game, so it can feel like the game comes to a halt, but they’re still amusing in their own right and provide a different perspective that’s unique in a superhero game.
GRAPHICS
Image courtesy of Sony and Insomniac Games
From the character models, to the breathtaking in-game map of Manhattan, to all the interactive components, the game looks and plays really well. After there was some concern about the frame rate only being 30 fps, it was a pleasant surprise to see the game run smoothly with such gorgeous visuals. The people in the game have a slightly stylized look, but the subtle details of the eyes and body language give them a realistic presence, and this goes for the city as well. Never have I experienced such a lively rendition of the often used city, and it’s the smaller details that help it come alive. There are squirrels scampering in the park, citizens having parties and lunches on rooftops, and so much more that feels organic to such a busy, populated place. Not to mention the occasional weather effects look absolutely beautiful, partially the rainy sections. There were some graphical hiccups with my character being stuck in a wall during the last boss fight, as well as a moment where the target icons cluttered the screen, but a few updates could handle that in no time if this problem applies to other copies.
FINAL VERDICT
From the story, to the acting, to the gameplay, Spider-Man is a triumph. If you haven’t already converted to Sony and bought yourself a PS4, then this is definitely a game worth buying a console for. Never before has it felt so good to do everything a spider can.
9.5/10
Now available for digital download and physical purchase.
With Black Panther, one of Marvel Studios’ most praised films, and Avengers: Infinity War, their highest grossing film so far, out of the way, was the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) successful in giving audiences one last thrill for the year?
In word: yes.
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios
In the follow-up to Peyton Reed’s 2015 superhero film, Ant-Man, our story picks up where the life of Scott Lang, once again played by Paul Rudd, has gone since he aligned with Captain America in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. He’s under house arrest after brokering a deal with the government. With only a few days left, and the superhero game behind him, Scott is inches away from freedom. However, he’s pulled back into the growing and shrinking shenanigans by Hope Van Dyne and Hank Pym, played by Evangeline Lily and Michael Douglas, when he begins to have mysterious visions of Hope’s long-lost mother, played by Michelle Pfieffer, within the immeasurably microscopic “Quantum Realm.” With Scott’s help, and with Hope donning her own shrinking suit, taking on the name of the Wasp, they might free her from her miniscule confines. Unfortunately, a phantasmic, cloaked woman who can walk through anything, referred to as Ghost, means to claim the energies of the Quantum Realm for herself, and our heroes must use their strengths, wits, and abilities to grow and shrink at will to stop her
While the previous film was enjoyable, it didn’t rank particularly high on my list of films from the MCU. The villain, Yellowjacket, felt like an uninteresting retread of Iron Monger from 2008’s Iron Man, Scott didn’t have a high enough personal stake when it came to helping Hank and Hope, Hope was insistently angry throughout most of the film, the humor didn’t always strike a chord, and the title hero wasn’t given enough dignity or credit for what he tries to accomplishes. With that in mind, I went into this film with a minimal set of expectations.
That said, I’m happy to announce that Ant-Man and the Wasp was a much better outing for the character.
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios
To begin with, the villain, Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen, is a far more interesting antagonist than what we saw before. Her motivation is a fairly unique one – her powers are killing her and she needs the Quantum Realm to fix it. This could spell danger for Hope’s mother, which is why the heroes are on the opposite end of things, but this doesn’t necessarily make her a bad person. Apart from that, the actress provides a fairly unsettling performance in some scenes, coming off as physically and emotionally erratic. While certainly not the best villain we’ve gotten out of the MCU, Ghost is among the most interesting in how different she is, in look, abilities, and motivation.
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios
Another positive that this film has over the other is the plot. The first film was a serviceable origin story with elements of a heist film, but this film is a little more engaging. Apart from the race to keep Hank’s research out of the hands of Ghost, there are a few subplots being juggled around. We have one where Scott is trying to keep up the appearance that he’s back home and not pulling off illegal activities with Hank and Hope, another where a group of arms dealers, led by an amusingly Southern Walton Goggins, want Hank’s research as well, Scott’s old gang, with a returning Michael Péna doing his usual funny shtick, working on a security company, and Hank’s old colleague, played by Laurence Fishburne, getting involved. We see the return of Giant Man, there are car chases with shrinking and growing objects thrown into the mix, and psychedelic imagery could compete with Doctor Strange. There plot goes in many directions, but it never feels exhausting, and it all around felt fresher and more energized than the previous film.
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios
The biggest hurdle I felt the film had to leap was the relationship between Scott and the Pym’s. As I said, Scott didn’t feel as involved with the stakes of the plot as he should’ve been. Part of the reason behind that was his relationship with Hank and Hope. Hank treated him as a necessary helping hand and Hope, mostly, didn’t want anything to do with him. This got old for me fast, but, thankfully, they improved that here. Scott has a greater personal connection because he wants to make things right for stealing Hank’s suit, going to Germany without telling anyone, and causing his friend’s to be put on the FBI’s most wanted list for being associated with him. There’s a reason this time for people to dump on Scott as he made a massive mistake that dampened the bond between everyone, and you want to see them patch things up. Not to mention with Hope becoming the Wasp, which was a joy to see another classic character come to life, this allowed Rudd and Lily to have more moments of banter and camaraderie and much less of Hope being an angry, wet blanket. This not only improved Hope’s character, but her relationship with Scott, and eventual romance, feels much more authentic than it did before.
After so much had happened in Infinity War, it was nice to have a smaller (excuse the pun) adventure with Scott and the gang. It’s not a particularly deep film or a game changer in the superhero genre, not to mention being the 20thfilm of the MCU, certain points can be a little confusing to the uninitiated, but it is a visually pleasing, well acted, mostly funny, action packed film that served as a great closing for the summer and for the this year’s run of MCU films.
8/10
The film is available now in digital stores, and will be available next week on October 16 on DVD and BluRay.
The Pleasant Grove Hawks took on Gladewater Bears Friday, September 21st at the Hawks stadium. Both teams started their football season with a winning record of 3-0. After facing the Hawks, Gladewater Bears continued their season remaining undefeated as they brought a well fought end to the Pleasant Grove’s 19-game winning streak.
With 2:44 remaining on the clock, Pleasant Grove Hawks, Kicker D. Williams tied the
game, 37-37 with a 40-yard field goal kick. In the last 27 seconds, Gladewater Bears Z. Tyieske returned a 25-yard fumble for a touchdown and sent Gladewater 44-37 with the win over the 4a Division II State Champions.
Pleasant Grove ended the first half with 158 rushing and 19 passing yards, with three fumbles, two recovered by the bears, four penalties, and no punts. The Hawks were led by Senior James Wiggins, scoring two touchdowns with 191 yards on 23 carries. Teammate sophomore Bruce Garrett added 144 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns.
Gladewater ended the first half with 156 rushing and 25 passing yards, with one fumble recovered by Pleasant Grove, two penalties, and three punts.
The Bears closed out the game with one safety and two defensive touchdowns.
How many times have you been cramming for a test or not feeling your best, and wished groceries, medicine, or any everyday essential could be at your front door? Thanks to Instacart, this luxury is now a reality for the citizens of Texarkana and residents of TAMUT by the start of October.
In less than an hour, your items will be handpicked and delivered from reputable local stores like Albertson’s, Super 1 Foods, and CVS. To open an account, go to or use the Instacart app, select your city, store, and items then choose a delivery window within one hour up to five days. An Instacart shopper receives your information via the app, shops, and delivers the items at your convenience.
There is a delivery fee of $5.99 for orders of $35 or more, but if one signs up for the Instacart Express membership one can get unlimited, free, same-day deliveries for the monthly membership charge of $14.99 a month or $149 annually. Enter the code: HITEXAKANA (01/31/19 expiration) at checkout and get $20 off an order of $35 or more and the first delivery is on Instacart.
In addition to the convenience of store to door deliveries, Instacart plans to employ more than 100 local shoppers. Instacart General Manager David Holyoak says, the Austin-based firm’s website, “we can offer fun flexible income earning opportunities for our shoppers, who ultimately deliver this amazing service to the community.”
To set up an account, search for Instacart on your Google or Apple Play store or check out the Instacart FAQ page.
Sit up straight. Cross your legs. Carry this pepper spray at all times. Call me when you leave. Listen to your surroundings. Don’t go anywhere alone. Keep the police on speed dial. Don’t stay out past dark. If you do, you’ll be asking to get assaulted. It’s scary being a woman. In a matter of one week, at least 3 women from across the United States appeared on our local Texarkana news station as physically assaulted and beaten by men in broad daylight. 2 of these women died. Did they ask for this? Seeing the horrifying and gruesome images cast on-screen, alongside the details from the sole survivor, pulled me back to a recent concert I attended in Shreveport, Louisiana. Originally I was going to write a review, but there’s a more pressing issue here. There were no cellphones allowed at this concert.
Some might argue that it’s just Gen Z/millennial exaggerated worry of exiting the digital world, but it goes deeper than that. The worry wasn’t a loss of letting everyone know I was at a concert. The problem became more intense every time I had to leave my seat. True enough, the of exposure to stories of pain rather than pleasure skews our perceptions a bit, but the fact that my first thought when told I wasn’t allowed to have a form of digital communication was not ‘how will my friends know I’m having a good time,’ but ‘I shouldn’t go to the bathroom by myself.’ The fact that this occurs to women to the extent it does is disgraceful and disgusting.
According to NPR, in 2018, 81 percent of women had been sexually harassed at some point, with 77 percent having been verbally harassed, 34 percent being followed, and 27 percent being sexually assaulted. And the fact that one cannot google search the amount of women assaulted in a time frame without running into anything but sexual assault cases is baffling. Understand that women who feel this way aren’t just terrified of rape. Fear of leaving the side of someone else for various reasons strikes some women. These include being beaten to death, being raped, being shamed for being raped and wanting to abort a fetus that resulted from it, being shamed for what they wear, hearing people say that they could have prevented it, and the list goes on.
This is in no way meant to say that men do not experience some of the same things, but they certainly do not to the same extent (a Huffington Post article says that 90 percent of rape victims are women) and cannot fully understand the scope of the matter because they have not lived it. This is true for any situation involving someone of a different gender, race, or ethnicity. We cannot begin to comprehend some of the things our brothers and sisters have experienced. For this reason, women all over are just begging anyone to listen, a basic human interaction that many women don’t always get.
In terms of cell phone use, the problem with taking them away during a large public event where everyone are strangers is that something terrible, like the above mentioned beatings, could happen to anyone. But, as a woman, I felt more threatened. Accompanying men thought I was being ridiculous, but that is the meaning behind saying it’s difficult to understand if you haven’t been there. And, whether it’s the media or a random stranger who doesn’t know anything about the victim, someone will offer the ideas mentioned above: that they did something to deserve this, that they could have prevented it, and so on. And if they’re lucky enough to survive, they have to live not only with the traumatic experience, but also the pain of harsh side glances and crude gestures.
The gender problems in society run deep. Having to raise our daughters to constantly watch their backs, only wear one ear bud at a time, make sure their always wearing long pants and t-shirts, and so on, is terrifying. Having to design products specifically for women, like bejeweled pepper spray or security bras is insane. The problem has shifted from needing protection to needing self-defense training and better human interaction education.
So, don’t stand around and wait for big companies to tell you what is safe, because, despite rape incidents dropping sixty percent since the nineties, an alarming number of our women are still experiencing issues and feeling trapped. Get out there and fight for a better future, not just for you, but for your daughter, mother, girlfriend, self.
Strap in and get ready for the thrill of your life: another vaguely creepy priest movie has hit the theaters and you’ll predict every second of it! Sounds exciting, right? With October in its grasp, no wonder Hollywood has jumped on the spook factor and graced us with a fairly interesting line-up of horror films. Releases to look forward to include Blumhouse’s new take on an old John Carpenter classic, Halloween (2018), or the interesting mash-up of war and mutant experimentation, Overlord (2018). Recently released, however, was a new addition to a long-lasting series of intertwined films, The Conjuring and Annabelle film series. All have different names, except the direct sequels, such as Annabelle Creation (2017), a clever ploy to entice the viewer with only subtle linking that they feel they’ve discovered themselves. This could produce more viewers because they just have to know more. On September 6th, a film to tie up loose ends graced the market: The Nun (2018).
This film is an origin story (so it stands as a prequel of sorts) of a dark demon like figure, known as Valek. The character shows up somewhere around the release of the second Conjuring in the form of a nun, which isn’t surprising once you’ve sat through The Nun (2018). This looming figure follows a pair paranormal investigators (husband and wife), seemingly with no ties to them other than their career. The Nun (2018) changes that.
Addressing characterization is crucial because it provides the tone of the film. We all know what to expect when going into a horror film based on our experiences with similar films. However, the mood set in this film was off in comparison to those before it, particularly because of one character, Frenchie. The man is a lowly French-Canadian farmer in a small Romanian village. What throws the tone is his comedic nature. In this series, and many other possession films such as Constantine (2014) or The Rite (2011), there haven’t been characters that joke to this extent. At one point, he grabs a shotgun to fight off a demon and uses it to bludgeon a walking corpse, explaining that it wasn’t important enough to waste bullets. Later, in a more intense scene, he fires a shot exclaiming that the time was now appropriate. Whether this was character building is unclear. Frenchie becomes a conduit for the demon, so it’s possible that they were trying to offer this as foreshadowing. Or maybe the writers thought to try something new and get an audience reaction. Either way, I am not sure it worked. The film was less creepy because of it and was cringe worthy at times.
Another less than satisfying factor is the plot. Not to suggest that the audience shouldn’t know what to expect, but the extent to which the film fulfills these expectations makes it worn out and generic. The Vatican summons a priest and a not yet vowed Nun to investigate grounds where a sister committed suicide. They were to decide whether the grounds were holy (shocker: they’re not). Upon arriving they meet cheeky Frenchie, who takes them into the woods by carriage until the horse won’t go any further due to its fright. They then venture further into the woods, arriving at the convent standing next to a graveyard where plague victims were once buried. Long story short, they spend the movie finding out that the demon is Valek, who has claimed the lives of every nun who once roamed the castle halls. Predictable, right? And because it’s part of a running series, the show must go on. The film ends with Frenchie being possessed and exercised by the before mentioned investigators, clearing up the connection. The film spends over an hour and a half explaining something that could be said in ten minutes. I felt as though I had already seen the film before, and I was just waiting for the interconnection. The movie felt like a rush to produce something, despite its clean graphics and beautiful mise-en-scene.
In the end, the film is worth seeing. It’s not as exciting as other films nor is it as creative, but it is a missing piece to a puzzle with some important information. Maybe you should go on discount Tuesday at Texarkana’s Cinemark!
Natural hair is a beautiful thing. Without the right tools, it can be a frustrating, yet beautiful thing. Regardless of the frustration, natural hair does not require much for healthier lengths. With minimal work, it is quite simple. Minimal work does not mean neglecting your hair. It means the right strategies that work for your hair. Your hair needs your cooperation, not your help for healthier lengths.The following steps will help you personalize a successful hair care routine and surpass the stumbling blocks for healthier long locks.
Moisturize your hair daily
Photo Credit: Naptural85
Just as your body needs moisture, your hair needs moisture. Water is the moisturizing agent for natural hair. Without moisture, the hair dries, brittles, and results in breakage, single-stranded knots, or split-ends. Spritz your hair with a water bottle regularly. Lock in the moisture with water-based products (creams, leave-in conditioners, oils) for daily use. Water-based products should list water as the first ingredient. Based on your hair’s porosity, use the LCO (liquid, cream, oil) or LOC (liquid, oil, cream) method. Use the LCO method if you are low-porosity. Use the LOC method if you are high-porosity. If you do not know your hair porosity take a porosity test. Porosity is your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. To determine your hair’s porosity, you will need a hair strand and a cup of water. Find a loose hair strand and place it in a cup of water. If the hair soaks, it is high-porosity. If it floats, it is low-porosity. High porosity hair quickly absorbs moisture. Low porosity hair slowly absorbs moisture. The moisturizing process becomes easier after your hair porosity results.
Deep condition your hair weekly
Photo Credit: ivycharlaine
Deep conditioners add extra moisture than regular moisturizers. You will need a hooded dryer, steamer, heating cap, plastic cap, or a plastic grocery bag with a warm towel. Heat is not the enemy. It is an essential tool for a successful deep conditioning routine. Heat opens your hair’s cuticle layers to receive the moisture your hair needs. Without heat, your hair cannot get the proper moisture you need, especially if you are low-porosity. Regular moisture will not retain moisture if you do not properly deep condition with heat. Depending how dry your hair is, deep condition for 20 minutes to an hour. Your hair becomes softer and more manageable.
Wash your hair on a regular basis
Photo Credit: Jewellianna Palencia
Remove product build-up with a sulfate-free shampoo. It will not dry or strip the hair as rumored. Shampoos clarify and cleanse the scalp, but do not condition it. Co-wash cleansers do not equal a shampoo. They do not remove product build-up as a shampoo. After a few days, your scalp becomes itchy and dirty, resulting in hair loss. Of course, your hair is moisturized, but is still dirty from product build-up. Product build-up keeps the hair from retaining moisture. Regular shampooing keeps the hair moisturized, yet clean. Clarifying shampoos are available at Sallys, Target, Wal-Mart, and beauty supply stores. If a clarifying shampoo becomes too drying, use a moisturizing shampoo for a clean scalp instead. A clean scalp is a healthy scalp.
Trim your ends regularly
Photo Credit: Craving Curly Kinks
Length does not mean healthy hair. Do not be afraid to trim your ends. Health should be the primary focus of your hair. Your hair will still grow over time. Split-ends, see through ends, or single-strand knots should be cut immediately. Avoiding them will split the hair strand towards the top. Straighten the hair after a shampoo wash, deep conditioner, and a blow dry. Cut your ends evenly with a sharp pair of scissors. Even cuts prevents unevened layers unless you desire the layered look. A regular trim should be every three months.
Wear protective styles
Photo Credit: Ambrosia Malbrough
According to CurlCentric, hair grows half an inch monthly. This means your hair grows six inches per year. Protective styles retains length throughout the year. They should be worn every 5-7 days. Braids, twists, wigs, or weaves should not surpass 4 weeks. Protective styles also prevent constant touching or styling the hair. Constant combing, styling, brushing causes breakage, hairloss, and split-ends. Your ends are the oldest part of your hair and require the most attention. Tuck them away and leave your hair alone. During protective styles, you are still accountable for your hair. Braids will not give you longer hair if you neglect it. Your hair will be more prone to dryness and breakage.
Find holy grain products
Photo Credit: PowerInYourCurl
Holy grain products are stable products that work best for your hair. They provide the best results and cater to your hair’s needs. Once you’ve found them, stick with them. Do not change them, unless they stop working. Holy grain products are called that for a reason. Your hair responds extremely well without issues. Do not switch products based on millions of YouTube product reviews. Through trial and error, you will find the right product. It takes time, but not forever. Products are reviewed through daily YouTube videos. Read the comment sections and remember similar pro’s and con’s. Google and read product reviews before purchasing it. Once you purchase the product, focus on your hair’s reaction. If the hair responds well, keep it. If the hair responds bad, return it.
Research
Photo Credit: NaturallyTemi
You will not know everything about natural hair. With daily research, you will learn certain methods regarding your hair type, curl pattern, texture, and porosity. YouTube and blogs are the perfect places for learning natural hair care. They provide specific instructions for each individual’s natural hair care needs. Each individual will also learn beyond the basics. YouTuber, GreenBeauty teaches natural hair visual learners scientific facts through 3D cartoons videos and regular photos. Viewers understand better concepts behind split-ends, natural hair myths, protective styles, and proper hair care.
Choose a successful hair twin
Photo Credit: Glamtwinz
A hair twin matches your hair type, texture, and curl pattern. You can easily spot them through YouTube and social media. If you have a 4a/4b hair curl pattern, follow someone with a 4a/4b hair curl pattern. It makes your hair journey easier to understand based on their experiences. Do not take advice from someone above a 4a hair type. Their hair journey will not be relatable as the 4a/4b hair guru. Millions of natural, curly-haired gurus post YouTube videos social media hashtags. This gives you plenty of choices to follow. Keep in mind, you cannot follow everyone with the same 4a/4b hair. You might have the same 4a/4b hair curl pattern, however, you might not have the same texture, or porosity level. Plus, you will not learn proper natural hair care with too many options. It becomes frustrating and confusing. Narrow down your choices and follow your top favorite. This person should be well-experienced, especially if they have successful healthy hair. Focus more on their health, than length. Their hair did not grow healthy overnight. They experienced set backs and failures like everyone else. Keep in mind, your hair twin are not hair gods. No need to follow everything she says. She will change routines or products often. You do not have to purchase an item every time they review a product. Stick with what you know and apply what you have learned.
Listen to your hair
Photo Credit: NickyBNatural
No one knows your hair better than you. If something goes wrong, your hair will let you know first. For example, if your hair does not respond to a product your favorite YouTube guru raved about, do not force yourself to love it. Immediately, stop using it and return it. Do not compromise your hair based on another person’s opinion. It causes unhealthy, destructible results. Another example, if your hair seems drier than usual, re-moisturize your hair. Do not stress about a scheduled routine. It’s better to respond to your hair’s needs, than a set of rules. Never ignore what your hair tells you and consider better solutions to your problems.
Begone high waist shorts, belted swim suits and strappy sandals! Summer fashion has come to an end. It is now time to prepare for the return of the 19th century. The season of boots and scarves are about to take its rightful place among us.
Fall officially begun September 22, 2018 and so much is in store for the fall fashion season. The new trends to be on the lookout for this Fall 2018, are going to be a sight to see.
Starting with both Checks and Plaid, a popular trend from the 1800s until the late 1890s. Plaid is perfect for the fall and extremely versatile. Plaid and checks can be styled as casual or upscale. Designer Christian Dior has already been seen with plaids on his runway!
Fashion Designers are beginning to add more Gloss and Leather to the market. Fashion is taking it back to the 40s and 50s with this style.
Styles inspired by the Late Michael Jackson, dressed in his red leather jacket with the strappy bottom, are a LOOK.
Think big – very big. Upgrade your denim. Go loud with your colors and remember real animal clothing isn’t as comfortable unless it’s on a heel or boot. Returning to the market this fall will be Animal print. Animal print has been around since the early 1920s. Models have been captured wearing animal print while being on the runway, for The New York fashion week.
Celebrities have been spotted cheetah blazer coats, dresses, and shoes from designers across the globe like Dolce&Gabbana, Caroline Charles, M&Co., ASOS, and Missguided.
Remember 80s cocktail designs? Miniskirts, bandage dresses foil and big shoulders. Saint Laurent has designed a fashionable blazer with floral print and exaggerated shoulders to die for!
Cover your head all fall with a fashionable hat. Head fashion can be seen on citizens across the world. Oversized topper have been a thing since the 70s. Imagine this, an all red outfit with red shoes and a cheetah hat. The cheetah topper was so simple that it completed your whole outfit.
You can’t step into fall without that perfect shoe. Tis the season of boots, boots, and more boots. There are slouch boots, ankle boots, knee boots, booties, over the knee boots, thigh boots, lace-up lug, combat boots, and of course cowboy boots. Boots are available in all shapes, colors and prints to go right along with the Fall fashion trend that’s coming.
Mules and slides are also important and breathable. These two can be perfect for any business casual look.
Who doesn’t enjoy a great pair of Sneakers? Sneakers can also be key look to your fall fashion statement, especially when matched with a cute jumpsuit, sweat suit, wind breaker or sweatshirt. I know I’ll around campus in a few sporty chills looks myself. Brands like Nike released Nike Air Span 2 Premium “Desert Camo” on September 6thand Skepta x Air Max Deluxe on September 8th. Adidas released their new line of Yeezy with Kayne West on September 15th.
When shopping for your fall clothing this season, never forget the words of The legendary Coco Chanel “The best things in life are free. The second best are very, very expensive.”
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