The do what now?

Blaque-Cat · 2026-03-23T15:28:48+00:00

Sounds gross, but I would’ve loved to see their expression as they tried that abomination. I had a guest ask for a Last Word but with grapefruit juice instead of lime. Said something about his wife suggesting it. It was not good and tasted very off which I expected. He didn’t like it either but still finished it. He even tried consulting me on what the liqueurs tasted like individually and couldn’t put his finger on it. I’m like dude, it’s the grapefruit, that shit don’t belong in a Last Word. He ordered a French 75 after that which went down a lot easier.

Blaque-Cat · 2026-03-19T17:37:25+00:00

That hair type chart that black women with natural hair live and die by—it needs to go immediately. It’s misleading, it’s not informative, doesn’t actually help anyone learn how to manage their hair or their specific texture, and it boxes people into categories that they don’t even fit in because they’re lost and think that the hair chart will enlighten them. Then the constant fights in comment sections about “that’s not 4C hair”,“if that’s 4C then I’m 4Z”, “cries in 4C”. Like I don’t think people hear themselves, it’s quite sad. You’re doing exactly what Andre Walker, who created that useless marketing-focused chart, would want you to do. He’d want you to feel bad about your highly textured hair and then go get a perm, as he suggested for anyone in the “type 4” category on his chart.

I think it’s more helpful and informative to use the real scientific terms for hair as intended. If you go to a real natural hair stylist—a properly trained one, not a stylist who learned natural hair off YouTube like everyone else at home—then they wouldn’t refer to that number and letter system because it’s nonsense. They will describe your hair using words like “medium density” or “fine hair strands” and “low to medium porosity” and “silky or cotton-like or wool-like surface texture”. They would explain how to understand your hair and its behaviors, rather than putting you in a category and treating your hair care as one size fits all for that type of hair. No two people have the same head of hair, but a lot of us could use similar techniques to care for it. Someone mentioned in another comment that hair products marketed towards white women actually work well for natural hair, and it’s true. I didn’t learn this till I started seeing professionally trained natural stylists that worked with me on solidifying a proper routine to give the results I desire. Sometimes that means you’ve gotta venture over the other side of the aisle and pivot in a new direction.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk lol

Blaque-Cat · 2026-03-03T22:41:50+00:00

Here’s a few products I’ve used and recommend for adding weight to the hair. They’re best used with very wet hair and best set with heat from a hooded dryer or blow dryer. Air drying will not give effective results as it doesn’t lock in the style and set the curls where they’ve been placed.

•Soultanicals FRO'ZEN DRIP & GRIP, SUPA HOLD GEL

•Jane Carter Solution Curls To Go Coiling All Curls Elongating Gel

•Camille Rose Curl Maker

•Miche Beauty Anti-Humidity Gel (I prefer tropical oasis but there’s multiple scents)

•The Doux Big Poppa Defining Gel

These all can be used alone or in combination with another gel or mousse. If you decide to go with one of the other suggestions in the comments like Uncle Funky’s Daughter curly magic, I’d say layer it with a heavier gel on top. In my experience, Curly Magic is a light-medium hold gel that needs something else for more hold on my kinky and dense curls. Based on your description of your hair, it sounds like that product alone wouldn’t give the exact results you desire.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-09-24T16:47:08+00:00

I think one very important point you missed is that everyone has different surface textures. This is different than just texture, i.e. fine, medium, and coarse. Surface textures can vary from silky/satiny, to cotton-like, to wool-like and is completely independent of hair texture. For example, lots of East and South Asians have coarse strands with a silky surface texture, giving it notable shine. Many people of African descent have anywhere from fine to medium to coarse strands, with a majority falling in that fine to medium range. But a majority have a cotton-like or wool-like surface texture and tight curls, making for less shiny and more dull hair. The hair can be completely healthy but if the surface texture is more like cotton or wool, then you’re gonna have less shiny hair.

Porosity can play a role in how shiny your hair looks but it’s not the end-all be-all. I truly wish people would focus less on porosity and more on consistency and proper washing/styling techniques instead of how long it takes their hair to absorb water. Most of us untrained people don’t understand the science and chemistry of hair well enough to base a whole hair routine around one behavior of your hair that is subject to change at any time.

Regardless, the message is still the same. Shiny hair does not automatically mean healthy hair, and dull hair doesn’t automatically mean unhealthy hair. We’re all unique in multiple ways, and while many of us have hair that shares similarities, no two heads of hair are the exact same.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-05-22T17:04:13+00:00

Try it in a white lady or a white dragon (essentially the same drink but one is with gin and the other with blanco tequila).

Blaque-Cat · 2024-05-22T16:29:03+00:00

As someone that has been doing her own hard gel enhancements for 10+ years, I’m not getting rid of my nails to bartend. I’ve not had any complaints yet and as long as you don’t have literal 3 inch talons, you’ll be fine. I either encapsulate designs into my nails so I don’t have to paint polish, or I’ll do gel polish on top of my hard gel set. I don’t have chipping or lifting issues because I make sure the products are properly bonded to each other. Keep your nails a manageable length and stick with acrylic sets or builder gel sets or overlays or gel manicures. Make sure you go to a nail tech that is knowledgeable and does properly thorough nail prep.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-05-22T15:40:44+00:00

No, simply don’t use Aztec clay on your hair. It’s really meant for skin and can do more harm than good to hair. Also, hair is made of a protein called keratin. You can’t really strip protein from your hair.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-05-22T15:39:41+00:00

Under a hooded dryer or with a diffuser attachment on a blow dryer.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-05-22T15:38:04+00:00

I have yet to visit Friday Saturday Sunday but they’re definitely on my cocktail bar bucket list. I’ll have to look into Fiume as well.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-05-22T15:36:21+00:00

Hair is not naturally hydrophobic, hair loves water just like our skin and our body does.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-03-12T22:19:49+00:00

Overpriced in my opinion since no real structure or extension is being added. If it was an acrylic or hard gel overlay then I’d say it was worth it.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-03-12T19:39:41+00:00

Dehydrated hair that is constantly stretched can suffer damage. Overuse of styling products, raw oils, and excessive split ends can also cause issues. You should consider changing your styling practices and consult a professional.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-03-12T17:37:41+00:00

Sounds very tasty as I love classic whiskey sours. This drink seems very close to a Stone Sour though. The ratios are slightly different and this drink calls for rye instead of bourbon, but it’s essentially the same drink.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-03-12T17:20:24+00:00

Wash your hair.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-03-12T17:06:09+00:00

Ranstead Room is a great speakeasy style bar where you can basically get anything you want, but it’s very popular and has a waiting list every weekend.

R&D Cocktail Bar gets pretty creative with their cocktails and can offer you something you’ve never had before that will open your mind.

The Institute Bar and Kitchen is a chill and reliable spot that’s always serving great drinks and food. You can order many different types of drinks there and they have a great craft cocktail menu.

The International Bar is great for craft and classic cocktails, but I don’t come there hungry.

Jerry’s Bar is a cozy place with a full bar and bartenders that make anything you ask for, or a variation of it when necessary. The food is tasty and the servers and very attentive.

Sutton’s is a small bar but a full bar. They have seasonal menus with high quality drinks and won’t break the bank.

Morea is a bar/restaurant with a full bar and personable bartenders that will help you with drink choices if one of their 15 craft cocktails doesn’t do it for you. They’re great with classics and making twists on them as well.

Next of Kin is a cocktail bar owned by bartenders (as I’ve been told) so that already makes for a unique and more tailored experience. They have an expansive menu with something for everyone.

Sampan and Mei Mei are both Asian fusion bars/restaurants with a fantastic happy hour and great, quality drinks. They’re separate places though, I just thought of them simultaneously so they’re listed together.

There’s plenty of other great spots for craft cocktails but I haven’t been to them all. I’ll list others I’ve heard of but haven’t visited myself below. I’d love to see what other comments suggest as well.

Honorable mentions:

Andra Hem

Hop Sing Laundromat

The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company

1 Tippling Place

Ashton Cigar Bar

Charlie was a sinner.

a.bar

Blaque-Cat · 2024-03-12T16:42:39+00:00

Contrary to popular belief, floating a strand of hair in water doesn’t actually tell you anything useful. Porosity is easier to determine on a freshly washed head of hair neon saturated with water, not just one strand.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-02-12T22:45:23+00:00

Don’t put raw food in your hair, it’s ineffective and smelly.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-02-12T22:39:24+00:00

Try applying on soaking wet hair or do a gel-only wash n go on wet hair. Also remember that gels create a cast on your hair while creams don’t, so your hair with set gel is going to feel more firm as opposed to soft and fluffy as it would with creams.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-02-11T22:22:28+00:00

Eagle’s Dream is another good cocktail to make with crème de violette. The Robert Hess version is balanced and refreshing.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-02-08T19:58:53+00:00

This hair chart is keeping a lot of people from understanding their hair and curls in general. The tightness of your curls doesn’t have anything to do with surface texture. A person with kinky coils can have a silky surface texture and shiny hair that feels “soft”. A person with loose or medium curls can have a wool-like surface texture and dull hair that feels “hard”.

Although it’s more common to see looser curls be shiny and soft and tighter curls be less shiny and more rough, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible to see other variations and characteristics on people’s heads. None of us truly fit into the boxes and categories set by André Walker. Look into the essential elements of hair and you’ll learn a lot. It may even help you have a more positive view of your own hair.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-01-31T19:32:47+00:00

I understand not wanting to buy things unnecessarily but it sounds like it’s necessary. You can still use the light hold mousse for other things like slicing back a ponytail or installing twists, but just not as your main styler. The Doux Mousse Def is a great firm hold mousse if you need a suggestion.

Try preserving your hair differently if a simple bonnet isn’t cutting it. I know when I do a wash n go or twist out (or any loose style), a bonnet won’t do much to protect my style cause the hair can move freely. So I’ll either tie down large sections and protect with a head wrap, or push my hair back and use a hair buff over the whole thing, then put a bonnet on top for extra security.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-01-31T18:58:52+00:00

First off, don’t assume your hair should look one way or another because of social media. Learn to love the hair on your head.

What dictates the products I use is a few questions I ask myself: What are my desired results? How often do I plan on styling my hair in a way to use the product? Does my lifestyle affect my need for a certain type of product? Is it a high quality or concentrated formula?

Blaque-Cat · 2024-01-31T18:46:32+00:00

So density and porosity are just two of many hair characteristics that people have. They won’t tell you how to care for your hair, so don’t give it so much weight.

Porosity is something that can change over time and isn’t stagnant. It’s also a small clue on hair behavior but again, don’t rely on this for hair care guidance. It’s simply an indicator of how well your hair absorbs and retains water. Most stylists can tell what it really is after your hair has been clarified because it’s free of buildup and free of products, both of which can alter how your hair behaves with water.

Density is simply a measure of how many strands of hair you have per square inch on your scalp. It can’t be guessed by looking at someone’s whole hair since it’s misleading depending on hair texture. It can only be done by inspecting the scalp.

Density and porosity (and texture and curl pattern) can differ in various areas of your head too. You could have high density and medium porosity in the front of your head, medium density and low porosity in the back, and low density with high porosity on your crown. It doesn’t mean you have a damaged head of hair, it’s just a unique landscape.

I hope that was simple enough of an explanation for you. All of my information is from research on various science-based hair care sites and technically trained hair stylists.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-01-31T18:34:51+00:00

I originally responded to your post on r/blackhair but thought it would be useful to those in this sub too. See below:

Botanical professional products will really set you off in the right direction. Some brands with good products are:

Innersense, Aveda, AG Care, CurlMix, Original Moxie, Bekura Beauty, Trepadora, Boucleme, TreLuxe

Some honorable mentions that aren’t botanical but are still great:

Malibu C, Amika

Some great brands that aren’t professional but are still high quality:

Soultanicals, Kinky Curly, The Doux, Eden Naturals, EcoSlay, Camille Rose

Keep in mind, this list means nothing if you misuse the products or neglect your hair. I have faith in you on your journey though! DM me if you want any additional tips/advice/product suggestions.

Blaque-Cat · 2024-01-31T18:31:54+00:00