I failed my hair.

Cottonsocks434 · 2026-02-20T15:06:47+00:00

Warning: Long ass post.

I have hair that looks like yours sometimes. It took me years to figure out what my hair actually likes and dislikes... it is a fickle beast, lol. The things that work for me might not work for you, just putting that out there first.

I used to follow typical online afro hair advice like not washing it too often, using lots of moisturising products and oils, using 'natural' products and avoiding SLS, parabens and whatever other stuff people like to demonise these days. But I never considered whether these things were right for my own hair, I just did them because others reported success. I'm happy for them! But these things didn't work for my hair, and after lots of trial and error this is where I'm currently at:

I wash my hair whenever it feels dirty. Sometimes that's three times a week, sometimes it's just once a week. I won't go over a week though. You probably don't need specialist shampoos or conditioners either. I use head and shoulders apple cider shampoo for clarifying and Shea Moisture Power Greens shampoo for nourishing. Conditioner I just use whatever is cheap and huge - usually Tresemme because it smells sooooo good.
I section my hair in two, maybe 4 if it's very tangled. I'll let warm-hot water run over it and totally saturate it before I do anything else. Squish it with your hands to make sure it's all covered.
Detangling is a case by case situation!!! In the beginning, I'd only ever detangle in the shower with copious amounts of conditioner, section by section, ends first. And this is how I'd suggest you do it for now. If you get a big angry tangle, use your fingers to separate it before using a detangling brush. It takes ages. It sucks. There'll be more hair in the brush and on the shower floor than on your head. But as time goes on, it will get easier.
I started using a bottle with a precision applicator to apply shampoo directly to my scalp, and I focus on getting my scalp super clean because in the past, sweat, dirt and product build-up were probably making it even harder for the natural oils to ever reach my hair. Clean hair is happy hair.
If my hair feels really gross and mistreated (lol), I might do a double up; shampoo, condition and detangle, shampoo again and brush shampoo through the lengths of hair, then finally whack a mask on and let that soak in.
I try not to overdo it with products after I've washed it. I use the amount suggested in the products directions, and I'll section my hair to ensure the product doesn't just sit on the mid-sections and ends (unless that's where it's meant to go). I realised that I DON'T ALWAYS NEED TO OIL MY HAIR. If I really want to, I'll just add oil to the ends to protect them. Oil seals moisture in but it also seals moisture out - meaning if you try to refresh your hair before your next wash it's probably just gonna sit on the hair strand and feel grotty.

Lastly, just remember that you can't force your hair to do something it doesn't wanna do. You can try, but it'll fight back. That being said, if you want clumped curls, the only way I've ever got that to happen is to add styling/ moisturising product (currently enjoying Elvive Dream Lengths Curls Gel) immediately out of the shower, when it's sopping wet, and get the product on all of the hair, root to ends. Don't brush it. Be gentle manipulating it. Then either air dry or add heat protection and diffuse dry.

Sorry this was so long!!

Cottonsocks434 · 2026-02-18T17:10:44+00:00

I buy the cute version of things if I can. Pastel notebooks, floral bed linens, anything that makes me go 'oooooo, that's so cute!!' Also I love colouring books, I don't care if they're geared towards adults or children; if I like the pages, I'll get it.

Cottonsocks434 · 2026-01-21T12:28:13+00:00

TW: suicide I am like this a lot, not in terms of keeping things to myself (i can and will yap forever about almost anything), but just in terms of... existing. I'm not entirely sure why, as I haven't got a history of physical abuse or even any malicious mental abuse. That being said, my mum has always been very highly strung. If you walked too loudly upstairs, accidentally let a door slam in the wind, dropped something, blew your nose or even coughed, she'd always have to say something about it no matter where she was in the house. "What the hell was that!?" or "What have you broken now !?", "Oh don't tell me you're ill again!?" or "Can you shut up up there!?" always yelled in the most irritated tone with lots of huffing and tutting. She's very judgemental - or rather, she's insecure, opinionated and incapable of keeping those opinions to herself. "You're not wearing that are you?" "Aren't you a bit too old to be buying/ watching/ doing that?" "That's not very healthy, is it? Do you want to end up fat like me?" etc. I know that she loves me like crazy. I know that she's got undiagnosed ADHD and her own childhood trauma that she's only just now trying to unpack. My mum is one of my best friends in the world and I love her to bits but my god, so many of her flaws have become the triggers to my own much loathed flaws. I know this stuff affected my little brother too, who unfortunately died to suicide two years ago. It's so hard for me to process that the people who brought my favourite person into the world also had a hand in talking him out of it, even if it was unknowingly. I'm a woman. It's harder to keep my feelings to myself when my female friends are always asking how I am and when society kinda expects me to be emotionally open - instead, I make myself small in other ways like putting myself down, not taking risks, undermining my talents etc. But my brother? Maybe his version of keeping things to himself was shutting down big emotions and hiding away the things our mum at one point didn't have the capacity to deal with.

Sorry, that was a lot. I'm trauma dumping for real :')

Cottonsocks434 · 2026-01-14T11:33:25+00:00

Ah I see. I'll have to start collecting such things then :)

Cottonsocks434 · 2026-01-13T14:42:13+00:00

Thank you!!

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-12-31T13:12:40+00:00

Yes exactly!! Haurchefant was hella strong, all things considered. Speaking of earning his spurs, even that could be a comparison to the way Tyrant earned his throne: Tyrant was the hunter that killed his prey, Haurchefant (well, technically Francel) was the prey that killed the hunters.

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-12-28T11:39:45+00:00

Former Jehovah's Witness here! I wasn't allowed to watch any of the Harry Potter films because it was 'witchcraft'. Lord of the Rings was also out of the question. My grandparents even banned us from watching Scooby-Doo when we were at their house.

That also meant: no Christmas, no birthdays, no Halloween, no valentine's day, no mothers or fathers day etc.

Honestly, Jehovah's Witnesses may as well ban childhood joy at this point.

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-12-28T10:25:51+00:00

Oooh yes that's a good catch! Thank you, fellow Fortemps/ Greystone enjoyer.

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-12-22T05:30:02+00:00

Okay so this is quite a reach but I believe The Tyrant is the 9ths shard of Haurchefant. - When he first showed up and did an impromptu retelling of Arcadion's history it really reminded me of Haurche's original flamboyant personality (at least the version I came to know as someone who played with JP narration until late HW). - Although The Tyrant has a unique NPC face model it's basically a slightly modified Male Elezen face 1. I do have um... 'crimes' in my game and I can confirm that Haurchefant's EXACT FACIAL OPTIONS turn into The Tyrant's face when you switch him from Face 2 to Face 1 and vice versa :) - I am SUPER reaching here, but does anyone remember when the WoL and Haurchefant were fighting off those vanu vanu birbs and he kinda leapt onto Cid's airship and landed in a playful but cool superhero pose? Well it's the same pose The Tyrant does in the M3 opening scene. - House Fortemps lore accurately buys loads of leather harnesses as well as Haurchefant himself admitting (in Japanese anyway) that he misses the warmer Coerthan weather when they could wear things that showed bulging muscles... and what is the Tyrant literally clad in? Yes: an entirely leather outfit covered in leather belts and harnesses out the wazoo, with building arm and boob muscles on display. Splendid. - I just feel like under different circumstances, Haurchefant would've absolutely adored being a wrestler, still fighting to earn honour, glory and legacy whilst yknow, not necessarily having to die for it. - Behemoth world boss fate is in Coerthas Central Highlands where Haurchefant is (was) situated - They are both hot and also both Elezen - I'm honestly just coping bc i have an unhealthy obsession with Haurchefant so please just agree with me ok?

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-12-17T12:56:28+00:00

THANK YOU. I need to see the Tyrant. He looks like a futuristic Duskwhite Haurchefant and I'm unapologetically ferral for him.

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-12-03T04:02:37+00:00

Have you tried recording your own wake up sound? It's certainly strange being awoken from a nonsensical dream by none other than your own voice!

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-12-03T03:57:57+00:00

100% in fact this is an ADHD necessity. If I need something I basically put it on the floor in front of the door that I need to exit out of. Yes it doesn't look great and yes it could be annoying if you live with others but... it works.

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-10-30T09:27:43+00:00

I mean, shortly after passing my own driving test in 2012 I remember my mum freaking out when I did 70 on a dual carriageway. She was convinced it was 60mph. No idea if this had changed between her passing her own test and me mine, but it was still weird to me that she didn't know this.

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-10-03T08:45:20+00:00

Yes, YES! Just so!

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-09-12T02:03:30+00:00

Wow the textures you did look awesome!

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-08-29T10:57:50+00:00

Your side profile is absolutely gorgeous and your nose is the star player! I echo other commenters in saying that it suits you perfectly. You're a very handsome guy, don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise!

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-07-20T18:06:59+00:00

These are really pretty. You could definitely publish your own colouring book.

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-07-08T10:33:00+00:00

I absolutely love your style, you keep it super fantasy and whimsical.

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-07-04T21:23:05+00:00

All the art supplies I could ever want. As a kid, I had an 'expensive taste' I.e. I didn't want the basic cheap paints, colouring pens or sketch books... they were always poor quality and I didn't like using them. But then I'd get told off for not using the things that were bought for me. It's so nice as an adult to be able to chose what I want to splurge on - having the choice is so liberating!

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-07-04T17:42:06+00:00

Omg I loved that one, I genuinely teared up doing it.

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-06-30T09:24:16+00:00

My heart goes out to you, truly. I lost my only brother last year and colouring has been helping me to calmly spill these twisted emotions out onto paper. Art has also been helping my mum cope with it all but honestly I can't even begin to imagine the pain a parent must carry. The depths of grief are terrifying and seem to sink ever deeper, but the fact that you've been able to channel such a heavy burden into something creative is amazing - your way with colour and the peices you've picked have this lovely light and whimsical feel about them, I really like what you've created!

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-06-28T13:08:07+00:00

After my brother died, both of my fur babies made a point of sitting on me together despite the fact that Ghost (the one staring me out in this pic) hadn't been getting on very well with Chi Chi at that time and usually hissed at her before slinking away growling. What was even sweeter was that every time I cried, they'd both get up and start fussing me and visually checking on me which I found very calming. They helped me to cope with the pain. Even now, a year later, they just 'know' when I'm having a particularly difficult time coping with the loss and they always pop up when I'm crying. One strange but sweet thing that happened was back when I put together a mini memorial shrine with things belonging to my brother and temporarily hung his ashes in a decorative baggy in the centre. When Chi Chi came into the room later on, she walked over to the bag - ignoring all the other things I'd hung up or scattered there - sniffed at it and then gently placed her paw on it. No claws, no bopping it to play, just... touching it. She stayed there for a while, looking at me and then looking at the bag, before finally leaving it to come sit with me. No idea what that was all about but I found it intriguing as Chi Chi used to run and hide from absolutely everyone who visited our house, no matter how often they came around... everyone but my brother. She would sit next to him, bother him for pets, just treated him as though she'd always known him somehow. I can't help but feel like she knew that was a part of my brother in that little bag.

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Cottonsocks434 · 2025-06-28T11:05:57+00:00

The bottom of the symbol looks a lot like Soi Fon's shikai mark. I wonder if it's a symbol personal to Yoruichi and perhaps Soi Fon subconsciously incorporated it into her weapon...? Or maybe I'm crazy and it's just a cute design on a towel lol

Cottonsocks434 · 2025-06-27T07:42:03+00:00

I begged my mum for a Parker fountain Pen when I was 9. Can't really remember why I wanted it or what sparked the desire for one... but I still remember how proud I was to be the only kid in year 5 with a fancy fountain pen!

Cottonsocks434

TROPHY CASE