Saturday, October 17, 2015

The Big Reveal




Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi, my name is Samantha and I just so happen to be the founder of this blog and a few others. I'm a daughter, sister, aunt, friend, blogger, activist, Jesus follower and in uni studying architecture.

How long have you been natural?
I have been natural for about 4 years now.

When did you get your first relaxer and why did you get it?
I'm not exactly sure when I got my first relaxer, but it was between the ages of 4 and 6. However, I big chopped and then got a relaxer between the ages of 7 and 8. Each time, I got a relaxer because I wasn't born with a manual. Haha. My parents didn't know how to manage my hair and therefore, my hair broke many combs. Actually, it broke every comb in the house at some point.

What made you decide to go natural?
Well, I was 13 years old (same month as my 14th birthday) and I didn't know what my natural texture looked or felt like and I was just so curious about it, what I can do with it and how I can grow it out to the length it was while I was little.




How did your family and friends react to the idea of you going natural?
Oh my! They were not having it! My mum told me that she's not going to help me out with it (shout out to my mamma who's natural now), my paternal grandmother thought it was a bad idea because my hair was "too tough," my dad was cool with it, my brother wasn't (and he still tells me to get a relaxer because straight hair is more attractive, according to him) and some of my friends liked the fact that I was going natural while others told me not to do it and to just get another relaxer.

What's your hair journey been like so far (and how has it changed your perception on some things)?
My hair journey has been pretty eventful! I heat damaged my hair during my first year natural (and grew out the damage), I lost a bit of hair from box braids (with extensions) that weren't installed well (my hair fell out), my hair got cut by a stylist when I didn't ask for it to be cut and (fast forwarding) I have damaged hair (and not so "BigHair") right now, from a bad weave (which I might add was my first weave as a natural and my first weave in about 7 years). Besides those, my hair journey has been pretty nice, discovering new styles and products and just having fun switching between long (stretched) hair and short (shrunken) hair.
My natural hair journey has made me realise that people look best when they embrace the natural things about them. It also makes them happier. And I guess that it has made me realise that so many people are scared or very judgemental and we just have to accept that because we can't please everyone so, we just need to be happy with who we are.


Picture from shortly after I noticed the damage.

What is your daily hair regimen (including your night-time routine)?
This changes a lot. I would say that daily, if my hair was set in a bantu knot out, I saturate my hands in oil, take down the knots, separate the curls, fluff out my roots, pin up a bit of the sides and that's it. If I'm doing my lazy girl style (which is actually kinda chic), I take my hair down from a low ponytail, shake it out and fluff it out with my hands, put it in a low ponytail again, braid the ponytail, attach pre-braided extensions to it, tuck in my hair and then pin the extensions round my head forming an elegant halo braid (or series of halo braids). At night, I just divide my hair in 4-6 and put it in loose bantu knots (to preserve the initial style) or I leave it in a low ponytail (no extensions) and cover it in a satin scarf (although i don't care much about the scarf now that I have a satin pillowcase and duvet cover).
I should add that I wash my hair every Saturday after my workout (because I don't have the time to do so, any other day), shampooing once a month and co-washing every week. I stretch my hair out using a blow dryer on a warm-cool setting just to speed things up for myself.



Do you think you might be changing or incorporating new things to your regimen soon? If so, what do you have in mind?
I would deep condition more often, if I could. Right now, my schedule is too hectic because of uni so, I can't change much.

What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it?
My "lazy girl" halo braid and bantu knot out are my favourite hairstyles and they are described above. As a side note, I always do my bantu knots over a braid out or an old twist out for best results.

What are your must-have hair accessories and tools?
Bobby pins! You can never have enough of those! Those little guys disappear like it's nobody's business. Metal-free ponytail holders are also a must-have and if you're in uni and not on the best schedule, a good blow dryer with a cool setting is good too.





How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage, length retention and moisture?
The only day I comb my hair is on wash-day and in the shower with conditioner in my hair and under the shower stream. I seal my hair with oil and shea butter or Shea moisture's restorative conditioner and some times, Shea Moisture's Gel Soufflé too (that product is so moisturising). I also try not to touch my hair much and I sleep with my hair covered in a satin scarf or on a satin pillowcase (and I dry my hair with an old shirt instead of a towel).

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?
I use the shampoo, conditioner and gel in the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus line and I really like the products. They are moisturising, minimise frizz, have slip and are not too heavy. I use Shea Moisture's Restorative Conditioner as a leave-in and detangler and it's awesome for those. I also use extra virgin olive oil and Terressential's Mud Wash in Lavender and Cool Mint and I like both. The lavender mud wash leaves your hair feeling so soft and nice and the cool mint stops itchy scalp (and dry scalp) quickly.
(I also use the deep conditioner by Midas Naturals and can't wait till it's back in stock because it is AWESOME).

Hand-In-Hair syndrome -  an issue I have only that....it's not my hand. Do you have this issue? Do people ask before touching your hair or do they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?
It's actually not been so bad in the past year. People actually ask now if they want to touch my hair (most of the time) and I'm cool with it although if someone doesn't ask before they touch my hair, I get a bit annoyed (esp. if I don't know the person/I'm not close to the person) and I calmly tell them to ask next time. Oh! And I make sure my hair's not been messed up each time (gotta do that!)




What do you love the most about being naturally curly?
Versatility! Not just with hair styles, but with hair lengths too! I can switch up my length daily. My hair has a personality of its own too and it's beautiful and just so unique!

Any advice for the natural teens, parents, kids and grandparents?
You do you, boo! Go natural, stay natural if you want to. Try different styles and learn how to take care of and style your hair by yourself because not every hair stylist knows how to properly care for curly hair and you'll be able to treat your hair better than anyone can once you master what to do.


Where can we find you online?
On here, of course.
And on:

p.s All pictures without extensions are post-damage and all curly hair styles are day 3-4 hair.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Reason for no recent blog entries

Hallo!

I miss talking to you guys. I really do.

You see, the reason for my absence is that I recently moved to London (yup! the big ol' city!). I'm still getting used to living here and being at uni. Uni's great, if you're wondering. However, I'm not used to getting home late because I'm working and voluntarily going to school on the weekends, but that's okay. What has to be done has to be done.

I am getting more accustomed to where I live and being at uni here in London so, expect some new posts soon. I might pre-write them if I have a few minutes/hours free and just upload them every few days. Here's what to expect (in no particular order):

  • A reveal - y'all have been wondering what I look like. If you've checked out my Facebook page, you know what I look like. If not, you could either go check out and 'Like' my page or wait till I upload the blog post that is 'My Big Reveal.'
  • Rocking a....not day 1, or day 2, but day 5 bantu knot out. I have perfected preserving bantu knot out without having to completely reset your hair every day. Trust me, every morning, my hair looks much better than the night before and I don't have to redo the bantu knots daily.
  • I can also make advice videos for freshers especially those studying architecture as that is the course I'm taking, in case you didn't know what I was doing at uni.
  • Quick hair styles for people in uni is also something I'm considering posting.
And more.

My big reveal will probably come up before the others. I don't know when I'll do it, but I will some day soon. Just hang in there and please be patient with me, okay? Danke.

~SammyWithTheBigHair

Saturday, September 19, 2015

I BOUGHT A BLOWDRYER!!

Picture got from Jesuseun

So, yeeeeeeaaaaah, I bought a blowdryer. It worries me a bit because I heat damaged my hair at the start of my natural hair journey. However, there have been quite a number of reasons for me to purchase this hair tool and that's what I will talk about in this blog post.


REASON 1: I am a uni student and I live a bit far from school
As a uni student, I need more time studying and working and less time doing other things. So, by investing in a dryer, I can quickly dry and stretch my curls and the curls will stay stretched longer and I might even get them more stretched than if I just braided them (and some times, aft,,.er setting your hair in braids, you wake up and your braids are still damp!).
Also, I live 30mins away from school if I use the tube (London Underground) and I need to have my hair dry when I leave where I live especially if I wash/rinse my hair in the morning, which I might do depending on if I go to the gym in the morning or in the evening.


REASON 2: It has been predicted that the UK will experience the coldest winter in 50 years this year
Wet hair and being out in the cold are two things that do not go together well. I don't want ice in my hair neither do I want to be freezing because I walked out the door with wet hair.


REASON 3: I work out on an almost daily basis now
Working out a lot, I might need to rinse my hair out every now and then so it still looks good and yeah, I'll need a blowdryer to speed up the process of rinsing and drying out my hair in the morning/late at night.


REASON 4: It's easier to style stretched hair/styles look better when done on stretched hair
I must say, a braid out on pre-stretched hair looks really good and so does a twist out. If the braid/twist-out is done on a Curlformer set or on hair that wast stretched by pre-braiding, African threading, banding, et cetera it looks better than if it was done on freshly washed and wet hair, in my opinion. Well, this is the case for my hair. With a blowdryer, I can stretch my hair to style it much easier and faster than if I just banded, braided, African threaded it.


So, yeah, I had one or two more reasons, but I can't remember them right now.

Hope this helps you understand why I decided to take this step and invest in a blow dryer.

~SammyWithTheBigHair
(SammyWithThe"Not as big, but will soon be as big"Hair)

Saturday, September 12, 2015

My New Hair Routine


I waited about a week before uploading this.

So, as I mentioned before, now that my hair's longer, I have realised that I need to wash it more often. I actually need to wash it every 2-3 days. Due to this, my hair routine has changed quite a it. It is stable now and that's why I'm uploading this. So, here it goes, my hair routine:

Shampoo
I wash my hair with shampoo once every 2-4 weeks using Shea Moisture's Coconut & Hibiscus shampoo. I haven't reviewed this product yet as I have only used it once since I received it and I feel I have to use a product more than once before reviewing it especially if I've been protective styling for a month or more (with extensions). I focus on my scalp, but I work the lather down my hair shaft before rinsing it out of my hair. I would usually shampoo once, but depending on how much build up I feel, I might shampoo twice.

Condition/Co-Wash
I condition my hair after every shampoo wash and I co-wash my every 2-5 days using Shea Moisture's Coconut & Hibiscus conditioner. I really like this conditioner. I had a better experience with it today than I did prior to reviewing this product. I focus on my hair shaft when using this product, but if I'm co-washing, I put a bit of the product on the pads of my finger and massage my scalp a bit before rinsing out the product.
I also use about a dime-size amount of extra virgin olive oil, working it in on the two halves of my hair before leaving the shower. Some times, I partially rinse out the oil, other times, like today, I leave it in.
As a leave-in conditioner, I tend to just use a little of Shea Moisture's Curling Gel Soufflé as I have found this product to be rather moisturising and good at reducing the amount of frizz I experience.

Other forms of cleaning
I rinse out my hair and water-wash whenever I decide not to co-wash, but I need to get my hair wet and ensure my scalp is hydrated/cleaned to an extent. I plan on using my Terressentials Mud Wash every now and then to cleanse my hair and scalp too. Also, I might invest in to Bentonite clay or Amla powder as I find these work really well in cleansing and conditioning the scalp and my hair looks awesome and my curls clump and look amazing after mud washing.

Detangling
I try to keep detangling to a minimum. I thoroughly detangle my hair whenever I wash it so that's 2-3 times a week. However, I might run a comb through it a bit if I want to achieve a really big and neat puff.
To detangle, I first part my hair in two and saturate each section in extra virgin olive oil while moving my hands down my hair shaft in closed fists. This makes some of the shed hair slide out easily. Next I repeat this process, but using Shea Moisture's Restorative Conditioner, but I do not saturate my hair in it because....well....this product is rather pricey and you actually don't need to saturate your hair in it for it to do its job. Some times, I put on a heat processing cap (I have a foil-like one) while I sort out some things then I hop in the shower, rinse out my hair and then start my co-washing process. After applying the Coconut & Hibiscus conditioner, I run a comb through my hair (usually under the shower stream, but I can do it without this). As my hair is longer now, I spend less than 5mins detangling it as the tangles just slide out (whether or not there is product in my hair - as long as my hair's under the shower stream, the tangles are out). I do not comb or really finger detangle my hair before this.

Styling
If I'm not leaving my house, I wouldn't bother styling my hair. I would just leave it in whatever it's setting it - braids, twists, bantu knots, et cetera. If I am heading out, I would've had my hair stretched so all I'll do is take it down from its stretched state and either style it with bobby pins, put it in a bun, do a tuck-roll-and-pin or put my hair up in a puff. I try to keep styling/manipulating my hair to a minimum and most of all, I try to keep the need for a comb to a minimum too so I always end up doing a tuck-roll-and-pin quite often as it saves me from a bad hair day or old-looking hair. When styling my hair, I seldom put any product on it, but if I do use a product, it would be Shea Moisture's Curling Gel Soufflé and a little goes a VERY LONG WAY with this product.

Night Routine
I sleep on a pillow wrapped up in a satin material (or I cover my hair in a satin-scarf). If I feel lazy, I just put my hair up in a bun and go to bed. If not, I re-braid my hair or add flexi rods to the ends of my braids/twists if I never took them down. At times, I will use some of the Curling Gel Soufflé on my edges and wherever my hair was parted and that's pretty much it. My night routine is very minimal. Ain't nobody got time to be going through a long process when they're tired.


And that pretty much sums up my hair routine. It's pretty simples, I guess. I try to keep manipulating my hair to a minimum and I try to avoid using combs more than twice during a week (if not just once).

My routine might change slightly in the next few weeks to months. All that would be different would be that I'll invest in a blow dryer and be using it on the cool setting after washing my hair on weekdays especially because I'll be doing that after working out in the morning and as a student at uni (who lives about 30mins, using the tube, away from school), I need my hair to be easily sorted out and stretched before I need to start heading out to school.

This routine has been working pretty well for me as my hair has been breaking less and I've been having less shed hair. Also, my hair looks much better and as most of you know, my hair got really damaged from my last protective style.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Product Review: Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé

Picture got from SheaMoisture


Product description
"SheaMoisture's Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Soufflé for thick, curly hair defines and promotes curls with a soft, smooth finish. This all natural styling aid moisturizes and conditions while leaving hair with a frizz-free, brilliant shine." 

Ingredients
Aqueous Infusion of Agave Teqilana Leaf Extract and Sugar Cane Extract, Pectin, Vegetable Glycerin, Adansonia Digitata Pulp(Baobab) Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B-5, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract*, Tocopherol (Vitamin E - Vegetable Oil Source), Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed/Flax) Seed Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Proprietary Essential Oil Blend *Certified Organic Ingredient
Price

£12.99/$12.99 (12 oz)


My review

Like the Curl & Shine Conditioner, this product smells good. It does what it says when it comes to moisturising and conditioning the hair and it has left my hair with less frizz than usual. However, as mentioned when reviewing the conditioner, I'm not sure about the shine because my hair is naturally shiny.

When it comes to the frizz, I had been playing with my hair while it was in two buns yesterday so it got quite frizzy. This morning, after doing a little rinse and scalp massage, I applied a little of the product to my hair and right now, the frizz is still less than usual.

I like that this product did not leave my hair crunchy and with white residue like many gels have done.

However, I do not like that this product can be quite sticky when you touch your hair after applying it. I guess to combat this, you just have to use very little of the product on your whole head of hair as the stickiness is much less today and I have less product on my hair. Also, this product did not do much with defining my curls. Yes my curls are not the greatest fans of clumping in most parts of my hair, but by just running my hands down my hair with some oil in them and with closed fits, I can get my curls to clump and stay together pretty well.

Overall, I would recommend this product as it has been the best gel I have used on my hair in the almost 5 years that I have been natural. The product is really moisturising and leaves your hair feeling so soft and with minimal frizz. I have a lot of hair and it's not easy to define the curls in every single part of my hair so I'm not too bothered about this product not doing much in the defining aspect. I think that this product can be used as a leave-in conditioner so, if that's what you're looking for, purchase this product. Also, if your hair's not so big, it might help with defining your curls more than it helped with mine. Lastly, as a little goes a VERY LONG WAY, I believe this product will last for quite a number of months before I need to repurchase it so that saves having to spend £12.99 every few weeks and as a student, I need to keep my spending to a minimum.

----
It seems there are two consistencies of this product. I received the thicker one. A little goes a long way with both consistencies (just did some research on it after it came to my attention that there are two very different consistencies). If you want the lighter, more runny consistency, you have two options:

  1. Return your jar to the store you bought it from (if you didn't order it online) and ensure the new one you pick up is runny before you leave the store, and
  2. take some of the product out of the jar, put it in something microwaveable and heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds/until it becomes more runny.
For now, I am going to leave this product the way I received it, but some day, I might try heating it up to try it out with a runny consistency.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Product Review: Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner

Picture got from SheaMoisture



Product description
"This lightweight daily conditioner for thick, curly hair restores and smoothes dry hair cuticles. No more knots, snarls and tangles. Helps tame frizz as it defines and enhances natural curls." 

Ingredients
Deionized Water, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut ) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Sorbitol Esters, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter*, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive ) Fuit Oil*, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B-5), Proprietary Essential Oil Blend, Silk Protein, Aloe Barbedenis Leaf Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Rosemary Extract, Caprylyl Glycol *Certified Organic Ingredients

Price

£12.99/$11.99 (13fl oz)


My review

This product smells really good, let's start with that. It smells really coconut-y, but its smell is definitely not overpowering - it's actually quite pleasant.

I have used this product twice now. Once as a normal rinsing conditioner and once as a co-wash. The first time I used this product, I had just taken out a weave after having it in for quite a while so my hair wasn't in the best of states (it also was a bit damaged).

My initial impression of this product was that it pretty much had no slip whatsoever and that it did not do much for my hair. I was going to write this review then, but chose to try the product out again, before I go ahead with the review.

I used this product again yesterday. This time, I used it on semi-stretched hair that was a bit tangled as it had been manipulated a few times without proper detangling/combing each time. During my co-washing session, I did not use a comb until I had this conditioner in my hair and although I did not feel like my hand was just sliding off my hair, I felt like this product actually helped the tangles slide out of my hair easily. I had very little breakage while washing my hair and the shed hair was to a minimum. I also was able to run my hands through my tightly curled type 4 hair! That is definitely something that doesn't happen often. My hair also felt really nice, soft and moisturised and it handled being out in the sun better today than it did before I co-washed it when it seemed to dry out and feel straw-like after just a few minutes in the sun.

I must say, I am not having a "WOW!" factor from this product, but I do really like it. I prefer it to my BeeMine conditioner and I prefer it to the Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner as a co-wash.

My hair is naturally shiny so I can't say much about the shine from this product as I feel it didn't add or take much out of my hair's natural shine.

One thing I would really like for this product to have is more slip as I feel that would have helped a whole lot more with my post-protective style wash day, although I don't plan on protective styling like that again in at least a year. More slip will also result in me having to use less products to detangle my hair and in turn, it would lead to me spending less on hair products on the long run as I am still a student and purchasing these products does put quite a dent in my bank account.

Overall, I think I would recommend this product as I haven't had any bad experiences from using it and it actually did leave my hair soft and helped in the detangling process. Also, although my hair has been in two buns since I washed it, I can tell that the frizz it normally experiences is less.

Simbi Akanni is Naturally Glamourous

 

Simbi and I first met when we were much younger. However, after she moved, we hadn't contacted each other till this summer. I am glad we're in touch now.
Simbi is an inspiring young lady (I say that like we're not the same age!) and I'm glad that I got the chance to interview her for this blog.
Check out her out online! All her links are at the end of this interview!
I hope you enjoy this reading this interview!

><>


Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm Simbi Akanni, an 18 year-old student and Christian blogger!  I was born in New York, raised in Nigeria and now I'm back here in NY for as long as God desires. In addition to that, I'm a sister to 3 handsome brothers and 1 loving sister. I've been blessed with an amazing family!    
In my spare time, I blog, edit films and videos (yes, I'm a Nikon and Final Cut Pro X girl), I love dancing, singing and frolicking around in pretty dresses with sunflowers in my hair. That's a bit about myself for now!  Thanks for having me on your blog today.

How long have you been natural?
Oh man, I've been natural since 2009. That's 6 years now! Wooh! 


When did you get your first relaxer and why did you get it?
Here's my little relaxer story (according to my mom!) I had just moved to Nigeria and I was about 5 or 6 years old. The hairdressers and my mom constantly complained that my hair was too "hard", it cut their fingers and all the other regular unkept natural hair problems. Therefore, momma put a relaxer in my hair.  She regretted it though, because my natural hair was really long and cute. It was what I had been known for.

What made you decide to go natural?
When I moved back to america, I just decided to stop relaxing my hair. If I remember clearly, my hair had been breaking off and I decided I wanted it to grow. So I transitioned from 2009.


How did your family and friends react to the idea of you going natural?
No one really knew because I always had a protective style in. I would wear braids and weaves back to back (drake reference, did you catch it? no? ok) but leave my hair out for a week or just the weekend.

What's your hair journey been like so far (and how has it changed your perception on some things)?
My hair journey has been awesome. Most girls want long hair and that was my goal for a while.  Now, I focus more on healthy and bouncy curls as opposed to length.  I'm also getting more comfortable with wearing my hair out.  I never knew how to style it so I would always hide it, but thank God for YouTube!  I've grown to love my kinks/curls/fro, whatever you call it.

What is your daily hair regimen (including your night-time routine)?
When my hair isn't in a protective style, my go-to hairstyle is a braid out/high-puff. I spritz some water on my hair, apply some of my shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie and put about 9 single braids in. Then in the morning, I unravel the braids and voila! However, if I have more time, I love doing flat twist outs with perm rods at the end. Those usually come out looking pretty dope!


Do you think you might be changing or incorporating new things to your regimen soon? If so, what do you have in mind?
Not really, my regimen works for me. It also matches my lifestyle. I'm always on-the-go so I need a quick and easy regimen that doesn't take up too much time. Although, if I were to change my regimen, I'd probably be a bit more consistent with my protein treatments and just treating my hair in general. Laziness is an underlying theme lol!

What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it?
I think I may have answered this in a previous question but to recap; my go-to is a quick braidout. My fave is my flat twist out with perm rods at the end. I tried a bantu knot out a while back and I was pretty disappointed but i'm actually giving it another shot tonight, so we'll see how that goes. (update: it came out looking great)

What are your must-have hair accessories and tools?
For about a week now, I've been rocking a high puff. So in this case, it's a wide tooth comb, my hands and the stockings I use to tie my hair up.  


How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage, shrinkage, length retention and moisture?
Shrinkage is beautiful! Let's accept it and not see it as an issue. But to answer the question, I put a few braids, twists, bantu knots (or something) in my hair every night before I sleep. I try to keep my hair stretched as much as possible because that hang time is beautiful too!
As far as breakage, oh gosh, I deal with this so much. Most of my breakage results from super tight braid patterns under my weaves. I literally have patches of broken off hair because of this and it sucks. However, I'm now enforcing less tension in my hair routines and hair styles, keeping my hair soft and making sure I deep condition (or do a protein treatment every now and then). Let's see how it'll work out.
Length retention- I'm not afraid to trim my dead ends, cut off a few inches and allow my hair to grow back healthier. Protective styles are also really good for length retention and growth (braids, weaves etc)
Moisture- This is tough to keep up with when my hair is in a protective style, but when it isn't, I'm usually really good with moisturizing my hair. I love to use the l.o.c. (liquid, oil, then cream) method. For that, I use water, coconut oil and my shea moisture curl enhancing smothie.


What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?  
Currently, I'm loving my shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie, extra virgin coconut oil, creme of nature moisture & shine argan oil shampoo, shea moisture restorative conditioner and my home-made deep conditioner. 

Hand-In-Hair syndrome. Do you have this issue? Do people ask before touching your hair or do they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?
I love hair, so my hands are always in other people's hair (sorry guys).  I also really like when people play with my hair, as long as they aren't messing up my hairstyle, we're good!  No one has ever just reached out to touch my hair without my consent though.

What do you love the most about being naturally curly?
Being naturally curly gives me so much variation.  Because of the way my hair is, I can do so many different styles.  One day it's straight, the next it's an afro, the next it's just huge.  Curls are so beautiful and I would never trade them for anything.  It's not all beautiful because sometime's it's just outright tough, but believe it or not, it's like a relationship.  You don't love bae every day. lol.


Any advice for the natural teens, parents, kids and grandparents?
 Teens - Don't get pressured into thinking your kinks and curls aren't beautiful. You are set apart.  God created you in His image, which is ultimate perfection!  Whatever hair texture you have, what makes it beautiful is that it's yours.  No one can ever take that away from you.
Parents- Tell you daughters how beautiful they are.  Give them the affirmation they need.  Your words mean the world to them.  I walk around with a mantra that goes "Momma said I'm beautiful, so that means, I'm beautiful and I don't have to wait for anyone else to say it." 

Where can we find you online?
You can find me at www.SimSpirituallyInspired.com.  I upload blog posts every Sunday!  It get's really personal on my blog, so please join the ride.
YouTube- SimInspired.  I have a couple of videos on there
Instagram - @Sim_Inspired

And, that's all I have!  <3 

Friday, August 21, 2015

Coming Soon

Hello,

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in a month.

Here's what to expect within the next two weeks:

  • A review of 3 products in the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus line - shampoo, conditioner and gel
  • A Curlformers Review
  • An interview with the awesome blogger, Simbi Akanni, from SimSpirituallyInspired
See you soon!

Sammy

Saturday, July 18, 2015

SammyWithTheBigHair is Now On Facebook



Hello, people!

So, I have set up a Facebook page for this blog and my other blog, ♥ ❤ ❥ ❣ ❦ ❧SammyWithTheBod♥ ❤ ❥ ❣ ❦ ❧


Feel free to 'Like' the page.
It'll be running better and with more updates in the near future


~Sammy

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Anjola Fagbemi is Naturally Glamorous



I have know Anjola for YEARS! I recently reconnected with Anjola via Facebook and realised that she was natural now and guess what! She has amazing hair! Sooooo.... I decided to interview her and I was glad when she agreed to do the interview.
Anjola is a wonderful person so I hope you enjoy this interview and when you're done reading it, you go check her out online (the links will be left down below), subscribe to her YouTube channel and 'Like' her Facebook page.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello guys! I’m Anjola Fagbemi of TheBejewelledBud. A self proclaimed fashion enthusiast and modish minimalist. I am a Fashion and Lifestyle blogger who is currently in University. I also produce video content on YouTube and I am a photographer!


How long have you been natural?

I just did my big chop in January 2014, so I've been “natural” for about five months now and I love my hair! (Well sometimes I feel like copping it off too lol.)


When did you get your first relaxer and why'd you get it? 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had straight hair. I had no say in the decision to relax it because I was really young and my mum made the decision. It was second nature to get a relaxer as soon as I had growth so I just kept getting it in because it was normal to me.




What made you decide to go natural?

I had a friend in A levels who was trying her best to convince me to transition and go natural. She was ahead of the craze and was one of the first people I had seen who was actively taking charge of her hair. When she big chopped, I was utterly and absolutely convinced because she had the most magnificent afro. I took on the challenge because I wanted to see how big my afro could get!


How did your family and friends react to the idea of you going natural?

Oh my gosh, you would have thought the sky was falling because they were all opposed to it. My mum fought it so hard, and my cousins joked that it was because she had worked so hard to grow my relaxed hair to the beautiful, long position it was at that moment in time. The hair dressers advised me against it; my aunties didn’t want me to, and my friends had no clue because I had just changed schools and they were basically clueless about my journey.




What's your hair journey been like so far (and how has it changed your perception on some things)?

At first, it was just a huge relief to chop all the dead ends off because my mum had finally agreed to let me get rid of it. But then, I had no clue of what to do with it so I ended up wearing a hat to church the next day because I couldn’t get it to look right. But, so far my hair has taught me how to be patient! There are so many days (like today) were I feel like chopping it all off, and other days were I absolutely love it. 


What is your daily hair regimen (including your night-time routine)?
It’s summer time and I’ve hardly stayed at one location for a week so having a regimen has been really tough! Right now I have a weave in so it is very low maintenance but before that I had a bunch of regimens! My old regimen consisted of deep conditioning and washing my hair ever weekend ( If I was lazy I could skip a week of doing anything to it). After which, I would twist my hair or bantu it into a style it would remain in for the rest of the week!




Do you think you might be changing or incorporating new things to your regimen soon? If so, what do you have in mind?

My most recent one is the no-comb regimen combined with a minimal product regimen. Not combing the hair as often reduces breakage and reducing the amount of products used increases the amount of moisture the hair strands receive.


What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it?

At one point in time, I could only pull my hair up in high buns because it was so short and it is still my go-to. I haven’t got the length to rock that many styles yet.


What are your must-have hair accessories and tools?

Huge hair ties and a ribbon. A ribbon is one of the only things that can squeeze all my hair in at times! 




How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage and length retention?

To combat breakage I hardly comb my hair; and if I do, I do so gently- working my way from my ends to my roots.


What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?  

I currently use Argan oil based products, and I find that they moisturize really well!


Hand-In-Hair syndrome -  an issue I have now only that....it's not my hand. Do you have this issue? Do people ask before touching your hair or do they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?

It bothered me a lot before but don’t really care anymore. Random people just stick their hands in my hair, and it was a shock at first; but, now I just stand there (while quietly thinking of how messy my style is going to end up).




What do you love the most about being naturally curly?

I can defy gravity. That’s pretty cool, huh?


Any to say to the natural teens, parents, kids and grandparents?

You guys are so beautiful! I admire your courage and willingness to find your definition of beauty even though it is different from what the society might portray it as. I think you are strong for stepping out on a limb to learn more about who you are through your hair, and you are awesome.


Where can we find you online?
My fashion and lifestyle blog: bejewelledbud.com
My YouTube channel where I share more hair related things:  TheBejewelledBud
My Tumblr, for my creative expression: TheBejewelledBud
And of course Facebook: TheBejeweledBud


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I hope you enjoyed reading this interview and you check out Anjola online soon! :)

Thursday, June 11, 2015

My New Hair Regimen (starting this summer)

Picture got from P.S Love Charli

Hey!

So, my hair regimen is going to be quite different this year. For one, I will be switching up products and caring for my hair much better than I have these past 2 years. I guess it is this weave that is pushing me a whole lot towards making this decision and I guess that is a good thing, but at the same time, I wish I didn't get this weave (the itch is real! but not as bad as it was on Sunday).

Okay! So, here's what my new regimen (or plans for my hair) will look like:

  • I will switch products to the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus line (I pray that works for me) and also invest in some bentonite clay or amla powder. I will co-wash in between the week, wash with a clay/mud once a week and wash with an actual shampoo once a month, every other month or if I feel it is really needed. Also, I will deep condition my hair at least once a month probably using the Midas Naturals Shine Conditioner. If not, I will use the deep conditioner in the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus line (or I will alternate between these two products)
  • I will wear my hair short (shrunken) more often to minimise how much I have to retwist overnight or do whatever to maintain a stretched style (to minimise how often I have to manipulate my hair, in general)
  • I will protective style once in a while, but not with crochet braids as often as I have these past 2 years and definitely not with a weave. I probably will invest in a kinky/curly wig as that way, I won't have my hair covered directly with extensions for a prolonged period of time, I can properly moisturise it and keep my scalp thoroughly clean.
  • I will seal I moisture using extra virgin olive/coconut oil and if I feel I need a heavier sealant, with some shea butter too.
  • As a gel, I will probably use a lighter flaxseed gel than the one I initially made and probably use a spray bottle or bottle with a dispenser head for it.
  • I will not wear my hair out and short all the time. If I don't have a wig on, I probably will just put my hair in two cornrows or I will stretch my hair out (I'll probably invest in curlformers for that) and just try to maintain the stretch in a very low manipulation method.
I might invest in a blow dryer (with a diffuser) this summer, but I probably won't use it till autumn/fall. I am just purchasing it to use while at uni in case I need to speed up the rate at which my hair dries (as my hair takes almost a full 24hrs to dry) and to stretch out my curls a little. I will definitely not use the blow dryer on my hair daily as, in case you didn't know this, I heat damaged my hair at the start of my natural hair journey and I don't want to do that again.

Hopefully, this new regimen gets me to my desired/goal hair length within the next 2 years (waist/hip length).

Blog again soon!
~Sammy


p.s I might invest in some Jamaican black castor oil too to help with my edges that have been tortured by this weave.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

My Hair Salon Experience (after about 3 years)

Picture got from Keller Williams on KWSA
Hallo!

Wie gehts?
Been working on my German lately. I love that language :)

Anyways! So, I went to a hair salon! O.M.Geeez!
I also got a weave for the first time in years! O.M.MAJOR. GEEEEZ!

Here's my experience:

Once upon a time (yesterday, actually), in a city known as 'Southampton' lived a girl named, 'Samantha.' Due to it being difficult for her aunt to help her reinstall her crochet braids this time, she went in search of a hair salon that could help her get her hair done before returning to her school in Somerset. Samantha was being very brave by doing this as she had not been to a hair salon in years.
She searched for and wide, in and near the city centre (mostly on foot) looking for a particular salon her mum had found online, but had changed address without updating their website. Eventually, she found the place, but only one person worked there and that person had a client who was possibly on their way and therefore referred her to another salon which was about 5 minutes away, but gave her the wrong street name. So, Samantha, walked over to the wrong street and walked down it and thought to herself, "this street is starting to look pretty dodgy," so she turned around and headed back up the street and to a store known as 'Afro City' where she asked where the salon was and was pointed in the right direction. Sam quickly found the salon walked in and....

Okay! So, extension were picked out and I was placed in a chair with a giant bib-like thing placed round my neck (you know those things put over guys when they get their hair cut?). My scarf was taken off my hair and the stylist/owner of the salon was like, "WOW! Your hair is big and long!" and went on to say, "I've been trying to grow out my hair. How did you do it?" That should have been a red flag for me. It made me feel a little iffy.

Soooo the lady used a product on my hair that contained petrolatum and all sorts of other chemicals that I do not use on my hair and are definitely not CG friendly and I was like, "Sam, it's just once, your hair will be fine." Next I knew, the blow drier was out with a comb attachment on it and she went through my hair, but only made one or so passes of the the hair drier on it (unless she felt she had to comb from the ends up) and I said to myself, "Sam, you haven't used heat on your hair in 4 years, but this is just once. Your hair will be fine." I kinda liked seeing my hair stretched out like that, but mainly because it hanged longer and I could be like, "giiirrrrrrl, APL hair! You did it!"

A lady walked into the salon and the first thing she said was, "look at all that hair! Your hair is huge! It's long too!" and once again, I was asked what the secret was. In case you are wondering, I just told them that I use all-natural products on my hair  and mentioned a few brands before they went on to talk about the products that were in the store (not CG friendly) and other stuff, partially in a different language.

So, the stylist started cornrowing my hair in preparation for the weave and the cornrowing was fine, didn't hurt and I was like, "okay, this is good. Not so bad, not so bad," but then....BUT THEN....OH! HONEY BOO-BOO CHILD! BUT THEN! She started sewing in the weave and I was like, "OUCH!" Why the heck did no one tell me that weaves hurt like crazy?! I don't know if it's that the weave is pulling two cornrows closer together or whatever, but it hurts and when she got to the front, it was like the weave started pulling at my edges and stuff and like pretty much, I am praying that my hairline doesn't recede. This girl does not want to lose her edges after growing them out.

Okay! So, the weave was done and honey, it was not big. My hair is naturally big, as you must have been able to tell from the name of this blog and from the comment made about my hair that I mentioned above. My crochet braids have always been big. Honey, this thing was not big. It looked okay and better from the back, but I didn't like how thin it looked because I am not used to thin-looking hair. The stylist said that I could separate the curls in order to achieve a bigger look and I have done a bit of this, but it's still not as big as I want it to be. I am not used to this.

Final verdict:
This salon experience was not a total disaster. The people who worked in the salon (both black African) were really nice and friendly people. They offered me a cup of tea, gave me advice on life as they found out that I am just finishing college and we had nice conversations. You will have a nice salon experience if you go there (as long as you do not get a weave). People have been commenting since yesterday on how they love my hair even though I am not really feeling it 'cause of how thin it looks (and my brain may just be over-reacting, I don't know).


ANYWAYS, if you would like me to upload a list of natural hair salons in Southampton and in London, let me know. Also, if you would like me to do some research to find some natural hair salons in your area or country, let me know too and I would love to help you find them.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Product Review: Flaxseed gel

Picture from LetMeLetYouKnow

So, I tried this out for the first time a few days ago. I made it using 1 part flaxseeds to 8 parts water followed by a bit of extra virgin olive oil and extra virgin coconut oil after straining out the gel.

This product acts like a gel, yes, it did it's job. HOWEVER, it left my hair flaky and looking dirty. It was so bad that I had to cowash my hair TWICE (after covering it up to go for a mini party to celebrate my friend's court wedding). The flakes were crazy!

Despite the flaking, the gel left my hair feeling soft, moisturised and nice, actually. I liked what it did for my hair.

I'm sorry, I'm jumping around here.

Applying the gel was not really messy. It was an easy application. I do plan on retrying this product before I completely write it off. The next time I use it, I'll use less on each section and pray that that leads to no flakes and still defined curls and a good hold and set.

So, this was a short review. Shorter than even I expected.

Remember, products work differently for people and I know quite a number of ladies who did not experience flaking from using this gel (and I know others who got dry hair from it. Not sure how that happened, but hey! we all have different hair!) :)

Thursday, May 28, 2015

My Hair :)

Hello people!

So, I have taken down my 5 month long protective style. Oh me, oh my! I have never kept a protective style in for that long before!

The shed hair has been pretty crazy. I'm surprised I still have hair on my head! Actually, it's not been that bad for 5 months. I used to get more shed hair than this in a week back when my natural hair journey started.

Anyways, I am blogging from the comfort of my bathroom. I just finished washing my hair and decided to just not leave here while my hair is deep conditioning  because I feel too lazy to. I mean, to leave, I have to open the door, make myself busy in my room, walk back in here.... too much work. Haha! Jokes.

So, what products have I used on my hair this fine day? What are my plans for my hair?
Okay! So, after taking down my crochet braids, I went heavy with the coconut oil and detangled my hair a bit, putting it up in bantu knots as I worked section by section then I donned on two plastic bags and an old T-shirt tied over as a turban as I went down to the kitchen to make my first batch of flaxseed gel EVER and to stuff my face with some fruits too :)

About 2 or so hours later, I went back up to wash my hair. I started off by taking down each bantu knot and giving my hair a really good rinse (by the way, I wash my hair every now and then while protective styling especially because I work out often and sweat when I do). Next, I used some of my BeeMine Botanicals Shampoo on my hair (I divided my hair into 4 sections while doing this) and after rinsing it all out. I possibly would have needed to go over one more time, but instead of using the BeeMine Shampoo, this time, I used the Terressential Mud Wash in the Cool Mint version on my scalp and the Lavender version on my hair itself and let it sit for a few minutes while I took a nice shower and body brushed. After rinding out all this wonderful smelling mud, I worked some of my Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner into each of the 4 sections, but didn't go heavy with it as I wanted to use some of the Shine Conditioner I got from Midas Natural. So, I used the Restorative Conditioner and then over it, the Shine Conditioner and then donned on a silver Conditioner Cap my mum got for me about a year ago (but I never used till today). And well, here am I, blogging with a silver cap on my head.

Anyways, I'm going to rinse this out any time soon and after that, I will seal in the moisture with some extra virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil or both and maybe some shea butter too and then working in small sections and using my flaxseed gel (ohmigosh! I made flaxseed gel!), I will try to define my curls and I'll totally work some short hair today as it seems like although my hair is past armpit length, my shrinkage is still SO REAL that my shrunken hair is around neck level (yeeeeaah).

So, today will be short hair day and because my friend's wedding is on Saturday, I am probably going to thread my hair to stretch it out and I may or may not rock a twist out or a bantu knot out to the wedding.....or I could rock a braid out. I haven't done that in years.

Anyways, those are my immediate plans for my hair and what I've done with it so far. I am going to get a protective style done again soon (next month), but I will be taking it out in July as I have protective styled A WHOLE LOT for the past two years and I just want to spend more time to my hair and take this glorious birds nest of mine to uni :)

So, that's it for now! Expect more blog posts from me soon. I'll start blogging more frequently.

~Sammy

p.s My tools are my fingers. That's what I've been using to detangle my hair so far. :)

Monday, May 25, 2015

Aaron Harris is Naturally Debonair



Hey people!
Guess who's finally done with her exams - Me! and guess who finally got to interview a curly guy - Me! :)
Okay! So this is Aaron. I stumbled onto one of his YouTube videos a few weeks ago and had to interview him for this blog. I was glad that he agreed to do the interview. So, without further ado, here i is:


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Tell us a little about yourself.

Hey everyone so, my name is Aaron Harris and I'm 20 years old I am originally from Detroit but I've been in Atlanta since I was about 10. I grew up wanting to be a professional tennis player, but over the last two years I've found a newfound passion for acting and music. I am a senior in college majoring in software development and I want to move to L.A. probably in 2017 or so. My free time consists of acting classes, writing music, staying in shape, hanging out with people with good energy (very important) among many various other things.

When did you start your hair journey?

I started my junior year of high school in 2011, but I recently got 90% of my hair cut off last year for a acting gig. I regret doing it to be honest. I've been growing my hair out 4 years total but my hair length now is about 15 months of growth

What motivated you to want to take better care of your hair and to grow it out?

Not sure what totally sparked me growing out my hair, but I remember I was in high school and I had two brothers so it was expensive for us to get haircuts every week like most guys do, so we would often get ours cut once every 1-2 months and i remember this girl I liked said she liked my mini fro and I really liked it too so I just kept it. It's weird cause now I can't even see myself getting another haircut again



How did your family and friends react to the idea of you wanting to do this with your hair?

My mom and dad didn't like me growing out my hair at all for the fear of me looking unkempt and thuggish. I remember at one point my mom threatened to ground me if i didn't cut my hair. I don't think my Dad liked it either because he would always ask me if I wanted to go to the barbershop with him LOL. My friends loved my hair and thought it fit my personality well and so did I. Of course I got teased by a couple of people in high school but I think deep down they were jealous they didn't have the courage to grow their hair out

What has your hair journey been like so far?

Really good, I feel like a different person since I started growing out my hair. I don't think the hair is the reason I changed, but I believe it was the start of me doing what I want to do regardless of what my parents, and friends thought. So it's kind of empowering in a way

What is your daily hair regimen (including your night-time routine)?

My daily hair regimen is a wash and go. I was doing the max hydration method for a while, but I've modified it to fit my needs. I wash my hair every 2-3 days with bentonite clay/ACV then finger detangle with conditioner and then put gel on my hair in sections. I don't really have a night time routine, I just sleep on a satin pillowcase. In between the days I wash my hair I use a spray bottle with water to spray my hair every morning.



What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it? 

Like I said earlier, wash and goes all day. I tried twist outs 2-3 years ago and hated how they looked and they took forever. Sometimes I'll put my hair in a ponytail if I'm playing sports but I try not to do that often because wearing ponytails all the time I heard can cause breakage.

What are your must-have hair tools?

Hair bands for sectioning hair. I dont use a lot of tools

How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage, length retention and moisture?

I think properly moisturizing your hair will give you length retention and stop breakage. So I make sure to wet my hair 3-4x a week in the shower and the days I don't wet my hair in the shower I spray it with water from my spray bottle. I know a lot of naturals can be obsessed over length retention and stuff, but I think its also important to have a simple regimen that you doesn't feel like a lot of "work". 



What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?  

I use bentonite clay and ACV for cleansing, Tresemmé Perfectly UnDone Conditioner for detangling/conditioning and I'm currently experimenting with a bunch of gels (sweet soul magic curl stimulator, AS I am curling jelly, my own homemade gel, etc) I don't like to use a lot of products.

Hand-In-Hair syndrome -  an issue I have had for some years now, only that....it's not my hand. Do you have this issue? Do people ask before touching your hair or do they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?

Yeah I've had some people do this to me. Mostly some of my friends. I've never had a stranger touch my hair without asking. My friends will touch my hair without asking and then realize I have product in my hair and try to rub it off on my clothes. I get really irritated by this because for one you didn't ask to touch my hair and two you are staining my clothes. Once I have a conversation with them they understand and normally don't do it again. 

What do you love the most about being naturally curly?

I love how curly hair is so unique and everyone's curls are different.



Any advice for the natural teens, parents, kids and grandparents?

My advice for naturals would be to keep it simple and let your hair do its thing. Find people with similar hair characteristics (porosity, length, texture) and do what they do

What resources (tailored to men) did you use when you started your hair journey? I know there aren't that many out there so, let's support the few that are.

Oh this is a really good question, to be honest there weren't many male Youtubers doing natural hair videos when I first started in 2011 so most of the stuff I learned was from female Youtubers. I remember searching for male natural hair videos and all I could find was like texturizer videos and how to get 360 waves and stuff which wasn't really what I was looking for. At the end of the day natural hair is natural hair regardless if its on a female or male so I think men can learn from both sexes regarding natural hair. Some good Youtubers I like are MahoganyCurls, ThaKidPuma, Quest for the Perfect Curl, DanabNatural, theres a long list of Youtubers that I've watched over the past 4 years and they all have good hair practices. I take certain things from each Youtuber that works for my hair type and toss the things that I don't. Theres a lot of experimentation I do and still am doing. 

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You can find Aaron on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Just click on the following links: