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! :)

Marissa Chukwu is Naturally Glamorous

I know I haven't done an interview in a while and I guess it's because I've been busy with school and stuff and also, I've been waiting to stumble onto a picture of someone that makes me go, "I HAVE GOT TO INTERVIEW THIS PERSON!"

So, I'm going to introduce you to my very good friend of 'God-only-knows' how many years, the crazy girl that you will never fully understand, who makes orange juice when life gives her lemons and leaves you wondering how on Earth she did that, a strong lil ol' lady, Miss. Marissa Chukwu! :)

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How long have you been natural?

I have been natural for a 1 year and 4 months now.


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

Sadly I have been relaxing my hair all my life up until now without choice due to the fact that my mom was not so keen on me having nappy hair at the time (But now she loves it :D )


What made you decide to go natural?

I had a very bad experience with heat and weaves due to my hairdresser who believed that straight hair was the only way to go so my hair was practically on the verge of falling all off and breaking on all sides. I didn't really think of going nappy at the time cause alot of people around me weren't really into the idea but I guess I wanted to try something a little different, having straight hair most of my life was getting boring ha ha.


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

Lol! Everyone I knew thought I had gone bonkers: no one took the idea positively at all which was simultaneously hilarious and depressing to me. (*cough* *cough* I gave you "subtle" lol hints to go natural years ago, even wrote out a list of products and blogs for you) The day I decided to do my big chop was actually very unplanned. I had woken up, looked in the mirror with disgusts of how my 3 month old transitioning hair was looking (curly at the base, straight at the ends) and decided its time. I big chopped my own hair in my bathroom! I can never forget the shock my mother had on her face when she saw most of my hair on the floor.

What's your hair journey been like so far?

Absolutely amazing! I wish I had gone natural years ago. I've had the chance to experiment with so many style and hair regimens. I didn't even realize how much hair care I could have been doing since if not I had gone natural. To be honest, for me, its not watching my hair grow that's the fun but learning more and more of the possibilities that come with having nappy hair. I;m even looking forward to trying more regimens and styles as I discover them.


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

I like to keep my regimen as simple as possible because it's not what you use that matters but how its's used. IN the mornings I moisturize my hair using coconut oil/avocado oil, Cantu Shea butter conditioning hair repair cream or just raw Shea butter that I have imported from Nigeria, a little spritz of water and voila! Nothing too special. Then at night I spritz my hair with a mix of water and apple cider vinegar, moisturize with the Shea moisture raw Shea butter deep treatment masque (believe it or not that product makes some awesome twist-outs) and also an oil; most definitely coconut oil/avocado oil/olive oil. Ladies! Silk scarfs are your friend, nothing worse than sleeping after moisturizing your, going to sleep and finding all that product on your pillow. I've learned the hard way ha ha. I also wash my hair weekly to make sure my hair is clean, fresh and moisturized well; deep condition twice a month.

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

You'd be surprised the amount of styles you can achieve with an Afro. I definitely am a fan of up-dos like medium to high puffs but I don't do it excessively cause it tends to affect my edges sometimes so when I'm not rocking my up-dos, I would be rocking like a nice fro-hawk or your everyday protective styles like kinky twists.


What are your must-have hair accessories and tools?

Afro Comb! Afro Comb! Afro Comb! Ha I'm kidding, no but really my Afro comb is my number one tool right next to bobby pins, I've tons of them! I don't really go over board with using much accessories when it comes to my hair, I have used shoelaces numerous times to do my up-dos. Other times I may just have like a plain black head band, bandanna around my head for a lazy day style but that's it, nothing really crazy.

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

Lord, I fear breakage, I hate it so badly. I definitely keep my hair moisturized as much as I can to prevent breakage and I've disciplined myself to not touch my hair alot or comb alot. Initially shrinkage and I did not get along, I hated the fact that I would have my hair all puffy and high one day and then get so flat the next. But hey! That's nappy hair, now I've accepted them, embraced them even but if need be I resort to stretching my hair using cornrows and twist-outs.


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

I am a great fan of the shea moisture coconut and hibiscus hairline but just the shampoo and conditioner. As I went along with my hair journey, I realized I didnt need much of the curl enhancing smoothie to do a good twistout but I definitely love the scent it leaves in my hair. I also love the Tresemme Shampoo and Conditioner for natural hair. They leave my hair so soft and smelling lovely it is ridiculous! For moisture I'm really into oils but not much; just coconut oil, avocado oil and olive oil. For even more moisture, I love using the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque and Cantu Shea Butter Hair Repair Cream. Apart from that water in a spritz bottle is my classic :)

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?

I guess people have noticed I am a fanatic about my hair care so they know better than to touch my hair without my permission. Hand in hair syndrome is very hard sometimes ha ha especially when you're rocking a style that you made yourself that came out right. I guess it's just about disciplining yourself. Most times I can handle not touching my hair cause I'm distracted by school work.

What do you love the most about being naturally curly?

Diversity, the many forms that curly hair can take. Today my curls could be extra defined, another day my hair could be so puffy. With straight hair I couldn't really do much, but with naturally curly hair, the possibilities are endless!

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

Patience is key, at first your hair may look like it wont do anything but before you know it, boom! Also, you-tube and Google are your friends, no one really taught me what I do, it was through research and experimenting with what works best with me. Don't look at other people's hair and neglect yours, the ladies you see rocking mega Afros were once at TWA's making the most of it so like I said earlier, patience is key.

Are you still into art and are you working on anything we should look out for?

Heaven knows I miss art more than anything but between school work and the extras of being a pre-medicine student I barely have time to paint anymore. However I am hoping this summer I will be able to get back on so be expecting some surprises ha ha.


Where can we find you online?

I've got twitter @marissa_cc and Facebook as Marissa Chukwu. I also have a tumblr at marissa-cc.tumblr.com.

Lol, I am still contemplating getting an instagram.

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So, guys, go check out, my good friend, Mesa! :)

Hope you enjoyed reading this interview as much as enjoyed it!

Review: Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner

¡Hola!

So, as mentioned before, I am going to be reviewing the above product. So, let's get started!

The ingredients in the above conditioner are:

Deionized Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Argan Oil, Coconut Oil*, Behentrimonium Chloride, Essential Oil Blend, Vegetable Glycerin, Emulsifying Wax, Sea Kelp Extract, Panthenol (Vitamin B‐5), Avocado Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil.

My thoughts:

So, I just took down a protective style I've had for about four months now and decided to try this out on my hair to see if it's good as a shampoo replacement. Honestly, if I go on one of those 2-3 weeks things I did when I was busy last spring-summer (not washing my hair for 2-3 weeks), I wouldn't use thing product to wash my hair. I would rather use my BeeMine (sulfate-free) shampoo. This product did nothing in cleansing my hair. My scalp and hair actually felt kinda dirty and sticky-ish near the roots when I used it and it seemed not to want to rinse out of my scalp. As for the rest of my hair, yes, they felt a tad bit moisturised which was okay, I guess.

From reading about how long I protective styled, I'm sure some of you might have thought about the killer tangles I must have. Honestly, I didn't really have "killer" tangles. I did have a bit of tangles, but I could get through them. I had this product on my hair when I was trying to detangle and yes, it did give a bit of slip, but just a little more slip would've been better.

Would I recommend this product:
I might have to give it another try some other time, dunno, but right now, I'll say that I won't be all giddy-giddy recommending this product right now. It's not bad, don't get me wrong. I'm just not excited about the product.

If I had to rate it with stars, how many would I give this product:
3 stars


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Update - 11-07-15
Hey!
So, believe it or not, I am still using this product. I do prefer it as a leave-in conditioner though. It is amazing (5 stars) as a leave-in. So, I am switching to the Coconut and Hibiscus line for a rinsing conditioner while I stick to this product as a leave-in.
~Sammy

Natural in Nigeria

Hello everyone,

So, I happened to stumble upon this video. I felt so happy and proud because when I left Nigeria, I wouldn't have expected to see something like this or this huge take place. I just had to put it up on here:

Natural in Nigeria

Written exclusively for this blog by Sandra (aka Sandeey) of Hair of Life

You know you are natural in Nigeria when you are expected to relax your hair on your wedding day.

Natural in Nigeria means that your hair is everybody's business and they can make their comments as they please.

That day when you hear "I prefer your hairstyle today to the one of yesterday", you are definitely natural in Nigeria.

I could go on and on but I'm sure you get the point. It may be the same in other countries but since my natural experience has been in Nigeria, this is a bit of what being natural in Nigeria means to me. I'm not saying those things are negative because I'm used to all that. I think people do what they do because they aren't really used to seeing ladies wearing their hair in its natural state. 

For me, there are pros and cons of being natural in Nigeria. 

Some Pros:

I feel like a superstar when my hair makes me stand out from the crowd.

I feel so proud when people big chop after seeing my kinky hair.

I don't have to go into any hair salon and battle with them about the fragile nature of kinky hair when they attempt to make the hair "manageable" by combing rigorously and using a blow drier set at a temperature that competes with molten lava.

Shea Butter and Black Soap are cheap and found everywhere!

No winter to force me into a protective styling frenzy.

Lovely humid weather keeps the moisture in my hair.

The water that runs out of my tap isn't hard!

Some Cons:

When that beautiful humid weather makes your hair swell up.

I still haven't seen a salon that caters to natural hair the way I'd like (maybe I haven't searched well). I heard there are some in Lagos...but what do I know? I'm in Abuja!

Having conversations/arguments about how black women cannot have waist length hair.

Watching YouTube and being unable to find most products used and recommended by other naturals.

Actually finding those products at triple the original price!

Well, I find it easy being natural in Nigeria, as the cons all have solutions!

When the weather is humid, protective styling is key.

When you can't find a natural hair salon, be your own hair stylist.

When you don't want conversations on length of hair, just nod and walk away.

When you can't find the products that are sold abroad, substitute with what you can find in Nigeria.

This is how I cope:

Nature's Gentle Touch Deep Conditioner and Leave in Conditioner (found almost everywhere) 

Beauty Formulas Intensive Deep Conditioning Treatment Wax (can easily be found)

Coconut oil, wonderfully made for me by a lady called Fatimah (she's a phone call away!)

Shea Butter and Black Soap from the market

Many products can be gotten through Natural Nigerian's website as well: naturalnigerian.com/ahia-natural-nigerian-marketplace/

Also, I receive hair products as gifts from friends and family abroad. Instead of asking for shoes or bags...I ask for hair products  :) 

I guess it all boils down to finding what works for your hair, whether its a popular product among naturals or not. 

If you are natural in Nigeria or want to be, keep one thing in mind: Your hair is yours and yours alone, so please yourself and not everyone else.  

I love my country! 

Always me,

Sandeey.

@hairoflife

Hairoflife.wordpress.com

Why it's best to go all organic/natural with you skin and hair products.

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Hello,

Let me tell you a little thing about myself. I come from a family where on side is allergic to nada and the other is allergic to practically everything. I ended getting the allergies from the side that has it. Most people on that side of the family (including me) have super sensitive skin. Like regular things can burn our skin, make us break out, et cetera (I'm only going to talk about topical things here, not things we eat). Almost five years ago, I tried something I got with some birthday presents and reacted to it terribly. I ended up being at a hospital, getting a surgery, which failed (left me with even more problems), thank God, I'm finally getting my healing (my miracle). I used to have super super clear skin, like people were envious then I tried a body lotion on my face and just like that, I broke out terribly. I tried inhaling some menthol stuff on a napkin once when I had a cold (and a really stuffy nose). The napkin touched my nose and the next thing I knew, my nose felt like it was on fire (other people have tried it and haven't felt anything close to what I felt). I was an arts student back in high school and there was a day paint went on my hand and the next thing I knew, I was so itchy, my skin went red, I was reacting to it, et cetera. I'll stop listing there. 

One thing all those things listed above had in common was that they had chemicals in them. I stopped using them (and stopped with the paints once I was done with high school, but tried to make sure they never went on direct skin) and the irritations calmed down. I use all natural things on my skin (and pray, of course (for the one that had a surgery)) and they're all clearing out.

Did you know that we absorb more toxins through our skin than through what we eat? So, eating healthy doesn't really do much if we're just going to be slathering out bodies with chemicals. It's not just about being health conscious on the outside, but on the inside too.

Let me tell you something that happened to Diana (founder of Terressentials), she was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma in the 1980s. I'm pretty sure the name of what she was diagnosed with doesn't make much sense to you so, I'll break it down. It's cancer of the lymph system due to chemical exposure (synthetic substances). She nearly died from this. Thank God she's still alive and she's okay now.

You may be fine now, but it's best not to take the risk of getting diagnosed with something that could almost take your life or reacting to things that could make you end up in a hospital getting a surgery or just feel uncomfortable. It's not worth it.

Many synthetic substances, especially the ones used on the hair, give the image of a healthier, more radiant you and yes, you may get that image, but underneath it all, you won't have it. It's like many synthetic substances. They coat the hair to make it appear healthy when it actually isn't. It's like getting a washed up, wrinkled cardboard box and sticking some wrapping paper over it to make it look good. Underneath that wrapping paper, the box is still not in a very good state and could give way. It's like getting a dying plant and painting all the brown leaves green to make the plant look healthy, but underneath that paint, the plant is still in a terrible condition and those leaves can and most likely will fall out and before they do, the unhealthiness might show through.

Every now and then, I wonder, how did our grandparents and ancestors survive? I see pictures of my grandmothers and I'm like, look at that beautiful, gorgeous, healthy head of hair and they have such good skin! Shampoos and a whole lot of the things we buy and use on ourselves didn't exist back then. Now that they do, and my grandmothers have purchased some of them, it's obvious that their skin and hair aren't like they used to be. My mum's mum and my dad's mum both use products with synthetic ingredients on their hair, but my mum's mum only manipulates her hair every 9 months (believe it or not) so, here hair only gets exposed to these things every nine months, but my dad's mum's hair gets exposed to these practically every week. I took down my mum's mum's weave in November and her hair (once detangled and spritzed a bit) looked, pretty good. Whenever I see my dad's  mum's hair, it doesn't look half as healthy. My mum's mum's skin, looks healthier than my dad's mum's (and my mum's side of the family is the one with the sensitive skin). My mum's mum uses more natural things on her skin than my dad's mum. Still, none of them have the skin and hair I saw in those pictures anymore. Why?

BACK IN THE DAYS, when synthetic skin and hair products didn't exist, people used all natural things on their skin and hair and they looked so good!

Indians, most of them are into ayurveda and look how healthy and super long their hair is!

I believe God gave us these natural things for a purpose - health and wellbeing. They're a gift to us.

I am switching up my hair products again not just because some were discontinued, but because I noticed one chemical in them and I also noticed that my hair felt much better just using amla to cleanse it than using a sulfate-free shampoo. Amla's all natural and the shampoo had a chemical in it. I'm switching up my skin care products too because....well, all I basically use on my skin nowadays is a shower/bath gel and deodorants only when I have to leave the house and I'll be out for long (I'm currently in a hot country and I rarely leave my house). Deo's rarely 'cause I react to them (Sure, Dove, Nivea, you name it). 

I have found an online store (there are physical stores of it too, but they're in America and I don't live there) that sells hair and skin products with only natural ingredients (I've checked out their ingredients lists). I won't mention their name so you don't think I'm being paid to advertise them, but if you contact me, I can tell you. I have read reviews of their products, deodorants, hair washes.... all good.

Anyways, the key to a healthier you in a healthier lifestyle on the inside and on the out.

Hair Crush: Yara Shahidi

You know her, you love her, she's Yara Shahidi!

Oh my days, isn't she so cute!

She was in Imagine That and Salt, if you were wondering where you might've seen her.

I love her hair. It's so beautiful!

Okay! So, to achieve this look, ensure your hair is properly detangled and stretchedpart your hair making something like the top three blades of a fan or one of those kiddies wind mills (make sure the parts are curved), the third one being just beside the middle of your hair. Next, make random, but neat sections in the hair and make medium-sized box braids throughout your head of hair, but only braiding about an inch of your hair (make sure you don't cover up those three parts you made earlier). After that, work some shea butter, or a light gel into your hair (or just spritz your hair lightly with some water (don't spray enough to make your hair revert) and wrap the hair that was left out (the rest of the braided hair) round flex rods. Once your hair is dry or has fully set (about an hour or two), take down the flexi rods. Move your hair so it lies in a way that it flows downwards towards your back and at the front, hold the hair after the first and second blades you created and about one or two behind them in a small pony tail holder wrapping a thin piece of braided hair round it or just old it off with a piece of braided hair (forget the ponytail holder) and then hold off a few on the opposite side of your hair (after the third braid). Make sure your hair still flows down towards your back (and not your face).

Slick down your edges and.....

.....Voila! that's it! 

My Plans

I'm using this as a reminder. From a couple of posts ago, you know I'm moving out and to England. So,  most of my hair journey was spent in Africa. The parts that were spent in England, well, I was still trying out products and stuff 'cause I didn't know what worked for me. Y'all know I'm into natural stuff right now, right? Back then, I was into John Frieda stuff. So, I'm online going through my Curly Emporium shopping list, finding things I'll need on ASDA and Tesco's websites (curlies in England, Tesco's got the oils, like, OH.MY.DAYS!) and, IKEA. I'm going to buy a potted aloe vera plant from IKEA. Fortunately, it's not expensive, just £3.50. This is helping me know where exactly I need to go to for what exactly.

As I said above, oils, whichever type, will be gotten from Tesco, Tresemme Naturals Conditioner from ASDA or Boots 'cause it seems like my BeeMine Conditioner has been discontinued (I'm considering revisiting the John Frieda conditioner I used to use so, I might buy a bottle from one of those places), hair accessories/tools (including hair shears) from Boots, I'll need to order Curlformers (I've finally convinced myself to try them) from Salon-Services, I'm considering getting sectioning clips from them too, shea butter will be sent over from Africa, satin scarves will be gotten at Accessorise, everything else I need will be ordered from BritishCurlies Curly Emporium.

One reason I put this up here is to help UK naturals know where they can get these things from. I've gotten stuff from all those places apart from the Salon-Services so I trust them. I'll just have to give Salon-Services a try and hope they're good.

Amla Powder Review

Hey everyone,

So....I'm finally writing another review.....

ANYWAYS.....

Today, it's all about amla. I am on my second week of trying out amla now and I absolutely love it. Okay! So, my review's going to be a little more organised now. I know that not everyone knows what amla is and many people might what to know how I used it and how I guess it should be used. So, here we go:

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What is amla powder?

"Amla powder is made from the Indian gooseberry or amla fruit, which is native to India. Amla fruit is a natural source of vitamin C, amino acids and tannins. Traditionally used in Ayurveda treatments, when processed into powder form it's commonly used in massage oils, skin care and hair care products. When used topically, the benefits of amla powder on hair are numerous." ~Tia

*(Sidenote: It has a brown-ish colour and and a distinctive smell that I can tolerate, but some people complain about. By the way, I know its smell just by like moving it close to my nose to know what it smells like. On my hair, I couldn't smell jack. )*

How do you use the amla powder?

The first time I tried amla (I had quite a lot of buildup), I used about 3-4 tablespoons of the powder with about 2-2.5 tablespoons of water and made a paste with it (the paste looks pretty much like some dark brown stuff).

Prior to getting the amla on my hair, I detangled my hair (dry detangling) and sectioned my hair off in twists as I detangled (no specific number of twists). Next, I moisturised my hair with my newfound baby (a mixture of BeeMine Daily Conditioner, BeeMine BeeLovely Hair&Scalp Moisturiser and Water) and retwisted.

I got the amla paste (by the way, the consistency of this is just a little thicker than a milkshake) on my fingers and took down a twist then I got the amla onto my scalp and scrubbed a bit with my fingers (no scratching/no nail action). I retwisted after getting the amla on my scalp and then did the same for every twisted section.

I donned on a plastic bag and left my hair like that for 30 minutes. I took down a twist and rinsed then retwisted and did the same for every other twist then I did exactly this again, but adding conditioner instead of rinsing then I went over again rinsing out the conditioner.

*(Sidenote: You might consider using gloves for this 'cause the paste gets under nails and gives your palms a pretty much downright nasty colour splattered all over it.)*


Today, I had my hair in two high umm....not exactly buns. Which I had deep conditioned (by the way, deep conditioning with  a satin scarf on and then a plastic bag over that and another scarf holding it down can give shiny hair). I took down each bun, one at a time detangled with a little coconut oil and got the amla on my scalp and scrubbed around with my fingers, got my hair back in the two buns then I donned on a plastic bag and left my hair alone for about an hour or an hour and a few minutes. I took down each bun and rinsed it out and co washed with a mixture of conditioner (BeeMine and Tresemme Naturals) and coconut oil (excellent slip and super soft hair after rinsing out thoroughly) then I put them back up in the buns (to prevent shrinkage (if your ends are held, the shrinkage is less)). i left my hair like this till it was 98% dry before trying out a new style (basically a semi-elegant tuck, roll and pin). My hair still feels amazing right now!


What were your results?

With the first, my curls finally clumped and some were loosened up a bit. My hair was like SUPER clean, but not stripped. Definitely not stripped and my hair looked beautiful.
With the second, little to no clumps and clean hair that looks and feels great.


What don't you like about the thought of amla?

Amla is said to stop/prevent premature greying. Premature greying is something that runs in my family. I started getting strands of grey hair when I was really little (shortly before my first relaxer, I believe). The stylist then yanked them out without asking (OuCh!) which got my mum and I really upset. I have very few grey strands right now. My uncle (mum's bro)  went grey really early, my mum's hair has about 4 different shades of brown that seems to have a purplish tint when there's direct light on it  (her natural hair colour) and strands of grey (silver-ish (runs in the fam)) scattered around. My dad has strands of grey hair scattered everywhere, my aunt (mum's sis) has strands of grey hair scattered around everywhere, my dad's youngest brother is practically all grey, my grandmothers went grey pretty early (mum's mum with silver hair and dad's mum had naturally had silver, white and gold (honestly) hair till she started dyeing it), my bro has some grey strands. All went grey early. We actually kind of love it. I know I love my grey strands and I want a lil more quickly. I don't want to lose that and that's what puts me off amla a little. I haven't noticed that it does that, but it is said to and I don't like that).


What are things you must do before using amla?

You must moisturise or deep condition before using amla to prevent a drying effect. You also have to detangle if you don't you most likely will end up with a mass amount of nasty tangles.
That's basically it!

*(Sidenote: After using the amla, remember to use a conditioner on your hair. Make the amla your shampoo and remember, you shampoo and then....CONDITION!)*



Things you should consider?

As i usually say, what works for one person might not work for another try this on a small patch of hair and see if it works before you use the amla everywhere.
If you've heard that amla can be used on the face, test out the amla on a small part of your skin before using it everywhere.
Amla works great in my hair, but when I tried it on my face.....WOOOOWY!......LORD HAVE MERCY! I BROKE OUT LIKE CRAAAAZY! GAAAH! I had to switch back to my honey washes which clear out my acne magically (within a week or two).




OKAY! WE'RE DONE HERE!
Hope this helped somebody!
Lemme know if you've tried amla and what your results were and if you have any tips on using it and if you used it in a different way.

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I have to digress a little, it's in my nature (*Cheshire cat grin*).

I think I've found my graduation hairstyle! Yay! A cinnabun something-something. Yay! :)

Dear Hair Ends....

Dear Hair Ends,

It's over. You have got to go.

Love,
~Sammy


I've noticed for some time now that my ends look snaggly and downright nasty (to me, no one's commented on the, so I don't know if they see it (they're just like, "I love you hair!")). My ends are a mess and I've been like, I'll start trying a twist 'n' curl or something to make them look a bit better, but nuh-uh, THEY.HAVE.GOT.TO.GO!

I style my hair sometimes and I am irritated by them. I guess it's from all the braiding and stuff that I used to do all the way down to my ends. Since I started African Threading my hair from the point where it lifts of the scalp when doing cornrows, it has looked a bit better and hasn't been getting as damaged as it used to seem. My ends are also sorta thinning out-ish (I don't know if I'm the only one that sees this). The braids down to the ends, whenever I took out my hair, I always lost a little at the ends no matter how gentle I was in taking down the braids. Also, combing to detangle caused a bit of this ends issue. Last week, I finger detangled and my hair looked and felt better. I did the detangling in sections. Actually, I took down the African threading and finger detangled that area then took down the cornrow and finger detangled one cornrow at a time. My hair looked and felt better and it was like she was literally thanking me. The weather too.... somedays it was hot and dry and...gaah! Nowadays, it's raining or drizzling everyday (moisture weather :) ) My hair seems to be doing better now that it's getting some daily moisturising.

I know I played a part in my ends ending up like this and dear ends, I am sorry for the part I played.

So, here's what I going to do.
Get some hair shears and snip off a bit of my ends now and before I get my crotchet braids done (after grad, most likely), I'll snip off some more. I'll continue finger detangling and African threading my hair from the point where it lifts of the scalp when I braid my hair in cornrows. Anything to have healthy and beautiful looking ends.

I'm sorry ends, but our time together is over.


~SammyWithTheBigHair

Update on my mum

 

 

 

This will be a quick post. I'm in school (and on a teacher's laptop).

 

My mum's doing pretty good. Working an awesomely styled braid out everyday. On some days, she decides to rock a twist out and has me twist her hair up for her (I'm like her personal stylist :) ).

 

She's using sating scarves when she sleeps now, deep conditioning weekly, and she's doing a pretty good job.

 

So proud of her! :)

Wash N Go PERFECT: NO MATTER THE LENGTH or CURL PATTERN

This is a featured post by someone who's blog you have got to check out. Her blog is great and has helped me quite a bit. I read this post and knew I had to feature it on here. So, here's the post:

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By Tia of AngelsRinglets

 Immediately after my big chop, I began defining coils for a wash n go. I remember using Kinky Curly Curl Defining Gel. I got lots of shrinkage. Of course I knew NOTHING about defining coils. I still loved my coily, springy hair though.

When I started to experiment with Braidouts and Twistouts, I stopped doing wash n go's as much. I was working with about 6'' of natural hair, and my hair was just about to enter the "awkward" stage.

Too long for wash-n-go's (but not long enough to hang). Short, but not short enough to be put into a cute hair clip-free wash-n-go styling. The great thing about natural hair is the versatility. When I felt that my hair was not looking good in a wash n go styling, then I did braidouts/twistouts.

 So these next few pictures show me playing with Eco Styler Gel. One thing I love about Eco Styler Gel (well, I love a few things about Eco Styler Gel)--but the main thing is how it can help stretch coils. I wasn't used to the shrinkage that I was getting with my wash-n-go's, and the Eco is great for stretching. It washes out easily, and doesn't dry the hair.

I mostly did some sort of pinned back styling, not loose like I wear my coils now (for my w&g). For this post, I'll share the "good, the bad, and the not so good" LoL!

 I still didn't have my wash n go technique situated yet, but I was having fun. I was playing around with product combinations, and application techniques. Today I can say that I understand the wash n go texture pretty well (from wash to finish). There are a lot of factors that can effect the outcome of a wash n go. 

Figuring out my wash n go step-by-step works out great for me. I avoid white product build-up, can avoid too much shrinkage if I want to. I know how to avoid puffy wash n go's (if I want to).

In 2013, I'm about to start learning how to style on a wash n go! It may be easier now that I have about 17'' of hair to work with.

But enough about that, lets get back to our walk down memory lane...

The great thing about wash-n-go's is that the hair is kept in it's natural state. Usually no heat involved (although some people stretch the roots with heat). Wearing the wash n go is an opportunity to keep the hair moisturized. Don't get me wrong, there are products that are used for w&g's that are drying. Stay away from those products (for instance, hair gels/curl definers with alcohol or mineral oil).

In the next few pictures (below), I definitely notice length. I also notice that I start getting the "hang" of laying down my hair. It doesn't hurt that the new length is adding weight and assisting with the "laid down" look.

I start to use less clips and styling accessories to wear my w&g at this new length.

It seems that I'm past the "awkward" length for wash-n-go's, so I start to focus on perfecting the curl definition, the shine/sheen, the way the hair lays, and the texture (I don't like hard-hat curls). I don't mind some crunch to my hair (matter of fact, I need a bit of crunch to hold the curls for a few days), I just don't like when it feels like my hair is glued together.

I love to define curls and then use the ponytail to display them! It's a break away from wearing my hair down--especially when the time is hot. In the above picture, I defined my coils with Jane Carter's Curl Defining Product (can't recall the name right now). It's really great! It's just super expensive. But the ingredients make it pretty worth the money. When you rinse out a product like this from your wash n go, your hair is left soft and ready for it's next style!

By late 2012, I can say that I figured out the wash n go on my hair and on Dimple's hair. Her coils are pretty similar to mine.

So I encourage you to keep searching for your hair's favorite base ingredients to define your coils. No matter the length or the curl pattern (you just have to have a curl pattern). If you don't have a curl pattern, no worries--you can create them (that's a whole different post)!

Take the mystery out of defining coils. Yeah, I slowed down on doing w&g's when my hair was a difficult length, but I didn't rule them out. I'm glad I picked them up again, because I wouldn't want to miss out on yet another one of the MANY versatile and beautiful ways to wear coily hair.

GIRLS WITH COILS HAVE MORE FUN

Oh my....my....yesterday!

SO..... I was at a supermarket yesterday when a lady called my mum and I over to part of an aisle right opposite the foil papers and cling films (which my mum wanted to buy). She started talking about some new and "VERY" good product Dark&Lovely has started selling. She said, "it will make your hair grow long and strong, manageable, it will give your hair a very good texture......." then she picked up a box of relaxer and said, "this is the product." Lord have mercy on us! My mum and I laughed. Then I just kept on grinning while my mum did the talking, "um....she's natural," she said, "and she's convinced me to go natural and there's no way you can convince her to purchase your product." The lady was like, "she's natural and you're going natural," my mum was like "yes" and she was like, "and you like your hair like that?" the look on her face was a cross between slightly bothered and slightly disgusted. My mum went on to say, "your relaxers have damaged my hair before and....." The lady then went on to pick up another product, she was like, "we have something a natural like you could use," my mum warned her, "she's very particular about the ingredients in products," the lady gave me the product with all confidence and was like "check it." As I looked, I kept shaking my head and saying, "no," "no," "no," as I crossed so many terrible ingredients. The lady looked a tad bit bothered. I asked, "do you by any chance have the Dark & Lovely Au Naturale products" she was like, "what?" I repeated, "Dark & Lovely Au Naturale" she was like, "what is that?" I was like, "the new product line Dark & Lovely is selling, the one they just launched recently" and she was like, "I've never heard of it," I stared at the "Dark & Lovely" t-shirt she was wearing.....a D&L worker that doesn't even know the products her company sells.
ANYWAYS.....
THAT WAS A F.U.N EXPERIENCE! Bad humour, I know, anyways.....

Frankie is Naturally Glamorous!

I got to interview Frankie! Do you know how happy I am? :)

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When did you and what made you decide to go natural?
I went natural January 2011. I was away in college and it was hard keeping my hair maintained by myself, only getting it done when I came home for breaks.  I also wanted to have curly hair and hoped that going natural would do the trick.

Did you big chop or transition?
I transitioned for a year and a half, clipping my ends.  I was one of the people who was not so brave to try and big chop.
 
How did you manage your hair while going natural?
At first, I was treating it just like how I treated it while it was relaxed: tight ponytails, flat ironing, and blow drying.  Then, I embraced my hair for what it was and tried twist outs and bantu knot-outs, which eventually gave me great results.

 

When did you BC? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
My initial reaction to my natural hair was frustration! It was so hard dealing with two textures and I never really know much about styling hair or anything. I was used to ponytails, but after awhile, they were no longer working for me so I knew I had to try something else.

How did your family and friends react to the new you? What was your response to them?
Since I grew my hair out, no one really knew I was natural until i started saying it, or until I started wearing my hair curly.  I have always been complimented on my hair, although there are those comments by people who I believe just don't have the courage to start this journey.

What does this journey mean to you?
It means a lot to me! I finally embrace my hair for what it is.  I also am able to try styles and everything for the first time.  I love reading and watching videos about hair and educating myself.
 
What is your daily regimen (including your night-time routine)?
I really don't have a daily routine, because my schedule is really hectic.  I basically just make sure my hair looks presentable for the day, which might be just wearing a beanie.  Then, at night, I make sure to put on a silk cap.

What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it?
I know a minimal amount of hairstyles, so I do not really have go-to's. At the moment, I only know how to do twist outs, wash-no-go's, frohawks, and bantu knot-outs.  Bantus might be my favorite, even though they take me longer to do, but they do produce a very nice style, instead of just wild curls everywhere.  I have been practicing flat-twisting, french rolls, cornrows, pin ups, and pompadours. All of my styles are achieved by first spritzing with water, adding in my castor and coconut oil mix, my leave-in conditioner (basically the L.O.C. method) and either a curly gel or a curl refresher.

How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage, shrinkage, length retention and moisture?
Since I stopped applying heat to my hair, I really haven't had that much breakage at all.  So, I think no heat has really played a larger factor. I have serious shrinkage and honestly, there's not much I can do about it, so I let it handle itself on its own. For length retention, I just make sure to keep my hair moisturized and massage my scalp sometimes to stimulate growth. For moisture, my spray bottle comes in handy!

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?
Right now, I am experimenting with products.  I really loved the Silk Elements Mixed Silk lines, but they were discontinued, so I have been searching for something new.  I just came upon the Pantene Truly Natural line and I plan to see how that goes for now.  I use a little of everything.  I have a box under my counter just for hair stuff lol.

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 they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?
 (This question made me laugh lol) I have always struggled with everyone wanting to touch my hair.  From when it was relaxed and people used to ask if it was my real hair and they would randomly start searching for tracks, until now, when people want to feel if my hair is soft or not.  I think now, it's more of a peeve because touching my hair can add frizz or completely mess up the style. So, I'll snap, then quickly apologize, and then explain why I do not like people touching my hair lol. I do think it is rude because you don't know where someone's hands have been! I feel like someone can be putting bacteria in my hair!


What have you learned throughout your journey?
Patience is a virtue! Patience for growth, patience when trying a new style, patience while waiting for your hair to dry, patience while detangling!  You must have patience with natural hair.  And for me, my patience has been paying off.

Any advice for those who are considering going natural, are currently transitioning, are newly naturals or "Nana" naturals?
Do not let anyone else's opinions affect you.  If you want to go natural, go ahead and do it.  But make sure it is something you are willing to commit to.  Like I said, you need patience. You have to be willing to learn and willing to spend money to buy stuff.  You have to learn to take care of your hair.  It's like a class course; you have to stay on top of your game to get the results you desire!