Featured: My Giveaway Winner - Sandra of HairOfLife

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Below, is a post I'm featuring on here that was written by the beautiful, Sandra (Sandeey) of HairOfLife.

Y'all know I'm not big on heat and I haven't used heat on my hair in almost 3 years now. However, I am not going to say that heat is bad and a 100% no-no. If you take care of your hair properly, heat won't damage it.

Wanna know why I quit using heat?

1. I heat damaged my hair when I started transitioning and was trying to blend in textures

2. I felt that to recover well from the damage while growing out, I needed to avoid heat

3. I just wanted to know what my real texture was like 24/7 because I didn't remember what it looked like

4. I'm just too lazy to blow out or straighten my hair properly!

Anyways, here's Sandra's article. And by the way, her hair reverted back to being curly, just so you know

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Hey World,

I bought the Air Styler! I couldn’t wait to try it so I made my first attempt at a blow out! I’m happy with the results. I will let the pics explain:

Last pic shows that the fun is over! All twisted up for bed.

Now I shall wait and ensure that there was no heat damage. Fingers crossed!!!

Always me,
Sandeey

@hairoflife on Instagram. The news gets there first!

Oh. One more pic!

My Skincare Routine

Picture gotten from JenniferShelton.com

Hey!

So, some people have commented on my skin and that made me decide to share with you all my routine. Well....basically with my face.

Okay! So, about a year or so ago, I ditched my Nivea body lotions (which I used to use on my face) because I started reacting to them and I also ditched my shower gels for the same reason (it was a weird time for me). I switched over to a certain brand of liquid black soap, but not long after, ditched it.

There was a time about 2 or so years ago when I used a certain product on my face and for the first time, I had a face full of zits/pimples. This made me so uncomfortable because I wasn't used to having zits and also because some people couldn't keep their mouths shut and made comments like, "what happened to your face?" "I always admired how smooth and clear your face was," and other stuff. Note that most of those people were older than I was and people talk amongst themselves. Oh! and two people who made comments like that were teachers at the school I went to back then.

Anyways, so, I had had skin discolouration for some time which was really annoying. It started with really dark bulb shapes coming from the corners of my eyes to my lower-cheek area like speech bubbles. Not fun. I rubbed honey into those parts for a few minutes then rinsed it off to try and lighten them up. I also started using fresh aloe vera gel and/or coconut oil as a skin moisturised. After some months, I started having areas of my right cheek that were WAY fairer than the rest of my face and that bothered me so much. You see, many people want to be "light-skinned" and as a toddler, I wanted to be fairer (thanks to society), but I've grown to love how I look and that fairness on those parts of my face totally freaked me out. So, I saw a GP who gave me a product and since then, I guess this is how my skincare routine has been:

MY ROUTINE

• On most days, I wash my face using my shower gel which is now Sanex 0% (used to be Original Source Mint&Tea Tree (stopped using it because I felt like going with something with less ingredients)). *I always use the pads of my fingers when washing my face and just move them in circles.
• After getting out of the shower, I pat dry my face with a terry cloth towel and then, as usual, my face looks so dry and starts to peel (and so do my lips). This is because I have STUPIDLY DRY skin.
• So, I walk over to a mirror with my jar of extra virgin raw coconut oil and the product the GP gave to me which happens to be ASDA's Aqueous Cream BP (the ingredients in it don't particularly thrill me, but it's what the doctor ordered).
• I start of by gently running the nail of my index finger over my lower lip to take off the peeling skin (please note, this is not the dry lip people get from the weather or whatever), rinsing my lip and patting it dry.
• Next, I open up the jar of coconut oil, get a little onto my index finger (rinsed, before doing this) and run it over my lip then do the whole thing all those ladies in lipstick commercials do.
• Afterwards, I get some more coconut oil and make a line on my eyelids, the corners of my eyes and a little below my eye (from the inner corner) with my index finger then in a patting motion, move my middle finger round those areas working in the oil then I get a little more on my finger, place it near my eye and blink onto it to get some on my eyelashes and I keep blinking ensuring that I don't have solid coconut oil anywhere there then I gently move my finger over my lower lashes.
• Okay! then I open up my jar of BP Cream and make a dot each on the two sides of my head, two on each cheek, one on each corner of my mouth, one on my nose, one between my eyebrows and one or two on my forehead then in circular motions starting from my forehead down, I work it in.

So, that's basically it!

• However, on some days, once or twice I month, in a bowl, disposable cup or something, I mix up some sugar and oil. I used to use coconut oil for this, but I noticed that I break out on my cheeks and forehead when coconut oil goes on there so, I prefer to use a mixture of sunflower and olive oil and sometimes, I add a dash of salt to the sugar and oil mix. I work this all over my face. It sloughs away dead skin cells, cleans out the pores and lets your face breathe. After this, depending on how much time I have, I clean off the sugar and oil with a hot towel (dipped in hot water and wrung out) or I wash my face regularly (if I don't have much time). After the sugar scrub (note that I scrub my lips too), I don't really require the BP Cream or coconut oil for that day (or most of the day).

And this is basically what I do to maintain clean, clear skin! :)

Please note that I do get 1 zit toward that womanly week of the month. So I basically have about 1 zit or so a month.


Hope this helps somebody!
~Sammy

My Protective Styling Update

Hey y'all,

So, sometime during the third week of December, I took my crotchet braids down and used all the products I reviewed between December and January. Some, I might use again. Others, never again. I liked my hair, but I seemed to miss the longer hair. Also, I didn't reach my goal of BSL, but I believe I'll get it this year.
I kinda wasn't used to having to stretch my hair overnight and prep it for bed so that was a bit of a nuisance, but it wasn't so bad.
My family (not my parents, though) saw my hair once again and said they preferred it to my extensions, loved it and thought I didn't need extensions. One my first weekend extension-free, I rocked a bantu-knot out to church and that was what I call 'my short style' because it looked like I had rather short hair, but the curls looked cute. That night or the morning after, I faked a blow-out and it looked pretty good.
On the 29th of December, I went over to my Aunt's house and reinstalled my crotchet braids (new extensions, by the way). I happened to have a scalp issue then, but it's pretty much gone now.
With my crotchet braids now, I have been more versatile than before. I recently combed out all the curls and I'm rocking a fake blow-out and the hair looks HUGE! Unfortunately, if you've been reading the paper or watching the news, you'll know that there have been storms in Somerset (where my school is) and school's still in session so, I end up looking like a freak with hair in my face, struggling to move in one direction when the wind is pushing me and my hair in a different direction and having parts of my hair revert to being curly while others are relatively straight in the process of walking (or running) to my next class.
The weather here, at home, is much better than in Somerset so all's good. Lovin' my big hair!
I wonder how long I'll protective style this time....

Talk to y'all later!
~SammyWithTheBigHair

Note to Readers: Apology

Hey everyone,

So, I'm really really sorry that I haven't been posting things on here as often as I used to.
You see, I spend most of my time in a boarding school and there are loads of restrictions on the internet there (even Google is blocked!) so I can't blog about anything while I'm there.
However, when I get back home, I'll be sure to post as much as I can before I have to head back to school.
Please bear with me.

~Sammy

Giveaway Winners

For the first prize......*drum roll*:

Sandra (aka Sandeey)

Check out her blog! 

Expect an interview with her uploaded soon.

For the second prize......*drum roll*:

Anthony Esezobor (aka Pastor Tony)

Unfortunately, I do not know if he has a blog.

Congratulations and thanks for participating in my giveaway! :)

(To the guys out there: you could always join my giveaways and win stuff for your wives, sisters, daughters, or well....anyone you know who you think would be happy to have whatever I put up in a giveaway).

Growing Out Your Edges

Hola, chicas!!

So, some of you know that during these sat few months, I have been able to grow my edges out to lengths that many don't think the edges can grow up to. I just thought I should share with you tips on growing out your edges because I'm sure many of you want to grow yours out.

D'accord! On y va!

• Keep your edges detangled at all times, but don't necessarily comb through them or brush them daily because that'll cause breakage
• When protective styling (and you know how I love my protective styles), never put your edges in them. If you braid your hair, twist it or whatever, do not put your hair in the braid, twist or whatever because our edges are more prone to breakage (especially when they're still short) so tugging them back with a braid or up with a lot of hair in a twist or box braid can lead to them being pulled out or breaking
• Keep your edges moisturised at all times. Moisture! Moisture! Moisture! oh! did I forget to say, MOISTURE! Your hair needs moisture in general and let's just say that your edges need paying attention to. Remember to use some water and then seal it in with a light butter.
• It is best to keep the pH value of the hair on your edges balanced. My shea butter mix has some apple cider vinegar in it to balance it out. If the pH is balanced, your hair cuticles will lie flat and therefore, retain more moisture and appear healthier.
• Keep your edges clean. Zero buildup, tu capisci? Sulfate free shampoo, mud wash or natural/organic hair and scalp cleanser.
• When you deep condition, try your best to make sure the plastic cap or bag covers your edges.
• Drink a lot of water too.

Do this and you will notice a your edges growing out!

~SammyWithTheBigHair (and growing edges!)

Review: Terressentials Mud Wash

I'm not even going to tell you 'hello,' I have to get straight to the point.

This product is a must-have for all curly ladies!

Ingredients (I used the Lavender Garden one):

Organic aloe vera juice°, clay minerals, organic extract° of organic linden flower°, essential oils of organic true lavender° and organic sweet orange°, extracts of organic nettle°, organic chamomile° and organic shavegrass°, essential oils of organic rose geranium°, organic ylang ylang° and organic clove bud°.

°Certified Organic

My thoughts:

I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT!

Ohmigosh! This thing took off all buildup, took off all traces of the smell of the greek yogurt deep conditioner, took off the annoying feeling the Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner gave me at some parts of my hair and it left my hair feeling so soft and moisturised!

Once I saw the first ingredient in this, I knew that I'll love it. Aloe Vera, incase you didn't figure it out, is my hair's boo! I love aloe vera, it balances the pH value of hair, moisturises and just adds a lot of goodies to the hair.

I left this mud wash (hair wash) on for a little (heck, WAY) longer than I had planned and I didn't have a plastic bag on so the mud wasn't moist in my hair, it had dried up holding my hair in place. However, once the water came on, it loosened up without being touched and rinsed out thoroughly leaving my hair so clean and so nice! I couldn't believe it! My hair felt so good!

Would I recommend this product:

HECK, YEAH!

Would I try this product again:

HECK, YEAH!

How many stars would I give this product:

HECK, YEAH!

I'm sorry, I mean, 5-stars :)