Author Archives: Jen

Goals versus the experience

Posted in hair journey, Not hair, Random by
Hey guys, 
I just dropped by to share some of my thoughts with you very quickly.
As I approach the 2 year mark (peep my countdown at the side/bottom of the page), one thing has been on my mind. Length! 
A major feature in my thoughts is “is my hair long enough for 2 years? It should be longer than this at this stage”. 
I’m going to share with you a quote from Okechukwu Ofili’s book, “How Stupidity Saved My Life: Life Lessons From An Overanalytical Engineer”

Unfortunately, it seems that as we get older, we lose that focus on fun. Instead, we focus on graduating at the top in college, being the number one employee at work, or being the best speaker in a speech contest. While all these may be commendable goals to strive for, what is not commendable is allowing them to displace the pleasure and excitement of the experience… We can all choose to embrace life more fully by moving our focus away from winning and instead enjoy the moment.

Let me summarize that quote in terms of hair: “Many of us are obsessed with and focused on length and hair goals and making our hair do things we see others do. We forget to enjoy the little successes and failures, the things our hair can do, the experience. We are so focused on other things that we forget to enjoy the moment”
That’s why I will never understand people who ALWAYS have their hair in a protective style to protect their hair and gain length. Why bother when you can’t enjoy the hair you protect and the length you’ve gained because your hair is always covered up.
I’m not innocent as I explained earlier. Many times I allow length to rule my thoughts and I look at my hair with disdain because it’s not as long as I want/expect. Thinking about it, my standard of length is based on other people’s hair. I forget that my hair is most probably different from theirs and that I am on my own journey. I forget to enjoy the experience. 
This quote really made me think. It applies to so many things in life. 
We let our goals, both self imposed and those imposed by society, cloud our minds so much that we forget about enjoying the moment, enjoying the experience, enjoying the journey, enjoying life.
If you are like me and you are guilty of not enjoying the experience (whether it’s hair, work, school etc) for any reason at all, let’s all hold hands now and scream “I repent!!!!”.

Tip: Putting links in comments.

Posted in Not hair, Tips by

Hi guys,

I want to share with you guys a super easy tip that will be quite helpful if you need to put links in the comment section of a blog. 

You know when you see comments on blogs with links like this- Nigerian and Natural and you wonder how the heck the person did it because you’re stuck leaving your own comments with links like this-www.nigerianandnatural.com or http://nigerianandnatural.com ? 

Well, I’m here to show you how! 

Here’s the basic format:

<a href=”http://nigerianandnatural.com“>Nigerian and Natural</a>

Just copy and paste in the comment you want to post. This will appear as “Nigerian and Natural” when you post the comment and when people click on it, it links back to this blog. 
 

Before posting comment

  

After posting comment

 

Of course you don’t want to go around posting “Nigerian and Natural” on people’s blogs.
If you were to change that format to something else, here’s what to do.

<a href=”http://nigerianandnatural.com“>Nigerian and Natural</a>


You can only change two parts in this format; the link and the name. (By link, I mean http://nigerianandnatural.com and by name I mean Nigerian and Natural).

Change the part with the link to the link of your choice and then change the part where I wrote Nigerian and Natural to what you want it to appear as. 

 e.g  <a href=”https://jennyphar.wordpress.com“>Jennifer’s Writings</a> would appear as Jennifer’s Writings and would link to my other blog when clicked on. 
   

Before posting comment

After posting comment

You can play around with this and change it as you please. 
If you want to link to a specific post on a/your website, change the link in the code i.e http://nigerianandnatural.com to the link of the post. Then you can change the Nigerian and Natural to the name of the post if you like. 

 For example:
<a href=”https://jennyphar.wordpress.com/2013/04/23/cant-think-of-a-title/“>Can’t Think of a Title</a> 

This is a link to a post called “Can’t Think of a Title” on my other blog and if you copy and paste it in a comment, after you post it, it will appear as “Can’t Think of a Title”.
   

Before posting comment

After posting comment

You can make it appear as whatever you want so play around with it. 
E.g I can write “Read my latest post here” in someone’s comment section and for the “here” to link to my latest post, I would write this- 
Read my latest post <a href=”http://nigerianandnatural.com/2015/06/23/nitc-11/“>here</a>
 

Before posting comment

  

After posting comment

 

I can choose to write “I have a post about NITC 11 on my blog too” and for the “NITC 11” to link to my post, here’s what I would write- 
I have a post about <a href=”http://nigerianandnatural.com/2015/06/23/nitc-11/“>NITC 11</a> on my blog too.

Before posting comment

  

After posting comment

 

Points to note:

  • Whenever you are changing the link in the code to something else, it should always be in http:// or https:// …www is a no no! 
  • It is only after you post the comment that it appears as what you want so don’t worry if it is still showing as a code before you post.
  • Never change any other thing besides the name and the link in the code if not it won’t work.
  • Once you have your basic format, you can save it in your notes for easy access so you can copy and paste it when need be. That’s what I do.
  • It works for both Blogger and WordPress as long as the comments are HTML enabled (almost all are).


There you have it! I hope I have succeeded in explaining properly and that I have not confused you.

Feel free to test it out in the comment section below to know you got it before unleashing your new found knowledge on the world! 

NITC 11

Posted in events by
Hi beautiful people!
The eleventh NITC was on Saturday. 
In case you don’t know what NITC is, *gasps* where have you been?! 
It’s a hair meetup that holds a few times a year organized by Natural Nigerian, The Kink and I and Carib Health.
As always, it was an opportunity to mingle, learn, shop and feed your eyes with beautiful hair.
It seems Mother Nature didn’t get the memo though because it was raining for the better part of the day. As a result, the turnout wasn’t as good as it usually is but there was still a good number of people.
The theme of the event was Keeping It Real. 
There were four talks and I have the scoop.

Talk 1: By Kelechi Koko- @yellowsisi
 

 


 Main points:

Some things that dry your hair out-

  1. Products- Not all products work for everyone. Some things might be moisturizing for some and drying for others e.g. aloe vera, shea butter, ACV. 
  2. Not moisturizing properly.
  3. Build up.
  • Natural hair is for everyone; it grows out of your scalp; but not everyone is patient enough to handle it. 
  • Don’t confuse breakage with shedding. It’s normal for your hair to shed daily; don’t think it’s breaking when it isn’t.
Talk 2: By Esther Morenikeji (a weight loss professional)- @estamorenikeji
 

She was so so so funny, relatable and fun to listen to!


Main points:
  • Fitfam and naturalistas have things in common. They like sharp sharp things. (LOL! So true!)
  • The purpose of exercise is beyond body beautiful.
  • Being thin doesn’t necessarily mean you’re fit.
  • Not every time fry fry. Sometimes, toast, roast and grill.
  • For a healthier stew, boil the tomatoes and pepper till almost dry and add a little oil followed by your spices. (As opposed to the original method of frying the tomatoes in oil)
  • Do a maintainable diet so it doesn’t seem like a punishment. Don’t go for expensive food stuff that you can’t maintain. 
  • Exercise doesn’t have to be anything major. Walk, jump rope.
  • Bulk your meals with veggies and proteins as opposed to carbohydrates.
  • Nigerian foods are not unhealthy. They can be healthy when you choose healthier methods of preparing them and eat the correct portions.
Talk 3: By Cherise (Not sure)- Carib Health.
  

Main points:

  • Don’t overdo weight loss. 4kg per month is acceptable weight loss.
  • Drink water before you eat; like 30 mins before. This helps you eat less and digest better.
  • Eat slower and savour your meal; it helps you eat less.
  • Mixing fruit and meat can cause bloating. Eat fruits first and then food like 30 mins later. 
  • Don’t eat high in sugar fruits at night e.g mangoes and pineapples.
Carib Health also has a wellness show every Sunday at 1pm on 92.3 
Talk 4: By Geraldine- Intimate Pleasures
  
To be extremely honest, I did not write anything in this segment. I was too busy listening and oohing and giggling. 
But to summarize, it was an interactive sex talk with topics ranging from tampons versus menstrual cups to perceptions about sexually liberated women in our society to vibrators.
It was quite interesting.
Side note: During the talk, someone mentioned ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) for infections ‘down there’. Diluted with water and used to rinse (alternatively you can sit in a bowl of it for a short while), it helps to alleviate itching and cure the infection.
So here’s what we really came for, pictures!
 

Ife

  

She has clip ins in her hair which she made herself

  

Kanyinsola

      Ekene of The Kink And I    Ify of Ify’s Musings  

Ekene and Isioma

       

Can you believe this is a weave?

  

The hall with vendors

  

Shopping and chatting

      Berry of Berry Dakara and Nicole  Atilola of African Naturalistas   

Here’s what I bought (even though I said I wouldn’t buy anything at all) 
Island Shea Butter Cup from Savvy & Chic

A floral headband from Fashion Strings (I was apprehensive about buying it because the last time I bought stuff from them, everything spoilt in no time but let’s see)

   I also got a Henna Tattoo from The Henna Place

Outfit of the day

I scored this Eve and Tribe skirt on sale for less than 2000 Naira some time ago.

And that’s a wrap on NITC 11!

Shoutout to Anita, a lovely blog reader who said hi! 

How was NITC 11 for you if you attended? If you didn’t attend, tell me whyyyyyy? How’s your week going?

Threading take 1

Posted in hair journey, hair practices, hairxperiment by

My beautiful people, I know you have missed me and I missed you too!

Don’t think it’s you oh. It’s me. I’ve been so stressed lately. I was just off the radar on basically everything: Instagram, BBM etc. I feel like I might be going through a mini midlife crisis or maybe I’m just exaggerating. It happens.

I kept planning to post but never actually posted. You know how life has a way of just getting in the way. (feeling like a literary giant)

So yeah, threading. I’m not talking about eyebrows. I’m talking about threading your hair like the way we used to as kids. These days, people sometimes refer to it as “African threading”.

Last washday, I decided “oh what the heck, I’ll give it a shot”. And I did.

 

 

I used regular sewing thread because I’m yet to find the rubber one more commonly used for threading hair.

 

I folded it in two and went to work on damp freshly washed hair right after moisturizing and sealing.

I did this at night and did not take pictures. However I threaded a section of my hair in the picture below as an example.

  

As you can see, the threaded section on the right is way way way more stretched than the twisted section on the left.

I took down the threading when it was dry in the morning and put my hair in a puff. The ends looked a bit stringy so I combed lightly.

And the result of my first time threading experiment was a mega puff!

   

 

Alas it lasted not! Later the same day shrinkage be like…

   

Possibly the shrinkage could have been avoided if I had not used products with humectants (ingredients that pull moisture into your hair e.g glycerine, propylene glycol) but I highly doubt I have any products without them.

I had intended to maximize the stretched hair all week by avoiding water/products with water so it would not shrink but I got caught in the rain the very next day and my dreams of stretched hair were literally washed down the drain.

Tips:

  • Avoid humectants so as to avoid shrinkage.
  • Avoid water/products with water to lengthen the time your hair stays stretched.
  • Make it firm but not tight (unless you like headaches and hate sleep).
  • Leave space in between as you thread.(As seen in the picture above where I threaded one section). You don’t have to wrap the entire hair in thread (like yarn/wool locs). This makes it easier to thread and helps it dry faster.
  • Make sure your hair is dry before taking down the threading. If not, it would all have basically been in vain.
  • Be careful while taking down the threading. You don’t want your hair getting tangled with the thread because the thread has nothing to lose if you have to resort to scissors while you have hair to lose.

Overall thoughts:

I think threading is a good and effective way of stretching your hair. It’s also a great way for those who can’t/don’t like to twist/braid to keep their hair stretched. 

All in all, I would try it again if I can find a way to stop my hair from shrinking (if you have tips on this, please share). But for now, twists are much easier and quicker for me to install and take down even though they don’t give as much stretch as threading.

Have you tried threading? Do you have tips? What do you think of threading and would you try it? Please share!

A few of my favourite things -May

Posted in Current faves, Giveaway, protective styling by

 

Hey guys,

How’s your Sunday going? Hope you have Sunday rice planned, ready, cooking or in your tummy because eating anything else on Sunday is a sin according to some unwritten but binding rule.

Here’s what happened when I tried to boil yam one fateful Sunday:

  

As I mentioned in my last post, I had a hard time figuring out what I loved in May but here’s what I came up with.


1. Things in threes:

I like to take pictures! And I tend to take pictures of the oddest things according to those who know me. 

Anyways, I recently found that taking pictures with a theme in mind helps keep things a bit ‘organized’. It’s not as fun as being spontaneous but it’s fun nonetheless.

The theme I had in my head for the three pictures below is ‘things in threes’. 

   

  

 (‘Trees in threes’. Try saying that three times fast)



2. Semo:

  

When I was younger I hated a number of foods. The major culprits were beans, boiled eggs, fried rice and especially swallows in all varieties. I now eat these things but I’m still very picky about swallows. I only eat semo, wheat and pounded yam.

Allow me to say that semo is bae! I ate semo at least 1-2 times a week this entire month. 

Unfortunately I’m so bad at making it. Yesterday I made some and my brother said “Jennifer this part is not done”. I gave him the look of death and told him to shut up and eat.

Any tips on making perfect semo? Please tell me in the comments.

 3. My current protective style:

   

These are twists done with about 16 packs of wool/yarn and I’ve had them for a little over 5 weeks now. 

I have been super lazy with them that’s why I’m loving them. Since I’ve had them, I’ve moisturized 2 times, cleaned my scalp once with baby wipes and oiled my scalp about 6 times.



4. My butterfly print plimsolls:

  

I bought these about a month ago on Jumia for N4495 (although I had a voucher so I only paid N2695). It comes in a variety of prints and colours. Just search for ‘shoe republic la plimsoll” on Jumia



5. Fresh Yo:

 

I’m obsessed with this Fresh Yo stuff yo! I buy it everyday(which is so unhealthy). And it’s not even cheap sef (N200). But it’s so yummy. It also comes in a strawberry flavoured version.

And those are my favourite things from May!

Also guys, let me tell you about this giveaway you shouldn’t let pass you by!

Visarn Hair Line, a company that sells human hair is having a giveaway which is open to entries nationwide in Nigeria and ends on the 4th of June.

They will pick three winners and although the prizes are a surprise, a little birdie told me they will give away some of their luscious high quality human hair, a mini spa treatment and 3 packs of their recently launched Marley hair.

It is the Marley hair that me I want so you can be sure I will enter the giveaway!

To enter, head over to their Instagram page. They are @visarnhairline on Instagram.

All you have to do is follow them, repost any of their beautiful pictures with the hashtag #hairyoucantrust, tag them and tag 3 of your friends. C’est fini! 

So don’t dull guys! You could win some of their amazing hair! Check them out on Instagram and you can see some of the beautiful hair that could be yours.

  


What are you currently loving? Do you share any of my current faves? Got tips on making perfect semo? Please share in the comments!

Xoxo

Giveway winner!

Posted in Giveaway, Wish list by

Hi lovelies,

So the blog is 2! And the giveaway is finally over.

First of all, the answer to the JAMB question; what two things on my Christmas wishlist have I gotten? The iPhone 6 and the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner!! 

  

If you guessed it right, you smart (you loyal, go buy your mama a house). There were a total of 29 entries and I was actually quite surprised because 13 people got the answer right! How una take know biko (tell me in the comment section please).

Some people did not follow the rules of the giveaway at all! Some commented and didn’t follow the blog, some mentioned only one item they thought I’d gotten, some said it was iPhone and DSLR they wanted to win (ah!!!!) meanwhile those weren’t what I was giving away oh. I won’t mention names *zips lips*

As the sweet, merciful soul that I am, I forgave and overlooked all sins and accepted all comments as valid entries seeing as this is the first giveaway.

Without further blabbing, by random selection (with the aid of a random number generator), the winner of the giveaway is Ify!!! *fireworks*

  

   

Don’t run off just yet people. I decided to give away the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie from my BoonBox (since I had one already) as a ‘consolation prize’. 

  

Another random selection (after removing Ify’s name) and Funke won!!

   

   

Congratulations to both ladies! I will email you shortly but if you do not get an email from me by the end of the day, please send me an email at contact@nigerianandnatural.com

And if you didn’t win, cheer up! There will always be a next time. And thank you for entering the giveaway!

Currently having a tough time coming up with stuff I loved this May but once I’m done, the post will be up.

Peace!

Giveaway! The very first.

Posted in Giveaway by

Hi guys,

I’ve had a few people tell me that I should host a giveaway but I just never got around to hosting one; until now!

It’s a small giveaway seeing as it’s the very first one (before you think I’m giving away a private jet or a mansion in Banana Island)



WHAT AM I GIVING AWAY?

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner OR The Kinky Apothecary’s Whipped Batter. If you win, you get to pick which you prefer.

  




WHO CAN ENTER?

All residents of Nigeria (or anyone who has an address in Nigeria it can be delivered to). 



HOW TO ENTER:

1. Subscribe to the blog– If you have a WordPress account, click ‘follow’ at the top of the page or at the bottom. If you don’t, subscribe to the blog via email either on the side of the page or at the bottom(depending on your browser).

2. Leave a comment telling me which two things on my Christmas Wishlist you think I’ve gotten. Also tell me which of the 2 giveaway items you want if you win e.g “Camera and iPhone. I want Hello Hydration”

That’s it!

Giveaway closes at midnight on the 27th of May, 2015 (the 2nd anniversary of my first post on this blog) and the winner will be chosen at random (so don’t worry about your answers being right or wrong; just have fun guessing)

Don’t be greedy, invite your loved ones, friends and enemies to enter as well!

Good luck!

P.s. You can also follow the blog on Instagram- @nigerianandnatural (it’s not a requirement but I’d be glad if you did)

Xoxo

    **********GIVEAWAY CLOSED**********

You are the reason

Posted in fiction, story by

It’s funny how something so seemingly sturdy suddenly breaks and then you begin to see that in retrospect, there were cracks. Cracks you thought you could ignore and they would fix themselves. Cracks you thought you could hide from the world. Cracks that widened and expanded to form irreparable gutters with the things ignored floating on the surface.

Sitting there in church with his bible in his lap, Pastor Tunde was there but he wasn’t. 
He looked over his notes. His sermon today was supposed to be part 3 of “Getting marriage right”.

In the background of his thoughts,Pastor Tunde could hear the choir singing.

“You are the reason why I lift my hands
Why I lift my voice
Why I sing to you”

When he told Tolu five years into their marriage that God had called him to be a pastor and to start his ministry, she had been silent. Then she had told him she couldn’t handle the pressure of being the “mummy” of the congregation. That she didn’t want to be second in his life to a God she wasn’t so sure she believed in. That she couldn’t lose herself for a calling that wasn’t hers. 

He knew she would come around. And she did. She understood that God had to come first.

She always looked beautiful in her skirt suits and hats on Sunday mornings. She handled the congregation with effortless grace. They were living the life God wanted them to live.

For Pastor Tunde his perfect structure had shattered to smithereens when he walked in last Friday from his 3-day prayer summit trip to Abuja to find Tolu and their maid, Jane, groping each other on the couch.

He looked up at his tear-stained face on the projector screen. The camera men had a habit of keeping the camera on those who were moved by the worship and were in the spirit.

“You are the reason I’m alive today
I am here to say

It’s all because of you”

______________________________________________________

Hi guys! Hope life is treating you well.

I haven’t been writing a lot these days which is really sad.

As always, I can be found more often on my hair blog here if you’re ever missing me and if that’s your sort of thing. (I talk about other stuff too, not just hair but mostly hair) 

Xoxo

Product Review: Shea Moisture African Black Soap Purification Masque

Posted in product review, Product store, products by

  

Hi guys,

This review is long overdue as I’ve finished this product and thrown away the empty container sef.

Disclaimer: All efforts shall be made to curb excessive typing in this post.

I bought this for the fact that I had never really had a dedicated/store-bought  deep conditioner; that is, I always did DIY deep conditioners or used my regular rinse out conditioner.  Another factor that sealed the deal was that it claimed to alleviate itchy scalp(my number 1 concern in life)

INGREDIENTS:

   

 


 

As you can see, this product is chock-full of good stuff! No red flags in sight. Very impressive.

LOOK, SMELL AND CONSISTENCY:

I like the packaging of this product. I think it looks nice. As for the product itself, it has a grayish colour and is thick(not excessively thick so it washes out easily). This product smells like a mix bananas and sand/earth to me(that’s the only way I can describe it. I don’t mind the smell)

CLAIMS + DIRECTIONS:

  



HOW I USED IT:

I would typically put it on my hair and scalp after shampooing, put on a shower cap and leave it in for an hour or more(depending on how lazy I am to rinse it out and carry on with the rest of wash day). No heat used.

PROS:

  1. It’s moisturizing. I can use this after shampooing/clarifying and rest assured that my hair will be soft and moisturized.
  2. It has great ingredients. I don’t have to worry about the big bad scary ingredients I try so hard to avoid.
  3. A little goes a long way. I don’t need too much product for it to work.
  4. It has slip. I can detangle with this.

CONS:

  1. It’s not so cheap. At N3200(when I bought it), it’s not the cheapest kid on the blox.
  2. It doesn’t do much for my itchy scalp. I did not notice much/any difference. Then again, perhaps I wasn’t consistent.
  3. It’s small for its price. For N3200, I would have expected more product. I got about  6-8 uses out of it(from my guesstimation) and I was trying to use it ‘gently’.

WOULD I REPURCHASE:

Probably not(except they dash me). I can get the same moisture from a cheaper product. If it actually worked for my itchy scalp, I would have said a definite yes.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I give this product 3/5. 

WHERE TO BUY:

Have you tried this product before? What did you think? What deep conditioner should I try? Let me know in the comments.

P.s: My Abuja people, there is a hair and makeup shop in Gwarimpa, Abuja. They sell natural hair care products, 100% Virgin human hair and makeup. 

Brands and products include:

-Cantu

-ApHogee

-Tropical Isle Living

-Shea Moisture

-Creme of Nature

-KTC Organic Oils

-100% Organic Argan oil

-Organic Coconut Oil

-Tea Tree Oil

-Satin Bonnets

-Silk caps

-Spray bottles
Etc

Makeup brands include:

-MAC

-Dose of colors

-Coloured Raine

-Bdellium Tools

-Morphe Brushes

-Urban Decay

-LA Girl

-PNK Digger

Etc

DETAILS:

Address- House 47, 3rd Avenue opposite Shirley’s confectionery and Yogurberry Gwarinpa Estate Abuja.

Number- 07064186931

BB Pin- 7AFC56

Have an awesome weekend!

Xoxo

I Was Featured On: The Curly Belle

Posted in Feature, hair journey by

 
Hello my lovelies,
I just dropped by to let you know that I’ve been featured on a natural hair blog, The Curly Belle.

This is actually the first time I’ve been featured on any blog!
So check it out here and please leave your many many comments. 

I’m a bit under the weather so I left work early and I’m at home. Hope your day is going way better than mine. 

Xoxo