Tag Archives: healthy hair journey

Product Review: Olori Damage Be Gone (Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment)

Posted in product review, products, Review by

Hi guys,

Today, I bring you a product review.
I’d been seeing this product online and once saw it at NITC but didn’t buy it because it was pricey.
In October last year, my sister spotted Olori’s stand when we were at the Beauty Africa Exhibition and Conference. We headed there are purchased the medium sized tub which usually costs 4000 NGN. However, we were able to get a discount so we got it at 3600 NGN and they threw in a little sample tub for free.

    
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I was featured on: African Naturalistas 

Posted in Feature, hair journey by

 
Hi y’all,

I’m super excited to let you know that I’ve been featured on African Naturalistas!

This is a blog that I’ve been reading since… since!

So I feel ‘appy, I feel fulfilled because I never experredit.(Just kidding)

So yeah, go check it out here.

Don’t forget to show some love!

X

NITC 12

Posted in events by

Hey guys,

So the 12th NITC (Naturals In The City), a natural hair and lifestyle meetup, was on the 26th of September and as you probably know, I went.

I met some lovely blog readers and I got to meet some great bloggers too e.g Nafisah and Grace.

This time, I wasn’t early so the hall was full when I got there(there were soooo many people at this NITC!). As a result, I will not be doing a summary of the talks because I missed them unfortunately.

I however have pictures for you!

Continue reading →

DIY trim

Posted in DIY, hair journey, hair practices, hair update by

My people, how far?

You know how I keep saying “oh my ends are shitty, I need a trim”? Guess who finally got one? 

I’m not even joking when I say my ends were horrendous. 

I had so many single strand knots and my ends looked so rough and frizzy. On one strand alone I could find as many as 3 knots and I was in the habit of pulling them off with my fingers. 

Detangling had become a serious chore no matter the conditioner because of all the tangles. Even separating twists for a twist out became harder because all my ends wanted to do was stay together.

When people talk about split ends they seem like such a modern myth to me but I kid you not when I say I used my two eyes to see several split ends in my hair! At this point I knew something had to be done fast. 

I knew I needed a trim for a long time, trust me. I mean, I haven’t had one since I went natural; that’s 2 years! 

The thing is, I wanted to get it professionally done so I kept postponing and postponing till I could go to a salon that knew what they were doing. 

One day, I thought to myself “wait oh, but people do this thing themselves e.g. Nafisat. How can I, self proclaimed cheapskate mama and DIY queen, not be able to do it myself”. 

So I googled how to do it myself, bought 70 Naira scissors, sat in front of the mirror and trimmed.

 

Not a good picture but peep those ends!

  

I’d take a small section, twist up to where I wanted to trim and then cut

  
  
 

All done!

  

My twists were so blunt by the end

    

Ends look and feel waaaay better!

   
 

My “OMG, my hair is shorter” face 😦

All the hair I cut off

  
In my two year nappiversary post, one of my goals was to get a trim and I’m glad I got one.

 I know I could have gotten better results because some parts aren’t even and I think I might have taken too much hair off but I think I did okay for a first attempt.

My experience with trimming:

Pros:

  • My hair is easier to detangle
  • Crappy ends are gone
  • Styles turn out better

Cons:

  • You might become scissor-happy 
  • Shorter hair (but it will grow back)

Lessons learnt: 

  • Eventhough a decision seems scary, take the leap if you know the pros will outweigh the cons.
  • Don’t delay a decision that will benefit you because of excuses that are surmountable. (See grammar! My English teachers must be proud of me.)

I did a bantu knot out for NITC 12(post coming soon) after trimming and it was so easy to take down and separate the bantu knots afterwards! I was pleasantly surprised!

    
Have you ever trimmed your hair yourself? Would you ever DIY trim or would you rather get it professionally done? Share with me.

X

Two year nappiversary!!

Posted in hair journey, hair update, hairversary, Length check, nappyversary by

Two years!! Can you believe it? If my hair were a child, it’d be a toddler that could walk and talk! 

Remember the goals I mentioned in my one year nappiversary post that I planned to achieve by now? Let’s see how I did:
1. Kick dandruff’s ass. (Sadly, no)

2. Beat hand-in-hair syndrome. (Yes and no. It changed from hand-in-hair syndrome to hand-in-edges syndrome which is worse)

3. More length and thickness at my edges and nape. (Yes but not as much as I’d have liked due to my newly developed hand-in-edges syndrome)

4. Growth/Length retention. (Yes but not as much as I’d have liked)


I didn’t measure my hair in terms of inches but here are my length check pictures:
   

     

Not so bad ei? But not as good as I’d hoped but I have repented so… 
A couple of things I’ve learnt this past year:
  1.  Don’t let it frustrate you because frustration leads you to quitting! Let whatever you do fit into your regular routine and ability; don’t go all out and overwhelm yourself with stuff you can’t handle because the “gurus” say you should do it. E.g. if you can’t handle washing your hair weekly, don’t. Because if you do, you most probably will get frustrated and think of giving up.
  2. Don’t compare yourself with others and don’t be solely goal oriented! Have a little fun! Remember I talked about it in this post? If you want to dye your hair or straighten it or get a tapered cut, do your research and go for it! 
  3. Do what works for you! If it ain’t working, dump it(no matter how many rave reviews it has) and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it (no matter how many bad reviews it has). In the end, you are the boss of you.
  4. Encourage yourself! Don’t always think of the negatives(e.g. What your hair can’t do); try to see the positives (e.g. What your hair can do).
  5. Learn and experiment! Don’t get stuck in your ways. Read blogs, watch vlogs. You will learn a lot; not all will work for you but you just might hit the jackpot with some. 
I don’t want it to turn it into an epistle so I’ll put a pin in it right there. 
If you follow me on Instagram (@nigerianandnatural) you would have seen most of these but here are a few (boring) styles I did over the last year: 
   

      

Not the same day as the previous picture. I just really like this shirt! LOL

    

Wig

      

Crochet braids

    

Kinky twists

           

Wool/yarn twists

 

And my latest style: 
 

Two week old twists. So proud of myself for keeping them for that long

 
Here are my goals for the year ahead:

  1. Get a trim and try to get trims when needed from now on.
  2. More protective styling.
  3. Growth and length retention.
  4. Stop hand-in-edges syndrome. 
  5. Kick dandruff’s ass (for real this time).
  6. Be more adventurous with:

  • Styling
  • Products
  • Techniques

    That’s all folks! 3rd nappiversary here we come! 

    What are some things you’ve learnt along the way in your hair journey? What are your short and long term goals for your hair? Please share.

    Oh and Eid Mubarak! I know this isn’t the ram-sharing sallah so I shall patiently await that one.

    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!!!!”.

    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**********

    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

    Review: The BoonBox

    Posted in Not hair, Review by
    Hi guys,
     
    Ever heard of the CurlBox? It’s a subscription where you get a box every month that contains hair products either full sized or sample sized. The products are a surprise and are different every month giving you the opportunity to explore and try a variety of products.
     
    Imagine my joy when I found out that we have our own version of this American wonder and ours is called the BoonBox! The BoonBox is put together by a Nigerian online beauty store called The Beauty Boon.
     
    Somehow I never got around to ordering one until I read a review about it on She Is Out Of Control.
     
    HOW IT WORKS
    Just like I explained with the CurlBox, the BoonBox is literally a box that contains hair, skin and beauty products. The products are different every time and can be either sample sized or full sized.
     
    You fill a form about your likes and dislikes, preferred brands and products etc. This helps the team putting the boxes together know what to put in yours. E.g if you say your hair is natural on the form, they won’t go and send you Profectiv relaxer in your BoonBox.
     
    There are two subscription options: monthly and quarterly.
     
     
    THE BAD
    I chose to go with the monthly/one-time subscription so I ordered and prepaid for my BoonBox on the 17th of December. I chose to prepay instead opting for cash on delivery just incase I wasn’t home when it was delivered. Guess when I received it guys. 18th of February!!!
    2 months later!
    Sometime in January, a month or so after I ordered it(in fact I don forget sey I order something by then), someone from The Beauty Boon called me to confirm that I had ordered one, had prepaid and was yet to receive it; she also informed me that I would be receiving it soon.
    By February 4th I had still not seen the shadow of the BoonBox so I sent an email to them about it and they replied saying it would come that Friday(February 6th).
    Alas, it came February 18th.
     
     
    THE GOOD
    I was pleased with the BoonBox (even though I grew old and wrinkled waiting for its arrival). I got 5 items in mine:
    1. EOS lip balm in blueberry açaí (Been wanting to get one so I was happy about this)
     
    2. Clearasil daily clear daily facial scrub (Been wanting to try the Clearasil moisturizer so let’s see how this one works. Hopefully it won’t be too drying/harsh seeing as it’s for acne and acne is currently not a problem for me)
     
    3. Mac lipglass in famously fab (Even though I think I mentioned on my form that I don’t like lipgloss but then I could be wrong. It’s a nice pinkish lavender shade)
     
    4. Shea Moisture curl enhancing smoothie (I already had this. Nooooo!)
     
    5. A scented candle (The scent is called garden party and it smells divine even unlit)
     
    6. A handwritten apology note (I wish! I was half expecting one but I got a hot ela as they didn’t send any)
     
     
     
     
     
    FINAL THOUGHTS
    I love the idea of being surprised with different products and I love the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone and my staple product bubble and trying new things. I love the idea of the BoonBox. It’s a winner if only it could be smoothly executed. I was really mellow about the delay in the delivery timeline even though it was pretty unacceptable but not every one will be. So what if it were the quarterly subscription? Would you be getting each one 2 months late?
     
     
    WOULD I REPURCHASE?
    Maybe. If and only if I am assured that it will arrive on time.
     
    BOONBOX DETAILS:
    Where to purchase– The Beauty Boon
    Price– N5,000 monthly or N19,000 quarterly
     
    Would you be willing to try the BoonBox? Ever tried it or ever tried something similar? Share please.
     
    P.s anyone know any good WordPress blogging apps for iOS? I keep losing my posts because the official WordPress app keeps crashing on me 😥
     
    By the way have you noticed?!?!
    The blog is now a “dot com”!!! *confetti*
    But don’t worry if you forget and type http://www.nigerianandnatural.wordpress.com (this one is so long to type though; I can say that now 😀 ) because it will automatically redirect you to the dot com website.
    Also, the email address is now contact@nigerianandnatural.com but don’t worry if you send it to the old one (nigerianandnatural@gmail.com) because I will still get it.
     
    We are moving on up! *shakes bottom*
     
    Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram if you haven’t- @nigerianandnatural
    Peace!
     

    What I wore: Stripes and Nude

    Posted in events, Fashion, Not hair, Product store, products, What I Wore by

    This might come as a shocker to you but this is an outfit post! *jaws drop* LOL

    Remember I’m dabbling and diversifying? It’s all in a bid to make me post more consistently.

    I read a number of blogs: hair, makeup, fashion, food etc.
    Of recent I think I have read one too many fashion posts so that might be the inspiration behind this post.

    I am not a fashion blogger neither am I a fashionista but I think style is relative and maybe someone out there might find mine interesting.

    If you ask me to describe my style in 1 word it would be ‘comfy’.
    However, my sister and my good friend say I am boho/hippie(I do not agree though).

    I wore this outfit to work sometime last week.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    And because I see them do this on fashion blogs:

    Top: Apt. 9 essential

    Blazer: Dorothy Perkins (from Debra’s Grace, a cool store in Yaba)

    Pants: Next (I’ve had them for years and have rocked the life out of them so much so that they are fading)

    Shoes: I don’t know (long story)

    Bag: Michael Kors (obtained from my mama)

    Hair: Twists using Noble Gold (4 packs, uncut)

    Oh and have you heard of Design Essentials? It’s a product brand that makes products for people who want healthy hair and has a line for natural hair. I first heard about them on Kemi Lewis’ blog.She uses their products in her natural hair salon.

    Design essentials just launched a flagship store and training centre in Ikeja(yay for the mainland!) that stocks their products.

    Their natural hair friendly products are silicone, paraben, paraffin, petrolatum, mineral oil and sulfate free and include the:

    -Curl cleanser

    -Moisturizing conditioner

    -Almond and avocado detangling leave-in conditioner

    -Honey curl forming custard

    -Honey and Shea edge tamer

    and more.

    I love the packaging and I also sniffed some of the products(they smell great!) plus Kemi Lewis speaks well of them so I’m looking forward to trying them out!

    Store details:

    LOCATION: Angels Super Store, 88 Awolowo way, Ikeja by Fadeyi, beside Holy Trinity Hospital.

    TEL: 08033029107 or 08033264570

    OPENING HOURS: 9-7, Mon-Sat

    What do you guys think of outfit posts on the blog every now and then? Yay or nay?

    Have an awesome week!