Hi guys, how’s your week going so far? Good? Great? Don’t worry, public holiday in a bit 😉
I dropped by to tell you that I was featured on The ‘Dee’ Mako!
Check it out here
Don’t forget to show some love!
XOXO
Tag Archives: nigerian natural hair blogger
My failed straightening experience
Hi beautifuls! (yes I said that)
I’ve been dying to straighten my hair but I had planned to get it done professionally.
However, one evening about two weeks ago, I spontaneously decided to straighten my hair.
About two days prior, my mum had bought herself a bottle of Design Essentials HCO Leave-In Conditioner and Blow Drying Lotion(long name so let’s call it the DE lotion shall we?). So I decided I would use that as my heat protectant.
I washed my hair in my usual fashion and then applied some of my regular leave in and a bit of oil. I then proceeded to apply the DE lotion and blow dry in sections but my hair seemed to be getting really dry and ‘seizing up’ (I tried to blow dry my hair like a year ago and the same thing happened!).
I decided to skip the blow drying and just straighten from the get-go.
I would take a section, apply some more DE lotion to my ends and straighten.
My hair no gree. It would not become bone straight no matter how hard I tried or how many passes I made with the straightener. I decided to get it as straight as it would go and not stress it.
Imagine my surprise when the sections I straightened started reverting 2 minutes later.
I said “lai lai, you must be straight oh” and straightened them again. Two minutes later, same thing. After trying like 3 times, I gave up!
I know I look like struggle
That afro section was actually straight 2 minutes before!
I gave up and spritzed my hair with water
Happy to see those coils back. The fear of heat damage is real
Here’s what I learnt:
- My hair seems to hate being blow dried.
- My hair does not want to be straight.
- My ends are as shitty as shitty can be. They were basically like dead looking, knot filled thread when I straightened my hair.
What I’ll do next time:
- Try a better product.
- Trim my ends.
- Get it done professionally.
- Maybe try one of those straightening products that last weeks e.g. ORS Strengthening and Straightening Treatment which Tuke tried here
Any tried and trusted straightening methods/products you’d suggest? Any advice for my next attempt? Have you/would you straighten your natural hair? Please share!
Threading take 1
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
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
Giveaway! The very first.
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**********
Product Review: Shea Moisture African Black Soap Purification Masque
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:
- It’s moisturizing. I can use this after shampooing/clarifying and rest assured that my hair will be soft and moisturized.
- It has great ingredients. I don’t have to worry about the big bad scary ingredients I try so hard to avoid.
- A little goes a long way. I don’t need too much product for it to work.
- It has slip. I can detangle with this.
CONS:
- It’s not so cheap. At N3200(when I bought it), it’s not the cheapest kid on the blox.
- It doesn’t do much for my itchy scalp. I did not notice much/any difference. Then again, perhaps I wasn’t consistent.
- 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:
- The Kinky Apothecary for N2900
- Olori for N3300
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.
I Was Featured On: The Curly Belle
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
A typical wash day for me
Hi guys,
One thing I would say I miss about my non-existent hair routine before going natural was that I could use 30-60 minutes to wash my hair AND dry it.
Nowadays, that basically borders on impossible.
I really like the feel of cold water on my scalp and the softness of freshly washed hair. If not for these I actually do not enjoy wash day because, without sugar-coating it, I am lazy and would much rather use my free time to do what lazy people do.
In case you were ever wondering what I do on wash days, let me give you the low-down.
1. Detangle:
I sometimes shampoo before I detangle but these days I mostly detangle first.
If I’m shampooing first, I shampoo and then finger detangle my wet/damp hair in sections with my deep conditioner and twist each detangled section. After I’m done detangling and everything is in twists, I put on a shower cap for some time(deep condition).
However, if I’m detangling first, I take my dry hair in sections, put conditioner in it (or spray with a mix of conditioner, water and/or apple cider vinegar as seen in the picture) then finger detangle, twist that section and move to another until everything is detangled and in twists.
See how creepy my hand looks after detangling.
For now, I’m not sure which method I prefer but I’m leaning towards method 2 because it can be quite tasking to reach your scalp properly when shampooing loose hair like in method 1.
2. Shampoo:
I proceed to rinse my hair as best I can and shampoo it focusing on my scalp.
3. Deep condition:
I usually sit around and wait till my hair is damp before I deep condition (but that’s because most times, I don’t use a towel/t-shirt to blot excess water so I have to sit and drip till the hair becomes damp. If I have a towel/t-shirt, I blot out the excess water after shampooing and proceed to deep condition). I apply my deep conditioner of choice that day, put on my shower cap a.k.a nylon bag and go about my business for the next hour or more. Then I rinse it out.
4. ACV rinse:
After rinsing out the deep conditioner, I dilute apple cider vinegar with water and pour it over my hair making sure it gets everywhere. I wait a minute or two and then pour a bowl of plain water over my hair. Don’t ask me why I do this step because me sef I no know.
Loosened one twist to look at my hair. Looks clean to me
5. Moisturize and seal:
I sit around with my hair still in twists till it dries a bit.
When it’s damp, I proceed to loosen a twist, apply Cantu and follow it up with cocoa butter(or Shea butter) focusing on my ends and then put it in a loose Bantu knot or flat twist so I can differentiate it from those I haven’t moisturized. I do this till I’m done with everything. I then loosen each Bantu knot or flat twist and put in back in a regular twist so I can have a twist out the next day. (Alternatively, I do a firm Bantu knot/flat twist after moisturizing each section so that I don’t have to loosen it after moisturizing).
6. Put on my satin bonnet:
If it’s night by this time, I put on my bonnet and head to bed.
I was pretending to yawn in the picture and ended up really yawning
And that’s wash day for me.
What do you do on wash day? Please share your routine.
Review: The BoonBox
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*
It is now http://www.nigerianandnatural.com
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
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!
Jennifer Abah 