I cut my hair!

Posted in big chop, hair journey, hair update, hairxperiment by Jen

Hi guys,

It’s been a while! How y’all doing?

As you can see from the title of this post, I cut my hair! (Cue the gasping)

I have been so tired of my hair lately! Washing it, dealing with it on a daily basis, detangling it, styling it, the whole shebang! I’ve been super frustrated with my hair. And I think this is the major reason why I never really blog about my hair anymore.

I actually considered relaxing it quite a number of times.

Finally, I decided that maybe I should get a funky fade/haircut. Like this:

Continue reading →

8May2015

Product Review: Shea Moisture African Black Soap Purification Masque

Posted in product review, Product store, products by Jen

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.

Number- 07064186931

BB Pin- 7AFC56

Have an awesome weekend!

Xoxo

28Jan2015

What I wore: Stripes and Nude

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

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!

15Aug2014

1 year Length check

Posted in hair journey, hair update, protective styling, styling by Jen

Hi guys,
As promised, this is a length check of my hair at 1 year. Yes I know it’s kinda late but better late than never right? Right!

My hair is between 5-6 inches (some parts are 5″, some are 5.5″ and some are 6″). I think this is pretty okay for one year.

I believe I am past the TWA stage! Yippee! I am now in the awkward stage: that annoying phase where your hair isn’t so short but isn’t long either.

I’ve found a few staple styles that my hair can do at this stage and I’ll share them with you incase you’d like to try them.

This is a very simple style that is basically 2 big flat twists. This style lasts me a whole week so it’s a good low maintenance protective style for me. I’ve tried different variants of this style.You can do cornrows instead of flat twists if you like.

I’m not a big fan of the way my hair looks in twists left down but I like twists packed/pinned back. This is another low maintenance style that can last.

I call this one “my hair must pack”. It’s a good way to give the illusion of a ponytail/packed hair when your hair isn’t quite there yet. You basically flat twist the front towards the middle and secure with bobby pins then gather everything into a ponytail. I rock this style very often. You can also keep this for a few days.

I’ve also been rocking loads of afros, not the combed out kind though. They’re mostly twist outs that I separate and fluff into fros.

Of course you know I’m still into my puffs. Now I try to make them looser.

And guess whose hair could pack this morning? 😀

[Side bar: Is it just my eyes or are my edges looking a bit better?]

I’ve decided to enjoy every stage my hair goes through and I’m going to extend that to my life in general. I’ll focus of taking things one day at a time and seeing the good in every stage I’m in. Life’s too short!

I’m currently trying Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream, Dudu Osun(as a shampoo) and Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer. Reviews will be up when I’ve used them more but for now I’m loving them.

What stage is your hair in? How are you coping with it at this stage? What products are you currently trying?

Have a beautiful weekend!
Peace!

18Jul2014

1 year anniversary!!!

Posted in big chop, hair journey, hair update, nappyversary by Jen

Hip hip hip!!! Hurray!!!!

One year ago today I walked into that barbershop wanting a fade and came out with hair so short it almost didn’t need to be combed!

In actual fact, the anniversary of my big chop was on the 14th of June but I decided to go with my second big chop(July 18th) because with that cut, I started from scratch so basing it on that date shows a truer picture of a year’s growth.
*Phew* That was a mouthful! I hope you understand what I mean though.
Either ways(June or July), I still have one year under my belt!

So here’s a mini timeline of pictures showing my progress over the year!

My first big chop(June 2013)

My second cut, July 2013

Last week

Today’s simple look(ignore the giant pimple)

Over this first year, I experimented with products, Ayurveda, dyed my hair etc.
Let’s see how the next year goes but from the look of things, I foresee that it will be a lazy year(you never know though).

Taking a page out of AB’s book, I will be setting anniversary goals; these are changes I would like to see/make by my next anniversary.

Here are my goals for the year ahead:

1. Kick dandruff’s ass.
2. Beat hand-in-hair syndrome.
3. More length and thickness at my edges and nape.
4. Growth/Length retention.

I think that’s not too much to ask for!

So cheers to my hair at one year *glasses clink*

Expect a post about my new favorite simple go-to style + a one year length check soon.

Peace!

8Jul2014

Curl confessions

Posted in hair practices by Jen

Hi there!

I’ve been seeing people air all their hair’s dirty laundry on various blogs under the tag “Curl Confessions” and I decided to also let the breeze blow this fowl’s butt.

Without further ado, here are a few of my “dirty little secrets”:

1. It seems like I am constantly in a war with dandruff. Sometimes I win the battle for a while but in the long run dandruff runs this war.

2. I haven’t done a protein treatment in ages. I honestly can’t be bothered.

3. I have soooo many single strand knots!!!! They drive me so crazy!

4. I break off the aforementioned knots with my hands. I just yank at them.

5. I’m forever playing with the hair at my edges and nape. This is a horrible habit that I believe is the major reason for my having much shorter hair in those areas.

6. I have hand-in-hair syndrome. Nos 3,4 and 5 must have given you a clue.

7. I am very heavy handed with products especially conditioner. As a member of team cheapskate, this is bad for business as I’m always running out of stuff.

8. I have moments when I think about relaxing my hair.

9. I’m forever obsessing about my hair growing; stretching it this way and that way to see if it has grown in the last 5 minutes, daydreaming about all the styles I’ll do when it’s loooonnngg.

10. Given the funds, opportunity and funds(yes I said funds twice), I would be the Product Junkie of life! Like I would probably go gaga and need rehab.

11. Many times I can’t even be bothered to be gentle cos I don’t have the time or patience. I will pull my hair, comb/detangle aggressively, comb my hair dry etc.

12. I’ve only ever had leave in conditioner twice(although I just invested in some now cos I’m trying to change). Usually I just seal my damp hair with oil or use my regular rinse-out conditioner as a leave in and call it a day.

13. I usually forget to wash my satin bonnet often. The next one I buy has to be white or a light colour so I can see when it’s dirty and be shamed into washing it.

I’ll stop here cos right now I can’t think of any more. Remember God said we should not judge oh!

Do you do any of the things I’ve listed? Do you do worse? Or are you a saint in the hair department? Let us know in the comment section.

In other news, the blog has an email address now. I’ve added it to the “About” page but here it is nigerianandnatural@gmail.com

Feel free to email me.

Xoxo

15May2014

I’m bad at titling stuff but this is just an update

Posted in hair update, nails, protective styling, styling by Jen

Hi guys, it’s been a minute.

I really don’t have much to talk about. My hair isn’t in the best place right now; I have inexplicable dandruff, thin edges and I’ve combed my hair dry one too many times. Hoping to get back on track ASAP and sort my hair out.

In other news, I stopped taking the Biotin. I got a horrible Urinary Tract Infection(UTI). Even though I’d rather not discuss this(lol) it might be of use to someone else. I’m not new to UTIs; I’ve had them a few times in the past but I haven’t had one in over 2 years so when I started feeling the symptoms, I guessed it was something I’d recently started doing that caused it. My mind told me it was the Hair,Skin and Nail supplements but I kept taking them and drinking bucket loads of water to hopefully flush the UTI bacteria out. The infection only got worse until I took to Google and saw that some people complained about getting UTIs from taking Biotin or Hair supplements(some said it was the Pantothenic acid that caused it,some said it was the Biotin itself etc). I’m not very certain the pills caused it but it is highly likely that it is. I stopped taking them and was treated with antibiotics and the infection is gone.

Anyone who is willing to try the pills can email me and I will give it to them(if you can pick it up in Lagos especially in the Maryland/Ikeja vicinity). I took them for one month so I took about 90 pills meaning there should be about 160 pills left in the bottle. Email me at jenniferabah(at)gmail(dot)com if you want it and can pick it up.
As far as progress goes, here’s a before and after.

It’s grown a bit more since I stopped taking the pills. It’s just hair/nails in the end; it will grow.

As always,I will leave you with a mini gallery of how my hair has been/how I’ve been wearing it. Enjoy.

You know I love my puffs

Been trying some Ayurveda. Not yet sure how I feel about it

Did mini twists and actually wore them out

Did loads of flat twist outs

I’m currently looking to buy a wig so that I can keep my hands out of my hair and keep my hair safe from my cruelty.
Will let you guys know how that goes.
Be safe!

P.s It’s been 10 months since I did the big chop! Oh and I’m still thinking about opening a product store so your opinions and suggestions on that are welcome.

14Apr2014

Product store in Nigeria

Posted in products by Jen

Hi y’all,
Straight to the point.

Finding products in Nigeria is still a struggle for me(I’m sure a lot of you can relate!). Even worse is the fact that when I do find products, the prices send me into a mini cardiac arrest(I’m sure even more people can relate). You know I’m a proud member of the Cheapskates club!

So I’ve been thinking, I want to open a store and sell products! Products for natural hair and for anyone who is looking to have healthy hair or who is on a healthy hair journey. I want to focus on those hard to find products/brands that are mostly only available abroad.

My main aim is to make the products reasonably affordable(Considering shipping cost and all). Another aim of mine is to be able to ship nationwide.

Products will be displayed and available for purchase online. Also, they will be available at a supermarket in Ikeja, Lagos for those who prefer to shop physically and for those who want to pickup what they ordered online(Hopefully, more outlets will be available in the future in other places)

For now though, it’s still just an idea. So I need opinions! I was going to put a poll below but I changed my mind. Please let me know in the comment section what you think.

Here’s what I’d like you to answer:

1. Do you think I should start selling hair products or do you think there are too many stores already?

2. What kind of products/tools/things would you like me to stock?

3. What brands would you like me to stock?

4. What do you think of this idea in general?

5. Anything you’d like to say?

Thank you!

Have an awesome week guys!

P.S. Please help me get the word out so that I can get as many people’s feedback as possible, thanks and God bless!

7Apr2014

Product Review: Taliah Waajid Curly Curl Cream

Posted in nails, product review, products by Jen

So today I bring your way a product review.

I got Taliah Waajid’s curly curl cream from Casa Bella at Ikeja City mall. It was an impulse buy.

Let’s get straight to it. It’s going to be as short as possible.

PROS
-It defines curls like it says it will.
This product would be great for wash and go’s because it defines curls/coils. (I however use it to twist my hair mostly and it works well for that too.)
However I have often heard that if you have no curls in the first place, curl defining products will have nothing to define. So keep this in mind and don’t expect a miracle product that will turn your hair to telephone cord type of curls, lol. It’ll define the curls that you do have.

-It’s moisturizing.
I love this stuff when it comes to moisturizing! It makes/keeps my hair soft and moisturized for days. The first ingredient is water and it also has glycerin and Shea butter in it.

-The smell is nice. Nothing too fantastic but nice.

-A little goes a long way. It’s thick too.

-Leaves no whitish residue once you rub it in properly.

CONS
-It’s sticky.
And if you are heavy handed like I am, it can leave your hair feeling sticky and mushy. So definitely use it in small doses.

-The price IN NIGERIA.
I don’t know about other parts of the world but the price here isn’t particularly low. I got this for N2890 I believe from Casa Bella.

-It contains mineral oil.
Mineral oil is number 9 on the ingredient list. Mineral oil is said to weigh down the hair, clog the scalp and cause build up. I think they have discontinued using mineral oil in this product though(either that or they just started adding the mineral oil?) because I googled the ingredient list and all the results came up without mineral oil.(Ps I think mineral oil makes my scalp itch more but this is still a theory for now)

I didn’t look at the ingredients before purchasing because I felt Taliah Waajid would use natural ingredients since they are a natural hair company and I was in a hurry. Don’t make this mistake. Never be in a hurry to buy products. At least google them or look through the ingredients patiently before purchasing.

All in all I would rate this product 3.5 out of 5

I put some on the front part of my hair and didn’t put any at the back so you could see the contrast

Now for a nail update. I’ve been taking Biotin for a week and 2 days now.

This is what it looked like before I started

It’s still too early but this is what it looks like 9 days later

If you’d like to buy Taliah Waajid Curly Curl Cream, you can try:

1. Casa Bella outlets. They sell it for about N2800

2. The Kinky Apothecary. They deliver across Nigeria or you can drop by their stand at L’espace 19A Olosa Street, off Karimu Kotun ,Victoria Island, Lagos. They sell it for N2000(Don’t forget there’ll be a charge if you’re having it delivered)

3. Dab’s import window on Naija Hair Can Grow. From the 1st to 7th of every month you can send her requests on hard to get products and she imports them on your behalf.

Don’t forget to always check the ingredient list before purchasing products and when in doubt, google google google!

Peace!

30Mar2014

Biotin? Yes

Posted in nails, products, protective styling by Jen

Hi guys!
I started taking Biotin on Saturday. In the past I talked about how it was expensive and I wanted to avoid it because I’d read that it could cause acne.
Well I decided to put on my big girl pants and shove my hand deep into my wallet to buy it.
You might be thinking the reason is my hair. It’s actually not.
It’s my nails. Yes, my nails.
In Alcoholics Anonymous fashion, let me just say “Hi I’m Jennifer and I’m a nail biter”.
It’s a bad habit that I can’t seem to shake.
Recently I was thinking of creative ways I would take a picture of my engagement ring(whenever I get engaged) without my nails showing 😦
So after drooling at Ez of Beauty In Lagos’ nails for about a month, I decided I had to be proactive.

In the past, I have stopped biting my nails at different times and I’ve even managed to grow them to an extent but I always went back to biting. Sometimes I’ll dedicate one hand or some fingernails only to biting and grow the rest but in the end I’ll return to my habit. I even bite the skin around them( God said we shouldn’t judge others).
Also, they were always weak and brittle and would break and bend and tear.

So this time, I decided to help them out as much as I can.

I googled how to grow nails and biotin came up a lot and I thought “what an irony! The biotin I was dodging”.
To cut the long story short, I have started taking them. Any hair growth will of course be a bonus but the purpose for them is my nails.

I went to a nearby pharmacy and I bought “Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin and Nails”. They contain 5000mcg of Biotin along with other vitamins. They cost me a whopping N5350 *weeps* so they better do something. There are 250 capsules and you are to take 3 a day which means there are 83 servings in total so these should last me almost 3 months which I hope is enough time to see some good change.
So far, I have no acne out of the ordinary.
As for results, I can’t say because it’s only been 4 days.

They are not recommended if you are under 18.

I will also get those really good nail hardeners to help the process.

I’m currently in a protective style after a month of having my hair out. Before I went to the salon I did my usual preparation but didn’t do a protein treatment out of laziness. When I got to the salon and the stylist had to blow dry my hair and was combing angrily and proceeded to weave a little too snug, I started regretting skipping the protein.
Anyways, my hair’s tucked away for now and hopefully 4 more weeks(if I can stand it that long).

This ombré/dip dyed style is a DIY dye job by the way. I think I did a good job.

I came across a conditioner at shoprite Ikeja mall and decided to buy it on a whim(I do this a lot). It’s silicone free but I don’t know about the other ingredients. It was N550

Alright, that’s about it for now.
Till next time guys,
Hugs and kisses.

Oh I didn’t show you a picture of my nails. So here’s one. Don’t laugh please. Pray with me that the biotin helps them and that my teeth stay away from them too.