Giveway winner!

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!

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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 purchaseThe 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!
 

My Hair Stash (Feb 2015)

Salut, hello, howdy!

I am not a product junkie! I really am not. However I seem to have a lot of stuff for someone who basically uses mostly shampoo, conditioner, leave in and shea butter 95% of the time! I did not realize until I was taking pictures for this post that I had so much stuff that I don't use often! I had to dust some of them before taking pictures sef

IMG_9717 (Photo Cred: @thecreamycrackrehab on Instagram)

Without further ado,behold my stash

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CLEANSERS/SHAMPOOS

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-Bobeam shampoo bar in Shealoe (purchased from The Kinky Apothecary ). I have had it for over a year y'all)
-Dudu Osun- melted down and mixed with water and olive oil (Can be purchased from your local grocery/beauty store)

My staple: Dudu Osun

CONDITIONERS

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-Shea Moisture restorative conditioner (a gift from someone who went abroad but can be purchased on The Kinky Apothecary as well as Olori)
-V05 herbal escapes conditioner (purchased at NITC but can be bought at many local grocery/beauty stores. I mostly buy it at Bruno's Place opposite Silverbird at Ikeja City Mall)
-V05 tea therapy conditioner (purchased at Bruno's Place)
-Herbal Essences ignite my color conditioner (purchased at Maxmart in Accra but can be found at Casa Bella or Goodies)

My staple: V05 conditioners(any kind but I like the Moisture Milks line the most I think). Haven't had a chance to use the Shea Moisture much yet.

DEEP CONDITIONERS

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-Vitale hair mayonnaise (purchased at Spar but can be found at many local grocery/beauty stores)
-Coconut milk (purchased at Spar and can be found in most big grocery stores. You can also make yours)
-Shea Moisture purification masque (purchased at NITC but can be purchased on The Kinky Apothecary as well as Olori)

My staple: None. I haven't used them long enough but I like the purification masque. Still not sold on the Vitale. Coconut milk is something I've used a number of times and I like but I don't use it very often(I mix it with other stuff e.g conditioner before use). Usually I deep condition with my regular conditioner and don't use a store bought deep conditioner so these are relatively new(except coconut milk as I explained)

LEAVE IN CONDITIONERS/MOISTURIZERS

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-Cantu Shea butter leave in conditioning repair cream-2 tubs. (One was a gift while the other was purchased on Olori)
-Elasta QP olive oil and mango butter moisturizer (Purchased at Casa Bella but can also be bought on Olori)
-Water in a spray bottle (purchased at… Just kidding)

My staple: Cantu and water

STYLING PRODUCTS

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-Shea Moisture curl enhancing smoothie (won in a giveaway but can be purchased on The Kinky Apothecary as well as Olori)
-Eco Styler olive oil gel (purchased from The Kinky Apothecary at the same time as the Bobeam)

My staple: None. I don't really use styling products. Eco styler works well when I want a laid down sleek look.

OILS

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-Olive oil (Can be found at your local grocery store)
-Silverbird Eucalyptus oil (Can be found at your local pharmacy)
-Canola oil (Can be found at your local grocery store)
-Castor oil (can be found at your local pharmacy)

My staple: None. I'm using oils less and less. If you had asked me in the past I would say Olive oil but ever since I realized that it does nothing for me when it comes to sealing, I now only use it for occasional oil rinses, prepooing and deep conditioning mixes. Silverbird I use because it is so affordable compared to other essential oils and I like the menthol feel and smell. Castor oil I use mostly when I have a protective style on or if I see my edges vanishing. Canola oil I used out of curiosity and only use for oil rinses and prepooing occasionally.

BUTTERS

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-Nasheaba Shea body butter (purchased at Shoprite Accra)
-African Naturalistas hair butter in Sweet Rosie (won in a giveaway but I believe the formula has been revised. Can be purchased on African Naturalistas or Jumia)
-Shea butter (purchased at Game Accra but can be found at your local market)

My staple: Nasheaba or any Shea butter mix/whipped Shea butter really.

MISCELLANEOUS

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-Apple Cider Vinegar (purchased at Spar. Can also be found at Shoprite. The organic version can be found at Health Plus)
-Neem powder (purchased on Olori)
-Shikakai powder (purchased on Olori)
-Bhringraj powder (purchased on Olori)

My staple: Apple cider vinegar. I use it as a final rinse most times when I wash my hair(don't know if it makes a difference but I do it) and I use it to clean my scalp when I have a protective style on. Still haven't gotten the hang of Ayurveda though.

C'est fini.

What are your staple products? Is your stash less, similar to or bigger than mine? What products do you recommend I try? Please share!