Giveway winner!

Posted in Giveaway, Wish list by Jen

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!

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

24Apr2015

A typical wash day for me

Posted in hair journey, hair practices, products by Jen

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.

21Mar2015

Jumia Haul

Posted in product review, Product store, products, Spotlight by Jen

Hi guys!

I’m only using the word ‘haul’ because, you know, that’s what people do on other blogs. #BloggerLingo

So I was on my own jejely browsing through Jumia when I saw Aunt Jackie’s products.

I had read reviews of some of the products previously and planned that one day when I was feeling rich I would try them out.

I had seen them at Casa Bella and knew they generally retailed at around N2,500 upwards.

So imagine my surprise when I saw them on Jumia all below N2,000! I had to have them, whether or not I already had enough products! (Does someone need to sign up for Product Junkies Anonymous?)

I also bought some Aloe Vera gel because… ummm… product junkism.

DEETS:

Where to buy- Jumia

Prices-

1) Aunt Jackie’s Knot on my watch- N1,895 (Currently out of stock)

2) Aunt Jackie’s Oh So Clean– N1,795

3) Aunt Jackie’s In Control– N1,795

4) Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel– N1,475

Also available on Jumia is Aunt Jackie’s Curl La La for N1,895.

Jumia also sells some Cantu, Namaste Organics, Tropical Isle, Eco styler, Elasta Qp, Shea Moisture, Beautiful Textures and African Naturalistas products, essential and carrier oils, shea butter and even Hairfinity.

Note that not all of them are as cheap in comparison.

Delivery info-

-Nationwide delivery (note that you might have to prepay either through your master/visa/verve card or a bank deposit/transfer for some states as not all states qualify for cash on delivery).

-You can opt to have it delivered to you or pick it up at the closest pickup station to you(which attracts little or no shipping charge)

-Free shipping within Lagos for orders above N10,000

Aunt Jackie’s Product Reviews-

1) Knot On My Watch by Igbo Curls

2) Curl La La by The Kink and I

3) In Control by The Kink and I

4) Curl La La by Sizzelle

5) Oh So Clean and Knot On My Watch by 1 Blessed Natural

6) In Control and Oh So Clean by Nappy Headed Black Girl

Have you ever shopped on Jumia? How was your experience? Have you ever tried any of these products? How did you feel about them? What do you have planned for the weekend? You know I wanna hear!

5Feb2015

My Hair Stash (Feb 2015)

Posted in hair practices, products by Jen

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

(Photo Cred: @thecreamycrackrehab on Instagram)

Without further ado,behold my stash

CLEANSERS/SHAMPOOS

-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

-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

-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

-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

-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

-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

-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

-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!

9Jan2015

Tresses And Body Organics

Posted in Feature, Product store, products, Spotlight by Jen

Hey guys,

It’s always a delight to learn about a new Nigerian store or brand that caters to natural/healthy hair and well being. So that when you’re feeling a little rich or you’re in need of some good products, you have places to splurge in and products to splurge on!

Today I’d like to introduce to you Tresses and Body Organics.

What do they do?

“We specialize in everything organic, 100% herbal with no harsh chemicals or additives. Our products nourish, heal, hydrate, tone and keep the skin and hair healthy. We deal with popular brands like Shea Moisture, Cantu, Jessie Curls, Ambro Styl, Softee, Infermo, Silk, Twist n Lock, Vaadi Herbals, Beautiful Textures, African Pride, Forest Essentials etc.

We sell at wholesale and retail, products include:

-Vaadi Herbals

-Shea Moisture range

-Essential/ carrier oils e.g Palmarosa, Argan, Indian Rose, Pimento berry, Clove, Clary sage, Peppermint, Neroli, Tangerine, avocado etc.

-Natural hair products like Jessie Curls, Cantu, Beautiful Textures, Carson’s, Shea Miracle etc.

-Ayuverdic powders from the Middle-East and India e.g Morroccan Rhassoul clay, Neem powder, Amla powder etc.

-Sulfate free shampoos

-Sulfate free conditioners

-Heat protectant serums

-Hair Moisture butters

-Hair Growth oil

-Revitalizing Scrubs

-Facial wash

-Body scrubs

-Home spa kits
Etc.”

Where do they deliver to?

“We deliver nationwide and carry out door to door delivery”

Contact Details:

Phone number- 08075542049 or 08183412877
BB pin- 2B6CAC09
Facebook page- Tresses & Body Organics Ent.
Blog- Tresses and Body Organics
Address- 33, fatai irawo street, Ajao estate, off Int’l airport road, Lagos Nigeria

So that’s it folks; feel free to contact them and buy to your heart’s(and hair’s) content. I haven’t bought from them yet but hopefully I will soon.

If you sell/make natural hair products or offer natural hair related services, feel free to send me an email.

Take care beautiful people,
Have a fun-tastic weekend!

Jennifer Abah

Tag Archives: shea moisture