wool | Jennifer Abah

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

Hey guys, this is a super late post because it’s been 4 weeks since I’ve had these wool/yarn braids.

I absolutely love them! I’ve even inspired a couple of people to get them, yay me!
I think they might be my new favorite style.
One reason why I like them is that the more my real hair sticks out, the more the braids look like locs. If it were normal extensions I used, it’d look like utter crap by now but wool blends okay with my hair that’s sticking out.
My only complaint is that the ends are burnt(makes them look unnatural to me and makes it harder to style); next time I’ll ask the stylist to tie them instead.
Other than that, I’m absolutely loving having faux locs!

What I did before getting the braids done
Before doing them, I washed my hair, did a protein treatment, deep conditioned and put my hair in cornrows to stretch it(I learnt from the mistake I made of not stretching my hair when I got the full sew in).
When it was time to start braiding I took the cornrows down.

Here’s the mistake I made. I took down all the cornrows before the stylist started braiding. I should have taken them down in sections so that when she braids that section, I’ll take down another section for her to braid. That way my hair would have stayed more stretched and softer. Since I took all of them down before she started braiding, by the time she was braiding the front, my hair wasn’t as soft or stretched. It wasn’t so bad though but I will make sure to take down my cornrows in sections next time.

How I’m caring for my hair in my yarn braids
I spray them up to where my real hair stops with water, olive oil, peppermint oil and glycerin in a spray bottle. I do this every few days.
I also oil my scalp with castor oil. I was using my Shea butter mix before I got castor oil.
Now that my hair sticks out of the braids, I rub my Shea butter mix on the braids up to where my hair stops after spraying them.

I tie a scarf(it’s polyester I believe) to bed sometimes. Other times I don’t bother. My satin bonnet doesn’t fit over the braids and I don’t have a satin pillowcase or scarf.

I cowashed at the end of week 2 but I couldn’t find anyone to hold the braids up for me so I could wash only the roots and avoid getting the whole thing wet. I ended up wetting the whole thing and it was soooo freaking heavvyyy! Omg! No jokes! I felt like someone was pulling me by the hair. I thought the ones around my edges would rip out my hair and fall off. And it took forever to dry! I think I’ll just use Apple Cider Vinegar to clean it from now on or I’ll only wash if someone is there to hold the braids out of the way.

I used 12 rolls of wool and a little from the 13th roll. One roll cost N100.

Now, pictures!

This is the wool I used. I used 98% of the Babby one though. Only used the other one when the Babby ran out

Getting older and fuzzier

I’m not really a styling guru so I wear it in only one or two ways everyday.
I redid a couple of them that I felt were pulling too much on my edges and nape.

This year I plan to grow and retain 6 inches so I’m all about low manipulation therefore protective styles will play a big role this year.
I hope to get 2-4 weeks more out of these braids. Then I’ll give my hair some resting time before I move to my next protective style. I’m thinking crotchet braids but lets wait and see.

What do you think of yarn braids? Will you try this style?
Till next time,
Growth, growth, growth!