The Versatility of Marley Hair

I absolutely love love Marley hair and all the lovely wonderful things you can get to do with it. From twists to faux buns to crochet braids to updo's, to faux locs, the list is seemingly endless!

Just thought to give us a bit of inspiration for the various styles that can be created using Marley hair. Now there are so many brands - but typically the textures tend to be the same all through (give or take some softness and fluidity here and there)

My December Brides!!!

What an amazing month it's been! I can't believe how fast this year has literally run by and how much the store has evolved in the last year.

December saw me styling 3 brides and I loved every minute spent prepping and styling them for their big days!

My Latest Crochet Install

So I decided to switch up my crochet style after seeing a lot of really interesting styles online that I swear were calling out my name.
So this time around I decided I'd use Marley Hair - but instead of installing then curling with perm rods as most people do, I decided to curl each individual strand of hair before installing it - this would ensure I got a tighter curl and I wouldn't be bending my head in too many neck aching positions just to get my hair into hot water.

So I purchased the Janet Nor brand of Marley Hair which I really really like (and which is the brand we use in the salon) cut each strand of hair in half, brushed it out with a paddle brush, rolled it up on perm rods, soaked them in hot water, let them dry for a while and this was the curl that I was left with.

I prepared 4 packs of hair since i was curling individual strands - didn't want to be left halfway with half my hair done and no curled strands available.

Size of the perm rods used

Updo's I'm loving this Festive Season

Quite apart from the fact that they're quick and relatively easy to create, updo's can also be dressed up whichever way you desire, particularly in this Festive season - giving you different stylish and glam options that can be switched up effortlessly.

Whether it's with your own hair, or with a bit of help from a pack of Marley or kanekalon hair, you could just let your imagination guide you.

Below are a few styles created for a few customers and for myself in the last couple of weeks:

Tweaking Your Regimen For The Harmattan Season

As promised, here are more details on the information I shared on the the Tweet chat so it's in one detailed post for easy reference.

We all know that in the drier months, our skin, lips and hair get all dry, crackly and annoying. As someone who already has a dry skin condition, trust me these dry months are very very annoying but thankfully I've figured out ways to combat the dryness. I'll be sharing some of my tips for skin and haircare and hopefully, they'll help someone out there!

SKINCARE

First things first, eliminate all shower gels and cleansers that contain soap - Just like our hair, our skin has its natural oil secreted by its sebaceous glands and using cleansers with harsh detergents, strip our skin, leaving it drier than normal. The best thing to switch to will be soap free cleansers with conditioning agents and good examples are:

1. Dove Body washes and soap bars

2. Sebamed Cleansing bars ( I really like Sebamed as they have a healthy skin pH value of 5.5)

3. Eucerin Calming Body Wash

4.  Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash

5. Pears Body washes and cleansing Bars

So I got to work Backstage at the Nigerian Fashion Show!!!

Hanging with stylist Chika and Tokunbo Chiedu, MD Compass Consulting who are the country reps for Design Essentials

Whoop whoop! So I get a call from the Country representatives of Design Essentials asking if I'd like to be part of the hair styling team for the Nigerian Fashion show for 2 days. Would I???? Heck yea!!

I'm not so short after all!

It was kind of a last minute thing for me so I had to (happily) re arrange my schedule so I could help with the prepping of the models the day before the show and then work with them backstage for both days of the show.

Incorporating Oil Rinses Into Your Regimen For the Drier Months.

The winds are about to change on us (actually they ought to have changed by now but not sure why the rains have persisted) so it's a good time to switch up a few things in our hair regimens to address the extra dryness that is bound to occur. Knowing that our hair already tends to dryness, it is verrrryyy important to try and prevent any additional dryness before you end up with a head full of straw like strands!

Oil rinsing is really just adding some oil to your hair in between the shampoo and conditioner stage and trust me it is one of the best things you can do to aid moisture retention and detangling of your hair.

 I had an 'Aha' moment in the salon one day while working with a client's uber dry and knotty hair. I decided to do an oil rinse by applying oil to her hair before applying the conditioner and for added measure when I had rinsed out her hair, I used the LOC method (Liquid, Oil and Conditioner) and it was a breeze detangling her really really thick hair. Transitioners can also benefit from oil rinsing too because it makes detangling the 2 textures much easier.

Finally Got My Crochet Braid Game On!

After my last failed attempt at getting my crochet braids in, I finally got to do something I love! So I'd been seeing some lovely looking twists on Instagram  with hair from a brand called 'xpress your kinks' and after seeing this  YouTube video by Jessica Pettway, I KNEW I had to get the hair! Check out their website here

After doing some research, I settled on buying 3 packs of hair - 2 packs in the color 'Darkest Xpresso' and  for highlights, 1 pack in 'Chestnut'. I had someone in the States place the order for me and send them down to me.

Darkest Xpresso

Chestnut with the Darkest Xpresso

 As soon as they came, I wasted no time! lol Crochet braids don't take long to do once you know what you're doing so I hijacked one of my girls in the salon and got to work. I wanted a side part so she braided my hair accordingly and then crocheted the hair using small strips of hair at a time.

My Uyo Bride!

So! November started on a fab note! My first bride of the month was getting married on the 1st in Uyo - Akwa Ibom State! I'd never been and it was all sorts of exciting when I found out I'd be travelling there.

Patience the bride, is a beautiful gem! Honestly!  So calm, sweet and patient! (Every pun intended lol) My flight and accommodation had been booked like a month before and she'd sent me confirmation for everything. The night before I was to leave, she called and said the clip ins she ordered hadn't arrived and would probably not arrive in time for the wedding.

I was actually leaving the salon when her call came in so ran back inside and grabbed a few packs of hair as I mentally calculated what style change we were going to have to do.

Update On ORS Strengthening and Straightening System.

So last month, Detuke of tukesquest came over to get her natural hair straightened using the ORS system.( If you missed the post, click here to read it)

I've been following her hair's progress after the treatment and decided to do a quick update on how long the 'straightness' lasted and if her curl pattern was altered in anyway.

 I know a number of people are interested in using this system but there are (genuine) doubts as to whether their hair will ever go back to being curly. So thought this might help by giving you a better idea of what happens after the treatment.

And The Winners Of The Whipped Butter Giveaway are..........

Whoop whoop! So we have 2 winners from our last giveaway. The questions were fairly straightforward so didn't expect anyone to give any far out answers lol.

1. The African Shea Tree - has a number of 'aliases' depending on whether you're using it's scientific name ( Vitellaria Paradoxa) or the language of the Country where it's found (Karite, Bambuk, Nku, galam etc)

2. It is predominantly found in East and West Africa - about 19 African Countries now produce Shea Butter

3. Ori is the Yoruba name for Shea Butter

Ingredient Spotlight: Caprylic Capric Triglycerides

Picture Source: writingtomakeadifference.com 

There are certain ingredients which are a huge bonus to any hair care product because of the benefits they bring to the health of hair. One of such ingredients is Caprylic Capric Triglycerides.

A mixed ester compound of Caprylic and Capric Fatty acids which are derived from Coconut Oil and glycerine; this ingredient is widely accepted as a safe, non toxic ingredient in not just hair but skin products.

It aids in moisture retention in hair and skin by resisting moisture loss, resulting in smoother skin and softer hair to the touch.

Specifically for hair, it provides 'slip' (i.e. coats your strands enough to reduce friction between them thus aiding the detangling process), restores softness and gives the hair a smooth feel. This means softer, moisturized hair, less tangling and therefore less breakage, leading to length retention.

Getting back in the styling groove.

Rocked my Fro at some point last week

I've been kinda 'bleh' with styling my hair in the last couple of months; apart from the fact that I thought I was over manipulating my strands, I just wasn't feeling my hair, style wise. The one thing I've come to realize in all of this though, is that I'm not a great fan of two strand twists.

Yes they're versatile and quick and bla bla bla but for me personally, it would be one of the last things I would do on my hair when faced with options. Maybe when I get to a longer length and can do really chunky twists without looking like I stuck my fingers in an electric socket :)

I actually had twists for like 2 weeks recently - took them out and was going to get crochet braids in. I had woven my hair and all that in preparation for the crochet braids but I decided to rock the hair that way - at some point, got a wig too and rocked that for a few days.

Rocking my twists at Locitude with the  lovely Aderonke

Then I remembered that I had a stash of Marley hair somewhere and I hadn't rocked any Faux buns/up do's in a while. Hmmmm.................

Giveaway Time!! KL's Naturals All Natural Whipped Shea Butter up for grabs!

Okay so recently we took delivery of a fresh batch of  Shea Butter from a new processing plant in Niger State ( we normally use Shea Butter from Saki in Oyo State for our whipped butters). I'm a great lover of Shea Butter - it's helped tremendously with my dry skin issue (atopic dermatitis) by softening and smoothing my skin and fading away scars on my legs and face left by the patchy dryness.

It's also a great sealant for my hair especially when I need something a little heavier than my regular coconut oil.

So when I was approached to try out this Shea Butter I did my own investigations which tallied with what I'd been told and we've decided to give it a try!

My September Brides

This has been a long time coming! I'm not even sure why I haven't put this up since but hey, better late than never right (as irritatingly cliched as that sounds!)

So in September, I got to do up 2 lovely brides - my first September bride (Rachel) had me travelling to Abuja to style her and TEN bridesmaids! I know! When she told me 10 I did a couple of double takes myself; but I'd already said yes so there was no backing out lol.

She was very specific about what she wanted her bridesmaids to have - A halo braid. First thing  I needed to figure out was how I was going to manage the different textures, lengths and weaves the bridesmaids would have ( she had a few naturals, 1 Caucasian, 1 Mexican  and a few Ladies with weaves)  while making sure the Bride got her wish.

The other thing I needed to figure out was how I was going to manage 11 people all before a wedding. I'm no superwoman (even though now and again I convince myself I am) and so made a few inquiries about a lady in Abuja I know to be really good with Natural hair handling and styling.

Thankfully, she was available and willing to work with me so that was sorted!

So, one of my brides' wedding got featured on BellaNaija!!!!

I was totally stoked when I saw this!! Mosun - one of my brides back in August, (who almost made me have several panic attacks as I wasn't able to sit down with her to do a trial lol) had her beautiful and absolutely stunning wedding ceremonies featured on BellaNaija.

And best of all? She had the nicest things to say about me!

She said and I quote:

Sights at the Beauty Africa Exhibition & Conference

October 7 - 9th saw Eko Hotel abuzz with experts, enthusiasts and retailers in the Beauty (Hair, Makeup and Spa) Industry. I really enjoyed how the 3 day event had been organized with each beauty category having its own day for business talks, live demonstrations, training and Q & A sessions.

First day of the conference had the Makeup experts talking, teaching, doing live demo's and fielding questions from a lot of enthusiastic audience members. I got there pretty late in the day on the first day as I just wanted to have a look round and get a feel of what was going on.

 Panel of experts on this day included Fatima Mamza (Mamza Beauty) Tara Fela - Durotoye (House of Tara) Lola Maja Okojevoh (My Sacred Beauty) Bimpe Onakoya (Bimpe Onakoya Makeup), Khuraira Musa (Khuraira Cosmetics) and Eryca Freemantle (International makeup artiste and Global Beauty Ambassador)

Second day had Hair so of course you know I had to be there early! :) I got there as the business talks were going on and it was quite enlightening and inspiring listening to some of the panel members talk about their stories and how they got to where they are today.

ORS Straightening and Strengthening System - First Impressions.

Okay so I'm sure I've spoken about the amino acid based thermally activated strengthening systems that are getting popular by the minute. At the moment in the salon we use the Design Essentials Strengthening Therapy System as the professional line but of course as with everything, companies will create an 'at home' alternative.

The ORS system is the second at home system I've come across (the first one being the Beautiful Textures one I spoke about in this post) and while it's pretty much the same technique as the Beautiful textures, there's an added product step in this system.

Anyways Detuke who blogs at tukesquest.blogspot.com came in today, all excited about trying out this straightening system. Her plan was to straighten her hair and then fix a weave so straight from NYSC camp, she showed up all smiles and infectious bubbly energy.

Having Natural Hair = No Braids or Weaves?!

It's funny how in the last 4 weeks since I've had braids, I've had mixed reactions from people who haven't seen me rock braids since I went natural.  A number of people actually stop me, call me or send me messages asking me why I have braids on if I'm supposed to be natural??

I was mystified the first time it happened actually - I mean is there a memo somewhere that I missed?




I say this because a number of them actually spoke with forceful authority as to how I have no business with extensions in my hair since I'm supposed to be 'natural' lolllll

I've come to take it in my stride or laugh it off when I'm not in the mood to explain but when I am, all I say is , braids and weaves are a form of 'protective styling' that can be worn by anyone whether natural, relaxed or transitioning. They help you retain length as you don't have to worry about daily styling manipulation.

Sometimes they way I'm asked is akin to my being accused of betraying a trust/code or something - mind you, most times these questions are from non natural peeps so it makes me wonder how they came about their own interpretations of what it means to have natural hair.

Fun At The Savvy And Chic Garden Party!!

My Floral Dress :)

Lovely Set Table with us lovely ladies having a chat :)

It was fun all the way at the Savvy and Chic Garden Party yesterday evening (then the rain tried to ruin it all but we overcame! lol)

Beautiful Dabs

To bring everyone else who hasn't read the previous posts up to speed: Dabs the lady behind naijahaircangrow.com, The Savvy and Chic Hub and The Savvy and Chic Magazine, decided to bring a few bloggers together to have a chilled time, talking, networking and pretty much learning from one another. She'd also given each blogger the opportunity to bring one of their readers as a +1.

Gotta show my toned legs :)

From the minute I'd received the invitation from Dabs, I knew I would be in for a pleasant visual stimulation  - the card was all pretty and floral and when she said the theme for the day was 'Florals' she certainly wasn't joking!

'Damage Be Gone' Natural, Home Made, Deep Conditioning by Olori.

I love all the fantastic natural cosmetic products that local entrepreneurs are producing and promoting - it's a testament to the growing awareness on healthy living and our desire to take better care of ourselves.

I got a hold of the deep conditioner 'Damage Be Gone' earlier on this year, used it and loved it!  I was attracted to it because it's made of natural products, can be used in a variety of ways and can be used on different types of hair! Recently I met the lady behind the products and we've concluded plans for KL's Natural Beauty Bar to retail the products!

According to their really cute 'call card' the product 'deeply moisturizes to improve the texture of hair as well as restore its lustre and shine. It is also gentle enough for little princesses ages 2 and upwards'

The conditioner comes in  3 different sizes - a large 27 oz Family Size tub, a 13 oz tub and a 6.7 oz tub. Now, it is mainly made up of natural butters and oils which means it's very rich in it's composition and consistency - you don't need to slather it on the way you would regular conditioner so you get a lot of uses from each tub.

Back at the Afterburn Bootcamp!!

Honestly, I battled with this one for a while. I did the Boot camp earlier this year as a way to jump start my fitness regime and it helped a great deal! I lost inches round my waist and hips, toned up my arms and legs and got my endurance and fitness levels up.

After it was done, I continued at home, using a few of  Jillian Michaels' DVD's ( my favorites being '6 week, Six pack' and  '30 Day Shred') I managed to get even more toned and developed my very own six pack!!!

I was so happy when I got here!

Alas, trouble started brewing when I started getting bored with Jillian Michaels; I'd skip a few work outs and do some push ups and core work instead (but for shorter and shorter periods of time)

And the winner of Our First Giveaway Is........

Coming later than planned but today has been one of those excruciatingly long days that hasn't ended yet as I have some prepping to do for my bride tomorrow morning.

So I got 5 entries  - out of which 4 were correct (The title of my first post was 'Hair We Go' not 'Here We Go' :) and using the random number generator, I'm excited to say, we have a winner!!

Caring For Your Hair While In Braids.

Source

Five or so years ago, I went to get some braids installed and opted for a deep condition first .The hairdresser  mixed the deep conditioner she was going to use with some Shea butter and put me under a steamer for a deeper penetration of the conditioner. I probably  had the style in for about six - eight weeks and I remember the day I took it out at the salon, I noticed (and my hair dresser also remarked) that my hair seemed to have grown about an inch and a half.

I'm a lover of braids so I figured I'd  get another deep condition with Shea butter (hey! it was the magic ingredient), go get 'million braids' leave them in for longer and witness another 'miracle' when I took them out. The day I took them out, I immediately went to get a relaxer - so I could see the 'true' length of my hair.

I will never forget how when the hair was being combed with the relaxer in, it seemed as if surely, someone had hidden a blade in the teeth of the comb! The amount of hair that came out!!! I still see clearly in my mind's eye, how they put all the hair mixed with relaxer on the instruction sheet of the Relaxer kit as if to say 'well if you can't see it on your scalp, have a look at what could've been)

Of course by the time I washed and styled, my hair was shorter than when I got the first set of braids that got me so excited!

Needless to say I thought the magic could be recaptured if only I remembered the exact deep conditioner that my hairdresser used that first time - I thought maybe the Shea butter worked better with that one.... and so began this search for THE conditioner that surely was the one that would make me grow rapunzel like lengths.

Our First Giveaway! A chance to hob nob at the Savvy and Chic Garden Party.

ooooohhhhh!!! I'm so excited I'm fit to burst! lolll. Okay so I got an invitation from the lovely lady behind naijahaircangrow and Savvy and Chic Magazine - Dabs; to be a part of the Savvy and Chic garden party holding on Sunday September 28 at 3pm.

Now the event is strictly by invitation and  I've been given the added pleasure of picking one lucky reader to come with me :)

The dress code is  STRICTLY FLORALS and this has to be adhered to as they plan on (maybe) featuring pictures from the event in the next issue of their magazine.

Building A Healthy Hair Regimen

I've probably spoken about this in different ways in different posts on the blog but I've noticed that a number of people still struggle with figuring out what to do and when to do it and what product to use at what point.

I believe the first thing that needs to be settled in anyone's mind before building a regimen is the level of commitment you're willing to make. There is no point in deciding to do so many things that will take up some 3 hours every other day in the week when you don't really have that time to hand. Some people have more time to give than others and that's fine. All that needs to be done is to tailor the regimen to suit your time and your needs.

The main steps to consider in your regimen building are:
1. Cleanse
2. Condition
3. Moisturize
4. Protect

Finally got my braids in - Protective Styling Continues!

Finally! After weeks of sticking my fingers in my hair, 2 protective style fails and an intense bout of twice weekly conditioning; my tresses have finally been put away in my favorite protective style of all time - braids!!! Yay!

For about 3 weeks leading up to this time, I switched up my regimen a little - deep conditioning my hair about twice a week and  since I didn't want to shampoo till I was ready to braid; I would pre poo overnight with my oil of choice (Njoy on scalp and coconut/brahmi oil on hair) and  in the morning, I'd slather on deep conditioner to my hair, cover with a plastic cap and then use my heating cap for about 30 mins to an hour. I'd then rinse the deep conditioner out, co wash, apply my oil mix to damp hair ( coconut oil, Olive oil, Avocado oil, Castor oil, Jojoba Oil and Rose hip seed oil) and then follow up with either my Kimmaytube mix or just the Kinky Curly Knot Today leave in conditioner.

I normally use this with my Rhassoul Clay wash mix but it's packed full with so much goodness, I decided to add some to my oil mix for daily use.

I was wearing a wig in this period so my hair was always in about 7  or so plaits and in the evening I'd oil the length of my hair with my oil mix. Using the LOC method (Liquid, Oil, Conditioner layered in the hair in that order) on my wash days actually helped me retain moisture in my hair for longer! So all I had to do in the days following was just oil my hair for added strength without having to remoisturize. It's definitely something I'm going to incorporate again when I take down my braids.