NOTD: Feeling blue....

I decided to close my eyes and pick a nail colour this evening because I usually spend ages agonising over which colour to use. I randomly picked a colour that happened to match my mood...

I know my feet are hideous but I just love this colour. (Barry M 294 Cyan Blue)

I have been feeling rather blue these past few days simply because my holiday is over and I'm back at work tomorrow morning. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my job but I've really enjoyed spending time with my son and boyfriend and just chilling out and relaxing.

This holiday again confirmed that I desperately want to work in fashion as that is where my heart is.

 I've really got to think long and hard about what I have to do to make it happen.

 

Anyways on a cheerier note, Barry M are bringing out some new colours to add their already amazing colour collection including magnetics, denim and multi glitter.

 I'm so excited I can barely breathe! LOL

More Hairy Shenanigans: Products that I am currently using...

Part of my hair journey is finding out which products work for my hair and which products don't, so I have literally spent a small fortune in my quest for the perfect products. 

So far I think it's too soon to say which products I will be eventually eliminating, but I thought I'd share some of the products that I have discovered and enjoyed using so far and explain how I use them.

Organic Root Stimulator replenishing conditioner and Vatika Egg hair mask

Both conditioners are light protein conditioners which you can use every other week after shampooing.

 I've used the Replenishing one for years and I've always liked how soft it made my hair feel. I've only used the Vatika conditioner once and I am in absolute like with this product. I genuinely felt that after I had used it, my hair cuticles seemed stronger and slightly thicker. I think both products are pretty effective especially when combined with heat as it penetrates each strand of hair better.

Breakage defence shampoo and luxurious moisture conditioner

I think the shampoo is pretty effective and I adore the smell of it, however I had to add Jojoba and Castor oil to the conditioner to achieve adequate moisture. Although I will use it again (simply because I hate WASTE) I don't think it was made with Afro hair in my mind.

Another organic root stimulator product

Again, I've used this product since forever and it is one of the only moisturisers that my hair actually cooperates with. It is sooo thick and creamy that it gives long-lasting moisture which is brilliant for my parched hair. I use it generously in the morning and at night where I make sure it soaks the ends of my hair which are the driest parts. I do the baggying method at night, which is simply covering your ends with a plastic food bag overnight to retain moisture. Although this sounds ridiculously tedious, what I found out is that although black hair grows, the ends are the bits that break off due to drying out which makes it seem that our hair cannot be long.

Some of the essential oils I either add to other products or use to seal my ends.

I use Jojoba and Coconut oil to seal the ends of my hair and use as a pre-poo ( a pre-proo prepares the hair for shampooing, making sure the shampoo doesn't strip the hair of all its natural oils) and I add peppermint oil to my conditioners which opens up the scalp and stimulates growth. I know it sounds crazy but you can seriously feel it working!

OMG!!! I absolutely swear by this product, I really do. This is a Nigerian product that I discovered a few years back and I absolutely LOVE it. Although it contains petroleum, I think the benefits of the menthol and mint in this product outweighs the bad. I used to smother my hair with this and it used to smell rather dodgy, but now I literally use a tiny amount on my finger tips and massage my scalp with it for about 5 mins every night, you can really feel the menthol and mint opening up your scalp pores (if that's what they're called),

Deep moisture shampoo, Provitamin leave-in conditioner, balancing moisturizer conditioner and Deep protein 2 step conditioner.

Word on the Afro hair grapevine is that Aphogee products prevent breakage. 

I would say that the shampoo really does the job with moisturising my hair and the leave in conditioner leaves the hair feeling oh so soft, but in terms if breakage, I'm not quite sure yet. 

The protein 2 step conditioner is very strong and can only be used every 6-8 weeks. I used this last week and I do actually believe that it will work if used often. After washing my hair, I applied the 2 step treatment to my whole hair and sat under the dryer for 15 minutes, not only was the smell revolting, it left my hair really, really hard, which kinda scared me (even though it pre-warns you that it will happen). After washing it out with warm water you use the balancing moisturiser, leaving it on for 2 minutes then washing it out, this balances out the aggressive protein of the first conditioner. I must admit it did leave my hair feeling stronger and thicker but the smell was utterly rank!

Nourishing conditioner, Argan oil and strength and shine leave-in conditioner.

I just bought these the other day and can't wait to try them out. I've been hearing a lot of positive things about Argan oil products and they smell absolutely heavenly. These will form part of my moisturising conditioning routine and I'm thinking of mixing them with the Tresemme conditioner so it won't go to waste. 

I'll keep you posted!

Another product (protein conditioner) I've been using for years. I heart this product so much!

I apologise for rambling on about my hair routine but I hope to inspire others to looking after their Afro hair. every time I see that picture of Naomi Campbell with the front of her hair practically non existent, it makes me feel quite sad because I know a lot of black girls out there have given up on their natural stresses and need to understand that we don't have to accept balding, breaking, battered locks!

I promise no more hair shenanigans for a while LOL xXx

Hair Shenanigans...

I've been meaning to do a hair related post for a while and just haven't gotten round to it for some reason. I feel that it just has to be done now especially since I decided to take the plunge and start looking after my real hair.
Yes, I said it, my real hair!

 For the last 3 years or so I had completely given up on my God given tresses because I was fed up and frustrated with my Afro hair. It seemed that no matter how much I looked after it and nurtured it, it would always rebel and do its own thing. I had also developed the thinking that black hair simply cannot and will not grow long and as a lover of long, flowing hair I decided that wearing a weave would be the solution to uncooperative hair.

 So that's what I did!

I accepted that my long hair would come courtesy of some Brazilian woman I did not know and I wouldn't care what was happening underneath it all.

With my signiture deep curly Brazilian hair

This all changed about 6 weeks ago. I had a conversation with one of my best friends who told me she had started a hair journey which required her to look after her own natural hair. Like me, she is also a lover of long Brazilian weave so I was intrigued to find out more.

 She started telling me about all the research that she had been doing on black hair and the strategies and advice that she had learned in order to achieve not only long hair, but hair that is healthy and maintainable.

Soooooo, I decided to join her on this journey and I will share some of my new hair regime with you guys.

To prepare myself for this rather gruelling regime, the first thing that I did was to take out my very precious and very expensive weave, which was the difficult part because I usually hate people seeing me without it. 

 I then relaxed my hair which I hadn't done in almost two years and began following these 10 tips I learned from hair expert and Vlogger Julie Oli of Healthy Afro Hair:

1. Wash your hair weekly. If you've got Afro hair, like me, you probably thought this was ridiculous!  A common belief (misconseption) is that our hair doesn't need to be washed frequently, especially when you think of the shrinkage, the stress, the drying etc... However I am deeply committed to the cause and I can say I am washing my hair weekly and I am reaping the results. What a lot of Afro's don't realise is the fact that because our hair requires so much product, it is imperative that we don't allow this to build up as this will suffocate the scalp and minimise growth.
2. Condition your hair weekly, alternating between a moisturising conditioner and a protein conditioner. This all felt like a whole load of jargon to begin with, but it is now making so much sense. Hair is dead protein and using a protein conditioner helps to strengthen the hair and since Afro hair tends to be dry, a moisturising conditioner is necessary to add that extra bit of moisture.
3. Protective styling. Keeping your hair in a ponytail or bun to avoid friction with clothing. It makes so much sense when you actually think about it.
4. Air drying. This was the hardest part for me. When my hair dries without heat, it is a frizzy mess, but again, I am persevering and reaping the benefits.
5. Taking vitamins. I am currently taking Biotin which is good for hair, skin and nails. I've only been taking it for a while but my hair does seem a little thicker.
6. Keeping your hair moisturised. Absolutely essential! Our air breaks when it is dry, so I've began moisturising morning and night.
7. Massaging your scalp. I did think this was a load of hocus pocus but I've been doing it, not sure of the benefits yet, but it apparently stimulates growth.
8. Avoid greasing your scalp. It apparently clogs up the hair follicles and stumps growth, which makes sense.
9. Avoid trimming your hair too often. I was more than happy to do this one because whenever I would ask for a trim at the hairdressers, it always felt like a cut, that made me want to cry!
10. Avoid using alcohol (which is a drying agent) and petroleum. I'm not sure why petroleum isn't good for black hair but I've been hearing that from so many sources lately, I think it has to do with the fact that it prevents moisture being sealed into the actual hair strands. 

 I've been following these tips and doing a whole load of other things for about 5 weeks now and although my hair isn't down to my backside yet, I can say it is feeling thicker, stronger and very healthy indeed.

I'm not saying I will never wear a weave again, (because I most definitely will!) but my real hair is definitely a priority now and I will be making sure that it is looked after and in the best of health always.

I will be posting about some of the products that I have been loving  and using very soon...

Weave-free moi, and no I am not bald, my hair is pulled up into a bun!

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Completely Obsessed: TnE Jewellery

My love for big, bold, gold earrings is no secret! In fact when it comes to earrings, my mantra is the bigger the better and if it's gold, I'm sold! (Sorry for the cheese LOL) 

I recently came across an amazing company called TnE Jewellery that I had to share with you guys because I am seriously obsessed. They make celebrity inspired earrings that are right up my street and I cannot wait till the end of the month when I will purchasing possibly a few pairs.

The gold are my favourites obviously, but I think the neutral beads are great for summer.  I can imagine them teamed with a racer back black maxi and I think wearing your hair with a bun definitely allows the earrings to stand out.

The beads are even more stunning up close, I think I am in LOVE with the black ones as well!

 

Another amazing pair of earrings inspired by Evelyn Lozada from Basketball wives, I just love how 'blingy' they are.

  What I love the most about TnE earrings are fact that they are so stunning and in your face (in a good way) that they will literally make whatever you are wearing come to life.
To be honest I think I've pretty much found my birthday earrings and I cannot wait to rock them!

To order from TnE Jewellery simply add them on facebook and inbox or comment on the pair that you are after or call them on 07960818727 and that's pretty much it!

Thursday's pick of the Week...

This week's pick of the week is a no brainer and I can't believe that I haven't blogged about it before! It's the £3.99 body con skirt from H&M that I have in almost every single colour! Seriously, I have the black, the navy, the grey, the mud like grey taupe colour, navy pinstriped and I am after the red and the green which I hope to get this month.

This skirt is my go-to item when I cannot figure out what to wear, it goes with practically everything in my wardrobe and can be dressed up with sexy heels or dressed down with a pair of converses.

You seriously can't go wrong with this skirt and it flatters and accentuates my figure which I am eternally grateful for.

Get Involved if you haven't already!!!