So you wanna be natural?

I really want to go natural with my hair.I dont have lots of hair but I think it would be amazing to do this as I have wanted to for so long.Kindly let me Know howI can turn this dream into reality and the cost of doing so initially.My hair is also thinning in front after the baby.

I love the way you write.Got to know you through Patricia Kihoro Big up.I really want to go natural soooooo bad but I have no clue how to mantain my hair or the products to use...Let me know how to go about it.

These are two comments we have received in the past few days. Most people are cautious about going natural because as you know our hair i.e. African curls can be very dynamic and hard to tame. Going natural can be scary at first but as you see the little curls and coils sprouting from your scalp it all gets soo exciting.

What you need to know about going natural;

• Maintaining natural hair can be difficult but with the right tools and products you can make it a breeze
• Natural hair is dry hence we need to incorporate a lot of moisture to the hair and the greatest moisturiser is ......wait for it....................................Water!!!
• Do not have preconceptions of your hair, everyones curls are unique and do not go looking at other ladies hair and think that yours will look that way.
• Create a regimen that includes, cleansing, deep conditioning and styling
• Never ever ever ever!!!! see how I reiterated that...NEVER comb your hair dry, thats asking for a bald head
• Try to minimise the amount of heat you use on your head.
• Stretch your ends as much as possible, and keep your hair in protective styles such as twists, braid outs and twist outs

Below are some links you could use to understand how to go natural

Transitioning

Natural Survival Kit

Moisturising Spritz

Regimen

Natural Hair Commandments

10 Hottest Black Eye Candy

Ladies you know Mary and I have your back...This post is for all you ladies that appreciate black men...from ebony to caramel skinned! This list is ranked and if you see more than two pictures of one of the men listed, they are the ones that make me i.e Nyachomba swooooonn.What does this have to do with natural hair...well they are all natural haired men...Methinks

1. Idris Elba; British Accent, Major swag and a dark chocolate frame. Number one any day of the week

2. Denzel Washington. I just had to upload a picture from Training day. Denzel as a bad guy...oh my!!

3. Trey songs: Neighbours know my name, Panty Dropper...Need I say more ladies. His smile ladies..his smile!!

4. Common Lonnie Rashied Lynn Jr. There is nothing common about this man. His music, muscles and moustache.

5. Tupac Amaru Shakur, a wounded soul that I would gladly take home and nurture

6. Lance Gross. I watched 1 and a half hours of a movie that I had no interest in just for glimpses of this guy in action. In case you would like to watch it, its Our Family wedding starring America Ferrera

7. T.I This is a wild card but better than putting Lil Wayne here...damn dont judge me for being attracted to swag which T.I has in bucketloads...and I'm I the only one to find out that he is really short.

8.Mehcad Brooks (google him ladies, preferably his images) This picture could please both male and female corneas.

9. Lupe Fiasco I know he is not exactly sexy but think of all the songs he would write you or the intriguing conversations to share with him

10. Don Cheadle. Talented actor and has a certain je ne sais quoi

Ladies I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed researching and writing this lol

Why are we not doing our own hair?

source

Happy Thursday peeps....weekends only a day away!!!

Over the past few hours more than 12, I have been in a daze of marshmallowey happiness...Yes I know I made up word teehee. Mary and I were mentioned in the newspaper, The Standard on September 22nd, I received a phone call just before I left the house for work with Mary on the other end telling me how we had received a full shout out in the newspaper from a lovely lady known as Patricia Kihoro, who shall be gracing the blog with her presence sometime soon. Mary and I are extremely grateful to Patricia for bigging us up lol

As I was chatting to my brother today, He mentioned something that I missed when reading the article that contained the shout out. Basically the article was showcasing famous Kenyan ladies (I shall not call them Celebrities), and how they take care of their hair. I must hand it to the Standard because they created a balance of 4 natural ladies and 4 relaxed. However apart from 3, the other 5 all had their hair done at salons.The ladies were Wahu, Amani, Linet (who is she????),Patricia Kihoro (big up), Tero, Avril (errmmmm who is she?), Adelle (yay, I know her) and Sarah Hassan (anyone obsessed with Tahidi high as I am lol). The relaxed ladies were Amani, Linet, Tero and Avril. I liked that Sarah Hassan who is stunning by the way!! advised ladies to go natural.Patricia and Adelle in my opinion were very honest in their answers and you could tell that they understood hair and were happy doing their own hair. Most of the ladies just mentioned products that they used e.g. Creme of Nature relaxer, African Pride, Motions.

You guys know that I am the full DIYer when it comes to all things hair and body. Unless I am having my hair roller set and trust me gimme a big a%* hair dryer and I shall do it myself, I do not like anyone doing my hair and I truly enjoy and love spending over 3 hours each Sunday doing my hair. I think this applies to Mary as well and to many ladies who have just begun their natural hair journey. I cant knock people who go to salons and have their own hairdressers because the beauty industry employs very many people. Think of all the salons in town and in every major estate.

The question I want to raise is are you willing to have a hairdresser put their hands on you and you are not very sure of their intentions and if they are truly qualified?

So very Thankful teehee

Totally having writers block...So ladies please smile at this funny picture.

Courtesy of http://weheartit.com/

Hair Update! Linda

Hi all, I hope your weekend was simply splendid.

Remember our friend Linda, well I thought it would be nice to show you a progress pic of her hair nine months later.. this was her hair after the hair consultation she had with us. Her hair was about two inches long.

thats too cute!

Since then she has actively taken care of her natural hair. She wasn't shy about calling me up whenever she had a question or whenever she was freaking out about her insecurities.. we all have them. But she stayed strong and used cornrows and kinky braids as her choice for protective styling.

Me: So tell me about your hair before you went natural.

Linda: Well, I had actually gone natural two years ago! I did the big chop because I was tired of the chemicals and the damage I was doing to my hair. So I cut it. The thing is though, I didn't know what the heck to do with my hair.. I thought it was hard and unmanageable and well, busted! I would braid it constantly and attack it with heat. I hated my hair and never showed it to the public.. In the end I wound up doing a second big chop last year.

Me: What has changed since learning about how to take care of natural hair?

Linda: omg! EVERYTHING! I learned a lot during the hair consultation with you and Nyash. I was kinda scared at first because the journey ahead would involve hard work, dedication and me showing my hair to people around me. But when I looked at how beautiful your hair and Nyashes hair was, I felt I needed to do this for myself. And so I did it!

Me: What response did you get from your friends and family?

Linda: Oh my folks loved it! And my friends were supportive. Over the months I would get so many compliments from my workmates and I found that my workplace accepted it as well. Honestly I was my own worst enemy when it came to my appearance. But as time progressed I absolutely fell in love with my hair.

Me: What is your product of choice?

Linda: I absolutely adore the glycerin, water and olive oil spritz. I use it every day and even more so when I had my kinky braids on. As for conditioners I love Alberto Balsam conditioners, the one with olive oil is my favorite.

Me: What does your regimen involve?

Linda: Co-wash three times a week, spritz every day (and night), I deep condition every Sunday and I shampoo once every three weeks.

Me: What is the best thing about being natural?

Linda: I love being different and all the while knowing that 'This is Me'. I love the positive attention and responses that I get and I love the feeling of self acceptance. My hair has never been this thick, this healthy or this dark! Its all so amazing!

nine months later...

Stretched!

Happy hair growing everyone!!!

Hey everyone! It's been a minute... How you been?

I recently returned from a wedding; a period in my life that I can compare to incarceration with hard labor, where my bridezilla sister was the tough-as-nails jail warden... it was beautiful though, in the end... (shout out to my AMAZING sister*)

So I'm back and bloggin! BAM!

I had me a full on AFRO-JEALOUS experience. I usually look at other women's hair with admiration and inspiration, but that day, it was straight up jealousy. I was doing a blow-out for the aforementioned sisters hair, when it hit me; MY hair is nowhere asPRETTY or AS LONG ... or so I thought.

Call it the green-eyed monster.. (her hair is so soft and curly *sigh*) or call it silly insecurity... at that moment I felt, like most little sisters do in the presence of their older established sisters, inadequate, with my one year old, not-a-TWA-but-not-yet-a-full-on-fro hair... the awkward phase. Now, she has been growing her hair for 4 years! I've only had my hair out for about one year and one month... so why was I beating myself up about it? Yeah yeah, I know I was being irrational but I had had it! After I was done with her blow-out, I won't lie, at that moment, maaaan I wish I had her hair.

Don't get me wrong.. I LOVE my hair, a bit too much actually. I just wanted it to be long and to grow fast and to look like the pretty ladies on Thursday Inspiration... and to look like my sisters.

As did my Sissie's hair, I whined and groaned about how much her hair was "better" than mine, she stopped me and looked at me like I was talkin crazy;

"What?!" she said, with a puzzled look on her face, "You're hair is so thick and dark! I actually wish my hair had as much body as yours." her hair is a combination of 3c and 4c curls, I'm a 4b sistah myself. (Below is a before and after, four month old twa (right) and 8 month old twa (left))

I blushed, (kinda hoping she would comment on my hairs dazzling shine I swung my head around for dramatic effect) instead she went on to add these uplifting words, she said...

"Mogz, your hair is lovely. Its got a quality thats definitive and unique to you. Love it, take care of it, or shut up... Ouch that hurts! Be gentle!" Smiling, I looked at our combined reflection and noted that my hair is beautiful and so is hers... we're just two different kinds of beautiful. I like it that way.

I love that girl... sucks to have her so far away :'(

NOW HEAR THIS! Naturals who ROCK... HARD!

This is real talk right here..

Janelle Monae is the quintessential jazz, electro, hip-hop - man, you CAN'T put a label on her artistry.. she simply is Janelle! I am loving this woman right here, everything she represents, her music, her look and of course her hair.

I read up on an interview she had on the Chicago Tribune site and I loved her more thereafter... " I chose an android because the android to me represents “the other” in our society. I can connect to the other, because it has so many parallels to my own life..."

I AM SO FEELING IT!

her song, "Cold War" struck me for its profound meaning. and she sings it with such passion.. I have to watch her live show someday. (Insert warm wishes and hopes here!)

Her signature tux, puff and of course the classic brogues shoes present her as an Artist who sells her music without the need to over-exude sexuality. But don't be mistaken, this is one beautiful sister with a sense of style that I adore. I think she sets a bar and is a positive example to people everywhere.

I could go on...

thats Janelle and Miss Badu... Two naturals who absolutely rock

I am buying these shoes.... I love me some brogues

hers are super cool... sigh. can you say "girl crush"!

xoxo

Body and Beauty Pressure

I hope you don't mind me bombarding you with videos, I was so moved by this particular video that I had to share it with you.

Please watch and comment. I would love to hear what you guys think

Love me some Makeup Looks

This aint makeup..but dang, that outfit is terrific (just wanted to use that word hehe)

Kelis is playing wit my emotions...might have to go dye my hair at this rate

Pictures courtesy of fuckyeahcurlscurlscurls, coco&creme

Are you all natural?

I was having a chat with my close friend about my skin (don't ask how it started lol), my friend then proceeded to say "Nyash you really like DIY". I thought about it for a while and its true I try to make my own products rather than spend money on chemical laden products from the beauty shop or supermarket shelf.

I will share the recipes I use for my skin and body.

Face

For my face, I do not use any kind of soap or soap based products unless I am really lazy at night and do not feel like washing my face which is very rare. I use the oil cleansing method OCM with a mix of Castor and Olive oil to cleanse my face in the evening. I have been using OCM for a while now and my skin is absolutely glowing, I can even walk out of the house without powder lol. I rarely get spots anymore and my skin looks more even.

To tone my skin I use a half and half mixture of Rose water and Lemon Juice (I should do a post on this). You can get rosewater from any supermarket and it costs Kshs 90. I use freshly squeezed lemon juice. This is my miracle elixir because it keeps spots away and fades dark blemishes/spots on my skin caused by years of fighting with my younger brother hehe. After using OCM at night I do not need to moisturise my skin....for more on OCM here are some links

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/

http://thenaturalgirlsguidetobeauty.blogspot.com/2010/05/oil-cleansing-method_27.html

http://moptopmaven.blogspot.com/2010/08/calling-all-mixtresses-want-to-ditch.html

In the morning I just wash my face with plain old water then tone with my rosewater and lemon juice toner and moisturise with a commercial moisturiser with sunscreen. I have to use a commercial moisturiser because with the toner you have to use sunscreen. More on that later.

I use good ol baking soda for my face scrub. Using baking soda is dirt cheap and works so well. A little can of baking soda is only Ksh 35. I use this about once or twice a week. I wet my face then put some baking soda on my palm and then rub it in gently on my face in little circular motions. After doing this my skin feels so soft.

Once a week I use a face mask. I make my own homemade masks with whatever is in the house. I have a few recipes i.e.

Avocado and Honey (Moisturising)

Honey (Moisturising)

Banana and honey

Yoghurt and Honey

Body

For my Body, I use any soap or shower gel I find in the bathroom. Once a week faithfully I scrub my skin with a homemade scrub that consists of a mix of Olive and Castor oil with sugar and some essential oil to make it smell yummy. Right now I am using ylang ylang which smells like a tropical paradise takes me away to a beach with a pina colada in my hand. Scrubbing your body once a week will make your skin glow and oh so soft.

I also try to use a body brush every day when I remember. Using a stiff body brush revs up your circulation making for glowier (yeah I made that word up) skin and is said to reduce cellulite which most women suffer from.

I moisturise every part of my anatomy with a mix of shea butter and coconut oil or just plain coconut oil every morning after I shower. I don't know if it makes a difference to my skin but I feel sick if I dont moisturise after I shower. I do not use any commercial body lotions and its cheaper for me in the long run to use this natural oils and butter and better for my body in the long run.

Having healthy skin also starts from the inside. I remember blogging a few months ago about how my skin was flaring up. I really do think this was due to my bad diet. Right now my skin is not perfect but is slowly getting there and I think its due to the following reasons,

• I eat a lot more fruits and vegetables and I am slowly getting rid of my meat intake.I am about 85% vegetarian right now
• I avoid dairy and do not drink and eat as much dairy products
• I have incorporated flax seeds in my diet which are rich in omega 3 and 6 oils which are very beneficial for skin. I buy them for Kshs 180 for 200gms from Healthy U. I chew about a tablespoon every morning
• I drink at least 2 liters of water everyday
• I try as much as possible to exercise which is very good for blood circulation and better skin

The video below is heavily influenced by US laws on cosmetics etc but I think everyone across the world can learn a lot from it. Please watch it and re think all the chemicals you use on your skin

Pictures courtesy of fuckyeahcurlscurlscurls