Cleopatra; queen, wig and protective style

Good day to you, I love mid-week holidays

I slept past 5.00am for the first time in ages.. I feel amazing.

So I'm currently obsessed with all things ancient Egyptian; I subconsciously bought a Cleopatra inspired wig not too long ago... I've been reading up on the most famous Queen of the Nile and I gotta say, there was one broad with sass and swag. From milk baths and body cleanses to consultations with prostitutes, Cleopatra knew how to drive men wild (case in point one Julius Caesar and his good buddy Mark Antony).

My favorite Cleopatra movie has to be the 1963 Cleopatra sensation with lead actress as the divine Elizabeth Taylor. How perfect is that, one of my favorite actresses of all time playing such a powerful feminine figure, this is one of my best all time go-to, stuck-at-home-sick movies.

Ok, for those of you who might be slightly peeved at the fact that a caucasian female played the role of a great African queen (I got over it), worry not; I threw in this image for you..

I believe this is a more historically correct depiction of the Queen :)

With inspiration for Cleopatra, let me introduce my wig.. I love this thing, it's been there for me in board meetings, awkward dates, low days and most importantly helped take care of my precious curls.. My wig Cleopatra (never Cleo, just Cleopatra)

BAM! I tried to do my eyes all dark teehee!

I love this wig! I can hide just about anything under there! Its human hair so its oh so soft and doesn't irritate my skin. I wash it on Sundays and deep condition it once every two weeks (that's right folks, I love it like it's my own).

Wanna know whats hiding under there?

Cornrows!!! The thing I love about wigs is that I can actively take care of my hair after work and on weekends while hiding it away from the elements... the results speak for themselves. Guess who finally hit shoulder length people... I DID!! (pics coming soon :D)

Here are some more pics of me and Cleopatra...

It's long at the front and shorter at the back...

I call this the Cleopatra beam... BEAM!!!

Geeked up and ready for work.

Peace Y'all

xoxo

Dreaming of fringes and weaves

Hola mamis and papis,

Great weekend?I know I may seem to be number one enemy of weaves, but I think I want one...sigh does that make me a hypocrite, I hope not. I am just tired of doing my hair and not knowing what to do with it. So this weekend I have decided to embark on a full blunt fringed weave...inspired by the pictures below,

Essence

Eat, Pray, James!

A few weekends ago, Mary and I went to watch Eat, Pray, Love (big up to a special lady who made it happen, you know who you are lol). To say that the movie changed my life may sound a bit cliche but it truly did. Would you like to find out more about the book and movie....hell yes? well here are the links, better yet go watch it at the cinema (vodka snuck into the theatre optional!)

Trailer

The highlight of the movie apart from learning to love oneself and embracing every moment that life throws at you wholeheartedly.....is James Franco and another actor that I shall do a post on shortly. James Franco is AH-MA-ZI-NG.....wharr a guy (smouldering, damn intelligent, sexy....the list is endless). I sat through Pineapple express just to watch him act as a weed head. If Idris Elba is my number one in hot black men well James Franco is definitely toping the Caucasian list lol.

I shall leave you with the pictures below, this should make your mediocre Friday morning perfect!!

weheartit

Happy Friday Lovelies

Introducing Zain.. drum roll please

Hi all,

As you know nothing brings me greater joy than witnessing and presenting another newly natural into our midst. Today, it brings me great pleasure to welcome and introduce Zain; a friend, fellow blogger, semi-newly natural sister and over-all really cool and awesome chic...

Zain is one of those gorgeous tom-boys who need no effort to look frickin' amazing.. her Arabic gene background is reflected in her thick, deep dark curls.. I can't wait to see her hair grow out... Enough said. Here she is a brief insight into her Big Chop...

1. Why and when did you first relax your hair? What is your hair story BEFORE your BC?

I relaxed my hair first in 2005 just before my O level exams. Before that, i had it natural, occasionally blow dried, mostly plaited. I relaxed it, to get a new look. Plus then, it just seemed like the easier, more sophisticated option. Aah, to be young. I've never ever been a big fan of the salon, and i'm a bit tom boyish so i was usually that 18 year old with the ridiculous growth for a while before i realised i needed to start taking care of it if i wanted to still have hair at some point.

Before the BC, it was the same thing every year: January - Cut my hair, May - Colour it ; from Aug- let it grow back and plait a bit till Dec then i do it all over again in January. I get bored really really fast, can you tell?

Before the BC

2. What made you decide to finally do the Big Chop? What were your feelings and thoughts when you did it?

Three Things:

a) Mary's hair looked amazing plus she's like a walking PR person for the natural hair movement. Relentless!! lol.

b) Seeing Naomi Campbell's alopicia! lordy, lord! i wanted to still have hair at that age. Gaddaym!

c) I had coloured my hair twice at the beginnning of this year. I was warned that it'll make my hair very weak so i was in the salon religiously every weekend, treating and conditioning but that didnt do much. My hair was extremely weak and had thinned out by July and in August I randomly decided to go BC. I was apprehensive since i have a "five-head" and wasn't too sure how i'd look but i LOOOOOOVED it! *sigh* Don't know why i waited this long.

Just after the chop! August 2010. Freeedoooom...

3. What reactions have you received since doing the BC from your friends and family?

Friends and family are used to me changing my look every so often but it's been positive, so far. I've had a few people asking "Why", and i'd just shrug and say "Why not?". I have one friend who wants to go BC now as a result so..yeah, viva la revolution! lol

Watch it grow!!! Late September 2010

4. What products do you currently use?

I know this will get any decent natural girl's stomach churning since there's like a regiment of products and armory of oils and conditioners and such but, I'm really quite horrible with keeping track of all these products and spritz. Generally, i wash my hair every morning with conditioner, and apply some coconut, rosemary and olive oil and thats it for the day. Oh and ECO styler every so often...i know i have it around somewhere.

after a wash

5. What are your natural hair goals?

I'm split between keeping at this length and letting it grow. I guess i'l know when i know. Bottom line, i want it thicker and healthier whatever length i decide to keep it at. I'm getting there :). Wait, i lie. I just realised, at some point, i would very much like to rock a Big Ass Afro.

close up

6. What is the best thing for you about being natural?

Gosh, where to start, No Salon time! No dryer! aaah, those things were the bain of my existence. But best thing ever, being able to wash my hair every single day. No more matrix moves in the shower to make sure the water doesnt touch the hurr. Quite liberating. lol. Its the little things. Its the little things :)

in corn-rows.. yep, corn-rows!

Natural and loving it. Peace yaol!

Thanks for reading!

Be sure to check out Zain's blog on http://zainszen.blogspot.com/

Be warned though, shes not entirely normal... seriously.. it's a damn good read though!!

Take care!

Yay to BCers

How Exciting!! On of our loyal readers just BC'd for those who are new to this..BCing basically means chopping all your hair off as you start a natural hair journey. Its very liberating and so exhilarating.

Her name is Ragamami aka Wangari. Here's her story

1. Why and when did you first relax your hair? What is your hair story BEFORE your BC?

This is not my first BC...but im hoping its my last :-) I first relaxed my hair when i got into high school because we were not allowed to braid it and it was pretty tough to comb it every morning (ouch!) so i took the option to relax it but that was a bad idea simply I couldn't very well manage the maintenance it required while in boarding school so it was in terrible condition. I have cut my hair over the years every time a relax style doesnt work out ( My scalp gets over sensitive and itchy, the hair falls out in patches and its very very dry) I had to go to the salon every week to keep it in shiny soft condition (that's the first pic) and i hated spending so much of my precious weekend time there. Strange thing is every time after i cut it i felt so free and happy until i grew it a bit longer then i would go back to the relaxed hair because i thought i couldn't maintain it in a natural state. This time i am armed with a lot of info (thanks girls! and Google) and i am ready to take it on. I think i have finally learnt my lesson. Relaxed hair is not for me and my poor sad scalp! Also I think i will get more satisfaction out of gaining length with natural hair.

Ragamami relaxed

2. What made you decide to finally do the Big Chop? What were your feelings and thoughts when you did it?

The biggest reason is my daughter. She has beautiful shoulder length natural hair but she kept looking at people on TV and in magazines and telling me that she wants her hair to be like theirs (usually weaves and Caucasian hair). I figured that if i am to teach her to love herself how she was made i would have to be an example and do the same! The last straw is when we went to the salon with her and she had to be braided and blowdied..i was feeling the pain! Next day her hairline looked like it had been over pulled. I was not happy with that at all.

I had thought of transitioning coz thats the less painful route but when i undid my last braids, it just had to go. I like the idea of starting on a clean state. It wasn't so hard for me, emotionally because I had done it before, chopping it off. I must confess i am a short hair junkie and sometimes barbers have to stop me from going completely bald :-) The difficult thing for me is believing that i can grow and maintain natural hair. But i am willing to try and see. So this is an experiment of sorts as well. I feel very free and happy with the cut all things considered.

3. What reactions have you received since doing the BC from your friends and family?

My sister and my friend were at home when i came back from the salon and they seemed pretty ok with it. Other people just ask me why or (lol) 'whats wrong?' and i wonder why people take it so personally as if you have lost a part of yourself! Anyway nothing to extreme so far. I think that my sister might go natural too, she has started thinking about it but she would most likely transition which is the route she prefers (she has done it before too!)

4. What products do you currently use?

Gosh! i have to learn these things from scratch now...I was using Venus products mostly but I went shopping and bought a lot of stuff to take care of natural hair, e.g. olive oil, castor oil, henna, etc etc over the weekend. Cant wait to try it. I tried the olive oil and castor oil prepoo on my daughter as well as a glycerin and water spray while detangling and plaiting her hair and her hair is soft and on its way to being manageable and all this without any heat straightening. I am sure after a few months i will be able to answer this question with confidence :-)

5. What are your natural hair goals?

I want clean, bouncy hair and a healthy scalp that doesnt itch! A HUGE Afro would be really cool but first...baby steps.

6. What is the best thing for you about being natural?

I dont have to fear water so much! and also it feels like me and not like am forcing myself to be something Im not. I know its not for everyone and there are people out there who manage all types of hairstyles pretty well but i just cannot commit the time and money it would take for me to keep a relaxed style. I like being able to do my own hair. and i think it has more varieties for styles!

Ragamami after her Big Chop,Looking sooo pretty

A huge congratulations to Ragamami.

If you would like your story featured on here please email makedas.indulgence@gmail.com