Just wanted to let you guys know that we shall be at the Fashion and Beauty Expo on Saturday 2nd July at the Westgate shopping centre. Kurly Kichana shall be there at 1pm and looking forward to seeing you guys there, make sure to say hello!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Transitioners Guide to Natural Hair
Hey there,
This post aims to assist anyone who is thinking about going from chemically relaxed hair to natural hair, but isn't quite ready to do the big chop.
If this sounds at all like you... I implore you, keep on reading! So dear reader, let's get right to it shall we?
You need not undergo the Big Chop if you want to go from relaxed hair to natural hair, this decision is made solely upon ones discretion - I like options as much as the next girl; transitioning from relaxed to natural hair is one way of making the great switch over.
Source :http://www.maneandchic.com/
The Transitioners Guide to Natural Hair:
Here are a few reasons to opt for the transitory route:
1. The "shock" factor is greatly reduced as opposed to opting for a full BC. Some women are used to having a certain length of hair and are not quite ready for the short hair look. Transitioning allows you to grow your natural hair out to a length that you are comfortable with.
2. Transitioning also prepares ones loved ones for what is to come... It gives one the time to mentally prepare close friends and family for your new natural look.
3. If the state of your relaxed hair is still healthy, transitioning allows for a variety of styling options as one begins to reach their optimum natural hair length (be it one month or one full year, the choice is up to the individual really)
Human hair is a delicate and fragile thing, whatever state or type. This rings more true for those who are transitioning from chemically relaxed hair to natural hair. If not handled correctly, this period could lead to insane breakage and damaged hair. This is a critical time ladies, caution and care are the natural order. Here are the golden rules; know your products and tools, maintain minimal manipulation, avoid direct heat as well as tight hair styles that cause stress.
Sounds simple enough no?
One must learn how to manage both hair types. This will lead to healthy growth and minimal breakage. It is important to be mindful of the moisture/ protein balance - as is the case with natural hair. The key to balancing on this tight rope is sticking to a regimen that caters for both;
- Moisture -
Infuse as much moisture into your hair by carrying out weekly deep condition sessions. Relaxed hair loses moisture faster than curly hair due to its porous nature. Co-washing is a great habit to adopt right away, wash your hair with a hydrating or moisturizing conditioner as often as possible (2 - 3 a week if you please) take your co-wash sessions as the perfect opportunity to detangle your hair (when saturated in conditioner), detangle from tip to root using a wide toothed comb. Always follow up your shampoo sessions, protein and henna treatments with a conditioning session; this restores some of the lost moisture. Keep your hair moisturized every-other day with a leave-in conditioner and seal it with your natural oil of choice. Water/ aloe vera mix spritz is a great way to add that extra bit of moisture to your regimen.
- Protein Treatments -
Protein treatments are used to fortify the hair against breakage from regular manipulation, detangling and styling. It is advised that transitioners operate on a 6 week protein treatment schedule, this of course varies from person to person. Find out what works for you. Always rinse off ANY and ALL traces of your product thoroughly. Please note: if you would like to use henna, it is advisable to use body art henna on relaxed/ transitioning hair.
- Cleansing -
Some people wash their hair as often as once a week where others stick to their once a month rule. Whatever your preference, make sure you use a sulphate free shampoo. Alternatively, water-down your regular shampoo to minimize the drying effect. Pre-pooing is essential in preventing extreme moisture loss (douse your hair is a natural oil of choice- coconut or olive oil - let the oil sit for no less than an hour, proceed to shampoo). Be sure to rinse out ALL traces of the shampoo. Be sure to follow up a with a conditioning session.
- Trimming -
As you transition, you will find that you will tire of dealing with the two textures i.e. the relaxed ends and the new growth. You can start trimming off the relaxed ends slowly as your new growth comes in. Some people think that just because your hair is natural there is no need to trim.. this is a myth! The ends of your hair can get knots and split ends no matter how well you take care of your hair, this means you have to trim your ends every 6 weeks if possible.
- Styling -
Low manipulation has to be adhered to when transitioning. Avoid styles that cause stress to your line of demarcation, ponytails should beheld loosely and always style your hair with a gentle hand. Many transitioners opt to put in braided extensions or weaves during their transitioning period. Heed caution though, over-dependence on these protective styling methods could lead to subsequent traction alopecia. During breathing breaks (no braids or extensions) you have the choice of roller sets, braid outs, twist outs, and flexi sets, as they require little manipulation to maintain the styles and they blend the two textures seamlessly. If your new growth is extremely course, soak the hair with your spritz mix and seal it with a cap for about 20min, this will leave your hair softer and more manageable during styling.
ALWAYS sleep with a satin/silk bonnet or headwrap. Cotton pillowcases reek havoc on hair, especially transitioning hair, this is because of the friction/ rubbing action that tears away at your follicles causing breakage and nasty split ends.
Product Recommendations for Transitioners
- Organic Root Stimulator Aloe Shampoo - This shampoo leaves hair very soft and you only need to use a little to make sure your hair is clean
- LustraSilk Cholesterol Deep Conditioner - This product is cheap and works so well. You get a bucketful for your money and it works to make your hair soft and strong at the same time
- Organics Shea Butter Hair Lotion for kids - Slip, candy scent and great moisture, this product does it all. Can also be used for detangling because it has such great slip
- Bobby Pins - Updos are a transitioners best friend, best hairstyles for ladies who are transitioning is to start with a braid/twistout then create updo's with pins
- ORS Replenishing Conditioner - This is a great deep conditioner that comes as a god-send to most naturals
Ask any questions to kurlykichana@gmail.com or leave them in the comments
Monday, June 27, 2011
Protective Styling : Braids
| Protective styling can be beneficial to you hair and also gives your hair a well deserved break. Here are a fewtips to follow when protective styling be it braids, cornrows, or twists |
- Before putting your hair in any protective style, always clean and deep condition your hair with preferably a protein based deep conditioner to make sure your strands are stronger.
- If you have to blowdry your hair before you braid, always use a heat protectant.
- Make sure your braider does not braid your hair too tight especially on your edges
- Ensure that the braider uses equal sections of hair extensions and your own hair...if she uses too much hair on each section it can cause breakage due to the weight.
- Always moisturise your hair even in braids.Mix, water, conditioner and a few drops of essential oil in a spray bottle and use this to moisturise your hair and keep the itchies away
Hope you had a great weekend folks!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Update : Muli Musyoka
So I (Nyachomba) have just gotten off the phone with Muli Musyoka. He got my phone number from my cousin and after seeing the storm that was brewing on Twitter decided to ring me and settle things. I must admit, I was armed to the teeth with information ready to make sure that I could defend all of you kurlies whilst still calling him out.
Chatting to him was eye opening and below is what he had to say for himself,
- He does advocate for relaxed hair but also advocates for natural hair. Whilst working with ladies with relaxed hair, he encourages women to use chemicals correctly.
- He is in the production stage of getting out a product line for natural hair upon realising that at the moment in Kenya 3 out of 10 women are natural
- He aims to make sure that women are comfortable with their hair whether it is relaxed or natural and are able to go about with their activities e.g. swimming, gyming without fuss
- He recently did a piece on Citizen Tv about natural hair ( we are hoping to get clips or a transcript) and encouraged women to get on the natural hair wagon!
He says he is a trichologist and works mainly on hair loss issues. We believe that he should explain his statements. We are hoping to get an interview with him in the next few weeks.
NO! we have not been paid or arm wrestled or had guns pointed to our heads to say this, neither did he want to sue us. This is more like clearheadness and a need to be objective.
He tweets @MuliMusyoka
Trichologist? Oh No He Didn't!
NYACHOMBA:
Ignorance is an evil thing, when it affects people who influence others, its worse than satan's best friend! This afternoon we have received the following post on the Kurly Kichana facebook page from a concerned Kurlie!! Bigup to her!
So they had this hairdressing consultant guy on the Nation Television Kenya Morning Talk show talking about extensions and healthy hair in general. Then this poor girl named Carol, maskini (poor dear), calls in saying her has been natural for a year and a half now and because she doesn’t know what else to do with it, she’s been braiding, weaving and blow drying nonstop and was honestly just wondering what else she can do. I was like finally, an educated, well-spoken professional is gonna help her see the light. But alas, how terribly wrong I was! The guy had the nerve to start off by saying:“now I don’t understand why anyone would choose to leave your hair that way? (he laughs) there’s so many new technologies to ’soften’ African hair. I hope you know that African natural hair is kinky and next to impossible to maintain!”excuse me if it’s not a word for word quote but the jist is there. Btw, that’s not all! So what advice does he give this frustrated lady?"GET A RELAXER OR A PERM BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION FOR YOU!!"What the f%*k????!!! I am so pissed that this is what Kenyan women know or worst still think this is the only option! Then as a side bar, he says that he hopes that one day he’ll be able to convince the ladies he sees walking around with an afro to ‘tame’ their hair with some type of chemical?!!! I AM PISSED! I would definitely be rocking a fro today if it weren’t for these kinky twists in the hope that I would run into Muli Musyoka, praised techtologist, if that is even a ligit profession because my spell check is going nuts, just so I can give him a piece of my mind!!! I am pissed! We need a revolution. Did I mention how pissed I am?!
Upon seeing this Mary and I, were in SPARTA mode...ready to fight, swords out and all. This is the kind of thinking we are trying to banish. I mean this man is supposed to be quite learned and apparently a trichologist why then would he go ahead encouraging women to relax their hair......Hmm maybe because he endorses Haco Industries products with a Kshs 200 million budget...more marketing for relaxers, better sales for HACO and a hefty pay check for Mr Trichologist. Its such thinking that encourages self hate amongst black women, even worse african girls. As a true expert he should be objective and look at both sides of the coin..and encourage ladies to wear their hair how they want it..coz at the end of the day its a choice what to do with your hair!
MARY:
Man, where do I begin. (we had to do this post together, it's that serious yo)
First of all let me thank the natural Super Star for putting this out there. You. Are. Awesome.
Now let me give you the 'ugly' truth according to Mary... This man had the audacity to call out natural hair as some sort of slight. *Help me baby Jesus*. Mr. Trichologist and other like-minded individuals are the cause of women failing to appreciate themselves and their beauty. For all his years of education and as a self proclaimed expert on black hair care he dare speak with such folly. I say to him, "SHAME ON YOU". As a black man, who is interested in African beauty, one who has access to various media and reaches out to millions of women, how dare he speak with such authority and finality.
Just think of the other 'Carols' who saw this man stand up and disrespect African hair in such an abrasive and dismissive manner. The lies they were fed will impact them and their decisions. I am proper livid. As we've mentioned repeatedly, natural hair in Kenya still doesn't bode well with the majority of the population. If you have nothing nice to say, I implore you... PLEASE DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL.
What do you guys think about this? Nyash and I are drafting a letter... too much? We think not.
Thoughts, advise, opinions are all welcome.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Against Length retention!
We started this blog to share our experiences both negative and positive. One thing we have found is that we are not retaining as much length as we would like to and this would be because we slack on our regimens sometimes...life just gets ahead of you on the regular , sleeping with no headscarf on, slacking on moisturising, missing deep conditioning sessions, not detangling properly. These are all reasons that slow our length retention.
What little things do you think help length retention and how do you guys retain your length?
Twistout perfection
The joy of twistouts is their shrinkage busting abilities...this styling method can be used to embrace or banish shrinkage.
We got a post on fb about twistouts ; hey i need a step by step on doing the twist out..i have natural hair but it just shrinks....help!
Below are a few tips to perfect a twistout
- Before you start on the twists that will eventually lead to a twistout, make sure your hair is clean and deep conditioned. Start on properly detangled clean and wet hair
- Use a leave in conditioner before you start twisting, this will ensure you have a moisturised twist out after your hair dries.
- To bust shrinkage you can use some type of holding cream such as Ecostyler gel (non flaky) that will keep your hair elongated
- Seal in moisture in your twists with an oil or butter
- Take your twists out slowly..be sure to use some oil as you take them down.
- To preserve your twistout..make sure you sleep with a satin scarf
What tips do you have for great twistouts? Happy Monday!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Thoughts please; Men and Skinny Jeans
Skinny Jeans! Once banished to the 80's together with leggings, made a comeback about 4 years ago and are clearly here to stay! Most African women are a bit reluctant to wear them (due to being blessed with baby making hips and bums) not realising that curvy figures can look super in the right pair of skinny jeans.
Between the two of us, Mary and I have over 20 pairs of various kinds... super skinny, short, high waisted! We love our skinny jeans. We can dougie all day in em and look good doing it.
Now imagine this... you are off to meet the man who makes your heart go a flutter and as you approach him... you look down at his legs and there is a certain taper to his jeans, a tightness upon his calves and ankles... Dear Lord! He is rocking skinny jeans.
At this juncture, here are the thoughts that may/may not run through your head (depending on where you fall on the skinny jean debate);
a) Those jeans would look waaaay better on me.
b) (BUTT... )"Oh hi!".... (BUNS! CROTCH!)... "No, I haven't been waiting long." (I'VE SEEN TOO MUCH!)
c) Nice... Brother be looking like Lil Weezy. I like.
d) Damn homie...you're black with booty, they are NOT supposed to be that squeezed! As Jay Z said Cant wear skinny jeans coz my N**** won't fit!
e) Oh hell yeah! A man who defines his own style and originality, not a follower but swagster!
swagger360
Kurlies what say you on this skinny jeans conundrum, yay or nay? Would you be willing to share jeans with your brother, boyfriend/husband, friend? Comments please in reference to answers a, b, c, d or e! Or better yet, your own unique outlook to black men in skinny jeans.
Pics courtesy of googleimages
:-)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Mediterraneo
Mediterraneo, the unique Italian experience in the heart of Nairobi, brings you an unforgettable experience of true Italian dining. Set in its warm colours, it takes you back to the streets of Florence. Indulge in our specialties of great seafood, pasta and vintage wines. Source
If you are looking to get some great italian fare in Nairobi, Mediterraneo is the place to really challenge your tastebuds. With a menu that will get your tastebuds a melting, you will definitely get taken away, sat in Florence!
The menu reads like a great culinary experience filled with antipasti, pasta, pizza and second piatti (main courses with veal, lamb and steak)..the desserts are to die for! The prices range from 600- 1900. Highly recommended are the,
Tagliatelle al Granchio Alla Fiorentina - Tagliatelle with Lamu crab meat
Tagliatelle al Pesto Genovese - Tagliatele with Pesto
Romana Pizza
Capricciosa Pizza
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Shared Starter - Prawn Cocktail which was sooo yummy
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Mary went with the Pesto Pasta with Chicken |
Mary wishing I could be done taking pics already...so we could dig into the prawn cocktail
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Pizza with anchovies, abit too salty but great!
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How did I demolish that pizza!
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Mediterraneo has two branches one in Westlands and at the Junction mall. Take someone you love and wear adjustable clothing. One of the great restaurants in Nairobi with great service and super food!
Poetic Justice anyone?
If I manage to get a day off work, I will be able to get Friday off to get my braids done.We are on phase two of protective styling challenge and of course as usual we gotta get the box braids in. We shall give details later, and by the way girlies..do you know anywhere I can get really long braids or what brand of braids can I get that are as long as the ones below?
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Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Be a Mynx!!
Mynx Nairobi is a lovely little addition to the Westlands Mansions, What is it? A shop that may make you want to rob a bank, to cure the desire for the lovely dresses and shoes that Alfie the owner sells. Alfie sources her goodies from England and I almost left her shop with my bank balance going on the negative (couldn't buy anything, was too broke!). However she has an amazing eye for sexy dresses for your night out with heels, bags and accessories to match. She also stocks a lovely bag collection at very affordable prices.
Mynx clothing is being featured on most major publications such as African Woman so look out for them in the local magazines. Alfie is also a great stylist and offers a personal shopping experience which comes in handy for some of us who may be fashionably challenged.
To view more pictures, please visit Mynx Nairobi on Facebook
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Friday, June 10, 2011
Kurly Kichana Natural Hair Meetup: That hair...
There were just sooo many pictures!
Here are a few more I wanted to post. Enjoy!
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Pretty curls rock.
Enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Bangin' Twist Out
Hey!
So it's picture day at work today. Now you know I wasn't about to have my image forever immortalized as a representative for my awesome workplace in some raggedy old twists. Aww hell naw! As such, they had to come out a day ahead of schedule. Trust me I am not complaining.
I undid the twists this morning... and this is puffy 'bang' result I was sorta hoping for!
Behold a series of gratuitous pictures of myself :)
I pinned up the back with a couple of bobby pins, (every natural gal needs these little life-savers) and fluffed up the front. I always untwist using a bit of oil on my fingertips.
So that's it!
Oh, the days lip color of choice is Cover Girl Wetslick Amazemint - unwined rouge-haut. I love it. The mint flavor is, well, amazemint!
Enjoy your Thursday.
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