Move over Tressemme Naturals!!!

I'm not even going to act like it's been ages since I last blogged. I'm just going to get on with it :P

So for a while Tressemme Naturals has been part of many natural haired ladies arsenal. Seeing that it is a commercially available silicone free brand that's easily accessible, I can understand the obsession. I too had it as part of my arsenal, and used it whenever I could. Although I must say most stores stopped including them as part of their sale items *side eye*, and seeing that I'm ijebu, I often looked for a suitable cheaper alternative. (Hello herbal essences).

So about 2 weeks ago, I was strolling through the aisles at my local supermarket when saw this baby. As I picked it up, to look at the ingredients, I was lured to put it in my shopping basket seeing that it contained a combination of coconut milk/oil and aloe vera, but even more, that it was silicone free like it's cousin 'tressemme naturals'. 

Looking at the ingredient list and comparing the two, apart from the numerous preservatives and obvious coconut milk/oil in the botanique range, I noticed that it contained aloe vera 'leaf juice powder' as opposed to the aloe vera 'leaf extract' in the naturals range. Furthermore, the botanique range contains glycerin, a humectant that helps keep moisture, whereas the naturals range does not.

What was interesting to note was that as I was looking for a pic of the bottle to post on here, I noticed it had started to make the rounds in the youtube community. I'm sure that they have discovered what I have too ;) 

You see, for a silicone free product, this conditioner has got A LOT of slip, (say what?) It is perfect in every sense of the word, from the soft coconut-y scent, to the Goldilock-sy consistency- You know, not too thick and not so thin as to leave your hair barely coated. It coats really well making detangling feel like you're on a beach in the caribbean. It really is that good and right now this minute, I don't think any conditioner comes close.

So if you haven't tried it out I would GREATLY implore you to get yourself a bottle. If you are based in the UK, it is sold in most supermarkets as well as good ol' boots who are having an online sale now if I may add.

So in Naija lingo, 'Grab your copy NOW!!!!!'

xoxo

Ms Jay

So, what's up doc?

Wow...life really has happened over the years and time and time again I've thought of closing this blog, but after reading through some of my old posts and having my heart smile so hard till it hurt and as well as bringing back some emotions I felt some 3-4 years ago, I realised that this really is something special. I can go on and rant about whats been happening since 2013, which I'm sure some would love to hear, but I will be modest, mysterious and lady-like and keep things quiet.

SO NATURAL HAIR, ay? I am still natural, but have not been enjoying the journey of late. I recently took out my braids of 2 months and even prior to taking it out, noticed that I have been suffering from traction alopecia, which seems to be getting worse. In fairness I hadn't really ever used anything for my hairline since going natural and as I started to rummage through dermatology articles, websites and past experiences, I thought I'd go back to my roots and start with 'virgin hair fertilizer'. My sister is a living testimony to the wonders of this herbal hair cream and so based on that and other positive reviews, I have chosen to make this my first port of call. I never have just a plan A and so if that doesn't work I may scale up to a steroid cream. If that doesn't work, there is minocycline, a cream typically used in male pattern baldness, however, I am very weary of it. Although it has been shown to work, the effect is short lived and the hairs start to fall off when you stop using it, so yeah; I'm a bit too scared to try that.

The good ol' hair fertilizer

On the bright side though, Boots recently re-introduced the 'Yes to' range back into their shampoo and conditioner lines. Memories of old came rushing back as I purchased bottles of the cucumber equivalent. I used it for the first time yesterday and my goodness, what a change. I have not compared the ingredient list but it is very very different from the range of 2-3 years ago. First of all the smell...this new range is simply bleh. The old yes to cucumbers formulation used to smell so amazing, so good that I sometimes chose to omit wearing perfume post co-washing....it was that good. In addition to the smell is the consistency. The conditioner is a lot less thick than it used to be and so you can imagine you don't get the same coating effect you used to have.

What the new bottle looks like

I have also started re-taking biotin tablets religiously, my bottle of which is kept beside my vitamin D tablets which I am forced to take daily, and acts as a grumpy impetus. For my fellow citizens of tropical countries, living in these temperate zones, I'd implore you to get your vitamin D levels checked if you've been abroad for a significant amount of time. Without turning this into a health ed lesson, vit D deficiency can cause bone pain and fatigue, secondary parathyroidism and osteomalacia- go figure, amongst other things. It has also been shown to increase death from cardiovascular disease, memory impairment in adults and can affect the immune system. Interestingly enough, people with dark skin are less able to make vitamin D from the sunlight exposure; so it might be that those pictures of babies with rickets may not always be poorly fed by their not so caring parents. Hmm I just thought of a brilliant idea (*adds to book of great ideas*).

Anyways, I just thought I'd check in and say hi. Oh and if anyone knows a reasonably priced natural hair stylist in the london area, pls drop a message. Take care and all the best.

Tah,

M.Jay

Style Series 14 - Straight hair don't curr

When it comes to styling my hair I've been pretty low maintenance going with the bun and changing the partings for a varied look (yes, it has reached that point). The only other thing I do is to straighten it, and that's usually when I am travelling or have an event coming up. As I don't have the time for all them intricate natural hairstyles, straightening has become my go to option thus far. I try not to do it too frequently and in the last year straightened it 4 times - Sept 2014 (x2), Dec 2014 and Mar 2015. I also had to find a new hairdresser after receiving very rude over the phone service from Charlotte Mensah's hair salon in London (yes, I'ma call you out). Shicco's hair salon on Kilburn high road, became my shoulder to cry on, and Alan, the Jamaican hairstylist has been my styling buddy since then. His style of straightening is different to the Brazilian blow dry method I'm used to but it works as my hair gets straight with half the heat. Oh and did I mention, it costs half the price…so YES!!!

Now I must recount this story to y'all. The 2nd time in Sept I straightened my hair was all the way in the Middle East :O….I know, crazy right. Hmmm…it wasn't even funny. So, being someone that likes to plan ahead, I knew I was going to a land of no return and as such knew it was critical that a good straightening job was done before I left. After many complaints here and there at C.M, I was satisfied somewhat and went on my way. Now I had travelled for my friends wedding which was like 10 days after the day we arrived and so by that time, having walked through all sorts of humid, windy, deserty landscapes, my hair was getting a bit desperate.

My friends were getting their hair re-done and so I decided to accompany them to the salon to keep them company when the hair stylist challenged me saying they could do my hair. I was like (ghetto laugh with the fist) 'do you know what you're getting yourself into'? I explained to him that although my hair looked straight, it became an afro once wet. The guy was like eh no problem, they can do it. So I took the plunge.

The first guy that washed my hair was filipino (don't ask), and I'm sure he must have been like -_- when he saw the texture change. He also committed the greatest hair sin of not detangling when wet + conditioner in situ, and so I prompted him to do so after which he attempted to and ended up running away with his hands in the air (ok, I exaggerate). Anyways, he did not know what to do any longer and called another stylist who attempted for a bit but also got intimidated. (By this stage I was sitting out on a chair, and so it was a bit bemusing watching their facial expressions through the mirror). Anyways, finally they called one of the lead stylists who like a boss, took my hair in his palms and started to detangle root to tip before blow drying it. Now for some reason, they used the ceramic hair straightener to curl it instead of the normal curlers, I'm guessing cos they were scared. What was also really funny was my friends reaction to my shrinkage. We had chosen hair styles prior to getting our hair done; once my hair was washed and shrunk 50% however, she looked at my hair and said, 'I think you may need to pick a different style, as I don't think your hair is long enough for the first style'. I was just like watch….lol. And so she was shocked after it was straightened saying 'how, what, when, where???' I was like 'black hair magic…..shhhhh'...lol.

Anyways, here are some pics from that fateful day. The outcome was satisfactory, the only issue being the holding spray, which made my hair start to revert in some parts (esp the front) but halted the process midway with the stiffening/holding properties. Ok enough of the talking... enjoy!!!!

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This was what the back looked like finally. Only my friends hair to the left was able to hold the curls

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These pics were from the first time I straightened them in September  2014, before going on holiday.

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And here is the finished job by Alan, my new styling buddy; This was in December 2014. I had quite a lot of split ends and so I gave him permission to be scissor happy as he cut inches off.

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It's pretty much hovered around the APL mark and beyond, but not quite BSL just yet. I also haven't worn any protective styles- braids, weaves et al since May last year, so I think it's about time I braid it up. Nwys, that's all for now folks.

Keep smiling and keep shining.

xoxo

Miss Jay

Hello

*peeks*, anyone looking??? 

Ok, so I just came on here to say a quick hello. I have been debating for months if to close down this blog or keep it going as I haven't updated in a while. But the truth of the matter is I love writing. I really do. I love expressing all (well not quite all) the random thoughts that come into my head; and when it's flowing oh my, it's one of the best things in the world. 

(Na wa oh see tory)

Lol…so what I'm trying to say in essence is, I'm not going to close down the blog. At least not for now, mainly because of my love for doing this. What I have been cautious of  lately however is bringing too much attention to myself, because lets face it, blogging can be a pretty narcissistic activity. In the past couple months, a couple events have caused me to soul search and I have realized that I possess some of those tendencies. As I didn't want to do anything to enhance it, I felt that closing down the blog will help to curb such excesses. But not all blogging is narcissistic. Some are there to provide information, build and encourage people. 

To focus so much on hair I think is a bit shallow when there are so many things in the world happening right now, which we can be a part of in effecting some change. And for that reason, I wouldn't want to focus on hair as much as I have.

I've recently also been on a journey of spiritual discovery (lets be explicit….growing in my Christian faith), and the more I grow and learn, the more my mind is changed and I begin to realize that life isn't about me, but Jesus and the cross. To live a life that's rooted in loving God with everything and loving others, is the richest, most fulfilling. Many people run around looking for quick fixes and quick answers, but I'm happy that true Christianity isn't about that, and that it takes time, patience, perseverance and dedication, because the fruit produced at the end of the day will always be better and sweeter than the non-organic, GM versions.

Finally, I do not want to make any empty promises in saying this blog is going to be this and that, cos I haven't always kept that word. I just want to see where the wind of the spirit blows and go with it and if it blows so strong as to turn out the candle, then so be it.

Much love,

Miss Jay

xoxo

It's a new day

Hi world,

I've been so M.I.A and in fairness, I guess I just lost the urge to blog, that was till last night. I went back to Uni last September and although I'm doing loads I could blog about, I've just been lazy and distracted. 

Anyway, so what happened last night? I came across Toolz article on Bella Naija, and to be honest it's been years since anyone told me to focus on my strengths. For the past couple years I've done nothing but focus on my weaknesses and failures, over and over again, and it's no wonder I've been feeling 'stuck'. So yes, reading that article was a breath of fresh air, literally. I immediately proceeded to write a list of my strengths, and as I'm a big fan of personality typing, I also looked at the strengths of IXFP's and came up with this (non-exhaustive) list.

My Strengths

1. Highly creative, artistic- Love for writing

2. Rich in ideas

3. Spiritually aware

4. Executing social change (in response to social injustice)

5. Good listener, including love for listening to debates and hearing other peoples points of view

6. Encouraging and building others up by promoting self esteem and confidence in others.

7. Intelligent- ability to grasp difficult concepts with ease and break them down, explaining in a creative manner.

8. Good presentation skills.

9. Detail oriented

In addition, back in high school, where I seemed to be operating at my peak and noted the following to be catalysts to my growth.

1. Being challenged by a classmate; healthy competition

2. Seeing the fruits of my labour

3. Reading like there was no tomorrow

4. Receiving encouragement from parents, teachers and friends

5. Reading and being inspired by biographies and self help books

6. Praying and being accountable to God in writing.  

This is my story, and I would like to encourage you all to reflect and come up with what makes ye tick.

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It's funny because I've had to prepare for a couple of interviews lately, and as I look at selling points, a recurring theme I encounter is a love for teaching and imparting knowledge and that is a skill I definitely would like to enhance. I am very passionate about knowledge empowerment and health related primary prevention, and so this year, I want to widen the scope of this blog.

Since the start of the year, I've decided to take my health more seriously and lose a couple of kg's. I have been learning more about dieting and have been hitting the gym more frequently. It's also been encouraging to see the changes on the scale and so I'd like to share this aspect of my life with ye also.

Before I start to blab, I'll simply summarize, the new scope of this blog.

1. Natural hair journey- I will remain true to my interest in natural hair, and share any updates with regards to regimen changes, length checks, new styles etc.

2. Motivation and inspiration- I need it just as much as ye all do.

3. Derm corner- I will update this area, focussing on hair, the primary prevention of premature aging and a holistic management of common skin disorders (including evidence based natural/nutritional remedies)

3. NEW. Health and fitness- I'll share my scientific knowledge on how our body uses up food and how we can monitor our diet and exercise to lose or maintain our weight. I'd also focus on some of the health benefits of staying fit.