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!!!!

*

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

***

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

***

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.

***

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.

*  *  *

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.

Style Series 13 - Curls Curls, Yeah Yeah!!!

It's been almost 4 months at this stage since I last blogged and to be real honest, my passion has kind of waned. I haven't been taking good care of my hair and had to cut off a couple inches in August due to split ends. So after all the hoo-ha, I'm back to APL hair. At this stage I'm in braids to avoid any further damage due to my complacency. I bunned my hair for almost a year consistently that I'm beginning to worry I may be developing some traction alopecia :( I'm in a very weird state, right now and do hope to come out of it soon.
Geez, this sounds very gloomy and I too feel like crying so I'm gonna focus on the positives.

The past 4 months have been pretty awesome. Got to visit some amazing places, meet new people and  share some great experiences I will never forget. For the most part of it my hair was in a bun but at the end of my tip I'm like, you know what? I want some curls!!!!

...... I decided to go back home and spend the next couple hours re-curling it, knowing fully well that it would still end up a frizz-ball later that day.

The funny thing is I kinnda like the texture of frizzy medium sized curls....dunno why

And finally we got the back view....I just love how my type 4 hair can come out looking silky at times.

Was walking down the mall, when I was stopped by these hair straightener sellers and they decided to sample their curling wand [Amika, is the brand] on my hair

I was due to wash my hair the next day, so was like ah sure. As usual, the curls only lasted so long as it started raining soon after, but it was fun whilst it lasted.

Now I'm back to my lovely fluffy hair, although it's in braids. I'm afraid I may have suffered some heat damage in the front. Was too scared to look as I blow-dried my hair after washing to make it easier to braid...so I guess I'll find out the truth, real or imagined, when I take out my extensions.

I am making sure to take care of my braids by washing and conditioning once weekly, and moisturizing and sealing every 2 days. I have also commenced taking Biotin tablets and have decided to go on a 1 year fast from heat.....*gulp*, following which I'd probably straighten my hair once a year unlike my usual 2-3 times yearly.

My friend also suggested, dreadlocks extensions, which I'm gonna try in December. So if any one knows where they do this in Lagos, I'd be very happy with suggestions.


Well take care luvies,
XoXo

Miss Jay

Style Series 12 - Curlformer set

Hello my fellow naturalistas,

Happy New Month (as we say in 9ja cos we just have to celebrate everything). And you know what, we have every right to celebrate as we have made it through half of 2013 already. I was watching a Matthew Hussey video the other day, which I felt very inspired by. He encouraged his viewers to make the most of the 185 days left in the year citing that there was still a long time to achieve the goals you had written down in January. So do not be dismayed if you haven't attained some of your goals. Just keep focussed and I believe you will get there with hard work and determination. I am excited and believing for the best. Are you??

Anyways, So I went home* 2 weeks ago and finally received my curlformers that I had ordered from the U.S since February...( boy was I elated...in addition to sighting my KCCC and olive oil eco styler that my sis had bought during her last trip to the U.S which was like several months ago....I totally forgot about the later two as I wasn't allowed to take them with me as hand luggage).

40 curlformers per bag in long and narrow

Anyways, I had a formal dinner last Thursday and so thought  it would be nice to use my curlformers.  After much researching on youtube i decided to moisturize with my faithful yes to carrots argan oil leave in conditioner and set with lottabody setting lotion.

Unfortunately, I had left one bag in the UK and so I had to improvise as the set of 40 wasnt enough for my not so big hair. I had a set of 'arabic' curlformers which a friend had given me a while back, however they were short and so I had to use 2 per mini-section. I also filled in the gaps with flexi rods and used perm rods (for the areas where my hair was sticking out of the curlformers).

It was a whole day affair and after 3 hours of applying the curlformers and 1hr of hooded drying, I was good to go.

Items needed:
Co-wash- herbal essences beautiful ends conditioner
Styling- Yes to carrots leave in conditioner with argan oil, lottabody setting lotion (mixed one part lottabody with two parts water)
Accessories- hair clips, widetoothed comb, penman brush, curlformers long and narrow

I decided to curlform on freshly co-washed hair as I had shampooed the day before.

Step 1- Divide hair into 4 sections and co-wash with herbal essences beautiful ends conditioner.


Step 2- Twist hair into 8 sections i.e. 2 twists per quarter.

Step 3- Take down one twist (1/8th) and moisturize/ smooth with leave-in and then detangle with a wide tooth comb.

Step 4- Spritz section (1/8th) with lotta body setting lotion.

Step 5- Separate a small section from the bigger section (1/8th) and detangle using denman brush.

Step 6- Apply curl former to section

Step 7- Repeat all over hair

Step 8- Airdry x 6hrs or use a hooded hair dryer x 1hr (medium heat setting)

Step 9- voila

Had to pin curl the ends cos the curlformers were to short for me

right sided view

4 hours later, post humidity and all

me no likey :(

So was it worth the hassle guys? What i'd say is if you live in a place where the humidity is lower you can get more wear out of the style.

I 'pineappled' my hair to sleep the first night and wore it with the frizz and all the second day. By the second night it had gone super frizzy and so I decided to bantu knot the whole thing, which was easy to do as I had all my sections already made out.

So I wore my hair in a bantu knot out days 3 and 4 and boy was it fierce. I'd do another style series with the pics of the bantu knot out later in the week, so stay tuned!!!!

xoxo

Miss Jay

It's been a long time (long time), I shouldn'a left you (left you), without a dope beat to step to (step to) ........

Hey girlies, how's it going? Wow, its been ages!!!!!! I was away for much of last month and apart from being lazy and starting a new blog here, not much else has been going on.
With regards to my hair care regimen, nothing's changed. I've reached a point where I know what works for me and I stick to it. PJ fever has since left my body, but that's not to say I'll never try any new products. I'm very low maintenance at present and do mostly buns as my protective style. I am however thinking of going back to braids or trying out the crotchet weave thingy as my hair's been 'out' since November last year.

As I mentioned earlier, I was away on holiday and so decided to get my hair straightened for ease of styling. I had initially gone to an irish salon to get it blow-dried and straightened, and all I can say was it was an epic fail. The guy did not know what he was doing and I didn't want to keep bugging him and telling him his job. After a barely satisfactory result, I knew I was going to have to go back to the amika hair salon/shop at St Stephens's green shopping centre to get my hair re-straightened.

(side note: I had bought a hair straightener from them last christmas after getting my hair straightened at the brazilian salon at clarendon street, which is now closed. As I was walking to the ATM to get out some cash, one of their attendants stopped me and demonstrated their hair straighteners on my hair and boy was I blown away. My hair came out super shiny and soft just after one glide. Now mind you I had just come out from a salon and although my hair had been straightened, it lacked that lustre. As such, I was sold and purchased their titanium plated product which they claim rivals GHD and is less damaging to the hair shaft than ceramic straighteners).

Saw these 'dishwashing sponges' in Paris and almost screamed.... Knew I'd have to share it on here

This was my go-to style in Paris. A lot of the Parisian women seemed to be rocking this style so I decided to do 'follow-follow'

Just an aside- saw these cute baby dolls which were actual perfume bottles in a store.

Curls still holding

Take care my lovelies,

and God bless.

xoxo

Miss Jay

My 3 year Nappiversary :)))

Woohooo!!!! I'm THREE years transitioning- exact date 25/4/2013. I still haven't mini chopped cos I'm planning on traveling next month and so I'd like to wear my hair straight for when I go. I straightened my hair for my birthday and decided to do a length check. I'm BSL guys (*wipes tears*).. I'ma leave you with a pic of my length check and do hope to post more often. Going through a lot of changes at the moment (and no I don't mean puberty....lol).

Till we meet again, take care
Miss J

Style Series 10-Twist out

So I did a two-strand twist last week and decided to take it out for the weekend. I simply unraveled each one but did not separate any further the original twists.
Hope you like the pics.......

To the left

And the back (ish)

Crown view

back-ish

x2

Right side- still had one twist unraveled

And that's all folks!!! :)

Style Series 9- Two Strand Twist

Hey guys, how are y'all doing? I hope great. Wow today has been somewhat adventurous. So I decided to deep condition my hair (ORS hair mayo + plastic cap + 2 hrs), as I hadn't done so in a while.

My hair had soo much build up from a hair mousse and gel that I had used previously, so I shampooed and conditioned with the Yes to carrots range. (my sis finds the name so funny...go figure)

I was to meet my friend for coffee and for some reason thought I had a lot of time on my hands and so decided to do a 2-strand twist. I had only done one quarter of my hair when I realized it was time to meet her. I text her saying I'd be 30 mins late. (How I could possibly twist my whole head of hair in 30mins I just don't know but I decided I'd try and be superwoman).

So 30 ended up being 45mins and like a boss I had 3/4 of it completed. So I simply used a big flower to pin up the fat 'juicy' twist lurking at the back of my head, as I walked out in style with my hair partially done. Abi is that not what style is all about- being unique et al?

Nwys I got back home and finished the rest of it. Unlike my previous 2 strand twist (style series 5), this was done on wet/freshly washed hair. The products I used were different as well and are as follows:

* Aloe vera gel (optional)

* Yes to carrots leave in conditioner

* Almond oil

My routine was really basic.
Step 1: Moisturise with leave in and seal with oil
Step 2: Detangle with tangle teeter
Step 3 (optional): apply pea sized amount of aloe vera gel
Step 4: twist away.

Below are pics of the finished look....

Got milk? Hair?

My relaxed ends still holding on for dear life

So that's all for now. Till then, take care and God bless.

xoxo,
Miss J

Skin Care Regimen

So I was in boots the other day browsing through the skin care aisle when a thought came to mind- 'how about I research and find the perfect skin care regimen for 'black' skin'. (For anyone who knows me an interesting thought can easily become a short term obsession- a la INFPness).

* * *

In the past I had used both the body shop seaweed range and clinique 3 step both of which were great products for a maintenance regimen. Recently, I started breaking out and getting more than my fair share of pimples which I initially put it down to the bare minerals primer I was using. However, after weeks of not using any primer or makeup I was still getting tiny pimples cropping up, mostly at the corners of my face and the middle of my forehead. In one of my previous posts I had mentioned the neutrogena blemish range which I got on sale. Well what can I say? It wasn't great (to put it politely). In fact, I started breaking out more. It wasn't until I started researching that I realised that the culprits were probably the oil-present skin care range as well as the hair oils which I had been using since taking down my braids.

* * *

Anyways I continued to browse the skin care products, trying to get ideas for a regimen. When I got to the Olay range I paused and casted my thoughts back to the days where I'd often see their products on my mom's dressing room table. Hmmm, I thought, this could possibly be my next buy, although I had associated it with older women. I didn't want to 'trigger-buy' anything so made a mental note (as promised) and moved on to the hair product aisles.

Upon getting home (or should I say library) that day, I started google-searching and found a few helpful tips. For one, I have combination skin, which means I have an extra-oily t-zone and occasionally get dry skin around my cheeks. In looking for the best regimen for my combination, I came up with the following:

the whole shebang- morning routine *

basic morning ritual

My evening routine

1. Cleanser-  I read somewhere that bar soaps are advised in comparison to liquid cleansers for people with oily skin. With many in the market, I decided to opt for something more natural and which I often used as a child in boarding school- it's called Dudu Osun (which basically means black soap in english). 

'add-on's'

2. Exfoliate- I use the St. Ives anti-blemish range in the morning to exfoliate every other day of the week. When I do wash my face in the evenings, I prefer to use something much milder, and that's when the neutrogena pink grapefruit scrub comes in handy. To be honest, I stole the later from Gabrielle Union's skin care regimen. She's got such flawless skin and one of my mini goals is to have such skin when I'm forty :)

2b. Mud mask- I use the body shop warming mineral mask once a week.

3. Toner- After searching far and wide for a toner, I came across a couple positive reviews for witch hazel which has acne-fighting properties. I therefore purchased the boots tea tree and witch hazel toner, which i'm loving so far.

4. Moisturizer- And here is where I'm still searching. My ideal moisturizer will be oil free, contain antioxidants and have a sun protection factor (spf), the reasons being as follows:

oil-free: because I already have somewhat oily skin.

antioxidants: because they moisturize the skin and protect it from damaging effects of the sun. They may also minimize fine lines and wrinkles.

spf: likewise these help to protect the skin from the harmful effects of UVA/B rays. In addition, skin cancer is real, and 'black does crack' if not taken care of. 

* Initially, I tried the olay essentials complete care for normal/dry/combo skin with spf 30, but found the lotion too thick and greasy. I started breaking out more and so decided to stop. I now use the neutrogena pink grapefruit oil free moisturizer, which is perfect in consistency and layering. However, it doesn't contain spf or antioxidants, so my challenge is to find one with all of the above (3) properties. 

5. Facial- I plan on incorporating this into my regimen, every other month. I am aware that not all facial treatments are created equal and some may be more harsh on certain skin tones. As such, I am still yet to research and discover the best ones for darker skin tones.

6. H20- Ah yes water. This is probably the most important item on any regimen. It is recommended to drink 8 glasses of water a day, and I know Gabby drinks a gallon everyday (which works out as 3.78 litres). That's kinnda deep...lol. I'm currently trying to drink a 1.5 L bottle of evian a day, and as things progress, maybe i'll move to 2 bottles :)

7. Frozen spoon (for bags)- Gabby does this as well (I think it's pretty obvious by now that she's my skincare hero). 

That's all for now folks. Till next time.

XOXO

Miss J

Mini hair haul

I know, guilty as charged (*bows head*); Today isn't Tuesday but Wednesday, and I'm sure y'all were thinking I was gonna post last week Tuesday. That was what I had hoped, but I had an exam that day in a different city and had a lot of things to do upon getting back here, so I do apologize. Now that the air is clear let the blogging/hauling begin :)

*   *  *

So I went to boots the other day to get a peak flow meter aka 'something' for my friend. After placing the order I started walking out when I tripped over temptation and found myself floating to the haircare aisles. As my deceptive heart knoweth, I promised that I'd quickly browse, make a mental note and leave. I beamed from ear to ear as I walked through my favourite brands, caressing the bottles, not caring who was looking at me. It was not long before I saw myself at the checkout tills with some products in hand. (so much for mental notes when it comes to me and hair products). I breathed a sigh if relief like a junkie getting his fix.

So first up is my old time favourite, HH. I must say it feels like forever since I used her. Since being in braids I've been on tressemme for some reason. I think it was likely the 'bogof' phenomenon that made me stock on them- buy one get one free, for those of you looking confused..lol.

Anyway I felt my hair needed some moisture as I'd been using protein products to build up my hairs strength since the braids. (Oh ya I finally took them down after 4 1/2 months. That has got to be some record. I just thank God that I didn't lose too much hair, however I wasn't too pleased with my hair length....as usual, that's a post for another day)

HH & SS ;)

Marketing is soo essential especially to the 'sensing' eye who appreciates aesthetic beauty....hence my transfixion with this (orange) bottle. Given that it was one of the herbal essences range I hadn't tried, I jumped on the band wagon (literally) and didn't look back. The smooth and soft (SS) conditioner is  directed at dry, damaged and frizzy hair types and promises to soften, smooth and protect hair from HUMIDITY (can I get an 'Amen')

Third in my mini haul was a pack of 3 crochet like headbands. Now I remember wanting to buy these after watching a kimmaytube video ages ago. I had obviously forgotten about them and was in the accessory aisle looking for a 'bun-holder' and soft boar brush (after mine fell into the toilet- don't ask). So u can imagine my surprise when I found this product (which even had a photo of an 'ethnic' girl on it- random right?). Anyways, I immediately grabbed it and started formulating different styles in my head.

'crotchet headbands'

Last and by all means the least were a pack of ouch-less hair bands. I have lost a good few of them and as its a new year, I thought it would be a good time to replenish the stock.

'Boots' ouch less hair bands

Now I don't plan on buying any more hair products, as I bought a couple during two of my last visits to boots. I didn't actually plan on doing a haul on these items but since I've mentioned and some of y'all may be wondering, why not? 

My fist visit was post braid removal. I was looking for a Protein shampoo and conditioner as I had run out. I saw a 3 for 12 bucks deal on the tressemme range and thought why not?

L-R: Keratin deep treatment masque, Liquid gold restorative complex-argan oil infused,
Keratin restoring conditioner.

My second visit which threw me into a frenzy was when I was shopping for hair products for my dear friend in Lagos in a much larger boots store. I was browsing the aisles when I saw the whole ORS range- I'm talking relaxers, shampoo, conditioner, replenishing pack, hair mayo, carrot oil, name it. To top it up these products were all on the top shelf and not the bottom one where they usually place them discriminately sorry I meant to say discreetly. In my joy, I bought ALL five of the replenishing packs  on display. (Hey, don't give me that look...it was Christmas time and Companies needed to make a profit to pay the Christmas bonuses. Plus I was also shopping for a friend in need).

Apparently the replenishing cond. and pan have the exact same ingredients.

Oh yeah, whilst in Lagos I found the cantu Shea butter curling cream and thought I'd give it a shot (later turns out, it's quite a hit on the YT community). So far I like it and it does make my hair look moisturised as well as give it some curl definition. 

My friend also gave me some curlformers she didn't want, so I gladly accepted, and hope to experiment with them sometime.

Curlformers- brand unknown

Anyways, that's all for now and I do hope to post more frequently. Take care and God bless.

XOXO
Miss J

Happy new hair

Happy new year guys. I'm not even going to apologise for being so M.I.A cos that's gotten old. All I wanna say is thank you for being patient.
I'm so grateful to God for a new year cos for the first time i really understood the grace of being able to see another year. My prayer is that 2013 shall be a year of focus and progress for us all; (Can I get an Amen?)
Well I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Enough with the pleasantries. (My friend once told me that Yorubas never like to go straight to the point because they love to hear themselves talk....I never really thought about it before but it couldn't be further from the truth....think of microphone hugging individuals...lol)

Ok, before I become a victim of what I'm describing, lets get straight to the business.
This month is going to be a pretty exciting one as I already have a few blog topics / posts written up for yous ( U see I hadn't forgotten about u guys). In fact, today I spent over 3 hours researching on some of the content I will be sharing in the coming weeks.
Here's some of what to expect in no particular order:
1. My new hairsolutions (get it?...lol)
2. Bust that fat!!! Body goals 2013
3. Hair mini haul
4. Straight and bouncy curls
5. The return of shingling
6. Blog feature- J.Go
7. Skin care regimen (yes I'm finally delving into this area)
8. Skin heroes ( don't wanna use the word idols...lol)
9. Next hair style + inspiration

So that's all I have scheduled so far. It's gonna be pretty exciting!!!!! I'll be trying out a few new things and I so can't wait to tell you all about it.
Expect the first instalment by Tuesday baby!!

Stay tuned, one love and God bless.
Xoxo
Miss J

Gone till November ;)

Just thought I'd sign in before another month goes by. Not much has been happening on the hair front as I decided to leave my braids in for another month (so help me God), as I was moving jobs and didn't want any added stress. I have also been very conservative in looking after it as my routine currently consists of washing (yes to carrots shampoo), air drying, moisturizing (kinky curly knot today) and sealing (avocado or other oil) once a week. When I do remember (which is quite rare I must confess, I spritz with water...oh and that includes walking in the rain :D).

Ok, so I have some great news...are you ready???......*drumrolls*...... and no I didn't get married, have a baby or win the lotto just yet (I actually hate that word 'lotto'...cringe)....

.... I FOUND A NEW HAIR SALON!!!!!!! I know awesome right....lol..

So I'm walking down clarendon street with my friend the other day when we pass by this brazilian salon where they had the 'twisted sista' range on display. I decided to walk in and look around. A very friendly hair dresser walked up to my friend and I and we had a nice chat about my hair type and what they could do with it. He was really nice and told me to come whenever I wanted. After my experience here, I think one can understand my immense joy.

That being said, I still miss having straight hair every now and again but was brought back to reality yesterday when a saw a soft bouncy afro swaying in front of me....I must say, the wearer (and it was a gorgeous he) garnered quite the attention. I smiled to myself and thought how lucky I am to have such beautiful hair.

I'm now looking forward to taking out my braids and reviving some hand-in-hair syndrome ;)

* * *

In other news, the past couple weekends have been fairly interesting, hanging out with my girl J.Go. She's also into hair and I will be featuring her on this blog soon. 

We went make up browsing the other day, and although I'm not into make up, I found a brand that's quite 'natural' and which I think I'd be interested in investing in. Anyone heard of Bare Minerals?? 

I think they are awesome... My housemate kept commenting on how I looked so 'refreshed' hours after the make up assistant had applied the product.
I like the fact that they contain SPF and are quite healthy for the skin. Their products claim to have macro and micro minerals, which increase cell turnover, improve luminosity and help the skin defend against environmental stressors. (sounds good, doesn't it).

I would however love to know if there are any rival products out there before I invest in this brand. Knowing me, I'd probably only use it when going out to events or something. I used to break out with MAC blushes, and even though I've started an anti-blemish regimen with Neutrogena (who saw the 2 for 1 offer in boots...lol), I am looking forward to using a line without the after effect of le pimples.
Anyways, that's all for now (sigh....I really have missed blogging).

Take care and God bless,
xoxo
Miss Jay

Something new

*yawnnnn* (wakes up from blog slumber)... I've been away for almost a month now and the reason is partly because I'm still wearing my braids, hence, nothing new in that regard.
The other reason is this. For the first time since '09, I feel somewhat apathetic towards my hair. I don't know if having it bundled up for this long is to blame, but I simply feel blasé about it.
I'm beginning to wonder if this whole natural thing is all a fad. Recently I've thought on many occasions of getting my hair straightened, as it's so much easier to deal with. The only thing is I don't want to use a relaxer to straighten it, cos it's just too much upkeep. So what do I do then? Brazilian blow-dry every couple months? perpetual braids? Man, I just don't know.
I'm hoping to fall back in love and obsession with my hair, when it's out of these braids, as I often go through these cycles.
I guess we'll see when we get there.

In other news, I've fallen in love with latin american dancing since going dancing these past two weekends- salsa, bachata, reggaeton, forro... and would really love to go to Brazil to 'discover my roots'. Sounds weird huh, coming from someone from the motherland.
The truth of the matter is that some aspects of the Yoruba culture have been preserved over centuries in Brazil due to the slave trade and these have been inco-orporated into the culture. On the contrary, a lot of what was preserved in Brazil is being lost in Africa thanks to colonialism and westernization. There have been benefits either way and I would love to explore some of the benefits in the name of a vibrant culture, that is Brazil.

Sigh...I'm in another 'culture freak' phase. It looks exciting anyway and I'm gonna enjoy it whilst it lasts. That's all for now. I'm gonna go get some work done.

Take care and God bless,
xoxo
Miss Jay.

Style Series 8 - box braids

Hey guys, I think I mentioned in my last couple posts that I was thinking of doing box braids...well I stopped thinking and had them done. It took 2 hrs and boy are they convenient. I havn't been too experimental with styling however. These are the 2 ways I mostly wear them when going out.

XoXo

Miss J

Hair inspiration: Spotlight- Nneka

Wow, this is actually ironic but I happen to be listening to Nneka right this very moment [Victim of Truth] on my iPod shuffle. For those of you who don't know her, she's a Nigerian hip-hop/soul singer. Her other albums include 'No Longer at ease' and 'Soul is heavy'. If you're into the 'conscious' type of music you'll like her. Truly gifted and sings with a true and sincere heart.

Well since this isn't an artist review (even though I've kinnda done that), let us focus on her hair shall we  ;). She's pretty low maintenance (my kinnda style) but keeps it looking nice nonetheless.

Hold on, be strong, go on, see we won't divide, see we multiply

Let us make a change, why can't we turn the page.........

Yeh we are created in a beautiful way

Wake up Africa, wake up and stop blaming

Wake up world, wake up and stop sleeping

You pick me up but you put me in........

See everything changes......

All of these material things shouldn't want to make me miss longing for spiritual growth and food

Do you hide behind your holiness and make other people confess sin......

He's a player not yet ready to behave mature

A man who makes a child still not ready to see his future

It's about loving love, showing love, doing love, living love, staying in love

Soldiers, rise up, stand up, get up

Gave me your hand, reached out for you, this don't make me dependent on you

You make me strong

Oh God of mercy, I appreciate thee......

If I didn't ask, would you give me what I gave to you

Can you see the pain you're causing

Can you see my heart is beating

God no go give you anything you no go fit deal with

The thing way no fit kill you in go make you strong

Ok so I couldn't help it... Had to put the first line of the chorus of each of her songs on the 'Victim of truth' album as the caption in most the pictures. If you are intrigued and wanna know more, you can download her album on iTunes. She's a really talented singer and you know, I gotta rep my people ;)

Anyways stay blessed.
One LOVE.

Miss Jay :)