Monday 9 December 2013

Technology and I

Yikes. Firstly my appointed amnesiac camera lost all the (hair) pictures I'd taken in the past month and now I've seemingly lost yet another laptop to the great, grizzly jaws of technological malfunction.

It's going to be a little quiet on this front till the new year methinks, as I try and get some semblance of order around here.

I'm keeping a close eye on my mobile, lest it also betray me...

Monday 11 November 2013

Wash Day



My wash days are, once again, falling into a routine and making a kind of sense to me. Because I dislike doing the hokey cokey in (out, in, out) the shower, I'm more likely to deep condition before I wash. So  guess I was wrong when I said I don't deep condition. I do, just not the same as everyone else. I have quite a few other personal rules when it comes to my hair routine, but this one only recently dawned on me, haha!

1. Pre-pooed with Vatika oil overnight.

2. I'd forgotten to section my hair in before leaping into the shower, so I roughly split it into five twisted sections before I shampooed. Shampooed with Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair Ultimate Colour Shampoo with Liquid Keratin, focusing on my scalp. It had been a little itchy over the last week, in small,  annoying bouts so I made sure to massage my head tenderly.

3. I detangled each section with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration and my fingers under the running water, then I added some more conditioner and moved on to the next section. Since two of the twists was too big for themselves and kept unravelling, I had to separate them into two smaller twists. I left in the conditioner while I washed.

4. I rinsed out the conditioner and wrapped my head in an old T-shirt for about 35 minutes. It was mostly dry by the end of this time (about 80%?).

5. Then I applied the Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream as my leave in, along with some Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment to seal in moisture. 

And that was it for the wash day!


I left my hair in the 8 twists for a couple of days, and released it for twist out. I was a bit nervous at first, since at first, it started out looking like this....

Time to look for my hair band perhaps? Nope. It turned out pretty good (if I do say so myself :), haha! )

I only took one reasonable photo, because it was Sunday and I was laaate. As usual. Hope you all had lovely weekends! 

Thursday 7 November 2013

No More Scissors!


If you're a fine haired lady, you've seen it almost everywhere - something along the lines of 'If you have fine hair, you are more susceptible to breakage and split ends and should trim more regularly to get rid of them.'

Okay. Well, that's advise I've been following since 2010.

During the past few years, I noticed a recurring pattern with my hair that went a little like this:

- Hair suffers from breakage
- I do a search and destroy and get rid of my split ends
- Hair suffers from breakage
- I do a search and destroy and get rid of my split ends
- Hair suffers from breakage
etc

Because I had fine hair, I knew split ends were inevitable and was determined to get rid of them.

Can you see that split near the top leaf? Noo joke, my split ends.

My little revolt against trimming more frequently happened quite by accident. I got a hair cut. Then I went away and promptly lost my hair shears.

During the (rather frustrating) period where I searched for the shears that didn't want to be found, I came to the realization that, even after the trimming, the cutting and the split end elimination, my hair was still breaking.

If split ends are inevitable on my fine hair, then even after trimming, they'll still be there and I'll be both suffering from breakage and getting rid of length.Wait...didn't that mean I was cutting and trimming my hair despite the seemingly inevitable damage I was going to have? Thus, I was chopping off progress... in the hope of progress????



I stopped looking for those scissors QUICKSHAPP!

We were done. Finished. Finito. End of. Nevermore.

Yep. I've quit cutting.

Well, okay, not forever, but I've drastically reduced it from every month to once every year. I'm gleefully anticipating my results (can't be worse than what I was doing before...)


Friday 1 November 2013

October Little Goals Review + November Little Goals


Hello lovely! Brr! October's gone and it's officially cold. I'm hoping that someone is going to declare Slankets and Snuggies national uniform for the next 7 months, or I'm at risk of losing several fingers and toes. At least there's bonfires and fireworks to look forward to....as well as hot juice, hot chocolate and hot soups!

Little goal(s) for October: Moisturise my twists regularly with rose water. - Done!
Continue caring for hair as necessary (washing and conditioning etc).- Done!
Keep up with my fitness goals. - Kind of done >.< (See below)

Fitness


Little goals for October: Continue focusing on general core and upper body fitness (I want to join a yoga class later on and am trying to give myself a little head start!). Done...*rubs tummy tenderly*

Little goals for October: Exercise three times a week, to get re-used to it . Includes joining a dance class or sports team! - Check! I joined a dance class and am waiting for the sport's team's schedule to be arranged :)
Drink 2 litres of water daily. - Check ^.^
Start adding more vegetables and fruits back into my daily life - 5-a-day. - Eh. Minor fail. I did really well at the beginning of the month, but as it continued on and I got busy, it sort of dropped off...

Life



Little goals for October: Start working again, even if it means joining new agencies. - Done! 
Reclaim money from agencies and banks that is owed to me.- Fail. Massive fail. Fail to infinity and back. I'm too meek.
If I am working at least times three a week, create a realistic budget. - Although I'm not working that often, the budget has been created and put into action!

Little goals for October: Get some sofas. - YESSSS! Massive win! Definite check.
Devise a laundry system of some sort - Ehhhh......*looks at clothes in a pile on the floor and chairs* Fail.
Clear out recycling packaging from the back  - Done! 

Little goal for October:: Take an hour off from my to do list and chores every week to have some pampering time. - *Sigh* Fail. Unless reading blogs is pampering time. Which it isn't.

Little goal for October: Buy some make up and experiment - I did buy some make up! Then half way through my experimentations, I got a facial plague of some sort and now I can't even touch my face and I'm having to rub medicated Vaseline on it and I'm all spotty and greasy and itchy basically, I don't want to talk about it....

A massively mixed bag but there's a lot of green! (Don't want to end on a negative note, haha!) 

For November, I'm hoping to
- Finish my hair, skin and nails supplements.
- Do 10 minutes of exercise every day.
- Attend sport's team training.
- Use up two products (won't be the EcoStyler Gel....)

Friday 18 October 2013

On Repeat: Temi Dollface


I wouldn't call myself a dancer, but I love moving. Those who know me  personally are accustomed to seeing me sway, bop or jiggle to music in my head on the street. So when I hear a tune that makes me want to move and shake even more unabashedly than usual, I just have to share it.


 Temi Dollface's 'Pata Pata' (means 'total' or 'absolute') has a beautifully bright video, with 1950s fashion intersecting with more traditional African styles. And the music? Eurgh, I love it! - a deliciously thick and modern bass, that somehow still manages to remind me of the Afrobeat records my dad played when I was a little girl. Her voice and lyrics are an awesome mix of spunky wit, effortless sophistication and honey.

Basically, this song is a whole heap of fun and I'm obsessed.



Oh, and go here for her silk-smooth re-doing of Teenage Dirtbag.
Thanks to Chai for sharing first!

Monday 14 October 2013

CG Girl Gone Cone

It started innocently enough, in Paris. Borrowing a little bit of my house mates anti dandruff shampoo to clarify my scalp properly.

And then it spiralled - aggravated by a crazy life situation, an overwhelming need for convenience and no longer having the time, space and access to ingredients like before.

So here, we have my new list of products I'm using at the moment - at least, until life settles down a little bit more and allows me to get my clay on like I used to.

In the shower:
L - R: Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair Ultimate Colour 
Shampoo with Liquid Keratin, Herbal Essences Hello Hydration.
I do have 5 fingers, I promise.

Name: Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair with Liquid Keratin Ultimate Colour Shampoo .
Cost: £1
Use: Shampoo on a weekly basis


Name: Herbal Essences Hello Hydration.
Cost: £1.97 on offer, normally £3.89 at Boots.
Use: Conditioner after shampoo weekly; As a deep conditioner with an oil added.


Out the shower:

L - R: Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream, Rose Water, Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel, Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment.
Nearly all gone...
Name: Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream
Cost: Free for me, from a stash of a relative, but around £4 from Beauty Shops.
Use: As a moisturiser in the colder days, and when I'm too lazy to condition wash my hair; as a styler for my twists. It was there and it meant I wouldn't have to lug a spritz bottle and a bottle of sealant in all at the same time.


Name:  Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment
Cost: £11 from TK Maxx - the pump was missing and half of the stuff had been poured out, so it was on reduction to £18. I pointed out to the till girl that, if half was missing, shouldn't it have half off...?
She agreed - success!
Use: As a sealant, hair serum, and a hair perfume.


I'm having a lot of fun experimenting with products on my hair and I still have one purchase left to make. It's been nice, as well, getting to give some of the products that the natural forums and community have been buzzing about a bit of a go as well :)

Friday 11 October 2013

Big and little Goals

I've made it a habit of mine to post my yearly goals when autumn comes along - it feels a lot more natural than January 1st, in the midst of frost and cold and the dismantling of Christmas decorations. Eeesh *shivers*.

So I'm thinking that instead of approaching it like a wishlist, as in 'I hope somehow next year I'll have somehow managed to do this' I'll post my annual goal and then follow it up with what I'm doing this month to follow it up. See if it's realistic or not by taking little steps first. I've been massively inspired by Shelli's fitness achievements - her dedication is amazing and inspiring and, even better, totally achievable. 10 minutes a day? Let's do this!

Hair



Big Goal: Get to Bra Strap Length/Have 15 inches of hair all round by October 2014
Little goal(s) for October: Moisturise my twists regularly with rose water.
Continue caring for hair as necessary (washing and conditioning etc).
Keep up with my fitness goals.

Fitness

Source

Big Goal: Be able to do a handstand
Little goals for October: Continue focusing on general core and upper body fitness (I want to join a yoga class later on and am trying to give myself a little head start!).

Big Goal: Be able to keep up with the Wonder Thing. I'm feeling sluggish and lethargic, which isn't great going into the colder seasons. I want to look after myself so I have more energy and don't need afternoon naps any more!
Little goals for October: Exercise three times a week, to get re-used to it . Includes joining a dance class or sports team!
Drink 2 litres of water daily.
Start adding more vegetables and fruits back into my daily life - 5-a-day.

Life


Big Goal: Save £1500
Little goals for October: Start working again, even if it means joining new agencies.
Reclaim money from agencies and banks that is owed to me.
If I am working at least times three a week, create a realistic budget.

Big Goal: Have a welcoming home.
Little goals for October: Get some sofas.
Devise a laundry system of some sort.
Clear out recycling packaging from the back.

Big Goal: To feel more put together as a person
Little goal for October:: Take an hour off from my to do list and chores every week to have some pampering time.

Big Goal: To be able to do my own face in simple, flattering make up
Little goal for October: Buy some make up and experiment


Wednesday 9 October 2013

Playing Catch-Up: Eliminating The Reasons Your Hair Isn't Growing As Fast

Phew! That's a pretty long title!

I was over on BGLH, as per usual, when I came across this fantastic article called: 4 Reasons Her Hair Seems to Grow Faster Than Yours. It's a typically brilliant, straight to the point by JC of The Natural Haven. No messing about - just direct advice and I would definitely recommend you give it a read in full if you feel you're struggling with length retention compared with you

We all know that if Lady A is the one who reaches waist length in 3 years with seemingly no effort, and Lady B is stuck at shoulder length after 5 years of intent (now bordering on desperate) care, I'm in the Lady B camp. So I wanted to look at myself next to it, to see how I'm doing.

1. She makes her own rules 
It's taken me a while to get around to this one. I used to do what I was 'supposed' to, since this was the first time handling my own hair, so I didn't want to get it wrong. Plus, I didn't have previous experience to refer to, so everything was new.  I had to experiment a lot before deciding the Denman was an over zealous,over efficient, strand eating demon; that finger detangling and not shower combs were the way for me; that it doesn't seem to make a difference if I detangle dry, damp or wet, but detangling in the shower is just more convenient. I wash when my scalp feels it needs it and yes, I do wash my hair whilst it's in mini twists - that going 4 weeks without water business doesn't work for me. Shampoo? Yes please, with or without sulphates. Actually, looking at other naturals with fine hair actually helped confirm some of these choices and 'rules' as well.

It's a process, both tiring and exhausting in the same breathe. But I'm extremely hopeful for the rest of 2013 and for 2014 too. I have a feeling it's going to be a great year.

Grade: A-
2. She leaves her hair alone

Well, I do only do my length checks intermittently - annually, in fact. And I lost my scissors earlier this year and made a pact with myself not to buy some more. 

However, on a regular basis, if my hair isn't in mini twists, my hands will be in my hair all the time. If I'm wearing buns, it seems it needs more handling: to make sure it's stretched; to make sure it's moisturised; to make sure I'm not putting too much tension on my roots and edges.. I can't help it - it's so much fun! It's more than hair - it's an entertainment system too, haha! 

Okay, maybe I should try and work on this more....

Grade: C+

3. She understands and avoids breakage 

So far, I know that continually touching my hair a.k.a high manipulation is not very good with my hair. That and being too rough. 
Sometimes, however, I admit, I don't care. Like, if I have a difficult knot and no scissors, and I've been working at it for 5 minutes with no joy nor progress, I might just tug at it to snap it off rather than looking for my scissors.
I also haven't considered what causes these knots in the first place, which seems a rather obvious thing to do to avoid breakage.
Oh, and I've been sleeping on a cotton pillowcase for the past 3 months - I tried with a satin bonnet but keeps coming off in the night.
However, even apart from my bad habits, I still suffer from random bits of breakage and I have no idea what causes it.

Maybe it's my bad habits combined....Eeeek!

Grade: F

4. She experiments with products

Well, I can definitely say I'm doing this. I've started looking at non-Curly Girl method products (products with silicones in them) over the summer to negate some of the abuse I'd be doling out whilst working out my wedding hair. What I'm hoping is that I end up with a small arsenal of products that a) work for me, b) don't cost too much (subjective, I know), c) aren't a hassle to get a hold of and d) just fit conveniently into my life, rather than me having to fit my life around my products. I'd quite like them to be eco-friendly and biodegradable as well, but that sometimes clashes heavily with the d) convenient and c) aren't a hassle to get hold of. So we'll see where I end up. But I'm having fun getting there anyway. 

Grade: A

Final Grade - C: Average.
Yeah, the combination of my awful breakage habits in the past months has definitely meant less length retention, but I knew touching my hair on a regular basis would do that and expected it, so no biggie.There's no excuse for the sleeping on a cotton pillowcase - gotta get my silk satin pillow case out right after finishing this! There's definitely a lot I can stand to improve on, habit-wise.

 I'm having fun with the experimenting and rule breaking though - feels like fun and freedom in the same room!



Tuesday 1 October 2013

Hey There!

I have, in the past 6 months, moved between 3 countries, 5 cities, over 10 towns and many, many houses.

There have been cards, presents, far too much packing and an obscene excess of goodbyes to people I desperately want to see again. Many shenanigans, not always of my own making *glares at computer*


I have moved house twice, celebrated the birthdays of 6 family members', not including the birth of a new one) and gotten married (just once. Or maybe twice, depending on who you ask).

In short, I’m utterly knackered



As you might have guessed, looking after my hair (and myself in general) has taken a long back seat and hasn’t really been a priority of mine, despite its appearance being a looming focus for myself and many an aunt (more on that later).

I feel like I've completely fallen off the bandwagon of feeling bothered with my appearance and, after finally purchasing a mirror and taking a look at my ghastly reflection within, I'm more than desperate to climb back on.


Starting with the basics of course...




Thursday 15 August 2013

Postponed Passions

A cracked laptop screen, looking like a footlong, furry caterpillar is leaning over towards whatever I'm doing on the laptop.

10 keys that suddenly stop working, without explanation. Including 't' 'u' and 'p'. The word 'put' becomes nigh impossible.

Moving country single-handedly again. On a train. Straight from work.

Working. Applying for jobs. Form-filling. Then, not working.

Trying to find an abode that doesn't make you feel like a victim of a Dementor.

And planning. Oh, lord, the planning.  Despite how little of it I'm doing, I find having to make concrete decisions really aggravating.
I'm hopeless.

Usually, summers are a chance for me to stretch, release and slowly transition into a new season. This allows me to blog freely and frequently.

But this summer has been uncharacteristically busy. I haven't been able to find the appropriate moments to dedicate to this blog like I always try to. Especially with having to use the on-screen keyboard for every third letter or so.

I'm thinking that I'll be less busy around the beginning of October.

See you when the dust settles!






Monday 11 March 2013

Washed, not Cut

Wash day/quater of an hour on Thursday was very simple.
1) I pre-treated my hair with coconut oil overnight ( I feel like calling it a pre-poo is a lie, since I don't always shampoo after and it's purpose is more about protecting my hair from protein degradation in the water).
2) The next day, I wet my hair in the shower and then massaged some Apple Cider Vinegar diluted with (warm) water through my hair and scalp. Then rinsed.
3) Added some Garnier Ultra Doux Avocado and Shea Butter Conditioner and left on for 5 minutes, while I finished showering. Rinsed out.
4) Applied Aloe Vera Juice and Felix Capillus.

That's it.

My mini twists are getting to that age where they're really worn in and I love them and like to wear it down most of the time. I forgot that a few of my friends hadn't seen it when it was down, so after I washed it and let it shrink a up to my chin I got a lot of questions about whether I had cut my hair or not.

Course not! My ends are far too happy and I am far too focused to start lopping it off now!

The reactions I get when I wear my hair down can, in my humble opinion, border on the hilarious. The other day when I walked into class, one of the children exclaimed "Woahhhh! Quel coiffure!"

This was his exact reaction
Translations: UK - "Cor, what a hairstyle!"
US - "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaang."

Saturday 9 March 2013

Guess?

What's nearly 21 kilometres long, makes use of over 60,000 feet, drinks more than 50,000 litres of water and eats more than 4000 kilograms of fruit?



Friday 8 March 2013

Great Minds...

I haven't changed the look of my blog since it's inception because I already have an idea of what I want it to be. The most important and frustrating part for me is my header - I'd always imagined it as a woman somewhere pouring coconut milk from a coconut, maybe on an island or a beach, under a palm tree. And then I would change it up every season or something. It's because my blog was named both for the abundance of stuff I hoped to blog about, as well as a pun on my favourite chocolate bar - Bounty. So I imagined it in similar colours, of  blue and white, with highlights of gold, pale green and orange.

See, chocolate can be a source of inspiration!
Since I'm doing it by myself, it's taking me a while to perfect and learn the skills to make my ideas a reality (an amateur with perfectionist ambitions - the worst, right?)

Well, this morning, I was reading my e-mails and noticed I'd gotten one from Akamuti (a British based company that sells organic and fair trade cosmetic ingredients) about celebrating their  tenth year. I bought some oils from them a while ago, so I still get e-mails. I suddenly noticed their avatar:

Guys. My jaw actually dropped and I was hard pressed to pick it up. How had they gotten into my head and gotten that near exact picture?? (Only the hair is different - I was thinking more of a fluffy puff type thing). I didn't know whether to laugh or cry - now I had a real life template for my banner, but I don't want to be accused of plagarism somewhere down the line, haha!

Here's their home page:

After clicking along the different tabs, I realised they had a similar template for the women, but the settings, skin and hair colours and accessories were different.

I promise they haven't sponsored me to write this - I was just blown away by the similarity!

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Mixology: Delicate Rose Aloe Moisturiser

So, before this month, this is the moisturiser I was using. I found it was a light, non sticky formulation, that could easily be used on both my hair and face for a quick blast of moisture. When I used it on my face, I followed up with some coconut oil, because it's winter, and also to break up the aloe vera gel 'cast' as well.

I found it was great for my fine hair that isn't a huge fan of butters and the like, though sometimes I needed to follow up with a sealant. I only ever made small amounts at a time, because I didn't use any preservatives- what is in that bottle sometimes lasted me a week, no longer.

It has a light scent from the Rosewater, and was just a relaxing and delightful way to start off my day! It's based off the Giovanni Direct Conditioner, but it's even lighter than that (hence, the need for a sealant), so I loved using it when I was a few days away from my wash day, but don't want to use anything heavier to cause build up or attract dust >.<

I didn't use measurements - I just did it by instinct, but it was always something like:

50% Rosewater
30-40% Aloe Vera Gel
10-20% Oil.

For my oil, I of course used my Felix Capillus, but if you try it and change anything, let me know how it goes!




Monday 4 March 2013

Not really a wash day & March Targets

More like two instances in the past week where I've spent more than 5 minutes in the shower.


Firstly, decided to lay off the shampoo for a week, because of my overzealous rinsing and repeating last wek, so this week, I just massaged some apple cider vinegar into my scalp reeeeally gently, as though I were trying to lull it to sleep. Rinsed and conditioned for five minutes, then rinsed the conditioner out. Applied Aloe Vera Juice on top of that, and then some shea butter, since I had the time to make some more up, last week.

That's it really, and it doesn't feel like a real post, so I thought I'd add some goals I'm trying to keep up for the month of March. I've noticed a lot of baby splits, which is probably a combination of the manipulation for the Curlformer set, then the constant manipulation putting mini twists in, combined with lack of any strengthening treatment since before Christmas or something like that. Plus the hair scissors I brought with me (£5 from Superdrug, because I lost my pair from -Sally's) are nul, so I'm not over eager to use them. Looks like I'll need a trim when I go back to England in May though! Until then, I'm minimising the damage as much as I can with buns and other protective styles.



 March goals
Exercise 3 times a week
Remember to bun to keep my ends preotected
Oil ends of hair twice a week with..argan oil?
Moisturise daily.


I already do all the other stuff, like eating well and drinking loads of water, so need to worry about that, and I spray my hair morning and night with a mixture of rosewater and aloe vera juice...It's mainly the exercise that I'm concerned about!

Monday 25 February 2013

Wash Day

Since I took so long to put my mini-twists in (finished them Saturday evening), and I didn't want the Curlformer curls to get shrunken, my head /hair hadn't been washed in just over a week. Although the Aloe Vera Juice and Shea butter had done a good job in keeping my hair moisturised for the best part of 4 days, more was needed; hence, the large amount of conditioner used this time around - my hair was craving it mightily. and absorbed it ALL. No drippies on the wall, no siree.
The coconut oil was added in after primarily to semi-mask the smell of the aloe vera juice, but I know that there is some added moisture benefits too.

So I hopped to it  - so quickly in fact, I forgot to pre-poo and do an apple cider vinegar rinse after. Whoopsie.

1) Rinsed through hair and scalp with warm water. 2) Applied Burt's Bronner's Magic Lavender Liquid Soap and gently massaged into my scalp. Rinsed thoroughly. Repeated. 3) Added approximately 3 handfuls of Garnier Ultra Doux Vanille & Papaye Conditioner. Left in for about 5 minutes, then rinsed. 4) I wrapped my head in a towel while I sorted myself out, and then added some aloe vera juice. 5) Added some Extra Virgin Coconut Oil on top.


And...that's it. Honestly. It was very short and quick, which is always great because spending a fortnight in the shower is not where my passions lay.


                                                          It's an ardent pleasure to return to the convenience of twists.

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Look What I Found :)

I don't normally do hauls because...well, I never really buy in that well. Things just sort of build up.

I had an hour to kill in Le Marais area and wandered into an American Apparel shop. I've never been into my life, so it was interesting for me.

At the very front desk, I noticed some Dr Bronner's products. I actually used them last year, but more as part of my hippy laundry liquid experiments more than anything else. This time, I was looking for a convenient inbetween for my bentonite clay, and the anti dandruff shampoo.

I picked up a small size of the lavender as a sample, because I wanted something soothing, rather than stimulating.


Know what's even better than finding an affordable sample size of a product you wanna try?


Ohhhh yeah.

Unfortunately for me, I ran out of aloe vera gel. So I took this as an opportunity to pick something up from my local heath food store (Naturalia) that I've been considering for a while:



Aloe Vera Juice, opposed to the gel. Unfortunately, this behemoth did not come with a 30% off sticker which, at €20 euros, would have been highly appreciated!

Monday 18 February 2013

5 Hour Wash Day

It began with some hubris and my Curlformers.

I can't even remember the last time I did a Curlformer set, so when I saw this tutorial, I was going in like a flash. Yes, I would like stretched out curls for my friend's birthday party! And I had a whole day free as well, so the caveat of it taking 3 hours didn't phase me.
I only remembered to pre-treat my hair with coconut oil that morning, so it got half an hour instead of overnight.
I started off with a bentonite clay treatment, which was bad of me - I've been meaning to do a Cassia for a couple of weeks, but didn't want to end up with minuscule pieces of grass in my head whilst meeting new people. So bentonite only it was. I added a bit more water to it than normal, to make it easier to rinse out, as well as  my usual splash of apple cider vinegar


Using less water meant my hair wasn't as weighed down, but it still had the same effect as normal. I always love the results of my bentonite clay treatments, because they're always the same - happy, bouncy hair, with pretty defined coils.



After rinsing out the bentonite, my hair felt so yummy, I considered skipping conditioning. Then I realised that this was crazy talk, conditioned as normal (leaving conditioner on for 5 minutes) and the skipped out the shower.
Once out, I applied aloe vera juice to my hair, and then split it up into sections, in preparation for the curlformer business. Smaller sections = easier to handle. I deliberately made myself choose smaller sections, and on those sections, I applied some Shea butter mix and Eco Styler Olive Oil gel. 



I knew I didn't have enough Curlformers for my entire head (I hoped...), but because my sections were so small, they dried faster than normal and initially still came out silky smooth when I took the Curlformers off that section to use elsewhere. I used rosewater in my spray bottle to refresh the parts of my hair that had dried whilst waiting. 


I started all these shennanigans (from the pre-poo) at 10 in the morning. 
By half 3 in the afternoon, I was done. 

5 hours??
It was all pink on the left and all orange on the right.
I need to be more strategic where I use my curlformers - in some parts, my hair has already outgrown them!
Add caption
 Becase of my haphazard placement of the curlformers, I couldn't stretch them in the same manner as naptural85 does in her video, so I gently pulled the curls to one side, for a regal pinned up kind of look.

I only have one picture because by the time I was ready, it was time to go! I over applied the gel in some areas, so I got flakes *sigh*

I find that Curlformers only ever last me one day. I'll have to work out a way to make them work for me for longer.

But despite the loss of the curls, I didn't want to let the awesome stretch go. So I started mini twists the next day (Saturday), trying to do at least 2 for each curl section. Today is the third day, and I'm barely halfway through >.< However, my hair still feels so moisturised from the aloe vera juice and shea butter from Saturday! Win!

Monday 11 February 2013

Greek Wash Day

I had been pondernig doing another Greek Yoghurt treatment, and then a colleague requested an Apple Yoghurt cake for his birthday and wham! Perfect excuse.

Okay, I bought the yoghurt before hand, but the cake excuse made me feel it was justified. Similar recipe to what I used here.

So small. And yet, so deliciously powerful.
The cake was both simple and simply divine, as were my results when using it in my hair.

To even write what I did feels sliightly patronising, but here goes!
1) Slathered my hair in coconut oil overnight. 2) Added 2 tablespoon fuls of greek yoghurt to a bowl, along with 2 tablespoonfuls of apple cider vinegar and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil. Mixed with a wooden spoon. 3) Applied yoghurt mix to my hair and left it for 20 minutes (possibly whilst wearing a plastic bag or something. I don't remember). 4) Rinsed out of hair thoroughly, sniffing for peppermint as a hint as to what areas were still incomplete.

As an experiment, I liberally added some aloe vera gel to one side of my hair to see if it made a difference and it did.
It dried, as gels are wont to do, making my hair feel crunchy with it's soft hold and encouraging me to put some Felix Capillus on it to soften it up >.<

And that was it! Ah, I love wash days that don't take a lot of effort...






Tuesday 5 February 2013

Homely and I know it...

After my wash day last week, I again put my hair in twists - at least, like I'd tried to do the week prior. I was going to add some Curlformers to the end, for a twist and curlformer set but I decided to leave it as they are and just wear them in a ponytail.

Wearing chunky twists isn't exactly a la mode from all the tutorials I've seen. Which is kind of funny, seeing how practical and easy they are.

That probably explains the lack of tutorials on them then...

 I think reading other people's blogs and experiences can be really helpful - I got the idea to wear my stretch style out of the house from Shelli (who is also doing the same thing coincidentally).




However, I'm probably going to leave it until my next wash day instead of when I have time to style it again. .


My horizons of what's possible and what I find acceptable for me are being gently nudged and I like it.

I was still surprised when I got complimented on it though!

Monday 4 February 2013

Wash day: Reboot

I hadn't done a Cassia since before Christmas - so I knew I was due for one. If not out of necessity, at least to use up the bag I've got!

Bentonite on the right, Cassia on the left

I was feeling really sluggish about doing it, because I needed to do a bentonite as well, but I didn't want to have another Wash day where I end up doing it all at once: bentonite, cassia, tea rinse, condition etc etc...

And then I remembered that last year, I totally used to mix the two together! Yay, minimising a step!

I wanted a smoother, runnier mix, so I only used about 1 tablespoon of bentonite clay and the same the same for the Cassia too and then added water slowly, allowing the clays to absorb the water, so it wouldn't thicken on me suddenly.


1)Pre-pooed with coconut oil an hour prior instead of overnight, and finger-detangled.
2) Added mixed clays to hair and left it on for 30 - 45  minutes .
3) Rinsed with warm water until it ran clear, and focused the shower head on my scalp. I always miss a spot! 4) Did a black tea rinse, making sure to saturate hair and scalp
5) Wrung hair out gently and applied the Shea butter and avocado conditioner, mixed with a little Felix Capillus (ran out of Olive Oil). Put on a baggy and left it on for another 30 minutes and then rinsed out, whilst finger detangling.
6) Rinsed with Apple Cider Vinegar. (Forgot to lean back instead of forward. My eyes regretted it immediately.)
6) Applied Rose Aloe Leave in, and sealed with hempseed oil and shea butter.

I don't know what's happened to my washing my hair in sections. When I use the clays, I just don't any more...
I was going to go without a leave in at first ,but after ten minutes, I realised that my hair was not about that life and put some in. I'm slowly using up the hempseed oil. Although using that and the Brazil Nut Oil made me appreciate the effect of using something slightly heavier on my ends, I don't think I'll be repurchasing them as staples. I might grab some Brazil Nut Oil every now and then, because I adore the smell...

Monday 28 January 2013

Wash Day - Failure to launch



I haven't really had a wash week this past week.

I just kind of experimented with different ACV rinses and co-washed - the last of which resulted in the hot water running out on me. AAAAAAHHHHHH. Never again! I solemnly swear to always take a shower before 4pm from now on.

I couldn't muster up the physical desire to have such a long shower and get a proper scrubbing on. I was feeling quite indecisive and half inspired, which is always a dangerous mix. A lot of the little girls at my school have been wearing twists and I've been itching to get back into them.

So as a stretch, I started fat twisting my hair and then changed my mind halfway that, actually, I wanted them as a style, so maybe they should be smaller, but ACK! I'm going out and I need to leave in 5 minutes, AndWhereDidIPutMyTights?

Yeah, so I ended up wearing my trusty hat (couldn't even find my satin scarf...something tells me I left it in England after coming back from Christmas....).

And taking them out when I got back.

Monday 21 January 2013

This wash day was not sponsored by Garnier

My wash day last week was pretty simple - no bells or whistles.

1) Pre-pooed overnight with Coconut Oil. 2) Shampooed with Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo. There are two reasons why I probably shouldn't have been using that shampoo. One,  It has SLS, which seems to be the ultimate RED BUTTON; DO NOT TOUCH on the curly, kinky interwebs and two It contains white willow bark, an excellent anti dandruff treatment, since it is a rich source of salicyclic acid. It is also an active ingredient found in aspirin (for dilating blood vessels or something) so as an asthmatic, I'm supposed to avoid it. But if I'm feeling halfway rebellious, may as well go all the way, no? I applied the shampoo in sections, to make sure I got to every inch of my scalp. Also meant I used, like, 10 times the recommended amount... 3) Rinsed like the Dickens. 4) Applied my Garnier Ultra Doux conditioner, with Vanilla milk and Papaya pulp. It's formulated for long hair, so I reckon it should help my fragile ends. Also, smells like heaven. Fruity, but not too much and mixed with that irresistible scent of Vanilla. Love it. I left it in for 5 minutes while I bemoaned the state of our shower, thanks to the hard water. 5) Rinsed out, but not intensely - I don't mind if a little bit of the product is left behind because then my hair smells gorgeous :) 6) Applied home made Rose Aloe Moisturiser. 7) Sealed with Hempseed oil and some whipped shea butter on my ends.


Happy, happy hair! Soft and fluffy. And my scalp was completely and utterly clear! Nothing else to report really with the shampoo, apart from a nagging,persistent headache the following day. I'm not sure if it was from the shampoo or not - I'll find out next time.

To stretch, I decided to indulge in some banding for a couple of days. 



 When I released it, it simply went up in a bun, to avoid my hair brushing on my scarf. The first picture is my hair after I decided to finger comb a little.
I love how big looking it turned out!



It's only now as I've written this up that I've realised both commercial products used are Garnier. 
I've never really paid attention to any brands (outside of Tresemmé) but my experience so far is definitely making me think I might try them out when I go back to England.
One's in Spanish and the other's in French - yo no habla ingles!