A whole new wash day experience!

Hey there y'all!! 

So, I promised you that I will be more active and prolific from now on, and I come to deliver with a wash day post. I haven't done one in a while basically because I haven't done much. I have been skimping on pre-poo and DC sessions (I know! Sacrilege!), I have SO much new growth even though I'm only a bit over 12 weeks post (I'm NOT sure how much, I just know that I last relaxed in December, between my birthday and Christmas, okay maybe I'm 14 weeks post)

So, I started off with a decent prepoo, using a little mixture of old conditioners and some kitchen basics. 

My pre-poo mix

So, I made a prepoo mixture of Sunsilk Argan Oil Conditioner, Avon Advance Techniques Supreme Oils Conditioner, honey, coconut oil and salt. The latter I have read about on a couple of blogs, that it also increases the moisturising abilities of conditioners. So, mixed it all together, slapped it on, rubbed it through and then covered my hair with a plastic cap and a beanie and started watching Troy. 

Amount of hair lost during detangling when I applied the prepoo mix.

My prepoo selfie, lmao!

I chilled for a while, then shampooed with Avon Advance Techniques Supreme Oils shampoo. When I rinsed the prepoo, my hair felt SO ridiculously soft!!! I then just did a quick smoothing conditioning with the Sunsilk conditioner and THEN I did my first HARD protein treatment ever!

Remember I told y'all that I bought a bunch of new products in London that are generally unavailable in Windhoek, and one of those beauties was the Aphogee Two Step Protein treatment. 

Guys, this thing stinks! I swear, it smells like rotten eggs and smelly feet mixed together. It also has a very runny consistency. i didn't have a spray bottle this time, but next time I will definitely rather use a spray bottle to apply this stuff. 

So I applied it all over, concentrating on my ratty ends. I kept it on for about 5 minutes until I started feeling my hair getting hard from the product. I then rinsed it as gently as possible. Even after all the protein was gone my hair still felt super stiff, so I gave it another quick smoothing with the sunsilk conditioner before deep conditioning with another self made mix. 

Amount of hair lost during the shampoo, protein, rinsing and DC application and rinsing processes. 

My DC mix

As y'all can see, my DC mix mirrors my prepoo mixture, with the conditioner changing to Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends, also picked up at Boots in London. Side note: Honey, coconut oil and salt are now officially staples to add to ANY conditioner to up it's quotient into DC territory. 

Same routine - plastic cap, beanie and continue watching Troy. I cannot recall how long my DC session was, I get lost in time when I watch Troy (I mean, who wouldn't??)

Then rinse, my hair feeling super soft, but stronger than it's felt in months. Thank you Aphogee!!! Also shout out to Ebony and KLP for the advice last night via Twitter!

I then applied my leave ins - MorrocanOil Treatment and Herbal Essences Bee Strong Creme, the latter also a London pick up (I told y'all, I LOST MY MIND) and proceeded to rollerset on big orange perm rods (yep, also new. Judgement free zone).

Leave ins

I'm tired, it's getting late and trying specific rollers for the first time is always a little bit of a bitch

Not bad for a first time I thought.

By this time, it was closing in on midnight, so I decided to just sleep with the rods. It wasn't too uncomfortable, actually WAY more comfy then curl formers AND flexi rods. 

So, this morning I took out the rods and then separated the curls just a little bit and that's all she wrote. Lord knows how long they will actually last since as you can see i didn't use a drop of holding product. 

BTW, I apologise for the pics quality, my phone suddenly takes not as cool pics as a week ago, need to have it checked out. 

Anyhoo, my hair LOVED all the products I used and ESPECIALLY loved the actual attention I gave it for a change. Complacency is officially out the window, I'm back in the hair journey saddle! Be sure to check out all the posts from The Washday Experience where we all learn something new every day.

Have a great Tuesday everybody! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM! 

Looking good versus being healthy

Hola there everyone.

Is anyone looking forward to the long weekend as much as I am? I dare ya to be as excited as I am! Not as if I actually have things planned, except RESTING and being lazy. I'm taking a mini vacation - going to my childhood home, visiting my parents and actually resting and recharging my soul and tired bones. I'm also looking forward to actually showing to my doubtful mother how successful in my journey I have been thus far.

As I told y'all on Monday, I will be protective styling for the week, up and till I get twists installed and go into intensive long term protective styling mode. I am more than 17 weeks post and I am working my damnest to make sure that I don't experience unnecessary breakage and shedding. Last night I braided my hair into 6 cornrows after moisturising with my Amla Legend 1001 Oils Wrap Cream and this morning I pinned up the resulting braidout.

As anyone can see, the kinks from the braid out isn't very pronounced, but my hair has a nice body and shine and my new growth is stretched and blended nicely with the relaxed length.

And that is what I want to talk about - today my hair IS healthy and it also LOOKS good. And up and till a few years ago I did not know the difference.

Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

A million years ago, as a law student at the University of Stellenbosch, I lived in a res by the name of House Erica. We were about 190 young women living under the same roof, and this is where I had my first experience regarding true sincere female relationships. It is also here where I realised that I've got a bit of flair when it comes to hair styling. Within a matter of months I had my hands full styling my friends' hair. Nothing fancy, but I could do a roller set, a blow out and curls to the straightest of white girl hair. I knew how to make hair LOOK good. At the time though I had know idea how to keep hair HEALTHY. During this stage of my life my hair was relatively healthy though, but it sure as hell wasn't because I was consciously looking after it, it was a happy coincidence from soft water, a constant high humidity which kept my hair moisturised naturally, a tendency to only relax my hair during the holidays when I'm home with the folks (thus I was stretching without even knowing it) and the fact that I have roller set my hair religiously since I was a kid.

Today, after scouring the hair blogosphere, after researching countless articles on how to keep one's hair at its healthy peak, after embarking on my healthy hair journey, I know what I must do to keep my hair healthy, especially considering that me AND my hair are a bit older and the environment and climate I live in now is not as conducive to one's hair as that of the lovely Western Cape. I know now that healthy hair practically automatically looks good, but that a good looking style does not necessarily equal a healthy head of hair. I know now that one's hair doesn't have to be straightened to within an inch of death to look good. I know now that styling comes secondary to caring. And I know now that I am still able to style hair, but in a much healthier way. I wish that I knew of healthy practices consciously years ago. At the same time, thank God I know them now!!!

Tomorrow is a public holiday here in these parts and I'm heading home to my mama's house. I am going to drag her to the shops and show her what staple products I use on my hair. I will show her which ingredients in hair products are more harmful than others and I will explain to her why I do what I do when it comes to my hair. Just because one has walked the wrong road for a long time, does not mean that anyone or anything is preventing you from turning around and taking another road. That philosophy applies to life, and right now I'm applying it to my hair. Thank heavens that I turned around and started taking care of my hair in order to get it healthy. Because now, as it is HEALTHY, I don't have to stress about it looking good. Because the healthier the hair is, the less and less often does one experience a bad hair day.

So, what is anybody planning for the weekend? (Lol, yes, mine is starting in 2 hours!!!)

Be blessed, and happy growing!!

I've been doing it all my life!

Hola everybody.

I trust everyone has had a great weekend. Today was a wash day for me, but I went to the salon again because my life is running away with me. And I have WAY too much new growth to DIY and rush through the process, I would just end up regretting it. So, I grabbed my own products and then headed to the same salon that did my hair after removing my weave. And again, I was not disappointed with the way they treated my hair nor with the results. I must mention this though - because the used MY products that I brought from home, in the order that I requested, my hair feels stronger and softer than it did when they used THEIR shampoo and conditioner and leave in. I have made a decision that whenever I go to a stylist in future I shall take with me my anal nature regarding how they should treat my hair (I grabbed the wide tooth comb and detangled myself prior to roller setting!) as well as my own products that I know work well for me at home. The ones shown below are the ones I grabbed today.

Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner

Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo

D & L Anti Breakage Healing Treatment - I used this as a protein DC and it is amazing, as it is not a hard protein, but hair feels quite a bit stronger. Wide mouth tub - Jeni, your kind of thing, lol.

How the DC looks coming out of the tub. Very  thick and creamy, but it sinks in well.

Moroccanoil Treatment - this is a leave in treatment that has the consistency of a serum but acts as a conditioner and heat protectant. It is HELLA expensive (It amounts to 2 months of groceries!) and I received it as a gift. I guard this with my life, and I lend it to NO ONE. It works like a charm and it is NOT readily available in this country.

No make up selfie!! Hair results are on point though. 

Results - smooth, soft, strong. I do need another colour rinse though, this natural brown is a little boring to me.

However, what I really want to talk to y'all about today is rollersetting and how to get a good set, thus stretching your hair without the detrimental direct heat of a blow dry or a straightening iron.

Now, I know that in general every head of hair is different, and believe me, I am not trying to dictate the "right" way. I am simply sharing my life long experience, as my hair has been roller set every wash day since I was teeny tiny baby. I remember a picture taken of me at the tender age of two years, running around in our back yard on chubby legs, massive smile on my face and a head full of rollers.

So, I have had a LOT of practice to perfect my roller setting technique and it would be remiss of me to not share with like minded ladies.

On any normal wash day I follow my normal routine of detangle, pre-poo, shampoo, instant condition, detangle, deep condition, leave in condition and then final detangle. Then the roller setting process starts. I divide my hair into three sections, usually recognized as the mohawk method.

Picture provided by Fancy Flair Lady 

I start my set with the middle section, but I start in front with my bangs and not at the crown, as I've seen a few ladies do. Always remember to keep a spritz bottle of water close by. It is always better that hair be more wet than damp when roller setting as to get a good stretch at the roots and to get a smooth result.

Each section of hair that I use per roller I make sure is completely detangled. I also make sure that each section fits the width of the roller and that stray strands of hair aren't slipping off the ends. This helps to ensure that the end results are smooth and well stretched.

Make sure to pull the hair nice and taut as you roll the hair over the roller. Do not pull it TOO taut as this will cause the hair to snap as it dries. Remember. hair stretches more whilst wet. Just ensure that the hair is pulled tautly enough so that one's roots mesh well with the relaxed lengths. If you are natural, ensure that the hair is evenly pulled taut around the roller.

Once I finish up the middle row, I move to the sides. Now, by this time, due to high porosity issues, the ends of  my hair has air dried quite a bit and requires gentle handling. I take my spritz water bottle (which usually contains a little bit of moisturising conditioner) and spray the hair until it is nice and wet again. Mind you NOT soaking wet, yet more wet than damp. Out of habit I move to the left side of my head first before tackling the right. I divide the side into two parts, making a vertical part and then first rolling the front and then the back, using the same methods as with the mohawk. At the end of the day, THIS is what I look like when I'm done:

As you can see, I continue to roll my hair in horizontal lines parallel to the mohawk. I have found this method to be the simplest, yet most effective method for the results that I wish to obtain. Usually I let the hair air dry in the rollers, although if time is of the essence, I blast it with cold air to hurry the process along.

Drying the last sections that are still in rollers. As y'all can see, bigger rollers equals straighter hair. Smaller rollers equal more defined curls. 

After all that effort, I usually simply put my hair into a cute protective style that shows off the fact that my hair is shiny clean whilst still utilizing some of the volume and body and curls provided by the roller set, such as below:

So! There you have it. If anybody has any questions feel free to ask. at the end of the day I believe that rollersetting is one of the biggest favors that one can do her hair. Remember, practice makes perfect!

Have a lovely week everybody!

I've been on hiatus for a while, but I'm back!!

Hello there everyone

Apologies for not having checked in in a while, I haven't truly felt very motivated to write about what's going on inside my head, or on top of it really. I have been feeling very tired and run down, and it took all of my energy just to focus on getting through each day. Thank the Lord though, I did get through each day and although I still feel tired (I need Easter weekend to hurry up and get here!) I feel a little better about life in general. It might be because the weather is cooling down my side of the world, which means less energy zapping scorching heat. I love summer as much as the next person, but remember, I practically live in a desert! When it gets hot, we all feel like limp lettuce leaves!

In the beginning of March I finally did what I have been threatening to do for a WHILE and I got myself weaved up. I did a full weave with no leave out and used a pack of Bobbi Boss hair. The lady that did the install was GREAT. She listened to my needs and attended to them. My tracks were done nice and securely without feeling tight or uncomfortable in any way. I told her beforehand to treat my hair as if I had the scalp of a five year old. After she did the install I did feel a little weird, but it was all good at the end of the day. I got quite a few compliments from friends and I felt good about doing intense protective styling for a change. I needed to rev up my retention and I thought that doing the weave during the last hot humid month of summer is the perfect time, as it is before my growth rate slows down a bit. I decided to have a realistic length that is not THAT much longer than my own, and it paid off, as it looked a little more natural than a superlong weave would have looked.

Weaved up at a St Patrick's Day party. 

During the month that I was wearing the weave I washed my hair 3 times, making sure to massage between the tracks and to get conditioner on not only my own hair but also on the weave. I also made sure to spritz me hair with a moisturiser and oiled my scalp a couple of times a week. I did make a mistake regarding the colour of the hair (colour 1) as in the beginning it made me look very much like a lost member of the Addams family. The black dye however washed out every time I washed my hair and after two washes it did not look as stark against my relatively fair skin. I doubt that I will buy this hair again though, as it shed HORRIBLY. I felt like a chia pet - every time I got up from the couch I found hair on the pillows!! But considering that I only wore the hair for a month, I guess it was okay considering that the hair was not very expensive, and also I don't see the sense in spending thousands of dollars (in my country's currency) if I'm not going to wear the hair for longer than 6 weeks. And after 4 weeks I got BORED.

So last Friday I went to the salon to take the weave out and for a wash and blow out. The same girl who did the install also took it out. I explained again to her that I am anal and paranoid about my hair and about breakage and that she needs to be uber gentle. She responded in kind and worked with soft hands, which I guess explains why it took quite a while to get the hair out and my tracks loose and detangled. And holy smokes!!!! The amount of shed hair that came out of there!! See below - I looked at it from all angles to make sure that it is indeed all shed hair and glory hallelujah! There was a little bit of breakage, which I guess is to be expected, but it accounted for maybe 10 % of that hair ball, so I'm pretty happy. It DOES confirm to me though that I need to revisit tea rinses for the shedding.

Check out that hairball!!

After detangling my hair I went to get my hair washed. I was silly and did not check what shampoo and conditioner they used. The shampoo girl continued to work with a gentle hand and even though it FELT like my hair was breaking when she detangled again whilst my hair was soaked in conditioner, she showed me the comb and there was VERY little hair in it. Cue happy dance!

She deep conditioned my hair with ORS Replenishing Pak with heat by parking me under the dryer for about 15-20 minutes, after which she rinsed, applied Bone Straight Conditioner as leave in and heat protectant and and then proceeded to roller set my hair. I'm about 3 months post and have quite a bit of new growth, so it was nice to have it handled by someone else other than myself. After my hair was set in the rollers I was parked again under the dryer, again for only 15-20 minutes, after which my hair was dry. Yes, that dryer is AWESOME, it warms uniformly and it hit even the rollers by my nape.

After removing the rollers I was given a quick blow out before my hair was completely straightened by a GHD flat iron. Yes, it's a lot of direct heat, but it happens so rarely in general that I felt okay with it. And I loved the results! My hair LOOKED as if I had a touch up done when she was done. And I am claiming APL!!!!!! Irony of course - my hair still doesn't FEEL long - it feels very much medium. But I'm happy, because I think I actually have Olivia Pope length hair now, heehee.

 Even ends! Oh happy day!

Office bathroom selfie!!

I'm getting there!! Slowly but surely, I'm getting there!

So now that I'm dealing with my own hair again, I will be more active on this here blog, especially since I feel even more inspired now, by the fact that I NEVER thought I could even reach this current length that I am. I am planning to protective style normally for the month of April by means of French and Dutch braids, buns and pin ups. I want to see if I can stretch to 16 weeks without breakage, so I'm also planning to be very active regarding keeping my moisture-protein balance in check. I shall be revisiting tea rinses for the freaking shedding and I shall also consider picking up a wig, but with regard to the latter, I need to sort out the budget first, as the month is filled with family birthdays AND a friend's wedding, which is out of town.

Essentially, at the end of the day, I am happy with the progress I made this past month and I shall be protective styling more intensely more often so as to up my retention.

What has everybody else been up to??
Have a great week ahead y'all!

Twisting it up!

And we're in the last stretch of the Protective Styling Challenge. In my previous post I just quickly checked in, but today I wish to share a couple of the styles I've been trying out this past month. Again, kindly note that phone camera quality generally sucks, and please forgive me. There will come a day with DECENT pictures.
Anyhoo, here goes, in no specific order:

Two strand flat twists

Two strand twist in the front with french braiding down the back

Simple french braid, although I love my little butterfly clip

I'm planning to try more styles involving the twists, as I can keep them in for 2-3 days, which is the whole point of protective styling, right? Also, I am considering continuing with protective styling even after the challenge's culmination. I'm thinking of doing the final length check for the challenge and then putting in box braids for about 8 weeks. But I haven't finally decided yet, will see how I feel at that stage. 

Until next time, I have a great week everybody!

Two down, one to go - L4LPSC

I have just noticed that I have not posted anything in weeks. To be honest I've been feeling a little un-inspired. Also, life has been a little crazy as well, but regardless, I have been keeping up with my hair responsibilities. It's officially Autumn now, so some things might become a little easier, such as less sweat when I'm not even working out. Sweating while exercising - expected and preventative measures taking. Sweating as if you're working out whilst chilling on your friend's patio - unacceptable!! I'm looking forward to the cooler weather of Autumn and minimizing of stress (from environmental heat) on my hair. 

The challenge has been going great, I have been finding more creative ways to wear my hair up. This morning I noticed how much longer my little pony felt as I was twisting it into a semi-chignon for work. I've also had less breakage, however, I've got quite a bit of shedding, which worries me. I have done tea rinses, I have eliminated products I think were contributing, and still - so many long hairs in my hand on wash day!! 

I did switch up my routine just a little bit. I continued to do the usual - wash and deep condition weekly, moisturize and seal, sleep with a silk scarf and bonnet. However, the last two wash days I did pretty intense pre-poo's. My aunt gave me a bottle of Amway Satinique Moisturizing Detangler. She LOVES it as a conditioner and our hair is pretty much the same texture. I used it once as an instant conditioner before applying my DC. I was so disappointed at how this very expensive conditioner did absolutely NOTHING for my hair. I didn't want to throw it out though. It was a gift AND it's bloody expensive. So...I mixed it with coconut oil and used it as a prepoo. And as a prepoo, the conditioner/coconut oil mix worked like a CHARM. My hair felt like butter after rinsing that, to the extent that felt that I didn't really need the DC, but of course I still did DC. And oh my hat, my hair is so shiny!! I won't use that conditioner again (I finished the 200ml bottle in 2 prepoo uses) BUT I now know that a crappy conditioner PLUS coconut oil could be a GREAT prepoo! 

With regard to the protective challenge, I had one down day this month, which puts my at a total of 2 down days used, with 5 to go, and I'm not even sure I'm going to use them. I really thought keeping my hair up and tucked would be a struggle, but it's easier than I thought, ESPECIALLY after I discovered that I can pretty decent French braiding and flat two strand twists!! I did take some pics, will put them up at a later stage, they're on my phone and I don't have a USB cable right now. 

In any event, something else that I realized - I really can't live without roller setting. Smoother hair is just so much easier to put in a bun, or to braid, or to twist. I also believe my length retention is better when I keep my hair smoother. Detangling is less of an issue, which reduces breakage from any handling. I'm currently about 4 weeks post (I REALLY am not 100 % sure at this moment) so I'm trying to keep my hair smooth without heat and without too much handling during the week but putting it up and at night simply taking out the pins or clip and wrapping the satin scarf around it without fidgeting too much. 

I think the last month of the challenge is gonna be a breeze. I'm just going to continue doing what I'm doing and take care of my hair. So often people say I'm hair obsessed, but at this stage I really couldn't give a crap. It's my CROWN and I shall keep it soft and shiny and have it grow, grow, grow!!

Have a good Monday everybody!

It's Monday...not sure how I feel about it...

My weekend was AMAZING. The Windhoek Jazz Festival was off the hook, my personal high points being the stunning Lira and the amazing Shishani. Lira worked the stage in a manner I have never seen before, and her band, holy mother of Zeus, her band gave me goosebumps! Shishani is truly a local gem, every time I see her perform she steals my heart yet again with that soulful, powerful voice and her meaningful lyrics, wrought with emotions across the spectrum. It truly was a night to remember. Thank you once again to Ms Ashante Manetti - awesome friend of note AND she rocked the stage as the MC!

And now it's Monday, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I feel like I need copious amounts of coffee. Also, I need my shuffle function to read my mood and put together a playlist accordingly. I do have a couple of goals for the week specifically. I need to get to the gym, I have been very lazy in that department. The irony - this morning I'm wearing a shirt that only months ago I couldn't even consider wearing as it was too small. Somehow I'm becoming smaller whilst not putting in nearly as much effort as I should. I'm kind of hoping that my metabolism got a bit of kick in the nuts as that would be awesome!

Second goal is to up the moisture to a high degree to the hair growing out of my head. I'm rocking a knot out and somehow instead of  waves and coils and a few curls (which have been the results of past knot outs) today I look like orphan Annie (from the musical) or Curly Sue - the curls are tight and springy, and I think it may be the go to style for the week as the reversion from sweating in the gym won't be as obvious and would actually aid the curls in being more springy, lol. The down side?? I feel like I lose more hair than usual during the detangling and retwisting processes. At the same time, as I'm a good 10 weeks post, my NG, if stretched, is going to shrink like crazy whilst working out and that's a pain in the butt that I simply do not have the energy for. At the same time, I need to baby my entire head considering that I want to touch up in a week or two. I really feel like I'm not sure what to freaking do! I do know one thing for sure - I am LOOKING forward to the touch up, lol. It is becoming nicely hot and humid and it'll simply make my life easier. Third goal is also hair related - protein treatments in preparation for the touch up. I'm planning to use the ORS Intense Masque again, this time for a good 15 minutes, to make sure that my hair is at its optimal strength when the time comes.

Goal nr 4 - sort out my freaking wardrobe!! I swear, every morning I stand in front of my closet and I feel utterly clueless! Clueless I tell you, and the reason for that is because I have not packed AWAY my winter clothes yet and a lot of my summer clothes are DEEP in the closet, which means scratching like a crazed person and leaving a mess before having to go to work, smh. So, I need to start properly packing away the winter clothes, organizing the summer stuff and also, I need to find something to serve purpose as a linen closet - my linens are with my clothes, taking up a lot of space, and it's making the entire situation a little too cramped!

Goal nr 5 - go see where I can get shelves that I can easily install myself to my walls. I'm planning on printing and framing a LOT of pictures and I don't have the space to display them, so I need to CREATE space. I need to check out the places that sell them, compare and choose and then work out the budget for next month as I'm planning to do it then as birthday gift to myself.

And lastly, but in my mind more pressingly - I need to find a turkey for Thanksgiving! And a birthday gift for my godson! And it's already the 5th of November!! See, things like these make me unsure of how to feel about the fact that it's Monday...again...

In the meantime, have a good week everyone!

Nasty raggedy weaves make my heart sore

You know how a person can be oblivious to something until they have a personal interest in that topic or area? Like how normal drivers rarely actually SEE bikers or cyclists until the day that they themselves have been on a bike or bicycle in the middle of normal traffic. Well, to a certain degree the same thing has been happening to me regarding hair, hair care and what I see on the heads of the many ladies around me in this beautiful city of ours. And because I now know that taking care of one's tresses need not be an extremely time or money consuming exercise, I cringe on a daily basis several times a day as I see girls with either sad, dry, badly broken hair OR wearing the most raggedy, nasty, hot mess weaves imaginable. Which leads me to wonder - with all the info available, why in the world are pretty girls practically uglying themselves up with these crows nests that they're walking around with? 

Okay, let's rewind a little bit. I have NOTHING against weaving it up, wigging it up, nor braiding it up. I've done all of the aforementioned myself and I enjoyed the choice range it provided me with. Done right, it's intense protective styling and your hair will thank you. Done right, you look good and your self esteem will thank you. I don't even have an issue with the arguments of others that weaving it up is playing to "racial insecurities" because I believe that those arguments are often exaggerated and it depends on perspective on any event. What I have an issue with is when a weave is done WRONG. When the hair used for the sew in is the cheapest, most plastic, synthetic kind on the market. When the person who installed it did not focus on the fact that it needs to look natural for it to look good. When puffs of natural new growth peak out around the edges of the sew in looking raggedy and thirsty and damaged. When a girl with a very dark skin tone decides to install hair that is simply too light to look natural, or vice versa. When a weave is worn WAY past the "sell by" date. When good quality human hair is actually used but the wearer is neglecting that hair, as well as her hair beneath it, so that even the HUMAN HAIR weave starts looking like a clumpy, split ended, dry, raggedy mess. ALL of THAT I have a HUGE problem with considering that very often some of these same women ridicule those of us who put concerted effort into their own hair. 

Another aspect of all of the above that struck me is that whenever I walk past such an unfortunate young woman, all I want to do is grab her to the side, buy her a cup of coffee and then start preaching! (Which is ironic, since I've only been on my own journey for a little over 8 months now) But unsolicited advice, especially like THAT (I lack tact sometimes) is NEVER appreciated, soooooooo, since I'm blogging about this, maybe, just maybe, one or two of these women will read this and realise that they can do better. Like Maya Angelou said - when you know better, you DO better. 

Okay, so here's some tips for these ladies, most of which I've learned from trial and error upon my own head:

• Since you're paying money for the hair that you'l be covering your own hair with, take some time and choose carefully. Compare colour, texture, human vs synthetic. Price is only relevant in your determination of "value for money". BUYING cheap leads to LOOKING cheap. If your budget is constrained, rather wait and save up for decent hair, or make peace with the fact that you'll be buying new packs of cheap hair every month. 
• Speaking of decent hair, quality 100% human hair can be re-used, unlike synthetic brands. It may cost you more initially, but THIS is where VALUE for money comes in. Of course, you need to actually TAKE CARE of it to get true bang for your buck.
• When having the weave installed, make sure that person installing it actually KNOWS what they're doing, and not the chick around the corner who does it for a nickle and a dime, because then you'll end up looking like a Medusa instead of an Athena. Look for a reputable stylist, get references from ladies that you've seen wearing some enviable weaves, and once again, be willing to pay a little more, as it's worth it in the end. 
• Whilst having your weave installed, SPEAK to your stylist, especially if you experience any pain or discomfort from the minute that the stylist or her assistant starts with your tracks. Even though a weave is a protective style, the hair underneath needs to be taken care as well, from the second the process starts, otherwise you'll be LOSING hair when the weave is removed. So, don't forget to USE YOUR VOICE.
• Now we move on to the weave being installed and the after care that YOU, the wearer need to do. It makes no sense to pay the money for the hair and the install and then not take care of it as well as your own hair. Lack of after care definitely leads to the existence of a crow's nest. 
• First of all, just because you're weaved up does NOT mean that you shouldn't WASH your hair. Use a gentle or diluted shampoo, get an applicator bottle so to get the shampoo in between the tracks so as to clean your own hair. Gently wash the weave itself as well, with either the same shampoo if you've installed 100% human hair, or if you've installed synthetic, a shampoo meant for synthetic hair. BE GENTLE. 
• Secondly, CONDITION. Use the same methodology as above. If 100% human hair has been installed, nothing prevents you from even deep conditioning THAT hair AS IF it was your own. 
• Thirdly, RINSE thoroughly. You DO NOT want any build up of product. ALWAYS BE GENTLE. Rough handling will damage your own hair as well as the weave, causing tangles and shedding. 
• Fourthly, nourish your scalp and own hair by gently massaging a nourishing product such as olive, castor or coconut oil into the tracks. USE A LIGHT HAND THOUGH. 
• Regarding your install, avoid heavy products. Perhaps use a light serum to detangle and then let air dry. If wearing a very curly weave, one can use a little more product than with a straight weave, but once again, avoid a heavy hand. AVOID products containing petrolatum and mineral oil. It'll just make that weave look nasty. 
• Lastly, but definitely not least, DO NOT wear a weave for too long. Even the best quality of hair, if worn for too long, will start looking raggedy, and your own hair beneath will also suffer. In my opinion 4-6 weeks is long enough for a weave install. When removing it, I would recommend that it be done by the same stylist who installed it. In addition you MUST let you hair REST for at least 2 weeks after removal, taking care of it gently before either installing another weave or relaxing.

I believe that the pointers I put out above represent BASICS for those who prefer to wear weaves on a regular basis. And therefore it makes my heart sore to see SOOOO many sad raggedy weaves around when  it is so simple. The information is all around us. Ignorance cannot be an excuse, and it most definitely is not bliss. So ladies, PLEASE, do YOURSELVES the favour and treat your hair and your weave like the crown it's meant to be. 

Post weekend update, with some pics

Good morning, happy October and I trust everybody's ready to take on the new month with vigor. This will also be when one truly feels the effects of the new season, it becoming cooler in the northern hemisphere and warming up considerably here in the south. It 's spring (although in all honesty, it often feels as if Namibia only has two seasons - winter and summer, and that autumn and spring fall by the wayside) and thus the days are longer and warmer and just generally more fun. It's easier to go the gym after work, since it's not dark when you're done after a good hour long session and driving home. Sun downers are so much more fun because cold funky cocktails don't really go down well during winter and the sun sets too damn early in any event. One's social calendar fills up much more easily as everyone actually wishes to come out of their state of winter hibernation and laziness and shake off the cobwebs of the cold season. Personally, the only thing I miss about the colder seasons is that my wardrobe and sense of style was so much easier while still being creative, and hair care, for me personally, was a little easier, as a simple bun in winter is so much more the norm, as summer asks for more flirty fun styles and thus much more care so as to minimize breakage and shedding.

Talking of fun and flirty, this weekend was amazing and very fun. Friday night I went to a themed Red Light District Party: Heels and Top Hats with my girl Ash. Upon entering one received complimentary champagne, and my glass was almost never empty. There were live performances, which included stand up comedy, poetry and singing. The DJ burned up the decks and the next day my feet were in absolute agony as I danced the night away in heels, which I NEVER do, ask ANYONE who knows me. My feet only truly feel better today! But heels were part of the theme so I threw them on,lol.

The rest of my outfit consisted of an ankle length black fitted skirt with a slit on the side and a black corset. My hair I simply retwisted my knots a little and then fluffed them out. Make up was simple and then we partied the night away.







I need to make the following statement - girls of today DO NOT know how to dress with class and style so as to look like LADIES. I verily believe that me and my friends were some of the very few classy ladies at the party. The GIRLS do know however how to look like very expensive prostitutes. A style lesson that I know is absolutely timeless - one must choose the focal point between chest and legs. You CANNOT show off both, because then you end up looking trashy and cheap.

I saw SO many girls on Friday night who's boobs were falling out of their dresses which were so short that daring the sit down would have been a challenge and wearing underwear would not have been great because their were SO tight that even the tiniest of thongs would leave a visible pantie line, and on top of it, wearing hooker heels. As a woman, I found it disgraceful. There is nothing wrong with sexy, and there is nothing wrong with flaunting your best assets, as long as it's done tastefully and with class and not like you're the lead in a porno movie and the clothes are gonna fly in about 2 minutes anyway! Girls!! Learn to have some self respect! If you don't respect your own body and your own image that you're projecting to the world, how on earth do you expect anyone to respect you??

Okay, enough about that rant and on to the awesomeness that was yesterday and the Trevor Noah show. The man is brilliant! I haven't laughed so hard in a very long time. He has been one of my favorite comedians for a couple of years now, and it was awesome seeing him live here in Windhoek as I missed his show last year which he did before leaving for the States for about a year. I am so grateful to Ashante for hooking us all up and making sure that we don't miss the comedy show of the year.

As a precursor, I decided that I must look decidedly cute, and thus yesterday morning was a wash day, which I ended with a roller set, After taking out the rollers, I pinned my hair up in a slightly 40's and 50's style, took out some tendrils to frame my face and wore a strapless dress that I picked up at American Eagle a few years ago with a tiny little cardigan over.









I apologise for the quality of the pics, I'm still relegated to my cell phone. I pray that the situation will change soon.

Also, I realized that I need to have a ton of oils for when detangling my curls from a knot out to minimise the breakage, so I will be adding that to the planned hair haul which will probably occur this afternoon.

In any event, that was my weekend y'all (and I also watched A LOT of Grey's Anatomy over the weekend - some tears were shed, was intense). Wishing everyone an awesome week ahead and a happy, not blue, Monday further.

The weekend is upon us!

It's Friday everybody and I am planning on getting some rest and having a good time in the next 72 hours. In my last post I mentioned how I now like curls and how I'm going to try new things? Well, everybody that knows me, know that I'm not a pink person, but I have this little pink trench that I got on sale for an absolute steal, and today I'm rocking it with a knot out that could not be more perfect.

That's all for today everybody. Have an AWESOME weekend!!

Trying new things

One of the most awful tings in life is getting stuck in a rut. Whether the rut exists at work, at your business, in your social life, in your relationship, it is an indication of an imbalance, and primarily of YOU, who is in the rut, being lazy and not busting out of your own rut. I am speaking from personal experience, having experienced many different ruts, and only getting out of it after I made a concerted effort. One must take responsibility for your own life, you cannot expect others to help you out of your rut. 

Now, with that being said, I know that I have been in a styling rut for a while. My hair is growing and the retention is there, but also, it's now at an awkward stage where I had NO idea what to do with it except EZ comb and bunning, until recently. I did a side french braid a la Katniss Everdeen. I still need a LOT of practice with that one though, and MORE hair, lol. 

I actually did a bantu knot out and it came out cute!! I'm wearing my hair straight today for the first time in almost a week, which is VERY rare for me, because my entire life I would wear my hair straight and stretched for the simple reason that I believed, into my core, that curls did not suit me. Well, glory hallelujah, I was wrong and it is giving me more hope and vigor to try even more NEW things, with my hair, my workout schedule, my make up, my wardrobe. And lastly, after my first summer swim of the new season, my hair turned into a nice big wavy do, which I'm going to attempt to recreate soon. 

Now, I think it may be very much overdue to post some pics. I would love to hear what everybody thinks and on how to improve the styles and on suggestions for other styles to try. I apologise for the picture quality, hopefully they're clear enough for y'all to get the idea. 

Side french braid a la Katniss Everdeen. 

First successful bantu knot out

Knot out lightly pinned at the sides

Tighter knot out, also slightly pinned at the sides

BIG hair after a swim and lying in the sun

So, what new things have YOU been trying lately?