My hair....so far.

From bald to 10 cm in a little over year. I'm kinda happy with my progress. Right now my hair is in tiny braids  (minimal manipulation). They are really easy to manage and I like to keep my regimen simple because I'm lazy!

My regimen
-Braid hair every 3-4 weeks then I take them out then DC and protein treatment.
-Co-wash with tresemme naturals every other day (I live in a hot ass country..sweaty hair aint sexy!)
-Wash hair with black soap on Saturdays
-Oil hair every night with my homemade JBCO + coconut oil mix (just 2 ingredients..simple!)
-Trim hair every 2-3 months
-If my hair is feeling dry I mist it with my homemade hair mist (filtered water, glycerin and rose water).

-I want to start including hot oil treatments at some point. 

Length: a little over 10cm!!! Going to TRY and get to 15 cm by December.

February...brrr

I'm loving H+M's spring collection - monochromes and florals. I finally picked up a striped shirt (a wardrobe staple), a floral print tee and peplum.Will show how I style them soon.

 

Wearing my favourite camel beanie from H+M, a denim shirt from Monki and vintage clip on earrings.

 

hair update - well the fro is growing and I'm still no way close to knowing what products are best for my hair so I try to keep my routine as simple as possible. I wash/cleanse with dudu osun (black soup), replenish moisture with aussie's miracle moist shampoo + conditioner, aphogee protein and homemade hair oil (coconut, JBCO, olive oil and whipped shea butter). I also use protective styles most of the time now since it's winter in London - my favourites being wigs and cornrows.

skin update - I have dry and eczema prone skin and I was recommended this routine by a friend and I must say it works. So I now scrub my face at night with St Ives apricot body scrub to remove any debris from the day then cleanse/moisturize with Pond's cold cream. I must say my skin is baby soft. I also use pond's in the morning to clean my face instead of shower gel or soap.

riley

Obsessed with this curly angel (in a non creepy way..I promise)!!! She's such a little poser.....euuurgh...my ovaries! Can't wait to have kids..especially a bunch of little girls...so I can dress them up fro and all :-)

source: christinshootspeople.tumblr.com (her mums blog), thenaturalhighblog.com

Solo.

I adore her style versality -- from Gap-esque looks to vintage beauty.

 source: mydamnblog

Crown + Glory

Ataui Deng Garage S/S 2012. 

 source:fashiongonerogue.com

Julia Sarr- Jamois

Where have I been and why am I only discovering Julia Sarr- Jamois now? Well she really is beautiful, her hair + style are fabulous! I just love how well she mixes prints and textures.

I must know more about this beauty.

source: fashionising.com,

Hair obsessed

Man I love TWA's + dreads and there are girls out there that can really rock them, I need to get a hairstylist to do something to hair + give it life! Anyway for the mean time, I can obsess over these hairstyles below. Enjoy.

 

 

 source pullmydreads.tumblr.com, colorfulkinks.tumblr.com, hi-imcurrentlyobsessed.tumblr.com

Myriam Averlant | by Vivienne Mok

Delicate + just so beautiful. Getting a Kerry Washington vibe from her | source: fashionising

Girl, 1970.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

-by Maya Angelou

Source: (1) Daniel Dawson + (2) My mum at 17, 1971

Models: Nikia Pheonix

Hair porn

OMGee she looks amazing. One of the many things I love about afros is their versatility

and no fro is the same. Her complexion is amazing. 

source: tresawesome.com

Street swag

source: The Satorialist.

Diversity: Ford Fall 2011

Damn, black is so beautiful.

source:  www.fordmodelsfashion.com

1971

 

Talking about old school pictures, I just had to share this one of my mum when she was 17, her Afro was perfect and up to this day she is still a natural. For a long time she did have relaxed hair then after a bad salon experience decided to BC about 4 years ago. I don't really see naturals with neat and combed out Afro's and a lot more people with twist outs, braids outs, wash and go styles etc... But I suppose back then it was part of the movement and the fashion. My mum explained that it was a bad look to have a messy Afro and that it was people's pride and joy that they took care of their Afro's with TLC.  Nowadays there seems to be a natural hair movement and more and more people are going natural and because of growing access to technology there is so much to our disposal and the world is more afro-aware; compared to 8 years ago when I went natural, it was hell because I had no idea what to do with it, how to treat it and neither did a lot of salons, so I was so clueless that once it grew long enough I relaxed it.  In late 2008 I decided to stop relaxing and started transitioning and during the transition process it was tough to maintain my curly thick new growth and my soft relaxed old hair, so I just did protective styles (braids, twist, weaves, and wigs) to stop me from BC too early. Eventually, I just decided to shave it all off December 2010, it was weird but refreshing and a new start but I loved shaving my hair so much that I did it about 4 times until August 2010. So fast forward to today September 25th 2011, my hair is about 6 inches long after a 2-3 inch trim before I put in the weave that I currently have on my head. It's the first time that I have trimmed it which is really bad, but over here London it's so tough finding a good enough salon that knows natural hairs, because just because they say they are a black salon, they don't know that using a hair dryer on that heat is not good for my hair or that using creams with mineral oils and other harmful chemicals are not good for my hair. So I got my sister to do it after she watched loads of YouTube videos and she did a really good job. I would not recommend doing it yourself because of the angles and you might end up layering your hair unintentionally.  I really need to find a salon, will probably do a review one of these days on my hunt through London.

Vintage

 

I found this pic of medical students in the 1970's in Nigeria on a website. Even back then my people had swag - the bowties, skinny ties, prints, the shades and the afro's looks like it's straight out of a magazine editorial shoot. Love it!

source: http://streetetiquette.com/