News

Darren Scott Salon – Treatment & Straighten

Posted on: 5th May 2013 by CFYH

A few weeks ago I was invited to Darren Scott Salon for a treatment, so I booked it to coincide with when I take out my twists. Treatments/deep conditioners are a must for me once I take down braids/twists.

 

 

My hair was in need of moisture as it had been in twists for 4 weeks. So James (one of the lovely hairdressers) applied the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme – “a pre-shampoo treatment that instantly delivers replenishment, hydration and nourishment ”.

 

 

 

 

Once this was applied I was then under a hooded steamer (not dryer, steamer lol) for about 15mins. After that time had passed, James rinsed off the Elasticizer Exteme and applied their own  Custom Blend Treament to my hair and I was back under the steamer for another 5 mins. My hair felt soooooooo soft and moisturised after this.

 

 

 

 

Once all the treatment was done…my hair was then washed and conditioned with Philip Kingsley Moisture Extreme. If you don’t know, now you know – Darren Scott Salon give the best shampoo/head massages ever! Lol the first time I went I fell alseep.

 

 

 

Theeen, It was time to blowdry! The Label.M Relaxing Balm was applied to my hair (nothing to do with a relaxer/perm ladies lol) as well as Mizani Thermasmooth. My hair was blowdried with a round brush – I need to get the hang of this man lol.

 

 

 

 

The most exciting part of this salon trip was having the new L’oreal SteamPod Straigteners used on my hair – definitely going on my to-buy list.

 

 

 

 

“L’Oréal Professionnels’ ground breaking straightening and smoothing device has only just been launched and is designed to produce sleek results on a variety of styles with a beautiful, shiny-looking finish.

 

L’Oreal’s Steampod treatment uses a specialised straightening iron to deliver a localized stream of high pressure steam to the hair shaft, deeply hydrating the hair without causing heat damage or drying it out to deliver a high gloss finish.

 

The Steam Pod will produce beautifully sleek and manageable tresses with a glamorously  gloss, smooth finish and can be used to create a wide range of finishes from smooth and supple looks to soft, tumbling waves.”

 

 

It also comes with a removable comb for even smoother results – perfect for those of us with curly/kinky hair.

 

My hair has never been so silky smooth before, love it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just like my previous trip to Darren Scott Salon, I had a pleasant time. I love that all of the stylists are experienced in working with all hair types & that they are very much concerned about hair care as well as it looking good.

 

At night I put my hair in 4 bantu knots so it could have a little wave & body to it today.

 

 

 

 



Hair Talk with Sumetra

Posted on: 20th April 2013 by CFYH

Hey ladies! Today’s hair feature is with the beautiful Sumetra. I came across one of her amazing flat-twist pictorials a while back and I just had to find out more about how she consistently gets such amazing results.

 

 

 

 

So Sumetra, have you been natural all your life, if not why did you choose to return back to your natural tresses?

 
No I haven’t been natural all my life. I wish I would have stayed natural. Honestly, a health condition caused me to start losing my hair around my edges and in the front/crown area. I felt like the harsh chemicals weren’t helping the situation. My little sister went natural the year prior and I noticed how thick and healthy her hair was. So I decided to stop relaxing my hair just to see if I could do it. I transitioned for 10 months and then BIG CHOPPED! Best hair decision I’ve made. August 20th will be 3 yrs since I big chopped. My hair is thick, full and a lot healthier now.

 

 

 

 

 

How did family & friends react to this decision?

 
That’s an interesting question. I got mixed reactions. My family is full of naturals so they were pretty excited. Others told me that it would be cute and wanted to know when I would go back to a relaxer. One friend told me she wouldn’t advise me to go natural because I had way too much hair and it would be too much to maintain. My husband was the funny one. He LOVED when I big chopped. It was that in between growth period that disturbed him LOL. He would often ask me “so how long is this going to go on?” I think he thought it was more of a fad. Now, if I straighten my hair, he always asks me “when are you going to have the big hair again? It reminds me of sunshine!” (He LOVES my big hair styles!)

 

 

Straightened Hair:

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have a hair regimen, If so what does it consist of?

 
I wash weekly using Herbal Essence’s Hello Hydration. I recently tried Shea Moisture’s Moisture Retention Shampoo and I was pleased with it. I condition my hair using Giovanni Smooth as Silk for Damaged Hair. It really works great with my hair. I deep condition at least once a month or as needed. I also pre-poo weekly which really helps me to prevent breakage. For a leave-in, I love Cantu Shea Butter or Kinky Curly Knot Today.

 

 

3 of your favourite hair products?

 
Those who follow me on Instagram know that my staple MUST HAVE product is Cantu Shea Butter’s leave in conditioner. I love raw coconut oil to seal in moisture. My favorite conditioner is Giovanni Smooth as Silk.

 

 

 

 

Your go-to hairstyle?

 
Flat twist out is my go to style. I have recently been dubbed the “flat twist out queen” which I think is super cute! Also Flat Twist Updos are my staple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hairstyle you seem to be most known for is your fabulous flat-twist outs…what useful tips would you give other ladies looking to achieve this style.

 
First tip would be to practice, practice, and practice! People don’t believe me when I say that I just learned how to flat twist within my first year of being natural. Since I have various textures and patterns, I was determined to find a way to achieve a more consistent look and have the volume I wanted; the flat twist out gives me that! Second tip is more of a recommendation. I get asked how I achieve good definition with my flat twist outs and the answer is I twist on damp hair and allow it to FULLY dry before I take it down. The last tip is to find a really good leave in. This helps to have soft and shiny results.

 


 

Have you made any mistakes/faced any major challenges with your natural hair? If so what? and what advice would you give to other naturals?

 
Oh yes! The first major mistake happened early on in my journey. While I was transitioning and even after I big chopped, I was always getting my hair straightened. This caused me to really mess up my natural curl/wave pattern. My advice for those that are transitioning is to avoid using heat all the time. Wear braids and other protective styles to achieve the look you desire without having to use heat. The other mistake I made was not doing my research. I heard that protein was good for your hair so I started using a protein cream and shortly after using the cream on a consistent basis, I started to experience a lot of breakage. I later discovered that if you don’t have a protein deficiency, using too much protein can do more harm than good.

 

 
Any words of encouragement?

 
Be patient. Your hair is actually growing faster than you think. That’s why it’s good to take pictures so that you can see the progress. Also LOVE YOUR HAIR! Everyone’s hair is different and unique. Just enjoy the versatility of being natural!

 

 

 

 

Where can we find you? (blog/twitter etc)

 
I can be found on Instagram, Twitter & Tumblr by searching SumetraReed. I can be found on YouTube by searching Natural Metra

 



Hair Talk with Maci

Posted on: 12th April 2013 by CFYH

Hey ladies, today’s Hair Talk features Maci of Transformed By Love

 

 

 

 

Have you been natural all your life, if not why did you choose to return back to your natural tresses?

 
No I haven’t been natural all of my life. I chose to return back to my natural tresses in 2010 after spending many years dealing with my relaxed hair that would constantly go through a cycle of growing to a certain length and then breaking off. During this never ending cycle, I finally got frustrated and decided to do some research through YouTube on how to take care of my relaxed hair at the time. As I was searching, I came across the Youtuber BlackOnyx77 who in one of her videos had a big beautiful afro puff that I had never seen a women wearing before. After finding her videos, I instantly fell in love with all things natural hair and wanted to see my own! I then decided that day that I was going to transition for 5 months and then go natural, but due to my impatience my transitioning period only lasted 1 month and then I Big Chopped on September 6, 2010!

 

 

 

 

 

 
How did family & friends react to this decision?

 
My family and friends reacted a little bit of every way from negative, to positive, to having mixed feelings when I told them that I wanted to go natural. But for the most part, I think that my family and friends were just skeptical of my decision at the time because they didn’t understand what it meant “to me” – to have natural hair after I had spent most of my life having relaxed hair in a society that deems that having straight hair is more acceptable. My mom was the first person who I talked with about wanting to go natural. That day we ended up having an eye opening conversation, as I had made it known to her that I had never seen my natural hair before because I started getting relaxers at such a young age. I believe that in that moment my decision to go natural really was set in for me and it also showed my mom that this was the decision that I was making and that I knew what I was doing for the most part. My mom afterwards, was pretty much on board with my decision to stop relaxing my hair and even helped me to do my Big Chop! The rest of my family didn’t really care much about my decision, and when I did get some negative feedback from them or other people I just shook it off and kept moving forward lol.

 

 

 

Do you have a hair regimen, If so what does it consist of?

 
The regimen for my 4a/4b hair consists of a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, a moisturizing leave in conditioner, a light oil for smoothing my hair, and then a heavier oil to seal in all of the moisture that I have added to my hair. For shampoo and conditioner I normally use the Suave Naturals line in “Almond and Shea Butter”. For a leave in I swear by “Cantu Shea Butter –Leave in Conditioning Repair Cream”. For a light oil it depends on my mood. So sometimes I use anything from Coconut Oil to Almond Oil and recently my hair has been loving Avocado Oil! For a heavier Oil to seal my hair, I use Cold Pressed Castor Oil! These are my basic staples that I use on wash days.

 

 

3 of your favourite hair products?

 
3 of my favorite hair products hands down would have to be Cantu Shea butter, any type of oil for smoothing or sealing moisture into my hair, and Henna because it keeps my hair strong, shiny, and adds a beautiful red tinge to my hair that can only be seen in the sunlight!

 

 

 

 

Your go-to hairstyle?

 
My go to hairstyles are twist outs and braid outs when I’m not protective styling!

 

(Maci in one of her fab protective styles – wigs!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you made any mistakes/faced any major challenges with your natural hair? If so what? And what advice would you give to other ladies?

 
I think that the biggest challenge that I have with my hair is single-strand knots. My 4a/4b hair has very tight coils, squiggles, and spirals etc. lol that get caught onto each other and can cause split ends and cause breakage to my hair. I now always keep my hair in some type of stretched state because of this if I am not protective styling. My advice to minimize single-strand knots or fairy knots is to keep your hair well moisturized and stretched whether in braids or twists or some other type of hairstyle that doesn’t allow shrinkage. Also to minimize split ends and breakage remember to dust your ends whenever you feel it is needed to maintain the integrity of your hair!

 

 

 

Any words of encouragement?

 
My encouragement to anyone who may be reading this is to get to know, love, and have fun with your hair. It doesn’t matter if you decide to rock a beautiful afro puff or if you want to pursue healthy relaxed hair. No matter what you choose, make sure that it is what is best for you. And lastly, always remember that you are worth more than the state of your hair. Be blessed! *:)  -Maci Okwuoha

 

 

 

 

 

Where can we find you? 

 
You can find me on Tumblr at www.TransformedByLove.tumblr.com and on Instagram @MaciOkwuoha



Guest Post: African Threading

Posted on: 12th April 2013 by CFYH

Over on facebook a few days ago, I posted a few pictures about African Threading as a style option for little girls. This is a great alternative as it looks good and also helps in stretching your hair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After posting this Nicole of Kinks, Curls and More shared her post on using African Threading as a means of stretching her hair and cutting out excessive use of heat.

 

 

Guest Post:

 

 

How to stretch hair without heat:
Since I’m on a ‘heat ban’ I’ve been having to use other ways to stretch my hair. I’ve been using braid outs and twist outs to do this, but I don’t always want a ‘curly’ look, so I went on the hunt for another method.

 

YouTube is a God send, I swear. The amount of natural hair tutorials on there makes it so much easier to find out new styles/methods. On my YT search I found a video on African threading by GirlsLoveYourCurls. The theory is that you wrap the thread around your hair tightly and it holds your hair in a stretched out position, so when you take them down your hair stays stretched. The closer together each coil of thread, the more stretched your hair will be. Its pretty simple really.

 

All you need is: Thread, scissors and something to part your hair with (or use your fingers)

 

I’ve actually had African threading done before and my mum told me she used it back in the day before straighteners to stretch her hair, but I completely forgot about it. I used it as a style rather than a stretching method when I had it done before – My mum used to thread my hair up really tightly and bend each section into crazy shapes for ‘Wacky Hair Day’ at school.. yep, I won the wacky hair competition everryyy time :D . It doesn’t have to look crazy though, they can look really nice when done/styled well!

 

 

 

I tried it out on a freshly moisturised old braid out, so my hair was kinda stretched out already, but not as much as I’d have liked. I did 4 sections on each side of my head and then tied them back like in the video. When I took them down my hair was definitely more stretched out, and the waves from the braid out were virtually gone . I threaded my hair up again the night after because I wanted a more stretched out look, but I did more sections that time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Results:

 

Its like achieving a blow-dried look, but with no blowdrying involved #winning

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were a few kinky bits because of the way I wrapped the thread the second time. The coils were a bit too far apart so they created some waves – oh well.

 

The method is actually simple, but on the first couple of goes it can be a bit tricky, until you get used to it. Practice makes perfect! My thread was a bit too far down my hair so the roots weren’t as stretched as they could have been, but I’m going to work on that. The tricky part is getting the thread to stay in place at the start of each section and to stop it unravelling at the end. BUT I found another video from GirlsLoveYourCurls for that too! She shows really clearly how to begin and end each thread braid, so its a must watch if you want to try it out.

 

I’m definitely going to be using this method again. YAY I’m so happy I’ve found a good way to stretch my hair besides braid outs and twist outs. I’m a little sceptical about how well it will come out on freshly washed, un-stretched hair but I’m going to try that out too anyway.

 

I’d recommend giving it a try if you want to achieve a blow dried look without heat!

 

 



Recommended Conditioners & Treatments

Posted on: 26th February 2013 by CFYH

Hey ladies!

 

This post is about my all time favourite type of hair products – Conditioners!

 

Conditioners are great for moisturising, hydrating and helping to treat dry/damaged hair. They are also key because they help balance your hair’s pH after shampooing (shampoo is alkaline, conditioner is acidic). The acidity in conditioners helps to close your hair cuticles which in turn gives your hair the shiny, smooth look we all love.

 

Moisture and hydration is a must have with kinky curly hair, so finding a good conditioner is key…here are some of my recommendations:

 

 

Normal Conditioners:

 

 

My staple, inexpensive and all time favourite conditioners have to be from…TRESemme! They retail anywhere from £1-3 depending on the size

 

I have been using TRESemme for 3+ years, ever since I went natural. They are amazing for providing your hair with that needed moisture and are also great for co-washing (washing your hair with conditioner only)

 

My 3 favourite from this line are:

 

  • Re-moisturising Conditioner
  • Nourishing Moisture Conditioner
  • Moisture Rich Conditioner

 

 

…one common factor – Moisture! Ladies when looking for products, in this case conditioners, look for something that will meet your hair needs. I don’t bother touching conditioners that promise volume or anything like that lol, I have enough volume.

 

 

 

Another great conditioner is the Curls – Coconut Sublime conditioner! Now anyone that has read this blog for a while knows that I’m a Curls fan!

 

Honestly, when I first tried this conditioner, I though ‘meh it’s alright’. But mix this thing with a little Extra virgin Olive Oil or Argan Oil, and you have a winner – it’s super moisturising!

 

 

 

 

I’ve been using this interchangeably with TRESemme for the past year. However I don’t use this for co-washing much, it costs to much to use in this way. This retails for about £10-12 depending on where you purchase it from.

 

 

Deep Conditioners:

 

 

Onto deep conditioners. As I now have colour in my hair, I always take the time out to deep condition at least once every 1-2 weeks.

 

My all time favourite, inexpensive deep conditioner is, Parnevu Hair Mayonnaise. It’s a light protein treatment, as it can be used daily if needed. But when I use it I add some oils and an egg and leave on my hair anywhere from 30-45mins. I have been using this for 3+ years and it’s done me no wrong!

 

 

 

This retails for around £3-4, decent right?

 

 

Top 5 Luxury Deep Conditioners/Treatments:

 

 

Now onto my Luxury Deep conditioners/Hair Masques! I call these luxury ones because these are not conditioners I use willy-nilly as they retail from £14-30. These will give your hair the ‘salon-treated’ feel at home.

 

It’s great to have at least one intensive, deep conditioning treatment with quality ingredients for your hair. Especially for the times your hair is in SOS mode. They are pricey, but are so worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Macadamia Natural Oil’s – Deep Repair Masque:  Revitalises dry, damaged hair. It contains a combination of macadamia and argan oil infused with tea tree oil, chamomile oil, aloe and algae extracts this masque will rejuvenate and rebuild the hair, leaving it deeply nourished for improved elasticity and shine with long-lasting conditioning benefits.

 

I’ve seen so many raving reviews about this product, so I just had to try it. Ladies, I can truly say I understand why so many people love it. Of all the deep hair treatments I’ve used, this is by far my favourite to date. I’m so glad it works well on kinky-curly textured hair .

 

 

 

 

 

As I Am’s – Hydration Elation Intensive Conditioner: This deep-down hydrating and fortifying treatment is a must for strong, shiny, soft, springy coils and curls. This rich penetrating conditioner is an exceptional composition of extracts of coconut, sugar cane, green tea, apple and lemon, shea butter, vitamin E and proven hair fortifiers.
You can read my full review here

 

 

 

 

Alterna’s – Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Masque: is an intense moisturising treatment that infuses hair with the moisture that it lacks & aids every strand in retaining this moisture, improving overall smoothness & manageability. Hair is left silky, shiny & youthfully restored.

 

Caviar for hair? Definitely on the luxury list. Recently Alterna had a press event for their new Caviar range, where I received this and a few other Alterna goodies. I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to try it because honestly, before this I’d never really heard of Alterna Hair Care.

 

I applied this to my hair when it was extremely dry, sat under my huetiful steamer and vwah-la…all the moisture, shine and strength I needed was restored.

 

p.s. This hair treatment is definitely a masque so you can’t detangle with it applied to your hair – I learnt the hard way lol

 

 

 

 

Joicio’s – K-PAK RevitaLuxe Restorative Treatment: Indulge in the ultimate luxury treatment for dry, damaged hair. K-PAK® RevitaLuxe™ actively repairs, restores, protects, and hydrates hair. With each application, hair instantly becomes stronger, softer, more moisturised, with improved elasticity.

 

K-PAK® RevitaLuxe™ features patent-pending Keratin Peptide Complex™ (jojoba oil, aloe extract, and bio-mimetic peptides), which targets hair’s cuticle and intercellular matrix to create a “molecular bandage” on the surface that protects hair against damage and dehydration.

 

Yet another amazing hair treatment ladies! I find this works to it’s maximum potential with a steamer.

 

 

Percy & Reed’s –  TLC Hydrating Mask: This deep, indulgent treatment helps restores your hair’s vitality, and makes it soft and more manageable. They’ve enlisted marshmallow to lend a hand nourishing and strengthening stressed tresses, and coconut oil for deep conditioning and moisturising.

 

Random but first off I love the Percy & Reed packaging, it’s so simple, yet fresh and fun! However this TLC mask is far from just simple. It’s great! When I was contacted to try it, I was a little apprehensive about how well it would work with my hair texture. But upon using it shot straight up to the favourite list!

 

 

What are your staple & luxury conditioners?

Posted in News, Reviews | 13 Comments


Going Green…

Posted on: 18th January 2013 by CFYH

Hey ladies!

 

Over on the facebook page, I recently spoke about returning back to the world of juicing and smoothie making  (thank goodness I’ve also just found two of my favourite recipe books). Also thank Fiona of Love Your Tresses for re-inspiring me to get back on the straight & narrow lol!

 

 

 

 

There is no point worry about what you put on your hair without a care of what you put inside your body…it just doesn’t make sense. While indeed the benefits of smoothies and juicing will be evident in the condition of your hair & skin overtime – my decision to take this on again concerns neither one. My health gets top priority!

 

 

Today I made a simple smoothie consisting of: 2 handfuls of spinach, 2 apples and 2 baby bananas, about a 1/4 cup of water and blended it all up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My blender is the  Breville Antony Worrall Thompson BL19 Blender and my juicer is the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer.

 

So why the smoothies? Why juicing?

 

 

  • First off, it’s an easy, efficient way to ensure you get the majority of your daily nutrition/5 a day

 

  • You feel great, trust me! Juice for like a month and then stop for a few days & you’ll know what I mean

 

  • They are 10x better than taking multi-vitamins – contrary to popular belief not all are regulated by the FDA & also studies are yet to prove any significant health benefits.

 

  • The best way to get nutrition is from food

 

  • It will boost your immune system to protect you from illness

 

  • The best part is also having full knowledge of what you’re drinking (no 0.01% of horse or pig lol – if you’ve read the news lately you’ll understand)

 

  • The benefits also reflect in your skin & hair

 

  • They taste darn good!

 

Do any of you make smoothies/juice? What recipes do you have?

 

 



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