Hiya!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS PEOPLE!!!! May the reason for the season which is Christ show you all His unequivocal love, peace, grace and mercy even as we enter 2013!! Amen!!

Blogger Tonkabell of http://wurassecrethair.blogspot.com/ came with a fun idea of collaborating with different hair bloggers to create special looks for the holiday season. I was asked and of course I said yes!! Put on my protective style think cap and this is the hair style I came up with;

THE SIZZLING MOMMY

WURA SECRET HAIR

SDESTRA HAIR JOURNEY

FRESH LENGTHS

Hiya,
So the year is almost over and it will soon be time for the 2013 NHCG hair challenge to start!! Brush up on your hair retention skills people because it's about to go down!!!

Here are the Rules and Guidelines for the challenge!
1. This challenge is all about maximizing length retention in 2013 so to partake, participants must all have length check t-shirts; simply mark the back of a T-Shirt- (I will put up my self made length check T-Shirt tomorrow using the NHCG T-SHIRT which you can get from SHOP NHCG). Please take a picture of your hair showing where it lands on your shirt so you know your starting point in inches.

Every 2 months, (choose a date) you will check the length of your hair to see if you retained that 1 inch we are all gunning for; checking bi-monthly will put things in perspective and make you see whether you are doing things right or wrong.

2. Start the challenge with healthy ends, you cannot retain growth if you have ends full of split ends, I have spent the past week searching and destroying under bright light and clipping off at least 1/4 an inch of my ends off-that's the most you can trim during the challenge at any given time, if not you will not record any major retention! Sort your ends in order now.

3. Sort out your stretching plan. For some people stretching for long periods of time(more than 8/12 weeks) works great for them for others the perfect stretch is within the 8/12 weeks period, any time after that there is excessive breakage and thinning(I am in this category) so my advice is stretch your relaxer only to the point your hair can stand which should not be before 8 weeks, it's not worth it if your stretch makes you loose more hair than gain retention.

4. Practice good hair practices;moisturize and seal daily, deep condition weekly, keep the moisture/protein balance of your hair in check, protect your ends during the day and as you sleep etc of course this blog will be here to guide you along the way.

5. In June 2013, by God's grace we will converge for the first ever NHCG hair meet up(for participants in Lagos)! During this meet up we will do what happens during half time in football matches, there will be a halfway check- physical and virtual(for readers in all other places), by that time at least 3 inches should have been retained by everyone, those who have retained 3 inches will be asked to swap ideas, tips and tricks with those having a hard time retaining growth..I hope Lagos readers will come out for the meet up, it will be fun!!!

6.Finally in December. the verdict will be in!! WHO RETAINED 6 INCHES OF GROWTH OR THE CLOSEST TO 6 INCHES???
Each participant will have send an email entry to me on a date I will choose in December and the email will be titled THE NHCG 6INCHES OF GROWTH CHALLENGE RESULTS. Attached to the email should be the first picture you took when you started the challenge and a picture in December to see how much length you retained.

The entry with pictures closest to our goal of 6 inches ( 5.5 inches to 6 inches)  will win the STAR PRIZE; 
$100 worth of hair product imports
Any NHCG hair kit of your choice  and 
A NHCG T-Shirt of course to remind you that your hair rocks :)

If there are multiple winners, then a winner will be randomly selected. There will also be consolation prizes!!

This challenge is open to everyone however the prizes are unfortunately available to only residents in Nigeria.

Happy Holidays ladies and good luck as we grow some hair!!!!

Xxx
Dabs



  

Hiya,
So it feels like its been ages since I wrote a post! Decembers are like that for me, super busy!! After my son's first birthday party which was on Sunday the 16th, fun fun day! Then two days after  came my wedding anniversary....as you can imagine it has been celebration after celebration and I had to take off my blogger hat for a few days and embrace wifey and mama hat! So sorry if you have sent me an email and I have taken forever to reply you!

Now I am back and ready to update you all about my hair! I relaxed my hair (more like texlaxed because I left it very under processed )

I used my usual relaxer, silk elements and the gold sprush TC2040;


Styled like a tail comb with flexible rubber replacing the teeth, it is recommended especially for relaxing.

I went ahead to coat my ends with conditioner and coconut oil then twisted in small sections. I lifted each twist and swiftly applied the relaxer to the roots with my sprush.




The application was mess free, the sprush was really easy to handle and was gentle on my new growth albeit too gentle, I had to use my fingers to feel my new growth to make sure the relaxer was covering the new growth properly and each time I checked,  the roots were covered- nothing to worry about! A few reviewers of the gold sprush complained that it was a bit long and difficult to use, I didn't find it difficult at all, when the length of the rubber part of the sprush was getting in the way,I simply turned it around from horizontal to vertical(see the second picture above) and it worked great.

By the time I was done for the first time in a long time I had relaxer left( I was using half cup of relaxer mind
 you) 


That was a good thing because the last time I used half cup, I had to open a new relaxer pack to top up the relaxer half way through the process because the relaxer finished and that's always annoying. 

I was done in about 15 minutes, here are my results;

MY ENDS NOW!!

SEE THEM BEFORE

Now to my inverted V, as you can see the V has stayed at bay yay! My ends still need to fill out completely but so far so good! I can attribute the inverted V not cropping up again these past months to the regular protective styling that I did all through from October till now. I also consistently bagged my ends after applying some moisturizer and oils to the very ends. On days when my hair felt really dry, I'd spritz the ends with water and glycerin mix or mane and tail detangler. Lastly I trimmed my ends a week before touch up, I took out at least 1/4 inch off; very little hair but it made a difference. I advocate getting trims just before touch ups because they makes the detangling process during the relaxer touch up and after as you wash out your hair easier because your hair will tangle much less. I also like that my hair length stays in tact as the relaxer stretches out the new growth, when you trim your hair after you relax it, you are stuck with the same length till your new growth grows out...just throwing that logic out there!!  

Anyways, I am making sure my hair is in tip top shape in time for the NHCG 6INCHES OF GROWTH CHALLENGE starting on the 1st of JANUARY 2013!! Are you ready ladies? The rules/guidelines for the challenge as well as the star prize will be my next post over the weekend, so stay tuned!!


Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
Please blame my absence on preparations for my son's first birthday party! He turned 1 yesterday on the 12th of the 12th of the 12th!! A special date for a special boy :)

Anyways, I was tagged to do a 'Stuff I don't Like' post by a gorg blogger who follows NHCG and has a blog called !Pink and Leopard prints. Transitioners( relaxed to natural hair) should check HER BLOG out as she documents her journey from relaxed to natural hair  and tips to help along the way.

So without much ado here are a few things I don't like when it comes to hair/hair related stuff...

During my wig wearing days I didn't like when I impatiently purchased a wig I thought made me look like Kim Kardashian at the store but at home when i tried it, I ended up looking more like a very weird version of lil' Kim and got stuck with a wig I could not get a refund for.

It irks me when my darling natural sisters give off the impression that because I use a relaxer then anything(product wise) must go for my hair- just imagine me being asked why I use shea butter on my hair or why I care if there is alcohol in a product?! Natural Sister-'No be only you like better thing oh'

I cannot stand the way salon stylists in Naija keep their hair like mad people!!  I'm being harsh but I am yet to enter a salon in Naija and get inspired by the hairstyles the stylists are sporting!! Even in the high brow salons you will either see most of the stylists with half done hair or severely damaged, scattered hair-the principle 'lead by example' does not exist in Naija salons!

I don't like when random strangers touch my hair, I've said this before! I cringe and become stiff, I really don't like it-please admire from afar. However if you bump into me as a follower of NHCG you have free reign to smooch my hair all you like :)

This next one I had to endure at Uni!! Have you ever had your hair washed by a married stylist who refuses to take off  her wedding band? Well I have!! At Uni, the owner of our hostel salon blatantly refused to take her rings off and she had one of those solitaire rings with a huge stone daimond lol I'm being mean but do you know how many times my hair got caught in her ring and she'd unapologetically pull the snagged hair away from her ring instead of take the ring off and you dare not ask her to take off the ring, she'd look at you like you were asking her to divorce her husband!

I don't like when a girl's identity has become the weave on her head! As in you can spot her from miles away thanks to that same weave she has rocked all year round. I understand that some people prefer to be in their comfort zone and rather look the same with a weave they think works for them but because I get bored easily I think it's boring looking the same all the time so I don't like it but who cares about what I think...;) oh but it's a whole other issue if she has gone the extra gross route of hardly redoing the weave and carrying a smelly weave around...

Thank God I now have concrete evidence that we can all grow BSL hair because I really don't like when i get dismissed by people who don't think they can grow long hair themselves...I have a response to all those who lazily tell me I am genetically predisposed to having long hair. Now I will say-So are you!!


This last one I am also guilty of, being a blogger myself- I will say I get disappointed when I see an enticing blog title on a blog/website that proposes to espouse solutions on a hair issue I am dealing with; let's say 'How to get your hair soft, lustrous, healthy and long' and I click and in my quest for knowledge I am hoping to read something profound and the writer has stated everything I know to do for my hair-moisturize and seal, deep condition, protect your ends etc!! Its a bit annoying but it also jolts me to the reality of getting healthy, long hair-the solutions are the same, it's the consistency that matters!


I have come to the end of this post, I actually enjoyed putting it together, when I got tagged I cracked my brain thinking of what to write... Now I have over written!lolzzz

Do any of you share in my hair pet peeves? Do you have yours? Feel free to spill below in the comments form. 

Stop by soon, I'm relaxing my hair this weekend with my SPRUSH!!

Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
Today felt like Christmas eve for me! I finally picked up from my shippers ALL the goodies purchased during the SHOP NHCG hair products import window in November!

My son trying to get in on the action- sorry son Christmas isn't till a few weeks!!

 Everything came in tact!! So glad, if you are one the lucky ladies who took advantage of the window, expect your package from Monday!! 

In the mean time, let me share with you my dear readers all the cool stuff that came! Some of the products belong to readers, some belong to me :) and some will be listed in the 'what's in stock' section on the Shop NHCG page, feel free to browse through that section after reading this post to find out...

So without much ado here's a list of the products purchased during the November window;


Elasta Qp olive oil and mango moisturizer

Shea moisture yucca and baobab thickening moisture mist

Cantu Shea butter leave in repair cream

Darcy botanicals coconut lemongrass transitioning creme

Roux Porosity control corrector and conditioner

Aphogee keratin 2 min reconstructor conditioner 

Giovanni direct leave in weightless moisture conditioner

Tropical Isle living Jamaican lack castor oil 

As I am coconut cow ash cleansing conditioner

Organix hydrating macadamia oil intense moisture mask

Organix Nourishing Moroccan argan oil intense moisturizing treatment

Organix rejuvenating cherry blossom ginseng

Organix Moroccan smooth perfection blow out creme

Hair trigger explosive growth elixir with cayenne pepper; I was really impressed with how the makers of this product sent a thank you hand written note and card addressed to me,


 I however have to readdress it because it was ordered for a NHCG reader  :)

Mane and tail detangler

Hair art dryer bonnet

Stay on satin bonnet

Latch hooks

100% pure Argan oil

GNC Women's Ultra Nourish hair

And finally by Fav buy-  SPRUSHES!!

So what are you waiting for ladies, check the SHOP NHCG PAGE  and do some hair shopping :)

While your at it, consider getting the NEW and IMPROVED NHCG SHEA BUTTER MIX which is now fluffy& creamy filled with all the yummy goodness of essential and carrier oils and glycerine!!



Also Check back for updates on these products(the ones I got for myself), I am also getting my hair relaxed next week with my new SPRUSH!!YAYYY!! If you missed out on Last month's window, not to worry, January is around the corner, the import window will be open again, just in time for the NHCG 6 inches Growth Challenge(updates coming up)

Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
I am gradually but surely mastering the art of stretching my relaxer touch ups by finding cute and sassy yet simple ways to protect and style my hair. Here are a few styles I did last month, inspired by different sources I will list below and tweaked!! Feel free to get inspired and make them your own!!


So this first bun was inspired by a messy braided bun I saw Lesley of the blog Fresh Lengths do HERE
I loved how the bun was made up of different braided strands all twisted into one, I however decided to make mine neater since I was wearing the hairstyle to work. I rocked this style for a whole week, all I did was spritz the base and smooth it out with mane and tail detangler or glycerin/water mix after work and then bagged my spritzed up braided bun at night...was a really easy style to maintain!!




This next style was inspired by the models at Tribune Standard's Spring 2013 ready to wear collection;

source

source

My Version;

I twisted the ends and let them just dangle in the middle of the ponytail but you can spray till the ends for more effect! I really don't know how I stumbled on this brand, never heard of them but when I saw the models' hairstyles, I  remembered the can of blonde hair spray I purchased ages ago when I was trying to OMBRE my hair and the spray worked so well, I loved this style but had it on for a few days because the blonde faded out quite easily and required me to keep spraying it for the effect to show and that meant I was neglecting that part of my hair as I applied only the spray and the spray was very drying!  But I think its a nice statement style, I even wore my ends in the multiple braided low bun as per the first style. To ensure that the spray only touched the middle braided section I used a piece of paper to shield each side of my hair while I sprayed. The next style was a very lazy but scrumptious looking braided ponytail!! I cannot tell you how much good cutting my hair and getting rid of the inverted V has done!! This next style was inspired by my last protective style post, the Jason Wu look; I flat twisted the front section of my hair and braided the ends to secure them;  Then french braided(matted) the rest of my hair in one big braid and tucked the ends under; I left the front braid hanging for a while  But later I rolled the ends and pinned them up; pin curl style; I was bored one night and decided to give my hair a twisted hair band using flat twists, it looked cute so I wore it to work the next day and two more days after, the ends of my hair were tucked away safely in a loose high bun. The Last look I will be posting for the November edition is this look inspired by a secondary school hairstyle(all back)  :) and also a natural hair you tube guru who I cannot remember who did big juicy flat twists; merge the two ideas and this is the look I came up with; This style lasted me about a week too, I had to redo the twists a few times because they unraveled but for the most part this hairstyle was truly protective styling/ low manipulation at its best. I also tried a variation of the flat twists, this time I twisted them to the side instead of vertically and braided the very ends; I liked how the smaller braid was mixed in between the bigger twists. Oh well, I have come to the end of this post, I really enjoy protective styling and I promise you it is not as complicated as many think, just apply yourself and play with your hair, some styles will work, others will not but its all about learning how to protect and at the same time style your hair no matter the length or texture it is- you can protective style!! As I stated earlier, please feel free to recreate these looks, make them yours and if you do, send me a pic or a link to your blog if you are a blogger like Lesley did in this post, I really appreciated it and it was also fun to see how she translated the look to suit her.  I hope you enjoyed this post, I enjoyed putting it together, catch you on the next post!! Xxx Dabs

Hiya,
How's everyone doing? Hope my weekend treat menus have helped. I will try to publish more menus as I concoct new ones. This post is just to let you all in on how I went about the stressful but worthy feat of rollesetting my hair myself this past weekend.

Before I take you through, let me share how I went about conditioning my hair. I used the true crazy sexy cool curls prepoo treatment all over my hair from the scalp to the tips of my hair and then I applied shea moisture's deep treatment masque from root to tip;

 and quoted my ends with even more conditioner-I used Herbal essences long-term relationship conditioner and covered my hair with a plastic shower cap for about an hour.

When the time was up, I rinsed my hair with cool water, I did not shampoo since I shampooed last week, then I allowed my hair to air dry till it was about 40% dry,  I did not want to rollerset dripping wet hair; while it's a lot easier to roll wet hair, when your hair is longer it takes ages to get dry and impatience and rollersets don't mix!!

Let me take you through the easy steps I took to rollerset my hair;

I sectioned my hair in small enough sections so drying was easy, 


Combed the section using a wide tooth comb


Now to my biggest tip for if you want to roll hair that is not dripping wet; you see the back was still a bit wet so it was easy to roll that part of my hair but by the time I got to the middle of my hair the ends had started drying out so this is what I did;

I applied very few drops of grapeseed oil mixed with an Indian oil I am loving( any light oil is fine, make sure the ends are well coated without being weighed down that's why I used light oils


Then to evenly distribute the oil so my ends didn't remain clumpy, I used a small tooth tail comb to gently comb the ends straight, don't worry if you detangle properly, your hair will not break, remember to be gentle

EXPLANATION FOR HANGING COMB-TAKING THE PICS BY MYSELF, BARE WITH ME

Doing the steps above allowed me to roll with ease, dryer hair as I got to the front and cut my time under my dryer significantly, I only spent 90minutes compared to at least 2 hours normally! 
 One more tip, when my hair was almost dry, I took out the rollers, pin curled them and added same oil mix to my scalp and went under the dryer for the added bonus of a hot oil treatment!

don't mind the weird lighting

In all, my hair feels great!!

I think I LOVE rollesetting especially when my new growth comes with a vengeance, now it's been straightened a little without the damage of direct heat, the only thing that tired me about rollerseting is how much my arms hurt while I got my hair done, I just kept on asking myself,  'I wonder how girls like Jen from Just Grow Already with waist long hair do this!!' but I had to press on and persevere! You see even your hair can teach you valuable life lessons :)


Stay tuned for goodies from the November Imports, unfortunately the December window will not be open :( This is because, I really don't want to deal with Nigerian Customs in December when they are super busy and can be super overworked which means sometimes they will not clear goods on time or will totally close their office!! The last thing I want to do is commit to getting a product for someone, get their money and fail to deliver because of our Naija Customs, based on that I have been advised sadly that the imports for December being the holiday season should be put on hold, but January window will be open, God willing so all interested readers, please bear with me and hold your horses till January 2013!! The hair kits remain available for order, its just the imports that have been put on hold.Thanks for understanding!

Xxx
Dabs