Hello People!!
I stumbled on a video about a powder called 'Chebe' from Chad a few months ago. The video claimed that the ladies who have butt length hair use this powder daily and it grows their hair!!


As always, this got me excited and I decided to get my hands on it! Shared the news with my Instafam and a bunch of ladies ordered via the SHOPNHCG IMPORTS.





Well the powder came and I have used it for three weeks now.






This is how I have used it, I start out on Friday, I mix a spoonful of it with virgin coconut oil and it forms a paste.




 I then apply the paste to my hair from the mid shaft to the tips. DO NOT APPLY TO SCALP, it will itch you like crazy (I experienced this first hand). Then I braided the hair, don't twist, braid- it will retain the paste better (You can view how I did this on my Instagram page).


Repeated the application on Saturday and Sunday and finally washed it off on Monday morning.


By the third weekend I did this, I started noticing that I have had significantly less single strand knots and breakage.


 Basically, two things are happening when you use this paste that I feel caused LESS BREAKAGE & LESS SINGLE STRAND KNOTS -
The oil in the paste seals the cuticle, then weighs the hair down so that the curly hair doesn't curl into itself and form those knots.


The chebe powder in the paste is what I will consider an exfoliator. You know when you have a black head and you use a face scrub with sugar or those beads that helps smooth the face surface so that the black spots fade, that's how I feel this powder works on the hair...the powder helps smooth the hair shaft causing less knots and sealing split ends!!


No wonder these Chebe ladies have such long hair!
 




 Because you have to agree that they are not the only ones in North Africa that have that texture of hair, so their length cannot just be attributed to their hair texture only.


It's like Indians with their henna powder, but I will say that henna is a much smoother powder than chebe and I don't see it 'exfoliating' the hair. I just might do a post comparing the two powders, be on the look out for that post.



 If you are natural and have been dealing with those pesky knots, I really recommend you try this powder!!




HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS POWDER BEFORE? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?


Xxx
Dabs

Hiya Ladies!! Hope all is well at your ends! for a change let me act like a blogger and bring you a product review post. I got quite a few products at the Salon Day Out this year and I promised to review each one. Today I am reviewing the oils I got.




WURA NATURALS-
Coconut Oil & Caddomint oil ( Such an interesting name)...

The Coconut oil comes in a bottle which I think is very generous and love that, it was N1500 which was very reasonable considering the size. This coconut oil smells like the real deal!!! You get a subtle whiff of coconuts when you use it and I love how light it is, everything you love about coconuts can be found in this bottle, I have used it for my hair and skin and it just absorbs nicely.


The Caddomint oil caught my attention when I saw it at their stand, asked them about it and they told me it's, wait for it.....Avocado oil and Peppermint oil blended together!!! My two fave oils!! I couldn't resist.


 It comes in a 50ml bottle which comes with a stopper (always a beneficial feature with essential oils to control the amount used). It also costs N1500. The smell is strong as expected and I have used it mainly for hair treatments and to soothe my scalp when it itches.

TRESSES K Vera- Cruz Oils-
Rooting for you roll on oil & 5 Star Blossom Moisture Sealant. (I like the cheeky names)

The Rooting for You oil is a blend of castor oil, pumpkin seed oil, mixed herbs and essential oils in a 10ml roll on bottle.

This oil is as the name implies is for your roots/scalp and I like that it's in this type of bottle, the fact that you literally roll the oil on your scalp is a very neat feature. I don't know the exact herbs in it but I took a close look and I can guess Rosemary is one of the herbs and those in the know, know that Rosemary is a very potent herb for hair growth, I think I also see crushed mint leaves which are perfect for soothing the scalp. Smell wise, this oil has a mild hint of mint and castor oil which I like...I can't remember how much the oil costs but will leave contact details below if you want to purchase from them.

The final oil is The 5 Star Blossom Moisture Sealant
This oil comes in a funky glass dropper. Its a blend of Coconut oil, Sweet Almond oil, Grapeseed oil, lemongrass oil and hibiscus flowers.



 I noticed that this oil blend has mostly carrier oils which makes it light weight and perfect for doing the job of sealing moisture. I have used it a couple of times to deep condition as well but that was just me being extra, I think it works best as a sealant. It smells a bit stronger than the roots oil, the lemongrass oil really comes through and I love the smell of lemongrass so that's a plus. I am not too sure what the hibiscus flowers do for the oil but it does look very pretty seeing them in the bottle. I think this bottle is N3000.

Find these two brands on Instagram- @Wuranaturals and @Shoptresses

Did I mention that these products are proudly made in Nigeria?!!  I think our Naija brands are stepping up big time and you can pretty much find all you need for your daily hair needs now with the many new brands popping up. Trust that I will be sharing all my discoveries here on the blog! So stay tuned people!!

Thanks as always for stopping by! If you have tried any of these oils, please feel free to comment below. Have a great weekend.


Xxx
Dabs

Hiya Ladies,
How's everyone doing? Hope well!! I am here with a  product review guys!! It's been a long time coming. To Ri Ara is the name of the brand and it's a relatively new brand that focuses on selling organic hair and skin care products ranging from oils to soaps, scrubs and butters. They were one of the vendors at the Mommy & Me event I hosted recently and I took the chance to stock up on some of their goodies...


I got 2 generously sized bottles of their body oils which comprises of mainly shea oil and coconut oil with a blend of essential oils, lemongrass in one and citrus oil blends in the other. A bottle cost N3000 but I got a 10% discount for buying that day.

 Things I LOVE about these oils; first, obviously the fact that they are all natural is a huge plus. I love the sizes, the oils are quite concentrated in scent, once you open them the scent just hits your nose which I love and I have noticed most oils with such concentration come in little bottles so these sizes are a plus!! Finally I like the bottle, the dispenser head allows for easy control of how much oil comes out of the bottle.

I have been using these oils in the following ways...

As a sealant- the most obvious use asides from applying it on the body. I just take a little after moisturizing my hair and apply it to the ends of my hair to seal it.

On my elbows, knees and feet- there's been no room for ashy feet, knees or elbows with these oils around me, I have even left one in the car for convenience.

In hot bath water- It was a cold night and I had just come home from a long day, I had this brilliant idea to drop a few drops of the Lemongrass variation in my bath water...it was THE MOST RELAXING bath I had had in a long time!!!My skin also felt nice and moisturized after too!!

Finally, As a Prepoo- I just slather the oil all over my hair from root to tip a few hours before I shampoo, leaves my hair feeling very nourished with some sheen.

In all, I love this brand and their body oils, the little tubs are a sugar scrub and a lip balm which will come in so handy during the harmattan season.

WHO ELSE LOVES OILS? HOW DO YOU USE BODY OILS? 

Hope this post helps someone out there.

Thanks for stopping by!

Xxx
Dabs

Hiya Ladies,
How's everyone doing? Hope well!! I honestly cannot believe that I have stayed relaxer free for 8 whole months!! eek!!! I didn't think I had it in me!! I won't be making any declarations about my decision to either go natural or stay texlaxed until I am at least 1 year post relaxer...so the stretch continues.





I have lost quite a bit of length due to this stretch and post partum shedding, I keep my ends constantly trimmed as I found that is the only way to survive this long stretch I challenged myself to go on. I love how thick the base of my hair is but I don't let it get all shrunken up because I discovered that, that led to a lot of matting and tangling at my roots....so I after moisturizing and sealing, my hair is left moist...I am talking about moist enough to be called damp (that's the only way), then I go ahead and finger detangle and hold each section firmly into a ponytail  making sure to stretch my new growth which is about 3 or 4 inches long. I allow my hair to dry that way then style afterwards.


I suffer from major hand in hair syndrome so I'm always itching to touch my hair, the only way I can survive without touching it like every other minute is to put it away for a week or two in a protective style, so right now it's in crotchet extensions called Jamaican Bounce;


which I made at SAVVY CHIC HAIR BEAUTY HUB. 


Everyone knows how much I appreciate the protectiveness of crotchet extensions, so they have been my go to styling option  when I am bored with my hair!!



Now to the review!!

I have bought the Aunt Jackies Quench leave in conditioner on various occasions for people but I never tried it, decided to give it a go and I am really glad I did!!


I love the consistency, not too thick but not too liquid either, it gives good slip and leaves my hair feeling moist and soft, great for detangling, build up is minimal!! I like the smell, fruity but not pungent. The bottle size and nozzle also works!!



Did it QUENCH my thirsty hair strands?
You bet it did!!! I will repurchase this product in a heart beat!!

I purchased it from Ebeano Supermarket Lekki 1 for less than N2000 which is great in these economic times!!


Has any one tried this product? Is it a thumbs up or down? Who else is on a super long stretch?
Please feel free to comment below!!


Xxx
Dabs

Hiya Ladies,
I am here to bring you my first product review of the year!!! Natural Nigerian is a proudly Nigerian brand that has produced many of my favorite hair and skin care products!! I attended a hair meet up for the first time many years ago organized by them, bought my first bottle of JBCO at that meet up and got to meet and mingle with fellow hair fanatics for the first time in Nigeria...since then lets just say I am loyal!!

NN has evolved from just selling natural based products to making them!! #GROWTH!! When I saw her latest addition was a kit for babies I knew I had to get one!!! Been using the products on my Mimi since I got them.

Here's my  review of the products;
First, I like the packaging!!! The colors are very in line with the baby theme. Wish the sizes were bigger though!!

Cost- N5000

The kit contains;
                            1 Baby wash 13.5oz
                            1 Baby  Lotion 13.5oz
                            1 Baby oil 1.7oz

The Baby Wash with Red Acalypha and Nettle. Ingredients also include Cocoa pod, Ash, Water, Shea Butter, Palm Kernel oil, Aloe Vera juice, vegetable glycerin and red grapefruit.



I like how Mimi's skin felt after I used this, clean but not squeaky clean to the point where her skin feels dry!! It has a citrus smell which is nice and not over bearing, it doesn't foam up tremendously which I don't mind...my only little critic would be that it is not 'tear free'. When I washed Mimi's face with it and a little of it got in her eyes she started itching vigorously till I washed it out, so I would advice to just wipe around the face region and be mindful of the eyes when using this wash.

The Baby Lotion contains Red acalypha and nettle (herbs), coconut oil, aloe vera, shea butter, cetyl alcohol, salicylic acid...


I found the lotion quite moisturizing on Mimi's skin which tends to be dry. It has a mild vanilla scent and has an off white color look to it which I don't mind. Here my only little critic is that it was very watery when I initially got it and hardened up after a few days I guess because it contains shea butter and coconut oil which are sensitive to heat/cold...this however made it quite difficult for the lotion to pass through the pump and I ended up having to open the pump and force the product out several times, based on it's consistency, I would have preferred if it was in a tub.

The Baby Oil with Calendula also contains Chamomile oil, red acalypha oil, stinging nettle oil, coconut oil, vitamin E, Tea Tree oil, Lavender oil. 


This Oil is colorless and has a mild mix of palm kernel scent with Lavender scent. I liked it because it did not just sit on her skin, It got absorbed as expected because the bottle says it contains NO MINERAL OIL and NO SYNTHETIC OIL or fragrances. I use it especially on her legs and feet and I have found it quite handy in her diaper bag because of it's size. 

After Bath Time comes Bed Time!!! Mimi and I are rocking our SAVVY CHIC SATIN SLEEP CAPS!!!

All in All, I think NN has done an excellent job with this. I purchased this kit with my own money and was not compensated for this review so you can be rest assured that every opinion I have written above is my authentic view ladies!!


Have any of you tried this Kit? Feel free to share your thoughts below!!


 WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PRODUCT TO USE FOR YOUR BABY? 

Hiya Ladies,
Its been a while, been quite busy but I had to bring you ladies this review of a hair oil that I was sent a few months ago. its called- Hemani Live Natural Hair oil-




Ingredients- Mustard oil, Olive oil, Coriander oil, Jatamansi, Coconut oil, Alkanna Tinctoriat oil and herbs.



I have used this oil several times for pre- poos, for deep conditioning, as a scalp oil/sealant and of the three ways I have used it, I have found that the best way it works for me is as a Pre- poo oil because the oils are very rich in vitamins and fatty acids which boost blood circulation to the scalp and hair follicles and it has quite a strong smell to be left in my hair.

How I use it- 
I simply pour a little in my palm and massage the oil directly to my scalp as I give my scalp a massage. Leave it in for about 30 minutes before I proceed to Dc or shampoo.

                               


The oil also comes with a cute tail comb, great for sectioning the hair as you apply the oil, you can also use it with an applicator bottle. 


If you are having dandruff and scalp psoriasis, over shedding, itchy scalp...I highly recommend this oil. It retails for N2800 and a little goes a long way. If you'd like a bottle, please feel free to let me know. 


Thanks for stopping by Ladies...my next post is Mimi's 6 months hair update!!! Have a blessed week.


Xxx
Dabs

Hi Ladies,
How's everyone doing?!! Hope well. Despite the fact that I have a truck load of work on my plate, I just had to do another post on the If you like you will love series!! Ladies I am SOOOO EXCITED about what's happening in these parts!! Young ladies are stepping up and manufacturing great quality hair products and making life easy for us that care what we put on our hair and our bodies!! In spite of the challenges with government regulations etc, these ladies(yes mostly ladies) are stepping up and charging forward!!

You will meet most of them at the 2016 Salon Day out on the 5th of June and my advice is to stock up for the year while you have the chance!!! One of the brands which I proudly associate with, from the moment when I bought their Aloe vera soap and was gifted another exfoliating soap ages ago and loved it, is AWENI ORGANICS!!


The owner was kind enough to drop off their latest addition to the hub, their Aloe Vera Hair pudding and instantly just by looking at the tub it reminded me of one of my favorite leave in moisturizers, the Darcy's Botanicals Coconut Lemongrass Transitioning Creme!! 

Hiya, 
How's everyone doing, hope well! So last weekend I texlaxed my hair! It was just 10 weeks post relaxer but you guys know I have been dealing with major post partum shedding and at the rate I have been going if I left my hair with more new Growth I'd be dealing with major thinned out ends and that horrible inverted V trying to rare it's ugly self back up so I made the decision to texlax.



I used for the first time after hearing soooo many great reviews, Creme of nature's Back to Eden 100% plant derived straightening Creme. 

Unlike most no lye relaxers where you mix the activator into the Creme, this relaxer had an additional step of mixing in a Creme booster, so that's three things mixed;




It took a total of 20 mins for me to apply the relaxer to all of my thick tangled new growth! I barely got the chance to massage it before running to wash it off. One thing I noticed about the relaxer is that it has to be the most gentle relaxer I've ever used on my scalp! I usually don't burn easily but I start to. Itch around my ears and nape just before I wash the relaxer off no matter the brand but with this treatment, I felt nothing!! 

Once I washed the treatment off I went into panic mode guys! My hair felt too straight! I started hoping I just didn't relax my hair bone straight!! I was filled with regret! 


I bought the relaxer grade A which is for fine, wavy or delicate hair so why was it looking over processed!! In fact I contemplated getting another grade because I felt my hair which is neither fine or wavy or even delicate will be under processed when I was done....now thanking God I didn't!!

Well all my fears were gone once my hair was dry....my roots were still quite thick! My hair was as dry as it always gets after a relaxer treatment,I even used their conditioner in hopes that my hair will feel softer but nope it didn't, I just had to do an intense moisture deep condition of aloe Vera gel, palm oil and other hair oils with olive oil conditioner at Savvy Chic Hair Beauty hub...my hair became soft and all was well in the world again! Lol!




Length retention wise, I did retain length but thanks to all the tangling going on with my post partum shedding...my ends needed a little cleaning up which I did by trimming sections as needed....

before Trim

After Trim

My nape hair that had that inverted V has grown out but I'm still watching closely to ensure it fully thickens....that area of my hair gets all the extra love when it's time to moisturize and seal...


My edges have also thinned out due to the post partum shedding but my Jamaican castor oil is working on them and I am seeing improvement.

All in all I am quite happy with my hair and if I keep babying my ends, I'm sure I can get to line 10mid back length)neater I the year, I'm on line 7....was on line 10 in 2014 when I had that awful breakage at the back! Wish me Iuck!

So how is it going ladies? Any one texlaxed lately or is everyone leaving me and going natural?!!
I'd love to read your feed back!

In Other news, plans are on the way for 2016's SALON DAY OUT!!



If you or anyone you know is a vendor of hair/beauty products and looking to reach their target audience to sell their products, the Salon Day Out in June is the place to be!! Reach me via email- Daboju@yahoo.com for details please!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
How's it going? Hope well ladies! So the harmattan season is finally over, it's still hot here in Lagos but we are having a few showers here and there and are expecting more...now is the time to use glycerine especially if your hair is super dry and you need that extra moisture boost!

My trusty hair spritz of just glycerine and water which I use as a detangler for myself and at the salon has been a life saver since I started my hair journey so when I checked and saw that my big bottle of NOW vegetable glycerine had just very little left I panicked for a second then I remembered the little bottles of glycerine I've seen at Ebeanor supermarket in the skin care aisle....problem is those bottles are very small and I'm not sure where the glycerin is sourced from as glycerine can be plant based or animal based, read my post on glycerin HERE



Fast forward a few weeks later and I was at Naturals in the City and there on the African Naturalistas stall table sat decent sized bottles of VEGETABLE GLYCERINE boldly written! I've tried AN's products in the past and I can attest to their quality so it was a no brainer! Now I know where I'll be stocking up on vegetable glycerine.



The NOW vegetable glycerine which I buy is about 12 dollars that's about N3600 with our current exchange rate. The African Naturalistas glycerine costs N1700!! 
You guys thats like half the price!


Where to purchase- from their website- www.africannaturalistas.com/ourstore
Or call- 07061141501. I think they deliver nationwide.


DISCLAIMER- I was not in any way compensated for this post. This is purely an objective comparison. 

Stay tuned for more proudly made in Nigeria products that can easily substitute imported ones!


Thanks for stopping by! 

Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
So if you have been in Nigeria for the past month you will be very aware of how epileptic our currency became in the currency market, suddenly basic amenities like hair products which could be easily purchased in dollars were now ridiculously expensive with the crazy rates forcing everyone to look within.

As I am a certified product junkie, I decided to go through my stash and see what proudly Nigerian products could easily replace the foreign products I have been been bringing in and relying on. 

Remember those 'If you like' perfumes they used to sell? Say if you like Chanel Chance try 'Opportunity' or if you like Tommy Hilfiger's Tommy Girl try Tony Girl!!! Lol, most times 'Opportunity' or 'Tony Girl' will have a close enough scent but use it and after ten minutes you are back to square one...well with my new series the case is different, I'm saying if you LIKE this you will LOVE this other one...meaning the two products in my opinion are at par on all levels.

With this particular post focus is on the Dr Bronner's Peppermint pure Castille soap

One of my favorite products to cleanse my scalp, it's free from sulphates and harsh chemicals, the peppermint soothes the scalp leaving your scalp clean without stripping your hair from its oils. Well my people, opened a bottle of Nubian Roots Sulphate free hair cleanser the other day and was reminded instantly of the Dr Bronners peppermint shampoo-


The Dr Bronner's Peppermint pure Castile soap has the following ingredients-Water, Saponified Coconut-Hemp-Olive Oils (with retained Glycerin), Olive Fatty Acids, Peppermint Oil (boosted with Menthol), Vitamin E.

The Nubian Roots sulphate free hair cleanser has the following ingredients- water, aloe Vera gel, lauryl glucosides, coco beataine, Argan oil, vegetable glycerine, oat protein, D-Pathenol, Guar gum, caprylic/capric trigylecerides, essential oils.

Let's talk about the other main issue, PRICE! Right now a comparable bottle of the Nubian roots hair cleanser is the Dr Bronner's Peppermint Castile soap 12oz and it costs from $12 to $15 depending on where you are getting it, that's at least N4200 using our current N350/380 exchange situation. Now that's just unit cost, even at N280/300 the unit cost is too high for one product, the cost of shipping and handling down here will then increase the price to about N6500 for it to make sense to the vendor business wise...

Well our proudly made in Nigeria product which does exactly what this Castile soap does costs just N3500 and you will not start panicking when you are on your last quarter because you can get more with the snap of your fingers :)

Where to purchase- from their website-here
Or from Savvy and Chic Hair beauty Hub- 30 Norman Williams Street, Ikoyi Lagos.08090613325


DISCLAIMER- I was not in any way compensated for this post, I also am not making this comparison because the hub sells this product, I will be featuring other products that the hub doesn't have. This is purely an objective comparison which I urge anyone to engage in and I'm sure you will start nodding YES DABS, YASSSS!!


Stay tuned ladies, I'm going to shed light on products you never knew about or thought you could depend on, new and old proudly Nigerian brands!!


Xxx
Dabs

Hiya,
It's been  while since I shared a weekend treat here but best believe I have been giving my hair treats...this past weekend was no exception thanks to Ibiola of Nubian Roots (PROUDLY NIGERIAN PRODUCTS) and Renpure products which I got with my imports!!




So it all started off with the NUBIAN ROOTS DC Hair Masque...this masque is packed with super moisturizing ingredients like Aloe vera gel, water, slippery elm, marshmallow root..it also contains  shea butter, essential oils, coconut oil, vit E oil...

I applied just it to my dry hair from root to tip as per usual and went under the steamer, didn't add any other product as I wanted to test it's potency...and it didn't disappoint!

I proceeded to rinse the masque out after steaming and washed my scalp with the NUBIAN ROOTS Sulphate Free Hair Cleanser- this product did just what it says!! It gently cleansed my scalp which had build up without stripping my hair off as it is free of sulphates, so there was not a whole lot of lather, just enough to make my scalp feel clean plus it has such a soothing smell and effect to the scalp!! 

After cleansing my scalp, I wasn't done yet!! I proceeded to use a new product whose reviews just got me all kinds of excited when I stumbled on them months ago on You tube!! The Renpure Originals Brazilian Keratin conditioner is the said product!! This product is a protein based conditioner that is PACKED with strengthening ingredients specifically aimed at building the hair shaft and infusing keratin( what the hair is made of) back to weak and brittle hair!!It's sulphate free, gluten free, paraben free, free from dyes and any harsh chemicals that strip the hair of it's natural oils. The brand is so big on building keratin that it provides a pictorial demonstration of how it works on the back bottle!

These are the small bottles

 It comes with a shampoo but I decided to just try the conditioner as I wanted just a light protein treatment, left that on my hair for about 10 minutes and then rinsed it out with cold water...and I mean super cold water, I wanted my hair to completely seal in all the yummy goodness it just recieved!!

I proceeded to air dry and then used the RENPURE Coconut whipped cream leave in conditioner and the NUBIAN ROOTS Shea Coco hair butter(not pictured) to my damp hair, focusing on the tips...and let's just say it was luxuriation at it's finest ladies!! My hair felt truly moisturized and soft afterwards!

All Products (except the leave in creme) and lots more available at Savvy & Chic Hair Beauty Hub- 30 Norman Williams st, Ikoyi Lagos. Contact No. 0809063325.
Prices as follows- The Nubian roots DC Masque N3000
                     The Nubian roots sulphate free Hair cleanser- N3000
                      The Nubian roots Shea Coco Hair Butter- N2000
                      Renpure Brazilian Keratin conditioner 32oz- N3500


It's Tuesday and my hair has not lost the shine and luster...


I truly pampered this hair mainly because I'm hiding it away in my third CROTCHET BRAID protective style this year...stay tuned to see what style I do!


Till then ladies, eyes on the clock as the COUNTDOWN BEGINS FOR THE CROWNING OF 2015's 6 INCHES OF GROWTH CHALLENGE CHAMPION!!! Who will win the $100 prize and who will be the runner ups!! I'm excited to see your results!!!


Thanks as always for stopping by!!

Xxx
Dabs