I’m a product junkie #teamnatural #naturalhair (Taken with instagram)

4:29 pm  •  20 May 2012  •  7 notes

My bun #naturalhair (Taken with instagram)

4:15 pm  •  20 May 2012  •  2 notes

It’s that time of the year when natural hair events are popping up all over the country, with one in Birmingham next week and a few others in London in June, it is no surprise that people can be confused about which one to go to and why.

So how do you choose which one to go to? Your reasons for going to these events is a deciding factor. What are your reasons?

• To see a particular speaker?
• To see particular vendors?
• To take part in specific workshops?

Other reasons influencing your decision may be ticket price, event type and the date of the event.

Research the events you are interested in and look out for things which you may or may not like. If the event takes place annually (such as Afro Hair and Beauty Live), read reviews and look into the content of  the previous years. If the event is new, read what the event has to offer.

So now you’ve chosen a reason for attending a particular event, other factors can still cause you to change your decision. You may also want to do a number of things that will ensure that you are well prepared for the event (plus save money if you’re on a budget like me!);

• Make sure you are free on the day. Double check that you don’t have any work/school/appointments that day. Double check if you don’t have other commitments the day before or after the event as the nature of those commitments can be affected by the event (particularly if it’s a long distance event that requires early departure and late arrival). Ensuring that you are free will help you avoid double booking which costs money and time. 
• Book the event ticket early.  Leaving booking too late can result in unavailable tickets or tickets that are only available at the door (which tend to be more expensive). Keep in mind that some events may have early bird tickets which tend to be cheaper than the normal priced tickets.
• Arrange transportation. Maybe you’re able to get someone to drop you off? Or maybe you can take the bus? If you want to visit an event in the next city you may want to consider taking the coach or the train. Coaches I have used in the past and saved a lot of money with is National Express. You can usually book a ticket the night before and still end up with a pretty good price.  Use offers when you can, book as early as you can and book off-peak and/or advance tickets (particularly for trains) if you can. Also note that taking the coach is a lot cheaper than taking the train (but traveling time can be longer). 
• Arrange accommodation if you plan on staying the night. If you’re staying with relatives or friends, inform them in advance and inform them closer to the event date. Staying with a relative or friend is often the cheapest option and is an option which I tend to take. Alternatively, you can also book a hotel room or a B&B. Look around for offers to get a good deal. Also note that proximity of accommodation may affect the time you need to get to the venue.
• Plan the route to the venue of the event. Make sure you know where it is and plan it in advance if you’re unfamiliar with the venue location. Look for the nearest train, tube or bus stations and look up instructions on how to get to the venue. Pages and websites for the event will sometimes describe the route to the venue. Alternatively you can use the GPS on your phone which can also be quite helpful (when it works!). Remember to leave early so that you’re not late and missing parts of the event.
• Other things to consider; know the time the event starts and ends.Bring cash to the event if you’re planning on purchasing goods because not every vendor will have a card machine. The day before the event, you may want to see if a particular vendor is offering any deals on their goods, such as 20% off vouchers etc. Ensure that you have everything with you that you may need on the day such as a refreshments, toiletries and an umbrella. Make sure that you know the program of the event so that you know what’s going on and when the breaks are. You may want to take a notebook with you if you want to take notes during the seminars and workshops.

I hope these tips and ideas have been helpful. Enjoy the natural hair events you attend and make the most of it! 

Happy hair journey! ^o^

11:25 pm  •  18 May 2012  •  2 notes

I won the #JaneCarter line at the #NaturallyUnited. I swapped two of the products though #naturalhair (Taken with instagram)

5:46 pm  •  18 May 2012

Hi all,

This is a review on the Taliah Waajid The Great Detangler.

I purchased this conditioner a few months ago, probably between January and March. I have used it multiple times to detangle my hair. I’ve also used it as a leave in (I didn’t really like it as a leave in as it didn’t keep my hair moisturised).

I purchased this product from my local beauty supply store and have seen it in many others. I suppose it an be purchased from a lot of different places.

The bottle is 8oz

It is a white, creamy conditioner. Slightly sticky and slippery.

Claims and instructions regarding the product from Naturalhair.org;

The Great Detangler Eliminates tangles on contact. Softens 
hair, defines curl pattern. Stops breakage while combing 
curly, kinky, coily and wavy hair. Hair Detangler is rich 
with moisturizers, protein and conditioners.  Coats and 
protects hair while softening.  For best results, use the 
complete line of Black Earth Products.

Directions: Use on wet or dry hair. Separate a section of 
hair.  Apply a liberal amount of Hair Detangler.  Use 
fingers to work the product through the hair to loosen the 
tangles. Use a medium to large tooth comb. Start at the 
ends of the hair.  Comb through up to the scalp and 
through tangles. Style as desired.

Ingredients: Deonized water (aqua), Vitamin E, Olive oil, Peg-75 Shea butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Silk Protein, Cocoa Butter oil extract, Centrimonium Bromide, Cetheareth-20, Vegetable Glycerin, Mineral Oil, Glycerol, D&C yellow#5, Fragrance (parfum), DMD Hydantoin, Detanglers, Balsam, Aloe Vera. *

Price:

£4.99 (prices may vary depending on stores purchased from).

How I used it:

I’ve used it on damp hair and also on dry hair, but this review is about using it on dry hair. I didn’t detangle my hair for about five days or so and I had my hair in twists during that time. 

This is a section of hair I detangled for this review. I tend to detangle my hair in sections, so I undo a braid or twist and then detangle the hair. I used the Denman D31 to detangle my hair. 

I added the conditioner to the section to be detangled and it instantly moisturised my hair, it also gave my hair really good slip.

My hair after detangling. 

After detangling each section, I twisted my hair.

The shed hair I ended up with after detangling all of my hair. 

No broken pieces! Just shed hair. 

My thoughts and opinion:

The smell is hard to describe but it’s not overpowering, it’s probably pleasant but nothing amazing. 

A little goes a long way. Not much of the product needs to be used and I only applied it once to the section that I was detangling. I applied The Great Detangler to dry hair and it felt instantly moisturised (the moisture wasn’t enough to keep my hair moisturised for the day though). In addition to feeling moisturised, my hair was also pleasantly soft. The slip The Great Detangler provided was really good. My Denman Brush glided through my hair without any difficult except for the occasional shed hair getting tangled. 

The ingredients of The Great Detangler does not particularly concern me. I know some people are against the use of mineral oil and advocate the use of totally natural products but I find that either one can work well for my hair. I love The Great Detangler. I will keep using it as a detangler and if it continues working for me I will make it part of my staple products as it is inexpensive and readily available to me. 

Happy hair journey ^o^

* I typed up the ingredients from the bottle.

(Source: bit.ly)

8:38 pm  •  16 May 2012