Here’s What’s New!

Hey guys,

Long time no speak!

It’s not that we just forgot about the blog o. This adulting/ trying to adult thing isn’t easy. Why did nobody tell us????

This is me being overly dramatic, life is not that hard, but it’s taking some adjusting to.

1. Cheers to New Beginnings!

Your girls have finally started working full time, with stable 9-5s, or in my case, 8 to 6 or so soon thereafter as my Oga deems fit.This is awesome, it feels like NOW our career journeys have officially begun. Help us thank the Lord! 🙂 I think my face is reacting to the change in the worst way, but hopefully we will stabilise soon. MeeMee graduated with the highest honours two weeks ago, I’m so- I’m so- I’m so proud of her!

We aren’t on our own time anymore, so it may take us a while to get back on our regular posting schedule.

2. Twinsies: Box Braids!

We are both protective styling in box braids at present. Mine will be four weeks old on Tuesday, I think I’ll keep them for two more weeks.

For maintenance, I do scalp massages every two- three days with castor oil (first, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, and when that finished, I started using the Sheabutter Cottage Haitian Black Castor Oil I got from Beautifully Nappy in January or February. I don’t know what the Haitians and Jamaicans argue about, so far, black castor oyel is black castor oyel) The last time I wore box braids was in February last year and they barely lasted two weeks. My love for kinky twists is genuine (aesthetically) but it was also inspired by condition. It’s not every time I want kinky twists when I protective style with extensions. During my transitioning days, I realised I couldn’t braid or twist with Xpressions like before, because my kinks were always going to find their way to the surface. It’s not cute when this happens, so after last year’s try, I was inspired to try again, when I saw “The Best Darn Box Braid Method for Natural Hair” on Naija Girl Next Door, here. I got excited, did it, told MeeMee about it and she did it too.

MeeMee, Smile for Jesus ( ._.)

It’s really simple. Put your hair in two strand twists first. They don’t have to be your best twists, just do twists. Then, loop the braiding hair around the twist and start braiding, using the twist as a third leg. When you’re nearing the end of the twist, borrow more hair from the other sections and continue the braid till you’re done. All this English can be confusing, see Sandra’s blog for a picture, it’s really easy and doesn’t it make perfect sense? If your hair must pop out, it will do so at the point where the twists end and that’s nowhere near as bad as it poppin all over the place.

My favourite thing about this method is now, I don’t have to suffer the combing they always feel they have to do at the salon. I can handle my own hair and do my twists myself as hair prep. Plus, my head didn’t hurt at the end of the day. I just hope my hair doesn’t start to matt o. Anyway, we will see!

My braiders protested at first but I made them do it, and now I’m almost four weeks in and my braids are still fresh looking.

MeeMee’s are a little less so, because she washed her hair. Moisture brings on the frizz, and shrinkage. My edges are proper fuzzy and I’m out of Edge control, but I’m on a hair product ban, so I’ve been doing without and it really hasn’t been the end of the world. I wear my braids down most of the time anyway, covering my coco pops edges!

3. So Somebody Met a Famous Somebody

Who’s that girl? Can you guess?

You’d probably recognise her straight away with her famous fro, but without it, not so much. At a hip NYC jazz thing at the beginning of the week, MeeMee met her- Esperanza Spalding! Right! She told her she looked different & Esperanza replied “It’s a new day.” What that mean guys? What that mean??

4. Meet-Up Info!

OKAY. The most important change to announce right now, is that we have had to change the date for Naturals in The City 11.

I don’t know about you guys, but this scarcity has been something. I know some of you are super troopers, and would make it there through the worst (kiss kiss) but it’s just the best thing really, to shift the meet-up, by two weeks. Instead of meeting on June 6 as previously announced, we will be there on the 20th of June. Still a Saturday. Same venue, same time. Social Place, 33 Sinari Daranijo Street, off Younis Bashorun, off Ajose Adeogun, Victoria Island. 1:30 – 5:30PM. We hope to see you! For enquiries, email: nn@naturalnigerian.com

A week before that, Enugu people you will have your day on June 13 with Natural Nigerian & Hadassah, Nappily Nigerian Girl! It’s the first meet-up in the Coal City, yayyyyyy! See the poster right here below for all the deets:

5. BMS Hairspire- MemsNaij x TheKinkandI

Last thing before I forget- remember that video I told you I made with Meme (MemsNaij)? Here it is!

After all this time, I’m still stupidly shy in front of a camera, so I wasn’t looking forward to watching it, I admit. Attempted twice and changed my mind but I finally did and it’s not so bad! Meme is really good at this editing thing, I garra take notes! The entire experience has me thinking about taking vlogging seriously, this shyness is something to get over! Please watch it, it’s like 5 minutes long, won’t eat all your data. Meme is an Early Childhood Educator (so cool!) She talks about that, hair, fashion, motherhood, and other topics on her channel. It’s really good stuff and I’m not just saying this because she featured me! Do check it out, like, share, subscribe!

6. It’s Kind of My Birthday!

Today is the third anniversary of my big chop, and I must. have. cake! No length checks nothing, too bad I don’t get to feel my hair on this day, but I’ll make it up to her with special good good loving after I take these braids down. I think I may also go in for another trim, it has been almost four months since my last. Happy hairversary to me! 😀

Alright guys. We want to know what YOU have been up to. What’s good in your life and with your hair?

Love,

AB,

xx