Do You Live In Benin City?

Posted in Natural Hair Community, Naturals in Nigeria, We All Want Good Hair, Where to find by An Afrikan Butterfly

Yes? This post is for you! We’ve got a number of Natural hair product retailers in Nigeria, and the list continues to grow. However, at this time, most of the stores are in Lagos and Abuja. They do make efforts to deliver, but for circumstances beyond their control (i.e. the general lack of confidence in our national postal service), I know delivery costs can be more than a little discouraging when you’re not making a bulk purchase. Paying 1500 to ship a bottle of conditioner that cost you 2500 Just. Does. Not. Make. Sense. Odion from Benin City wrote me yesterday. She’d like to be a middleman, to help organise the pooling of resources for women in Benin who’d like to order hair care products (natural or relaxed) from stores in Lagos or elsewhere. Simply put, if you are interested in getting hair products from Lagos or Abuja or anywhere out of Benin, you can now consider doing it together with other people, thus spreading the cost of delivery, bringing it down to a minimum. Also, would you be interested in having a meet-up in Benin? She’d like to know.

Please help share this post, and send it to your friends in Benin. Remember, little drops make a mighty ocean! Let’s help each other! Thank you! 🙂

AN UPDATE: This arrangement worked for a while, until Odion had to relocate, and for this reason, I’ve taken her information off the blog. If you’d like to start a Benin group, or a group in your city, let me know. thekinkandi@gmail.com

Love,

3Feb2014

Want Shea Butter? Holler at Estella’s Pride!

Posted in Naturals in Nigeria, Where to find by An Afrikan Butterfly

Hello Naturals in Nigeria,

New on the scene is Estella’s Pride, here to bring you all-natural shea butter and oils you can trust!

Why buy from us?

A lot of Shea butter sold today isn’t the real deal.

When Shea butter isn’t authentic, it doesn’t have the qualities you seek.

The Shea butter Estella’s Pride stocks is gotten from the Middle Belt of Nigeria and neighbouring Ghana.

We are very familiar with the people who make it, and are well acquainted with the production process from start to finish.

What we’ve got

That’s not all. We’ve also got Cocoa Shea, Whipped Shea butter, 100% Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Ginger Oil, Jojoba Oil, as well as other oils.

Find us!

We are based in the Lagos area, but we do deliver to other locations!

For more information, contact us: www.estellaspride.com

Email address: estellaspride@gmail.com

Phone: 07032583692 /07052194358.

–

Hey boos.

This isn’t a sponsored post.

The ‘Where To Find’ Directory is a growing resource that was started to assist the natural in Nigeria, and Estella’s Pride is our latest addition. For information on where to find Natural Hair Friendly products and salons, do visit the page. Let’s help you find what you’re looking for! 🙂

And if you’re a Natural Hair Friendly business in Nigeria- product retail or salon or mobile stylist or loctitian, anything related, please leave a comment under the Directory with your information or email thekinkandi@gmail.com, so that I could list you, it’s absolutely free!

Till next post,

Love,

–

Saturday 10 May, 2014. An update- Estella’s Pride has revamped their packaging. Don’t be alarmed when you see this, it’s still them. They have also expanded their product line. Whoop! 🙂

new labels

1Feb2014

Hello, February!!

Posted in in the loop, Life and living by An Afrikan Butterfly

Hey guys!
Long time no post!
Two whole weeks! And 2014 isn’t here to play oh, January moved fast!
Between MTN & Etisalat, my internet situation was a little complicated but it’s all good now. I’ll be up to regular posting from Monday, but for now, this is a quick update post, just to check-in.

1. The Kink and I just reached the 50 follower milestone on Bloglovin’! Wow. Thank you everyone, for reading and commenting and subscribing! Thank you SO much 🙂

2. I got ombre box braids (black, with brown highlights) and they only lasted 2 weeks.

Or should I say, I could only stand them for two weeks. Before them, the last time I used braiding hair that wasn’t kinky was October 2012. And even then, it was alright. But these braids my friends, were looking really old and raggedy in such a short time. I was sad to see them go- good money and time and 5 packs of hair wasted- I hadn’t even been able to do shakara properly. It just seemed a little silly to have super long waist-hip length braids that were really untidy where it mattered. I’m still wondering if it was my fault or the hairdressers’? AND. Calabar doesn’t know it’s supposed to be Harmattan. No chill whatsoever, it is. so. hot! I’ll be back to this style in a few months, hopefully, with much better luck.

3. My hair is super soft as I write this. I just co-washed and yes, it was super-soft albeit a little greasy before I washed. BUT. The Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner is truly worth the hype. There’s no difference between 700 naira Suave Naturals conditioner and the cheapey cheapey 250 naira Hair Fruits conditioner. But this. THIS is a moisturising conditioner!!

4. A Test of Two Leave-In Conditioners

Thursday was Wash day and after all the senrenren, I left my hair to air-dry in twists. But before the twists, I moisturised one half of my head with Jack 5ive Curl Activator and the other half with the Cantu Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream– to see which was better. I unraveled the twists today just before I went for a walk and voila, no side was more moisturised than the other. My hair was all nice and soft and fluffy. A little greasy though (I sealed with coconut oil and appaz, I used more than I thought I did!)

5. I’m very very VERY serious about length retention this year! I resisted the urge to comb today, and went out looking maybe a little crazy.

no comb, don’t care!!

I walked a good deal of Marian road and Old Ikang this evening (any Calabar curlies in the building?). I can’t wait till my hair starts to hang. Shorter hair makes the absence of a comb much more obvious, but abeg. I didn’t die today, and I’d happily do it again.

Why must the caption strip be in the middle? Anyhoo…

6. The Kink and I is on Facebook now 🙂 and Instagram too. 🙂

7. Going off now to moisturise & seal and beg my roommate to thread my hair in preparation for another salon visit tomorrow. I dare you ’fro, to not dry before tomorrow afternoon! ( ._.)

I’m getting my hair did, no extensions this time. I’ll keep you posted!

Goodnight!

Love,

22Dec2013

The Great Kinky Hair Christmas Affair!

Posted in Meet-Ups, Naturals in Nigeria, Where I went by An Afrikan Butterfly

Hello lovelies!

How una dey? 🙂

I’m home for the holidays and this Christmas is definitely shaping up to be a grrrreat one! I am SO excited! ^_^

Yesterday, my girl Lu and I had a good time at The Great Kinky Hair Christmas Affair!

Organised by The Kinky Apothecary, the Affair was hosted by hair bloggers Geraldine the Great and Ijeoma of Klassy-Kinks, at The Social Place, 33 Sinari Daranijo Street, Victoria Island.

Geri talked to us about Staying Natural, and Toughening Your Technique for Length Retention, and soon enough, Ijeoma got into Protective Styling. Afterwards, she asked for volunteers and I stepped forward. Without the aid of a comb, she did a quick flat-twist updo that I wore to church this morning. I’m definitely upping my styling game in 2014, so help me God!

It’s always a pleasure to meet other curlies, and talk hair! 🙂 Before and after the workshop, there was food, drinks and shopping. We got freebies with our Kinky Apothecary purchases, and Geri gave out stuff as well.

Old boy Simon was with me, and Lu helped out with the photos- so here’s my yesterday in pictures: