Hey everyone, I’m Eki and I’m a style blogger at www.thechameleonblogger.com. I’m natural and I love fashion.
I went natural again after 5 years of being relaxed because I realized I really wasn’t missing out on anything and mostly because I couldn’t keep up with the routine of having my hair relaxed every now and then.
It’s Thursday, my favourite day of the week!
And I’m not throwing back very far, just going back to two, or has it been three weeks ago?
In this post about the short-lived ombré braids, I mentioned that I would be getting my own hair styled, sans extensions.
Let me tell you about this Styling Adventure. I washed my hair on Friday, to let it dry well in advance of Sunday, intended hair making day. So on Sunday, I set out for the salon (the same one I did my braids at), but I got there and it was closed. So were the other salons on Akim road. So I started walking back towards Marian, down down down, and most of the salons were closed. It was like Ghost town, everywhere was deserted. Which was a little weird for me because well, Lagos is always on the move and since I was a kid, I’d always thought Sunday was hair making day. Saturday was wedding/party day, and Sunday was church then get your hair ready for school/work day. (If there was a party or something to go to, it just meant I’d wear my hair ‘Calabar’ that week, that is, big single braids, the only thing mom could do. I loved ‘Calabar’!) On Sundays, salons are very very busy (all the procrastinators I guess)
But I guess that’s just Lagos and Abuja and Kumasi. Not Calabar.
Anyway, I did find 3 open salons though, so I went in, showed them the style I wanted, and they said they couldn’t braid my hair. It was at the third salon that I was advised to go to Watt Market. The idea had already formed in my head before they suggested it sef, so off I went to Watt.
Watt was the opposite of Calabar Municipality though. It was aliveeeee, with many braiders jostling for business. And interestingly, quite a number of men in the business of doing nails. I settled in with the first girl I met there and showed her the picture. I thought we had an understanding, until I asked for a mirror and saw that she was giving me some very very basic patewo-shuku fusion. And we were almost halfway. So we had to loosen everything and start over.
She could braid alright, but she couldn’t appreciate the creativity in the picture.
the picture. [Ijeoma!]
[My iPhone camera has deceived me oh. Because it is so much more awesome than a BB camera, I’ve been doing a lot with it, and pushing good old Simon to the side. Well, it’s nice but it really isn’t Simon. So I apologise for the picture quality. I applied the HDR Filter just so you could see the cornrows and stuff better.]
does this hair look fresh? just the morning after
What I got was not exactly what I wanted so I wasn’t crazy about it but after a while, I started warming up to it.
I only wore it Sunday-Thursday though. I was seeing NatMane that weekend so I had to get my hair ready for that. The hair frizzed pretty fast, and I strongly suspect(ed) that this was because I used the super-moisturising humectant-packed Jack 5ive Leave-In. I’ve done a bit of Googling and blog trolling and it seems I am right. So the next time I style my own hair, I think I’ll only use a butter or oil or pomade.
In other news, the HDR filter on Picasa is something of the devil. I applied it to one photo that will never be shown and it almost depressed me 😦 The thing magnified and amplified every single scar or spot I’ve ever had in my life! Bluddy acne be damned!!
Oh Protective styling. With God and Pinterest and Youtube and the general Internet on my side, I must not fail!
Till next post,
Love,
AB
Xx
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,
AB
xx
The Kink And I 