Clearance Sale! x Introducing Elizabeth Cress Bonnets

Hello beautifuls!

How is the going going?

Early this year, we started a small project, a little shop on the blog, with some of our favourite products. It has been a learning experience, and we are really really grateful to every single one of our customers. Thank you so much for your support! 🙂

In addition to our favourite things, we also have these cute Ankara-Silk bonnets handmade by Elizabeth Cress, in-store. If you don’t like the look of plain black bonnets, and you want to go to sleep in style, you should definitely try these out. They are pretty solid and built to last. The insides are satin/silk, with the print on top. Official retail price for each bonnet is 2000.

2000 Naira Only

We are running a clearance sale on blog shop items, so you should totally email us asap. 🙂

**Click on each product to read the ingredients, to see reviews**

Nothing But Intense Healing Mask: Formerly 3500, Now 2500.

Shea Moisture Frizz Free Curl Mousse: Formerly 3200, Now 2500.

L’Oreal Ever Creme Sulfate Free Shampoo: Formerly 2300, Now 1800.

Our accessories remain the same: for 1500 Naira, you can get a 12-pack of Scunci Hair Combs or an 8 pack of Goody Ouchless Hair Bands in Neutral Colours.

Goody Ouchless bands are known for being very stretchy, long lasting bands, great for creating killer puffs. The Scunci hair combs are pretty durable too. I’ve been using one pack of each since the year began, and they will definitely see me into next year. Very small investments to make in your hair arsenal!

To order, email: thekinkandi@gmail.com. Delivery rates and information about our process are also on the shop page here.

Love,

AB,

xx

Frequently Asked Questions: Kinky, Marley, Havana Twists

Hello lovelies!

I hope you’re doing great.

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know I love my kinky twists. (We both do) The chunkier the better, but Kinky, Marley, Havana, really anything with Kinky extensions is right up my alley. Because I’m asked about my twists a whole lot, more than I can count, I thought I’d just share what I always share, put it in the public domain. 🙂

1. Where can I get kinky twists done?

If you’re in the NYC area, holler at our girl MeeMee. She has a good heart and won’t charge you like the braiding places. You can book her on StyleSeat.com/thekinkandi *shameless plug*

As long as you’re in Nigeria, honestly, I think anywhere. Walk down your street for a salon, or if you live in a very residential area, go out to a busier neighbourhood. If all else fails, just go to the market. Yes, I said the market. No AC, probably no fan but you’ll get your twists, and if you price right, for cheap too 🙂

P.S. All the salons on our list of Natural Hair Friendly Salons can hook you up!

2. Where do YOU get your twists done?

When I got kinky twists in Calabar, I went to Watt Market. Back to base now, in Lagos, I go to Sara’s. This has been my mom’s salon for years now. Sometimes the AC is on, and of course you can watch AfricaMagic lol. The stylists are really great with braiding, and very fast. My last Marley twists took 30 minutes. 5 people on my head because I was early, and I tell you it did not hurt. The most I’ve paid is 3k. Sara’s is on Bola Street in Anthony Village. It’s on the first floor of the building beside King Solomon Hospital, walking distance from the GTBank.

3. What hair can I use?

There are several brands, I’ve tried just three- Supreme, Noble, and Sublime. Is there any major difference between them? In terms of texture, not quite, but they are at different price points. Supreme Royal Silk Afro-Twist Braid goes from 1300-1700, depending on where you buy. Sublime is 650,700 but you aren’t saving, it is half the size of the Supreme. Noble Afro Twist Braid is also half the price of Supreme, but it’s about the same size. Almost.

4. Where can I buy the hair?

Your local weave-on place, the market, your salon (check first), and you can also order online from Sizzelle, Olori, The Kinky Apothecary, Tunmise Naturals, and so on. See the Where to Find Directory for their info 🙂

5. How can I care for my hair in twists or braids?

I shared my regimen for braids here, in this post. Your hair will be happy if you follow it, but to be honest, since I started washing my hair in braids, I’ve become lazy about spritzing. I do it like once a week now, or when I feel my roots and they are dry, but the washing & deep conditioning takes care of most of my moisture needs. And I’ve found that because my hair is locked away, I don’t actually NEED to mix water with leave-in conditioner to spray 3 times a week. Spraying 3 times a week with a water and oil mix, or water and then sealing, works okay. For best results though, follow the original braid care regimen. 😀

With scalp care, I’ve found that prevention is better than cure. Keeping my scalp happy from day 1 is better than letting it flake and then trying to remedy. Once my scalp starts flaking, I start itching to take the hair off. I oil my scalp once a week, and I spritz plain water on the scalp sometimes before I oil. Also, right after my braids are done, or if it’s a weave, after the cornrows but before the sewing, I always oil my scalp with a natural oil or butter. Washing helps too.p

6. To use yarn or kinky braiding hair?

It’s down to personal preference. The only yarn thing I personally object to is yarn wraps/ faux locs in black or brown. Again, it’s personal. 🙂

7. Salon finishing or nah?

I used to think that immersing kinky twists in hot water took away a little of the Rasta beauty. This I have learnt is not the case. Now I let them dip, so my hair isn’t so stiff. However, what I do not let them do is trim along the length of my twists. You can trim below the point where I don’t think my hair has reached, but before this, no. If you have a good braider, this won’t be necessary. And, kinky hair is perfectly imperfect, so I just roll with it. The rougher it gets, the more I love it.

8. How can I stretch my hair or prepare it for twists or braids?

Wash well, deep condition and detangle well, moisturise and seal. It’s easier and saves time, to go to the salon with stretched hair. You can stretch it heatlessly by threading, twisting, banding, whatever your method. You can blow dry if you want, but you really do not have to. With sealing, try not to over-do it. Handling greasy hair is not fun for your stylist. And if your hair is still a little damp, don’t worry. Go on and braid. It will not smell.

9. Now, nobody has asked me this but it’s still good to know 🙂

Hair is not supposed to hurt. This kind of beauty is NOT pain. Accept this as an absolute,unwavering principle. I had 5 people twist my hair the last time and I did not leave with a headache. Don’t let anyone pull your hair too tight, and remember that these beautiful extensions are actually heavy on our hair. When you’re in the styling chair, be assertive, speak up. I handle my hair myself most of the time, so I mentally prepare myself for battle whenever I’m braiding outside my regular salon, Sara’s. Is it an introvert thing, I don’t know… but if I’m not ready to fight, I don’t usually go to the salon.

Also, it helps to show your braider how to handle your kinky hair. I always show them how to finger detangle, and use a wide-toothed comb from ends to roots. I don’t let anyone use a rat tail comb on my kinks.

10. P.S. Your Extensions Could Be Hurting You

Some people break out when they wear synthetic extensions. It’s not an Ajebutter thing. We don’t know much about how these things are made, but the chemicals left on them can sometimes irritate the skin and scalp. Before I got used to braiding a lot, my ears would heat up in protest every time I left my hair down. So, if you’re sensitive, prepare your hair in advance. Put a little Apple Cider Vinegar in warm water, and soak your hair for like 30 minutes. A second rinse is optional. Spread it to dry, kinky braiding hair dries fast.

If there’s anything else you’d like to know about kinky twists, just holler in the comments and I will reply.

Love,

AB,

xx

Product Review: Cantu Argan Oil Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream

Hello beautifuls!

Getting ready for the weekend? 😀

Today, I’m here with another product review.

If you’ve been around the blog for a while now, you probably know that the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream is one of my staples. You can read my review of this here.

Apart from the fact that I’m a product heaux junkie, I love my staple Cantu but there are two things I’d like it to change. (I mentioned #2 in the review, and I realised #1 this year)

1. I’ve experienced better shine with other leave-ins.
2. This product takes a while to absorb. So, for best results, I apply it generously and then put my hair in chunky twists, leaving it to air dry for hours or overnight. By the time hair is fully dry, it is nice, supple and moisturised, with no residue. However, if I attempt to just apply it and go- I get white patches, and my hair doesn’t absorb the moisture immediately.

When I learnt Cantu had an Argan Oil version of their conditioning repair cream, at the same price, I decided to get it without reading the ingredients or anything, hoping that it would work better than the Shea Butter one.

Now the question is, were my great expectations met?

NO.

This product works EXACTLY THE SAME as the Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream. I’ll go over this, with some observations.

First, what my hair is like:

My hair is very kinky, tightly coiled, low porosity, undisputably 4C hair. My strands are individually very fine, but densely packed together.

Ingredients:

Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Canola Oil, Stearalkonium Chloride, Glycerin, Shea Butter, Dimethicone, Fragrance, Cetrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-7, Argan Oil, Panthenol, Hexapeptide-11, Betaine, Hexylene Glycol, Sugar Cane Extract, Lemon Fruit Extract, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Polyquaternium-37, Propylene Glycol, Dicaprylate/ Dicaprate, PPG-1, Trideceth-6, Phenoxyethanol, Ethlyhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA.

Worth noting:

This product has a silicone, Dimethicone.

Water is the first ingredient. The first 5 ingredients are water (hydration, moisture), fatty alcohols and stearalkonium chloride is a conditioning agent derived from fatty alcohol- stearyl alcohol. It also has canola oil at #4, as an emollient.

Beyond the first 5, it’s all humectants (panthenol, glycerin), conditioning agents, preservatives and negligible fruit extracts.

This “Argan Oil infused formula” has Canola Oil as Ingredient #4, and Argan Oil is all the way down as Ingredient number 12. LOL, scam. But I guess if it really had Argan Oil where Canola is, it would cost more.

Actually, the ingredients of this leave-in are similar to the old Cantu Shea Butter formula I’m used to. They have changed the formula a bit, and I haven’t tried the new one but Jennifer blogged about it here and it still moisturises well for her.

Let’s Look At The Product Claims

The blurb on the product label is kind of long, and unnecessary to reproduce, so let me just summarise what it claims to do.

• Deeply moisturizes.
• Strengthens the hair to prevent breakage.
• Encourages shine, elasticity and growth
• Hydrates and moisturises with Argan oil and other natural ingredients.

Hmmm.

1. Hair growth occurs beneath our visible scalp, in follicles, so this leave-in right here, that I apply to my hair strands (NEVER on my scalp), CANNOT encourage growth. I can’t even point to a single ingredient on the list that has anything to do with hair growth, except maybe argan oil.

2. One of the directions stated here on the label is “Apply as directed for daily styling just after shampooing. Reapply and cover with a plastic cap overnight for maximum absorption and intense conditioning.”

Allow me to drag my dear Cantu a bit.

On my old Cantu Shea Butter as I remember it, it states that for deep conditioning, you should apply Cantu, wear a shower cap and sleep with it overnight.

This is something I used to do when I was in Law School, just so I could have more time in the mornings. I’d moisturise & chunky twist my hair at night, so that in the morning I could just comb my dry, stretched hair and go.

I slept with a satin bonnet, not a shower cap. 8 hours with the leave-in undisturbed allowed my low-porosity hair to absorb all that moisture. Nothing wondrous or revolutionary. Maximum absorption, yes. But not intense or deep conditioning as we know it. I state this here because someone has asked me before. She was deep conditioning with Cantu Leave-In and getting no results. Cantu Leave-In Conditioning Repair Creams CANNOT deep condition, not in my experience anyway.

I love the Cantu leave-in now, but it was not an effective moisturiser until I started treating my hair to regular moisture deep conditioning. I’m saying, it’s a nice product, but be wary of these claims. It is not a miracle worker, not where my kinks are concerned.

I’m actually shocked that Cantu has gone a step further to direct that people should apply this leave-in AFTER shampooing and go to bed with it, as an intense conditioning leave-in treatment? I’m seriously side-eyeing the hell out of them, and wondering what next they are going to say. I would NEVER try this and I do not think you should either. Please condition or deep condition after you shampoo before using this product. It really is JUST a leave-in conditioner.

Now that you’re well informed about what this product CANNOT do, here’s the bottom line.

This is a really good leave-in.

It has slip. It moisturises well. After Washday, I could use it to moisturise, and not need to moisturise again until the next wash, in like a week.

It does not give great shine, and it could definitely be easier to absorb.

I just want Cantu to be more honest in the future, and not mislead people who are new to the business of analysing product labels.

Would I repurchase?

Yes. The Cantu Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream remains a staple, so I could buy this one (Argan Oil) or the Shea Butter one, to meet that need. They work the same for me.

The only thing I’d add now is that the Argan Oil Leave-in and the Sheabutter one smell very different. The Cantu Shea Butter smells sweet, almost to the point of being annoying (I had to get used to it). This one isn’t a sweet smell. It’s very light, and a little syrupy (not maple syrup, think Tixylix or nice cough syrup) and if I’m recalling properly, the smell is in the same category as the Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner, which I tried last year.

So, if I see the Cantu SheaButter/ Cantu Argan Oil in the same place and I have to pick one, I’d pick the Argan Oil. It isn’t a fantastic smell, but I prefer it’s blandness to the SheaButter version’s sweetness.

Where to Find:

1,950 for a 16 oz tub at Olori.

Alright lovelies. I want to hear from you. Have you tried this leave-in? Did you like it or not? Share 🙂

Love,

AB,

xx

7 YouTubers I’m Loving Right Now

Hey guys,

AB here! How are things?

I’m currently experiencing some kind of block in my life right now- writer’s block? Blogger’s block? Haven’t journaled in 4 weeks block? Hard to pick up a pen to even scribble block? Meh. I don’t know oh. I hope to snap out of it soon. I’ve got plenty to share, hopefully, I’ll be back to my old self by next week! 🙂

Before I go into today’s post, I’d just like to remind my Lagos naturals that tomorrow is Naturals in The City 9 at Social Place. More deets over here!

And, the Where to Find pages have been updated. There’s a Port Harcourt salon on our list now (whoop whoop!!), and if you’re looking for Liquid Aminos and other Maximum Hydration Method approved products, you should holler at Calabar based Style Boulevard. Pure Joie Consulting is in Uyo as well, with lots of hair goodies to shop from! Contact info for these businesses and more, are in our ever growing Where to Find Directory. Even if you aren’t in Uyo or Calabar, you can still talk to them and arrange delivery.

Now on to the business of the day!

—

I’ve realised that studying a youtube tutorial and trying to copy it immediately does not work for me. It leads to disappointment. What works, is me watching the videos as entertainment. Just watching them, taking mental notes, watching different tutorials- and then, trying the style out when I need to. I’ve found that it’s better when I draw inspiration from past videos when I’m on my feet and I just have to do something, than sitting down to follow step by step. Weird? Maybe my brain needs more marinating time with these hair things, lol.

Naptural85, Jouelzy and FusionOfCultures may just be my favourite hair vloggers of all time, but you probably know them already. I’ve been on YouTube a lot lately, and so today I’m going to share with you some new faves, more vloggers I like to watch, or vloggers that made tutorials I found particularly helpful, that are not as well known.  They’ve got great content, well edited videos, I don’t have 3rd world internet to waste or struggle with!

In no particular order,

1. AfricanExport

I love Vanita. She’s one youtuber I can trust with product reviews (no BS), and she has no time for senrenren, so her styling tutorials are pretty straight to the point. She recently cut her hair again, so you may want to keep your eye on her channel if you have a very teeny weeny afro, and see how she has fun with it!

2. TheChicNatural

Kim is quite lovely, and she responds to most questions in the comments. STILL haven’t been able to do Straw Curls right since I was inspired by her Straw set tutorial last year, but sha sha, God dey. I’ve been thinking about straightening my hair for a while now, and watching a bunch of tutorials, so here’s this really good one from her. She stretches her hair heatlessly at first, and then straightens using the Chase method.

3. Jessica Pettway

Yummy mummy Jessica (jfashiongirl87 on Instagram) is always so fabulous. What I love the most about her channel is that she likes to style on dry, stretched hair. Wet styling is like the bane of my natural hair journey so far, so I’ve decided to stop setting myself up and style my hair dry in peace. It’s just more predictable this way. I still try with the wet sets, but anybody who gets pretty styles out of dry hair has my full attention.

Her bantu flat out, for the “bantu knot challenged sista” looks really great. You may want to try this sometime, and I think it’ll be really good for the relaxed, texlaxed ladies too. 😉

4. Paola Mathe

I love Paola’s blog, and the love has now extended to her vlogs. She’s such a pleasure to watch, whether she’s just speaking, hula-hooping, styling- I think I could watch her do anything but for the purpose of this post, nobody does head wraps like Paola, and her tutorials for her line Fanm Djanm (Haitian for “Strong Woman”) are worth watching if you want to take your head wrap game to the next level. I’m ready, I just need to find the right wrappers!

5. LoveStarr823

Oh wow. I wrote about wanting Genie Locs on January 15. The year is about to end and I’m still wishing. I really want to wear this style, but I am not interested in sitting in a salon for a whole day. I’d rather do them myself, take a whole weekend- but I haven’t been able to find the time, AND I’m staying away from braids and twists with extensions until my edges are 100 (so help me God!)

However, I stumbled on this Crochet Braid Faux Locs tutorial from LoveStarr823 and I think it’s pretty good. I just need to find a rod, and do my locs over time, for as long as it takes, and then install when I’m done. I don’t know when that blessed day will come (it’s looking like 2015 lol) but here’s her tutorial:

6. Ahsiekk1118

After watching videos last night, Youtube suggested this one to me. If you’d like to try a chunky “messy” twist out, you should see this. More than the tutorial, I think she’s hilarious lol and I will be watching more of her.

7. WestAfricanBaby

Aboyowa’s hair is SO FULL! I love it! She’s quite the minimalist Naturalista- really simple, just water, shea butter, leave-in, mostly, and she rocks her 4C hair all types of curly ways! You should  check her out on youtube when you have the time: westafricanbaby. In the tutorial below, she does a braid out with an old twist out, with just water and Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Repair Cream.

She also posts short videos on her instagram page: westafricanbaby.

Alright guys. Do you seek hair inspiration on the tube? Who are your all time faves? And who are you loving right now? What’s the best tutorial you’ve seen in a while? Do be generous, share!

Love,

AB,

xx

Get To Know: Tresses & Body Organics, NatMane and more

Hey y’all!

Eku Monday!

As you know (I hope you do), we have a ‘Where to Find’ Directory on this blog. 🙂

If you’re looking for where to buy or order hair products from, or where to get your hair done, we may be able to help.

Page 1: Where to Find Natural Hair Stores in Nigeria

Page 2: Where to Find Natural Hair Friendly Salons in Nigeria.

Thanks to you guys, the lists keep growing.

Over the weekend, we made some additions:

Tresses & Body Organics

Though based in Lagos, they deliver nationwide.

They carry the Vaadi Herbals line; Sulfate free shampoos and conditioners, Hair moisture butters, Hair growth oils, Essential & Carrier Oils, Indian Ayurvedic clays and powders, Heat protectant serums, and more.

You can visit them at 33, Fatai Irawo Street, Ajao- Estate, off Airport Road, Ikeja

Or Call: 08183412877 or 08075542049.

Or Email: tressesnlocks@outlook.com

They’re also on Facebook: Tresses & Body Organics Ent.

NatMane

NatMane (short for Natural Mane) is very creative with hair, I can personally testify. She is a stylist at Lumo Naturals, but she also accommodates private appointments.

To get in touch with her, tweet her @NaturalMane or email: eskinks[at]gmail[dot]com

And…

Also new to the Directory are Natural Hair salons Mods Salon & Beauty Supply in Lekki, and SPN Salon in Wuse 2, Abuja. Their contact deets are over here, on the list of salons. You can see the creative work they do at SPN on their Instagram account @spnsalon.

The purpose of the ‘Where to Find’ Directory is to connect naturals with good products, and salons that know how to work with our kinks.

We cannot promise you that every person on the list is awesome, but at least it’s a start. If you’re a seller of natural hair products, or you’re a natural hair friendly salon or Independent stylist, email thekinkandi@gmail.com with your information, so we can get you on the list. It’s absolutely free!

If your favourite store or salon or stylist is not listed on the blog, please leave a comment, let us know who we are missing!

If you’ve tried any of these stores or salons, it would be super nice if you share your experience in the comments under the ‘Where to Find’ pages.

It’s a really simple way for us to help each other!

Have a lovely week guys,

Love,

AB,

xx