FOR THE LENGTH FEB - What's more important, health or length?

Bonjour tout le monde!

So I thought I'd come with something new and introduce themed months! The new month of February is going to be the theme 'For The Length'. I'll have a new post every Thursday dedicated to the theme of the month alongside the normal posts that come out every Tuesday and Friday. This month is focusing on length and what tips we can carry out to grow out our hair and achieve our length goal!

So ladies what's more important, health or length?

I feel as though this has been an ongoing debate for the natural community for some time now. Some people feel as though as much as your hair can be super health, it doesn't always equate to length. And others feel as though your hair can be super long, up to your bum, but if it's not healthy what's the point? SO, I'm here to break it down for everyone so you can draw your own conclusion!

HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT

Healthy hair = amazing hair! Your hair is at its best when it is well nourished and moisturised so why wouldn't you want healthy hair! We all hate the feeling of dry, brittle hair so when we feel our hair reaching that point, it's time to whip out the water spray and spritz our hair until kingdom come. Keeping your hair moisturised whether that be with hair creams, oils or spritz, your hair performs best when it is feeling its best.

BENEFITS OF HEALTHY HAIR:

1. No more tired, dull and brittle hair!
2. It is a lot easier to style hair that is full of life than hair that is screaming for care and attention
3. Less tension on the hair! During styling we often tug and pull our hair into the desired style and with unhealthy hair, this is often exacerbated as there are more tangles in our hair and it isn't easy for our comb to glide through
4. More length retention - it is easier for us to cling on to our monthly hair growth when our hair is healthy because it is less likely to snap or create split ends.

LENGTH IS MORE IMPORTANT 

Having ultra long hair is the goal for almost every naturalista on this planet. Every black girl aspires to have their natural tresses tumbling down their back and being able to wear the styles that they'd normally achieve with wigs/weaves/braids but with their natural hair. Long hair = lovely hair and that's almost always the goal of every natural girl ever. So why wouldn't you do everything in your power to acquire your tremendous tresses?

BENEFITS OF LONG HAIR:

1. No style is impossible! It is easier than ever to create the styles that you want that may have previously required the help of hair extentions
2. Quick style are more that possible
3. Once long always long! Once you've reached your desired length, it is almost near impossible to reverse that kind of growth (unless you do something drastic) so clap for yourself, you've made it!

These are the benefits that I personally think are attached with both healthy and long hair. Everyone with have their different opinions. What do I think? Well I think it's a no brainer! Healthy hair has always been and will always be the way forward. I say this because I think with health come length, take care of your hair and you'll reap the rewards in growth. Look and see how far my hair has come!

If you didn't already know, I have a YouTube channel where I post hair tips, makeup fun and lifestyle videos too! Be sure to subscribe to make sure you don't miss out on ANY upcoming content as I have a lot in store for you guys.

- CLICK HERE FOR MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL -

Until the next time,

Au revoir x

NutraFix Argan and Almond Oil Shampoo & Conditioner Review

Bonjour tout le monde!

So I'm back as promised and I am here with a product review! Now some of you may have read my previous coconut water shampoo and conditioner review. This has now finally come to an end (super sad that it's finished!), so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try out a new brand! I am now using the brand NutraFix. Now if you were to look it up I'm sure you'd agree and say that you've seen it in your local hair shop but may not have mustered up the courage to purchase it for yourself as they seem to go for around £8.99 each. However, I am happy to inform all my London ladies that they have now made an appearance in Poundland, yes I said Poundland! Not the entire range is available which I'm sure is not surprising as some still remain full price but you can get a few of these beauties for the mere price of £1! 

So in total I spent £2 for the shampoo and conditioner. I chose the almond oil shampoo because it says on the front that it helps to 'nourish and strengthen hair' which is always a plus for my hair. Then I opted for the argan oil conditioner as it 'gives hair a natural boost leaving it hydrated, soft and silky' and boy if you saw my hair before the wash (pictures below), Lord knows I needed that! There were other options such as jojoba and coconut oil but whichever you choose is really down to personal preference and what you believe your hair requires.

My hair is currently in cornrows under a short black wig that I am currently rocking but it really DID need a wash and cleanse. I went straight in with the almond oil shampoo which not only left my hair smelling amazing, but also stripped virtually all of the dirt and residue from my hair. After two rinses my hair was virtually clean so I then went in with my argan oil conditioner. The instructions on the back say to leave it in your hair for 3-5 minutes so I did, covering my hair with a plastic cap. I then washed it out and continued with my deep conditioning treatment. I use the Aunt Jackies Flaxseed treatment which works wonders on my hair (review can be found here) and left that on my hair for 20 minutes before washing it out. After I washed out all of the product from my hair, I dried it with an old t-shirt and then proceeded to detangle and cornrow my hair, being sure to moisturise my hair as I go along. My hair has never been so easy to detangle using these products so I do very much recommend them! Not only are these products currently at a bargain price but they also work amazingly with natural hair. If you're looking for a new shampoo or conditioner or your current isn't working for you then I do suggest giving this a try. BUT do remember that everyone's hair is different and thus reacts differently to different products so don't be disheartened if it doesn't have the same effect for you, it just means the search must go on! 

I hope this has helped some of you but please feel free to message me if you want any handy tips! Add me on snap (divinusater) where I'll be posting tutorials and answering any questions you may have. I'll be posting a new video on my channel fortnightly on a Friday so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss anything! If you have any videos you'd like to see from me too then please do not hesitate to message but until then,

Au revoir x

New YT Video - BACK TO SCHOOL FRENCH BRAID TUTORIAL

Bonjour tout le monde! 

It's a new year which means it's time for a new video! Many of you have been requesting hair tutorials from myself so I thought I'd kick off this year with what I'd call my 'signature style' which are my french braids! They're super cute but does take a little bit of practice but hey, practice makes perfect right! I hope you enjoy this video and if you do please like, comment, share and subscribe! I'll be back with more tutorials so stay tuned!

(PS - I know I haven't been blogging as much as I used to but that's all about to change, 2018 is going to be a great year!)

Au revoir x

New YT Video - GETTING MY BROTHER WAVES (FAIL)

Bonjour tout le monde!

I'm back again with another YouTube video and this time it's featuring my younger brother! For the past two years he had been growing out his hair into a box/high top which my father and I HATED. However last week he decided to take the plunge and cut his hair super short, don't they grow up so fast! Anyway this is my attempt (failed one at that) at trying to get him waves. Maybe next time I'll learn but until then, enjoy the video! Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe too!

Au revoir x

New YT Videos - WHEN I WAS FORCED TO CUT MY HAIR|WHY I CHOSE WIGS OVER WEAVE

Bonjour tout le monde!

I know it's been absolutely a g e s since my last blog post but I've been snowed under with a ton of uni work but I'm back to rededicating myself here! This is just a quick one but I'll be back with blog posts every Tuesday and Friday as normal. However in case you have forgotten what I look like, I'm back with not one but TWO new youtube videos! I'll leave the link below but check them out when you have time! Let me know via any of my social media if there is anything in particular you would like to see but until then, see you next tuesday!

VIDEO - 'WHY I CHOSE WIGS OVER WEAVE'

VIDEO - 'THE TIME I WAS FORCED TO CUT MY HAIR'

Au revoir x

1 YEAR JOURNEY TO BRA STRAP LENGTH

Bonjour tout le monde!

So as some of you may know, I cut my hair extremely short in January 2016 and now I've reached collar bone length in just a year and a half. I am so happy with how far I have come but I always like to push myself and set myself new goals/challenges! My newest challenge, as I'm sure you can tell from the title of this post, is journey to bra strap length! The longest my hair has ever gotten is just past collar bone length and I feel like it is time to push that and put my hair growth to the test!

I intend on making a Youtube video going into more depth about this but I intend on making a number of changes to aid this journey. I love it for some of you to join me on this journey! Feel free to message me if you want some motivation or tips and be sure to add us on social media for daily tips and advice! I'll list below my DA and personal socials, either of which I can be reached on. Below are pictures my friend Mersei recently took to celebrate natural hair and also depicts the length of my hair currently. Stay tuned for my next post and onwards and upwards to longer hair!

DA Social Media Accounts:

Instagram - @divinusater

Twitter - @divinusater

Snapchat - divinusater

Personal Social Media Accounts:

Instagram - @ikeeyah

Twitter - @_kayMUNI

Snapchat - ikeeyah

Au revoir x

Can Heavy Braids Damage 4C Hair?

Bonjour tout le monde!

So I am back after much deliberation to talk to you about my favourite protective hairstyle - braids! As many of you may know, I absolutely love love love braids. They're inexpensive (when compared to weave) and are extremely versatile. Not only that but it also has a very Afrocentric vibe to it. You can wear it up, down, with a headscarf, however you want!

HOWEVER, I realise that a question that comes up very often when talking about braids is 'how big is too big?' 

What's the answer? Personally I think it depends on your hair. I love having chunky, jumbo braids which I'll picture down below. I typically use 7/8 packets of expression braiding hair when doing my braids. This is A LOT for the average person I know. Barring the fact that I have a big head, the average amount of packs used on a head is 4/5 packets. This is usually used when having medium sized braids which is a perfect size for most people. I personally don't like medium sized braids as they don't seem to suit me but I love seeing it on other black girls! 

Braids are great protective hairstyles when done correctly and are a reasonable size. For me I think a reasonable size depends on the health of your hair. For example, when my hair was damaged back in January 2016, I couldn't wear any other than small/medium sized braids. Reason being, my hair was super damaged (my ends were dead straight) which made my hair extremely weak and fragile. Any little bit of weight or slight agitation from my braids would've caused it to become further damaged and the ends of my hair would've snapped. I was having a dilemma between wearing braids to aid my hair growth and making sure my braids wouldn't damage my hair. 

Now a year and a half later after having cut off my damaged ends, I am able to wear bigger sized braids because my hair is stronger. HOWEVER, I am still mindful that heavy braids can still cause damage to my edges and hairline. So how do you combat this? The best way is to just get medium sized braids, not too big to weigh down your hair but not too small either. This is probably what you would class as normal sized braids. Make sure to pay attention that the person doing your hair isn't pulling and tugging and your hairline causing damage. BUT if you do end up getting the same jumbo sized braids that I rock, then be sure not to have it in for too long and make sure there is a decent amount of time in between to allow your natural hair to rest and breathe.

Long story short, braids can only be damaging if done incorrectly especially on 4C hair, other than that it is a fab protective hairstyle!

If you have any questions, feel free to message me other than that,

Au revoir x

Current Length Check - April 2017

Joyeuses Pâques tout le monde!

It's Easter and I am back and I am coming at you with an update on the length of my natural hair! So it's been a year and three months since I cut my hair dead short due to heat damage and I must say it's definitely come a long way! Some people may wonder why I post periodic hair length checks but I do this not only so I can keep track of my hair growth, but also to show my fellow naturalistas that natural hair does grow! I'm not too far off the length my hair was BEFORE I cut it but currently, it's most definitely a decent hair length! I can tie all of my hair up with no strays making an appearance and I'm almost able to tie my hair back in a bun. With more care, attention and TLC, my hair will reach that length and hopefully surpass the length it used to be!

My hair is most definitely growing healthily and flourishing underneath my current wig (check my last post) and I love it! It can be so easy to neglect your natural hair from time to time underneath your wig but make sure to give your hair the care that it needs and it will reward you by being healthy!

I hope this has helped and has been an inspiration to some naturalistas, on to the next length check!

Au revoir x