Taking Stock Two!

Making: plenty of time for some much needed me-time

Cooking: a lot with courgettes/zucchini

Drinking: warm lemon, ginger, honey water; I have a slight sore throat

Reading: a bunch of stuff

Wanting: a whole lot of things that I am going to get soon enough

Looking: inwards

Playing: a Dionne Warwick album

Wasting: nothing

Wishing: that my short term goals materialize like yesterday

Enjoying: some downtime

Waiting: for time to pass so I can call someone when she gets off work

Liking: the way sweet almond oil makes my face feel; I just started using it as a face moisturiser

Wondering: if I should go ahead with this business idea I have been toying with

Loving: my cute pinky purple socks

Hoping: that my travel dreams come through this year

Marvelling: at how big my friend’s son has gotten, he was just a toddler the other day!

Still Needing: a new phone, a tablet and a vacation not necessarily in that order

Smelling: nothing really but I smelt some scented candles at the supermarket yesterday

Wearing: leggings, a long top and pinky purple socks

Following: some awesome people on twitter who light up my timeline never a dull moment on there:)

Noticing: my whiteheads, time for a steam and scrub session aka DIY facial

Knowing: that my happiness and peace of mind is a priority

Thinking: of yesterday - it was a really lovely day spent with lovely people

Feeling: like everything is going to work out just fine…

Bookmarking: this YouTube page just because I needed to bookmark something hehehe

Opening: my eyes wider

Giggling:  more like smiling at the moment

Link: Taking Stock One

Henna With A Splash of Red!

It has been a couple of months since my last full head henna application.  I have been meaning to henna my hair from the beginning of this year, but the procrastinator in me would not let me do it for the last month. So last Sunday I said to myself it was now or never and actually got round to finally doing it.

I mixed my henna with cold water and about a spoonful of white vinegar and added a heaped spoonful of powdered red food colour that had been sitting idle in my cupboard since my last red velvet cake attempt. I think it was called raspberry or something but comes out red when mixed with water. Anyway I added the food colour into the henna mixed well adding water as needed, covered the mixture with cling film and let it sit overnight for the henna dye to release.

Next morning I wet my hair in the shower towel blotted damp and proceeded to apply the henna I have become much better at henna applications; less messy and quick. Application done I wrapped cling film around my hair, secured everything with a scarf and let the mixture sit in my hair for about three hours. I even took a nap in between but made sure to cover my pillow with an old t-shirt just in case of any leakage – thankfully there was hardly any.

 

The reddish brown hue can best be seen in sunlight/natural light

I never set out to sit with henna in my hair for three hours it just happened house chores and all. Once I was ready to rinse I hopped into the shower and rinsed out well. Henna takes several rinses to come out properly I take about 30 - 45 minutes in the shower on henna wash days. Hair rinsed I shampooed with African Black Soap twice and then conditioned with regular conditioner and let that sit for about five minutes as I cleaned the shower walls -  it was red all over. Bathroom clean I slightly detangled in shower and then rinsed out my hair and t-shirt blotted dry. I applied a little bit of coconut oil and let it air dry for the rest of the night. The next day I oiled my scalp with my amla/castor oil mix, moisturized with my leave in conditioner and then did four joining braids in readiness for a braid out. And then it rained the next day so I ended up with a bun instead of a braid out:( 

I always tuck in the tails to prevent them from unravelling

Something new - It’s a Family Affair!

My something new is my new Organics shampoo from the same brand that makes my favourite Organics Conditioner.

 

Keeping it in the family - brand wise:) The shampoo is okay a bit too thick and creamy for my liking but it does a good job. Would I repurchase it? Yes I would.

This was my first official wash day of the year. I had planned to pre poo with an oil mix but somehow did not get round to doing that, so I just ended up directly shampooing twice instead. It was a quick in shower wash I had no time to deep condition but let the regular conditioner sit on my hair for about three minutes give or take before rinsing. I slightly detangled with conditioner in shower using a wide toothed comb and then rinsed out the conditioner. I t-shirt dried turban style as usual for about an hour then applied my leave in conditioner and left the oils for the next morning. I did one big jumbo braid and that was it for the night. The next morning I oiled my scalp with my castor/amla oil mix, applied some more leave in conditioner which I tend to use as a moisturizer these days and then sealed with a little coconut oil and then tied my hair into a bun.

Random question who do you ladies prefer male or female hairdressers and why? I have no preference to be honest since I have had the best and worst of both; as long as they do a good job on my hair I am good.

Happy New Hair Year!!!

Happy new year everyone!!! I hope you all had a wonderful festive season and ready for what 2016 has in store. One of the things I am hoping to do this year as regards my hair journey is to buy only what I need at the time when it comes to products aka be frugal a product minimalist. I am no product junkie but in the past I have found myself buying more products thanks to a review or an advert when I have three bottles of the same product from other brands sitting at home unused. So hopefully I will keep to buying just what I need at the time and not what is “hot” at the moment. I think two different brands of each item with the exception of natural oils are perfectly okay for me at a time; two different shampoos, two different conditioners and so on and so forth. I also hope to protective style more this year; I have worn my hair out since sometime in September last year and that is a pretty long time in my books.

I managed to squeeze in a salon wash and steam courtesy of my cousin over the Christmas break and my hair was grateful for it; lord knows I cannot recall the last time I had my hair professionally steamed or massaged for that matter – salon head massages are simply the best. I also hope to attend more hair related events online and physically where and whenever I can. Well that’s it for now in terms of my hair journey for 2016 we shall add and subtract hair related stuff as we go along. Here’s to a wonderful year!!! I wish you peace, God’s grace and favour in the coming months. Stay blessed xoxo.