Matlhodi

Soweto Fashion Week: Darling Hair Show

 Fashion & Beauty, Hair care & Products, Natural hair  No Responses »
Dec 062013
 

Last week we got an invite to Soweto Fashion Week‘s  Darling hair show. Due to my day job and Nangamso’s family commitments, I could only attend Friday night’s show. I took my usual ever-ready friend Masindi as my partner in crime for the night.

Most of us are familiar with the Darling hair extension brand, unless you’ve never worn braids in the past. Although it was a hair show, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the clothes as well…typical.

I got to chat to Darling’s marketing Director, Debbie and the brand’s new (official) hairstylist, Emelang (didn’t get her surname, sorry) who just signed up with the Darling team.

The night started out quiet but picked up as it progresses…wa re tseba bodarkie mos. Soweto TV and other publications were present. EVERYONE in attendance looked PROPER.

As per Debbie, the Darling brand will be soaring in the new year. They have massive plans to grow the brand and among those is opening a hair centre (college) somewhere in Johannesburg.

I also had a long chat about haircare with the brand’s hairstylists, Emi. She sounded very knowledgeable about natural hair so I wont go into detail on the contents of that interview as most of the stuff she said you (our dear reader) already know. *shrugs*. There were some things she said that I disagreed with eg suggesting texturizing for tight coily hair. But overall, she sounds like someone I’d go to when Ntombi’s not available.

A few photos from the event (Many thanks to photographer, Eunice Driver for sharing these with us)

Models backstage

Masindi and I

 

The Kinks Hair Meet

 Natural hair  No Responses »
Nov 192013
 

Last Sunday I attended a brunch hosted by The Kinks founders, Nomfundo and Zama at Kwa-Muzi lodge in Kyalami, JHB. This was a combination of a hair meet and a launch. We were treated to champagne and of course brunch.

So these ladies have taken it upon themselves to import all these “amazing” products we’ve been reading/hearing about on American blogs & on YouTube to sell them locally. Among others are ranges like Curls, Miss Jessie’s, Shea Moisture and Hairveda.

I started at church (yes, I still would have even if it was Nelson Mandela that called for a meeting) and as a result I was an hour late.

What I saw as I was pulling off was so heartwarming, given the history of hair meets in South Africa. It looked to me that we were getting somewhere as naturals in SA….love progress.

It was an outside setting so this gave us a pretty lekke outdoor view, until it started raining and we had to move inside.

I was so EXCITED to finally get to meet Good Hair Diaries’ Kavuli Binase in person!! What a pleasant surprise…really made my day I’ll say. The funny thing was that it was as if we’d known each other for years…so cool.

The other ladies there were such a wonderful bunch to chill with… coz that’s how naturals…kinda..roll.

Kavuli and I were the only hair bloggers and speakers of the event as well. She pretty much covered everything and anything hair related. That chick knows hair…like…*sigh*.

And then the floor was opened for questions, which she answered effortlessly. I then followed with my natural hair journey, challenges and all.

Nomfudo then started her presentation on they hair care products they’ll be selling. Some of them will be a bit heavy on the pocket but hey…anything for good hair right…

Overall, it was a really nice event. It’s always nice meeting new people, particularly naturals in Jo’burg. The Kinks ladies did an outstanding job. Food & drinks were on point. The event overlapped; you know how it is when female creatures get together.

To learn more about The Kinks, do visit their site

 

My New PHS / Weave 3

 Hair care & Products, Natural hair, Photo Album  1 Response »
Sep 102013
 

Yes, that’s the new shortened term for protective hairstyle…please don’t ask where I got it from. I think I found a more curlier look that…suits me. I got really concerned when I took out those previous weaves and everyone at work made the “But you looked prettier with your hair short!” comment… nyeeeggh. By short they meant that cropped length…uhhh *said in my best Gareth Cliff disgusted voice*. I don’t want to “look gorgeous” with hair that is far off from what my real one looks like.

Anyway, I’ve been loving Dineo Ranaka’s curly weaves lately and when I saw the one she’s currently wearing on her Twitter avatar, I loved everything about it (curls, length, colour). When I got to Ntombi (my hairdresser) she suggested we walk together to the shop next door to buy the weave. Little did I know I was going to be met by something I’ve been looking for since I decided to try out weaves for protective styling…a much tighter curly weave!! I was like “forget Eva (that’s what Dineo’s weave’s called by the way)…we’re taking Dora!!” Yes, it’s called Dora…how they come up with these names..*shrugs*.

 

We followed the usual wash (Tresemme Naturals Shampoo) and condition (ORS Hair Mayo) regime before weaving by the way. I also had a trim…my hair’s a few cms shorter but I’m happy with how it looks.

To those of you who aren’t on Twitter or may have missed Dineo’s curly look avi, here…

My Black Opal!!

 Fashion & Beauty  1 Response »
Aug 012013
 

This post is long overdue really. I drafted it a week after I made the purchase and check where we are now…

I had heard of Black Opal  from a friend a couple of times as she always sang praises of it (how amazing it looks on ethnic skin and most importantly, to cheapskates like myself how kind its price is towards one’s pockets)

So I waited for my Black Up liquid foundation to run out before setting off to find the closest Black Opal store. So after hopping in and out of a few Edgars Red Square departments, I finally found one at the Menlyn branch!!

The ladies there we super friendly and helped me with choosing something that suited both my skin and fast-paced lifestyle. All I did was explain my skin type (oily) and that I didn’t want a liquid foundations anymore (for daily use) as I don’t have enough time to apply both liquid and p0wder followed by the whole shibang (pencils, mascara, eyeshadows, lips etc). So she went to the tester drawer and came back with the Black Opal Perfecting Powder Makeup in Nutmeg.

Why I loved it enough to give Black Opal this free advertising

  • No spillage, this means I can drive while applying it (at the traffic stops of course ) without worrying that it could mess my clothes by accidentally spilling.
  • Compact mirror – I don’t need another mirror while applying it
  • Full coverage
  • Not ashy – blends in perfectly with my skin tone
  • VERY affordable – R145, 95
  • Goes a long way – I bought this little baby back in March and it looks like I’ll only be refilling sometime in August (that makes 5 months)
  • Matte finish - every oily-skinned person will understand why this is important.
  • It’s two-in-one so no more two-step (liquid & powder)

Check the coverage (and kindly ignore my styling-in-progress hair.lol)

 

Weave #2!!

 Hair care & Products, Natural hair  No Responses »
Jul 232013
 

So after my first weave I waited for a month before taking it off and boy did that month feel like a year. But I’ll say this… I really enjoyed the look and how less demanding the style was.

Caring for my weave

So what I did basically was spritz some aloe vera juice+water mixture onto the hair and scalp underneath followed by massaging Nubian Nature Hair Elixir (sometimes with only Castor oil) once a week.

For my hairline, the oil massages were more or less daily. Not quite sure if I’ve been seeing things but it looks like our beloved hairline is gradually making a comeback. So yay for me! Even Ntombi noticed when we took out the weave and for that reason I decided to phinda futhi and go for another one.

In-between treatment

So after we took out the weave, we used the Argan Oil shampoo I had bought from an Avon distributor at work ages ago. This time around I didn’t want to take chances by playing someone’s guinea pig so I took both the Organics Hair Mayonnaise (for a protein boost) together with a sachet of Organics Replenishing conditioner (for moisture). We mixed the two in a tub, applied them after shampooing and I sat under a helmet drier for the mixture to work its magic.

After rinsing it off with lukewarm-to-cold water, I asked Ntombi to use the Nubian Nature Elixir together with the ORS Carrot Oil as heat protectants and I loved they way they left my hair super soft afterwards.

And then the weaving began! I went for a similar style as the first one but this time around I went for a lighter (more brownish) colour. She used Femi Hair #4

 

I plan on keeping this on for a month also (if it weren’t for the itchiness I’d probably extend this by a few more weeks). Hopefully by then the weather would have warmed up a bit…but then again one needs to be cautious of the windy season that is spring. That can strip moisture off your hair too. Already thinking up my next protective style.

How’s your crown holding up this winter?

#TlhodiGetsAWeave!

 Fresh Dos, Hair care & Products, Natural hair  12 Responses »
Jun 122013
 

Yes I got a weave, my first ever sew-in  in the history of weaves! At the beginning of this year, one of my resolutions was to try out a weave for protective styling once the cold season starts kicking in. As you guys know I’ve been experiencing issues with receding hairline this past year and that was actually one of the reasons I procrastinated.

Another reason was straight up the thought of myself wearing straight hair – I mean the main reason I went natural had nothing to do with chemicals; I just happened to believe I looked prettier natural (long, short, locs…whatever) than I did with straight hair. So after much consideration and a few discussions with my husband (who happens to be more anti-weave than he is anti-chemical…strange), I took the plunge and went for it.

The aim is to get to a certain length by December before I BC in the new year and I know I won’t get there with my hair constantly out. I started looking for a hairstyle that would be more me and finally I decided to go with what used to be my high school signature look (with my real hair back then); a look I’d be familiar with and this is what I finally decided on:

Oh the way Ntombi (my hairdresser) laughed when I walked in asking for a weave. It took her a good 10min+ to actually realize I was being serious.lol

The process

  • So what we did was the usual wash routine. I also tried out some conditioner a friend made & asked me to be her guinea pig (she wants to go into the hair product business).
  • We then applied the Nubian Nature hair Elixir (mixture of all sorts of natural oils) to the damp hair as a heat protectant. Please note this was a tester; their range goes on sale end of June.
  • This was followed by low-heat blowdrying.
  • She then used the same Hair Elixir oils to base my scalp.
  • Then the weaving began and I know most of you will relate to the famous “ungangiqinisi please (please don’t pull my hair too tight)” line that comes before they get into it.
  • I also used this tip I got from True Love magazine’s beauty editor, Thami Kwazi. What she does is ask the stylist to leave out the hair on the hairline in an attempt to prevent…well…you know what. *wink*

 Why I went for the cropped look?

  1. It’s not long. It’s become clear to me that I don’t like long straight hair for myself. Although it looks stunning on other people, it just doesn’t suit me.
  2. I’m more familiar with this look on me.
  3.  The best part – it covers my receded hairline, which gives me time to nurse it (which by the way has been improving lately) back to health without trimming my edges.

People’s reactions:

  • Husband – It took a day or two for hubby to get used to it and finally bring himself to say “Maar it’s not bad shem. It actually suits you”
  • Colleagues – When I went back to work, everyone LOVED it. Although it worries me a bit that people would get this excited about hair that’s not even mine than they would with my natural hair.
  • Friends – Another friend said “Oh that’s a razor cut; I though you said you got a weave” Well, I thought any sewn in hair, long or short was classified as weave…I could be wrong. *shrugs*
  • Others – My hubby’s friend screeched “Maara why??!!” when he drove my car and saw shed bits of the weave in the car. If anyone is 100% anti-weave, it’s that guy. My husband just responded with a “Ba re ke protective styling mfwethu” hahahaha. Bless him

I must say it took some adjusting geting used to this “hat” on my hair. I promise you on day one I kept feeling like I have one of those beanies on Nangamso’s hat post on. Every few seconds I’d get this urge to take the “beanie” off. And then the next morning I decided to clean the bathroom mirror…never been that freaked out at the sight of my reflection.lol

Two reasons I may not go for this particular sew-in again:

1. Itchiness. Yoh…the way I pat my head frantically like a mad woman when no-one’s looking. #CantDeal

2. My daughter has already mentioned several times how she want’s “hair like mine” when she grows up. Now I have to work extra hard to convince her how gorgeous her hair is in it’s natural state. Also #CantDeal!!!

How are you protecting your glory this winter?

New kid on the block: Kaello Spa & Hair Salon

 Hair care & Products, Natural hair  No Responses »
May 072013
 

Last week I got invited to check out Sne Motene’s Kaello Hair salon &  Spa in Blaigowrie (Randburg, North of Johannesburg) and as you all know that’s part of the perks of being a blogger.

I took a friend along to avoid being biased since I sort of knew the owner.lol. We went for a full body aromatherapic massage. The story behind the choice is quite funny (we had initially chosen Swedish massage until they unpacked the difference between it  and the aromatherapic massage). Anyway, I took out my protective hairstyle with an intention to test their natural hairstyling skill but after my grumpy-black-hairstylist experience at the Sorbet Dry-bar opening, I decided otherwise. I did ask Sne though if they catered for natural hair to which she said yes; and the ORS products on display made me believe.

The massage was nice, I just happened to get what seemed to be a trainee therapist as I had to constantly ask her to apply more pressure – the other therapist who was working on my friend at some point even came over to my bed to give her a few pointers. But I could tell my friend was reallly enjoying hers as I didn’t hear even a single complaint or comment from her. Below are a few snippets of some parts of the place:

Their prices aren’t too steep either:

Would I visit them again? Mos def! I actually wanted to get a manicure but time wasn’t on my side. The place is very easy to find as it’s on Jan Smuts Avenue…by the corner (even better).

Oh…did I mention they’ve incorporated a bridal store just by the spa. It’s called Kaello Bridal and promises very chic bridal dresses and gowns (for sale & hire) at prices that won’t break your bank.

Breaking Down Black Hair Types

 Fashion & Beauty, Fresh Dos, Hair care & Products, Natural hair  No Responses »
Apr 192013
 

I was surfing the net recently and came across a feature an essence.com article, titled Decode Your Coils: A Simple Guide to Curly Hair Types by Nicole Marie Melton.

I’m sure there’s thousands of articles out there on hairtyping but what I loved about this one in particular is that Nicole focused specifically on black hairtyping, and left out all those obvious Caucasian type As and Bs; better yet, she advised on how to look after each type. So here goes (and this is just an extract from the article, you may follow the above link for a full one).

 

Type 3 Curls

Description: Type 3 hair has a curl pattern with clearly defined spiral curls when the hair is wet. The hair tends to be springy and achieves natural, springy ringlets with wash-and-go’s. The loose curls of type 3 hair can either be as wide as a jumbo marker to as thin as a pencil. Larger curl sizes are most frequently identified as type 3A and 3B, while smaller curls are called 3C.

Type 3 curls can range in hair thickness from coarse to fine. It’s important to determine whether your hair has wide, thick strands or fine, fragile strands. Most often, type 3 curls are fine, thus they should be handled with extreme care.

Styling & Products: If your curls are type 3, your hair responds well to curl-defining gels, mouses and creams. Your hair tends to have a natural slickness to it, and is easier to achieve styles that require sleek edges such as updos and topknots.

Maintenance: Shampooing type 3 hair with a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo is highly recommended. Your hair dries out very easily, so it’s important to use moisturizing conditioners after each wash. Since your curl is naturally looser, heavy creams and butters tend to weigh the hair down and make it feel greasy. Instead, opt for lighter moisturizers with a serum-like formula to help maintain hydrated hair and shine.

When wearing wash-and-go’s, type 3 curly girls may experience frizz. This can be avoided by “plopping” the hair after you wash. Plopping is using a T-shirt instead of a towel to dry the hair which reduces friction because of the finer T-shirt fabric. You can also use a diffuser to help dry your hair and add a bit of volume.

Finger detangling is another secret that type 3 curly girls swear by. Instead of using a wide-tooth comb to detangle your hair with conditioner, try using just your fingers. This practice has been said to reduce the amount of breakage that can occur when combing the hair with plastic combs.

 

Type 4

Description: Type 4 curls are kinky, coily and tight. The curls are not defined when the hair is wet, and when the hair dries, it has a lot of shrinkage and a thick, fluffy feel. The tight coils of type 4 hair can either have an “S” or a “Z” curl pattern. “S” curls are most frequently identified as type 4A whereas “Z” curls are called type 4B and 4C.

Maintenance & products: Type 4 hair has fewer cuticle layers than any other hair texture, thus it has less natural protection from damage caused by excessive heat styling, too-tight styles and dryness. The key to maintaining healthy type 4 hair is moisture, moisture, and more moisture! Type 4 hair has been known to “drink” up moisturizer and responds well to sealing in moisture with oils, such as coconut and jojoba, and shea butter.

Type 4 hair must be handled with extreme care since your individual hair strands are often thin and therefore delicate. When washing your hair, look for moisturizing, sulfate-free shampoos or products specifically designed as co-washes to cleanse the hair. Deep conditioners are a must for maintaining moisture and occasional protein treatments can help strengthen fine strands.

Products for type 4 hair should be highly moisturizing and provide “slip” to the hair, meaning they help the hair stay detangled. When handling your hair, be sure to do in sections. Since your hair is very dense, detangling and styling section-by-section with a wide-tooth comb will make your hair easier to manage.

Styling: Twist-outs, braid-outs and updos work well on type 4 hair since it is more pliable and tends to hold styles more readily than looser curl types. Many women with type 4 hair also enjoy wearing protective styles, which are styles that conceal the ends of the hair in order to prevent breakage and aid in length retention. Protective styles include mini-twists, pompadours and any low-manipulation style that keeps the hair moisturized and tucked away.

This is an essence.com article.

My Latest Protective Hairstyle

 Natural hair  5 Responses »
Apr 132013
 

So as I was paging through an info magazine at the Cape Town Jazz Festival I discovered a jazz artist called Pu2Ma, from the Eastern Cape (please don’t judge…I had never heard of her before); and guess what kept me glued to the full spread page of the below photo (the magazine had a black & white one)…

Yes that’s her. …and yes it was her hair I couldn’t keep my eyes off.

I had cornrows on when I saw the picture and made sure I stashed the mag in my luggage bag when we got back to the hotel so Ntombi (my hairdresser) & I can try something similar on my head when I got back in Jozi.

And here’s how mine came out!

The cornrows are all my own hair (no hairpiece added) and for the other part we used the “soft dreads” hairpiece. A lot of my friends were curious about the part where the extensions meet the cornrows since they’ve seen the length of my hair several times.

What we did was “plant in” (braid) the first line and then sew in the rest. My hair was showing but  twisted it and hid it between the curls. So you won’t tell unless you take a closer look. It didn’t come out exactly the same as that of Pu2Ma‘s but hey…

FroChic Goes To The Cape Town Jazz Festival

 Natural hair  3 Responses »
Apr 122013
 

This may be a li’l late but we just had to share. So last year Nangamso went to the Cape Town Jazz Festival for the first time and just by looking at her BBM statii and photos…plus the way she raved about the event when she returned, I knew I was NOT going to miss it this year. Imagine my excitement when I discovered this year’s festival’s cherry on top…ms Jill Scott! I mean Jilly from Philly is one of my alltime favorite RnB/Jazz/Poetry artist…nje.

Left to right: Myself & Nangamso

Although we had different itenaries and jetted off with our husbands separately, my wish to attend Jill’s show with Nangamso was granted and boy did we have a blast!

I only have one word to describe Jill Scott – FIERCE; and another to describe my feelings towards her – RESPECT.

She later tweeted:

Loved the Cape Town audience!!!!!! We need a better relationship. I want to see you more often.

@misssjillscott

Most definitely doing it again next year!!

Please share your experience if you’ve been to one of or this year’s the CPIJFs.

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