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

 

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)

 

We’re in The Winter Edition Of Glamour Hair Magazine!

 Fashion & Beauty, Hair care & Products, Natural hair  9 Responses »
May 082013
 

Woop! Woop!

We are sooo excited to be featured in the Winter issue of Glamour Hair magazine! We’ve known about the feature for a while now but we’ve been waiting (patiently) for about 2 months to see the final product. And now it’s finally on the shelves and we absolutely love it!

It was also great to be featured side-by-side with Aisha (aka Cosmogirl) of MyFroAndI. It was great to finally meet her in person at the photoshoot. She is such a beautiful lady with a great personality We had so much fun and of course chatted about all things hair.

We received 5-star treatment; the set was very professional looking and the glamour team (stylist & make up artist & photographer) were an absolute pleasure to work with. It was all lots of fun! Our photographer was great; he made sure that we felt comfortable and that we gave our best poses . 

Here are a few behind the scenes of what went down:

Face time: Nangamso (right) & Aisha (left)

Matlhodi getting dolled up (never mind the peeping bra)

The photographer showing us how it’s done.lol

Aisha doing her thing

 

Matlhodi looking photo ready.

Putting on the finishing touches

Here is the final look in magazine

The final look! Find us on pages 62 to 65.

 

A closer look

Shout out to Glamour Hair magazine, Michelle Brownlee-Smith and her team for giving us this awesome opportunity!

Can’t Wait To Rock My Beanie!

 Fashion & Beauty, Natural hair  2 Responses »
Apr 252013
 

Winter is knocking on our door (and a very loud knock at that!). I think we’ve all been feeling the winter chill lately and it’s time again to bring out that winter gear from last year.

I’m not a huge fan of winter because of the icy cold weather but I must say I am fan of winter gear — specifically boots, knitted jerseys and BEANIES Since going natural I love rocking my beanies in the winter time. My mustard beanie from Foschini is my fave! It not only keeps me warm but I can also look stylish while at it

This post is just to show you all the different and lovely looks that one can achieve with a beanie. Here are a couple of pictures to get you excited about wearing your hair out with a beanie this winter!

 

 

I L.O.V.E this look!

 

For all you ladies who are not so keen on the whole beanie look; you can try wearing a head wrap to keep your hair under wraps AND still look pretty cute while at it

Which look is your favourite? Do you like rocking beanies in the winter time or are you a more of a headscarf-kind-of-girl?

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.

Mothers’ Day Photos

 Fashion & Beauty, Natural hair, Photo Album  No Responses »
Apr 182013
 

“I still don’t know how she did it. She always protected us—she would never let us know when we had problems, even financially. I still got to go and get a perm every four weeks.” – Rihanna, singer

“Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.” – Stevie Wonder, singer

“I am grateful every day, and they remind you every day of what matters in life. You just feel so fortunate that you are lucky enough to be somebody’s mother and share that love. I love moms.” – Angelina Jolie, actress

Mothers’ day is around the corner and we thought why not celebrate it by sharing mother-and-child pictures with you our dear readers; so please go crazy by sending us your favourite mother-and-child photos.  Please note this is one of those let-your-hair-down, non-hair-related features.

It could be pictures:

1. Of you and your mom (or any mother figure – aunt, gran, mentor etc).
2. Of you and your child – son(s) or daughter (s).
3. Your favorite celebrity mom & child.
4. A cool pic you may have found online (like the above).

Along with your picture, please send a few lines on why it’s your favourite photo and perhaps the story behind it.

Note the following:

  • This is not a competition
  • This is not a “natural hair” feature; we’re only celebrating important people in our lives.

Kindly send your snaps to [email protected] and we’ll post them as they come in.

True Love Magazine Beauty Editor: Thami Kwazi (Part ll)

 Exclusive Celebrity Interviews, Fashion & Beauty, Natural hair  2 Responses »
Apr 032013
 

Thami on hair care and products.

 

Please dish out on some hair tips that contribute towards healthy natural hair that grows.

My first tip is – Leave your hairline alone.

Deep condition, don’t be scared to spend time or money on your SCALP. That’s where the change begins. When you first go natural, work with whatever texture you discover. If someone is plaiting your hair and it hurts, take it out. You’re breaking your hair and doing damage to your roots. Stop looking for the cheapest stylist and look for the one who gives you advise. Don’t expect your hair to grow overnight. It takes time. Embrace your face; by that I mean as you transition, you may not like the way you look; no-one ever admits that. But you’re changing; it’s also you so enjoy that.

What are your staple hair and beauty products?

I use Dr Miracle products – the whole range. And now I’m enjoying Mizani Curl Care and Growganics. I condition weekly with the Growganics Wild ‘n Grow. I started using Mane and Tail shampoo and conditioner after reading reviews and watching YouTube videos and I’m loving it.

What are your favourite hairstyles when you wear your hair out?

I love cornrows. They may seem boring but my stylist and I always come up with ways to make them funky. Currently I have them with twists in the front, just to add some edge. Plus it’s a get-up-and-go hairstyle. Otherwise, I’ll put the Mizani Curl Crème on my hair as it creates its own spirals; put on a hairband and I’m done.

Your favourite protective hairstyles?

Most definitely cornrows…and a full cap weave that covers everything. It covers my hair and I always see the best growth when I take it out. I like braids now and again, but I’ve found they can sometimes do more harm than good. So I avoid micro braids, the parts of my hair that were uneven always happened after taking braids out.

How do you keep your hairline intact when you wear braids and weaves?

When I have braids on, I make sure they are mid-size to big box braids. I don’t tie them up, so that don’t cause tension to the front of my hair and the longest I keep them in is 6 weeks so the hair doesn’t mat and tangle or lock at the ends. If I tie them, it’s usually to clip them back, with a hairpin. But I’m not a fan of thick box braids in a bun. They tend to be heavy on the head. Also when I do a full cap weave, I usually have bangs, so she leaves a line of hair out in the front- she doesn’t actually plait the hairline , and so I can condition it daily. I’ve only ever done cornrows with hair extensions (straight-back) once. And she started the extensions halfway through plaiting my own hair-so that it doesn’t pull my hairline. But I’m not sure if I’ll be doing that again. I prefer cornrows without editions, no pain. I also am not a believer that beauty is pain when it comes to hair. If it pulls or is uncomfortable, I take it out.

Please share some make-up trends and tips for 2013.

You’ll have to buy True Love magazine for that, haaa haaa. We always have new stuff on the pages. But I can say that for hair the high-top fade is back though.

What advice would you give new naturals still rocking their TWAs and are at that point where they don’t know how to handle their hair.

Learn to love your hair, get used to your face, buy hair magazine and look at natural hair websites and natural hair blogs on the internet. Do as much research as you can and speak to other people and hairstylist with natural hair. We can learn so much from each other and we can teach each other to many techniques. Be patient with you hair; it will grow, as long as you take care of it.

Will you be locking your hair in the future?

No, I won’t. My challenge to myself is to see how far I can take it natural, without locks.

Both my older sisters have locks. But right now at this point it’s not something I want to do. Maybe one day I will, but no time soon.

Follow Thami on Twitter: @tkwazi

Check out Part I of this interview here if you missed it.

A Few Ideas For You Corporate & Business Girls!

 Fashion & Beauty, Natural hair  No Responses »
Mar 202013
 

Here’s a few outfits I found online, liked and thought I should share with you guys. Very chic I’ll say:

Leather, leather, leather, isn’t funny in a stylish girl’s world!! Like who would’ve though…leather pants, white shirt…in one sentence…very nice.

LOVE the colour combo…and the accessories *off to the shops*!

Event review: Shop & Mingle Fashion Extravaganza

 Fashion & Beauty, Natural hair  7 Responses »
Dec 072012
 

About two weeks back we received an invite from P&H Boutique  to a “Shop & Mingle” event which was to be held at La Passant in Sandton on 5 December (the event was a joint venture between P&H Boutique and Ruutos Hair)… We were quite intrigued to check it out and see what it’s all about – its not everyday that one can just do some shopping and mingling

Unfortunately Nipha, our resident Fashion Contributer, couldn’t make it to the event as she is based in KZN and Matlhodi also had other commitments, so I took my sister, Zama, along. She loves fashion so I knew she would be game.

The event was held in a nice intimate venue at La Passant restaurant. The chairs and tables were all taken out so there was enough space for P&H boutique and the other small businesses there to display their merchandise. The floor had a number of clothing rails with clothes on but there was enough space for people to walk around, check out the clothes on display and just mingle (there was a downstairs and an upstairs area). I really liked the vibe in the room, very chilled, and it was nice to see everyone dressed so fashionably. Well, the dress code was “High Fashion”, after all.

 

 

 The entrance to the venue. There was a red carpet as you walked into the venue. Very smart.

 As you can see  there was enough room for everyone to walk around and look at clothes as well. It got busier as the night went on; by  7:00pm the place was pretty full.  There was also a cash bar where people could buy cocktails. 

 

We all received hampers when we arrived. The hamper consisted of one or two magazines of either Grazia, Destiny and Destiny Man; as well as a 50% discount voucher for a shoot at Joe Strydom Photography. I must say the hamper was disappointing (I was expect just a tad bit more goodies) but I guess it’s to be expected since entrance was free if you RSVP’ed.

 

They had a few men’s clothes on display; so the event was not only catered for ladies. I also saw quite a number of guys in the crowd.

 

 Mangwanani African Spa was also on hand to give “express” massages. I thought this was a great idea. It was at a cost though. lol.

 

And of course I spotted a few naturals in the crowd (had to take their pics!) and these ladies were kind enough to allow me to take a few pics of them

Mbali from Hunadi. She was such a lovely and bubbly lady. Here she is standing next to some of the clothes she makes. I loved her designs!

 

 Serake. She and her gorgeous full afro just stood out for me from the crowd. Lovely hair!

Xoli from Epitome. Love the bald look! She and her business partner, Sannah, run a style makeover company. They offer advice on how to dress for your body type and which colours work best on you, etc. Quite informative I must say.

And I met Wisaal!! I was excited to meet her as I’m fan of her blog Wiscellaneous (check it out, you will love it!). We were actually coincidentally standing next to each other while waiting to get into the venue and I recognised her face from the blog. Such a beautiful lady.

My sister, Zama, and I

I think the event was organised nicely and we had fun. Vimbai, former Big Brother housemate, was the MC and we saw a glimpse of her but we didn’t see her addressing the crowd unless maybe she did that before we arrived or after we left. We didn’t stay too long, we were there for about 2 hours or so.

I must say the price tag on most of the items on sale was quite steep for us; but a lot of the clothes, accessories and bags were hugely discounted (but not enough that we could afford to buy something lol). What we enjoyed the most was just meeting new people and just mingling

IT IS THE “BRRRRR” SEASON!

 Fashion & Beauty, Natural hair  No Responses »
Jun 262012
 

So I just realized that most of you guys have been hit by the winter season a while ago already, which is not the case on my side of the world where its been relatively warm until just a few days ago, thanks to this global warming person.

And talking about winter… Winter and I have what I like to call a “love-hate relationship” because it not only gives me a few extra kilos, but I also enjoy the warm lovely food that one gets to tuck in. Is it just me or does anyone else think that winter clothes are ridiculously expensive considering that you only need them for like 3 months?!

Anyhu, it is cold and it is going to get colder until we hit spring time, so until then we need to keep our gorgeous selves warm and we need to look fab while we at it. A lot of people have that “as long as I am warm” attitude during winter, if I see any of you guys looking like that I will just scream.

So, here are a few winter must haves…

I will start with my firm favourite this winter, all because I managed to find myself a pair that zips all the way up to the end. It is…wait for it… The Riding Boots. For the past three years I’ve been trying to find the perfect pair. You get them in genuine leather; they are nice and comfy, and will last you a lifetime.

Another item that’s been keeping us warm for a couple of years now and I must say, they still look gorgeous… The beloved Trench Coat. Long or short they just do a really great job in keeping the chills away and the best part about them is that you can dress them up or down.

 

HEAD FOR THE CAPE

Behold, I think this is the seasons most glam item: the Cape. This 60s inspired baby really works well when layering different items or textures underneath because it gives you that space and allowance. I personally like the cropped version with a bit military detailing.

 

THE SCARF
And what is winter without our beloved scarves. If you are like me and love scarves, and even wear them in summer, you’ll be glad that you can rock your scarf the whole day without breaking in a sweat. They also come in different fabrics too.  You can choose between a scarf or a snood (those scarves with no beginning or end).

THE GOOD OLD JERSEY

Yes, these little knitted babies are back with a bang and they are getting chunkier and chunkier with beautiful graphics and designs too. They also look good dressed down in jeans.

 

MAKING A STATEMENT

If you like to be bold and be noticed, this one is for you. The fur coats are for you. They are very glam and elegant. They work well with jeans and killer stilettos or glam it up with formal dresses, for a formal evening out.

THE CASUAL/SPORTY CHICS

There is nothing I love more than dressing down in sweats and sneakers or flat pumps. Another item that is making a big hit are baseball sweaters.

 

OTHER ITEMS TO KEEP US WARM

The opague tights, they come in beautiful colours to add life to any outfit. They work well with anything short or long and even jeans. They actually add life to any outfit.

So ladies, keep your beautiful selves gorgeous and drink loads of warm water.

XOXO

Nipha.

 Posted by at 6:11 pm
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