So.......

Hello ladies!

So I've been away for a while and I apologise! If i'm honest, I lost the passion for blogging and reading other blogs plus I have been spending a lot of time trying get my life together.

In that time, I found God. I come from a Christian background but I have never really felt any spiritual connection until now. I'm not here to preach per se, but I do want to let people in on some of the things I have learnt this past month and in the future, in the hopes that I will reach out at least one person.

I will change the direction of my blog slightly too. While I will still update you all on my natural hair journey, products and styles, I will also share other things that are of interest to me. I will right blogs about social issues, religious issues, financial issues, photoraphy, art, music, fashion; anything and everything basically.

I want to have a post up EVERY SUNDAY, I have quite a few blog ideas lined up so I hope you like them!

Anyway, Happy Sunday to you all and God Bless!

Miss Naturally Natural
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PS. I got a new camera! Yaaaaay *throws confetti* ! So look forward to some better quality pictures in the following posts!

Natural Hair Products In The U.K

SOURCE

Hello Ladies!!

Just a quick one! I know not all of the readers are from the UK but I thought it would be useful for UK ladies to know that Holland & Barrett stock up on organic hair care! I suppose it is the equivalent to 'Whole Foods' in the US. This is good news for me because I want to cut down on the products that I have to get shipped; I would rather be able to pop into a high street store and stock up instantly!

Today I was able to purchase organic extra virgin coconut oil and, to my surprise, I got the Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Shampoo. They do all sorts of organic, SLS free shampoos, conditioners, body lotion, body wash etc..

I may be the last to find out about the hair care section in Holland & Barrett, but hey, I'm sure it will help someone out there!


Miss Naturally Natural
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Protective Style #2 : Cornrow up-do

Hello!!

I'm Back with another Protective Style!

It is actually the first time I have cornrowed my hair for the public to see (usually I would cornrow my hair and keep it under a hat). But I was inspired by BlckHair4U's Video. Please check her video out, her style will be more inspiring than mine, as her style is actually neat! lol [click her name to go directly to her video]

What you will need:

• A parting tool (I used the end of my fine-tooth comb)
• Two mirrors (Optional - I was doing my hair myself, so I needed one mirror in front of me, and another mirror to check the back of my head.)
• Styling butter and moisturiser

How?

1. The day before I styled my hair, I prepared for hair for the style. I Co-Washed my hair with Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner. After that I put my leave in, sealed my hair with EVOO and put my hair into roughly 10 braids to stretch the hair.
2. The following day I took the braids out and lightly sprayed my hair with my Water and Glycerin Mix to make it easier to part the hair and manipulate it.
3. I split my hair into 7 sections as shown in the video. CLICK HERE to be directed to the video.
4. I used my hand held mirror to check my parting and proceeded to cornrow my hair without adding any extra product.
5. With the hair left at the top I Co-Washed it (I was testing out the New TRESemme Natural conditioner - look out for a review soon). I then used my Giovanni Direct Leave-In (CLICK HERE for a review) and sealed the hair with my avocado butter mix.
6. I then twisted a section of my hair (as if I was going to coil it) and then wrapped it around a small perm rod; I used about 10 in total
7. The following day I took down the coils and separated them.

After perm rods have been taken down and separated

Pros:

• No synthetic hair is used. For those of you that are allergic the sythetic hair, you should try this out.
• It did not take me very long. In total, I would say it took me about 2-3 hours. I was just lazy and I did it over the course of two days.
• It's some thing different, I personally never seen anyone with the hairstyle here in London; I have only ever seen this on the internet.
• Easier to to maintain you hair and keep it healthy. You can easily moisturised you hair with this because it is not locked up in hair extensions.
• You can easily change the look. With the hair left out on top you can do a twist out, braid out, bantu-knot out, you and cornrow it or even put them in mini twists. 

Cons:

• The problem with cornrow styles in natural hair is that after a while they can tend to look frizzy due to the nature of out hair. - the best way to combat this is to make sure you sleep with a satin bonnet or pillow case. You can also redo some to of the cornrows to keep them looking fresh.
• It is very difficult to do yourself if you are not so experienced. Good parting is keey to pulling of this look. I kinda failed with this although I do not think it looks THAT bad. 

Will I ever to this style again??

Of course! However I will just go to my hairdresser to get it done! I really would not mind paying £25 to have piece of mind that my hair looks neat at the back.


Miss Naturally Natural
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P.S Reviews coming soon:

• TRESemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner;
• Aubery Organincs Glycogen Protein Conditioner;
• Curls Hair Tea Conditioner; and
• Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturiser (Mango Scent)

Review: Giovanni Direct Leave-in Conditioner

SOURCE

So I finally got this delivered about two weeks ago and I really like it! I purchased this for £7.98 from British Curlies.  [Click on the 'SOURCE' underneath the picture to go directly to the website]

It claims to:

• Restore strength, lustre and nourishment to abused hair 
• Moisturises and builds body 
• Detangles for easy comb-out, easy styling 

Ingredients:

Purified Water, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Nettle Extract, Thyme Extract, Maricaria Extract, Clary Leaf Extract, Lavender Extract, Coltsfoot Flower Extract, Yarrow Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Cetyl Alcohol (plant derived), Vitamin E, Pro-Vitamin B5, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Grapefruit Seed, Natural Fragrance

My experience:Pros:

• A little goes a long way this should last me about 2- 3 months 
• It gives the hair a lot of slip; it's great for detangling 
• It mixes well with other products, such as butters and gels as opposed to the Cantu Shea Butter Repair cream that used to be my staple.
• It is an all natural product

Cons:

• I do not like the bottle it comes in. As i had mentioned earlier a little goes a long way and I have found too much product comes out at once.

Solving this problem was easy, I poured the product into the Hello Hydration Intense mask that I have just finished. Now I can get as little or as much product as I need. [as shown on the right]

The Verdict 

All in all, I am happy with this conditioner as it is organic and really moisturising. I do not think that this product has that much hold on my hair, so I am on the look out for a leave-in that can also double up as a styling cream (if that is even possible).

What are your experiences with Giovanni Leave-in Conditioner?

Miss Naturally Natural

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Glycerin = Moisture, Moisture + More Moisture!!

Hello ladies!!

This is my new love!! I wish I got on this earlier!!!

Read The Natural Haven for a break down on why Glycerin can be moisturising for your hair. Be sure to read the comments to the article too! JC answers some of the reader's questions which was very useful.

One thing that stops me from purchasing new products, its the fact that I may be come a 'Product Junkie', and I'm not about to spend money on these expensive hair products only for me to just use it once!

My Mixing Ratio's 

I have started off with one part Glycerin to three parts water in a spray bottle.
As advised on The Natural Haven, this should be your starting point, and you can add more water if that is what your hair requires.

Pros:

• It leaves my hair soft and moisturised!
• It's cheap
• It is water soluble as opposed to oils.
• I do not have to spray/moisturise my hair once a day. Only every 2-3 days. Or as needed.
• I think it's a great braid spray to keep my hair moisturised under the synthetic hair.
• Easy to wash out; it does not stick to the hair 

Cons:

• Another reason why I will not spray may hair so often other than the fact that a little goes a long way (as far as my hair is concerned), is that I feel that too much will leave a film on my hair which actually dry out my hair in the end. - BUT the build up can be easily washed off.
• Many say that glycerine dries out their hair during the winter season because of the lack of moisture in the air. Oyin of Oyin Handmade products, suggest steaming the hair. Read this article about Glycerin and Winter hair care.
• Similarly, because Glycerin is a humectant (a substance that draws in moisture), your hair style may frizz up considerably in humid conditions.

Personally, the Pros outweigh the Cons.

By the way, if you live in the UK, you can find this in Boots near the cough medicine section.

Have you ever tried or considered using the Glycerin/water mix??? Let us know =)

Miss Naturally Natural 

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