Hair Care 101

What did I want to talk about today people, HAIR! Even more importantly, the poor condition of BLACK HAIR!

It is a known fact that a big part of a woman’s “sexy” has a lot to do with her hair.  So women are notorious for spending a lot of time at the hair salon, or house calls at the person who does your hair, fussing around with it.  A lot of us do the old, “do it yourself” jobbie on ourselves even, after all it seems so simple for what the hairdresser’s charges to do it, so why not?  The result of this is that our hair is put through wrong techniques, and suffers from severe damage, in some cases permanent hair loss.  

One of my biggest pet peeves is that our young ones’ hair is also put through the same poor hair maintenance, with most girls having their hair chemically processed all in the name of softening it. They not only have  their hair retouched, but also constantly put through the regime of  braiding, and in some cases weaves; before they even start talking properly.  By the time they are old enough to decide what they want to do with their own hair, they have NONE!   

Many find that due to the mismanagement of their hair, with the application of harsh chemicals such as hair relaxers & texturisers, that they have unhealthy, discoloured hair that is weakened due to these excessive and destructive treatments.   

This was certainly done to most of us, and what we “responsible adults “then do is to repeat the cycle with our young ones.  I encourage you to please STOP! 

I have heard, and familiar with all the arguments for poor management of our hair, from tough, spongy, stringy, to difficult hair.   I do not profess to have all the answers, neither am I claiming that I too have not done the same, however I have learned and endeavour to correct the errors of my way, and hope you can learn from my experiences. 

Good hair care starts with good nutrition. The state of your hair has a direct link to what you eat & drink and and how you treat it.  

·           Ditch the alcohol, fizzy and sugar laden drinks for good old water.  Water is a good source of hydration and plays a key role in healthy looking hair.  Dehydrated hair does not grow well. 

-      Have a good overall balanced diet rich in vitamins, especially A, B12, C, E, Zinc, Omega 3, iron, & minerals.  These sorts of nutrients are brilliant with maintaining the condition of our scalp, prevents dryness, and provides natural oils to encourage growth and replenishment. 

 
·         Foods rich in proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains are all great sources of the nutrients above.  I am a Fish lover.  I love simple to make fish such as salmon and mackerel.  Simply steam with vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, & carrots.
 
·         Greens vegetables are a good natural source of Iron, calcium, Vitamin A & C.  This supports your hair follicles, and acts as natural defence against the elements.
 
·         Beans, nuts, such as Brazilian nut are one of the best sources of selenium, an important mineral for the health of your scalp.  Beans contain proteins, which help prevents excessive hair breakage.
 
·         Trim the hair often (every 4weeks)
 
·         Stay away from heat
 
·         Stay away from chemicals
 
·         Use natural hair oils as opposed to creams or petroleum based creams.  Oils such as Almond or olive. 

      I am in no doubt claiming that if your hair is thin that you will grow thick hair overnight if you follow the advice above, however you will notice the condition of your hair is much improved.                                        


      Do let me know how you get on. Comments always welcome   J

Uche xoxo

Accessorizing your Hair

Hair accessories work whether dressing up or down.  Its  a statement piece every woman can Rock. The tip is to accessorize within reason, there is no need to be just like everyone.   Find unique pieces that are interchangeable with the range of the outfits in your ward-robe. 

You can dare to be creative.... that gold or silver chain belt or scarf could work as a head-dress. Find whimsical hair pieces that give the audience an incline into your personality.  It should not necessarily be something that is branded, but it needs to have “Character” 

Haberdasheries,  are also a great place to go to create your own head pieces, that no one will definitely have.   I tend to find the most interesting pieces that I have worn in the oddest of places. Charity stores carry really quirky items that can be used, or modified to work as a hair gear.  

playful, whimsical 

Chic, Regal

Do not be a  follower. Just because everyone and their grandma is wearing the flower on the top of their head, does not mean you necessarily need to do the same.  

Head accessories draw attention to your hair if you are having a "good hair day" and, are also brilliant with when you are having a bad hair day.. hide a multitude of sins, as they detract. 

Funky 

Hippy /Boho Style 

 The trick with winning with your headpiece, is the non-pretentious placement on the hair.

Rock Chic, Edgy

Sweet & Simple

U xoxo

Treat Yourself!

One Hour Swedish Massage for £20 at Vanessa Blake Spa (67% Off)

http://t.co/6IONJ2vz

Secrets to Inner Beauty

Did you know that what is going on on the inside is more important that what’s on the outside?

Beauty actually exudes from the inside out.  So enough for now about outer beauty and all the makeup and as sundries that you need to make you GORGEOUS. I wanted to share my thoughts on what you need to have going on on the inside, to help the outside GLOW!

-Positive thinking

-Love

-Confidence

-Appreciate Life and all the adventures it presents

-Indulge in the simple pleasures

We are not meant to be perfect! There is so much focus in the media with images thrust at us, of what we need to look like or weight.  Key to inner beauty is Accept you, and all of your flaws, that what makes you; Unique You!  Remember the Michael Jackson song, last sung at his funeral by his brother, Jermaine. “Smile” even though your heart may be breaking.    

Do the things that give YOU true pleasure. The problem, in my opinion is that there appears to be a link with pleasure and the ownership of stuff. There is a real problem in today’s society with the focus on outside pleasures primarily derived from “others” commending us, boosting our ego. Pleasure is about your ownership of your inner confidence.

My own personal journey with my search for inner beauty continues.  I can say that I am quite comfortable in my own head and do not rely on external stimulants . I am renowned for my ME times.  I often take a step back to have a moment away from all my commitments.

These times, I use to essentially gather my thoughts, enhance my understanding of a particular area of interest, and find my balance. I particularly love going to the Spa, shopping with headphones on blasting my music at the highest volume you could imagine; days out with my friends, or curled up on my couch looking out the window reflecting! 

I absolutely believe this helps me exude the peace and inner beauty that despite whatever my personal challenges, appears not to be visible to the outside world.

So my tip this week is, find the time to treat yourself .  It is vital that you do this as often as possible.  We all know the saying “Life’s’ short”, "Beauty is only skin deep "and all that! Ask yourself which is more important, your outer or inner beauty?.  LIVE WELL!

 U xoxo

Secrets to maintaining good skin

A few do’s and don’ts to maintaining good, healthy skin. Granted not everyone has “good skin”, however there are a few key things to help it along!

-Do not consume drinks full of carbonated water/caffeine, these dry out your skin.

-Do not expose the skin to too much sun. It is not widely known that even black skin needs sun protection, so during the summer, use creams that have a hint of sun protection in them.

-Do not go to bed with makeup, not matter how tired you are.

-Do not wear foundation makeup daily, these clogs up the pores, and cause breakouts.

-Do not over scrub the skin when washing, glide around the eyes.

-Do have a good balance diet.  Eat foods rich in vitamin c, and oils, such as oranges, avocado, almonds and pecans.  These are full of natural nutrients that go along way in helping to maintain a glowing skin.

-Do drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.

-Do wash your face with a daily scrub that is not harsh – I have found Neutrogena daily scrub to help fend off the spots and cleans my face, not drying it too much.

-Do cleanse your skin with a good cleanser to suit your skin type, dry /oily/combination skin. I use Neutrogena face cleanser.

-Do moisturise your face daily. Most people have either a combination to oily skin.  I use Oil of Olay as my day moisturiser, and for night, combine, olive, almond, and cocoa butter oils. The most expensive product does not necessarily mean that it works, even shop brands are relatively ok.

-Do steam your face at least once a fortnight.

For blemishes, use products such as Bio oil, to get rid of, instead of harsh bleaching products which will cause more damage than good.

U xoxo

Party look

Attention Ladies...Red is a Friend!

'Cheers to the Freakin week-end!'

This is one of my clients. I styled her for the night out. I always start with a brief chat with the client to establish what their expectations are. I obviously need to know where they are going. We also 
covered skin care advice. Following the brief, this gives me ideas of what to work towards. Her skin tone begs for warm tones, so we kept it simple with less is more. You can see shades of browns, purple and rashberry undertones. Light pinkish glossed lips, locks styled with a simple pinning back of sides, and the results is EFFORTLESS ELEGANCE!... don't you think ?

Cheers! Oh its Ginger Ale Peeps.

Oh by the way, that's me sharing an inside joke with her!

Get the Edge

Every woman can Rock Leather! Trust me,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

One of the must have's in your collection of shoes is a RED SHOE! Ladies, this is a KEY to accentuating any outfit. It also says I'm FIERCE!!!

U xoxo