Braid Care Basics

I am not my hair*

*but it is a huge part of who I am. 

I have never felt more low in self esteem than I had the past month or so. I’ve felt so crap. And I know it’s got to do with change. Change isn't easy. Especially for a person like me. I get the same coffee order, get the same time train to work, get into bed and sleep on a specific pillow. I'm not obsessive and do embrace some spontaneity, I just, you know, like consistency. And I think this is something that spawns from laziness in all honesty because routine is easy, it's tried and tested and proven to work. So why stray? Why create disruption when it's not necessary? This is me all over. So when I stopped relaxing my hair a year ago it was a departure from my easy hair routine - wake up, brush hair and if it doesn't look presentable stick a hat on - and I was knowingly disrupting my order. But working in beauty journalism I had so much knowledge on the subject of hair products that I knew in the long run I wouldn't want to keep relaxing my hair - so by continuing to I was just putting off the inevitable, right? So I just stopped, I didn't make much over it and I wasn't planning a hair journey and big chop, I wasn't waxing lyrical about giving up the "creamy crack" I just carried on with my normal hair routine without the relaxing part. Or at least I tried to. I'd continue to straighten it after washing and treat my new texture as the "regrowth" that I used to see as the sign it was time to return to the Hairdressers. Even though I embraced the change the change didn’t embrace me. My hair was in disgusting condition, it was breaking off in excess, shedding - when I’d brush it, it was like grooming a malting cat. I was so ashamed about it I refused to go to the hairdressers as I was embarrassed by it’s condition, I was stuck in a loop. 

Cutting my hair has never been something that I’ve been into - when I was relaxing my hair I got a trim every time I got a touch up (oh look, more routine) but without the need to visit the salon I just stopped. But it was holding me back - big time. It was stunting my style, I was paralysed by the idea of styling my TWA/straggly ends so I’d just pop it in two space buns. and the next day, and the next day. And before I knew it a cute, quirky style became my new routine. It was the only thing I got down that mimicked the ease of relaxed hair. You know in Mean Girls when Regina George is like ‘sweatpants is all that fits me right now’? That was me, but replace sweatpants with space buns. And because I hated the way that my hair looked and didn’t want to go backwards (relaxing) or forwards (big chop) I was in self-inflicted limbo. It pushed every other part of my image into perspective too. I hated my hair and I couldn’t use it as a distraction from my face so I hated my face, my skin was awful, I treated myself to sweets because I wanted a pick me up… then my jeans got tighter. A new routine. 

For a person that’s so open and up front about a lot of sh*t I kind of just recoiled into myself. I was me outwardly (bubbly, seemingly happy) but I didn’t feel like I looked like myself and inside I was a whirl of anxious discontent. My Outside had affected my Inside that subsequently affected my Outside and it was a circle that needed to stop.

I made it stop. 

It was so simple - I got my hair done. I sat for 5 hours to get a style that took the morning worry out of the equation and my spirits were instantly lifted. No, but literally. My hair was considerably heavier but my spirits were like a helium balloon on a ribbon. Anyone that tells me that appearance doesn’t matter can kiss my backside, because it does. It really does. There’s a reason why they call your hair your crowning glory, because even if you don’t buy into the idea of long hair being a woman’s beauty (I don’t), hair does act as a crown. A queen is a queen always but it’s when she has that crown of jewels on her head she sits up straighter, more confidently, more gracefully, more regal. When you feel good about what’s atop of your head, you feel good about yourself. 

ghd azores collection

ghd V Marine Allure Styler, £130

ghd's are giving us all kinds of beachy feels this year with their limited edition summer stylers. The collection, which has just launched, includes two aquatic shades of the ghd V styler (marine allure, pictured, and atlantic jade) and gorgeous iridescent shade of the ghd platinum. The range is inspired by the tropicalAzores Islands and everything about the collection and the advertising makes you feel like you ought to be jetting off to a luxury island. Nothing about the stylers themselves have changed besides the colours, so if you have relatively new straighteners, then there's no need to chuck them BUT if your electricals game needs an update then these are for you!

I must say the regular ghd stylers like these aren't the best for straightening thick Afro hair, the v gold max styler and the eclipse are the best ghds for this in my experience. But what I think these are amazing for are creating form-free waves and curls. 

Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Hair Care Collection

Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Collection, Shampoo and Conditioner, £18 each, Oil, £36

Before I started working at Blackhair I thought I knew a lot about hair but I didn't. I knew how to kind of maintain my own hair but that was about it, so when I was opened up to the world of hair products on offer, I wanted to try absolutely everything! 

Fast-forward three years and I'm extremely set in my ways - while I'll give new things a try I tend to always go back to the same products that I know work perfectly for my hair. So when I received this new collection from Charlotte Mensah I knew I'd love them but would inevitably use them once and then go back to my usuals. But that has not been the case. 

If you don't know already Charlotte Mensah is an Afro hairdressing heavy-hitter. She has two British Hairdressing Awards under her belt as well as three Hair Magazine Awards. She is awesome, so of course her range was going to be. Shunning the 'in' oils to enrich her products, Charlotte chose the relatively unknown Manketti oil for her range which is full of Vitamin E and high in polyunsaturated fatty acid that acts as a barrier to help prevent moisture from escaping from the hair for longer. Six years went into creating these products and you can really tell, not only with the products themselves, but with the bottle and the design. 

My hero product of the range is the Manketti Oil, (£36). It's very hydrating so you only need a very small amount, say 2-3 drops, which is easy to measure out with the pipet. So while it is definitely a luxury product with a higher price tag, the size of the bottle means that I literally cannot see myself running out of this within a year! 

I'm always dubious recommending products I love to people with natural Afro hair as mine still has relaxed ends - but my colleague Joy (who does indeed have a head full of coils) is raving about the range too so you can believe that it's suitable for all Afro hair types! 

Available at charlottemensah.com

The Friday Five #4

Sketch

I attended an event for a new launch from Phyto this week (more on that soon) and it was held at Sketch, London, one of the most beautifully bonkers restaurant in town. I snapped this pic on the way to the loos which are thee coolest johns to do a twinkle. The main restaurant is all kinds of interiors inspo, I mean would you just look at those tiles. 

Braid brigade

I'm in a weird phase with my hair - I haven't relaxed it since last July and it's at an annoying transitioning stage 1/3 teeny weeny Afro, 2/3 straggly relaxed ends. I needed a solution to stop me from crying while styling every morning so I asked my very talented big sister to do me two chunky braids and I LOVE them! It's so easy in the morning now and I keep them neat by wearing my headscarf at night. I think I might film the process next time for my YouTube channel.

Netflix fix

I love finding out tv schedules so that I can have an excuse to not go out (I swear my parents have a way better social life than me) and Netflix releasing their 2016 schedule has got me all hot and bothered. First of all Unbreakable Kimmy Schimdt is BACK! The happiest show ever is returning to Netflix for a second season! Hallelujah! We have to wait until April though which kind of sucks. Also very excited to watch Love which lands on the 19th of February, created by Judd Apatow, which sort of looks like it has the can't-not-watch awkwardness of Girls. 

Keep it Simple - Raleigh Ritchie ft Stormzy

Greyworm has been my earworn this week (I can't tell you how proud I am of that sentence, guys). Seriously, if the toe-curling cold has been getting you down, pop this song on on repeat whilst commuting. Close your eyes (only if you aren't walking/driving/cycling) and imagine you're cruising down a country road on a warm summer's day with the windows rolled day, sun on your face, hanging with your favourite peeps. THIS IS WHAT THIS SONG DOES TO ME. It's musical sunshine.

Acne Studios Shearling Jacket Appreciation Overload

All my feelings for this Acne jacket have gone into overdrive this week. I neeeeed it - if anyone has seen an amazing dupe please tell me so I can purchase immediately if not sooner. 

TANGLE TEEZER NEW THICK AND CURLY BRUSH

When the original Tangle Teezer launched it changed the post-hair-wash detangling game. Every girl and her mum had the handy lil' gem in their shower ready to tackle any knot that came its way. However, as much it was great for smaller sections of my hair, anything larger and it wouldn't make a dent in a tangle and if I had any natural hair regrowth it wouldn't make it from root to tip. 

So when I heard about the new release of the Thick and Curly brush I was excited to see how much mane it can tackle. The design is exactly the same and fits into the palm super-snug. The main difference is the length of the the teeth, which are 4mm longer than the original. In this picture below you can see the extra length compared to the shorter teeth (which are the length of the original brush) 

The teeth are also now made of firm-flex technology so no matter how much they bend they always return to shape. 

I gave it a try after washing my hair and I definitely felt the difference as it detangled from the root more easily than with the original. Considering that I have about 1/4 natural hair now, the brush glided through my transitioning mane without many snags at all - definitely an improvement from the originally if you have thick Afro hair.

They are also releasing Couple's Compact brush duos ready for Valentine's Day! 

The new Tangle Teezer Thick and Curly is available from tangleteezer.com and Topshop.

July Favourites

Tips for relaxed Afro hair - Video

Sssshh... My New Secret to Smooth Hair.

I'm already a huge fan of Moroccanoil as a brand (the Intensive Mask was my first real hair splurge) so when we received the invitation at work to come and have our hair styled with the new smoothing range, I literally jumped at the chance, in fact I may or may not have put my hand up to volunteer on behalf of the team. 

I arrived at the Urban Retreat Spa on Harrods' fifth floor with high expectations and was not disappointed. My stylists for the session, Sharon and Nathan, knew exactly how to treat my dry, relaxed hair. The creative ambassador of Moroccanoil, Antonio Corral Carero, suggested they first use the Moroccanoil dry scalp treatment as my scalp was super flaky, this was massaged in and left for 10 minutes. Antonio said this would also be good to use pre-relaxed as it protects the scalp but doesn't act as a barrier on the regrowth. 

They then used the Smoothing Shampoo and Smoothing Mask. I could already tell this worked a treat when Nathan was combing the mask through my wet hair as there was less snagging. To dry Sharon put three pumps of the original Moroccanoil treatment onto my hair followed by a few pumps of the new Smoothing Lotion and they blow-dried my hair with one of the new Moroccanoil round bristle brushes. 

The new Smoothing Range promises up to 72 hours of smooth hair and so far, so good. My smoothed hair has endured countless trains and tubes, an overheated office and two yoga sessions and is still feeling fab. It's been great for keeping my regrowth from looking too out of control too. The range will be available in a set initially  when it drops in the UK on the 1st of May, with the shampoo, conditioner and lotion, and while it is on the more expensive side, I would thoroughly recommend it! 

For more info check out moroccanoil.com

Backstage at London Fashion Week AW15

I was lucky enough to be invited backstage with Cloud Nine at the Emilio de la Morena’s AW15 catwalk show on Tuesday and I made this little video for the magazines. Despite the hectic hustle and bustle of backstage the Hair Creative Director of the show, Leigh Keates, took time to demo the look for us so I made the below little video showcasing the look!

Love Keeks xo

Happy New Hair Habits

You're always reading about habits to break around this time of year so I thought it would be a nice change to talk about habits to keep up - so here are four for you (glen coco) to keep for fab locks whatever your hair type!

(p.s I have a video allll about this over on Youtube if you fancy a gander - it's HERE )

1 Wash your hair when it feels dirty

Sounds obvious right? But there are sooo many articles with contradicting information. Hairdressing ledge, Philip Kingsley says do it everyday in his book, while others maintain that it's much better to limit it to a couple of times a week and us with Afro hair are like 'Pffft, every 10 days is fine for us.' The bottom line is that only you know when your hair feels like it needs washing - it's not for the good of others, like hand-washing per se. 

2. Get trimming 

Yup, sorry this is the one that'll always worm it's way into any form of haircare advice. Believe me I was not a trimming advocate. I wanted long hair, why was I going to trim it? But with age comes wisdom, and I can now see that my longish straggly-ass hair wasn't half as healthy as my regularly trimmed mid-length hair is now. The concept is easy: trim hair, hair becomes healthier, healthy hair equals growth. Snip snip, ladies, snip snip.

3. Moisturise, all day erryday

All hair needs moisture throughout the year. European hair needs light moisture that won't laden down their locks and Afro hair needs richer moisturising products to penetrate our coarser mane. But the bottom line is that we always need it, not more or less in summer or winter. Sure we may need the addition of products for different elements and weather conditions, but the core need to be moisturised is ever present, people.

4. And finally, use protection 

This should be the final line of advice for all walks of life and haircare is no exception. Tell me, dear friends, how would your skin fear if you lay out and allowed the sun to blaze down on you at 200c degrees without any kind of sun protection? Not great? Nah you'd burn to a crisp and die. The only reason your hair doesn't singe at the first stroke of a hot tool is because it's already dead! To prevent the hair from looking and feeling dull and lacklustre, just spritz on a little heat protectant when damp and you'll thank yourself when your hair isn't breaking off in chunks. 

Follow these habits for the next 365 days (and beyond) and you'll be rewarded with healthy, shiny hair (sorry, no money back guarantee)!

Happy New Year!

Love Keeks xo

The ghd creative curl wand - Review and Video Tutorial

ghd curve creative curl wand - £110

ghd. Until I started working at Hair and Blackhair I pretty much didn’t know any other straightener, ghd were the only loves. So when I first heard about the ghd curve range earlier in the year I was so excited – I loved waving my hair with my ghds so to have an actual ghd curler to do this with was going to be fun.

I was lucky enough to receive the creative curl wand last week - I chose this out of the range as I prefer a more fuss-free non-uniformed look, which is what this wand aims to deliver. The wand is tapered to a point and slightly flattened to create beachy waves as opposed to neat curls. It’s super lightweight tool too, which is really handy when it comes to how long you have to hold it up. The set I received came with a lovely limited edition case/heat mat with rose gold hardware. Rose Gold – I die.

Of course as it’s ghd, this thing ain’t gonna come cheap and sure there are plenty of other great wands on the market for much less, but if you’re looking for a wand the same quality as your beloved ghds with the same sleek design and little snazzy on/off sounds to match – look no further.

The ghd curve collection starts at £110 and is available at ghdhair.com

Watch my below video for a first impressions tutorial! 

Love Keeks xo

A Hair Chat.

Hey loves,

So I did a video... alone! I'm talking about the products that are currently first pick in my beauty cabinet. So not used to the whole talking to the camera thing so bear with. I'm thinking of maybe doing one on makeup... eek! 

Love Keeks xo

Oh, Lola! And More...

As you may have already seen, I began to compile my Christmas list quite early this year compared to most other human, and on that list was Oh, Lola! by Marc Jacobs (you can see in this previous blogpost).

I fell in love with this perfume after rubbing a magazine that contained the sample on myself. I was hooked, I’d spray it on me whenever I walked past it in a department store and drop hints to my boyfriend about how amazing it smelt (went right over his head). When I was on my way to Barcelona, I was going to buy it in duty free but didn’t want to spend my travel money before I got there, and then our flight back was to Luton, the duty free was WHACK and they didn’t have it. Gutted.

Anyhow, uni life took over, books, food, travel, blah blah blah… equals not having money and it ending up on my Christmas list.

Howevs, my mum brought it back for me as a surprise after a trip and made a very happy Keeks! I love how fresh it smells, floral yet kind of fruity at the same time. Mmmmmm…

Also today Mumma Reid bought me this beaut from the chemist! I thought she picked it up in Boots or Superdrug, but nope it was from the bargain bin in the chemist. It’s exactly like the lovely shower gels from Philosophy but a fraction of the price and smells AMAZING! Exactly like raspberry sorbet. Wish I could do a scratch and sniff screen so you could experience it.

In other news, I gots my hair did on Monday and the last picture is to show you how truly lovely it is to feel my scalp again without any afro regrowth!

Love Keeks xo

Braid Lady.

I’m lucky enough to be the youngest of four siblings, with two big sisters and a big brother, which is great when it comes to been ‘there done that that’ advice and I literally learn things from them all the time.

My sisters and I have quite different style when it comes to fashion and beauty, however when my sister Debbie arrived this afternoon for Sunday dinner, I completely fell in love with her hairstyle.

She said that it was inspired by me because I nearly always wear a little plait at the front of my hair, but this style tops mine all day long!

I’ve seen one of my favourite bloggers Shirley (Meek n Mild) has done a blogpost about it here

Hope everyone’s having a lovely Sunday!

Love Keeks xo