I know it’s been a while but here I am! Consistency doesn’t come natural for some of us but that’s no excuse so I will be more active here now, because well, why not! Plus I’ve found some really cool stuff to share 🙂
I hope you all have been staying safe, staying home & washing your hands.
In lieu of the corona virus aka covid-19 and the hysteria it has caused worldwide, I thought I’d share this helpful video I found on how to make your own hand sanitizer with two simple ingredients: Aloe Vera & Rubbing Alcohol.
Now we all know the 90’s was super iconic! From the movies & TV shows to the music and of course the fashion! I personally love just how colorful & vibrant and yet so simple the 90’s were in terms of fashion. The hats were something serious too, celebs rocked kangols hats, bucket hats, beanies, Kofi hats and bandanas as hats & etc. Crazy thing is they made it all look so good!
This has nothing to do with hats but come on, would it really be a 90’s tribute without this iconic scene from House Party? Hmm? Hmm?
But seriously, the whole world can’t seem to get enough of the 90’s fashion & it’s evident in today’s constant tribute to the sensational decade, can’t say I blame though. Somebody send us a time machine already, puh-lease!
What’s your fave decade? Share below xx
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Shop on www.skatsz.comVal SALE *ALL HATS* $14 = use code SKVDAY
Now as we all can tell, Old Man Winter is here to collect all the moisture and sunshine out of our lives to leave our lips, skin & hair parched 😒 But no worries, I have compiled some quick & useful tips on taking care of (y)our hair during the winter. Now bear in mind as I am compiling this mini list, I am also educating myself as I go along. Also, I’m quite lazy when it comes to things like this (judge me not) so I’ve selected the simplest steps to do below:
1. Wash hair less often –
Great news for those of us that dread wash day! Because shampoo tends to strip your hair of its natural oils, you want to lessen how many times you wash it. So, if you were washing your hair 4x in a month, you can reduce it to maybe 2x instead. You can also opt for Co-wash – short for “conditioner-only washing.” It means skipping shampoo and relying solely on conditioner.
2. Deep condition like crazy! –
As often as possible, I would say once or every two weeks should suffice. I was using the Hollywood Beauty dc for a while but I now make my own deep conditioner DIY Deep Conditioner but any over the counter conditioner should suffice. Please make sure to read ingredients before purchasing.
3. Wear protective styles – such as braids, twists, weave, crochet wigs; this way your hair gets to rest, while your ends are protected & aren’t exposed to the harsh climate. The duration of time you keep your protective sytles in is entirely up to you.
4. No shower cap!
Yes, you read right, leave that shower cap alone! The steam in your bathroom while taking a shower will do wonders for your hair’s moisture retention. What I do after I shower is I seal the moisture my hair just retained by applying oils (I use Olive oil/Castor oil). If you’re antsy about not wearing a shower cap at all, you can poke holes into it, that way you’ll still get some sort of moisture.
5. Wear hats with satin/silk lining –
Kinda like Skatsz hats ha! Would you look at that, 😂😅 No, but seriously there’s no point in doing all that work to retain moisture only to throw on a cotton/wool hat that’ll suck out it all right out; leaving your hair brittle & dry and prone to breakage! Whoo chilay hahaha I wish you guys could hear me laughing so hard as I write these blog posts yo!
Do you have any winter hair care tips you would like to share? Comment below xx
So I just stumbled on Zig Beswick, a UK blogger’s review of our Skatsz Dami beanie Yeeeep! Check it out below:
My Small Secret to Great Winter Hair
AND YOU WON’T HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR WINTER HAIR CARE ROUTINE.
Winter rolled through again and we’re in that cold/rainy spell before we can embrace spring. Our skin is considerably dryer and so we slather on the emollients and moisturizers as a barrier against the lashing winds and icy rain but what about our hair? We don’t seem to give it the same justice and if you have even the slightest curl to your hair you know how cold and dry do not mix with it. Of course you may up the deep conditioning, use a leave in and ensure the ends have a lil love but when you step out that door to mother nature she has no mercy for windswept coiffures. Well, I’ve found the solution and who knew it could be so simple!
A hat! I’ve been really into my hats as of late, I didn’t think I suited them or could fit them over my fro but have found a few (beret’s and baker boys) that suit my style even when my hair is not in twists underneath. “Oh”, I hear you sigh, “hide my tresses under a hat, yay, warm head but when I step in the room it’s hat hair for the day.” No not quite. Because there’s one beanie in my collection that’s something special and works a treat for all hair types. Have you ever noticed, especially with natural hair, how some hats particularly seamed beanies can snag and pull at the hair? They’re also made of thick woolen mix materials that keep you warm yes, but suck every ounce of life out of it. That’s where SKATSZ come in. A. SATIN. LINED. BEANIE. As soon as I got my hands on it I showed it around the natural haired girls of my acting class who all cooed in awe and swore they needed one too. Knitted to perfection at the top with a wicked satin pattern layered underneath meaning no snags, all the moisture retention and all the warmth.
I’ve worn it ever since and love that it hasn’t compromised my style with the array to choose from nor have I had to actually change anything in my general hair care routine. I can wear my hair out in the winter knowing I can move between locations with my hair not being battered around by the elements. The satin lining means the fibres of my hair smooth and glide against it reducing friction which leads to breakage, frizz and moisture loss. It also means that the smooth underlay keeps my hair style intact! I wear satin scarves to bed and sleep on satin pillowcases for these reasons and so it makes sense that anything touching my hair thereafter should be the same luxury. It’s stylish and not heavy or uncomfortable like trying to wear one of my bonnets under a hat would be. It’s thick enough to be a proper outdoor hat and saviour for winter hair.
A Skatsz hat is perfect for wigs and weaves too, reducing friction and shedding whilst still keeping you warm. I don’t think my other hats can compare now, it makes such a thoughtful gift for the holiday season & for the (natural) fellas, they’re affordable and will last a lifetime. No matter your hair type, if you suffer from super dry hair come winter, crown breakage or are looking for a healthy alternative for your winter styling, check out these hats they’re the necessity of my hair life I never knew I needed.
By now, a good majority of us have seen the Netflix original ‘Nappily Ever After’ starring Sanaa Lathan. I actually counted down to see this movie, ever since I heard Sanaa shaved her bald for the role – I found it intriguing. I wasn’t aware of the book, so I didn’t really know what to expect but it was a really good movie with an even better message – Love yourself & be comfortable in your own skin!
At the start of the movie, Violet, (Sanaa’s character) was obsessed with being unrealistically perfect, especially with her hair; stemming from childhood traumas & her mother’s constant reinforcement. However, as the movie progressed, the trajectory of her character was one that was very much relatable; going against the grain in life. Whether you’re a natural or not, we’ve all experienced “the big chop” in a sense – a need for a fresh start at life for one reason or another. Violet, went from an impromptu shaving of her head due to a meltdown to actually being reintroduced to her natural hair & loving it. She of course struggled with her decision at first but eventually got a hang of it (boy can I relate). With her confidence reinstated in herself, her big chop being the catalyst, she eventually stopped seeking validation in others & began valuing her own feelings about herself.
It’s an empowering movie that tells us that our own hair, black hair is indeed beautiful just the way it is & we don’t need to alter it to be deemed acceptable. As mentioned in the movie, it’s not that black women should feel guilty about wearing anything other than natural hair, whether it’s weaves, wigs or other protective styles. Rather, it’s that they should know that their natural hair is just as beautiful as any other type, and they are worthy of respect regardless of how they choose to wear their hair. It’s a powerful message, especially for this new generation of natural enthusiast coming up – to show that it is never too late to (re)discover yourself, love yourself, stand up for yourself & be comfortable in your own skin!
Here’s Sanaa talking about her big chop & her feelings after
I put up a poll on IG to ask if people still thought the word “Nappy” was a bad word;
I was genuinely surprised that the overwhelming majority voted that they didn’t consider “nappy” a bad word; I personally don’t either. Though I understand the history behind the word, it was all the more reason it was great to see us embracing a word that was once (& probably still) has negative connotation about Black/African hair.
Have you seen Nappily Ever After? What are your thoughts? Comment below xx
I know I’ve been crazy inactive, so instead of me apologizing only to be inactive again, I’m just going to do better 🙂
So, topic of today is African Threading – A traditional method used for centuries across Africa to stretch afro hair without heat; it is also commonly referred to as Banding Method. African Threading is known to be a great way to retain length, stretch hair without heat, thus averting the chances of getting heat damage & breakage (we all know how heartbreaking that can be) & also can be worn as a protective style.
In Nigeria we use a specific elastic shinny thread:
However, you can also use brading hair extensions or sewing thread – some people have used yarn, it’s really your prerogative (that’s a Bobby Brown reference hahaha).
Quick story: I was at the salon last weekend & a little girl, no more than 7 yrs old had gotten her deep-conditioned & it was time to stretch her hair – using that hot ass, dragon breath ass dryer, that I even as an adult still dread greatly! Chiiillleee the way she was screaming & hollering, my heart could NOT take it, I just had to approach both the mom & the hair stylist to suggest threading that poor child’s hair. Lucky for her, her mom was very receptive to any help; it was clear as day she too was in complete distress! I stood in front of all three explaining for all of maybe 4 minutes but I’m sure all the mom heard was “Your child will stop screaming if you use this method” & she was like “YESSS!” Long story short, the baby stopped crying & was enjoying her little juice as she got her hair threaded. The stylist did it in a way that it was so clean that she ended up wearing it as a protective style. I thought the absolute cutest most rewarding part was when the baby came up to me to say thank you in the most genuine heartfelt way (I almost shed a thug tear). Meanwhile, her mom couldn’t stop thanking me, asking about other natural hair tips I may have, which I was more than happy to help of course. This also inspired this blog post. It’s just so funny to me how far we’ve come only to understand that some ancient methods still beat the technology we have now.
Anywho, my sister helped thread my hair a little while ago & I sent the pictures to my mom, and she said “It’s called the Sungas style back in her day 🖤 & it grows hair by the seconds!” Here is a picture of my insane shrinkage vs when it was stretched:
Before ThreadingAfter African Threading
My hair was completely stretched & the threading was only in in my hair for about an hour! Yeah, no more blow dryer for me (crosses fingers).
Here is a really good video/tutorial on how to African Thread your hair:
Will you be trying African Threading to stretch your hair? Or is it already apart of your routine? Let me know below xx
