Yall!! My random researching brought me to this article. Still, I’m sure you wont be surprised which app is number most intrusive, scary stuff! Here’s the top 10 list below:
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
Uber Eats
Trainline
YouTube
YouTube Music
Deliveroo
Duolingo
eBay
Linkdin????? Wow, I trusted you!
Here’s the remainder of the list, top 50
Hol’ up do yall see AOL OLD SELF on that list?? Whaaaaaaaat?! The audacity!
It will come as no surprise to many that Instagram and Facebook share the most data with third-party advertisers, collecting info on purchases, location, contact details, user content, search history, browsing history, and more.
According to macrumors.com Instagram collects 79 percent of personal data, while Facebook collects 57 percent. LinkedIn and Uber Eats were also serious offenders, collecting 50 percent of data. This study was done prior to when Google shared App Privacy labels for its Google Search and Chrome apps, but YouTube and YouTube Music were found to be collecting 43 percent of personal data to share with third parties.
All jokes aside this is quite unsettling like why are these apps so hell bent on locking down our info?!
I’m back from my quarterly hiatus, yall know the vibes hahah
Anywho, I’m still super excited about our AdeDoyin satin lined bucket hats because chiiiiile the amount of work that went into this was NOT easy! But we here! 😝
Now we launched back in June and the reception has been great, thank you all!! So I figured I should give a little history behind the concept, material etc and properly introduce Doyin!
What’s special about Doyin bucket hats (with the exception that it’s made by Skatsz haha, yall know we special.. in a great way ha!) is that some of the Doyin hats are made with Aso-Oke material (pronounced almost like ahhh-shaw-okay) – a West African print native to the Ondo people of Yoruba Nation in the Southwest region of present day Nigeria – where we (Skatsz) are from!
For as long as I could remember we’ve worn Aso-oke to birthday parties, to Nigerian weddings (if I can get my hands on some our pictures I’ll update this post with it) to graduations – literally any occasion is Aso oke appropriate. So, when we were designing our bucket hats for the 2021 summer, it was a no-brainer to use the elegant, beautiful and rich material, Aso-oke.
(Excerpt from ONCHEK Blog) Aso-oke sometimes referred to as Aso-ebi is a special hand-woven cloth and over centuries has become somewhat of the style marker of the Yoruba nation. It was said to have been created in Yorubaland around the 15th century and since then spread around the land and its environs.
Aso-Oke Seller during the weaving process
The cotton is then spun to separate the cotton seed from wool and a Spindler, known in Yoruba as ‘orun’ is used to achieve this. The weaver spreads the wool and processes it through the loom. As the Spindler turns repeatedly, the cotton thins and this is done until all the wool has been spun. The cotton is then cleaned and sorted which is done manually and can be very time-consuming.
Once the cotton is purified, the signature designs and patterns characteristic of Aso-oke are ready to be created. This is the process where designs and patterns are made on the Aso-Oke while the cloth is being woven. During the pattern process, cotton reels are hung upon the hangers on the sets of the metallic pegs on the ground. After everything has been prepared, the weaving can begin. (Ends excerpt)
The weaving, quite possibly the most important part of the process, is a delicate chore. The weaver deftly presses down on the pedals of the ‘orun’ and uses their hands to weave the material to create the signature designs in a variety of colors as seen in the Doyin hats above.
Aso-oke materials can be split into two categories; traditional material and modern material. The multi colored Aso-oke are often the traditional more authentic materials – example the blue stripped hats and tan and cream bucket hats below:
The newer machine-made Aso-oke are usually singular colored like the purple and blue bucket hats below. While the material isn’t any less of quality, it isn’t the original/traditional material that goes through the hand woven process; thus some people prefer the latter – everyone’s taste varies.
We (Skatsz) are extremely proud to be able to express our creativity while displaying some of our culture’s beauty through our products – Doyin Aso-oke satin lined bucket hats!
All styles listed are currently available on our website 🤞🏿
So a while back I reviewed the amazing product Edge Naturale’s Follicle Enhancer – Here’s the review post – Quick recap: I did some really cute lemonade braids aka Ghana Weaving corn rows back in Nigeria and they snatched the soul out my edges. Here’s a quick recap:
The culprit that stole ya girl’s edges
The aftermath
Edge Naturale saving meeeeee
So, while I reviewed the actual product in my previous post, because I was completely enthralled and amazed at how Edge Naturale came through for me in such a quick time. I’d like to highlight the logistics behind the scenes; customer service, packaging.
The packaging was beyond cute but my edgeless self at the time didn’t take the time to appreciate it bc I was so anxious to get my hair going, so unfortunately I didn’t take a picture 🙄
The customer service was fantastic & super friendly!
One of the reasons I will most certainly be keeping Edge Naturale in my hair care is because: — Safe Ingredients — USA Made and Tested — Cruelty Free — A ‘One-Product’ System — Simple Application — Amazing Results!
All in all I had a really great experience and I’m proud to say they are Black owned and Women operated 👏🏼
Did I mention they now have hair vitamins????? CHillllleeeeee 🥳🥳🥳🥳
I know it’s been a while but what else is new at this point?
I had an epiphany some days ago and I figured it was worth sharing. Are you constantly breaking out on your face, specifically your chin area and you cant seem to figure out why? I mean you’re cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing your face and still breakouts?? Well let me you something, it may very well be that trusty face mask of yours. Yawp, that same mask that’s supposed to protect you from the said pandemic – The wuhan virus aka covid-19 could be the cause of rashes, bumps and other skin problems on your face.
According to Loma Linda University Health, The medical term for “maskne” is acne mechanica, a skin condition brought on by prolonged wear of facial personal protective equipment. “Masks impose heat, friction and occlusion on the skin and when combined with a moist environment from breathing, talking or sweating, this is a recipe for breakouts,” Dao says. “Pores get clogged and can become pimples or acne cysts. On top of that, the prolonged occlusion, heat and sweat can cause the skin to become dry, itchy and raw.”
Acne isnt the only skin condition reported by mask wearers, other common face mask skin problems include:
Allergic contact dermatitis – Some manufactured masks may contain a chemical that causes an allergic reaction. Formaldehyde and bronopol can be found in polypropylene surgical masks.
Rosacea – Classically worsened by heat and stress, mask wearing can increase flares.
Seborrheic dermatitis – It causes scaly plaques, inflamed skin and stubborn dandruff.
Folliculitis– When yeast or bacteria infect hair follicles.
Possible solutions:
Wash your face first – Use a gentle cleanser that is free of fragrance and oil and rinse with lukewarm water. “This prevents dirt and oil from being trapped on the skin surface, which cause breakouts,” Dao says. “Your face should always be clean before you put on your mask.”
Apply a moisturizer – Not only will this keep your skin hydrated, it will also act as a barrier between your face and your mask, reducing friction. Apply onto a cleansed face before and after wearing a mask. Dao says to look for moisturizers that contain ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or dimethicone, which will provide extra protection. Take care to avoid fragrances amongst other common contact allergens. This may take trial and error to find the right formulation for your skin type.
Ditch the makeup – Wearing skin makeup under a mask causes clogged pores and breakouts, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Makeup residue will also soil your mask.
Wash your mask – If wearing a cotton mask wash it after each use as its surface contains dirt and oil and can become a breeding ground for bacteria from your nose and mouth.
Choose a fragrance-free laundry soap – Fragrances can irritate your skin — skip the fabric softener, too.
Stay away from harsh products – Medicated skin care products that contain benzoyl peroxide, retinols and salicylic acid will be more irritating to the skin under a mask — be careful about how much and what you use.
My sister recently switched from the disposable face masks and started wearing these beautiful Afrikan Print Ankara cotton mask that she wears once and washes daily. Well, she actually has about 4 masks so she changes them daily and lo and be hold all of her chin acne has virtually disappeared!
Have you experienced the dreaded maskne? How did you overcome it? Lemme know below xx
•😢PROBLEM : Chilly weather strips ya hair of its much needed moisture, leaving it dry & dull •💡SOLUTION: The satin inside our beanies help keep moisture in your hair thereby avoiding breakage!| Shop now 🛍🛒 + Save 10% OFF! http://www.Skatsz.com/shop —————————————— All hats have Satin lining inside to keep moisture in your hair & protect your from dryness, frizz + breakage + “hat hair”
So, I just realized that we do not have any reviews on google which bad! We have reviews elsewhere, however, Google reviews are just as important, especially for a small but growing business like Skatsz.
So if you’ve ever bought, won, or even received Skatsz as a gift and love it, please leave us a quick review using this link: https://g.page/Skatsz/review?rc
This little piggy went to Nigeria and got this bomb hairstyle done
Now the hair was cute and I got sooooo many compliments on it! But..
Well fast forward to 6 weeks I believe (that’s typically when I take down my hair if it’s been in braids/twists)
Chilllleeeeeee the way my edges went down with it? Ha! I just sat there looking at where my edges USED TO BE. I couldn’t cry, I was just like welp these are the risks of doing tight ass, cut ya edges type, nonetheless cute hair styles in Naija.
the flakes in my hair was due to my leave in and moisturizer not mixing well -__-Here’s a closer look chillleeeee But do yall see where my edges USED TO BE!
So as the universe and great amazing Ancestors would have it, Edge Naturale reaches out to me to review their product. Now at first I was verrrry hesitant because when my edges fall out like this, its usually castor oil and patience to the rescue; I’m talking months of patience and TLC tho.
Anywho, long story short, I agreed to do the review and let her know that I plan to be super honest bc at this point I’m talking from a place of pain yall, like don’t waste my time sis.
I received the beautiful God sent jar of love and kindness:
I was impressed because it was full to the brim ( it’s a white, creamy product).
So I start to put it on my edges every day after getting out the shower, for a month straight and yalllllll:
Now let me say this, the instructions says to apply twice a day, I didn’t want to clog my pores (lemme stop lying yall, I was just too lazy to apply twice) so I did it once a day. worth noting is that you will feel a little tingling and warmness in the area applied – I just chucked that up to the fact that its working.. because it sho was!
Here’s another angle, even my eyebrows ends grew after 5 weeks use!
Do yall see this growth?? Even the hair on my forehead came back!!!!!! I need to do my brows but my good sis Imani aint taking clients right now due to corona
This was me hahaha
Also, I added a little bit of water to my edges prior to applying the Edge Naturale Cream (really it was the steam from my shower I used as moisture) but you can add just a smidge of water to your edges enough to make it damp but not completely wet, just so the cream can really penetrate your pores/hair shaft.
Yall, it really works and I’m super grateful the folks over at Edge Naturale really saved me and my edges and eye brows!
So, I’ve been wanting to switch to a natural toothpaste (because of the harmful side effects of fluoride) for sometime but didn’t know which exactly. I knew the brand had to be Black-owned sha.
Fast forward to seeing Liv with nature’s page on IG + decided to give it a shot – purchased the All Natural Peppermint Toothpaste. Chiiilllleeeee when I say I am grateful I did!!!! OMG ITS SOOOO GOOD! You can legit smell the peppermint right when you open the package, I’m talking bout the delivery package not even the actual toothpaste container. Right then and there I knew this joint was finna be bomb & I was right! I LOVE IT! It keeps my breath fresh and minty ALL DAY!! I done told 50-11 people bout so I figured why not blog bout it.
It’s all natural plant based, preservative free ingredients are listed under the container, about 5 in total – which is amazeballs!
I will say this, it takes some getting used to because it doesn’t get foamy and bubbly in your mouth like other toothpastes. Also, there isn’t that obnoxious aftertaste in that lingers for too long. Furthermore, expect to spit out black substance hahaah because of the charcoal – even though it seems obvious now, trust me you will forget & get a little weirded out when you’re brushing. Another point to note is due to hygiene purposes I wouldn’t recommend sharing this toothpaste with too many people since you have to dip a tooth brush inside..
Our prayers have been answered by the braids gods! We can now learn how to braid/cornrow for $5?!?! Whaaaat?! No more shame, no more “You’re Black and you don’t know how to braid?!” Whew chile, I’m dancing in my rite na! You’re telling me I get to learn how to braid from the comfort of my home and all I’m paying is $5?!?!?! Yes, I know there’s Youtube, but those tutorials aren’t real time and when you have questions, no body to answer, AAANNNND this is a Black owned business? Chileee I signed up so fast!
The classes meet twice a week on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. EST and 1 p.m. EST on Saturdays. You can sign up here: www.nianib.com
The queen that created this safe space is Niani Barracks.
Here’s an excerpt from her Essence Mag & Blavity feature:
Detroit hairstylist Niani Barracks has a digital cure for Black girls who don’t know how to braid. The “A Safe Space for Black Girls that Never Learned How to Braid” course was originally designed to be an in-person class for parents who want to learn how to style their children’s hair. However, like many other events, Barracks had to cancel due to the ‘rona.
“With the spreading of COVID-19, the schools closed down and I knew that working in the salon was not going to be a possibility for me anymore because I have two children,” she told Blavity. “This was a major loss of income for me, and anxiety began kicking in. I needed to come up with something fast while still doing something that I love, so I thought ‘why not teach the class online?’”
For only $5 a class Black women and girls from all over can learn proper parting, basic plaiting, and how to execute cornrows ranging from basic to styles with intricate details. The one-hour classes are held twice a week, Thursday at 9pm and Saturday at 1pm. Because the sessions are on Facebook Live, they’re interactive, where Niani reads questions from students and responds in real time. And the vibe is positive and inviting in this judgement free zone where Black women can support and encourage each other.
Niani concludes, “I hope that it continues to grow after this has passed,” she concludes. “I’ve gotten tons of messages, tons of DMs of people thanking me and saying that I’m God sent and I’ve answered their prayers. And I never expected that. I didn’t realize how many people were actually interested in learning and how deep this was. They feel like it’s a part of our culture. It is a part of our culture. It’s bigger than just learning how to braid.”
