Online Tutorial for Hair Braiding – $5!!

Yallllll!!!!!!!

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.”

Will you be signing up with Niani?

Lemme know below xx

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Best Detangler Everrrrr- Apple Cider Vinegar & Water!

Hooollllaaaa Guys!

Okay, so I took my sister’s braids down last weekend and she had it in for too long  like 8 weeks (yikes, I know) but that’s not the point of this post hahah, I’ll judge my sister later.. So because she kept her single braids in for a while, she had some build up especially because she’s so active, (gym: which equals sweat) plus she oils/moisturizes her scalp every other day (which equals product build up) & a bunch of random lint from scarf etc. All of those factors into what I call Braid Gunk. You know the sticky build up you get after wearing braids or any protective style for too long? This:

By the way her hair has grown sooo much!

Yeah, she had quite a bit of that. Well, instead of fighting through what seems like a losing battle by trying to finger detangle through that mess. I used Apple Cider Vinegar & water mixture as a detangler. Which made getting rid of that gunk a breeze!

Here are the simple items I used to make the ACV water detangler mixture:

1. Bragg ACV

2. Water

3. Spray Bottle

4. Table Spoon

I used the organic ACV that was already in my kitchen (thanks to my sis and/or brother) You don’t have to use this same brand, this is just my preference since it was both organic & free!

Then I filled up my old Bath & Body Works spray bottle. It previously had olive oil inside so I rinsed that out & I filled it up with water more than 1/2 of the bottle.  I didn’t measure, I simply just eyed it.

I poured the ACV into a table spoon & added it to the bottle filled with water. I did this step two times – Meaning I poured 2 tbl spoons of ACV into the spray bottle.

Finished ACV & Water Mixture. Hopefully you can see the color change in the spray bottle after the ACV has been added but not much of a difference in the amount of liquid inside.

I was so impressed at how much easier the process was using the ACV detangler that I actually recorded a whole vid, because you know, I just had to share the gem! Here it is below:

 

*Bonus* = The ACV basically cleaned her scalp like a shampoo would, so after we were done, we just deep conditioned using my homemade hair mask, here’s the link for that ===> DIY Deep Conditioner

Lemme know what you guys think below. Will you be trying the ACV & water mixture as a detangler? What do you typically do to get rid of your braid gunk?

 

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Your Bonnet Could Be Costing You Your Edges?!?!

Happy Friday ! Yayyyy! 

I had an epiphany & I figured hey, since I’m just now putting two & two together, others out there may not know either! Okay, so If you’re noticing your edges thinning out or breaking and you cant seem to put your finger on it because:

A) You’re not getting tight hairstyles done or putting so much tension on your edges.

B) You oil/moisturize your edges accordingly.

Well, it may just be the last thing you’d suspect, which is;

C). You’re wearing bonnets with the elastic band around it:

Example bonnet found online 

my old bonnet

The elastic ends around your bonnet could very well be the culprit for your thinning edges. GASP! I know, but think about it, while you’re doing a good job wearing a satin/silk bonnet, your edges are suffering due to the tension that’s caused from the elastic part of the bonnet rubbing against it. I used to wear the purple bonnet (pictured above) but for some reason I could never find it (maybe it was my edges subliminally making me misplace it?) Funny thing is, I found it just in time to take a pic for this post & I promise you I have no idea where it is now hahahah! I’m not kidding!

Viable alternatives to your demon-edges-snatching-bonnet:

1.Satin scarf like this:

I wear this animal print scarf to sleep when I’m feeling sexy hahahahahh

You can buy/find this literally anywhere in life; WeBuyBlack Beauty Supply Store, Amazon, first check your mom’s Closet! Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever in my whole life purchased a scarf, specially the ones I wear wrap my hair to sleep in. They just sort of appear in my closet (most likely from my Scarf Ferry aka my mom or sisters hahah) Interesting… an epiphany within an epiphany!

2. Skatsz Satin Lined Beanie:

 

Skatsz (Outside look)

Skatsz(Inside) Red & White Polka dot is satin

 

SKatsz (outside)

Skatsz Pink & Black polka dot satin (inside)

Since each beanie has satin lining on the inside I tend to use it as a bonnet too; they’re pretty stretchy, so I throw it on my head & its nighty night for me! Bonus: I get to wear them outside without looking dumb like I would if I was wearing a bonnet. You can purchase these satin lined beanies & other colors at www.skatsz.com 

 

 Have you ever had this bonnet issue? Let me know if you have other alternatives. Comment below xx

 

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Issa Rae – Natural Hair Inspo!

By now you know or at least heard of Issa Rae… Natural Hair Bae (You see what I did there hahaha) Her hit show insecure which I & so many others find to be freaking hilarious & so relatable; at least according to social media because we don’t do the traditional TV critics over hurrr! But I’m not here to talk about the show even though it really is a great one & you should totes check it out if you haven’t.

Now as the title suggest I want to highlight Issa’s effortless slayage with her constant changing natural hairstyles! She’s quite experimental with her hair, which I so love because her hairstyles are quite dope & not super intricate where it looks like it has to be done by a professional you know? Like her hairstyles look do-able at home, by yourself, or (by your sister if you’re like me) But enough of my blabbing let me show you what I mean:

Whether Issa is rocking her natural fro, a hair cut,  her elegant up-dos with kinky extensions or just a flat twist, I love each & every style; so much so that I’ve been inspired to do more with my own natural hair! As of right now I tend to just wash my hair, deep condition, play with my afro in the house & then do braids or crochet (before crochet almost turned me bald headed ====> Here’s the link for that). I mean don’t get me wrong, when I take my hair out I wear my bun for a day or two but then I’d wash it & start the cycle I just mentioned above all over again; so in essence, I’ve actually never worn my own hair out for more than a couple of days. But, watching Issa Rae slaying her ever changing natural hairstyles on the red carpet, on her show, during interviews & pretty much every where else has really inspired me to do the same!

 

Hahahaaha here is a quick interview where Issa talks about her hair:

I swear she reminds me sooo much of my sister it’s scary. They’re both hilarious & awkward as hell!

So, what’s your take on Issa Rae? Her hairstyles? Insecure? Let me know below xx

*UPDATE* The brains behind Issa’s hair switch ups aka Hair Stylist is: Felicia Leatherwood

 

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SheHive Coming to DC!

Happy New Week Guys!

Yes, I’m well aware that it’s Tuesday, but for me, Mondays are just test runs. Sooooo my week doesn’t actually start till Tuesday (judge me not)!

So I’m super excited that She Leads Africa aka SLA is the awesome organization that is

“A community that helps young African women achieve their professional dreams. With engaging online content and pan-African events, our vision is to become the #1 destination for smart and ambitious young women.”  SheLeadsAfrica

I admire SLA intuitive ways of educating entrepreneurs on how to achieve goals that may be impossible especially for an entrepreneur with a full time job. Their content (blogs/newsletter) is so authentic & relateable that you almost feel as though they’re speaking to you directly with their helpful tactics & strategies!

 

She Leads Africa has been on tour for better part of the year under SHEHive, which has visited many cities across the world from Lagos to New York to Nairobi to London & now  coming to Washington DC (SHEHive DC) for a 3-day event from June 22nd – June 25th: with workshops, discussion panels, network opportunities, food, & much much more!

I would most certainly recommend this conference/event if:

1. You’re an entrepreneur or aspiring to become one
2. You want to be in great company with like minded business savy people
3. Networking with potential mentors and investors

Based on the past reviews from other cities they’ve visited, I would say its beyond worth attending!

Location: Impact Hub DC, 419 7th St NW suite 300, Washington, DC 20004, USA.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday Time: 11AM – 6PM

For more information & to purchase tickets 

Will you be in attendance??? Let me know below!

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Summer Braids!

Hey Guys!

I hope you all had a restful weekend because I sure as hell did!

Spring has officially sprung here in the DMV.. I think anyway. Though its supposedly “spring” here in the DMV (those that don’t know that’s the tri-state area; DC Maryland Virginia) & I put spring in quotes because if you’re from here you know for a fact our spring is just ummmm how do I put this? Pre-spring hahah! Only because the weather is so unstable, we can still get snow till June sef ( I‘m not kidding I think it snowed like ending of May early June some 3/4 years ago). Yeah, that’s our life here, but at least there’s an extra hour of daylight now that we’ve sprung forward; adding an hour that shouldn’t have been taken away in the first place but I digress..

Anywho, I found some super cute natural hair styles that I will be trying this summer, so I thought I’d share. 

Super cute Bantu Knots:

Ghana Braids aka Feed in braids/cornrows:

The link below show how both of the styles above were achieved. ↓↓↓↓

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a9640138/natural-hair-braid-styles/

I’m scared for my edges just looking at the feed in braids.. 

Will you be trying either one of these?? Let me know below xx

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Quick & Easy DIY Deep Conditioner

Hey Guys!

I’ve been making my own dc (Deep Conditioner) for a while now & it’s worked wonders for my hair. Even when I don’t do a great job oiling my hair/scalp on the regular, that dc comes in for the save! Chillllleeeee lemme tell ya, my hair appreciates the hell outta of it! 

The mixture is real easy to make & you only need few simple items you can find at the local market (I purposely said market to sound organic & healthy hahahah) 

1 ripe banana, 1 avocado, 2 egg yolk, 4 tbsp honey, 4 tblspn Evoo, Any conditioner of your choice; mine was Tresemme.

Banana – Banana is rich in potassium, natural oils, carbohydrates and vitamins which help insoftening the hair and protects the hair’s natural elasticity preventing split ends and breakage. Banana creates manageability, shine, growth and controls dandruff

Honey – The humectant properties of honey help regulate and retain moisture in hair, plus honey is said to strengthen hair follicles for healthy growth.

EVOO – The abundance of antioxidants in extra virgin olive oil leaves the scalp healthier and may reduce the damage done by hair care products. locking in moisture and preventing dryness of the scalp, it can make your hair soft, smooth and shiny.

Egg yolks – The fatty acids present in the yolk helps in improving the skin on the scalp, thus fighting dandruff, flaky scalp and psoriasis.
Lecithin: This fatty protein found in the egg yolk helps in reducing frizz and helps in making hair smooth.

Avocado – helps rejuvenate and moisturize the scalp. A rich source of proteins, amino acids and vitamins, avocado helps soothe the scalp and promotes long, strong, healthy hair growth; great for scalp-saving hair mask recipe

Conditioner of my choice – Tresemme (I liked the smell & that was the conditioner I could get my hands on in the house)

All the products in one! (Ignore the mitten but I have been told I bake a mean chocolate chip cookie hahah)

Blend everything till you get a smooth paste like so↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

Aftermath of blended items

My hair with the above mixture, yall see them coils popppppin!

I put a plastic bag over on my hair & wrapped a scarf & a bonnet for the added heat. I let the dc sit in my hair for about an hour (only because I forgot it was even in my hair, judge me not) you can have it in your hair anywhere from 15 mins to an hour. Some people dc overnight, its really up to you. My hair came out soooo soft, hydrated, shinny & just plain ole purrty!

I rinsed out the dc & put some two strand twists in my hair & went smack to sleep! I was tired yall.

Let me know what you guys think below. Have you tried a similar mixture? What do you use to deep condition?

 

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SPRING CLEANING SALE!!!

Happy New Week Everyone!

 

All hats are 50% off for a limited time.

All Skatsz satin lined beanies are $19.99  $10.99 for limited amount time! 

Shop Now at =====>  WWW.SKATSZ.COM

*We now ship to the UK*

 

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Protective Style Gone Wrong – Too much Crochet?

Hey Guys!

So I wanted to share with you my experience with one of the more popular “protective styles”- Crochet aka Crochet Braids. I discovered crochet a while back, through a friend actually. I remember when she was trying to get me to understand just what crochet styling was & I was completely lost haha. But fast forward to last year, there I was, completely in love with the concept of C R O C H E T ! ( I spaced out the words for dramatic effect hahah) If you’re not familiar with just what crochet styling is, Click this link —-> Crochet 101  for better & in depth explanation.  

Now before crochet, I always preferred to have all sorts of braids & twists in my hair but we all know how just how long that whole process takes. I would also get weaves here & there, maybe like 5/6x my whole life so you know I was about that braid life. So once I understood just how much crochet eases the whole process & just how versatile it was?!?! Chillllleeeee I was hooked! So naturally my lazy behind decided to do crochet back to back…BAD IDEA!

Now I did the curly sue style & the faux locs; Both styles below.

When the crochet was being installed (very blurry, sorry)

Finished Product (Bathroom pic, judge me not)

Crochet -Faux locs (I really enjoyed this style)

I kept each style in for about 4 weeks which I think is pretty standard for keeping in protective styles. However, I noticed that whenever I took out both styles I had ALOT of single strand knots! Below pictures aren’t mine, but they were the closest depiction to what my hair looked like once I took out the crochet.

 

I had endless single strand knots!! So much so that I had to cut out so much of my hair because it was impossible to detangle, it was HORRIBLE 😦

Needless to say (I’m going back to Cali, Cali, Cali I’m going back to Cali… hmm, hahaa) Nah but I am going back to to my regular braids & twists! It just sucks because I really did enjoy crochet styles 😦 I have to wonder though, what caused all those knots? Because when I take my braids & even weave out, I don’t ever get single strand knots.. like at all. 

So have you ever experienced crazy single strand knots from crochet styles? Or even any other protective styles? Please share below. 

 

 

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New Product Review!

Hellluuurrrrrrrr Guys!!!

I’ve been gone for a while & I promise I had every intention on blogging but so much has transpired in such a short amount of time (yes a month to me is like a day). I honestly hadn’t realize how long its been since my last blog post till I got an email asking if I had abandoned my blog hahahaha! At that very moment I had to look at my life & get it together, so here I am!

I’m super excited to show you guys this new review of our satin lined beanie! The review is done by one of my personal fave YouTube vloggers Mona B. Her channel has been a go-to of mine for a while now for many different reasons, so I was beyond ecstatic when she agreed to do an honest review of our Skatsz beanie.  Check it out below

I’ve also attached her (Mona B) social media accounts below. She has several videos about makeup, natural hair styles & plenty more on her channel & her social media account. You’re welcome 🙂

Instagram: http://instagram.com/eyesonmyprize
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eyesonmyprize
Blog: http://www.eyesonmyprize.com

Let me know what you guys think of the review in the comment section below.

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