Monday 27 June 2016

Capital Naturals (Natural Hair Meetup!!) May


I made sure I set a reminder on my phone as soon as the new date for the next meetup got out. Saturday morning came and my alarm went off to remind me of the meetup.I was up early, did all i had to, dolled up and went to my friend house which was close to the venue early enough so i wouldn't have any excuse (i.e laziness) to miss this meetup. Last meetup i attended was in 2013 (wayyy too long ago). This was my 2nd Meetup.
My hair in 4 separate braids (ignore my shininess)
I had washed my hair the previous day and wore it in 4 separate three-strand braids under a scarf to my friend's house. I found a style on YouTube (MariaAntoinetteTV) and decided to try it out. It took us forever ('bout 45mins to 1 hour) but we were eventually able to create our own version of the style with a pack of bobby pins. I loved the result and eventually wore the style from Sat till Tuesday.
Bobby Pins (The Star of my Hairdo)


I dragged my friend along with me for the meetup and we were latecomers *coversface* We had a food coma and it took us a few attempts before we could ginger ourselves to stroll down to the Venue.We got there at around 3:50pm after severalll selfies 'cos we were feeling ourselves.
Selfie Queens
Sadly we missed Kenneth Kolo's talk on Urban Agriculture & Nkechi (CEO of Keeks) talk on Stress and its effect on your Health & Hair and how to manage it.

We got there while the owner of Cocoterra Naturals was rounding up her talk, i got to catch the end part about nutrition and being a confident naturalista.
I bought a bottle of Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil (118ml=4oz) from the Lumo Naturals Stand at N3,500. It's been on my 'To Buy' list forever!
Natmane gave a talk on Hair loss and it was very informative and there was an interactive Q& A session after that. She's a Certified Trichologist so if u have any hair issues please book a consultation with her. It costs N5,000 for now, better hurry oo before she turn hot cake then we will be on 1 year waiting list to get an appointment with her. Don't say i didn't tell you.
Even me i dey go do consultation, i have some traction alopecia on my hairline plus i want to know if there's any supplements my body needs and only a certified professional can give you accurate answers after analysing your hair/scalp.
NatMane speaking (Hair strands magnified on the Projector)
I liked Natural Nigerian a.k.a NN's brief talk with statistics on our monetary influence in the Hair industry/market and buying Nigerian which will help promote research, improvement on product output, packaging and more. I agree with her although i have a caveat- Buy Nigerian from authentic people who use genuine materials like 'Natural Nigerian' and who have a true love and pride for their trade/craft and are not out to just extort us. Such business 100% deserve our support, motivation and patronage.
Looking forward to Natural Nigerian's new products! Hope it arrives in Abuja soonest. I currently use her hemp seed oil and love it so i have high hopes for her new products.
NN is CamShy
Igbo Curls (Chinwe Juliet) was up next,it was the 1st time i was hearing about her and she's got quite a chirpy/cheerful persona, it was infectious. She complemented my hairdo, u shoulda seen me just blushing anyhow.lol. I wasn't even sure the compliment was for me, i jejely codedly looked back to confirm i was the only one with coiffs.
I quickly went to stalk/follow her IG page and Blog and subscribed to her YouTube Channel. She is truly gifted at styling and she invented 'Volume Checks'. I got to see her style the hair of a participant as she gave us tips on how to avoid tangled ends, hair styling n tools, right was to use a bobby pin (shorter curved side slides into the hair facing downwards), etc.
Igbo Curls doing her thing. Don't u just love her big full hair (Its Waistlength!)
My friend was happy i brought her with me, she liked the interactive setting of the meetup and confessed she learnt some new things.
I asked NN why they don't have as many meetups in Abuja as they do in Lagos and she explained that getting a conducive and easily accessible venue at an affordable price was the major challenge. I totally understand, Abuja can get wahala sha. I hope they are able to get a good location eventually so meetups can be more constant and on a schedule. So biko if you have a nice, easily accessible place we can have meetups or good suggestions that won't break the bank, please drop a comment. Taink you.
All in all it was a lovely crowd and I had a good time. Enjoy the pics from the meetup.
isn't she adorable!



Here are a couple of the things I learnt:
  • Better ways to care for your hair
  • Protective styling can cause damage if/when abused
  • Hormones and their effect on Hair growth
  • Different types of Hair loss and their causes
  • Different Treatments for Hairloss
  • Castor Oil doesn't cure everything
  • How to Style your hair
  • How to avoid tangled ends (twirl ur ends together in one direction after twisting/braiding,etc. and tuck in)
  • How to use bobby pins (the shorter end goes in the hair)
  • Managing stress
  • Scalp stimulation promotes blood circulation which in turn promotes hair growth (you can use peppermint or rosemary oil and massage for stimulation)
  • Your hair can inform a professional of nutrients your body lacks and supplements it needs
  • You should go to a Certified Trichologist to diagnose and treat your hair related problems
Hubby also loved my hairdo which was motivated by the meetup. With this economy of price hike for fuel/tomato/rice/exchange rate, i go just dey rock my hair dey go abeg. I cannot come and go and quench.lol. God knows how much i don save  as i neva go salon in a while. I wore my hair from Saturday till Tuesday (Monday & Tuesday was our 2nd year anniversary).
Tuesday (Wedding Anniversary)
Monday (Wedding Anniversary)
I also had fun with numerous Snapchat filters making me feel like some type of Greek goddess amongst other things!
Crown of Stars
Mask Twinning with my NACK tee
Garland of flowers 
In the Woods looking for Tarzan
Strawberry Makeup
100 years old, Goofy with Great Black hair! LOL
Island babe chilling in za shade
u alrdy know i love this filter
Bahddest Country Gyal
Check out my current hair regimen and Wig Newbie post. I'm DIY all the way! (for now sha...lol)
As always i enjoyed a socializing, enlightening and rewarding time! The meetup had a mixed crowd of those with natural hair, relaxed hair, weaves, braids, and transitioners so please know that everyone is welcome, at the end of the day the aim is to teach us the best way to approach our hair, skin, nutrition and ultimately live a better life.
UPDATE: Next Meetup is Saturday, August 6th 2016.
Toodles!XooX

Sunday 19 June 2016

Happy Father's Day!


Toodles!XooX