FORM Beauty on 4C Natural Hair

FORM Beauty is the new kid on the block of natural hair products. Black owned by Tristan Walker, FORM gives you a personal guide for what products will work with your hair. To be honest, there’s only about ten products on the lineup and the change between hair textures is usually what shampoo or conditioner they suggest. The styling products are the same for everyone, only dependent on if you style your hair with heat or not. This is a review based on type 4C natural hair.

I’m pretty lazy when it comes to my hair. I don’t want to spend anymore than an hour doing it, whether it’s styling or washing. I want it done as quick as possible. So I stretch washing and styling my hair out. The bottom line is there are no avoiding have to take steps to do Type 4 hair. But I can minimize what I need to do daily to walk out the house looking cute while keeping my hair healthy. I wash my hair then lightly moisturize and twist it to rock a headwrap for however long I feel like it. Then re-dampen and further moisturize to braid it down for cornrows that will lay flat under a wig. This is not necessary, I just like to wear wigs and this allows me to stretch and style my hair at the same time. Then when I’m ready to rock my real hair out, take out the braids, and style it, typically into a bantu knot out. It works great for me, because it allows me to do several get up and go styles over the course of week while keeping my hair in moisturized + healthy state.

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Ten Black Women Owned Product Lines for All Types of Natural Hair

With the recent fallout over the Shea Moisture advertising campaign and then their support of a man who makes a living pushing out anti-Black woman messages, many have been looking to support other natural hair care companies. We all have our opinions on what is or isn’t wrong with the Shea Moisture campaign, but one thing that’s often overlooked in the natural hair community, is how many of the brands are not just Black owned, but actually owned by Black women. Take for instance Cantu, which does a great job hiring Black women but is owned by white people. The average consumer wouldn’t know this because there’s no talk of who owns the brand unless you work directly with them. Same for As I Am founded by the same man who owns KeraCare under the Avlon Umbrella, Dr. Ali N. Syed.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but let us be clear here, Black women are still far behind in profiting from the industry they self-sustain. What these other companies are really doing differently than Shea Moisture is simply packaging their products in different bottles for different audiences.

Here’s a list of Black women owned natural hair care lines, with many of them expanding into the body care industry.

  1. Koils By Nature
  2. My Honey Child
  3. EdenBodyWorks
  4. Alikay Naturals
  5. Camille Rose
  6. Oyin Handmade
  7. Thank God I’m Natural (TGIN)
  8. Obia Naturals
  9. Qhemet Biologics
  10. The Mane Choice

A good rule of them in figuring out who actually owns the company: if a Black woman owns the brand you will have problem finding her name + picture on the website or social media accounts. A Black woman owning a brand is definitely a selling point that will be noted.

Some of our favorite products for Type 4 natural hair and more specifically 4C Natural Hair that is so often left out of the conversation are:

Need a guide for your type 4 natural hair, pick up our $5 e-book the GUIDE FOR THE EXTRA-KINKY-COILY GIRL| 4C+ NATURAL HAIR GUIDE.

How To Look Very Rich in Wigs Under $30

Instagram and YouTube can easily have you feeling like you need 4 bundles of Malaysian, Russian, Brazilian, Mongolian wet and wavy with the full frontal that can easily run you upwards of $300. But never fear for those on a budget, budget weaves and wigs that you can run to your local beauty supply store and pick up – are still very much in style. Thanks to PeakMill, she shows some quick and easy tips to make your $15 wig look very rich. Click the video above to catch those great tips and scroll down below for some of our favorite budget wigs.

A few more wigs for you to get your rich on with:

  • Kinky straight is in because it’s super versatile and there’s plenty to chose from with Outre having several kinky straight synthetic wigs, choose the Tess or Neesha.


Bobbi Boss Bomba Senegal Faux Locs Review

I recently self installed (crocheted) the Bobbi Boss Senegal Faux Locs and I am in LOVE. These are the skinniest pre-looped (crochet) faux locs that Bobbi Boss has to offer. The look is everything and the hair was very easy to install. I used the same braid pattern that BeautyCanBraid uses in her crochet tutorials, to give it a more natural look if I decide to wear my faux locs up in a ponytail. I cannot live the house with getting compliments!

Here are all the details:
12 packs
Colors 1, 1b, 2 (4 of each color)
20″
Purchased from ElevateStyles.com

I would STRONGLY suggest doing an ACV rinse on the hair prior to installing, this will reduce itchy scalp and soften the locs themselves as they are a bit stiff/hard out of the pack. You can also dip them in hot water after install to add some texture to the hair and allow them to look more natural.

To moisturize my hair before install I used MyHoneyChild Honey Love Moisturizer with Koils By Nature Herbal Soothing Gel, keeps my hair soft for weeks on end. And to take care of my scalp will in the crocheted style I use Carol’s Daughter Honey Mimosa Clarifying Treatment. This combination has helped my hair to grow and for my scalp to stay healthy.

The Basics for Naturals: Must Have Accessories and Tools for Curls and Kinks

Curly hair is absolutely stunning when left in its natural state as well as when it’s styled, but let’s face it, it takes a lot of maintenance to get our hair looking good. Understanding what works for your hair can take years of experimentation, trial and error, and lots of off days, but when we discover the right products, hairstyles and tools that make our curly or kinky hair look so fabulous, the blood, sweat and tears are all worth it.

Black Hair Kitchen has explored all the weaves, dyes and products to help you achieve that cover girl look you deserve, but here, let’s take a look at some of the basic accessories you need to look stylish and treat that mane with the respect it deserves.

1) A wide-toothed comb
It’s common knowledge that anyone with curly hair should avoid using regular combs since they tend to destroy the form of the curl and actually damage the locks. Thus, many opt to finger comb to get rid of the knots, although beauty professionals have suggested to use a wide-toothed comb instead since it’s more efficient than your fingers, and at the same time, it doesn’t cause any hair breakage.

2) A variety of scarves
On those lazy days when you don’t feel like doing much with your hair, it’s useful to have some scarves on hand to keep those frizzies out of your face and pineapple your hair. They are also great for the gym and any occasion when you want to add something extra special to your overall appearance. Stylists from the leading fashion aggregator Lyst document on their homepage that lightweight scarves are a summer essential, which is perfect for keeping your hair and outfit on trend this season.

3) Salon hair clips
Regular clips and headbands may get the job done when dividing your hair into sections to style it, but with the amount of effort required for curly and kinky hair care, it’s only fitting that you use salon quality tools for the best possible outcome. Salon hair clips are a necessary investment when you want to diffuse, straighten, and style your hair right.

What tools would you recommend?

The 4C Natural Hair Guide | For the Extra Kinky Coily Girl

Maybe you’ve noticed the pop up when you load the site, or the advert in the sidebar, cause we want to make sure every Extra Kinky Coily lady knows about the 4C Natural Hair Guide we’ve dropped for one of the most overlooked segments of the natural hair community. The Guide for the Extra-Kinky-Coily Girl Who Thought Baby Hairs & Sleek Updos Would Spring Forth is a quick and easy manual for the woman that want’s to be cute, express her style through her hair and not have it consume her. The guide helps you to find the best way to keep your hair stylish and healthy while fitting it into your unique lifestyle. 

For just $5 you can get your own PDF copy. It’s beautifully illustrated and full of tips to help you. Prefer a hard copy, you can hold in your hands? The 4C Natural Hair Guide is also available on Amazon.com.

Grab your copy today! If you’ve already purchased it, leave a review in the comments down below!

FYI if you have any download issues, simply reply to the emailed receipt or use the Contact page to email us.

Remineralizing Tooth(paste) Powder for Cavities.

Here’s something a little different. Last year when I went to the dentist I was told that I have five, yes FIVE cavities. I had the dentist blow up my whole x-ray so I could see the exact teeth where he was claiming I had cavities, and I couldn’t see it. So I went on my mary way, vowing to floss more, eat less sugar and to use remineralizing toothpaste to help heal my teeth in case there was any truth to what the dentist told me. Last month I went to the dentist and no cavities were spotted!

I’m not saying this is 100% the cure, but overall using this with oil pulling and coconut coal cleansing I saw a visible improvement in my teeth. Here’s the quick recipe courtesy of Wellness Mama for you to use. All ingredients are available on Amazon.com

Simply mix all the ingredients together and you are good to go. A few tips:

  • Use a plastic or wooden spoon with the bentonite clay as it reacts to metal, making it difficult to mix.
  • Store in small containers. You use by simply dipping your wet toothbrush in the mix. This will cause clumping, so smaller batches prevents waste.
  • This recipe for one person will last for about 6 months! And the shelf life on this is very long as there is no liquid in it.

Happy teeth and happy dentist visits!

All The Details on Getting My Hair Braided in Ghana

I am absolutely obsessed with my current braids, well really twists. I never want to take them out! So here’s all the details on my hair braiding experience in Ghana, from a very American perspective.

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I got my hair braided three times over the course of seven weeks that I was in Ghana. The first time I did it the very local way, when our host family called their braiding girl to the house to braid my hair. I wanted to get the same style that I had done in Johannesburg, South Africa and so I made sure to bring more than enough of my favorite purple ombre marley hair in the jumbo packs, packing twelve packs of washed Femi marley hair in my luggage. DSC03884I was left at the house by myself with the house lady, Atta, and the young woman who braided my hair. Neither of them were very comfortable speaking English and Atta insisted on brushing out the marley hair. NEVER brush out marley hair, it is a total waste of the hair. The most you can and should do is pull it slightly apart from the lock it’s formed in so it’s easier to manipulate and braid/twist into form. I lost over a whole pack of $10 hair with Atta’s brushing and then didn’t have enough hair to complete the style correctly, so it ended up being thin. I was ready to swear off Ghana braiders cause the Zimbabwean ladies in JoBurg did 200x better. But let’s not get xenophobic over braids.

I keep those twists in for about two weeks. I wasn’t happy with the style and I wanted to save the marley hair I had left to repurpose it for something better. I’m not letting them waste my coins like that. Fortunately I only paid 65cedi, which is about $18USD. So meh on that and thank you to Amma for then putting me on to Aunty Alice Braiding School!

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Located in the Tse Addo neighborhood of Accra, by Trade Fair and behind Zenith College, Aunty Alice is a godsend. She employs a lot of young woman and teaches them a trade that they can take on for themselves and establish their own businesses. I got my hair braided here twice and loved the experience both times.

IMG_2635First go around, I decided to try a style I would never get done in the States, because I don’t have money to blow if I don’t like the style but that cedi to dollar conversion had me feeling myself. So I opted for the two double cornrows look. I have no clue what the official name of this style is called, and I had to Google a good bit to find two different looks that I wanted combined to get this and the girls at Aunty Alice’s nailed it!

I would HIGHLY recommend to bring your own hair care products whenever you travel outside of the States. I brought my moisturizer but totally forgot my fav deep conditioner and I had them co-wash my hair at the shop. Hot water is a luxury (because dumsor is a constant) so my hair was washed with cold water. Took a minute to get use to but the girl did such a great job massaging my scalp that it was quite a pleasurable experience. I detangled and blow dried my hair, cause I luh my edges and the natural hair scene in Ghana is a nope (more on that later). And then they styled my hair meticulously. Aunty Alice comes by and checks everyone’s hair, setting the price upon review and correcting them if she sees any flaws. All together with buying my hair through them, the wash and braiding was $65 cedi, again about $18usd.

I kept that style in for about three weeks, then rocked my real hair for another week or so and I plotted to go back right before I returned to the states. This go round I washed my hair at a friend’s house cause the US Embassy houses are all praises to Jah, hot running water and trash collection. Plus she had the products that I needed to wash my hair. I don’t think I would have been able to get my braids in for as long as I have if I had to use the products at the salon, which dried out my hair. We arrived at the shop by 7am on a Monday and they were already busy. I got the twists that I currently have in my hair and it took about 7 hours to complete, but they were precise in their braiding all the way down to the tip. Even as I was getting my hair done, women were stopping in amazement promising to get my style the next time they come in. I simply showed them a picture of Tupo1 and they blessed my hair with this style I never want to let go of.

IMG_3124The quick run down

You can contact Aunty Alice’s Salon at +233 27-741-5396 or +233 24-360-1675. Her shop does show up on Google Maps as “Alice Skills Training and Braiding Centre” on 2nd Oshie Rd in Osu but that location is CLOSED though the phone number still works.

Winter Hair Restoration With Jamaican Black Castor Oil

As we know the winter weather is the roughest season for natural hair. Too afraid to walk outside with wet hair in fear I might catch pneumonia. Already struggling with identifying how to keep moisture in my hair, thus week after week I see my luscious hair shedding and me saying to myself “oh, that’s normal.”
A week after I finally committed to doing better for my hair and resolving that I’m going to grow my TWA out, I feel through my hair only to realize my stress spot has completely thinned out. Just when the rest of my hair is getting long enough to attempt braids or a braid down for sew in, I find a 2”x 1” area of short thinned out hair. The struggle is real, and the mission is on and popping to get my hair back. The 1st thing I grabbed for is my $7 bottle of Jamaican Black Castor Oil, not because I love Jamaican food, music, and men, Oh No! But it has many great properties including making hair softer, improving hair health by promoting well-conditioned and moisturized hair and scalp, and increases hair growth and thickness of hair. Day and night I rub it in my hair and have seen a noticeable difference in the softness of my hair.

Pic8A full hair line that has incorporated the wonderfully known secret of Jamaican Black Castor Oil, is the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Line. The 6 products include The Strengthen Grow & Restorative:
• Shampoo
• Treatment Masque
• Leave-In Conditioner
• Edge Treatment
• Hair Serum
• Styling Lotion
Pic6This line covers all hair types, whether all natural, chemically treated, or transitioning, and any which may have been fried and dyed. This product lines many other components aid in balancing scalp pH, clarifying the scalp, stimulating its circulation, infusing moisture into hair and scalp, etc.

Check out this video: Fluffy Curls w/ SM JBCO Line with the amazing results using the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black  Castor Oil Line.

For all you ladies and gents share your story. Have you tried  Jamaican Black Castor Oil or The Shea Moisture  Jamaican Black Castor Oil Line, what were your thoughts and results?

Stay Beautiful Inside and Out

#JBCO #SheaMoistureJBCOLine #thinhair #hairgrowth #hairhealth

Is Silver Gray Weave Still a Trend in 2016?

In a day in age where many women are accepting their natural beauty, many still run to the store to cover and hide this sign of aging, GRAYING Hair. However, with in the past few months we’ve noticed that the Silver/Gray weave sensation has taken off in popularity. How do you ladies feel about this trand?  What do you feel are some of the best ways to style silver/gray weave? What brands do you all particularly like and what steps do you all take to elevate this color in class? #BHKChat #silverweave #grayweave #greyweave

 

MyInvisibleChyrsalis shares her successes and fails in styling her Brazilian Silver/Gray ombre wig by WowAfrican. This unit is a classy and affordable  way to rock this natural hair color. In her details she also includes a further description of the wig and discounts that can be used, which I Love.

FabbulousC TV showcases another beautiful unit from the Janet Jackson collection. The one plus to this wig is that the wig already comes with a natural looking part, so all that is needed is application of so concealer to add to the natural part. She also shows how she styled the wig to her liking.

MissChrissyJaye  is rocking the Freetress “Chrome”, I like how she mentions that this wig also contains purple hues so that is one thing to be careful about if that’s not what you are looking for. She also mentions various sites for you beauties to be able to purchase this affordable style.

Crystal Michelle is featuring a big hair kinky style from Beshe. The part for this unit is not as natural, so it does call for a little tweezing. Although she simply applied concealer to the part and  the created an ombre effect by coloring it in with a black marker.