stylespiration...

Heya!

So my hair is currently in a protective style. It's such a long time since I put my hair away- honestly I know I'm gonna miss my fro.

I kinda had fun with these styles...

I twisted my hair on wash day. I unraveled the next day and styled. No combing or brushing. All I did was roll n tuck.

Cute and chic!

 I used a dreadlock extenon to make this bun. I didn't lay my edges because I wanted to achieve a blended look.  Aaand course you can never go wrong with a bit of accessories.

I used the same hair extensions for the protective style I currently have. Play around to switch things up and add a bit of accessories for some pop to your styles.

 Have you been creative with your hair lately?

Follow and subscribe to my  blog and show a gal some love by liking this post and sharing...After all sharing is caring!



Keep the Magic...Stay Natural    

                                                       
                                             
 

new blog name...

Hi everyone!

Recently I've been toying with thé idea of à new blog name.
Just thé other day I was thinking about how far I've come. I'm growing and I want my blog to reflect that side of me. Since I started blogging  I've become aware of myself on a much deeper level. I certainly have blossomed in all areas of my life. Blogging is becoming part of my lifelong learning process and because of this I decided to changé thé name of my blog.

Magicalmessymerls will now be Magicalmessyme - nothing drastic still keeping it simple. When I started out I gavé no thought when choosing à name. Adding my name to it just seemed right. By doing so it became me, mine...
But its not about me- its about you! You matter, you are important.

 Seriously- I have you in mind everytime I buy products, when I try out new concoctions it's for you.  From selfies to #ootd...All I blog for is to share my opinions and experiences with you.
So thank you all for your continious support and no worries all my média channels will be updated - you don't have to do a thing!

What's your thoughts on thé name changé?

Keep thé Magic Stay Natural

Mother's day is hard...

Hey there!

It's now five years and the pain still punches me in the guts. The randomness with which it strikes...
I miss my mom especially on Mother's day.

Mothers day is painful. Some of us don't have mothers to send cards to anymore. Some of us have strained family relationships. This could be à day of tension with your own kids-  And others have lost children- :( There are many who want nothing more than to be mothers, but are not able to.

Today we celebrate "honorary" mothers too- women who work with children in church and as a career. Even honoring those women who are foster mothers, adoptive mothers or who are struggling with infertility...

Thé Bible tells us to weep with them that weep, but it also tells us to rejoice with them who rejoice.

So count your blessings and know that we as women are walking in purpose and victory. No matter thé  circumstances we are overcomers!

Happy Mother's day!
Xoxo...

quick random tip...

Hello everyone!

My hair loves coconut oil and castor oil. When I purchased hair products before -  I use to look for it in the ingredients list. Now I don't bother because I make sure that I always have these oils...always.

All I do is just add a few drops to my conditioners especially the ones that don't have crazy slip.I do the same with Aloe Vera.

I do this because I've noticed that in most hair care products, the good ingredients are not listed towards the top. This for me means that they probably don't contain enough to be effective.
 This has curbed my impulse buying and saved me on some moola too!
Hope you found this tip helpful.

Keep the Magic and Stay Natural...

just two hairstyles...

Hi everyone!
 

Here are two styles I did  during the week.

Wash n go's are now one of my staple styles. They are  low maintenance and also kinda quick. I usually baggy at night bare-  meaning I don't apply no products. Because I don't use products, my hair is never wet in the AM. It's just soft and moisturised.

/.....

.

Puffs

.

. puffs

.....

.PuFfs

Two puffs-  they are sooo cute! I do these when my wng is starting to look dull. All I used are two hair bands. You can't go wrong with this one, it's a keeper!

 So that's it- take it easy Aaand-
Keep the Magic - Stay Natural!

Some Hairstyles...

Hi there curlies!

I've been playing around with different hairstyles lately and totally enjoying it too!

I'm all for simplicity...

                                          I slicked the sides with a little gel.

Tuck n roll updos are becoming my favourites.

I love the fro- hawk...

For all of these hairstyles I used bobby pins.

And that's it;

Enjoy the rest of your long weekend friends! 

Keep the Magic Stay Natural...

Winter proof your hair...

Hey there curlfriends!

The drop in temperature brings with it a whole set of challenges when it comes to our hair and skin. Seriously, I never had to think about a Winter routine, until I returned to natural. Its a learning process- But don't freak out because a few tweaks to your current regimen is all you need to guard your crown.

Here are some tips of mine to help you Winter proof your hair:)

Pre-poo always to prevent your hair from being stripped from the shampoo.
 Shampoo less frequently ( if you can) and deep condition every time afterwards to retain moisture.
Try co-washing more as well.

 Avoid shampoos with sulphates - Or dilute your sulphate shampoo with half water. Another alternative is to add a few drops of oils to the shampoo. Make your own  sulphate free shampoo using African Black Soap.

Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! I use the LOC method religiously during this time of year because my hair gets extremely dry.

If your hair is like mine- thick, dry and thirsty then use a moisture rich conditioner.

Get a trim to eradicate split ends.

The benefits of trimming are fuller, healthier ends and less breakage.

Do oil massages to reduce dryness and prevent hairfall. I love coconut oil. I warm the oil before I apply it to my scalp then I massage. Don't go crazy with this one or else you will have to shampoo more often.

Hair that is coloured requires more attention during this season.

Include a hair mask and try not to use blowdryers because they can dry your scalp resulting in dandruff...

           
Check out your hair products to make sure it doesn't contain a high content of alcohol.

Pack away the glycerin- (this is one of my staples) During the colder months there is little moisture in the air and glycerin could have drying effects,  leaving your hair hard and dry...

I take extra care of my ends as they are the oldest part of my hair.   
   

Try a protective style- to protect your ends from breakage and over exposure to the harsh elements.
 

Two strand twists, buns, braids and updos are some protective styles to try out and still look cute.

And of course drink lots of water...
 Lastly- I've reduced the number of times I do ayurvedic treatments because they tend to be drying.

Good luck in your natural hair journey and remember to like, follow or share this post if you found it helpful.

Follow me for more hair tips and tricks here.
Let's chat- what's your Winter routine?

Keep the Magic and stay Natural...

Tresemme Naturals review

Hello again!

Any curly girl understands that conditioner is the one product that we run through like crazy. I buy all types of conditioners and I always make sure that I never ever run out...ever. So I've been using Tresemme conditioners since I started my hair journey and it treated my hair very well. I decided to try out the silicone free one with sweet orange extract.

   It has no dyes, is hypoallergenic, silicone free and safe for color treated hair.

What it does:)
After just one use your hair will be 10x stronger.
Protects all hair types from breakage and damage.
I use it to co- wash, to pre- poo and as a rinse out mostly.
         

The texture is not too thick.

Likes
Silicone free
I like the light creamy texture
Comes in a big bottle
Use it for multiple purposes
Rinses out easily
Safe for color treated hair

Dislikes
I always add a bit of oils in it when I detangle because it doesn't have crazy slip.
The smell - it could of been more fruity...

My take:)
It moisturizers my hair lightly- but with my thick, thirsty hair,  lightly just doesn't do it.
 I mostly use it as a rinse out because it's not moisturising enough as a leave in for my hair.
I have used various types of inexpensive conditioners that performs way better than this one. The results are not overwhelming for me...sorry Tresemme Naturals. My hair is not fussy- my other conditioners are all not silicone free... Im a no fuss kinda curly.
But it's a good conditioner and I recommend this product to curly and kinky- haired girls who are looking for a cone- free conditioner that can do some decent co-washing.

Thanks for stopping by. Remember to show some love by liking and sharing! Follow and connect with me on my hair journey for more hairspiration.

Until next time - Stay Magical

Diy African Black Soap ( sulphate free ) shampoo*

Hey there curlies!

Don't you just love a product that is budget friendly, has multi usage benefits... Aaand... works ridiculously well too?
African Black soap happens to be one of those- I've been using this soap for about a year. My hair never feels stripped or crunchy but clean and moisturised(?)  No shampoo has ever left my hair moisturised before.
African black soap has some healing properties and is antifungal. Its known to help with scalp and skin conditions such as eczema, dandruff, psoriasis and other irritations you may have going on up there. As you know- getting rid  of scalp issues helps promote a healthy environment for your hair to grow.

I have a soft spot for this soap because it's all natural I can never go wrong with that. My staple is ABS; it's cheaper and more effective than experimenting with other shampoos.

 Anyways let's get on with it- 

Here's what I used:)
Black Soap pictured above
11/2 cups of water
 glycerine
 honey
 my oil mix containing almond, avo and grapeseed oil
castor oil
1 stick of cinnamon
Essential oils - ylang ylang and rosemary
You can use whatever oils and essential oils of your choice.

Customise and adjust this recipe according to your preference. I didn't use any precise measurements. Go ahead feel free to play around with the mix.

How to make it:)
I boiled the kettle
I cut up about a quarter of the the soap
Grated the soap then put it in a container
Then poured the hot water into the container with the soap
Slowly I  stirred the mixture
When cooled I added my oils-
Thereafter honey and glycerine
Then my essential oils- ylang ylang and rosemary- about 8 drops each.
 After an hour or so  I poured the shampoo into my spray bottle, adding in the cinnamon stick.
The extra ingredients add a moisturising effect to make it more suitable for the needs of my hair and for everyday use. I store mine in the fridge for safekeeping. So there you have it your very own sulphate free shampoo!

Check out all that wonderful goodness in this soap- Shea butter! Whooa... Its all natural ingredients with no preservatives. I love what it does for the skin too.

My hair clumps better with this soap and it lathers very well. It detangles, clarifies, moisturises and softens my coils.

Don't be fooled by how watery it is -this shampoo gets the job done!
Have you tried ABS? Let me know how you make yours - And drop a comment or like if you found this post helpful.
Connect with me on Instagram for more hairspiration.

Stay Magical

New updo

Hi all!

So I needed something fresh and new concerning hairstyles. Experimented a little yesterday and I came up with this one for you-
Check it out:)

Start off on dry stretched hair.
Make a side path. Two strand twist and pin.
Do the same on other side then gently unravel but not completely and pin. This gives a swiss roll look.

Do the same at the back -roll, tuck and pin. You got to have a gentle hand not pulling because this gives a puffy, big kinda look to the style.

I use to really hate my spongo( forehead). All my life I thought it looked like a half a loaf...seriously!  Anyways you can accessorise if you want to spruce it up a little more. I used  my favourite cute clip with an attachment of a bow.

Hope this style inspires you if you feeling a little blah with your hair. It took me less than 5 minutes to do.
Stay tuned for more styles! And show some love by liking this post and share it too...

Until next time- Stay Magical

AfroBotanics deep conditioner review

Hey Curly Naturals

So your editor in chief has asked me to do a review on her blog, before I go into that let me introduce myself. 

My name is Nidia blogger of SA Curly Girl. I have been natural since 2013 and I have 3C low porous hair.

My review is on the Afrobotanics
Amina deep penetrating moisturising conditioner.

 I stumbled upon it when I was deciding what my hair treat would be, I took a whiff of it and it has that "this product is expensive and it will work" smell. The price on the shelf said R71.95 but at the till it scanned at R89.95 the shelf price was honoured but I have prepared myself to pay that price once this gem is finished. Through my research I have found that it is a true gem and really great for low porosity girls as many of the ingredients help retain moisture.

Anyway back to the product.

Size: 500ml
Who stocks it: Clicks
Price: R71.95 - R89.95 (or double check the at the till)
The conditioner is a double duty product you can use it as a normal conditioner or a deep conditioning treatment.

The conditioner is 98% natural yep 98 %
The first 5 ingredients is a true reflection of what a product actually contains and how effective it actually is and here is the list of the first 5 ingredient (and there after what other goody goodness the conditioner container)

Coconut oil
Castor oil (good for low porosity hair)
Cyprus Esculentus Root oil (this oil is also called Tiger nut oil or Chufa oil it is high in vitamin E and oelic acid. The root consists of 20-36% oil which makes it a great alternative for biofuel.)
Shea butter
Meadowfoam seed oil (is known for making hair shinier and fuller, reducing scalp dryness and best of all retaining moisture, another one for the low porosity girls)

Olive oil
Avocado oil
Pro Vitamin B5
Vegetable glycerin (another good on for low porosity)
Wheat Bran extract (its high in Vitamin E and also helps retain moisture yet another one for the low porosity girls)
Honey (another good one for the low porosity),

The conditioner does live up to its name by being deep penetrating and moisturising considering the ingredients just listed.

The first time I tried it was on a late lazy night so I used it as an overnight deep conditioner boy oh boy was I happy by the results.
My hair was soft and light. I've never done a deep conditioner that leaves my hair soft, fluffy and  not weigh it down.

To round it off, I recommend this product hands down especially to low porosity girls as it works wonders and yes the price tag is worth it.

For those that want to connect find me on
Facebook page: SA curly Girl
Twitter : @CurlsOnly
Blog: www.nidiadaniels.wordpress.com

ND ;)