Kurly Kichana

Bye Bye Braidies

2012-01-29T08:46:00.005+03:00

Finally taking my braids out this week....

Thought I'd show em off before I say my goodbyes.

Hope you're all enjoying your weekend.

Kurly Kichana Mail: Wambizy Asks

2012-01-26T09:47:00.004+03:00

I am a newbee but i researched kidogo through your blog before i BCed so not to worry my questions are not too many. And again i really love the blog; this one time when i was still transitioning, was washing my hair then came detangling time and my hair was so tangled then i remembered your hair 'le puff' photo n i grabbed me a pair o scissors n down went my permed hair....i really FREAKED out right after but a couple of months later I'm just over one and a half inches long and I LOOOVVVEE IT!! Everywhere I go guys are like 'wambo your hair is so nice, your hair is so thick' i smile but inside am like mmmmhhh! :)

So here goes the questions:

1. after co-washing, detangling, three-strand twisting and sealing my hair with shea butter n olive oil, when i wear it out after it is completely dry at the end of the day, the ends don't feel as soft as the root of the hair... how can I fix this? and how can i make sure that after the twists are dry, they are as moisturized and as soft as possible?

Hey, what you are doing wrong here is not using a leave in conditioner and moisturiser. The reason for sealing is to lock in moisture, the moisture you should be locking in is a water based moisturiser such as the one in the picture below.Doing this once or twice a day will keep your hair super soft and banging!

Kshs 495

2. recently watched a video of how to do bantu knots, she has type 4c hair n she did them on blow dried hair n she used curl activator. was wondering if its necessary n how it helps? If yes could you kindly recommend a good curl\activator as well as a leave-in conditioner and moisturizer. n also do you know if the bantu knots look as nice on non-blow dried hair. really trying to avoid heat as much as i can.

The reason she blow dried her hair is to show some length and to make sure she can actually knot the hair, bantu knots look good on mid to long hair. When you have a bit of length to your hair, you can easily knot the hair. A good curl activator is ecostyler gel which we have talked about here, here and here. Suave conditioners are great as cowashing conditioners and leave ins, check them out at major Nakumatt stores.Bantu knot outs look great as long as you make sure they are relatively tight and completely dry before you take them down

3.when washing hair with ACV, do you simply just pour it in and rub the scalp gently ama? and also how do you wash hair with backing soda? and can both methods be substitute to co-washing as often as i like?

Please see the answers to this here and here, we have covered it in the archives which can be found here

All the best with your hair Wambizy, gotta love the name. Keep in touch and let us know how your hairs hanging.

Happy Thursday

The Girl With The Red Bicycle

2012-01-23T16:23:00.004+03:00

I am getting myself a red bicycle.

It will have a basket.

Fancy handles.

An ear piercing bell.

A bit of flare and shazzam!

And after that......

I am going to teach myself how to ride a bicycle. Yeah you read that right, I don't know how to ride a bike. BUT! I most definitely will in no time.

I will fall, tumble... and cry at the sight of my own blood.

But it will be worth it

Because soon, I'll be the girl in the pretty sun-dress, red lips, high heels and fresh flowers riding her red bicycle as she pleases.

Enjoy the week lovelies.

PS: Good news, our holiday braids are coming off soon, and you know what that means... The 2012 Hair Challenge begins.

Kurly Kichana Abs on Abs on Abs Challenge!

2012-01-19T15:53:00.003+03:00

After racking our brains trying to figure out how to creative an interactive playground for our Ab challenge, Maria a loyal follower suggested the following

MariaJan 19, 2012 03:11 AM

Better yet, create a Kurly Kichana group on http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups

So that you don't have to manage stats by email.

I'll be the first to join!

We have since launched the group which you an find here,

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/2536-kurly-kichana-2012-abs-challenge.

Through myfitnesspal, you can log in how many calories you have eaten, log in your measurements and track progress and through the group we can chat on recipes, struggles and victories!

We are both logged on with our names, so please make sure to add us as friends and join the group. For inspiration, please do not forget to check out our tumblr page http://kurlsontherun.tumblr.com/

Happy Thursday!

Challenge time!

2012-01-17T10:49:00.006+03:00

Source

Our beloved followers have decided to challenge us, we throw it right back to them! This post , has sparked a lot of motivation in the comments!

Mary's New Years resolution involves the attainment of Abs, those famed muscles that require so much work to get. Through this resolution, Kurly Kichana has decided to come up with a Challenge that will involve a lot of working out of both body and hair.

How shall we go about this?

Firstly sit down and write down what you would like to achieve. In this case,

Mary would like rock hard abs
Nyachomba would be happy with firm, toned thighs!

Secondly, How will you go about this? There are a few options here.

Mary has to up her cardio, eat food that helps attain flat abs, work on getting her body fat percentage low so that her abs have a chance to shine, work her transverse abs and obliques by doing a variety of abdominal exercises

Cardio will become Nyachomba's best friend as well lots of squats and lunges and adding these moves to her workouts

We shall both have to come up with strict schedules of 5-6 workouts a week of no less than 40mins as well as a great eating plan, see this post. We shall also have to choose whether we shall pay dreaded gym memberships or work out in the comfort of our living rooms.

Thirdly, Take before measurements or pictures. Monitoring progress is essential to this challenge. We would like to share our measurements, and wait for it, we would love if you guys can send in pictures/measurements as well. We promise not to misuse your photos, however we could use them to motivate others

Here's the Plan!

Take before measurements/pictures
Come up with a goal; Lose 10lbs before Valentines Day, Fit into that LBD thats been hanging in your wardrobe for 3 years, Do more push ups than your boyfriend can. Goals will keep you motivated and on track to progress.
Create a workout schedule that you know you can stick to and pin it up on your wall and even use this as your desktop background
Monitor your daily food intake by writing it down in a notebook or using this app that we both use MyFitnessPal, remember to use this everyday. Calculate you BMR, basal metabolic rate. This will help you figure out how many calories you need a day, to make sure you are losing weight.
WORKOUT!

Rules to join the challenge:

Send us your measurements on kurlykichana@gmail.com, we shall help you track your progress
You can send in weekly updates on the same email, to track progress. We may post these on our tumblr.

We shall do this for the first 6 months of 2012 and then review after this.

Send in any measurements submissions to kurlykichana@gmail.com

Mary's New Year Resolution: No.6

2012-01-16T10:31:00.005+03:00

I confess that I am one of those sops who loves to write new year resolutions - with out fail - every New Years Eve. With my wine and pen in hand, I scribble away with wild determination and promise that this year will be different on whatever surface that is available to me at that time. This year, it was a tear and makeup stained paper napkin, which I still have mind you.. I love it!

the usual...

Sure, I agree that half of the items on my alcohol inspired, self-improvement binges will never come to fruition, but the way that I see it, that list is engraved in my mind, so throughout the year I will try and more often than not fail (miserably at that) at accomplishing my resolutions. As long as I tried right?

So aside from the usual, Floss My Teeth Every Day, Go Rock Climbing, Find a Religious Denomination, Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya (guys, I so need to do this) Knit a Poncho.... yadda yadda, this year, I have one MAJOR task that I need to cross off my list - this specific Resolution ties up with one of my top must-haves for 2012, the ultimate accessory for anyone really, male or female. It won't be easy but hot damn it will be worth it...

Ladies and gents, I present to you No. 6 on Mary's New Year Resolutions 2012; the one thing that makes anything and everything you wear look good....

6. I WILL get Rock. Hard. Abs.

Now, this is only my humble opinion, but frankly, I don't think there's anything sexier than a girl (or boy for that matter) who has killer, defined abdominal muscles. Ladies, if you ask me, it doesn't matter if you are super slim or petite or mad thick and curvy - everyone looks sexier with a tight and defined tummy.

ABZ ABZ ABZ ABZ ABS....

The thing about abs though, is that you really have to work to get them - I'm sure this is no new revelation - but it's a fact that needs repeating.

DON'T:

Most of us think that the road to a decent six pack is paved with doing 200 crunches everyday; not so. Your abdominals are similar to any other muscle in your body (triceps, quads etc) and you MUSTN'T work them out everyday. All your muscles deserve at least a days rest in between works outs, your abs are no exception.

DO:

Another thing I can't stress enough is the need for cardio. A good cardio regimen is actually one of the most important steps to trimming down and building definition around your abdominal region (not to mention the rest of your body). Failure to engage in cardiovascular exercises and over-dependence on crunches and ab exercises might result in you simply gaining muscle under a layer of unwanted fat.

DO:

Eat right, eat clean... get lean! Say no to processed foods, avoid sugar - completely - and go easy on the red meat. I'm officially off empty calories... huzzah for me!

Let's face it, everything you wear will look hella mean with the perfect abs to go with it!

Before I go, I have two questions for you:

1. What are your New Year Resolutions (if any!)

2. What are your thoughts on defined/ toned women? Do you personally find that muscles are sexy or unsightly on a woman? Yay or Nay? I'm dying to know!

Peace out. Happy Monday.X

Kreativ Blogger Award

2012-01-13T08:45:00.010+03:00

Shout out to Onyx Rose for tagging us!

So....

These are the rules for the award:

1. Link back to the person who gave you this award

2. Complete the form below

3. Award 10 other blogs and let them know in a comment or email

4. Share 7 random thoughts about yourself

Our answers:

1. NAME YOUR FAVORITE SONG: Ummm between our ipods we have so much music, its virtually impossible to choose just one.

2. NAME YOUR FAVORITE DESSERT: Chocolate covered Idris Elba

3.WHAT TICKS ME OFF: Internet trolls.

4. WHEN I'M UPSET I: First silence ... followed by a huge explosion of blood red rage.

5. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PET: Mary's dogs!

6. BLACK OR WHITE: Grey

7. BIGGEST FEAR: The inevitable implosion of our solar system's Sun

8. EVERYDAY ATTITUDE: Just chilling!

9. WHAT IS PERFECTION: Ryan Gosling in a vest! or better yet, shirtless

10. GUILTY PLEASURE: Lipsticks, Jillian Michaels workouts, people watching, DC & Marvel comic books

7 Random Things About Us:

We would rather be chilling at home with movies and popcorn than go out into the real world
We are both obsessed with makeup and hardly ever wear it
None of us have ever wanted to have children
Mary is in love with Batman

We both wear glasses

We are quirky, social odd-balls and shockingly shy
Nyachomba would love to be an extra on How I met your mother.

Amazing bloggers I'm tagging:

Alice ; http://aliceinnappyland.blogspot.com/

Curly Natural Me ; http://curly-natural-me.blogspot.com/

Bee ; http://stilettoasassin.blogspot.com/

Maria ; http://furahaproject.blogspot.com/

Imani ; http://afro-belle.blogspot.com/

http://stylifiq.blogspot.com/

Patricia ; http://patriciakihoro.blogspot.com/

Showing love to fellow Kenyan bloggers

Happy Friday :-)

Yes! Nappy rash cream

2012-01-06T10:53:00.003+03:00

In 2012, Kurly Kichana aims to bring you more skincare and product reviews..we shall not keep any secrets from you guys! Starting off, a product that is a household name in baby care; Sudocreme. The product is marketed as a Nappy Rash cream, Yes nappy rash lol! If its good enough for baby's bottom it must be great for my face.

Here is whats its manufacturers say,

Sudocrem’s clinically proven to soothe, heal and protect your baby’s delicate skin and works in three ways:

· A water-repellent base forms a protective barrier, helping to stop any irritants (urine and faeces) coming into contact with the skin.

· It both softens and soothes sore, inflamed skin.

· It has a weak local anaesthetic to help ease pain and irritation.

So what gives Sudocrem its healing properties? Here’s the science bit:

Sudocrem contains:

· hypoallergenic lanolin, to help soothe and soften irritated skin.

· zinc oxide which reduces the loss of tissue fluid.

· benzyl benzoate and benzyl cinnamate which are ingredients of Balsam of Peru, recognised for its healing properties.

· benzyl alcohol, a weak local anaesthetic which eases pain and also acts as a disinfectant/antibacterial agent.

As a protective antiseptic cream, Sudocrem is also helpful in the treatment of other skin conditions. http://www.sudocrem.co.uk/

Scent

The cream has a strong lavender scent, which if your not used to can smell quite medicinal. However this disappears a short while after application

Price

For 125gms, you can buy the cream in Nakumatt or major baby shops for about Kshs 800. It may seem pricey but 125gms could last you at least 6months.

Consistency

It is very thick and sometimes can be difficult to apply, however once applied it sinks into skin very easily. The cream can leave a white cast to the skin especially darker skin tones hence it is best to use it at night and if you must use it during the day, make sure to wait at least 7 mins for it to sink in completely into the skin

How to use

Use the cream every other night to keep your skin spot and blemish free
Use sudocreme as a moisturising face mask, leave it on for 15mins then wash off
Sudocreme on spots or mosquito bites works brilliantly to reduce the inflammation and redness. This is fully tested by the Kurly Kichana team, works a treat
Its also works great for sunburn, minor burns and bruises

Makeup free with cleansed skin and sudocreme applied

Nuerki Stretches Her Hair... Without Heat!

2012-01-05T08:50:00.001+03:00

How To

In her own words :-)

-Okay I prefer to do it on wet/damp hair because my hair is just a no no when it is dry. Depending on the size you want them, you part the hair just like you do for doing big twists/braids but the smaller the part the more it stretches for coilier hair.

-Next you apply shea butter to the strands all the way down so that your hair is not crinkly when it dries

-You cut a long piece of hair thread/yarn and fold it in two then tie a knot at the end.Then hold the base of your hair tightly and start wrapping the thread from there down to the ends.(the knot should be at the bottom)

-Move your hands slowly down the strands as your wrap the thread down the hair so that it stays tight and intact

(Your finished product should be quite stiff and as a result it might stick up on your head.But no worries about that)

- As you get to the end of the strand, wrap the thread closer and closer so that it does not easily unravel if by any chance you tug on it.And then cut any remaining thread.

If it sticks up too much on your head, hold a few finished thread strands together on one side and TIE them together again to the back possibly.Take the remaining threaded strands on the other side and tie them together also.In the end tie both sections together.

C'est tout simple! oh and practice makes perfect obviously xD

Gotta love this girl!!

And the Winners Are.... Drumroll please.

2011-12-22T12:16:00.004+03:00

The Christmas Shea Giveaway Winners Are:

1. Cynthia!

Cynthia said...

Hi! My name is Rita.

Why do I think it is awesome to be a natural in Kenya and Africa?

Due to the westernization of our culture, we women have been led to believe that straight hair is more beautiful than our kinks and coils. And majority of the women have straightened their hair or wear straight weaves. Being a natural makes me different. While everyone is straight, I have a head of unruly kinks and coils. I think that's awesome. And what's even more awesome - any day, I can choose to go straight but for someone who has straight hair they have to chop it all off in order to be a natural like me. Too cool! :-)

December 16, 2011 10:48 AM

2. Mugs Gitau!

Mugs Gitau said...

Hey ladies!

My name is Mugethi Gitau

I am an avid of your blog! I just know without ever trying it that my natural hair will love the shea butter! Been natural 3 months now and have 3 converts so far! :)

I love being natural; my hair is thicker and more lush than ever before! It can do so much more that it could relaxed! Plus its growing so much faster.

I love my haircare regimen almost as much as I love showing it off all dolled up!

And the freedom; I don't have to panic and flee every time it rains!

Plus you know I'll keep coming back for more shea butter!

December 15, 2011 10:48 AM

3. Wambui

wambui said...

my coils and curls do move wen caught up in a breeze...my kinks do no sway wen caught up in the wind..my curls r stubborn js lyk me...thy wnt to be loved n pampered n soothed...my kinks represent me..firm and strong against all bullshit around me...i luv my kinks..my curls..my coils...wambui

December 17, 2011 6:41 PM

Kindly send us your contact details at: kurlykichana@gmail.com

A Special THANK YOU to all those who participated

*****

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Stretch It Out

2011-12-21T11:55:00.004+03:00

Hola! :D

So I just wanted to show you how to do a basic over-night stretch.

Let's get to it then shall we?

STEP 1:

- After having co-washed your hair in twisted sections (personal preference) and after detangling the sections (with loads of slippery conditioner); re-twist the tangle-free sections and rinse out the conditioner like so....

Step 2:

- As soon as your hair is well rinsed, you can undo the individual two-strand twists and replace the sections with three-strand twists (matutas). At this point, I would advise that you add a bit of moisture to the entire length of your hair while paying extra attention to the ends. You can use your home-made spritz or any water based moisturizer of your preference.

- As you can see below, the left section has already been converted to a tighter three strand twist.

- Be sure to seal in the moisture with a natural sealant of your choice... I like to use unrefined shea butter.

- I find that I usually end up doing exactly eight twists/ or braids covering my entire head.

- The re-twists need not necessarily be three-strand twists! I like to do three-strand twists because I have really tight coils, (don't let the pictures fool you, left to its own devices, my hair reverts like you wouldn't believe if left open to dry). For those of you with a looser curl pattern, feel free to stick to two strand twists.

Final Step:

- Relax and unwind as your twists dry naturally. My hair usually needs a minimum of 6 hours to dry. Optimum drying time is double that - the bare minimum usually ends up with damp sections in the middle bits that shrink with a vengeance...

- I slept with mine. Total drying time = 9 hours :(

- In the morning, I grabbed some olive oil and used just a little to undo the twists. Unfortunately they had not dried as much as I would have liked but I didn't mind the end result. A stretched out fro (albeit with some shrinkage)

What do you think?

NB: This is the first step to achieving a banging twist out. Detangling and stretching your hair sets the precedence for doing a twist-and-twist-out (with smaller sized two-strand twists).

You can do a dry-twist out with detangled and stretched hair - less drying time, and fluffier results guaranteed!

I will be sure to to some soon. x

Peace out!

Questions and comments are, as always, more than welcome.

Natural Hair Story: Denisio

2011-12-20T10:19:00.008+03:00

Hello good lookin',

Today we would like to introduce you to a lovely young lady who we met by, errr... chance, so to speak. Remember the post we did on basic hair care; on the onset of reading the post, you are met with an image of a gorgeous young woman bearing a strawberry blonde TWA, bold blue eyeshadow a pink pout and fierce self-confidence. When we were drafting the post, we searched the internet high and low for the perfect image that would depict a woman embracing and rocking her TWA... and needless to say, when we stumbled upon this image, we knew that we had found her.

Flash-forward to a few days and comments later, Nyachomba and I were met by a particularly pleasant surprise! The lady in question had put up a comment saying:

TheStarvingArtist said...
Hey that first picture is me!!!! :-)
December 5, 2011 9:56 PM

Imagine that! Her name is Denisio in case you were wondering.

Denisio was kind enough to share a bit about her life as a natural with us. Enjoy the read everyone, and the amazing images that accompany her story.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself!

28 years old, Photographer, Writer, Amateur Chef, and Vintage Reconstructor

2. How long have you been natural?

I cut my hair in January of this year, although I've gone natural off and one since the age of 19. I've had Locs, Afros, TWA's you name it! I am definitely enjoying the freedom of short hair so I think I'll keep it that way for a while.

3. Give us a brief insight into your natural hair journey

I have what I like to refer to as "cycles" with my hair. Every year or other year, I usually cut it all off. This may sound odd but I liken it it to a snake shedding their skin....its an act of me "shedding" whatever baggage or hangups I have with my hair. It serves as a reminder that nothing is permanent, and not to become too obsessed with any one physical aspect of my body. That, and I have hair A.D.D. lol.

4. What impact has your hair had on your career as an aritst; on your relationships, basic interactions and on your personal self-perception?

I actually have more positive reactions to my hair short than I did when it was relaxed and long, regardless of race or gender. Whether in an office environment or a social setting, the conversations I've had about my hair have been on the whole very positive. I've been told a lot that TWA's "suit" me. I tend to agree. I'm not sure what it is about having little to no hair, but I somehow feel more feminine without it. Is that strange? Maybe its just that there's more attention being paid to my face rather than what's on my head.

5. What is your current hair care regimen and what one product do you swear by?

I keep it simple, since that's the whole point of me keeping my hair short, lol. I love Kinky Curly Custard but find it quite sticky so I'll usually dilute it with water and apply to soaking wet hair. Then I let it air dry. I also love Morroccan oil products and pure aloe vera gel.

You can follow her Tweets..

We are totally loving her Maasai accessories :)

Thanks for reading everyone.

Enjoy your day. x

Spreading the Holiday Shea... GIVEAWAY!!! CLOSED

2011-12-13T15:45:00.017+03:00

THE GIVEAWAY

The Holiday Shea Giveaway is officially closed.

Many thanks to all the participants! We appreciate all your answers and personal sentiments and your contribution to making us all embrace that which is naturally ours.

WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED THURSDAY THE 22nd OF DECEMBER!!!

In line with our love for all things Holiday Season, the Kurly Kichana team would like to thank all of our followers and supporters for the awesome year we have had together.

We figured one way to show and share our unequivocal love for you fabulous lot was to give out one of our absolute favorite products... one that is as rare as it is superb... some even consider it the holy grail of natural hair care. Why, it's none other than Unrefined Ghanaian Shea Butter! And it's all for you! All 250gm of it, three of you to be exact.

3 winners will receive the following: 250gms Raw, Unrefined Ghanaian Shea Butter (GASP!)

CONTEST DETAILS

There will be 3 lucky winners who will receive the prize*

****CONTEST ENDS ON FRIDAY, December 16th at 11:59 pm Kenyan Time****

THE RULES (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY) In order to be eligable for the prize, entrants must be Kenyan residents; as well as registered followers of the kurlykichana.com/

thenaturalgirlsguidetobeauty.blogspot.com [click on "Join this site " in the right sidebar, and you're in!]

TO ENTER

* Simply leave your unique and personalized comment to this post stating the following:

- Your name!

- Why you think its awesome to have natural hair in Kenya and Africa

Note: Entries that do not adhere to these rules and guidelines will not be considered. Winners will be selected at random, using an online random number selector.

Disclaimer: One entry per person. Winners must contact kurlykichana.com with winner’s mailing address at kurlykichana@gmail.com within 5 days of being notified of winning. Failure to respond shall mean that the winner forfeits the prize and another winner will be selected at random.

*******

Shea butter is a natural conditioner for hair. It is produced from the Shea-Karite tree nut. Shea butter is renowned not only for the benefits it presents for African hair but also because of its skincare and therapeutic qualities. It has been utilized in restorative healing burns and injuries, to get rid of surgical marks, dermatitis, and stretch marks.

Benefits of Shea Butter

Shea butter has been used for centuries to sooth dry itchy scalp or dandruff on African Hair. It’s also a great source to provide moisture for dry or damaged hair. It is therefore extremely beneficial to hair that is relaxed, colored, or heat-treated.

Sealant for the Hair

Black hair has the tendency to be dryer than any type of hair due to the texture. The natural sebum from the scalp has a hard time sliding down the shaft to the ends because of the bends or coils of black hair. Shea butter is frequently found in curly hair treatments because of its emolliating qualities. This makes it excellent for locking in moisture without leaving your hair greasy and heavy. Since it aids in fastening moisture into hair it’s fantastic for keeping your hair protected against the weather.

You can use it alone or you can add it to your favorite conditioner to give you extra moisture. It’s also a great additive for shampoos and hair creams.

Protection Against Heat

Shea butter does not sit on the hair, instead it absorbs into the hair strand/shaft without leaving a greasy or heavy feel. However it does coat the hair shaft so that it is protected against damage from the heat tool being passed along the hair.

Shield Against UVS

Shea butter is believed to have a low amount but sufficient SPF to protect your hair against the damage from ultra violet rays of the sun. This is definitely beneficial for processed or color treated hair.

Softener for Hair

Shea butter is great for softening hard brittle hair. It’s an excellent moisturizer, and therefore offers that advantage for dried as well as fragile curly hair.

Is all Shea Butter the Same?

There are two types of Shea Butter refined and unrefined. Unrefined Shea butter means it has more of its natural goodness. One of the reasons shea butter is refined is to eliminate it’s natural aroma which may not be liked by some. However the odor does absorb fairly quickly. If you want to use an unrefined Shea butter with less of an aroma, its been recommended to use Shea Butter from Uganda or East Africa.

Source

Good Luck Lovelies

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE KURLY GIRLS!

****

... I Work Out.

2011-12-08T10:16:00.016+03:00

For those of you who may not know this, the Kurly Kichana girls are fitness enthusiasts (and that's an understatement if I ever heard one). We appreciate the reward of an all out cardiovascular workout or a sweaty resistance training session - there is nothing quite like that endorphine kick.

Source

Working out regularly has become a way of life for us now. It's not just about shedding off that stubborn 5Kgs, or trying to fit into a December-at-the-Coast-Bikini; it's a long term commitment based on living healthy and being in the best shape for your body type. I need not outline the long term benefits of an active lifestyle and a healthy diet, in any case they are too numerous to mention.

Red Pill, Blue Pill

Let me start by saying that it all begins with a simple decision - think Neo (The Matrix) - you either take the blue pill or the red pill, there is no turning back. Even if you do revert to your former lax lifestyle, you will never be the same knowing what you have given up. This choice will determine the level of sacrifice you are willing to put in to your new lifestyle. Today we want to give you a few tips and pointers on how you can blend in working out into your already busy lifestyle and achieve some of your personal goals.

The Balancing Act

Between blogging, managing our careers, hair consultations, relationships and simply living, we try our best to dedicate a minimum of 1 and a half hours to working out, 5 days a week. Are you a morning person or would you rather sweat it out in the evening after work/ school? Whatever your preference, have your life fit into your new workout regimen - not the other way around!

We often cite excuses that keep us away from the gym or from popping in a workout DVD; stop the excuses and mentally train yourself to work around a set schedule that runs like clockwork. If you know your regular workout hour is 7.30PM on a given Wednesday for instance, and a hot guy asks you out on a date set for that day, tell him to make it 8.30PM, or preferably to take a rain-check. NO COMPROMISES! Take this time as something selfish that you are doing for yourself. Out of the 24hours in a given day, dedicate the required 30min, 1 hour or more to (insert your name here); you are your star player, treat yourself as such.

Have a Buddy

Nyachomba has my back and I have hers. During our sleep overs, we usually work out together; it makes all the difference! We push each other through our grunts, sighs and laughs and in the end we exchange hi-fives and chest bumps like we won a freaking tournament... Sure feels like it! My point is, having someone to keep you in check can and will help you achieve your personal goals. It can take a single phone call to get me out of bed and into my trainers (albeit begrudgingly). Friends don't let friends not work out.

Set Realistic Goals and Reward Yourself Accordingly

Don't set yourself up for failure and disappointment by going hard upon the onset of your commitment to working out. For the low-down on how to avoid the pitfalls and to stay motivated, have a read on this post and get on the right path. Once you get into the swing of things, the fun begins! For some of us, working out comes with a reward system that can keep us fueled and keen to carry on to be harder, faster, better and stronger. Here's the trick though, don't base your milestones on factors such as the amount of weight or inches lost in a given period. Instead set your goals to be in terms of workout achievements such as; the completion of a weeks worth of working out, a month, or after running a marathon - you get the gist right? I love to buy myself new workout gear! I have my eyes set on a new pair of Nike running shoes... watch this space.

Music Makes You Lose Control

It's a fact, music can improve exercise performance by a considerable margin. Create a playlist, load up your Mp3 player and do your thing. Personally, I can't run without my iPod, this is extremely sad, alas tis true. My music of choice for my runs or spin sessions is, and always will be DUBSTEP! Passers by usually turn and stare as I run past them poker-faced, fist pumping to the bass drop and trying to bump my head. It's all very ungraceful but I love it.

Eat Right

We have a tendency to associate food as the antithesis of health and fitness. I've said it once and I'll say it again. Ya'll need to eat and eat well.

Write it Down and Take Pictures

Keep a virtual or physical journal to track your progress. This is a sure shot way to keep you at it and motivated. Be mindful of your extraneous progress by jotting down the distance you run as well as the duration, try and improve as time goes. It is also extremely integral to track you number of reps and weights used (resistance training) from the onset of your regimen. This is the only way to ensure you are truly working towards a goal. By this you can guess that I prefer to work out with a strict regimen. I am not one for winging it in the gym or at home, but I say, to each his own.

Sample Workout Plan: Nyachomba - No gym membership,mainly use workout videos and home equipment

Day	Morning	Evening
MONDAY	HIIT 15 + Stretch 10	30 day shred
TUESDAY	Fire 30	30 day shred and 20 min Run
WEDNESDAY	Fire 45 EZ	30 day shred
THURSDAY	Yoga 45mins	30 day shred and 20 min Run
FRIDAY	Fire 55	30 day shred and 20 min Run
SATURDAY	Fire 30	30 day shred
SUNDAY	30 day shred	Rest

Sample Workout Plan: Mary - Gym membership ( alternates between home workouts and the gym)

Home Workout - P90X

Gym Workout - see below

Monday - Full Body Routine (series 1)

Full Body

Exercise Sets Reps

45 Degree Leg Press 3 20

Seated Row 3 20

Chest Dip 2 15-20

Machine Shoulder Press 2 20

Cable Curl 2 20

Tricep Extension 2 20

Hover 3 1 minute

Tuesday - Full Body Routine (series 2)

Full Body

Exercise Sets Reps

Smith Machine Squat 3 20

Seated calf Raise 2 25

Lat Pull Down 3 20

Dumbbell Flys 3 20

Tricep Kickback 2 20

Standing Dumbbell Curl 2 20

Decline Sit Ups 2 MAX

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday - Full Body Routine (series 3)

Full Body

Exercise Sets Reps

Dumbbell Lunge 4 10 each leg

Wide Grip Pull Up 3 MAX

Barbell Bench Press 3 15-20

Standing Barbell Curl 3 15-20

Tricep Bench Dip 3 15

Horizontal Leg Raise 2 MAX

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: Rest Days

Workouts to try (links)

Yoga Meltdown

No More Trouble Zones

Pop Pilates Abs

Pop Pilates Legs and Butt

Pop Pilates Beach Bum Workout

2011-12-07T10:18:00.003+03:00

The girl in the City Bus, remember her, cute and bubbly. Well she left the comment below on our post on getting fed up with natural hair,

I fear going all afro...the perfect Kenyan-man-look-alike afro because I fear well, looking like a man. I am loving my TWA but I am also finding it hard to make it look unique and less of a trend. I have tried accessorising but I am not liking seeing the same accessories with someone else. Otherwise, I love Team Natural. That is all :)

To answer her, all the ladies in the pictures below have TWAs, what they also have are;

Fierce attitudes
An Individual sense of style
A certain je ne sais quois about life
The ability to use makeup at will to define and play up your features
Unique accessories that stand them out

One thing that they do not look like is ...Men! They have all maintained their femininity while still rocking a short haircut. Explore, discover and make it your own

All pictures from tumblr

Here are some handy links that might help :-) http://fuckyeahprettytwas.tumblr.com, http://twasftw.tumblr.com

Natural Hair Problems Revisited... and Hopefully Solved

2011-12-06T14:31:00.014+03:00

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We got 99 problems but new growth ain't one. Hit me!

This previous post, despite being hilarious, also highlighted the problems that we face as naturals. It's hard not to mention drippies without a shudder running down your spine... More often than not, we find having to handle natural hair on a daily or weekly basis, is more demanding than we would want to commit to. We get overly emotional and irritated by even the most basic things such as single strand knots, detangling, failed styling attempts, amongst many others.

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Just like a lover or long time friend, there are moments in life when you need to spend some time away from your natural tresses... We understand this. Some of us run away and hide under braids, weaves, and even wigs. Although temporary, protective styling can keep your hair hidden for up to 6 weeks; results being - growth, a calmer state of mind not to mention cutting your normal hair budget by a notable margin (WIN!). These are temporary measures which can be used as often as you wish (bearing in mind the necessary precautions of course).

There are those of us however, who get fed up all together with the whole natural hair lifestyle of regimens and routines. Permanent measures are sought; some extremely drastic - reverting back to relaxed hair - others opt for the seemingly easier natural way of life i.e. permanent locks.

Our question today is, Have you ever been so fed up with natural hair and have entertained thoughts of locing your hair, rocking a short haircut or going back to relaxers? Secondly, what is it about natural hair that you personally find extremely challenging. Please share... you are at a safe place :)

Basic Hair Maintenance Through out the Lengths

2011-12-01T10:06:00.014+03:00

Here are a few rules to live by:

To all my TWA Ladies.

Length: 0.5 - 2 inches, unstretched.

Meet TheStarvingArtist... Want to know more about this gorgeous lady? Follow her on twitter @denisiotruitt

1. Love thy Teeny Weeny Afro. Adore it. You can have so much fun with your TWA - throw some dazzle in there with some hair pretties! Enjoy how healthy your hair is at this moment... Keep a hair journal and take pictures! You won't believe how fast your hair grows.

2. Regularly moisturizing your hair is not a matter of choice, it is mandatory. Failure to adhere to this rule is punishable by drastic breakage. Having a TWA allows you to co-wash (wash your hair with conditioner as you would with a shampoo) as often as you like (everyday - every other day!) you don't have to worry about shrinkage and detangling. Use the your moisturizing spritz daily or interchangeably with a water based moisturizing hair cream (mineral oil free of course). Remember: only comb/ manipulate your hair when lathered in conditioner. Invest is a great leave in conditioner... I envy you.

3. Seal in the moisture with a natural oil. This comes with a disclaimer: use only a 2009 mint Kenya shilling amount on your palm, rub it and apply to your moisturized ends. A little goes a long long way.

4. Keep your scalp clean and clarify your hair (roughly once every two to three weeks), clarifying your hair will remove the product build up. Be sure to use a sulphate free clarifying shampoo or some good old diluted baking soda / apple cider vinegar. Works like a charm.

5. Carry out a deep protein condition at most, once a month/ only when need be, start loving that silk/ satin bonnet every night.

"Awkward" Never Looked So Good.

Length: 2 - 4 inches, unstretched.

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****Let me explain; you know that stage where you're pretty darn sure you're TWA has graduated to something else, but it's not a Big A** Fro yet... not just yet. Yeah we don't have a name for that stage but we sometimes refer to it as the awkward phase. On hindsight, we think the word has a negative connotation, so at this juncture, we welcome any diva-inspired suggestions to name this phase.

1. This stage is critical both psychologically and mechanically. You want to experiment with new styles as seen on the interweb; you are more risqué and adventurous with your hair. This urge is synonymous with Post-Twa-Syndrome (PTS) - a condition that, if not well managed, can lead to numerous bad hair decisions and one that has forced many to revert back to the creamy crack. So the first word of advice to you lovely ladies is to calm down and keep to the basics.

2. Natural hair will always and forever require regularly moisturizing. There is no going around this. The Awkward phase has a slight hitch in that your hair will only thrive with minimal manipulation. We would advise that you cut down on your cowashes to 2 -3 times a week max. DO NOT RUB YOUR HAIR when washing or co-washing, i.e. don't go scrubbing your scalp like you see on TV! This will cause unnecessary matting and tangling. We would advice that you section your hair and very patiently and very gently apply the conditioner from root to tip, all the while squeezing through the section. This will take time but believe me, it comes highly recommended. Detangle your conditioner saturated hair in sections, first with a wide tooth comb, and (if you wish) follow up with a denman brush to give you a more defined curl.

3. It is paramount that you keep your hair tangle free as it continues to grow. The best advice we would give to any one at this phase is to get familiar with protective styling. Fight the urge to carry out wash-n-go's, in fact, don't ever do a wash-n-go again. Those days are long gone my friend. After a thorough co-washing and detangling session, put on some regular two-strand twists as you moisturize and seal your hair. I know it's a big ask, but try and stretch them out for as long as you can, a week if possible! Then let your hair out on the weekend and enjoy a lovely twist out... If you cannot keep your hands off your hair, we suggest long term protective styles such as chunky box braids, braided corn-rows, or even wigging it out!

Low to no manipulation is the aim here.

4. As always, keep your scalp clean, carry out protein treatments on the minimum/ only when needed, love your night satin scarf.

The Big Bad Fro.

Length: You will know it when you see it.

This stage is what I like to call Natural hair Nirvana...

You woke up one day and BAM! You have an afro! And not just any afro... A BIG ASS FRO! It took a while but you finally made it. But you are not out of the woods yet, (I am starting to believe we never really get out of the woods...) there are still rules and regulations to adhere to with regards to natural hair care.

1. Cowashing: Best way to go about this is to prep your hair for the cowash. Section your hair and gently finger detangle the sections with your moisturizing spritz. Grab each section and make chunky two-strand twists or three strand twists (matutas). Cowash the sections with your moisturizing conditioner... remember, no violent rubbing. Detangle the sections with a wide tooth comb, (you may choose to follow up with a denman brush). The size of your shed ball will be a lot bigger as your hair grows, this is because of the accumulated length, so don't worry about it. Follow this up with your moisturizing session and seal with a natural oil of your choosing.

2. Stretching your hair is as easy as 1,2,3! After you have cowashed, detangled and moisturized your hair, section your hair and do around 8 - 10 firm, but not tight three strand twists. Let your hair dry completely. This might take all day, so keep yourself occupied, or do it at night. In the morning, (once dry) undo the sections and make smaller, neater two strand twists (using very little moisturizer). You will notice that your hair will have stretched from the last session. Keep the new two strand twists for another day, and guess what's next... RETWIST again using your moisturizer and minimal spritz. By day three, your open hair will be big and bountiful.

3. Never let your hair shrink. Ever. Again, no wash and go's - reason being the detangling session will cause violent and unnecessary breakage. Try and keep your hair constantly stretched by twisting your hair or tying loose buns before you sleep. Wash/ cowash your hair only in braided or twisted sections. Let your twists dry out completely before you leave your hair out to play.

4. The longer your hair grows, the more you employ methods of protective styling. All the famous naturals RARELY leave their fro's out. Low to No manipulation is the only way to ensure long and healthy hair. Twists, cornrows, and buns are a common staple and we would advise you to get used to having them on. Let your open hair out only for special occasions or for weekend frolics. But of course, this is upon your prerogative.

5. Trim your hair once every three months. By trim, I mean dust. Dusting is literally snipping out the bare minimum of your edges.

6. No need to repeat this but I will anyway; keep your scalp clean, carry out protein treatments on the minimum/ only when needed, love your night satin scarf.

Thanks for reading... HAPPY DECEMBER 1st!

Scab Hair Myth or Reality...Chime in!

2011-11-30T11:08:00.002+03:00

What a pretty picture

This last post on Kurly Kichana mail where frustrated Kui explained how hard and unmanageable her hair was, has brought on a debate on the reality or lack thereof of scab hair.

We have never relaxed our hair hence have no clue on scab hair, we enlisted the help of Kinky_lockz...our loyal follower and great friend to the blog to open up to our readers on her experiences with scab hair.

Here it for Kinky_lockz!!

Scab hair – Hair that is directly underneath the scalp that has been affected by the hash chemicals(i.e. relaxers, texturizers). Even though the hair is new growth it isn’t “trained” to behave in it’s natural state. The hair can be straight-wiry, very dry, hard, and brittle. It usually takes somewhere around 6 months to a year to completely grow it out. – Derived from Motowngirl.com

*googling "scab hair natural hair" provides more resources

My thoughts: In short, scab hair may be considered a theory as not everyone experiences it. I believe scab hair is correlated to having had a relaxer and scalp burns. The defining factor that led me to conclude that scab hair was present is the front section of my hair was brittle, excessively shedding, wiry and would not hold moisture in comparison to the rest of my hair. It looked alright but it felt a mess... this was my second time 'going natural' so I had an idea of my texture and this was not a true representation of that. A few months down the line, this section was prone to single strand knots (SSKs) like no other, and the scalp was tender, almost sore during detangling sessions. I feared to comb this hair and baggying/deep conditioning seemed futile.

I did want to break down in a fit of tears yet I remained consistent with my routine...when it was shorter I co-washed regularly and when it had some length I began to do more twist-outs. In November 2010 (approx. 16 months post BC) I blew out my hair and flat ironed. The ends were rough and remained 'bushy', untamed by heat. I could fully see all the SSKs and feel the texture difference so I trimmed. I was merciless, probably hacking an inch or more all over. Currently, this section retains moisture better and has a defined hair type, kinky and frizz-prone if you will.

Disclaimer: (1) I will admit abuse to my hair: I was double processed, chemical relaxer and hair dye. The front section is where I experienced relaxer burns. Furthermore, during my transition I applied the most amount of heat to this area and wore heavy extension braids on my fine strands. However, I knew this unruly texture was not as a result of heat damage nor over manipulation because this section did not have split ends or breakage and it did have a curl/wave pattern.

(2) After the chemically damaged follicle shed I did not have a new curl pattern, e.g. i didn't go from '4g' to '4a'.

(3) Of course, it is possible to have different textures on one head of hair.

Chime in and give your opinions and experiences on scab hair and how to deal with it.

Big thanks to Kinky_lockz for this info :-)

Kurly Kichana Mail: Kui Asks

2011-11-28T14:04:00.003+03:00

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Hi ladies,Thank you so much for your blog. I transitioned to afro hair a few months ago and it's been a frustrating journey to say the very least! Even worse is that in Kenya (an African country where women's natural hair is afro kinkiy!) I have struggled to find a hair dresser who can effectively manage natural afro hair!! How now?? So I have now resorted to doing my own hair at home with the assistance of ur blog. YAY to the kurlykichana blog:-) So I have a couple of queries:1) I have REALLY REALLY tough (and thick) hair. I mean can-break-an-afro-comb type of tough. I have tried all sorts of things to try and soften it (including following some of your regimens from the blog), but so far nothing seems to work! I'm so desperate now I'm contemplating texturizing it just to make it more manageable - although ideally I would really want to keep my hair 100% natural and chemical-free. Can you suggest/advice anything that I should try to make it softer/more manageable or should I just be patient and a miracle will happen?? I do find it perplexing cause my hair was always kinda tough even before I relaxed it many years ago but I don't remember it being this tough. Like I had natural hair all through primary and secondary school and it wasn't this bad!!!

Honestly we get questions like these all the time! From this post http://thenaturalgirlsguidetobeauty.blogspot.com/2011/11/hair-typing-101-basics-and-controversy.html, Mary detailed the different hair types which explained how some textures need more care than others. Someone with 3c and someone with 4c hair need different regimens to take care of their hair, a lady with 3c may have an easier job detangling than one with 4c. Most people with hair thats 4b and above believe that their hair is hard, we are here to enlighten you that this is not the case.
As we all know natural hair is not easy, we all have to come up with regimens that suit our varying textures and there is not one product that will make your hair softer. Making sure that your hair is properly moisturised and thorough detangling will enhance it's softness and manageability. The tips to remember are,

Use a water based creamy leave in conditioner, this locks in moisture and keeps hair soft
Always remember to seal in any moisture with an oil or butter, this will avoid hair losing moisture to the atmosphere and leaves hair moisturised for longer.
Deep condition often with products such as honey, avocado and various oils
Experiment with different products and create a regimen that works for you...this could even mean moisturising two times a day or baggying thrice a week. Baggying is when you apply a moisturiser to damp hair and then put on a plastic shower cap or plastic bag over your hair for 2-3hrs or overnight . The plastic bag/shower cap traps in heat and helps hair trap in moisture. This is really beneficial to afro hair

Happy Monday...X

Sisters of the Curl!

2011-11-21T10:48:00.004+03:00

Good day lovelies,

I hope you enjoyed the weekend.

SO! As a follow up to a post we did on coloring natural hair -> lookie here, the lovely miss SugarPuss had the following to say!

Hey,

I agree that permanent colour esp bleaching changes the "moisture protein balance" because i dyed my hair bleached blonde recently and i notice that my curl pattern has changed, it's a bit more loose. I love it tho, and am forced to deep condition more often than am used to and moisturise everyday. And most of all i love love love the colour(av always been a colour junkie) in fact am doing an intense red tonight with food colour tho. Being natural to me means being unafraid and colour is how i show it.

Anyhow, so we asked her if she would be so kind as to send us some pictures! We haven't seen her in ages so we were excited at the whole hair color thing... and guess what, she did! (Ain't she awesome)...

Hey girls,

Missed ya!! So there was a family event recently and my sisters and I took pics with my cuz too. Funny I never realised we were all natural until I saw the pics. The first pic is with me (bleached blonde) and my youngest sis, she has a TWA that she likes setting in perm rods. Next is my other sis with dreadlocks and my cuz with braids(she's also natural)...last is just me and my sisters again.

Enjoy your weekends!!

Gorgeous! The whole lot of them!

We would like to give a very special thank you to Miss SugarPuss and her beautiful family for the pictures.

You my dear, are rocking the blonde bombshell look! We love it.

Enjoy your Monday everyone.

Baby Sitting and Beanie Hats

2011-11-17T10:18:00.003+03:00

I'm the last born of a whole bunch of kids, 6 kids to be exact.

All, save for one, of my elder siblings are either in marital bliss or engaged to be married. As such I have three delightful little munchkins whom I babysit (for free might I add), in my life. At the risk of sounding like a overly proud aunt, they are the best little monsters in the planet! I love them all for they bring nothing but joy and mysterious sticky "presents" to my otherwise self-indulgent life. Special shout out to my eldest sister and her new bundle of joy! (love you lots xoxo)

I gear up in comfortable loose fitting clothes should I be required to climb a tree or squeeze myself into a crack. It happens...

Whenever I go babysit my niece (8) and her brother (5), I have to carry an arson of items that I know I will need for the sit. These items include (but are not limited to);

1. Colorful band-aids.

2. Hard candy - for bribes and oaths of silence.

3. More candy - I make a lot of bribes.

4. Plasticine - I LOVE THIS STUFF.... they don't care too much for it, but I get my giggles.

5. Coloring pencils and/0r crayons, Coloring book - my niece is going to be the next Renoir.

6. Disney Animation DVDs - I can comfortably recite the entire Aladdin script right now, song lyrics included.

7. Panadol Actifast - I did mention they are 8 and 5 years old didn't I.

My hair is a shrunken twist out. I couldn't be bothered to style it, I know I will be pulling twigs and lollipops off it later in the day. I beanie it up in the hope of added protection.

UPDATE: The beanie didn't make it back home with me... Sigh.

My Mary Poppins Bag! It's filled with mystery and wonder :)

Babysitting is always a joy. My nephew is an X-Box 360 junkie, as am I, and my niece has awesome taste in the arts. Playing with them is also an added calorie burn and fun-filled activity! They rule.

I am still deathly afraid of the newest addition to my litter. My nephew turned 1 month old on Tuesday! My newest mission is to learn how to babysit the little guy, I'm a bit awkward and overly paranoid with him. But I'll get the hang of it :)

Thanks for reading champs.

6 weeks

2011-11-11T16:22:00.002+03:00

Its been 6 weeks since we installed our braids...Mary got hers out last weekend, due to all my travelling I have been unable to take mine out le sigh. The time is now, I intend to spend this evening 11/11/11 taking them out. Can't wait..on the 11/11/11, truly a special day to do this

Here are some pics I took yesterday to show how tatty the braids were looking, I should rephrase that...these braids have a lot of character.

P.S : My dress was a steal at Kshs 200..I love it

Of Moisturizing, Maintenance and Care of Dreadlocks

2011-11-10T10:41:00.017+03:00

NB: We will focus on bonded dreadlocks today, for more information on Sisterlocks, keep a look out.

The onset of dreadlocking your hair may have you avoiding large water masses, force you to duck and hide at the sight of rain and play cat and mouse with the shower head. It's a tricky place to be; you have to avoid washing your newly formed locks because this is the phase where your hair needs to mesh together naturally. Water and other cleansing agents hinder this locking process. This bonding period usually lasts, all factors held constant, for as little as 4 weeks, or for as long as three months.

It goes without saying, that healthy hair care demands a clean and healthy scalp. As such, the locking phase is usually synonymous with an itchy scalp and inflamed scalp. But do not dispair, todays post will address remedies and tips on how to care for your scalp and your hair.

General Maintenance:

Always opt for products that do not clog the pores or cause bulid-up. Avoid heavy butters and balms such as shea butter, beeswax or products that have mineral oil as their base. Such products can lead to buildup and leave behind a residue that accumulates and collects grime over time. You have heard us chime and rant about sleeping with a satin/ silk scarf night after night, having dreadlocks does not exempt you from this rule. Not only does a silk bonnet protect your hair from knotting up and losing moisture, it also keeps your locks lint free.

NB: The use of beeswax has often been debated among locticians; while some claim it is a necessary evil during the initial phase, know that there are alternate products that can be used. These include clay, gels, hair glue, honey mixes among others. Find out what you and your hair best.

Now with regard to scalp care, kindly read up on this post. It highlights what you need to know about essential oils for the scalp. Trust me essential oils are a lifesaver for an inflamed scalp. Vitamin E Oil is an antioxidant and a natural preservative that stabilizes other oils. Vitamin E also repairs hair and skin damage caused by stress and the environment. Using the pads of your fingers you can massage the oil little by little to different parts of the scalp and hairlocs as needed. Be sure to also work some oil along the length of your locs all the way to the ends.

Anti-Itch Scalp Oil and Organic Root Stimulator Herbal Cleanse are another way to go. Add a dab of either on a cotton swab and apply sparingly to the scalp.

Styling:

When it comes to styling, the sky is the limit. Dreadlocks are versatile and translate well with any setting. The only word of caution that I cannot stress enough is this; do not stress your hairline. Your hairline is very weak and sensitive, even more so in the case of dreadlocks. Avoid tight ponytails or styles that will cause undue stress on your hairline. Failure to do so will ultimately lead to traction alopecia.

Cleansing:

During the initial phase, washing your hair is out of the question. One of the most effective way to care for your scalp by routinely carrying out scalp dubbing sessions. Remember to be gentle on your hair. Grab a cotton swab and dip it into a mixture of warm water - 250ml and a table spoon of baking soda. Work your way in between your locks section by section and rub your scalp gently (as you replace the cotton swab when necessary). Follow this up with a oil massage be sure to add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (remember that less is more, don't use too much product). Retwist to avoid locks from meshing together.

You can wash your matured dreadlocks as often as you would like. Some experts recommend washing dreadlocks every 2-3 weeks, but this really depends on your lifestyle and tolerance level. Be sure to dilute your sudsy shampoo or opt to purchase a sulphate free shampoo if you can. If you work out or have the need for water on your locks, washing your hair more often or whenever you feel the need is also an option.

Deep Conditioning

Yes. You must deep condition your locks. There is a thought that exists that claims once you dawn dreadlocks, your hair is as tough as nails. No ma'am, that is false. Your hair will still need regular nourishment which will come in the form of moisture and protein. How often you carry out these processes is by far, a lot less than that of a woman who has her natural hair out.

Deep conditioning sessions are what make the difference between lustrous, shinny hair and dull, listless locks. You can up your protein; protein deep conditioning sessions will make your locks stronger and tougher, while moisture DC's will give your hair that brilliant shine.

Co-washing mature dreads also promotes clean, soft locks. Do not over-do it, however. Your dreadlocks may begin to fluff up if they are not fully mature.

Leave-In Conditioners such as Infusium 23 are excellent choices for not only dreadlocked hair, but all-natural hair textures because it opens up the cuticle, moisturizing and coating the hair shaft.

In the end, proper dreadlock care is very important. Keeping your dreads clean not only promotes healthy hair growth, but helps get them tighter and stronger. Moisturizing dreadlocks requires light oils that do not clog pores and is close to the
natural oily state. Essential oils like Castor bean oil, Jojoba, Sesame oil and olive oil, will cleanse condition and stimulate the scalp, strengthen, and add sheen to your dreadlocks. Olive oil and Sesame oil are very nourishing to the scalp and hair and help reduce stiffness and tightness in the scalp. Olive oil has purifying properties that help keep pores open.

Thanks for reading.

Back to you.

Kurly Kichana Mail : Mbithe asks

2011-11-09T16:08:00.006+03:00

Mary & Nyachomba, hey!

Lately I've been toying with the idea of colouring my hair, but I don't know where to start. Henna has absolutely no visible effect on my hair as far as colour is concerned, and I'm a little wary of chemical colours because I hear they dehydrate the hair (then there is also that bleaching business which doesn't sound healthy at all).

Any tips or advice?

Colouring your hair!! Colouring your hair can add that playful edge to your hairstyle.

Some great tips about dyeing your hair include:

Try stick to 2 shades lighter or darker than your natural hair colour. Should you wish to go much lighter remember that you will need to up you moisturising and deep condition efforts
Beaching hair can yield great results however visit a well known hair dresser/salon to get this done
Do a strand test before you use a box colour set, this will give you a rough idea of how your hair will look coloured and will be cautionary measure to check if you are allergic to the ingredients in the colour
Deep condition immediately after colouring your hair to close the cuticle
To extend the life of your colour, do not use sulphate shampoos - these will strip hair more easily
A tip we got from the last meet up was if you want to go very light...you can use sunscreen on your hair to prevent the hair colour from fading

From Naturally Curly: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/kinky-hair-type-4a/coloring-type-4-hair

Coloring hair definitely has an effect on the moisture protein balance because with permanent color a chemical reaction is taking place inside the strand weakening the cuticle layer causing the hair to be more porous. The more porous the quicker your hair absorbs moisture. If it’s too porous the hair doesn’t retain any moisture and remains dry to the touch. This is always a risk with coloring hair.

Hope this helps

Hair Typing 101 - The Basics and the Controversy

2011-11-01T15:26:00.016+03:00

I have been checking out other natural afro-hair blogs and for some reason a majority are not sure or don't have info on hair type 4C...Please do a post on afro hair types, there textures and perhaps some pictures to accompany them. Mob love *:*:*

(Jacky Kalamu)

Hey all,

So in response to Jacky's email (Big UP Miss J!), we came up with this post on hair typing for Afro Hair.

For a brief history on just how this typing system came about, and a detailed account of Andre Walker's methodology, follow this link right hurr. Before we continue, we would like to give you our stand on hair typing, here goes...

Nyachomba and I (Mary) have very different hair types. Her curl pattern is looser than my own; her curls are defined and form loose locks when wet. My curl pattern is much tighter i.e. I have more coils than curls. When wet, my hair will form tighter ringlets and become even tighter when dry.

Nyachomba's Hair when wet; notice the thick clusters of wet hair

This completely resembles my hair type (Image courtesy of Nonie of LHCF). The coils are much tighter and do not cluster as much.

It goes without saying that there is a clear distinction between our hair types. And you know what, we ain't even mad! You see, the thing about hair typing is that it forces us to sort, segregate and file in relation to the differences. As human history can attest, the minute individuals or characteristics are classified, feelings of 'the other' come into play.

We, as Kurly Kichana, associate hair typing with other grossly misinformed societal stereotypes; the perfect example being the infamous notion that sisters with lighter skin are prettier than dark skinned sisters. Yes, you may think of us as drastic, but indulge me for a minute.

We have received numerous personal emails, chats and queries via Facebook and Twitter from women with coilier hair types seeking advice and telling us how much they dislike their hair type. They often cite this as the main reason as to why they are reluctant to go natural/ openly display their natural hair. Words such as 'ugly', ''makonge' (sorry if my spelling is wrong), 'unmanageable' and 'unsightly' were often used in these correspondences. More often than not, they ask us how they can get their hair to look like ours, more so - I presume - Nyachomba's.

This kind of 'fro-envy', as far as I am concerned is not healthy. I remember when Nyash and I first watched Good Hair, we kinda hoped Chris Rock would have touched the issue of natural African hair types in relation to the concept of 'good hair', but alas. We still enjoyed it though! We heart Chris Rock.

Now we may be wrong, but we feel that within the natural hair community there exists a thought that claims looser hair is prettier than coily hair. We do not in any way claim that this thought is seconded by every natural out there! Heck no! But it is a widely shared notion.... (I welcome your backlash, come at me).

Kurly Kichana, as the slogan(s) go, are in love with all things hair/ a kurls best friend. We do not care for hair type. In our eyes, all hair is awesome hair.

HOWEVER...

We believe that the aforementioned system came about to aid women in their hair maintenance regimens. As such, Mr. Walker saw a need to classify our hair for the ease of understanding. It is true that my hair requires a heavier amount of moisture than that of an individual who has 3B hair. It is evident that people bearing different hair types will need different regimens. This however is not always a positive, in light of the system.

All natural hair types require the same basic governance which dictates a moisture protein balance that encourages maximum health for the individuals hair. Hair typing is not the answer. KNOWING what your hair likes, and dislikes, how it reacts to manipulation is what counts. No two heads are the same. On an individual basis, no two WEEKS are the same! One week may require you to go hard on the moisture campaign, while the next might see you reaching for that protein. This reality affects the 3A's all the way to the 4C's.

Manipulation is the most important skill to master. Learning how to effectively manipulate your hair can have it looking super fly as a shrunken afro in one day, and draping down your back/neck in a perfectly executed twist-out the next. Basically, I can go from looking like a 4B to a 3C, heat free! And so can you.

You can take that to the bank.

Anyhoo... By now you know we tend to over think things. We will leave it at that. Below is a rough guide to Andre Walkers hair typing system for your viewing pleasure.

Type 3 Hair (3C):

Characteristics:

- Looser S-shaped coil, hair is more coily than kinky

- Can be fine in texture

Do's

Use creamy leave ins in moderation.
Avoid using heavy oils to seal, they can weigh down hair and make it too greasy.
Trim ends often.

Don't

Sleep without a satin cap - tangle central!
Use too much protein, can cause your hair to become very hard.

Type 4 Hair:

This has an "S" pattern, much like curly hair. It is kinky, or very tightly curled, with a clearly visible curl pattern. Type 4 hair is extremely fragile and can be prone to breakage.

Type 4 hair can range from fine to coarse with lots and lots of strands densely packed together. It can also be known to shrink to 75% of its actual length.

Type 4A

Type 4B

Type 4c

Hair that is coilier than 4C is sometimes referred to as 4Z

Do's

Use creamy moisturisers and water based moisturisers as often as possible.
Seal with butters and oils to make sure your hair is moisturised for longer.

Dont's

Do not use heat often, this is calling out for breakage and hair damage.
Detangle without loading your hair with a creamy conditioner.

****

That's basically it!

Let us know your thoughts on the hair typing systems. As always we welcome your thoughts and appreciate the time you take to provide them.

Peace.

Behind the Scenes: Kurly Kichana Photoshoot

2011-10-25T08:59:00.002+03:00

'ello 'ello,

Hope you are well. Have you ever performed an inception into your computer - you know, find a file within a file within a file only to discover long forgotten pictures and music you thought you had lost forever? Well this weekend we decided to clean up our machines and we found a mother load of pictures that we had taken in the past and discarded in a variety of 'New Folders'.

Some were good, others -errrm - not so much. We will share all :)

Anyway here are a few shots we took for one of our Kurly Kichana photo shoots for the Saturday Magazine a little while back.

Do we really look alike? You won't believe how often we get that o_O

Shoes...

A lil make up

Le Final Touches

More shoes

Blurry God-awful pic that I love for some reason.

The Girls of Kurly Kichana: Standing Pretty

More inception pics to be posted for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy the week people. Kick ass and take names.

Full on Shimmer!!

2011-10-24T11:12:00.001+03:00

Its the short rainy season here in Nairobi. To add a spring to my step I decided to paint my nails, with a gold base and a shimmery topcoat. These nails are so sparkly and perfect for a night out (ask Mary)

Happy Monday

Kurly Kichana Mail: Girl in the City Bus

2011-10-17T14:20:00.006+03:00

We recently got the cutest and warmest email ever!!! Give it up to the Girl in the City Bus... She sure is a firecracker :-)

Here is an excerpt from her email.

Hey Ladies,

Yes! I did my BC last week. I wanted to tell you this last week but I had not yet taken shots yet. So, let me do the traditional intro which I better do for the sake of identity. My name is The Girl In The City Bus. I am 18 going on 27 and I love being. It does take a lot to be you know?! So I am in my freshman year of university and I am not hating it. I am LOVING IT!". So I am seeking healthy and safe ways of finding myself and well, the more I do that, the more I enjoy knowing that I am not the bore that I thought I was.

So I did my BC last week after thinking about it for a short time, that the natural look is funky,healthy and beautiful! I woke up that Tuesday at around 0635hrs ate and thought,

"Wacherah, you are freakn' BEAUTIFUL! If you cut your relaxed hair and take care of it and your health...oh yeah! And succeed in your education ... and make good friends, you will still be beautiful!"

So after some weird negative energy from my hairdresser, I watched that hair go. I was happy, free, a little scared and a bag load of confident! Thank you for inspiring me to do my BC. I have taken up a healthy lifestyle since then, embracing them veggies, gulping lots of worra{Water} and taking care of my beautiful hair. I am so happy. Plus one on finding myself right?

Many people have asked why I have done the Big chop and I have carelessly uttered 'change' but really it's super-simple. Natural hair is super-funky. I am rocking my TWA and working towards that BAA in some few beautiful years to come. Can't wait! Thank you Curlies!

You can check out my blog (Still a Newbee) thegirlinthecitybus.blogspot.com and let's share the going-ons of beautiful lives.

Check out her pics below, (Isn't she gorgeous)

Have a brilliant week.

Got Ink?

2011-10-13T09:37:00.004+03:00

Hey, how are you today?

We've been laying low, we know; we're stuck in a realm of insanity where we are trying to prepare for the Nairobi Marathon, beat work deadlines and manage our so called lives.

So now that we are slowly rejoining the land of the living... We have a question for you, more than one actually.

Let me start from the beginning.

More often than not, people who meet us assume that at least one of us has a tattoo. We get that all the time. I don't know why... Whatever the case, let me clear that up for you, neither of us do. We are completely tattoo free. But trust me when I tell you we have thought about it, and more than once, come damn near close to getting inked over the years. However, for some unfathomable reason, we always chicken out.

source

Let's face it, a tattoo is a HUGE commitment. There are so many factors to consider; I could attempt to list our major concerns... just so you don't dub us as flaky or yellow-bellied... WE AREN'T! We just want to be sure and ready. Anyway here goes;

1. What image(s) should I have forever etched onto my glorious skin? This is by far the hardest question of all.

2. What is the significance of the image? Is there a need for significance? Can't I just get a flame encrusted skull with rose petals just because I can!? What if it's just a temporary fad that I will come to loathe? (Remember the star tattoo craze from a few years back? Yeah I came this close...)

3. Which part of my body shall bear this symbol? Do I want to show it off or keep it discrete? Which parts hurt the most? Which areas will stretch out over time? Will it affect any of my future plans/ prospects?

4. Just how big should it be?

5. Would coloured tattoos blend well on my unique skin tone?

6. Will the tattoo smoothen/ blend over time or will it be the raised kind? (We are fond of the smooth variety)

7. What will happen to the tattoo as my body undergoes inevitable changes? Will my skin stretch with the tattoo and magically transform my Koi fish tattoo into a dragon?

8. Where will I get it done in this fine city of ours? How much will this cost? (comments please!)

9. Will the detail eventually turn into a green blob over time? (This is our biggest fear)

Granted, majority of these questions are quite personal. We are dying to hear your opinions. For those of you who have tattoos, what was your experience like? Any regrets? Any praise you would like to put forth?

For those of you who are opposed to getting inked, share your thoughts as well! Be they spiritual, health related or otherwise.... All opinions are welcome.

Over to you my dears.

Enjoy the day.

Sources: http://blackwomenink.tumblr.com, www.weheartit.com, www.piccsy.com

Fitspo!

2011-10-10T12:38:00.003+03:00

Athletic muscles

Pulling your kinks back and going out for a run.

Being step to step on a run with your significant other

Afros on the starting line

Handstand #upperbodystrength

Working out in teeny shorts and sportsbras

Abs worthy of #ESPNbodyissue

Nuff said, Yup that is real

Check out our tumblr http://www.blogger.com/www.kurlsontherun.tumblr.com, where Mary and I are tracking our weightloss journey.

Have you heard?

2011-10-10T12:17:00.000+03:00

Afrospired!

2011-10-07T18:45:00.002+03:00

Gotta love getting emails like these,

"Usually after I unbraid my hair i rush to get it braided again. This time I rocked my natural hair proudly. Check it out"

Love it!

Kurly Kichana Mail: Afrospiration

2011-10-06T08:33:00.003+03:00

Beautiful Before....

Dear Kurly Kichana,

I met you last week after I happened to come across your blog randomly and I must sum up your blog in one word: afrospiration.

I am so inspired that I finally revived my blog which I had set up a year ago and done nothing with it. Your posts, pictures and advice is awsome and I am lapping it up-and taking it all in. I have had two B.Cs within two years and fallen of the wagon with texturizer and perm.

I am weaning my hair off the texturizer and taking it back to black (I love Amy Winehouse R.I.P-musically speaking). I love the simple posts you did and I can't help but think just how much I have been missing because of fear. I have this surge of passion for what I am doing with myself everyday and thank you for inspiring me.

I posted some pics of me when I was a weave junkie like a year back and one I took a day ago @ my office building.

Curly love,

Jacky

Beautiful After.

Afrospiration in living colour

The Kurlies Say:

Hi Jacky!

This email right here, brought the biggest smile to our faces. You my dear are a star!

You look amazing rocking your TWA, loving the hair pretty you got there ;) ... We have all fallen off the band wagon on our natural hair journeys, but in the end all that matters is our happiness and the confidence we exude; and you my dear are working it.

Thanks so much for the kind words. It's divas like you who make it all worth while. Your blog is currently deactivated at the moment, but we would love to have you back on the bloggersphere whenever you are ready. You are a source of inspiration for many ladies out there, and we salute you.

Lots of love and affection from Kurly Kichana,

A Kurls Best Friend

Traction Alopecia a fad?

2011-10-03T15:36:00.003+03:00

Traveling from Nairobi to Samburu takes about 5 hours by road, passing through highlands dotted with farms, vast landscapes leading up to Mt Kenya then up to dry savanna with acacia trees dotting the horizon. I was looking forward to seeing Elephants but alas! all I saw was Elephant poo.

As I was there I noticed the Samburu ladies all shaved their hair at the front, almost like they were mimicking traction alopecia. This greatly amused me because,the thought of traction alopecia or receding hairlines makes any woman shudder Among natural hair circles, traction alopecia looks abnormal and we massage a mix of oils on our hairlines to avoid this condition. Yet this women proudly shave off the front of their head and it looks amazing!

Would you dare to shave the front of your hair? Hope the start of the week is treating you well ;- )

All Pictures taken by me..should you wish to use them, email kurlykichana@gmail.com

Domestic Tourism

2011-09-29T10:42:00.003+03:00

For the past two weeks, I have been a domestic tourist (I was working as well) in Kenya and visited, Nanyuki, Isiolo and Samburu....In the time I was there,

I fit in some running and walking

Admired old English Colonial style architecture

Marveled at clear water springs from Mt Kenya

Was puzzled why Dormans coffee houses in Nairobi dont have pretty flower arrangements?

Of course had to have a Skinny Capuccino while exploring Nanyuki

Underwhelmed sitting on the Equator

Overwhelmed by the vastness of Kenya

Met my first Samburu woman

Was jealous of this boys uber long eyelashes

All pictures taken by me, ask if you want to republish or borrow.

Have a grand day

Guy-Dating-Girl-with-Natural-Hair Problems

2011-09-27T08:39:00.007+03:00

Hi there,

Ever wondered what it might be like for a man dating and/or living with a natural haired sister; there is a dark side...

Guy-Dating-Girl-with-Natural-Hair Problems

#1. Everything smells like coconut oil.

#2. Keeps using my gym t-shirts to dry her hair.

#3. Getting yelled at for using the olive oil she just bought to prepare us a surprise dinner. My bad I guess.

#4. Night after night, that damn silk bonnet will not come off for anything.

#5. Henna stains.

#6. Doesn't comprehend my physical and mental inability to braid or twist hair.

#7. Countless near death experiences in the shower caused by slipping on conditioner.

#8. Catches me looking (harmlessly, haha) at another sister with straight hair and automatically accuses me of preferring relaxed hair.

#9. That pudding in the fridge is NOT pudding.

#10. The countless hours of Youtube tutorials and actually knowing who Curly Mae is.

#11. Damn near eats me alive for buying her shampoo instead of conditioner.

#12. Bobby pins everywhere... so many bobby pins.

#13. Finding mayonnaise, eggs and avocado in the bathroom doesn't shock me any more.

#14. Ignorantly running my fingers through her hair freshly styled hair... and product primed hair.

#15. Mysterious spray stains on the mirror.

#16. Having to constantly remind myself not to play 'Spot the Weave' in a crowded room.

#17. Other brothers ogling her ;)

This goes out to all our 'significant others' out there. Thanks for sticking with us through all our complexities. xoxo

Reasons why you love us and our hair coming soon...

Frugal Fridays : Curl Enhancers

2011-09-23T16:04:00.006+03:00

Another Friday and some more frugal advice for you. Most natural heads try to find ways to enhance their curl patterns, using various gels, holding creams and curl creams. Today we shall compare two different products that can be used to enhance curl pattern.

The Mission : A quest to enhance curls and make them pop like crazy

The Contenders : Ecostyler Gel VS Castor Oil

Kshs 195

What it claims
Eco Style promises a product that won’t flake or tack, and will provide a vibrant sheen. Ideal for updo’s, pin-ups, and twists, this product will provide the maximum hold, without damaging your hair like many other products with alcohol added. Professionals use this alcohol-free product as well. Eco Gel.

Ingredients
Water, PVP/VA Copolymer, Carbomer, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Triethanolamine, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA, Propylene, Glycol (and) DMDM Hydanton (and) Methylparben, Fragrance, Carmel Color, Love and Pride.

Kshs 85

Castor oil is a thick, pale yellow substance derived from the tropical castor bean plant. It is a natural emollient, thereby hydrating your hair while healing the scalp. The moisture penetrates the roots and the tips, thus dispensing with the need to use a leave-on conditioner after you shampoo your hair. When you buy castor oil, there is no need to worry about split ends or frizzy locks.

Even while castor oil cleanses the scalp, it already provides moisture which makes the hair smooth and silky. Moreover, the moisture stimulates hair growth, which solves the problem of those suffering from hair loss. It not only prevents your hair from falling, it also promotes more hair to grow, giving you a thicker crown. This only shows that castor oil is an effective organic solution for hair loss and other hair problems, without emptying your wallet.

Pure castor oil can serve as an organic hot-oil treatment for the hair. Warm some castor oil then leave it in your hair for 30-45mins under a plastic shower cap.Rinse off for shiny, moisturised hair

Source

To achieve the above, I cowashed my hair with Enliven Coconut and Vanilla conditioner then used Organics Olive Oil moisturiser. I used the castor oil as my twisting product. Slept in the twists then released in the morning. The pictures above are day 2 hair.

Results

Castor oil although being the cheaper option is very moisturising and provides medium hold. The oil leaves your hair looking lush and shiny. One thing I noticed is that if you use a small amount of castor oil, you hair still maintains its bouncyness rather than lying limp.

Ecostyler gel is a strong holding gel and hence if you use too much it can flake and make your hair hard. We find the best way to use it it to layer it over already moisturised hair and use a little.

Thanks for reading and Frugal Fridays continues next week... Have a great weekend X

Kurly Kichana Mail: To the Healthy Natural

2011-09-22T11:14:00.007+03:00

Hi ladies.

I'm so glad I found your website, it's very refreshing and uplifting. And yes, natural gals need to be healthy too. I'm a natural too, have been for about 4 years. I have dreadlocks that I love! It was a life changing move especially being in the states where regular hair care can be expensive and so abrasive!

Anyway, I started my fit and healthy workout regimen this year and I'm loving it. I feel great about myself and I think it shows in my general attitude. I agree with you gals' ideas, I admit I was a little taken over by counting calories (my dietitian house-mate talked me out of it) but I realized that I'm much free-er not counting them. I would end up over/under-eating or eating the wrong things out of fear that I might break my calorie intake goals.

I eat good food, I ask myself what benefit a certain 'morsel' will give my body. I have found that "the rule of thirds" works effectively. I fill my plate 1/3 veggies, another 1/3 protein and the other 1/3 carbs (complex carbs that the body will work hard to break down, things like brown rice, barley, quinoa etc.). Or sometimes I do 2/3 veggies and the other 1/3 protein. Also portion size matters. I eat from smaller plates than before- try it, it works.

Our bodies just need training, getting fit is training your body to be active and to desire 'good things'. It also works the other way around.

I'm happier, healthier, drama free and living life simply.

Yours in naturalness,

Njeri

The Kurlies Say:

Hi Njeri,

Love and ululations from Kenya! Thank you for the kind words, we really appreciate it.

First of all, rock on with your baaad dreadlock-bearing-and-healthy-living self! Congratulations on your new fabulous you.

We cosign on the "rule of thirds". It is the most effective way anyone can consciously keep themselves on check. We also love your statement that reads, "Our bodies just need training, getting fit is training your body to be active and to desire 'good things'. It also works the other way around." Bump :D

Calorie counting can cause more harm than good if taken to unnecessary heights. Nyachomba follows your approach; she has the self control needed to gauge how much she should eat and in what portions. I suck at it! I love food! So, as a pseudo-calorie counter (Mary: teehee!), I have to be mindful of my caloric intake with regard to how much I work out and how many calories I burn. This goes in line with the 'burn out' theory; eating too little and doing intense/heavy workouts will eventually lead to muscle burn out. The inverse is true; eating too much will prevent me from reaching my specific goals (if weight loss is the assumed goal). This is especially true for individuals whose workout regimes are on the heavier spectrum and need to be mindful of their energy intake. Sigh.

We were wondering if your hair also gotten healthier since you kick-started your healthy lifestyle? I'm sure it has!

Thanks again Njeri for getting in touch with us. All the best with your goals! Kick butt and take names hun.

Look forward to hearing from you soon!

For fitness inspiration be sure to follow our fitness tumblr on kurlsontherun.tumblr.com just to keep you super motivated! we love it :)

Regards,

Kurly Kichana

A Curls Best Friend

Sister Dearest, PTII

2011-09-19T13:22:00.003+03:00

Good day, all you lovely people... Mary here.

So my sister was back in town this past Summer and of course that meant her getting her hair braided before heading back State-side. I managed to ambush her and arm-wrestle her into letting me take as many photos of her hair as possible (all this, I do for you...), her hair is SO PRETTY! The envy within me is only soothed by fact that I know one day, my modest hair will soon be within her ranks... soon.

So here is her super shrunken hair, she gets it braided in its shrunken state, it is ridiculously soft so her braiding sessions usually go by ouch-free. When stretched it reaches the middle of her back, just below her bra-strap.

Sissy here, has been natural all her life, but only recently learnt how to do it the right way. She chopped it off one day and now it's been a couple of years of healthy hair practices for her. I forget the number, and frankly so does she. But the point of all this is that for the five or so years she's been natural the "right" way, this is the longest her hair has ever been. She's actually one of the reasons why I went "properly" natural :)

She loves henna! It's made her hair a lot thicker and glossier :)

We have very different hair types, I'm sure you can tell her curl pattern is a whole lot looser than mine (my hair is crazy coily).

That's my hand grabbing mercilessly at her hair... She's used to me touching, tugging, pulling and forcefully styling her hair whenever she's in town. It's a little sister thing that I am not quite ready to give up.

Below is a short, very unprofessionally done interview that I conducted with sissy over breakfast and hair tugging:

Me: "Now be honest, how many innocent baby unicorns had to be sacrificed for you to get your hair to grow this long in under a year?"

Sister: Thinks - " Umm... Exactly eight. Next question?"

Me: Laughs - "Why do you refuse to you show the world your pretty face? Are you a government spy?"

Sister: "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you, and Mama wouldn't like that very much."

Me: "Fair enough. But you look just like me... HA! I win! So what is your hair regimen and what products do you use, unicorn killer?"

(It's true my sister and I look so alike, I once accepted an award in her place and no one could tell a thing! moving on....)

Sister: Giggles - "Ok, I co-wash it every weekend with a variety of conditioners, I hardly keep a record of what I use, unlike you I am not obsessed with my hair- "

Me: Dramatic insulted gasp!

Sister: "I hardly ever shampoo it. I rarely leave it out. To be honest, 80% of the time, my hair is either in a bun or hidden away under a half wig. I am extremely lazy and my busy life is the reason it grew over the past year. I simply moisturize it as often as everyday, henna twice a month, and tuck it away most of the time. I only ever wear it out on special occasions."

Me: "Wise. But boringggg... Ok, what products do you swear by?"

Sister: "I used to use Cantu Shea Butter products, but I gave them up - to you actually - and now I moisturize my hair with my simple water spritz mix and seal it with unrefined shea butter. I love shea butter. I also use it on my skin. Another product I love is henna. Can't get enough of it."

Me: "Right... Any last words?"

Sister: "No, now stop touching my hair."

Thanks for reading!

Frugal Fridays: You can thank us later

2011-09-16T11:21:00.014+03:00

Introducing Frugal Fridays!!!

It's Friday the 16th, we are smack in the middle of September... and guess what, we are BROKE y'all! I'm talking Aloe Blacc - I Need a Dollar, broke. This happens every month; we blow our spending money frivolously on fabulous finds (I regret nothing), wine and dine like money ain't a thing, splurge on pricey beauty products and before you know it, we find ourselves staring bitterly and solemnly into our empty lamb skin pocketbooks.

But you know us, we are two resourceful sisters; and we would love to share our money saving tips and tricks with you! Today is the first of many FRUGAL FRIDAYS to come! There is always hope for the fabulously and frugally inclined. If there is a low cost and effective beauty remedy out there, a clothes store that is running a sale, or a superb meal that is on the cheap and tasty: we shall rant and rave about it this, and every (other) Friday.

Let's get things started shall we?

As staunch believers of the miraculous powers of natures good gifts, we try as much as we can to infuse natural remedies into our hair and skin care regimens. This counterbalances our mutual affiliation with store bought products that promise the very same amazing results. More often than not, the latter remedy is on the higher end of the money spending spectrum. In the end... we find ourselves asking, "was it worth it?"

For our first installment, let's talk skin.

The Mission: An effective cleansing mask for clogged skin that has the added advantage of healing properties.

The Contenders: Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask VS. Homemade Honey + Cinnamon Mask

Kshs 560 for 226.8gms

What it claims

Mint Julep Masque is the original natural home treatment developed by a dermatologist that helps dry up acne pimples, rinse away blackheads and shrink enlarged pores.

Simply apply Mint Julep Masque to your clean face and neck. Within minutes it firms and hardens, drawing out impurities from your pores. After the masque is removed, your skin will feel clean, refreshed and smooth.

Even for individuals who are fortunately free of skin problems, Mint Julep Masque is a refreshing facial treatment that helps relaxed tired muscles and ease tension lines on the face and neck.

Ingredients

Water, Kaolin, Bentonite (CI 77004), Glycerin, Zinc Oxide, Propylene Glycol, Sulfur, Chromium Oxide Green (CI#77288), Fragrance (Parfum), Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben

Source

Honey Kshs 115 for 250gms , Cinnamon Kshs 62 for 50gms

Cinnamon

Cinnamon's antioxidant properties are responsible for its ability to speed wound healing, and credits it with anti-inflammatory properties as well. Cinnamon is used in treating acne to get rid of bacteria in clogged skin pores which can exacerbate acne by causing inflammation, which in turn causes redness, irritation and swelling. It works by reducing inflammation and killing bacteria causing acne... i.e. it can stop spots on their tracks.

Honey

Honey is a humectant and thus it has the ability draw fluid and infection from the open sores and or spots. It does this with its high sugar content combined with its ability to create an air-tight blanket over the wound. Its acidic pH and enzymes containing hydrogen peroxide kill off any bacteria while also accelerating the healing process.

Source

These are big claims from everyday household items!

To make the honey and cinnamon mask, mix 1 teaspoon of honey with half a teaspoon of cinnamon. The mixture should be thick and not too runny. Apply the mixture on freshly cleansed skin and leave on for 15mins. Cinnamon can slightly irritate skin so expect some tingling..if the tingling turns into burning however, stop what you are doing and rinse your face immediately with cold water.

Results

Upon trying both masks on different weeks. They both do the same thing with the only benefit of the honey and cinnamon being that the honey and cinnamon exfoliates your face as you wash it off and the mask is extremely moisturising compared to the mint julep which can be a bit drying.

Both masks do the same job of shrinking pores and killing bacteria, however, the honey and cinnamon works to exfoliate and moisturise as well. If you cannot afford the Kshs 560 for the mint julep mask raid your kitchen for honey and cinnamon and use that on your face.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to catch up with us next week for another money saving tip.

Enjoy the weekend.

Today's Twist-out

2011-09-15T09:26:00.001+03:00

Good day lovelies,

I've had on these small/medium sized twists for about three days now... I find that I rarely leave my hair out nowadays, the weather is god-awful and my hair shrinks up the second I step outside. Never mind all that, today is a different day! The sun is out (well, sorta), I have my candy pinstriped blazer on and cut off checker pants - Leggo!

I don't usually like small twist outs, but I don't mind the result this time around.

This is a basic twist out; but I gotta say my hair has been super soft and fluffy of late. I always tell Nyachomba that castor oil is my go-to sealant... but oh, mine comrades, nothing, and I mean NOTHING works quite as well for my twist outs as the marvelous mixture of unrefined shea butter, castor oil and coconut oil mix.

I made a batch last week; not much though, just enough to fill a 200ml container. The mix consisted of:

- Three heaped table-spoons of pure unrefined shea butter

- One table spoon full of Castor oil

- and One scoop of extra virgin coconut oil ('scoop' because the weather has my coconut oil solidifying)

The twists ended up being roughly 20 or so, I'm lazy as heck when it comes to twists and I hardly ever do more than 12. As I did the twists, I used my water + gly + olive/o + peppermint/0 spritz to moisturise my clean and detangled hair, and the shea mix to seal each individual moisturised twist, from root to tip.

NB: always do your twists on tangle-free hair/ freshly detangled hair. It makes all the difference.

Fast forward to three days later and voila! Here is my twist out :)

Enjoy the rest of your day good people.

Kurly Kichana Mail : Irene and J Ask

2011-09-14T10:39:00.001+03:00

Source: Vashtie.com

Hi Ladies,

I have been following your blog for a couple of months now and the most amazing thing is that you've inspired me to go Natural. I'm now ready to do it, my only worry is I don't want to cut my hair to go Natural. Is it possible to go Natural without cutting my hair? & If so, please advice me how? Thanks :)

Irene

hey ladies!!

J here.... my hair is permed and I want to go all napptural!! I've had permed hair since ..... well a long time ago. I really dont know where to start.. I'm braiding it first so that I get enough growth to well... cut off the permed bit. But im scared!! you know.. how will I look with short hair.. how will I keep it looking fabulous. Coz I really think I am my hair *trust me I believe my hair is my crown and glory*. my hair is pretty kinky and all those pictures just show beautiful soft hair... I literally want to be walked through this journey. Seeing that even my significant other cannot stand the idea of me cutting my hair. I really just need to know where to start....
looking forward to hearing from you.

Always,
Miss J

The Kurlies say,

Irene: You can definitelygo natural without cutting your hair, this is done via transitioning. You can slowly grow your hair as you still have your relaxed ends. Some ladies have transitioned for upto 2 years. As you grow out your natural hair you will have to deal with two different textures.

As you transition you still have to deep condition and moisturise your hair as often as possible to prevent unnecessary breakage

Note: Maintaining a protein moisture balance is very important when transitioining, to prevent breakage of the relaxed ends it is good to do protein treatments which strengthen the hair. Look for products with egg, wheat and soy protein in them and use them every two weeks. Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise is a very good product for this.

Miss J: Go on Girl for having the courage to even think about chopping off your hair,Its a big decision. Cutting hair is very freeing and you will realise that after all hair does grow back and when its grows back natural its healthier and thicker. Remember all natural hair does not look the same and you should never compare your hair to anyone elses. Embrace your own and remember to moisturise, deep condition and be gentle with your hair. Learn to listen to your hair and handle it as need be. Please have a good read through our archives which has tonnes of info on taking care of natural hair http://thenaturalgirlsguidetobeauty.blogspot.com/p/hair-care-guide.html. Braids are a great style when you are trying yo grow your hair, make sure to moisturise and keep your scalp clean.

Sparkly Nails

2011-09-13T09:21:00.002+03:00

We have just recently gotten into glitter on nails, if done well glitter nail polish can look less Barbie and more chic. To do these nails, I used 2 coats of pink nail polish and then dabbed the glitter nail polish on, dabbing the glitter on make sure that you get more glitter on the nails. These nails did not start chipping until Day 4 which is great!

Kurly Kichana Mail: From Paris with Love

2011-09-08T08:57:00.005+03:00

Hello,

My name is Diane, I leave in France and I am writing to express my admiration about your website. It is great to get some information about natural hair care etc... for girls like me who have decided to be fresh and natural forever.

You must hear that a lot but the only think I regret is not to have started earlier. Even if I leave in France, and most of people are white and not comfortable with black girls with own natural hair I decide to be a soldier of black beauty.

Thanks again for making me laugh and trust that man it is possible to feel beautiful with natural hair.

Diane

The Kurlies Say:

Bonjour Diane!

Thank you so much for your email! We love hearing from our readers :D
We agree with you completely when you say that 'you wish you would have started sooner.' We imagine how big our afros would have been if we had started earlier, but its never too late :-)

Its so refreshing to hear that you have taken on the task of soldiering on for natural black women in France! Thats great, should you need any help from Africa... please do not hesitate to let us know.

Thanks for reading our blog and showing us some love .

Regards,

Kurly Kichana.

Skin Woes

2011-09-06T14:32:00.003+03:00

So the skin gods have been unkind! They have walloped me with small very painful spots mainly on my forehead and the side of my face. At the beginning I thought it was due to not washing my make up brushes (hangs head in shame). I swiftly cleaned my brushes with anti bacterial soap and said a little prayer hoping that the spots would disappear. Ha!! This pecky buggers were not having it. Evidence below,

Since then I have decided to not wear makeup apart from concealer and mascara, and use only 3 products on my face. My regimen for the next month will be

Morning

Wash face with Pears Soap for 10 secs, with gentle circular movements

Let face airdry

Apply sunscreen and moisturiser

Apply under eye concealer, mascara, Done!

Evening

Wash face with Pears Soap

Let face airdry

Apply Panoxyl cream on areas with spots, avoiding eye and mouth area ( I have learnt this the hard way, I did not avoid the mouth area earlier and had tonnes of peeling there)

Let the cream dry then apply moisturiser

Galaxy Nails: Take #1

2011-09-05T10:40:00.002+03:00

Hey! How are you all doing?

You should know right off the bat I am fighting the good fight each day to make sure I am not labelled a hipster. However, factors beyond my control keep gravitating me towards that subgroup. No it's not my nerdy glasses I actually need those to see; and it's definitely not my political or social views (for hipsters have none). Nay, mine comrades. I am not a hipster (OK, maybe a closet hipster, egad) but, man I'm cutting it real close with some of the choices and inspirations that strike me.

Take my affinity for the stars the galaxy and all that other worldly elements for instance. Hipsters love that stuff; it's all a part of their never ending quest to be misunderstood. I LOVE STARS! The galaxy nail fad is huge right now, I hopped right on that band wagon. They are not perfect, but I sure as hell love them! I can't wait for take #2.

Have a look-see :)

The inspiration

Lovely, right?

Bam! The end result!

I think for my next trial, I won't be as linear. I will also be a bit more abstract me thinks...

Not too shabby for my first trial, if I do say so myself. If you would like a step by step tutorial for the next try let me know.

Enjoy your Monday good people.

You too Hipsters :)

Essential Oils for the Scalp

2011-09-02T13:41:00.009+03:00

Source

Our lifestyles have a direct impact on the condition of our skin, our nails and of course our hair. Illness, stress levels, the environment and what we consume are reflected directly via our exterior condition. While some forces are beyond our control, there are some steps we can take to guarantee we look and feel our best. For that, we need to take care of ourselves inside and out.

Today, we let's focus on our scalp and the steps we can take to a happy, healthy, itch free scalp. Oh, and just so you know, the road to beautiful healthy hair begins with caring for your scalp. Take notes.

A healthy diet is paramount. Consume foods rich in essential acids, proteins, zinc, iron, carotenes, and vitamins B, C and most importantly vitamin E. Vitamin E is amazing for healthy hair and skin - this is through both ingestion and direct application.

So by now you have heard the Kurly Kichana girls rave and rant about our unified hate for shampoos that contain Sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES). We still do,and we are still at it. However, we also champion the call for a clean and healthy scalp. This obviously calls for regular cleaning and nourishment, let's do a run down on how one can achieve this.

Natural oils and your Scalp
Shampoos come with a guarantee to cleanse your hair of all the nasty "oils" and build up gathered over a period of time. Their floral scents stimulate your senses and the happy advertisements whisper a promise pure unadulterated joy. They fail to mention that shampoos were not actually formulated with natural African hair in mind (with reference to a of majority internationally attainable brands). Caucasian hair/ Asian hair is less coily and is predominantly straighter in comparison to our natural hair structure. As such their naturally produced oils (sebum) manages to coat the entire hair shaft (from root to tip) and provide the hair with the basic nourishment it requires. This can sometime result in greasy, grimy and dirty looking hair over a short period of time. Shampoo therefore intends to rid hair of the excess oils and grime.

African hair is curly. Far more curlier than Caucasian hair. Due to its nature, sebum does not build up as much as it would for other hair varieties and thus our hair is mostly drier by comparison. As such we need to INFUSE as much moisture and nourishment as possible to supplement our naturally produced oils. Regular shampoos literally strip our hair of what little nourishment our scalp produces; it also manages to change our natural pH levels, leaving our hair dry and brittle and vulnerable to chronic breakage.

If you can get your hands on a suphate free shampoo or carry out an ACV rinse or a Bicarbonate of Soda rinse as you have heard us mention time and time again. Nyachomba will demonstrate this for us on the next post :)
There you have it - your scalp needs its natural oils. However, as we may not be able to produce enough of these oils, be comforted to know that there are various natural remedies that you can employ to boost your scalps needs. These remedies have the power to boost hair growth, aid afflictions such as flaking and itching, sooth allergies, dandruff and stimulate your sebaceous glands. Miracle workers really!

Essential Oils
Essential oils are the magical elixirs that we swear by with regards to scalp treatment and conditioning. They are very potent and must be used with caution. We emphasize on the use of a carrier oil such as extra virgin olive oil or jojoba oil (on its own, jojoba is an excellent scalp moisturizer and can help re-balance sebum). If applied to the skin undiluted, essential oils can cause severe irritation or reactions in some individuals. Carrier oils are used to dilute essential and other oils prior to application. They carry the essential oil onto the skin.

Below is a list of some of our favorite essential oils and their uses:
Tea Tree: Treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, and underactive sebaceous glands, enlivens the scalp.
Basil: Promotes hair growth
Clary sage: Dandruff, itchy scalp treatment
Lavender: Dandruf, itchy scalp treatment, as well as scalp treatments
Peppermint: Great for dry hair, promotes hair growth, stimulates hair growth
Myrrh: Treatment for dry hair, dandruff, and underactive sebaceous glands
Rosemary: Treatment for a flaky and itchy scalp
Ylang Ylang: Great for dandruff treatment
Lemon: Treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, and underactive sebaceous glands, enlivens the scalp.

Note: You can get most of these oils at Healthy U store ranging from Kshs 500 - Kshs 1600

There are loads of other essential oils to choose from. Let us know which ones you subscribe to and your experience with them.
GARDEN REMEDY: Go to your garden and get 3 sprigs of Rosemary, and chop up and add to 3 tea bags of Chamomile tea. Boil gently, let cool, strain and rinse your hair with this liquid for a calming antiflammatory effects. :)

Anti - bacterial hair growth serum
3 drops Tea tree oil
3 drops Peppermint oil
3 drops Rosemary oil
Olive oil
Aloe Vera Gel

Mix all the above in a 50ml bottle and shake before using. Aloe Vera is great for the scalp and encourages hair growth and kills bacteria

Add 2-3 drops of tea tree and peppermint essential oils per dollop of shampoo or conditioner - Shampoo hair with shampoo + essential oil, or add a few drops to your conditioner for an added treat. This helps flaky and itchy scalps. The tingling feeling induced by peppermint oil is an added plus

Nourishing scalp and hair growth mix

Add 3 drops each of the following essential oils to 1/4 cup of Olive Oil: Tea Tree, Rosemary, Lavender. Mix well then add 3 drops of Vitamin E oil. Add to a dark coloured bottle, and store in a cool location. This is a great hair growth and scalp nourishing mix, plus the smell of Lavender is calming. Giving your scalp a massage with this oil before bed will ensure a great nights sleep :-)

Do not use Rosemary oil if you are pregnant or suffer from high blood pressure

Kurly Kichana Mail : Rahal asks

2011-08-26T11:47:00.002+03:00

I came across your blog and am thinking about going natural but I do not know which products to start with. I live in Minneapolis, I recently cut my hair and want to grow it back so am not ready to do the big chop. The part that frustrates me is when I unbraid my hair and it’s too hard to comb, that’s when I head straight to the salon to relax it! So what products would you recommend?

The Kurlies say,

Hello there Rahal. You are very lucky to be Stateside because you have a wider range of products aimed at curly hair...just having this huge arsenal should encourage you to put down the box of relaxer! (Dreams of having Shea moisture in Kenya, Le sigh)

There are lots of products we have heard that yield miracles in natural hair. Below is a list of products from various pharmacies and beauty supply stores that you should look into.

The SheaMoisture range we hear is EPIC.Easy to use and great for moisture and detangling
The Jane Carter Solution is also great for natural hair
Qhemet is a great line that uses organic natural products. It makes a great line of hair butters that curlies everywhere are in awe of.
Beemine products
Kinky Curly Hair products are reknowned for their curl enhancing abilities
Cantu Shea butter is a great line and very affordable
Organic root stimulator

When buying products for natural hair, remember to seek those that add a lot of moisture to hair.

Kurly Kichana

A kurls best friend

Kurls on the Run: Fuel the Fire

2011-08-24T08:38:00.013+03:00

Hello gorgeous.

On this edition of Kurls on the Run, we would like to cover the all important topic of diet and nutrition. Many fitness nuts will tell you that the path the a healthy body and lifestyle focuses on 80% of what you consume and 20% on how much physical activity you put in. I don't know how true the numbers are but I certainly do appreciate the logic.

I believe it's all about balance and moderation. That said, I have a confession to make; I am a pseudo-obsessive calorie counter. There I said it.... My soul is cleansed! Now before you go on and dub me one of those women who eat nothing but carrot sticks and sniff other people's chocolate fudge cake... No no, don't even. I love food, I have a wonderful love affair with food. But I am most certainly careful about what I am eating, how much of it I consume and what benefit (if any) it has on my body.

I work out. A lot. Twice a day everyday, save for Sunday. P90X estimates a calorie burn of 600 calories on average where as Turbo Fire burns up an average of 500 calories. Combined, I can burn up to 1100 calories on a given day. I haven't even mentioned my infrequent gym workouts. Needless to say I would easily crash if I didn't eat the food I need to regenerate my body and to give me the energy I need to simply wake up in the morning. As such, I consume a minimum of 2000 calories. Ideally, I should consume 2500 - 2800 calories everyday.

Failure to do so will lead to my body falling into starvation mode. Our bodies need sustenance to be able to function like the amazing machines that they are. When it comes to weight loss, we tend to focus more on losing inches and weight and punish our bodies by not eating enough and not eating correctly. If you manage to survive this insanity, you will most definitely lose the weight, no doubt about that, but there's more to the bargain. Poor calorie intake can lead to loss of muscle tissue, hair loss, a weakened immune system, stress and overall looking and feeling pretty jacked up. Oh, and what's more, the weight is more likely to pile on back should you stop eating like a humming bird and revert to your old ways... which, and you can bet your skinny jeans on this, you will.

Consume the right amount of calories depending on your lifestyle. If you want to lose weight, you may have to reduce the amounts of calories you take in or up your work out regimen. To find out just how much, consult a nutritionist... or if you are as cheap as I am, consult your general practitioner on your next medical check up or eye exam. You could also read up on it on the internet or purchase a book. I always like a good book. Great websites with information and personalized nutrition and fitness plans are Livestrong.com and myfitnesspal.com.

Consuming the RIGHT calories is where my pseudo obsession comes in. Sure you can take in your daily required calories by eating burgers and fries; they have plenty of calories don't they! Problem solved! HALT! No ma'am you may not! If you are serious about your fitness and general health, those foods should be vile substances, cursed by the ghost of Christmas or something. Junk food and fast food give your body nothing but empty calories. No substance in them; just yucky processed gunk and trans fats and other badies.

Give your body the FUEL it needs to work at optimum efficiency. Eat perfectly balanced meals fortified with the goodness and nutrients that you need for your health requirements. Every so often new weight loss fads and diets come up that guarantee instant weight loss or the miraculous 'secret' to good health.Poppycock! The perfect diet does indeed exist; we learnt all about it in primary school and Sesame Street taught us songs about it... ladies and gentlemen, the perfect diet is the balanced diet.

A perfect diet consists of carbohydrates, fats (yes WE NEED fats), protein, minerals and vitamins. See, just like we learnt when we were kids. Should you require more information on these food groups and their benefits to the body, let me know. I'm no expert, but I'd love to talk about them with your input. Also the internet is there for you. It wants nothing but the best for you... so go on... read up. You know, we are blessed to live in a country where it is far cheaper and easier to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables moreover expensive fast foods and take out. We have amazing organic vegetables and fruit which, in the long run, are far cheaper than buying a bucket of chicken from *insert new fast food restaurant here*. So, what is stopping us?

By the by, you can simply lose weight by changing your diet. Leave out the empty calories and go for wholesome nutritious food. Put in as little as 30 minutes of cardio every day, be it scrubbing the floor, walking to work or a bit of gardening, and (you can quote me on this) YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT, albeit over a longer period of time.

As always thanks for reading. For more fitness inspiration check out our humble tumlr fitspo on kurlsontherun.tumblr.com

Over to you!

Disclaimer: We are not professional dietitians or nutritionists. This is post is based solely on our layman perspective.

Kurly Kichana Reviews : Elasta QP Olive and Mango Butter Moisturiser

2011-08-23T10:53:00.003+03:00

Happy Tuesday people,

Today we want to review a great moisturiser by Elasta QP. This moisturiser recently changed from just Mango Butter to Olive and Mango Butter Moisturizer.

Ingredients

Aqua(purified water), squalane(olive oil derived), caprylic/capric triglyceride(coconut oil derived), peg-75 lanolin, behntrimonium methosulfate, hexadecanol, cetearyl alcohol, ceterareth-20, dimethicone, phenyl trimethicone, mangifera indica (Mango) seed butter, theobroma cacao (A) seed butter, hydrolyzed silk, serica, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, fragrance, fd&c yellow no.5 (CI 19140)

Price

The cream can be quite pricey, between Kshs 800-900.

Be prepared to dig deep ladies. You can find the entire Elasta QP range at Nakumatt super store.

Our Thoughts

The olive oil and mango butter cream is a heavy, moisture rich cream with a relatively thick consistency, perfect for moisture retention. Because it is quite thick, its best to use it after spraying your hair with a little bit of water. This helps the cream spread evenly throughout the hair.

It is great for twists and twist outs, if used straight up from the jar it makes a great holding cream.

We love its amazing scent.

Purchase worthy?

If you are looking for a treat for your hair, this is it! Its not something you can use everyday considering the price but definitely a great pick me up for your hair :-)

Enjoy the day.x

Overdue cut!

2011-08-22T11:46:00.002+03:00

Hey guys, Had a good weekend? Mine had me frustrated, my hair was all in knots and everytime I go to touch my hair my fingers pick up stray strands, broken strands and knots. Argh!!!! So annoying. I have been telling Mary that I need to cut my hair and she always says NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..."just leave it and trim a little". I have been doing that for a few months and nothings changed

So Kshs 260 later for a pair of hair shears and some helpful hands, got my hair cut at home. All I did was get it wet with conditioner then sectioned off into 6 sections and cut. My ends feel amazing. I cut quite a lot of hair, the hair at the back is shorter (2-3inches) with the front being longer. Hmmm we shall see how this uneveness goes on :-)

Before the cut, Can you see the knots dangling from the rest of the hair?

After, a bit uneven but I love it.

The hair cut has made my ends feels lovely, its much shorter than I thought , the shrinkage is amazing. The reason for the hair cut was to get healthier hair and oh well, hair does grow after all. I will try take pics of how it looks from the front. I am totally feeling this hair cut :-)

Happy Monday lovelies

Badu Be the Baddest ★

2011-08-19T16:53:00.001+03:00

We. Adore. Her.

“Y’all know what a cypher is? [“Yeah!”] It’s all kinds of ciphers. But a cypher can be represented by a circle, which consists of how many degrees? [“360!”] What? 360 degrees. And my cipher keeps moving like a rolling stone. So in my song when I say that, my cipher represents myself or the atoms in my body and the rolling stone represents the Earth. The atoms in the body rotate at the same rate on the same axis that the Earth rotates, giving us a direct connection with the place we call Earth; therefore, we can call ourselves Earth. Okay? On my hand I wear an ankh. This is an ankh. An ankh is an ancient Kemetic symbol. The word Kemet is the original name for Egypt.”
— Erykah Badu

Baduizm.

It's a way of life.

Follow her on Twitter @fatbellybella

Kurly Kichana Mail: Daisy Asks

2011-08-18T12:46:00.002+03:00

Hi Kurly Kichana,

I need your help. I don't have natural hair but I would like your advise on what to do to my temple hair. It is really weak whilst the rest of my hair is strong. Things went south when I braided my hair. Is there a sure fire way of growing it back.

Thanks a milli.

The Kurlies Say:

Dear Daisy!

Hi hun! The hair around our edges is extremely very weak and susceptible to traction alopecia and thus we should be very careful. Too much braiding can result in very weak, thinned out edges.

We suggest you make sure there is no stress on your edges. Do this for as long as (3-6 months, or longer depending on the damage) you can so that your hair can grow back over time. Avoid tight ponytails, micro-braids, tight weaves and other stressful hairstyles. One remedy we would recommend is a simple mix of peppermint oil mixed with castor oil. This will be good treat for your edges and will aid regrowth.

Another product we would recommend is the ORS Temple Balm. It contains a fertilizing serum that stimulates hair growth. You can find it at Super Cosmetics and Beauty Options for about KES 600/- (last we checked). Works wonders it does...

Kind Regards from Kurly Kichana,

A Kurls Best Friend