Kinkspiration! - Bre Scullark

I must admit I am partial to the odd nugget of Car-Crash telly (just one or two shows, of course) with America’s Next Top Model being one of my favourite guilty pleasures.

You could say I had somewhat of an obsession with Cycle 5 contestant Bre’s hair. While most people were engrossed in her fights over a granola bar- admittedly it was an incredibly dull season- I was busy drooling over those shiny ringlets. Well, not literally. That would just be gross.






I was shocked to discover she’s recently gone for the chop but in my opinion it’s taken her from very pretty girl with gorgeous hair, to bombshell! And I have to say the new look is really making me consider reaching for those clippers.

Acronyms

Being the hair blog and forum addicts that we are here at The Kinky Apothecary, we frequently forget that most normal, healthy, non-hair obsessed people do not necessarily know what a 'BAA' or 'TWA' is.

To make life easier- and cut down the number of blank stares- please find below some of the more frequently used kinky hair abbreviations, acronyms and explanations:

2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c = curl types
2nd Day Hair = Hair that looks good enough the day after styling that it can just be misted with water or have a little product added try to revive and refresh its style.
ACV = Apple Cider Vinegar
AOHR= Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose
AOMM = Aubrey Organics Magic Mandarin Jelly
AOWC = Aubrey Organics White Camilla
APL = arm pit length
AVG= Aloe vera Gel
BAA = Big-ass afro
BB=Blended Beauty (product line)
BC= Big Chop
BSL = bra strap length
c. = Coarse texture
Canopy = the top layer of hair, which is exposed to the elements the most, and is prone to frizzing
CG = Curly Girl routine or "Curly Girl," the book by Lorraine Massey
Clarify = remove build-up from the hair via ACV, lemon juice, or shampooing
Clumping = strands of hair clumping together to form bigger, chunkier curls
CO = conditioner or "conditioner=only" as in not using shampoo
CO wash = conditioner washing
Condish = conditioner
Crunch = the hard, crunchy feeling left by some gels when they dry, which can sometimes be scrunched out.
DT = deep (conditioning) treatment
Elucence MBC = Moisture Balancing Conditioner
EOs = essential oils
EVOO = extra virgin olive oil
f. = fine texture
FSG=Flax Seed Gel
GDLI = Giovanni Direct Leave=In
GioDLI= Giovanni Direct Leave In
Giovanni DLI/ GDL= Giovanni Direct Leave-In
HE = Herbal Essences
i, ii, iii = Fia's hair-typing system descriptors for volume
JC N&S= Jane Carter Nourish and Shine
KCCC = Kinky Curly Curling Custard
KCKT = Kinky Curly Knot Today
m. = medium texture
NG= Nature's Gate
OC = Devacurl One Condition
ORS = Organic Root Stimulator
pineapple = gathering hair gently on top of head with a scrunchie to preserve curls for 2nd day hair
Pixiecurl diffuser method= leaving diffuser OFF, using the bowl to scrunch hair up to root, turn ON for 30 seconds=1 minute, turn OFF, and then repeat on next section of hair. Minimizes frizz and reduces the amount of disturbance on the rest of your hair while diffusing.
PJ = Product Junkie (addicted to trying the next new, possibly better hair product)
Plop/plunk= Method for putting your wet hair into a towel to encourage curls (video on jessicurl's website)
'poo = shampoo
PVP = A polymer found in most gels
'quats = polyquaternium polymers found in styling products
SAO = Sweet almond oil
Scrunch = encourage curl or apply product by gently squeezing/pushing hair upward from end toward root.
Shrinkage = shortening of length due to curl tightness
SL = shoulder length
SLS = Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (surfactant found in most shampoos)
SOTC = scrunch out the crunch
TTO = tea tree oil
TWA = Teeny weeny afro
Understory = hair under the top exposed layer

Check out Naturally Curly for a more exhaustive list.

Kinkspiration! - TY Bello

Fellow Nigerian TY Bello is this week's pick.

The Gospel singer is best known for her gorgeous husky voice, but its her luscious locks that set our hearts aflutter...






Loving her eyebrows too!

Product feature- Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturising Conditioner

Ingredients: Coconut Fatty Acid Cream Base, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Shea Butter, Wheat Germ Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Rosa Mosqueta Rose Hip Seed Oil, Extracts of Fennel, Hops, Balm Mint, Mistletoe, Camomile, Yarrow, Chrysanthemum, Angelica, Forsythia and Magnolia, Honeysuckle Oil, Carrot Oil, Aubrey’s Preservative (Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamins A, C and E)

This was the first conditioner I used when I started taking an interest in ingredients and the effect on my hair. All the natural ladies seemed to be raving about it on the blogs and forums I had read in the course of my research, so I decided to give it a try.

It has 100% natural ingredients and contains no protein, which is great for the protein sensitive. It also has no humectants, which makes it suitable for drier climates (note to anyone living in the North, or those who make regular trips to more wintry climes). And the best feature, for me anyway, is that it smells great!

After the 30-something years of prior abuse I had put my hair through, Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturising Conditioner (or AOHSR, as it is known in hair-world) was definitely the best product to have ever come in contact with my parched barnet! I noticed a huge difference even after the first use. It felt like a completely new head of hair after rinsing. I had just taken out braids, and the dry brittle locks seemed to have been instantly replaced with softer strands with improved elasticity.

A true product junkie, I experiment a lot, trying out different conditioners- which I will review in due course- but I always come back to AOHSR. It is definitely the best deep conditioner my hair has ever met. It keeps my hair moisturized without ever getting that greasy product build-up feel, and I don’t have to be too heavy-handed with the moisturizers during the week to keep it that way.

It has a very thick consistency (so thick that I sometimes find it hard to get the last bit out of the bottom of the bottle without pouring some water in and shaking it up), so I have never tried to use it as a leave-in, although some people do. This, however, would be most effective if mixed with a lighter conditioner or diluted.

The only con is, due to its consistency, it’s not a great detangler. The two ways to get around it are to detangle with a more slippery conditioner first, usually whatever cowash conditioner I have used, and then apply the AOHSR. Or I find that the addition of Olive oil gives more slip, and makes it easier to run a comb through.

All things being equal, I don’t think I could ever give up this conditioner!

Champagne, Cupcakes & Curltalk- MORE PICTURES

As we can only post 5 pictures at a time, here are a few more:






The next event is going to be in July- dates will be confirmed soon. Also you'll be pleased to hear The Apothecary is being totally restocked after being a little overwhelmed at the first event, so watch this space!

Champagne, Cupcakes & Curltalk- PICTURES

Ok so these were promised ages ago, but better late than never, right?

Old, new and soon-to-be naturals got the chance to bond over champagne and cupcakes, learn about products, ingredients, hair maintenance, and swap tips. A great afternoon was had by all!

Here are some pictures from the event:






And Kobi-Lee, our youngest curly...