Update: The Nigerian Natural Hair & Beauty Show - Early Bird tickets now available!

Since Felicia Leatherwood's last visit to Lagos, a frequent question we've received has been when is the hair whisperer and stylist to stars such as Jill Scott, Teyonah Parris and Will Smith bringing her workshop back?

Update: Current hair situation!

Hi all,

Just thought I should give a quick update on what's going on with my hair.

I've been in loose twists since December. Loose twists have been in my styling arsenal since some time in 2012 when Miss (now Mrs) Fizzy introduced me to them.

Products we love this Valentine's (and every) Day! (plus a guide to picking your products)

Picking products is a very individual thing. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for the next. That's why whenever I get one of the most frequently asked questions "What products should I use for my natural hair?" I am always hesitant to start reeling off a standard list of products.

Hello 2015! Here’s a flashback to 2014 at The Kinky Apothecary.

Since we’re almost at the end of January 2015, this seems like the perfect time for my procrastinating self to wish all our customers, readers and Kinky Apothecary family a very Happy New Year, and all the best for 2015!

The Kinky Apothecary Pop Up Salon - Saturday 20th December

We can NOT believe we're almost at the end of the year already! As always, no idea where it went! However, rather than lament the passing of time, we're just very excited about the Christmas Season, and getting glammed up is one of our favourite things about it. So this year we've decided to make an event of it. We have teamed up with A Whitespace Lagos and as a collaboration for their annual BIG60 festivities, we will be bringing you the very first Kinky Apothecary Pop Up Salon next Saturday, December 20th!

The Kinky Apothecary's new Mainland concessions.

Good morning Loves,

As many of you know, this has been in the works for a while, but we are extremely proud to announce the launch of two more The Kinky Apothecary concessions: this time on the Mainland!

Obia Natural Haircare products now available in Nigeria at The Kinky Apothecary!

By popular demand, Obia Natural Haircare products are finally available at The Kinky Apothecary!

Click on the shop tab for details, and call or email us to place your order, or alternatively pop in to our concession at L'Espace.

Love,

Kinky.

The 5 tweaks to my regimen that have totally changed my hair game

Following questions I received last week at both Social Media Week panels (which both turned into impromptu hair workshops), I thought I'd take this opportunity to update you on some changes I have made to my regimen since I last posted about it.

I'm always going on about the importance of building a regimen. The fact is, getting into a routine can help you better understand your hair, as well as make the sometimes mammoth task of tackling natural hair a lot less daunting. You are always learning a little bit more about your hair though, so it's likely that your regimen might change over time, and you find that some methods you might have once found effective no longer work for your hair or your lifestyle. This is particularly true as your hair grows, as ways of handling it when it was short might not work so well when you're dealing with more hair. For me, although I generally keep my hair at the same length, my busy lifestyle has meant that I find myself with less and less time to focus on it, however I cannot afford to neglect it. So as I find ever new and more creative ways to shorten my wash days over time, my regimen changes slightly.

These 5 tweaks have made dealing with my hair that much easier:

1/ Washing in twists

I'd heard so many people talk about washing their hair in twists, but never tried it until I came across this video, and it has definitely simplified my wash days.

I tend to start by detangling into twists this size, washing, oil rinsing (see below) and conditioning in these twists, and then making them smaller as I add my leave-in, oils and styler.

I tend to start with twists this size, wash, condition and rinse without undoing the twists...

...add my oil and leave-in, divide each twist in two (or 3, depending on what look I'm going for), detangle with the curl detangling brush in the video...which we also stock, and then twist with my styler. I end up with twists more or less this size...

...and end up with a twist out like this.

The biggest advantage is that I hardly spend any time in the shower. Most of my routine can take place in front of a mirror or the TV. I can also break down my wash days over several hours, or even several days if I need to (half an hour here, half an hour there, detangle and twist one day, wash the next, rinse out conditioner the next, etc)

2/ Oil rinsing

Another thing that I'd read about but didn't try until quite recently. Find out more here. I tend to add a layer of olive oil to my hair after shampooing and before adding my deep conditioner (I don't rinse out until after I've conditioned). I have absolutely no idea what the science behind oil rinsing is, but all I know is that it works for me. It aids with detangling, adds softness and shine, and has reduced frizziness and single strand knotting over time.

3/ Cold water rinsing

Rinsing your hair with cold water helps flatten your cuticles, which may have been raised through the shampooing process, hot water, steamers, or general wear and tear. With my highly porous, prone-to-dryness hair, I need all the help flattening my cuticles as I can get, so I try and include as many steps to my regimen as I can with this aim in mind. I find that the tap water in Nigeria doesn't get cold enough to be effective, so I tend to place a jug of water in the fridge which I pour directly on my hair as my final rinse.

4/ Aloe Vera juice

I have always used Aloe Vera Juice in my regimen, either in my spritzes or added to whatever leave-in I'm using for my version of what most naturals dub the Kimmaytube Leave-in. Like rinsing your hair with cold water, aloe vera juice, which is acidic like our hair and skin, helps flatten your cuticles, which may have been raised especially if your cleansers are not pH balanced. Some cleansers like castille soaps have a high pH, so I have mentioned in the past that you do need to add an acidic substance to them, like lemon juice, to bring the pH down a bit.

I had always noticed a preference for products with some aloe vera juice in them, or vaguely paid attention to the fact that my hair was always less brittle when I added AVJ to my leave-ins. However it was only after seeing Hey Fran Hey's method of "sealing" her hair with it that I increased the amount that I use during my wash process. I now keep my aloe vera in an applicator bottle in the fridge, and saturate my hair with it (literally just pour it on) after I have rinsed. This is even more effective than cold water rinsing, in my opinion (but I still do both), and has definitely contributed to the ease in detangling my hair. It has been by far one of the most effective factors in increasing my moisture retention levels.

5/ The LOC method

I've explained right from the beginning that to moisturise your hair, you need to start on wet or damp hair, or by using a product with water as the first ingredient. After washing, I have always been an advocate of adding a creamy leave-in conditioner or moisturiser to wet hair, followed by an oil.

The LOC method switches this round a bit. LOC stands for:

Liquid
Oil
Cream

The basic principle is that you moisturise first using a liquid (I use water, or aloe vera juice), followed by an oil to seal in the moisture from the water (I use a tiny dab of Vatika Oil, a fortified coconut oil which we stock: But hang on, Nibi! You've said your hair HATES coconut oil!! I know, I know, but since playing around, I've discovered that I was using WAY too much before, and now literally a drop is all I need for my entire head), and then a creamy leave-in afterwards serves to soften your hair. I started using this method about a year ago, and the difference has been ridiculous. I now use less moisturising product after washing, and my hair retains far more moisture than it used to.

My number 1 complaint with my natural hair has always been dryness. The last 4 additions to my regimen have totally changed this. My hair is no longer brittle, my issues with retaining moisture are nothing like they once were, and generally I have been able to spend far less time fussing over my hair. Apart from these tweaks, nothing significant has changed in my regimen. I do deep condition more regularly (alternating between protein and moisture) due to the colour. Once in a while when I have time, or can be bothered... or even remember in the first place... I might do an ayurvedic or henna treatment, which I have promised I will go into in a later post. But nowhere near the amount of treatments and potion mixing I was doing when I first started experimenting with my natural hair.

As always, what works for one person doesn't work for everyone, so just keep this in mind as a guideline and not gospel. It's about finding out what works best for you!

Also remember if you are trying to find ways to switch up your regimen, change one thing at a time, and not everything at the same time, otherwise there is no way to know what has worked and what hasn't.

For ideas on where to start with building your own regimen, this post might come in useful.

Hope I've helped somebody somewhere!

Until next time, have a great one.

xx

Sale extended and further reductions!

Because we love you! *mwah*

Details on the shop page.

2013 Round-Up: What's been going on with my hair...(and tips for colouring)

Hi all,

I've been getting complaints that you don't see posts about me often enough on the blog. I'm just going to use this cheeky opportunity to point out that we're now on Instagram, and if you followed us ...@kinkyapothecary... you'd get far more frequent updates on my hair...but I digress! :p 

I guess this is as good an opportunity as any to kick off a series of posts catching you up on what I should have posted last year, had I been blogging as often as I should have.

So for those of you who I didn't run into over the course of 2013, and therefore didn't get the chance to see in person, this is what has been going on with my hair over the past 6 months or so...

By the middle the year I'd begun to get extremely bored of the length, shape and flat colour of my hair...

We all know I'm not averse to a little snip snip, so I took advantage of a trip to NYC in August and decided to try out a salon I'd been recommended in Brooklyn called the H2 Salon, where I proceeded to get my hair highlighted and had a few inches chopped off, particularly at the back where I wanted some layers...

The owner, Dailey Greene, prefers to cut straight hair (I've also been to stylists who cut hair curly), and since I very rarely ever wear my hair straight, I decided I might as well rock it like that for a couple of days (even though I knew I would be battling with humidity as I was heading to Miami a couple of days later). So she proceeded to flat iron before pin-curling it...

This picture gives a more accurate depiction of the initial colour (which has since turned a much more vivid red as I henna my hair)...

I didn't bother to try and fight humidity and just allowed my hair to swell with the moisture...

And bunned for the last few days before my next wash...

And despite the nerves that ALWAYS accompany any dalliance with heat, my hair reverted with no problems when I washed it...

I've tried to be more adventurous with styling...

(I've named this one the 'Wilma Flintsone')

And generally continued to have fun with it...

I have now decided to protective style for the next few months (for as long as I can bear it), and put in some marley twists...

...which I did myself just before our last event... 

...but more on my protective styling marathon later!

My tips for anyone considering colour:

• My first recommendation would always to get your hair dyed professionally. I personally would never colour my hair myself (after a terrible experience years before I embarked on this 'healthy hair journey', which resulted in an astonishing amount of breakage). However there are many who colour their hair safely themselves. If you decide this is a path you want to take, be sure to do your research, read the instructions carefully, and ensure you take the colour up in stages: never think about going from black to blonde hair in one step, but gradually lift to red, brown and then blonde, if that is your goal.
• Never even think about colouring your hair if it is not in an optimal condition. The very nature of dyeing, altering the natural colour of your hair, will naturally present it with some damage as with any chemical process. I'm sure I don't need to spell out the consequence of adding further damage to already damaged hair.
• Deep condition frequently for some time leading up to the process, and ensure you deep condition regularly (and more frequently than before) afterwards. 
• Also add more frequent protein treatments to your regimen (always followed up by a moisturising deep conditioning treatment.
• Consider using semi permanent dyes, such as Naturtint, or vegetable dyes like henna. Note however that these do not lift colour, but deposit, and the colour might not come out exactly as advertised especially if you naturally have very dark hair.
• For this and other reasons, ALWAYS do a patch test before colouring, to see how your hair responds. If colouring professionally, a good colourist will also insist on doing a patch test.
• On the subject of henna, bear in mind a lot of research needs to go into this before you proceed. Henna has many benefits (I henna for strength, rather than colour), however there can also be many pitfalls attached, so ensure you are armed with information and know what you are doing. There is so much information required before you consider using henna, that I will be doing a few posts on the subject. In the meantime, this ebook is a great and comprehensive starting point for your research.

Until next time, take care!

~ Nibi

January Sale: Happy New Year!

The Christmas decorations have been taken down, the last of the leftovers eaten, the tourists are heading back to their various destinations, we're back at work... yes people, the Christmas season is well and truly over. We know January can be a depressing month, so in an effort to keep spirits up, and to let our customers know you mean a lot to us, we're offering 10% off across the board* until January 24th.

We'll also be staging a variety of giveaways and other surprises during the course of the month, so watch this space!

If you've been to any of our events or headed to our concession at L'Espace over the past few months, you'll know that our stock list has been expanded considerably for a while now. For those who haven't been, you might not have realised that we now stock a wide range of new products from Jane Carter Solution, CURLS, Mahogany Naturals as well as a wide range of ayurvedic powders and clays. These are now all available for delivery. Have a look at the price list for more detail.

Please note the price list reflects pre-sale prices. Discount will be calculated when your order is processed.

The sale price will already be reflected on products at L'Espace.

Happy shopping, and a very Happy New Year!

*Offer doesn't include Neriah Naturals or Bee Mine products.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

What an incredible year it has been! Thank you all for your love, support and custom in what has been a year of immense change. So much more planned for 2014 so stay tuned!

We are now closed for delivery until January 6th, 2014, but you can still pick up your favourite goodies from L'Espace, 19a Olosa Street, off Karimu Kotun, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Love from The Kinky Apothecary family.

xoxo

The Great Kinky Hair Christmas Affair

We've been hinting about this for weeks, and hope you've put December 21st in your diary. You do NOT want to miss this!

Our beloved Geri is coming to town, as is the beautiful Ijeoma of Klassy Kinks. Yup yup!!! So what better excuse to throw the natural hair "end-of-year party to end all parties"!

We've got so much lined up for you: in addition to the hair talk, we've got shopping, beauty treatments, food, a drinks bar (courtesy of Cointreau and Laurent Perrier again), freebies, sponsored giveaways... we could go on and on, but instead we'll just say come down and see for yourselves!

Tickets go on sale this Friday, so get yours, come down ... and don't forget to use the hashtag #naturalsdey.

Have we mentioned we're excited??

See you there...

Enter into the Neno Naturals giveaway for a chance to win $500!

Before we take you back to your regularly scheduled blog posts (yes, even I chuckled as I typed that), just wanted to bring your attention to the giveaway going on at Neno Natural's blog in case you hadn't heard of it already. She is so grateful for the support she has received over the past year, she is giving one lucky winner ANYWHERE in the world a chance to win $500!

The entry details are very simple: You need to be subscribed to the fan list at NenoNatural.com/freeinfo

• If you get their emails, you are already subscribed
• If you don't get their emails but you think you subscribed, check your SPAM folder
• If you unsubscribed you would need to re-subscribe to be eligible
• Payment will be via PayPal unless you are in a country that doesn't have PayPal in which case we can do a wire transfer to your bank (bank charges may apply)
• Anyone from anywhere in the world can win
• Competition closes on 19th November at midnight New York time (6 a.m. November 20th Lagos time)
• The winner will be selected and announced on 20th November

How will the winner be selected:

• All subscribers will be downloaded into excel and their position on the list randomized
• A number will then be picked using a random number generator and whoever has that position in the excel spreadsheet wins the entire $500 in time to buy Christmas gift or to pay down that annoying debt!
• Neno Natural will then email the person to ensure it's an email that is still in use, ask them for their phone number and call them to tell them they have won
• All this will be on video so everyone can enjoy the process

So what are you waiting for?? Such a generous offer so head over to nenonatural.com/freeinfo and make sure you're subscribed!

SN: And because we love a good giveaway, we'll also be doing a (much smaller and much less significant) giveaway of our own today on Twitter and Instagram, to mark the end of Natural Hair Month (how is it already October 31st?!) So make sure you're following us on both (we're @kinkyapothecary on both Twitter and Instagram) for a chance to win. 

Good luck!

Natural Hair Month continues with the Kinky Apothecary Pop Up Shop

If you haven't been down to our pop up shop yet, there are still 6 more days to go.

We have all your favourite products in stock, including a couple not available for online order yet (such as Jamaican Black Castor Oil and Vatika Oil). We also have an increased selection of Ayurvedic herbs and powders, some new lines (Jane Carter and Curls), books, tools, hair accessories, etc. Head down, we're waiting for you!

Also at the pop up, make up, makeovers and lash and brow services by Sacred Creative Artistry. Don't forget to have a look at the Gallery Exhibition by Temitayo Ogunbiyi exploring the Kink.

And for anyone in Lagos tomorrow, we have a Zumbathon starting at 1pm by Fuzion Fitness in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness. 25% of all proceeds raised by The Kinky Apothecary, Sacred Creative Artistry and Fuzion Fitness will be donated to the Pink Pearl Foundation.

All this is happening at our Pop Up at The Whitespace, 50 Raymond Njoku, Off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Don't miss it!

Nigerian Naturals, get your hair done by celebrity stylist Felicia Leatherwood!

Just 3 days to go until Felicia Leatherwood's first Nigerian workshop, and now we're giving you the chance to get your hair done by the stylist to the stars.

Yup yup! You have a chance to get your hair big chopped or styled by the lady who has done the same for Jill Scott, Teyona Parris, Viola Davis and countless others!

So what are you waiting for? Follow the simple steps below, and your tresses could also be getting the star treatment this Saturday.

All you need to do is:

1/ Buy a ticket if you haven't already. (They're going fast and we don't envisage having any on the door) from Afritickets, L'Espace (19a Olosa Street, Off Karimu Kotun, VI) or Sacred Creative Artistry (2 Abiola Close, Shonibare Estate, Maryland)
2/ Like us on Facebook
3/ Follow us on Twitter
4/ Fill out this form

Easy peasy!

Winner will be drawn at random and notified on Friday evening. 

So what are you waiting for? Get clicking, and good luck!