Deep Conditioning 101

Being natural is not the easiest thing and doing it for 5 years I have definitely developed a real relationship with my hair. One thing we naturals can agree on is the wash day routine can be a pain, however, there are no ways around it. If you cheat your hair suffers and unfortunately, it will eventually show.

When it comes to having healthy hair whether relaxed or natural, curly or straight you need to have the right products and the right techniques for your hair. There are many products out there in the market and you can only know what works for you by trial and error.
One thing I have learned about my hair is the need to consistently try out and rotate new products every 3-6 months as when the product gets used to my hair it stops being as effective.

My wash day routine has always been the same: 

1. Cleanse

2. Condition

3. Deep Condition

4. Style

Although the routine has been the same my techniques have changed and today we will be discussing my deep condition routine. 

When it comes to deep conditioning my hair my philosophy is a quality product, time, patience and care. My hair has a curly pattern of 3b/3c and quite fine hair so deep conditioning is not every week but rather every 2 weeks. Deep conditioning is very essential to maintaining healthy soft manageable hair.

How I deep Condition:

1. I wash and condition my hair in the shower currently using the Herbal Essences Shampoo Naked Daily Clean for all hair types to cleanse my hair from build-up and condition using the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner.

2. I then rinse off the conditioner after 10 minutes, then apply my deep conditioning hair mask - Shea Moisture Superfruit Complex 10 in 1 Renewal System Hair Masque and cover with a shower cap.

3.  I then sit under the hairdryer hood attachment for 45 minutes to an hour before finally rinsing off the mask.

The hairdryer attachment has been a game-changer for me as it cuts the deep conditioning time significantly as before I would sit the mask in my hair for hours on end, sometimes the whole day with layers of towels to keep the heat/steam in so the mask penetrates through the hair shaft. The attachment I have been using is the Deluxe Softhood by Hair Flair in the colour black. The attachment has a drawstring adjustment so you can adjust according to your head size. 

The quality of the attachment is great and I have used it for over a year now and it has withstood the test of time.

You can purchase the Soft hood attachment on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RXYSzB 

Synthetic Wigs are still in ft Sensational

Wig Review: Sensational

So a couple of months ago I was looking for long bouncy curly wig and did not want to spend more than £60. Hence why I went in search for a synthetic wig.
Had planned to were the wig only for one week - My birthday week but to my surprise the wig lasted longer that (2 months), I had to repurchase for the December- Christmas party season.
I guess it was due to the care and the way I wore the wig hence it lasted so long.
To Purchase the product please click on the link below:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FBHCXFJ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B07FBHCXFJ&linkCode=as2&tag=michies-21&linkId=c9a81f8f1fe9d171e377b270bb760bf8

                             

This wig is the sensational perm romance wig with Yaki texture. It has one of the best synthetic fibres (in my humble opinion) that I have seen, it can be straighten and curled up but with only low heat (I haven't tried to use hot tools as of yet).

Pros of the Hair:
1. The hair does not look synthetic and it does not have the typical synthetic fibre shine, most people thought I was wearing a real human hair wig.

2.The wig is of good size and can fit a large head with adjustable steps.

3. Although this is not a full lace wig, the lace provided is more than enough to allow manipulation techniques i.e baby hair, parting space.

Con of the Hair:
1. The wig is obviously synthetic - it's life span is dependant on how well you take of the hair.

2. You are limited in hair styles but if tit's the bouncy voluminous curls you want this is your wig.

With all that said, I would rate this wig a 8/10 and will be doing an full on unboxing, in depth review and how I wear/manipulate the wig to my taste which will be on the blog next week.

So be sure to check in.

Until the next one 

Michelle x

In the mean time ... Please check out my Youtube channel: 

Power of Writting Things Down

I never understood the power of writing things down until this year 2019

This year has been very challenging for me as I have found myself drifting. Let’s start from the beginning …

So in 2018 a lot of things happened and going towards the end of the first half of 2018(June) I decided to take a break from everything in regards to business and blogging, just to concentrate on my personal (building friendships with people around me and I also took that time to focus on getting my foot in into my new career) which I have done.

However, I feel like I took far too long in that state it's now almost a year I've been in that state.

Now as the new year came - 2019 I knew in my head the things I wanted to do but made the mistake of not writing them down.

And when we got to February, I had totally forgotten most of the goals I set and forgot the action plans I had somehow stored in my “memory”

I had made some bullet points (lazily) on my phone but not specific detailed plans like I usually do.

As, I did not take the time to write things down, I became a little bit lost as to which direction I was going to take and how I was going to execute my goals.

You see I have been in this position before just after I left University and was now in the real world trying to figure out which path to take but had no plan. All I knew is I needed to be doing something with my life as my peers where already 10 steps ahead of me.

That was one of the main reasons why I decide to start the company NCUKSA so other people young and old would not have to go through that limbo period where you have no sense of direction.

 I'm telling you this little story (not the whole story) before I go into detail the benefits of writing things down because I wanted to give you guys a context of where I'm coming from.

 Whenever I write these blog posts, I do my best to put my personal experience into the post. I may not tell you the full story, but the solution to the problem is always in the post.



The Benefits of Writing things Down:

1.       You have a record of how your mind was thinking the time you wrote down your goals

2.       It’s like having your own silent PA – there to remind you of what to do

3.       Seeing things written down brings things to life and makes them more manageable

4.       Writing things down especially your goals and action plan keeps you focused and on the right direction to achieving whatever it is you set out to achieve

5.       Having a record of your goals and action plan writing down gives you the chance to measure your growth and progression

6.       And finally, it’s a great motivator

I hope this helps you put into perspective and encourages you to write things down. In life we all have desires to become a certain type of individual according to our God given destiny. It is only those who plan and act that either reach their desire or reach close to it.

If you need help with personal development planning or goal setting/action plans, then head over to www.ncuksa.co.uk . We have one to one service available to help you get to where you need to be.

We also have personal development planning template available to download for less than a pound.

(please note payments are made via PayPal and we do not keep record of your debit/credit card details)

Until the next one

Michelle

x

The Journey to Skin Healing - Acne

My first pimple was when I was 12-13 years old and ever since then I have always had pimples on my face. When I look back at my photos it's hard to pin point a time when I didn't have pimples on my face.
I do however remember between the ages of 17-21 my skin had calmed down and it seemed like my skin was finally clearing to the point were it was manageable and easily covered up with make up.

However last year from April until about Octoberish time my skin went from 0 to a 100 real quick. This was one of the worst breakouts I have ever experienced and at the time I was a bridesmaid for my friend's wedding. Perfect timing!
This was one of the most insecure times of my life, I tried everything and became addicted to beauty - acne products.
When I tell you I tried everything, I really mean I tried everything from facials to organic products, doing masks 3 times a week and even using raw undiluted DETOL on my face - I tried it all.
I became so self conscious and insecure to the point I would  not leave the house without any makeup on, but even with the cake on my face you could still see the breakout picking through. I even filmed a makeup tutorial during that time : https://youtu.be/ctdhLQ-CRu8  (click the link to see for yourself)

Picture of my acne breakout - ©Michelle.M 2019

Make-up caked face - ©Michelle.M 2019

The pressure of being a bridesmaid with acne ©Michelle.M 2019

I started to pray about it and begging God to clear my skin. It may sound silly but I believe that God wants to be involved in every part of our lives, especially things that affect our mental state. I was not depressed but I was self conscious and this affected my confidence and the only one who could help me was God.
One day I had a conversation with my mother and she suggested to use what I used before that had previously worked for my skin and to not use too many products but rather keep it simple. So I started going back down memory lane and remembered the Tea Tree range at the Body Shop plus the Nevia skin range I previously used. So then I went to purchase these items and as I purchased them I asked God to help
Now these products are made for sensitive, oily skin and most importantly are gentle. I worked up a routine and to this day have stuck to it while using the products below.

After a month and half I finally started to see results and to this day my skin has never looked better, thank God!!
Best believe your girl is sticking to this routine...

My Skin in March 2019, so much better - ©Michelle.M 2019

I can not rave enough about these products - absolutely amazing!
If you would like me to do a detailed skincare/routine video post please do let me know or leave a comment below.

My skin as of now -  ©Michelle.M 2019

Thank you so much for reading this blog, 

Until the next one Michelle.M

x