Clearing The Cobwebs

Eissh, you guys have no idea how much I have missed you 😊😳😱. I can't believe I stayed away for so long. Guys, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I mean, I was busy but I still should have made out time to blog. How could I just abandon blogging, my very first love 😳.

Oh, well....what's happened has happened. We just have to move on. And do better, be better. Especially, since a new year is just around the corner. So, here's to active blogging in the new year😊.

I really did miss you guys. Y'all forgive me right? Well, thank you!😘😍

I promise to be back soon. See you!

Who Send Me Message?

I visited a salon recently and I was reminded all over again why I hardly ever go to salons. Kai! My hair suffered. I don't even know if it will recover. In fact, I'm contemplating a cut.....or a trim. Just anything to try to salvage my hair. I think I might have lost one-third of my length and volume over all that combing. Who send me message? I kept asking myself if it was worth it? Should I get up and go? Na wetin I do myself so?

You see, I tried avoid the above scenario. I properly detangled my hair. With a comb sef. And I rarely use a comb.... for obvious reasons. I went on to put my hair in an African threading style, just to stretch it. My hair was stretched. Detangled. But Madam Salon-Owner still insisted on combing. I told her to use her fingers. She said it won't be neat. It won't be neat?! If I didnt make hair myself I'd probably believe that crap. I even make my own hair and it is always neat.  Just cos I wanted a particular style I felt I couldn't do myself, you will now come and go and finish the hair I've spent 5 years (5 years!) growing because "it will not be neat".

I bet y'all will be thinking it's one hot style now. Mba o. It isn't. Ordinary adimole (corn rows) na im wan finish my hair. I'm done guys. That's it. That's the last time I ever go to get my hair done in a none-natural-friendly salon.

I have been talking about what my hair suffered. How about what I suffered? The trauma I went through seeing my hair breaking off like that. All the talk I listened to. How I should relax the hair. Ha, Fegin hair! Ko ti fo'se si? How the hair is too plenty. How they would have charged me more had they seen my hair first. How they would not have agreed to do it sef! They almost convinced me I was crazy to be keeping natural hair. The words were just creeping into my mind small small. I started to contemplate relaxing. I began thinking, "maybe they are right. I should relax it". How not every hair stylist can do my hair. They sure were right about this one. They proved it even. Kai! All the negativity and discouragement. Trust me guys. You don't need them in your life. I certainly don't. That's why I'm not going back there. If you're natural and you make your hair in the average Nigerian salon, how do you do it?

My people, thank you for listening to my rant. This has really been therapeutic. I may recover from the trauma after all. Thank you for always being here. Thank you.

But...... who send me message?

I couldn't even force a smile

DIY - Drawstring Ponytail

Hey guys, how you doing? So I recently made a drawstring ponytail. I've since gotten questions on how I made it. What weave I used? So here I am answering those questions.

I had a pack of Miss Rose faux locs weave lying around and didn't know what to do with it. I then decided to make a drawstring ponytail with it. So off to YouTube I went. Well, the video I found was old and only slightly helpful. But I went on with my plan anyway.

Here's how I made it. Using that 100 crochet cap as my wig cap, I sewed the weave on it, passed a string round the perimeter of the wig cap and Viola! However, there was one small or big problem. Since I used just one pack, it was pretty scanty and the holes in the cap were visible. I thought to my self, " chai, what have I done? So I've wasted my time and wig cap just like that ". I tried to convince myself I could still wear it. I'm not sure I succeeded sha. I just kept it in a corner.

Months later I stumbled on it and decided to take another look at it while lamenting my "failed" DIY attempt. And out of the blues, a thought popped into my to head. "unravel it", the thought said. " No way! You'd just ruin everything ", my head replied as my fingers decided to do their own bidding and start unravelling. By the time I unravelled a few locs, I couldn't believe my eyes. What! It worked! I proceeded to unravel the rest happily. The more I unravelled, the bigger the hair got. It was no longer scanty. And the curls? They were just beautiful. I mean I've had people asking me what weave I used, even in the market. I got the weave for 500 naira last year, guys!

So that's how I unintentionally ended up with this beautiful drawstring frotail😊.

I'll see you guys on the next post. Bye for now.
PS: I worked with what I had but there are better alternatives. Yours might turn out better if you got them.

DIY - Crochet Twists

Hey guys, how are you doing? Hmmm, what's that smell? Looove. Love is in the air. Haha. So how are you guys planning to spend your Valentine's Day? Any romantic dinners? Dates? Staycation? Nothing? Valentine's Day! The fuss. I do not understand it. How people decided that this one day should be what it is. Does anyone even remember it's origin? No, I'm not writing history today. You'll have to find that out some other way😁.

Now to the post. It's just another DIY. This time with pre-twisted hair. Y'all remember that crochet wig I made with a hair net? Well,  I took out the twists. That wig did not stand a chance. Talking of wigs, I got some really nice wig caps that can be used for crochet wigs. Got them from Konga. Plus, I can hook you up if you'd like to own a beautiful wig (any kind). Y'all need to be following me on Instagram too - @scarletxianne. As I was saying, I took out the twists that still looked new and made regular crochet with them. I must say it turned out really nice. Don't take my word for it. I'd Let the pictures do the talking.
                  Wig caps I got.


How I made it? I did 16 cornrows to the back with one lying horizontally at my nape. Sorry, no pictures. Will try to get some next time. The one cornrow at the back was so I could pack the hair in a ponytail. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of it in a ponytail yet. I still have the style in though. Here are the very few pictures I've been able to take with the hair.

Enjoy your Valentine's Day tomorrow guys and be safe (no, not that safe).

Pictures of the wig caps are from Konga.com.

My Very First Perm Rods Set

Hey guys, how you doing? I finally got round to doing my first perm rods set. I stumbled on some cold wave rods sometime ago. Finally! After months, abi years of searching for them here in Akure. I got a pack of twelve for 150 naira. I know right! I was not expecting it to be so cheap.

I unravelled the rods the next day and got this.

 I got a bit of tangling though while trying to unravel. Some strands of hair got ripped off and remained on the rods. That's when I noticed the rods have some raised points on them. They dont have a smooth surface. I'd have to be more careful the next time I use them, so I don't lose hair.

                                           By the next day, see what was left of the curls.

I decided to put my hair in a quick protective style after the hair started to shrink and poof.

That's it guys. Till next time.

DIY - Crochet Bob Braids

Hey guys, if you read my Naomi boom post you'd remember I said this post was coming. So I pre-twisted some hair using Brazilian wool earlier and I've been keeping it for when I'd need it. Well, the need arose when I took out the Naomi boom because it was too bulky for me.

I used 3 packs of the wool and I got about 80 braids in all. My corn rows were 10 or 9 and a half, because I joined two to form my part on the side. After attaching all 80 braids, I realised it was not enough. What I did was to use my leftover expression hair to make about 8 more braids. I was now able to cover up places I thought needed covering. The next time I'm doing medium sized, I'll make the corn rows smaller.

I crocheted the braids using a Bobby pin. It took me a while to figure out how to face the braids to make it bob in the way that I wanted. Note that to achieve the bob look, you have to braid tight.

I rocked the style for about three weeks and it still looked good when i took it out

. So, that's it guys. Will you be trying out this DIY? I'd also like to know what you think of the style. Let me know in the comment box :-).

Relaxer Update

So, in my last post I told you guys about my hair challenges and the temptation to relax my hair. Well, I went relaxer shopping and I relaxed my hair... NOT.

Haha, I really did go relaxer shopping but right there in the midst of it, I changed my mind. I couldn't bring myself to buy it. Nope. This was after doing some serious research on texlaxing. My mind was pretty much made up. I was going to texlax my hair. I was really excited about the coming change. Went to the market and I just couldn't bring myself to go through with it. Guess I wasn't ready for the change after all.

I then decided to do what I should have done in the first place ; put my hair away. I got two packs of Naomi boom, amongst other things from the market with which I made crochet braids.

I did about ten corn rows to the back. I joined two in front to make a side part. Sorry, I couldn't take a clear picture of the corn rows. I crocheted the twists using a big bobby pin. It wasn't so easy to pull the twisted hair through the corn rows. They were really big. Or maybe it was because I used a bobby pin. For the life of me I can't figure out how to use a crochet pin. I did get one but had to return it for something else when I couldn't use it. I'll have to give it another try.

Anyways,  when the hair was finished, I did not like it :-(. It was too bulky for my liking. I couldn't sleep comfortably with it. Plus my cornrows were too tight. I only had the hair for a couple of days and I took it out, made the cornrows less tight and crocheted on my pre-braided  hair (details in another post).

That's it for now guys. See you some other time. Enjoy the pictures. Hopefully network or whatever will let me post them :-).


PS : Network only let me post that one picture :-(.