The Clay: Moroccan Rhassoul Clay

I finally found the time  to use my Rhassoul clay (300g at £8.70) from the Sheabutter Cottage, 

Rhassoul is a mineral-rich clay from Morocco. It's different from other cleansing clays, as it is very gentle and beneficial  for dry hair and sensitive skin and scalp. this clay is found in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

I used the clay on my hair and face and found the results great! I used the methods suggested by Akua Wood, (I have added extracts from her 'how to' below) I used the Rhassoul clay  for my hair and as a face pack, as suggested I did not use a conditioner after using the clay on my hair which felt odd but I actually didn't miss the conditioner. I aired dried my hair until it was almost  dry then I used a blow dryer as I wanted a stretched out big hair look. (I used coconut oil to seal when my hair was damp but no leave in conditioner) My hair feels very soft and my scalp feels so fresh!

Mostly I'm loving the effects the clay has had on my skin after just one application my face feels divine  when removing the clay I could feel the moisture from the clay on my skin which felt great! I'll definitely be adding the clay into skincare regimen from now on!

B E N E F I T S 

Completely non-irritating to skin and scalp

Cleans skin and hair without removing all of its protective sebum

Removes surface oil and oil from inside and around comedones (blackheads and whiteheads)

Leaves hair soft and shiny and enhances its volume

Gradually reduces the need for frequent hair washing

Removes dandruff and eases problems of excessively oily hair

HAIR

To make rhassoul mud for your hair, you will need:

50g of rhassoul, more if your hair is very long, less if you have short hair. Put the rhassoul into a

bowl and add 50mg of tepid water, which should be enough to cover the pieces. Don’t attempt to

stir the mixture at this stage, simply leave it to stand for a full 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

You will then find it easy to stir the mixture into a smooth paste, adding a little more tepid water if

necessary.

Apply the rhassoul mud to dry or damp hair. Work it through your hair and massage well into your

scalp.

For dry hair, leave on for 5-10 minutes.

For normal hair, leave on for up to 5-15 minutes.

For oily hair, it can be left on for 10-20 minutes.

Rinse thoroughly, then towel dry. Ideally, allow your hair to finish drying naturally

FACE

To make a face or body pack, including a foot pack for smoothing dry skin, follow the same

method as described above. Always think in terms of an equal figure of grammes and millilitres – for

example, 10g of rhassoul mixed with 10g of water; 100g of rhassoul mixed with 100g of water, and

so on. You will probably need extra water which can be mixed in after the rhassoul has swelled.

Face packs are normally left on the skin for 5-15 minutes, before rinsing thoroughly with warm water.

You might follow this treatment with a spritz of rosewater to tone and refresh. Body packs can be

left on for 20-40 minutes and then rinsed off under a warm shower or in the bath.

 FACIAL CLEANSER AND EXFOLIANT

Rhassoul is a great exfoliant and skin softener. The same rhassoul paste that you mix for your hair

can be used as a daily cleanser and skin polisher. For this purpose you may wish to mix a slightly

thinner paste the consistency of a cleansing lotion. Massage it gently into damp skin using circular

movements and then rinse. The paste will remove most make-up (except perhaps stubborn

waterproof mascara) and will leave your skin feeling velvety.

My hair after Rhassoul clay application wet and dry lightly blow dried and below my hair picked and styled as desired.

Price of the clay starts at £2.00 for 50g you can find out more about the clay and purchase it HERE

The Events

I'm going to be a busy girl this Bank Holiday! 

E V E N T S 

 Curlvolutions Curlfriends Day Out 25th May

Afro Hair & Beauty Live 26th-27th May

and Brit Beauty hosted by Afro Bella 27th May

The Mask: REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask

Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask(£30) is the award winning radiance mask from REN Skincare, said to give instant brightness and radiance to skin! so I just had to give it a go!

REN is known for it's clean skin 3 P's method Performance, Purity, Pleasure. REN is 100% naturally derived and high performance without being harsh on skin. 

The first thing that hit me about the mask is the amazing smell! the mask is a balmy consistency  that you need to apply generously over skin and neck leaving for 10 minutes and wipe off with the handy cloth that comes with the mask

B E N E F I T S

Removes dead skin cells to renew the complexion

Skin looks brighter, healthier, more radiant

Helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

Combats congestion, blackheads and blemishes

  

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask is packed with  Papain from PAPAYA which exfoliates the outer layer of the skin, encouraging cell turnover and smooths fine lines

Rich with BERGAMOT  which is great for reducing acne and reducing excess oils

Also BLACK CURRANT oil provides skin with environmental protection, helps skin maintain resiliency and soothes & PINEAPPLE which is high in vitamin C a great antioxidant 

Left before REN/middle after REN/right with tinted moisturiser 

I usually like to use a skincare product a few times before I review but due to the instance result this mask claims to give I have used once and have pictured my results above. I can definitely see a difference in my skin it looks slightly more glowy but the real difference is in the feel of my skin after using the mask, I have moisture for days! which is rare as I find masks can often draw the moisture out of my skin. I wasn't in love with the the tingly feeling the mask gave my skin after a few minutes and this mask is not recommended for those with sensitive skin. Overall I really like the REN mask, I've been a fan of the body care for a while and now it looks like I'll be delving into the skincare line.  

TIP check out the sample kits and gift sets starting from £6.50 here

I N G R E D I E N T S

Polysorbate 60, Glycerin, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Leaf Extract, Lecithin, Lactic Acid, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Passiflora Quadrangularis Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Alcohol Denat., Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Oil, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Tocopherol. 

Thinking Outside The Beauty Box

Another day another beauty subscription box, the box market is becoming ridiculously over saturated, with practically a box for everything and every taste. I'm not quite sold on the box craze, I've had some rather sketchy experience with Glossy Box allegedly one of the leading boxes, whom have the worst customer service I have ever come across and companies that boxes never actually materialise. That being said I've also had some good boxes from the likes of Birchbox.

The idea of beauty subscription boxes work well in theory, a selection of usually (4-6) product samples arrive monthly at your door for around £10-12, great for bloggers and beauty junkies. but the problem I have found with many of the boxes is consistency ....I have heard of so many instances of receiving a box with full sized products and the next box is basically six sachets of body conditioner and shampoo. 

add to that, wait lists and dodgy shipping it smacks of an industry in it's infancy which is expanding far to quickly. With all these new boxes popping up it's hard to separate the good from the down right crappy!

So for a box to have peeked my interest, It really has to be bringing something a little different to the table, which is why I subscribed to new box BeautEco, which uses sustainable methods when it comes to packaging (it's 100% recyclable)  and shipping, BeautEco also has a range of naturally derived samples. But best of all BeautEco gives you the opportunity to pick the contents of your box so no more random samples that will be left unused. 

The box I received had 5 products 2 full sized and 3 fair sized samples from a variety of brands (I'll review the products separately) the box cost £10 + PP and arrived swiftly though I had a few issues with logging in to the BeautEco website the team where excellent at sorting it out for me, Also they were only excepting Paypal (but as I write this post they are now excepting card payments) I'll need to have a few more boxes before I'm completely singing BeautEco boxes praises but this is one of the better boxes I've subscribed to thus far I just hope they keep up with the quality of samples and brands on offer. Like I said I'm not 100% sold on the subscription box craze but I'm open to having my mind changed........ 

Baby Belle for Nippaz With Attitude

Fab new design now available over at Nippaz With Attitude! Baby Belle is modelling the new 'Anarchy In The Nursery' design for all your little rock dudes and chicks! 

Remember you can still get 20% off with discount code 'BELLE' on everything on the Nippaz website.

The Met Gala: Getting Ready With Solange

Vogue gets ready with Solange for the Met Gala, I LOVED her dress by Kenzo and matching Edie Parker box clutch and she rocked her best hair piece thus far just fabulous (I couldn't of loved it more if it was real hair)

The Ambassador: Shingai Shoniwa for Mizani

Last Thursday Shingai Shoniwa of the Noisettes held an intimate breakfast her first official event as 

M I Z A N I Ambassador (just the singer, Mizani, Press & Blogger... intimate!) unfortunately I was unable to attend what was said to have been a lovely get together (however I did have the opportunity of interviewing the lovely lady here) the breakfast gave a little insight into singers hairspirations and favourite Mizani products....

Shingai on her hair idols?

"I love old school movie stars like Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Josephine Baker with her finger waves. Also, Grace Jones continues to experiment with some amazing different looks."

Shingai on her favourite Mizani products?

"I love the Coconut Souffle  it smells amazing, gives my hair a lovely fluffiness and moisturises. I'm also a fan of Supreme Oil, as I love the natural properties of argan oil and it's a product I can use to make my hair manageable when I'm left to my own devices! True Texture breathes life into curls."

Thursday also saw the release of the official promo pictures of Shingai styled by award winning hair stylist Charlotte Mensah. Beautiful!

Image source

The Milk: Bamboo Milk

It's funny, the term wash n go implies that it is a speedy process, It should be re named, wash, condition  seal, smooth with gel n go! I love the look of defined curls especially on this cut but I'll be damned if I become a slave to curl definition so today I skipped the Eco Styler in favour of a simple co wash (TRESemme Naturals, leave in (Bamboo Milk) & seal (coconut oil) 

I used Bamboo Milk from the Sheabutter Cottage it's a light leave in that can also be used as a daily hair refresher, I was sceptical as hair milks are often to light for my hair but this was just the right consistency (I found it relatively thick for a hair milk) 

Unscented and natural it's great for kiddies as well as adults

B E N E F I T S

B A M B O O Rich source of silica to strengthen the hair and promote shine.

A B Y S S I N IA N  O I L For natural lustre without a greasy feel. The unique composition of this oil helps to detangle the hair and lock in moisture.

B R O C C O I  Cold pressed,  this green emollient oil as an alternative to silicones impart shine and gloss.

I N G R E D I E N T S

 rosa damascena, aqua, bambusa arundinaceae extract, brassica oleracea italica, crambe abyssinica oil, behentrimonium methosulfate (and) cetearyl alcohol, panthenol, tocopherol (pure vit. e), potassium sorbate

I need my barber! like now! 

Hair Talk With Wunmi Of Woman In The Jungle

Where are you from and what do you do?
Hi Natural belles, my name is Wunmi, a London born and breed Nigeria, who is a fanatic of all things beauty, fashion and natural hair related. I am the Editor of an online blog could 'Woman In The Jungle', which aims to inspired, educate and celebrate the modern day women of colour. I am current a freelance writer that dabbles in PR & Marketing...

How long have you been natural?
I went natural for the second time back in December 2009, so just over 3 years now. I first attempted to go natural back when I was 15, I lasted till I was 21 so had a good stint at it. I wore my hair in fancy canerow (cornrow) for the last year of secondary school and upgraded to kinky extensions and ponytails during college. A lot of people didn't actually  realise it wasn't my hair till the last few weeks of college. I matured into a full fro and rocked that for the first year of uni. I then started to experiment with heat, weaves would and get my hair pressed about every two weeks. Brazillian was in and the fro was out. As well has having to blend my hair with the weave, I felt I had to blend myself in with the other girls that attended the uni. Fast forward to fried, dyed and a badly relaxed head of hair is was time to start a hair journey. I was on a quest for healthy hair and to get my edges back. I embarked on a health hair journey mid 2009, but relaxed then just decided one morning I wanted it all gone.

How did you transition, did you big chop?
I did the Big Chop and had about 1/4 inch of hair left to work with

What were the main reasons for your choice to wear your natural hair?
I decided to go natural because I was tired of looking generic, the same as everyone else. I have always been one to stand out and was tired of my hair never seeming to grow past a certain length. I craved healthier longer hair, for me I could not achieve that being relaxed. It's not until I actual did the Big Chop that I started to think about the true reasons why I relaxed and straightened my hair in the first place.

What are your earliest hair memories? How did these memories influence your hair journey today?
My earliest memories of my hair care are actually quite humorous... I have a real laugh when me and my mum talk about my hair as a child. My mum experimented a lot with my hair as a child, yet my hair was ALWAYS untidy because I used to always pull out all my hair accessories. Now this would get on my mum nerves as she would have spend ages trying to make it look neat...  The one vivid memory I have though is having my hair Jeri Curled, around 4 or 5, for a wedding I had been invited to be a flower girl for. The Jeri Curl was big back then. I can't recall if it was a home job or a salon job, but my hair started to fall out a couple of days after the wedding. My mum decided it was best to just chop it all off to keep it one level as it looked a hot mess. I was distraught... Jason Donovan was the it star at the time and I loved him. To stop the tears, mum told me she was giving me a JD cut, that's how he wore his hair and it was the latest trend.  Now that instantly made me feel better, I think I even help cut the remaining hair off... Looking back at the pictures, after the cut, I looked like a little boy with earrings lol... We laugh about it now... My mum wore her hair natural, short and dyed for the most part of my earlier life and I thought she was just the most beautiful woman ever. She taught me to not take hair so seriously that it doesn't define who you are, by her just being her and doing her own thing

What does having natural hair mean to you?
Being natural for me symbolizes the acceptance of the features that God gave me. Learning to love and accept them in their entirety.

How do you keep your hair looking so good?
I cleanse my hair once a week, normally on a Saturday morning, with either a Belle Vie shampoo bar or the Curls Cleansing cream. The Curls Line smells AMAZING. I deep condition after every cleanse and reach for any DC that I have in stock.  There is no particular DC that I am wowed by at the moment and the one that I do use regularly do an equal job. I am some what in love with the Curl Coconut Sublime, which is a rinse out conditioner that gives an instant shot of moisture to the hair. I always use a leave-in condition before styling as I wear a lot of wash & gos and do not use a moisturiser per say. My leave-ins of choice are the aphogee liquid leave-in or the Kera Care Natural Textures leave-in. They both do an excellent job of keeping the hair hydrated. I normally lightly seal with castor oil to lock the moisture in before applying my chosen style on top.

What are your go to products? 
Well, I currently have a love affair with the Uncle Funky's Daughter  Curly Magic and can't seem to get enough of the stuff. I achieve amazing curl definition with zero crunch when I use this product. Castor oil is my go to oil and I feel quite panicked when I am nearly out. It has the effect of making my hair feel and look silky smooth giving a great shine to any style.

What are your go to hair styles?
Now that's an easy one, The wash & Go. With my hair being so short, at the moment that is pretty much the extent of my styling. Before my 2nd BC I would also do twists and look forward to more length so I can 're-visit this. I pretty much like my hair to be FREE

How do you protect your hair in the winter months?
Aside from moisturising a little more, I don't really switch up my styling that much in winter. Last winter I wore a lot of buns, but more so out of convenience than because the season changed.

What hair styles will you wear this summer?
I'm going to be experiment a lot with wigs and weaves as my hair is a bit too short to really play around with. This will definitely give me the opportunity to also play with colour without having to dye my own hair.

What is your biggest hair wow? 
Discovering what worked for me and being able to style my hair in a short amount of time as a result

What is your biggest hair fail?
I don't really have a fail, but a set back would be the breakage issues that I had with my nape have been a major setback in my journey. It was one of the contributing factors to my second BC. I ditched the scarves and now just use a satin pillow case. My hair is growing back there nicely

Do you have any advice for women starting out on their natural hair journey?
My advice would be to go natural for the right reasons that are personal to you and not because everyone else is doing it. Going natural is certainly not easy and takes a lot of dedication to learning your new hair. Not everyone will be in your corner when you make your decision, so surround yourself with supportive people.

Site- www.womaninthejungle.com 

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Twitter - itswitj 

Instagram - @womaninthejungle 

The Park: Fun in the Sun

Freya has been loving this uncharacteristic good weather in the UK, Freya is 7 months now, so she can now wear sunscreen, our whole family use Aubrey Organics Natural Sun SPF 30+ Freya uses unscented which is ideal for sensitive skin, the rest of us use the Green Tea rich formula. though she is only in direct sunlight for short periods of time, sun screen is important to protect babies sensitive skin even in the shade, as shade only partially protects against UV rays, Freya also has a selection of funky sun hats! Freya had a great day and  enjoyed the swings at our local park, she took too it like a duck to water. This baby is awesome!

I N G R E D I E N T S

Unscented

Purified water, simmondsia chinensis oil*, helianthus annuus seed oil*, galactoarabinan, glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid and sodium cocoyl glutamate, butyrospermum parkii butter*, camellia sinensis seed oil*, brassica campestris-aleurites fordi oil copolymer, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, glycerin, epilobium angustifolium flower/leaf/ stem extract, glyceryl caprylate and glyceryl undecylenate, leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, lonicera japonica flower extract, lonicera caprifolium flower extract, populus tremuloides bark extract, gluconolactone, tocopherol, citric acid, xanthan gum. *Organic 

Green Tea

Purified water, simmondsia chinensis oil*, helianthus annuus seed oil*, galactoarabinan, glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid and sodium cocoyl glutamate, butyrospermum parkii butter*, camellia sinensis seed oil*, brassica campestris-aleurites fordi oil copolymer, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, glycerin, epilobium angustifolium flower/leaf/ stem extract, glyceryl caprylate and glyceryl undecylenate, leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, lonicera japonica flower extract, lonicera caprifolium flower extract, populus tremuloides bark extract, gluconolactone, tocopherol, citric acid, camellia sinensis leaf powder*, xanthan gum, tanacetum annuum oil*. *Organic