EZ HEALTHY HAIR JOURNEY | SAVVY & CHIC SALON

Hey Guys,

This post is for my fellow healthy-hair journeyers (HHJs) or anyone who takes great care when it comes to their hair. Now, I'll be the first to admit I am quite lazy when it comes to this HHJ thing and I will much rather go to a salon for my wash-day. The whole washing in the shower, using my at-home steamer, then back in the shower to rinse is not for me. Yup, I've got my own little table-top hair steamer and even an electric hot-head cap. But where are they right now? Gathering dust, that's where. 

At the start of my HHJ I was really into it, like steaming my hair once a week, moisturizing and sealing frequently. But after a while, I just found it all so tiresome. So I thought I'd go half-and-half. Half of my washday I'd start at home, then finish off at the salon. So I'll detangle and apply my treatments at home, then go to the salon and get it steamed, washed and styled. But chiiiiiiiile, let me tell you, everytime and I mean EVERYTIME I went to the salon I felt like I'd been taken back 10months in my HHJ. They just don't get it, the pulling the tugging the excessive use of heat. I literally have to be attentive to what they're doing 100% of the time, and I'd much rather relax while I'm at the salon, that's kind of the point no?  It was just frustrating, but I just could not bring myself to hop in and out and in and out of the shower during wash days. 

Enter Savvy & Chic Salon (SCS).... This salon is honestly a lifesaver! It's is owned and run by fellow Nigerian blogger Dabs. You want to know 'marketing'? Her hair alone is all she needs to sell her salon and to be able to experience firsthand her tried-and-tested techniques and methods to growing and maintaining a healthy head of hair, who wouldn't want that?  I love a fellow woman who is willing to share, what's the point hoarding all the information you have and smirking at others who aren't privy to it. I will never understand this... Dabs has trained and continually trains her stylists on her good hair practices and this very evident.

SCS has been in business for a little over a year now I believe, they shut down around Christmas 2014 because they were moving to a new location and since they reopened at their new site in January, I've been there twice. I've decided I will be coming in every fortnight to get my treatments. They've only just moved to their new location, so they're still working out a few kinks in terms of a little paint work here and some re-tiling there, but this did not deter me. 

I just feel really safe here. There's no tugging at your hair, the treatments from their steam-bar mostly use natural products. First treatment I got was a clarifying one that included bentonite clay, the second had Palm oil, Aloe Vera and Juice in it, yes you read that right (You can read more about the benefits of PalmOil on Dabs' blog here).  The other day I walked in and said I wanted to steam again, the stylists remembered the last treatment I got and suggested I get protein. But came back later to say they spoke with Dabs and she advised a moisturising treatment. I love that personal touch they provide!

I also asked if Dabs was in,  not that I expected she should be. But over the past year we've gone past 'internet-buddies' to 'real life buddies' and every time I'm in we always have a good ol' chinwag, so wanted to know if she was about. You know how it typically is 'Madam is not around'. But the stylist said "Oh, she'll be here. She comes in everyday". Mind you, Dabs has got a full time job, runs a blog, a magazine, an online store, is a wife and mum to two adorable boys, but she checks in on her salon everyday. Very impressive! 

SCS services aren't limited to just 'Naturalistas', I'm certainly not, everyone is welcome! As a matter of fact, Dabs' hair is relaxed (texlaxed), so she's trained her stylists to work with both natural and processed hair. 

They also sell products, you can get your weaves done and styled, or the new rave right now Yarn or Crotchet Braids. And she's just rolled out a new technique of installing yarn braids which cuts down the time in more than half. They've also got an exciting nail salon setting up shop in there very soon, so a good mani/pedi service will be included, will definitely share all when they're in (Hint: I've blogged about and shared quite a few Manicures done by them in my Manicure Mondays posts)

Details

Address: 30 Norman Williams Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Telephone Number: 08090613325
Instagram: @SavvyChicHairBeautyHub

For a detailed pricelist please contact them. My steam treatment cost N3000



OFFER!!

SCS have decided to give all BiL readers a 10% discount off their first service with them. So if you do decide to go check them out please mention the code 'BiL10' to let them know it's 10% off for ya!

Any other GOOD Hair Salons in Lagos I should know about?

Laters,

Ez xxX

FIRST LOOK | BAHIYAH ORGANICS - Hair Care

Hello my lovelies!

Another brand introduction for you today, because you know I'm all about sharing. But first, I have got a little rant...

This Healthy Hair Journey (HHJ) is a real pain in the backside for me, honestly. I look at Dabs' hair and think "I hate you, how do you do it". But one this she always says is, it takes a lot of patience and mine is wearing thin at the moment. I am just not seeing the results I want, I can't figure out what I am doing wrong and I am close to giving up! You know how hair-bloggers say "Find out what your hair likes as you go along and stick to it", well my hair don't know what she like :s. No but seriously, I am frustrated and I may have tried everything... Don't get me started on the Hairfinity debacle. And then past couple of weeks, my hair started breaking for no reason so I thought I would up my 'moisturisize and seal' frequency to once every other day and I think it's helping. Ok, now that I have let it all out, I shall not quit this journey.... yet. People say they hate the saying 'HHJ' but duuuude, better believe it is VERY appropriate, as this is a journey.

Staying in line with the theme of this post I'd like to share with you some products that I tried out last month.

BAHIYAH ORGANICS

Bahiyah Organics is a new organic haircare line that just hit the Nigerian market. Everything is made from scratch with 100% natural ingredients and all the contents are clearly displayed. I was sent a hair mask treatment and a shampoo bar. I absolutely adore the packaging, the tin case and that sack are just very original, love it!

Bahiyah Organics 'Deep Moisture Hair Mask' - N4000*

Not sure if this image grosses you guys out a bit, but I wanted to capture the texture of the product, so I ran my finger through it and I believe I failed... woefully lol. It's almost like a sold consistency, would not describe it as creamy. To use this I warmed it up in a microwave just to get some 'movement' and added in a little bit of my ORS replenishing conditioner just to get even more 'movement' and to aid easy application. You could even add half a teaspoon size to any other mask you may have, as a booster. I LOVE how my hair feels after using this. It's packed full of oils, including Shea Butter, which leaves your hair very moisturised for days after. Good for your hair, not so good for your bathtub and drains lol. So I will advise putting this in your hair and then heading to the salon, let them deal with it. At least that's what I did the second time I used it lol. And it might seem like it's not a lot of product in the can, but I got 3 uses out of this and it also comes in a 'Large' which is triple the size.

Bahiyah Organics 'Neem & Tea Tree Shampoo & Body Bar' - N4000*

This, I advise you use to get the mask out of your hair. Actually you must use this to get it out, as the conditioner is very concentrated.So yeah, take this along with you to the salon lol. I had never used a shampoo bar prior to this one and I think every shampoo should come in this form! It makes the precision of application so much easier, I love it! It is slightly drying so I will advice you use it once if you are just using it as a shampoo to cleanse your scalp/hair. But if you use it after the mask, once or twice is enough, depending on the amount of moisture you want to retain. You don't want to strip your hair of all the mask's benefits, but you do want to get all it out. So strike a balance with this one. I also love that it leaves a cooling sensation on your scalp, that's that tea-tree in there. It can also be used on the body.

Prices
Deep Moisture Hair Mask Small - N4000 (size I was sent)
Deep Moisture Hair Mask Large - N6000
Neem and TeaTree Shampoo - N4000
Coconut Milk Shampoo Bar - N3800

Where to buy
GTB SME Market Hub
The Nail Bar
Savvy & Chic Beauty Hub

DISCOUNT OFFER: Bahiyah Organics currently have a promo running from now till the end of October, 2014. N1000 off all products!

Hope you enjoyed this review and feel free to ask any more questions you may have in the comment box below.

Who else is on a FRUSTRATING Healthy Hair Journey?

Laters,

Ez xxX

Ez HEALTHY HAIR JOURNEY | HAUL

Hellooo there!

Hope everyone's well! I am so excited with the progress The BiL Directory is making, just wait for when it starts to look like a directory and you all can find whatever you may be searching for.

So on to today's post, I typically share new product purchases on my instagram page (Username: @BeautyInLagos) and I feel like I should do the same here. Now with my hair care, although I started my healthy hair journey around this time last year, I was not consistent AT ALL! So at the start of last month I decided that I just had to stick at it. I would have to make an extra effort to care for my hair, until it became second nature. Which is really the only way to improve at anything, it starts off as a chore because you are naturally not used to it, but think of it this way, any habit you might have, turned out that way because it was something you did repeatedly, to start with.

So anyways, I follow quite a few hair-care bloggers and Dabs of Naija Hair Can Grow is definitely one of them. She posted a few weeks back about the benefits of Keratin for the hair and I just knew I had to get me some, because my hair is quite weak from all the constant weaves.

 So these are the products I picked up. Literally a day after I read Dabs' post I headed straight to her store to purchase them.

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Shampoo - N3000

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Spray - N2500

Standard heat protection spray, but with an infusion of keratin. So I can rest-easy knowing my hair is protected and also strengthened while I apply heat to it. I always always air-dry my hair after I wash it anyway, so I bought this to use on my leave-out when I have got a sew-in. I minimize the number of times I apply heat to my leave-out, it's usually once a fortnight if that. My Eco-Styler helps tame my edges real good, so I rarely need to flat-iron.

Avanti Silicon Mix - N2,800

I use this as a deep-conditioner. After my tea-rinse, I blot my hair with a towel and then I apply this all over my hair, from root to tip, and then sit under my steamer for 15mins. I find that this takes a while to rinse out, I think because keratin is supposed to bond to the hair strands, thereby coating it, my hair feels like there's a layer of something on it. So I rinse and rinse until my palms don't feel slippery after I run them through my hair. But once my hair starts to dry it feels soo fluffy. I love the texture of my hair after I've used this. The benefits though? I can't comment on yet, I need to use it a couple more times.

Now I cannot comment on whether these work or not because I don't feel I have used these long enough. BUT I still wanted to share with you guys products that I recently added to my haircare stash. Please checkout Dabs' blog to get an in-depth understanding of the benefits of Keratin.

I have been buying quite a few hair-care products recently and I'll be sure to share them here.

Maybe as I get better at understanding my hair and what works for it and the improvements I have made, I will be able to provide you all with a bit more information and knowledge about hair-care. So for now it's only about sharing my hair-care purchases!

Where to buy
Savvy & Chic - Hair / Beauty Hub
Address: 34A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos
Website: www.hairbeautyhub.com 
Telephone Number: +234(0)809 061 3325

Who else is on a Healthy Hair Journey?

Laters,

Ez xxX

Ez HEALTHY HAIR JOURNEY - Kinky Apothecary

Hey Everyone,

This year I decided I needed to start taking better care of my hair A few months ago, specifically mid-April, was when I actually embarked on my 'journey'. For years and years and years I have worn weaves, back to back to back, and although weaves are a great protective style, I wasn't taking care of my hair at all. So I decided that I will embark on my own Healthy Hair Journey (HHJ). I used to cringe at the sentence HHJ, but I have come to find that it is a very apt description of the haircare process, it is infact a journey.

Now I have only just started and all I'm learning is off hair blogs and youtube (Youtube is so amazing, honestly!), so I am no guru yet, not even close. I am discovering my hair (*cringe*) and getting to know what works for it and what doesn't. To keep track I have decided to start a little journal on here and I'm calling it 'Ez's Healthy Hair Journey'. I'll be sharing everything about my hair on here, the products I buy, the products I love, benefits of tea-rinses, relaxer stretches, etc.

So to kick it off, I will like to share with you all, one of my first hair-hauls and chat a little about what I do with each of the products and how they work for me :)

So you'll remember I was gifted a lovely package filled with hair goodies from Kinky Apothecary, back in April. And that was just when I had actually started caring for my hair. I must say that package helped a whole lot and I want to say another big thank you to Nibi. So I went back and bought some of the stuff I was sent and a more.

Grapeseed Oil - N1000

I got a mini-size of this in the pack I was gifted and I loved it so much, I went and purchased the full-sized bottle. I use this for my hot-oil treatment and also to seal my hair after I have moisturized it. Ps: I think I will explain a few hair 'terms' in my next 'Ez HHJ' series post. Just so that you all have a better understanding when I talk about all the hair 'stuff'

Castor Oil - N1000

Was also gifted a mini-size of this and I repurchased. We all know the benefit of Castor Oil, it really stimulates hair growth. So I use this to seal the hairs all around the perimeter of my head. That's my edges, nape of the neck and everywhere in between. I also, use this sometimes for my pre-poo and hot oil treatments. I have also heard about Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO), and this is even more 'potent' and works even better, so I have plans to get this.

Spray Bottle - N500 & Vegetable Glycerine - N1000

I got this spray bottle to help me get some moisture in my hair. My moisturizer of choice could be one of  my water-based moisturizers or just distilled water with a few drops of Vegetable Glycerine mixed in. And this is where my little spray bottle comes in. I got the vegetable glycerine from Kinky Apothecary as well (captured in the first picture above and you can see it peeking out a little in the above picture on the left). I mix the distilled water and glycerine in equal ratios and just spritz all over my hair. I do this when my hair is especially dry. Distilled water is simply bottled-water.

Eco Styler Morrocan Argan Oil Styling Gel - N1000

This, I use to tame my edges. It's very lightweight, but get's the job done. Yes I know I have raved about two different edge-tamers on this here blog ( here & here), but this, I am loving. It is water-based so comes off easily. It works for me.There are various versions of this Eco Styler, I got the the one infused with Argan Oil, as I know this oil is really good for the hair. So I can tame my edges and nourish them at the same time, win-win!


So that's it. The first few products I got when I embarked on my HHJ. Ps: you need to see my stash now, it's embarassing the number of products I have accumulated. But I have decided not to get anything more until I've used up all I have. Hope this was somewhat helpful, I don't know. When I got started on my journey, seeing hair-hauls really got me excited and gave me some sort of direction on the sort of stuff I wanted to get. So hopefuly this helps someone too :)

What oils do you use on your hair?

Laters,

Ez xxX


I would like to dedicate this post to my dearest friend Lew. Just want her to know she is not alone and I love her very very very much! It gets better from here....