Ndumi

Origins and current location?

I’ve spent most of my life in KZN with a few bouts in Krugersdorp and Klerksdorp (don’t ask). I was born in Newcastle, but later moved to Melmoth in Zululand and did my tertiary studies in Durban. Currently, I reside in Centurion, Pretoria.

What do you do for a living?

I work as an intern at an academic publishing house.

How long have you been natural? Briefly take us through your natural hair journey.

I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with my natural hair. This is the third time I’ve gone natural in the past 7 years or so. On the past two occasions, I’ve ended up relaxing my hair due to pressures of attending certain events, which had absolutely nothing to do with me. I started growing my afro back in February this year and I’m blessed with fast growing, thick hair which means I don’t always have to have it braided now. This mane and I are going to be together for a while.

Why did you decide to go natural?

At first, it was a matter of change and cutting down on ridiculous hair salon costs (and gossip). But with time, wisdom and growth, it evolved from merely natural hair to being a black consciousness look, as I would like to call it. I’m brave enough to confess that I am my hair. My afro is simply an extension of the young, black, and socially conscious woman that I am.

What are the challenges and advantages since you went natural?

This being the third time around I’ve gone natural, it’s a breeze. The nocturnal ritual of twisting ‘thy locks’ before hitting the sack, which was my biggest challenge at first, is now like second nature to me. It’s a very simple formula in fact: Generations time = Twisting time LOL.

What is your regimen and what products do you use?

I have a very simple regimen. I wash my hair every Sunday with Head and Shoulders Damage Rescue for both dandruff and hair breakage. I then towel dry it and base my scalp with Virgin root stimulator. To keep it soft, moisturized and smelling good, I use coconut oil hair food. Every second Sunday, I use Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise for treatment. When I have braids on, I use fertilizing temple balm to keep my hair line in check.

Where do you buy your hair products?

Clicks.

Do you do treat and style your own hair or leave it to the professionals?

DIY through and through.

What’s your favourite natural hair salon?

At the moment, none. I used to frequent Urban Zulu in Durban for cornrows. I’m not looking around though.

What natural hairstyle(s) do you like to rock?

I usually just have it spiked/combed and tied up or clipped. But my best accessory is confidence. I’m better at maintenance than styling, that’s for sure. Maybe one day, when I’ve trained myself to get up a bit earlier, I could experiment with different styles. One day.

The Beautiful Miranda Mokhele

A lot of you know her as the streetkid-turned-TV star Latoya, on the SABC 1 drama series Tshisa OR as Thandeka, a member of the tone-deaf professional-singer-wanna-be group Driehoek, on E-TV’s Rhythm City; but there’s more to Miranda than that. We had a chat with her:

When did you get into TV?
I got my first official role n TV in 2007 when I did a small role for one of the Heart Lines series…

Have you always wanted to be an entertainer when you grew up or was it one those careers that found you instead?
I have always wanted to be an entertainer, I even asked my dad to find me an art school (Lady Grey arts Academy)

You’ve also played the tone-deaf singer wanna-be on Rhythm City, Thandeka. What was it like?
It was a lovely experience, Rhythm city was my first soapy and I learned a lot form the people I worked with.

Unlike Thandeka, you can actually sing. What kind of music do you sing?
I can sing any genre of music really – but I specifically love afro soul/jazz.

Do you have an album coming up?
I am currently recording my debut album called “New Beginnings”.

Which one are you most passionate about? Singing or acting?
My first love is Music – acting happened to be one of those things that came up first after varsity.

My first major at AFDA was music, and then 2^nd Acting.

Any projects you’re currently working on?
I am currently not working on anything on screen, but not by choice. I attend quite a few auditions but I have not landed anything serious as yet (it might not be my time…) I believe in the whole “there is a time and a place for everything”. I run my own children’s acting agency, so that keeps me busy and gives me a constant income.

What does the future look like for Miranda Mokhele in the entertainment industry?

This is most definitely not going to be last you see of me… I believe God has Big things planned for me, and my album is just the beginning.

Now the fun part; your most-envied Afro. It’s beautiful. Have you always been natural? If no, how long have you been growing your fro to get to the length it currently is?
When I was young I was natural (I changed/relaxed my hair because of school, it had to look neat). In my second year of varsity I decided to grow dreads. I then cut them after a year and grew my afro.

Is it a challenge to get jobs in your industry with natural hair? Or
does it work to your advantage?
It is very hard, two things make it hard at times: my hair and my race ( colour of my skin). There are very little roles for coloured women in our industry so I end up being sent for black peoples roles. When I had dreads I never got any jobs because coloured people on TV are supposed to have curly hair. When I cut them and grew my afro i started getting jobs left, right and centre. I have learned to manage my hair according to the roles I get sent for. For coloured roles I either straighten my hair or do the curly thing. For black roles I hook the afro up.

Do you do your own hair, take it to a salon or have a stylist?
I do my own hair – I do have a hairstylist that plaits my hair and advises me on what to put on it and so on.. (OBEY MUCHUPISI), he is very good with my hair.

I like how you played around with it on Rhythm City. You even went as far as having it straightened. It really showed the versatility of black natural hair. How did you/stylist prevent damage from all that heat from blow-drying/flat-ironing?
The hairstylists at Rhythm City are really good at what they do. Not once was my hair mistreated in anyway, I am not sure how they prevented all of the above but my hair came out better than it had ever been in my life, lol. Guess it helped that they where professionals…

What’s a normal hair day like for Miranda? Your daily routine/regimen?

I do not comb my hair, I only comb it when I wash it which is twice a week. Showering is good for my afro because it steams it and that way I can pull and pluck it into place, lol ( its softer then). I dress after pulling and plucking to give it a chance to set and dry ,after dressing I pull and pluck some more (so that it does not shrink and for it to stay in place). I seldom moisturize my hair…

Please dish out on your favourite hair products?
Cavil and Easy waves…do the trick for me

A lot of people grow an Afro and then eventually lock their hair, will you also go that route eventually?
Maybe when I am older and do not act anymore ( i loved my dreads) – but for now, it stays this way…

What’s your favourite hair salon? (that’s if you treat your hair at one)
I do not have a favourite, I am always changing hair salons, because I do not go often…

Rosemary

Origins and current location?

Was born and bred in Soweto, Gauteng but now reside in Kempton Park.

What do you do for a living?

Sales and Marketing Consultant.

How long have you been natural? Briefly take us through your natural hair journey.

I’ve been natural for 2.5 years now but I have been in and out of being natural. I have straightened my hair for a long time to keep it manageable but couldn’t maintain a style for more than two days. My hair is very coarse and very very thick; so it used to take the whole 500g jar of super straighter to make it soft and supple but it will only last for two weeks.

Why did you decide to go natural?

I never really liked dreads before because they were mostly associated with non cleanliness and a style that Rastas and people living on the streets can afford.  Then they introduced beautiful hairstyles (like plaiting) and business people also started to show up with beautifully kept dreads and I decided now I can join the club.

What are the challenges and advantages since you went natural?

The challenges are only when the hair is still in the starting process and you cannot keep it flat or keep it twisted for more than a day, but I kept mine under singles plaits, de brats and weaves until it was manageable and can be plaited without much pain.

What is your regimen and what products do you use?

I wash my hair myself fortnightly. I don’t dry hair with hairdriers but leave it do dry on its own with a special towel that you can get from Dischem. I use Jabu Stone Beeswax for twisting and Carrot oil for moisture and shine.

Where do you buy your hair products?

Clicks mostly but I can get them anywhere

Do you treat and style your own hair or leave it to the professionals?

I leave it to the professionals, I am a boy when it comes to styling.

What’s your favourite natural hair salon?

Knox hair salon. They only deal with dreadlocks. You can find Knox hair salons in Johannesburg (Newton and Braamfontein) and in Pretoria (corner Van der Walt & Church streets).

What natural hairstyle(s) do you like to rock?

Afro and Bongo dreads.

Natural Oils That Are Good For Our Hair

If you have kinky, coily hair or what we call “skuurpot”, then you definitely know our hair is prone to dryness and breakage! Now this is were natural oils come to our rescue!

One thing about the structure of our hair, is that it’s very coily and the natural oil from our scalp doesn’t get to travel easily down the hair shaft; hence the dry and straw-leeking feeling we get. Another important point to note is that  oils don’t really work very well on their own, unless water or a water-based product is used as a base. In essence, the oil is useful for “locking” in the moisture in your hair…

Below we’ve listed a few good oils with a brief description of each one and why they are good for our hair.

Olive oil

This oil is quite popular and it’s used for many things; for example, your skin, face and of course for cooking 🙂

Olive oil is one of those oils that penetrate the hair shaft and at the same time it helps to retain/seal in the moisture that is already there.  It’s also a popular oil for hot oil treatments and once you wash it out, it leaves your hair super soft and shiny!

Benefits: Olive oil is useful for “…repairing split ends, making your hair shinier, silkier and more lustrous and it even helps heal dandruff…”.(http://www.buzzle.com/articles/little-known-olive-oil-benefits.html)

You can use your regular olive oil that is used for cooking (the best one is: extra virgin olive oil) or you can buy a bottle from Clicks (this is where I buy mine). However, I should warn you that extra virgin olive oil can be a bit pricey but a little  does goes a long way.

Coconut oil

Another good oil for our hair, is coconut oil (my personal favourite :-)). It doesn’t only smell divine (if you like the smell of coconuts) but it’s also a good sealant. You normally find it in solid form but in warmer temperatures it becomes a liquid. Even though it’s in solid form, once you rub it on your hands it melts, making it easier to apply into your hair. I normally apply it on slightly damp hair so that it can retain the moisture in my hair.

This oil really helps to keep my hair soft all day long. Be careful not to use too much as it will make your hear feel scrunchy & greasy.

Benefits: Coconut oil is good in nourishing your hair strands, thus preventing dryness and breakage. It also helps to stimulate hair growth by moisturising your scalp so that you don’t have any dry, dead skin that can clogg up the hair follicles (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/coconut-oil-for-hair.html)

Castor oil

I know you’re probably thinking “Eeeewww”, but this oil is good shem. Plus these days I hear you find them in different flavours (e.g. strawberry, peach etc)… I’ve personally never seen them so I just use the normal Clicks Castor oil. My hair breaks less now. I usually mix it with a bit of Olive oil for extra sheen & sealing after moisturizing. My twists & twist-outs also last longer if i apply it when twisting and to my twists daily; so it acts like a holding gel.

Tip: Just a teaspoon will do. Don’t apply a lot to avoid build up.

Benefits: This oil is highly recommended if you want to achieve hair thickness and promote hair growth because it has a substantial amount of Vitamin E. It also helps to keep the hair shiny and soft. Read more on its benefits here.

Have you used any of these oils and how do they work for you? What other good oils do you use and can recommend?

 

 

Congratulations Espaniol!!

As we all know, all good things come to an end & the 2010  Soccer World Cup was no exception. Phillip is gone… just like that. *sad*

From the FroChic chiks we want to say: –

• Thank you World for stopping by, we hope know you had a jol;
• well done to the South African LOC for the tournament;
• well done Bafana; forget Uruguay;
• Ghana, don’t stress about it,  they’ll get what’s coming to them, in our eyes, that was a goal and that makes you guys winners in our eyes; and again, forget Uruguay;
• to England, keep sulking and see where it gets you;
• Christiano Ronaldo isn’t really all-that shem;
• France, sort your domestic mess out please, we’re not interested;
• Brazil, you guys left too soon, really;
• AND FINALLY A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS, SPAIN. WELL DESERVED.

WE DID IT SOUTH AFRICA. AU REVIOR PHILLIP.

*Back to blogging*

Product Review: Kenyan Shea Butter

So after using the Ladine Hair Softener Leave-In conditioner, I think I found yet another staple product. After a long search and asking every African (Nigerian, Congolese, Mozambican) hair stylist on where I can find the ever popular Shea Butter mo Mzanzi with no success,  I decided to go online eye-shopping and see if I can find it somewhere. So, I finally found an online shop based in the Motherland (Cape Town) and found the very last in stock of 100ml Kenyan Shea Butter here

It’s good shem. I put it on my hair every morning, followed by a few natural oils (mostly coconut and olive oil) then voila, instant softness & shine.

Volume: 100ml

Price: R79.00
Ingredients: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)…yes yona feela. lol. It doesn’t get more natural than this. I’m happy.

Like the Ladine Leave-in a little really goes a lllllong way. I’m ordering another one soon. Definitely going into my list of staple products. Now if I can find a good alcohol-free gel. The search continues, I guess.

Love,
Matlhodi