GOOD BYE AND GOD BLESS NELSON MANDELA!

"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." - Mandela

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I don't think it's ever happened to me before that the passing of someone whom I've never met, moves me beyond the point of respectfully acknowledging a sad loss, to a place where I physically feel my sorrow; but when I heard about the death of Nelson Mandela last night, I cried.

It wasn't until my early teens that I started to get a proper idea of Nelson Mandela and why he was so important, and even now as an adult, I recognise that I don't know nearly as much about him and the history of his country as I want to. However, I do know that the levels of racial injustice that he fought against, were the kind that I, a Black female born in Britain in the mid-eighties, struggle to imagine.

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When I first learned what Apartheid was I remember being shocked, and frustrated that no one had told me sooner. Even now, when I see various footage, notably filmed in colour, it stirs something in me to realise just how recently these events occurred.
Why was this never spoken about while I was at school?
As I watched the footage, and I listened to the stories of his life, his fight for justice, his dignified stance against injustice, how he went from prisoner to President; I had so many thoughts. I fumbled over my words as I tried to engage with others reacting to the news on twitter, and eventually I just had to take a minute and let the tears roll.
After 27yrs, Mandela was released from prison in 1990!!!!
And in 1994 he became the first Black President of South Africa.
1994!!
(I wish that were a typo but it's not, so excuse me for the following outburst but "FFS!")
The older I get the more I realise that in many ways, I grew up in quite a cosy, naieve little bubble, unaware of just how real racism could really get. 

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I remember listening to LBC 97.3fm a couple years ago when a Mixed Race South African lady called up and spoke about something called the 'pencil test' and said that her sister had to take this test, which involved a pencil being placed in the hair as some kind of ethnicity gauge. If her hair was thick enough to hold the pencil it essentially meant she was to be considered more black than white; a label that would undoubtedly change her entire life experience. I don't know when this was, and I can't verify it's truth but it was definitely something that stuck with me when I heard it. 

Such insane divisions are hard for me to conceive, or maybe I'm just too afraid to try.

Some of you may have seen my Afro Comb in the Origins of the Afro Comb Exhibition this year. During the preparation stages, the Curator Dr Sally-Ann Ashton asked me what I thought the relevance of the fist was. I told her that I didn't know for sure, but that I'd always associated it with Nelson Mandela being freed. I gave an embarrassed kind of giggle when I said it because I was ashamed to not know for sure. I now know that the first patent for the black fisted afro comb was in 1972 in America, yet I'm actually proud to say that I will probably always associate my fisted Afro comb with visions of Mandela's raised fist, but also the overall continued perseverance of a people throughout history and across the globe.

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When I think of Mandela I'm not only moved by his courage and dignity, but also by his exemplary ability to forgive, and encourage people to live in love and unity. It saddens me to think what the world would be like were it not for people like Mandela and for that reason I hold him up as more than an inspiration, but a real life hero.

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EVENT ALERT: WITJ SHOW 2014

Just a quick one!
Woman in the Jungle is geared up to to bring another WITJ Natural Hair & Beauty Show to London in 2014. All the deets are on the flyer below.

If you missed it this year, check out my recap of the day >here<.

Remember to check out The Natural Hair Events Page >here< to find out what hair events are coming up. If you know of a natural hair events coming up, contact me (email/twitter) to get it listed (it's free!).

SEASONAL PRODUCT SHOPPING

A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to start getting a Winter hair care routine going.
It just so happens that this is also a perfect excuse to go shopping and satisfy my inner product junkie. I already had a clear idea of what I wanted and managed to tick-off everything on the list.

I often get asked where to buy natural hair products in London, so I've included some info about what I bought and where I bought it from. I hope it helps. You can watch the video or just check out the boards below.

                  

PRODUCTS:
What, Where From, & How Much?
I love JBCO for a number of reasons: It's the best thing ever for sealing my ends and reducing breakage, it makes my hair really soft and shiny, and it keeps my scalp in great condition. I've tried a  regular castor oil before but the results weren't as good as the Jamaican Black.

Rosemary essential oil is said to stimulate circulation and help promote hair growth, and during last year's KCCM Castor Oil Challenge >here<, I was pretty pleased at how my hair responded when I added a few drops to my JBCO before applying it at night.

I forgot to mention the Cling film in the vid, but I bought it as an alternative to regular conditioning caps. It's just a little money saver, as a roll of film lasts a lot longer than single use caps. 

I'm always curious about Shea Moisture products, so I picked up a couple of cute samples. I want to try these before I go spending £15 on the full-sized products. Personally I think the price of Shea Moisture in the UK is a bit steep.

Giovanni Smooth As Silk range is one of my favourites. The shampoo has a lot of slip, which helps minimize the tangles on wash day, and so does the the conditioner which is also one of my favourite deep conditioners. Although they're only travel-size, I know the shampoo will last me for 4-6 weeks, because a little goes a long way. However I'll be buying a full-size bottle of the conditioner asap.

Butterfly clamps are the unsung heroes of my haircare routine. They help me handle my hair in sections which actually makes washing and styling a lot quicker and less complicated.

Where do you buy your hair products from?

3 CONDITIONERS WITH GREAT SLIP

Knots and tangles are my main hurdle on hair wash day, but there are two main methods I use to keep them to a minimum:

1.
Pre-poo hair.
If you dont know what a "Pre-poo" is check out >this post< which includes a simple recipe I use.

2.
Use a good conditioner!

My favourite conditioners are the ones that not only restore moisture to my hair and leave it feeling soft, but the ones that provide a lot of slip and therefore make detangling an easy process.

WHAT IS SLIP?

"Slip" basically means how "slippery" a product (in this case conditioner) is.

It's an important quality because more slip means less friction between hair strands. It allows them to slide past each other easily which minimises tangles, while hair that is knotted slips apart with ease.

SIDE NOTE: 

I also prefer conditioners that are not too expensive. Purely because having coily hair means I get through a lot of conditioner so I prefer  the ones that aren't too expensive to re-purchase regularly. All the conditioners listed below are available in shops or online for under £10.

CONDITIONERS WITH GREAT SLIP

At the moment my favourite 3 conditioners for great slip are:

3. Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture

I love this conditioner because unlike the other the other two, I know I can use it as a deep conditioner too. I think the formula has improved over the last few year because it seems to have much better slip than I first remember.
You can find it in Whole Foods, Zara (the hair shop on Walworth rd), and some Holland & Barratts.

2. Jane Carter Nutrient Replenishing Conditioner

 This is a lovely rinse out conditioner. It smells really Summery and and as soon as I apply it, my fingers slide through my hair with ease. I was especially impressed because the texture is deceptively runny, but somehow my strands just submit to it's will.
You can find it online at Gidore.com, or in some of the black hair shops in Brixton.

 1. And of course, my number one favourite...
Tresemme Naturals Vibrantly Smooth Conditioner

This one is brilliant for a number of reasons: Firstly, it's easily available on the high street and it's on special offer quite regularly. Plus, as well as having excellent slip, the Vibrantly Smooth is one of the most affective rinse out conditioners I've tried. If I dont have time to use a deep conditioner then this is an excellent short term alternative, as my hair still feels well conditioned after I've rinsed it out. It's also my favourite product for co-washing my hair, as the bottle is pretty big so I dont have to worry about rinsing and repeating. Also considering it's the cheapest and largest conditioner of the three, it's excellent value for money.

Whats conditioner do you recommend for great slip?

CURLFORMERS AVAILABLE IN UK SHOPS

Just a quick post that I meant to share earlier. 

I could be late to discover this but, Curlformers are available in the UK!

I had no idea until last month when I went shopping with my mum in the Streatham Hill branch of Sally's. They come in different sizes so you can create wide or narrow curls, and cost £8.95 per pack.

It doesn't look like you get much more than about 8 in a pack which is a shame as that wouldn't be anywhere near enough for my hair. However I'm still tempted as I've seen so many Youtubers using Curlformers to create gorgeous styles on natural hair, that I really want to try them for myself.
Check out the vid below by +Jouelzy B for an example.

               

Did you know Curlformers were available in UK shops?

If you've tried them what did you think?