Midlands Natural Hair Meetup

Last Saturday I attended the Midlands Natural Hair Meetup. I was asked by the event organiser, Lorien Hay, to help out at the event.  

The event took place at the Custard Factory in Birmingham. I knew where it was so it was easy to get there. There is a bar within the venue where you can purchase some refreshments which is always nice to have access to. There are a lot of local shops and restaurants and transportation to the venue (such as buses) which are easily accessible. Overall, the venue was very nice. 

I was asked to sign people into the event but I was also able to go upstairs a number of times where the event took place and tuned into some of the presentations.  However, I won't be able to give a really detailed picture of the event but others are. Here are two good overviews by friends and bloggers One Day In Her Life and LolasCurls (who also did a presentation on transitioning from relaxed to natural at the event). 

What I purchased...

Left to right - Rosemary Oil, Tea Tree Oil and Peppermint Oil.

I didn't buy any hair products at the event (well done me), because I already have an overabundance of products, so my aim was to go into the event with as little money as possible (I had money only for  transportation, refreshments, jewelry/skin care/oils). 

I was in need of essential oils but didn't feel like ordering online and waiting for postage so I was very happy to hear that The Goody Box UK would be at the event. I met the lovely ladies Rachelle and Charlene of The Goody Box UK and they were happy to see me (they recognised me from my Twitter picture). They gave me some wonderful advice about essential oils and how I could use them for my seborrheic dermatitis. I was super pleased to purchase these oils (the prices were also discounted at the event). 

What I won... 

In the raffle I won Coconoil coconut oil. My number was called and I was shocked! I didn't expect to win anything (especially at three different events in a row!). This coconut oil came at the right time. I was hoping to purchase coconut oil so that I could use it in my diet as well as for my hair and skin. So it's been a blessing to practically get it for free (saving me even more money!). 

Leaflets and cards in the goody bag...

Minor description of each product

KeraCare's six Natural Textures products

Coconoil and Sheabutter Cottage. 15% off Brows & More

I Love Afro, Divine Chocolate and Nexrastore. 15% off for Adornment 365 treatments

                                   

Hair9 10% off products/services. Evelyn Products; Froher

Natural Boudoir (new online store launching soon). RoseBOX (new monthly box launching soon).

Information regarding Natural Boudoir and RoseBOX.

Ceekate, an online fashion store launching soon.

The goodies from the goody bag...

1. Curls Unleashed Organic Root Stimulator; Take Command Curl Defining Créme
2. Curls Unleashed Organic Root Stimulator; Set it Off Curl Boosting Jelly
3. Original Moxie Oasis Moisture Gel 
4. Original Moxie Lux Locks Styling & Shine 
5. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Hair Masque 
6. Froher Seaweed Secrets
7. Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Girls Moisturizing Styling Lotion 
8. Imanmade Original Nourishing Body Butter
9. Organic Root Stimulator HAIRepair Intense Moisture Créme
10. Organic Root Stimulator HAIRepair Anti-Breakage Créme 

KeraCare Natural Textures Holiday Travel Set

1. Defining Custard 
2. Twist & Define Cream 
3. Hair Milk
4. Cleansing Cream
5. Butter Cream
6. Leave In Conditioner 

When I found the kit I was really impressed. The sample sizes are 0.2oz and the bottles also indicate the pH of the products which range from 5.0 to 6.5 (which can be useful in managing your hair and scalp). 

It was nice to see some people who attended last year's event, to meet new people and also my friends. I had an enjoyable time speaking with some of the vendors as well. There were a lot of positive vibes and it was just an enjoyable day. Lorien did a wonderful job with the venue, the program, the vendors and the goody bag. I'm already looking forward to the next one! 

Natural Hair Events - Which One Should I Go To? + Tips For Good Preparation!

It's that time of the year when natural hair events are popping up all over the country, with one in Birmingham next week and a few others in London in June, it is no surprise that people can be confused about which one to go to and why.


So how do you choose which one to go to? Your reasons for going to these events is a deciding factor. What are your reasons?

• To see a particular speaker?
• To see particular vendors?
• To take part in specific workshops?

Other reasons influencing your decision may be ticket price, event type and the date of the event.


Research the events you are interested in and look out for things which you may or may not like. If the event takes place annually (such as Afro Hair and Beauty Live), read reviews and look into the content of the previous years. If the event is new, read what the event has to offer.


So now you've chosen a reason for attending a particular event, other factors can still cause you to change your decision. You may also want to do a number of things that will ensure that you are well prepared for the event (plus save money if you're on a budget like me!);

• Make sure you are free on the day. Double check that you don't have any work/school/appointments that day. Double check if you don't have other commitments the day before or after the event as the nature of those commitments can be affected by the event (particularly if it's a long distance event that requires early departure and late arrival). Ensuring that you are free will help you avoid double booking which costs money and time.
  
• Book the event ticket early.  Leaving booking too late can result in unavailable tickets or tickets that are only available at the door (which tend to be more expensive). Keep in mind that some events may have early bird tickets which tend to be cheaper than the normal priced tickets.
• Arrange transportation. Maybe you're able to get someone to drop you off? Or maybe you can take the bus? If you want to visit an event in the next city you may want to consider taking the coach or the train. Coaches I have used in the past and saved a lot of money with is National Express. You can usually book a ticket the night before and still end up with a pretty good price.  Use offers when you can, book as early as you can and book off-peak and/or advance tickets (particularly for trains) if you can. Also note that taking the coach is a lot cheaper than taking the train (but traveling time can be longer).
  
• Arrange accommodation if you plan on staying the night. If you're staying with relatives or friends, inform them in advance and inform them closer to the event date. Staying with a relative or friend is often the cheapest option and is an option which I tend to take. Alternatively, you can also book a hotel room or a B&B. Look around for offers to get a good deal. Also note that proximity of accommodation may affect the time you need to get to the venue.
  
• Plan the route to the venue of the event. Make sure you know where it is and plan it in advance if you're unfamiliar with the venue location. Look for the nearest train, tube or bus stations and look up instructions on how to get to the venue. Pages and websites for the event will sometimes describe the route to the venue. Alternatively you can use the GPS on your phone which can also be quite helpful (when it works!). Remember to leave early so that you're not late and missing parts of the event.
  
• Other things to consider; know the time the event starts and ends. Bring cash to the event if you're planning on purchasing goods because not every vendor will have a card machine. The day before the event, you may want to see if a particular vendor is offering any deals on their goods, such as 20% off vouchers etc. Ensure that you have everything with you that you may need on the day such as a refreshments, toiletries and an umbrella. Make sure that you know the program of the event so that you know what's going on and when the breaks are. You may want to take a notebook with you if you want to take notes during the seminars and workshops.
  

Enjoy the natural hair events you attend and make the most of it! 


Happy hair journey! ^o^ 

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Hi all,

A few weeks ago I won two Original Moxie products; the Just Gel and the Everyday Leave-In!

My Long Hair Journey (a really nice blog that I follow by the way, check them out!), teamed up with Black & Brown to give away these wonderful products. The competition rules required you to state which two Original Moxie products you want to try out and why. The winners would get those two products.

The products and a congratulation letter from Black

My first impression; the products are both 8oz and the packaging is very simple. It provides detailed instructions on how to use each product (really important so that you can make the most of your product), a Hot Tip and a 3-D DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM. This helps you identify which product fits your hair's characteristics. 

3-D DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM

Instructions and Hot Tip

Everyday Leave-In is on the left and Just Gel is at the right.

Everyday Leave-In has a light herbal scent and a light creamy consistency.

The Just Gel has a sweet and fruity scent and the consistency is gel like but not too sticky and not too jelly like. It really reminds me of flaxseed gel, except it's not as gooey and sticky.









I hope to review these products when I start using them. Original Moxie is available at Black & Brown. Products are available as sample and full sizes. Black & Brown will also be vendors at the Naturally United event on Sunday 13th of May.

Happy hair journey! ^o^

Midlands (Birmingham) Natural Hair Meet up UK

Hi all,


There's another natural hair event that I'm thinking of attending and it's the;

Midlands (Birmingham) Natural Hair Meet up UK

I've attended the same event about a year ago and I was very impressed. They had amazing goodie bags, a great venue and vendors. I don't think this year will be any more different, except bigger and better!
I personally like this meet up because it's very local to me and it's one of the only ones outside of London, so no real need for Birmingham based naturals to spend a lot of money on accommodation and travel to a London event. Details below;




For more information, they have a Facebook group (you can access it even if you don't have a Facebook page); Midlands (Birmingham) Natural Hair Meet up UK

Happy hair journey! ^o^