Beauty – LYDIA ON LIFE

10 YouTubers That Changed My Hair Journey

Whoopi Goldberg looked like me, she had hair like mine. I’d been starved for images of myself.” – Lupita Nyong’o.
I’ve been natural for about 10 years now and it’s only in the last 3, I have really started to understand and…

“Whoopi Goldberg looked like me, she had hair like mine. I’d been starved for images of myself.” – Lupita Nyong’o

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Welcome to Lydia on Life

The decision to stop chemically straightening my hair was basically made for me when I was in secondary school. My mum was tired of the process and I was tired of managing the constant changing textures. Within 3 weeks of perming my hair the regrowth would come back so soon we struggled to keep up with the frizz. Despite my hair being thick enough to handle the chemicals, my mum knew if we continued it would eventually damage my hair. Nobody wants that! So in year 9 (age 14) my mum decided to stop with the perming and start with the learning.

Lucky for me I grew up around people who could help me maintain my hair despite not understanding how to take care of my natural hair. From random hair sessions in the playground and after school to weekends spent at an aunt’s house or the hair dressers. I did what I could to maintain my 4C thick and curly hair. After a few years of getting my hair done by someone else I decided to learn the trade for myself. Saving some money and gaining more knowledge on my hair didn’t sound like a bad idea to me.

Thank God for YouTube! I could kiss Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim right now.

Watching video after video and practising on myself and anyone that would let me, I learned how to do basic styles and tailored them to my liking. Natural hair is a mystery to a lot of people and I’ll admit it takes a long time to truly understand it. It’s kinky but soft, its oily yet coarse, you can have more than one texture and don’t get me started on the shrinkage!

I’ve been natural for about 10 years now and it’s only in the last 3, I have really started to understand and appreciate my natural hair. I love rocking my natural hair but it’s taken a lot of self-confidence to allow me to ignore certain views society has on black natural hair. I’ve had my fill of comments like “your hair is huge” (am I rocking a bush on my head?) or my personal favourite; touching my hair whilst asking “can I touch it?” (am I a pooddle?)

I get a lot of these comments (at work and other places) but as a black woman you kind of get to these comments. I choose to take them as compliments despite how uncomfortable I may feel at times.

We go through a lot of challenges as women whose naturally frizzy hair may not necessarily fit society’s standards of beauty. I could talk about that for ages but we’ll save that debate for another post. It’s not an easy thing to deal with, but it’s worth dealing with it if your natural hair is what you want. Kinks and all!

If you are going to embark on this journey (and trust me, it’s a journey) you will need a little help and a lot of inspiration along the way. I know I did!

So I thought I’d share with you some of the YouTubers who have helped me and are still helping me along my journey.

Here we go!

Isimeme Edeko

YouTube: Halfafrican Beaute
Twitter: @halfricanbeaute
Instagram: @halfricanbeaute

April Bee

YouTube: April Bee
Twitter: @aprilbeee_
Instagram: @aprilbeee_

Danyelle

YouTube: MsDanti1
Instagram: @msdanti

Kim

YouTube: TheChicNatural
Instagram: @thechicnatural

Janaé Mason

YouTube: Janae Mason
Instagram: @nae2curly

Kerry

YouTube: SimplYounique
Intagram: @1simplyounique

Anneka Mclean

YouTube: Lovelyanneka
Instagram: @lovelyanneka

Shantania Beckford

YouTube: Shantania Beckford
Twitter: @ShantaniaBeckfd
Instagram: @shantania_beckford

Jess

YouTube: OnlyOneJess
Instagram: @onlyonejess_

Chiaka Valentina

YouTube: ChiakaValentina
Twitter: @chiakavalentina
Instagram: @chiakavalentina

What I gained from these beautiful and talented women was the knowledge to maintain my hair but i had to tailor what the information they provided to suit my specific type of hair. For example a lot of the products they incorporated into their routine weren’t necessary for my hair (or I couldn’t find them in the UK) so I had to find alternatives. This took some trial and error but it was worth it because I managed to grow my hair whilst keeping it healthy.

I did that by listening to my own hair – what it liked, what it didn’t like and how much attention it needed. You’ll be surprised how much your hair cooperates when it gets what it wants. Aren’t we all like that anyway?

Every hair is different and what works for one person may not work for another, but it’s worth trying, right? What you learn from trying is knowledge that will be useful to you and someone else.

One of my goals for 2017 was to reach bra strap length hair and in June 2017 I achieved that. You can too if you take the time to learn how. Hopefully once I get used to this blogging thing I’ll share some of the products I use and routines that have helped me so far. There are people out there with far much longer and thicker hair than me but that’s their hair and this is mine. They shared their story and I’ve learned from them so why not share mine.

I hope this has been helpful to you in some way and be sure to check these ladies out.

Till next time!

Your Turn…

Have you been on a hair journey? What have you learned?

Share your experiences, questions and tips with everybody in the comments below or get in touch with me via…

Twitter: @lydiaonlife
Instagram: @lydiaonlife
Email: lyd iao nlife@gmail.com

If you have your own favourite natural hair YouTubers or websites, please feel free to share them too. I’m also on the hunt for a good natural hair salon in London so please let me know if you have any recommendations.

Love,

Lydia x

Garnier Moisture Bomb Mask | Does it Work?

“Invest in your skin. It is going to represent you for a very long time” ~ Linden Tyler. I’m going to Venice next week and wanted to treat myself to a little pamper session. I’ve been keen on improving my skin care routine and this was the perfect time to try out some new products and have a little me time. One of the products I purchased yesterday on my usual Superdrug run was the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask. Will it work?

“Invest in your skin. It is going to represent you for a very long time” ~ Linden Tyler

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I’m going to Venice next week and wanted to treat myself to a little pamper session. I’ve been keen on improving my skin care routine and this was the perfect time to try out some new products and have a little me time. I want to go on holiday feeling relaxed, refreshed and with glowing skin.

One of the products I purchased yesterday on my usual Superdrug run was the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask along with the L’Oreal Detox Clay Mask.

I used the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask after using the L’Oreal Detox Clay Mask as my face was feeling a little dry and needed some moisture back in to it. I love anything that boosts moisture to my skin as it tends to feel quite dry even though it looks oily.

I used the pink Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask which is for sensitive skin. The mask claims to:

Intensely hydrates
Comforts and soothes
Skin feels softer

BEFORE PLACING THE MASK

I used the Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix night pads to wipe my face after washing off the L’Oreal Detox Clay Mask then placed the tissue mask on. It was a little messy putting it on as it was folded up inside the packaging but I managed. If it wasn’t for the YouTube video I saw before buying the mask I wouldn’t have known what I was doing.

WHILST WEARING THE MASK

It felt really cooling and refreshing to my face the moment I put it on. So much so I didn’t want to take it off. The mask stayed on without any issues or slipping off and I could move my face comfortably. There was no irritation what so ever. I liked how it felt on my face but not sure about how it looked though. A little scary don’t you think?

AFTER REMOVING THE MASK

Removing the mask was easy (wish everything in life was that easy). I peeled it off and gently messaged the excess serum left on my face with my hands. My skin felt hydrated, soft and really refreshed. After a while (30 minutes or so) my face felt like it needed a little bit more moisture so I used my daily moisturiser from Nivea Soft. I’m not sure if you should add a moisturiser on top of the serum or not but I felt like I needed to.

Would I use the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask again?

Yes, defiantly. I think I’m going to add this to my weekly skin care routine. If only they did this for your body.

OVERALL RATING

I’d give this product a 9/10. The price was good, the product did what it said it would do and it was easy to use. What more could you want? I’d highly recommend trying it if your skin is dry or dehydrated. I’m really impressed with this mask so I might see what their other products from the Moisture Bomb range are like. I’ll definitely be trying their other 2 moisture bomb masks.

If I use this mask and drink at least 1.5 litres of water my skin should be holiday ready, right? We’ll see.

Your turn…

Have you tried the tissue bomb before? What were your results? Would you recommend it? What other product from this range have you used? Would you recommend them?

Share your questions, experiences and tips with everybody in the comments.

Till next time.

Love,
Lydia x | https://lydonlife.wordpress.com

L’Oreal Pure Clay Detox Mask | Does it Work?

“Be good to your skin. You’ll wear it every day for the rest of your life” – Renée Rouleau. I love skin care. With skin problems such as mild acne, large pores, hyperpigmentation and a whole list of other impurities I could do without, I have to love skin care. It’s a battle I’ve been having since puberty. Now that I’m in my mid-twenties, I can afford to invest in better quality products. But will they work?

“Be good to your skin. You’ll wear it every day for the rest of your life” – Renée Rouleau

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I love skin care. With skin problems such as mild acne, large pores, hyperpigmentation and a whole list of other impurities I could do without, I have to love skin care. It’s a battle I’ve been having since puberty. Now that I’m in my mid-twenties, I can afford to invest in better quality products and take the steps needed to get my skin to where I want it to be.

The first step I took was to stop wearing make-up to work. This was a big step for me but it was something I needed to do to truly start this healthier skin journey I’m on. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to go a week with no make-up at all and still feel as confident as I do with make-up. Baby steps.

The second step was to invest in better skin care products. I’ve always been into skin care but never spent the money needed on good skin care. I’d always look for a cheaper alternative. This worked for me sometimes but more often than not I either didn’t see any results or things get worse. Much worse.

So, last week on my usual trip to Superdrug I decided to buy the L’Oreal Pure Clay Detox Mask. It was on offer and I’ve heard Patricia Bright mention it a few times as part of her skin care. I’m a fan of hers and since she liked it, I thought why not try it.

LOreal has 3 masks in their pure clay range – a purity mask, a detox mask and a glow mask. The detox mask is used to detoxify and clarify the skin

L’Oreal claim that by using the detox mask, you should see instant and lasting results:

Immediately – skin is pure and cleaner
In one week – Skin feels fresher and luminous
Use after use – skin can breathe and is visibly transformed

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The clay smells nice and isn’t too thick or too runny. It’s easy to apply and feels lovely on the skin as you apply it. I applied it using my fingers and I felt a slight tingle or stinging sensation. This could be due to the fact that my face had just been washed and I didn’t have any product on it so it was very dry. I usually get that feeling when I wear face masks so it wasn’t alarming. Does that happen to you? Or it could have been all the impurities getting rattled. Who knows.

I applied it all over my face avoiding the eyes and mouth area and waited for 15 minutes. It says you should leave it on for 5-10 minute but I got carried away writing the intro for this post I lost track of time. It wasn’t uncomfortable when it was drying and I was able to speak without feeling like my face is about to crack.

WASHING OFF THE MASK

I decided to use warm water as I don’t like using cloths on my face unless I’m patting my face dry. It took about 5 minutes to get everything off and there was no mess in the sink. Yay!

AFTER WASHING THE MASK

My face didn’t feel that different to how it felt before putting the mask on. I did feel as though there was residue on my face (a waxy kind of feeling) but nothing alarming. My face wasn’t as dry as it was before but it still felt dry so again nothing significant to rave about.

PURE AND CLEARER SKIN?

Well I’m not sure what they mean by that. My spots were still there. I even found a new one but I wouldn’t put it down to the mask (probably time of the month approaching). I wouldn’t say my skin looked or felt pure either (whatever that means). I could see the pores around my nose and my skin looked pretty much the same as before. So no it didn’t purify and clear my face immediately. Perhaps I’ll notice a different over time.

The box didn’t say what I should do after the mask so I used the Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix night pads and then put the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask. My face has been really dry lately and since it was a pamper yourself kind of day for me I thought why not.

Would I use the L’Oreal Detox Clay Mask again?

Well It cost me £5 and I still have a full jar left so yes, I would. A little bit of the products goes a long way which is nice. Nothing bad happened to my skin so I’ll probably use it for the next 3 days before going to Venice and see if anything amazing happens. If I like what I see I’ll continue using.

OVERALL RATING

I’d give it a 5/10 since it didn’t really do what it claimed it would do immediately. However, it didn’t break me out and I might see results after continued use so I can’t completely disregard it. After a week, I’ll give an update on whether I experienced any noticeable difference. If I do, I might invest in their other 2 masks.

Wish me Luck!

Your turn…

Have you tried their clay masks before? Which one of the 3 have you tried? What were your results? Would you recommend it? What other clay masks have you tried? Would you recommend them?

Let me know by sharing your questions, experiences and tips with everybody in the comments.

Till next time.

Love,
Lydia x