My 2016 Hair Growth - Update

Bonjour tout le monde!

I can't believe Christmas is round the corner! It feels like it was just yesterday we were celebrating the new year! This year has been up and down, good and bad but it has definitely taught me a lot of lessons with regards to every aspect of my life. I have learnt a whole lot especially regarding looking after my hair and I am so happy for those lessons. It was tough at the beginning of the year having to cut my hair extremely short due to the heat damage my hair had incurred. It was a completely new situation for me to deal with as I had to adapt my hair care routine and the hair styles I had to do. I put the hurt I felt from chopping off the vast majority of my hair to the side and made a pledge to myself to make this year my year of growth to restore my hair back to its former length and glory. I have definitely seen my hair grow leaps and bounds over this year and I am so happy at where I am now. My current hair length isn't too far off the length it used to be but I am so happy that I can finally tie my hair up! Going from struggling to even cornrow my hair when I first cut it to comfortably being able to wear my hair out in an afro is such a great achievement for me. Even though I didn't see it at the time, I now realise that this was what needed to happen because before the heat damage, I was neglecting my natural hair and allowing it to get extremely damaged. However now my hair is fuller and healthier than ever!

I encourage anyone with damaged hair or ends to take the plunge and chop it off as it is such a revitalising experience and as you can see, hair does grow back! Now enough of my chitter chatter, below are my hair growth pictures throughout the course of the year. I'd love to hear from anyone and everyone who may be looking for motivation, support or just simple hair care/growth tips, feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email!

Until the next time,

Au revoir x

Top Tips To Retain Length

Bonjour tout le monde!

Today's post is all about length retention and top tips to retain length. Now nearly every naturalista wants their hair to grow to their bum yet many complain that their hair doesn't grow. This isn't the case, our hair does grow around 1/2 inch to 1 inch a month yet many of us do not see this growth as our hair breaks off before that. Our hair is doing its part by growing, now it's our turn to do ours by minimising the amount of breakage and shedding we experience to truly see our hair grow!

• Detangle gently with conditioner - As we all know, natural afro kinky hair can get very knotty and tangled so using conditioner gives the hair the extra slip it needs to ensure that the hair can be combed with ease without breaking it.

•  Trim split ends regularly - Split ends can play a very big role in aiding the breakage of our hair so it is advised that we give our hair a much needed trim every six to eight weeks to reduce the amount of breakage we see.

•  Keep hair moisturized - As easy as it is for our hair to absorb moisture, it is equally as easy for it to lose moisture so be sure to keep your hair moisturized, especially during the winter months when our hair is at its most vulnerable to becoming dry and brittle.

• Utilize protective hairstyles - Protective hairstyles are a great way of growing out your hair such as braids or natural styles as they are very low manipulation and don't tend to tug on your natural hair allowing it to grow to its fullest.

• Avoid heat styling hair - Heat styling not only dries out our hair but also damages it making our hair weak and brittle. In order to maintain healthy hair, try and keep your heat styling down to a minimum.

• Use wide tooth combs - Using wide tooth combs are less aggressive on the hair and tend to tug less on the hair cuticle thus causing less unnecessary shedding to your hair

• Opt for henna dyes vs chemical dyes - Due to it's intense nature, chemical dyes can be very harsh and dry out natural hair causing it to break. If you want to jazz up your look, opt for henna hair dyes as they are natural and don't damage your hair.

• Choose low-manipulative styles - These styles can be as simple as just putting your hair into twists or braids but these styles are so good for your hair! Low manipulation styles allow your hair to grow without the daily constant daily tugging and pulling of the hair. Be sure to remember to keep your hair moisturised whilst in these styles!

• Sleep in silk or satin scarf/cap - Often cotton pillows are harsh on natural hair as it can cause needless pulling on the hair resulting in shedding that could've been prevented. Instead wear a silk or satin scarf or opt for a satin pillowcase to allow your not be tugged!

• Massage scalp 2-3 times a week for 5-10mins - Massaging your scalp increases blood flow to your hair thus increasing hair growth so choose your favourite oil and incorporate this into your hair care routine to aid your hair growth. If done correctly it's said that a difference of up to an additional 1/2 inch a month can be seen!

• Give your hair a break between protective styles - As much as we all love having braids and weave in, it's great to give your hair a rest. Your hair is usually being tugged in these protective styles so it's always good to remove these styles and give your hair the necessary TLC it needs.

Current Length Check - September

Bonjour tout le monde!

I know it's been so long since my last blog post! I've passed my driving test and started university but I'm back and better! I am going to jump straight back in to Youtube videos again so stay tuned. As you all know, I cut my hair very short at the beginning of January 2016 due to heat damage and I'm currently in the process of growing my hair out back out to the length it originally was. I am taking biotin on a daily basis to aid my hair growth as well as keeping my hair in protective styles such as braids and twists.

Below I'll post pictures of my hair after having washed it and after being blow dried:

As you can see my hair has grown tons! I am so glad with the length of my hair and how healthily it's coming along. I hope this has shown many of my fellow naturalistas who may have been interested in transitioning or cutting of any damaged parts that your hair will grow! My hair has come a long way and I'm so happy to see the end of my journey. I'm planning on making an updated 'Wash Routine' video for Youtube but feel free to message if you have any other videos that you would like to see. Remember new blog posts every Tuesday and Friday!

Au revoir x

Crochet Hairstyles - The Pros and Cons

Bonjour tout le monde!

So I thought I'd do a post on the low down of crochet hairstyles since I had it for the first time very recently. I decided to try crochet for my prom as I wanted jumbo twists but I didn't have the patience to sit down for hours for it to me done. For those of you who don't fully know how crochet works, your hair is cornrowed underneath (I had eight cornrows) and then the hair is threaded and crocheted into the hair. If anyone is interested and has wanted to try crochet hairstyles then here's my pros and cons to give you a better idea!

PROS

• Quick and easy to install - crochet hairstyles take around 2 - 3 hours installation time compared to your regular braids install which can take up to 6 hours+. The design of the crochet twists/braids/locs make it easy to loop around your cornrows and install.
• Very versatile - you can do an abundance of hairstyles with your crochet! Half up half down, all up, all down, whatever hairstyle you fancy can be achieved easily with crochet. The method in which the crochet twists are attached to your hair enable you to do a variety of hairstyles without showing your cornrows underneath.
• Lightweight - perhaps it's the type of hair I used but my crochet twists were super lightweight! I often had my hair tied up in a bun and to the outside world it looked like it was weighing me down however in reality it was super light! This is a plus for me contrary to braids which can get very heavy the more braids that are on your head. 
• Natural looking - I was so surprised when I saw how natural my crochet twists looked! My twists honestly looked like they were growing out of my head which I loved, my cornrows weren't visible at all!

CONS

• Can become messy very quickly - as much as I loved my crochet twists, they did get messy very quickly. After about two weeks of having my twists, they became almost dull looking, having lost its original sheen which some strands coming out of the twist. As much as I wrapped a scarf around my head and made an effort to spray water on to my hair, I couldn't save my hair for longer than two weeks which was a downer. 

To be fair I only have one con to crochet hairstyles, that's how much I loved it! For me, It definitely lasts longer than braids do so I'll definitely be hopping back to this hairstyle very soon. For anyone who's never tried it, I'd definitely recommend this hairstyle.

Until the next time, 

Au revoir x

Prom 2016 X Caribbean Infusion

Bonjour tout le monde! 

I know it's a Saturday, not my usual day, but I thought I'd show you guys pictures from my prom! As many of you will know, I'm 18 and my sixth form hold a prom for Year 13's. My prom was on Thursday and I had a fab time! Let me tell you all about the stress I had. I went for a Caribbean theme with my dress because I wanted to embrace my Caribbean roots but the traditional Madras material is only sold in America so I had to import it over. It took about three weeks to come which left my dress maker with a month to make my dress. I was waiting for my dress to be made and a few days before my prom, she fell ill and had to be hospitalized. All the way up until the night before, I still hadn't seen my dress and it hadn't been made. Because I didn't have my dress I was set on not going to prom that I cancelled my makeup and hair because I honestly thought there was no point. 4am on the day of my prom, my dress was ready! I tried it on and fell in love instantly! I had to quickly scour around and find someone who was free last minute to do my makeup and hair and then I was ready! I thought to keep in check with the traditional ethnic vibe I wanted to portray, I got crochet twists which I absolutely love, I must say that this might be my new go-to hairstyle! It took two hours to do and looks absolutely amazing, can't even tell it's crochet! Anyway, I had an absolutely amazing time and wanted to show pictures of my stunning dress, hope you enjoy!

PS. For those of you who don't know, I'm from Dominica and Jamaica and the material that my dress is made from is traditional madras material (also known as creole material) from St Lucia and Dominica. The style of my dress is a modern twist on the traditional style dresses!

Au revoir x

My Trip To The Netherlands

Bonjour tout le monde!

I have to truly apologise, it's been too long! But my exams are finally over and I am finally free! I've been busy planning more things for Divinus Ater and jetting off to the Netherlands but I am back now! I thought I'd give you guys a low down on my trip since I had a blast!

I currently have purple braids in which I love. As you'll all know, I'm finally free of heat damage so I'm keeping my hair in protective hairstyles to allow it to grow. I've had my braids in for four weeks and honestly I can see a healthy amount of growth from my hair. I'm so excited to see how long my hair will be at the end of this year! I'm looking to try out Manetabolism again and give an updated review as to whether or not I think it's a worthwhile investment for my fellow naturalistas. 

Onto The Netherlands! Now it may seem like a random trip but I went to The Netherlands with three of my friends as a way of relaxing and de-stressing after a hard year of preparing for my exams. Boy I had the best time. I only spent three days there but it's such a peaceful country to be! Their way of life is so calm and the country is so much cleaner compared to London! I'd definitely recommend people to check it out and if you're into festivals, there are plenty of fun festivals coming up in The Netherlands during July and August. It was definitely a fab holiday and hopefully I'll find time to fit in another holiday but in the meantime, here's some pics from my holiday:

Until the next time,

Au revoir X 

Finally Heat Damage Free!

Bonjour tout le monde!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while - exam season. But thankfully I'm done next Thursday and I'll be the first to say I cannot wait!

I recently took out my black chunky braids that you saw in my previous post to uncover the my five months worth of hair growth!

Here you're able to see the amount of growth I've had over the last five months which is absolutely incredible - natural hair does grow! I kept my hair in protective hairstyles such as braids and twists over the five month period and had my natural hair out periodically to give my hair a break. This is my hair after I took out my braids, moisturized my hair with ORS Curls Unleashed Coconut and Honey Hair Milk and sealed the moisture in with Jamaican Black Castor Oil. This made my hair feel so soft and easy to manage! I wash my hair with my Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner (review link here) which is one of my absolute favourite products to use in my hair. The picture above shows my hair just being combed out. As you can see my hair looks like it's been blow dried/straightened which is the heat damaged parts of my hair. I felt so great seeing how fast my hair had grown in such a short space of time that I decided to cut my hair once again and finally get rid of all of the damage, here's my hair now:

I absolutely love the texture of my hair now as finally my natural texture is all back! It's short again I know but now I feel like I can kick start my hair growth again properly. I'm going to go 100% no heat from now on, not even to dry my hair if I'm in a rush, and use various different methods to stretch out my hair. This may sound very laborious and time consuming but your hair will thank you for it in the long run! I'd been religiously taking biotin supplements but I think I may try out the new Mane Choice hair growth supplements and see the results I get from that. 

I hope this has inspired even just one person who may have been hesitant to cut off their damaged ends to just go for it as hair does grow back! My hair looks and feels amazing now and I can't wait to see my hair growth six months from now. Anyone have any tips they'd like to share on how to boost their hair growth? Feel free to email me or leave a comment!

Au revoir x 

Updated Jireh Edge Control Review

Bonjour tout le monde!

Now as many of you will recall, I made a post on my review of the Jireh Edge Control. My conclusion mid last year was that the edge control was fab but just didn't stay down for long. I thought it would be worth while to give an updated review so you can see how the edge control works on my hair. 

I have 4C hair which means that my hair is very coarse and can often be dry and brittle. I still struggle to find a range of products that are able to not only work in my hair but keep it moisturized. I've used a number of edge controls, Argan Oil, Olive Oil and Dr Miracle's just to name a few. The first two gave a less than temporary hold on my hair which wasn't helpful to me at all when trying to style my hair. I also felt that the Olive Oil Edge Control was too thin whilst the Argan Oil was a good consistency but couldn't hold my hair. The closest edge control I found in the hair shop was the Dr Miracle's Edge Control. This was able to hold down my hair but was prone to lift after about 20mins - 30mins. So I tried the Jireh Edge Control as I'd seen many naturals in America raving about it so I had to try it for myself. This edge control actually has a special place in my heart because it really holds down my 4C hair. Made from all natural ingredients, this edge control works to not only hold but also nourish your edges. Some edge control, whilst holding your hair, can actually damage your hair as its pulling out your hair. Jireh Edge Control doesn't do that at all and is so far, the only edge control that I've found which ticks all the boxes. Below I'll attach pictures of my hair:

As you can see from the above pictures, the Jireh Edge Control works wonders to lay my edges. Now I said in a previous post that there is a clear difference between and edge control and a hair gel. Edge controls are used for a temporary hold and often the hold provided is a light hold. Hair gels however are used for more of a long term hold on your hair. I don't tend to use gel that often on my hair because it can cause product build up and often seriously weigh down my hair. If you're looking for more of a long term hold from your edge control then I'd recommend applying a teeny tiny amount of hair gel over your edges once the edge control has been applied to keep it down. I apply a tiny dab of my Gorilla Snot gel just to keep my edges down if I know I'm going out. 

If you want to grab your own, hop on to eBay and search 'Jireh Edge Control', currently £10 for a limited time only!

PS - I'll be at Curlvolution tomorrow so I hope to see some of you there, I'll also be at the Afro Hair and Beauty Show UK on Sunday and (hopefully) Monday so see you then!

Au revoir X 

Exam Season!

Bonjour tout le monde!

I know it has been so long since my last post, it’s exam season sadly! I only have about one month left so expect posts to come here and there but I’ll definitely try my hardest to keep my posts regular even during this period!

Summer is coming and I’m sure many of you, like I am, are planning all of your exciting adventures that you’re going to undertake. Shopping, finding the perfect summer clothes but what really completes your look? Is it your glasses? Sandals? Accessories? Nope, it’s your hair! I’ve always found it difficult to look after and maintain my hair during the summer as I didn’t fully understand the needs of my hair. This summer however will be different. Compared to this time last year my hair is a lot shorter however this is the perfect time of year for all naturalistas to take pride in their gorgeous tresses!

I know there are many women out there who just don’t know what to do with their hair during the summer and so instead choose to hide their hair throughout the whole of summer under weaves/wigs. The same way we wear looser clothes during summer to cool down, our hair needs to breathe too. Hiding your hair during summer and allowing your hair to bake can in fact have the opposite effect on your hair and cause your hair to break. Instead, let your tresses be free and embrace them! There's never a better time to start loving your natural hair. Right now I have braids in as it is an extremely low fuss hairstyle which is exactly what I need. I'm thinking about having my natural hair out during summer, or perhaps faux locs? I'm still deciding but one thing is for sure, I can't wait for summer! That's me for now, new post this Friday!

Au revoir x

PS - I'll be attending the Curlvolution Event this Saturday, hope to see some of you guys there!

Product Review - Aunt Jackie's Fix My Hair Conditioner

Bonjour tout le monde!

So I got an abundance of products from the London Living No Lye Tour on the 17th April and so I thought I'd write a review for each of the products I received.

The first is Aunt Jackie's Intensive Repair Conditioning Masque from Aunt Jackie's new flaxseed range. I really didn't know much about this brand until I attended this event. In my Bantu Knot tutorial I used their Baby Girl Curls Curling and Twisting Custard to set my curls but other than that, I had no clue about this brand. However, at the event I was taken aback at how popular Aunt Jackie's is and how many women swear by it. They're releasing their new flaxseed which is aimed at naturalistas who may suffer from dry or damaged hair whether that's heat or colour damage. This range should be available in most hair shops in the UK this week.

I was so excited to try this product as I am essentially one of the first naturals in the UK to try this brand new product. I washed my hair as normal with my Coconut water shampoo to remove all of the dirt and product buildup from my hair. I then added some of the Intensive Repair Masque onto my hair. I made sure all of my hair was covered and covered my hair with a shower cap and left for 10mins for a deep treatment. I then washed it off and I got a sample of Aunt Jackie's Knot On My Watch which I applied to my hair to help detangle my hair. This can also be left on for up to 10mins for a deep treatment. The Aunt Jackie's Intensive Repair Conditioning Masque had such an amazing smell and was so lightweight that it didn't weigh my hair down. It also left my hair feeling soft and the Aunt Jackie's Knot On My Watch helped the comb to glide through my hair with ease. 

Overall I'd say I absolutely loved this product as, after having used this product on my hair, I didn't see very much shedding of my hair. I will be definitely looking in to purchasing more products from the Aunt Jackie's range and I can't wait for the flaxseed range to officially launch in the UK!

Au revoir x

My Current Hair Growth

Bonjour tout le monde!

So if you've read some of my previous posts at the beginning of the year I had cut my hair due to heat damage and I've made it my mission to kick start my growth this year. I thought I'd share you my growth within the last four months:

30th January

The picture above is my hair length after I'd cut my hair. It was pretty short and I struggled to even cornrow my hair at that length.

19th April

These two picture above show you my current hair length, the one to the left being after I took out my braids and the right after having washed and blow-dried my hair. 

My hair has grown so much in three months and it's amazing for me to see! I want everyone reading this post to have faith that your hair does grow, you just have to be patient and take the time to look after it. I have been keeping my hair in protective hairstyles and taking biotin supplements daily for the last month. I can't tell you what the secret is to growing fast natural hair but what I can tell you is that there's no point in trying to grow your hair if you cannot retain it. I've found that the way I get minimal shedding and breakage when doing my hair is when I give my hair a good deep conditioning treatment every 2-3 weeks. The frequency on how often you decide to do these treatments is completely up to you but because parts of my hair is still damaged, I aim to do it every two weeks.

I have a ton of new products to review for you guys which I'll be doing in my next few upcoming posts. I'm also looking to try hair growth supplements again, namely Hairfinity, to give you guys an insight into whether it actually achieves the hair growth it says on the bottle.

Jireh Edge Control is now also available for purchase via my blog as well as on eBay. If you click on the page called 'Shop' to the right of the page you'll be able to buy your own directly from there.

I hope this has inspired some of you naturalistas and if any of you have any questions with regards to hair growth of formulating the best hair regime, feel free to contact me! You can either email me or message me @DivinusAter on both Instagram and Twitter.

Au revoir x

Happy Birthday Divinus Ater/BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY!

DIVINUS ATER HAS TURNED 1 YEARS OLD!

Please forgive the capitals, I'm just extremely excited! Gosh a year goes by fast doesn't it! When I first started Divinus Ater, I didn't think that anyone other than a small circle of my friends would read it. Now we're verging on 25,000+ views on the blog! I honestly want to thank everyone who has supported me, whether you've featured on my blog, have reached out and contacted me with questions or have just been a loyal reader of my blog, every single one of you truly mean a lot! Our first year has gone by and so much has happened for us already but I am to just continue growing and hopefully help my fellow beautiful black sisters out there!

Now since it's Divinus Ater's birthday, it's only right that we host another giveaway. Our first one was pretty small but I aim for this one to be a lot bigger! I am so grateful for the love you all have shown me over the past year that I want to return it!

All you have to do to enter is:

- Follow @DivinusAter on Instagram and like our new logo picture

AND/OR

- Follow @DivinusAter on Twitter and retweet our giveaway tweet

We'll be giving away free t-shirts, phone cases and hair products to 5 lucky winners. One winner will be announced each week for five weeks so stay tuned!

Thank you so much for all of your continued loyalty agnd I hope to make this year a smashing year for Divinus Ater! 🎉🎈

Au revoir x

Product Review - Gummy Plus Gel

Bonjour tout le monde!

So I'm back at it again with a product review for you guys as I know that this seems to be a hit for the majority of you. Today I'm reviewing the Gummy Plus Gel. I think its worth me pointing out before I start that many naturalistas are looking for gel qualities in edge controls. What I mean by this is, there are very clear distinctions between the role of an edge control and that of a gel.

Edge Control: is used to lay and hold your edges for a period of time. Don't tend to give an ultra strong hold but last for the vast majority of the day and slicks down your baby hairs.

Gel: is used when trying to slick down a part of your hair for example when trying to achieve a slicked hairstyle such as a ponytail. These are designed to give a long lasting hold and tend to set making your hair feel hard depending on how much product is applied.

Many people try and use an edge control to slick all of their hair back and complain that it doesn't hold their hair at all. It wasn't designed for that! Good, now I'm glad that's cleared up, I can get on with the review!

My favourite edge control to use is my Jireh Edge Control since I've found that, from many reviews and my own personal use, it provides the best result on my hair. I've also been using Gorilla Snot as the gel on my hair however it can create a buildup and become to heavy on my hair so I thought I'd source another gel. After a long time of searching, I discovered the Gummy Hair Gel which is said to be the best hair gel for natural black hair so naturally, that sold it to me, They have many different variations of strengths but I decided to buy the strongest, Gummy Plus which is the extreme, extra strong hold. This cost me £4.99 for a 220ml tub on Amazon.

When it first arrived, as I am with every new product, I was too excited to try it. The consistency of the gel looked very thick so I was weary to put on too much gel however I was wrong. It's very light upon application and provides a good hold when even only a small amount has been applied. I only used this on my edges as I'm currently wearing braids however I'll be sure to do another review when I try to attempt to achieve a slicked back hairstyle. This was brilliant and didn't go on too heavily which enabled me to style my edges as desired. The hold lasted all day even through sweating so I'd say that this is a very good gel and I'd recommend this alongside the Jireh Edge Control.

I hope this review was helpful, please feel free to message me if there's any products you'd like me to try and give a review on, I'm open to everything!

Au revoir x