New YT Video - GETTING MY BROTHER WAVES (FAIL)

Bonjour tout le monde!

I'm back again with another YouTube video and this time it's featuring my younger brother! For the past two years he had been growing out his hair into a box/high top which my father and I HATED. However last week he decided to take the plunge and cut his hair super short, don't they grow up so fast! Anyway this is my attempt (failed one at that) at trying to get him waves. Maybe next time I'll learn but until then, enjoy the video! Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe too!

Au revoir x

New YT Videos - WHEN I WAS FORCED TO CUT MY HAIR|WHY I CHOSE WIGS OVER WEAVE

Bonjour tout le monde!

I know it's been absolutely a g e s since my last blog post but I've been snowed under with a ton of uni work but I'm back to rededicating myself here! This is just a quick one but I'll be back with blog posts every Tuesday and Friday as normal. However in case you have forgotten what I look like, I'm back with not one but TWO new youtube videos! I'll leave the link below but check them out when you have time! Let me know via any of my social media if there is anything in particular you would like to see but until then, see you next tuesday!

VIDEO - 'WHY I CHOSE WIGS OVER WEAVE'

VIDEO - 'THE TIME I WAS FORCED TO CUT MY HAIR'

Au revoir x

1 YEAR JOURNEY TO BRA STRAP LENGTH

Bonjour tout le monde!

So as some of you may know, I cut my hair extremely short in January 2016 and now I've reached collar bone length in just a year and a half. I am so happy with how far I have come but I always like to push myself and set myself new goals/challenges! My newest challenge, as I'm sure you can tell from the title of this post, is journey to bra strap length! The longest my hair has ever gotten is just past collar bone length and I feel like it is time to push that and put my hair growth to the test!

I intend on making a Youtube video going into more depth about this but I intend on making a number of changes to aid this journey. I love it for some of you to join me on this journey! Feel free to message me if you want some motivation or tips and be sure to add us on social media for daily tips and advice! I'll list below my DA and personal socials, either of which I can be reached on. Below are pictures my friend Mersei recently took to celebrate natural hair and also depicts the length of my hair currently. Stay tuned for my next post and onwards and upwards to longer hair!

DA Social Media Accounts:

Instagram - @divinusater

Twitter - @divinusater

Snapchat - divinusater

Personal Social Media Accounts:

Instagram - @ikeeyah

Twitter - @_kayMUNI

Snapchat - ikeeyah

Au revoir x

Can Heavy Braids Damage 4C Hair?

Bonjour tout le monde!

So I am back after much deliberation to talk to you about my favourite protective hairstyle - braids! As many of you may know, I absolutely love love love braids. They're inexpensive (when compared to weave) and are extremely versatile. Not only that but it also has a very Afrocentric vibe to it. You can wear it up, down, with a headscarf, however you want!

HOWEVER, I realise that a question that comes up very often when talking about braids is 'how big is too big?' 

What's the answer? Personally I think it depends on your hair. I love having chunky, jumbo braids which I'll picture down below. I typically use 7/8 packets of expression braiding hair when doing my braids. This is A LOT for the average person I know. Barring the fact that I have a big head, the average amount of packs used on a head is 4/5 packets. This is usually used when having medium sized braids which is a perfect size for most people. I personally don't like medium sized braids as they don't seem to suit me but I love seeing it on other black girls! 

Braids are great protective hairstyles when done correctly and are a reasonable size. For me I think a reasonable size depends on the health of your hair. For example, when my hair was damaged back in January 2016, I couldn't wear any other than small/medium sized braids. Reason being, my hair was super damaged (my ends were dead straight) which made my hair extremely weak and fragile. Any little bit of weight or slight agitation from my braids would've caused it to become further damaged and the ends of my hair would've snapped. I was having a dilemma between wearing braids to aid my hair growth and making sure my braids wouldn't damage my hair. 

Now a year and a half later after having cut off my damaged ends, I am able to wear bigger sized braids because my hair is stronger. HOWEVER, I am still mindful that heavy braids can still cause damage to my edges and hairline. So how do you combat this? The best way is to just get medium sized braids, not too big to weigh down your hair but not too small either. This is probably what you would class as normal sized braids. Make sure to pay attention that the person doing your hair isn't pulling and tugging and your hairline causing damage. BUT if you do end up getting the same jumbo sized braids that I rock, then be sure not to have it in for too long and make sure there is a decent amount of time in between to allow your natural hair to rest and breathe.

Long story short, braids can only be damaging if done incorrectly especially on 4C hair, other than that it is a fab protective hairstyle!

If you have any questions, feel free to message me other than that,

Au revoir x

Current Length Check - April 2017

Joyeuses Pâques tout le monde!

It's Easter and I am back and I am coming at you with an update on the length of my natural hair! So it's been a year and three months since I cut my hair dead short due to heat damage and I must say it's definitely come a long way! Some people may wonder why I post periodic hair length checks but I do this not only so I can keep track of my hair growth, but also to show my fellow naturalistas that natural hair does grow! I'm not too far off the length my hair was BEFORE I cut it but currently, it's most definitely a decent hair length! I can tie all of my hair up with no strays making an appearance and I'm almost able to tie my hair back in a bun. With more care, attention and TLC, my hair will reach that length and hopefully surpass the length it used to be!

My hair is most definitely growing healthily and flourishing underneath my current wig (check my last post) and I love it! It can be so easy to neglect your natural hair from time to time underneath your wig but make sure to give your hair the care that it needs and it will reward you by being healthy!

I hope this has helped and has been an inspiration to some naturalistas, on to the next length check!

Au revoir x

Help! How To Maintain Your Hair Underneath Wigs

Bonjour tout le monde!

Many of us naturalistas L O V E our protective hairstyles whether it be braids, weave or wigs. It's super easy to get these hairstyles done but then it dawns on some of us that it's not as easy to look after our natural hair underneath. Ever gotten like that? Well I have and I'm here to share some of my top tips with you!

Some of you may not know unless you follow me on social media (@ikeeyah on Instagram and @_kayMUNI on Twitter) that at present I am currently rocking a fabulous short wig. This is a wig that I made myself as well as cut and styled and I purchased the hair from a vendor on AliExpress (feel free to contact me if you'd like to know what vendor!)


The hair is silky and super versatile and never loses the gloss and sheen that it first started out with. I've had this wig for about a month now and have fallen in love with styling this hair everyday. However it did occur to me that not only did I have to look after and preserve my wig but also my hair underneath. So once this obvious concept dawned on me, I took to creating a regime to take care of my natural hair in cornrows. Below I've listed my tips to maintain your hair underneath wigs:

•  KEEP YOUR HAIR MOISTURISED - Many of us forget about this but even though our hair is in cornrows, it needs to be kept hydrated too! This is very simple, I have a spray bottle that I have just filled with water that I spray all over my hair right before I go to bed. You can whip up your own concoction filled with other types of waters and oils depending on your hair type but if that's too complicated, just keep it plain and simple like me and just use good, old fashioned water!

• WASH YOUR HAIR REGULARLY - Just because your hair isn't on show doesn't mean it's not still there! Many of us, myself included, tend to neglect our hair and forget that it's still there when we have wigs and weaves. Be sure to wash your hair every 2/3 weeks (the frequency is up to you) to remove any dirt build up and revive your hair. This is probably one of the best times too to incorporate a deep conditioner into your wash routine as you can strengthen your hair whilst placing minimal stress on it as it's protected!

• DON'T PUT STRESS ON YOUR HAIR - Now if you're like me then you might like to put clips in your wig to secure it to your hair. This prevents it from falling off (could be very awkward) and just generally makes styling your hair on your head much easier. However, sometimes these clips can cause a lot of stress on your hair if it is digging too much into your cornrows and is on your head for a long period of time. Be weary of this and be sure to make sure that the clips are secure on your head but doesn't dig into your cornrows to cause damage.

• EAT HEALTHILY & DRINK WATER EVERYDAY - I preach this every day all the time because it's the truth! No amount of hair growth pills can benefit your hair as much as eating and drinking healthily can. Some foods such as avocado, nuts and fish are super good for our body, especially our hair and can aid its growth as well keep it moisturised from the inside out. I urge you all to do your research and find some foods you enjoy, even if you start eating one food more regularly, it all makes a difference! Drinking water is the number one best thing for hair growth too. I try my best to drink 2L water every day. It sounds like a lot but trust me, it does wonders to your body, you feel more energised and your hair feels and looks healthier!

Here are just a few of my tips, I'm looking to do a YouTube video on this just to go into more depth on this. Let me know if you have any videos you'd like to see from me!

Au revoir x

Divinus Ater Mini Q&A Session - Live On YouTube!

Bonjour tout le monde!

I know it has been a little minute since my last blog post but I've been cooking up something special in that time for you guys... There's a brand new video up on YouTube! It has been a loooooooong while since my last YouTube video and it's now time for a comeback! So please check out my video and let me know what you think. Any video suggestions would be highly appreciated so don't be afraid to message me with any ideas! Anyway I hope you enjoy this video, I'll be back sooner than you think with the next one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1bcgK_S9Y8


Au revoir x

The BEST Ways To Boost Hair Growth

Bonjour tout le monde!

Now I know that one thing that is on every naturalistas mind is 'how on earth do I grow my hair?' It may seem like that, for many of you, your hair isn't growing. You may think your growth has stunted or that it's remained the same length it currently is for years. Science has proved to us that, even though it may seem like Caucasian or Asian hair grows fast, our natural black tresses DO grow too. Our hair is extremely fragile and is prone to breakage which is why very often, we fail to see the growth that does occur. I'm the same as every black girl and I have the ultimate goal of growing my natural black hair to my bum but sometimes it seems like that's more of a dream than reality. However it is in fact possible. As you're reading this, your hair cells are currently undergoing mitosis and are replicating as we speak creating hair growth for you. Your body is doing its part, now what can you do to help? I'm going to break down the core steps to help you grow the best hair that you can.

DIET

Whoever told you that you can grow your hair by stuffing your face with crisps and chocolate everyday is a liar. Hair growth starts from the inside out so whatever you put into your body directly affects the outcome of your hair. The better your diet, the better your hair growth! Take some time to evaluate and decipher what you might want to replace within your diet to aid your hair growth. You don't need to completely cut out ALL of your guilty pleasures, small changes to your diet eg. eating food rich in natural oils such as nuts and fish, you'll soon see a change!

EXERCISE
Everyone knows that exercise is important to keep your mind right and your body tight. But have you ever considered that exercise may also be good for your hair growth too? Exercise increases blood flow around the body, including the scalp, which can help promote healthy hair growth. Exercise has benefits for all of the body!

HAIR GROWTH SUPPLEMENTS
I know a lot of naturalistas have reservations when it comes to taking hair growth supplements but it can also aid hair growth when taken correct and in conjunction with other hair growth aids such as a healthy diet. I personally am a big fan of Biotin as a hair growth supplement (click here for my biotin review) for various reasons, the main being that I believe that it actually works. Don't rely on supplements solely to grow your hair but t can definitely aid hair growth.

REGULAR HAIR TRIMMING
No-one enjoys having to chop any of their hair off even if it's just half an inch but in reality, regular chops of our hair can help our hair to flourish! By cutting off the damaged ends you are able to boost your hair growth as the split ends that may have stunted your growth have now all been removed! It is recommended that we get our hair trimmed every 6 - 8 weeks to ensure our hair is kept healthy.

These are just a few tips and tricks I have come across along the way and I hope this has helped some of you! If you have anymore tips, feel free to message me otherwise, until the next time!

Au revoir x

2017 - New Year, New Braids!

Bonne annee tout le monde!

It's 2017, a brand new year for everyone! This is the time where you can re-invent yourself and use this time to set yourself goals to achieve by the end of the year. In 2016 I was able to grow my hair from it being extremely short to just touching my shoulders. By the end of 2017 I aim to get my hair somewhat past my shoulders. If you have damaged ends that you've been meaning to trim/cut then this is the perfect time to do so. Why not choose now to cut your hair and start afresh, now's a great time as any!

I have decided to make 2017 a year of protective hairstyles as was 2016. I saw a really drastic length change in my hair when I took the time to keep it protected whilst well looked after. Currently my hair is in chunky red braids (as many of you will know chunky braids is my number one go-to) and I absolutely love it! I've had red braids before but these I love. They really compliment my skin tone and sometimes it's fun to take the plunge a go for a bold hair colour! I'm going to try and take more chances and go for more drastic hair colours, should be fun!

Anyway this year is going to be a great year, I have a lot of things planned so stay tuned!

Au revoir x