Back to Black

Having stumbled my way through the summer holidays trying to keep the kids and their friends entertained I have finally risen for air! However, having just returned to work after 9 months maternity leave, I am still trying to work out which is the frying pan and which is the fire! Anyway the time has come to resume my search for all that is gorgeous in black hair and beauty so here goes...

Mashooq

Mashooq Deep Penetrating Oil Treatment

I found Mashooq at the Afro Hair and Beauty show. I was intrigued by their Mashooq Deep Penetrating Oil Treatment, which can be used on hair and body. I bought the product specifically for my kids as, as stated before, their hair has a tendency to get dry and tangly. I used the oil treatment on their hair one evening, following a day of them playing around with water that miraculously ended up in their hair (through no fault of their own of course!). By the evening the combination of water and sun had turned their crowning glories into something resembling birds nests. At this point I thought I would give the Mashooq oil a try to add some moisture and detangle the mess that was their hair. The oil actually worked wonders; I have to say I was very surprised. I applied the oil to their dry hair and I was able to remove the tangles relatively easily, comb and plait it. They woke up the next morning with beautifully soft hair. Fantastic stuff I have to say, especially since bizarrely most moisturisers I have tried have been quite drying on my girls' hair.

The oil treatment can be used in a number of ways from a hot oil treatment, to protection for the hair before chemical treatments such as bleaching or perming. It can also be used on your skin to great effect (gives mine a lovely glow!). So three cheers for Mashooq, a product that actually works. A 100ml bottle costs just 6.99 (a little goes a long way), you can buy the Mashooq range from http://www.mashooqhair.com/

Mixed Chicks

My children are mixed race and have natural corkscrew curls. Their hair tangles very easily and washing and styling it is often a major battle, where there are tears and tantrums. I have used many different types of shampoo, conditioner and moisturiser to try and minimise tangling and keep moisture in their hair, I have used products produced for both European and Afro Caribbean hair but none have really done the trick. Mixed Chicks have created products specifically for mixed race hair, so I thought I would give them a try. The result? Both my girls said "Its great for getting out the tangles and it smells really nice" What can I add to that? The shampoo smooths the hair and moisturisers whilst other shampoo's harshly strip the hair of moisture. The conditioner seems to melt away any remaining tangles and leaves the hair soft and pliable. The leave in conditioner finishes off the hair and provides curl definition. Tears and tantrums now seem to be a thing of the past, fingers crossed! For extra smoothness check out the hair silk.

Best products by a mile for mixed race hair, you can find out more at http://www.mixedchicks.com/

NS Shea Hair and Body Butter

Shea butter is just about the best moisturiser I have come across for skin. When I lived in Ghana it was a product I got to know well as it is readily produced there. At the time it seemed like a well kept African secret that shea butter keeps your skin looking great. In recent years shea butter has appeared in European markets and is a regularly used ingredient in moisturising products. I was a firm believer that only pure shea butter can give your skin the sheen it deserves, however the down side to this is that it can be quite greasy to apply and often has a slightly unpleasant smell. So how delighted was I when I came upon Naturally Sexy's Shea Hair and Body Butter. It is smooth and creamy and glides easily on to your skin leaving it beautifully moisturised. It is blended with a bunch of other lovely moisturising oils and is as good as pure shea butter. In addition it smells heavenly; like a basket of fresh fruit, which is a big plus. It can also be used on hair however my skin wanted to keep it all for itself and not share with my locs! For those of you who want to keep your skin looking young and vibrant log on to http://www.naturallysexy.co.uk/ and buy buy buy! Its a brilliantly interesting and informative website for all of you with natural hair; locs, afros, plaits etc so go take a look.

Babies

My littlest one has started crawling hence very little time to post on blog, however I have still been testing products so new reviews to appear very soon!

Michael Jackson

Nothing to do with hair and beauty however he meant a lot to me. Thank you for the music and the dance. Rest in Peace Michael.

Dreadworx

Dreadworx is my favourite site for all things dread so I was very pleased when the founder of Dreadworx Edd Smith agreed to answer some questions that I put to him:

What inspired you to start Dreadworx and how did you go about setting it up
When I finished school I had no idea what to do with my life, so I did the one thing I knew I could do - sell stuff. I was an entrepreneur from childhood and it just made sense.

What would you say you have learnt from building this business
Put simply, saying I had learnt a lot would be an understatement

What is your favourite product and why
Dread Fusion Soap, we had a hand in it's making, it smells great and makes your dreads look and feel super! Coming to the website very soon (this Monday I think)

What is the one thing you would like everyone to know about Dreadworx
We love what we do and no matter how busy we get, we really do always have the customers best interests at heart and we love each and everyone of you

Check out all things dread at http://www.dreadworx.co.uk/