Curlvolution 2013: I am Amazing!


After I had completed the marathon of a journey to get from Cambridgeshire to London Docklands, I bumped into the lovely Pelumi of Care for Your Hair and her sis at the Royal Victoria tube station. I had no idea where I was going and they were kind enough to let me tag along. Up until that point I had been following girls with tails, and every samurai and ninja I could see in the crowded train stations because 'Comic Con' was in town on the very same day two minutes away from the Crowne Plaza which was the Curlvolution venue! My new found travelling companions were kind enough to wait for me as I got snap happy everytime ninjas from Naruto, night class students from Vampire Knight or a ginormous Mega Man robot went by.



After the excitement outside I was ready to enjoy my day out at Curlvolution. We were treated to several vendor stands with natural hair goodies lovingly made and an array of guests who gave intersting and insightful talks. The most amazing thing was that out of this natural hair movement a great community had grown both online and offline and right here in the UK. Both men and women had come from all over to country to support each other, collaborate and work together rather than against each other. This is definitely something that is missing in the black community.

Action Jackson 


The host of Curlvolution was Action Jackson a motivational speaker who really kept the day going and got us all involved. We were all chanting "I am Amazing" all afternoon and  he wanted to get through to us the importance of the power of belief in yourself and how much you can do if you stop making excuses, get up and just do it. Very entertaining and kept the flow of the overall day.  

Holby Peeps

Our first speakers were Jimmy Akingbola and Chizzy Akudola of Holby City. They shared some of their personal journey and experiences they had working in the media. It was refreshing to hear  from Jimmy his thoughts on natural hair. If you ever thought that men dont love natural hair, then think again. Chizzy also gave us some insights as to what it was like working in television as a black woman. Jimmy & Chizzy have been friends for years, they were both interesting and fun to listen to.

AfroBella in the House


AfroBella was just the most beautiful and down to earth person. Just so incredibly pleasant and nice to talk to and considering she just arrived in the UK and was probably jet lagged, you couldn't tell. She shared a bit about her story and the start of her blog and the difference in attitude between her and older female members of her family to natural hair. 

More Pictures from the day!
Belinda Raj from BeUnique: Love her new hair!

Vendors: Naturally Nourishing and Imanmade
Beautiful Entrepreneurs

Beautiful Textures 

Award Winning Stylist Charlotte Mensah and models

Dr. Hair 
(Dr. Reginald Mitchell Director of Education for Namaste Laboratories)
ORS Organic Root Stimulator Presentation

Although I did enjoy the talk by Dr. Hair I was slightly taken aback when he called bloggers ''LIARS". I understand what he was trying to say, that what works for one person might not work for another and that information from any one individual blog may not necessarily be well researched. I do think there were probably more polite words he could have used.  Aside from that the rest of his talk did have value and what he said did reiterate a lot of the stuff that I always say in posts. Generally please wash your hair ladies and keep your scalp clean. (This is a polite version of what he said, LOL!)

Curls Unleashed (ORS) Presentation

The two minute plank demonstated by Adura_O, fitness guru and healthy hair and natural lifestyle avocate. Also done by Action Jackson and blogger Naprika (well done girl)



Mother - Daughter duo from Root2Tip. Love them and love their products

Bloggers!

Pic of me with Crystal Afro and Sugar Kinesis.
Manestream Beauty and Organiser Bukky with Crystal Afro

Bloggers who I saw from a distance or got to meet close up included: Cherished Crowns, CEFAC, Manestream Beauty, Naprika, Sugar Kinesis, UK Naturals, Crystal Afro, Patent Purple Life, Fusion of Cultures, Natural Hair Diary.

I bought so many products (possibly too many LOL- my poor bank balance) at the event and wish I could have bought more. I was only able to visit Naturally Nourishing, Imanmade, I love Afro, Sheadecadence and BeUnique. Will be visting the others online though and making my purchase:
Mane Divas, Ayamour, SheaButter Cottages, SuperFunkyme, Root2Tip and so many more!

Curlvolution rocked this year!! So happy to have been a part of it.

We left with the words "Be Natural, Be Blessed, Be Unique" curtesy of Belinda Raj @ BeUnique etched on our brains! and I really started to understand that I am Amazing and I can do anything I put my mind to.

Embrace Your Inner AfroDeity
Leilu

Favourite Pics from May Bank Holiday Weekend 2013

Hi All, 
I am still going through pictures and emails and am just recovering from the event overload at the weekend. London has been AWESOME!!! Here are a few pictures from four of the Natural Hair events I went to (and Comic Con was across the road from Curlvolution... Result!)

Curlvolution


Afro Hair and Beauty Live



 Strength of Nature Beauty Brit Mixer


Keziah Connections


Will upload all the rest and tell you more about all the fabulous people, brands and the great things that I learned!

Embrace Your Inner AfroDeity 
Leilu

Guest Post by ModernMeid: Support British Brands

Hi All, 

The EU cosmetic directive is becoming a regulation and being updated in July 2013 and many UK brands are having to update their legal paperwork as unlike in the US to sell cosmetics in the UK & EU you must have certain paperwork to show that the products you are selling and their ingredients are safe for use. 
As a scientist and coming from a regulatory background, I am happy that we have regulations like this in EU. Something as simple as controlling the quality of a product between batches is important for the consumer.

Here is a great guest post by Modern Meid. We always find ModernMeid's writing thought provoking and interesting as she does not shy away from the more controversial topics. I, personally look forward to seeing more. You can find her on her blog  In Thought
Over to ModernMeid:

EU Regulations: We Have To Support UK Beauty Brands And Companies. 

A number of EU based hair and skincare distributors have announced that cosmetics from the United States that do not comply with the new EU regulations are prohibited from being sold in the EU after the 11th of July 2013. US brands that do not meet the regulations are expected to undergo further testing and list all ingredients in order to be deemed EU compliant. This can be a lengthy and costly process which may see some US brands not returning to the EU as the costs involved in becoming EU compliant (plus the distribution costs and taxes), would make the EU an unfavourable market to cater to. 

There is considerable hype around US brands getting introduced into the UK. We associate US brands (particularly hair products) with high quality and view them as potential ‘holy grails’. In fact, our love and trust for US brands is so deep-rooted that UK brands are often overlooked. 
Perhaps US brands have better marketing strategies due to the fact that they target a larger population in comparison to UK brands. Furthermore, the multitude of US bloggers and vloggers showing off their desirable results with the most beloved US brands inspires naturals abroad to add these brands to their wish lists. I was guilty of this mindset, however, I did eventually branch out and I currently use UK based brands. 

If a number of US brands terminate distribution within the EU due to their inability or unwillingness to comply with the EU regulations, not all is lost. EU regulations are put in place to ensure that products are legal and safe for our use. If companies are reluctant to comply with the EU regulations, then they do not deserve our patronage. 

Like US brands, UK brands can offer us the same high quality products and services but perhaps at an even more competitive price. It’s also easier to forge a relationship with UK brands as they are local and our feedback is therefore much more considered. Further support of local brands can also ensure that these brands can expand and be available in their own shops or local beauty supply stores and pharmacies, allowing us to save money by cutting out the postage and packaging costs.  

Lastly, supporting UK brands keeps money in our communities and allows job creation within our economy, which is really needed during this period of financial uncertainty. Charity starts at home! 

by ModernMeid


Win Tickets to the Afro Hair and Beauty Show!!


If you are still not sure if you can attend the Afro Hair and Beauty Show, here is some extra incentive. We are giving away two tickets to the Afro Hair and Beauty Show, so that you can attend!

There is so much to see at a show that has become one of the biggest black lifestyle events in Europe.


This year the Natural Zone will be available again, and I am excited to see all the natural hair exhibitors this year. There should be so many hair demonstrations, fashion shows and a Nail and Beauty Bar. 

Also apart from products and the fashion show I'll be looking out for:
  • Noire Essence who will be presenting the truth about black hair. 
  • Dr Reginald Mitchell aka Dr Hair will be holding a seminar talking about everything to do with hair breakage, hair scalp analysis, children’s hair and hair styling tips you can do in the comfort of your home. Should be good to get some tips on how to do the kids hair.
  • Natasha Briscoe, founder of Arise and Shine will be sharing information on diseases that are responsible for certain types of hair loss. 
  • T444Z which is dubbed as the miraculous hair food for natural or relaxed hair will be showing you how you can say good bye to your receding hair line, if your hair is thinning, if you wish to improve the thickness, length and health of your hair.
  • Mary Kay associates will be there with lots of goodies on the day. 

Comment on this post by 12:00 on Friday May 24th, just say hey, howdidoo or let us know what you think of our new blog layout. You will be entered into a draw to win two tickets to the Afro Hair and Beauty Show!!

We will be there! Will you. See you at the Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 0QH on the 26 or 27th of May 2013 and if you see me holla! we would love a pic!

Embrace Your Inner AfroDeity
Leilu

Uhura: Star Trek and the Black Female Geek

by Leilu Dallas
It is no secret that I am a self certified nerd/ geek. I really need to get one of these T-shirts  that every Tom, Dick and Non- Geek is wearing.



Personally I prefer thsee two, and any of these other awesome t-shirts 



Not so long ago you would hide the fact that you were into Star Wars, Star Trek Doctor Who, BattleStar Gallactic (and the list goes on). Particularly if you were a black geek. This so  was not cool. With the newest incarnations of these cult TV shows and films (excluding of course the update of 'Land of the Lost') being a bit of a geek (or at least the type of geek that I would have been back in the day) isnt something to hide from anymore. Thanks to the geeks who grew up and entered and conquered the entertainment industry my kids will grown up thinking that Star Wars is cool. Yataa!!





Geeks have truly inherited the earth


So I wanted to give tribute to the black cult icon that I know every female black nerd/geek watched with fascination when we were children Nyota Uhura.  Nichelle Nichols stars as Uhura in the original Star Trek series and has now in the newest incarnation of Star Trek actress Zoe Saldana has stepped into the role.

Nichelle Nichols as Uhura:

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Zoe Saldana as Uhura:




Uhura: Cool Then and Cool Now!

Sorry Guys but more nerdy posts to come.

Embrace Your Inner AfroDeity
Leilu