by Lucy Goosey

After last week’s “Back to Basics”, I was ready to dive into the world of makeup but then the beauty gods sent me a revelation: What good is a well painted face if you look like BuckWheat?

So, in this week’s issue of The Beauty Spot, I will delve into the unchartered land of The Weave. They say a woman’s hair is her crown, and if that is truly the case, then many women have been dethroned. I have seen one bad weave too many and the beauty gods have pressed it upon my heart to share some tips.

1.
I know everyone from my BFF kimmy K (yes, it is just a matter of time till she starts to follow me on Twitter) to the woman who grinds your pepper has a weave but the truth is, weaves are not for everyone. I know it comes as a shock, but some women actually look better with their own
hair, provided they take care of it.

Take my friend Oreka (from the Beat 99.9 fm). She has the most beautiful locks and she knows how to take care of them.

She swears by Affirm relaxers, Syntonics and Kera Care products. She also turns her nose up at applying excessive heat to your hair, snd she’s right. Blow drying and straightening your hair in the same day is always a bad idea.

2.

Whether your weave is from a horse’s tail or a snatched off a brazilian woman’s hair while she waits for the bus (yes it happens), at least try to create the illusion that it is your hair. The key word here is ‘blending’ – (the art of making your own hair mirror the texture of the weave. Lucy Goosey Dictionary).  Pay attention to the these two tips:

a. Weave texture

Just because the weave hair is expensive doesn’t mean it is the best fit for your hair.  I am tired of seeing girls with nappy hair flipping their silky brazilian hair as though they are on the Victoria’s Secret runway. Newsflash! Brazillian hair ain’t for everyone!

Wait, I think about 10,000 Lagos girls just gave me the look of death. Kanye Shrug.

Before you buy hair, run your fingers through it to make sure it is as close to your texture as possible. I recommend Premium Now, if you have relaxed hair. If your hair is a bit more coarse, try Janet King Yaki Collection and if you are on #teamnatural, try out Bohyme Brazilian or natural wave.

If the weave looks so shiny that you can see your reflection in it, gently put it down and slowly back away.

b. Your hair

Once you get the texture right, you still have to take some steps to achieve a perfect blend. If you have a straight weave, you can use heat to straighten your own hair but be sure to use heat protector. There are too many women walking around with bald patches for my comfort. If you have a curly weave, I recommend putting rollers in your hair regularly so that the curl pattern on your weave matches your hair. If you’re the type of gal that doesn’t have time for all that hassle, I recommend getting a weave closure which gives the appearance of a natural parting.

3. The colors

There is really no need to look like all the colors of the rainbow when to the loo on your scalp.  I have seen one too many girls with streaks of blonde, purple and orange in their hair. Choose colors that match your skin tone; girls as dark as Seal have taken it upon themselves to get blonde hair! I sincerely think such people have no honest friends. For the sake of those who must awkwardly smile and pretend to like your brand new hair color, please leave the wild colors hair to Rhianna. Thanks!

4. The Brazilian

The Brazillian hair wars are on and Lagos is the main battle ground!  As if it isn’t bad enough that girls are spending their life savings on hair, they have now started to compete for the longest locks. Unless your name is Rapunzel, stop this trend immediately. That is all.

5. The Lace Front

When the lace front was invented, women everywhere heaved a giant sigh of relief. Finally, the beauty gods answered our prayers, we too could look like the beyonces and tyras. But Alas, the gods wept when we went from –

– to –

If you must do a lace front, I have three tips for you. Either buy a wig that has baby hair attached to it to give it a more natural look, leave out some of your hair to cover that horrendous line of glue or just don’t do it.

6. From an A to A+

There is always something you can do to take your weave from great to fabulous.

• Good layers and a good rollerset will make your weave come to life because they had body and give it that bouncy look.
• If you have a straight weave, you should wrap it every night. This will make it fall better and reduces the need to apply heat all the time. There is nothing worse than a weave that smells like burnt rubber.
• Do not use thick oils like Doo Gro and Sulphur 8 on your weave because it weighs the hair down. I want all the ladies reading this to pick up their bottles of pink oil, raise them to the sky…and then toss them as far away as possible. If your weave needs a little shine, try a dab of HI-C serum.
• If your weave starts to look fuzzy, put a little bit of mousse in it. I recommend this for all Lagosians because this humidity can turn the straightest weave into a birds nest in seconds.

You’re well on your way to fabulous hair!