It's all HAIRmazing!

I'll give you help and tips on how to keep your hair beautiful using my favourite and most natural products. Everything I blog I've experimented with or used, and sure it works. My blog also follows my hair styling and colouring technique journey. Message me with questions and queries, some of them I reply to privately and do not post. Keep updated and follow!

[magictransistor]

Edwin Moses. Color Wheel. 1766.

[hairbymarra]

Good for using to neutralise colors

[hairbymarra]

An amazing pre shampoo treatment for all hair types.

 If my clients have dry and rough hair or come in for a whole day treatment I use this!

[hairbymarra]

Pre Shampooing for African Caribbean textures

This type of hair is extremely prone to breakage and damage due to it's flat structure and bends. Therefore it is essential that about 3/4 washes with Shampoo should follow a pre-shampoo treatment. 

Great options for pre-shampoo treatments that I have used are:

Organic Cold Pressed Coconut oil which is GREAT. This oil is good for those with high porosity hair because it is greatly attracted to the Keratin protein molecules in your hair. This helps to maintain a physical barrier as well as build a chemical repelling one for the loss of moisture (water is not lost from the hair because the oil repels the water from escaping so your hair stays moisturised!). Please message me if you would like a link to the coconut oil I use.

Aubrey Organics Jojoba and Aloe Desert Herb Conditioner 

which for my dry and frizzy hair works wonders! Basically your best moisturising conditioner whether it is packed with proteins or not. I have heard that you can never have too much Keratin in a product but I know some low porosity hair textures may be afraid of this. If you've tried something with Keratin in and you have low porosity hair that tends to get rigid with too much proteins, please message me and let me know the results. I have yet to try that for a client. 

Marra x

[luvyourmane]

How do you give your hair a nice shine? I had braids for about two months and when I took them out my hair had lost its shine. How do I get it back?

ACV rinses do add shine back to you hair, just make sure you use the right proportions. Read up on the water to acv ratio needed for a successful rinse. Also deep condition and moisturize regularly

[hairbymarra]

Next time also deep condition your hair or put leave in conditioner before you put in your braid extensions.

[nannaia]

Hairstyles of Tang Dynasty Women

"In early Tang, hair ornaments were rather simple, but during the reign of Emperor Taizong the buns got higher and higher and the number of styles grew." (5000 Years of Chinese Costume, 77)

"During the earlier years of Emperor Xuanzong’s rule, the Tartar hat was fashionable, but in the later years…many women opted for switch buns (also called ‘false buns’). In late Tang and the Five Dynasties, the high buns were often decorated with different kinds of flowers." (5000 Years of Chinese Costume, 77)

“Ponytails were also quite popular among a small number of aristocratic ladies during the years of Tian Bao (Xuangzong’s reign). (5000 Years of Chinese Costume, pg. 84)

“Common women…preferred the ‘tossing-up bun’, with the hair at the temples embracing the buns were made higher and higher, and were decorated with flowers, which heralded the popularity of the flowery hats of the early Song Dynasty.” (5000 Years of Chinese Costume, pg. 84 )

  Makeup

"Women of the Tang Dynasty paid particular attention to facial appearance, and the application of powder or even rouge was common practice. Some women’s foreheads were painted dark yellow and the dai (a kind of dark blue pigment) was used to paint their eyebrows into different shapes that were called dai mei(painted eyebrows) in general.” (5000 Years of Chinese Costume, 77)

"…between the brows there was a colourful decoration called hua dian, which was made of specks of gold, silver and emerald feather. Some women painted their cheeks with motifs such as a moon or a coin, and their lips were also rouged.” (5000 Years of Chinese Costume, 77)

"[The hua dian was] said to have originated in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. […] In the Tang Dynasty, hua dian was either painted or made of tiny metal pieces.” (5000 Years of Chinese Costume, pg. 86)

[yeahsexyweaves]

Original african hairstyle from The DRC ( Congo.) Follow for more styles http://www.yeahsexyweaves.tumblr.com

[hairbymarra]

Pretty inspirational I think

[hairbymarra]

This client wanted a sleek look so at the roots around her nape I used wax to slick the hair down instead of taking smaller bits of hair which would cause stress to her scalp with these big and heavy braids.

I used As I Am Leave-in Conditioner before plaiting in the extensions and Creme of Nature Perfect Edges as the wax to create the sleek look without putting tension on her roots.

[hairbymarra]

Things all hairdressers should know about extension braids

Extension braids are a go-to choice for black women when considering protective styling and giving their hair a break from chemicals and heat. However, for the hair underneath to be kept in good condition the hair and scalp must not be under any stress or lacking any essential nutrients. Ensuring your hair has been deep conditioned before putting in any extensions is a must as the extension hair will soak up the moisture from your hair strands leaving your hair dry and rough when the extensions have been taken out. It is a top tip of mine to put a leave-in conditioner in the hair before braiding in the extensions.

Another of my pet peeves when it comes to braid extensions is seeing hairdressers clip off the ends that have frayed out of the plait. The split ends should be clipped before hand, ensuring the hair is completely healthy with the extension; therefore it is bad practice to cut off any frayed pieces. Instead I recommend that a healthy hair pomade or wax should be used whilst plaiting to slick down any bit of the clients hair that will fray out of the braid. For me this has double benefits, the braid looks neat and the client is well impressed and also their hair gets some added benefits if you have chosen an excellent wax or pomade.

[hairbymarra]

Hello everyone!

I would just like to announce that I am back on my blog and ready to answer any questions. I have much more knowledge on the subject now so I will be revamping my blog and updating things that I was not quite so sure of 2 years ago (It has been n extremely long journey since my house fire and school and etc.) Thank you for asking questions and I have replied to a few but many of them were about a year old and I assumed you had gotten the help you needed.

[hairbymarra]

Hello everyone! So my stunning friend came to me with some extremely distressed ends and hair that was in serious need of major cutting. I cut off her split ends and framed her face with a side fringe (bangs?), as she was nervous about having short hair and a round face.

The middle of her hair had serious breakage and here are some of my tips to prevent such bad damage to your hair.

1. Trim your hair once every 2 months at least! The weather and heat and chemicals all put a strain on your hair, and by 2 months time the ends of your hair which will have endured all of this will be weak and in need of trimming in order to prevent split ends reaching further up the hair.

2. Oil the ends of the middle of your hair as well as the perimeters. Do not forget that the parts of your hair in the middle need just as much love and attention.

3. Use plenty of repair masks or make your own and focus them on the middle if you notice a decline in the quality of hair there.

4. Get a check up regularly! It is far more difficult for you to assess the health of your hair in the middle of your head, almost impossible for those with shorter hair! A regular check up will ensure that you are aware of the condition the whole of your head and scalp is in.

DMN x

[hairbymarra]

Put in a couple tracks for her last night. We were in such a hurry, not one of my best but i told her to use pins and clip in if she needed more oomph or some back to tack a few more on.

[yagazieemezi-deactivated2022030]

Combing out me hair.

[nubianqueens]

shrinkage is reeeeaaaalllll, black people.

[consumemylove-blog]

It is!

[hairbymarra]

Things to look out for in your scalp moisturizing products !

Hair grease is what I refer to as scalp moisturizing products, and here are two things to look out for

PETROLATUM & MINERAL OIL

They are oily substances that are used in many cheap, common hair greases. They either will coat the hair strand in oil, denying the hair of oxygen, or sit on your scalp preventing moisture to get in, stunting your hair’s growth. 

Natural alternatives I would suggest would be:

Shea Butter

Jojoba Oil

Olive Oil

Avocado Oil

(It isn’t recommended to grease your hair too often if you are african american because your hair already creates most of its natural oils needed. If you have dry scalp I would recommend simply drinking some water :), if not find some moisturizing hair masks, preferably one with honey or avocado)

DMN x

[hairbymarra]

WOW - I'm impressed.

I went today to a hair salon firstly to apply for a job and secondly to book an appointment to dye my hair and they really took me by surprise when they told me they were going to check my hair's density, thickness and just generally taking a keen interest in the hair of their client. I almost applauded lol.

So just as a note to all of you, be sure to check whether your hairdresser classes your hair as important :)

If they don't its time you find one that did. 

[hairbymarra]

When you straighten you hair, any tips for keeping your hair straight for as long as possible?

If you don't already, wrap your hair everynight and put a cap on or get a cloth and tie it around your head. This will keep it from fraying during the night. 

When you're straightening it use as much heat protection as possible (without making it flat). This will cause less split ends and so the hair won't fray very quickly towards the bottom, making it less straight. 

Personally when I am washing my hair I do slightly different things to prepare it for straightening, for instance instead of using shampoo's such as Kera Care - which I know will make my hair thick with body, i'll use lighter shampoo's - such as Tresemme, and put more natural oils in for conditioning to make sure that my hair is completely enwrapped in oils and so no heat damage will occur when straightening and blowdrying.

And afterwards also put in heat protection spray to keep it straight. 

Hope this helps, tell me if it works aswell

Thanks

DMN x

[hairbymarra]

Which oils are best for your hair?

The question does come up quite a lot and to be honest, for me they are all the best it just depends on when I use them. 

For example if I'm going to be putting heat on my hair i.e straightening blow drying etc. then I will most definitely use olive oil as I know its a heat protector, I would also use a bit of avocado oil, simply because it never harms to put some avocado oil in. However if my hair is damaged terribly, (due to lack of care and love from myself) or I just want to it grow longer then I will put in thicker more dense oils in such as castor oil. Although these can weigh your hair down and leave a damp dragging feeling, I usually do this when I know I'll be sitting in my house with some large plaits or cornrows and a wrap on. This will help to keep moisture in your hair and let it rest from any heat damage or cold air which may affect its growth or break it even more. 

I must say however the worst oil I have ever tried in my hair is Jasmine oil. I really will never understand what that was supposed to achieve, or perhaps I just bought a cheap kind from the supermarket and not an actual hair shop. 

DMN x

**Avocado oil is always a good oil to use as it comes from the avocado fruit which I made clear in an earlier post hold most of the nutrients needed for hair to stay healthy.

[hairbymarra]

I love your blog! It is so professional! Keep up GOOD the work!! :D

Thank you so much! :)

DMN x