Tag "black hair culture"

Sunscreen? But I am black?!

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It is June, we are already halfway through the year 2014. And the temperature is rising fast. With the festival season on its way starting this weekend with Pinkpop, and holydays are being booked, it is a good moment to protect ourselves from the sun.  Inspired by this picture above, a collage of the favorite sunscreen products of one of my favorite Make-up artist Benjamin Puckey.

‘But I am black?’, some of you might think. At least, that’s what I use to think for a very long time. Does a person with a dark complexion need to protect her/himself from the sun? Let take a closer look..

Dark complexions have both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to sun exposure. On one hand, dark skin is less likely to get sunburned and less likely to develop skin cancer. On the other hand, because dark skin naturally provides protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, it prevents dark-skinned people from producing the necessary amount of vitamin D.

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Good Hair Festival

GHF

If you are half as obsessed with afro hair as me, and you want to learn more about your own hair, and others textures, you must visit the ‘Good Hair Festival’ in Amsterdam’s Tropenmuseum this weekend.

Why are we so fascinated with hair, what are the hair facts, the differences, and similarity between black and white.

As part of the exhibition ‘Black and White’, The Tropenmuseum has a full program this weekend.

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12 Years Of Slave

Foto_Site

Ok, for me an ‘out of the box’ blog. I never review movies, and I try to stay away from racial issues, since I was raised with non, and am not confronted with racism in my daily life. And because I was convinced that we, 2014, are past that, and should not dwell on it much longer..

But Yesterday, I attended the pre-viewing in the Netherlands, of ’12 Years of Slave’. I had to attend because I wanted to see what all the fuzz was about. And who is this new ‘it-girl’ Lupita Nyong’O? Is she really that good?

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Dante de Blasio

Dante de Blasio

Wow, the hair! An afro in politics. With articles by Washington Post tittled: ‘With the de Blasios, ‘locks on the national stage’’, and the New York Time naming Dante de Blasio on ‘most influential teens’ list, it is clear that The famously photogenic only son of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio Dante de Blasio, son of the next mayor of New York, has made a statement with his hair. The publication singled out the younger de Blasio, 16, as the “city’s latest fashion icon” and noted that his “now-iconic Afro” was even lauded by President Barack Obama who previously admitted: “Dante has the same hairdo as I had in 1978. Although I have to confess my afro was never that good. It was a little imbalanced.” (Malia Obama is also on the ‘most influential teens’ list by the way).
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Food to feed your healthy fro!

Feed your Fro

When it comes to healthy hair, it’s not just what you put on your tresses that count — it’s what you eat!
“Lather, rinse, repeat” may be standard advice, but shampoo and conditioner alone won’t give you the healthy hair you crave. For the most luxurious locks possible, you’ll need to step out of the shower, and into the kitchen.
“Your hair grows about 1/4 to 1/2 inch every month, and the foundation of all of our new hair, skin and nail growth is the nutrients we eat,”. “If you eat a healthy diet, you will grow stronger and healthier. Here is a list of the top 10 healthy food for healthy hair.

No. 1: Salmon
When it comes to foods that pack a beauty punch, it’s hard to beat salmon. Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, this high-quality protein source is also filled with vitamin B-12 and iron.
“Essential omega-3 fatty acids are needed to support scalp health,” says Andrea Giancoli, a dietitian in Los Angeles and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “A deficiency can result in a dry scalp and thus hair, giving it a dull look.”
Vegetarian? Include one or two tablespoons of ground flaxseed in your daily diet for some plant-based omega-3 fats.

No. 2: Dark Green Vegetables
Popeye the Sailor Man didn’t eat all that spinach for healthy hair, but he could have. Spinach, like broccoli and Swiss chard, is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, which your body needs to produce sebum. The oily substance, secreted by your hair follicles, is the body’s natural hair conditioner.
Dark green vegetables also provide iron and calcium.

No. 3: Beans
Beans, beans, they’re good for your … hair? Yes, it’s true. Legumes like kidney beans and lentils should be an important part of your hair-care diet. Not only do they provide plentiful protein to promote hair growth, but ample iron, zinc, and biotin. While rare, biotin deficiencies can result in brittle hair.
Blatner, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, recommends three or more cups of lentils or beans each week.

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The Black Hair experience@ AAMU

Going natural has never been as popular as it is now. After years of trends that made us straight, braid, of jerry curl our black hair, it is more and more excepted to let your hair gro in it natural state.

Therefore, a lot of people that have been straightening or braiding their hair for years, are now re-discovering their own hair texture and looking for products, hairdressers and, not to forget, a new’look’.

‘How important is your hair to you and your identity, and what statement are you making with your look?’ those a but a view questions that are addresses at the Mirror Mirror – the Black Hair experience. An event initiated by Kosmopolis in Utrecht, the Netherlands and Black Hair at the Museum of contemporary Aboriginal art.

During this event you get the chance the, literally look in the mirrow of the hairdresser and get a free hair analyze, or even a new look at the AAMU (The Museum of contemporary Aboriginal art). And this treatment is not limited to people with kinky or curly hair, blond, red, straight, everybody is welcome. And all of this will take place at Museum night in Utrecht on October the 29th. Movie maker and performer Quinsy Gario will interview participants on the spot about their view on their own hair, and their thoughts on there hairdo.

More info you wil find on www.museautrecht.nl. Tickets are already available Uitburo Utrecht. You will find a directory on www.aamu.nl. But don’t forget to check out the tweets of sprottje, and you might just win a free entrée.

White Bald Man & Black Hair Woman


Being a white bald man married to a beautiful black woman, the strangest things can happen to you.

Last month I found myself in a ethnic beauty supply store in the Eastern part of Amsterdam purchasing hair extensions. “May I have Mermaid extensions #4 please?” I know this by memory.

There were only black women in the store shopping for wigs with the exception of the obviously gay Indian storeowner. “How many you like?” “Eh…well, can I have eighty packs please?”

“Sure.. you like conditioner?” he said looking at my shiny, reflecting bald white head. I began to wonder…maybe he was thinking that at midnight I wander the streets of Amsterdam as a drag queen. This thought made me smile, secretly.

Sometimes I help my wife remove her extensions. This is always a challenge. I usually use scissors to keep up with her since her unbraiding skills are much better than mine.

Believe it or not, this feels like a very intimate process. I actually like doing it. If you wonder… no, I never played with My Little Pony as a kid, I just love my wife’s hair.

Last week I attended the Sziget Festival in Budapest Hungary. Over 350,000 people were in attendance. Only 1% consisted of African-Americans, mostly performing artists by the way. …Read more →