Meet Cherish Angula, founder of Cherished Hair

On Saturday, Cherish Angula hosted a Hair Party in South London. The founder of the London-based hair shop specialised in Remy & Virgin extension and lace wigs gave a warm welcome to her guests, among which model Alisha White, with a hair styling stand, make up, free manicures, champagne and cupcakes. 

View all pictures of the event on our Facebook page.

We asked her a few questions about her brand, her haircare habits and tips for extensions/weaves lovers.

Why did you decide to create Cherished Hair? 

I was buying hair like most people are now from random vendors, I had been ripped off, I've had wrong things sent to me under misguided information etc. I noticed a clear gap in the market for a reputable and accountable virgin hair brand  that delivered a quality hair at a competitive price and with clear brand identity. So I decided to bridge that gap and hence the birth of Cherished Hair.

What do you feel you bring to the market?

I feel Cherished Hair brings affordable luxury to the market. We're professional and reputable are main ethos is to make the women that use our hair to have a pleasurable experience and ultimately feel good, taken care of and cherished! This is something that is lacking with a lot of other Virgin hair brands.

How do you select the hair? 

We have partners internationally that we have sourced with due diligence to ensure that we are supplied with some of the finest hairs on the market. We also have a periodic quality control check so we have a through process in place.

Model Alisha White at the Cherished Hair Party

What types of products do you sell? 

We sell extensions (machine weft), closures and lace wigs. We will soon be expanding the range with our own custom exclusive pieces but you'll have to stay tuned for that (laughs).

In your opinion, what are the advantages of wearing a weave? 

Weaves equal versatility, that’s their main advantage. You can have it short, long coloured and bleached. In addition they are great protective styles. You can have the versatility you want. Change up your looks regularly without damaging your own hair.

What is the best way to take care of human hair, particularly at
night? 

Best way is to wrap it with a silk scarf or if not sleep on a silk pillow.

How is the best way to take care of your own hair when wearing a
weave? 

Moisturise. Keeping your hair moisturised is a big part of having healthy hair. So don’t forget about your natural hair be sure to moisturise it every other day or two days and the same should go for your virgin hair weave although depending on the hair you may only need to use a light serum on it a couple of times a week and that would be sufficient. Try to wash it every two to three weeks and don’t keep a weave in longer than eight weeks.

Cherished Hair Party, manicure

Your slogan is "where fabulous hair is all that matters" Do you think
that we as women have got so busy that we can almost neglect our hair? 

Definitely everyone is into life in the fast lane so as get up and go as possible is most womens ideal hair style. However I think with being educated on different hair styles, techniques and hair pieces you can achieve fabulous style without compromising the health of your natural hair and that's what Cherished Hair is primarily about.

Cherished Hair party, make up session

            Are you natural or relaxed?

I'm relaxed. I relax my hair probably three or four times a year.

How do you style your own hair? Do you prefer tracks, weaves, wigs? 

I use pretty much everything. It just depends on how I'm feeling at that time, how im dressed, the climate, activity etc. On a low key day I may wear my natural hair in a bun or add pieces to make a big ninja bun or jumbo braid. I don’t wear tracks/sew-ins too often because I like to get to my scalp (lol) plus I like to wash my hair at least once a week so wigs are great alternative.

Are you a salon or DIY person?  

I'm more of a DIY person! Due to my passion for hair I'm constantly experimenting I've done it all, chopped it off, bleached it, shaved it and carved in designs but I get bored easily so I love to change my style regularly so being able to do hair and my hair myself was an advantage not mention allowing more change for the shoe fund.

Cherished Hair party - Cupcakes!!

Visit http://www.cherishedhair.com/

How to - Flat Twisted Chignon

The flat twisted bun or chignon is a perfect look for special events. Our model is natural and wanted to achieve a relaxed look so we decided to flat iron. This style can be done on natural hair.

We used kanekalon (Expressions) hair extensions for the bun part.  If you do this style on natural unstraightened hair, make sure that you use natural-looking extensions for the bun.

1. Apply a heat protectant. We used Fantasia IC Hair Polisher.

2. Blow dry and flat iron OR roller set and sit under a hooded dryer.

3. Create a side part with a small comb.

4. Flat twist each side of the hair. You will end up with two small twists coming out from each side on the back of the head.

5. Smooth the edges with a tooth brush and a combination of Cantu Sheer Butter/Organic Roots Edge Control.

6. Tie a scarf around your edges for at least 15 minutes.

7. Braid the hair extensions on the small twists (obtained in step 4). You will get two long ponytails.

8. Twists each ponytail.

9. Roll them up to create a bun.

10. Pin them up with bobby pins.

Natural Hair 101: How to survive a bad hair day

It's great to be natural but how do you survive a bad hair day? When you've washed a few days ago and have no protective style in? By now, your hair is getting compact, slightly tangled, dry and unmanageable. To top that, you're late for work and need to leave the house asap. Here's how to avoid the morning scream in four steps:

Moisturize - Jump in the shower with your hair out. It will have a steamer effect. Allowing the moisture in will make it easier to manage.

Seal in the moisture with oil - Once you get out of the shower, apply a small amount of coconut oil from the ends to the roots.

Style - Pull your hair in a bun and hold with a banana clip (do not don't pull too tight to protect your edges). Smooth down your edges with a soft brush or with your hands.

Set - Put a silk scarf on and leave it for at least 15 minutes and voilà! Your edges will be smoothed and you are ready to go!

Hairstyle of the day: Twist Out

Hair type: natural and relaxed 

Level: beginner

Instructions:

Start on wet or dry hair. Your hair will be more stretched if you twist on dry hair.

1. Part your hair with your fingers and grab a section. The smaller the section, the tighter the curls. Starting at the back makes it easier.

2. Apply a conditioner starting on the ends

3. Apply oil on the ends (it could be olive, avocado, jojoba, coconut oil...)

4. Part the section in two and twist the new sections created

5. Using a bobby pin, curl the end of your twist to give more definition to the curl

6. Repeat on the whole head

7. Let your hair dry (ideally overnight) 

8. Remove the twists gently to keep the curls

For more hairstyles, go to our Hair section. 

If you feel more confident at twisting and want to achieve more defined twist outs, watch the Advanced Twist Out Method 101 video by Naptural85 on Youtube.

8 black hair care Youtubers to watch

Ulovemegz

Black hair style: Relaxed

Ulovemegz has a mine of information on products and method to retain length. She is relaxed but her advice is also valid for natural hair. If you're a fan of Organic Roots Stimulator, she regularly reviews their products.

Top Youtube videos : ORS Hair Masque treatment; Messy summer throw up do; Winter protective style; Silk/saran/dominican blow out method.

Longhairdontcare2011

Black hair style: Natural

This is by far one of the most impressive naturals out there. With her incredibly long and thick locks, she is the ultimate hairspiration and is not afraid of telling us how she achieved it: braids, braids, braids.

Top Youtube videos: My natural hairjourney from 2004-2009; Gentle braid removal; A few braidout tips.

Prettydimples01

Black hair style: Natural

This channel is all about natural hair styles. It’s an excellent resource if you don't want to wear the same style every day. It also proves that it's possible to achieve great style on your own. Tutorials are detailed and videos are often longer than 10 minutes. And as her hair grew along the years, you’ll get ideas for short and long hair.

Top Youtube videos: mini twist style; twist/braid out; let's talk shedding while we twist

Naptural85

Black hair style: Natural

If you are interested in methods rather than products, you should definitely take a look at Whitney’s videos. She reveals her tips to wash, condition, twist her thick natural hair with HD quality tutorials.

Top Youtube videos: How I detangle natural hair; Washing natural hair, easy method; how to stretch a twist out; ultra defined twist out no heat curls natural hair. 

Ninapruitt

Black hair style: Transitioning  to natural

Ninapruitt was documented her transition to natural hair mainly with braidouts and twistouts. Her tutorials demonstrate how to use satin scarves to obtain event better results.

Top Youtube videos: Satin braid-wave out; 6 plait braidout part 1; update flat iron tutorial.

Kimmaytube

Black hair style: Natural

Kimmaytube is one of the heavyweights on Youtube with thousands of video views. She takes a scientific approach to black haircare and has achieved amazing results in three years. We just wish the tone of her channel was less 'commercial'.

Top Youtube videos: ph balance test video bonus; structure of hair part 1 - the basics; summer hairstyles 80's hair tool; Afro - why I don't wear my hair in one.

Tiashauntee

Black hair style: Natural

This is another channel that will help you master simple natural hairstyles, essentially twistouts and braidouts. The videos are short and to the point. The only difference with Ninapruitt is that her hair is entirely natural.

Top Youtube videos: Bun tutorial; Simple braidout; Voluminous flat twist-out

Sunshower143

Black hair style: Natural

You know how annoying it can be when some youtubers only show their hair when it’s freshly blow-dried and flat ironed? Sunshower143 is the opposite. She wears her hair in protective styles 99% of the time in real life and on camera. Because she styles her own hair, you will actually see her braiding and twisting.

Top Youtube videos: Refreshing 4 weeks old mini twists; My new style! Flat twists and two strand twists; FAQ & Top 5 Reasons My Hair has Retained Length.

How to straighten without heat

So you've been natural for a while and you love the versatility your texture offers. With a great selection of hair accessories out there, you can switch up your look on a daily basis. At some point, however, you may want a different hairstyle, if only for a day or a week. You want to straighten it, maybe to see your hair's true length (as shrinkage can really hide it) or just to show a different side.

Do you need a blow dryer and lots of heat via a flat or curling iron to straighten your hair? What if you want to avoid all that heat and the potential damage it can cause?

Answer:
Yes, you can straighten your natural hair without heat, but be advised that final results will differ depending on the texture you begin with, the products you use and your technique. Plus, you have to keep in mind what time of year it is and your climate when considering how long your straightened style will last.
One of the best methods for straightening natural hair without using heat is by roller setting. Sound old-fashioned? Well, there's a reason many of us see pictures of our mothers and grandmothers with headfuls of long, thick hair. Back in the day, before relaxers hit store shelves in a big way, chemicals weren't as prevalent. Yes, a lot of heat was used, but hot-combing was often reserved for special occasions or done about two to three times per month. For maintenance, women rolled their hair at night. Less heat meant more hair retention.
Roller setting with magnetic rollers and a setting agent can yield good results, but you may have to practice to get the best outcome. You'll need:

• Magnetic rollers
• Clips or pins to hold rollers in place
• Spray bottle filled with water
• Setting product such as Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam, KeraCare Foam Wrap-Set Lotion, Mizani Foam Wrap Lotion or Mizani Setting Lotion
• Silk or satin scarf

Set your hair after a shampoo and conditioning session, working with wet hair. Spray your hair with water if it begins to dry as you set it. Apply the setting product of your choice to each section of hair before rolling. Remember to keep even tension as you roll as this ensures straighter results.
Air drying is the gentlest drying method, but it can take a long time for your hair to completely dry this way. A hood bonnet set on low heat can speed things up, so while that may not be a 100% heat-free method, it's still indirect heat versus the direct heat of an iron.
Once the hair is dry, remove the rollers. You can wear the style as is or dry wrap for additional straightening. Once the hair is wrapped around the head, tie a scarf around it; this will smooth the hair down further, so once it's released, you'll have a bouncy bob instead of a curlier style.
Tips and Advice:

• Your results won't last nearly as long in high humidity, so you may have to save roller setting for fall and winter, when there's less moisture in the air.
• The bigger the roller, the straighter the hair.
• Extremely coily hair may not straighten to your satisfaction with this method. It may require low heat with a blow dryer for better results, so carefully consider your natural texture when thinking about roller setting, as it may not work as well for very tight curls.
• Do not remove rollers until the hair is completely dry. Taking them out too early will result in hair that curls back up.

By Del Sandeen, About.com

'How I grew my hair to mid-back length' by Ulovemegz

Ulovemegz's Youtube channel is an amazing source of hair styling demos, product reviews,comparisons but also make up and beauty how to's. She is relaxed but her advice can also be useful for natural ladies. It is mainly inspired by the Longhaircareforum. Afromag caught up with her to find out how she grew her locks to mid-back length.

What is your current regimen?
In my regimen I wash my hair once a week, co-wash twice a week, and deep condition twice a week. I do pre-poo about twice a month and I do protein treatments once a month. I moisturize and seal every single night and also wear heatless styles and protective styles. Moisturizing and sealing helps preventing breakage and defiantly aids in retaining length. The act of moisturizing and sealing helps keep the ends health since its the oldest part of the hair and that's what we want to keep as long as possible.I also stretch my relaxers to 10 weeks and never anything under 10 weeks. I know for some 10 weeks isn't a long stretch but I'm working on stretching longer. I dust my ends monthly and receive trims only when needed in order to retain length. I have been doing this regimen for going on two years now and it has worked well for me and my hair and it has been a successful journey so far with no set backs.

What habits really helped you retain length?
I think my regimen as a whole has aided in retaining length overall. I do believe that oils do help with aiding health and growth to the hair overall, so incorporating oils, regular deep conditioning and moisturizing and staying way from heat helps retaining length. The purpose of doing these things is to avoid any breakage of the hair so that it gets longer. But the priority is sticking with a regimen and having patience and wanting to see results with your hair.

 
Do women in your family have long hair? Have you always had long hair?
Yes I have family members who have long hair. My grandmother naturally had long hair reaching about mid back length as a teen. My grandmother's nationality is mixed with Native American and African American so she had a slight waves to her hair along with her 11 other bothers and sisters. 

How do you know if your hair needs protein or moisture?
I know when my hair needs protein when my hair tends to shed. A lot of ladies experience different things when they need protein but that's how I know when I need protein. When my hair needs moisture it feels a dry or my hair doesn't have a lot of elasticity and that shows when you hair is just try.

According to Kimaytube (a natural Youtube vlogger), water is the best moisturizer. She does co-washing / rinses helped her retain more length. Do you agree?
Yes I agree from my personal experience since I am relaxed. My hair is wet three times during the week when I do shampoo washes, co-washing and deep conditioning. Also doing this hydrates the hair, it keeps the scalp clean with aids to healthy hair. Healthy hair starts within the scalp. Since Ive been getting my hair wet in some kind of way whether it being a shampoo or co-wash it has benefited my hair along with many other ladies who are on hair journeys.

Ladies with neck length hair may find it challenging to do protective styles outside microbraids and plaits. Braid outs, twist outs, buns etc all work better with long hair. What would you recommend to someone with short or medium hair?
I would suggest trying half wigs, phony ponys, and bantu knots. I've seen a lot of ladies do some of these things as protective styles while growing out their hair. I do believe its all about being creative to find a style that suits you.

Watch ulovemegz on Youtube

Short hair style: Finger Twists

Time: 30-45 mns

1. Section dry or damp hair and grab a strand according to desired thickness
2. Apply a generous amount of moisturizer on the strand (shea butter, Aveda Brilliant Universal Styling Cream, cocoa butter...)
3. Twist the strand on itself
4. Repeat until the full head is done
5. Airdry
6. Unravel the twists (optional)

Watch a video tutorial by Sparkwisdom on Youtube

Best styling creme: Aveda Brilliant

If you had to go on a desert island and could only take one product, pick the Aveda Brilliant Universal styling creme. No, we haven't been paid to make this review and yes, Aveda Brilliant is often recommended on natural hair care websites. It even won the Company Hair Awards 2009 so there must be a reason... We've tried it and here's why you should definitely try it too:

1. It moisturizes without frizzing
Many moisturizing cremes contain too much water and make your frizz when you only want to twist out and define curls. Other styling cremes are so heavy that your hair becomes greasy after you've applied them. We found that the Aveda moisturizing crème contains just enough water to moisturize your hair and define curls without making it damp.

2. It's ideal for an express twist out
If you want to make a twist out in a rush, you don't want a styling crème that will soak your hair wet and take an hour to dry. You can litterally apply Aveda Brilliant to dry hair, make four or five huge flat twsits, leave for 30 minutes and bring out the curls.

3. It leaves your hair soft
A twist out with Aveda Brilliant can last two days and the curls are still very well defined. It also leaves your hair shiny and soft unlike other moisturizing cremes make your hair crunchy.

4. It smells like heaven
We don't know which of the ingredients gives that particular smell to the creme it but we love it.
Ingredients: Black tea, Certified organic aloe, Certified organic camomile, Certified organic jojoba

Fight the crunch with shea butter

When your hair becomes extremely dry and crunchy, there are many options to bring it back to life: hot oil treatments, deep conditioning, moisturizing, protective styling.

Shea butter by L'Occitane

Another great way to fight crunchy hair is deep conditioning with shea butter over the weekend. Shea butter comes in various sizes and shapes but you may find it easier to manage it when it's refined and in a tin.

Here's how to deep condition your hair over the weekend:

1. Day 1: Place the tin of shea butter on a heater for 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes liquid
2. Distribute the shea butter on small strands from to bottom, until your hair is soaking wet
3. Tie your hair in a bun and let the shea butter penetrate for 24h
4. Day 2: Your hair should already feel smoother. If it has absorbed all the shea butter and is still a bit dry, repeat the process the next day
5. Day 3: Wash your hair and condition as usual.

Dr Hauschka Neem Hair Oil

The Neem Hair Oil by Dr Hauschka is a blend of essential oils supposed to help smoothing dry and chemically treated hair. Here's the list of ingredients: Arachis Hypogaea (Peanut) Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricara) Flower Extract, Lecithin, Alcohol, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil,Fragrance/Parfum, Limonene, Linalool.

Dr Hauschka don't specialize in Afro hair but their website mentions the testimonial of a client in Bristol with afro texture:

"I have very coarse, dry, afro - like hair and have always struggled to make it look smooth and shiny. I have used every product out there but not until trying this amazing hair oil did I get the results I have been looking for. I can't recommend it enough - Thanks Dr.Hauschka!" Anonymous, Bristol, England

Ok, it's just a testimonial... But it may be worth a try, especially now that it's freezing out there and you may need to make more hot oil treatments.

How to make a hot oil treatment. You can use this guide but choose different types of oils.

Winter protective style: the bun

Buns can help protect your hair from the cold weather out there. If you're concerned that it may be a bit boring to wear this style during the whole winter, think again. In Gossip Girl, Lilly Van der Woodsen (Kelly Rutherford) masters the art of buns with a different style in each episode. Take a look at the pictures below to get inspired.





Bun with long hair tutorial:


Bun with long black hair tutorial:


Bun with short black hair tutorial:

How to trim your split ends

Follow the advice of TheTruthisHair on Youtube to trim your split ends. Her videos are really inspiring and motivating if you decided to grow your hair but don't know where to start. It's a great technique to get your ends smoother. But you may cut some strands of hair with her method so if you're a beginner, you may want to braid your hair in small sections and cut the split ends coming out of the braids.

Kerastase: best product to straighten black hair

Kerastase Oleo-Relax hair mask

We tried Kerastase Oleo-Relax and can say it's by far the best range of products to treat and style coarse hair. The products were tested on a transitioning hair (a mix of natural and relaxed hair) and they really helped styling hair. It's important to say that Kerastase products are not cheap and only available at hairdressers. But they're definitely worth the investment.

Apply the hair mask on semi-dry hair, after washing. Leave it for 45 minutes (or more) and rinse. It will leave your hair feeling soft and flexible.

If you want to straighten your hair afterwards, spread a small amount of serum on your hair before blow-drying and flat ironing. Your hair will feel thicker and softer.

Kerastase Oleo-Relax serum


Results on transitioning hair (4 months)