Braids and protective styles

Is it just me or it's great to give your hair a break from the elements in the fall/winter months?! So if like me you like wearing braids for that reason or even just to mix it up; contact me. I have good prices and I can do multiple styles if you live in the Montreal area. Here are some of my latest clients:

Contact me at marieconstant84@hotmail.com for an appointment. Let me know in advance and I can even style your hair on a week day. See you soon

Banana baby food Homemade Deep conditioner

It is just me or I've been using a lot of food on my hair lately? I just figure, I've stopped using the chemical relaxers, I might as well try to use as less chemicals on my hair as possible! I still use store bought products but I'm experimenting with what nature has to offer right now and it's great. It's inexpensive and fun. So for about 1$ I came up with this little recipe that's sure to:

1- Make my hair softer: Bananas are rich in potassium and Vitamin C which help soften and hydrate the hair
2- Give my hair bounce and shine: thanks to the olive and coconut oil
3- Help my hair grow: The sulfur and zinc contained in garlic stimulates hair growth

Banana Deep-conditioner

1 bottle of banana baby food
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon of "garlicky" olive oil --> Crush 2 garlic clovers and let them sit in the heated olive oil for 2-3 days. Sift out the garlic pieces and only keep the olive oils for the mask. You can keep the oil in the fridge for 10 days [Source Journalnappygirl.com]
Mix all of the ingredients together and apply the mask on clean (washed hair). Place a plastic cap on your head and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Rinse abundantly. Then use regular conditioner.

***Important***: Garlic is counter-indicated for people that are on anticoagulant drugs such as aspirin. Also, do not add the garlic to the recipe if you have soars or cuts on your head as it will "burn". The overwhelming garlic smell dissipates after a few hours

If you try any of the recipes, please let me know what the results are for you :)

Dinner and Kizomba dance classes

It is just me or Kizomba is the latest crave after salsa lessons being the trend for a while. But now an afro dance movement is on the rise in downtown Montreal. It's sensual and rhythmic and oh so fun to watch. I went out with my sisters to celebrate the promotion of one of them so we went to Essence Resto Bar. We got there around 9:30 just before the kitchen closed. We had time to order but I feel the service was not as attentive. We ordered a bottle of wine and I took a medium rare steak. The wine was good but the steak was not the best I'd ever had. It was a little chewy, not much but I guess it was a bit overcooked for my taste. The service was okay at best but the ambiance was very cozy and girly... I like it like that. Anyways, there is not much to say about Essence as a restaurant! Everything was pretty much OKAY, nothing knocked it out of the park for me!!!

But then, at around 11, you can transition into the lounge area and the Essence turns into a nice little club. There's even a Kizomba dance tutorial given for the people that are there at that time. I was there in time to witness it. I didn't participate but I gladly watched as the volunteers learned the basic steps of the dance. The dance partners are intertwined in a dance resembling salsa, zouk, tango but at the same time this dance is like no other. It was 3 times based tempo and there's just something about it! I like it. If you're not shy and you like to bust a move; it might be what you've been looking for as an activity to do with the hubby. Or even if you're single and looking to meet new people and put yourself out-there. Bring a friend it's gonna be a fun night ;)
Also afterwards, they play a nice mix of dancehall, old school hip hop and Kizomba. The entrance to the club is 15$ and we went on a Friday. We didn't pay since we were already inside. Here's the link to the restaurant's website: http://www.essencerestaurant.ca
Enjoy!!!

Homemade fruit face mask and juice recipe

Is it just me or sometimes the face needs a little pick me up... In the same period that I was doing the organic garden in our backyard I was introduced to juicing. So here's a simple juice recipe that tastes great and instead of throwing away the pulp, you can use it as a natural facemask/scrub. I left it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing. The results: tingly freshness + extra smooth skin.

I use fruits and veggies in my juices to maximize the benefits without compromising the taste so this is my recipe for "Yellow juice". All you have to do is put all of the ingredients in the juicer and enjoy.

Yellow juice
2 apples
1 orange
1 pineapple
1 peach
1/2 celery

Homemade deep conditioner recipes

Is it just me or the elements sometimes have your hair feeling dry and brittle? These recipes will be sure to restore moisture and shine to your hair. You should try doing them at least once a month.

Avocado based or Mayo based
- 1/2 Avocado (ripe) or 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or another oil of your choice, I use sweet almond oil)
- 1 tablespoon honey

1- Place all the ingredients in the blender until you get a paste-like consistency
2- After shampoo and conditioner, apply the deep-conditioner from roots to ends of all your hair
3- Put on a plastic cap and let it rest for at least an hour
4- Rinse abundantly with warm water and use leave-in treatment