Afro Hair & Beauty Live June 2012

Afro Hair & Beauty Live June 2012

Can I be brief about this?
Well, we'll see!

I went to the Afro Hair & Beauty Live Show on Monday 4th of June 2012.
I had just finished working a night shift just before getting back to London so you know I was tired!

However, I managed to get to the venue via Angel underground station in one peace. Though, why did I feel I had to walk up ALL those stairs on the escalators in those heels?

I waited for my friend and blogger, from the Black Hair Diary Blog (twitter @theBHDblog) outside a short time. We were there quite early - around 12pm and got our hands stamped as we went in (in case we wanted to leave and come back).

It was lovely to behold - around 102 stands (you can tell I read the guide, right? I only read it when I got home, lol!) and there were so many natural hair and beauty stands this time around.

Click "Read More" for more pics and the rest of the post!

Sleek stall

Gidore stall

Miss Jessie's demonstrations

My first experience with this show was last year, on the Sunday and I must say, back then - like it was that long ago?! - there were so many ladies with weaves and hidden hair coming through. I'll admit, I felt like a freak last year: with my transitioning hair and everyone's weaves and weaves being styled all around!

This year, natural RULED the day! With big brands from the US like Jane Carter's Solutions, Curls and Miss Jessies coming over, all others had to step up.  PAKS, as always, was front and centre! Both our heads of hair got complimented - they thought my hair was extensions because it was so thick in my bun - lol!

Of course, we visited the ORS stand almost immediately, and managed to get - not one - but TWO Curls Unleashed goodie bags EACH! lol! And I only spent £2.50 there - getting a hair creme I gifted to my friend immediately.....lolololol!

Next for the Jane Carter's Solution stand. My fellow blogger had a list: they did NOT have the main product she was eager to try. Shame for them, they lost a sale!

On to Miss Jessie's: did I mention we got a goodie bag for this as we walked through the entrance downstairs? Forgive me, it was the Supermalt stand that threw me...he he!
Miss Jessie's two founders were there in force, one styling and one talking the crowd through the products and techniques. I did notice one initial lapse in technique of one of the other two hairstylers: trying to detangle DRY NATURAL HAIR without trying a water spritz first. No, m'am!

Don't worry, she stopped after 5 mins and reached for the bottle of spritz. Phew!

We graced the Curls stand, who were offering four products for £15 (usually worth ~£50). Wow!

Curls

Miss Jessie's

Mixed Chicks

Children say "NO" to Relaxers

There were many more stands we went to and some fashion shows and hair styling competitions we completely ignored. There was a children's catwalk of natural hair styles and a dance crew we watched happily and cheered for half-way through the day!

Even more demonstrations of hair styling around the stands.Design Essentials were straightening a young girl's hair and it was GLORIOUS to see a stylist only using ONE PASS with the ceramic iron! ORS were also styling some twists and Jane Carter's were tightening some lovely locs! There were the inevitable weave demos too! However, much less than last year!

Here is a definite highlight: we were both given a bagful of Beautiful Textures Hair Care products (the entire line in full size!)!!!! Yay! I will be doing reviews and there will be a Youtube and blog giveaway soon, by God's grace (I got a spare leave-in Conditioner!).

At the end, we had spent about £4 to £5 EACH in total (I bought a pocket sized hair spritz from a UK company and my friend bought us some Supermalt bottles for home...lol - my influence, of course!).

Yet, we had about 10 bags minimum each (I do NOT exaggerate).

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Birthday girl with Waist length natural hair!

Children with natural hair - styled on the day!

Dance crew showing their skills!

Design Essentials

Weaves were still there!

We bumped into some Youtube subscribers and blog subbies. We met up with BlackGirlFlow, Mahogany Naturals (they have a stand..yay!), Natural Missy Cat Flame (FB) and Crystal Afro amongst many other hair forum and twitter friends. I also met a long time online friend, Nicole, who kept the blog alive with product reviews at its inception. She is making big strides in haircare and style!

We also decided I needed to get to more hair hair meetups this month! Here's hoping I can go to one on Thursday before my meetup on Sunday!

We left, tired and weighed down by products and samples! My friend had also brought me a bottle of Herbal Essences Long-term Relationship Conditioner (from the US) and I am glad to have that in my stash.

OK, people, I was doing so well, trying to dwindle my stash of products. And now, I will have to review products and do giveaways of the samples I have in multiple numbers. All these products, so little time!

Need I say, I had fun?! Check the pictures!

Did you go this year? How did you find it?

Meeting Felicia Leatherwood

Crystal Afro, Myself and The Black Hair Diary (Leentora)

Hair styling at Design Essentials

Blowdryers and steamers!

Heat styling with ONE pass only!

Lovely Ladies at Mahogany Naturals stand! Go Tope!

'Mmm...hair' products

A new way to wear weaves! lol!

Weave styling