Thursday, 22 May 2008

Random Thoughts on Beauty

I do wear hair extensions once in a while. Sometimes someone will comment on how good my hair looks and I'll say "Thanks, I bought it at the beauty store across the street". But juzi someone at work told me about a documentary that was made recently about 100% Indian hair. I think it's usually very expensive to wear that 100% human hair. Apparently, the Hindu women whose hair is sold normally shave it as a form of religious devotion, halafu the monks sell it to Hollywood and the rest of the beauty industry. Ati asked if they would sell their hair, the women said hapana, and would not cut it if they knew it ends up in the beauty industry. I've never worn any human hair, but that thing is giving me a complex. I think the hair dye (most prefer to call it highlighter, as in it's not meant to cover up greying hair, but to highlight natural hair colour) industry is huge for white women, but I have no idea where their 100% human hair extensions come from. How come most of the beauty stores are owned by Asians. Maybe the answer is globalization.

Nature-we need to be proud of our natural/native looks right? I love that, it's all good. But as far as hair goes, it's not as easy for me. My natural hair is kiasi hard to keep neat, leaving me with the option to wear braids, cornrows, or dreadlocks to have a semblance of nature. Or go bald. Braids and cornrows are a bit expensive to keep up with. Dreadlocks? I hear it costs like $3 a month to keep those neat, but I don't want to lock myself in one look till I cut my hair. I don't have the shape of head that'd look cool when bald either. So I alternate between braids, cornrows and chemically straightened hair. Not the most authentic African hair, for all my pride.
Make-up. It's meant to enhance the beauty one already has? I've never seen a black woman blush, why do black women wear blush?

Hair and scalp lotion, face lotion, lip balm, hand and body lotion, moisturizer, and whatever for the feet-Ifound a product that rolls all these into one-shea butter. The Burkinabe (if that's what we call people from Burkina Faso) woman who sold it to me claimed to be 55 but looked like 35 so it must work. So far it's working for me.

Weight-now that. Funny thing to note that men in Kenya (at least where I come from and especially my cousins) prefer(ed?) larger women, but huku hivi every woman is trying to shed weight.

African models-they are very beautiful. I wonder if Alek Wek would still be beautiful if she was not 'discovered' in London. Say, by African standards. Better still, I wonder what are or were the African standards of beauty.

8 comments:

Maua said...

All the above, from human hair ro whichever mhindi shop hair, to creams, I'm guilty. I feel the beauty, I wonder whether others see it.

We all wanna look beautiful, lakini even where I come, (I thought), the only place you tell ya mum, sis, aunt, (any woman) 'you've added weight' and they all take it as a complement.

Frankie said...

my friends say they wonder what the international agencies see in alek wek???....
make up? i usually wear none, maybe when am older...
as for hair, never worn extension before, just braiding my hair, blowdryng it, or relaxed(chemicaled)

one more thing: u can never be thin enough or rich enough

Andy Weaver said...

God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another.

(Hamlet Act 3, Scene 1)

Shiko-Msa said...

Thanks for the tip on Shea Butter. There's a lot of it here - palmers brand mostly. May i also suggest Bio Oil? It works wonders too and is so multi purpose.

Anonymous said...

Thats right, that hair comes from indians,they showed its washed in big tanks and they have this black water fowing out. Its then put on some roof top, to sun dry, the packed in bags and shipped to new york.The supply is unlimited because millions shave 2x a year.

anonymousranter said...

"my friends say they wonder what the international agencies see in alek wek???..."
Europe views things very differently than most. They absolutely LOVE the jet black color of Alek's skin and the beautiful waif-like body.
If you see Alek Wek walking on the streets, you will turn around and stare at her and be drawn to the differences and unmixed beauty of her face.
Proud Kikuyu woman have you ever just worn your natural hair? Have you tried a nice braidout or a twist out? I'd love to see what your hair looks like. Great post by the way.

Proud Kikuyu Woman said...

Casual Observer: Yes, for the longest time I had my natural hair-up until college. A twist, no I've never had one, but just emailed Cee coz I want to!

Cee said...

PKW, I got your email, the perm out is where you use chemicals to make your hair look "locked" without going thro the long process of locking, I will write a detailed blog on that topic just for you nikitoka holiday.

People from Burkina Faso are Burkinabais(e) pronounciation is the same as you wrote above.

When it comes to hair, I have had them all, from braids to weaves to wigs and now I have locks. Locking doesn't mean you look boring, I have afro kinky now, I will post pictures when I get back from my holiday. Beiny in locks is a very exciting journey.

Make-up, do you consider lip-balm make-up? If not then I don't wear any. I believe in using Vaseline for my face, always have, always will and my face remains smoother than a baby's.

Weight, I always keep my weight high enough to allow me to donate blood and look healthy. I don't believe in diets other than BALANCED DIET. I don't do slimming pills and the only thing that will take me to a gym would be a prescription (I'm not very sporty, sipendi excercise, other than walking to shoe shops)

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder and the beholder is the owner of the body.Beauty starts from within, love yourself and you will be beautiful to yourself and to others.