#Bantu Knot Out

[freegentlewildflower]

IG: @the.natural.breona

[saturngalore]

connect with style 🌐🌟

[riseandfallofsecunit]

Amena doing her third mom’s hair :-)

[izvmimi]

i wanna braid or twist his hair braiding is so intimate i wanna have him sit in between my thighs and grease his scalp

[1eos]

idk why whenever i hang out w my crush i feel compelled to send u an anon ask about it. but i was doing my hair this week and i was STILL doing it by the time he came over to hang out and then he ended up braiding the last section and he did a good job 😭 i kind of feel like thats 20th base

oughhhhhhhhhhh that's so cute. and you're right braids are 20th base, doing a fresh retwist is 30th base, helping cut a bob is 35th base and putting on the wig so you can style it is a grand slam 😌

[solianapaeris]

[hotmess-exe]

oooooooh i'm going to a y2k night on fridayyyyyy

[fenderguitar]

I can't wait to stop working food service so I can finally wear my hair down.

[toastydoll]

Reblogging again bc it’s still blowing my mind how whitewashed the final dolls were

we could've had it all

[khadijah551]

BANTU KNOTS UPDATED

Please do not reupload as your own

Do not put behind a paywall!!

Feel free to do whatever you want with it for personal use only

Have fun with it!!

Male 

Found in Hair

Includes Sim Download

BANTU KNOTS

24 Swatches (Maxis Match)

Here is the SKIN I used for the sim(the file was too big to put in the sim zip file)

I've updated the LODs! (this will allow the hair to be shown when zoomed out)

Just take out the old bantu knots download and replace it with this new download!

Patreon (free)

Patreon (free) Updated

[blackexcellence]

Art by @lehuckbadu

African Hair Threading

Hair Threading has been part of the Black hair scene for many generations. It consists of wrapping sectioned hair in thread. This method of wrapping the hair in thread strengthens the hair without excessive manipulation, which is beneficial for your strands. Not only does the style strengthen the hair, but it also promotes growth.

The style comes from Sub-Saharan African countries and grew its popularity in West Africa, particularly, South Nigeria. Learn more here

Art by Izzakko via @blacklacerabbit

Bantu Knots and Hi-Top Fades

The Zulu people of southern Africa originated Bantu knots, a hairstyle where the hair is sectioned off, twisted, and wrapped in such a way that the hair stacks upon itself to form a spiraled knot (Source). Learn the history of Bantu Knots

The hi-top fade or flattop originated in the U.S. military around the ‘40s and ‘50s. By the mid-eighties, Black barbers began to reimagine the hairstyle, and due to its resemblance to Queen Nefertiti’s Empress headpiece, some speculated the hairstyle's origin. The hairstyle grew as a trend when worn by the like of Grace Jones, Doug E. Fresh, and Salt-N-Peppa.

Art by LaQuecya Allen via @nappy-by-nature

Afro

As far as hairstyles go, there's nothing Blacker than the Afro. In the 1960s, after decades of subjecting themselves to European beauty standards, Black folks decided to take back their hair. This newfound self-acceptance was widely known as the Black Is Beautiful movement, which sprang from the Black Power movement. The 'fro was rocked by Angela Davis, Huey P. Newton, and Jesse Jackson while fighting oppression; the hairstyle quickly emerged as a symbol of Black beauty, liberation, and pride.

Remember: tag your Black hair art with #BlackExcellence365 for a chance to be featured!

And keep your eyes out for next month's theme... 👀

[dreamiiee]

black self shippers! imagine your f/o helping you out with your hair care process!! 🤎

do you have locs? they would help you with the retwisting process, letting you lay back as they work at your scalp, oiling down the sections and twisting them back cleanly for you. making sure you don’t experience any discomfort or pain during the process, maybe they can help pick out some beads or loc jewelry for a little something special!! maybe something that reminds them of you!

do you have box braids or chroceted hair? they’ll help you during installation, and taking them out too!!! they’ve practiced really hard to help you cornrow your hair, they know how weak your fingers can get after too long, and they know doing it by yourself is a challenge in itself! anything that can ease your hands for a second they’ll do in a heartbeat! there’s so many braid styles to choose from, oh, maybe you can do some twists!! the two of you can sit back and watch a show or movie you love during the process!

maybe you wear your hair natural! they’ll help you with the entirety of the washing and detangling process!! they’ll use all your favorite products, the ones they remember you smelling so sweetly of when they’re close to you. If you’re more tender headed, they’ll work as gently as they can to get all the knots out so it won’t cause you any pain!!! what style would you do? maybe pigtail braids, a twist out, Bantu knots, maybe a cute hair pin if your afro is short! anything that you’d have in mind they’ll make it happen!! whatever style makes you feel the most lovely!!!!

don’t forget night time care too!! do you have a scarf or head wrap you like, maybe a bonnet or braid cap with a cute pattern? if you happen to accidentally fall asleep and forget to put it on, they’ll go out of their way to look for it and secure it to your head. they won’t forget to press a kiss to your head as they let you sleep. you’ve worked hard to keep your hair the way it is, it’s one of the many features they love about you! and rest assured they’ll do anything they can to make it easy for you, no matter what!! 🧡

[luvjunie]

twirls my hair if you’re taking request uhhh— what about reader with tattoos like a full sleeve and piercings and maybe big hair like a fro, braids something that makes her stand out— basically she’s just real intimidating and popular too fast for her liking she just transferred school and the guys are trying to pounce on her but miles 42 is the one that catches her eye?

— a fresh start

pairing: e-42!miles x fem!reader

summary: it’s your first day at a new school, and surprisingly, making a friend isn’t as hard as you thought it’d be. wc: 1,853

a/n: changed this up a little i hope you don’t mind! 100% unintentional but when my mind wanders i follow it 😭

Back at Brooklyn High, you were always told by teachers that school wasn’t a venue for your ‘personal fashion show’, but that it was a place for learning. And while you agreed, it wasn’t your fault that you looked the way you did… Well, that’s a lie. But you loved your look, and so did your peers.

While your hair was big and somewhat distracting to others, your dad always told you it reminded him of what your mom’s looked like the first time he met her, so you never bothered to change the way you styled it, no matter how much you dreaded putting it in bantu knots or doing a twist out every three days.

As for your face full of piercings, that was all you. It was something your dad didn’t favor at all, and he definitely didn’t understand how it was ‘a way for you to express and be true to yourself’, but that was the explanation you gave him, and eventually he accepted it. Though begrudgingly— it was still acceptance, so you took what you could get.

The first piercing was your eyebrow, and you’d done it in your bathroom when you were fourteen with a safety pin. One look at yourself in the mirror made you forget all about the throbbing pain radiating from your face, and just a week had passed before you were already thinking of another. You swore to your dad that it’d be the only one, and that you just wanted to try something new; until you wanted to try your belly button, your septum, and both of your nostrils. After that, It’s safe to say that everywhere you went, attention followed.

Expressing yourself through your clothes and accessories was just a part of who you were. And back at Brooklyn High, you were proud of the way you looked.

But you weren’t at Brooklyn High anymore.

The uniforms were drab at Visions academy. Every girl wearing the same two articles of clothing as the other; the same sad story for the boys. And to keep it a buck, if you were comparing visions to your old school, the atmosphere here sure looked a lot like a jail. And if not for the small loopholes you’d managed to locate in the dresscode, it would’ve felt like it, too.

The searing heat of curious eyes followed you the moment you entered the building, and you began to wonder if choosing to stand out on purpose was the best idea after all. It seemed at Visions, that came naturally for someone like you.

For a few reasons other than the ones you could change in five minutes, you didn’t fit in here. Not in the slightest.

With a wavered sigh and your books glued to your chest, you continued on to your first block, tuning out the whispers that were far from hushed.

It took you a little longer than the six minute passing period to discover your History class within the ginormous fluorescent halls, and when you finally stepped foot into the dimly lit room and noticed the Crash Course video playing on the projector, it dawned on you that they were already well into the lesson.

Almost everyone’s head lifted to look at you when you entered. Almost everyone’s head but a kid who was face down, drooling on his desk, and another whose gaze remained welded to a sheet of paper the graphite of his mechanical pencil was scribbling against. The familiarity of crisp parts and blue magic-sheened cornrows stood out to you first, and a small sense of comfort finally washed over you— for a moment.

The video on the projector paused abruptly, and your teacher appeared to be the exact opposite of dazzled at your late arrival. Great.

“Nice of you to join us, miss…?”

“Y/n, sorry…” You cleared your throat and smiled more like grimaced apologetically, the chain clipped to the waistband of your skirt serving as an idle fidget. “Got lost, real big school.”

Mr. Benson, as it read on your printed class schedule, adjusted his glasses when he went to jot something down onto the paper below him. “Alright, y/n. You can sit next to…”

You watched as a few kids straightened up in their seats, attempting to look uninterested enough to play it cool, yet noticeable enough for the teacher to remember they existed and place your seat next to them.

“Morales. Raise your hand.”

The boy in question quietly clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, pencil clacking against the wood of his desk when he set it down. It looked like his concentration had been broken, and instead of raising his hand, he lifted his head from where it was damn near nose deep in whatever he was doing, and just stared at you.

His slowed blinks gave you enough grounds to take a gander that he was the ‘Morales’ in question.

A stunted breath and a silent nod later, you made your way through the aisle of desks and smoothly slid into the one a pin-filled backpack had just been removed from.

You’d be crazy to not let your curiosity get the best of you, especially now that you were this close to where the brooding energy was coming from. So once your teacher unpaused the video, you stole a peek over at your new desk neighbor, and noticed that his right arm was now strategically placed over the geometric sketches on his paper.

Seeing as it was already mid-year and you were new to the huge school, you figured it’d be in your best interest to try and make at least one friend. You opened your mouth to introduce yourself to him, until a light tap on your shoulder from behind stole your attention.

“Umm, excuse me?”

You turned around to meet the freckled face of the boy who was sat behind you.

“Hm?”

“Yeah, sorry, but I can’t see over your hair. It’s kinda… in the way.”

It wasn’t necessarily what he said that bothered you, it was how he said it, and the fact that he barely stifled a laugh when he did.

Reclined in his chair with his arms crossed, Miles fought to hide the scowl threatening to twist his lips. The desks in this class were staggered, specifically to avoid the very issue of heads blocking the line of sight, meaning there was no way your hair was actually hindering his view.

“O-oh… Sorry, it does that. Sometimes.” Flustered, you nervously tried to press your hair down a little without ruining its shape, the one that took you a whole hour to achieve just this morning.

Miles assumed you were the girl his classmate was blabbing about just before the bell rung, remembering the brief yet detailed explanation of ‘fresh face, big hair, decked out uniform and kinda cute’. Poking fun at you must have been his pitiful attempt at flirting.

Miles suddenly spoke in your defense, eyes remaining on the screen in a bored daze.

“It’s not her fault you 5’2, James. Drink some milk when you get home, maybe you’ll have a growth spurt.”

You sent an inquisitive glance his way and kept it there. You hadn’t thought about what you expected his voice to sound like, or that the first time you’d hear it would be because of him defending you, but this was definitely a pleasant surprise. His voice was so smooth it put silk to shame, and it was a bit low, too, as if he’d just woken up a few minutes ago. Yet it didn’t sound as if he’d quieted his voice on purpose; something that led you to believe he was usually this soft spoken.

“Shut up, Miles.” James grumbled.

“Ain’t my fault you can’t flirt for shit. I’m tryna help you out.”

Some surrounding students close enough to hear the retort had snickered, and a laugh managed to leave your mouth before you could prevent it, resulting in a loud “SHHHH!” from the front of the class.

“That’s funny?” Miles’ hazel eyes floated over to you, swirling with mirth and pinning you in place.

He was joking, but his tone probably didn’t give off that vibe, seeing as you were gawking at him like a deer in headlights.

“I’m messin’ with you,” A small grin played on his face. “I’m Miles.”

“Oh,” an awkward chuckle relaxed your shoulders. “Y/n.” you responded quietly.

“Yeah… I know.” There was a hint of a chuckle beneath his voice. It seemed you’d forgotten that you revealed your identity to everyone just minutes ago.

But you couldn’t help it, you’d never seen a boy quite this pretty before, with lashes long enough to make you jealous and a smile you were certain owed its beauty to genetics, and not an expensive set of middle school braces.

He had six freshly done straightbacks with curved parts, and two clear beads hanging onto each tail that sat a little below his shoulders. It was then that you noticed the medium sized, gimmering stud he sported on his ear, and you deemed it safe to assume his other ear had the same. Cute.

Still feeling the heat of your eyes on his temple long after he’d averted his attention, Miles curiously glanced back at you, then teasingly nodded his head towards the front of the room.

“Pay attention,” he whispered, that same molten look in his eyes. “I don’t share notes.”

—

Class went by in a bit of a haze, to no surprise. It was extremely difficult to pay attention when the fear of your possibly-misshapen fro was on your mind. Today happened to be the one day you’d decided you didn’t need to bring your pick to school, the image of it sitting on your dresser emitting a disappointed sigh from you.

The tinny screech of chairs brought you back to the present, where class had been dismissed and students were shoving papers into their backpacks and shuffling out the doorway, all in a hurry to their next block.

Miles stood up from his seat, appearing to be in no rush.

“I like your hair, by the way.” he observed randomly. “Cool piercings, too.”

The compliment eased your nerves completely. It was genuine, as if he knew you were still thinking about what happened earlier.

“Thank you,” Tucking your notebook away, you looked up to see him sling his backpack over one shoulder. “for defending me earlier, too.”

“S’ no big deal.” he shrugged, but it was, to you.

“Cool braids, by the way.” you parroted through a lighthearted smile.

“Thanks,” Miles’ eyes panned to the floor when he felt himself grin. A habit of his you’d already managed to pick up on in your short knowing of him.

“I’ll catch you later.” He deemed with a two-fingered salute, other hand burrowing into the pocket of his pants.

Rising to your feet, you gave a small wave and watched as he headed out into the crowded hallway with the others; feeling a little less nervous to come to history class tomorrow.

[bluecrocss]

Somethings I'm looking forward to in PJO Season 2 that I don't see people talk about as much

Villain!Luke: Most of TLT/Season 1 is Luke playing as an ally/friend/older brother to our protagonists. We see him in a mostly positive light as the show tries to hide his true intentions until the reveal.

SOM is the first time we get to see Luke in pure villain mode, and I'm so excited. Despite my issues with the movies (Especially the second one), I can always appreciate how much fun Jake Abel was obviously having hamming it up in the second movie. Literally, all he needed was a mustache to twirl lol

Anyway, Charlie did such a good job of making Luke sympathetic and likeable, I'm so excited for when we first see him on the Princess Andromeda in all his Villain glory. I can't wait to see how he plays it.

Clarisse redemption: Look, I will always defend the right of viewers to dislike a bully, no matter how sad their backstory is. However, in my opinion, SOM and TLO is probably where we get the most character development for Clarisse (the show can even add more depth to that if they play it right).

Hints at her abusive relationship with Ares, the first inklings of her friendship with Percy, there's so much more we're going to get out of that character, and I really hope they SHOW (not tell) it right.

Tyson/Annabeth beef: I am going to be on the front-lines as a Leahbeth defender this season. Like with the growing fandom dislike towards Annabeth of late, and the general way audiences treat black female characters whenever they show any negative traits, Annabeth's interactions with Tyson in SOM (and her later interactions with Rachel Dare in BOTL) are not going to be some of her best moments; but also are great character moments for her because those two books more than any are about showing Annabeth's flaws. She's a 13 year old girl with PTSD people!

Tyson's a sweetheart, obvs, but watching 5"2 Leah Jeffries consistently intimidate 6"5 Daniel Diemer is gonna be kind of hilarious. And Tyson's constant attempts to win her over are so endearing (Especially when he does succeed towards the end).

I do hope they make some changes to the backstory of why Annabeth doesn't like Cyclopes though. Because even in the books, I thought that seemed a bit forced in.

Annabeth's Circe island makeover: Yes, Walker as a guinea pig, hilarious. Yes, the siren scene, heartbreaking. The childhood Percabeth shipper in me, can't wait to see what makeover Annabeth gets in the show!

Say what you will, but one of the best parts of Annabeth now being portrayed by a black actress is (in my personal opinion), I think there is no group of women on earth with more variation in hair styling than black women.

As such, there's an infinite number of styles and looks that I could see them giving Leah for this. Braids with gold accessories, Afro puffs, a Grecian take on Bantu knots, etc. etc. I mean, the fan artists have been eating with that already.

What have I missed? What other less talked about moments is everyone excited to see brought to life?

[firespirited]

hello! happy holidays :) hopefully this isn't too much of a question, but I recently unpacked my faerie queen LOI barbie after moving and her curly saran is matted and puffy at the ends. I tried combing it gently w a metal comb but that didn't help. I don't want to lose her in-box curls with a boil wash, but i'm not sure how to preserve curly saran and was wondering if you had tips for treatment! thank you :)

Hiya,

Let's see that hairstyle (prototype and real life)

Oof, complicated. First I'd try very gently dunking in near boiling water then remove, let it dry to try resetting the factory curls. Use a toothbrush to try and tame those frizzy ends while it's still warm. Maybe use some conditioner on those ends. It's a messy hairstyle that won't like being combed from the top!

Faerie Queen has two tiny barrel curls which would require the drinking straw or tiny perm rods with curling papers to make sure the ends are curled too. Possibly a tiny trim even after all that.

If dunking fails and you want a neat barrel curl, I'd straighten those front locks then curl wet hair with papers and tiny rods.

The back of her hair doesn't have to be barrel curls unless you want that specific look. You could have all straight, straight on top then add some curl to the base by heating wound hair locks with a hair iron on low (this is saran so no hotter than 120 Celcius) or a boiled water dunk. Or you could do loose bantu knots, boil, brush out for some wavey volume.

But that is going to look a little messy short of careful curling and lots of hair gel - these curly styles for display require barely touching the hair after styling, using tiny scissors to tidy loose hairs and copious hair spray.

Rodney rainbow on youtube has curl tutorials: https://m.youtube.com/@rodneyrainbow

And @dolljunk recently recurled his Glinda Barbie doll in a video tutorial.

Good luck and happy hols to you too 💚🌹

[creatingblackcharacters]

Hello!

I read through the posts in your pinned comment, but I couldn't find anything that answered a question I had, so I thought I would send an ask.

I'm making a comic and one of the characters is Black, and at one point her and her wife are getting ready for bed and I wanted to show her putting her afro into a protective hairstyle to sleep.

I looked up online how people take care of their afros at night, and I saw a lot of posts talking about things like bantu knots, twists, and silk bonnets, but I'm not sure which one she would use.

Is there a difference between these methods? Will they give different results, or is it pretty much the same and it's up to personal preference on what method you use?

I just want to make sure I show her taking care of her hair in a realistic way.

Thank you! <3

Twists and bantu knots are completely different looks. She could actually just do them one night and wear them as a style during the day. No need to take it down every morning.

Silk bonnets are just... Bonnets. It's just to cover your hair at night to decrease damage and moisture loss. She'd always wear a bonnet or something similar if she cared about the protection, no matter what the style was.

But afros can just go into the bonnet. You put it on, go to sleep, wake up, and fluff out, moisturize and style it in the morning. That's it. There's no need to do anything else if you don't want to. Or, my aunt would cornrow hers at night and cover it, so that in the morning she could pick it out into a full, Black Power-esque afro.

So yes, it's personal preference. Find one that you like, and truly study how it's done and how to care for it 👍🏾 Before and after 🙏🏾