THIS BLOG HAS MOVED! xxx

Bum length thick box braids using the elastic band method...

So I know it's been a hot minute since I last posted here but I finally got round to making another hair tutorial for Youtube lololol.
Here it is... Beautiful bum length box braids I did in under 3 hours using the elastic band method. In the second half of the video I also show you how I DIYed my gold hair jewellery. Came out far from perfect as it was my first try but i'm still pretty happy with the results! All the info you need is in the Youtube description box...

I'm building another website atm so it'll be RIP to this one soon and a fresh hello from my new online hub, stay tuned! xx

Individual Crochet Faux Locs Bob Tutorial On Short Natural Hair

Filmed a half decent bob faux locs tutorial using the Jazz Nicole individual crochet method but, in typical Zizzi fashion, lost a chunk of the middle footage on a broken memory card (almost cried).

Couldn't believe how much time and pain it saved me doing them like this. Faux locs are longggggggggggg man... Like 'sorry I wont be able to make it Friday night, I just started my hair' 'but it's only Wednesday' 'yeah, I know' long. They also guarantee achey fingers. This method is faster, pain free and gives you the same visual results. You can adjust the thickness of the locs through the tightness and amount of marley hair in your braids and if you wanted a longer style, just make longer braids.

This is really versatile and in part- enjoyable! Yep, you read that right, parts of this super easy process are actually enjoyable....

So now that you're sold on giving this a go, sit back, relax and watch my 5 minute tutorial...
Don't know why my make-up looks so busted in the vid, it looked fine in person, I swear!


If you're ready to get on with it you will need:
- Crochet faux locs
- Marley hair (preferably that matches the colour of the faux locs)
- Crotchet latch hook
- Black elastics (if you're using black hair)
- Hair moisturiser of choice
- Comb (optional)

Time- 3-4 hours... Seriously that's all!!

Method...

I used 3 packs of marley hair and just over 2 packs of the crochet locs hair. There are about 50 locs on my head xx


(Lyrics of the day= 'Woman hold her head and cry cos her son had been shot down in the street and die from a stray bullet' from Johnny Was a Good Man by Bob Marley)

Zizzi's Wardrobe Summer Thrift Haul 2

Made another thrift haul video with some of my most recent charity shop and Ebay finds.
Be sure to subscribe to my new Youtube channel as i'll be making loads of videos in the coming months!!

(Lyrics of the day = 'I don't know if you can take it, know you wanna see me naked naked naked' from Wild Thoughts, DJ Khaled & Rihanna... Cannot get this filippin' song out of my head)

Charity Shop (Thrift Store) Vintage Clothing Haul + Try On | Zizzi's Wardrobe

Another video post... I'm on a roll!!!!! lol

This one is superior quality (not hard I know) and i've even learnt a bit of editing...

Lemme know what you think and if you have any suggestions for future Zizzi's Wardrobe Youtube videos xx

(Lyrics of the day = 'Change clothes and go' from Change Clothes by Jay-Z ft Pharrel... What I was dancing to in that video in case you were wondering)

The Get To Know Me Tag | Zizzi's Wardrobe

Guys i'm not gonna lie to ya... This definitely isn't the most riveting video you'll ever watch in your life... Buuuuuuut I've been wanting to start a Youtube channel for a few years now so I thought i'd give this thang a go to kickstart myself and try and get more comfortable with talking to a camera in an empty room!

While I don't think that learning my middle names or favourite colour are particularly interesting or insightful I would love to get some feedback on how I can generally improve in front of the camera and what video content you'd personally like to see me produce...

I have a haul video and water drinking challenge video already in the works and from my own viewing habits I think that: hauls, natural hair stuff, health and wellbeing challenges, look books and perhaps a few story times and some mama and toddler stuff would be my general direction. What do ya think?

Will also be repairing or replacing my camera soon so don't worry, I won't always look like i'm radiating solar energy lol... And those failed credits at the end will go too (they didn't look like that when i initially edited them) xx

The 10 Most Stylish TV And Film Characters Of The 1990s...

It's actually embarrassing how many half finished lists like this that I have in my drafts, some have been here for well over a year quite some time, welp!! Perhaps I should look into hypnosis for getting organised, haha.


I was reminded about the existence of this lil post when I read 10 Models With Afros For Kendrick Lamar's Casting Call early in April, this is obviously not as fun or relevant as that lovely list (which you should definitely check out if you're an afro lover like me) but if you're a fan of 1990s fashion you might enjoy a lil trip down nostalgia lane with me...


Let me prefix this by saying that I came up with it off the top of my head and looking at the completed list now I've realised it's completely US-centric, with only one non-American title on the list. My bad. Would love to hear of suggestions from around the world if you have any!


The list isn't in any particular order but i'll get the most obvious ones out of the way first-





1) Hilary Banks- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-96) No one has ever made skirt suits and matching hats look quite as good as Hilary Banks and she's the obvious no-brainer for this list! Hillary was also queen of the bodycon mini dress and amazing accessories...

2.) Denise Huxtable- The Cosby Show (1984-1992) This one is a bit of a cheat as it obviously fits better in a 1980s list, but any chance I get to share photos of Denise Huxtable, I will! I was never a fan of The Cosby Show, always seemed kinda boring to me and now Bill Cosby's character seems so sinister, ugh... But Lisa Bonnet served bold look after bold look, a true chameleon...

3) Original Aunt Viv- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-96) Note the 'original' part because it's very important that you know that i'm only including the Aunt Viv of series 1-3, as gloriously depicted by Janet Hubert... Partly cos i'm petty and her replacement Daphne Maxwell-Reid played a docile, homebound travesty of a Viv. Original Aunt Viv was a force of nature, imposter Aunt Viv was just so... Meh! Everything that was great about the character left with Janet, including the level of faaaaaaabulous, regal fashions!

4.)Dionne- Clueless (1995) Who didn't love Dionne's daring fashion choices and those signature braids and creative accessories?!?!?

5.) Audrey Horne- Twin Peaks (1990-91) This femme fatalé's Twin Peaks closet is actually rather demure, One Eyed Jack's attire aside. There are a few Twin Peaks characters (Josie Packard, Donna Hayward) whose styles I also enjoy, but with her beautiful bob, red lips and lots of autumnal coloured clothing, Audrey Horne takes the crown for best dressed Twin Peaks character!

6.) Justice- Poetic Justice (1993) Braids so iconic that thick box braids are often referred to simply as 'Poetic Justice Braids'. Despite dusty, irrelevant ass French Montana's ignorant comments, everyone knows this equates with hair perfection! Janet Jackson looked fabulous in this 1993 classic. Even though her styling wasn't as busy as most of the ladies on this list, it was signature, laid back '90s cool.

7). Cassandra- Wayne's World (1992) Actress Tia Carrere radiates beauty and her bold Wayne's World closet was the perfect accompaniment to her confident, sexy character.

8). Strangé- Boomerang (1992) Grace Jones is living art and although i've never met her she's probably my favourite person (sorry family and friends). Stunning and uncompromising artistic in life and film, Grace serves up some seriously memorable haute couture looks as eccentric fashion extrordinaire Strangé...

9). Swell- Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead (1991) A friend at work recommended this film to me a few years ago and Swell's wardrobe did not disappoint! From youthful eclectic looks to early '90s office attire with a twist, Swell pulls it all off effortlessly.

10). Mathilda- Léon The Professional (1994) A young Natalie Portman makes her impressive film debut in this French thriller and her wardrobe is truly on point! Mathilda's signature black choker with a silver sun charm strings together a host of cool denim shorts and crop tops combos. To really appreciate her look, keep in mind that this is the real 1990s and not a modern day hipster lol...

BONUS 11).  Amber Clueless (1995) 10 in a title sounds better than 11... But I couldn't bring myself to publish this list without including Amber, the unsung fashion hero of Clueless. So much bolder in her wardrobe choices than Cher, her iconic red dollar sign hat alone earns her a place on the list!

Did I miss anyone important? xx

** Please note all pictures used are for commentary purposes only, if you own any of the photos and wish to have them removed from the post please e-mail me and I will take it/them down**

(Lyrics of the day = Amy Winehouse 'Halftime' vibes- 'Halftime, time to think it through, consider the change, seek it from a different view')

Kendrick Lamar's 'Humble' and the Erasure of Black Women's Bodies and Voices

I wasn't initially planning to write anything about this as the video i'm going to comment on was released 5 whole days ago (which is almost a year in internet time), but as someone who likes to stay up on these blogs, after all the drivel i've read over the last few days, I feel like I need to stick my twopence in, so ludicrously one sided has the debate become. Warning- I don't have anything particularly deep or insightful to say, i'm tryna take it back to basics here as that is something that seems to have been lost, so you can slide on by to the next if you're looking for a juicy think piece lol.

I was made aware of the video for Kendrick Lamar's latest release 'Humble' through a Facebook post I saw that caught my interest, it sparked a lot of interesting conversations in the comments, the kind you could sit and read with a box of popcorn. Watching the video you can't help but get caught up in the simple catchy beat and the super sleek visuals, but the hoo-ha has been caused by one of the very questionable choices made in the visual translation of these lyrics.

The offending line is 'I'm so fucking sick and tired of the photoshop / Show me something natural like afro on Richard Pryor / Show me something natural like ass with some stretch marks'.To accompany the first lyrics we see a model on a split screen. She transforms from filtered and fully made up with slick hair in a bun, wearing a glamorous top and jewellery to >> make-up free with minor blemishes, her lovely long, natural hair out and wearing men's enduring favourite- a plain white tank top. As you can see, she looks beautiful in both.

In the next scene the visual is of the 'ass with some stretch marks' in black underwear. The praise for the latter came in thick and fast, with many celebrating both the lyrics and rare media representation of a woman's stretch marks.

But it's mainly the Richard Pryor line that has divided opinion.
For those of you unfamiliar with him, here is a photo of Richard Pryor with his trademark afro (pretty much the exact same length that my hair is right now weirdly).

It didn't take long for observers to point out that the model was not representative of the lyrics and for some reason Kendrick's cohort, media outlets included, felt the need to go really hard in response to this basic truth in defence of the bizarre choice, deriding those who found it problematic as angry black feminist detractors... Like forreal, we're really doing this again?! It seems like this label gets thrown at Black women any time we disagree with anything, tis getting reallllll old!

On the one hand the word 'feminism' is being banded about in this context as a smear to try and delegitimise a very plain observation that actually has little to do with feminism, simply having eyes is enough to see why the model is the wrong choice for this scene, no feminist lens necessary. On the other hand, feminist praise is being thrown by the sackful by Vogue and other other outlets hailing the embracement of natural beauty and stretch marks as some massive feminist triumph. Woah there, y'all need to calm down, you're doing too much! 

One of the main arguments i've read in the shabby defence of the model's casting is that the lyrics are being taken 'too literally', as if we angry black feminists were all expecting Richard Pryor's lookalike to appear. Bloop. The other angle has been the predictable cries of 'she's just not Black enough for you', a narrative that even the model herself has unfortunately engaged in. 

While I disagree with the original tweeters incorrect assumption about the models hair (that it's a wig, a rather anti-black assumption in itself), her summary of the Richard Pryor lyrics as 'show me that kinky TWA girl' are pretty spot on...

To imply that Black women are being bigoted and bitter because the model 'isn't Black enough' is just another poor attempt to shut down reasonable debate and frame rightly disgruntled people as divisive 'haters' (Bossip has been especially awful for this), which also serves to shift this back to the old faithful light skin vs. Dark skin debate. After a quick look through the model's Instagram I found out that the beauty is Black and Korean. Cool, whatever. But the problem remains- SHE DOESN'T HAVE AN AFRO FOR GOODNESS SAKE... For a line that directly references short afro hair, why on earth would you use a biracial, light skinned model with long loose curls? And why are people being insulted and branded 'mad' for pointing out this glaringly obvious discrepancy? Nah, i'm not mad, i'm just bored to tears of this kind of fuckery. This scene would still have been a mess if they had used a dark skinned woman with long curly hair because the woman featured should have had an afro. That is the crux of the argument. Were there no afro sporting women available to shoot that day? Were they all on vacation? Do we need to put missing signs up yet?- 'Black women with afros, last seen on 29/03/17, the day before Humble was released, please urgently contact Kendrick Lamar if you have any information'... Like am I living in the twilight zone? Unfortunately not, this is just business as usual.

This isn't about holding Kendrick to some higher standard than other rappers, as has been suggested in many of the articles and tweets I've read, (if we did that then, as pointed out by people on social media, the conversation goes much deeper, centring on the use of women's bodies as props and the unnecessary commentary on them by men, as demonstrated in the lyrics of this song). As an artist who uses black women of different shades in his videos, he doesn't just get some woke pass that entitles him to release anything he likes, free from critical engagement. Showcasing some stretch marks is a nice little gesture I suppose, but it's not revolutionary feminism. He shouldn't have praise heaped on him simply for not being as bad as others in his genre.  He wrote lyrics challenging the prevailing beauty standards and then used a moment where he could and should have visually represented that in a powerful way, using a Black model with thick, kinky afro hair like the person he described and instead hypocritically chose to uphold the existing light skin, long looser hair, ambiguous features image that has been championed in hip hop for years and become synonymous with what it means to be a natural hair beauty as a Black woman. 

Put simply, if you're gonna speak about it, be about it! Black people are incredibly diverse, with a huge pool of features, textures and tones and all of these deserve to be spotlighted and celebrated, but it's insincere to act like the erasure of Black women with afro hair and/or dark skin isn't a huge recurring issue that damages our community just because we don't want to criticise our favourite artists. Representation matters. This has been proven time and time again. The playing field isn't equal. Black women shouldn't be shouted down for expressing this or expected to be grateful for the crumbs occasionally thrown at us. For once it would be nice if instead of chucking us under the bus and dismissing our critiques as petty and bitter, people actually really listened and engaged. Perhaps then a mainstream challenge to the anti-Black status quo that set these beauty standards might finally arise! xx

You can watch the video for Humble here

(P.S. Lyrics of the day = 'I get way too petty once you let me do the extras, pull up on your block then break it down- we playing Tetris' Humble, Kendrick Lamar)

Black Marley Braids On Short Afro Hair

A day or two after I tried the protein method (see last post) I set to work installing my Marley Braids....

It's taken me a minute to get used to the extra volume that comes with this hair but these are definitely my favourite type of braids! Light as a feather and they blend well with my natural texture so the style looks neater for longer.

I used about 5 1/2 packs of Noir kanekalon hair from the Janet Collection, in colour 1B. 

Marley braiding hair from the Janet Collection always kinda bums me out because there is so little of it in each pack, but I really like the quality of it so it's worth the extra few quid...

I would love some nice gold braid cuffs as I think they would compliment this style perfectly but I can't seem to find any that are both nice and affordable... Any suggestions would be very welcome! 

You can reblog this photoset on Tumblr here xx

(Lyrics of the day = 'Let me cover your shit in glitter I can make it gold', Consideration, Rihanna)