The Ever Sweet Cerise

To celebrate Mothers day (early) I have decide to focus our Friday post on my very own mother Cerise Fairfax. Surprise mom, love you!

My mother Cerise is an inspirational life coach, who has worked with the likes of Mark Strong, Devo Brown, DJ Starting from Scratch and many more! Currently residing in the beautiful downtown city of Toronto, she writes horoscopes for more than five publications across Canada! 

Being someone who has always been focused and able to overcome adversity she has been changing lives and giving advice to virtually hundreds of people for more than 20 years!

Born in Ontario My mother grew up in the heart of down town Toronto with her three sisters (Autumn, Darla and Audra) and her brother (Keith). Though her childhood was not always easy growing up in Regent Park, she made the best of whatever hand she was dealt and excelled as an individual and strong leader.

Having a locally renowned picker/upholsterer and a funkdafied Native-Afro-American for parents, it was only natural for my mom as a teen to hold on to her leadership qualities and became a trend setter in her neighbourhood- in fashion, music and beauty. Much like her father before her she found a creative outlet in antique hunting and thrifty finding, she would make her own clothes, jewelry and even hair gel! Inspired by the architecture of old cabbage town and the surrounding area, my mom had a pop-punk style all her own.

Through the years I have watched my mom change and grow, especially her hair. It has been bobbed, dyed bright pink, brown and blonde. It’s been teased, blow dried and pinned. It’s been braided and straight as well as naturally curly but most of all it has been loved!

My mother Cerise has amazing type 3C curly hair. If you have this type of hair, try these tips!

-Condition your hair! Hydration is key when you get into the more curly types of hair. Breakage occurs in this hair type more often and hydration will stop your hair from drying out and breaking off. Try Dagger & Arrow Butter Cream to lock in moisture after the shower.

-Take your time with this hair and treat it delicately. Remember if you get what you pay for when it comes to hair products so don’t scrooge out on your hair!

-Try wet sets to control frizz and fly away hairs, and remember to use Dagger & Arrow GELI to nourish your hair and maintain style. 

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Tips for doing African American and mixed girls' natural hair

Here are the remaining tips of seven on how to care for mixed and African American hair. Enjoy!

4. Plaits - can be done in multiple sections, you start one but you can do an infinite number depending on the style. Women typically add barrettes, baubles and elastic bands to the ends to hold the plait together.
Plaits are a great way to start caring for short hair, so as soon as a child has enough to pull together, even twist use rubber bands.
Plaits are parted in threes when you are creating pig tails then twisted or intertwined around each other. Make sure you have bands for the ends.

5. Braids - last from two weeks to a month or more depending on how small they are and how tightly they are pulled. You really need to measure how tightly you pull the hair because it can cause damage to the scalp and cause extensive irritation in some cases it pulls hair out at the follicles.

Braids are parted into threes when you are braiding hair close to the scalp in cornrows. You need to keep rubber bands on hand black and clear ones are great but whatever you have that will hold the ends of your rows is great.

6. Brushing black natural hair is important. Actually vital to hair growth and cleanliness but you need to be attentive to how hard you brush what type of bristles are used and being careful about stimulating the scalp, stimulating blood circulation.
The best way is to always section off the hair as many times as necessary to start at the end of hair shaft detangling as you get closer to the scalp.

7. Combing is also very important, it helps with removing shed hair and detangling the hair shafts, this is always best done with a pick or a wide tooth comb. Butparting hair is always done best with a rat tail comb - using the rat tail end, usually giving straighter lines when parting hair.

When using the comb to detangle or loosen hair strands it is always better to start at the root coming from the scalp , bit by bit after sectioning off hair but you must be careful, holding the sections as you comb through.

Tip letting kids wear afros are a chic thing to do these days, but you must have a afro pick, good moisturizers and attentive care.Hair bands are great for little girls!

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Seven tips for doing African American and mixed girl's natural hair

Introduction to black hair!

The earlier you start combing your child's hair the better! When they are first born and wee things we tend to brush it and stroke it but it must be combed and brush on a daily basis. The sooner you get into the habit of combing through your daughter's hair the better for you and the child. It becomes a routine!

Black hair varies in all natural textures and even shades, naturally. It must also be well moisturized, washed and maintained. With little black girls, biracial girls and even some other ethnic groups present a challenge for mothers and fathers wishing to grow, keep and maintain their precious little princess' locks, curls, plaits or braids

I know a lot of people want to relax their daughters hair as quickly as they can because it takes a lot of the work out of doing hair. But i always suggest that you wait as long as you can, at least until the child starts school about five or six years old, if you plan to do it on your own. Or find someone who is good with kids and good at doing little girl's relaxers and someone you trust to do the chemical treatment.

And when you do decide to go with a relaxer don't relax the child's hair completely straight, you just want to be able to style it yourself, making it manageable! Relaxing it completely straight could start the cycle of damage and dryness you want to avoid at an early age.

A straighting comb is another option but since this is a really delicate task i don't even recommend this until a child is at least ten to twelve. But it is a lot gentler if you want to keep the girls hair as close to natural as possible


1. Cleaning natural black hair is a weekly task for caregivers.

Choosing the right shampoo and conditioner is always a trial and error expedition for first time momma's, unless they already have a product they have tested and tried and wish to use on their daughters.
Tip is you should use the most natural product that will add moisture to scalp, and hair.

2. Using a hair oil and moisturizer is necessary for growth and everyday hair care.
Once again choosing the right oil is a trial and error expedition unless you already have a natural product that will be gentle and beneficial to growing and maintaining healthy hair.
The child's hair must be oiled every day or every other day depending on the product and how much your daughter's hair absorbs.
Tip use natural oils like olive oil, coconut oil and tea tree oil are some of the best.
Massaging the oil into the child's scalp and throughout all the hair all the way to the ends. The best way to get it all through the child's hair is to part the hair into section that are workable with a rat tail comb.

3. Drying natural hair can happen two ways :

A. Letting hair dry naturally to a damp feel - leave hair about 30 minutes to air dry. Then combing the hair as you would like but not for cornrow braids. But damp hair is great if you plait it, depending on hair texture it leave hair wavy when it is completely dry, preventing tangles and making hair manageable.

B. Using a blow dryer - dry hair in sections completely, brushing continuously unless you have a dryer with a brush or comb attachment.

Adding gel or a leave in conditioner is also vital for hair if you are looking to smooth it down but you need to make sure these products don't contain alcohol because it leads to drying and breakage. Add them when the hair is damp.

Tip you can use them but not for long periods of time and make sure you wish them out within a few days or hours.

C. Cornrow braids should be done when the hair is completely dry, well oiled and detangled. Braiding is easy but it takes persistence and practice to get it right and while you are doing this you must dedicate yourself to figuring out how you and your child can work together.

You must be willing to spend the hours and make the child enjoy the experience so you need to involve them in the process that can take up lots of hours. You do not want this experience to be horrific and the more fun you can have makes it easier on the child and your nerves will survive.

Check back all this week for the other four tips!

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Curly Baby Tips

Continuing with our Mothers Day week special here are a couple more tips to help you with your baby's beautiful tresses.

THREE:Protect your baby's hair with proper styling. If at all possible, leave your child's hair as natural as possible. Curly hair is already fragile, excessive heat and styling methods that pull the hair (i.e. ponytails) may only make your child's hair more susceptible to breakage. Don't pull your child's hair too tightly and do not use cheaply fashioned rubber bands on your child's hair. They can snag and pull, causing splitting and breakage. Do not brush your child's head too harsh. Try using wide tooth combs instead.

FOUR:Use due diligence to stimulate your baby's hair growth. Protect your child's head from damage or breakage during appropriate weather conditions. Babies' heads need to be protected from all types of weather, especially excessive heat and cold. Also, buy a satin pillowcase for your baby.

Rest assured, your baby's hair can grow and it will grow if you use the right techniques for their curly, ethnic hair. Curly hair needs love and great care. To detangle African American hair even more, and encourage growth and bring out curls, also spray the hair with an even mixture of water and olive oil or grapeseed oil daily.

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How to Take of Your Baby's Curly Hair

In light of Mothers day being just around the corner, we decided to focus this weeks posts on tips for moms and new moms on how to manage their baby's hair.

You have your bundle of joy and want to give him or her the best hair care possible. However, you may not be sure where to turn. There are few hair care shampoos available on the market that caters to both children and curly hair. Yet, one thing is certain. You probably want to expose your child to as few chemicals and skin irritants as possible, whether that be through shampoos, styling techniques, and styling products. Well, there is help available. Although infant hair care requires special love and attention, it is very simple. Just follow the rules below and you will uncover your baby's beautiful curl pattern while also fostering the perfect environment for healthy, curly hair growth.

ONE: Apply a small amount of oil to your baby's scalp two times daily. This will moisturize the hair, help a thirsty scalp, and create an environment optimal for curly hair growth. A Great oil to use is the Dagger & Arrow Deep Treating Oil with Jojoba. Jojoba oil is particularly excellent in preventing dry scalp and not producing an oily head or face.


TWO:Avoid bad chemicals on your baby's hair, these include Vaseline, petroleum, mineral oil, sulfates, and silicones. Be also certain not to apply lotions to your child's hair that contain parabens. Parabens are proven cancer-causing agents. If you prefer a hair lotion, try Dagger & Arrow Butter Cream . It is 100% natural and includes excellent natural oils for thirsty hair you want to grow, including jojoba, shea, almond, and castor, It will also define your baby's curls. Light and silky, it will soften your baby's hair.

Check back tomorrow to get Two more great baby hair care tips !

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The.God.Of.THUNDER

   T’is Friday! Yes that’s correct today we will be showing you our featured avenger! I had so much fun writing about all these amazing superheroes and an even better time researching new heroes to feature for upcoming posts-oh yes, that’s right, I will be nerding in up again one day! I hope you all enjoyed guessing and great work to those who won! Most of my friends who know me well knew who I was going to pick, I could go on about his powers –and I will shortly- however let’s just say it for what it is; Thor is awesome.

   Leaping from the legends of Norse mythology, the Asgardian God of Thunder, Thor, is the son of Odin the All-Father and Jord, the spirit of the Earth. He stands alongside the Avengers in this year’s newest flick, in the defense of the people of Midgard (Earth), against the schemes of his half-brother Loki. He formerly dwelt in a recreation of Asgard in Oklahoma, using the mortal form of Donald Blake to provide a bridge between his people and the mortals surrounding them.

 Like all Asgardians, Thor is not truly immortal but relies upon periodic consumption of the Golden Apples of Idunn to sustain his extended lifespan, which to date has lasted many millennia. Being the son of Odin and the elder goddess Gaea, Thor is physically the strongest of the Asgardians. If pressed in battle, Thor is also capable of entering into a state known as the "Warrior's Madness" ("berserkergang" in Norwegian), which will temporarily increase his strength and stamina tenfold, although in this state he attacks friend and foe alike.

Thor possesses a very high resistance to physical injury that approaches invulnerability. Thor also possesses keen senses that allows him to track objects traveling faster than light and hear cries from the other side of the planet. Thor has the ability to travel through time. His stamina allowed him to battle the entire Frost Giant army for nine months without any sustenance or rest; Thor has also shown the ability to regenerate wounded portions of his body, including entire limbs or organs, with the aid of magical forces like Mjolnir, Thor has superhuman speed, agility, and reflexes, enabling him to deflect bullets with his hammer. Like all Asgardians he has immunity to all Earthly diseases and some resistance to magic. However, exceptionally powerful magic can overwhelm Odin's enchantment that transforms him between Asgardian and mortal forms.


As the Norse god of Thunder, Thor can summon the elements of the storm (lightning; rain; wind; snow) and uses Mjolnir as a tool to focus this ability, although the hammer cannot command artificial weather, only natural. He can cause these weather effects all over the world and destroy entire buildings; by whirling his hammer he can also lift entire buildings with the wind. As the son of the Earth goddess Gaea, Thor has shown some control over the Earth.

Thor is a superb hand-to-hand combatant, and also skilled in armed combat, excelling in the use of the war hammer, sword, axe and mace. Thor possesses two items which assist him in combat: the enchanted Belt of Strength, and his mystical hammer Mjolnir. The first item doubles Thor's strength and endurance while the second is used to control his weather abilities; flight; energy projection and absorption; dimensional travel; matter manipulation and the most powerful of his offensives, the God Blast (which taps into Thor's life force), the Thermo-blast, and the Anti-Force (which counteracts another force). Using Mjolnir by throwing in the desired direction and then holding on to the handle's leather loop, Thor can also fly at supersonic speeds in Earth's atmosphere and travel faster than light in space. When Thor has to transport companions and/or objects to a destination by himself, he has a chariot drawn by two huge mystical goats called Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder that can fly nearly anywhere he desires almost as easily as with Mjolnir. He can throw an object out of Earth's atmosphere using his strength, and throw his hammer to Asgard from where it will return.

Thor has wispy type 1C hair. If you have this hair, try these tips!

Use Dagger & Arrow Crème Vanille Conditioner to repair dry damaged ends ad give more strand definition.

Try Dagger & Arrow Deep Treating Elixir between every few shampoos to get vital nutrients back into your hair.

Use Dagger & Arrow Pekoe Vanille Hair Spritz to add help with growth

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Smooth as Silk

Hey everyone, hope you are all enjoying our funtastic superhero week! I know I am having so much fun reading up on lots of heroes I didn't know about before, I'm going to be so sad when this week is over. Ah well, moving on.

Bringing our superhero week to a close (almost) we have Silk Specter. I chose to do her not only for her pro-natural attitude but also for her hair type. I felt it important to cover all types of hair in our superhero week.

Laurie Juspeczyk is the superhot 1940’s superheroine love child of Sally Jupiter and the Comedian. Both of whom are two almighty superheroes part of the super-group the Minutemen. Many believe that Laurie does not go by her mother’s preferred name of ‘Jupiter’ out of spite. However like our featured avenger Laurie is proud of her polish heritage and true to her roots.

Silk Specter is an outspoken- modern-liberal feminist, who is not afraid to speak her mind, even when she’d not spoken to. She does not confine herself to the restrictions of societal norms and is a gorgeous mix of brains and brawn.

Among her many hobbies Silk enjoys saving people from burning buildings, stopping bank robberies, helping restore order to society and oh yes, walking on Mars.

Silk Specter has beautiful thick type 1b Hair. If you have this type of hair, try these maintenance tips!

Use our Pekoe Vanille Hair Spritz to help stop breakage, It has just the right amount of nourishing oils for your hair and it won’t weigh it down

Use Dagger & Arrow Crème Vanille Conditioner to lightly condition your hair and repair dead ends

Use a light cleanser not a shampoo. Don’t strip your hair, clean it! 

Tips! Our Deep Treating Elixir has an amazing mix of nutrients to add more luster to all types of hair

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