킴씨머리 (Kimshi Meoli) Product Review: Curl Junkie Curl Rehab (Staple Alert!!)

Description of your hair: (1) medium density (2) fine and medium texture (3) normal/low porosity (4) Daughters OS + cottony/silky.

Name of Product in Review: Curl Junkie Curl Rehab Gardenia-Coconut, 8 oz for $20; 32 oz for $65

Product Description (from the jar): “Give your hair the moisture it deserves. Check your dry, frizzy curls into rehab! Give your hair the chance to rejuvenate and revive with aloe, herbs and rich butters & oils."

Product Ingredients (from the label): Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Equisetem Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis (Melissa) Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Yucca Leaf Extract, Rosa Mosqueta (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuaçu)  Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Vanilla Planifolia Oil, Cananga Odorata Oil, Lecithin, Fragrance, Citric Acid.

Fragrance: Lightly floral; I believe that it is the smell of the Gardenia flower that gives it that aroma. I'm not usually a fan of floral scents (and my nose is highly sensitive to them), but this is a very pleasant and light one. I even enjoy sniffing it just because!

Texture: It's a thick, off-white creamy texture. Shake it upside down and it won't move. But put some on your finger and it doesn't feel quite so dense. It keeps my fine strands moisturised without weighing them down with heavy ingredients.

Ease of Application (1-5 with 5 being the easiest): 10 - It's SUPER easy to apply! It glides onto my hair no matter what.

Your Experience: I first won the CJ Curl Rehab in a giveaway from CurlyNikki earlier this year. I was doubtful of its amazingness because I'd only seen waterlily716's review on it, and her texture is very different from mine. Still, I decided to give it a shot. At the time (February/March), I DCed before I hopped into the shower. So I wet my hair and started to apply the Curl Rehab in sections. I was immediately struck by how thick yet light it felt on my fingers. And then I was floored by the ridiculous levels of slip! Even my dry, rough ends gave way. Every tangle that was in my hair melted away instantly. I finger detangled and deep conditioned my entire head with less than an ounce of product! I ended up using the 8 oz jar of the Curl Junkie Rehab at least 9 times to DC. Fast forward to today, and I repurchased the huge 32 oz canister of the Curl Rehab with the pump. My hair has several more inches of length, a bad hair coloring experience ( = dryness + more breakage) and a wide tooth comb to contend with. Same unbelievable performance. It melts tangles away whether I apply it to soaking wet, damp or bone dry hair. It is well worth the hefty price tag, and a little goes a very long way! I love, love, love, love this stuff! So Waterlily716 was right after all ;-P

Would you recommend to a curlfriend: Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I have already told a few curlies on IG and IRL about this DC. I think it'd work for a wide range of hair textures and do a superb job on each one.

How many curls overall (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the kitties titties!): Definitely a 100! There is absolutely nothing negative about this product!

Price range SN: Again, like many other uber-natural products, the Curl Rehab carries a relatively hefty price tag in comparison to its size. However, if it's purchased when Curl Junkie has a good sale, you get a better deal. Also, consider the quality of the ingredients included in the product. Additionally, when if you estimate that you use 1 32 oz bottle (or 4 8 oz bottles) in 8 months (1 oz/week for 32 weeks) and divide $65 by 32 weeks, you get approximately $2.03 weekly. If you use only 0.5 oz a week, the 32 oz bottle would last you into the next year and the cost would decrease even more. For some it's not worth it, and that's fine. Do you, boo (in the words of Shameless Maya)! For me, however, the price tag is well worth the level of quality.

Ciao, bellas!

Kimberlee/"Kimmie"

My large bottle of the Curl Rehab Gardenia Coconut!

킴씨머리 (Kimshi Meoli) Product Review: The Healing Place (THP) Daily Greens

안녕하세요!

Today is another product review, bellas. I'm super excited about this one, and I couldn't wait to write this review! More info about the company is after the initial review.

Description of your hair: (1) medium density (2) fine and medium texture (3) normal/low porosity (4) Daughters OS + cottony/silky.

Name of Product in Review: Daily Greens, 4 oz for $10

Product Description (from the jar): “Antioxidant rich green tea, soothing avocado, and nourishing grape seed that come together in creamy goodness to give your skin its daily dose of greens.” 

Product Ingredients (from the label): Avocado Butter, Grape Seed Oil, Green Tea Extract, Vitamin E, Matcha Powder, Fragrance (phalate free), Loads of Love.

Fragrance: Very green tea-esque. I enjoy smelling it even at random times during the day because the aroma is so relaxing and therapeutic. If you don't like the smell of tea, though, you might not like this fragrance.

Texture: A thick, fluffy butter. It has enough weight to keep a light case of the fuzzies/frizzies at bay, is light enough not to weigh down finer strands, and emulsifies quickly (about 5 seconds in my experience).

Ease of Application (1-5 with 5 being the easiest): 5 - It's very easy to apply. It practically glides onto my hair, even on top of other products. It's also easy to apply to skin, too.

Your Experience: When Nubian, the founder of THP, first opened her store, I kept hearing great things about the Daily Greens butter from the other CN ladies. I ordered the travel size (2 oz) of it, and tried a bit of it on my skin when it arrived. It made my dry patch of eczema feel like buttah! I then used it at my next wash session, utilising it after my liquid and cream leave ins and under my flax gel. I was amazed at how readily it emulsified, and how well it sealed in moisture in my hair. My hair stayed moisturised all week long; I didn't have to reapply any products at all! Every time I've used it, it has delivered the same stellar results. I love it! 
SN: $10 may seem a bit steep to some for "only" 4 oz of butter, but remember the ingredients in the product, and that a little goes a long way. I'm on my 4th week of the 2 oz travel size jar, and it might've lasted me until next weekend if I wasn't so heavy handed with it. So, for me, two 4 oz tubs = 16 weeks/4 months of use. That's only $5/month, which is a great deal for such high quality ingredients.

Would you recommend to a curlfriend: Yes, yes, yes, and yes again. This is a great all natural butter that a wide range of curlies would likely appreciate. 

How many curls overall (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the kitties titties!): Definitely a 5! I can't think of anything negative to say about it.

The cute little jar in the bottom right side picture is it! It has made it into my staple category. I just reordered 2 more full size jars

Just showcasing the different products this has been combined with. I like it combined particularly with the SM Curl Enhancing Smoothie, methinks. The hold and moisture are unbelievable!

Sitting 'neath the Nuance is the miracle in a jar. DG worked well with this conditioner, too.

SN: The Healing Place (THP) was started recently by Nubian Flunder, one of the knowledgeable ladies on CN. She is a pleasure to do business with; her turnaround time and shipping are fast, and she will graciously answer any questions you have about her products. Just FYI, I wasn't paid to do this review, but I enjoy supporting other curlies in their entrepreneurial endeavors, so I decided to show my support by reviewing one of her products and helping to get her company's name more "out there." I'm sure that she'd appreciate it if you checked out her Etsy page, too!

안녕!

What new products have you tried lately? Any new favorites? Have you ever tried anything from THP?

킴씨머리 (Kimshi Meoli) Product Review: Shea Moisture Hold & Shine Moisture Mist + "Flax-i" Hold

I'm going to try something a bit different today and use the CurlyNikki Community Review format as a basic structure for this review. Here goes!

Description of your hair: (1) medium density (2) fine and medium texture (3) normal/low porosity (4) Daughters OS [check out the LOIS system] + cottony/silky. 

Name of Product in Review: Shea Moisture Hold & Shine Moisture Mist

Product Description [from Walgreens.com]: 

Our all-natural moisture mist eliminates frizz, while hydrating hair and creating brilliant shine and curl control. For thick, curly hair.
• Coconut oil: Hydrates and protects hair from heat and chemical damage
• Silk protein: Reduces breakage, strengthens hair, adds smoothness an silkiness
• Neem oil: An age-old ayurvedic oil that strengthens hair and provides brilliant shine
• Provides moisture and body
• No parabens, phthalates, paraffin, Formaldehyde, propylene glycol, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance, PABA, synthetic color, DEA, animal ingredients, or sulfates

Product Ingredients: (from NaturallyCurly.com)

Deionized Water, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Silk Protein, Essential Oil Blend, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Algae Extract, Hyssopus Officinalis Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf and Equisetum Arvense Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E). *Denotes Certified Organic Ingredient.

Fragrance: Tropical - not as coconut-ty as the leave ins and stylers, but you can definitely tell what the scent is.

Texture: Liquid

Ease of Application: on a scale of 0-5, how easy was it to apply to hair with 5 being easy (not rough in texture)

It was relatively easy to apply. It comes in a spray bottle,  so spritzing it on a section is pretty effortless. It goes on my hair pretty well; I can usually rake it through without too many issues. My coarser strands don't take to this as easily because of the large amount of silk protein. It's a smoother glide on my finer strands, however. So I'll give it a 4 out of 5.

Your experience: I used this as my liquid leave in and refresher for the past month or so. The entire time I tested it was almost solely with the SM Curl & Style Milk. I thought that that would be too protein-y for my thicker strands of hair, but it actually wasn't too bad. It also blended well with a protein-free leave in I bought a while back. It's supposed to help with hold (hence the name), and while it didn't give me much of that, it did help me a lot in the shine department. My twists have been shine-ty and on point for weeks now, thanks to this. The oils, butters and plant extracts added a healthy shine to my coils and curls. I also used this to refresh my twists before bed; once during the middle of the week, I'd spray my ends and smooth a bit on my roots, seal it in with some EVOO, and cover with my scarf for the next day. It tamed frizzies pretty well, and helped keep my ends looking smooth and sleek. 

Because of all the protein, I really think that my ends might have benefited the most from using this spray. I've noticed less SSKs and less breakage. Definitely an incentive to repurchase!

Would you recommend to a curlfriend: Yes!

How many curls overall: 5 big, fat juicy curls! :-D

Want proof? Here's photos of different twists I did with this wonderful spritz as my L:

In addition, I've started making my very own....*drum roll*....flaxseed gel! I wanted extra hold for my twists, but regular gel wasn't cutting it for me. I remembered that we had flaxseeds in the pantry, so I looked up Naptural85's recipe on the magic YT and followed it almost to a T. I omitted the EOs because 1) I can't really afford them right now, and 2) I don't particularly like them.

I was more than a little skeptical of how well it would hold, but as I used it on my twists week after week, I was floored! A small amount gave my curls amazing definition, actually added moisture, had slip enough to rake through, and put some extra shine on ma hurr. I love it! I made a second batch on Friday (which was a little too runny), and again used it on my twists for the week. Now don't get me wrong, it's not on the same hold level as HE Set Me Up gel, but it doesn't get tangled in my curls, and defines them more quickly. It doesn't help atall in the shrinkage department though, and the hold can vary depending on how long you boil your batch. So it's definitely a light to medium hold gel - maybe best for when you want bigger hair, less hang (when is that?! o_O), or don't mind not having hold as strong as a regular gel.

My batch:

안녕!

Have you ever tried the SM Hold & Shine Mist? What did you think of it? What's your favorite liquid leave in/refresher, if you use one? Have you ever tried making or purchased flaxseed gel? What did you think  - did it work for you?

P.S. In the few months that I haven't been on here, my hair actually grew! I was fingering through my wet hair a week ago, and I was actually able to gather it into a messy(-ish) bun! I couldn't believe it! There is something to this twisting and putting away of hair. I'd like to see if I could do it all summer and see where I am by the time the fall semester begins.

Look at this! My front sections, which seemed stalled, actually grew. Unbelievable...

Product Review: Sally's GVP Conditioning Balm + My Sister's First Successful WnG

안녕하세요!

On Saturday, I convinced my sister to give the CG method a try. She'd been watching MahoganyCurls and loved her flaxseed gel twist out. We didn't have flax gel, so I decided to help her with a WnG instead. My sister has always had a hard time wearing her hair out. Though she has waves and loose curls, her individual strands tend to be fine and feather-light. She needs heavy products that can keep her hair weighed down, but that are still moisturising and help with definition. Using the Denman on her hair could sometimes be problematic, because it separated her hair into too many sections.

With this in mind, I stopped by Sally's and thought that this conditioner might be heavy duty enough to keep her hair moisturized. I picked up two bottles of it.

Once at home, my sister did one last silicone condish DC with the TRESemme Platinum Strength Deep Treatment (she lurves this stuff!), left it on for a bit, and then shampooed with her TRESemme Vitamin E Moisture Rich Shampoo. She loaded her hair with the GVP Balm, let it sit for 20 minutes, and then we both started to finger detangle ( I usually help my sister with her hair because she has so much of it, and it's overwhelming for her sometimes.). HUGE mistake. This conditioner is uber thick and has almost no slip to it! I had to drench every section with water before trying to rake it through her hair. I finally started to add some TRESemme Naturals to a few sections, and that helped with detangling immensely. At any rate, after about 30 minutes of raking, I asked my sister if I could add gel to make it a true WnG. She reluctantly agreed. So I took some of her Fantasia IC Fantasia gel and raked it through a few sections. The parts with TRESemme Naturals instantly started to get white flakes and balls (meh!), so I ran and grabbed my Herbal Essences Set Me Up gel, which is a much heavier styler. I just kept adding more gel (especially to her roots, ends, the underside, and the top layer of her hair) and raking, raking, raking. Her definition was amazing! She never got these results doing the TC method or using the Denman. The GVP balm was really moisturising, and added much needed weight to her thick, lightweight waves.

Next, I took my Turbie Twist and scrunched some of the moisture and excess product from her hair (to give her a bit of a jump start on drying). And then I diffused her hair (high heat and speed) using the PixieCurl method, holding each section up for about 90 seconds (not all at once lol).

These are her results at about 70% dry:

Her thoughts on the balm? Totally sucked. She liked the fact that it was moisturizing and could keep her hair weighed down, but she didn't enjoy spending so much time trying to get it through her hair. She's also much more of a fragrance person than I am, and she didn't like the fact that the balm had such a light scent. I'd have to agree with her (except for the scent part); it was a nightmare trying to use this conditioner! Adding all the extra water just to get this stuff to comb more easily was a pain.

My sister's rating: 1 out of 5 curls


I returned both GVP balms to Sally's on Monday, and we haven't looked back. She's looking forward to using the normal silicone conditioners and sulphate poos that her hair knows and loves. She might try the MC flax gel twistout this weekend though (I made a batch of flax gel), so we'll see.

안녕!

How about you, curlistas? Have you ever tried the GVP Conditioning Balm? How did you use it? Did you like it?

WnG Day 3 + My New Favorite Oil

Buon giorno, bellas!

My Wash 'n' Go is still going strong...it's day 3 now (or, the 2nd day after styling). Last night I was feeling extra lazy, so I skipped the bobby pins and put my hair into 7 or 8 fat twists (a la Tightly Curly method style from my TWA days). They pretty much stuck straight up all over my head. I didn't take any photos of it because, well - I don't want to be blackmailed later in life. Lol. I didn't want my hair too stretched, so I made sure to twist pretty loosely and not go all the way down to the ends.

This morning, I drizzled some safflower oil on my hands, smoothed it on my twists, and then untwisted, starting from the bottom. The results?

Left front. You can also see how the roots of that wonky wavy-ish section went straight a bit further back. They are straight ratchet -__-

The back

Full front view :-)

Right side - I have no idea why it looks like this. It kind of looks like most of my hair ended up on this side of my head and it doesn't know where to go. I'll know better next time.

Left side - my favorite :-D I also love that little tendril poking up in the back; it looks like a fiddlehead.

The right front. That frizz further back is driving me bonkers. That area of my head frizzes no matter what I do; it's always been like that. Meh.

I'm still loving it! Once it starts to look cray, I'll just spritz, remoisturize, and flat twist both sides and pin them together.

Maybe I'm just a crazy, but for some reason, my hair seems less tangled, more manageable and quicker to do when my hair is loose. In twists, all the shed hair wrapped around my other strands; it was a nightmare to detangle. Even taking down my twists after 2-3 days to finger detangle didn't help much. And I don't touch my hair nearly as much. Humphy. Mayhaps I'll go for another month and see how my hair does. *le sigh* Is it just me, or does it seem like once I have my hair figured out, it switches up on me? I can't be alone in this lol.


In other news, safflower oil has become one of my favorites! I did a bit of research, and found that it's a great oil for the hair. It's a lighter vegetable oil that comes from safflower seeds. There are two varieties: one with high amounts of polyunsaturated fats, which has a low smoke point and goes easily rancid. That type is used mostly in salad dressings. The kind useful for cooking (and hair) has high levels of monounsaturated fats and a high smoke point (which makes me think that it could be a good heat protectant, similar to grapeseed oil).

Though safflower oil lacks vitamin E, there are some companies which produce the oil enriched with this crucial vitamin (mine is vitamin E enriched). Flavorless, this yellow-tinted oil protects and moisturises the hair strands, nourishes the follicles (when applied to the scalp), and stimulates blood circulation to stimulate hair growth. It's great in deep conditioners, moisturizers, as a sealant, prepoo, etc. Additionally, it's great for eating, too - in salads, for stir frying, and much more.

I love how silky safflower oil is; I put it on my ends and the length and roots of my hair, and it instantly made it easier to finger through my hair. It helps to soften the gel cast and adds a nice shine to my hair. It's definitely on my staples list :-D

Have you ever tried safflower oil? What are some of your favorite oils? How do you use them?

Sources: CurlyNikki.com, "7 Fabulous Natural Oils for Natural Hair" 11 May 2011.
LiveStrong.com, "Safflower Oil" n.d.
Buzzle.com, "Safflower Oil for Hair Growth" n.d.

Product Review: Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Fortifying Conditioner + POTW

I did a video on the magic YT (there's a story behind that name, btdubs :-P ) about this product, but I've decided that YouTube land isn't for me. I like being a subbie only :-) So, I'm redoing the video just for the blog :-D

Here are the ingredients, as promised:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Cetearyl Alcohol, Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Octyldodecanol, Zea Mays Starch/Corn Starch, Parfum/Fragrance, Pyrus Malus Extract/Apple Fruit Extract, Camelina Sativa Oil/Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil/Apricot Kernel Oil, Glycine Soja Oil/Soybean Oil, Tocopherol [Vitamin E], Caprylyl Glycol, Benzoic Acid, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine HCI, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citric Acid, Saccharum Officinarum Extract/Sugar Cane Extract/Extrait de Canne a Sucre, Citrus Medica Limonium Peel Extract/Lemon Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract/Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Malpighia Punicifolia/Acerola Fruit Extract.

Not too shabby ingredients-wise, methinks. Update: I tried this condish as a detangler today in the shower on my back sections. It worked well, but I needed a LOT to do it. I'll try it on a looser section next week.
On the bright side, this product does rinse very clean and leaves almost no residue. It actually rinses more clean than VO5, so a new staple cowash has been born :-D


Ooh! Since I only do my hair on a weekly basis and I don't really moisturize in between wash days, I've decided to add a Products of the Week (POTW) feature every weekend so that y'all can see what I'm using. Here's this week's video :-)

I ended up using all three conditioners to detangle my hair. I had my hair divided into 12 twists, so I used TRESemme Naturals on my first four twists, Garnier on the next four, and Yes to Cucumbers on the last set of four. It worked out pretty well, I believe. Since I didn't use TN for my entire head, I still have a tiny bit left...quite an aggravating amount that's staring back at me at this moment lol. Quick note: Remember how I mentioned the fragrance that the Garnier Pure Clean condish has? Well, it wasn't nearly as strong when I was in the shower detangling. It smelled mostly like an apple-ish type fragrance; I could hardly smell the fragrance. I'm thinking that the concentration of fragrance might be less in this formula than in the other types of Garnier conditioners. Whatever the case may be, I'm really liking this! It's already mixed up in an empty Nature's Gate conditioner bottle with aloe vera juice and vinegar, ready for my next cowash :-D

I also gave the Taliah Waajid PMB another shot, and I'm glad that I did. One curly on CN mentioned that she used it on damp hair. So I plopped for about 30 minutes, and then spritzed each twist 6 times with the PMB. My hair was barely damp, and it worked much better this go! It still doesn't have that slip that I want that the Oyin Juices & Berries has, but it's better than it was the last time.

That's about it for today, chicas!

When is your wash day, curlies? Do you like quickie regimens, or do you like to give your hair a slower, more delectable treat? What were your POTW?

New Purchases!

So I said that there would be an end to stash hauls, but I will update on new purchases! Here are the products I've purchased recently:

In addition to that, I just bought the Shea Moisture Organic Yucca & Baobab Volumizing Conditioner from Target. It should be here soon :-) Anywho, here are the other products!

1. Yes to Cucumbers Color Protection Shampoo

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Sea Water, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Hydrolyzed Algin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol. * Certified Organic Ingredient

I used this on my last wash day. Oh my goodness gracious, this stuff is a miracle worker! How does one create a shampoo that lathers gently, doesn't contain sulphates or harsh cleansers, cleans, yet moisturizes? There is gold in that bottle! Lol. I look forward to using it again; I may begin to look forward to wash days now. Heh heh heh.

Price: $7.99
Size: 11.5 oz/340 mL

2. Nature's Gate Aloe Vera Moisturizing Shampoo

Ingredients: Water, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine (coconut derived), sodium cocoyl isethionate (coconut derived), disodium cocoamphodiacetate (coconut derived), glycerin (vegetable derived), aloe barbadensis leaf juice, panthenol, hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, borago officinalis (borage) seed oil, tocopherol (vitamin E), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), hordeum vulgare (barley) extract, urtica dioica (nettle) extract, persea gratissima (avocado) fruit extract, viola tricolor (pansy) extract, ascorbyl palmitate (vitamin C), sorbitan sesquicaprylate (coconut and corn derived), polysorbate 20 (vegetable derived), hydroxypropyl methylcellulos (plant derived), sodium hydroxide, glyceryl undecylenate (vegetable derived), phenoxyethanol, fragrance*. 
*Phthalate free.

I haven't tried this yet, but it smells exactly like its matching conditioner (like bubble gum), and the ingredients look divine! It'll be a while before I try this, though; I want to finish my other shampoo and a cowash mix before starting this one.

Price: $4.39 (on Vitacost.com)
Size: 18 oz/532 mL

3. Nubian Heritage EVOO & Moringa Repair & Extend Conditioner with Quinoa, Fennel & Henna

Ingredients: Deionized Water , Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive) , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Sorbitol Esters , Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter , Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado) , Vegetable Protein , Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil , Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil , Lawsonia Inermis Leaf Powder (Henna) , Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B-5) , Proprietary Essential Oil Blend , Behentrimonium Chloride , Chenopodium Quinoa Extract , Foeniculum Vulgare Extract (Fennel) , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract , Rosemary Extract , Bamboo Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower Extract.

I know that it's a RO condish, but I'm going to use this as a sort of protein DT...but mix it into my carrot DC (more info on that a bit later) so that I can get both softness and strength (and color). I should be using it during my next wash day, so I'll have preliminary thoughts for you by then.

Price: $11.99
Size: 12 oz/355 mL

4. Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier

Ingredients: Deionized Water (Aqua), Wheat Germ Extract (Triticum vulgare), Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) Leaf, Cetrimonium Bromide, Cetyl Alcohol, DMDM Hydantoin, Olive Oil (Olea europaena), Glycerol (Vegetable Derived), Silk Amino Acids, Bay Laurel Extract (Lauris nobilis), Fragrance (Parfum).

I think that I'm going to like this stuff! Even after being charmed by Oyin Juices & Berries, I knew that I still needed to find a good, inexpensive ($10 or less) liquid leave in that I could find on the ground. If I ran out, I could still run to Target or Wal Mart with $10 and be able to purchase it. I was perusing The Forgotten Natural the other day, and saw that Ravenpriestess (the author) uses it as part of her LOC method. So, I decided to give it a try. I found it at Target, copped it, and gave it the palm test with my other products in my hand to see how they'd mix. It's very well tempered, methinks. I won't be using it for a while, though; I'm still finishing up my Oyin Juices & Berries and Carol's Daughter Tui as my Ls. So there might be a review for this in March or April *sniffles*

Price: $6.99 (Target; it costs more at Wal Mart)
Size: 8 oz/237 mL

5. Shea Moisture Organic Yucca & Baobab Volumizing Conditioner with Biotin & Bamboo Extract

Ingredients: De-ionized water, Cocos Nucifera (coconut) oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea butter)*, Sorbitol Esters, Mangifera Indica (mango) seed butter, Persea Gratissima (avocado) oil, Aloe Barbadenis leaf extract, Yucca Filamentosa extract, vegetable protein, Glycine Soja (soybean) oil, Adansonia digitata (Baobab) extract, biotin, rosemary extract, bamboo extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and Lonicera Japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) flower extract. 
*Certified organic ingredients.

This was another product that I heard about through The Forgotten Natural, and another YTer, Katie Douglass. Both are Shea Moisture and/or Nubian Heritage Queens, so I purchased it from Target.com (outrageous shipping, but I didn't want to wait! :-/ ) and it should be here this week or next. Again, no reviews on it for a good bit because I have a wee bit of my Nature's Gate Aloe Vera condish to get through, the Nubian Heritage condish, and another Nature's Gate conditioner before trying this. So it'll be probably around April or even May when this product is reviewed. Lo siento :-(

Price: $9.99
Size: 12 oz/355 mL

Have you purchased anything (doesn't have to be hair related) new lately?

CG Update + 2013

[Note: I meant to post this on 13 December, but was unable to finish. My hair is done for the week  :-)]

Let's do the little things first :-)

First off, I finally fixed my edges situation! I smoothed my leave in mix on it, sealed it with some EVCO/canola oil blend. I then took two large (quarter sized) dollops of my gel and smoothed it on my edges. I let it dry, and honey boo boo chile my edges done look recovered now! Lol. No more of that embarrassing frizz! And, the best part is that I baggyed overnight, and my hair was still laid before I went to class this morning and it STILL looks amazing!

Now, my leave in stash. Um...well first, an explanation of sorts. I had all these mixes and whatnot going on, and reading product reviews on CN and YT...I just got overwhelmed. I snapped, dumped out the majority of my products (only the non-CG condishes with short chain alcohols, a DC mesh, and a leave in that I tried to mix together), and breathed a sigh of relief. Then, I hit up Safeway, Rite Aid and Target, and repurchased almost only staples that I used and loved. 

Ummm...don't take this the wrong way, but I will no longer be doing stash hauls. I'll just update y'all on when I buy new products and do little product reviews and whatnot. I'm trying my best to curb my PJ ways :-P



My CG journey is going pretty well so far; I still have to get rid of some of the conditioners, though *sniffles* But otherwise, I'm good. My moisture levels are much higher, so my curls look much more hydrated, and they clump well without even being detangled with the Denman. I lurrve this technique of hair care! Never thought it'd work for me, but it does :-)

My cowash mix is good, but I also purchased two sulphate-free cleansers (shampoos); I tried one out already and it is amazeballs (got that from the NiveNulls)! Review coming up soon, chicas.

Additionally, I purchased a copy of The Curly Girl Handbook, 2nd Expanded Edition. I'll be doing a review and comparison to Curly Like Me because the methods are so similar. Suffice it to say that I'll be pulling things from both books.

Oh, and one more thing: Happy New Year! Feliz ano nuevo! Here's hoping and praying that 2013 will be even better than 2012 was :-)

Pantene/Silicone RANT!! + Facial Hair Woes

I'm so angry right now. It may not come through in my calm, pleasant-looking typed words, but I'm ready to cuss and spit! I posted yesterday about my Pantene fiasco. Well, I baggyed my twist bun overnight like usual, and it looked fine...until I stepped outside. I live in Maryland, so the weather here is iffy at best. Yesterday was a pleasant 55 degrees, and today is dreary and grey and wet all round. Blech. Now normally, my hair is fine in the humidity and rain. The section that was covered with the Darcy's Botanicals leave in looks shiny and isn't frizzing up much. But the rest of my hair?! It looks dusty and dry like the Sahara, feels matted and hard and crunchy, and is just an all around NASTY MESS. Uggh! I'm ashamed to be a natural today. That's how bad it is. I mean, just look at it:

Can you shudder with me? Please? This frizz is ridiculous. The one twist I did with my DB looks BOMB; it's shiny and frizz free. I did have gel on it, rinse it, and then added some Pantene, but still. I'm hot. Silicones didn't used to treat my hair like this. Neither has Pantene; I've used the Pantene Curly Moisture Renewal conditioner multiple times before, and my hair looked fine before. My hair has NEVER looked this dry! Not even after I BCed! And definitely not after baggying. I'm just disgusted. I will be CG for life if this is how my hair is going to react to silicones now #ain'tnobodygottimeforthat. Here's the one twist that actually looked presentable. It's the bottom one...

On top of all of that, my scalp is itching like crazy in the spots that I have Pantene in! I'm like da heck is this? Mayhaps I just developed an allergy to it or something. Either way, I'm upset. Way more than I was yesterday. Ugh.

To compare that frizzy mess in the front with what my hair usually looks like, look at this little back section (that refuses to go into twists, mind you) that I detangled and left DB in, sealed with grapeseed oil, and added some gel. This is after being rubbed around on my coat collar and being out in the same amount of rain as the rest of my hair. Just lookit. It looks a little cray, but I'll pin it up...eventually...

Anywho, in other news...the amount of men with burgeoning beards lately is just sinful. Here's a bit of a Shakespearean-esque prose I wrote about it while on campus today:

*le sigh*
O, men of the College of Montgomery! O, O, O! 
Why dost thou insist on insulting the good people by permitting those evil wires to sprout from thine chin? 
Verily, I say unto thee, you do disgrace the eyes of even the most virtuous of women in thy presence. 
Be gone, whiskers from the bowels of Hades! Be gone!

Yes, I am a little on the crazy side. I get it from my Nana's side of the family :-D

Stash Haul #3: Conditioners/Detanglers

Buenos dias, chicas (y chicos) rizadas!

In this third installment, we move along to one of my potentially favorite parts of my regimen: conditioning and detangling. Depending on the product used and your technique, this aspect of your regimen can either be heaven or hell. I choose the products for this part scrupulously, since a little will inadvertently be left in. That being said, I tend not to use products with salts (sodium chloride, potassium chloride, etc.) or short-chain alcohols in their formulas for this step. However, if I like the product enough, I will add a lot of oils to it to counteract the drying alcohols (hey, it works in my head, right?). I haven't ever really had issues with this part of my regimen. I just need a conditioner with plenty of slip for this step. Before CG, the Herbal Essences Honey, I'm Strong Conditioner was my ISH for detangling. I had to rinse it totally out because of the sodium hydroxide, but honey boo boo chile - that detangling ability was like none other! Even Suave Almond + Shea Butter didn't compare! But, sadly, that conditioner is not CG *sniffles*

Buuutt, thankfully, I can still use products from my abosulute most favorite hair product company in the entire world - TRESemme! For a year now, I'd been hearing curly girls everywhere sing the praises of TRESemme Naturals. I was skeptical, but I found a bottle of the Nourishing Moisture variety at Wal Mart and decided to try it. Oh. My. Word. It is no HE HIS, but for a non-silicone conditioner, it is amazing! I could easily detangle my sections with my Denman, and even finger detangle (another long story lol). It is my HG conditioner and detangler, and I don't see that changing any time soon! My only problem with TN is difference in the old and new formulas of the Nourishing Moisture Conditioner. I first tried the new one, but when I went to the Rite Aid in Essex and bought more, I didn't realise that it was the old formula. I think I can tell the difference between the two, though. The old formula bottles say "NEW" above "Silicone-Free Conditioning," but the new formula bottles don't, which makes sense. So, since I have the old formulas, I had to add a lot of oils to my bottles. I added EVOO to the old Nourishing Moisture conditioners, and grapeseed oil to the Radiant Volume conditioners. Then, today, I added a capful of canola oil and sesame oil into one of my Nourishing Moisture condishes.

Besides those, I also purchased two great conditioners from Safeway last month: Yes to Cucumbers Color Protection Conditioner and Nature's Gate Aloe Vera Moisturising Conditioner. I don't think that the Nature's Gate condish will be a good detangler, but I'm eager to try the Y2C condish

After cleansing my scalp, I slather globs of a rinse out conditioner into my twists and finish up the rest of my shower. Once I get dressed, I take down one twist at a time, divide each twist into halves, and then detangle each half. Then I rinse out most of the condish, apply my leave in mixture, seal with an oil, and style.

What's your conditioning/detangling regimen?

Stash Haul #2: Cleansers + MC Essentials Kit Giveaway!!

Buon pomeriggio, bellas!

I'll start off with the best stuff first :-D MahoganyCurls, one of my favorite CG YouTubers, is having an Essentials Kit giveaway! It's sponsored by MahoganyChic, a fashion and beauty blogger. Entering is super easy, and there will be 3 winners! The contents of the Kit include:

1. As I Am Coconut Cowash
2. TRESemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner
3. Eco Styler Gel
4. Paul Mitchell The Conditioner

What more can I say? It's free products being offered! And, this is an international giveaway, so curlies in other countries could also win the package. What are y'all waiting for? Head over to YT land and tell Jess that you want that Kit!

Alrighty, now on to my stash haul! Yesterday, I went into deets about my DCs, which is the first step in my regimen. Today is the all-important cleanser! Before I go into detail about my stash and what I use, let me give a bit of background:

Cleansing has been one of the most difficult things for me to get a handle on. I'll think that I have a good cleansing method, only to find out a bit later that it's not working as well as it could, and my hair is suffering for it. I have tried shampooing, cowashing, ACV rinses, just water and fingers, bentonite clay washes, Terressentials mud wash...on and on and on. None were sufficient. I liked the way that shampoo cleansed my scalp, but many times it stripped my hair unless I piled on the DCs beforehand. Cowashing on its own left too much buildup on my scalp, making it itchy and flake frequently. And it didn't get the product off of my hair. ACV rinses were good, but I like my cleansers to be thicker. The water and friction mess...*crickets*

Bentonite clay worked well for a while, and I was singing its praises - until it started to get stuck at my roots and wouldn't rinse out. I was horrified and disgusted. Ugh. Terressentials (I ordered the Fragrance Free wash) was great for my hair and cleansed everything, but the skin on my neck, face and shoulders were irritated beyond belief. I think it might have been the nettle *le sigh* I wanted so badly to like it, too. But a no-go it was.


I was desperate for a solution! I felt beyond the realm of help; everybody else seemed to do well with all of the aforementioned cleansing options. But, one day, while browsing Naya's blog on CN, she noted that she was going to try making her own shampoo with aloe vera gel. I forgot about it, until I dreaded my next washed day and her comment popped into my head. I decided to mix my own concoction for a cleansing conditioner with this recipe:

2 tbsp conditioner (something thin and watery like VO5)
2 tbsp aloe vera juice

I mixed them together in a nifty little travel sized bottle I had in my room, shook it up, and then decided that I wanted it to be a bit more clarifying. So I took about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and added it to the bottle. Since AVJ has to be kept cold, I stuck my little mix in the fridge overnight while I DCed. In the morning, I let my hair cool down, rinsed my DC, and then applied this mix to my scalp to see if it would work. Oh. My. Gosh. Never have I ever had such a thorough, moisturising cleanse! I think the AVJ is a big part of why my scalp was so clean. But, the conditioner also kept my hair moisturised. Not a trace of product, dirt, or gunk, but my curls were moisturised and not stripped of their natural oils. Finally, a cleanser that worked for MY hair! I'm beginning to experiment with adding shampoos instead of ACV, adding both, and whatnot.

This cleanser has been the one thing that I do not (and will not) change in my regimen! The conditioner I use may on occasion, but this has been a cleansing revelation for my curly hair. I love having the best of both worlds! I keep my hair in twists for this step (as I do with most of my regimen). I squeeze the mix onto my scalp and around the base of my twists, and use the pads of my fingers to really scrub my scalp to help get rid of product buildup, dirt, etc. I focus especially in the crown area of my scalp, because it's a more sensitive area, and seems to get dirty rather quickly. If I have any of it left over after my scalp is taken care of, I can run it over the length of my twists. I rinse thoroughly (about 5-6 minutes) with warm water, but I don't unravel any twists while rinsing. I do lift up each individual twist, and make sure that I run the water through the base of each one, scrubbing all the while.

That being said, I really only like to use one conditioner for this for some reason. It's the VO5 Tea Therapy Calming Chamomile Tea Nourishing Conditioner. There's nothing super special about it, but I just don't want to use any other conditioner for this mix lol. The only problem is that this type happens to be one of the least common VO5 conditioners I see sold. *le sigh* So, two other conditioners that could potentially work well with this are shown above: Spa Haus Salon Conditioner (dollar store buy) and VO5 Repair & Protect Strengthening Conditioner. I don't want to use conditioners with dyes in them for this step, because of how much it's being scrubbed into my scalp, and I have sensitive skin.

So, that's my cleansing sob story, stash, and deets...and photos - finally!

What do you use to cleanse your scalp and hair, curlies? Have you ever had a cleansing fiasco?

Stash Haul #1: DCs + Blogger Shoutout

Shout out to Valerie of Curls2Envy for featuring me on her blog!  It was so fun putting all that together, and I really appreciate her blog and for letting me be a guest for the day :-)

So, I've decided to do a bit of a stash haul. I always feel like I have so many products, and then when I compare what I have to the serious PJs...I have nothing lol. At any rate, I love doing inventories, so here's a bit of a peek into my hair box :-D First up, the all important DC (deep conditioner). This can make or break your regimen. Whether comprised of yummy produce found in your kitchen (avocados and whatnot), or with a myriad of conditioners in your arsenal, this all important deep moisturising treatment adds much needed moisture to your hair strands. Especially during the colder, drier months of autumn and winter, moisturising treatments help to replenish the moisture that your hair has lost being exposed to the dry air and elements in it; keeping your hair bouncy, shiny and healthy.

I'm not very picky when it comes to doing DCs. I do them on damp dirty hair, and leave mine on overnight, so I just prefer products that won't irritate my skin in that amount of time. I've used lots of different products, from ones marketed for deep treatments, to regular conditioners cocktailed with additional ingredients, to vegetables I find and puree. The possibilities are endless!

Side note: If you have fine strands of hair, you'll want to incorporate light proteins into your deep moisture treatments. This will ensure that we finely stranded curlies don't neglect the building block of our hair whilst also restoring high levels of moisture. If you're purchasing a DC/DT, look for ones with hydrolysed proteins: keratin, collagen, silk amino acids, silk protein, wheat protein, gelatin, coconut oil, etc. If you're a mixtress, add some mayo (for overnighters), eggs (for those of you who like to only leave a DT in for a few hours), or coconut oil.

Okay, so, finally, here are the DCs I have! Heh heh heh. My cocktailed concoctions go first:

VO5 Silky Experiences Shea Cashmere Moisturising Conditioner + Nuance Raw Honey Color Protect Conditioner + Taliah Wajid The Great Detangler + Nubian Heritage EVOO & Moringa Treatment Masque + EVOO + EVCO + GSO + honey

There are waay too many ingredients to list! Lol. This is obviously a cocktailed DC - one of my favorite types to use. I haven't yet utilised it, since I was trying to be strict CG. I may try it next week, though. No harm in splurging a bit...

Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut Conditioner + Nubian Heritage EVOO & Moringa Treatment Masque + VO5 Pomegranate & Grapeseed Extract Strengthening Conditioner + EVOO + EVCO + GSO + honey

Again...crazy long list of ingredients because this is a cocktailed treatment. But, I tried this on my hair last night. It was just okay. I was so wary to use it because Suave Naturals has potassium chloride in it (a salt), and as high as it is on the list, I was loathe to try it on my curls. I did it anyway though. My hair felt kind of weird. I don't think I'll be trying that again lol...

Suave Naturals Juicy Green Apple Conditioner+ Nubian Heritage EVOO & Moringa Treatment Masque + VO5 Pomegranate & Grapeseed Extract Strengthening Conditioner + EVOO + EVCO + GSO + honey

Okay, again with the ridiculously long lists. This is the only downside to cocktailing so many products. If I take 1/2 cup of this, add 2 pureed avocados, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, and more honey, EVOO, EVCO and GSO, this would probably be a great DC.

And now, my homemade DCs: 

Avocado Masque

2 pureed overripe avocados

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. EVOO

1/8 vegetable oil

1/4 c. mayonnaise

This is one of my absolute most favorite DCs! Even more so than my cocktailed concoctions. It's uber moisturising, and the mayo adds some protein. I might add some EVCO the next time for even more protein the next time. Side note: This mix can be runny, so be prepared! I keep my twists away from my forehead, and cover it with a plastic bag and my shower cap to keep the oils from running into my eyes (and me from running into the bathroom screaming in pain). It rinses easily, which I love.

Banana Masque

1 pureed overripe banana

1 pureed overripe avocado (optional)

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. EVOO

1/8 vegetable oil

1/4 c. mayonnaise

This is another super rich homemade DC. I absolutely abhor the smell of bananas, so I like to add that avocado in to keep the smell away for the most part. It's optional, but with my mental banana allergy, I can't be too careful ;-D

Also, taking either of those above homemade recipes and adding your favorite DC to it is another great option. Taking any conditioner and adding oils and honey can turn it into a miracle-working deep treatment :-)

Goodness, that was a long post lol.

So, curlies, what are your favorite DCs or DC recipes? What's your typical DC approach? Is it necessary for you? How often do you do it?