Monday, May 30, 2016

Wash Day 05-29-2016 (Mop Top Citrus Kumquat Curly Hair Custard Wash N Go)


Hey, beautiful people!  Given the long weekend and the fact that summer has finally come to Michigan, I decided to do a wash n’ go with a product that has been sitting in my product stash for most of the winter – Mop Top’s Curly Hair Custard.


I forgot to do an overnight deep conditioner, and I didn’t have time to hop in and out of the shower; so, there was no deep conditioner this week.  First, I washed my hair with Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Shampoo.  This shampoo continues to be a favorite of mine.  It cleans my hair without stripping it, as long as I don’t use too much.


Next, I conditioned and detangled my hair with Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner.  It is not often that I call something a holy grail product, but this one is one.


Finally, I used Curl Junkie Smoothing Lotion as my leave-in (another holy grail product), and put the Mop Top Curly Hair Custard on top.  The Mop Top went in easily.  It has a lot of slip and a little goes a long way.  In that regard, it reminds me of Kinky Curly’s Curling Custard.  It doesn’t leave my hands with the same sticky feeling as the Kinky Curl; however, maybe it should.  Apparently, Mop Top has little hold, which is not good given that at least 4 of the top 5 ingredients are humectants (aloe vera, glycerin, honey and pectin).  When my hair dried, it frizzed, shrunk significantly and uneven, and took flight.  In short, I looked a hot mess.  To make matters worse, this stuff flakes horribly.  I was wearing a black shirt, and it looked it snowed on my shoulders.  The next day, my hair looked even worse. 

I do not plan to use this product again.



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Friday, May 27, 2016

Battle of the Edge Controls Part 2


Hey, beautiful people!  So, despite the outcome of my last battle of the edge controls, I decided to try again.  This time, I only tried seven products (two not pictured).  While I’m still not convinced that anything beats Eco Styler, I did learn that wax gel seems to work well for me.  Here are my new tries from most liked to least:
  1.  Clear Eco Styler Gel ($6 for 16 oz)  – This performs very similar to the pink Eco Styler gel that I previously reviewed.  As with the pink, I have to tie a scarf on my head because the gel takes some time to dry.  I also have to apply a lot of this product to get a good hold, but it will last all day and maybe even a second day.  The only downside to applying a lot is that it can make my hair hard.

  2. Gorilla Earwax Wet Look ($9 for 3.52 oz) – This is made by the same company that makes Gorilla Snot Gel, but it is better.  I really like this, except for the cologne-type smell.  I felt like it made me smell a little like a man, though my hubby said he couldn’t smell anything.  It gives me all day hold (maybe even two days), but I have to be careful not to use too much or it might dry yellow.  Also, like EcoStyler, this dries a little hard.  In other words, a little goes a very long way. 

  3. Murray’s Edgewax ($6 for 4 oz) (pictured on left) – This product reminds me of old school hair grease, but it has hold!  This and the extreme hold version perform very similar and look similar.  However, this one is easy to spread, especially if I apply it to slightly damp hair.  The first time I tried this, it lasted for less time than the extreme hold version.  However, the second time I used it, I used more and it lasted for about the same amount of time (almost a full day); so, the trick is figuring out how much to use.  I do like that it has no scent, and the results are instantaneous.  It also left my hair feeling soft.

  4. Murray’s Edgewax Extreme Hold ($7 for 4 oz) (pictured on right) – Almost everything I said for the regular version is true for this one, but it is difficult to spread.  It is a very thick wax.  I had to rub it in my hands to soften it and thin it out before I could apply it to my hair; and, even then, sometimes I ended up with chunks of wax in my hair.  I wish there was a middle consistency that was a little heavier than the regular version and a little lighter than this one.

  5. Hicks Transformations Edges ($12 for 4 oz) – This reminded me a lot of the Cream of Nature Perfect Edges.  It instantaneously slicked my edges down, but it didn’t last long at all.  Also, it is fairly pricey.  At the only beauty supply store near me that carries it, they keep it behind the counter.

  6. Lotta Body Control Me Edge Gel ($4 for 2.25 oz) - This reminded me a lot of the Cream of Nature Perfect Edges.  It instantaneously slicked my edges down, but it didn’t last long and it left white residue in my hair.

  7. Design Essentials Honey & Shea Edge Tamer ($12 for 2.3 oz) – My hair laughed at this one.  It did not slick my edges at all, and it was pricey.

I’m tempted to try to make my own wax gel, so that I can choose the gel to wax ratio, keeping it easier to smooth but with a lot of strength.

Do you have any recommendations for wax gels, or edge tamers that are similar to wax gel?


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Thursday, May 12, 2016

Power Product Line Review: Camille Rose Naturals




Hi, beautiful people!  As I mentioned in my Black Friday post from last year, I’ve been thinking about transitioning to almost exclusively using one product line.  If you followed my blog during my wash n’ go challenge, you know that I really like the Camille Rose Curl Maker Gel.     
Since I like the gel and two of the twisting butters, Camille Rose was a strong contender, so I bought a nice chunk of products in a Black Friday haul.  Here is a review of the products that I’ve tried thus far from my haul, in order of preference.  Overall, Camille Rose knocks it out of the park on cleansers and butters, and I feel in love with the growth serum.  However, none of their leave-ins worked for me.

LOVE IT:
  • Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum ($16 / 8 oz.) – This is now one of my favorite Camille Rose products.  It actually makes me break my dislike of oil mixes.  It is light enough that it works well on my low porosity hair, while still being able to seal moisture in.  As an added bonus, it has hair growing products.
  • Caramel Cowash ($14 / 8 oz.) – It is a close call between this product and the Cocoa Nibs for which one I love the best.  Ultimately, I chose the serum because the bottle will last longer.  This co-wash is amazing, but it will go fast because I have a lot of hair.  In addition to the Camille Rose heavenly scent, it has amazing slip and makes my hair feel like butter, while still being able to clean my hair.  It is also gentle enough to cleanse and condition my 18-month old daughter’s hair, despite her sensitive scalp.
  • Coconut Water Penetrating Hair Treatment ($20 / 8 oz.) – I was so surprised by how well this worked on my hair as a deep conditioner.  Every time I used it, it soften up my hair and left it feeling like butter when I washed it out.  My only pause is that I don’t see any protein in it, and I know my hair needs protein over time.
  • Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse ($11 / 12 oz.) - This is one of the few Camille Rose products that I've tried that does not smell like a sweet dessert.  It cleanses my hair without stripping it, and it has incredible slip.  Plus, a little goes a long way and it is cheaper per ounce than the other Camille Rose cleansers.  For people who think a cleanser should foam, this does that too.

    LIKE IT
    • Nourishing Cream Cleanser ($11 / 8 oz.) – This is a holiday limited edition product.  It reminds me of a watery version of the Carmel Cowash.  It smells heavenly, has amazing slip and it cleanses my hair without stripping it, but I have other cleansers that I can get year-round that I like just as much.
    • Coconut Water "Style Setter" ($15 / 8 oz.) – I was torn on this product as a styler.  It is very similar to the Camille Rose Almond Jai Twist Butter in the way it works on my hair.  It moisturizes, but there was little definition and sheen.  However, on one sleep deprived night, I accidentally attempted to use this product as an overnight deep conditioner.  It left my hair sooo soft when I washed it out.  I put it in the like it, as opposed to love it, because it isn’t performing the function it is supposed to.

    LEAVE IT
    • Nourishing Cream Leave In ($13 / 8 oz.) - This is a holiday limited edition product, and I have no desire to ever buy it again.  I tried it both right after a shower and on wet hair, and it left my bone dry.
    • Ajani Growth and Shine Balm ($12 / 4 oz.) – I have already reviewed this here.


    I’ve also reviewed a few other Camille Rose products on my page, so feel free to check those out too.  I also hope to do a battle of the Camille Rose butters soon.



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