SilkenDove: aubrey organics

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Friday, December 30, 2016

2016 Favorites

Hey, beautiful people! Merry Christmas and a happy new year (in advance)! The end of the year is here, so it is time for my annual list of favorites. This year, there were a few surprises for me because the products were not on my radar till I tried them. Of course there were also some reoccurring favorites:

Moisturizing, Light Protein Deep Conditioners:

- Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Moisture Dream

- Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing Conditioner (discontinued?)

- Silk Dreams Mocha Silk Infusion

- Silk Dreams Shea What Therapeutic Conditioning Masque

Cleansers

- Aubrey Organics Swimmer’s Shampoo (discontinued?)

- Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Shampoo

- Camille Rose Sweet Ginger Sulfate Free Cleansing Rinse

- Camille Rose Carmel Cowash

Rinse Out Conditioner

- Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner
- Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Conditioner (discontinued?)
- Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Conditioner

Leave-in Conditioners & Moisturizers

- Oyin Hair Dew

- Silk Dreams Wheat Germ Butter Conditioner

- ORI Essentials Leave-in

- Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion

Gels (for bunning and wash n’ go)

- Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic Curl Stimulator

- Camille Rose Curl Maker Gel

- Wetline Extreme Gel

Braid & Twist Creams

- Silk Dreams Almond Buttercream

- Camille Rose Aloe Whipped Butter Gel

- Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream

- Embrace The Natural You Twist Truffle Whip

Heat Stylers

- Carol’s Daughters Chocolat Blow Dry Cream

- It's A 10 Leave-in Conditioner

Oils & Mix-ins

- Glycerin

- Avocado Oil

- Grapeseed Oil

- Jamaican Black Castor Oil

- Camille Rose Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum

- Tea Tree & Lavender Essential Oil

- Silk Amino Acids

Monday, July 4, 2016

07-04-2016 Wash Day - Quick High Bun

Hey, beautiful people! Because it is a holiday and I was feeling lazy, I wasn't really in the mood to wash my hair, but I had to because I spent Friday afternoon and Saturday morning at a waterpark full of chlorine.

First, the moment I got home on Saturday, I put Silk Dreams Mocha Silk Infusion on my hair to deep condition. I meant to wash my hair that night, but it didn't happen on Saturday or Sunday, so the deep conditioner was in my hair for a day and a half. This is a good protein deep conditioner, but it is on the border of almost being too much protein for my strands. I like some of the other Silk Dreams conditioners better, like the Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Moisture Dream deep conditioner.

This morning, I washed my hair with Aubrey Organics Swimmer's Shampoo. This is still my favorite swimmer shampoo because it is both chelating and clarifying. Next, I tried the Herbal Essence The Sleeker The Butter Smoothing Conditioner on one section of my hair, but this did not work well for me. It had little slip on my hair and did not soften my hair at all. This surprised me because it worked well for my daughter's hair. It gave it slip and made it incredibly soft. However, I'm pretty sure her hair is closer to high porosity than mine.

Because the conditioner did not work, I finished off the other three sections with Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner, my holy grail conditioner. When I got out of the shower, I put Oyin Hair Dew and my oil mix on my hair, then I put my hair in a high bun with Eco Styler Krystal gel. It will probably stay wet for a few days in the middle.

Total Styling time - 20 minutes

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Favorites of 2015

Hey, beautiful people! It's that time of year again for my favorites list. I already did my favorite deep conditioners and wash n' go gels at the end of those challenges, but I'll re-post them again. I'm listing my product categories in the order that I use them and in order of preference. I am posting the regular prices for these products, but I typically buy my products on sale (20-40% off).

Deep Conditioners:

Aubrey Organics Island Replenishing Deep Conditioner ($12 for 11 oz)
Hairveda Acai Phyto Berry Conditioner ($12 for 16 oz)
Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Moisture Dream ($16 for 16 oz)

Shampoos:

Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra Smoothing Shampoo ($10 for 11 oz)
Carol's Daughters Black Vanilla Moisture & Shine Sulfate-Free Shampoo ($13.50 for 12 oz)
Uncle Funky's Daughter's Rich & Funky Moisturizing Shampoo ($15.50 for 8 oz)
CLARIFYING/CHELATING - Aubrey Organics Swimmer's Shampoo ($12 for 11 oz)

Conditioners:

Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship ($4 for 10 oz)
Herbal Essence Totally Twisted ($4 for 10 oz)
Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge ($4 for 13 oz)

Leave-in Conditioners / Daily Moisturizers:

Silk Dreams Wheat Germ Butter Conditioner ($16 for 16 oz)
Oyin Handmade Hair Dew ($23 for 16.9 oz)
Koils by Nature Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-in Conditioner ($20 for 12 oz)
Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion (summer only) ($25 for 12 oz)

Oils/Daily Spritz Mix-ins:

Now Foods Avocado Oil ($14 for 16 oz)
Essential Depot Vegetable Glycerin (summer only) ($13 for 43 oz)
Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil ($7 for 4 oz)
Now Foods Peppermint Essential Oil ($7 for 1 oz)

Wash n Go Stylers:

Camille Rose Curl Maker ($22 for 12 oz)
Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic ($25 for 18 oz)
As I Am Curling Jelly ($22 for 16 oz)

Braid and Twist Creams:

Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter ($17 for 8 oz)
Camille Rose Aloe Whipped Butter Gel ($16 for 8 oz)
Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream ($25 for 16 oz)

Bunning Stylers:

Eco Styler Pink Gel ($6 for 32 oz)
Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar Pomade ($14 for 4 oz)
Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic ($25 for 18 oz)

Hair Tools:

Goody Hair or Scunci Elastics for Thick Hair (under $10)
Peak Bloom Fold Over Elastic ($1-2 per yard)
Scunci Ultra Thin Headbands (Item #58724-A) (under $8)
Conair or Goody Bobby Pins (under $8)
Diane or Annie Jumbo Rake Comb ($5)
Hercules Sageman Magic Star Rake Comb ($33 for 2)

Saturday, November 28, 2015

The End of The Deep Conditioner Challenge (The Deep Conditioner Files)

Hey, beautiful people! As you may remember from a post over a year and a half ago, I wanted to try out a ton of deep conditioners to find out which ones best worked for my hair. Over that time, I tried a lot, and posted 16 reviews as part of my search. I learned that my hair loves a moisturizing deep conditioner that also has a light protein. This is probably because my hair is fine, which means it needs protein. However, my hair is also low porosity, which means that it can't take a lot of protein. I also prefer a little slip in case I want to detangle without a rinse out conditioner.

Here are the top six conditioners that worked best for me, based on the way my hair felt and price:

Aubrey Organics Island Replenishing Deep Conditioner ($12 for 11 oz)
Hairveda Acai Phyto Berry Conditioner ($12 for 16 oz.)
Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Moisture Dream ($10 for 8 oz. / $16 for 16 oz.)
Koils by Nature Ultra Moisturizing CocoAloe Deep Conditioner ($18 for 12 oz)
Hydratherma Naturals Amino Plus Protein Deep Conditioner ($18 for 8 oz.)
Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment ($29 for 12 oz)

I still plan to try a couple other deep conditioners because I'm a product junkie, but I think I'm pretty much set with these. Next up on my list to try:

ORS Hair Mayo
Silk Dreams Destination Hydration
Silk Dreams Shea What Conditioner
Silk Dreams Mocha Silk Infusion
Camille Rose Coconut Water Penetrating Hair Treatment
Camille Rose Nourishing Cream Hair Bath

Which deep conditioners do you love?

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Wash Day 09-27-2015 - Camille Rose Curl Maker Wash N Go

Hey, beautiful people! Today I decided to try a new gel for my wash n go.

First, I did a deep condition overnight with Hydratherma Naturals Amino Plus Protein Deep Conditioner. This was my first time trying out this deep conditioner. I like it. It clearly gave my hair a protein boost, but it was mild enough that I could still use it overnight. As a random bonus, the smell reminds me of juicy fruit.

This morning, I washed my hair with Aubrey Organics White Camellia Shampoo. Then, I used Aussie Smooth to detangle and put moisture back in my hair.

To style, I applied product to 8 sections using a rake through method. On each section, I used Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion, followed by Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Cream, followed by my oil mix, followed by Camille Rose Curl Maker gel. I applied the gel very liberally. This gel reminds me of Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic by ALOT. It rakes through the same. It curls my hair the same, and it dries the same. My hair is soft, yet my curls are still defined. This is a win!

After my hair was about 80% dry (it's still damp), I trimmed a few stands that hung lower in the front than the rest of my hair. It made a stark difference. I really need to go see a professional to get a shape-up.

Total styling time - 1 hour
Total drying time - over 12 hours

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Wash Day 09-04-2015 (DevaCurl Take 2)

Hey, beautiful people! I decided to give DevaCurl another try this weekend because I really liked the NoPoo and One Condition, and I suspected that I could like the Styling Cream as well.

First, I did a deep condition overnight with Aubrey Organics Island Replenishing Conditioner. I previously did a review of this product. This is still one of my favorites, even though they have changed the formula somewhat. I ran out of the old formula while I was applying it, so I finished my hair off with the new formula. So far, so good. My hair felt soft, supple and strong when I rinsed out the conditioner the next morning.

Next, I washed my hair with the DevaCurl No Poo. Just like before, this felt wonderful on my hair and I was even able to detangle with it, though the scent gets to me. As I may have mentioned before, I am sensitive to strong scents.

Then I finished detangling my hair with the One Condition. This is also great. It left my hair soft, and made it easy to detangle. The scent on this is also a little easier to handle than the No Poo.

Finally, I did a wash n go with the DevaCurl Styling Cream, my oil mix and my tried-and-true Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic. My wash n go had great curl definition! It was also soft, and the shrinkage was not as severe, though there was significant shrinkage. This product would be great for people who love big wash n gos. My only complaint, if I can call it one, is that my hair still was not dry after 12 hours.

Based on this wash day, I learned two things: (1) the DevaCurl gel is probably what caused the flakes in my hair last week; and (2) a little bit of the styling cream goes a long way. I don't have to use as much styling cream as I do with leave-ins. In fact, in the one quadrant of my hair where I went overboard with the styling cream, it flaked. This was the only area that flaked.

Total styling time: 20 minutes
Total drying time: over 12 hours

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Wash Day 07-18-2015 (Kinky Curly vs Uncle Funky's Daughter)

Hey, beautiful people. Today was a little bit longer of a wash day because I needed to detangle. I didn't get a chance to put deep conditioner in my hair before I fell asleep (long week), and I didn't have time during my wash day, so there was no deep conditioner this week.

I used Aubrey Organics White Camellia Shampoo to cleanse. I still like this shampoo, but not as much as the Uncle Funky's Daughter one. With Aubrey, I can't use to much or it leaves my hair feeling a little too clean, if that makes sense.

Because I was traveling last week, my hair didn't get the detangling it needed, so I spent extra time detangling with Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship. Then I used Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion as my leave-in, followed by my oil mix.

After my last gel experiment, I wanted to try out two of my favorites. I used Kinky Curly gel on the right, and Uncle Funky's Daughter on the left. They performed the same wet and dry, and they have the same ingredients based on the back of the bottle.

I noticed that my hair dried shorter and frizzier than last time, and I think it was the oil. Next time, I'll try one of these gels on my wash n go without the oil.

Total wash to style time - 50 minutes

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Wash Day 06-06-2015 (Koils By Nature & Uncle Funky's Daughter Wash N Go)

Hey, beautiful people! For this wash day, I did a couple experiments. The first was unintentional. As usual, I did an overnight deep conditioner first. I had just enough Hairveda Acai Phyto Berry Conditioner in the bottle for one side of my hair. I wasn't ready to open up another bottle; so, on the other side of my hair, I used another favorite light protein deep conditioner - Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing Conditioner. These are both awesome conditioners for my hair. The Hairveda was easier to apply because it glides better on my strands. However, the Aubrey Organics left my hair softer when I washed the conditioners out of my hair the next day.

Next, after I rinsed out the conditioners, I went straight into styling. After my successful wash n go last week, I wanted to see if I could duplicate the results with another favorite leave-in conditioner -- Koils by Nature Leave-In. After applying the leave-in, I applied my oil mix and applied Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic for my wash n go. So far, so good. My hair seems a little bit shinier and it dried a little faster; but, other than that, it looks pretty much the same. It did flake a little, but it was barely noticeable.

Wash and style time - 35 minutes, including periodic pauses to entertain the baby, who was watching me apply products

Dry time - ~6 hours for the front, and the back is still damp.

The top is a picture of wet hair, and the bottom is dry

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Product Review: Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing Conditioner (The Deep Conditioner Files #12)

Price: $12 for 11 oz.

Ingredients: Aloe leaf juice, water, cetyl alcohol (from coconut), brassicyl isoleucinate esylate, coconut fruit extract, glycerin, alcohol denat. (38b, lavender), brassica alcohol, glyceryl caprylate, persea avocado oil, shea butter, mango seed butter, caprylic/capric triglyceride, arginine, grapefruit extract, quinoa seed extract*, vitamin C, vitamin E, rosemary leaf oil, alcohol, sage oil*, alcohol, calendula extract*, chamomile flower extract, balm mint flower/leaf/stem extract, hops flower extract, horsetail extract, fragrance, fennel seed extract, gluconolactone, coltsfoot leaf extract, sodium benzoate.

Promise: Replenishing conditioner smoothes hair fiber and leaves hair silky and manageable with mango & organic shea butters. Perfect for natural and relaxed styles. Luscious Mango Coconut scent! Contains 70% Organic Ingredients

Scent: Like medicated menthol. It is not the greatest smell, and the smell is strong.

Consistency: Creamy, medium thickness. Not too light, and not too heavy

Results: In full disclosure, I have been using this deep conditioner for a couple years now, and I love it. Even though I am near the end of my deep conditioner challenge, this is still my favorite. It is amazing as both an overnight deep conditioner and in the traditional deep conditioning. This is one of the few conditioners that actually says you can use it as a pre-poo. It is light enough that it easily spreads through the hair, but it packs a powerful punch as both a moisturizing and strengthening deep conditioner. For people who cannot use Aubrey Organics GPS (like me), try this one.

Love it, Like it or Leave It: Love It

Sunday, December 28, 2014

2014 Favorite Products

As I continue to work on narrowing the number of products that I use and with 2014 coming to an end, I wanted to wrap it up by listing some of my favorite products for this year. I’ve also noted products that are on my current staples list for 2015.

Deep Conditioners

Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing Conditioner (staple)

Hairveda Acai Phyto Berry Conditioner (staple)

Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment

Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Cream Moisture Dream

Cleansers

Aubrey Organics Swimmer’s Shampoo (staple)

Dr. Woods Shea Vision Black Soap (staple)

As I Am Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner

Aubrey Organics White Camellia Ultra Smoothing Shampoo

SheScentIt Blueberry Co-wash Conditioner

Rinse Out Conditioners