Showing posts with label braid out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label braid out. Show all posts
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Silk Dreams Battle of the Butters (The Braiding Files #9)
Hey, beautiful people!
Happy Thanksgiving! This post is
long overdue, so I decided to type while I am waiting for all the things in the
oven to finish cooking, may daughter is taking a nap and my hubby is watching
football.
As you already know, Silk Dreams Haircare is one of my
favorite brands. So, when they had a
sale a while ago, I picked up three of the moisturizing butters: the Who’s That Curl? Buttersilk Balm; the
Satin Smooth Hair Cream; and the Almond Buttercream. There is also a Mocha Silk Bling Butter, but
I prefer a butter that has water as the first moisturizer and it has mango
butter as the first ingredient, followed by a series of other butters and oils.
I have been using all three butters for a few months to see
how my hair reacts each one.
Surprisingly, the ingredients are very different, but my hair reacts
similarly to two of the butters and not that much different for the third. I wanted to make sure that they remained
similar long term. They did not.
- Price: All 3 are $12 for 4 oz., which seems a little pricey, but a little goes a long way. Thus, these butters end up lasting as long as some cheaper products, if not longer.
- Ingredients: All 3 have great, quality ingredients. Who’s The Curl and Almond Buttercream both have water as the first ingredient, which is likely why they work better for my hair. Satin Smooth has aloe vera juice as the first ingredient, but is the better butter for people who do not like glycerin. It is the only one without any. Who’s That Curl has glycerin as the third ingredient, and Almond Buttercream has it as the 9th. Who’s That Curl is the only one with BTMS, and silk amino acids (two of my hair loves). Almond Buttercream has hydrolyzed silk protein, but it is way down on the ingredient list.
- Scent: All 3 have a nice scent. I have yet to find a bad smelling Silk Dreams Haircare product. The Almond Buttercream has my favorite of the 3 scents though.
- Consistency: Who’s That Curl is a whipped butter. It reminds me a lot of Embrace The Natural You’s Twist Truffle Whip. Almond Buttercream is an oily cream (you have to shake it on occasion to mix it up). Satin Smooth is a gel, oil cream consistency that is hard to describe (you have to vigorously shake this one to keep it together).
- Verdict: It is a close call between Almond Buttercream and Who’s That Curl as to which one is my favorite. If I had to go by which one I am using up the fastest, it would be the Almond Buttercream, but I still really love the Who’s That Curl. The Satin Smooth is nice, but it left my hair a little dry/hard after a few hours.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Battle of the Butters: Uncle Funky’s Daughter Supercurl and Extra Butter (The Braiding Files #8)
Hey, beautiful people!
As I went through my braiding challenge, one of the creams that I came
across was Uncle Funky’s Daughter Supercurl.
Then, because I liked Uncle Funky’s Daughter’s shampoo, gel and Supercurl,
I decided to purchase a sampling of other Uncle Funky’s Daughter products and
do a head-to-head between the Supercurl and the Extra Butter. I’ll do a power product review of the other
products from the line at a later date.
For my head-to-head, I did a few braided styles, that later
turned into braid outs, with Supercurl on the right side of my head and Extra
Butter on the left. Both the Supercurl
and the Extra Butter give me a lot of shine and some hold. However, I noticed that the moisture level in
my hair, after using them, really depended on the leave-in I used under these
products. I needed a heavier,
moisturizing leave-in because these are both very light. For example, when I used Camille Rose Almond
Jai Twisting Butter, my hair was incredibly soft for days, in addition to
having shine. The day after I used the
products with Camille Rose, I kept touching my braid out because I literally
could not believe how soft my hair was.
For my previous review of Supercurl, I was using the Silk Dreams Wheat
Germ Butter Conditioner, and you can see how great my hair looked here. When I used Oyin Hair Dew, which is a little
lighter, my hair was not as moisturized and the shine was a little less.
I also tried using them together with Oyin Hair Dew because I read a couple reviews
where people mixed the two together. This made my hair much softer than using either product alone. The downside to this, however, is that I would have to buy two products, instead of one.
Consistency: The Extra Butter wins in this category. It is a cross between a light butter and a cream. The Supercurl has the consistency of goop or paste, without the stickiness. Also, when I rubbed Supercurl between my fingers and when I put it on my hair, it was very thin and watery; so, the first time I tried it, I wondered if it would be able to do anything.
Ingredients: For me, this is a tie. The ingredients in both are ok, though there are a couple that give me pause because I just don’t know as much about them:
Ingredients: For me, this is a tie. The ingredients in both are ok, though there are a couple that give me pause because I just don’t know as much about them:
- Supercurl Ingredients: Water, Soybean Oil, Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Honey, Polymide-1, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Shea Butter, Fragrance, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Olive Fruit Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Macadamia Seed Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Caramel.
- Extra Butter Ingredients: Water, Coconut Oil, Glycerin, Palm Kernel Oil, Shea Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sweet Almond Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Fragrance, Potassium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Tetrasodium EDTA.
Scent: Supercurl wins this category by a slim margin. It has a slightly sweet smell, while Extra Butter is a more chemical smell; but, both smell ok.
Verdict: They are very similar in how they make my hair look and feel. If I had to pick one, however, I would pick the Extra Butter because of its consistency. It is a little thicker, which makes it a little easier to smooth out potential flyaways.
Verdict: They are very similar in how they make my hair look and feel. If I had to pick one, however, I would pick the Extra Butter because of its consistency. It is a little thicker, which makes it a little easier to smooth out potential flyaways.
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Product Review: Obia Haircare Twist Whip Butter (The Braiding Files #7)
Hey, beautiful people. This post is really overdue because I tried this butter in the winter, but I forgot to post a review until now.
Promise: From the website - A triple treat of unrefined Shea Butter, Tucuma Butter and Mango Butter to intensely
moisturize, seal, add shine and protect your hair. Twist Whip
Butter is also packed with the essential oils of Lemongrass and Lavender to strengthen and
promote hair growth. Ideal for creating beautiful braids, twists and locks.
Price: $18 for 8 oz
Ingredients: Purified
Water Extracts: Aloe Vera Oil and Lavender
Oil and Lemongrass Oil;
Unrefined Shea Butter, Palm Oil,
Vegetable Glycerin, Castor Seed Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearyl
Alcohol, Mango Butter, Cetyl
Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Tucuma
Seed Butter, Soybean Oil, Vitamin E, Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate,
Fragrance.
Promise: From the website - A triple treat of unrefined Shea Butter, Tucuma Butter and Mango Butter to intensely
moisturize, seal, add shine and protect your hair. Twist Whip
Butter is also packed with the essential oils of Lemongrass and Lavender to strengthen and
promote hair growth. Ideal for creating beautiful braids, twists and locks.
Scent: Perfumed soap / light floral
Consistency: Light Butter
Results: The consistency of this product
is just a little heavier than Camille Rose’s Almond Jai Twisting Butter. Though this is a lighter butter, it was still too much for my hair and it sat on top of my hair.
However, my daughter’s hair (which is a higher porosity) likes
it. I typically use it as a sealant
after putting a lot of water and a liquid moisturizer or leave-in on her
hair. It leaves her hair feeling soft,
and keeps her hair moisturized for a couple days. Even though it works for my daughter’s hair,
I wouldn’t repurchase it because we have products that work better for us both.
Love it, Like it or Leave It: Leave
It
Monday, April 18, 2016
Wash Day 04-17-2016 (Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream Wash N Go)
Hey. beautiful people! It has been awhile since I did a wash day post. However, the weather was really warm here in Michigan, and I had a natural hair event to go to that evening, so I decided to break out the wash n' go. First, I did a deep condition overnight with Camille Rose Coconut Water Penetrating Hair Treatment. I have liked this product more than I ever thought I would, but more on that in other post. The next morning, I put Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Shampoo in my hair. This is definitely one of my favorite shampoos. It smells amazing, and my hair does not dry out. Next, I used Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship. This conditioner is a holy grail for certain.
Finally, I did a wash n' go with Jane Carter's Curl Defining Cream. I love this cream. It may be the most versatile product I own. I have used it for braids, twists, braidouts, and twistouts, and it has not failed me yet. I also used it once for a wash n' go when my hair was shorter, and it worked well then. So, I decided to give it another try. The result was big, fluffy hair, but in a good way. I think I still prefer my gels for wash n' gos, but this is a good alternative. Plus, unlike gel, the next day, I was able to just braid my hair up for work.
Have you ever used this product for a wash n go? What are your thoughts?
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Product Review: Embrace The Natural You Twist Truffle Whip (The Braiding Files #5)
Price: $13 for 8 oz
Ingredients: Water, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol, Unrefined Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Vitamin E, Fragrance and Essential Oils. **NOTE: According to the website, as of 2/2/16, this product no longer has shea butter, Jamaican black castor oil, or vegetable emulsifying wax. So it may be even more low porosity friendly!
Scent: Light
island breeze, like papaya and mangoConsistency: Whipped cream cheese
Results: I bought this product last September at a market near my job. As a nice bonus, this is a Michigan-based company, so I can pick it up on the ground. When I purchased it, I met the owner, who uses her product on her own hair (bonus #2).
While I have been using this product for a while now, it has taken me this long to review it because I was not certain what to say. It leaves my hair soft and gave it nice sheen about 8 times out of 10. The rest of the time, my hair was really dry, and felt coated, and I wanted to figure out why because I really like this product. I have realized two things. First, I need to use water or a very moisturizing leave-in under this product for it to work well on my hair. If I don’t put enough moisture into my hair under this product, it leaves my hair dry. While this product comes with its own moisture built in, my greedy hair needs more. As I mentioned in my post on coconuts, I need a lot of water for coconut to work in my hair.
Second, if I use a heavier/coating
leave-in under this product, the residue from the this product will combine
with the residue from the leave-in, and my hair feels coated. As I note above, the ingredients have
changed, and the more heavy/coating ingredients have been removed, so it may
now be perfect for me. I plan to try the
new formulation soon. Maybe the new
formulation will be a “love it”.As an aside, this product reminds me a lot of Annabelle's Perfect Blend Hair Creme in both texture and the way it works on my hair,
except APB does not have coconut oil.
Thus, if you already like that product, you may want to try this, and
vice versa.
Love it, Like
it or Leave It: Like It
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Product Review: Blended Beauty Happy Nappy Styles (The Braiding Files #4)
Price: $21 for 8 oz
Ingredients: Aqua, Sunflower Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetyl Alcohol and Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Vegetable Glycerin, Methylheptyl Isostearate, Parfum, Soy Lecithin, Cetyl Esters, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Preservative (Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol and Sorbic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis, Aloe Barbadensis, Chamomilla Recutita
Promise: From the website - A rich and moisturizing styling cream for kinky curls and dreads, or highly textured hair. Style and define your curls or twist locs, while naturally hydrating. Perfect for finger twisting curls! Create defined curls, with maximum moisture and softness. Dries touchably soft and satiny, not sticky or greasy.
Scent: Snickerdoodle Cookie
Consistency: Very thick, like buttercream frosting
Results: I’m so torn on this product. When my hair is wet or damp, this product works well for moisturizing and sealing. However, when my hair is dry, it just sits on top of my hair and feels greasy. In other words, this product has to have separate moisture to work properly on my hair. When it does have moisture, my hair feels soft and stays that way for a little while. It does not give my hair alot of sheen, but it does give it some. I used it on my daughter’s hair, and it was amazing for her, even more than mine. When I spritz her hair and apply this, her curls pop, have a lot of sheen, and even have some shine. I think this butter would be really good for someone with high porosity or more coarse strands, unlike my low porosity/fine hair. The Blended Beauty Curl Quenching Conditioner was definitely a better fit for my hair.Love it, Like it or Leave It: Like It
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Product Review: Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Nourishing & Conditioning Styling Pudding (The Braiding Files #3)
Price: $12 for 8 oz
Ingredients: Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Fragrance, Agave Tequilana Stem Extract, Aminomethyl Propanol, Shea Butter, Carbomer, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba, Guar Gum, Dioleyl Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Oleth-5 Phosphate, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, PVP, Jojoba Seed Oil, Methylisothiazolinone, Potassium Sorbate
Promise: From the jar - For curls, coils, kinks and waves. Deeply moisturizes. Improves softness. Prevents frizz.
Scent: Chemical
Consistency: Very light and thin, feels like watered down lotion
Results: As background, I got a really good deal on this product and I saw a few positive reviews, so I decided to try it. Normally, I would not have picked up this product because the ingredients are not great. As I’ve stated in prior posts, you should typically look at the first 5 ingredients in a product to determine what is doing the heavy lifting. In this product, it is a red flag for me that fragrance is the third ingredient. Most products put fragrance as one of the final ingredients, plus I am sensitive to strong smells. It is also a flag for me that this product is packed with chemicals and most of the natural ingredients are towards the end. If the ingredient list is accurate, there is less Avocado Oil in this product than there is aminomethyl propanol. Aminomethyl Propanol is typically a pH adjuster, and it needs to be used carefully (more on this in another post). Glycerin, is third on the list, which is not necessarily bad, but does limit the weather conditions in which I can use this product. Finally, to top it off, when I tried this product, it gave my hair moisture for all of about 10 minutes before my hair dried out like the desert and became hard. In short, I am not a fan. Thankfully, the store I bought it from has a great return policy.
Love it, Like it or Leave It: Leave It
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Product Review: Uncle Funky’s Daughter Supercurl Miracle Moisture Cream (The Braiding Files #2)
Ingredients: Water, Soybean Oil, Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Honey, Polymide-1, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Shea Butter, Fragrance, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Olive Fruit Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Macadamia Seed Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Caramel.
Promise: From the website - Dry curls have no fear, extra moisturizing Supercurl is here. This creamy hydrator has dual-power abilities to stretch out and detangle curls in very kinky, tight textures, yet define curls in medium to loose curly textures.
Scent: Possibly papaya, definitely a sweet citrus
Consistency: Lightweight cream
Results: I like this product. The Polymide-1 gave me pause because I had never heard of this ingredient before, but the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database has it rated low on the hazard scale, which is good. The cream moisturizes some, but not a lot. It does leave my hair soft, and it provides my hair with a lot of sheen and definition. It also absorbs fairly quickly into my hair because it is so lightweight. Also, despite the price, a little goes a long way. I had a sample size that I got from an event, and it lasted through several braid styles. However, I would like to buy a bigger jar.
Love it, Like it or Leave It: Love It
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Product Review: Obia Curl Moisture Cream (The Braiding Files #1)
Ingredients: Purified Water, Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol, Grapeseed Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Olive Oil, Argan oil, Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate, Burdock Root, Lavender Oil, Coconut Oil, Soybean Oil, Vitamin E, Aloe Vera Oil, Fragrance.
Promise: From the website - This specially formulated leave-in conditioner is full of luxurious oils that will seal in moisture and condition your hair. The star ingredient is antioxidant rich Argan Oil that is known for providing intense moisture. Plus it is packed with Grape seed Oil, Olive Oil, Burdock Root and Vitamin E that will strengthen, add shine, smooth and promote hair growth. pH balanced Curl Moisture Cream seals in moisture and minimizes frizz by smoothing and closing the cuticle.
Scent: Not sure
Consistency: Thin Cream
Results: I’ve used an entire jar of this stuff and I was pretty consistent in the products that I paired this with, but I still got differing results. For example, most of the time, I did not get any sheen from this product, and it left my hair looking dull. However, a couple times, I did get sheen. Also, most of the time, it left my hair very moisturized, but there were a few times that it made my hair hard. I did notice that sometimes, when my hair got hard, it was because I tried to use this product as a moisturizer in between washes, so it was building up on my strands. It is rich in some really great oils, but my hair cannot take a lot of oil, especially not coconut oil. This is also the reason it took 8+ hours for this product to absorb into my hair. For all these reasons, I can’t call this my holy grail of braiding/twisting creams. I need a product that I can count on, and I would like a little more sheen in the process
Love it, Like it or Leave It: Like It
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Braiding Challenge
Right now, my regimen is to:
1. Deep condition my hair overnight
2. Shampoo as needed
3. Detangle with rinse-out conditioner
4. Add leave-in conditioner, light oil and styling cream
5. Braid my hair
During the week, I typically keep my hair in two crown braids, with the last inch of hair at the nape of my neck cornrowed in a separate braid. I intend to test out a number of the twist creams in my hair to determine which ones leave my hair with the most moisture, sheen and definition.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Wash Day 09-12-2015 - DevaCurl: The Final Trial
Hey, beautiful people! I realized that I did not post the summary of my last wash day. First, I did a deep condition overnight with Aubrey Organics Island Replenishing Conditioner. Then, I decided to get one last use out of my DevaCurl products.
I washed my hair with the DevaCurl No Poo. Then I finished detangling my hair with the One Condition. As before, I really like these products. I don't see myself re-purchasing these, unless they are on super sale or in a pinch because they are expensive and the smell is a turnoff for me. However, they work very well on my hair, so I can't completely discount them.
Finally, to give my hair a rest, I decided to braid it up. I put my hair in about 14 braids using DevaCurl Styling Cream, Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Cream and my oil mix. I left the braids in for about a week before I took them out. My braid out was so soft and defined. It also had a nice sheen.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Head-to-Head: Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream vs As I Am Twist Defining Cream
Price: As I Am wins, but not by much. These are both on the pricey side, but Jane
Carter is more expensive without a sale.
Jane Carter is $34 for 16 ounces, while As I Am is $22. However, for the past two years, Jane Carter has
been 40% off during their Black Friday sale or 30% the days after, bringing the
price down. Tomorrow, they are having a 50% off sale for 4 hours. Other retailers sometimes follow suit. For example, as of this post's publication, Jane Carter is on Amazon for $23.50. Of course, retailers that
sell As I Am have sales too, but I haven’t seen one with that high of a
percentage.
Consistency: Jane Carter wins for me. Jane Carter is a creamy consistency, like a
heavy lotion. As I Am is more
jelly-like. Imagine if you mixed cream
with a thick gel, like Eco Styler. As I
Am is also sticky and leaves a weird residue on my hands. The stickiness is odd because it has little
hold.
Ingredients: Jane Carter wins this one for me too. Both have infused water as the first ingredient. Looking past the water, the next 5 key ingredients
on my Jane Carter jar are Shea Butter, Jojoba Seed Oil, Avocado Oil, Vitamin E
and Glycerin (in that order). The ingredients on the website are different. In As I Am, the next 7 key ingredients after infused water are Glycerin, Acetamide MEA, Sunflower Seed Oil, Castor Seed Oil,
Triethanolamine, Coconut Oil and Shea Butter (in that order).
Depending on how your hair reacts to Glycerin and the weather,
Jane Carter may be better because glycerin is lower on the ingredient list meaning there is a lower concentration of it. Acetaminde
MEA is also a humectant. Michigan winters can be very drying, so Jane
Carter is the better pick for me for year-round use for this reason alone. The fact that As I Am has two amines (Acetamide
MEA and Triethanolamine) also makes me a little uneasy because they can be
cancer-forming when mixed with other products, like DMDM Hydantoin.
Styling: This is another Jane Carter win, but not by
much. I’ve tried both for twists (flat
twists & box twists) and wash n’ gos, and they both work for both. Both leave my hair soft and get the job
done. However, with As I Am, the biggest
issue for me is the weird sticky feeling it leaves on my hands while styling
and the coating it leaves on my hair. Also,
if I use too much As I Am, then residue shows up in my hair. This might be ok if As I Am actually had some
hold to it, but it doesn’t. Also, I find
that my hair stays a moisturized just a little longer with the Jane Carter.
Final Ruling: In a head to head comparison, Jane Carter’s
Curl Defining Cream is my preference, but not because As I Am’s Twist Defining Cream
is a bad product. I just like Jane
Carter’s cream better for my hair.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Product Review: Blended Beauty Curl Quenching Conditioner
Price: $18.50
for 8 oz.
Promise: A detangling, luxurious conditioner with rice bran oil and rosemary. Leaves every strand silky smooth. No silicones!
Scent: Snickerdoodle cookies with strong hint of
cinnamonConsistency: Buttercream frosting or softened butter. In the jar, it looks like it will be heavy, but it spreads fairly thin in a good way.
Results:
I have had this jar for awhile, and it looks like the ingredients may have
changed some. I don’t see rice bran oil
listed anymore, and the new formula has propylene glycol. Also, when I bought this, I thought it was a deep conditioner, but the instructions say to only leave it on for 2-3 minutes, so I think it is a regular rinse out. I liked this conditioner, but more for
styling than for conditioning. It
is great detangler, with good slip and moisturizing properties. It reminded me a lot of Camille Rose's Almond
Jai Twisting Butter and Bee Mine’s Bee-u-ti-ful Deep Conditioner. These products have taught me that my hair
likes “wet butters” for styling my hair in twists or braids. However, while I like this, I’m not sure yet if I will
repurchase it because of the price and the ingredient change. I can get Camille Rose for slightly cheaper,
and I like the ingredients better.
Love
it, Like it or Leave It: Like It
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Product Review: Qhemet Biologics Burdock Root Butter Cream
Price: $16
for 8 oz. / $30 for 16 oz.
Promise: From
the website -
Scent: Lemony
citrus
Consistency: Like face
cream
Results: I
tried this a number of different ways for styling. The best way that this worked for me was
for a braidout. It gave my hair amazing
definition and shine. I didn't even mind the glycerin in this product on colder Michigan days. I'm in the process of testing different products for my braidouts (more on that later). So far, this is one of my favorites.
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