Showing posts with label bun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bun. Show all posts

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Eco Styler Gel Challenge

Hi, Beautiful People!  Summer is here, which mean my wash n gos and wet buns are back!  While I loved my braiding challenge, I think my hair loved low manipulation more.

It has never sat right with me that I haven’t had much success with an Eco Styler wash n’ go.  (You can read more about my prior attempt in this post, and this one.)  Since the Extreme Wetline Gel wash n go worked so well, I decided to try using Eco Styler gel again with both my wash n gos and wet bunning.  This time, I wanted to try them all, except the color treated one (yellow).  Here is how they worked out for my buns and wash n gos:

- Olive Oil (green top)  – I remember when my hair hated the olive oil one, but my hair has apparently changed even more as it has grown.  This gel worked the best for me, and may be my new favorite level 10.  There was very little coating, and my hair still felt moisturized underneath it.

- Krystal (Clear) – This is one of my favorites.  I like it for buns and wash n’ gos, but the olive oil one may have trumped it simply because the olive oil is a little more moisturizing.

- Curls and Waves (Pink) – This is the only level 8 that I have tried and, based on the website, it is the only level 8 left in the line.  It continues to be one of my favorites for wet buns, but I don’t think it will work for wash n’ gos as well as a 10.

- Sport (Blue) - I loved this gel for my bun.  It kept my bun sleek, even on a crazy work day, which is impressive within itself.  Even more impressive, my hair stayed smooth while sleek.  Thus, for bunning, this is kind up up there with the Olive Oil, Pink and Krystal.  My wash n' go was a different story, however.  It took forever to dry, and my wash n' go didn't even last a day.  By the next morning, I had to figure out how to do something quick with my hair to make it look presentable for work.

- Coconut Oil (Brown top) – I liked this one, particularly for buns.  It left a little shine to my hair, and left it soft.  The only downside is that I do not think this is really a level 10.  It gave me a much softer hold than the other level 10s.  As a result, my wash n go did not turn out well and did not last longer than a day (pictured).  I would say I won't repurchase this product again, but it worked really well on my daughter's hair.

- Black Castor & Flaxseed Oil (Black Top) - This gave me great definition for my wash n' go and the wash n' go lasted.  It also gave me good hold for my bun.  The surprising problem was that it made my hair extremely dry by the end of the day.  I typically do not have this problem with my low porosity hair, which holds on to moisture for days.  

- Argan Oil (Red top)  – This is one of my least favorite.  It leaves my hair with a weird coating that remains if I just co-wash.  I have to use shampoo to get this out of my hair.

- Super Protein (Black Jar with Black Top) – This was my least favorite.  I was a little worried about using this because all Eco Styler gels have a little protein, and this one is pegged as being the protein one, which I assume means there is extra protein.  However, I was committed to trying as many of the gels as I could, so I tried it.  This left my hair so dry.  Also, washing it out was kind a nightmare.  It mixed with my cleanser, and left tan goop in my hair.  I ended up washing my hair again the next day, and my hair shed like crazy.  I think the protein was just too much for my hair.

Overall, Eco Styler continues to be my go-to product for a sleek bun, but it is not my best for wash n' gos.  If I have to do a wash n' go with Eco Styler, I think i will stick to the Olive Oil or Krystal.

As an aside, while not a gel, I picked up Eco Styler's newer Stay n Play Edge Control.  I thought it might work because Eco Styler is one of the few things that consistently slicks down my edges.  Unfortunately, I was wrong.  This product did nothing for my hair.

Which Eco Styler do you prefer?


Sunday, March 12, 2017

In Review: Eco Styler Coconut Gel

Hey, beautiful people!  As you may have heard, Eco Styler recently came out with two new styling gels.  One is the coconut gel.  The other is the black castor oil and flaxseed gel.  I recently purchased the coconut gel in my beauty supply, and I have tried it on a variety of styles to see how it works on my hair in comparison to some of the others.

Overall, this gel seems to mix well with my other products, particularly the As I Am Leave-In Conditioner.  However, despite the level 10 hold stated on the Coconut Gel jar, it seems to have a lighter hold that is more similar to the pink gel (pink is a level 8).  Because of the lighter hold, my hair has remained soft, but I have had some styling issues.  For example, with my bun, the gel did not smooth down flyaways. 

With my wash n’ go, my first day hair was just ok.  The coconut gel did not give me the same definition as the Krystal or Argan Oil Eco Styler gels, likely because of the lighter hold.  Also, the hold I did get was completely gone by the second day, and my hair looked pretty terrible by the end of the day (see picture).

In short, I would not add this to my list of favorite Eco Styler gels, and I probably wouldn’t repurchase it because I like other Eco Styler gels better, but I don’t hate it enough to throw out my current jar.  I will not do a wash and go with it again, but I will use it for messy buns.


Have you tried it?  What are your thoughts?

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Wash Day 02-04-2017


Hey, beautiful people!  I have been lazy, but it is time for me to get back to posting my wash days.  I noticed recently that my hair is getting a little thinner.  I suspect it is because I haven’t been regularly deep conditioning like I used to, but the only way to tell for sure is to start tracking it.

To start off this wash day, I used the Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Cleansing Conditioner.  This was a birthday gift from a good friend, who knows I have a love for certain hair products (thanks, Margeaux!).  As a first impression, this is great at detangling.  I couldn’t really tell if it cleansed my hair because my hair wasn’t that dirty, but I am going to try it a few times in a row to see if I get buildup.  The only downside to this conditioner was the smell.  I am sensitive to certain smells, and this one has a very perfumed scent.

Next, because I didn’t do an overnight deep condition, I used an old favorite – Hairveda’s Acai Berry Phytokeratin Hair Reconstructer.  This product only needs a few minutes to work and it gives my hair a lot of strength.  It takes me right up to the line of protein overload without getting there, so I don’t need to follow it up with another deep conditioner.

Once I got out the shower, I used As I Am’s Leave-in Conditioner, which is great.  Then, I layered on Camille Rose’s Coca Nibs and Honey Growth Serum, which is my favorite mixed oil product.  Finally, I used the Eco Styler Coconut Gel.  I don’t know how I feel about this gel yet, but it may have the best smell of all the Eco Styler gels.

To style, I did a top knot bun.  First, I put the top half of my hair in a ponytail, and did a loose two-strand twist bun.  Then, I took the back half of my hair and draped it over the first.  This two-step process makes the front look cleaner, and creates a fuller bun for me.  Next time I do this, I’ll take pictures because it is hard to describe.

Total Wash Day Time:  56 minutes

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


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?


Monday, February 15, 2016

Product Review: Camille Rose Ajani Growth and Shine Balm

Price:   $12 for 4 oz.
 
Ingredients:  Cocoa wafers, rice bran oil, virgin palm kernel, babassu oil, murumuru butter, candulla, honey, castor jelly, biotin, castor oil, silky btms, ceteryl blend, natural scent

Promise:  From the website – This balm is an exquisite, hand blended hair and scalp treatment that nurtures, invigorates and conditions dry slow growing hair.  Mango, Castor and honey were chosen for their potent conditioning and styling power.  Biotin is added for its hair growing benefits.  Your hair will be left with amazing shine.

Scent: Light chocolate

Consistency:  Grainy

Results:   I like this product, but not enough.  True to the promise, it does leave my hair with a lot of shine.  It also leaves my hair soft.  HOWEVER, I cannot get over the grainy nature of this product.  When I take the product out of the jar, I see little granules.  They melt in my palm when I rub my hands together, but it is hard to get all of the granules to melt.  There is usually a tiny chunk left after the majority of it has melted.  I'll be reviewing the liquid growth serum from Camille Rose, which I like better.  The serum is like the liquid version of this product, though the ingredients vary.

Love it, Like it or Leave It:  Like It

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:
Shampoos:
Conditioners:
  1. Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship ($4 for 10 oz)
  2. Herbal Essence Totally Twisted ($4 for 10 oz)
  3. Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge ($4 for 13 oz)
Leave-in Conditioners / Daily Moisturizers:
  1. Silk Dreams Wheat Germ Butter Conditioner ($16 for 16 oz)
  2. Oyin Handmade Hair Dew ($23 for 16.9 oz)
  3. Koils by Nature Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-in Conditioner ($20 for 12 oz) 
  4. Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion (summer only) ($25 for 12 oz)
Oils/Daily Spritz Mix-ins:
  1. Now Foods Avocado Oil ($14 for 16 oz)
  2. Essential Depot Vegetable Glycerin (summer only) ($13 for 43 oz)
  3. Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil ($7 for 4 oz)
  4. Now Foods Peppermint Essential Oil ($7 for 1 oz)
Wash n Go Stylers:
  1. Camille Rose Curl Maker ($22 for 12 oz)
  2. Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic ($25 for 18 oz)
  3. As I Am Curling Jelly ($22 for 16 oz)
Braid and Twist Creams:

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Low Maintenance vs. Protective Styling


Hey, beautiful people.  With winter fully here, I thought now is good time to talk about protective styling vs. low manipulation styling.  A style can be both protective and low manipulation, which is why the two terms are frequently confused, but they are not the same thing.

  • Low manipulation refers to styles that require minimum styling, and require little maintenance during the week.  Low maintenance styles tend to be "set it and forget it" styles.  This would include wash n gos, certain updos, and bunning.  Braid outs/twist outs are only low manipulation if you don't have to frequently re-braid/twist.

  • Protective styling refers to styles that hide your hair, particularly your ends, to protect it from the elements.  This would include updos, bunning, braids, twists.  It would also include wigs.

 For some people, especially those with fine hair, like me, low manipulation styles may be better than protective styles because frequent manipulation of the hair can lead to breakage.  On the other hand, for some, protective styles are better because their ends are easily damaged.

Thus, far, I've found that my hair likes low manipulation styles.  However, in the winter time, it prefers styles that are both low manipulation and protective because my hair stays better moisturized that way.  I live in Michigan where the winters are very cold and dry.

As a word of caution, with both low manipulation and protective styles, you have to be careful about tangling.  If your hair is in a loose, low maintenance style, it may tangle.  For example, I typically get tangles with my wash n go if I am not careful in applying gel to the curlier sections.  Also, if my hair is left in a protective style for too long, like braids or twists, then it may tangle.  Obviously, with both types of styles, you have to continue to maintain moisture levels.

What types of styles does your hair prefer?

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Battle of the Edge Controls


Hey, beautiful people!  Typically, I wear my hair in a wash n go on the weekend, and a bun during the week.  I have to get my toddler out the door on weekday mornings, so it is best for me to avoid having to think about my hair and my bun will typically last all week.  While I am usually ok with a little frizz around the edges, when I have a more formal event to go to, I prefer a sleeker look, so I decided to try some edge controls.  I tried ten products, some of which are marketed as edge controls, and some that are not.  Here they are ranked from most favorite to least liked:
  1. Pink Eco Styler Gel ($6 / 32 oz)- This is not marketed as an edge control, but it had the most long-lasting hold by far, and it it the cheapest.  I just have to use ALOT.  Also, I have to tie down my edges after I apply it, to let it dry.  Because it takes my hair awhile to dry, even if I apply the gel on dry hair, the results are not instantaneous.

  2. Cream of Nature Perfect Edges ($4.50 / 2.25) - This is my favorite "edge control".  It gave me both high shine and hold.  It also spreads easily, and it actually smells a little like argan oil.  It just didn't give me all day hold. As the day went on, my edges started to puff up.  For people avoiding parabens, do not purchase this one. It has 2 - methylparaben and ethylparaben. 

  3. Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Edge Control Smoother ($8 / 2 oz) - This is my second favorite "edge control" product.  It performed very similar to the Cream of Nature, including the fact that it also gave me great shine.  It also smells deliciously like vanilla. However, like the Cream of Nature, it also didn't give me long lasting hold. Unlike Cream of Nature, it does not have any parabens. I really like the ingredients in this product.

  4. Oyin Burnt Sugar Pomade ($14 / 4 oz) - I use this as a second day product after using gel on the first day.  I typical spritz my hair with a little water, then smooth on the pomade and tie down my hair with a scarf. After about 30 minutes, my hair usually good to go with a nice sheen and it is soft.  Do not expect this to last longer than a couple hours though.  The pomade has amazing ingredients.  I prefer the Burnt Sugar Pomade to the Sugar Berries Pomade based on smell alone. They perform and cost the same. The Burnt Sugar smells like cookies.  The sugar berries smells like plants to me.  This is on the higher side of price per ounce, but a little goes  along way.  I've had the same jar for at least a year.

  5. Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore ($10 / 4 oz) - While the jar says that it smooths, this is more of a treatment, than an edge control.  The protein seems to strengthen my edges, and this product keeps my hair soft with a nice sheen.  When I'm stressed, my temples thin, so this is a keeper, just not as an edge control.  The only thing I don't like about this is that it seems to leave some residue on my hair after a few days of use.

  6. Gorilla Snot Gel (Punk) ($6.59 / 11.9 oz) - Someone suggested this gel because it is kind of like glue.  It did work on my edges to a certain extent, but it worked pretty much like Eco Styler Gel and it didn't last as long, even though I put a ton on. 

  7. Curls Control Paste ($8 / 4 oz) - I was actually surprised that this did not work for me. It was my favorite product while I was transitioning because it smoothed my edges.  However, when I tried it as part of this experiment, while it smoothed my edges, the smooth edges did not last long.  It also left a white residue.  I tried it on both "dirty" hair and freshly washed hair.  It gave me the same white residue each time.

    8.
  8. ORS Olive Oil Edge Control ($5 / 2.25 oz) - This simply did not spread easily on my hair, so it was not effective.

    9.
  9. Smooth 'N Shine Edge Smoothing Pomade ($2.59 / 2 oz) - This performs similarly to the ORS Edge Control. 

    10.
  10. Got2B Glued Spiking Glue ($6.50 / 6 oz) - I only tried this because someone suggested it.  It did not give me hold, but it did leave a sticky film on my hair.  No bueno.
All in all, this experiment reinforced for me that I don't need an edge control every day.  On the days that the edge control wore out before my day ended (90% of the time), I survived.  For the days that I really need edge control, I'll just use my pink Eco Styler.  On the other days, I'll use the Oyin pomade, and I'll use the Shea Moisture as a treatment for my edges when they seem like they need a little extra care.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Wash Day 07-07-2015: The Traveling Bun

Hey, beautiful people! I haven't posted a wash day in bit, but my wash days have been very straightforward lately.  I just do a quick wash with Uncle Funky's Daughter shampoo (which I love), detangle with Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship, put in leave-in and gel, and bun.  It takes 20-30 minutes.  Sometimes, I skip the shampoo step.

This morning, I was still on vacation because I went to the Essence Fest, and I packed travel sizes of some new things to try.  First, I co-washed with Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Conditioner.  I was not a fan.  It was not creamy enough, and it felt like it made my hair hard.  Next, I used Oyin Hair Dew and Tresseme gel to bun.  I was not a fan of the gel.  It reminded me of a slightly more liquid version of Eco Styler, but it had no hold.  Plus, even more than Eco Styler, the gel kept my hair sopping wet, even after I used a regular towel to soak up some of the water, and I had to go through airport security with water periodically coming down my face and neck.  Not wonderful...

What brand do you travel with?


Sunday, June 14, 2015

Wash Day 06-13-2015 - Crown Twist


Hey, beautiful people!  This weekend, I didn't do a deep condition overnight because I fell asleep before I put the conditioner in my hair.  Then, when I woke up in the morning, I didn't have time to do a deep condition because we had a long day ahead.  Thus, I just did a quick co-wash with Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship.  Then, when I got out the shower, I wasn't in the mood for a wash and go, so I got creative.  I divided my hair into four ponytails, twisted each ponytail into two twists, and wrapped the twists around my head (using bobby pins) to make a crown.  For my twists, I used the Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream and Hairveda Red Tea Hair Ends Serum.


Total wash to style time: ~50 minutes.


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