Showing posts with label camille rose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camille rose. Show all posts

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Black Friday Aftermath (2017)

Hey Beautiful People!
As I was updating my product stash for 2018, I realized that I never did a Black Friday aftermath.  That was, in part, because some of my products just showed up this week...  This year, I completely ignored my original Black Friday intentions, returned to my usual product junkie ways, and bought way more than I intended.  However, I did stick primarily to four of my favorite brands:  Oyin Handmade, Mielle Organics, Camille Rose, As I Am Naturally, and Curl Junkie.  However, I do want to try out more Ayurvedic products this year, so I bought some products from an Ayurvedic etsy store -- Jakeala.  Here is a list of what I ultimatley bought:

 Oyin Handmade
- Oyin Hair Dew x2
- Oyin Ginger Mint Co-wash
- Oyin Oh My Glide Prestyling Detangler
- Oyin Shine & Define (to gift away)

Mielle Organics
- Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner x5
- Pomegranate & Honey Hair Smoothie
- Pomegranate & Honey Leave-in Conditioner
- Pomegranate & Honey Curling Custard
- Pomegranate & Honey Twisting Souffle
- White Peoney Leave-in Conditioner (for daughter)
- Avocado Moisturizing Hair Milk x3 (came with Mielle Organics Babassu Conditioning Shampoo samples x2)

 Camille Rose
- Curl Love Moisture Milk
- Fresh Curl Revitalizing Hair Smoother
- Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum

 As I Am Natuurally
- Leave-in Conditioner
- So Much Moisture Hydrating Lotion
- Coil Defining Jelly x2 (for daughter)
- Doublebutter Cream
- Coconut Cowash

 Curl Junkie
- Daily Fix
- Beauticurls Argan & Olive Oil Daily Hair Conditioner
- Pattern Pusha Hair Styling Gel
- Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix
- Smoothing Daily Hair Conditioner, 
- Coffee & Cocoa Hair Cream
- Curls in a Bottle Hair Styling Solution

 Jakeala
- Keratin Protein Hair Conditioner
- Sweet Honey Moroccan Rhassoul Hair Mask 
- Amla Shea Hair Parfait with Eucalyptus Mint Essential Oil
- Flaxseed Hair Gel
- Sweet Thang Hair Caramel
- Matcha Green Tea Hair Mask
- Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanser Shampoo

Other
- Uncle Funky’s Daughter Extra Butter
- Sunny Isle Lavender Jamaican Black Castor Oil
- Jane Carter Curls to Go Curl Cocktail
- Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner x3
- Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Conditioner
- Alikay Naturals Moisture Rich Hair Parfait (for daughter)
- Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave-in Conditioner 

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Black Friday Thoughts (2017 Edition)

Hey, beautiful people!  Like last year, but Black Friday is already crossing my mind.  This year may not be that exciting because there isn't really much I need, even with keeping my daughter's head in mind too.  In looking back over the past two years, I typically use about:
  • 4-6 deep conditioners
  • 2 shampoos / cleansers
  • 7 rinse out conditioners
  • 9 leave-ins / moisturizers 
  • 2-3 gels (including bun & wash n' go gels)
  • 3-4 braid & twist creams/butters
  • <1 heat styler
  • 1-2 oils (I run through oils slowly)

I have all of this in my product stash already, except the rinse out conditioners (which I don't buy during Black Friday), 2 leave-in/moisturizers and possibly 2 deep conditioners.  I currently have 36 products in my stash.

So based on my favorite brands list, this Black Friday, I plan to focus on looking for a sale from Silk Dreams or Mielle Organics, though I may pick up another Uncle Funky's Daugther Curly Magic and an As I Am Leave-in Conditioner for me.  I am also torn on whether to give the Camille Rose Fresh Curl and Curl Love another try.  I also have to keep my daughter's hair in mind now when I shop, but I may only pick up an As I Am Coil Defining Jelly for her because she has quite a few products too.  I can always buy during Mother's Day sales if we start to get too low on products.

Am I the only one with Black Friday on the brain already?

2017-09-24 Wash Day: Soultanicals Mango Dip Detangling Slip and Mielle Organics Honey & Ginger Styling Gel


Hey, beautiful people!  I'm on a wash n' go streak at the moment, so I did another one.  This time, I started with a deep condition with Mielle Organics Mint Babassu Deep Conditioner overnight.  I love this deep conditioner.  

The next day, I cleansed with Camille Rose Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse, then I detangled with Garnier Whole Blends Conditioner.  I used the Garnier Whole Blends Hydrating (Coconut Water and Vanilla Milk) Conditioner this time because I realized the Replenishing (Olive Oil) Conditioner has mineral oil in it that made my shower slimy.  The Hydrating Conditioner made my scalp itch, but less so than the Honey Conditioner. 

When I got out the shower, I first used the Soultanicals Mango Dip Detangling Slip.  This was my second time using this leave-in for a wash n' go.  It has amazing slip, but I don't think I will use it again as my sole leave-in because it doesn't seem to keep my hair moisturized, for the reasons I will mention below.

Finally, I raked the Mielle Organics Honey & Ginger Styling Gel through my hair.  On the right side of my hair, I just used my fingers to rake.  On the left side, I first used my fingers, then I used my Tangle Wrangler.  I can never get a Denman brush through my hair and the tangle wrangler works for me the same way other people use a Denman.  However, instead of clumping my curls, the tangle wrangler separated them.  In looking at some Youtube videos, it may be that my technique was wrong.  I used the brush on the full length of my hair, instead of just the ends.  I will try this again to see.

As you may recall, when I used the Mielle Organics gel for my wash n' go before, it flaked.  I assumed that was because I used it in connection with the curl cream.  I was wrong.  It flaked again this time, though a little less than when I used the curl cream.  I've also learned that some other ladies have had this flaking issue as well.

Overall, this wash n' go for my hair.  In addition to the flaking, my hair was so dry by the second day that I had to promptly wash it out.  I think the dryness was the Soultanicals because (1) my hair was not dry when I did the Mielle Organics curl cream/gel combo; and (2) this is the second wash n' go using Soultanicals where my hair was desert dry.


Saturday, September 16, 2017

2017-09-16 Wash Day: Aunt Jackie's Don't Shrink Flaxseed Elongating Curling Gel Wash n Go

Hey, beautiful people!  This weekend I was in the mood to do a wash n' go with a product that has been in my stash for awhile but unopened.

First, I deep conditioned my hair overnight with the Shea Moisture Superfruit 10-in-1 Renewal System Hair Mask.  This conditioner is just ok.  My hair has never been a big Shea Moisture fan, and this was no exception.  Additionally, I've found that my hair needs at least a little protein each deep conditioning to stay strong, likely because it is fine in coarseness.  When I don't have protein in my deep conditioner, I see more hair in the shower and more breakage during styling.

Next, I washed my hair with the Camille Rose Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse.  I have always thought of this as a shampoo until someone corrected me, and told me that it is a cross between a shampoo and a co-wash as a "rinse."  

Then, I used Garnier Whole Blends Replenishing Conditioner (Olive Oil) to detangle my hair.  This performed better than the Honey Treasures (which made my scalp itch).  I had no itching with this one, so I tossed the Honey Treasures.

Next, I used As I Am Leave-in Conditioner on one quadrant of my hair before I ran out, and Soultanicals Mango Dip Detangling Slip for the rest.  I love the As I Am leave-in, and I think I like the Soultanicals too, but I want to use it a few more times to be sure.

Finally, I raked and shingled Aunt Jackie's Don't Shrink Flaxseed Elongating Curling Gel.  I was not going to try this gel because I hated a different Aunt Jackie's product in the past, but the thought of flaxseed swayed me and I am glad it did.  This gel reminds me of Wetline Extreme Gel, but it may be easier to spread.  It gives my hair similar definition and sheen.  However, by day two of this wash n' go, my hair was dry and crispy.

ETA 10/1/2017:  The dryness may be from the Soultanicals Mango Dip Detangling Slip.


Sunday, September 10, 2017

My Top 6 Favorite Brands

Hello, beautiful people!  After my last post on my top products, I felt like I did not do justice to some really incredible brands, so this post is focused on products that I like from some of my favorite brands, even though I don't buy them all the time.  My favorite products are asterisked.

As I Am Naturally
- Coconut Co-wash*
- DoubleButter Cream Rick Daily Moisturizer*
- Leave-in Conditioner*
- Curling Jelly
- Twist Defining Cream

Camille Rose Naturals
- Curl Maker Gel*
- Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse*
- Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum*
- Aloe Whipped Butter Gel
- Carmel Cowash
- Almond Jai Twisting Butter
- Coconut Water Penetrating Hair Treatment
- Coconut Water Style Setter
- Camille Rose Curl Love Moisture Milk

Curl Junkie
- Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment*
- Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion*
- Hibiscus & Banana Deep Fix Moisturizing Conditioner
- Coffee-Coco Curl Cream
- Daily Fix Cleansing Hair Conditioner

Mielle Organics
- Moisturizing Avocado Hair Milk*
- Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner*
- Mint Avocado Oil
- Honey & Ginger Styling Gel
- White Peony Ultra-Moisturizing Leave-in Conditioner
- Babassu Oil Conditioning Sulfate Free Shampoo

Silk Dreams Haircare
- Vanilla Silk Cream Moisture Dream (Deep Conditioner)*
- Silk Dreams Shea What Therapeutic Conditioning Masque*
- Almond Buttercream*
- Wheat Germ Butter Conditioner*
- Who's That Curl? Buttersilk Balm
- Mocha Silk Hair Milk
- Mocha Silk Infusion (Deep Conditioner)

Uncle Funky's Daughter
- Curly Magic Curl Stimulator Gel*
- Extra Butter Brilliant Shine Cream*
- Rich & Funky Moisturizing Cleanser
- Midnight Train Leave-in Conditioner
- Supercurl Miracle Moisturizing Creme (needs to be paired with something else)

Monday, September 4, 2017

2017 Mid-Year Favorites

Hello Beautiful People!   I have always wondered why Favorites lists tend to only come out on blogs at the end of the year, after all of the Black Friday sales are done.  I am also trying to minimize and focus the number of product brands that I purchase from because my product stash is a little bigger than I would like it to be (currently 46 products, not including my daughter's products).  Thus, I challenged myself in this list to only identify my top two products in each category right now.  As natural haircare has evolved, every product on this list, except one, is available in brick and mortar stores.

 Favorite Overall Brand
- Camille Rose Naturals
- Mielle Organics

 Favorite Multi-Use Products
- Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream (leave-in, wash n' go definer, twist/braid cream)
- Oyin Hair Dew (leave-in & moisturizer)

 Moisturizing, Light Protein Deep Conditioners
- Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk Moisture Dream
- Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment (this is a strong protein for some)

 Cleansers
- Camille Rose Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse
- Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Sulfate-free Shampoo

 Rinse Out Conditioners
- Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner
- Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge

 Leave-in Conditioners
- As I Am Naturally Leave-in Conditioner
- Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion

 Moisturizers
- Oyin Hair Dew
- Mielle Organics Moisturizing Avocado Hair Milk

 Wash n Go Gels
- Wetline Extreme Gel (ulta defined wash n go)
- Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic Curl Stimulator (fluffy wash n go)

 Braid & Twist Creams
- Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream
- Camille Rose Aloe Whipped Butter Gel

 Heat Stylers
- Carol’s Daughters Chocolat Blow Dry Cream
- It's A 10 Leave-in Conditioner

 Oil Pre-mixes
- Camille Rose Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum
- Mielle Organics Mint Almond Oil

 Pure Oils
- Essential Depot Avocado Oil
- Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil

 I'll check back in March 2018 to see if/how this list has changed.

What are some of your favorites?

Sunday, September 3, 2017

2017-09-03 Wash Day: Mane Choice Crystal Orchid Biotin Infused Styling Gel

Hey, beautiful people!  I have been on the move, traveling for work and for fun.   So I have not had a chance to post in awhile.  I'm taking advantage of the long weekend, however, to post another wash
day.

Yesterday, I did a deep condition overnight with Shea Moisture Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System Hair Masque.  This was the second time I used this mask, and I'm not a huge fan.  It is not a bad deep conditioner.  I just have deep conditioners that I love better.

In the morning, I washed my hair with Camille Rose's Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse, then detangled with Garnier Fructis Whole Blends Honey Treasures Repairing Conditioner.  This conditioner was just ok, and comes nowhere close to performing like my favorite conditioner (Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner).  It was too thick, and did not help much with detangling.  It is also possible that it made my scalp itchy temporarily.

When I got out the shower, I used As I Am Naturally's Leave-in Conditioner, which I still love for its slip and ability to absorb into my hair.  Then, I did a wash n' go with the Mane Choice Crystal Orchid Biotin Infused Styling Gel.  This gel's performance reminds me a lot of Wetline Extreme Gel in terms of the hold and definition on the first day, but that is where the similarities end.  It has more slip; however, the next day, I got a ton of white flakes.  I heard from other reviews that this gel flakes, so I wasn't that surprised to see it.  I just assumed that using a lighter leave-in, like As I Am, would minimize the chance of that happening.  I was wrong.

After my hair dried for a day, I cut my hair from shoulder length to what I thought was chin length.  I was wrong about this too.  My hair continued to dry throughout the second day, and is now ear length curly.  When stretched, this takes me from waist length in the back to about bra strap length.  I cut my hair because it was starting to get too heavy, was growing uneven and was harder to take care of.  Plus, the shorter length frames my face better, and I still have enough hair to throw it into a ponytail.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Wash Day 07-12-2017 - Mielle Organics and Wetline Extreme Gel

Hello Beautiful People,

This post is a little overdue because I washed my hair during the week, but I did not have time to style it.  I have been in a wash n' go mood lately, so I decided to do one this week.

I started first with the Camille Rose Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse shampoo, which is a favorite of mine right now.  Next, I used the Shea Moisture Low Porosity Conditioner, which I bought before Shea Moisture-gate.  This conditioner works ok, but it doesn't have the most slip.  

After getting out of the shower, I used my Mielle Organics Avocado Hair Milk, which is becoming a fast favorite and reminds me a lot of Oyin Hair Dew.  Then I used the rake and smooth method with Wetline Extreme Gel to style my wash n' go.  For those who are new or not familiar with the rake and smooth method, I first sectioned my hair into about 8 sections, raking gel first through with extra emphasis on my roots and ends, and then smoothing the gel covered section by holding the section into my hand like a sandwich and pulling my hand down the section.  When I was done, I used hairpins to pin the top and front edges of my hair, which are a different texture from the majority of my hair.  When I was done, I put my hair in a microfiber hair towel for 30 minutes to speed up the drying process.

This was the most defined wash n' go that I have had in awhile!  My curls were clumped and easily seen.  It also lasted for four days, which is the longest I have had a wash n' go.  It likely would have lasted longer, but I wanted a different style today.

The only downside is that it took two days for my hair to dry.

Total styling time = 40 minutes


Saturday, February 18, 2017

Wash Day 02-18-2017 - As I Am Leave-in Conditioner

Hey beautiful people!  Today was a rare, warm day in Michigan winter, so I decided to do a wash n go.  Prior to today, I left the Silk Dreams Vanilla Silk deep conditioner on my hair for a couple days.

I started today with the Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Cleansing Conditioner.  I have used this for a few washes, and I still like it.  Next, I used the HerbalEssences Wild Naturals Turkish Fig (with Cassia), which I let sit on my hair while I showered.  This is a good conditioner for detangling.  It has great slip, but it still doesn’t beat my Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship as my favorite.

When I got out the shower, I put As I Am Leave-in Conditioner, Camille Rose Cocoa Nibs and Honey Ultimate Growth Serum, and Uncle Funky’s Daughter's Curly Magic gel.  Then I wrapped my hair in a microfiber towel to suck up some of the moisture while I did my makeup and got dressed.  This sped up my dry time immensely.  My hair was not dripping when I took off the towel, and it was 75% dry about 4 hours later (the picture below).

The As I Am Leave-in was the star of this wash day.  As a low porosity girl, it is rare that I put a leave-in conditioner on head and have it absorb immediately without making my hair white.  When I put the As I Am on my hair, there were very minimal white spots.  If it performs the same in later wash days, it may become a favorite.

Total Wash & Style Time - 27 minutes


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

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


Saturday, November 26, 2016

Black Friday Aftermath 2016

Hey, beautiful people!  Looking at my Black Friday purchases, I didn’t do half as much damage as I have in years past, and my purchases were more focused this year.  I think the further I get into my healthy hair journey, the less of a product junkie I become (though I still have some product junkie in me):

Oyin Handmade (saved $27.30 / 30%) – total $63.67
- Hair Dew (1 Liter)
- 2 Free Hair Samples
- Whipped Shea Butter Rich Almond Scent (for body)
- After Bath Body Oil in Rich Almond Scent (for body)
- Black Nerds Unite T-shirt

Naturalsis72 (saved $23.80 / 20% + free shipping) – total $65.20
- 2 Satin Lined Hats
- 2 Satin Scrunchies
- 1 Satin Scarf Hood

Curlmart (saved $79.58 / 25% + 15%) – total $174.87
- As I Am Coil Defining Jelly (8 oz.)
- As I Am Curling Jelly Coil and Curl Definer (8 oz.)
- As I Am Leave-In Conditioner (8 oz.)
- Camille Rose Naturals Aloe Whipped Butter Gel (8 oz.)
- Camille Rose Naturals Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum (8 oz.)
- Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Penetrating Hair Treatment (8 oz.)
- Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker Marshmallow and Agave Leaf Extract (12 oz.)
- Camille Rose Naturals Moroccan Pear Conditioning Custard (12 oz.)
- Camille Rose Naturals Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse (12 oz.)
- Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Sulfate-Free Shampoo (12 oz.)
- Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion (12 oz.)
- EDEN BodyWorks Coconut Shea Curl Defining Creme (16 oz.)
- Mielle Organics Babassu Oil & Mint Deep Conditioner (8 oz.)
- Mielle Organics Moisturizing Avocado Hair Milk (8 oz.)
- SheaMoisture Superfruit Complex 10-In-1 Renewal System Hair Masque (12 oz.)
- Soultanicals Mango Dip Detangling Slip (8 oz.)
- The Original Curly Tee Towel - Xtra Long
- Free Sample - Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-in Conditioner Packette (0.6 oz.)
- Free Sample - Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Styling Gel Packette (0.6 oz.)
- Free Sample - Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper Original Packette (1 oz.)

Total Spent - $303.74

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Black Friday Thoughts in September

Hey, beautiful people!  I know it's a little early, but Black Friday is already crossing my mind.  This year may not be that exciting because there isn't really much I need, even with keeping my daughter's head in mind too.  In looking back over the past two years, I typically use about:
  • 6 deep conditioners
  • 2 shampoos / cleansers
  • 7 rinse out conditioners
  • 9 leave-ins / moisturizers 
  • 2-3 gels (including bun & wash n' go gels)
  • 3-5 braid & twist creams/butters
  • <1 heat styler
  • 1-2 oils (I run through oils slowly)


It's kind of embarrassing to admit it, but I have all of this in my product stash already, except the rinse out conditioners.  I currently have 39 products in my stash, with 4 more on their way to my house. I recently purchased products from both Silk Dreams Hair Care and Camille Rose.


So, this Black Friday, I may just pick up a couple deep conditioners if there is a good sale, and buy some more Camille Rose products with my daughter's hair in mind.  My daughter's hair loves the Camille Rose Coconut Water Penetrating Hair Treatment (as a leave-in) and the Carmel Cowash.  I also want to try the Moroccan Pear Conditioning Custard (if I catch a good deal), and get a back-up Curl Maker gel and Aloe Whipped Butter Gel for myself.

Am I the only one with Black Friday on the brain already?


Tuesday, August 23, 2016

08-21-2016 Wash Day (Wetline Extreme Gel)

Hey, beautiful people!  I am really late in posting about my last wash day, but I still wanted to post so that I remember what I did.

Yet again, I forgot to do my deep conditioner overnight, so I decided to do a clay wash this time.  I washed my hair with Naturalicious Moroccan Rhassoul 5-in-1 Clay Treatment.  In full disclaimer, I know the owner of the company and I got this bottle for free when I attended one of her events.  That being said, it doesn't affect the way I review the product.  This was the second time I tried out this product.   The first time, I purchased the clay wash years ago and I had a hard time maneuvering the product while trying to wash my hair in the shower because it is somewhat runny.  This time, I figured it out and I really liked the way it made my hair feel, especially since I didn't deep condition.  My hair felt cleansed, but not stripped, and it was buttery soft.

When I got out the shower, I put Oyin Hair Dew on my hair as my leave-in.  Then, I used Wetline Extreme Gel to do my wash n' go.  As this is a thicker gel, like Eco Styler, I used the shingle method.  Then, I put my hair up in a turbie twist to absorb some of the excess water and speed up the drying process, while I got dressed.  Finally, I put a couple hair pins at my crown and just let it hang while I went about my day.

I loved my results!  The wetline reminds me of my pink eco styler, but with a stronger hold; and reminds me of the krystal eco styler hold but without the flakes. It's the best of both worlds. The only problem is that it still takes forever to dry because it is so thick. It took about 2 days. I'm going to see if I can get it down to 1 by using less gel. If so, this may be right up there with my Camille Rose Curl Maker and Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic.

Total Wash & Styling Time - 25 minutes

The picture on the left is wet hair.  
The picture on the right is day 2 of my wash n' go, after it dried.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Power Product Line Review: Uncle Funky’s Daughter


Hey, beautiful people!  If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you already know that I love Uncle Funky’s Daughter’s Curly Magic gel for my wash n’gos.  I also love it for my buns.  As I mentioned in my pre-Black Friday post, I have been trying to find one line that I can rock for all or most of my products, and I have narrowed it down to about three lines:  Silk Dreams Hair Care, Camille Rose Naturals and Uncle Funky’s Daughter.  Thus, I recently bought some more products from the Uncle Funky’s Daughter Product Line.  Here is the break down of how I feel about this line:

Love It
  • Curly Magic Curl Stimulator gel ($25/18oz) – I think I have posted enough reviews of my wash n’ gos with this gel that you already know why I love it.  This gel is so slippery that I’m even able to detangle with it.  I can rake it through my hair, rather than shingling, which makes for a faster wash n’ go.  Also, for really neat buns, I will rake it through my hair before putting my hair up.  This gel rocks!  For those that are Camille Rose Curl Maker fans or fans of Sweet Soul Magic’s gel, this is very similar to me.

  • Rich & Funky Shampoo ($16.50/8oz) – This shampoo cleanses my hair without drying it out.  Also, a little goes a long way.

  • Extra Butter Brilliant Shine Creme ($22/8oz) – I previously reviewed this product here in a battle of the butters.  This is a very light butter, so be careful what leave-in you use underneath it.  It leaves my braids and braid outs shiny with a moisturizing leave-in conditioner.  It also gives my braid outs definition.  If you like the Qhemet Biologic’s Burdock Root Butter Cream or Camille Rose’s Almond Jai Twisting Butter or Aloe Whipped Butter Gel, you may like this.
Like It
  • Midnite Train Leave-in Conditioner ($11/8oz) – If I liked liquid leave-ins, I would probably re-purchase this again.  It gives my hair moisture and softness.

  • SuperCurl Miracle Moisturizing Creme ($22/8oz) – I previously reviewed this product here, and in my battle of the butters here.  This is a very, very light moisturizing cream.  It is so thin that it feels like water when I rub it between my fingers, but it has some good ingredients.  Like the Extra Butter,it leaves my braids and braid outs shiny with a moisturizing leave-in conditioner.  It also gives my braid outs definition.  It reminds me of a thing version of Jane Carter’s Curl Defining Cream.
Leave It
  • Thirsty Curls Leave-in Curl Revitalizer ($15/8oz) – I am not a big fan of liquid leave-ins or “curl revitalizers” because I make my own oil-water mix.  Also, while this works similar to Midnight Train, it is not as moisturizing, and does not smell as good. 

  • Good Hair Conditioning Styling Creme ($18/8oz) – I previously posted a review on this product here.  While I feel like I should have liked this product, I just could not and gave it away.  It is was like a liquid version of Supercurl, which is good, but it literally caused bees to chase me at the zoo and the gas station.



Saturday, June 25, 2016

Camille Rose Battle of the Butters (The Braiding Files #6)

Hey, beautiful people!  I have loved Camille Rose’s Almond Jai Twisting Butter since the early days of my natural journey.  Then, when I discovered the Aloe Whipped Butter Gel, I really liked that too, so it was only fitting that I do a head-to-head as part of my braiding challenge.  However, since I also bought the Camille Rose Coconut Water Style Setter as part of my Black Friday haul, I decided to a head-to-head-to-head.

All three butters left my hair feeling moisturized, but they each gave my hair a different feeling.  The Coconut Water Style Setter left my hair more frizzy and feeling coarse. 

The Almond Jai Twisting Butter worked best with my hair either already damp or spritzed with water first, and it took longer to absorb into my hair.  My hair stayed moisturized longer with the Almond Jai than with the Coconut Water Style Setter, but the Almond Jai takes a long time to absorb into my hair.


The Aloe Whipped Butter Gel is definitely my favorite after this challenge, but Almond Jai is a very close second.  The Almond Jai and Aloe Whipped Butter Gel give my hair the same amount of sheen.  However, the Butter Gel is the lightest of the three butters, and it absorbs easily into my hair.  The only downside is that, despite gel being in the name, there is very little hold.



Sunday, June 19, 2016

Wash Day 06-19-2016 (Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil line)

Hey, beautiful people!  It's summer, so I am going to try my best to do recaps of my wash days again.  My sister is visiting for a couple weeks, and she brought products from Shea Moisture's Jamaican Black Castor Oil line with her, so I decided to try them.   I previously reviewed the edge treatment here.

For this wash day, I forgot to deep condition beforehand again; so, my wash day just started off with a shampoo.  I washed my hair in four sections, shampooing and then detangling each section with conditioner.  I used the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow and Restore Shampoo and my Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner.  The shampoo was not bad and not good, just ok.  It did not leave my hair feeling stripped, but I didn't necessarily feel like my hair was clean either.   Also, my eyes itched a little while I was washing my hair, but I can't say for certain that it was the shampoo that did it.  I would need to try it gain to be certain, and I don't think I'm going to try it again.

After my shampoo and condition, I dried my hair lightly with a regular towel.  Yes, I know this is a no-no in the curly girl bible, but I just scrunched my hair, making sure I didn't rough up my cuticles.  Next, I put in the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Leave-In Conditioner.  This leave-in conditioner is surprisingly light, especially because it is in a jar.  It is the consistency of a very thin lotion.  Because it is so light, I was worried that it would not be enough, so I also used Camille Rose Almond Jai Twisting Butter.  Then, I put my damp hair in two cornrows to dry. 

Total wash and styling time:  ~30 minutes

Monday, June 6, 2016

Hair Tool Review: Straightening Brush (Straightening Attempt #2)

Hey, beautiful people!  I have been saying for awhile that I would try straightening my hair again after my last epic fail.  If you are as hair obsessed as I am, then you have probably noticed that the new thing on the market is straightening brushes.  They range in price from $30 to $99.  I saw one on Groupon, and decided to try it.  I figured, at $26, I could trash it if I hated it.

To start off, I washed my hair with Carol’s Daughter BlackVanilla Shampoo, and conditioned with Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner.  Next, I used Oyin Hair Dew as my leave-in.  Finally, because I am in the middle of a battle of the butters, I used Camille Rose Coconut Water Style Setter on the left side of my hair and Camille Rose Almond Jai Twisting Butter on the right.  I braided up my hair in two cornrows and let it sit all day Saturday and Sunday to dry.

On Sunday night, I detangled my hair section by section with a wide tooth comb first, and then with my large square paddle brush.  As I have learned from others, detangling is crucial.  For my heat protectants, I used Carol’s Daughter Chocolat Blow Dry Cream and It’s A 10 Leave-in.  Then, I used the straightening brush, running it slowly down each section, and holding the ends taunt until the brush reached near the end.  I started using the straightener at 210 degrees Celsius (410 Fahrenheit), and then decreased to 200 degrees (392 Fahrenheit) when I realized that I got the same results.
Overall, I love the ease of using this tool.  It is as easy as brushing your hair, and I got my whole head done (including thorough detangling) in an hour and a half!  It did not get my hair silk press swinging straight, but it did get it very straight with just a little bit of texture, and it is incredibly soft.  Some people are able to get the same results from a blow dryer, but I never have because I am blow dryer challenged.  So, this is a win for me.

The only downside to this tool for me was the cheap nature of the materials.  It took about 4 tries for me to get it to turn on.  Then, when I did, it kept turning itself off periodically.  Also, one of the brush sticks and 11 of the little red nubs fell off as I was straightening my hair.  One of the nubs even fell down the back of my shirt (not pleasant).  I also didn't realize that the degrees would be in Celsius when I purchased this.

I do plan to do this again, but I may buy a new straightening brush before I do.  Some of the ladies on Long Hair Care Forum have gotten good results from this one.

 ====

 Blog Post Addition (6/19/2016) - For those of you that asked, I ultimately purchased the Acevivi Hair Straightener Brush because it does not have nubs.  When I try it out, I will post a review.  Also, in case you are wondering, yes, my curls came back when I washed my hair.

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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