Showing posts with label low porosity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label low porosity. Show all posts
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?
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?
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, June 17, 2017
Wash Day 06-16-2017: Mielle Organics Brazilian Curl Cream and Honey & Ginger Gel
Hey, beautiful people! In one of my more recent posts, I talked about trying Mielle Organics products, and how much I liked them. At the time, I didn't have the Brazilian Curly Cocktail Curl Cream or the Honey & Ginger Styling Gel, but I wanted to try them.
This wash day, I did a deep condition overnight with Silk Dreams Haircare Vanilla Silk Cream Moisture Dream. Since I washed my hair earlier this week with shampoo, I didn't shampoo again, except for the back right quadrant of my hair (don't ask). For the rest of my hair, I skipped right to the conditioner, and used that to "co-wash" my scalp. This time, I used the Beauty 360 Deeper Moisture Conditioner for Dry and Damaged Hair. It is supposed to be the CVS generic brand of the TRESemme Moisture Rich Conditioner. Normally, I would not have purchased this because Dimethicone was the sixth ingredient, but I decided to give it a shot because it was so cheap. It was ok, but I am still not a fan of regular Dimethicone for the reasons I described in this post. I prefer -cones that are water soluble, evaporate or are build-up resistant.
After washing my hair, I applied Mielle Organics Brazilian Curl Cream and the Honey & Ginger Styling Gel to my hair in 12 sections (3 sections per quadrant). I didn't need to use a ton of gel, but I did have to use quite a bit of the curl cream. Ultimately, my hair was ultra-defined while still wet, and kept a lot of that definition when it dried. While there was a slight crunch as my hair dried, the crunch left pretty quickly when I touched my hair, and my hair became super soft. As an added bonus, my hair smelled like delicious herbal tea.
Overall, I like the curl cream and gel as a first impression. I only had three issues: (1) my ends are frizzy, which may not be the gel's fault; (2) the roots of my hair were still wet over 24 hours later, which tends to happen to my low porosity hair with heavy products; and (3) this combo flakes.
Total Styling Time: ~35 minutes
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Power Product Line Review: Mielle Organics
Hey beautiful people!
I have been trying to keep my product junkism at bay, and I have been
doing a pretty good job at it. However,
courtesy of a tip on Long Hair Care Forum, I got wind of a clearance sale on
Mielle Organics products, and picked up a few items. Here are my thoughts:
Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner - 8 oz. ($13.99): This is a very nice deep conditioner, and my third favorite product from the line. It is lightweight, but still has substance to it in that I can feel the benefit to my hair. The smell is also divine, and reminds me of mint tea in the summertime. The slip is also incredible for a deep conditioner. I literally detangled my hair with this before deep conditioning my hair overnight. I was shocked. The only thing that gives me pause about this product is the level of protein. My hair needs a good, lightweight protein-based conditioner that is still moisturizing. When I put this in my hair, I could instantly notice the protein, and the back of the jar shows that it is packed with protein. If I am not careful, I could get protein overload because this product is just barely on the border of being ok for my hair. For this reason, someone who needs more protein would likely love this product even more.
Detangling Co-wash - 8 oz. ($11.99): This co-wash is more of a conditioner than cleanser. It has amazing slip and did a great job detangling my hair, but it didn’t clean it. My hair felt coated before I used it, and it still felt coated after using it. As a low porosity girl, I need a real cleanser.
White Peony Ultra Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioner - 8 oz. ($12.99): As the name suggests, this product is moisturizing. It is also light-weight, which is good for low porosity hair. I just like my homemade spritz better, and it is cheaper. Also, the spray nozzle on this product bothers me. It comes out as a stream, rather than distributing across my hair. I actually ended up transferring it to another bottle to make it easier to use. However, in looking at the Mielle Organics website, it looks like they have changed the top to a spray pump, so that should fix this problem.
Avocado
Moisturizing Hair Milk - 8 oz. ($12.99): This is very moisturizing, and is probably my favorite product in the line. My hair felt so soft after I used this. Unfortunately, it doesn't absorb into my hair right away when I first put it on, but few things do. The other downside I notice is that it clumps when I mixed it with EcoStyler gel in my hands, which is what I usually use to bun my hair. Nevertheless, because of how wonderfully moisturized it makes my hair feel, I would repurchase this product.
Mint Almond Oil - 8 oz. ($12.99): This is a very nice oil, and my second favorite product in the line. It is lightweight enough for my low porosity strands, and the peppermint smell is heavenly. The oil essentially has three main ingredients -- Sweet Almond Oil, Soybean Oil and Peppermint Oil, so you could make it yourself if you consider yourself a mixtress. I would definitely purchase it again at the $7 price point I purchased it for, but it is not a repurchase for me at the regular price. That being said, this isn't overpriced. Peppermint oil is expensive. I have seen a 4 oz. jar sell for $11. It's just that I already have a bottle of peppermint oil that I haven't been able to use up in the past 5 years, and I typically buy a 32 oz bottle of avocado oil (my favorite straight oil) for about $15. I do thank this product, however, for teaching me that I can add more peppermint oil to my other products without irritating my scalp.
Honey Ginger Edge Gel - 4 oz. ($12.99): While I had high hopes, this edge gel suffered the same fate as many others. It initially slicked down my edges, but that did not last long. Thus far, it still remains that Eco Styler is one of the few things capable of slicking my edges long term.
Mint Almond Oil - 8 oz. ($12.99): This is a very nice oil, and my second favorite product in the line. It is lightweight enough for my low porosity strands, and the peppermint smell is heavenly. The oil essentially has three main ingredients -- Sweet Almond Oil, Soybean Oil and Peppermint Oil, so you could make it yourself if you consider yourself a mixtress. I would definitely purchase it again at the $7 price point I purchased it for, but it is not a repurchase for me at the regular price. That being said, this isn't overpriced. Peppermint oil is expensive. I have seen a 4 oz. jar sell for $11. It's just that I already have a bottle of peppermint oil that I haven't been able to use up in the past 5 years, and I typically buy a 32 oz bottle of avocado oil (my favorite straight oil) for about $15. I do thank this product, however, for teaching me that I can add more peppermint oil to my other products without irritating my scalp.
Honey Ginger Edge Gel - 4 oz. ($12.99): While I had high hopes, this edge gel suffered the same fate as many others. It initially slicked down my edges, but that did not last long. Thus far, it still remains that Eco Styler is one of the few things capable of slicking my edges long term.
Advanced Healthy
Hair Formula Vitamins - 60 vitamins ($18.99): I was a little hesitant to use this product because I am not a big believer in hair vitamins. Also, biotin in my daily multi-vitamin gives me acne, and this product has a lot of it (as you would expect). But, I gave this product a shot because the price was so good. I have two bottles (60 days worth), so I will check back in on this one. Stay tuned...
I still want to try the Brazilian Curl
Cream and the Honey & Ginger Styling Gel. I
guess I will just have to wait for another great sale.
Do you like this line? What products do you use from it?
Saturday, March 25, 2017
The End Of The Braiding Challenge
Winter is officially over and I am doing less braided styles, so I am officially ending my braiding challenge. This has been a fun challenge. Through it, I've learned that my hair prefers "wet creams" (almost thick lotion texture) and "wet butters" if the butter is very light and fluffy. Water has to be the first ingredient, and there has to be a good concentration of it.
Over the course of this challenge, I tried at least 16 butters and twisting creams. These were my favorites, starting with my most liked:
1. Embrace The Natural You Twist Truffle Whip2. Silk Dreams Almond Buttercream
3. Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream
4. Camille Rose Aloe Whipped Butter Gel
5. Uncle Funky's Daughter Supercurl Miracle Moisture Cream & Extra Butter combined
I was surprised that only one of my Camille Rose butters made the list, and that the Almond Jai Twisting Butter wasn't at the top after my Camille Rose Battle of the Butters. I also learned through this challenge that the leave-in under my butter can sometimes make a big difference. While Uncle Funky's Daughter Supercurl Miracle Moisture Cream started out as one of my top favorites, it dropped a little as the challenge progressed and after I tried the Uncle Funky's Daughter Extra Butter. Though Supercurl and Extra Butter gave me good sheen and hold, they need to be paired with each other or with another heavy leave-in, like Camille Rose Almond Jai Twisting Butter or the Silk Dreams Wheat Germ Butter Conditioner to get moisturized softness. Oyin Hair Dew was too light.
Sometimes, I used Eco Styler gel on top of my cream, but it didn't typically make a difference with the top ranked stylers, except that the gel made my edges and my crown neater. I also tried Aloe Vera gel once, but I my hair did not like that all.
Sometimes, I used Eco Styler gel on top of my cream, but it didn't typically make a difference with the top ranked stylers, except that the gel made my edges and my crown neater. I also tried Aloe Vera gel once, but I my hair did not like that all.
Finally, I learned through this process that, aside from a my wash n' go, my high bun and my low bun, crown braids are my favorite go-to style. It takes about less than 15 minutes for me to do, and it will last for a few days. Also, when my crown braids start to get fuzzy, they create a great braidout with the right products. I just have to be careful because my crown breaks easily. I also have to make sure that I continue to moisturize my hair in the braids because it is easy to just leave them alone for a week without thoroughly moisturizing them, which will dry my hair out by about the third or fourth day. I am pretty sure my laziness with moisturizing my hair in braids is what led to some mild breakage and thinning that I experienced.
What are your favorite stylers for braiding/braid outs? Do you have any go-to braid styles?
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Happy New Year and 2017 Personal Goals
Hey, beautiful people. Happy New Year!!! Like many others, I am happy to see the end
of 2016. It just was not one of my
favorite years.
For many, the new year brings a
time for resolutions. It may be a
distinction without a different, but I have always disliked the term “resolutions”
because it feels like a setup for failure.
I prefer goals, and I like to start the ball rolling before the new
year. Here are 5 goals that I low key
started in December that I plan to continue:
1. Drink
at least 80 oz of water per day.
I have found that my whole body does better when I drink a good amount
of water throughout the day. From what I
have read, studies have moved away from drinking 8 glasses of water to drinking
half your body weight. For me, I wanted
to up that a little bit. My plan is to
drink 12-20 oz of water first thing in the morning, and then two 32 oz – 1 liter
(33.81 oz) bottles of water during the day.
I have two plastic mason jars that are 32 oz. each. I also have a bunch of old soda stream 1L
bottles that I can no longer use because my soda stream broke (tear). To help keep me motivated, I have joined a “Drink
Your Water” challenge, with daily check-ins, and I am using the water tracker
in my Fitbit app.
2. Have 7 good, quick styles that work on my
fine hair, and a regimen that incorporates more protein. As you may remember from some of my other posts,
my hair is low porosity, fine, high density, and a 4A/4B mix. In the past, I have been very focused on
taking care of my hair based on it being low porosity, and spent little time
researching how to make my fine strands look best. For example, individual mini twists tend to
look very sad when I try to use them as a style, and tend to break my hair when
I take them out. My hair seems to do
better with low manipulation, “big” styles, like 2 cornrows, buns and wash n’
gos, and I am a lazy natural, so I need quick styles. I plan to play around with styles in 2017 to
give myself some more versatile looks (more on this throughout the year). I also haven’t been using as much protein as
I should, and I have seen more breakage as a result.
3. Create mini makeup challenges every 1-2
months until I can do a full face.
Growing up and even now, I have not been very big on makeup or beauty upkeep
in general. Most days, you are lucky if
you see me in lipstick. I’ll also admit
there have been some days that my eyebrows needed serious help. At the end of last year, I put myself on an
informal challenge, forcing myself to fill in my eyebrows every day for two
weeks. I was proud of myself because I
stuck to it too. One day, I even had to
stop at the drugstore on the way to work because I forgot to do my brows before
I left the house. It worked out well
because I saw marked improvement in my eyebrow shape, and I learned a few
tricks through Youtube. Youtube also inspired
me to go a little crazy buying makeup products on Black Friday/Cyber Monday,
and I bought a few makeup organizers. With
all the new stuff I bought, I want to extend my informal challenge to other makeup
areas over the course of 2017. I may
stay in the eye area for now, and work on eye shadow. I have always wanted to learn smoky eye and
cat eye.
4. Exercise for 30 minutes at least 1 time
a week. This may sound like a
bare minimum, but I like to set goals that are measurable and achievable. Typically, I say that I am going to work out
every day or 3 times per week, fail miserably and stop working out altogether. This time, I am starting with 1 day and we
will see how it goes. I have no excuse
for not getting in 1 day because I have 7 days and multiple options. If I am traveling that week, the Sworkit app
on my phone is awesome for squeezing in a workout. If I am feeling ambitious, there is a gym
less than 10 minutes from my house and I can text a friend to meet me. If I want to do something fun, there is a
community center that is about 20 minutes away that has drop in classes and, in
the summer, there is outdoor Zumba.
5. Read a book every two months, alternating
between one self-improvement book and one “just for fun” book. I love reading. I just did not do much of it in 2016. I have a Goodreads account and set a goal for
myself of 6 books in 2016, but I only finished 5. I also haven’t been to my one of my book clubs in about
a year (I'm in two), and I miss it. In 2017, I’m
going to do better because it speaks to how many other things took
priority over what I did for myself last year.
What are your goals for
2017? Make them measureable and
achievable!
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:
- Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing Conditioner (discontinued?)
- Silk Dreams Mocha Silk Infusion
- Silk Dreams Shea What Therapeutic Conditioning Masque
Cleansers
Rinse Out Conditioner
- Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship Conditioner
- Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Conditioner (discontinued?)
- Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Conditioner
- Herbal Essence Totally Twisted Conditioner (discontinued?)
- Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Conditioner
Leave-in Conditioners & Moisturizers
- ORI Essentials Leave-in
Gels (for bunning and wash n’ go)
Braid & Twist Creams
Heat Stylers
Oils & Mix-ins
- Glycerin
- 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
- 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
- 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.)
- 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
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.
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
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, 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
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Ingredient Investigation: The Coconuts (Coconut Oil vs Coconut Milk)
Hey,
beautiful people. It has been an awhile
since I did an ingredient investigation, but I’ve had a burning question for a while
now that I wanted to look into. If you
have read my blog for any period of time, you know that my hair does not really
like coconut oil in stylers. It leaves my hair
feeling coated and hard. That being
said, my hair loves leave-ins with coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut fruit, like My Honey Child Coconut Hair Milk, Silk Dreams Mocha Silk Hair Milk and Aubrey Organics Island Replenishing Conditioner. So, I decided to
investigate the different types of coconut products, and how they are
made. Below is a summary of what I found.
A green
coconut (young coconut) starts off with coconut water and soft, gel-like meat. As the coconut ages, the coconut has less
water and the meat becomes more firm. Coconut
fruit is the “meat” inside the coconut. Coconut milk is extracted from coconut fruit (frequently using water as part of the process), and coconut oil is extracted from coconut milk. Thus, coconut oil has the least amount of water of the three.
One way to make coconut milk/oil is through a process called "wet-milling fermentation". Freshly grated coconut is blended with water to make coconut milk. The milk then sits for hours (sometimes overnight) so that it separates into a liquid and coconut cream/butter. The coconut cream is scooped out, and boiled until the coconut solids fall to the bottom and turn brown. Then, the oil is filtered, and Voila!
In case you are curious (I was), from what I've read, heating the milk to create the oil is actually good. This particular wet-milling fermentation process produces the highest level of antioxidants in the coconut oil. Both the oil and the anti-oxidants are thermally stable, so heating doesn't break them down. In fact, simmering the cream for a long time at a high temperature dissolves more anti-oxidants into the oil! Who knew.
Based on my research, I think the difference for me is that coconut oil is a purer concentration from the coconut, as opposed to coconut milk and coconut fruit, which have water. Also, this explains why my hair likes co-washes and conditioners with coconut oil -- because I'm using them in the shower. In essence, my hair only seems to like coconut when it is with a lot of water, probably to counteract the protein-like properties and because my hair generally loves things that have high water content.
If you want to know more, I found a few great Youtube videos that show how coconut fruit is used to make coconut milk and coconut oil:
One way to make coconut milk/oil is through a process called "wet-milling fermentation". Freshly grated coconut is blended with water to make coconut milk. The milk then sits for hours (sometimes overnight) so that it separates into a liquid and coconut cream/butter. The coconut cream is scooped out, and boiled until the coconut solids fall to the bottom and turn brown. Then, the oil is filtered, and Voila!
In case you are curious (I was), from what I've read, heating the milk to create the oil is actually good. This particular wet-milling fermentation process produces the highest level of antioxidants in the coconut oil. Both the oil and the anti-oxidants are thermally stable, so heating doesn't break them down. In fact, simmering the cream for a long time at a high temperature dissolves more anti-oxidants into the oil! Who knew.
Based on my research, I think the difference for me is that coconut oil is a purer concentration from the coconut, as opposed to coconut milk and coconut fruit, which have water. Also, this explains why my hair likes co-washes and conditioners with coconut oil -- because I'm using them in the shower. In essence, my hair only seems to like coconut when it is with a lot of water, probably to counteract the protein-like properties and because my hair generally loves things that have high water content.
If you want to know more, I found a few great Youtube videos that show how coconut fruit is used to make coconut milk and coconut oil:
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
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
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