2 Bomb Shampoos= WINNING

Those of you who follow me on my youtube channel know that for the past 5 months I have been using the Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition and Sleek and Shine Fortifying Shampoos. After using those shampoos I never thought I'd find a shampoo that didn't tangle or dry my hair out until a viewer...TT I believe is her nickname...recommended that I try one of the SheaMoisture shampoos. By the way I had no clue that the SheaMoisture line had so many different types of shampoos. So  I chose the Moisture Retention shampoo. I tried it the night before I straightened my hair and IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE!!! By the time I finished shampooing my hair I knew that this product would stay in my hair staples box for a very long time. It is a really good shampoo and every comparable to my Garnier Fructis shampoos (but better because it's all natural).

Cost: $9.99

Where to buy: Target or Walgreens

Consistency: A little thicker than most shampoos

Scent: It smells like floral perfume

Pros: It's natural. Doesn't dry hair out or tangle it. Smells AMAZING! Cleans hair nicely. 

Cons: Like most SheaMoisture products the availability of the products is the only down side.

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 So after I finished shampooing with the Moisture Retention Shampoo I was curious to see how this other shampoo would work on my hair since I had the product for a couple of months. I know ya'll are wondering why would I shampoo multiple times with two different shampoos in the same night. Well (long story short) before I started shampooing I couldn't decide which shampoo to use and after using the Moisture Retention shampoo (and seeing that my hair was in good condition) I decided to try the ION Straightening Shampoo. I was really nervous to try this product because the packaging says it relaxes your curls, which I didn't want, but I did want to see if it would make my hair straighter when I flat ironed it the next day. After shampooing with the ION shampoo....I was AMAZED again. Two great shampoos in the same night...umm WINNING!

Cost: I used a free sample pack but the bottle is $5.99...that's good right!

Where to buy: Sally's beauty supply 

Consistency: Same as most shampoos

Scent: The most AMAZING scent in the world... Cherry Almond

Pros: Smells great. Affordable. Lathers like crazy (if you get the sample pack don't use half the pack at once or you will be rinsing for a lonnnnggg time. lesson learned) Doesn't dry or tangle hair. 

Cons: It's not all natural but whatever.

By the way no it does not relax your curls....at all!!! BUT I will say that my hair seem more manageable when I detangled (it could have been the Moisture Retention, the ION shampoo, or both...idk) 

***Of course I'll come back the next time I use this shampoo alone when I straighten my hair to tell if it really made a difference with straightening but I just needed to rave about it for now =)***

Hana Elite Flat Iron

I received the Hana Elite Flat Iron from Misikko.com the other day and used it to straighten my hair. Misikko.com is an online which sales top quality professional flat irons, blow dryers, and many other things. I have never tried to high quality flat iron before but I can see a difference between this flat iron and the other cheap ones that I have tried in the past. To start this flat iron has 100%  1 inch ceramic plates and goes all the way up to 450 degrees. It has an on and off switch, which lights up when it's fully heated (it only took about 15 secs to heat up) and it has a very long swivel cord.

I really LOVE this flat iron because I could get away with just one pass but I chose to do about 2 passes for an even straighter look and I used the comb chase method while I flat ironed. I set the temperature between 250-302 degrees which was hot enough to get my hair straighter than the other flat irons I have. 

Overall, I would recommended this flat iron to naturals or anyone else who wants to straighten or even curl their hair. Oh and by the way you can this flat iron on sale $118 now (normally $204) with free shipping.

Pros:

-heats up fast

-100% ceramic plates

-it's pink =)

-long cord

-definitely worth the price

Cons:

-none =)

Ceramic Flat Irons:

http://www.misikko.com/flat-irons.html

Professional Blow Dryer:

http://www.misikko.com/professional-hair-dryers.html

Best Flat Irons:

http://www.misikko.com/best-flat-iron.html

Having Soft Hair Isn't All That Great...

Lately I have been defining my curls a lot (that's a whole other post) and using my two favorite product combinations, Sheamoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Eco Styler Olive Oil. Before I started using the Sheamoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie with the Eco Styler, my hair would have a little crunch to it but that hold would slowly go away after like three days. But now that I have found a product that will cut down on the amount of hold it seems like my hair is just too soft to get multiple days out of it and it frizzes up much easier. Now I'm torn between having soft-bouncy hair or stiff-crunchy hair. Take a look at these pics:

Giovanni/Eco Styler:

Sheamoisture/Eco Styler (2nd Day Hair):

What's a girl to do???

Sally Hansen Extra Strength Creme Hair Bleach For Face & Body Review...

I brought in the New Year with freshly lightened (and groomed) eyebrows!!!! New Year's Eve I decided to take a chance on the Sally Hansen Bleaching Kit since I saw a couple of tutorials on Youtube. Before the lightening I had really dark eyebrows...to point where they were basically black and stood out a little more than I  liked. Now my brows are a medium brown. Soooo here's my review after the first use:

-Purchased from: Target (in the hair removal section)

-Price: $5.04

Before I bought this product I thought it would be at least $10 but when I got to Target and saw $5 I was EXTREMELY happy. And it is probably cheaper at Wal*mart. I chose to get the face and body kit instead of just the face one because they were the same price and the face and body's box was bigger :)

- Application:

Basically if you follow the directions you're good to go. BUT BE CAREFUL. The directions say to leave the cream on for like 8 minutes I left mine on for 4-5 minutes and noticed that it had already started bleaching and that amount of time was good for me....I just wanted to lightened the brows a little not turn them blond. So I recommend if it's your first time just leave the cream on for a couple of minutes then wipe the cream away to see if you like how they turned out. If not you can always reapply the cream.

Also I'm not sure if the amount of product I mixed was because I have the face and body kit or what but I had a whole bunch of product left over. You're supposed to throw any unused product away....so basically I wasted a lot of the product. 

Overall I like this product and recommend it to those who have very dark eyebrows and want to tone them down a bit. 

Before

After

PS: It may not be the best idea to arch your eyebrows the day before doing this because it will BURN. Lesson learned.

Look I what I got!!!

As I type this post I am extremely excited and overjoyed. I bought the Ez Combs today...and they actually work. At least the little style that I did worked. I finally decided to get them because 1. they are really cheap at Ross and Marshall's and 2. they seem like you can do a lot of styles with them in a few minutes. Since it has only been like 30 minutes since I got in the house and popped one of them in my hair I can't do a full review (plus I didn't want to mess up my hair) but please believe once I get some time with these bad boys I will definitely let ya'll know how they work. Oh and the price was $ 2.99 at Ross and $ 3.99 at Marshall's.

 
Right now I can tell you all that it felt very comfortable and secure on my hair and removing it wasn't bad at all. Stay tuned =)

Review for Taliah Waajid Curly Curl Cream

I'm Jammin Over Here

Those of you who haven't listened to the Jazmine Sullivan album are missing out BIG TIME. I LOVE IT!!!!

Chrisette Michelle album is another fave. I think this album is sooo much better than the last one. And her performance at the Soul Train awards was out of this world. 

I also have fallen in love with a couple of tracks from Rihanna's new cd. 

Oh and I know this is so random but I just had to tell you guys how amazing these albums are. 

Mrs. Berry's Hair.....

I can't wait for this movie to come out. The curly hair looks AMAZING on Halle Berry. 

Has Anyone Tried These???

Hey ladies have any of you tried any of Goodys Simple Styles collection. I have the Volume booster...thinking it was something else. But I'm curious to see how the others work on natural thick hair.

Goody Jojojba Brush Works Great on Straight Hair TOO

You've heard me rave about this brush before and this time it just keeps getting better and better.  The Goody Jojoba Infused Brush is great for your curly and amazing for you straight hair. Since I've been wearing my hair straightened lately, this brush has become my best friend. I still don't think it does much for adding shine but it sure does smooth the hair down and remove tangels wonderfully. 

Ravishing Red!!!

Thursday night I colored my hair a FIRE red color....not really :\ I put a rinse in my hair because I'm too chicken to put permanent color in my natural  hair...because of past experiences with coloring. 

EX #1: When I was in high school I decided to highlight own hair. The outcome=EPIC FAIL. Due to the embarrassment I felt after months of wearing the highlights, I decided to go to a professional and get my hair colored JET BLACK w/bangs. 

Of course since it's a rinse you're really not gonna be able to see much of the color in the pictures (you can see a little. But you can definitely see the color in certain light. I've used this brand before but with a dark brown color but this time I have to say I absolutely love the color and my next little color experiment will be henna. 

Twistout with Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding

I decided to use my Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding for a twistout (which I haven't done in a million years it seems).


Products used: 
Giovanni Direct Leave-in
Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding


I used my Denman D41 brush for some curl definition 

I'm truly falling in love with my Curly Pudding. It's great for wash and gos, twistouts, and probably much more =)

Disclaimer: I hate how these pictures don't capture how AMAZING this twistout came out. I promise it looks better in person and it's not as frizzy as it looks on here  :(

How to get waves....

Hopefully I can make a video showing you guys how I get my waves in more detail.  It's pretty easy. 

I always start start with dripping wet hair.
Then I apply a leave-in/moisturizer followed by oil.
Then I brush my hair back a little before applying the gel with a soft bristle brush.
Next I apply a generous amount of gel (I love using the clear Eco Styler for a more wavier  look).
Then I brush the hair back.
Next I put my scarf on for a few minutes. 
And that's pretty much it !!




Be sure to look out for a quick tutorial on this =)

Miss Jesse's Curly Pudding

8/16/10-Today was the first day of classes for me and I decided to try something different (i never like to test out a product before a big event). I prepared and applied my hair as I normally do with other products like Eco Styler Olive Oil or Kinky Curly. And then it hit me. "I don't have a blow dryer here at school. Dang it." I started worrying because I didn't want to leave the room with noticeable globs of product in my hair. I ended up just leaving hoping no one would notice (thankfully it was hot hot hot outside). 

First day application

Second day

8/17/10- So far I really like this stuff. It is a little comparable to Eco Styler BUT when I use Eco Styler I don't get nearly as much volume the first day as I do with Miss Jesse's Curly Pudding. 

Givin my hair the best....

For those of you who are subscribe to my youtube channel, you probably know that I have buying a bunch natural hair products. So you can imagine how excited and anxious I was to try a couple of  them out. The other day I tried the Giovanni 50:50 conditioner, Giovanni hair reconstructor, and the Yes to Cucumbers leave-in, all of which I am EXTREMELY happy I bought. So here's a quick review of each:

Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hydrating Calming Conditioner (they always have the longest names for their products.lol):
       I have to say that I absolutely love this product!!! The consistency is thick and creamy. The scent is light and kinda fresh. The price is descent for a natural product. If I had to compare it to another conditioner it would have to be the Yes to Carrots conditioner that I RAVED about in this video. It's moisturizing and I love it!!!

Giovanni Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor:
       This was my first time using a protein treatment product, so I was very nervous and careful when I was applying the product to my hair (totally not necessary, it's just like applying conditioner).  The consistency is very thick and creamy. A quick tip for applying it to your hair, kinda warm it up in your hands a little, it spreads a lot better in your hair. The scent is light. The price is very good for a deep conditioner. Don't be scared of the amount in the container, I found that if you section you hair off properly you won't go through so much product.

Yes to Cucumbers Leave-In Conditioner:
        I've been dying to try this product out ever since I tried the Yes to Carrots conditioner months ago but the only problem was the availability. I never could find it in stores and I didn't want to pay for shipping online. Now that it's in my possession I can finally sleep.jk. The consistency is like your typical conditioner. The scent is light, not as fragrant as Yes to Carrots conditioner. The price is pricey. 12 whole bucks! I used this product  to braid my hair for a twistout, there was no hold what so ever.NONE (not there's supposed to be). This product would probably work great on mini twists or just moisturizing a protective style. 


Oh and by the way if you're wondering I used the regimen mentioned in the previous post with Bed Head Self Absorbed conditioner to detangle and Giovanni Smooth as Silk shampoo. I'll update ya'll if I see a change in these products.

New Wash Regimen

Since I've been natural I have gone through soooo many wash day regimens. So I come to y'all with a new and hopefully final wash day regimen. Okay so you guys who have seen my recent videos on Youtube, click here if you haven't, you know I've been in Myrtle Beach for the past week. And if there's one thing that I've learned this summer, is that my hair doesn't particularly like the ocean water if it's not twisted up (even though it gives amazing curl definition, out of this world). Halfway through the week, I had become sooo frustrated with my hair being tangled at the ends that I just decided to detangle my hair while I was there (which I NEVER do while vacationing ANYWHERE). So that helped a little but obviously not a lot, when I got back home I decided to try something different. Usually when I wash my hair it tangles up a lot more than when I first start but this time I decided to detangle FIRST with conditioner, then rinse that out a little, then I apply shampoo and rinse that out COMPLETELY, then co-wash. When I was done with everything my hair was not tangled AT ALL. It was amazing!!! So I'll give it another try and update y'all if it works out the same. 

The Regimen:

           1.  Start with dry hair

           2.  Section the hair off into medium sections and spray with water and apply conditioner

           3.  Smooth the conditioner into the and start to detangle
           4.  Braid the section up (every important: twist will slowly come out while washing)
           5.  Rinse 90% of the conditioner  out
           6.  Apply shampoo
           7.  Rinse out completely
           8.  Co-wash
           9.  Deep condition if you want!

By the end of all that my braided sections were still in.

Make Your Own Spritzzzzzz

Are you experiencing dryness? Would you like to learn how to make your very own hair spritz to moisturize your hair? (say yes,please..lol) Well you are on the right blog post....lol

What you'll need:

• a spray bottle
• water
• vegetable glycerin
• oils of your choice (optional)

This is realllllly simple. Take your spray bottle and put one part glycerin to two parts water. Then take your oil (essential, fragrance, carrier,or the not so pure beauty supply oil. lol) and add a few drops. If you are using essential oils, YOU ONLY NEED 1-5 drops. Essential oils are very POTENT!!! Carrier oils are easier to get away with. Give your mixture a good shake and you're done. I would suggest every time you use the spritz you shake up a little =)

   Happy moisturizing (=

Vegetable or Regular Glycerin

I get a lot questions regarding what to put in their moisturizing spritz and I usually recommend VEGETABLE glycerin. To the average person who dosen't go out and just buy bottles of glyerine everyday, they probably don't know that their is a MAJOR difference between regular glycerin and VEGETABLE glycerin. To start usually you find VEGETABLE glycerin in health food stores and regular glycerin can be found in drug stores. 

VEGETABLE GLYCERIN:

• Made from plant oils only
• Food grade
• Can also be used on the skin as a moisturizer
• ***Make sure you dilute it***

Regular Glycerin:

• Made from animal or petroleum based oils
• Like VEGETABLE glycerin, it's used in a lot of products like soaps but is less natural

Why VEGETABLE glycerin works so well with natural hair?

             VEGETABLE glycerin is a humectant, which means it helps to pull the moisture from the air and retain moisture, and as naturals we need that extra boost in moisture to prevent our hair from drying out. You may also want to consider this, with dryer air VEGETABLE can take the moisture from your hair. I usually use mine in the winter and switch to another humectant for the summer, like honey.

Where to find VEGETABLE glycerin?

             I was able to find mine at www.iherb.com for a really good price. You can also try: Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, and like I said before most health food stores.

Is Simple Better???

For pretty much most of April I was SUPPPER busy so I wasn't able to take the best care of my hair, like shampooing, deep conditioning and moisturizing. So I used four main products on my hair the entire time:

• Olive Oil (moisturizer)
• Conditioner (conditioner)
• Eco Styler Olive oil gel (styling aid)
• Water (moisturizer)

Would you guys believe me if I told you my hair actually felt moisturized and soft??? I knew you wouldn't...lol But it really was!!! I would co wash then t-shirt dry it for awhile then applied some olive oil and styled as normal using gel if needed and that was it. Simple, Simple, Simple!

Now don't think I'm recommending this regimen for everyone. Obviously if your hair is dry you may want to add more stuff to it but you guys try it and tell me if it works for you.

Avocado Hair Treatment....

FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. FAIL. But lesson learned!!!

Enough said right?!? This past weekend I was inspired to do an avocado hair treatment from a youtuber. I have tried to do one in the past but I picked the wrong one (don't get the really green ones, make sure they're soft). So after mixing everything up, which I'm glad I did because those chucks would have been a HUGE PAIN IN THE REAR END!!! The consistency was amazing, thick and creamy. The amount of avocado was right on point. The curl definition was unexpected and INCREDIBLE!! Rinsing it out wasn't bad...so I thought!!! After rinsing everything out I co-washed and then looked in the mirror and there it was....hundreds of little pieces of avocado still in my hair. I wasn't really upset then because the youtuber said after you co-wash, detangle, and style those little pieces should fall right out. Umm no not really. I had already detangled a little before I applied the treatment but did it again in hopes of getting rid of the strands. I ended up using two combs, a  shower comb and a smaller toothed comb (not rat tail), and then twisted it up. The next morning I took the twist out...of course that could have been the best twistout in the world but the strands of whatever were still there and weren't planning on going anywhere. So to cut this story short it has been two days since I applied the treatment and the strands are still there :[  I don't even remember seeing them in the bowl when I was blending it.

 There is probably a lot more in there closer to the scalp and under the hair you see here. Click the pic for a closer view.

The sad apart it is that I was supposed to be studying when I was twisting my hair up...lol Normally I research things like this before so this kinda of stuff doesn't happen. I have learned my lesson!!!

I have tried co washing it out and shaking it out but nothing seems to work. I guess I'll just have to keep picking them out when I see them. Any suggestions???