Product Junkie

So, I love how a few weeks ago I said that I wouldn’t be a product junkie after quitting CurlKit. Well, I lied! I decided to celebrate my new job this week by going out a splurging a bit on a few products that I’ve had my eyes on for a while now. I even got a gift from my favorite hair supply company in Pittsburgh (shout out to Hair Day in Wharton Square!).

Hair Haul

I got a lot of accessories since the heat is turning up and my hair is not kind when it gets humid outside. I invested in a white knitted hat, a few decorative pins, scrunchies, a bun roller, and head bands. I’ve never tried a bun roller but I’ve heard that it’s the easiest way to get the perfect, flawless bun. I’ll be the judge of that.

I also invested in a newer(?) product by Eden BodyWorks called Coconut Shea All Natural Curl Defining Pudding, medium hold. It’s supposed to be humidity resistant and is able to define, hold, and separate curls and waves. It’s also made without mineral oils, parabens, dyes, and is cruelty free. Seems like a win-win situation to me so I will be trying this out later today and see the results tomorrow morning!

I also went ahead and finally purchased Shea Moisture’s Deep Treatment Masque. Sally’s was having a sale and it was $2 off so I couldn’t say no! This stuff usually runs about $13 for a 12 ounce bottle and I paid $10 so I think that it’s a fair deal. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this product and I’m excited to use it in my deep conditioning treatment today. It smells divine and I hope that it works that way too.

Last up in my haul is the Proclaim Natural 7 Oil, which was also on sale at Sally’s. I keep emphasizing the sale to make myself feel better about spending so much money today. I ran out of my mixed oil last week and this is good for detangling, when used with water and conditioner,  and hot oil treatments. I usually just add a bit of vitamin E and castor oil and I’m all set!

Finally is my gift from Hair Day! I’ve been shopping there for about four years now whenever I’ve needed hair for a protective style or raw shea butter. The staff is nice and knowledgeable about my needs and I wouldn’t go anywhere else in Pittsburgh for good, quality hair. Today when I got home from the shop I opened my bag and this little treat popped out.

Hair Day Gift

At first I thought that maybe I had accidentally taken something or it was given by mistake. But something wrapped this nice isn’t usually a mistake – at least I would hope not. Inside I found a nice set of make up by Kiss New York including, one single eye shadow, one duo eye shadow, and a trio eyeshadow set. Not a bad day if I do say so myself.

Kiss Make Up

So I’m going to go and play with these items, including the As I Am Cleansing Pudding that I bought last weekend, and come back with results tomorrow afternoon. Have a blessed weekend and enjoy the sun!

Deep Conditioning

After cleansing your hair with either a co-wash or especially a shampoo, it is important to deep condition afterwards. The stripping effects of the shampoo can leave your hair dry since your hairs natural oils have been removed. A good deep conditioning treatment can replenish your hair’s moisture and oil while helping repair and strengthening.

Deep Conditioners

I try not to use too many different products but I’ve found that I get the best results using these three deep conditioning treatments. Each serves a different purpose in damage control but they also contain a few of the same ingredients. All three contain some combination of water, jojoba oil, shea butter, and either dimethicone or behentrimonium chloride (a conditioning agent helpful in detangling as well).

Nothing But Intense Healing Mask

Nothing But Intense Healing Mask

Can I start off by saying that this smell reminds me of mint? I know that there’s no peppermint or anything in this product but I really like the smell and the way that it spread, so I tend to go overboard on application.

The texture isn’t overtly creamy but it reminds me of the consistency of yogurt. It’s best to apply evenly by smoothing it in and using either your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to really work it into your hair. The jar is 16 oz and I purchased it from Sally’s Beauty Supply for $8 – it was on sale the normal price is $10.99.

It states that the product is free of petrolatum, mineral oil, sulfates, parabens, colorants, and phthalates. I also like the way it makes my curls bounce back after flat ironing my hair. You can probably tell from the almost-empty jar that this is my favorite deep conditioning treatment.

Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair

Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair

This is thicker than the Nothing But line and definitely has a stronger odor as well. It smells strongly of mango and I don’t even

know what else, so it may be a bit overpowering for some people. Even after washing it out and applying a moisturizer and styling agent, the smell stays for a good two to three days.

The instructions state that this can also be used as a leave in conditioner but the smell alone seems a bit too over bearing for that use. To get the best results from this product, sit under a hooded drier for 15 to 25 minutes.

This product is good for replenishing moisture and defining your curls. I also purchased this from Sally’s for $7.00. That makes this my second choice for deep conditioners.

Shea Moisture Purification Masque

Shea Moisture Purification Masque

This is the first treatment mask that I had ever tried and I wanted something that would cleanse and condition my hair. This has the same texture as the Nothing But line but the absence of cones makes this product a bit harder to spread. It also has the addition  of black african soap, kaolin clay, and plantain extract.

The banana smell is strong but it doesn’t last for days like the scent in the Beautiful Textures conditioner. The instructions give the choice to leave this on for 5 to 30 minutes either before or after washing your hair. I always do this conditioning treatment after washing and I always sit under my hooded drier for at least 20 minutes.

I haven’t seen any real difference in my hair in terms of detoxifying or dandruff but it does define my curls nicely. I purchased this from Walgreens for $10.00 after trying a few products from the Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus line.

I haven’t tried any homemade recipes yet, but I do have my eye on a few. I can guarantee that it will not have egg in it because I really don’t want to peel yolk out of my hair for a week straight. I’ll try a couple in the future and post my results soon.

Curl Kit Contents

So I went through what was in the CurlKit for April but I really didn’t detail what each product is like. My bad on that one, sorry guys!  I’m going to give a quick over view on each product that I received and my thoughts on them.

CurlKit Haul

First up is the Ampro Pro Styl Vitamin E, something that I just used yesterday actually. I had mentioned in my post on protective styling yesterday that it has a really nice smell to it. I found out that it’s because there is grape seed oil in the mix here! I also found out that a little bit goes a long way with this product. I used the recommended quarter sized amount and there was still oil on my hands afterwards. In my opinion, this is perfect for sealing in the summer time when butters are too thick.

Next on the list is the Ori Essentials Leave In Conditioner, which is also paraben, sulfate, and phthalate free. I know that a few people who had reviewed this in their April unboxing had a runny, almost curdled milk-like product. Mine actually came in the intended form and was very creamy. The thickness of the product reminds me of the Cantu Repair Leave In that’s been my staple since last December. It doesn’t have much of a smell to it but I’m fine with that. I really don’t want to overwhelm my hair with too many different smelling products so this might be a good choice if some of your other products have a strong scent. I haven’t had the chance to test out the actual moisturizing properties of this product yet but hopefully it lives up to the promise.

As for the Amazing Botanicals AloeMint Spritz, this product is basically all oil with the addition of water. You have to gently shake the bottle in order to mix the product correctly before application. I’ve applied this to hair sprayed lightly with water this morning and I haven’t really noticed a difference in the overall quality of my hair as of yet. I can’t really attest to the sealing qualities of this product but it might be something that’s good for summer time use. The mint scent is very light but I’m not sure how useful all of the other oils are in this product.

The other oil that came with this kit is the Honey Curls Hair Honey Oil Blend. And, oh boy, does it smell like honey. It’s subtle but it’s there. All of the ingredients are a series of essential oils and a few that I’ve never heard of, like karanji and borage oil. I haven’t quite figured out how to use it yet but I found this useful video on the Honey Curls website, as taught by an adorable little girl:

Lastly, we have the Naturalista Cosmetics Sweet Ambrosia Leave In Conditioner. This is the product that had the strongest scent, almost reeking of vanilla cake. I used it last night and the smell doesn’t last too long, although I wouldn’t mind if it did because I kind of like it.

It’s creamier than the Ori Essentials Leave In but it does not spread as easily, even when using a wide-toothed comb. Not sure how I feel about this one yet. My hair was dry when I woke up this morning and I had to refresh with my water bottle. It smells nice but that’s all that this product really has going for it in my opinion.

The samples of hair gel that came with the kit are things that I will not be using, like I said before I will be giving it to my mother. She’s just as much of a product junkie that I am and has no qualms about mineral oil in her products. So that’s it for my CurlKit review thus far. I haven’t gotten the Karen’s Body Beautiful yet but I’ll be sure to review that whenever it comes in the mail.

Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Starter Kit

When I first decided to really go natural, my friend referred me to the Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk line. I had heard of it from a few YouTube reviews and was excited when my friend was able to secure me a starter kit for free! It’s good to have friends in retail. The kit came with four two-ounce bottles of their Hair Milk Co-Wash, Original Hair Milk Moisturizer, Hair Milk Lite Moisturizer, and Hair Milk Style Pudding.

Stock photo! Considering I got this around Thanksgiving, most of my original product is gone.

After taking out my sew-in I decided to go full force into the kit like a kid on Christmas morning. I clarified my hair with an ACV rinse and started with the Hair Milk Co-Wash. The smell really didn’t tickle my fancy but I figured as long as it works what does it matter. After the Co-Wash, I plopped my hair with a t-shirt (I had read somewhere that t-shirts were better than towels) and applied a generous amount of the Original Hair Milk Moisturizer. The moisturizer isn’t that thick and the recommended quarter-sized amount seemed laughable, so I used about a quarter-sized amount on each of my four sections of hair. After working that through with a wide-tooth comb, I then smoothed the Style Pudding and set on making my two-strand twists. I tied my hair up with my satin bonnet and hit the sack.

The next morning I started taking my twists down and I could tell that this was going to be a disaster. As I touched each twist I noticed that they were dry…and I mean straw dry. Usually when I air dry after a wash it takes at least 16 hours but this had not even been 12 hours. Taking each twist down I also noticed that there was no curl definition, at all. Each unraveled twist revealed a great big ball of frizzy afro mess. By the time I got to the end my hair looked worse than it did before I washed it! So I washed my hair with my regular shampoo and conditioner and tied it up in a bun for a few days.

I tried again a few weeks later, this time without clarifying with the ACV rinse. I figured maybe it was the apple cider vinegar that dried my hair out and maybe it just didn’t mesh well with my Carol’s Daughter kit. Nope. Same results, same disappointment.

So I decided to give up on the Hair Milk line moved onto other pastures. My experience with it wasn’t great; in fact I honestly can’t find anything that I liked about it. I wasn’t a fan of the scent, the moisturizer didn’t moisturize, and the styling pudding couldn’t hold a curl. I’m just happy that it was gifted to me or else I’d be pretty upset that I wasted $24 on it. Now I did go on and have success with the Monoi Repairing Collection but I have found other brands that are cheaper and I get the same results.

That Monoi Repairing Line is kicked! Good stuff.

Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk line is a no-go for me but everyone’s hair will have different reactions to products. Has anyone else had a better experience?

CurlKit

It’s finally here!!! After three long weeks of waiting my CurlKit finally came in the mail today! I did my first ever YouTube review that you can watch here. Unfortunately, one of the products that I was really looking forward to did not come with this Kit and I had to send them another email. Karen’s Body Beautiful Leave In Conditioner was listed in the kit content but was not in my box. Hopefully CurlKit can have that sent to me or else we’re going to have some issues.

I tallied up the full retail price of this box, minus the Karen’s Body Beautiful and here are the results:

• Ori Essentials Moisturizing Leave In Conditioner (Full-Size)  – $13
• Ampro Pro Style Vitamin E (Full-Size) – $5
• Honey Curls Oil Blend (about 2 oz.) – $5
• Amazing Botanicals AloeMint Spritz (about 2 oz.) – $4.50
• Naturalista Cosmetics Juicy Leave In Conditioner (about 1.7 oz.) – $5.50

So, all together, minus the Karen’s Body Beautiful, my box totals to $33 and I paid $18. Not a bad deal price wise. I will be using the Vitamin E like a fiend in my hot oil treatments. It’ll also make a nice addition to my Castor Oil mix to help dilute it a bit. I have enough Leave In’s now to last me until mid-summer so that’s nice. Wash Day is coming up again so I’m excited to try out my new oils and share the results!

Wash Day!!

Every natural has a set wash day where she spends probably anywhere from 1 to 3 hours cleansing her hair. For me, it generally takes anywhere from 2 to 3 hours to complete my regime. I do like to switch it up a bit every week depending on the state of my hair and today I need a good deep conditioning.

On deep conditioning days I usually start with a hot oil treatment with a mixture of about three oils before I wash my hair. This helps not only helps with detangling but it also preps my hair for the stripping effects of the shampoo. Today I’m going to use a blend of Castor Oil, Soy Oil, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Castor Oil is a good thick oil that stick to the hair follicles. Soy oil is good for moisture, protein, and it just has a really pleasant scent. And of course EVOO, the standard go to for many naturals, which is good for conditioning, vitamins E and A, and also helps with dandruff.

Today is the day where once a month I use a shampoo to thoroughly get rid of the build up of any product that I may have missed during my co washes. For now I am using Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Shampoo but I am not using the Monoi Conditioner because I honestly do not like the way that it makes my hair feel after use. I’m going to stick to my Tresemme Naturals because it has more slip and makes my hair softer after use.

For my deep conditioning treatment I’m using Nothing But Intense Healing Mask. 

I like this particular brand because it:

1. Provides excellent bounce for my curls.
2. Makes my hair soft.
3. I really, really like the smell.

I never really understood why it’s called “Nothing But” when half of the ingredients are obviously man-made. But it seems as though many companies view not having Petroleum, Mineral Oils, Parabens, or Phthalates as “natural”. If you’re one of those girls who is trying to go the all-natural route, then you should probably look into making your own deep conditioners because there are very few companies that make truly organic treatments. The first five ingredients listed in a product usually yield the largest concentration. Here are the first five ingredients listed in the Nothing But Intense Healing Mask:

• Cyclopentasiloxane — Provides a silky feel and shine without weighing hair down with a greasy residue.
• Dimethiconol — A non-greasy lubricant that adds shine.
• Cetearyl Alcohol — Derived from coconut oil, it provides creaminess to the product.
• Behentrimonium Chloride — Acts to combat frizz and static.
• Glycine Soja (Soybean Oil) — A natural moisturizer.

After rinsing out with cold water, I’m using Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie on partially dry hair as my leave in. To seal in all of this moisture, I’m going to my standard Castor Oil mixed with Soy Oil. I also add a bit to the edges of my scalp and to the nape of my neck to promote growth and strength. After my wash, I think that I’m going to go back to my two strand twists for the rest of the week. I sometimes leave them in for up to three days before I wear a twist out style to ensure that my hair is fully air-dried. I’m also a low manipulation chick and I try to minimize stress on my hair down to maybe three nights a week.

What’s your favorite deep conditioning treatment? Do you switch between protein and moisturizing products or stick to one product?