Results: Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls

Description:
Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls is a light-as-a-feather styling lotion that incorporates "fabric softener" technology to help you obtain large, flowing curls. Helps prevent tight, ramen noodle curls, instead offering larger, expanded curls. 
This lotion delivers fluffy, touchable curls and larger than life volume, without weighing down your hair's natural bounce. It’s made with a healing blend of avocado, coconut, sweet almond, and olive to repair dry, damaged locks.

Took a picture with flash so you can see fluffy curls

End of day hair

Wednesday's experiment with Miss Jessie's Soft Pillow Curls was...interesting. I washed and conditioned my hair, then split my hair into four sections and worked some of the product through. I wasn't heavy handed with it and still have plenty left in my sample pack. I don't think my hair turned out bad, and it seems the product did exactly what it promised to do: curls with volume. But there's a reason why I washed it out of my hair last night: the smell. It wasn't a joke when they said this product "incorporates "fabric softener" technology" because that is exactly what my hair smelled like. It gave me a headache and I couldn't shake this feeling of being at the laundry. I don't know, guys. I'm glad I got a sample and it wasn't a complete disaster but for $22, I won't be purchasing. The smell alone turns me off and I just can't take it, but some people can.

Have you tried Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls?

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Baby Eczema Therapy Review

 You know how they say everything happens for a reason... well what a grand reason today! I was on my way to Yoga, only to realize that it was overcrowded when I arrived :(

Instead of fretting, I remembered that I wasn't too far from Bryant Park and the fact that Shea Moisture had a tent sent up there!!! Did I mention they also have their products selling at 3 products for $25 there?

Anyhoo, I know I mentioned using a new product in my post yesterday about my Poppin' Curls... watch the video to check out my review! The product I'm reviewing is Shea Moisture's Raw Shea Butter Baby Eczema Therapy with Argan Oil & Extracts of Frankincense and Myrrh.

Though this is a body product, I loved the ingredients and decided to try it in my hair and boy do I love this product! It really moisturizes my skin, without leaving it greasy, smells great, and keep my eczema from feeling dry and itchy. I have even used this overnight on my face with no issues. It moisturizes and seals my hair amazingly and gives it shine like I've never seem before, almost like a sparkle!

I had the honor of meeting Jenell from KinkyCurlyCoilyMe.com  and of course she is just as adorable in person as in her videos and of course her hair was amazing as usual! Randomly, she complimented me on my hair when I was lurking to get a peek at hers, lol! We ended up having a cute little convo and hopefully I'll be able to get some input from her over here! Not to mention, everyone over at the Shea Moisture pop up was super awesome, humble, and down to earth. There was definitely a beautiful vibe going on in there.

All in all, I'll have to do my Yoga on a different day but I had a great time vibing with everyone in the Shea Moisture pop up shop and especially meeting Jenell!

What's your favorite Shea Moisture Product?!

Review: Rollersetting with Eco Styler Gel

 I don't remember who or where I saw the idea of roller setting with Eco Styler gel, but I wanted to roller set my hair, and was hoping that Eco styler gel would be the answer to a smoother set... boy was I right!!!


After washing, I used Lasio Lasio Leave - in conditioner, and proceeded to roller set my hair, adding Eco-styler gel to each detangled and smoothed section, before placing my hair on the roller. I used my usual roller set placement, and sat under the dryer for at least an hour while doing my little mani. 


I was surprised by how straight and unbelievably soft my hair was, no crunch, just silky smooth and straight. I ran a little CHI Silk Infusion over my hair for a little shine, softness, and to lock in the moisture.



 Of course my roots were a little wavy, as with any roller set, but they might even have been the least wavy of any set I've done before. 


When I took the set out, I had no plans to go anywhere, so I just decided to pincurl and go to sleep. The next day I was supposed to be having an interview, but due to hurricane Sandy here in NYC, those plans were shut down. So to avoid cabin fever, I decided I would take some time and play in my hair. 


Taking down my pin curls resulted in an absolutely adorable  
 curly look. I decided to further experiment with a few quick up dos and my banana clip, and even came up with a super cute look that I didn't use a banana clip for, but would have needed Bobbi pins or hair combs instead.


I'd say my hair came out amazing, and I love the silky straight results! I don't think I will ever be roller setting without Eco Styler again, not to mention I didn't even have to use end wraps
 and my ends are straighter than usual.


I would say the only downside, and only to my own fault, that I might have used a little too much gel in some areas, as I did end up with a little residue but I was able to slide it off the strands with ease.



My hair is twisted up right now, in preparation for a twist out from this glorious set, which I imagine will come out even better because of the Eco Styler gel.

Hurricane Sandy definitely ruined my Halloween 2012, but at least she couldn't ruin my good hair life! lol


 Have any of you ladies done a roller set with Eco-Styler Gel? How'd that work out for you?! I love it!!

My heart is going out to NYC right now, all of those hit hard by Sandy, stay strong, this is NYC and we will fight through it!

Product Review: La Plancha Deep Heat Reconstructor

Product Description: Helps restore texture, body and shine, replenishing essential proteins, amino acids and humectants to your hair.
How to use: This product can be applied in three different ways depending on your particular needs:
1st Option: Apply La Plancha after shampoo, leave in hair for 3 to 5 minutes, rinse with warm water. Style as usual
2nd Option: For moderate conditioning, shampoo and towel dry hair. Apply La Plancha from scalp to ends, wrap hair in plastic cap and place under dryer or blower for 15 minutes, rinse with warm water. Style as usual.
3rd Option: For deeper conditioning and intensive hair repair, after shampooing apply La Plancha, divide hair into sections, wrap each section in aluminum foil. Proceed to heat each section with a professional hair ceramic iron for 30 seconds. Rinse with warm water. Style as usual.


Ingredients: Deionized water, behentimonium methosulphate, cetyl alcohol, propanotriol, cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, ciclomethicone, PPG-3 benzyl, eter mirystate, dimethicone, propilene glycol, hidrolized silk protein, fragrance, lanoline, decyl oleate, metyl/propilparaben, ceramide, panthenol, citric acid.


Towards the end of the summer I really started to access the state of my hair. I had a lot of single-strand knots from too many wash-n-gos (which I'm not mad about, because that comes with the territory of tightly curled/coiled hair) and some breakage, most likely because I was being too rough. I vowed to step up my deep conditioning game up and while talking about straightening hair on one occasion with SP, she mentioned La Plancha hair products which she likes for heat-styling. Curious, I wondered into the Beauty Supply Store and found they had a deep conditioner on the shelf.

I thought I'd give this Dominican product a try, considering they haven't failed me in the past. No, the ingredients aren't organic or "natural" but I saw behentimonium methosulphate and was like, there goes the de-tangling agent that works for my hair! I generally shop for products this way, looking at key ingredients I know work well for me, which you start understanding after much experimenting! Anyway I have to say I like this conditioner! It smells faintly sweet like maybe citrus, and it's very creamy. I slabbed it onto my hair, de-tangled, and put on a plastic cap (option 2). I also turned off the AC in my apartment so it could get warm and I could pretend I sat under a dryer. Once I rinsed, my hair felt super soft and after a few uses my hair is definitely getting back to that silky-strong texture, and I'm also wondering if it has anything to do with my diligence to keep DCing (in other words, will my hair still get stronger without using this conditioner?) After my first use, I did a rollerset using Lacio Lacio as a leave-in, and then because I was bored that night I actually passed a flatiron (once) over sections of my hair, without doing the roots; then pin-curled. I thought I got nice results from that:

My verdict: This is a very nice deep conditioner. I plan to keep this on rotation as part of my Fall 2012 products!

Product Review: Ouidad Climate Control

I realize I have only really talked about the products here in passing, like, oh yeah I used Ouidad to achieve this style and it was nice. I really wanted to use it thoroughly before I gave a full review, and since there's a heat wave among us (summer solstice is at 7:09pm tonight!) I think this is a good time as any to discuss the products since the line claims to beat humidity. I used three products from the Climate Control line: Defrizzing Shampoo, Defrizzing Conditioner, and The Heat & Humidity Gel

Shampoo: So I think I found another shampoo I really love and this will probably be my spring/summer staple. I talked about it in the first round of my "Battle of the Shampoos" post in early May (there will be another round soon) and it's been my main go-to since I got it. It has the right amount of moisture, my hair feels clean, and my curls feel silky; there's also some de-tangling power which is always good since the last thing I need is for my hair to mat or feel dry once I rinse it out. I use this shampoo on average twice a week and not a lot of it so I don't think I'll run out of it until the end of the summer.
Ingredients: Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Lauryl Glucoside, Cocamide DEA, Glycol Stearate, Polyquaternium-10, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-70, Dipropylene Glycol, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lauryl Laurate, Synthetic Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ceramide-2, PEI-10, Hydroxyethyl Behenamidopropyl Dimonium Chloride, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, PEG-40/PPG-8 Methylaminopropyl/Hydroxypropyl Dimethicone Copolymer, Polyquartenium-59, Butylene Glycol, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Methylcholoisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone 

Conditioner: I alluded to how well the conditioner works in a recent Sunday Question when I talked about it's de-tangling power. It feels like a rich cream and definitely adds a great amount of moisture to my hair that stays when rinsed out. I started using it more like a deep conditioner and let it sit in my hair for 5 minutes or so with a shower cap while I'm in the shower and my hair feels amazing after. My only complaint is because I have so much hair, I need a nice size handful to apply to my hair and this conditioner is pricey; if I'm not careful, I could easily go through this bottle in less then a month, which is why I now use it on average once a week to deep condition.Will I purchase again? Yes, but it's a "special occasion" kind of product.
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, PEG-40/PPG-8 Methylaminopropyl/Hydropropyl Dimethicone Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Polyquaternium-70,Wheat Amino Acids, Lauryl Laurate, Synthetic Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ceramide-2, PEI-10, Ceteareth-20, Hydroxyethyl Behenamidopropyl Dimonium Chloride, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Fragrance, Dipropylene Glycol, Panthenol,Polyquaternium-59, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone 

Gel: It's taken me a bit to write about this because I didn't become sure of this product until maybe two weeks ago. The gel is more like a serum so it's not sticky or anything but I can't use it alone. It doesn't really do much for my hair even when using Ouidad's Rake and Shake technique. I've seen a few naturals who really like the product and it seems to be for those who have very fine hair and don't want their strands to be weighed down - all of my super fine hair is in the very front of my head (and the only part of my hair that does not hold curls very well since it's more wavy). So initially, I was unimpressed and annoyed that I spent so much money on a product I couldn't use, but I was determined to make it do something. Turns out as long as I use something underneath it the frizzies stay at bay and my hair is very moisturized. In my most recent experiment (last weekend) I sealed my wet hair with Vatika oil, then added the gel and did a bantu-knot out and my hair looked and felt amazing - I have decent "day 3" hair today. I've also mixed it with a little eco-styler gel and it played together just fine. I'm happy I have something to combat frizz but I'm not entirely sure I'd buy this again.
Ingredients: Water, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Lawsonia Inermis (Henna) Leaf Extract, Wheat Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Propylene Glycol, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Polyquaternium-28, Glycerin, PPG-26-Buteth-25, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PVP/DMAPA Acrylates Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin, Fragrance. 

So, have any of you used Ouidad? Let us know!

Battle of the Shampoos - Ouidad Climate Control and Yes To Cucumbers (Round 1)

There are two shampoos I've been experimenting with at the moment. On the "high end" we have Ouidad Climate Control Defrizzing Shampoo and on the "low end" (drugstore, whatever you want to call a less expensive product) Yes to Cucumbers Color Care Shampoo. 

 

VS

Before I say anything more, I want YAIS readers to be aware of what I look for in an everyday shampoo. (Clarifying ones don't count, because they shouldn't be used often) I've played around with a few over the years, but I'm a little picky when it comes to cleansing my hair; I don't want my hair to be more tangled then I started with; I don't want my hair to feel like straw (dry and crunchy) or for my scalp to get dry and flake; safe for color-treated hair; it should smell pleasant; my hair needs to actually be clean - I use gels and other products that can cause build-up, but at the same time it needs to be gentle enough for everyday use since I tend to shy away from harsh sulfates.  I don't think these criteria for an everyday cleanser are all that challenging, and with so many products on the market finding a shampoo I love to bits should be easy in theory, but it's not. I really only have two shampoos I go back to, and that's Jessicurl's Hair Cleansing Cream (which I haven't ordered in so long!) and SheaMoisture Rentention Shampoo. So if I know my staples, why am I buying other shampoos?

Simply because I'm curious. Finding a great cleanser has been a product weakness for me, because I will splurge on a shampoo a lot faster then I would any other hair product - which isn't saying much because I'm cheap as hell. So I picked up Yes To Cucumbers at a Duane Reade when I was waiting to have a prescription filled, and then my Ouidad Shampoo came a week-and-half or two weeks ago. Since using them both I have to say initially they didn't leave an amazing impression on me. I was in the shower like #shrugs, washing my hair like I was supposed to - but how my hair behaved after was what left me nodding in satisfaction. My curls were very defined and felt very clean, and yes, less frizzy even when drying my hair with a towel. My only complaint about Yes To Cucumbers is that my hair is slightly more drying then Ouidad.The drawback of Ouidad is the price - I'm not sure I would use this shampoo everyday because of that. Nonetheless, it seems to be perfect for this kind of rainy, random weather NYC is experiencing and will probably be great for summer.

So that's my initial feelings for these two shampoos. I'll go another round of comparing and contrasting in a couple of weeks!

Perfect Second Day Hair + OOTD + Product Review

I know this is like an A-D-D post totally but f&%$ it! lol

I just had to post a pic from my hair today because I'm never able to achieve second day hair that looks the same or better and I finally did!!! Again, all I did was moisturize my hair, throw it in 3 loose, tucked under buns to sleep, and then took out and fluffed this morning. I put a few 2 strand twists in the bang area for definition, and same as yesterday, I just put my head band behind my bangs, and pushed it to the left. I figured while I was @ it I would just do a quick little OOTD + my accessories for you all while I looked semi-cute, lol.  Funny thing is I bought those earrings a while ago and hated how they looked on me, but now that my hair's bigger, I like 'em!

Wondering what has my edges held back so beautifully? One product I will quickly review:

Thanks Domin for recommending this because I < 3 it! (Click the link to watch her review 

She is definitely my number one hair inspiration, if she's not everybody's, lol)

I haven't really tried it for twist outs yet, but I will say it's amazing for slicking your hair back in ponytails. I wouldn't say it gives you as much hold and sleekness as a gel per say, but if you don't want that wet super sleek/slick look but still want to be able to control frizz and flyaways this is perfect. 

As you can see my edges and the hair going back into the puff looks well tamed. You know what?  It actually does exactly what it says on the jar: Fights frizz, Adds Shine, and Moisturizes. This cost me about $4 and a little bit goes a long way so you really get your bang for your buck. Plus the smell is divine... everyone loves a product that smells edible right? lol 

Done ranting now... goodnight! = )

Hair Product List: Cool Weather Edition

It's December folks, and time to address and assess hair needs for the season. I plan to wash my hair twice a week and mainly stay with protective styles, such as buns my new favorite go to style, the Side Braid. I also want to concentrate more on preserving my hair and growth because I have a goal to be MBL (Mid-Back Length) by my birthday in May 2012--is it possible? Guess we'll see...

Now that I have a better understanding of my hair and what works for me, I'm going back to what I know for the Northeast winters. Behold, my list of products that I hope to get me through the season; some may be recognizable to you because I have reviewed them before:

Cleansers:
Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream
CURLS Pure Curls Clarifying Shampoo
SheaMoisture Moisture Retention Shampoo


Conditioners:
TRESemme Naturals Silicone Free Conditioner
Sauve Naturals Conditioner
Jessicurl Weekly Deep Conditioner
Henna 'N' Placenta Hair Olive Oil*

Stylers:
EcoStyler Gel
Jane Carter Solutions Wrap N Roll**
SheaMoisture Hair Milk
Burt's Bees Avocado Butter

*I recently tried this and really like it. It's cheap and easy to find, and gives my strands an extra boost of moisture. It's also a great to de-tangle with. 
**Jane Carter Wrap N Roll, which I originally wasn't sure about, has won me over. It's great for dry styling and setting, particularly for bantu-knots. It's a decent leave-in as well

I'm also on a quest to find a great hat for my hair. I love hats and scarves and would love to cover my head in style! What's on your hair shopping list for the winter?

CHI Deep Brilliance Blow Dryer Review + Hairstyle Video

I made this video a few weeks ago to review this new blow dryer I got that I'm head over heels with! It's lightweight, not too loud, all the parts are secure and smooth, and it's hot so you can work fast!

Looking back at this video was hilarious though I must say, I did laugh at myself. Lol 

Making videos for this blog has been lots of fun and I am surprisingly thoroughly enjoying... Okay... on to the video!

My Mom actually brought the CHI Deep Brilliance Digital Titanium Flat Iron which she has been raving about! I got her to go natural a little over a year ago through weaving as her transition period and now that she has been fully natural she's only been wearing her hair in buns. FINALLY this flatiron got her to take her hair out and it's looking gorgeous! I have to get her hair up on this blog in this next week or so....  and get my hands on that flatiron so I can review that too!

So far, I've tried the Blow dryer and the Moisture Binding Shampoo and Conditioner from the Deep Brilliance line and I will say, I always liked CHI products but they really seem to be hitting the nail on the head with the Deep Brilliance line. Stay tuned for my reviews on the rest of the Deep Brilliance line (well whatever else I get my hands on... and no, no one has endorsed me to say any of this).

{and yes, I said "a lot, a little bit"}

The Young, Curly and Fabulous - Hair Care in a New City

Please join us in welcoming our newest contributor to YAIS, Ariel. She is a college student hailing from NYC and currently studying Fine Arts in San Francisco. She was featured as a Style Icon at Black Girl Long Hair and between studying and creating her art she will be contributing to the blog a couple of times a month; show her some love!

My first semester here in San Francisco, I made the mistake of putting my hair care system on my shopping list with toothpaste and razors. I was thrown into a panic when I went to the Walgreens and saw the smallest black hair care section I had ever seen. Imagine your hair greeting to a brand new city are choices  of Pink Hair Lotion and some obviously misplaced bottle that says "for difficult hair.” I'm spoiled; I grew up in NYC where beauty supply stores are like Walmarts and Sephora is giving you her best come hither look. I was clicking my massive Chuck Tailors crying "there's no place like Fordham road.” 

I ended up settling with Mane n' Tail which, when now thinking about it, isn't really settling at all. Should we talk about the benefits? The jumbo bottle is relatively cheap, its super moisturizing, and I've noticed when I use it as a leave in (multi-uses yay) my hair comes out super shiny and I'm less likely to see split ends. (Where do the split ends go? Maybe they got abducted by aliens the world may never know.)

But let's say one day you’re completely tapped out. You can't “five finger discount”

some Cantu or IC Fantasia Gel, not because it's super bad to steal and you'd totally be breaking the law. Believe me, no one has sympathy for your dandruff and broken edges sob story. But your pockets are really tight at the moment, and your scalp is crying out in need. The Vaseline for your knees is tempting you right? Well let's try something else you use for your especially dry spots: Shea butter. I did this when I was a little hard up for cash. I borrowed some olive oil from a neighbor and whipped them together into a really smooth consistency. I dressed my hair like normal focused mostly on my scalp and ends while my hair was damp. I'm assuming this is really great for really dry hair. This will hold you by until you get to your old routine, or maybe you can make it part of a new one if you like it enough.

 Have you ever gone some place new and had to adjust your hair care? Let us know how you did it!

Gushing Over New Products: Shea Moisture and TRESemme

I've been itching to try new products for a while but didn't know where to go to first. Product hunting is overwhelming am I right? Anyway, earlier this week after work (at around 11:30pm smh!) I wandered into Duane Reade to just browse. Then I saw TRESemme, and I've been chatting with the good folks at the CurlyNikki forum who had mentioned how nice the product was, and since it was on sale I decided to give  the TRESemme Naturals Conditioner a go. Then I saw SheaMoisture products, which SP has been raving about for a while. I decided that I did want to try a new shampoo and a new leave-in, which turned out to be the Curl and Style Milk.

Folks, I'm mad at myself I didn't try these products sooner! So far, I'm extremely happy with my items. The TRESemme conditioner had nice slip, and my detangling session was a breeze. The SheaMoisture shampoo, (my goodness the shampoo!) was great. My hair didn't mat up or feel dry. There was a nice silky liquid cleansing my strands. The Hair Milk is a great leave-in. After washing, I added it to my hair in sections, then put a few big plaits in my hair for a braid out, although I'm pretty sure I ended up putting my hair in a bun because of the sticky heat.

Viola! My hair is in box braids for now, but I will probably co-wash with TRESemme mid-week if I feel it needs some moisture. So yeah, these products are definitely in my summer rotation. I'm so happy I could find something locally and so late at night!

Product Stash: Stylers

Note #1: See my stash of cleansers and conditioners.

Behold! My collection of stylers.

(note #2: I know, this is a lot but in all fairness, Mr. Smooth uses some =P)

Okay, so let's start with the Aloe Vera gel. I like to use it on both my skin and my hair because it leaves it soft. I moisturize with it mostly when my hair is in a protective style, like twists or braids as my "water based" product before I seal my hair with an oil. By itself it makes my hair feel really soft and it's nice and light. (note #3: this has been Mr. Smooth's favorite product for about a year). Next to it is the IC Fantasia Heat Protectant Serum. When I used to flat iron a lot, this was my staple. I recently bought it when I blew out my hair. It's a decent heat protectant to me and inexpensive. And next to that is Motions Foaming Wrap Lotion. This was actually passed to me from SP because she knows I set my hair with curl formers and she wanted me to give this a try. Then I have my IC Fantasia Gel which I've already reviewed and will still use it for wet setting. 

There are also three little bottles in the front, which are Jessicurl products that I have not really experimented with which are: Rockin' Ringlets, Confident Coils and Awe Inspiraling Spray. At the moment I don't really have a use for them because they seem to be 'wash and go' products and I'm not doing that any time soon. You can also see I still have the Jane Carter Solutions Wrap and Roll which I've used for dry setting (curlformers, twist outs ect) and it seemed to work okay. I'm still trying to finish the bottle and have no intentions of repurchasing. There are a couple of Aveda products back there: Phomollient Styling Foam and Brilliant Anti-Humectant Pomade, both given to me and that I'm experimenting with and probably won't buy because of their scary expensive prices. Next to that, you can see my beloved Burt's Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Treatment which I'm running low on and will always buy because it's a staple. I use it as a styler as well as a pre-poo treatment. (oh and note #4: Kinky Curly Custard is in that picture, but I accidently hid it. I love it but it's pricey and I use sparingly and I probably won't be buying again)

Whew! I don't think I need to be buying anything until there's less products! This has really helped me put things into prospective!

Results: Bentonite Clay

First things first, hope everyone had a good holiday. I'm not really a holiday person and I've been sick but nonetheless I was able to relax.

Anyway so this bentonite clay. I got a plastic bowl and wooden spoon (you're not supposed to use metal at all) and dumped about half a cup of the clay into the bowl. I added water until it got to a "pancake batter" consistency although I honestly don't know how well I did that. I then added some organic honey and mix well.

I applied it to the four sections I made in my hair without gloves. It feels just like clay which I used to work  with a lot when I was into taking art classes so the feel of it wasn't foreign to me. It was quick and easy to apply.

I left it in my hair for 20 minutes - the time recommended - with a plastic bag over my head so that it wouldn't dry out. Then I rinsed out in the shower and it was super easy to do so. My hair felt like it was really, really clean, not stripped but just 'naked' and I like that. Before I even decided to follow up with conditioner (Renpure Organics is all that I had on hand) I took a look at my curls and saw how they had clumped beautifully. Rinsing out the conditioner had me even more pleased...

Now that my friends, is definition! I stretched my hair using curl formers and when I took those suckers out and touched my dry hair, it was amazingly soft, the kind of softness I been semi-struggling with this winter because of the bitter cold. And my hair was bouncy and moved around. So because of the ease of applying as well as the results and inexpensive on my wallet, I think I will be incorporating this into my regimen. I'm thinking every two weeks should be good - alternating my use of shampoos.

Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream

Product Description: Use Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream to wash your hair gently without leaving it stripped and straw-like. The super moisturizing formula will make your hair soft, silky and wonderfully clean. Safe for color treated hair.



My Experience: 'Tis the season of moisturizing and emollient products and on my quest to find an excellent shampoo, I definitely think this shampoo is a winner. I mentioned that I bought the Jessicurl Trial Pack-rich, which gave me 2 oz bottle of this shampoo. I love it, I think it's officially my favorite. I essentially have fun washing my hair when using this shampoo; it's like washing my hair with herbs and it has great detangling properties. It's so moisturizing and my curls clump up and it has a good lather.

Washing my hair with the shampoo for the first time...

When I rinse it out my hair feels soooo nice, not stripped but definitely clean. I do want to compare this with Curls Cleansing Cream so stay tuned for that, because I love that shampoo too. But this is definitely a keeper!


Ingredients: Water, Decyl Polyglucose, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Vegetable Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Avocado Oil, C 12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Fragrance.

PRODUCT product REVIEW review!!! : Herbal Essences None of Your Frizzness Smoothing Leave-in cream

Product Description: leave it in and forget frizzing out.

with anti-frizz potion and a fusion of mandarin balm & pearls

i'm not a last resort; i'm like a smooth spa.

your cute, fuzzy head is in for a really rich treat. watch me lay frizz down with my formula, with a high dose of conditioning anti-frizz potion fused with extracts of mandarin balm & pearls. i help smooth every strand with my nourishing moisturizers so your frizzy halo becomes a smooth line all day long.

Directions: smooth my creaminess through wet or dry hair. leave me in. love it. help lose the frizz.

Ingredients: water, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, citrus nobilis (mandarin orange) peel oil, pearl powder, fragrance/parfum, stearamidopropyl dimethylamine, cetyl alcohol, quaternium-18, benzyl alcohol, propylene glycol, stearyl alcohol, dmdm hydantoin, peg-2m, cetearyl alcohol, polysorbate-60, hydroxyethylcellulose, glyceryl stearate, oleyl alcohol, edta, citric acid.

I've been looking for this stuff forever and haven't been able to find it anywhere!!! I've seen rave reviews about it on just about every blog i could find, but never the product. Luckily, i found some this weekend in the BSS while taking my little cousin shopping and of course, being the product junkie that i am, i couldnt hesitate to try it out!!!

So what do i think?.......

Price? $5 That works for me

Consistency: Like a light/watery conditioner

As Far as taming frizz goes, yes, it does take the frizz down immensely. I used it on my little wash-n-go TWA alone to see how i would like it and how it would feel. I applied it to micro-fiber towel dryed hair and lifted with my pic at the roots. It gave me curl definition, tamed the frizz, smelled good, and even moisturized my hair. I do wish it added a little shine...

I will say that it would not be moisturizing enough for this New York winter weather so i will be trying it in conjunction with something else later or maybe just save it for when the weather gets warm again. I definitely want to try it to do twist-outs and braid-outs when my hair gets a little longer again too.

Curlicious Curls Cleansing Cream Organic Shampoo

Product Description: This creamy, sulfate free cleanser is gentle enough to use daily and moisturizing enough to use alone! Ideal cleanser for curly hair. Great for chemically altered and color treated hair. Perfect for active women on the go! This rich and creamy sulfate free cleanser gently cleanses your curls, hydrates, and conditions the hair all in one step. Produces a mild, gentle lather, as it is sulfate (detergent) free. Infused with Carrot Seed oil, Horse Chestnut, Sage Leaf and Arnica Montana Flower Extract. Perfect cleanser for relaxed, chemically altered, and/or color treated hair.
My Experience: I've been interested in trying this shampoo for a long while but the price is steep and I'm always hesitant about shampoos. But I've done four washes with this so far (every 5-7 days) and it's pretty good! I noticed it has my favorite cleansing agent, cocamidopropyl betaine. It doesn't strip away anything and it actually has some detangling power, so it cuts down on my use of the comb actually. It also has a very nice smell and it has a consistancy like cake icing (hmm, cake omnonom). I think this will be my weekly shampoo, especially since I MUST wash my hair no less than once week and I need to up my moisture during these cold days -____-  Like I said, the price is pretty steep but the ingredients are organic and work really well together so I think it was worth the splurge!


Ingredients: Water, Sodium Cocyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Steric Acid, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-7, Fragrance, Silk Amino Acids, Panthenol, Certified Organic Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) seed oil, Certified Organic Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Certified Organic Aesculus Hipocastanum (Horse Chestnut) extract, Certified Organic Salvia Officinalis (sage) leaf extract, , Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caramel.

New Love: Jojoba Oil

I mentioned before that I've been trying new products for my hair. One of the things I have been trying is jojoba oil. I picked it up from Whole Foods. All I can say is, I wish I could've tried this sooner! My hair feels so amazing with it. I spent a weekend in Connecticut about 2 weeks ago and all I brought was jojoba oil to braid my hair down at night. I used that and water to seal my hair. Read some of the benefits of this oil here.

Since I've been wearing my hair out all week and experimenting with other products, I've been taking extra care of my ends. I seal with jojoba every night and I've rubbed my scalp with it. My ends and my hair have been looking and feeling great!

My ends

This is pretty much how I wore my hair all week

I think this may be replacing my beloved coconut oil. Although I still love to pre-poo with it =)

Oyin Products

Oyin Handmade products were used heavily in my summer routine, and I just realized that I didn't properly review or introduce them and how they were working on my hair. Here's a portion about them from their website: We are a family-owned company, named after the Yoruba word for ‘honey’ – one of nature’s most versatile beauty products...Many of our products utilize the power and sweetness of honey, and all are made from scratch, by hand, in small batches to ensure freshness. We never use petroleum, silicones, parabens, or non-nourishing fillers – every ingredient in our mixtures has work to do! In our goodies you can find unrefined shea butter, nutritive sea vegetables, pure aloe vera juice, nourishing vitamins, and herbal infusions carefully chosen for their beneficial and healing properties....

I had heard about them a while ago with great reviews, and finally decided to order their 4-piece sample pack this summer. I should say what I noticed about their samples is that there is a good amount of product to really get a good amount of uses.

Honey Hemp Conditioner: I only used this a couple of times for mid-week co-washing. It has a nice, creamy consistency and added a good boost of moisture and great detangler but I didn't find anything spectacular about it. It does have good ingredients. Would I buy it again? Maybe...
Ingredients: purified water, organic aloe vera gel, behentremonium methosulfate (emulsifier derived from colza oil), honey, virgin hemp oil, , coconut oil, vegetable glycerine, hydrolized silk, citrus essences, fragrance, optiphen (preservative)


Greg Juice: This is a spritz that I really love. I was wearing twists a lot during the summer and would use it twice a day, mostly because I loved the smell of it. Also, when I got my sample pack, the bottle was open and some of it spilled. I contacted Customer Service about it and they sent me another bottle right away. I was pleased. Great moisture boost for protective styles or twist outs and such and yes I will be purchasing this again. Ingredients: purified water infused with horsetail, lavender, nettle, roses, and chamomile; organic flaxseeds; aloe vera juice; vegetable glycerine; essences of lavender, sweet orange, ylang ylang; grapefruit seed extract; citric acid
 
Shine and Define: This is described as a styling serum with some hold. I mostly used this for braid outs and twist outs and it was actually very nice. Besides being wonderfully scented there is light hold and very moisturizing. It's basically like a lotion. It works best for me on damp hair, although the instruction says you can use it on soaken wet strands. Love it and will purchase it again.
Ingredients: purified water, organic flax seeds, organic aloe vera gel, sea vegetable complex, coconut oil, castor oil, unrefined shea butter, raw honey, vegetable glycerine, palm stearic acid, vegetable emulsifying waxes, fruit pectin, xanthan gum, dextrose, optiphen (preservative), citrus essential oils; fragrance.
 
Whipped Pudding: Seriously if your strands like shea butter (or maybe only when it's mixed with other stuff) I don't think you can go wrong with this. I sealed my hair with this every other day and it was pretty awesome. It can also be used on the skin, which I have on ocassion and it works just fine. It's very sweet smelling too, but not overly powerful (I am very sensitve to smells!) I'm definitely grabbing more of this. 
Ingredients:  purified water, shea butter, organic aloe vera gel, cocoa butter, castor oil, coconut oil, sweet almond & olive oils, vegetable emulsifier, beeswax, palm stearic acid, vegetable glycerine, honey, optiphen (preservative), fragrance
 
So that's my two cents on the Oyin. I am interested in trying their other products as well. One thing to note is that because everything is made from scratch, your order may take a while. That is both a downside and an upside. But definitely worth it to me! Has anyone else tried it?

IC Fantasia Hair Polisher Styling Gel

Product description: Gives great body, manageability, volume and shine
*Enhanced with sparkle lite conditioners, aloe, wheat protein & vitamin E
*With hair protective sunscreen
*Alcohol free
*Non-flaking
*Perfect for blow styling, rollet sets, molding, sculpting, lifting and other styling techniques
*Smoothes curly hair for a more natural, hair styling look
*Defies gravity, conditions and holds hair styles all day
*Not tested on animals
*For professional use

My Experience: I should admit I was very hesitant to use this product and researched the hell out of it before I spent my precious 4 bucks. I had read reviews that ranged from it being better than the more expensive Kinky Curly Custard, to it was drying and terrible. I took a deep breath and picked it off the shelf at Duane Reade. (After all, it has aloe vera in it, which my hair loves!) I decided I needed to try this because I'm indifferent about the Jane Carter Wrap & Roll I was using and as you can read from the description, it's recommended for rollersetting, a technique I am desparately trying to master. Recall that this was my result from my curlformer set using this gel....

I read a tip about using it over a leave-in conditioner so that it's not drying and I opted to use the Knot Today conditioner and the combo was perfect. My hair isn't feeling dry or flaking, it feels great. I did take pics of how it defined my curls, although I do not plan on doing a wash and go anytime soon, I had an idea on how my hair would react...

It clumps my curls really well, without much coaxing. And the shine factor is a big plus. Definitely keeping this around, at least for the rollersets!

Ingredients: Purified Water (Aqua) , Glycerin , Carbomer , Triethanolamine , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice , Dimethicone Copolyol , Tocopheryl Acetate , Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein , Polysorbate-20 , Benzophenone-4 , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone , Disodium EDTA , Fragrance (Parfum)