Products, You Tube Video of The Week!

I have been doing pretty good with my product junkism of late.  It’s really not bad but I did make one teenie weenie purchase.  I went to Trader Joe’s yesterday to pick up some lavender dryer bags.  I am in love with Trader Joe's.  I get my vitamins, some of my oils, and a bunch of other stuff from here.  I ended up walking out with a $19 tab, just some random stuff like deodorant and lavender body scrub.  I also picked up Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle conditioner.  I’m in the mood for a little tingle and I have the shampoo at home so I picked it up!  Speaking of the Tea Tree Tingle conditioner, after my purchase, I watched  Elle’s video and she talked about it briefly so I thought I’d post it to share. 

Love me some Elle and Izzy! You guys know she is the ultimate product reviewer! Not only does she know her products, she knows her ingredients. She is very in tune with her own hair, as we all should be and remains a go to source for me! Anywho – nuff said. Check out her latest and greatest Holy Grail list!

Tionne's Protective Style

My baby girl's protective style - adorable I must say!  Go Tionne, Go Tionne, Go Tionne!

Fly yet age appropriate for my teenage daughter!  I love it!  I would rock it if I wanted to look 12!

How did she accomplish this look?

Style

First she co-washed and deep conditioned her hair.  She then sectioned off a small section of hair in the bang area and did 5 two strand twist.  The remainder of the hair was pulled all the way up to the top of the head into a pony tail with an ouchless band.  The hair is then formed into a bun and secured with bobby pins.  She then placed a hair net over the bun to keep it in place and give it a more full appearance. 

Products Used

Suave Coconut Conditioner (co wash)

Organic Root Stimulator Recovery Pack/Pantene Deep Moisturizing Treatment (deep condition)

Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie (curl definition)

Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Conditioning Milk (moisture)

Eco Styler (smooth)
Shea Butter (sealant)

Coconut Oil (sealant, moisture)

What do you think about age and styling?  Is there a correlation?

Who Is Your Natural Hair Idol?

As a little girl growing up, there were not a lot of celebrity African American women in the spotlight.  Before there was a Janet Jackson, my favorite was Diana Ross!  I loved her music, her clothes and of course her big hair!  My favorite movies were “Lady Sings the Blues” and “The Wiz”.  I even wore a flower in my hair (I was only around 12 and knew the power of the flower) inspired by the gardenia she wore in Lady Sings the Blues.  As an adult, I became a fan of her daughter, Tracee Ellis Ross.  Her fashion sense and beauty is so incredible and her skin is flawless!  If I could choose one celebrity to sit down with a nice glass of wine and have girtalk with, it would be Tracee Ellis Ross.  One of the many reasons I looked forward to watching Girlfriends every week when it was on the air, (and even now I record the reruns) was to check out Tracee’s hair.  Her versatility and style is something to be admired.  She has such defined curls and it always has a shiny and healthy appearance.  Here are fewof her hair tips and facts I learned about her hair routine.

Shampoos

·         Aveda Shampure

·         Rene Furterere

·         Gold Well Conditioning Shampoo

Conditioners

·         Aveda Cherry Almond Bark

·         Aveda Deep Penetrating Revitalizer

·         Gold Well Kerasilk Conditioner

·         Hair Mayonnaise

Wash & Gos

·         Mixed Girls Leave-In Conditioner

·         Elixor

Other

·         Rene Furterer Vinegar Rinse

·         Steam

Tracee tells Essence Magazine:  “On a weekly basis, one of my beauty secrets is that I steam. I go to one of the Korean day spas. I fill my hair up with Gold Well Kerasilk Conditioner-that conditioner is fantastic for conditioning hair under a heating cap, which I do if I can't get into a steam room. With the Kerasilk, your hair will not curl up. My hair gets so soft that it doesn't curl up, so I have to use another conditioner. The other is very expensive but you get a lot for your money. It's called Hair Mayonnaise. It is a growth enhancer.”

Styling Tools

·         Denman D4 brush

·         Large clips for sectioning

Straight Hair Routine

·         Kerastase conditioner

·         Kerastse Oleo Relax

·         Chi blowdryer and Ceramic ionic irons

Her best advice: “Condition, condition and condition and stay away from alcohol-based products.  It just dries your hair out.”

Source:  Essence Magazine

Miss Jessie's Products - BOGO Sale

I have heard so many positive comments about Miss Jessie’s products!  For every positive comment, I’ve heard just as many negative.  I have been very reluctant to give it a try – mostly because of the cost I must admit.  I am not mad at the owners for pricing their product as they see fit, I’m simply stating I am not so willing to pay the asking price.  On top of that, there was the shipping cost.  Then they found a new home at one of my favorite stores, Target, so I was so excited.  When they first arrived, I went over all ready to purchase but once I held it in my hand, I simply could not justify the price and put it back on the shelf.  Well, this morning, I get an email from curlmart.com with some good news!  Buy One Get One Free on Miss Jessie’s products!  Now that, I’m willing to do!  I am now FORCED to try it out.  I am not sure which two products I want to try first – I’m thinking the Curly Meringue and the Curly Buttercreme.  I hope it lives up to the hype! 

Has anyone had a Miss Jessie’s experience? Please share your results!

Last night's Suave Experience

So last night was my first time using the Suave Almond and Shea Butter product.  I was a little apprehensive because I’ve never really liked Suave products.  However, like I said, I’d read about it on another blog and decided why not try it.  For one thing, it’s super super cheap!  $1.84 each and last week Target had it marked down to $1.64!  At those prices, I can afford to toss if don’t like it

Anyway, I deep conditioned with Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholestrol with a plastic cap for about 3 hours.  I then shampooed with the shampoo.  It had just enough lather and a really suttle smell – pretty simple.  It’s shampoo.  I had been wearing my hair in a bun all week so it was pretty tangled and knotted up so I was worried that the conditioner might not do the job, even though the bottle boasts that it “conditions as good as Aveda”, those are really big shoes to fill!  It’s been awhile since I’ve used Aveda shampoo or conditioner, so I’m not sure if this is true or not.  Although it smells ok, it certainly doesn’t smell as good as Aveda products.  At any rate, I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the conditioner as well as I did.  It was sooooo extra creamy and moisturizing!  I was able to comb right through my hair with no problem.  It just felt so soft!  After I rinsed it out, it was still cottony and there were zero tangles!  Definitely a keeper and a future purchase!

Shampoo Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice [Aloe Vera]* Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil [Lemongrass]*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil*, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower/Leaf Extract*, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Dimethiconol, Fragrance (Parfum) , Carbomer, PPG-9, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Amodimethicone, DMDM Hydantoin, TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Citric Acid, C11-15, Pareth-7, Laureth-9, Trideceth-12, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Red 33 (CI 17200) *Certified Organic Ingredient

Conditioner Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) (Shea Butter), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba), Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil (Lemongrass), Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil (Rosemary), Chamomilla Recutita Flower/Leaf Extract (Matricaria), Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract (Lavender), Dimethiconol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Fragrance, Dipropylene Glycol, Potassium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, TEA Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate, PEG 150 Distearate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

Rating:  4 out of 5 Curls

*Product Review Disclaimer

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep - My Night Time Routine

In the car

I am still hanging on to my braid out from two weeks ago.  #don'tjudge - I have a small child. Yaaaayyy!  When I went to bed last night I put olive oil all over my hair, especially my ends.  I then pulled it way up to the very top of my head (pineapple method is what they call it) with a scrunchy (who knew scrunchies would come in handy in 2010!), threw on my locsoc and called it a night!  No fuss no muss!  J  When I woke up this morning, I lightly sprayed it with water around the perimeter and added some shea butter and a very small amount of eco styler gel.  I do not like extra slick edges.  I then tied it up with a satin scarf until I arrived at work (15 minutes) and viola!  It’s not plastered to my head, nor is it neat and tidy.  I ran my hand across it back and forth to make it a little messier and it’s just the way I like it! 

P.S.  I will be shampooing my hair tonight.  Two weeks is way too long and I will probably have a lot of extra detangling to do! L

We Are Family

When you think of peer pressure, you typically think of sex, drugs, and rock–n- roll! I’m speaking of a different type of peer pressure- - the pressure to relax! I started relaxing my daughter’s hair at a very young age because it was “unmanageable”. Truth is – I wanted her hair to be “long” and “straight” because that’s what I thought it should be. Her hair eventually broke off and we had to start trying to repair it, all the while, I was feeling a huge amount of guilt over my decision to relax in the first place! As a practicing licensed stylist at the time – I felt even more guilt because I wasn’t able to protect my daughter’s hair.

Needless to say, after my decision to go natural AGAIN in 2004, I made the decision (in '05) to do the same with my daughter, who was only 12 at the time. For months and months she would beg me to relax her hair – it was an ongoing battle! We did micros for the first few years (she’s an athlete so it made sense at the time) but in time realized that wasn’t the healthiest option for her either.

I’m proud to say that she is now 17 years old and still natural and her hair is thriving! It has really grown in the last 2 years due to a new hair regimen. She loves loves loves her hair and really takes care of it. Her peers are all asking her what she does, how she gets it so soft and how healthy it looks. This is the reaction from young African American teenage girls! I think it’s awesome. It takes a lot for a young girl to be confident period, yet alone enough to wear her naturally beautiful hair and not cave to the peer pressure. My teenage daughter and I have been natural for 5 and 6 years respectively….my son has been natural for all of his 22 months.

Current Products We Use:
Tools: Microfiber Hair Towel, Ouidad Detangler Comb
Shampoos: Trader Joe’s Nourishing Shampoo, Jason’s Natural Biotin Shampoo
Clarifying: Neutrogena, Bentonite Clay Treatment
Conditioners: Hello Hydration/ None of Your Frizzness (Herbal Essence), Aubrey Organics Honey Suckle Rose
Leave In/Detanglers: Kinky Curly Knot Today, Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave In
Deep Treatments: Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque (me), Henna (my daughter) Styling/Sealants: Aloe Vera Gel, Eco Styler (Olive Oil), Shea Butter
Oils: Jojoba, Olive, Vatika

Things I hope to try:
Honey & Hot Oil Treatment
Karen’s Body Beautiful Product Line

Curly Chic

Official Black History

June 23, 2010


When I was younger, my mom would press my hair with a hot comb on the stove! My hair was long and beautiful but thin. At some point my mother grew tired of pressing my hair every other day, so she decided to put a Kitty Kit Relaxer, which was supposed to be a “gentle” relaxer for kids, in my hair. I was so excited because there was a cute little chocolate girl on the box and her hair was beautiful! I never thought I was beautiful so here was my chance to transform! BIG MISTAKE, but at this time (I’m a 70s baby), that’s what you did to manage a little girl’s hair!


My “naturalhood” journey began in 2002. When I say natural, I am referring to a relaxer free head of hair, not necessarily free of all chemicals. My stylist of over 20 years, Karen Gary, owner of Synergi Salon here in Columbus, Ohio encouraged me to leave the relaxers alone.  (Please visit her site at synergisalon.com)
Initially I thought it was absurd!  After a mere 8 months, I gave up! At the time, I didn’t view it as a lifestyle change, I was simply doing it so that my hair would grow. I was simply not ready.

In 2004, after more encouragement from Karen, I decided to give up the relaxer again! This time, I stuck with it. I started to embrace the look of the natural and only straighten it on special occasions. For whatever reason, I still didn’t think I could look “dressed up” unless my hair was straight! I would tell my friends “I’m going to a wedding so I want to look nice”. As if I couldn’t look nice with my hair in its natural curly state!
Within the last 2 1/2 years I have started to understand that my hair is beautiful either way!  I have thrown away the Motions products and adopted a completely new hair care regimen for myself and my two children (daughter – age 16, son – age 17 months)! I realize that had I been more educated about natural hair, my hair would be all the way down to my butt by now! I am loving my hair and it is loving me back!

I am going to be donating a kidney to my father next week and will be on restrictions for 4-6 weeks and I am looking for a hairstyle that will last at least 3 weeks! Suggestions anyone? Wish me luck!

My current regimen:

Shampoo – Trader Joe’s shampoo/Giovanni Moisture Shampoo

Conditioner - Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner/Giovanni Deep Moisture Conditioner

Styling - Kinky Curly Knot Today & Custard with Shea Butter on the ends - Wash & Go /Twist Outs

Styling Refreshers - Eco Styler/Aloe Vera Gel

Spritzer – Mix of Glycerin, Jojoba Oil, conditioner & H20

I am still learning and I have only been using these products for a month now but I am becoming a PJ. I am getting to know my hair all over again. I am confident that I will start to see some significant growth!

My latest purchases: Coconut Oil, Aubrey’s Honey Suckle Rose Conditioner

My next purchases: Oyin Burnt Sugar Pomade (it is sold out) and the Ouidad Double Detangler.

Curly Chic

Special Events - Special Hair

This is at a wedding reception this past weekend! I am a "flower fan" so at the last minute, I decided to jazz my look up a little! It was my first time using the Kinky Curly Knot Today and Kinky Curly Custard and I think I'm in love! My daughter did two strand twists the night before and we took them down right before the wedding, so it was a gamble!  Who says special occasions call for "straight hair"?!

What is your “special occasion” hairstyle?

Curly Chic