A Quick Hello - Maybe I'm Back

It's been well over a year since I've blogged so I thought I would just pop in to say hello. My last post was on November 24, 2014 and I mentioned how I would make a video to explain why I've been absent. Well, that didn't happen and I went all of 2015 without making one post or youtube video.
The short story is, I became a wife and part homeowner (that means mortgage) at the end of 2014 and my priorities changed a bit. I was also  plenty busy with my etsy shop and I was a vendor at  Hyde Park Handmade Artisan Bazaar  almost every month last year. That means I was making lots of jewelry. I was also taking on some temps jobs. Last year was pretty full year so blogging and making videos took a back seat.

 I can't say how often I'll blog and/or youtube this year.  Though I have been trying out some pretty cool products lately. Especially the Korean beauty stuff which really blew up last year. I've bought my fair share of sheet masks, essences, and ampoules and some of them are really fantastic. Most of my purchases have come from Memebox but I've tried a few other shops too.

 I've also been experimenting with different hair products and I think I've found a couple of holy grails including TGIN Honey Miracle Hair Mask; my hair LOVES it.  FYI, tgin products are buy 2, get 1 free at Sally Beauty Supply through January.

So, perhaps I'll post here and there with updates and some of my latest faves. We'll see! Stay tuned until then.












Photo sources: sallybeautysupply.com, memebox.com

Review: Natural & Curly Hair Care Essential Kit

I picked up this little Jane Carter kit in Target, tried it out several times,and decided to do a review. I have not done many reviews for hair products but I plan to do more soon. Check out the video and let me know what you think.

                                                     

                                                          After taking out my braids

After separating 

Close-up

Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea All Natural Pudding Souffle Braidout

In a previous post  I mentioned how I went to an Eden BodyWorks event and got their new Coconut Shea Pudding Souffle in a goodie bag. Well, I tried that product out and I liked it. I used it to do a braidout and filmed what the results looked like. You can see the results in the first video below. The second video is just showing what the actual product looks like (color, thickness, consistency, etc...) Check them out and let me know what you think.And note, this is not really a review-just a little show and tell ;-)

This product is available at Edenbodyworks.net and retails for $8.99
Will also so be available at Walgreens, Walmart, Curlmart.com, and Sally Beauty Supply.

3 Years Natural and Oh...Happy New Year!

Hi all! I know I'm late but Happy New Year! I hope the year is starting off well for you and that you accomplish all that you set out to do this year. I don't generally do resolutions but I do have some things that I want to happen this year and in years to come. Perhaps I will do a post about it.

In other news I am 3 years natural (wearing my hair's natural texture and relaxer-free) as of yesterday. I did a quick iPhone video about it and the quality is not great so you might have to crank up the volume. See in the next post!

Throwback Thursday! Natural Hair (Repost)

Hi all! This is a repost and not much has changed since I first posted.


It's been forever since I made any posts about my natural hair. In fact, I haven't posted anything since I told you all that I went natural. And that was over 2 years ago.  I have only shared some of the hair products that I like and the natural hair events that attended. Why haven't I shared anything in all this time? Well, I'm not a big fan of taking photos. And when I do take them, they always look awkward to me. So that pretty much keeps me from posting pictures of myself and progress of my hair. I do, however, have a few photos that I don't hate. So I will post them below with the approximate date.
Also, I don't have a rock solid regimen. I cleanse every 7-10 days (or as needed) and deep condition each time. Sometimes I pre-condition, henna, and try other treatments.  My go to styles are braidouts, twistouts, and I am still perfecting the wash and go.  My fave brands at the moment are Pura Body Naturals, Oyin Handmade, and Shea moisture. Though I am always trying new products and have plenty new brands on my to-try list.
On to the photos.

May 2009-When I decided I was going natural

January 2010

June 2010

September 2010-I twisted my hair for my cousin's wedding.

March 2011
















May 2011

October 2011(photoshopped)

December 2011 - Wish I had a powder puff handy when I took this one.
Othewise is like it. It was for Essence Magazine.
Braidout on moist hair. I can't remember which products I used.

March 7th 2012 Braidout on damp hair

March 15th 2012 Braidout on moist, but not wet, hair

Natural Hair Wishlist: Bask Beauty

I saw this Bask Beauty brand for the first time on Etsy a while ago. The products sounded pretty good so I added them to my favorite shops and didn't  think too much about them after that. Then I started seeing rave reviews on blogs and Youtube. And of course that piqued my interest. I went to their website and saw that they added many more products to their line. Everything sounded like something I'd love to try. I hope to get some of their products soon. Here are the items that I am most interested in:

sources: Baskbeauty.com



Have you heard of Bask? Have you tried any of their products?

Wen Healthy Hair Care System Review

I'm sure you've all the seen the infomercials for Wen by now. Maybe some of you have been itching to try it. Well, I haven't and I can't really tell you why. However my sister uses it and really likes it; she gets the system auto-shipped every month. This month she was accidentally sent two systems so she gave one to me . And I don't turn down free products so I took and tested them. The system is $29.95 for a 30 day supply and consists of a 12oz bottle of  Sweet Almond cleansing conditioner, 2oz of Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment, 2 oz Styling Creme, and 0.35 oz texture balm stick.

I used the cleansing conditioner first (the bottle was slightly use 2/3 full) which is a substitute for shampoo. The directions suggested using 10-15 pumps for an entire head and more product for longer/thicker hair. I started with the suggested amount but needed more for my natural kinky/curly hair. I ended up using half of the bottle. So a little doesn't go a long way for me. And as far as how the product felt, it was a little meh for me. And it didn't aid that much in de-tangling. I guess I'm used to heavier and/or more slippery products that make make it easy to smooth my hair. I did notice a little less frizz though. Overall I thought that the cleansing conditioner did the job but didn't wow me.

Next, I used the Re moist Intensive treatment. I liked this product; it felt nice on and left my hair smooth. I used over have the jar though so...maybe I'll try what's leftover as a hair cream.
 I then continued with my normal routine which is adding a leave-in, moisturizer, oil/butter, and then braiding or twisting to air-dry.

A few days later I used the styling creme (not pictured) which seems more like a gel and serum hybrid. I thought it was ok. I used it to slick and smooth my hair back. And I used a tiny bit of the texture balm (not pictured) on top of the cream. The balm is like your standard oil and wax-like balm or pomade. It's a little less greasy than some though. I liked it ok but I have others that I like more.

Overall, I thought this system was good, not great. At least not for my hair. Granted, I have only used the system once and some people recommend using products for at least a month to see how they really perform. But I think I've got a pretty good idea of what my hair likes. Besides, these won't  last me a month  And I can't spend $29.95 on products that are going to barely last 2 washes.  I think this system is probably better for those with normal, fine, relaxed, wavy, and/or looser curly hair.
What are your thoughts?
Do you want to try Wen?
Have you used Wen? If so, do you like it?

Me And My Natural Hair

It's been forever since I made any posts about my natural hair. In fact, I haven't posted anything since I told you all that I went natural. And that was over 2 years ago.  I have only shared some of the hair products that I like and the natural hair events that attended. Why haven't I shared anything in all this time? Well, I'm not a big fan of taking photos. And when I do take them, they always look awkward to me. So that pretty much keeps me from posting pictures of myself and progress of my hair. I do, however, have a few photos that I don't hate. So I will post them below with the approximate date.
Also, I don't have a rock solid regimen. I cleanse every 7-10 days (or as needed) and deep condition each time. Sometimes I pre-condition, henna, and try other treatments.  My go to styles are braidouts, twistouts, and I am still perfecting the wash and go.  My fave brands at the moment are Pura Body Naturals, Oyin Handmade, and Shea moisture. Though I am always trying new products and have plenty new brands on my to-try list.
On to the photos.

May 2009-When I decided I was going natural

January 2010

June 2010

September 2010-I twisted my hair for my cousin's wedding.

March 2011
















May 2011

October 2011(photoshopped)

December 2011 - Wish I had a powder puff handy when I took this one.
Othewise is like it. It was for Essence Magazine.
Braidout on moist hair. I can't remember which products I used.

March 7th 2012 Braidout on damp hair

March 15th 2012 Braidout on moist, but not wet, hair

I Got My CurlBox!

 On Friday I received my very first Curlbox. And if you've haven't heard of Curlbox yet, it  is a subscription service (similar to Birchbox) that brings you samples of products dedicated to kinky, curly, coily, natural hair.  And in order to order the box, you need to be on their mailing list and they will send you an email to let you know when subscriptions are open. And subscriptions do sell out fast-usually within 24 hours.  The Curlbox costs $20 and  I think it's worth it. Especially if you are like me and love to try new products but are on a budget or don't want to be stuck with full size products that you don't like.
Here's  my box:

Shea Moisture Argan Oil and Raw Shea Butter Soap (Full Size)
Not exactly for hair but I was happy to see it. And I have loved Shea Moisture's Soaps since before they were popular. I've been wanting to try this argan oil one

Mahogany Roots Olive and Avocado Moisturizing Hair Butter (2 oz)
I've never heard of this brand. They're products look pretty good

Curls Gel-les'c (2 single use  pouches)
I've used a few Curls products before. Haven't tried this one though.

Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave In Conditioner (2 oz bottle)
I got this in my Birchbox a few months ago. It's ok, I didn't love it though.

Beautiful Textures Curl Control Defining Pudding (s sample packets)
I got the chance to go the the introduction party for Beautiful Textures. I have tried most of the line and they work ok for my hair. I have other products that I like better though.

Curl Care by Dr. Miracle Shampoo, Conditioner, Leave in Conditioner (sample packets)

Brown Butter Beauty Sweet Milk Leave in Conditioner
Happy to see one of my fellow Etsians (people with Etsy shops) in the Curlbox. I've been wanting to try this too. I've tried an oil and butter that I liked.

Ultra Sheen Supreme Super Smooth and Hold Flat Iron Protection Spray
I don't plan on straightening my hair anytime soon so I'll probably give this to my sister who has relaxed hair.

Lustrasilk Curl Max (Enhanced with Argan Oil)  Curl Activator Moisturizer and Curl Pudding (4 Sample Packets)
I know a lady who swears by curl activator.She says that it keeps her hair moisturized.  I'll see if works as well for me.