You live, you learn then you get loves! lol

Well by now y'all know me and y'all know how I love to take pics of my hair but until I get a better camera the pics are on hold... sort of. So far my bangs reach the top of my bottom lip, I can pull a side strand of my hair clear around to the middle of my face (tip of my nose) and the back of my hair is collar bone length meaning if I lay it on my shoulder in the front it will reach just below my collar bone. I don't really do length checks often, I used to do them once a month and now it's just whenever I feel like it. I almost feel like that diaper commercial, "you live you learn then you get loves" lol, but seriously, you Big Chop, you co-wash, you learn the lingo, try every product and protective style known to man, watch every YouTube blog about natural hair, follow every natural hair page on fb and the net in general, then finally you learn what works for you, you embrace Your hair from it's pattern to it's length, then you learn to love your bad hair days and even how to turn them into good ones... and that's where I'm at, I've learned what works for me and what doesn't. I've discovered that cheap doesn't always mean "not as good as the expensive stuff", in fact I've found budget items that work just as good, if not better than the pricey items found online. 
One thing that hasn't changed is I'm still diligent about moisture and I still drool over the fab flat twist, kinky twist, and braided updo's that I have not mastered yet. 
Also I thought I'd throw in there that this will not be just my hair page anymore, it will be my life page meaning I will probably rant on a bad day (usually only if I don't pray first), gush about new developments in my love life, and blab about boredom in the small town life that is currently mine. I want to be transparent and so I will, from my weight loss journey to the struggle to get my health under control and start a family you'll hear it all... but don't worry I won't get TMI on you. I kind of feel like ppl have gotten so used to clicking like that no one even bothers to comment or start a conversation anymore... feel free to speak up.

Semi-update and photos

Update and Pics Pics and more Pics! New name for my fb page which means new link! New life also, and new hair! My hair has grown, my curl pattern has changed and so has my routine and my staples of which I have very few now. I am now MARRIED! YAY! I dedicated my life to Christ, and I have a way better understanding of my hair and products! Also I am on a weight loss journey. Follow along and comment whenever on whatever post speaks to you. Thanks to all of my loyal friends, fans, followers of my blog seeing how I haven't posted in quite some time it takes patience to still tag along, so thanks to all of you who do ;-) Below will be some pics and later on today or tomorrow I will post a long blog of updates! I still have the same youtube channel BUT I haven't used it in a while and will be using a different one once I get a worthy camera. First one is me and my husband when we first new we were going to get married, second one is of the first time I flat ironed my hair, the third one is the same day once the shrinkage started to wear off, and the fourth one is the oldest of the four, it's a pic of my and my husband when we were just friends, starting to become best friends.

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Product Review for KBN (Koils by Nature) Ultra-Moisturizing CocoAloe Deep Conditioner

Recently I purchased Koils by Nature Moisturizing Shaeloe leave-in conditioner and the results were... well bad for lack of better words. However they happen to send me a sample of their CocoAloe Deep Conditioner and I FELL IN LOVE! There were 3 reasons I loved this product instantly. 1. This product did right what the previous two did wrong. 2. There was SLIP for days! 3. It moisturized my hair so well that I didn't need to re-condition at all after my henna treatment which on a normal basis I need to condition over night and then some after an herbal treatment, this time there was no need for that. If you didn't know before you know now that I am a Slip-a-holic! If it has slip then I want it! I have very coily, curly, springy hair and the ends get tangled very easily; also I'm not big on protective styling, I like my fro "Wild and Free" just like me! I can't say I loved the ingredients because the sample sized bottle they sent me didn't have the ingredients listed on it and I didn't rush on over to the website to find out what they were. My philosophy is if it works use it and if I haven't tried it then it's new to me. I didn't take any pics as it was pretty late in the evening when this happened but I do have a video where you can clearly see my surprise when coming through my hair with the CocoAloe Deep Conditioner. This video is all over the place as in unorganized and is random but I had fun making it anyway and I hope you enjoy watching it.

Two days after using the sample sized deep conditioner I ordered the full size bottle for $18.00 from the KBN website. To purchase go to Koils by Nature Ultra-Moisturizing CocoAloe Deep Conditioner

This deep conditioner is now a STAPLE so if we were playing a game of Love it or Leave it, I would definitely have to say LOVE IT!

My initial reaction to KBN Ultra-Moisturizing CocoAloe Deep Conditioner

AfroVeda Sweet Roots Collection Product Review

I recently received/purchased the Sweet Roots collection from AfroVeda as I am into Ayurveda and was attempting to find a good Moisturizer. 

I washed my hair with Dr. Hoting's Thickening Solutions Cell-U-Plex Revitalizing Shampoo to clarify it. I wanted my hair free of all other oils and products before trying a new product.

 I towel blotted my hair to absorb some of the water and while it was still damp I applied the Licorice and Marshmallow Leave-In Moisturizer to my entire head and combed through as instructed.

 Price: $21 for the sample set of 3 products

Product:AfroVeda Sweet Roots Leave-In Moisturizer

Product Claims: Stops breakage and dry frizzy hair. 
Actual Performance: You all know that it takes a lot to impress me with hair care, but even doing what the product says it will do goes a long way in my book. With this product I was disappointed... The texture was like cheap lotion. It didn't leave my hair dry but it didn't deliver enough moisture to actually last beyond the point of application. My hair was frizzy and looked as if I had blown it out. My curls in the front were non-existent once the product dried.

Scent: I'm a huge fan of smell as long as it smells good. This product smells very strange and medicinal. I didn't like the scent at all, as a matter of fact I found myself wanting to apply something else to cover the smell but I chose not to.

Product: Sweet Roots Licorice and Marshmallow Hair Control Style & Control Hair Sculpting Wax

Claims: This product makes no special claims so I expected it to live up to it's name (sculpting wax)

Performance: It didn't perform as a wax would at all. I applied it to my edges to lay them down and to the front of my hair to lay it down and it did nothing special. My edges ignored the product as if I'd never put it on. The product looked like it would have some kind of hold to it but once I applied a little pressure to the surface of it my finger sank into it like a tub of butter. The texture was very soft and yielding. This product did not live up to my expectations in the least, but it wasn't horrible. Much like the moisturizer it smelled strange and almost unpleasant.

Product Sweet Roots Licorice and Marshmallow Liquid Curling Spray

Claims: Molds, Sculpts and Shapes Curls and Waves, making it the perfect styling tool for enhancing texturized styles. Will not leave hair crisp or flaky and will nourish the scalp for healthy, hydrated hair.

Performance & How I Used the Product: I spritzed the spray onto my hair as a finishing spray and at first I was impressed but when my hair was dry the curl pattern was non-existent in most of my head and the few curls that remained were not molded, shaped or hydrated. The smell of this product was similar to the other two but a little more tolerable. I tried using it as a curl refresher spray the next morning and was a little surprised when it actually added a little shine to my strands, but the buck stopped there.

Overall Personal Opinion: I don't like the products enough to ever purchase them again but I don't dislike them enough to sell them or give them away. I will use the product but once it's gone that will be the end of the sweet roots legacy in my regimen.

NOTE: I did not list the ingredients as they can be found on the website for those of you interested. This review is just my PERSONAL experience and opinion of the product and is not intended to dictate what your experience may or may not be like should you choose to try the products listed for yourself.

Product Review for... (Drum Roll Please)

Lets Jam! Styling Custard

Today I purchased Lets Jam! Styling Custard to see what all of the youtube fuss was about. I'm not a bandwagon person but curiosity got the best of me. Everyone should know that when trying out a new product hair should be clean of any other products so before trying this product I washed my hair with my usual clarifying shampoo by Dr. Hoting's Thickening Solutions Cell-U-Plex Revitalizing Shampoo with pure plant extracts.

Price: The price was okay, I purchased a 10 oz. jar for only 4 bucks ($4) at my job (Family Dollar), all in all it was a pretty decent amount for the price.
Scent: The smell wasn't anything spectacular or new, the only way to describe it is to say that it smelled like most Lets Jam! products.
Consistency: It had a lot of slip which I hear is good... j/k slip is good but not always. It was creamy, slick and went on easily and absorbed pretty well.
Results: My hair didn't gain or lose any curl definition and there was enough frizz going on that I was slightly disappointed. However once it started to dry, the frizz diminished (just a little) and the curls gained shrinkage which amounted to a little bit of extra definition. 
Overall Opinion: I'm not impressed. I don't love it, I don't hate it. I like it enough to use the rest of it (rather than sell it on Lola's Green Hair but not enough to purchase it again. result photos follow this post and are of my hair when wet with the styling custard freshly applied, they do not include pics of the dried results.

My Current Regimen

My current regimen: Daily I wear a wash 'n go because my hair is so short (sporting a twa) because I recently big chopped. Even though I sport a wash 'n go everyday I don't always wash or co-wash my hair because I don't want to dry my hair out. I co-wash with Pantene Pro-v Frizzy to Smooth Conditioner 3 days a week. On alternate days I just refresh my look by wetting my hair thoroughly with very warm water in the shower, I do a final rinse with cold water to seal the cuticles before exiting the shower and then spray my hair with Nappturalistic Beauty's Super Hair Growth Spritzer and tassel to style. On the days that I do co-wash, after rinsing away the conditioner with cold water I apply Nappturalistic Beauty's Leave In Conditioner and use my shower comb to fluff into a fro then I spray with the spritzer and go.
Once a week I shampoo my hair with Henna Sooq's Cocoveda Shampoo Bar, don't condition or deep condition after using this particular wash method because the bar has so many healthy natural conditioners already in it. After washing my hair apply Nappturalistic Beauty's Whipped Moisturizing Hair and Body Butter to my hair, working through to the scalp thoroughly, I then style with my fingers using Henna Sooq's Sweet Mimosa Butter.  Once a week I deep condition using hot oil (usually EVOO heated in the microwave) and my usual Pantene Frizzy to Smooth conditioner under a shower cap for an hour.  Every night I do a scalp massage with small amounts of Nappturalistic Beauty's Hair Growth Serum Blend, concentrating on the temples where my hair was starting to thin. 
Every 4 weeks I like to use Henna Sooq's Sukesh Ayurveda, for my method of application with this product see the product review. After the application of Sukesh I like to use Shea Moisture's Organic Yucca and Baobab Volumizing Conditioner. I choose this conditioner to follow up with because the Sukesh Ayurveda is a strengthening treatment that promotes growth and hair health, and the Shea Moisture conditioner contains biotin for hair growth along with other ingredients that add to the strength and over all health of hair.
Every night I sleep with a satin bonnet on. I used to use a satin scarf but I was wearing it too tight and when it wasn't too tight it was too lose and would shift or come off at night, both of these situations caused my temples to thin so I switched to a bonnet.

Product Review for Henna Sooq's Cocoveda Shampoo Bar

I recently read about shampoo bars and wanted to try one... well more than one but I thought I'd start with one. If you're into Ayurveda then you know there is a wealth of products out there that will nourish your hair and help maintain the health of every strand but you have to choose wisely because not everything is for everyone. I had to pic and choose my starting products; one of those products was the Cocoveda Shampoo Bar from Henna Sooq. The bar is brown, several colors of brown because it is organic and hand made. The scent took some getting used to. When I first received the bar it had been in the mail truck in the heat long enough that the smell was pretty over powering at first. I refrigerated all of the products until they solidified. After a brief refrigeration the bar's scent was much lighter and the color was a bit darker. The smell was earthy like red dirt with a hint of ginger and coconut.

The ingredients are: Saponified organic high oleic sunflower oil, unrefined cocoa butter, unrefined organic shea butter, organic coconut milk, organic henna (this will not color or change the color of your hair), organic amla, shikakai, bhringraj, bhrami, nagarmotha, ginger essential oil.

I love this product! It takes a while to lather it as it has no sulfates or sud boosters, but once you get it lathered up you will love the feel, the sent, the sensation. It felt wonderful massaging this shampoo into my scalp, I could tell that the ingredients were working on every strand. When I rinsed it out my hair felt a little coated the first time as I had a ton of grease in my hair from greasing my scalp the night before. The second time my hair felt so strong and healthy and thick! My hair was clean but not stripped. My curls had definition and sheen beyond what I'd ever expected from a shampoo bar. This product claims to promote hair health, shine, conditioning, growth and strength and it delivers on the promise every time. This bar is so good for you that it can be used from head to toe (literally) even though I only use it for my hair. I feel that this bar is good enough to be used for both basic washing and co-washing.

The bar is about the size of a regular bar of soap. It is best to cut off a piece of the bar and keep both the piece and the bar away from water and moisture when not in use. The directions say to lather in hands and apply lather to hair and scalp but I like to use the piece directly on my hair to get a better lather.

This is a great shampoo for dry hair and will definitely be in my regimen. I would recommend this to any and everyone looking to try a shampoo bar.

Product Review for Henna Sooq's "Sukesh Ayurveda"

Say Goodbye To Traditional Protein Treatments
With Henna Sooq's Sukesh Ayurveda hair is stronger, thicker, shinier and curls have more bounce after just one use. This all organic Ayurvedic powder is a mixture of cassia obovata, organic amla, organic neem, organic aloe vera, organic tulsi, brahmi, bhringraj, and shikakai. These ingredients are sure to enhance scalp health and promote growth. This is part of my regimen that I use once every 4 to 8 weeks.

 The smell was fresh and earthy, almost like fresh picked black tea leaves. It actually made me want to make a cup of tea it smelled so much like it. The color is green, kind of like a light sage green. This product can be mixed with water, oil, lemon juice, herbal tea or apple cider vinegar. I mixed mine with a mixture of warm water and acv.  If you ever made mud pies when you were little then you know what to expect with this product as far as textured when mixed. It felt a little rough when I was applying it to my hair so I was very careful not to rub too hard when applying it. I left it on for an hour and a half then rinsed it away with warm water. My strands felt stronger when I rinsed the Sukesh out of my hair. It rinsed out pretty well but there were bits and pieces of powder balls left in my hair, which came out easily when I  shampooed my hair. Over I am very pleased with this product. I will say that I like it better with plain water rather than acv.  I will say that you MUST DEEP Condition after any herbal or powder Ayurvedic treatment, this is something I did not do  the first time, because of that my hair was left dried out the morning after. The second time I just used warm water to mix it and deep conditioned and my hair looked and felt amazing afterward.

I can definitely say without a doubt this is a staple and will remain a part of my regimen. Unlike henna there's no need to let the mixture sit before applying it and you can leave it on for one to two hours; there is also no need to wear gloves unless you have a problem with it getting under your nails. If you have any questions you can call Khadija at Henna Sooq @ 410-579-4543 they are open from 10 am til 6 pm. Their website is http://www.hennasooq.com/

Ayurveda

I first read about ayurvedic treatment for hair on Luv My Kynxx blog. I was reading about henna and happened to find out about other Indian Ayurvedic herbs that bring forth health in the hair and on the skin. As I type I am currently sitting with a mixture of those herbs on my head under a plastic cap. I am doing a strengthening and conditioning treatment called "Sukesh Ayurveda" from Henna Sooq. This is my first time ever trying anything ayurvedic. I ordered the Sukesh treatment from them along with a sample of their Cocoveda hair oil, Cocoveda Shampoo Bar and their Sweet Mimosa Butter. My next blog will be a review of at least one or all of these. I can tell you already that I love the scent of the Sukesh; it smells herbal and earthy... almost like fresh picked green tea leaves. I mixed it with warm water and acv (apple cider vinegar). I think next time I'll skip the acv because as much as I like the was it makes my curls pop, I absolutely despise the smell. I will follow the Sukesh with a wash with the cocoveda shampoo bar, followed by a seal with the cocoveda hair oil. Tomorrow for my usual wash 'n go I will co-wash with my favorite conditioner by Pantene then I will style with the Sweet Mimosa Butter. Stay tuned for the next post.

Officially a member of team TWA

i don't have much to say but I did it! The big chop was a big success and I'm going to post one pic, leave a link to see the rest on fb and also a link to my first article on KinkyCurlyCoilyMe! as I am a product reviewer for the site now. First here is a pic of the curl pattern I currently have, this look was achieved using Nappturalistic Beauty products (Review coming soon).

This is the link to view the rest of the pics on my facebook blog The Novice https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Novice-/43012624700754?ref=hl

And here is the link to my first article on KinkyCurlyCoilyMe!  http://kinkycurlycoilyme.com/clay-mask-a-summer-must-have/

The Big Chop!

I've waited for so long to do the big chop. Most people would say that 8 months isn't a long time, especially those of us who've waited a year or two and "long term transitioned"; well I tried that and it's just not working for me. I'm so ready to be through dealing with two different textures. What works for one never works for the other and since the inevitable is cutting those relaxed ends lose I figured why wait! I'm excited and just a little apprehensive about losing the length. My apprehension comes from the stares I am bound to get at my job, the times I will be addressed as sir instead of ma'am by a customer and just dealing with the reaction at school... other than that I'm as ready as I can be. I see the big chop as a fresh start and claim of self-love and devotion to the real me. I planned on recording the whole thing but as it turns out I'll be going to the hair appointment alone and will only do short video clips and before and after pics. So stay tuned I'll definitely share this experience with my readers. Also I ordered new products from Henna Sooq and Nappturalistic Beauty and will be doing product reviews on them as early as next week.

Finding Your Curl Pattern

How exciting is it to wake up one morning and discover that your new growth is no longer just textured hair? I mean like a full transformation seemingly overnight? I'm talking about that all important moment when your curl pattern emerges. There are several things that can lead to this discovery; one is having grown your hair out long enough to actually see the pattern, another is washing your hair and seeing the pattern during the conditioning phase of wash day, and last but not least is discovering a product that makes your curl "POP"! I've done all three and they happened almost simultaneously. One day a week ago I noticed the crinkle of my new growth, one day later during wash day I noticed the waves having more definition and starting to coil while conditioning my hair... Well the big moment happened just last night when I made flax seed gel for the first time. I put the gel on my hair and when I say IMMEDIATELY I do mean IMMEDIATELY! I immediately saw my hair curl up like baby hair when I applied the gel. I mean I have it all from coils, to ringlets to deep waves with curls at the ends, who knew! lol  I couldn't be happier or more surprised and in awe of the beauty of my natural hair. Every day I discover a new high in this journey and it makes me forget any and all regrets that I may have had early on in my transitioning process.

Unfortunately my camera is on the fritz so instead of showing you my curl pattern I'm just going to throw in a pic of various curl patterns.

Protein Deep Conditioner (Mayo, Honey, Egg & EVOO)

I recently used the homemade protein deep conditioner for the first time. Well the results are in! My hair smelled horrible lol but that's because I hate the smell of mayo and I'm also not a fan of apple cider vinegar (which I rinsed with before the conditioning process). While I didn't care for the smell, I did however love the end result. My hair has NEVER been so soft! I followed the protein conditioner of honey, egg, evoo and mayo with my regular conditioner and rinsed until all the egg was removed from my hair, I then sealed my hair from root to tip with evoo and let me tell you it was like butter! The other perk to the protein treatment is that my two textures stood out from one another. My new growth/natural hair was so soft, curly and fluffy and my relaxed ends were smooth and sleek. I felt like I could have done my own Big Chop at that point and been very happy with the results, however I have resolved to wait the full year. So on November 3rd in 122 more days I will be making a special trip to have my bc done professionally.

Frizz Frizz and More Frizz

Ever have frizz that just won't quit? Well frizz is inevitable with textured hair. While it can be remedied with simple tips and tricks like using products that aren't humectants, finding an anti frizz "serum" that works for your hair, even protein or keratin containing products that smooth the hair will help tremendously (I would never recommend keratin straightening systems as they contain many harsh chemicals). While frizz is normal there are times that frizz is a warning sign. Frizz that occurs on a single two strand twist can simply be that some of the hair ends in different places or it could be a sign of breakage.  A true sign of breakage is frizz at the scalp area. If you are transitioning and your hair is long and normally tamed at length but frizzy at the scalp or root area, it may not be frizz at all, it may be that your hair has broken at the line of demarcation. When transitioning a lot of us come to the decision not as a fad or bandwagon move but more of a low budget or forced by "hair damage" move of desperation or more of just being tired of the same old same old; so for that portion of us we are not immediately aware of the terminology or the wealth of knowledge afforded to us through youtube, blogspot and various other sources, many of us will make lots of mistakes. Some of those mistakes will lead to breakage and damage. There are many ways to avoid this kind of breakage or at least keep it to a minimum, just keep a watchful eye out for the warning signs.

Breaking the Rules Pt. 2

So I broke the rules again and guess what, my hair didn't fall out or stop grwing or jump off my head and run. But seriously I think that there are too many "hair police" rejects out there judging everything someone else does to or puts in their hair. I mean come on, if you chose to put nothing but all natural ingredients in your hair then that's good for YOU but don't judge others who don't do the same.

I dyed my hair with real dye because... well lets just say my only source is online and I'm not paying over $14 in shipping cost for something that only cost $1.95 to begin with. The dye didn't damage my hair anymore than it already was. It did take quite well... too well in fact. My hair instead of turning red turned carrot orange. so I used this product to strip the dye down to a darker color. Yep you read that correctly, the Curls Unleashed Take Command Curl Defining Cream Strips Dye. I had used my Sulfate shampoo at least twice to try to take some of the dye away but nothing happened. BUT then I remember that when I dyed my hair starry night black back in the day all it took was styling my hair with that product and rinsing it out the next day to not only strip my dye but also made my relaxed ends a coppery color. YIKES! so I figured that product was a waste of money because I didn't want it to strip my dye or make my hair hard and brittle but it did. The ingredient list alone is eye popping and not in a good way. Anyway I dyed my hair and stripped it on purpose this time and I styled it with products with taboo ingredients in them and my hair turned out just fine. Follow my next blog to see what products I used & how it turned out.

Breaking All The Rules

Have you ever found yourself using "taboo" items or products with "bad" ingredients? I do all the time, and as much knowledge as there is floating around on haircare and products you'd think we as naturals never make a mistake. I am not only a product junkie I'm also a hair blog/website junkie. I find myself checking out every book, blog and article available. I read and watch and listen on a daily basis... yet I still stick to my own rules. I use pantene conditioners that have ingredients that are "frowned upon" by the natural haircare world. I made my own leave in and it has none of the usual things in it and all of the unusual things in it. I have never used most popular product lines nor have I tried all of the latest fads like apple cider vinegar rinses or honey masks but that doesn't mean that I won't. I don't have a regimen (although I should because routine is good for haircare) and I'm working on that. I will keep doing me and doing what works best for me and not what everyone else is doing. I will try the products I am interested in and not the ones that everyone else raves about.  Next month I'll be trying the Qhemet Biologics line, not because it's a trend or a fad (and as far as I know it's not) but because I am a Ayurvedic loyalist! I believe in it like it was the bible. and Qhemet Biologics have all the Ayurvedic oils and properties that I love!!! Also on my list in the coming months are the rest of the beautiful textures line, Afroveda products and Original Moxie along with Oyin handmade products. Now I know that most ppl on youtube have already tried and reviewed these things but I'm going to try them anyway seeing how I am transitioning and only a few months away from my big chop and still finding out what works for my hair. I figure while I'm on the hunt for what works well for me I'll share the wealth of my experience with the general public so stay tuned.

What's in Your Spray Bottle?

Most "Naturals" have a spray bottle.  In that spray bottle they have a concoction of what works for their hair as far as moisturizer or and detangler. I have a leave-in detangler so my bottle is used for moisturizer. I am still trying to perfect my recipe that works best for my hair. When I first got my spray bottle I was following a trend or a "fad" of a natural that lives across the street. I had no idea what to put in it, or why I had it for that matter, so I asked her what was in hers. First mistake of transitioning is asking someone else what They use for Their hair, because Their hair is NOT Your hair. She had a mixture of Aloe Juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, and Jojoba Oil. Sounds good but when she made some for me (minus the jojoba oil because she was out) it came out smelling like sardines in a bottle with coconut. Also it did nothing for my roots or my ends... both textures rejected the mixture promptly. I was going to pour it out but then I realized that the smell was coming from the aloe juice, it was rancid! So I took a syringe and sucked the oils out of the bottle and placed them in bottle without a spray nozzle. I used the coconut and olive oils to seal my ends after detangling and it turned out great! So then I thought to myself, I know how to seal my ends and I no longer need a spray bottle for that so what do I put in the bottle??? Well as you all may know, I use the Shea Moisture line of products and I was running very low on the Curl and Shine Moisture Milk which by the way is an AWESOME moisturizer. I was also low on funds so I added a little water to the remaining mixture. It made a small difference in the amount of Moisture milk but not enough to last as long as I'd need it to so I put it in the spray bottle, I had another product that was good at moisture retention; Cantu Shea Butter Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment, so I added some of that to the bottle as well as more water. The mixture is okay but not great! The Cantu Strengthening Treatment does not mix well with water and will always separate after sitting for a while, so if you try this mixture please shake well. I think however that I will try a different mixture when that one is gone. So that's what's in my spray bottle but what I really want to know, What's In Your Spray Bottle???

Beautiful Textures Tangle Taming Leave-in Conditioner Review

Okay the results are in. This leave-in conditioner works great for tangles. It smells great and has great slippage. My fingers, my wide tooth comb, and even my paddle brush slip right through with my hair with this product applied. This conditioner also keeps your hair wet long enough for those tedious styles that take forever to do; it also makes curls POP! I like to seal my hair with a mixture of EVOO and Coconut oil after detangling with Beautiful Textures Leave-in conditioner. If I remember correctly this product only cost me around $5 at Sally's Beauty Supply. The only draw back to this conditioner is that it doesn't add any shine to the hair. Not that it takes any away or claims to deliver shine. But for what it's worth this is a leave-in that I'm sticking with... well at least for a long while... you know how us product junkies are. I search for what's perfect for my hair type and while this is good it's not perfect. To me the perfect leave-in would detangle, add moisture, make the curls pop, add shine and be light weight while smelling great! If I find one that does all this I'll stop shopping around for a leave-in.

Protective Styling... To Twist or Knot to Twist... That is the question

Protective styling is a long and tedious process. No matter how you put it all of the protective styling options that are in the natural hair care "bible" are time consuming and some are very damaging! Straw sets are great looking and long lasting depending on what you use to set them with... on certain types of hair... like natural hair. However when you are transitioning with relaxed hair that has been severely damaged... OMG can you say split ends??? Straw set in particular do more harm than good when it comes to my relaxed ends and it takes FOR-EVER! Bantu Knots are great and very easy to do but they too can be frustrating and time consuming. They don't seem to make the two textures blend when trying to sport a knot-out. Flat twist... this one is like cornrowing or french braiding if you ask me, fine for the skilled hand but if you cannot braid then flat twist will look raggedy and be almost pointless if you're trying to look good. Two strand twist... now I can definitely dig those! I love two strand twist, block braids and plaits. Easy breezy transition girl! lol. So when it comes to knots, twists or any other protective style I'm almost at a point where my response is "I'll Pass". They say the point of protective styling is to protect the hair from elements and to protect the ends from themselves therefore protecting them from tangling... IF that is the case then I will try a few more things such as flex rods and tucks and buns and rolls but eventually I will end up making my own "protective style" no doubt. So for real if you find what works for you aka the gander, then stick with that instead of mimicking the goose. The question is, to twist or knot (not) to twist? for pics of my journey from beginning to end check out http://www.youtube.com/ProductJunkieTheLife/videos

Transitioning. Natural Hair Care vs Relaxed Hair Care: What's good for the Roots isn't always good for the Ends

Transitioning is a Very Personal, Very Hard Journey

It takes sooooo much patience to transition. It's easy to go completely natural if you have lots of new growth. Some days I really want to do a BC just because I find that my new growth is more managable and healthy than my relaxed ends... it can be so frustrating. But then I notice how long my hair is with the relaxed ends and I see the growth that has taken place and the lack of breakage and then... tada the light at the end of the tunnel that keeps me going. They say to treat your relaxed hair as you do your new growth aka natural roots when transitioning. I do this and my relaxed hair HATES it! I mean there is nothing I do to my hair that both parts love equally, however Shea Moisture Curl and Shine Moisture Milk is the One and ONLY product that makes both parts soft and keeps both my ends and roots moisturized and healthy.

When it comes to products you have to find what works for YOU not what works for the other 4b or 3c icon on your favorite blog or youtube channel. Not every hair type is cut and dry. I have several different hair types in my head, but that's a blog for another day. It's okay to try what others have tried, if it looks good on her it may look good on you too, however, you should not get discouraged if this is not true for you. Also when transitioning a lot of natural style can break and damage your relaxed ends so be very careful what you try, how you try it and how often you try it.

I tried the straw set using a method and products I saw in a youtube video for transitioning... it went well minus the fact that my relaxed ends DO NOT like styling gel, nor have they ever! Knowing this I tried it anyway and it was a major fail! There was hold and plenty of it and my hair looked A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! (see my youtube video for pics) BUT there was also the dry brittle crunchy feel to my hair, also in the video the woman I tried to imulate used Shea Butter Leave In Conditioner... another fail for me. My hair feels rough and fragile when in contact with that stuff. This once again is why I'm a product Junkie. I have to experiment constantly to find out what works for me.

I tried the straw curl with several other products since then, only test sections to see how it would turn out instead of the whole head and let me tell you; that particular style is too high maintanence for me, it just takes too long. I have tried plats, corn rows, flat twist, two strand twist, twist outs and braid outs. I have to say that none of these styles went without damaging my relaxed ends. These are/were the times when I felt like just Chopping it all off... down to the roots anyway. The only style that I like that I have not tried is Bantu Knots.

I have found products that pass and products that fail, transitioning styles that pass and styles that fail. I will eventually do a product review blog but for now I will tell you that my absolute favorite style, my signature style, my go to style is the Wash n Go. I love that style, there's not much manipulation involved in the style, it's simple, easy and it's a very Convertible style. As you can see from my last blog it can be turned into a fro-hawk, there are many other styles as well. The only pitfall to the wash in go for me anyway is that it is a Wash and go, meaning wash or co-wash to get the look and too much of that is not a good thing. I haven't yet figured out what I can do or use as a short cut to get the look without actually having to wash or co-wash my hair. Many say use a spray bottle with water and that may be fine for natural hair but relaxed ends hate it!

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