Sallys buy 1 get 1 FREE....and other news

Hey Naturalistas!!!!!

Today I scored BIG TIME. Sally's Beauty Supply had a buy 1 get one free sale going on for 2 days ONLY. Boy did I score big. I purchased ALL of the As I Am Naturally products I have been dying to try for months.
Products I purchased were:

Cocoa Shea Spray 4oz.
Leave-in Conditioner 8 oz.
Moisture Milk 8 oz.
Twist & Defining Cream 16 oz.
Double Butter Cream 16 oz.
Coconut Co-wash 8 oz.*Long time fav*
Hydration Elation 8 oz.

Since I am such a product junkie, and have so much crap that I need to try and need to review, I will be using one product line for a month straight  to give my hair time to decide if it likes the products or not. Please stayed tuned and stay patient with me as I continue to provide product reviews for you guys.

In other news....Yes I know, its been a while since I have come to you guys with a post. If you ONLY KNEW how busy I have been. Being a full time graduate student, on top of working a full time job, on top of working part time on the weekends, leaves me with absolutely NO TIME. Things are going to change however, and I will soon be back to you all regularly with at least 2 posts per month! I also plan to redo my blog completely and start a new, fresh looking website!!!!


Thank you all for continuing to follow my blog, and for sticking by me as I work out all of the kinks in this journey of a natural hair blogger. New and exciting things  to come....

Until next time,
Peace and Love,

Dani

Alikay Naturals Lemongrass Leave in Conditioner & Essential 17 Growth Oil

Hello guys,

Coming back to you with yet another product review! As a stated a few posts ago, I had so many products to try from purchases made on Black Friday. This was one of the many purchases made, and I have had the chance to use these 2 products for a couple of months now. My mother purchased these products for me, along with a sample of the yogurt smoothie.

Around Black Friday, Alikay naturals was only available online on the alikay naturals website. It is now widely available in select target locations nationwide, as well as the target website! I'm so happy that these products will be available at a target store near me, and I'm about to tell you why.. :-)

Let's start with the Lemongrass Leave In. 

This stuff is amazing. Simple as that. It has a medium consistency, not watery but not super thick. Kind of like watered down vegetable oil. It comes with a spray bottle, which is very convenient. The smell is  of course, of lemons. It's light and airy, but not to strong for those of you with sensitive noses. It's comprised of natural ingredients (essential oils,water and glycerin just to name a few). 

I usually use this product in a combo called the LOC method ( I have a post explaining this), and this is the  Liquid (L) I use. I leave my hair soft and shiny for days. I will say, if you use way to much it can leave the hair feeling greasy and oily. I use this soaringly on my ends and then seal with oil/cream or both. This product will run you about $13 at target or on the alikay naturals website. You get and 8 oz bottle, which should last you a long time even if you have a lot of hair, like me :-).

(Sprays as a mist, and comes out clear into my hand! )

Now on to the Essential 17 hair growth oil...

Another amazing product. This is a blend of 17 natural oils, all blended up in an 8 oz jar. Oils like:Emu oil, Rosemary oil, Jojoba oil, olive oil, Sweet almond oil, Horsetail oil and peppermint oil are comprised into this product. It can be used as a sealant to seal in moisture, it can be used to add shine to dull hair, hot oil treatments and as a deep conditioner.

I use this to seal my hair every other day. I also use it to oil my scalp every now and then to avoid dandruff. 

This can be used for ALL hair types, so ladies take advantage! This can also be purchased on the alikaynaturals website, or target.com. You get and 8 oz bottle of this oil for about $15!!!!! 

Let me know how you guys like these products! How do you use your lemongrass leave in and essential 17 growth oil? Please comment and subscribe! 

-Danielle

Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair Conditioner

I've been on the hunt for yet another deep conditioner.....My hair is extremely protein sensitive, and if protein is anywhere at the top or the middle of the ingredients list on a product I steer clear. I have experienced some minor breakage because of this protein sensitivity, which is what led me to purchase this new amazing product! 

I've seen beautifitul textures products around, at Sally's occasionally and some local stores like Walmart and other BSS (beauty supply stores). I have so much stuff at home (yes I am a recovering product junkie).. that I have yet to try out any of their products. I was in Sally's the other day, buying hair color when I came across this product and a sale banner. "Buy 1 get 1 free" is what it said, and I immediately grabbed 2 jars to take to the check out counter. Now on to the actual review lol...

This product has a thick consistency and has a smell of mangos and fruit! (Yummy). I really enjoy fruity smells, especially this one because it's not to strong. 

The directions on this product state to apply a generous amount to strands, combing through to make sure it saturates all of the hair. For normal conditioning you can use with heat ( hooded dryer or conditioning cap) for 15 minutes. For very damaged dry hair, you can use with heat for 25-30 minutes. can I tell you how dry my hair has been lately? I've really been going through it with some new products I've decided try and had to discontinue the use of a few of them.... :-( more details on that coming later.

As always I used my heated cap for about 15 minutes with this stuff coating my hair. When I took off the heated cap and plastic cap my hair felt AH-MAZ-ING. It was soft to the touch, and was shiny!!!!!! Not to mention the ingredients are pretty natural and most of all, it doesn't contain ANY PROTEIN. I like to deep condition my coarse strands once a week for added moisture, so I will be using this again as the weeks go by. 

I will come back with and update on this product later to let you guys know if it's still doing what it did from the beginning. The Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair Conditioner is about $7 at your local store. For $7 you get A LOT of conditioner in one big jar. It's a great buy for those looking for something not only cheap but also something that gets the job done. 

Please let me know if you decide to try this, or if you've tried it and what your thoughts are on this product. Don't forget to subscribe guys! Take care!!!

-Danielle 

Protective Style Challenge Complete!

Hey All,

A few months back, I embarked on a protective style challenge. I stated back then that I would be on this challenge until February sometime. I have since complete the challenge!
Recently I wore a sew in weave, with a little bit of leave out. The hair used for this protective style was First Remy, Bobbi Boss hair in a 1B. The lengths were 10 inch at the top and 12 inch at the bottom. Now, I know your wondering how much heat did I have to put on my hair to maintain my leave out... With the use of certain products, and with wrapping my hair at night, I only HAD to use heat once every 2 weeks! 

The products that I used on my leave out were: Organix weightless argan oil, Carols Daughter Monoi split end repair/sealer and Carols Daughter Hair Balm.

I loved having my hair straight for a while, and loved that I didn't have to use that much heat on my hair and the weave hair. The weave hair blended perfectly with my own, and the next time I get a weave I will definitely be repurchasing this hair. Every winter, I will be putting my hair in a protective style, to retain length and minimize manipulation. I feel like my hair grew a lot while in these styles, and I was restricted with the versatility. When I took the hair out and washed my real hair, I did not see any apparent heat damage. I will be going back to my conditioning regimen, which is deep conditioning every week. I will also be doing protein treatments regularly on my hair to get it back up to par.

How do you guys feel about sew in's with leave out? How often do you use heat on your hair? What kind of hair do you use? Let me know what you think!
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to subscribe :-)

-Dani

Clarifying with Aztec Indian Healing Clay

Hey Guys!

I have been so MIA! I have been transitioning into a lot of new things lately. I started Graduate  school in January, and I also got a new job, and started training this week. Not to mention my hair has been in a protective style since early January, so I haven't really been able to try any new products or post any new reviews about them.
I took the protective style (weave) out yesterday with the help of my boyfriend. While I had this protective style in, I took the opportunity to try Hairfinity Hair Vitamins to see what all the hype was about. (A separate post will be coming for that soon).

Since I had this protective style in  for over 6 weeks, I knew when I took out this hair I needed to clarify my hair, to remove all the build up I would have from having this style. My usual clarifying routine consists of an ACV rinse, (Apple cider vinegar solution, ACV with a little water). But this time I decided to try something new! This past weekend, I found myself on YouTube, browsing my favorite natural hair guru's YouTube channels. I came across one of my fav's "HeyFranHey". Her texture and my texture are complete opposites, but I love to see what methods she uses for her hair and also what she does for her skin. I came across a video of her using the Aztec Indian Healing Clay. I've seen this particular product on other blogs and YouTube channels, and most people swear by it for their skin and also for their hair! I've heard it works wonders as a facial mask, pore reducer and it also is great for removing access oils from the skin that can cause acne and blemishes. So I though, why not use this one my hair?

The Mixture: (no exact measurements were used. I approximated until I got a nice smooth paste)

-3 scoopfuls of Aztec Healing Clay
-about a cup of "Braggs" ACV (apple cider vinegar)
- about a 1/2 cup of Aloe Vera juice

I mixed all of these together in a glass bowl, until I received a nice smooth paste.
PLEASE NOTE: It is advised on the packaging of the clay that you DO NOT use metal utensils or bowls when dealing with this product. The metal mixed with the clay creates some kind of charge :-/

I used gloves, to keep from getting my hands messy. I parted my hair in 4 sections, (makes things easier), and I proceeded to apply the mixtures evenly to my SCALP and my HAIR. I made sure to rub this into my scalp so that all of the build up accumulated, oil and dirt could be removed with the clay. After applying, I immediately washed it out. As I rinsed my hair, the product was not hard to rinse out at all, and my hair felt very moisturized. I'm thinking the reason my hair felt moisturized and not dry and stringy was because of the Aloe Vera juice I added to the mixture.
I could have proceeded to styling without deep conditioning, but since my hair hadn't been deep conditioned in so long, I knew I needed to add this step.

I will definitely be clarifying again with the Aztec Indian Healing Clay. This mixture did way better in removing buildup from my hair and scalp than just ACV alone. All of the products (Aztec Indian Healing Clay, Aloe Vera juice and ACV) were purchased from the Vitamin Shoppe by my house. All of the items together were about $15.
This method is good for ALL HAIR TYPES, not just kinky textures. I will be using this same recipe as a skin masque, and I will post to let you know how this turns out.

Let me know if you guys have any questions about the products, were to get them and your experiences with them. Don't forget to comment, subscribe and tell a friend !!!! :-)

Peace,
Dani

Carols daughter Monoi products: Review

Hello everyone!

I'm back, to do a long awaited review on the Carols daughter Monoi products. This review will be posted in sections over time, because I tried each of the products at different times. For Christmas, my awesome mother purchased a BUNCH of products for me to try, and these products were included in that bunch. 

I recieved the following:

-A bottle of the monoi sulfate free shampoo

-The monoi repairing conditioner

-The monoi repairing hair mask

(Later on in the month, I purchased the monoi oil, and the monoi anti-breakage spray.)

First up is the carols daughter monoi sulfate free shampoo!

The sulfate free shampoo is a non sudsy shampoo, with the most awesome smell. The smell is hard for me to describe, but it's not to strong and also not to faint. 

This product is marketed to ALL hair types, and hair textures. So no matter your ethnicity or hair type, this product will help you with excessive shedding and hair breakage. 

 

I always start the hair cleansing process by pre-pooing my hair with coconut oil, and also detangling. This helps to take out any shed hairs, and coat my hair strands to prepair for the shampoo process. 

I sectioned my hair into 4 sections and proceeded to work in the shampoo. Immediately after applying the shampoo, I could feel a big difference in my hair, Strong, fortifying and repairing. While all of this was going on, my hair was still soft.  Because I felt like the shampoo did it's job initially, I did not proceed to use the hair mask or the conditioner the first time around. I didn't want to overload my hair with to much of a strengthening  product, which could potentially cause breakage.  I rinsed out the shampoo normally, and proceeded with my normal conditioning routine. 

This product is a thick, creamy consistency that comes in a 8.5 fl oz bottle.  For this bottle size, the cost is $20.00. This is very pricey, considering how much of the product you receive and how much you may have to use.  This depends on how much hair you have, the thickness and porosity. Other than the price, I give this shampoo a 4/5 stars. It does a great job of strengthening and repairing hair, while preventing breakage up to 98% after the first use! (As listed on the bottle)

This can be purchased at Ulta, carolsdaughter.com and other hair care websites. 

Please comment, rate and subscribe! Reviews coming soon for the other carols daughter hair products. 

Thanks guys!

Danielle 

Guest Feature: Meet fellow natural Bianca!

1. Please introduce yourself!

 

My name is Bianca Young. I am 25, married and a mother of an outgoing little diva. A few things about me that basically sums me up; Proud Christian, I love serving & encouraging others (in ministry, church or community give back), family time (most of my weekends), fashion (my back ground is in visual art & fashion merchandise), I love to help people find items/looks/styles that enhances their wardrobes. I currently work at Express home office and outside of work in my creative zone; I collaborate with photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists and create style shoots or model look books. Last but not least, I am working on a site with my fashion partner that will have style tips, blog, natural hair channel, DIY, etc.

 

 

2. Why did you decide to go natural/ become chemical free?

I decided to go natural for one main reason, it was a fear of mine, sounds crazy right?! Well it wasn’t in my mind, I thought that if I went natural my hair would never get really straight again, and it would be a mess all the time. Of course no one should allow fear to control them from doing anything because 9 times out of 10 its false. So that gave me the green light to go chemical free! It’s been 4 years and I wouldn’t have it no other way!

 

3. How would you describe your natural hair texture?

My natural hair texture is type 3c – Curly Kinky Hair. Somewhat spongy when wet with a good conditioner in!  

 

4. Describe your most recent style regimen within the last month.

My most recent style that I’ve been wearing is a two strand twist out mixed with a few flat twist. I would keep that style in for about 2-3 days; adding a little oil, water and curl cream to keep it fresh.

 

5. What are your go to hairstyle(s)?

 

My go to hairstyles are full twist outs, half of my hair up in the back and the curly bang out in the front, last the natural bun!

6. Do you have a specific wash regimen?

 

I don’t have a regimen that’s a routine but I have different regimens that I do depending on what my hair needs at the time. Usually if I’m wearing it natural (not blown out) I would wash it once a week, shampoo if needed but mostly a co-wash with one of my favorite conditioners.

 

7. What are some of your favorite hair products?

Shampoo: Argan Oil by One & Only

Conditioners: Herbal Essence Honey I’m Strong, Argan Oil by One & Only.

Curl cream: Shea Moisture Enhance Smoothie,

Leave-In: Cantu Argan Oil leave-in conditioner or Design Essential leave-in

Oils: organic coconut oil, pure olive oil

 

8. Do you have any natural hair goals?

 

The first few years of going natural I didn’t have any hair goals, just for healthy hair. Now I would say it’s still to have thick healthy hair, but I do want to see more length by 2014 summer.

9. Do you have any advice for other new naturals or those aspiring to be natural?

 

The grass is definitely greener on the other side! Once you go natural it’s a lifestyle, more than the hair. I will be honest, when you first are transitioning over to natural it will be challenging and rough, but many trials and errors will help you better understand your hair and love it. Your hair is going through a whole new transition process, so it will take time and patience.The best thing to do is, tons of research! There is a worldwide natural community; hair blogs, YouTube (blessed my life), books, magazines, social network etc. Last but not least it’s not about length it’s about healthy hair; giving special TLC to what God has blessed you with! All natural hair types.

 

   10. How can you be contacted?

 

 I can be contacted personally 216-253-6023 or bianca_charles88@yahoo.com. Social network: @1bianca/ twitter: @queenbabyb3. My business site/blog and info I’m working on is:www.clashingeko.com, Bianca@theclashingeko.com