Tag Archives: Leave-In Conditioner

Feb2

Happy Saturday! Ya’ll ready to watch the 49ers whoop some aaazzzzzzz tomorrow!? …you know you really just wanna see Beyonce lol smh

Did you catch the announcement from Karen’s Body Beautiful the other day?! Well if you haven’t heard, KBB will be sold in Target THIS month! I am very excited about this because I have been a huge, LONG time fan of her stuff (since ’08!) and my all-time fav product from KBB is the beloved Sweet Ambrosia (formerly known as Hair Milk) This is hands down my fav Leave-in conditioner to date. I LOVE how you can choose your scent (if you order directly from their website). It’s sold in two sizes, 7.1oz for $16 or 16 oz. for $24. You can get it in the Lavender Vanilla scent from CurlMart (and of course Target soon too!!) I received the lavender vanilla scent in my gift box from KBB. It smells very lush and yummy! It’s not heavy or over bearing, I smell more of the vanilla than the lavender but all the scents I’ve tried are really good…..even though some of my favs are discontinued :o( but the scent kind of lingers in your hair for a couple days which I love!

Product Description
You’re only a few dabs away from lush, radiant, soft hair. Sweet Ambrosia moisturizes, detangles and defines your tresses. Dry, super thick hair needs this amazing leave-in conditioner! Apply a generous amount to hair when damp or dry to refresh and moisturize. Can be used several times a week or daily. Use before you apply heat (flat ironing, blow drying, etc.).

Ingredients
Purified Water, Jojoba, Avocado and Coconut Oils, Vegetable Wax, Panthenol, Arnica, Calendula, Echinacea, Nettle & Horsetail Extracts, Vegetable Glycerin, Wheat Germ Oil, Essential and/or Fragrance Oil, Ascorbic Acid & Vitamin E. Paraben Free, Protein Free, Silicone Free, Sulfate Free

Ok so why do I love this stuff so much? Here’s why, it’s a smooth, milky cream which I’ve always used to do twist outs. It makes my hair SO soft, provides hold AND makes my hair feel like I virtually have nothing in my hair! It gives me those airy, bouncy curls. It’s a really unique product to me because I don’t really use liquid, milky, water base products for twist-outs because they usually don’t provide much hold and my hair always get frizzy. I usually have to use products that are thicker butters but THIS for some reason gives me awesome results AND hold! The only other product I’ve tried that came close to this is the Koils By Nature Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-in Conditioner.

My hair is so incredibly soft, almost buttery, frizz-free and there is virtually no residue or tack on my hair, so my hair is super light, not weighed down. I love this in the summer months when It is warm so my head stays a bit cooler lol. I apply this to damp hair and it has really great slip so it distributes well and CLUMPS my curls which I love! It really saturates my hair during application which is great because my hair is really thick yet it absorbs in my hair fairly fast so I don’t have to worry about my hair being damp the next morning. It makes detangling a BREEZE, I usually finger detangle as I do my twists and this just makes it so easy :o) The ingredients are amazing of course and I love that it contains horsetail and nettle extracts. It does contain glycerin but I never have issues with glycerin, in both humid and dry climates. This just gives me great hair all year round, every time I use it :o)

I have nothing negative to say about this product except perhaps the price point. Yes, it is in the higher price range but this has always been something I made sure I saved up for :o) I also always got the smaller size (7 oz it used to be 8 oz for some reason though…..) and it lasted a good while because you don’t need much. When this was the only product I used on my hair, my hair was SO healthy, it was so full of life, shiny and healthy, I really don’t know why I stopped using it to be honest lol ….adding it back in rotation for sure though!

Here’s my hair twisted ***Side Bar — I like to show how I part and twist my hair to you guys because I always wonder how other curlies make their hair fall a certain way…the key is how you part your hair and which direction you make the twists! I don’t like my hair in my face so I tend to twist my hair going back (it’s more comfortable to wear a scarf at night that way as well). I opted for the center part this time since my hair has become much stronger there and my scalp is no longer as tender :o) karens_body_beautiful_sweet_ambrosia1

Here’s the fresh untwisted, fluffed first day hair! First day hair is always a hit or miss for me, no matter what product I use (am I the only one this happens to??) but when I re-twist, it almost ALWAYS looks better to me. Here’s my hair the next day. I re-twisted my hair at night by spritzing my hair AND scalp with a tea mixture of horsetail, burdock, lemongrass, nettle and peppermint teas (yea I know that sounds OD lol but remember I started drinking these teas? Well I was feeling a bit creative lol and inspired by a reader who uses them in her spritzer as well hehe) and a little bit of coconut oil to seal in the moisture. I love that I don’t need to reapply the Sweet Ambrosia for the rest of the week. I just spritz and re-twist and my hair feels the same way every day. It’s just a really consistent product. Here’s the next day! (I like it better than the first day but my hair FELT GREAT on both days!)

I feel like these pics don’t do my hair justice, it looks a LOT better in person and FEELS even that much better! Trust me! But yes I love me some KBB Sweet Ambrosia and am so excited to be able to buy it on the ground soon! I have some more KBB products to share with you guys so staaaaaaaaaaaay tuned!

May23

Product : : Organic Root Stimulator Curls Unleashed Part I

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Lauren

Product : : Organic Root Stimulator Curls Unleashed Part I

Hey! :o))

*This is Part 1 of 3…I don’t overload you with my ranting. You know how I can be long-winded :o)*

So a few weeks ago I was sent the entire line of Curls Unleashed by Organic Root Stimulator for review by a PR firm (Thank you :o))). I was delighted to give it a shot since I am always one to try new things plus I had sample sizes from my B-more Expo trip that I planned on reviewing anyway.

Here’s are the seven products in the line:

Lavish in Lather Sulfate-Free Shampoo
No Restrictions Moisturizing Conditioner
No Boundaries Leave-in Conditioner
Second Chance Curl Refresher
Set it Off Curl Boosting Jelly
Take Command Curl Defining Creme
Let it Flow Shine & Define Mousse

When I wore a relaxer, I used Organic Root Stimulator (ORS) products ALL the time – Carrot Oil, Jojoba Oil, Fertilizing Temple balm, Olive Oil Shampoo, Uplifting Shampoo, Hair Mayonnaise, Replenishing pak –to name a few and I loved their stuff so this made me excited to try their line for Natural/Curly hair…I was actually surprised it took them so long to come out with one…

Here’s the thing though, although ORS products contain some natural ingredients, they mostly consist of those hard-to-pronounce ingredients :o( which is why I don’t use them now. I prefer all natural products. The good thing though, is the Curls Unleashed line is sulfate, paraben, mineral oil and alcohol free (you know, the keys to win over a curly girl lol)….BUT they contain silicones, dyes and “un-pronounceables”. As with all things, it’s a preference whether you choose to use products with/without these things and I simply choose not to but figured I’d carpe diem and try them out just to see :o)

So overall, the line as a whole is alright—some products better than others. I tried each product individually to see how each worked on its own and then in conjunction with the other products to see how they worked together. I can say this line could be helpful to newly naturals or those who may be intimidated by all the different product choices out there. The products together make for an “all-in-one” system, with something for every “category” of basic natural hair products. It could aid you in getting in the habit of a “regimen”. The packaging explains how to use each product, when to use it and what other product it works well with (i.e. us the Jelly after the Leave-in as a “cocktail”). I think once you get the hang of having a routine and process, you could interchange the products with other similar products (or continue to use Curls Unleashed) NOTE: I did not use these products in conjuction with any other brands so I do not know how they interact.

So here’s the breakdown of the first 3 products and check back for the others!

Lavish in Lather Sulfate-Free Shampoo — $10.99 for 12 oz. from Sally Beauty

Product Description

Non-stripping, Moisturizing, Great Lather. Curls Unleashed Lavish in Lather by Organic Root Stimulator is a sulfate free shampoo. It will not strip hair of the precious natural moisture that makes it thrive. Curls Unleashed is free of parabens, alcohol and mineral oil. It can be used for wavy, curly, or kinky hair. Use Curls Unleashed to define, twist, and curl.

ingredients:

Aqua, sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate, sodium disodium cocoamphodipropionate, cocamidopropyl betaine, polyquaternium-7, cocamide mea, glycerin, polyquaternium-10, hydrolyzed keratin, yarrow, hops, rosemary, chamomile, lemon balm, olive oil, ppg-5-ceteth-10-phosphate, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, disodium edta, citric acid, parfum (fragrance), benzyl benzoate, hexyl cinnamal, lilial, lyral, methyl ionone.

I was pleasantly surprised by this shampoo, might be one of my fav products in the entire line! It didn’t dry out my hair and left my hair soft and detangled…yup, detangled! It lathered nicely so I didn’t need much and it also cleaned my scalp pretty well. I wouldn’t use this when I wanted to do a good, deep, clarifying cleanse (I’d use one of my shampoo bars or mud wash) but I would use this when I feel like I’ve co-washed a few times and need a “refresher” or if I have a lot of product from a wash-n-go and want to wash some of it away (hopefully that made sense?). I like this :o)

No Restrictions Moisturizing Conditioner — $14.99 for 16 oz. at Sally Beauty

Product Description:

Moisturizes and Restores, Works for all textures – wavy, curly, & kinky, Can be used as Co-wash. Curls Unleashed No Restrictions Moisturizing Conditioner by Organic Root Stimulator is perfect for all hair types including wavy, curly, and kinky. You can use this product to add moisture to your hair. It can be used as a Co-wash or a conditioner, there are no restrictions with this amazing product. When conditioning, place a generous amount in the palm of your hand then evenly distribute throughout your hair. Comb through with a wide tooth comb to ensure even coverage from root to end. This product can also be used if your hair is damaged. Sit under a plastic cap for 5 minutes or under and plastic cap and hooded dryer for 10 minutes. Rinse through and style.

Ingredients

Aqua, polyquaternium-37, propylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, ppg-1 trideceth-6, glycerin, olive oil, soybean oil, behentrimonium methosulfate, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, quaternium-80, avocado oil, hydrolyzed collagen, panthenol, anthemis nobilis (chamomile) extract, sage extract, nettle extract, rosmary extract, aloe juice, yarrow extract, kiwi fruit extract, peg-9 dimethicone, fragrance, amyl cinnamic aldehyde, benzyl benzoate, d-limonene, lilial, linalool, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, ci 19140 (yellow #5), ci 42053 (green #3).

The No Restrictions conditioner is eh, it’s alright. It wasn’t one of my favs. It has a good amount of slip, it’s really thick and creamy, softened my hair somewhat. It did a pretty good job at allowing me to finger detangle while in the shower. I felt like it needed something else to really make it condition my hair well. I feel that if I used this after an ayurvedic type treatment, it wouldn’t replenish the moisture that well. I even let it sit on my hair for awhile and it still didn’t do much for my hair. I did enjoy it as a co-wash and I liked that it is in a tub rather than a bottle, you can just grab a handful and slap it on, better for productivity in the shower process lol. For the price and the amount of product, I’ve seen better so I most likely would not buy this.

No Boundaries Leave-in Conditioner — $10.99 for 12 oz. from Sally Beauty

Product Description

Softens & Detangles, For wavy, curly & kinky hair, Free of BPA, Parabens, Alcohol & Mineral Oil. Curls Unleashed No Boundaries Leave-in Conditioner softens and detangles curly hair. It will not strip hair of the precious natural moisture that makes it thrive. Curls Unleashed is free of parabens, alcohol and mineral oil. It can be used for wavy, curly, or kinky hair. There are no boundaries with Curls Unleashed Leave-in Conditioner. Apply a generous amount to damp hair. Distribute evenly through the hair to ensure that it covers hair from roots to ends. Do not rinse out. Stretch or scrunch hair as desired to define your curls. Use to define twist, and curl.

Ingredients:

aqua, shea butter, olive oil, glycerin, cetearyl alcohol, polysorbate 60, peg-150 stearate, cetyl alcohol, ceteareth-20, peg-20 hydrogenated lanolin, peg-40 stearate, stearalkonium chloride, coconut oil, cyclomethicone, dimethiconol, amodimethicone, hydrolyzed keratin, dimethiconol cysteine, panthenol, dicetyldimonium chloride, ppg-3 benzyl ether myristate, glyceryl stearate se, cholesterol, tocopheryl acetate, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, hydroxyethylcellulose, magnesium aluminum silicate, bht, citric acid, parfum (fragrance), lilial, d-limonene, linalool.

This product is a lightweight, liquid leave-in. It’s not watery or runny which is good. The scent definitely bothered me, randomly, it had sort of a weird chemically “after-scent” lol ya know, like an after taste except it was a scent?! It made me turn my nose up a bit. I was kinda disappointed with this product. It didn’t really do anything that it was supposed to for me. I researched the product around the web and saw that lots of people gave it great reviews so I had hopes for it but my bubble was bursted :o( I used it by itself…it just left a residue sitting on top of my hair after it dried. It didn’t feel soft or moisturized despite the fact that it contains shea butter and coconut oil. I also used it under the Curl Boosting Jelly yet it still didn’t do much. I would definitely pass on this.

Here’s my hair WET with just the Leave-in:

And here’s my hair completely DRY with the Leave-in:

…stay tuned for Part II!

May12

Product : : Koils by Nature Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-In Conditioner

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Lauren

Product : : Koils by Nature Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-In Conditioner

Howdy :o)

Today’s post is another product I got from the Baltimore Natural Hair Care Expo. It is the Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-In Conditioner by Koils by Nature. I got a free small 2oz sample size when I stopped by their booth at the show. The owner was so sweet and she gave me a little demo by actually applying some to my hair :o) I love that this company is another local merchant located in Temple Hills, MD (I swear the DMV is flourishing for naturals!!)

Here is the description and ingredients of the product from Koil’s website:

Moisturizing Shealoe Leave-In Conditioner is an excellent creamy herbal infused creamy conditioner and detangler intended to smooth the cuticle and remove knots, snarls, and tangles from thick kinky textured hair.

Ingredients

Distilled water infused with horsetail, nettle, calendula and burdock root, aloe leaf juice, cetyl alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, *organic slippery elm bark, *organic marshmallow root, aloe butter, Shea butter, macadamia nut oil, mango fruit extract, *organic extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, *Jamaican Black Castor Oil, guar gum, kosher vegetable glycerin, ProVitamin (B5), Vitamin E, potassium sorbate, willows bark and essential oils.

I reeeeeallly like this product!!! I put this in the same category as Karen’s Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia ( <—-I haven’t expressed my love for this product on my blog just yet because I am currently out but I will when I re-up! Been a fan for YEARS….so for those of you who love and know this product, you know what I mean).

Ok so back to the matter at hand…the Shealoe Leave-In applies soo well and evenly. It’s texture is creamy, medium-thick and very emollient which made it smooth onto my hair really well. I used it on clean, damp hair for a twist-out and loved that I didn’t have to use very much. It has a spectacular amount of slip which made finger detangling sooo easy. It has a sweet, strawberry-ish candy-like scent (I think lol), I can’t think of something it smells like to give a better description lol but I do know that it smells good!

My twist-out was AMAZING. It lasted an entire 5 days without having to re-twist and I didn’t really have to re-moisturize either!! I don’t think I’ve ever been able to do that before (NOTE: I did do an amla paste treatment the day I initially twisted so that may have contributed to the long-lasting curl definition). I was able to just put a bonnet on my hair each night, re-fluff in the morning and my curls were still very defined. Mind you, the weather has begun to be hot and humid and my hair still wasn’t really frizzy! I definitely will deem this as an all year round product and would be awesome for doing twists on dry hair as well.

One thing though, when I first untwisted my hair, I then realized that the product was really rich in oil (it’s sometimes hard to tell when you apply to wet hair) so next time I’ll make sure to use even less. I think it was the Jamaican black castor oil (which I am ANXIOUS to try on it’s own when I can get my hands on some!) When using new products, you have to sort of gauge how much you need to use.

The only thing I can say turns me off a bit about this product is the price…it’s $22 for 12 oz. of product but I suppose it is worth it because it really is a great product and little goes a long way. I will definitely purchase the full size once I run out of the sample size.

Check out some pics of my hair below!

The first pics are of my hair when I first untwisted the next morning (Wednesday), BEFORE I separated the twisted sections:

Here are some pics AFTER I separated the sections and fluffed:

And finally, here are pics of my hair 3 days after the initial twist (Friday):

I look a little crazy here lol (above) but I know my hair looks super short but that from 1) the angle and 2) I just took off my bonnet so it’s a little flattened. My hair tends to “grow” throughout the day due to humidity levels and me fluffing it