Tag Archives: Organic Root Stimulator

May17

EVENT ALERT!! : : I’m a Natural Night Out Panelist!

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EVENT ALERT!! : : I’m a Natural Night Out Panelist!

Hey!!

I wanted to share an upcoming event for those who may be in the Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia area next Thursday, May 23 from 6:30-8:30!

It’s the Spring 2013 Natural Night Out and I will be a panelist speaking at the event! I feel so honored and excited to be a part of this and I would love for those of you in the area to come out and say hello and mix and mingle with other natural gals, professional hair stylists and other event sponsors and guests!

Keep scrolling for more details :o)

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On Thursday, May 23, Natural Night Out will host its Spring 2013 Event!

Join us at the African American Civil War Museum in the historic U Street neighborhood of Washington, DC.

From 6:30 to 8:30 pm all guests are invited to
*sample beauty and hair products
*get FAQs answered & styling tips by a panel of hair professionals
*mingle with naturalistas
*enjoy a beautiful Natural Night Out!

All ages are welcome! Entry is $10 at the door. Ticket sales from this event will support The African American Civil War Museum.

Event Sponsors and Featured Guests:
CURLS, Aunt Jackie’s, Texture My Way, Shea Radiance, Whole Foods, Organic Root Stimulator, Shea Yeleen, La Coco Bella, Release: The Blowdry Bar and more to be announced!

For more info on this event, you can check out the official Facebook Event Page and also the Natural Night Out Facebook Fan Page. There is also a Twitter Page too.

Tickets are only $10 at the door and $8 if you buy them online at www.naturalnightout.eventbrite.com

Oh, and here’s a cute little video interviewing some naturals in the DC area to help promote the event too!

Hope to see you there!! :o)))

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May25

Product : : ORS Curls Unleashed Part III

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Product : : ORS Curls Unleashed Part III

*This is Part 3 of 3 * Check out Part I here and Part II here.

These are the last 2 products in the Curls Unleashed line— Take Command Curl Defining Creme and the Let it Flow Shine & Define Mousse. I’ll just get right into it…

Take Command Curl Defining Creme — $12.99 for 16 oz. at Sally Beauty

Product Description

Ideal for Curly and Kinky Textures, Defines and Elongates Curls, Free of parabens, alcohol and mineral oil. Curls Unleashed Take Command Curl Defining Creme is ideal for curly and kinky textures. Made with coconut, sweet almond and safflower oils, our curl defining creme moisturizes, defines and elongates tightly coiled curls, and does so without flakes or shrinkage.

Ingredients

aqua, coconut) oil, shea butter, safflower seed oil, glycine soja soybean oil, polyquaternium-11, cetearyl alcohol, polysorbate 60, glycerin, propylene glycol, peg-12 dimethicone, cyclomethicone, dimethiconol, amodimethicone, c12-15 alkyl benzoate, sweet almond oil, hydrolyzed keratin, panthenol, carbomer, vp/va copolymer, pentamethylheptane, dimethicone, dimethicone crosspolymer, laureth 4, laureth 23, triethanolamine, tocopheryl acetate, parfum (fragrance), benzyl salicylate, citronellol, cinnamic aldehyde, hydroxycitronellal, d-limonene, lilial, linalool, lyral, methyl ionone, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, bht, ci 19140 (yellow #5), ci 15985 (yellow #6).

This was another “high-hopes” product that disappointed me :o(. I used this for a wash-n-go but it can also be used for twists, braids, etc. It’s a medium-thick creme and applied easily as I put it on in sections to ensure coverage. I liked how it elongated my curls! But then the disappointment came….it took forever to absorb meaning I had chunks of white product all over. When it dried, my hair was no where near moisturized and I was left with an oily residue until I washed it out. Oily to the point where I had to wipe my forehead, ears and neck. I could have been heavy with the application but I think it would have been oily either way because it just “sat” on my hair, nothing penetrated. Also, the scent is super strong and lingered in my hair until I washed it out. It’s not a bad scent, just strong. I wanted to try this on a twist out but the oily residue turned me off so I decided not to. I would not buy this.

Here’s my hair WET with the Creme. Note the clobs of white all over:

Here’s my hair DRY with the Creme. I really liked how it looked but it felt horrible :o(

….and here is my hair the next day using the “shower droplet” method to refresh:

and last but not least…my fav…..

Let It Flow Shine & Define Mousse — $10.99 for 8 oz. at Sally Beauty

Product Description
Used to scrunch, shape and get curl definition, Lightweight, Fast Drying, Free of SD Alcohol. Curls Unleashed Let It Flow Shine & Define Mousse is ideal for wavy and curly textures. 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, cocamidopropyl betaine, polyquaternium-11, cetrimonium chloride, tea-cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen, panthenol, peg-12 dimethicone, peg-75 lanolin, olive oil, oleth-20, quaternium-80, maltodextrin, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, pafum (fragrance), d-limonene, linalool.

 

I really like this product and it was the LEAST expected! I have to tell you, this was the most overlooked product in the entire line, which was why it was the last one I tried out. I wrote it off like “eh, this won’t do jack for my hair, whateva”…. and here it is—my fav in the line! See, this is why I must reiterate why it’s important to try out different things because you never know what may work for your hair!

So this product is a very light, fluffy, foamy mousse. It says it’s for hair types 2/3 (looser, wavier curls) which made me count it out even more. But back when I first BC’d and had a teeny weeny afro, randomly, I loved using mousse hair products! Maybe it’s the kid in me, but it’s just something about playing with the mousse and applying it lol. I also love how mousses are light and provide soft hold…and this product definitely delivered! I really think this may be my favorite mousse product I’ve tried. I had light, fluffy, soft, semi-defined curls. The scent is light and fresh. The best part is it didn’t dry my hair (I did apply a little vatika oil over it one day and some coconut oil under it another day). It wasn’t sticky or tacky, it dried amazingly fast and no white stuff leftover! I put it on soaking wet hair and my hair was probably halfway dry by the time I walked out the door for work.

Here is the first attempt with this on WET hair. This was about 25 mins after I applied it:

I also really liked that a little goes a loooog way. It was weird, I would apply it in sections (to ensure coverage) and the more I worked it in, the more foamy it got. It was like it lathered up. That really helped with even distribution. I find that with other mousses, as soon as I put it in my hair, it dissinegrates and I have to keep putting more on.

Another great thing about the mousse, is the ability to refresh my curls. So normally I would tie a scarf on my head at night and then revive it in the shower with water sprinklets but my hair was smashed to the point of no return when I woke up lol. This will not give me second day hair BUT here’s the great news…..when I got in the shower, I put my entire head under the shower head for a few seconds to get my whole head wet (not soaking). This was to “reactivate” the mousse. Then, when I got out, I pumped maybe 3-4 pumps and rubbed it over my hair, no need to section my hair, just over the outside. The water from the shower and the extra pumps of the mousse was enough to “reactive” the foam in the under layers of my fro and it lathered right back up! This took like 5 mins whereas the initial application that I did in sections took maybe 15. I took pics of how it looked doing this process.

I think this will be a new, fav wash-n-go product of the moment. :o)

Here’s my hair DRY at the end of the day on the initial application. Please forgive me for not having better pictures for this stage, this was me after I went to the gym so my hair is no where near as nice as it looked prior and I’m a lil greasy lookin lol but I was rocking my LAKER shirt so it was ok #donthate

And here’s my hair the next morning using the “soak and revive” method. Note that this is immediately after I applied it. See how foamy it is?

And here are pics about 25 mins after the pic above.

 I wish I had pics of my hair dry this day but I had to rush to teach my bible study class and didn’t have time to take any pics but here is an Instagram pic I took while I should-have-been-working at work :o)

In summary, I don’t think I would make it a priority to purchase some items in the Curls Unleashed products (with the exception of the shampoo and the mousse!). Although I did like the way my hair looked, I did not like the way my hair felt…and that’s more important. The chemistry and formulas for most of the products just didn’t work well with my hair. I think since I have stopped using silicone products, my hair went into a ”shock” when I used them again lol.  What doesn’t work for me may work wonders for you so give them a try if you’ve been curious :o)

May24

Product : : ORS Curls Unleashed Part II

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Product : : ORS Curls Unleashed Part II

*This is Part 2 of 3 * Check out Part I here.

So in my last post for the Curls Unleashed review, I talked about my experience with the Lavish in Lather Sulfate-Free Shampoo, No Restrictions Moisturizing Conditioner and the No Boundaries Leave-in Conditioner. This part, I will talk about the Second Chance Curl Refresher and the Set If Off Curl Boosting Jelly…

I think the Leave-In and the Curl Refresher are my least favorite products of the bunch. I really think a lot of it has to do with the silicones and ingredients. I don’t know, they were just…blah. But hey, it’s not to say that these could work wonderfully for someone else! I do however, like the results of the Curl Boosting Jelly.

Second Chance Curl Refresher — $12.99  for 8 oz. at Sally Beauty

Product Description

Ideal for all textures, Use to redefine and refresh, Define twist and curl. Curls Unleashed Second Chance Curl Refresher is a second day refresher for your curls. It is ideal for all textures. Made with aloe vera, honey, and green tea extract, our curl refresher is perfect for 2nd day curls and refreshing twistouts, coils, freestyles and updos. Redefine and refresh curls without starting all over again with this amazing curl refresher.

Ingredients

aqua, glycerin, propylene glycol, ppg-5-ceteth-20, peg-12 dimethicone, honey extract, aloe leaf juice, hydrolyzed wheat protein, panthenol, green tea extract, amodimethicone, trideceth-12, cetrimonium chloride,hydroxyethylcellulose, acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride/acrylamide copolymer, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, parfum (fragrance), amyl cinnamic alcohol, lilial, linalool, ci 15985 (yellow #6), ci 140700 (red #4), ci 17200 (red #33).

 

This was yet another fluke. I don’t think there’d be a need for me to have a product like this. It says it is a curl refresher (assuming you already have a styling product applied) but it also says to use on wet hair. To me, if I am going to wet my hair, I may as well rinse out (or co-wash) whatever styling product I already have in and then just apply more of that product. The process of applying this refresher would be the same process I would do for putting in the styling product. It seems like it would be an unnecessary step. I could understand if the refresher was a spray or something you would apply to dry hair, but the whole re-wetting thing seems contradictory to “refreshing”. I’ll pass on this product as well.

Here’s my hair DAMP with the refresher. It was “refreshing” the leave-in from the day before (even though most of it probably rinsed out as I wet my hair):

Completely DRY with the refresher:

Set it Off Curl Boosting Jelly — $14.99 for 16 oz. from Sally Beauty

Product Description

Perfect for curly & kinky textures, Crunch-less curl definition, Lightweight. Curls Unleashed Set It Off Curl Boosting Jelly provides great curl definition without the crunch. It works great for twistouts, coiling, shingling, freestyles and updo’s. It is lightweight and easy to apply for delightful curl definition. It is made with soothing aloe vera, wheat protein and vitamin B. 

Ingredients:

Aqua, glycerin, ppg-5-ceteth-20, polyquaternium-11, peg-12 dimethicone, propylene glycol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, glyceryl acrylate/acrylic acid copolymer, panthenol, hydrolyed wheat protein, polyquaternium-10, carbomer, triethanolamine, parfum (fragrance), benzyl benzoate, coumarin, d-limonene, linalool, ci 60725 (violet #2).

 

I could work with this product :o) This super giggly, purple jelly product actually did a pretty good job in my hair. It made my curls super defined. The only issue with super defined curls for me is it usually means shrinkage but it was ok, it still looked nice. I had a wee bit of crunch and my hair felt a bit dry but applying coconut oil or Oyin Handmade’s Hair Dew over it (after it was dry) helped relieve some of the crunchiness. The consistency and application process sort of reminded me of Kinky Curly Curling Custard but a little thicker. If you are a fan of that product, this may yield similar results. Oh and I think this product won an Essence Beauty Award if that means anything to you :o) Check out some pics below.

Here is the Jelly applied to wet, co-washed hair. I used a little bit of the Leave-in Conditioner underneath:

 

I applied this in sections to ensure complete coverage, and then let it air dry. It did take about a half a day to be completely dry but it wasn’t to the point where I was dripping or anything like that, just a bit tacky. It does contain glycerin so I probably would only use this in the summer time since it always humid out here on the east coast. I was able to prolong my wash-n-go with the Curl Boosting Jelly for about 3 days without having to co-wash and reapply. At night, I would loosely tie a scarf around my hair and then allow the water droplets from my shower touch my hair (I manually sprinkled some more to make sure it covered my whole head). Once I hopped out the shower, I just shake and fluff out my hair as it dried. Overall, I would use this again and plan to use up the rest that I have.

Here’s more pics of my hair completely DRY with the Jelly:

***SIDE NOTE: I have to laugh, my boyfriend told me these earrings look like those rings you try to toss on the glass bottles at carnivals lol now I can’t get that visual out my head when I wear these… guys just don’t understand…. lol**

Here is my hair the next day. I slept with a scarf tied loosely over my hair and then “refreshed” the curls by allowing the water droplets from my shower touch my hair. I splashed a little water on it too. A little more fuzzy but it’s ok :o)

…stay tuned for Part III!

May23

Product : : Organic Root Stimulator Curls Unleashed Part I

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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!