Tag Archives: Twist-Out

Jan23

Dark & Lovely Au Naturale Curl Defining Crème Glaze

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Lauren

Dark & Lovely Au Naturale Curl Defining Crème Glaze

Howdy ladies!

This is the 3rd and final review of a series of product experiences for the new natural hair line, Au Naturale by Dark and Lovely. Check out Part I and Part II while you’re here :o)

So this post is devoted to the Curl Defining Creme Glaze. Retails for $9.99 for 14.4 oz of product. I know in my last two posts I said this new product line was only sold in select Target stores but I have heard from a few readers that they have spotted it in some beauty supply stores line Sally’s, so just check around your town if you are trying to find it!

Product Description

Our new anti-shrinkage recipe with mango oil and bamboo milk. Includes no sulfates, mineral oil, parabens or petrolatum. A styling cream for wavy and curly hair. Curl Defining Crème Glaze has a light whipped cream texture for moisture and medium hold for curl types 4-6. The results are defined, elongated and frizz free curls. Hair is soft and touchable after styling!

Ingredients

42929 SS3-Aqua/water/EAU, soybean oil, polysorbate 80, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, triethanolamine, oleth-5, carbomer, fragrance, phenoxyethanol, bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, caprylyl glycol, mango seed oil, benzyl salicylate, linalool, benzyl alcohol, limonene, CI 14700/red4, geraniol, bambusa vulgaris sap extract, CI 19140/yellow 5. F.I.L. D55311/2 ****I had to re-key all of these ingredients by looking at the package because I couldn’t find them listed anywhere online that I could just copy and paste, so I am sure I misspelled something!! FYI

In summary, I would call this is a thicker version of the Coil Moisturizing Souffle (which I felt like that wasn’t for my hair type) but I think this one of the two is better for my hair type (thicker, dense, coily). It’s got the same yummy mango, apricot scent but is a thicker and a bit heavier. It’s still got a creamy, wet texture so I made sure I did my hair early in the day so it would be dry in the morning (even though It still was a bit damp :o( ). I think these products would dry faster if you used a hooded dryer or diffuser on a cool setting. I’ve learned that you don’t need to use a lot during the application.

I used this for my usual twist-out and it turned out pretty nice! It provided a nice amount of hold and definition. My hair was also shiny and moisturized. One gripe I have though is it does leave a little bit of tackiness on my hair but it’s nothing unbearable so I didn’t mind. I wouldn’t use this for a wash-n-go because creams don’t do anything for my hair as far as wash-n-gos go.

Here’s my twists fresh on Sunday afternoon watching the 49ers BEAT ATL!!!!!!! hehe…I find that with products that may not promise a lot of hold, I make my twists smaller/tighter. This creates more definition. I applied to dry hair but dampened each section with my spritzer mix as I went along.

Check out the results on my first day hair, I like it because I had volume:

Luckily I was able to get 2nd day hair which is ALWAYS great for those of us who have our lazy days and don’t feel like re-twisting our hair at night lol. I just threw on my usual scarf and slept on my side haha. Re-fluffed a little in the morning and spritzed a little of the Sheen Sealing Nectar. It lost a little definition and became a bit fluffier but I don’t mind, it gives me bigger hair which I love. Check the results below:

So overall with the new Dark and Lovely line, I was pretty pleased with the results I got with pretty much all the products. The only major thing I don’t like are the synthetic ingredients but I do like that they use Mango oil, Apricot oil and bamboo milk and there’s actually a pretty high content of those oils in the ingredients. I will always prefer to stick with products that contain all natural, organic (if possible) ingredients.

But I do feel that Dark and Lovely creating a line for natural hair is another big step for the main stream industry because lots of brands are doing the same thing (check out my reviews on the ORS Curls Unleashed line while you’re here!) and it’s important to stay current with consumer demands/trends. Since Dark and Lovely is pretty much a household name, it may help reach a larger audience and give those who may be considering becoming natural the comfort of seeing a brand they recognize. It’s like they are “endorsing” going natural :o)

Jan17

New Product Line :: Dark & Lovely Au Naturale

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Lauren

New Product Line :: Dark & Lovely Au Naturale

Hola Chicas!

I’m back with a highly anticipated review of a brand new product line that literally JUST hit stores this month. Dark and Lovely jumped into the natural hair revolution and created a line for natural hair, called Au Naturale. It’s so new that they don’t even have it on their website yet and there are like NO reviews out yet. BUT you can learn more about the products on their Facebook page. if you haven’t seen it in stores yet, it’s because it is only sold in select Target stores (as of now) You can check out the list of participating Target Stores HERE.

I also wanted to say that I am blessed to have friends who are very generous and thoughtful, so I received these products as a gift last month for my birthday :o) (Thank you love!!!!)

The line includes the following products and are all priced at $9.99 each. I received all but the shampoo and conditioner:

Hydrating Soak Shampoo
Knot Out Conditioner
Sheen Sealing Nectar
10-in-1 Styles Gelee
Coil Moisturizing Soufflé
Curl Defining Crème Glaze

The line promises the following:

Anti-Shrinkage
Uses Mango Oil and Bamboo Milk
All day elongation
All Curl Types
No Alcohol
No Mineral Oil
No Parabens
No Petrolatum

Ok so that’s the background information for the line. Girl, I haven’t used a Dark and Lovely Product since I had a relaxer! lol I’m glad to see more mainstream brands are helping more women “go natural”. I think it helps some women get out of their comfort zone when they see brands they recognized and have used for years….now if only they can get rid of all these synthetic ingredients…..but hey it’s a start! Their marketing and packaging is cute :o)

Moving along….So in this post, I will be sharing my experience with the Au Naturale Coil Moisturizing Soufflé. Again, this retails for $9.99 for 14.4 oz of product which is a good amount for the price.

Product Description

Our new anti-shrinkage recipe with mango oil and bamboo milk. Includes no sulfates, mineral oil, parabens or petrolatum. A thick styling cream for coiled to tightly coiled hair. Coil Moisturizing Soufflé has a whipped cream texture with the most moisture and lightest hold for curl types 6-8. Coils are defined and elongated. Hairs feels very soft and conditioned after styling

Ingredients

42919 SS2 – water, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl esters, glycerin, amodimethicone, behentrimonium chloride, fragrance, phenoxyethanol, isopropyl alcohol, mango seed oil, trideceth-6, cetrimonium chloride, benzyl salicylate, methylisothiazolinone, linalool, benzyl alcohol, limonene, yellow 5, yellow 6, geraniol, bambusa vulgaris sap extract, F.I.L. D54976/2 ****I had to re-key all of these ingredients by looking at the package because I couldn’t find them listed anywhere online that I could just copy and paste, so I am sure I misspelled something!! FYI

The consistency of the souffle is like a thin pudding. It is not runny but its not thick and feels wet when you apply. It smells SO good! Its got a mango, apricot fruity scent, yummy and tropical!

I did my usually wash routine and then applied the Souffle to do a twist out. I THINK this is supposed to be used for a wash-n-go but I don’t really wear w-n-g’s in the winter plus this is WAY too light to provide any hold in my hair. The labeling does state that it provides light so that is true. This may be a good w-n-g product for those of you who may have looser, finer curls but I know it wouldn’t work for my hair.

Any who, I used it for my twist-out and applied the souffle at night. My hair was still a bit damp in the morning (and I even did THIS and it was still damp) so my hair was more frizzy than usual. I also tend to be a bit heavy handed (I can’t help it! I’m trying to do better lol) so that may have been why it was still damp.

Here’s my hair at night, twisted-up with the product in (note my new part pattern hehe it’s good to change up your part):

Here are the results from first thing in the morning BEFORE I separated the sections:

….and after I separated. Remember, my hair was still a bit damp so it’s pretty frizzy.

And here is my hair at the end of the day when my hair was completely dry. My ends always look more defined because I always seal them with The Gud Stuff or Sugar Berries Pomade.

Here’s my hair after re-twisting it at night. I didn’t apply any more product, just used my spritzer mix to dampen each section. I couldn’t get second day hair from this product, my hair was just too frizzy and sleeping on it would have made it worse! It definitely looked much better when I re-twisted it because I let my hair completely dry before I untwisted it.

This product was OK it just may not be the right product from this line for MY hair (could work for you though!) BUT I will say that my hair was REEEALLY soft! It felt moisturized and really liked the way it felt. No greasy or white residue. It didn’t give me that great of definition or hold but it made my twist out have more of the chunky look which I kinda liked. It reminded me of how my Girl Behind the Curl Kelley wears her twist-outs :o) It also didn’t do anything as far as the anti-shrinkage and elongation goes. I am not sure how this would hold up in more humid climates i.e. hot azz humid east coast summers but I will have to try it out in the summer before I can draw any conclusions on that.

Stay tuned for my reviews on the other products!

Aug18

New Twist-Out Method!

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Lauren

New Twist-Out Method!

….well not really that new, new to my hair routine that is! I started to feel like my twist-outs were looking kind of weird, to me, in the front parts of my hair. It’s probably something only I really noticed but I just feel like they were really chunky and looked too intentional (if that makes sense).

Also, I tend to always part my hair the same and place my twists in the same positions so it was almost like my hair is got used to it. It just made it look…blah. I really would prefer my hair to look more “less intentional” so I was researching on how other naturals do their twist-outs, like how they part their hair or if there was some technique that I wasn’t aware of, something! lol

I started skimming back through Naptural85′s youtube videos, which I love because her texture is similar to mine and her tutorials are always so unique, simple and easy, and there it was…..her Twist-Out Method 101 tutorial video! I had seen it before but didn’t pay much mind to it since my twists weren’t a concern back then.

I embedded the video below so you can watch the pro do it. In short, she sections her hair and then does a re-mix of flat twists to create already separated twists. So in essence, you don’t have to really separate your twisted sections once you untwist them—they’re already separated! This REALLY helps reduce the frizz that can be created when you are separating the twists and helps retain the curl pattern. Less manipulation. It really helps break the monotony I was experiencing with my twists in the front of my head.

So I just adopted her method and adjusted it to my needs, my main concern was the front of my hair so I only do the semi-flat twist thingys in the front. I am no where NEAR a good at doing flat twists in general, I don’t think I could ever attempt to wear mine outside the house (they look that bad lol), I need a LOT more practice to be able to….anyway, for the purpose of a twist-OUT, I can manage because they don’t need to be neat or uniform to achieve a perfectly imperfect twist-out!

I try not to section my hair in the same place (helps reduce hair thinning as well) but in this instance, the pic below shows how my twisted sections look like close up. I started at the top of my head and twist down towards my forehead. This way, my hair falls better than if I were to start from my forehead and twist back.

The pic below shows how I sectioned it from the top. I opted for an off-center side part. I believe there were 3 “flat-twisted” sections in the front and then 2 on the top. I don’t always do each section as “long” I could break these sections in half and still get great results. My thing is to switch it up to break up the monotony and not let my hair get used to how it is sectioned so that it will fall better (I hope I am making sense -.-)

The pic below is of an untwisted section. Each piece of hair added to the “flat-twist” will end up as its own separate piece when you untwist it so you have to be a bit strategic about how big or small you want to pieces to be.

So if any of that made sense….your hair will look something like this!

You can see the curls are more piece-y and don’t look so intentional because they aren’t following the same ole pattern of single twists. It looks more like my hair pattern grows this way.

From now on, I plan on doing my twists like this all the time so you’ll be able to see more pics of this method. I did this in my WonderCurl product experience post in case you missed it and Girl Behind the Curl Jennifer does this for her twists…go figure because her twists look amazing every day.

—-Do any of you swear by this twist out method!?

Jul19

Product :: Beautiful Curls Curl Activating Cream

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Lauren

Product :: Beautiful Curls Curl Activating Cream

What up yall?!

I snagged this product at National Natural Hair Meetup Day, DMV edition (not sure why I didn’t make a post about that lol oh well). My girl Jojo from Curly Nu Growth sponsored a product swap at the meetup and since it was my first meetup and first product swap, I had to get a little tutorial on how it worked. Hopefully how I explain it makes sense to you: You bring gently used products that you don’t like/use in hopes to a) swap them for other products and/or b) get rid of them (one curlies trash is another curlies treasure!). So you bring your products and each one is categorized by the suggested retail value and then grouped into 1 of 4 price categories. You get tickets in exchange for the products you bring — Group 1 (the cheapest products) get 1 ticket, group 2 = 2 tickets, group 3 = 3 tickets and group 4 = 4 tickets (the most expensive products). You use the tickets you get to redeem products others have brought to swap. So the more products you bring, the more tickets you get (and the more expensive ones you will get more tickets as well). I was lucky to snag some Kinky Curly Curling Custard, Oyin Handmade Whipped Pudding (WHO in the world would want to swap this!? lol the girl said it was because of the scent which I happen to love!) and this….the Beautiful Curls Curl Activating Cream.

I never really heard any buzz about this product on the internet but I had seen it almost every time I went to Whole Foods and skimmed the natural hair section. I never really had to urge to buy it. It retails for $14 for 8oz. I always saw it in a tub like I have, but it’s sold in a squeeze tube on their website. I guess the change in packaging may have something to do with it’s semi-liquidy consistency. It is not a buttery type of shea product, it’s smoother and thinner and you have to be kinda careful to not let it drip when you take it out of the tub.

Ingredients

Comfrey Extract, Arnica Extract, Aloe Vera Gel, Agave Extract, Certified Fair Trade Shea Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Behentrimonium Chloride, Emulsifying Wax, Panthenol, Coconut Oil (and) Raspberry Fruit Extract (and) Ylang Ylang Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid

It’s got a few ingredients I have never heard of i.e. comfrey and arnica extracts which are the first ingredients but it doesn’t contain mineral/synthetic oils, is gluten free, vegan, biodegradable, paraben free and has no synthetic fragrances. It has a natural raspberry fruity, herbally scent to it which is unique, I don’t come across many berry scented products often (except for my beloved Oyin Sugar Berries pomade).

Product Description

Rich, creamy emulsion of Certified Fair Trade Shea Butter, herbal extracts and plant gels hydrate and elongate your curls for soft, maximum definition. With natural vitamins for shiny, lustrous, long-lasting curls. Great for finger styling, twist and braid-outs and coiling on naturally curly to kinky hair.

This product kind of let me down, I guess there was a reason I wasn’t pressed to buy it lol. It says it elongates and defines curls and I imagine they mean if you were to wear it for a wash-n-go style but I tested it out for a twist-out. The results were so-so, not the best but not the worst. My hair felt somewhat moisturized, not super defined, even had a little more frizz than I had hoped. It just seemed like the product was missing something. It wasn’t a product that I could make the style last the entire week without having to reapply product, it just didn’t have much hold for me (normally I can just spritz some water and re-twist). I am glad I didn’t dish out $14 for this, maybe the person who brought it to the swap had the same issues. One good thing was I didn’t have to use very much so perhaps I will use this as a last resort when I run out of other products to play with :o) or maybe I try it for a wash-n-go…

Here’s what I was workin with:

…eh, it’ll do :o)

— Have any of you tried this product or any others from this product line?

Jun28

Hair Style : : Bantu Knot Twist-Out

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Lauren

Hair Style : : Bantu Knot Twist-Out

If you’ve been following my blog for some time now, you’ll notice that my hair looks damn near the same in almost every picture lol That’s because I wear a twist-out almost every day BUT on occasion, I like to add a little pizzazz in my life. I do this by…..wearing a bantu knot twist out!! YESS!!! Oh the excitement…

This style is a hybrid of a plain twist-out and a classic bantu knot—you just bantu knot the twists. It’s super easy and a cute way to change up a plain ole twist out. You twist and wrap each twist around itself and tuck in the ends at the base of the knot. The knot should stay by itself but if it keeps coming undone, you can use a bobbi pin to hold it in place. (<—-YouTube “Bantu knot toutorial” and you’ll find a bazillion videos on the technique).

This go round, I used the Shea Radiance Moisture Milk and Curl Defining Cream with my beloved Oyin Handmade Sugar Berries pomade on the ends.

This is what my knots looked like:

This is what my boyfriend says I look like. Nice.

Image via Google

I made the sections way too small for my liking and I also twisted them a bit tighter than normal but it still came out cute. The bigger/looser knots = bigger and looser curls. Smaller sections/tigher knots will give you more of a Shirley Temple/flexi-rod type of curl.

Here’s the knots unraveled but still in the twists. You can see the curl pattern it forms:

Here’s the twists untwisted. This wasn’t my best attempt at this style since I got a lot of frizz. You have to allow enough time for the the knots to dry since the hair is compact and the inner parts of the twists can still be damp. If you are really pressed for time and you’re hair is too damp, you can unravel the knots and blow dry the twists for a lil while until they are dry enough to untwist.

Check out the end results below:

This is 2nd day hair. I did my “Lazy Girl Style Protector” method i.e. tie a scarf over it and call it a night lol:

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

Apr16

Product :: Naturalista Cosmetics Juicy Leave-In Conditioner

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Lauren

Product :: Naturalista Cosmetics Juicy Leave-In Conditioner

…I can’t help but think of Biggie’s song Juicy every time I think of this stuff lol *sings* “you know very weeeell, who you aaaaarre, don’t let em hold you down….” lol

So back at the infamous expo (I know I know), I picked up some Juicy Leave-In Conditioner by Naturalista Cosmetics which is created by another local brand located in Washington, DC. I had never heard of this product until the show and the owner was like really shocked that I hadn’t (dang my bad!). So you know I went right to Google and started searchin….and it has quite a buzz and lots of folks love it.

It’s a super yummy smelling, creamy, fluffy shea butter based hair dressing that claims to give you “Moisture that lasts” (*Sidebar*: We know by now that the only true form of moisture is water! So this would be considered a sealant! Great to use on wet hair. It helps make moisture last because of its thickness and the vegetable glycerin which is a humectant)

I bought the 2 oz. sample size for $5 (in case it didn’t live up to hype). It also comes in 4 oz. for $12, 8 oz. for $22.50 and 16 oz. for $35 as well. It is kind of pricy which is why I wanted to try the sample size first before I made the commitment lol. You can purchase it online at www.naturalistacosmetics.com. Note that the URL will redirect you to an online store front at a different URL so don’t get confused like I did lol. They also have a Facebook page which has lots of fans and customer testimonials.

Here’s the juice about Juicy:

Naturalista Cosmetics Leave-In Conditioner repairs, conditions and leaves hair healthy, vibrant and strong. When used daily, Naturalista Cosmetics Leave-In Conditioner helps bring your hair back to its natural balance. It is a light, easily absorbed formula that is an excellent daily treatment for relaxed, permed, tinted, dyed and chemically treated hair. For best results, use when styling twists and braid outs on damp or dry hair. NOTE: This product is not meant to be combed though hair! Use it as a styling aid for twists and braid outs after hair has been detangled.

Ingredients:

Organic shea butter, aloe vera oil, hemp seed oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, castor oil, avocado oil, botanical extracts, vitamin b, vitamin e, vegetable glycerin, natural fragrance

Overall, this is good product. The scent is AMAZING (you know I am all about how yummy something smells lol), it smells like sweet cake batter. It is very thick (not heavy), buttery and definitely seals in moisture. The consistency was very unique, something I’ve never come across before, it is a fluffy whipped, cake batterey consistency that is borderline foamy (weird, I know). I say foamy because it has frothiness to it with air bubbles that melt away as you rub it in….I liked it!

Because of the thickness, you don’t need to apply much. I used it on wet hair for a twist out and it gave great definition and shine. I definitely had good hair days (2nd & 3rd day hair!). I went about 3 days without having to re-moisturize. It says “use daily” (which is ironic if it says the moisture lasts…) but I don’t think you need to unless your hair gets dry quickly and you re-wet it to seal the moisture back in. Otherwise, you’ll have a lot of build-up. I would most likely buy it again :o) Check out some flicks of my Juiciness below!:

This is the morning of a fresh twist-out on Day 1…note how the curls are tighter and more shrunken

The pics below are the same day After I got home from work…note how my hair is fuller

The pics below are 3rd day Hair (I think….slept on one night/re-twisted another/slept on again I can’t remember the duration since the fresh wash but I know it was less than 4 days)…note how my hair is fuller and less defined, which I still like :o) This was Easter Sunday BTW!