Tag Archives: Wash-n-Go

Jan18

I’m gonna jump right in to it…

This is Part II of a series of product experiences for the new natural hair line, Au Naturale by Dark and Lovely. The other day I posted Part I on the Curl Moisturizing Souffle.

If you’ve been searching the web for more info on this new line, you probably didn’t have much luck because it JUST came out like a few weeks ago. Your best bet is to search for blogger reviews or check out their Facebook page.They don’t even have it on their official website yet! But lucky for you, you can read all about it here! (at least from my POV of course :o) )

Again, this line is only sold in select Target stores (as of now) You can check out the list of participating Target Stores HERE. ****UPDATE— I found it sold in this online beauty supply store

Ok so next up, the 10-in-1 Styles Gelee and the Sheen Sealing Nectar…again, both retail for $9.99 for 5.3 oz of product for the Gelee and which is significantly less than the other two styling products in this line which are 14.4 oz of product (all for the same price).

Product Description

Our new anti-shrinkage recipe with mango oil and bamboo milk. Includes no sulfates, mineral oil, parabens or petrolatum. A styling gel for all curl types. The 10-in-1 gelee provides the most hold and has humectants to bring moisture into hair and ceramides to seal the cuticle. Curl formation will be enhanced and defined. After drying hair is firm but touchable!

Ingredients

42929 SS3-Aqua/water/EAU, sorbitol, glycerin, benzyl alcohol, lithium magnesium sodium silicate, dehydroxanthan gum, phenoxyethanol, fragrance, panthenol, mango seed oil, ethylhexylglycerin, benzyl salicylate, linalool, limonene, 2-oleamido-1, 3-octadecanediol, bambusa vulgaris sap extract. F.I.L. D55074/2 ****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 Gelee is a clear jelly and the consistency reminds exactly of Kinky Curly Curling Custard. It has the Au Naturale scent of mango apricot but a tad bit different than the other products. It could be because of the components of the ingredients that alters the scent a bit but it still smells pretty good.

D&L markets this product as a 10-in-1 styler that can be used for twists, coil outs, bantu knots, etc. but I opted to use this for a wash-n-go (which I don’t wear often, especially in the dry winter months over here in the East coast BUT I did it for you guys :o) ). You know I always do twist outs but I have never used a jelly-like product for a twist-out so I don’t know how that would work for me (I prefer shea butter based products for twist outs). Jelly products tend to be crunchy for me and I can’t imagine a crunchy twist-out on me. This product contains glycerin.

The gelee applied really well, has great slip. I applied it in sections on wet hair ensuring I covered from root to ends. One thing though, I did end up having to use quite a bit of product, which could be because a) I’m heavy handed (the usual lol) b) I have thick, dense hair plus all that combined with c) a big head lol so that could all be why I had to use a lot. I feel like this product (5.3oz) should be as big as the other two products in the Au Naturale line (14.4 oz), especially since it is intended for multiple uses….just my thoughts.

Check out the results. Here’s my hair about 30 mins after I applied. It’s still wet.

***Sidebar*** For some reason I look pale than a mug lol I guess it’s my facial powder and the flash lol I’m not really this bright light! lol

Anyway….here’s my hair at the end of the day when It was completely dry. It definitely shrunk….

The results were pretty good. I had nice, shiny, defined curls and it didn’t give me any white flakes. It did take my hair quite some time to dry but then again it is winter time. I could have used a diffuser to dry it faster but ***Sweet Brown voice*** ain’t nobody got time fa that! lol My hair was a little crunchy but it did say it provides the most hold of all the products so I kind of expected that, most jelly products give me crunch. The way I remedy the crunch is by applying a light oil like coconut once my hair is COMPLETELY dry i.e. the end of the day and the next morning.

***SIDEBAR – Ok so one thing I find interesting, is the Au Naturale line boasts that every product is “anti-shrinkage” and “elongates curls”, I can’t really say it did much for my shrinkage, could be a great marketing ploy but it wouldn’t be the selling point for me to want to purchase this line. But, I did like the results for the most part.

Here’s my 2nd day hair–slept with a scarf tied over my hair, skipped the shower cap in the morning and let the water droplets dampen my hair. I spray a little bit of Shea Radiance Moisture Milk to give it some additional moisture and help fluff up my flattened hair. I always do this method with wash-n-gos. It is also why I like to go a little heavy with the initial application of the product, I can usually get a week out of one application by doing this “morning hair revival” method :o) I like the way my hair looks and feels a day or two after application, its softer and less “crunch”.

Ok NEXT UP….Hopefully you made it this far down this post to be reading this lol…..I wanted to briefly review the Sheen Sealing Nectar since this one is kind of a no brainer. The Sheen Sealing Nectar is a finishing spray that gives you sheen. Retails for $9.99 for 5.75 oz..

Product Description

Our new anti-shrinkage recipe with mango oil and bamboo milk. Includes no sulfates, mineral oil, parabens or petrolatum. A natural hair sheen spray with weightless high mirror shine. Sheen Sealing Nectar doesn’t just sit on hair but is absorbed for even more nourishment.

Ingredients

42930 SS3-Ispropyl myristate, sunflower seed oil, capryylic/capric tryglyceride, apricot kernal oil, dicaprylyl ether, isopropyl isostearate, fragrancs, mango seed oil, benzyl salicylate, linalool, benzyl alchohol. limonene, geraniol, bambusa vulgariz extract. ****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

I used this as a final touch to any style. Let me tell you…..THIS smells soooo good. It’s the same scent as the other products but its a bit stronger. It makes your hair smell really good all day! It definitely give shine BUT you only need like 1-3 spritz of this because it is really oily…like oily where you will need to wash your hands after you touch your hair. Despite what the product description says, it doesn’t absorb into my hair so to me, it really is just a finishing, sheen spray that I would use sparingly. It definitely is light, doesn’t weight my hair down. Although this still has a ton of synthetic ingredients, it has the most amount of natural ingredients of all the products i.e. the apricot, sunflower and mango oils so this would seal in moisture.

Check back for part III my final product review of the Dark and Lovely Au Naturale line!

Jul25

Product :: Kinky Curly Curling Custard

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Lauren

Product :: Kinky Curly Curling Custard

Hi :o)

I recently revisited an old faithful wash-n-go product for me—Kinky Curly Curling Custard. I’ve used Kinky Curly products on and off for about 5 years, ever since I tried to find an alternative to Miss Jessie’s curly pudding (who wants to pay that ridiculous price?? Ugh). I’ve tried every one of their products (except for the shampoo for some reason) but I think I used the Curling Custard (KCCC) literally every day awhile back lol I went through tubs and tubs of it, to the point where it stopped being effective lol. Too much of a good thing really can be bad I guess lol.

I haven’t used this product in probably over a year until I was able to snag it up again at the National Natural Hair Meetup Day product swap (check out this post for a little more about that). I figured, hey why not, let me give it a go again. I think it’s been long enough for my hair to “detox” from it so I wanted to see what results I would get from using it. There is definitely a lot of hype around this product and it’s a tried and true product, you don’t come across many negative reviews about this product often!

Ingredients

Botanical infusion of water, horsetail, chamomile, nettle and marshmallow, organic aloe vera juice, agave nectar extract, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), pectic, citric acid, potassium sorbate and natural fragrance. Glycerin Free, Organic, Paraben Free, Protein Free, Silicone Free, Sulfate Free

The water-based custard is a super sweet candy-like scented jelly. You can find it at Whole Foods, Target and of course the web. I swear the price has gone up over the last few years because it is a bit pricey now, 16 oz for $29.99 OR 8 oz for $17.00. I think I used to pay maybe $20-25 for the 16 oz tub back in ’08. Supply and demand at its best lol I like that it is water based and contains aloe vera so it doesn’t dry out my hair and the marshmallow root gives it a nice slip when applying. Love that it is organic and all-natural.

Below you will find the product description from the Kinky Curly website. You don’t really find a description, as well as how to use, as in depth as this on other products so this is refreshing and really helpful for the newbies who may not know how to use this.

Product Description

CURLING CUSTARD™ gives moisture and curl definition, hold and brilliant shiny hair all in one product! It reduces bulk, defines & elongates your curls helping them to ‘hang’ better. CURLING CUSTARD™ will bring out the natural curl or wave pattern you never knew you had!

It is an advanced botanical formula made with ALL NATURAL ingredients that nourish and strengthen the hair. Utilizing the humectant properties of the Agave Nectar, CURLING CUSTARD™ will give weight to your hair, define your curls, remove frizz, provide long lasting hold and shine without ever being greasy, crunchy or drying to your hair. This high performance product is very concentrated so a little goes a long way. **TIP- This product is designed to work alone but ultimate curl definition and length can be achieved when used with KNOT TODAY™ as a leave in conditioner.

For best results apply CURLING CUSTARD™ to soaking wet, freshly washed hair. For very kinky and tightly coiled hair use KNOT TODAY ™ as a leave-in conditioner then apply CURLING CUSTARD™ to soaking wet hair in small sections. Smooth each section with fingers from root to tip.

Now I remember why I loved this product, it pretty much does what the description above says PLUS I can make a wash-n-go last for an entire week without applying any additional product. I probably could make it last longer but my scalp tends to start having fits after one week so I have to wash. But check out the progression of the week below (lots of pics!). Every night, I just tie my scarf loosely over my hair (sleep on my side or stomach lol) and in the morning, fluff my hair with my fingers and let a little of the water droplets in the shower “re-activate” the product. That’s it! Every day for a whole week. Super low-maintenance and super cute hair :o) The curl pattern holds up and does NOT frizz!

So on Day 1, I apply the KCCC to clean, detangled, wet hair (not damp, wet). I start from the back and apply to medium sized sections, making sure I smooth the product from root to end. Oh, I also had a little bit of Kinky Curly Knot Today conditioner and remembered that it said if you apply that first, it helps elongate your curls. I am not sure how much of a difference it makes for me, could be one of those ploys to make you buy it lol but the Knot Today conditioner is a GREAT detangler in itself.

After I apply, I make sure not to touch my hair until its dry (a few hours) or it will frizz. When my hair is wet with the product, I get that Jheri curl look with not much volume lol but once the KCCC dries, I fluff up my fro with my fingers. My hair does has a teeny bit of crunch too it but its perfectly fine with me, I find that crunch usually means hold and definition. Plus the crunch softens as the week progresses or if I apply a little bit of coconut oil over my dried hair. KCCC doesn’t leave any white residue like some gels tend to and even provides some shine. It doesn’t dry out my hair….if I don’t use it too often. I’m not going to lie, this did start to dry my hair out but I think that was because it was ALL I used for an extended amount of time and not doing deep conditions. I think using this on occasion, in conjunction with deep conditions and sealing my hair when I wear twists, won’t dry my hair out like it did before. I guess I will have to add this oldie back into my rotation :o)

Oh if you don’t like the price on this product, check out Curls Unleashed Curl Boosting Jelly. It gave me similar results!

Day 1 — Here’s freshly applied KCCC

Here’s “end-of-the-day-hair” on day 1, completely dry:

2nd Day hair

And Finally 4th Day Hair! It still looks great!

Yup, theres a reason why I love this stuff :o)

— Do you love KCCC?!

Jun24

Products : : Shea Radiance Curl Defining Cream & Hair Milk

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Lauren

Products : : Shea Radiance Curl Defining Cream & Hair Milk

Helloooooooooo!

I hope you guys have been staying cool in this miserable heat wave. I don’t know about you but I can’t stand this humidity. I really miss my California summers, where the temperature felt like the actual temperature and you could find relief in the shade and at night. The east coast on the other hand….you be sticky and sweaty no matter where you go unless you’re in some serious AC or in a pool smh….BUT I will say, the humidity is great for keeping your hair moisturized lol *sigh* one day I will be back in the my homeland

…until then, I’ll just blog about these next two products, which are the last items I will review from the Shea Radiance goodies I recently got. If you didn’t see the other product experiences (<—-I think I’ll use that word instead of “Review”, sounds jazzier lol) here they are: experience #1 and experience #2 ;o)

Let’s get right to it. First up, the Maximum Curl Defining Cream. This was a gifted item but it retails for $16 for 8 oz on their web, in Whole Foods and other stores around the country. I think I forgot to mention this but 10% of the profits for all SR products go to the Agricultural Initiatives for Women in Africa and are vegan?! Products with purpose :o)

Product Description

Our leave-in styling conditioner gives great curls without frizz. Nourishes starved hair cuticles with proteins that moisturize and strengthen. Holds gently, resists humidity for beautiful long-lasting curls. Note: Moisture retention, elasticity, sulfate-free, curl definition, excellent feel, frizz resistance.

Ingredients

De-ionized Water, Aloe Vera Juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Unrefined Shea Butter, Polyacrylate-15, Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Glucoside (Vegetable-based Emulsifier), Castor Seed oil, Hemp Seed oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Quaternium-79 Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydroxypropyl Starch (Vegetable-based Conditioning Agents), Avocado Seed oil, Panthenol, Phenethyl Alcohol and Ethylhexylglycerin (Paraben Free Preservative), Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Essential Oils, Polyquarternium-10, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate (Vegetable-based Conditioning Agents), Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride (Vegetable-based Conditioning Agents), Citric Acid, Chamomile, Nettle & Horsetail Extracts.

It is a water-based, smooth cream that comes out of a pump dispenser and of course, has that signature SR citrusy, lemony, spicy scent. Mmmm, they have a great recipe for the fragrances in all their products. I swear every one is bomb! Any way, this was one of the products I debated if I wanted to actually buy or not because I noticed that this product said for “Curly and Wavy” hair whereas the other products included “Kinky” hair. So that told me, this product would work better for finer hair with looser curls, none of which I am. So I was like hmm, let me see how I can use this. I tested it out for a wash-n-go and was pretty pleased with the results. I don’t get that “gel-like” curl definition but I do get really soft, super moisturized curls. I noticed my curls did become a little more defined as the product dries. My hair feels like it has a coating over it, but it wasn’t like a bad coating or anything, it was like a “protectant-moisture-locking” coating. It sealed my hair really well, probably because of the shea butter and since it’s been really humid lately, the aloe vera and other humectants pulled the moisture from the air into my hair without making it frizzy! What’s even better, is it isn’t greasy and doesn’t leave a residue on your hands.

Wet, freshly applied

Dry, end-of-the-day hair

2nd day hair with the shower droplet method

Although I was ok with the wash-n-go results, I still feel this would be better for “wavy, curly” hair as the packaging states BUT, you know how we like to make stuff work, I decided to try it out for a twist-out. Well, actually a bantu knot twist out. This worked great! It gave the same moisture locking benefits and great hold. I didn’t have to reapply any product for the entire week and the moisture was still going strong. I also didn’t re-twist! But, this was a bantu knot twist out vs. a regular twist out. I’ll have to see how it works for that… Oh and I am saving pics of that for another post hehe :o)

WAIT, don’t go! I’m not done just yet!

I also wanted to share the last but not least product in my SR review, the Moisturizing Hair Milk. I bought this during the 50% sale but it retails for $16 for 8 oz. It’s a watery, milky moisturizing spray. The great thing about the SR products is that you’ll notice a lot of the same ingredients in all of the products so no matter what you use, you’ll get the benefits.

Product Description

Get easy comb-outs, responsive curls & love-to-touch conditioned hair. Our Moisturizing Hair Milk is almost weightless yet eliminates frizz & leaves hair soft and smooth. Note: Smooths out hair cuticle, softens and detangles, minimizes product build-up, strengthens hair shaft and prevents breakage.

Ingredients

De-ionized Water, Aloe Vera Juice, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine Lactate, Polyquaternium-7, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Phenethyl Alcohol and Ethylhexylglycerin, C14-22 Alkylalcohol (Vegetable Based Emulsifier), C12-20 Alkylglucoside (Vegetable Based Emulsifier), Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate (Vegetable-based Conditioning Agents), Hydroxypropyl Starch (Vegetable-based Conditioning Agents), Vegetable Glycerin, Unrefined Shea Butter, Avocado Seed oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor Seed) oil, Hemp Seed oil, Chamomile, Nettle & Horsetail Extracts, Citric Acid.

The Moisture Milk is great for spritzing your hair anytime you plan to style. it’s super light so it won’t weigh down or leave a residue in your hair. It’s really emollient so it softens my hair on contact and makes it very manageable and easier to detangle. I also use it how I would use my plain old spritzer when I am doing twists except I won’t go as heavy as I would with plain water. It’s a great moisture boost if you’re hair is feeling dry. You could also refresh a wash-n-go with this too. It’s great for when you’ve worn a twist-out for a few days and need to re-twist to get the definition and moisture back. Instead of applying more product, you can just spritz with this and then re-twist (be sure to seal those ends!). That way, you aren’t adding a bunch of product build-up to your hair.

Overall, I am loving the Shea Radiance line. Although, a bit pricey, it would definitely be a wonderful treat every now and then when I can afford it. Good thing they have sales and discounts! If you happen to see this in a store near you, don’t hesitate to try it out! You’ll be pleased with whatever you buy!

Apr18

Wash-N-Go with Aloe Vera Gel — Attempt #1

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Lauren

Wash-N-Go with Aloe Vera Gel — Attempt #1

Heyyy :o)

I went back to experimenting with wash-n-go’s and I tried it with pure 100% organic aloe vera gel. I used the Lily of the Desert brand from Whole Foods (~ $10 for 32 oz.) which is actually a dietary supplement and made for ingestion.

Let me start of by sharing a few of benefits of aloe vera for hair:

Is a humectant so helps moisturize hair
Aides with hair growth and prevents hair loss
Balances pH (acidic) of hair and scalp
In an anti-inflammatory so it can help with dandruff, itchy scalp and Seborrheic Dermatitis
Detangles, reduces frizz and strengthens hair
Gel can be used as a styler and creates curl definition

Here’s a few ways you can use Aloe vera

AV juice can be mixed with water in a spray bottle as a refresher (LOVE doing this, I put a little essential oil in this mix as well)
Mixed with coconut milk and wheat germ oil as a shampoo
If applied directly to scalp regularly, can aide with hair loss and alopecia
Mixed with oils like EVOO or Jojoba as a conditioner or pre-shampoo treatment

Now, I love products with aloe vera in them, I always get good results so it made sense for me to try the actual product in its pure form. I heard about people using it as a styling gel so I picked up some gel (not juice) and gave it a try…

Here’s what it looked like when I first applied on wet hair:

Here is what it looked like completely dry at the end of the day:

People, don’t be deceived! lol The pics make It look like it a great wash-n-go but let me tell you how dry and flaky my hair was! I don’t know what the heck I did wrong! OMG I was so upset. This had to have been an “operator error” because I know aloe is wonderful for hair and gives great results any other time. I did get great curl definition and it was easy to apply (I thought the liquidy consistency would be a mess but it wasn’t) but my hair was just dull and a bit crunchy when it dried. It was no where near shiny or soft….

…being the resilient person that I am, this will not be the end of an aloe vera gel wash-n-go for me!!! lol I am determined to get this right dangit… perhaps I was too heavy handed with the application? or maybe I need to apply a sealant immediately after applying it? I used it by itself which clearly was not enough. I know the properties of aloe make it an astringent so perhaps that had to do with the dryness. I need to go back in to the lab on this one…

Despite the issues, I was able to make this WNG stretch for a few days, on day two, I refreshed it by allowing the steam and droplets from taking a shower, to “re-activate” the gel and fluffed it a little with some oil and a little Shea Moisture Coconut Smoothie. This is what I got on day 2:

*sigh* I just can’t seem to get WNG’s down :o( . There are some naturals who swear by them and can rock them every day but my hair is so thick and super coily that it takes forever to dry. AND to actually get some volume, I have to constantly fluff my hair throughout the day to avoid looking like I have a jheri curl lol. Also, to avoid frizziness and get curl definition, I almost always have to use something that has the hold of a gel but it usually leads to crunchiness and dryness. I will say that Kinky Curly Curling Custard has probably given me the best WNG results so far. I dunno, I think I need to experiment with more products for WNG’s (suggestions please!).

When I try it again, I’ll be sure to post the results. If all else fails with Aloe Vera gel, I’ll just try it the other suggested ways for hair and ingest it for the internal health benefits it has…. #shrugs

—- Help :o(