Updates February 26, 2009

So, Spring is somewhat in the air…n’est pas?  I thought I felt it on a breeze or two yesterday morning while walking to work, my gloves were tucked away in my pocket so my hands were free! What can I say, I give in to hope a lot when it comes to the weather…

I’ve got fingers crossed it’ll last through the weekend though,  because I’m seriously ready to stretch my legs a bit, do some walking in my neighborhood for a change. I’ve been meaning to swing by Karen’s shop in BK for the longest, but fall back every time…again, weather is somewhat of a deterrent for me. But I have determination as my ore and will take a trip, it’ll be a shame to pass up on the sale that’s going on!

Apparently her uber popular leave-in conditioners are on sale @ buy 2 get one free! Now this applies to her milks, hair nectar and the super silky, and you can pick and choose your scents to your liking. The top favorites across the board have been lavender vanilla & chamomile sage, but I’ve got my eye on the sultry sandalwood.  The name alone wooed me!  Also, new to me is her Fabulous Freebie Fridays…? Don’t know what’s in store but I’ll check in to see what’s up. Click here to take a peek.

 

It sucks that February is such a short month though, I feel as if I’ve been scrambling to catch up on all the good deals left during the home stretch.  But as a gentle reminder Curlmart is offering 15% off your entire purchase, (excluding kits, curly cocktails, and Wen products) until the 28th along with a $7 flat rate charge, just enter coupon code blogger15 at checkout.  I’m still eager to see if they’ll have re-stocked some product hopefuls like the Oyin goodies, but we’ll see.

 

I finally snagged my Curl Junkie Rehab!! I was afraid I’d been too late for the sale because my Paypal account was acting fuddy, but alas I saved and restocked on my DC.  The Curl Theory Mositurizing conditioner is also on the sale block for $14, something I’m looking forward to trying in the future. 

 

 

Another Valentine’s Special is coming to a close over at  Miss Jessie’s camp with her Creme De la Curl Cleansing Creme (originally $20) & Creme De la Creme Conditioner (originally $26) marked down to $16 bucks.  I’ve never tried either product but have in fact purchased several of their other puddings and what nots.  The reviews for both haven’t been bad, the cleansing creme is somewhat thicker in consistency than the conditioner, but apparently both still work effectively.  Again, I haven’t sampled these, nor have I checked out the ingredient list, but if you’re a fan…kudos! Let me know how they work for you.

I was also able to score my  new wonder, the Donna Marie Lock & Twist Pudding this week.  The site is updated and it seems to be back in stock, so I took advantage like a good PJ. I also snagged up another one of her goodies after hearing rave reviews from the curly/kinky community, but I’ll vote and reveal what it is later;-).  If you’re tempted to try her products you can purchase from here, or head over to afrokinks.com where there’s a hidden coupon code on the homepage (if you can’t find it leave a comment down below and I’ll cough up).  I love this site because you can find just about the best of the best that’s out there for naturally/textured curly/kinky hair. There’s also a neat sale rack link with items at clearance prices!

 

What I’m really excited about is taking a trip over to Karen’s in BK, aside from her hair care collection, her body oils and butters are out of sight! The neighborhood is a fun and alive place to hang out if she’s quickly whipping up a batch of her special goodies, so if you’re in the area look her up and stop by, the sale applies to in-house as well but ends on March 3rd.

 

HAVE A GOOD ONE;-)

PJ News! February 20, 2009

Dont’ shoot the messenger:-)

Hi Everyone,

We are giving everyone one last chance to try out our Curl Rehab Deep Treatment for $16 (orig. $20)! Our lightweight detangler, Curl Theory Moisturizing Hair Conditioner, is also on sale for $14 (orig. $16). There is also $6.95/$7.95 Flat rate shipping on orders over $100. Take advantage of these sales now since they won’t last forever! Hopefully this will make it a little easier to take a chance on some products you may have been considering for a while. Please do spread the word to let others know about this special as well. Remember to check out the Sales & Trial set link regularly as we will be sending out less emails to cut down on everyone’s mail!   Check out http://www.curljunkie.com to get started!

As a reminder, we have our referral program to add more temptation…refer us to a friend who places an order and you will receive a coupon code good for 20% off your next order! How it works: Just be sure to have your friend enters your name into the comments field at checkout and we will email your code to you*!

Also, if you send us a picture of your hair with Curl Junkie products (please tell us which ones) in it for use on our website, we will send you a coupon code for 10% off your next order*!

*(These offers are good for one order only, and cannot be combined with other promotions or each other.)
Best,

Marsha
Curl Junkie Hair Products, LLC

 

Patience is a virtue! Mmmmm…I think I need some Curl Rehab …

 

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND:-)

The Process February 17, 2009

Yeah for long weekends! Monday was a national holiday which meant I stayed the hell home like a good employee;-). It really did feel like perfect timing, having that extra day to hit the streets and run the errands I’d needed to run for the past two weeks.  Nothing spells relief like finally doing your laundry after weeks of starring at a pile of crazy…!

But I digress to say that even amidst the lazy holiday weekend I did manage to do my hair…gave it it’s weekly dose of TLC on Sunday by ways of a Pre-Poo, ACV, Co-Wash and DC.  All good stuff.

I finally restocked on KCKT last week, and while at my BSS picked up a new conditioner for my co-wash.  Giovanni’s Tea Tree Triple Treat Conditioner was a bit of a random purchase on my part, but my scalp missed that good ‘ol tingly feeling, you know that effervescent sensation you can only get from products that contain peppermint or tea tree? When in moderation, my scalp loves! This was my second purchase off of the Gionvanni line, the first being the direct leave in, and my kudos ranking for their stuff is growing! It worked as a better than average co-wash conditioner because it cleansed  without stripping, while leaving my hair feeling sufficiently conditioned, and low behold there’s a good reason why! Over at Jillipoo’s blog, there is a great recap on the importance of co-washing and the need for an added surfactant to ensure proper cleansing.  Some harsher surfactants are ones typically used in everyday shampoos, common ones are sodium laureth sulfate & ammonium lauryl sulfate.  But others that are less harsh and less stripping can be found in some good cleansing conditioners. Giovanni’s Tea Tree formula does carry a gentle cationic surfactant, Behenstrimonium Methosulfate, which in plain terms just means it provides sufficient conditioning while adequately cleansing the hair.  Yeah…alright, no more curl chemistry info, you can click here to learn more about surfactants.

After co-washing with the Tea Tree, I applied my ACV rinse then followed up with a mini-DC using Curl Junkie’s Curl Rehab (strawberry ice cream scent!). An added bonus for ANY DC is the luxury of using as little as possible to get the job done, and this does so in a pinch with just the right amount of slip for detangling!

Before applying my ACV, I did manage to play part mixtress by adding a bit of nourishing oil to the mix.  I used something I’d had lying around for a while, but never found purpose in using. Khoret Amen Hair Oil by Carol’s Daughter was something my hair had grown accustomed to after my second BC and late last year I gravitated towards it once again.  It’s an olive oil base “infused with lavendar flowers and sage herb, then blended with essential oils of  ylang-ylang, clary sage, and bay leaf to aid in restoriing hair’s health and beauty.”  If used separately it makes for a decent hot oil treatment, and the infusion of patchouli and cedar wood helps to ward off itchy scalp and has anti-inflammatory/anti-fungal properties.  All well and good, yes…but with it’s herbal woodsy smell…it cut back significantly on the ACV odor I’ve been fighting with!

After my mini-DC (25 min under heating cap) I styled with KCKT and twisted with  Blended Beauty’s Happy Nappy creme. I untwisted my strands last night to cut back on my morning regime, and this morning am rockin the do just right! The one thing I did cut back on this weeks was my unrefined shea.  Basically there was zero need because the Blended Beauty creme has a strong shea base and I am almost certain I overmoisturized last week on my first attempt.  I think that was a good call on my part because my hair feels less weighed down and less product heavy;-)

PJ News! February 6, 2009

I’m LOVING all of the good deals out there these days! Doesn’t it seem like just about everyone is offering discounts on shipping, or willing to switch to bargain prices?! I’m a Product Junkie at heart, always have been, so I’ve always had to reley on ‘other means’ (second job, ebay;-) to fund my splurges.  Finding good deals on line falls under that category, and just plain ol being a smart consumer!  If I can’t find something on the swap boards over at naturallycurly.com then I digg around for bargains elsewhere.  Over the years I’ve also learned patience…to wait for the dollar to find me…and lately it has!

 

Curl Junkie’s  having some deals:

 

Hi Everyone,

Happy Friday!! Starting now through Monday, Feb. 9th, 2009 we are offering a $4 flat rate USPS Priority shipping on orders over $25 (US orders only), $5 flat rate on UPS Ground orders (continental US only) over $25, and $6 flat rate USPS Priority mail for orders over $100! Hopefully this will make it a little easier to take a chance on some products you may have been considering for a while! Please do spread the word to let others know about this special as well!

As a reminder, we have our referral program to add more temptation…refer us to a friend who places an order and you will receive a coupon code good for 20% off your next order! How it works: Just be sure to have your friend enters your name into the comments field at checkout and we will email your code to you*!

Also, if you send us a picture of your hair with Curl Junkie products (please tell us which ones) in it for use on our website, we will send you a coupon code for 10% off your next order*!

*(These offers are good for one order only, and cannot be combined with other promotions or each other.)

Best,

Marsha
Curl Junkie Hair Products, LLC

 

 Curlmart is in on it too with their $7 flat rate shipping on all ground orders!

 
All Month, Fill Your CurlMart Shopping Cart To Your Heart’s Desire!
 Get $7 shipping on ALL domestic ground orders!
This is the time to try out new products and stock
up on old favorites. PS: No promotion code needed.

 

I’m not going to go crazy, but eh…a deals a deal;-)

 

 PJ Update: Over at curlynikki.com  another goodie deal!!

 

Curlmart is offering the CurlyNikki.com community 15% off
our purchases!!!

From now until 2/28/2009 save 15% on your entire purchase*

Use promotion code- CurlyNikki09

I’ve received word that they will be restocking our Oyin Juices and Jessicurl Weekly Deep Treatment very soon!

*Wen products, Curly Cocktails, collections,
and kits are excluded from this sale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curl Rehab Review February 3, 2009

Here’s the deal.  I am officially on second day hair as of this morning.  I washed, DC’d and styled my quasi- bouffant this past Sunday and have to say….my second day hair looks FABULOUS compared to yesterday! Honestly, I figured yesterday was going to be sort of like the pinnacle of the do…but after untwisting my hair this morning I shuffled my feet in excitement yet again!! Bounce. Shine. MOISTURE!! All three were present and accounted for and I love em for it!

But often times when I think back on all the good hair days that I’ve had in the past, I get this nagging feeling or desire to want to pinpoint exactly what it was I’d done differently, whether it was detangling differently, conditioning differently etc.

I tried a couple of new things Sunday, the first being my first go at an ACV rinse. That rocked out for sure! My scalp for the most part felt thoroughly cleansed and fresh.  Second, I applied Curl Rehab, a new DC treatment from the Curl Junkie line. Now, this was a treat to apply because, man the smell of this puppy is delicious. Third, I styled with Donna Marie’s Twist Pudding, a light styling product that acts like a gel but produces results like a creme…an automatic added bonus!!

But what every curly head knows is that the jumpstart to anything good hair related begins with good conditioner, and DC’ing with the Curl Rehab for two hours after my bentonite disaster last week was  certainly my jump start point… and perhaps even the way I’d sectioned the hair before applying.

I applied the Curl Rehab into smaller sections this time around to cut back on my styling regime, and my guess is the DC worked it’s magic! The consistency is light, and your hair will absorb this stuff almost instantly which makes detangling a breeze because of the slip. The smell is heaven, a true girl friendly mix of gardenia and coconuts…but a little goes a long way so apply sparangly!

Ingredients:

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis (Melissa) Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Pepperment) Leaf Extract, Yucca Leaf Extract, Rosa Mosqueta (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupua Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Vanilla Planifolia oil, Cananga Odorata oil, Lecithin, Fragrance, Citric Acid.

After I rinsed the DC out of my hair, there was a noticeable difference in my curls, particularly the front crown of my head where my curls fall into looser waves.  When coaxed properly they behave into well defined ringlets, something I haven’t seen since my heat damage fiasco last summer…but my ringlets made a surprise appearance after I rinsed with the Curl Rehab!

It’s hard for me to say that my hair was simply just soft, which it was…but besides that it felt healthy, something  I’d been longing my hair to feel since I trimmed my heat damaged ends off last year.  Honestly it was personal vindication! My hair was finally willing to work with me, all I had to do was apply the right products/routine… and the Curl Rehab along with the ACV was my kickoff to that.

I’ve definitely found my DC treatment, so the search was short and sweet! I’ve cataloged Curl Rehab into my arsenal of products and plan to use sparingly when my hair needs extra TLC.  I’ll post a review for the Lock & Twist Pudding laterz;-)

The Process February 1, 2009

Today I decided to change “the process” up dramatically by trying out a few different products and techniques. Last night I was tired from work but on a whim ended up pre-pooing for the first time in a loooong time.  I figured why not…let’s set up my hair for a deep cleaning/conditioning the next day.

So last night I pre-pooed with a new conditioner from Suave, the coconut scent, and saturated my hair while separating into big twists.  I didn’t detangle the whole head, but really just stuck to the ends to remove any loose strands that might’ve accumulated during the week…and their was a lot!! The less moisture my hair has, there is always inevitable hair shedding.  Sucks really…but it’s pretty common during the winter months.

After separating into twists I donned a conditioning cap and went to sleep.  Waking up this morning, I washed out the conditioner, still keeping the twists together for easier rinsing and mixed my ACV rinse.

Because I wanted to concentrate more on my scalp in terms of cleansing and removing buildup, I mixed the ACV in an applicator bottle I picked up at the BSS (beauty supply store).  Using the applicator bottle made a HUGE difference in my new routine and I have to say I made less of a mess! I usually have a tendency to drip puddles around my feet whenever I have the water running, so this was a great addition to the process!

I still had a bit of conditioner left in my hair so after applying the ACV I massaged the scalp thoroughly, then ran my fingers through my hair to sort of start the detangling process.  Now, I won’t lie…the smell of the ACV was strong! I mean it’s vinegar so it’s got it’s acidic alkaline properties down in every way..lol!

But after massaging the scalp  I made sure to rinse thoroughly.  The smell did linger a bit, which I was expecting so I did one more co-wash with the Suave conditioner.  

The next step was to DC with my Curl Rehab which was delivered earlier in the week (detailed review to come later)! I detangled with the Curl Rehab and my Denman, then retwisted hair into about 12 large twists.  I sat under a conditioning cap for a good two hours because I failed to DC last week.

Afterwards I jumped in the shower and rinsed my hair, having the twists still in place with the flow of the water coming straight down, a trick I found worked well in preventing my hair to detangle again.  Sounds strange, but I hold my breath for a bit while letting the water run straight down as if pouring a bucket over my head! This took a bit of practice when I tried it a couple of weeks ago because I’d switched to rinsing with cold water to alleviate frizz and add shine…but it’s amazing the difference it makes! 

So  after the cold rinse I applied my KCKT and styled my hair this week with Donna Marie’s Lock & Twist Pudding.  After twisting, because I’m trying to figure out how to incorporate my Coconut Oil into my routine after my Bentonite disaster, I decided to apply it to my scalp and also to seal my ends.  

Right now my hair is still damp, but my scalp feels amazingly fresh and clean from the ACV! I’m not sure what to do with the smell, but I’m determined to add this to my routine.  This was the first time I’ve ever used a rinse to cleanse my scalp rather than a simple co-wash or mild shampoo cleanser and I have to say I’m a true convert!! My hair did not feel stripped, it just felt clean!  I’ll post more results tomorrow…the true test is always after I’ve slept on my twists and how well moisturized they remain.

Overall though I’d love to stick to this routine for at least another week or two to see if it’ll help with my scalp issues…everything just seemed to flow really well…from the ACV rinse to the DC treatment and then finally the styling…easy breezy:-)

Product Haul: Donna Marie, Curl Rehab… January 26, 2009

So this past week I’ve been a bit out of sorts, sick with the flu…staying home from work one day then dragging myself along with my packets of tissue to work the next, only to be sent home early out of pity from my boss.  Shame really…bottom line, the best way to take care of yourself while you’re sick is to first admit to yourself that you are sick, rest up and get better…!

But man, the days that I did stay home were a true test of my strength.  Even this past weekend I hauled myself in my place with just the right amount of groceries, so I didn’t have to step out in 17 degree weather,  checked out some of my favorite curl friendly blogs,  and luxuriated in season one of the Mary Tyler Moore show (season 1&2 on sale at Target for $19bucks!! ). 

Another thing I often do when confined to a spot for longer than a couple of hours is go absolutely stir crazy… so to alleviate this I buy products!!  I mean, they make it so easy these days with easier shipping/payment methods that I kept saying to myself…why not;-)

Lock & Twist Pudding

At the start of the weekend I lurked around www.naturallycurly.com looking for reviews on any Donna Marie product, a curl friendly line I’d been curious about trying for some time.  Most reviews were for the popular curly butter creme,  a product some have compared to Kinky Curly Curling Custard.  But because of the cold weather here in NYC I decided to keep that on my to-try list for the summer, and instead ordered the lock &t twist pudding! The product description from the site claims to make twists and locks moisturized enough to keep your hair soft and silky.  Not bad…I was pretty much sold on the moisturizing properties rather than it’s claims to make my hair silky…something that can happen in winter but I’ve learned not to bank on it’s magical appearance each week. 

Ingredients:

Deionized water, aloe vera gel, carbomen, kokum butter, mango butter, sweet almond oil, glycerin, flax seed gel extract, hibiscus extract, carrot seed extract, burdock root extract, agave nectar extract, silver citrate, potassium sorbate and natural fragrance.

Payment was fast and easy, and I received a confirmation that my product shipped the next day! Ohhh how I love to know that my products are en route…lol!

Next up I lingered around the new Curl Junkie website to see if I could put an end to my DC treatment search.  Often times I linger around sites, reading recommendations from users while taking note but often times hold back because DC’s often run a bit more $$! Makes sense if their intent is to give your hair more punch, but lately I’ve been drawing back on spending over $20 bucks on something I’d use several times a month. 

But here’s what I love, sites that offer discounts! Yes, introductary discounts on new products are something I can wrap my pennies around! Curl Junkie is running a sale until January 27th  on some of their new products, and luckily there was a 30% savings on a new DC treatment!.

Curl Rehab

Their Curl Rehab Moisturizing Hair treatment has the main thing I typically go ga-ga over, and that’s moisture!

A description from the site:

Give your hair the moisture it deserves. Check your dry, frizzy curls into rehab! Let your hair drink in a wonderfully rich cocktail of Aloe, herbs, and healing butters & oils to rejuvenate and restore your precious curls! Wonderfully scented with the rich and beautiful Gardenia flower with a hint of Coconut and mystery, this treatment is excellent for taming frizz with much needed moisture. This is a real treat! This treatment is lightweight, yet moisture packed. Give everyone curl envy!

An added bonus for me lately as well is a glycerin free product,  a humectant that’s common in most conditioning treatments, but lately my hair is poofing from too much glycerin due to my choice of styling products and my co-wash conditioner.  I love BIG hair for my twist out’s but lately my big hair comes on first day hair rather than 3 day old hair and I’ve been fishing around for even more product to combat the poof! I love glycerin, but too much of a good thing is always not good for my hair…balance is key!

Again, processing was a breeze! My new DC shipped the very next day and I hope to have by end of week!

Oh dear…so I wasn’t done.  On top of lingering on the curly hair boards, I peeked into some youtube channels that offer hair care reviews, and found myself taking note on the growing popularity of another creme based moisturizer for twists and coils. 

Wet Set Pudding

Curls by Sisters Smith’s site looks a tad non-discript but the reviews for their products have been close to raving! The  product that really stood out was their wet set pudding curl enhancing creme.  The pudding is non-greasy, so it has no oils or waxes, gives you a light hold without the crunch similar to other holding products, AND for an $5.50 you can get a hefty 8oz jar to try!  The ingredient list floored me a bit because…well there are only three: glycerin, aloe vera, & olive oil.  Floored because I failed to notice any kind of preservative, which is odd for most curl enhancing products.  But eh…we’ll see…for $5.50 I’m willing to take a chance! Each batch is custom made according to your specified scent which range from:

• unscented
• green tea
• vanilla 
• summer garden 
• summer citrus
• floral blend
• brown sugar
• lavender
• peppermint

By the end of the weekend I’d received confirmation that my pudding had been shipped, so they too are quick and efficient!

Whew! By Sunday Night I was feeling great! My products were on their way, I was saving the planet by using less tissues to blow my nose AND one of my favorite bloggers had a new post up…and oddly enough it had nothing to do with hair products.  Botticelli Babe is known for her more than honest reviews on curly-hair products and her willingness to try out the most random of stuff on her weird product Wednesday posts. 

This go round though,  her review centered on a staple she’d come to rely on as a showering soap, something she calls, “ creamy, often whipped-like, versions of [...] soaps.”  The line, called Savor is an Etsy creation which means they’ve got a lot of love going into them, simply because the products are home based…and affordable!

Princess Bride

I purchased two of their frothy souffle soaps to sample, Princess Bride and one of their mini  chai creme fraiche scents! The pics on the site are delicious to look at, so here’s hoping they feel as good as they look on film!

 

I’m going to be in new territory with these new products so if you guys have tried any of them feel free to let me know how they worked, what you liked best, what didn’t work etc.  I rarely do product hauls, so this will hopefully last me until the end of winter:-)

 

et finir!

Hair Update January 21, 2009

Yeah, so I couldn’t wait. Last night I was bored and sick from what appears to be the beginnings of the flu, and decided to dabble in my new Aveda purchase. I’d been wearing my hair in twists since this past weekend, and was sleeping on them for the majority of Tuesday..a.k.a OBAMA DAY;-)…my twists by the evening were a bit dry to the touch and matted.
So before going to bed, I decided to rehydrate with Aveda’s Humectant Pomade. I undid each twist, applied the pomade in small amounts (a little goes a long way) to different sections, then re-twisted into larger sections. I then pin-curled the twists for the next morning.
Waking up this morning I was tired, but still excited to see if the results where what I remembered…and they were!!
My hair was shiny, to the point where it looked as if I’d just deep conditioned! It looked healthy, bouncy and fresh!  The smell of course is an added bonus..and I guess the best way to describe it is, earthy.  

Getting to work, removing my hat I was pleasantly surprised because my curls perked right up…no hat hair! I simply fluffed and continued to check my e-mail.

So the pomade is a DEFINITE keeper, at least for the winter months.  My goal going forward is to use it specifically to rehydrate when my hair looks visibly dry, other times I plan on using another one of my favorite new finds, the Jane Carter lock and twist creme.  

This weekend I plan on changing my game plan a bit since my Jamaican Mango & Lime gel finished last week. Something I was disappointed about because I’d used it only twice to twist and the jar was already finir! On the other hand it did work fantastically well, leaving me with well defined ringlets post-twists. I will definitely repurchase, but recently I also received my new Curl Junkie product!!! I’ve been waiting to try the Coffee Coco Curl Creme for a while and will finally do so by the end of week.  I’m trying to veer off my clutch of using a gel for every style I settle on, so hopefully this produces good results!

Lock & Twist Gels January 12, 2009

I have to admit, my list of products that I would like to try is getting longer and longer, especially now that my goal this year is to veer more towards hair friendly/hair healthy products. It’s not a difficult course I’ve set for myself, it’s just more so a journey of natural discovery, and requires a different sort of awareness.  I consider this a great thing!

For the winter my style of choice is typically a two-strand twist style, or just a twist-out, rockable for a good week or so, and with this style I’m constantly looking for the best product that’ll offer great moisture, hold and if I’m feeling lucky some much needed shine… after all it is winter.

Two weeks ago I visited one of the few beauty supply stores that remained open on New Years Day (this was AFTER visiting my grandmother of course:-) )  and shelled out some money to buy two products that’d been on the list for some time. 

The Organic Root Stimulator Lock & Twist Gel was something I thought I could get away with for a pretty simple & quick two strand twist.  The product claims to add moisture while leaving  a noticeable shine once dry.  When I first took note on this gel I did notice the reason why it was so hyped on the boards is because it’s a solid mix of a gel AND a creme! Two lovely factors curlyheads look for because it’s like killing two birds with one stone  heaven in a jar;-).    After trying and styling my hair with this product I noticed upon drying that my hair began to flake just a tad.  The crown on my hair remained intact, but the parts of my hair more prone to dryness began to rebel.  It was a bit disappointing because I was cautious NOT to use a hefty amount while twisting and yet the end result left me a bit discouraged.  But of course, this is not to say this is the end all if you’re a curly head and this is in your arsenal of products, but…well my take is that it might work best on slightly thinner hair.  Once again I have a helmet on my head…a.k.a…this girl has thick hair! So the process of applying a gel/creme mixture might take a bit more chemistry trial and error sessions than this product could offer. 

But instead of dwelling on this, I moved on to another cool find on the list! This one’s also a gel, but once again because I’d heard such good things I picked it up.  The Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Gel has one of the best scents for a gel! Forget those chemical, familiar scents that often go hand in hand with the average joe gel, this puppy smells…well it smells like mango’s and limes!  I twisted my strands with the gel this past weekend and remain pleasantly surprised  two days afterwards! There was certainly moisture and once dry, indeed some noticeable shine! It does have silk proteins listed as one of it’s ingredients, something I’d be careful about building on my hair over time, so for now the verdict can’t be delivered until the unveiling of the twist out, but I’m getting good vibes from the hair gods on this…!

 

Next up: I’m quite eager to try Curl Junkie’s Coffee Coco Curl Creme! Perhaps it’s time to stick to a creme based styling product for the winter rather than staying in this gel rut I’ve settled into.  I’m hoping my hair agrees with me!

Spotlight: Curl Junkie January 11, 2009

 

Curl Junkie

Right now I’m sitting with a heating cap on my head, deep conditioning my hair and surfing the forums of naturallycurly.com.  If you’re not familiar with this site already, especially if you’re a curly head, you MUST take a gander around the block!  It’s seriously infinite amounts of information on anything you wanted to know from transitioning from straight to curly and of course all the latest product reviews!

 

But while surfing I was surprised to see a familiar face, an awesome woman I met this past summer, and probably one of the most knowledgeable gals out there when it comes to the paradoxes of the curl. Marsha Coulton is the founder and creator of Curl Junkie, a newly revamped line of hair care products for curly heads!  You can do your CurlReading on NC.com’s Spotlight page here.

The site was relaunched this past December with ALL NEW PRODUCTS! Something that I’d been super excited about since she told me she was trying new mixes and potions in her kitchen.  I was able to sample some of the new products, such as the new Aloe Fix Gel, and have to say my hair was pleasantly surprised.  The smell is pretty impressive, as is most of her line of products.  The Hibiscus & Banana Honey Butta smells soft, fresh and something you wouldn’t mind lingering in your hair for a good week!  My soon-to-be purchase off the new site is the Coffee Coco Curl Creme, 

 

Coffee Coco Curl Creme

KEY INGREDIENTS

• Monoi Coconut Oil – Monoi de Tahiti has been shown to penetrate and hydrate rapidly.
• Exotic oils – used for their emollient, healing and moisturizing properties.
• Coffee Bean Butter – is a powerful anti-oxidant and offers some natural protection from ultraviolet light. It is rich
• in phytosterols which promote excellent moisture retention, and quick
• penetration.
• Guar Hydroxypropytrimonium Chloride – is said to have no build-up
• and excellent wet and dry combing and detangling. The hair is soft and
• its shine is improved. There is also a reduction of static build-up and
• fly-away hair.

Seriously, all good stuff