What I am doing to my hair THIS week!

Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls,

I decided not wash my hair but once this week and try and keep my curls looking the freshest possible. I was very hesitant because when I wake up i have complete BED hair and its smashed in all different places (I sleep on a satin pillowcase), but I was like I bet there is some sort of routine I could have to grow my hair and not wash it every freaking day. Y'all (yes i am southern), I think I have found it. I washed my hair last Thursday with Shea Moisture Curly Shampoo and the Knot Today KC Leave in conditioner, followed by the KCCC....Curls were CUTE!!! That night before bed I decided i needed some type of oil so Carol's Daughter Lisa's Elixer was it! So the next day to refresh my curls, I used a spray bottle and wet my hair again and added some KCCC throughout to refreshen the curls that werent so cute. I then sprayed it with some Shea Moisture Curly Hibiscous Hold Mist and I have been repeating that everyday and drying a little with my diffuser. I also wanted to try this routine because its becoming winter and I cant walk outside with super wet hair (talk about SICK), NOT cool!

Step by Step Process:

Day 1

Shampoo (Shea Moisture Curly Shampoo)

Leave in Conditioner (KC Knot Today)

KCCC

Shine Mist (Shea Moisture Curly Shine Mist)

Day 1 night

Carol's Daughter Lisa's Hair Elixer

Day 2

Wet hair with spray

Add KCCC

Shine Mist

Day 2 Night

Hair Elixer

Day 3 and so forth

Repeat Day 2

So far this is working and my curls still look pretty darn good for pretty much now 5 day hair.

*I also realized my hair doesnt like glycerin at ALL...so all these products dont have glycerin in them, which is on purpose.

Try it and see if it works for you!

Peace Love and Hair

Mel B

Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream

Good Afternoon my lovely readers!

Last week in Atlanta, I went to the Natural Hair Show at the Georgia International Convention Center. Such great deals were going on, EDEN BodyWorks had a special 4 products for $30, Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream $20, Shea Moisture had 3 for $20 and thats just a few of them. So of course I took advantage and bought a couple things I thought I would like to try. I bought the Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream, Shea Moisture Raw Shea Lotion, Jane Carter Nourishing Cream, and the Shea Moisture moisturizing line I received at their meet up as a gift. So excited to try them all!!!

So this morning I decided to try the Curl Defining Cream. So I washed my hair with the Shea Moisture Curly Shampoo, Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave in and then I towel dried my hair with the deva curl microfiber towel. Then I took the curling cream and applied it as if I was using the KCCC. My hair is super soft but my curls/coils are not defined at all! I might have used it wrong and I will try it again with my hair soaking wet like with the KCCC and see if it does a better job but right now its highly overpriced as a moisturizer which is all it did for me. I will try it again later and let you know how it works!

The Shea Moisture Raw Shea Lotion is super thick and I will use it this winter so I dont have dry skin, in the summer not so much since its humid in Memphis and it will probably just melt off!

Peace Love and Hair

Mel B

Heck Yea to Shea Moisture Coconut Curly Line!!

Hey Guys!

Its been a while since I have done a post. I have been busy! So when I was in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago I went to Walgreens and bought the trial size package of Shea Moister for Thick Curly hair. Included in the package was the shampoo, curl and style milk, shine mist, and the curl enhancing smoothie. I have to be honest. I loved the shampoo but I couldnt figure out where the conditioner was so I used the smoothie as the conditioner. Well Thursday night I had the pleasure of going to first meet up that Shea Moisture sponsored in Atlanta at the Lofts at Castleberry and talked to another naturalista that told me that she used the smoothie on her daughter everyday as a moisturizer and she wet it first. I also read in a pamphlet that the curly milk was a leave in conditioner! Go figure, so Friday morning I tried Shea Moister shampoo and used the curly milk as a leave in and dispersed the smoothie throughout my hair not like KCCC, but just rubbed it all over and figured through my curls. I absolutely LOVE this line!!! I loved the fact that the shampoo didnt strip my hair of all its moisture but my hair was clean and that the smoothie defined my curls and it looks and feels soooooo good. I definitely recommend this product line to anyone who has super thick coily curly hair and you have had issues with your hair feeling like a rug (lack of a better term).

I just got the Shea Moisture Curly Soufle and I cant wait to try it. I have heard some negative reviews however the owner said the agave that is in the product is what makes it kinda sticky and not to use a whole lot when applying to the hair. I will check back with you all in a week or so and let you know.

Also I am going to the Natural Hair Show tomorrow and I cant wait to pick up something new to try...

Peace Love and Hair

Mel B

Tangles, Tangles, Tangles

For all you ladies out there who need to detangle their hair in the morning Jane Carter Revitalizing Leave in Conditioner is where it is. I was washing my hair every day or other day and my hairstylist told me that I shouldnt wash it everyday. However I read that women with Type 4 curls should never comb your hair dry so I needed something to detangle and moisturize so I could get through these curls/kinks. I happened to be in target and saw it was a revitalizing leave in coniditoner that was a spray and it was misty (kinda like a combination of water and your favorite conditioner in a spray bottle to detangle your weave). It was $7.99 and three of the first five ingredients (said to be the most important) I liked....Water, Aloe Vera, and Essential Oils. Gave a shot and I love it. I have been using it everyday to detangle my hair and then adding some of the Miss Jessie's Baby Buttercreme to lock in the moisture and keep it feeling soft all day. Jane Carter has some other items I might try out like the Curl Defining Creme that just came out in a 16oz jar. Soon as I get it I will let you know what I think

Night Time Ritual

What do you use at night? Every night i have been using the nourish and shine by Jane Carter before I go to sleep and then I sleep on a satin pillow case. Satin pillow cases help prevent breakage but it doesnt prevent it all by itself, you have to moisturize your hair before you go to sleep just like if you wear contacts you have to take your contacts out at night. Give me your thoughts on what you should do with your hair at night? My hair is so short so I dont necessarily put a scarf on but i will once it gets longer.

What's Hair Status (Has My Hair Grown)

Thought I would show everyone a picture of my hair now. I started this blog the day after I did the BC in April 19. It's now June 20. Check me out

Deva Curl No Poo Shampoo Updated Review

No Poo Shampoo does not lather! What I have realized is that it holds the moisture and I love it however what it doesn't seem to do is to cleanse my hair of all the products I put in it so when I decide to try more than just Deva Curl products on my hair I think I will do a one wash with Kinky Curly Go Clean shampoo just to rid my hair of all the excess oils and products that I have tried. Other than that I am really feeling this Deva Curl line...going out to buy the bigger bottles this week!



Peace love and hair

Mel B

Weekend Product Update

Hey There!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend!!! So I tried two different things this weekend to see how I like it. The first was I tried the Deva Curl One Conditoner as a leave in and LOVED IT....it really does lock in the moisture. If you have thick coarse hair like me use it as a leave in conditioner.

The second thing I tried was the Miss Jessie Baby Buttercreme. I was told to try not to wash my hair everyday but I know I needed something to keep that moisture and my fresh curly look so I decided to give Miss Jessie's a try. Sunday morning I got up and put some in the palm of my hand and pulled it through from root to end and hair was moisturized and looked fresh. Seems like its pretty good for those second day curls.

In a different post I will follow up on the Deva Curl No Poo Shampoo....stay tuned!

Peace, love, and hair

Mel B

Family of Brands: Deva Curl

Ladies Ladies Ladies,

I thought I had found the cure with Kinky Curly, but I think Deva Curl maybe it. One of my co-worker's daughter said she had to break down and buy some $18 Deva Curl One Condition because it was the only conditioner that left her hair feeling soft and according to her mom she has some thick coarse hair. So I said wellllll maybe I should give it a shot. I went to Ulta and found some Deva Curl One Conditioner. I am big on using a family of brands because I think products do work well together when used properly. So I decided I would try it and I bought the trial size of the entire family and a microfiber Deva Curl towel all for $34. This morning I used the non lather shampoo (some people dont care for shampoos that dont lather because it doesnt give them the sense that their hair is clean) and followed up with the one conditioner (however I did rinse the conditioner out and put a little more in as a leave in) and I used the microfiber towel to dry my hair (i normally dont used a towel because they all cotton ones are so rough on your hair and the friction can cause damage) then placed a small amount of the gel and shine on my hair. My hair feels so soft and moisturized and its dry and not still dripping wet because i didnt dry it with a towel....I can say I do love this stuff. Their website is down but you can look at the reviews on naturallycurly.com, amazon.com, drugstore.com. You will also find the ingredients there as well (it wont let me copy and paste).

Question of the Day: Do you believe in using a family of products or do you mix and match?

Peace, Love, and Hair

Mel B

Review of Mixed Silk by Sally Beauty Company

So one of our merchandisers recommended the Leave in Conditioner by Mixed Silk by Sally for me to try on my hair and then follow up with some of my favorite polisher. Lately my hair had been feeling like an oriental rug and it was fustrating me. So I went to Sally and of course they were having a sale on it and you can purchase the deep conditioner and you get the leave in for free, so I said what the heck, I can get all three for the price of two. This morning I wet my hair in the shower and applied the leave in conditioner and then I applied the Sally polisher. So far my hair feels very soft and I am liking it. I will let you know by the end of the day whether I will use it again. The ingredients for the leave in conditioner are:

WATER ,AMODIMETHICONE ,WHEAT AMINO ACIDS ,STEARALKONIUM CHLORIDE ,GLYCERIN ,CETEARYL ALCOHOL ,POLYSORBATE 60 ,METHYL GLUCETH-20 ,GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE ,ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE ,HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE ,SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) SEED OIL ,CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (SAFFLOWER) SEED OI ,OENOTHERA BIENNIS (EVENING PRIMROSE) OIL ,SILK AMINO ACIDS ,HYDROLYZED COLLAGEN ,DMDM HYDANTOIN ,METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE ,METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE ,YELLOW 5 ,YELLOW 6 ,FRAGRANCE ,ALPHA ISOMETHYL IONONE ,BENZYL BENZOATE ,BENZYL SALICYLATE ,CITRONELLOL ,HEXYL CINNAMAL ,LIMONENE ,LINALOOL

Now it has been said that you should avoid alchohol however speaking with our educator on staff at my job (Charlette High) she said that you need to pay attention to where it is on the list of ingredients and that not all alcohol is bad. Cetearyl alcohol is not necessarily bad because it is derived from fat and so it acts as a thickening agent to make the product not so soupy.

Peace, Love, and Hair

Mel B

Daily Regimine? Deep Conditioner?! Still Trying to Figure it Out!

I am finally back from China and my bachelorette festivities in Miami with the girls. Right before I went to China I decided that I would wash my hair on a daily basis for the next couple of weeks to see how my hair responded to that treatment. It has def grown and I like this routine. So here has been my daily regimine for the past 3 weeks.

1. Shampoo with Kinky Curly Shampoo

2. Condition with Curls professional line conditioner (rinse out)

3. Add the Kinky Curly Knot Today leave in conditioner

4. Curls gel'se lec to hold my curls

5. Curly Q's Red Velvet Cupcake Cream Moisturizer

Well when I got to Miami, the weather was drastically different and my hair felt like an oriental rug and I decided to experiment with some different products because as you all know Memphis weather is drastically different in April than it is from June- Early September. It is humid and extremely hot and I will probably need a new regimine for the summer. So yesterday I decided when I got back from Miami that I really needed to do a deep conditioning treatment. So I went swimming and decided to try Carol's Daughter Tui Shampoo and Smoothie and leave the smoothie on for 20-25 minutes and then add some black vanilla leave in conditioner. I woke up this morning and my hair felt like an oriental rug......can I say ROUGH! I needed to wash my hair again (which is not so bad since I have short hair)!!! However my sister said my cute little niece has the same issue of dryness that i have and she told me to try Silken Child Moisturizing creme. I tried it and I will let you know by the end of the day what my hair feels like. Right now my edges feel a little rough :(......Help!! I need moisture so bad!!!! I have posted a picture of the new items I tried and you can see the other items in an earlier post

Co- Washing

I have heard a lot of about co-washing and decided I would do some research on it before I tried it. Co-Washing is where you "wash" your hair by just using conditioner and not using a shampoo first. There are mixed reviews out there and Atlanta Natural Hair Care says the following:

Pro’s of co-washing:

Can add moisture to dry hair
Can help the hair detangle more easily

Con’s of co-washing:

Will not cleanse the hair
Will not cleanse the scalp
Can cause buildup in the hair and scalp

I would tend to agree with these. The purpose in shampooing the hair to get the build up off your hair and to clease your hair of all the products you have put on your hair. It seems that your hair cant truly grow if your scalp is dirty and unable to breathe. Other blogs have talked about it adding moisture to dry hair but they still washed once a week. Every head is different so I am going to try co-washing and see what happens and see what type of growth i get out of it. Some of the tips i received were from curlynikki.com which one of the websites i get ideas from. What are your thoughts on co-washing and what do you use to co-wash your hair?

Peace Love and Hair

Mel B

Mars vs. Venus: Should you wash your hair everyday?!

To follow up my curls from yesterday, I put some Lavish Curls on it and then put the Curls paste on it and my curls are hydrated and soft. Pretty darn good line I would say thus far well minus that shampoo. My cousin didnt like the shampoo at all, he said he didnt feel like his hair was clean and that is why he loves EDEN BodyWorks so much because the peppermint and tea tree made him feel like his hair was very clean and moisturized!

So to dig deeper in my hair convo (wanted a review of the Curls Target line) with my cousin last night he tells "I wash my hair everyday "and I said "well that might not be such a good idea." He procedes to tell me he has a dry scalp and he needs to wash it everyday. Well I tell him maybe he shouldnt wash it everyday because that might be causing his dry scalp and that i didnt know any black man who washed his hair everyday. So I decided to start googling. I did some research and research shows that you can wash your hair about 3 times a week, but it's all in how your moisturize the hair because shampoo is designed to clean your hair and strip the moisture and conditoner and styling products help to put the mositure back in. I wonder do you think men and women hair are different and that a man can wash their hair everyday? Do men and women hair differ just like our thought process?!?Thoughts?!?!

Peace Love and Hair

Mel B

Curls for Target

Hey! So I worked out this morning which is essential to a healthy body and to healthy hair :) I was very sweaty so i decided to wash my hair using the Curls Target line. I washed with the cleanser then followed with the coconut conditioner and then I put the goddess curls on my hair when it was wet just like i would have done with the curly custard from Kinky Curly. I finished it off with some of the curl paste from yesterday. My hair smells wonderful and its super soft and i have some tight cute curls. I am not a huge fan of the cleanser, it didnt lather very well and I didnt feel like my hair was thoroughly cleaned, but it really was. Overall the line was very good and I do recommend it. Let's see what my curls look like tomorrow :) now thats the test.

Peace Love and Hair

Mel B

Curls Galore

This weekend was quite interesting with the hair lol. My aunt saw my hair and loved it (hers looks just like it). She told me she had something to make my curls really soft and moisturized! I got up the next morning and wet my hair and she added some Lustrusilk Right on Curl Activator! Well she added way to much however once I got some of it out she was completely right it made my curls so soft and moisturized! I actually really liked it. This morning when i got out the shower i didnt have the luxury of being at her house so I didnt have it, but i did dampen my hair put some Curls control paste gel on it and my curls are still soft :). Try the Right on Curl Activator just be conscientious of how much you put on.

Peace Love and Hair

Mel B

What the heck do you use for a Daily Moisturizer?!?!

So yesterday I had some very pretty short curls. I woke up this morning. Not so much lol. I got in the shower with no shower cap to get my hair slightly damp and when I got out I put some Curls Creme Brule on my hair. That stuff smells delectable. It made my hair soft but my curls/fro still looks a little dry, so I put some EDEN BodyWorks Peppermint Tea Tree Oil in there and it offered a small shine. I wanted to keep trying the Kinky Curly line however as I kept researching they dont have a daily moisturizer. Weird right? I am not sure you are supposed to rewet your hair everyday and put that curling custard on it. I really like the line but they should put a daily moisturizer in the line. I am going to check out their facebook page and see how people are refreshing their curls! I will keep you updated with the progress! Any suggestions on a daily moisturizer I will be willing to try as long as it is natural :)

Peace Love and Hair

Mel B

The Big Chop

Ladies, I did it! The BC! I havent had a relaxer in about 7 months. Two of my best friends and I decided that we wanted natural healthy hair and signed a hair contract. The hair contract stated that we would drink 8 glasses of water a day, no heat on the hair (maybe once a month for a deep condition), and wash at least once a week with natural products. Whoever broke any of the rules had to get the other's hair done one time for each offense! Sucks right. Getting your hair done can cost up to $50-$70 just for a wash and style depending on where you live. So I bought some organic hair products at Whole Foods (Aubrey Organics shampoo and conditioner) and tried to make my own Kimmaye leave in conditoner (jojoba oil, aloe vera, organic conditioner). Tried that twice and did what they call a twist and bantu knot and it was cute, but my hair was dry. So i tried something else and something else. Well I never achieved the look I was going for and I realized it was because I still had relaxed ends. So yesterday I went to my lovely hairstylist and asked her to chop my relaxed ends off and even out my hair so that I would start fresh and see what my hair could really accomplish if it was healthy from the start and I found what was right for my hair. You have to always remember that every woman's hair is completely different and what works for me may not work for you! Try something until you get it right. I am still trying to get it right. So this morning I got up and washed my hair with the Kinky Curly line.

Step 1 Wash with the Come Clean shampoo

Step 2 Place the Knot today leave in conditioner

Step 3 Finger through the Curling Custard.

I now have a small curly fro. If you have straight ends you are going to have to some kinda twist for your ends to curl up! I like it for right now, but I have to remember PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE because I want my long hair back, but I want it to be at its healthiest. Try Kinky Curly and let me know what you think!

Peace, Love, and Hair

Mel B