My Two Cents - Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue

During a shopping trip to Target a few months ago, my curlyfriend Cindy and I spotted a pretty fabulous Miss Jessie's sale. We were shocked to see that Miss Jessie products were 40% off.  Now that's a deal!

It had been years since I jumped off the Miss Jessie's bandwagon.  When I first started wearing my hair natural I used the Curly Pudding pretty regularly.  I really liked it, as it provided a really nice hold for my hair.  I stopped using for a few reasons; I wanted to find a cheaper alternative, I felt that my hair was dry, it gave me that hard hair effect, and I wanted to use more all-natural ingredients. 

That was probably about 4 years ago.  Since then Miss Jessie's has changed the formula for both the Curly Pudding, and Curly Meringue to exclude silicones and parabens, so with the urging of my curlfriend Cindy I decided to give the Curly Meringue a try and purchased the 8oz jar.  I was very unsure of what the results would be.  My hair care practices are very different then what they were 4 years ago (i.e. I've learned how to retain moisture), but I still feared that Miss Jessie's would result in dry hair.

Here are my two cents...

Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue
I apply this styler as I would any other.  It's my very last product in my wash day routine (leave-in conditioner, then Shea butter, then Curly Meringue).  I've used it both as a wash n go styler, and large twists.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Silicone-free
• Paraben-free
• Can be purchased just about any place that sells hair products
• Smells wonderful
• Great hold, yet hair soft to the touch (very important to me)!!!!!
• Hair maintained moisture (huge plus)!!!!!
• Can get 6/7 day hair

Cons:  

• Pricey when it's not on sale
• I have to be pretty heavy-handed when applying
• Cream is visible in hair until hair fully dries
• Takes forever to air dry (which is actually the norm for me, not really the fault of the product.. I just have so much hair)

I was extremely happy with the results.  So much so that I then bought 3 (yes I said 3) of the 16oz jars while they were still 40% off!!!  Might as well make use of sale price while I can :-)

How about you?  Any experiences with Miss Jessie's products? 

My Two Cents - Carol's Daughter TUI Hair Smoothie & TUI Leave-In Conditioner

While perusing at my neighborhood ULTA I came across the Carol's Daughter section and had to stop.  I have heard so many great things about Carol's Daughter hair products over the years, but I had yet to try them for myself.  So I saw this as the perfect time to give them a try.  I  mean if it's good enough for Jada Pinkett-Smith, it's worth a shot right! 

My hair was in need of a good deep conditioning session, so after much reading of labels I decided on the TUI (Moisturizing) line. I purchased the TUI Hair Smoothie Deep Conditioner, in addition to the TUI Leave-In Conditioner.

Here are my two cents...

TUI Hair Smoothie
I applied this deep conditioner after my regular shampoo session. After thoroughly coating all my strands with the smoothie I covered with a plastic bag, and sat with my heating cap for 30-35 minutes. 

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Natural ingredients
• Smells wonderful

Cons:  

• Soooo not moisturizing for my hair 
• Hair felt almost hard-like after washing out
• A little does not go a long way. I used about 7 of the 8 oz in one application.
• Totally overpriced considering the results

TUI Leave-In Conditioner
I used like I would any other leave-in conditioner (post wash, and conditioner on wet hair). 

As a Leave-In
Rating: 1.5 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Natural ingredients
• Great fruity scent
• Does not weigh down hair

Cons:  

•  Not a fan of the texture - I prefer leave-ins that really coat my hair
• Non-moisturizing
• Horrible for my detangling

I must say that I was terribly disappointed with these two products.  In the words of "In Living Color's" Blaine and Antoine, "Hated It"!!!  In no way, shape, or form did it live up to the claim of "Moisturizing" for me.  Perhaps there are other Carol's Daughter product lines that will work better for me.  But as far as the TUI line goes, it's a wrap.  I do not plan to repurchase. 

How about you?  Any experiences with Carol's Daughter products? 

My Two Cents - Beautiful Curls by Alaffia

I mentioned a couple months back in My Faithful and Favorite Products post, that Beautiful Curls products are one of my favorite product lines.  I regularly use their Shea Butter Curl Activating Shampoo, Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Treatment,  and Shea Butter Curl Activating Leave-in Conditioner.  I've occasionally used the Curl Control Custard.  They also carry a curl cream, lotion, oil, and sculpting wax...but since I haven't used any of those, I'm not able to make any comments just yet :-)

I love the story behind the Beautiful Curls products.  The shea butter is handcrafted by the Alaffia Shea Butter Cooperative in Sokodé, Togo West Africa. The products are Certified Fair Trade, which means that the members of the Cooperative are guaranteed to receive fair income.  Also a minimum of 10% of sales are returned to West Africa to fund community empowerment projects.

Here are my thoughts...

Shea Butter Curl Activating Shampoo

Rating: 4 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Lathers really well 
• Cleans scalp and hair well without any harsh ingredients
• Last a long time - You don't need to use alot
• All natural ingredients
• Smells great
• Price is reasonable
• Nice creamy/smooth texture
• Non-drying - Does not strip the hair
• Curls pop and hair is left feeling moisturized
• Incredibly moisturizing for a shampoo

Cons:  

• None really, with the exception that I've only been able to find this product line at Whole Foods (not sold everywhere). That's a ditto for all 4 products that I am reviewing.

Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Treatment
I normally apply the conditioner and then sit under my heating cap for 30-45 mins and then rinse out.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• All natural ingredients
• Smells great
• Price is reasonable
• Creamy texture
• Pretty good slip
• Leaves hair feeling very soft and moisturized 

Con:  

•  Not a fan of the tube that it's packaged in.  Not always easy to get the products out of the container. I would prefer if it was in a jar instead of the tube.

Shea Butter Curl Activating Leave-In Conditioner

Rating: 4 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• All natural ingredients
• Smooth texture is very easy to apply
• Great at coating my hair - coats very easily
• Smells wonderful
• Great moisturizing properties
• Curls pop
• My hair loves this stuff.  It really does my hair good.

Cons: Can't really think of one

Curl Control Custard
I apply this to wet hair after I have applied my leave-in.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• All natural ingredients
• No alcohol
• Decent curl defination
• Great hold on Day 1 and Day 2
• Day 1 and Day 2 hair looks really good

Cons:  

•  Smell is kind of perfumey (not my cup of tea)
• Consistency is runny, which can be somewhat messy to apply
• Hair has a bit of that hard/crunch factor
• Leaves hair dry
• Around Day 3 the frizz starts to take over (I like gels that last at least 3 days)

So in  a nutshell I absolutely love the shampoo, deep conditioner, and leave-in, which is why they are on my favorite products list.  The custard (aka gel) is on my honorable mention list, as I have others that I prefer.  So if you're interested in trying any of these, or any of the other products within their line, visit your local Whole Foods, or you can also order online.  To learn more about Alaffia's mission and Beautiful Curls products, you can check out http://www.beautifulcurls.com/

My Two Cents - Pure Shea Store Mango Hemp-Shea Shampoo Bar & Shea Leave-In Conditioner

 

I recently tried out Pure Shea Store's Mango-Hemp Shampoo Bar, along with the Shea Leave-In. Pure Shea Store products are completely natural and created without animal testing, parabens, GMOs or other harmful ingredients. I've been using the products for a couple months now. I wanted the effects of the products for more than one use.  Alot of times the first use is a fluke, be it good or bad. 

Here are my thoughts...

Mango Hemp-Shea Shampoo Bar
I use this like I would any shampoo.  I applied after my oil treatment.

 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Lathers really well 
• Cleans scalp and hair well without any harsh ingredients
• Last a long time - You don't need to use alot
• All natural ingredients
• Price is really reasonable

Cons:  

• Personally it does not provide enough moisture for me.  My hair was super dry. 
• Frizz was like WHOA
• I actually ended up giving this away

Shea Leave-In Conditioner
I used this 2 different ways....  1st as the marketed leave-in conditioner.  I used like I would any other leave-in conditioner (post wash, and conditioner on wet hair).  2nd use was as a pre-shampoo treatment, used with a heating cap (pre wash and conditioner).

As a Leave-In
Rating: 3 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• All natural ingredients
• Nice smooth texture - Very easy to apply 
• Last a long time - A little goes a long way
• Great at locking in moisture

Con:  

•  I had to experiment some with the amount to use, because my hair is somewhat sensitive to oils post wash and conditioner.  Oils tend to leave my hair on the greasy side.  So it took some trial and error on my part.

As a Pre-Treatment
Rating: 4 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Smooth texture is very easy to apply
• Coats hair easily
• Great for my finger detangling
• Smells wonderful
• Hair was soft and moisturized as I rinsed out

Cons: Can't really think of one


Check out the entire line of Pure Shea Store products for yourself at the following website: Pure Shea Store or visit on their retail stores in MD, DC, MI, GA, NC, or VA. 

Pre-Shampoo Treatment w/ Pure Shea Store's Leave-In

Hola Curlistas!

I woke up the other morning ready for my weekly pre-oil treatment.  Just one thing...I didn't have enough coconut oil!  What's a girl to do?!?!?!  I was on the lazy side and didn't feel like running to the store, so instead I looked around to see what I could use.  I came across Pure Shea Store's Leave-In Conditioner in my closet, and decided to press my luck.  The 2nd ingredient is coconut oil...so I figure it was worth a shot.  Wouldn't you know it, it actually worked very well as a pre shampoo treatment :-)  Here are my thoughts:  

Rating: 4 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Smooth texture is very easy to apply
• Coats hair easily
• Great for my finger detangling
• Smells wonderful
• Hair was soft and moisturized as I rinsed out

Cons: Can't really think of one

I have to say that I am really glad that I thought of the idea.  I assume its because of all the oils included in the products that I was able to use it as an oil treatment.  Yaay for multi-tasking products!

My Two Cents - Nourish & Shine by Jane Carter

 

I've recently been using Nourish & Shine by Jane Carter Solution.  I was drawn to the product because of the all-natural ingredients.  I've been using for over a month now, and I must say that I love, love, love it! 

The first time I used it I ended up with not so great results.  I applied it to my soaking wet hair in sections after my wash/conditioning session. This left my hair icky and greasy.  I hated it. This product contains butters and oils, and oils are not always my friend.  I have to be especially careful with oils post wash/condition because my hair tends to repel the oil and I'll just be left with an oily head of hair. 

How this product works best for me is in-between washes.  I lightly spritz my hair with water, and apply the Nourish & Shine in a few big swoops.  The combination of the spritz and the Nourish & Shine really helps to spruce things up, and keeps my hair moisturized in between wash days.  I'm really a fan of the product.  It just might become part of my staple list.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Coils
Pros:

• Smooth texture is very easy to apply
• A little goes a long way
• Great flowery sent
• Helps to maintain softness and moisture in between washes
• All natural ingrediants
• Can be used on skin also

Con: Product is somewhat pricey

Pure Shea Store Goodies

While at Women's Empowerment last month, I picked up some goodies from Pure Shea Store! I can't wait to try them out! I got them from company founder Chris, aka "The Soapman" himself :-)

Pure Shea Store products are completely natural and created without animal testing, parabens, GMOs or other harmful ingredients. Their focus is on providing products made with the best possible ingredients. All products are made by hand in their warehouse in Baltimore, MD based on the recipe of the founder's grandmothers (Grandma Pearlie and Dee Dee).

I'll be trying out the Mango Hemp-Shea Shampoo Bar, as well as the Shea Leave-In Conditioner.  I've never used a shampoo bar in my life, so I'm very interested to see how I like it! I'll let you know :-)

Check out Pure Shea Store products for yourself at the following website:Pure Shea Store or visit one of their many stores (locations can be found via the website as well).

Tassie - Curly Girl Extraordinaire

Tassie

The other day I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with one of my dear friends Tassie.  This fellow naturalista is a licensed Holistic Skin Care Therapist.  Tassie is the owner of Restorations Holistic Skin Care Services, as well as creator of Tacia Essentials (Skin, Hair, and Body organic product line).   She's a naturalista in about every sense of the word.  So of course I just HAD to interview her :-)

How long have you been relaxer free?

It's been about 9-10 years.

Did you slowly transition or do a drastic big chop?

I big chopped.  Actually, I've done 3 big chops :-)

You did your initial big chop to remove your relaxed hair, but you've also had 2 other big shops since you've been natural.  What were your reasons for the 3?

The 1st time was because I was tired of my hair. The 2nd was because I finally found a support system for natural hair. I wanted to start over utilizing the new support system.  The 3rd time, I felt like my hair should have been longer and it wasn't as healthy as I wanted it to be.  So I just wanted to start over. 

How did family and friends react to your decision to wear your hair naturally curly?

They were very supportive.  (They have no choice, it's my freakin hair lol lol)

What would you say are your biggest hair challenges?

1 - Retaining moisture

2 - Being lazy;  like not doing it every day like I'm suppose to.

3 - I don't want to say styling.... The basic style of the puff I do that alot.  But every now and then styling does become a challenge because I don't really know much.  I get bored with hair so quick.  That's why I could never loc my hair, I would get bored so quick and just boom cut it off quick.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 4 hair products/tools, what 4 would you choose?

1 - Definitely water. That's just obvious. My hair loves water.

2 - Conditioner - It helps to keep it nice and supple.
3 -Tacia Essentials Shea Butter Blend

4 - Paddle Brush - When it's wet with conditioner I take the paddle brush and REALLY comb through it.

Do you have any hair inspirations?  If so who?

There are a few people i like on YouTube.  Let's see... MsVCharles, Longhairdontcare, and +Naptural85 

Any words of wisdom or advice you’d like to pass on to others?

EMBRACE YOUR HAIR!!!!  Love every single stage that you go through because there is always something new to learn.

Product Purchase - Nourish and Shine by Jane Carter Solution

Nourish and Shine


I was in Whole Foods Market this past weekend, and like always I couldn't pass by the health and beauty section without taking a peek.  It always calls my name!!!!  I usually don't purchase anything. Most times I just see what products are there and read labels.  I'm big on "all-natural" and organic type products.  I guess that stems from the vegetarian in me :-)  So of course Whole Foods is one of the biggest chains for "natural and organic products".  It's a vegetarian and health lovers paradise!

Anywho....I decided to purchase Nourish and Shine by Jane Carter Solution.  I've never used it before, but I've heard some good things about it.  It'll let you know how it goes! Wish my luck!  Check out the following video if you'd like to learn more about the product.  It's from the Jane Carter Website.

Attention Raleigh Frugalistas: Shea Butter Bargain

Attention Raleigh Frugalistas: Shea Butter Bargain

OMG, I just went to the beauty supply store!  I was running low on Shea butter, so I figured I would try being proactive by getting some before I ran completely out.  I use Shea butter on both my hair and body.  I have previously purchased at an all-natural beauty supply store in Raleigh (which shall remain nameless) where 16oz retails for $9.99.  I just saw this at K-Discount Beauty in Raleigh, off Glenwood, for $5.99.  That's a whole $4 cheaper!  40% less!  I have been in K-Discount many times, and never saw shea butter.  I probably would have missed it this time if I hadn't taken my time and walked SLOWLY down each and every aisle.  The things you can see when you're not in a rush ;-) 

Even though I went to K-Discount today, I actually didn't think I was going to find any Shea butter. But I went anyway since it was closer than the all-natural store.  So I thought what the heck....it's worth a shot.  And it totally was!

If you live in the Raleigh area and are a shea butter user.  Keep K-Discount Beauty in mind.  Its right off Glenwood, near the Walmart & Burger King.

G3TDYRGWCTXF

Introducing "Hair's Yvie"

Hello World...  Hair's Yvie.....(In my "Tonight Show" voice) lol

I am constantly receiving questions and comments from fellow kinky curly naturalistas (and non-naturals as well) on haircare and hair products.  So in the spirit of sharing, I decided to start a blog to share some of my experiences over the past years (thanks to my fellow UHart alum Juanita's prompting :-) 

I've had alot of trial and error, and some big hits and misses.  What works for one may or may not work for the other so its important to keep at it until you find what your hair response to.

By NO means am I an expert!!!  I still have days when I look like a big ole frizz ball.  But I will say that my good hair days definitely outweigh my bad hair days.  And for that I am thankful!  So for all you naturalista's out there, and those that are contemplating.....keep at it my friends!  Do not be discouraged.  You will find your groove.  I love living the natural life! It is totally worth all the ups and downs!  NO LYE!  :-)