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 - 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. 

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