Tuesday, August 25, 2009

MiraCurl Curling Gelly Product Review

 
 MiraCurl Curling Gelly
16oz $20.00
Alright ladies here is my review of the curling gelly by Donn Marie. I love this stuff!! My hair got some serious curl poppin definition and it didn't dry crunchy. I am also able to get 3 day hair so far. Here are some pictures of my hair right after I put it in:

 
and here is my hair after it dried:

 
I am happy because I have finally found a product that will replace my KCCC for $10 less!! I can finally do wash n go styles again and feel good about how my hair looks. If you guys want to know about the ingredients, the scent, consistency check out the intro to this product a few days ago here  http://napturaldiva.blogspot.com/2009/08/beauty-by-donna-marie-products.html

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Beauty By Donna Marie Products

So I woke up to a very surprising package on my door step today! A package from Beauty By Donna Marie, thank you Ayanna!! She has a whole new line up of products that I just had to try. I almost broke the box trying to get into it, LOL I finally opened the box and here is my first impression of the products as I opened them up!




MiraCurl Detangler
Leave In Conditioner
8oz $10.00

Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Linum Usitatissimum (Flaxseed) extract), horsetail extract, Cocos Nucifera (coconut) Milk, citric acid, silver citrate, potassium sorbate and fragrance.

The fragrance is the first thing I noticed when I took the cap off of the bottle. It is a sweet fragrance that could be considered a little strong to some but I love my hair care products to smell really good so I was ok with that. It is a creamy white color and is a little runny, and as you guys should know by now, I like runny conditioners and leave in conditioners because it makes it easier to distribute through out my entire head. The runny texture is a plus for me! It has a great amount of slip on my fingers and kind of disappears on the skin which is great because I hate when my leave ins get white and frothy on my hair. It seems like a good detangler/leave in but I will post an update to let you know how it worked on my hair.




MiraCurl Curling Gelly
16oz. $20.00

Purified water, aloe vera juice, linseed extract, plantago psyllium extract, vegetable glycerin, slippery elm root, rosemary extract, hibiscus extract, xanthan gum, Pro-Vitamin B5, Avocado oil, beet root (for color), silver citrate, citric acid, potassium sorbate and fragrance.


This is the product I was the most excited to try! I have very cottony hair that does not clump together on it's own even though I have a looser wave texture. So a curling jelly really has to deliver in order to work on my hair! The color of it kind of put me off a little because it is slightly pink from the beet root that she uses to add color. It is very goopy and slimy feeling which only means one thing for me, it will make my hair clump perfectly! The texture & consistency really truly reminds me of Kinky Curly Curling Custard, just a pink version and I have to say I am excited about that because that means it just might give me excellent curl definition. So I currently have braids in my hair for a braid out so next week after I get tired of the braid out, I will be trying this product and post my results for you to see!




Lock & Twist Pudding
8oz $10.00

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

This pudding has a strong scent of butterscotch and looks like an actual pudding just a little thicker. The color is a dark vanilla color. I am not a fan of the scent however the texture feels to good to pass up. I have been using other products for my braid outs an twists outs up to this point and I have been happy with my results but if I can get more moisture and definition in my hair using this pudding, then I'll be ecstatic!!

So I will keep you guys posted on my results as I try these products out.

Friday, August 21, 2009

AfroVeda Product Review



Totally Twisted Ginger Almond Butter
$9.00 8oz Jar
$15.00 16oz. Jar
$24.00 320z Jar

This cream is very dense and has a nice light hold to it. It has a light scent to it, even though I am not a fan of the scent it is light enough where it doesn't bother me much and after the 1st day you don't smell it much in your hair. I was able to use the butter for a twist out with out having to use a gel for hold and got great definition and staying power along with great moisture, but this butter has a little more oil in it than my hair needs so I won't purchase this one again but it is a very good butter for styling.




Pur Whipped Hair Gelly
$9.00 8oz Jar
$15.00 16oz. Jar
$24.00 320z Jar

This hair gelly is one of my all time favorites. I gives a really nice hold, great curl definition and when layered with one of the AfroVeda butters you get softness, hold definition and moisture. By itself it gives a nice shine and a pretty firm hold, but no flaking and no crunchiness. This also works well to slick back your edges for a pony tail or a puff. I haven't tried it for wash n go's yet but wen I do I will be sure to let you guys know my out come. This hair gelly has replaced my EcoStyler gel basically because I get the hold I need and it doesn't dry my hair out.




CoCoLatte Moisture Mask
$9.00 8oz Jar
$15.00 16oz. Jar
$24.00 320z Jar

I originally thought that this was a deep conditioner when I saw it on the website but found out later that it is indeed a very moisture rich hair butter. I opened the jar and immediately got hit with the smell of cocoa, like Palmers Coco Butter and Hershey's Cocoa mixed together. I am not really a fan of that smell so the scent kind of bothers me but after a few hours the scents goes away. I did my twists with this butter and found that my hair was super moisturized and shiny but after a few hours my hair seemed to dry out just a tiny bit. From the feel and texture of this butter there doesn't seem to be much oil in this product, and my hair needs a balance of moisture and oil to seal it. So I could use this butter and then put an oil on top to seal in the moisture but I didnt feel like it. This butter works wonders on my daughters heads but on my hair it just wasn't enough. I do like it but not enough to use it on my hair again after I use up jar I have. I will continue to use it on my children's hair though.




Shea Amla Whipped Butter Cream
$9.00 8oz Jar
$15.00 16oz. Jar
$24.00 320z Jar

This is by far the best moisturizer by AfroVeda! It works wonderfully for my hair, gives great moisture, shine, has a light hold, and the scent is super duper spicy. When ever I do my braids and twists with the butter I get the best results that last 3-4 days. It has just the right amount of moisture and oils for my hair. I have already ordered another jar in a larger size because I like it so much. My hair feels better, surely looks better, and hold moisture much better than it used to now that I use this butter as my daily moisturizer.

Darcy's Botanicals Product Review

Many of you have been following my videos on YouTube and you know that since Kinky Curly raised their prices of my beloved Curling Custard, I am no longer purchasing or using the product. So I have been desperately looking for a product to replace it with, that gave me elongation, curl definition, moisture, & a firm hold without the crunchiness. I have tried many types of gels, and I think I have found my new love in curl defining products!!

These 3 products I am going to review can be found on Darcy' Botanicals at http://darcysbotanicals.com/














Natural Coils Curling Jelly
Price: $12.00
Size: 80z.

Here is what the website had to say about this product:
Many of you beautiful naturals & curlys have asked us for a hair gel that would help to enhance and define your lovely coils:)

We had to release this sooner than expected due to popular demand!!!!

Our NEW Natural Coils Curling Jelly will give your natural coils & waves everything you have been looking for in a natural hair gel.

* Definition
* Softness
* Sheen
* Hold
* Healthy Conditioning
* No Frizzies
* Easy Detangling
* Affordable Price

Our Natural Coils Curling Jelly will not leave your hair flakey or dry:)


Product Information

HOW DOES THIS WORK?
Our Natural Coils Curling Jelly works to enhance & define your natural coils and waves while also giving you hold, softness, and healthy conditioning.

WHAT'S IN IT?
Distilled Water, Organic Aloe Juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Coconut Cream, Organic Castor Oil, Sea Moss Extract, Organic Brown Rice Extract, Hydrolyzed Oats, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid and Fragrance.

HOW DO I USE IT?
Apply a small amount throughout wet or dry hair for hold or for an easy wash n' go style.

*Use to gently soften and detangle your natural hair .
*Use to help hold your coils & waves.
*Use to enhance & define your coils & waves
*Can use to do comb coils.
*Can also use to tame frizzies!

Price: $12.00
Size: 8oz

***********************************************************************************

OK so here is what I have to say about it:

When I first received it I was a little disappointed because on the website the color of the curling jelly was a clear white color and kind of resembled one of myfavorite products which I won't mention here. So when I got it the color was a dark taupe color, not at all what I was expecting. The consistency was a little runny and goopy, again not what I expected. The scents was like fresh peaches, I am not a fruity smell type of person but the scent was light enough where it didn't bother me much. There is a lot of slip in this product which will aid in the application and should enable me to glide it right through my hair. It is goopy enough to cause my curls to clump but not super tacky. So I went and applied it to my hair in sections using the rake and smooth technique and what I found was that is made my hair clump and curl pretty easy. The application was quite easy. My hair got elongation and curl definition without feeling greasy or sticky. The plus was that my hair didn't take an entire day to dry, and after it dried my hair felt soft, moisturized, had sheen with no frizziness.

I was also able to get 2nd day and 3rd day hair from this one application. So all in all I am lovin this curling Jelly and will be using this again for my wash n go days.


***********************************************************************************




Daily Leave-In Conditioner
Price: $12.00
Size: 80z

Here is what the site had to say about it:

Looking for something to help keep your lovely coils and curls in top notch condition?

Darcy's Botanicals NEW Daily Leave-In Conditioner will tame your frizzies, provide healthy conditioning, moisture, softness, and will make your hair easy to detangle!

Can apply a generous amount to wet hair. Use on dry hair to moisturize & maintain your hair styles.

OW DOES THIS WORK?
Use as a daily or weekly leave-in to help detangle, moisturize, defrizz, and soften your lovely curls.

WHAT'S IN IT?
Distilled Water with Yarrow, Sage, Nettle & Lavender, Vegetable Glycerin, Avocado, Sunflower, & Sesame Oils, BTMS (a mild conditioning emulsifier), MSM, Guar Silk, a paraben-free preservative, and fragrance.

HOW DO I USE IT?
Apply a generous amount throughout wet or dry hair for healthy conditioning and moisture.
*Use to gently soften and detangle new growth while transitioning to natural hair .
*Use to soften & detangle your coils & curls
*Use it as a daily or weekly leave-in to naturally condition dry curls & waves.
*Use to add much needed moisture to parched curls.
*Use to condition locs, twists & braids.

8 oz. PET bottle

*Over 98% Natural
***********************************************************************************

Here is how I feel about the product:

This leave in feel very smooth, a little watery but that actually worked to my advantage because It allowed me to evenly distribute it through out my hair. I ordered it in the Frankincense & Myrrh scent. I was expecting it to be a strong spicy scent, but instead it was a light scent, just enough to leave your hair lightly scented.

It detangled my 3c & 4a sections of hair like a dream and the sections that are 4b detangled just as easy. After it dried my hair was really soft and moisturized, and even gave me a little curl definition. So this leave in conditioner is a keeper!!

***********************************************************************************




Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme
Size: 8oz.
Price: $12.00

Our hand whipped Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme is an all natural hair butter cream for moisturizing, styling and conditioning your natural coils.

It absorbs instantly into hair to replenish much needed moisture, provide softness, sheen & encourages health hair growth.

This highly moisturizing creme is very thick & concentrated so a little goes a long way. It is perfect for type 3-4 naturals:)

It has a very thick concentrated buttercream consistency with the sweet smell of gently infused African Madagascar Vanilla that is truly heavenly! Our customers love the scent. Many say it smells like vanilla ice cream, some say it smells like a sweet bourbon vanilla, depending upon how long we infuse the vanilla:)

Once you try it, you'll be hooked!

SPECIAL NOTE: We now use CANDELILLA WAX instead of beeswax in this recipe due to popular demand:)

8 oz. PET jar

*100% Natural
*100% Vegan

Product Information

HOW DOES THIS WORK?
Our Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme is a luscious blend of all natural oils that will provide healthy conditioning, add sheen, softness & moisture to your naturally curly hair.

WHAT'S IN IT?
Organic Palm Oil, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Madagascar Vanilla, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, Candelilla Wax, Organic Castor Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil and Potassium Sorbate.

HOW DO I USE IT?
*Use it as a hair moisturizer to naturally condition dry curls, locs & waves.
*Use as a styling butter for twists, braids, afros, and locs.
*Use to promote healthy hair growth
*Many of our customers also use it as a body butter!!! Works great as a multi-purpose hair & body butter:)
*******************************************************************************************
Here's how I feel about it...

This was a sample that was sent with my order. I was already using the AfroVeda products for my braid outs & twists outs and was completely happy with my results so when I got the sample of the the Madagascar Vanilla Styling Cream I wasn't that anxious to try it out. After about a week of having it I decided to try it. So I washed my hair and put in some of the Daily Leave In by Darcy's Botanicals since i like to layer products from the same brand. Then I sectioned my hair and put in some braids for a braid out. I let the braids stay in my hair over night like I usally do, then in the morning I took the braids out to reveal a beautiful braidout. My hair was soft to the touch and shiny, but it didn't feel as moisturized as when I use AfroVeda products on my hair. Through out the day I noticed that my hair frizzed up more than usual, and when I refreshed on 2nd day hair it was more frizzy. My hair was still soft but it didn't hold my hair as well as I would have liked it to. So this gives a good hold for the first day but not enough hold to be able to get more than 1-2 days out of it, and by the second day I needed to add more product so that I could get some moisture. I am used tonot having o do that with my AfroVeda products.
*******************************************************************************************


All in all I like these 3 products, especially in conjunction with with one another but I will only continue to use the Daily Leave In & the Natural Coils Curling Jelly for my wash n go days. The Madagascar Vanilla Styling Cream just didn't have enough hold for my hair for so I will continue to use my other products for styling for my braid outs and twist outs.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Saniyyah Naturally Products

For those of you looking for natural products to not only style your hair but fix & maintain the health of your scalp and hair, I have the products for you! Saniyyah Naturally products are great ad for my sistas with scalp conditions these products are just for you!

They can be purchased here at http://www.saniyyah-naturally.com



Lemongrass & Aloe Vera Pomade

This is a must have for styling and grooming of twists, locks, straw sets, smoothing edges, pony tails and any style which requires the use of gel. It works like a gel but with the benefits of natural oils and moisturizers that provide a soft and smooth style without dryness. Lemongrass & Aloe Vera Pomade provides excellent natural hold and moisture to the natural hair.

Ingredients:
aloe vera gel, olive oil, castor oil, coconut oil, lanolin, lavender, rosemary, flax seed, sage, lemongrass, calendula, ylang ylang.


** This pomade is like a cross between a gel and a pomade if that makes sense. It's thick kind of oily and has a very strong citrus smell. All in all I like the product and it does exactly what the product was meant to do. The fragrance will take some getting used to by those who have sensitive noses and it would be nice to offer other fragrances other than the lemongrass but that isn't a big problem.

I used this on freshly washed hair, left my hair damp and did some twists with this the first time, and coils on another day. Both times my hair stayed shiny, had a nice firm hold, and the shine was great! Because of all the oils in this product a little goes a long way, but it keeps the hair soft but still gives hold. My twist out at the end of the week was amazing, the definition was very smooth and coily. I did try this product for wash N Go styles but it doesn't work to well on type 4 hair with a cotton texture like mine. For braids, twists, coils and even locs, this products would do great! All in all I like the product and will be using it for my husband locs.






Lemongrass Herbal Leave In Conditioner & Strengthener

Delivers essential vitamins and minerals to the hair follicle and core of your hair. Strengthen and grow your hair immediately and effectively. Combines natural amino acids, essential fatty acids, and herbs that repairs and revitalizes breaking, damaged, balding and thinning hair. Take this strengthener very seriously because it does exactly what it promises to do. It will grow your hair and stimulate hair growth even in the most difficult cases. Excellent for use on all hair textures.

Ingredients:
purified water, flax seed, arnica, nettle, calendula, rosemary, sage, burdock, and lemongrass.


This leave in conditioner has a lemongrass scent that is quite strong so again if you don't light the smell of lemongrass you may not like the product. I use this spray right after I wash my hair, I spray my scalp and hair. It doesn't detangle at all, and it doesn't really soften or keep he hair soft like other leave in condiitoners, but what it does do is stop the itching on my scalp, keeps the dryness away, works as a light styler if your going to do a chunky fro, and also has made my hair a little stronger. I no longer have shedding like I did before. So I wouldn't use this as a detangler but as a strengthener or anti itch spray for locs, this would be great! My hair also stays very shiny with the spray, I use it in the morning to refresh my twists, braids & coils. I wouldn't mix this leave in with other product lines because of the fragrance but for those that like the earthy scents in products this will do great!


Tea Tree/Neem Shampoo

This sulfate free shampoo with a tingly blend of antiseptic herbs, oils, conditioners and moisturizers is the perfect medley of natural antiseptics that are an excellent relief of and prevention of dandruff, eczema, ring worm, psoriasis, and any unhealthy scalp and skin conditions. It contains no alcohol, SLS, harmful fillers, or sudsing agents that dry your hair.

Ingredients:
coconut oil, flax seed, neem, calendula, burdock root, rosemary, sage, arnica, nettle, tea tree, peppermint, sea salt.

This shampoo is great for those who have scalp conditions like dandruff, dry scalp, psoriasis, dermatisis and more... It helps to clean and purify the scalp and hair of bacteria because of the neem and the tea tree. It doesn't dry my hair out but it does get rid of the problems going on with my scalp. I was pleasantly surprised when I tried this shampoo because I was expecting it to make my hair feel like straw but it didn't. It got my hair really clean and my scalp felt really good. It took the itchiness I have on my scalp away and calmed it right down. I do belive this may be a keeper for me.



Healing Salve

You’ve got the right one baby! Excellent for aggravated scalp conditions such as eczema, dryness, alopecia, and chemical damage to the hair and scalp, and to seal in healing and moisture. The right combination of herbs and sealing oils to impart the right healing, moisture, and soothing relief to your hair and scalp. Stops itching fast!


Ingredients:
lanolin, castor oil, neem, calendula, chickweed, burdock, lemongrass, tea tree, flax seed, lavender, and Saniyyah’s private mix.

This salve was not at all what I expected, actually I didn't know what I was expecting to be honest. When I got it in the mail I opened it up and immediately I was like OH NO! It looked like the old school hair grease our parents use to grease our scalp with after a shampoo. But when I touched it, it immediately melted on my fingers. So I tried some on my scalp in my tender areas and wow!! It immediately soothed my scalp right down. No itching, burning, or inflamation. And about 15 minutes later the salves had totall penetrated my scalp and there was barely any oil left on my scalp. So I didn't have to worry about oil just sitting on my scalp. This is a keeper for me because nothing has worked like this for my scalp before, not even prescriptions from the doctors.

This line is a very natural hair care line, the fragrances are all natural along with the oils and other ingredients. They are chocked full of unncessary fillers and preservatives. Pretty much what you see is what you get!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

I am now on Twitter!

I have been procrastinating about this and now I have finally done it! You can now follow me on Twitter, for anyone who is interested in what I am doing through out my day! So I just want to give you a heads up, so don't forget to follow me to get a head start on the products that I purchase and the things I use on my hair. See ya there!!

http://www.twitter.com/CoilsKinksCurls