Time for some action

It's been a while since I've really done anything to my hair.  Since mid-November I kept it away from the cold (or what I thought was cold, so far the weather here in NY has been pretty decent) by doing some kinky twists. Fast forward to last Saturday when I took them out and finally got to see my hair again.  As much as I love the convenience of the twists, I take better care of my hair when it's out.  

Wash day has come around again and I got kinda antsy.  All I wanted to do was play mixtress.  I remembered that I have about 2 lbs of hibiscus powder that I haven't used to why not test it out and see how I like it.  Aside from me hoping to gain a red tint to my hair through regular use, hibiscus powder is said to promote hair growth, reduce shedding while adding shine and softness.  Anything that claims to do those, I gotta try.  

Right now I have a container of about 5 heaping teaspoons of hibiscus powder, a teaspoon of JBCO and about a cup or so of conditioner (part Yes To Cucumbers, part Tressemme Naturals)

It's kinda making me want some red velvet cake but that's besides the point.

I plan on throwing it on my hair right before I head to sleep and seeing how it turns out in the AM.

Wish me luck.

Product Review: L'oreal Ever Strong Reconstructing Conditioner

In my attempts to cut down on products I have to admit I was doing pretty well.  Up until I hit Target.  I don't know what it is about this store but I buy everything!  This purchase was somewhat justified, I had run out of conditioner.  I had moisturizer and butters and oils for days but nothing to wash my hair with.

The doctor in me likes to diagnose myself with things.  Because of a post on Natural Selection, I've come to the conclusion that I have mostly fine hair.  I have a lot of hair but most of the strands themselves are fine and fragile.  Which means the name "EverStrong" drew me immediately.  First off the smell I could live without,  it reminds me of the Suave Rosemary Mint conditioner but stronger.  Not a fan. All I can say about is it this, it's creamy, it's lightweight, it's decent.  I hate the bottle design because I have to fight to get the product out.  I don't feel any difference in the strength of my hair and I've been using this for quite some time.  What I like is that it rinses out easily but that's about it.  It's one of those, I'll use it if I have to conditioners.

Truthfully I probably won't buy this again.

My Verdict: 2/5

Product Review: Yes to Cucumbers conditioner

Another Target purchase.  While buying the L'oreal Ever Strong I had the thoughts of "OMG what if I hate it I need a back up"  Now instead of buying a conditioner that I know and love like HE Totally Twisted, I ventured into the unknown again.  I ran over to the "Yes to" section and grabbed this bottle.  Why? Because everyone speak so highly about it and of course I had got to see for myself.

I'm really happy that I did.  It's a lightweight creamy conditioner that really makes my hair feel soft and moisturized.  What I've been noticing is that my hair responds better to lighter conditioner because the strands of hair are so fine.  There are plenty of posts on YouTube or on blogs where girls swear by leaving a little bit of their co-wash conditioner in their hair, not rinsing it all out.  I can't do that.  My hair looks dull and white.  So I need something light because I need it all to be rinsed out. I also need to guarantee that my hair and scalp feels free and clear of the buildup of the stuff I use over the course of the week and this does just that.

I like that fact that there's not a heavy scent to it.  It reminds me of spring, as cheesy as that may sound.  It's refreshing without being overpowering.

Another plus to this is that it's been lasting a really long time and it's affordable.  It was about 7 or 8 bucks at Target.

This conditioner is most likely become a staple in my hair regimen.

If you have fine hair that is weighed down easily, this is a pretty good alternative to the heavier stuff out there

My Verdict : 4/5

Product Review: Suave Rosemary Mint Conditioner

I did it. This past Saturday, I managed to put my HETT to the side so that I could try another conditioner.  I was having a good hair week too.  I didn't want it to end but it was starting to feel a little oily and build-up-y (please excuse that word i just made up but you get what I'm trying to say.)  After my "meh" experiences with the Suave Almond Shea Butter conditioner I felt like this was gonna be the same thing.

This time around, I did a hot oil treatment with a mix of olive, grapeseed and coconut oil.  I wrapped my hair up in a shower cap with a headband around it so that the oil would seep out, and a scarf over it.  I lounged around, watching a couple episodes of "The Game" on BET then headed to rinse this out.  Now the conditioner is not exactly the thickest, in fact it's a little runny which turned me off.  And the smell isn't a strong mint smell which made me kinda sad because I loved the menthol-y scent of Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle but oh well.

I proceeded to cowash my hair and then added an extra squirt of conditioner to each section just before detangling (out of fear.)  I took my wide tooth comb to my hair, cringing as it got closer and then... butter.  The comb slide right through.  Of course I thought it was a fluke so when I got to the roughest section of my hair and I DIDN"T hear a snap, crackle, pop, I smiled.  I like this conditioner.  It's a nice change of pace from HETT. I'll probably alternate between the two.

This conditioner is advertised as the "invigorating" product from the Suave Professionals line while the Almond Shea Butter is "moisturizing."  Now I grabbed the moisturizing one first because I thought that's what I needed the most.  But as I learn my hair and what it likes/dislikes, I realize I need to easy up on the moisturizing products.  HETT is a definitely a moisturizing conditioner and this is my balance.

If your hair doesn't like heavy conditioners because it gets weighted down easily, you should give this a try.  It's cheap ($2.50) so if it doesn't work you won't be mad that about shelling out a bunch of money.

My Verdict: 3.5/5

Product Review: Herbal Essences Totally Twisted (HETT)

It's wash day!! And of course I have another conditioner to try.

Now I was definitely on the fence because I know that HE Hello Hydration didn't impress me at all until I added honey and oil to it.  You can check out that review here.  Let's start with the smell.  It was a little too much for me as soon as I opened the bottle but it wasn't something that lingered after I washed my hair so I was okay with it.  As for washing, seriously! This ish right here...!  My fingers and comb slid right through.  I'm pretty sure my detangling time was reduced because of the slip, which equals cool points in my book.  I rinsed my hair out and it felt unbelievably soft.  I was convinced that I still had conditioner in my hair but nope.  I hopped out the shower and smiled because that was probably the most enjoyable washing experience I've had.  There was no harsh tugging and pulling, no dry hair after it was rinsed out and I managed to be in and out of the shower in less than 45 mins.

The biggest turn-off to being natural is how time consuming it can be, but my opinion may be changing.  If you use the right method best for your hair then it'll take barely anytime at all.  Now I may be singing a different tune when my hair grows out but I'll deal with that when it comes.

It's great that I don't have to add anything to improve it because it works so well on its own.  Now if only I could find a bigger bottle because I'm gonna go through a lot of it now that it's my new top cowash conditioner.

My verdict: 5/5

I'm probably gonna boost the Suave Almond and Shea Butter conditioner I tried the other day by adding honey and olive oil and use that as a deep conditioner since I don't wanna use the Miss Jessie's all the time and the SM Masque as a DC was a flop.

Product Review: Suave Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner

This is the second product I needed to review after my Target visit.  Throughout my transition I heard such good things about Suave conditioners; how well it moisturized and how cheap it was.  Yes and yes!  Especially the cheap part.  I absolutely want something that works but I run through conditioners pretty quickly because I pile it on while co-washing so I don't wanna shell out $15 or more for something that will be finished in 3 weeks. This cost me maybe $2.50.

The first thing I'll comment on is the smell... There barely is one.  Now for the ladies who can't stand a strong smelling product, this is for you.  I had used my Miss Jessie's Super Sweetback so my hair just smells like bubble gum.  I didn't have to deal with 2 competing scents which is good.

Now, how does it work: The consistency is a lot thinner than I would have thought but the slip is meh.  I had no problems detangling my hair except in the dreaded crown area.  After stepping out the shower and continuing to throw in my leave-in, oils, and what not, the fro still felt decent but i couldn't see the definition that I usually see after stepping out of the shower.  Loss of cool points.

It's supposed to be cheaper alternative to Aveda Dry Remedy (which was suggested to be for my dry hair but the price turned me off) but I haven't tried that yet so I don't know how it works in comparison.

I gotta say... I like it, I don't love it, it may not be a staple but it is something I know will work if all else fails.

My verdict: 2/5