Wet Twists Vs. Dry Twists

The most common question I get from people is, "Do I twist my hair while it is dry or wet?" My answer is simply, "It's all about your preference." What do you want from your hair? Do you want length or volume? how long to you want your twists to last?


Why Wet Twists?

The reason you would want wet twists would be for definition to your curls. With your hair, you are able to de tangle your hair easily. To twist your hair you can use your favorite leave in conditioner and seal with a little oil which will help you maintain the moisture in your hair. This by far is my favorite type of twists out. No because you are doing a wet twists you must know you will experience shrinkage to the MAX. However, the volume of you curls will be amazing once you decide to separate for a twist out. What I notice from wet twist outs is less frizz and I normally can keep the twists for about a week and half and when I am ready to untwist my hair it doesn't tangle.

Why Dry Twists?

                             

If you want to have more length, the dry twist would be for you. By dry twisting you will be able to stretch your hair minimizing the amount of shrinkage that you have. Your hair may not have as much volume, but it will still have a nice curl definition. Normally with dry twists, I notice frizz, but when I untwist it is still gives me nice results. The frizz actually makes my hair look like it has more volume.

Karen's Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia Leave-in Conditioner

5/5

Ingredients: Purified Water, Jojoba and Avocado Oils, Vegetable Wax, Panthenol, Arnica, Calendula, Echinacea, Nettle & Horsetail Extracts, Vegetable Glycerin, Wheat Germ Oil, Essential and/or Fragrance Oil, Natural Enzymes & Vitamin E

Price: $16.00 8 oz
Since I started this Natural hair journey, I was never big on ingredients. I met Karen Tappin, founder of Karen's Body Beautiful at Atlanta Haute Hair Affair, and she went over the importance of ingredients. She spoke on why Natural ingredients were best for our hair and the effects some of the common ingredients we see in products have on our hair. She informed me that the Sweet Ambrosia Leave-in Conditioner would be great for my hair and how she used it for her hair. I decided to see what the hype was about for this conditioner.

I picked the Creamy CoCo Mango as the fragrance for my leave-in and it smells heavenly. Love it. It is very light and has a great slip. A little of this product goes a long way. I followed the directions as follows: Apply a generous amount of product to the hair when damp or dry to refresh and moisturize. Can be used several times a week or daily . I have used this product on both damp and dry hair. The results were amazing. I really loved the results of the product when I used it on my dry hair. The definition of my Curls were amazing. I applied the products and brushed it through and my curls were going wild (good thing).  My hair stayed moisturized and curls maintained there definition for almost an entire week. I have also used this product with EcoSyler gel and it doesn't leave any residue or flakes. It had a nice shine to it.

Repurchase? Of course I would. This product is amazing. I use it every few days. It leaves your hair soft and moisturized. I can't wait for Karen's Body Beautiful to come back to Atlanta for the Natural Hair show so I can purchase her other products.

EcoSttyler Olive Oil Gel

5/5

For All Hair Types

Alcohol Free

Made With 100% Pure Olive Oil

Maximum Hold

Helps your scalp regulate its own Natural moisturizing system

No Flakes. No tack. Anti-Itch

Contains UV Protection 

Ingredients: Water, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, PVP, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hydroxymethlglycinate, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA, Olive Oil, Fragrance, Blue 1, Yellow #11

I wasn't really a big gel fan but from the beginning of this Natural Hair journey, I have been introduced to gels. I started by using Taliah Waajid Lock gel, which I loved, however it didn't give me enough hold for the style that I like to wear through the week, so I started searching for a  new product. I wasn't aware of the new Olive Oil Gel that Eco Styler had. All I could think of when I thought of the gel was the dark gel that my mother used to put in my hair to keep my Natural hair, when I was younger, pulled back into a pony tail. To my surprise, when visiting a store, they had many more. The one that caught my eyes was the Olive Oil Gel

There were three things that where Key that caught my eye; Maximum Hold, No Flakes, Alcohol Free. My hair is about a 4a and is very coily. Its so hard trying to get my hair to smooth down and not puff up. To my surprise, this gel did the trick. My hair was smooth and the waves and shine that the gel provided were amazing in my hair. I use this product everyday and the good thing about it is you can use it along with other products and your hair will not flake. I have never had good experiences with clear or light color gels so this products changed my views.

My views on clear gels have changed. My favorite "Hands Down" top pick gel is ECOStyler Olive Oil Gel. I use this gel for everything from my Pony 'Fros to twist outs. I am almost out of this problem and I will make sure that I purchase the biggest one I can from the store.

Hydratherma Naturals Amino Plus Protein Conditioning Treatment

5/5

Enriched With 10 Amino Acids, Vitamins & Natural Botanical Extracts

Ingredients
INGREDIENTS: Water/Aqua, Cetyl Alcohol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Panthenol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Phytonadione, Pyridoxine HCL, Biotin, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Sorbitol, Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Arginine, Lysine, Glutamic Acid, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Panax Ginseng Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Fragrance/Parfum, Methyl Gluceth-10, PEG-45M, Triethanolamine, Citric Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone. PARABEN FREE

Price: 15.99 (8 oz)

Review: I haven't done a deep conditioning treatment in a long time and I have actually never done a protein treatment. I thought it was pretty cool that you have a 2 in 1. This is another product that was in my July CurlKit and I have the time to do a review now. I followed the directions as on  bottle. After shampooing, gently towel blot hair and saturate hair with conditioner from root to tip. Cover head with plastic cap and sit under warm dryer for 10-20 minutes then rinse with warm water. As of now, you should no that I am big on smells. The smell of this conditioner was delightful. It had a sweet smell and was very light. It had a great slip I have to say I'm impressed with the way my hair felt afterwards. I've heard that proteins can dry you hair but after I washed my hair it had a nice shine to it so it doesn't look like my 4a hair is protein sensitive at all. I would recommend anyone that is looking for a good protein treatment to try this one out.

Twistedsista De-frizz Conditioner Review

4/5

Instantly Detangles and Hydrates

Contains Argan Oil & Honey

Free From Sulfates, Parabens, Phthalates & Mineral Oils

twisted sista conditioner feeds moisture back into thirsty hair that is prone to frizz. To deliver intensive conditioning where needed without making the roots greasy or hair feeling lank.

Price: 4.99  6.76 fl oz

Ingredients: Aqua (Water)  Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-44, Dimethiconol, Ceteareth-20, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Litchi Chinesis Pericarp Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey, Glycerin, Benozophenone-4, Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, C11-15 Sec-Pareth-12, Parfum (Fragrance), Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, SOdium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methlchloriosothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Magnesium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene.

Directions: Smooth product through the mid-lengths and ends of damp hair. Gently work through with a wide-tooth comb or fingers and then rinse thoroughly in warm water.

Review: In my June CurlKit, I received a full sized TwistedSista de-frizz conditioner and have finally got a chance to do a review. I must first say that I Love the smell of this conditioner. It has a sweet and floral smell. The conditioner was very think. Not the typical conditioner, so I did have to apply a lot of conditioner to my hair. Although thick, it had enough slip to it to allow me to detangle my hair. I must say it was easy to detangle and also left a nice shine to my hair.

Overall this is a product I may use again. Although i had to apply a lot of the product to my hair it did what it said it would do. My hair was easy to detangle and I could have rocked my curls with a wash and go. The definition of the curls were nice so I'm sure if I allowed it to dry as it was, I would have been able to see that it worked as a de-frizzer.

U R Curly Soya Shampoo Review

4/5

 

Free of Alcohol, Parabens, Sulfates & Dyes

Made with Soy Protein

Enriched with Abyssinian Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Echinacea & Aloe

Overview: Weather you wear your hair long or short the friendly ingredients found within our weightless U R Curly Soya Shampoo will clean and moisturize your hair leaving it smooth and soft to the touch. Our unique formula is alcohol-free, rich with soy protein and enhanced with tea tree oil, echinacea and aloe to soothe your scalp, reduce breakage, nourish damaged hair and help promote hair growth - helping you reach your hair goals,

Price: 8.99 10 Fl Oz

Ingredients: Artesian Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Soidum Cocoylisethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium CocoylTaurate, PEG 150 Distearate, Polyquat1 0, Menthol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Polysorbate 20, Metaleauca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil (Abyssinian Oil), Fragrance, Aloe Extract, Echineacea Extract, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazoline

Review
My hair was needing a lot of TLC, so I decided that it would be a good time to do a couple of reviews. I decided to wash my hair with the UR Curly Soya Shampoo (Full Size 10 fl oz) that I received in my July CurlKit. U R Curly is one of the newest brands to the Natural Market and I was ready to see what made it a great product. Lets start with the smell. I am into more of a fruity or just a normal shampoo smell so I wasn't a big fan of the Menthol smell. The shampoo was a little thick and I had to apply quite a bit to get it to lather.  I followed the directions exactly as it was on the bottle by massaging it into a lather and then allowing it to sit for 2 minutes. I loved the tingle it provided as it sat in my hair.  My hair felt nice and clean and it didn't feel striped or dry. It was as they said soft to touch.

Overall I think the products is nice and although the smell was a little strong I love the results it had on my hair. I think I will use the product in the future.

HoneyChile HairLove Curly Chat

Tazia Armstead, founder and creator of HoneyChile HairLove, hosted a Curly Chat Event today. She talked about how her Natural Journey started and the importance of Natural Ingredients. She broke down the ingredients that we are use to see in our store bought favorite shampoos and conditioners and the affects it can have on your hair. She then shared the benefits of choosing all Natural Ingredients. All of her products are home made and every ingredient added to her products can easily be read and recognized. I got the Rosemary Rejuvination Treatment which helps generate hair growth and can't wait to see the benefits it has on my hair. Each Curly got a swag bag. My swag bag included the Honey Boom Moisturizing Shampoo and the Curl glaze and other samples from her sponser. I also won during her giveaway some very beautiful bracelets from one of her sponsers. Overall I was amazed at Ms. Armsteads love and passion for her products and can't wait to try and see if they become my new statple products.

Reveiew Coming Soon On Her Products

Curly Meet-Up with CurlBox, Carol's Daughter, and Atlanta Naturals

Carol's Daughter, at Lenox Square Mall, celebrated their new hair product line Hair Milk. Myleik Teele, Founder and CEO of CurlBox hosted the event. At the event several of Atlanta Naturals waited eagerly in line to have a chance to get their hands on Carol's Daughter products. They did live demonstrations of their product line, had tasty drinks and treats, giveaways, and raffles. Techturized also had a table set up where you would be able to share your hair journey. Check out the pictures below of the event.

Carol's Daughter New Hair Milk Line. Can't wait to try mine.

Make sure you get your CurlBox Subscription.

Share your Hair Journey with Techturized

Hair Milk. Simple. Perfect. Curl. 1 2 3

Help from the best for selecting the best products for your hair.

Live Demonstrations. Even Myleik got hands on and her twist weren't bad.

August CurlBox!!!!

So in my hands, once again, is the Curlbox. This is my third CurlBox and I'm super excited about this one.

What Is CurlBox? It is a monthly subscription service. Each month you will receive samples of hair products. Brands that you will be familiar with and some that you/ve never heard of. That's the beauty of the CurlBox. You get to try them out before you invest in the product and you can cancel at anytime.

                   Subscriptions are currently sold out - Make sure you get on the list

Here's the mag card. On the inside as always there is a letter from Myleik, founder & CEO of CurlBox and it goes over what is in the box and a description. On the back it shows ideas in the making which I am excited about; CurlBox Natural & CurlBox Baby.

Before I could get to my CurlBox the first thing I noticed was the Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Styling Cream sitting on the top. They actually had to order bigger boxes for this month's CurlBox and I see why. There was just no way they would have been able to fit it into the box.

In the Box                                                       


Two Full Size Products
                                                          
                                                        
Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hiar Coconut Styling Cream
(Retail 8.00 12 0z)

Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Pudding Style. Define. Hold
(Retail 22.00 6oz)
                             


We also received samples too !!

Palmer's Organi-Gro Deep Condioner (retail: 4.67 8.8 oz)
Soft N Free Nothing But Cleansing Conditioner ( retail: 8.99 16 oz)
Soft N Free Nothing But Curly Puddling (retail: 8.99 8.8 oz)
Soft N Free Nothing But Curl Sealer (retail: 7.99 8.8 oz)
Twisted Sista Curl Activator (retaill: 4.99 3.38 oz)




Thoughts

There it is #TeamNatural the Augst CurlBox Unboxing. Overall I am very excited about all of the products that I received but the icing on the cake was the Carol's Daughter hands down. The full retail price of the product exceeds the price of the subscription. Review will be coming up soon.

August Curlkit

It's here .... It's here. So I received my Curlkit today and I was actually surprised at how fast it arrived because I just received the shipping confirmation on Sunday. I don't like Mondays but to come home to my CurlKit in my mailbox yesterday was a pleasant surprise.


What is Curlkit?
What is CurlKit, you ask? CurlKit is a monthly subscription service for us Naturals. They offer 6-9 product samples in each Curlkit. In your Curlkit you'll find everything from conditioners to styling aids.

Island Splash

Each CurlKit has a theme and the theme of this month was Island Splash. Usually the Curlkit has a card that comes with the theme but this month it came with a cute little book like card. On the first page was there hello to us and the different products that were in this months kit. I must add that the box smelled edible. 

The Contents

1. Alikay Naturals/ Black Onyx: Avocado Cream Moisture Repairing Hair Mask
2. Jamaican Mango & Lime: Coiling Creme Pudding
3. Nice & Curly: Same Day Repair Creme Conditioner
4. Amazing Botanicals: Hibiscus Gel
5. L.A.C.E. Naturals: Mas Humedad (More Moisture) Cream
6. Wondercurl: Mango Colada Polishing Pomade
7. African Pride: Shea Butter Miracle Silky Hair Moisturizer
8. 4 Naturals: Afro Stretch Curl Cream
9. Nourishea: Mango Conditioner

**** Number 8 was suppose to be the 4 Naturals Spring Back Curling Custard but I received the Afro Stretch ****

Thoughts


OMG. So everyone that was the August Curlkit. They box smelled delicious. I will be trying everything in this months CurlKit. I can't wait until September they have been keeping a smile on my face since my April CurlKit.  Make sure you get your CurlKit. Don't miss out on this month or next months kit. Reviews coming soon.

Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter

5/5

Description


Moisturizing butters of olive oil and mango produce this intensely rich thermal protecting treatment. Use daily for softer fuller looking hair


Ingredients

NEW Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Capric Capryllic Triglycerides, PEG-75 Lanolin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Retinyl Paltimate (Vitamin A), Tocopherol (VItamin E), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin (Vitamin H), Linonoleic Acid (Vitamin F), Persia Gratissima (Avocado) Oil [contains Vitamins B2, D, A, E, K, and Potassium], Parfum (Fragrance), Imidazolidinyl Urae, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Hydrolyzed Silk, Butylparabend, Cl19140 (FD&C Yellow 5).

I used this product along with a gel to do a twist out for my Pony 'Fro and it did great. I put my hair into six flat two strand twist and used this product along with gel so it would hold. I un twisted my hair and was fascinated by the results. My hair was soft and stretched. Normally my hair is shrunk and you can't tell that I have any length, but when I tell you that this product does wonders, Believe Me. My hair didn't smell bad and the smell of the product is not over powering. Using the product with the gel did not cause any build up of clumps in my hair.

If there is one product that I will be recommending, it will be the Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter. It, hands down, is the BEST hair moisturizer I have ever used. Who knew that my 4a type hair would be able to be soft and manageable and with this Georgia heat be able to maintain moisture through the day. I have to go stock up on this product because I am down to the last bit. Did I mention that this product is AFFORDABLE. Why wouldn't you go get it?

TALIAH WAAJID HAIR LOCK IT UP MOISTURE GEL

5/5

Advertised: This light, non-greasy formula has natural ingredients that enhance the natural curl of chemical free hair. This makes it easier to start and maintain locks. A great alternative to bees wax or other similar products which can build up and weigh the hair down. Excellent for retouching the roots of locked hair during lock grooming. For best results, sit under a hooded dryer after use. Lock it up penetrates the hair shaft and adds moisture to the hair without leaving a gummy feeling. Lock it up dries leaving the hair soft and shiny.

Ingredients: Black Earth formula, which consists of Pure Deionized Water T.E.A. Natural Herbs, Indian Hemp, Yarrow Roots, Rosemary, Nettle, Natural Hair Locking Recipe Hydrolyzed Protein, Carbomer 940, Natural Preservative, Nipa Guard, Fruits Fragrance, Bio-Flavonoids.

Price: 6oz for $7

Review

Gels do very well with my hair and I used the Taliah Waajid Hair Lock It Up. I have finally got the time to post a review on it. With Taliah Waajid she is the founder of the Natural Hair products. When I big chopped in March my beautician informed me of her products. She has a variety and thy don't damage your pockets.

With this product my hair loved it. It was not thick and the smell was very nice and light. It smelled sweet somewhat.  I used the product on my hair while it was damp and put two strand twists throughout the back of my hair. I then untwist my hair in the morning and it looked great. My hair was not crunchy.

It was still nice and soft and actually had a nice shine to it as well. It did not leave flakes in my hair and I was able to maintain my twists for almost a week before having to re twist it. For those that like a tight hold, this specific one is not for you. You should try the Taliah Waajid Hair Lock It Up Tight. I haven't tried it yet but I may soon. So I give this product two thumbs up.

Karen's Body Beautiful Atlanta Haute Hair Affair

On August 4, 2012, Karen's Body Beautiful held their second annual Haute Hair Affair Meetup. Karen Tappin, owner of Karen's Body Beautiful, is a beautiful and knowledgeable Natural. She spoke about the importance of ingredients and their affects. She left no ones questions unanswered.

We were then able to mix and mingle with other Naturals. Her team of brand ambassadors where there to provide hair product information to help us purchase products that would suite our hair needs. Because Karen and I, to me, where hair twins she was able to direct me to the best products for my hair. I purchased her sweet ambrosia leave in conditioner in the Creamy Coco Mango scent and cant' wait to try it as she suggested for detangling and styling my twists.

She also provided a gift bag of two samples. One was a full size Maximum Moisutre Body Lotion in Coco Lime, which smells heavenly, and the other was a 30ml sample of Creamylicious in Lucious Pear. Overall I really enjoyed myself and embraced the gift of knowledge that Karen was able to give us and I look forward to her third annual Haute Hair Affair.