Co-washes that actually CLEANSE

Co-washing is known in the online haircare community as washing your hair with a conditioner instead of shampoo. This is typically done to avoid the harsh surfactants in shampoos that can strip the hair and leave it frizzy and dry. Co-washing was especially popular before the boom of natural hair products formulated to keep moisture in natural and curly hair types. 

I personally do not cowash because I am concerned about the lack of surfactants (cleansing ingredients) in these cowashes. Most of them leave my hair feeling worse than before I used them. That aside, these companies are quick with their responses to the online haircare community. Now, many of these co-washes contain actual surfactants. These products are more like gentle shampoos than conditioners.

Check out my Kit to see some of these co-washes.

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Eco Styler Series | Olive Oil Gel

Eco Styler is a staple in the unofficial natural hair starter kit. I myself purchased it when I was a new natural. I used it to slick back buns and freeze fros. I wasn't aware that I had hair that could be defined so I never tried it out in that capacity. Now that I'm deeper in my hair journey, I'm trying some of the most popular Eco gels starting with the Olive Oil!

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/fQEPp7TXvgY

Price: 

The price for this product varies as much as it's availability. Pick it up for less than $3 at just about any beauty supply, drugstore, grocery store, or big box store. Even in the countriest of country, you can find and purchase this inexpensive gel.

Ingredients: 

It's not natural if that's what you're looking for. The top 5 ingredients have been highlighted as they are the most present in the product.

Water (Aqua), Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Glycerin, Amino-2-Methyl-1-Propanol, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA, Olive Oil, Fragrance (Parfum), CI 19140 Yellow 5 - Love and Pride.

Smell:

The scent is very masculine. It blends right in with the manly scent of my current leave-in conditioner. I will say that it is not as strong of a scent as some of the other Eco gels I'll be bringing in this series and it dissipates as it dries.

Experience:

This gel went on my hair a lot smoother than I remember eco styler going. I was even able to style my hair in the larger sections I sometimes get away with and it glided through very nicely. My ends were in shock and did not curl up like they do with my usual gel. I sat under the drier with my hair plopped into a scarf to fix this situation.

Though this gel seems to readily rinse on wash day, I do feel as though it leaves a coating on my hair. It isn't a gel-like coating but it does feel like something is still on my hair after I shampoo. My hair lasts right up to the mid-week mark with this gel and not a day more!

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Black Friday Haul | 2017

Listen, Linda! I am NOT  product junkie. I was surprised at my haul this year. I haven't checked the past to verify, but I think this is the biggest haul I have ever had for Black Friday. I will be using these products through to the summer months!

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/-PTHEUARS1Y

Let me know if there is anything in this video that you'd like to see a dedicated video for. I already intend to do a video for the Curly Tee Towel and the Hydra Curl. Neither of these products have a large selection of review videos on them. I also purchased things that I have tried before in the past and may have already made mention in an older video.

Enjoy!

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

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Fall Empties | 2017

Here we go again, my empties video! I believe I am using less product these days. I was more relaxed in my filming of this video so it was still 10 minutes. However, I am usually trying to talk as little as possible about each product to rush it down to the same 10 minutes. 

See what I've been using the past 3 months!

Watch: https://youtu.be/ul2A7fMYYSA

I also featured a subscriber's body butter. Check her out here: https://www.nkechishop.com/

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Shop With Me | Black Friday

I love Black Friday! However, I don't leave my house and neither do I hunt down electronics and toys. Black Friday is one of the few times a year that I buy things for myself. Yup! I do not spend a cent on anyone else on this mega shopping day. That has mostly to do with who I am shopping for and the types of gifts I get. I'm willing to pay full price for family and friends.

What do I buy on Black Friday? Hair products. All of the "boutique" brands are significantly slashed and in many cases offering free shipping. Plus, if I don't buy conditioner and gel for myself, no one else will! I remember someone telling me that asking for hair products for Christmas is like asking for toothpaste. As a natural hair blogger/vlogger, I'd have to disagree with that sentiment. I'd LOVE to get all the things I just bought as gifts. 

This Black Friday I shopped with Hydra Hair Care, Naturally Curly, TGIN, She Scent It, Curl Origin, Mixed Chicks, and Soultanicals. I will do my normal haul video where I discuss the products and give links to exactly what I bought. Watch for that in December.

Watch Video: Part I - https://youtu.be/QaTMdjXztdY, Part II - https://youtu.be/52hS7Mp649U

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Tresemme Naturals Conditioner Is a Scammer!

For those of you familiar with my channel during my Maximum Hydration Phase, you'll know that I used to use Tresemme Naturals conditioner religiously. I purchased bottle after bottle and the rinse out conditioner became my leave-in of choice. 

While using Tresemme Naturals as a leave in I tried several gels and was pleased with the results. I'm now questioning every gel I tried during that period. I was blinded by the conditioner! 

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/ky1-RCqGRFE

A note: I no longer use Tresemme conditioner as the company tests on animals. Check out some cruelty free options on my kit, here.

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

NEW | As I Am Long and Luxe

Did y'all know that As I Am just dropped a new line? No? Well, I didn't know either until someone from a group I belong to on facebook posted about purchasing some products from the line. I instantly felt late--just TARDY, y'all. 

Screenshot so you know it's real

The line features quite a few products:

• GroWash
• GroYogurt
• Scalp Serum
• Curl Enhancing Smoothie
• GroEdges
• Strengthening Shampoo
• Conditioner

I had a closer look at both the Shampoo and Curl Enhancing Smoothie. The ingredients of them both checked out for me. I will likely be trying one or both of them when i'm in the market for a leave-in or shampoo.

Have a look at the line for yourself. Will any of these new products be making their way into your shopping cart?

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Hair Product Haul | Shopping Free on Amazon

I used to have quite the Amazon gift card collection back in the day. I earned all of the cards through regularly using websites and apps that reward their users with gift cards. In more recent times I've switched to Starbucks gift cards but decided to throw it back and get together some Amazon gift cards. With $30.01 loaded and ready, I meticulously went about building up my shopping cart.

The color coordination was NOT intentional

So what did I pick up? 

WETLINE XTREME

Y'all know this is Bae! Wetline is my cheap date that is down for fast food when others--like Kinky-Curly--want to go to the expensive restaurant. I am going to a family wedding soon and I need to go with gel that I know will have me looking presentable.

HERBAL ESSENCES SET ME UP

I have tried this gel before in the past and thought...meh. I've just been in a season of retrying old products and decided to try this with my hair in it's current state of health and with my current styling techniques. I must say that I already like the new packaging. It looks less....cheap.

GARNIER FRUCTIS PURE CLEAN GEL

Again, this is a gel I have tried before. I remember getting good results, clumping curls, and compliments with this gel. However, the gel would lose hold and begin to flake closer to washday. I filmed a review of the gel and got a mean comment on the look of my hair. Just like the last gel, my hair and techniques are different so I'm interested to see what my hair will look like this time around. Will I be able to subtly clap back at the rude commenter or nah? 

KINKY-CURLY COME CLEAN

Word on the street is that this is THE clarifying shampoo for natural hair. I recently read the ingredients of my usual go to clarifying shampoo and was disappointed to see that the cleansers were gentle. I intend to really get my hair clean once a month with this shampoo.

I'm further winning the gift card game because I received free shipping on this order!

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Enter to win Deity America products!

Enter to win Deity America products!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Video | Mixtina Shampoo & Conditioner

Biracial hair can be a tangled web through which to navigate. There are tons of products on the market that each claim to be the solution. Enter Mixtina. These products are formulated to work for a wide range of hair types. In my newest video, I review the shampoo and conditioner.

Watch: https://youtu.be/R0acV6OVC8U

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Video | Products That Didn't Work - vol 1

In the "cotton candy and sugar" world that is natural hair, fails exist. In my newest video, I share some products that were a fail on my hair. 

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/MF6RucmqplA 

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Products Are Finicky!

I was reminded recently that not all hair products will work the way you want to use them. Some products require "special treatment" for them to work. A few weeks ago, I ran out of my beloved Wetline Xtreme hair gel. I took this as the perfect time to try out a gel I had spotted at the Dollar Tree. This gel is called "Wet Line Super Look Extreme Hold Styling Gel" and I had thought that it was perhaps a repackaging of my favorite gel.

Without going into much detail, I was wrong. I followed my regular wash and go routine which includes a final rinse after styling and possibly plopping so that I can do some things around the house or get dressed while my hair is wet. The first sign that something wasn't right was the fact that my hair was dripping. Dripping--for me--usually signals hair that will dry with little hold. That's exactly what I got. My hair was dull, beyond dry, and frizzy. 

Not wanting to waste my money I gave the gel another try with the next wash day but left out the rinse and plopping. I also didn't allow my hair to air dry. I sat under the dryer with cool air on high.The results were soft with tons of movement and curl definition. My hair was a bit coated looking which had me worried. However, a little more time under the dryer on warm the next morning removed all of the white pieces from my hair.

I was ready to draaaaaag this gel but it was really me who was not using it the right way. 

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Video | Natural Hair Product Staples - 2017

You may have noticed that my regimen video didn't showcase any products. In this video, I actually share the products that are my go-tos.

Watch: https://youtu.be/s3m12nkMBUY

More

New! SheaMoisture Dragon's Blood and Coffee Cherry Line

I promise, SheaMoisture is cranking out the new product lines like no one's business! It's hard to keep up with or try them all. Their most recent line has hit Ulta before it hit their own website. The Dragon's Blood and Coffee Cherry Line is labeled as being best for flat, thinning hair and contains the two extracts from which it gets its name within the first five ingredients.

The lineup has both hair and body products:

Hair

• Volume + Shampoo
• Volume + Conditioner
• Volume + Lifting Spray

Body

• Rebound and Revive Bubble Bath & Body Wash
• Rebound and Revive Body Lotion

Skin

• Instant Rebound Mud Mask
• Instant Rebound Foaming Face Wash
• Instant Rebound Facial Moisturizer

As you can see, they pulled out all the stops on this line and touched every area of their brand except for makeup and hair color! I am most interested in trying the Body and Skin lines in their entirety and the conditioner. The conditioner is protein free and does not seem to have any ingredients that would necessarily add more volume to my tresses. Trust, I don't need that.

Wondering what Dragon's Blood is? Don't trip. It's natural and has a Wikipedia page. 😉 Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon's_blood

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Product Review | Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Jelly

As part of my Black Friday haul this year, I picked up the Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Jelly. I can admit that I purchased this product solely off of hype. Youtubers have been singing the praises of this jelly styler and I wanted a piece of the action.

Availability: Curlz.biz, Target, Curlmart, Sally Beauty (and more!)

Price: $18, 8oz

First Five Ingredients: Water, blueberry leaf extract, PEG 40 hydrogenated castor oil, acrylates copolymer, carbomer polymide-1

Scent: Blueberry Margarita 💃🏾

First Trial

I first tried this with my normal wash and go routine-- PrettyWitty77 Leave-in mix (Moroccan My Shine as the base), Shea Moisture Frizz-Taming Smoothie, Blueberry Bliss generously applied, then rake and shake technique throughout. I did a final rinse to help distribute the product and added more gel over top for smoothing. 

Post-styling, my hair seemed to not have any gel on it and when it dried my hair was frizzy and poofy. It was, however, extremely soft and had great movement. I don't particularly like to wear my hair puffy because it causes tangling and makes for unpredictable hair. There is no guarantee how long my hair will last or if it will come down "wearable" the next morning.

Next Trial

I wasn't going out without a fight. I ran out of some of my products and I made a few tweaks to my routine this time around. This time I moisturized with Soultanicals Knot Sauce and Fluff-a-Licious Curl Nutritious followed by an un-godly amount of the Blueberry Bliss. On the front section of my hair I used another gel that did me the same way as the Blueberry Bliss the first time around. 

I then did the rake and shake throughout my hair and SKIPPED the final rinse. These gels just can't last through that. I topped all sections off with a generous coating of my microwave flax seed gel. My thinking was that flax seed gel doesn't do well raked through but it does encase the hair and define curls--especially when generously applied. I did all the raking with the other gels so all I needed to do was glob the flax gel on.

The result? The back of my hair was slamming! It's soft, defined, etc. The side of the front that I cannot see without a mirror also looked good. It's the very front that didn't do so well. This hair is just harder to define anyhow. It takes certain gels to get the coils going in that area.

Final Verdict

I was able to achieve cute hair but at what cost? How much I used (remember, un-godly) and having to top it off with my flaxseed gel recipe which I had to make is just not worth it. I will take from this experience how to use up gels that don't work out for me. I now know to apply a ridiculous amount, not rinse, and top with flaxseed gel. I will be trying this routine for the DevaCurl Arc AnGel since it's not getting any buyers.

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Video | Black Friday Haul | 2016

Black Friday is a day of excess. People run and jump over each other like athletes, couponers and just thrifty people swoon over the deals, and others get everything on their christmas shopping list crossed off. My Black Friday tends to be a bit more laid back. I purchase things just for myself. The New Year is when I use all of the expensive hair products on my favs list because I got them on sale for Black Friday. 

If you are curious to see exactly what hair products I picked up for Black Friday, click here for the video! As per usual, all links to products will be in the description box under the video.

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Video | Eden Bodyworks Coconut Shea Masque | Product Review

The size, price, availability, and previous experience with the brand all drove me to try out the Coconut Shea Masque from Eden bodyworks. In my newest video, I break down the stats on this conditioner and share my experience while using it. Watch the video (link below) to get my full thoughts on this product!

Where to buy: CVS, Kroger, Walgreens, Fred's, Sally Beauty, HEB, Target, Walmart

Price: $8.49

Size: 16oz

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Emulsifying Wax NF, Cetrimonium Chloride, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Steareth-20, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Hydrolyzed Silk, Sodium PCA, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Fragrance (Parfum), Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol (source)

Watch: https://youtu.be/hL_Ie_Xm9Ls

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Not Using My Hair's Staple Products

I was thinking one day and realized that I have not been using my staple hair products since July! It's October, folks! The main reason I've been off "the good stuff" is because I received all those products from As I Am and on top of that I was getting things from the Curls Understood box. This particular subscription box sends more full size products than others. 

I don't like to waste money and typically won't buy something if I have something else in that category at home. As a result of not using my regular products, I haven't had a bomb wash and go in quite some time and a few products have not mixed well and then caused flakes in my hair. The last bit is partially my fault because I could have tested the products before putting them on my hair. 

Thankfully, I'm a pretty laid back person and I don't have to have a perfect hair day everyday. I will keep y'all posted as to when my hair's staples reappear in my routine. 

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Video | $2 Haul! | How to get cheap hair products

I love a deal as much as the next person. I actually love deals so much that I bought these products while I was evacuated due to Hurricane Matthew...yeah... In my newest video, I share the tips I use to get products cheaply and show hair products I got using these tips. 

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/2Rax3mvofhI

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!

Video | Mixed Chicks Deep Conditioner | Product Review

Listen! I am a Mixed Chicks convert! If you are low porosity or just tend toward product buildup, perk your ears up! 

Watch me rave here: https://youtu.be/UJk_8SyJQa8

If you like what you read on my blog be sure to support by subscribing to me on bloglovin', commenting below, and sharing via the social media links. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday!

Some of my posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for clicks or purchases. Thanks in advance for your support!