My Hair Regimen

My hair regime has been the same since I went natural in May of 2010. I may change some things depending on the way my hair feels but it usually stays the same. Just remember that your hair regime doesn't have to be complicated.


Wash day (Once a week): I will take my hair out of the style that it was in during the week. At this point I will determine if I will do a pre-poo or if I will just go straight to washing. If I do a pre-poo I will either use a foil shower cap or my huetiful steamer because heat helps to allow the oil penetrate the strands.
Detangling: I will use a "cheapie" conditioner to detangle my hair and to remove any shed hair. My hair will then go into about 12 two strand twists and the twists will stay in while washing. 
Shampoo: I will wash my hair and use the pads of my fingers to massage and shampoo my scalp only. When I rinse my hair out the shampoo will run down my strands and the product build up will be removed in that way. I will always use a sulfate-free shampoo.
Deep Condition: I will DC every time I wash my hair. I will apply a deep conditioner and either steam my hair with my Huetiful steamer or use my Heat therapy Wrap for thirty minutes to an hour.


Styling: I will use a leave-in conditioner of my choice, as of recently it has been Karen's Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia in Vanilla Latte. I will seal in the moisture with my shea butter mixture and do a two strand twist for the week. I used to only wear twist outs, but since the heat damage I have been mostly doing protective styles. 


Trimming: Before my heat damage, I will trim when my hair is creating a lot of knots, the ends look frazzled or I am having a hard time detangling. Now that I am transitioning (again) I am trimming off the damaged ends every three months.


Protein Treatment: Every 3 months I will do an Aphogee Treatment. (Now that I have heat damage, it is less frequent)


Henna: Ever so often I will do a Henna treatment, for color purposes. Henna does have benefits for the hair, such as making curls more defined and adding shine.


Thank you for reading!

"Can I Touch Your Hair?"

Today while browsing in Bath and Body Works, the sales associate asked me if I need any help. I said no, then she said "I love your hair!". First of all, my hair looked a hot mess, it was dry and the heat damaged sections wasn't helping the cause either, lol.
I said thank you and we started a conversation about natural hair. She has been transitioning for 5 months and she was so excited about going natural. 

Then she asked me to touch my hair. 

I nearly broke into a cold sweat! I allowed her to but I was cringing at the same time. Because Lord knows my hair isn't as soft as it looks. In my head, I was like "please touch a soft section and please don't make a face". I don't mind letting people touch my hair, but it's just that my hair is so resistant to staying soft and moisturized I don't want anyone judging my coily strands, lol. All in all it was nice to speak to someone about hair and she even gave me some good ideas on what she does to maintain moisture and prevent dryness. 


Do you allow others to touch your hair? If not, why?
Thank you for reading!

Product Junkie

Being that I have been natural for nearly two years, I have collected an array of different natural hair products. When I first went natural the world was my oyster and I was all about finding out the about the different hair brands. THAT is when I became a product junkie.


Tonight I am actually sitting here, sorting through all of my products and trying to figure out what I can throw away, give away, or use up. I have a lot of products that I have used once and didn't like the first time around. ALOT of samples. And some products are half way completed but then I smell them and I wondered, 

"Are these hair products still good to use??!!"

But now I am actually nervous to use these products, because I am afraid I will get a terrible reaction to them if the ingredients expired. And one thing with me is that I like to hoard, I also use products that I love slowly, like every two months so I don't them up quickly. This doesn't mean I am going to stop buying products, this only means that when I get a new product I will try to use it all before moving on to the next one.


So for my next wash day, I have already lined up products to use so I can throw them away. I have also made a promise to myself to use one set of products for a full month to cut down on my stash. 


Do any of you have any of these issues? or Do you throw away your products after a certain time?  


Thank you for reading!

curlBOX vs. CurlKit

I was on twitter when I first saw that two separate companies developed a monthly subscription for natural hair with similar goals in mind. I was shocked. I was also intrigued to see which company was going to make a bigger impact. And I could tell from early on which company that was going to be. 
I am not tied to either company so I was willing to try out both of them to see which one was going to be the "better bang for your buck". 
But then again, the goal of both companies is to help the natural hair community and by supporting these companies and the brands that support them helps us in return.


First, lets discuss the similarities of the companies
$20/month
$220/year
Free shipping
5-7 samples per month
Offers coupons or discounts on featured products
Themed boxes
Similar missions-Providing curlies with sample products for natural hair


Now the differences
curlBOX (www.curlBOX.com)
Ms. Myleik Teele, started this company and we all knew she was the creator from day one. Two boxes have already been sent out for subscribers. The premier box provided us with 6 samples and a full sized product that was that retailed for $20. Being that the subscription itself is $20, I saw this as an important part in maintaining the customers that they had and also gaining potential customers in the future. I was very excited to get my box but there were some items that I didn't like and wouldn't use because of my hair type and texture. 

Source

The second box, The Spring Issue, provided subscribers with a full sized body soap, and if I counted right, 16 samples! There was also one coupon code. 
Their first two boxes allowed them to achieve their mission by providing us with products from companies that are unknown to those that are well known. They also provided us with coupons for most of the items in the box. 
Public Relations (PR) and customer service is so much better with curlBOX, whatever issues you may have with them, they will email back to you within the day. They continually communicated with customers through email, Twitter and Facebook about updates and when the boxes would be sent out. Shipping information was emailed and I received the box the next day, which was great.
So the for curlBOX subscribers, it seems like they are getting a bang for their buck.  


CurlKit (www.CurlKit.com)
For me, not knowing the creator of a company isn't such a big deal, but on the other hand, knowing the creator makes it much more personable to the buyer. I am still not clear on who the creator of CurlKit is, although on the introduction card it is signed by "Heather and the CurlKit team". I guess one day we may get to know who they are.
The first box, which was their premiere box, was sent out with the theme of Women's History for the month of March. The box did not contain any full sized items. They provided samples of products from companies that are not well known (at least to me) and those that are popular. I liked all the products provided in the box and I will probably use all of them. 

Source

On their welcome card they mentioned that there will be coupon codes for ALL the items in the box. There was ONE coupon code, and low and behold when I tried to use the code, it was invalid. I contacted the company and I have yet to get a response. (UPDATE 3/19/11: I finally got the codes, through twitter direct message)
Another big issue I had is that they actually had a trial box they sent out to some vloggers and bloggers. The problem was that the boxes they sent these girls were boxes decorated with flowery detail and with string to tie the box. Nothing like the plain grey box they sent the to paying subscribers. So to me, that is false advertisement.
Their PR isn't as solid as curlBOX and I didn't see the same rave for CurlKit as I did for curlBOX. They did communicate on Twitter and Facebook and sent out emails. The shipping information was sent and I received my package about 2-3 days later.


***One thing about being a product junkie and having subscriptions to these companies, is that it has its flaws. When you receive a box filled with samples you don't want to use, because it may contain ingredients you don't like, such as silicone or sulfates, the money MAY not be worth it. On the other hand, if you are open to everything then it shouldn't affect you.***


Verdict: If I am going to get a long term subscription with any of these two companies, it would have to be curlBOX. Even though I wasn't in love with each product they provided, they did stick to their claims and they went above and beyond in their approach. 
I am not trying to bash either one of these companies and I am not telling you which one to subscribe to. This is just my personal experience with both companies and it has lead me to this decision. It is still up to you, to which one you choose, because in the end they are offering the same thing, hair products. 


So if you are not subscribed to either of these subscriptions, go ahead and check out both of the websites, do your research and make your choice. 


Thank you for reading,

Introducing CurlKit

Hi Curlies! 

I got my CurlKit in the mail and I was very excited to see what was inside. CurlKit is a $20 monthly subscription, where you can recieve between 5-7 samples. This subscription helps naturalistas "sort through the clutter" of natural hair products by sampling first before purchasing the full sized products. I think it is a great service and very similar to the famous curlBOX.
I really enjoyed the selection of products and happy to see products that I have been wanting to try since I went natural a year and a half ago. This March premier box theme was for Women's History Month, all the products are from women who founded these companies and have made a name for themselves. 


Check it out below!

Introduction

List of Items

The goods 

Miss Jessies Creme de la Curl and Creme de la Creme-both 1oz 

Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Honey Butta Leave-In Hair Conditioner-0.5oz

WonderCurl Get Slick Hair Smoothie-2oz 

Amazing Botanical Pumpkin Pomade-2oz 

Oyin Handmade Juices and Berries-2oz

Did you get a subscription for CurlKit? Do you like the selection of products? Check out my video of my unboxing HERE.

Thank you for reading!

Influenster Love VoxBox

Hey guys, have you heard of Influenster? If not let me tell you all about it. Influenster is a site where anyone can log on, register, and unlock badges that fit your personality and interests. That simple! Waiting to see if you are selected to receive a themed VoxBox based on your badge selection, is the hard part, lol

This is actually my second VoxBox, my first VoxBox was the Holiday VoxBox and can be seen here, and I was so happy to see that I was selected to review another box. This box is called the Love VoxBox and there are some awesome products inside, check it out below.

The VoxBox is given complimentary through the Influenster program. 

All the items

Gillette Venus & Olay Razor: $8.99-$10.99

Kiss Nail Dress-Fashion That Sticks: $6.99 

Stash Tea Herbal Tea Sampler: $3.50

Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Creamy Devotion Bar: $2.99

Truvia Natural Sweetener: $3.99 (40 ct)

I am so excited to try out these products, but most of all the Stash Tea Sampler! 


Thank you for reading!

Pre-Poo

Even though I have been natural for over a year and a half I am still learning so much. I have always heard of pre-pooing (Pre-Shampooing) but the most I would do is use a cheapie conditioner to detangle my hair prior to washing my hair. But pre-pooing is actually using an oil, conditioner or any type of mixture of both before shampooing and using heat or not, to moisturize the hair.
I was watching Br0nzeqt's youtube video where she mentioned a blog post on CurlyNikki's website about the use of the Huetiful Steamer and a pre-poo. I was really happy to learn more about it. Using the steamer and the pre-poo together allows the hair to absorb moisture and allows for more penetration of the oils. 
What is funny is that I had Burts Bees Avocado Pre-Shampoo in my stash of items, that I actually had for a LONG time. I used it once before but not with my steamer. I bought this product in a  health food store (on clearance) and I haven't seen it any where else. 

So what I did was, before washing my hair, I applied the product to dry hair and steamed my hair for 30 minutes,  rinsed it out, then preceded to wash and condition my hair as normal.

**Results** I really can say that my hair felt more moisturized after this treatment. My hair was shiner and much more manageable while styling afterwards. I have been really trying to find a way to really get the most out of my Huetiful steamer and I am so happy I tried this.
So I probably wont use the product frequently because I want to buy more before it all runs out. I will try to use oils or conditioners that I have lying around and make different mixtures that works for my hair.

Do you pre-poo? What do you use?

Ingredients to Die For

I first heard of this website, Ingredients to Die For from Denimpixie (Elle) on Facebook and Youtube. She has been raving about the Organicals Deep Conditioning Creme base that they sell for the longest. In her own words, she "LURVs this stuff", lol. So of course with me being the PJ that I am, I said I must try it out. 
I went looking at the prices for the Deep Conditioner (DC) and the prices are fair, they range from $3.50 for a 1oz bottle to $217.88 for a 5 gallon PAIL, lol. The only down side about this site is that the shipping costs will kill you. I heard from Elle that if you sign up for their newsletter you will get a discount on the shipping. I did just that and I am still waiting to see if I will get one. 
I am actually really excited about purchasing this DC, it has really great ingredients with Aloe Vera juice being the first ingredient. I also heard that it can help with frizziness and dryness. It also has great slip also softens the hair. I am actually obsessed with DC's, and this sounds like a great addition to my stash.
With this DC being just a "base", void of scents or added oils, I can add my own scents and personalize it. I will most likely go to Coastal Scents and purchase fragrance oils from there, I am already eyeing the apple extreme, buttercreme, gardenia and pink sugar scents. I can be a mixtress with the scents and create my own signature scent!


Have any of you curlies tried out this DC? Did you love it?