….Didn’t really love it!

I’m the type of person who will see something and thing it seems like a really neat product and then will be obsessive and want it.  Well that is what I was like when I realized I wanted to try the InStyler.  I had seen the infomercial a million times and was curious what it would be like on my hair.  What impressed me most about the tool is that it seemed to be easy to use and that it would create a lot of volume.

Well, my friend Rhonda decided to pick one up at the As Seen on TV store close by my condo.  She tried and was loving it.  She felt like she no long needed to go to the hair salon for a wash and blow and that the InStyler had saved her a bunch of money.  So before I decided to invest and buy one myself – I decided to borrow hers and see how great this thing really is.

I washed, applied product, blow dried, then sectioned my hair into five and gave the Instyler a whirl.  Here are my thoughts:

PROS

• easy to use
• light weight
• got my hair straight at the roots (big bonus)
• brush didn’t pull or damage my hair
• was able to finish my hair much quicker then using regular flat iron

CONS

• even though it was light weight it didn’t feel very sturdy – like it could break easy
• barrel was not ceramic – not sure what the long term effects would be
• barrel didn’t heat up as much as my hair needed
• didn’t seal my cuticle – my ends were still kind of puffy
• the brush didn’t seem to do much for my hair in terms of smoothing

Overall, I would give this product a 7 out of 10.  I definitely see it working for other textures – but I just found it worked okay for mine.  When I’m wearing my hair straight, I’m used to that silky smooth finish and I didnt think that the InStyler was able to deliver.  If they were to reformat the product I might consider demo’ing it again – but it probably wouldn’t be something I would invest and add to my aresenal of tools.  I’m glad that I borrowed it first!

I have to say that I’m so happy that Qhemet has become a part of my life.  I’m loving this stuff!  I’ve only tried one product and already I’m ready to try some other goodies from their product line (their Hydrating Balm is calling my name).  Anyhow, I’ve been using their Amla and Olive Heavy cream for the last couple of months and I know my hair is thanking me.

PROS

I’m officially calling it a product staple.  This product would work amazing in the winter because its heavy, but I have no problem using it in the summer months as well.  Its moisturizing heaven and makes your hair feel incredibly soft.  I only need a dab to seal my ends when I’m doing china bumps or a twist outs.  And even when I wear my hair straight, I will use it on my ends and it won’t cause build up.  The product is rich and creamy to the touch and has a very light refreshing smell.

CONS

Unfortunately, there is very limited selection of this product locally.  And its expensive.  To ship internationally, is a pain because of duty, etc and cost $$.

INSTRUCTIONS

• A perfect all-in-one for moisturizing and softening afro’s, coils, curls, pony puffs, two strand twists, braids, cornrows, fades, chemical and color processes, softening new growth and restoring softness and elasticity to dry brittle ends. Also helps weigh down kinks and coils.
• Soothing and regenerative scalp butter
• Post-shampoo conditioner
• Overnight Deep Treatment
• Moisturizing daily leave-in
• Replenishing body butter
• Evenly distribute a small to moderate amount through dry or slightly damp hair.

INGREDIENTS

This ultra thick and luscious creamy butter contains Amla, Brahmi and African Aloe, premium Afro-Indian botanicals used for thousands of years to nourish the scalp and strengthen hair. MSM sulfur nurtures follicles and encourages growth, Olive oil delivers softness and emollience and Castor oil delivers shine, humectancy and helps thicken hair.   Does not contain mineral oil, lanolin, essential oils, proteins or silicones.100% Vegan, 99% Natural

Color may vary from batch to batch from white, yellow or tan due to natural color variations inherent in oils and botanicals. Also, please expect slight variations in texture between batches as they are handcrafted. Some batches yield a stiff cream while others will be slightly fluid. This is not indicative of a formula change and will not affect performance.

So, I accidentally stumbled upon the Curl’s kiddie line by accident – and am rather pleased.  Curly Q line is very similar to the women product line – but is a little bit lighter for baby and kids precious locks.  Anyhow, Chantel (sales girl) suggested that I try it out – saying that it gave a lighter hold than the Whipped Curls from Curls for Women line – but it would be good to use for a twist out styles.  Plus its cheaper!

PROS

Anyhow, I’ve been using it for the last month and I’m liking it.  I use it when I’m redoing my china bumps – I brush my hair, spritz with a little water, apply just a dab to each section (root to tip) and then use a butter to seal my ends.  The next morning, I undo my hair and my hair feels smooth, soft, with some hold, moisturized but not oily or heavy with product.  Basically my hair feels touchable – which I like – no one wants to feel like they are walking around with an oil slick or crunchy hair.

MORE PROS, AND ONE LIL’ CON

I wouldn’t suggest this product for everyone – if you are looking for a light product to redo twists or china bumps then it might be worth try.  I don’t think it work well for wash and go’s – its just to light.  As for the kid’s hair – since it is light I think it might be gentle enough to lock in the curl, control fly-aways and moisturize.

Finally, I must give props to the Curl’s line for including ingredient lists and key ingredient breakdowns on their site.  Very helpful.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention – this stuff smells great!!!

DESCRIPTION

This rich and creamy custard textured cream provides great curl definition, weight and sheen for curly girls. It is loaded with certified organic ingredients (Certified Organic Sunflower Oil and Certified Organic Aloe Leaf Juice) and moisturizing butters (e.g. Shea and Mango) to hair strengthening ingredients such as Panthenol and Lecithin. Curly Q Custard will naturally elongate her curls.

INGREDIENTS

purified water, certified organic sunflower oil, octyl palmitate, certfied organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, glyercin, glyceryl stearate, potassium stearate, panthenol, stearic acid, sodium carbomer, allantoin, cetyl alcohol, certified organic sweet almond oil, beeswax, shea butter, jojoba oil, soy tocopherols, phenoxyethanol, fragrance.

KEY PRODUCT BREAKDOWN

As some of you might already know, I’m a straight up PJ – honestly, I really love trying out new stuff.  Well some Toronto Bellas have been raving about Herbal Essences’ Hello Hydration condish – so you know I just had to give it a try. 

PRO

Hello Hydration = Hello Curls!  I’m loving this stuff.  As soon as I squirted this blue condish into my palms I instantly noticed how thick and creamy it was – which is a major plus in my book.  The thicker the better!  I think the combination of ingredients really attributed to my curls popping and feeling moisturized. 

CON

Wished I had tried this before buying two big bottles of Aussie and Tresemme because even though I’m a PJ – I’m committed to finding some way to use up all my prods – I can’t just let money go to waste.  The other con -  I wish HH came in a pump bottle – I’m not digging the upside down squeeze bottle.

DESCRIPTION

INGREDIENTS

Water , Stearyl Alcohol , Cyclopentasiloxane , Cetyl Alcohol , Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine , Dimethicone , Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract , Cocoa Nucifera Milk Fragrance Coconut , Glutamic Acid , Benzyl Alcohol , EDTA , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone , Citric Acid , Blue 1

Hmmmm, I just discovered Oragnix Nourishing Cocount Milk and I’m in love – with the smell.  I picked up a bottle at Walmart ($5.95 for 13 fl. oz./384.5 ml) and rushed home to try it out.  Kudos to Organix because I think the bottle packaging is very appealing and I realize that the way a product is marketed definitely influences whether or not I will buy it or not.  Anyhow,   I co-washed and was instantly taken in with the smell – I love coconut and this stuff smells yummy.  It had relatively good slip, but I didn’t think that it left my hair particularly soft – which is disappointing.   But I still have about 3/4 of the bottle left to use (I’m a PJ but I’m won’t waste product) so hopefully I will have a better experience the more I use it – I think I will try it as a leave-in next.  I also wish my hair would smell as good as this condish – the smell totally faded.  But using this product has inspired me to read up about experimenting with actual cocount milk by adding it as a pre-poo or into a DT – its supposed to minimize breakage, strengthen the hair shaft and protect hair from UV rays

Product Description:

Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner is an exclusive blend of organic coconut milk to nourish your hair, while ultra whipped egg white proteins add strength and elasticity, along with weightless coconut oils to add hydration and balance. The luxuriously creamy, foaming, hydrating formula leaves your hair feeling clean, glowing, softly scented and super soft.

Ok, so I tried Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Gellie to define my curls and to my shock and surprise it worked.  Like seriously – I’m really surprised.  I’ve tried some other lines (KCCC and Miss Jessie Pudding and Meringue) and so far this one is the best!  Very easy to apply – I cowashed my hair, applied a leave conditioner and then sectioned my hair.  It says its best applied to wet hair so I made sure that have a spray bottle on hand.  I started from the right hand side – squeezed out a nickel size amount and then smoothed and then raked the product into my hair.  Instantly my curls were defined and stretched and looking lucsious.  I followed the same method for my entire head.

WHAT I LIKED:

I like that it was easy to apply and manipulate the product on my locks.  I also liked that I didn’t need a lot of product and that by spraying some water I was able to distribute it even more.  I also like that my hair didn’t shrink up as much as with other products.  Mind you, my hair did shrink but not as much.  Best of all, it didnt take forever and half to dry – honestly with some other curl defining products I find that it can take forever for my hair to dry.  With CJ – I applied, diffused for like 5-10 minutes and then let air dry.  Within like 4 hours I was almost completely dry.

WHAT I DIDNT LIKE:

Next time I will make sure to layer in a moisturizing product when using the Smoothing Gellie.  I felt my curls were a little parched once they were dry.

MY RESULTS:

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Crunch no more! This creamy and moisturizing styling gel is formulated to help get rid of frizzies and smooth your fabulous curls. Rich in shine enhancing Broccoli seed oil and herbal extracts, this “Gellie” gives your hair definition and bounce without the hard hold/crunch. Honey and Aloe Vera are added for their moisturizing and shine enhancing properties. Adding water after application, “activates” the gellie even further and helps smooth and seal the hair shaft for added shine and swing. This moisturizing, glycerin free gel has a light to medium hold and is best for fine to normal hair types. It is not a traditional clear gel, it’s creamy texture is due to the Broccoli seed oil content. Lightly scented with a delicious tropical Mango-Coconut-Papaya scent. Give everyone curl envy!

DIRECTIONS:

Best applied to wet hair. Apply generously to hair, section by section, smoothing through curls with your fingers. Use more water to help distribute and activate product (don’t skip this step!), then scrunch/blot with a towel and allow to air-dry or use a diffuser. I have found that this gel works best with a small amount of Curl Assurance leave-in or styling water beneath it or on top (depending on your preference). You can also apply this gel to dry hair to define curls and smooth frizzies.

…the bomb!

Last week I posted my Curlista Wants These List and at the top of the product pile – CURLFORMERS.  They are sold at Sally Beauty Supply Stores in Toronto – so last week Friday I decided to take a trip to the one in Malvern.  I was shocked at the price tag – $82.99 – WHAT!!!!!  On the US site they were $59 USD and I thought that was expensive.  The sales girl tried to talk me out of buying them because of the price – but I bought them anyway.  Sally has a 90 day return policy – so if they didn’t work I knew that I could return them.

PRODUCTS I USED:

CoWashed with WEN, then to deep-condish I used a mixture of WEN Re-moist hydrating mask, Jessicurl WDT, and Kerastase Oleo Relax (slept with this overnight)  and in the AM I rinsed my hair with cold water.  I used two pumps of WEN as a leave-in, WEN Fig Oils to lock in moisture and Knot Today to prep and detangle the hair before setting with the curlformers.  Once they were all in, I let my hair air dry – but I would have used a hood dryer if I was short on time.

WHY I LIKE THEM:

First of all, I have perfect ringlet curls!  They are soft, shiny and did I mention they are perfect.  Secondly, for any transitioning gals or fellow curlistas – Curlformers give amazing grip and tension at the root – which is great for anyone who has kinky hair.  Therefore there is no need to have to flat iron or blow out your roots!  Lastly, they are easy to use  once you get the hang of it – it took me less than an hour to put them in and I know I will get faster the more I used them

THE CONS:

The biggest con – THEY ARE EXPENSIVE!  I think the results are great and if you are looking to invest in your hair and like this sort of style then I think the pros outweigh the cons – get them.  I bought the starter kit – but they do sell the needle and various sized packages of Curlformers at a lower cost.  The other con – I found it was hard to tell if my hair had dried or not without pulling them out – luckily it had.

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My thoughts:  First of all, the smell – I don’t love.  It has a woodsy, nutty smell and I would definitely welcome a non-fragrant version.  Anyhow, the application was relatively easy – scoop up hardened oil, rub in palm to melt and then apply from scalp to ends.  I made sure to concentrate on my ends in particular.  My hair really soaked this stuff up.  I applied it in the evening, slept with it all night and then rinsed it out.   The results were ok.  While my hair felt well-moisturized and shiny – I think it was too heavy.  I won’t be buying this product again, but will finish the jar to see if I get different results next time around.

Product Description: This uniquely concentrate, versatile hair rejuvenator contains 100 percent Ojon palm nut to improve the condition of damaged, colour-treated or processed hair without weighing it down.  Fortifying, rebuilding and nourishing, it leaves hair extraordinary shiny, silky, and manageable.

To use:  As a deep conditioning treatment: warm a teaspoonful in the palm of your hands (more for longer hair) and distribute onto DRY HAIR, from scalp to ends.  Leave on for 10-20 minutes and shampoo well.  As a leave conditioner: warm a small amount in the palms of your hands until it becomes a lightweight oil, and distribute thoroughly through towel dried hair.  Style as usual.  As a shine enhancer: heat a very small amount in the palms of your hand and smooth over the surface of dry-styled hair.

Ingredients: Elaeis Oleifera, Fragrance, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Serenoa Serrulata, Prunus Africana

I’m a gal who is obsessed with condish – so I’m always on the look out for great prods.  I went to Kak’s beauty supply store yesterday in Scaraborough to pick up a couple of packs of bendable rollers and decided to get the Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Pak.

MY THOUGHTS

After I co-washed using WEN, I applied ORS Replenishing Pak all over my hair and as usual my hair really soaked this stuff up.  It has a liquid type consistency and a light orange scent.  I wasn’t a fan of the citrus scent and usually prefer using a thicker conditioner – but, the results were good -  my hair felt conditioned, soft, touchable and looked shiny.  I probably wouldn’t buy it again, but if you’re looking for an affordable quick hair fix its worth a try.

DESCRIPTION

• Deep Penetrating Conditioner.
• Helps restore, moisturize, & rebuild damaged hair.

INGREDIENTS

Water Aqua , Soybean Oil Glycine Soja , Glycerine , Olive Oil Olea Europaea , Hydrolyzed Collagen , Quaternium-80 , DMDM Hydantoin , Amino Silk Acid , Dimethicone Copolyol , Orange Oil Citrus Aupantium Dulcis , D’Limonene , Panthenol Vitamin B5 , Dimethicone , EDTA , Chamomile Extract Anthemis Nobilis , Sage Extract Salvia Officinalis , Nettle Extract Urtica Dioica , Rosemary Extract Rosmarinus Officinalis , Aloe Vera Gel Aloe Barbedensis , Yarrow Extract Achilea Millefolium , Kiwi Extract Actinidia Chinensis , Polyquaternium-37 , Trideceth-7 , Triethanolamine , Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans , Methylchlorosothiazolinone , Methylchlorothiazolinone , Yellow No. 6 CI 15985 , Yellow No. 5 CI 19140

Honestly if you have embraced the whole co-washing hair regimen – you need to try Wen.  I absolutely love it!  I’ve only been co-washing since the beginning of the year and my hair is soft, manageable and best of all is still healthy.  I discovered Wen by  celebrity hair stylist Chaz Dean after watching an infomercial and was intrigued because he too was preaching that shampoo is bad, bad, bad!   Wen cleanses without lathering, while strengthening, adding sheen, lustre, mositure and manageability to the hair -without detergents and harsh chemicals.  Wen cleansing condish is formulated to work on all hair types and is said to work amazingly well on ethnic hair because of its high moisture content.   Apparently Halle Berry, Eva Longoria and a ton of other Hollywood ladies love this stuff.

Why I like:

Since I have extremely curly hair -I use the Wen Lavender Cleansing Conditioner, Re-Moist Hydrating Mask and Wen Hair Oils. I like the smell and and the light tingle on my scalp when I massage the condish in my hair.  I use the mask weekly as a deep treatment, leaving it in for about 2 hours then rinse with cool water.  I use a couple of pumps of the condish as a leave-in and then add a few drops of the hair oils into my spray bottle with water and spray all over if I set my hair in rollers.  This is a great co-wash system if you are looking to get clean, soft, healthy, shiny hair. Check out his site to find out what Wen system will work for you.
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