Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave in Conditioner Review

 Have ya'll noticed that AI commercials are starting to pop up on social media? It's the strangest thing- mainly I've started noticing them on wig advertisements. It just kinda feels like you are watching something very creepy and strange but you can't really put your finger on it. I've even seen AI remakes of video's from actual people. It's really so disturbing and I wish there was a button so you can turn it off or block it. I think the craziest thing about it is so many people don't even clock that they are watching AI...they will be like oh this person is so pretty..or the wig is is nice and it's literally all fake. Crazy times.

Curls Blueberry Bliss claims: 

Softening & Nourishing Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-in Conditioner Repair, restore, and condition your overworked curls with Blueberry Bliss Reparative Leave-in Conditioner, a top pick for naturally curly, wavy, and coily hair. This hair conditioner features an enriching moisturizing formula infused with blueberry extract, coconut oil, aloe leaf juice, and chamomile extract. Use after the Blueberry Bliss Reparative Hair Mask (sold separately). Make quick work of detangling while helping to repair and restore your curls with this leave-in conditioner. Our curly hair conditioner is perfect for wavy, coily. and curly hair. And the best part? It's free from sulfates, silicones, parabens, or artificial colors. Discover the magic of blueberries with our Blueberry Bliss Collection. Rich in antioxidants and essential vitamins, blueberries are known to shield your curls from environmental damage, preserving their vibrancy. Our formulas help define curls, strengthen hair, and lock in moisture, leaving your curls soft, supple, and hydrated.

Made in USA

It's been awhile since I've used anything from the Curls line..the most recent thing I tried was the Curl Control Jelly. I probably should have purchased both together to see how they work. Actually it's entirely possible I did and just never reviewed this. 

So we shall start with the scent. It smells exactly like those blue icees I used to get in the mall. I don't buy them anymore because they are chock full of high fructose corn syrup- but they bring back a flood of good memories. I like the scent but it isn't strong and it also does not linger. It's more of a leave in that just smells good as you are applying it and then it fades. 

 

The texture is like any other leave in/hair lotion type of product. It applies easily- doesn't pill and layers well with other products.

It just doesn't really do much. I was expecting a bit of hydration or some help with avoiding the crunch when I apply a gel over top and...it just doesn't feel like it does anything. It does say it's supposed to be detangling but I usually only detangle my hair with actual conditioner so...I'm not sure. It might be. If I end up testing it that way- I'll update. 

The price isn't bad-I see it on Amazon right now for less than $10 and I always appreciate when something is $10 or less. I'm not mad at the price at all.

The ingredients are fine. There are no silicones or artificial colors which is always nice to see. It has a few fruit extracts- blueberry (of course) Silk Amino Acids,  Aloe etc. 

ingredients:

Water/Aqua/Eau, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glycereth-26, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Silk Amino Acids, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lactobacillus Ferment, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Trans-Rose Ketone 2, Benzaldehyde, Benzyl Benzoate, Hexamethylindanopyran, Hexyl Cinnamal, Vanillin, Fragrance (Parfum)

Overall, not something I would buy again. It just really didn't do much of anything for my hair.  I think maybe Curls works best for looser type curls but it does look like they are starting to cater more to type 4 hair- so I might have to snag something that is specially made for my hair type to review. 

Pooka Nectar Hair Oil and Treatment Review

 I made it to Season 6 of Game of Thrones. I'm surprised I have made it this far- usually this is about where it started falling apart for me. I found the Mereen storyline really boring as well as the Dorne storyline. Almost forgot about the Iron Island storyline- but that was mega boring as well. The only interesting part of the show was the stuff with the High Sparrow (he was a great "villain" that wasn't really a villain- cause shouldn't we all be on his side?) and the stuff going on at Castle Black. Hopefully I can make it through this time and then I'll be switching to  Christmas movies and getting into watching all the classics and a few more I haven't seen.

In the meantime, hair oil.

Pooka claims: 

Feed your hair everything it deserves with our delicious Hair Nectar. A quadfecta of goodness with lemon, rosemary, peppermint & lavender essential oils.  Perfect to use in your next hot oil treatment or just for daily use. 

Pair it with our lush hair butter for a supernova of hair goopery.

Ingredients: Avocado Oil, Olive oil, Beeswax, Rosemary, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint  Essential Oils & Fragrance

I haven't tried a lot of this brand- but what I have tried I really like. They use glass packaging, the ingredients are great and the prices aren't outrageous. 

I've had this hair oil for years- mostly because I just forget about using a hair oil. It's not something I need- I don't have scalp issues or dry scalp. But if I did I think I would use it more often. Because I do like the ingredients. But it is a heavy oil so I only like using it has an oil treatment before I wash my hair. 

It might be a good one to use if just want to promote a healthy scalp which is the best for health and growth.  I probably could have used more at the front of my hair that seemed to have thinned a little in the front after using the Mielle products. But my hair is back to normal anyway. 

I think it's great for your scalp though and if I was a devoted hair oil user this is the one I would go for. 

It smells nice. And even though I have had it for years it still smells great. The scent is hard to describe but it's a bright and pleasant scent. 

It comes in a brown glass apothecary. My favorite type of packaging. I love anything in glass over plastic.

The ingredients are exactly what I like to see. I am looking at the site now and it seems a little different from what's on my bottle...not sure if the ingredients changed or if they didn't fully list everything. You could definitely DIY something yourself a bit cheaper....but I think this is a nice brand to support if you can't DIY. 

Ingredients: 

Olive oil, Avocado Oil, Rosemary, Lavender, Peppermint and Lemon Essential Oil Blend, Dried Lemon Peel, Rosemary and Lavender Buds, Fragrance 

Overall, it's a great hair oil. It's one I would recommend if it has a place in your hair routine.

African Pride Olive Miracle Anti- Breakage Foam Setting Mousse

Happy Sunday! I'm so grateful we hsbr a three day weekend-it was much needed for me. I'm taking today to reset. And make cupcakes. Hopefully they turn out really good! I haven't made cupcakes in quite awhile and I wanted to make them slightly Valentine themed but we shall see how they come out. 

African Pride claims: 

African Pride® Natural Salon Care Foam Setting Mousse is a non-flaking, alcohol-free formula that provides long lasting, frizz-free fly-away control and shine for curls, waves, weaves, wigs, wraps and braids. Deep conditioning Olive and Tea Tree Oils help to provide nourishment and shine. Perfect for natural hair, short styles and molded styles. Great fly-away control for protective styles.

I haven't actually bought anything from African Pride in years. Probably since I was in high school. I had to look it up--- because I was curious if they are black owned. And it looks like they aren't. I don't like that...definitely points against the brand. I won't get too far into it because it's obvious why that doesn't make sense. Especially with a brand name such as African Pride. I didn't really look that up until just right now though..probably should have before I purchased. 

That being said, .I do like this product. I originally purchased it because I wanted to try a set on blown out hair...and I did try it. But the water in it had my hair reverting so my test pieces essentially just came out a hot mess. Otherwise...I wouldn't try a roller set on my natural hair like I attempted way back when I had a relaxer because my skill level and hair type just wouldn't allow it to come out nice. 

But since it didn't work how I intended, I still wanted to use it up. I figured I would use it under a twist out. It's fine that way. And as a wash n go product where I just pump the mousse out and scrunch it through my hair. I really like it that way. My hair stays shiny, feels soft. And unlike most curl products it helps keep it slightly elongated rather than shrinking my hair up. I'm sure it would come out even better if I applied it section by section...I probably won't be doing that due to laziness though. 

It does have some decent ingredients surprisingly. One thing that annoys me is they don't post the full ingredient list on the website. I shop online for most things and having to track down the list takes so many extra steps. I'm surprised I did it..usually I just skip and don't buy when they do that. 

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Liquid Endosperm, Hydrolyzed Oats, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyquaternium-11, Polysorbate-20, Phenoxyethanol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Acrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride/Acrylamide Copolymer, Fragrance (Parfum), Linalool, Limonene.

Overall, there are issues with the brand itself. But aside from that I did really like the product. 

Pooka Shea and Olive Hair Butter Review

 My Danessa Myrick Lightworks palette is here! I'm so excited, I just swatched most of them and then shifted my hands here and there to admire all the shifty sparkly shadows. I can't wait to get them on my eyelids. I might have to test them in just a few after I finish this post and I'm hoping to do a first impression post this weekend.

In the meantime I have a hair butter to review. I have actually had it for years and years...it's probably expired and I was going to just use it up and buy another one to review but since this is taking so long to use up, i'm not too sure I will repurchase again now.

Pooka claims:

Shea butter and Olive oil join forces for this powerful hair butter that will leave your hair feeling moisturized and super soft. With the added benefits of Rosemary essential oil which stimulates hair growth and Lavender essential oil to soothe your scalp. A perfect addition to your hair care routine whether you have locs, braids or kinky coils.

Works great in combination with our Hair Nectar. 

Ingredients: Natural Shea Butter, Olive oil, Beeswax, Rosemary & Lavender Essential Oils & Fragrance

I only know about this brand because of my natural-haired friend.  My first year of college she used it and some Carol's Daughter products to twist her hair. She is one of the people that inspired me to finally cut my hair and go natural so I was definitely taking notes of the brands she used. If I remember correctly she said she bought it at Whole Foods. But this was years and years ago. 

The brand stuck with me and when I thought of them again...I went to the site and ordered this and the Hair Oil. I tried them a few times in my hair and completely ignored the directions. I use it in my wash n go and also as a twist out...but they really don't work for me that way. They just feel so heavy. So then after letting it sit I went ahead and read the directions and read it's really meant for the scalp. But it doesn't necessarily mention that on the site. 

The directions on the jar say to apply a pea sized amount to the palm of the hand. Rub hands together to warm butter. Massage butter into entire scalp. Brush to distribute though hair. Repeat 1-2 times per week or as needed. 

I found it worked best just after I washed my hair...I would take a small amount and rub into my finger tips then massage into my scalp. I would be careful to only apply a really small amount. These days I use it as a kinda pre poo. When I am doing nothing and either the night before or at least an hour before I wash my hair-I'll do almost the same thing but take my time to really massage it into my scalp. Because a healthy scalp will grow healthy hair. 

I don't typically ever have scalp problems unless I am using hair products with certain color additives. Or recently I used one of the color waxes for a twist out and it had my scalp a bit itchy. I used some of this the night before I washed my hair and my scalp was back to normal. 

I think it makes a great "pre-poo" and my newest growth has come out feeling so super soft. 

Almost forgot to talk scent...mine does kinda smell like slightly off Shea Butter because I have had it years and years. But it does also have a nice scent. I'm not sure how to describe the scent but...fruity and herbal. I can definitely tell there is Rosemary oil in it. I like the scent. 

And packaging is great-it comes in a glass jar. I can't think of the last time I had a hair butter that came in glass. Makes for easy recycling. It does still have a plastic lid.

The ingredients are also amazing- all natural. Shea, Olive, Beeswax and oils. You could make it yourself but from my experience melting Beeswax is annoying and messy. Unless you have the beeswax pellets.

Overall, I like it. Not sure I would repurchase because I really have to force myself to use it. I would probably take years and years to actually use up another...and I still have quite a bit to use up

My Hair Closet

 I thought this might be a fun post to do- since I'm still currently obsessed with hair. I don't usually keep a lot of hair products- I used to limit it to one of each product until I started ordering from Chagrin Valley and I like to order those three at a time. Nowadays, I like to keep three products in each category- except for some things that I have more or less of. 

My hair type is 4. I'm not sure of the number after- possible 4c based on shrinkage. I don't do much to define "curls". I tend to just slap leave in conditioner in-lately I have been doing that in the shower. Then I slap gel in it, shake my head and go. I also have fine to medium strands and very dense hair. As for porosity, I think I have medium but I haven't done the strand test yet. 

So here's what I have: 

Chagrin Valley: Carrot Milk and Honey Shampoo and Chamomile & Citrus Shampoo. I really like shampoo bars- they aren't as drying in my hair. Also they have better ingredients. I went off of using these for a while but I am rotating them back in. 

Garnier Oil Repair Shampoo- I bought this for cheap. I just wanted something to clean my hair of all the silicones that coated my hair when I tried some Aussie shampoo and conditioner. My hair was feeling STIFF from that and cones can be hard to get out. So I bought this to get them out. I think it worked. I've used this a few times- I think it makes my hair feel like a brillo pad though. I still need to try it a few more times to be sure. It does smell nice though. 

Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo- I bought this to clarify. I know I have the Garnier but I think I liked this one better. It was on sale too. I'm just going to keep it around to clarify after straightening- which I rarely ever do.  

Aveda Shampure Nurturing Shampoo and Conditioner- I want to try all of the Aveda lines and this was next on the list. I think these aren't as hydrating as I need but they do OK. I still need to use them a few more times before I review them so a review is coming in the next couple of months. 

Hask Keratin Smooth Smoothing Deep Conditioner- I've been meaning to use this for a minute but I get lazy and then grab something else. I think I'll use it this weekend. Or maybe next weekend. Not sure yet. I do really like the Coconut version of their deep conditioner though. 

Aveda Nutri-Plenish Dêep Moisture Conditioner- Just reviewed this one and I love it. I don't love the price but it works really well for my hair to add moisture. 

Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Leave-In Conditioner and Pomegranate and Honey Leave In- I'm trying to use up the Rosemary Mint one, I'm just a little tired of it and ready to move on. I tend to use one leave in at a time so once that one is done I am moving on to the Pomegranate one. 

Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Leave In- I've used this one when I straightened my hair and it was really soft..I'm pretty sure it was this! I need to use it a couple more times but so far I really like it. 

I have three wash n go products. I use the Camille Rose Curl Maker everyday and I'm about half way through. I really like it, the ingredients are great and it does define curls. In my reserve I have the Taliah Waajid Curl Sealer. I used it once and I like it, but I need to use it a few more times. I also bought Miss Jessie's Honey Curls. I really likes their multi-cultural curls so figured I would give this one a try. 

I almsot forgot, I have the Taliah Waajid Detangling Leave-In. I love it for detangling and as a leave in. It can feel drying when you put it on and like it won't help detangle but it does. It works well with my Tangle Teezer especially. 

I have Chi Silk Infusion. Strictly to use as a heat protectant. And it worked really well for that. It also makes your hair feel "silky". 

I have Vatika oil. I never use it because the packaging is a pain. It's probably expired. I'm still going to put it back in my hair closet. Maybe I'll check to see if it's OK and then repackage it to actually use. But likely I won't do that either. 

And last up..I almost forgot I had this. They are the Pooka Hair Butter and Oil. Every couple of months I tell myself I am going to do scalp massages before I wash my hair, I do it maybe 2 times..and then forget about it. I want to grow back what I cut off...so many this time I will actually stick with it. Healthy scalp grows healthy hair. 

Last up..Colour Wax. I got this in the mail yesterday and then ordered three more colors. It's so fun. I'm so excited to do my whole head. It's very subtle but it's cute! Can't believe I waited this long to try it out. 

And that's all! Not too many products- but I definitely need to use up some before I buy more. Although I am thinking of adding another conditioner. I think I might get a huge bottle so I don't have to buy any for a very, very long time. 

Hair Thoughts

 I don't really feel like a million bucks today so I am having a "chill" day. For the most part. I did test my broken Apple Watch today and it turned on. Of course it would do that after I already ordered another one. I will probably end up returning the new one when it comes. Or keep it as back up. I'm not sure yet. Anyway, I thought I would just make a post rambling about hair because that's been my focus for the past couple weeks. Ever since I straightened it. I'm sure it will be something else in the next couple of days. 

Starting with this vid I found a couple of days ago. I love watching vintage vids- but usually people that look like me or have hair like me are never the subject. I found this fascinating. I remember my Mom trying to straighten my hair once with a real hot comb. I must have been 6 or 7? She said she tried it once on herself and burned her hair right off. They take skill. You never know how hot they are unless you have experience and know what you are doing. I can tell you I would never attempt straightening my hair with a comb. I would have a burnt up scalp and ears. Thank goodness for modern flat irons! 

Speaking of flat irons- I still have the first expensive one I bought when I was in high school. It "broke" at some point and my Dad was going to fix it...and then it disappeared. I got it back a couple years ago and figured out it still worked if I taped the cord a certain way. I had to go with this particular flat iron because it was dual voltage and I loved it! It was a world of difference between the flat irons I used prior and this one. I previously had big clunky Remington, Conair, etc that just didn't work all that great. I'm sure they are much better now but the ones back in the day were struggle. 

My first expensive flat iron. I am going to use it next time I straighten my hair.

I had a Remington Wet to Straight- I cringe when I think of how I fried my hair with it. And a baby blue flat iron with interchangeable plates. It looks exactly like this. 

I especially remember frying and sizzling my hair. I mostly used a curling iron, the cheap metal ones from Conair. I would put curling wax or grease or Luster's Pink stuff and then fry my hair. I could literally hear it sizzle. And I did not use heat protectant. I'm amazing because I still had a lot of hair on my head with all the abuse I subjected it too. I used to do my own relaxers majority of the time and used it like conditioner. I would overlap the hair and everything. My hair and scalp had been through a LOT. I would get scabs from the relaxer that I would pick at 🤮 

When I wasn't using a curling iron I would use Hot Rollers. Very similar to the set below. I used them for about 2-3 years. I still remember how they smelled. I can't believe I would wake up early enough to heat them up and stick them in my hair before school. 

I was considering buying Beyonce's Cecred line. just to try. But I still have so much hair stuff in my reserve that I don't want to add more. I need to use up some of what I have. Maybe in a couple of years I'll buy one or two things. 

These days I spend a lot of time looking for silicone free hair products. It's so hard to find lines that don't use silicone. Mainly because I know they coat my ends and make them dry, they just don't really wash out my hair without more drying of my hair. Also they make my hair stiff and weigh it down and really are detrimental to my hair when it comes in the shampoo, conditioner, AND styling products. Especially dimethicone. The only time I would use them is for heat protection when I am straightening. Or I might make an exception for a curly hair product I really want to try- rarely now. 

I've been on an accessory buying kick. I bought some new hair rollers- a new bonnet, a shower bonnet from a black owned company, some silk hair ties for when I straighten my hair (even though I won't be doing that for a few more months!). I even considered buying some henna to get some natural color in my hair. But then again...I'm feeling lazy to do that. I did buy some color wax that I can't wait to try. I'll probably need to buy something that works for twist outs before I use it but I am still on my "No Buy" so maybe I'll just use some Shea Butter.

Anyway...that's all my ramblings for today. I'm going to go shape some rolls I plan on baking later tonight but since I'm having a lazy day, I'll probably be back for another post later on. 

Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Jelly Review

 I've had this page open for at least an hour now but keep on getting distracted. But I need to get this post done so I can go on and try to get a workout in. I am really feeling the laziness though....

Curls claims:

Formulated with certified organic blueberry extract, and raw castor oil, to provide the ultimate curl definition, with volume and frizz control. Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Jelly provides the ultimate curl definition, with volume and frizz control. Use when styling wash and go’s, twist out, braid out and roller sets! 

I bought this with a leave in conditioner thinking I would use them together....like they would be an unstoppable pair. But that's not what happened. 

It's a relatively thick gel that smells a little like the blue icee they sold in the mall.  I haven't had one in years and almost bought the frozen one they sell in the freezer section of the grocery store. I ended up putting it back though, I just know it won't be as good as the one in the mall and would ruin my memories. But back to the control jelly...it smells nice but the smell is light and does not linger. The gel itself is thick and it has a little bit of curl defining hold but you get a lot of shrinkage and it's a little drying .

I tried it in a twist out and didn't really like the way my hair looked. It looked like it was a bit curl defining but it was more frizzy than I anticipated. I even used the leave-in along with it as I was braiding it out.

I like the ingredients...it has some interesting ones like blueberry extract. It also has goodies like castor oil, aloe juice, keratin, silk acids, panthenol, shea butter, mango butter, argan oil, evening primrose, jojoba, and Vitamin E. It's just too bad that all those great ingredients didn't do much for my hair.

Ingredients:

Water, Sorbitol, Polyacrylate-14, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Certified Organic Aloe Leaf Juice, Certified Organic Blueberry Leaf Extract, Keratin, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Silk Amino Acids, Panthenol, Certified Organic Shea Butter, Certified Organic Mango Seed Butter, Certified Organic Argan Oil, Certified Organic Evening Primrose, Jojoba Esters, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Carbomer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Fragrance, Citric Acid

Overall, I just wasn't impressed enough to buy it again. 

UPDATE- I do like it as a wash and go now. It does add a nice bit of definition to my hair. I just have to make sure to use a hydrating leave in conditioner before I apply this. I just take a blob and rub it into my hands and rub lightly through my hair. Then I shake my hair a bit. Dries defined and not dry looking...

Curls Lavish Curls Moisturizer/Daily Leave In Review

 I've been meaning to write a post for the last few days but got a little obsessed with the missing Titan sub AND the Titanic so I spent hours and hours listening to news reports and then watching Titanic. It really boggles my mind that anyone would pay a quarter of the million dollars to go in an unsafe/untested sub to visit a graveyard that should not be a tourist destination. Especially after hearing how the CEO of the company sounding so dismissive/cavalier about safety....but it is what it is. I also did my usually googling of Titanic related stuff- like how much a ticket would cost, why they only half filled the life boats, and a ton of other things I wonder every time I look up the Titanic because I forget. 

But back to the leave in...

Curls claims:

The product every curly girl needs – a daily hair moisturizer to refresh, rehydrate, and reactivate her dry curls after a long night’s rest – without shampooing. Lavish curls moisturizer will give life back to dry and lifeless curls in a snap. 

The first thing I noticed was the watery texture and how it's not a mist or an easy to use spray because it sprays out in stream rather than something you can spray directly in your hair. So that means I usually spray it in my hands (I spray too much and then get it everywhere else but my hair), and then rub it through my hair. Sometimes  it makes my coils pop a little. Other times it seems to make my hair frizzier. And it never adds moisture.

As for the scent? Nectarines! 

     It smells really nice and exactly like fresh, ripe, juicy, nectarines.  The scent is not overpowering. It 

                                                                    also  doesn't linger.                                                         

The ingredients are about what I remember Curls being...some natural extracts and then some stuff that looks like filler. The second ingredient is Glycerin which is surprising....it doesn't really feel like it. It does have a lot of extracts but I never find they do much for my hair that I can see or feel. 

Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Methylheptyl Isostearate, Certified Organic Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Certified Organic Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Certified Organic Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, (Pomegranate Seed Extract) Certified Organic Aloe Barbadensis Juice, Certified Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Certified Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Certified Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Certified Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Silk Amino Acids, Citric Acid, Guar Hydroxpropyltrimonium, Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate Phenoxyethanol Caprylyl Glycol, Fragrance

Overall I didn't see any extra moisture of much of anything else so I wouldn't buy it again.

Taliah Waajid The Great Detangler Review

 Does the name of this have anyone else thinking of The Great Gatsby when they read it? It sure does for me. I tried a few Taliah Waajid products a few years back and none of them worked at all for me. I keep seeing them..and avoiding them until I just really needed a detangler and wanted to buy from a black owned brand. Figured it was time to give the brand another try anyway.

Taliah Waajid claims:

The Great Detangler • Helps to eliminate tangles on contact• Works to define curl pattern while combating breakage • Rich with moisturizers and proteins for soft and healthy...

• Helps to eliminate tangles on contact
• Works to define curl pattern while combating breakage
• Rich with moisturizers and proteins for soft and healthy hair

How to Use:
Detangle and Leave-in Conditioning: Use on wet or dry hair. Separate a section of hair. Apply a liberal amount of The Great Detangler™. Use fingers to work the product through the hair to loosen tangles. Use medium to large wide tooth comb and start combing from ends of hair up to scalp area. Style as desired. Deep Conditioning: Use after Taliah Waajid Clean & Natural shampoo™. Use liberal amount on hair, sit under dryer for 15 minutes or more and rinse out. Dryer not necessary for instant conditioning.

What It Does:
The Great Detangler™ that lightly coats, softens, protects and helps strengthen hair; leaving to leave it soft and manageable. It is rich with moisturizers, proteins, and conditioners to leave it more manageable. The Great Detangler™ is specially formulated for curly, kinky, wavy and coily hair textures. It eliminates tangles on contact. It works to prevent breakage while combing and gently softens the hair. For best results, use the complete line of Black Earth Products™.

I'm glad I gave this brand another try because I really like this product. So much that I went and bought a back up. It's not often that I do that either.

It's a gel cream sort of texture that really aides in detangling with the slip it provides. I think the past Taliah products I tried had a laundry scent to it, which I really hate for hair products. This is still a really fresh scent but it doesn't bother me. Kinda reminds me of a bubble bath scent. 

The only thing slightly negative I can say is it's not one of those products where a little goes a long way. I tend to use up quite a bit in a detangling session. Luckily, it's not toooo expensive. The listed price on the website is $8. I can't remember what I paid for it, but in terms of black owned brands that's a pretty great price. Remember back in the day when products aimed at natural hair were ridiculously priced? There are still some, but I appreciate this brand for being on the more affordable end.

If you comb through with the right tool, you can get some good definition...but I don't find this provides any hold.  But it's not designed to do that anyway so I'm not mad.

The ingredients aren't horrible...in fact for the price, I think it's alright! 

Ingredients:

Deionized Water (Aqua), (Vegetable) Glycerin, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, (Vegetable) Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol (From Coconut Oil), Cetyl Alcohol (From Coconut Oil), Cetrimonium Bromide, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera), Hydrolyzed Silk Protein, Ceteareth 20, Balsam, Caprylyl Glycol (Plant Extract), Phenoxyethanol, Parfum (Fragrance).

Overall, I already bought a backup and will probably keep on buying it until I want to try something new or it stops working for me.

Miss Jessie's Multi Cultural Curls Review

It's been a long time since I've reviewed anything from Miss Jessie's. For the most part I always found it overpriced for the ingredients and I had a lot more issues with the company back in the day that I had mostly forgot about until I pulled up my old reviews. They seemed to have come way down in price  though.  I needed to buy something though and this was on sale so I  figured it wouldn't hurt to try out. They had two others but I already know that I don't like Jelly Soft curls and I haven't tried this one so into the cart it went.

Miss Jessie's claims:

MULTICULTURAL CURLS™ IS EXCELLENT FOR MIXED HERITAGE & MULTI-TEXTURED CURLS. GREAT FOR SOFT, LIGHTWEIGHT, AND WASH N GO STYLING. If you struggle to find the right products for your multi-textured curls, look no further. Our MultiCultural Curls™ styling lotion is perfect for women who are a beautiful mix of different ethnicities but cannot find styling products that work for their unique multi-textured curls. Some products are too heavy and may leave your textured curls oily and weighed down. Other products are just too light. We know your story well and share your frustration. Growing up as bi-racial babies, we were always searching for just the right product. Now, we celebrate our mixed-race heritage and the curls that come with it. And you can too! Multicultural Curls™ gives your textured curls uniformity and manageability while at the same time fights frizz. Not too heavy and not too light, the perfect balance created just for you! Try it and you will love the beautiful curls that were styled with Multicultural Curls™ “The Best Darn MultiCultural Styling Lotion.” For all multicultural stylists, add this product to your multicultural hair salon. Your clients will love the results!

At Miss Jessie’s, we are the curly-hair experts. All of our natural curl products are free of toxins, parabens, and other harmful ingredients. Accessible, effective curly hair products are our passion and we can’t wait to share them with you.

Made in USA

 I'm probably not the target demographic of this product. It kind of reminds me of something from Mixed Chics...which is another brand I have never been a fan of. I like the way this is marketed, a lot more than I like the way Mixed Chics markets their products.

The reason I went for this one over the others (Jelly Soft and Pillow Soft)  is the scent. The other ones I was able to give a sniff had that laundry scent. I really cannot stand laundry detergent smelling hair, bath products. The only thing I want to smell like laundry is my clothes. This has a light citrus fresh scent that is pretty pleasant and doesn't really linger and stick around anyway. At least not that I notice. 

The texture is like a hybrid cream gel, which I've always had good luck with in the past. 

It doesn't really encourage curls when they aren't already there. I went to Texas for a few days and my hair had less curl/kink definition than it usually has. And this did not whip it into shape. It didn't go back to normal until a few days after I had left Texas. Once my hair started coiling up more, this did then encourage it to form/curl more and define the texture a little more. 

I've found that I like it more the more I've used it.

It doesn't dry my hair and adds a sheen but my hair isn't shiny/glossy. It's not dull either though. 

I usually just slap a large dollop in my wet hair and then go and shake out my hair in the shower. Good to Go. 

The only thing I'm not a big fan of is that is does have a bit of a white/product cast if you put too much. It can take a little while to dry down too. I see that they have a clear version though on the website, haven't seen it in stores. I might give that a try at some point. 

The ingredients aren't out of this world. I think Kinky Curly has the best ingredients of any gel I've ever tried. But I'll give it a pass because the price wasn't terrible ( I got it for eleven and some change) and at least it does have safflower oil (cheap) and olive oil. Checking the website shows a completely different ingredient list...looks like they changed it. Hopefully not for the worse...but it seems so. 

Ingredients:

WATER (AQUA), CETEARYL ALCOHOL, polysorbate 80, AMODIMETHICONE, glycerin, bUTYLENE GLYCOL, HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE, GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE, DISODIUM EDTA, behentrimonium CHLORIDE, HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL,OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT OIL,   CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS (SAFFLOWER) SEED OIL,  octyl, METHOXYCINNAMATE, bht,  YELLOW 10 (C1 47005), RED 40 (CI16035CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM),  CITRIC ACID,HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN PG-PROPYL SILANETRIOL, glycerin, alcohol denat, Pumpkin seed extract, soybean seed extract, spirulina maxima extract, seaweed extract,  GLYCERETH-26, 

Overall, I think this might be the first Miss Jessie's product that I actually like. There are definitely still other cream gels that can do the job at a better price, but this is a black owned company, and I don't think the price is as unreasonable as it used to be or is in their older products.

Plant Therapy Shea Butter Crude Review

 I finally went to Ikea to buy plants. I really want to fill my space with lots and lots of plants and have been meaning to go plant shopping since November. I finally went back to Ikea but their plant selection wasn't that great. But I did manage to pick out two plants, it's a start. Say hello to Horton (named after Horton Hears a Who since it has elephant shaped leaves) and the mini palm plant that's not yet named. Here's hoping I don't kill them😌

Plant Therapy says:

Shea Butter is naturally rich in Vitamins A and E as well as essential fatty acids and other vitamins and minerals. Shea Butter is an intense moisturizer for dry skin, and is a wonderful product for revitalizing damaged skin. Our Shea Butter Crude is in its raw state and has not been processed or refined.

Commonly used in lotions, creams, balms and soaps due to its smooth, satiny finish. Shea Butter has a strong nutty aroma and can often change the scent of body care products. We recommend using essential oils to cover up this scent. Please note that this butter is hard and will need to be slowly and gently heated to use.

But anyway let' talk Shea Butter. I love Shea Butter. It's a must have. I've been jumping around and trying Shea Butter from different brands. My favorite so far has been the Shea From Out of Africa. But I'm going to keep trying them all.

I'm always placing an order from Plant Therapy so I figured may as well try out their Shea Butter. It's unrefined, they call it Crude, Same thing. It comes in a big plastic container in chunks.

I don't know how much I paid for it since I bought it a little while ago. But not it's listed at $12 a pound, I believe that's the sale price. I think maybe it was $20. Which is pretty pricy. Especially considering it's not fair trade. 

Shea Butter typically has a smoky, nutty scent. This one isn't as smoky and nutty and kinda smells a bit waxy. I feel you mostly get that waxy scent in machine processed Shea Butter. So I doubt this one is handcrafted. It's not as weird.waxy in texture as some machined Shea Butter's I've used. It's Ok.

I do notice it is slightly gritty. I use my Shea Butter in little jars of mixes I made with other oils/essential oils and I've noticed most of the mixes are slightly gritty. Not too gritty and it could have just been this batch. It melts easily and doesn't bother me too much.

Shea Butter is amazing on dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, as a anti-gaining facial moisture, blemishes. It's an amazing all purpose little butter. I love this stuff! If you aren't into mixing you can even just use it straight. It is easy to work with (especially in warmer months). In the winter it may be firmer and harder to work with but it melts at body temperature. 

Shea Butter for me is a must have. And this one is OK. It's not my favorite Shea Butter, will do in a pinch but I prefer the handcrafted, smokier, thicker, nuttier version. 

Nature's Shea East African Shea Butter Review

I've been meaning to blog but laziness has overtaken my life. I recently got a promotion at work (yay!), which didn't become real for me until Payday. 

via GIPHY

Anyway...today I have another Shea Butter review. I've wanted to try Shea Nilotica for awhile. As far as I know there are only two types of Shea. West African and East. East African has less scent and is much softer making it easier to use. It's also known as Shea Nilotica.

Nature's Shea claims:
100 % all natural and organic shea butter from Uganda.


I ordered this one when they had a sale since it is a bit pricey at $25 for 6 oz. I think I got it 35% off.

It comes from Uganda...but it doesn't state whether they are sourcing Fair Trade/Fair Wage Shea. Which is something I like to see, so it does get points against it for that.

I was quite surprised at how little scent there is

. I've come to like/tolerate the smoky smell of Shea.  It lets me know the Shea Butter is not refined and processed. This does have a very faint scent of Shea. But it's barely detectable. If you can't stand the natural scent of Shea but want the benefits that come with virgin Shea, this might be for you.

It's also very soft.  Which makes it so much  easier to work with. Shea Butter can be a little too solid in colder weather. In warmer months I don't have a problem. But when it's cold it can be a little hard to work with. I tend to mix up my own little lotions and potions where I mix it with a liquid oil which makes it softer and easier to work with anyway. But this is nice if I'm in a hurry or if you aren't into DIYing your own.

It spreads easily, it's not greasy. It's very hydrating. And really does have healing benefits. Some say it's more healing.  I find regular West African Shea to work amazingly on any skin irritations, burns, etc so I wouldn't say I noticed it being more healing.

Since it is on the pricier end I tend to save it for facial use. I've started using it in my DIY Facial oil. I like using Shea Butter on sore muscles or as a carrier for essential oils but because of the cost, I don't use this particular one for that. It's my "special" Shea.

I like it. I would purchase Shea Nilotica again-on occasion.  Maybe not from this brand, unless in a mix/scent. I want to see if I can find a fair trade source for it.

Plant Therapy Fractionated Refined Clarified Coconut Oil Review

I finally made up my mind that I was going to buy a Nintendo Switch- I take forever to decide to buy something.  I've been looking at games like Zelda, Mario, and Pokemon and they look so fun especially when you compare them to the old 64 versions of the games. Graphics have come so far!  But now that I know I want one they are all out of stock. Apparently everyone was thinking the same thing with the Qurantine going on. I guess I'll just be checking and waiting. 

In the meantime, let's talk Coconut Oi.

Plant Therapy claims:

 This oil is a “fraction” of virgin coconut oil produced through a heating process. It has excellent moisturizing capabilities, it’s odorless and it’s shelf stable. Which means you won’t have to wrestle with a rock hard tub of coconut oil in the dead of winter (we’ve all been there).

These great properties make Fractionated Coconut Oil an ideal and versatile choice for body and skin care. Here at Plant Therapy, we’ve found some fantastic ways to use this carrier oil and now they’re all in one place

For a couple of years now I've always had a jar of coconut oil. I use it to make my own shea mixes, sometimes I use it in my hair and sometimes I use it on my skin. It's an essential. 

I've never tried Fractionated Coconut oil (except in some pre-made oils I've bought, almost forgot about those) . Fractionated oil is modified to make it remain liquid at room temperature and is often refined and clarified. Which may be why I'm not a big fan. I like my oils to be cold pressed and unrefined. It has the most benefits that way. 

I actually meant to order a different oil but this is the first one that went in my cart and I forgot to double check it. 

I figured I would test it out anyway and ....I'm not a fan. It doesn't have that "coconut" scent because it's refined, but is it really coconut oil if it doesn't have that Coconut scent?

Also it is nice that it is always liquid. It is much easier to work with but it doesn't make my skin feel like the unrefined stuff. My skin feels "crunchy". That probably doesn't make sense but I don't know exactly how else to describe it.

I've been using it to make my own roller balls. Usually I use grapeseed oil or castor but I decided to try what most companies seem to use in roller balls they sell. And I'm not a big fan. I can't use it on my face because Coconut Oil breaks me out on my face- I can use Grapeseed on my face though. It doesn't have any benefits like helping with aches and pains like Castor oil. It just doesn't do much of anything for me.

It does cost $16.95 for 16 ounces which isn't the worst price but it's not the best either. When I compare it to other oils like Grapeseed Oil, which is available right up the road at my local grocery store ,  and I can buy a large container for less that five dollars, it doesn't really make it something I would purchase again but as always I'm glad I tried it and will use up the remaining amount. 

I still love essential oils from Plant Therapy and will probably never stop purchasing those. They have fast, free shipping, and excellent customer service. I just wasn't a big fan of this this oil 

In the meantime I will stick to my grapeseed and regular virgin coconut oil I can buy in the grocery store.  Just dipped into a brand new jar the other day! Also...those come in glass and these come in plastic so that's another plus!