11 | June | 2011 | hairscapades

A couple of months ago, when Shea Moisture products debuted at Walgreen’s, I picked up a few items at the BOGO (buy 1, get 1 free) sale. The word had gotten around the online natural community and I was reading a lot of comments indicating that it was sold out at many Walgreen’s around the country! So, I was psyched because I was able to get several items.

I’d already picked up the SM Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie at Target in December/January and had tried it solo and with Eco Styler Olive Oil gel on TnCs, the latter with far better results.

The Smoothie alone left a “haze” on my hair and had a tacky feeling that I thought was partly attributable to the humidity that day, but later found was a common complaint among users. It also had no hold on its own, so although it gave me the voluminous hair I wanted, my hair had dropped by the end of the day.

However, when I mixed the Smoothie with Eco, I got shiny, defined and firm waves with no haze or tackiness.

However, despite the fact that I got great results with the Smoothie/Eco combo, I wanted to try the SM Smoothie/Milk combo because I’m a PJ. I’d seen this tutorial on CurlyNikk.com in December and wanted to give it a try on my TnC. And, because I’m a PJ with tons of products awaiting use (post of my full stash to come), I didn’t use the Milk and Smoothie combo until the end of April.

This is another partial repost from my GOC blog with my day 1 review and some comments about my regimen that might have impacted the results. I’ll post my day 2 results and thoughts, as well as my review of the SM Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque (who does every name have to be 20 words?!?!), in a separate post as this one is already long! (Note: I’ve yet to try the Moisture Retention Shampoo.)

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TnC w/SheaMoisture C&H Style Milk and Curl Enhancing Smoothie

posted on May 28, 2011

I need to do a henna treatment in the worst kind of way. I have an inch of grey roots. I would usually do my henna on my normal wash day. However, I knew I wasn’t doing it last night and I had to wash because I sweat my butt off. It reached 105 degrees in my hot yoga class. So, after a week of working out and the ultimate sweat session on Friday, just had to wash my hair and accept that I would do a dry henna on Sunday or Monday. Since I have to DC after a henna treatment, just detangled with Aussie Moist, shampooed my scalp with DevaCurl No Poo and conditioned with DevaCare One Conditioner. Then, did a 10 twist TnC with DevaCare One as my leave-in (no need to waste a Kimmaytube mix if I’d be washing out in a day or two) and SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk and Curl Enhancing Smoothie as my stylers. This was my first time using this combo. I’ve used each separately (Style Milk for the first time this week), but never together. However, I watched a Youtube video that was posted on CN.com some time ago and the youtuber raved about the combo. I applied some DevaCurl Set It Free to the ends before rolling the length of the twists on flexis. This morning, as expected, the twists weren’t dry (seriously, I am so jealous when I read everyone say that their hair is dry the next morning). Then, I worked out, so the perimeter twists got wetter. But, I had a plan. Took out the flexi-rods, pin-curled the twists with large bobby pins and tied a satin scarf around my edges.

Then, donned a hat to hit up Marshall’s and Target before going to my friend’s graduation party. Grabbed my straw hat to have an alternative for later. It was around noon and the party started at 3.

At around 3, in the Target bathroom, released the pin curls and twists, except the one at my nape. Stuck my head under the Xlerator (LOL) hand dryer to try to get my hair to dry some more as it was still damp, especially that bottom twist! The dryer caused the released twists at my temples to blow all apart into craziness. But, just twirled them back around my fingers and pinned them down at my temples again. Minimally fluffed, but didn’t separate due to the dampness. Stuck my hat back on and headed to my car where I released the pinned temple hair and threw on my straw hat.

Gotta tell you, I was pleasantly surprised by the clumpy and soft looking curls!! That’s why I took pics (had the camera for the party=). Think the SM combo may be a keeper. Will definitely use it again after my henna/DC. This was my hair when I got home around 8 pm.

This is my hat free hair. Yeah, I have hat head. However, don’t want to disturb it too much as it might cause excessive frizz. Since I’m in for the night, I’ll probably just pineapple it for the night for a bun tomorrow. I have hot yoga again tomorrow morning, so probably wouldn’t have been much chance of me getting 3 day hair out of this. But, it would have been nice.

This is a partial repost from my GOC blog. The TnC is the foundation for almost every style I do. Therefore, I thought a pic tutorial would be a good post to introduce my hairscapades;).

T n C posted on Mar 19, 2011

I’ve never done a photo journal of my attempts at the famous Curly Nikki twist and curl (TnC). On FB, I would just post finished styles. But, on this blog, I think I’ll try to start documenting some of the techniques and products I use. I’m not very consistent at all in number of twists, twist placement or styling products. I just go with what works that day. Therefore, pretty much every TnC I’ve done in the last year has turned out differently.

Anwho, decided to take photos and actually document number of twists, twist placement and products. This TnC will probably come out horribly! LOL! If it comes out well, I’ll hopefully have a “map” to help me duplicate it. So, I did a 2 step henna and indigo tx and deep conditioned with Darcy’s Botanical Pumpkin Seed Moisturizing Conditioner. I’ve never used it after a henna, so hope it was sufficiently moisturizing! Then, I applied my diluted Kimmaytube leave-in. I dilute it with filtered water and apply it using a spray bottle (UPDATE: I no longer dilute my Kimmaytube leave-in. However, I have reduced the 2 tsps of each oil to 1 tsp of each). It was a little thinner than normal for some reason though. As a styler, I used a product I’m testing for a friend, Wonder Curl Butter Than Love. So, I want to see if I can achieve the same or similar results using it again. I did 8 twists using BTL only and then rolled the twists on pink flexi-rods. Then, I’ll sit under the dryer for a while on medium to low heat as my hair never, ever, EVER dries overnight and it was especially damp today. So, here are the pics of the twists (secured at the roots with bobby pins – that’s a first) and the twists set on rollers:

(I always connect twists in the back to reduce/eliminate an obvious center part. I use a
Goody Comfort Flex barrette, because they never snag my hair!)