Daily Archives: August 18, 2011

Aug18

Decisions, Decisions …

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At the end of last month, I renewed my Sally’s card and got a freebie. I could choose any ion product and I didn’t have a clue what to get. I use their curl shampoo (heavily diluted with water as it does contain sulfates) to clarify when my hair feels especially weighed down and my DevaCare doesn’t seem to be doing the job. But that’s it and I haven’t used the shampoo in several months and the container is nearly full.

So, I was eyeing the Silk Drops because I’d read good reviews of it somewhere and I was thinking about how Nikki indicated she was using a shine pomade on her twists once she released them. I also remember a post on her site about silicones blocking out unwanted moisture in humid conditions, thereby preventing frizz head (but, of course I can’t find it!!). Or, maybe I’m thinking of this post on the Top 10 Humidty Fighters or this one on Silicones and Other Sealants for Natural Hair? (Hmmm, some good information there … PJs beware.)

As I stood in the aisle eyeing the Silk Drops, I couldn’t bring myself to buy it. You see, I still fear the cones in shine enhancers that cause moisture-blocking build-up. As far as I can figure, my DevaCare No Poo is not going to do the job to remove non-water soluble cones. And, the Silk Drops contained dimethicone high on the ingredient list. Shoot, I just looked at the ingredients again:

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Fragrance (Parfum), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, SD Alcohol 40-B (Alcohol Denat.), Linalool, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Citronellol, Ethyl Ester of Hydrolyzed Silk, Benzyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Panthenol.

That’s TWO cones in the first and second positions!! Anywho, I ultimately got this ion Inspired by Nature Intense Hydrating Masque.

It seemed pretty safe, okay ingredients (though the list was a little long) and it’s a conditioner. I don’t tend to have problems experimenting with those. But, I’m still thinking about those Silk Drops!!

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Have any of you tried either of these? What do you think? Do you avoid cones too? Should I go exchange the safe conditioner for the dangerous serum?!?! Is there a product in the ion line that you would recommend I try instead?!? The choice will be taken out of my hands soon as I think I only have 30 days to exchange. So, help a sista out!! 

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Aug18

Banana Clip Pin-Curl Updo

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Yup, I’m at it again. And, this is just one of two styles I rocked this week using a banana clip. But, ya’ll are going to have to wait for the other one ;). So, I filmed a video for this, but I need to lay an audio track over it explaining what I was doing and I’m not sure when I’ll get around to that as I have some other things in the works, including a white water rafting trip this weekend and … of course … our Natural Hair Meet-Up!!

Okay, now to this look. I did a henna treatment on Sunday and DC’d overnight. So, Monday morning, I had to quickly do something with my hair! “WnG my old friend! How have you been?!?!”I didn’t make any Kimmaytube leave-in on Sunday and didn’t have the time to make it on Monday morning either. So, I did something that I knew would cause problems. I used DevaCare One as my leave-in and applied JessiCurl Confident Coils Curling Lotion as my styler. Ummmm … if you saw my first two-part video review of this product line, you know this combo resulted in flakes. It wasn’t any different this time. But if you ignored the little product flakes, my hair looked pretty dang good, if I do say so myself! LOL! You know, I never seem to have time to allow my hair to dry for a TnC anymore and the WnG is starting to look more and more attractive as my day one style! Now that henna has loosened the hair at my crown, WnGs don’t seem to give me a mullet anymore!!

Well, on Tuesday, I did this updo by smoothing my hair back into a ponytail with my hands and putting the banana clip around it in the “traditional” vertical position. Then, I just began by grabbing a medium-sized section, loosely rolling it around my fingers and pin-curling it against my head with bobby pins. I repeated until all my hair was pin-curled in a bun-like formation (I used a crap load of bobby pins) and then threw on the headband. This was another very easy hairstyle that I was able to do in less than 10 minutes. I know some are probably wondering why I use a banana clip instead of a hair elastic of scrunchie. Truly and honestly, the banana clip does NOT snag my hair or pull it out when I remove it and it is soooo much easier and faster for me to put around my hair! Anywho, here is the finished look with two different accessories, a headband and an orchid (I wore it with the headband to work). Oh, and I’m also including pics of my WnG. I think the amla really may have done something! I’ll definitely be repeating the process I did a couple of weeks ago and posted about here to see if this is a fluke or if the amla is really doing something to restore my natural curl.

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Aug18

Sofistafunk!

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Whatcha know about that? Oh … me? Well, until about two months ago, nothing!!! That is, until my middle sister (who has immaculate taste, by the way) sent a FB message asking me and her entire friend list to go like the page and write something on it. I can’t remember the details, but she was trying to win a skirt in a fan giveaway and … you know what? She did! But, this isn’t about her ;). When I went to the Sofistafunk FB page, I fell in love with the whimsical and bodacious dress and skirt designs!! The bold and saturated colors, the flirty trims, the asymmetrical hems, the fanciful pulls and ties, the drama of floor length sashes trailing the ground like wedding trains … these are skirts and dresses that you feel like you must have at least one of in your closet … even when you have no idea where you are going to wear it!! Shoot, a girl never knows, right?

Anywho, I was reminded of this wonderful designer when I visited The Curvealicious Chronicles, the blog of one of our GOCers, Etoile. I went to the Sofistafunk site today and fell a little in love with this sassy number above, which is made of remnant fabrics and is fittingly named, “Pieces of a Dream Lived.”

Ladies, I just may have to curtail my PJ ways for a while in order to save up for a different type of “dream” splurge!! Now, how many bottles of Knot Today is that?!?

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