Tag Archives: braid-out

Sep7

Damage Control: Frizzy Hair

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In the last week or so, I’ve been asked a couple of times about products that I use to control frizz. To be honest, I’ve yet to find any “miracle” product that prevents my porous hair from frizzing when there is any significant humidity in the air … and I’ve tried a few!! Frizz and “swoll” hair are things that I’ve lived with my entire life. Shoot, frizz control was the reason I wanted a relaxer in the first place!! My hair would get so big and “cloud” like in humidity. I would see the other girls with their relaxed, flat, bone straight hair and that’s what I wanted. But, even when I finally got a relaxer at 13 (thanks mom for making us wait), my hair was like, “Girl, whatever.” So, in high school, I inevitably ended up in a French braid or ponytail. LOL! So, yeah, it’s just a fact of life.

Nowadays, I try to follow the “Moisture Rules” that say that well-moisturized hair will be less prone to absorb atmospheric humidity (for more on that, check out these posts on CurlyNikki.com: Curly Hair Tips for Spring & Summer Humidity and Maintaining Natural Hair in Humidity).

So, in general, these are the things that I incorporate into my regimen regularly to combat frizz:

  • Pre-poo with Vatika Oil or virgin coconut oil (penetrates into the cortex hair to help it retain moisture).
  • Incorporate a light protein treatment weekly (Aubrey GPB Conditioner or Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe) (helps fill in “chips” in the hair cuticle).
  • Deep condition weekly after every wash (penetrates surface of hair to moisturize it from within).
  • Rinse conditioners/deep conditioners with cool/cold water (“closes” the cuticle).
  • Henna every 4-8 weeks (functions like a “heavy” protein treatment by bonding to the keratin in hair to fill in “chips” in the cuticle).
  • Apply a leave-in conditioner weekly (moisturizer).
  • Use a gel to style (LOVING aloe vera gel right now, but also use Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel and ORS Lock & Twist gel with success) (seals the hair).
  • Seal the last few inches of hair with an oil like JBCO mixed with EVOO (keeps more moisture in hair and reduces the amount of moisture absorbed from outside air).
  • Wait for fall/winter. LOL!!! (Though I am a summer lover forever, lack of humidity is one of the very few things that make me look forward to cooler weather ;)).

But, to tell you the truth, frizz really doesn’t bother me much anymore. I LOVE big hair now and always wish my hair was bigger. The thing is, it’d be nice if I could have it big with some definition that lasted more than 2 hours. Also, I’d like it to be big UPWARDS instead of flat on the top and big at the bottom. LOL! But, so is life.

Anywho, the reason I started telling you guys all of this was just to share this little styling “trick” that I did to minimize the appearance of frizz. You see, the top layer of my hair is the most prone to frizz (I guess because that’s the area most exposed). But, when I lift that top layer, the under-layers of my hair still look great! Well, last week, I wore braids for a couple of days and then removed them for a braid-out. Within hours, the top of my hair frizzed entirely. So, at lunch time, I braided the front frizzy parts and secured them at the back of my head with a bobby pin. And, I was good to go!

avg_braidout_x2Easy, breezey, lemon squeezey!

Simple, effective, and Boho chic too ;)! You could also just twist or twirl the sides! Anywho, that’s it. Just wanted to share this quick styling tip for doing some frizz damage control!

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What do you do to fight frizz? Have you found an effective product/product combo and/or styling trick? Sharing is caring!!

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Aug26

Super Easy, Minimalist Braid-out

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I was going through my phone to delete some pics (I’m too embarrassed to admit how many pics I have and how many are selfies … but, let’s just say, too many :P), and came across this braid-out that I never posted here. The things that make this braid out notable for me are that I achieved it with minimal products and styling!!

Two Pocahontas-style braided ponytails have become my go to “style” since I started working out daily for my 365 Days of Fitness.

Told ya!

After pre-pooing, washing, detangling, and deep conditioning, I want to spend as little time styling my hair as possible. In addition, I like to keep my hair off my face and neck during my morning workouts. This keeps me cooler and prevents my hair from getting too sweaty (I sweat in my head, so my hair almost always gets wet to some extent. This is even with good sweatbands, which really just keep the sweat on my face from seeping into my front hairline). Finally, the style has been great for hot summer weekends. Throw on a hat or headband and I’m out the door!

Anywho, all this to say, I’ve been rocking these braids and the resultant braid-outs all summer. But, I was pleasantly surprised when I got the really great braid-out from the two braids and only two products!! These products are also regulars in my rotation: Kinky Curly Knot Today (KCKT) Leave-in Conditioner and my Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) mix, which includes a little EVOO and a few EOs (can’t even remember what I threw in there). After washing:

  • Blotted hair with a tee-shirt so that it was damp, not dripping wet.
  • Applied enough KCKT to finger detangle hair in four sections, then combed through the sections with a shower brush to smooth the hair.
  • Parted hair down the middle with fingers and made a braid on each side, starting the bases of the braids behind my ears.
  • Applied a little JBCO mix to seal the last few inches of hair.

I wore my hair in the braids overnight, tying the top down with satin scarf. Then, I left the braids in for at least one full day (it usually takes one day to totally dry), and when I released the following day …. voilà.

2braid_braidout91082645_10201835697951901_1497702319_nAnd that’s all I have to say about that.

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Do you have a super easy, minimal products and tools required, go-to style? Spill so that others can benefit from your cleverness ;)!! And if it’s dual purpose, even better!!

Feb18

Dry Braid n’ Curl with Coconut Oil Whip

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Seriously, a hair blog is the best diary! I’m not really consistent in the products that I use to style. I’ll just grab whatever is tickling my fancy at the moment. And, there are times when I remember getting great results from a product, but have no clue what I used! Enter Hairscapades the blog! LOL!! I am almost always able to find the picture and post with details of my styling and products to help me recreate the look as closely as possible. I mean, it’s rarely EXACTLY the same. But, I can get close.

Anywho, Wei and I had plans this weekend, which included a trip to a movie screening in NYC and meeting more of his family! So, you know I wanted to look nice. However, as we went out to dinner on Friday night to celebrate the anniversary of our engagement, I didn’t have time to wash my  hair (and I didn’t wash it all this weekend). Therefore, I decided a dry braid n’ curl (BnC) was in order and wanted to recreate the fluffy  look I had when I did my hair for the Katie Couric Show in Janaury (see it here).

So, I re-read Getting Ready: Hair√, Face√, Clothes√ and did essentially the same thing.

Dry BnC Set

  • Gently finger detangled hair with my coconut oil whip (I am LOVING this stuff!!);
  • Applied Wonder Curl Get Set Hair Jelly at the root of each section to smooth and set hair, then braided;
  • Set hair in 10 braids total (2 on each side in the front; 3 on each side in back);
  • Dampened each braid with water by wetting my hands and smoothing and squishing the water down the braids;
  • Applied Deva Curl Set It Free on the ends of each braid and set them on grey perm rods (I set about an inch or two of my ends to make certain they stayed curly as they tend to get flattened when I sleep);
  • Donned my Blensblend silk bonnet and hit the sack.

And these were the results on Saturday.

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Yeah, I definitely prefer BnCs over TnCs now. I just think they give me more uniform results. Also think my hair doesn’t tangle as much.

I think the flaxseed cream gel that I used on wash day was reactivated by the water and helped provide some nice hold and definition too!! One thing you may notice is my glaring grey roots. It’s really time for a henna treatment and I was hoping to do one on Sunday, but it didn’t happen. TouchBack Marker to the rescue!!

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Let me tell you, that thing is really a great pinch hitter when I can’t henna!! The other great thing about it is that I’ve had it since last summer and it is still as effective as when I first purchased it. It hasn’t dried out and the color hasn’t faded! Love the longevity. Given the price, that was an important factor for me re-purchasing it in the future.

So yeah, I’ll definitely be using the marker to touch-up those greys for the CurlyNikki Curly NYC event on Wednesday!!  I think I might try something a little different and set it dry for a curly ‘fro a la Mahogany Curls!! (Time to hit Sally’s as I don’t think I have enough perm rods! I also want to see if “my” Sofn’Free Nothing But Mold and Hold Wax is on the shelves yet!!)

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Anyone else going to the CurlyNikki Curl Power event with Chrisette Michelle this Wednesday?! If so, what are you doing with your hair?! Hope to see some of you there!!

Feb6

Flaxseed Cream Gel (FSCG) Braid-n-Curl

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As promised, here are the results from my Late Night Styling session/braid-n-curl set on Sunday night. I used Shea Moisture Raw Shea Restorative Conditioner as my leave-in and my FSCG to style. As my hair was still damp, as expected, on Monday morning, I left the braids in for the day and just used a jaw clip to put them up for work. I released my hair on Tuesday morning with a little coconut oil whip to nicely defined, but flat, hair.

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I then massaged my roots to give the braid-n-curl a little more volume.

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And, when I got to work, I separated the sections a little more on a bathroom run for the final look above, which my hair at the end of the work day.

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Although my hair is a little piecier than I like it, I think that the FSCG is going to give me the hold that I was seeking to allow my braid-outs to last a little longer. Even though there was humidity in the air outside (light snow) and despite the fact that I wore no  hair covering, my hair didn’t swell! I’m hoping that my hair will get fuller each day while still maintaining definition and shine. Guess we’ll see!! On another note, I can’t wait to use up this batch of FSCG so that I can experiment some more with the next mix based upon some advice given on the gel post and some YouTube videos that I’ve been watching.

Day two hair has yet to be revealed. But, check in later on my Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram page —————->>>> and you’re likely to find an update ;).

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Do you use gel to give your braid/twist-out sets staying power? What products/combo(s) work the best for you to deliver hold AND moisture?

Jan21

January 2013 Length Check: Post December Haircut

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The Wednesday before last, after my Katie Show outing, I had my sister take a few quick length check pics. I hadn’t taken any after my haircut in December, Wei was out of town and they are difficult to do alone. So, I took the opportunity of having another set of hands present to get a few quick shots.

If you recall, I wore my hair in a braid and curl (BnC) for the show’s taping, so my curls were stretched. As of 1/9/13, the shortest layers around my face are about armpit length, the side and crown layers are around bra-strap/mid-back length and my longest layer is waist length. So, my hair is back to where it was after my haircut in June 2012 (see here).

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That was a really good BnC! Gotta go refresh my memory about what I used and do it again ;)! *lol* Anywho, I’ll be sticking with stretched, low-manipulation, protective styling and search and destroys for the next 6 months or so to see if I can gain/retain an additional 2-3 inches all around. Working my way towards that tailbone/hipbone length hair ;). Need to get my diet and exercise game right first though :(.

 

Jan15

At A Glimpse: Shea Moisture C&H Curling Soufflé

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On Friday, I went on a Shea Moisture-induced PJ mission at my local Target, only to be thwarted. With a Buy 1 Get 1 50% sale going, they didn’t have the product I wanted on the shelf!! So, I decided to hit a CVS on my way home and, yet again … NOTHING! But, my inner PJ would not be denied and I went online to search availability at various Shea Moisture retailers. After seeing “in stock,” I hit the Walgreen’s next to me house and …

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Mission accomplished!! I was able to successfully acquire the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Soufflé from Walgreens on sale for $9.99 with card and coupon (because, you know CVS and Walgreens prices are typically higher than Target’s).

Now, what you may be asking is, why was I on a mission to get this stuff?! Well, I had been reading a lot about the souffle lately, some good, some bad. Curlfriend Gina told me that it was very thick and she didn’t like how it felt the first night that she applied it, but the next day her hair was soft and moisturized and she didn’t need to apply any additional product for days. She was able to simply re-twist her hair and that seemed to “reactivate” the product. She warned that only the slightest amount of product was needed, just as the jar indicated.

Then, on Instagram (IG) I saw a picture of MahoganyCurls’ twist-out results with the product layered with the Curl Enhancing Smoothie. She actually showed the very little amount that she used for each section of her hair and then posted her gorgeous twist-out. I think I saw a few other people posting about it on YouTube and IG and the inner PJ started itching. So, I had to track some down and give it a try on my fine hair, with the knowledge that I should only use a very small amount as the product is oily, heavy and made for thick hair.

Now, this is not a full review. I’ve only used the product once on an old braid-out and I used the teeniest, tiniest amount. Like, seriously, I just swiped the surface of the product to get a little of it on two fingertips. I didn’t dig my fingers into the product at all. I also applied virgin coconut oil (VCO) to help finger detangle any difficult sections (crown, you know who you are) before applying the Soufflé.  This is what my old braid-out looked like on Friday night (if you remember, I re-set my dry hair on Tuesday night too).

SMSouffle_before1

As I indicated above, I used the Soufflé and VCO to restyle, setting my hair in 12 braids (3 in each quadrant). Then, I dampened the braids with water and set the ends on small grey perm rods. The next morning, I applied some Wild Growth Hair Oil (WGHO) to my scalp while my hair was still braided. Then, a couple of hours later, I released the braids and these were my results.

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My hair was nicely defined and full. However, it was oily when I went to fluff it too. The thing is … I think a big part of this was the WGHO that I applied to my scalp! I was kind of heavy-handed and I couldn’t differentiate what was product on my hair and what was the oil from my scalp. I do think the Soufflé left oil on the surface of my hair, but it wasn’t an excessive or troublesome amount from what I can tell.

Anywho, by the end of the day out and about in a humid environment, the definition faded and my hair got fluffy.

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I do love fluffy hair. However, gotta admit, I do wish that I could get a defined look to last a day or two so that my styles have more longevity and the fluff happens day 3 or 4!! I think that I may need to add some gel to my sets in order to accomplish that. I have in the past with TnCs, but it’s been a long time since I’ve used gel to set my hair in a braid-out or TnC. So, I think I’ll throw some Eco Styler into the mix my next wash day.

So yeah, again, this isn’t really a review. Just sharing how this product seemed to work the first time. It’s now three days since I styled my hair with the Soufflé and my hair hasn’t had any oily residue since Sunday. It actually could stand to be re-moisturized. But, it won’t be with the Soufflé … because I gave it to my BFF to try!! She has very thick hair and will be running around a lot the next few weeks. So, she doesn’t have time to worry about dealing with her hair, which can get dry quickly. I told her to try it when she washes her hair this week, using a small amount for each section, and see if it helps keep her hair moisturized for a longer period than her normal products. Can’t wait to hear how it works for her!

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Have you tried the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Soufflé? If so, how did you like … or dislike … it? How did you use it to style your hair (WnG, braid-out, twist-out, etc.)? Did you apply to wet, damp or dry hair? Did you use any other product with it? 

Jan10

The Katie Show Experience

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Okay, I overslept this morning, so this will be quick. After a rocky start due to leaving the house without my phone, license and confirmation, running back home to still not find my license and grabbing my passport instead, freaking that I wasn’t going to make my train, and high-tailing it down the highway, I made it to my train on time, everyone showed up early and we had a great time at the show!!! The entire crew and Katie were sooooo nice!! It was a genuinely pleasant experience. I’ve attended live productions before, where the audience was treated like annoying cattle. At the Katie show, everyone was polite, told us how important we were to the show, gave us instructions in a professional manner, and, when we were exiting, everyone we passed said, “Thank you for coming!”

As we were part of a group, we were lead into the audience holding area and seated first. Our group was broken up into 3 and 5. My sister, Gina and I were seated in the middle front row; the rest of our group was placed dead center in the middle, middle row. The studio was so small, there’s no doubt that you’ll see us smiling, laughing and making funny faces on camera!! LOL!!

As you know from my post the other day (check it out here if you missed it), the Katie show was about going “au natural” and the audience was asked to come make-up free as Katie would be doing the entire show sans make-up. I’m sure there was a little make-up going on, but it was very minimal, so it was cool! Really, the show was about how the pursuit of beauty impacts us and the first guest was a woman who went a year without using beauty products, with the exception of things that her husband used. She wrote a book about it, The Beauty Experiment, a copy of which we were all given as we left! There were several other guests, but I don’t want to give it all away! Overall, I thought that it was a very interesting show and conversation.

As to Katie Couric, she was so nice. She talked to the audience during commercial segments, apologized that we had to clap so much and was a great hostess. She was very poised, relaxed and smooth in her interviewing. She never overpowered the interviews and allowed her guests to talk, which I think is so important. I hate when the host of a show like this spends more time talking than the guests! Ugh! But, Katie definitely did not. She led the discussion, but she allowed her guests to really answer her questions without interruption.

Okay, so now, the cosmetic stuff. Katie’s outfit was niiiiiiiiiceee, from the top, to the lace skirt to the tonal plum round-toe pumps (her skirt is from Talbot (my sister asked during the short Q&A session following the taping!! LOL!!). And Katie looked GREAT without make-up! I was expecting her to look very different from how she does with make-up, but she did not! She looked really good!!

I said this was going to be brief right?!? LOL!! Okay, here are some pics from the show and my hair (which turned out very well, I was pleased) and outfit all pulled together.

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Back: Wendy, Felicia, Shauna; Front: Jackie, me, Gina, Shana, Joyce

The “Going Au Natural” Katie episode airs on ABC on Friday at 3 pm EST (NY/NJ).
(Networks and times vary by state. Visit KatieCouric.com for the air date, time and station in your town.)

I’ve already set my DVR!! Actually, I set it to tape today’s show too … because Jada Pinkett was on the show that taped immediately before ours!! She was talking about her cause, human slave trafficking. So, I want to see that one too.

Happy Thursday!!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

1/13/13 UPDATE (PICS FROM THE AIRED EPISODE)

Thanks to Tracy and my sister Shana for sharing some screen shots from the actual show!!

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Oct10

Cream & Coco Product Review: Curls for Days Hair Pudding

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So, remember my “Flash Post” from a couple of weeks ago? I told you guys that I got gifted a few goodies from Cream & Coco and couldn’t wait to try the Curls for Days Hair Pudding. Well, this past Sunday, I took the pudding for a test drive!

via CreamandCoco.com

Curls For Days Hair Pudding ($15 for 16 oz.)
Soothing botanicals and avocado oils nourish curls giving definition, body, hold, and shine. This pudding is thick & rich, perfect for stretching out curls that want to shrink up and rolls with naturally wavy hair patterns. It gives fabulous hold without making hair hard or crunchy. Defines almost every curly hair type with beautiful results.

Directions: Scoop a small amount of pudding and work through soaking wet hair, evenly distributing. Use a paddle brush or comb through and scrunch to define your, well, curls for days!

Ingredients: pure water, avocado oil, cetearyl alcohol, coconut oil, shea butter, glycerin, aloe vera juice, beeswax, xanthan gum, fragrance, panthenol, hydrolyzed oat protein, horsetail extract, slippery elm, optiphen (natural preservative)

Now, when Victoria, the owner/creator behind Cream & Coco, contacted me about sending some products, I was all set to decline. You see, I was feeling like I had more stuff than I could try for the rest of the year! But, after reading the information on the Curls for Days Hair Pudding, the PJ in me could not be denied!! The promise of defined curls with fabulous hold, sans hardness or crunch, had me super intrigued!!

So, this past Sunday on wash day, I put the claim to the test.

Wash Day Rundown:

  • Pre-pooed dry hair with Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner mixed with Vatika Oil. Lightly oiled scalp with Wild Growth Hair Oil (WGHO) Original formula (approx. 1 hr).
  • Shampooed with diluted DevaCare No Poo.
  • Detangled with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration.
  • Deep conditioned with Darcy’s Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Conditioner.
  • Cooled and sealed DC with Aubrey Green Tea Cream Rinse.
  • “Plopped” hair for a few minutes in a Curl Cloth until damp.
  • Applied modified Kimmaytube leave-in (1 tbsp Kinky Curly Knot Today; 1 tbsp Aloe Vera Juice – whole leaf).
  • Made 7 braids by applying a fingertip full amount of Cream & Coco Curls for Days Hair Pudding to each section before braiding.
  • Applied a small amount of EcoStyler Olive Oil gel to roots and braids to lay down “halo” and provide additional level of hold.
  • Before going to bed, applied a tiny amount of WGHO Light to ends and tied hair down with a hair net to allow for air flow to aid drying.

On Monday morning, my braids weren’t dry … surprise, surprise ;). So, I sat under my hooded dryer for about 40-50 minutes. As my braids still felt as if they were not fully dry, I pinned them up into some type of pseudo bun for the day. I added a little more Eco gel to my roots and tied the edges down with a satin scarf for the drive to work.


It might not be glamorous, but it was functional ;).

I left the braids in until yesterday morning, when I released them after smoothing a small amount of Wonder Curl Polishing Pomade down length.


I need to do a better job of fluffing out that center part next time! LOL!!

Initial Thoughts
As you can see, my braid-out is nicely defined and shiny. There was a little precipitation on Tuesday and some light sprinkles throughout the day. But, my hair barely frizzed at all and all of the above braid-out pics were taken at the end of the day after work!!! So, what did I think of the Cream and Coco Curls for Days Hair Pudding overall? Here goes.

Ingredients: Looking good Mr. Cah-tah!!! LOL! So yeah, I think the ingredients are great. I recognize and can pronounce all of them easily and none is longer than three syllables. That’s usually a good sign;). Also, the product is free of petrolatum, mineral oil, parabens and sulfates.

Packaging: The packaging was also good. The 16 oz. Pudding comes in a plastic amber lidded container with a glossy and well-secured label. The product name, claim, ingredients and directions all appear on the one label. That being said, the print is very small and this includes the brand name. So, the far-sighted might need to check this post or the site or break out the reading glasses to read it all ;).

Pricing: At $15 for 16 ounces, the cost of this product is mid-range. It’s slightly more expensive than, say, Shea Moisture products, which run around $10 for 12 ounces. However, the price is pretty comparable to a line like Qhemet Biologic.

Scent: Okay, now this is where the Hair Pudding gets bonus points!!! OMGosh!!! I love, love, LOVE the smell of this stuff ♥♥♥!! To me, it smells like Pixie Sticks!!! You know, those sugar-filled straws?! Wei said, “Lik-a-Stix!” LOL!! Now, if you don’t like sweet or candy smells, this may be too much for you upon sniffing the contents of the jar. But, the scent does fade to a very light scent once dry and by Tuesday night, it had dissipated entirely.

Consistency and Application: Though the claim on the pudding is that it is rich and thick, I felt that it had a light, airy, but creamy consistency. It had a whipped appearance and feel to it. It applied smoothly and was very easy to distribute. I only needed to use a little bit for each section. And, once applied, it disappeared into my hair, leaving no white chunks, flakes or residue when layered over my modified Kimmaytube leave-in.

Appearance (Hold & Definition) and Feel: So far, so good! As it’s only been a day, I can’t provide a full review on long-term hold and definition. However, I can say that day one went well, especially given the weather! My braid-out was defined, firm and remained almost frizz-free throughout the day. In regard to the feel of my hair, LOVE it! My hair feels soft, light and product-less! It feels moisturized without feeling producty, greasy or sticky and has a nice sheen without being shiny. When I used the Carol’s Daughter Healthy Hair Butter and then the Aveda Brilliant Anti-Humectant Pomade on dry braid-outs last week, my hair was moisturized and shiny, but left residue on my hands when I touched it. This also meant that I had a lot of lint and dust stuck to my hair, which gunk up my strands and contribute to SSKs and difficult detangling sessions. #Notcool. But, with the pudding, I got a soft, moisturized, defined, sheeny set without hard, crunchy, tacky, flaky, greasy or crunchy hair. Nice!

Conclusions
So, will I use the Cream & Coco Curls for Days Hair Pudding again? Absolutely! Based upon my initial results, I will definitely be using it again! I think the moisture, hold, shine and definition were great and I love the smell and the ingredients! Also, as I only needed a small amount of product, I can imagine that this 16 oz. container could last for several months. So, the cost is reasonable. And, of course, love to support small black businesswomen doing their thing ;)!!

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What properties do you look for in a curl pudding, cream and/or butter? Which one(s) have you found to deliver?

Oct3

#Frotober Day 03: HOTD aka Hair of the Day

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A hard-earned dry #braidout, with Carol’s Daughter Healthy Hair Butter, from a 3 day old #WnG
#naturalhair #curlyhair
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“Later that day … “

Whomp whomp whomp!! Lol!! Not quite the #braidout I left the house with this morning.
But, I really don’t mind my hair getting all “swoll!”
#naturalhair #curlyhair
http://instagr.am/p/QV20RoM1bq/

 (p.s. But I do mind the 3 hour long dry detangling session with SSKs and TSK [two-strand knots – how come no one ever talks about those … they don’t even get an official acronym!]. I cut out so many knots *smdh*. Love my natural curls and big hair, but can’t stand the consequences of a WnG anymore!)

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What was your HOTD?

Aug20

Wash Day: Trying Something(s) New

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Okay, quick post to tell you a couple of new things that I tried/revisited this weekend on wash day. A full regimen update is coming later today.

My routine was pretty much par for the course:

  • Pre-poo/dry detangle and oil scalp
  • Shampoo
  • Deep condition with cool & seal technique
  • Style

Now, what I did different was this. I revisited the Aubrey Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo (if you remember, I posted here about it not working out too well for me). Well, actually, first I broke out the Terressentials Mud Wash in Lavender Garden that I’d yet to open. However, after trying to cleanse one twist, I knew it wasn’t going to work for my heavily saturated locks. So, I ditched it and decided to clarify with the Aubrey shampoo. Now, maybe it was because my hair was very stretched from the brush-out late last week, but things went much better this time. I also realized that really working up a lather created more slip than trying to prevent the shampoo from foaming. So, Aubrey Green Tea Shampoo may not be a wash quite yet … no pun intended ;).

The other thing that I tried was something else that has been sitting under my sink, mostly unused … but this one had been sitting for much, much, muuuuuch longer … since last July actually!! Goodness! Anywho, I used it once and then it went under the sink with the rest of my PJ-induced purchases ;).

I decided to layer the ORS Lock & Twist Gel on top of my modified Kimmaytube leave-in (LI) and Wonder Curl Butter Than Love (BTL) Pudding to see if it would help with hold and block humidity. I applied the LI heavily to wet (not damp) hair and then applied about a finger-full of the BTL and Gel to each section (15 total) before braiding. I sealed my ends with JBCO/EVOO and sat under my dryer for about 1 to 1.5 hours, setting the ends on rollers about 30 minutes into the drying time.

The plan is to see if I can get away with keeping these braids in for work today. Braid and twist outs always are more defined and last longer the longer that they are allowed to set. So, we’ll see. I’m writing this Sunday night and I may be too impatient to wait to see how the gel worked! But, if I’m running, like I usually am in the morning, there’s a good chance they’ll get another day to chill.

In Health & Fitness news, I completely fell off after Monday of last week. I did Cardio Max Week 3/Day 1, but that’s it :(. I hyperextended my left hamstring doing all of those lunges with Bob and all those sustained warrior poses in hot yoga on Sunday. I didn’t want to further injure myself and wanted to allow my body time to recover… or at least stop hurting, so I took off Tuesday. Wednesday, I was better, but didn’t get home until really late, because of the funeral of my church friend and a visit to my grandmother in the hospital. All of this was in South Jersey and I was physically and emotionally exhausted by the time I got home. Thursday – Saturday (yeah *sheepishly* Saturday … see, what had happened was … ), I have absolutely no excuse for not working out. I ate okay, though I was going hard on the 94% FF Pop Secret popcorn with some melted Smart Balance spread!! That being said, went to hot yoga on Sunday morning with a friend who I’d been telling about it. Hopefully, this will be our regular thing. And now, this week is a re-boot of Cardio Max Week 3. Bring it on Jillian (soooo talking trash. *lol*). Oh, and my first set of Zaggora Hot Pants arrived! I wore them for about 3 hours on Saturday. The intent was to work out. But … yeaaah … I didn’t. I just wore them. *lol*

So, that’s it.  Hmmmm … I really don’t know how to write a short post, do I? This is why I don’t like Twitter. I talk too much for it. Anywho, hope that you don’t mind too much ;)!!

Lata!

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Back to hair, have you tried the ORS Lock & Twist Gel? If so, how did you like it?