Highly Textured

Hola chicas.

You know how everyone is on the search for that ever-elusive, yet oh-so-effective moisturizer. I may have just found mine. Well, created it. Unintentionally.



The ladies and I took a last-gasp-of-summer trip to the beach recently, and, knowing I'd be getting my strands wet in the tide, I brought along two favs in the product arsenal -- coconut oil and Aussie Moist conditioner. The oil was to protect my hair before I jumped into the waves, and the conditioner was around to moisturize and style the curls after I was done frolicking in the water.

But a strange thing happened in the sand. For some reason, I decided to mix the two together. In my palm, half oil, half Aussie. Rub together, and apply.

You would have thought I found a rainbow.

My hair instantly became incredibly soft. And a number of the curls that had fuzzed-out (you know what I mean) sprang back into happy, defined coils.

Oh man, what a discovery. Especially since my last (intentional) experiment didn't turn out so hot.

I don't know exactly what makes it work, but it certainly works for me. Since that trip to the beach, I've been using it as an all-over moisturizer between wash-n-go's. A note though -- it can build up over a few days. But that's nothing a simple co-wash can't take handle.

What about you? Have you discovered any concoctions that just made your hair sing?

I couldn't end the week without tell you guys that I've had GRRRRREAT hair these last few days. As part of my "One-Product Trials" (something I still have to tell you guys about), I used the Lustrasilk Olive Oil Cholesterol Conditioner for my wash-n-go the other night.

I washed, deep conditioned, and then applied the cholesterol in sections. It was late, so I loosely twisted my hair in four buns and pinned them down, leaving the hair so slowly dry over night. The next morning, I took down the buns, flipped myself over the bed (so my hair would hang upside down) and blow-dried with a diffuser.

Can I tell you how my curls are POPPED?! Whaaaaat?! The conditioner left my hair bouny, boingy and soft, and my slightly acrobatic approach to blow drying gave me much needed volume at the crown. My hair looked GOOD, and some of my peeps at work noticed too, so you know I was extra amped.

So, all that to say... sometimes you don't need a whole parade of products. Sometimes just the right one will do.

More about the "One-Product Trials" after the weekend. Until then, I'll leave you with some happy hair pics (from Day 2). :o)

Ever get upset because a product didn't seem to work? Ever find yourself disappointed in a supposed "holy grail"? Ever wanted to throw out every single product you've ever bought? Well, No-Poo Jillipoo has a few words for you.

Get it together.

The curly blogger, also known as Botticelli Babe, has a great post up on why a lot of curlies end up despising products -- it's because we're using them wrong! From her post:

It's my contention that most of us are either not honest about our hair or we expect too much of products. Let's take a little quiz, shall we? Give yourself one point for every "yes" answer.

1. Do you mix or layer more than two products (yes, this includes leave-in)?
2. Have you ever used a product marketed for hair that was different than your own?
3. Are you especially frugal with application? Or especially generous?
4. Do you see photos of other people's hair and think it looks like yours, only to have a friend point out that it doesn't resemble your hair at all?
5. Do you drift in and out of the Curly Girl regimen, tossing in silicones willy nilly and using sulfate shampoos here and there?

If you got more than three points in that test, pour yourself a glass of water -- it's time for you to swallow a large and uncomfortable reality pill.

Jill goes on to list a number of reasons why your products may not be working well: using too many products ("Manufacturers have no idea that you use a conditioner, a leave-in, a gel, and a serum in conjunction with their product," Jill says), buying something that's not designed for your hair, using too much or too little product, or simply not being honest about what your hair will and won't do.

Jill gives number of tips to help you get out of the trap of product disappointment. In fact, I'm going to try one of her tips tonight (using a product alone to see what it does) with my SheaMoisture leave-in. Check out the entirety of Jill's post here.

A message for all you hair and beauty bloggers out there:

Stop making me buy stuff!

Stop it, I say!!!

The Internet is a beautiful thing. People build communities and establish friendships and share expertise. But dammit if that doesn't come with a price. And that price is what you pay when you run out to buy a product another blogger is raving about.

It's insane! I never knew I could be so easily influenced! Malleable, that's me. Scandalous Beauty sang about Kissable Couture, so I upped and ordered a set. Fafinettex3 raved about Revlon Colorstay, so I got some of that too. I ordered fifty bucks worth of discounted Lorac products thanks to ItsMsHeatherNicole, and went back for more when I realized they added more the clearance section.
I'm becoming a one-blogger stimulus package. Someone may need to confiscate my laptop and my check card.

Stop telling me about all these great products! Stop it, I say!

:o)

Have you fallen victim to product junkie peer pressure? What have you bought because of it?

Look what I found!


I've seen the ladies on NaturallyCurly.com mention SheaMoisture Leave-In, but didn't really know much about it and never saw it in a store... until yesterday, when I went to pick up my Elasta QP DPR-11 at the massive beauty supply store on Georgia Avenue.

It's rich and emollient and creamy and a lot thicker than any other leave-in that I've used, so I'm curious as to how to go about using it. Clearly I won't be using as much at one time as I do other leave-ins. Maybe I'll mix it up with some water when I use it. I dunno, I got a lot of thoughts running through my head.

Have any of you used SheaMoisture? How do you use it... and do you like it?

If you obsess over the natural hair care blogs like I do, then you'd be familiar with the hoopla over Lustrasilk's Shea Butter and Mango Cholesterol Conditioner. It's orange, it's creamy, and every body loves it.

So on a recent trip to Sally's (to buy a comb that I didn't find), I picked one up, wanting to see what all the fuss was about. But, lo and behold, there was another Lustrasilk product sitting right next to it -- this one creamy, and green .. the Olive Oil Cholesterol Conditioner.

Oh boy. Decisions, decisions...

Then I decided, "What the hey. I'll get both."

I mean, at $2.79 each, there's no reason not to.

Not to mention, I just realized there are tea tree and aloe vera varieties too. (My roommate has the "herbal" version.) I have my eye on the aloe one... but that'll have to wait. I already have these two huge, brand-new jars of "stuff."

Anywhoo, I'll be comparing the shea butter Lustrasilk and the olive oil Lustrasilk as styling creams. I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for-- maybe some kind of hallelujah moment -- but if I figure out something groundbreaking, you'll know. :o)

Have you tried either (or any) of the Lustrasilk conditioners? What's your take?