My Current Favorite Natural Hair Products

These products have been in rotation on a steady basis because I can always expect to have beautiful moisturized hair after using them. I have previously mentioned each item in a review or haul, except for one or two items.

Washing:

Gabrielle Union Flawless Moisturizing Shampoo $19

Suave Professionals Rosemary + Mint Invigorating Clean Conditioner $3

TGIN Honey Miracle Deep Conditioner $15

Styling:

ORS Olive Oil for Naturals Butter Whipped Leave-in Conditioning Creme $6

Peppermint Jamaican Black Castor Oil $7

Reviving:

Garnier Fructis Style Curl Renew Reactivating Milk Spray with Coconut Oil $3.50

 

TGIN Haircare Haul & Mini Reviews

TGIN – Thank God It’s Natural – had one of the best sales in the month of October. You could purchase full size items origially for $14.99 for $9.99, with a portion of their sales going to the Metropolitan Breast Cancer Task Force.

Hearing so many great things about the products from this Black-Owned Brand, I jumped on this deal.

The goods ||

Buttercream Daily Moisturizer with Shea Butter & Vitamin E | $15

My experience with this product has been mixed. I’ve used it on wet, and dry hair, with products from TGIN, and with other brands. When I re-twisted my hair while dry I had experienced some serious flaking. Then when I used it on wet/damp hair, it took a lot longer for my hair to dry because the product is quite thick. I have yet to figure out how to change my experience with this product but I am testing it out it under different conditions.

Honey Miracle Hair Mask with Raw Honey & Olive Oil | $15

I’ve been using this after washing with the Gabrielle Union ‘Flawless’ moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. My hair always feels super soft after washing it out, so I’m recommending this for sure. My luck with this is great because I have not experienced this recently with other deep conditioners.

Green Tea Super Moist Leave-in Conditioner with Green Tea and Argan Oil | $15

I am not sure what it is but like the Buttercream Moisturizer, I’ve had mixed experiences with the leave-in conditioner. Using it on dry hair I’ve had good results but on wet hair with the moisturizer my hair felt dry shortly after taking my twists down.

Two items that I had recieved for FREE: Natural Soap with Shea Butter and Olive Oil in the Hawaiian Hibiscus scent | $5  and Shea Butter Lip Balm with Peppermint

The soap smells SO good but it leaves a bit of a film on the skin after rinsing off Most people will dislike that so they definitely need to work on their formulation.

Eh, I have no issues with the lip balm. It’s similar to some of the ones I’ve used before.

ORS Olive Oil for Naturals Haircare Review on Mini-twists

Sally’s Beauty recently had their summer-clearance sale, and I had to go check it out. Before going I checked out my natural hair care stash – which has grown tremendously – and decided that I wouldn’t go crazy with what I got. After doing some looking around I saw that the Organic Roots Stimulator line for naturals was buy one get one free, and the rest is history. What I got is the Leave-in Conditioning Creme and the Buttermilk Styling lotion. Keep reading to see my review and results below.

 

Leave-in Conditioning Creme $5.99: My initial thoughts of this creme were that it smells absolutely amazing! This has to be one of the best smelling haircare products that I have had other than the Curls Blueberry Bliss line.

Moving on to more important things, this leave-in made my curls POP – like really pop – to the point that I was reconsidering my hairstyle. My hair was super soft after applying and it detangled like a breeze using only a quarter size of product on each section (I did four) of hair. Because of this I only had to use my detangling comb on my ends! My only gripe with this product is that it claims to fight dryness and frizz, but my hair was super frizzy the next day after wearing a silk bonnet AND scarf.

Buttermilk Styling Lotion $7.99: I don’t think I could ever go wrong with pairing the leave-in and styling lotion together. After completing my twists my hair was super juicy, shiny and moisturized – as seen in the picture above. There was no residue. It wasn’t watered down. I have no issues with this styling lotion. I would love to see the results from using this on a flexirod set, which may happen soon!

Short story: I recently attended the Panthers fan fest and was assaulted by a huge thunder storm with NO umbrella or rain jacket. I had just taken my hair out of the twists, which made things worse, but my hair wasn’t ruined after being completely soaked. For the most part my hair still held it’s curl even though I experienced a lot of shrinkage. If my hairstyle could kind of sorta hold up through that then I’m never letting these products go!

Overall I’m definitely recommending these two products. They’re affordable, moisturizing, and will detangle your hair with ease. I’ve come to accept that frizz will happen regardless of the claims that these products may have. How could I be mad at that if my hair still held up when completely soaked in the rain?

If you’ve tried this line and have any recommendations then please let me know.

11 Natural Hair Must-Haves for $1!

I’m sure you guys are tired of reading about Dollar Tree, but this store has some GREAT things for people with relaxed, natural and transitioning hair. Over the years I’ve purchased a lot of my everyday hair essentials from there because why not get what I need for a dollar? This way I won’t have any qualms when something gets lost or breaks which happens quite frequently. Since I love deals and sharing them with you all, I came up with a list of my natural hair essentials for only one dollar. Please note that you can find everything in-store and online!

Bobby/hair pins | Talk about a life saver! These things will help save any hair style but they get lost quite easily. Thankfully you can get a 72 count of flat bobby pins at my fave spot!

Elastic Headbands | Elastic headbands have easily become a staple in my hair accessories collection because they are great for putting my hair into puffs. They’re also great for pulling your hair back when your bangs decide to act up, like mine do quite frequently.

Spray bottle | Another life saver! Spray bottles always come in with the clutch. I use them for setting lotion, water for refreshing my hairstyles, and a conditioner mix when I have braids. Using a spray bottle definitely helps saving time, and you won’t have to continuously run your sink/shower for water.

Butterfly clips | I don’t know about you but I have to use at least 6 clips when doing my hair. If they’re the same type, probably not, but I like to feel organized and these help when I section my hair off. You can purchase a four pack of white/black or multi-color (what I usually get) at the dollar store which is better than what you could get them for at Sally’s Beauty – and I love shopping at Sally’s.

Shower caps | I think this is quite self explanatory but if it isn’t… these keep your hair from getting wet in the shower. And you can use them while deep conditioning to maintain the moisture. Luckily, these come in a multi pack so they’re great for traveling and groups of people.

Detangling Brushes | On one of my latest trips I noticed that they’re selling dupes for the Tangle Teezer style detangling brush and I know those are super popular. I have one from Sally’s and I can’t live without it.

Goody Ouchless Hair Elastics | Ponytails, mini-pineaplles and everything in-between. I use them for so much, and they’re also another item like bobby pins that go missing super quick.

Combs | Well this one seems self explanatory also. You can purchase singles or a multi-pack with the hair pick, my personal favorite. When I buy this I’m able to give the ones that I don’t particularly use to my parents/friends.

Satin Bonnets | Cover your hair. Protect your hair. Love your hair! And what better way to do that than with a bonnet at night? I’m telling you, this is a top priority. They also sell satin pillowcases!

Hair Gel

V05 Shampoo & Conditioner | A cheap but good buy! I’ve used their various lines on and off for years and they’ve never steered me wrong!

I hope this list is beneficial and inspires you to take a gander down the hair/beauty isles at your local Dollar Tree.

Mini Hair Product Reviews: L’Oreal EverPure Moisture Collection

I’m not the pickiest person when it comes to purchasing hair care items and I don’t care which section they come from – what matters to me is the packaging and the price point. With that being said, If I saw any of these products in the hair care section I would probably glance at them and keep it moving. At first glance I was a bit skeptical about these products but I’ve come to like most of them.

I should add that I received these items for free to review from Influenster which gave me the opportunity to try them out. If you would like to read other reviews of these products I have each item linked below!

Shampoo: If I had to rate these items from 1-3 with 1 being my favorite this would be my second favorite. This works so well on my hair and it doesn’t leave my hair feeling stripped after using. At first I wasn’t feeling the fragrance but I have come to enjoy the rosemary scent while washing my hair. This smells better than the conditioner even though they are the same.. allegedly LOL. I would definitely purchase this if they changed the packaging because it sometimes doesn’t want to close and other times product will leak out.

Conditioner: I could live without this conditioner in my life. I know I’m being my usual dramatic self but I don’t think I’m being very extra with this review. The scent isn’t my favorite and my hair feels a bit dry after using. I didn’t see my usual juicy curls/coils after use and my hair dried super quick. Maybe the moisture was locked in but I’m not an expert on natural hair so I can only speak on what I saw.

10-in-1 Elixir: Like I mentioned above in the shampoo review – if I had to rate this item from 1-3 with 1 being my favorite this is it! I used this Elixir with my JBCO Leave-in from Shea Moisture when doing a twist out and I had one of the best twist outs in my natural hair history. My hair was so defined and moisturized, I would definitely purchase this again!

(L) After shampooing and conditioning –  (R) my best twist out to date!

After washing with the shampoo and conditioner

My best twistout to date!

If you are interested in trying only ONE of these items from the EverPure Moisture line then you should get the 10-in-one Elixir, you won’t regret it. Hopefully!

Major Keys in My Natural Hair Routine

I would be lying to you if I said that it was easy for me to figure out which products did and didn’t work in my hair. I would also be lying to you if I said that I didn’t spend more money then necessary on hair products. Because I have no reason to lie about these things I will just tell you about my favorite products that have been here through the relaxed to natural stages. These products have held it down even with all the free hair products I’ve received, the samples I have began to collect and the duds that I wish I could have received a refund on.

My G.O.A.T (Greatest of ALL Time) Hair Products

TRESemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Shampoo

I have tried so many shampoos while on the road to natural and this is one of the only shampoos that didn’t leave my hair feeling stripped and dry.

ORS Curls Unleashed Acai and Banana Rinse Out Conditioner

TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Leave-in Spray

What is heat damage? Honestly, I’ve been trying to avoid it like the black plague and this is sure to help with that. You can spray it on dry or wet hair before blow drying, flat ironing or styling however your heat desires.

Carols Daughter Hair Milk Styling Butter

This styling milk has become a staple products whenever I am rolling my hair, twisting my hair or trying to add a little moisture.

Eden Bodyworks Peppermint Tea Tree Hair Oil

I massage my scalp with it, I seal my hair with it, I enjoy the smell of it and it’s amazzzing.

Lottabody Shape Me Custard Gelee

Initially I despised this product, but after several failed twist outs and a nice amount of bouncy flexi-rod sets I began to see the good in the shape me custard gelee.

Lottabody Wrap Me Foaming Mousse

Lottabody has the best wrap mousse and setting lotion in the market. Period. Get on the winning team with Lottabody!

My Natural Hair Journey

Started from relaxed now we here *dances*. If anyone ever asked what I did while I transitioned to natural I’ll just tell them that I got braids and gradually went to Great Clips to get my hair cut. It was a long time coming and I’m happy that I finally took charge of my own hair. I had a lot of challenges and naysayers along the way but I did it!

The beginning – Late 2014 & Spring 2015

In the beginning stage I didn’t really do anything different with my hair care. I still flat ironed my hair every week/every other week until I eventually started to wear my hair pulled back with a middle part or with a couple of twist. I got tired of wearing my hair in the same styles so one day I said I’m done with relaxers and that pretty much solidified my decision.

Half way there – Fall 2015 & Spring 2016

After some time I ventured into trying new styles like crochet braids and flexirod sets. I watched at least 50 videos before I finally did it myself. I had used them previously before but it was on straightened hair and it just gave my hair a slight curl. Those results were nothing like what I had ended up with this time. And of course I wore some box braids, I get those at least once a semester or three times a year.

Basically 100% Natural – Summer & Fall 2016

At this point I had officially cut off my relaxed hair. Whenever I would flat iron my hair I would have super thin ends while the majority of my head was thick and it was a mess. After the cut my hair was bob length until I went back and got it cut shorter so it could grow out evenly. With my hair at this length I couldn’t get my flexirods to stay in my hair so I tried out perm rods. And let me tell y’all, my hair looked so good it gave me the faux tapered look which is so cute. After a while I got tired of doing my hair and got some crochet box braids for back to school.

Now I’m just trying to master a wash and go. Wish me luck!

Flexirods Saved My Life!

Okay.. so maybe I was being a bit dramatic with the title of this post but I just had to let it be known how much I love flexirods. They’re very affordable, come in varying sizes and can be used to create tons of different hairstyles. These things have become a saving grace while transitioning (my hair) from relaxed to natural.

I will admit that I am no expert at hair rolling, but YouTube sure has helped a great deal. There are tutorials on wet hair, dry hair, short hair, long hair and everything in between! Two of my favorite products to use when flexirodding my hair is Carol’s Daughters Hair Milk Styling Butter and Sunflower Megacare Tea Tree Oil. I use the styling butter on dry hair to help set my style and make sure my ends lay down around the rod.

Some things to remember while doing your hair is that practice makes perfect, and you can always turn a failed hairstyle into something great. I had to learn this for myself a few mornings before class. So if you’re looking to try flexirods for the first time – may the odds be ever in your favor! LOL