THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING- Trim your ends!!!

I held off...not for as long as possiible...but longer than necessary.  For over a year I did not get my hair trimmed.  Last time, it ended up being CUT...not TRIMMED.  I am of the thinking that there is a significant difference.  The beautician swore up and down that she could trim afro hair...but she had no clue that 1 inch of wet, 4a/b afro hair is about 3 inches of straight hair.  So after that set-back...I swore off of beauticians.  I was paranoid...thinking that they are all out to make sure my hair never reaches my length goals.

It was well overdue.  I had "dusted" my ends a few times when attempting double strand twists.  I guess that wasn't good enough, cuz my hair was actin' a straight fool.  So that's what got me on the braid kick.  I was determined to grown past shoulder length once and for all even if it meant holding on to ravaged ends.

It did me no good.  At the end of the day, I was retaining hair that had to go and that caused me more problems than any good midback length hair could bring.  There was tangling, ripping, snapping, shedding...and all that suffering over about an inch of hair.  Had I cut it sooner, I might be further along now.  Damage attracts more damage.  I beg thee...cut the mess off!  Do not allow the split ends to entangle perfectly healthy strands into it's destructive path.  Just trim it.  Don't reach for the creamy crack...just trim it.  Don't give up...just trim it.

If you can find someone with at least enough skill to get your hair straight without causing more damage and breakage in the process, then do it.  Or maybe straighten it yourself, then go for the trim.  Or just blow dry it and let them flat iron and trim.  Whatever combination you have to do to feel comfortable in that chair...just do it.  Delay the inevitable no longer.

I'm convinced the woman who did my hair this last time caused me damage.  Aggressive scrubbing 3x's with shampoo, then rubbing my hair around in circles with the towel, and after all that picking at the tangles with what I would consider the inappropriate tools.  After all was said and done, my hair fought her back and I was happy.  It resisted any flat iron she brought my way.  The appointment ended with making her run 40 min. behind and 4 flat irons laid out on her station.  It was a glimmer of hope for the resilience of natural hair.

Stay strong!

XoXo,
LoriLove  ;)

Product Review- Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Conditioner

Many curlies I know loooooove them some Herbal Essences. It's cheap, available, and heavily ladden with silicone goodness (great for detangling the super tight curl textures). It's usually a toss-up between Hello Hydration (HEHH) and the one I will be reviewing today- Totally Twisted (HETT).  Sometimes I'll see a Long Term Relation (LTR) thrown in there, but normally...it's one of the first two in the tightly curly community.

http://www.herbalessences.com/en-US/hair-products/curly-hair-products/curly-conditioner

I've tried the HEHH before, but I don't remember a lot about it in comparison with other conditioners.  What makes the HETT stand out for me, is the smell!  It smells sooo good.  It is a strong scent described on the bottle as wild cherry and orchid.  Yum! I like it to linger.  Certain conditioners and butters that I have used have had men (total strangers) secretly all up in my hair bun sniffing it.  It's flattering really.  Who doesn't like to smell nice?

Performance...for me...is ok.  I would repurchase if the mood strikes.  If on vacay and I don't want to pack conditioner for security purposes, I would feel comfortable grabbing this from the local pharmacy.  You see the balance?  I can live with it or I can live without it.  It is good for detangling.  It just doesn't give the lingering moisturizing benefits.

I have used it as a leave-in.  It mixes well with other things.  It has a nice, violet hue so it doesn't dry white!  I have been doing the LOC moisture method that I found on Chicoro's website (see right side bar for link)...so I have been experimenting with several conditioners to be my liquid, water-based leave-in.  This is good.  I had two bottles to use up that I got on sale months ago.

The bottles are skinny and because it smells so good, just throw it in your gym bag, co-wash after that workout, and get to brunch smelling like a million bucks.  Gives light-medium moisture, useable as a leave-in, decent conditioning and detangling properties.  It's a solid product.

Have a happy love-filled day beautifuls.

XoXo,
LoriLove  :)

African Pride Olive Miracle Growth Oil Review

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  Today I'm thankful for family, food, and black Friday hair store sales!!!!  Thank you Lord!

http://www.african-pride.com/item/root-health-anti-dryness-strengthener.html

Ok...on to something that is very, very important- African Pride Olive Miracle Growth Oil.  I had crochet braids for 8 weeks, which I've mentioned a few times now.  When I have my hair braided I've learned to NOT use conditioner...which is like breaking a cardinal natural rule.  But conditioner eventually gets into every crevice of every braid.  It causes buildup and attracts lint and dust.  Not only that, but my coils are so tightly wound in the back of my head, that it causes my hair to form a dirty and unwanted version of dreadlocks (I say version b/c I'm fully aware that dreadlocks are not dirty).  So, no to conditioner.  Instead I used vatika oil (review to follow) and APOMGO (see article title).  I mixed them together in a bottle and the results were quite favorable.

First of all...the oil smells really good.  It's a nice tropical/fruity/hints of flowery smell.  Not overpowering or lingering...but great for covering up the smell of the vatika oil.  The ingredient list is solid.  It includes soybean oil, olive oil, wheat germ oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil and avocado oil.  These are the first ingredients...many other really great oils follow.  There is some coloring, lanolin, and TBHQ (hydroquinone, known as a bleaching agent, but used as a preservative here) at the end of the list.  I did not find these ingredients to affect performance.

I would use this oil mixed with my Dabur Vatika oil after every wash- it was my conditioner.  It kept my hair smelling nice, dandruff at bay, and I do think it gave my hair strength.  Olive oil and coconut oil are the only two molecules besides water that can penetrate the hair shaft and help you retain protein.  So while braided, my hair is not missing out on getting fed or weakening!  

The oil was super cheap at $2.69 (or $2.99 if not a Sally's club member).  Smells nice.  You get a lot.  And my hair did seem to grow a little faster than normal.  At 3 weeks, I had considerable new growth from the braids.  When I went to have my braids removed, my braider asked me to please write down what oils I used because I had so much growth and moisture.  

During this time I was also doing a lot of hot yoga (great for circulation).  So I'm sure my regular exercise routine helped stimulate some growth too.  The big thing with this oil is that it claims to stop breakage which is key to retaining length and realizing that your hair is growing.  I plan to buy another bottle when I run out of this one.  It's a keeper and I highly recommend it.  I'm going to try to get my hands on the rest of the line...reviews to follow!!!!!

So thankful!  Extra love your way today!

XoXoXoXo,

LoriLove

VUH-TIKA (vatika oil...love love love)

Hola!  So Vatika oil.  I love it!  I just finished giving my mom a treatment.  She is relaxed, with thin, fragile hair. She was complaining about shedding.  I instructed her to break out the bottle of Vatika oil I had gotten for her months ago, heat it up, and get to using it!  By the next day when she washed it out, she saw considerably less shedding. I had her oil her scalp with it after her wash and I just oiled her scalp with it now and mixed in a teaspoon with about 2 tablespoons of her conditioner.  I massaged the oil in, then added the conditioner/oil on her detangled hair.  With all of that, there was hardly any shedding. When I use it on my natural hair, it keeps the dandruff at bay, minimizes shedding, and helps me detangle wonderfully!  It's a great oil.

Here's a picture of the one I use:

I only use this one.  There is also one in a white bottle with a green top and one in a clear bottle with a yellow hue.  Both of these are still good oils, but they do have TBHQ tacked on to the end...which is a preservative and used in beauty products as a bleaching agent.  Do I use products where this is present? Yes.  If I can avoid using it, will I?  YES!  So because there is one available without all the extra yucks...I prefer it.

It smells, to me, kind of soapy.  It contains lemon oil and rosemary...as well as henna and other great Ayurvedic extracts.  I find the lemon to be most prominent...mixed with the herbs and flowers...it smells kind of like a generic cleaning agent, think lemon PineSol.  Most people don't like the smell.  It doesn't nauseate me, but it's in no way artificial or made to smell like something it's not.  Everything in it is with purpose and the smell is that of a naked, beneficial oil!

I've tried the HairVeda Vatika frosting before.  Smells like cake.  It smells yummy...I don't always like to smell yummy, I'm partial to clean scents.  Also, it lacks many of the herbs and flowers that Dabur Vatika oil is comprised of.  The ingredient list for the frosting is short at only 5 things...5 very important things...but still only 5 things at $11 + shipping= second thoughts.  I love HairVeda and the products have always been reasonably priced.  BJ, the owner, is so sweet BUT, I can get my green bottle on the ground at the Indian grocer for $3 and it is power packed!  I'm in turmoil to not load up on that yummy smelling, fancy frosting during the Black Friday sale...I thought maybe I could keep some around as a treat or a backup when I want a Vatika treatment but feel self-conscious about the smell.

Vatika oil is a staple for me.  I love Ayurvedic haircare!!!!  Reviews to follow on powders and how to put it into your regimen.  I have a little more experimenting to do.  Many reviews to follow.  So excited to share and please, ask me questions if you're curious about any of the products.

XoXo,
LoriLove

Organic Root Stimulator Edge Control Review

I promised a review...and now it's happening.  I've been eyeing this product for months- the ORS Edge Control.  I've spotted it on clearance isles, red ticket sales, and being regularly distributed.  I was able to resist because my edges are not that big of a problem area .  I don't get knots or tangling at the hairline, but sometimes, I do want a more polished look.  Hence the reason this product became necessary.  :)  I found it on sale at Walgreens for $3.99.  I'm in a readjustment period and doing lots of bunning after having Crochet braids for 8 weeks.  No better time than now to try it out!  Here's the lowdown from Lori's perspective:

http://www.organicrootstimulator.com/products/83

The product claims this:  The perfect control of your edges!   This non-sticky, non-greasy formula allows for an excellent hold without hardening your hair.

The product did have an unusual texture.  I expected it to be looser...or at least more loose than what it was.  It's clear and kind of hard...it feels like it would be an extremely firm clear pomade...but still thicker than any of the other pomades I've tried.  It's kind of hard to scoop any out, you have to dig a little then you get a little more than you bargained for so you scrap a little onto the side.  I don't know...you do have to master that part.  It's also not very melty, so I just rub it on to my edges and grab my smoothing brush to break it up and then work it in with my fingers.  I like it...it gives that hair ripple effect if you apply enough.

I don't know have to work about over-applying.  It smells clean, which I like.  I don't get into having food smells like chocolate or vanilla in my hair.  It's fresh, cotton-clean.  Apply and tie...within minutes you will have smooth edges.  It does hold up to it's claim of not being hard like gel.  I found it to give sufficient hold, but again, my edges aren't that resistant.  I used it on wet hair and didn't have to reapply the next day.  Seems to rinse out easily with a co-wash too!  All in all...this product is a winner.  A great, non-drying, accessible replacement to gel.  I would repurchase.  It will be awhile thought, I suspect it will last for some time.  

Weigh in!

Goin' back to Grease! Or for it...read below

Good day all.  I've been keeping up with the many naturals who are now openly admitting to their union with "GREASE" aka...petroleum, mineral oil, petrolatum...etc...  I'm talking Vaseline and Blue Magic type ish.  After getting my crochet braids out, I was finally able to start trying out some of the products I've been stock piling.  I may or may not have done a little shopping in the Walgreens isles.

I know Black Friday is just a little over a week away, but I'm just not into shipping fees, waiting, and running out of things anymore.  I digress...

I was googling at the selection and sale items (both physically and for reviews of products on my phone).  I walked out with some skinny black scrunchies, bobby pins, a hair trap for my shower, and ORS Edge Control (it was on sale for $3.99 (review to follow)).  That's when I spotted it...for only $1.00, Softee Indian Hemp grease and Softee Mango Butter...and many more uber cheap, petroleum based goodies.  My mind started sweeping through my mental Rolodex of all the blog confessions and curlies standing by their greasy little decisions and seeing great results!  I walked away and vowed to not go back for anything else hair related until everything in my bathroom is gone.

Then today came...and all I could think about at work was that Indian Hemp grease!  I love Ayurvedic haircare...it was haunting me.  So as soon as 5:00 came, I went flying out the door back to Walgreens.  I rationalized that it only cost $1.00 so even if it had to be thrown away, it was nothing to cry over, why not try it?  I get to the isle and spot the Mango Butter too...with its artificial coloring and fragrance.  But I still wanted it!  So I picked them up and began to wander the isles full of guilt for what I knew what would inevitably happen.  But the ingredient list was super short and good with Petroleum, Shea butter, mango butter, and coconut oil.  So...my gemini nature kicked in...I couldn't decide which one to get.  The solution- buy both!  Ohhhhhh the shame!

So, I am now the proud owner of not one, but two jars of hair grease!  And I'm excited!

I didn't even let the cashier give me a bag...I threw them in my purse and hightailed it out of there.  I felt as though I was being watched!  LOL.

I'm giving the Mango Butter a try first.  My hair felt a little crunchy on the ends after a cold day in Chicago.  I just sprayed some aloe juice on the ends...added a little more conditioner...then put a small dab of the Mango Butter to really seal it in. I put a plastic baggie over my bun and secured it with a hair tie. Already my hair feels softer.  I will stick with this routine until I get my hair rebraided next week.  Many a review to follow, but these things take time.  I will keep you posted on who's winning the mineral oil war in my life so you can be inspired to take your pick. So far, so good...crunchy winter hair is never in and if petroleum relieves me of that...it gets to stay. Until then...

XoXo,

LL