Nzuri Hair Products Review

As a natural haired girl one of the biggest struggles is maintaining moisture and maintaining hair growth.  I am always searching for products that will keep my hair moisturized but not weigh my hair down.  I am not of the the natural hair girls that care a lot about using hair products that are all natural.  For me I care more about results and if a product gives me great results and is made with natural ingredients its a double bonus!I was recently introduced to Nzuri products.  Just a little back story on the company, the CEO Leola Anifowoshe is a certified Trichologist and certified Herbal Therapist.  She started her company after being diagnosed with Sarcoidosis, a serious auto immune diseease.  After her diagnosis she started researching alternative medicine and natural supplements since certain drugs were causing her hair to fall out.  During the course of this time she developed "Nzuri Elixir" which helped her restore her hair growth and the rest is history.Nzuri has tons of products that promote not only healthy hair but  a healthy body as well. I thought this was unique because typically you will see companies that market hair products don't usually have supplements to promote a healthy body from the inside. For my review I chose the Hair Grow Max Moisturizing conditioner and the Revive and Restore 3 Hemp shampoo.Unfortunately the conditioner didn't work out for me.  Since I have so much hair I also typically use a TON of conditioner to not only moisturize but to also help me with detangling.  The size of this bottle would not last long with me and would not be cost efficient for me.  I didn't feel like I was getting the moisture or the "slip" my hair needs to help me detangle my wildly curly hair.  As far as the hair grow claims I can not speak on that because I am sure its something that I would need to use over time to see results.  So whenever use this product I also add in the current conditioner I'm using because I do like the ingredients of the Nzuri conditioner.The shampoo was EVERYTHING.  It has been difficult for me to find a shampoo that I actually like because most shampoos leave your hair feeling stripped.  The size of the bottle is fine for me because  I don't use a lot of product when I'm shampooing.  I also felt like it helped me with getting my curls loose and ready for the conditioner which is when I detangle my hair. There are so many different products on the site that will match your hair and body needs.  If you are really into natural products definitely check out www.hairvitaminstore.com !  *Nzuri products were provided for my review and these are my honest opinions

Blo Blow Dry Bar

  On Thursday I got the opportunity to check out this new cutesy blow dry bar.  These blow dry bars seem to be the hottest trend lately. If you are looking for just a wash and style this is a great place for a quick glam session. They offer manicures.My stylists name was Paula and I wasn't sure if she would be able to tame the beast on top of my head. But she proved me wrong!   I thought my hair was great! Unfortunately it didn't last because when you have curly hair it doesn't like to be tamed! Story of my life...The brand of the products they use is called Unite. Something cool she told me is that all of the products are sulfate free except the clarifying shampoo. Let me just say that these products smell AMAZING!       They also told me they have an app where you can make your appointments! Which I thought was so convenient! However I was informed that you are unable to reserve a specific stylist but they do try their best to accommodate your request. They also assured me that all the stylist go through the same styling training with the company.For additional information on the services and pricing they offer check them out here.  * Complimentary services were provided for my review, these are my honest opinions.

Its A Wig Simply Lace Patricia Review

As a natural haired girl winter can be great for a frizz free hairstyle, however the cold weather is horrible for keeping hair moisturized.  Protective hairstyling is your best friend to keep it from drying out.  A wig is a great way to protect your hair from these cold elements.  I mean, any weather under 75 degrees is cold in my book and anything under 70 is practically snowing for Floridians! If you want to know more about It’s a Wig check out my first post here.Here are some pics of me wearing the Simply Lace Patricia in color DX3147.  I never thought I would see the day where I would wear a lace front but this one is awesome.  It has two hair clips in the front and the lace and a clip in the back as well as an adjustable strap.  It is also iron friendly for up to 350-400F but I haven’t had to test it. Can I just say how fabulous this hair is?  So many people thought it was my actual hair that I dyed blonde.  The actual curl pattern of the hair is almost identical to my own curl pattern.  Wigs are the best way to try different colors and hairstyles without the commitment.  The best part is that the older it gets the bigger it gets and of course I love big hair so I was finger combing the curls out to get volume.  I really really love the color and once upon a time my hair was actually dyed this identical color.  However, when you dye your hair blonde it is a lot of maintenance especially for natural hair.  So now I can get the blonde awesomeness without the maintenance!

*The wig was provided for my review. These are my honest opinions.

Current Natural Hair Products

I get asked what I use in my hair a lot.  The truth is for the most part I don’t always use the same things.  I’m always switching it up.  So this post is about what my flavor of the current moment is.  After getting my hair cut and dyed (I haven’t had a trim in about a year, shame on me), the stylist used some products that left my hair feeling really soft and looking very healthy.  I had to know what she used so that I could go purchase it myself.For shampoo and conditioning she used Joico Color Endurance which is to help me maintain my hair color and it doesn’t hurt that it is also sulfate free.  For styling my hair I like to use serums because they are lightweight. I’m using the Silky Smooth Moisture Serum by the S Factor which she also recommended.  For 2^nd and 3^rd day hair I use the Curl Enhancing Smoothie by Shea Moisture to maintain moisture.  I’m also going to start deep conditioning my hair once a month(I used to but I fell off) and decided to stick with the Joico brand since my hair seems to like it.  I chose the Joico K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor which I have yet to try so I will have to get back to you on whether my hair likes it or not.  I also bought a sturdy pick so for days when my hair is flat I can pump up the volume.  I bought all these products at Cosmo Prof which you need a professional license or must be a beauty school student in order to purchase there.  When I bought this stuff they gave me a sample of Sebastian Penetrait shampoo which I have yet to try.  So that’s basically it!  What are you loving for your hair?

JASS Products Review

JASS stands for "Just A Simple Solution".  They were nice enough to send me their "Original Kit" for review.   This kit has a total of 4 products which retails for $50. It contains Peppermint Clarifying Shampoo, Intense Moisture Treatment Conditioner, Shine spray, Fortifying Leave-in Treatment and Detangling Spray.My hair is natural and just like every natural girl there are two major problems: keeping in moisture and keeping it tangle free.  So I'm always down to try different hair products.  I've tried these products for about 2 weeks since I haven't been washing my hair too often with the cooler temperature change.  So lets get the review started.Peppermint Clarifying Shampoo:  This shampoo has tea tree in it which is supposed to be good for eliminating dandruff.  I really love the way this smells and I like the minty scalp feeling.  However, clarifying shampoos always make my hair super tangly and this shampoo was no exception.  Since its job is to strip your hair of all the product build up it can make your hair feel pretty stripped.  So this is something you only want to use to rid your hair of product build up.  I wouldn’t recommend using this on the daily.Intense Moisture Treatment: I really like this deep conditioner.  Especially after using the Peppermint shampoo this definitely adds the necessary moisture the hair needs.  This conditioner actually helps me with detangling.  Best part of this conditioner is that it contains ingredients such as jojoba oil, wheat protein, keratin and is free of parabens.Shining "Lite" Spray: Absolutely love the way this smells. Also this does add a nice sheen to your hair.  Especially as I stated previously with natural hair it can tend to look/feel dry.Fortifying Leave-InTreatment Detangle Spray: I was the least impressed with this product as a detangler.  I just feel like in general  detangle sprays don’t really do anything that spraying good old H2o can’t do.  All it does is make your hair moist so that you can comb through the tangles.  Most of my detangling is done when I’m conditioning my hair so I can’t really say that this spray helped with the detangling.  Now I will say I did use this to refresh my hair for a braid out and I liked it for that.  I use coconut oil as my only styling product and sometimes it can be come very oily.  Using the detangling spray before I braid my hair helps with controlling my oil.  So as a leave in conditioner spray it does its job.After using these products my hair feels super lightweight and squeaky clean.  For more information you can check out www.jassproductline.com !* I was sent these products for my review and these are my honest opinions.

Newest Cover Girl: Janelle Monae

I definitely didnt see this coming but Janelle Monae is the newest Cover Girl!  I really love how diverse the Cover Girls have been lately.  One thing I love about Janelle is her mix of masculinity x femininity x natural hair.  I am even more excited to see a natural haired girl as the face of such a huge cosmetics company! I wish she would hurry up and retire her black and white suit combo already...but I digress. Check out all of the videos below![youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXgubkjXHVo&w=640&h=360][youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34XQHAGnpR8&w=640&h=360][youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XiEnrMGMjY&w=640&h=360]

Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner Review

When you're a natural girl you know how absolutely difficult it is to retain moisture and battle obnoxiously tangled hair.  I recently came across this new product line called Beautiful Textures that is supposed to help us with all our hair woes.  This line contains a total of 7 products: Curl Control Defining Pudding, Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner, Moisture Butter Whipped Curl Creme, Tangle Taming Leave in Conditioner, Tangle Taming Shampoo, Shine & Silken, and Curl to Straight.  I have personally tried 2 out of the 7 products but I am only reviewing 1 on this post as I am still forming an opinion on the other (Tangle Taming Leave in Conditioner).Let me just say this, the Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner is amazing!  Prior to using this I was using Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner for my deep conditioning treatments.  However, the Organic Root Stimulator contains 12.25 oz and the Rapid Repair contains 15oz.  While I still think its amazing, Beautiful Textures is cheaper and works just as good!  Some of the ingredients are aloe vera, coconut, olive, soy, argan oil, shea and mango butter.  Now if you're one of those naturals that like to use products that are 100% natural ingredients then this is not for you.  It has some great natural ingredients but it also contains some of those big long hard to pronounce words too!  Me personally, If it works then I'm not a big stickler for the ingredients.What I love about it is that not only does it do a great job at moisturizing my hair but it does a great job at detangling my hair.  My hair is so soft and slippery when I'm rinsing it out that the tangles just slip right out. An added bonus about the line is that the products are created for you to mix and match.  For instance, if you want added detangling you can mix the Tangle Taming Leave in Conditioner with the Rapid Repair Conditioner.  Let me just add that each product is under $7 and available at your local Sallys! I'm definitely going to try out a couple more of the products so stay tuned!For more info check them out at wwww.beautifultextures.com

Hair: Twist out & FOTD(Face of the day)

I've been natural 4 years now and I have to say its been one crazy roller coaster but I definitely don't regret it. I've tried a bajillion products on the market but now I'm not so fussy about what goes in my hair. I've also attempted to do braid outs and twist outs in the past and has been a total fail! However my curls have been really boring me because I feel like I can't do anything besides well...wearing it curly. I really started thinking about when I was a little girl and when my mom would do my hair. It's the same concept except we aren't putting those colorful bubbled hair bows in our hair. She would wash it, section and detangle, and add hair grease. And my hair was moisturized and healthy. So I decided to give twist out another try and I must say...I'm in LOVE! I realized when I do my twist outs I need to do them in larger sections. I did a twist out using Blue Magic's Coconut Oil conditioner while detangling with my denman brush. The great thing about the twist out is that it stretches out my curls which I love. I also feel like my hair is more versatile to do some cool styles. Not to mention this is a great way to get me through the winter because my hairstyle will last me longer so I won't have to wash as often. It also is great to help in maintaining moisture in your hair which as you know as a natural moisture retention is difficult. I also slicked back the side of my hair thats growing in from me shaving it with Passion Fruit Curl Control Paste by Curls (review coming soon).

Also check out my FOTD(Face of the Day)...I kept it neutral:

Face: Mary Kay medium coverage and matte wear foundation

Cheeks: Cover Girl bronzer (Queen Collection)

Powder: Mary Kay mineral pressed powder

Eyes: Coastal Scents warm palette, Maybelline Voluminous Million lashes and Colossal lashes mascara

Concealer: Revlon Photoready

Lips: NYX Hot Cocoa lipliner, Revlon super lustrous lipgloss in peach petal, Milani lipgloss in Secret