Product Review - Shea Moisture Deep Cleansing Shampoo

Look at me hitting y'all with another product review

another Shea Moisture joint

so this isn't a popular product.. popular in the sense that most people go weak in the knees for it

but i'm one of those few people.

see i have eczema (i've probably stated this fifteen hunnid times on hurr)

but i gotta keep saying it cuz its for realsy

it's horrid and living in the UK in the cold makes it even more horrid

i get it on my scalp, mostly by my hairline and it can do this weird thing when if not kept in check, breaks out on my forehead and eyebrows :-|

so when i decided to try this here poo last year summer.. it said NAWL to the zema and that thang left!

it didn't cure but with regular use, i don't itch and no flare ups!

I love this shampoo because it is the only shampoo that effectively cleanses my scalp and hair without irritating it. it isn't a moisturizing shampoo and the hair isn't left feeling stripped either.

it feels clean. 

the consistency is runny and lathers up decently.

no sulfates and other random things i don't know how to say

this is a keeper in my books.

what say you? have you ever tried it?

MANE-ly Speaking - Nicole

Got another lovely MANE-ly Speaking feature with this gorge gal!

South Florida stand up! Take a peek into this model's mane story

Who are you?

My name is Nicole Arnold.  I’m a 25 year old Mommy of a 3 year old little girl, and a LPN nursing student. 

3 words you would use to describe yourself.

• Social
• Goofy
• Dreamer

Why did you go natural?

For multiple reasons.  Excessive blow drying and flat ironing caused tons of damage.  So I looked for alternatives.  I began to watch Taren916 and LoveIslandBeauty on YouTube and got my inspiration to go for it!

Was it difficult or easy to go natural?

It was pretty simple in the beginning.  It didn’t tangle easily and it was usually quick to style (half hawks or mohawks).  The downside was it never really looked good as a wash and go, so I spent hours twisting it every night.  I went through an awkward stage at around a year I believe where my curls just weren’t acting right, but I’m loving the stage my hair is at now. 

4 words to describe your mane.

• Big
• Frizzy
• Fun
• Unpredictable

Tell us a little about your regimen. 

To be honest, I’m not too consistent with a regimen.  I’m all over the place when it comes to products.  It changes every other month.  But currently my routine is wash day Sat or Sun, I shampoo with Pantene or Herbal Essence shampoo (I’m not picky with what it’s specific for… moisture, hair damage repair, volume..none seem to work better than the other for my hair), The conditioner I use is usually Pantene also.  I slather that on my hair to do the initial detangling, rinse it out, then I put either Loreal’s Moisture Mask or Damage Erasing Bomb on to comb through my hair.  I leave it on for a few hours, rinse it out and diffuse.  As the days go on my hair gets bigger and bigger.  With a little help from my pick and blow dryer.  Usually lasts the week then it’s in need for some serious detangling.

What have you learned on your natural hair journey?

PATIENCE my dear, patience.  I began with such unrealistic expectations, thinking my hair would grow over night and would be effortless every morning.  Boy was I wrong.  It took a year of crazy hair days and lots of long nights combing out my hair to get to where I began to be satisfied.  Expect for a different hair day every day.  Curly hair has a mind of its own.  Just make it work for you (accessories are a big help).  I’ve gotten the most genuine compliments since becoming natural.  It’s an instant boost of confidence and such a fun playful look.  

Candidly speaking.. 

Blow drying your roots does wonders!!  I’ve gotten so much extra length from my curls by blow drying directly on the roots while gently tugging on the section I’m focusing on.  It even works when the hair is dry.  Every morning it takes me about 5 minutes just to style.  

Tip: Pull up and out instead of down if you want BIG hair rather than just length & always use a heat protectant (like a light weight spray) . 

                                          

Find Nicole on Instagram - @nic0le_chantal

Winter Wash N Go

I have a love affair with wash n gos. I admit it. 

The girl who used to loathe them because they just did not look right has now a thing for em. 

I love seeing my actual curl pattern(s). This was achieved using Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue as a styler.
I think I may like their stylers for winter wash n gos.. well some. 

I used Tresemme Naturals as a leave in ..eh. 

I prefer using the Mixed Silk.. hair feels more moisturized. 

This was probably day 2/3 after being outside in the wind and rain.

I like to do my wash n go's when its cold outside the day before I plan on rocking it.

So I do it the afternoon before, giving it time to fully dry before heading out.

I apply a leave in and seal with oil before applying the styler.

I applied the Meringue in four sections.

Shrinkage at it's finest!

Back in the day, the shrinkage was too real. I don't even hate shrinkage but the different curls I have in my head.. man I couldn't rock WnGs after awhile. Right when I BC'd? sure. but then my hair grew..

Anyways.. WnG is a style I now rock.

Love wash n gos? Rock them in winter? 

Refuge & Strength

"But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress." 

- Psalm 59:16 (NLT)

Felt like sharing this on the blog today. Was doing my devotional and this was one of the verses in it The devotional was on praise and thanksgiving. 

-an excerpt-

Praise is not optional in a life that wins over worry and doubt. Praise is essential in a journey of faith. It is a demonstration of trust and the acceptance of a circumstance without insisting that God change it. When we choose to praise God, we choose to trust Him. And when we choose to trust God, we will win over worry.

Look man, God just loves to speak to my heart at the right time. ALWAYS!

I cannot deny that He exists, when I pray to Him about things and He responds.

What an awesome God I serve!

So I don't know who will read this and what you are going through, even if you aren't going through anything in particular.. PRAISE HIM!

He will rescue you. He is the same God who delivered the Israelites from Egypt.

So this devotional led me to listen to one of my fav Christian artists, Kristine Alicia.

First I listened to "Unfailing Love" & "Praise Dance" off her album Get Ready

then another song, "Rescue".

Sharing the vid for Rescue here and I pray you'll be blessed by it.

(oh and she just happens to have bomb behind natural hair :)

Artiste Spotlight - Jane Macgizmo

Today's spotlight is on Jane Macgizmo

She's really a 'Jane of all trades'

Photographer, Model, Producer, Creative Director, Magazine Editor + how many more!

Real Jamaican with the bagga jobs :) and now she's blessing the world with another talent

singing.

Artwork by Janile Salmon

She just released her first single "Black Skin" on Soundcloud & I'm smitten.

Yes she's gorgeous and her voice matches the looks.

The track is in the realms of neo-soul with a Jamaican flavor (of course)

Produced by SOS Dynamiks, the beat is infectious.

I'm excited to see where Mizz Macgizmo goes with her music, but for now take a listen.

Enjoy =)

Product Review - Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner

I plan on doing more product reviews on here

I've used a handful of things and haven't reviewed them!

so with that said, here is a review on the 

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner

$9.99 (average price)

Ingredients
Deionized Water , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Argan Oil , Coconut Oil , Behentrimonium Chloride , Essential Oil Blend , Vegetable Glycerin , Emulsifying Wax , Sea Kelp Extract , Panthenol (Vitamin B-5) , Avocado Oil , Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E) , Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil 

Our leave-in or rinse out conditioner detangles, moisturizes, repairs and restores lifeless, damaged hair.

Work conditioner through hair from root to ends. Leave on for 3 minutes, then rinse. 

For deeper conditioning, leave on for up to 15 minutes. As a leave-in, work a dime-sized amount through damp hair, then style as desired.

I've used this product quite a lot.  I have used it as a co-wash, rinse out, deep conditioner and leave in.

Co-Wash- on wet hair, this glides on perfectly. It moisturized my scalp and hair and rinsed clean. My hair felt lightly cleansed and moisturized at the same time. I could do a slight finger detangle with it but nothing much.

Rinse Out - I do love it as a rinse out. I love when a conditioner deeply moisturizes my hair and it feels soft and supple after rinsing which this does. The downside is not much slip and the size of the product. I would go through a bottle really quickly if I used it for this nature and $10 for a product is a lot. Especially since it's even more in the UK!

Deep Conditioner - the product is thick and creamy in nature and works great on its own as a deep conditioner or if you add some oils to it. With my hair under plastic bags for at least 30 mins, the product penetrated my strands and left them smooth. I even detangled my hair with a paddle brush before placing under the plastic bags and the brush glided through with no trouble! (I did detangle my hair prior to shampooing hair)

Leave-In - this is the way I mostly use the product. It is a staple in my product stash, especially for the Fall/Winter seasons. Again, the creaminess of it and the thickness is great for when my hair needs extra moisture in the cold climates and it delivers. My hair is always soft and left smelling really good.

Overall

This is a product that has and will always be a staple in my product stash because I can get multiple uses out of it. For the size and price, it is more economical for me to use as a leave-in and the occasional deep conditioner or co-wash. I love that is readily available in the US, hate that it isn't readily available in the UK and twice the price.

Have you tried this product? What are your thoughts?

November

The temperatures are dropping, 2013 is fading away...

November is here and that means October is gone.

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know I was partaking in a challenge to read the book of Proverbs for the month while trying a new hair style each day. I didn't do much follow up on the blog but a post on the challenge is needed.

My sister participated actively and I think some others as well. My sis and I failed miserably at the hair style part.. I've come to accept that I'm not one of those natural hair gals that rocks out of this world styles. And I'm ok with that. 

I did enjoy the challenge though as I got to read through a book that has so many gems, and correlates to different books in the Bible as well. It was great sharing the verses that stuck out to me and hearing others talk about how that particular verse spoke to them. I find it amazing that God's Word is consistent and true, that it resonates with everyone and how God brings people from all walks of life together. I really wanted to share the chapters in whole, or type numerous paragraphs as my Instagram caption but I refrained. 

Sometimes I felt like not sharing any verses due to the busy-ness of a day, feeling tired and so on. That was a challenge within itself.. I thank God for giving me the strength to persevere through it all and to complete the task!

My sis and I are hopping over to the New Testament for November, tackling Romans!

She was sending me hashtag suggestions lol but I'm not sure if I'm going to approach Romans in the way I did Proverbs. 

So challenge completed! Big ups to all who joined in :)