What's Up With Your Hair?

It's Summer and I thought I would peruse the cyber world to see how are our naturals styling their naturals in the warm weather.  Here are a few styling options!

These are two different takes for the same styling option!

Style it Hi or Lower!

Colored or Not?

Design in the Back

On the Grid!

Just a few styles to inspire your summer!

As always, Happy Curls to you!

TRUE by Made Beautiful Hair Products

Hello Chicas!


Back with a new product review! 

Hydrating Hair Butter

Ingredients:  Water (Aqua), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Dilaurate, Fragrance (Parfum), Butryospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Oil, Honey, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Beta-Carotene


I was at Walgreens to fill an prescription when I took the route through the ethnic hair care line aisle when I spotted this space on the shelf that reflected a beach-like ambiance.  I stopped and realized that I had never seen this line called "True" before.


It's packaging is clean, pure, and refreshing reflecting the theme of the Made Beautiful line.


I first acquired the Hydrating Hair Butter and took it home.  Unfair to the line, I spread the butter on my hands and applied it over the Carol's Daughter Hair Milk and the Olive Oil Ecostyler gel.  I can say that it "played" well and I enjoyed the results.


As a reference point, I am a 3c with 4a coiling sections and low porosity hair.  The Hydrating Butter is creamy and texture is like pudding, smells like mango and the tropics.  I did as directed on the jar.  I took out a quarter-size amount, rubbed the product between my hands and smooshed into the sections of my hair then pony-pineapple three-sections but needed to do six sections to alleviate having to maneuver parting/sectioning issues in the morning.  Placed on my satin scarf and that was my nighttime routine.


Got up in the morning, misted with water, let set for 20 minutes, shook hair, shaped hair, and was ready for work!


So, I decided to try it again after shampooing my hair, applying Camille Rose's Hair Milk and again the True Hydrating Hair Butter "played" well and I ended up with great results.  Soft, shiny, and moisturized hair.


The True by Made Beautiful Line up is as follows:


– Shampoo
– Co-wash
– Hair Mask
– Leave-in
– Stylers ( gel like styler, and hair butter)
– Curl refresher spray


Pros:

• Fresh Packaging of Line
• Tropical Smell is delightful -- Not too strong
• Accessibility is great (Walgreens, Sally, Made Beautiful site on-line)
• Price Range $9.99 to $12.99
• Only Need a Little
• Plays well with other Products that I Use
• Hair Typing Usage is Listed on the Jars/Containers

Cons:

• Curl Refresher must be used sparingly -- Can get "sticky"
• Styler -  Has a very "soft" hold -- I use one of my gels to "support" -- Still evaluating as to whether or not I will repurchase.  Will do a review later.

I was sitting at my desk today when a coworker came over and she said "smells like flowers!" I said:  "It's my hair products!"  She said:  "I like!" 


For convenience of purchasing their items they have put the hair typing numbers along the side of the containers.  I will be giving my opinion on the other products in this line as I continue to use them.


I say that this line is off to a great start!


Until next time!  Happy Curls to You!

Copyright 2017-3-29 Crowning Glory Coils and Kinks - All Rights Reserved

Eco Styler's Black Castor Oil and Flaxseed Gel

In case you haven't heard Eco Styler has come out with the much awaited new product!

Black Castor Oil and Flaxseed Gel!  You will find bloggers, YouTubers, and novices speculating on whether or not the product will live up to their expectations.  My first exposure to its arrival was from a friend on Facebook!

One YouTuber ordered hers from Canada with a shipping cost of $6.99, someone else ordered it with a shipping price of a whopping $27.99, and someone else found an online beauty supply store and was willing to spend $30 on other products just to get the $4.99 shipping!

Eco Style Black Castor and Flaxseed Oil Styling Gel helps to nourish, repair and grow hair. Wheat protein strengthens and protects hair. Like all of our styling gels, it is weightless and will leave your hair with a healthy shine and superior hold.

You still have others across the States on waiting lists for the product!  Well, what a market entry!  I found people on hair blogs asking where this product can be purchased.  On blacklonghair.com one writer commented that this product has the same ingredients as the other with the exception of the two coveted ingredients “black castor oil and flaxseed!”

Here are the ingredients for your review:

Water/Aqua/Eau, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Limus Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, PVP, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum), D-Limonene, Love and Pride

What's all the hype about?

Benefits of Black Castor Oil:

• Increase hair growth.
• Thicken hair that is starting to thin out.
• Reduce and prevent hair damage.
• Eliminate dry hair.
• Make the hair fuller and shinier.
• Deeply condition and moisturize hair and scalp.
• Prevents dry scalp.
• Boost your hair's overall health.

Flaxseed Oil Gel:

• Leaves hair soft, shiny, and moisturized
• Promotes hair growth
• You can reuse the flax seeds
• Cost effective (more for your money)
• Nourishing for the hair rich in omega 3
• Gives great curl definition
• Gives hold with no crunch/non flaking/not drying to the hair/doesn’t cause breakage/or shedding
• Fast drying
• Great for wash n go’s/sleek styles/twists and twist outs and sets the twists once dry for a lovely twist out
• Mixes well with oils/conditioners/ many products
• All natural..organic.
• A lot of reviews compare it to Kinky Curly’s Knot Today, but say Flax seed Gel is actually better
• Great for all hair types

This product has re-ignited the passions of hair product junkies across America!

So, this weekend I will be at my local Target scouring the shelves!

Don’t forget, as always, leave your comments or thoughts below!

Happy Curls to You!

Copyright 2017-3-9 Crowning Glory Coils and Kinks - All Rights Reserved

Those In Between Stages of Hair Growth -- Hair Purgatory

pretty teeny weeny Afro (TWA) is no longer teeny enough to highlight your head shape, but not long enough to hang even partially south. It's still too short for that but it may be flopping out in other more crazy ways. 

Beyond the BC hair purgatory happened to me several times over many years. It was a tough time for me -- too long for the cute shape anchored by my scalp. Too short for the hang. Doing the north, east and west, but definitely no south. WTF was it doing?

• not long enough to hang but not short enough to behave.
• not long enough to pull back into a bun.

I was in this stage several times in my life and each time it felt like I was unanchored and could not see the far shore. No matter how much I patted it down it refused to behave like a TWA. It also refused to behave like it wanted to drop and hang. I went through several cycles of growing it to a certain length, losing hope, and BC'ing again. And it all happened before the curly hair product revolution I saw happen after Y2K.

Still Confused About What 3c 4a Natural Hair Looks Like?

3c/4a Natural Hair

Black Girl With Long Hair - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/320811173432894318/

Loana from Sao Paulo // 3C/4A Natural Hair

As is my usual routine for finding new products, hairstyles, and beautiful natural hair, I was purusing the internet when I came upon the 4a Natural Hair Board in Pninterest.  

I am often asked "what curl pattern do I have?" and most pictures can add more confusion that it does help.  So, when I came across this luscious head of hair, I felt compelled to share it with all of my beautiful naturlistas!

Read more about Loana's hair journey here:  http://blackgirllonghair.com/2015/04/loana-from-sao-paulo-3c4a-natural-hair/

Follow Loana here:  

Instagram: @afrog4l
Facebook Personal Profile: https://www.facebook.com/lonovaes

Battling With Single Strand Knots? Try Oil Rinsing?

Article by:  Kandycurls

Oil rinsing is a technique used to lock moisture in ones hair while in the process of washing and conditioning. It is very similar to the LOC method, except it is only done in the shower. It is usually done with one of three oils—olive, coconut or avocado—because they penetrate the hair shaft. Here is a Guide to Oil Rinsing for Hair.

Benefits

• You increase moisture retention because you are rinsing your hair with ample oil that penetrates the hair shaft to lock in water, leaving your hair more moisturized.
• Oil rinsing is a great way to add more shine to your hair. Some do it, just to get rid of lackluster hair and increase shine.
• You will have less single strand knots because oil rinsing combats dry ends, which prohibits single strand knots from forming.

There are many different ways that you can oil rinse your hair, but don't be intimidated by this technique. The method that works for me is an easy introduction into the world of oil rinsing. And it's easier than you might think.

Do you have dry hair?

Being that natural hair can be extremely dry, I like to do an oil rinse more often than not. For me, the best technique for doing this is after shampooing and during my conditioning process, instead of before my conditioning process like many do. In other words, I like to mix my oil of choice (i.e. olive oil) in with my conditioner. I have tried the latter technique, shampoo, oil, and then conditioner. I have also tried shampoo, conditioner, and then rinse, but my hair often feels too heavy. By mixing my conditioner and the oil, I get extra moisture without the heaviness.

Conditioner oil mix

After shampooing, I condition as I regularly would, rinse, and then condition with the oil and conditioner mixture. To do an oil rinse, I take a bowl in the shower, add a half-cup of oil and three tablespoons of conditioner, and mix. I like to let this sit in my hair for a little while if I can, so that it penetrates the hair shaft.

In other words, I like to mix my oil of choice (i.e. olive oil) in with my conditioner.

Why it works

My hair is low porosity, meaning the hair shaft is tightly bound, which makes it difficult for moisture to penetrate. That being said, a regular oil rinse adds moisture, but not as much as I would like on its own. It does not feel as moisturized as it would if I added the oil to some conditioner. Also, with a regular oil rinse the remnants sit on top of my hair, which leaves it feeling coated. Mixing oil and conditioner for my oil rinse allows me to get deeply moisturized result.
Oil rinsing not only adds moisture, it also adds shine and makes detangling much easier for you. I have seen some rave about it and others who were not so impressed, but remember there is always a way to modify almost any hair maintenance technique to make it work for you.
Have you tried oil rinsing? Do you have something similar to oil rinsing that you like to do?

Frizz Attack!

Combating Frizz

Causes of Frizz

• Dry Hair
• Product Build-Up
• Damaged Hair

Dry Hair.  The primary cause or root of frizz is dehydrated hair.  Hair that is dry and thirsty will draw water from the atmosphere and this is the cause of frizz.  So, the primary prevention to keep frizz at bay is "moisturized" tresses. I f your hair is severely damaged, you may need a protein treatment to help control/remedy damage tresses.

Product Build-Up.  Hair that has been previously hydrated and sealed with products like Shea Butter, Silicones, and heavy butters blocks out any moisture to dry hair.  This causes hair to not properly receive the benefits of layering another moisturizer to your tresses.

Damaged Hair.  Hair that is damaged have raise cuticles causing it to be frizzy. This is because your cuticles are "raised" and are no longer "smooth."  These areas of "raised" cuticles will need a "fill-in" such as protein.  Protein will "fill-in" these gaps and allow hair to become smoother again.

Products:  Product ingredients (because humectants attract moisture to the hair it can cause swelling which causes the hair to dry and frizz. It’s best to use products that contain humectants as leave ins during cooler months).

Hair Manipulation:  Hair in Hair Syndrome is a huge culprit in the cause of frizz for a slew of natural hair wearers.  We cannot keep our hands out of our hair.  This is over manipulation of our tresses and is a culprit of creating frizz!

How to Keep your Tresses Moisturized?

1. Deep condition your tresses.  Shampoo your tresses to eliminate any product build up and then use a good deep conditioner to rehydrate your hair.
2. Incorporate styling products into your daily routine that contain  hydrolyzed proteins like hydrolyzed silk, soy and wheat protein that can penetrate the hairs cuticle.

Keeping Frizz at Bay!

Understanding the causes of frizz will help you better choose a regimen to keep frizz at bay.  Products like gel stylers and silicone serums also will help in preventing huge bouts of frizz.

Keep your HANDS out of your hair.  It's a hard thing to do but your fingers disturbs the curl pattern because the oils and sealants on your strands are pulled away by your touching and manipulation of your strands.  This removes the very products on your hair that you trust to keep your hair shiny, bouncy, and frizz free.

Finally, once you have completed your initial Wash N Go only lightly mist hair!  Hair that hasn't thoroughly dried and is manipulated is prone to frizz!

How do you combat frizz?  Leave me a comment below!

Happy Curls to You!