SheaMoisture REVIEW!! African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo

Hey everyone! This will be my first but hopefully not last hair product review on this blog so let's get into it. As you know I love SheaMoisture products and truly swear by the Curl & Shine shampoo but I wanted to try this out since I kept hearing it was a great clarifying shampoo which is something we should all do ever couple of months if we want our products to keep working as then should.

First off let me start by saying that this shampoo smells so yummy and fruity although I've heard people not liking it since it's heavy of the plantain/banana variety. I also noticed that the constancy of it was much runnier than my staple shampoo. This shampoo is much different in the fact that it doesn't lather a lot. With my usual SheaMoisture shampoo there is almost an explosion of lather but with this one barely any bubbles (I lathered twice just to be sure). The lack of lather made me wonder if it was working but when I rinse my hair and scalp were CLEAN. Not squeaky, unsettling clean like a traditional clarifying shampoo that makes use natural/curly girls cringe because we know it'll take weeks for our hair to recover, but a clean that greatly surpassed my other shampoo. I still needed to condition my hair but it wasn't stripped or a matted mess like with most clarifying shampoo. I can not speak on the dry, itchy scalp claim since I don't have that issue but I believe that the it does what the label claims which is deeply cleansing the scalp and hair.

Bottom line: I recommend this shampoo if you need to clarify or if you have a dry, itchy scalp. However, I would not recommend this as an everyday or every week shampoo simply because it is a clarifier and isn't necessary every time you wash your hair. I also recommend following up with a good deep conditioner.

-xoxo, Jasmine 

A Change in the Line Up

Hey Lovelies,
So if you recall my post earlier this year then you saw the products I was using to reach my goal of Arm Pit Length (APL). Weeeeeellll, I reached that goal a whole lot soon than I thought I would because I actually started to take care of my hair and now I'm on my merry way to Bra Strap Length (BSL). So let me just update you because ALOT has changed since I ran out of things and old favorites that were out of the budget have been going on sale whooooooo thanks SheaMoisture for the BOGO FREE. You're about to see hella SheaMoisture products. I love these products because the chances of them being on sale is always a possibility unlike some brands and they last for MONTHS so its money well spent in my opinion.

First thing first its summer time so that means I actually need a shampoo since I sweat more EWWWWW  and I have also joined a castor oil challenge kinda sorta so a cowash won't cut it this time. My favorite shampoo of all time is SheaMoisture's Curl & Shine  shampoo. I know it has some mixed reviews and isn't as popular among the natural hair community like the Moisture Retention shampoo but I freaking LOVE it.

Another change in my regimen is my conditioner I use the Curl & Shine conditioner (picked up a bottle at the World Natural Hair Show in Atlanta it was on sale and another in the BOGO FREE at Walgreens). Not gonna lie this conditioner does not have instant slip so I have to let it sit for a little while, because of that I use it like another deep conditioner other than the ole faithful Deep Treatment Masque.

Then there is my staple the SheaMoisture Curl & Style Milk for my leave-in the Thickening Milk is a close second. I've learned my hair likes "milk" leave-ins and not gel like leave-in i.e. Kinky Curly, As I Am leave-in conditioner, and SheaMoisture's extra-moisture detangler. All of those look like a jelly consistency that my hair does not like.

The last thing are my styler(s) also by SheaMoisture the Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Curling Gel Soufflé. I usually just use the smoothie but I've recently started to layer it with the soufflé and the results are quite nice.

I still swear by prepooing with coconut oil but now I add Sunny Isle Extra Dark Jamaican Black Castor  Oil to the mix and I'm seeing more shine and better moisture levels in my hair. I also apply it to my scalp twice weekly since I am participating in a castor oil challenge. As you can see I am on an all natural and single brand regimen for now but that is always subject to change.

-XOXO, Jasmine

You Sealin' or Nah?

Hey lovelies!
So I've been wearing my hair natural for a while now and learned early on that sealing is kinda a big deal in this realm of natural hair care. Sealing is basically applying water or a water based product then using an oil or a butter to "seal" that water or product in for better moisture retention. Let me tell you its been almost 3 years and I've just found the perfect sealant for my kinky curly hair. In the beginning I used products with mineral oil (my hair kindly said no by being dry as a brillo pad until I stopped), then I read that olive oil is great for sealing (shiny hair but so greasy I said no), then their was avocado oil (not bad but I could pour too much and end up with greasy hair), then I heard the hype about shea butter (a dry, greasy mess), then almond oil (it was ok), then coconut oil (love it as a prepoo and to take out twists but horrible as a sealant especially when its cold out), but then I found Cocoa butter. 100% pure Ghanian Cocoa butter from coastal scents. I ordered during a Black Friday sale on a whim and upon its arrival I won't lie I had no idea what to do with or how to use it. It's not Palmer's boo this stuff is HARD, like it can break if hit hard enough. So I did my research on how to make it softer and most recommended mixing with shea butter a no no for my hair. Then I thought about how Naptural85 used oils to make and keep hard shea butter soft so I thought why not try that with cocoa butter. I used a good chunk (6oz I guess) of melted cocoa butter with just a touch of coconut oil (1oz max) then whipped the 2 together for about 5 min then poured into an old container from a deep conditioner and let it solidify in a cool room for a while. Although the mix was solid it was soft and it melted really easily in my hands and it smells yummy! The first time I used it was on freshly washed hair and I used maybe a half a finger tip on half my hair after my hair dried it was soft, shiny, moisturized and not weighed down and the moisture last at least 5 days for me so I don't have to remoisturize everyday. Another thing I've noticed is that I've been getting fewer SSK (single strand knots) or fairy knots and seeing fewer splits since finding the perfect sealant that means more length retention leading to longer hair and this is my year to put the scissors down and let my hair grow. So curlies are you sealing or nah?

-xoxo, Jasmine

Deep Conditioning Low Porosity Hair

SOOOOO…. I've been peeping some natural hair boards and noticing a lot of my fellow low porosity curlies are doing the most when it comes to deep conditioning. I've seen people deep conditioning before they wash which is perfectly ok but I've also seen lots of people saying they leave a deep conditioner in for an hour or more sometimes overnight. That can be detrimental to the hair since you risk over moisturizing which many hair care forums have stated is just as bad as having excessively dry hair and can lead to breakage. What I'm noticing is that low porosity curlies believe that the hair is overly saturated with water after washing so the deep conditioner has no where to go. I know this to be true from experience so I have figured out a way to deep condition directly after washing and keep my hair moisturized all week long


Here's what you need:
old cotton tshirt/microfiber towel
deep conditioner of choice
plastic cap/bag
hooded dryer/ blower dryer with bonnet attachment 
cheap rinse out conditioner

• After cleansing and detangling squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands
• Take the tshirt/microfiber towel and blot even more of the excess water out your hair should be wet/damp but no longer dripping
• Apply your deep conditioner of choice (I apply in 2 sections and twist them into 2 buns on my head) and don that oh so sexy plastic cap/bag
• Sit under the dryer for 20-30 or however long the instructions state (longer doesn't mean better)
• Remove the plastic cap/bag and allow the conditioner to cool (about 10 min for me since I do not like my deep treatments to be any longer than 30 min)
• With you favorite rinse out conditioner smooth downwards over each section (additional detangling can be done) and rinse with cool water making sure you smooth the hair downwards 

I've been using this method for about 3 months and I can see improvement in how my hair responds to deep conditioning. I really hope this helps my fellow low porosity curlies.

-XO, Jasmine

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

I've seen YouTubers talking about this new Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay. I have never tried any of the Naked palettes because the first two were golden/bronze and taupe/beige (kinda blah) but when I saw the 3 I said, "I want that palette!" After checking my funds, this thing is $52, I drove to my nearest Ulta and was super stoked when I saw they had a whole table of these babies and a display to try all the colors. The first thing I noticed was this palette is pink and I really did think that it was just the lighting in videos that made it look that way but no these colors are all pink/rose based which I was torn about since pink isn't my favorite color but I know it works on my complexion. That being said I still bought it. I've had this palette for about 3 weeks now and would have to say I love it. It came with 4 samples of their eyeshade primer my favorite was original which I ended up purchasing a full size of for $20 but I know it'll last a while. Out of all the colors my favorite is Nooner it's the darkest matte and perfect for the neutral look without shimmer and I find myself using it in every look I've created so far. Another color i gravitate to is Factory, its a little shimmer but its perfect for creases. Blackheart or Darkside would be great for the ladies that like a smokey eye however I like them to line my upper lash line. My least favorite is a tie between Dust and Trick since they're both so shimmery there is a lot of fall out and I really have pack it on for ultimate color payoff so they'll never be lid colors but they make great highlight colors along with Strange. The rest of the colors are beautiful and all of them blend extremely well so no crazy two tone eye makeup. AND this probably doesn't matter to many but it certainly matters to me is that this palette and every other Urban Decay product is cruelty free, so don't be shocked if you catch me reviewing something else from this company; I've been eyeing the new Revolution Lipsticks. I hope you lovelies liked my review.

-XO, Jasmine

Let's Try to Grow in 2014

So its 2014 and I'm gonna let my hair grow or at least try to grow it out (I'm addicted to the scissors). I've pulled together some products (mostly conditoners) I will be using this year to see if upping my usage will result in longer, stronger, healthier hair.

• CurlJunkie Daily Fix for cleansing (SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Shampoo for clarifying not pictured but it's the best shampoo I've ever used)
• Herbal Essences Honey I'm Strong Strengthening  Conditioner for detangling 
• Camille Rose Naturals Algae Deep Conditioner
• Giovanni Hair Reconstructor 
• Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine Condition (used before rinsing out deep conditoners to seal in the goodness)
• Carol's Daughter Split End Sealer 
• SheaMoisture Curl Milk for leave-in (peach/pink label not pictured)
• Homemade Coconut Cocoa Butter Whip for sealing
• Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter for styling

I'm still experimenting with these products and I will be recording my process these. Wish me luck the goal is APL by June.

-XO, Jasmine