Rope Scarves

Since watching MsVCharles video below I have been a rope scarf making machine and plan to make even more see my work below.

Thanks/No Thanks

Well I decided to start to do products reviews I named thanks/no thanks.  I will review two products in one post, a product I like and I product I don't care for.  So lets get started I will start with the no thanks item first.

Product: Enso Naturals Marshmallow Root Twisting Pudding

What website says: A rich, thick, velvety smooth alcohol free styling pudding suitable for all hair types that does not cause flakes or tack. Marshmallow Root Twisting Pudding was formulated with the needs of tired, thirsty, frizzy curls in mind. Our Twisting Pudding is fortified with Marshmallow Root which conditions your coils leaving your hair soft and nourished from root to tip. Marshmallow Root Twisting Pudding is also loaded with curl loving ingredients to help enhance your natural curl pattern while offering brilliant sheen, bouncy curls and hold.

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Glycerin, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Nut Oil, Silk Amino Acids, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract, Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow Root) Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (paraben free fragrance), Fragrance

Price: 8 oz $11.50 @ Enso Naturals

My opinion:  The Twisting pudding does not cause flakes but it smells like dawn dish detergent.  The texture is more like a gel and is very thin.  I used it for flat twist all over my whole head and the smell alone was overwhelming.  Not to mention my hair itched like crazy, I'm not sure what ingredient I had a reaction to but I will no longer be using this product and have 50% of the it left and anyone can have it if they would like. 

My Thank You

Product: Natural Girls Rock Deep Soulutions Deep Conditioner

What website says: Natural Girls Rock Deep SOULutions Deep Conditioner is enriched with natural ingredients that penetrate the cuticle to help reconstruct the hair shaft. Formulated to deep condition and moisturize your hair naturally with essential minerals and oils to restore your hairs natural beauty. Repairs dryness and damage. Moisture retention is the key that allows hair to grow to its maximum potential without interruption of breakage and split ends.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Organic extra virgin coconut oil, Pure cold pressed castor oil, Extra virgin olive oil, Vegetable glycerin, Pure jojoba oil, rosemary oil, nettle oil, birch leaf oil, chamomile oil, lavender, colts foot leaf, yarrow oil, soybean protein, lemon grass oil (fragrance), and organic conditioner base.

Price: 8 oz $11.95  12 oz $15.95 @ Natural Girls Rock

My opinion: I LOVE THIS DC!!!! Ok I am a deep condition girl.  I have tried this DC two ways; once with heat and once overnight.  This DC made my hair feel so supple and moist and I was in pure hair ecstasy. The scent is pleasant and the texture is thick and creamy.  I would buy this over and over again.

Missed the bus

I you ever bought a product and just set it on the shelf to use for later?  Then once you pick it up sometimes months later you fall in love with it and say to yourself I have to get some more of this, then to your utter dismay the company no longer sells said product.  Well I have been this way for the past 5 months with Lavida Given By Nature's Rosemary Mint liquid Shampoo.  Now while I was fully aware when she decided to stop producing the shampoo but I really wasn't using it as my staple then so I really didn't give it any second thought, but in these last 5 months it has become a staple for both me and my daughter.  It's thick and a little goes a long way, the suds are absolutely awesome oh did I mention that you only need a little and its not drying but your hair and scalp are thoroughly clean.  Now while I do have one and half bottles of this liquid gold I would be first in line if Lavida brought it back.  Have you ever missed a bus on a product you fell in love with?

All Natural House Cleaners

Often many naturals worry about what chemicals we put in our hair but recently I was thinking about the chemicals we clean our house with. 

About two months ago I joined Heartsy, heartsy is a website where vendors offer awesome discounted gift codes to their stores.  On Heartsy I found Mrs Jones Soapbox and I will have to say at first I was a little skeptical thinking can a natural cleaner really do better than my chemical laden cleaners.  I bought the Eco Friendly Household Cleaning Kit and it only cost me $15 at Heartsy for $40 store credit and I paid for shipping not a bad deal at all.  Now I haven't tried all the products but I love the Clean, Sparkle, Shine and the Soapy.

Let's talk about the Clean,  my husband had recently clean a wall in our house with some other cleaner and it unfortunately left a wet spot on the wall and we could not figure out how to get rid of the spot, but one spray and wipe with the Clean and the spot disappeared. 

The Sparkle I use to clean my mirrors and glass in my house it took a little getting use to since I was use to using commercial glass cleaner but I love it.

The Shine I use on my wood and leather and I love having a multiple use cleaner.

If you try Heartsy or Mrs Jones Soapbox let me know, also for my natural ladies shops like Beija-Flor and Karess Krafter have also been featured on Heartsy.

Whew Life

I know back in June I said I was back but between my duties as a mother, Airman and church I have been extremely busy so...... I think I am back now and will try to blog at least every other day.  Thank you to all that read my blog.

Loose Hair Envy

As I surf the Internet I see women wearing there hair loose and beautiful and I have to say I am a little envious.  Now its not that I can't wear my hair loose but that it is not convenient.  I wear a hat 5 days a week and I have to take it off inside and wear it outside, not to also mention I am in the Pacific Northwest which is rain central.  Could you imagine the afro I would have.  My hair stays in twist or flat twist every week, I long for the day that I can rock a twist out without having to take leave from my job. One day..............

I'm BACK!!!!

Well it has been a long time since I blogged and alot has happen.  I moved to a different state, deployed, gained 10 lbs, had a birthday and recently decided it's time to create a staples list.  I currently have a big drawer full of hair products that I will be getting rid of some because it's old and some just because I won't use it.  I plan to try and blog at least once a week, we'll see how that works out, also I want to thank those who periodically checked to see if I was blogging or just to check on me and say they missed me.  Talk to ya later.

Weight Gain or Age Spread

I have been skinny my whole life...so skinny that my granddad use to sing a song that went like this:
Yeah Oh I got a girl named Bony Moronie She's as skinny as a stick of macaroni

Even through high school I was small, now I did have a little shape but fast forward to two children and almost 31 years old.  I am 5'4'' and my ideal weight was 125, the highest I ever got was 117.  Now we just recently moved and I am fulfilling a military commitment and to my surprise I have noticed that the clothing I brought with me was fitting a little snugger than normal. But I shrugged it off to shrinkage in the wash/dryer.  Well one day I decided to jump on the scale in a warehouse I work in and it read 127, I said no way and began taking everything out of my pockets and reweigh myself, no change.  So with that being said minus the 5 pounds for my uniform and boots I weigh 122, now while I have dreamed of this weight and really love how my body looks minus a little pooch I don't appreciate the prospect of having to purchase bigger clothes. 

Product Review: Pura Body Naturals

I had the opportunity to partake in a sale that Pura Body Naturals had where their Hair sample pack was $15.00 now I had been eyeing their products for a while so when I seen the sale I jumped on it.  Since I am away from home I only brought the Sapote Hair Lotion with me so this is what I will be reviewing.

From the website:

Sapote Oil is grown throughout the West Indies, Central and South America. It's rich in vitamins A, C, and plant proteins, carbohydrates, iron, potassium, and calcium. Sapote restores the health of natural or chemically relaxed hair while improving manageability leaving your hair soft and luxurious.


Can be used a daily conditioner for those seeking soft manageable hair both kids and adults. Sapote Hair Lotion can be used as a skin lotion as well for soft supple skin.

Ingredients: water, BTMS (behentrimonium, cetearyl alcohol), organic sapote oil, babassu oil, cupuacu butter, organic brazil nut oil, coconut milk powder, green tea extract, banana fruit powder, mango fruit powder, vitamin E, phenoxyethanol and capryl glycol(paraben and formaldehyde free preservative), and essential oils or fragrance.

Cupuacu Butter - Comes from a fruit tree of the chocolate family, native to the northern Amazon. Cupuacu improves the appearance prematurely aging and thinning skin while being a superior moisturizer with great water absorption. It offers high levels of essential fatty acids, which with its rich phytosterols, help the appearance of your skin’s elasticity and overall appearance of your skin. Cupuacu's incredible creaminess promotes a special softness and smoothness to your skin to boosts natural moisture and help your skin appear more elastic.

Cupuacu promotes smoothness and softness to the hair increasing the natural moisture and elasticity. The butter has proven to be beneficial for brittle, dry hair due to it's long lasting hydration properties to replenish moisture while promoting a healthy shine. Cupuacu is considered hydrophpllic (water loving) with a high capacity to retain water and prevent moisture loss.

Brazil Nut Oil - Are harvested from trees in the Amazon rainforest. The nuts are rich in nourishing, protein, and moisturizing properties. Contains omega-6 acid which acts as a barrier to hair and skin to prevent water loss to help retain moisture. Brazil nut oils is packed with vitamins A and E protecting the skin and hair from premature aging and dryness. It brings shine, softness, and silkiness to the hair. For skin, it acts as a moisturizer, provides antioxidant benefits, helps prevent dryness, and leaves skin soft, smooth, and hydrated.

Babassu Oil - expelled from the Babassu Palm Tree in northern Brazil. It has been used for centuries as an emollient to soothe dry skin without adding a greasy feel. Babassu moisturizes and restores hair's strength and elasticity.

Mamey Sapote Oil - extracted from the sapote fruit native to Latin America. Sapote is rich in vitamins A, C, carbohydrates, plant proteins, iron, and potassium. Has been used for years to combat dry hair and help retain moisture.
 
Directions: Apply to wet or dry hair as a leave-in conditioner to improve manageability for soft luxurious hair.
 
Scents available: Ylang-Rose, Tahitian Vanilla, Lemongrass Blend and Unscented.
Price: $5.00-15.00  Size: 2 oz and 8 oz
 
My thoughts:
 
I bought the 2 oz unscented version and I LOVE it.  It's thick and creamy goodness, I only need a little to turn my hair into soft moisturize clouds, which is great since I have very thick thirsty hair.  Once I get home I will definitely buy the full 8 oz to include in my moisture regimen.

My Experience.......

with having braids by African braiding salon.  Before Thanksgiving I had my hair braided to get ready for my deployment.  While the ladies did an excellent job, the braids were a little tight for my taste and they braided every piece of hair on my head.  Now usually I get my hair braided by my mother or a friend so I was not use to getting baby hairs braided or it being this tight and at first I contemplated taking it down two days later.  The other downside was that because I am in the military, 5 out of 7 days I must have the hair in a style which does not go past the bottom of my collar which means pulling it up and putting unwanted stress on my poor strands.  So with that being said my hair only lasted until 30 Dec when I took it down because I was missing my hair.  Everyday I was praying please let my hair be okay and because that reason I'm not sure it I will get my hair braided by this method again.