What should I buy from.....IHERB.COM?

In honor of Spring I decided to blog about my recommendations for products to buy at various places. I thought I'd start with http://www.iherb.com/  --  because I get asked frequently what people should buy from there. I also have a coupon code you can use for $5 off your first order (it's at the top of my blog) if you haven't ordered before. I love ordering from iherb because they ship super fast and I always get my stuff in a day or two. I've never had a mixed up order and they responded to an email I sent very quickly. Excellent service!

So ....  you've got some money earmarked for product and decide to go shopping on iherb--what are some good options?

Shampoo's and Conditioners brands:

EO  -- There are several types. My favorite is the Sweet Orange but others like the Chamomile and Honey.

Giovanni  -- we love the 50/50 shampoo and the Tea Tree shampoo/conditioner. I like the Root 66 volume conditioner as well. We were not overly fond of the Smooth as Silk shampoo (has cones) or the condish (didn't work all that great).

Beauty without Cruelty -- LOVE the Leave In. It has great slip (but not too much for me) and works wonderfully underneath almost any styler. A little goes a long way. Not too fond of the smell but it doesn't linger. Have not tried the poo or condish (if you have leave a comment below!)

Aubrey Organics -- Of course you simply *must* try the Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner. Many like it (we thought it conditioned o.k. but T had a problem with waxy type build up). GPB is the only Aubrey condish we still have and we use it occasionally. I did not like the Aubrey shampoo's. Their liquid curl activator had the most horrendous smell (see other blog article on that!). We also tried the Island Naturals conditioners and were not fond of the smell. The trend seems to be that we don't like the smell of their products. Another product I strongly recommend you pick up is the Mandarin Magic -- this stuff is great to use to add to a gel to help it spread and as an all around moisturizing gel you can add with a curl jelly or as a leave in. This is, by far, my favorite Aubrey product! I tried the B5 Design gel and hated it--left my curls droopy and sad.

Avalon Organics -- You have to read the labels on these as some contain cones. I really like the Olive and Grape Seed (thanks Solidgold for turning me onto these!) poo and condish. I haven't tried the others.

Jason Natural -- my two favorite products are the Thin to Thick conditioner and the Curl Defining Cream.  Although the condish does not smell great (see previous blog posts) it does work well. The Curl Cream is really fabulous! It works wonders for me!

I am planning another iherb order for some Alba Botanical Gel and Leave in as well as Desert Essence shampoo and conditioner along with a few other products. Once I get them I'll review and post!

Leave In's

Leave-In Conditioners

What exactly is a leave in? Are there rules for what goes in a leave in? Is there any regulation to call a product a leave in? Why use a leave in? Will a leave in leave me greasy or over conditioned? Will it make my hair limp? How much leave in?

These questions and more come up all the time when the topic is leave in hair conditioners. Let me say right away there is no one right answer to any of them really.

In simplest terms a leave in is something you leave IN your hair -- in other words you don't rinse it out. Leave in conditioners have no rule or definition as to what they contain -- it is up to the company. Generally leave in's should be moisturizing. Other than that everybody has a different story.

People use a leave in for a variety of reasons -- some need one to prevent dryness, frizz, or poof. Others use it as a "base" for another product such as a curl cream or jel. Still others use it to detangle. There is no one "right" reason OR way to use a leave in.

If you have fine or thin hair its possible a leave in may be "too much". It depends on your hair. My hair is porous and absorbs products readily--so I use very small amounts of leave in. My daughters hair is thicker and low porosity and we use a lot of leave in. Others I know have fine hair that is low porosity and use only a little leave in. Get the picture? It's all over the place. Only you can determine if a leave in will leave you greasy, oily, flat, limp, etc.

So what about amounts? Pea sized? Grape sized? Quarter? or palmfuls? Well in my house for my hair (fine, thin and porous) I use pea sized. My daughter has fine to medium/coarse thick low porosity hair--for her? Palmfuls. My son has medium normal porosity, medium to fine texture, and thick short hair-- for him about a quarter works best.

A special word: So if there is no real regulation of leave in's do you need a product "designed" as a leave in? Well, no. Not really. You can use any product as a leave in depending on what you want for your hair or what you want your hair to do--try using your rinse out conditioner, styling lotion, or your deep treatment condish as a leave in. There is nothing sacred about what a leave in is. One of my favorite protein leave in's is meant as a deep penetrating protein treatment. We regularly use Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition for my daughter as a leave in (although its technically a rinse out) and for my son we occasionally use Curl Junkie Coffee Coco Curl Creme Lite as a leave in. Experiment! I give you permission. Fly free my beauties!

So what are my favorite leave ins?

Cream type leave in's:

Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Leave In (CALI)
Curl Junkie Beauticurls Leave In (BCLI)


Both of these are outstanding leave in products. They are moisturizing without being heavy. The BCLI has a stronger smell and its yummy. The CALI has been discontinued (so get it while you can!). These are excellent bases for other styling products as well and in my hair do not weigh it down. These are available from a variety of places like http://www.curljunkie.com/, http://www.aveyou.com/, or http://www.curlmart.com/

Beauty without Cruelty Leave In

This is one of my favorites actually. It has proteins high up on the list. It has a lot of slip but does not pull out my curl. It's not expensive (I get mine from iherb.cm). It is moisturizing but not super heavy.

Karens Body Beautiful Nectar and Milk:

For pure moisture and conditioning these really can't be beat. They work on all our heads at my house (although my son is NOT fond of the smells!). They come in a variety of scents so you can chose your favorite. They are super moisturizing--for my daughter they prevent frizz and give her outstanding softness. I discovered these early on and they have remained staples in our house. You can find them at http://www.karensbodybeautiful.com/

AND the big gun for moisture--not going to let your hair dry out at all is BellaCurls Leave In Elixir--this stuff is potent! It has good slip, a great sweet scent, and is incredibly moisturizing. If you have very dry hair or your hair is frizzy or poofy get this leave in STAT. It is outstanding!

When used with the other Bellacurl products we can get 5-7 day hair for my daughter. Since her hair is so dry that is just outstanding. We love Bellacurls!




For those of you that prefer a spray or are worried about weighing down your hair..or perhaps you like a spray before a cream then the following are good choices:

Darcys Botanicals Natural Coils Leave In Spray: Smells great and about 5 sprays does my entire head. Has a decent amount of slip but I wouldn't use it to detangle (not that I need to). It's very moisturizing!

Darcy Botanicals Herbal Spray -- this is heavier than the Natural Coils one. If you like hippie stink or patchouli then this here's your spray babe. It has tea tree so is particularly good for those with itchy scalp. I tend to use it more (with a few sprays) as a base for cream curl enhancers since sometimes the cream enhancers paired with a cream leave in are too much.

Brendita's No Knots Moisturizing Leave In is a great leave in spray for hair. It's not heavy.

The BIG GUN for moisture in this category is the Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier. IF your hair is super dry or you wear braids, twists, or locs get thee to the nearest beauty supplier or online supplier and order up a couple of bottles. This stuff is like liquid gold for dry hair. I'm not crazy about the smell (Caribbean Coconut) but this stuff works great. Watch the daily use as it can feel like its building up and it is a heavy product. Outstanding!

There are a few other sprays we use but we tend to use them as refresher's or pick me ups--less as leave in's...although I include them since I have used all of them as a leave in at one time or another. All are super light.

Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Hair Styling Water, Curl Junkie Curl Fuel enhancing spray, and Oyin Juices and Berries (best smell EVER!). All are great. My daughter's favorite spray is the Oyin which we use as a scent product almost on day 4 or 5 hair--we do find that the Oyin attracts dirt a bit so we don't use it until we get close to washing (side benefit: it hides any odor!)

The last kind of side category is protein leave in's--I've already mentioned both of these before but wanted to be sure I included them here as well: Spiral Solutions Repairing Protein Treatment and Terax Life Drops Leave In. You can view their reviews in my other blog posts.

Protein, Protein, Protein -- My Favorites!

Fine hair usually LURVES protein--and my hair is no exception. My hair loves any form of protein it can get in any way it arrives--in short I can hit it with major protein shots constantly and it never goes hard or straw like.

In honor of protein I thought I would post about my favorite products that have protein in them in high enough concentrations that my hair notices. A lot of products have protein--but for my hair, that needs a ton of it , I notice markedly more spiral curls and ringlet's the more protein I use. Animal, vegetable, whatever--my hair doesn't care--it wants it all! It is a glutton for this stuff!

Let's start off with protein treatments:

Nexxus Emergencee-- to say my hair adores this is a dramatic understatment. I use it in the shower at least 2x a week. I'll do my low poo and then use this and leave on for about 5 minutes (sometimes 10 if I'm shaving) and then rinse it out and use another rinse out conditioner left on for a couple of minutes. When I use this I am guaranteed spirals and ringlet's and tight curls. Links at the top.

Spiral Solutions Repairing Protein Treatment -- this is my other favorite protein treatment. The beauty of this one is that it can be used as a rinse out condish for me -- I don't need to add anything else! I really like this one with heat (usually on weekends) but I use it during the week too as both a rinse out and a leave in. I don't combine it with other protein heavy products because it is enough on its own. the smell on this one is divine--chocolate latte.

Curl Junkie Curl Fix -- I love the smell of this conditioner treatment. Although not solely a protein treatment it does have quite a few proteins in good concentrations. I like to use this about 2x a month with heat. This is how it works best for me. I've tried it as a leave in and my hair felt producty and got frizzy.









Moving on to rinse out conditioners that are heavy on the protein:

Hairveda Moist Condition PRO -- this is my favorite protein conditioner. Although short on ingredients this one really gets the job done with protein. It is not heavy so those with fine hair don't need to worry it will over condition you. You can use this as a leave in if you like -- works superbly for that as well. The cost is very reasonable although it can take a little while to get your product so order with plenty of time to spare.

Jasmines Shea Butter Conditioner -- Another excellent conditioner with protein. My hair likes this one as rinse out or leave in but I find it best as a rinse out. I think it's heavy enough to satisfy some of the more dry customers but not so heavy to make me flat and limp. Another good choice!

Tigi Catwalk Oatmeal and Honey Conditioner -- This one smells like cake batter or vanilla cookies. It's very thick and I find it very rich. I could not use it daily as I would end up over conditioned. It leaves my hair very soft. You can get this in litre size at Ulta's sale and my local grocery store (Von's) has it on sale quite frequently. If you prefer you can order it from amazons subscribe and save as that's another very inexpensive way to do it (this is the way I do it)--link on top left.

Jason Thin to Thick Conditioner -- although this smells like Grandpa's medicine cabinet in a very unappealing menthol way it really does work nice for those that like protein. You can get it on iherb for a good price (coupon code is at the top of my blog) or through vitacost or similar. I found it way too expensive in stores ($13!). Although it's not my favorite it does make my hair thicker, provide more volume, and get those spirals going due to the protein.

Mop C Hydrating Conditioner -- This is a very heavy conditioner. If your hair needs protein and loves a very rich, thick condish then give this one a try. We also like the Hydrating shampoo (it is protein free) but the condish is really moisturizing.

And, lastly, leave in options:

Terax Life Drops -- this is my top choice for a product specific to leave in's that has protein. It is fabulous and very light--will not weigh down your hair at all (in fact those that like a heavy leave in--this is not for you as its really light). It's not the cheapest product out there but it certainly rates very high for me. I love this stuff!

There are other options--I've chosen the ones I am most attached to and that I feel provide the level of protein that I require (high!). Leave a note if there is something else you found that you like! I'm also always happy to have guest bloggers so if any of you would like to post feel free!

Komaza Hair Care Conditioners

Komaza Hair Care 

A hair care line designed for natural hair

They have a new website for you to check out: http://www.komazahaircare.com/ (where you will find ingredient listsing as well!)

On to the products:

Komaza Aloe Conditioner: This is one of my favorite conditioners but unfortunately has been discontinued. The smell is strong--sweet but with a hint of spice or musk. It has a fair amount of slip but seems to do best with those of us who don't need slip who want grabby conditioners. Grabby means that they "hold" your hair and don't make it slippery so the curls fall out. I find this one to give me a bit of volume but where it really shines is in thickness--it makes my hair appear noticably fuller and thicker. In terms of moisture it would be about average--if you had dry hair I don't think this should be a first choice as it provided some but was not ultra moisturizing. I was quite disappointed to hear it was being discontinued.

Komaza Califia Conditioner:

This is designed for more highly textured hair than mine and hair that needs a lot of moisture punch. I actually quite liked it although regular use would weigh my down. It is very moisturizing and I actually liked the smell--sort of spicy, sexy musky. It is very different than most scents. Its thick and a bit tough to get out of the bottle. I did feel almost like there was a residue left when I used it--although I didn't notice it next day when I went to do my low poo. This would make an outstanding conditioner for someone whose hair was very dry or that required a lot of moisture. It is also very concentrated so a little goes a long way..in fact that is a good motto for Komaza as a whole--a little goes a long way.

Komaza Califia Leave In: This has really good slip and is, like its sister conditioner, extremely moisturizing. It is thinner than the condish and has more of a sweet smell mixed with the spicy musk. They complement each other very well. This is a heavy leave in IMHO--not for finer haired folks or gals/guys who get weighed down easily. It works very well in T's hair and we found it fairly easy to distribute.








Komaza Moku Conditioner:

This is the new condish that is meant to replace the Komaza Aloe Conditioner. It smells similar (not exactly the same..the Moku is more understated). It works fairly well for me--has o.k. slip but not too much and is moisturizing but most likely would be best for those that do not require a lot of moisture. Normal to Oily hair would probably do well with this. It isn't a "wow" conditioner but it gets the job done. I do not get as much lift and volume with this as with the Aloe conditioner which is a bummer since that was a primary reason to purchase the other. Overall though of the Komaza line it is my favorite currently available product.

If I ever get up to Sacramento I am going to stop in and say "HI" to the Komaza folks!


Komaza Coconut Conditioner:

This is actually the conditioner that should work best for me given my hair type. It smells like a lighter version of the Califia conditioner. The difference between them is night and day. I did not find the Coconut Condish to be ultra moisturizing. It did a fine job and I was able to pair it with a heavier leave in without any problems. I think it will make a nice conditioner for me when I don't need ultra moisture. I think my favorite of all of the Komaza is, unfortunately, still the Aloe Conditioner which I found the moist moisturizing but not overconditioning. If your hair is super dry go with the Califia but if you have hair that can get weighted down you might want to try the Coconut or Moku--performance wise I did not notice much difference at all.

Bellacurl Leave in Elixir

Liquid Gold

The Bellacurl Leave In Elixir is amazing. It has wonderful slip and goes on perfectly providing a superb moisture boost for times you want to use a leave in. It is very concentrated so you don't need a ton--even on T's hair we used only about 2 tsp (practically unhead of!). The comb went through her hair with complete ease. T's hair stayed pretty moisturized for several days.

On my hair I thought at first it might be too much but it turns out it isn't at all! With this as the base (using a curl enhancer) I got beautiful ringlet's in the back and sides. The foundation for me to get ringlet type curls always comes from my hair being well moisturized and for my protein to be at the right level. While the leave in elixir doesn't have protein I find when I use a really good protein treatment on the weekend's I don't need to use products with protein for each step--I can use protein in a step or two or even skip a day and my hair still does well. So I used all Bellacurl products and then used a curl enhancer and gel with protein and I had fabulous hair!

I used only about a pea sized amount of this very rich leave in and it was exactly perfect. Bravo! A definite purchase!

Curl Junkie Beauticurls Leave In

CJ BCLI

I am a big fan of CJ's Curl Assurance Leave In. It has been a wonderful leave in conditioner for me--but it's going to go away (for some specific reasons that Marsha has posted on her blog). So what's a curly girl to do?

Firstly the scent of this is divine. I'm not sure what exactly it smells like but me likey! It does linger (that's good..I like smelly products LOL!). This is lighter IMHO than the CJCALI. It is less thick than the Curl Assurance one as well.

Overall I like it - but it's not quite as good as the Curl Assurance one for me--I initially bought it and swapped it out but I recently repurchased and have been happier with it--I use it in combo with the CJ Smoothing Conditioner and it s flawless with that conditioner--as if they were meant to work together. It does work very well for my son and he likes the smell too (don't tell the other 10 year old boys in his class!). I think if regular leave in's are too heavy you will like this one a lot.

Darcy's Botanicals Part Duex

Darcy's Botanicals NEW products!

Those who read my blog know I love DB products. If any of you shop her website or her etsy store you might have noticed she has NEW products introduced in time for Black Friday. I, however, could not get on to her site until she was already closed so I missed the big BF sale. Waaaa!

Never fear cowgirls--I just saddled up again and ordered after the sale. Yes I think her products are that good that even the loss of a good 20-25% discount did not deter me.

Here's the sitch on the new products:

Pumpkin Seed Conditioner: OMG. AMAZING. AMAZING. AMAZING. If you are looking for slip in a conditoner this one has it in spades. Other than QB Coco Tree Detangling Ghee this is the only other product that has done a great job of detangling on T's hair. Other stuff is good and even great but this one is literally like butter.

On my hair it left it very well conditioned, silky smooth without being too smooth and feeling very soft. The scent is excellent as well--kind of like vanilla buttercream pumpkin cake batter. My hair felt SO good in the shower and out. It also gave me wonderful clumping. It has hydrolized oat protein and I already know my hair loves this particular protein. Its in her NC Curling Jelly too--which is another product my hair loves.


Natural Coils Daily Leave In Conditioning Spray: This sprays out in a wonderful mist. It is very light. Did not feel heavy on my hair but I could definitely see the conditioning aspect. Not sticky, tacky, or producty (which tends to happen with sprays). I used about 6 sprays for my entire head and it was perfect. I think I could use less in the summer (unless its dry). Smells very good--sort of sweet but not overwhelming or overpowering. This, on my hair, is light enough not to weigh it down at all. I think if you have fine hair and it leans towards thin and you like lighter products you ought to try this one out. Its not similar really to something like SNBE Growth Spray--that does better for me after my hair is already SOTC'd or mid day or before bed. It doesn't have enough Umph to use as a full leave in IMHO. This one IS a leave-in and you can feel it right away. Although there are oils in it my hair absorbed them very well--no problem with oily/greasy looks.

Avocado and Wild Plum Twisting Creme: I used a bit after the LI just to get a sense. Seems very good. I think I'm going to like this one the same way I like the coconut and aloe pudding--after I've SOTC or mid day especially to add some moisture. I found Darcys stuff to work really good for this--these pudding and creams. I'll have to try it alone to see if it has any curl enhancing effect. I like these for mid day moisturizers because they seem to have a little hold which helps my kind of droopy curls sometimes around 2o'clock. Also when I get home if its dry outside I usually spritz a little water and then scrunch in some of these creams. Just love them. Mine came as sample size so it is unscented so I can't speak to the scent. EDITED TO ADD: Tried it today as a "curl enhancer" and it doesn't enhance at all. I should be clear I didn't really expect it to but thought it was worth a go. Not a repurchase for me since I love the Coconut and Aloe pudding too much to replace it with this!

In my next order I plan on getting the Darcy's Botanical's Herbal spray, the Deep conditioner, and the Tucuma Butter along with at least one additional oil. Stay tuned for Part 3!

Shescentit

Shescentit is another handmade line I learned about on naturallycurly.com and longhaircareforum.com and I'm so glad I did!

I've ordered a couple of times and always had great experiences. We have liked all the products we've gotten! I have only ordered the conditioners and such without silicones (or silica) in them. I'm very tempted by the others but know I would regret it afterwords. Ah well. On to the review.

The Avocado Conditioner is green--seems appropriate. It comes in a regular bottle with flip top lid. Her bottles are very unique and, honestly, quite classy and fun looking. I love her logo. Anyway this is an excellent conditioner if your hair is normal to dry. We didn't find it had enough *umph* for T's hair but for my hair it's great. My son also likes it (his favorite color is green). Smells good. Very inexpensive for an online product. Nice!

Next up on the list is the Super Soft Honey Conditioning Rinse. I LOVE the smell of this and it works amazing for me as a rinse out conditioner. It makes my hair moist and bouncy without leaving it over conditioned. It has just enough moisture power. It's another inexpensive option.

My favorite conditioner right now is the Green Tea and Hibiscus one. My hair seems to love Green Tea in any form. It's a deep conditioner but I usually just leave it on in the shower. I'll have to try it with my hard hat dryer but so far its working exceptionally well with just the shower heat for about 5-8 minutes. It smells fine--a little more herbally than the other two I've tried but completely acceptable.

The Coco-Cream Leave In Conditioner is a favorite of many. It works wonders for my sons hair. It provides a lot of slip and can easily be used to detangle. It smells positively divine and is a little more liquidy so it spreads very easily. You don't need too much. If you like leave ins that have a lot of slip or that make your hair feel very silky you will like this one. I felt it made my hair a little too slippery leading to reduced curl.

Another other option for a leave in is the Moisture Mist Leave In Conditioner. This is a liquid in a spray bottle. You MUST shake it up WELL. Do Not Forget. This has oils that can make your hair greasy if you don't shake well. For a spray this one does a nice job. We found it much better on my sons hair than my daughter's and I use it occasionally as well. I actually prefer creamy leave in's myself but this one is nice if you want something light. I think the smell is the other reason for it to not be my favorite--not sure how to describe it except as artificial. I don't really care for it.

Our other favorite products from Shescentit are the butters. OH MY do we love them! We love the Gillian Butter the best but the Seyani is no slouch. You can order your fragrance and you can get sample sizes. We have loved every fragrance we've tried (Vanilla Almond, Sugar Cookie, and Creamsicle). All are light and not overpowering. These butters emulsify into an oil and they are wonderful, simply wonderful, for sealing your hair. When we use this after T's leave in and her Qhemet Biologics Burdock Cream we get long lasting moisture--never greasy, sticky, producty, etc. It is fabulous. We use it in the morning as well to refresh second day after the Qhemet products and it sets her hair just right and helps minimize frizz. EXCELLENT! Even if you think you can't do butters but want to try some these are great to give you an idea--inexpensive as well.

Jasmines Bath and Beauty Products

I originally heard about Jasmines produts on the Long Hair Care Forum. I didn't pay much attention at the time. It wasn't until a fellow naturallycurly lady reviewed these that I actually went to the website and took a look.

I can only say WOW! This site has a lot of products! There are things for hair, face, skin, bath, makeup and more. One of the greatest things about Jasmines is that you can get your products in the scent you like and there are TONS of choices! I wish more stores did this!

I decided to try the hair conditioners first. I chose the 3 that were free from silicones. I also ordered some shea butter that was scented for my son's excema.

The Moisture Renewal Conditioner is just an amazing amazing leave in. On my hair I can use at least 2 tsp of product which is a lot. It sinks into my hair without leaving it weighed down. Of course the scents I chose (Caribbean Coconut for one bottle and Vanilla Butter Cream for the other) so of course I love them. This is lightweight but it does provide the required level of moisture. I think this has been discontinued so hopefully we'll have another product in the spring.

The Babassu Butter Cream Organic Conditioner comes in a jar and is pretty thick and white. It doesn't have protein so was a good choice for T's dry hair that is protein sensitive to some degree. When we used it there was enough slip to detangle but not as much as the Shea conditioner reviewed below. I do have to note we aren't as thrilled with the Pink Cupcakes scent because it smells more like buttered popcorn but the conditioner works great. I will say the scent does not linger and when it gets in your hair it doesn't smell like popcorn--just in the jar. I ordered more but in different scents so I will udpate once those arrive (SCENT UPDATE BELOW!). We definitely liked this one for its conditioning properties and it also worked well as a leave in for T. Nice!

Our favorite product is the Shea Butter Conditioning Cream Rinse/Leave In. We use it as both a rinse out (PHENOMENAL!) and a leave in (Superb!). I have never had my hair SO SOFT without loosing curl. I couldn't express how soft and great my hair felt. If it wasn't against the law I'd of run screaming down the street in my Bday suit! It has some protein which my hair loves.

The Shea Butter (unrefined) we mostly use for skin and not hair. We like it. The scent we chose was fine (Sexy Vanilla) and it works well. It's shea butter so we already knew we'd like it. The quality seems just fine as well.

I have to tell you I liked these products so much that I turned around and placed another order less than a week after I received my first one! I ordered 6 more conditioners in the 4oz size in different scents.

The pic above is with Jasmines used as a Leave In (Shea Butter Condish) and even with a great curling gelly (which I used) it won't give me that much curl without an outstanding leave in.

These products get two very enthusiastic thumbs up! You'll also love to hear that the owner responds to emails lightning fast and is a great communicator! With these smaller companies where you have to wait a while for your order the level of communication is so so important. Jasmines owner is absolutely top notch!

So not only are you getting just grand products you get great service with them! What are you waiting for!!

SCENT UPDATES: I got my new products! So I had to update on the scents. This batch is MUCH improved (I guess that's what I get for letting a 13 year old pick out scents! Won't make that mistake again! LOL).

Mango-Peach: Does smell fruity but it has almost a floral undertone. Very classy!

French Vanilla Pear: Smells very vanilla/buttercream'y. Just a very small fruit type note. Understated and subtle for those who don't like really fragrant fragrances that you can smell in an elevator 2 hours after you've gone!

Passionfruit/Guava: Exactly how you expect. Sweet tropical fruit. Yum!

Strawberry Jam: Just like strawberry jam! A great kids scent!

Berries and Cream: One of my favorites. Like fresh berries in whole cream. Decadent and fruity!

Jasmine Vanilla: A very floral vanilla. Wonderful smelling and I can't wait to try it in the shower!

White Tea and Ginger: Classic--like LL Bean. Clean and unisex.

Summer Melon: Another one that smells exactly like you think it will. Like a mix of fresh melon in the summer on the picnic table!

Coconut Lemongrass: Another favorite of mine. Perfect mix of these two!

Pearberry: Sweet more like a pear but with a berry undertone (blackberry to me).

http://www.jasminesbathandbeautyproducts.com

Darcy's Botanicals

I love Darcy's Botanical Products!

I originally thought the line wouldn't work because there were a lot of heavy products which seemed more aimed at things like twist outs and braids--none of which I can do on my fine and thin hair. Turns out her products work well for ALL types of hair!

My first and still favorite product is the Natural Coils Curling Jelly. This is one of my HG curl enhancing products and it consistently gives me awesome curls! I love everything about it--the smell (Citrus), the texture (gel but not super slimy) and the color which is a sort of yellow brown. It has lots of ingredients my hair loves like coconut and protein. I use about a dime sized for each side of my hair then another dime on the back and canopy. I use a hard hold gel over it and pixie diffuse or scrunch while diffusing. You can see how awesome this works by viewing my PikiStrip above--the "After" front view is with DB NCCJ! VERY Highly recommended!

Daily Leave In was my next product to try and I have it in the Peach scent. The smell, like all of Darcy's other products, is yummy. It does have some emulsifying wax in it so if you are sensitive to waxes you'll have to take that into account. This is very similar in my hair to fairly heavy hair milks. A little dab will do you if you've got fine and/or thin hair. In my daughters thick hair that's more medium texture we use about a Tsp on each of 7 sections. It works equally well in her hair. I do have to watch humidity and dew point as this has glycerin which can be problematic during one of SoCal's dry spells but otherwise it's an all season styler and moisturizer for me. Lovely!

The Detangling Milk comes in a spray bottle but I found it too heavy to use that way so I just pour some in my hand. I love the vanilla smell (you can chose a scent) and it does a good job of providing moisture and detangling should you need it. I find it very comparable to the Daily Leave In--interchangable for me.

Another of my favorite products is the Coconut and Aloe Moisture Pudding. This is my GO TO product for moisture particularly on DRY hair. If I've used a product with mag sulfate OR my hair is really dry that day or the humidity is in the teen's I break this out and use about 2 tsp and scrunch it in. It never leaves my hair oily or greasy--in fact my hair's two favorite things (outside of the main love which is protein) are Aloe and Coconut--so this was an easy choice. I was out all day today in 14% humidity--normally that would mean my hair would be a dry hot mess when I got home. Not so now--it's after 6pm and my hair is STILL soft and bouncy. Yeah Darcy's!

The last product is Peach Kernel Nectar (not pictured because I used it all up!). OMG the scent..oh lawdy the scent. It REMINDS me of the South and summer days out fishing and coming in to my Grandma's peaches with FRESH cream on top. Melt in your mouth goodness. This is just an amazing oil--it's not heavy and it absorbs into your hair very well. I use it in my hair as a kind of Pre-poo when I'm going to take a bath. The scent envelopes me while I'm relaxed and enjoying a hot soak. Heavenly! You simply MUST try it!

Look for more reviews from Darcy's Botanical's later this month or early next year-I'm waiting on a shipment of a couple of the new products right now! I can't wait to try them! Also the owner of Darcy's is outstanding--she replies to emails promptly, ships promptly, and is always willing to work with you. A wonderful company!

www.darcysbotanicals.com

Lustrasilk Conditioners OnGround

There are 3 Lustrasilk Cholesterol Conditioners that are CG and that do not contain Mineral Oil. These are nice products in the very inexpensive category.

We've had wonderful luck with all of them except for finding them locally--but I include this review in the OnGround products because most will be able to find them either at Sally's or a local Beauty Supply Store and even grocery/discount stores.

Olive Oil Cholesterol: By the instructions this really is a leave in conditioner. That is exactly how it performs well for me--as a leave-in. I tried it as a rinse out and I didn't like it--my hair did not feel moisturized at all. It has a very artificial scent but it doesn't linger. It is fairly thick and comes in a big tub. You do not need to use much but I did find even if I was a little heavy handed my hair adjusted just fine. It is a heavier leave in and I do better with it in lower dews and/or in conditions for us that are Santa Ana like--dry with winds that tend to just cause all the moisture to leech out of your hair.

Shea Mango Cholesterol: Both my daughter and I use this as a Deep Treatment and as a regular rinse out conditioner. I LOVE the smell and the texture REALLY reminds me of mashed mango's! It goes on very easily but we did not find it had a ton of slip so I'm not sure I can recommend it for detangling. It did impart some serious moisture to our hair with or without heat--that is critical because you may not have heat or not want to take the time to use it. An excellent value for your dollar!

Organic Cholesterol with Argan Oil: Of the three this one was the most moisturizing for my daughter's very thirsty curls. It does a nice job of detangling as well with adequate slip for most people. The smell is VERY artificial to us--not too pleasing but the good thing is it really does fade quickly. It is very thick (more so than the Shea Mango) and works exceptionally well with heat. This one really made my daughter's hair smooth.

Overall you would be hard pressed to find a better value for your money. While there are those for whom the Lustrasilk does not work it would appear based on posts at naturallycurly.com that these work for a great number of people. Plus even if they don't you really won't be out much more than a couple of dollars--and you can always give them away to co-workers or relatives!

Jessicurl Stylers

Rockin' Ringlet's and Confident Coils Styling Solution

These two products confound me. The first two times I used them I got amazing curls--it turned my wavy hair to curly hair and held all day. I used a different brand conditioner as a rinse out both of those times. I then used them after using Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo and Aloeba Daily conditioner and they were a dismal failure--my hair was all stringlets that were oily and producty and weighed down.

So I went back to the other shampoo and conditioner and have yet to be able to recreate the love I originally had. It may be that the oils in the product are too heavy or it may be my hair reacting to the mag sulfate. I'm not really sure. Or my hair could have changed or possibly the weather. The latter is less likely as I'm in SoCal and our weather is incredibly consistent.

I have tried each one alone--and found they are better that way for me now than together. Still my hair tends to be very stringy and if I do not watch the amount of product it looks very oily--the wet look and feel is not a good look for my fine and thin hair.

I cannot use these on my daughter due to the mag sulfate. Her hair is too dry to handle that amount of this ingredient. I'm going to be trying them over Christmas break to see if I can determine amounts, combo's, and so on. Since I make my own FSG (Flax Seed Gel) and that works great I suspect I can get the RR to work for me if I try it in different pairings. The Confident Coils Styling Solution I'm not too sure about--there is not enough hold for me and I'm not sure how much curl enhancing I get.

So for now the jury's out on these two. I'm hanging on to them to see if I can play around a bit more.

Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Creme

Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Creme

CCCC has a lotta love all over the spectrum with natural hair from 2's, 3's, and 4's. The pic above is my hair with CCCC as I describe below.

The smell: In a word - YUMMY!

The texture: Creamy, transluscent, not oily or greasy

Properties: Emulsifies in your hands but not to an oil--it remains a true cream.

Thoughts: This works extremely well for my daughter's thicker hair that ranges in texture from fine to coarser. It works well for me but it took a lot of experimentation to get it to succeed. I think my fine and thin hair had me running in circles with this for a while trying to figure out the best combo/amount to use. I am happy to say I did find that combo--for me this includes using the CJ Curl Assurance Hair Styling water on my hair first and then about a nickel sized blob of CCCC smoothed through (not raked) and then scrunched. After this I add some hard hold gel to assure the hold.

Extra: A word regarding Curl Junkie. This is a manufactured line. That means the quality is consistent as are the products. Many more natural or smaller lines are made by individuals in sort of a mom-pop operation and, as such, you can get variation in texture, consistency, smell, etc. This does not mean they are bad--just that the potential is there. In addition it appears more common for the smaller operations to alter their products more frequently--which can be problematic as just when you think you've found something that you like (HG!) the formula can be altered. The reason I chose to start my blog with CJ products are because they are available at multiple locations online and products are consistent. I also think that this is a line of products--therefore it is possible to buy several different items that meet your needs (vs. somewhere that only has conditioners or only shampoo's and so on)

Overall: The vast majority of people who try this find it works exceptionally well for them. The owner of Curl Junkie is extremely helpful if you have questions regarding its use and you can check out her blog as well for other suggestions on her products. If you are wanting to try CJ this is another of her products I recommend are part of your first purchase.

Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Leave-in Conditioner

Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Leave-In Conditioner

Where to start on this great product? Firstly it is a personal favorite. It seems to work equally well on many textures, porosity's, and densities of hair. I like that it does not weigh my fine and thin hair down and that it seems to enhance the nature of curl creme/cream's and gels/jelly's I use after it. I do find a little goes a long way as it is thick and rich with a very creamy texture. It has a very pleasant smell that is not overpowering nor does it stay with you all day. I would describe it as clean citrus type scent.

I have tried it as a rinse-out as well but honestly I still prefer it as a leave-in for my hair. I use about a pea sized amount on my chin+ length hair. I use the same in my son's very thick and medium texture hair. For my daughter it takes a lot more product but her hair is much more dense and much longer.

Overall this is our favorite leave-in conditioner. If you want to try a few CJ products I recommend this one be placed at the top of the list for purchase!

Curl Junkie Curl Rehab Moisturizing Hair Treatment

Curl Junkie Curl Rehab Moisturizing Hair Treatment (CJCR)

CJCR is a very versatile product. It can be used as a daily conditioner, leave-in (LI), and a deep treatment (DT) depending on your hair's texture, porosity, and density. If you have fine and thin wavy hair then the best use is as a deep treatment for which it performs sublimely. It has enough slip to work through your hair, you do not need a ton of product, and your hair will suck it right up and thank you. Those with more medium-coarse textures can use it as a daily conditioner and a leave-in. We've done both a DT and used this as a daily regular rinse out condis as well as a leave-in for my daughter's very dense fine to coarse hair. Our preference on her hair is more of the daily conditioner and leave-in. As a leave-in we have never had a product get her hair as soft and silky as this one. It does not leave her hair greasy, limp, producty, etc no matter how much we use. This conditoner comes in two scents: Strawberry and Gardenia-Coconut. My daughter is fine with either but I prefer Strawberry as I'm not keen on florals. The scent of the Gardenia one does not linger however if you are worried about it. We found the strawberry scent to linger longer in our hair. Highly recommended for all hair types.

The above is a pic with my daughter's hair after using the CJCR