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!

Redken Soft Spin 05

Redken and I, well lets say we go waaayyy back. When I was in college I used to do hair modeling and hair shows for Redken as a way to get free cuts/color and pay for my books. For years Redken was all I used because I would be loaded down with the stuff after the shows. Interesting that they always did a blow out on me or cut my hair very short (think a couple of inches). I hadn't used Redken for years but when I saw a banner on the naturally curly website that offered a free sample I thought "hey, it's free!" and promptly put my information in.

Redken Soft Spin 05 is a curl enhancing gel for fine hair. Its thick and gloopy--think BRHG or Chi Infra Gel. It's a bit hard to distribute owing to its extreme gelliness. The best way is to rub it between your palms and smooth it in followed by some scrunching. Forget about raking this one--I tried that once and you could see the areas I missed OY!

The first time I used this I got VERY flat hair, a canopy that was straighter than a rule but very defined ringlet's on the bottom. I used my normal pea sized amount. "Well", I thought, "this just confirms that chemical laden store bought salon products do not work for me!" I usually try to use a product a couple of times to make sure I've given it a fair shot. I was a little prejudiced on this one--I really didn't want to use it again. However, rules are rules.

So I tried it again yesterday this time going full gusto on the amount used--about a quarter sized or large grape sized blob. Way more than usual. I used Curl Junkie Beauticurls Leave In then this and then topped with a little bit of ABBA Pure Finish Gel. WOWZA!!!! You would not believe the curls AND I HAVE SECOND DAY HAIR TODAY. I cannot believe it. Hairompliments abounded as I was out and about yesterday.

So I've changed my tune. I'm going to try this again a couple times but if it continues to WOW me it will be an HG.

Moral of the story: ALWAYS give something a couple tries before giving up!

Deva Deva Deva -- Love, Hate, Love, Eh, Hate, what???

Most Curly girls and guys know that the mother of the curly girl method is Lorraine Massey who wrote the Curly Girl book. She was the one who started it all.

She also developed a line of products called DEVA. There are two kinds of Deva--DevaCurl and DevaCare. My understanding is that the Care products are for processed or color treated hair. She has a few other products like shampoo/condish for blondes, redheads, etc but I haven't tried them.

She's also spawned her own trademarked DevaCut for stylists that is a specific method for cutting curly hair.

I've had a few questions on why I haven't mentioned Deva products or Devacuts. I think the title of the blog post says it all.


To start I have had two "DevaCuts" from two different stylists. The first was a local stylist and came highly recommended. She was o.k.---nothing super special. Then I got a cut from Tiffany of "Live Curly Live Free" fame (her blog is linked on the side for you) and it was FABO--simply awesome. Overall I'd say there is a benefit to a Deva Cut (or dry cut) since they can see how your curls lay when they are cutting. Since I can't go to Florida to Tiffany's regular salon (I lucked out and had her cut my hair on a roadshow to CA) I'm still looking for that perfect stylist. One thing: Because of the way Devacuts and styles are done it is *possible* that you will end up with way less curl than you normally have if you let them style your hair. Don't worry--you'll get to restyle when you get home. I think it comes from using the bonnet dryer (gives me straight hair) and the fact that there is minimal scrunching. Or for me that seems why.

On to Deva products

DevaCurl No-Poo

I do not like the smell of this. I guess it is supposed to be roses but really it's just kind of, well, icky. Strong. And it lllliinnnnggggeerrrrsss fffoooorrreevveeerrrrrrr. Get the drift?

It does a good job cleaning and is heavy enough so that I don't have to use a rinse out conditioner if I don't want to. I do find that it leaves my hair with some sort of "coating" no matter how much I rinse. I'm not keen on that. If I mix Deva products I will end up with dry hair so I usually try to use only one at a time. This I didn't find drying. It's not a repurchase for me.

DevaCurl One-C conditioner

 I LOVE LOVE LOVE the smell of this. Like lemony sweet tarts. I sometimes just pick up the bottle to smell it. Yes I'm weird. I like how this goes on my hair and it is easy to distribute. You don't have to use too much. I find it pretty conditioning but occasionally it seems like it is drying my hair out. I've no idea why. It is an occasional use product. Not sure yet if I'd repurchase since I have so much other stuff I love.

DevaCare Low-Poo

We like this at my house. It works well and it does not strip my daughter's hair but leaves it pretty well moisturized for a shampoo. The smell is o.k. I'm not keen on the whole orange creamsicle smell of the DevaCare products but we can live with it. It works as well with both my son and I. We don't encounter the dryness from this poo that others seem to.

Deva Set It Free:

For the life of me I do not see the draw of this outside of a curl emergency. Everytime I use it all that happens is that my hair sticks together (or my hands do if I put it on my hands first) and its gunky. It also seems to attract every speck of dust and dirt in the atmosphere to deposit on my hair. Reserved for a Code Blue situation ONLY.
Deva MirrorCurl: Another ish. Just ish.

Deva Set Up and Above: While this gave me shine it turns out I'm horribly allergic to it. I have not yet identified the substance inside that is causing this but I gave it away real quick when the hives showed up.

DevaCare ArcAngell: Made my hair drier than the Sahara. Took a week to get it back to normal. Unbelievably awful experience. Could not get rid of it fast enough.

DevaCurl Angell: Seems like this is the one they always want to use on me when I get a haircut. I'm not fond although its not as drying as the ArcAngell stuff. It just does not have enough hold for me and I end up with barely any wave.

So there you have it. My love to hate relationship with Deva. The end.

P.S. I only put pics of the products I still have.

Komaza Hair Care Stylers

Komaza Stylers

I've tried several Komaza stylers but have not had the greatest results. A lot of folks on the nc.com website love Komaza and their puddings and stylers but for me they tend to pull my curl out a bit and give me some frizz. On the other hand they provide pretty good definition to my hair and leave it very soft and touchable. My favorite of the three I've tried is definitely the Califia Styling pudding although it is pretty heavy.

In the immortal words of one of my naturally curly's board mates "I need to be touchable, and any product that doesn't let my curls spring back after some solid rolling around, fuggedaboutdit." ...so you might want to consider giving these a try (*wink*)

Komaza Coconut Hair Pudding: 

I've tried this about 8 times--initially it was ok but my curls just fall out and elongate by mid day. I like the smell (coconut'y) and the consistency (its sort of between a gel and a cream) but I haven't been able to get it to work consistently for me. Even with a hard hold gel on top of it. I do seem to be in the minority though--as many absolutely consider this their HG. Komaza has samples available on the website at a *VERY* reasonable price so this is one time I'm going to advise you to pick up a few samples and see what you think.

Komaza Coconut Curl Lotion:

Theoretically this would be a better choice for me than the pudding since it is supposed to be lighter. For me though all it did was give me a frizzy undefined mess of curls that fell into barely there waves by about 11am. The pudding was much better. It smells a little strange to me so I wasn't overly fond of the smell either--but I could have handled it if the result was better. This is not for me.

Komaza Califia Care Styling Pudding:

I absolutely LOVE the consistency and smell of this--it is like chocolate latte mousse--looks so good you want to eat it! It's thick and more creamy then gel'ly but once you get it on your hands it actually feels more gel like than cream like. It almost seems to coat your hair--for me it had no slip but did distribute well. I've never had anything go on my hair like this--took about a minute or two for my hair to absorb and I could tell when pixie diffusing that my hair was already going to be soft. It did provide very nice definition and soft touchable hair (see above) but I didn't find it curl enhancing. I don't think it is meant to be but that is what I like to see in a curl pudding--since I'm always trying to get more curls!

Overall the Califia pudding for me would be the only full size purchase (I used samples on all of it and glad I did so!). I do think that those curlies who have a stronger pattern such as 3B/3C/4A/B or strong 3A might do better with this since it defines well.

Spiral Solutions Firm Hold Gel

SSFHG

Another unbelievable product. I got mine on Friday and tried it yesterday with the SS Curl Enhancing Jelly. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G results. These two products turned my 2C/3A hair a solid 3A with a 3 b bottom. Even after my cut!

At first I wasn't sure about the smell since I've not really smelled a product with a similar smell. Kind of herbally but sweet and just a hint of floral. I was a bit confounded. However once you get it on your hands to put in your hair the smell is scrumptious and rich. It feels elegant to me. Extremely unique. The Curl Enhancing Jelly has the same smell and I love that they layer over each other. The smell doesn't linger but just lightly remains to the point that I kept thinking something smelled so good all day. I love this smell!!

It's thick and gel like--rub it in your hands and like the SS CEJ it spreads easily into your hair.

What I did: Used Sweet Nature by Eddie Low Poo (cannot wait until Spiral Solutions low poo comes out!) and then Spiral Solutions Repairing Protein for about 8 minutes or so. Rinsed and used a nickel sized of the Deeply Decadent Deep Treatment as a rinse out. I got out of the shower and put in a small pea sized of the Repairing Protein as leave in followed by the Curl Enhancing Jelly and the FHG. Amazing results--root spiral's and ringlet's galore. No need to use any clips as my hair layed perfectly. It even looked good after I was out in the rain and wind to go get pizza! Awesome!

The Firm Hold Gel has a great hold--it dries crunchy when used with the jelly but scrunches out extremely well. It's not hard to SOTC like it is for me with something like BRHG if I use too much.

I cannot tell you how much I am loving the Spiral Solutions products. There were new posts about an etsy company on naturallycurly.com and I went and scoped it out, even posted a question, but in the end didn't buy anything as I kept thinking I'm just gonna wait for more Spiral Solutions stuff to come out. I have never had a line where I've loved absolutely everything before. The closest is Curl Junkie where I like a lot of things. Between these two lines and a few outlier products I am one happy junkie!

On ground curl enhancers and definers

What are good on ground options for curl enhancement and definition?

I hear this question a lot and just today realized I had not blogged about any of these options. Although most of my products used for curl enhancement are from on line sources there are some on ground options that I've tried. Honestly the main thing that keeps me from staying with on ground products is usually the smell. I like more natural smells or smells that are sweet and woodsy--I tend not to like smells that are to me more chemically or strong. Plus I have a few allergies and usually if my nose isn't fond my hair and scalp won't be either.

In any case I have several online options that I absolutely love (Curl Junkie CCCC Lite, Amourai Organique Duchess of Curls, Spiral Solutions Curl Enhancing Jelly (HG!), Darcy's Botanicals Natural Coils Curling Jelly, and Donna Mira Mira Curl Curling Jelly. They tend to push aside the onground ones that I'm not as fond of--although they worked fine. Just to give a perspective.

Here are some options:

Redken Soft Spin 05: If you were lucky enough to score the full size bottle from Redken from the ad on naturallycurly.com you'll likely have tried this recently. I tried it--but it left my canopy straight. I may have used too much so I'll give it a go again. It has a strong smell (like most other on ground enhancers *sigh*) and several wavies are giving it the thumbs up. Generally I like Redken products--I did hair modeling for Redken as a way to pay for some of my college so I'm pretty familiar with their line (or I was, I'm old now lol!). I may try it mixed with something else and will udpate if I do. It's very sticky--like a gel--but the hold would be light at best. It did give me nice curls underneath but I just don't like that producty feel.

Ecostyler Krystal: This is a gel but has curl enhancing properties for many. It can be found all over the place including Sally's and CVS stores--I've also seen it at Walgreens. For my fine and thin hair it was too much--had a curl elongating effect. However for my coworkers beautiful long and medium to coarse hair it was phenomenal. At about $2-3 it's not a bad pick up and you're not out much if you don't like it. It can be used as a gel over a curl enhancing product as well. Ecostyler comes in many flavors so you can experiment a bit (with protein, olive oil, extra hold, etc)

Paul Mitchell Round Trip: This one does have a PEG modified cone in it (PEG 12 Dimethicone). It does give pretty nice enhancement. You can get it at BSS and Ulta and it may be available in some larger drug stores. It worked o.k. in my hair and the reason I swapped it was due to smell.

ISO Bouncy Creme: IIRC no cone in this one. Worked fine. Left my canopy fairly straight (that's not uncommon as it is normally pretty straight) but my Goddaughter loves it and her hair is gorgeous. Usually a BSS or Ulta purchase and it's not expensive. $8-10 or so usually for a nice sized bottle. Worth a try. Another smell issue for me.

Mop C Curl Defining Creme: I actually really like this one a lot. It is like minty Elmer's Glue but works great. It can build up so I wouldn't recommend a daily use but for one to two times a week it's a great product. You don't need too much--it can get producty if you do that. Expensive and available at many BSS. Ulta was having a clearance so I'm not sure they are carrying it anymore.

Alagio Curl Balm: Weird strange color. Worked decently. Smell wasn't too bad. Just not my favorite. Inexpensive. Available at Ulta but it's usually by the regular condish's and not in salon products so ask a salesperson to help if you can't find it.

Spiral Solutions Curl Enhancing Jelly

Curl Enhancing Jelly

This stuff is the BOMB DIGGITY. MAC DADDY O. The BEST STUFF EVER!

Although not long on ingredients this jelly is long on greatness! It is one of the best curl enhancers I've ever used. It's not sticky and doesn't leave residue on your hands. You can use it with a leave in or without (my preference: with a leave in). You can use it on top of other curl enhancers mixed with a hard or medium hold gel AND if you add a bit of water (dollop in the hand + bit of water..not much!) you can scrunch it in and have a shot at 2nd day hair. Keep in mind I rarely get 2nd day hair but this *almost* did it!

It's not heavy and will not weigh down fine haired folks. It is very enhancing--giving a nice boost to your waves, wurls, or curls and also providing for a bit of definition as well. My hair is left shiny with very even curls.

Love it! Those who like jellies or gels instead of curl creme's will love this but for those of you that use cream's only you really ought to try this---I think you'll like it--since cream's are heavier just either mix it with a leave in or add it over a leave in.

Smells good as well. A TOP choice for enhancing your curls!

Curl Junkie Curls in a Bottle

Curls in a Bottle

First let's get the smell out of the way. Yes some of you will think it smells like orange furniture polish. Others will say it smells lemony/citrusy. Whatever way you hang it is most definitely a smell--it lingers only slightly though if you're worried. I'll admit it took a bit of getting used to -- I haven't smelled a product that was quite that potent before (except CJ Aloe Fix Gel). Once I put it in my hair it was just fine--but there were a few moment's where I flashed back to cleaning vacant apartments in college for extra money!

So how does this work? Well the first time I used it I got amazing 3A curls all over. AMAZING. Nothing else could touch it. After a few uses though my hair felt dry and I have not found it to be as consistent as some of the other CJ products for curl enhancement. I'll give you a couple of ideas if this happens to you: One is to mix it with a gel before you put it on (like BRHG)--this helped me a lot. I've also mixed it WITH BCLI and had that work well. I could not use this product without leave in--for some reason my hair did not find it moisturizing--although others have said they do. The other way that this works PHENOMENALLY is as an after the fact frizz fighter and general all around good "goo" product--that means after you put all your stuff in (including gel) and start to diffuse scrunch some of this bad boy in--SWEET--works like a charm.

I will say this is likely a product which, if it does not immediately work, you should experiment with -- it's got a broader range of uses than it might appear at first so vary where you put this in your product lineup. Don't be afraid to try it before a leave in either - that worked good for me too. Get a little creative and I think you'll find this one a very versatile styler!

Curl Junkie Coffee Coco Curl Creme Lite

CCCC LITE!

I've been waiting for this product for EVER it seems. In reality it's not that long it just seems like it is!

This is for all of us who thought CCCC was too much -- too rich, too heavy, too whatever. I did have success with CCCC provided I used it in a very certain way. For my daughter it is her HG (Holy Grail) product. The pictures in her Pikistrip above on the right are with CCCC. I think you'll agree they look awesome. And YES it is as soft as it looks. No gel needed as CCCC has some hold.

So CCCC Lite (hereafter Lite) had a lot to live up to! I am happy to say that it is as good as I thought. Many of us use a bit more of this than we initially thought we would--so try varying amounts. It is much like a leave in (creamy) so you may/may not use a leave in with it. These days I always use a leave in and this works great for me with a leave in. I have not yet tried without. I'll update this post when I do.

I put it in after the leave in and then layer gel over the top. Depending on your situation you may or may not need gel--this has some hold. I put this in on wet hair--not dripping wet--but still soaking. That means I squeezed the water out with my hands AFTER my leave in. I had tried it before on dripping wet and it didn't work as well. I like it better when I do the water squeeze first. This is similar to other cream type curl enhancers (Mop C Curl Cream, AG Re:Coil, etc) but it is not sticky (Mop C is) and it does not have mag sulfate (Re:Coil does). I pixie diffuse and that worked very well with this.

The smell is good and underpowering--nothing here that will clash with another scent. It also does not linger in the hair. This comes in a bottle (not a jar) but it comes out just fine--it is thick but when you rub in your palms it quickly spreads.

This is an outstanding option for those that thought CCCC was too heavy or weighed down their fine hair too much. It is absolutely the level of quality that you expect from Curl Junkie.

Bravo Marsha!

Edited to add: this product and Duchess of Curls work amazing together--if you've got both (or the Essential Wholesale Aloe Jelly) give it a shot! I got wonderful hair with volume and body!

Curl Junkie Curl Fix

Another Curl Junkie product!

The new Curl Fix Intense Hair Treatment is full of good things for your hair. Its got protein's galore. It smells VERY floral--but I love it! I'm not usually a fan of floral scents but this one won me over.

I've used it as a deep protein treatment with heat. IMHO this is really the way it is best utilized. It left my hair soft and conditioned fairly well. I could definitely tell this had proteins as my hair was quite curlier after. I would consider this is a PT and a partial moisturizing DT combined as my hair did not feel at all hard like it does with some protein treatments and even though I used a rinse out in the shower my hair did not need too much. While under the dryer the smell of this permeated the whole house and it smelled so good! Like a wonderful spring day at the flower fields!

I just tried it today as a leave-in and I have to say a big negatory on that. I have no idea why but it did not do a great job as a leave-in. I've been using the CJ Curl Rehab as a leave-in and its been performing phenomenally. The Curl Fix just didn't compare.

So while it will do for either purpose (or a rinse out one can imagine) I am going to reserve it for my DT/PT needs. At $24 for 8oz it really is in my more Deep Treatment category. Its a wonderful product and very worth the dollars!

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!

Kinky Curly

So you knew it was coming. Kinky Curly Curling Custard seems to be the "it" product for many. The number of curlies who say this is their Holy Grail product is legendary.

So what took me so long to add it? Simple. It did not work for me. You heard that right. Just did not create the curls or waves I was hoping for. It certainly did create something in my hair--but I really wasn't sure if I should blow dry it or cook it over medium heat for 15 minutes.

So what did it do to my hair? Well it created FAT SAUSAGE ringlet's all over my hair. Like 7 or 8 of them all around. I looked like I was going to a costume party as an adult film star version of Shirley Temple. Awful. My hair is just too fine and thin to sport this look. The pic above is of one of the sides. Even my kids commented--mostly regarding the fact I was not a 3 year old anymore so the look really didn't suit.

The ingredients look great. I found the smell only so-so although others rave over it (I could never figure out why as it always had a slightly off smell to me..like a product thats reached the end of its lifecycle). I did give it the old college try--in fact I gave it more than 10 college tries!

However, in deference to the fact that so many like this, I've asked my fellow CG'ers over at Naturallycurly.com to say a few words about one of the favorite curl enhancers currently on the market.

Robin-in-FL says: "KCCC works well on my coarse wavy hair, it does not provide hold but does prevent frizz, smells great, and it sort of stretches out the waves but not in a bad (limp or flat) way, they are still bouncy and nice."

Finaleofseem had this to note: "First of all, KCCC: you know I love it! It's a great "base" in my opinion. I can't use it alone, because with my wavy hair it doesn't provide enough hold. However, I really LOVE the way it helps enhance my waves, and makes them a little more uniform, which is really what I'm looking for in a base product. Two things that people should know before they use KCCC: first, it will likely increase your drying time, so if you air dry, it may be a pain in the butt. Secondly, it will have some crunch. I've never had a problem scrunching it out, and it leave my hair soft and touchable and very bouncy. However, those wavies/curlies who don't like aloe should probably stay away from KCCC, because it's very aloe-heavy. As far as how much I use: three pea to dime sized blobs emulsified in my hands: one for the left, one for the right, and one applied upside down (all sprunched) for my medium-density, just-below-chin length hair."

The amount of people who love this product seems to outweigh those of us who just couldn't get it to work. So my recommendation is for your to purchase it or secure a sample from a friend or fellow curly/wavy. The chances are good it will do right nicely for you!

Donna Marie Products

I've only tried a few of the Donna Marie products that are currently on the market. I've used a few that are no longer made. Her curling jelly is AMAZING. Full stop.

The Mira Curl Curling Gelly smells sweet and looks a lot like homemade flax seed gel but more substantial. It's slippery but not slimy and its consistency allows you to spread it through your hair easily. This is a curl enhancer--on it's own it did not have enough hold for my 2C hair. I'm pretty used to that though so it's o.k.! It is a very nice sized bottle for the money and it seems to work equally as well on all hair types. Both the above pic's are with this product in (two different days). You can clearly see the curl enhancing. If you are looking for a good curl enhancer you should try this one out! Be warned though she sometimes gets sold out of stuff so if you see it and want it I recommend you buy it right away!

Gekko422 on naturallycurly.com says "I used DM Mira Curl and really liked it" if you need a second opinion :)

I absolutely adore the Mira Curl Detangler and Conditioner. I use this is a leave in an it never fails to give me a good amount of moisture without being too much. I've used it as a rinse out but honestly it works best as leave in for me. That's a very high compliment from me as leave ins are much harder for me than rinse out conditioners. The smell is sweet with a very very light citrus undertone. I don't have a pic since I'm using some from another curly and it's not in the right bottle. Excellent!

Mira Curl Moisture Mist comes in a spray bottle. It's primarily aloe juice with some other things. I've used it a couple of times. Overall it is o.k. but if I'm not careful I can get oily and stringy hair really quick with this. The smell is sweet. I suspect that medium to coarse wavies and curlies would like this better than fine haired peeps. T liked it just fine and she has mixed textures.

The Coco Hemp Buttermilk is a styler. I've used it as a conditioner to great success. As a styler/leave in I think it's too heavy for my hair. It smells just like the old Coco Hemp Buttercream which I LOVE to use to Scrunch Out the Crunch (SOTC). I simply adore the smell. This is another one that I only have a smaller sample of so it's not pictured. I'll update this post once I use it in the lower dews and humidity we've been having as I think it is a much better winter product as it is very very rich. You have to watch how much you use or you will end up a bit oily if you have fine hair. T didn't like the smell so we didn't use it on her hair but I'm betting it's another product that works better on med/coarse hair.

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

New to CG methods? My 10 top picks for products to buy!

So you are new to the Curly Girl method? Confused by acronym's and wondering what on earth you should buy to begin the journey?

First I believe in KISS --especially in the beginning with CG where you are struggling with the transition to the CG method. Both you and your hair are likely frustrated. We can relate--we started there too!

It goes without saying that you need to read heavily--go visit the naturallycurly.com website or any of the blogs I link below as all have various amounts of information. The Live Curly Live Free website is a goldmine of information as is the blog by Jillipoo.

So here is what I recommend for you to purchase in the first weeks of going CG. Most will be on ground but I've thrown in a couple of recommendations for online purchases if you want to give that a try:

1. Suave Naturals or V05 Moisture Milks or similar for a co-wash. These are widely available and cheap. If you have medium to coarse hair stay with things that don't have a lot of protein in them (V05 or Suave is fine except the coconut)Cost: $1.25

2. LA Looks Sport Gel (LALSG): again cheap and widely available. If you can't find the Sports one then try LaBella or a generic (e.g. CVS) version of hard hold gel. Cost $2.00

3. Lustrasilk Cholesterol Conditioners--choose one of the three without cones (Olive Oil, Shea and Mango, or Organic with Argan Oil). At a price of $2.50 you can afford to pick up a couple. I vote for Olive Oil for Leave-in and either Shea Mango or the Organic for your DT's. Cost $2.50

4. A good conditioner. Giovanni and/or Trader Joe's conditioners: Depending on your hair type and scalp issues and if you have a TJ's around you. Choose the Tea Tree is you get itchy scalp or your preCG hair was oily/greasy. If your hair was pretty dry but not ultra frizzy and dry then I recommend the TJ Nourish or Refresh or the Giovanni 50/50. If you have really dry hair or want to do a couple of very moisturizing DT's then try Smooth as Silk by Giovanni. Your other option is the ones we use on my daughter--Garnier Fructis. The Triple Nutrition and the Sleek and Shine (fortifying Conditioners) are excellent choices for really dry hair or just normal to dry, cheap, and work great. They are reviewed on my blog so you can see what they look like. Cost $3-8

5. Any or all of the following hair accessories if you do not already own them: mini clips, bobby pins, ponytail holders, headbands, clips, barrette's, Flexi-8's, etc. You are likely going to put your hair up or back at some point. Inevitable. Make sure you have some products you can live with to do that. Trust me. You may also want to clip your hair to give it volume on top so clips can be a lifesaver. Hit up the Goody or Scunchi isle's in your local CVS, Target, Walmart, or Walgreen's.

6. A diffuser or hard hat dryer. Whichever floats your boat. Peeps with very thick and potential-poof hair might want a hard hat dryer (I use and love Ion Conditioning Hard Hat dryer from Sally's). I use a diffuser more often on my hair--check out the Conair attachments for regular dryer's available at Sally's as those work well and are cheap $5-8.

7. A towel or something that functions as one. Either a curl towel OR use old Hanes type undershirts or other tshirts or flour sack towels. You won't be using regular terry cloth towel's on your hair and you need something to get some water out.

8. Ingredients to either make your own Flax Seed Gel OR to do DT's and soothe your scalp: Honey, Coconut Oil, Flax Seeds, strainer, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Tea Tree Oil, eggs, mayonaisse, avocado and more. No you don't have to be a Mixtress to do this-it's easy and you'll like using what you have on hand to have beautiful hair! Recipes are all over the net and on naturallycurly.com on the Recipes board.

9. If you have coarser hair you may want to invest in some butters or cream's that are moisturizing. This is where you start to go online. I recommend something like Karen's Body Beautiful or Shescentit for your butters and creams. We've also used Ohm Avocado Custard and Oyin's whipped pudding to good effect. Just google them. If you are a finer haired wavy or curly I recommend investing in a good protein treatment. There are numerous options like Nexxus Emergencee, Apoghee (may have cones) or one of the online like Hairveda's Methi set or Curl Junkie's Curl Fix. In addition if you are a wavy you may want to invest in a low-poo because many wavies need to low poo--there are many to chose from including the Giovannie or Trader Joe's shampoo's, EO shampoo's, and others you can get from a health food store or drug/grocery store.

10. If you want a curl creme or gel (and trust me you will) then check out any of the following (mostly online but Whole Foods in states other than CA have some Kinky Curly products and you might find the AG and Mop products in a local BSS or salon):

Kinky Curly Curling Custard, Donna Marie Mira Curl Curling Jelly, Amourai Organique Duchess of Curls, AG Re:Coil, Jessicurl Rockin' Ringlet's and Confident Coils, Curl Junkie Curls in a Bottle, Coffee-Coco Curl Creme or Smoothing Gellee, or Mop C Curl Creme and Darcy's Botanical's Natural Coils Curling Jelly.

I've listed in order of importance IMHO. You can always use #1 as a rinse out conditioner as well until you figure out what your hair likes.

Gels you can get OnGround

This post is dedicated to onground gels!

There are really a wide variety of gels you can find at your local discount, grocery, or drugstore. Many will perform very well for you. I must confess that my favorite gels in this category are Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee affectionately known as BRHG and ABBA Pure Finish Gel. BRHG is one of the hardest holding gel's I've ever used and it never fails me! If you are looking for outstanding hold for all day curls and waves you owe it to yourself to pick this up. Yes yes I know it's not exactly cheap but you don't need a ton and it is well worth the cost. The ABBA Gel is almost as hard a hold and it works just as well and the benefit is that it does not leave your hair producty. I generally use the BRHG when I'm using products that do NOT contain a lot of aloe and I'll pick up and use the ABBA if the product has a lot of aloe vera in it. It might be my imagination but I actually think products that have alot of aloe vera in them (like Duchess of Curls) seem to work better with ABBA instead of BRHG. I also weigh in what I've used as a leave-in because BRHG can be producty looking and feeling with some leave-in's and curl enhancers whereas the ABBA tends to make my hair stringier if I have not used leave-in. Lately I've been using the ABBA more often even though it has a cone--because that residue (you know the one you have to pick off when you open BRHG and haven't used it for a while) plastic shell thing is gross.

Next on the list would be LA Looks Sport Gel also known as LALSG. This is a very respectable gel that has a pretty hard hold. It's ultra cheap and widely available. Also, according to both my kids, the smell is out of this world good--me myself I don't think it's anything special but they LOVE it. It is sticky going on. The smell doesn't linger. For a new CG'er I recommend try this product first--if it works you are set!

If you have an Ulta near you I recommend (highly!) checking out Artec Texturline Volumizing Gel. It's more of a medium hold gel and it's very liquidy. Can't say I love the smell and it does linger. It mixes very well with other things and is perfect when you've used a curl creme or enhancer that has some hold where a harder holding gel would just be too much. It's light and does not weigh down fine and thin hair. A top pick!

Those with a CVS or Whole Food or natural foods store may be able to pick up a couple of the Giovanni gels: More Body Hair Thickener and LA Natural Styling gel. Of the two the LA Natural has way more hold--I use the More Body one more as a curl enhancer (and it does enhance them a bit for me). The LA Natural does not have as hard a hold as BRHG but it's got more than enough for most hair unless your hair falls easily.

Moving along if neither of the above works for you I recommend checking out the Got2B Spiked Up Gel. It's also blue (sidenote: what is IT with blue gel's?). This is very hard holding like BRHG and LALSG. The smell is fine--bit plasticky. The reason this one doesn't rate higher for me is that it is picky--it is producty if you use too much. And it's noticeable--it doesn't just "feel" icky it LOOKS icky. It's cheap and you can find it on BOGO occasionally at places like Walgreens and CVS.

EcoStyler Krystal Gel and Proclaim Crystal Ice performed the exact same way in my hair. Good. A bit producty. Of the two the ecostyler weighed my hair down way more--I ended up with barely wavy hair. I've observed the Ecostyler works very well for my co-workers that have medium to coarse and thick hair. The Proclaim (available at Sally's) seems to work better for fine hair. The smell on the Proclaim is VERY Grandma like--which is why it's at the bottom of the list for me. Sorry for no pic of the Ecostyler--I gave it to the thick and medium/coarse wavy in my office and it works good for her!

Lastly you have the Aura Rosemary Mint. Just Ugh. Very little hold and smells herbally. If you like a very light hold you might want to try this--I picked it up on clearance at our local BSS for about $2

Amourai Organique

I've used 4 products from the A.O. line and have liked 3 of them!

Silver Spoon Shampoo: This is a SLS and paraben free shampoo. It's a goldish/yellow and smells lightly of mint (spear or pepper I can't tell which). It's quite gloopy, almost like a jelly, and it jiggles in the container (so it's kind of fun to watch LOL). This shampoo left my hair clean but it felt kind of stripped--as if I'd pulled quite a lot of moisture out along with the dirt and pollution. After I finished my hair had that telltale very squeaky clean sound. It has protein so those who are protein sensitive might want to be judicious with use. I will use it again but it is not a daily product for me. This is an excellent poo to use when you've had oil or some other substance in your hair overnight in a DT.

Knight in Shining Armour Hair Mask: At first I didn't care too much for this. It has the same type of lavender-minty smell as Duchess of Curls. This conditioner is paraben free--for many who are looking for a condish without paraben this is one you should try. Although it says it is a hair mask (to me this = Deep Treatment) I found it's best use to be a leave-in. Since it has protein and coconut, both things my hair loves, it did a great job as a light leave-in. I have not tried this with heat applied for a DT so perhaps it is better that way.

Royal Revive Liquid Moisturizer: This product just did not cut the mustard on either my hair or my daughter's. In my hair it didn't really do much except create an oily mess and for my daughter she could not get past the smell and the fact that it left her hair sticky. Although I genuinely like the rest of the line I've tried this one is not a repurchase. If your hair can handle oils and you like a more herbal smell you could certainly give this product a try.

Duchess of Curls:

THE BEST FOR LAST.

This is a HG (Holy Grail!) styling product. When I use it I am virtually guaranteed great curls that have volume and body. DOC works equally well on my more ringlet prone underneath hair as well as my straighter canopy. IMHO it is really user friendly as I've used widely varying amounts and never had a hot mess. It seems like it also imparts a bit of moisture to your hair.

This is not a heavy product--it does not weigh your hair down. For us fine haired wavies and curlies that is outstanding--as many curl creme's and gel's can be too heavy and we end up with limp and lifeless waves.

Overall this is a nice line. The names are very cute as are the packaging designs. My son enjoyed the "Knight" mask as he likes Knights and Castles and such. It states that the ingredients are organic--which goes a long way to justifying the fairly steep price tag since most products are at least $11 for 8 oz. The owner responds to questions very quickly and the site (at this time) offers free shipping if you spend $36 or more. That's a really good deal. I have not yet tried all the products but other than the mist we've been pretty happy with what we've used so far.

www.luvamourai.com

Qhemet Biologics non cream products

So there are 3 more products that we've used of Qhem's that merit a mention

Coco Tree Detangling Ghee: We use this stuff to detangle my daughter's hair. It smells like chocolate and is the texture and consistency of Diaper Cream (you know--the stuff for baby's behind's!). While chocolate diaper cream may not sound too great if you (or your child) get tangles this is a great product. It not only makes the comb glide through your hair like butta' BUT it also imparts moisture. A 2 for 1 that smells like chocolate? Count me in! The way we use this is by sectioning off my daughter's hair and doing each section separately. Great stuff!

Honeybush Tea Soft gel: This has a very strong smell and I lurve it! It's very citrusy and it does linger a bit (the only one of her products I've tried that does!). It moisturizes and adds some curl defintion. Notice I said definition and not enhacement--it does not give me more curls but it does help to make the ones I have clump nicely. It does not have enough hold for my hair so I use some hard holding gel over it. It is also not strong enough to lay down my daughter's edges nor can we use it if she wants to rock a pony tail or braids to get her hair smoothly in...so this is used mostly by me. If any of you use something like Aubrey Organics Mandarin Magic Jelly or pure Aloe Vera Gel on your hair this could be used in place of it...the function is very close.

Olive and Honey Hydrating Balm: This stuff is NOT just honey--I promise! When you open it and feel it you will think it is JUST HONEY. It's not. It is sticky, does smell quite olive oil like, and has humectant properties...but when you put it on your hair it will melt right in. It provides yet more moisture and is a staple for my daughter for summer. We use this on my daughter's hair layered under Qhem's BRBC and we are able to get 4-5 day hair.

In the pics you can tell which one is the OHHB and which one is the gel--the OHHB is the one that looks runny just like honey on my finger! The Gel is very watery and just leaves a bit of moisture behind almost like you wet your finger.
Excellent!