5 of My Favorite Products from 2016

Usually at the end of the year I do a run do a "hits" and "misses" from the year. But since I'm running out of time and I didn't post as often once I moved in August, I'm going to do a brief run down of my favorite products from this year.

1. The Chocolate Antidote by Tangles & Beyond 

Hands down the best product to pre poo your hair. I know that people use this as a styling cream but for me, it works best at rejuventating my dry, tangled hair. Once this is on my strands, the knots don't stand a chance. If you're interested in more of Ashley's products, check out her website: www.tanglesandbeyond.com .

2. Mielle Organics Mint Almond Oil 

Hands down one of my favorite oils to seal my hair or to add to my spritz bottle to refresh my hair. This lightweight oil is good for the scalp and hair. Plus it smells great, which is always a plus!

3.  Mielle Organics Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner

Finding a good deep conditioner can be hard but once you find one, you  never want to stray. At least that's how I feel about this conditioner. It gives my hair so much life and I can attribute the healthy state of my hair in part to this conditioner.

4. KeraCare Twist and Define Cream

I always loved the definition that I got when I visited my hairstylist in Portland. Then she shared her secret with me-- this cream. Once I added this product to my twist routine my twist outs were defined and moisturized. A little goes a long way, which I had this one jar for several months. Now the only problem is finding it here in Los Angeles. I've tried a couple of Sally's Beauty Stores with no luck :( . If you know where I can find it, please let me know!

5.  Scalp Invigorator 

In my quest for healthy, long hair I look for products and accessories that can improve the health of my hair. The scalp invigorator is a great way to loosen up buildup before you co-wash or shampoo. It can also be used to simply massage your scalp to stimulate growth. 

What are some of your favorite products from 2016?

Wash Day Recap | Last Wash Day of 2016

I told you I had a lot to share with you before the new year! Lol. So here is a recap of the my last wash day or 2016.


Prior to this wash day (which was last Sunday), I let my hair go without washing it for two weeks. This was new to me because I usually wash my hair once a week. Luckily, I had my hair in two strand twists so my hair was protected. I decided to rock a twist out for Christmas Eve and I ended up wearing the style for a week.

Day 1 of my twist out

Day 4 of my twist out

Pre-pooed Naturally when I finally decided to wash my hair I had some knots and tangles because I wore my hair out for a week.  In order to get a handle on the tangles and knots, I applied a generous amount of warm water, coconut oil and The Antidote. I worked the product in with my fingers paying attention to the ends before using a comb to detangle. After detangling each section I twisted the sections so that my hair stayed knot free.

Co-washed with Be Clean Cleansing Conditioner from Be Kekoa. This stuff is amazing!

Protein Treatment- Used Aubrey Organics and let it sit in my hair for about 2 minutes before washing it out.

Deep Conditioned with TGIN's Honey Miracle Mask-  With my hair still in twists, I applied the mask to each section and made sure to really work into the ends of my hair. I put on a cap and did a 30 minute workout while I deep conditioned.  Once the mask was completely rinsed out I could already tell the difference in my hair. It was moisturized, soft and smelled great!

I'm out of my ACV rinse so I made sure to give my strands another big rinse to make sure I removed all the products.

Then I applied the TGIN's Daily Moisturizing Cream, Mielle Organics Mint Almond Oil and TGIN's Twist & Define Cream. Because our show is currently on holiday hiatus I decided to skip the twists and went for something simple: two big braids. After braiding each side I create a halo look by connecting the two braids using bobby pins.

                                           What styles are you rocking this holiday season?

Black Friday 2016 Haul

It's never too late to share Black Friday deals, right? Yes, I know Black Friday was over a month ago but I still want to share the good deals I snagged. Unlike previous Black Fridays, I was determined to stick to a budget and not buy things I would never use. In order to prep for the sales I referenced The Mane Objective's comprehensive list. So without further delay, here is my Black Friday Haul for 2016:

                                                       Thank God It's Natural

I've heard so many great things about this natural hair product line but could never find it at Sally's in Portland. But once I saw their Black Friday sale, I knew this could be my chance to finally try their products. All of their products were on sale for $9.99, so I went with three of their most popular products: Honey Miracle Hair Mask, Twist & Define Cream and the Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer

Curls 

A few months ago Jenell B. Stewart (a.k.a. BlakIzBeautyful) posted about a new liquid vitamin from Curls. I made a mental note to try the vitamin at some point in the future. Prior to the Black Friday Sale I purchased one bottle to try it out. But then I saw their Black Friday Sale and knew I had to buy more. This particular sale was buy 1 get one free! So I got two bottles of the vitamins for $30 ($5 for shipping). Since this would be my first time taking the vitamin, I didn't buy a lot just in case I didn't like the vitamin.

Be Kekoa

Now if you follow the blog (although my posts have been a little scarce in the past few months) you know I had a chance to visit the Be Kekoa salon. At the time I only purchased the Tamanu Oil, I know silly me. Because I love Brandie and her products, I purchased the travel sample pack for $20. In addition to the products I also got this cute little bag with the salon's logo. The sample sizes are great for trying out products but I plan on stocking up the next time I visit her in Temecula. 

Summer + Fall 2016 Empties

Happy New Year's Eve!  There is so much content I want to share before the new year so expect a number of blog posts today. In this first post, I want to share some of the empties from the summer and fall.

1. Mielle Organics Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner 

This has been one of my go-to deep conditioners for the past year. I love how soft and moisturized feels after using it.

2. Mielle Organics White Peony Leave-in

If you're looking for a lightweight leave-in that moisturizes your hair without weighing it down, this might be the product for you. I like to use this as part of my LOC method and also in my spritz bottle with oils. 

3.  Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Juice

I didn't get hip to the awesomeness of Aloe Vera juice until the middle of 2016. I found that Aloe Vera Juice comes in handy during my pre-poo session and I like to use it my spritz bottle when I need to add moisture to my strands.

4. Be Kekoa Tamanu Oil 

Another great thing about my visit to Be Kekoa is that I got to experience her amazing products. I decided to try this oil to seal in moisture. I loved the consistency of this oil and also that it did what I  wanted: sealed in the moisture.

5. The Chocolate Antidote 

I don't need to tell you how much I love this product because you already know. This has become an essential part of the pre poo process and it literally melts away my tangles. 

6.    Rapunzel Hair Multivitamin (x2) 

                                                           

In my quest for natural hair I have experimented with hair vitamins. While I'm longing for length,  I won't compromise the health of my skin to gain that length. Prior to taking the Rapunzel vitamin I took Mielle Organics' vitamin for several months. Before switching to Rapunzel I did my research regarding side effects. I will post a review telling you about my experience with the vitamin.   

7. Mielle Organics Detangling Co-wash 

One of my favorite co-washes. I just wish it came in a bigger bottle!

8. Curls Blissful Lengths Liquid Hair Growth Vitamin 

My third hair vitamin that I am trying out. What's great about this is that is in liquid form. This is the first bottle that I  completed. I'm going to take this vitamin for 3 months (6 bottles total) and share my results.


8. Keracare Twist and Define Cream (not pictured)

I have nothing but great things to say about this defining cream. It gives my hair moisture and also helps me achieve the best twist out results.

9. Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (with the Mother)- not pictured 

My wash day isn't complete without an act rinse. I know some naturals even use this to clarify their hair.

10. Eden BodyWorks All Natural Cleansing Cowash 

I used this when I ran out of my Mielle Organics Detangling Co-Wash and couldn't find it at my local Sally's. Great product and definitely something I can see myself using again.

What are your some of your hair product empties from the summer or fall?