Probably Permanent Hiatus

So I decidedly probably not to continue this blog.

I do have tons of amazing products to review that I have tried. I also love providing people with opinions and ideas that allows them to make informed choices. I know I love researching before I buy as well. However, when I do write a review I put a lot of time and effort into it and get little in return. By little, I mean no one really comments. I have no idea whether what I do is truly benefiting anyone and whether I am simply doing it all in vain. Plus I have a life otherwise.

So low and behold, I've decided to put this on hold. I will leave what is here so far up for a while. Otherwise, I don't think I will post much -- if anything -- any longer. I'm sure no one will really notice anyway so it's probably fine.

- Adieu.

DIY: Face Cleanse with Lemon Juice

Sometimes the best things are the simplest.

For years my mom has told me to rub half a fresh lemon on my face to get rid of blackheads and pimples. Though I hardly did this, I recently found myself in desperate need of a good cleanser. Since the usual facial cleansers aren't doing it for me these days, I've incorporated a simple lemon into my regimen with positive results.

DIY: Avocado Deep Conditioner

Avo-conditioner  after 4 days stored in fridge

Here's a post I'll keep short and simple.

I had tons of avocados lying around. I love to eat them. But they're great for hair too!

This is a deep conditioner I made on a whim, intended to be a perfect blend of moisturising and strengthening.

Relaxed Hair Vs. Natural Hair: What You Need to Know



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I feel like alot of people want to go natural but don't always fully understand what they're walking into. Likewise, many people who are natural for a while get frustrated and decide they want to return to relaxers on a whim--forgetting ultimately why they chose to go natural in the first place! Meaning, they've forgotten what effects relaxers had on their hair.

Some people also love to debate as to whether one state is easier to deal with than the other.

To me, that answer is not straight forward.

Review: Koji Spring Heart Eyelash Glue

So I already posted about the eyelash glue I currently use, which is amazing by the way. But before choosing it, I tried Koji's glue. I think I should review this cause I remember being seriously at a loss at finding reviews on this product before I bought it.

Koji is a Japanese cosmetic company that is famous for it's Dollywink line of products, include the amazing long and glamorous dolly lashes popular among the Gyaru/Gal community. So naturally I assumed any glue made by them would be awesome as well.

It's also pretty much a well known fact that the Japanese make great cosmetics in general. Well I don't know that it is a fact fact but it's what I've been hearing...

Review: Joico K-Pak Smoothing Balm vs. Organics Thermal Radiance Heatguard with Cutiseal Thermal Styling Protectant

So this is a pretty random...and pretty accidental comparison. Basically I was flat ironing my hair to smooth out my new growth. My hair was pretty balanced but I noticed after flat ironing with the Joico for a little bit, my hair seemed a little dry. I decided to then finish the other half of my hair with a sample of the Organics Thermal Radiance Heatguard I had sitting around.

Both products are creamy heat protectants that are designed to also smooth the hair. Usually I would use the Aphogee Keratin & Green Tea Reconstructurizer. This time I chose creamy (water-based) protectants to reduce my need for additional creamy moisturizers post wash. BUT because I did a protein treatment during my wash, my hair was prone to that "hard feeling". As a precaution, I prepped my hair with the a protein-free creamy leave-in (Darcy's Transistioning Cream) before applying either protectant. I also finished with a few dabs of wheat germ+camellia oil after flat ironing. Wheat germ is rich in ceramides, while camellia is a great light oil that adds silkiness and some shine to hair.

The Best Comb Ever

One important but often overlooked aspect of a hair journey is the comb you use. The common advice when selecting a comb--natural or relaxed--is to make sure of two things:

1. Your comb is wide-tooth
2. Your comb is seamless

The spacing in wide tooth combs help to aid detangling without ripping out the hair. Seamless combs, unlike your standard plastic comb, do not have the lines from molding in between the teeth which can snag strands. Popular seamless combs include resin "bone" combs and wooden combs. I can say I've tried every kind of comb out there--expensive seamless resin combs, wooden combs, shower combs, fine, medium and wide. I still find use for all my combs. Among my favourites is a Goody shower comb which is great for detangling damp and dry hair.

By far--the BEST comb I have ever tried?

DIY: Making the Most of Your Deep Conditioner

One problem with relying on online products is the fact that replacing them can be difficult at times. Products can be out of stock, take a while to ship, or simply be unaffordable at the moment.So I'm running low on my Bee Mine --which has so far been my holy grail protein-free deep conditioner. What to do? Well the thing is you simply have to be resourceful and make the most of what you DO have.

Here's how to do this.

Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Natural Hair Care: Finding the Best Shampoo for Your Hair

Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Natural Hair Care: Finding the Best Shampoo for Your Hair: by Nicole Harmon of Hair Liberty In my opinion, your shampoo may be the most important product in your arsenal. I say that because a goo...

Is It Okay to Hate Your Hair Texture?

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The natural hair movement is well and alive. Though I'm not natural, I do fully support being natural and natural hair. After all, I myself was natural for years and I was even a bit of a so-called "natural-nazi" for a little while, staunchly against ever relaxing again. Nonetheless by the time my hair reached armpit length (APL), I gave in and relaxed out of convenience. I will explain that later.

Many naturals, in their attempt to give themselves the courage to remain a natural and not give up, cling to the virtues of embracing natural curls, coils and kinks. They say all hair is good hair and as long as hair is healthy that is the most important. Sometimes I wonder, however--is this true? Is it possible to just  not have good hair? When I say this I don't mean 3a vs 4z kind of the comparisons, or mixed-race hair versus continental African hair. Some people have strands that are hopelessly thin and a texture that is rough. Hair that is no matter how well you moisturise it, still dry and rough feeling.

Review: Skinfood Salmon Dark Circle Concealer in #2

Whenever I want a complete, well rounded look--I wear this concealer. It makes my eyes look radiant and more awake especially since it contains an ingredient that gives a pearly shine. Although it is a very lightly pigmented product, it is perfectly fine for a concealer to be lighter than your foundation.

Translation: Yes. Black people can use this.

The "Politics" of Natural Hair & Self-Entitlement




Photo credit: Viqi French / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Going natural is a big deal for many of us. Although something as simple as wearing your own hair the way it was from birth shouldn't be a noteworthy event--as black (mostly diasporic African-descended) women it is too often a difficult lifestyle (not hairstyle) choice, a heavy burden, and a symbolic gesture. It can be a scary but liberating experience for many of us.

After alternating between braid extensions and relaxer, I made the decision by my final year of high school to transition to natural. This was before I knew going natural or even the term "transitioning" was a thing. The biggest challenge in going natural for me was my personal shyness and the fear that others would judge me and/or ask stupid questions.

NEW Cassia Obovata Recipe+Results

This is my hair over a year ago

I've used amla powder as a natural but it wasn't until my relaxed journey that I have been an avid user of cassia obovata and henna. Cassia Obovata generally has the same properties as henna, except it deposits a subtle gold colour on dark hair instead of a red/orangey one. Though I love using Ayurvedic herbs on my relaxed hair I hate how dry it leaves my hair no matter what I do to combat it.

 

Review: Darcy Botanicals Sweet Cocoa Bean Curl Smoothing Cream

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I've been hunting for the ideal natural moisturiser. If there is one thing my regimen lacks it is this. So far, I use Giovanni Direct Leave-In but I'm not satisfied with it. On top of this, I need a completely protein-free and glycerin-free moisturiser for those times when my hair is overloaded (from protein treatments or henna) and the air is dry. That's when I came across Darcy's Botanicals (DB). I read a few positive reviews for DB's Transisitioning Cream (TC).  I chose the Curl Smoothing Cream (CSC) instead because both products contain coconut oil but according to the ingredient list, it had less of it. Many people believe coconut oil can make protein-sensitive hair feel dry.

Tips: Etude House Precious Mineral Bright Fit BB Cream in Honey Beige

So this is just a follow-up to my original review comparing Etude House and Skin 79

FYI:

• The BB Cream does have English on the box, so you will be able to read the list of ingredients and instructions
• The date on the tube is the manufacturing date, not expiry date

Wash Day Reviews: Bee Mine Bee-U-Ti-ful Conditioner

My Hair Situation

So for years I've used Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose conditioner as my go-to for moisturising. Whether I was natural or relaxed, this easily accessible natural health store find was my staple. I first heard about it on longhaircareforum.com and even now it still seems to be the holy grail item of the decade.

 The problem is--it does nothing for my hair.

I've pre-pooed with it, instant conditioned with it, used heat for 20 minutes post wash and used no heat for an hour. No matter what--it does nothing for my hair. The best it's ever worked was when I mixed it in equal amounts with Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Conditioner and a bit of honey. Taking that mixture and going under my dome dryer for 30 minutes seemed to do the trick. Until I realised--why should I have to go through this much trouble for it to work?? Even now, I still wonder why I keep using it. If it weren't for it being natural, I probably would have given up long ago.

Review: Revlon Precision Clear Lash Adhesive

As a newbie to the whole false lashes thing I found myself forever hunting for the perfect eyelash glue. When I bought my first pair of dolly lashes, I was determined more than ever to wear them but seriously was terrified of the lashes lifting off my eyelids in the most embarrassing and irredeemable of ways.

And to complicate things more everyone persisted you get glues in black because there was this whole thing about white glues not drying clear (which obviously messes up your swag...).

Of course all the pros are down with  Duo.  Every time I went into Sephora I was tempted to pick up that little tube. But here's what stopped me:

DIY: Pre-Relaxer Base Cream

A couple of touch-ups back I made the horrible mistake of working out and washing my hair way too soon before my relaxer. This resulted in the worst relaxer burns of all time. So a couple of weeks ago when I was ready for my next touch-up I decided I wouldn't let this happen again. Of course, I was ending a whopping 15-week relaxer stretch meaning fighting with the new growth to detangle my hair put me at a huge risk for another burn. Also my scalp itched like crazy forcing me to again wash too soon (3 days) before my touch-up. Yep. I needed a serious scalp base if I wanted to avoid disaster.

Skin 79 and Etude House BB Cream on Darker Skin

BB cream is typically an all-in-one product which is supposed to be healing/moisturising with coverage and sun protection.

I won't go into detail about these companies/products because there are countless reviews elsewhere. BUT few of them feature darker skin. Most people will say automatically that Korean BB cream will not work for us but this isn't always the case.

When reading reviews, many compared Skin 79 to Etude House, saying it was a much better brand. I ended up torn between either matching my tone or trying what was popular.

Review: Emu Dundee Emu Oil Chocolate Soap Bar

I first purchased the "original" version of this soap a year ago at Honey-Fig in Toronto for $8.99. This review is for a repurchase I made recently. I have been using this for two weeks.

What attracted me to this product was that it contained emu oil, something I've seen raved about on various hair forums. Of course many things good for hair are also good for skin.

Secondly, hello? chocolate? How could I resist a soap smelling like chocolate?