Giovanni 2chic Ultra-volume Foam Styling Mousse with Tangerine and Papaya Butter

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A mousse for fine, limp hair? Count me in! Giovanni’s 2chic Ultra-volume Foam Styling Mousse with tangerine and papaya butter smells ahhmaaaazing! It has an intoxicating scent that isn’t too overpowering. It claims to add fullness while defining waves and/or enhancing curls. In addition, it offers a light formula for weightless control.

2 Chic Characteristics

• USDA certified organic
• No animal testing
• Paraben free
• Vegetarian product
• Polyethylene glycol (PEG) free

Ingredients: Purified Water, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B 5), Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, VP/VA Copolymer, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract (USDA Certified Organic), Panax Ginseng Root Extract (USDA Certified Organic), Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract (USDA Certified Organic), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract (USDA Certified Organic), Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract (USDA Certified Organic), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Fruit Extract (USDA Certified Organic)

I love the applicator bottle. A little goes a long way because it is a foam styling mousse. So, you definitely get a lot of bang for your buck! However, I felt the mousse alone was quite drying, despite all of the amazing ingredients. Although tangerine and papaya contain vitamins A and C and are rich in antioxidants, they also have clarifying properties. I think this is why my hair felt so dry when I used this mousse as a standalone product. For instance, I could use my Pantene Pro-V Silky Moisture Whip by itself without ANY additional add-ins. However, it has become impossible to find locally. I tried for over 2 years! (Sigh.) And, when I finally found it online, it was listed for DOUBLE (and sometimes as much as TRIPLE) the price! As a result, I have been on the look-out for a replacement product.

This mousse performed much better when I layered it over a moisturizing leave-in (i.e., Luster’s S-Curl No-Drip Moisturizer) or an oil or butter. By doing this, I prevented my hair from drying out or becoming “crunchy.” This foam styler has a moderate amount of hold, which I like, but I felt like I only received so-so results. While the foam styling mousse left my curls and coils defined, I have received similar or better results from other products. Honestly, I didn’t feel like this mousse did anything “special.” And, it certainly couldn’t even come close to comparing to my Pantene Pro-V Silky Moisture Whip. So, the search for an uber-moisturizing hair mousse continues … 😥

Optimum Oil Therapy Dry Hair Healer

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Claims: 

• Deeply moisturizes to alleviate dryness
• Helps repair and protect against split ends
• No greasy buildup

Ingredients: 

42156 SS, Aqua/Water, Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Paraffin, Dimethicone, Dicetyl Phosphate, Olea Eurropaea/Olive Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis/Jojoba Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera/Coconut Oil, Persea Gratissima/Avocado Oil. Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Sucrose, Parfum/Fragrance, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-23, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Amyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, 2-Oleamido-1, 3-Octadecanediol.

Directions: For daily maintenance, apply a small amount into palm, massage evenly into hair, and style as usual. For excessive dryness, section hair and apply directly onto scalp . Comb or brush through hair, and style as usual.

 

After finding Roots of Nature’s Butter Whip Coil Cream and their Feather Whipped Curl Cream at my local dollar store a couple of years ago, I try to keep my eye out for fabulous hair care finds. I lucked out, once again, when I found Softsheen Carson’s Optimum Oil Therapy Dry Hair Healer at my dollar store while perusing for craft supplies. I immediately bought four jars. What can I say? I am a sucker for a deal! I’m glad I did.

The Dry Hair Healer has a light perfumy scent that I love. It’s fragrant but not obnoxiously so. I also like the light, airy texture of the moisturizer. It is great on dry or wet hair, and kept my strands moisturized in humid weather. (Think 90° – 100°!) If the heat index is just as high, I like to layer some SCurl No Drip Activator underneath to lock-in extra moisture. I lightly spritzed my dry hair with water prior to use and then smoothed the product over my hair. My dry ends vanished right before my eyes! If I use this for a wash ‘n go or to make a high bun, I like to slick down my edges with Elasta QP Glaze. I haven’t tried this with a twist-out yet, but I plan to! I love how this product not only moisturizes my hair but also slightly elongates my curls, which makes my hair less prone to getting tangled.

For my relaxed ladies out there, be careful not to apply too much as this product is super-moisturizing. Although, even when I overdid it and added too much product, my hair still didn’t feel sticky or gross like it does when I use other products. Score!

According to Softsheen Carson, this product uses what they call Micro-oil Technology to penetrate the hair shaft with micro-beads of coconut, olive, avocado, and jojoba oils. They claim that this dry hair healer will nourish, repair, strengthen, and protect hair with no greasy buildup. I must admit, this product definitely left my hair hydrated (without being greasy). While it’s too early to tell if it prevents split ends, my hair is so moisturized that I’m thinking I may need to go back to my dollar store to see if they have any more left in stock. This little hair care jewel retails between $4 and $6, depending on where you live. But, even when my stash runs out, I won’t mind paying retail!

P.S. This product also works on multiple hair types. A Caucasian friend of mine with curly, frizz-prone hair tried this product and loved it as well. So, curly girls everywhere, rejoice!     😉

Miss Jessie’s Curly Buttercreme

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There is so much hype about Miss Jessie’s hair products that I finally caved in and decided to see what all the fuss was about. While I greatly admire Miko and Titi Branch, the stalwart and savvy sister duo who co-founded Miss Jessie’s, their Curly Buttercreme left me feeling like a bandwagon fool!

Instructions: Apply a nickel-sized dollop to instantly soften dry, crunchy curls. Excellent for taming hairline edges, moisturizing pony puffs, two strand twists, coils, braids, cornrows, naturals. Great for: 2 Strand Twists, Pony Puffs, Braids, Hairline Grooming Creme, Short Naturals and Fades, Growing Out Natural Hair.

First, if you are sensitive to strong scents, beware! This Buttercreme is spiked with the essence of peppermint and is strong enough to double as smelling salts! Although the consistency of the product is creamy and plenty thick, you will definitely need more than a nickel-sized dollop, even for short hair. Second, you should not put too much stock in most of the claims. The product failed to define my curls and also failed to tame my edges.

The first time I used the Buttercreme, I followed the instructions as directed. Although my natural hair felt soft, it didn’t feel any more soft than usual. Neither did I feel like it hydrated my curls and coils. In fact, only an hour or two later, my hair frizzed up like I was a Berenstain Bear!

The second time I used the Curly Buttercreme, I was more heavy handed. Mistake! Don’t over-saturate your hair! My hair felt greasy and downright gross. The product seemed to just sit on my hair instead of actually moisturize it.

The ingredients also left much to be desired: acetylated lanolin, mineral oil, and petrolatum, to name a few. On top of all this, the curly buttercreme costs $9.00 for a meager 2 oz. container, a whopping $32.00 for a mere 8 oz. jar, and a staggering $58.00 for only 16 oz. of product!

Have you picked yourself up off the floor, yet? Don’t worry, I’ll wait … Honestly, I do not understand why this product is so expensive, especially for less than mediocre results.

My advice? Don’t fall for the hype. Or, if you feel you absolutely must try this buttercreme, order a free sample BEFORE you decide to invest in one of the larger sizes! Otherwise, your pocketbook will be (justifiably) upset with you, and your hair will cry, “Foul!”

Me? I’m moving on. I suggest you do the same. Seriously. If I see any of you in Target putting this in your hand basket, I’m going to tackle you and pin you to the ground until you shout, “Uncle!” 

Whip it Up with Pantene’s Pro-V Silky Moisture Whip

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Thank you for your support!

 

 

The Pantene^® Pro-V Silky Moisture Whip from their Daily Moisture Renewal Collection is ahhhmazing! This two-in-one product is a moisturizer and styler that claims to help hair feel moisturized (up to 48 hours), protect against heat damage (by erasing the damage of up to 100 blow drys), and regulate hair’s moisture (by delivering silky tresses that shine). These are pretty big claims for such an ostensibly simple and unassuming hair line. So, I approached the product with skeptical optimism.

Label Instructions: Shake well and dispense into your hand. Beginning at the ends, distribute it to damp hair and comb through. No need to rinse out, just style as usual!

I used the Pro-V Silky Moisture Whip on freshly co-washed hair.I gently towel-blotted my hair and applied a light oil. (I used olive oil, but you could also use grape seed oil or any other oil of your choosing.) Then, I distributed a medium-sized “dollop” of the whip  into my hair. Because my hair is so short, I only needed two dollops for my whole head, but if your hair is longer you may need more.

I’ve never been a big fan of the wash ‘n go look (for myself). I admire it on others, but I hate the way it looks on me. Admittedly, I am probably still not used to having such a short mane, but this product makes me rethink the style.

The Moisture Whip  has a pleasant, alluring scent. It felt light, creamy, and soft in my hand, not sticky like other mousses. In the past, when I have used similar products, my coils were defined but my tresses felt crunchy and overly dry. Pantene’s Whip  had the opposite effect. My hair truly did feel moisturized, soft, and silky. It also didn’t weigh my hair down and completely defined my curly, coily locks and smoothed away all frizzies. This hair whip has given a whole new meaning to the “wash ‘n go.” Even after letting my hair air dry 100%, it still felt soft and pliable. I was pleasantly surprised.

Pantene‘s^® Pro-V Silky Moisture Whip  is excellent for dry, frizz-prone hair (like mine), especially during the summer (or if you live in a high-humidity climate like I do). The best part? There’s no build-up or unpleasant residue in-between washings. A huge plus for au naturale curlies! And, you can also use it  as a heat protectant before you blow dry. So, go ahead and whip  it up, Pantene style!

Hair Growth Data Tracking and My One-month Length Check

Hello, my fellow Curly Cuties! It’s been a month since I Big Chopped. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see how much my hair has grown. Post my Big Chop, most of my hair was 3.0 inches long with my shortest strands (on the side of my head) at about 2.5 inches. In four weeks’ time, my hair grew (wait for it …) a whole inch! I could hardly believe it. An entire inch in just one month! When my hair was relaxed, I would be happy to get a 1/4 inch of hair growth each month. Most times, if I was lucky, I just managed to maintain the length I already had. Other times, I was a little less lucky and experienced hair breakage. So, I am ecstatic about an inch of growth in a month. And, for all those type-A personalities out there, like me, who are looking for a way to systematically chart their hair growth, check out Shastrix’s advanced Excel spreadsheet for “Managing Hair Growth Data” HERE.

Her creation makes charting your hair management data a breeze. From the graphs that display your hair growth rate and length goals to the calculations that help you find your terminal length, there is plenty to please trichology nerds and hair divas alike. If you are not confident with Excel, don’t worry. Just stick to only editing the GREEN highlighted cells.

The first time you use the spreadsheet, all you have to do is input the lengths required to reach your various hair goals in the appropriate column and update your spreadsheet as you do length checks. Over time, it will even determine your average rate of hair growth. Just make sure that you are consistent in how you measure to receive accurate results.

I gotta say, I’m looking forward to what the future holds … twist outs beware!

 

A letter to my TWA (Teenie Weenie Afro)