Braidout on 3C Hair using Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie

Hey y'all. I very rarely put myself in the spotlight, but I really liked the way this braid out looked, so I thought I would share it. This is a braid out I got from using Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie:

Ok, so they are not the best pictures of me, but this is one of the best braid outs my hair has ever seen. Here is how I achieved this look:

• I started with dry hair that had been ponytailed (yes, I ponytail WAY too much) for about 3 days. I parted my hair into sections and sprayed each section with a spray bottle filled with water and Herbal Essence's Hello Hydration conditioner.
• To each section, I applied a LOT (So much, in fact, that I thought it would be too much) of the Curl Enhancing Smoothie.
• I braided. I think it is important to note that I made all of my parts on an angle so the parts would be less obvious when I removed the braids.
• The braids stayed in my hair overnight, and until about halfway through the next day, when Li'l Bit was napping and I finally had the time to remove them. :)
• Before removing them, I rubbed some olive oil in my hands so my dry hands would not eat up all of the moisture in my hair. I manipulated my hair as little as possible (Actually, not at all.) After removing the braids. My hair is super prone to frizz, so I thought it best to leave it alone and let the hair lay wherever it fell. This turned out to be the best thing I have ever done for a braid out; all of the other braid outs I have ever attempted frizzed up immediately, and I think the reason may be that I touched it too much.

Thanks for looking. :)

Repurposed style: Half braidout on short Type 4 hair.

I love when a style starts out looking one way, then you can make a few changes and the style looks completely different.A short while ago, I wrote a review on The Pomade Shop's Growth Essentials Rosemary Pomade, and I raved about the amazing braidout it gave us on The Princess's hair. I was curious to see what kind of braid out we would get on Li'l Bit's hair. Here is the style we started with:

I started by rubbing some olive oil into my fingers. I always try not to manipulate Li'l Bit's hair with dry hands, dry hands would take much needed moisture away from her hair. Then I began carefully unbraiding her hair, starting with the braids on the bottom of her head and working my way up. I did not manipulate the hair after unbraiding it, and I did not unbraid the top two braids on each side. I added a headband and this is the finished product:

I love the definition we got from the braid out:

Once again, another great braid out using our new Pomade from The Pomade Shop. I can't wait to try this on Ally's hair once we are done with box braids. 

I just love how much Li't Bit's hair has grown since we have switched over to using products with all natural ingredients. :)

I hope your Sundays are full of smiles and laughter! 

Cornrows, ribbons, braid outs, and a big blue flower!

It sounds like there is a lot going on here, but it actually all works together nicely, and the style is was easy to achieve and maintain.

First, I parted her hair from ear to ear. Then  freestyled some cornrows and added ribbon, lacing it in her hair like you would a sneaker. The ends of the corn rows are pulled into 2 ponytails and secured with an ouchless band. (note: I braided the cornrows all the way down.) Then I braided both of the ponytails of braids together into one big braid. The rest of the hair is braided at night into 3 cornrows, and in the morning I take them down for a beautiful braidout. Ally says she has gotten so many compliments on this hairstyle at school, even teachers are stopping her in the hallway to get a closer look! And seriously, it doesn't get any easier than this!

If you like what you see, please recommend pass along our name!

Product Review: Shea Moisture's Organic Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie

Ths is my first product review, so I am not quite sure of how I want to layout my reviews. I will probably switch it up a few times until I find something that works for me and is pleasant to the eye for you. :) So please don't  be shy! I am new to this blogging thing, and comments are welcomed with open ears (and eyes?).

Product: Shea Moisture Organic Coconut & Habiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie

 

Ingredients:  Deionized Water , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil , Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado) , Vegetable Glycerin , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract , Silk Protein , Ammonium Salt , Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil (Neem) , Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil (Carrot) , Sorbitol Esters , Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B-5) , Caprylyl Glycol , Essential Oil Blend , Lonicera Caprifolium Flower and Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract (Honeysuckle and Japanese Honeysuckle) , Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

Description: (From Walgreens.com):
Nutrient rich vegetable butters condition hair, restoring moisture, body and shine. Enhances curls, minimizes frizz and provides curl control. For thick, curly hair. Sulfate-free and color-safe.

Natural product, color and aroma may vary.

Made in USA

Where to buy it: I ordered mine from Walgreens.com, but they can be found in Walgreens stores and at select Target stores.  I saw these for sale on Amazon.com as well, but I know they were a little  more expensive.

First Impressions:

This product has a great consistency for thicker hair types. I knew right away that it would not work best on The Princess's fine hair, but of course I tried it anyway. The smell is natural, I could smell the shea butter and coconut right away upon opening the jar. The smell is fresh, the husband said it smells like cocoa butter, Li'l Bit said it smells 'like yummy'. It did not leave my hands greasy or sticky.

    

On Ally's hair:

The Curl Enhancing smoothie did not enhance Ally's curls when I wanted to leave her hair down. It was a little bit too heavy for her type 3a/3b hair, and it weighed her curls down. We like big, bouncy curls so we won't be using it for that purpose on her. It did, however, work very well on her mini box braids to get rid of the frizz and keep them nice and neat after co washing. In just rubbed it into her wet braids from root to end, and they looked almost new at 2 weeks old.

On The Princess's hair:

I was right when I assumed that this product is too thick for The Princess's thin, limp hair. Her 2c hair looked more greasy than moisturized after application. I tried using this product while putting her dry hair into corn braids, and it kept them nice and smooth, frizz free. The braidout afterwards was AMAZING! So great for braids, too heavy for twists or 'out' styles.

On Li'l Bit's hair:

This product states that it is for 'thick, curly hair', and from this family's experience, that is precisely where it had its best effect! I applied this product to Li'l Bit's hair while wet, after using Shea Moisture's hair milk as a leave-in conditioner. I used my fingers to separate medium sections of hair, and gently applied the smoothie with my fingertips. I did not comb or brush her hair, and I tried to manipulate her hair as little as possible during the application. Remember, type 4 hair is the hair that needs the most care, as it frizzes more, breaks easier, and is more prone to drying out and being otherwise damaged than the other hair types. If I had've combed this product through her hair, I would have ended up with a poof, or a 'fro, instead of these delicate little curls. I love me a neat 'fro, but that is not the look we were after today. In short, this product is PERFECT for Li'l Bit's hair, and is definitely a new staple in my hair care arsenal.

  

Summary:

I would recommend Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie for braids and cornrows on any hair type. If your hair is wavy or straight, it will probably be a little bit heavy for you, and I would suggest trying something else. (Unless you are going for a braid-out. Its great for braid-outs.) Type 4 curlies will be the most likely to love this product, but it also worked well on my 3c hair to keep my curls in check. 

If you have used this product and would like to share your experience with it, please leave a comment below.

*Note: I bought this product with my own money, and was not compensated in any way for this review.