Product Review: Blended Beauty's "Happy Nappy Styles"

I have seen this company's name all over the net, and I have noticed the great results people have acheived from using this line. So of course when I was contacted by Blended Beauty and asked to review a couple of their products and share my results with you all,  I was very excited to do so! I have been using these products as our primary hair care products over the last couple of weeks, do I feel comfortable enough to give a review of not just their immediate effects of our hair, but the short-term effects as well. 



Product: Blended Beauty's Happy Nappy Styles

Ingredients: Aqua (enriched with Aloe Barbadenses and Anthemis Nobolis (Chamomille)), Oryza sativa (rice) bran oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetyl Alcohol (and) Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Glycerine, Capryl Isostearate, Soy Lecithin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Vanilla planifolia, Preservative [Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol and Sorbic Acid], Scent, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) leaf extract, SIlk Powder.

Decription (from packaging): A stlying cream moisturizer for highly textured curls and kinks. Defrizzes and defines. Enriched with Shea Butter.

Where to buy it: Blendedbeauty.com

First Impressions:
I was surprised at how quickly I received my package. As usual, Li'l Bit was with me (note: practically on top of me) when I opened the package; she loves when we get new products to try. I opened the jar, and handed it to her to smell. Immediate approval "Mama, this smells so good, like candy!" I look over at her, and her nose is covered in the stuff. (I wish I had've gotten pictures.) Yep, it smells THAT good. It is VERY thick, and silky-feeling.

On Ally (Type 3B):
I like to apply product to Ally's hair while it is almost soaking wet. Otherwise, her hair gets dry and difficult to manage, and her curls start to tangle. Well, for whatever the reason, there was a half hour time lapse between Ally getting out of the shower and her coming to me to 'do' her hair. That means her hair was over 50% dry, and her curls had indeed begun to wrap around themselves and tangle. I decided now was as good of a time as any to REALLY put this product to the test. And test I did.

WHOA!! is all I can say. The Happy Nappy Styles cream made Ally's hair melt, for lack of a better word. It immediately softened her hair, and her curls were shined and silkified. (Ok, I know that's not a word. But thats what it did: It silkified. :) ) Ally had a big function coming up, and we had decided that we would style her hair in a braidout. Pretty brave of me to use a new product on her hair with a major function approaching, right? Well, Blended Beauty did not dissapoint:

Close up of that definition!

This braidout lasted 3 whole days, a personal record for us! And yes, if feels as soft as it looks. (I told you, SILKIFIED!!)  We also used the Happy Nappy Styles cream for wash and gos, and the results were equally as amazing. It defined curls, reduced frizz and shrinkage, and left NO Crunch! This has definitely been added to the 'must have' list for Ally's haircare arsenal.

The Princess (Type 2b): I initially assumed the thickness of this cream would prove to be too much for The Princess's hair. I was right, and wrong. The Happy Nappy Styles cream weighed down her wavy hair and made it appear greasy when I used it to smooth ponytails and buns. No surprise there, the description does state that it is "for highly textured hair, curls and kinks." However, I used it for hold on a three strand twist into bantu knot-out, and the results were beautiful:

Li'l Bit (Type 4a/4b):The results on Li'l Bit's hair are why I never give reviews on immediate results. I initially used this product on Li'l Bit's type 4a natural coils for hold for twists. It provided us with beautiful twists, and a lovely twist-out:

Love that baby's face. :)

After about a week of using this product on Li'l Bit's hair, her scalp had begun to dry out and flake, and her hair had become noticeably drier. Of course, it would be impossible for me to pinpoint the exact reason, or ingredient, that caused these changes to her hair and scalp. But I know my baby's hair does not react well to products with alcohol in them, so I am assuming that is why her hair reacted badly to this product. We have discontinued use and gone back to our products with all natural ingredients, and her hair has returned to its usual soft state.

Summary: Blended Beauty's Happy Nappy styles worked VERY well as a holding product for braidouts, twistouts, and bantu knot outs on all of my children's natural hair. It created an amazing wash and go on Ally's Type 3B curls.

It did, however, prove to be too thick  for The Princess's thin, wavy hair to be used for daily styling. And something in the ingredients (I'm thinking alcohol something) dried out Li'l Bit's hair, and made her scalp flaky.

I would definitely recommend trying this product on curly or kinky hair that is not sensitive to any of the ingredients.

I want to thank Blended Beauty for allowing us to review this product.

Check out their website here.

And their Facebook page here.

Product Review: My True Nature

Product: My True Nature's Baby Bubble Bath

stock photo

Ingredients:
Purified water, aloe leaf juice*, decyl glucoside, sodium coco sulfate, lauryl lactyl lactate, plantago extract*, white peony tea extract*, natural scent, citric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate


*Certified organic or Ecocert product
 
Description (from mytruenature.net):
This pure, natural formula combines plant-based cleansers and botanicals to create mountains of big bubbles for bath-time fun and relaxation. Organic aloe, plantagoextract, and white peony tea extract nourish the skin while the cleansers gently remove germs and dirt. Mild, fresh, and clean organic essential oils make the bath smell terrific! Reuse the bottle for a truly sustainable bath time experience.
 
Where to buy it:
http://www.mytruenature.net/
"Like" My True Nature on Facebook
 
Our thoughts:
This stuff smells great! The smell is reminiscent of the big name brand bubble baths, but much, much lighter; which I appreciate. I love that the natural ingredients left my girls' skin soft, and Ally's excema was not at all aggravated after her long soak in the tub. My little ones loved playing with the big bubbles. I definitely recommend this bubble bath. 
 
 
 
**My True Nature provided me with a sample of this product for review, all opinions are my own.**

Product Review: Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

Product: Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

Ingredients: 100% Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Description: Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is certified organic according to strict USDA requirements. It is hand-made in the Philippines the traditional way.

 

Where to buy it:
You can purchase the oil from Healthybuyersclub.com, by using this link right here. If you are a first time buyer and use this link, you will receive a FREE Virgin coconut oil book with your first purchase.

First Impressions:
I have never used coconut oil before, so I was a bit intimidated by it when I opened it and it was solid. I was expecting an oil in liquid form, so I was quite surprised when I received what looks like a hard grease. I read the label, and noticed that it does say that coconut oil will solidify under 76 degrees.

I  found the smell to be pleasant, and, well, slightly coconutty. The coconut oil, once liquefied, feels lighter than the Extra Virgin Olive oil that we normally use in our hair.

On Ally' hair (3b):
I used the Virgin Coconut oil on Ally's hair first, as a moisturizer after washing and conditioning her hair. I spooned some of the hardened oil into a microwave safe dish and microwaved it on high for about 15 seconds, stirred and kept microwaving in 15 second intervals until it was liquefied.  
The coconut oil made her hair shiny and easy to manage. I attempted a braid out without using any additional product, but the results were less than satisfactory. It is an oil, though; not a holding product, so I didn't expect much hold, but I thought I would give it a try anyway. I was VERY pleased with how soft and manageable her hair was with just the oil in it. For 3 days, she wore her hair in a loose ponytail, just finger detangling the hair at night and braiding it in 3 or 4 big braids.  I did not need to add any additional product, and after I washed her hair it still had a softness and shine to it that we do not see with olive oil. 

On The Princess's hair (2a/2b):
I used the coconut oil as a pre-poo/hot oil treatment on her hair. We treat her hair with olive oil before every wash, so I was interested to see how well the coconut oil would work as a substitution. I applied the oil to her dry hair and combed it throughout her hair. Then she wore a plastic bag over her hair for 20 minutes.
Here is what The Princess's hair looked like immediately after applying the oil, before the bag was placed over her hair:

I washed The Princess's hair twice after using the oil (we normally only wash once), but I still felt the oil. I'm not sure why, because the oil does have a light feeling when it is in its liquid state, but it proved to be too heavy for her thin, fine hair. It almost felt as though the oil began to solidify in her hair. I braided her hair into this beaded style without using any additional product for moisture or conditioning, since there was still a residual greasy feel left from the coconut oil. Her braids looked healthy and shiny, so I think the oil may work for her  before protective styling. However, I will not be using it again for ponytails or 'down' styles on The Princess's hair.

On Li'l Bit's hair (4a/4b):

Just like with The Princess, I used the coconut oil as a pre-poo hot oil treatment for Li'l Bit. Unlike with The Princess, the heavy feeling the oil left behind was EXACTLY what her little coils needed. I washed her hair once, and conditioned it. Then I added more oil to her hair as a leave in, and I sealed in all that great moisture with a butter based product. Here is what her hair looked like:

 I absolutely LOVE the way her hair her hair looked and felt after using this oil. It was shiny and soft. And her curls were VERY well defined. After a few times using this coconut oil, I have noticed that Li'l Bit's hair is softer and easier to manage; and her curls look great!

Other ways we used it:

I like to try to get as much use as possible out of each product before I give a review. So I:

Cooked with it: I replaced olive oil with this virgin coconut oil while browning chicken for my coconut curry chicken. I didn't really notice a difference in the taste of the chicken; I guess its like olive oil in that aspect...the flavor is muted quite a bit once cooked.

I used it on my skin: My normal skin care routine is to mix lotion with the oil of my choice and apply it to my skin directly after showering, while my skin is still wet. I used Tropical Tradition' Virgin Coconut oil for this purpose, and I couldn't be happier with the results. My skin stayed moisturized all day, I didn't even need to add more lotion to my feet before bed. (A nightly routine of mine,  I HATE dry feet) It did not leave my skin feeling oily, and the faint smell that it did have was  did not overpower my  fragranced lotion.



For more information, or to purchase this amazing oil for yourself, head over to Tropical Tradition's Healthy Buyer's Club.

 Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Review: adjustable headband from Jazzed Bow-tique Creations

Product:
Adjustable headband from Jazzed Bow-tique Creations, brown color.

First impressions:

The very first thing I noticed about this headband is the piece that makes is adjustable. It is a plastic piece that the two ends of the headband slide into, allowing you to control the size of the headband simply by pulling more or less of the ends through the holes. I thought this was a great idea, so seemingly simple, but I would have never thought of it myself. I also love the fabric that he headband is made with. I chose a brown one, and the color is absolutely gorgeous; it matches a lot of outfits in my girls' closets. The material  has a beautiful, silky smooth texture to it, but it is not flimsy, which is important when your girls are rough like mine.

As with every other review I have done, I tested this product on all of my girls. The Princess got to try it out first:

I used the headband to tame flyaways on The Princess's 4 day old braid out. Because of it's silky texture, it served that purpose well, and it looked adorable. However, when I picked The Princess up from school, the headband was around her neck..she said it wouldn't stay on. I thought that might happen, with the headband being so smooth and her hair also being quite fine and silky. None-the-less, I decided to give the headband one more shot on The Princess' hair.

When I picked her up on day 2, she handed me this:

In her own words, the headband slipped off a 'gazzillion' times, so she thought if she tightened the headband, it would stay on. Then her hair got caught in the plastic piece. And it ripped right on out. Obviously, the headband, as pretty as it is, will not be going back in The Princess's hair.

Next , it was Li'l Bit's turn:

  

 I figured I would not have the same issue with Li'l Bit's hair because her hair texture is courser, so the headband would probably not slide off as much. I was right. The headband stayed put in Li'l Bit's hair; and again, it looked adorable. I used it in Li'l Bit's hair while it was in braids, (above) and while it was all out in a 'fro. The only downside is that because her hair is so short, you can see the plastic piece in the back a times.

On Ally's hair, (I did not get pictures) the headband worked wonders at taming the frizzies in her 20 day old box braids. Her hair did not get tangled in it, and she loved the way it looked.

I want to thank Jade from Jazzed-Bowtique Creations for sending us this beautiful headband for review. I encourage you all to check out  her Etsy shop and 'like' her on Facebook. She has many other great items for sale, including some beautiful tutus. She also does custom orders

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! 

Product Review:The Pomade Shop's Growth Essentials Rosemary Pomade-Vanilla Scent.





(Stock photo) Source



Product: The Pomade Shop's Growth Essentials Rosemary Pomade-Vanilla Scent.


Ingredients: Coconut oil, jojoba oil, emu oil, sulfur, rosemary oil.


Description/Claims (from The Pomade Shop):
Our rosemary pomade has been renamed as "Growth Essentials" because a key element of rosemary is its ability to relieve dry and flaky scalps. Relieving dry scalp=less breakage. Less breakage=more retention. More retention=longer hair!!!
Nourish your scalp with this rich blend of coconut oil, jojoba oil, emu oil, sulfur, and rosemary oil. Your hair will thank you by growing longer and stronger.
Coconut Oil: a light oil that penetrates the hair and helps to prevent protein loss.
Jojoba Oil: a liquid wax that closely matches our natural sebum.
Emu Oil: an anti-inflammatory agent that stimulates the hair's natural growing ability.
Sulfur: keeps the hair cells alive and forms new healthy cells.
Rosemary Oil: an essential oil that fights against hair loss, and reduces dry and flaky scalps

Where to buy it:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThePomadeShop


First Impressions:
The first thing I noticed about this product was the smell. I didn't smell vanilla at all; I thought it had more of a menthol-smell to it. (Very similar to Vick's) The smell wasn't overwhelming, but I was concerned whether it would make our hair smell like Vick's (it didn't) or fade and leave that fresh, natural smell that draws me toward other products with all natural ingredients. (It did.)

The pomade has a smooth, almost silky, non-greasy texture to it. It is not at all reminiscent of the Vaseline-y pomades that I have tried in the past. Honestly, I thought there was no way it would be able to hold a style together.

On Ally's hair (3B):
I almost did  not use this product on Ally's hair, since it is in box braids and there is no reason to smooth anything down. Then I realized that I could use it on her scalp to condition it and help out with the slight dandruff that began to develop after I cowashed her braids this weekend. So I took a very small amount of the pomade (It only takes a VERY small amount to do the job.) and I massaged it into her scalp where she was flaking and itchy. Ally said she felt immediate relief, and a few applications over the next 2 days, the redness/irritation had subsided quite a bit.

On The Princess's hair (2Bish):
OH how I LOVE this product on The Princess's fine, wavy hair! I found that this product definitely works best on damp/wet hair, as it is easier to smooth and evenly distribute through the hair. I washed her hair, added a leave in conditioner, and styled it in a cute protective style with the Growth Essentials Rosemary Pomade. I did not use the pomade on her scalp.

Here is the style on day 1:

And on day 3:

There were slight frizzies, but it still looked great! (And I have to mention that her night cap slipped off on both nights 1 and 2.)

On day 4, I removed the braids and was left with an AMAZING braid out. I did not apply any product after braiding her hair 4 days prior, and look at all that shine and definition!

The Princess's braid out felt amazingly soft and healthy, I may have just found my new favorite product for braid outs on her hair! When I think of what I expect out of a pomade,the most important factors are hold, shine, and moisture retention:

For The Princess's hair, I give this Pomade:

4 out of 5 stars for hold.
5 out of 5 stars for shine.
5 out of 5 stars for moisture retention.

On Li'l Bit's hair (4A):
As with The Princess's hair, I started with clean, moisturized hair, and used the pomade for hold when braiding Li'l Bit's hair:

See those baby hairs? Well, I intentionally did not pull them into the braids. To protect those sensitive little hairs and allow them to grow without breakage, I smooth them down before braiding, then I normally use a cream or pomade to lay them down every day. I appreciated how well the pomade kept Li'l Bit's braids smooth and shiny; even my husband commented on how shiny  and healthy Li'l Bit's braids looked. I found that the pomade did not have what it takes to adequately tame those unruly baby hairs, though. They just kept on poppin' right back up!

3 out of 5 stars for hold.
5 out of 5 stars for shine.
5 out of 5 stars for moisture retention.

Summary:The Pomade Shop's Growth Essentials Rosemary Pomade-Vanilla Scent held up to its claim for us, helping to soothe Ally's chronically flaky scalp and providing great hold for braids on both The Princess's and Li'l Bit's hair. It left their hair smelling fresh and clean. It made for an AMAZING braid out on The Princess's hair as well. It did not, however, hold down Li'l Bit's hair as much as I would like, but I am extremely satisfied with this product and would recommend it none-the-less.



*Note: I was provided with a sample of this product from The Pomade Shop for review purposes. I was not compensated in any way for my review; all opinions are my own.



Spotlight on Small Businesses: Bowsnappers.com (a review)

Well, I think the title says it all. I am absolutely adamant about supporting small businesses whenever possible, and I know that I am not the only one. I am going to start shining the spotlight on family-friendly small businesses, in hopes to enlighten and encourage everyone to 'help out the little guy', if you will. My first Spotlight on Small Businesses will shine on Bowsnappers.com.  

Bowsnappers.com description, from their website:

 "Bowsnappers allow you to mix & match colors and patterns for a new look everyday! No more wishing to remove a color or change a pattern! Simply unsnap and snap to get a new look. It is now easier than ever to match your outfit or to express yourself! Snap your masterpiece to ponytail holders, french barrettes, alligator clips, headbands, beanies, socks, bags, bears and more! The possibilities are endless and fun!"

My opinion:

My girls and I have had our bowsnappers for about 3 months now, and from the moment we opened our package, we were in love! The package came in the mail while my older 2 girls were at school, so Li'l Bit and I had a chance to play with them for awhile by ourselves. And play we did! We spent over an hour snapping and unsnapping the bows and flowers and clips and headbands, creating different styles, mixing and matching them to her outfit. I love the versatility bowsnappers give you in terms of styling. Not only do they have many different colors and sizes to choose from, but they have a lot of different-style bows as well. I mean, they have jingle snappers (I'm thinking Christmas appropriate here), San Iro snappers, butterfly snappers, cross snappers, streamers, sports snappers, and the list goes on. I literally spent a few hours on their website playing around with ideas and coming up with different combinations before I ordered. Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that out loud, but when you get over to their website, you will see what I mean. :)

The pieces are all durable, I have not had anything fall apart on me, and Li'l Bit plays with these. And Li'l Bit is rough on things. Very rough.

Here are some of the styles we have done with bowsnappers:

You can see how we have been able to change them up and use the bows in different ways to create so many different looks. I am incredibly happy with our bowsnappers, and we will definitely be purchasing more bows to add to our collection. I am eyeing their new Christmas collection right now, actually. :)

I have made it a goal of mine to purchase as many holiday gifts from small/home businesses as possible this year. Bowsnappers.com is on my list to buy from.

If you know of, or own a small business that you would like to see  put in the spotlight, send me an email with information you think is pertinent, (ie:business name and website, charities contributed to, business type, etc) along with an explanation of why you think that business should be in the spotlight. I am really hoping to make this a success, so please recommend away!

**I purchased my bowsnappers with my own money, and was not paid in any way for this post, or my opinions, which are my own.**

Review:Organic Root Stimulator's "Nature's Shine"

Product: Organic Root Stimulator's Nature's Shine



Ingredients:
Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera), Soybean Oil (Glycine Soja), Cyclomethicone, Kukui Nut Oil (Aleruites Moluccana), Essential Oils of Lemon (Citrus Medica Limonum), Bergamot (Citrus Aurantium), Spearmint (Mentha Viridis), Fragrance (Parfum).

Claims (as stated on the bottle):
A rich blend of Natural and Essential Oils. Gives your braids, locks, twists, and other natural styles a light healthy shine. Great for the body too!

Where to buy it:
 local beauty supply stores, Sally's, some drug stores, Amazon.com. Visit their website to find a featured vendor near you.

First Impressions:
This oil is very light feeling. I sprayed it on my hand and it did not feel as heavy as olive oil; it sort of soaked into my skin and left my skin with a nice shine without making it feel greasy. The smell is pleasant without being overbearing.

On Ally's hair: (Type 3b and 3c curls)
I originally purchased this product to help maintain Ally's box braids, shown here. Right away I loved the way her hair looked moisturized but not greasy, with just the right amount of shine. I sprayed the oil in between her box braids, using it as a kind of leave-in conditioner for her scalp. Ally has a chronic dandruff problem, and most oils make her hair appear to be dandruff free directly after application, but once the scalp dries, the dandruff is back. Not with this product. While in a braided style, I spray Ally's hair with this product every other day, and there is absolutely no dandruff. This is more than a little bit exciting to me. :)

On The Princess's hair: (Type 2-something waves)
It is VERY difficult to find an oil that is not too heavy for the Princess's wavy hair; I don't like greasy hair and most oils make her hair feel that way. I saturate her hair with olive oil before I wash it, but even using olive oil as a leave-in makes her hair feel heavy and gives it a dirty look, in my opinion. This product is different, in that aspect. I spray it on The Princess's edges, where her scalp is most sensitive, and massage her head once or twice a week. What I have noticed since I've started doing this is that her hair is becoming less frizzy and I have to apply less product to maintain her hairstyles. In short, it REALLY works well as a leave in, and is a great oil to use during scalp massages.

On Li'l Bit's hair: (type 4a-ish coils)
Li'l Bit's hair loves thick products. Heavy creams and oils normally work best on her hair. I began using Organic Root Stimulator's Nature's Shine on her hair about 4 weeks ago, and just like on my other girls' hair,I use this product on Li'l Bit's hair when it is in braids or twists. It doesn't work as well alone as a leave-in like it does in The Princess's hair, but it does add a nice light shine to her braids and scalp when we are on the go and don't have time to do a thorough conditioning.

On Skin:
This product claims that it is works great on the body. I put it to the test by spraying a bit of it on my arms and used it daily for 1 week as a moisture sealant after showering. My skin is not incredibly dry, and it was a bit too thick and oily for my skin when used this way. Maybe for someone with drier skin would benefit more from using Nature's Promise in that way.

I then used the product as a bath oil. While my bath water was running, I took the top off and poured a little less than a quarter cup of the oil into the bathtub under the running water. The result was a much after water that left my skin feeling silky and smooth afterwards.

Summary/My Opinion:
Organic Root Stimulator's Nature's Shine worked best on Ally's type 3 hair and The Princess's Type 2 hair. It is a great moisturizer for braids and twists, and all of my kids' scalps reacted positively to this product. While Li'l Bit's hair benefited from the occasional spray here and there for on the go conditioning and shine, it was not heavy enough to properly condition her type 4 coils for an extended period. As far as skin is concerned, it may work well as a moisture sealant for those with dry skin, but it was too heavy for my combination oily/dry skin. I loved it as a bath oil, though!

All in all, this product does EXACTLY what it claims...it adds great shine to twists, locks, and braids. Definitely a staple in my hair care arsenal now.

I also love the fact that the product is almost completely natural, and I can actually read the majority of it's ingredients. The one ingredient that I could not pronounce, CYCLOMETHICONE, I looked up on this very informational website that I use as a reference for providing me with an explanation for any crazy sounding ingredients before I expose my family to them. According to this website, cyclomethicone is a silicone-based product that can be used for hair-conditioning. In case you were interested.

Please note: I purchased this product with my own money and was not compensated in any way for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, your results may vary.

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.