HAIR PRODUCT RANT: FIRST LUSH PRODUCT I DON'T LIKE!

It's not everyday that I purchase a product I don't like. But when I do, I get really disappointed. 

This product below has been hyped about more times than I can count! As a naturalista, I've heard this was suppose to be an awesome product! It claims to revive your hair and bring back your curls, and all that crap! 

It did nothing of the sort! At all!!!!! Now, prior to purchasing this product, I did what I usually do at Lush and tried it out. That's the best part about going to Lush, for me anyway. The employee there was also natural, and told me how much she loved this product. 

THE FORMULA IS TERRIBLE!!!!

 I tested it out on my hand, and I wasn't impressed at all! The product itself was very moisturizing on my hand. Usually when I test out hair products, I test it on my hand. If it absorbs onto my dry hand, I'm usually like ok this is a GO!! This product didn't do that for me. I figured I'll give this product a chance when I get home. Now, this product is $24.95, so I was expecting a lot out of it for the price! 

I washed my hair that following weekend, and decided to use this product alone. I used a dime size on a section of hair, and I said WHAT THE HECK?!?! THIS IS TERRIBLE! It made my hair feel very stiff! I had no idea what people were talking about. Now, all hair is different from straight to coarse. But, I've seen so many people use and love this product! 

That just goes to show that not all products will work. No matter how much they are raved about. I haven't gone to return it yet, and it's still in the bag with the receipt. I will be returning this. This is the first Lush hair product that I've purchased. I tend to just buy bath and face products from them. 

Have you tried and liked this product?!

Thanks for reading,

Nisha xoxo

NATURAL HAIR: I'VE GOTTEN LAZY, DIY HAIR MASK & HAIR LENGTH GOALS?!?

During my transition year, I did a lot of research on natural hair! I was pumped to create the many different looks with my natural hair, and wear my afro as much as I could. Fast forward to today, I've become super lazy with my hair. It's in that sort of awkward stage in my hair, and I recently trimmed my hair a bit too much, so I'm waiting for it to grow back out. I rarely wear my hair out these days, especially going to class. All I do these days is throw my scarf on top of my bonnet and leave the house. 

I have paid more attention to moisturizing, deep conditioning and massaging my hair. I wish I had pictures to show my hair growth, but it's usually shrunken because I keep it in twist. I have noticed that my coils are a lot looser than they were when I dig my "big chop" in April. I think that's bound to happen with more hair growth though. I'm not a curl chaser, but I have noticed my hair is very curly, which is nice I guess. 

I did a DIY hair mask using honey, mayo, olive oil, coconut oil, JBCO and conditioner. I found this on Pinterest, but there's a ton of other ones for different hair needs as well. For a second I was thinking about wearing my hair out, but with the weather being cold and dry lately I don't wanna wear my hair out. I do plan on making some wigs for the Winter time, so I'll probably make a blog post about it. I've made them a couple years ago and a lot of people thought they were sew-ins! Youtube, guys, Youtube! 

I'm gonna take a break from trimming my hair until I need to. I don't know why I started to trim it every 4 months because I don't do much to it. During my transitioning period, I was able to get my hair to my armpit, so I'm gonna try to do that again. I probably have another 3-4 1/2 inches of hair until I get to that point, but I'm looking forward to just seeing how much hair growth I can get with my hair. I usually keep my hair shoulder length, so this will be different for me. I do want a big afro though. 

I think when I hit my 1 year being back to natural, I'll color my hair. I haven't in a while, but I'm nervous about it. If I do plan on doing this, I'm going to go to a professional definitely. I've seen people do it at home, but I don't wanna mess up my curl pattern. 

NATURAL HAIR: TWIST OUT JOURNEY!!

I'm loving my hair journey. I rare do much to it these days. I'm comfortable just twisting it. I may start doing more...maybe not. 

That's a lot of forehead huh?! Coils are getting tighter. Love it!

A couple days old twist out!

Didn't know what to do so I just did this...

After using the tension method HOW TO!!

A bit of shrinkage!

 I began blow drying my hair here. Then I cut it a bit.

My hair at the moment! I like being able to have it short one day and bigger the next.

NEW PRODUCT/EMPTIES ALERT!! WOULD I REPURCHASE??

Top (l-r): ALL MISS JESSIE PRODUCTS- CURL PUDDING, LEAVE-IN CONDISH, CREME DE LE CREME CONDITIONER

Below (l-r):Eco Styler Gels (Green lid and Clear Lid), Oyin Handmade Hair Dew, JBCO from Tropic Isle, Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in Detangler, Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp

LET'S START WITH THE TOP ROW: I had a sample of the Creme de le Creme Conditioner my cousin gave me. I liked it, so I wanted to try some more products. I love that the hair store I visited carried the "sample" products, so I grabbed three. The Curl Pudding was my least favorite. The scent was nice, but I didn't really get much out of it. The Leave-in Condish is a really nice product. It gave my hair a lot of slip. I'd repurchase this again, and probably the full size of the product. 

NOW THE BOTTOM ROW: Eco Styler Gel- The top (Aloe) gel is my favorite. It didn't leave my hair flaky, nor was it a strong hold though it is on level 10 (strong hold). I use it for twist outs mostly, and it just defines my coils a lot more. The white one left my hair flaky. I may try it again..alone. I used other products with it. That may be the reason my hair flaked. Oyin Handmade 'Hair Dew' is a repurchase. I talk about this product here: detailed review. It's a light moisturizer. Good for the LOC method. JBCO is a repurchase! Over time, this product will help regrow edges and thicken your hair. Kinky Curly 'Knot Today' is a regrettable purchase. I bought it because of the hype. I like that I have slip with this product, but the cost and amount you get isn't work it. You can use coconut oil if you want to detangle your hair. Oyin Handmade 'Honey Hemp' is my favorite conditioner to detangle my hair. I don't have much trouble these days detangling, but when I do I reach for this product. 

**YOU CAN FIND THESE PRODUCTS AT YOUR LOCAL HAIR STORE, WALGREENS, CVS, RITEAID, WALMART, TARGET AND SALLY.

NATURAL HAIR UPDATE!!!

TWITTER: @NINIBONITACHICA

6 Months being 100% NATURAL!!!!!!

I'm 1/2 way to my first year of being back to natural, and I'm loving it!!! My natural hair has definitely given me more confidence than when I was relaxing my hair. Some may say that an Afro doesn't mean and statement, others do. Fluffy (my afro) definitely makes a statement of "I'M SEXY AND CONFIDENT!! CHECK ME OUT!!!" Hair has and will always be apart of my life, even if one day I have no more hair. It doesn't matter what type of hair or hairstyle I have on my head because it's whatever I want it to be. I've gone through many changes with my hair: braids, weave, wigs, dyes, long, short, relaxed, natural. The overall health of my hair changed once I cut all the relaxed hair.

 I never thought people would start asking me about how they should go about transitioning, and/or what products I use on my hair. Knowledge is power, especially when you haven't felt/seen your natural hair in over 10 years. These days, I keep the styling to a minimum with my hair. I posted about a natural hair regimen that I had, but I've purchased products since then. Lol, I don't want to become a hair junkie, but I was/am curious to try some products out. I think in another 4 months I will post another hair update! 

NATURAL HAIR: HOW I MOISTURIZE MY HAIR AND SCALP: PRODUCTS I USE ON CLEAN AND 4-5 DAY OLD HAIR!

(L-R): Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Spray Bottle with Water, Some of Marguerite's Magic, Shea Moisture's Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave in Conditioner, Viva Labs Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Wide Tooth Comb (Curl Kit box)


When I feel like my hair is dry and could use some love, these are the products I use to moisturize my hair and scalp.

Clean Hair: I usually use 'Some of Marguerite's Magic and Coconut Oil after I've washed my hair. With my hair in sections, I finger detangle first. Then I take a dime size amount of coconut oil, work that into the section and comb my hair. After that I use SMM, which has shea butter in it to further moisturize my hair and scalp. Once that is done, I create a two strand twist and continue with the other sections.

4-5 Day Old Hair: Starting with one two strand twist, I unravel it and spray a bit of water on my hair. This helps me detangle it better, and makes moisturizing my hair easier. I then finger detangle, followed by using the wide tooth comb. After that I take a little bit of Shea Moisture's JBCO Leave-In Conditioner, and I work that into that section. Using the JBCO, I take the tiniest amount and massage that onto my scalp. I re-twist and continue with the same process until every section is complete. 

How do you moisturize your hair?

Natural Hair: Tension Method

Hey beauty enthusiasts! It's been a while, but I'm back with a new post. Today I will be discussing the tension method. For my natural peeps or anyone curious about natural hair, this is for you!!! The tension method is when you hold your hair taut, and use a blow dryer to dry your hair. I've seen this method on tons of YT videos, and I really like it. I've been natural for 4 months now, so it was time for me to trim my hair. It was also a way of seeing how much growth I have thus far. I vowed to never use the hair dryer again last year; however, it was the easiest/fastest way for me to stretch my hair.

HOW TO USE THE TENSION METHOD:

You will need:

• Wide-tooth comb
• Heat protecting spray
• Leave-in Conditioner/Moisturizer/Shea Butter for your hair
• Jojoba Oil or any oil of your choice
• Clean damp hair
• Hair dryer
• PATIENCE!!! (The thicker or length of your hair will determine how long of a process this will take.)

Step 1: Make sure you're working on clean damp hair. Section your hair in four quadrants. (This will make the process go a lot smoother.) 

Step 2: Within each quadrant, begin using small sections and moisturizing them with your leave-in conditioner or whatever you use to keep your hair moisturized. Work the product from root to tip. Spray some heat protectant in your hands and smooth onto your hair. Comb your hair to evenly distribute it. 

Step 3: Hold the section of hair taught and down. Turn the hair dryer on the 'Cool' setting. Begin to move the hair dryer up and the hair about 1 inch away. Continue to hold your hair down, and let the dryer continue on both sides of your hair for 30 seconds. Put the hair dryer on the 'Low' setting for 10 seconds. 

Step 4: The hair dryer may leave your hair feeling a bit dry, so you can add a bit more product to your hair. Apply the oil to your hair, make a two-strand twist and continue until your entire head is complete.

You can tweak the products and the way you use the tension method. This is what works for me. I hope you found this informative, and you try it. 

*BELOW ARE TWO VIDEOS OF ME EXPLAINING THE TENSION METHOD AND THE RESULTS I GOT USING IT.*

REDISCOVERED: HAIR PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT! @OYINHANDMADE BURNT SUGAR POMADE!!!

HEY BEAUTY BABES,

WHEN I FIRST BEGAN TRANSITIONING, I DIDN'T SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON HAIR PRODUCTS. MAINLY BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF NATURAL HAIR TO TEST PRODUCTS ON. THE MORE NATURAL HAIR GREW, THE MORE I WANTED TO TRY SOME PRODUCTS OUT. ONE OF THE FIRST BRANDS I DISCOVERED WAS OYIN HANDMADE. ONE OF MY FRIENDS MENTIONED THAT THIS BRAND WAS REALLY GOOD, AND I SHOULD TRY SOME OF THE PRODUCTS OUT. 

OYIN HANDMADE IS A REALLY GREAT COMPANY THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME! I WENT ON THE WEBSITE AND FOUND A SAMPLER KIT THAT CONTAINED A COUPLE OF THEIR PRODUCTS. THE INGREDIENTS FOR MANY NATURALISTAS IS A HUGE THING! LUCKILY, OYIN HANDMADE USES GREAT INGREDIENTS IN THEIR PRODUCTS!! ALL OF THEIR PRODUCTS SMELL DELICIOUS, AND IF THEY WERE EDIBLE, I'D TASTE THEM!

ONE OF THE MANY PRODUCTS I LOVE FROM OYIN HANDMADE IS

  'BURNT SUGAR POMADE'

I PUT THIS PRODUCT AWAY FOR A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL I BECAME FULLY NATURAL. I ENDED UP MISPLACING THIS PRODUCT, BUT FOUND IT TODAY. IT WAS LIKE SEEING A CHILDHOOD FRIEND ALL OVER AGAIN! I WAS SO GLAD I WAS TWISTING MY HAIR TODAY, BECAUSE I GRABBED THIS RIGHT UP, AND STARTED USING IT IN MY HAIR! I LOVE THE DEFINITION I GET FROM THIS PRODUCT! IT DOESN'T LEAVE MY HAIR FEELING HEAVY AT ALL. *I WILL POST PICTURES OF MY HAIR WHEN I TAKE MY TWISTS OUT!*

IF YOU GET A CHANCE, DEFINITELY CHECK OUT THIS PRODUCT! ALSO CHECK OUT OYIN HANDMADE AT YOUR LOCAL TARGET, OR ONLINE AT WWW.OYINHANDMADE.COM! IF YOU LIVE IN THE BALTIMORE AREA, THEY'RE LOCATED ON 21ST AND CHARLES STREET!! 

SOME OTHER PRODUCTS I ADORE FROM OYIN HANDMADE:

HONEY HEMP

HONEY DEW

SHINE AND DEFINE

I'M DEFINITELY PLANNING ON PURCHASING MORE AND MORE PRODUCTS FROM THEM! 

WHAT A PRODUCT THAT YOU'VE REDISCOVERED? 

WASH DAY: NATURAL HAIR ROUTINE USING SHEA MOISTURE PRODUCTS!!

THE MOMENT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR...WELL, I KNOW I HAVE!! =D

FINALLY MY CURRENT HAIR ROUTINE IS HERE!

THE NIGHT BEFORE, I LIKE TO PRE-POO MY HAIR WITH COCONUT OIL. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT BRAND, JUST PURE/ORGANIC OIL. I SPLIT MY HAIR IN 4 SECTIONS AND THEN DIVIDE THOSE SECTIONS INTO 4 SMALLER SECTIONS AS WELL...SO 16 2-STRAND TWISTS.

I LEAVE IT IN OVERNIGHT, AND THE NEXT DAY I TAKE IT OUT. 

I LIKE TO CLARIFY MY HAIR ONCE A MONTH WITH APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (ACV). I MASSAGE IT IN MY HAIR AND LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.

(PICTURE BELOW)

AFTER THE 5 MINS. OF HAVING THE ACV IN MY HAIR, I RINSE IT OUT IN THE SHOWER. ONCE ALL THE ACV IS OUT OF MY HAIR, I SECTION IT OFF INTO FOUR SECTIONS WITH HAIR TIES. (PICTURE BELOW). THIS HELPS DETANGLING MY HAIR MUCH EASIER AND LESS OF A STRUGGLE. I JUST A WIDE TOOTH COMB TO DETANGLE MY HAIR AS WELL, AND I COMB MY HAIR WHILE THE SHOWER IS ON. THIS HELPS TO DETANGLE EVEN EASIER, AND LESS BREAKAGE FOR ME. 

 IT MAY SEEM A BIT MUCH FOR SOME TO USE ALL THESE PRODUCTS, BUT I LIKE USING THEM ALL FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. 

1. TRESEMME NATURALS CONDITIONER- I USE THIS MOST OF THE TIME FOR COWASHING, ESPECIALLY FOR GETTING THE REMAINS OF THE ACV OUT OF MY HAIR. IT HAS GREAT SLIP AS WELL, AND LIKE MOST NATURALS (IF NOT ALL), A PRODUCT WITH SLIP IS AWESOME!!

2. SHEA MOISTURE 'SUPERFRUIT COMPLEX 10-IN-1 RENEWAL SYSTEM CONDITIONER'- THIS PRODUCT SMELLS DELICIOUS, IT HAS SO MANY BENEFITS IN IT, AND IT LEAVES MY HAIR FEELING VERY SOFT. I MASSAGE THIS INTO EACH SECTION, COMB THROUGH AND RINSE. (REPEAT FOR EACH SECTION). 

3. SHEA MOISTURE 'RAW SHEA BUTTER RESTORATIVE CONDITIONER'- THE FIRST PRODUCT I TRIED FROM SHEA MOISTURE. EVERY TIME I USE THIS, I FEEL MY HAIR STRENGTHENING AND IT FEELS A LOT HEALTHIER. I DO WHAT I DID FOR THE SUPERFRUIT CONDITIONER, BUT I LEAVE IT ON FOR ABOUT 5-7 MINS. AND I FINISH IN THE SHOWER. THEN I RINSE MY HAIR OUT AND CONTINUE WITH DETANGLING WHILE RINSING.

PRODUCTS THAT I USE!!

 4. SHEA MOISTURE 'JBCO STRENGTHEN, GROW AND RESTORE TREATMENT MASQUE'- I HAVE BEEN LOVING JBCO FOR A WHILE NOW. IT HELPED MY HAIR GROW DURING MY TRANSITIONING STAGE (4-7)..NATURAL HAIR JOURNEY http://beautyenthusiastmue.blogspot.com/2015/06/old-post-1-year-transitioningbig-chop.html. THE DIRECTIONS SAY TO PUT THIS ON YOUR HAIR ROOT TO TIP AND LEAVE ON FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. (I WILL HAVE A PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT OF THIS PARTICULAR PRODUCT)

 I LIKE THE CONSISTENCY OF THIS PRODUCT, AND IT'S THIN ENOUGH TO EVENLY DISTRIBUTE IN MY HAIR. MY HAIR IS VERY TIGHTLY CURLED (4B/C HAIR TYPE). I JUST LOVE THE SHRINKAGE IN THE PHOTO. #AFROLIFE

5. SHEA MOISTURE 'JBCO STRENGTHEN, GROW AND RESTORE LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER'-ONCE I RINSE MY HAIR I USE AN OLD T-SHIRT TO GET THE EXCESS WATER OUT OF MY HAIR. I THEN SECTION IT AGAIN BEFORE ADDING THE LAST PRODUCT. A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY WITH THIS PRODUCT. I LIKE TO MASSAGE IT INTO MY SCALP, THEN I TWO-STRAND TWIST MY HAIR AND CONTINUE UNTIL MY HAIR IS COMPLETELY TWISTED. 

I WILL BE DOING A FIRST IMPRESSION ON THE SHEA MOISTURE JBCO SHORTLY!I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS POST AND DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER ONES TOO!! THANK YOU,NISHA <3