In Review: February Onyx Box Unboxing from We Are Onyx

This month I was excited to receive another beauty box from We Are Onyx.  The monthly Onyx Box subscription service caters to women of color and is always a treat.

The theme for February is, of course, love but more like pampering yourself.  Items like these are a nice reminder that it's okay to stop and make time to take care of your hair and body.

The Products

A beauty box service is a fun way to find out about new products.  This month, I am delighted to find shampoo and conditioner from a brand called Acure.  Both are made with all natural ingredients including Moroccan Argan oil.  I recently switched back to using ammonia free hair dye so it's nice to find a shampoo and conditioner that are color safe.

 I've always wondered how my curls would react to using flax seed gel for styling.  Now I can finally put it to the test with Carmella Marie's My Gel.  The product also contains jojoba oil which I understand is good for the hair and scalp.  I can't wait to try it!

Speaking of scalp health, there is also a So Posh Beauty Herbal Hair Tea in this month's Onyx Box.  It has a blend of natural herbs for a tea that conditions the hair and treats the scalp.  With peppermint and rosemary in the ingredients list you know it smells delish.  Another product that smells good enough to eat is the Coquito Bubble Stuff shower gel by Honeycat Cosmetics.  This is what pampering is all about!  With ingredients like coconut, honey and rum you can't go wrong.

To round out the offerings in this month's box of goodies we have hair products from Creme of Nature. There are two samples from the new Straight from Eden line as well as a full size container of the New Butter-Licious Curls Styling product.  All three products are made with natural ingredients and are mineral oil, petrolatum and paraben free.

Shop the Box!

The February Onyx Box will be available through the end of the month so head on over to weareonyx.com to find out how to get started.  You can also find full size versions of these and many other products at weareonyx.com/shop

NOTE:  This month's box was sent to me courtesy of We Are Onyx.  I am not affiliated with any of the products and/or brands mentioned in this post.  Please visit weareonyx.com for more information.

Onyx Box Opening January 2015

Recently I was sent the Onyxbox for the month of January.  What's this you ask?   It's a monthly  beauty subscription service that is geared towards women of color.  Previously, the box has featured items from Shea Moisture, Cargo and OPI nails and a host of other beauty brands.  So naturally I was excited to see what was in this month's box and I was definitely not disappointed.

There are so many natural hair brands out there who offer hair products for our textured tresses. A service like the Onyxbox allows you to try before you buy.  Inside this month's box were items from Woman to Woman Naturals, Anu Essentials and Beija Flor.  This is my first time trying products from these brands and I am interested to see how they work on my hair.

WATCH MY REVIEW FOR THE MAY 2014 ONYX BOX HERE

I already tested out the Creme Brulee Moisturizer from Beija Flor on my hair which is currently straight.  It did not cause my hair to revert but left me with soft hair that smelled like cinnamon.  The Anu Essentials line is one I've heard of on Instagram.  There appears to be a small sample packet of nearly every product they offer in this month's box.  Then there is the leave-in conditioner by Woman to Woman Naturals.  It has a citrus scent which will make for a nice mid-winter pick me up.

But wait, there's more!  The wintery dry climate of Colorado has left me with dry skin.  I was glad to find the Cracked Heel Stick Soap by Luxuriant in this month's offerings.  It says that it cleans and exfoliates so there may be hope for me yet!  Lastly is the Golden Ticket Nail Sugar by Cinapro.  To date, I have never seen a nail polish product with a light up cap.  Where have I been?

One of the best features about the Onyxbox service is that you can head over to www.weareonyx.com and shop the collection of goodies offered.  There you can also sign up to receive your own monthly beauty box.  See website for details.

Note:  This box was sent to me courtesy of WeAreOnyx for the purpose of this review.  I am not affiliated with www.weareonyx.com and/or any of the brands mentioned above.

In Review: Shea Moisture's Purification Masque

This morning I posted a video on my Youtube channel showing my first impression after using the Purification Masque by Shea Moisture.  The product claims to relieve itching from dry scalp caused by conditions like dandruff, eczema and psoriasis.  I suffer from scalp psoriasis which thankfully is a lot better after taking my vitamin supplements and eating healthy.  I still have a little bit of an itchy scalp so I thought I would try this product to see if it would help.  Check out the video to see what I thought!

MY REVIEW ON SHEA MOISTURE'S PURIFICATION MASQUE

Also, be sure to take a look at my recent posts on how I deal with my psoriasis.  It is an autoimmune disease that tends to flare up during the fall and winter.  I talk about how I cleanse my scalp without causing too much stress on my hair and also how diet and supplements help me to get my skin back
to normal.  

In Review: Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk

Camille Rose Naturals
Curl Love Moisture Milk

Earlier this year I celebrated 5 years on my natural hair journey and realized that I've pretty much stuck with the same products.  I am usually one of those gals who like to use affordable products that can be found locally in stores.  Once I figured out what worked for me, I stopped looking.  Still, I couldn't ignore all of the rave reviews that circulate in the natural hair world.  For this reason, I decided maybe I could tweak my routine here and there.  Who knows?  Maybe I'm missing out.

My Curls after using the Curl Love Moisture Milk
and Eco Styler gel

I was eyeing the Camille Rose products at my local Target store for some time and decided to try something from the line.  I needed a moisturizer for when I do my wash n' go so I grabbed the Curl Love Moisture Milk.  You get 8 ounces for about $15 dollars USD which seemed reasonable considering it contains all natural ingredients.  The product claims to,"nurture your tresses and aid in preventing breakage, shedding and styling damage."  The label also states that it,  "…will provide shine, protective anti-oxidants and long-lasting moisture to enhance the driest hair."  This sounded like something that would certainly provide my hair with the moisture it needed under a heavy styler like Eco Styler gel.  I love how gel makes my curls pop but I'm sometimes left with dry hair a few days later.

 I first tried it on wet hair after cleansing and conditioning.  Then I decided to use a little grapeseed oil to seal in the moisture.  Lastly, I sprayed each section of my hair with water before applying Eco gel.  I was very surprised to see how much my curls clumped together.  My hair also appeared to hang more than my usual wash n' go.  I let it airdry and realized that maybe adding the grapeseed oil was making my hair a bit too heavy.  The next trial I decided to skip the oil and use the Curl Love as my sealer because it contains Castor oil.  In this case I used Aussie Moist as my leave-in conditioner and then followed the same steps as before.  The result was okay but my curls weren't as juicy.  The combo that worked best was when I used a leave-in conditioner, grapeseed oil to seal then the Curl Love all before applying the gel.  This basically meant I was using the L.O.C. method (leave-in, oil, cream). 


Overall, I found that the product does what it claims by allowing my curls to hang more when I use it to do a wash n' go style.  It definitely feels moisturizing and leaves me with much softer hair after using the hair gel.  I did notice however that if I stuck with sulfate free products to cleanse my hair, the product would build up.  I am back to using a sulfate shampoo for when I need to clarify so this is no longer an issue
for me.

Moisturizes and gives my curls hang time!

I agree with the price point considering I am still on the same bottle a couple of months later.  I realized early on that you don't really need to use very much of the product in order to moisturize your hair.  I even use it on my kid's hair and feel like we've gotten a lot of use out of it.  I would definitely purchase this product again in the future.

HAVE YOU TRIED THE CAMILLE ROSE NATURALS LINE?

In Review: Satin Lined Military Cap from Natural Born Hats LLC

Recently I was contacted by a company called Natural Born Hats LLC.  When I saw that they

Finally a satin lined cap that's stylish
and fits over my natural hair

offered satin lined hats at affordable prices, I jumped at the chance to do a review.  Why is a satin lining so important you ask?  Well, for starters, it can help minimize frizz and matting that can occur when wearing a hat without the added lining.  The smooth satin is what comes in contact with your hair which means less friction which in turn minimizes breakage.  That's music to my ears because I'm always concerned about how my hair will fare when wearing a typical hat.  With this I have no worries.

About Natural Born Hats LLC

If you head over to the website, you'll find the story detailing the relationship between the two friends who started the company.  They were both on a hair journey and using satin bonnets and scarves, as we all do, to protect their hair at night.  They, like me, wanted another option that was stylish for wearing out but still had the protective satin inside.

Satin lining inside

Military Cap Style 

What I like about their hats is the sound construction and the variety of styles that are available.  I was sent a Military inspired cap but they also carry sun hats, fedoras and lots of fun knit beanies.  The Military caps are produced using a cotton blend.  This is a plus because I'm planning to wear mine when I go on my walks this summer.  The other hats are constructed using materials such as straw plaiting, flax and polyester.  Each comes with a polyester satin lining. The knit beanies are polyester throughout which makes them machine washable but no dryer.  I like that because I'm planning on getting one for my very active 12 year old son.

I know my new hat will get a lot of use this summer.  I'm favoring braid outs lately which means my braids are sometimes not completely dry in the morning.  Now I can just throw on my satin lined cap and head out the door knowing my braids are still protected.  I've tried this before with other hats but was having trouble getting all of the braids to fit.  It even has room enough when my natural hair is in full swang.

A hat that fits over my braids YAY!

If you're interested in a comfy satin lined hat for yourself, be sure to head over to Natural Born Hats LLC and use Coupon Code:  CURLYCO25 for an extra 25% off

NOTE:  The code will be active for the next 2 weeks and must be entered using all caps.

May Onyx Box Review

Goodies from this month's Onyx Box

I was recently sent a box full of goodies from www.WeAreOnyx.com.  This site offers a subscription service geared towards fashion forward women of color who are looking to try new hair and beauty products.  In each month's box, subscribers can expect to find full size items from well known beauty brands.  This month was geared towards nail art and skincare which was right on time for me.

The Colorado winter has been a beast and has left my hands wrecked and in need of some love.  So I was delighted to see that the Onyx Box for May had some new things for me to try when I do my next manicure.

I already tried out the Shea Moisture Shea Butter hand creme which felt divine on the skin.  I was upset though that the scent was a little overpowering for my taste.   That is somewhat of a turnoff when I buy products because it can lead to headaches for me.  The scent is similar to the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie so if you're fine with that, then it shouldn't be a problem.  If it wasn't for this I would probably use it often because my hands sure do need it.

Other than that, I'm looking forward to using the nail polishes and skin wash that came in the package.  Check out the pics below for a sneak peek at what was inside this month's box!

I love the pretty packaging and full product sizes

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY VIDEO UNBOXING OF THE MAY ONYX BOX

Products featured in this month's Onyx Box

If you're interested in subscribing for a monthly Onyx Box then head over to www.WeAreOnyx.com to get started.  The monthly subscription fee is $25 USD but is well worth it considering each box includes items that, when combined, can retail for much more than that.  You can look forward to receiving items such as hair, skin and nail products by well known brands.  It's definitely worth a look see!

Review: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Red Velvet #40

I love this classic red tint

I am a fan of makeup but still tend to stay at the drug store level when I make a purchase.   I have a ton of glosses for my lips but recently decided to try the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters.

I had been hearing rave reviews about the line for a while on the web so I figured I would give it a go.  At first glance, the line has a lot of different shades to offer.  I'm always a little leary though because I don't want to end up with a shade that is too light or ashy for my skin tone.  However, there was quite a range in color, so finding a shade for me was not very hard.

I first went for a pinky color called, Berry Smoothie.  This one is nice for when I want a wash of color and a little moisture for my lips on the go.  However, the shade that truly makes me gaga is the Red Velvet.  The color is pigmented enough to pull my whole look together without much effort but also helps with dryness.  I love red lips but this gives me a nice, understated red that still works for everyday.

A swatch of Red Velvet

Red Velvet on the lips 

The Lip Butter formula is hydrating to the lips thanks to the added "mango, shea and coconut butters".  It also imparts a shine which I love.  I tend to reach for either of these shades now when I'm in a hurry because they give me moisture and color in one swipe.

I highly recommend the Red Velvet for any women of color who are looking for a lovely red to add 

to their stash.

Jumbo Rake Comb Review

When I was talkin' hair with my mother a couple of months ago she showed me a picture of a comb that she was interested in trying.  She checked out a copy of the book, "The Science of Black Hair" from the library and it listed a "rake" comb as a suggestion for detangling natural hair.  I remembered seeing the comb online (probably in a Youtube video) but didn't exactly know where to track one down.  Recently however, I was at the Big Beauty Supply Store in Aurora, and noticed some for sale.  It was by the Annie brand and was called a "Jumbo Rake Comb".   I figured I would grab it for my mom so she wouldn't have to keep looking for it.  I thought that maybe I would give it a try too and since they were only $1.49 plus tax (USD) I bought two.

Jumbo Rake Comb for only
 $1.49 plus tax!

I didn't really know what to use the comb for because I already felt like I had every comb that I needed.  I decided to use it one night when I was twisting my hair up after wearing it in a wash n' go style.  I was surprised at how well the comb detangled my hair.  It's almost like the front end helped to pull apart the tangles but the spacing toward the back end of the comb allowed my hair to glide right through.  When I saw this I decided to try it the next time I detangled my hair in the shower.

My normal routine for detangling is to do it while my hair is soaking wet and saturated with Tresemme Naturals conditioner.  I usually begin by finger combing my hair first which helps me to remove a lot of the shed hair and tangles before moving onto a comb or my denman brush.  So when I tried the Jumbo Rake comb my hair was already free from any major tangles.  Still, I knew that I would be doing a roller set that night so I needed to make sure my hair was thoroughly detangled beforehand.

My twists
used the rake comb
to detangle

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL 

USERNAME:  Mitchellzee

Once again, the comb performed beautifully.  I was really surprised because I didn't expect for it to be any different from my wide tooth comb.  Somehow though having the teeth closer together toward the front and wider in back is what I think makes it a more effective tool for detangling.  It really is able to pick apart at the tangles but the hair glides through.  You'd have to try it to see what I mean.  As for me, I do think that I'll be using this instead of my denman brush because it removed shed hairs but not so many to cause concern.

My Mom's hair sectioned and detangled with
the rake comb

I even tried it a week later when I was straightening my mom's hair.  She is transitioning to natural and has about two inches of new growth.  I applied Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner and a heat protectant to each section of her hair and then detangled with the rake comb.  Her hair was only damp but the comb still did a pretty good job.

I give it a thumbs up and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good comb for detangling.

Twistout Using Curls Unleashed Curl Defining Creme

I normally do braidouts when I want stretched hair because I know I'll get consistent results.  The same is not true when I do twistouts.  Sometimes when I take the twists down, my hair is fuzzy and puffy before I even leave the house.  Other times I have trouble getting the twists to stay so the end result looks messy and not as defined as I would like.

This time I decided to use something to give the twists some hold and definition.  I reached for my Eco Styler gel (a staple) but thought maybe I should give the Curls Unleashed Curl Defining Creme a try.  The only other time that I used it was to do a wash n' go style on wet hair.  I had really good results with it then but since I've been back to using my Eco gel I haven't had much
use for it.

WATCH MY VIDEO ON HOW I DID A WASH N' GO USING 

CURLS UNLEASHED CURL DEFINING CREME

Small Grey Rods are great
for a spiral curl on the ends

For this twistout I started with clean hair.  First I applied my Paul Mitchell The Conditioner leave-in along with the Hollywood Beauty Olive Creme moisturizer.  I wanted to make sure that there was plenty of moisture under the Curls Unleashed product because I remember it having a firm hold.  I applied the Curl Defining Creme on top of the other two products and started doing two strand twists in medium size sections.  At the front I did flat twists on either side of my middle part and for my bangs.  Once all of the twists were done, I used small grey perm rods to spiral curl the ends.  I always use end papers for this step because I don't want any of the ends to slip off of the rod while I'm sleeping.

When I woke early the next day, my hair was still damp so I decided to let it air dry completely rather than sit under the dryer.  The resulting twistout was so soft and defined I almost didn't believe it.  The thing I liked most was that even after fluffing and styling my hair there wasn't any frizz.  I like big hair and usually lose some definition when I separate and fluff.  I think I'm going to continue to

use this product when I want a nice twistout.  For now here are pics of my first try.

Curly Twistout results with a Satin Scarf for a headband

Before I separated the sections

After fluffing and separating

Review: Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy-Ultra Shea Shampoo

At the beginning of the summer I was sent some products for review.  When I agreed to give my feedback,  I was not aware of which products I would be receiving in the mail.  I was very happy to see that they were from the new Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy line.  I saw this line in stores and was wondering if the products would work for my scalp.

I have scalp psoriasis which tends to show up during the drier months (usually wintertime).  For some reason though, I started seeing a lot of flaking and irritation in the spring when I was on the tail end of my Curly Girl Method trial.  When the products arrived in the mail I was primed and ready for something to relieve me of my scalp woes.  I'll do the review in two parts for the shampoo and conditioner.  The other products were not used for long enough to make a difference in my scalps' condition therefore I do not have an opinion on them.




Ultra Shea Cleanse & Nourish Shampoo

Ingredients

Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Dimethiconol, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Chloride, Fragrance, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Zinc Pyrithione, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, DMDM Hydantoin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Citric Acid, Tallow Acid or Palmitic Acid, Zinc Sulfate, TEA Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Sodium Isethionate, Poloxamer 407, Laureth 23, Laureth 4, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, PEG 9M, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Elaeis Guineenis (Palm) Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Methylisothiazolinone, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Mica (CI 77019), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491)  

Claims

• Proven to lock in moisture and provide long lasting nourishment for extra dry scalps
• Gently cleanses to remove product build-up and allow scalp to breathe
• Formulated with Nutrium 10™ Moisture Lock system, a rich blend of shea butter and natural oils, including vitamin E, sunflower, coconut, almond, soybean, argan, and palm

Upon first use I felt that the shampoo was heavenly.  The sulfate gave it a very rich, velvety lather.  My hair did not feel stripped like with other sulfate shampoos.  The sweet almond and vanilla scent reminded me of the Suave Professionals Almond and Shea products.  It did not linger on the hair although it was very fragrant while shampooing.  My initial reaction was that I would definitely think to use this product again whenever I needed to cleanse my hair and scalp.  After several washes, all weeks apart, I realized that the product was not doing anything to help with my itchy, flaky scalp.  My husband also has dry scalp but not to the same degree as my psoriasis.  He stated that he did notice some improvement while using the shampoo.  This led me to believe that the product may work for those who have mild scalp irritations.  Something like scalp psoriasis may require something stronger and more effective in treating scalp conditions.  

Overall, I do consider this a shampoo that works well with thicker textured hair like mine.  However, I did not notice any improvement with my dry scalp.   I am currently using milder shampoos that also provide cleansing without stripping.  I do not feel as if I will be purchasing this product in the future only because of the sulfate and silicones present in the ingredients list.   

Review: Hollywood Beauty's Olive Creme for Dry Hair

One of the most popular topics over at the K.I.S.S. hair forum (or any forum for that matter) is which moisturizer works best.  For a long time the word "moisturizer" was a bad word in my newly natural regimen.  I had become accustomed to avoiding products that contained mineral oil and petroleum which is often found in "moisturizers" for curly, relaxed and afro textured hair.  Still, the homemade spritzes and butters I learned how to make were either too heavy or too wet for my hair depending on the style.  For a while I started using leave-in conditioner to moisturize and sealed that with one of my favorite oils.

Finally, I decided to purchase a product to add to my regimen after reading a suggestion in one of the discussions on K.I.S.S. .  That product was by Hollywood Beauty which I have to admit was never a brand I thought of ever trying.  I guess I assumed that there would be a lot of the "no-no" ingredients in their products.  I was surprised to find that their Olive Creme was mineral oil and petroleum free.  Instead I found ingredients like, Olive oil and Calendula extract.  I decided at $4 (USD) it was at least worth a try.  I'm on my fifth jar now and can't say enough about it.

The Ingredients:

Deionized Water (Aqua) , Isopropyl Myristate , Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean) , Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive) , Stearic Acid , Stearyl Alcohol , Glyceryl Stearate , Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate) , Matricaria Extract (Chamomilla Recutita) , Calendula Extract (Calendula Officinalis Flower) , Vitamin B (Yeast Extract) , Macademia Oil (Macademia Ternifolia Seed) , Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate) , Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera) , Rosemary Extract (Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf) , Sage Extract (Salvia Officinalis Leaf) , Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) , Great Burdock Extract (Arctium Lappa Root) , Triethanolamine , Methyl Paraben , Propyl Paraben , DMDM Hydantoin , Imidazolidinyl Urea , Fragrance , Yellow #5 (Cl 19140) , Blue #1 (Cl 42090)

My son likes to call it, "Yoda Creme" because
of the pale green color

While the ingredients are not 100% natural, I still find that this product does a good job of keeping my hair moisturized without leaving a heavy, greasy feeling.  I'm not gonna lie, I didn't really expect much from the Olive Creme but it is now one of my staples.  It even works well when my son's curly (3b/3c/4a) hair is starting to get the, "frizzy halo".  I just spritz his hair down with water first and then apply the creme throughout his hair and we get another two days of soft curls before wash day.  He dubbed it "Yoda Creme" because of the pale green color and we still call it that.  


I of course love to add it to my Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel along with some Castor, Coconut and Grapeseed oil for my DIY Eco Styler Custard.  I also use it after applying my leave-in conditoner when I pull my hair back or braid it up for air drying.  The only thing I would complain about is the scent.  It's not like some of those other products out there that smell good enough to eat.   It just has this faint, old fashioned women's cologne smell or something.  It doesn't matter because I just ignore the scent.  I can always add some fragrance oil to it to make it my own.  I'm just glad to have found a product that works well and is affordable for me and my family.

Clairol Semi-Permanent Color Rinse Results

Applied the color rinse
in sections to damp hair

In my last post I talked about doing a Dark Brown color rinse on my hair to help tone down the burgundy red tones from using Henna.  Unfortunately, I have not had much luck with the Beautiful Collection product by Clairol.  I don't think it's the product itself but my regimen that does not work with color rinsing. 

The first thing I didn't like is that I had to apply the product all over whereas with something more permanent you're just re-touching the roots after the first application.  I just figured I would start with this to see if I liked the color on me.  The other thing is that the product rinses out easily with conditioner. 

See what had happened was. . . Prior to applying the rinse, I decided to shampoo my hair so that it was free from any build-up.  Then I applied the rinse and left it on for the suggested amount of time 25 minutes (10 minutes of that was under the dryer).  I rinsed until the water ran clear and then did a deep conditioning treatment which sent me back under the dryer.  I think this is where I went wrong.  When I rinsed the conditioner out in the shower I saw a lot of the color rinsing out with it.  I followed up with an ACV rinse to close down the cuticles of my hair strands and towel dried.  I was planning on wearing my hair straight so I let it air dry overnight and flat ironed the next day.  When I went out into the sun...STILL BURGUNDY!  I was up all night doing my hair and the color didn't even take but like I said, the deep conditioning with heat is probably what did it.  I thought that maybe the hair cuticle opened up because of the heat from the hooded dryer and the color released.

My hair color the next day...still burgundy

 

I figured I would try one more time a few weeks later and this time just rinse the color out, apply conditioner in the shower, detangle and leave it at that.  I mean, I know Clairol doesn't think I can shampoo, apply a color rinse and not use conditioner to get my hair back in order do they?  Well, apparently I'm the crazy one because the color (after detangling and rinsing the conditioner out with cool water) came out again! 

The product in question
Clairol Beautiful Collection
Semi Permanent Color Rinse
in Darkest Brown

Part of me keeps thinking back to when I told my mom about adding deep conditioning treatments to her routine.  The semi-permanent color rinse by Clairol is the very reason why she wouldn't (or couldn't).  She explained to me that the color kept rinsing out when she tried to deep condition so she stopped...Hmmmm.  Well, anyway I can see now that I'm going to end up going with something more permanent next go 'round.  Maybe the 2 step Henna/Indigo is the right choice for me after all.  To be continued.

Review-The Hair Stopper

The Hair Stopper
at Walmart for about $4.50

I recently bought an item that I thought would help with the shedded hairs that collect in our bathtub. This may not be very pleasant to discuss but I still thought I would share my experience with a product called, the Hair Stopper.  My husband has long straight hair and washes it almost daily.  I like to co-wash a couple times each week and also detangle my hair while under the running water of the shower.  I won't go into detail but we were in need of something to help with the hair that kept building up in the tub.  I found the Hair Stopper at Walmart for about $4.50 USD and was really hoping that it would work for us. 

How it works is you're supposed to remove the little grate that already covers the drain in the tub.  Then insert the Hair Stopper, which says it should fit most household drains, into the drainage hole.  It ended up fitting so I figured all things were a go.  Did it work you ask?  Well, let's just say that it did stop. . . the WATER from going down the drain!  I felt like I started out taking a shower and ended up wading in bath water.  I mean what gives?!  I tried to tweak it a little but it still acted like a plug and not a catch-all.  I planned on returning it later that week, but of course, my crazy dog, Grover, thought it would make a great chew toy.  Needless to say, it's back to the drawing board on this one.

Godrej Nupur Henna Review

I've been using henna for the past year and a half now and can say that I have tried a few different types.  I use it to blend my greys with the rest of my dark hair and keep my scalp issues at bay.  Previously, I ordered it online but now purchase it locally from an Indian Grocery store.  Recently I picked up a new brand from Ananda Bazaar in Aurora, that I heard others rave about in the hair forums.  It's called Godrej Nupur and is actually a mixture that includes brahmi (promotes hair growth), shikakai (cleanses hair and scalp), amla (darkens hair and prevents scalp infection) and bhringraj (conditions).  Finding all of these in one package is quite a deal.  I figured at $1.49 (USD) per package, the Nupur henna was definitely worth a try.

I added green tea and juice from

half a lemon

One package of Godrej Nupur henna holds 60 grams so I used two packages for my hair which is past shoulder length and very thick.  I kept my mix pretty simple and just added green tea and juice from half a lemon.  I added enough water to make it into a yogurt like consistency and let it sit for a few hours.  Before applying it to my hair, I added a little more water so that it was creamy enough to work with.  One thing I noticed is that the texture of the henna is a lot smoother than some of the others I have worked with (i.e. Reshma and Jamila).  This made it very easy to apply.  The color took very well and did a good job of staining my greys that were starting to peek through. 

Added plain water until the
henna was a yogurt like
consistency

I have used the product twice since purchasing it and can definitely say that my hair appears to be darker which is more to my liking (I found out last year that my adding honey to my henna applications caused it to lighten my hair a little).  I was looking for a darker result so the Nupur henna works for me.  Even so, my hair still looks a deep burgundy color when I'm outside.  For this reason I'm currently looking to do the 2 step process where you apply henna and then indigo to go completely black.  Overall though, I enjoy using the Godrej Nupur and will make sure to keep it stocked in my ever growing henna stash.