Deciding to Transition!!

So I got my touch up on the 22nd of October, and wasn't all that too happy with the results nor have I been too happy with my hair for awhile. I have played around with transitioning in the past but always ended up relaxing at some point. This time I seriously want to transition, and have been looking at women or are transitioning right now or have already gone natural. I am a little apprehensive about a few things because once my new growth gets beyond the manageable stage braidouts and other hairstyles don't look as good. Another thing I am apprehensive about is that when I was natural in the past I didn't know how to handle my hair, but this was before I got all the plethora of information I have received  from hair care forums that I feel can be applied to both natural and relaxed hair as well. I am plan on doing a long term transition, so for every inch of hair I grow that's how many inches of relaxed hair I will be getting cut off. Wish me luck everyone!!

Ok I Am Back... Regimen Under Construction!!!

I know it has been awhile since I have updated my blog, I have just been super busy with life!! Anyway I haven't been consistently following my regimen and have just let my hair be for awhile. I went from straightening my hair just during touch ups to wearing it straight once a month to get to enjoy it. Well now I am trying to accomplish a new goal of getting my hair to tailbone length, and need to get back f ledge into a more consistent regimen. My new regimen is going to be much simpler compared to my older regimens, and will be trying to add some Ayurveda hair care products. I am in the Ayuverda Hair Challenge on Hairlista, but I don't really plan on getting too much into the powders that a lot of women use it seems too time consuming and complicated. So far I have a Shikakai soap bar, Vatika Oil, and Amla Oil that's it! I wont being writing a review on these products or regimen until I have tried it for at least three months or unless I start to see adverse affects on my hair. I know for a fact I will be going back to just getting flat irons on touch up days which is coming up next month. And I will be staying far far away from bantu knots as those do nothing but tangle my hair up. But I will be back to talk about my progress... Talk to all soon!! HHG =]

Sallys Hair Haul Got Some New Goodies

Well today I got bored sitting at home and decided to go to Sallys to look around. I admit I have been trying to stay consistent with the products I use, but eh... Using the same products over and over though beneficial does get old after awhile. But I must say I haven't been going off the mark with the new products I am trying. Most of them are the same equivalents of products I have used before. So what did I get? Well here goes:

Soft and Beautiful Just for Me Oil Moisturizing Lotion

I am going to say this product is an equivalent to the Silken Child Moisturizer, just with not as good ingredients. But then again, the reformulated version of Silken Child doesn't have as good of ingredients as the original. This product does have Mineral Oil and Petroleum in it... Wooo Hahaha (evil laugh). I just moisturized with it a few hours ago and put my hair in two plaits, I did like the sheen it gave my hair. Tomorrow when I take my hair down I will see how it works, last time I used a hair product that had petroleum in it my hair was hard crunchy mess. Hopefully this time it wont be the case.

Lustrasilk Moisture Max Mega Moist Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion

I am going to say the equivalent to a product I used in the past would be Elasta Qp Oil Recovery minus all the extracts and oils it had. This product too has Mineral Oil and Petroleum in it, so I am guessing now you notice I am not a biggie on ingredients. I feel if it works it works no matter what kind of ingredients there are in it. I am not sure when I will be using this product as to now I am getting a feel for Just for Me or why I even picked this particular product up. Other than the fact I wanted to give it a try awhile ago but forgot to. So once I do I will back with a review, and if I like both moisturizers I am not sure what I will do because I still like my Jheri Juice products. And if I like one of the products it will be in rotation with my Jheri Juice product.

Wild Growth Light Oil Moisturizer

For awhile I have used the Wild Growth Oil that came in the white bottle all the while ignoring the yellow one. I do notice the yellow one sells out more at Sallys and I always thought the yellow one had better looking ingredients. But for whatever reason I kept purchasing the white one, well today I used this to seal in the Just for Me Moisturizer and I must say this one gives a better sheen. It might be due to the fact it has Jojoba and Coconut Oil in it, and though the smell isn't as potent as the one in the white bottle the smell of this one isn't a walk in a field of flowers either. But with continued use of this I will tell you what I think of this product. I also picked up some more sectiong clips for my hair. All reviews for these products will come soon.. HHJ =]

African Pride Olive Miracle Moisturizer Lotion... Classic Case of Wanting Something to Work and it Just Doesn't

I really wanted to like this product, really I did. After all they "Hey have you tried this hair moisturizer it's great!" from all the hairboards I was willing for it to work. Maybe that is why I gave it so many chances to begin with and had an excuse for why it didn't work each time. First time I tried it was in January prior to my relaxer day. I moisturized and sealed it in with Coconut Oil and the next day when I took my hair down some parts were soft but the rest of my hair felt like an oily mess! I blamed it on the fact that maybe it was my new growth and relaxed hair rebelling due to being so many weeks post. So a few weeks after getting my hair relaxed I tried it again, this time sealing with WGO. The next day when I took my hair down it was just as oily if not more oily than before. I was tempted to lay on a cloth pillow case just to soak up the greasy mess, matter of fact I think I do lay on a cotton pillow case for that reason!! Yesterday night was my last time trying this product.I said "Hmmmm maybe this time if I use less and don't use any oil to seal it in, since it already has an oil to it." Boy was I wrong this morning when I took my hair down it was oily, and then when I went out to do some errands it felt dry!! So, ummmm... I believe I am going to chuck this one up as a loss. This product is going to go in the product graveyard it was a no go. For some reason I don't know why I bothered with this product from the get go, my hair isn't a fan of Olive Oil and Soybean type moisturizers anyway so I should have known better. But eh... I guess you win some and you lose some.. HHJ =]

Battle of the Skin Care Regimens: St. Ives VS. Neutrogena

Let the battling begin!!!

Ok so I am going to be honest and say that I have used the St. Ives skin care regimen a while longer than I have used the Neutrogena line. I've used St. Ives for a month and this is my first week using the Neutrogena line, but I will give the rundown of the differences I have seen thus far.

St. Ives VS. Neutrogena... Facial Washes

St. Ives Apricot Blemish & Blackhead Control Facial Wash: I really liked this facial wash, I would use it morning and night. It isn't one of those soapy kind of facial washes but more so a creamy like facial wash that rubs into the skin. After each wash my face would feel soft and look clear. I got a lot of compliments from people about my skin. The downside to this facial wash is that where I live it is hard to come by. I have only seen it sold at two stores: Walmart and Meijers. The upside is that for people who want a more "natural" facial wash this one is as about as natural a mainstream facial wash you can get. That is until Neutrogena came out with their natural line.

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash: This wash is more of a soapy variety, which I read in a few articles, that soapy and clear facial washes are better for people with oily skin(that fits me). I don't suffer from acne but do get an occasional bump here and there. I feel this wash would help with that. I like that it actually lathers on my face and is soapy, because I feel like I have cleaned all the dirt and everything off my face. Sometimes with the St. Ives I didn't feel that way. If you wash your face off with a wash cloth you will have to keep wiping that area as it doesn't give a clean wipe off. If you are a person that splashes your face with water to wash it off then you should be fine. This wash also comes in Pink Grapefruit and Soothing Green Tea.

If I Had to Choose Between the Two: I would have to go with Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash it seems like it is really clearing up the bumps on my face already. And I still get compliments on how nice my skin looks. I truely feel like my skin is clean with this stuff.

St. Ives VS Neutrogena... Facial Scrubs

St. Ives Naturally Clear Blemish and Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub: I am going to start off by saying this scrub is really abrasive and rough. I would use it three times a week, every other day. I do feel like it helped with face and did even out my skin tone. It's just that it was rough and would leave some of the exfoliants on my face.

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Foaming Scrub: My first time using it was tonight, and one thing I noticed was that it wasn't as abrasive and harsh on my face like the St. Ives. I loved the smell of it (Pink Grapefruit) and how the beads worked on my skin. Can't wait to try it a few times, I like that it's a scrub without it feeling like it is going to scrub my skin off.

If I Had to Choose Between the Two: I am not really sure, I have used the St. Ives longer so it wouldn't feel fair to say. Also I feel like the Neutrogena would be great for nightly scrubs whereas the St. Ives would be great for a monthly deep down exfoliant. So I feel they both serve two different purposes.

Other Things St. Ives Has That I Like

I really like using St. Ives Makeup Remover & Facial Cleanser, I haven't tried the Neutrogena equivalent to this, but I like using this for days I wear makeup which isn't too often, but often enough.

Other Things Neutrogena Has That I Like

I like Neutrogena's Oil Free Moisture For Sensitive Skin, it really makes the skin on my face soft. I haven't seen a St. Ives equivalent to this, but prior to using this moisturizer I was using Clean and Clear's Dual Facial Moisturizer. I might start wearing the Clean and Clear underneath since the Clean and Clear helps with Acne and bumps as well.

So there you have it ladies and gents my battle show down, and I guess it is safe to say that I am starting to like the Neutrogena line better for my skin care and type: Combination/Oily, whereas St. Ives might be better for someone with dry skin. I will give a more detailed description of my skin care regimen soon!!

Other Happening and Going Ons, Besides Hair... Rambles..

Well let's see I finally learned how to do eyebrows, well shape them that is. I use tweezers and a razor to get the hairs. My next lesson is on how to fill them in which I have been practicing on for some time so I should be getting it soon. I am developing my own facial regimen, I have been using Shorty2Sweet's facial regimen for a month now and really like the results I am getting. Most of the facial products used are by St. Ives, however I am going to switch a few products out to see if I like that regimen as well. I have been trying out different makeup techniques to see which ones I like best, and I am growing a like of red lipsticks and pink lip gloss. I will posting up some reviews of all my findings... HHJ =]

Full Review on Everything I Have Just Tried

Well first I wanted to start off saying that I haven't forgotten about you all while I was away, I just been on hiatus. Anyway I told you all that I would give a full review on the products I have used after a significant amount of time so the reviews are as follows:

Queen Helene's Cholesterol Conditioning Cream

I love this conditioner! It has become one of my staples, I like to add Peppermint Oil, Olive Oil, and glycerin which adds to the wonderful. The first time I tried it I wasn't sure if I liked it on hair because it made it feel hard. After when I got back in the shower to wash it out my hair had drank it up and was really soft. I just recently went to Sallys to purchase the big tub of it seen above!

Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Shampoo

I love, love love this shampoo!! For the past couple of years I have been looking for a replacement to CON in the green bottle and I can finally say I found it! This shampoo lathers great on the hair doesn't strip it and my hair feel so soft like I deep conditioned. I'm glad I bought an extra bottle of this stuff cause I hear it is going fast.

ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo

I have used this a few times to clarify my hair, it doesn't strip the hair like regular clarifying shampoos. And after I use it my hair feels soft and moist that I don't need to follow up with my regular shampoo. Most definitely a keeper!!

I will come back with more reviews of some of the other products I have tried... HHJ =]

Got Another Shampoo... Mill Creek's Biotene H-24 Natural Shampoo with Biotin and Peptides

The product promises Thicker, Fuller Hair Naturally. It has both Biotin and Peptides in it, something that I know a lot of women on hair care boards love. I will plan on trying this tomorrow when I do my wash. This shampoo also comes together with a conditioner and a scalp Emulsion with Biotin in it. GNC does however sell the shampoo and conditioner seperately which is what I bought. This IS a protein based shampoo and the Conditioner is protein based as well. So if you are protein sensitive I probably wouldn't reccomend you use this product. And also for some reason I am feeling like there are a few different formulations of this product going around I will list the ingredients that are on the bottle that I have purchased.

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Aloe Vera Gel, Decyl Polyglucose, Glycerin, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Cocamidopropyl Betaine(Coconut Oil), Pathenol(Provitamin B5), Biotin, Retinyl Palmitate(Vitamin A), Clotsfoot Extract, Yarrow Extract, Rosemary Extract, Sage Extract, Nettles Extract, Birch Leaf Extract, Horsetail Extract, Calcium Panthothenate, Inositol, Asorbic Acid(Vitamin C) Citric Acid, Cysteine HCL, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexlglycerin, Caprylyly Glycol, Essential Oils. pH balanced.

These are how the ingredients appear on my bottle, I have seen ingredient list floating around of this shampoo that have Sulfates in it, Hydrolyzed Keratin along with the Hydrolyzed Collagen, and Hydrolyzed DNA and RNA. I don't know if this company has changed the ingredients on this product or if there are two formulations floating around or what. With these companies you just never know. I will be giving this product a try to see how I like it and if I do like it since it is a protein based shampoo I would alternate it with my Shea Moisture ORSB Moisture Rentention Shampoo. Not sure as of yet what I will do with the Neutrogena Shampoo I have... *sigh* I was doing so good with my Pjism and now I have started it back up. I am going to make this promise to myself that this is the last new product I try and will only spend money on my staple products that I know worked for my hair... But I will be back with my review later on this week....Till next time.... HHJ

Today's Wash Day Got to Try New Hair Products =]

Today I decided to wash my hair and get back into my regimen, I went to the salon last week for my touch up. Anyways, prior to washing my hair I applied Tea Tree Oil to my scalp and massaged it in. I am going to start off saying that this oil stinks! But it seems as though it worked and I liked the benefits that come with using this oil. After I applied the oil to my scalp I then applied ORS Hair Mayo to dry hair, placed on a conditioning cap, and sat under my heating cap for 30 minutes. I then rinsed out my hair combed it forward and shampooed with Shea Moisture ORSB Moisture Retention Shampoo. I like the way this shampoo made my hair feel, it was like shampooing with a moisture rich conditioner. When I dried my hair and rubbed my hands through my ends my hair felt really moisturized and oily. This to me is a pleasant surprise coming from a shampoo even one that doesn't have sulfates in it. I will see how it works after the six weeks post mark. After drying my hair I mixed my Queen Helene Cholesterol Conditioning Creme, EVOO, Glycerin, and Peppermint Oil in a bowl and applied it to my hair in sections. When I first started applying the Queen Helene to my hair I was a little iffy about it because it made my hair stiff feeling. But once I sat under the heating cap for 40 minutes, and rinsed my hair out it felt nice and moisturized. I liked how it made my hair feel thick and fluffly not to mention this conditioner has nice slip as well. And it comes in a tub, and Sallys has big tubs of it as well which is a plus! I will also see how this works pass the six weeks post mark. I applied my leave ins, and I wanted to say I tried the new formulation of Profectiv Healthy Ends. I use to use the old formutlation like one or two years ago and I feel like though the new formulation smells better it for some reason didn't feel like it was coating my ends like the old formulation did. But I will keep a watch out for how it works. After applying my leave ins I detangled and air dried using the scarf method. Once my hair was dried I moisturized and sealed with Wave Nouveau and Wild Growth Oil. So far I liked how things turn out, but I want give a full set in stone review until after the six weeks post mark. I feel like after a fresh relaxer hair seems to respond well to almost every product and technique you try. But once you get pass the six weeks post mark that's when you really get to see how a product will really work for your hair. But I will keep you all posted... Till next time HHJ =]

Regimen Changes, Somet Things New Some Things Old

So I got my hair relaxed last Friday and I didn't really like what I seen. I wasn't too happy with the way my ends looked, and this could be one of two things: The new regimen I had incorporated from last time I relaxed to this relaxer or I am reading too much into it. I am going with the former, the picture on the left is of my hair taken down after work and combed it down. I feel like my ends are too thin and uneven looking though that could be my "V". So the solution is, I am going back to my old regimen where I was seeing good results ("If it ain't broke then don't try to fix it right?), because clearly with my hair looking like that the new regimen isn't working. My old regimen was still keeping it as simple as I could get but it was more involved than the previous one.

Some Things Old Being Brought Back:

1. Using protein once a week, I would do protein once a week as a prepoo on dry hair. I was receiving some good results from this, and my hair was thickening up.
2. Deep Conditioning with Moisture 2x a week, I would deep condition with moisture twice a week following shampooing on the day I used a protein conditioner on dry hair and as a prepoo on dry hair on my moisture day.
3. Profectiv Healthy Ends Anti- Split End & Deep Repair, I use to apply this on my hair on wash days. It makes your ends stay even and reduces split ends caused by combing through your hair. I recently just picked up a new jar of this at Sallys and noticed the ingredients have changed. Hopefully it still works the same like the old formula.
4. Sealing with Oils on Wash day, I had got in the habit of sealing with GVP Silk Infusion on wash days, which yeah it did make my hair soft but it has some cones it. I am not one big on not wanting products because of certain ingredients but I did feel that using this on the regular basis didn't work for my hair. So back to sealing with oils =]
5. Back to the Juice! The Juice really does help me to retain length and moisture in my hair better than any moisturizers I have used before. And I had come to the conclusion a while ago that when it comes oil based moisturizers especially Olive Oil and ones with Soybean Oil my hair just felt like eh... =\ towards them. So back to Wave Nouveau, S-Curl, and Care Free Curl Gold though not all at once I plan on kicking one to the curb.
6. Back to Adding Add ins to My Conditioners, now I don't feel like not adding add ins to my conditioners hurt my hair, because it's nothing better and more simple than being able to use a conditioner straight from the bottle without having to add things. But on the other hand taking a good condtioner and making it better with different oils and everything is a plus to me as well.
7. Back to Longer Deep Conditoning Times, A year or two in my Hair Journey I would deep condition for 40 mins max, but kind of got lazy and cut it down to 20-25 mins. Not saying cutting down hurt my hair cause my hair still thrived. But now I want to make sure I am getting the full benefits of the conditioner.

Some Things New, Being Incorporated In:

1. Applying Tea Tree Oil to Scalp as a Prepoo, I will be applying this to my scalp before I shampoo for 30-40 mins. I will be doing this at the same time I am deep conditioning on dry hair. I have read some of the benefits of applying or adding Tea Tree Oil to a regimen and I hope it works out for me.
2. Using Peppermint Oil as a Conditioner add in, I hear a lot of women talk about adding this to their conditioners or shampoos and how stimulating to the scalp it is. So when I do my conditioner mixes this will be going in the batch as well.
3. Trying Out a New Conditioner and Shampoo: Queen Helene Cholesterol and Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Moisture Rentition Shampoo... Reviews will be here soon =]

**Hopefully all these new products will work out for me, and if they do then I will just stick with these techniques and products and learn to tame the Pj down again**

I have pretty much already have reached my goal of waistlength hair, and really have just been seeing how much longer my hair will go from there. Cutting my hair back to waistlenght every relaxer just scares me so I just haven't done it. But I will be getting the ends of my hair trimmed some more, because I really don't like how my ends look in that picture. I will keep you all updated on how everything is going with the products and techniques in later post. If it ain't broke then don't try to fix it... HHJ =]

Companies and Their Ever Changing Ingredients List

We've all been there before: you find an excellent product, deem it your staple moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, etc. Then a month or so later you go to the store to stock up on your staple product only to see the "New and Improved" label on the bottle with some times fancier packaging than before. You start to feel anxious as you turn the bottle around to check the ingredients and you notice they either added something or have taken something out. The first thought that comes to mind is "How could they tamper with such a good thing?" Now us in the hair care forums know that product ingredient changes can go one of two ways: Really bad or really good. But it seems like a lot times of the "New and Improved" product is just a downgrade to watered down, mineral oiled, peteroluem, sulfate, and other added fillers that take a once good product and turn into a hair nightmare. So what's a girl to do? Besides run out and stock up on a good thing while it lasts. Well my advice is as follows:

1. Find an Alternate Hair line: If there is a particular conditioner, moisturizer, or shampoo you like. Look for Lomething in another hair line that works just as good and has the same purpose. That away if your once beloved staple gets changed and your hair responds badly to it you have you alternate to fall back on. Now please don't get product junkie on me ladies. =]
2. Try Natural Product Lines: Now I could be wrong as I don't use natural hair care products on a regular basis. But it seems like products in natural lines don't experience as much of an ingredient makeover like mainstream products do, and usually when they do get a makeover it's nothing major. This could also be a good one for an alternate product line.
3. And.... Yes I Will Say it... Run Quickly to Stock up on Your Faves! We all know that the joy of finally having a staple product staple product is fleeting. So savor it while you can, and if they do change the ingredients for the worst at least you will have a good amount of the original product left till you find something new.

So there you have it ladies and gents... Till next time HHJ =]

Wash Day and Neutrogena Triple Moisture Cream Lather Shampoo

I just wanted to start this blog post off by saying, I promise you I am not reverting back to product junkie ways. I am just tweaking my regimen and if I find something better than what I am using sticking to the new product. Anyways I am four months post so about 16 weeks post relaxer, and after finding out that the ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo is actually a clarifying shampoo I knew I had to look for something else. Now I was using V05 shampoos and yes that was working but after awhile of using that shampoo my hair started to feel dry no matter what I put on it and my scalp would itch. I had been looking at the Neutrogena shampoo for some time, but never had the guts to try it. I guess because it didn't seem like to be a lot of shampoo for the price. But a few days ago I decided to pick up a bottle and try it. So after deep conditioning with ORS Hair Mayo on dry hair, I did my once a month clarification with ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo, and shampooed with the Neutrogena Triple Moisture. And once again it was one of those things where I felt like a creamy shampoo...? Yeah right!! But this shampoo really did feel good on hair, it felt like I was lathering up with a conditioner! I really liked this shampoo, and when I rinsed it out of my hair it still felt soft! I will be trying this a few more times before I make a decision on it. I then deep conditioned with ORS Replenishing Conditioner (Yes please scold me now for the over protein usuage), rinsed and detangled, applied Herbal Essence LTR Leave in and GVP Silk Infusion. I then braided my hair in four cornrows and don't plan on taking them down till Sunday to rock a braidout. I plan on relaxing sometime next week. HHJ :]

On a ORS Kick

I want to start off by saying that I never really paid much attention to the Organic Root Stimulator line. Not because I didn't like it or anything, it was just something I always walked passed to other products. Now I have tried the ORS Replenishing Pak here and there, but never repurchased for some reason. Anyway a week or so ago I was in the store looking for a hair lotion that I could use on flat ironed hair, and considering that it is winter time I didn't much care if the lotion made my hair less straight. I picked up a bottle of ORS Moisturizing Hair Lotion and the Creamy Aloe Shampoo because I planned to wash my hair that week as well. The reviews on the products I tried are as follows:

1. ORS Olive Oil Moisturizing Lotion: This product worked really nicely on my flat ironed hair, it made it soft and shiny. However, when I washed my hair and use this product to moisturize and seal my hair felt dry and hard as hay. And no matter what I did to it, it just didn't seem to moisturize. I think this is due to the fact that Petroleum is in the ingredients list. Now for my hair I can get away with Mineral Oil but Petroleum is a no no.
2. ORS Creamy Aloe Shampoo: I had been eyeballing this for some time, and I did not know this was a clarifying shampoo. So I used it two or three times in a row for a wash. When I seen it said Creamy and looked at the ingredients and saw sulfates in it I thought "How in the heck is this shampoo supposed to be creamy?" But believe or not it really was creamy and I couldn't tell their was a sulfate in it, nor did it give that squeaky squeak sound when I was done. This will be my new clarifying shampoo.
3. ORS Hair Mayonnaise: I've only used this once so I can't really give much or rather I like it or not. But I used this as my monthly protein treatment, I got tired of having to use raw eggs for protein so was on the look out for a protein conditioner. When I saw this I remember hearing rave reviews on different hair boards and decided to give it a try. I DC'ed with it on dry hair for 20 minutes. When I rinsed it out my hair felt really soft, but I will keep you all updated on how I like it.
4. ORS Replenishing Conditioner: I have used the Pak version of this conditioner before and remember liking it and wondering when a bottle form would be out. So while at Sallys I grabbed a bottle of this as well. I know there is some debate going on about the Pak being better than the bottle and if it's even the same ingredients. Right now I am not really sure how I feel about the bottle form and need to try it a few more times before I form an opinion on it. But is it me or does it seem like the Replenishing Conditioner is more protein-y than the Hair Mayo? I compared the ingredients of the two and Hydrolyzed Collagen is further up on the Replenishing Conditioner's list of ingredients and further down on the Hair Mayo ingredients. But I will let you know how the bottle form turns out for me.

So there you have it ladies and gents looks like I'm in ORS land for now... Till next time HHJ :]

Im.... BACK!!

Hey ladies and gentlemen sorry for my long hiatus I was having a computer problem. I can really tell you all that I missed you so much a missed blogging. I do have maxiglide picture results to load up, plus a couple of product reviews that I tried when I was away. So stay tuned! On another note how has everyone and their hair journey's been going?