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25 February 2011

[review] oyin handmade hair dew


ingredients: purified water, castor oil, olive oil, organic aloe vera gel, behentrimonium methosulfate (emulsifier), coconut oil, olive squalane, optiphen (preservative), cetyl alcohol, and love!

oh my, oh my, oh my!

i mean… i really don't know what else to say when it comes to this product except OH MY! it's amazing! oyin has outdone themselves again. i'm already a stan for their conditioner, and now this!

it was so exciting to see they had come out with a new product… okay, not that exciting as i didn't even know they had come out with something new until i visited their store to take advantage of a sale around the holiday season. :P i had come to stock up on the 32 oz of the honey+hemp when i saw this. once i smelled it (heaven!) it was over, i had to have it. i know i'm a little late to review this, despite unintentionally buying it as soon as it was released, but i'm so happy to finally get to it! i have the bottle sitting right next to me and i am filled with an inexplicable sense of calm, happiness, and cookies. onto the review!

( p r i c i n g )
you can get an 8 ounce bottle of this creamy crack for $12, or 16 ounces for $19. once i finish up this bottle, i will definitely be going for the larger size. the prices on here are more than agreeable, everything about this product is damn near perfect. i noticed they didn't sell sample sizes of this and quite frankly, they don't need to - one try and i was hooked! i know a number of ladies have found holy grail status in this product as well!

( p a c k a g i n g )
packing on this is pleasant; before i found the opportunity to use this, i would find myself sometimes lovingly clutching my bottle… such was its allure! (I'm not crazy, I promise.) It's a narrow, semi opaque white bottle with a firm, solid feel to it. the standard black top sets of the white of the bottle and the lush blues and greens of the label just right. i really enjoy the "style" of this product. the label is a vibrant, lush green intertwined with a sunny, bright blue, fitting of the "dew" written on the label. it label is organized in the oyin way - a brief, delicious-sounding description, with the ingredients and website squeezed onto the bottom.

( s c e n t )
part of the reason i would pine over my bottle before i even used it was because of the scent, no doubt! oh my lawwwrd. even to this day, i don't tire of it! it's just so… goodness. oyin have truly outdone themselves this time - their scents have always been spot on, but this hair dew just takes it to the next level. the fragrance is a perfectly sweetened, golden brown, sugar cookie. just sweet enough to make you smile and fill your spirit with sunny, dewy joy, and tempered with the warmth of cinnamon and a sprinkling brown sugar and dash of vanilla. it really does smell like the perfect baked good, without the cloying, overpowering sweetness often found in  other products.

the scent lingers deliciously in your hair all day. when i tried this on a twist out, i would turn my head so the wind would blow the smell right back into my face. :P i've tried my best to do the scent some justice, but it's really something you have to experience for yourself!

( c o n s i s t e n c y )
this is advertised as a leave-in, but the consistency is a tad bit heavier than you'd expect. it's a little thick, without being dense at all. once rubbed between your palms, it takes on a very light texture and is a treat to spread through damp hair - yum! it doesn't slide around in the bottle at all, but leaves your hair feeling light, fresh, and moisturized. you literally only need a bit for moisture that seems to last all freakin' week.

( p e r f o r m a n c e )
my search for a water-based moisturizer is over. this product seemed to literally fall in my lap and now i can't imagine izzy without it! this makes a great moisturizer, leave-in, refresher, braid spray, anything! i haven't yet tried it with a gel over it, but i'm sure it would pass that test as well. what i love about this product is its versatility. the mixed with a bit of water, it makes a great refresher for even the most chronic of mashed fro syndrome. my hair feels soft, lush, and fragrant. ;)

it's light enough to avoid build up, but heavy enough to pack a moisture punch! the ingredients are simple and should agree with any head of hair (although i know some may be sensitive to aloe vera gel). and it has castor oil! my faaaavorite! really, this product just can't get any better for me. it's perfect. i can't see myself ever NOT using this and i have nothing but praise for this product, i love it!

( c u s t o m e r .service )
since i live in maryland, i just head on over to the baltimore store on saturdays when it's time for me to re-up. the staff is just as fabulous as their products. :) everyone there is so lively, bubbly, and helpful - it makes shopping there such a pleasure. i have never had a problem with their customer service - you can tell oyin is run by people who love what they do and have a good time doing it.

i am halfway through my bottle now and i can't wait to go back for that larger size! holy grail status!



ftc disclaimer: i am in no way affiliated with this company. i was not paid for this review and the product was purchased with my own monies. :)

update on my no-buy!


just a quick blog post updating my personal no buy challenge! i only started this challenge the end of november, but i know it's important to keep checking in just to manage my progress. it's good to remind myself of my goals and acknowledge my progress. :)

so, in addition to hair products, i've also banned myself from body washes, eyeliners, lip glosses, and skincare products.

i have been doing great on the hair product tip! i have a whole stash of goodies at home, some products i haven't even tried yet! the simplicity of braids definitely helps with any and all urges to shop. that isn't to say i haven't looked at products - i love browsing! but i haven't felt the urge or compelled to actually buy anything and i'm so proud of that! i was sent some products recently, but i didn't buy them so i'm safe, LOL!

i definitely have a (surprisingly) little wishlist of products i'd like to try, but i feel proud knowing that i can wait. they will be there for me to try later and if they're not, oh well! i can't miss what i've never had and there are tons of other products waiting to be explored.

body wash is a little tougher, just because i have a ton of bar soap and it's not as convenient as liquid body washes. i've been tempted to buy one or two body washes, but i remember my challenge and slip the product back up onto the shelf. i tell myself, i don't have much body to wash in the first place, and i have three huge bars of soap i ordered from chagrin valley very early last year and haven't even opened them yet! and i refuse to waste my money!

skin care... i failed this part of my challenge! whoops! i sometimes just can't help myself. i have a few areas of hyperpigmentation and anyone that has it knows how much of a hassle it is! it really makes one self conscious. i bought several samples of dermalogica products, and a full size cleanser and exfoliator. i am happy with these two products thus far, and it quelled the urge for anymore (expensive) dermalogica products, so i can confidently say i won't be buying anymore skin care products. i also decided to try a glycolic acid peel. now that i have something a little more heavy duty in my arsenal, i think it'll help with my urge to constantly try a hundred-and-one products (which are usually weak because extracts aren't really effective).

oh, i also got some cream from a vendor in thailand, but i'm scared of the ingredients breaking me out! i tried it on my neck and it seems to be okay. i'll just use that on my neck until i get the nerve to try it on my skin.

i know this post wasn't exactly hair-focused, but my no buy encompasses more than just hair products, so i figure it'd be good to include everything. :) maybe some of you are on a no buy as well, with hair, clothes, shoes, whatever.

if you are on a no buy, how are you doing so far? chime in!

17 February 2011

so. i loafed. (+goals!)


hey there curlies!

how is everyone? well, i hope!

i know... i've been gone for over a month, but it has been a crazy time! i earned a B in my winter linguistics class and spring semester has started. i'm also working now, so that does take up a few more hours of my day. i'm also vice president of an organization on campus so that gives me all kinds of new tasks to take on.

still, that's no excuse for my absence and i suppose i should explain what's going on. i'm back in braids! i was so tempted to cut down to a fade after that fiasco with that scissor happy stylist, that i decided to tuck my hair away lest i do something else to it! poor izzy - i am always doing something with her. i got senegalese again and it's been four weeks so far. my goal is to keep these in until spring break (march 20). i plan to have my edges redone every four weeks to keep them looking fresh. once i get to spring break, we'll see how my hair is doing - i'd love to be able to go as long as the entire semester. i'm not sure how likely that is, but we'll see!

last spring, i was able to keep my braids in for eight weeks, so i'm sure i can surpass it this time! i spray every other day with some diluted oyin hair dew (freaking LOVE this stuff, can't wait to type up a review!) and clean my scalp with the ORS dry shampoo.

like last time, i'm loving the lack of work. last time i got braids, my hair seemed to sprout of my head. i didn't appreciate all that hair and cut it off about a week later, lol. i'm hoping for that same kind of surprise at the end of this semester! after seeing all the progress i made in the fall, i was a little disappointed having it all lopped off, but it was only about three-four months of growth. besides, i'm starting off this semester with much more hair than i did this semester, so i'm sure i'll get great growth this time around. :)

hair wise, i haven't been doing too much so i haven't been blogging too much either, despite all these reviews i want to get out to you guys. (i was doing so well too!) but i was wondering, what are everyone's goals for this year? hair related or not? i love writing down and organizing my own goals and it's always nice to hear others, so what are yours?

so far, mine are:
  • retain all new length
  • try a curly weave for fall/winter!
  • make dean's list
  • be accepted into a research program
  • find a second job
  • end the year with 10 piercings (i have six now and am going for one more this week!)

how about you guys?! :)