[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!

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?! :)

so here's what happened... new lessons for 2011 already :/

i had a master plan for my hair alllll worked out. i was going to get braids next week and stay in them until march. then i would be trying out all kinds of new styles until the middle of the summer when i would color an afro i knew would be amazing.

that is, until i was butchered by my stylist.

yep.

what i thought would never happen to me, did.

and it's 100% my fault. i was too busy being embroiled in a textual throwdown that i let this girl do whatever she wanted, when i knew better. i wanted to get the color cut out for my braids and she took more than just the color off.

in retrospect, there were several things going on in that salon that should've made me walk out and save my money, the first of which my stylist being late. don't schedule me for 6:30 if you don't plan on seeing me immediately. i will never again wait for a scheduled appointment. and second, she hacked away at my hair with a fine toothed comb but i was already too upset to say anything. i am so disappointed in myself!

so here are my lessons for 2011, and it's only been the first week:

• do not wait more than ten minutes for an appointment. i didn't schedule a time to wait around. if a stylist isn't ready to see me immediately, i'm leaving.
• don't get your hair done when you're upset. you'll be even angrier at your hair style.
• you can trim your own ends! it's not hard and you can save yourself the money.

the whole thing was just a huge wreck and i am disappointed in myself for ignoring all these signs! i will never have a stylist cut my hair again! from now on, i am handling all my own trims!

i'm over it now, but i'd be lying if i said i wasn't extremely disappointed.  i was just really beginning to realize just how much length i had, and how to style it. on the other hand, i did always say i missed my old length. i still have a bit of hair, but not nearly as much as i had just last week. i feel like i'm back to looking like a boy (i hate shorter hair during the colder months!), but headbands and big earrings set off the look adorably, so i'll be purchasing a lot more hair candy.

i miss my color already too. :/ i can already tell that color will be my poison of choice when it comes to izzy, but i've been great at keeping my moisture levels up so i'm not worried. i'll just avoid the bleach from now on (or at least bleaching more than once). my hair is very dark (if not black) and it just makes me look even paler now that it's winter. and i think color looks best at this length. i wonder if izzy is still long enough to get braids. i figure it's best i tuck her away for a few weeks before i make anymore poor decisions. at one point i was going to just go to the barbershop and get another fade, but i decided against it (didn't have the money for ANOTHER cut). i said i wouldn't cut it anymore and i plan to stick to that. but it was verrrrry tempting.

here are some comparison pics of the damage.

my gorgeous very first twistout:

and my length now:

(edit: i am digging that shiny blackness of my hair - wow!)

such a huge difference, right?! i am making the best out of it, though. i'm using this opportunity to up my water and vitamin intake now that my skin is back to being face-front and try out cute accessories at this length. it's amazing how months and care of hard work can be ruined in less than a few minutes. i definitely learned my lesson! i am at peace with what happened to izzy now and glad i learned this lesson now as opposed to when my hair got longer.

now that it's been a few days, i am used to the length. i went out one night and was absolutely smitten with how it looked with this cute braided headband i got from claire's. izzy will always be my dear izzy, no matter what she looks like. i love her all the same! sure the experience is a little bittersweet, but no big deal. 

what a way to start off a happy new year, am i right?

[review] christine gant babassu cream deep conditioner

ingredients:  water, behentrimonium methosulfate, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl babassuate, babassu oil, wheat amino acids, soy amino acids, arginine, serine, threonine, acetamide MEA, hydrolyzed hair keratin, panthenol, sorbitol, sodium cocoyl collagen, amino acid cocyl sarcosine, wheat germ acid, wheat germ oil, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, sulfur, polysorbate 80, oleth-80, jojoba oil, tocopheryl acetate, hydrolyzed glycosaminoglycans, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, natural color, fragrance. 

i think i bought this in november too, so i've had enough time to think  up a review for it. let's jump right in!

- p r i c i n g -

i got a 4 ounce "sample" of this for $7.50. sample is in quotes because neither the price nor the size is really sample-like to me, but the price is great for the size. i've only used it three times now, but i have about three more uses left. the 4 ounce gives you a number of uses, which is great.

you can cop the full size 8 ounces for fifteen dollars, and a fanatic's 16 ounce for $26, which i think is great. the 16 ounce is sure to last you several months (depending on the length of your hair). and if you can catch one of their sales, you can pay even less! :)

- p a c k a g i n g - 

i love the container on this (although i think a bottle would suit it better). it comes in a simple clear jar, but the sleek silver top really sets it off for me. it gives the product a simple, fresh feel and image, that fits with their simple, lightly-colored labels. the edges are soft and the jar itself is very sturdy.

the label itself makes very clean use of its space. the company's logo is settled at the top, with the name of the product written in very clean font. i really like the rich carrot-y orange with the pale green of the image in the background. the font is slightly rounded, and ties in well with the simple imagery of the label.

- f r a g r a n c e -

there description says this conditioner has a light sugar and floral fragrance and that nails it right on the head. there's just enough natural sweetness for it to be pleasant, tempered with unoffensive, earthy florals. florals aren't really my thing, but the sugar sweetens this just enough for me. the scent is light and pleasant and shouldn't bother anyone.

- c o n s i s t e n c y -

this is a fairly thin conditioner. it slips around easily within its jar and is a little slippery to handle. for some unknown reason, since i've come home, i've just been dropping everything lately. i haven't dropped this (thank goodness), but scooping it out can lead to some drippage. it's thin enough that i would say it might be better at home in a bottle (despite how much i adore the jar).

it's a soft yellow color that makes it look teasingly like cake batter. it's very workable and spreads very easily through dampened hair. it foams up a little, which was surprising to me, but this helps it to coat each strand.

- p e r f o r m a n c e -

this really is a deep conditioner! after steaming, the slip is crazy. my curls are drunk with moisture and so soft and pliable. the shine is freaking amazing. i've noticed that this conditioner will dry in my hair if i go too long without a cap, which isn't a big deal, but as it dries, the amazing feeling in your hair dries up too, LOL.

i really like this conditioner! there's just one thing that keeps me from loving it… and that this conditioner drips unlike any other conditioner i've ever tried! under my steamer, i get minimal drippage (if any). with this, i've got water running down my face, dripping down my neck and it drives me crazy. i honestly don't know why it drips so much, i just can't figure it out. my guess is because it's so thin, and the foamy consistency of it just doesn't absorb the steam, so the water just drips down. i really don't know and that was probably a terrible guess. i would hate for the drippies to keep me from repurchasing this, but with so many other conditioners that DON'T drip, it would have to be on sale for me to pick it up again.

also, some of the ingredients i've never heard of, so i want to do a bit of research before i consider buying again.

so repurchase status on this is a maybe. i would highly recommend this however, and until i can find a spa headband big enough for my head, i probably will wait for a sale to buy again, but i definitely would repurchase!

- c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e -

i'd been eyeing christine gant products on etsy for some time, but the full sizes weren't cheap enough for me to consider committing to them. so i sent a message asking if could purchase samples. a reply took a few days, but the person was very sweet and eager to help. after that initial response, however, emails were replied to within a day. she was very helpful and so sweet.

A for customer service! :)

overall, i have only had positive experiences with christine gant products and would most definitely purchase from them again.

tc 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. :)

my first twistout! (pics!)

hey curlies!


so after my weekly steam tonight, i didn't want to just do NOTHING to my hair has usual, so i decided to try twists!


i moisturized with oyin's new hair dew (LOVE this stuff!). as i sectioned off my hair, i sealed each bit with their burnt sugar pomade and got to twisting.


here's how the twists came out!

as you can see, my ends got huge and puffy. i'm in need of a trim, but unwilling to let the length (and maybe the color) go at this moment. i'll probably trim around my birthday, after about two-three more months of growth.


my plan is to keep these twists in as long as possible (provided i don't leave the house, LOL). if i have to leave the house to go somewhere important, i'll do a twist out. but if it's to the store or something, i'll probably just tuck them under a scarf and hat.


i wanted to be able to wear these out, but i don't like them enough for that purpose, haha. but each twist is moisturized and so fat and juicy! my hair feels amazingly soft and i can't wait for my first twist out!


also, a tiny bit of hair porn for ya. ;)

i was cleaning out my camera's memory and found these! i'm sure i have some kind of styler in my hair, although i can't remember what. :P izzy was gorgeous at this length!

[review] nbdcosmectis miracle moisture (curl, twist, and loc creme)

ingredients: distilled water, tucuma butter, sodium pca, sodium lactate, lactic acid, collagen, urea, amino acids, behentromonium methosulfate, ceteryl alcohol, monoi de tahiti oil, meadowfoam seed oil, vitamin complex, stearic acid, germall and fragrance.

i first purchased a sample size of this back in november, when i was beginning my search for a water-based moisturizer. i found this on easy and it sounded like a good product, so i went ahead and picked this up. i've been working with it since then and i'm finally ready to do a good review on it. :) so let's go!

.pricing.

i bought 2 ounces of this for $5.50, which was very agreeable. you can purchase the full 4 ounce size of this for only ten dollars. i think these are excellent price points because i've been using generous dollops of my sample size for weeks now and i have a little less than half remaining. i imagine the full size would last for quite some time!

.packaging/presentation.

this cream comes in a simple blue jar. the color is fairly noteworthy, as i haven't received too many blue jars, lol. but it doesn't really fit for me. i'm not too sure why. the dark blue of this seems a bit more herbal, or medicinal.  the label is handmade, with the name of the product written on it (i think this is only for sample sizes, however!).  there's not too much information on it other than the website address and company name. i do like the little column of logos to the left, but the images are so small they're virtually useless.

packaging could be reworked to be a bit more aesthetically pleasing, but it is quite functional and shouldn't present too many problems for anyone.

.fragrance.

immediately, the fragrance on this caught my attention! there was very little mention of the scent in the product listing on etsy, so it came as quite a surprise. it is unlike anything i've ever smelled before. this is definitely a summer scent! it reminds me a bit of fruit punch - fun, loud, fruity. there is a definite berry undertone, but there is something that tempers it juuuust right. 

i love this! the scent lasts all day and i could catch a whiff every time that i turned my head or the wind blew. yummy! those who are sensitive to strong fragrances might opt for an unscented version, it could be a bit tiring at times.

.consistency.

the consistency of this is a standard, in my opinion, but no less enjoyable! it isn't very thick. it's one of the thinner products i've tried, but it has just enough weight to it. the consistency makes this go a very long way. a generous finger tip should cover most of your head. the consistency gives this product a definite plus for me.

.performance.

the performance on this was nice. i wasn't amazed, nor was i blown away, but neither was i disappointed at all. this is advertised as a styling cream, and i was primarily searching for a moisturizer. this did offer my curls a degree of definition and left them very soft and pliable. drying time was nice on this too.

however, the hold wasn't enough for me to consider using as a styler. and the moisture wasn't great enough for me to continue using as a moisturizer, especially as my hair gets longer.

i am on the fence about this product. i am going to keep working with it, for sure, since i have so much left. but i'm not too sure if this would ever be a repurchase. i enjoyed using it and everything agrees with me on this product, but it just wasn't amazing enough for me.

.customer service.

customer service from nbdcosmetics was quick and friendly. i was kept updated as to the status of my order and all my questions were answered promptly and politely. :)

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. :)