Product Review-Ebonnet by EboniCurls

A few weeks ago I posted on my Instagram and Facebook pages that I had finally purchased my first Ebonnet by EboniCurls and shortly after receiving it I expressed how after just a couple of days I was already in love with the product. Well, I'm happy to report that I'm still loving my bonnet, probably more now than I did before! I first learned about these handmade Charmeuse Satin bonnets when my sister and kurlfriend Janeen aka CoilyHeadChick did a review on her YouTube channel. I must admit that my initial thought was that the bonnets were expensive. I even told Janeen it was going to take some strong convincing to get me to buy one. I saw a few other reviews and every video I watched was a positive one. I happened to stumble upon the video Eboni did to explain the difference between her bonnets and the bonnets purchased at local beauty supply stores. After watching it I was convinced and made up my mind that I would purchase one. 

A little over a year ago I stopped wearing my bonnet and just slept on satin pillow cases because I noticed that my hair would feel and look dry after sleeping in the "satin" bonnets that I purchased from the beauty supply store. One of the first things I was told I needed as a natural was a bonnet, everyone swore by them so I was so confused when I felt like the beloved bonnet was working against my natural hair. I began searching natural hair forums to see if anyone else was experiencing the dryness that I was and was surprised that there were several naturalistas who were going through the same thing and that is when I gave up on the BSS bonnets.

Given my past with bonnets I was a little leery about wearing one again but I must say that I am so happy I gave this one a try. Upon receiving my Ebonnet in the mail the first thing I noticed was how well it is made. I could tell immediately that with proper care it will last me a while unlike the bonnets you purchase from the beauty supply stores. That alone makes the Ebonnet worth the money so any other benefits are a bonus. I have been wearing my Ebonnet every night since I received it and the way it keeps my hair moisturized is amazing. I still moisturize and seal my ends every day but the rest of my hair has not needed to be re-moisturized. This is a bonus for me because that means I don't need to add more product to my hair which allows me to wear light, fluffy twist outs that I love. The final thing that I would say I love the most about the Ebonnet is the size. It is so spacious making it perfect for any afro. The true test for me was wearing the bonnet to bed without re-twisting my hair. The bonnet is big enough that it protects my hair without smashing it so my fro does not lose its shape. I love that I can save so much time on styling my hair. I can take off my Ebonnet, spritz my ends with water, seal with an oil, shake, and go! 

Overall I am so impressed with the Ebonnet and definitely plan to buy more. I honestly don't have anything bad to say about it. On a scale of 1-5 it is definitely a 5 and I would recommend it to anyone! 

In addition to the bonnets Eboni makes and sells scarves, pillow cases, and scrunchies. All of her items can be purchased from her Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ebonicurls. While there are a lot of bonnets out there, there is only ONE Ebonnet so please make sure you all are getting the real deal!!


xoxo Kurlfriends   

Viviscal Extra Stength Hair Vitamins

Twist out a few days after the cut

A month or so ago I got a haircut because of the odd shape my hair had grown into. I had some breakage in the crown and some damaged ends in the front as a result of stress and failure to take care of my hair properly because of my hectic schedule. I wanted the haircut to fix all of that regardless of how short my stylist would have to cut it and she did just that. Once I saw how much of my hair was taken off I was kind of upset with myself for not caring for my hair as I should and knew that I needed to do better.

I've heard and read some great testimonials about Viviscal Hair Vitamins so I was extremely happy to be given the opportunity to try them out for myself. I received a 90 day supply of the Viviscal Extra Strength vitamins and began taking them on July 23, 2012. Viviscal offers two types of hair vitamins; this particular one is said to nourish thinning hair and promote existing hair growth. They are dietary supplements and the main ingredient in the Extra Strength vitamins is AminoMar C Marine Complex. The directions state that you are to take two tablets per day with water after food; one tablet in the morning and one in the evening.

While I've decided not to measure my hair until the end of the 3 months I can tell that there has been some growth, specifically at my edges. Whether or not the rate of growth is more than the typical rate, I don't know and won't be able to tell until after the 90 day period when I do my final length check. I measured my hair on the day I started taking the supplements and it measured as follows:

Left Back-5 1/2 inches

Right Back-5 1/2 inches

Left Side-6 7/8 inches

Right Side-7 inches

Crown-6 3/8 inches

Front Center-9 1/4 inches

Left-July 23rd
Right-August 19th

I will come back at the end of October with the results and comparison pictures so stay tuned for that!

Disclaimer: I was given this product for the purpose of completing this review. I was NOT paid or encouraged to do a positive review. I have given an honest description of my experience with this product and I am in no way responsible for your experience with the product and/or company.

~Tonia Does Her Big Chop~

I posted last week how excited I was that my friend and co-worker Tonia was taking the plunge and doing her big chop. We've talked about her doing her BC but I had no idea that without any hesitation she would agree to do it that week. One of the most important things I learned while transitioning is not to pressure a person into going natural so I wanted to make sure she was really ready to do it and did not feel pressured to take that step. All week I asked "are you sure you are ready to do it now?" and every time she would quickly respond and say "yes"!


For Tonia it was only appropriate to have a few girlfriends accompany her to the salon for this big event. Four of her friends, myself included joined her at Avalon Hair & Color Studio where stylist Brittani would have the pleasure of doing her big chop. Once we arrived at the salon Tonia was all smiles and even as Brittani began to cut her gorgeous locs she didn't appear to have an ounce of fear.

After Tonia's relaxed ends had been cut off Brittani twisted her hair using ReVe Essentials Moisturizing Creme and put her under the hair dryer to allow the twist to set. We continued to laugh and joke as we anxiously waited to see the final results. About 40 minutes later the stylist began removing the twist and suddenly Tonia's facial expression began to change. I could see the look of concern in her eyes as Brittani took her shears and started shaping Tonia's curly tresses. I asked her was she ok and she said "I'm ok" but I could tell she was having that moment when you begin to wonder "what have I done". We all gathered around and told her how cute her hair was and helped reassure her that she made the right decision. Slowly but surely that look of concern disappeared and she began to smile. She realized her "sexy" had not gone away and she returned to the cheery Tonia we all know and love!

 By the time Tonia left the salon Brittani and I breathed a sigh of relief because for a moment we thought Tonia would hate both of us!! For a girl who had never has her hair cut before I think she handled it like a trooper! I was/am so proud of her and excited for the journey that is to come!

Congratulations Tonia and thank you so much for allowing me to document the official beginning of your new journey!!! 

Castor Oil Challenge Update-What I've Learned So Far

On April 1st I took pictures and measured my hair to document the progress made since starting the castor oil challenge on March 1st. I haven't experienced much growth in the first 30 days which I wasn't surprised by however, I was disappointed in the fact that my hair hadn't grown the average 1/2 inch that is expected in a months time. So I had to think about how I've been caring for my hair and check myself on the areas that I've been lacking. Many of you know that my business partner and I have been extremely busy fulfilling orders for ReVe' Essentials and unfortunately that has resulted in me neglecting Belle (my hair). Not only have I skipped out on many a moisturizing session which is part of my regular regimen, I hadn't been following the requirements for the castor oil challenge. 

Seeing how much my hair suffers from lack of attention I have vowed to turn things around going forward. For the remaining 2 months of the challenge I will make sure that I am using my JBCO and Red Pimento Hair Growth Oil from Oils from Jamaica as I should. While I have been applying JBCO to my ends and using the Growth Oil on my edges and on the crown of my hair I can't swear to meeting the 3 times a week requirement. Another goal I had set for myself but have not been successful at accomplishing was to do scalp massages 3 days a week. So I've officially been checked and will be making some changes to my schedule to accommodate Belle. Last month she was trying to run away from home so I have to work hard to build our relationship back to where it was...lol!

Below are my measurements for April 1st. It looks as if I got about 1/4 of an inch growth in most areas.  I won't be posting the pictures of my hair as you can't notice much difference from last month.

• Back Left-7 1/4 inches
• Back Right-7 1/4 inches
• Front Left-6 1/2 inches
• Front Right-6 1/2 inches
• Front Center-7 3/4 inches 
• Crown-7 3/8 inches

Here are the two types of castor oil I will continue to use. Both can be purchased from Oils from Jamaica at http://www.oilsfromjamaica.com/.

Thank you all for reading and I will back next month for my May 1st check-in and hopefully I will have some better results!!

Spring 2012 Castor Oil Challenge

As many of you know I decided to do the Castor Oil Challenge hosted by Kinky Curly Coily Me!. My hair totally loves castor oil so I wasn't hesitant at all to participate in this challenge. While I'm not competing in the challenge for the prize I am documenting my growth and making sure I use the oil at least 3 times a week. For the challenge I will use both the Jamaican Black Castor Oil and Red Pimento Hair Growth Oil that I received from Oils From Jamaica. 

Here are photos showing the length of my hair on March 1, 2012. I did my best at measuring my hair and the measurements are as follows:

• Back Left-7 inches
• Back Right-7 inches
• Front Left-6 1/4 inches
• Front Right-6 1/4 inches
• Front Center-7 1/2 inches
• Crown-7 inches

Here are the two types of castor oil I will be using for the entire challenge. Both can be purchased from Oils From Jamaica at http://www.oilsfromjamaica.com/. Daily I use the regular JBCO mixed with EVCO as my sealant. I will use the same mix if I need to pre-poo at any time during the challenge. I've been using the Red Pimento Hair Growth Oil daily on my scalp. At least 3 times a week I have and will continue to do scalp massages after applying the growth oil to my scalp, focusing on my edges.

The first of each month I will take pictures and measurements of my hair and create a blog post to document my growth. I'm excited to see the results and would love to see yours so feel free to share on the page. Until April 1st...happy growing!! :-)

Got Moisture?

 

One of the first things you are taught as a natural is the importance of keeping your hair moisturized. With kinky hair this can a bit tricky as our hair cuticles don't lay flat and that basically provides an open door for moisture to escape. We are constantly told to MOISTURIZE and SEAL our hair! Once you have the stand moisturized it's important to trap the moisture in by using an oil or butter.

So you are probably wondering why I decided to dedicate an entire blog post to such a basic, natural hair 101 concept. Well, it's simply because people are not getting it! I can't tell you how many times I see product reviews where people swear the product moisturized their hair but the product contains not an ounce of water. I even see butter based products advertized as moisturizers. These products will help retain moisture but moisturize alone?....absolutely not! 

The reason I started this blog was to help others avoid making the same mistakes I did. I was once that girl who believed moisture could be in the form of an oil and if products were advertized as a moisturizer it must be. Now, the first thing I do is check the ingredient label to make sure water is listed as one of the first few ingredients. While I do NOT claim to know it all, I can truly testify to the importance of moisture. My hair has improved drastically since introducing it to water. I always spritz my hair with water or use water based leave-ins such as Reve' Essentials Hair & Body Moisturizer to quench my hair's thirst. I also make sure I drink my 8 cups of water daily. 

With that being said my Kinky Kurlfriends, please, please, please moisturize those strands and make sure you are paying attention to product labels...I promise your hair will thank you for it later!!

Until next time...keep it kinky!! 

xoxo

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

The other day I was going through some of my pictures to select the ones I would submit with my Queen City Naturals: Natural Hair Spotlight I finally noticed what everyone has been trying to tell me for a little while now. My co-workers who see me just about every day have been telling me that my hair has grown so much since April. I honestly didn't notice much growth until I had the proof right in front of me. I've been researching what supplements and oils would help stimulate hair growth and miraculously give me Diana Ross hair when obviously I'm already doing something right. I've come to realize that what all the natural hair veterans in the game have been saying is true; healthy hair will grow...duh!!!! So while I'm wasting valuable time trying to discover the miracle drug I just need to continue to take care of my hair by keeping her clean and moisturized. I've decided to take a step back and really listen to my hair in order to determine what she does and doesn't like. Once I do this I will be able to solidify a hair care regimen, stick to it, and watch her grow! This may pose as a bit of a challenge for me as I am not the most patient person in the world but I have to remember that slow and steady wins the race!!