I’m into 2 months since I began CG and it’s becoming a lifestyle for me. I tell my kids, family and friends how bad shampoo does to your hair and the only people that listens to me are my kids… LOL. Now they co-wash their hair and my little one used up my Honey Coco Mango soap. Now only if we incorporate exercising into our lifestyle, we’d be fit curlies :D. But that’s a whole different story.

I’m still in a learning process with the whole CG thing; different techniques such as scrunching the crunch, plopping, pixiecurl, in what order to apply styling products, etc. Experimenting with different products to see what works best for me and such, this can be very overwhelming. I mean, I HAVE the curls, but lately they’ve been frizzy and flat on top.

As far as frizz goes, I read somewhere on NC.com forum that AVG can make hair frizzy. I’ve been using that since I started CG cuz it helped enhanced my curls and I’d wear it under LaBella Max Hold Gel. So as an experiment this week, I decided not to use AVG and used LOOB instead as a curl enhancer under HETT, plopped for a couple of hours and I didn’t even have to diffuse and I must say I had the best 1^st day hair ever. I frizzed by the end of the day but not as much as I did using AVG. I only got 3 day out of that combo. And best of all, I had the best curl formation from the roots and volume thanks to my Denman D3 brush!

I might have to do a deep treatment to fix the frizz. Or maybe add protein into my routine. Not sure but I might have to post on NC.com and ask for advice.

Denman Be-Bop Massage Brush (D6)
- Circular massage brush with extra-soft plastic pins
- Ideal for gentle, stimulating scalp massage during shampooing
- Perfect for distributing gels, waxes and pomades during styling
- Particularly suitable for short to medium-length hair
- Not suitable for use with a hairdryer

The minute I used the Denman D6 Brush against my scalp, I thought I died and gone to heaven! The feeling was so much better than my own fingertips, it’s that good. I use the Denman D6 Brush to cleanse my scalp and loosen any residue that’s accumulated. And at the same time, it massages my ever-neglected scalp. The final results… a clean, happy, feel good scalp I should get one more for my other hand so I could use both at the same time.

Denman Be-Bop Massage Brush (D6)

Denman D3 Brush 7 Row
- Ideal for smoothing and styling
- Suitable for all lengths and types of hair
- Smooth, round-ended pins for gentle styling
- Ergonomic handle for balance and comfort
- Hygienic and durable

Alot of the curlies swear by this brush. Some of them use it to detangle their hair and others say it helps distribute products when hair is wet. Some have said that it helps with clumpage and define curls. I didn’t really need to buy this brush for those mentioned. I did fine without it, except for the lack of volume on the top of my head, which usually lays flat. So I brush my hair standing upright after applying AVG and styling gel to get the products through evenly. If I feel like I need more products then I apply more. Then I flip my hair over and brush upside down. By doing this, I’m lifting my hair from the roots to give me that volume. After that, I’d scrunch, then plop. So far the top of my hair looks even curlier and volume that I don’t need to clip.

Denman D3 Brush 7 Row

Mimi’s Diva Dryer Hair Towel
Diva Dryer is made of Aquitex - Aquitex is a super-absorbent microfiber material that dries a girl’s hair quicker than an ordinary towel. Dry your hair in half the time!

When I started learning how to plop, I used a regular towel. I didn’t have any problems with frizz, but I hated how heavy it felt on my head that I get a major headache and it’s very uncomfortable when I sleep with it on. With the Diva Dryer, it’s very light and it definitely cuts the drying time in half. If I plop overnight, my hair is 80% dry the next morning. It’s so light that if I plop during the day, I can get dressed, put on makeup, clean the house, do a light workout and not having to worry about the towel sliding off my head.

Mimi’s Diva Dryer Hair Towel

Yeah, yeah… I look funny! My son said that my hair looked like George Washington

Btw, if you want to know what the heck is a plop, check out this video, she’ll explain it alot better than i would… LOL.

Naturally Up North Soaps
I initially bought Honey Coco Mango soap cuz a curly girl at NC.com said it did wonders to her hair and I figured I’d give it a try. We probably have different hair type after all cuz I didn’t have the slip I’d expected and it didn’t leave my hair feeling “slippery silk wet seaweed” But let me tell you what a treat it is to lather yourself in natural soap. It smells sooo yummy, I could just eat it! I also ordered Sugar & Spice, it smells like Big Red. She added a sample soap to my order, Vanilla Cream! Ain’t she sweet?! Visit her @ Etsy and tell her that VirtualBabe sent you

Darn you enablers at NC.com!!! I should stop going to the forums or else my bathroom will be filled with a year supply of conditioners and gels… LOL. I couldn’t curb the PJ in me that I ordered a few things online and at Target, CVS, Rite Aid, the local beauty supply store…… *sigh*

Curly Girl the Handbook - So this book is like the Bible for curlies. I got my copy from eBay. I was disappointed when I found out that I could’ve bought it for $5 cheaper at DeepDiscount.com (free shipping too) and to top it off I had ordered a DVD from them If I knew they sold the book, I could’ve ordered it there to save on shipping and get both items at the same time. Oh well! I can always use this book as reference, but I’d rather hang out at the message forum where I can find a wealth of information, share ideas, give advice and compare notes.

courtesy of DeepDiscount.com

Mimi’s Diva Dryer Towel - Ever since I’ve been going CG, I like to plop overnight not only to get nice clumpy curls, but my hair takes forever to dry, and lately I’ve been using a regular towel which gets very uncomfortable when I sleep with it on and my hair is still damp the next morning. So when I hear the other curlies using micro fiber towels to dry and plop their hair, I HAVE to have one for myself. I got mine at eBubbles.com and they come in my #1 favorite color… PINK! It also comes in white and it measures 39″x20″. It’s super soft and ultra-absorbant. This baby cuts the drying time in half and minimize damage from blow-drying.

courtesy of eBubbles.com

Denman Brush in D3 & D6 - We all know, as a curly girl, you’re not allowed to brush your hair cuz it’ll promote frizz and cause damage to your hair. The curlies in the forum says otherwise, at least with the Denman D3 Brush. Some of them use it to detangle their hair and others say it helps distribute products when hair is wet. One member said that she brushes her daughter’s hair with the D3 and it gave her “amazing clumps”. She had me on that. And another member invited me to see her progression in her Fotki album. She has the most GAAAAW-geous curls and we both have the same hair type. I’m sold! I ordered mine from Birth of Beauty cuz they carry another brush that I really wanted, the D6. You can use it to apply shampoo and it also gently massages your scalp.

L to R: D3, D6
courtesy of BirthOfBeauty.com

Shampoo Bars - I’ve been reading alot about shampoo bars and how alot of the curlies really like it being that it’s good for curls. There’s this one particular thread that was started by a member who I was kinda stalking *hehe* because we have the same hair type and she had mentioned about a shampoo bar that she tried. She said it had so much slip that she was able to comb in the shower. Not only that, she also said that after she rinsed it, applied condish and rinsed again, her hair felt like slippery silky wet seaweed. SOLD! LOL… http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5244673 I got the Honey Cocoa Mango that’s supposed to smell yummy and Sugar & Spice.

Honey Cocoa Mango Soap
courtesy of NaturallyUpNorth @ Etsy.com

My sister and I went to Target this morning cuz she wanted to get a few things for her new apartment. Of course, with the little PJ in me I had to stop at the hair section to see if anything was there that I could remember from my list I picked up L’Oreal Melting Gel and Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Gel. And when I saw that Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner was $0.97, I bought three bottles (the only ones that were there so I literally took it off the shelf… haha) and two bottles of Juicy Green Apples Conditioner for $1.27 each.

You think that’s bad, I have a few more stuff laying around in my bathroom. You can take a look in my Fotki album. And don’t be suprised about the lubricant bought from an adult novelty store. Yes, I use that on my hair and I can tell you it’s WAYYY better than Frizz-Ease

That’s not all. There are a few more things I do want to try. If I ever make a trip to Sally’s Beauty Supply, I’ll be picking up a bottle of Biotera Curl Creme and Styling Gel, the GVP Volumizing Root Lifter and Conditioning Balm. And next time I shop at VitaCost.com for a bottle of LOTD, I’ll be adding AOHR and Giovanni 50/50 to my shopping cart as well. I’m also looking for a really deep discount on SheaMoisture Shea Butter LI online. I did found one site (Beauty of New York) but their shipping is not so discount. Actually I can order and pick up in person and save on shipping, but something about me that is too scared of being in a neighborhood that’s too foreign to me, even if it’s a few train stops away from me. I know, I’m chicken-shit!

So anyway, whatever happened to September??!! All of a sudden you see Halloween stuff on displays and slowly the Christmas stuff. It felt like yesterday when I was sending my kids off to school on their first day and here I am trying to get ready for Trick o’ Treaters. I’m planning on taking the kids to Six Flags Great Adventure for Freight Fest next weekend so it should be a fun night. In the meantime, here’s a treat for you! Thank you for reading.

After years of straightening my hair, whether it’s from flat iron or blow drying, I’m noticing that my hair is falling out more than usual. I’m not sure if it’s from pulling my hair too much, but I’m positive that it is. Even after a trim, my hair would still fall out. So enough of that and decided to go curly and embrace them.

I’ve been curly since August, and my hair is responding very nicely so far. I’ve been lurking at NaturallyCurly.com forum and there’s a wealth of information. You can find me at the message forum, where other curlies are there to help, make suggestions and offer advice. It’s a bit overwhelming for me still, getting used to the abbreviations they talk about, their routines, etc. I’m also trying not to be a product junkie. Alot of the curlies on there have successful stories with the products they’re using and it makes me wanna go out and try it myself. ARGH!!! I think I’m good with what I have right now. It only takes time and patience, trial and error. I’m still in a learning process.

This week, I had the time to document my results and have pictures taken. On Tuesday, 9/16, I co-washed my hair with Suave Naturals Ocean Breeze Conditioner, rinsed, then applied more conditioner mixed in with honey, left it on while I wash my face and shaved my legs. Then I rinsed it off with cool water. While my hair is soaking wet, I sectioned my hair and applied Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Gel (LOTD) , squeezing access water and scrunched. Then I applied LaBella Max Hold Styling Gel and scrunched again. Plopped for 30 minutes and here are my results:

I liked how my hair clumped but I didn’t like how my hair curled. I think I’ll love it more if I gave myself more time to plop. So on 9/17 at night, I co-washed and styled my hair the same way I did on 9/16. Only this time I plopped overnight and this is my result:

Nice bouncy curls!!!! I love it!!! Now only if I can prevent it from getiing frizzy, I’d be a happy curly girl!

I think I gave myself plenty of time to experiment with the Ouidad products. So far, I’m kinda disappointed with the results. I really want to like it, I really do. But I find myself not liking it more for some reason. Please note that this is from my personal experience so don’t bash me if it worked for you.

Initially, I wanted to try the Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel, being that they’re Allure’s “Best Defrizzer” Editor’s Choice Award, so I went and tried it out myself. The results I got from it was not so “award-winning” when it comes to smoothing and controlling my hair. Oh, and it shines alright, if you’re looking to do the wet look. It did not hold my curls well the way Mixed Chicks does.

With Mixed Chicks Leave-In Conditioner, I let my hair air-dry and scrunch every 10-20 minutes to help define my curls and within an hour or two, I get nice, big, chunky curls (think Shakira and Rebecca Gayheart) I use the same techinique with Heat & Humidity Gel, I get flyaways and the $26 pomade didn’t help either :(  It took forever to dry, flattens the top, and it did not give a nice curl formation. My hair came out stringy resulting in frizziness once my hair dried completely.

So the winner for best curly hair product is Mixed Chicks cuz I prefer a thicker, creamier consistency to curl my hair. I find better results with Mixed Chicks Leave-In Conditioner than the Heat & Humidity Gel

I don’t want to leave you hanging with the other Ouidad products, so here are my thoughts on the rest of them:

Clear Control Pomade
This must be the most expensive 4 oz. of anything I’ve ever bought. It did control flyaways and frizzies for a while but not for long. I use it if I need to touch up on my curls. Would never buy again, it’s too costly.

Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel
The consistency of the gel is similar to a serum, so I dunno why they called it a gel. I wouldn’t use this to curl my hair from start to finish, it just gave me weighed-down,  wet look and my curls came out thin and stringy as oppose to big chunky curls. I could use it for blow-drying my hair straight as a finishing serum to prevent frizz.

Botanical Boost Spray-In Conditioner
I never liked the spray-in application of anything on my hair, except for hairsprays. I’d spray this conditioner and some products just flies in the air and not on my hair. It might as well be an air freshener! I see no results when using this.

Clear & Gentle Shampoo
The thing about this shampoo is that it’s a low foaming shampoo, so I wasn’t sure whether I’ve washed my hair thoroughly or not. Don’t like it.

Balancing Rinse Conditioner
This product was okay. It helped detangled my hair and left it feeling soft but I get the same results with any other drugstore brand conditioners.

Deep Treatment Intensive Conditioner
This part of the regimine is too time consuming so I haven’t had the chance to try it, so I can’t really comment on it.

Overall, they’re great products for what they are, but I would never buy their products again because of their price and you get the same results as any drugstore brands, so it’s not worth it. It may work for some people but not for me.

I’m currently experimenting with natural things, such as Apple Cider Vinegar rinse, aloe vera gel, glycerin, jojoba oil, and a whole lot more, but that won’t stop me from trying other products too. I have my eyes on Curly Hair Solutions products, especially the Curl keeper. Almost every curlies on NaturallyCurly.com swears by this product. So we’ll see what it can do for my hair. I’m on a journey to find the right routine and products for my hair. Call me Curly Girl for now on

I discovered a website called NaturallyCurly.com, where they feature tips, suggest products and a forum where women can meet and discuss about HAIR and other topics. I learn something new everyday whenever I logon to their site. In the past few days, I learned how to “plop”, “pineapple”, and make homemade rinse called the Apple Cider Vinegar.

I spend alot of time in the forum where women share their tips and tricks on how to have nice healthy curls. I noticed that most women on there suggested a more cheaper brand, such as Suave and VO5, to wash and condition their hair. And some use KY Jelly for their curls. Yup, a personal lubricant. And you know what? It really does magic… LOL. And here I am spending $$$ on hair products. I wish I’d discovered this site weeks ago. Well, you live and you learn, right?

Soon I’ll be doing some sort of a review on the Ouidad products, I’m having a love/hate with this one… LOL.

Even though I LOVE the Mixed Chicks product for my hair, I couldn’t help but spend some $$$ on Ouidad products. The reason for my splurge: I had a gift certificate code for $5 off on my order of $50 or more (which you can receive when you sign up for their mailing list), their Love Your Curls Starter Kit is back in stock after being out for months, and they’re offering Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel trial size FREE with any purchase over $25. Great deal, huh!?!?

Here’s what I ordered:

Love Your Curls Starter Kit $30.00
Five essential products for all curl types. It’s a great way to try out our products, and makes a great travel companion too!
The kit includes 2-oz Deep Treatment Intensive Conditioner, 2-oz Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel, 2-oz Clear & Gentle Shampoo, 2-oz Balancing Rinse Conditioner, 2-oz Botanical Boost Spray Conditioner

Ouidad Clear Control Pomade 4 oz. $26.00
A finishing touch pomade, made from vegetable proteins, that removes the stiff feeling styling products often leave and replaces it with softness and shine. This hydrating formula is a good choice to help thin, fine and dry hair to help form uniform curls.

Duckbill Clips $4.00
3.5″ Professional size metal clips are great for positioning and holding curls in place while hair dries. (pkg of 12)

Climate Control Gel 2 oz. FREE
A revolutionary design in styling gels. Climate Control protects curls from humidity by absorbing moisture from air to hydrate each strand of hair and help prevent frizz. Great for using in place of Tress F/X by all hair types in humid conditions, summer or winter. Winner of “Best Defrizzer” by Allure Magazine.

The starter kit is great way to try out their products before comitting to purchase something that’s full size, plus they’ve included some award-winning products in there and they’re only available for a limited time, so I had to have my hands on that. Oh, and the pomade… $26… ouch! LOL I think it’s a bit steep for something that’s 4 oz. For that much, that shit better be worth it!

After placing my order, I received an email for another gift certificate for 10% off my next order that’ll expire in 30 days. Makes me wanna go back and buy some more Can’t wait to have them delivered to me.

Update 8/29/2008 @ 3:00pm: WHOA!!! I just got my package! Can you believe it??!! Can’t wait to try it!!!

First off, let me tell you how much I love/hate my hair when it’s curly. On rare occasions, my hair is gorgeous with cascading curls, and other times, it would be frizzy as hell, dry and AARRGHHH. Wtf?? I hate using gel, cuz if I use too much, it would feel crunchy and stiff, but if I use less, it won’t be enough to hold and define my curls. Mousse? Forget about it. All it does is leave flakes in my hair. I’d use Frizz-Ease Hair Serum, but with my long hair, I’d probably have to use the entire bottle. I just wanna be able to wear my hair curly and touch its softness, let it flow in the wind like in commercials, na’mean? I can never find the right product for my hair.

For the past years, I’ve been wearing my hair straight, but lately it’s taking its toll. From the pulling with my flat iron, I’m losing hair. Sometimes I get a handful of hairball in the shower and when I run my fingers through, I’d find a few loose hair. It’s kind of scary if you think about it. Sometimes I don’t worry about that cuz I have thick hair, but it’ll catch up to me when I get older. I just hope the reason for my hair loss is the need for a trim, stress or whatever, other than the weekly use of my flat iron. So I’m cutting down on straightening my hair and start wearing my hair curly again.

courtesy of mixedchicks.net

With that said, I stumbled upon a site called Mixed Chicks. Upon entering the site, I assume they were selling hair products catering to African-American, Latina and bi-racial hair type. The name alone just threw me off. Do you have to be ”mixed” to use this product? Or can this product be applied to curly hair even if you’re not “mixed”? Anyhow, after searching and researching on all the hair products for curly hair I could find online, I kept coming back to Mixed Chicks and after watching the how-to video on the product, I was sold. I bought the Trio, which came with shampoo, deep conditioner and leave-in conditioner for $38.33.

Upon receiving my package, first thing I did was open the cap and took a whiff of the products. WOW… I never smelled anything like that! I loved how it smelled. It’s got a very clean scent, but very faint. I jumped in the shower the minute I opened the package!

Shampoo: I LOVE this shampoo, it worked amazing! I dunno how to describe it, I’ve never had a shampoo that cleaned my hair the way this one does. It removes build up and UV blockers to protect color. A quarter-sized shampoo is enough for my thick, long hair, leaving it soft and smooth. And of course, I desired to repeat

Deep Conditioner: I feel this is much lighter than my Pantene Daily Moisture but it does the job. It detangles and moisturizes, leaving my hair soft and I can already see my hair forming into nicely shaped curls as soon as I got out of the shower.

Leave-In Conditioner: I liked how this product defined my curls but it didn’t last long. My hair felt a little bit dry and frizzy towards the end of the day. So when it does, I apply a hair serum. I like to use Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum.

Would I buy these products again? YES! I LOVE what the shampoo and deep conditioner did to my hair. I’m not too crazy about the leave-in conditioner. Maybe I’m not using it correctly or I may need a trim. Yeah, I think it’s time for a trim. My hair is too long and I think it weighs down my curls. We’ll see after a trim, whenever that’ll be. Here’s a few result pics I’d like to share. Thanks for reading!

Gotta love curls! I can’t help but touch it all day long.
Smells great too!

Me in the evening. See how it’s a bit frizzy and dry?
Maybe I’m just exaggerating.

Armand after using Mixed Chicks. He gave it a two-thumbs up!
He’s a VERY Mixed Kid

Do you have curly hair? What other products have you used and what worked best for you? Have you tried Mixed Chicks? If so, what do you think about it?