Product Review- Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Moisturizer

Hey All!

I have been meaning to do this review for a little bit now, so I've finally sat down and made myself do it! This is a product that I have been curious about trying since the beginning of my transition in 2009. I have been using  Elasta QP's Olive Oil & Mango Butter for a few weeks now and I have got to say, I love it! Now it is technically Curly Girl Approved  though it does have natural ingredients, (I'll do a post on what makes a product Curly Girl Approved soon) because it has cones, but I have never been one to only use all natural products. It all boils down to personal choice.


I use it in my L.O.C method, and it works wonderfully. I have very fine 4a hair, so a quarter size dallop is enough to moisturize my whole head, sometimes less. I have used it on dry hair and it perks up my thirsty strands. I can say that it's great for styling as well because I always do the L.O.C method after cowashing.

The product comes in a yellow 8.25oz jar. Apparently not only is it a "New & Improved" formula, but also 80% free. (Lol) So I'm assuming it was once sold in a smaller packaging. Once you open it, is a light yellow, think banana pudding. It actually could fool you into thinking it actually is banana pudding sans the scent and packaging. The scent is of mango, kind of hair product-y, but mango which is something I love. I need something that smells good after using Vidal Sassoon's Color Protecting Conditioner. My hair loves it, but I hate the smell.

Like I said, it smells great, it's good for moisturizing even on dry hair. I would be mindful about the amount you use because it is a pudding texture it's hard to tell how much you need.  It is spreadable, meaning you can rub it in between your hands before applying, it is also a good way to keep track of how much you are using. I would stick to a nickel-quarter size, though really it depends on your hair's porosity. Oh another thing I should mention is the shine/sheen, this products leaves my hair with the loveliest gloss. It is sold in any BSS or your local Rite Aid/CVS etc. It retails for $3.99 USD, so very easy on the pockets of curly/kinkies on a budget!

On the Jar it also states that it can be used as a thermal (heat) protectant as well, I have yet to test this theory as I am staying away from heat since contracting heat damage. Yes y'all I said contracting, because there is no cure for heat damage. (Lol)

The ingredients are as follows...

Ingredients:
 Water/Aqua/Eau, Olea Europoea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Capric Caprylic Triglycerides, PEG-75 Lanolin, Behentrimonium, Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth 20, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Mangifera Indica (Mango) seed butter, Theobroma (Cocao) Seed Butter, Cocoa Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Unoleic Acid, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Parfum/Fragrance, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Hydrolyzed Silk, CI 19140 (FD&C Yellow 5)


I'm not sure if it will work for my hair during the warmer months, but right now this product and I are best of  friends! 5/5 for me.

Product Review- Ampro Pro Styl Shine n' Jam Silk Edges with Olive Oil

Hey All!

I have been meaning to do a product review on this product for a while now. I have been using in I would say since May. I'm bad I know, but I kept forgetting. I wish I had pictures of how my edges look when I use this, but as of right now I have no camera so y'all just going to have to take my word on it. Lol.

Now this product is for slicking as I like to say, or laying down your edges. I don't have the kind of edges that roll up, but they fuzz up, and I need them to not do that when I want to wear a puff or whatever. Especially since I kind of use the to cover up that my side panels are missing (bald spots on sides of my head).





The first kind of edge tamer kind of stuff I used was Organic Root Stimulator (think the go by ORS now, not that forums weren't already calling them that)  Edge Control. Now I like some of their stuff, like the Herbal Cleanse, it's wonderful when I'm braided, and their Replenshing Conditioner that is a light protein/moisturizing, but that Edge Control, I do not like. (Just because I don't like it doesn't mean it won't work for some) The texture isn't any different from any other product made for the purpose, but the way it feels after how it goes on got to me. It felt like glue, and after a couple of hours, my edges frizzed right on up like there was nothing ever on them. I use to really like Design Essentials Sleek Edge Control, the problem with that one is the price, it's about $11 USD, which to me is pricey for a product only meant to smooth down hairs, but if you can afford it, it's worth it. It does the job and smells lovely, the texture on the hair is a bit like ORS' but it is not as glue feeling.

 On to the product at hand, Ampro Styl Silk Edges. I got this product simply because I didn't see the ORS brand. Yeah I know I said I didn't like it, but it was the only one I knew of that kind of did the job at a decent price ($5.49 USD) and was sold at beauty supply stores...I remembered a while ago that this was one of the products (think it was a basket, or a least a couple of others to go along with it) that Nikki from CurlyNikki was doing one of her product give away MONTHS, not day, hun-ty. (Lol) She is one of the natural hair Pioneers, (Lol) check the site, but back to the review. I saw it, so I was like, hey, I should try it, why not, it's only $3.49 USD, and I have to say, it was the best $3.49 I've ever spent. It is only 2oz, but it is so worth it. It like the other edge pomades is clear, and has a jelly like consistency, it has a pleasant scent, and is really pliable, meaning I can smooth it out with a brush. I will say it can get greasy on you, meaning if it's a hot day, it may melt a little, but your edges will not go frizzy on you! Another thing that is cool is that it is Paraben and Alcohol free. Parabens from which I hears are linked to breast cancer (don't quote me on this) , and Alcohol is simply bad because it is very drying to the hair.

 Ingredients:
Aretsian Water, Ceteareth-25, Glycerine, Oleth-5, Peg-20 Hydorgenated Lanolin, Mineral Oil, Fragrance, Olea Euroea (Olive) Fruit Oil, DMDM Hydantoin, Hydrolyzed Silk Protein, Iodopropynl Butylcarbamate, FD&C Yellow #5,  FD&C Blue #1.


This is definitely 4.9/5 for me! The only thing that I don't like about it is that it gets a little shiny/greasy looking in the areas it's applied to if it gets hot out, and that is something I can live with!

Rod Set On Natural Hair

Hey All!


I am not sure if you guys know this, but I adore rod sets! It is the cutest and easiest style to do once you get the hang of it. You don't even have to own a hooded/hard hat dryer. If you are like me and do not own one, you can set your hair over the night, and take the rods out in the morning.

I "upgraded" to the orange 3/4 inch perm rods as my hair has gotten a bit longer, and I want voluminous  curls, and my 5/8th inch pink perm rods were not cutting it.

Here is how the rods look in my hair. I used 5 packs they come in 10, so altogether I used 50 rods.

How the curls look after I took out the rods.

....The final results, after I separated the curls.

 

All I used was my JBCO to oil my scalp, a little leave in, in my case I used my Homemade mix- Creamy Aloe Olive Mix, (you can use any leave in really) and my beloved Motions Foaming Wrap Lotion.

Since it is a foam, I do add a bit of my Africa's Best Herbal Oil to seal,  I add it in sections, and only a few drops of the oil per section. It is what gives me that shine!

So yes, you can achieve curls with natural hair! Oh and what is great about this style is that it is low manipulation, and protective, so long as your hair is not touching your shoulders while in curls, this style can last 4-7 days depending on how well upkeep it (wearing a bonnet/scarf at night).


Just wanted to share.


~Naomi