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!

Product Review of my Bebe Shea'loe (Homemade Shealoe)

Hey All!


As most of you know on my home forum BHP, we did Secret Santa. I had trouble finding the other items listed on my SS's list, so I substituted (Lol). 


Here is what I sent her. 

I was already about to make my own batch, until it dawned on me that I could send her some too! I am really glad I did, because it turns out that she liked it. I am too proud, over here, and yes I call it Bebe Shea'loe, because it sounds like name, and the Bebe gave it a nice ring. (LOL)

"I tried Naomi's shealoe to twist my hair earlier this week. Overall my hair loved it! I started with the front of my head and I noticed how well my dry ends absorbed the shealoe. It left my twists with a neater, shinier look than I've EVER had. The only downfall is that after twisting for hours and hours, I had the container open as I used it and I let too much air  This changed the consistency of the shealoe so I had to switch to SM Curl Enhancing Smoothing for the back. But the front is soooo on point! I finished my twists Wednesday and they are holding up really well and still look nice and neat. I owe that all to the shealoe!!"


Here are her results

"Naomi, you should really look in to selling your shealoe!"




For those curious as to how I made it. I used blender to whip, and the ingredients list goes as


Ingredients: Shea Butter, Aloe Vera Gel, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Jamaican Black Castor Oil. 




I love it myself, but it feels great to know that it works for someone else too; especially because we are not the same hair type.  I am taking orders :) Oh please look out next month for her feature in February!!! Also if you would like to be featured next month please send me an email at beautifulkinks@gmail.com. 


~Naomi

Queen Helene Super Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream (Deep Conditioner) Review

Hey All!

Remember my previous post about not wanting to wash my hair...well I did, and my curls came back immediately, thank the Lord! What I really want to talk about though is this new deep conditioner I have been using. Well it's more like revisited, because I tried it earlier on in my HHJ, and felt so-so about it.


The new deep conditioner is a cholesterol- Queen Helene Super Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream. I have the 907.2g/2 pound one, and it has a pump, which I love, for a reason I'm getting to...

I can't exactly remember how much I paid for this product, but I bought it from Walmart, and I'm pretty sure I got it for less that $7.99 USD, why do I say that, because I am cheap, and have yet to pay $10.00 USD, on any one product!  You can find Cholesterol conditioner, not necessarily this brand, at any BSS or drug store, like Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, etc.  Other brands I have heard of Lustrasilk, Lusti, Hollywood Beauty.

Believe it or not, cholesterol is good for your hair! It is good fat that helps condition and give your hair luster! So this is great for those who have dry/damaged hair!


Now the ingredient's does not sound the best...


Ingredients:  Water (Aqua), Glyceryl Stearate, Mineral Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Lanolin, Myristamidopropyl, Dimethylamine Phosphate, Cholesterol, Glycerine, Propylene Glycol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Keratin Amino Acids, Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Yellow #5 (CI# 19140), Yellow #6 (CI# 15985), Red #40 (CI# 16035), Red #33 (CI# 17200).


But believe me it works! I find that it works best if you mix it with oils, or melted shea butter. That is at least what I have used. My favorite combo is to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (EVCO). It leaves me with such soft hair, and it's a lot of product for less than 10 bucks! (It also works nice alone, still soft, just not as soft with additives.) The pump makes it worth the money as well because it's less messy, and allows me to get an eye for how much I'm using.


I like this a lot better than the Hollywood Beauty Olive Cholesterol I use to use.


I have been looking for an affordable, moisturizing, deep conditioner, and this is it! Although I love this conditioner to pieces, it will get a 4/5 from me, only because to I have to add oils to get that suppleness I'm looking for!

Check this product out if you haven't already!

~Naomi