Product Review: Kinky-Curly Knot Today

This should have been posted last week. I wanted to show y'all a before and after video using the Knot Today, but my video editing skills are.... Well, I don't have any video editing skills. So I'll just have to go with words for now and add a video should I ever be able to get it like I want it.

Anyway, I finally made my way to Target not long ago and remembered that one of the products on my must-try list was Kinky-Curly Knot Today. Last week I decided to wash and twist my hair, so there was no better time to try it out. I washed it with my usual shampoo (Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus) then sectioned my hair off to make detangling and twisting a little easier. I applied a little of the Knot Today (maybe a nickel sized dollop? Or quarter? I don't know) to about a fourth of my hair and worked it in. Y'all wouldn't believe the look on my face when I was able to finger-comb my hair. I've always had to use the comb after washing because it tangles up like crazy, even when I deep condition and detangle with the conditioner in the hair. But this time my fingers slid through with ease. I was definitely amazed. I even had to go show my mom, who couldn't believe it either!

(This is where the video was supposed to go. Just imagine my hand being stuck basically at my roots, then magically gliding all the way down my tresses. Yeah, that's what happened.)

Knot Today is great, but not without its drawbacks. Once I got to the last two sections, my hair had dried significantly. Although the Knot Today still made it easier to detangle, I noticed that 1) it was not as easy as when the hair was dripping wet and 2) it made my hair feel a little sticky. So even though the bottle says "leave-in" I don't think I'll be able to use it in that capacity. Now that I have taken the twists down, I also realize that my hair is not as soft as it is when I use something like Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie. Don't misunderstand me, it's not super crunchy or anything, it's just not super soft.

Overall, I have to say that this product really impressed me. The complaints I have are minor, especially when compared with how much easier and quicker detangling was. Knot Today made the most dreaded part of my routine go a lot smoother, so that makes it a win in my book.

Have you tried Knot Today? Or any of the other Kinky-Curly products? What was your impression of this line? Yay or nay?

Shea Moisture Review (Part I)

 

This particular review should have been done a long time ago... My apologies!

Often times when I'm out, I get asked what products I use. Really, I haven't been loyal to any particular products; I mix & match & experiment. However, since going natural, there has only been one brand that has remained consistent for me: Shea Moisture. Out of their four lines-- Coconut & Hibiscus, African Black Soap, Raw Shea Butter, and Yucca & Baobab--I've tried products from three (the first three listed). The following is a brief review of each product that I have tried so far. This is only part one because I have not used a complete regimen. I'm sure that these products are grouped together in lines for a reason, so I want to see if that will make a difference. In the meantime, here's what I think about the products I've tried so far...

Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Control Shampoo
Confession time: I can never tell a difference with my shampoos. Maybe it's just because I've happened to try some really great shampoos, I don't know. Whatever the reason, I can't say that this shampoo was any different or produced better/worse results than the others. But I do like that it has organic ingredients. And it did have a great smell. *shrugs* That should count for something. I'll use this again when I'm using the whole Coconut & Hibiscus line together, but as a stand-alone product... I'm not completely sold. I mean, the Softsheen-Carson Oil Therapy shampoo gives me the same effect for a few dollars less (although it does contain synthetic ingredients & some 'cones). No complaints about this shampoo though.

C&H Curl Enhancing Smoothie
I have fallen in love with this product. This is the latest that I have tried and so far the results are phenomenal. The Curl Enhancing Smoothie makes my coils so soft it's unreal. A lot of times I'll just work it into my hair while it's dry for a nice, soft puff or fro. However, this product has proven itself to be invaluable when it comes to my twist outs. I'll lightly mist my hair (using my water/coconut oil/glycerin mix), detangle, then add a little of the smoothie to my strands before twisting. When I take the twists down, not only is the hair defined, but it's super soft & fluffy. Bonus: it adds a little shine without being greasy.

C&H Curl & Style Conditioning Milk
This was the first Shea Moisture product I tried. The results were very similar to those that I got with the Curl Enhancing Smoothie. The only difference that I found was that it left my hair slightly oily. However, it wasn't enough to completely write off the Conditioning Milk. I believe this would be best to use in winter.

C&H Hold & Shine Moisture Mist
I was pleased that the Moisture Mist helped battle frizz, but I was a little disappointed that it didn't provide the shine I expected. I haven't tried it on a style that required hold, only on my fros/puffs, so I can't really attest to how well it does that.

Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner
The Raw Shea Butter formula is supposed to be for dry hair, so I tried it out when the weather was still cold, figuring that was when it was at its driest. Unfortunately, I can't say that I loved this conditioner. My expectations just weren't met. When used as a leave-in, my hair would end up feeling a little stiff and brittle at the end of the day. When used in my co-wash, it would take forever to get it worked in and then rinsed out. I'm chalking this up to the thickness of the conditioner, but I'm really not sure so don't quote me on it! Of course, it could have just been the fact that I don't have really dry hair so it didn't respond well to the formula. Add to that the medicinal smell and I was turned off. I probably won't be trying anything else from this particular line.

African Black Soap Purification Masque
This was a spur of the moment pick, from when Walgreen's had a 2-for-1 sale on SM products. It came in handy though. I was having a bout of itchy scalp (not sure why) and although I washed it good and was sure to condition it, nothing would relieve it! So I applied a generous portion of the masque to my hair & scalp and let it sit for about an hour. (On the label it says 30 minutes but I kept getting distracted.) Once I washed it out and let my hair dry, my scalp felt sooo much better. It really had the soothing effect I was looking for. I am completely sold on this product and will probably try other products in the African Black Soap line.

Once I try a full line of products, I will do another review. Until then, I'd love to know if any of you have tried Shea Moisture and what kind of results you got. Speak on it! For info on the ingredients, description and usage of these and other Shea Moisture products, check the following link: SheaMoisture_Organic_Hair_Products_Info 8.18.10

Morning Quickie: My Hair is Soft Again!!

You know, last week in one of my posts, I discussed how the change in weather had caused my hair to be a bit dry. I used Suave Almond & Shea Butter conditioner as a leave-in until I was able to find a good leave-in. (BTW, I used the Suave when doing my twists recently, and they came out great! You can see a few pix of it on TGHP, and I'll be doing a post on it soon.)

The other day I dropped by the Sephora counter and was pleasantly surprised to see that they now carry Carol's Daughter! I've been saying I was going to try their products for a minute now, but I hadn't. I figured now was the time. I was tempted to get the Hair Milk that I hear so much about, but something else piqued my interest: the Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner. The label said "Hydrating refresher and detangler for dry hair." I figured "It's only $12, let's give it a go." The first couple of days I used it, I couldn't really tell much difference because I still had my twists in. When I finally took them down and used it, my hair was so soft!

Then yesterday, I got the bright idea to mist my hair before using the Carol's Daughter. I used the same mist that I'd used on my hair the night that I did my twist: a simple mix of coconut oil, olive oil and water (I didn't use measurements, just eyeballed it). Y'all... OMG... I never knew hair could be that super soft. I couldn't keep my hair out of it because I couldn't believe it. I love love love the results. The Black Vanilla Leave-In is a light mist, so it didn't weigh my hair down and it wasn't drippy. Also, it smells so yummy! I don't have a single bad thing to say about it. Now I'm anxious to try some other CD products!

BTW, here are the list of ingredients (courtesy of carolsdaughter.com):

Water (Aqua), Polysorbate 80, Glycerin, Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Butylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf Stem, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Caramel, Fragrance (Parfum) 

Suave Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner

The sudden change in weather (and I do mean sudden--open toes one week, boots the next?!) has left my hair feeling something awful. It's been pretty stiff and woolly... just not soft at all. Up until now, my Shea Moisture Curl & Style Milk did the trick. Even though it's not technically a conditioner, that's what I was using it for; it was perfect during the warmer months. Now? Nothing.

[caption id="attachment_989" align="alignleft" width="245" caption="Note: I've only used the conditioner."][/caption]

I'd purchased the Suave Almond & Shea Butter Conditioner on a whim a few weeks ago, simply because I was out of conditioner, needed to do a co-wash and wanted to try a different product. Really no rhyme or reason in my choice. So I used it... and I wasn't too impressed with the results. Although it did have a nice amount of slip while I was washing my hair, once it dried, I wasn't left with the super-soft feel I was hoping for.

Fast forward to last night. My hair was just... blah. I didn't have time to do my usual deep conditioning with my mix of Palmer's Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning Protein Pack and Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Pak, but I needed something ASAP. I did a quick search online to see if others had tried regular conditioner as a leave in. And they had; there were mixed reviews for the Almond & Shea Butter as a leave-in. Some reported that it worked great, some said they had some flaking. I figured, what the heck? So I sectioned my hair off, worked the conditioner into my dry hair (I didn't think to mist it), and did my usual chunky twists.

This morning I woke up to much softer hair! It's still not super-soft like I like, but it's a 100% improvement over yesterday's roughness. Not sure why I didn't think of this before. Of course it doesn't take the place of doing my DC, but it will do in a pinch. One drawback is that my hair looks a little duller than I thought it would. Not a big deal, but still...

So yeah... I tried something new and fortunately it worked out for me! I'll still be looking for a good leave-in that's actually a leave-in but until then, this will do!