The best combs for your curls

As most know, curls and combs go hand and hand, but if you're using the wrong comb not only will your hair be frizzy, but it can damage your hair ! There are only a chosen few that can be called the best, and these are the best combs to use for keeping your curls in shape. Remember, unless your hair is straight, it's always best to comb your hair only when your hair is wet.

Hercules Sagemann Hard Rubber Jumbo Rake Comb (5660)

Also known as the "Magic Star" , this detangling comb is the best comb for long, thick, and curly hair. It is considered the best because it is seamless, meaning that the hair can smoothly detangle curls without the hair catching onto the seams of the comb causing split ends and breakage. Although this comb carries a hefty price tag, ( about $16.00) It's strong, long lasting, and ideal for almost any curl pattern.

Conair Shower Comb

This comb can be found in many curly haired households. Firstly, it's very affordable (about $2.00-$3.00) , and it's also designed to detangle the hair while wet, which is the best way to detangle curly hair. Lastly, it is easily found in stores such as Sears or Rite-Aid.

New Image Vented Straightening/Cutting Comb

If your straighten your hair often, this comb should definitely be in your arsenal! This straightening/cutting comb is important because it helps you get your hair it's straightest when flat ironing your hair. It's also helpful for trimming your ends by stretching your hair before for begin to cut.  

Before you go out and buy any of the combs mentioned, be sure to check out these very important hair tips here and here .

The Curly Hair Solutions Line



Curly Hair Solutions is a product line designed and dedicated to styling and maintaining curly hair.
They have a curl kit for every curl pattern according to the tightness of the curl; loose curl, medium curl, and tight curl. The two best things about this product line is that it's silicone free, and it's focused on curl definition.

My curl pattern is considered to be a 3c, so I used the tight curl kit. The following is a summary review of the best products within the tight curl kit.

The Curl Keeper





The Curl Keeper's purpose is to block frizz while keeping your curly style intact. It's very light, and is best used on wet hair. What I like best  about this product is that it rinses clean, which is a major plus! It does exactly as it claims. It's also very light and does not weight the hair down. A great choice for those with thin or fine hair. It's also good for those who are trying to achieve a light, bouncy finish to your curls. It's considered pricey, $9.99  for 3.38oz/100mL, but if you use styling products on a daily basis it's worth the investment.

Pure Silk Protein Moisturizing Deep Treatment





 The Pure Silk Moisturizing Deep Treatment is a deep protein treatment. It's best to use this when your curls have that mushy stringy feeling or it just needs a boost of protein. It's thick texture coats curls, and once it's rinsed out it leaves your hair feeling strong. If your hair is protein sensitive, follow up with a rinse out conditioner that contains moisture.

Silk Leave-In Conditioner



The Silk Leave-In Conditioner is a lightweight leave in that adds softness and shine. It left my curls well defined, shiny, smooth and strong. This is ideal for those whose hair doesn't mind light daily protein.

In conclusion, The Curly Hair Solution Line is a good choice for those who are seeking shine, strength, and curl definition. It's on the higher end of the price bracket, but the products listed here do an exceptional job of maintaining curly hair.

Preparing your hair for Winter

It's getting cold outside, you have your coat, hat, scarf, and gloves ready... What about your hair?
The cold winds and temperatures can effect the health of your hair. These simple practices can assist you in maintaining healthy beautiful hair.

1. Keep wool away from your hair.

Wool is great for keeping us warm, but it is HORRIBLE for the health of your hair. When your hair rubs against the wool, the friction can cause split ends, and even breakage. This means no wool hats of any kind.  If you must wear the peacoat, keep you hair pinned up, in a bun etc. Just make sure you hair is NEVER touching the wool.

2. Deep conditioning with every wash.

Deep conditioning is an absolute must whenever you shampoo you hair, especially in the winter. Our hair loses moisture and endures extreme weather conditions during the winter season, Deep conditioning gives hair the strength it needs to thrive. Always remember to use a moisturizing shampoo with every wash.

3. Cowashing
Shampoo can strip you hair of it's natural oils, making it dry. Harsh weather conditions can add to dryness, making it brittle. Cowashing (washing your hair with conditioner only) is especially important for those who wash their hair on an everyday basis. If you wash your hair more than once a week, cut down to shampooing to once a week, and cowash with every other wash. For tips on cowashing click here.

4. Add Oil to your hair routine

If you do not have oil in your hair routine, now is a great time to start! Adding oil to your hair routine not only give your hair great shine, but it also helps seal in moisture, detangle, and add much needed strength to your hair. If you need tips on adding oil to your hair click here. If you information on different oils and the benefits they offer, go here. When it comes to oils, I recommend; avocado oil, grape seed oil, and argan oil.

Note: During the colder months, it's probably best to steer away from leaving coconut oil in your hair without washing it out. This is because it tends to harden the hair of some people. If you choose to use coconut oil, use it as a hot oil treatment, or pre-poo ONLY.

5.  Keep your hair moisturized

It's important to never let your hair dry out, this will only lead to brittleness and breakage. This can be avoided by; deep conditioning, cowashing, moisturizing, and sealing. Its also best to apply a leave-in conditioner after washing your hair. Moisturizing and sealing is simply applying moisturizer in sections, and applying a thin layer of oil on top ( especially on the ends). For tips on moisturizing and sealing, click here and read steps 2 and 3.

6. Style your hair in a "protective" way.

We all like to wear our hair down and out, but doing it everyday during is not a great idea. Try wearing it in a braid, bun, or twists more often. This keeps moisture in, and dryness out!

Products worth splurging on



Do you splurge when it comes to your curls? If so, listen up! The following products are a bit on the pricey side, but are worth the investment.

Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo: $7 to $20

This shampoo is designed for dry and chemically treated hair.  It also has a wonderful peachy smell, a great foaming lather, and left my scalp feeling clean and refreshed, without leaving my hair feeling dry and stripped. It's actually quite moisturizing, which is a rare find when it comes to shampoo. This shampoo not only correct dryness, it prevents it as well.

Ingredients:

Prunis Persica (Peach) extract, Pimpenella anisum (Anise) fruit extract, Panax Ginseng root extract, Ginkgo Bilobika extract, cetraria islandica (Irish Moss) extract, saccharomyces cerevisiea (Brewer's Yeast) extract in purified water, sodium myreth solfate (coconut oil-derived). C14-16 olefin sulfonate (mineral-derived_, cocomidopropyl betaine (coconut oil-derived)hydrolyzed wheat protein, tocopherol acetate, Panthenol (provitamin), glycol distearate (fatty acid-derived), polyquaternium-10 (polysaccharide celulose, DMDM Hydantoin, methlyparaben (USP), propylparaben(UPS), benzophenone-4 (UV absorber), fragrance, D&C orange 4CI 15510

DevaCurl No Poo Cleanser: $18 to $32

This is a cleanser, not a shampoo. It's a lather less cleanser that cleans and hydrates dry hair. Infused with menthol and peppermint, it give the scalp a tingling sensation, and leave the hair and scalp feeling fresh and invigorated without dryness. Perfect for moisture retention, it's also sulfate and paraben free.

Ingredients: Water (aqua), cetyl alcohol, glycerin, isopropyl palmitate, behentrimonium chloride, polyquaternium-7, laureth-4,vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil,propylene glycol,cocamidopropyl betaine,mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, triticum aestivum (wheat) peptide, avena sativa (oat) peptide, glycine soja (soy) peptide,melissa officinalis (balm mint) extract, humulus lupulus (hops) extract,cymbopopgon schoenanthus (lemongrass) extract, chamomilla recutita (matricia) extract,rosmarinus officinalis (rosemarie) extract,achillea millefolium (yarrow) extract,menthol,citric acid,diazolidinyl urea, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate,fragrance (parfum).

Curl Junkie Curl Rehab Moisturizing Hair Treatment: $20

This hair treatment fits it's title to the T! It revives, moisturizes, and nourishes dry curls with a long list of great ingredients such as; Aloe, herbs, butters and oils. It moisturizes without making hair feel weighed down. At 8oz. It's a bit small, but you definitely get what you pay for with this treatment.

Ingredients: Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis (Melissa) Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Yucca Leaf Extract, Rosa Mosqueta (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuaçu) Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Vanilla Planifolia oil, Cananga Odorata oil, Lecithin, Fragrance, Citric Acid.



Pureology Essential Repair Instant Repair Leave in Conditioner: $23 to $40

This leave in conditioner is designed for dry and color treated hair. It's like a two for one because it acts as a leave in and a gel giving shine and control to the hair. It's Anti Fade complex protects color treated hair, and contains pure biotin, soy milk, olive oil, and chamomile to protect against breakage. It assists in detangling, and gives hair a softer, silkier feel. Great for those with fine hair.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Polyquaternium 10, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG Propyl Silanetriol, Super Oxide Dismutase, Melanin, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cinnamidopropyl Trimonium Chloride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract (Sunflower), Butylene Glycol, Polyamide 2, Amodimethicone, C11 15 Pareth 7, Laureth 9, Trideceth 12, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Citric Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Wine Extract, Mucor Miehei Extract, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract (Mushroom),

 Jane Carter Solution Nourish and Shine: $22.00

This product is great for dry hair and dry skin. It gives great shine and control, definitely a good substitute for hair gel or hair spray. It's all natural and contains vitamins A, E, & D with butters and essentiall oils as well. Great for defining waves and curls, and slicking down hair for ponytails and up dos. An all natural frizz fighter at it's finest!

Ingredients: Shea butter, Kokum butter, Illippe butter, Mango butter, Vitamins A, D, & E, pear and grapefruit essential oils.

If you have extra cash in you stash, give the products a try. They are well worth every penny!

Review: Lush R&B Revive & Balance Hair Moisturizer

Review: Lush R&B Revive & Balance Hair Moisturizer

Lush R&B hair moisturizer is a leave-in conditioner/moisturizer geared toward those of Black decent and/or those with curly hair.

Ingredients:

Oatmilk (Avena sativa), Glycerine, Organic Avocado Butter (Persea gratissima), Fair Trade Olive Oil (Olea europaea),

Glycerl Stearate & Peg - 100 Stearate, Perfume, Cetearyl Alcohol, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera),

Cold Pressed Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Bay Oil (Pimenta racemosa), Orange Flower Absolute (Citrus Dulcis),

Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum, Cupuacu Butter (Theobroma Grandiflorum), Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol,

Candelilla Wax (Euphorbia cerifera), *Benzyl Salicylate, *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Isoeugenol, *Benzyl Benzoate,

*Farnesol, *Limonene, *Linalool



R&B hair Moisturizer has a thick, creamy, butter like consistency and a somewhat heavy floral scent, which is great if that appeals to you. This scent could also be considered overwhelming if you are sensitive to certain smells. That being said, it's a great moisturizer it can be used on wet or dry hair. The first time I used R&B, was in the winter, Initially I wasn't pleased due to the fact that my hair was somewhat dry, and I wasn't pleased with the overall "feel" of my curls after applying the product. I tried it once again in July, and surprisingly it had a completely different result! Upon using R&B in July, I did notice that my hair was noticeably softer, smoother, and completely moisturized. I would recommend this product to those who live in a consistently warmer climate. For those who tend to live in a colder climate, I would suggest that you add this to your summer beauty routine only.

Note: If you are unsure as to whether your hair likes or dislikes glycerin, ask for a sample of the product first. This product tends to be on the pricey side considering it's $20.00 for only 3.5 oz!

Pros: Nice smell, moisturizing, nice consistency, good ingredients.

Cons: Price/size ratio, different results depending on the season.

Will I repurchase ? : Yes, but only for summer.

Overall Grade: B

Your time to shine



There is nothing that stands out more than beautiful, gleaming, shiny hair. Every girl wants it, so here are 3 things to make your hair bling!

1. Aloe Vera Gel

Not only does aloe vera gel give your hair shine, but it's great for the overall health of your hair. After you are done styling your hair, section your hair, and rub about a dime sized dollop (for each hair section, maybe more for longer thicker hair)  between the palms of your hands and smooth the gel down the length of your hair. Be careful not to use too much, it might make your hair a bit sticky.

2. Jane Carter's Nourish and Shine

This stuff is great, not only for shine, but it also helps smooth down edges and its great for slicking the hair into a bun or ponytail. If your wearing your hair down, simply rub a small amount between the palms of your hands, and scrunch it into the length of your damp or wet hair. If you choose to wear your hair up, apply it to the edges and nape of your hair, and/or use it to slick your hair into your ponytail or bun.
Note: when using this product, remember that a little bit will go a long way, try not to be to heavy handed with this product.

3. Oils

Oils are key to sealing in moisture and they can also add shine as well. Just smooth a few drops into the length  of the hair and comb through. There are many oils out there, every one has there own type of oil to which they swear by. Such as; olive, coconut, argan, and many more. You will have to do some experimentation to find out which one is best for you. I prefer; grapeseed, jojoba,macadamia,and argan oil because they are light on the hair, non greasy, and doesn't add weight to my curls. Remember not to be heavy handed with oil, it will make your hair greasy.



It could be said that when using the products, you can get the best of both worlds. This is because not only are you maintaining the style of your hair, but you're also giving it the nutrience it needs to flourish and thrive!