Shampoo Feels Like A Co-Wash! Tresemme Karatin REVIEW

Hey, curly mamas! Take a look at this shampoo review that I did. It's the Tresemme Keratin shampoo and conditioner. 

It's not the most thorough review in the world, but it's all good. That's all I had time to do. Still feels amazing. But remember; the shampoo has sulfates, so it's not good to use on a weekly basis. Just because I say that it feels like a co-wash doesn't mean that it should be used like one. It will still dry your hair out in time. So be wise and use your sulfate-free shampoos for most of your hair washes!

~Curls of Innocence~

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My STRAIGHT Hair & Trim? June 2015

Hiya, curly mamas!
So, if you follow me on Instagram and Twitter, you already know that I straightened my hair yesterday! I just wanted a change, and ever since I went half blonde in January, I had been dying to see what my blondish hair looked like straight. So I finally went for it, even after a two and a half day mini vacation to NC by PLANE with my mom, sister and baby niece, and all 4 of my kids for my great grandmother's 82nd birthday! O_O
Yeah, talk about tiring. All those babies and bags, fighting through TSA.
Anyway, I rested for two days after that and washed my uber dry hair, deep conditioned, and went for the flat iron the next day when it had dried. I used only my Tresemme heat protectant, the same one I always use and have yet to run out of considering that I barely use heat on my hair.

If you want to see the big reveal, check my Instagram page or wait for the video! I have freaking tons of footage to edit, between the NC vlog clips and the straightening video with trimming and tips, etc. But I will get on it soon! Balancing time being a mommy and video editing can be extremely difficult. That's also why I took a week off from homeschooling this week. It's too much to deal with...

So stay tuned to YouTube for more videos and stuffs. Peace out! 

~Epic Realist~

www.curlsofinnocence.com

Riah's Yearly/Holiday Hair Straightening!

Heya, guys! Happy Holidays! I wanted to briefly show my attempt at straightening my four year old's hair. It came out very well! Her hair is already so silky, so it's easy to get straight. Her hair is 3A-3B, sometimes seems more like a type two instead. But either way, it was easy. It only took a full hour to get her fine strands straightened.
Before I did anything, her hair was freshly washed two days prior, oiled up, and put into four braids. When I wanted to straighten it, I cranked up my regular cheap flat iron (400 degrees), put some grapeseed oil on her sections, and then applied my Tresemme heat protectant on the sections as well. Then I combed through with my wide toothed comb. I started with smaller sections. Syriah did so well with being still... she always does.

To avoid more damage, I only did one pass. A few ends had an extra run through them, but then I realized how badly she needed a trim. Her last trim was in July... about a half an inch. I measured her hair after I was done to get a more accurate length check than the one above, and her hair was actually about 22.5 inches (damn!) instead of 21. But she needed a trim, so I took off about an inch. Her hair was also a little uneven from the last trim as well, so I evened it out. And she looks gorgeous! Her hair is soft and silky, flows well like 'white people hair' LOL!

This is how her hair looked when she went outside the same day (above). Below is the trim.

            Here is how she wore her hair when we went to a woman's breakfast at my mom's church.

 

My little fashionista LOL! I love the waves in her hair due to braids.

Nightly Care:

Every other day, I put a light oil (grapeseed oil or coconut oil) all over her hair, especially the ends. Then I thoroughly comb it after parting it into two sections. Lastly, I braid each section into the same 'Pocahontas' braids showed above, except without the hair band at the top. She wears stocking caps to bed and her hair always looks fresh and un-bothered in the morning.

So, that's my straightening update for Syriah. I wish that my hair was as easy to get just about bone straight like hers sometimes. But I love my curls and my own hair, anyway. ;)

Hope you guys enjoyed. Peace out till later and happy holidays! <3 

 ~Epic Realist~

Hair Tip #2

Hola, curly mamas! I bought a new water bottle for the first time since... I don't even remember when I got my first spray bottle ever. It's been at least over six months. I know that I put the date on it somewhere, but it probably rubbed off a while ago. My old one had gunk in it that I could not get out, and it was worrying me. It began to look like mold, and since it was really hard to wash out because of the small neck area, I couldn't ever get to the dirt. So I got rid of it and got a new one.

Hair Tip #2: Pay attention to the condition of your water bottles. If you have put something other than water in them for a long period of time, the spray bottle, which isn't usually easy to clean, could contract mold and dirt. You could be spraying mold into your hair and not know it. 
I bought a new water bottle for the first time since... I don't even remember when I got my first spray bottle ever. I know that I put the date on it somewhere, but it probably rubbed off somewhere. My old one had gunk in it that I could not get out, and it was worrying me. It began to look like mold, and since it was really hard to wash out because of the small neck area, I couldn't ever get to the dirt. So I got rid of it and got a new one.
Previously, what I had in the bottle was water, Tresemme conditioner, and a little bit of whatever oil I had. That's probably where the most build up came from.
The bottles are cheap in beauty supply stores, no more than two bucks. What I currently use in my water spritzing bottle is water, vegetable glycerin, and peppermint oil. I love this new mixture, and the veggie glycerin is working WONDERS for baby Mari's curls. It definitely keeps them moist longer than normal.

Just a friendly reminder to replace your water bottles often. I will surely keep my eye out for bacteria sooner! ;-)

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~Epic Realist~

Beauty Supply Haul and... My STRAIGHT Hair!

Hiya, curlies! Today I'm displaying my beauty supply haul from two days ago, and the results of me straightening my natural hair for the first time in over a year!

So, here's what I got the other day. The Cantu Shea Butter leave-in cream I have already tried a long time ago and wanted to get it again for the hell of it. There's a Cream of Nature Moisture Extreme conditioner here. I've never tried this before, and I got tired of my Tresemme conditioner. Just wasn't working for me anymore. I don't like it because it has not one natural ingredient in it. I only got it because it was cheap at the time. So I got this new one to use with my Shea Moisture shampoo.
I know that I mentioned in a very old post about 'brand-hopping' hair products not being the best thing to do because if something went wrong with your hair, you wouldn't know what product to blame. But I wanted to try this, anyway.
I also got the Roots of Nature shea butter and green tea deep conditioner simply because I needed one, preferably one with protein and natural ingredients. Re-stocked on my EcoStyler olive oil gel, found a flat iron for ten bucks, and finally found my JBCO in store! Yay, no more ordering!
Spent fifty bucks in there, and it was well worth it.
After I 'doctored' up my hair for a few days, I decided to try the new flat iron. It was cheap, but it has a one year guarantee. As long as it lasts a year and does it's job, I'm not going to spend 50-100 bucks for a flat iron, just to (hope to) get top-notch quality! This one works just fine. The last time I attempted any heat on my hair was November 2011, so it's been over a year. Those results were not good because my hair wasn't that healthy at the time. No, I don't have a picture of that hot mess. Today, the results are great!

The picture speaks for itself, and the process is there, too. I love how my hair came out. I only used a small amount of grape seed oil on each section that I straightened. I had to pass through my hair twice, some areas three times because although I had banded my hair overnight, it was still hard to get as straight as possible. It took almost two hours to complete. But my hair is extremely soft, full of body and moisture. I can whip it back and forth lol!

Hope you guys enjoy this post! Questions, comments, advice? Write meh somewhere! When was your last battle with the flat iron? What did you do? 

Peace out, ladies!

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~Epic Realist~

Conair Paddle Brush Review

Hola, curlies! I purchased a new brush yesterday. I haven't bought a new brush in years. I have two other really soft brushes, but I have been really wanting to try a de-tangling brush, aka paddle brush. So I came across an epically cute one in Publix for four bucks and just had to have it!

As you can see, it's way too pink and adorable to pass up. Hubby let me have it. Yay!

 I was very excited to try it, so during Syriah's bath, I co-washed her hair with my trusty Tresemme conditioner. As it sat on her hair, I smoothed it through with my fingers first and then began to use the new brush.
Let me tell you, it was AWESOME! It smoothed through her hair like melting butter and every tangle was GONE. I was somewhat afraid to try it, because usually when you see a brush like this, you automatically think 'white people brush' lol! But lately, a lot of black people with mega thick hair have been using these types of brushes without their hair breaking off, probably because we are learning how to take care of our kinks so they won't be so nappy when it's time to comb or brush.
I think that this type of brush is great for people with type 3 hair. I'm not sure about type 4, although I've heard of some using them and were fine. But so far, I love it on Syriah's silky hair. I tried it on mine this morning when my hair was damp. I re-twisted my twists with shea butter, and de-tangled every section with this brush. My curls were tangle free and defined. Yes, some hair did come out when I used it, but my hair is falling out anyway at the moment due to either stress, thyroid issues, or both. Sigh...
I will also be using this brush for even distribution of natural oils and also for massaging my scalp. Woo hoo!
-Conair Impressions Detangle and Style Paddle brush: A+ + +!
I will keep testing this brush out because I do know that you have to keep trying something to be sure that it's working for you. Long term use could be detrimental if you're not paying attention to the signs. I'll have to see that after using this brush for a period of time that Syriah and I don't develop split ends from it (like the horrible reviews that I've heard from the Tangle Teaser). I haven't seen split ends in my hair for about a year now and I'm not going to start back seeing them now. :-) Syriah hasn't had split ends since she was two and she'll be four in March. So, yeah. If I see one split end on either of our heads, this brush may be to blame. I've worked too hard on our hair so far to damage it all over again because of a brush.
So, that's my little review. I say give this brush a try and use on wet hair for best results.

Peace out, curlies!

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~Epic Realist~

"I Was Natural FIRST!"

WARNING: This is a rant! Be prepared. 

Well, well, well, ladies. Look what we have done. Not only have we managed to create a war between natural versus permed hair, but now we have a war against who is allowed to be natural, who is allowed to big chop, what's considered a big chop, bi-racial versus black, and the famous, 'my-hair-was-natural-before-you-were-born' theory.
Why is it that every time I turn around, there's a new fight within the 'new' natural hair community? Do these things really matter? The other day, I read an article about Alicia Keys, who big chopped her hair at some point. Some loon was arguing that because Alicia Keys is bi-racial and was supposedly natural anyway, she didn't deserve to big chop; she wasn't allowed to and it was NOT considered a big chop.
WHAT!? Excuse my French, but what kind of dumb shit is that?!
When did we get these hair 'rules' and regulations? Is there a Bible somewhere that gives us specific rules to follow or else you're not part of the natural hair community?
Here is the article where this foolishness resides. It's a great article, but the epidemic that this woman is referring to is ridiculous. It's so much ridiculousness that the author had to stop blogging about natural hair because the 'rules' were so frustrating.
http://www.xojane.com/beauty/why-i-stopped-blogging-about-natural-hair?utm_medium=facebook

You know, we can all choose to be arrogant and flaunt certain things, but why do it? My hair has always been long, even when I was perming. I never had a problem with my hair growing at all, no matter what chemicals I put into it every day. People think that I'm mixed, but I'm not. Technically, I went natural before the natural thing even spread like wildfire like it has been doing the last two years. My last perm was April 7th, 2009, and I made up my mind then that that would be my last perm. But this was before natural hair was a fad. I could go around and boast and brag and flaunt that, saying, "All you guys are just copycats, copying off of one another... I was natural first...you guys don't have a right to call yourselves natural...you're only doing it because everyone else is doing it... You guys aren't real naturals!"
And I say... "Who really cares about all that!? So what you were natural first? I don't care if you've been natural since 1982. Good for you. There's no need to flaunt that! You're no better than I am!"
I mean, seriously. Why are we fighting over who was natural first? How the hell can you define what a big chop is? It's just a slang term in the hair community, and anyone who whacks off 90% of their hair for whatever reason (damage, perms, color, new look, etc) has a right to say that they big chopped. Doesn't matter what texture they are. So what the person is bi-racial? Let them be who they are! Focus on your hair and stop hating on others!
To all the women who are creating hair products, keep doing your thing! That's another thing I choose not to brag about, the fact that I already had a passion for creating hair and body creams and lotions when I was a teenager because I hated dry skin and hair so much. So I'm creating hair products now, but I already had that desire in me for years!
Guess this goes along with women always being way too critical of one another... bashing one another's weight, hair, face, body, lifestyle, job, etc. Sigh... well, I'll still be blogging until this hair thing spins out of control to a point where even I can't handle it.

Oh the bright side, I made a new video a few days ago. It's about me attempting a deep conditioner mix that I made. I love the way my hair came out. Questions? Comments? Write me here or on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-of-Innocence/256662627753918?ref=hl

Until later, curly mamas. Peace out!

~Epic Realist~

After Shower Routine

Last night, I washed my hair. It has been a week and a half. Been going through a lot lately, and with me being a stay home mom, sometimes my hair care is at the bottom of my list of things to complete and well, keep up with.
So it was 10:00 p.m. when I hopped in the shower, but my hair didn't take too long. I used my usual shampoo and washed my hair while it was in eight fat twists. Felt good. I rinsed and used my Tresemme conditioner, kept that on for about five minutes, and rinsed it just enough to get the bulk of it out of the twists.
I left some of the conditioner in on purpose so my hair could be easy to de-tangle and have some slip.
I came out at 10:20, dried my hair with a T-shirt, moisturized my body, got dressed, and de-tangled my hair twist by twist. It was super soft and easy. I massaged my JBCO and coconut oil mix into my scalp, put some shea butter on each section, finger combed, and re-twisted. They were soft, plump, and juicy. Easy. It was 10:50 when I was done, though.
I threw my satin bonnet on for bed, went to sleep, and today, my hair feels wonderful. I love washing my hair in the twists. There are no tangles, and I don't get my everlasting shedding strands all over the tub! Instead, they end up on the floor, which I can easily sweep up instead of digging my fingernails into the drain for hair. -___-
I am still using that Dudu Osun soap for my body. It's wonderful... all natural black soap. The entire family uses it.
Currently, Syriah's hair is in semi-mini braids for the first time. They still look wonderful after almost a week. Pictures of those will come soon.
Here's a pic of how my hair looked last night after washing and de-tangling.
That's my quick little update for now. I LOVE having healthy hair!

Peace out, curly mamas!

~Epic Realist~

Shower Hair

Hiya, guys! Hope everyone had fun on Thanksgiving yesterday. =)

I just wanted to make a random post about how my hair looks straight out of the shower. It was detangled in the shower with my Tresemme conditioner, and then rinsed out. My hair is still drastically falling out, but I think it may be getting better because of the castor oil. Not sure yet; still in testing phase.
I don't really have much of a set routine as of lately. The only thing that is for sure is that I wash my hair every week, and the shampoo that I use has not changed. I still use my Shea Moisture Curl and Shine shampoo. I haven't really gotten hip to co-washing, mostly because I'm not in love with the Tresemme conditioner and the fact that I don't have much time to co-wash in the middle of the week. I do spritz my hair with distilled water throughout the week, though, and add an oil such as coconut oil or castor oil on top of it.
My hair never feels too oily until the end of the week on wash day, when there is some product build up from other products.
I haven't flat ironed my hair in ages... almost a year, probably. I am dying to see my real length, but recently, when I was going to flat iron it, the darn thing shorted out on me when it was plugged in for five minutes. So it on longer came on at all. I had to throw it away. Cheap thing. I'd only had it for year. it was brand new and it was a gift from someone. It was a Revlon iron, so I thought it was of good quality, but apparently not! Now I have to wait until I can get a new one, a much better quality one.
Right after a shower on wash day, I dry my hair with an old T-shirt and apply castor oil directly to my scalp, and give myself a 5-6 minute scalp massage with my fingers. It feels great and the oil absorbs in well. It doesn't make my scalp itch like everyone else says it does. LOL! It's probably because they put the JBCO on dry hair instead of on wet hair.
Any oil is best used on wet hair, and JBCO doesn't work best at all on a dry scalp.
This is a new thing that I added to my routine, and I'm looking forward to seeing more hair growth.
After I do the massaging, I separate my hair into four or six huge sections and gently detangle with my wide toothed comb, then just twist or braid each section. Then I wrap it into a silk scarf before bed. The next morning, my hair feels soft, fluffy, and amazing, and ready to style into whatever style I want.
Well, that's my little hair wash routine for now. I'll be back with more hair tips/styles. Peace curly mamas!

~Epic Realist~

Kid's Length Checks and Routines (Oct. 2012)

I did this after the hair show, but I have been way too busy lately to make a post about it. As I like to do, the pictures speak for themselves. I am way proud that I have nursed Syriah's hair to full health since last year, and Jamian's is following right behind. He's okay, anyway, because he's a boy. But Syriah's hair is awesome right now.

 No breakage, no split ends, no falling out, no knots, and no dandruff for miles. Oh, and it sure is growing! =)

Syriah's Current Hair Care Routine:
~Hair Type: 3A-3B
~Pre-poo: Coconut oil saturation all through head for about an hour before washing
~Wash once every week with Shea Moisture Curl and Shine shampoo (because she likes to keep her precious little head on the floor, practicing gymnastics -___-)...
~Detangle afterwards with water and coconut oil, part into sections with shower comb, twist/braid the sections with my whipped shea butter (which has EVOO, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, lavender oil, and sometimes jojoba oil in it)...
~Daily Care: If we are in the house, I dampen her hair and apply the whipped shea mixture and/or coconut oil and re-twist/re-braid. Sometimes, if her hair isn't dry and frizzy, I'll just leave it alone the whole day. Less manipulation is always best.
~Outdoor Care: If we are going out, I use one of the many curl creams that I have now because of the hair show and style, trying to stick to protective styling most of the time. This can be a challenge sometimes because I have figured out how she can wear her hair out and her curls can look fresh all day, but I know her ends need to stay protected. Bad Mommy.
~Nightly Care: I dampen her hair at night (if I remember and I'm not too tired) and apply coconut oil and whipped shea butter to seal the ends. Then I put a simple stocking cap on her head. It doesn't come off in her sleep... for the most part. Her hair feels like butter the next morning, and not a tangle in sight.
~Deep Conditioning: This step is rare because her hair is so used to moisture that she hardly ever needs a deep condition. But occasionally, I do it anyway. I just use whatever deep conditioner I have lying around, which at the moment is a Tresemme Moisture Rich conditioner. It's not the best in the world, especially because it is kind of laced with chemicals like most conditioners, but it gives her hair more moisture and volume.
Doesn't do jack to my hair, considering that may hair is already way too thick on it's own. I don't need any more volume. O_O
Frankly, she doesn't need any more volume, either. She's got her daddy's silkiness and curl pattern and she got her thickness from me, even though her hair still isn't as thick as mine. Go figure.
So that's my daughter's routine for now. Sometimes, it seems like a lot, but because I am a SAHM, I can afford to spend extra time on her hair, whereas other mothers cannot. For Jamian, it's pretty much the same routine, except I don't put a stocking cap on his head because he'd probably just rip it off. I also don't have to section his hair. All he has are his little curls on the top of his head and that little rat tail, so it's pretty easy to maintain. He still hates getting his hair combed or brushed no matter what, but oh well. It's a part of life.
I am very strict about what goes onto my children's hair and skin, so I have been trying to use all natural products all throughout the border. I still use coconut oil and my whipped shea butter on Symari's delicate skin. All five of us use the same soap, a black soap from Ghana called Dudu Osun. It's so mild; it can be used on a newborn!
Of course, it's always more pricey to make adjustments to go the healthy way, but it is way more beneficial in the long run.
Well, I gotsta' go now and do a little cleaning. Can't let the house be a pigsty because I am only paying attention to everyone's hair LOL! I shall return... soon. =)
Until next time,
Peace out, curly mamas! Stay curly!

~Epic Realist~