Special purchase: Buy an autographed copy of Val & Nadine now for only $10 + s/h (while supplies last). Only 14 copies available at this price!

Also available for purchase here: Val & Nadine: one sista’s comic interpretation of going nappy at a new lower price!

Product Purpose:

Gently cleanse delicate skin with the creamy blend of natural oils, shea butter, and aloe

Ingredients:

Coconut oil, palm oil, safflower oil, glycerine (kosher, of vegetable origin), purified water, sodium hydroxide (saponifying agent), sorbitol (moisturizer), sorbitan oleate (emulsifier), soy bean protein (conditioner), aloe vera barbadensis leaf juice, shea butter, jojoba oil

Product Review:

I posted about Cara B Naturally’s excellent customer service here: Natural Hair Care for Children.  Now that I’ve had the opportunity to use all of their products, I will be posting reviews of each product.  I decided to start with the Baby Bar Soap, because it is the very first product that I used.  If I had to describe the soap in one word, I would use the word “light” , because this bar soap is so light and gentle on my toddler’s skin.  It has a very gentle, light fragrance, so you’re not overwhelmed with perfumed fragrance as soon as you open the package like you are with some soaps.  You can see from the ingredients above that it does not contain any unnatural/harsh ingredients.  I also notice that my daughter’s skin is not as dry after using this soap.  You get three bars of soap when you order.  So far, I still have not finished using the first bar, so each bar seems to be  long lasting. I would highly recommend this product.  Purchase it from the Cara B Naturally website: Cara B Naturally

This is what I did: I grabbed a large section of hair, applied ORS Lock & Twist Gel to the section, combed the hair out to make sure that it was thoroughly detangled and began two-strand twisting it. After the hair was twisted, I then began to take the twisted hair and twist it upon itself until it was in a bantu knot (I have a feeling that I may have to put together a how-to video to show this process – if you want me to put together a video, please let me know in the comments below). I then secured the knot with an elastic band (just as I did in this post: Bantu Knots – sorry about all the post references). I let these dry for a day and a half, then took them down and fluffed them up.  Here are my results:

Was the extra step worth the end result? I think so.  The first time I did a bantu knot-out, I liked it, but I did not get the dramatic results that I wanted.  By two-strand twisting the hair first, then twisting it into bantu knots, my hair had more of a defined texture.

Here is the back.  I think if you compare these pictures to the pictures I took after my first bantu knot-out, you will see that my hair is more defined this time around.

Here is the side view

Here is the top view.  Can you see the clumps of coils & curls?

Here’s another view of the side & back of my hair

The front of my hair really held the two-strand twisted texture well.

Here’s my overall look!

]]> http://cbpublish.com/myhairjourney_files/?feed=rss2&p=2856 0 http://cbpublish.com/myhairjourney_files/?p=2876 http://cbpublish.com/myhairjourney_files/?p=2876#comments Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:58:01 +0000 Coco http://cbpublish.com/myhairjourney_files/?p=2876 Yesterday I attempted to do an Avocado Hair Mask and failed big time. I failed to make sure the avocado was ripe before I tried to use it. It was rock hard, ripe avocados will peel easily and are soft, yet still firm. With the avocado hair mask, the softer the better. I will be trying this recipe again in the near future, this time with a ripe avocado.

Special purchase: Buy an autographed copy of Val & Nadine now for only $10 + s/h (while supplies last). Only 14 copies available at this price!

Also available for purchase here: Val & Nadine: one sista’s comic interpretation of going nappy at a new lower price!

Get a spray that will condition, energize and give your hair the life and look it deserves.

Ingredients:

Mineral Oil, Isobutane, Isopropyl Myristate, Olive Oil, Lanolin, Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E), Aloe Vera Extract (Aloe Barbadensis), Chamomile Extract (Anthemis Nobilis), Peg/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone Fragrance.

Product Review:

This is the best oil sheen spray I’ve ever used. It doesn’t have that aerosol smell like other sprays I’ve used. It’s lightweight, non-greasy, and has a great smell. I used it on my yarn twist and it kept them moisturized so the yarn didn’t dry out my hair. I absolutely love this product and recommend it to everyone.

Special purchase: Buy an autographed copy of Val & Nadine now for only $10 + s/h (while supplies last). Only 14 copies available at this price!

Also available for purchase here: Val & Nadine: one sista’s comic interpretation of going nappy at a new lower price!

I was very impressed by the diverse crowd that came to enjoy Corinne Bailey Rae’s music.  Oh and on a side note: the natural hair crowd really represented here in Memphis.  Of course, Corinne Bailey Rae’s hair is always gorgeous and she wore it full during the performance.

Here are a few pictures taken by my sister Co during the concert:

You can find out concert dates and more info about Corinne Bailey Rae here: http://www.corinnebaileyrae.net/

Wikipedia also has a nice bio here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinne_Bailey_Rae

I wanted to mention that I also enjoyed the first act that performed before Corinne.  The group was Velvet Kente (http://facebook.com/velvetkentemusic ). I don’t think that many of the concert goers gave this group much of a chance (at least those sitting close to where we were sitting) because they were anxious for Corinne Bailey Rae to come out, and with the concert being on a Thursday night, I think many people wanted to get home as soon as possible because they had to work the next day. I, on the other hand really enjoyed the music.  The lead singer sort of reminded me of Wyclef Jean at times.  Look this group up on Youtube to hear a bit of their sound.  You just may like it. Here’s a few pictures that I took of Velvet Kente:

Okay, it’s been 15 days since I did yarn twists in my hair. I will be taking them down tomorrow but I did want to post pictures of different ways in which I wore them. I did want to note that the smaller you do them the longer they last. The only reason I’m taking mine down is because the ends of my natural hair is starting to swell probably because I was in New Orleans last week and it was raining almost the whole time. I will be doing them again but probably a little smaller next time.

Name:
Portia

What state are you representing?
North Carolina

How long have you been natural?
4 months

What’s the natural scene like in your area?
There are mostly people with locs in my area and very few loose
naturals. I always get asked if I am planning on locking because
that’s the norm around here.

Additional comments regarding your natural hair:
I love my hair, the way she feels, moves, looks, smells, coils,
curls, bounces, and twirls. From being relaxed most of my life to now
being 100% natural, I can say that this is the best choice I have ever
made for myself.

Would you like to “Rep Your State”?

If so, please fill out the form here: Natural-ness in the States. I will be glad to accept more than one entry from the same state. Let’s see what state will be represented the most! Once I get at least 20 submissions, I will randomly choose one lucky person for a special giveaway!