I shared these pictures in my Kinky Pride product review video (seen here), but I wanted to post pictures of the style for those who have not seen the video.  Here is the result of my first attempt at doing rope twists on my own hair:

Although I am not new to a rope twist out as a style (I’ve been doing them on my daughter for quite a while now), I had never tried the style on myself.

To create a rope twist-out, you divide a section of hair into two strands and you twist each strand before your twist the two strands together (see video link above for detailed instruction).  You later remove the twists and voila…you have a rope twist out!

Twisting each strand before twisting the two strands together gives you a tighter twist with less shrinkage.

It also gives your resulting twist-out a slightly different texture which is what I was looking for.

Products used to create this style: Kinky Pride Shea-Loe Butter and Aloe Vera Lock and Twist Gel (see my video link above for my review of these products)

Description from Ouidad website:

Double Rows of teeth eliminate difficult knots and prevent curls from springing back and re-tangling.

Longer Teeth reach through the most dense curly hair.

Fewer Combing Strokes help curls remain defined and frizz-free.

Spaced teeth are just the right width for detangling knots.

Rounded Tips on teeth are soft on the scalp.

Time Savings since curls are prepped to be styled or washed in half the time.

Products Used:

Ouidad Double Detangler

Creme of Nature Shampoo, Detangling Conditioning, Sunflower & Coconut, 15.2 oz.

Creme of Nature Leave-In Creme Conditioner for Dehydrated Hair, Lemongrass & Rosemary, 8.45 oz.

Product Review:
I loved using the Ouidad Double Detangler on my hair. I always had easy to detangle hair but I still couldn’t stand the detangling process. The Ouidad Double Detangler glided through my hair with ease and got rid of my toughest tangles. It only took me about 15 minutes to detangle (14:54 to be exact) which is a lot quicker than normal. Plus, usually after I detangle my hair I have to sweep up little beadie beads that have fallen to the flood, but there were no beadie beads to clean up after using the Ouidad Double Detangler. I would recommend it.

Click on the video below for a live demonstration:

Coco & I have been on a forced hiatus from the site for a week; we’ve been very busy.  Thanks for your patience!  I can’t promise that updates will come much faster, but please bear with us, we will continue to create new videos and posts as time allows.

Below is my demonstration on creating a rope twist-out along with my review of Kinky Pride’s Shea-Loe Butter and Aloe Vera Lock & Twist Gel. These products were not purchased by me, but were sent to me after I contacted the co-owner and asked her if I could review her product. I fell in love with the Kinky Pride products after they were demonstrated on my hair at the Tennessee Natural Hair expo. You can see that video here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iva8Wsy4NE

Kinky Pride products can be purchased here:http://snonatural.com/products/products.html  (see ingredient list below the video)

Ingredients List:

Kinky Pride Shea-Loe Butter – Shea butter, aloe butter, soy butter, avocado butter, almond butter, grapeseed oils, rosemary oils, ylang ylang oils, peppermint oils, olive oils, jojoba oils, wheat protein, nf wax , vitamin E, fragrance

Kinky Pride Lock & Twist Gel – Aloe leaf extract, wheat protein, nettle, horsetail, apple cider, lavender, ylang ylang, castor oil, vegetable glycerin, vitamin E, potassium sorbate, fragrance.

I sometimes hear women say the only reason they will not go natural is because it is too expensive. A lot of women are under the impression that it is imperative that they have to buy all these expensive natural hair products on the market today. So, I just wanted to do a post featuring my must-have items to show those skeptical women out there that natural hair does not have to cost a lot.

I am a reformed product junkie. These are my essentials items, I can get by on these and don’t really need anything else. I do try other products now and again when other people recommend them to me so this list may change in the future but as of right now this is all I need.

 Depending on my budget, I love to use either Suave or Creme of Nature shampoo and conditioner. Suave can be purchased for as low as $.85 and Creme of Nature cost slightly more at $3.99 depending on where you buy it.

I love Organic Root Stimulator Smooth-n-Hold Pudding, this is my favorite product. This product can be used on every hairstyle I like to do. I use it on my braid-outs, two-strand twists, flat twists, and it can be used to slick down puffs (though I have been using other gels to do so just because I want to use them up). It doesn’t flake and it holds my hair well. I purchase mine at the beauty supply for $5.49.

I usually use my Cantu Shea Butter before styling unless I’m using another product on my hair. I have found that Cantu Shea Butter doesn’t play well with other products and will clump up in my hair. I love the smell and I love the way it makes my hair look. Cantu Shea Butter can be purchased for $5.99.

I like to use Virgin Coconut Oil on my braid-outs to make them shiny or to sustain my two-strand twists. I purchased from Tropical Traditions through Amazon.com for $19.99 which is more than I normally spend for hair care products but this was before I knew any better. However, it is a pretty big jar and I’ve had this jar for over a year now and it’s still over 2/3 full so I’m getting my money’s worth. However, coconut oil can be purchased from just about any grocery store for around $4.

  
  
Here are all the utensils I use to accomplish my styles. I like to detangle using my pick and deman brush. I use my rat tail comb for parting. The goody bands and clicks help secure the hair I’m not working on out of the way. My black rubber bands are used to hold my flat twists. A silk bonnet to maintain my styles while I sleep and a silk wrap scarf to secure my puffs.

Product Description:
A light, alcohol-free, Conditioning hydrating gel. Stops frizz, adds moisture, defines, shapes and seals in any size or texture of curl.  Dries soft and adds shine with no flaking.

Ingredients:
Soft water, (Aqua) glycerine, polyquatenium 10 and peg 14, polyquatenium 37, dmdm hydantoin, yarrow extract (achilea millefolium), jua extract (zizyphus Joazerio bark), lemon extract (citrus medic limonum fruit), wild mint extract (mentha avensis leaf), Soap bark extract (quillaja sapponaria bark), polysorbate 20, fragrance.

Product Review:
This product was recommended to me by a colleague of mine, Shay (pictured below). After seeing how defined her TWA curls were I had to try it. Her curls just popped out without the stiffness of most hair gels. I used this product myself on a braid-out. Usually when I do a braid-out, to get the definition I want, I have to leave the braids in for at least three days before taking them down. However, with this product I braided my hair the night before and then took them down the next day and my hair was well defined, saves some days trying to plan your styles. On top of that this product smells great and made my hair feel soft. I would recommend this product.

Here is Shay wearing her TWA.
  
All she does is wash her hair in the morning and rub this product on while it’s still wet.

Here are pictures from my braid-out this morning using this product.
  

This product can be purchased at your local beauty supply. I paid $7.99 for a 6 oz. container which is pretty steep for me but now that I’m working in a professional environments I can’t be wearing hats for 3 days waiting for my curls set. So, I guess the price is worth it if I decide to wear a braid-out in the middle of the week.

Over the past few weeks or so, I’ve been doing sort of an informal comparison of AfroVeda Curl Define and Goddess Curls Gel (Curls Brand).  I wanted to make sure that I was fair in my review and comparison of both products.  Again, I have to say that I like both products.   Also, I must be fair in saying that they are not the same type of product.  One is a cream and the other is a gel.  The only comparison that I am doing is comparing the results when I use each product for a braid out.

I am doing this follow up, because in my review of AfroVeda, the pictures of my braid-outs were either too far away or were pictures of my hair in a puff, where you could not fully see the results.  I wanted to post new pictures of my hair after using AfroVeda, so that you could really see what my hair looks like after using this product.

Here is the top of my braid-out.  This braid-out was done on freshly washed hair.  After washing I applied AfroVeda Curl Define to small sections of my hair, before braiding into about 12 – 15 braids.

I must say that my hair was very soft to the touch after using the AfroVeda.  There are definitely some conditioning qualities to the product.  I love the texture created and there is actually quite a bit of shine!

On my first review of the product, I rated the product as “not bad”, but based on the results of this braid-out, I would probably bump my rating up to (great product):

I have about half a jar of this product left.  I am not sure if I am going to repurchase it after I run out.  I think it would consider repurchasing it if it were available in a store close to me (i.e. Target…hint,hint).

For now, I will continue to use this product.  I may even consider using it on my daughter to see what effect it has on her hair.  We’ll see…overall, I think this product is definitely worth checking out.  I hope this review helps!

I recently did another braid-out using the Goddess Curls Gel.  I wanted to post additional pictures, for comparison to my hair after using the AfroVeda Curl Define.  I’d also like to reiterate that I like both products.  Please keep in mind that one product is a gel and the other is a cream, so a full comparison would not be fair.However, based on the price, availability, braid-out results and shine that the Curls Gel provides, I’d go with the Curls Gel (see my Goddess Curls review here).  Here are recent braid-out pictures:

Here is my latest braid-out using the Goddess Curls Gel.  Again, my hair came out very shiny, but not greasy.

Here’s a close up of the texture using the Curls gel.

I have never mentioned this before, but I do not like the way the ends of my hair turn out when I do braid-outs.  They just sort of sit there dry, with no definition. I’m thinking that I may have to try Curly Nikki’s twist-n-curl or try a braid-n-curl technique.

Last pic…yep, I need to try something new with the ends.  However, Goddess Curls Gel is still all that (my opinion of course)!

Anyone else have any experiences using this gel?  Do you like it?

Product Description: Directly from website, “style and define your curls or twists, while naturally  hydrating every strand and infusing hair with maximum moisture and softness”.

Ingredients: Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Rice Milk, Water, Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Nettle Leaf, Ayurvedic Botanicals of Ashwagandha Powder, Bhringaraj Powder, Brahmi Powder, Amalaki Herb and Neem Leaf; Bay Leaf, Horsetail Leaf Extract, Palm Oil, Glyceryl Stearate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, (an edible, natural, ultra-mild self-emulsifying wax), Aloe Vera Leaf Gel, Xanthan Gum, Gluconolactone (and) Sodium Benzoate (a natural preservative), and love. Essential oil blend of Sweet Orange and Vanilla.

(Note: This product is preserved with a paraben-free, wide-spectrum cosmetic preservative. Please use within 6-9 months, refrigerate or freeze for longer-term storage )

Product Review: Before I begin this review, I have a confession to make… I was afraid to put this product in my hair in the beginning because it smells and looks like cake frosting .  Unlike most of my other products, I did not purchase this product myself.  It was sent to me by a very good friend of mine for Christmas.  I was happy to receive it, but the initial scent and texture threw me off.

When I finally decided to use it, I was pleasantly surprised.I first used it back in January during my birthday weekend.  The consistency is a bit thick, but if you rub it between your hands it sort of melts into a lighter cream.  Here are pictures of my hair after using this product:

This picture was taken back in January.  I applied the AfroVeda to each section of my hair before I braided it up as shown.

This is me in New Orleans celebrating my birthday back in January.  This braid-out is the result of the AfroVeda and the braids in the picture above.

I just thought I’d throw in one more picture showing the braid-out.  I was pleased with the way the braid-out came out.  It was highly defined and very soft to the touch.

Here’s my latest venture in using this product.  I decided to brush this braid-out back into a puff.  Again, I used AfroVeda, applying it to each section of my hair before braiding it up.

Here’s another view of my AfroVeda puff.  The front, sides and back of my hair was smoothed down using Eco Styler Gel.

Here’s a close view of my puff.  Overall, I like the AfroVeda curl define as a braid-out aid.  However, if I had to compare it to the Goddess Curls Gel, I’m going to go with the gel.  Why?  Well the Goddess Curls gel is cheaper at $7.99 (at Target, no shipping) vs. $15.50 + shipping  for the Curl Define.  Also the Goddess Curls Gel makes my hair shinier, which I like.  I will continue to use the AfroVeda curl define from time to time, because I do like the way it makes my hair feel, but I am not sure if I would repurchase it once I run out. I am very grateful to my friend, L.L., for sending this to me and giving me an opportunity to try it out!  Thanks again girl!

Please check back for further thoughts on this product.

Product Description: botanical curl gel to define, defrizz and hold curls

Ingredients: Water, Sorbitol, Polyacrylate-14, Polyquaternium-7, Polysorbate 20, Fruit Certified Organic Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Plumeria Alba Flower Extract, Bossaccharide Gum-1, Carbomer, Certified Organic Butrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Aminomethyl Porpanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, DMDM Hydantoin

(Note: Contains certified organic ingredients; contains no silicone or mineral/petrolatum oil; Sulfate-Free, Paraben-Free)

Product Review: (please see disclaimer in sidebar)

My product junkism has been creeping up on me every since Target stores have begun carrying a lot of the new natural hair products in their stores.  Suddenly I don’t have to pay high shipping prices in addition to the purchase price of these products.  I’ve been in search of a good hair gel to smooth out my puffs for a while.  Before I discovered Eco Styler Gel, I tried this gel.  I did not, I repeat, I did not like this gel as an aid to smooth down my puffs.  I can’t describe why, but I just did not get the results that I wanted.  I put this product to the side for a short while.

A few weeks later, I had plans to attend the Basement Soul Lounge here in Memphis to listen to  music and poetry. I needed to decide what to do with my hair.  I decided to go with a braid-out, so I washed my hair, detangled it and decided to try this gel out once again.  This time I applied the gel to each section of hair, before braiding it for my braid out.  I loved the results!  In fact, it was the softest shiniest braid out that I’ve ever had the pleasure to wear .  Check out the results:

This is my hair just before I began taking my braids down for the braid-out.  My hair was braided up about 2-3 days ahead of time.  Notice how shiny the braids are.

Here’s what I got after removing the braids.  Look at the shine!

Here’s one side of the braid-out

Here’s the other side pinned back with bobby pins.  Look how black & shiny it looks.  Not even coconut oil makes my hair look like this.  By the way, my hair was not greasy at all.

Here’s the front.  I received a lot of compliments on my hair that night.  Overall, as a gel for brushing back puffs, this gel fails on my hair.  However, its use as a braid-out aid more than makes up for it.  I feel that this is a great product and at a price of $7.99 at Target, this gel is a winner in my opinion!  This product is also available at Target.com and of course Amazon.com.

Product Description: (Directly from their website) Imparts a high‐gloss shine, while providing hold and hydraQon to hair.

Product Usage: Spray liberally through towel‐dried hair from roots to ends and use a wide‐tooth comb to distribute evenly. Style as desired. May be used
on dry hair to freshen hairstyle.

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Bu@er)*, Silk Protein, EssenQal Oil Blend, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Algae Extract, Hyssopus Officinalis Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf and Equisetum Arvense Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E). *Denotes CerQfied
Organic Ingredient.

Product Review: First off, I almost want to classify this product as a “must have”, but it’s really a “I’d really like to keep on hand at all times” type of product, not a must.  I was exposed to this product through my sister, Co, who initially gave me the product to “borrow”.  Well, I never gave it back , it’s that great!  Don’t worry, I eventually purchased her another one.  This product is one of those Target purchases that I mention in my poll here: Are You a Product Junkie (visit the link & vote).   Rather than give you a long drawn out review of the product, I’ll show you how I use it in pictures:

This is the same twist-out seen here: Creating a Twistout, a few days later.  I used the mist spray as a daily mist to keep the twist-out looking moist and defined.

I believe the slight hold that the mist provides helped to keep the texture in place.  Now when I say hold, I’m not talking about a hair spray type hold.  I’m talking about a very, very light hold.

Again, this is the same twist-out a few days later.  So we’re talking about 4 days after first untwisting my two-strand twists.  This time, my hair has been brushed back into a puff and accessorized with a Mardi Gras broach.

Here’s the back of the puff.  The texture here looks almost as good as it did the first day the twist-out was created.

Here’s my twist-out puff the next day accessorized with a flower accessory created by me.

(Check out my video here, to see how to create your own)

Here’s the last view of my 5 day old puff.  Overall, I wore this twist-out for almost two weeks, lightly spraying the mist each morning.  Don’t get be wrong, I’m not claiming that the mist was the sole reason for my twist-out lasting so long.  My twist-outs always last a long time.  What the mist did, was keep the hair from drying out like it typically does when I wear a twist-out for a long time.

I purchased this product at Target for $9.99 and I love it.  If you don’t have a Target near you, you can also purchase it from Amazon.com: Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Hold & Shine Moisture Mist – 8 oz. (Note:  Please see my disclosure in the right sidebar. Item is shipped and sold by Target)