Nails, Victoria's Secret, and other girly things!

On Friday I got my nails done with my sister. We pretty much had our nails done the entire first semester of school. We had to stop getting our nails done because our pay checks started to go down. (We have the same job). Since this week our paychecks were pretty good, we decided to get our nails done once again. I got a full set with zebra tips and a pink line drawn underneath. At first, she wanted to get this design then decided on something different so I decided to get it instead because I think it's SO cute! I haven't had my nails done for almost two months and I missed it! lol

 Also, Victoria's Secret is giving away $10, $50, $100 and $500 gift cards with every purchase now until March 31st. At checkout (if you spend at least $10), they'll give you a gift card with a secret amount on it. They have no value until April first. The best way to figure out how much money you'll be able to spend is to go to the check out before you pick out the items you want and they'll tell you how much you have on your card. You can spend more than the amount on the card, you'll just have to pay some cash out of pocket. I LOVE Victoria's Secret. I have another blog post about some online shopping I did with them. (and since then I've been getting free VS catalogues!) Since the Target I work at is connected to the mall, I decided that every time I go to work, I'm going to go to VS and spend at least $10. This is good for two reasons:

1. I'll get something new from VS

2. I'll get a reward card

The gift cards are not valid until April 1st and expire on April 30, so during the months of March and April I'm going to be a VS shoppin fool! The last time they had this promotion was during the Christmas season, and each card was worth at least $10.  (I got $50!) I'm so excited! I mean, VS is an expensive store, but I'll be getting money back and I love their stuff anyways.

These cards are available if you shop online or in store.

Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner- Can't wait to try it!

Additional Uses: (copied and pasted form kenra.com)

• Add maximum moisture by applying Moisturizing Conditioner, covering hair with plastic cap and placing client under warm dryer for 10-15 minutes.
• Revitalize old perms by working Moisturizing Conditioner and Styling Gel into relaxed curls and diffusing with a blow dryer.
• Work small amount of Moisturizing Conditioner into dry hair ends to control frizz.

Key Ingredients: (Copied and pasted from kenra.com)

• Stearalkonium Chloride A humectant moisturizer for added manageability and softness.
• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein A protein that adds moisture to hair.
• Benzophenone-4 Sunscreen for UV protection from drying and color fade.

Yesterday, like I said, I bought the Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner. My plan was to get the 10.1 ounce bottle, but instead I got the 33.8 ounce (1 liter) bottle. My original plan was to walk around the mall and search for the best price since there are three salons that carry Kenra products. So I walked into Trade Secret and noticed that they were having a 50% of liter sale. I still wanted to check to see if I was going to get the best price, so I left the store. I must of walked less than 30 feet away from the store and turned around because I couldn't pass up such a great deal. So, instead of paying $30 for it (the regular price), I only paid $16.10. I thought this was a great deal because the 10.1 ounces are sold at prices ranging from $9-$14. So pretty much I got over three times more for (at most) an extra seven dollars. I didn't even look at the other salons.



Example of a liter-sized conditioner
with a pump

 What I don't like about the packaging is that most of the time when you buy shampoo/conditioner a liter, it comes with a pump instead of having to pour it into your hand. The pump would have made it easier to measure how much conditioner I'm putting into my mixing bowl.
 
(random) When I was reading the reviews on this product, a lot of people said it had a strong coconut smell, it didn't really smell like coconuts to me.
 
What if I don't like it? I already committed to the liter size and it's going to take me forever to get rid of it. I'm not buying any more products for a while unless I run out of something, so I really hope it works well.

AGHHHHH! Ingredients...

Frustration. Pure frustration. Why? I thought I found the best shampoo/conditioner for me. Sigh, I suppose I was wrong. Herbal Essences contains a few if-y ingredients. It has a few silicone's in it and I'm scared its going to ruin my hair! I know silicone's are bad, but I love the way this shampoo makes my hair feel. Now I'm beginning to wonder if it's just crap in a bottle. I'm not sure. Both the shampoo and conditioner contains high amounts dimethicone. (A silicone derivative. Adds luster and sheen.) I also looked up a couple of other ingredients and a lot of them were linked to causing CANCER! (but then again, isn't pretty much everything a link to cancer?) I used to think that as long as mineral oil and petroleum weren't in the product then it was good, now I'm scared to buy anything. I hope what ever ingredients they did put in there are to help my hair become healthy and are not temporary fixes that only make my hair look good for now.

I found a deep conditioner I want to try called 'Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner.' Not many people on the hair forums use them, but Sunshyne (the creator of Hairlista.com) used it and she liked it, also after reading a lot of reviews, a lot of other people love it and swear by it. I'll get it tomorrow while I'm shopping and it should cost around $10-$14. (almost five times the amount the HE costs me, but that's okay because hopefully it'll be a quality product and worth it.)

NOTES:

-I know I said I was interested in the MoroccanOil for a DC, but I read the ingredients and they said NOTHING about Moroccan oil. I know just because the brand is called Moroccan oil doesn't mean they have to put Moroccan oil in it, but it's HIGHLY assumed.  

-I might start doing what Megan from 'ulovemegz' on YouTube does- instead of having a rinse-out conditioner and a separate DC, she just leaves the rinse-out on her hair for a long time and considers that her DC.
-Silicone: Some will say that silicones bond to the hair and do not allow moisture into the hair shaft. Supposedly once the silicone is on the hair it acts as a barrier between your hair and prevents moisture from penetrating your hair shaft.

S-Curl No Drip Acitiviator and Moisturizer

Today I bought what many people call their staple product. It's called 'S-Curl No Drip Activator and Moisturizer'. I think it was originally made to be used to 'activate' a jheri curl, but a lot of women now use it to moisturize and seal their hair. I bought it because I wanted to try a wash-n-go with it. BUT THEN I came home and watched a video you youtube and the lady said she didn't like to use it on wet hair because it made her hair feel funny and weird. I know that everyone's hair is different so I'll continue  to consider using it to activate my curls. Until then I'll keep using my Garnier and Africa's Best for moisturizing.



Michael Jackson's Jheri Curl
RIP

 But just as a very first impression: I like that I can pump it right on to my new growth. I've been noticing that I don't really moisturize my new growth very well and this is a spray that I can use directly on it. When I came home I sprayed my hair with it and I automatically felt it on my scalp so I was excited about that.

Co-Washing. :)

I've been co-washing my hair every Thursday and my hair loves it! It could be contributing to the extra softness I've been feeling and/or the added growth. All I've been doing is pre-pooing for 30 minutes, co-washing, deep conditioning, leave ins, styling. That's it! I thought I was going to give it a try until April (when the heat challenge is up), but I'm not quitting this, my hair has been thriving too much!

I've been using a lot of moisture in my hair lately and I think it's time for a small amount of protein. So I'm either going to co-wash with Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Conditioner, or DC with ORS replenishing pak.

Lovin my Hair!- Updates

I'm still using the Herbal Essences Reconditioning Shampoo and conditioner and still loving it! NOW that I bought it about three weeks ago, Target has it on sale 2 for $5 for the regular sizes and $5 for the bigger sizes. UGH! That sucks! lol. I'm not going to buy it because something I've learned on my HJ is not to buy things in bulk. I really enjoy trying new things but I can't if I have a full bottle of an old product laying around.

Bantu Knot
This picture is not me-
I know her curls were GORGEOUS after this

Example: I bought a Herbal Essence LTR leave-in a few months ago when I already had one at home (it was the same 2 for 5 sale at Target). Then I decided to stop using it regularly because I figured out it was protein, so now I have 1 1/2 bottles n my room collecting dust. Also, I have 1 1/2 tubs of Lustrasilk sitting in my cabinet and I can't stand that now! So I'm just going to continue to stick with buying my products 1 at a time. (even though I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be switching shampoo/conditioners any time soon)

I was thinking about doing a 'wet wrap' to get my hair straight- from what I understand it's just washing your hair, putting wrap lotion in it, wrapping your hair, and sitting under the dryer for a while. I decided against it because I said I would use NO form of heat (including indirect), I really like the way curly hair looks on me; but its been such a hit/miss. Bantu-knots look terrible after a few days and my braid outs are okay sometimes, but their always really cute when someone else braids it the night before. (I can't keep pestering my mom/sister to do my hair though) So that's the only reason why I want to straighten my hair other wise I would rock curly hair everyday!

My hair has been feeling super soft lately, I'm not sure if its the no heat or the products I've been using, but I'm loving it and noticing growth. If I don't reach shoulder length by April I don't know what I'm going to do. I've been babying my hair so much and never had any huge set backs, but gosh it's taking a long time to get to where I want to be!

Still lookin for a Deep Conditioner.

I'm still on the hunt for a good DC.  

I thought I found it when I found Africa's Best Rinse-Out and leave in Deep Conditioner. Wrong! I mean..as a DC, it's okay. After using it my hair feels kind of soft, but not as soft as it can be. However, as a nightly moisturizer, its AMAZING! One of the best I've used so far. So much better than Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship (I quit using that once I found out it was protein), and almost as good as Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream. Since it can be used as a leave-in, I decided to also use it as a moisturizer and it has been great! The only downside is that it smells like beer, so to fix that problem I added some rosemary oil to it.

I've been wanting to try some kind of Shea Moisture's conditioner, since Shilinda1 on Youtube has been raving about it for months, but my Target store is out of it and has been out for a while now. The Clinique has been working for me so well and it got me thinking; since department store facial products work so well for me, wouldn't a department store or salon brand conditioner work well? Lately I've been looking at MoroccanOil conditioners. Everybody seems to love them and considering that its 'salon quality', its reasonably priced. I don't know..we'll see. :)

Clinique 3 Step System

Ever since 4th grade I have suffered with acne. It wasn't until 8th or 9th grade that I started to use drugstore cleansers on a daily basis every morning. It wasn't until 10th grade year that I started washing my face twice a day while still using drugstore products. They did help with getting rid of some pimples but my skin was never really clear. About two weeks ago I bought Neutrogena's Pink Grapefruit Cleansing Scrub and hated it. I now figure drugstore products aren't working for my skin and its time to step my skin-care-game up. The first thing that popped into my head was 'Clinique'.
So on Friday I went to Dillard's and walked straight to the Clinique counter. The lady took a quick glance at me and told me I had oily skin. I never knew I had oily skin. I actually thought I had normal skin, then I thought I had dry-combination skin but apparently I have oily skin. Any who..I left the Clinique counter because I didn't want to pay $41.50 for some facial soap. After that I continued to walk into the mall and stopped at Wet Seal and spent about $30 on clothes. It wasn't until I woke up the next day and realized that I spent almost the same amount of money on clothes as I should have spent on the Clinique. I sat at the computer and Youtube'd 'Clinique 3 Step Review'. Juicystar07's video about her experience with Clinique was the first and last I watched before I made my decision. Not because she used it and liked it, but because she said something that made me think. She said: "My skin is something I'm willing to invest in". Ever since I've gotten my job at Target, I've spent a lot of money on clothes. If I can spend $12 on a shirt, couldn't I spend the same amount to better my skin?
That same day I bought the Clinique system. I got the bar soap (you can choose bar or liquid- the bar costs less but you get more), clarifying lotion #3 and the dramatically different moisturizing gel. I haven't used it for that long now but I can form some opinions on it.
1. I don't like the clarifying 'exfoliating' lotion. I always thought exfoliation had to be a scrub, but this is more like a toner. It smells terrible (like witch hazel) and stings even worse.
2. The moisturizing gel doesn't moisturize enough. I always have to use another moisturizer afterwards so my skin won't feel so tight.
3. Using a bar soap doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Especially since it comes with a soap dish.
As far as how well it works and a review on it, that'll be coming later but so far it's okay I guess. Even if I hate the toner, I'm still happy I bought the system. I feel the same way as when I bought the Silk Elements. I mean, even though Silk Elements didn't work out for me very well, I felt like I was taking the first step in bettering my hair care and was on the road to a new journey and chapter in my life. The same way I feel about my skin care. :)

Clinique Facts:
1. they say your skin will get worse before it gets better because it's pushing all the 'gunk' out of your face, so whiteheads might appear. Yuck!
2. It's sold at department stores. (Macy's, Sephora, Dillards, ect.) Also sold at kiosks in the mall.
3. It's allergy tested. (They test 600 people 12 times before the product goes on the market. If one time one of those people have an allergic reaction, they reformulate their product--that's 7200 applications!)
4. No Fragrance is added to it.
5. There are 4 different 3-step lines which you can choose to match your skin. (Type 1= very dry skin, Type 2=dry combination, Type 3= Oily combination, Type 4= Very Oily)
6. They also make makeup, sunscreen, fragrance and a lot of other stuff.

For more information visit Clinique.com

First Co-Wash Experience!

Today I co-washed for the first time. (well not the first time I've co-washed in the past when needed, not regularly) It went well, I co-washed with V05 moisture milks. It did make my hair soft like everybody said it would.

Then I DC'd with Africa's Best Rinse-Out and Leave-in Deep Conditioner mixed with one n' only argan oil and castor oil. The consistency of it was really runny, but it did make my hair really soft and it feels moisturized. (a lot more moisturized than the Lustrasilk) Best part about it was it was only $4.

NO HEAT 4EVA!

I don't want to be one of those people who decide not to use heat for X amount of months, and when those months are over, continue to use heat weekly. I always wonder what their purpose was for not using heat in the first place. Did they not notice a difference? Is curly hair that bad? When my heat challenge is over, I will use heat, but not as often. Only twice a month, not all the time like I was.

Bantu Knots and Pink Grapefruit Review :)

Last night I detangled my hair and did 8 bantu knots in my hair. I haven't done these in a while so I wanted to revisit them. Thank goodness I did, because I actually like my hair today and got a lot of compliments on my curls. I used to do 3 bantu knots- one on top and two in the back, but last night I did eight and that could have made a difference in why I like these better. I've still been using the GF leave-in conditioning cream to moisturize and seal and my hair has been SUPER soft!

I said a few months ago that I would go on a 'skin journey'. I stuck to a regimen for a while, but not much has changed. So last week I bought a new product: Neutrogena's Oil-Free Acne Wash with Grapefruit. I decided to get the scrub since I know how important exfoliating is for clearing acne. First off- the smell is delicious. It smells exactly like a grapefruit, which is good, but honestly I don't really care what my face smells like. I've used it for almost a week now and this crap made my skin SO dry. I'm not sure how well it works for acne, because I haven't used it for that long and don't plan on it! I'll continue to use it as a weekly exfoliator, but as for washing my face twice a day, it won't do. I will NOT be repurchasing.

 

Stupid Braidout... >:(

I did another braid out again. I did it on damp hair. I woke up and it was still wet! That's bad for 3 reasons:

1: It's cold out side. I COULD'VE CAUGHT PNEUMONIA!

2: Cold weather + Wet hair = breakage

3. My braid out didn't fully set in and form the right curls



My outfit/hair of the day



All this contributed to the frizziness of my hair. I didn't use my Fantasia Frizz Buster as I usually do because I wanted to see how well the Garnier Sleek and Shine controlled my frizz. It didn't. At all. I woke up with frizzy hair and had frizzy hair the whole entire day. I was smart enough not to wear it down today and decided to quickly detangle and put it in a bun. I do like my curls to have a small amount of frizz to them because it makes them look more natural, but gosh! I looked like a troll doll today! So tonight I'm going to try a bantu knot out and hopefully it'll be cute in the morning.  

This proves that using no heat is going to be harder than I thought. I know ulovemegz (Youtube) only does braid outs on co-washed hair so I think I'm going to take that advice and follow her lead. I'm not giving up on not using heat because I really want my hair to grow, but if I keep having days like this I'm going to be doing a lot more roller set/saran wrap methods in the near future.

Herbal Essences 1st Wash

I used the regimen that I said I would last time. I LOVED the shampoo and conditioner. But after the deep condition, it went down hill. The DC was bad. I could have done with out it. It actually took away from the softness that the herbal essences gave me. Then I took used Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine anti-frizz serum and smoothing milk. I didn't like the serum, but the milk was good. I might use the serum as needed, but not as a weekly leave-in conditioner.

I hope the Herbal Essences works for me for a long time. I've noticed that I either hate a product at first and continue to use it then like it, or like a product and then hate/dislike it. (Lustrasilk, Aphogee)

Herbal Essences Shampoo and Conditioner

I just washed my hair with the HE Reconditioning shampoo and conditioner. I really loooovvvveeee it! I thought the conditioner was just okay last week, but with the shampoo, it was amazing! Actually, I think the shampoo was more conditioning than the conditioner. Weird, huh? When I very first put the shampoo into my hair I loved it. It just felt sooo moisturized. A feeling I never got with Silk Elements and obviously not with Aphogee. It was not stripping all. The conditioner complimented the shampoo well and I'm already considering these to be staples. This was really surprising to me because normally I don't like products the first few times I use them.

So now I'm deep conditioning my hair with Silk Elements Olive Oil Moisturizing Treatment. It's okay, but I got my  eye on Shea Moistures conditioner. Honestly it doesn't matter which one because they all seem like they would work well. As long as its high moisture and low protein or none at all, I'll buy it.

I want to find a curl definer. Since I'm going to do so many braid outs, I need something to make my curly hair curlier and not frizzy. I'll look at the Herbal Essences Tousle me Softly line.

Lastly, as for as the pre poo, I used the Suave Shea Butter and Almond. It was pretty good, nothing amazing.  How much can you really expect when you pay less than two dollars for it though?

Lustrasilk?

I'm not sure if Lustrasilk is good enough for a deep condition. I like the product, I'm just not sure its moisturizing enough for me. I think I should invest in a new DC. I still have 1 1/2 tubs left of it, so I might use it as a pre-poo and/or co-wash until I run out of it. I'm not sure if I'll repurchase after that. So now I'm on a hunt for a new DC. Tomorrow will be my wash day and I might use that, also when I co-wash this week, but after that I really hope to have a new product in my stash! :)

MINOR Regimen Change

Yesterday I said I'll co-wash with Suave and I'll find me a new pre-poo, but actually I found a co-wash (VO5 moisture milks conditioner) and I'll pre-poo with Suave almond and Shea butter conditioner. 

VO5 is a popular co-wash on hair forums so that's why I decided to switch. (it smells great and is only $1.15!)

Hair Resolutions Check Up

A month ago I made some resolutions, and for the first time, I've actually kept up with them. My resolutions were:
learn heat less styles
learn to braid my hair
use less heat
and retain length

So far I can cross three off of my list, I'll see how I'm doing with retaining length later. I guess I'll have to stretch my curls to see how long my hair has gotten.  Or I could start taking length check pictures only when my hair is wet.

Today I bought all the things from my list yesterday. I still need a pre-poo. (I might use the suave almond and Shea butter as a pre-poo though)

new regimen

WEEKLY:
-shampoo wash 1x
-co-wash 1x
-DC 2x


DAILY:
-oil w/ Castor oil
-M&S

PROTECTIVE/LOW MANIPULATION STYLES:
-braid outs
-bantu knot outs
-rollerset saran wrap


Shampoo- HE Hydraliscious Reconditioning Shampoo, Aphogee shampoo for damaged hair (only used when using heat)
Conditioner- HE Hydraliscious Reconditioning Conditioner, Aphogee 2 minute reconstructer (only used with heat or before relaxer), HE long term relationship
Deep Conditioners- Lustrasilk shea butter and mango, silk elements olive oil moisturizing treatment, oils, ORS replenishing pak
Leave ins- Aphogee green tea and keratin (only when using heat), fantasia frizz buster, Garnier Fructis leave i conditioning cream, HE Long Term Relationship, GF anti frizz serum, GF smoothing milk
Moisturizers- Garnier Fructis leave-in conditioning cream, HE long term relationship
Heat Protectant- Tresseme thermal creations
Pre-poo- ? (i'll figure it out)
Oils- Sweet almond oil, castor, olive, one n' only argan oil, eucalyptus, rosemary, Africa's best herbal oil, coconut oil
Co-wash- suave almond and shea butter


AS NEEDED:
Protein Treatment-egg, Aphogee wash (instead of herbal essences)


Relaxer Every 10 weeks (at least)


Misc: apple cider vinegar rinse


Notes:
-no more Pantene products (might have caused dandruff)
-AVOID MINERAL OIL (threw away some products because of mineral oil)


Wish List:
HE reconditioning shampoo
GF anti frizz serum
GF smoothing milk
Suave almond and shea butter

I've made my descision.

Apparently Target doesn't sell GF sleek and shine in travel sizes, they only sell daily care.

Since I've already bought the HE Hydraliscious conditioner, I'll just buy the shampoo and find another pre-poo to use. So I'll use Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner, but I'll use Garnier styling products and leave-ins. 

Tomorrow's Shopping List:
HE Hydraliscious Reconditioning Shampoo
GF anti-frizz serum
GF anti-humidity smoothing milk

I normally don't have frizzy hair. (when it's straight) But when I wear it curly, its always so frizzy so that's why I need so many anti-frizz products.

I also joined another challenge on KISS, its neck length to shoulder length by April 2011. the rules are:

Must Moisturize and seal every night!-With either Castor oil, almond oil, avocado oil, or any type of oil you have
Deep condition 2x a week

Co-Wash 1x every 2 weeks
-depends on what you like
Oil scalp everyday other day like Monday then Friday.
- a good oil (Castor oil )
Wear protective styles :
-Buns.
-Weave's
-Draw string
-Braid outs

Like I did for the heat challenge, I will alter some of the rules to suit my needs.
-I don't think I'll co-wash once every 2 weeks, more like 1x a week.
-I oil my scalp with Castor oil every day-not a few times a week. (when I get closer to my relax date then I'll stop oiling with Castor oil so often)

Castor Oil!!!

I've been using castor oil on my hair nightly and it has been WORKING! I'm not sure if my NG is thicker, but it's defiantly coming in. The only way I know it's working is because before I was using castor oil nightly, I didn't have any NG, now I do. Before, I was only using it a few times a week and mixing it into my DC's. Now I use it every night (a small amount) and massaging it in. My hair is flourishing due to this miracle oil. I at first was a little scared to use it because I don't want my hair to be too thick to the point that it becomes unmanageable. But thick hair is beautiful. I can't wait to see how long my hair gets because of this oil. LOVE IT!

NO HEAT!

It's no secret that heat is bad for your hair. I learned how to do braid outs just so I won't 'have' to use heat anymore. It's not only that I don't want to use heat on my hair anymore, but I also am tired of wearing my hair straight.  I've been wearing my hair for the same exact way basically since 10th grade. (except those few months I had braids.) Now I'm bored with straight hair and I'm ready to experiment. I learned how to do braid outs better so I'll start wearing my hair like that for a while. Well, actually until April 1st since today I joined a no-heat challenge.
The rules are simple:
No heat. (unless DC).

Well, that sounds simple, but I have to alter the rules slightly for myself. The only time I can use heat is when I'm doing a roller-set saran wrap method. Which is okay because it's still not direct heat and I don't plan on wearing my hair straight that often anyways.

I have done braid outs before in the past, (when my sister braided my hair), so I know that they only last a few days. To keep up with my style I guess I'll have to start co-washing. And since I'm co-washing, I don't think I'll need to DC for as long as I was. Instead of DC for 2 hours once a week, I'll DC for 45 minutes-1 hour twice a week.

By the end of this challenge, I expect my ends to look better, hair to be longer and overall healthier.

Note:
When I get my next relaxer in March, instead of getting my usual wrap, I'll get 3-4 braids to the back so I won't cheat in my challenge.

Wash Day

Yesterday I washed my hair with Silk Elements. (it's almost gone!) I pre-pooed with HE Hydraliscious Reconditioning Conditioner. It did make my hair kind of soft, which surprised me because the first time I try something usually, I really hate it and it later starts to work for me.


What worries me a little bit was I left it in my hair for about 45 minutes and it was only kind of soft. It wasn't great or wonderful, just okay. In my opinion, if you leave something in your hair for that long, it should feel like butter. *SOFT* But I do have to take into consideration that it was my first time using it.


Even though it was okay, I'm kind of leaning towards Garnier. I really love the leave in conditioner as a moisturizer. I didn't go to work on Tuesday like I was scheduled (had to call in because of the snow..did I mention this crazy blizzard?), so I couldn't pick up the travel size shampoo and conditioner I wanted to try. Also, If I do decide to use Herbal Essences, there are certain products from Garnier that I'll use to fight frizz for my braid outs. (anti-humidity smoothing milk, anti-humidity styling cream, anti-frizz serum)


Bottom Line: I'll use the travel size, if I like those, then I'll use Garnier. If I don't like those, I'll use Herbal Essences Reconditioning shampoo and conditioner and find another pre-poo.