And The Verdict Is... *Drumroll Please*

Well after a day of having the Kinky-Curly Custard in my hair, I have come to somewhat of a conclusion. Below are my pros and cons.

Pros:
- Great smell. The product smells like angel food cake.
- Curl definition. I like the "boingy" curl definition I get from this product better than the Aveda Be Curly lotion.

Cons:
- Lack of consistent curl elongation. My curls were elongated when my hair was wet, but I still experienced shrinkage as my hair began to dry.
- Product residue in my hair. Sections of my hair feel "tacky" and "goey". Forget letting my bf run his fingers through my fro!
- Curl definition. Yes, this is a con too. I like a lot of volume; more of a curly fro. Maybe as the week goes on, I'll be able to achieve a more voluminous look.

I think I avoided the crunchy feeling that a lot of people experienced, by using Baby Buttercreme on top of the Kinky-Curly Custard. I also forgot to mention that I also used the Knot Today leave in conditioner/detangler. I really like this product as a leave in and maybe even I could just use this for my twist outs.

I am going to try this product again, maybe layering it with other products. I really think this product has some good qualities.

Next up: I think I am going to get a mohawk with sewn in curly weave for my trip to Mexico. I'll be sure to post pictures of that next week. If i come across any more findings in relation to the Kinky-Curly Custard, I will be sure to share.

1st Attempt Using Kinky-Curly Custard...

Okay, so tonight was my first attempt at using Kinky-Curly Custard. My curls are definitely elongated and defined but I am going to wait until tomorrow before I give it a "yay" or a "nay". From the reviews I have read and the videos I have watched on YouTube, almost everyone has commented on the tacky and/or crunchy feeling experienced once the hair dries. Also, some people who normally have a lot of shrinkage (like myself) experienced their normal shrinkage as well when using this product.

Tomorrow morning I plan on spraying my hair with water again to "reactivate" the product and hoping for a favorable outcome. Below are pictures from my application. My hair is wet in these pictures. I will post some more tomorrow after I experience a day with it in my hair. Wish me luck!

Update: So below are pictures of my hair completely dry. I let it air dry for a bit and then I sat under the dryer because I knew I would want to go to bed soon. So I am going to put some Baby Buttercreme in my hair and twist it up as I normally do. My hair does feel sticky in places and I think that is due to me using too much of the Kinky Curly Custard in certain spots. Like I said before, I'll post some pictures tomorrow to see how it turned out.

I decided to order Kinky-Curly Custard...

So after a lot of debate, I finally ordered Kinky-Curly Custard. My mom has been bugging me to give it a try, but what she fails to realize is, I have tried and SPENT so much money on products that just don't do what I want them to do. So for weeks, I've been reading reviews on the Internet as well as watching You Tube videos on how people apply and like or dislike this product. Despite people saying their hair felt crunchy or sticky, I am going to give it a go because I have desperately been searching for a product to elongate my curls. People were shocked by the length of my hair when it was straight. I think there is a misconception by how much hair I have b/c my hair shrinks up so much. So a product that boasts elongating properties has me literally drooling. I can't wait to get this stuff. I'll be sure to post a blog with pictures. Until then...

I finally found the color I wanted!

I finally have achieved the color I have been trying to obtain! After talking to my stylist about permanent color, she put my mind at ease. I have been researching the best permanent colors on the natural forums/discussion boards and decided to use Clairol Textures & Tones in Bronze. I haven't noticed any negative difference in my curl pattern or the moisture content in my hair. I would definitely recommend this brand to any naturals wanting a permanent color. The color is noticeable but not overboard. I can't wait to see how the color looks once I get my hair straightened in August.

Straight (for about 4 days)

Hello everyone! Well I finally did it. I got my hair straightened at Pure Beauty in DC. My stylist Nicole is fabulous and I have already made my appointment for August. I had no idea how long my hair is. She cut off about 1/2 inch - 3/4 inch and my hair still is a nice length (see pictures). Not only did the length surprise me, but the health of my hair as well as the color did too. She said my hair was in great condition and really not that uneven (considering I cut it myself the first time). But now I am free of all relaxed ends and my hair is free to really do its thang and curl! The major down side to trying to keep my hair straight is the humidity. DC is terribly humid during the summer as well as Atlanta (I'm down there a lot), so it's hard to keep the ends straight. Nicole used Pureology shampoo and conditioner; I really loved the conditioner because it was so cooling and tingled much like tea tree conditioner. I went to purchase it only to discover it was almost $30 for a SMALL bottle. So needless to say, I haven't gotten it yet, instead I purchased the Paul Mitchell tea tree conditioner. I am kinda bummed that my lil fro has taken a step back because of the trim, hopefully it will continue to grow fast :o).

Growing like a weed!

My hair has always grown fast but I really think my vitamins are helping tremendously! So this past weekend I put a color rinse in my hair. I mixed two colors - cinnamon and a little bit of paprika. I like the results. In the sunlight, my hair has a reddish glow and it's kind of nice. But other than that I really have nothing new to "report". I did buy another Aveda hair product - Brilliant Humectant Pomade. It's a great moisturizer and I use it every morning. I am glad that I rediscovered Aveda products because they are wonderful for dry hair and they smell fantastic!

Check out the picks!

Clear Rinse + Aveda Brilliant Emoillient Finishing Gloss = Smooth Ends

My ends are soooooooo smooth! I decided to give myself a clear rinse this weekend mainly because I wanted to preserve my color as long as possible and try to boost the shine level of my hair. After the rinse and a deep conditioner (I sat under the dryer for both), I smoothed a few pumps of Aveda Brilliant Emollient Finishing Gloss in my hair followed by Baby Buttercreme. As I was coiling my hair, I noticed that my ends are soooooo smooth. They have never felt this smooth before. I've always like Aveda products but I think I am slowly but surely changing over to a strictly Aveda product user. I mean, there products are not any more expensive than other stuff that I have been buying, they smell fantastic and they are made with some great ingredients. I must say that every Aveda product I have used, has delivered on what it claims to do for you hair. I am totally recommending their Brilliant line for black hair, natural or relaxed. The products in this line contain oils that I think are fantastic for our hair. I used to use their products during college and I don't know why I stopped, but I am so glad I rediscovered them again!

It's all about SHINE!

So I am on this shiny hair kick. As some of you know, I LOVE color and I have been itching for some summer color. I really didn't want to do a permanent color so I opted for a semi-permanent color. So I researched the preferred semi-permanent colors of naturals in the forums that I frequent and was really surprised by what people liked. People really seem to like Natural Instincts, so I decided to give it a try. I used a color called Golden Cappuccino and I am really happy with the results. As promised, the color change is subtle and you probably can't tell unless I am in the light, but I swear my hair feels fabulous since I colored it! The conditioner that comes with the color is great as well (you are given a 6 week supply).

When I was in Target and I saw that Biosilk has a conditioner. I remember loving Biosilk Silk Therapy when I was transitioning and flat ironing and I thought I would give the Silk Therapy Conditioner a try. Well I wasn't disappointed! I also decided to start using the Silk Therapy in the mornings for an extra dose of shine! I am going to try using the Silk Therapy on my wet hair before twisting it to see what kind of shine I am able to get! I think I am going to start integrating more of the Biosilk products into my hair routine. They seem to really do well with natural hair.

Well that's all for now! Tah tah!

Things are going good yall! :)

So I have added a new style to my repertoire :). Now I have been coiling my hair after washing it, letting it air dry and then separating each coil. I like this better than 2 strand twisting it. I am still using the same products and am really happy with the my hair! It's growing very fast and really starting to look cute, in my opinion.

Wash and go isn't for me... yet.

So I tried the whole wash and go thing two days in a row this week and my hair didn't do what I wanted it to do. It curls too tight and just shrinks right up when it dries. So I thought I would try to be 'cute' today and make myself a style of some sort and it worked. Take a peek at my pictures. I used a very small amount of the Aveda Brilliance gel that I just bought and used a little bit of the Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue (I am out of the Baby Buttercreme) and two strand twisted and coiled some pieces last night. And voila! As I am writing this, I am finishing up re-twisting it because I am going to rock this style again tomorrow.