Product Review: Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie

Price: $9.99 for 12oz

Availability: Target & Walgreens

Product Claims: "Our Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie defines curls, reduces frizz and smoothes hair for a soft, silky feel. Restores moisture, creates brilliant shine and conditions hair without weighing it down for bouncy, healthy curls.

- Coconut Oil hydrates and protects hair while reducing breakage. 
- Silk Protein smoothes hair for a soft, silky feel. 
- Neem Oil controls frizz while adding brilliant shine.

All Shea Moisture products boast of being all natural with no sulfates, no parabens, no phthalates, no paraffin, no gluten, no propylene glycol, no mineral oil, no synthetic fragrance, no PABA, no synthetic color, no DEA, and no animal testing."

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut ) Oil*, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Magnifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Persea Gratissima (Avacado) Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Silk Protein, Ammonium Salt, Melia Azadiratcha (Neem) Seed Oil,Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed oil, Sorbitol Esters, Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B-5), Caprylyl Glycol, Essential Oil Blend, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Hibiscus Flower Extract

Directions: Section hair and apply product sparingly to damp or dry hair. Do not rinse out. Style hair as desired. For best results, use as a styling cream for twist-outs, braids and wash-and-go styles.

My Experience: I LOVE this stuff! I've been using it for well over a year now. My mom started using Shea Moisture products and, of course, I had to try them out. I use this product when protective styling and doing braid/twist outs. Not only is it very moisturizing, but the moisture it gives is long lasting. I like that it works well whether I'm using it on damp or dry hair. When I'm protective styling, I like to use it to help mold my hair the way I want it. For example, when I do my chunky twist bun, it helps give me the perfect twists and keeps my hair moisturized for days. 

The product itself is thick and creamy. It has a sweet scent to it, which does tend to linger after it's been applied. I do not mind the lingering scent though because I really like the way it smells. With this product, a little goes a long way. Using too much definitely weighs down my hair for twist/braid outs. I can really tell the difference when I use this versus when I don't as far as the reduction of frizz and having smooth, soft hair is concerned. This product does a great job enhancing curls for me, too, although I still have to use a gel for hold. It doesn't claim to be a holding product thought so I'm okay with that.

Moral of the Story: I think this is a great styling product at a great price especially since it is very moisturizing and has quality ingredients.  

Has anyone else tried this product? Love it, hate it, never want to use it again?? Let us know your experience below

6 comments product review, Shea Moisture, styling product

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Wash Day

Knowing I was planning to install crochet braids, I wanted to both strengthen and moisturize my hair this wash day.

{1} After sectioning my hair into thirds, I used Aubrey Organics Island Naturals Replenishing conditioner and grapeseed oil for my pre-poo treatment. I think Aubrey has me falling in love yet again. Put on a plastic cap and scarf for about 30 minutes before heading to the shower to rinse.

{2} Every time I've tried to repurchase my Shea Moisture ABS Deep Cleansing shampoo, it's been sold out! I still wanted to get a good cleaning so, after searching through my stash I found an old favorite - Nexxus Pro-Mend shampoo. I used to love this stuff pre-hair journey and I guess I completely forgot about it with my new found product addiction. Anyway, I lathered with it twice and my hair felt great - it was clean and soft, not stripped by sulfates at all.

{3} After rinsing I did an oil rinse using olive oil and rinsed with warm water after a few minutes.

{4} I wrapped my hair with a towel to soak up the excess water before applying my deep conditioners - Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moisturizing & L'Oreal Total Repair Damage Erasing Balm. I put on a plastic cap and sat under my bonnet dryer for about 45 minutes.

{5} It was easily another 30 minutes before I went to rinse with cool water.

{6} Sprayed my scalp and the length of my hair with diluted ACV, let it sit for a few minutes and rinsed with cold water.

{7} Soaked up excess water with a towel for a couple minutes, t-shirt dried for 30 minutes then began detangling as I applied my leave-ins: Elasta QP H2 and Aphogee Keratin & Green Tea, olive oil, Shea Moisture Restorative conditioner, Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage serum. In that order (liquid, oil, cream, oil).

{8} Blow dried my hair on cool.

I didn't braid my hair up for the crochet braids immediately, mostly because I didn't have time to complete the whole style before I'd be going out again. So, I styled my hair in a kind of fauxhawk instead. Yesss for another good wash day! I didn't lose much hair, detangling was a breeze, and my hair felt great start to finish.

How was your most recent wash day? Check out other wash day experiences at SavingOurStrands.

7 comments 5 weeks post, acv, apple cider vinegar rinse, Nexxus, Shea Moisture, wash day

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Product Review: Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner

Price: $9.99 for 13 fl oz

Purchased at: Walgreens (also available at Target & CVS)

Product Claims: "Our leave-in or rinse out conditioner detangles, moisturizes, repairs and restores lifeless, dry, damaged or over-processed hair. Our special blend of organic Shea Butter, nourishing Argan Oil and mineral-rich Sea Kelp is perfect for transitioning chemically treated hair to healthy natural hair.

Sea Kelp - mineral-rich nutrition seals and smoothes hair cuticles

Argan Oil - restores shine while helping promote hair elasticity

Shea Butter - deeply moisturizes while conditioning hair and scalp

All Shea Moisture products boast of being all natural with no sulfates, no parabens, no phthalates, no paraffin, no gluten, no propylene glycol, no mineral oil, no synthetic fragrance, no PABA, no synthetic color, no DEA, and no animal testing."

Directions: Work conditioner through hair from roots to ends. Leave on for 3 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. For deeper conditioning, leave on for up to 15 minutes. As a leave-in, work a dime-sized amount through damp hair, then style as desired.

Ingredients: De-ionized water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea butter)*, Argan oil, coconut oil*, Behentrimonium chloride, essential oil blend, vegetable glycerin, emulsifying wax, sea kelp extract, Panthenol (vitamin B-5), avocado oil, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and Lonicera Japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) flower extract, Tocopherol (vitamin E) and Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) seed oil. *Denotes certified organic ingredients.

My Experience: I was a little leery of trying this since I had a bad experience with the deep treatment masque from this same line. My little sister (who is natural) uses it and loves it though so I decided to give it a shot and I'm so glad I did. It proved that just because you don't like one product from a certain line, doesn't mean you won't like the rest of the products in that line. Initially, I tried it as a rinse out conditioner. I really liked the way my hair felt after rinsing - soft and smooth. I always know when I like how something treats my strands when I just want to keep touching my hair and running my fingers through it. While that was great, it did not compare to what this does to my hair as a leave-in. The moisturizing effects last so much longer, for dayssss even. This is the first creamy leave-in that I have fallen in love with and now that's the only way I use it. It is the cream when I use the L.O.C. (liquid oil cream) method to moisturize and seal my hair. I also make a moisturizing mix with it either using just water or with aloe vera juice. Best creation ever. 

When it comes to the claims of this product, I find that it moisturizes, smooths, and even helps me finger detangle during the week. Because of the lasting moisture and smoothness, I'd say it does seal the hair. I can't really speak to the added shine from the argan oil because I can't say that I noticed my hair being MORE shiny just from the use of this product. Overall, I think it does a great job of doing what it says it will. 

This conditioner is creamy, but it doesn't have a very thick consistency at all. So it was kind of surprising to me that it not only moisturizes my hair very well, but also keeps it moisturized for an extended period of time, especially in comparison with like every other creamy moisturizer I've tried. I like that it's not as heavy,too, because it doesn't weigh my hair down with repeated use throughout the week. It smells like straight shea butter, nothing special to me. I guess if you don't like the smell of shea butter then you won't like the smell of this. It's not a strong scent though and it doesn't linger. When using it as a rinse out conditioner or as a leave-in, it always sinks right into my strands and gets to work. It's almost time for me to repurchase as I've been using it for a few months now. I consider myself heavy handed when it comes to using products so, when it lasts for awhile AND does a good job with my hair, I think it's worth its cost.

Moral of the Story: This is a great leave-in, moisturizer, conditioner! Especially if you have a hard time finding leave-in that produce lasting moisture like I do. Even if you've used the deep treatment masque from this line and didn't like it, you could still fall in love with this product. I recommend trying it out!

Has anyone else tried this conditioner? What was your experience??

4 comments conditioner, product review, Shea Moisture

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Wash Day - 23 Weeks Post

I managed to keep my hair straight for about 2.5 weeks. So, by the time I was ready to wash my hair again, I was 23 weeks post relaxer. I am so glad I gave myself the ease of straight hair for awhile, too. It allowed me to just enjoy my hair and think about when (or if) I am going to relax my hair without even worrying about how much new growth I have or how problematic it could become. I'm pretty positive I'm going to relax my hair soon, and I have the explanation of why I decided that coming down the pike. 

Back to my wash day... it went so well! Despite the fact that I have a terrible habit of waiting til late at night to go through with it. My hair was so well behaved, with minimal tangles and little hair lost. Here's how it went down:

{1} Separated my hair into 4 sections. Pre-poo with my DIY garlic oil on my scalp and Aubrey Organics GVP conditioner & safflower oil on the length of my hair with a plastic cap for about 45 minutes. 

{2} Shampooed with CON Argan Oil Moisturizing and Shea Moisture African Black Soap shampoos, watered down in an applicator bottle, lathering twice.

{3} Tried oil rinsing for the first time! I used a little less than a nickel size amount of olive oil for each section, distributed it thru my hair and put my plastic cap back on for about 5 mins before rinsing with warm water. My hair felt... different, not bad at all, but still unusual. I was unsure about what I had just done at this point. 

{4} I put my "turbie twist" towel on to soak up the excess water before applying my deep conditioner, Silk Dreams Vanilla Moisture Dream, put back on my plastic cap and put on my bonnet dryer for about 30 minutes. It was easily another 30 minutes before I actually went to rinse. 

{5} Rinsed with cool water, section by section. Sprayed my diluted ACV rinse on my hair and let it sit for a couple minutes before final rinsing with cooler water. 

{6} T-shirt dried for 30 mins and *boom* Here's where I felt the difference of the oil rinse. My hair felt GREAT! I've used that conditioner many times so I know it doesn't deserve all the credit. Yet, I still wondered hmm... did it really help like that?!

{7} I applied my leave-ins: Elasta QP Silk H2 & Aphogee Green Tea & Keratin Restructurizer, grapeseed oil, and Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner, in that order. Might seem like a lot, but I really didn't use too much of each. Layers are what I need in this mean old moisture stealing winter weather. Detangling was a breeze!!! I almost couldn't believe the small amount of hair that I lost throughout this whole process. 

{8} At this point my hair was almost completely dry. I applied a little Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum & eco-styler gel and began flat twisting my hair. I put 5 twists in the front half going straight back, and 4 in the back half, also straight back. I ended each twist with a bantu knot and went to sleep. 

Taking down my hair in the morning went well and I liked the way it turned out. My hair still felt so very moisturized and soft. I really hope the oil rinsing is going to help my hair retain more moisture because the winter is robbing me here. We shall see whether the effect is long lasting or not. I think my shedding season may be coming to an end, or the garlic oil is working wonders. Maybe some of both. And I'm so excited about the way I am doing with all this new growth. I never would have thought I'd be able to manage this length of a stretch and, so far, do pretty well with it. Yay for getting to know my hair!

10 comments 23 weeks post, acv, apple cider vinegar rinse, Aubrey Organics, Creme of Nature, oil rinsing, Shea Moisture, wash day

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Product Review: Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque

Price: $9.99 for 12oz at Target, Walgreens, CVS

Product Claims: "This all-natural intensive treatment masque deeply moisturizes and repairs dry, damaged or over-processed hair. Our special blend of organic Shea Butter, nourishing Argan Oil and mineral-rich Sea Kelp is perfect for transitioning chemically treated hair to healthy natural hair.

Sea Kelp - mineral-rich nutrition seals and smoothes hair cuticles.

Argan Oil - restores shine while helping promote hair elasticity.

Shea Butter - deeply moisturizes while conditioning hair and scalp.

All Shea Moisture products boast of being all natural with no sulfates, no parabens, no phthalates, no paraffin, no gluten, no propylene glycol, no mineral oil, no synthetic fragrance, no PABA, no synthetic color, no DEA, and no animal testing." - from back of jar and website 

Ingredients: deionized water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea butter), Argan oil, vegetable glycerin, emulsifying wax, sea kelp extract, Panthenol (vitamin B-5), essential oil blend, avocado oil, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and Lonicera Japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) flower extract, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Hyssopus Officinalis Extract, Salvia Officinalis (sage) leaf and Equisetum Arvense Extract, soybean oil and Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) seed oil

Directions: Section clean, wet hair. Apply generously. Use a wide tooth comb to distribute evenly from root to ends. Leave in for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. For deep penetrating treatment, cover hair with a plastic cap and apply moderate heat for up to 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. When using a hair steamer do not cover hair, moist heat will add to masque's hydration. For additional nutrients and moisture, Extra Virgin Olive Oil may be added to masque. 

My Experience: Sigh. I think I almost hate this stuff. It's sad. I wanted to love it so much because I've had great experiences with the five other Shea Moisture products I've tried. But alas, this is not one of them. My hair hates it. I'll admit, the first time I tried it, I did not exactly follow the directions, but I almost never do anyway. I used it on freshly washed hair as a deep conditioner with a plastic cap. However, it was on close to an hour and the result was a pretty scary salon visit. I took my stylist's advice and didn't use it for awhile, making sure the next time I did I follow the directions. Guess what? My hair still felt horrible the next time, too! I only used it 15 minutes that time. It was like every cuticle had been lifted, making detangling dreadful and resulting in rough, dry, hay-like hair. Gross! Yet, I still tried it again. This time I left it on for about 5 minutes in the shower and rinsed, but then ended up doing a full deep conditioning session with heat after that. My hair didn't feel as bad as it did the previous times - probably because it wasn't on long enough to wreak its usual havoc - but it still didn't feel good.

The conditioner has a thick, creamy consistency and a light shea butter scent. The scent doesn't linger. I don't like that this acts like a hard protein treatment when it's supposed to be moisturizing. I've read some reviews where people had the same experience as I did, but tried it as a leave-in and loved it that way. That's cool, but my issue with that is the fact that this is sold as a deep conditioner and I wanted to use it as such. I already have good leave-ins. I like products that do what they claim and if I can get even more use than that, I love it. Also, it doesn't say anything about it doubling as a leave-in like Shea Moisture's regular conditions do. I'm over it. Thumbs down. I'll probably give it away because I don't even want to put it in my hair again just for the sake of using it up.  
  
Moral of the Story: I won't buy this again and I'd suggest you think twice before you do. Everyone's hair is different tho, so your hair just might love it.

Has anyone else tried this conditioner? Like it, love it, never want to use it again??

8 comments conditioner, product review, Shea Moisture

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How I Wash My Box Braids

braided sections

When trying to decide how often it's best to wash your hair while you have this kind of protective style, you will get a full range of advice. Everything from weekly to not at all. Some people do great with not washing their hair/cleaning their scalp for 6+ weeks, but I am not one of them. I wanted to be, really I did, but I think I'm too spoiled by the frequency that I wash my hair at this point. Two weeks is my limit. Plus my scalp was already upset over this whole ordeal anyway. 

I hoped every two weeks would work out well for me and it has. Since I planned for six weeks with these braids, I've only had to wash them twice and then it'll be time to take them out. Here's how I went about it:

{1} Separate the braids into six sections: 3 in the front, 3 in the back. Braided the length of each section (not very tightly) and secured the bottom with a rubber band.

{2} I used my applicator bottle with SM African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo and water to apply shampoo directly to my scalp. Cleaned my scalp using my fingertips and lifting each section outward which made it easy for my finger to get in between the braids. 

{3} After rinsing once, my scalp still felt irritated/itchy so I reached for Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat shampoo. I've used it maybe twice before, but this time I started loving it. I massaged it directly on my scalp and it felt great! 

{4} Rinsed and towel dried to soak up the excess water. 

{5} I mixed Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Conditioner with some water in a spray bottle beforehand. I sprayed this mixture generously throughout the length of my hair then sealed with a mix of grapeseed and coconut oils. I did this going section by section, unbraiding each one as I went.

{6} Tied my hair down with a scarf to finish drying smoothly. 

I decided to wash my hair in braided sections to minimize friction between braids in hopes that it would reduce the chance of fuzzy braids afterwards and it did. I felt my braids still looked just as fresh the next day as they did originally. With those great results, I repeated these steps for wash day the second time. The only difference was the sole use of the Giovanni shampoo the second time around. My scalp is loving it right now. Washing these braids was a lot less of a hassle than I expected it to be. The braids didn't take very long to dry either. My only hope is that using the conditioner spray I made sufficed for my usual deep conditioning session.  

Here is how I styled my braids after one of my wash days:

I don't know what to call this style, but I loved it!

8 comments box braids, Shea Moisture, wash day

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Wash Day - Box Braid Prep

This particular wash day I wanted to focus on strengthening and conditioning my hair because of the fact that I was having box braids installed the next day. I haven't had braids since I was a child. So, I wanted to make sure I did a little extra to boost my hair's strength and prepare it for this long(er) term protective style. Here's how the day went:

{1} I separated my hair into 4 sections. I do every step of my wash day in these 4 sections. This is also when I started my initial henna mixture.

{2} I pre-pooed using Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner and a mixture of grapeseed and coconut oils for about 30 minutes with a plastic cap.

{3} Rinsed and shampooed with Shea Moisture ABS Deep Cleansing and CON Argan Oil Moisturizing shampoos.

{4} After letting the excess water soak up in a towel, I added the conditioners & oils and, using gloves, applied my henna gloss treatment while standing in my tub. I did not feel like covering my bathroom with newpaper again and knew it would be easy to clean up any splatter this way.

{5} I sat under my bonnet dryer for about 30 minutes then let my hair cool for a few minutes before going to the shower rinse.

{6} After rinsing, my hair felt strong, yet still soft, but I decided to apply some moisturizing conditioners anyway. Just to be safe. I used Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose (yes, again! I need to review it) and Organix Argan Oil Deep Moisturizing Conditioner. Both of these conditioners have instructions of 2-5 minutes and I feel they actually work in a short amount of time. I put on a plastic cap for maybe 10 minutes and rinsed again.

{7} I t-shirt dried my hair for 30 minutes then began detangling.

{8} As I detangled, section by section, I also applied my leave-ins, Aphogee Green Tea & Keratin Restructurizer and Elasta QP H2. 

{9} At this point, my hair was about 70% dry. I wanted to blow dry it (on low) so that my my new growth and texture did not present any tangling problems to whomever was going to be braiding my hair. I wanted to make it as easy on them as possible to get thru all this hair of mine. 

{10} After doing a quick once over with the dryer, I decided to add Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner, which can be used as a deep conditioner or a leave in, and a little grapeseed oil. My hair just felt like it was going to need something more by the time I was done. I then finished getting my roots together with the blow dryer. 

My hair seemed huge! It felt great and the color was much more noticeable than it was before. It's like a deep, richer burgundy color. Yesss! Very successful wash day. I felt like my hair was in great shape for its upcoming box braid installation.  

10 comments 14 weeks post, ayurvedic hair care, Creme of Nature, henna gloss, henna treatment, Shea Moisture, wash day

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Product Review: Shea Moisture African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo

Price: $9.99 for 12 fl oz at Walgreens (also available at Target & CVS)

Product Claims: "Our African Black Soap sulfate-free shampoo helps regulate sebum production, while alleviating itching and flaking. Our special blend of soothing Plantain Enzymes, clarifying Tea Tree Oil and Willow Bark Extract removes product buildup and strengthens hair by sealing in natural moisture. Helps calm scalp irritations for healthy hair with a brilliant shine. 

Plantain Enzyme - helps to calm itching and irritation
Tea Tree Oil - removes buildup for enhanced shine and volume
Willow Bark Extract - exfoliates and detoxifies hair and scalp 

All Shea Moisture products boast of being all natural with no sulfates, no parabens, no phthalates, no paraffin, no gluten, no propylene glycol, no mineral oil, no synthetic fragrance, no PABA, no synthetic color, no DEA, and no animal testing." - from back of bottle and website 

Directions: Apply to wet hair, lather and massage at the root to stimulate the scalp. Rinse thoroughly. Repeat if necessary.

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Decyl Glucoside (Sugar Beets), African Black Soap, Salicylic Acid, Salix Alba (Willow)Bark Extract, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) Seed Oil, Charcoal Powder, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Simmondsia chinensis seed (Jojoba) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Oil*, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Vitamin E, Rosemary Extract, Plantain Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower Extract.

My Experience: I really like this shampoo. It's my clarifying shampoo so I don't use it every single wash day, but I do use it pretty often. It gets my hair very clean, yet it doesn't make it feel stripped at all. I've never experienced a dried out feeling from using it. It lathers pretty well unless my hair is really dirty or loaded with product buildup. If that's the case, it takes the second round for a good lather. This is usually the case with any sulfate-free shampoo when my hair's pretty dirty though. I don't mind it either because it makes me aware of how dirty my hair actually was and ensures I do a second wash. The consistency is more runny than usual for a shampoo. I can't say this is something I've paid attention to in the past, I only noticed because when you pour it in your hand it tries to escape like any liquid would! Lol I'm not sure if that will be important to anyone. The scent is very light and doesn't linger. I don't know how exactly to describe it, but it's kind of sweet smelling. Probably due to the plantains. I like it.

This shampoo is made for dry, itchy scalps and that is the main reason I decided to try it. I used to have some issues with my scalp being exactly that: dry and itchy with occasional dandruff. The key words in that sentence are used to. I believe the combination of using this shampoo and my beloved ACV rinses have helped my scalp tremendously. That is also the reason I use the shampoo more often than I need to clarify my hair. When my scalp feels "irritated or itchy" I use it, and sometimes I use it just because I haven't in a little while and want to use it regularly. I think that about sums it up. This bottle is just about gone and has lasted a long time. I will be repurchasing it. It is my other staple shampoo. 

Moral of the story: I would definitely recommend this shampoo to others. Especially if you want a sulfate-free clarifying shampoo, have scalp issues, and/or love all natural products. It's a keeper in my book!

Has anyone else tried this shampoo? Like it, love it, never want to use it again??

8 comments product review, shampoo, Shea Moisture

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Chunky Twisted Bun

So, I've been rocking this chunky twisted bun all week. I looove it! So much so I am considering going for it It's made this week with my hair so easy. Tie it up with my silk scarf at night, take it off and go in the morning. It was also easy to moisturize and refresh throughout the week. Best of all, it was really easy to do! Let's get to the details of that, shall we?



I decided I didn't want to do my hair this week so I turned to YouTube for some inspiration. The first video I found, which I'll include at the bottom of this post, seemed quick and cute so I went for it. I divided my hair into 6 uneven sections, 3 in the back & 3 in the front. Then started two-strand twisting section by section. I used the Shea Moisture products I've raved about in previous posts: Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Curling Souffle. I didn't part my hair within the sections to create the twists, I just grabbed enough hair for a medium sized twist and twisted until I got about an inch or so away from the end, finishing with a braid to ensure the twist would stay. 

After my whole head was twisted up, I pulled it all up into a ponytail at the top of my head. Here's where I kinda put my own spin on it. In the video, she uses braiding hair to create twists for her fly bun. This is also a great option for ladies who may have enough hair to get up in a pony, but not enough to make a bun. I, however, didn't have any braiding hair just laying around and do have enough hair to make a bun. 

I wanted the effect of putting a donut on to make my bun without using my huge donut. Since I did have a little Marley hair, I wrapped that around my ponytail like a donut and then formed and pinned my bun around it. It really was that simple. Took about 40 minutes and I think that was just because I was watching tv at the same time. 

That's it! Let me know if any of you lovely ladies try it out! Here's the video I used:

2 comments protective styles, Shea Moisture, twisted updo

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All Twisted Up!

top and side view

I decided to go for a twisted updo for the week. I've tried a couple of them on myself before and am finding myself getting better at them. There's lots of inspiration on YouTube, in case you're looking for some yourself. I just kinda made it up as I went along. It took a little less than 2 hours, probably because I turned the tv off and just focused. 



Perhaps, one day, I will learn how to record and edit videos well enough for tutorials. For now though, I am going to do my best to explain how I went about this. I took a few pics of the process, in hopes of helping you to visualize the process. I was told it looked complicated by a few people, but it really wasn't. Half of my head is in flat twists, while the other half is in two-strand twists. 

I started with freshly washed, deep conditioned and air dried hair. After applying my usual leave-ins, I parted my hair a little off-center to divide it into two sections. I divided each section in half by parting my hair from ear to ear. Since I parted it a little off-center, the two sections on the left were a tad smaller than the two sections on the right. I decided the smaller two sections would be the ones I put in two strand twists so I clipped those up. 

I started with the front right section, flat twisting it up and to the left. While flat twisting, I applied Shea Moisture's Curling Souffle and Curl Enhancing Smoothie from their Coconut & Hibiscus line (pink label) to each twist. They're great for naturals, and now, I'd say relaxed ladies too! I loved the way my hair felt, looked and even smelled once I was done. My mom, a natural haired lady, uses these along with the shampoo and loves them. I just borrowed for the night. As I finished each flat twist, I pinned it down with a metal clip to ensure it wouldn't unravel. Moving on to the back right section, I flat twisted straight across to the left side. 

Once I was done flat twisting the right side, I started two-strand twisting the left back section, followed by the front. I didn't have a precise way for going about sectioning each twist. I would say they were medium sized, about the same as the ends of the flat twists. That's it! I tied it all up with a scarf to set overnight. To style, I made three pin curls with the two-strand twists, securing with bobby pins. I moved the pin curls around throughout the week. It held up nicely. I'm planning to try 2-3 more of these types of style for the next few weeks. Not having to style my hair daily was great!

Leave a Comment 9 weeks post, protective styles, Shea Moisture, twisted updo

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