Curl Box event in Brooklyn, NY

Oh man, am I jealous about this one...

The wonderful and talented Myleik of Curl Box is doing a meet and greet and I soooo wish I could make it. If you haven't heard of the Curl Box, honey, you've been living under a rock. This is the ONLY monthly sample subscription for natural hair. It's the best way to try out different brands and products without breaking the bank. I've been wanting to get my hands on it but it's sold out every month. Curl Box has reached quite the success in only a few months. In supporting it, you're supporting a black owned business AND the black owned businesses being showcased in the sample boxes.

Let me know if you plan on attending. Oh! And have you tried Curl Box?

Product Review: LiQWD Hydrating Shampoo

I got the opportunity to test drive a shampoo from a brand that you may or may not have heard from.  It's a luxe brand of hair products that you can get from select salons and online.

Hit the jump to see how my experience with LiQWD was.

Giveaway! Shower caps made just for loc rockers

I've been stuffing my locs in my too small shower cap for many moons now. As the locs get longer, it becomes quite a struggle. But I've dealt with it because...I don't really have other options, right? Wrooooong!!! Celestial Crown Shower Caps were designed just for us loc rockin' ladies.

Hit the jump to see how you can win one!

Product Review: Uncle Funky's Daughter Glossy

I've covered this brand before. They were a big hit at the World Natural Hair show in 2010 and they were an even bigger hit at this year's show. While some vendors have tables set up to display their products and goods, UFD had a pop-up shop. Very cool.

While they do have soooome products that appeal to me, the majority of their line seems to be geared towards those with curly hair. Products like Curly Magic, Super Curl and Thirsty Curls are products that I probably wouldn't be attracted to if I was rockin' loose natural hair. My hair is anything but curly and I am one of those gals that could care less about curl definition and the like.

But they've got creamy conditioners, shampoos and styling products that virtually any one with any hair type can use. They really get an A+ from me because they nix the bad and keep the good when it comes to product ingredients.

My farewell letter to castile soap

Dear Castile Soap,

I am writing this letter to you on behalf of my locs. They are requesting a civil break-up. I know, I know...this isn't easy for me either. For many months, you've been SO good to my locs. And I thank you for that. I thank you for the thorough cleansing you gave my scalp when I had build-up that just wouldn't go away. You were there when I needed you on vacations. You've ALWAYS been there for my locs.

But lately, my locs ain't feeling the love. And here's why...

Product Review: Carol's Daughter Loc Butter

In an effort to crank out more product reviews, I'm going to start by grabbing some of the reviews I did on Clumps of Mascara and sharing them with the Loc Rocker fam. Here's one of them...

Loc Butter

Price: 4 out of 5 ($15.50 from Sephora.com)
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Overall: 2 out of 5

What it claims: “In order to lock hair, one does not need sticky pomades. It is the motion of the palm roll or twist in conjunction with clean, properly moisturized hair that aids in the locking process. This Carol’s Daughter favorite, offers superior grooming with citrus oils that provide a light scent and ylang-ylang that nourishes the scalp and promotes healthy hair.” (source)

The truth: What the….I knowwww there isn’t any beeswax in this!

Miss. Jessie's In-Store Holiday event-NYC

Yo yo, NYC ladies...Miss. Jessie's is having an event at their retail store off of Broadway. I would so try to make it if I were in the city. Head on over to Facebook to LIKE the MJ Holiday Event to get additional details.

Anyone plan on goin'?

Natural Hair Black Friday Sales!

Okay lovelies, not that this is going to help the product junkie issues that some of us have but a reader has so graciously sent me a list of some of the sales popping off for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. As much as much I want to re-up on some Oyin Handmade and Anita Grant, I won't be partaking. I'm super satisfied with my modest stash of hair products at the moment.

Think you'll be doing any shopping?


Qhemet Biologics
get 20% off of all products
Free shipping on orders $70 and above

Afroveda
15% off of-oils, shampoos and conditioners
20% off of-hair butters and more
Free shipping on orders $75 and above

La Boutique de Fleurzty
25% off everything
Free shipping on orders $60 and above
Coupon code: softhair


Hairrogant
15% off of all purchases
20% off of purchases over $50
25% off of purchases over $100

Carol's Daughter "How To" Locs Video

A Loc Rocker reader sent me the following video and wanted to know what I think about it. She said she saw it on Locentricity so hey Ms. Da Da!






Let me preface this by saying that I am not a hater of Carol's Daughter. A lot of veteran naturals are. They feel as if her products have changed over the years and have introduced more synthetic ingredients. Folx say her products were more natural when she had a store out in Brooklyn. They fail to realize that with mass production and being placed in stores around the globe, preservatives HAVE to be added to prolong shelf life. I understand that and while I don't use Carol's Daughter products reguarly, I will always love and support Lisa Price. She is a pioneer for natural hair and natural beauty and is an inspiration to us entrepreneurs everywhere. Plus I've met her in person and love her aurora.

Buuuuut, I wouldn't say I would use all of the products in the video on my locs. And here's why.

Rosemary Mint Shampoo: Actually, I've sampled this and LOVE the way it made my hair feel. It smells divine and cleanses thoroughly. I find it to be a great deep cleansing shampoo for loc rockers.

Tui Hair Smoothie: I've used this before on a short fro and I liked it. It's okay on locs. But then again, I've never been that much of a fan of cream based products on my locs. I wish they worked but I find that they get stuck in the locs and it takes a friggin' water pressure thingie to get it out. No ma'am. Instead of the Tui Hair Smoothie, I would go with the Tui Leave In Conditioner. It's cream-free, smells good and gives the locs that boost of moisture that some of us feel that we need after a wash.

Loc Butter: I've reviewed that here and I do NOT like it for locs. It's greasy and offers absolutely no hold. And it has beeswax in it which means it'll attract lint. I wouldn't even use this if I had 2-strand twists. While it smells good, it really feels more like a hair grease and doesn't offer a lick of hold.

So while I'm team Carol's Daughter, I wouldn't co-sign on this regimen for loc'd hair. But that's just me. I'm sure there are several loc rockers who use conditioners and beeswax based products with gorgeous locs.

Whatcha think?

How To: A Hair Refresher

Soooo I visited my Mommy for Mother's Day and pretty much raided her spa room. I moved out 7 years ago and my Mom did not hesitate to turn my old room into a "spa room". Talk about being missed, uh? Ca-learly me moving back was never an option. The closet, under the bed and the huge boudoir in the room are filled with butters, salts, oils, beads, stamps and a slew of other crafts that she was never into when I lived at home.

A peek inside the boudoir...

I pulled some of the oils out.

This isn't even half of them. Mommy has well-known oils like...

...and then she's got other oils that leave me thinking WTF.

Like...who knew there was a Black Pepper essential oil? And Ylang Ylang III? I didn't even know there was a Ylang Ylang II. So I grabbed the stuffs I was going to be using and set them out.

Took a glass spray bottle and filled it up with water...

Put in a good 1.5 tablespoons of glycerin.

And somewhere between 5-7 drops of rosemary and peppermint oil.

Shake shake shake..

And  ta da! A wonderful hair refresher. I sprayed this all over my scalp and locs. I saturated the locs until they were dripping wet and headed outside in the Florida sunshine. Loved. It. Of course I made a ton more of this stuff to take home with me. But I had to do it quietly because dipping in Mommy's spa room is like dipping in my make-up/nail polish stash. The culprit's outcome is never a good one.

A few hours later, I caught Mommy standing over me staring at my locs. She asked me to take out my loc adornment. And so I did. Then she went to her room and shut the door. Five minutes later and...

My Mom is soooo talented! Who knew she could make loc adornments? Of course I had her make me 7 more. Ha!! More on that later!


Let me know if you try or have tried the hair refresher.

Jane Carter=super pricey loc gel

Saw this in Whole Foods. Wowsers! Why is it $21? Insaaaaane. I would love to try it but I'm not payin' that much for a little thingy of loc gel.

....but lemme stop talking trash: I did buy that $20 hair serum after hearing so many raves about it helping dandruff. I used it religiously and....it was GOOD! But I'm not paying $20 for that baby bottle again. Boy, I tell you....dandruff desperation will make you do some loco things. HA!

I did end up purchasing Kinky-Curly's Come Clean natural moisturizing shampoo. Quite impulsive of me since I just placed an Oyin order. But I wanted to try something else other than castille soap. I love that stuff but it can be rather drying---and who needs that? Especially since I've colored my hair more than once. And more than twice. Ha!

I'll post results. I can't even remember the last time I washed my hair....thanks to latching I won't have to spend hours twisting. Yaaaaay!!!

I'm an Oyin Honey!

It's true...I've been lovin' Oyin Handmade since I first went natural in '04. I know there are so many Mom and Pop stores on Etsy and I'd love to try them all but it is in my nature to stick with what works. And that's Oyin!

Look what I'll be getting in a few weeks!

.....I'm hopin' that Poo bar works well on the locs.

Greg Juice - nourishing herbal leave-in
Honey-Hemp Conditioner
HoneySticks - delicious lip balm
Uber Poo Bar - double size solid shampoo bar

Carol's Daughter Hair Milk and Tui Hair smoothie

I posted this at Clumps of Mascara but I want to also post all hair product reviews here. Make sense? :)

Enjoy!

Q: Are Carol's Daughter's products just for women with natural hair? A: Absolutely not! Anyone with any hair type can use these products. My hair is natural AND loc'd. My opinion of these products will probably only benefit other ladies with hair like mine. But I love to review them anyway....just in case something I say peaks your interest enough to want to make some purchases yourself.

And with that, let's bring it on!

Hair Milk

Price: 4 out of 5 ($12 from Sephora.com)
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5

What it claims: "This lightweight, fast-absorbing lotion for the hair is made with essential oil of lemongrass to stimulate natural oil production and hydrate strands. Infused with a splash of lily of the valley fragrance in a rich base of oils, shea butter, cocoa butter, and vitamins E and C, Hair Milk is ideal for defining natural curls and giving hair loads of shine and bounce." (source)

The truth: Hmmm, it isn't the best on my locs but I could see how it works well for ladies with curly hair.

What I loved about it: The consistency is great. It isn't at all sticky.

What I didn't like: I'm not the biggest fan on the smell. I love lemongrass in my food but not so much when it is the primary ingredient (scent). But it's a personal thang. I have friends who love the small!

Overall: I think this product would be divine for ladies with curly hair. My girl Wes over at Honey Brown Sugar comes to mind. It doesn't work so well with my locs simply because they soak it up so quickly. It is as if I never put anything in my hair. HA! The consistency rocks though.



It isn't meant to go on the scalp but I used on mine anyway. And it feels good!

Next up....

Tui Hair Smoothie

Price: 3 out of 5 ($19 from Sephora.com)
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Overall: 5 out of 5

What it claims: "Tui Hair Smoothie is an intense conditioning treatment for normal to dry hair made from a super-rich emulsion of shea butter, cocoa butter, and jojoba oil. Calming chamomile aids in taming of frizzy, unmanageable hair, while the fragrant Tui blend of guava, mango, and passion fruit tantalize the senses." (source)

The truth: Wow, this stuff smells delicious....and my hair adores it!

What I loved about it: I love love loooove the smell. Think of a sweet mango mixed with honey and raspberries. Random, I know but this stuff is delicious.

What I didn't like: It is a little on the pricey side.

Overall: Wowsers. My hair loves this Intense Conditioning Treatment. Like.....a lot. After shampooing my hair I apply a generous amount of the Tui Hair Smoothie all over and let it sit in a shower cap. Because I have super dry hair, I usually have to apply some olive oil as well. After rinsing out, my hair is soft. And it smells divine!


I wish this you could get this scent in a lotion. Now that would be dope!


Stay tuned for more Carol's Daughter reviews.


Tried this? Love 'em? Want 'em?