Product Review/Rave: Creation's Garden Leave In Conditioner With Argan Oil From Morocco

A couple of months ago, I was browsing through the haircare section in Marshalls and I came across the Creation's Garden  Advance Haircare Line. I had never seen the line before but as I browsed through the ingredients it definitely seemed like a haircare line to try. The Creation's Garden products that Marshalls had available included their shampoo, protein conditioner, and leave in conditioner. I didn't want to try them all at the same time so I settled for the leave in conditioner which retailed for a very comfortable $5.99.

Here is what the makers have to say:
This unique formula combines Argan Oil from Morocco strengthening proteins that improve hair strength, protects against damage and adds luminous shine and moisture. No rinsing needed and style as usual. Formulated using natural and organic ingredients.

Ingredients:
Water/Aqua/Eau, Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia) Nut Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil Certified Organic, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil Certified Organic, Phenoxyethanol, Capryl Alcohol, Tocopheryl (Vitamin E) Acetate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil Certified Organic, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Silk Amino Acid, Hellianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Certified Organic, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract Certified Organic, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract Certified Organic, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Certified Organic, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract Certified Organic, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract Certified Organic, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract Certified Organic, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Coconut Lime Verbena Fragrance.

What I Liked:
This leave in conditioner loves my hair and I love it. As soon as I apply it to my strands it sinks in and softens my hair. I do not have to use too much of the product. In fact, I bought the product back in February (if I remember correctly), I used it at very least three times a week, and it has just finished.
I used the product on both damp and dry hair and I loved it in both conditions. On damp hair it definitely conditions my hair and when my hair dries it is extremely moisturized. After air drying I do not have to moisturize and seal until the next day and sometimes even a couple days later. It has a 'not too watery not too creamy' consistency which is the perfect balance in a leave in conditioner in my opinion. It is silky to touch and feels like it would be a great body lotion. After my hair has dried it is also extremely easy to detangle. On dry hair the product works great as a moisturizer. I don't have to worry about sealing because there are so many oils in the product.

The ingredients in the product are amazing! The product is all natural and organic and contains so many great oils. The main ingredient (besides water) is macadamia nut oil which has worked really well for my hair in the past and has not failed me once again. The argan oil, coconut oil, olive oil, vitamin E oil, etc. all work together to keep my hair sealed, moisturized, and shiny. I definitely have found a new respect for all natural products lately.
This leave in smells great! It is a fresh and fruity type of smell and it lasts in your hair until you use another product that smells stronger. I always get questions about what scent I am wearing when I use the conditioner.

What I Don't Like:
The only thing I don't like about this product is that it is hard to find. The only place I have ever seen it is Marshalls. Marshalls is pretty inconsistent with the hair care products they carry so I cannot rely on them to have this line in stock all the time. I went back recently (to three different Marshalls stores actually) to look for the leave in and it was no wear to be found. I saw some of Creation's Garden's body products but no hair products. I checked some beauty supply stores, health food stores, and other stores similar to Marshalls like Ross to no avail. The product is available online (www.creationsgarden.com) for $8.95, but I prefer the Marshalls price and would appreciate it if they would get some more. Hmph. I will be forced to buy the product online soon if I dont find it in local stores but the next time I see it in Marshalls I am buying them all. Lol.

All in all...
The Creation's Garden Leave In Conditioner With Argan Oil From Morocco is now my staple leave in conditioner and I have no reason at all to stray from it. It does everything I need from a leave in and it can double as a moisturizer! I would definitely recommend this leave in if you come across it.

Have you ever tried anything from the Creation's Garden line? How'd you like it?

Wash Day: 18 Weeks Post

I thought that my wash process would be super smooth because I decide to incorporate my recently purchased Carol's Daughter Olive Oil Infusion Hair Treatment known to soften and detangle unmanageable hair. My hair was super tangled because I hadn't thoroughly detangled it in a week and I had been co-washing all week due to excessive exercise (*pats herself on the back*) so I was hoping this treatment would help me get through the tangles.

Unfortunately, I don't think I used the treatment correctly (or it just doesn't work well for me) but I will get into more detail about this product in a future product review after I've tried it again. Watch my most recent Carol's Daughter haul for more information on the treatment here.

Here's how the wash day went..
 (1) After putting my hair in four sections, I applied the Khoret Amen oil from the CD Olive Oil Infusion kit to my scalp, massaged it in and pulled it throughout my hair as the instructions said to do

Excuse the eye boogers! Lol!

(2) I then applied the Khoret Amen Hair Smoothie to my hair while it was still in the four sections. I forgot to finger with the smoothie in my hair as the instructions said and this may be why I didnt get the result I expected). I then put a plastic cap on and a satin bonnet. I ran around outside with my puppy for about a half hour with the treatment in my. Isn't he a cutie?! After running around I went under my heatling cap for another 30 mins before washing the treatment out.

(3) After the treatment I shampooed with the Carol's Daughter Chocolat smoothing shampoo and then followed up with the Chocolat smoothing conditioner.









(4) For some reason my hair wasn't as soft as I had hoped at this point so I applied Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner to finger detangle. My hair was softer after using this conditioner.
(5) When I got out of the shower I t-short dried for about 10 mins and when I took the t-shirt down I found that my hair was a drier than if I had used my regular deep conditioners.








(6) After applying my leave ins (Aphogee Keratin & Green Tea Reconstruizer, Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Moisturizing Leave In, and Carol's Daughter Macadamia Heat Protecting Serum) my hair was much softer and easier to detangle.

(7) I detangled and roller set my hair in four section. For two front sections I roller set traditionally and for the back to section I cheated with a two ponytail sets.

Rollerset results

It's getting harder to do rollersets as I get deeper in my stretch. This time around my roots didn't get straight enough but this is expected since I have so much new growth.

Are you noticing my obsession with Carol's Daughter? Lol. How did your last wash day go?

Solange's Havana Twists

Have you all noticed the Havana Twist trend around the hair community? I am not one for trends, but this protective style really has me feeling experimental. I have been particularly interested in Solange Knowles' twists (perhaps because I tend to follow her unique style more so than a lot of other celebrities). At the 6th Annual Roots Festival she wore her twists flowing down her back and she looked beautiful!

Photo Credit: CocoFab.com

More recently, for her performance at the Art Basel in Switzerland, Solange wore her twists in a beautiful up-do. Her style make me even more excited to try these twists and experiment with different up-do styles. 

Photo Credit: BlackBeautyMagazine.com

                                                                                 

Photo Credit: BlackBeautyMagazine.com

I am definitely going to be doing my research on installing these twists sometime this summer. I've already watched some informative YouTube videos and plan on watching some more. When I give it a try I will definitely be sharing here on the blog.

Have any of you tried the havana twists before? How did you like it? Any tips?

Carols Daughter Haul

Over the past month, I have picked up some new Carol's Daughter products! Some were gifts to myself for my college graduation and others were bought from Sephora using a gift card I won in a contest! To see the new Carol's Daughter products I picked up watch the video below.

Have you tried any new Carol's Daughter products recently? Any recommendations?

Twist 'N' Curly Fro

I have been experimenting with different styles lately and this time around I wanted really big hair. I tried a twist n curl with 23 two strand twists and 23 purple perm rods. I really liked how it turned out and I will be doing this style again really soon. The products used for this style only included EcoStyler Argan Oil gel for hold (which I will substitute for a product with stronger hold next time...or just use more of the EcoStyler gel) and coconut oil to prevent frizz. Watch the video below to see how I achieved the look!

Go big or stay home!

My Favorite Co-wash Conditioners

I love co-washing! It make my hair super soft and has it smelling wonderful! I've tried many conditioners throughout my 2+ years on this hair journey and I think I have found co-wash conditioners that I won't be straying from. My favorites include Herbal Essences Hello Hydration, Herbal Essence Smoothing Collection Lisse, Tressemme Naturals Nourishing Conditioner, and Hair One with Olive Oil for Dry Hair. For more information on these conditioners watch my video below!

Length Check and Trim

I straightened my hair to get a sense of my length and by my surprise I reached BSL already! I didn't plan on hitting BSL until October! However, I didn't want to rejoice for too long because I knew I needed a trim. There were just too many scraggly end for my taste... so I snipped.

Here is my length before the trim

And here is my length after the trim 

I did a self trim so it wasn't exactly the most precise nor was it the prettiest thing in the world, but it served its purpose. At first I snipped off about and inch and a half to two inches of hair.

Then I did a search and destroy until my ends looked better. It was hard to measure the hair that I snipped off from searching and destroying but here's what my sink looked like lol.

All in all my ends look much better, but definitely not their best. I really need to kick the straightener to the curb for good. But it's just so hard...

How I Do My Ponytail Rollerset

I have posted videos on my YouTube page of how I do the ponytail rollerset! I think it's a great alternative if you dont have the time or patience for the traditional rollerset. Part 1 shows the detangling and setting and part 2 shows the take down. I also show how I trim my hair in part 2! Enjoy!

Have you tried the ponytail rollerset before? How did it go?

May Blogging Challenge!

I haven't been posting as regularly as I would like to lately because I have had so much to do in my last year of college. I will be graduating in 17 days!!! Yaaaaaay! I am so excited to be done with school...at least for now. Lol.

Luckily I read Southern Girl's post on a May Blogging Challenge that should help me get back in the groove of things. This challenge is being hosted by Creative Girl Media in an effort to give our blogs the "oomph" it needs. The rules are pretty simple (see picture below). If you want to enter this challenge also, there is a link below to enter your blog information. Be sure to include the blog hop link on your page so that you along with those who visit your page can check out the blog of others involved in the challenge!

Styling Mini Twists 4 Different Ways

In this video I show 4 different styles I wear with my mini twists protective style. I used the Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter to do my twists and they lasted me a little over a week before starting to unravel. The tools used for these styles include:

• a homemade sock bun
• bobby pins
• small flexi rods
• and a banana clip

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Another Homemade Deep Conditioner: Avocado/Banana Hair Mask

Since I loved the Greek Yogurt Homemade Hair Mask a while back I had to try some more homemade concoctions. My most recent mix included:

1 Avocado - which provides hydration and moisture for the hair
1/2 of a banana- which gets the hair nice and soft
Extra Virgin Olive Oil- provides moisture and seals in moisture
Pure Honey- draws in moisture to the hair and gives it a nice shine!

The mix made my hair sure manageable and extremely shiny! I adapted the recipe from a Youtuber named HeyFranHey! I love it! It was definitely a great moisture boost. I do recommend that you mash up your ingredients extremely well and then wash it out extremely well because I definitely got some banana stuck it my hair (it got out eventually though! lol!) In the video below you will see exactly how I made my most recent hair mask!

I am just loving these DIY conditioners! Try it and let me know how it works for you!

The Halo Braid

Sometimes I get really tired of wearing buns as protective styles so the second quickest style I turn to is the Halo Braid! I think the halo braid is the most popular name for this style although some do not incorporate any braiding and instead substitute flat twisting. I am one of those people. I achieve the halo braid by doing two big flat twist around my head. Here is a video of how I do it!

How I Did it: Flexi Rod Set on Dry Hair

In this video, I share how I achieved heatless curls with flexi-rods. Enjoy!

Flexi Rod Set on Dry Hair

Last night I tried a flexi rod set on dry hair. I had been air drying my hair all day in a bun and decided I wanted to do something with it. I looked at all the flexi rods I have that I rarely put to use and I gave them a try. I moisturized, sealed, and detangled my hair with Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer and Grapeseed Oil. I then set my hair using 1 inch rods for the back of my hair and smaller (I don't know the exact sizes) rods for the front of my hair. I used 12 flexi rods in total (six on both sides of my head).

 I didn't have enough of one size of the flexi rods so that is why I used three different sizes. When I took the rods out in the morning it was pretty obvious that I used different sized flexi rods. But it was all good, I still liked how it came out! Looking at the different curl/wave patterns I think I would've liked the style even better if I used the blue rods all over my head...maybe even the purple ones all over my head--but the orange rods gave me curls/waves that were too tight.










I did record how I did this and I will post it here on the blog as soon as I edit it! I'm glad I found another way to achieve heatless curls!

Oh and by the way flexi rods are NOT comfortable to sleep in at all!

Product Review: EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner

I purchased this deep conditioner  from Walmart for $9.47. This was NOT an impulse buy! Instead, I think it was a very wise purchase. I was in the process of figuring out whether or not I wanted to make that trip to Carol's Daughter and repurchase the Monoi Repairing Hair Mask (reviewed here), when i decided to see if there were any products out there that had similar ingredients (specifically Monoi), gave great results, but were a tad bit cheaper. After browsing through YouTube videos and blog posts, I came across the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner. I read some great reviews about it and I was impressed with the ingredients so I made that trip to Walmart. 

Here is what the makers have to say:
EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner is formulated with coconut, jojoba and monoi to replenish hair's strength and restore its natural beauty from overprocessing, damage and dryness. Fortified to balance the hair's moisture level, it results in stronger, healthier, more manageable hair. It is an excellent deep conditioner for all textures and hair types. EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner was made without sulfates and contains no mineral oils (petroleum), dyes or parabens and is cruelty free.

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Chloride, Coco Nut Oil, Tiare Flower, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-11, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Camomile) Flower Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol , Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid

What I Liked:
I really love how thick this conditioner is! In my opinion the consistency favors a relaxer...maybe a little thicker. I love thick conditioner because I feel like they coat and condition my hair much better than thinner conditioners. This conditioner was no different! I didn't have to use too much of the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner to coat all of my hair. This was great for me because I am usually heavy handed with conditioner. I  have used this 16 oz. product five times already and I think I can get two more uses out of it. I tried the deep conditioner on both dry hair and freshly shampooed hair with and without heat and I think i like it better on wet hair with heat. 

After deep conditioning for a couple of hours, I don't see very much of the product on my hair. This is great because it means that a lot of the product has penetrated my hair. There are some really good ingredients in this conditioner and they are all natural, so the fact that the conditioner really penetrates my hair shaft sits very well with me! 

After washing out the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner my hair is so soft and easy to detangle. I have been finger detangling in the shower this winter and this conditioner makes it so easy for me! It makes me feel like I can stretch my relaxer the whole winter with no problems at all ( I am currently 10 weeks post). While rinsing the conditioner out my hair my tangles literally feel like they are melting away from each other. As soft as my hair feels, it also feels really strong. I also do not experience too much breakage while detangling after using this conditioner. Looove!

I also really like the packaging. The jar will make it easy for me to get every single ounce out when it's time. 

What I Don't Like:
I don't really care for the smell. It's not a bad smell, but it's not really too great for me either. It smells like a strong essential oil but I can't really pin point which essential oil it is. The first time I used it, the strong smell gave me a headache, but that was the only time this happened to me while using the product. 

I don't like how the conditioner doesn't penetrate my hair as well if I don't use heat while deep conditioning. Sometimes I don't have time to use heat. The product definitely conditions and strengthens my hair really well without heat, just not as well as when I use heat. 

All in all....
I will definitely be repurchasing the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner. I won't go as far as to say that I will make this my staple deep conditioner (only because I like trying new conditioners all the time) but I will most definitely keep it in rotation and recommend it to anyone! 

In comparison to Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask, the competition is tight! I think I like the smell of the Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask muuuuuch better. But, I think I like the application of the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner better. It glides on so easily! Both of the products have similar moisturizing and strengthening properties, but when it comes down to actually making a repurchase, $9.47 for 16 oz. (Eden) definitely beats out $29.00 for 7 oz. (Carol's Daughter). 

Have you used the EDEN BodyWorks JojOba Monoi All Natural Deep Conditioner before? How did you like it?

I've Been Nominated!: Liebster Award

I was nominated for the Liebstar Award by Lesley from Fresh Lengths and Bebe from Hairausforderung . Thanks for the nominations ladies!

How the Liebster Award works:
1. Each person must post 11 random things about themselves (optional).
2. Answer the 11 questions that the tagger set for you.
3. Choose 11 bloggers who you would like to give the Liebster Award.
4. Create 11 questions for the bloggers you have tagged with the award to answer.

Lesley's Questions:

1. You have to pick between wearing no make-up or having no hair products for the rest of your life, which do you choose?
No makeup- definitely
2. What hairstyle do you love to do the most?
Braidouts!
3. Your absolute favourite product? 
Castor Oil
4. Besides the topics you blog about, what else interests you?
Psychology research
5. Do you have any guilty pleasures? 
TV Dramas
6. How will you be spending this Christmas?
With my family
7. Giving or receiving presents? (be honest!)
Giving 
8. TV or books?
Both
9. Something you would like to do in the future? (e.g. travel, jump out of an aeroplane...)
Ride on a hot air balloon! 
10. What's your dream job? 
School Psychologist/Hair Consultant 
11. Why did you start blogging?
I wanted to document my journey and help others like I have been helped on my journey 

Bebe H.'s questions:

1. How old are you?
21
2. Where do you want to be with your career in 5 Years?
I think I will still be pursuing my PhD
3. Do you live in a rented apartment or in your own house?
I am still in school. So I guess I am renting a dorm room lol
4. What's your Favorite Song?
I Will Always Love You- Whitney Houston
5. Forever 21 or H&M, which do you prefer?
Definetely H&M
6. How many times do you changed your hair regimen?
I dont really change the regimen but i changed products often- i like to try new things
7. Your New Year's resolutions?
Overall consistency
8. What's your biggest fear?
Failure
9. How often do you shop for Hair Products in a Year?
Lol. Maybe twice a month...smh
10. If you could be Singer for one day,who would you like to be?
Beyonce
11. Why did you start blogging?
I wanted to document my journey and help others like I have been helped on my journey 

I nominate...

Nik from NikG Life + Style

Shanique from Journey to Waist Length

Andrea from Lengthening Locks

Yulli Blue from Caught Between a Cream and a Curl

Ashley from Ashley the Fashion Guru

Special K from Healthy Hair by Special K

Daisy from Just Daisy

Fiona from Love Your Tresses

Dabs from Naija Hair Can Grow

Miss Music from From Short to Long 

Amber from I am Just a Soul Whose Intentions are Good

Questions:

1. What is your favorite fashion trend?

2. What is the most drastic thing you've done to your hair?

3. What is your greatest accomplishment when it comes to your hair?

4. Do you have any New Years resolutions?

5. What is your favorite nail color?

6. Where is Waldo?

7. Juice or Soda?

8. What languages do you speak?

9. Do you have any hobbies? Share them.

10. Who is your hair idol?

11. Why did you start bloogging?

Heatless Curls: Bantu Knot Out

Interested in achieving curls without any heat? Here is a video on how I do my bantu knot outs! The only styling products I used were the Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter and bobby pins!