365 Days of Fitness: Day 2 - 24

I have made it past 21 days on this 365 days of fitness journey. It takes 21 days to make or break a habit right! Well I think I have been doing really well on this new journey. I feel amazing. I already feel lighter on my feet and I am able to do a lot of everyday activities with significantly more energy. These signs usually tell me I am on the right path. All of workouts thus far are recorded on my fitness vlogging channel: TJauneT_X.  Join me on this journey!

How have you been helping your body lately?

SheaMoisture Sale: Walgreens Buy One Get One Free! Go!

I just so happened to go into Walgreens yesterday to find that SheaMoisture products were buy one get one free! You will learn in later posts how much my natural hair has been loving SheaMoisture lately! I have also found that my skin loves it too! So, I grabbed some of my favorite SheaMoisture products and some new ones to try also.

The products I picked up were as follows:

SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Shampoo*

SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Leave In Conditioner (2)

SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Treatment Masque*

SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Hair Serum*

SheaMoisture SuperFruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System Hair Masque*

SheaMoisture Lavender & Wild Orchid Bubble Bath & Body Wash

SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Conditioning Cleanser*

SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Bath, Body, & Massage Oil

SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Hand & Body Scrub

* I have not tried this product before

Looks like a lot huh? They were buy one get one free so I didn't feel bad at all!

Do you like SheaMoisture products? Which product do you think I will enjoy the most?

Natural Hair Update!

Since my big chop back in January 2014 I haven't really seen much of my hair. To be honest I didn't really know what to do with it because of it's length. It seemed like I had been ready to cut off my relaxed ends but I was not ready for the short hair. I wore protective styles which included braids, weaves, and wigs.

When I did let my hair out to breath I would try to do wash and gos and twist-outs but I couldn't find the right products that didn't make my hair look like the picture below. I always resorted to covering it up until I could figure out what to do with it.

April 2014

I blew it out and found that the shrinkage that every natural talks about does in fact suck as much as they say it does. Then I put it in braids.

April 2014

Throughout vacation and the summer of 2014,  I wore a wig and kept my hair in cornrows underneath. I would take off the wig every other day and moisturize my hair underneath with a water and conditioner mix. 

July 2014

I didn't know it at this point but October was the last time I would be wearing a weave or wig for a while. My scalp started to get really irritated under there so I decided to face the kinks. 

October 2014

I was very surprised to find that my hair was long enough to work into a puff! I was excited that there was at least one style I could do. 

November 2014

The more I washed and moisturized my hair the easier it got to handle my hair. I found products that made my curls pop and dry that way! I was so happy to discover how to make a wash and go work for me. It definitely helped that my hair had gotten longer. 

November 2014

So I wear wash and gos and puffs all the time now but I will be trying more styles and exploring more products. I hope you're excited because I am!

December 2014

365 Days of Fitness: Day 1

2014 was a great year overall. I had some fitness goals that I met and other fitness goals that I did not. At the beginning of the year I found my self uncomfortable with all the weight I had gained and decided to do something about it; however, by July (vacation time) I completely lost sight  of my goals.

2015 will be different. I am tired. I am tired of being tired of being unsatisfied with my body. You feel me? I am taking a giant step out of my comfort zone to share my fitness journey with the world. I will be documenting 365 days of my fitness journey here on my blog and on my new fitness channel: TJauneT_X. It will be 365 days of movement and effort towards a healthy body. This may mean I will be walking, cycling, yoga, or stretching but I will be trying every day. My first video is already up! On Day 1 I went on a long walk with the dogs and did some yoga for flexibility. I even shared a baked egg and avocado recipe which I love!

Subscribe to my fitness channel and join me on my journey! I will get into the details of my goals in a later post.

Happy New Year!

Updates

It's been a while, huh?

I disappeared but I am back now.  Here are a couple of quick updates...

1. I tried the Havana Twists myself and they came out...ok. I meant to retry but I never did.

August 2013

2. My three year hair anniversary was on October 26, 2013. I did a very light flat iron to find that I was BSL. I followed with a trim because my ends were embarrassing.

October 2013

3. Right around my three year anniversary I was about 8 months post and I had no intention of relaxing anytime soon. I did a lot of protective styling with my favorite half wig Creta Girl.

November 2013

4. At the end of January, I was almost 12 months post and I was getting annoyed with two textures. I really had no intention of relaxing. I had fallen in love with my new growth....and I needed a change......

Big Chop January 31, 2014

Yup. Im natural now and I love it! I big chopped on January 31, 2014. I am learning my hair all over again and I am excited to share the journey with you all!

How have you all been?

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?