Favorite Products of 2013 and Potential Faves of 2014

Some of you may already know that I am a product junkie. In 2012, I found my staple products; however, in 2013, I found 3 products that my hair loves. When I attended ‘Fro Fashion Week last year, I met the creators of Obia Natural Hair and Alikay Naturals.  Alikay’s Lemongrass Leave-In Conditioner was included in my VIP box. I used it on my protective style to give it some shine; however, I ended up also loving the smell. It reminded me of Lemonheads candy. Later, I purchased Obia’s trial pack.  I used everything except for the shampoo bar. The Curl Hydration Spray was my favorite; it refreshed my puff and kept it looking shiny.

Lastly, Jamaican Mango and Lime introduced their line of Jamaican Black Castor Oil. I absolutely LOVE this castor oil. I use the oil as a pre-poo and as a treatment for my edges.  As a pre-poo, I apply it to my scalp an hour before shampooing and wear a plastic cap. I also do this before going to the salon to get my hair done. My stylist or I will rinse it out before shampooing and proceed with my wash routine.  As for my edges, I use the oil to maintain my edges. My friends call me the Queen of Protective Styling and most of the styles involve my hair being pulled away from my face. Therefore, it is imperative that I protect my edges. I apply the oil around my hairline and massage it in with my fingertips. I have used other brands of castor oil; however, this one has the BEST smell. My daughter said that another brand made my hair smell like smoke…LOL!!!

The following are products that I will be testing in 2014:  Obia’s Twisting Butter, Thank God I’m Natural’s sample pack, April B’s Hydrate Me Please, and the other items from Alikay Naturals’ Curlkit.

-Alisha (Carolina Girl)

December Curlkit Review

Happy Wednesday, y’all!!!  It seems like every other day I am seeing a new subscription service.  In December, I decided to get the Holiday Curlkit because their November box featured two of my favorite product lines.  I received my Curlkit during the second week of December.  The box was packed with 3 full-sized products, 4 samples, and a hair accessory.  I watched a few unboxings before I received mine; therefore, I was not surprised about its contents.  I was familiar with three of the brands that were featured; however, I have never used any of them.  They were UR Curly, III Sisters of Nature, and Nice and Curly.  The others were Crazy Sexy Cool Curls (by EcoStyler), Aunt Jackie’s, and ILY.  Of the items featured, the only ones I am willing to try are the III Sisters of Nature’s Lengthening Cream, Aunt Jackie’s Knot on My Watch (detangler), and (maybe) ILY Leave-In Conditioner.  The others, I will give to my best friend because I no longer wash and go; I mainly wear protective styles.  I can see her getting more use out of the UR Curly Tight Curl Enhancer and Loose Curl Enhancer and the Nice and Curly Curl Me Up (curling pudding).  I am planning on hosting a giveway for the Crazy Sexy Cool Curls Curling Souffle’.

A friend of mine referred to the subscription service as a “meetup in a box” and I totally agree with her.  I guess this service is not for me because I regularly attend natural hair events, I host my own meetups, and I already have my staple products.  Although I am a “product junkie,” I would prefer not to pay $20.00 for some “random” products.  However, when I decided to cancel my subscription, Curlkit was very cordial and honored my request without any questions.

Curlkit sells some of the items featured on their website and frequently hosts giveaways.  Therefore, I would recommend that you support this company.  They also offer great customer service and send several updates regarding the shipment of your Curlkit.