"Re-up" Haul

Hey party peeps! It's been a minute since I've updated or blogged, between school and life I really haven't had the time to sit down at the computer and blog like I want to. Now that my schedule is a little lighter I'm finally able to get back onto a blogging schedule and I was able to stop at a few places to pick up some hair goodies because my stash was running dangerously low. So without any further ado let's get onto the fun stuff shall we?

I'm not one to try many new bath and body products primarily because I have extremely sensitive skin and it doesn't take much for me to breakout, but I decided to take a chance and go for it when I saw this product in Sephora and I'm so glad I did because this will forever be a staple for me regardless of the price they can have my coins.

This Soap & Glory Oat, Sugar & Shea Breakfast Scrub is the business! I can't rave about it enough honestly. From the smell to the consistency/texture to the final results everything about this scrub is on the money. I've been swearing by Giovanni's Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub  for sometime, hell I even bought my mom some last year for Christmas. Hands down this knocks that out the park for a few reasons, the texture of the two are completely different the Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub is a lot rougher on the skin than the Breakfast Scrub I attribute that to the walnut shell powder in the scrub. The Breakfast Scrub literally melts into your palms as you exfoliate your skin it's so soft and creamy, it's ridiculous. Once I step out the shower my skin is noticeably softer and brighter.

Some of the ingredients:

• Oat, effective in fighting dry, flaky dull skin.
• Shea Butter is a skin super food helping to protect the skin from environmental damage as well as providing relief to those with suffering with eczema (such as myself).
• Cupuacu Bio Scrubs, an organic exfoliant harvested from the South American rain forest, gentle enough to be used on the skin. 
• Bananas contain enzymes that help to condition your skin.
• Almond extract is full of proteins, vitamins and minerals helping to moisturize and smooth the skin.

The price is a bit steep I won't tell a lie. You can pick this up at your local Sephora for $25.00. I definitely plan to stock up on this once those holiday sales roll around and I will be putting this on my Christmas list because it's just that good.

Feel free to check out they're site to see some of their other products and find out where you can pick it up in your area,

• soapandglory.com

I picked this up after a friend of mine, Jenn put me on and again I'm glad I picked it up. Initially I was hesitant to try it because I had watched a few mixed reviews on Youtube about this shave cream. Many women were saying that this didn't work for them at all and a few even went on to say that they had minor allergic reactions to this product. Thankfully I have nothing, but good things to say about this stuff. First off the creaminess of this is everything I was able to lather this onto desired areas and remove hair without any issues. I also noticed that I didn't have to shave as often as I would if I was using conditioner.

Yes, you read that right I've been shaving with conditioner since high school and it was working out just fine until I found this good stuff. Now the bottle says you can shave wet or dry, but you won't catch me trying my luck like that I'll stick to using this in the shower. The combination of the Breakfast Scrub and this shave cream leaves my body unbelievably soft and smooth. 

Some of the ingredients:

• Shea Butter, helps to diminish wrinkles by moisturizing the skin, promoting cell renewal, and increasing circulation.
• Aloe, often called "The Miracle Skin Saver", studies have shown that it can help heal minor wounds  not to mention the antibacterial properties that aloe possesses. Aloe also contains vitamins and minerals that help to ease eczema and psoriasis flare-ups. 
• Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that serves as an antioxidant protecting your body from damage due to free radicals. Free radicals harm the body on a cellular level, leading to conditions that may result in premature aging.
• Vitamin C is an ascorbic acid which key to the production of collagen, a protein that aids in the growth of cells and blood vessels and gives skin its firmness and strength.
• Oat, contains anti-inflammatory properties making it effective for most skin types helping to fight dry and itchy skin.

Not only are the ingredients on the money, but this product is,

• Paraben free
• Contains no animal by-products

I picked this up at CVS for $4.99, but you can check out their website and the stores listed below in your area to give this a try,

• evolutionofsmooth.com
• Target
• Walmart 
• Duane Reade
• Riteaid

I picked this up simply because it was a steal and I couldn't help myself, my inner product junkie wouldn't let me pass this up and when I tell you how much I paid you wouldn't have passed it up either. So I was browsing through my local discount store, National Wholesale Liquidators and I just happened to walk into the hair aisle (go figure right?) when I did I saw a whole bunch of  "sale" tags on the shelves. I've never tried any Nexxus products, but I know that the price is no joke. When I saw this on sale for $3.99 I had to do a double take to make sure I was reading the tag correctly and I quickly scanned through the many Nexxus Shampoo bottles until I came across ONE lone bottle of conditioner -_-. I was ready to buy at least two more bottles, but of course I could only find one. 

I saw the exact same conditioner in ULTA for $15.89! Talk about a steal? The good thing about this is that my local discount store is always have sales on hair products so I guarantee this will be on sale again soon hopefully I can get my hands on more than one bottle this time.

This conditioner proclaims that it "Targets and binds up to 86% of split ends back together in just 3 washes" *Side eye* I'm not sure about all of that, but I have noticed that my hair sheds less in the shower so that's a plus.

You can check out their site and the stores listed below to see where you can pick this up in your area although you probably won't catch the steal that I did unless it's on sale,

• www.nexxus.com
• ULTA
• Target
• CVS
• Walmart
• Your local beauty supply store

An oldie, but goodie! I used this when I first big buzzed backed in 2012, but once my product junkieism started to rear it's head I started trying different things and this went to the back of my mind. When I was in the beauty supply store the other day I said "Why not?" and opted to refresh my memory when it came to this conditioner. Girl! let me tell you about how soft these's coils were, like butta baby! No joke. I used this as an overnight pre-poo and my tangles melted out by the morning no pre-shower detangling required.

Some of the ingredients:

• 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.
• Kaolin Clay, rich in silica helping to detoxify your hair and scalp while restoring moisture to dry and brittle hair.
• Avocado oil, contains a high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids that readily penetrate into hair strands. 

Much like SheaMoisture's other products this is FREE of:

• Sulfates
• Parabens
• Phthalates
• Paraffin
• Gluten
• Propylene Glycol
• Mineral oil
• Synthetic Fragrance
• PABA
• Synthetic Color
• DEA

AND if that isn't enough goodness for you,

• It's not tested on animals

You really can't lose with this product, I picked this up for $11.99 at my local beauty supply store, but SheaMoisture has expanded so much that you can pick this up just about anywhere. They now have a website you can check out and hit up some of the stores below to find this in your area,

• sheamoisture.com
• Your local beauty supply
• Target
• CVS
• Walgreens
• Duane Reade

I was so excited when SheaMoisture added this new collection to their brand and I have to say that this hands down is my favorite deep conditioner by them. As long as the formulation remains the same I'll be loyal to this masque. Let's get into the hunt I had to go on to find this though, the Jamaican Black Castor oil line is supposed to be exclusive to CVS, but the funny thing is NO CVS stores in my area carry the line. It wasn't until I stumbled into a beauty supply store on Flatbush Ave. that I found the whole collection. I was going to try the oil serum in the line as well, but I wasn't paying $12.99 for 2 oz. of oil. Sorry, I just couldn't bring myself to do it so I settled for the masque instead and I'm glad I did.

This consistency is not as runny as the Purification Masque, but it's not as thick as some of their other deep treatments either. It's perfect and it glides on my hair without issue not to mention that I can detangle shortly after it goes on. I kid you not this is the business go get you some.Your hair will thank you later.

Some of the ingredients:

• Organic Shea Butter, deeply moisturizes while conditioning hair and scalp.
• Jamaican Black Castor oil, loaded with reparative omegas that promotes healthy hair growth.
• Peppermint, stimulates the scalp for an invigorating experience.
• Mango Seed Butter, nourishes the hair and scalp help to keep both healthier for a longer period of time.
• Olive oil is rich and moisturizing making it ideal for prolonged use on the hair. 

Much like SheaMoisture's other products this is FREE of:

• Sulfates
• Parabens
• Phthalates
• Paraffin
• Gluten
• Propylene Glycol
• Mineral oil
• Synthetic Fragrance
• PABA
• Synthetic Color
• DEA

AND if that isn't enough goodness for you,

• It's not tested on animals

Now it may be a little tricky to find this in some areas so if you're interested you may just want to save yourself the hassle and order offline from their site or take the chance and check the stores listed below to see if you can find it,

• CVS
• Your local beauty supply

I'm just going to come right out and say that I'm on the fence about Jansyn's Moisture Max Conditioner by Camille Rose Naturals. I was really hoping that I could use this as a deep conditioner maybe even a leave in, if you can't already tell I'm a fan of multipurpose product and the consistency of this makes it hard for me to do that with my hair. I have to use this as a rinse out/detangler in the shower because it's not heavy enough to be a DC and it's too heavy to be a styler for me. I picked this up at my beauty supply store for $14.99 so I was hoping I could do other things with it, but that was an epic fail.

My hair was very soft and moisturized after washing this out so that's definitely a plus, the product does what it says it's going to do.

Some of the ingredients:

• Coconut milk, is rich in vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 as well as iron, selenium, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.
• Olive oil,  is rich and moisturizing making it ideal for prolonged use on the hair. 
• Sweet Almond oil, the high vitamin e content in the oil makes it ideal for conditioning your hair strands.
• Castor oil, works well as a regrowth agent for hair. 
• Marshmallow Root extract is great for soothing and relieving irritation on the scalp, but it is also packed with slip helping aid with the detangling process. 

This product much like other Camille Rose Naturals products this conditioner has NO,

• Alcohol
• Parabens
• Petroleum
• Mineral oil
• Artificial colors 

It's also,

• Cruelty free
• Vegan

I haven't seen this conditioner in many beauty supply stores here in the city, but feel free to check out your local beauty supply and their sites below to order it online,

• www.camillerosenaturals.com
• www.curlmart.com

Once I found out that Curls was going to be releasing their Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Paste I was super excited because I couldn't stand their Passion Fruit  Curl Control Paste so I was ready to give this a go. I was searching for this for months before I randomly came across it at the beauty supply and once again the product junkie in me couldn't walk past it. I have yet to use this because I'm saving it for a flat twist updo I'll be doing, but as soon as I opened this I was pleasantly surprised because it smells exactly like the candy, Swedish fish!  

                                                              (I couldn't help myself!)

Some of the ingredients:

• Vegetable Glycerin, works very well as a moisturizer for healthy hair.
• Castor oil, works well as a regrowth agent for hair. 
• Keratin, is one of the most durable proteins in nature and the main ingredient n the outer layer of hair.
• Silk Amino Acid, also known as silk proteins, silk proteins bind to the keratin that we have in our hair creating a layer to help protect against moisture loss. 
• Mango Seed Butter, penetrates the hair cuticle to fortify the hair from the inside out.

This product is FREE of,

• Sulfates
• Silicone
• Parabens
• Artificial oils
• Artificial colors
• Artificial fragrances

I paid $7.99 for this at a beauty supply store in Downtown Brooklyn (for NYC curlies), but I haven't seen this in many places. Feel free to check your beauty supply stores and the sites below if you're interested in trying this.

• www.curls.biz
• www.target.com

This was a completely random purchase, I watched ULoveMegz rant and rave about this Sebastian Trilliant Thermal Protection and Shimmer Complex and I couldn't help myself. It has glitter in it! AHHHHH! I'm not gonna lie I got it for the glitter and the fact that it smells like Watamelon *Bey voice* is just a plus. I plan on using this to blow out my hair before I do that flat twist updo to make twisting easier for myself. I have been spraying this on styles just because I can.

I purchased this from Amazon.com for $8.00 and I would honestly recommend that you purchase it from there if you're interested in trying this because the cheapest that I've seen it was on there. I priced it at ULTA and it was $15.00. Check out the sites below if you're interested in giving this a try,

• www.sebastianprofessional.com
• www.amazon.com

Beyoncé inspired Flat Twist Out w/ Carol's Daughter Chocolat Blow Dry Cream and African Pride Shea Butter Miracle

Wassup y'all, I decided I was going to try my hand at flat twisting. I know how to flat twist, but I've never actually flat twisted my whole head. Now that Spring is in the air here in N.Y.C. I wanted to try a new style and I happened to be on Tumblr when the idea came to me. A picture of Beyoncé at the Grammy's popped up on my dashboard and the wheels began to turn on how I could recreate that, but on my hair. 

I started out with this old janky puff I had been rocking all week. It looked fairly presentable so I rocked it, not to mention I was short on time most of the week, so I didn't bother to cowash it nor make an attempt to detangle so it's safe to say it was a hot mess in there. 

Because I was blowdrying my hair I wanted to make sure that my hair and scalp was completely free of any previous product and cowashing just wasn't going to cut it so I whipped out my Chagrin Valley Extra Honey Beer Shampoo Bar, I ordered a bunch of sample shampoo bars about a year ago and they've lasted for quite sometime. Even though they're sample bars I was able to cut each bar twice leaving me with a total of 4 bars. I bought 4 sample bars for $2.70 each, Extra Honey Beer, Coconut Milk, Mud & Clay, and Babassu Marshmallow. I also cut those bars down too, so I have more than enough shampoo to last me a while. If sample bars aren't for you, they're full sized bars will run you $7.95. 

The Extra Honey Beer Shampoo Bar is amazing, it's my second favorite from Chagrin Valley. For those of you worried about harsh and damaging ingredients you won't find any of that in ANY of they're products.

They're FREE of:

• Detergents
• Synthetic Colors 
• Artificial Preservatives 
• Artificial Foam Boosters
• Alcohol
• Petroleum Products
• Synthetic Additives
• GMO's (Genetically modified organisms)

The ingredients for the Extra Honey Beer Shampoo:

• Organic Coconut oil, hydrates and protects while adding curl definition.
• Beer, the alcohol acts as a cleansing and shine agent as well as giving hair a much needed boost in softness.
• Jojoba oil, because the chemical complex is some similar to our skin's sebum it reaches deep into our pores and hydrates the hair from inside out.
• Raw Honey, a great moisturizer and conditioner that imparts a lustrous shine to dull, dry hair.
• Mango Butter, much like shea butter this butter has amazing emollient properties in turn softening the hair and helping to seal in moisture. 

Once I shampooed my hair felt amazingly soft, but it wasn't left feeling stripped or like it had just been washed and wrung out to try. I twisted my hair up in chunky twist and allowed my hair to air dry over night. Because I was blowdrying I wanted to minimize the amount of heat I used on my hair, I felt that blowdrying damp hair would be too much stress and tension on my scalp so  I opted to wait until my hair was about 95% dry it just so happened that it would take a whole night. 

I picked this up at Carol's Daughter flagship store in Harlem for $24.00 a few months ago and I can guarantee that it'll last me for at least a year because a little goes a very long way and I don't blow my hair out often. I have a love-hate kind of relationship with this blow dry cream, because I forget that a little bit goes a long way and I'm heavy handed so I end up using way more than I need to. For this particular style though I got it right and it came out great. 

This product had NO:

• Parabens
• Petroleum
• Mineral oil
• Artificial Colors 

The ingredients of the Chocolat Smoothing Blow Dry Cream (straight from Carolsdaughter.com):

• Cocao Extract, helps smooth hair cuticles while adding moisture and improving condition.
• Vegetable Protein, works to help rebuild hair to be naturally more smooth and sleek.
•  Soy Protein, adds strength to hair and controls frizz.

I know my blow dryer is by Conair, but I can't think of the exact name or type. It was $10.00 at my local beauty supply and it's been going strong for sometime now it came with the concentrator nozzle, diffuser that doubles as a nozzle that makes waves in the hair. I applied a dime sized amount to each section and detangled before blow drying each section. I didn't use my comb attachment because I didn't want my hair too straight, I wanted texture. I simply ran the blow dryer down the length of my hair with the concentrator nozzle on. 

Once I blow dried I instantly saw the shine and sleekiness that the cream helped my hair maintain. I twisted each section up an prepared for styling. As stated before I've never flat twisted my whole head so I wasn't sure how the parting situation would work, but I tried my best and instead of using a comb to part I used my fingers to separate each section. You'd think it would make the process 10x harder, but instead it was much easier and it made separating upon take down much easier. 

 I mentioned this previously when in a haul post, I picked this up at my local beauty supply for $4.99. And I like it, but I don't love it. It does the job though, it helps with elongation of curls so if that's your goal this is definitely for you.

The ingredients:

• Water, your hair's #1 moisturizer.
• Shea Butter, deeply moisturizes while conditioning your hair and scalp.
• Mango Butter, helps to soften the hair and seal in moisture.
• Argan oil, restores while helping promote hair elasticity
• Coconut oil, hydrates and protects hair from heat and chemical damage.

Once my hair dried in the morning the twist plumped up nicely, but my end were all over the place. Next time I do this style I'll be adding perm rods to the ends to add some weight to my twist so that they'll stay down. I'll also be trying another twisting butter for this style even though I used a dot of the Shea Butter Miracle Bouncy Curls Pudding I still felt like it was too much. This product wasn't like a cream it really is like a pudding, a wet pudding I don't know how to describe it, but the it feels wet? Does that make sense?

Middle parts don't work for the shape of my head, but side parts do. I absolutely love how my hair came out, flat twists are a go from now on. I didn't even need to fluff and separate much. 

 Bey's hair was wavier than mine, if I got my hair straighter, but I was too afraid of heat damage to add any more heat, but I think my hair came out great anyway. 

You can find these products at/on:

• Carol's Daughter stores 
• www.carolsdaughter.com
• Sephora
• ULTA Stores
• www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com
• Your local beauty supply store

Check me and them out on Twitter and Tumblr:

• @ariegogetit
• ariegogetit.tumblr.com
• @carolsdaughter
• @chagrinsoap
• @myafricanpride

Braid Out and Style w/ Camille Rose Naturals Moisture Milk and Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Refresher

Now that we've got the cowashing and deep conditioning out the way let's move onto the styling part, my not so favorite part. My hair is very thick and my arms weren't built for this, after completing a braid out I feel like I just did a full arm workout. I've said it before and I'l say it again I really do prefer braid outs to twist outs because of the amount of stretch that I get when doing them. Twist outs leave my hair completely shrunken for about 2 days before I actually get to see some of my length so to avoid all the hassle I just stick to braids outs. As of late of I've been running low on hair moisturizers, now that the weather is beginning to change here in NY I'm swapping out some of my heavier winter leave ins for my Spring and Summer ones so I had to make a quick run to Target and make my way to the hair aisle to pick up some new stuff.  

I picked this up for $12.00 at the Target in Atlantic Terminal. First off I love the spray nozzle on this bottle it's amazing and even after this product is long gone I'll still be using the bottle because it's perfect! Rarely do you find companies that have quality spray nozzles, they either spray too much or the product comes out in a stream or it doesn't spray enough, but Carol's Daughter get's a round of applause for this one. They also deserves a hand clap for this spray because it does exactly what it says it's going to do and it works well with other products without leaving a residue or coating on my hair once it's dry. Because the nozzle is so great a few sprays and my whole head is lightly coated. This product is supposed to deeply moisturize, improve softness and help to prevent frizz. 
This product has NO:

• Alcohol
• Parabens
• Petroleum
• Mineral Oil
• Artificial Colors

The ingredients are:

• Water, your hair's #1 moisturizer.
• Agave, hair humectant which provides moisture and gives hair a lustrous shine.
• Sweet Almond, helps to nourishes our hair and smoothes hair cuticles.
• Wheat Protein, increases your hair’s flexibility, reduces the urge for hair to split and softens your hair.

I love this stuff! Hands down this is one of my favorite moisturizers it's lightweight, it's creamy but it's insanely moisturizing. This is my second bottle and I will continue to purchase. I picked this up on sale for $13.59 earlier this week. I believe the sale ends Saturday (04/12), but check your local Target each one varies. It smells divine, it's a bit lighter than Hairveda's Vatika Frosting, but if you haven't tried that than it's comparable to cake batter or vanilla frosting. If I wasn't so scared that it would dry out I'd leave the top off all day, but I'm not going to take that chance. 

This product has NO:

• Alcohol
• Parabens
• Petroleum
• Mineral Oil
• Artificial Colors

And is:

• Cruelty free
• Vegan

The ingredients are:

• Avocado oil packs a powerful punch it's packed with healthy hair vitamins such as vitamins A, B, D, and E. It also has protein, amino acids, iron, copper, magnesium, and folic acid. 
• Rice Bran oil contains antioxidants, such as omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, that have been shown to nourish hair.
• Castor oil is one of the best remedies for promoting hair growth.
• Macadamia Seed oil is non-greasy and lightweight in turn helping absorb into the hair easier.

I used the LOC method and look at how shiny my hair is. The LOC method stands for Liquid.Oil.Cream as the order in which you moisturize the hair. I also wanted to show the patch of my hair effected by Alopecia Areata that I mentioned in my review of Giovanni Wellness Scalp Serum w/ Chinese Botanicals, you can clearly see the difference in hair lengths where the patch is and the hair next to it.

Quick update* I'm so glad that the serum is helping and my hair is growing. When I first lost the hair there I thought it would be gone forever, the spot where I lost the hair from was so slick that I figured the hair just couldn't grow back. But I'm glad I kept my faith strong because it's growing and it's rather thick. If you're suffering from this type of Alopecia keep the faith and be patient it'll grow back in time.

As the "O" in the LOC method I've been using SheaMoisture Tahitian Nono & Monoi Smooth & Repair High Shine Glosser. I used this when I had my hair in Senegalese twist to keep my hair moisturized and I love it now that my hair is out. It's very lightweight and has a light floral scent. I'm a hug fan of these 3 products together I get great results without feeling like may hair is heavy or in need of an immediate cowash. I got this from Target for $9.99.

The ingredients are:

• Hydrolyzed Keratin, Keratin protein is the strongest of proteins found in hair products. Your hair is made up of 80% keratin. This protein in particular will strengthen the 3 layers of the hair, Cuticle, Cortex and Medulla. 
• Glycerin, a great humectant aiding in moisture.
• Monoi oil, Reparative benefits revive dry, damaged hair.
• Tahitian Noni, Antioxidant Vitamin C helps maintain hair health.
• Peptides, Antioxidant protection help promote healthy hair growth.

 The following morning I had so much shine and my hair felt so moisturized that I didn't need to put any oil on my fingers before taking the braids down to avoid frizz.

I got superb definition at the initial take down so much so that I didn't bother fluffing or separating. I just rubbed my finger on my scalp to get rid of any parts that may have been showing and pinned the front back to give a pompadour type thing going.

It was quick, simple and served the purpose which was to have my hair done and be out of the house on time to take my midterm. 

Once I got home and got comfortable I got lazy and I didn't even bother re-braiding my hair at night so I just threw my bonnet on and went to sleep. I woke up in the morning with a bird's nest on my head or to put it visually....

So this was the time where I could really put the products to the test, although my hair was still super moisturized it wasn't pliable or manageable and I was running low on time. So I applied the product in the same order I misted my hair with the Hair Milk Refresher Spray, then I put a quarter sized amount of the SheaMoisture Tahitian Noni & Monoi Smooth & Repair High Shine Glosser, and lastly on top of that the Camille Rose Curl Love Moisture Milk. Instead of applying it section by section like I did for my braid out I applied it over my whole head, layer by layer. 

I went for a more tamed look.

In addition to the products listed above I used gel lightly on my edges, bobby pins and tied my scarf on my head for about 5 mins. to give me a polished look.

You can find the products at/on:

• Target
• Your local beauty supply store
• camillerosenaturals.com
• carolsdaughter.com
• sheamoisture.com

You can find me on Tumblr and Twitter at:

• @ariegogetit
• ariegogetit.tumblr.com

Pre-poo and Deep Condition w/ Carol's Daughter Sacred Tiare Restoring Hair Mask

Wassup y'all, I had my hair in Senegalese twist for about 7 weeks and I've taken them out to let my hair breath a bit before I re-install them. I do them myself so it'll take me about 8-9 hrs. I took my hair out about two weeks ago, I took it down then followed up with a braid out just so that I can go to class and function in my day to day life. But now it's time to give my hair the TLC that it loves and deserves. 

So my homie Jadorevastia, a Youtube Vlogger, recently did a review on ORS Olive Oil Replenishing Pack and I instantly felt a blast from my relaxer day past, I had to pick some up at my local beauty supply store for $1.49. I was hesitant to pick up a 8 oz. bottle though, I haven't used this since I was relaxing my hair. I had my last relaxer in August 2011. I couldn't be sure that the Replenishing Pack would work well with my natural hair like it did with my relaxed hair. Then I ran into another dilemma, I only picked up one pack and I didn't have enough of it to really coat my hair like I enjoy doing with my deep conditioners so instead I added some of my oils and used it as a pre-poo.

The ingredients for the Replenishing Pack are:

• Soybean oil, is rich in Vitamin E which is a lipid and an antioxidant. It helps keep the cell membrane intact. This ensures that the cell membrane and skin act as barrier to harmful toxins and air particals. 
• Olive oil, can improve the blood circulation in your scalp. This increased blood flow can stimulate the follicles.
• Orange oil, is a great for healing scalps with bacterial infections and fungal infections.
• Sage extract, is beneficial for controlling dandruff and treating hair loss.

My oil blend consists of:

• Coconut oil
• Peppermint oil
• Jojoba oil
• Avocado oil
• Vegetable Glycerin

Once applied my hair was instantly softened and full of shine. I didn't even make an attempt to detangle at this point I just slapped it on and let it marinate for about an hour with a plastic bag on my hair. I co-washed in the shower with Eden Body Works Coconut Shea Cleansing Cowash (I have a review here) and I detangled with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. 

 Once thoroughly rinsed out I began deep conditioning with a fairly new product, Carol's Daughter Sacred Tiare Restoring Hair Mask I picked up an 8 oz. container for $15.00 at my local Target. For me the price was a bit steep for a deep conditioner, but I went out on a limb and picked it up. 

This product has NO:

• Parabens
• Petroleum
• Mineral oil
• Artificial colors

The ingredients are:

• Coconut oil, is able to bind to the natural protein structure of the hair. This helps the hair retain its natural moisture content and reinforces the hair fiber, making it stronger.
• Shea Butter,  deeply moisturizes while conditioning your hair and scalp.
• Panthenol, is essential for the strength, shine and health of your hair. 
• Hydrolyzed Silk, adds luster, body and manageability to your hair. 

Once I applied it I to my hair I notice that initially the conditioner just sat on hair and I was a bit apprehensive. Normally conditioners in my hair melt right in and I'm not hesitant about how the product will work with my hair, but this one was different it was unsettling it just sat there. I held out hope though and left it on overnight and the washed it out the next morning. Once I rinsed it out the following morning my hair was soooo soft and manageable, I love it! My next post will be on how I styled my hair in the following days after I washed and dc'd it. 

Check out my girl's Youtube channel, subscribe and follow her on twitter:

• https://www.youtube.com/user/nubiankween323
• @_Jadorevastia

You can pick up these products to try at:

• Target stores 
• Your local beauty supply stores

You can find me on Tumblr and Twitter at:

• @ariegogetit
• http://ariegogetit.tumblr.com/

March Product Empties

Hey peeps! I've been gone for a minute, but I'm back with the jumpoff. Between traveling, flu like symptoms and my school semester starting again I've been running around a lot lately, but I haven't deserted blogging. Now that I'm able to sit down in front of the computer let me give you the 411 on my March empties. 

This is one of my favorites and I will be buying this over and over, I'm actually a little sad that this ran out. I picked this up at my local beauty supply store for $6.99 I had this for about 3-4 months and I was so impressed that this little 4.23 fl oz bottle lasted so long. Creme Of Nature Perfect 7-N-1 Treatment is great for relaxed, texlaxed, and natural hair. According to the bottle you're supposed to spray it onto damp hair, but I've sprayed this on damp hair, dry hair, blown out hair and even as a refresher, I haven't had any issues or problems. I will say that a little goes an EXTREMELY long way and if you mistakenly put too much on your hair it'll feel weighed down and greasy. I suggest spraying some in the palm of your hand first and then applying it to your hand because the consistency is thick and creamy making it a bit difficult to spray out the nozzle. 
The Perfect 7 Leave-in has seven key features:

1. Detangles & Conditions
2. Heat Protection
3. Breakage Defense
4. Controls Frizz
5. Moisturizes Dry Hair
6. Prevent Split Ends
7. Adds Exotic Shine

I have a product review up for this already, HairVeda Review. If you've already peeped the review you'd know that I'm not really feeling this deep conditioner so I won't be repurchasing this again. To be quite honest I'm a little upset this was $17.99, but I digress. This product smells divine and I loved the consistency, but I just couldn't get with the conditioner as a whole. I didn't feel that my hair was moisturized on the contrary my hair felt a little dry. I had to follow up with a cheapy cowash to give my hair back the snap it lacked. 

Some of the ingredients are:

• Water, your hair's #1 moisturizer.
• Coconut oil, hydrates and protects while adding curl definition.
• Castor oil, is filled with essential nutrients like vitamin E, amino acids, and omega-6 fatty acids, it can help you to put a stop to split ends and breakage.
• Glycerin, a great humectant aiding in moisture.

• You can pick this up at/on:

• Ecodermis and Wolfberry (N.Y.C. curlies)
• hairveda.com

 OMG! I love this stuff and I'm so upset I didn't put up more, silly me. I picked this up at Walmart Supercenter in Fulton, NY for $3.29 when I went to visit Babe for his b-day. I heard great reviews about this, but couldn't find in anywhere in the city and my Walmart is waaay too far to visit just for some conditioner so when I went to visit him and I saw it in Walmart I was too hype. I wasn't sure if I'd like it or if it was remotely the same as the regular Aussie 3 Minute Miracle so I figured I'd try one and if I like it I'd get another, right? I didn't anticipate on LOVING it. I finished this in like two weeks and I was so upset this baby has slip for days! A major reason why I love this is because it is not like the regular 3 Minute Miracle you will feel a difference in the strength of your hair.

As opposed to the regular 3 Minute Miracle the 3 Minute Miracle Strong has a new ingredient

• Clover, (Possibly Red Clover), helps restore hair and scalp balance. As well as hydrates and stimulates the scalp for optimum hair growth.

You can pick this up at:

• Walmart stores
• Walmart.com
• Amazon.com

 I have a very thorough review/demo of this in my Wash Day W/ Tahitian Noni & Monoi Pre-poo review. I'm not sure if I'll be picking this up again at Target maybe if it goes on a BOGO sale again, but $9.99 for 4 fl oz is a stretch. I enjoyed it while it lasted, but I'm iffy about picking it up again. I only got about 3, maybe 4 uses of of this and I wasn't thrilled about it. I really wish Shea Moisture would put this into an 8 oz bottle, preferably with a pump, but I'll take what I can get. 

You can pick this up at/on:

• Target
• Target.com

I like this I really do, but I don't love it. I prefer this as a leave in as opposed to a rinse out or co-wash conditioner. I picked this up with Babe at Target for $9.99 while it was on sale. I enjoyed it so much that I picked up the Deep Treatment Masque also from the Raw Shea Butter collection to see how the two worked in conjunction with each other. Eh, I'm sorta kinda feeling it, but I have a more in dept review to be post shortly. The consistency of this is very creamy, but not too thick. This conditioner has slip and provides moisture for days a little does goes a long way. The smell is a bit too perfumed for my palette, but it's not overbearing unless you're using the whole Raw Shea Butter collection together.  I'm so happy that Shea Moisture now upped this from 12 fl oz to 13 fl oz and it has pump! Even if I didn't care for the conditioner I will happily keep the bottle to put other conditioner into once it's empty.

 Some of the ingredients include:

• Water, your hair's #1 moisturizer.
• Shea Butter, deeply moisturizes while conditioning your hair and scalp.
• Argan Oil, Restores while helping promote hair elasticity.
• Sea Kelp, Mineral rich nutrition seals and smoothes your hair cuticle.
• Panthenol, coveted for moisturizing, thickening, and boosting hair's body quotient.

You can pick this up at/on:

• Target.com
• Target Stores
• Walgreens Stores
• Your local beauty supply store

I'm now on twitter so feel free to Tweet/Follow me:

@ariegogetit

If you're on Tumblr let's be friends, Follow me:

http://ariegogetit.tumblr.com/

Freeman Pomegranate Revealing Peel-Off Facial Mask Review

I'm just going to start this off by say I'm very iffy about this face mask probably because it's a peel off mask and this is the first peel off mask I've ever purchase and tried so this is what I'm using as my first impression. And because I got it stuck on my eyebrows and ended up pulling out a few once it dried, that's my first tip for you don't get this on your eyebrows it will be a painful process. I picked this up along with the other Freeman Beauty facial mask at ULTA on sale for $1.99.

 I was curious because this face mask is infused with a Mega 8 complex, a blend of Goji, Acai, Pomegranate, Mango, Mangosteen, Cranberry, Noni and Blueberry. All of which are high in antioxidants to help neutralize skin damage. With all these great ingredients jam packed into one face mask I figured it would do nothing, but great things for my face...eh, sorta, kinda, something like that.
This product is:

• Not tested on animals

• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, one of the most effective pore minimizers.
• Mango Fruit Extract, rich in antioxidants which restrict the oxidation of cells in the body. 
• Blueberry Fruit Extract, helps protect your skin from premature aging.
• Cranberry Fruit Extract, helps ward off wrinkles, reduce redness and prevent any signs of skin damage.

Another con for me is the consistency of this product it's sooo thick, gooey and a bit messy as soon as you turn this upside down it easily leaks out. You really don't need alot of this to coat you face because it's like a liquid it smears quite easily and because if you use to much you're guaranteed to have a dry face. 

Will I purchase this again? Probably not. Even if it's on sale? Eh maybe if it's the last mask on the shelf. I'm torn because it works and says what it's supposed to do, but something about this just rubs me the wrong way. I'll probably give it to my best friend to get her input on it just to see how she her skin react to it. 

You can find this face masks at:

• ULTA stores
• ULTA.com
• freemanbeauty.com
• drugstore.com
• amazon.com
• walgreens.com
• walmart.com

Check out they're website, Facebook, and follow them on Twitter

http://www.freemanbeauty.com/
FB: Freeman Beauty

Tweet: @Freemanbeauty