Day 2 curls

I'm about that wash and go life, and at this stage in the game I've pretty much perfected my wash and go.

I mean dang, it only took me almost 2 years. Seriously, it took me 22 months to nail the wash and go. I had it pretty much down before coloring my hair, but once I took the color plunge in October 2014, I had to learn my curls all over again. Well, mama I made it!

#Perseverance

In all that time learning, I spent a lot of money, tried a lot of products, experimented with a lot of cocktails, and spent many moons in the return line at Sally's, Target, and Ulta.

In my opinion, it was time and money well spent because my hair is super healthy (the healthiest it's been since being color treated), my curls are popping, and there are no "surprises" (flakes, dry hair, breakage, rough-feeling hair, white balls, etc.).

 Oh. and my curls look just as good, if not better, than they did on day 1. What's my secret? Keep reading to find out how I achieve curls like this in a few simple steps!

#WashDay

Step 1: Start With a Good Foundation
Clean hair and a clean scalp are must-have foundations for styling. My co-wash ace in the hole, A1 since we met, hair BFF/bae is none other than Be Kekoa Be Clean Cleansing Conditioner. I'm sure y'all are tired of hearing me talk about it, but this stuff is the TRUTH. My hair and scalp are clean, free of buildup, hydrated, smooth, soft, and de-frizzed flawlessly after each use. Be Clean leaves me with the perfect canvas to begin styling. If your co-wash or cleanser leaves you with tangles, hair that feels rough, frizzy, or otherwise not its best -- you can't expect to achieve your best style results, either.

Be Kekoa Be Clean Review
Video: How I Use Be Kekoa Products on Wash Day

Step 2: Repair/Restore
This step is totally optional, especially if you don't have color treated hair. My hair always lets me know when it's time to re-up on ApHogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor. My curls will look a little limp, and seem a little looser than normal. After a few treatments with the Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor, my curls bounce back to life and have an extra spring in their step. I use the ApHogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor as an intermediate step between cleansing and deep conditioning. It's a 2-5 minute process, and totally foolproof.

ApHogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor Review

Step 3: Deep Condition
I've talked here about the benefits of deep conditioning. And while I have many favorites (hey tgin, Hydratherma Naturals, and Shea Moisture), I ride hard for Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask. My hair loves it. In terms of styling, deep conditioning ensures that your hair remains healthy, hydrated, properly moisturized, de-frizzed, and elastic -- all necessary components for healthy hair and long-lasting style. Deep conditioning helps insure that your hair's internal hydration and exterior lipid barrier remain in tact. In other words, your deep conditioner should help keep your hair from going crispy and dry.

Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask Review
Christina's Choice 2014 Top Deep Conditioners for Natural Hair

The Styling Arsenal

Step 4: Apply Leave-Ins to Soaking Wet Hair
This is nothing new, but I see lots of videos on YouTube and blog instructionals where leave-ins are applied to naked, damp hair outside of the shower or away from the sink. Everyone is most certainly able to do their hair their way, but for me that's the quickest route to frizz city. When our hair is naked, it begins expanding in the search for moisture. This is the primary cause of poofiness and frizz. Don't get me wrong, frizz is good and helps create extra volume. But for curls that are long-lasting and look amazing several days later, it is the enemy on day 1. My fix is two-pronged:

1. While in the shower, I apply Zotos Professional 180PRO Miracle Damage Eliminator to my hair from ends to root. It's a lightweight primer, and lives up to its name and claims. My hair is always instantly stronger, shinier, smoother, and my curls pop even more every time I use it. I notice the most visible change on the ends of my hair. Instead of hanging a little looser, my ends form actual curls when they're dry after I use Miracle Damage Eliminator. It's a super lightweight serum that doesn't dry out my hair, and more importantly, plays nicely with other products. I can't say enough good things about this stuff. I've been in love since first use (the bottle is small but lasts a long time -- a little bit goes a long way). I'm on my third full-size bottle and I don't ever want to run out!

2. After applying my Miracle Damage Eliminator, I take generous amounts of Soultanicals Mango Dip Detangling slip and rake it through my hair. This stuff is botanical magic -- seriously. Not only does it smell amazing, it's an awesome detangler, and super hydrating leave-in. After I thoroughly apply the Mango Dip Detangling Slip, I employ my little trick to get my hair super saturated while eliminating frizz. I quickly (like seriously 1 second quick) run my hair back under the shower water and squeeze the products into my hair. I don't wring out the excess. When I get to the ends of my hair, I squeeze the extra product and water back into the roots of my hair. This serves two purposes for me: one, I'm not sending precious product down the drain. Two, my roots are the most puffy, and putting extra product back on them helps keep them sleek and frizz free.

5. Learn the Oils/Butters Your Hair Loves, and Seal.
Sealing in all that yummy moisture is an integral component of a long-lasting wash and go style. When hair is truly hydrated and moisture is locked in, style-disrupting frizz and poofiness is diminished. For this particular wash and go, I'm holding on tight to Vitamin Shoppe Argan Oil. I alternate between Argan, Coconut, and Jamaican Black Castor Oil for 99.9% of my wash and go styles.

4 Oils to Seal with That Aren't Coconut Oil

 6. Gel It Right
There are tons of methods for applying curl defining gel -- rake and smooth, rake and shake, rake, praying hands, using a Denman...the list goes on. I've learned exactly what methods produce what sort of curl. For a more elongated, stretched-looking curl I opt for the Rake and Shake method. For this particular curl that is long-lasting but still has tons of curl definition, I opt for my OG rake and smooth method. Working in small sections, I take a generous amount of my faaaave EcoStyle Argan Oil Gel, and smooth it on directly at the root. I rake the remaining gel down the length of my curls, adding more if necessary. From there, I alternate between raking and smoothing to ensure that all curls are covered before moving on to the next section. Catch the method in action:

(Jump to 6:53 to see exactly how I apply curl definer)

Yes, I am heavy-handed with product and the reason is twofold. One, more generous product application means a firmer gel cast and a longer lasting wash and go. Two, the weight of the gel helps my hair to dry my hair in a somewhat elongated state, minimizing how disproportionate my shrinkage looks across multiple textures.

My Undying Love for EcoStyler Gel
Christina's Choice 2014 Top Curl Definers for Natural Hair
Don't love EcoStyler Gel? Here are 11 alternatives.

7. Air Dry
Air drying is a pain, and depending on your density and porosity, it can be an all day process. I don't mind it though, because the alternatives are much more labor intensive and yield less favorable results. Diffusing pushes the hair upward toward the scalp and promotes shrinkage. Hooded dryers do the same, while keeping the hair flat to the head and reducing volume and bulk in the hair. I am not against shrinkage per se -- I just have multi-textured hair and each section shrinks differently. To give the appearance of more uniform curls with volume and minimal frizz, air drying is the way to go.

But if you absolutely must diffuse... watch my Diffusing Hacks video here. 

Day 1 wet curls...

Day 4 curls! And y'all know I been working out....

Because I love you guys for continuing to read my blog and be patient with me, I've created a pinnable infographic that summarizes the information here. Pin it to your boards for safe keeping, and don't forget to follow me on pinterest!

Pin Me!!!

Eva NYC Hungry Hair Oil Treatment

 Can I vent a lil' bit?

A few weeks ago (I know, I'm super late with it), I came across an Instagram post that rubbed me the absolute most wrong way. I won't screencap or quote the person here (because the Lord is working on me and I'm trying my hardest not to be petty), but the general idea behind it was this:

Silicones are bad. Shea butter is bad. They both dry your hair out and are bad. Don't use them.

:::rubs temples:::

The irony of this post calling out what is bad, is the fact that it, in and of itself is bad information. Funny, right?

I love blogging, and having done it since early 2012, I feel as though I've got a pretty good handle on most things natural hair related. I'm no guru, and I would never position myself as such. I didn't go to cosmetology school, and I would never pretend that I did. At most, I've got a firm grasp on Google, an inquisitive mind, and a few professional stylists I can bounce things off of.

I have a deep appreciation for the ingenuity and desire to help that most bloggers and YouTubers exude. That willingness to freely give of information, advice, and tips is what makes the natural hair community as a whole one of the most unique spaces online and in real life. But there are two things I am absolutely not here for: bad information and lies. We'll tackle fraudulence another time, for sake of staying on topic.

This rampant spread of misinformation thing? I hate it. It grinds my gears, gets my goat, runs me low, and bewilders me beyond measure. How do you, as a digital influencer not fact-check the information you disseminate, knowing the level of influence you have? To borrow from the logic of Luvvie, was Google broken that day? Could you not phone a friend?

I'm not talking about popular opinion, or even personal preference. I'm talking about knowingly presenting and spreading wrong information that is potentially damaging and hurtful. If said influencer had prefaced her statement with "For my hair," or "In my experience," I probably wouldn't be writing right now. But she didn't, and continued to stand by her statement even as others (myself included) presented information counter to her claims.

For your consideration:

Silicones

Eva NYC Hungry Hair Oil Treatment

The Beauty Brains have dedicated several articles to various topics regarding silicones and hair, including whether they build up on the hair, if they're bad, if they suffocate the hair, etc. I'd just like to go on record and say that it is impossible to suffocate your hair, because it is not a living, breathing organism. Beyond that, in this article The Beauty Brains explain that you cannot suffocate your hair with silicones because:

• Even if you don't remove all of the silicones from your hair via washing, there is no data that exists to suggest that silicones act as a barrier between the hair shaft and moisture. The obvious exception to this is dousing your hair in serum -- then the silicones have the same affect as dousing your hair in any natural oil.
• Even though hair does absorb water from the environment, the dryness of your hair is more impacted by damage and natural lipid barrier.
• Even if silicones did prohibit moisture from entering, it would function like any other sealant that naturalistas love -- coconut oil, shea butter, grapeseed oil, argan oil, apricot oil, the list goes on....

The Beauty Brains do raise one interesting point about whether silicones "wear off" or remain on the hair. We all know a little bit about water soluble cones, and silicones like cyclomethicone cyclopentasiloxane that serve their purpose and evaporate. They share that any shampoo will wash away silicones left behind from treatments and conditioners, but that co-washing will not be enough and could start to build up and weigh down the hair.

I've stressed the importance of the occasional shampoo several times, and their findings support that fact. The issues that silicones potentially cause in terms of build up are the same issues that any styling products, natural or not, will cause. Truly, there is no difference or adverse impact to the hair.

More on shampooing natural hair:
Clean Hair + Clean Scalp = Hair Growth
Why Shampoo Still Needs to be in Your Natural Hair Regimen

My favorite part of their article is the bottom line in which they state,

If you use a silicone containing product and you like the way it makes your hair look and feel, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT! Don't feel guilty because some people tell you that it's bad for your hair. 

Shea Butter

Alaffia Shea Butter

 Thanks to this super helpful article on Black Girl with Long Hair, we know that shea butter is:

• Primarily composed of fatty acids
•  The high stearic and oleic acid content of shea butter makes it an excellent moisturizer but can't be used to replace lotions and conditioners because it's not spreadable and does not hydrate hair and skin. (Click here to learn the difference between moisture and hydration)

True enough, shea butter cannot hydrate the hair. It does not contain any water. Luckily for us, there are tons of different ways to reap the benefits of shea butter for natural hair. Many naturalistas use it 100% raw to seal in moisture. Others may go the DIY route and whip in aloe, carrier, and essential oils to create pomades and butter whips for sealing in moisture, defining twist outs, and more. And then there's folks like me who rely on the good people of Kyra's Shea Medleys, Alaffia, Shea Moisture, and others to create products using raw shea butter blended with other botanicals and hydrating ingredients.

Ultimately, the decision to use silicones or shea butter in your hair regimen is your decision. I personally use both, and it has not adversely impacted my hair. In fact, since I got my hair dyed last October, products containing silicones have been integral to helping keep my hair on my head and assisting in  leveling out the porosity issues that hair dye causes. Products containing shea butter, and in some cases raw shea butter has been super helpful in adding shine and maintaining softness in my hair that is prone to looking dull and dry on the parts that are colored.

But that's just me.

There's one last layer of ingredient shaming that rubs me the wrong way -- the fact that it comes across as looking down one's nose at naturals that do use those ingredients. Someone on the CG method isn't any better or more special than someone who isn't. The false sense of superiority and pretentiousness that comes along with ingredient shaming adds another highly unnecessary layer of false hierarchy in an arena that exists to support and uplift. To chastise a fellow natural based on their preference is unnecessary and a bit ridiculous.

Live and let live, yo.

Besides, I don't see Nap85 and her shea whips struggling.... nor do I see MoKnowsHair's tresses looking frazzled from silicones.

Are you a user of shea butter or silicones? What's your take on the ingredient shaming that seems to be  going on? Leave your comments after the "You Might Also Like" section!

Shea Moisture and I in happier times.....

Article also featured on Black Girl with Long Hair!

Earlier this week, news rocked the natural hair world when the internationally known household brand Shea Moisture announced a new partnership with Bain Capital.

Yes, Mitt Romney’s Bain.

Although details are still unfurling, this much we do know:
Like many fellow naturalistas, I thought I was having a nightmare when I read stories from Wall Street Journal and Clutch Magazine. This absolutely cannot be Carol’s Daughter 2.0. The first words that came out of my mouth were, “Damn, can we have anything?”

I found that I was not alone. Across social media, discussions popped up questioning the move, and emotions ran the gamut of the spectrum – from encouraging and congratulatory, to suspicious, hurt and disappointed. At first, I was upset. Then, after listening to Richielou Dennis’ Hangout, I was less disappointed. After doing some digging on Bain Capital, I got a little concerned. And that’s where I am now – accepting, but with some heavy reservations.

Off the cuff, I appreciate Dennis and Shea Moisture’s transparency in the deal. Not only did they release a statement via Facebook (and they’ve been incredibly responsive in the comment section), Dennis hopped on a Google+ Hangout with Naturally Curly founder and CEO Michelle Bryer, where he tackled the tough questions and top concerns with an honesty and poise that came across as thoughtful and sincere. I detected a hint of shade toward another brand that sold out earlier in 2014 (which made me chuckle), but I appreciated Dennis’ ability to articulate the difference in how Sundial is handling the matter.

The Hangout can be viewed below but here are some cliffs notes I grabbed from watching:




Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s deal with the real-real. You guys should know by now that I like to fact-check ev-ery-thang. The first question Dennis addressed was related to Mitt Romney’s involvement in Bain, and therefore Sundial. Dennis explained that Romney is not at Bain Capital in any active fashion, and has not been in 16 plus years.  My immediate thought was, Richielou, would you found Sundial, stay 15 years to run it, and then leave empty-handed when all is said and done? Absolutely not, right? Why would you or anyone else expect Romney to do so? In fact, according to this article from Forbes, Romney left Bain with a retirement package that gave him a share of profits from all Bain funds through 2009, and the right to invest Bain funds. Currently, he holds stakes in dozens of Bain funds worth over $52 million.

Concerning, but not overwhelmingly so. As much as I would love to avoid purchasing or supporting anything tied to companies or individuals I ethically oppose, it’s virtually impossible to do so due to fragmentation in manufacturing. I’m sure there are at least a dozen problems with the keyboard I’m using to type this article. The real issue for me is the ethics of Bain Capital, and what happens to companies after they’ve invested.

The water gets a little murky. From my limited (very limited to be honest, because I’m neither an economist, financial analyst, or even remotely considering an MBA) understanding, Bain Capital is a private equity firm that seeks to maximize profits in new, developing and struggling companies. Private equity firms typically target slow-growth market leaders and focus aggressively on leveraged buyouts that result in extreme cost-cutting measures for the business to be able to repay the debt laid on it by the firm. The end result is that the companies find it difficult to remain competitive, because the capital that would have gone toward innovation, development, and expansion is used to pay off the company’s debt.

To put a lid on that brief lesson, let’s consider this: from 1988 to 1997, Bain Capital invested millions in Sage Stores, American Pad & Paper, GS Industries, Dade Behring, and Details. All of them filed for bankruptcy by 2003. This information may seem a bit dated, but it is telling.

Sundial has made it clear that they have not been bought out by Bain, but rather that Bain has invested in them at an undisclosed, non-controlling minority percentage. Perhaps that will be the difference, and perhaps Sundial will truly show us a new way for Black business to grow and expand without selling out and selling themselves short. I hope to be able to take Richielou Dennis and Sundial at their word and see the brand blossom in the years to come.

I just wish it could have been accomplished with Black dollars.

Hi lovelies!

Thank you so much for embarking on this #EveryDayFitness journey and sending me encouraging e-mails, DMs, leaving comments, and more. I'm definitely feeling the love. I'm super excited that August is over and done with -- one month down, 4 more to go! It definitely hasn't been an easy road, but I'm so here for September and beyond. If August has taught me anything, it's that your physical limitations are not what keeps you from your goals. It's your mental ones. But before I have y'all thinking the past 4 weeks have been all sunshine and rainbows, let's get real about it:

August: The Highs
I did something physical every single darn day of August. Even if y'all don't clap it up for me, I'm gonna clap it up for myself. That's a tremendous accomplishment for someone who pretty much didn't used to believe in physical activity of any sort. I also did a bit better in the eating department. Now, I've had my fair share of flubs in August, but all things considered I think I gave it a B-/C+ effort in the eating better department. As a result of my commitment, I dropped 4 pounds by the end of August. Not a tremendous amount, but definitely enough to keep me going. Don't take this to mean that I was extraordinarily motivated to work out, either. There were days that Samuel practically had to drag me, and downright force me to do a workout of some sort. His line? "You said you were gonna do it, so do it." Welp, you can't argue with that logic.

Some of my gym essentials, including @champagnepapi

Every day wasn't a full on, hard in the paint gym day. There were some days where 30 minutes on the elliptical was all I could manage, or brisk walking while running errands (yes, I looked awkward doing it) had to suffice. The goal isn't to work myself out to exhaustion, it's about finding some way to move my behind every day, and fight being sedentary while managing a busy schedule. For September, you can definitely expect me to kick it up a notch! As an aside, I've discovered that Sunday is my favorite workout day. The gym is virtually empty, and I get to spend lots of time doing pretty much everything I want to do as far as workouts go. I also love the fact that in one day, I'm combining elements of spiritual and physical wellness.

It ain't much to show, but here's a tiny bit of maybe progress that I'm documenting as I go. This is about 3 weeks work of #EveryDayFitness. I'm hoping that small changes really do start adding up!


On a related note, my psoriasis (especially on my face) is looking clearer as the weeks go by which is a blessing. Some of you guys may think that those lighter patches on my forehead look weird, but I'm proud of them. Those smooth-esque, light patches used to be raised, inflamed dark patches. All progress is good progress. I'll be sharing some of my skincare fresh finds and HGs a little bit later.

PC: +nessasarymakeup

August: The Lows
Everything about #EveryDayFitness isn't all physical. There's a spiritual and internal component to it as well. I'm still searching for balance, and trying to find ways to better manage and prioritize the things that are important to me. At the tail end of August, I purchased a journal with my favorite scripture on the front (Jeremiah 29:11). Unfortunately, I only wrote in it once before the month ended. For me, journaling and reading my Bible go hand-in-hand. During August, I struggled to carve out the amount of time I wanted to devote to spending time with God and writing. My goal in September is to find different ways to make that happen. I'm open to advice and suggestions :)

I also need to do better with drinking ACV nightly and taking my vitamins daily. I did it when I remembered, which means skipping like 3 days a week on both. Not good! I definitely need to get back on my game. How do you remember your daily vitamins? I keep mine in a 7 day pill thingie, but forget to pull it out and actually take them.

September Goals
Because there's no point in assessing without moving forward, I'm committing myself to the following for September:

• Reduce the "minimum activity goal" days to 2 for the entire month. August held 3 or 4, I believe.
• Follow the 80/20 rule daily when it comes to eating. 80% on point, 20% aiight. 
• Cook more -- start getting into meal prepping for the week.
• Carve out time for God and journaling daily
• Drink my ACV nightly
• Take my vitamins daily
• Get at least 6.5 hours of sleep every night (eventually I want to move to getting 8)
• Improve my time management skills (I have the tools...implementing them is another thing totally lol)

Cool Stuff I've Discovered
Throughout the month of August, I've made some pretty cool discoveries and used some pretty awesome things to help keep me on track. Here are some of my essentials from August:

Polar A300
This watch has seriously been workout BAE! I use it daily without fail. I'll do a full comparison and breakdown soon, but to catch more of the features, read my article about 5 reasons to wear a fitness tracker here. It's a good motivator, workout tracker, and must-have fitness tool in my opinion.


TriDerma Psoriasis Control
OMG...can I just tell you how much of a blessing this stuff has been?! The shampoo doubles as my face wash, and has been instrumental in helping to calm my psoriasis. I use the Psoriasis Control Lotion daily on my skin and face. Talk about a blessing in a bottle. Read more about psoriasis relief with TriDerma here.


HydroFlask
Speaking of bottles that are indeed blessings, let me introduce y'all to HydroFlask. For the longest time, Samuel's mom has been raving about these bottles and I'm just like yeah, yeah, yeah... not really paying it any mind. It wasn't until Samuel and I were going golfing that she recommended I try one out. She gave me a second one she had stashed away, and I've been hugging that bottle ever since. If you're someone like me who does not like room temperature water, THIS IS FOR YOU. If you love ice cold water while working out, THIS IS FOR YOU. If you drink water throughout the day and you like it cold allllll day long, THIS IS FOR YOU. I took my HydroFlask on the golf course in 90+ degree weather, sweated like crazy, and all the ice was still in my bottle 2 hours later! I fill my bottle with ice water for work at 7am, and at 7am the next day I still have ice. Believe me when I say this thing WORKS! No more lukewarm water for me ever again! And because I like cold water, I find myself drinking it more which is perfect for #EveryDayFitness!


Be Kekoa Be Clean
Since August found me being more active than I've been like, ever, I had to kick my cleansing efforts up a notch. Be Kekoa Be Clean (Bae Clean) has been my A1 since day 1, and has not failed me yet. It's the perfect gentle, yet effective cleansing conditioner that actually cleans your hair. Because I have to wash my hair twice (and sometimes 3 times) a week, I need a product that saves me time on wash day. With Be Clean, all of my hair is cleansed and detangled in 15 minutes or less. No lie. Keep a staple in the stable, ladies!

BuffBake Peanut Butter
I spent the month of August trying to wean myself off of the delicious albeit nutritionally terrible snacks at work. Thanks to BuffBake, I've been fairly successful. Judge me if you must, but every day I take my package of rice cakes and jar of BuffBake to work. When I'm hungry for a mid-morning or afternoon snack, and trying to resist cookies, cakes, and muffins, I pull out a brown rice cake, and get a spoon of BuffBake. Buff Bake is a better for you nut butter enhanced with extra protein, chia, and flax seeds. It contains 11g of protein and only 3g of sugar per 2 tbsp serving! Each serving is 200 calories, but remember nuts in general are verrrrrrry dense nutritionally. I started with Red Velvet Peanut Butter and when that's done, I'm moving on to Chocolate Chip. BuffBake is super delicious, and puts a healthy spin on peanut butter while allowing me to indulge a little and not feel guilty. I'm a forever fan!


Muscle Pharm Combat Crunch Bars
I raved, and raved, and raved about Combat Crunch bars here. My rave continues. I need to get my hands on the Cookies & Cream bar, because apparently that's what's hot in the streets. I did order the Birthday Cake flavor, and while it is good, I'm all about the chocolate covered bars. I shared the joys of Combat Crunch with both my mom and Samuel's mom, and both of them are in love with them! They said the same thing -- it keeps them from wanting to eat candy. Yassss to Combat Crunch!

Ashley's Naturals Pumpkin Mask
My ride or die daily mask. It's a part of my daily facial care routine. It brightens, tones, eases inflammation, smooths, and just blesses my face. Read more about how I use it daily in my facial care regimen for psoriasis and troubled skin.

TruSelf Organics Detoxifying Mask
 TruSelf Organics Detoxifying Mask is a newbie to the rotation, that I've begun incorporating as a part of my weekend facial care routine. Packed with bentonite, rhassoul, kaolin, Moroccan, and other clays plus pure collagen, it revitalizes, detoxifies, and lifts impurities from the skin. I blend about half a tablespoon of mask, and mix in about half a teaspoon of aloe vera juice, and half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. The result is a finely mixed, easily spreadable mask that I leave on for about 20 minutes. The end result is smooth skin that feels tightened, toned, and revitalized.


Well lovelies, September is already in swing, so look forward to more #EveryDayFitness updates! I think I'll be switching to twice a month (mid-month and end of month recaps), because weekly is a little more than I can manage. I update virtually daily on social media, so keep up with my #EveryDayFitness moves on:
Instagram @maneobjective
 Facebook Mane Objective
Twitter @mane_objective
My Fitness Pal - add me! TinaP17 

By the way, leave your comments, questions, feedback, and ideas after the "You Might Also Like" bar on this post! Keeeeeeeep scrolllllling!  XOXO

Have you heard of by made beautiful? I hadn't either, until I strolled into my local Sally's about a week and a half ago. I made it a point to peruse the natural hair section (which is ever growing), to see if there was anything new. Then it caught my eye: a clean blue label, and rich yellow product. I sized up the ingredients, took a whiff, checked the price point, and instantly decided I was in.

That day at Sally's, I picked up three by made beautiful products: the co-wash, leave-in, and masque. I'm still learning the other two (reviews will come soon), but I've used the masque 3 times now, which is enough for a fair review. So let's dive in:

Cost
$9.99 (tip: text DEALS to 72559 and get a coupon sent to your phone for 20% off your purchase)

Where to Buy
by made beautiful's true collection is available at select Sally Beauty locations, and at bymadebeautiful.com very soon.  You can also click here to see where by made beautiful is available near you.


Active Ingredients

• Water
• Cetyl Alcohol: Considered "fatty alcohol" -- NOT to be confused with drying alcohols such as ethyl. Acts as a lubricant, thickener, and emollient. Also give conditioner its velvety feel without making hair greasy. Is additionally used to keep product ingredients from separating.
• Emulsifying Wax: A vegetable based emulsifying wax from naturally occurring fats and esters used to create a bond between water and oil for products which require their binding together. Makes a fluid cream, and lotion without the separation, and complements the finished products end texture.
• Cetrimonium Chloride: Compound close in composition to Behentrimonium Chloride. In addition to having the same penetrating, conditioning, and anti-static properties, centrimonium chloride has been scientifically proven to strengthen the hair when activated by heat.
• Fragrance (Parfum): Synthetic fragrance.
• Mango Seed Oil: Rich in beta carotene, essential fatty acids and vitamins A and E. This ingredient also helps to treat dry skin and protect against future dryness.

Protein Free?
NO.

Curly Girl Friendly?
YES.


The Good
Virtually everything about the true by made beautiful Intense Treatment Masque is on point. I love the fragrance (the vibrant mango fragrance of the entire line gives me life), and the price point is incredibly fair for a 12oz jar of deep conditioner. You know that meme about girls with natural hair smelling like tropical paradise? That's pretty much what happens when you use the true by made beautiful products #nolie. The ingredients are pretty impressive, and I love that the Intense Treatment Masque is rich in oils like mango seed, coconut, and olive. The performance of this product is amazing, and I wish I had more pictures to share (sometimes, I just can't be bothered with cameras on wash day).

The Intense Treatment Masque is thick but not stiff, and super rich without being oily or too heavy. It glides on the hair easily with remarkable slip (considering that it is silicone-free), and soaks right into the hair. I love when I can see my deep conditioner penetrate the strands and not just sit on top. I love that it works quickly (5 - 10 minutes while I'm showering), and feels absolutely magical when I rinse it out. It leaves my hair super shiny, hydrated, soft, and buttery smooth. You know that buttery smooooveness that makes you stroke your strands and say, "YASSSSSS!"

You see that shine though? Yassssssss!

The Intense Treatment Masque pretty much hits ALL my markers for a great deep conditioner. 

The Bad
I go back and forth with myself on this one -- the issue of fragrance. I'm never really a fan of fragrance being so high up on the ingredient list, but I'm generally okay so long as it doesn't trigger my allergies or irritate my scalp psoriasis. Thankfully, neither has happened with the Intense Treatment Masque -- but I will caution those of you with sensitive sniffers to use at your own discretion.

The Bottom Line
I'm falling in love with true by made beautiful Intense Treatment Masque. It has all the makings of a staple DC for me. It's perfect for ladies following the CG Method who want to try something new, and great for hydrating and nourishing dry, damaged, and chemically treated hair. Because of the way it coats the hair, you can easily get several uses out of one jar, making it a great value.

Would I Buy it Again?
Without a doubt, yes. Let me text that Sally's number and get this coupon first.


Have you heard of or tried any of the by made beautiful products? Let me know in the comments below! BTW, the comment section has been updated! Find it after the row of You Might Also Like posts :)