If you're no stranger 'round these parts, then you know these four things are the pillars upon which The Mane Objective Stands:

1. Helping others by sharing my own journey
2. Integrity
3. Details and Evidence
4. Product Junkie-ism

New products get me sooooo hype! So you could imagine the fanfare involved in opening a box of goodies from The Mane Choice.

In true killin' tha game fashion, The Mane Choice has dropped several new products (including a talking flat iron!) in 2016. Among those new product offerings are the Soft as Can be 3-in1- Revitalize & Refresh Conditioner, and the Crystal Orchid Biotin Infused Styling Gel. You guys have already seen me roll out my favorite leave-ins and curl definers of 2015. So how did these two products from The Mane Choice stack up? Keep reading to find out!

Watch the video:

Soft As Can Be 3-in-1 Revitalize & Refresh Conditioner
 
Cost
$13.99 for 8oz

Where to Buy
www.themanechoice.com

Active Ingredients

• Purified 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.
• Sodium PCA: A derivative of the naturally occuring amino acid proline that acts as a natural humectant and moisturizing factor for human skin and hair.
• Behentrimonium Methosulfate: A gentle surfactant made from non-GMO rapeseed (canola oil), and is one of the mildest detangling ingredients out there. It doesn't cause buildup or irritation to the scalp.
• Castor Seed Oil: Thick, highly viscous oil with antibacterial, antifungal, and humectant properties. It is also a great moisture sealant, and promotes hair thickening and growth.
• Avocado Oil: Omega rich oil extract that can softens, adds moisture, and promotes shine.

For the full ingredient list, click here. 
 
Protein Free?
Yes!

Curly Girl Friendly?
Yes!

The Good
Let's get straight to the point. This product blew me away. Like, I don't think I was actually ready for it. In my mind, I figured that Soft As Can Be would likely make a good leave-in conditioner, and a decent co-wash and detangler at best. I. Was. WRONG. Oh my goodness, I was wrong. The consistency is thicker than your average leave-in, closer to that of a rinse out conditioner. It spreads super easy and smooth, and melts right into my strands. The slip is off the chain. It makes detangling a super breeze, and leaves my hair feeling clean, yet soft. As a leave-in, it's super hydrating and quenches frizz (as you'll see in the video). It hits all the marks for performance and then some! I'm beyond impressed, and I don't mean that lightly. The Mane Choice definitely knocked it out the park with this one!

The Bad
The only thing I didn't care for? The size. A girl like me who co-washes twice a week definitely needs more than 8oz of anything in life. So ummm, Courtney... can we get this in a 32oz or nah? Lol!

The Bottom Line
Nothing makes me happier than when a product delivers on exactly what it says it will do. Soft As Can Be TOTALLY exceeded my expectations in all areas -- as a leave-in, detangler, and co-wash. It hits all the important marks -- moisture, awesome ingredients, slip, and more. I am blown away and totally impressed.

Would I Buy it Again?
Although the Soft As Can Be 3-in-1 was sent to me by The Mane Choice, I would totally buy it again with my own money. Believe me, it's off the chain.

Crystal Orchid Biotin Infused Styling Gel


Cost
$11.99 for 16oz

Where to Buy
www.themanechoice.com

Active Ingredients

• Purified Water
• Polysorbate-20: Emulsifier that enables oil and water to mix. It helps product disperse, is a thickener, and stabilizer of essential oils.
• Avocado Oil: Omega rich oil extract that can softens, adds moisture, and promotes shine.
• Vitamin E Oil: Antioxidant-rich oil that supports hair growth, and believed to assist in preventing hair loss. Also has been known to be a proven UV protectant.
• Biotin: A water-soluble vitamin,  vital for the body's normal processes such as synthesis of protein and conversion of food and stored fats into energy. It's also a major role player in maintaining the health of the skin, nails and hair.
• Silk Amino Acids: Used for conditioning, moisturizing, known to make hair glossy, and give hair more body. It is a strong humectant, and is made from a mixture of amino acids, the most common in this mixture are Glutamic acid, Serine, Proline, Arginine, Threonine, and Aspartic acid.

For the full ingredient list, click here.
 
Protein Free?
Yes!

Curly Girl Friendly?
Yes!

Hair styled courtesy of Soft As Can Be & Crystal Orchid

The Good
First things first: Praise God for 16oz! Now that I got that out of the way, let's talk about how off the chain the Crystal Orchid gel really is. For starters, do you see those ingredients?! Stellar, just....stellar. Now, let's talk performance. As you'll see in the video, Crystal Orchid is a moving gel, with a consistency that reminds me of a thick caramel or fudge. Not runny or watery, but not jiggly like jam either. To be honest, it was my first time trying a gel with this consistency, and I was a little skeptical about how it would work. I have to say again, I'm totally and utterly impressed. Completely blown away. Not only does the gel have great slip, it glides down my curls and leaves them frizz free, smooth, and shiny. And even though it's a botanical gel, after air drying, my curls plump right on up in all their shiny splendor. I love this gel!!! Oh my goodness, I love it. It calms my frizzy bits without giving me the ramen noodle vibes. It doesn't dry my curls out or make them feel parched. Super shoutout to @ktwatkins on IG who said I'd love it. You were right, girl!

The Bad
What I'm about to say isn't particularly indicative of Crystal Orchid, but it's a best practice in general when styling with gels. I'm heavy handed with product, but it's totally possible to have too much of a good thing. When you've overused a gel, it typically causes white flakes and epic levels of crunchiness. With Crystal Orchid, overuse can cause a slight tacky feeling on the hair. Just be mindful of how much product you're using, and adjust your ratios accordingly!

The Bottom Line
To be not as thick and heavy as the gels I normally use, I was most certainly impressed by Crystal Orchid Biotin Infused Styling Gel all the way around. It made my curls pop with enhanced shine and definition. Something else that I found to be pretty awesome? It didn't take my hair allllllll day to dry. It was pretty much dry within 3 hours, which is a record for my hair. My verdict? AWESOME gel. Because of the consistency, it would probably make for a pretty epic flexi rod set -- but you'll have to find somebody else to drop that tutorial lol!

Would I Buy it Again?
Absolutely, 137% YES.

Because clearly, I love my hair styled with Soft As Can Be & Crystal Orchid

Have you tried the new products from The Mane Choice? Let me know in the comments below! Also, feel free to drop any questions!

By the way, if you're interested in reading about my experience with The Mane Choice vitamins, read here:

1 Month Manetabolism Update
2 Month Manetabolism Update

As seen on Black Girl with Long Hair!

In the beginning of 2014, I was a little length obsessed.

No, I was totally length obsessed.

Fresh off my big moderate chop, I no longer had the additional length that my heat damaged ends provided. And although I loved my new natural hair, I couldn't wait to grow it out more. So when The Mane Choice put the call out for bloggers to take their 6 month Manetabolism challenge, I took the bait. In retrospect, I realize that I bit off more than I could chew. The parameters of the challenge were simple enough -- upload a comparison/growth picture at the end of every month every 30 days for 6 months. But what happened inside of those 4 months (I didn't continue for the last 2, but more on that later) was symptomatic of me doing entirely too much.

Yes, the growth I experienced was awesome, but doing length checks drove me crazy. Having to repeatedly try to capture my hair from the same angles and areas proved to be quite a chore. Even after I caved in and created a length check t-shirt. I became length obsessed -- tugging and pulling at areas of hair to measure on an almost weekly basis, checking for any discernable growth (even though I knew better). I also became overly invested in checking up on other challenge participants' growth, and stacking it against mine (even though I knew better). I prioritized the length of my hair over the health of my hair.

Even though I knew better.

Since chopping in December, I had been battling against dry ends. Although normal healthy hair logic dictates that I cut or gradually trim them, I did everything but -- for the sake of retaining length. My refusal to trim ended up making things worse -- my detangling sessions became hellish, the ends were beginning to snap off more, and I really began to dread wash day because my hair was so much more prone to tangles and knotting. I knew the ends needed to go, but I pushed the truth aside in favor of being able to say, "look how much my hair grew!"

As I mentioned earlier, I never made it to the 6 month culminating period of the challenge. Not for any intriguing or piquant reasons, though. Honestly, the reason I stopped is actually pretty simple/boring. The Mane Choice stopped sending me vitamins. The real reason? I don't know. Their shipping during my months 3 and 4 got a little patchy due to some backorder issues. I didn't sweat it too much, because I feel like customers paying money should always take precedence over bloggers receiving goods for free.99. Months 5 and 6 never happened. I sent an email (only 1, I didn't bother sending follow up correspondences) inquiring about the rest of my bottles for the duration of the challenge, but I never got a response. I didn't sweat it too much at the time, and looking back at it now, it was a blessing in disguise.

This is not an indictment of The Mane Choice or Manetabolism vitamins. While on the challenge, I experienced more growth than typical for my hair. I really do believe the vitamins worked --you can follow all my results here. I just know now that these growth challenges -- whether it be vitamins, castor oil, inversion (are people really still doing that?), or otherwise -- are not for me. At the end of the day, they had me worried 'bout the wrong thangs.

You woried 'bout the wrong things...the wrong things (in my Kanye 808's voice)

This is not to discourage anyone from purchasing hair growth vitamins, extensively protectively styling, doing castor oil massages, or hanging off the side of your bed (seriously, is anyone still doing the inversion method?). If you are able to strike a balance between growth and overall hair health without compromise, then by all means go for it! But for those of us who can get a little, eh, one-track minded, proceed with caution. Our hair gives us warning signs when we're off track -- some experience breakage, dryness, more tangles, or even thinning. The problems pile on when we ignore those warning signs, in pursuit of longer hair. If your healthy hair journey does not prioritize the health of your hair, then take it from me -- you're on the wrong train.

Since ending my growth challenge in late May/early June, I've trimmed my hair three times -- to the tune of about 2.5 inches of dead, cripy, tangly, dry ends gone. My hair is healthier, I'm happier, detangling isn't a chore or nightmare, and my hair even looks a little thicker. I've got a little more left to trim, and I will do so diligently and in due time. Right now, I'm just really focused on being good to my hair. Taking care of it the way I know I should, taking my vitamins and supplements for overall health, and taking my behind to the gym.

And no, I haven't touched my length check shirt since.

Seriously, I love giveaways. As a blogger, there's nothing I enjoy doing more than getting to share great products with the peeps that show me soooo much love on the blog, Instagram, Facebook, Google+, and YouTube.

Well, the time has come for the giveaway many folks have been asking about: MANETABOLISM Healthy Hair Vitamins! Courtney and the lovely folks of The Mane Choice have supplied me with not one, but TWO bottles of Manetabolism to give away. Each bottle contains a 30 day supply!

The Details:
There will be TWO winners: One from Facebook and one from Instagram. Yes, you may enter both, and each has ways to make yourself eligible to enter up to 2x per day.

How To Enter: Instagram
Visit @maneobjective on Instagram for the graphic to repost!

1. Follow me (@maneobjective) on Instagram
2. Repost the picture above//from my feed on your own account with the hashtage #MyManeObjective
3. You can repost the picture up to 2 times per DAY, between now (as in literally, right now) and Thursday 4/17 at 11:59pm PST. 

How to Enter: Facebook
Visit www.facebook.com/maneobjective and look under the blue "giveaway" icon -- it will have all the Rafflecopter deets!

1. "Like" The Mane Objective Facebook Page
2. "Share" The Mane Objective Facebook Page on your timeline (click the gear underneath the cover photo, select 'share', and choose the 'on my own timeline' option)
3. To get your additional 2x/day entries, visit THIS POST (the one you're reading right now) and comment "enter me" up to twice per day, thru Thursday 4/17 at 11:59pm PST. Bookmark this post for easy access :)

The winners for both Facebook and Instagram will be chosen at random and announced on Friday, 4/18 (typo in the graphic above). In the event that the same person is selected on both Instagram and Facebook, another winner from Facebook will be chosen at random. Please do not enter more than twice per day on each. Additional reposting/comments will be ignored.

Good luck everyone! If you have any particular questions, please feel free to e-mail me at info@maneobjective.com!

:::grins sheepishly:::

I was supposed to do this a long time ago. But I got busy, like really busy. Okay, that's not an excuse but I'm sorry ya'll! I work full time, handle things here on The Mane Objective, manage my own social media, write for BGLH and NaturallyCurly.com, and stay up at nights learning on how to improve things on the technical side of blogging -- all while I'm laying the groundwork to launch my own business on the side.

I take back what I said. I'm busy is a perfect excuse :)

Anyways, I try to be consistent and make good on my promises! So let me get on with this 2 month update. About 2 weeks into month 2 of taking Manetabolism vitamins, I decided to go ahead and make a length check shirt. Trying to get exact angles with that unmarked blue tank top from month 1 was sooooooooooooo annoying! The shirt makes things a whole heckuva lot easier, and a lot less refutable. I even went ahead and wrote a piece on how to do a proper length check for BGLH after some of ya'll (lovingly) dragged me on Instagram :-D.

Let's get to the nitty gritty, and I'll try to update you all on some FAQs about taking The Mane Choice Manetabolism Healthy Hair Vitamin:

Do Manetabolism Vitamins Work?
Last time around, I was on the fence about this answer and leaning in the direction of yes. But after doing my month 2 length check (and mind you, the picture you're seeing is only 21 days of growth), I 137% say YES. As I mentioned in my one month check-in, my hair typically grows around 3/4 of an inch per month. As you see in the picture, I've gained a full inch of growth in a hair shy of 3 weeks. The evidence is there. Yes, yes, yes! Although as a fair disclaimer, let me not sell you all a dream that might not come true. Individual results may vary.

When Do You Take Manetabolism Vitamins?
I really want to be one of those people who has alarms set throughout the day to take morning, mid-morning, afternoon, and evening vitamins. But I'm sure one re-read of the top of this article and you'll understand why that will never be me. I'll start off with my wonderful Vitamin Shoppe 7 day pill thingie in my work bag, then it'll move to my gym bag, my purse, my car...and then under my bed. So I take them both at night, right before I slide under the covers.

Do The Vitamins Keep You Awake or Give You Energy?
Last time around, I reported no to the extra energy thing. I still stand by that, and will add that they do not keep me up past my normal bedtime. Again, individual results may vary.

If you're interested in other FAQ about additional side effects, benefits, or the ingredients, check out my Manetabolism 1 Month Update post. 

I think that's about it! Stay tuned for my Month 3 update! I will either shift the dates, or my results will be skewed. There was a snafu with shipping the vitamins, and I ran out  before my next shipment arrived. I got them today (April 14th), so I will either only be able to show half a month of results, or move the days. To make things simpler, I will probably keep my dates the same and just let folks account for the difference.

Oh, and keep your eyes peeled...the GIVEAWAY is about to drop!!!!

Woo-hoo! One bottle down!

For me, that's an accomplishment. I made a firm commitment to take Manetabolism vitamins for 30 days straight, come hell or high water -- and I made it! Mama I made it! I never take my vitamins every day for more than 6 or 7 days, tops. I always somehow or another manage to forget, fall asleep, or plain ol' don't feel like swallowing a bunch of pills. But since I am about that hair growth challenge life right now, I had to woman up and handle business.

I'm definitely one of those people who buys the 7-day vitamin and pill storage thingies from Vitamin Shoppe, uses it for about a week and a half, then leaves it somewhere. That's generally how I fall into the trap of skipping days. Since I knew that wouldn't work for me, I started taking my Manetabolism vitamins at night. I'm sure that goes against conventional wisdom everywhere, but for me it worked. Every night right before I tucked myself under the covers, I took my vitamins. Before I bore you all to death with that stuff, let's get on to the things I've been asked and that folks want to know:

Do Manetabolism Vitamins Work?
While it is still too early to give a definitive answer, I am leaning toward the yes. After all, it has only been 30 days. I consider myself a slightly above average grower, hovering around slightly less or about 3/4 of an inch per month. After 30 days, I can definitely say I've gotten a lot closer to an inch than I would have in a typical month. Although I can't quite substantiate it yet, I do think my hair is getting thicker. The next 30 days will definitely be more telling, so stay tuned!

What's In Them?
I make no claims to be a scientist, but here's a look at the back of the bottle:

Is Manetabolism Better Than Hairfinity?
That question my dears, I cannot answer for you. While this Manetabolism challenge is going on, there is a Hairfinity challenge right alongside it. I guess we'll see a few months down the line what folks think. Of course, you can always compare supplement labels and draw your own conclusions!

Do They Cause Breakouts?
This is probably the #1 concern of anyone looking to take a hair, nail, and skin vitamin. Biotin can cause breakouts, but they can be curbed with the addition of zinc. In this first 30 days, my skin got no better or worse than it already was. I definitely don't have perfect skin (I need to get back on my oil cleansing), and I generally have some small breakouts near my jaws -- which are in no way related to Manetabolism. Also, I have psoriasis which was in no way impacted by the vitamin. At the end of the day, I can honestly say I saw no discernible impact on my skin.

Did They Give You Energy?
At first, I was concerned that taking my vitamins before bed would keep me up all night. But that certainly was not the case. I typically stay up until around 11pm or so, and found that taking Manetabolism did not impact that bedtime pattern.

Any other Side Effects, Good or Bad?
Yes, and totally unanticipated! I should have realized these things might happen, but I wasn't thinking. The first thing I noticed growing rapidly and getting stronger is my nails. Historically, I've had stub nails that never really grew because they were paper thin and always broke. But in early February I decided to get my nails done, and within a week I needed to get them done again because they had grown so much. When I was getting my nails done prior to now, I was able to go two, sometimes three weeks without a fill. I literally was at the nail shop three weeks in a row. Two fills, and the last time I just took the darn things off, because my own nails had grown so much and were super strong. I ended up getting a gel manicure with my natural nails, but that was shortlived. I'm a stubby nail kinda gal at heart. I lift weights. I box. I horseplay with my man. I can't do this nail thing. It was fun while it lasted, though! The other side effect I noticed was my eyebrows. These things are growing IN...and fast! For the longest time, my left eyebrow was a #strugglebrow -- not getting anywhere near as thick or filling in like my right. The SHAPES Brow Bar ladies did the best they could, and I used brow powder for the rest. But after a few week of Manetabolism, my brows have come in nicely and they're almost in the same ballpark.



Well, I think that's all! If you have any particular questions about Manetabolism vitamins, drop a comment :)

New: Click here to check out my month 2 update!

Happy Monday everyone!!!

If you follow me on Instagram or have liked the Facebook Page, then this little tidbit isn't exactly news to you. But what I'd like to go into more detail about and share with everyone is what exactly this means, how I got involved, etc.

About two weeks ago, @CourtneyNaturalHair and @TheManeChoice put out an APB for bloggers and social media folks to get in touch with them if they'd be interested in joining a hair growth challenge with The Mane Choice and Manetabolism Healthy Hair Vitamins. I suspect this had something to do with a Hairfinity challenge starting soon - and what better way to determine who has the superior product, lol! In any event, timing was everything! I had been thinking about doing some sort of challenge -- protective styling/length retention, scalp oiling (coconut, JBCO), or something. Then, this opportunity popped up. I said sure, why not see if I'm cool enough to get in on this thing?

Here are the quick and dirty deets (I want to be 137% honest with y'all):

• I am not paying for the Manetabolism vitamins.
• I am not being paid to participate in the Manetabolism challenge.
• I am in no way being asked to favorably promote Manetabolism. All opinions expressed are completely and totally my own honest thoughts and feelings.
• I will be doing the challenge for 6 months straight (all vitamins supplied by The Mane Choice), taking 2 vitamins every day (that is the recommended dosage). If I like my results, The Mane Choice will send me 6 more months of vitamins to give me a full year of growing with them.
• Every 30 days (for me, that will be the 26th of every month), I will upload a few progress pictures on my Instagram and Facebook. More than likely, I'll share those pictures here too.
• Around month 3, The Mane Choice will collaborate with me to sponsor a giveaway of Manetabolism vitamins. Keep your eyes peeled around April 2014!

Now that we've got that out the way, I also want to let you all know that I will be sharing more than just progress pictures. Vitamins and supplements can also impact the health of your skin, energy levels, and more. I will definitely be sharing any side effects I experience (positive and negative), so I can give you all a complete picture. And just so that I can be COMPLETELY sure that any hair growth/progress is appropriately attributed to the Manetabolism vitamins, I will:

• NOT be deviating majorly from my normal haircare routine. I may rock a bun here and there, or experiment with a braidout or finger coils, but you will not see me go into intensive protective styling mode. I want my growth/length retention around this time to be reflective of how I actually wear and style my hair, not because of some extreme length retention regime.
• STOP taking most of my other vitamins and supplements. Most, not all. I will continue to take my probiotics, omegas, and healthy blood/iron pills (I don't eat red meat). This means no biotin, no MSM, no other multi-vitamin that will impact my hair growth rate.
• Refrain from clipping/trimming my ends. This one is going to drive me crazy. Ever since getting my DevaCut, I've been obsessed with blunt ends. Even though it is normal for older hair to begin weathering and tapering, I find myself doing a search and destroy on anything that isn't blunt and thick and the ends. I will just have to deal, because I want to see true progress and growth with these vitamins.

And finally, just a few hair stats:

• I big chopped the rest of my heat damaged ends on December 5th, 2013. My 2 month choppiversary is around the corner!
• I have normal porosity hair. No, I didn't do one of those hair-float-in-water experiments, I don't think you can really rely on those anyway. To make a long story short, hair is almost always coated in oil (sebum, or oil you applied). Oil will always float on top of water. Oil is not completely occlusive, and therefore some water will inevitably be taken up by your hair. But based upon my current practices/regimen, I find that my hair decently retains moisture. I do have some more tightly curled patches that require a little more TLC, but nothing major.
• I don't exactly know my hair type. I try not to give much credence to these typing systems, but I do understand why some people find them helpful. In Andre Walker's system (arguably the most popular), my hair is a mixture of mostly 3B and 3C, with a little patch of 3A on my left side. According to the Mizani system, my hair is all about that type IV and V life.
• My hair grows roughly 3/4 of an inch to an inch per month. Sometimes less. This is slightly above the average 1/2 inch per month rule. I don't have any length retention stats, because well, I just chopped not that long ago.

Here's my starting picture:



I'll be updating you all within a week or so, about my initial thoughts on the vitamins!

1 Month Check-In//Length Check: Click Here

2 Month Check-In//Length Check: Click Here