I try really hard not to be a product junkie, I really do.

Let me quit lying. I kinda try...sometimes. But at this point, I need to seriously purge some products, and pump my brakes. I am OUT OF ROOM to store products. I can try and blame some things on large bottles and jars, but I know the real truth -- I just have too much ish. And I know some of you are waiting on that product stash video (I am going to film it next week) and some more empties (my new empties bag is full, stay tuned for that video too!). I'll be sure to let you know when those go live, so you can judge me in all of my product junkie-ness.

In the meantime, I wanted to chat a little bit about my March mini-haul. I try not to compulsively buy products in bulk anymore (especially new ones), so there's that #progress. But I also cannot resist the new product rush, so I caved in and spent a little coin on a handful of products ranging from old staples to somewhat questionable and new. Let's jump right in:


tgin Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner
If you know me, you know my love for tgin. And if you know my love for tgin, then you know how through the roof excited I got when I heard about them coming to Target stores nationwide this month. I've been loving tgin since my transitioning days, and you guys know for a product junkie, to stand by a brand's side for that long is nothing short of a miracle. My 3 must-haves from tgin are the Moisture Rich Sulfate-Free Shampoo, Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner, and Twist & Define Cream. The Honey Miracle Hair Mask is good, but Triple Moisture is bae. So it was only natural that my inaugural purchase to support their launch be the Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner. I know someone asked (Shontae S, was it you?) about the difference between the new formula they released with added cupuacu butter and argan oil, and the old formula, and to be honest, it just dawned on me that the formulations are different. I used the new formula for my leave-in, and it was just as moisturizing and detangling as ever. I still have a corner of the old formula left, so I'll be doing an updated comparison review for those that are interested. But let's just suffice it to say that the new formula on Target shelves is just as awesome.

Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Leave-In Detangling Hair Treatment
Confession time: I cruise hashtags for fun. Sometimes, I cruise brand hashtags just to see what folks are saying. I was rolling through the Camille Rose Naturals hashtag, and an Instagrammer shared a photo of the Coconut Water Leave-In, and said that it was the best leave-in conditioner ever. You can bet your bottom bantu knot that during the very same trip to Target, I came across the leave-in and it came home with me. I haven't used it yet, but so far I love the sweet coconut fragrance, and it feels pretty thick and moisturizing. Besides, the cool aquamarine/teal labeling is so cute to me. I'll keep you guys updated with a review soon!

Be Kekoa Be Clean Cleansing Conditioner
When you believe in a brand, you support them, period. A lot of folks are under the misconception that bloggers don't pay for anything. Especially when it comes to brands they produce sponsored content for. I'm sure some of your favorite bloggers and YouTubers live on the freebies, but Christina don't play that. Yes, I do receive a fair amount of products for free, and for that I am grateful. However, I do understand that these people have brands and businesses to run, and that takes money. The same way I can't be expected to pay my car note in conditioner, I can't expect natural hair business owners to pay their staff (and themselves) in product reviews. So yes, when I went to Temecula on Monday of this week, Brandie of Be Kekoa was generous enough to give me another salon-sized bottle of Be Clean Cleansing Conditioner (because my last bottle was riding on E). But I also purchased one. Not only because I love Be Clean, but because I believe in her brand and believe in that authentic experience of supporting her work. :::dismounts from soapbox:::

Eden BodyWorks Kids Cocoa Shea Berry Natural Leave-In Detangler
When I first caught wind of Eden BodyWorks releasing a kid's line, I got excited for some reason. I don't have kids, and don't plan to for some time. I just like to see brands grow and become more successful. Something between the words coco, berry, and detangler got me curious, and I knew that if I was going to try anything from the kid's line, it would be the spray. Can I tell you that it smells exactly how I thought it would? Sweet and subtle berry-liciousness that almost makes me want to taste it. I just bought it yesterday, so I've only used it once to hydrate my ends before bedtime. I'm not sure about the detangling or hydrating prowess of the product just yet, I only know that it smells amazing. I'll keep you guys updated in a review -- I might even borrow my three nephews heads to test it out on (thanks in advance April) too. Just know that at worst, I have a cute hair perfume for spring/summer.

Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask
Nothing new to report here, folks. I still love Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask. Everything I said in my initial review still stands. It's pretty much a no-fail, HG staple that I always have on hand. I tend to pick it up when Ulta has it on sale -- either for $11, or buy one get one half-off (with my $3.50 off $10 coupon of course).

Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Anti-Breakage Leave-In Conditioner
I'll be honest here -- on a recent trip to Sally's, I was killing a few spare moments I had, just perusing the aisles checking for anything new and different. I know this Elasta QP leave-in is a little off the beaten path for me, and most certainly nothing new, but I was drawn in by 3 things: It was $7.99 for 32oz, the top ingredients looked amazing (actually), and I had a coupon. I just couldn't say no. At worst, I'd be handing off a vat of leave-in to a friend or family member. At best, I'll have a lifetime supply of leave-in to work with. Review coming soon, of course.

Well, that's all of my product junkie-ing for the month of March. I shant spend another penny on product....until April or May. Truthfully, I could probably get away not buying anything until August 2018 lol.

What products have piqued your interest//have you picked up this month? #productjunkiesunite!

As a product junkie, I love me some empties videos. I love to be nosy and see what other naturalistas are using, loving, re-purchasing, and not buying again. It helps me decide whether I should bother with a product or not. So I figured, why not do my own empties vid?

And here we are! Yes, it's a little long, but that was a big bag with LOTS of empty jars and bottles in it. I'll definitely be doing empties in smaller batches moving forward -- capping it at maybe 5-8 products (to give you guys the deets in 10 minutes or less).


As promised in the video, here are all the review links to products mentioned:

Camille Rose Naturals Curl Maker
http://www.maneobjective.com/2014/07/camille-rose-naturals-new-curl-maker-review.html

Camille Rose Naturals Holiday Collection
http://www.maneobjective.com/2014/12/camille-rose-naturals-holiday-collection-review.html

Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk
http://www.maneobjective.com/2014/04/product-review-camille-rose-naturals.html

Hydratherma Naturals Amino Plus Protein Deep Conditioning Treatment
http://www.maneobjective.com/2013/08/product-review-hydratherma-naturals.html

Aussie Moist
http://www.maneobjective.com/2012/03/fresh-feature-aussie-moist-conditioner.html

TGIN Twist & Define Cream and Honey Miracle Hair Mask
http://www.maneobjective.com/2013/12/small-business-spotlight-and-product.html

Miss Jessie's Jelly Soft Curls
http://www.maneobjective.com/2015/01/miss-jessies-jelly-soft-curls-review.html

Ouidad Curl Recovery Melt-Down Extreme Repair Mask
http://www.maneobjective.com/2015/01/ouidad-melt-down-extreme-repair-mask-review.html

ApHogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor
http://www.maneobjective.com/2014/11/review-aphogee-keratin-2-minute-reconstructor.html

All Christina's Choice Products Listed Here
http://www.maneobjective.com/search/label/Christina%27s%20Choice%202014

Let me know what you think of my first empties vid! Did you enjoy the product chatter? Was it too long? Let me know, so I can improve the videos or ditch the idea altogether (haha).

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Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe & share this video with a curlfriend :)

I've been asked multiple times to list out what are some of my absolute favorites and small business must-haves. I've put it off for a few of reasons. One, there's 27 brands to go through. Two, I pretty much like EVERYTHING, so it's hard to distinguish what's the top of the top of the top. Three, I couldn't quite figure out the best way to disseminate the information. I could write an article, but that would take entirely too long, and the article itself would probably be able to qualify as a book.

Then it hit me: an infographic. A table, with brands on one axis, functions on another, and in the boxes, the exact product. The only problem, there is no way in HECK I'd be able to make a chart big enough to read legibly with 27 brands. So just like I broke down the small business features into 3 parts, I'm breaking these down as well. I had some hard work to do, trying to identify the favorites of the favorites. Beyond how nice the business owners are, or how accommodating they are, I had to ask myself an honest question - would I buy this stuff again (or for the first time, since the products I got to test out were free.99). So you can rest assured that at some point, I will re-purchase all of these products, and if not more during the course of my Pledge to Support #NaturalHair Small Business.

So without further delay, here is Round 1 of my Small Business Must-Haves. After the infographic, I will list out the full product names, websites to purchase, and link any reviews I've done thus far. FYI: click on the picture for fuller size.


Obia Natural Hair Care
Coconut Shea Shampoo Bar
Curl Enhancing Custard
Click here for my review on both!
www.obianaturalhair.com

Purgasm Shop
Wild Cherry Treatment Hair Truffles
Wild Cherry Curl Poppin' Gel
Click here for my review on both!
www.purgasmshop.com

Alikay Naturals
Honey & Sage Deep Conditioner
Review coming soon, but product is featured here!
www.alikaynaturals.com

Wonder Curl
Get Set Hair Jelly
Click here for my review!
www.wondercurl.com

mainelelement:love
Aloe Conditioner
Click here for my review and interview with founder Tyrika Williams!
www.mainelementlove.com

Amazing Botanicals
Pumpkin Pomade
Review coming soon!
www.amazingbotanicals.com

Qhemet Biologics
Cocoa Tree Detangling Ghee
Burdock Root Buttercream
Aethiopika Hydrate & Twist Butter
Review coming soon!
www.qhemetbiologics.com

All Things O' Natural
Natty Moist
Natty Cupuacu and Rhassoul Deep Conditioner
Review coming soon, but the deep conditioner is featured here!
www.nattynatural.com

Round 1 down, 2 more to go. Stay tuned!!!!

This ain't even the half of it...

Many moons ago, okay... many months ago, I referred to myself as a "recovering product junkie". I would stick only to staples and necessities (regular and deep conditioner, coconut oil, henna, DIY fluffy styling cream, detangler, and the occasional shampoo). My regimen was lackluster, but it worked well enough. But the longer I did it, the more unhappy I was. Not with my hair -- I love my curls and coils (and even my heat damage), but with the products I was using. My regimen had no pizzaz, no spice, no sparkle. I would wistfully look down the aisle at Target and Sallys, picking up eye-catching containers then putting them down, trying to convince myself they weren't necessary. Slowly but surely, I began making exceptions for myself.

"Come ON Christina! It's on sale!"
"One new product can't hurt..."
"You've heard SO many good things about this brand. Come on, just try it."
"If you don't like it, you can always return it."

One day while organizing my products in a drawer, I realized I had gone into full relapse. Not only did I have tons of different products, but I also had multiples of them. Oh. I'm a product junkie and sucker for a sale. On that very day, I decided to embrace who I am and stop pretending to recover from my acute case of product junkie-ism. But before I fell into a product purchasing free-for all, I set some rules for myself. We'll get into those a little later.

For those that may not be aware, a product junkie is defined (loosely) as a person who excessively and compulsively purchases haircare products with a general disregard for necessity. I'm sure there are several caveats and inclusions to that definition, but as a general set of peramaters, a product junkie just...buys stuff. There are some definite benefits to being a product junkie, although the syndrome has largely been labeled negative. Let's explore the sunny and not-so-sunny parts of being a product junkie, from my perspective:

The Good:

• Exploring products. The thrill of "the hunt" is real!
• Supporting small businesses. There are some good people out there making amazing products.
• There's always something new - a new product, a new ingredient, a new formula.*
• DIY isn't for everyone. Been there, tried that. I'd rather leave mixing to the experts.

The Bad:

• Being a product junkie can get expensive.
• Product waste. Products do have expiration dates, and you may end up throwing some out from having held on to them too long.
• There's always something new - a new product, a new ingredient, a new formula.*

At the end of the day, I chose to embrace who I am in my natural journey and what I like. There's so much pressure to create a regimen, have staples, and holy grail products. I'm not that kind of person, and never will be. I thrive under the freedom to express myself - whether it be in writing, debates, designing, styling my hair, or buying products. When it comes to my natural journey, one of the things that excites me the most is products. I love the thrill of the chase - researching the product, scoping out reviews (regardless of whether I trust them or not), examining the product in-store or online, and decoding ingredients. Say what you will, but that actually gets me pumped! I love the feeling of coming home to a package of hair products (even though I know exactly what's in the box). I love that moment of triumph when two amazing products mix well together and give me the best wash n' go I've ever seen in my life (until two more amazing products mix, and then another two, and then...you get the point). I even love the exploration process of products that don't work out so well, because I am often able to provide honest and constructive feedback to the businesses themselves, and to wondering transitioners and naturals.

All in all, being a product junkie doesn't have to be a terrible, life-ruining spiral into an abyss of pomades, conditioners, curl creams, and refresher sprays. There are logical and very doable steps every product junkie can take to explore products without falling into financial ruin. Earlier in this piece, I mentioned some general parameters that I set for myself in order to prevent a personal recession. Here are the rules I lay out for myself:

1. No more "because so-and-so said" or "they used this in their tutorial" purchases. If I have a product similar to what a YouTuber used to create a certain style, I will just use what I have. I refuse to (any longer) rush out to buy a specific moisturizer or specific styling product.

2. Set a budget. Each month, I have $20 - $30 set aside to support my product junkie dalliances. To some, this may be too much. To others, not enough. For me, it is just right and a reasonable amount of money to spend on new products every month. Since I aim for quality and not quantity, this amounts to 1 - 2 products (maybe 3 - 4 if there's a sale!) a month. Not a huge overload, and doesn't leave me needing to purge my stash to make room for other products. For me, $20 - $30 means I will skip buying my lunch out 2 or 3 times in a month, or pass up Coffee Bean about 4 times.

3. Have standards.  There are certain ingredients in products that are dealbreakers for me, so I don't bother wasting my money if the product I'm eyeballing contains them. Plain and simple.


Are you a product junkie? Why  or why not? Sound off - all opinions and views are welcome! Just keep in mind that we are all individuals, and must do what works for us. This article is certainly about how I own my product junkie-ism, but I would love to start a collective discussion about how everyone either takes ownership of or abandoned product junkie tendencies!