Any regular followers of JB2M know that I have been a fan of Garnier Fructis’ shampoo line almost since the beginning of my journey.  Even despite claims that L’Oreal Paris is not very appreciative of it’s consumers of colour, I have remained loyal to the cleansing/conditioning products because of how good they were to my hair, especially the Wonder Waves brand.  Well for awhile I’ve been hearing rave reviews from other naturals about Herbal Essences’ Hello Hydration line but never thought to try it because it retailed for almost twice what I was paying for GFWW’s shampoo and conditioner per bottle.  Well one day as I was shopping for home essentials at Family Dollar (sistah be budgeting it out, ya’ll) I happened upon two discounted bottle of HEHH’s shampoo and conditioner and after seeing the words “coconut milk” on the bottles I figured I’d give them a whirl.

It took me about a week after purchasing the combo to use them since when I bought them I was in the middle of my hair routine (I try to keep shampoo’ing to a once a week minimum during the fall/winter), but when time came I dove right into the products with very high expectations.  From the onset, the shampoo is cream based, which is a plus, and smells absosmurfly divine!  The coconut fragrance hits you with both barrels and arrests your senses with a very calming effect.  There also seems to be a citrusy aroma blended in as well (smells like lime to me) that compliments the coconut splendidly.  I applied a half dollar sized dollop to my saturated strands while in the shower and found the shampoo very easy to apply and it reacted to the water almost instantly, providing a plethora of suds.  When it was time to rinse, the product rinsed clean away without hint of buildup but without that “squeaky clean” feeling I despise so much.  While I hardly ever do a second lathering when I was my hair I indulged myself in a second wash cycle just to be sure I wasn’t “leaving anything behind”.  The second shampoo’ing result in another easy to rinse effect without that “squeaky clean” feeling, and without any shampoo/product residue.  After squeezing the excess water from my strand I found my hair to be very soft and spongy feeling and partially detangled without me having to use a comb.  Very pleasant experience all the way around which gave my GFWW shampoo a run for it’s money.

Next came the conditioning.  The fragrance is similar to the shampoo but not as “light”, if you can understand that.  It’s still pleasant but seems more concentrated, almost “thicker”, if that makes any sense.  I applied the same half dollar portion as with the shampoo, making sure to coat my hair thoroughly, but found that I’d need more in order to sufficiently coat my thick strands.  Surprisingly, the conditioner is “light” and did not weigh my hair down.  I also discovered that the detangling factor of this product is almost instantaneous, allowing me to simply finger comb the tangles out with very  little effort.  Definite plus since I don’t like using combs on my hair unless it’s necessary.  When it came time to rinse this conditioner did so easily leaving virtually no trace of residue.  My hair felt very soft and supple and light after using, meaning I didn’ t have to use my regular ACV rinse in order to cut down on what might be left behind.  Another plus is this conditioner did not impair the effects of any of the styling products I use.  I’ve tried it with my KCCC, Emmy’s Elixir, Going-Natural’s Herbal Hair Gel and Silky Shea-Aloe, Yonnea’s GPS Oil… Each and every one of the products I use (which aren’t very many) worked excellently after using HE’s Hello Hydration conditioner, even on The Lion‘s hair!

Now, for those of you who are strict ingredient-phobes be warned… HEHH shampoo does contain sulfates and a couple of “cones” and the conditioner contains a couple of alcohol additives, so if you steer clear of those elements then you want to steer clear of this product duo.   According to the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database both the shampoo and conditioner carry a 5 (moderate) overall hazard score (the highest “threat” being fragrance), but since I only wash my hair once a week — at the most, twice a week — and for no longer than two or three minutes at a time, so those ingredients don’t worry me.

The regular retail price for HEHH is a bit “steep” for my budget for the 23 oz. sizes (anywhere from $5.99 to $6.99 depending on where you shop) but considering I don’t use that much in a month’s time, and the products work so well on my hair, I consider it a worthy sacrifice.  The 12 oz. sizes are available at a slightly lower price ($2.99 to $3.99 depending on where you shop), and both pairings can be purchased at your neighbourhood Wal-mart, Walgreens and Target, as well as through various online stores.

So what’s the JB2M rating?

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Shampoo 

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Conditioner

No brainer there, right?  Both products do what they claim, leaving me with clean, soft hair and moderately defined curls.  I don’t suffer from “the frizzes” or dryness even if I choose not to add a moisturizer to my tresses, and they remain styable all the way up to my  next washing.  Suffice it to say, I think I’ve found a new cleansing/conditioning team!

Healthy Hair Wishes!

The best thing so far about running this Blog, aside from sharing what I consider vital information with the natural community, is all the “free” stuff I’m offered!  Okay so, it hasn’t been much free stuff but… Well… Ya know. *lol*  At any rate, a couple of months ago I was contacted by author Lori Johnson to review her sophomore novel titled “A Natural Woman”.  While she admitted the book wasn’t about natural hair as much as it was about the life of her central character who has natural hair, she was interested in my take on whether that aspect of the book was authentically encompassed that theme.  Although I am not a fan of “urban lit” because all the books I’ve come across seem to follow a predictable, cookie cutter format that’s about as realistic as Sarah Palin as a competent president, I agreed to the review because I am a fan of free books.  I also agreed because as a writer myself, I know how vital reviews can be to the success of one’s work and I admired Lori’s courage to reach out to a relative stranger for an honest assessment of her book.  It says a lot to me if an author is willing to break out of his or her comfort circle of “yes readers” in order to give their efforts a fresh set of eyes.  So I passed on my address and waited for the goodies.  Much to my delight Lori not only sent “A Natural Woman“, she also sent a copy of her debut novel, “After The Dance”! *insert Tiger Woods fist pump here*  Another aspect that tickled my fancy was along with the books, Lori included a “full” press kit that included promotional information about both books and a personalized letter thanking me for agreeing to the review.  Anybody who’s anybody in the publishing industry knows that that is the proper way to deliver your product to a reviewer and so I was impressed with Lori’s professionalism in that aspect.  It shows she is more than just some fly-by-night “writer” who’s out to “get rich” by putting anything on a page.  Ms. Johnson believes in what she does and her presentation shows it!

I received the package from Lori in a very short amount of time and as is my routine I scanned the back of the cover for a “preview” of coming attractions.  Honestly, I was disappointed in what I initially read of the blurb presented there which made “A Natural Woman” seem typically formatted: Beautiful, well educated church going and successful black woman meets the under-educated,  neighbourhood “homeboy” barber who has emotional hang ups but is not quite what he seems, and against the odds they fall in love. *yawn*  Not only have I read that story a million times, I’ve lived it in my own day to day.  And throwing in the “natural hair angle” seemed bandwagoningly cheesy, to say the least. But, as I have learned time and time again, first impressions (or second impressions, in this case) are not always the end all, be all to a thing, and so since I’d committed to the review I was going to stick it out and see the book to its end.  For the most part, I’m glad I did.

“A Natural Woman” centers around the life of Dr. Aliesha Eaton, an anthropology professor who has returned to her southern family’s hometown from Chicago and is in need of a caretaker for her natural tresses.  The book opens with Aliesha’s first visit to Wally’s Cool Cuts, a nondescript barbershop that’s not unlike any other neighbourhood barbershop, where her professional demeanor catches the shop’s staff and a bit off guard.  All she wants is a simple shape up for her Afro but what she receives at first is a battle of wits with an unarmed gentlemen with designs on setting her “straight” about Chicago.  But before she has to let the Chi come out on this cat full force, Dante – one of the barbers who’d been “on break” just a few moments before – steps in to diffuse the situation and offers Aliesha not just a cut, but a shampoo as well using his “Big Mama’s” homemade shampoo.  The two hit it off and break into easy conversation about their backgrounds, but what they don’t speak on is the almost instant attraction that seems to be building between them as Dante handles Aliesha’s strands.  They also don’t speak about the elements that keep them both from throwing caution to the wind and giving in to their desires: Aliesha’s boyfriend, adoring but boring Javiel, and Dante’s on again/off again romance with the tempting yet unattainable Laylah.  As with all thunderbolt type loves, after a bit of personal back and forth for both Aliesha and Dante, they give in and embark on what seems to be a romance for the record books.  Unfortunately, fate in the form of Kenneth, Aliesha’s violent ex-lover, and the death Dante’s “Big Mama” threaten to stall the relationship before it gets a chance to really start…

Now, I stopped the synopsis here because you pretty much know the formula for books like this.  In the end, love prevails.  However there is much more to the story than I have time to detail, which grated my nerves.  There were waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many characters, most of which could have been left on the cutting room floor because they were not important to the plot nor did they move the story along.  Also there was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much back story for those characters that, again, was not important to the story or move it along.  While back story is needed to give your readers a good understanding of the central characters and what has led them up to the point they find themselves in, the readers do not need this type of kitchen sink formula.  It weighs the story down and can throw the reader off track or even cause them to put the book down.  It seemed as if the author was trying to tell several different stories when she should have kept focus on Aliesha and Dante’s.  Also, there was waaaaaaaaaaaay too much action going on from Aliesha’s perspective.  First she has to fight her feelings for Dante in the interest of keeping her relationship with Javiel alive, only to succumb to the realization that she really didn’t want Javiel in the first place.  Then there comes a subplot about Javiel’s mental stability and the suspicion that he possibly killed an ex-girlfriend… Theeeeen comes the subplot of his mother Julia giving the impression that she doesn’t like Aliesha on some “protective mother” trip… Theeeeeeeeeeen comes the crazy ex who tried to choke Aliesha in Las Vegas… Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeen… I’m sure you get the point.  While in real life we each juggle a number of inter-related situations, when it comes to fiction my preference is to keep the story straight forward, with maybe one or two curveballs thrown in to keep me on my toes.  With all the intertwined subplots I found myself ducking balls left and right.  Not my idea of a funky good time.  I will say that each deviation would have made wonderful installments in a series of “Dr. Aliesha Eaton” books, but cramming everything the author tried to pack into “A Natural Woman” was just too much in one timeline.  Another aspect of the book that I didn’t care for was it seemed overly “cliché-y”.  From the no-nonsense, professional Black woman who has everything going for her but a stable love life, the average Joe Black man who has the smarts but missed the opportunity to make it big, the “home girl” best friend sidekick who is fierce and took no shit and on into er’body having a Big Momma (maybe it’s a southern thing, but even that’s clique-y as well), this story seemed to involve every “cookie cutter” element that turns me off of “urban lit”.  It was, in a sense, just like every other case of contemporary Black fiction I’ve ever read and disliked.

However… “A Natural Woman” was penned by a phenomenal writer who, despite the above elements that made me want to close the book and put it high on the bookshelf, kept me engaged with each chapter.  Her saving grace and ultimate talent is her dialogue, which is a part of the story making process that a lot of writers get wrong.  The conversations between the myriad of characters, from the initial verbal rumble in Wally’s Cool Cuts to Aliesha’s drunken and emotional confrontation with Dante at a neighbourhood eatery, smacked with realism and conveyed the character’s thoughts and feelings flawlessly.  It’s through this dialogue that readers can actually get to know the cast of the book and become intimately involved with them.  I found myself actually visualizing each of the characters as they interacted with one another, which is a high point for me.  I love books that give me the opportunity to use my own imagination to flesh out scenarios and the people in them.  Lori is also excellent when it comes to setting the physical scene that surrounds the characters, placing the reader smack dab in the middle of the barbershop, or Aliesha’s church or Big Mama’s expansive property.  I found it easy to bypass all of the parts about the story that irritated me because of how well written the story actually is.  The writing is real and down to earth, relatable and fluid, unlike some books that try to “wow” the reader with poetic license that should not have been issued.  It is these points that greatly endeared me to “A Natural Woman” and kept me reading, along with the fact that the central plot – the tug-o-war between Aliesha and Dante – seemed to be penned from the pen of universal experience.  Although, as Lori admitted, the natural hair aspects have very little to do with the story, the parts about Aliesha’s hair, why she chose to wear it natural and how it relates to her personality are priceless.  It shows that the main character is indeed a natural woman, from the tips of her hair to the soles of her feet.  Suffice it to say, I like the book a lot.  I could have done without the “extras” but Lori Johnson is a great writer who made it work for me in spite of all that.

You can find “A Natural Woman” in paperback for $11.70 (22% less than the list price) and MP3 audio format for $23.62 via Amazon.com.  It’s available in paperback for $12.82 and MP3 audio format for $24.89 at Barnes&Noble.com.

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dafina; 1 Original edition (November 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758222394
• ISBN-13: 978-0758222398
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8
• JB2M Review: and a half

FYI: Lori operates a Blog called “Lori’s Old School Mix” that regularly features women with natural hair and their stories along with updates on book signings and writer’s tips.  Be sure to check it out!

Healthy Hair Wishes!

A couple of weeks ago I was approached by a member of my beloved Twitter/Facebook natural hair Fam, Emerald Shaw, with a request to test drive a product she was working on.  Of course I agreed since I love trying out new products on my tresses since I discovered that with it gaining so much length certain products that did wonders on short curls don’t work so well now.  Em wasn’t specific on the type of product she was sending, but I knew it had to be something that helped keep hair moisturized since we both have thick grades which take loads and loads of hydration to keep soft and manageable.

The product arrived within a week’s time with a handwritten note from Em which I thought was a cute and personal touch.  I was sure the product was shea butter based, but not quite sure what else was in it.  The smell has somewhat of a tropical aroma to it, as if there was papaya or pineapple in it, but at the time I didn’t think to ask about the ingredient makeup (bad practice for a natural hair veteran, right?).  The consistency of the product is like shea butter but fluffier…  Not quite whipped but well blended and smooth.  I could tell she’d used a far amount of oils to blend it, olive I thought I knew for sure because of the distinct smell. *lol*  Being that I know how serious Em is about her hair I knew there was nothing to fear component wise so even without know exactly what was in it, once I washed and conditioned my hair with Herbal Essence’s Hello Hydration shampoo and conditioner and detangled with a wide tooth comb, I treated my hair to an ample amount (half dollar sized portion) of what I call Emmy’s Elixir (she doesn’t have a name for the product yet, that I know of) and styled in my normal WNG (wash ‘n go) fashion.

First off, on moderately damp, towel squeezed hair my curl pattern immediately responded to the product and became defined:

(click image to enlarge)

In addition to that, my hair felt very soft and pliable, making it very easy to finger style into a WNG ‘Fro.  Throughout the first day my hair resisted shrinkage, which was a plus, and remained soft to the touch and fluffy.  While I didn’t have to add very much the next morning in order to revive my hair, after spritzing my hair with water I did find that the “high” oil content in the product caused me to have to use more water, since we all know oil “seals” the hair cuticles and makes the water “sit” on top instead of penetrating the shaft.  I figured using less would prevent this, which I kept in mind for the second application the next week.

The product worked great on its own, but I was curious to see how well it played with the other products I used regularly, such as Kinky-Curly’s Knot Today Leave In Conditioner, Going Natural’s Herbal Styling Gel and Yonnea’s GPS Oil.  With the Knot Today and about a quarter sized portion of Emmy’s Elixir my hair initially responded well.  It styled easily and shaped nicely.  But as my hair dried the day wore on my curl pattern seemed less defined and there was a tackiness to my hair that I didn’t like.  Not a good duet, to say the least.  With the Herbal Styling Gel, my edges remained smooth and “in place” throughout the day so the two worked very well together. With the GPS Oil as a “warm oil treatment” on my scalp and a “second day booster”, the two products complimented each other very well without leaving a heavily oiled presence as one might suspect.  With products that I use every blue moon, like Kinky-Curly’s Spiral Spritz or Curling Custard and Long Aid’s Curl Activator, the results were less than desired and left the same tacky feel as when used with the KC Knot Today.  Might be merely an incompatibility of the product’s ingredients, the amounts I used or the reactions of my particular hair texture/type to the combinations. *shrug*

As for the ingredients used in Emmy’s Elixir: shea butter, coconut oil, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, vitamin E oil, grape seed oil, tea tree oil, fragrance and honey.

The only component that might raise a red flag is the one labeled “fragrance” since there’s a great debate about what actually composes this nondescript and generic ingredient.  But for the most part I am in love with the ingredient list as it is.

The one and only drawback with Emmy’s Elixir is that with the “high” oil content combined with the shea butter, by day three of the week it had the tendency to bulk my already thick strands up.  This resulted in a longer than expected style time to get my sleep-packed hair workday ready.  What usually takes me five minutes to “perfect” took upwards of ten to fifteen minutes by day three.  Even with adjusting the amount used my hair seemed to swell by the third day of use, and I found myself having to turn my weekly wash regimen into a twice weekly wash regimen.  I won’t say these are major complaints since the product works so well with my hair, but if you have thick hair this may be something you’d want to prepare for if you ever get a chance to use the product yourself.  Quite possibly Em may want to consider working out the measurements and ingredients for effective long term use on different hair types, which I’m sure she did since she let me know she’d taken climate into consideration when sending out her samples.

So what’s the official JB2M rating:

Emmy’s Elixir:

Overall, the product works as it should, does not have an overpowering fragrance, does not produce an excessive amount of buildup on the hair and keeps the hair from drying out.  Another thing that I considered in respect to the one drawback I experienced, simply testing the product out on one style can not predict how the product will react with other styles and so with that in mind I used Emmy’s Elixir, along with Going Natural’s Herbal Gel, to twist The Lion’s hair and the results were wonderful!!!

NOTE: Don’t you just love a man who let’s you experiment with his hair? *lol*

For a first attempt at concocting a natural hair product, I have to say Emerald has hit a grand slam her first time up to bat!  Keep it up, girl!

Healthy Hair Wishes!

It’s been about three weeks since I first started using Kinky-Curly’s Come Clean shampoo and Knot Today Leave In/Detangler, and honestly my feelings on the products are mixed.  Coming from a strict weekly co-wash regimen I was a bit reluctant to go back to using a shampoo in any form because I was hyper content with the fullness and texture definition that co-washing gave me.  Since I’m not a style maven I’ve taken to primarily wearing WNG’s with occasional twist outs, and those are styles that work best with hair that has a lot of body to it.  But I was curious to see what effect Come Clean would have on my hair since it’s far and away different ingredient-wise than my Garnier Fructis Wonder Wave shampoo which contains a touch of sodium hydroxide.  I usually only shampoo once or twice a month, or if I’ve been experimenting with different products, followed by a deep conditioning in order to combat the “stripping” effects of the shampoo, but felt the experience with Come Clean would be different since it didn’t contain SLS and I’d be find returning to a shampoo regimen.  As I’d stated before, I was a little less enthusiastic about the shampoo since it’s a gel and my hair doesn’t seem to like gel cleansers all the much, but after reading the ingredient list I wasn’t as skeptical.

Because I’d played around with the KC Curling Custard and Spiral Spritz earlier in the first week of receiving the products my first lather up with Come Clean produced disappointing lather results when using just a half dollar sized dollop so I found myself having to add more which I wasn’t too pleased with.  This may have been due to the fact of my having other products (primarily my homemade conditioner which I co-wash with and YNB’s Honey Hibiscus leave in which I use for daily refreshing of my WNG) on my hair in addition to the KC products which contributed to build up that the shampoo couldn’t quite “overcome” in such a small dose.  I typically skip the “repeat” part of shampooing because I know the second cycle is really just a marketing ploy only get you to run through your product quicker, so I was none too happy with having to repeat with the Come Clean in order to feel as if my hair was actually clean.  In addition to that, as I’d predicted, my hair did not react well to the gel shampoo, resulting in a tangled mess that I was not pleased with.  I also wasn’t all that thrilled with the “squeaky clean” feel of my hair once the product was rinsed away.  However there was a significant difference in the feel of my hair with this shampoo as opposed to when I’d used other gel based shampoos in the sense that my hair felt silkier and not at all brittle and dry, which gave me hope that I’d have a different result with prolonged use of the shampoo since it can take several cycles of use for hair to get acclimated to new product.  This is why I didn’t want to review the product right off in addition to knowing that product work better in tandem with other items from the same product line.  I figured the shampoo would have a different effect once I was only using Kinky-Curly products to maintain my tresses.

Next came the Knot Today, which I slathered my hair with under the premise that its “thin” consistency would not work on my hair’s thickness in small doses.  Almost immediately the conditioner worked to define my curl pattern and I found it very easy to finger comb through my strands despite the tangled effect of the shampoo.  The feel of my hair was soft and “sleek” and not at all weighted despite using such a large amount (slightly larger than a half dollar) of the solution.  Although I know it’s a leave in product I did rinse a little out of my hair (as suggested on the company Website) just to make sure it would not take forever for my hair to dry as well as to make sure there wasn’t a lot of build up in combination with using the curling custard.  But even with rinsing some of the product away, once my hair dried I noticed a white coating on some portions of my hair which let me know I’d underestimated just how much was necessary to coat my hair type.  A liberal spritzing with water and further finger combing remedied the build up problem and the after drying result of the product on my hair was this:

Very  “nice” definition and a somewhat looser curl effect than what I experienced using the curling custard for WNG styling which I was very pleased with.  My hair was soft and supple, easy to finger style and smelled great.  As one might expect I did not like how it reacted with the curling custard for WNG styling, however, but on its own I loved my hair’s reaction to the leave in and decided it would be my product of choice for wash ‘n goes from then on out.  Of course I couldn’t comment on the actual condition of my hair as a result of using Knot Today since it was my first experience with it, but just on the aspect of styling alone I pegged it as a winner.

Come the second week of usage of the two products, single cycle use of Come Clean was easier and my hair didn’t tangle as much but I was still dissatisfied with the “squeaky clean” feel of my hair once it was rinsed.  I made it a point to used only a quarter sized amount of the Knot Today while my hair was soaking wet in order to make sure the modest amount was evenly distributed and again my curls sprung to life and finger combing was extremely easy.  Initially I didn’t apply any other product to my hair because I was fine with the result of the leave in, but later in the week I opted to try the Spiral Spritz to see how well it worked with the Knot Today after a couple of days of having the conditioner in my hair.  As one would suspect, I wasn’t impressed with the combination, but I’ll leave the full details of that till next week when I submit my assessment of Spiral Spritz.

Week three and by this time my tresses were used to the cleansing/conditioning combo and I could actually see a difference in the surface condition of my hair.  While the difference wasn’t overwhelming I can say that I experienced less frizziness and a “smoother” appearance of my hair.  I was still on the fence as far as Come Clean was concerned because of the “squeaky clean” effect but by this time my hair hardly tangled at all when the shampoo was applied and lathered.  I would like to note too that the shampoo itself took very  little effort to rinse away each time I used it whereas I’d have to rinse other brands away two or three times before I was sure my hair was “free” of the bulk of the shampoo.  Again, using the Knot Today was a delight.  Since I’d planned to two strand twist my hair this week I applied a more generous amount to my hair to compensate for having to wet my hair once I twisted.  It took me a couple days to actually get to twisting and my hair held up just fine with my morning water spritzes and moderate styling.  Unfortunately, however, when it came time to twist my hair was a “dry”, tangled, matted “mess” that was difficult to comb part despite me finger combing and wetting it earlier that morning.  I can’t necessarily attribute this to the product itself but just mentioned that to say that the “detangler” claim of Knot Today is only relative to initial application on wet hair.  At least this was my experience.  It wasn’t a horrible experience by any means, just difficult enough for me to not wait more than a day after application of the conditioner to twist my hair.

So with all of that being said, I will chalk my experiences with these two products up to positive at this point.  Although Come Clean would not weigh in as one of my favourite cleansers it did work well in cleaning my hair (maybe a little too well) and in complimenting my texture once my hair became used to it.  I am not sure how it would work with a conditioner from another product line, but in tandem with Knot Today I can say it did better than I expected for a gel shampoo.  As for Knot Today, this is definitely a product I would be willing to invest money in and place in the JB2M Conditioner Hall of Fame.  Like with the shampoo I’m not sure how it will work with other products from a different brand, but I love the effect it has on my hair and its detangling effects.  I love the smell of both products and the fact that it doesn’t take a whole lot of either in order to receive likeable results.

And the JB2M rating?

Come Clean Natural Shampoo

Knot Today Natural Leave in/Detangler 

Come Clean would have received five picks if it were not for the “squeaky clean” feel, but provided it does as it claims and is very gentle on the hair as stated via Kinky-Curly’s Website I wasn’t going to hold my personal pet peeve against it.  Each 8 oz bottle is reasonably priced at $12 plus shipping and handling and worth every penny in my opinion.  Knot Today, an Essence Magazine Best Seller, is also available in a 32 oz. size via the Website for $44, which is a $4 savings that if you’d buy four of the 8 oz. bottles.  And much to the delight of many who don’t cotton to the idea of Web-exclusive products, the Kinky-Curly line is readily available at various Whole Foods Stores, which is another plus (I’m not sure of the pricing there yet).   Another plus.

So there you have it.  I recommend both products for all textured hair types, but only when used in tandem with one another.  Maybe in the near future I will try them with other products to see what the effects are, but for right now I’m content to use them exclusively as a duo.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

In the beginning of my regular visits to Columbus The Lion took me to visit the Urban Spirit Cafe, a jazzy little coffee house in the historic King-Lincoln district which is owned and operated by Columbus natural Charity Martin-Via.  I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and my Method Mocha while whipping The Lion mercilessly at a game of Scrabble and musing to myself the stereotypes that seemed to surround me.  I mean come on… Open mic fliers were prominently displayed, all of the drinks were named after jazz legends, both the owner and the barista were loc wearers.  All that was missing was incense and 70’s era velvet Afro art to make it all seem nothing more than a well orchestrated gimmick to the casual tourist.  But realistically, the vibe was more authentic than any stereotype could ever impose to be, reaching back to the time when the King-Lincoln was the cultural hub of the black community.  The whole scene reminded me of the stories I’d read of Detroit’s Black Bottom and Paradise Valley days and made me feel so much in my element — so utterly natural in more ways than just can relate to my hair — that I instantly fell in love with Charity’s venture. *lol* And what made it all the more attractive to my creative spirit was a quaint little book store that’s adjacent to Urban Spirit called The Book Suite, which pulled it altogether ever so perfectly and let me know I’d found “home”… Even if it was to be temporary.

You may be wondering what all that has to do with today’s book review choice, other than the tie in of the book store.  Well as I was giving the entire set up a once over I happened to spy a copy of “The Knotty Truth” perched in the Book Suite window, seeming to flirt with me behind the single paned glass.  Now this was around the same time that I was looking for titles to build my natural library and this title had not come up in any of my online searches.  Believing in the Law of Attraction the way that I do I knew this was further proof that I was in the space I was purposed to be.  Especially when you consider Columbus doesn’t exactly seem like the place where a book about African-American hair (natural or otherwise) would be written or marketed.  Unfortunately, as my luck would have it, I had just missed an in store book signing with the M. Michele George earlier in the week, but I was intrigued enough to jot down the book information so I could learn more about it on my own.  At the time Mrs. George did not have a prominent Web presence so I couldn’t find out much, but blessedly I was able to learn she was a local author which meant I’d have the opportunity to find out more in the near future.  A couple months later after I’d bought my very own copy of the book at Book Suite, I was introduced to the Nappturally Me! Meetup group of which Michele was a member.  I officially met her at the group’s screening of Chris Rock’s “Good Hair” and from there Michele and I have become knotty acquaintances who share an affinity for natural hair and the desire to spread the “good hair” news in the Columbus area.  Since that original introduction Michele has launched an official Website and released a second edition of “The Knotty Truth”, both of which help her to carry out her mission of educating and encouraging other in their journey.

The presentation of the book is simple and direct, which photos depicting the diverse beauty of natural hair styles while not overloading the senses.  The back cover displays a blurb by Nappturality.com founder Patricia Gaines which seems a condensed version of foreword she wrote for “Going Natural”, but still grants the reader a knowledgeable hint towards what to expect within the book’s 140 pages.  The book itself is organized pretty much the same others in its genre would be: starting with a personal statement by the author, moving into the history and make up of tightly coiled hair, providing a breakdown of how chemicals breakdown the structure of hair and outlining the various tools and styles that will help with transitioning and cultivating healthy natural hair.  But where “The Knotty Truth” differs from other works of this nature is Michele’s efforts to include the spiritual aspects of “going natural” and addressing the cultural obstacles that need to be traversed before one can truly take pride in their unaltered hair.  While a lot of natural hair books produce the technical and aesthetic elements of the journey, Michele takes the time show how edifying the soul and tuning into The Creator is just as important to the process as knowing what to put on your hair and into your body.  In this way, she presents “going natural” from a holistic perspective, showing how all part of the woman (or man) play in making a successful transition. 

The book is written in uncomplicated language that is void of all the high-falouting “nappy-speak” that can confuse newbies.  Nowhere in the text are the standard hair type charts many naturals treat as the holy measuring sticks that place a new spin on the “good hair vs. bad hair” debates.  And although there is a spiritual element to the book, Michele does not overwhelm the reader with the “holier than thou relaxed heads” like a lot of natural veterans do in their approaches.  In the Knotty Notes that are sprinkled throughout the book, Mrs. George takes to task encouraging her readers in uplifting communiqué as if she were sitting face-to-face with them affirming their decision.  In that respect, “The Knotty Truth” provides a guide that informs and allows the reader to transition at their pace and comfort level.

Because I used to be a serial wrapper, one of the best sections in “The Knotty Truth” that I have not seen in any other natural hair book is the addition of wraps as a style, complete with demonstrative pictures of how to create one.  In my opinion this gives naturals an alternative to adding hair or wearing wigs as a way to protect the hair as they transition, or are just experiencing a “bad hair day”.  Wraps offer a way to keep hair free for manipulation and experimentation in between “rest” periods.  Another helpful section is chapter six in its entirety, which is devoted successfully trim your own hair.  While there is much to be said about allowing a trusted professional to perform end trims, Michele offers readers steps on how to get good results should they choose to perform the procedure at home.  Most books of this nature strictly advocate enlisting a licensed cosmetologists when it comes to cutting even as much as a quarter of an inch of your textured tresses.  But the emphasis of “The Knotty Truth” is encouraging naturals to rely on their own wisdom to properly care for their hair.  This is not to say Mrs. George denounces enlisting a stylist for such a purpose, and she proves that by presenting tips and points to help you determine if DIY trimming is right for you or if your needs would be better served at your local salon.  And lastly, the “Quick Solutions to Common Problems” section towards the end of the book is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in any other book about “going natural”, providing no-nonsense help to combat issues like how to avoid damage while wearing hats, dealing with dry TWA’s and how to get matted morning hair to style right.  With seeing so many of these issues pass through my Twitter stream it’s a comfort to know that Michele has included them in reference form that can be used when you’re away from sources of support.  This also works to make newbies aware of little spoken on yet highly common hurdles that may crop up but are just another natural part of the process.  Oh wait… I can’t forget the chart that recommends products according to high and low end budgets instead of sticking to one product that the author herself swears by.  Now that’s what’s up!

All in all “The Knotty Truth” is a terrific resource for those starting out on the natural journey, or readers who may need assistance in caring for the natural strands of a loved one.  It’s comprehensive and Michele worked to include every vital stepping stones to help make the journey carefree and easy to handle.  Through the text the reader is assured that the author has done her homework in compiling the content presented, and took every precaution necessary to ensure no stone was left unturned or without resource.  In short, it is very much like the element I discovered the book in – comfy, cozy, artsy, jazzy and poetic with a feel of home.  But there are a few drawbacks, at least to the version I have.  Because the pictures are small presented in black and white, a lot of the detail is lost in translation.  While this may seem an element of nit-picky proportions, when dealing with a book that focuses on textured hair, being able to actually see the textures presented is important.  Likewise, the Knotty Notes are presented as small black font upon a dark background which can be a bit harsh on the eyes.  Fortunately, for only $5 more than the black and white edition price Michele offers the book in a colour version on her Website, which may eliminate these as issues.  Of course these trivialities aren’t enough to detract from the overall goodness of the book and may even be overlooked as issues.

M. Michele George’s debut work is available for purchase on The Knotty Truth Website for $12 for in black and white and $17 in colour (as of this posting there are only five colour copies lefts).  as Amazon.com for $12.99 and Barnes and Noble stores $17.09.  stores.  Additionally The Raisin Rack here in Columbus carries the title at its Westerville location, and if you just have to have “The Knotty Truth” right now you can download the e-book version from Lulu.com for $12.99.

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Manifest Publishing Enterprises, LLC. (January 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0578014130
• ISBN-13: 978-0578014135
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 stars
• JBTM Review:

Healthy Hair Wishes,

As you all know I won a full set of Kinky-Curly products last week on The Nappturalite Radio Show courtesy of KC creator Shelley Davis and set right away to “testing” the products starting with the Come Clean Shampoo and Knot Today Leave-in/Detanger (reviews of those products will come after my second use of them this weekend).  Because I was most excited about the Kinky Curly Curling Custard , the moment my hair was clean and conditioned I put it to the test, because I was excited to see if I’d be able to achieve similar results as I’ve read in other’s positive reviews.  So I washed and conditioned my tresses and allowed the Knot Today to sit overnight.. Cause I was feeling kinda lazy. *lol*  The next morning I re-wet my hair which gave me this result:

Next I applied a generous amount (about a half dollar sized dollop) of Curling Custard to my sopping wet strands (as per instruction) and finger combed it through.  I think I may have used a bit too much because what I came away with after application was a white gooey mess that weighed my hair down something terrible.  Not to be deterred I toweled the excess custard off and this was the result when I was done:

Not at all what I was expecting since before applying the custard my curls were  a whole lot longer than they appeared afterwards.  But I figured I’d be able to stretch them with a couple of spritzes of water later so I went along my merry way and allowed the product to dry.  Here’s the result of my hair after it dried:

Very tight curls and “dry”, crunchy shrinkage even after I applied a bit of water and fluffed my hair with fingers and pick.  Again, not at all what I was expecting but The Lion said it looked decent so I was cool with it.  After tweeting that I would be using the custard I got a response from The Sistah Chick of The Sistah Cafe who said she’d had the same experience, but said that a friend of hers informed her that she’d “used it wrong”.  I’m not exactly sure what “using it wrong” meant so I did a search to see I could find any reviews that displayed similar results.  In my searching I happened upon to official video tutorial on KC’s Youtube channel where she suggested using the Gloss Pomade to lessen the “crunch”.  After noticing that Shelley and all the other Youtubers who had positive results from using the product had hair that was way longer than mine, I searched for videos of short haired naturals.  All but one videos seemed to boast desired results using the custard so I figured I must have “used it wrong” too, but followed Shelley’s advice and used a bit of the Gloss Pomade.  Here’s what I came away with:

Teeny tiny shrunken ringlets.  And this was the day after I’d initially applied the custard and spritzed my hair with water.  Not the look I was going for.  Although I can’t argue with the fact that my curls were “defined”, as the product promises to do, I desired a looser effect.  Well lo and behold, right on the KCCC jar are directions for both tight and loose curls.  Whodathunkit, right?  So I washed with the Come Clean and reapplied the Knot Today, let my hair dry a little bit, lightly wet it with a couple of sprays of water, applied a moderate amount of custard (little bigger than a quarter) and “scrunched” the hair as per the directions.  Here are the results of all that effort:

Not that big of a difference, eh?  Although my curls were defined this was not the look I was going for and not the definition I’m used to.  What I was expecting was a more “fluffy” version this:

The above look (if you can really see it clearly) was achieved using simple water, a few sprays of Yonnea’s Natural Beauty’s Honey Hibiscus Leave N Condish and a $2 jar of Long Aid Curl Activator Gel which resulted in softer, curlier curls (drawback: tacky texture once the combo dried).  So considering all of the praise KCCC has gotten I was expecting a better experience than my el cheapo combination, but I have to keep in mind that not every hair type reacts the same with every product and every product doesn’t work for every style.  As I stated before, a lot of the videos posted on Youtube that report great results where made by users who’s hair was way longer than mine and had more of a wavy texture (which longer hair tends to do).  There were a few vids of users who sported TWA’s or short styles, but I’m not sure they’re type is the same as mine.

Now while you might suspect I’d give Kinky-Curly’s Curling Custard a low rating based on this one trial, I am honestly going to withhold my assessment because I would love to see how well the gel works on two strands twists/twist outs.  Although it did not “elongate my curls” or “allow them to ‘hang’ better” (per the Website) and I wasn’t all that enamoured with the crunchy feel it left behind (even in relatively small amounts), there are various other things about the custard that I liked.  The fact that it not only defines curls but holds them in place.  I also like the ingredient list, which combines a host of natural ingredients and preservatives (botanical infusion of water, horsetail, chamomile, nettle and marshmallow, organic aloe vera juice, agave nectar extract, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), pectic, citric acid, potassium sorbate and natural fragrance) that are good for the hair.  And I also love the smell, which is absolutely delicious and not at all over powering.  So for the moment I am going to suspend my rating of KCCC because although it did not work well for my WNG (wash ‘n go) it just may work wonders for other styles or in tandem with another product.  So with that being said, I’ll return later in the month with a secondary assessment of Kinky-Curly’s Curling Custard.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

I’ve heard so many naturals speak highly of various organic hair care products (Aubrey Organics or Olyn to be specific) and so when I was attending a hair care lecture at The Raisin Rack I noticed these two trial size bottles of Avalon Organics Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner.  Because I was in the midst of my co-wash challenge I wasn’t immediately able to try the Avalon products on for size, but the very weekend the challenge was over I couldn’t wait to lather up and condition out!  Because lavender is one of my absolute favourite fragrances I just knew I was in for a treat.  Unfortunately… I was tricked.  Apparently not all organic brands are created equal and my experience is proof of that.

First off, the shampoo came across as containing a fragrance that is similar to carpet shampoo.  Now I’m not sure if that is what organic lavender essential oil smells like or if all carpet shampoo use lavender in its fragrance, but what I do know is it’s a smell I’d really not like to associate with my hair and it did not “calm” or “relax” me as the Website claimed it would.  As far as cleansing the shampoo did a decent enough job, but because it was a gel based shampoo my hair did not respond to it well at all.  Even as the shampoo was lathered on my hair, my strands took on a “rough” texture that is the typical reaction my hair has to gel based shampoo.  The lather produced was minimal, which I thought weird because this is a product that contains SLS and I really couldn’t work it into my hair due to the massive amount of tangling the shampoo promoted.  Once the shampoo was rinsed away my hair felt “squeaky” clean, which is never a good thing for coiled hair, as well as brittle.  Not a good feeling at all and not the normal state of my hair after shampooing with my Garnier Fructis shampoos.

Next came the conditioner, which held the exact same carpet shampoo smell.  In addition to that the cream was “watery” and thin in consistency which caused me to have to use more of it than my usual dollop in order to detangle my hair.  Normally when I condition, whether it’s with a Garnier Fructis brand or my avocado-coconut mixture, my curls instantly appear.  With this conditioner my hair felt limp and “flat”, and the brittle feeling the shampoo promoted was still there, which I found rather odd.  Detangling with this product, both with finger combing and using a wide tooth comb, was a chore compared to my experience with other conditioners.  Once I was done detangling I bagged my hair and let the product sit on my hair over night.  When I woke the next month I was highly disappointed that my hair still had the exact same brittle feel to it that it did the night before.  Seems the conditioner just sat on my strands without smoothing them one iota.  When I rinsed the product off my hair came away feeling really light weight and “wiry”, like poodle hair but with really wispy curls.

Not at all the result I’m used to.

The 2 oz. bottles set me back $1.99 plus sales tax each, and for the result that I got I feel I was overcharged.  Because it takes some time for hair to grow used to the effects of a shampoo or conditioner change I was going to reserve my review till after at least two wash cycles.  But by the time midday rolled around and my hair began to feel dry and knotty, I knew I wasn’t going to give these two products another shot.  I could tolerate the carpet shampoo smell (I actually kind of like it though I wouldn’t buy a fragrance that made me smell like washed carpet though *lol*) the look and feel of my hair after just one use was enough to let me know this combination was not for me.  The one redeeming quality of the pair is the tingling sensation of my scalp during use and for a small amount of time after rinsing.  It’s like the cool sensation the comes after using a peppermint oil or spray on tired muscles.  I really liked that, but not enough to subject my hair to that dry, rough, brittleness again.

One more point about this combination is, while the brand name says it’s organic, the labeling is very deceptive.  According to the Website, both the shampoo and conditioner contain only 70% of organic ingredients, one of which is alcohol (doesn’t alcohol dry out hair, whether it’s organic or not?).  The conditioner itself contains six different alcohols, including the organic one, while the shampoo contains two which I am sure accounts for the wispy curls and dryness.  Now while I didn’t spy anything particularly harmful in the list of ingredients, the fact that the company has organics in its title but only 70% of organic ingredients in its products strikes a cord with me.  And not a very good one.  I might have been more impressed with 85 or even 79.5%, but 70 just wasn’t getting it.

And the JB2M rating?

Avalon Organics Lavender Nourishing Shampoo 

Avalon Organics Lavender Nourishing Conditioner  -

I gave the shampoo the benefit of the doubt because it did what shampoos claim to do.  It cleaned.  But beyond that, I will not be buying either of these products ever again and very well might turn them down if they were gifted to me if I’d accidentally slid head first into a mud pit and couldn’t afford to buy shampoo. Maybe it would work better on thinner hair (even though the label says it’s good for all hair types), but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

Most of you know that I’m a member of Nappturally Me!, a natural hair Meetup group here in Columbus.  Being a part of NM has allowed me to meet some pretty amazing people like M. Michelle George, a natural hair education virtuoso and author of “The Knotty Truth” which I will be reviewing in the next couple of days.  Well in addition to Chele and a handful of other cool ladies (shout outs to AO, Rhonda, DaiRita, Denise, Kendra and MC) I have had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Camille McClesky, owner and head mixologist of Yonnea’s Natural Beauty.  What’s funny is, a couple of days before I attended my first NM event I’d done a Google search for natural hair resources here in Columbus, but had no idea the lady with the beautifully full head of hair was indeed Camille.  It wasn’t until a couple days before attending my next NM event that I put two and two together and did a feature on her for the Examiner.  I had planned to purchase some of her GPS oil once my budge allowed for it, but was glad just to be able to share her products and natural progress with my readers.  Well a couple of months went by and I decided to purchase a couple bottles of her Honey Hibiscus Leave N Condish for a giveaway and as luck would have it, Camille threw in a small bottle of GPS oil as a show of appreciation for me being a Nappturally Me! member (I so love my natural hair cipher… Free goodies!).  As luck would further have it, no one entered the giveaway I sponsored so I was able to keep one of the bottles of conditioner for myself!  Can you say woot-tastic?  I knew that you could. *lol*

Since I’ve been wearing washout as my staple style I was able to beginning trying the conditioner out right away when I spritzed my hair in the morning.  My very first impression was one of amazement at how the product “misted” from the nozzle instead of sprayed, which allowed me to lightly coat my hair instead of drenching it.  A definite plus considering it doesn’t take a whole lot of product to do what I need to have done to my hair and will save money in the long run (less product used, the longer I can go without replenishing it).  My next impression was how much the product smelled like peppermint and tea tree oil, not heavily flowery and perfumy.  Another plus because it leaves the hair smelling clean and not overpoweringly so.  Once I’d covered all of my hair with the condish I massaged it over my tresses to make sure the product was distributed well.  To the touch my hair was very soft and springy feeling.  There was a slight coating of product left on my fingers after combing, but nothing in the way of excess and what was left wasn’t tacky like some other leave-in conditioners.  So it smelled good, didn’t weigh my hair down and didn’t leave behind a sticky residue.  Now came the test on how it would leave my hair feeling once it dried.

Since I allow my hair to air dry shrinkage can be a bit of a concern when using different products.  Because the condish goes on to the hair so lightly it was able to dry at its regular pace (~30 minutes – score another one for the condish) and there was virtually no shrinkage to speak of.  In addition to the drying and non-shrinkage, the condish left my tresses feeling very soft, relatively free of tangles (I finger comb while it’s wet) and manageable.  As far as curl definition I can’t really say this product makes my coils pop, but it works well with my texture and gives it the right amount of fluff.  Since I’ve returned to my avocado-coconut milk co-washes I only use the Honey Hibiscus Leave N Condish once every two or three days so that I don’t have a lot of product on my hair.

Camille is a mixing Goddess when it comes to combining ingredients that grant the best results for promotion healthy hair, and the components that make up her Honey Hibiscus Leave N Condish are a testament to that: Aqua (Purified Water), Hibiscus, Honey, and Botanical Infusion, Nettle, Chamomile, Marshmallow Root, Slippery Elm, Horsetail, Dulse, Ginseng, Green Tea, Ginkgo, Hops, Birch, Buckthorn, Tea Tree Oil, Neem, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Soy Bean Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Basil EO, Peppermint EO, Lemongrass EO.  And in addition to there being organic goodness inside the bottle, Camille’s excellent customer service is demonstrative of the organic goodness that’s outside the bottle as well.  When I originally placed the order Camille whipped up the mixture on the spot, but since it took about a week for us to meet up she was more than willing to make a fresh batch of the condish to ensure it was the best possible quality. 

And the JB2M rating?

Honey Hibiscus Leave N Condish

I think even Stevie Wonder could have seen this rating coming. *lol*  With a list of all natural ingredients and terrific customer care, this product is economically priced at $10.00 for 8 oz.  The only drawback might be that it’s only available here in Columbus or via ordering through the Yonnea Natural Beauty Website, but with free shipping on ALL orders and Camille’s commitment to prompt delivery, potential clients can feel free to stock up on this natural hair care gem so they’ll always have it in stock.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

A couple of months ago I won a sample of Mireille Liong-A-Kong‘s Silky Shea Aloe Butter and feel head over heels in love with it.  Of course there was the matter of the butter’s fragrance being a little more "perfumy" than I prefer, but as far as doing what’s it’s purposed to do (keeping hair soft and moisturized) it more than fit the bill.  Well since it was such a small sample I was only able to use the butter a couple of time, and primarily used it to keep my edges smooth, I really didn’t get the full benefit of it’s abilities.  But for the little bit that I had I can honestly say I was pleased with the butter’s results.

Much to my surprise, a couple of  weeks ago Mireille contacted me to extend and invitation to write for her magazine, and of course I happily accepted.  Since she’s a small entity working with a limited budget we worked out a compensation arrangement that included a copy of her book, "Going Natural: How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair" and a couple of products that I could review.  Well fortunately for me, one of those products included a jar of Silky Shea-Aloe Butter!  To quote Andre3000, I giggle like a piglet when I saw the container cause it meant I got to experiment a lot further with the product.  In addition to the butter I was gifted a container of Mireille‘s Herbal Styling Gel which was indeed a bonus because I’d been looking for a new gel to do twists with.  So this was a delight for me and when my goodies arrived last week I couldn’t wait to use both products.

Because I’ve grown accustomed to wearing washouts due to my work/school schedule, I typically used the butter as a morning moisturizer after I spritzed my hair with water and fluffed.  This action resulted in well defined curls that resisted shrinkage that remained soft and moisturized the entire day.  To date this is the hardest working moisturizing agent I have used, even topping my beloved Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk, because it does not evaporate from the hair even after a night of sleeping with my hair unwrapped.  One thing that I did learn, the hard way, is that it’s not necessary to reapply the butter every morning, or to use more than a "dollop" at a time.  Doing so will result in a overly greasy feel to the hair.  Not so greasy that it’s noticeable to the eye, but so greasy that you will come away with a coating of product on your hands after styling.  So as it says on the label, a little bit of Silky Shea-Aloe goes a long way.  Once this bit of knowledge sunk in I was able to go two or three days before having to reapply the butter to my hair, and could get what I’d already applied "reactivated" simply by spritzing with water and finger combing/shaping.  My only dislike when it comes to this product, and it’s not a very strong one, is the fragrance.  While it is quite lovely and not at all overpowering, I’m just not a "perfume-y" type of girl.  However it’s not a big enough drawback to make me stop using the butter, especially since like most fragrances you stop smelling it after awhile.

The consistency of Silky Shea-Aloe Butter is comparable to plain shea butter but a bit more "grainy".  The ingredients are pure African Shea butter, organic aloe vera gel, pure virgin coconut oil and vegetable glycerin (as listed on the Going-Natural.com Website).  The cost per jar is $10.88 (sales tax included) and while it comes in a relatively small jar, again a little goes a long way so one order should last about a month or month and a half depending on the length and style of your hair.  All and all this a quality product and can be used to dress a variety of styles.

And on to the Herbal Styling Gel.  Upon first inspection I was highly amused by the gel candle-like appearance of this product but was a bit concerned that it was going to leave my hair tacky, stiff and dry looking once it dried.  Although the Website suggests placing the jar in warm water in order to make it more pliable, much to my surprise, without the warm water technique, with just a light swipe of my finger the product was ready to be applied to my hair.  The feel is very light to the touch and, unlike most gels, when I massaged it into the pads of my thumb and pointer the gel seemed to be immediately absorbed into my skin without leaving a tacky feeling.  As a matter of fact, I could still feel the gel on my finger tips but it was so lightweight it may as well had not been there at all.  Very impressive.  I used the Herbal Styling Gel on my first attempt at flat twists and came away with this result:

The gel provided an almost instantaneous hold to the flat twists (that you can barely see but get the gist of) and still, there was no tackiness to either my fingers or hair.  Additionally there was also no stiffness to my twists; the hair simply felt as if I’d applied the shea-aloe butter alone and twisted!  As for the duration of the hold… I did the twists on a Tuesday and they remained in place until I took them out on Thursday.  No retwisting necessary despite the fact that i did not secure the ends of the twists with clips or rubber bands and even when I slept with my hair unwrapped.  I have yet to use this product for two strands but I am very confident the result will be no less than gorgeous and am looking forward to trying it out.

The listed ingredients are coconut, olive, safflower, peach basil and aloe oils, African shea butter, Calendula flower extract, Coltsfoot, Horsetail, Birch, Neem, Rosemary, onions, plant proteins, vegetable placenta extract, Biotin, d-Panthenol, vegetable glycerin, essential oil of Rose and natural preservatives with vitamins A, B, C and E (as listed on the Website).  The price is $10.88 with tax included, and while the jar is relative small, just like with the Silky Shea-Aloe Butter, a little Herbal Styling Gel goes a very long way.

And the JB2M rating?

Going Natural Silky Shea-Aloe Butter

Going Natural Herbal Styling Gel 

As you may have already guessed both products come highly recommended by me and I truly look forward to trying more Going Natural products in the very near future.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

I first became acquainted with “Going Natural: How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair“ a couple months after I first decided to go natural three years ago, but when I initially saw the original cover art I was almost immediately disinterested in reading the book for even educational purposes.  I know it makes me sound a bit like a book snob (which to an extent I am *lol*) but the cover gave me the impression of low quality publishing, and unlike what happened with my initial reaction to “No Lye” by Tulani Kinard (which came years after I first saw Going Natural) I was not willing to not judge the book by its cover.  Well time passed and we arrive at the year 2010 and while I was doing research totally unrelated to books I came across the revised cover and my attention was piqued.

Publisher/Author Side Note: Any publisher worth its weight in book revenues will tell you your book cover design is your most important marketing tool. While the old adage tell’s readers not to do it, most every reader makes their first assessment of your work based on what’s wrapped around it.

So with my interest struck I placed Drs. Mireille Liong-A-Kong‘s work on my must read list when my budget would allow it.  Well as synchrodestiny would have it, I received an Email from Mireille inviting me to work for Going Natural Magazine and offered to send me a copy of the book for initial compensation.  I heartily accepted and had the slim volume (a total of 120 pages) in my happy little hands a couple days later.  Wanna talk about a blessing!  I immediately cracked the sleek and attractive cover open and began reading almost as soon as I received it.

The book begins with an foreword by Patricia Gains, founder of Nappturality.com — one of Liong-A-Kong‘s early influences when deciding to go natural — which heralded “Going Natural” as serving “a wonderful purpose” by expressing “that this soul freeing experience is one that is also were felt by other Black women who for years have oppressed there hair and their minds into believe there was something ‘wrong’ with them.”  All of that was a bit “heavy” for me since I didn’t “go natural” to free myself from any oppression.  I merely couldn’t afford the touch up every four to six weeks.  But that notwithstanding the foreword was sincere and well written and a testament to the comprehensiveness of the book.  Following the foreword was a note by Mireille herself which outlined her personal experience and gave base to her reason for compiling this publication.  After yo-yo’ing through her college years between perming and wearing braid extensions to “cure” the breakage caused by perms, Mireille made the choice to stop perming for good when she discovered a widening bald spot.  She transitioned using her beloved braid  extensions and saw her hair flourish to it’s former glory once again.  Unfortunately, after being stood up by her regular braider and being unable to find a suitable replacement, Mireille once again found herself in the salon chair awaiting application of yet another perm.  It was after this experience that Liong-A-Kong decided she’d learn as much as she could about natural hair and natural styling so she’d never be at the mercy of “creamy crack” again.  And from the enlightenment she received from her research as well as styling  trial and error, “Going Natural” was born.

Starting from the first chapter which advises readers of their transitioning choices and explains how to begin the journey with style goals, “Going Natural” goes through through each stage of the process using simple, everyday language and demonstrating amazing clarity.  As is standard with publications of this nature, Liong-A-Kong provides basic information on hair types, information on how to pick proper styling tools and products, and style tutorials as well.  But unlike its counterparts, “Going Natural” provides nine practically written chapters that are broken into sections which remove the overwhelming complexity often associated with the transitioning, proving it to be the perfect springboard for newbies who are unsure how to get started.  In short, “Going Natural” does an excellent job of condensing all of the elements necessary to start the natural journey without leaving readers scratching their heads and more confused than when they first cracked the book open.

The best element about Mireille‘s book is, she leaves her personal story in the introductory note which allows the reader to focus on the nuts and bolts of transitioning.  Each chapter and section provides “the facts” about cultivating a glorious head of natural hair as the author has come to understand them, allowing the reader to pick and choose what may work best with their set of circumstances and available resources.  While it is great to be able to hear and relate to the author’s story, sprinkling too much of it throughout the publication can give the impression of the author forcing his or her ideals on you.  Another eloquent aspect, although Liong-A-Kong makes references to the unique culture and heritage that serves as the foundation for Black hair, she steers clear of making the book “political” which again keeps the spotlight on the brass tacks of the topic at hand: understanding natural hair and what it takes to transition.  This may be due to the fact that the author was born in South America and remained in the Netherlands after graduating from college there.  Whatever the reason, this gives “Going Natural” a fresh perspective that is all about the hair.

I think you get the gist of my overall impression of Drs. Liong-A-Kong‘s freshman work.  I LOVE it!  While I peg this as a simple, uncomplicated publication, it’s is one that has the ability to engage newbies and veteran’s alike without boring them to tears or leaving them with the impression that they are missing something.  Even after being natural for three years even I learned a few elements that I hadn’t uncovered before, like the actual breakdown in maintenance time between chemically treated hair and various natural styles.  Another attribute of the book is it is so well organized you need not read the entire book from cover to cover to find the information you need, and the pictures used (primarily of the author’s own styles) are detailed and demonstrative of competent styling results.  Economically priced at $10.98 on the Going-Natural.com Website and $10.26 on Amazon.com ($7.99 for the Kindle version), “Going Natural: How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair” should be an addition to every natural hair lovers library.  If there were a college course on the topic, this should undoubtedly be the text used to conduct it.

• Paperback: 110 pages
• Publisher: Sabi Wiri Inc; 1st edition (December 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976096102
• ISBN-13: 978-0976096108
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Average Customer Review: 4 1/2 stars

• JBTM Review:

Healthy Hair Wishes,