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,

Last Sunday I won a full set of Kinky-Curly products courtesy of The Nappturalite Radio Show and Kinky-Curly creator Shelley Davis, who was a guest.  This tickled me pink of course because I have really been wanting to try the her Curling Custard because I’ve read so many rave reviews about it and knew it’s available at the Whole Food location here, but wasn’t sure when I’d be able to squeeze it into my budget.  Well much to my delight the prize arrived today and I was completely amazed to see a box loaded with FULL SIZED products!!!  This was much more than I was expecting and I am ever so appreciative of Shelley’s generosity.  In total I received a bottle of Come Clean Natural Moisturizing Shampoo, a bottle of Knot Today Natural Leave-in/Detangler, a bottle of Spiral Spritz Natural Styling Serum, a  jar of the Original Curling Custard and a tin of Gloss Pomade.  Again, all are FULL SIZED portions!  Can you tell I’m excited?  I knew that you could. *lol*

While I have to admit I am a bit skeptical of the shampoo since it is gel based (no shade, my hair and gel shampoo have never had much of a love connection), the consistency of the shampoo is a lot different than most of the other gel based cleansers I’ve used so I’ll reserve judgment on it for at least two wash cycles because I’m really committed to giving this product line a shot.  I’m most anxious to make short work of this Curling Custard though because I’ve heard good things about it from so many different sources and hoping it will be my “go to” gel for two strand twist outs.  And everything smell so gooooooooood ya’ll!  Like Easter candy delicious type of good!  Think I’m going to put the Spiral Spritz to work tonight for class and see how well it holds out after five hours of psychology. *lol*

Thank you so much Dawn Yerger, host of NR, Jaye Reliford, the NR co-host, and most importantly Shelley Davis for this most excellent prize pack.  And now… back to the group analysis paper I’ve been avoiding all week. *wink*

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 picked up this combination at Wal-mart sometime in January after a failed run with Garnier Fructis’ Triple Nutrition shampoo.  When I say failed attempt I mean that although the shampoo worked well in the cleansing department, it left my hair very dry and in need of tons of oil daily.  I blame this on the fact that apparently my hair does not fair well with gel based shampoos so I needed something creamier.  Anywho, being in the market for a new shampoo as it were, when I saw the Wonder Waves duo, which claims to be formulated specifically for “wavy hair” I decided to try it out since I couldn’t find the Hydra Curls line which is formulated for curly hair.

Upon first inspection there’s very little difference between this line and the Moisture Works I’ve used before.  The shampoo has a very light, lemony fragrance to it and requires only a small amount (approximately a half dollar sized dollop) to work up a good lather, even with the hard water we have here.  The difference came in once I worked up that later and my coils seems to spring to life.  Now normally my curls become more defined when I add water to my hair, but with the shampoo they felt bigger, somehow silkier and tangle free.  This, and the fact that it rinses “clean” away with very little effort leaving behind smooth strands, made me fall in love with it instantly.

On to the conditioner, which is also a cream based product which is highly recommended for detangling and nourishing curly hair.  The same variation of lemon as the shampoo is present but not as potent.  The solution is “light” and like the shampoo, coats the hair with a small amount but I think that’s relative to my hair being so short.  I applied the conditioner and again my curls were hyper defined while not tangled, allowing my comb to glide through them.  After the allotted conditioning time (two minutes) I was able to rinse the product away  in one cycle, and my hair came away soft and curlicious!  After blotting I applied a bit of coconut oil to my tresses and allowed it to air dry.  The only problem I have with the conditioner is my hair did not stay very soft and untangled after a night of sleeping on it so more oil needed to be applied to keep my hair from appearing dried out in appearance.  I may be able to avoid that by adding the oil directly into the conditioner to see if that changes the effect any.

Coming in at $2.75 each, this duo is as economical as it is a great cleansing/conditioning combination.  It should be noted that the shampoo does contain sodium laureth sulfate, a small amount of sodium hydroxide and a few other ingredients that are on the “do not use” list, but that doesn’t bother me much since I only use the products every other week and they’re only on my hair for less than ten minutes.

So what’s the JB2M rating?

Garnier Fructis Wonder Waves Fortifying Shampoo 

Garnier Fructis Wonder Waves Fortifying Cream Conditioner  

Both products do what they promise, clean and condition, and I have noticed my curls are more defined and my hair is less frizzy and more manageable.  Combined with a moisture product my coils stay defined for longer than when I used other shampoos, and I’ve experienced less scalp build up than with the Triple Nutrition shampoo.  Suffice it to say, this duo comes highly recommended.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

I was minding my own business, running late on yet another Examiner article (I really need a better writing/publishing system) and allowing the television to provide background noise when a commercial for Aveeno‘s new shampoo and conditioner line came on.  Since I’m pretty loyal to my Garnier Fructis products and have engaged myself in a co-wash challenge, I really wasn’t checking for any new products.  But when I saw that Aveeno was offering samples of its Nourish+ line, I couldn’t resist signing up.

I’ve always known Aveeno to be a good brand for dealing with skin care issues, and own a nice sized bottle of their Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion along with a box of their Collodial Oatmeal Skin Relief Bath Treatment and a tube of Calamine & Pramoxine HCI Anti-Itch Cream (for some odd reason I’ve been breaking out in a weird rash the past couple of months).  But I was totally unaware that they has a hair care line even though I’m sure the commercial has played a zillion times while I was watching television.

Boasting four different formulas (moisturize, revitalize, volumize and soothe) the Nourish+ hair care line’s selling point seems to be its use of “wheat complex” (wheat protein and wheat oil) that is purported to repair and strengthen damaged hair.  As per their Website:

The wheat protein in the Nourishing Wheat Complex has a naturally positive charge that is attracted to the negative charge. It then selectively targets and bonds to the most damaged parts of the hair. Formulas infused with the Nourishing Wheat Complex leave hair shinier, softer and healthier.

Aveeno also promises that the Nourish+ line will restore health and vitality in hair with just three washes and Redbook awarded the revitalize formula its 2009 MVP award for best shampoo and conditioner.  So a lofty guarantee, a nod from one of beauty’s premier publications and it’s free?  SOLD!  Of course I won’t be able to try the sample until May, but I am very interested in seeing if Nourish+ lives up to the hype.

If you’d like a free sample simply surf HERE, answer a few quick questions about your hair type/condition, and there you have it.  I’ll be posting my thoughts and results once I’m done with my co-wash challenge, and look forward to hearing yours if you sign up for a sample.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

Anyone who’s anyone in the natural hair community knows about Miss Jessie’s hair products, even if they’ve never used it.  I learned of MJ’s Curly Pudding a couple of years ago through a friend before I went natural but never though to get some for myself because the only way to get it was order it from the MJ Website or Amazon.com… or move to New York.  Now, I love my coils from root to tip but I don’t love them enough to relocate, no matter how good Miss Jessie’s is. *lol*

Well lo’ and behold, taking a page from Lisa Price who inked consignment deals with Macy’s and Sephora (I suspect), sisters Titi and Miko Branch are branching out (pun intended) and offering Miss Jessie’s products through select Target locations! Starting March 28th, 2010, MJ’s will be available in over  two hundred Target stores nationwide, making it that much easier to get your curly fix on!  While it is not clear whether the entire product line or just a few items will be gracing Target sales or if the price of them (which is relatively “steep” via the MJ Website) will be affected, it’s still good to know the Branch sisters have made it that much easier more convenient  to get their products.

You can find which Target location near you will be carrying the products by visiting the Miss Jessie’s Facebook Fan Page.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

I have never been much of an Home Shopping Network fan.  Quite possibly because all my mental images of all home shopping channels  involve elderly, blue haired French Poodle owners or harried housewives sitting on the edge of their couches waiting for the price of some gaudy costume jewelry to lower.  If you grew up in the 80′s and get an immediate image of Peggy Bundy when you hear the station mentioned then you know exactly what I’m talking about. *lol*  In my experience both QVC and HSN have merely been televised versions Fingerhut or Harriett Carter catalogues.  Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve seen quite a few products from both companies that I would not mind owning, but for the most part a lot of the items carried by both corporations, as well as their presentation, are campy and a bit cheesy.  So you can imagine when I happened upon a listing for Carol’s Daughter on the Home Shopping Network channel this morning I was thoroughly amused and intrigued.  I mean, CD products are normally carried in such “high end” merchandisers as Sephora and Macy’s, in addition to all nine of its own stores.  Call me a hair snob if you like, but to me an hour long feature on HSN seems kind of a step down.  Well apparently it seems the home shopping industry has stepped their retail game up over the past decade or two and are now reaching out to a new, more diverse and discriminating demographic.  Kudos to them!

Still another reason why I found the placement initially odd, and I know I’m going to sound a bit bigoted when I say this but I’m going to say it anyway… I’d never thought of CD products being formulated or used  for anything other than “ethnic hair/skin care.”  I mean, look at the advertisements, look at the spokespersons, look at the image representation used on the site. Realistically speaking, health and beauty aids aren’t necessarily racially specific — I use Garnier products, which we know aren’t formulated with “us” in mind, and they work just great despite the bias — but for the longest time Carol’s Daughter target market has consistently been “of colour.” So as I’m sitting here watching Lisa advertise her product alongside Kathy Wolf and not Marlo Smith or Tamara Hooks (HSN‘s two African-American hosts), accompanied by pictures of  Caucasian-American hair models, I could not helped but be slightly tickled.  As one would expect, all of the caller’s who phoned in their praises of CD products were of the African-American persuasion, which gave foundation to my original reaction and tickled me more.  But eventually I got over the “culture shock” and all at once could not help but be impressed by the far reaching ambition of Lisa‘s marketing ideals, and her steps to break out of the colour box in order to expand her company’s customer base.  With a product line as wonderful as CD‘s hair and skin care line, it would be a shame to limit it’s benefits to just one ethnic group, right?  So kudos to her as well!

After doing a bit of research I learned that this is not Lisa‘s first time making the HSN rounds.  I haven’t been able to narrow down the exact date of her debut appearance, but I was able to unearth a plethora of Youtube video clips featuring Lisa and Carol’s Daughter products that span as far back as October 2009.  Today’s presentation featured the Khoret Amen Leave-In Conditioner, Body Aches Bath Salts, Peppermint Foot Lotion, and of course my CD mainstays Hair Milk and Healthy Hair Butter.  Price wise each product were comparable to what you’d find at any other location (shipping might be lower at HSN and there are a few items available with free shipping), but seeing as there more than a few cities that do not have CD vendors, it’s good to know there’s one more venue available to feed that hair and skin care fix from Lisa‘s kitchen.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

I came across this topic while perusing The Coarse Hair Diary.  Seems in October 2008, the people over at Carol’s Daughter, who I adore, has filed a complaint again the makers of Carol’s Express, who I’ve never heard of, citing a possible case of… trademark infringement? According to this 2008 press release, it appears to be true:

Carol’s Daughter Prevails in Trademark Infringement Case

NEW YORK, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ — Carol’s Daughter, LLC, the widely popular beauty personal care line created by Lisa Price, commenced legal proceedings against Carol’s Express, distributed at CVS stores, for trademark infringement. After a hearing at the federal court in downtown Manhattan, the Court issued an order requiring Carol’s Express and CVS to stop selling and to direct their stores and distributors to pull Carol’s Express products off the shelves.

“Carol’s Express is trying to capitalize on the name, trademarks and brand that is Carol’s Daughter,” says Lori Haram, General Manager of Carol’s Daughter. “While imitation is said to be the highest form of flattery, in this case, it is not.”

The complaint filed by Carol’s Daughter alleged that Carol’s Express deliberately marketed inferior products under a “Carol’s Express” name and logo, which were confusingly similar to Carol’s Daughter‘s federally registered name and trademark. Carol’s Daughter also alleged that the Carol’s Express products had already confused customers and could cause a substantial number of customers to be further confused or mistaken into wrongly believing that the products found in CVS were associated with Carol’s Daughter.

Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter, commented, “We are relieved and take any threat to the integrity of our brand very seriously. The experience I provide my customers is built on years of authenticity, and can never be replicated.”

About Carol’s Daughter

Carol’s Daughter is a line of beauty products, including products for hair, skin, and hands, as well as fragrances created by Lisa Price and named after her mother Carol. Nature, family and love are words that resonate with Carol’s Daughter and each product carries a unique story that describes the familiar manner in which it was born.

Soon after, Carol’s Daughter opened its first boutique in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood. In 2005, the company introduced new product packaging, an updated Website, celebrity investors and a highly anticipated Harlem flagship store in New York City. Even after approximately 15 years of success and expansion, Carol’s Daughter products are still made with love and by hand, all the while carrying a treasure trove of family secrets ready to be experienced by its valued consumers.

SOURCE Carol’s Daughter, LLC

PR source: http://news.prnewswire.com

This was followed up by a press released by Carol’s Express, ironically six months to the day of the CD press release:

Carol’s Express Fights Suits Filed by Carol’s Daughter

NEW YORK, May 7 /PRNewswire/ — Carol’s Express, LLC, the widely popular beauty personal care line under the leadership of Donyale Bush, COO continues to defend its position against Carol’s Daughter, distributed at Macy’s and Sephora, regarding trademark infringement.

In an electronic filing on October 17, 2008 at 4:23 PM EDT, attorneys for Carol’s Express cited “Plaintiff’s (Carol Daughter, LLC) prior counsel, Jones Day Law firm… advised on an investigation… and was not a request to cease and desist from the sale of (Carol’s Express) products in CVS.”

“It’s important that consumers know where Carol’s Daughter is really made, what the relevant facts are and that the whole home spun story is nothing more than marketing spin,” states Donyale Bush, COO of Carol’s Express, LLC. “While we welcome legal competition, intimidation and sour grapes of this nature is shameful.”

The defense against the complaint filed by Carol’s Daughter substantiates the high quality of Carol’s Express and ceXpress brands. Carol’s Daughter and the Carol’s Express brand were made in the same warehouses at the time the suit was filed. Neither brand was made in the kitchen as of the filing date of the suit.

Donyale Bush, founder of Carol’s Express, commented, “This is a desperate attempt to continue to exploit consumers for anywhere from $20-$45 per product, when we provide a high quality product in ceXpress at half the price. We provide the consumer with a nature-based product at a sexy value. We know this will make our customer base, which we know to be savvy customers scrutinizing ever dollar in this economy, happy.”

About Carol’s Express

Carol’s Express, makers of ceXpress, consists of beauty care products designed for the African-American woman, including products for hair, skin, and hands with a new line of fragrances coming this fall hand picked exclusively by the women of Carol’s Express. The revolutionary ceXpress Soy Straightening System helps consumers retain more of their natural hair texture. Respect, Culture, Crown, Value, Family and Love are words that resonate with ceXpress Products. More information on ceXpress can be found at www.ceXpressproducts.com

SOURCE Carol’s Express, LLC

story source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/PRNewswire/release/151912.html

And this press release was followed a month and one day later by another press release that you can read HERE via the Fox Business News Website, stating that  Carol’s Express was in negotiations with a Carol’s Daughter affiliate concerning the matter.

Upon first reading I was sure of the legitimacy of this story, having Googled it and seeing it appear on several hair Blogs and forums.  But a deeper investigation of the matter, I am less convinced.  Due to the wording of the press releases, and this statement on MMDNewswire.com — where the press releases have been removed — by the purported  affiliated said to be in negotiations with Carol’s Express:

From: Ethan G. Foster, Managing Partner, E.G. FOSTER GROUP, INC

In response to the press release titled, Carol’s Daughter Affiliate, E.G.Foster Group, In Negotiation with ceXpress:

1. E.G. FOSTER GROUP is not now and has not been in negotiation with ceXpress with respect to any matter.

2. E.G. Foster, nor any representative or employee of the E.G. FOSTER GROUP has ever had a conversation or communication in any media with Donyale Bush, of ceXpress

With product labeling that is questionably similar to the Carol’s Daughter brand and press releases that look and read like duplicated advertisements, sounds to me like the people at Carol’s Express, LLC are indulging in a bit of “clever marketing” spinning of their own.  Especially considering none of my searches turned up any information on the issue via any legitimate news sources (PRNewswire.com is simply a press release blast site, nothing more, nothing less).

Anyone else hear anything about this?  Anyone ever used any ceXpress products? Honestly, if the products are comparable, and priced significantly lower than CD‘s, not to mention available at my local CVS, I think they might be worth a try if I can find them.

More as this develops, and feel free to add your own buck fiddy!

Happy exploring!

Blessed Be,