Category: beauty supply

Natural Hair Now–Stores Are Taking Notice

Posted on by Michelle
natural hair products in stores
NEW Product Display at Sally’s Beauty Supply
geared towards Customers with Natural Hair

When I started transitioning in the summer of 2008 (well relaxer stretching that led to transitioning), there wasn’t a lot of products available locally for natural or curly hair.  That was fine by me because thanks to YouTube and online hair forums I found a lot of information on how to make my own.  I learned all about making whipped shea butter, sulfate free shampoo and hair oil mixes.  I pretty much tried everything.  Then one day I discovered a natural hair product line called Kinky Curly.  On YouTube ladies were raving about the curl definition the Curling Custard gave and did tutorials on how to use it.  It also had natural ingredients so I thought it would work great for me.  Then I saw the price.  This is where I started shakin’ my head.  Just because the product stated it used all natural ingredients meant I had to fork over thirty bucks?!  No maa’m, I didn’t feel the need.

Natural Hair Products in stores
Loads of Curly/Natural Hair products now
available at Walmart

Since then there have been lots of other products lines that have come onto the scene.  All of them using the words, “natural,” “curly,” and sometimes “organic,” to hook new customers.  The thing that made me really start considering paying for one of these products, was the availability.  Yes, I’m that lazy person who doesn’t really want to go through the process of ordering something unless I KNOW it’s the bomb.  I remember though stopping dead in my tracks the first time I saw Miss Jessie’s, Kinky Curly and Shea Moisture hair products in my local Target store.  Seeing the items every week while doing my regular shopping was very tempting.

The selection for Curly and Natural hair products has probably tripled since then.  I even found a full display of products once only available online in Walmart!  Even Sally’s is trying to catch some notice by moving these products from the back of the store towards the middle (where the other products for “ethnic” hair began).

If I were newly natural right now, I would probably be a total PJ  (a.k.a Product Junkie).  The displays in stores hold so much styling pomade, cremes and whipped concoctions that it must be really hard filtering through all of that.  Thankfully though I have gotten past the stage of trying things out to see what works.  I pretty much know what works for me and I’m sticking to that.  Still, I just find it funny how stores spent years practically hiding hair products for us somewhere in the back or on bottom shelves and now they’re on full display.

What do you think about stores changing it up in the hair product aisle?  Are they viewing Natural Hair as a trend to make money from or is this going to last?

Jumbo Rake Comb Review

Posted on by Michelle

When I was talkin’ hair with my mother a couple of months ago she showed me a picture of a comb that she was interested in trying.  She checked out a copy of the book, “The Science of Black Hair” from the library and it listed a “rake” comb as a suggestion for detangling natural hair.  I remembered seeing the comb online (probably in a Youtube video) but didn’t exactly know where to track one down.  Recently however, I was at the Big Beauty Supply Store in Aurora, and noticed some for sale.  It was by the Annie brand and was called a “Jumbo Rake Comb”.   I figured I would grab it for my mom so she wouldn’t have to keep looking for it.  I thought that maybe I would give it a try too and since they were only $1.49 plus tax (USD) I bought two.

Jumbo Rake Comb for only
 $1.49 plus tax!

I didn’t really know what to use the comb for because I already felt like I had every comb that I needed.  I decided to use it one night when I was twisting my hair up after wearing it in a wash n’ go style.  I was surprised at how well the comb detangled my hair.  It’s almost like the front end helped to pull apart the tangles but the spacing toward the back end of the comb allowed my hair to glide right through.  When I saw this I decided to try it the next time I detangled my hair in the shower.

My normal routine for detangling is to do it while my hair is soaking wet and saturated with Tresemme Naturals conditioner.  I usually begin by finger combing my hair first which helps me to remove a lot of the shed hair and tangles before moving onto a comb or my denman brush.  So when I tried the Jumbo Rake comb my hair was already free from any major tangles.  Still, I knew that I would be doing a roller set that night so I needed to make sure my hair was thoroughly detangled beforehand.


My twists
used the rake comb
to detangle


Once again, the comb performed beautifully.  I was really surprised because I didn’t expect for it to be any different from my wide tooth comb.  Somehow though having the teeth closer together toward the front and wider in back is what I think makes it a more effective tool for detangling.  It really is able to pick apart at the tangles but the hair glides through.  You’d have to try it to see what I mean.  As for me, I do think that I’ll be using this instead of my denman brush because it removed shed hairs but not so many to cause concern.

My Mom’s hair sectioned and detangled with
the rake comb

I even tried it a week later when I was straightening my mom’s hair.  She is transitioning to natural and has about two inches of new growth.  I applied Paul Mitchell’s The Conditioner and a heat protectant to each section of her hair and then detangled with the rake comb.  Her hair was only damp but the comb still did a pretty good job.

I give it a thumbs up and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good comb for detangling.

Re-Visiting My Caruso Steam Rollers

Posted on by Michelle
Using Caruso Steam Rollers on
my Straight Natural Hair

I recently wore my hair straight a few times and decided that rollers were the only thing that really gave me the curls I desired.  Overnight I used my Satin Rollers which I originally picked up at Walmart.  Sometimes though, I went to sleep protecting my hair only with a satin bonnet and woke up with hair that was just blah.  It was then that I remembered the Caruso Roller set that I practically begged my husband for over a year ago.  When I first got my Caruso, I remember that it was a little awkward working with the steam and rollers.  I’ve used it several times since then and it is a lot easier to use now.

How I use the Caruso Steam Rollers

Since I’ve always used it on hair that was straightened or previously stretched with rollers, I used to worry about reversion.  I think the only time this actually happened is when I left the rollers on the steam base way too long.  Soggy rollers on natural hair = reversion.   For this reason, I only place the rollers onto the steam base for seven seconds before promptly rolling the hair.  I also make sure that my end paper is already wrapped around the ends of the section of hair I’m working with.

The steam base
The Results
soft curls with no reversion

Another factor is there is always the possibility for frizz when using the rollers because of the added steam.  Using end papers helps to keep my ends smooth.  A light serum or coconut oil also helps to combat frizz.  The last thing I do is leave the rollers in for about 30 to 40 minutes to ensure the hair is completely dry before taking the rollers down.

In my opinion, the best way to style the curls is to use your fingers because brushing or combing will just result in poof (and we don’t want poof).  Using the Caruso Rollers can be tricky at first but they are a great alternative to styling the hair with direct heat.

Review: Hollywood Beauty’s Olive Creme for Dry Hair

Posted on by Michelle

One of the most popular topics over at the K.I.S.S. hair forum (or any forum for that matter) is which moisturizer works best.  For a long time the word “moisturizer” was a bad word in my newly natural regimen.  I had become accustomed to avoiding products that contained mineral oil and petroleum which is often found in “moisturizers” for curly, relaxed and afro textured hair.  Still, the homemade spritzes and butters I learned how to make were either too heavy or too wet for my hair depending on the style.  For a while I started using leave-in conditioner to moisturize and sealed that with one of my favorite oils.

Finally, I decided to purchase a product to add to my regimen after reading a suggestion in one of the discussions on K.I.S.S. .  That product was by Hollywood Beauty which I have to admit was never a brand I thought of ever trying.  I guess I assumed that there would be a lot of the “no-no” ingredients in their products.  I was surprised to find that their Olive Creme was mineral oil and petroleum free.  Instead I found ingredients like, Olive oil and Calendula extract.  I decided at $4 (USD) it was at least worth a try.  I’m on my fifth jar now and can’t say enough about it.

The Ingredients:

Deionized Water (Aqua) , Isopropyl Myristate , Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean) , Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive) , Stearic Acid , Stearyl Alcohol , Glyceryl Stearate , Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate) , Matricaria Extract (Chamomilla Recutita) , Calendula Extract (Calendula Officinalis Flower) , Vitamin B (Yeast Extract) , Macademia Oil (Macademia Ternifolia Seed) , Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate) , Coconut Oil (Cocos Nucifera) , Rosemary Extract (Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf) , Sage Extract (Salvia Officinalis Leaf) , Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) , Great Burdock Extract (Arctium Lappa Root) , Triethanolamine , Methyl Paraben , Propyl Paraben , DMDM Hydantoin , Imidazolidinyl Urea , Fragrance , Yellow #5 (Cl 19140) , Blue #1 (Cl 42090)

My son likes to call it, “Yoda Creme” because
of the pale green color

While the ingredients are not 100% natural, I still find that this product does a good job of keeping my hair moisturized without leaving a heavy, greasy feeling.  I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t really expect much from the Olive Creme but it is now one of my staples.  It even works well when my son’s curly (3b/3c/4a) hair is starting to get the, “frizzy halo”.  I just spritz his hair down with water first and then apply the creme throughout his hair and we get another two days of soft curls before wash day.  He dubbed it “Yoda Creme” because of the pale green color and we still call it that.  


I of course love to add it to my Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel along with some Castor, Coconut and Grapeseed oil for my DIY Eco Styler Custard.  I also use it after applying my leave-in conditoner when I pull my hair back or braid it up for air drying.  The only thing I would complain about is the scent.  It’s not like some of those other products out there that smell good enough to eat.   It just has this faint, old fashioned women’s cologne smell or something.  It doesn’t matter because I just ignore the scent.  I can always add some fragrance oil to it to make it my own.  I’m just glad to have found a product that works well and is affordable for me and my family.

The Beauty Supply Warehouse

Posted on by Michelle

The Big B.S.S.

Whenever I’m watching YouTube videos and there is a product suggestion I’m always certain I’ll be able to get my hands on it.  I go to Ulta for anything high end or the Big B.S.S. (beauty supply store) in Aurora for everything else.  If you’re in Denver or Aurora, Colorado this place is a must see!

The official name is the Beauty Supply Warehouse and it is located near the intersection of 6th and Potomac just off highway 225.  It used to be the old Skate City from my younger days but is now home to all things hair.  This place doesn’t just carry a lot of different brands but in most cases they have the complete line.  Items from Palmer’s, Mane n’ Tail, Mizani, Hawaiian Silky, Aphogee, IC Fantasia and many more.  I’m not kiddin’.  The first time I went in there I didn’t even know what to do with myself.  Sadly, there are a lot of products there that contain silicone, mineral oils and petroleum.  You know the products I’m talking about; the ones that say they’re for ethnic hair.  Still, I love the selection of Annie’s rollers, hair accessories, satin head coverings and synthetic hair.  Yes, I said hair!  If you are looking for half wigs, lacefronts or hair for braiding you should definitely stop in.  (Even if you just want to get a look at a product before buying online.)

Aisles and Aisles of Hair Products!

There is also a salon inside and usually a vendor or two.  I haven’t looked into having any hair or nail services done there because I’m a DIYer to the core.  The stylists and nail artists always seem to be pretty busy though.

Rollers and Kanekalon Braiding Hair

When I stop in I usually grab my favorite shampoo by Elasta QP, rollers, Olive Creme Moisturizer by Hollywood Beauty and my Cholesterol conditioner.  I also like the fact that they carry a wider selection of the Organic Root Stimulator (ORS) products and the ECO Styler gels.   If I finally get my courage up I may stop back in soon for a half wig or maybe just a drawstring pony.  Last I checked the 100% Kanekalon braiding hair was under $4 (USD) per pack!  Hmmm. . . now where did I see that braiding tutorial?