Category: Curly hair products

Review-The Hair Stopper

Posted on by Michelle
The Hair Stopper
at Walmart for about $4.50
I recently bought an item that I thought would help with the shedded hairs that collect in our bathtub. This may not be very pleasant to discuss but I still thought I would share my experience with a product called, the Hair Stopper.  My husband has long straight hair and washes it almost daily.  I like to co-wash a couple times each week and also detangle my hair while under the running water of the shower.  I won’t go into detail but we were in need of something to help with the hair that kept building up in the tub.  I found the Hair Stopper at Walmart for about $4.50 USD and was really hoping that it would work for us. 

How it works is you’re supposed to remove the little grate that already covers the drain in the tub.  Then insert the Hair Stopper, which says it should fit most household drains, into the drainage hole.  It ended up fitting so I figured all things were a go.  Did it work you ask?  Well, let’s just say that it did stop. . . the WATER from going down the drain!  I felt like I started out taking a shower and ended up wading in bath water.  I mean what gives?!  I tried to tweak it a little but it still acted like a plug and not a catch-all.  I planned on returning it later that week, but of course, my crazy dog, Grover, thought it would make a great chew toy.  Needless to say, it’s back to the drawing board on this one.

Sale This Week at SamsBeauty.com!

Posted on by Michelle

I just found out that the already reasonable shopping on SamsBeauty.com is going to be even better this week with their 4th of July Sale.  Some things are still “Buy 1 Get Free,” even though it says Saturday and Sunday only.  I’ve been browsing through the Synthetic Lace wigs on sale and there is a lot to choose from.  Other items include jewelry, cosmetics, skincare and hair products.  I got the heads up from one of my favorite YouTubers Dezi1016 in a video where she is talking about some of the things that are for sale.  There’s even a clearance section.  Check it out!

Click here to see Dezi1016’s video

Shea Moisture Products at Walgreens

Posted on by Michelle



Shea Moisture Products
Now available at Walgreens stores



All the hair forums and blogs are buzzing about the Shea Moisture line which is now available at Walgreens stores.  The drugstore chain is doing a BOGO this week on all of the items in the line so if you’ve been thinking about trying it out, now is the time! 
Prior to this, the Shea Moisture line was only available at Target stores or online at Target.com.  The products are made with natural and organic ingredients and are very affordable with each item going for $9.99 USD. 



Shea Moisture’s
Dandruff & Dry Scalp Elixir



Even with all of the excitement on this promotion, I still wasn’t too sure that the Walgreens in my area would have the Shea Moisture line stocked yet.  So tonight I decided to stroll by the hair aisle just to check and see if they had it.  There wasn’t any Shea Moisture to be found.  I figured that maybe this Walgreens was a little bit late but then I stopped by the new items near the door and found a very small display with maybe five items from the line.  There were only one or two of each item.  I’m hoping that there will be some Curl Enhancing Smoothie left when I get around to shopping this Friday.  I already told my husband that I’m gearin’ up for a product haul this week so look out Walgreens, I’m comin’!

Back to Basics: The Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

Posted on by Michelle

I was never really a big fan of doing Apple Cider Vinegar Rinses when I started out on my natural journey.  I kept reading how it worked as a clarifier.  I even watched (and understood) KimmayTube’s videos on pH Balance and knew how it worked to close the hair cuticle.  Still, no matter how many times I tried, it just didn’t seem to do anything for my hair.  Then I found out about the Organic Apple Cider Vinegar by Bragg’s.  I thought maybe that would make a difference but it still seemed like nothing was happening.

My hair after an Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
(detangled with the Denman Brush)
Recently, I decided to get “back to basics” and start washing my hair more often.  I don’t want to use shampoo everytime so I sometimes co-wash and then follow that with a vinegar rinse.  At first, I kept getting the same blah response.  Finally, by accident I think, I poured more vinegar into the container than usual.  Then, I filled it the rest of the way with water from the shower head like I always do.  I could tell right away that something was different.  I could feel the conditioner slipping down my strands.  It was actually removing all of the extra and giving me a clean feeling without leaving my hair stripped.  I left it in for a few minutes before doing a lukewarm rinse.  When I got out, I noticed how soft and fluffy my hair felt. 

I honestly couldn’t believe how good my hair looked.  I didn’t even want to put anything else in it because I was afraid to mess it up.  Now, whenever I do an Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse, I always make sure that I’m using enough vinegar.  I always eyeball it but I would say it’s at least a 1/4 cup (at the bottom of a tall water bottle) and then I fill it to the top with regular water.  I’m so glad I decided to try it again.  It definitely works for me…finally.

Review: Shea Moisture Conditioning Curl & Style Milk

Posted on by Michelle
Shea Moisture’s Curl & Style Milk
for Thick, Curly Hair

I’ve been hearing so much about the Shea Moisture line and have been wanting to try it out.  All of the products are made from natural ingredients which is a plus.  The haircare items seem to be targeted mostly at people with curly or even kinky hair.  Since they carry it at my local Target store I thought I would finally give it a whirl.

Now remember, my guidelines are the following:

  • It has to be affordable (the amount vs. the price)
  • It needs to be easily accessible (if I can get it locally this is a plus)
  • It has to work for my hair (kinky, curly), my husbands’ straight hair (in most cases) and our kids’ 3b/3c curly hair

I most recently purchased the Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Conditioning Curl & Style Milk.  I paid $9.99 USD for an 8 oz./237 ml. size bottle.  The texture is a lightweight, creamy consistency and, in my opinion, has a strong pina colada fragrance.  Since this line is geared towards curly hair, I’m not expecting my husband to rave about it but he has been known to dabble in my products.  As for me and my kids, it worked differently for all of us.  My twins have fluffy, big curls that have a satiny feel (3b).  This product weighed their hair down and made it look a tiny bit greasy.  (I normally use Giovanni Direct Leave-In to moisturize their hair and will continue to do so once this runs out.)  My oldest son has longer (3b/3c) hair and, while this made his hair soft and easier to manage, it did not provide enough hold for his curls to last all day.  His hair tends to get really puffy without something to weigh the curls down. 

For my hair which is a 4a/4b texture, I was really happy with how soft my hair felt after using it.  My hair definitely felt moisturized and more manageable.  Another plus was how much softer my hair felt when I used it under my Olive Oil Eco Styler Gel.  The only thing I didn’t like is how fast I was going through the product.  We were already halfway through the bottle after a little over 1 week.  Once I saw this, I started to reach for my Palmers Coconut Oil Replinishing Hair Milk instead in order to save on this product.

Overall, I think the Shea Moisture Curl & Style Milk is great as a leave-in type moisturizer that makes the hair soft and manageable.  However, I have achieved similar results by using my Aloe Vera/ Leave-in Conditioner spray and sealing with oil.  Follow that with the Palmer’s to make the curls pop and I’m good to go.  I probably won’t purchase this product again based on the little amount you get for the price.  I’m happiest with products that work for all of us and our different textures so getting more for less is a huge factor.  Still it’s worth a try if you’re looking for a good water based moisturizer and the price falls within your budget.