Ariana Brown - "Invocation" (CUPSI 2015 Finals)

Product Review: Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Conditioner

Seeing the effect of a conditioner is always my favourite part of any hair thing I am doing. My hair completely cleansed and rinsed is a massive mane of fluff. When I separate the strands of hair whether by comb or hand it transforms into a fluff ball. It is probably only in the last three years that I learnt who to use moisture to set my hair. The biggest part of this process is to use a conditioner to set my curls. Since the product stays in my hair for prolonged periods of time I am particular about which products I choose. 

I also have given up on combing and brushing my hair since these would undo the coils and cause more frizz. Instead I now opt for the timeous finger combing method. Also, I notice a big a big difference between when I do comb and when I don’t during the conditioning process. Whether I am conditioning or deep treating my hair I have found that detangling my hair first and then leaving the product to seep in makes a difference in the end result. Whether you hair is processed or natural this very simple thing will make a difference in the way the product works. 

Some hair regimes suggest you shampoo, then detangle with a conditioner, rinse and use another conditioner as a leave in. I often shampoo and skip right to the leave in conditioner. Using a combing conditioner first and a second conditioner as a leave in is not cost effective for me. Also, once I have detangled my hair, rinsing it will mean that the coils will bounce down and then up again so that when I need to get onto the leave in I will have to resection my hair to comb it again and then set it. Leave-in conditioners are typically a more fluid consistency, of a lesser quantity and often still at a conditioner cost. So what I do is to use the leave-in along with the chosen conditioner and I apply it to my ends and the hair that is exposed. So where I typically wear my hair parted, the ends and edges. 

My hair at its longest point is just below bra-strap now and even when damp it can soak up 1/2 cup to 1 full cup of product. Which means that a 100ml of leave-in conditioner would not go very far anyway. My hair does well with water based products so what I do is to measure out the amount of conditioner say 100-150ML of conditioner and I mix it in 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water and spray it onto my hair as I comb through the sections. So starting at the top of my head I spray about 5-10 sprays per section and finger comb. Clip out of place and onto the next one. This way the excess product has time to run down my head and onto the rest of the hair. Tightly coils hair is tricky in that: to get the best definition you have to let the hair part itself. This is tricky to do at first but the more you work the hair with your fingers the better sense you get for this. So take a section, apply the conditioner, rake the hair from scalp to ends and feel for knots. remove the knots and shed hairs until the section of hair is smooth. What happens is that as you comb you will feel the tangles and curls that are out of place. Just keep raking until it is smooth. As you do this the hair starts to section itself into clumps. These clumps are the gridlines for your natural curl pattern so try and work within this demarcation. Do not try and pull curls apart because it is not in your line of parting. Let the curls guide you. always comb through the ends until they are smooth. Then leave the hair to dry in these partitions. 

Some regimes add the oil to wet hair right after the conditioner. I like to set my curls first and one dried I apply a small amount of oil only to my curls. So I section the curls and working with a single section I dip my fingers into an oil and run it along my curls one at a time. I use one or two tablespoons of oil only for this. I like to use oils that easily absorb such as grapeseed, jojoba and coconut oil. 

The Conditioner: 

What I like about Giovanni conditioners: 

The Smooth as Silk conditioner is surprisingly very light. As opposed to the Brazen Brunette and the Olive range which feels like a balsam this conditioner is much lighter. Even applied straight without any mixing this conditioner said to be a deep treating moisture product is actually light. It has no drip which is something I really like about Giovanni products. They absorb into the hair instead of just causing a massive run-off. So I feel like my money is well spent. The conditioner has plenty of slip and will help with detangling and smoothing of the hair. However, they way it soaps into the hair is first prize for me. So with this particular conditioner I did not dilute it down. Instead I used smaller amounts per section and I just woke the product in. It set my hair beautifully. It left no residue and although there was little shine I was still very happy with this conditioner. 

The first few ingredients in this conditioner are excellent for curly hair. It does contain a little bit of protein and it was left my hair feeling great. 

Meet the heroes:

Cetyl alcohol: is a versatile fatty alcohol. It emulsifies, thickens and binds ingredients. Stearyl alcohol is lubricating, thickening and emulsifying. These two ingredients are great for curly hair as they add weight without a heavy feel. Butylene glycol is a great humectant that gives slip. So will help with detangling curly hair.

The other ingredients:

Hydrolysed soy protein: a common protein ingredient found in hair care products. Cetrimonium bromide: is a cleanser and potential irritant. Ethylhexylglycerin is a synthetic skin/hair conditioner/deodoriser with some preservative quality. Preservatives: Phenoxyethanol, considered a milder preservative. 

On ingredients this conditioner is definitely good. With the exception of one of the ingredients: ethylhexylglycerin overall it is a great ingredients list and in combination these work really well. 

On performance I was surprised to find a deep conditioner to be so light but I was still very pleased with the results. I love the fact that the fragrance of the conditioner was subtle and from an organic base. I love the slip it gave when detangling and I was pleasantly surprised at the no drip element. This tells em that the product really does lock the moisture in the hair and that is probably where the soft feel and bouncy curls came from. Overall I loved it. 

Product purchase information

The Smooth as Silk Shampoo and Conditioner were sponsored for review. 

These and other Giovanni products are available online at:

www.beau2you.co.za  

Orders can be placed at sales@beau2you.co.za

References for ingredients are adapted from Terry La Flesh at www.tightlycurly.com/ingredients 

Love Naturally 

SHL 

Product Review: Giovanni 2Chic Smooth as Silk Shampoo

Smooth As Silk: Deep Moisture Shampoo

The Giovanni brand boasts with: free of sulphate free, parabens and Phthalate formulations. Most of the products are vegan save for a few. For a quick reference of the ingredients in specific Giovanni products consult their ingredients directory at here:

http://www.giovannicosmetics.com/GIOVANNI-INGREDIENT-LIST.PDF

The product claims to: 

Soothe dry and processed hair. gently cleanse and alleviate frizz and to increase shine.

First impression: The packaging is fine and the fragrance is very mild. It has a slightly citrus scent which is great. I hate perfumed products. I love perfume and I spend a fortune on it but I do not want it in my hair products. Perfumes require alcohol to carry fragrance and these can dry hair to a crisps, so I love products that do only what they should. 

The cleansers in this shampoo are very gentle. See the ingredients list below. So it won’t strip your hair. The shampoo contain no nasties and really is a great product for natural hair. 

My hair tends to be dry and so having a shampoo that is not going to remove all of the moisture is a massive plus for me. I mostly use water based products for moisture so this is a sufficient cleanser. I was not sure of its efficacy with a heavy oil or butter based regime. So I put it through a second test where I had a massive amount of dry products on my hair. I was pleasantly surprised that it still performed as a cleanser. I did use a second shampoo on the second trial just to be sure and ti cleaned fairly well. Still I found the cleansing to be gentle. I have used this shampoo a few times and I am very happy with it. 

It does have good slip and fair foam. Although more often than not the foam factor in shampoo is unnecessary. You don’t need form to clean anything. it is simply that we have grown accustomed to having it there that it it is added. So washing with it was pleasant. My scalp was clean and the rinse off on my hair was great. I liked this product and give it a big yes. 

The cleansers: Sodium lauryl Sarcosinate, Decyl glucoside, Sodium cocoamphoacetate, sodium cocoyl glutamate, polysorbate 20, sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate (sulfate free) and laurel glucoside all qualify as okay and gentle cleansers. Which means that this product will not overdo the cleansing and potentially leave your hair in a clean but not stripped state. 

The extracts: 

Chamomile, orange fruit, grapefruit, lemongrass, rosemary as is the case with most essential oils carries some range of caution since they can be irritating and cause sensitivity such as the citrus types which are acidic. however, these are also common ingredients found in many cosmetics. If you have known sensitivities it is always wise to check ingredients for specific allergens that you may react to. 

Intersting ingredients: 

This product contains Aloe Vera Juice considered soothing to skin. So it is a good ingredient for irritated scalps. It contains Sea Kelp that can aid in moisture retention in hair. Mango has conditioning and humectant properties. 

The big prize ingredient here is: 

Pathenol (Vit B5) which is a hair conditioning agent. Can moisturise hair and give it a soft feel. It also penetrates into the cortex of the hair, hence the deep conditioning claim of the range. However, it is best as a leave in product since it can rinse off easily. 

The preservatives: 

Potassium sorbate and phenoxyethanol are both mild to the skin and considered safe. 

The rest of the peripheral ingredients are all fine, fairly common and overall this product contains no outright yuk. 

These and other Giovanni products are available online at:

www.beau2you.co.za  

Orders can be placed at sales@beau2you.co.za

Imported Hair Products: Giovanni

Giovanni was founded in 1978 by Arthur Guidotti and Peter Stathis. Arthur, a seasoned hairstylist, was driven by his skin reactions to existing hair products and started this natural product line unlike any that existed at the time. In time Giovanni was further developed by Arthur’s son who broke down the barriers between natural and on trend by presenting a cutting edge marketing strategies and continually growing the product lines. The mission for the brand is to create great products, in stylish packaging and to present it beautifully. Giovanni became one of the pioneers of natural haircare and is today the top selling natural haircare brand in the United States.

I came across Giovanni many years ago while actively racing through the net in search of hair products. It is a commonly used and recommended product by naturals abroad. Giovanni was further popularised when it was one of the few product brands to be endorsed by Miss Dee Kay in the Max hydration method. It is used by naturals across the texture spectrum and had been in short supply locally until very recently. What is special about Giovanni is that it has an organic endorsement by the US Drug Association. It is therefore considered mostly natural and of organic origin. Overall, this brand is generally free of the common yuk attack in the cosmetics industry and is one of the few products that cross various various different consumer segments. 

What really irritates me about imported products is that they are sold locally at ridiculous markups. It frustrates me completely when I look online to compare prices and find that products have been marked up by a few hundred percent. It takes the pleasure out of shopping regardless of my absolute desire to try something new. While I appreciate the effects of the weak rand and resultant impact on imports some importers really leave my jaw on the floor. However, they are going through the grind of getting what we want and why not charge top ZAR if the market can bear it? They are however creating an opportunity for local producers to up their market share. 

So when I find an importer with reasonable prices I get very excited. I have spent a few years tracking a supplier who carries the Smooth as Silk EcoChic range. Now I have found one that sells more than just what I was looking for. Most of the Giovanni ranges are now available at www.beau2you.co.za Orders can be placed at sales@beau2you.co.za and product prices range between R191 for the white EcoChic Smooth as Silk to R219 for The Avocado and olive oil, Brazilian Keratin, Tangerine & Papaya.  

See the next few blogs for the full product reviews

When Team Natural Fails

Since the start of my blogs I made a conscious decision never to allow negativity and mockery of anyone who chooses to walk this journey with me. Whether on the fringe or right by my side. There are several established natural hair communities where women come together to share their experiences and are able to connect in a meaningful way. Many of these groups are growing and it is fantastic to see the amount of participation and interest in natural beauty. However, along with the positives some very ugly negatives have appeared. 

What really upsets me about some of these cyberspaces is the flighting of pictures of women with alopecia for comic relief. I have seen some crazy, weird and even some funny hairstyle pictures that can crack a person up. However, this is a platform where we share insight and knowledge on how to adorn ourselves with our God-given crowns. It is a place where we come to share in that feminine spirit. Appearance matters. If it didn’t then none of us would be here doing any of what we do. There would be no beauty industry and nobody would need to be interested in any HOW TO anything. But here we are, all trying to add to our knowledge and skills on how to better adorn ourselves. 

Alopecia takes away from a ones appearance. That is a familiar fact. So why is it funny? Given we are aware that a woman with alopecia of any kind may feel insecure about her appearance. Whether self-inflicted or not alopecia can be a source of pain, distress and or discomfort. Why is it funny? Why do we circulate these images and why do we allow others to do it in our presence? 

Women are the seat of life. We birth and rear the future. So why do we rip and tear at each other the way we do? What kind of a woman does it make me when I point out the flaws in another and laugh about it? Whenever I have spoken to men about the absolute inequalities between men and women their responses have been along these lines: Women lack cohesion, they generally don’t like one another, they can’t get along, women don’t know how to follow everyone wants to be the leader. I know many women that are massive pillars of support. I have encountered supportive female spirits in the most unlikely places. Women have hoisted me plenty of times. Much of what I have achieved has been due to the support of the women folk around me. When we mock one another there can be no unity, victory nor pride. Do we want to stand together to re-write the script of beauty or do we fall apart separately? 

I have to admit this is the third draft of this post. Those of you who know me, know that I have a deep raspy male voice. The first two drafts were at a Mariah Carey pitch. What good would they serve? If I scream you cannot listen and what I want to say will be muffled by the noise. I ask you to consider the following; the next time you come across a picture of an alopecia sufferer: What if this was my flaw being mocked? For those of you who were wondering why I am not active on group pages, this is the reason why. I refuse to stand by and watch as images of women are shared for comic relief. Or watch as those with ‘not good enough hair’ are insulted. If that picture was mine or of someone I know I would be hurt and I may say some very unpopular things on social media. More than that I just don’t think its right. The woman may be unknown to me but the world is a very small place and technology shrinks it daily. 

So I ask you: What kind of a woman do you want to be? The kind that laughs at how someone looks or the kind that appreciates that even with a challenge a woman is out there doing the best she can, with where she is, what she has and what she knows?

See, hear and speak LOVE NATURALLY

SHL

SheaMoisture presents: Hair Raising

My Love for Naturalmente

In the early days of my natural road I was so frustrated with my  hair. At first I thought my hair must not be responding well because I was not using professional hair products. So I set out to get a pile of very expensive hair products and I used it almost daily to try and cure my hair woes. Still, I found no relief. I searched the net and at one point started making my own hair products out of total frustration.

Most of the products I wanted to try simply were not available in South Africa. Many of the ingredients I needed seemed so illusive and unobtainable that I just lost the zest to try and manage my hair.

I am very particular about the ingredients in hair products and I scrutinise labels for ingredients. I searched and searched, got tired, gave up, tried this then that. Until I tried Naturalmente. It is an Italian brand that is established and based in Cape Town. I bought it thinking ya right!

The packaging is plain and annoyingly confusing. Still, I had had enough of applying toxins to my hair that were not doing what I wanted it to. The first time I tried it my dry hair was transformed. For the first time I had curls that were not a frizz ball. I fell in love. I researched the ingredients and was delighted to find that it was yuk free and actually made from natural and organic and sustainable sources. It had my attention. I cycled through the entire product range and wanted to know more.

This stuff is good as Gold. In the next few weeks

I will show you each of the products, uses, effects and much more. See the difference that this very unassuming product has done for me.

See these pictures below to get an idea of how the right process and products can change your hair. The first picture is of me before I figured out what to do and what not to do. All I knew then is that I wanted to be natural. I absolutely loved my hair and even in its wild, bushy and unruly state. My hair and I are in a better place now and through trial and error I have managed to get the right balance.








  

Protective Styling this Winter with Braids

Braids are a go to in the cold months. Do take care of your own hair while you wear your braids. Follow these few steps to make sure your hair under the braids stay in good condition. 

How long to wear your braids: 

Do not plan to wear your braids for longer than 8 weeks. By week 6 your own hair will have grown out and the pull of the heavy braids can lead to traction alopecia. 

Taking care of your own hair under the braids:

Do not neglect to take care of your hair under the braids. Your hair is still somewhat exposed to the elements and you still need to take care of it. Your scalp will still produce oils and you have to wash it. Be careful not to leave any suds in between the braids as these can lead to massive tangles during take-down. Do shampoo your scalp and make sure you rinse it out well. Do apply a conditioner and with braids you have to rinse it out to make sure you don’t leave a residue that will cause a lint ball mixed with oils that can mat your hair. 

Cleansing your scalp/ hair while in braids: 

This is a very important note on washing braids. Do not wash your braids and let them hang while they are wet. The weight of the wet braids is too much pull on your scalp. Apply shampoo on your scalp. Tie a loose bun in a top knot and rinse properly under a shower. Make sure the product is completely rinsed out. I cannot stress enough how important it is to rinse all the foam out of your hair. Take the bun down and apply conditioner. You can mix a conditioner in a spray bottle and spray it onto your braids. Tie it back up and rinse off. Or hold the hair in one hand to lift the weight from pulling down. Tie it up promptly, do not let it hang. Wrap it in a towel to drip most of the water and use a low heat or no heat blow-dry to dry the braids. Braids take a long time to dry do not let the increased weight pull on your hair the entire day. Dry it as soon as possible. Depending on your scalp you may not need to apply anything to it. Should you want to opt for an oil: try grapeseed or jojoba oil as these absorb well. I would not recommend any other leave in products on braids because they can cause matting. 

Finally, be mindful of the size of your braids. Box braids are faster to install and larger scalp section may be better for wear on the hair. However box braids also do use a significant amount of hair. Consider the size versus weight and amount of weeks of wear you want from braids. 

Protective Styling:

Protective styling in winter gives several options. Use this time to tuck your hair away and give it a rest from the constant toil. Flat twists, cornrows and loose twists can be chopped and changed to give you some rest from hairstyling. The www has endless very easy and cute hairdo’s. Use these to enjoy a laid back regime. 

Love Naturally

SHL

Winter Hair

Winter Hair

 The trees are changing colour and the leaves are falling. Soon branches will be bare for a while and the cold will freeze over our windscreens and chill our homes. You may already have located all your coats and stockings and may be thinking of how to change your hair in the next few months. You may be thinking of changing your hair regime and or hairstyle altogether. Read on to find out what to do to get your hair winter ready and how to take care of winter hairstyles. 

The biggest challenge with winter is the impact of the cold. Also, because the African sun tends to be quite harsh you still need to be concerned about sunburnt hair. The issue then becomes who to protect your hair from these simultaneous extremes.  

Changing your regime

Just as you would change your perfume from night and day and switch from lotions to butters for your skin so too you need to update your haircare. Winter gives more options for styling as beanies, hats and scarves can be handy. 

Wet hair in winter:

If you are going to be outside early in the morning be weary of stepping out of the house with wet hair. As the cold will lower the temperature of the hair further. Particularly if you have to be outside for longer periods. Opt for protective styles that can be worn for the whole week. 

Beanies and scarves are a great way to do a few things. First you can slip it onto your head to protect it from the harsh cold. Second you can wear it over a deep treatment and still look fabulous.  If you are going to use it for a deep treatment then make sure you drip all the water out of your hair before you wrap it in whatever plastic to ensure that the treatment does not drip on your clothes. Apply your treatment to damp hair instead of soaking wet hair and make sure there is no drip. Do take a small towel with you just in case you need to use it. There is nothing worse than having to feel the trickle of product onto a fancy outfit. 

Hats are a great way to tuck your hair away. You can use a deep treatment under a hat but you will need to use a plastic wrap, matching cloth (to hide the back section) and then the hat. Hats also work great over dried hair. A well coordinated outfit and hat can give you a really stylish Winter look. It may however leave you with hat hair. 

Satin lined beanies are a great way to keep warm and take care of your hair. Get one to wear over your dry hair. This way your hair will stay protected from the elements and you won’t have any snags and you hairline will stay intact. 

Love Naturally

SHL

I Am An Addict

I have a long list of products to share with all of you. 

Giovanni

2Chic Avocado and Olive Oil Shampoo +Conditioner

2Chic Brazillian Keratin and Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

Eco Chic Nutrafix

Eco Chic Smooth as Silk Shampoo + Conditioner

Nexxus Therappe- Replenishing System (caviar complex)

Hydra Light (deep sea minerals) 

Miss Jessie

Leave in Conditioner

Coily Custard

Pillow Soft Curls

Jelly Soft Curls

Multicultural Curls

Baby Buttercreme

Carols Daughter- Leave in Conditioner

Taliah Waajid

The Great Detangler

Curly Curl Cream

ORS

Curls unleashed- Shea butter ans honey curl defining cream

Set it off Curl Boosting Jelly

Cantu

Shea Butter coconut curl cream

Leave-in conditioning repair cream

3 Variants of Eco Styler

Argan, olive and sport

TIGI

Superstar Volumising leave in conditioner

Agadir Argan oil treatment

Fekai

Gloss cream

Mouse

AMEN!

The Mandy Expedition: S.A. Naturalista News #1

The Mandy Expedition: S.A. Naturalista News #1: The year before I returned to natural I did a lot of research and discovered a whole new world. It saddened me a little bit that most of it ...