Workout Headband

lol - Is that what they're called? I doubt it! But whenever I see tween/teen girls wearing these, I always think they look like the just got done with Volleyball practice or something! :D I think they're cute - but they definitely make me think "exercise". :)

I wanted to do something non-stress today for Q's hair. I think it's good to go "free" once in awhile! But I also didn't want her tripping because she couldn't see! So I compromised. I put in one of those workout headbands that are made for older girls. It just gently rests on her head since her head is smaller than the headband is designed for (which is why I like it) and it has a strip of silicone or something on the underneath side to help it stick to the hair and keep it in place. (Not that it really works, but I think it helps some!)

Cute and easy! Although, unlike other styles, this one does require maintenance throughout the day :) because it slides off, or Q pulls it off, or the hair comes out from under it, etc.

Ulta

Someone on CurlyNikki posted about Ulta having a sale. She said the Giovanni was buy one, get one free. My Riteaid didn't have Giovanni Direct Leave-in (love that stuff!) So I had to go check Ulta out.

You can check out Ulta's flyer here.

The sale is from January 3rd-January 23rd

To get the Giovanni for BOGO you need the coupon in the flyer. They carry their flyer in the store, so just ask for one. They also have a coupon on the front page of the flyer $3.50 off any purchase of $10 or more. Ulta also has Herbal Essences products 2/$6, Matrix 1 liter products $13, and much more!

Oh, and did you know Ulta has DevaCurl?

Happy shopping!

Cradle Cap

I know, I know, I probably should have addressed this months ago! But I had heard that you shouldn't "scrape" at cradle cap. I had also heard that adult dandruff shampoo (a couple treatments of it) will get rid of the flaky skin. I had also heard that you should leave it alone. I had also heard that you should rub at it with an old toothbrush....

As you can tell, I was confused and conflicted! How's a mom supposed to know who to believe?!?

I guess I figured "scrape" or "pick" was virtually the same as scrubbing at it in any sense - so I decided not to do any of those. (Oh the technicalities of the English language!) I also disliked the idea of using adult dandruff shampoo on my little baby! For one, what if I got it in her eyes?!?! For two, that stuff is full of chemicals. and for three, I've heard that with some adults (some brands) actually GIVE you dandruff! Because it's so drying to the scalp. (good job security for the dandruff shampoo people, huh?!)

Then when I started consistently playing with and "doing" Q's hair, I could really see that she still had quite a bit of cradle cap. (as you may have noticed in the pictures) I felt so bad! But I didn't know what to do about it. So I left it. However, as I combed her hair more and was parting it and putting in ponytails and braids, etc, I noticed that it was loosening some of the flakes. Not in a harsh way, just in an "active use" kind of way. :)

So... I decided to try to learn some more.

What I found recently said that you could use oil (coconut, olive, mineral, etc.) to soak the scalp and then gently scrub at the flakes. Then wash the head/hair as usual to get the oil off.

So we tried it tonight! I should have taken pictures to spice up this post.... but I didn't. Anyway, it seems to have worked! I'll know more in the morning when I go to do her hair again, but after her bath tonight it looked very promising!

The details of what I did:
1. Rub lots of coconut oil onto her scalp
2. Make sure it got down to the scalp, not just on the ends of her long hair
3. Using my fingers and a comb, I just gave her a little head massage/scratch - as though I was rubbing her back. :)
4. She got to nurse and watch a movie while I did this so she was pretty happy about it all :) and although I was "rubbing" at it, and maybe even "scratching", and her head did turn a little pink, she never showed any signs of it hurting her at all.
5. Then I put her in the bathtub  :)
6. I used a gentle organic baby shampoo in her hair to get the oil out.

I hope this helps anyone else who might be confused about the conflicting info on cradle cap out there!!

Fancy Twisty Hair

Q didn't feel like sitting still today! But here we go ...

First I left out some bangs, Then I made a little ponytail ...

and turned it ...

Here's some pics of how to do that (Topsy Tail! or Pull-Through, etc.)

(Make a loose pony tail and split it)

(Then tuck the "tail" through the part you just made)

(and pull it tighter if you want)

Then I just started twisting! I twisted the two "tails" I had just made, plus two more. I attached them randomly to other hair with a little claw clip.

I also clipped back her bangs with a matching claw clip.

And that's that!

I did go back and put in some little elastics under the claw clips because she just didn't have enough hair to hold it tight. And in retrospect, next time I probably won't bother with the pull-through's for her hair, it would look just as cute without them (almost) and they are time-consuming on a little one with a short attention span! :)

Thank you to princesshairstyles for this idea!

Zig Zaggy Pig-Tails

Because Q's hair isn't long enough to just do "normal" pigtails - I got to be creative. :) Basically I just gave her a zig zag part and then started adding little step-ponies. Do as many as needed until you have the hair all pulled toward the same place!

And that's it! I should have done another one under the piggie 'cuz the little hairs by her neck started falling out... but, oh well! Now we know for next time :)

We Recycled It!

We ended up leaving the Duo-Trick Headband in today... and it looked just as good as yesterday! Even after today's nap, too! :)  I re-wet the curls and combed them out with the wide toothed comb and we were good to go!

Happy New Year!!

Product Review: Curly Q's

I want to say thank you to Curls for allowing me to review
your products.

About Curly Q's

Looking for the right products for your curly hair kid? Not too heavy or greasy like most ethnic products found in drugstores, with the right amount of moisture and curl definition, minus the dryness found in products created for straight hair? Curly Q's is just for you!

Curly Q's, quality curly hair products are gently formulated for curly hair kids with naturally curly, kinky, wavy, and/or natural-afro hair!

Formulated with natural humectants, organic moisturizers, and curl enhancers. Your curly angel's hair will never be the same!





Curlie Cutie Cleansing Cream

The Claim: This rich and creamy sulfate free cleanser gently cleanses your angel's curls, hydrates, and conditions the hair all in one step! Produces a mild, gentle lather, as it is sulfate (detergent) free. Infused with Carrot Seed oil, Horse Chestnut, Sage Leaf and Arnica Montana Flower Extract, this exceptionally formulated cleanser with cleanse, hydrate and condition her hair all in one step!

Ingredients: Purified water, Sodium Cocyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, cocamidopropyl Betaine, Steric Acid, Glycerine, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-7, Fragrance, Silk Amino Acids, Panthenol, Daucus Carota, Sativa (carrot) seed oil, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Aesculus Hipocastanum (Horse Chestnut) extract, Salvia Officinalis (sage) leaf extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caramel.

Price: $12 8oz

Review: I rinsed A's hair with warm water, poured a little Curlie Cutie Cleansing Cream in my hand, then gentled massaged it in circles on A's scalp. This shampoo is very moisturizing and has a nice lather. It was very easy to rinse out and smells amazing!

A's hair with Curlie Cutie Cleansing Cream in.



Coconut Dream Conditioner

The Claim: Looking for a rinse off conditioner that provides MAXIMUM moisture and softness for your angel's dry curly tresses? Look no further, Coconut Dream conditioner is guaranteed to soften the kinkiest curl, moisturize the driest lock, and detangle the most unruly tresses.

Ingredients: Purified Water, Cetyl Alcohol (derived from coconut) Stearalkonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol (derived from coconut), Polysorbate 60, Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos Hucifera), Panthenol, Certified Organic Arnica Flower Extract, Certified Organic Chamoile Flower Extract, Certified Organic White Tea Extract, Monoi de Tahiti, Methylheptyl Isostearate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Natural Fragrance,Caramel.

Price: $14 16oz

Review: After rinsing out
Curlie Cutie Cleansing Cream I applied a generous amount of Coconut Dream Conditioner in sections of A's hair. This conditioner was moisturizing and had a nice slip. I finger combed her hair first, then used a wide tooth comb on each section. I let it sit for a few minutes then rinsed.

A's hair with Coconut Dream Conditioner in.



Moist Curls Moisturizer/Detangler

The Claim: Moist Curls is the daily detangling liquid moisturizer you've been looking for! This hot seller detangles, revives, protects, moisturizes and conditions your angel's curls. Give her curls a boost while protecting them from the harsh environmental elements. For best result use daily on wet or dry hair.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Bean Tree, Certified Organic White Tea Extract, Certified Organic Chamomille Extract, Certified Organic Pomegranate Seed Extract, Hydroxypropyltrimonium, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Butyrospermum Parkii Shea Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Seed Oil), Cocos Nucifera Coconut Oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Silk Amino Acids, Citric Acid, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Natural Fragrance.

Price: $14 8oz

Review: I actually sprayed a little of the Moist Curls Moisturizer in my hand, then applied it to each section of A's hair. It definitely helped me glide the Denman D3 brush through her curls very easily. A little of this product goes a very long way, so use sparingly. This stuff smells great! A said it smells like gum, watermelon, and yogurt. lol :)

Curly Q Milkshake

The Claim: Perfect leave in for your curly angel...especially for those with needy, dry curls. Derived from natural milks (coconut and sweet almond milk), this moisturizing cream will bring life back to her overworked tresses.

Ingredients: Purified water, certified organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, cetearyl alcohol, behentrimonium methosulfate, jojoba oil, cetrimonium chloride, soy protein, soyamidoprpylkonium chloride, allantoin, soy lecithin, beeswax milk, coconut milk, aloe vera milk, milk amino acids, buttermilk, arnica extract, lavender extract, certified organic chamomile extract, certified organic white tea extract, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, fragrance.

Price: $14 8oz

Review: I applied a little of the Curly Q Milkshake on top of Moist Curls Moisturizer. This product is light, creamy, and very moisturizing!

Curly Q Gel-les'c (pronounced Curly Q Jealousy)

The Claim: It isn’t a gel, and not quite a serum it’s Curl Gel-les’c (pronounced Curl Jealousy). This botanically based, organic curl styler imparts brilliant sheen, banishes frizz, and holds those twirls in place! Transform dry frizzy locks into the enviable curls that every girl dreams of, with Curly Q Gel-les’c!

Ingredients: Purified Water, Polyquaternium-11, Sorbitol, Certified Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polyquaternium-37, Vegetable Glycerin, Certified Organic Coconut Milk ( Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice), Certified Organic Linden Seed Oil ( Tilia Cordata Flower Extract), Certified Organic Flaxseed Oil ( Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Certified Organic Chamoile Extract (Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract) Certified Organic Rosemary Extract (Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract), Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol.

Price: $18 8oz

Review: Finally, I applied Curl Gel-les'c to each section of A's hair. I only needed a small drop for each section. I am absolutely in love with Curl Gel-les'c! You may remember my review I did a while back on a small sample size of this product. A has gotten some of the best frizz free, defined curls from Gel-les'c.

A's wet hair layered with Moist Curls Moisturizer, Curly Q Milkshake, & Curl Gel-les'c.



Before & Afters:

In her before pictures I had taken down 5 big "bed time" braids. If you would like to see what her hair looks like washed, detangled, with no product left in, go here







In the picture below, she was swinging her hair back and forth, you can really see how defined and frizz free her curls were.



I am definitely impressed with Curly Q's. A's hair is soft, moisturized, and frizz free. She has volume, but not "too" much volume. Just fun, bouncy curls! Everything smells absolutely amazing! I think the prices are reasonable, especially considering you don't need much of any of the above products. A little goes a long way. I can see several of the above full size products lasting several months. I really wasn't sure how much I would like Curly Q's. I thought it would be too light for A's 4A curl type but that is not the case. I am loving it. If you would like to purchase Curls, Curly Q's, or It's-a-Curl products you can visit their website.

Disclosure: The product(s) were sent to me free of charge from the company or PR agency for the purpose of this review. My opinions are my own and are not influenced by any other part.