Kute Lil' Kinkies - Nalani

Hey Kinkies!  It's time for our second Kute Lil' Kinkies feature.  A proud grandmother submitted this entry (she's pictured below with her granddaughter and there's also a picture of Nalani's mother).

~What's your name, age, and grade?

Her name Nalani Sarobei Campbell and she is four years old.  She currently goes to daycare and loves it!

~What's your favorite color?

Her favorite colors are red and blue.

~What's your favorite natural hair style?

Her mother's favorite hair style is a pony tail/twists in a bun and my favorite style for her is the bantu knots!

~What's some of your favorite things to do and why?   

Her favorite things to do are watch Dora, color, and draw.

~What makes you feel awesomely beautiful? 

What makes her feel awesomely beautiful is lip gloss, getting dressed, and taking pictures.  (I think she'll be a model).  Her personality is so refreshing, lively and beautiful!!

Kinky Chats With Mommy...

~Why do you want to showcase your natural little beauty?

I want to showcase her natural beauty because I want other moms/grandmoms to know that their Kute Lil' Kinkies can be naturally beautiful too!  You don't need relaxers to manage their hair and handle their beautiful locs of hair.

~How do you encourage your little one to love their natural hair and natural beauty?

We encourage her to love her natural hair and beauty by allowing her to "assist" in her hair styling, teach her about natural hair products (yes at four yrs old).  We compliment her natural beauty and let her see other natural Kinkies on television, in magazines, and in the real world so that she knows kinky hair is beautiful hair!

~Are there any tips or advice that you would like to give other mother's about doing/taking care of their child's natural hair?

Tips and advice that my daughter and I want give are: If you use rubber bands, break them off instead of pulling them off so you don't break the hair.  Depending on the hair type, ouchless rubber bands may work on your Lil' Kinkies hair.  If you do a ponytail, pull her ponytails more to the middle of her head, instead of the top, and you won't have edge breakage.  Please comb from the ends to the roots and invest in a great detangler.

Feel free to also check me out on Facebook, Kinky Kinetik, Twitter, Tweet Kinky and YT, KinkyKinetik.

 ~Keep it Kinky~ 

Product Review - VanTRESSa Naturals

Hey Kinkies.  Guess who's doing another review?!?  ME!!

I love doing product reviews, especially for smaller companies that you may not have heard of.  This time I am reviewing products from a line called VanTRESSa Naturals.  I was sent a total of five products to do a review on.  This review will be on three of the five products sent.

What's In VanTRESSa Naturals' Products?

CocoSheaSTRONG Protein Shine Conditioner: Water, aloe vera, glycerin, olive oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, BTMS, cetearyl alcohol (plant derived), lecithin, shea butter, silk protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, sucrose cocoate, guar, menthol, phenoxyethanol SA, tocopherol, sorbitol, essential oils, and fragrance.

Coconut Oil Créme:100% creamy organic coconut oil.

SheaGrow: 100% natural creamy shea butter, oils, and follicle stimulating essential oils.

Of note, the ingredients on the website differ from what is on some of the labels of the products that were sent to me.  The ingredients listed above are as per the labels of the products that were sent to me.  Also, I started this review on freshly shampooed hair (I used an Ayurvedic shampoo bar that I previously used.  I detangled with a detangling product and tool as it was much needed (I wore an Afro puff for a week so I am sure you can understand the need to detangle).  The products were rinsed out prior to starting this review.

What's your first impression of  VanTRESSa Naturals' Products Kinky?  The CocoSheaSTRONG smelled  a bit citrusy and it was pleasing.  The product itself is creamy, more of a liquid consistency, and a beige-like color.  It reminds me of waffle batter, but not as thick.  I left it on my hair for an hour (well actually a little over an hour), as directed by the bottle, then I rinsed with cool water.  After rinsing it out, my hair felt soft and had a bit of shine.  (It would help if I had a picture, right?)  Next I applied the Coconut Oil Créme to my wet hair.

As for the Coconut Oil Créme, it smelled like regular coconut oil.  The website (and product label) does note that you can choose different scents for this product; however, the one sent to me was unscented.   Man I wish that I had gotten ANY of the scents listed on the site as they all sound sooooooooooooo good!  It did not really differ from the coconut oil that you can buy at the store.  I did notice that while in the jar it did not melt as quickly as my other coconut oil that I have - this may be due to the dark jar that it is packaged in.  When I used it, it did easily melt in my hands, as with any other coconut oil.   After applying the Coconut Oil Créme to my wet hair, I then applied the SheaGrow as a second layer.

I used the SheaGrow, which smells like mint, on my scalp as well as my hair.  The product sent to me is not as pictured on the site.  The site shows a creamy product; however, what was sent to me was a solid form.  After rubbing it into my hands, it did smoothly coat my hair.  At times, I did use the coconut oil to help soften the SheaGrow in my palms.  After twisting, I covered my head with a bonnet cap that I previously reviewed and the next morning I could not WAIT to check out my hair.  My hair was bouncy, shiny and I could not keep my hands out of it.  I did my hair on a Friday night and left my hair in the twists until Sunday morning.  Normally I do it on Sunday night but since I was going to the hair expo on Sunday, I had to look right!!  Below is the picture of my hair on the evening that I took the twists out.

Normally I have more pictures, but I think that I got lost in the need to get ready for the NJ NHCE, and forgot to do the close-ups and unveiling.  I promise my hair was the business in person!!  It was soft and  my tresses bounced back when pulled.  I had gotten so many compliments on my hair at the expo, and was even asked what product was in my hair a few times.  If you check out my pictures from the NJ Natural Hair Care Expo, you will be able to see more pictures.

Anywho, I did an overnight pineapple.  I was not able to do a successful overnight pineapple, but I tried... once again!  I kept my hair tied up until Tuesday morning, when I had to actually go into the office.  I should have known it would have been just a pine instead of successful pineapple.  I was able to do a quick pompadour twist-out style, which I wore for the remainder of the week.  I only used an elastic headband.  I thought it was cute... see for yourself.

 Here's a close-up of the back.  

While my twists aren't as defined as a few days prior, you can still see the sheen.  My tresses were still soft to the touch, throughout the entire review process.  Nightly I moisturized with water, applied the Créme and SheaGrow, and covered my tresses with a bonnet.  I applied the SheaGrow to my scalp every other day, massaging it in.

Overall,  I really liked the products and would likely use them again.  Unless you're one that would want a scent added to your coconut oil, I would not really invest in the coconut oil.  This is not to take away from the company, as I know some prefer to get all of their items from one location, in one shot.  I just honestly wouldn't.  If there were EOs added, or some other beneficial ingredient, then perhaps I would consider purchasing it.

I know some may have protein sensitivity while others report how their hair is dry and brittle after using a product with protein... while I haven't used this product long enough to see the long term effects, I can honestly say that after using the CocoSheaSTRONG, my hair definitely had softness and shine so I will definitely use it again as a deep conditioner/protein treatment.

Look out for the review of the other two products that I am reviewing from this line.  I can't wait to try those!  That may be via YouTube though!  :-)

Where to buy: VanTRESSa Naturals

Oh as I typed this, I thought about something... As with most products, I rub the left over product that was on my hands, on my legs or arms.  I hope that the follicle stimulating EOs that are in the product don't have me looking furry!  LoL.  Just kidding... but I did seriously think that!

Feel free to also check me out on Facebook, Kinky Kinetik, Twitter, Tweet Kinky and YT, KinkyKinetik.

~Keep it Kinky~ 

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for the purpose of a review and I was NOT paid to do this review. The above review/opinions expressed was based on MY experience using the product. Kinky Kinetik is not affiliated with VanTRESSa Naturals and is thereby not responsible for your experience with the product.

Wordless Wednesday: MAC Upgrade

Feel free to also check me out on Facebook, Kinky Kinetik, Twitter, Tweet Kinky and YT, KinkyKinetik.

 ~Keep it Kinky~ 

Kute Lil' Kinkies - Janae

Hey Kinkies!!  I am doing a new 'segment' on my page called Kute Lil' Kinkies.  Not only do I want to celebrate the natural beauties I encounter, but I also want to recognize (and encourage) the little natural beauties in our life.  Of course I couldn't start this segment without first featuring my own daughter, Janae!!

~What's your name, age, and grade?

My name is Janae.  I am eight years old and I am in third grade.

~What's your favorite color?

PINK!

~What's your favorite natural hair style?

A braided bun with a few twists to the side.

~What's some of your favorite things to do and why?   

I love swimming, singing, dancing, riding my bike, and going to places like the mall, Funplex, and The Liberty Science Center.  I enjoy these things and I like to do them all of the time!  :-)

~What makes you feel awesomely beautiful? 

Singing, dancing, and looking at myself in the mirror makes me feel awesomely beautiful!!! :-P

Kinky Chats With Mommy...

~Why do you want to showcase your natural little beauty?

I think that it is VERY important to encourage our children to love themselves, inside and out.  They need to feel and KNOW that they are special.  No matter their skin color, hair color, favorite subject, height, if they wear glasses, like vegetables, and/or their ethnicity, they need to know that they are beautifully unique, special, and should believe in themselves.  The images on television and the kids at school may have them second guessing their looks; however, that's where we as parents, grandparents, etc., come in.  Instead of looking up child-star singers and actors online, come here and show your Kute Lil' Kinky themselves, as well as the other Kute Lil' Kinkies featured.  I guarantee they'll smile and feel good about what they see!

~How do you encourage your little one to love their natural hair and natural beauty?

I continually tell her how beautiful she is and teach her about loving herself and her hair.  I praise her for her grades, being a great daughter, and teach her about being a great person.  Yes, she gets tons of compliments from family, friends, and strangers, but I still think it's important to teach her about her inner and outer beauty at home.  I let her pick out her own clothes and decide on the hair styles she wants to wear, so not only is she feeling like she's part of creating her identity, she's also allowed to show her fashion sense, her inner and outer beauty, and be proud of what she portrays.

~Are there any tips or advice that you would like to give other mother's about doing/taking care of their child's natural hair?

Since I know that so many other mommies will submit great hair tips and advice, I'm going to just say let your child have a part in the styling of their hair.  Teach them how to cleanse, style, and maintain their natural hair.  Also, ask them what style they want to wear.  Feeling like their included in decisions will definitely go a long way.  

Feel free to also check me out on Facebook, Kinky Kinetik, Twitter, Tweet Kinky and YT, KinkyKinetik.

 ~Keep it Kinky~ 

Product Review - ZBest For U

Hey Kinkies!!  So, Aside from natural hair care products, I also love to use natural skin products.  I've been giving yet another opportunity to review some skin care products from Z Best.

What's In Z Best' Products?

Souffle: Distilled water, shea butter, coco butter, jojoba oil, grape seed oil, sesame seed oil, vegetable glycerin, vitamin E, organic extracts, essential oils, and FD & C Red & Yellow.

Soft Soothing Oil: Sunflower oil, grape seed oil, shea butter, apricot kernel oil, olive oil, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, almond oil,  organic coconut oil, natural extracts, vitamin E oil, essential oils, and fragrance.

Whipped Shea Butter:  Shea butter, coco butters, sweet almond oil,  jojoba oil, organic olive oil, organic  coconut oil, water, safflower oil,  grape seed oil, corn starch, essential oils, and fragrances. (as per website)

Dead Sea Salt Herbal Milk Bath Soak:  Dead sea salt, Epsom salt, dehydrated goat's milk, bath beads, lavender flowers, natural herbs, and essential oils. (as per website)

Sweet Mango Tango Beauty Bar: glycerin, propylene glycol, water, sodium cocate, sorbital, sterate, sodium myristate, titanium dioxide, shea butter, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, goat's milk, almond milk, coconut oil, essential oils, and organic extracts.  (as per website)

Exfoliating Beauty Bar: ingredients not available at time of the review.

What's your first impression of Z Best 'Kinky?  I have mixed reviews for the products as a whole.  Some of them were great, others I could have done without.  So, my thoughts are as follows...

• The consistency of the Souffle reminds me of flan, the dessert.  The souffle didn't do much for me, as compared to the whipped shea butter.  It was scented Sweet Z and I didn't like the smell of this one.  The website shows other scents, such as Lemon Pudding and Sweet Coconut.  I think either one of them would have been a better scent choice... for me at least.

• The Soft Soothing Oil smelled a bit like the Souffle, so again, I did not like the scent.  As for the oil itself, I did use it a few times to lock moisture into my skin (at night).  Below is a picture of my arm after using it.  it was not greasy or too oily, which is good, especially for summer months.

• The Whipped Shea Butter was scented Sweet Cotton Candy & Apples.  Since I don't like apple scents, I didn't like the smell too much.  However, I had a pleasant treat when I first tried this as I used it fresh out of the fridge (where I store my products).  The cool temperature was refreshing and it was an okay body butter.  I would continue to use it.

• The Dead Sea Salt Herbal Milk Bath Soak was a winner for me!  I definitely enjoyed the detoxifying bath soak and I even let my daughter take a bath in it once when she wasn't feeling well.  The tub was definitely dirty after using this, which I attribute to using the soak (don't worry, I shower after baths).  This is one item that I would definitely recommend and would use over and over again!  

• The Sweet Mango Tango Beauty Bar was another winner for me and my daughter.  If you are looking for something that smells like mango, this is not it.  It does have a sweet, fruity scent; however, it does not smell like mango.  My daughter loved to cleanse herself with this bar and I enjoyed this bar, as a sweet treat, as well.  The bar is not drying, lasts a long time, and looks too cute!  

• The Exfoliating Beauty Bar was the third winner for me.  Not only was the bar pretty, it was also creamy and nicely scented.  Now, generally I don't like floral scents but this bar was the exception.  I am almost finished the bar and now I am at the 'extra-exfoliating' portion of the bar, where more oats and seeds are present.  My daughter didn't really use this bar much, which was fine with me (more for me).  

Here's my arm without the oil and then with the oil... again, it wasn't oily/greasy at all.

Look how pretty the Sweet Mango Tango Beauty Bar (The Exfoliating Bar is pictured above).

This picture of the sea salt soak isn't that clear.  The Z Best website shows a much better picture.

In addition to the above products, I was sent two pressure point oils (love them) and a tea light candle (or two).  The oils smell soooooooooooooooo good!  Another great item that she has.

So you're probably wondering why I have a picture of myself in this review.  Well, I wanted to also show off the totally cute copper earrings that she has.  She has earrings and hair accessories for sale, in addition to her bath and beauty items.  It's the one-stop-shop for us beauties!!

Where to buy: ZBest For U

Feel free to also check me out on Facebook, Kinky Kinetik, Twitter, Tweet Kinky and YT, KinkyKinetik.

 ~Keep it Kinky~ 

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for the purpose of a review and I was NOT paid to do this review. The above review/opinions expressed was based on MY experience using the product. Kinky Kinetik is not affiliated with ZBest For U and is thereby not responsible for your experience with the product.