Product Review - Natty Moist and Natty Butter

I finally gave in to temptation, curiosity and my (recovering) product junkie-ism.  I purchased me some Natty Moist and Natty Butter from All Things O'Natural.   

What's in Natty Moist?
Ayurvedic Herb Infused Water, Unrefined Shea Butter, Avocado Butter, Cupuacu Butter, Aloe Vera Juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Aloe Vera Extract, Guar Conditioner, BTMS, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrolized Silk Protein, Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B), Citric Acid, Vegetable Emulsifier, Vitamin E Oil, Essential Oil Blend, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Natural Fragrance. 

What's in Natty Butter?
Unrefined Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Argan Oil, Almond Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Castor Oil, Aloe Vera Juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Evening Primrose, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Essential Oil Blend, Special Blend of Ayurvedic Herbs, Natural Fragrance.

What's your first impression of NM & NB Kinky?

I must say that I'm pleased with the results (and smell) of these two products.  I was soooooo excited when my package arrived, man oh man did it smell yummy enough to eat!  My daughter even said, "What smells so good Mommy?"  Truth be told, I didn't want to tell her what it was because I knew I would have to share with her.  But, sharing is caring right?!? ;-P

The products come in this cute little bag.   The presentation is just adorable.

Here are the products laid out together...

As stated in my MHS shampoo review, I applied the NM & NB to my dry, day old washed hair.  Anytime you are trying a product for the first time, it is suggested that your hair be clean and free of other products.  MHS helped me to achieve that.  Look at the definition of my hair, and this was just after a few minutes of twisting and then untwisting one twist.

This is me with my full head twisted in medium size twists.  I know I'm cheesing right?!?  It's because I was happy with the results.  Even after a few days, my hair is still bouncy, moisturized and well defined and I've been apply both products daily.  I can (as my daughter says) whip my hair back and forth.  Just as an aside, Natty Moist is to moisturize and condition the hair.  Natty Butter is to seal in that moisture.  I'm not going to post a pic of my actual twist out (yet) as I am preserving my twists for Tuesday (12/13/11) as I have a company party to attend.  Maybe I will show another pic later...

Here is a pic of the back of my daughters wet hair.  Again, the NM &NB were applied to her wet hair.

The following two pics are the morning after applying the NM & NB to my daughter's type 3 hair.  My daughter fell asleep while I was doing her hair; however, I made sure that her satin bonnet was applied.

I think she loves NM & NB too... right along with her Build-A-Bears!

My only disappointment is that I didn't get the flower that I thought would come with it... as pictured on the site and talked about by her fans.  I really wanted to rock it with my twist out.  I know, I know!  I have to get over it!  LoL.  Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase and I do recommend this product.  My type 4 hair needs all the moisture it can get and especially since I have permanent hair color, the protein in the Natty Moist is great for restoration and moisturizing my tresses.  As for the Natty Butter, it's awesome for sealing in the moisture.  Oh, I almost forgot to mention that you don't have to limit  your usage to your hair.  No, before you ask, you CANNOT eat it (LoL) but you can apply it to your body as well as your hair.

Well, thanks for reading my product review on Natty Moist and Natty Butter.  Make sure you also review my review of Michelle's Herbal Shampoo.  I will also be posting reviews of other products in the future.

As always, keep it kinky!

Where to buy: Living The Natty Lifestyle


Disclaimer: I purchased the above product and 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 All Things O'Natural and is thereby not responsible for your experience with the product and/or the company.

Product Review - Michelle's Herbal Shampoo

Ok, so I wanted to try Michelle's Herbal Shampoo since my natural sis, Dominique raved about it.  So I purchased some, used it on me and my daughter's hair... and below are my thoughts... 

What's in Michelle's Herbal Shampoo?
Michelle's Herbal Shampoo distilled water, black soap, vegetable glycerin, an herbal mixture and a multitude of great oils (some of which are essential oils).

What's your first impression of Michelle's Herbal Shampoo Kinky?
I have to say that I absolutely love it.  It has sort of a lemony scent and is sort of the texture and consistency of almond milk; however, it is brown.  You can smell the shampoo through the bottle!  Here are some silly pics of me and MHS. The 1st pic is my "This is the business look!" and the 2nd is my "I love this" look.  LoL.

I applied MHS to me and my daughter's dry hair and scalp (water preservation) and after I massaged our scalps with it and rubbed some down our hair, it was off to the shower to wash it out.  (Of course this process was at separate times).  Unlike some shampoos that have sulfates and other synthetic or unnatural chemicals in them, this did not leave our hair feeling dry at all.  My hair was literally squeaky clean (I know this because I touched my hair and heard the squeak).  

Here is a "before we shampooed" pic of my daughter.

 

  This is our hair with the shampoo applied.

  

Here's an "after we shampooed" pic of both my daughter and I.

 

 

After washing, I didn't apply any product(s) to my hair as I planned on twisting my hair the following day, after it was completely dry and somewhat stretched out. I have to admit, my hair was still moisturized the following morning.  Later that night, I used Natty Moist and Natty Butter to twist it.  However, I twisted my daughter's hair after washing (while it was wet) and applied Natty Moist and Natty Butter on wet hair.

I would definitely purchase this product again.

See the Natty Moist and Natty Butter review for pics and my review of both products.

Disclaimer: I purchased the above product and 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 Michelle's Herbal Shampoo and is thereby not responsible for your experience with the product and/or the company.

Long Hair, Don't Care?!? Uh, Well You Should!

So, thanks to Lil' Wayne, men and women alike are going around shouting 'long hair, don't care.' Contrary to belief, you SHOULD care!!

Some women may be obsessed with long hair.  I can admit, that I DO want my hair to be long... just as it was when I had a perm.  However, I do also want it to be healthy.  The thing some fail to realize is that just because your hair is long, it doesn't mean that it is healthy!  At what LENGTH will you go to, just to say you have LONG hair? (pun intended) Your LONG hair can be dull, dry, lifeless and have SPLIT ENDS!!

What causes split ends Kinky?  How can I prevent them?  Some causes of split ends can be:

~Brushing and/or back-teasing you hair,
~Combing hair while it is dry (especially AA hair),
~Not conditioning (and moisturizing) your hair,
~Chemicals (perms, dyes, etc.),
~Not trimming when needed,
~Your clothes (yep, your hair can snag on shirts, sweaters, hats and scarves), 
~Excessive use of heat, and
~Trimming with inferior scissors (household or kitchen scissors that are dull).

What can I do to prevent split ends Kinky?  You can search AND destroy!!

Besides doing the opposite of what is listed above, you can do a search in destroy.  A S & D is when you take portions of your hair at a time and trim off fairy knots and split ends.  Some may elect to do this as opposed to actually trimming their hair entire head.

Well I ain't trimming my hair!!  How will it GROW if I keep cutting it?!?  To be honest, you really SHOULD cut those fairy knots and trim those split ends.  Why you ask?  Because they are making matters worst for your hair.  And yes, your hair may still grow with the split ends; however, you also risk the 'split' traveling up the shaft of your hair. You risk your beautiful tresses breaking.  You risk those split ends affected the other strands on your naturally, beautiful hair.

So kinkies... I say go for it, trim those ends, do a dusting, search and destroy!!  It seems that that's the only way to get rid of split ends.  Some products out there, such as Nexxus ProMend, allege that they repair split ends as follows:

My only thing is, I have to see it to believe it... I don't know of any PROVEN product, or protein treatment, that repairs hair as above.

If not interested in dusting and you're not sure of how to go about trimming your hair, try using the picture below as a model.  I've actually watched YouTube videos and know of people that use the method below.  A few nights ago when I twisted my hair, I cut the ends based on the same principle.

Here is a picture of some types of split ends:

I hope that the information above has helped you in some way.  Feel free to comment as well as let me know if I missed anything.

Hair's A Secret: Strong Enough For A Man, But pH Balance For My Hair?

When you think of pH, the first thing that may come to mind is that old Secret commercial where they claimed that their deodorant is strong enough for a man but pH balanced for a woman.  Aside from thinking deodorant, you should think HAIR!! Yep, hair!

What is pH?  pH is the "potential of hydrogen," or the measure of how acidic or basic (alkaline) a solution or substance is.  pH levels range from 0 - 14. 

There is a scale that one can use to determine how acidic or alkaline/basic a given substance is.  If the pH is measured at 7, such as in distilled water, it is neutral. If it goes above 7, like for bleaches and detergents, it is considered basic or alkaline. If the pH is measured below 7, like for vinegar and lemon juice, it is considered acidic.  The pH on the hair and scalp is usually about 4.5 - 5.

How does pH affect hair?  pH affects the health of your hair.  As such, you need to be mindful of the products that you use on your hair.  Some people may use baking soda to raise their pH level.  The use of apple cider vinegar (ACV) may help hair to be more resilient, smoother and stronger.  If using baking soda on your scalp, you need to understand that it has a high pH level (and isn't natural).

In order to clean the build-up that is on hair and scalp, shampoo has to be acidic.  Shampoos can range from a pH of 4/4.5 to around 8.5.  Permanent hair dyes contain alkaline chemicals such as ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, which can penetrate hair strands to their cores, or the cortexes. As a result, the production of melanin, which is responsible for your natural hair color is affected. Because permanent hair coloring can be highly basic and may have corrosive properties on hair, it is not always a recommended option for people who want to maintain healthy and strong tresses.  (Man I wish I knew this before I died my hair!  Next time I will try some henna...)  Perms have a pH of 11 - 14, while texturizers may be in the range of
8 - 11.

Should I care about my hair/scalp's pH level?  Yes as it helps to keep bacteria and fungi off of our scalp.


I found the following summary on a reply about pH levels of hair:

~pH 2.0: hard; smooth; not resilient; breaks easily
~pH 6.0: not as hard; smooth; very resilient; resists breaking
~pH 10.0: rough; not very resilient; tends to break easily
~pH 12.0: very rough; not resilient; tends to break very easily

As read on other sites, pH for hair is generally good at a level of 4.5 - 5.5.  Products with a pH level of 4.5 - 7 is noted to be good for our hair.

As per information that I gathered from YouTube vlogger, Kimmay:

~ACV is safe when diluted to 4 pH,
~aloe vera juice is 4 and good for a leave in conditioner or water bottle spritz,
~after wetting hair, use an acidifier within the pH range of 4 - 6 to close the cuticle (4 - 5 may be more effective), and
~the safe range for washing hair is a 4 - 7 pH (no harm done).

If you want to test the pH of products that you use, the plastic strips are better to use than the paper strips.  the pH strip can be pricey and they do very when it comes to the level of pH testing (basically, not all strips go to 14). 

Given the above and Kimmay's awesome hair growth, I may try to consider pH and my hair a bit more.  What about you?  What are your thoughts?

Interview With Natasha, A Recent "Big Chopper"

Good afternoon Natasha.  Thank you so much for agreeing to participate in this interview.  I'm truly excited to be doing this interview with you... let's get started!

For those that don't know you, please introduce yourself and tell us how long you have been natural.  My name is Natasha Moore, my maiden name is Weir...  I have been fully natural since my big chop on October 24, 2011, I transitioned for eight months to a year.

So, what made you want to transition then decide to do the big chop?  At first I was transitioning but I was so bored with wearing weaves all the time so I slowly just started to wear my hair... It had been so long since I have worn my actual hair with nothing extra added.  On October 24, 2011, I was having a conversation with you actually and I went in the bathroom and I just cut it... Very liberating!  (insert Kinky Kinetik's blushing here - LoL)

What products do you use on your natural hair?  Right now honestly I'm not using anything but Olive Oil and Eco Styler Gel.

What's your hair type?  I am type 4A.  OK, so we have the same hair type.  Just so you know, some natural belles may have two hair types... not sure if that's a gift or a curse... :-)
 
What's your favorite style to wear while your rocking your TWA?  I love, love, love all types of headbands.  I didn't realize a headband could make such a huge difference!  Yes, they can... I love headbands... some can be a bit pricey though...

What's your daily regimen?  I wash my hair now once every two weeks, I cowash every week. Since I live in Florida, I can get away with a wet and go.

In thinking of a celebrity, who is your hair inspiration idol?  Solonge Knowles... I love, love, love her natural hair!
 
What, if any, influence did Kinky Kinetik have on you 'going natural?'  Kinky Kinetik has been one of my biggest inspirations!  From your style to the different hair regimens that you have given once my hair gets to a certain length.  I really appreciate that Natasha!

Have you considered (and or will you) going back to a perm?  I haven't considered going back to getting my hair permed.  I am however having a weave itch, with which I can satisfy with wigs.  So I have been doing great.

What (and/or who) was it that also helped you make the decision to go natural?  My mom, Kera (Kinky) Kinetik, Solange Knowles, and Fusion of Culture.  These people all played a key roll in me going fully natural.

What, if any, advice and/or suggestions would you give to someone who is looking to transition or do a big chop, yet are reluctant?  The only advice I can give is do it when you're ready and when you are 100%.  Natural hair is a process and its requires a lot of patience and creativity.  Don't use other people's hair quality or hair type as a reason why you want to go natural, everyone's curl and form is completely different. Do it for you and no one else.  Go 'head Tasha!!  Right on!! 

Well thank you so very much Tasha.  I really appreciate your participating in this interview.  Just so you know, I too love Solange!  I love her edginess, her music and that she's not ashamed to be natural in the industry, where you're judged on darn near everything.

I'm glad that I was an inspiration for you Tasha, as I try to be for those who are and/or want to 'go natural.'  I'm sure that this interview will also help someone who may be wanting to transition or just go ahead and do their big chop!  You have definitely inspired me to keep doing what I'm doing and encouraging others to rock their natural hair!

Keep it kinky!! 

Where to contact Tasha, Tasha's FB Blog