Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding

   Recently I have been hearing a lot about this product called: Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding. I've always heard that Miss Jessies line of products were good but had never tried any on my hair. So I decided to finally try the Curly Pudding that everyone has been talking so much about.

So I received my curly pudding, got home, opened the container and what is the first thing I notice? OH MY GOD ITS PURPLE! <3<3<3
The color is great, the packaging is simple and it also has a very sweet fruity scent, almost like bubble gum. The texture is literally like pudding, so again just like the curl enhancing smoothie, a little goes a long way.

The product description on the website says:
-It Banishes frizz, promotes a soft, shiny, plump curl. Excellent for defining curls and twists. Yummy scent! 
-It contains a bunch awesome oils like Avocado Oil, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil and Macadamia Seed Oil
-Instructions for use: Apply a palm full of Curly pudding to damp freshly shampooed and conditioned hair. Rake through large sections and air dry. For maximum elongation comb a nickel sized dollop thru small sections and air dry.

   One thing I liked about the pudding is that it doesn't shrink your curls as much as other curl defining products. Which just means you'll have more volume and length while still achieving curl definition.
   As I said It is great for styling but I have to say that personally I did found that it made my hair a bit "hard". Not like gels or hair moose that usually leaves it dry, but it doesn't feel as soft as I thought it would, although its not exactly something I would worry about. Having said that, after using it in combination with my leave-in (Curl Enhancing Smoothie) I fell IN LOVE. the leave-in made sure my hair wouldn't feel tough, while the pudding gave it shine and hold.

 SO I think I'm gonna give this product Four Stars.
Just because on its own its not my IDEAL product, but when you put on your favorite leave-in first and then finish off with the pudding. It is MAGIC.

Question: Hair Growth

Ok so this is a question I was sent by a follower on Tumblr named deverruca. She asked:
What kind of shampoo/conditioner is best? (I'm using garnier fructis length and strength) I want to have lonnnng curly hair. 

Well when it comes to hair growth the best thing is to keep your hair as healthy as possible. I am also trying to grow my hair very long and there are some things I have learned on how to speed up the process.

+ Do not shampoo your hair every day as it can lead to a dry scalp which will prolong the growth process. Having said that, when you DO shampoo, watch out for chemicals that can strip your hair from its natural oils. Yes, it will be clean, but it will feel dry and get very frizzy. Some of these chemicals are: Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sulfur, and alcohols like Benzyl and Ethanol
There are alcohols that will not damage your hair like Stearyl and Cetearyl these are ok to use as they are non drying.*
I have recently been using Carol’s Daughter Rosemary Mint Clarifying Shampoo and it has worked wonderfully!
+ Co-Wash your hair on the days you want to wash but don’t want to use shampoo. Its also great to use a deep conditioner at least once a month. (I use my deep conditioner once a week) The best ones are always those that you have to leave in your hair for 30 minutes or more.
**Conditioners are the best thing you can buy for your hair but you don’t necessarily need to buy the most expensive one. What I like to do is buy my favorite conditioner ( sometimes the cheapest if money is tight) and and put in a teaspoon of olive, argon or coconut oil.

+ Do not use hot water to rinse out your hair, this can cause frizz, breakage and dry scalp. It is better to use cold water, but if you aren’t very fond of the idea of pouring cold water on your hair then warm water is fine, just make sure its not too hot.

+ Scalp Massages with oils like argan, olive, coconut, or a mixture of your favorite oils are great. The massage will open up the blood vessels which will increase blood flow and help circulation. The kneading pressure applied by massage warms the skin and opens up blood vessels to increase flow and boost circulation. And your hair will soak up all the necessary nutrients from the oil. This strengthens your hair roots which helps you shed less hair.

+ Some people like to drink supplements like Biotin to help hair growth, so that’s another option.

I hope this answer can help anyone out there who is trying to achieve beautiful, long, curly, hair.
If you want to see pictures of men and women with beautiful curly hair, you can follow me on Tumblr: http://ricitosdecanela.tumblr.com/

Sesame Street: I Love My Hair

A fantastic song made by Sesame Street that helps little girls who may not feel all that comfortable with who they are, love and accept themselves just a little more.  The video features an adorable girl puppet singing about how much she loves her hair and the different things she can do with it. Enjoy!

Carol's Daughter Macadamia Hold and Control Smoother

I really Really REALLY want to try this product. I have used pomades and gels in the past and the problem I always find with these is the constant flakes, dry hair and residue they leave behind. But this product is unlike any other pomade or gel.
  I think that what makes this product so different are the ingredients, it contains: Castor Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Honey Extract, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, etc. It has NO Parabens, Petroleum, Mineral Oil or artificial colors which means it probably won't leave so much residue.
  You can get a 2.25 oz container of this product for 22 dollars at Carolsdaughter.com It is a little pricey which is the reason why I haven't tried it, BUT I am hoping to at least get a sample because I am DYING to use it on my short curly hair. if you have any thoughts, comments, or If you have already used the product and would like to share your thoughts, please let me know.

Sleep Regimen For Curly Hair

There are different things you can do with your curly hair to make sure its stays beautifully moisturized and frizz free during the week without having to wash or co-wash every day.
No matter if you have a TWA (Teenie Weenie Afro) or a lengthy head of hair, there is a routine that is right for you so you can have gorgeous second, third or even fourth day hair.
Here are some of the things I have learned and even used:
1. Always apply some sort of leave in conditioner or oil before going to sleep. There is no need to apply too much, but just a little coconut or neem oil helps your hair stay moisturized during the night.
2. Satin is your best friend. It is important to always cover your hair with a satin scarf or bonnet before going to bed. The satin is actually very smooth, so it will not pull on your hair or absorb the moisture while you sleep.
If your hair is very long, voluminous or you just don't like wearing anything on your head during the night you can invest in a satin pillowcase. Its a lilttle bit pricier but works just as well.
3. The Next Day. Ok, so you wake up the next day and take off the bonnet or scarf and your hair is stuck to one side of your head. What do you do?!
Time to freshen up your curls!
One thing you can do is use a curl activator, curl defining spray/cream or (my favorite) take a bit of oil (coconut, neem, etc.) rub it in your hands and lightly shape and separate your curls. The oil helps you manage your hair without creating frizz.
*Try not to touch your hair too much during the day so that it won't get frizzy*
4. Have really long hair? One trick that is used a lot is the pineapple routine. How it works is: you get a hair tie or scrunchie, flip your hair forward and lightly tie your hair on the top of your head. Sleep on your satin pillowcase and once you wake up in the morning all you have to do is let your hair down and apply your second day hair product of choice.
I really hope these tips are helpful and if you know of any other recommendations feel free too let me know  and will try them out and post the best ones.

My Transitioning Phase and Tips that Helped Me

Ok, so these are some old pictures from when i was transitioning.

  I did the BC about 4 months ago and it was a really freeing experience. Not having to constantly be on top of what my hair looks like and having to go get my hair relaxed all the time!
But for those of you out there who want to go natural but are not ready to do the BC just yet, here's a styling option.
 For this look I would just flatten out one side of my hair and bobby-pin it in the back so it stayed in place while it was still wet.
Then, I would use a styling cream or the eco-styer gel to diffuse the other side so that once it dried you wouldn't notice the difference as much between my natural and relaxed hair.
*WARNING* DO NOT use moose for this look, it will dry out your hair too much and could lead to breakage at the places where the two textures meet.
I hope this was helpful, if you have any other ideas for transitioners please feel free to send them to me and i will post them <3