Review: Blended Beauty

Here's an extra special review for you all!!  I received several products from Blended Beauty, the Natural Hair Oil and Happy Nappy Styles.  I love good products and this is one brand that I've been itching to try!  Not to mention the fact that my hair has been crazy dry this winter, I was really hoping that these products could help alleviate some of that as well.

Blended Beauty hair care products were designed specifically for the needs of those with dry, wavy, curly, kinky, and relaxed or heat-straightened hair.

Our main goal is to provide superior quality products that beautify the look of the hair but also nourish the hair from the inside out, promoting healthy growth and diminishing breakage. All our products are formulated with naturally derived ingredients and are between 98%-99% natural.

Let's start with the Natural Hair Oil first...

Oils of Sunflower, Avocado, and Beantree, Grapeseed with Rosemary extract and Soy lecithin provide deep moisturizing without clogging hair follicles. This blend has a light weight feel and will keep hair, moisturized, healthy and growing. It can also be used as a hot oil treatment before shampooing, or in between shampoo and conditioner with very dry hair. $20.00/8 oz

Ingredients: Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Perfume, Soy Lecithin, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract.

Directions: Apply as needed to hair and scalp and leave on. Or heat oil, apply liberally to hair and scalp, leave on five minutes and shampoo out, then use conditioner.

I was able to use this product for dry detangling, as a hot oil treatment, and for sealing in moisture.  The oil is GREAT!! It smells great, it feels great, it goes on great, and even though it's an oil it really is not that greasy and absorbs well.  The trigger bottle is wonderful, it was easy to use and I can definitely reuse the bottle once I finish using the product.  I used this to oil my scalp once I finished my twists and I also applied to my ends...my hair loved it!  Soaked it up and my hair felt so good!  It doesn't take much product and I can see this lasting me for another couple months with regular use.

On to the Happy Nappy Styles...

A rich and moisturizing styling cream for kinky curls and dreads, or highly textured hair. Style and define your curls or twist locs, while naturally hydrating. Perfect for finger twisting curls! Create defined curls, with maximum moisture and softness. Dries touchably soft and satiny, not sticky or greasy. $

Ingredients: Aloe and Chamomile Water, Rice Bran Oil, Shea Butter, Natural Conditioner, Polysorbate 20, Vegetable Glycerin, Capryl Isostearate, Soy Lecithin,Guar Gum, Natural Preservative Optiphin, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Silk Powder.

Directions: Apply to clean damp or dry, detangled hair in small sections and smooth through completely. Style with fingers, not a comb, to reduce poof.


I loved the Happy Nappy Styles, it worked well for smoothing my curls in two strand twists.  The product is thick, but it absorbs well (not like the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie...that stuff took WORK to get through!)  It was smooth and creamy upon application, and it did a great job with just a little bit of product.  I used a little more than a fingertip for each twist and I suspect I'll get plenty of uses out of this one 8 oz container.  The resulting twist out was very shiny, soft and very well defined.  I made sure to concentrate on my ends and I think had my ends been trimmed the twist out out would've been one of my best ones to date!  Even though it doesn't have hold, my twists were still holding up well beyond the initial take down, even in this crazy Houston weather.

All in all I would definitely recommend this product for those who want something to leave their hair soft and defined, not crunchy and fuzzy!  There are a few other products I'd love to get my hands on from the Blended Beauty line, so I'll let you know if/when I can try those too!

Aphogee Protein Treatment - VIDEO!!

FINALLY!!! I did the review a few months ago (yea I know, I'm slow!) but I've finally gotten around to edit the video.  I really wasn't familiar with the editing process back then but I felt a little more confident today to give you guys a look at my process.  It really wasn't hard (the application) but you have to be quite careful because this is meant to be a professionally applied product.  With all that being said, I think I did pretty well. 

Part One - Preparation!

I followed Empress Ri's tutorial, although there were several out on YouTube that I looked at, namely Taren916.  She had a reason for everything she did, and she has a lot of hair...way more than myself, but I know I wouldn't have been able to successfully attempt a full head application all at one time.  So break it up in sections, use a spray bottle, and start with the BACK of your head.  I picked up from Taren to be careful of what you're wearing when you apply the product...your hair will get rock hard and you do not want to have to try and pull a shirt over your head!  And wearing a towel around your neck is a good idea, but remove it before blow-drying because the towel will stick to your skin/hair and again, you don't want to manipulate the hair once the protein has dried. 

 Part 2 - Application

The point of me doing this protein treatment was to see if it helped reduce shedding and strengthen my hair.  I felt this was accomplished by the protein treatment, but I would only do this again if necessary.  If you're experiencing severe breakage and have evaluated how you are managing your hair, this may be a good option for you.  But don't expect it to work if you don't follow the instructions explicitely.  And PLEASE follow this up with a good moisturizing deep conditioner.  You will also need to go through your products to make sure you're not adding any extra protein in your regimen.  You've just done a full strength protein treatment, any more and your hair WILL BREAK OFF!!  Just a word to the wise :) Anywho, I hope this helps guys! 

Lisa Michelle

Natural Resources Salon Demos!

I finally got the demonstrations Tamika was so kind to do for us during Nappy Love Houston's visit to Natural Resources Salon earlier this month.  She took us through several quick and easy styles, each taking well under 5 minutes to execute.  She is such a professional, and so kind to actually show us styles that we can do on our own hair.  I highly recommend you take a trip to Natural Resources Salon if you are looking for a stylist in the Houston area.  There's something to be said for her honesty, transparency, and her ability to teach as she styles.  A big thank you goes out to Tamika and the Natural Resources Salon stylists for making it an educational and fun experience!

Do you go to a salon, and if so what do you look for in a stylist?

Lisa Michelle :)

Lots of Stuff!!

I just wanted to say HEY Y'ALL!!! I haven't posted since Monday and that is way too long IMO (in my opinion).  I've been doing LOTS OF STUFF but haven't been able to find the time to sit down and actually write about it.  I tried to do a video...yea, that was a very random ADD video...maybe I'll post it just so y'all can see how much I have on my brain right now.  I'll give y'all a brief synopsis for the time being, and will attempt to post probably about 3-4 posts, at least 2 videos (the Nappy Love Meet-up and the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie review) Trust me I have way more to put on here, but I'm trying not to be up til 3 am again tonight (I don't know WHAT my problem was last night/this morning)

Currently I have my pre-poo oil treatment in, using my hair therapy wrap, and I'm about to get my Anita Grant Marshmallow Rhassoul Deep Condish on (yeaaaa, finally!!!)  Gotta rinse this stuff out first, then shampoo with my Elucence Moisture Benefits shampoo.  I can't WAIT to try this stuff...I just couldn't find the time to do it where I wouldn't have to rush.  I'm going to follow Kinky Kurly Queen's tutorial on how she does her rhassoul treatment.

So I've got some good news for This Hair of Mine...

I'm going to get to blog for Naturally Curly!! 

Hopefully I'll have 2 articles up before the end of this month :)  I think I posted on my Facebook page but I haven't had a chance to share on my blog...I'm SUPER excited!!  Please stay tuned to my page, I'm really trying to bring some good info, product reviews, and tutorials.  Make sure you subscribe so you'll be notified about new posts, it's free! Also check out my my Facebook page, hit the like button while your there, then swing on over to my YouTube channel and subscribe there as well.  Your girl is working hard over here ;)

Lisa Michelle

Naturally Curly Photo Shoot - A Visual Tour

I tried to fit all of the "fun" into a video...well I think I did pretty good to give a virtual walk-through of sorts!  Now this is mostly pictures for the simple fact that I forgot I had my camcorder until it was time for me to head back home :( And I hadn't quite figured out how to add music yet so it's very quiet...I may reupload once I get my skills up in that area lol!  So I previously wrote a novel (lol!) to describe the experience, now you'll get to see what I saw for the most part.  Enjoy!

Oh, and enjoy a peek at the swag bag that we received for participating

THANK YOU NATURALLY CURLY!!

They included so many neat products, and I did swap a couple products so I could try ones I though may work better for my hair.  And I also asked, and was provided, the Miss Jessie's Curly Buttercreme to try (can't wait!!)  I've never used anything from that product line, and although I was disappointed to read the ingredients (#2 petrolatum (yes that's how it's spelled on the package) and #4 mineral oil) I will give it a shot.

I hope you enjoyed my virtual walkthrough!  Now I've still been wearing the same twistout since the photo shoot...actually I wore my hair like this to work the past couple days

My "Sho-Nuff" style...check out Last Dragon if you don't know ;)

It's not as bad as I thought it would be since all the tousling and fluffing of Sunday.  I "planned" on washing last night but I got distracted (working on this video!) So maybe tonight...

I appreciate you taking the time to watch this video and support my blog.  Please make sure to subscribe to my blog and my YouTube page.  It's free!! Also, check out my Facebook page and Twitter as well...they're free also!!  Help me spread the word about the beauty of Natural hair!  And please leave your comments, feedback, ask question, and give suggestions.  I am listening and will respond :)

Lisa Michelle :)

Naturally Curly Photo Shoot (Play-By Play)

I had the absolute pleasure of participating in the Naturally Curly photo shoot on Sunday, September 25^th.   For those of you who may not know what Naturally Curly is, I suggest you keep reading.  They are the flagship brand of TexturaMedia, Inc and a social media & informative power house for curly girls around the world.  They have the information YOU are seeking, for every curl type and every level of natural from transitioning, to newly natural and veterans alike.  This was the FIRST place I looked to for help upon deciding that I wanted to be a healthy natural.  Recently they celebrated their 13^th year in existence and I’m positive there are curlies worldwide exalting a collaborative “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”

 

 

I digress…back to the PHOTO SHOOT!!

Pre photo shoot hair 9/24/11

They posted on their Facebook page about the upcoming photo shoot and that they were looking for curly haired folks to be part of a photo shoot for the website.  I promptly submitted several photos of my hair in random styles and low and behold they picked me…THEY PICKED ME!! Oh the joy I felt, the elation, the excitement…needless to say I was overwhelmed.  Although I did not know what to expect, I was ready to get involved.  I spread the word to some of my friends, and Ms. Ericka of Dope Crochet was also selected to be in the photo shoot as well!  Seems like the week leading up to the photo shoot everything went sideways – I washed part of my hair before the water went out for the rest of the day (IKR!?!) Then I couldn’t find anything to wear so I had to run out and buy something (yes, I have clothes in my closet but wasn’t feeling anything) I stayed out Friday til late, had to work on Saturday and STILL had to drive to Austin.  Luckily the twist style I tried (thanks Naptural85!!) worked like a charm to create a separated, well defined twist out with minimal frizz.  I popped some perm rods in the ends Friday night and had a haute, soft, luscious modified Curly Nikki twist & curl...  Hair was on point!!

 

 

Saturday night when I got to Austin I hung out with my family til almost 10, knowing what I had to do the next day.  Don’t act like I’m the only one who does this…I can’t help it sometimes *shrug* Sunday morning comes and I’m frantic…shouldn’t have been but it’s what I do best (procrastination) I needed to polish my nails, run to Walmart, take my twists down, iron…etc, y’all get the idea.  I managed to get everything together and make it to the shoot on time (HALLELUJAH!) BOY, I was not expecting everything that was awaiting me.  There were hair stylists and makeup artists, and staffers, and models abound.  Not to mention the salon was fantastic!!

Let me take a moment to describe the salon…opulent, spacious and inviting.  The ambiance was so on point, I don’t think I’ve ever been into a salon that nice.  You could really tell that Ron King took his time to make every single aspect of his salon as perfect as it could be.  The stylists’ stations were spacious with great lighting and comfortable chairs.  The details at every turn were super cool, from the blue chandelier that greeted you upon entry, to the wall that looked like glass flowers, and the sink and faucet in bathroom? Amazing is NOT the word. 

 

The Ron King Salon...simply beautiful!

WHAT ABOUT THE SHOOT LISA!!!

Post hair (Kira) & makeup (Nisa)

I know, I know, I have to set y’all up for the moment!!  First I had my makeup done by the wonderful Nisa. She really gave me a natural look, and enhanced what I already had. She fixed me up effortlessly, gave me some shimmer with gold eye shadow (totally my style!).  Next I landed in the chair of the fabulous Kira of The Hair Clinic.  She was so pretty!! And she totally handled my hair with the utmost of care.  Y’all know it’s been close to 5 years since the last time I left my hair in a stylists hands…I would definitely let her in my head.  And on a side note, she said I did a good job with my ends *shimmy* My hair was pretty well defined, and I’m not quite sure what she added but after getting out of her chair my hair was a more sleek.  She did suggest a product that I’m probably going to try, Nairobi foam wrap. I looked it up online, the reviews are great, and she said it would work well for twists/twisting out because it leaves the hair soft but with hold.  After she hooked me up I went to Rudy to take some headshots and 360 of my hair.  Now that was kinda neat, he was great at giving direction, then they did a “curl” picture at the end by snapping a picture of a great curl to show the pattern.  The only thing I didn’t get to do was a “stretch” picture to show the length of my hair…it is pretty deceptive lol!

Pre-shoot mimosa (yes, I did get some on my shirt!)

  

Thanks to my new friend Marie for taking pics during my session :)

 

Next I changed into my dress and I was the hair model for the TWIST OUT VIDEO!!! How freaking awesome was that?!?  I had no idea it could get any better than it already was.  I would’ve been content with some headshots lol!  This was so exciting and nerve wrecking, and I know it was for Kira…she was having to speak about how to evolve a twist out, to make it last longer, and to get the most out of the hairstyle.  I know all about that since it’s my staple style.  I rock my twists for close to a week sometimes, then a twist out for another 4 or 5 and depending on if I’m feeling lazy or not, the front gets pinned back and I can get a full 2 weeks out of my style.  The video was actually pretty neat and I’m kicking myself that A) I didn’t have anyone taking pictures of me during, and B) that I completely forgot I had my little camcorder until AFTER we left the shoot.  Anywho, Kira worked a couple of hot styles out of my hair and I was like “What what!!” I was genuinely impressed!  The first ‘do was the front pinned back (and yes, I went out and bought some hair pins so I can TRY to recreate the look…can’t wait til the video comes out so I can actually see what she did!)  and the second look was the back pulled up with the front left out…sexy!!  And I am so glad I had a few products in my stash…we didn’t actually use anything, just giving a narrative of how to achieve each look and a general idea of what kind of product can be used.  I just so happened to have my Karen’s Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia and my Darcy’s Botanicals Coconut & Hibiscus Conditioning Oil on hand so I managed to get those in the video (hopefully they stay!)  That was too fun!! Can’t wait to see it all finished and edited!

 

Fluffed up :)

Next were the editorial shots…uh huh!! They actually wanted my hair bigger…and when I mean big there were ladies walking around with hair to their shoulders and beyond!  Mine ended up being a higher, more 70s glam kinda fro, a bit piecy with my hair in my face.  Very hot!  It took a little bit of time to get to Amber Vickery (she’s SO awesome and SO cool and SO much fun!) so I enjoyed lunch, another mimosa, and some chit chat time with Michelle, the co-founder and president of Naturally Curly.  I wish I would’ve been more prepared but I’ll share what she said from my brief impromptu interview lol!

 

Me and Michelle, President & Co-Founder of Naturally Curly

 

 

When I finally got to Amber I think I was beyond excited, if I had on pants I would’ve burst the seams!  It was crazy windy outside, and I think we were close to 104 degrees (yea I know, what a combination…only in Texas!) but somehow I didn’t feel much of any of that once we started shooting.  I had an umbrella and a floppy sun hat as props, and the gorgeous downtown Austin as a backdrop.  The umbrella was fighting me but I think I ended up kicking its butt!!  Then…the floppy hat…oh my goodness! My hair, in all its glory did NOT want it, but I made it work.  The wind tried to knock it off but I held it strong and ended up getting some great shots!  I’ve never done a professional photo shoot before, but I tell you that Amber was great to work with, she made me feel really comfortable when I was trying not to laugh at the wind’s attempt to steal the goods…she’s truly a professional and great at her job!

 A few available photos, taken by the talented Amber Vickery

 

I couldn’t tell you how long we were outside, maybe 15-20 minutes or so, but it felt so quick…they say time flies when you’re having fun!  Once we got back inside the salon we actually got to take more photos with Rudy!! It just kept getting better and better…I got to cheer some of my new friends on with their shoots then it was my turn again.  This time I got to be a techno gal, posing with my Evo, and iPad, and a Mac book (cool right?!?) I got a crack at the umbrella again and that was really cool to work with since there weren’t gale force winds contend with lol!  AND they brought out the “diva” wind…aka the fan…talk about feeling like a real model.  We got to dance and take some pretty candid photos, so what better way to round out the photo shoot.  At the end of the event, we were given "swag" goodies bags filled with some of the best products for natural and/or curly haired gals.

 

Posing with the iPad

 

The after-the-shoot party took place at Taco Cabana/Tiff’s Treat...yummy!  I couldn’t have asked for a better first ever photo shoot.  The entire Naturally Curly staff made this into a once-in-a-lifetime experience, maybe I’ll get to do something like this again in the future, but it’s going to be extremely hard to top this.  I’m sorry if I carried on, but I just want to try and convey the excitement of the day.  I’ll put the rest of the pictures in a slide show so I don’t take up too much more room lol!

 

Lisa Michelle ;)

Good Mornin, Great Twists!

Hey Naturals!! I spend last night twisting up my hair, a la Naptural85's tutorial.  This is not a tutorial, but it's the finished results...twist out to follow tomorrow!  I had a blast staying up late watching the tutorial and working with a new product :)

 

Thank you for checking out my blog!  Please don't forget to subscribe to both my blog and my Facebook page.  Also I just started up my YouTube page as well, so all of my videos will be posted there.  And as always, I appreciate your comments, feedback and questions.  Spread the word for me please!!

Lisa Michelle ;)

Dusting: How I Trim My Ends

I have been trying to upload this video for the last 3 days...it's giving me fits!! Finally figured out that WLMM does not like the .avi files from my little camcorder :( Anywho, I finally got it edited, but now it seems to be holding up on Blogger (go figure!)  The file is too big for the 100MB cap that Blogger limits you to.  I just wanted to document how I trim my ends, called "dusting' because it's not taking off a whole lot of hair, just the very end, weathered pieces.  Now, you can trim before twisting, or you can do as I did and trim after twisting.  I do either/or, depending on how I feel and how much time I had.  Next time I trim, I will show the other way (dusting, then twisting)  I feel the results are the same either way because your goal is to trim only the hair that needs it.  It's still a pretty long video, even though I was able to trim it to around 13 minutes or so, but I'm learning how to work with the platform, so that's positive!  I appreciate your responses, comments, suggestions and questions :)

PART 1

PART 2

THANKS FOR WATCHING!!

My Tight Twist Out

I dusted my ends earlier last week, and the video it coming!!  I am learning the movie editor a little better, even threw in some little details (as you'll see on this video lol!)  I just wanted to post the results before I ran out the house to enjoy my Texans winning their season opener vs Indianapolis Colts (GO TEXANS!!!)  I'm so happy football season is back  in action...and I though I didn't have enough free time before!

This style was achieved after a fresh wash and condition with Elucence Moisture Benefits Shampoo and Moisture Balancing Conditioner, Darcy's Botanicals Peach Kernel Hydrating Milk to twist, Jamaican Black Castor Oil to seal the ends, and I used Boutique de Fleurtzy Nurturing Treatment Oil to take the twists down.  I achieved a pretty awesome twist out :)  I usually fluff a bit for a twist out but since my hair was twisted in smaller sections the twist out is more compact.  I got a lot of compliments this weekend and at work today so it must not be too bad lol!

Saturday evening, twists pulled back

Fresh Twist Out

And my TEXANS won!! So It was actually pretty nice to be able to wear my hair out without too much frizz...100 degrees walking to and from the stadium, partying at the sports bar after, sleep on my satin pillow case and BAM!! Day 2 hair...

I guess that's enough for tonight :)  And I did get an acceptance email for the NaturallyCurly.com photo shoot coming up on September 25th so I'm BEYOND excited!! Don't forget to subscribe & check out my facebook page This Hair Of Mine.

Lisa Michelle :)