New Carol's Daughter Monoi Challenge!

I don't know about you all, but I am over excited about the new CD line "Monoi", which features three new products that promise longer, stronger hair. Now I don't get to heavy into the promises product make but I do get amped when it comes to a great product ingredient list and the offering of something different. What is Monoi oil you ask? Well it is actually an oil that Tahitian's have used for many centuries to moisturize and maintain the beauty and health of their hair and skin. Monoi oil is a natural beauty product based on two unique ingredients, Tiare Tahiti (Gardenia Tahitensis) and refined Polynesian Coconut oil (Cocos Nucifera). Monoi is stabilized with Vitamin E.

You guys know I LOVE coconut oil and can't live without it. The results and benefits my hair has garnered with its use are pretty evident if you read my blog on a regular basis. I was wondering WHEN Lisa Price would finally include a line that would feature Coconut oil as its main ingredient....and now she goes and gives us something that I think will be GREAT. This line not only includes Monoi oil but also bamboo water which is the strongest plant on our planet. This will help to reinforce the hair's structure and give it longer life. Not to mention it features the use of shea butter, silk protiens and pro vitamin B-5. I love what this line will bring to Carol's daughter brand. I have decided to start my first challenge. So to help get me to BSL by my June 30th B-day, I will use the CD Monoi Repairing mask as my weekly deep treatment, the Monoi shampoo & conditioner as my hair care staples for the next 2 months. Hopefully CD delivers on the promise of stronger longer hair! I will keep you all updated and deliver full reviews once I have finished using a full container of the products.

Ingredients List


Monoi Repairing Shampoo: Water (Aqua), Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-150 Distearate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Coconut Oil Glycereth-8 Esters, Shea Butter Glycereth-8 Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Helianthus Annuus(Sunflower) Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Hydrolyzed Silk, Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Glycerin, Glycol Distearate, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Quaternium-91, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance (Parfum)

Monoi Repairing Hair Mask: Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glycerin, Cetyl Esters, Dimethicone, Fragrance (Parfum), Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oiol, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Oil, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccaride, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Extrac, Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethiconol, Octyldodecanol, Ceteareth-20, Quarternium-91, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone

Monoi Repairing Conditioner:Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glycerin, Isododecane, Fragrance (Parfum), Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Isohexadecane, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Oil, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Hydrolyzed Silk, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetrimonium Methosulfate, Cinnamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Octyldodecanol, Ceteareth-20, Quaternium-91, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone

Because It's Ladies Night!

I am finally on the first break from school in a over a year...YES! Now I get to devote time to my family and friends for once.  Also I have time to blog much more often with you all! I know I said I would not flat it again until June but...I could resist this time lol. I am only 3 weeks post and I am going out with my sisters for a night on the town, so I want to show off my new length and look as fly as possible... Above are the pics of the night out and below is tonight's regimen.

Pre Poo was done  overnight with EVOO and Lisa's Hair Elixir by Carol's Daughter  ( CD)

DC on dry hair for 30 minutes (short on time) with Curl Ecstasy Deep Conditioner by Curls

Shampoo once with Tui Shampoo another CD fav.

Final Rinse with Suave's Shea & Almond Conditioner

Leave Ins applied Jane Carter Solution and Nirobi Setting Foam and a light spray of Shea Moisture's Coconut and Hibiscus Moisture Sray

Apply my Paul Mitchell Soft Style Heat protector to damp hair then dry for 40 mins under hooded dryer and flat ironed with my FHI.

** Overall my hair came out a little flat and blah...I think I have forgotten how to style it down lol!  I will for sure switch back to my Mizani setting foam as my hair is much softer and primed for the flat iron when I used this. I was going for strait and sleek but did not build any volume at the root like I normally would, so my hair looks thinner than it usually would. 

Hair Crush: Keshia Knight Pulliam

I have always loved Keshia Pulliam's hair! From a child star to the gorgeous woman she has grown into, she has always had hair I admire.  

Three Months Post Length Check

I am now 3 months post relaxer and I soooo ready to get my PhytoRelaxer next week. Not because my roots are hard to manage but because I am excited to see the new length!

My new growth has been very manageable this go round as I am consistent with my regimen. I CANNOT believe I am close to bra strap length already!!! Did not expect to get close until May/June. So reaching my June 30th 2011 goal of BSL is pretty much in the bag...YES!!! :)  I had no idea I was getting so close and retaining so much length until I did a mini length check last night. Posted are pics of my luscious new growth and latest LC. 

New Growth 3 months Post Relaxer

What is Cupuacu Butter?

Cupuacu Butter (pronounced Coo-poo-wa-soo) - Comes from a fruit tree of the chocolate family, native to the northern Amazon. Cupuacu improves the appearance prematurely aging and thinning skin while being a superior moisturizer with great water absorption. It offers high levels of essential fatty acids, which with its rich phytosterols, help the appearance of your skin’s elasticity and overall appearance of your skin. Cupuacu's incredible creaminess promotes a special softness and smoothness to your skin to boosts natural moisture and help your skin appear more elastic.

Cupuacu promotes smoothness and softness to the hair increasing the natural moisture and elasticity. The butter has proven to be beneficial for brittle, dry hair due to it's long lasting hydration properties to replenish moisture while promoting a healthy shine. Cupuacu is considered hydrophpllic (water loving) with a high capacity to retain water and prevent moisture loss.

Hair Crush - Melonie Fiona

This Canadian born to Guyanese immigrants sports a seriously gorgeous mane thats all her own. This is dream hair for me!

Alba Botanica: Rainforest Cupuacu Conditioner

I normally love my Suave Almond and Shea conditioner to co-wash, but today I tried something different. Alba has a new series of hair products which feature rainforest ingredients. I LOVE products that have Cupuacu butter in them, so I could not resist picking up the Alba Deep Hydrating Conditioner with Cupuacu.  This ingredient list is so amazing, I will also use as a deep conditioner alternate. After I co-washed my hair was soft and detangling was a cinch! I followed up with Carol's Daughter Lisa's Hair Elixer and then aired dried. Hair and scalp is smiling right now : ) I really liked this Alba conditioner because I can use in all three phases of care...co-wash, DC or even a leave in. The price is right..$9.99 at my local Ulta store. I think I will post a read on the amazing conditioning properties of Cupuacu Butter as I know many of you are like what is that lol. Read on to learn more about this product, it may be a great addition to your product list.

Alba Botanica Rainforest Deep Hydration Conditioner Cupuacu 8 oz. (227 g)

Alba Botanica Rainforest Deep Hydration Conditioner Cupuacu nourishes dry or damaged hair. Creamy Cupuaçu butter, one of the Rainforest's most effective moisturizers, is a rich emollient that delivers deep hydration and helps restore softness and moisture balance and is combined with Jojoba Oil and Cocoa Butter to leave hair smooth and soft. Deep Hydration Cupuacu Conditioner gently moisturizes and restores dry or damaged hair and is perfect for dry, damaged or treated hair.

Hair CareNatural Renewal, Natural Protection Created to help renew, repair and revitalize hair with moisturizing, emollient-rich oils derived from some of the world's most beneficial fruits and nuts.

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuaçu) Seed Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Hydrolyzed Brazil Nut Protein, Bertholletia Excelsa (Brazil Nut) Seed Oil, Panthenol (Vit. B5), Amodimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Fragrance (Parfum).

A Little Motivation

Your imagination connects you to what you want. Your desire and feelings of love create the magnetism, the magnetic power, drawing your desire to you!
 - Rhonda Byrne, Author of The Secret and The power

Today I want you to erase negative thoughts you may have about your hair. Words and phrases like "my hair won't grow", or "unmanageable", "damaged hair"...I want them to be deleted from your vocabulary. Start to feel that you have embarked on an amazing health hair journey and now your hair is amazing, beautiful, and manageable! Today, imagine yourself from this day forth with the hair of your dreams, and keep that picture in your mind. Through positive thoughts and love for your hair, you will achieve positive circumstances and BEAUTIFUL HAIR! I never thought I would live to say a fell that I love my hair....but through this hair journey and seeing the results I can say I LOVE my hair.  If you need living proof visit some of my favorite hair community websites and see countless stories and progress pics of sistas everywhere Growing IT! These online communities have been very instrumental in my HHJ.

http://www.k-i-s-s.biz

www.hairlista.com

Top 10 Tips for Growing IT!

Starting your healthy hair journey requires changing those old habits that has caused you to neutralize your hair growth. These are my TOP TEN tips on retaining as much length as possible. We WILL reach our healthy hair and length goals if we are consistant with our regimens and grow our knowledge on hair health.

#1. Keep moisture on your hair. This means co-washing as needed to renew hair's moisture on a regular basis. Apply a leave in conditioner or sprtiz hair with water, then seal with an oil daily to lock in moisture in between washes and co-washes.  Making sure hair has sufficient moisture is the most important step in retaining your length.

#2. Deep Condition often. Once a week is a good starting point. This will keep your hair moisturized and will give it great nourishment.

#3. Keep ends trimmed. Split ends become bigger problems once they travel up the hair shaft; damage will only get worse. When hair breaks it does not break 100% even, so a split is likely to develop on those strands. Doing a light dusting (trimming 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch or trimming visible splits strand by strand) every few weeks on your ends allows YOU to control what you take off the ends.

#4. Make sure your hair has sufficient protein.  Finding the right moisture/protein balance will give you the healthiest hair possible.  Relaxing removes protein from the strands, so it is very important relaxed/ texlaxed heads do a protein treatment periodically to restore the hair's strength.  Missing this step in your hair regimen can be detrimental to your progress. Don't over do it with protein, or you will get stiff, hard hair prone to breaking...always follow up with a deep condition after you finish your protein treatment. Remember balance is key.

#5.  Avoid applying heat to your hair ( especially direct heat i.e., flat iron, curling iron, blow dryers). Heat breaks and then reforms the hydrogen bonds in the inner core of the hair fiber. While the goal of using heat is to alter the inner substance of the hair, the unwanted consequence may be damage to the outer protective cuticle, causing weathering, damage and eventual hair breakage.  If you decide to use heat be sure your hair is clean and conditioned. Always use a heat protectant first! Air dry your hair as much as possible and treat your self to a heated style only on special occasions( at least until you reach your goal length).

#6. Decrease hair manipulation. Excessive combing, brushing and handeling of hair will put more stress on your strands, which can make it more prone to breakage. Style your hair and leave it be for the remainder of the day!

#7.  Get proper nutrition and hydrate for healthier hair.

#8.  Wear a protective style as often as possible. Avoid those that add tension and stress like sew in weaves and very tight pony tails.  You will be so happy you did!

#9.  Educate yourself on what you are putting on your hair. Pull out your trunk of hair products right now. If you see ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate, mineral oils and petroleum, it may be time for you to put more effort info finding products that will foster healthier hair growth.  There are products out there that will cause even further damage to your hair. Take an active approach in avoiding them.

#10. BELIEVE that you will reach your hair goals and everything will fall into place. Put an end to being tired and frustrated with your hair. All hair was made to grow, even black women's hair, contrary to all the ridiculous myths out there.

Apply these tips and you will see a rapid change in hair health...I know I did : )  U grow girl!

Carol's Daughter Macadamia Heat Protection

I am so excited about trying these new finds the next time I flat iron. I was so afraid to put too much oil onto my hair last week in fear it would weigh my hair down. I think these would have helped!

Macadamia nut oil is a growing trend in the beauty market with many new brands offering this hair treat in a variety of products. It is derived from the macadamia tree, a native of Austrailian nuts and has been used in food as well as cosmetics. Its oil rich and is a fabulous protective oil that is highly absorptive.