We share a Curl story- Jessicurl Review

Frofashionweek was an awesome event that gave me an opportunity to meet someone I didn't expect to impress me. It was the owner and creator of Jessicurl, Jessica McGuinty. I had seen advertisements in the past via email (curlmart) for Jessicurls but I dismissed it as not a product for a "kinky" curly lady like myself. I had no desire to try the product until I meet her.  Jessica was unveiling the new packaging for the product line at the event and she shared her experience of a love/hate relationship with her curls that I could relate to.  This wasn't a speech from a CEO to sell products it was a conversation with another sister that shared our story.  I was excited to try the products but I was still sceptical of a white lady with curls producing a product that could help this black lady with curls.

During the event I received a package of samples that I am using for this review. I washed, conditioned, deep conditioned and styled my hair with Jessicurl and here's my take:

Cleansing Cream: I used this product by applying root to tip, massaging over my scalp and separating and working through sections of my hair. The scent was pleasant and there was a light amount of lather. My hair had a lot of products in from the previous days of styling but after using the cream if felt light and clean.  My hair also seem to have a soft feel with curl defining emerging already.

Too Shea Extra Moisturizing Conditioner: I applied the conditioner immediately after cleansing root to tip to my hair using it to detangle. The scent was pleasent but the conditioner seemed to be too light for me. This is not the deep conditioner but it didn't provide the slip I am use to getting to allow me to detangle without me crying (still tender-headed and not ashamed). 

Deep Conditioning Treatment: After rinsing the Too Shea (after 5 minutes) I applied the treatment. This was the conditioner for me! It provided moisture to my hair immediately.  Detangling was done without one tear falling and my curls began to take center stage. The directions mentioned that it could also be used as a leave in and that is what I decided to do.

Confident Coils: I decided to try this product 3 ways.  I used it to do 2 strand twists, bantu knot out and as a wash n go. I twisted the front left side of my hair using about a dime size amount of the CC. My hair was damp and my twists were stretch and beautiful. The right side of my head I followed the packaging instructions and used very damp hair. I used about the size of a nickel of the CC and racked it through using my fingers.  My curls were well defined and moisturized, frizz was no where in sight. Lastly the bantu knot out...I used the wash n go section by twisting and placing it into three knots. i let it dry overnight, the waves were deep and soft but  slightly frizzier than I am use to.

two strand twists

bantu knots

wash n go

 Two thumbs up for the Cleansing Cream & Deep Conditioner. I will definitely purchase these in the future. My hair is colored and dry and the deep conditioner provided instant results.  The cleansing cream offered a feeling of complete removal of build up without drying. I recommend you give it a try!

One thumb up for the Confident Coils. It is good for those who like wash and gos or  similar styles. I did like the effects on my two strand twists but didn't like the results of the bantu knots.  I do have a problem with following directions but my modified version doesn't have the styling preference I enjoy.

 The jury is still out on Too Shea... I plan to try this product again after treating some of the damage to my hair.  There have been products that I would say leave at the store, and although this conditioner wasn't impressive to me, I cant make that statement here.  This is worth a try and another look.

samples

I hope to use this product in a upcoming giveaway and I believe Jessicurl is worth a try. Would love to see the results on non-colored & other hair textures, would you be interested in giving Jessicurl a try? Have you tried any of there products?  Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.
* this is an independant review..I wasn't paid for my opinion

Road to FroFashionWeek

Well guys, my friend Annie & I have decided to go to Atlanta this coming weekend for the final days of FroFashionWeek.  I have to admit that I am very excited.  I have attended hair shows and meet ups before but this event just gives me a different vibe.  I'm not sure if its the advertisements of being a upscale & classy event or the fact that I'm a closet Kim Coles fanatic but I cant wait.

We will leave Alabama very early in the morning on Saturday to try and be apart of all the events they have plan for the day. Annie and I will be doing them all, well maybe not the yoga . The organizers have also set up a lunch for all registered bloggers and vloggers which I cant wait to be a part of. I plan to take you guys with me by blogging, tweeting & posting on my FB page during the entire event

Annie doesn't know it yet but we will be the Oprah & Gayle of natural hair on this road trip.  I will be "Oprah" with my pre-fabulous hair and make-up in the car and my comfy clothes & Annie will be the driver and most together one.  I pray the Hotel Melia  lets us check in early...don't want to be walking the shopping runway with flexirods and no concealer!

This trip will also be done on a budget..(pray for me)...I intend to have a fabulous time and show the budget conscience women out there it can be done with minimum stress to your bank account.  I began this journey by planning ahead...Here's what I have done:

1.  Early bird special...I bought my tickets early. This is a plus for me as well as the event organizers.. We will also get a nice swag bag!
2.  Partner in crime... I found a friend who wanted to go as much as I did and would be willing to purchase and plan ahead also...we will share the costs for transportation & hotel
3.  Booked room...we saved money by pre-paying for the room on top of the negotiated rate from the event it also included a free breakfast..(2 meals to go!)
4.  Wardrobe..hopefully this will turn out Fab (love Kimora) but I refreshed some clothes I already had in my closets with new jewelry from my favorite store, Charming Charlie, and new hair styles.

I will take with me $150 of which $35 will be my portion of gas leaving me $115..I have no intention on spending more than $65 including meals & shopping. This should be a great time so join me! Follow me and I will let you experience it the way I do..including my adventure getting there...Enjoy!

Henna...Wow

Coloring my hair is not a choice its a necessity...my self esteem seems to be tied to the exposure of the white hairs peeking out in random areas on my head.  I was a faithful user of Dark n Lovely but my natural hair wasn't happy with the breakage and severe dryness I was experiencing. I previously tried a henna product at Sally's but it wasn't pleasant.  The smell was awful, the color was minimal and it was extremely messy.  I tried to go without color and after the increase in sleeping and consulption of Mountain Dew I realize it was making me depressed.  I decided to give henna another try.  I went to the local health food store (Earth Fare) on a search to find a great product and hopefully achieve great results.

Surya Brasil Henna Powder (red) $6.99

They had a few choices and I selected the red. It was $6.99 w/o tax and the kit included: powder henna, small pack of honey, gloves, plastic cap & instructions. My goal was to cover the white hair and achieve red highlights at minimum throughout the remainder of my hair.  I washed my hair with shampoo (hoping to remove any product buildup) and followed the directions...i remained with the plastic cap on for 45 minutes. Here are the pictures....







A small package of honey was included & along with water it was added.









The smell wasn't the best but not as strong as before so I was able to tolerate it.  I felt as if I was connecting to my ancestry with that henna packed on my hair. I will now show a before close-up of my edges and an after.  The white is gone and a bright red almost orange color replaces it. The color has gotten brighter as the sun has penetrated it but all in all I am happy. Check my facebook fan page for updated photos of the color after I have styled it.

Natural Hair Sorority & Fraternity - Truth vs Fiction Part 2

Part 2

Mslawanda:
One of the major concerns I have come across on twitter is the decision by your organization to call it a sorority. Why was this necessary and did you worry about offending Greek organizations that have been in existence especially in the black community for years?

Mrs Anifowoshe became emotional again, informing me the decision to become a sorority was spiritual based and out of deep respect for the presence, reputation and honor  sororities have.  She also felt that the word sorority meant "sisterhood" and that was the feeling she wanted to promote. She saw this sorority more as an hybrid of the traditional and a place where woman could have fun, support the community & love their natural selves. Mrs. Anifowoshe was also willing to share that she felt calling the organization Pi Nappa Kappa vs Healthy Hair Society (her previous cover) would make it more "buzz" worthy and that it did.

Through her emotion of disappointment there was a small bit of anger that she was needing to answer questions.  She felt that in corporate America we, the black community, has to answer for everything and she didn't understand why she needed to answer in her "natural hair" community to empower and educate.

I asked about a few other questions from my followers & readers: (summarized)

Why the 10K by the December deadline?  It was a milestone, to give a since of accomplishment and to make the members who were pioneers have distinction.

Once I "like" the FB page will I be a member?  No. You will be given a number but you must electronically sign the pledge to be a full member.

Will the FB page always be open to the public or will there be a secret element to the sorority? We are still in the beginning stages of everything.  There will be information that will be separated for members only but our goal is to educate and embrace the community.  We have many things planned, currently  working on a website and dealing with the problems  already encountered with trademark issues but we are still new 7 weeks.  People need to compare us fairly...apples to apples. 

Is this an opportunity to mislead the community and make money? No! I am a business woman and I a Christian woman.  I give to the community and I do this because I am lead and have a passion to do so.  Mrs Anifowoshe offers that she is very known and active in the Houston, Texas community. She mention that the sorority was taken part in the 1st Natural hair parade on Saturday.

Well there is no doubt that Leola Anifowoshe is passionate about natural hair and her calling to contribute to the community.  I am still a little taken aback by the attacks against her so quickly.  I do not plan to join the sorority (although I liked their page ???) but not because I am against it but because I am in a more time consuming one Momma/Wife.  I think the community that scooped me up, trained me, made me laugh and welcomed me home needs to take a moment and breathe.
Instead of denouncing this sorority, how about sending some guidance and concerns. Remember there is always two sides to every story and at the end of the day we are sisters with the same goal just on a different journey.

Please leave your comments and subscribe....

Natural Hair Sorority & Fraternity - Truth vs Fiction

The social networks have been a buzz over the creation of a "natural hair" sorority called Pi Nappa Kappa. I originally heard something about this possibility a few weeks ago and thought it was interesting but didn't give it much thought.  The buzz grew and within the last couple of days the controversy has evolved from a small flame to smoldering fire.  I admit I was caught off guard, I didn't anticipate any controversy.  I love the sisterhood of natural women I have encountered on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and on the streets of my city so I expected any effort to organize to be welcomed. Well I was wrong! Videos were emerging on YouTube from women with complaints of separatism, greed, rogue naturals to name a few.  I also began to receive tweets, emails & calls about required fees, the disrespect to Greek sororities, and the cult that was emerging.  Wow!

 After reading over a dozen tweets , a couple of blog posts and  Michael Baisden weighing in, I had to do something.  I decided to research this sorority for myself and try and contact the organizer & creator Leola Anifowoshe.  I began by watching a couple of her YouTube videos from 2010 with her Healthy Hair Society and viewing & reading her Facebook page. I didn't see much there that raised red flags so I decided to contact her and ask for an interview.  Mrs Anifowoshe was kind enough to grant me that interview without restrictions and here is Part 1 of that interview....

Interview conducted via telephone 9/2/11 @2PM...(not direct quotes unless stated)

Mslawanda: Thank you very much for granting me this interview.  I want to discuss the controversy associated with the sorority you have created Pi Nappa Kappa but I want you to know what my purpose is.  I am not here to tell my readers to support or not support your efforts but to give them information that is accurate to make an individual decision.

Leola: I appreciate that and I am just glad that you reached out to me  giving me a chance of an un-bias approach.  I am very passionate about natural hair and educating our community on loving ourselves and having pride in ourselves.  I am shocked at the attacks I am receiving from trying to unite and create a way to build a sisterhood. It has only been 7 weeks we are just getting started.

 Mrs Anifowoshe believes that her passion for natural hair education and self love has fueled her desire to take on this crusade.  Throughout the interview she became emotional and had to regroup.

The questions that were asked in detail were in regards to:
 the fees, definition of "natural", why use the term "sorority" and risk offending the Greek organizations that have been established for years & are you misleading the community.

What are the fees?  
Currently there is not a fee to join Pi Nappa Kappa, you are not required to purchase shirts, bags or any other items however: just like the girls scouts want you to wear a uniform to show your pride, advertise their presence and push their agenda so does this organization. You are required to accept their pledge and electronically sign it. (this can be done anonymously)but not a fee. Of course they want you to purchase merchandise but it is based in pride.

 Will this be a rogue organization determining if you are "natural" enough?
 She says no! She offers the design of the logo and the fact that it is loose and free flowing.  They support a chemical free and organic healthy lifestyle and that is what they intend to promote. Her goal for the group seems to be a focus on saving the self esteem of the youth, especially your girls, and showing by example a sense of self love.  The sorority is center around the needs of African Americans but your hair type or your choice of styling isn't a issue. (as long as it isn't chemically altered)

This post is longer than I anticipated so I will stop here and complete my interview details in a Part 2...please leave your comments on the blog, my Facebook page or discuss with me on twitter.

Stay tune!