SapphireWingstar

Yeah, so I haven't posted in a while...life's been busy. But anyways, I'll post, er, another post about my hair:

So last time I posted, I had recieved Too Shea, One C, Curls Tea Condish, and Jane Carter Nourshing Cream thing. Honestly...I can't really tell if they made a difference or not. I used up the Too Shea first. I liked how it smelled...it was unscented, but I swear I could detect this really really faint sorta spice scent. I still have a few drops of One C and maybe one or two uses of Tea Ecstacy. I actually didn't mind the scent of One C, but the Tea Ecstacy smells AWFUL. Ew. Like really really really bad tea. Anyways, maybe I used them wrong or something, but I don't really know if they made a difference. Heh. And honestly I haven't really used the Nourshing cream much. I'll try again.

Um...my hair is a little different, I think. It's still sorta crap, but I think it's getting better. I have pics, but I'll post them later (they're on the other computer). It still kinda looks like the pics of me in the updo in the black shirt. The under layer is really curly, more 3c than 3b. The top layer though is really weird. It's not curly, it's just FRIZZ. It's so annoying. The top and bottom layers are so different that they could be from 2 different people! I do DTs and stuff, but I can actually feel the difference between the two layers. It's so weird. The textrues are totally different. In showever, even LOADED with conditioner and combed out, the top layer is frizzy. It feels more coarse and dry, and it dried quicker than the bottom layer. When my bottom layer is loaded with conditioner, It actually feels really soft and silky.

My current routine:
-CO wash and comb out with Suave coconut or milk and honey or lavender...currently I'm using Freeman's Lime Shine something rather.
-Sometimes condition with OC or Curls Tea Ecstacy.
-Rinse out, leaving about 1/4 of conditioner in.
-Put Garnier Soft Curls Cream on
-jojoba oil, then put aloe vera gel sometimes with another actual hair gel on top.

Most of the time I (still) bun. I still can't wear my hair completely down. The top layer screws it all up, so sometimes (llike maybe 1x week) I do the half up/half down thing. The thing is, though, I sorta get a triangle head, and I use so much aloe vera gel that my curls are hard and crunchy. And as you can see in my pics, there is still some frizz.

I still have those funky straight pieces in the front, too.

I love my hair when it's wet, but when it dries it gets poofy and frizzy. It's just so bulky, you know (aside from the frizz).

My second day hair is nonexistant, also. My hair can sometimes barely fit into the hair tie. And my hair always feels really dry and gross on second days.

I need some products that elongates/defrizzes/MOISTURE. Yeah, basically what everyone wants. And I think I need a leav in conditioner. And maybe a light hold gel.

Anyways, these are some products I've been eyeing. Any thoughts or new recommendations?

- Curls Spiral Curl Cream (I really really want to get this)
- Regis Olive Oil Conditioner
- Tigi Moisture Maniac
- Deva Angell
- Suave Aloe Vera Gel (to mix with Angell...I will do anything that Medussa does to get hair like hers. )
- Deva One C I sorta wanna try this again. I don't know why.
- Fantasia IC (sorta)
- Curling Custard (this is one of those products where you really have to experiement...and it's expensive. I'm curious, but I'm afraid it won't work)

Oh...and the conditioner I'm using? It's Freeman Papaya and Lime Overboard Shine. I think it made my hair very slightly shinier, but mostly I like it because when i use it I don't have triangle-head when I do the updo. I've only used it once like that though, so i dunno. I'm doing that again tomorrow, though.

Here are the ingredients, in case anyone wants to analyse it:

Water (Aqua), Cetyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract (Papaya), Citrus Aurantifolia Fruit Extract (Lime), Cocos Nucifera Extract (Coconut), Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract (Kelp), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Stearalkonium Chloride, PEG-75 Lanolin, Polysorbate 60, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol (Parfum), DMDM Hydantoin, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Fragrance (Parfum)

The only one that sticks out at me is lanolin (which I didn't notice when I bought it). It builds up or something, huh? Does that just mean I have to clarify?

Yeah, thanks everyone. I'll post the pics soon, I promise. And sorry for the long rambly post.

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3b/c...or thereabouts.

Album: http://photobucket.com/albums/a119/CrazyCurlyQ/

Password: curlomania
(albums are on the lefthand side)

love yourself first

You and me both, girl!

Sapphire-

AWESOME update!!!! Although I wish you were reporting that you LOVED all of the conditioners and they have turned around your hair. Maybe your pictures will show the improvement that you are too humble or self critical to see. I'll stay posted for those pictures. I have really different textures like many other type 3 curlies - I agree that it is very annoying. But after a while of experimenting, you will master your own hair textures.

As for loving the way that your wet hair looks and not loving your dry hair when it poofs out, yes, I am in that club too. But I continue to trouble shoot this. Applying some lightweight oil (like jojoba) under gel helps to lock in those wet hair results, but it seems like you already try this. Another tip is to use some Qhemet Biologics olive cream (the creamy light colored product in a pump bottle) to refresh hair in the afternoon - I only do this sporadically, but it really works! And another one to try is a conditioner + water spritz for afternoon revival - I still don't have the knack of that but it is worth trying. Also, I've never seen you refer to any part of your hair as "soft and silky" so that is marked improvement right there

Of your new products to try list they all sound good. Maybe go with Fantasia IC and the Suave gel since they are cheap and easy to buy, and get One C again and the new Curls product. I also do think that you woul dig Curling Custard but it is quite pricey with shipping. If you ever travel to LA pick it up at a store down there (same goes for NJ).

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(taking a break from posting starting late august 2009)

medussa

- Curls Spiral Curl Cream (I really really want to get this) I've read good things about this.

- Tigi Moisture Maniac I used it yesterday for the first time, on Shygirl's recommendation. It worked fine for me. I need to try it out a few more times before I can make a final decision.

- Deva Angell I love this gel. It has a light hold and smells so good.

- Suave Aloe Vera Gel (to mix with Angell...I will do anything that Medussa does to get hair like hers.) Thank you! I really like this stuff. It's cheap, works nicely and makes my AnGell last longer, since I mix them.

- Deva One C I sorta wanna try this again. I don't know why. I love it! Works very well for me.

- Fantasia IC (sorta) Didn't like my curls with this. It gave me a lot of tiny little curls with no good clumping (much like KKCC). My hair also didn't look as moist and shiny. It looked dry. But I use it for ponytails, since hundreds of little ringlets look cute when pulled into a ponytail.

- Curling Custard (this is one of those products where you really have to experiement...and it's expensive. I'm curious, but I'm afraid it won't work) I just started to use it last week and I had some decent results at first, but I haven't been able to replicate them. $32 down the drain.

love yourself first

Sorry to butt into Sapphire's thread, but I wanted to comment on this. Medussa, I think you should try layering a little bit (a very little bit) of KCCC with your other styling products. You can't use it like you would gel, it is too powerful and potentially goopy/sticky for that. Just layer in a tbsp or so when you apply other products and I think you will like that much better. KCCC is also decent for second day hair. But you have to use a very light hand. I hated the product for months but finally figured out how to use it. Now, it is in my very large stable of HG products. But it is finicky and very particular.

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(taking a break from posting starting late august 2009)

medussa

I'm going to hop in the shower now. I washed and set my hair yesterday, so I'll just wet today, finger-comb and will forgo the leave-in. I will just use the KKCC and my gel mix. I'll you know how it goes.