Product Review: Free Your Mane Series (Reviving Spray)
Authors Note: Free Your Mane was kind enough to give product for me to sample.
Free Your Mane. The story of this company warmed my heart. In 2003, Israel because the proud adoptive father of two African American sons. Well, He tells the story better than I do. From his website:
In 2003 I became the proud adoptive father of African American twins. One of the trickiest and most important responsibilities for me was grooming, and I was eager to meet that challenge with love and care. As someone with coarse, curly hair, I have shopped in the 'ethnic hair' section of the beauty supply since I was a teenager. On the hunt for the elusive solution to my own hair issues, I became very familiar with those products.
Surprisingly, most of the same products that I'd tried as a teenager in the 1980s were still on the shelves, and with the same old formulations. They are composed primarily of cheap fillers, low quality ingredients such as petrolatum and mineral oil — basically the waste from the petroleum manufacturing industry.
The other options were the all-natural 'kitchen' remedies responding to the nascent green market.
I tried them all. The mineral oil based products were somewhat effective, but ultimately too greasy, outdated and unhealthy. The natural products were ineffective and overly fragranced.
Working in fashion and advertising for the past twenty-five years has kept me current on the amazing breakthroughs in chemistry which have benefited the beauty industry. It became clear none of these advances had made it to the African American hair care market.
My frustration echoed the frustration of countless others. Every African-American woman I spoke to had shelves full of disappointing products - there was a powerful need to be met.
This was the birth of Nola Industries, Inc.
After three years of intensive research, development and testing, I am thrilled to announce the arrival of free your mane, a revolution in black hair care. The free your mane product line has been developed for adult women of color whose needs, until now, have been summarily ignored by the beauty industry.
All free your mane products blend the best of nature and science. We fuse the finest natural ingredients with cutting edge technology for a modern, stylish and very lightly fragranced product. We ban mineral oil, petrolatum, sulfate, phthalates and parabens from our entire line.
As the guardian of my children's future, I was driven to create a product that is eco-conscious and sustainable, while promoting social responsibility. With this inspiration, I created "SE%EN," the nonprofit division of Nola Industries, Inc.
Amazing huh? I thought so. There are several products that they sent me to try out, so I am doing this as a series.
Reviving Spray
I love this stuff. Basically, I do not have to wash and go everyday with this. It has a mixture of baobab seed oil, Argan oil, and pomegranate oil. I spray it on my hair. It rewets my hair and moisturizes it all in one swoop. I can then fluff my hair out with my hands and go! Love it!
It really is moisturizing. My hair feels good without feeling greasy. I love it.
One thing I am not a fan of is the smell. I like really light smells. Floral, lemony, and light. This is kind of a heavier scent. It reminds me of an amber musk type scent.
I would purchase this product. It's a great addition to my styling regimen.
Protective Styles
Wearing your hair in protective styles is how you will be able to keep from manipulating your hair so much. It protects against the elements and protects your new growth.
I've done a braid-out once. Which means I had braids in my hair over night. That is considered a protective style, no matter how brief it was. I know quite a few naturals keep their hair in protective styles probably 90% of the time. What is your favorite protective style?
The word, goodies for you soon.
Hey everyone! I hope your Monday was good for you. It is Tuesday, and I do no have class. I was getting ready to pick up the house when we had a tornado watch/warning. I headed down to the basement with my dogs. One of them was calm as could be. The other was riled to the point of insanity. As long as I have internet and a chair, I was okay. but the severe weather has left. And I should get to cleaning, but I wanted to write an entry first.
I keep wanting to do another braid out, but I never have time it seems. I don't think I would look good with twists in my hair, that is just my opinion though. If you don't think you look good in something, chances are you aren't going to feel good in it as well. I really liked the results of my braid out though.
Part of the problem is that I don't really have anywhere to wear all these cute styles too. I am unemployed, I go to school, though most times it is in the evening. My main day trips consist of library or the grocery store. I'd find something to do with my time, but then homework comes crashing down on me.. like a big crashy down being.
I know that even if I did have a job, hair styles would be few and far in between. I would rather sleep than style. So I trade my minutes to get up and look cute for sleep. blessed sleep.
I can't win, so I complain.
In other news... remember a couple months ago I interviewed two special ladies? They were running their first marathon and raising money for the leukemia and lymphoma society? If you don't remember, or didn't read it, please go read it here. Well, Shonika and her twinnie Rashida finished their marathon!!! I was so proud of them. Literally I had tears in my eyes when I found out. It is such a big deal. I told them that when they were towards the end of their journey I would purchase more stuff from them and host a give away on my blog! YAY give aways. When everything gets here, I will divvy it up into little groups so I can have multiple winners. Can't wait for that. Once again Congrats girls!
Advertising your blog, but being shy.
For those of you that do not know, I go to school. I am at IUPUI here in Indianapolis, Indiana. Every Monday and Wednesday I am in the same building. I see several girls with natural hair that I want to chat up. I would love to give them my card and just, shoot the breeze.
The problem?
I am sort of shy. If you know me, that's fine I am okay. But I can't just walk up to random people and start talking. I get all squeaky. Hell, it took me a month to start talking to the guy that sits next me in class. Now we are fast (in class) friends. In comparison, it took me 10 minutes to hate the girl that sits next to me (she brings luggage to class, blocking the isle and sits there asking stupid questions and cracking her knuckles.). Anyway, Does anyone else have this problem? How do you personally overcome it?
Joblessness, life, and the pursuit of happiness.
Random Conversation at night with me and my husband
Me (About to doze off): I whip my hair back and forth.
J: Your hair doesn't whip
Me: IT DOES TOO!
Me: Want me to go back to relaxers?
J: Your hair whips!
Me; 🙂 *snore*
So some fat slob can sweat gin on me? YOU TELL MR CHOCOLATE MAN THAT I AIN'T GOING BACK!!
For myself, this has been an excruciatingly long week. I've had a total of three job interviews, two of which were back to back. I did have some time to kill in between so I went to the library in Plainfield. According to Google, this was the closet library to where I was at during the time.
I really was trying to work on trig homework. But this woman on the computer got a phone call and kept screaming in her phone about Facebook and hair weaves. I knew it was time to go.
Meh. I need a job!
I am going to go now, as I do not have much else to say. Love you all!
Product Review: Hair Rules
The people at hair rules were uber kind enough to send me product samples to review. I chose the Hair Rules nourishment leave-in conditioner and the Hair Rules kinky curling cream.
I like the fact that the product is light smelling. It’s packaged in small convenient bottles that I can pack in my purse if needs be. The designs on them are too cute for words. I mean, C’mon!
So, I had a bit of a problem with the directions on these. I am used to applying leave-in conditioner out of the shower. Let me type out the instructions on both of these bottles and see if you can make sense of it:
Leave-in Conditioner: Apply a nickel size dollop to damp hair and leave in. Add more based on thickness and length of hair. Apply Kinky Curling Cream, Curly Whip, or Wavy Mousse and dry naturally, or blow dry using a diffuser. Follow with Hydrating Finishing Cream.
Then, the Kinky Curling Cream: Use in the shower! Apply to soaking wet hair. Saturate hair with product in sections, while smoothing and stretching with fingers or a wide-tooth comb. Do not rinse! Lightly re-wet hair, what you see is what you’ll get. Air dry or set wet curls under a hood dryer. Follow with Hydrating Finishing Cream.
Does anyone see where I got confused? Am I to apply the leave in conditioner in the shower and then follow up with the Kinky Curling Cream? That is what I did. Directions be damned.
For the past couple of weeks, I have been dealing a lot with shrinkage in my hair. I am happy to say that this product helped out A LOT with that. It made it look like I had a full head of hair again, and not some teeny weenie afro. I was able to rock my puff at Anderson Apple Orchard today!
I know, I look too cute for words… I just got that top from Old Navy too! My eyebrows need plucked desperately though.
The one major problem with this product that I have is that it takes forever for my hair to dry. I got out the shower at 11:38 this morning. It is now 10:12pm and I still have a slightly damp patch. That is my only main concern.
Bottom line: Hair Rules is a great product that helps with the stretching of the hair. If you can see, even though my hair is stretched, it did not take away the definition of my curls. The instructions are a bit confusing, but the way I used them worked out for me. It defines and shines though unless you blow dry, please be aware your hair may take a long time to dry especially if it is thick.
Don’t give advice to someone who doesn’t want it.
I write a blog. I write a blog about natural hair. I follow the natural hair hashtag on twitter (@mrsckugs if you want to read my randomness about life). I ask people for their thoughts and advice. I give my thoughts and my advice on my blog. You may choose to read it. You may choose not to. I am not going to tell you how to live your natural hair life. That isn't me. I am fairly newly natural (a year next month). What right do I have to chase down a relaxed hair woman and tell her she is living her life wrong!?
I am not militant with the natural hair. I love my hair now. I like being able to style it and do things to it that I was not able to do when I was relaxed.
I ran across this video on twitter today in the natural hair hashtag. The woman has a point. I will give her that. I live in Indianapolis, there is not a big natural hair movement here. I've never had women run me down and tell me what I should do with my hair. I once had a hair dresser tell me my hair was a hot mess before he chopped a shit ton of it off (*sniffle*). Just watch the video, you will see what I mean. Due to cursing, this video is NSFW.
So…Flipping Cute!!!
Look at what Sesame Street did for all the little natural hair girls!!! How awesome is that! I hope you share with someone who has little girls who have natural hair
Fab Finds Under 50 and Me
Hey! I am doing the sisterhood of the traveling scarf over at Fab Finds! Check it out!!
http://www.fabfindsunder50.com/2010/10/traveling-scarf-round-3-stops-3-4.html
A year is coming up and I am excited
Do you guys realize that I have had natural hair for almost a year? A YEAR! I was in the shower yesterday and tugged on a lock of hair to see how long it is getting. My hair is about the length it was before I went natural. I don't have all the breakage in the back that I had when my hair was relaxed as well! I am planning on doing a video for my year anniversary. I am going through my hard drives trying to collect all the photo's that I have with my natural hair.
I will set it to music. It will be great.
It is Sunday, and in my house that means football. My hubs and his brother and father are in the living room watching football. I don't do football. Except the superbowl. And I don't really do the superbowl, I just do the commercials.. but GO COLTS anyways LOL.
Till next time
Espionage Cosmetics
