Personal Chef to Go Coupon Code!

Thank you Chef Blair and Personal Chef to Go!

Repackaging As I Am Coconut Cowash (and other tub hair products!)

Check out the vid! I kept it under 5 minutes just for you =)

Ummm note to companies… we love pumps! And bottles! I’m not happy about the tub packaging of my favorite gel, Kinky Curly Curling Custard, either. But as something that goes in the shower, I had to do something about this one immediately! So check out my mess-free way to get this bad boy in a squeeze bottle, or whatever bottle you choose =)

And oh yeah, this works for things other than hair products:  

South Beach Diet Check-In and Personal Chef to Go Chat

Check out the vid! I read the South Beach Diet book in 2012 and it has helped me make better food choices ever since. I also want to share with you guys a meal delivery system that has changed mine and hubby’s life really postively.

Addendum to my Huge Hair Haul

As I Am Coconut Cowash

Ingredients: Aqueous (Water, Aqua Purificada, Purified) Extracts: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) and Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine)¹, Cetyl Alcohol², Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol², PEG-40 Castor Oil, Stearlkonium chloride, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil², Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil¹, Phytosterols¹, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract¹, Quaternium-18, Potassium Sorbate, Fragrance/Parfum, Limonene, Methylisothiazolinone.
Source: 1-Natural, 2-Coconut.

Darcy’s Botanicals Organic Coconut & Aloe Moisture Pudding

Ingredients: Organic Aloe, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Emulsifying Wax NF, Vitamin E, and Potassium Sorbate (a food grade preservative).

Darcy’s Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Moisturizing Conditioner

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Organic Virgin Coconut Oil), Camellia (Oleifera) Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Extracts of Avena Sativa (Oatstraw), Utrica Dioica (Nettle Leaf), Symphytum Officinale (Comfrey), Salvia Officialis (Sage), & Juniperus Communis (Juniper Berry) Extracts, Pathenol, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Fragrance.

Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk

Ingredients: Distilled Water, Rice Milk, Macadamia Oil, Shea Oil, Avocado Oil, Aloe Vera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Btms Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Optiphen, Natural Fragrance.

Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment (Citrus Lavender scent)

Ingredients: Water (Aqua) infused with Equisetum Maximum Lam (Horsetail), Mentha Piperita (Peppermint), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary), Laurus Nobilis (Bay Leaf), Ocimum Basilicum (Basil), Arctium Lappa (Burdock Root), Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow Root), Origanum Vulgare (Oregano), Cymbopogon Flexuosus (Lemongrass), Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme), Salvia Officinalis (Sage) and Urtica Dioica (Nettle); Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Soy Lecithin, Citrus Sinensis Var. Dulcis (Orange) Oil (and) Lavandula Officinalis (lavender) Oil (and) Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Oil; Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate.

Reve Essentials Hair and Body Moisturizer (Strawberry and Creme Brulee scents)

Ingredients: Water infused with horsetail, slippery elm, and marshmallow root extracts, aloe vera juice, behentrimonium methosulfate (natural emulsifier), cetyl alcohol (natural thickener),  jojoba oil, rosehip seed oil, castor oil, coconut oil, optiphen(preservative), fragrance.

Update: The Creme Brulee version is aight. It’s like a less yummy version of the Camille Rose vanilla cake scent present in the aforementioned Moisture Milk.

Viviscal Extra Strength Hair Vitamins

Check out the ingredients on drugstore.com

March Favorites!

OK, this is embarassingly late. I’m sorry. Time got away from me. The product listing is below (I’m working on the blog post).

Le Volume de Chanel Mascara
Makeup Forever Duo Mat 214 Neutral Amber
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Caramel
Oyin Handmade Hair Dew
Kiss My Face Upper Management Gel
Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner
Darcy’s Botanicals Coconut and Aloe Moisture Pudding
Jessicurl Deep Conditioner
Sprite Showers shower head and filters
Infused water! (Made in my Luminarc Quadro pitcher from Bed Bath and Beyond)

HUGE Natural Hair Product Haul! (Sulfate & Silicone Free)

Check out my HUGE hair haul! All products and ingredients are listed below =)

I have been wanting to try a lot of these products since before I even did the big chop. Check out the video for my rundown on my experience with them so far. 

Shampoos

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
Ingredients: De-ionized water, Decyl Glucoside (sugar beets), African Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea butter) (denotes certified organic ingredients), aloe vera leaf juice, Argan Oil, Panthenol (pro-vitamin B-5, rosemary extract, sea kelp extract, vitamin E, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and Lonicera Japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) flower extract.

Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Conditioner
Ingredients: Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG -7 Olivate, Guar Hydroxypropytrimonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Matricaria Recuitita (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Yucca Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis (Melissa) Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Fragrance.


Kinky Curly Come Clean Moisturizing Shampoo
Ingredients: Purified water, organic mandarin orange fruit, organic marigold flower, organic white willow bark, organic sea kelp, c14-16 olefin, sulfonate and cocamidopropyl betaine (coconut derived), phytic acid, citric acid, sea salt, phenoxyethanol, natural fragrance.


Conditioners without Protein 
 
Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in and Detangler
Ingredients: Organic mango extract, organic slipper elm, organic marshmallow root, organic lemongrass, cetyl alcohol, *behentrimonium methosulfate, citric acid, phenoxyethanol and natural fragrance.

Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner
Ingredients: Panax Ginseng root extract, cetraria islandia (Irish Moss) extract, saccharomyces cerevisiea (Brewer’s Yeast) extract, Gingko Biloba extract, pimpinella anisum (Anise) fruit extract, prunis persica (Peach) extract in purified water, hexadecanol, stearakonium chloride, certimonium bromide, Squalane (olive oil lipid), Capric Caprillic Triglycerides (coconut fatty acids), Panthenol (pro-vitamin USP), Biotin (USP), imisazolidinyl urea, methylparaben (USP), fragrance.

I said in the video that this is a conditioner without protein, but upon perusing Curlmart for the ingredients list I saw that the product description talks about protein. I’m not yet familiar with what ingredients contain protein without actually having the word PROTEIN in it (like yeast). However, this conditioner leaves the hair amazingly soft, and I think the overall effect of this conditioner is moisture and softness as opposed to strengthening and hardening.

Curl Junkie Smoothing Daily Hair Conditioner 
Ingredients: Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Butyropermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) fruit Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Yucca Leaf Extract, Matricaria Recuitita (Chamomile) Flower Water, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis (Melissa) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Triticum Vilgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Cetyl Esters, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Polysorbate 60, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Hydroethylcellulose, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Capryly Glycol, Fragrance. 

This product is meant to bring down frizz. Since filming the video, I have tried it once and I like it. To me, the smell reminds me a bit of apple cinnamon oatmeal, but it’s light. Good stuff.
  

Shea  Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Argan Oil, Coconut Oil*, Behentrimonium Chloride, Essential Oil Blend, Vegetable Glycerin, Emulsifying Wax, Sea Kelp Extract, Panthenol (Vitamin B‐5), Avocado Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil.

Curl Junkie Curl Rehab
Ingredients: Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis (Melissa) Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Pepperment) Leaf Extract, Yucca Leaf Extract, Rosa Mosqueta (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuaçu) Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Vanilla Planifolia oil, Cananga Odorata oil, Lecithin, Fragrance, Citric Acid.

Conditioners with Protein

CJ Beauticurls Strengthening Hair Conditioner
Ingredients: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Vegetable Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Panthenol, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin Seed) Oil, Melissa Officinalis (Melissa) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract, Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Yucca Leaf Extract, Keratin Amino Acids, Polyquaternium-7, Lecithin, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol.

Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment
Ingredients: Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Hydrolyzed Keratin Protein, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Panthenol, Keratin Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Glyceryl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glycol Stearate, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Tocopherol Acetate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate.

Hair Milks

Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk 

Ingredients: Nucifera (coconut) oil (denotes certified organic ingredients), Isopropyl Myristate, sugar starch, silk protein, essential oil blend, Melia Azadirachta (Neem) seed oil, Caprylyl glycol, Sorbitol Esters, algae extract, Hyssopus Officinalis Extract, Salvia Officinalis (sage) leaf and Equisetum Arvense Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) seed oil, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and Lonicera Japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) flower extract and Tocopherol (vitamin E).

 

Oyin Hair Dew  

Ingredients: Water, Ricinus communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Olea europaea (Olive) Oil, Aloe barbadensis Leaf Juice (Organic), Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentremonium Methosulfate (emulsifier derived from Colza Oil), Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Phynoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (preservative), Cetyl Alcohol, Fragrance.

Stylers

Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie 
Ingredients: Deionized Water , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil , Persea Gratissima Oil (Avocado) , Vegetable Glycerin , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract , Silk Protein , Ammonium Salt , Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil (Neem) , Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil (Carrot) , Sorbitol Esters , Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B-5) , Caprylyl Glycol , Essential Oil Blend , Tocopherol (Vitamin E).

Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic 
Ingredients: Organic aloe vera juice aqueous-infused extracts of marshmallow, chamomile, nettle and horsetail, vitamin E, agave nectar extract, citric acid, potassium sorbate, and natural fragrance

Kinky Curl Curling Custard  
Ingredients: Botanical infusion of water, horsetail, chamomile, nettle and marshmallow, organic aloe vera juice, agave nectar extract, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), pectic, citric acid, potassium sorbate and natural fragrance.

Kiss My Face Upper Management Gel
Ingredients:
Water of Utrica Dioica (Certified Organic), Calendula Officinalis, Athemis Nobilis, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate (Amino Acid derived), Faex (Yeast) Extract, Panthenol, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E) (Vitamin E), Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit)

Second Day Hair Products
 
Kinky Curly Spiral Spritz 
Ingredients: Lavender water, extracts of horsetail, nettles and sage, aloe vera gel, vitamin B-5, glycerin, citric acid, and grapefruit seed extract.

Uncle Funky’s Daughter Thirsty Curls
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Symphytum Officinale (Comfrey) Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Leaf Extract, Cetrimonium Chloride, Polyquatemium-11, PEG-8, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Magnesium Sulfate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Fragrance. 

Shea Moisture Hold and Shine Moisture Mist
Ingredients: Deionized Water , Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut) , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Silk Protein , Essential Oil Blend , Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil (Neem) , Algae Extract , Hlyssopus Officinalis Extract , Salvia Officinalis Leaf and Equisetum Arvense Extract (Sage) , Tocopherol (Vitamin E).

Pomades
 
Jane Carter Nourish and Shine 
Ingredients: Natural Butters, Essential Oils, Vitamins. (My container has more detailed ingredients, but I found this listing online. I’ll update.)

Oyin Burnt Sugar Pomade mini (Available from oyinhandmade.com; full size available from curlmart.com)
Ingredients: Ricinus communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Glycine soja (Soybean) Oil, Organic Virgin Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Mangifera indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Olea europaea (Olive) Oil, Unrefined Cannabis sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Theobroma cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Brassica oleracea italica (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Fragrance.

BEST MASCARA EVERRRR! Le Volume de Chanel

The only mascara I’ve ever tried that has come close to being worth the $30 it costs! Good volume and great length. Has some hold, but doesn’t make my lashes too crunchy. I love it.

First Impression: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer & 2nd Look at MUFE Pro Finish!

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Caramel

You know what? So what if this is a first impression review? I’m gonna say it. This is hands-down the best concealer I have ever used. It even knocks my first choice for under the eye, Estee Lauder Double Wear in Medium Deep, clear out of the way. This is one of the VERY few concealers that works for me under the eye as well as on blemishes (the Double Wear concealer is the other one that works well for me on both, by the way). I love it. In the video, I swatch this concealer with the older stick version of Caramel.

To see that in action, click my old foundation routine below:

Makeup Forever Pro Finish in Neutral Amber 173

WOW! Wow, wow, wow! This foundation rivals my love for the Nars Powder Foundation, which I rock in Tahoe in the winter. A bit after applying MUFE Pro Finish and seeing it in natural light and my bathroom lighting, I could see that this foundation matched me very well, but for the super picky, it was the teensiest bit dark and the undertone was the teensiest bit off. I think this will match me super duper well when I get a bit of a tan, but I wonder if it will be dark enough for me when I’m at my darkest mid-summer. In any case, this applied beautifully with the Makeup Forever Kabuki brush that I got with my MUFE HD kit. I didn’t even need a sponge. This could be the best sample ever so THANK YOU SEPHORA! I am also willing to try shade 170, since that is the HD liquid foundation shade I wear in the winter. With MUFE HD, 173 is a bit too dark for me even in the summer. The foundation worked out better. This stuff is amazingly non-cakey. In the featured video above, I applied it dry. I have not yet tried the wet application that this foundation is also designed to do well with; however, I did once (inadvertently) apply this over pure argan oil, with beautiful dewy results. You can check that out in this video:

And since if you have read this far you’re interested in powder foundation, check out the versatility of the beloved Nars Powder Foundation in Tahoe in this video:

Thanks for reading!
Jali

February Favorites (2013)

Hey guys! Check out my latest February favorites video. See below for some product information!

Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Wash. My husband bought a men’s Shea Moisture body wash and I noticed how remarkably soft his skin was after using it. This body wash is lightly-scented and does not dry out my skin. It lathers beautifully and once I apply some to my shower gloves, the amount lasts for my whole shower, which has never been the case with other drugstore body washes I have used. I’m planning to try other body washes in the line now, but I think I will love this particular one for a long time!

Grapeseed Oil (mine is Aura Cacia brand). My main use for this oil is to apply this to my hands and legs after showering at night before bed. I use argan oil on my face, but was in search of a less expensive alternative for the rest of my body. I love this oil! It’s pretty light in both feel and scent. It prevents my skin from getting dried out and when my hair is longer I will consider sealing with it. I like to apply a little to my lips if I remember as well.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Argan Oil Daily Moisturizer with SPF 40. In addition to the pure Argan Oil, this is another Josie Maran product that I’m totally impressed by. There is a marked absense of a white cast with this sunscreen, which is astonishing because it has the highest SPF I have used on my face. I love that this has argan oil, but not so much as to disturb my makeup with daily wear. It has no added fragrance, but to me smells like Sweet Tarts. I just love it.

Nailtini nail polishes in Millionaire and Frappe. I got these two colors in two different Ipsy bags. Frappe is on all 10 nails in this video, and I’m wearing Millionaire on my accent nails. I adore these colors.

Blendercleanser. I love this cleanser for my BeautyBlender, but have recently started using it on all my makeup brushes as well. It washes the makeup out of my brushes a lot faster than my standard Softsoap Antibacterial Hand Soap, which makes rinsing exponentially faster.

Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner. This is a lightweight, yet very moisturizing conditioner. It smells like clean, classic conditioner. I like to use this in anticipation of using Kinky Curly Knot Today or Curling Custard, which are known not to play well with oils and butters. I really really like this, and I bought it on Curlmart for only $8.





Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Conditioner. OMG. I love this stuff. It has a slight vanilla-mint scent. It lathers ever so slightly and contains cocamidopropyl betaine which can help cleanse out silicones, if they’re part of your routine. I’m pretty sure I will use this forever and ever and ever. It’s my staple for a gentle cleanse, when I’m washing my hair due to having just worked out or to get some product out that I didn’t like. I use something that lathers more when I need a more thorough cleanse, such as Kinky Curly Come Clean or Shea Moisture Moisture Retention Shampoo.

Today’s Makeup
I’m wearing the Stila Stay All Day Foundation in the color Tan12. I tried both that and Dark 11–both were sort of dark and red/peachy colored =( more than the depth of color, the undertones were way off. It didn’t mix well at all with my beloved Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Caramel.











Elsewhere on the face – 
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner
Nars Schiap