david babaii for wildaid: hydrating conditioner

What they say:

Hydrating Conditioner replenishes thirsty hair, restoring optimum moisture levels and nutrients. Rich Cupuacu Butter - from the South American Amazon - is a natural moisturizer. Wild Orchid also adds a moisture while keeping hair healthy and shiny. Blue Algae Extract strengthens the hair shaft. Hair becomes newly re-hydrated and revitalized. This unique eco-friendly formula is perfect for all hair types. Color-treated hair will keep color longer.

What I say:

And hydrate it does.  This stuff is the truth.  This might be the most moisturizing conditioner I've ever used.  The minute I rubbed it in my hair I could feel my hair melt.  And, the comb basically glided though.  Wow.  Plus it smells tropical, like I imagine a rainforest would smell.  Not as fruity as the Organix Grapefruit Mango, but yummy nonetheless. 

Bottom Line:

This is one of my new staples for sure.  I honestly think I could use this as a deep conditioner, that's how soft my hair felt.  For now I'm using it as my main rinse-out conditioner.  I add a little Trader Joe's Nourish Conditioner on top for added slip.  I didn't purchase the shampoo because I'm pretty well stocked on that for now, but I'll probably try it in the future.  They used to sell the David Babaii line at Target but it has disappeared from the shelves.  It also used to be about $14.99 there.  I've seen it at Rite-Aid, Walgreens, Longs, and Sally's now for $9.99.

organix moisturizing grapefruit mango butter collection

I've been on the hunt for this stuff for a minute after seeing the ads for it. Yes, I was enticed by the pretty pink bottle but also because I've read that mango butter is great for dry hair. I tried the usual suspects (Target, Walmart, Walgreens, Longs) and I even contacted the Organix customer service to no avail.  Over the weekend I was shopping in the large Bed Bath and Beyond with the Harmon drugstore inside and ta-da!  There it was.  I scooped up the shampoo and conditioner, took one whiff, and was in LOVE.  This stuff smells a-ma-zing.  The scent of coconut is usually my fav but I pretty much love anything island-y smelling. 

Fast forward to today and I finally tried the goods.  The shampoo: left my hair feeling a little stripped.  It's possible that I used to much because I was excited to try it.  The Organix products are sulfate free so they shouldn't be drying, but my hair felt a little too clean.  The conditioner: I was a little skeptical after squirting it in my hands because it felt a little runny but once I worked it in and washed it out my hair was pleasantly smooth and pretty tangle free.

The bottom line: I wouldn't depend on this line for moisture, but I definitely will repurchase for the scent alone.  I can see myself using the conditioner to co-wash my hair and scrub my scalp.  The shampoo I'll probably alternate with my trusty Creme of Nature. 

local favorite: humphrey slocombe

What is Humphry Slocombe you ask? It's SF's newest ice cream shop with an array of unique and adventurous flavors. I first read about it on Daily Candy and being the ice cream whore that I am, I knew I had to check it out. I've had an ongoing love affair with Bi-Rite Creamery for over a year now, but I was ready for something new. Like Bi-Rite, you get actually get 2 scoops in a "single" serving, so feel free to mix it up. So far I've tried the Vietnamese Blue Bottle Coffee (my favorite), Balsamic Caramel (prefer Bi-Rite's Salted Caramel over this), Gingerbread, Kumquat Poppy Seed, McEvoy Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper, and the now infamous Secret Breakfast (corn flakes & bourbon, oh my). As you can tell the flavors aren't for the faint of heart. They switch out the flavors daily and I'm still itching to try the White Chocolate Lavender and the Government Cheese (lol, sooo curious about this one). 

The shop is located in the Mission, but is on a street with not much else for now. I think I'll probably still lean toward Bi-Rite when the weather's nice because you can walk across the street to Dolores Park and sit on the grass and people watch, but Humphry Slocombe is perfect for a drive by ice cream stop. SF is seriously becoming an ice cream lover's haven. If you're curious, check out the reviews on Yelp. It's got 4.5 stars so you know it's got to be good. 

henna update...

I love henna. So far I've only used the Lush henna that I posted about a few weeks ago but I can definitely feel the benefits. My hair is darker. Not jet black yet, but maybe after the third application. I decided I'm going to henna once a month (I'm doing my second treatment today), which means if I continue to use the Lush henna bars I'll get 3 uses for $20. That's about $7 a treatment; basically the same price as a box of toxic hair color from the drugstore. My hair is definitely shinier, softer, and feels stronger after using it. 

more on marshmallow root...

Marshmallow root is supposed to be amazing for the hair and adds "slip" so it's easy to detangle. I may try adding this to other conditioners I have or creating a rinse with water and a couple drops of oil. There's some great info about Marshmallow and other roots on Anita Grant's website, so instead of me just retyping that click here for the 411. 

bentonite clay

I initially read about the positive effects of using bentonite clay as a hair detox on Naturally Curly (you can check out the thread here), and I decided to try it since it's all natural and relatively inexpensive. I don't use shampoos with sulphates, so I thought this would be a great way to get rid of any build-up. 

I mooseyed my way over to Whole Foods to pick some up. When I asked the Whole Body guy about bentonite clay he showed me a liquid version that was for internal use (you can also detox your body with bentonite but it must be the internal version). I figured I could use it in my hair too since he didn't seem to know anything about the powder version but I ended up finding the powder on my own. If you're looking for it at your local Whole Foods check the section with face cleansers and creams. They only had one brand: Health & Beauty Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. You get 1 pound for around $6. According to the packaging you can use it for facials, acne, baths, foot soaks, and a host of other things. I have yet to try it for anything but my hair, but it's truly multi-purpose.

I experimented with the clay initially just using purified water and about a tablespoon of honey. I left it on for about 45 minutes (don't let it get hard in your hair because it will be challenging to rinse out) but it left my hair kind of dry feeling. I tried this a couple of times and stuck it in the back of the closet. I got the urge to try something different over the weekend and dug the clay out of the closet and this time I got much better results. I used a scoop of the bentonite clay, and an equal scoop of marshmallow root powder (more on that below). Instead of water I mixed it using coconut milk. I didn't measure the coconut milk but just added it slowly until the texture was yogurt like making sure to get rid of all of the clumps. Applied it to my hair for about 30-45 minutes and rinsed. This time I had smooth, strong, soft hair that was really easy to detangle. 

About the marshmallow root. I used this because Blended Beauty makes a product called Volcanic Clean Mask and the ingredients are just bentonite clay and marshmallow root. The product is $9 for 120 ml which isn't that much so I decided to make my own. I purchased the marshmallow root for about $4 at an all natural pharmacy. I've used this mixture about 3 times and have a good deal of it left. You may be able to get the marshmallow root at your local Whole Foods but mine was out of it. 

the haute mrs. o...

At first glance I thought Michelle Obama had gotten a haircut. I've been thinking to myself that she would look so chic with a sharp new haircut. Something really modern and blunt or kinda shorter in the back longer in the front. Still totally age appropriate but something a little more fresh...if you know what I mean. Her hair just looks so "safe." I think she just has it pinned up in the back in this picture but it's a nice change nonetheless.