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.

nail polish!

IMO pedicures are ESSENTIAL to the soul. I just don't feel right if I look down and my feet aren't done. I've definitely cut back on treating myself to the bi-weekly pedi because of the economy and I started doing them myself. I usually automatically picked up OPI or Essie polish because all the fashion mags said they were the best. I was surprised to see nail polish at Urban Outtfitters last year and I ended up picking up a bottle. At $5 a pop I figured it wouldn't break the bank. Imagine my surprise when the color not only went on great but lasted as long as my nail shop pedi with OPI polish. The brand at Urban Outtifers is called "L.A. Girl" and they have all the on-trend colors. They have sets (that are on sale now) located on their website but they're also in store as well. Definitely check up on it. 

THE rihanna pic = sad...

Looking at this picture just really hurts my heart. There's so much anguish in her face that it just makes me really, really sad. On one hand I know that it must be extremely hard to have all of your business on front street, but now it's certain that the "nay-sayers" can no longer say that her injuries were "exaggerated." There's a photo to go with the reports and it's clear that C. Brown did a number on her. I don't know how he's going to come back from this, and I don't think I want him to. I hope Rihanna is doing as well as can be expected.

gogirl

The makers of GoGirl call it a female urination device for travel and active women on the go because "Life's greatest adventure shouldn't be finding a bathroom."  Que the music for Ciara's song "Go Girl" in my head (maybe they can use that song for a commercial?). So my first question is, are they suggesting that we should just pull over the car and take a piss on the side of the road like men do lol? Actually, I've always wanted one of these in my life (kinda joking kinda not)! I've always wished I could stand up and pee though. I don't want to be a man of course but I've often envied that they can just go in the restroom, unzip, and relieve themselves. Whereas when nature calls for us women we have to stand in line, and then once you finally get into a stall after 30 minutes of doing the "pee pee dance," it's most likely flithy dirty with urine on the seat, a half used seat cover still clinging to it, and a non-descript puddle on the floor. I've often had to crouch over the toliet and hold my purse in my hand since those little hooks for the back of the door are few and far between, and then do my business while I try to keep my balance. Not fun. The only thing that worries me about the "GoGirl" is that it seems like it would be kinda gross to clean and store it. The website says you can dispose of it or use the plastic baggy that comes with it to store it until you can clean it. Not sure if I could stand a baggy with urine drops inside my purse. This product could be useful if you decide to go camping in an area where there are no toilets or port-a-potties. If you're interested, the GoGirl is available online.

o-balm-a?

So I just got a promotional email about this product, and I think this is taking "Obama-mania" too far. Obama "executive" lip balm? First of all WTF is this stuff? Second of all why? Supposedly it's 100% natural but what's so different about cocoa butter based lip balm? I don't think that's ground-breaking in anyway; especially not in a way that needs Obama's name attached to it. The slogan is "YES WE CAN Moisturize Those Lips!" I don't don't think Obama had any idea that he would be attached to lip balms when he ran and won the most powerful position in the world. I just think too many people are trying to make a buck off of this. Yes it's an amazing time in history, but we're past public enthusiasm. And you know what else? Most of the items are tacky? I see gawdy plastic earrings, ugly t-shirts and not to mention those unauthorized Sasha and Malia dolls. If you want to check it out yourself it's available at AveYou

"he's just not that into you..."

This movie is the truth. Every woman should go out and see it. Basically it's about how women make excuses to themselves about why he didn't call, why he didn't kiss you at the end of the date, why he didn't do x,y, or z, when the reality is that he's really not interested aka "he's just not that into you." I know I've rationalized a man's behavior (more than once or twice). But you know what? No more. It will save me a lot of time and heartache if I admit the truth early on. Yes it will hurt but it will hurt more when I get wrapped all up in the relationship. I do believe that there may be some instances where there may be larger issues at play, but I know that I'm going to pay closer attention to what he does (instead of says) and the progress of the relationship. No more pulling the wool over my eyes here! I'm sure I'll stumble and try to rationalize the b.s. but I'm going to remind myself that he's really JUST NOT THAT INTO ME. *steps of soapbox*

trader joe's refresh conditioner

File this under: don't try this. Seriously, this is the worst conditioner for dry hair ever. It has no conditioning properties whatsoever. So much so that I took it back to the store. It was only like $2 but I refused to waste $2 on a product that was going in the trash after one use. It really left my hair feeling stripped and a conditioner should NOT do that. I thought perhaps I could use it strictly as a co-washing conditioner but I had to really douse my hair in another conditioner to get the moisture back in my hair. Just don't waste your money on this.

olay pore refining mousse cleanser

This stuff is the devil. It dries my skin the hell out and I don't recommend it for anyone! Especially if you have dry skin. I'm a sucker for packaging so I thought it looked cool. Plus I loved that it came out of the can like hair mousse (hence the name refining mousse cleanser) so I bought it. Probably one of the worst skin purchases I've ever made. These these little scrub particles in the mousse so when you rub it on your skin it's supposed to exfoliate which my be nice if it didn't dry my skin out, but it also leaves the "microcrystals" on my face even after I rinse with a wash cloth. I haven't seen this product on the shelves for a while so maybe Olay got a lot of complaints and discontinued it. But if you do see it, stay far, far away. It's going in the trash as soon as I publish this post. I'm sticking with natural cream cleansers for my skin. 

dr. bronner's to the rescue...

Forget the chemical-laden Dr. Miracle's (not to mention those offensive ads); Dr. Bronner's is the business! I've been searching for this stuff all over town after reading about it on the web. I was really desperate to try it because it's all natural and the ingredients are not only fair trade but USDA organic and not tested on animals. I picked up the Citrus Conditioning Hair Rinse as well as the Lavender Hair Conditioner and Style Creme. The style creme also comes in Peppermint but my hair does really well with coconut oil. The instructions for the rinse say to "dilute, dilute, dilute!" the rinse and I can see why. I comes out really thick and gooey. I mixed 2 capfuls in with one cup of purified water in a cup and put it to the side. After co-washing my hair I poured the mixture over my hair, rubbed it in, and then rinsed out. It's very citrusy and it kinda stung my dry skin and chapped lips so I was wondering if it would help to really condition my hair. Surprise, surprise it did. My hair felt really smooth to the touch. I can see this lasting a while because the is 8 oz and you only need about 2 capfuls per washing. After I combed my hair out I smoothed the style creme through. It felt very lotion-y in my hands and I didn't think it would really do anything to my thick coarse hair but it really smoothed the frizz out! So far I'm really pleased. I only wish this line had a deep conditioner. The rinse is $9.99 and the cream is $7.99 so they're not super cheap but not as much as other natural products. Online they're available at http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/HAIR.htm but I found mine at a local health food store.

mrs. o on vogue...

My first response? Eh? *shrugs shoulders* I really wanted them to do something amazing and they didn't. I'm disappointed. She looks nice and classy but it doesn't wow me. I usually boycott Vogue even though I love fashion because it's probably the whitest of the white fashion mags out there. They hardly ever feature women of color so I just don't buy it. However I will take a one month hiatus from my personal boycott of Vogue and purchase this issue. Or better yet swipe it from my job for free .99. 

lush henna hair dyes

I've been wanting to try the Lush Henna Bars forever. I used henna on my hair once using some brand at Whole Foods. I think it was Rainbow or Mountain something? It seemed like it left my hair really dry so I get frustrated and didn't try again. I spotted these henna bars like a year ago but I just never tried it because it was $20 and the site says you have to use the whole bar. So that was a turn-off. I finally bought one over the weekend and did a lot of research about how to use it and how much of the bar you really had to use. Some people used the whole thing but a lot of ladies who have longer hair than mine only used 2 squares. I decided to start off with 2 squares and if I needed more I would just mix more up. Well 2 squares was MORE than enough. People have also complained about the smell. It's definitely not as strong as some people have commented. It smells a little of old cigarettes but it's definitely tolerable. 

This product was not as hard or messy to apply as most reviews I've read on Lush or on the net. I have it sitting on my hair right now and so far I'm really pleased with the application. I'll come back to updated once I've rinsed out in 6 hours or so. I have 4a/b texture hair and it's really tight thick, curly, and coarse. Straightened out my hair is armpit length in the front and almost bra strap in the back. If I let it dry naturally it barely brushes my shoulders (just including that so you get an idea of how long my hair is). I parted my hair in 4 sections and applied it throughly but didn't glop it on because because I wanted to make sure I had enough. I ended up having quite a bit left over so then I went back and put it on really thick. I didn't grate it like I've read a lot of people do because it just seemed like it would take a while and I'm lazy like that. I found that step is really unnecessary. The hot water melts the lumps if you let it sit for a few minutes. I just used a knife and cut off the 2 squares and then kinda broke it up into chunks. Then I poured water from my Brita pitcher into a ceramic mug and microwaved it for 2 minutes so it was hot, but not boiling. I poured the water over the henna chunks and let it sit for a couple of minutes in the Pyrex bowl I was using. Came back and stirred it with the stick end of one of the plastic brushes they use to apply hair color at a salon. I didn't pour the whole mug of water at once, rather I poured a little at a time until it was yogurt consistency (you kinda have to just eye ball it). Then I slapped on the gloves and used my hands to apply it like a deep conditioner. I planned to actually use the color applicator brush to brush it through but I figured my hands would be quicker. Seriously...this was easy peasy. There was very little mess. Not sure how it could all over everything as long as you're careful. Yes, there were a couple of drops and splatters on my arms and the sink but I just took a washcloth and wet it with warm water and simply wiped it up. My hair is really dark brown almost off black and I'm hoping this will make it richer. I'd love for it to go rich deep black but I suspect you may need a couple of applications for that I have 4 squares left so I'm thinking about doing it again on Sunday if I have 6 hours to burn. As long as the color is good this product is a keeper!