Giovanni Direct Leave-In

Looking for a lightweight, uber-moisturizing leave-in condish? Look no further than Giovanni Direct Leave-In!

Product Description: To create condition and style, you need to go directly to the source. Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner penetrates into each individual hair to provide exactly what's needed , every time. This leave-in treatment uses enriched proteins to repair hair as you go through the day. It also plumps hair so it feels thicker, more bodified. By infusing each strand with proteins, hair goes directly to style.

Verdict: This is my go to leave-in. It does everything it claims, and it's organic! I always use it after my regular conditioner and whenever my hair needs a little pick-me-up. I've also put it in a spray bottle, added a little water, and used it as a refresher spray to perk up my tresses in the morning. All in all, it's a great foundation for a great hair day!

Price Range: $7.99 - $12.99 for a 8.5oz bottle depending on the retailer. Currently it is $7.99 at my place of purchase Ulta.

Ingredients: Aqua (Purified Water), Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) Oil, Nettle (Urtica Dioica) Oil, Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) Oil, Birch Leaf (Butela Alba) Oil, Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis Flower) Oil, Clary (Salvia Sclarea), Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia), Coltsfoot Leaf (Tussilago Fargara), Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) Oil, Mallow (Malya Sylvestris), Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense) Oil, Soybean Protein (Glycine Soja), Cetyl Alcohol (Plant Derived), Tocopherol (*Vitamin E), Trace Minerals, Citric Acid (Corn), Sodium Hydroxymethlyglycinate, Grapefruit Seed (Citrus Derived), Fragrance with Essential Oils.

Generic Value Products - Conditioning Balm

Nowadays, everyone is on a budget. My budget has led me to be creative with my hair product choices, and has also moved me to try certain brands that I never thought I would use. Case in point - Generic Value Products brand sold at Sally's Beauty Supply. I never took a second look at this brand because I didn't think it would suit my ethnic tresses, even when I had relaxed hair. However, my mind was made over once I saw a video on YouTube that mentioned the conditioner called "Conditioning Balm." It is the generic version of Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm. At only $5.99 for a 16oz bottle I had to try it!

Conditioning Process:
After I co-washed my hair, I applied the conditioner and detangled with a wide tooth comb. Then I put on a plastic cap and sat under a hooded dryer set to the "warm" setting for about 25 min. The directions on the bottle only state to leave it on your hair for 1-3 minutes, but I knew my curls were in need of a really good deep conditioning. When my time was up, I rinsed out the conditioner with cool/cold water. The cool water is good for sealing the hair cuticle, maximizing shine, and reducing frizz.

Verdict:
Pretty good stuff! My hair felt soft and very nicely moisturized even after styling. I also love the fact that the conditioner is nice and thick. I have tried so many expensive name brand conditioners that were nothing but water which is what I expected from this, but I was pleasantly surprised! Plus, you can't really beat it for the price. This is definitely going to be one of my staple conditioners. Just goes to show you, you can't judge a book by it's cover.

Generic Value Products Conditioning Balm
Ingredients:Water, Propylene Glycol, Myristyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Decyl Oleate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Hexyl Cinnamal, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis (Golden Seal) Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus (Bladderwack) Extract, Methyl-2-Octynoate

Eco Styler Olive Oil Styling Gel

There are so many naturals out there that swear by the Eco Styler Gel line, but up until this point I never felt the need to try it out. Well, that all changed when I found out that they have an Olive Oil version of the gel. I couldn't resist any longer. To top it all off, it was on sale at Sally's Beauty Supply for only $3.50 for a 32oz container! Love that! So after I co-washed, conditioned, and detangled my hair, I put in some leave-in condish and proceeded with my trial of the Eco Styler Olive Oil Styling Gel.

Styling Process:
First I sectioned my hair into about five even sections* and secured each with a butterfly clip. As I took down each section of hair, I took a spray bottle filled with water and saturated the hair. For each section I used about a quarter sized amount of gel* and raked and smoothed through my hair with just my fingers. I continued this process until my entire head was complete.

Verdict:
I like it! My curls are nicely defined and it gave my hair a nice hold. One word of caution though, like with most gels, if you apply to much you may get that crunchy feeling. To undo this, just use a small amount of any oil of your choosing and scrunch out the crunchiness with the oil. Also, this product does contain hydrolyzed wheat protein. If you are one of the many women whose hair is protein sensitive, you may want to skip this one. If you're not protein sensitive give it a try, because you definitely can't beat the value!

Eco Styler Olive Oil Styling Gel
Ingredients: Water, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, PVP, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hydrxymethylglycinate, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA, Olive Oil, Fragrance, Blue #1, Yellow#1, Love and Pride.

*depending on the length, thickness, and curl pattern of your hair you may need more or less

Welcome To My Blog!

Welcome to Curly Bella! I have been natural for 11 months now and it has been an interesting journey of trial and error. Over the past year I have discovered a love for my hair that I never knew I could have! My husband always teases me that every time I walk by a mirror I have to play in my hair, and actually he's right :-) Each curl, coil, and kink has become near and dear to my heart.

Throughout my journey I have been asked countless times "What products do you use on your hair?" and "What is your hair care regimen?" The thing is, I'm a product junkie and even though I have my favorites, I'm always on a constant search for the "perfect" products for my hair. So when people ask me the aforementioned questions I usually babble on for a while rattling off a whole list of hair get-up that I've used. Essentially that is my reason for starting this blog - to share my product knowledge and hopefully help any natural or transitioning ladies out there who are confused and overwhelmed with their natural hair experience.

Now let me offer this disclaimer: I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL COSMETOLOGIST. I'm only sharing my personal experiences with different products and brands. Everyone's hair is different so what may work for me may not work for you and vice versa. We all have to learn what our own hair needs to thrive and flourish. However, through my journey I have benefited greatly from the experiences of others, so I feel indebted to pass my knowledge on. I will give reviews, tips, and tricks on various hair products and styles in an effort to demystify the natural hair process. Hope you enjoy!