*UPDATE* NEW! Shea-loe recipe

I was so bummed when the last batch of shea-loe I made molded (ewww!), and the aloe vera separated from the shea butter. What a mess! I've since learned a few new things about mixing up this wonder-butter that heals my babies' eczema and softens my dry, winter skin and hair. Read on to learn more.

Recipe
1 C shea butter
1 Tb coconut oil
1/3 C combined oils- I like to mix vitamin E, a natural preservative (5,000 I.U), avocado, olive, almond and castor
1 Tsp honey, preservative
1/4 C aloe vera gel
10 drops tea tree e.o (preservative. no mold!)
10 drops rosemary e.o (preservative)
8 drops grapefruit and lavender e.o (fragrance. helps to balance the smell of tea tree and rosemary)

Create a double boiler by placing a glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water. Be careful not to let the bowl tip into the water. This will ruin your batch.

Add shea butter, coconut oil, 1/3 c oils to glass bowl, and allow to melt. Add honey while oils are hot. Stir gently. Remove glass bowl from heat and place on a surface for mixing. Add aloe vera gel to warm oil and mix using a hand mixer (often used for mixing cake batter).

The key to blending the aloe with the shea is mixing! Blend on low, then high, making sure to get air into the mix. This creates a fluffy, finished butter. Blend for about 15 minutes, then place glass bowl in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from freezer and blend again with mixer for about 2-5 minutes, or until the desired consistency. Add e.o and stir them in by hand. Transfer mixture to a clean, air-tight container with a lid. Place in refrigerator to set-up for a few hours.

I also like to label my batch with the date, so if it starts to look or smell funny, I know when to toss it. My last batch was January 12, so ar so good! Good thing everyone in my house uses it- it's almost gone!

What's in your spray bottle?

If you're leaving twists in your hair for days, or weeks, at a time, it's important to add moisture daily. Lots of Curlies mist their hair with a DIY leave-in conditioner. Recipes vary, I change mine depending on what I have on hand. This is my current mix:

6 oz. spray bottle
squirt of fave conditioner
squirt of Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier
squirt of aloe vera gel
a few drops of rich oil (avocado, olive, castor)
a few drops of fave e.o (tea tree, lavender, rosemary)
water

The ratio is roughly 70/30, with the majority being water. I spray my hair with this 2x/day, and seal with an oil at night. Let's water our garden, ladies! Until next time....

Outfit of the Day- Dad's 55th Birthday Dinner!

My father-in-law turned 55 Sunday, and to celebrate my mother-in-law invited the entire family over for a beautiful dinner. Dad was pleases, and everyone got a kick out of reminiscing with old photos. The icing on the cake- was Grandma's pineapple cake! Heaven!

Headband: BCBG
Beaded Jacket: Loehmann's
Tunic Tank: Foever XXI
Skinny Jeans: GAP
Boots: Old Navy
Bracelet: Wet Seal

FOTD- This is my 5-minute face, no foundation or concealer. I simply added eyes.

Face: No. 7 Radiant Glow Beauty Lotion, Target

Brows: Maybelline Define-A-Brow pencil, Med. Brown- Strong brows are very on-trend for winter, and in to Spring 2010
Bobbi Brown angle brush
Cover Girl e/s, Brown Smolder as brow powder
Mascara: Cover Girl Lash Blast, Very Black
Base: Loreal De-Crease
Vincent Longo Eye Shimmer Souffle, Pallido (a very soft, gold cream shadow, used as a base)
Zitomer Luminous e/s, Metropolitan on lid
Cover Girl e/s, Brown Smolder, crease
NYX l/s Echo
MAC l/g 3N


I am the Queen of mixing high and low, vintage with modern. You don't have to spend a million to look like a million! Be beautiful, Curlies!

Update: Hair Routine

Check the "routine" tag in the sidebar. I've just been playing around with a few ingredients and made a few tweaks. 

twist-out

wearing 2x twists

• Scalp massage on wash day using avocado oil, Auromere oil and blend of  rosemary, tea tree, peppermint e.o
• Pre-poo with hair in 2x twists with Auromere oil, or conditioner under hooded dryer for 20 min. This helps with detangling since hair has been in twists 7-14 days.
• I pre-poo on DRY hair with a combo of 3-5 of my fave conditioners and seal with oil. Pop on a plastic cap, wrap a towel or scarf around that, and wear as long as I can stand it, sometimes overnight. My current pre-poo conditioners:
• Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose
• Burt's Bees Shea & Grapefruit Deep Conditoner
• Desert Essence Jojoba Conditioner (vitacost.com)
• Inecto Pure Coconut Oil Conditioner (Ulta)
• Coconut Oil to seal
• Finger detangle twists after pre-poo, then wash.
• This is key: Deep condition under hooded dryer for 30-45 minutes, then detangle with shower comb and paddle brush. No more detangling in the shower for me. Rinse and apply leave-in.
  
• Nature's Blessing hair dressing on scalp while twisting with Shea-Aloe. Seal with coconut oil, aloe vera gel mixed in palm of hands.
  
• Refresh twists daily with leave-in spray and seal with oil
• Set twists on rollers (sponge removed) on Saturday night for church
• Twist- out Sunday, detangle with fingers and paddle brush, moisturize  and re-twist Sunday night. This is the key to fewer tangles on the next wash day.
  
• Day before washing, saturate dry hair with fave conditioner and finger detangle
• Wash day and repeat

Best of 2009!

Happy New Year, Curlies! Better late, than never, right?

I still love you, I just want to make sure I'm giving you the best information I can, so I write when there's something exciting to write about. 2010 will be full of new product reviews, updates, beauty, skincare, videos and more! Before we jump into the new, let's recap some of the best products of 2009. Here we go......

Overall Hair Care: Curly Girl Method, "Baggy", and Sealing

Eliminating sulfates and -cones in my hair products has been the single best thing I've done for my hair in 2009. It retains moisture better, it's softer, shinier, and it simply looks healthy. For more info, check the tags in the side bar.

Shampoo: Aubrey Organics White Camelia

This cleanser is sulfate-free, but still does a great job cleaning my hair and scalp. I only use this product once every 2 weeks, focusing mainly on my scalp.

Co-Wash Conditioner: Trader Joe's Nourish Spa

Deep Conditioner: Aubrey Organics Honey Suckle Rose

I get much better results with a damp washcloth over my hair, plastic cap, and a hooded dryer for 30-45 minutes. Makes detangling a breeze!

Leave-In Conditioner: Desert Essence Jojoba Conditioner and Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier

Moisturizer: Shea-Aloe (with a KinkyCurly Twist)

Follow the recipe for basic Shea-Aloe. Once the oils have cooled, add 1/4 C of conditioner (must be silicone and protein free) and 1/4 C Taliah Waajid Bodifier. Mix until creamy

Oil(s): Auromere Pre-Shampoo Conditioner

This Ayurvedic oil is a blend of Indian herbs, coconut, and wheat germ oils. It gives my hair nourishment and amazing shine. For an amazing hot oil treatment- saturate hair with oil, pop on a plastic cap, and sit under a hooded dryer for 20 minutes. Wash and style as usual.

Styling Product: Taliah Waajid  Lock It Up "gel"

This product defines curls like a traditional gel, without the drying alcohol. It's also made with nettle, hemp, and Taliah's Black Earth formula.

Routine: Check these    posts

Skin Care (For my dry skin)

Cleanser: Oil Cleansing Method (All skin types)

100% African Black Soap

Moisturizer: I love experimenting with the ingredients that I have on hand. This winter, my skin has been loving shea butter, jojoba oil, and aloe vera gel mixed in the palm of my hand.

Exfoliator: Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel

Worth every penny! Vitamin C crystals and lactic/salicylic acid gel combine to exfoliate and resurface skin revealing glowing, just-had-a-facial skin. This will last months-a little goes a long way.

Five Minutes to Gorgeous!

With two boys, three jobs, and no time, it's sometimes a challenge for me to look as glam-tastic as I would like. These are my absolute must-have products and accessories that keep me looking  my Kinky-Curly best- in a hurry.

1. Moisturizer- If you're opting for a foundation-free face, make sure skin is primed and moisturized. Choose a product that suits your skin type. For my dry skin, I love a mix of jojoba oil, shea butter and aloe vera gel.

2. Groomed Brows- It literally takes seconds to fill in brows. They frame your face and keep your look polished and pretty. I love Maybelline's Define-A-Brow, or a brown eye shadow like Cover Girl's Brown Smolder.

3. Lush Lashes- Simple enough. Curl lashes and apply 2-3 coats of mascara. I love Cover Girl Lash Blast. Go for a brown mascara for a very natural look.

4. Gloss, Gloss, Baby!- Slick on a moisturizing balm, then apply your favorite color. The choices are endless. I'm loving cocoa brown shades of lipstick and gloss this season. Some to try: MAC's Touch l/s, 3N l/g, Mad cap l/g, NYX's Echo l/s, Cover Girl Queen Collection Shiny Cinnamon l/s.

5. A Cute Coif- Check out my hair routine post for details. I love wearing my 2x twists in a retro updo. No need to worry about frizz or weather-worries. Just secure with pins and add oil for shine.

6. A Pop of Color- Scarves are great all year long. A bright orange or purple scarf transforms jeans and a tee into a sophisticated uniform for Curlies on the go. Choose wool blends in winter and sheer cotton in summer months.

Now, I'm ready for errands, playdates, and lunch with the girls- whatever the day brings, I'm game! Make sure you are too. Until next time.....