Best 5 Natural Curly Hair Products Of 2017!

2017 has been a great year for me! My blog and brand has grown so much! I released my first ever self-published book 'Get My Curls Back!' available to buy on Amazon, held 2 curly hair events in London, travelled and worked with so many brands! 

Inbetween all of the work I was able to try out a bunch of new products this year and found it hard choosing my top 5 (check out the link at the end of this post for more). The 5 I have mentioned are products I felt have benefited my hair the most, whether that be for moisture, definition or even bank balance lol.

Check out the 5 game changers and why I recommend them.

1. SheaMoisture Sacha Inchi Oil Omega 3-6-9 Curl Defining Smoothie

£20 http://amzn.to/2pM6Sam

If you are looking for a 1 product wash and go (I know I have been for a while!) this is the product for you! It's heavy enough to use alone but not too thick that it doesn't' penetrate my low porosity hair! It gives me amazing definition when applied to wet hair section by section finger detangling. It's an all in one in a decent sized tub (the standard size of their deep conditioners). It works for me way better than the popular Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie other naturals love.

I picked this up in the USA but you can buy it online.

2. CURLS Blueberry & Mint Tea Scalp Treatment
£20 http://amzn.to/2lcP0AT

STIMULATION! I have tried many oils (made by brands and just stand alone natural oils) for my scalp over the years but this oil right here! I feel the magic happening as soon as it touches my scalp. It's a great texture, not too thick, so is very easy to massage and cover the scalp. The applicator is my favourite part as it is extra long and perfect for those with really thick hair! It's been helping my edges thicken so I will definitely look forward to continuing using this next year!

3. Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activating Cream
£7.50 http://amzn.to/2DtV0f1

This year's go-to add-on product for when I want to switch up my wash and go! If you are a follower of mine you will know I love to pair styling products with the SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-in for the best wash and go's and this is a great add on. Its very creamy and smells AMAZING best smelling product of the year I always get compliments when I use it.

Again with all leave-ins and stylers I recommend using on wet or soaking wet hair for best results.

4. GroHealthy Shea & Coconut Flat Out Frizz Fighter 
£4.50 http://amzn.to/2zIbZZ7

Bargain of the year!! I have always advised curlies to steer away from the cheaper products as I assume that they will have cheap harsh ingredients and dry out the hair. I was proven wrong with this line! I loved the frizz fighter as it made my hair feel super soft and also hydrated. Not the best of leave-in's but if you are in need of a quick fix and on a budet this is a perfect choice!

5. Noughty Intense Moisture Treatment
£8.99 https://noughtyhaircare.co.uk/products/to-the-rescue-intense-moisture-treatment

So happy Noughty gifted me with their new product releases and this hair treatment was AMAZING! It is now my favourite of all year, it's very water based and you would almost think how is this a treatment but once used you will see why! Super moisturising and really easy to apply with great slip.

2017 has been a great year of product releases and I still have a huge to buy list from brands like Bounce Curl, Mielle Organics & Camille Rose Naturals! I hope this list helped, let me know what products you have tried or what your favourites of the year have been?

Want to see what other products made my list? 

Download my full 2017's favourite hair products guide HERE

How To Refresh Curly Hair (Using Deep Conditioner!)

New routine alert! Ms product junkie over here has discovered (well new for me) a new way to refresh my curls. The whole routine is demonstrated in the video below!

My top tips for refreshing curly hair are,

1. Use a spray bottle
The whole point of refreshing your curls is to skip the wash process! You don't want to have to soak your hair in the shower, simply use a spray bottle for more controlled wetting of the hair to make it damp! This will make styling easier and the drying process quicker.

2. Use the right products
In this case, I have used a moisturising hair masque from Muxima (which contains CAVIAR!) and amazing conditioning benefits. This will be good for treating the hair and refreshing at the same time (kill 2 birds with 1 stone!). Products with chemicals and drying agents will only make your refreshing process harder as you'll end up with frizzy dry hair.

MUXIMA DISCOUNT CODE: 'UKCURLYGIRL' FOR 10% OFF

What products do you use to refresh your curls?

NUGG Hydrating Lip Mask & Exfoliating Lip Smoother Review

Unfortunately, winter is upon us here in the U.K "BOOO!" My least favourite time of year. I don't know about you guys but I always suffer from drier skin in the colder months which of course affects my lips too! Thankfully NUGG has gifted me with 2 lip care products to test out and prepare my lips for what's to come!

Exfoliating Lip Smoother (Retail Price £9.99)

I was immediately taken towards this product as I love lip scrubs but the laziness in me prevents me to use them lol. So it's great to buy a product ready made and easy to store for when you are ready to use it again. I am in love with the look of this little gem (exactly what it reminds me of) it has a chrome sleek look and a pink tone to it. After taking in the chic appearance, I then looked at the ingredients and was impressed as the product is 100% natural. 

It includes a vanilla aroma and ingredients include,
Cocoa butter 

Jojoba

Sugar granules 

Abyssinian Oil 

When you open the scrub you have to be very careful as it isn’t a balm texture, you can see the sugar granules that will naturally remove dead skin from your lips. The instructions say to scrub on the lips gently and then wipe off dry with a tissue. I opted for kitchen towel as toilet tissue would fall apart.

When rubbing gently (be careful not to be harsh as it can cause your skin to rip/bleed!) a little goes a long way and you can be gentle. I could feel my skin being removed and moisture restored. I saw a difference straight away! 

I would definitely buy this product only due to the fact that it looks cute, works well and I am to lazy to make my own... Great product!

Lip Moisturising Mask - (Retail price £9.99 ) 

A mask for the lips? I mean why not? they work well enough for our face and hair! Reading the product name at first, I thought wow why didn't I think of this earlier! So first impressions the packaging is gorgeous, I really just wanted to add it to my dresser as the chrome round packaging is so pretty and chic.

Next, I had a look at the ingredients and was also surprised as it included 100% natural ingredients which a lot of higher-end beauty brands usually say they are natural but are more like 80-90% natural (lol).

Ingredients include, 

Shea Butter 

Coconut Oil 

Liquorice Root Complex 

Next, when opening the lip mask it looked the same as most lip balms available on the market at the moment but had a totally different texture to it. The product feels like a lightweight face cream which was not was what I was expecting at all. I imagined it to be more of a thick mask that soaked into the lips overnight. Instead, it felt more of a thin film over the lips which did not feel nice and you are meant to leave overnight without touching your lips at all. 

The next morning I didn't see much difference and it definitely wasn't lip plumping (or maybe my lips are just already plumped in the mornings) but I felt no tingles at all which is what I would expect from a 'lip plumper'. I wouldn't purchase this product personally as I feel it didn't do much for me and I could have left a lip balm on overnight and probably get better results. 

When used together these products are the ultimate lip primer to create smooth moisturised lips so that your lipstick/gloss doesn't crack (which isn't attractive!).

I would 100% purchase the scrub as it is so practical and easy to use, it worked straight away and got rid of dry skin. 

However, these products are definitely for those who have the money to spend so if you want to really treat yourself they are nice little add-ons to buy and GREAT christmas gifts!

Hair Growth Update!

For the past 2 months, I've been taking the CURLS liquid vitamin for the 3 month #GrowAndSlay challenge! It is now the end of month 2 and look at my amazing results!

From the outside it is noticeably different in length but from the inside, my hair feels so much thicker and when my hair is wet I can feel it touch waist length! 

Check out my full hair update below from my latest video along with an update on products and my heat damage.

If you want to join the CURLS #GrowAndSlay challenge, register here,

 https://www.curls.biz/curly-blog/grow-slay-the-blueberry-way

Stock up on your liquid vitamins here, 

https://www.curls.biz/

https://myluxebeauty.com/collections/curls/products/curls-blissful-lengths-liquid-hair-growth-vitamin-8z

Join the Facebook group,

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/551840425002920/

Post your monthly length checks with #GrowAndSlay #FrizzFreeCurls 

And you could win $1000!

Natural Beauty Tips For Preventing Acne

I have been wanting to write more about natural skincare as it is something I am also adding to my natural products journey! For the past few months (and on and off for a few years) I have dived into natural skincare products to try and clear up my oily and blemish prone skin. I have heard that natural oils as a face moisturiser can help to cure oily skin as it acts as the natural sebum the skin produces (preventing the skin to become over oily).

Jojoba oil and Rosehip oil are the oils I have been using so far and they have been helping to clear my mild acne on the cheeks and chin area. Routine wise I have been using the amazing acne.org regimen which really simplifies your skincare routine and teaches you the importance of leaving your face alone! 

This is really hard to do if you are like me and are someone who applies makeup daily, picks any spots that pop up and generally touches your face all day.

Below are 5 new ways I have been incorporating natural skincare into my beauty routine.

1. LEAVE YOUR FACE ALONE

I make a conscious effort to not touch my face AT ALL throughout the day, the only time you need to slightly touch your face is when cleansing and moisturising (which you should be doing twice a day). When you do touch your face it is very important (as you can imagine) to do so with clean hands. Blemishes and acne are caused by skin irritation and clogged pores and you want to prevent these as much as possible.

2. USE NATURAL OILS

Going down the natural beauty route means using new skincare products that include all natural ingredients! One of my recent favourites is, Rosehip oil! This oil is so refreshing and I like to look for cleansers and facial oils that include high levels of the oil as I know it has many benefits! Read here for more info on how to use Rosehip oil properly as it is sure to give your skin a boost during the dry winter months.

3. CHANGE YOUR HAIR ROUTINE

As a curly girl who has very thick and coarse curls, I find that I have to use a lot of hair products and thicker creams to moisturise and define my curls. In doing so the hair products usually touch my forehead and edges of my face, the ingredients in some of my hair products can be causing irritation and possibly clogging my pores. I now try to apply product very carefully around my edges and also wipe them very gently after.

     

4. MAKE-UP

Make-up is something I like to wear (and sometimes) have to wear as a blogger/influencer. You like to have flawless skin in photos and videos so I have been using heavier foundation as of lately, Unfortunately, this is a cause of acne and clogged skin so I have had to cut back on the cake face and give my skin a break. There are ways around this! You will want to use BB creams or lighter (Oil-free) foundations and here is a list of ingredients you want to avoid in your makeup products.

5. GO BARE

Less is more! Whenever you can simply wear no makeup at all, let your skin breathe and allow your pores to be free. I like to only apply Jojoba or Rosehip oil on my face during makeup-free days. I also recommend removing your makeup as soon as you get home (instead of just before sleeping) there is no need to have a cake face on when it isn't being utilised lol. I love to use Coconut oil for removing my heavy makeup, I simply gently massage it onto my face and then wipe away with a cotton pad.

So! Natural is the route I am taking to nourish and heal my skin from acne and dryness. I will be keeping up with you guys with all the products I am using and results from this new route! 

Feel free to ask me any questions via social media @ukcurlygirl 

FYI *This is a sponsored post, I have simply been asked to link to a useful url, I will never review products or provide information that I do not believe in or think will be healthy for my readers* Thank you! 

5 Best Ways To Prevent Frizzy Curly Hair

Frizz is something all curly girls have suffered from and try to prevent as much as possible! After embarking on my natural hair journey I finally discovered the best ways to prevent frizzy hair from happening! Frizz, dryness, and shrinkage were always things I suffered from growing up, which led to me hating my hair and then influenced me to straighten and then relax my hair. 

Frizzy hair = The cuticle layer of your hair is raised (as if it is reaching out for moisture! Moisture then passes through the strands instead of holding on and moisturising them to result in defined and smooth hair. 

Thank God for the Internet as I was able to learn the following ways to break out of the cycle and rock moisturised and defined curls all day long!

Finger Detangling

This is the best way to detangle your curls as your fingers are softer than a comb or brush. You also have way more control when taking any tangles out as you can feel every strand move through your fingers whereas with a brush or comb you only feel this as a collective of hair.

I suggest detangling whilst the hair is wet and soaked in a rinse-out conditioner for slip. I also recommend finger detangling when styling. I detangle whilst applying my favourite leave in and styler's, this allows the product to reach every single strand of hair (especially good for those with thick hair like mine). When the outer layers of hair are moisturised and the inside layers are dry they expand (as they aren’t weighed down by product) which in effect makes the rest of your hair look poofy and frizzy as your definition isn’t all around. So make sure to use your fingers to really reach every curl and prevent that dreaded frizz.

Layering Your Products

Sometimes that one product wash and go doesn't prevent frizz! You may need to layer with another thicker cream, jelly or gel just to weigh the hair down and hold the definition your first product created. This is a great way to seal the hair and prevent frizz as your hair won’t be reaching out for more moisture. My favourite leave-in conditioner to use before layering is the Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil leave-in as it's light enough to apply a thicker product on top.

Manipulate Your Curls

If you find that your natural curls still frizz up and just won't hold without frizz, try manipulating your natural curl pattern by using the finger curl/finger coils technique. This will mold the curl for you and seals in the moisture making you frizz free! Twist-outs and braid-outs are also great for this!

H20

Water is the key to every aspect of curly hair care! Hit a brick wall whilst stying your hair? Happens to the best of us. Don’t threat simply take a deep breathe and start over by re-wetting your hair. Water will not harm your hair, if anything it is going to heal it!

I highly recommend only styling with your hair soaking wet it's even better if you can apply your leave in whilst in the shower when you hair is at it's wettest (a technique used by Deva trained stylists which works!). When you style your hair wet, it will dry moisturised and defined (even when using a diffuser).

Moisturising Ingredients

Yep, put those cheap and drying products right in the bin, even if you try everything else on this frizz-fighting list you probably won't get the best results if you are using CRAP products, cheap and full of harsh chemicals. This is because these chemicals are artificial and sit right on top of the hair to create the ILLUSION of smooth sleek hair but after a while they dry out your curls, resulting in hard and frizzy hair! Invest in some products that are made up of mostly natural ingredients my book 'Get My Curls Back' has a list of ingredients to avoid in products and the best natural ingredients to use!

The above 5 tips will change your life when it comes to dealing with frizzy hair! I definitely recommend having a read of my book (Link To Purchase Here) for even further information on this topic!

So there you have it, the above steps should keep you frizz-free from now onwards! If you suffer from frizzy ends then you may need to have a trim, once the hair is dead it is very hard to salvage so try this if all the above doesn’t work.

GOOD LUCK!

HEAT DAMAGE AFTER STRAIGHTENING CURLY HAIR!

CHEAP PRODUCTS FOR A WASH AND GO

Heat Damage After Straightening Curly Hair

So to understand where it all went wrong let's go back to the beginning... 

Last week I decided after months and months of contemplating, to straighten my hair. I was gifted the DAFNI straightening brush and saw how it managed to straighten curly hair well and wanted to try it for myself! I did tons of research on how to protect my curls during the process.

I bought the most recommended heat protectant CHI Silk Infusion and did a protein treatment using the Aphogee 2 step protein treatment 1 week beforehand to strengthen and prepare it. 

Long story short check out the process I went through in the video below,

All was gravy, I really enjoyed my straight hair and only went over it once with the straightening brush within a whole 8 days. Day 9 came and I wanted to wash my hair and get my curls back. I used the SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo and when rinsing out my hair felt really light (usually happens after straightening) but I could feel my fingers literally slipping through the front of my hair way to easily and not what I was used to. 

I tried not to panic and followed up with a deep condition Boucleme Moisture Treatment and Curls & Co Steamer (Code: UKCURLYGIRL for 20% off), next was time to reveal my hair and style using SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil leave-in and styling lotion again to strengthen and restore my curls. 

It was then that I saw I had terrible heat damage in a section at the front of my curls. (I cried) it is not the end of the world but such a shame!! I had transitioned for 2-3 years and have been through all of this before, I am so glad it is only 1 section of my hair but also ashamed that I even took the risk.

So check out the pictures and video below of the damage.

My first shampoo after straight hair

After styling with the leave-in and styling lotion (still wet)

Hair completely dry

Day 2 - After a twist out

Day 3 -  Aphogee 2 minute Keratin Reconstructor

After applying a leave in and styler

Hair completely dry

This picture below of my damage went crazy with views and likes on Instagram! A lot of you guys said to keep the straightening video up but create a follow-up series.

Check out the first video below..

I am now not a fan of heat at all and I really want you guys to be careful, use me as an example as it can really go either way! If this one section was fine it would have been a happy ending but unfortunately, this wasn't happy but it is a great lesson for me and you guys.

I will continue to treat my hair throughout the next few months and see if any progress. Do follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my channel for all updates. 

'Get My Curls Back' book,  http://amzn.to/2g8siuj

LOVE YOU GUYS, THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT.

Grow & Slay Hair Growth Challenge with CURLS

Hey curlies! So I have taken the CURLS 'Grow and Slay Hair Growth Challenge' and for the next 3 months I will be trying out their new 'Blissful Lengths Liquid Hair Growth Vitamin' which has amazing benefits for your hair including the prospect of hair growth!

Each month I will be posting my length checks so stay tuned to my Instagram page @ukcurlygirl for a look at how I get on with the length. 

I have never been a fan of taking hair growth vitamins but CURLS gave me the opportunity to work with them and I was more open to it due to the fact that it is in liquid form. 

Now you guys can join me in this challenge by taking the liquid growth vitamin too and posting your monthly length checks with me! We get to go through the challenge together and you guys are also in for a chance to win $1000 !!

For a chance to win you must post 1-2 times a month and tag with #GROWandSLAY #frizzfreeCURLS on Instagram.

To get started you must register here, http://bit.ly/2dxdrU8 & join the Facebook group here for giveaways, tips, inspiration and support! http://bit.ly/2dj4Hlz

CURLS have kindly offered challengers a 25% off discount to use for purchasing the vitamins from www.curls.biz with the code: growslay25

The liquid vitamin is also available to purchase from MyLuxeBeauty in the U.K/Europe and Target stores in the USA.

Good luck everyone and remember to stay tuned, cannot wait to see all of our results!

NEW! CURLS #TripleThreat Blueberry Bliss Collection Review

Yes!! Frizz Free Curls have blessed us with 3 new curly hair products added to their beloved Blueberry Bliss Curl Collection. I am one of the first in the UK to be able to try them out and have been using them for the past month or so! They are officially known to me as the "Ultimate curly girl refreshing kit" and here is why... 

Blueberry & Mint Tea Scalp Treatment 

This product right here! This was perfect for me as I am a curly that has frequent scalp issues. To find a product that is not only an oil but an oil created to treat the scalp is amazing and I just had to try it straight away! 

It comes in a jar-like bottle and honestly just looks pretty, sticking to the blueberry bliss colours, blue and yellow. With this product, you are getting your money's worth, the bottle is full of the oil and a little goes a long way so expect to have the product last a long time! 

The first thing that really stood out to me was the long dropper. I have never seen a product with 1 this long and honestly, this is what won me over at first glance. I have very thick hair at the roots so applying oil to my hair whilst it is out and curly can be a mission to reach the right spots. 

The length of this dropper solves this problem for me and also allows it to hold more oil! You can apply one drop of oil to your whole scalp if distributed carefully. Now let's get on to how the actual product worked..

 So straight away you can smell the blueberry and mint so you know it's natural! It doesn't smell synthetic at all. The oil isn't thick, it's a lighter oil great for the scalp as it won't clog your pores as much.

Whilst my hair was in braids my scalp had a bad reaction so applying this oil really benefited me! I straight away felt relieved from the itchiness and felt my scalp tingle, this is due to the scalp/blood being stimulated from the mint which is great for promoting hair growth. So, all in all, great impressions of the scalp treatment! 

Aloe & Blueberry Juice Curl Moisturizer 

Next up we have a curl refreshing product! I haven't got any spray hair products in my collection so this was great to try. Again the product smells of blueberries and goodness. Its consistency is like water so again you shouldn't get much build up with this product.

I LOVE Aloe Vera so this won me over straight away. Aloe is a great natural moisturiser and great for you if your hair is of a lower porosity level (like mine). I gained moisture from this product but not enough to last me as the only product in my hair. Due to my hairs thickness, I definitely needed some kind of cream/conditioner to put on top.

The actual spray part of the bottle (which is a great size by the way!) doesn't spray outwards like most sprays, instead it sprays in a straight line so great if you want to direct and focus on smaller sections of the hair but not so great if you are in a rush and want a quick once over. 

All in all happy to have a curl refreshing spray to my collection and think it would be best for pool side and beach days, not so much needed for London in the winter *sighs* time to book a holiday!

Blueberry & Coconut Hair Milk

Great! We have the conditioner/cream my hair needed after the spray. So this product is shaped and looks just like the CURLS blueberry bliss leave-in conditioner BUT is much lighter in consistency and works into the hair easier. I really enjoyed this hair milk and prefer it over the leave-in! 

Not much more to report about this product but it is also a great base product you can use for your twist-outs and curly hair styles before topping with a styler (souffle or gel). 

 CURLS I am so happy you have added these 3 products to the blueberry bliss range! I would add the scalp treatment and the hair milk to my new favourites list and also am impressed by the curl moisturizer and its amazing ingredients, All smiles from me. 

You can purchase these products from the outlets below,

USA
https://www.curls.biz/Blueberry-Collection/

UK
https://www.naturalisticproducts.co.uk/collections/curls
https://www.beautybyzara.com/collections/curls?page=2

Cheap Curly Hair Products For A Wash & Go

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from my followers is, What hair products work well but aren't too expensive?

As a advocate for natural hair products I always respond that you have to pay more for higher quality products and ingredients unfortunately, however I recently took part in a YouTube challenge (See below) whereby I had to find products for a curly hair routine with a budget of $20/£15!

It definitely was a struggle as I wanted to find completely new brands and ones that had HQ ingredients and no harsh chemicals! Eventually I managed to find 2 products for my routine, 1 co-wash and 1 styling product.

Check out the products used and my results in my latest video.