Kinky Hair Archives - Noire Tropical Beauty

Tag: Kinky Hair (page 1 of 6)

A product for kinky hair: Mielle Organics Pomegranate & Honey Review

Mielle Organics has been on my long list of brands that I needed to try but I never got around to it. When I heard that they were coming out with the Mielle Organics Pomegranate & Honey collection that was specially made for people with kinky hair, or who need intense hydration, I was sold! I went to my local Sally’s Beauty to take a look. By the way, this particular collection is exclusive to Sally’s and also the Mielle Organics website.

Mielle Organics has been around since 2014 and it was founded by a woman of colour who was looking for products for her natural hair with quality, wholesome ingredients. There are other lines from this brand that are great for curly hair, but this was specifically made for folks like me! I picked up two products – the Leave-In Conditioner and the Twisting Souffle. Both products conditions, hydrates and seals the hair. As far as I can tell, all the ingredients are naturally based, and most of them are organic. There are no parabens, sulphates, paraffins, mineral oil, artificial colours, DEA and it is not tested on animals.

Mielle Organics – Pomegranate & Honey Review: Some of the Science

Pomegranate is a well-known ingredient that is used in many beauty products for its anti-aging/antioxidant properties as it is a natural source of Vitamin C. The oil also contains punicic acid which helps strengthen hair follicles and encourages healthy hair growth and aids in detangling. Honey is a humectant, which means it draws water into itself and helps maintain moisture levels in hair. It is also anti-bacterial and encourages healthy follicles and hair growth.

Mielle Organics – Pomegranate & Honey Review: The Video

Before I continue, if you just want to see what I thought about this line, check out my video! Otherwise keep scrollin 🙂

How to effectively remove product buildup: DevaCurl Buildup Buster

July 12, 2017 / Noire Tropical Beauty / 0 Comments

Hey!

One thing that excites me about discovering new products, is finding out that they have a new take, or an innovative way to solving a problem. One of the most important parts of my haircare routine or any routine is cleansing. Getting rid of the dust, dead skin cells, pollution from living in a big city, excess oils and product buildup that accumulate and are trapped on my scalp by my kinky coils and protective styles. Your scalp is part of the largest organ in the body and it is vital to the health of your hair. It is a living entity that nourishes your hair, helps get rid of metabolic waste from the body and can be the gateway to calming the soul. My mum often gives newborns scalp massages to welcome them into to world!

Image via Sephora

I heard the buzz about one of the newest offerings from curly hair line DevaCurl. DevaCurl is one of the OG brands that I discovered years ago specifically dedicated to the needs of curly hair. I actually never tried a product from them, but when I saw that Sephora had the DevaCurl Buildup Buster Micellar Water Cleansing Serum as a 100-point perk, I picked it up.

If you are in chill mode, watch the video instead – *click here*.

Product Details

DevaCurl claims that this is the first micellar water to be used in haircare. There are a plethora of makeup removers and cleansers that use ingredients that form micelles as a very gentle skincare cleansers.

Anatomy of a Micelle

Basically a micelle is a ‘vehicle’ that traps oils/dirt and that gets washed by water. In the simplest of terms, think of a micelle as a bubble made up of ‘tadpoles’. Each ‘tadpole’ has a hydrophilic (water-loving) end and hydrophobic (water-hating/fat-loving) properties. When you apply the cleanser to your hair, each tadpole is attracted and attaches itself to the oils on your scalp and when you rinse your hair, the hydrophilic ends are attracted to the water, forms the micelles and then is washed away.

This product is a colourless liquid, that is not sticky are makes a very minimal foam. It is also, vegan, sulphate-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, silicone-free and is mostly made of naturally derived ingredients. This lightweight serum is supposed to be used no more than once a week so that it can gently remove excess products and debris that can weight down your curls. It also contains a bunch of botanical extracts, oils and other ingredients, including rosemary extract, hops extract, and glycerin which help hydrate, and condition the hair.

Packaging

My deluxe sample comes in a plastic tube but the full size product comes in a large round plastic bottle with a pointed tip closure. I think this a great idea as it allow you to directly apply product to the scalp without having to pour it onto your hands. Since the scalp is the most important part of head to clean this makes it quite easy. This contain 8fl.oz./236ml of product, which is inline with many readily available liquid shampoos/cleansers. The lettering/labels are printed directly onto the gray/package and yellow-green and teal accent colours, which are in line with the rest of their branding.

Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture, available at Sephora on March 4

NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH: Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture by Sundial Brands

February 24, 2016 / Noire Tropical Beauty / 0 Comments

This is major news! Sundial Brands (the company behind SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage) is launching a prestige haircare line, Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture, that will be available at Sephora on March 4th! This is a big deal considering that even though the options for natural hair and those with kinky/coily/curly textures have increased dramatically over the last 5-10 years, most of the products are not considered prestige. They are not the kind of products that are considered ‘luxurious’ enough to be found at a salon or a specialty retail store (although, I don’t know why??)

Anyway, this news makes me quite happy as it brings together the legacy of Madam C.J. Walker, who is the America’s first self-made millionaire, with the modern desire to have high-quality natural-based products for persons of colour.

(All information via PR):

Sundial Brands, a leading skincare and haircare manufacturer renowned for its innovative use of high-quality, culturally authentic natural ingredients, today announced the company’s first prestige haircare launch – Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture. Building on the life, legacy and impact of the ground-breaking Madam C.J. Walker – visionary entrepreneur, philanthropist and America’s first female self-made millionaire – the four-collection, 25 SKU line launches exclusively in Sephora stores and on Sephora.com on March 4, 2016.

Serving today’s woman according to her specific hair texture needs, Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture’s product solutions contain all new formulations created with the highest quality natural ingredients – including first-to-market dual oil encapsulations – and performance-driven innovation to inspire every woman to be unapologetic in the expression of her individual beauty – whether kinky, coily, curly, wavy, or straight/heat-styled. The treatment collection is designed for all hair types to help restore and maintain health.

“Madam C.J. Walker was the first person to devise and scale a business model that addressed the haircare and beauty needs of women of color, while also challenging the myopic ideals of the beauty industry at that time,” said Richelieu Dennis, CEO of Sundial Brands. “Today, Madam C.J. Walker Beauty Culture is poised to challenge those same ideals in the prestige category with our revolutionary new products and cutting edge formulations that provide women with any hair texture with a new standard of beauty – their own. In partnering with Sephora, this launch represents another step forward in our rich history and continues Madam C.J. Walkers’ legacy to help every woman feel confident to embark on the life she desires.

..to help every woman feel confident to embark on the life she desires. @mcjwbeauty Click To Tweet

It’s also a dream come true not just for us, but for the millions of women who have been touched by the legacy of Madam C.J. Walker and the millions more who will be inspired to reach their own levels of greatness by hearing her story. We aim to give this brand back to the world in the elevated, iconic manner deserving of a woman who defied the limitations of her time and accomplished what no American woman had done before – in haircare, beauty or business. That spirit of audacity, inspiration, empowerment and ingenuity still lives in women today and is reflected in every part of this brand.”

“Greatness begins with confidence. Powerful. Beautiful. You.”

Greatness begins with confidence. Powerful. Beautiful. You.@mcjwbeauty Click To Tweet

SHOP: My new beauty shopping addiction in Harlem – Vivrant Beauty!

August 17, 2015 / Noire Tropical Beauty / 0 Comments

Hello!

Vibrant Beauty, Harlem, 2015

This product junkie has been made very, very happy! I am sooooo excited!

Vivrant Beauty is a brand new boutique that opened about 3 weeks ago. Located on 121^st and St. Nicholas, Vivrant curates skincare, haircare and cosmetic products that cater to all skintones and hair textures.

NoireTropicalBeauty VivrantBeautyHarlem

This upscale, gorgeous beauty oasis is bright but calming and peaceful and is nothing like your typical beauty supply store. Vivrant’s owner Desiree Verdejo has carefully selected brands that are black owned or carries an extensive colour range. Many of these brands or sold online or in a limited number of brick-and-mortar stores. Some of them I had never heard of.

I finally tried Shea Moisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil line! What did I think?

June 24, 2015 / Noire Tropical Beauty / 1 Comment

Shea Moisture came out with the Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) line late in 2014. I wasn’t really keen on trying it out, because I have always shied away from using castor oil as it is one of the heavy, ‘greasier’ oils and has a noticeable smell.

Fast forward to this year and I was looking for something new to try. I have been using my usual routine for ages.

I ended up buying the JBCO Strengthen, Grow & Restore w/Shea Butter, Peppermint & Keratin Shampoo, Treatment Masque and Leave-In Conditioner. The packaging is a bright, buttercup yellow, which makes it easy to see on a shelf and all the products have a faint, butter smell that is quite pleasant. These products are formulated for natural, chemically processed, colour treated or heat styled hair. And for those concerned, the keratin in this is hydrolyzed protein which is a larger protein chain that has been broken up in to smaller pieces so that it can fit into the cracks of the hair shaft therefore strengthening the hair. The problem with the Brazilian or keratin smoothing treatments found in popular salon treatments is that there are ingredients other than the keratin that contain formaldehyde or produce formaldehyde gas when heated.

The Shampoo.

JBCO Shampoo

It is a clarifying shampoo that is sulphate-free and all natural. It contains apple cider vinegar that clarifies the hair as well as balance the pH, which in turns strengthens the hair. It comes with 25% more product (16.3 fl. oz.) than their normal shampoos. It colour is light brown and is extremely creamy and moisturizing. I was surprised at how lovely it smelled and it did not have the heaviness of castor oil. It lathered quite well, was moisturizing and it did not dry out my hair at all. My hair did not feel stripped. It contains peppermint, but I did not feel the typical tingly-ness or burning.