As I Am Naturally Triple Failure

Last week, I was so in love with my curls I didn't want to wash my hair. But, y'all know me...I MUST wash my hair every week. So, in an attempt to try something new, I tried to wash my hair while retaining my curls with the help of three As I Am Naturally products. The end result...BIG FAIL! Here's the gist of what I did:

• I carefully sectioned my hair, misted with distilled water and applied As I Am Naturally's Hydration Elation to each section prior to twisting.

This didn't leave my hair feeling any better or worse than any other deep conditioner, store-bought or DIY.

• After steaming with Hydration Elation, I proceeded to wash and condition as normal. Then, I applied As I Am Naturally's Twist Defining Cream to each section.

My hair felt "funny" compared to when I use my Bounce Butter.

• Then, I applied As I Am Naturally's Smoothing Gel and twisted each section.

Still not knocked out. Hair still felt "funny."

Crossing my fingers and whispering prayers to the Good Hair Angels, I let my hair dry overnight and eagerly awaited the big reveal the next morning. To my utter disappointment and dismay, my hair did not turn out as expected, nor did I retain the beautiful bouncy spirals I somehow achieved the week before.

Yes, I have body and lots of it, and yes I have curls popping all over my head, but my hair lacks the shine and softness I've come to expect. In fact, the back of my hair feels like it's been dipped in a bucket of pure chlorine...rough, immovable and undefined frizz. And when I feel my hair, it rustles and crunches-a sure sign to me that my hair is desperately dry. But, for those of you who want to try this line, the good news is I didn't get those annoying white balls when I used both of these products together, so they're at least compatible.

Sadly, however, I must give Twist Defining Cream and the Smoothing Gel two coils down. Hydration Elation gets one coil down. Considering these products cost upwards of $20 each, I expected more. I really, really, really wanted to like them, but I don't. 

Fortunately, I had free samples to try out. Had I bought full-sized containers of these products, I would've been pissed to the highest of pisstivity! If my hair didn't feel so awful, I'd leave it as-is to see if my curls hold for the duration of the week (which they do when I use my Bounce Butter) without product reapplication, but As I Am Naturally just isn't worth the risk. Bounce Butter here I come!

African Pride Shea Butter Miracle Bouncy Curls Pudding

Okay, so I've been working with African Pride's Shea Butter Miracle line for the past two weeks and have gotten some seriously mixed results. We all know the Buttery Creme was a major fail, so I switched to the Bouncy Curls Pudding halfway through the week and continued to use it throughout the next week.

I had the pleasure of trying this product in two different ways. The first time I tried it, my hair was wet from washing. My hair felt rough and dry when I applied this to my hair which became an immovable Brillo pad helmet once it dried. It was so bad, my twist-out had to be converted into a bun for the day. I had crazy curls void of uniform direction, frizz, crinkles...you name it, I had it.

As soon as I got home from work that day, I redid my hair with the same product, only this time I applied it to damp hair by spritzing and retwisting each section with more Bouncy Curls Pudding. My hair still didn't feel as smooth as I'm used to when I use my Bounce Butter, but I was pleased with the results once my hair dried. 

This is Day Three and I have not had to reapply this product or redo my hair. And, I'm pleased with the curls. Bouncy Curls Pudding definitely holds the shape and curl pattern, and I have a little bounce. But, I don't have the shine I'm used to, so this will be getting one coil up.

Overall, Bouncy Curls Pudding isn't bad, but it's not great either. I'd keep it as backup in case I run out of my own hair butter, the amazing Wash Day Bounce Butter!

African Pride Shea Butter Miracle Update

As promised, here is an update on African Pride's Shea Butter Miracle that I've been giving a go this week.

In case you missed it, I twisted my hair with African Pride's Shea Butter Miracle Buttery Creme this week. I had great results with the leave-in conditioner and shampoo, but this product was quite different.

The Buttery Creme has the same pleasant scent and orange creme color as the other products in this line, but it's anything but "buttery." In fact, I didn't feel a lick of oiliness or butteriness in this product. Lustre's old school Pink Lotion formula felt more oilier than this. But, if you're a fan of Miss Jessie's puddings and cremes, you might like this.

Almost immediately upon applying Buttery Creme, I noticed that my twisted hair didn't feel smooth. It literally felt as if I'd twisted my hair with no product. Not a good sign! Once my hair dried, I removed my twists and was horrified. My hair was as hard as a rock, my curls were not manageable and when I separated a few of them like I usually do, I got frizz!!! I also was missing the shine and movement I'm so accustomed to. So, Buttery Creme gets two coils down. 

In an attempt to save my hair, I decided to give African Pride's Shea Butter Miracle Bouncy Curls Pudding a try. This is Day Two after my wash day, mind you-not happy. So, I've spritzed my hair, applied Bouncy Curls Pudding and retwisted. I'll let you know tomorrow how my hair turns out. Wish me luck!