I recently received a large, heavy box in the mail but had no idea who or what it was since I'd already received the purchases I'd made online. Much to my surprise, the box contained full-sized samples of African Pride's new Shea Butter Miracle line! 

Now y'all know I make my own hair products, but I'm not opposed to trying something new once in a while. And, as with any product, I always scrutinize the ingredients list first-not only for what's in it but also for the order it's listed. While the majority of the ingredients used are natural oils and extracts, the only thing that stood out was the addition of argan oil which I am vehemently against. But, overall, this line has some good ingredients and each product is packed with oodles of different oils and extracts.

Since it was my wash day last night, I decided to try out a few of these freebies so I got started with the Leave-In Conditioner. My wash day regimen always starts by spritzing my hair with water, detangling, applying a conditioner, twisting and then steaming for 20-30 minutes with my Huetiful steamer.

I know this is a "leave-in" conditioner, but I decided to try it as a deep conditioning treatment. This product comes in a rather large tub, looks like orange creme, has more slip than you'll know what to do with and has a pleasantly light yet unidentifiable scent. As soon as I smoothed that first dollop through my hair, I knew I was in love and I don't fall in love with too many products! Not only did it make my hair instantly soft, but it elongated my curl pattern right before my very eyes. It even tamed my roots and made them lay down flat! Shea Butter Miracle Leave-In Conditioner is pure magic! As the recipient of two coils up, this product has earned its rightful spot in my arsenal of hair care products.

After steaming my hair, I keep it twisted while I wash it which eliminates the potential for snags, snarls and knots...especially since it's already been detangled. When I wash my hair, I typically use a clarifying shampoo followed by a different shampoo and then a conditioner. But, I went against that and only used the Detangling Shampoo.

The detangling shampoo's physical properties are nearly identical to the Leave-In Conditioner, but it has the intoxicating scent of banana-flavored Laffy Taffy. But, it was not what I was expecting. Most commercial shampoos have uber lathering and suds properties, but this did not and that is not an unpleasant surprise. While this entire product line touts itself as "Moisture Intense," even though water is the only "true" moisturizer, I did find that this shampoo did indeed help my hair retain moisture. Due to the low suds factor, I used it twice to ensure my scalp and hair were clean, and even let it sit for a couple minutes for extra assurance. Once rinsed out, my hair was still ultra soft. I can't attest to how well it detangles, but it does create silky, soft hair. While I'm only giving this one coil up, I will keep it around as my emergency back-up shampoo (doesn't every girl have a few of these laying around?). When all was said and done, after using these two products, I did not want to condition my hair, but I did. Can't slip that step!

Now, to the true test which will require a follow-up posting. On my wash day, I almost always twist my hair and let it air dry overnight. For this step, I used the Buttery Creme. 

Sadly, it comes in a small jar and doesn't seem to have the oomph compared to the Leave-In Conditioner, but I used it to twist my hair anyway. Based on how my twists feel compared to using my own hair butter, I have a daunting feeling about the Buttery Creme. I won't be able to do a full review of this product until the end of the week. Remember, this and any other hair cream or butter, has to give my hair shine, bounce, softness and manageability while retaining my curl pattern for a FULL week! I follow a low-manipulation regimen and don't like to load my hair with a lot of products, so if I have to do anything to my hair throughout the week, this product will be failed.

And, I always end my weekly hair regimen by applying oil to my scalp. Not only do I find it to keep the itchies at bay, but it helps my roots lay flat.

I found the Growth Oil to be very light and pleasant. It's almost void of scent, looks similar to carrot oil and doesn't have a heavy, greasy feel. The oil I typically use is the exact opposite, so I might switch to this oil in the warmer months....until I come up with my own lighter oil. And, after letting my hair dry overnight, my roots are laying nice and flat so I have to give Growth Oil two coils up as it also has found a permanent place in my hair care closet.

Overall, I am very pleased with the new African Pride Shea Butter Miracle line and proud of the company for having come such a long way in improving their products. Back in the day, I used to turn my nose up at their products, but the mysterious box I got in the mail is going to make me think twice about African Pride and their renewed interest in providing quality products for our varied textured hair.