Haircare Review: TRESemmé - Naturals vs Botanique

Hi loves,
I'm back with another hair product review; this time it's TRESemmé, they recently launched their expert selection botanique range in South Africa...
Now I need to rant just a little bit, TRESemmé discontinued the Naturals range two years ago and thne just left us high dry and dry no bye, no explanations. Meanwhile everywhere else, the Botanique range was launched and we had to wait for 2 years...why?

TRESemmé Naturals was the holy grail of conditioners for curlies and coilys everywhere; it's sulphate-free, silicone free and multipurpose. It could be used as a co-wash, a pre-poo, a leave-in or just as a regular rinse-out conditioner. My preferred use for this: Pre-poo detangling, I add some Jamaican Black Castor Oil to my conditioner and use it to detangle my hair on washday.
Anyway, let's not dwell on by gones.

I recruited my closest curlfriends so that we could do a  comparison review:
New vs. Old - Naturals vs. Botanique

We all had a bit of the old formula because we love it so much, we've been hoarding. I compared with Naturals - Radiant Care to the new Botanique, and the Llozanne and Cynthia compared the new conditioner to the Naturals - Nourishing Moisture.  I picked up a bottle of hte new conditioner at Pick n Pay for R 79.99.

Here's the list of the ingredients
TRESemmé Botanique Nourish and Replenish
Water (Aqua, Eau), Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Fragrance (Parfum), Behentrimonium Chloride, Dipropylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

TRESemmé Naturals Radiant Care
Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Capric/Caprylic Triglyceride, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Fragrance, Caprylyl Glycol, Aspartic Acid, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Lauryl Lysine, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Cymbopogon Schoeanthus (Lemongrass) Extract (Organic), Citrus Aurantium (Orange) Peel Extract (Organic)

TRESemmé  Naturals Nourishing Moisture
Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Capric/Caprylic Triglyceride, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Fragrance, Lauryl Lysine, Caprylyl Glycol, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed)/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Aspartic Acid, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Persea Gratissima (Avacado) Oil (Organic), Citric Acid, Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice (Organic)


Cynthia's Review: (compared the new condtioner to Naturals Nourishing Moisture)

1. What do you like about the product?

I love the strong smell of coconut...mmhm yummy 

The slip is good too 

It's quite cheap for the size you get 

All the ingredients we as naturals like 

2. How does it feel on your hair ?

It makes it soft and easy to comb through, especially for my kinky 4C hair

3. Botanique vs Naturals
It's runnier as compared to Naturals and so will finish quicker than the Naturals

The slip is also not as good as Naturals

But I love the fragrance more than Naturals 

I kinda like the packaging more as well lol - it's prettier with the writing haha 

4. Price 5/5

5. Effectiveness 4/5

6. Repurchase? I would definitely repurchase it

The Llozanne Review:
(Botanique vs Naturals Nourishing Moisture vs Dark & Lovely Au Naturale Knot-out Conditioner)...My bestie does not do anything in half measures

Photo Credit: #thebestie

1. What do you like about the product?
it's moisturising and thick

2. How does it feel on your hair ?
it sits on the strands; it seems to get absorbed if you work it into the hair.Leaves the hair feeling filmy, it might be the coconut oil (not a fan).

3. Botanique vs Naturals vs Knot-out
vs Naturals  - it has less slip than the old formula and more product is neededfor detangling.
it's not as moisturising as the old formula. On the upside, it gives his curls crazy definition and curl clumping.

vs Knot-out - it lost! knot-out slip is way superior, especially with added JBCO. However, curl definition from the Botanique conditioner was way better than knot-out conditioner.

4. Effectiveness 3/5. It does the job.
5. Price 5/5
6. Repurchase? If its only sale yes, and only if my others were out of stock and I had no choice.

Final thoughts: I don't forsee myself using this as a rinse-out conditioner because it doesn't soak into the hair and it leaves a residue on the hair. Detangling wasn't great, it was more of a hassle than I'm accustommed to.


My Review:
Compared Botanique against Radiant Care for pre-poo/detangling
I divided my hair into two sections, one side Botanique and to the other I applied Radiant Care.

Botanique vs Naturals

Right off the bat the big diffrence for me is the consistency...
Radiant Care: thick and creamy with slight tackiness
Botanique: it's creamy as well but runny

Fragrance: (this is not really important to me, I have prodcuts that smell like after shave)
Radiant Care: faint citrus
Botanique: coconut (but not as strong as Palmers)

How it feels on my hair...
The old formula absorbs and adsorbs to my hair strands really well, coating my hair strands for easy detangling (finger detangling followed by Denman D3 brush). The Botanique conditioner feels like a co-wash on my hair, it coats my hair strands in a layer that doesn't seem to get absorbed and detangling is not as easy; there was defintely a bit of snagging and snapping of hair strands .
The advantage the Botanique conditioner has over Naturals is that  it elongates my coils, so there isn't as much shrinkage.
I keep the conditioner on for 30 minutes before I rinse out. After rinsing out both sides were soft and manageable, so in that regard the results from both condtioners are similar. The definition and clumping of my coils with the new formula was amazing. 
I like that they've removed the alcohol and isopropyl alcohol, which can be drying on the hair 👏👍. Cape Town Curly has a post on alcohols in hair products (Click here for the link)

My Final thoughts: It's an ok conditioner and it's decently priced, but I've found better alternatives (for pre-poo) to TRESemmé conditioners since the Naturals range was discontinued; I especially love the Baylis & Harding Coconut Conditioner R 59.99 for 500ml (Dischem) and the Garnier Ultimate Blends  Conditioner - The Nourishing Repairer R 59.99 for 400ml (Dischem and Clicks).


Condtioner and shampoo are both available in Pick n Pay, Dischem, and Clicks stores for R 79.99 each. Dischem currenlty has a special, you can get them for R59.99 each.

That's it from me, thank you to my curlfriends for saying yes to the collab, 💜💜💜💜💜

See you in my next post, 

xoxo

Hair & Beauty Empties (March & April)

Hi loves,
Welcome to my first empties post. let me tell you about how I found the products and whether or not I would repurchase.

1. Sunny Isle Jamaican Black Castor Oil 236ml
I've been using JBCO for over two years now; I use it for my hair in a number of ways:
* with a cheapy conditioner (Tresemme Naturals) as a pre-shampoo/detangling treatment.
* with a hair masque/deep conditioner after shampooing.
* mix it with grapeseed oil (herbal infusion) and essential oils for my hair and scalp oil
I started using this oil during my transition period and it made the whole process so much easier; my hair is definitely stronger and thicker. JBCO is the one staple in my hair regimen since I'm a bit of a product junkie so I'm always trying out new shampoos and conditioners.

 

Would I repurchase? Hell yeah! I already have a second bottle. 

Price: ZAR 269.00 from www.african-flair.co.za 

2. Dark & Lovely Au Naturale Knot-out Conditioner 250ml
Dark & Lovely launched a hair care range for natural hair in South Africa late last year. I've already reviewed some of the products in this range (Click here for the link). I don't really use rinse-out conditioners after shampooing, I prefer to use deep conditioners and hair masques. I use rinse-outs for pre-poo and detangling (mixed with JBCO); this conditioner is perfect for this it's got tons of slip and it's super affordable. It will never replace Tresemme Naturals in my heart but it's an acceptable replacement. Also 250ml is only enough for 3 pre-poo sessions (I've got a lot of hair).

Would I repurchase? Yes. Until they launch the Tresemme Botanique range in South Africa.

Price: ZAR 39.95

3. The Body Shop Honeymania body Butter 250ml
I'm a sucker for a good body butter; I've got dry skin, so I can do with the extraness. This tub lasted a year, and I love how it made my skin feel. It locks in moisture without making things greasy which is awesome. It was a little difficult ot use in the winter beucase it gets a little hard and it feels cold in the winter (who else has this problem in the winter? My mission after a bath is to jump into PJs as quicky as possible and then bed. Butters and lotions feel really cold in the winter, so it becomes a chore). The scent was a bit too sweet for me at times, but other than that it's pretty good.

Repurchase? Probably not. I prefer the Brazil Nut and Atlas Mountain Rose Butters.
Price: ZAR 170.00


4. The Body Shop Seaweed Oil-Balancing Toner 250ml
This toner has been part of my skincare regimen for almost a year now. It's light and refreshing, and gives my face that one last clean before my serums and moisturisers. One bottle goes a long way; at least 3 months (even when using it twice a day), which is really good for the price.

Repurchase? Always
Price: ZAR 120.00


5. The Body Shop Seaweed Oil-Balancing Clay Mask 100ml
Another one from The Body Shop :-) I've only been using face masks dilligently for the last 6 months and I bought this mask, because I use the cleanser and toner from the Seaweed range. It's based on kaolin clay which is really good for purifying and detoxing the skin. It's got a slight cooling effect when applied, the tingling only comes afterwards, after rinsing. I found that if I used the toner straight after rinsing off the mask, then there's slight burning sensation, but nothing bad happens.

Would I repurchase? No, only because I've found something better. The masks from the Recipes of Nature range.
Price: ZAR 190.00


6. Fountain  - The Hair Molecule
I've talked about this beauty supplement in my favourites post (here); I've been using for more than a month. It's got a sour berry flavour that's a bit powdery but I don't find that off-putting. I'll do a review on it, after my 3 month trial period.

Would I repurchase? For now...Yes I'll talk about that in my full review soon. But I'm currently on my second bottle.
Price: ZAR 712 (Bay One for Africa) $39 (Deciem)

I can now throw these into the recycling waste bin. Done!

See you in my next post, 

xoxo, 

Find it Online - Local Hair Supply Stores

 Hey loves,

I thought I'd compile a list of all the online hair supply stores that operate in South Africa. As you might know finding these stores using a Google store is quite a chore...first change the country setting to South Africa... then type in random hair product ..click enter and hope for the best. Then, go through search results all the way to page 1XXXX before finding a local hair store ....WHAT?!

Image from www.uberhumour.com

It's really hard to find these stores, unless you know the name of the store you're looking for. Here's a list of the one's I've been able to find. You can find hair products, accesories such as satin scarves, pillowcases, crochet hooks, hair extensions etc.

Proudly South African Products
Akan Organics www.akanorganics.co.za
Afrobotanics www.afrobotanics.co.za 
Afro Pride www.facebook.com/Afropridesa/
Archaic Human www.archaichuman.com/
Black African Organics www.blackafrican.co.za
Brown Child www.brownchild.co.za
Curl Chemistry www.facebook.com/curlchemistry/
Curly you www.curlyyou.co.za
Earthy www.earthy.co.za
Essentially Natural www.essentiallynatural.co.za
Eco essentials www.ecoessentials.co.za
HAIRPRINT South Africa http://hairprint.co.za/ 
Kafui Naturals www.facebook.com/kafuinaturals/ Shop for it at www.spaza-nakama.shopstar.co.za/ and www.mudanga.com/index.php/beauty-health
Keitu Haircare www.keituhaircare.com
Keramour Naturals http://www.keramournaturals.co.za/
Lavish Atelier www.solavish.co.za
My Natural Hair www.mynatural.co.za
Natural Aura  www.naturalaura.co.za
Naturally Good  www.naturallygood.co.za
Natmoisture www.natmoisture.co.za
Native child www.nativechild.co.za
Nilotiqa www.nilotiqa.com
Nubian Nature  www.nubiannature.co.za
Oamobu naturals  www.oamobu.co.za
Rockin Naturals relaunching in June 2017 as Buuya www.buuya.co.za
Ruutos www.ruutos.com
Suki Suki Naturals www.sukisukinaturals.co.za
The Moisture Factory www.themoisturefactory.co.za
The Perfect Hair www.theperfecthair.co.za
Tru Curls www.truecurls.co.za
Plush luxury online  - www.plushluxury.co.za stocks Natural aura, Nubian Nature, Zarona & Nilotiqa
Zarona www.zarona.co.za

Stocks Local and International Brands
African-Flair www.african-flair.co.za/
Beauty on Tapp www.shopbeautyontapp.co.za
Blaq Hair Care www.blaqhaircare.co.za
Everything hair www.everythinghair.co.za
Faithful to Nature www.faithful-to-nature.co.za 
Hair city www.haircity.co.za
Hairhouse warehouse www.hairhousewarehouse.co.za
Kinky Moriri www.kinkymoriri.co.za
Lush www.lush.co.za
Obulunji www.obulunji.com
Retailbox www.retailbox.co.za
Style Diva www.stylediva.co.za
Wellness warehouse www.wellnesswarehouse.com

Most of Clicks and Dischem's hair products are avaialble on their online stores:
www.clicks.co.za
www.dischem.co.za

I hope this list is helpful. I'm going to try and keep it up to date. Add new sites as I discover them while trolling the net.

Happy shopping!

xoxo,

N

 

 

Haircare Review: My Natural Hair...Local is Lekker

Hi all,
This post is long overdue, but work has been crazy and it took me a while to get to this post.

My Natural Hair is a South African hair care range that launched late last year; it is the brainchild of Catherine Williams.
I came across it in early October on one of my exploratory stolls through the hair product aisles in Clicks (Canal Walk). as a natural, one is always on the lookout for new and better products (that work and are reasonably priced). So I was really excited when I saw this range, I picked up the conditioner to try (that's usually the deal breaker for me in any haircare range...I'm a sucker for a good conditioner!). I promptly snapped a shot and posted it to the Cape Town Naturally Support group (sharing is caring! Can't leave my curlfriends out in the cold).

FIRST! Facebook post of my new find

I was pretty impressed with the condtioner, so I picked more of it at their stall during the Cape Town Natural Hair Festival (December 2016).

Got my pciture taken at theMy Natural Hair stand at the Natural Hair Festival. Image courtesy of My Natural Hair

And then I got lucky enough to win a hamper during a let your hair speak social media campaign.

I've been using the entire range for a couple weeks and so i'm ready to give my thoughts...

Wash Day things

1. Nourishing Shampoo 250ml 
free from (Sulphates, Pthalates, Parabens, Petroleum & Mineral oil)
Ingredient List (as listed on the website)
aqua, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, lauryl glucoside, cocamidopropyl betaine, PEG-18 glyceryl oleate/cocoate, cocamide DEA, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, glycerine, parfum, ethylene/sodium acrylate copolymer, sodium chloride, acetamide MEA, dimethiconol panthenol, hydrolyzed keratin, hyaluronic acid, disodium EDTA, methylchloroisothiiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, linoleic acid, dimethiconol cysteine, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, sorbitol, citric acid.

I really like this shampoo, I've used after removing braids a couple of times and while my braids were installed. It cleanses without stripping the hair (even with a double shampoo). It leaves my hair really soft and manageable (I can't handle shampoos that leave my hair so stripped, that I'm afraid to touch it for fear of breaking it!). It's a clear formula with a light floral/herbal scent. It does foam up quite a bit, so you do have to rinse really well.

2. Hydrating Conditioner 250ml
Ingredient List (as listed on the website)

aqua, cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, cetrimonium chloride, glycerine, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, PEG-20 stearate, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, polysorbate-60, simmondsia chinensus (jojoba) oil, parfum, acetamide MEA, dimethiconol panthenol, hydrolyzed keratin, hyaluronic acid, linoleic acid, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, sorbitol.

I've used this conditioner as a pre-shampoo treatment and as a deep conditioner, and it works well in both instances. I apply this to damp hair section-by-section, detangle with my denman and cover my hair with a plastic cap (or cling wrap), then put a towel over my head and wait 30 minutes before rinsing. After rinsing, my coilys pop and clump together (this is my measure for a good conditioner...popping coils). 

Compared to the holy grail for coilys and curlies, Tresemme Naturals (Now Botaniques) it doesn't have a much slip but it works well enough to detangle without tugging and pain. My only gripe...I wish the contianer were bigger; I'm already more than halfway through the first bottle and the shampoo has hardly moved. You know how it is - it's one bottle of shampoo to a gazillion of conditioner. Tall n Curly the struggle with the most hilarious and honest illustrations (below).

 

True story

the struggle is real

 3. Moisturising Butter 125ml
Ingredients
aqua, butyrospermum parkii (shea) buttter, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, glycerine, trehalose, glyceryl stearate (and) PEG-100 stearate, helianthus annuus (sunflower) oil, polysorbate-60, olea europaea (olive) oil, ceteareth-20, niacinamide, phenoxyethanol (and) ethylhexyl glycerin, cetrimonium chloride, parfum, acetamide MEA, benzophenone-3, tocopherol acetate, carbomer, disodium EDTA, benzophenone-4, dimethiconol panthenol, hydrolyzed keratin, hyaluronic acid, linoleic acid, dimethiconol cysteine, simmondsia chinensus (jojoba) oil, sodium hydroxide.

4. Strengthening Oil 150ml

Ingredients
helianthus annuus (sunflower) oil, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, persia gratissima (avocado) oil, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, olea europaea (olive) oil, coco caprylate, tocopherol acetate, parfum, benzophenone-3, butylated hydroxytoluene.

I applied the butter to damp hair, after towel drying (sometimes I'm too lazy to find the t-shirt); then I comb through with my denman and seal with the oil and then braid the section up and allow the hair to dry for a few hours or overnight before blowdrying on medium heat to stretch my hair. 
the butter has a chocolate mousse consistency; it's easily absorbed without leaving any white residue. Also, a little goes a long way so this little tub should last quite a while. I've used this as a moisturiser between washdays and as a moisturiser when installing braids. 
The oil is light without being greasy or too viscose, so it's easy to apply. as with the butter, a little goes a long way (too much of any product just ends in a big mess). 

Final thoughts: I'm impressed with this range, I tend to be sceptical of locally made products; a symptom of many decades during which ethnic or curly/coily hair was ignored. As a child, my mum washed my hair with sunlight green soap bar and sealed my wet hair with vaseline or Wella hairfood (the stinky yellow one), so seeing these locally made products with good ingredients, that work really well is super exciting.

Where to find them: the entire range is available at the My Natural Hair online store, takealot.com and in Clicks stores, Jet Mart and  Africa Cash and Carry wholesalers. All the products cost ZAR 79.99 at the My Natural Hair store, and cost between ZAR 89 and 99.99 at Clicks (in-store and online). 
 
Media Event
My Natural Hair held a media event for Cape Town at the Bunglow in Clifton last month. Let me tell you.. I had such hair envy seeing all those curly fros as I had Goddess locs installed at the time. It was an event for local curlies to mingle, we also got a chance to meet Catherine the creator and ambassdor to My Natural Hair (I met her briefly at the Natural Hair Festival in December). Here are some pics from the event. The rest are available on the The Little Black Book Facebook page (here)

Images courtesy of My Natural Hair

I always feel acomplished when I finish a post *waves hands in the air*

Until my next post ,

xoxo,

Hair Review: Dark & Lovely Au Natural Range ft. the BFF

Hi loves,
I' was so excited about the launch of Dark & Lovely's Au Naturale range in South Africa (Designed specifically for the South African market, there's a plaiting pudding cream...), which couldn't come soon enough. I can't believe how long it's taken them to launch a natural hair care range considering how long they've been operating in South Africa....tsk.tsk.. But let by gones be by gones...
I'm happy to say that this review will be done in collabo with my BFF; we're both on a natural hair journey and certified product junkies. We got the products from Clicks and Dischem when they first launched (So for slighlty cheapper than the recommended retail price). She reviewed the shampoo and condtioner, and I reviewed the condtioner and mositurizing butter.

Shampoo 

Her Review:

The Moisture-Replenishing shampoo is egg yolk yellow in colour and slightly runny. It’s got a strong mango and tropical fruit fragrance, not unlike the Mango range from the Body Shop; A bit strong for my liking, but I’ll live. I used it as a clarifier after a protective style and as a weekly shampoo since purchasing. From the first wash, it lathers quite well (yay for suds!!) cleanses my fine strands clean without stripping; which is what I want, from my shampoo. I have shampooed my hair with this product both with and without pre-pooing and it delivered the same results. My strands are quite fine and dry out quickly so this is a win in my book. I just would recommend only shampooing twice if you really need to (i.e. you've been rolling in mud and/or attended the colour run). In my case, a moderate amount went a long way so I think this bottle may last me about two months.

Price: ZAR 39.95


Conditioner

My Review:
The Knot-out conditoner in this range also has a strong Mango fragrance but I'm not complaining. I must confess I'm more of a deep condtioner girl, so I used this conditioner as a pre-shampoo treatment/detangler.
The Verdict? It's great! It's got a ton load of slip which is what I need. It really made my from more manageable and removing knots easily. (I finger-detangle and follow that up with my Denman brush).
For pre-poo, I normally mix my conditoner with Jamaican Black Castor Oil and this condtioner works really well with JBCO (so that's another plus).
I feel like this is a great alternative (It's silicone-free) for those of us who miss Tresemme Naturals something fierce (I'm still mad about that by the way...How could they take it away from us?)

Her Review:

It’s light and with a creamy spreadable consistency. The fragrance was something akin to mango and tropical fruit smoothie; a bit overpowering for me, but bearable. Plus it doesn’t linger.

I first used it as a detangler on my 4b strands and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It has SLIP. As in you can detangle with your fingers or paddle brush with ease (provided your hair isn’t extremely tangled). So that passes the first test. The downside is that you have to use quite a bit of product to saturate your hair. But as it’s fairly inexpensive, I don’t mind it.

I also tried it as a deep conditioner and left it in for 20min. Here.... ja, it’s not a deep conditioner. It’s not bad but it left my hair wanting a bit more. I tried again but added some of my favourite oils for extra extra-ness. This time it did a better job. But since I hate doing that, I think I will just stick to it as a quick conditioner or a detangler.

Price: ZAR 39.95

Afro moisturizing butter

 My Review:
I decided to go for the moisturizing butter instead of the plaiting pudding cream because I have a strong aversion to pink creams. Why must you be so Dark & Lovely? Pink? Really?! NO!
The moisturizing butter is quite firm with a smooth texture, which I really like (no dripping all over the place). The fragrance...I don't like at all. It's very chemical (trying to be herby..I don't know) It smells a little like Sunlight dishwashing liquid to me. That being said I really like how it feels in my hair. It's super mosturizing; great for use as a the moisture component in conjunction with an oil to seal. Also gives great slip if you're detangling your hair post-wash. I also used it on my hair with my whipped mafura butter when I installed Marley twists.


For those who are silicone-sensitive, it does contain dimethicone. So despite the not so awesome fragrance, we're keeping it! 

Price: ZAR 79.95

My final verdict: All three of these products are super affordable. They're available in selected Dischem and Clicks stores. Also, Clicks has an online store, you can order there too.
So Dark & Lovely, well done! Took you long enough.

Her final verdict:

All in all, this combo is great and budget friendly if you’re looking for good, cheap products that do the job well. Will I repurchase? Yup! It’s worth it.

What's your verdict on the Au Naturale range? Yay! or Nah!?

See you in my next post,

xoxo








*Product images are from www.darkandlovely.co.za