August monthly buys

Let me start off by saying I purchased from two different companies this month (natural hair related and nail related) and I haven't received their package yet so I'm waiting on that.

These 3 items I DID NOT purchase this month. I purchased some time in late June and have now received it this month. More on this in another post.

This month's buys:
HAIR
Extra Virgin Olive Oil review here $2.98
Queen Helene Royal Curl Curl Shaping Cream review here $6.99
Showercap (not pictured) $1.93
(2) for kids' sake bows $1.00EA

NAILS:
Sinful Colors Soul mate swatch here $1.99
Sinful Colors Seaweed $1.99

Skincare:
Biore warming anti-blackhead cleanser $5.97

I went well over my budget this month and there is so much more I want to buy. I'm not too sure how this is working out for us! Review on the other products coming soon.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased these products with my own money and all reviews are my honest opinon.

wordless Wednesday

Ugh I hate that the picture doesn't really capture how nice these nails were. I tried!

Products used:
Base coat Wet n Wild
Jordana in Silver Glitter
Wet N Wild in Sparked

DISCLAIMER : I purchased these products with my own money

Corioliss Pro V Leopard Print flat iron Review

This is the flat iron I currently use on my hair. My hair is already naturally straight but during highschool I experimented with changing my hair color too often that it got damaged over time and became less straight. I purchased this flat iron once my Chi broke after 2 years of use. I purchased this flat iron sometime in 09 and I cannot remember what site I ordered it off of. I wish I had the details, I remember seeing the piece of paper of my order a few months ago and threw it away! Oh well, it was about $100-$115. I was trying to decide if I should purchase another CHI but heard about how it often breaks so I settled for this Corioliss Pro. I chose this product because this was the brand I had someone use on my hair at the mall (you know with those little carts) and I was satisfied with the results. Along with my order I also received a travel size flat iron as well. For something small it sure packs a lot of heat! I use it to (try) to curl the outer layers of my hair.
The pros and cons about this flat iron:
Pros: love the leopard print! How cute is that..
There is a dial to adjust the heat, with the CHI I couldnt at all and sometimes it was just too hot.
It does its job.
Doesn't leave a burning smell on my hair.

Cons: It snagged my hair a few times but I've learned to use it and it works great.

When I first used this flat iron I felt like it was so crappy compared to the CHI because it didn't go through my hair smoothly. I was even considering sending it back because I even thought it was too pricey. I stuck it out though and am really satisfied with this flat iron.
DISCLAIMER: I bought this product with my own money and all opinions are my own.

our first bantu knots and bantu knot out

the results were wild! I only left it in over night and and took it out the next day. I liked the curls...a little. They were definitely different looking but we still have a ton to learn. The back sections didn't have much hair in the bantu knots, that's why the bottom looks thin. I applied our glycerin mix (because I did ths immediately after taking out a style) and eco styler gel to each section when doing the knots. When I removed them I tried to gently separate them and apply kinky curly curling custard very lightly. I'd like to give this a go again. Any tips or tricks for us?

review: bee mine bee lovely moisturizing daily conditioner

I received this sample of Bee Mine Bee Lovely Moisturizing daily conditioner as a sample when I ordered during their customer appreciation sale. I tried this product out once on Leelee as a leave-in and did not like it at all. I didn't bother to try it as a conditioner for her either since the amount is so small. While trying to figure out what would work on Babydoll's hair, I decided to use this. And on her the results are amazing! Its very light in consistency. It moisturizes her hair and leaves it feeling very soft. The smell is also wonderful- a coconut scent. I use it for Babydoll as a leave-in and light conditioner. I would love to purchase this in the full size for her. I'm glad it worked out for us. What product do you use as a daily leave-in?

snagged style: Charlottes Avenue

So I did another snagged style. I can't help it, there's so many talented mamas out there! This one comes from CharlottesAvenue and her adorable daughter Choca. Its a mohawk with mini twists in the front.

For our version I parted out a section in front to do later. I did her hair like I normally would any mohawk by braiding each section straight back. When I was done braiding I secured it with a rubberband. I then finished it off by doing 3-strand twists (our first time and I love it!). The top portion I did different. I only did 2 3-strand twists..I'm not good with twists and got lazy by the time I got to this section.

I left it pretty plain and didn't really add barettes or beads on the end. Next time I will. I pretty much only did barettes so the twists would stay in. The twists lasted pretty long and I will be doing this style sometime soon again.

I eventually took out the 3-strand twists in the front for a (horrible) braid out. It looked pretty similiar to Choca's. Kind of....lol

wordless Wednesday

via aquafinabarbie.tumblr.com

Extra virgin olive oil on natural hair

I have read about using extra virgin olive oil in hair as a pre-poo and always wanted to try it. I finally bought some EVOO (in my Rachel Ray voice) and got to work. I have only used this 3x and have liked the results. The first time I applied the EVOO while I was taking out a style. The bottom portion was much smaller and easier to coat while e top I got a bit lazy and just smoothed it all over. I then placed a shower cap on her head and let her wear it for about 25-30. It was the first time she ever had anything on her head (she doesn't wear a sleep cap at night) and she was getting a bit irritated off of it. I then got her in the bath and washed it off and then shampooed and conditioned. Like I said, the first time the bottom portion was a small section and easy to coat so that's where I saw the results. It was really soft and shiny. Whereas, the top was soft and shiny here and there.
The second time the results were a bit better but not like I wanted. Here are the results third time we tried it:

I like it so far but I think I need a better way to apply the oil and find out exactly how much. The first and last time was reallly oily and everywhere she laid made stains! Also, I wasn't sure if I was suppose to shampoo and condition or just co-wash (I shampooed and conditioned every time).on the plus side, I love the results. It leaves her hair soft and shiny and when it dries it doesn't shrink as much. Do you use EVOO? How do you do it? Any tips or tricks?

snagged style: mainly braids

I saw this style on
mainly braids (check out her adorable kids and skills) and immediately wanted to try it out. Here is our version.

natural mohawk switched up

Here's a style I did. It leans to the side a lil with random parts and not directly in the middle. I switched it up once but there are numerous way this style can be worn.

here is the original style

here it is braided in one big braid

another, with the braid undone to give it that crinkly look with a flower to accessorize.

Curly Princess Hair Boutique Giveaway

Giveaway time!!!!! This is our last giveaway for our "hairversary". For this giveaway Curly Princess Hair Boutique is being beyond generous and allowing the winner to choose not one, not two, not three, but TEN! Yes, ten items of your choice! What are you waiting for? Vis it their site at www.curlyprincesshairboutique.com

update on items

I wanted to do an update on a few items I purchased last month. I bought some new cloth pony holders to band Leelee's hair with, they were called 'Style It Up' and.....I love them! Before, I would use the cloth ponys that are meant for younger kids that you see at Walmart, Target or any other place. Whenever I would remove them from her hair strands of hair would come along, too. Also, they became all raggedy looking fast. This brand is GREAT! I moisturize the hair a ton with Bee Mine luscious balanced moisturizer. I feel like my 16oz I just purchased disappeared :( and when I remove the ponys there is very little to no hair getting yanked with it. It is very very rare seeing hair when I remove them. I will be purchasing some more. The only thing I don't like about it is that they get stretched really easily, but I think that goes for a lot of ponys. They also still seem very sturdy where I can get a lot of uses from it.

The comb I use for detangling I like as well. A couple of the teeth already broke though so I'm not too happy about that. I haven't put the shower comb/scalp massager to good use yet. I bought it because I saw a review on it on YouTube and a lot of people swore by its greatness for detangling, brushing and easy use of evenly distributing shampoo and conditioner. I will work with it more. Do you use a scalp massager/shower brush? How do you like it?

DISCLAIMER: products were purchased by me with my own money. All opinions are my own.

Fashion Eyewear: WARBY PARKER

I came across this site I wanted to share with everyone else. They sell glasses and sunwear for both men and women. The thing about their site though that caught my eye was the fact that they offer at home try ons. Five pairs of glasses, for 5 days, 100% free! I've never heard of something like this before and think that is awsome!

They also have teamed up with non-profits like visionsprings.org to help others. They believe that everyone has the right to see and deserve proper vision care. To address this problem, they deliver a pair of glasses to someone in need every time one is purchased. So far, they have distributed over 50,000 pairs.

There are also showrooms in 5 different locations from New York to Portland. If this sounds interesting to you as it was to me visit their site for some vintage inspired fashion eyewear.

sinful colors soul mate

DISCLAIMER: products were purchased by me with my own money.

A twist on diagonal braids

After writing the title I realized that it was the perfect fit!
I decided to do a quick style similair to the diagonal braids. I left the top portion gathered in a ponytail and created about 4-5 3-strand twists with the hair left out. I then braided the twists together and secured it with a rubberband and barrette. Enoy!

wordless Wednesday

via allthingsblackwomen.tumblr

natural hair style ideas for school

Now that summer is over and the kids are going back to school, some parents are pressed for time and do not have such an open schedule for hair anymore. Here are a few styles and tips for back to school.

One quick and simple way is letting them wear their hair out and just dress it up with accessories.

Headbands, barrettes or bows or even out by itself!
I'm pretty sure you all know how much I love protective styles. I know a few do not like to let their child wear their hair out because it becomes a tangled mess by the end of the day. A protective style during school is perfect because it requires less fuss and you can keep it in for days at a time. Even weeks if styles last long on your little one. My favorite types of protective styles are the ones where you can change it after a few days to give it a new look. One I personally love is mohawks! One day you can braid all the braids together like this:

You can portion a few into ponytails or even a braid out before you take it completely out! Possibilities are endless.
Hereis a post of a 4-in-1 style I did recently .Here is another link showing the style switched up many times. You can also add beads or barretes on the end if you dont mind. Check back in a few for some quick and easy styles we come up with!

Queen Helene Royal Curl, Curl Shaping Cream Review

Again, the pics arent the best, but im working with what I got!

Yes, I jumped on the bandwagon and bought Queen Helene Royal Curls Curl Shaping Cream after I read Baby Big Hair's review here and BBB here So I basically bought this product because I loved the results I saw from their review. Especially when they both mentioned that it weighed down their daughter's hair and didn't cause a lot of shrinkage. When putting products in Leelee's hair to be worn out thats all I experience - major shrinkage! I was hoping this product would do the same for us.

So let me begin by saying I went on the Queen Helene website to look for where I can find the product. It said a local store had it in stock but when I called they told me that was incorrect, but they would be happy to do a special order. A week went by and they notified me. When I went into the store I found out they only ordered one..I was hoping it would be a whole order but I guess not. It was okay though, they also didnt have a price for it and I remember it going for $7.99 and they told me "how bout 6.99?" Awesome! Can't be that for a 15oz!

First time using this I did not do it on clean hair. I took out a style and put the curl cream in. I LOVED it! I'm going to try my best to explain something here. When Leelee wears down and out hair she has two kinds depending on what products were used. One type is where her hair shrinks up and the curls are all clumped together and pretty uniform. They will hardly budge because they are so together. Another (which I love and is my favorite) is where her hair is all bouncy and curls are so defined. I can brush my fingers through her hair and its just so fluffy and bouncy. They shrink as well but after awhile, not instantly. I hope I made sense! This is what that cream did, it made her hair so fluffy I seriously love it! It still shrank her hair and didnt weigh it down too much but I think its because her hair is really fine and not much length yet. The only thing about it is that I wasn't too fond of the smell. It was too much for me. It smells good, but overpowering to my nose. Also, I realized that the ingredients aren't all natural, there were ingredients I couldn't pronounce but whatever. I will def be trying this product out again on clean hair and figuring out the best way it will work for us. I'm a little disappointed that the store doesn't care their line either but its ok I don't need to be spending anymore money! I will keep updating on how this works for us.

If you'd like to win your very own Queen Helene products come enter at Baby Big Hair
To read another review on the product not working too well visit A Mother's Love


DISCLAIMER: products were purchased by me with my own money. All opinions are my own

simple braids and beads

I did this style a while back and forgot to post it. Its just simple ponys that are braided with beads at the ends. The front portion has a few cornrows to dress it up a bit. Sorry for the crappy photos and the way the hair looked. I took these pics after a day and her hair was falling apart, becoming frizzy and a mess. Styles like these do NOT last long on Leelee. The ponys get loose and hair moves everywhere! Not a good look. I hope this inspires someone though and you can even probably add your own twist to it. Enjoy!

DIY From drab to FAB earrings

I saw these cute glitter bamboo earrings that Nadia was selling that she made herself. I wanted to purchase them the same time I bought these from her. I realized I had bamboo earrings of my own and even some glitter I could spare, so I got to work! I didn't mind experimenting on the ones I had because I didn't wear them often anyway.

To get this look this is what I used:
Old pair of bamboo earrings
Ibd brush-on nail glue (sallys)
Sally girl sparke effects (sallys)
Jordana nail polish in silver glitter (grocery store)
2 pieces of paper

I had the earrings flat on a piece of paper and brushed on the nail glue in small sections. Then, I sprinkled some glitter until the section was coated. I lifted the earring and transfered it to the other paper and brushed on the glue wherever I left off. Then, id gather the piece of paper I previously used and fold it so that all the excess glitter would come together and then I poured that over where the glue was placed. I kept repeating this process till the glitter was done and then I would add more. After one side was done, I let it dry for 30min or so and do the same to the other side. When both sides were done and dry, I went over it with the silver nail polish to "seal" the glitter.

from drab

to fab!
DISCLAIMER: products were purchased by me with my own money. All opinions are my own

once upon a curl

SIDENOTE: I have been waiting to do this review since June when I got these items! Now that she is slowly re-stocking her inventory I finally get to do my review and send customers her way. Yay!!

Hair accessories ... who doesn't love them! Since I can't find certain items I'm looking for in my area, I was searching for a good site with good prices for beads I wanted. I posted on BBB FB page and Terica from Once Upon A Curl contacted me to let me know she had a few products. Although she didn't have the exact item in stock that I was looking for, she had a ton more that I wanted! I'm obsessed with hearts and pretty much anything cute and girly (hence, the blog name). She had a lot of heart beads that I have been looking for and a lot of colorful cute ballies. She even had a sale going on of $1 for each item and buy 6 get 1 free...how awesome is that? It seriously can't get any better. Terica is such a sweet girl. It was very easy to communicate with her throughout the whole process. She was even kind enough to add a few crochet headbands with my order. If your area has very limited hair accessories or you're looking for a really good deal please check out Once Upon A Curl on FB. She has everything from bows, barrettes, flower headbands, hair products and beads, beads, beads! Her store has a lot to offer. Did I mention her packaging is very unique?! (:

Sometime this month she will be having another sale of $1 items along with the buy 6 get 1 free. Btw, not only does she sell hair accessories /items, she also does party favors! Seriously, check this talented lady out.

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win 50% off Pretty Puffs Dolls CLOSED

Do you struggle trying to find a doll your daughter can relate to? Do you have a hard time finding dolls of color embracing their natural texture? Well, I found something!

"Pretty Puff dolls are plush in design and handcrafted. Pretty Puffs have a unique style of hair; styled into an afro-puff ponytail. Pretty Puff dolls are created to show multicultural girls, teens and women that being different, having brown skin and kinky hair is absolutely a thing of beauty"

I love these Pretty Puff dolls and wish to have some of our very own one day. They are too cute. Enter now for a chance to win 50% off when ordering one of their dolls (NOT INCLUDING SHIPPING). To learn more about Pretty Puff dolls visit their website at www.prettypuffdolls.com .

your personal penguin ♥

I just wanted to share this book I recently read. It is called Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton. I think it is a-dor-a-ble!! A must read for your little one. I love the story, it could even act as a great present and message to your kids telling them that no matter what, you will always be there.

I even found a YouTube video of it because it is also a song. Enjoy!YouTube video

And the winner is.....

#57 Anne M.S! Congrats! Please e-mail Curly Is Cuter @ Curlyiscuter@yahoo.com with the subject as Allthingscuteandgirly giveaway winner with your mailing address no later than Wednesday, August 17, 20011. If you did not win don't be sad! I will be posting another giveaway this week. If I can't contain myself I probably will post it later today!