FRIDAY BREW: WHAT I’VE LEARNED ABOUT THE WASH AND GO

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It’s a lovely Friday morning and I’ve decided to step outside my coffee box and choose a different flavor of iced coffee. I’m currently sipping on a Cinnamon Dolce iced coffee, courtesy of none other than, Starbucks.
Today I’m discussing the 6 things I’ve learned about the wash and go style. I’ve struggled with this style for years and at one point completely wrote it off because it caused more damage than not. But I wanted to share some things I’ve learned about this style that have really changed the way I think about the overall health and look of my hair. 
1. IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME
My expectations were high for this hairstyle but I was completely oblivious to the fact that my hair will just never look the same each time I do this style. It’s inevitable. Kinks, curls and coils clump and lay however they choose and there is just not that much control over how it clumps together. The weather is major factor in how it looks as well. Humidity can make for some serious shrinkage and in my case-shrinkage and high volume. 
2. JELLY OVER GEL
I’ve tried a plethora of gels in the past and they all seem to do the same thing for my hair (dry out, frizz and hardened the strands). The texture and consistency of a jelly provides the right amount and hold provides an amazing shine to each coil. 
3. AIR DRYING VS. HOODED DRYER
After much debate, I’ve come to the conclusion that the hooded dryer is quicker but yields less than impressive results. My hair is extremely dense so the hooded dryer barely gets to the roots and I’m left with hair that is dry on top but roots that are frizzy and puffy. Air drying has worked for me and has provided optimal results. It takes forever but it is so worth it!
4. THE PICK
Most of the time, if i’m doing a wash and go, I’m looking for full volume! I get lots of volume from air drying but get maximum results from picking the roots. If I haven’t had my hair shaped into a nice defined cut, the pick usually helps me manipulate certain parts of my hair for maximum volume and shape. 
5. CONVENIENCE
I made the big mistake of thinking this hairstyle would be a quick process. Like any other style,       I’ve learned that even this style won’t get me out the door in an hour. Because I have to use the shingling method to help define my curls and avoid frizz, it takes time to achieve this style. There is no quick fix for styling and the wash and go has reminded me of that many times. 
6. DETANGLE
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made with this style is thinking I didn’t have to do a thorough detangling session when in actuality this is one of those styles where detangling is a MUST. Because I thought a wash and go style was meant to be a quick 30 minute style; sort of a short cut when your on the go, I just completely wrote off detangling and did a quick finger detangle session. BAD IDEA. I realized that detangling is the number one thing to do and that had I done so, I would have not had so many single strand knots. Lesson learned 😦
Hope this info was helpful!
Sincerely,
Deidra Marie

FRIDAY BREW: PRODUCT REVIEW-DARK AND LOVELY AU NATURALE EASY TWIST GEL N’ BUTTER

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I haven’t decided what cup of coffee I will be drinking today but just know it will be tasty. 

Today on the brew, I’m giving a product review of the Dark and Lovely’s Au Naturale anti-shrinkage Easy Twist Gel N’ Butter.I used this product in combination with a light hair milk and 100% raw Apricot Oil. This product was light, fluffy and went on pretty smooth. It has a nice creamy consistency and leaves no build-up. While I thought this product would elongate my curls and provide a bit of moisture because of the butter ingredients, it actually dried my curls and coils out and didn’t provide much elongation. I’m not sure if it’s because of the other products I was using or if was the fact that my hair was not damp enough for the product to be evenly distributed. My goals was to do a wash and go but because of the dryness I just twisted each section of my hair up and air dried. The touch and smell of the product is amazing but unfortunately didn’t do much for me in the moisture department.

Pros

  •  Smell amazing! I love mango’s and the combination of mango oil and bamboo is perfect. Took me back to my time in the Caribbeans. 
  • Smooth and creamy consistency
  • Amazing Slip
  • Not expensive
  • Easily accessible (Target, Walmart, Beauty Supply, Walgreens, Rite Aid)
Cons
  • Very drying, didn’t provide enough moisture, even in combiation with other moisturizing products.
  • Did not elongate my coils and curls
  • Did not provide much hold. 
I will probably give this product another chance and try it with a different combo of products and style it in a wash and go. I don’t usually give up on a product until after 3 trys. You have to give products a fair chance before tossing them or passing them on. 

Sincerely,

Deidra Marie