Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!!

May this new year bring many blessings and gifts from the Lord above.  Take care, God Bless and with the coming of this new year remember to put God first and he will do everything else.

Love, Peace and Blessings!

See you next year...

~HottCoco27

xoxo

Victoria Secret Beauty Rush Lipstick

So Ladies,

I purchased the VS beauty rush lipstick in Poppysicle. I kind of purchased it on a whim because I saw that it was red, festive and Christmas is just a week away. The lipstick smell and taste yummy. There was a slight metallic sheen to the red once I put it on my lips. The color payoff is excellent because I have really pigmented lips and I only have to swipe the lipstick across my lips once for the the color to show up. The color is buildable and it seems that this shade can be suitable for multiple skin tones. Here is a pic:

Overall, for the price of $7 (but you never really pay this price if you catch the 6 for $20 dollar deals) this product is pretty good.  I cannot say that I would repurchase because it will take me forever to use up the tube that I purchased.  But definitely worth the buy.






Take care & God Bless,

~HottCoco27
xoxo

Relaxing may be a thing of the past

Hello lovely people,

In case you haven't noticed, I have added a countdown clock to the bottom of my page to countdown to my next and maybe last relaxer. What!!! Did you say last relaxer?  Yes!! I did!  This idea is still in the beginning stages of thought.  I have thought about going natural for a long while now to go along with my stance on taking care of my body and lessening my dependence on chemicals.  However, there is a lot of things that stand in my way that are blocking my way to this road.  For one is my husband, he absolutely hates the idea that I want to go natural.  He has his own personal feelings about it and thinks that it will look unprofessional.  I personally disagree and think that he is just hung up on what people will think about the subliminal statement that I would be making by making this leap.  As for me, the thing that is holding me back from initiating this process is the fact that I don't like to comb my hair a lot.  I hate doing styles to my hair that require a lot of work.  Hence, if you watch my youtube channel, you have probably noticed this as well.  I am all about low key hair care and low manipulation styles.  So right now, the debate continues.  On one hand I have to respect my husband's opinion and on the other hand I have to do what feels right for me.
What have I decided to do about it?
Well, I am going to go ahead and relax in January because my B-Day is coming up and I will take the process day by day from there.  If I continue to fill the urge to go natural I will.  My hubbie probably won't even notice it I keep my hair pinned up lol.  If I give in and go natural, I am definitely not big chopping until my hair reaches a certain length. Soooooo......I will keep you guys posted.  Sigh...

African Black Soap as a Shampoo for relaxed hair

So I used some raw african black soap as a clarifying shampoo last week and I have to say that I was quite pleased with the results.  The soap left my hair feeling clean, soft and a weird sort of spongy feeling ( if that is even a term).  Anyway, if you are going to use black soap as a shampoo and you have dry hair please make sure to mix it with some oils of your liking so that your hair is not left feeling too clean or stripped.  I would definitely use black soap as a shampoo again.  However, I caution you if you are going to try this please be careful because when you use black soap as a shampoo... it works best when mixed with oils and distilled water.  This mixture is very runny and if it gets into your eyes it will burn like ALL GET OUT.  Overall, using black soap as a shampoo rocks and is perfect for you ladies/gents who want to keep your haircare routine as natural as possible.  HHG.

Take care,

~HottCoco
xoxo

Happy THANKSgiving!

Hello all,

Thanksgiving is an American tradition that is all about giving thanks and being thankful for those around you and also for all the blessings that the good LORD has bestowed upon you.  Although, it should not take a national holiday to make one realize what they have...for some this is the only time of year when they put things into perspective and actually give thanks for what they have.  But as for me I give thanks year around and I hope that you guys do the same.  Anyway, have a wonderful THANKSgiving holiday and may the LORD bless and keep you during this wonderful season.




Make it a great one!!!!




Much peace & blessings...




~HottCoco27
xoxo

An Oldie but Goodie| Infusium 23

So while I was browsing the internet looking for something that helps seal the cuticle (aside from those ACV rinses) I came across and oldie but goodie...Infusium 23.  I used to use this product long ago while in high school and my hair always looked well kept and silky.  Of course, at that time I was not on a hair journey so I never thought about what Infusium 23 was doing for my hair.  Anyway, here are the specifics of this product:

secretlifeofahousewife.blogspot.com

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Infusium 23 Maximum Body Formula Pro-Vitamin Leave-In Hair Treatment is specially formulated to provide the optimal balance of conditioning and body.Enriched with Panthenol Pro-Vitamin B5, an extremely effective thickener and conditioner.

• Enriched with Panthenol Pro-Vitamin B5, an extremely effective thickener and conditioner
• Rebuilds damaged hair to its natural condition
• Restores dry, brittle hair
• Protects against split ends
• Adds manageability and shine
• Use after perm or color to seal cuticle

Infusium 23 Maximum Body Formula Pro-Vitamin Leave-In Hair Treatment helps restore volume and shine to dry, damaged, lifeless hair. Panthenol Pro-Vitamin B5 effectively thickens hair texture and restore moisture that can be lost by chemical services or color treatments. Improved the manageability of hair for better styling and increases shine and luster. Increased moisture prevents against breakages and split ends for healthier looking and feeling hair.

My feelings...

Overall, so far so good.  I mainly used this product on my hair ends to help seal the cuticle and stop my ends from looking so darn frizzy. I am going to continue to use this product although it has silicones in it because it works with my hair.  I did a rollerset with this product and it worked like a charm and my ends looked polished. So so far so good I am going back to somethings that I used to use a long time ago to properly maintain my hair as it get longer.

~HottCoco

xoxo

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinses

Hey guys,

Sorry I have not posted in a while but I have been under the weather.  I am still sick but I wanted to do this quick post to get some thoughts and feedback on if you guys have tried this method before.  So for the last couple of months I have been experimenting apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinses.  The first time I tried this method my hair turned out pretty soft and manageable and I loved it.  However, the last couple of times that I have tried the ACV rinses my hair has turned out to be a tangled mess.  I used approximately 1-2 tablespoons this kind of ACV...

and just regular water.  No matter what method I tried I still experienced tangles and not just regular tangles; I am talking about my hair was tangling at the roots (the worst kind of tangling in my opinion).  Anyway has anyone else experienced this? Or, am I just doing this wrong? Either way I do not think that I will be experimenting with this method for a while.  I love ACV for a number of other things but it does not seem to be forming a working relationship with my hair.  Oh well...sigh.  TTYL.

~HottCoco

xoxo

Ionika Flatiron Review

I purchased a Ionika flatiron from TJ Maxx (Maxxinista, lol) a couple of months ago.  This iron retails for $150.00 dollars but I paid $29.99 for it.  I already have a flatiron that I purchased from Sally's about two years ago. It is the GVP version of the CHI pink camo ceramic flat iron.  To be honest, I think the iron that I had was okay, but I felt like I wanted something more.  When I purchased the GVP iron I got it from Sally's on sale for $59.99.  The few times that I have used it, it did what it was supposed basically, but it did not really do the trick for me.  It never gave my hair that straight and silky look that I expected to get from a flat iron.  So that is the reasoning behind me purchasing this beauty...

                                                   Ionika Ceramic Tourmaline Flatiron

I have flatironed my hair with this about two times so far and I absolutely love this iron.  I have never experienced an iron that gives my hair such luster and silkiness like this iron.  I am not one of those people who is going to pay $300.00 for one single iron, but this iron in my opinion could definitely be in the running with one of those irons.  TTYL.

~HottCoco
xoxo

Post-Partum Shedding

Okay so it is not like I did not expect it to happen but now that it is happening it is sooo frustrating.  What is it you ask?  Post-Partum Shedding!!  Post-partum shedding usually takes place in during the first six months after a woman has given birth.   I am loosing quite a bit of hair but because it something that is inevitable I am totally okay with it.  The frustrating part of this process is some of the shedding hair gets all over my clothes, in my sink and the worst part of it all is the shedding hair has been tangling up with my new growth at the roots.  During the first few weeks after birth everything is fine.  In my case, I did not really start feeling the impact of the post-partum shedding until I reached about 9-10 weeks post-partum.  I am now 13 weeks post-partum and I am rapidly combating my hair fall.  I have incorporated garlic paste into my deep conditioner and I will soon implement the black tea rinses whenever I decided to stop breast feeding.
So here is what I am working with...

This is the amount of hair I loss after I pre-pooed and shampooed my hair.  It does not seem like much.  It looks like about 30-50 strands give or take; which is not bad.  Hopefully, my shedding will slow down  sometime soon (BEFORE SIX MONTHS) I am not sure how much more shedding I can deal with. Sigh...

~HottCoco
xoxo

So...I gave myself a haircut!

So today I gave myself a haircut because I simply got tired of looking at my raggedy ends.  I clipped some of my ends off about a week ago but because my hair was not that straight I was not able to accurately cut off the dead ends and achieve a blunt cut.  So here is the most recent picture of my length prior to cutting it...

and here is the after...

Overall, I like the way that it turned out because I absolutely LOVE a blunt haircut.  So below I will show how much I cut off.  It looked like at least about an inch.

I am happy with the results.  As I stated before, I had a baby not long ago so I must admit that during my pregnancy and the weeks following the birth of my baby I had been extremely laxed with my hair.  Even now it is kind of hard to take care of myself because I am always caring for my babies; but I decided that from now on I am going to try to make a diligent effort to care for myself as well.  I have realized that in order to care for others I have to take care of myself first!  Take care guys,

~HottCoco
xoxo

Home Cooking

So, last night I made this dish:

It's Jerk fish (Catfish), white rice and mixed vegetables.  The dish was really good.  I have had jerk fish before but it has always been cooked by someone else.  Now don't get me wrong because I can cook, but I usually make Jerk chicken or some other dish.  As far as fish goes, I usually steam it or bake it.  Anyway, I prepared the fish much like I prepare Jerk chicken and it was really tasty.  TTYL.

Have a great weekend!

Take Care,


~HottCoco27
  xoxo

Winter hair tips...

Hello all,

Please keep in mind that this is my opinion and what I personally do for my hair during the bitter cold fall and winter months.

1) Wear protective styles as much as possible.  Buns, wigs (my two favorites), braid outs etc...

2) Wear a hat!!  If it's cold don't try to avoid messing up your hair by not wearing a hat, instead invest in one of those cool hat/scarf headdresses that is listed below and either sew a satin/silk lining in the inside or wear your scarf underneath your hat.  Or, at least just put a satin or silk scarf on your head to help protect you vulnerable strands from becoming dry and brittle which can lead to breakage.



3)  Try to deep condition a couple times a week.  I would do one moisture and one protein deep condition per week.  At this point, I am increasing my moisture because my hair has a great deal of protein in it already so I am working on balancing out my hair with the proper moisture level.  Some deep conditioners that I am loving right now: For moisture Aussie moist deeeep moisture conditioner, Lustrasilk Shea butter and Mango, Kenra moisturizing conditioner and Queene Helene conditioning cream.  For Protein: Joico K-pak, Avocado oil, Motions deep penetrating treatment and Motions silk protein treatment.

4) The fall/winter weather is for not only the hair but the skin so make sure your drink plenty of liquids rather it herbal tea or water.  This is a great way to keep your hair and scalp moisturized from the inside out.

5) Don't forget to keep those ends moisturized and sealed.  I would recommend moisturizing and sealing at least twice a day.  Once in the morning and again in the night.  Try using a think and creamy water based moisturizer to moisturize your hair, as it may be more beneficial to the hair than a watery or runny spray moisturizer during the fall/winter.

6) Lastly, because it is cold outside and you are already wearing protective styles this would be a great time to engage in the growth challenges... i.e. like oiling your scalp with Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO).

Enjoy your hair and Happy Hair Journey

Take care,

~HottCoco
xoxo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc1i8EG0xus

New Items I am trying

Hey Guys!

As I was out and about today these are some things that caught my eye.  Of course, there were other things too but I am on a budget and I did not really need those extra things anyway.  Thank God.  So here are the things that I decided to pick up:

-L'oreal HiP Eyeliner pencil in Violet Volt
-Suave Damage Care Conditioner
-Creme of Nature Argan Oil Gloss and Shine Polisher
-Scunci Upzing (stretchy thingee lol)
-NYC Extreme Lip Glider lip gloss in Chelsea Rose

I will try these things out an let you guys know how they work out.  I am excited about trying the scunci upzing.  I wear my hair up a lot in protective styles and this like it might be ideal to jazz up my normal everyday styles.  Also, I am excited to try the Argan oil line because it has silcones in it (because it a serum) but it also has some key ingredients like Olive Oil (great for hair & scalp has Omega 3's and it is a great moisturizer, Honey (humectant) and Wheat Protein just to name a few. Overall, I am happy with my little purchase and I will update you guys soon with what I think about the products.  Take care.

~HottCoco
xoxo

Welcome

Hello and Welcome,

It has taken me a while but I am finally getting things going with my blog. I have a lot of things to say, just not sure if everyone wants to hear...lol. Anyway, thank you for visiting my site and I hope you feel free to read, click around and enjoy yourself. Take care,

~Hottcoco

xoxo